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Best Shots Reviews: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, BRUCE WAYNE, more
Greetings, 'Rama readers! Your friendly neighborhood David Pepose here, filling in for Troy Brownfield as you get an all-terrific, all-Tuesday edition of Best Shots reviews, where we take a look at many of last week's new releases! While we were sorry to miss you last week, we're coming back in style, with more than a dozen reviews from Marvel, DC, IDW and Vertigo -- and if you're interested for more, we always have your back, with a near-unlimited supply of reviews over at the Best Shots Topic Page! Also, please note, Rapid Reviews will go up on Friday this week, as books are delayed by a day. Well, go on -- what are you waiting for? The reviews are ready, dive on in!
Amazing Spider-Man #632
Written by Zeb Wells
Art by Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend, Jaime Mendoza, Victor Olazaba, Emma Rios, Antonio Fabela
Lettering by VC's Joe Caramagna
Published by Marvel Comics
Review by David Pepose
The cold-blooded criminal acts of Curt Connors may be heating up, but is there enough bite to make this sluggish arc sing? Zeb Wells and Chris Bachalo go a long way towards making this issue achieve the promise that it held all those months ago -- even if at the end it slips through their collective fingers.
You have to give it to Zeb Wells -- he knows what makes Spider-Man tick, and he absolutely knows how to craft a story beat that will burn itself into your memory. While it's been a little long on the set-up in previous chapters, Spider-Man and the Lizard barrel into each other like freight trains, and it's wonderous to see. "Lizard no longer dumb. You are prey," the thing that was once Curt Connors says. Spidey's response is perfect: "You're not as smart as you think you are." If that's not a set-up for a rockin' fight, I don't know what is.
And Chris Bachalo -- well, it's clear that his jagged, shadowy style is a strong fit for this storyline. First and foremost, colorist Antonio Fabela works perfectly with him, playing with black-and-white with explosions of red and green to set up the mood and desperation of the scene. While people may scoff a bit at the Lizard having hair now, the action is great, with the choreography really drawing your eye throughoutthe whole fight.
But Bachalo is also what irked me about this book -- that is, the fact that he doesn't draw the whole thing. Part of the thrice-a-month scheduling means that Spider-Man has to go out on time, but it's kind of annoying to see that even with the lengthy prep time the team had to get this story out, Emma Rios still has to be called upon to draw a third of the book. I like Emma Rios, don't get me wrong, but she's not Chris Bachalo, who can make any man into a monster -- meaning that the tail end of the book doesn't hit nearly as hard as it needs to.
Is Shed a great idea? I think it's got the potential for a great story. But because the art team switches mid-stream, it really takes me out of the story, and weakens this chapter. This issue was good -- but three issues in, good may not be good enough. If Bachalo needs a relief hitter -- even as one as skilled as Emma Rios -- in the next issue, not even Zeb Wells' excellent writing will be able to save it.
The Return of Bruce Wayne #2
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Frazier Irving
Lettering by Jared K. Fletcher
Published by DC Comics
Review by David Pepose
There's something about the anticipation of a mystery that is enthralling in and of itself -- and even as it crosses through time, that's what The Return of Bruce Wayne #2 is all about. How will Bruce Wayne come back from the Omega Sanction? And why are Earth's Mightiest Heroes trying to stop him?
In that regard, Grant Morrison has no answers, only more questions. Bruce Wayne, as a witchhunter, represents Batman's deductive reasoning just as the caveman version of him represented the strength and ferocity of his animalistic totem. Seeing Bruce rationalize in an era of irrationality stirs up some nice conflict -- but for my money, the mystery only gets deeper with the Justice League trying to defuse Darkseid's plans for Batman. It's a twist that's really unexpected, and opens a lot of potential for this series.
In certain ways, Frazier Irving is this chapter's weak link, only because his style makes it a bit difficult to understand who is who -- in this case, Brother Malleus and Bruce seem almost indistinguishable, and because Morrison's strength is not in creating different voices, the storytelling gets a bit jumbled when you don't have the right context to work with. When Bruce isn't with the rest of the witchhunters, however, the book looks superb -- there's a real swashbuckling flair when he takes on a creature from beyond, as he's tossed around by otherworldly tentacles.
Ultimately, I don't know where this series is going to go -- but when it comes to the mystery of Bruce Wayne, the trajectory can be just as important as the destination. Will Grant Morrison manage to stick the landing and tie all these threads together? That remains to be seen -- but with some occasionally muddled art aside, there's enough twists and turns to make The Return of Bruce Wayne a journey worth following.
The Thanos Imperative: Ignition
Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Art by Brad Walker, Will Quintana, and Andrew Hennessy
Published by Marvel Comics
Review by Kyle DuVall
The Thanos Imperative, Marvel's new cosmic "event" series, has a lot to live up to. First, its preempting two of Marvel's best titles, Guardians Of The Galaxy and Nova. Its storyline, involving an extradimensional rift scarring space and the Lovecraftian "cancerverse" lurking on the other side, has been painstakingly developed over the better part of a year in five different titles. Thanos Imperative also has to fulfill all the awesome potential implied in the Realm of Kings one shot earlier this year, a story which introduced the "cancerverse" and established it as a Marvel anti-universe populated by supers powered by pacts with Cthulhoid entities. Since War of Kings, writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning have cunningly built a cosmic universe scenario that is big enough to fill three or four ongoing titles. Now, it seems, it's all getting shrunk to a single six-issue event miniseries.
The Thanos Imperative: Ignition takes on the daunting tasks of both whetting the appetites of fans annoyed by the disappearance of their favorite titles, while simultaneously catching up all the newcomers who haven't followed the past two years of cosmic continuity. In the face of such narrative adversity, writers Abnett, Lanning, penciler Brad Walker, colorist Will Quintana, and inker Andrew Hennessy don't even flinch. The Thanos Imperative: Ignition is a comic that is scarcely contained by the edges of its pages. Its a comic about big expolsions explosively told.
Walker's layouts detonate like cluster bombs on the page, sometimes shattering conventional panel-by-panel arrangements. In Ignition's most pyrotechnic moments, Walker has no choice but to throw the idea of panels out the window altogether. Witness the two-page spread that gives Thanos' backstory. A sequence that should be dry exposition, in Walker's hands becomes a bursting shrapnel shell of concussive images. With Ignition, Walker has definitely equaled if not surpassed Paul Pelletier as chief visualist of the Marvel cosmos. Ignition is as bold thesis statement on Walker's continued mastery as any fan could ask for. (Except for that one panel on page 13 showing the Inhumans... Brad, what happened to Medusa's face?)
Of course, it's too bad Lanning won't be around for the main series. It's being penciled by Miguel Sepulveda, who's going to have a lot to live up to after Ignition. But Abnett and Lanning the mad bombers behind it all, aren't going anywhere, and they haven't so much used Ignition to light the fuse on their explosive event as they've set the timer on a thermonuclear device. Blending Lovecraftiana, alternate universe tropes and the most cunningly and subtly cast ensemble of cosmic players the Marvel U has to offer, The Thanos Imperative has every chance of eclipsing War of Kings, and the Annihilation sagas.
The only worry (aside from the fact that Walker is not penciling the main series) is that, unlike War of Kings, or Annihilation: Conquest, where events unfolded in a main miniseries, a group of limited series and one or two ongoing series, Thanos Imperative will be restricted to a single linear miniseries. I'm the last person to advocate bloated crossovers, but Marvel's Cosmic events have been the perfect antidote to the contrived event-driven, synergistic blockbusters that have plagued comicdom. Abnett and Lanning's total control over their events give the stories a focus and consistency that is unique. They've perfected a balance between strong central narratives and interesting-but-not-crucial side stories. The consistent and specific ways DNA have integrated the ongoing Guardians Of The Galaxy, and Nova series into their events, with Guardians issues always being in the thick of events, whilst Nova takes on more character-focused, sidereal elements, has been ingenious. On the other hand, one has to give DNA and Marvel massive credit for actually putting their money where their mouths are. Thanos Imperative shows no sign of adding last-minute ancillary series to the main story. This is not Siege. With the first issue hitting next week, it is safe to say that Imperative will indeed be wholly contained within on 6-issue miniseries.
Maybe the explosive metaphors are a little redundant, but they couldn't be more appropriate. Thanos Imperative:Ignition is a an exploding supernova of a book, a pinata made of nitroglycerin. Wack it with a stick and you get a face-first blast of cosmic coolness (although, admittedly, the from-the-vault Thanos back-up story by Scott Edelman and Mike Zeck is a bona-fide dud.). As a fan already bitter about the interruption of Nova and Guardians, and a fan who's never understood the prominence of Thanos in the Marvel U, Ignition has got me seeing the light, even if its just the flash from another cosmic explosion.
Wolverine: Weapon X #13
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Ron Garney and Jason Keith
Lettering by VC's Cory Petit
Published by Marvel Comics
Review by David Pepose
Boy, I feel conflicted writing this review. I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely love what writer Jason Aaron has done for the past two chapters of this book -- and the qualities I loved about those two chapters, Aaron gives us in spades this month. But there is a certain slowing down of the arc as a whole that's troubling, and ultimately keeps this issue from being the hands-down standalone knockout that we all know it could be.
But let's start with the good first. The introduction. I have to give Aaron, along with artists Ron Garney and Jason Keith -- and perhaps most importantly, editor Jeanine Shaefer -- for really utilizing page placement effectively. Once you see the first two pages, you are in, hook, line and sinker -- Garney's composition is stellar, and to be honest, Aaron's leveraging of Marvel's shared universe is an absolute wonder. It's continuity porn at its finest, and it's a blast to see.
And the art -- well, Garney really excels when it comes to the fighting. Captain America and Wolverine have some very strong body language to them -- no two characters operate in the same way, whether it's Wolverine stretching his arms to have the maximum reach, or Bucky diving shield-first to make a more "defensive" offense. That said, because he's not working with a separate inker, there is a sketchiness to the art that might not be for everyone.
Yet with all that good to say, this chapter doesn't quite measure up to the first two -- it's a case of Aaron's ambition just getting a little ahead of himself, causing logic issues and burning through pages that could have been better spent with the lead characters (or even touching upon the seeming cliffhanger from last issue). Aaron pulls out the entire toybox for this issue, with the new New Avengers making an appearance to help out their comrades in need -- but ultimately, the scenes with them in it are talky and seem a little needless, and ultimately make me wonder why the Deathloks don't put a bullet in them rather than handle them with kid gloves. Meanwhile, Cap and Wolverine's bickering feels a little unexpected and shrill -- the two are so much alike, why are they sniping like this? Right now, their inclusion doesn't make this feel like a case for Wolverine and Captain America, and three issues in, we should probably have that sense.
Still, while this chapter stumbles, it certainly still has my attention. Think of Days of Future Past meets the Terminator, set in the Marvel Universe, and it's an equation that's pretty damn tough to ignore. And there is absolutely no doubt that when Jason Aaron connects, he sends the ball right out of the stadium -- the question is whether he can keep his rock-solid ideas within as immaculate of a story structure. If a theme presents itself next issue -- Why Weapon X? Why Wolverine and Cap? -- this could be one of Wolverine's finest moments yet.
Fantastic Four #579
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Neil Edwards, Andrew Currie, and Paul Mounts
Published by Marvel Comics
Review by Kyle DuVall
If enough people are really paying attention, Fantastic Four #570 should be one of the most controversial comics published in the 2000's. Of course, what passes for "controversial" in comics these days is usually gimmickry: juvenile applications of "adult" levels of "realistic" violence and sexuality, "incendiary" political posturings that are really just assertions of what the readership already believes...
But that's not the kind of controversy Fantastic Four #579 is courting. With this issue writer Jonathan Hickman is laying down a 24-page mission statement for his vision of what the supreme super-scientists of pop culture, the Fantastic Four, need to be. It's a mission that flies in the face of the overwhelmingly dominant worldview of cynicism, scientific antagonism, and hopelessness that has long overstayed its welcome in comics. Global warming, environmental degradation, and political turmoil have eroded our psyches so much, that the hero as an ideal, a hypothetical, purer version of what we wish we could be, is not even allowed in our fantasies. The idea that tomorrow is something to look forward to is anathema. But Hickman wants to take superheroes back, and he's found the perfect metaphoric vessel in the FF.
The issue's centerpiece is a speech by Reed Richards, who closes out a research conference by laying a verbal pimp slap on a bunch of scientific pessimists. It's one of those special, but too-often ill-conceived, moments when a character seems to be speaking directly for the author whose pulling his strings, but Mr. Fantastic's critique is more than a transparent act of Mary Sue-ism, it's a gauntlet thrown down for both the readers and every creator dabbling in the milieu of heroic fiction.
30 years ago Richards' little speech would be nothing more than an articulation of the status quo. But in a "heroic age" we've got a Captain America who packs a pistol, a team of black-ops Avengers conducting unilateral stealth missions, and a version of the X-Men who seem to be going to bat for segregation and supremacy, the sentiments are subversive. In real life, it is irresponsible to believe there are infallible heroes who can save us, but we've gone so far that we are no longer allowed to even imagine them. Our heroes today are buried in asterisks.
Hickman has once again built a Fantastic Four with the concept of "family" at its heart, but its the idea of stewardship, of guiding the inheritors of the future, the children, the young, that sets Hickman's perspective apart. You can easily call this single issue too preachy, too talky, and completely negligent of a good 2/3rds of the FF, but after a 9-issue run that has given us Reed Richards fighting Galactus and Celestials with a super-team of alternate earth counterparts, a dive to the bottom of the Antarctic sea, an expedition to the core of the earth, and a mission to the blue area of the moon, Hickman has more than earned an issue of narrative breath-taking. Issue #579 not only points the reader toward the shape of issues to come, but it illuminates the subtle threads that have been woven in the storyline from issues past. Form the recurring motif of faith in youth ill-served by their elders, to the brilliant way Hickman has posited the Wizard as the literal embodiment of everything Reed is fighting against, this issue reveals Hickman's previous rip-roaring FF adventures as replete with subtle, newly discernible meanings.
Perhaps Hickman is just setting us up, maybe this is preemptive hubris. Maybe he's building Mr. Fantastic up to have just to take him down later in an all-too-familiar epic of modern comics gloominess. If he is, it will have devastating narrative effective, but an inert philosophical one. Hopefully Hickman's simply wearing his heart on his sleeve with this issue, because as it is now, Hickman's FF is shaping up to be a keystone run in contemporary comics.
Gotham City Sirens #12
Written by Tony Bedard
Pencils by Peter Nguyen
Inks by Jack Purcell
Colors by Tony Avina
Letters by Steve Wands
Published by DC Comics
Review by Amanda McDonald
"The Angel likes madness. He says you have to be a little unhinged to see true evil for what it is." ~ Maggie, Selina Kyle's litter sister
This book continues to impress me more and more. This issue, with Tony Bedard taking the writing helm, takes us further behind the scenes of the ladies of Gotham. These ladies don't just fight Batman, or swipe jewels-- and this series is doing a lovely job of showing us the rest of their lives. The issue kicks off with Selina and Harley, both worried about loved ones. Selina's younger sister, Maggie, hasn't been seen since that whole Black Lantern thing, and Ivy hasn't returned home from work as expected.
It turns out they have good reason to worry about these two. Ivy is still dealing with a demented employee at the labs, and Maggie. . . well she's gone a bit mad. The issue centers around Maggie's visit to a world famous exorcist in hopes of exorcising the demon from her sister, Selina. Meeting up later in the issue with Selina and Harley, we see that Maggie has taken on a new persona for herself that is sure to keep the storyline moving along nicely.
This issue takes a refreshing turn with Bedard writing. I've been enjoying the issues that let us see the more human side of these ladies, and this issue does this with finesse. Previously penned by Paul Dini, the series has been a fun and entertaining read, but I can see the need to take it a little deeper story-wise. There are a few puzzling panels in this issue, and I think the art could be a little tighter, and the inks a little lighter. However, these are things noticed only on re-reading the issue-- Bedard's storyline captivated me the first read-through.
Mystery Society #1
Written by Steve Niles
Art by Fiona Staples
Letters by Robbie Robbins
Published by IDW Publishing
Review by Amanda McDonald
Normally, I probably wouldn't have picked up this book. But when I saw the names across the top -- Steve Niles and Fiona Staples -- I had to take a look. I'm not a big horror fan, but I have enjoyed everything I've read by Niles, and Staple's name rung a bell as being an artist that fellow 'Rama writer Lan Pitts has work by in his sketchbook. So being totally blind to any buzz about the story, I picked it up. And promptly fell in love.
Debuting the story of Nick Hammond and his wife, Anastasia Collins, this book is (as Nick makes clear) not an origin story. We don't get any info on why they are the Mystery Society, they just are. We see Nick as a charismatic media spectacle headed to prison as a result of his actions, and his wife Ana wearing an earpiece directing his adventures in Area 51. Niles establishes the relationship between this two without any heavy handed narration, but rather via their flirtatious dialog. This couple is the couple any comic book lover dreams of being a part of -- a true partner-in-crime scenario.
We have a pair of characters that are instantly endearing, and then you add in the art style. Staple's characterizations echo Nile's depiction of these characters and their relationship. We see them smirking, we see them concerned, the dialog and the art could stand alone and still tell their story. Monochromatic backgrounds give the book a very stylized feel, as do the creative and effective panel layouts. I haven't been this excited about an indie type book in a long while, but this has been my pick of the week anytime anyone has asked. This is a book that starts off with a bang, and shows the potential to just keep going up. It has apparently sold out of its first printing, so I'm guessing I'm not breaking any news to you all -- this is definitely a book to pick up.
Double-Shot Review!
Mystery Society #1
Written by Steve Niles
Art by Fiona Staples
Letters by Robbie Robbins
Published by IDW Publishing
Review by Lan Pitts
"Origin stories are so boring. It's not like we were exposed to explosive radiation or born on another planet...we were just exposed to hidden truths that bound us as a couple and that gave our lives purpose." -- Nick Hammond, aka Nick Mystery
With a title like "Mystery Society," you'd think it would be an assembly of villains of supernatural origin from the Golden Age of comics. Or at the very least, a gang who would fight Hanna-Barbera's "Birdman." Well, if you thought either of those, I'm not sorry to disappoint because what the Mystery Society is is way more imaginative and not at all sinister.
To sum it up, an eccentric couple come into a lot of money and form their own club that hunts out the mysteries of the world and expose them as either fake or fraud. Though in the first issue, we see something went wrong and Nick is tried for his actions which leads into a quasi origin story dealing with a Area 51, a new addition to the Mystery Society, and just some really cool gizmos and action. All of it make for a good read on a book that already had so much buzz and didn't disappoint.
Right off the bat, you'll notice the thrilling, stylish art of Fiona Staples. Her style has changed dramatically since we her work on Wildstorm's Hawkmoor series. Believe me, it's for the better. There's an angular style to it that's not too polished, but not overly rough. There's a dynamic sense to the world she's drawn, from the character design, to the spygear, to her page layouts that do wonders for the flow of the story. Speaking of story, here is Steve Niles simply at his best. Both Nick and his wife, Anastasia have a distinct voice and you get a real sense of who they are as individuals and as husband and wife with their flirting and nonchalant towards the macabre, i.e., how somebody could steal Edgar Allan Poe's skull.
This mini-series is sadly that, just a mini-series. I hope the creative team has its chance to tell the story they had envisioned because it has unlimited potential to become one of the books to talk about. I'm hearing the first printing has sold out, so hopefully you got your hands on this one. I'm looking forward to what this book can really do.
Pellet Reviews!
Power Girl #12 (Published by DC Comics, Review by Amanda McDonald): This issue opens with Atlee and PowerGirl headed to the "spa," wearing little to nothing and dipping into waters that wash away one's defenses and allow the bathers to feel uninhibited emotions. As a result we get to see Karen's tough girl facade wash away. This plot device works perfectly for this issue, the last from this creative team. The issue wraps up loose ends, such as the teen boy who has blackmailed Karen Starr previously, and hands over the last of his evidence revealing her as PowerGirl. Satanna is still on the hunt for PeeGee, seducing Sivana to no avail. Business is going well for Karen, and her staff surprises her with a party. Seeing Karen's emotional side endears her even more to the reader. Even though her creative team is leaving, we feel close enough to the character that readers will want to continue to tune in. Where does this story go now? Ultra Humanite has been 'cleansed', everything seems to be going peachy in PowerGirl's world. The Palmiotti/Gray/Conner team has brought PowerGirl back with a bang-- and the book can go anywhere from here. All I know is that I've grown to love this character, and I hope the book continues to kick ass, no matter which direction it goes.
Fall of the Hulks: Savage She-Hulks #3 (Published by Marvel Comics; Review by David Pepose): I expected this book to be a cash-grab from the very first issue. So it's with pleasure that I eat my words, because Jeff Parker has managed to make these tie-ins some really fun reads. Parker really knows how to give both She-Hulks (Lyra and Jennifer) some real charisma and sass -- and it really fits, considering the cartoony styles of Salvador Espin and Jonboy Meyers. While Red She-Hulk does get a little bit of short shrift -- which is to be expected, the main Fall of the Hulks is more of her story -- Parker manages to tie in Lyra and Jennifer's complementary personalities with some of Lyra's slightly loopy backstory and gives it a nice uplifting ending. Does it give a whole lot of answers about the main storyline? No. But does it give some fun moments between Marvel's ever-increasing gamma-powered women? Yes -- this is a book that, quite honestly, deserves to be an ongoing. If you're a fan of any of the She-Hulks, you owe it to yourself to give this book a look.
Teen Titans #83 (Published by DC Comics; Review by Lan Pitts): I can't wrap my head around how awful this book is. I guess it's because I don't understand how a title that is centered around teen superheroes, with some having been around for almost twenty years or more, yet they seem to have just lost their voice that made them distinct. There doesn't seem to be a direction for the team, especially Superboy, who just comes across a lot more arrogant as usual. It is as if Felicia Henderson watched "The Hills" and decided this is what teens act like and should be. The art is pretty standard, nothing really to write home about or talk about. I have to admit, the saving grace of this book is the co-feature with the Coven (Black Alice, Traci 13, and Zach Zatara) by Rex Ogle and Ted Naifeh (of Oni's Courtney Crumrin). I wonder why the Coven are the co-feature of this particular book since those three don't really have anymore Titan's business going on. I guess it's because that they are all teenagers as well. I'm not sure if Naifeh is holding back or whether he's adapting his style to be a bit more "mainstream", but it's different from anything he's worked on. Rex Ogle has worked on comics for almost a couple of years now, but hasn't really made his mark, so hopefully this co-feature will get his name out.
In Case You Missed It...
DC Universe Legacies #1
Written by Len Wein
Art by Scott Kolins, Andy Kubert, Joe Kubert, Mike Atiyeh, Brad Anderson, J.G. Jones and Alex Sinclair
Lettering by Rob Leigh
Published by DC Comics
Review by David Pepose
Looking at the titles on this book, it's clear that a lot of people are going to buy this book for the father-son dream team of Andy and Joe Kubert. What isn't clear -- at least until you read it -- is that writer Len Wein is just as big of a draw, giving DC Universe Legacies #1 a strong voice that goes well with its easy-going pace.
But let's start with what nails you first -- and yes, that is the Kuberts. It's really fascinating to see Joe's inks over Andy's lines, because that looseness of some of the details -- like the shadows on a young boy's face -- really takes the contemporary and merges it with the classic. There's a lot of detail and mood to the Kuberts' designs, just on everyday things -- evem with Wein's surprising number of panels, the Good Old Days are enough of a set piece for them, even before the superheroes show up. And let's just say their capes and tights aren't too bad, either -- the Atom, in particular, really steals the show with some very unique character work.
Of course, that's not what you're reading this about -- you know the Kuberts are good, I know the Kuberts are good. The question is: is this book readable? The answer is a surprising yes, as Len Wein really gives the whole time period a unique voice. It sounds very much like pulp films, with the swashbuckling patois working nicely with gangsters, street kids and the DC Universe's Mystery Men. I think the biggest obstacle that Wein faces -- and it's not something that's his fault -- is the fact that he has stiff competition with the similarly-veined S.H.I.E.L.D. acting in the same time period, and artist Dustin Weaver acting as a dead ringer for a Kubert.
Someone else that I don't think will get his due credit in all this is J.G. Jones, who draws some really stunning pages for a backup describing the DCU's nascent world of magic. Pairing him up with colorist Alex Sinclair is a great idea, as it gives this a nice photorealistic tone -- in particular, Jones' take on the Spectre is fantastic. Seriously, can somebody hire him to do something like that full-time? It's like watching the storytelling of J.H. Williams with some of the figurework of Doug Mahnke. Really visually appealing stuff.
Of course, the real question that will be asked in upcoming issues is whether or not DC Universe Legacies can get by beyond looks alone. Will there be a message behind the retelling of the mythology? Or is this continuity porn for all of us to get behind and enjoy? The answer is still unclear, but as far as first issues goes, this is a reliable story anchored by some top-tier artwork, and that makes this a book that is an early contender for living up to the huge legacies of DC's 75th anniversary.
Brightest Day #2
Written by Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Ivan Reis, Ardian Syaf, Scott Clark, Joe Prado, Vicente Cifuentes, Tom Nguyen, Rebecca Buchman, David Beaty, Aspen MLT's Peter Steigerwald, John Starr and Beth Sotelo
Lettering by Rob Clark, Jr.
Published by DC Comics
Review by David Pepose
In a lot of ways, Brightest Day is feeling like the spiritual successor to DC's first weekly series, 52 -- of course, while 52 picked up a lot of C- and D-listers like Booster Gold and Animal Man, this book feels a bit more important with their choices in the DC pantheon, with the Martian Manhunter and Firestorm leading the pack for this series on second chances.
Of course, while 52 had some very distinctive voices -- with Greg Rucka and Grant Morrison really standing out, alongside Mark Waid and Johns lending a more seamless foundation to it all -- Brightest Day #2 feels more like a singular voice. It's no surprise, considering Johns' history with Peter Tomasi, and the use of retconning and character distillation works particularly well in the case of the Martian Manhunter. It's weird, because on the one hand, J'onn's new status quo is certainly more violent than I think we would have expected just a few years ago, but at the same time, there's a heart to it, a humanity, as he gives an elderly woman just one last chance to reunite with her father. (And J'onn's new antagonist? Well, that's a great, albeit bloody opener.)
Now, that doesn't mean all the rest of the heroes necessarily get by as well. Firestorm's new status quo is probably the next most interesting of the bunch, largely due to the artwork of Scott Clark (who gives the Atom a great redesign, by the by), who drenches the opening with mood in a style similar to that of David Finch. But others, like Deadman, feel like it's a little too much, too soon after the bombastic storytelling of Blackest Night -- the character is feeling a bit more like a framing sequence than an actual three-dimensional person. And despite the awesome-looking Aquaman cover in this book, fans of Mr. Curry will have to wait till next issue, because he really only shows up in one panel.
It's interesting, because with the veritable army of artists on this book, it certainly allows each chapter to stand or fall on their own merits. Artists like Pat Gleason and Clark do some great work, but ultimately, I wouldn't say any of them "own" this book, which does rob Brightest Day of something special. But on the other hand, I would say that Johns and Tomasi do succeed where other weeklies have failed, in the fact that this book feels important, and gives enough good moments of characterization that it certainly is a worth a read. Is this book all it can be yet? I think the jury's still out -- but as far as sophomore issues go, Brightest Day #2 certainly doesn't fall into a slump.
American Vampire #3
Written by Scott Snyder (co-feature by Stephen King)
Art by Rafael Albuquerque
Colors by Dave McCaig
Letters by Steve Wands
Published by Vertigo
Review by Lan Pitts
"You know, I was gonna burn you alive that wreck, but on second thought...why don't you come out and play!" -- Pearl Jones
Color me entranced by this book. You have to admit that Scott Snyder takes very little time with getting with the action, yet still manages to move along the story. There's no "talking at a table" scene here, you just get to witness newly-made vampire Pearl following her instincts and getting the job done. She still has a hint of humanity in her, but when it comes down to going after her own kind (or at least another species), she doesn't even blink. Snyder has some creative ways on the old vampire on vampire violence and it's extremely entertaining.
With Stephen King handling the Skinner Sweet backstory, and Snyder doing the main story, we see how both Sweet and Pearl handle being so-called creatures of the night. The interesting part here is how Sweet is depicted by both authors. While Snyder has him come across as a malevolent mentor, King has him sort play the bad ass. An amalgam of Wolverine, Batman, and Freddy Krueger. Essentially, somebody who you wouldn't want to cross in a dark alley. I sort of see him as the Vic Mackey of comics: somebody who you wouldn't want to be friends with, but you end up rooting for him anyways.
Rafael Albuquerque and Dave McCaig are masterminds, plain and simple. Two parts of the issue, two stories, with two completely different styles. On Pearl's feature, we have a more polished, traditional look with lovely hues of red and desert yellow to diamond blues, all looking marvelous. With Sweet's tale, McCaig uses a more painted vision, almost dreamlike and it paints an entirely new picture of the world Snyder has conceived. All the while, Alburquerque's pencils still hold the tone and visceral feel of the book.
I can't help but wondering where this book will go from here. It's a great concept, with wonderful visuals. If you're not reading American Vampire, you have my sympathy, because you are truly missing out on some bloody good times.
In Case You Missed it... Pellets!
Iron Man: Noir #2 (Published by Marvel Comics; Review by Lan Pitts): Second issue in of this four-part series, I find it interesting we've only seen the Iron Man suit of this universe only once and it wasn't even utilized. The cover comes across as misleading since it's not even in this issue at all, so I can understand if some people feel let down. I, on the other hand, am enjoying this adventure that really wouldn't qualify as "noir" as it comes across more as a 1930's serial, or as an Indiana Jones-like tale. Nazis, mysticism, Atlantis, and all. Where previous installments of Marvel's "noir" line have more to do with the artistic approach, this take on Iron Man is definitely more writer-centric. Not to say there's anything wrong with Manuel Garcia's style, it's rough and fits the story, but nothing to really write home about. This has been my favorite in the "noir" series since the first X-Men: Noir run and looking forward where Tony takes us next.


text: WOW Letter of Recommendation Form 1. TO THE RECOMMENDER: This student is applying for a Hiatt Career Center World-of-Work (WOW) summer internship grant from Brandeis University. The program encourages students to explore careers by eliminating financial barriers that may deter students from pursuing unpaid summer opportunities. Selection is based upon a student's readiness to undertake the internship as well as match between the internship and the student's goals for the summer. The selection committee values qualities such as responsibility, flexibility, maturity, initiative, and motivation. In addition, Hiatt would appreciate any information you could provide regarding preparedness and fit for this particular summer internship. More information about the WOW program can be found at go.brandeis.edu/wow. Questions may be directed to Jane Pavese, Assistant Director of Career Development, firstname.lastname@example.com, 781-736-3618. **To be considered, all recommendations must be submitted by Tuesday, March 29, at NOON. * 1. Please provide your contact information below. Reference name: Company/Organization: Title: Address : City/Town: State: -- select state -- AL AlabamaAK AlaskaAS American SamoaAZ ArizonaAR ArkansasCA CaliforniaCO ColoradoCT ConnecticutDE DelawareDC District of ColumbiaFM Federated States of MicronesiaFL FloridaGA GeorgiaGU GuamHI HawaiiID IdahoIL IllinoisIN IndianaIA IowaKS KansasKY KentuckyLA LouisianaME MaineMH Marshall IslandsMD MarylandMA MassachusettsMI MichiganMN MinnesotaMS MississippiMO MissouriMT MontanaNE NebraskaNV NevadaNH New HampshireNJ New JerseyNM New MexicoNY New YorkNC North CarolinaND North DakotaMP Northern Mariana IslandsOH OhioOK OklahomaOR OregonPW PalauPA PennsylvaniaPR Puerto RicoRI Rhode IslandSC South CarolinaSD South DakotaTN TennesseeTX TexasUT UtahVT VermontVI Virgin IslandsVA VirginiaWA WashingtonWV West VirginiaWI WisconsinWY Wyoming ZIP: Country: Email Address: Phone Number: * 2. Name of the applicant: * 3. How long have you known the applicant? * 4. What is your relationship to applicant? * 5. Please evaluate the applicant on each of the following characteristics relative to other students/employees you have known: Outstanding More than satisfactory Satisfactory Less than satisfactory Unsatisfactory Unable to evaluate Responsible Responsible Outstanding Responsible More than satisfactory Responsible Satisfactory Responsible Less than satisfactory Responsible Unsatisfactory Responsible Unable to evaluate Self-motivated Self-motivated Outstanding Self-motivated More than satisfactory Self-motivated Satisfactory Self-motivated Less than satisfactory Self-motivated Unsatisfactory Self-motivated Unable to evaluate Flexible Flexible Outstanding Flexible More than satisfactory Flexible Satisfactory Flexible Less than satisfactory Flexible Unsatisfactory Flexible Unable to evaluate Mature Mature Outstanding Mature More than satisfactory Mature Satisfactory Mature Less than satisfactory Mature Unsatisfactory Mature Unable to evaluate Positive attitude Positive attitude Outstanding Positive attitude More than satisfactory Positive attitude Satisfactory Positive attitude Less than satisfactory Positive attitude Unsatisfactory Positive attitude Unable to evaluate Team player Team player Outstanding Team player More than satisfactory Team player Satisfactory Team player Less than satisfactory Team player Unsatisfactory Team player Unable to evaluate Leadership Leadership Outstanding Leadership More than satisfactory Leadership Satisfactory Leadership Less than satisfactory Leadership Unsatisfactory Leadership Unable to evaluate Work ethic Work ethic Outstanding Work ethic More than satisfactory Work ethic Satisfactory Work ethic Less than satisfactory Work ethic Unsatisfactory Work ethic Unable to evaluate * 6. Please share any comments or examples of your experience with the applicant that feel would aid the selection committee. If appropriate, please include any information about the applicant's interest and/or experience in the proposed career field. You may also send comments on a separate document to Jane Pavese at email@example.com * 7. Overall Recommendation: Enthusiastically Highly Moderately Minimally Not at all I recommend this applicant I recommend this applicant Enthusiastically I recommend this applicant Highly I recommend this applicant Moderately I recommend this applicant Minimally I recommend this applicant Not at all Thank you for taking the time to complete the WOW Recommendation Form. The Hiatt Career Center at Brandeis University appreciates your support for this applicant. Done

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Aston Villa 2 - Manchester United 3: Sub Javier Hernandez scores amazing hat-trick
JAVIER HERNANDEZ spared United the embarrassment of a defeat with a hat-trick and lowered Sir Alex Ferguson's temperature to a level just below boiling point at Villa Park.
Fergie watched in fury as his team were taken apart by a youthful Villa side but the introduction of substitute Hernandez at half-time restored the manager's calm and kept United clear at the top.
The Mexican's three goals took his total to eight in his last five games and never have his striking instincts been needed more.
Villa's young Austrian striker Andreas Weimann had deservedly put his team two goals in front as United's defence once again buckled.
But not for the first time this season United gambled on outscoring their opponents to paper over the cracks in their suspect back four.
It will do nothing for Fergie's heart rate but with Hernandez in this mood United will not be outgunned by anyone.
The agenda at Villa Park these days is to buy cheap, blood youngsters and hope the inexperienced ones survive the Premier League ordeal long enough for the team to re-establish itself as a force in the top flight.
Villa's young Austrian striker Andreas Weimann had deservedly put his team two goals in front
With an average age of 24, it looked as if Villa were going to be lambs to the slaughter in the opening period of the game as United threatened to take a firm hold.
Villa were on the back foot as first Michael Carrick had a header from Robin van Persie's corner smartly saved by Brad Guzan and Ashley Young, on the receiving end of a furious outburst of booing back at his old club, overcame the abuse to bend a shot just wide of the far post.
Who was it who said you don't win anything with kids? Alan Hansen said it about United in 1995 and hisccomment forever comes back to haunt him.
This youthful Villa team showed a similar defi ant attitude with a stirring contribution as the game progressed.
United's vulnerability at the back has become a worry for Fergie this season.
With Carrick and Paul Scholes offering a flimsy protection to the back four, they were exposed several times by Villa's counter attacks.
Unfortunately Weimann panicked and failed to pick the right pass when he had Christian Benteke and Gabby Agbonlahor up in support and offering him good options.
Benteke found himself unmarked and with a clear shooting chance after Ashley Westwood picked him out with a fine cross-field pass.
Rio Ferdinand appealed in vain for an offside decision but managed to recover to block the Villa striker's goal-bound shot.
Apart from their early flurry of attacks United looked laboured through the remainder of the first half. Villa's defence was solid and their midfield industrious in cutting the supply lines to Wayne Rooney and Van Persie.
And on the stroke of half-time Villa's speed on the counter attack and United's creaky defence brought the home crowd to its feet.
Weimann started it with a slide rule pass down the left flank to Benteke.
There is nothing subtle about the Belgian international and he steamrollered his way through Chris Smalling's half-hearted challenge near the touchline. Benteke then showed composure to match his strength and he aimed a perfect pass for Weimann to hit his shot fi rst time past David De Gea.
The walls of the United dressing room will have reverberated to the decibels of Fergie's half-time rant.
Young was the fall guy after his lacklustre fi rst-half display and, much to the delight of Villa fans, he was replaced at half-time by Hernandez.
There was plenty more for the home support to cheer five minutes into the second half when Weimann struck again.
The influential Stephen Ireland set Agbonlahor free down the left and his low cross was decisively dispatched by Weimann into the net.
But the goal machine that is Hernandez once again proved to be the game changer for United.
In the 58th minute the Mexican held off Ciaran Clark to slot Scholes' pass through Guzan's legs and four minutes later Hernandez enjoyed a stroke of luck as his volley from Rafael's cross flew in off Ron Vlaar. Van Persie rattled the Villa crossbar twice in a minute but it was cruel for Villa as Hernandez stooped to head the winner in the 87th minute from Van Persie's free-kick.


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Business Roundup / Deficit Rising, and Tax Too
Another cell phone company jumps on the unlimited-use bandwagon, while new moms must kiss their free baby formula goodbye.
Yet another blow to Israel's beleaguered cellular triumvirate Pelephone, Partner Communications and Cellcom: The Alon group has joined Rami Levi in...
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LUBBOCK, Texas, March 23 (UPI) -- Billy Clyde Gillispie became the 14th head basketball coach of Texas Tech Wednesday, signing a five-year contract, school officials said.
The former Kentucky coach was introduced at a press conference in Lubbock, Texas, where he takes over for Pat Knight, who was fired March 8 after three disappointing seasons.
"I am so grateful to be the head basketball coach at Texas Tech University," Gillispie said. "This morning (I) signed the contract to make it official and I can't tell you how excited we both are about the future of this program."
"Over the past two weeks I have had the opportunity to spend significant time with Billy and I am absolutely confident that he will lead our basketball program back to the national spotlight while positively representing our university," Texas Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt added.
Gillispie last coached for the Wildcats, compiling a 40-27 record with the, from 2007-09. He won SEC Coach of the Year honors in 2007-08 but parted ways with the school in 2009 after the Wildcats failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991.


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Cougar defeat Presentation in UMAC opener
For the University of Minnesota, Morris women's basketball team, the 2011-12 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) season opened with a win Tuesday as the Cougars took an early lead and never looked back in a 66-44 road win over Presentation.
It wasn't their best night, as the Cougars shot 36 percent from the floor, but they made up for it with a defense that held the Saints under 30 percent from the floor while also forcing them into 21 turnovers.
The win is the 28th straight for the Cougars in UMAC play, and they have not lost a conference game since the opener in 2009-10.
Kendra Wycoff led the way with 16 points, the second best night of her young career, and the third straight time she has led the Cougars in scoring. Jenni Noordmans was the only other player in double figures with 13 points, but the Cougars had six players with at least six points.
Abby Fragodt paced the Cougars to a season-high 50 rebounds with her career best 12, including seven on the offensive end, as Morris racked up 22 offensive boards. The Cougars used their second chances to produce 20 points, while also getting 21 points off Saint turnovers.
With the first one under their belt, the Cougars will stay on the road this weekend for games with Northwestern and Crown. The Northwestern game will be a rematch of the 2011 UMAC Tournament championship game, where the Cougars won


text:
Within 48 hours, Premium Plus subscribers will receive e-mail answers to their employment law questions from attorney Joseph Beachboard. Here's this week's sample Q&A:
Q. I recently discovered that an employee who handles my company's accounts receivable has filed for bankruptcy. Can I discharge this employee?
A. Under the Federal Bankruptcy Act, bankruptcy is not a legal reason for rejecting an applicant or firing an employee.
The statute provides: "No private employer may terminate the employment of, or discriminate with respect to employment against, an individual who is or has been a debtor under this title, a debtor or bankrupt under the Bankruptcy Act, or an individual associated with such debtor or bankrupt."
The limited number of court rulings that have addressed this provision in the Bankruptcy Act have been willing to apply a retrospective "but for" analysis to determine whether the bankruptcy information was the reason for an adverse employment decision (i.e., but for the bankruptcy, the worker would not have been terminated).
Thus, an employer that obtains information indicating that an applicant or current employee has filed for bankruptcy should base any adverse employment decision only on facts independent of the bankruptcy filing—and should ensure that clear documentation exists establishing this explanation.
The answers to these questions are provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied on as legal advice. The posting and viewing of these answers do not create an attorney-client relationship.


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Flash Draw Created Sep 27, 2008 470 x 338px Unless noted Copyright 2008 Neagu.Filip.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
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andre_cellea Oct 06, 2008
Felicitari Filip!....esti foarte talentat!....sper sa continui!
KH Oct 05, 2008
Great job! 5 hearts!
alynutza Sep 27, 2008
he's beautiful..i like it-5h!
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Thank you, dear one. I will! LOL
Wendy, you have my permission to print it out and use it as an alarm!!! :))
Mandy, the reds and oranges just woke me up! :-)


text:
Hasya Homestay
Near National Zoo and MRR2 Highway
Hasya Ukay Perdana Homestay is near to:
Other Facilities at Hasya Ukay Perdana Homestay:
Price package:
Near National Zoo and MRR2 Highway
Springville Apartments, Ukay Perdana 1
Exit at Ukay Perdana thru MRR2 Highway
It is besides National Zoo (only 2 minutes driving distance)
- 3 rooms - 1 single bedroom, second bedroom and master bedroom (air-condition installed)
- 2 bath rooms (water heater installed)
Master bedroom
Second room
Single room
- Matress queen size
- Air conditioner installed
- Water heater installed
- Kitchen and cooking facilities provided
- TV Astro satelit
- Automatic washing machine provided
Hasya Ukay Perdana Homestay is near to:
- 2 minutes driving to National Zoo
- 2 minutes to Taman Melawati
- 5 minutes to Keramat, Wangsa Maju, Ampang Point
- 10 minutes to Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) and Batu Caves
- In the middle of Keramat, Setiawangsa, Wangsa Maju and Gombak
- 15 minutes to Universiti Teknologi Malaysia at Jalan Semarak (UTM)
- 15 minutes to Dewan Perdana Felda and Kampung Baru
- 15 minutes to KLCC (Aquaria), Bukit Bintang area and Kuala Lumpur city
- 45 minutes to Genting Highland
- It is besides Taman Bukit Antarabangsa
Other Facilities at Hasya Ukay Perdana Homestay:
- walking distance to supermarket
- walking distance to 7-Eleven
- restaurants such as Indian Muslim restaurant Ali Maju 24 hours, Dejja Moss restaurant.
- 24 hours security guard
- Covered parking inside apartment area
- Public transport - bus and taxi
1st package : 1 night stay only, rm250 per night
2nd package : More than 1 night stay, rm200 per night
3rd package : 7 nights stay and more, rm180 per night
Booking (please call, text or write an email)
- Hasya - +6012 638 6284
- email: email@example.com
- Discount for stay more than 3 nights
- For our customers record, we need your photocopy of I/C or passport as well as registration car no during check in.
- FULL PAYMENT must be made upon confirm and during check in
- Refundable security deposit is required - rm100
- Check in time - 2 pm
- Check out time - 12 noon


text:
Hold Me Tight Shapewear Tummy Tuck Brief - Black
Hold Me Tight Shapewear embodies elegance and class, all while casting no discrimination regarding style, size or age. Whether you're slipping into that slinky evening dress, or wanting to cut a sharp silhouette in an everyday outfit, this body-sculpting range is the ideal choice for creating a sleeker, tighter look, whatever the occasion.
Available in women's sizing - see size chart for correct fit!
- Hold Me Tight shapewear
- For women
- Style: Tummy Tuck Brief
- Colour: Black
- Smooths away unwanted lines
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- Control level: Firm
- Give yourself that extra bit of confidence!
- Materials: Nylon/elastane
- Cold machine wash
- Designed in Australia
- Please note: change of mind returns will not be accepted for this item due to hygiene reasons
Hold Me Tight is a range of modern shapewear, made with powerful stretch fabrics designed to sculpt and smooth your silhouette, yet still remain comfortable enough to wear every day.


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TORONTO — Nothing in life can prepare new parents for the experience they are about to have. But for Andrew Trossman and Marcy White, the birth of Jacob, their first child, was like riding a roller-coaster that never stopped.
In May 2002, Jacob was born with paralyzed vocal cords; severe stridor, a high-pitched, wheezing sound caused by disrupted airflow in the throat or larynx; and an inability to swallow without aspirating. He spent the first three months of his life in Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.
It took a further seven months to get a diagnosis.
Jacob has a rare disorder called Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD), which affects approximately one in 100,000 live births worldwide and is not limited to any particular demographic population. It is a progressive, degenerative central nervous system disorder in which co-ordination, motor abilities and intellectual function deteriorate.
PMD is categorized as a myelin disorder, in the same family as multiple sclerosis and is inherited as an X-linked recessive trait. The affected individuals are male, but the mothers are the carriers.
Marcy White, Jacob's mother, recently launched her first book, The Boy Who Can: The Jacob Trossman Story.
The medical professionals were not optimistic that Jacob would have the ability to learn or to understand what was going on around him. Part survival manual, part parent-child love story, The Boy Who Can is a chronicle of a mother's refusal to accept the limitations placed on her son. Each chapter of the book begins with a meaningful quote that summarizes its main theme.
"One hundred per cent of the proceeds of the book will fund Jacob's care. He has extensive medical needs, with 24-hour nursing care and special equipment, medicine and supplies. Not much is understood about PMD, with virtually no research in Canada. Jacob is not given the best outlook, but what both we and the doctors have seen is that Jacob can do – he is capable and he needs academic stimulation."
"White 'tells it as it is' [in her book]," said Dr. Tom Chau, senior scientist and vice-president of research at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. "She openly acknowledges her own brokenness, weaknesses, fears, dashed hopes and disappointments. These are counterbalanced by glimpses of possibility and celebration in precious moments."
Chau created a communication device, an iPod, just for Jacob, which has opened a whole world for the child. On the outside, it appears to be a regular iPod, but the inner workings are programmed with several main categories and sub-categories that Jacob can activate with just a slight movement of his head.
Jacob is now 11 years old. He is in a wheelchair and can't walk, but he can move his head a little with some purposeful movements. His vocal chords are paralyzed, and although he can neither swallow nor speak, he can make sounds.
"Breathing is a challenge, and making himself understood is frustrating," White said. "Parenting Jake is immensely hard, and watching other children thrive sometimes makes me want to run away and hide."
But despite the hardships, and there are many, Jacob has managed to experience some very typical rites of passage.
Jacob is a Grade 5 student at Elkhorn Public School, where he has a helper and a nurse at his side. He loves to learn and his favourite subject is French.
He also attends Hebrew school at the Hebrew Academy of North York and has become a fixture at Yedidus, a program run at Bais Yaakov High School every Sunday morning by Jewish teenage girls.
"Some of the most phenomenal examples of compassion and love are showered on Jacob when these kids play with him, talk to him and spin him in circles to make him laugh," White said.
Jacob can communicate by opening his mouth for yes and making a sound for no. He loves to swim, ski and be around people.
"If I had one wish for Jacob, it would be to talk. If he could talk, he could tell us what he really wants and what is going on in his mind."
She knows their time together is limited. "His life span is short. There are numbers that are talked about, but I can't bring myself to say those numbers. His condition will worsen as he ages. We have already seen that start to happen," White said.
The Boy Who Can is available in soft cover and ebook. Visit: www.theboywhocan.com to purchase the book and www.curepmd.com to learn more about PMD.


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Junk King Colorado Springs
Fast, eco-friendly junk removal and dumpster rental in Colorado Springs
Is your home or business becoming too cluttered? Junk King™ provides reliable junk pickup service in Cascade, CO. Our staff can take care of the junk hauling for you. We're conveniently located near Cascade, CO, and can be at your home or business quickly! You can have piece of mind knowing that your items are disposed of properly since we recycle up to 60% of everything we pick up.


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Grandma Louise, R.I.P.
(pictured with dearly departed Grandpa Woodie, plus my mom and my uncle)
I was driving to work early yesterday morning when I got a call from my brother. I knew something was up -- those early morning calls are never good. He said our grandma had passed away in her sleep. Anyone that has ever received news like this knows all about the choking, strangling grief that immediately hits once you hear the news. It is just awful. Suffocating. But what can you do but let the tears flow, try not to be angry at the focacta circle of life bullshit, try not to think about how many years she suffered, try not to think that she is GONE FOREVER, and just try try try to think of all the good things about the one that you loved so much, and that you were lucky to have for so long. And then think back to the last words you said to your loved one, hope they were good, and hope they registered.
I can't help but mention something that does NOT help when you lose a loved one. Idiotic messages left on Facebook such as this one from my sister-in-law do NOT help -- at least they don't help me:
"Today the world lost a gentle, lovely person. But you know what? Heaven gained a beautiful soul! Welcome home, Grandma Louise."
FUCKING HURL. If you are not sure of a person's religious beliefs, or LACK OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, perhaps you could put a fucking lid on it. I think it is best to offer condolences, to say how much that person was loved, and perhaps offer a hug or to help. That is enough. No need to talk about an afterlife and God and all that shit -- we don't all share the same beliefs.
While I am ranting -- I just can't help myself! -- I prefer funerals that celebrate the dearly departed. My Grandma Anita's funeral filled me with rage. It was a SERMON. Nearly nothing was said about MY GRANDMA, the one that died. WTF?!?!?!?!? Who does that?!?!?!?!??!?!?! Unless my grandma (and/or her spouse, my grandpa) SPECIFIED that they wanted the service to be FUCKING SERMON, that sort of thing shouldn't happen.
Or maybe dealing with grief is too hard for me, and I nitpick and find things to turn my sorrow into rage. Maybe it is a combo platter. Probably.
I know this is a huge downer of a post. So many ups and downs in life. Whaddya gonna do. The thought that I will leave you with is this: I hope to be a grandma someday. One way or another, even though I don't have kids, I hope to be a "grandma" to someone someday! Maybe that sounds crazy. But I think it would be great to be a grandparent. And I would hope to be as good of a grandparent as my Grandma Louise was to me.


text:
AllTwitter's Wednesday series Twitticisms is back, featuring the jocular jests and witty wisecracks of Twitter's funniest.
Cue the laugh track:
Storage. Parking. Cupcakes. We've let down John and Yoko. pic.twitter.com/d57mTcAZ61
— Jake Fogelnest (@jakefogelnest) July 28, 2013
if you're out in public and you see someone you went to high school with, keep calm and army crawl out the door
— Mary Charlene (@IamEnidColeslaw) July 28, 2013
Fun game: If you're on "Jeopardy" begin all of your questions will "Pray tell…" and see how long it takes before Alex Trebek strangles you.
— Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) July 28, 2013
McD's worker: Hello, this is McDonald's.
Me: Yes, do you deliver?
Him: No.
Me: But like, will you though?
Him: *click*
— Krista Doyle (@Krista_Doyle) July 28, 2013
Whoever forces all pilots to wear weird hats when they fly is an ass.
— Ben Schwartz (@rejectedjokes) July 28, 2013
Oh come on. pic.twitter.com/CVAk4nTAHO
— Ashley Burns (@MayorBurnsy) July 28, 2013
At Hollywood parties everyone wants to fit in and be cool. So, sooner or later someone's going to pressure you into trying kale
— Eliza Bayne (@ElizaBayne) July 28, 2013
Share your favorites in the comments!
(Laughing image from Shutterstock)


text:
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text:
- The Yachts
- 2013
- GREAT Britain
GREAT Britain
Skipper Simon Talbot was encouraged into sailing by his parents who both served in the Royal Navy and has always dreamed of completing a circumnavigation. Racked up second place in Leg one of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race from the UK to Brest, France and in late October, scored victory in the 3600 nautical mile leg from Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town South Africa, finishing nearly three hours ahead of second placed Henri Lloyd.
Crew includes British violinist, Gil Sharpe, 73 who is also the oldest female crew member and second oldest person taking part in the Clipper race. She was the first female violinist of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and wanted an extreme adventure.
Ollie Phillips is an England International Rugby Sevens player who previously captained the team. He is taking on the challenge as he recovers from injury and hopes to lead the England Rugby Sevens team at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Kirsty Norris, 31, has worked at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. as well as doing voluntary work in Kenya.
The GREAT Britain project and Clipper Race partnership is promoting British trade and tourism and is leading an Olympic legacy campaign. The GREAT campaign is the most ambitious international marketing program the British Government has ever run. It aims to showcase the very best of Britain to encourage the world to visit, study and do business with the UK.
Competitor Details
|GREAT Britain
|Sail Number
|Clipper Ventures
|Simon Talbot
|P Coates, S Hunt, S Johns, M Nichols, D Acton, N Bennett, N Banks, J Carter, L Evans, P Hardy, J Hendry, O Jones, S Mabey, B Pate, O Philips, I Robinson, M Heywood, G Sharpe, R Hanson, S Usher, C Powys, N Bennett, P Coates, D Stephens, M Godfrey
|Great Britain
|Clipper 70


text:
On Wed, 13 Dec 2000, sreekant wrote:
> I have typed some characters in telugu in some language
> editor and stored it as a html page.
This might mean various things, and some of them have nothing to
do with Unicode. I suppose it would in most cases mean that you
have used an editor which displays octets (bytes) as Telugu
characters according to some mechanism which typically treats
octets 0 - 127 according to the ASCII standard and octets
128 - 255 according to some special convention, "private agreement"
so to say. Often this just means that a specific _font_ is used,
with glyphs for Telugu characters in those positions. This would
_not_ mean using Unicode in any sense.
For example http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/2627/index3.html
seems to refer to using Telugu fonts that way.
Such schemes have been widely used and are still used, for various
script, but they suffer from serious problems. Without going into all the
details, I'd just refer to some relevant documents (especially as regards
to using such approaches on the Web):
In Unicode, Telugu characters are in the code positions
U+0C00..U+0C7F, see http://charts.unicode.org/Web/U0C00.html
and something essentially different is needed then.
> I have NOT given any charset in the <meta tag> but the telugu font is
> INSTALLED on my machine.I am able to see the characters in the browser.
But can others? One of the many reasons for developing Unicode was
to provide a way to use rich (or just different) character repertoires
without needing tricks and without needing to download fonts on an
ad hoc basis and switch between fonts.
> because when u give the charset the character mapping takes place
> according to the charset, how it is working over here when no character
> set is defined?
Trickery. Basically, if I have guessed correctly, your browser doesn't
understand at all what it is doing. It simply operates on octets and
displays them according to the font in use. Technically, it _would_
be possible to indicate the encoding (which tells what different
octets _logically_ mean, as abstract characters) in HTTP headers
or in META tags that are supposed to simulate HTTP headers.
But as far as I know, there is no registered encoding corresponding
to the use discussed here, and even if there were, it would hardly be
understood by browsers.
It might be a good idea to have two versions of a page, one using
the font technique (or trickery), and one using some Unicode encoding.
It would be relatively easy to generate the "fontistic" version from
the Unicode version; you would probably want to use some Unicode-capable
editor for creating the Unicode version, see e.g.
-- Yucca, http://www.hut.fi/u/jkorpela/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Tue Jul 10 2001 - 17:21:17 EDT


text:
In At Canaan's Edge, King and his movement stand at the zenith of America's defining story, one decade into an epic struggle for the promises of democracy. Branch opens with the authorities' violent suppression of a voting-rights march in Alabama on March 7, 1965. The quest to cross Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge engages the conscience of the world, strains the civil rights coalition, and embroils King in negotiations with all three branches of the U.S. government.
The marches from Selma coincide with the first landing of large U.S. combat units in South Vietnam. The escalation of the war severs the cooperation of King and President Lyndon Johnson after a collaboration that culminated in the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act.
At Canaan's Edge portrays King at the height of his moral power even as his worldly power is waning. It shows why his fidelity to freedom and nonviolence makes him a defining figure long beyond his brilliant life and violent end.
At Canaan's Edge is the third volume in Taylor Branch's three-volume history, America in the King Years. Don't miss Parting the Waters or Pillar of Fire.
©2006 Taylor Branch; (P)2006 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved. Audioworks is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division.
"It is a thrilling book, marvelous in both its breadth and its detail. There is drama in every paragraph." (The New York Times Book Review)
"This magisterial book is a fitting tribute to a magisterial man." (Publishers Weekly)
"I hate abridged books"
I listened to unabridged versions of the first two volumes of this work and loved every word. This was got very confusing and I missed the detail. I have the book and I guess I'll have to read it. Never again will I try abridged versions.
"A tremendous trilogy"
This is a tremendous trilogy. That takes you through the story of MLK and the civil rights movement. A terrific audiobook.
Report Inappropriate Content
If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


text:
The Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S2 DJ Controller is the ultimate compact DJ controller with professional credentials. The 2.1 design of the S2 couples the most essential items for any DJ including 2 decks and a mixer, controls for multi effect units and a third channel for samples. Robust and highly portable, the S2 controller is perfect for traveling DJs.
The S2 is the only controller of its size to come with a download registration code for the full version of Traktor PRO 2, the same software that the world's biggest DJs trust. The stylish hardware was developed by Native Instruments to offer the most intuitive and fluid mixing experience. The S2 combines power, simplicity and fun right out of the box - hook it up in seconds and rock any party, now or in the future!
Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S2 DJ Controller Features
What started as a simple string and pedal sales catalog has grown exponentially over the past thirty years. The early days were a time where catalogs didn't have much of a presence in the industry, but what began as a college dorm room operation grew rapidly. In 1986 we moved to a full product offering and 64-page catalog, which over the years has grown to 162 pages. Join the AMS family and get your free catalog now!
Copyright © 1996-2017 American Musical Supply, Inc. All rights reserved. American Musical Supply reserves the right to correct pricing and/or product specifications in the event of typographical errors found in our print catalog or on our website. If a product is listed at an incorrect price due to such errors or because of inaccurate information received from a supplier, American Musical Supply shall have the right to refuse or cancel any orders placed, whether or not the order has been confirmed and your credit card charged. If your credit card has already been charged for the purchase and your order is canceled, American Musical Supply will issue a credit to your credit card account in the amount of the charge.


text:
ESL Job Feed is the most eclectic and broad source of ESL jobs and teaching positions available worldwide.?ESL Job Feed publishes links to ESL Job postings from a variety of sources including TESall, Total ESL, Yahoo!/Monster, Guardian Jobs, Chronicle of Higher Education, craigslist, TESOL Org, TEFL and many more. From conversation schools for beginners to university positions for teaching veterans,?ESL Job Feed is your source for English teaching positions worldwide.
Come to beautiful Jeju Island and work at a well established, reliable private school
Date 2013-01-11 06:01:09 Location : Asia:Korea
The successful candidate must have:
* A Bachelor degree from a native English speaking country
* Experience working with children
The benefits of this position include:
* 2.1 million won salary per month
* a bonus equivalent to 1 month�s salary (upon completion of a 1 year contract),
* A free apartment within walking distance of the school
* partial health coverage
* free roundtrip airfare to and from Jeju.
* 10 days vacation


text:
| Published: 12/1/2012 at 4:40:36 PM
Calgary, AB - The Calgary Roughnecks have re-signed Mike Carnegie, Scott Carnegie, Jon Harnett, Curtis Manning and Peter McFetridge to one-year contracts for the 2013 National Lacrosse League season.
Mike, a London, Ontario native, finished the 2012 regular season with three goals and six assists for nine points along with 64 loose balls in 16 games. In five seasons with the Roughnecks, the Calgary resident has recorded 36 points, including 13 goals, while scooping up 349 loose balls over 79 games. Mike and younger brother Scott both won their first Champion's Cup with Calgary in 2009.
Scott, a native of London, Ontario and resident of Calgary, tallied eight assists and collected 69 loose balls in 16 games last season. Over five seasons with Calgary, Scott has registered four goals and 24 assists for 28 points along with collecting 244 loose balls in 63 games played.
Prior to joining the Roughnecks in 2011, Harnett played two seasons with the Boston Blazers where he recorded 16 points, including four goals, along with 158 loose balls in 30 games. Last season, the Orangeville, Ontario product had one goal and four assists for five points over 11 games.
Manning, a native of New Westminster, Ontario, just completed his third NLL season, setting career highs in goals (5), assists (9), points (14) and loose balls (84) over 14 games. The 25-year-old has played his entire NLL career with the Roughnecks, recording 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) and collecting 162 loose balls in 32 games played.
McFetridge made his NLL debut with Calgary in 2008 and captured his first Champion's Cup as a member of the Roughnecks the following season. He recorded a career-high nine goals and added seven assists for 16 points along with 48 penalty minutes in 16 games last season. Over five campaigns in Calgary, the Vancouver, British Columbia product has registered 46 points (19 goals, 17 assists) and 104 penalty minutes over 45 games.
The Roughnecks open their 2012 training camp tonight, Saturday, Dec. 1, at Genesis Place (800 East Lake Blvd. NE) in Airdrie with a two-hour session beginning at 7 p.m. The four-weekend training camp runs through to December 22 and includes an exhibition game against the Colorado Mammoth on Saturday, Dec. 8 (7 p.m., Langley Events Centre) in Langley, B.C. as well as a scrimmage versus the Edmonton Rush on Sunday, Dec. 16 (11 a.m., Genesis Place) in Airdrie.


text:
Thank you for the welcome and for all the information on the different groups. Much appreciated. Have a great day.
Thank you so much for your nice welcome :)
Thanks I'll be thinking about your request I'm still a little news at PC business but I am a fast learner. thanks again for the welcome
Thanks for the welcome.
Thank you so very much!
No problem by me, if you want to continue that discussion. I feel a responsibility to discussions that I start, and wasn't up for continuing to monitor that one and keep it on track. You have my blessing! Not that it's needed :)
Thank you very much for the sparkling welcome and for all the information in groups. I'm sure I'll find a lot for myself there though right now it's all a bit overwellming:) All the best :))
Thanks Ruth, I appricate you help.
Thank you for the warm welcome, Ruth and the group suggestions!
Hi Ruth! Thanks for the welcome. I will definitely check into some of those groups that you mentioned. ~Minuet
Thanks Ruth. I started a group for ex-muslims and people who question faith in NYC called Muslimish.
I am looking for people from muslim background to start new groups in other cities in western countries. I know of one other group in London but that's pretty much it.
Let me know if you if you know someone from a muslim background who would be interested in stating such a group, we have a system in NY that works well and I think it can be copied in other places.
Thank you for the warm welcome!
Thanks, Ruth!
Thank you for the welcome! It's 2:30 AM now, but I'll likely look around at the groups tomorrow.
Thank you Ruth.. It's very sweet of you!! i will check out the groups you suggested... Happy to be a part of this community :)
thank u fr the warm welcome!! looking frwrd to joining the groups u suggested..
Thank you, Ruth. Glad to be here.
Thank you so much for the warm welcome! :)
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text: My wife is arranging a well-known musical for a small band. There are some places where some instrument should play a "second trumpet" (there's only one in the band) (mainly a third lower than the trumpet in the second octave range) so which instrument would be the best fit for that? Options in our band are that a clarinet or a soprano sax or an alto sax would play that second part.


text:
Community reserve for peacocks to be set up on hill
Tiruparankunram, June 9 (PTI): A community reserve for peacocks is being set up atop a hill here by the district administration in collaboration with the forest department to prevent poaching, officials said. They said a bio diversity coordination committee meeting called by district collecot Anshul Mishra had proposed the reserve. The meeting also discussed forming of bio-diversity management committees at the panchayat level. They would be entrusted wtih th job of approving utilisation of the local bio-diversity resources, a release said. The hill is a habitat for Australian white peacock and the Indian peacock.