Mike Randall Books

This book and Kaufman's book on tying nymphs are excellent for the beginner. With step by step instructions and pictures, you will be tying better dry flies in no time. Highly recommended.

If you are a new to tying flies, are frustrated trying to see through the thumbs of another author, or you just want to be a more effective tyer, this is a must have book for you. The next best thing to learning with a pro by your side.

This book uses a series of useful patterns with detailed instructions to master all of the techniques needed to tie hundreds of patterns to meet any trout fishing need you can imagine.

With this book you'll gain the skills and confidence to fill your fly boxes with durable, useful flies.

I have dozens of fly tying books. and this is the one I always have close. THE BEST. If you are an beginner to intermediate tyer you will love this book. See also Randal's nymph book.

This book taught me how to tie flies. The photos are 100% in color, which is abosolutely needed in a fly tying book. Do not buy a fly tying book in black and white! It is nearly impossible to differentiate or even see the thread from the hackle from the rib....

Each fly is tied in approx. 12-20 different steps. Randall does not leave any steps out. The book progresses from easy to difficult. Randall claims that if you can ties the patterns explained in detail, then you can tie any dry fly. I think he's right.

I went from never tying a fly in my life a year ago to tying 90%+ of my own flies. Those darn humpies still drive me nuts, although Randall describes how to ties them in great detail.

Just a warning. I saw his first edition of the book at a sporting goods store. It is in black and white. Making sure you buy the "Revised" edition.

The 25 Greatest Moments In Camp Randall History is a tribute to the University of Wisconsin football program, offering an inside look at the players, coaches and teams. Painstakingly researched by columnist Mike Lucas, who has twice been named Sportswriter of the Year in Wisconsin, The 25 Greatest Moments In Camp Randall History describes each memorable instance in detail, and ranks them in order of their importance and impact on the UW program. Black-and-white and color photographs bring memories of gameplay and competition alive. The 25 Greatest Moments In Camp Randall History is surely the next best thing to attending the #4 rated college football venue (according to ESPN's 2004 ranking) and witnessing a moment in person.

Mike Lucas has definitely captured the essence of Camp Randall's history. Having been a Badger fan for the better part of three decades, I certainly think he did a terrific job of highlighting the great moments. Some may quibble over the order of the rankings. I personally think that the win over Michigan in '93 was the greatest moment, but in all, the book is fantastic.

A must have for any Badger or Big Ten football fan. Golden Gopher fans not included, if there are such people.

Just received my copy and sat down and read it all on a Sunday afternoon. The author, Mike Lucas, has covered the Badgers forever and always seems to have some interesting insight into the Badgers program. In this book he has personally covered 20 of the 25 moments. He also talked with the players and coaches from each of the great moments which adds flavor to each of the segments. The book is an oversided hardcover, coffee-table type book that has game photos (many of which are color)from the actual games being featured.

I can't really argue with the list (although I may have included the '93 Michigan win as one of the greatest moments on its own--in the book it ties in with the chapter on the '93 Ohio State tie) as every game that is listed is certainly a great moment.

If you are a University of Wisconsin football fan, you will greatly enjoy this book.

My book is called Pitchers Duel by Coach Clair Bee. This book is about an high school all star player who learns that there are bullies who can bring people down. There were bullies that didn't like the coach and wanted to suspend Chip to make their team lose state. The bullies poured things on the coach who is Rockwell and Chip wanted to save him, so he got into a fight and got suspended. Then once the suspension was over, the bullies had to think of another plan to set on Chip. So they forged Chip's contract that he got to prevent him to play in the playoffs. Chip went to the police to prove that he didn't sign it. Finally, he came back in the championship game to play the 10th inning through the 19th. They lost that game and then Rockwell retired.
There are a lot of reasons why someone else should read this book. One reason is that this story teaches you how to prevent bullies. Another reason why someone else should read this book is that there are a lot of different series about Chip Hilton. The last reason why someone else should read this book is that you can learn about all different sports like baseball football and basketball. Some people that might want to read this book are people who like baseball. Other people are maybe people who love reading sports books. Finally, people who would want to read this book are " all about sports ". This was one of my favorite books i have ever read.

This Chip Hilton book was so good to read that I didn't want to finish the last page. I'm glad there are lots of other titles to read by Coach Bee.

This book is THE complete guide to building an intranet. Killer examples and techniques.

Very impressive compendium of Intranet information and the latest HTML techniques

Randall Kaufmann's fly tying books are the standard for which all others should be judged. The book is superbly illustrated, from pictures of materials and tools to the step-by-step instructions for the listed patterns. Kaufmann brings the entire fly tying experience together in a concise, easily read book. I have tied flies for years and own approximately 20 books on the subject. I find myself reaching for "Tying Nymphs" or "Tying Dry Flies" more than any of the others.

Randall Kaufmann has a way of teaching anyone how to tie flies. Not only is his personal presentation easy to understand, but his books are just as easy. In "Tying Nymphs" he uses color photo's and explains each step in detail. My 14 year old son who has never tied a fly, sat down and followed the instructions and tied his first "Sparkle Quill Caddis Pupa." The book also details tying equipment and supplies. This book is great for anyone who doesn't tie as well! It explains the importance of Nymphs in the food chain as well as other important information.

Lost Worlds of Space and Time edited by Steve Lines was published by Rainfall Books in the UK in 2004, and is a collection of almost all newly published works based on or inspired by the works of Clark Ashton Smith. It is a handsome trade paperback, I think with the typical feel and look of small press publications these days. The cover art and interior art is also by Steve Lines; at least the cover is based on works by Clark Ashton Smith. It is an interesting depiction of two aliens and some weird plant like things suspending human skulls. Attractive but no wow factor. I enjoyed the interior art; it added to the overall quality of the book. There is a brief introduction by the editor and a few authors' notes after some of the stories. Otherwise there is no description of the authors', minibios or their thoughts about CAS. Page count is 205, so I thought it was a generous sampling of stories and poetry.

Contents:
Introduction by Steve Lines
Pegana:
The Empress Ygloriane by Robin Reed
Atlantis:
The Departure of Malygris by Steve Lines & John B. Ford
Hyperborea:
The Fear of Liqoimkh by Laurence J. Cornford
The Pool Above Nraqlommbeth by Simon Whitechapel
In the Court of the Crystal Flame by James Ambuehl
Star Spawn of Hyperborea by John Fultz
The Exorcism of Igsat by Joseph S. Pulver Sr.
The Forgotten Ritual of Mnar by Joseph S. Pulver Sr.
Fire by Randal D. Larson
Averoigne:
The Circumstances of Ghostly Cats by Mike Minnis
The Butcher of Vyones by Mike Minnis
Unhallowed Ground, Unholy Fetish by James Chambers
The Passing of Belzevuthe by Simon Whitechapel
Unknown Realms:
The Sorcerer Returns by Richard L. Tierney
The Oldest Dreamer by Walter C. DeBill
Rescue by Michael Fantina
Castle Keep by Michael Fantina
The Silver Cup by Michael Fantina
Villanelle of the Necromancer to His Love by Michael Fantina
Dream Lover by Michael Fantina

As you can see, the stories are grouped together by the particular realm of CAS in which they are set or that inspired them. Right from the get go the editor acknowledges the one problem for this collection that cannot be surmounted. That is, all of these stories are written in the incomparable shadow of the prose of Clark Ashton Smith, an inimitable master. Anyone who tries to adopt his style can end up reading like a bad mimic. I have A Rendezvous in Averoigne, the hardback by Arkham House as my basic Smith collection. I urge all readers who have not done so to seek out this volume. It has a cherished place of pride on my bookshelf. Of course there is the Nightshade books 5 volume collection of Smith's fantasies that is slowly being released. If it is anything like their William Hope Hodgson collection, then it will have all of CAS' works edited in the context of the most up to date scholarship, in utterly beautiful hardcover editions. However the subscriber price is pretty expensive. Lost Worlds of Space and Time is not the first such CAS inspired anthology. There is The Last Continent, in a gorgeous hardcover edition by Shadowlands press edited by John Pelan. It has stories set in Zothique. I had read 2-3 stories in that when I loaned it away; it is now next on my reading stack. Rainfall Books, publisher of this volume, has an interest in CAS inspired fiction and releases a few chapbooks per year devoted to such stories. I am grateful for collections like this packed with brand new stories of weird and wonderful fiction. Overall I was favorably impressed with this book. Note that many of the authors here have also witten Lovecraftian and Yello Sign fiction.

Minor spoilers may follow.

The Empress Ygloriane by Robin Reed - Enjoyable tale of an empress who maintains her power and youth with noxious magics, and whose downfall is plotted by her servitors. Meanwhile a patient, unaware and indifferent sentience takes no notice of her comings and goings.

The Departure of Malygris by Steve Lines & John B. Ford - A strange and nicely creepy tale of how the ennui of an ancient sorcer is finally overcome, not to the betterment of the surrounding city. Very engaging read.

The Fear of Liqoimkh by Laurence J. Cornford - Never underestimate a magician! A bold and scheming bandit overlooks one of the basic maxims of being an evil overlord and leaves his enemy alive to gloat at him. An engaging read.

The Pool Above Nraqlommbeth by Simon Whitechapel - Forlorn love story, with hope and love intermingled with death and dispair. Another good read.

In the Court of the Crystal Flame by James Ambuehl - I have read this before and this time around I enjoyed it even more. It is a sequel of sorts to the well know story by CAS of Satampra Zeiros' adventures in the temple of Tsathoggua. If REH, Fritz Leiber or anyone else had created such a marvelous thief, they would never have just used him in one story. He simply cries out for his own series of tales. So James Ambuehl takes up the gauntlet. What really set this story into its proper context for me was the author's note, acknowledging the more appropriate antecedents of REH and Sword & Sorcery as opposed to CAS. Vivid and fun to read.

Star Spawn of Hyperborea by John Fultz - this owes as much to HPL as CAS, as a little band of adventurers tries to prevent Cthulhu from gaining freer access to our world. Perhaps the canvas is too broad or the story too long. Also owes more to REH than CAS. Still a decent read.

The Exorcism of Igsat and The Forgotten Ritual of Mnar by Joseph S. Pulver Sr. - I think these 2 were supposed to be like brief excerpts from the Book of Eibon. They did nothing for me.

Fire by Randal D. Larson Excellent story! A sorceror reaches into our time to find an ally.

Averoigne - This whole section was highly superior, moving from strength to strength, with great plotting and prose. I won't go into details but all 4 of these were outstanding, and probably had the most CAS-like feel, particularly the story by Whitechapel. I am also a big Mike Minnis fan.

Unknown Realms - This was all poetry. I think writing poetry is terribly difficult. In school we are weaned on the best the English language has to offer. Thus I mostly don't enjoy mythos poetry. Maybe someone else will like it.

So in summary a terrific anthology. Reasonably priced, with good production values, I found it a great way to while away some hours lost in worlds created by CAS, a true master. I heartily recommend it to all readers. Best of all, it is volume 1.

Contrary to some popular misconceptions that persist even to this day, the bottom line in CR (chemical recovery) ministry is very intense discipling. I believe the CR ministry is the most outward-focused ministry in the church: Over three thousand people in New York have been baptized by people that have been helped by the CR ministry.

The chemical recovery ministry is not a benevolent outreach program. It is not a social program. It is church. It is discipleship. With God we have found the most effective way of dealing with drugs in the world. It is a unique ministry and it hasn't just helped us in New York; it has saved thousands in other cities who I am confident would otherwise be lost. I believe the time is right for the CR ministry to become a presence all over the world. I believe this book will go a long way toward helping bring this about.
--- from book's back cover

It's easy to fall into stereotypes, but this book provides a lucid education on the truth about the nation's economy and the Southern participation in it. Highly recommended!

The book is well-written so that anybody (even the non-economics types) can understand what is happening in today's economy and society. If you are deciding on a book that might really open your eyes and help you understand the nation's economy, then strongly consider this one!

The authors are not your typical backpackers. They have hands on experience leading groups into uninhabited parts of Third World countries.

They teach you how to research and prepare for your trip. How to get around and where to stay when you get there. How to deal with foreign governments, police and the military. How to enjoy a safe social life. And most of all, how to prepare for and travel in extreme environments where tourists don't go.

If you're a seasoned traveler, but have never been to a tropical country, then you may find that all your gear will be useless when you get there. I have researched all the gear the authors recommended and compared it against everything else out there, and found that they know exactly what they are talking about.

I noticed that some reviewers stated that you can find all the same information in this book online for free. I would disagree on that. In fact I spent a whole day trying to find the same stuff and could not. The unique thing about this book is that it is not only written for those who want to backpack around Third World countries, but also for those who want to travel off the beaten path and into the jungles and mountains where tourists have never set foot.

Those of you who want to mount major expeditions into the jungle or just travel from locale to locale, may tend to disagree with some of the things in this book. But even then, one should be able to pick up lots of tips on how to make their adventure safe, healthy, fun and fulfilling.

An amazing book and easy to follow. This book is required reading for anyone who ventures into foreign lands.

I read it twice before my trip to Indonesia and applied the principles while there. It forces you to be more aware of your surroundings and adds a layer of protection for even the most mundane things Americans do while traveling over-seas.

In today's world of kidnapings and terrorism, this book and Robert Pelton's Dangerous Places book are essential tools for the foreign traveler.

I look forward to next book by the authors.

for anyone who travels into remote areas of developing countries. this book has been valuable to my work in colombia. highly recommended!

Prior to my recent retirement from the above agency, I had frequent occasion to familiarize myself with the goings on in the more dangerous parts of the world. And not just to familiarize, but how to survive these parts. Although the U.S. State Department web site has some valuable information, NOBODY had the quality, reality based third world survival oriented information that Jeff Randall does. In fact I purchased one of these books for my office operation. Jeff Randall met an operational training team of mine in Colombia, and I gotta tell you that he made a more favorable impression on them than any of the many Spec Ops types they have met down there. He is truly the real deal.

This book is only of any value since nobody has any real alternative in finding this type of information elsewhere. The writing is quite poor, the text is disorganized and the authors often foolishly overgeneralize and at times hint at their ignorance of the host countries. Overall this book is a pretty pathetic attempt at a serious guide for travelers outside W.Europe and N.America, but, then again, there are almost no other books on the topic, so it looks like we're stuck with this.

Don't get me wrong, there are some useful tips, but the authors dance around going into detail on articulating a lot of very important points, especially with respect to staying out of trouble, establishing rapport with your hosts, etc, etc. Thus, unfortunately, a lot of the most important topics only receive cursory mention and/or little explanation. Some of the 'tips' aren't even well thought-out. One example comes to mind: "use dog tags on your luggage so you don't have to fill out an ID tag every time you fly. That'd be great if you were going to France or the UK, but if you're trying to get over the Colombian border or whatever, the LAST thing you want on your pack is a set of military dog tags.

If you're going to be traveling in the developing world, and you feel like you absolutely MUST have a book on the subject, you might want to buy this book...used if possible. Mostly though, this information could be gleaned from a couple hours spent on a good web search.

I give it two stars, one of which comes from authoring one of almost no books on the subject.

The action is pretty good and the story moves along nicely (except the five years it seems to take to go from the docks to his boat when he first returns) but the acting done by some of the actors was a bit stiff. The two cops for example were rather one dimensional, and don't get me started on the big boy working for Osiris. Worth the money but not nearly as good as say Code of Silence or An Eye For An Eye. And definitely nowhere near Hero and The Terror.

Forced Vengeance is not one of Chuck Norris' better films. Norris' film career has been predicated on giving people what they want, and the way that they want it. But in this film, the plot gets convoluted, and the action is not good enough to make up for that shortcoming.

Norris plays the bouncer at a casino in Hong Kong. The owner, who has become like a father to Norris, is murdered by a syndicate trying to take it over. Norris goes out for revenge, and becomes emeshed in a vast conspiracy and lots of bloodshed. It gets hard keeping up with who's doing what, to whom, and even why, and after a while, you don't care. Which would be okay if that action was so spectacular that it made you forget about the plot deficiencies. But it's not.

Norris has made a number of very entertaining movies. But Forced Vengeance is not one of them.

If you like chuck norris this is one of his best. It is a movie that keeps moving along and you don't get bored with the fight scenes as you do in some of these types of movies.

This was one of my favorite movies growing up. It's not nearly as good as I remember, but I still like it, and it's still my favorite of Chuck's. Only "Lone Wolf McQuade", and "An Eye For An Eye" come close.

The plot has Norris as a bouncer in a Hong Kong casino where his father-and-son bosses are an adopted family for him. When the elder boss refuses to sell out his place to a proliferating casino chain, both he and his son are killed. The sole heir to their fortune is the partying daughter that Norris must now protect from the greedy syndicate.

The story isn't particularly good, but it's quite adequate in linking lots of fight scenes together without sacrificing too much logic. The pacing is what really makes this movie work. Director James Fargo keeps the story moving with claustrophobic camerawork of back-alleys, boats, rooms at the brothel, and other places where bad guys could (and often do) attack. Not to mention some beautiful shots of Hong Kong itself. The fights aren't great, but they're some of the better ones I've seen from Norris, and there's lots of 'em. Some are even choreographed.

The picture should be widescreen, but what are you gonna do? In English or French, with Spanish, French, or English subtitles. Recommended for fans of Norris and/or cliched 80's action films. Others beware.

Chuck Norris stars as security chief/debt collector for the Lucky Dragon casino in Hong Kong. He is considered a son to the casino's owner and is certainly a stand-up guy. When the casino owner decides not to sell his casino to an evil tycoon, they kill him, his son, and then go looking for his daughter. Norris saves the daughter (she stands to inherit the casino) and they hide out at his girlfriend's place. Goons relentlessly come after him and they kidnap the daughter. Norris of course has to save her with his superior cowboy karate skills.

This is well directed and has great music from Willam Goldstein. Norris gives one of his best performances. He is not good at delivering lines effectively, but they just seem to give him the right lines in this movie. All of this helps out quite a bit since the plot is very thin. The action is good, though nothing spectacular. Luckily, there is plenty of action and I have never seen Norris look this cool. Highly recommended for fans of Chuck Norris.

3/5

Picture quality on the Fox DVD is good, but grainy at times.