A Clear View of the Southern Sky reveals women in the twenty-first century doing what women have always done in pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. In each of the ten tales from southern storyteller Mary Hood, women have come—by circumstances and choice—to the very edge of their known worlds. Some find courage to winnow and move on; others seek the patience to risk and to stay. Along the way hearts, bonds, speed limits, fingernails, and the Ten Commandments get broken. Dust settles, but these women do not. In the title story, a satellite dish company promises that happiness—or at least access to its programming—requires just a TV and a clear view of the southern sky. The short story itself reveals the journey of a Hispanic woman whose mission is to assassinate a mass murderer, an agenda triggered by post-traumatic stress wrought by seeing the murderer's cynical grin on a news program. We follow her into the shadow of an enormous satellite dish on a roof across the street from the courthouse and ultimately into a women's prison English-as-Second-Language class where she must confront her life. She has slept but never dreamed, and now she wakes. In other stories Hood introduces us to a kindergarten teacher, stunned by a student's blurted-out question, as she discovers her deepest vocation and the mystery of its source. We meet a widow who befriends a young neighbor, only to realize they must keep secrets from each other and hold fast to their hope. A woman trucker discovers the depth of her love as she imagines her cell phone calls—and her sweetheart's own messages—winging their way, tower to tower, along her interstate route. Two stories deal with one man and two of his wives and how they learn the lessons only love can teach about the reach and limitations of ownership and forever. The collection concludes with the novella "Seambusters," in which a diverse cast of women workers in a rural Georgia mill sew camouflage for U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. The women are part of a larger purpose, and they know it. When the shadow of death passes over the factory, each woman and the entire community find out what it really means to have American Pride. New York Times best-selling writer and Story River Books editor at large Pat Conroy provides a foreword to the collection.

Stories of women on the edge pursuing happiness through courage and human connection.

A Walk through the Southern Sky is a beautifully illustrated guide to the stars and constellations of the southern hemisphere. By following the simplified and easy-to-use starmaps, readers will be able to identify constellations with no equipment but normal sight and a clear night sky. This book provides clear instructions on how to determine star sizes and the distances between stars, allowing readers to move easily between constellations. The budding astronomer is introduced to the mystery and wonder of the southern sky as the myths and legends of its stars and constellations are wondrously retold. The third edition of this magical book features a new moon map, an updated list of planet positions, additional illustrations and more realistic star maps. It is an invaluable and beautiful guide for beginner stargazers, both young and old.

A rare look at the southern skies' greatest glories. The celestial objects of the Southern Hemisphere are fascinating to astronomers everywhere. The southern stars, nebulae, and galaxies have exotic names like Omega Centauri, the Tarantula Nebula, Canopus, the Vela Supernova, the Coal Sack, and the Magellanic Clouds. And there's more: the Southern Milky Way is crammed with clusters and nebulae of great interest to resident astronomers of the southern hemisphere, and to the many visitors from the north who relish the opportunities to view the clear, dark skies of the interiors of southern Africa and Australia with binoculars, telescopes and cameras. Pearls of the Southern Skies depicts 71 Deep Sky Objects photographed by Dieter Willasch and described in detail by Auke Slotegraaf. The text and pictures are laid out season by season, and accompanied by 15 easy-to-use full-color location charts.

From the award-winning author of A Year on Ladybug Farm comes the continuing story of three women who learn what it takes to turn a house into a home. A year after taking the chance of a lifetime, Cici, Lindsay, and Bridget are still trying to make a home for themselves on the newly-renovated Ladybug Farm. Life in the Shenandoah Valley is picturesque, but filled with unexpected trials? such as the introduction of two young people into the ordered life the women have tried to build for themselves. As the walls of the old house reveal their secrets and the lives of those who have gone before begin to unfold, the cobbled-together household starts to disintegrate into chaos. And when one of their members is threatened by a real crisis, they must all come together to fight for the roots they?ve laid down, the hopes they share, and the family they?ve become.

Looking through a historical lens, this new casebook examines the evolution of telecommunication law, policy, and technology from the telegraph to the Internet. It examines six key industries: broadcast, cable TV, telephone, satellite, wireless, and the Internet. The book’s novel format begins with introductory chapters analyzing the nature of spectrum and regulation of spectrum-based services and the history and technology that link the regulation of telegraph-to-telephone-to-the-Internet. This casebook analyzes conceptions of the public interest as defined by statute, case law, and FCC and state decision-making. It contrasts the legal and economic standards used by antitrust law as compared to communications law. It examines telecommunication regulation through the lens of five key concepts: functionality, ownership or licensing, access, speech, and the public interest. The casebook offers projects and hypotheticals that support analysis of issues from the perspective of constitutional, administrative and communications law, as well as statutory issues raised by communications and information technology regulation. Professors and students will benefit from: A mix of theoretical and practical readings that build understanding of telecommunications technology, law, and regulation. A format friendly to both in-person and online teaching and study. Offering a combination of text, PowerPoint slides, links to video materials, and commentary that can be shared with students or used by the professor, the casebook includes projects students can generate and share through a live or online class. Historical perspective of federal and state communications policy beginning with the creation of the telegraph system, through the evolution and growth of the telephone system, the growth of broadcasting, cable, and satellite, and the growth of the Internet and Internet of Things. Knowledge and skills to recognize and litigate statutory, constitutional, Administrative Procedures Act, and other legal issues. Legislative and regulatory drafting, analysis, and decision-making skills, consistent with legal standards. Case and regulatory analysis, questions and projects that support writing, experiential, or exam-based courses and the production of student papers and presentations. Student skill-building to file comments in FCC and state communications regulatory decision-making dockets, and to file amicus briefs for legal cases.