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Posts: 3500
Location: Melbourne, Oz
Finished Claymore last night. I was quite drained by the end, and that's not meant as a criticism; it's an intense anime. And it isn't afraid to kill off main characters (there's a doozy in the first third) so the frequent violence always had me worrying for the protagonists. I rate it at the low end of excellent.
Before I go any further I just want to say how wonderful it is to watch a relatively recent anime where: 1) the story is told seriously; and 2) there are no schoolgirls. (Woohoo! I am f***ing sick to death of anime schoolgirls. Please, please, more adults in anime. I tell you, I'm just about to take an oath to never again buy (or stream from a legal site) an anime that has high school students, in the vain hope of putting - admittedly minuscule - pressure on production companies to show some imagination.)
Despite the shonen fight scene elements that are grafted uncomfortably into the storyline, I think Claymore is best considered as part of the girls with guns genre but with giant swords instead of guns.
The obvious parallel, of course, is the women. Typical of the genre, they are sexy, smart and unapproachable, and they constantly struggle to take control of their destiny. Most obviously, they wield the phallic object (the sword) with immense skill, which gives them tremendous power. Immersed in a male dominated structure that is trying to control them, the contest is violent and fascinating. That contest is often played out once removed, so to speak, being situated in the claymores' battles against the yoma, who are mostly male. For the women, the only successful outcome (as is the case from Noir to Canaan) is to step outside the system, to reject it completely. The cynic in me might argue that the girls with guns genre is really about women trying to become men. If that were true, it's a decidedly non-feminist genre. The idealist in me would counter that it represents women trying to liberate themselves using the limited (read violent) means available to them. That the genre is aimed at a male audience suggests that the cynic in me may be closer to the truth.
You often read about the yuri elements in the genre, usually only hinted at on screen. While I agree they are intentional (and, anyway, the closeness of the female relationships is part of their reaction to their world), there is very little commentary on a much stronger element – the mother / daughter relationship or, if you prefer, older sister / younger sister. Since Noir re-wrote the rules of the genre, it has been a common element: Mireille and Kirika in Noir; Nadie and Ellis in El Cazador de la Bruja; subversively father / daughter with the handlers and the girls in Gunslinger Girl; Canaan and Maria in Canaan; and, of course, in Claymore with Teresa and Clare, and Jean and Clare. Pre-Noir examples hint at it: in Gunsmith Cats, Rally is big sister to Minnie May (even if Minnie May is much the more sexually liberated) and there are similar suggestions with Yuri and Kei in Dirty Pair. The original twist with Claymore is the central mother / son or big sister / younger brother pairing of Clare and Raki. It's a great evolution that gives the show considerable oomph. One of the best moments in the series is when Clare kisses Raki on the lips. The impact of this moment is not only from its place within the plot but also because there is nothing that approaches it elsewhere in the genre. The closest that I can think of is the cigarette lighting scene with Revy and Rock on the back seat of a police car in Black Lagoon.
(Revy is the unhinged girl with a gun. It's worth noting that she entirely lacks a redeeming mother figure. I wonder whether Balalaika should take her under her wing – it's a fascinating thought that could give the franchise some depth it otherwise lacks. It's also noteworthy that Black Lagoon is the most anti-feminist example of the genre. Revy is ultimately a pathetic character who is rendered impotent (!) by a Japanese salaryman. Her skill with a gun isn't a source of liberation; it's camouflage for her insecurity.)
The mother / daughter relationship not only acts as a counter to the male / female violence of the various plots but it's also the wellspring of the genre's most rewarding trope – redemption. When it is done well it is particularly moving, because the redeemer also saves herself in the process. Noir started the ball rolling with Mireille de-programming Kirika and simultaneously reconciling herself to their shared catastrophic past. It's a very Christian concept and it's no wonder that the stories are frequently set in western locations with Christian symbolism laid on thick. The most notable director of the genre, Koichi Mashimo, had a Catholic education and studied at the Jesuit run Sophia University.
I dwell on this element because it is central to the plot of the anime version of Claymore. Lurking inside every girls with guns heroine is a psychopath – that's part of the fascination of the genre – and implicit in that is the struggle for her human nature to prevail. Here it is much more explicit: the women can literally turn into demons if they become excessively violent. The power of Claymore lies in how Clare and Teresa care for Raki and Clare respectively and preserve their human nature in the process, despite the unceasing and dehumanising violence of their lives. (Again, there is an anti-feminist hint here – women should be nurturers, not warriors.) Similarly, the pact between the partially awakened claymores (Miria, Helen, Deneve and Clare), Irene's gift of her arm, and Clare's, later to be reciprocated, rescue of Jean give Claymore a resonance you wouldn't expect in an anime with so many shonen elements.
Set against the redemption trope is revenge. The overarching plot line of the anime is Clare's quest to avenge the death of her mother figure, Teresa, by claymore turned demon, Priscilla. It takes Raki's love and Jean's sacrifice to bring Clare back from the brink of the abyss and enables her to repudiate revenge as a solution. Again, I think this is a very western, or Christian, outcome, but typical of the genre. Revenge is a frequent theme in anime, but the outcome usually hinges on whether the avenger succeeds or is thwarted, or whether they have other, more noble, motives. The down side of Clare's choice to reject revenge is that the final battle between Clare and Priscilla falls flat. Not only because it is indifferently choreographed, not only because the previous battle with Rigaldo is so riveting, but also because pulling out of a fight voluntarily is hard to portray dramatically and the makers don't manage it here. Nevertheless, Jean's actions in this scene bring the series to a satisfying and moving finale.
There's a wonderful piece of synchronicity in this scene that just has to be deliberate. Jean (voiced by Kotono Mitsuishi who plays Mireille in Noir) reclaims the human side of Clare (voiced by Houko Kawashima who plays Kirika in Noir) in the midst of a climactic battle with Priscilla (voiced by Aya Hisakawa who plays, you guessed it, Chloe in Noir).
Speaking of seiyuu, one of the delights of Claymore is the star-studded line-up of women, all speaking in their lowest register (with the notable exceptions of Flora and the pre-demonic Priscilla). Leading the way is the sexiest voice in anime, Romi Park, who plays Teresa. Not far behind is Houko Kawashima as Clare – her mature diction is worlds away from the schoolgirl Kirika. More astounding is the gravelly voiced Kotono Mitsuishi. You'd never pick her as Mireille or even Katsuragi from Evangelion, let alone the shrill Excel or Sailor Moon. They're not the only well-known seiyuu and, with something like 30 or 40 claymores, mostly speaking in low tones, listening was a pleasure all on its own.
A couple of final comments. Reading various reviews and comments I think people expect too much of Raki. For sure, he can be irritating but he is basically a likeable character whose role is as a child and a catalyst for Clare's redemption. Perhaps he could have been given more development without detracting from Clare's more important story. If the writers could have pulled it off (and expunged some of the more unnecessary shonen aspects) perhaps I may have upgraded my ranking to masterpiece. And lastly, the guitar riff in the opening theme is, quite simply, glorious.
Last edited by errinundra on Sat Apr 09, 2011 1:37 am; edited 10 times in total
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Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter
Posts: 3234
Location: Central Florida
Morita-san wa Mukuchi (OAV)
Cute little school one-shot about a common character type, the cute and quiet girl who never speaks because she overthinks everything. Good jokes, cute characters. Only rated it good though because there really isn't anything more to it. Worth watching.
Although, if you care about such things, the animation is minimal. You will not be impressed with that in the least.
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Posts: 39
Thought I'd join and post, hopefully to see what's starting out for the Spring season, now that the winter season is ending.
Just finished up Index II, good series I've been keeping up with for a while, looks like they're trying to set up for an Index III. I had to go through it a second time, briefly, before I watched ep24, since everything I was watching began to blend together...well, mostly Index I and Railgun made it harder for me to recall what order events happened in.
Just finished up Zombie Desu Ka. Surprisingly good series, mostly because the characters were very likeable. Good comic relief, also some good moments.
Yumekui Merry was decent, not as developed, but very watchable. I'm guessing this week's was the last episode, they made the mistake of cramming too much into the last episode, which kinda made the conclusion seem half-assed.
Haven't seen the conclusion of Freezing, yet. I watched through it, but it was not my favorite of the bunch. Pretty boring and repetitive. Same thing over and over again, character development was pretty weak.
I'm downloading the Level E batch, now that the season is over, I figure I'll get the series done in a week. I don't expect it to blow me away, but it'll keep me entertained until I find some new shows to follow. It looks like everything on my list has wrapped up so I'm down to 0.
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Posts: 13841
Location: NZL
Yumekui Merry, rating Bad.
The good? Well, it was a kind of interesting concept and Sana's father was pretty cool. He got way too little screentime. Also, the OP and ED were nice.
The bad? Everything else, just about. The biggest one is that the show had no internal consistency. Episode nine killed the show for good, after that it was just a zombie stumbling around, clumsily piecing together the most ridiculous sequence of events I've seen in a while. "Trainwreck" doesn't do this disaster justice. It's roughly comparable to a jumbo jet hitting the Hindenburg which then falls on top of an orphanage, at least in terms of how badly the plot and entertainment value are burned by the shockingly incompetent writing.
I really want to give this show a rating of Awful, but it isn't - quite - bad enough as to warrant that ignominious level. Still, I recommend that you don't touch this piece of crap unless it is with a ten-foot pole. Now, I have to go wash off the stench . . .
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Get off my lawn!
Posts: 5513
Finished Blue Gender! Not bad I must say. Sure, not animation wise, sometimes I couldn't tell if they were simply holding a shot to save money or my DVD froze for a moment, but it....wasn't entirely QUALITY, lol. Ok, it was kinda charmingly retro for me, I'll admit.
But the first half was kinda slow, I was slugging through it rather slowly, then I hit episode 12 or so, which really felt like the halfway point from doing episodic bs to having a continuing plot and it kinda switched the narrative main and it drastically improved and became more interesting to watch. I kinda feel like they could've ended it on episode 23 though and been just fine, not sure what the last three eps were really there for. Also, the last ep didn't make me say "WTF?" as anticipated, I thought it made sense for the most part (and the parts left vague I was ok with). I really enjoyed myself, but for the love of god, could no one crack a joke in this series? Then again it may have ruined the mood and I think it did mood quite well. I also liked the two mains, Marlene more so than Yuji who was a bit of a bleeding heart by my standards, but I think they justified it pretty well without going too overboard with it. And they both changed a lot during the series, but I think it was done realistically.
Anywho, now I need help with what to watch next from my DVD backlog: Big Windup, His and Her Circumstances, Basilisk, or Hellsing (TV). I feel like I still want something kinda serious, but someone needs to be able to make a joke too.
Also, I've got the movie, cus it kinda came with the set, but everyone says it's garbage, I'm going to ignore it for now, the only thing I think it could improve would be the animation, like that's hard to top.
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Posts: 1
Currently Finished Anime.
Fractale - currently the best anime, i finished this year. Very watchable and interesting.
Hourou Musuko - many said that this is not good, but after watching it, I was touched and happy that i watched it all through out.
Seitokai Yakuindomo - very funny green jokes. I was very suprised with the opening and started watching because of its opening.
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka - Comedy + Action anime. Very watchable. My first impression of this anime is horror turn out to be the opposite one.
Currently Watching Anime.
Hanasaku Iroha - First episode was very interesting, this one is the best for now in "currently watching".
Tiger & Bunny - A good experience for watching anime like this, pretty original and interesting.
Mahou Shoujo Magi Madoka Magica - i cannot find more episode of this anime, but i know it is not finished yet.
Sekaiichi Hatsukoi - just like Junjou Romantica, it is kinda interesting so I watched it.
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Posts: 3
Location: Malaysia
here's a list of Anime TV Series that I've completed so far since 2010 & 2011... (and also Anime Movies)
Infinite Stratos - overall was good~ Poor Orimura Ichika have to go through such prob... 1.) the ONLY male IS pilot in the world 2.) 2 childhood friends & 3 others, all are girls... are fighting over him... & 3.) no matter how much bravery he displays, the girls are a force to be reckon with for him, even for his sister (Chifuyu-nee)... ==lll
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? - pretty impressed overall~ ^^ a zombie who got unlimited strength, near-invincible & sometimes... a little silly... so far, Seraphim (or Sera for short) & Haruka (aka Masou Shoujo & genius) are just being the only "bully" in the series... for him (Ayumu Aikawa), his so-called boring life has just turned around... probably 270-degrees...
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 The Movie: Awakening of The Trailblazer - one of the most epic & final piece to Season 2... the final battle against the ELS was one of my faves~ ^^ but most of it centers on Setsuna F. Seiei...
Magical Lyrical Nanoha The Movie 1st - mostly are from Season 1 of the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha TV series... but elaborate in a good way & some nicely done animation + CGIs, all in HD glory~ hope that there's a 2nd movie (based on Nanoha A's...)
Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works - another great work from TYPE-MOON~!! ^^ what really made me moved was the battle scenes, complimented by the awesome musical scores done by Kawai Kenji~ overall, the storyline was a mix of all the episodes of the TV series & a little twist to it... in a good & interesting way~
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It...it's not like I post for you or anything!
Posts: 16091
Location: Toronto, Canada
Man, I watched one episode of nine different currently airing shows today. Sort of feel like keeping up with this season is going to be like trying to take a sip of water from a fire hose. I'm already following 15 of the new season's offerings (as well as Fairy Tail and Gosick from previous season) and the Spring roll-out isn't even finished yet. I know I'll be adding The World God Only Knows 2, Deadman Wonderland, Blue Exorcist and God knows what else.
Of the new shows, A Channel, Abnormal Physiology Seminar, My Ordinary Life, Sket Dance and Softenni are all on viewer probation. I cannot yet know for sure if I will be staying with them to the bitter end. Everything else I feel fairly confident about.
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Posts: 95
So been finishig allot of long running series I own but have not watched
so far I finished the irst 3 seasons of Slayers (which i really enjoyed)
Then I finished the rest of Yu Yu Hakusho (as far as season 4 goes i felt like that was a lil bit to rushed) overall a good series
and now I have started Nadia Secret of Blue Water (i bought this complete collection tin for 20$ at a pawn shop, well worth it so far)
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Posts: 5344
Location: Philly
Give it a week and a half.
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Posts: 3782
This is a sad day in my anime viewing. I was excited to finally sit down and watch Tsubasa Chronicles: Tokyo Revelations only to find myself thoroughly disgusted with this series now. Clones? Really? It wouldn't have been bad with one, but two was just asinine, insulting, and absolutely ridiculous.
If there's anything I despise more, it's putting in the time to get close to the characters only to find the time was wasted. This is why I hate reincarnation bullshit. It's a cop-out because the writers are too damn lazy to build upon a story they gave up on.
This series is dead to me now and I shall not invest any more time with it. The first two seasons and xxxHolic will remain treasures to me, but this OVA will never be watched again. What a crappy thing to do to viewers. Unforgivable.
Speaking of xxxHolic, I finally got around to it and I loved it. I enjoyed the play on the title once I realized why it's like that (I never knew Yuko liked saki that much) and it just got better from there. The little stories helped build anticipation to see if Wakunaki receives his wish. I will be re-watching this one in the near future.
Black Butler was my weekend series and this one was unique. Not really sure how I'd rate it, honestly. It was good, but at the same time, it wasn't. It's hard to describe because the star, Ciel, is a character I grew to hate and this turned into me wanting to see him die a gruesome, horrible death (and it didn't happen).
The stories, or rather investigations, which he obtrusively involves himself in under "orders from the queen", are interesting, taking examples from Jack the Ripper, the spice trade, and other historic events into the overall series (nicely done, even without the historical accuracy, which becomes obvious when they solve the JtR case).
I can say, easily, the story wasn't sufficient enough to warrant a purchase on DVD. I just don't see a suitable re-watch factor in it now that I know how it ends and the stories aren't going to carry themselves a second time through.
As for my backlog, I tried wading through a few titles and I'm starting to see a trend. If I am not immediately entertained, I'm less likely to invest further time into viewing at the moment. I will get to it, but I want fun first and foremost. With so much anime being thrown at me, it's important to settle down or I'll burn out again and I don't want that.
It's probably a good thing my attempt at viewing anime on Crunchyroll failed (the video was choppy and the sound was horribly broken down into pulsating irritation). With so much available on the site, the last thing I need is to be watching multiple series as I used to do with old TV series. That bullshit way of viewing is tired and outdated. All or nothing, and at least Netflix affords me the all option.
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It...it's not like I post for you or anything!
Posts: 16091
Location: Toronto, Canada
Anybody who wants to vector dtm42's opinion with my own can read on. I've rated Yumeki Merry as Very Good. I'm delighted that Sentai will be giving it a release at some point and I hope there are more seasons. I went into this series with fairly low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. I liked the rendering of various dreamscapes and I particularly liked the "mythology" of the show - how dreams (both kinds, the type you have when you are asleep as well as dreams in the sense of personal hopes and aspirations) were used as avenue of attack. I liked the character web (i.e. how the various characters interacted with each other) and some of the more stand alone-ish eppies had some real poignancy. I wasn't as crazy about the resolution of the series (the last 2-and-a-half episodes, basically) mainly because it featured my least favorite story-telling technique spoiler[(i.e. showing our heroes being ineffective for an uncomfortably long time so that you become frustrated - watching characters you like get stomped and not being able to do anything about it is never a ball of fun for me.)]
Anyway, as always, probably best to sample it for yourself to see if it might be your cup of tea.
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Crazy Fangirl
Posts: 7760
Been keeping up to date with the latest season's offerings - whenever legal streaming wasn't available I'd just resort to the old conventional method though - which is surprisingly much less than it was about 2 seasons ago.
Rather than talk about everything I'll just list the worst I've seen so far... and the winner is... A-Channel! Bwwooo-ring. Even more boring than Battle Girls.
Besides that, Kaiji 1-26. Had my interest, but never really moved a finger until hearing about a second season last week. I started it during a hangover - rather, after sleeping 4 hours and waking up drunk and making my way up to soberness. Which is why I'm not entirely sure whether it was my mood or just the quality of the show that dropped drastically after the rock paper scissors arc. Dunno, was Kaiji melodramatic then? The second half was so melodramatic that it either became that way after the first half, or I just got fed up with the characters and everything. I'm still having the same issue with the second season.
And a bunch of OVAs courtesy of torrents and last season's chart.
Tailenders - Interesting short and the girl reminds me of the girl from FLCL even though I can't remember FLCL much. But, as pretty much every one shot OVA out there, it's far from complete and is a complete waste of time for those who like invested entertainment like me.
Morita-san - Remember the girl who didn't talk much in Word God Only Knows? Yeah, she's starring here with the same seiyu but different character design under another animation company.
Epic of Kebab - Which isn't present at ANN-chan's encyclopedia. Is this a LOL Heroes ripoff? It has to be. Reminds me of the hentai title ripping off Code Geass but instead the Geass was a mobile phone.
Hen Zemi OVA - Weird stuff. Not sure what to think about this, but if you liked Mitsudomoe this is likely to be your boat.
Gintama movie - Excellent jokes/trolling in the beginning and end, but the rest was pretty much as told in the TV series. Worth it if you're after a Gintama re-watch.
Still making my way through Fist of the North Star as always. It doesn't disappoint. Just when I thought Ken was beginning to bore me he undergoes a very discreet change in personality.
And also watching Eyeshield 21. Had a long break already, so I'm hoping to finish it by the next week. It's quite enjoyable but the drama is sooo repetitive.
Stuck on Detective Conan. 1 episode a day seems out of question because I frequently forget about it, so instead I'll see if I watch 2 episodes every Sunday, which is when I'm bored to death and would watch pretty much anything as long as it's not annoying.
Hmm, now that I think about it I haven't seen much lately besides the new stuff and the long stuff. I'm craving for a whole story in 12 or 24 episodes.
Last edited by egoist on Mon Apr 11, 2011 2:16 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter
Posts: 3234
Location: Central Florida
Been doing a rewatch of Spice and Wolf before its expiration from Funimation's various platforms.
I watched it the first time a couple years ago in it's subbed form, as is my usual preference, but I'm watching the dubbed now and I have to admit it's a good performance and it does make it easier to follow such a dialogue heavy show dealing with a subject, economics, I find difficult to focus on. The only thing I find annoying about it is that with my eyes liberated from constantly reading text during those dialogue heavy sections I'm left watching the lip-flap animation I find so annoying (stationary face, unmoving chin and cheeks, lips opening and closing like a goldfish's.)
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Posts: 680
Some I finished recently:
Genshi Shounen Ryuu: The adventures of a prehistoric boy may sound like a charming and unique in anime, but sadly the show doesn't live up to it. There are basicallly two recurring villains through out the series, which one or the other or both appear in otherwise episodic build, which is "Ryuu goes into a village and someone tries to take advantage of him and his companions. After getting out of the pinch, he finds another clue for his quest and advances to the next village". Then everything is resolved in the final episode just like it was nothing. Talk about wasted story potential. Nice backgrounds, though.
Afro Samurai: People always come and shout things like shallow plot, while seeming to miss the point altogether. The point of this was obviously the action, which it did deliver. I approve of this anime.
Houkago no Pleiades: A Subaru ad anime? What a waste of time.
Sakigake Otokojuku: A shounen parody about manly mens manhood for men. It is certainly different than your usual school comedies, which these days consist of an all loli cast, even if they are high schoolers. Not here, these high schoolers could well pass for 20 to 30 year olds and they are all men. I had a few good laughs with it, but I think there was a really big overdose of man here, which as a man myself, didn't make me feel all that comfortable.
I finally finished the rest of the LoGH sidestories and have now watched all that it has to offer. Overall, the two OVAs have some good arcs and bad arcs. Much of the information it offers can be found within the show, but the two still provided some more backstory on interesting things such as the El facile incident and where Reinhard got Brünhild. The movies on the other hand should not be missed by any of its fans. Both have great animation and much substancial backstory in them, even the recap one. I enjoyed them immensely.
Also finished watching a bunch of ongoing shows: Bakuman, Star Driver, Fractale, SD Gundam Sangokuden, Level E and Kimi ni Todoke. Nothing worth much here, generic anime for generic 4-6 ratings. I thought Bakuman laid out a good setting to build itself up in the sequel season, but even that is severely lacking in drive considering that it's essentially a career anime.
Now Im finishing Nadia, I'm at the fillers right now and boy are they bad. I also picked up Cardcaptor Sakura as it is one of those famous shows that somehow got past my radar. Next I'm moving on to finishing Nana and some Gundam, I think.
Finally, my picks for this season: Kaiji, Gintama, Hanasaku Iroha, T&B. Maybe Toriko and Aurora Dream as well.
Last edited by naninanino on Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:05 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Paul Deitel, CEO, CTO, and cofounder of Deitel® & Associates, Inc., is coauthor of many of the world's leading programming books, including the best-selling college textbook Java How to Program, Seventh Edition (Prentice Hall, 2007). Through Deitel® & Associates, Inc., he has delivered Java and other programming language courses to developers at dozens of the world's leading organizations, including IBM, Sun Microsystems, Cisco, Fidelity, NASA, and many more.
Welcome to the Java Fundamentals LiveLessons. This two-part sequence presents object-oriented programming in Java using Java Standard Edition (Java SE) 6. After studying the fundamental topics presented here, you'll have the foundation you need to learn more about Java programming on the Java Micro Edition (Java ME), Java Standard Edition (Java SE) and Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE) platforms.
The Java Fundamentals LiveLessons are intended for students and professionals who are already familiar with programming fundamentals in a high-level programming language such as C, C++, C# or Visual Basic. Object-oriented programming experience is not required—this is a key focus of these LiveLessons. Java Fundamentals: Part 1 introduces object-oriented programming fundamentals in Java. Java Fundamentals: Part 2 continues with in-depth discussions of object-oriented programming and introduces GUIs, exception handling and the JavaCollections Framework.
In the Java Fundamentals LiveLessons, author Paul Deitel concentrates on the principles of good software engineering and stresses program clarity, teaching by example. Paul is a professional trainer who presents leading-edge courses to government, industry, the military and academia.
Live-Code Approach. These LiveLessons are loaded with "live-code" examples—that is, each new concept is presented in the context of a complete working Java application. In addition to discussing the new concepts in each application, I execute the application so you can see the concepts "in action." This style exemplifies the way we teach and write about programming at Deitel & Associates; we call this the "live-code" approach.
Object-Oriented Throughout. After learning some Java fundamentals in Lesson 1 of Java Fundamentals: Part 1, you'll create your first customized classes and objects in Lesson 2. Presenting objects and classes early gets you "thinking about objects" immediately and mastering these concepts more thoroughly. We then use these concepts throughout both LiveLessons.
Online Documentation. Throughout both LiveLessons we show you how to use Java's online documentation. This will help you avoid "reinventing the wheel" by locating features that are already defined in the Java API and that you need in your applications. It will also help you learn the relationships among many key classes and interfaces in the Java API. Learning these relationships is essential to taking full advantage of the Java API's capabilities.
These LiveLessons are based on portions of Paul's best-selling computer science textbook and professional book Java How to Program, 7/e (www.deitel.com/books/jhtp7/) and his Dive-Into ® Series corporate training courses (www.deitel.com/training/), which he presents to organizations worldwide. Feel free to email Paul at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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This image made from amateur video and released by Shaam News Network Tuesday, March 13, 2012, purports to show road barriers built to prevent Bashar Assad's gangs from entering villages in Latakia, Syria. Syrian military forces have recaptured the northern rebel stronghold of Idlib along the border with Turkey, a major base that army defectors had held for months, a pro-government newspaper reported Tuesday. An international rights group said the army is mining the border with Turkey. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via APTN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUT


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18th Birthday Cake
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Cake for a 18th Birthday, my 14th cake! First time doing a 3 tier cake, first time making my own marshmallow fondant, first time working with fresh flowers, & my first time making my own icing.
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Authorities say a father acted in self-defense Monday night when he fired one shot, striking his 26-year-old son in the stomach.
Authorities say a father acted in self-defense Monday night when he fired one shot, striking his 26-year-old son in the stomach.
The incident occurred in the 2800 block of South Pasfield Street shortly before 6 p.m.
Sergeant Jim Tapscott of the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office said the son showed up at his father's home intoxicated. He went to the back door of the home and reportedly began yelling obscenities and trying to force his way in.
Tapscott said the father repeatedly told him to leave, but he refused. At that point, the father grabbed a small-caliber handgun, Tapscott said. The son continued to try to break in, this time by head-butting the door and cracking the glass, Tapscott said.
The son then took a couple steps back to get momentum and head-butted the door again. Out of fear, police said, the father fired one shot through the door. The father told police he didn't want to shoot his son, only for him to leave.
It was not immediately clear if a bullet or a fragment struck the son. He was taken to St. John's Hospital, where Tapscott said he was recovering. Authorities are not releasing the father's name because charges have not been filed.
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Things have been quiet since Dimension Films announced that Rob Zombie would write and direct his own Halloween film, which is more of a re-imagining than a remake. Last night Zombie spoke exclusively to MTV about the film, which he finally goes into serious detail on. Read on for a portion of the article and then follow the link for Podcast footage and more.
Below is the portion of a major articel over at MTV:
"Which brings us to the multimillion-dollar question (and the buzz of horror sites everywhere): What can we expect from Rob Zombie's "Halloween"? For starters, he describes his film not as a prequel, as rumored, but rather as "a remake with more back story built into it," and plans to make the film less about babysitters in peril and more about the man behind the mask.
"I want the lead character to be Michael Myers," Zombie said. "He's not just a faceless thing floating around in the background and then you focus on these girls. I feel that that's where you can make it different and that's where you can make it more intense."
As he talks about his vision, references range from "Murders in the Rue Morgue" to "The Constant Gardener" and "21 Grams," and he grows increasingly animated as he hits on his main goal: exploring these now iconic characters in greater depth. He talks about beefing up the roles of Sherriff Brackett and the somewhat demented Dr. Loomis, the gun-toting child psychiatrist who serves as Myers' chief foil while spewing his unique brand of dark poetry ("I watched him for 15 years, sitting in a room, staring at a wall, not seeing the wall, looking past the wall, looking at this night, inhumanly patient, waiting for some secret, silent alarm to trigger him off. Death has come to your little town.").
"I felt the character of Dr. Loomis just popped in and out when they needed somebody to say something dramatic," Zombie observed. "I wanted his story to feel more intertwined with Michael in a way that means something, which they did in the original, but sometimes it feels like he disappears for a long period and then just pops up to go, 'He's evil!,' and then he disappears again for a while."
Zombie's eyes light up as he talks about casting his Loomis, and names ranging from Jeff Bridges to Ben Kingsley turn up on his very, very loose "what if?" list. "There is no shortage of late-50s, early-60s male actors that are amazing and would like to work more, probably much like Donald Pleasence at the time [he was cast as the original Loomis]," Zombie said.
But the beefiest role by far will be that of Myers. No longer a figure looming ominously in the background of an artfully framed shot, Myers — his motives, methods and machinations — will be front and center this time around, a switch Zombie thinks is essential to sharpen the blade a bit.
"One of the things that's happened over the years to all those characters is that they become friendly," Zombie added. "Michael Myers and Jason and Freddy and Pinhead aren't scary anymore because they're so familiar. I thought we have to find a way to go back and start fresh and remove everyone's preconceived ideas about what they think this character is because no one thinks they can be scared by it again. It's almost like Santa Claus."
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Catherine Davis
Revolving Door (1)
Sightings (3)
The Year in Review: Ten LA Journo Feel-Good Stories - Posted December 28, 2012
In the space of a few days this time last year, film critic Alonso Duralde went from tweeting about the vile acts of an LA arsonist, to revealing he had become a victim of carport incineration, to thanking the public at large for donations to cover the purchase of a new... [FishbowlLA]
Actor Taylor Negron Celebrates the Life, Legacy of an LA Murder Victim - Posted September 29, 2012
A piece posted Friday afternoon on xojane.com by actor Taylor Negron about the horrific murder of 81-y... [FishbowlLA]
BuzzMedia Lays Off 11 People - Posted August 1, 2012
We promise tomorrow's news won't focus so much on layoffs but as for today, not so much. The New York Post reports BuzzMedia has laid off 11 people. Editor-in-chief ... [MediaJobsDaily]


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Blog: Why your CV is no longer enough
Click here for the hard truth about the current job marketAugust 31, 2015 8:50
Register for our free newsletter
Qatar October trade surplus halves from year ago
Qatar launches $5.5 bln, 5-yr loan into syndication
MIDEAST STOCKS-Markets may firm on positive global trend
New Abu Dhabi rice mill to start operations in Q2 2016
UAE's Dana Gas says wins $1.98 bln Kurdistan judgement
Dubai to spend billions on clean energy push
UAE businessman Essa al-Ghurair preparing to sell healthcare stake in 2018
Oil falls as spotlight returns to global glut
Abu Dhabi's TAQA files for sale of U.S. wind power asset
Dubai's Drake & Scull at new all-time low, extends drop after Q3 loss
Will a new fashion event be able to add legitimacy to the region's fashion scene?
April 9, 2013 7:03 by Eva Fernandes
"Global brands dominate the market here in Dubai. It is time for local brands to hold their own," says Bong Guerrero, CEO and creative director of Fashion Forward. He makes a fair point—after many failed attempts (cough, Dubai Fashion Week) to establish a legitimate fashion platform; could Fashion Forward be the event that takes the local fashion scene to international levels?
Guerro certainly thinks so: "Without a fashion platform of our own we will be totally dependent on the trends of the international scene. We have top talent in this region-from Beirut to Dubai, they just need a magnifying glass to bring them to the forefront and that is what Fashion Forward aims to be."
Taking place from 26th to 29th April, Fashion Forward consists of a series of talks, workshops and panels at the Madinat Jumeirah, which will feature execs from Milan's Domus Academy, London College of Fashion, New York-based Fashion Institute of Technology and the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
"We want Fashion Forward to be the definitive fashion platform in the region. We want to highlight the talent of the regional designers to be held to international standards. Fashion Forward is a movement and it will help move the fashion industry of the Arab world to compete with the fashion capitals of Paris, London and New York" said co-founder Ramzi Nakad.
The international aspiration of the movement is clear enough. Fashion Forward's business development manager, Saira Mehar, said: "We weren't just looking for someone who was creative, but someone who has a vision. We are looking for designers with an integral business focus or business sense because we want designers who want to go international."
Aiming high is all very well, but does Fashion Forward have what it takes to rise above the city's reputation for being a trend-follower and establish Dubai as the fashion capital of the Arab World? It remains to be seen.


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Covering wars: A Dead Rising timeline - Part 1
445 days 11 hours ago - With Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition arriving on PC today, Shacknews is taking a look back at the Dead Rising series, starting from the very begi... | Article | PC
Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition review: The zombie chainsaw massacre - Shacknews
447 days 7 hours ago - Originally released as an Xbox One launch exclusive (a version we weren't very fond of), Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition infects the PC with its... | Review | PC
How to finish Hearthsone's Heroic 'Frostworm Lair'
461 days 7 hours ago - Hearthstone's "Curse of Naxxramas" expansion wraps up with the Frostwyrm Lair, home to two of the toughest bosses of the entire set. If you're havi... | Article | Mobile
The ever-changing Diablo 3
461 days 9 hours ago - Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls is now available across all platforms, and we take a look back at how different the game has become since its initial rel... | Opinion piece | PC
The Five Must-Play Exclusives for Xbox One in 2016
H1Z1 dev team talks Airdrops, wildlife, and Early Access
461 days 10 hours ago - Sony Online Entertainment is working hard to get H1Z1 ready for Early Access. Shacknews had a chance to talk to the dev team about some of the game... | Interview | PC
Microsoft's Summer of Arcade: Missing in Action
466 days 19 hours ago - The waning days of summer are upon us, and for the first time in six years Microsoft hasn't kept the release schedule moving with its annual Summer... | Opinion piece | Xbox 360
Novel Approach: Video games based on books
467 days 3 hours ago - As The Giver approaches this weekend, we're once again getting a taste of a young-adult novel run through the movie-making machine. Hollywood loves... | Opinion piece | Industry
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare senior director talks multiplayer map design, modes, and more
470 days 20 hours ago - Sledgehammer Games took the stage at Gamescom 2014 earlier today to reveal the first details on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare's multiplayer. It's... | Interview | PC
Hearthstone: Naxxramas - Chatty's best card combinations (Plague/Military Quarter)
471 days 2 hours ago - Hearthstone is now three weeks into its Curse of Naxxramas expansion, with Blizzard adding even more cards to its stacked deck of minions and spell... | Opinion piece | Mobile
Mortal Kombat's Raiden through the years
471 days 2 hours ago - Scorpion and Sub-Zero are clearly among the two most recognized characters in the Mortal Kombat world. But there's another constant staple in Nethe... | Video | PS4
Street Fighter 4: A Brawling Timeline
475 days ago - Shacknews breaks down the significant points for this side saga, as well as its highs and lows. It never hurts to have a FightStick on hand for this. | Opinion piece | Xbox 360
Games in a time of climate change
475 days ago - We're well into the first week of August, and the summer's hottest days could be just ahead. There's still a debate being waged over climate change... | Interview | PC
How Twitch's new copyright policy was gravely mishandled
475 days 7 hours ago - A lot of conversation, along with grinding and gnashing of teeth, happened yesterday following Twitch's series of announcements. The one that cause... | Opinion piece | Tech
Batman: Arkham Knight - Who is the villain behind the mask?
483 days 7 hours ago - This year, Batman celebrates his 75th birthday and the occasion is being celebrated across a variety of mediums. Among them, of course, is video ga... | Opinion piece | PS4
Destiny Beta Graphical Video Comparison All Consoles
484 days 12 hours ago - The Destiny beta has officially ended. So with that in mind, Shacknews would like to offer up a graphical comparison across all versions of Bungie'... | Video | Xbox 360
Shacknews Daily News Recap - 6/23/14 (Shack Snack)
517 days 13 hours ago - Shacknews runs down the top news stories of the day. Division devs say new consoles are like PCs Possible Last of Us PS4 Bundle Spotted, COUNTER-S... | News | PC
Shacknews Daily News Recap - 6/23/14 (Shack Snack)
518 days 18 hours ago - Shacknews runs down the top news stories of the day. Civilization Revolution 2 announced for iOS and Android mobile devices. Fans of the Batman ser... | News | iPhone
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519 days 1 hour ago - Watch the new trailer for the new season of Guild Wars 2 which kicks off next week. | News | PC
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519 days 1 hour ago - Shacknews takes a look at the History of Transformers in Video Games. | Article | PS2
Confessions of a Steam Addict
519 days 10 hours ago - Shacknews Editor In Chief Steve Wong details his life experiences as a Steam Addict. Whenever a Steam Sale is announced people go into a buying fre... | Article | PC


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The guys at FanThrowdown are the new kids on the daily fantasy sports block, and in similar fashion they're aimed straight at the top of the daily fantasy player favorite charts.
Cashier – FanThrowdown covets some of the fastest payouts in the business, often processed the same day. They offer a wide array of deposit options including Paypal. You can cashout via Paypal or Check. TeamDFR has great confidence in the way FanThrowdown handles our money and so should you.
Rake – Industry standard rake applies here, which is around 10% of the game's buy-in until you reach higher stakes.
Customer Service – To make it simple, the customer service at FanThrowdown is great. They're fast, hands-on, and responsive. It really helps our comfort level as players knowing that our emails will be responded to quickly and our problems will be handled in a timely professional manner.
Interface – We find the FanThrowdown interface to be clean and well-structured. Nothing seems out of place and you can spend as long as you like building your team without worrying about eye fatigue. The player stats they include are reasonable and you're not left desiring anything specific. The multi-player games could be set up a bit better, allowing more interaction when trying to view your opponents teams, but overall it's only a slight hindrance. Game payouts are extremely fast, ending exactly when all players from both teams are finished. This isn't something most daily fantasy sites are capable of.
Salary – Player salaries are relatively competitive with just a hint of lag in regards to updates. You'll find players who are more expensive than they should be more than you'll find cheap and obvious picks. Overall it's a challenging daily fantasy site to build lineups on.
Scoring – Industry standard with minimal points taken away.


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Photos: Nellie Cruz hammers a pair out of the park, but 10-run deficit too much for Rangers
Photo: G.J. McCarthy/Staff Photographer
Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler looks for the out at first after fielding a hit by Colorado Rockies left fielder Carlos Gonzalez during the eighth inning of Texas' 11-7 loss Saturday, June 23, 2012 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
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November 27, 2015
AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas House has passed a bill allowing military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder to have service dogs.
The proposal by San Antonio Democratic Rep. Jose Menendez was sent to the Senate on Wednesday by a 120-21 vote.
In addition to expanding who can get service dogs, the bill ensures that the animals are allowed into restaurants and food stores.
It includes a fine of $300 and community service for discriminating against a disabled person.
Some lawmaker debate focused on whether restaurant and other business owners who could face criminal penalties for attempting to verify that an animal is being used to assist a disabled person.
Also, it passed with an amendment clarifying that only dogs - not other service animals - can gain access to certain public places.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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View The Unintelligible Investor's Comments BY TICKER:
Latest | Highest rated
JGWPT Holdings - A Strong Moat In A Niche Industry With 50%-Plus Upside [View article]
On the surface it would seem that the higher the discount rate, the less people will be willing to part with their settlement.
But if we could think of these settlement holders as rational actors (and investors), then technically they would be willing to pay a higher discount rate because they could invest the proceeds at a higher market interest rate.
Or more realistically, they will be willing to pay a higher discount rate because the interest rate on their personal debt is also higher.Jan 28, 2014. 03:01 PM | 0 Likes |Link to Comment
JGWPT Holdings - A Strong Moat In A Niche Industry With 50%-Plus Upside [View article]
I wonder about the impact of rising interest rates on the profitability of new business. Is their any ability to charge clients more than the 11% discount rate in order to maintain its spread if funding costs increase?Jan 28, 2014. 12:01 PM | 0 Likes |Link to Comment
Why Leverage Is Pointless [View article]
And this article appears to argue that you should increase your exposure to your less volatile positions, even if you are leveraged, using historical volatility as an indication of risk. Well, if you have very large positions on historically low volatility investments, and something changes and those investments become high volatility (which they can ... see LTCM), now you're broke.Jan 24, 2014. 10:23 AM | 2 Likes |Link to Comment
Why Leverage Is Pointless [View article]
And, while there is magnified gains on smaller movements to the upside, there are magnified losses as well. Using you're examplle, all your positions would have to lose only 10% for you to be "wiped out" ... and even if you gain on some positions, the loss on your other positions could be substantially greater than 10% and you could still be "wiped out".
and if you diversify in low risk investments, your return on those investments likely won't be enough to cover the cost of borrowing.
the only true ways to use leverage safely and successfully are to 1) lever up at the exact market bottom 2) take out an interest free loan with no terms of repayment (kinda of like an insurance company)Jan 24, 2014. 10:17 AM | 2 Likes |Link to Comment
AMC Networks: Is This Really As Good As It Gets? [View article]
I would suggest that the opposite is in fact true. More competition (from the largest studios to anyone with a $30 webcam and an internet connection), able to provide more content to viewers cheaper, should make it harder for content providers to capture additional profits.
And I don't believe the availability of content impacts the demand for content. People only have so many hours in the day to watch videos, so the pie is relatively fixed ... and the pie is being sliced up between more and more competitors charging less and less for their service.
These don't strike me as favorable industry dynamics.
AMC has certainly been on a major run the last few years and they should be commended for it, but I think history has often shown that it is very difficult to continuously crank out the most popular content. NBC is a perfect example. They ruled the 90s. Now they are an also-ran.
With that sort of potential downside, stock seems pricey to me.Jan 21, 2014. 10:05 AM | 0 Likes |Link to Comment
Canadian Imperial: The Best Of The Big Banks [View article]Jan 17, 2014. 02:06 PM | 0 Likes |Link to Comment
Cherry Hill Mortgage Investment Corp.: A Favorable Bet On Rising Interest Rates [View article]
Is any of this kind of information readily available, either through CHMI or some other source?Jan 6, 2014. 09:34 AM | 0 Likes |Link to Comment
Cherry Hill Mortgage Investment Corp.: A Favorable Bet On Rising Interest Rates [View article]
Couple questions:
1) What is the BoD composition like? Any independent directors or directors unrelated to Freedom?
2) You described what "recourse" CHMI has wrt prepayments (they get to service the new loan, if in fact there is one) ... but does CHMI have any recourse for defaults?Jan 6, 2014. 09:32 AM | 0 Likes |Link to Comment
Peregrine Semiconductor Warrants A Serious Look [View article]Jan 6, 2014. 09:08 AM | 1 Like |Link to Comment
MTY Food Group Inc. - A Restaurant Stock For The Wallet [View article]
Great article on a great company. I wrote a piece on MTY a couple years ago, back when it was trading at ~$10. Check it out here:
I love the depth of brands, I love the smart acquisitions, I love the branding (and re-branding, in some cases) of their various banners, and I even love the food.
BUT my big concern is your valuation and the use of a 20x multiple on F2016 earnings. MTY is running out of businesses to buy in Canada. At 2,500 locations, they are already the 3rd largest restaurant operator in the country, behind only Tim Horton's and Subway. They've already got 1,000 more locations than McDonald's! And the bigger they get, the less these bite-sized acquisitions will impact their growth rate.
And as you've indicated, growing in the US or elsewhere is a much different animal. Canada just isn't as competitive.
I respect your take on this, but I just don't think MTY will have the same growth going forward and, therefore, doesn't warrant the same multiple.Dec 18, 2013. 01:35 PM | 3 Likes |Link to Comment
John, I see where your coming from, but ultimately I disagree. You believe NFLX will eventually be the sole "channel" that all people use to consume content, imaging some scenario where most of the US population cuts the cord and uses NFLX exclusively. But I think this is faulty thinking for a couple reasons
1) TV is not going to decline rapidly. It will be a long, slow demise similar to that experienced by wireline telephones.
2) there will be plenty of competing "channels" online, generally all with access to different content. NFLX is not going to be able to secure ALL of the possible video content available in the world.
3) people don't have a "median expectation" of cost for a service. they benchmark the value of a product offering against the best alternative. When the first $100/month cable packages were rolled out, there was no unending supply of online video content for people to watch. There were 4 broadcast networks. So they saw value in the $100/month to have access to a vastly larger chunk of content. This paradigm has reversed now, with unending amounts of content available entirely for free ... where is the value of a $100/month content cost?
Instead I see a world where people cut the cord, take that $99/month and spread some of it among a number of different online channels, maybe an NBA League Pass subscription, an NFLX subscription, a HULU plus subscription, and whatever other channels emerge. Then take whatevers left and spend it on other things (maybe they'll pay more for movie theatres). A similar thing has happened in the music industry, where all of the money we used to spend on CDs, we now spend on concert tickets (which are insanely expensive today versus the past).Dec 2, 2013. 09:37 AM | 0 Likes |Link to Comment
The 41M subs is taken from page 5 of Time Warner's 2012 annual report ..... although I did see some newspaper articles stating it was closer to 30M. May be a difference in definition of "domestic" and "US" subs.
A couple other points
1) Time Warner did not break out the performance of HBO seperate from its other networks, so its difficult to know exactly what HBO's profit margin is. The contribution margin of their Networks segment is 33%, which would put them around 14% profit margin after corporate costs, interest deductions, and taxes.
2) The number of subs doesn't really say anything about what their profit margins will be. WMT has alot more customers than a high-end retail boutique, and their profit margins are alot less. Profit margins are going to be determined by NFLX's ability to obtain and, more than ever, produce content ... and there is no reason to believe NFLX will be more proficient at producing content than any of the television networks. NFLX's innovations have been on the demand side, through its better user interface, than on the supply side (content). In particular, as NFLX starts producing more content of its own that is closer to the cost of the premium content of HBO, you could expect that NFLX would have lower margins than HBO because it charges alot less.Nov 28, 2013. 03:47 PM | 0 Likes |Link to Comment
thank you … yes, how it will end no one knows, only that it will end.
Nov 26, 2013. 10:50 PM | 2 Likes |Link to Comment
1) I'm not sure that Piracy is declining all that much. And if it is, I would suggest that it will probably increase when/if the competitive pay products increase their prices.
2) based on what reasoning? at just 10% yoy increase, NFLX's content costs are just 20% of revenue …. NFLX's content is going to get more expensive and probably won't cost them much less than what the networks end up paying for it.
3) its true that the company is less profitable now because it is investing for overseas expansion, fair point … but the point regarding the DVD contribution margin IS relevant because the DVD business is in inexorable DECLINE, and that's going to impact the profitability of the future business.
4) international content doesn't simply refer to internationally-made content … it refers to the purchase of rights to show US content internationally.
5) im not so sure … you don't see the vast majority of people buying 2 or 3 phones … plus if people started adding all of the different providers that significantly impacts the costs savings they receive.Nov 26, 2013. 10:49 PM | 2 Likes |Link to Comment
hmmm … well, when you pick a "reasonable non-mature P/E" that represents future opportunities … you are essentially completing an analytical evaluation of the growth opportunities afar the 3-5 year time span.
Nov 26, 2013. 10:42 PM | 0 Likes |Link to Comment
185 Comments


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Welcome to Blank Associates. One of Brighton's leading Graphic Design Studios.
Established in 2002, we have a proven track record in providing exceptional creative solutions to a wide range of clients. Specialising in brand and large print campaigns, we make the complicated simple, add clarity to communications and live by the mantra, 'A good idea, well executed'.
Identity & Brand Development
Brand creation for the London Veterans' Service.
The London Veteran's Service provides help via the NHS for ex-military men and women suffering from mental health problems.
The project required full engagement with service users and management of focus groups. We are currently in phase one of brand launch and deployment.
Guidelines and Ad Campaign
Tepilo, is the leading Online Estate Agency from property guru, Sarah Beeny.
Blank undertook an interim Marketing and Design role, supporting the launch of a national media strategy across TV, press and Transport for London sites.
The logo and website were fully developed but guidelines needed to be pulled together to provide consistency and clarity across all platforms.
We provided design of all print advertising, script writing for the sales team and liaison with Tepilo's PR company to align brand values across all channels.
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Identity & Brand Development
Brand creation for Hammersmith and Fulham NHS Clinical Commissioning Group.
With 211 CCGs in the UK and 31 in London alone. How do we differentiate Hammersmith and Fulham from those in the surrounding boroughs?
We conducted a thorough research exercise to discover unique local aspects and presented and managed focus groups across all stakeholders from GPs to the general public.
"We really enjoyed working with Blank on the development of
our brand. We particularly liked the way they researched our
Borough, gave us a range of initial options to discuss, and
supported our discussions with different stakeholder groups to
ensure that the final brand was supported"
- Rachel Stanfield, Head of Organisational Development & Governance
Internal Communications Project Launch
Phoenix Project Launch
Due to an extremely tight turnaround, Tui needed a design team to step in and provide a striking concept that could be used throughout the Tui HQ to remind all employees of a critical project launch.
As usual a few concepts we presented - unbelievably we discovered the departure board idea hadn't been used in Tui before. In this context it helped support the idea that it was time to 'get on board' with the Phoenix project.
Annual Review
Annual Reviews and Reports
We have produced the Annual Reviews and Annual Report and Accounts for Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust since 2011.
From managing highly sensitive photoshoots, editing copy, design and final print and delivery, this is a fully managed design and account management project- bringing together a whole array of specialists to provide a seamless service.
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been continually impressed by their professionalism, understanding
of the brief, innovative design ideas and excellent customer
service. They really do go the extra mile."
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Service User Leaflets
Suite of Service User Leaflets
With a mental health issues finally getting a greater awareness across the media, its important to avoid the usual 'head clutching' imagery and cliches surrounding publicity materials.
With this in mind, we used a simple graphic device based on a speech bubble which symbolises the modern 'talk therapies' approach to treating problems such as depression, anxiety and addictions.
New name and new brand for this established home automation company.
Any business needs to ensure it's brand is reviewed and re-freshed every so often to ensure it stays fresh and effective. This is especially true when you business is technology based.
Having launched Audio7 back in 2002. We were delighted to create the new identity for 7integration, renamed to reflect the broader nature of the company's products and services.
Visit 7integration here
"Managed the creation of our brand with thorough professionalism and understanding." - Alex Josling
Identity & Brand Development
SNUG is launching this year as an Artist's Open House as part of Brighton Festival 2015.
Representing a huge range of established and emerging artists and makers, the brand needed to respect the huge diversity of the work exhibited and attract local and visiting art enthuasiasts that have over 150 diferent open houses to choose from.
"We are amazed by the work that Blank Associates has done for us. From the word go they grasped the image that we wanted to create, and designed something that was way and beyond our own expectations. Our whole successful publicity campaign is down to the dynamic, creative and insightful approach of Blank Associates" - Rosie Gifford, Snug Gallery.
New brand and signage for one of Brighton's thriving vintage shops.
In Brighton's flourishing vintage scene, Foxed Up specialises in
clothing and apparel from the 70s and 80s. We took our influence
from the music of the era and created a brand that looks anything
but old fashioned.
Brand Re-Positioning
Repositioning of a 200 year old institution.
The brief was to help refresh the RHS to help attract a new audience. The result was a modern touch across marketing literature and a few tweaks to the logo, which, thankfully no one noticed.
Brand and Label Design
Brand and Label Design for New Sussex Vineyard.
With Sussex wines rivalling established French varieties, we were asked to create the label, and hence the brand for new vineyard, Tumbling Brook and their first vintage a 'Pale Blush Rose'.
Music and Ski Brochures
Voyager School Travel are one of the UK's leading educational tour companies.
Blank has worked extensively with Voyager over the years, producing a suite of beautiful brochures, each one trying to capture the essence of the Voyager experience.
The most desirable properties in the world, available for rental from one day to one year.
Properties this amazing (almost) sell themselves. But, we still provide discreet marketing in the form of embossed leather portfolios, premium quality stationery and the most expensive business cards in the business.
Re-name and Re-brand
Formally Pizza Fritta, this thriving little kiosk in central Brighton needed to expand and grow nationally through exploring franchise opportunities. Straightaway we suggested a 'Fresh' new name - ditching the fried connotations for something healthier and more family friendly. The brand then emphasised the italian, hand made quality of the ingredients and food on offer.
Brand creation for innovative startup charity Handbags for Hospices.
Handbags for Hospices was formed in 2012 and so far has raised approx £20,000 for UK Hospices. It has received donations from celebrities including Davina McCall, Zoe Ball, Elizabeth Hurley and Kim Wilde and currently has a bespoke leather satchel on sale designed by British design icon, Celia Birtwell.
Take a look at the exclusive satchel here.
Photo credit: Amy Faith Photography


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Top 5 Alternative Uses for Canning Jars
Top 5 Alternative Uses for Canning Jars from Overstock.com. Our guides provide customers with alternative uses for canning jars and advice about our many brand-name products.
Jars all arrived well packaged and undamaged which is always a concern when shipping glass products. Great price....
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Jars all arrived well packaged and undamaged which is always a concern when shipping glass products. Great price.Read More
plan on filling them with shea butter for christmas gifts. I believe they will make very welcme gifts the container and the shea butter.Read More
I plan to use these not for canning but for the granola I make and give away. They are a beautiful heavy-duty glass jar with snap lid and rubber (reusable) gaskets. I love that they come in a variety of sizes, so if I need larger jars for other projects I'll try those too. Definitely not cheap like the Chinese junk you see at the dollar-type stories, but well worth the investment (I think) for special gifts, etc.Read More
I absolutely love, love, love these glass jars! I have them in every size made. Storing in glass is the only way to go...in my opinion. They do not stain nor hold a smell. The jars are well made, close very tightly and you can see what you have inside. They look great on the shelf or counter top. I have been using them for several months now and have had no problems. I only hand wash them as I'm afraid of what would happen to the metal if I put them in the dish washer. The mouth of the jar is plenty big for your hand to fit inside. I highly recommend them!Read More
I purchased these for dry goods storage and appreciate the tight seal, uniform look of buying multiples and super function. About ten ounces of pecans, for example, fit in this size. I also purchased the .75 L 6-pack and together they have such a stunning look, especially when filled with nuts, almond flour, seeds, etc that I may leave them counter top despite limited counter space. I have them stacked, only two high, but three would be sturdy as well. Glass is thick, seal is tight and rubber ring is quality. Nothing cheap about these...and hey, they are Italian-made ( a perk in my book).Read More
These jars are the best if you care about food preparation. I plan to use them for chutney-gifts-sealing is important so there is no spoilage. They are very attractive jars. I am happy to have quality jars.Read More
I love all Bormioli canning jars. These are no exception. I have several sizes and when I first received these I was unsure what I would do with them because they are fairly small but I really had no problems finding things to put in them. They are great for storing dried beans, rice, tea and my home made pesto. They are heavy duty, wash easy and look great. Highly recomend.Read More
Top 5 Alternative Uses for Canning Jars from Overstock.com. Our guides provide customers with alternative uses for canning jars and advice about our many brand-name products.
Have you ever thought that the food in your home takes up more space than it should? Do you find yourself searching for things you know you have, but just can't remember where you put them? In this guide we will provide you with convenient tips, tricks, and ideas on organizing your food, so you can make the most of your space and use it wisely.
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Evoke a sense of warmth and comfort combined with decorative elements in this jesGORDON farmhouse kitchen.
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GED test can open door to better career
Published: Sunday, December 20, 2009 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 8:10 p.m.
Third in a series
Robert Donovan and Bettie Liebzeit are reading "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams in the Henderson County Public Library.
They discuss the work, and Liebzeit compliments Donovan's ability to make an inference to the reading.
Donovan is prepping for the General Education Development test, which is a group of five tests that certifies a test taker has the skills of the average high-school student.
"I never before just picked up a book and just read it," Donovan said. "I always thought I read too slow."
He was a ward of the state when he was younger. He never really took the time how to learn to spell or read very well. He read a little and wrote very little. He couldn't type. After school, he went to work in construction.
"I've known construction work since I was 12. I like the details," Donovan said. "The more detail and complicated it is, the more fun I have with it."
He broke his hand in 1995 and decided he wanted to do something else. His goal is to become an electrical engineer. But first, he has to pass the GED test. Liebzeit and Donovan are currently working toward that goal.
Making the grade
Blue Ridge Community College sees between 500 and 600 people looking to take the GED test every year. The program has about 225 graduates annually.
The test has five parts: language arts -- writing, social studies, science, language arts -- reading and math. To pass, a test taker must score 2,250 on the complete test. A student must get at least 410 out of 800 possible points on each section.
"They have the basics they need to get through college," explained Rick Marshall, dean for basic skills at BRCC.
"We try to build the skills they need to pass the test as well as build skills they can use."
Looking for work
The economic situation, with the number of layoffs at companies, has forced people to return to school.
Susan Jones, coordinator of the basic skills program, said they see a lot of people who face changes at their jobs or have lost their jobs and realize they need to get their GED, either to stay where they are or to get a new position.
Diane Bowers, executive director for the Blue Ridge Literacy Council, explained that the way a person finds a job has changed in the past 50 years.
When the student started work, he might have been allowed to start with the help of a family member or friend. He didn't need to fill out a job application, but times have changed.
"The biggest motivator and the thing we've seen the most growth in is long-term jobs," Bowers said. "There is a lot of retraining for displaced work, but it's not available if you don't read or write."
"The thing that amazes me for dropouts, it's usually not for academic reasons," Marshall added. "Usually the younger ones we see are academically capable, but left for other reasons."
The council has seen a 25 percent increase in people coming in because of being laid off or because a company went out of business.
"In this economy, the GED or a high school diploma is not going to get people a good job anymore," Marshall said.
A lot of "soft skills," or skills needed to function, are taught at college. "Middle jobs," which require more technical training, are available and do pay well.
"In the next decade, we're actually going to be short workers" for middle jobs, she said.
Economic payoff
According to "Adult Literacy in America," by the National Center for Education Statistics, reading level and earning potential directly correspond.
Based on the findings from the National Assessment of Adult Literacy taken in 2003, people at the lowest reading level, level 1, earned between $230 to $240 per week. At level three, the number jumped to $340 to $350, at level four, people earned between $462 to $472, and by level five, the financial gains were on average $681 each week.
Donovan, 41, hopes to motivate his three children, ages 15, 16 and 18. He said it wasn't until he was 20 that he realized he had to plan for life.
"Until I got about 20 or 21, when I met my ex-wife and we had children. I thought, I have a family again," Donovan said. "I started wanting a better life for them."
He has his eye on the prize: he plans to go to college.
"My youngest is always telling me, 'All right, go and get good grades today,' which is kind of cool," he said with a laugh. "It's probably a good thing for them if they see me achieve it. If they see me get my diploma as an electrical engineer, they'll love that, because then it means they can do it."
Donovan said he started out reading a menu or reading the day's news, but not really thinking about it much.
"I can actually sit there and write something to somebody, and it actually makes sense," Donovan said. "It's never too late to start learning."
"Literacy affects every part of a person's life," he added.
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Woodridge Apartments
11999 SW Tualatin Rd, Tualatin, OR
Are you the manager of this property?Click here to claim this listing Check Your Credit Now
About Woodridge Apartments
Welcome To Woodrige Apartment Homes! Conveniently located in Tualatin, Oregon and next to King City, Tigard and Sherwood. We have spacious 1, 2 and 3 bedroom homes with oversized decks and plenty of storage. We were built in 2002 and have great features like fire sprinklers in the apartments, stairwells and balconies. -- Our community is ADA compliant with wider doors and stairwells than most other communities. Our bottom floor apartments are completely wheel chair accesible and the door handles are easy to open levers. -- Our community has a beautiful seasonal pool and a year round spa that's perfect for relaxing. We have an awesome fitness center with cable TV in it that's open late at night. Our community also has a entertaining playground and a wide open picnic area. -- Please ask about our income restrictions. -- We'd love to show you around our community as I'm sure you'd love to see it. Come and take a tour today!
As you search for your perfect apartment, please keep in mind that rental rates (including specials and discounts) and availability are very fluid in the apartment industry. Based on many factors, the rental rates (including specials and discounts) and availability can actually change not just daily, but hourly, if not even more quickly. While our advertisers do take steps to keep their information current, the rental rates or availability you may find here now at ForRent.com may not be the same as when you contact the communities.
Here are some similar properties you might be interested in
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Beaverton, OR
From $920
1 - 2 Beds


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Centrally located near the heart of Palm Bay, Florida, Life Care Center of Palm Bay is next door to Palm Bay Hospital and the offices of Brevard County's largest physician group, making our nursing home a perfect choice. Our highly trained medical team and homelike amenities makes residents and patients feel like family.
Life Care Center of Palm Bay focuses on inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation with 24-hour skilled nursing care and state-of-the-art rehabilitation equipment. An on-site physician offers patients and residents with faster, more convenient care. We also have a secured Alzheimer's and dementia unit for memory loss patients.
Stop by today for a free tour and discover why Life Care Center of Palm Bay is a premier nursing home in the area.
In September 2014, Debra Epps, licensed practical nurse at Life Care Center of Pensacola, Florida, received Life Care Centers of America's 2013 Southeast Division Whatever It Takes And Then Some Award for dedication to her facility's residents and their families. After getting to know a resident's daughter who visited frequently, the daughter was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Epps spent personal time visiting both the resident and her daughter in the hospital. When the resident's daughter was released to go home, she had no one to stay with, so Epps invited the daughter to stay at her own home, where she cared and provided for her.
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Hahaha you can't count how many times someone from my barn has come running into the arena because of me doing rate commands . Usually it goes Easy, easy . Hey, hey, HEY . I always pat her home on a good run and always back up after I finish .
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Pam Duggan teams with three fellow Rotarians at this assembly station to put together bicycles. assemble bicycles. Duggan is with the East Oklahoma County Rotary Club whose members have been volunteering with this project since it began. More than 150 volunteers donated their time and skills Saturday morning, Dec. 1, 2012, assembling 830 childrens' bicycles for the Salvation
Army's bike giveaway project. The bicycles will be distributed to children in need at Christmas. Bikes were assembled inside the former J.C. Penney store in the vacant Crossroads Mall. Photo by Jim Beckel, The Oklahoman


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Pizza Calzone Recipe Cookery Show
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Everyone knows the calzone pizza. Actually it is a folded pizza. The dough of a calzone is thinner than that of a normal pizza. This calzone is made with eggplant and mozzarella.
Added on Sep 16, 2010 by samson6
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I sent an email to Cornboy with these photos asking if theres time to correct Masques colores before he goes into production
I'm so excited we're getting him!
But I instantly noticed there was something off: the colors!
The body of the prptotype seems to have the same color as his body. Also the mouth section is painted dark grey here.
His mouth section should be red/ orange and his body actually has a much darker brownish tone.
I made a mock-up of how he should be looking:
I'm sure I'm not the only one here who is bothered by this.
What do you guys think?
Press down on dragon's head. It will bite off your frickin' fingers !!!
I sent an email to Cornboy with these photos asking if theres time to correct Masques colores before he goes into production
Looking forward to a very bright 2016 with MOTUC Collectors Choice, He-Man and the Masters Of the Universe animated Filmation line, Thundercats & SNAKE MOUNTAIN
That's great, thank you!
I hope it will be fixed. The cartoon colors make him look much more interesting imo.
Press down on dragon's head. It will bite off your frickin' fingers !!!
Great job on that color fix DB! Yes, Masque needs to have his more Filmation accurate color scheme and hopefully it's not too late to have that corrected. Thanks for sending this out to Mattel, mjw41!
NO DYLAMUG? WE DIAL A MOB!!NO KAYO? NOT OKAY-O!! Vote in this HatMOTU poll for Filmation characters not found in the "official" fan poll: http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/...20#post3607720
I agree, his colours need to be adjusted. It would be such a waste to wait 30 years to finally get a figure of this guy and then they get his colours wrong! However OP, even your fixed colours aren't entirely accurate: his gloves, belt, and chest emblem should be grey, not blue.
Interesting, and good point. I'd take 'em either way, but the pictures perfectly display your point. The figure they displayed was very much a prototype, so perhaps there is still time to change the colors.
"Since you got here by not thinking, it seems reasonable to expect that, in order to get out, you must start thinking." ~ Tock, the Watchdog
Alexx has a blog?! Come on in and check out Toys and Tomfoolery! You won't regret it...until the next morning.
Good catch. Personally I like the prototype's colors better, but probably the best choice is to keep to the Filmation colors
I like the "fixed" colors from the first post more. I like the more vibrant blue vs the duller one in the last post. I would be fine with any of the color arrangements used, however.
Harken the coming of Tuskador!!
New List of Most wanted figures: Dylamug, Quakke, Lizzor, King Miro, Granita, Sagitar, Hawke, Artilla, Hoove, Kayo, ABC Giants
I prefer the pale prototype colors, they make him look more evil.
"A knight is sworn to valor. His heart knows only virtue. His blade defends the helpless. His word speaks only truth. His wrath undoes the wicked."
at any rate, nice catch. I thought something was slightly off but I had no idea what.
I could always fix the mouth colour myself, but the entire body, no I could not.
I hope this does happen, but if not, I'll live.
I think something like paint scheme can still be changed at this point (recall the added black to the Faceless One). The red on the mouthpiece seems especially important, as it adds some contrast to the mask.
"I will use this power for all the good that can be done, to work for peace, to encourage virtue, and above all, to preserve life in all its forms..." Superman
I like the pale colour as it is. Blue is perhaps too blue, and having it more greyish would work.
That's the first thing I noticed when I saw the prototype, but I thought I must just be imagining things. "Nah, they're Mattel after all. They know these characters inside & out. I must be wrong."
How could they screw this up?
My MOTU most wanted: Skelcons, Major Header, Satma, Great Black Wizard, Slime Pit Bone Warriors, Catra Cat Form, King Miro, Hunga the Harpy, Lady Slither, Sha'gora, Mask of Power Demons, Red Knight, Beast Lord, Illumina, Lady Valtira, armored Crita, Old Man Marzo 200X, Teela 200X, Skeletor52, Teela52, Hans Hammer Holder, Robowoman, Bubblor, Movie Troopers, Movie Beastman, Goddess52, Red Beast
I can never tell what's the paint and what's just the lighting, but I do like the proposed colors better. Masque's mask is supposed to have red in it. I wish also the smaller horns looked bigger/sharper, but the pictures again do not seem reliable.
Be sure to read Book of Evil Part 2: The Bells of Doom, only in the He-Man.org Fan Fic & Media forums!
Masque is without a doubt my #1 most wanted figure, but honestly I would be over the moon with either colour choice shown above. If I had to pick, of course I'd want the adjusted version with the red deco on the mask.
Bring me: Lord Masque / Saurod / Dragstor
Happily invading Castle Grayskull with hippos is my true hobby.
Get it right Mattel. I'm stunned to this day Mattel lets these thing get passed them. It better be accurate otherwise I'll pass
Still wanting to buy one more Point Dread Teela PM
please release accurate Filmation of-- tri klops, merman, fisto, roboto, kobra khan, hordak, grizzlor, mantenna. Leech, entrapta, teela, spikor, buzz off, whiplash, webstor, prince adam, rattlor, tung lashor, mekaneck, man at arms, sorceress, jitsu, ram man, man e faces, frosta, bow and perfuma.
This thread is hilarious to me for multiple reasons.
1. He is a prototype. There will be changes.
2. The fact people are complaining makes me laugh because it's not enough to get the character, he needs to fit certain tastes.
3. This fan base has gotten so picky in how things are it has to be irritating to Mattel and the 4H. Can you imagine sculpting and working your tail off to be told this detail is wrong fix it or i will be mad? It is like they are answering to so many people with multiple opinions of what is right. I feel bad for the Horsemen honestly. Yes, i saw in the panel where the talked about fixing something based on a comment on a board. Being so critical is not reasonable to me.
4. The entitlement here is astounding. We DON'T deserve any toys, we are actually lucky to get them.
5. Finally, shouldn't Mattel and The 4H be allowed some creative liberties with THEIR line? If they want him to be pale they have that right.
This is just my opinion but seeing these threads demanding change the DAY the figure is shown is really amazing to me. It shows a lot about the MOTU fans.
Last edited by wundarwarrior; July 14, 2015 at 10:01pm.
Yeah I also caught that last week. I much prefer the cartoon color scheme. But alas, tis only a prototype, so we will see. I'll be happy with either or.
Mike Scabs
Last edited by degra; July 14, 2015 at 10:14pm.
Still wanting to buy one more Point Dread Teela PM
please release accurate Filmation of-- tri klops, merman, fisto, roboto, kobra khan, hordak, grizzlor, mantenna. Leech, entrapta, teela, spikor, buzz off, whiplash, webstor, prince adam, rattlor, tung lashor, mekaneck, man at arms, sorceress, jitsu, ram man, man e faces, frosta, bow and perfuma.
The base body color should definitely be tweaked darker, if not too late.
I certainly don't DEMAND them to change anything, but I sure hope that they may change the colors, as I'd like the character to look like the character he's supposed to be. This isn't about taste. It's about accuracy to the source material.
Also we don't know for what reason the prototype has these colors. Creative liberty? Sure, but there could be other reasons...
The 4HM made a small mistake once with Extendar's arms because they had a flawed sample (the arms were green). They wouldn't have noticed that that wasn't accurate, if not for the community.
Now that was a minor detail. This here is a different level though. And since noone seemed to notice around here, I just wanted to make it known that the colors are that different from the source, that's all.
Last edited by Dragonblaster; July 15, 2015 at 02:13am.
Press down on dragon's head. It will bite off your frickin' fingers !!!
I really like what you did with the colors Dragonblaster!
Adultcollector.org :: New Adventures of He-Man :: MOTU Giants :: Photos :: Capes :: Case Art :: Comics


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Fridays Academy: Gender and Macroeconomic Management
As usual on Fridays, from Raj Nallari and Breda Griffith's lecture notes.
Empirical Evidence on Impact of Globalization on Women
Available studies and data, which are rather limited, is arranged around some broad themes and discussed below and next week. Little is known about the impact of macroeconomic policies on women, such as changes in exchange rates, interest rates, minimum wages, and commodity prices.
- Tags:
- Gender
- Fridays Academy


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This is only a beginning and I know I will get better. Wish I could have made the cake I saw in my head.
CakeCentral.com is the world's largest cake community for cake decorating professionals and enthusiasts.
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Register now for
Yes please, register now!


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I went back home(Trinidad)on a month vacation.While there I needed something to move around in. My faithful old round light b310 has rotted badly from years of sitting out in the rain. It is fixable however but it would take a lot of money and a lot of time to get it running again. So I made a difficult decision to sell my baby. I sold her to my uncle. But hey at least shes still in the family right?!
Good news though...I scored me another B310...a later square light 1981 model. A15 vanette engine and auto trans...overall good car with some work needed. Im pleased with it but she needs tlc...the guy didnt change oil in a very long time, the plug wires were toast, the wiring in the car was a mess, has a small trans fluid leak etc but all can be fixed easily. Has had some body work in the past because the car has new floor pans and stuff. Its really straight and nice. will post pics soon.