Compilation of humorous and inspirational short stories about living in rural America.

This is the story of Reamus Brownloe. Reamus is a poor kid who receives a journal from his mother at age six, and, is encouraged tochronicle the major events of his life as they happen. In the early years of his writing, he tells of kid camping, joining the MountainScouts, his brother's creation of a motorized bicycle, and other events. As he grows in age, the harsh reality of life sets in, and thestoryline takes a serious turn. Somewhere along the way, he becomes overwhelmed, and, turns to God seeking the strength and courage to endure. He soon realizes that his faith in God isabout the only thing he can rely on with any consistency. This story is a testament to the human spirit, and, how resilient kids really are. Especially poor ones! This is a Tour de Force on how God really can move mountains, if you believe in Him. It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, man or woman, boy or girl, young or old; there is something in this book for you! Join Reamus, his family, and his wild friends, on this incredible journey throughchildhood, and into adolescence. Along the way, you may discover that this story is as much about you, as it is him.

A smart, humorous exploration of bodily thrills and paranoia from aerobics to acupuncture, strip shows to sensory deprivation. Your perception of your body will change when you read this book. You will be pulling on your boxer shorts or your black lace bra, and suddenly consider why you decorate yourself the way you do. You will shake up your martini, kiss your beloved, read a dirty magazine, go for a jog, and think about what your bodily behavior says about your soul. And what it is doing to your soul. You will notice the defenses you erect for yourself. Perhaps a tube of lipstick. Perhaps an addiction. Testing the boundaries between fear and temptation, Emily Jenkins takes us on a journey from ordinary physical experiences (going to the dentist, putting on stockings) to extreme ones (snorting heroin, shaving her head). She interviews people whose bodies are radically different from hers and enters communities where people share unusual ideas about physicality. Sometimes you will recognize your own habits. Other times you'll be shocked or repulsed. Always you will find yourself questioning the ordinary things you do, rethinking your relationship to your body.

In ROOMMATES AND OTHER ANOMALIES, we encounter Julietta Jenkins, (JJ), who begins her journey with a major crisis in her life. Her landlord has the police on his tail, and poor JJ has to find another place to live, PRONTO. Newly arrived from the state of Vermont, she learns quickly that life in California is not as simple as she had hoped. Through many episodes while attempting to find the perfect roommate, she develops a keen sense of fair play and learns that life is not always what it seems. JJ grows to be the ultimate problem solver, a roommate advisor whose recommendations are frequently comical and surprising. This book is written in a journal format with a humorous tone. The reader will enjoy JJ's (and the authors) many experiences in living with roommates. Sylvia Bergthold has been supplementing her income for 35 years, by sharing her California home with roommates. As a consequence, she penned the self-guide manual "Sorry, The Boa Has Gotta Go " A Roommate Survival Guide. Her book, popular among homeowners and numerous apartment dwellers eager for financial relief, has been instrumental in easing the economic burdens for many households. Writing roommate advice articles for numerous national newspapers, including domestic and foreign magazines, subsequently led to her stint as the roommate advisor on AllExperts.com. Recently retiring from that post, her expertise was again called upon by VideoJug.com: life explained on film. She and the Video Jug team created several successful videos on the various aspects of shared living. Her latest endeavor is the novel ROOMMATES AND OTHER ANOMALIES, a fictionalized account of her years sharing life with a multitude of roommates.

Chronicles the more than forty-year career of wrestling icon "Classy" Freddie Blassie, from the early days of television to his management of such new wrestling stars as Hulk Hogan and Jesse Ventura.

"Classy" Freddie Blassie is universally acknowledged as one of the most hated heels in wrestling history. Freddie really knew how to antagonize the fans -- how to "get heat." Death threats were frequent, enraged fans stabbed him twenty-one times, and he was even doused with acid. Undeterred, Blassie just took the action up a level. He reveled in being the heel. It was almost commonplace to see him biting his opponents and then spitting out their blood. Blassie would routinely "file" his teeth during interviews. His matches in Los Angeles' Olympic Auditorium brought him to the attention of Hollywood. Freddie's style and unpredictability made him a natural for the medium and he became one of the biggest draws in the wrestling business. In the early '60s, this notorious heel was invited to wrestle in Japan. Blassie both horrified and mesmerized sedate Japanese society. It was reported that a number of Japanese television viewers suffered fatal heart attacks after seeing Blassie bloody an opponent in the ring. A child of immigrants, Freddie grew up in a working-class neighborhood in south St. Louis. At seventeen, Freddie made his wrestling debut in a carnival. Unhappy with his choice of occupation, his family persuaded him to keep his "real" job, and for a while he worked as a meatcutter. But after serving in the Navy in World War II, Freddie returned to the world of wrestling, which was at the time still something of a carnival sideshow. Here he picked up his catch phrase: "pencil neck geek." Early in his career, Blassie wrestled on cards promoted by Jess McMahon, and would later work for both his son, Vincent James McMahon, and his grandson, Vincent Kennedy McMahon, the current owner of World Wrestling EntertainmentTM. Even after his active days in the ring came to an end, he showed that he still had the power to generate heat: "Classy" Freddie Blassie became the manager of heels, transferring to a whole new generation of wrestlers the style and knowledge that had made him a legend of wrestling. Blassie is still provoking the public, with his autobiography -- Legends of Wrestling: "Classy" Freddie Blassie -- Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks -- written with Keith Elliot Greenberg. Freddie weaves vibrant tales of his days in wrestling with the likes of Hollywood Hulk Hogan, The Rock, George "The Animal" Steele, Capt. Lou Albano, John Tolos, The Destroyer, Killer Kowalski, Nikolai Volkoff, and the Iron Sheik. He frankly chronicles his dealings with colorful members of the wrestling fraternity and the promoters, even recounting the controversies -- like the infamous "boxer vs. wrestler" match with Muhammad Ali, who was managed by Blassie. His out-of-the-ring stories are equally compelling. Freddie details his countless sexual exploits and his three marriages. He reflects on the cult status that he gained after his song "Pencil Neck Geek" rocketed to the top of the Dr. Demento Show playlist. He recounts his touching relationship with comedian Andy Kaufman, who cast him in Breakfast with Blassie -- an underground classic in which Blassie uttered: "What the hell ever happened to the human race?"

A comprehensive study of freaks and freakshows, FREAK BABYLON also includes Doctor Frederick Treve's classic case history The Elephant Man and an illustrated account of the classic movie Freaks.