Hateful Heroes

The impossible has happened. I became the thing that I've hated my entire life. Thanks to Bryce's gift, I'm now an Idol. But I no longer want to see them all destroyed. Thanks to Bryce, Rufio, Morpheus, and Phoenix, the four powerful Idols I've fallen in love with, I realize I can't blame an entire race for the evil doings of a minority.Being an Idol doesn't make my existence easier, though. On the contrary, thanks to the rare gift I've developed, I'm now wanted dead or alive. Some want to use me as a weapon; others want me gone forever.We're living in dangerous times, and the only Idols I can trust are my boyfriends. But we need allies because war is coming and we can't fight in it alone.

The impossible has happened. I became the thing that I've hated my entire life. Thanks to Bryce's gift, I'm now an Idol. But I no longer want to see them all destroyed. Thanks to Bryce, Rufio, Morpheus, and Phoenix, the four powerful Idols I've fallen in love with, I realize I can't blame an entire race for the evil doings of a minority.Being an Idol doesn't make my existence easier, though. On the contrary, thanks to the rare gift I've developed, I'm now wanted dead or alive. Some want to use me as a weapon; others want me gone forever.We're living in dangerous times, and the only Idols I can trust are my boyfriends. But we need allies because war is coming and we can't fight in it alone.

The impossible has happened. I became the thing that I've hated my entire life. Thanks to Bryce's gift, I'm now an Idol. But I no longer want to see them all destroyed. Thanks to Bryce, Rufio, Morpheus, and Phoenix, the four powerful Idols I've fallen in love with, I realize I can't blame an entire race for the evil doings of a minority.Being an Idol doesn't make my existence easier, though. On the contrary, thanks to the rare gift I've developed, I'm now wanted dead or alive. Some want to use me as a weapon; others want me gone forever.We're living in dangerous times, and the only Idols I can trust are my boyfriends. But we need allies because war is coming and we can't fight in it alone.

Why? is the simple, impulsive question we ask when confronted by horrible acts of hatred and violence. Why do students shoot fellow students or employees their coworkers? Why do mothers drown their children or husbands stalk and kill their wives? Love to Hate challenges us to turn this question upon ourselves at a deeper level. Why, as a culture, are we so fascinated by these acts? Why do we bestow celebrity on the perpetrators, while allowing the victims to fade into a second death of obscurity? Are we, as Pope John Paul II famously accused, "a culture of death"? And if so, how can we break free of this unacknowledged aspect of the cycle of violence? Unlike those who point solely to media imagery, splintered families, or lax gun control laws in search of the roots of America's endemic violence, Jody M. Roy suggests that we all must be held responsible. She argues that we reveal our love affair with hatred and violence in the ways we think and speak in our daily lives and in our popular culture. The very words we use function as building blocks of callousness and contempt, betraying our immersion in subtexts of violence and hatred. These subtexts are further revealed in our complex attitudes toward street gangs, school shooters, serial killers, and hate groups and the paroxysms of violence they unleash. As spectators, driven by our impulse to watch, we become an integral part of the equation of violence. In the book's final section, "Freeing Ourselves of Our Obsession with Hatred and Violence," Roy offers practical steps we can take—as parents, consumers, and voters—to free ourselves from linguistic and cultural complicity and to help create in America a culture of life.

What is the "American Dream"? This book's author argues that contrary to what many believe, it is not achieving the wealth necessary to enter the top one percent but rather becoming members of the great middle class by dint of hard work and self-discipline. Americans of all classes consider themselves to be "middle class." There are Americans who by any objective standard should be considered poor who would insist they are middle class, just as other Americans who should be considered wealthy also insist they are middle class. Thinking of yourself and being thought of by others as middle class is the "American Dream" for tens of millions of people. But an enduring problem of the American middle class is the worry that the "Dream" is coming apart—that forces are lurking in the shadows waiting to steal their progress and throw them back into "poverty." This thought-provoking reference explores a disparate multitude of issues associated with being middle class in America. It addresses a range of questions and subtopics, including the meaning of the term "middle class"; how middle class status is expressed by both the majority and the various minorities that make up the American mosaic; what economic pressures are bearing down on the middle class; and how economists and others attempt to make sense of the economic issues of the day. Readers will also better understand how political institutions and public policies are shaping the way the middle class views the world; how labor, housing, education, and crime-related issues have influenced the development and growth of the middle class; the norms of the middle class versus those of other classes in society; and the role of culture and media in shaping how members of the middle class view themselves—and how they are viewed by others. This two-volume set provides a comprehensive look at the American middle class that supports student research in economics, social studies, cultural studies, and political history. The content supports teachers in their development of lesson plans and assignments that directly align with the Common Core State Standards and the recommendations of the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (NCSS) with respect to all ten NCSS themes.

The impossible has happened. I became the thing that I've hated my entire life. Thanks to Bryce's gift, I'm now an Idol. But I no longer want to see them all destroyed. Thanks to Bryce, Rufio, Morpheus, and Phoenix, the four powerful Idols I've fallen in love with, I realize I can't blame an entire race for the evil doings of a minority. Being an Idol doesn't make my existence easier, though. On the contrary, thanks to the rare gift I've developed, I'm now wanted dead or alive. Some want to use me as a weapon; others want me gone forever. We're living in dangerous times, and the only Idols I can trust are my boyfriends. But we need allies because war is coming and we can't fight in it alone.

The year is 2800 and Lufas Maphaahl – The Black-Winged Tyrant, Great Conqueror, and leader of the Twelve Heavenly Stars – has returned. A man wakes up in the body of his MMO character 200 years after her defeat during an player-made event in the game, Exgate Online. Now, he's stuck in her body. But this isn’t a game, it’s real. With her reign long over, and her legacy one of fear, Lufas must journey through the world of Exgate, looking for answers, possible comrades, and all the monsters her “death” unleashed upon the world...

Aries ‘the Ram’ may be at her side once more, but Lufas Maphaahl’s journey to find the rest of the Twelve Heavenly Stars is only beginning. Now, Lufas, Dina, and Aries are headed towards…Lufas’ grave?! Lufas’ next target, the Grave of the Black-Winged King, is guarded by Libra of the Scales, one of Lufas’ faithful subjects. But regaining this member of the Twelve Heavenly Stars won’t be simple. Though many adventurers have tried to raid Lufas’ grave in the last two hundred years, none have ever returned alive… But there are still many of the Twelve Heavenly Stars to welcome back into the fold. Who else waits for our deposed King? Maybe another one of the Seven Heroes…?!