Underwater aliens Ð Time Travel Ð Coups Ð Con Games Ð and Murder? Welcome to the world of Alibi Jones! Come along for the ride as Humankind expands out into the already populated stars. Alibi is a Mediator for The Solar Alliance in 2135, negotiating treaties and agreements between humankind and alien races, whose big heart and inquisitive mind usually get him into trouble along the way. This collection includes the new short story "Alibi Jones: Christmas Present," written and released for Mike Luoma's 500th Episode of his Glow-in-the-Dark Radio science fiction podcast, as well as "Father's Day," "Blind Eye," "Vacation," "Alibi Jones In Over His Head," and "The Wishing Stone." Enjoy these shorter Adventures of Alibi Jones, adapted from his comic book exploits for prose readers, with new adaptations of "Blind Eye" and "Alibi Jones in Over His Head" written exclusively for this edition. Cover art by Federico Guillen, cover design by Mike Luoma.
A race of time travelers seems to want Alibi Jones' time to come to an end in this connected Cycle of Short Stories. "Alibi Jones and The Time War of The Devrizium" tells some of the same stories you'll find in Alibi Jones' comic books. This anthology of the comic book scripts' audio adaptations gives Alibi's fans who might not read comic books a chance to also experience these adventures with the xenophobic, time traveling race known as The Devrizium! ALIBI JONES and THE TIME WAR of THE DEVRIZIUM About Time Remember Two Things Memory, Yet Green* The Last Battle* (*previously unreleased)
Mediator for the Solar Alliance Alibi Jones searches for a stolen Dakhur artifact, a golden tiara with a blood red gem - The Sunrise of Hur - a cultural treasure, property and pride of the Dakhur race. But Alibi isn't supposed to land on the planet he most wants to investigate - Kismet, home of the crime lord Rene Laveillur, who's claimed Alibi's on-and-off girlfriend Katerina Ramsey as his own property. Alibi's been warned - if he lands on Kismet, he's a dead man!
ALIBI JONES is searching for a kidnapped friend with the help of the mysterious alien Dakhur named Kit, and the man known as Piccolo. Little does Alibi know that following the trail of alien kidnappers will lead him to discover that dangers thought long-dead are still very much alive!A Stand Alone Science Fiction Adventure in the year 2135... That also ties back into the VATICAN ASSASSIN TRILOGY! Set twenty-three years after the trilogy's events, Alibi Jones, a mediator for the Solar Alliance, is also the son of Bernard Campion, aka "BC" - The Vatican Assassin! New readers can dive right in, while fans of the trilogy will run into some old friends.
The Vatican Assassin Trilogy under one cover - Vatican Assassin - Vatican Ambassador - and Vatican Abdicator - an original science fiction series by Mike Luoma! Follow the career of ""BC"" - Bernard Campion - from hit man for the Pope to the heights of human power - from holy killer to champion of all humanity... Kinda. In Vatican Assassin, it's 2109 and BC poses as a priest - But he's really an assassin for the New catholic Church. His assignment: assassinate Meredith McEntyre, Governor of Lunar Prime, the non-aligned city-state on the Moon. They tell him she's about to help the wrong side in an out of control interplanetary War between the west and Islam. BC's next move will change everything! In Vatican Ambassador, the old pope has died. Seemingly unaware of BC's role, the new one names BC acting Vatican Ambassador to Lunar Prime. Can BC handle it? And in the trilogy's finale, Vatican Abdicator, BC tries to help humankind survive in the face of a massive external threat!
Poems, Song Lyrics and Magic Spells written by Mike Luoma over the past 20 years. Luoma's poems and lyrics range from idylls on Vermont ("The Monkton Road") to songs the Boss might like ("Cars & Girls #342")to spell-like ritual poetry ("Ceremonies of Light and Dark"), and all points in between.
Don't let me die - again!"" As Alibi Jones and his covert ops team investigate an ancient alien derelict on the fringes of human space some call a ""Ghost Ship,"" the dead fiance of a crew member appears on their Cruiser's bridge. Ghost? Projection? He pleads, ""Don't let me die - again!"" Alibi Jones was a Mediator for the Solar Alliance Interplanetary Force in the 2130's - but that's all changing. He's made an example of after news gets out Alibi's partly responsible for the destruction of pleasure planet Kismet. Bounced out of the Mediation Corps, Alibi's reassigned to Covert Ops. His cover: running cargo from a new remote base - The Hornet's Nest. Alibi Jones gets to know his new crew as they get a handle on running small cargoes and cover operations: Gluttonous planetary crime lords, alien parasites and symbiotes, psychics and scientists, galactic Godfathers, friendly free traders, astral travel - all dangerous. But when they check out the so-called ""ghost ship,"" people do start dying. Again.
An in-depth look at Marvel Comics' Cosmic Team from 1968 to 2011, with an extensive history of the character Peter Quill - Star-Lord - including insights from creator Steve Englehart, writers Chris Claremont, Timothy Zahn, Dan Abnett, Rafael Morin and more. Also includes in-depth profiles of Adam Warlock and Thanos, as well as extras on Killraven and Monark Starstalker. Some of this material originally appeared on-line in columns by Mike Luoma at the late, lamented ComicRelated.com and other sites where they're no longer available.
BC isn't much of a priest. Didn't go to Seminary. Doesn't like to be called "Father". Never said a Mass in his life. Though he wears the collar, BC serves in a different way - as an Assassin for The Pope of the New catholic Church (NcC)! He'll soon kill Governor Meredith McEntyre of Lunar Prime, the independent city-state on the Moon. The NcC is allied with the Universal Trade Zone (UTZ) of Earth and its Orbital Stations in the war against the Mars-based Universal Islamic Nation (UIN). Word is McEntyre has become too friendly with the UIN. Can't let the Governor give the UIN the Moon. BC does his actual work while posing as a public relations hack with the Office of Papal Operations (OPO) -Sanctified Spin Doctor by day, Holy Hit Man by night. Neither he nor the Pope have any idea how completely the repercussions from this one mission will change Everything! A newly tuned-up 15th Anniversary Edition of Mike Luoma's original science fiction novel VATICAN ASSASSIN - with brand-new cover art by Federico Guillen.
The Vatican Assassin - BERNARD CAMPION aka ""BC"" - used to kill for the Pope. But the old pope is dead. Seemingly unaware of BC's role, the new one names BC acting Vatican Ambassador to Lunar Prime! Can BC build peace between The Universal Islamic Nation (UIN), The Universal Trade Zone (UTZ) and the New catholic Church (NcC)? What is the mysterious ""Project""? And do aliens really want us all dead? Book Two of The VATICAN ASSASSIN TRILOGY. The UIN's Christmas raid of 2109 - the latest battle in their long-running war with the UTZ - left great changes in its wake. BC's world is upside down, converted from assassin to potential peacemaker by the new Pope. BC tries to help Governor Marc Edwards rebuild Lunar Prime as he puts his own life back together, but soon discovers his world is far more limited than he could have guessed. Triple agents, scientific enclaves on interstellar outposts, alien neighbors and interlopers - BC will soon find himself forced to consider a much broader frame of reference!
It's 2109. BC - Bernard Campion - poses as a priest, but he's really an assassin for the New catholic Church. His assignment: Assassinate Meredith McEntyre, Governor of Lunar Prime, the non-aligned city-state on the Moon! There's an out of control interplanetary War between the west and Islam, between The Universal Trade Zone, the commercial power of Earth, and the UIN, the Universal Islamic Nation, based on Mars. BC's next move will change everything! BC's bosses in the Office of Papal Operations - the OPO - tell him Luna Prime Governor McEntyre has been sympathizing with the enemy, the UIN. Can't let her give the Moon to the UIN. That's where he comes in. BC works for the Pope, ""officially"" assigned as PR man to the Cardinal and the Vatican Mission on Luna Prime. Just a mild mannered, young priest working for the New catholic Church on public relations. But under his cover he's a weapon pointed at the UIN by the NcC and their Earth based allies, the UTZ. As he goes off, the repercussions will be cosmic!
What is the Seduction of Certainty? And do we really need a new way of looking at Faith, Knowledge, Science, Religion, Politics and the Media? Writer Mike Luoma believes we do, and delves into the ways we fool ourselves into believing our metaphors are truths. This pamphlet covers its subject in sharp, concise fashion, delivering numerous insights in its compact form.From Inside: "There is an element of Faith in any human endeavor. There has to be. Because certainty is an illusion. Whatever metaphors we use to cope with the world's basic uncertainty will be human constructs attempting to define the undefinable, the human mind attempting to encompass itself. We label things and build systems to explain the world to ourselves. We have to!""The trap is in losing oneself in the metaphor, in convincing oneself the metaphor isn't merely one way of trying to define the ineffable, but the way - losing the sense of metaphor to that sense of "truth" and certainty. It is seductive, that certainty. But that same certitude becomes destructive when and if reality begins throwing up things that challenge the faith in that certainty. At best, the certitude leads its believers to ignore and reject any evidence contrary to their belief systems. At worst, it leads to violent suppression of contrary ideas.""We need to see our metaphors - all of them - for what they are: attempts to put labels on and to describe a reality which is actually beyond our complete comprehension.
Are you ready for the NEW Good News? Then you're ready for NEO-GNOSIS! What do we know about Christianity now? Part One is the extensive essay "God Is Love, Pat Robertson Is The Anti-Christ, And Almost Everything You Know About Christianity Is Wrong". Part Two comes from the notebook that gave this book its name, filled by Mike as he discovered "Gnostic" Christianity. Part Three is "Holy Shit:Or Pat Robertson Is The Anti-Christ", the graphic version of all this stuff. Plus the featurette: "Holy Shit: The Second Coming
The Trilogy's Finale! Bernard Campion has been an Assassin, an Ambassador, a CEO, Head of the UTZ Council - now he's Pope of the New catholic Church! The mantle sits uneasily on BC. The UTZ and The UIN are forced to work together in the face of dual alien threats from The Eldred and from Dolomay, recently revived survivor of the race known as the Ancient Enemy. Can humanity come together in time?
Somewhere on Earth lies a priceless treasure - the original Star Seed that altered life here, creating humankind! ALIBI JONES is after that Star Seed. Moral dilemmas, Religious Conflicts, Merciless Aliens, and Mercenary Humans - Alibi Jones will face them all, and face up to the responsibilities of running his breakaway outpost The Hornet's Nest - in his hunt for THE STAR SEEDS OF EARTH! Legends tell of the Star Seeds of the Ancient Enemy - A million years ago, as their cruel race died at the hands of those they oppressed, the Ancient Enemy sent thousands of Star Seeds filled with their DNA and the means to re-start their race out into the cosmos, to land on myriad worlds. Their former Servant race, now called The Eldred, arose as the new rulers of settled space, and dedicated themselves to wiping out Star Seeds wherever they were found. But not all were found. Some were hidden - The Flaze and The Domo kept the development of our race a secret from the Eldred, until it was too late for the Eldred to easily wipe us out. The Eldred then lost their war to exterminate humanity, and were instead wiped out. It seems not only are we offshoots of the Ancient Enemy, but somewhere on Earth lies a priceless treasure - the original Star Seed that altered life on our planet! ALIBI JONES is on the hunt for that Star Seed, agreeing to locate it for curious character FINDER as a favor. But Alibi is no longer sure he should turn something so valuable - and potentially POWERFUL - over to a mercenary like Finder. If he manages to track one down in the first place.There is a bit of an obstacle - Alibi Jones is not actually welcome back on Earth right now...An Interstellar Treasure Hunt - Moral dilemmas - Religious Conflicts - Old Familial Dysfunction - Merciless Aliens - and Mercenary Humans as well. Alibi Jones will have to face them all, and face up to the responsibilities and authority that comes with running a growing colony like The Hornet's Nest - in ALIBI JONES AND THE STAR SEEDS OF EARTH!
The Vatican Assassin Trilogy under one cover - Vatican Assassin - Vatican Ambassador - and Vatican Abdicator - an original science fiction series by Mike Luoma! Follow the career of ""BC"" - Bernard Campion - from hit man for the Pope to the heights of human power - from holy killer to champion of all humanity... Kinda. In Vatican Assassin, it's 2109 and BC poses as a priest - But he's really an assassin for the New catholic Church. His assignment: assassinate Meredith McEntyre, Governor of Lunar Prime, the non-aligned city-state on the Moon. They tell him she's about to help the wrong side in an out of control interplanetary War between the west and Islam. BC's next move will change everything! In Vatican Ambassador, the old pope has died. Seemingly unaware of BC's role, the new one names BC acting Vatican Ambassador to Lunar Prime. Can BC handle it? And in the trilogy's finale, Vatican Abdicator, BC tries to help humankind survive in the face of a massive external threat!
Are you ready for the NEW Good News? Then you're ready for NEO-GNOSIS! What do we know about Christianity now? Part One is the extensive essay "God Is Love, Pat Robertson Is The Anti-Christ, And Almost Everything You Know About Christianity Is Wrong". Part Two comes from the notebook that gave this book its name, filled by Mike as he discovered "Gnostic" Christianity. Part Three is "Holy Shit:Or Pat Robertson Is The Anti-Christ", the graphic version of all this stuff. Plus the featurette: "Holy Shit: The Second Coming
The Trilogy's Finale! Bernard Campion has been an Assassin, an Ambassador, a CEO, Head of the UTZ Council - now he's Pope of the New catholic Church! The mantle sits uneasily on BC. The UTZ and The UIN are forced to work together in the face of dual alien threats from The Eldred and from Dolomay, recently revived survivor of the race known as the Ancient Enemy. Can humanity come together in time?
Poems, Song Lyrics and Magic Spells written by Mike Luoma over the past 20 years. Luoma's poems and lyrics range from idylls on Vermont ("The Monkton Road") to songs the Boss might like ("Cars & Girls #342")to spell-like ritual poetry ("Ceremonies of Light and Dark"), and all points in between.
An in-depth look at Marvel Comics' Cosmic Team from 1968 to 2011, with an extensive history of the character Peter Quill - Star-Lord - including insights from creator Steve Englehart, writers Chris Claremont, Timothy Zahn, Dan Abnett, Rafael Morin and more. Also includes in-depth profiles of Adam Warlock and Thanos, as well as extras on Killraven and Monark Starstalker. Some of this material originally appeared on-line in columns by Mike Luoma at the late, lamented ComicRelated.com and other sites where they're no longer available.
Mediator for the Solar Alliance Alibi Jones searches for a stolen Dakhur artifact, a golden tiara with a blood red gem - The Sunrise of Hur - a cultural treasure, property and pride of the Dakhur race. But Alibi isn't supposed to land on the planet he most wants to investigate - Kismet, home of the crime lord Rene Laveillur, who's claimed Alibi's on-and-off girlfriend Katerina Ramsey as his own property. Alibi's been warned - if he lands on Kismet, he's a dead man!
First in the “most comprehensive treatment of leadership I’ve ever seen by one author . . . full of insightful assessments, useful tools, and practical tips” (Jim Kouzes, coauthor of The Leadership Challenge). Leadership Competencies That Enable Results explores the essentials of great leadership and establishes the principles that underpin the ability to coach, lead, and achieve high levels of organizational performance. Laying the groundwork for the competencies introduced over the course of the series, this book guides you in building a leadership roadmap for yourself and others to follow on the journey to enabling great results. The SCOPE of Leadership book series teaches the principles of a coaching approach to leadership and how to achieve exceptional results by working through people. You will learn a straightforward framework to guide you in developing, enabling, exhorting, inspiring, managing, and assimilating people. Benefit from the wisdom of many years of leadership, consulting, and executive coaching experience. Discover how to develop the competencies that align consistently with great leadership. “Hawkins clearly and succinctly presents the difference between being a manager and a true leader . . . Anyone who wants to be a modern-day effective leader will have much to gain by reading this first book in the SCOPE of Leadership Book Series.” —Foreword Reviews
Alphonse "Dave" Davecki, Superior Wisconsin's celebrated detective, is recovered from his tangle with a mad arsonist and the challenge of solving the riddle of the infamous "mystery barrels" dumped in Lake Superior back in the '50s and '60s. Now, instead of getting a rest, he finds the body of his friend Little Willie Horton floating in the icy water. With help from the lake herself, Davecki solves the murder and saves the Big lake from being sold to the highest bidder.
Are you skeptical of your ability to distinguish a delicious mushroom from a deadly one? Do you want to find, process, and prepare wild mushrooms for food and medicine? Fry, Thrive, or Die features fifty common, delicious, hallucinogenic, medicinal, and poisonous mushrooms of the Western United States. The guide prepares readers to hunt and serve wild mushrooms, as well as delight the reader with stories, history, possibilities, recipes, and more. A pocket-sized field guide to the most prominent and distinctive wild mushrooms in the Western United States, from the Pacific Coast to the Rocky Mountains, and from the Southwest deserts to the Olympic Peninsula rainforests. Each species is identified with a detailed color picture, distinct features, as well as information on habitat, fruiting timing, edibility, creative uses, and dangerous look-alikes. Mushrooms attract a distinct audience. There are wild mushrooms that make a splendid meal, can improve your health, potentially save your life, or end your life. This guide is suitable for both beginning foragers as well as experienced mushroom maniacs who seek new information on mushroom medicines, toxins, hallucinogens, innovative applications, and edibility. Happy hunting and fry and thrive!
An intranet can be a powerful tool. A well-designed intranet becomes the key resource and communications platform for your organization, used by members of staff as their first destination for information. In contrast, a poorly designed intranet will sit unused, accumulating useless information, and eating up IT budgets. So, how do you avoid this situation, and make sure you design the most useful, and usable, intranet? This book takes you through the steps you need to take to make an invaluable intranet, from identifying your users' needs and building an indispensable tool, to marketing the results. It guides you through the problems that may occur, passing on invaluable advice from people who have been through the process before. We start by setting the scene, giving an overview of what intranets are and how to justify it to your organization. We then give you a rundown of the main areas you'll need to think about when developing an intranet, covering browsers, development techniques, usability, content management, security, and internal marketing. Finally, we'll take a look at what to do when the Intranet moves beyond its original function, looking at remote access, extranets, and what to do when the Intranet gets too big.
Unluckily, in the recent literature the number of papers on the application of intelligent systems, especially fuzzy sets, have been decreasing considerably. The potential for those applications, however, has not diminished at all. On the contrary, the more complex applications become and the more decision support systems rely on human knowledge and experience, the more relevant and attractive become intelligent techniques. For publications, however, very often the problem arises, that those applications are not suited for publication because they are too complex for any one paper. In this paper it will be attempted to describe important applications in traffic control, in container terminal management and in ground control of airports and give further indications on other possible applications."--Publisher's website.
The fully searchable digital box set that includes the six-book series: Leadership, Self, Communications, Others, Partnerships, and Execution. The SCOPE of Leadership six-book series outlines the competencies that great leaders who lead as coaches possess. Read this series to learn the principles of developing, enabling, and inspiring people through a coaching approach to leadership. Develop the capabilities that produce consistently outstanding results; be a leader people aspire to follow; leverage cross-functional collaboration; build trust, teamwork, and a spirit of community; increase employee engagement and loyalty; communicate with confidence; foster innovation and competitive advantage; attract, develop, and motivate top talent; sustain speed, quality, and operational excellence. The SCOPE of Leadership book series teaches how to achieve exceptional results by working through people. You will learn a straightforward framework to guide you in developing, enabling, exhorting, inspiring, managing, and assimilating people. Benefit from the wisdom of many years of leadership, consulting, and executive coaching experience. Discover how to develop the competencies that align consistently with great leadership. The SCOPE of Leadership digital box set is fully searchable between books and includes links to additional resources and content by the author. “The most comprehensive treatment of leadership I’ve ever seen by one author . . . full of insightful assessments, useful tools, and practical tips.” —Jim Kouzes, coauthor of The Leadership Challenge
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