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Please remember to follow the manual of style and code of conduct at all times.
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User talk:FlynnFitzherbert
|Welcome to Bulbapedia, FlynnFitzherbert!
By creating your account you are now able to edit pages, join discussions, and expand the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia. Before you jump in, here are some ground rules:
Thank you, and have a good time editing here!
The Preview Button
Instead of editing a page several times in a row, try using the preview button to make sure your edit looks the way you want it to. It's right next to the Save Changes button... Please try it out, so as not to clog up the Recent Changes. Thanks! --Crystal Talian 23:01, 21 January 2013 (UTC)
Pokémon Biology
Hello, I've noticed you've been adding to the biology sections on Pokemon pages. You're doing a good job, but there are a couple of things I wanted to address. First, try to avoid too many subjective adverbs and adjectives, as they make the article sound biased or opinion-based which is something we try to avoid. Second, while the more detailed sections are nice, some them are a bit too long. You don't need to be so specific and try not to repeat the same information several times. Third, don't put Abilities in the "Special abilities" section. That section is for talents and traits other than actual Abilities, which are listed in the infobox. Other than that, you're doing fine. Thanks! Crystal Talian 05:43, 25 January 2013 (UTC)


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Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Anything Goes on its way to a new home
Last weekend I delivered our group quilt, Anything Goes.
Here my nieces are wrapped in it, demonstrating that it's a warm and cuddly quilt.
They liked the variety of fabrics and the bright colours and the fleece backing.
These two girls will deliver the quilt to the Katie Cares Foundation,
where it will either be passed on to a child with cancer,
or raffled off to make money for the foundation.
Either way, it's doing good.
Thanks to all of you who donated string blocks and demonstrated that anything goes together.
Labels: Brenda, string block
8 comments:
- Taos Sunflower said...
What a great thing you've all done. I'm sure it will be a loved treasure to the child who receives it.
- June 20, 2012 at 8:11 AM
- Nifty Quilts said...
You just made my day! The quilt looks fabulous in use.
- June 20, 2012 at 8:16 AM
- Jeanneke said...
So happy to see the quilt and to read where it goes! You did a fantastic job Brenda, oh my, oh yes!
- June 20, 2012 at 1:58 PM
- Sheila said...
Beautiful quilt. Something wonderful will come from it, I'm sure.
- June 20, 2012 at 2:21 PM
- Ginny said...
Fantastic! Great job!
- June 20, 2012 at 7:15 PM
- Carol E. said...
Fun to see that it passes the cuddle test!
- June 26, 2012 at 12:53 PM
- Vivian said...
Just getting back to quilting and blog reading and I get to see this! Congrats on getting it done Brenda!
I'm glad to have had the hance to participate in such a good cause!
- July 13, 2012 at 10:49 AM
- Helen said...
Yay! I see my block (red dots) and am thrilled it is doing some good. Thanks for this opportunity, Brenda!
- August 4, 2012 at 6:01 AM
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subset: commoncrawl


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Good Cream Cheese Bc Icing Recipe...non Crusting!
Decorating By Kiddiekakes Updated 10 Oct 2005 , 2:00pm by Kiddiekakes
I have to to take dessert to my Brother in laws next saturday and I was going to make a Black Forest cake but I don't have the energy to do it..I decided to do a carrot cake but I would like a really easy,non crusting BC cream cheese icing recipe that stays soft!!Any recipes?
I made a pineapple cake for a friend and used this recipe:
1 stick of butter
8 oz of cream cheese
1 box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon mexican vanilla
You could use more sugar if you want it sweeter...but this tasted great to us!
Thanks traci,
I'll give it a try!!


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For more than 30 years, Euramco Safety has been on the cutting edge of industrial, fire and marine ventilation products. Each and every one of our smoke ejectors, PPV fans, blowers and accessories represents the finest technology available, and is constructed to demanding and exact specifications for quality, performance and reliability.
When your life, or the life of someone else, depends on having a fan that can deliver clear, safe, and cool air, you have only one choice you can trust: Euramco Safety.
Explore our online catalog and products and discover for yourself exactly how Euramco can make a difference in your workplace today!


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We asked Globe and Mail readers for their thoughts on Jack Layton's legacy. This is what they had to say.
What do you think was Jack Layton's greatest accomplishment?What will he be remembered for?
Hands down, it had to be achieving the breakthrough for the NDP in Quebec. Not only was that a victory for his party, but more importantly, it portended new hope for the country as a whole. – Alice Funke, Ottawa
The ability to inspire NDP members, volunteers and voters before and during the 2011 election by using a positive and optimistic campaign rather than a negative attack campaign. When I carried a Together We Can Do This sign, I truly believed it. – Lynn Perrin, Abbotsford, B.C.
The letter he wrote to Canadians days before he succumbed to cancer will be remembered for years to come. He explicitly communicated his dedication and love for Canadians in that narrative. – Carmen McCrae, Saskatoon
I have great respect for Jack's beliefs, and on almost all social issues and many, but not all fiscal issues, we would be on the same page. His legacy, in my view, is that he is the one that put Stephen Harper in power. Instead of choosing to be be a strong influencer of a Liberal minority government, like Tommy Douglas with Lester B. Pearson and David Lewis with Pierre Trudeau, he chose to roll the dice, and go for the top. He failed to achieve this goal. – Earl Hotrum, Toronto
He was a great guy … He remembered my name the second time we met even though we had just met once briefly at a fundraiser a couple years before. – Josh Easton, Victoria
Jack Layton died as I was flying home to care for my mother, who was also dying of cancer. As I spent the next several weeks as her 24/7 caregiver, the Maclean's magazine with Layton on the cover arrived in her building. I spent a long time reading the article and reflecting on how indiscriminate and cruel cancer is, and trying to embrace the positivity that these people propelled me toward, despite the circumstances. – Scott W. Gray, Verdun, Que.


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You know I'm reading all the time, right? No matter where I go I'm never too far from a book. I've recently discovered my newest love, Audible.com.
You download the books to your device and if you're somewhat clever, you can listen in your car! In full honesty, I'm an affiliate so if you click any of the links, I get a teeny bit of profit. I love the books on Audible.com because they are read by professional readers, just like the ones on audiobook discs are. What's better is, I can carry the book in my phone and plug in whenever I want.
Wonder + Audible.com= Happy Pammy
Have you read award winning Wonder by RJ Palacio?
I. Love. it.
Can you tell I love it?
Have you read it? Ever tried audiobooks?
Books Books & More Books
Introducing Pam
I realized that few mainstream books contain diverse and multicultural characters. I decided to help others hunt for books containing diversity. If you're ready to discover great books for people of all kind, stick around. I Volunteer. To read diversity.


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GraphicRiver Easter Seamless Pattern 7451844
Category: Stock Vector | Comment: ( 0 )
GraphicRiver Easter Seamless Pattern 7451844
Stock Vector \ Decorative
Pattern \ Ornament \ Leaflet \ Illustration \ Seamless \ Spring \ Wallpaper
Stock Vector - Easter Seamless Pattern 7451844 by SBsignum @ GraphicRiver
Stock Vector \ Decorative
Graphics Files Included: JPG Image, Vector EPS, AI Illustrator; Layered: No; Minimum Adobe CS Version: CS.
Easter seamless pattern. Vector illustration (Included render in JPG format).
Seamless Pattern; Cloud Compass Logo.
Keywords: art, background, celebration, colorful, decor, decorative, drawing, easter, egg, fabric, gift, graphic, illustration, leaflet, ornament, pattern, seamless, spring, texture, vector, wallpaper.


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Community Forums › Forums › General Discussion › Moving post area up in Pretty Young Thing theme
This topic contains 10 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by Susan 4 years, 9 months ago.
January 24, 2013 at 7:33 pm #14502
HI! I am working on this site http://bethe127.com and I need to move the post area up under the navigation, (about 1 inch below) but I want the sidebar to stay where it is. I shrunk down the header width so there would be room next to it... any one have a suggestion for me?January 24, 2013 at 11:04 pm #14545
Jamie MitchellParticipant
Hi !
i can't see how you would do this without doing some extensive development work, there is no quick fix
might be beyond the scope of the forum
let me know how you go
Need a little help? Hire me for small or large projects. jamiemitchelldesign.com.auJanuary 25, 2013 at 9:53 am #14599
Do you want the content area of the site to align with the top of your header?
Without requiring an extensive amount of development work...
This may not be the cleanest way of doing it, but what about reducing the height of your header area, which will push the content of your site up (including the sidebar). Crop the header image to size, and add it to a widget in the sidebar, so it aligns with the content. Add a link to the site within that image in the sidebar, and you get something that looks like this:
January 25, 2013 at 9:58 am #14602
Yes, that's what I want. So basically reduce the header height to zero. I will try that right now, thank you!January 25, 2013 at 9:59 am #14603
I reduced it to 10 - see how that looks - I didn't want to get rid of the header height altogether...
January 25, 2013 at 9:59 am #14604
It didn't push it up. I am changing the height in the stylesheet, should I be doing it somewhere else?January 25, 2013 at 10:11 am #14607
It's all done in the stylesheet, but there were a couple of places where it needed reducing -
/* Header ------------------------------------------------------------ */ #header { background: url(); height: 240px; width: 260px; }
/* Image Header - Partial Width ------------------------------------------------------------ */ .header-image #title-area, .header-image #title, .header-image #title a { display: block; float: left; height: 240px; overflow: hidden; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-indent: -9999px; width: 600px; }
January 25, 2013 at 10:17 am #14610
Thank YOU so very much. This is exactly what I needed! 🙂 While I have you, if I want to expand the width a bit of the whole area a bit, is that a quick margin adjustment somewhere? Or a lot of little tweaks?January 25, 2013 at 10:22 am #14613
You would need to tweak a few elements. Refer to the "visual mark-up guide" to see what would need to be changed to keep everything in proportion:
You might want to get Firebug, or Firebug Lite - it will allow you to make visual changes to your stylesheet to see how things look before you commit.
January 25, 2013 at 10:33 am #14618
Perfect, I will. Thanks again!January 25, 2013 at 10:40 am #14619
You're welcome. I'll close this thread as resolved - go ahead and start another thread if you have any more questions. 🙂
The topic 'Moving post area up in Pretty Young Thing theme' is closed to new replies.


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Bargain Brakes and Mufflers
Review for Bargain Brakes and Mufflers
Kenneth S. on 03/19/2016
Spoke with Ken. He said they're the best, they give good service all of the time. They're a great place to deal with.
Vehicle: Toyota Camry
Category: Service
Service Date: 03/16/2016
Review Created: 03/19/2016
This review was collected via phone interview by Customer Research Inc.


text: I just bought out a guys striping business , and I realy didnt need the machine . Actually its 2 machines . Its an air atomizing , MB striper with a 5 hp briggs IC both motor and compresser are newer than the machine , It runs good . It also comes with a parts machine . $ 700 is what I am asking . I am In Maryland between Balto and annapolis .


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806 W Walnut, Coleman **Reduced806 W Walnut Web Reference: PROP3054
- 1404 sq ft
- 0 Garage
- 3 Bedrooms
- 2 Baths
This is a nice 2 or 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1404 sq ft brick home. Some of it's features include CH/A, a laundry room, a roomy kitchen, double sink bathroom vanity, lots of storage throughout entire home, a fenced back yard, shade trees, and a double carport with covered walkway to rear entrance.
Listed at $56,900.00 **Reduced to 46,900.00


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Summary: To get Avid Media Composer work perfectly with TiVo shows, the best way is to convert TiVo to DNxHD MOV, something ensuring best results when using TiVo recordings in
Avid. Here is how.
Using TiVo Desktop on your computer you can record TV programs in *.tivo format. However, the .TiVo is an encrypted video format, it's not easy to play and edit those TV shows. Then, how to get Avid Media Composer working perfectly with TiVo recordings? A best way is to convert TiVo files to DNxHD, something ensuring maximum editing quality and efficiency when working with Avid MC.
If you have problems when editing TiVo files in Avid Media Composer and want to make a smooth editing, you can read on the article to learn more. Here I will outline how to transcode TiVo files to DNxHD .mov for smoothly importing and editing in Avid Media Composer 5/5.5/6/7.
Transcoding TiVo to DNxHD for Editing in Avid Media Composer
The quick workaround is to use the easy-to-use yet professional app Brorosft Video Converter for Mac which can be used as a TiVo to Avid Converter under Mac OS X Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite, etc. It is free, clean and safe to install and use. With it, you can effortlessly transcode TiVo to DNxHD for Avid, MPEG-2 for Premiere Pro, ProRes for FCP, AIC for iMovie, etc with the best quality. If you are running a Windows computer, please turn to the alternative Windows version – TiVo Converter. Below is how.
Step 1. Add TiVo videos to the converter
Once you run the TiVo converting program, click Add button to load your source files. When the .tivo files are loaded, you can view the videos from the Preview window.
Tip: When first loading, Brorsoft TiVo Converter will ask you to input your Media Access Key. Simply enter your Media Access Key, and click "OK" to confirm.
Step 2. Choose DNxHD MOV as output format
Brorsoft MOV to Avid Converter features the optimized format preset for Avid Media Composer. Go to "Avid Media Composer -> DNxHD (*.mov)" and set it.
Tips: Advanced video/audio settings
If the default settings do not fit your needs, you can click "Settings" button to adjust audio and video parameters as you like.
Step 3. Convert TiVo files to Avid Media Composer
Click "Convert" button and the selected TiVo files will be converted to DNxHD encoded MOV. You may check the converting progress and set auto shutdown in the conversion window. After conversion, click "Open" folder to find converted footage for importing to Avid Media Composer.
Additional Tips:
This top TiVo to Avid MC Converter can also help you convert TiVo shows for other editing programs. If you want to use TiVo files in Final Cut Pro, please choose the "Final Cut Pro > Apple ProRes 422 (*.mov)" as output; for iMovie and FCE, select "iMovie and Final Cut Express -> Apple InterMediate Codec (AIC) (*.mov)"; to edit TiVo in Premiere Pro, choose Adobe Premiere/Sony Vegas> MPEG-2(*.mpg).
See more:
Rip and Copy DVD to MicroSD Card
How to play MKV files on iPhone 6 Plus
How to convert Torrent movies to iTunes
How do I Convert TiVo to Adobe Premiere Pro
Copy DVD ISO image to iPhone 6/iPhone 6 Plus
Time-saving ways to convert ProRes to H.264 MP4


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The New Edubiase United will on Thursday face the Ethics Committee on match faxing allegation
According to the complaint, in an interview with a Bekwai based radio station (DASS FM), the player allegedly stated that the Match day 5 fixture between his club and Wa All Stars was compromised.
The Ethics Committee has commenced investigations to ascertain the veracity of these allegations and has invited the player and Chief Executive of the club to appear before the Committee at the GFA Secretariat, Accra on Thursday September 15, 2016 at 3:00PM to substantiate the allegations.
The meeting which was earlier scheduled for September 1, had to be postponed as a result of New Edubiase's request to allow the player to go on a trip outside the country.
Anyone with evidence or information relating to the above-mentioned case should kindly contact the Ethics Committee Secretary at the GFA Secretariat in Accra.
The meeting will be held at the Board Room of the GFA Secretariat.
Culled from Ghanafa.org


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I never really liked the Chinese places -- the tea, fortune cookies, and rice were too much for my reactionary taste buds -- but I loved the spaghetti and bread sticks of North Beach, and for at least a decade it never occurred to me that Italian food could be anything but scarlet-hued, noisy, and illuminated by candles stuffed into basket-woven Chianti bottles.
Nowadays, of course, you can wander far afield of Napoli's garlic-tomato axis without ever leaving the San Francisco city limits, and since Italy is as varied in its array of gustatory delights and influences as, say, the United States, the possibilities for multisensory, uninational feasting are positively exponential. (Checked out Lo Coco's prehistoric-Sicilian fennel-sardine cookery lately?) Vivande, a golden-hued, 4-year-old Opera Plaza temple to the refined delights of the old country, prepares and serves some of the city's more delicious examples of Pan-Italian cuisine.
Since the ristorante takes off from the (high-class) Pacific Heights deli that inspired it and bears its name, a devotion to good ingredients -- the building blocks of both a fine picnic hamper and a first-class meal -- is to be expected. Chef/owner Carlo Middione treats his elite imports and premises-prepared sausages, pastas, and breads (even the fish is cured in-house) with the proper respect, eschewing violent seasonings and flavor-masking excesses for the more subtle pleasures of freshness and simplicity.
This isn't to say that singular flavors aren't permitted to interact with one another. Take the portobello mushroom ($11.50), one of the menu's finer appetizers. The mushroom's meaty texture is brought to its proper succulence level through the roasting process, then combined with crisp, pungent cloves of roasted garlic, chewy-sweet oven-dried tomatoes, spiky goat cheese, and peppery strips of arugula; the result is a multitextured study in contrasts. On the other hand, our soup of the day ($6) -- a fragrant bowl of carrot, rutabaga, and fennel essence -- was simplicity itself. And while Vivande prepares the most basic of Caesar salads ($8), the dish's icy-crisp romaine leaves and wonderfully pungent Parmigiano lift it above the rudimentary.
Another starter, the calamari grigliate ($10.75), highlights the kitchen's strong and weak points both. On the one hand, the flavor of the squid, fresh and brisk as a shot of phosphorous, is perfectly showcased after a sojourn on the establishment's wood-burning grill, but the squid is stuffed with a ho-hum bread-herb concoction, a symptom of the venue's occasional overcommitment to underseasoning. And considering the high quality of Vivande's house-made bread -- and the fragrant olive oil that goes with it -- it's puzzling that it should be the main ingredient in another run-of-the-mill creation: panzanella, a lifeless rib-sticker composed of day-old bread and seasonings. Luckily it's a mere sidelight to a spectacular pork chop ($22), a moist, smoky triumph of the genre that, like the calamari, reveals the skill of Vivande's grillpersons. Here, silky strands of broccoli rabe form a supple complement to the deliciously charred pork and the spiky fruit mustard that dresses it. Meanwhile, the Chilean sea bass ($22), roasted till moist and flaky, triumphs over its barely complementary side dish of cabbage and potatoes through sheer succulence.
Prosciutti di Parma is one of those aforementioned elite imports that make you want to pack it all in and hop the next freighter for Genoa. It's an ingredient that, properly employed, lifts any dish to a culinary level heretofore unimagined, let alone experienced. It is the key aspect of Vivande's stellar steamed mussels ($14), a dish brimming with pleasure: not only the briny, luscious mollusks and the tough-tender, salty-supple prosciutto but what one fellow diner called "the best Italian sausage I've ever eaten" and the eternal triad of tomato, garlic, and white wine. A subsequent brunchtime visit featured a dish also fragrant with prosciutto: perfectly poached eggs, served over strips of Parma's gift to the world and crisp-spongy slabs of rosemary focaccia, doused in a satisfyingly creamy Parmigiano sauce and -- the final touch -- topped off with strips of pancetta, which is approximately to bacon what Lester Young is to Kenny G. You probably won't find a better brunch dish anywhere in the city.
Then there's the pasta. Saying that the food at an Italian restaurant is great except for the pasta is a little like saying that draught Guinness would be wonderful if it wasn't so dark, but I have yet to find American-sculpted pasta as mind-blowingly, soul-satisfyingly good as the stuff I've consumed in Rome. (Like Florentine gelato, the particulars of Roman pasta's superiority eludes me; it simply is.) Vivande's handmade pastas are merely perfunctory -- the kitchen's lumpish tagliolini ($13.75), dressed in a bland, oily pesto, is saved from itself by a half-dozen perfectly fried, impeccably fresh oysters, while an equally desultory fettuccine carbonara ($11.50) just sits there despite the presence of that amazing pancetta.
The star of the dessert menu is the Earthquake Cake ($6.75), a dense, fudgy pseudo-brownie elevated to the ethereal by the neighboring presence of a dreamy chocolate sorbet. A close second would be the trio of sorbets ($6.50) -- in our case strawberry, mango, and lemon -- each one a sweet-tart distillation of summertime bounty. The Crostata di Frangipane ($6.50) -- an almond tart with almond-infused ice cream -- and the tiramisu ($6.75) -- the time-honored, much debated classic -- are little more than lackluster here, but the decidedly American fresh fruit cobbler ($6.50) is a triumph: steamy, crumbly, packed with the pickings of the day (apple in our case), a dense, rich scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into the whole. The desserts, like the rest of the dinner, are served up by an impeccable and attentive waitstaff adept at replacing china and cutlery at every imaginable opportunity.
The restaurant's ambience is as carefully crafted as the food, setting it apart ever further from the red-checked establishments of my youth. Pompeiian murals, soaring ceilings, sculpted figures, cut glass, nail-studded leather, antiques, and collotypes combine in a variety of settings (bar, lounge, and three dining areas, including one alfresco) to create a playful, if studied, atmosphere. (The china is lovely and perfectly matches the contents of your plate; one deep chocolate confection was served on a platter limned in rich browns and blacks.) It's like supping in a particularly fashionable hilltop villa, albeit one looking out on Golden Gate Avenue.
Vivande Ristorante
670 Golden Gate (at Van Ness), 673-9245. Open for lunch Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., for dinner Sunday through Thursday 5 to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 10:30 p.m. Brunch served Saturday and Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Parking: garage available. Muni: 42, 47, 49, 76. Noise level: moderate.


text:
Bill protecting Uber and Lyft heads to Rick Scott's desk after four years of fighting – Tampabay.com (blog)
Tampabay.com (blog)
Bill protecting Uber and Lyft heads to Rick Scott's desk after four years of fighting
Tampabay.com (blog)
Rick Scott for signature or veto. His office has not yet signaled whether he will sign it. The bill (HB 221) sets statewide insurance and background check standards for ridesharing companies. But most critically, it overrides local governments ...
After four years of debate, bill regulating ride-sharing companies will go to Rick Scott's desk
Uber, Lyft regulations bill heads to governor's desk
Bill Accommodating Uber and Lyft Heads to Governor


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Congressional Democratic leaders are being pressed by latino groups to pass an immigration reform bill within the first 100 days of the new Congress. The House Democratic leadership sounds open to the idea; they don't really have any plans after the first 100 days, apparently:
Pelosi and other House Democrats have said little about what legislation they will take up after completing their 100-hour agenda, a collection of relatively uncontroversial bills over which Democrats have reached consensus.
Beyond the first 100 hours it's hard to speculate" about what Democrats will focus on, Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said. Hammill said Pelosi has discussed immigration reform with President Bush and that both have agreed it should be a "priority..."
Hispanic leaders are making two clear statements: Reform should include a path to legal residency for the 12 million illegal immigrants now working in the U.S., and a guest-worker program supported by President Bush, which would require foreign workers to return home after several years, is inadequate. They also oppose the building of a fence along the Mexican border intended to stem the flow of immigration.
"Immigrants have dedicated themselves to this country through hard work and determination and America has benefited accordingly," Rosales and Rodriguez-Lopez wrote. "[T]hey deserve an orderly pathway to legalize their status in the U.S. so they can emerge from society's shadows into the light of day..."
But in recent months House Democrats have shied away from the issue for fear of angering conservative-leaning white voters, whom Republican strategists hoped to court in 2006 by pushing strict and punitive immigration proposals.
House Democrats did not mention immigration in "A New Direction for America," the broad agenda document they made public shortly before the election. The omission drew angry responses from congressional leaders such as Reps. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, and Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), who heads the Congressional Hispanic Caucus's Immigration Task Force.
"I'm very sad and disappointed that comprehensive immigration reform is not a key and pivotal point for the Democrats," Gutierrez told The Hill in September.
Political strategists who have concentrated on Hispanic outreach say that Democrats have a golden opportunity to capitalize on the increased political attention of Hispanics because of last year's immigration debate, but that chance could soon pass.
It will be interesting to see if Congressional Republicans are any softer on immigration than they were prior to the elections. While much has been made of the pro-enforcement incumbents who were defeated, I don't get the sense that GOP Representatives and Senators are any more likely to back an amnesty.
It seems to me we're headed for a situation where Congressional Democrats join with the President, John McCain, and a rump group of Republicans to pass an amnesty. That ought to make things very interesting - particularly if the debate drags out late in the year.
Another question will be how many Senators are willing to filibuster this effort. I expect there will be at least a few, but the support of the President might keep the number down. At the same time however, relations between the White House and the Congressional GOP are not great; might that not cause a significant number of Senate Republicans to decide to block a major Presidential initiative?
Update: Fred Barnes reports that the White House is ready to work with Congressional Democrats on immigration reform:
And Bush is prepared to use them. His strategy is to join with Democrats on issues on which they agree--extension of No Child Left Behind, comprehensive immigration reform, and stepped-up funding for alternative energy--and strongly oppose everything else that Democrats are proposing. This amounts to limited bipartisanship--very limited.
That's not a surprise.
Hat Tip: David Frum
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text: December 18, 2002 December 18, 2002 SAN FRANCISCO POLICE DEPARTMENT Chief of Police Permit Hearing Calendar Report Hearing Calendar Wednesday, December 18, 2002 Benitez, Mirna 2919 Mission St "Inst. Familiar La Raza" Place of Entertainment NR BID; OK Co.D*, NA*, DPH, EID; (10/17/01,FTA2/6/02;5/29;6/12;8/7) cont' (Needs Public Hearing from CP & Fire's P.A Permit) Breese, Joseph S. 1835 Folsom Street "Larry's Towing" Tow Car Operator OK Permit Section Brooker, Richard I. 1151 Folsom Street- 2 Floors. "Sitio" Place of Entertainment #Reconsideration: Hold for DPH, BID, NA; WN EID; OK SFFD(OK 1 Floor) 2/27/02; CG3/27/02 Choi, Albert L. 1066A Market Street Second Hand Dealer NR SFFD; OK Co.B*, CP, FENCING 11/13/02;12/04/02 Choi, Albert L. 1066A Market Street Second Hand Dealer-State NR SFFD, STATE; OK Co.B*, CP, FENCING 11/13/02;12/04/02 Corti, Marco I. 720 Montgomery Street "Villa Taverna" Valet Parking-Fixed Location OK Co.A, ISCOTT, PERMIT Florez, Elkin J. C. 865 Market Street "Nordstrom Spa" Masseur OK Vice Gomez, Ricardo D. 1340 Egbert Avenue "Ken's Towing" Tow Car Operator OK Permit Section Goodman, Keith L. 685 Sutter Street "The Cellar" Extended Hours Premises NR BID; DIS Co.A; OK CP, SFFD, DPH, EID, Iscott PROTESTS (2/6/02) Halpern, Dean E. 272 McAllister Street "Soluna Cafe" Place of Entertainment NR Co.J, CP, SFFD, DPH, EID, BID, NA; OK ISCOTT Hanson, Maria T. 917 Folsom Street "Cherry Bar & Lounge" Mechanical Amusement Device OK EID CG 7/10/02 Hanson, Maria T. 917 Folsom Street "Cherry Bar & Lounge" Place of Entertainment #Reconsiderations: Hold For SFFD, BID, NA; DIS DPH; OK EID CG 7/10/02 Harrity, Michael M. 1760 Market Street "Carta Restaurant" Valet Parking-Fixed Location DIS CoB; OK PERMITS, ISCOTT* Heinz, Donald C. 2400 Lombard Street "Marina Sports Bar" Billiard Parlor NR CP; OK Co.E 12/04/02 Heinz, Donald C. 2400 Lombard Street "Marina Sports Bar" Mechanical Amusement Device NR CP, EID; OK Co.E 12/04/02 Hill, Robert C. 2101 Sutter Street "Julia Restaurant" Valet Parking-Fixed Location OK Co.G*,ISCOTT*, PERMITS 10/30/02,12/11/02 Joseph, Audrey And McNerney, Patrick M. 442 Jessie Street "Night Gallery" Extended Hours Premises NR Co.B, CP, SFFD, DPH, EID, BID, EID, NA, ISCOTT Joseph, Audrey And McNerney, Patrick M. 442 Jessie Street "Night Gallery" Place of Entertainment NR Co.B, CP, SFFD, DPH, EID, BID, NA, ISCOTT, NA Kelly, Sean M. 3376 - 19th Street "Gallery Spanganga" Place of Entertainment DIS BID; OK Co.D*, CP*, SFFD, DPH, NA, EID, Iscott PROTESTS (5/29/02;7/10/02) CG 08/21/02;12/04/02 Kochayan, Gregoire L. 1079 Market St. "Armanie Fine Jewelry" Second Hand Dealer NR Co.B, CP, SFFD, FENCING Kochayan, Gregoire L. 1079 Market St. "Armanie Fine Jewelry" Second Hand Dealer-State NR Co.B, CP, SFFD, FENCING, STATE Li, Richard C. P. 635 Clay Street #206 Outcall Massage Service NR CP; OK Vice 12/04/02 Magana, Armando N. 100 Valencia Street Driverless Auto Rental NR CO.B, SFFD; OK CP Miner, Justine M. 598 Haight Street "RNM Restaurant" Place of Entertainment NR Co.E, EID, BID, NA; DIS CP; OK SFFD, DPH, Iscott (09-25-2002) 7/31/02; PROTEST Miner, Justine M. 598 Haight Street "RNM Restaurant" Valet Parking-Fixed Location NR ISCOTT; OK Co.E, Permits Morris, Abram L. 1830-17th Street Place of Entertainment NR SFFD, EID; DIS DPH; OK Co.C, CP, BID, ISCOTT, NA* Moses, Deeanne 34-38 Mason Street "DS Financial Inc." Place of Entertainment NR Co.J, CP, SFFD, DPH, EID, BID, NA, ISCOTT Moses, Deenne 34-38 Mason Street "DS Financial Inc." Extended Hours Premises NR Co.J, CP, SFFD, DPH, EID, BID, ISCOTT, NA Newbury, Marcus 937 Harrison Street "Fallon's Cafe" Place of Entertainment NR NA; DIS CP; OK Co.B*, SFFD, DPH, EID, BID, ISCOTT Ouitayakul, Nopakun 312 Divisadero St "Thai Place II" Place of Entertainment NR Co.F, CP, SFFD, NA, EID, BID; OK DPH, ISCOTT Park, Jung H. 3745 Geary Blvd. "Cafe Blue" Billiard Parlor NR Co.G; OK CP Pattison, Kevin J. 1430 Noriega Street Mechanical Amusement Device NR EID-(unable to contact); OK Co.I, CP 12/04/02 Shirley, John W. III 2715 Hyde Street "Waterfront Carriage" DPV Horse Drawn Carriage OK Permit Section Swann, Kristin E. 1075 California Street "Nob Hill Spa" Masseuse OK Vice Wood, John 934 Brannan (Back Patio) "Tantra" Itinerant Show - Commercial NR Co.B, SFFD; OK DPH Tues, 12/31/02 - Wed, 1/01/03 10:00 PM- 7:00 AM Wood, John 934 Brannan Street(Back Patio)"Tantra" Loudspeaker Commercial NR Co.B,NA Tues, 12/31/02 - Wed, 01/01/03 10:00 PM - 7:00 AM Meaning of Abbreviations BID = Building Inspection Division CG = Conditional Grant Co.A = Central Police Station Co.B = Southern Police Station Co.C = Bay View Police Station Co.D = Mission Police Station Co.E = Northern Police Station Co.F = Park Police Station Co.G = Richmond Police Station Co.H = Ingleside Police Station Co.I = Taraval Police Station CP = City Planning CUP = Conditional Use Permit DIS = Disapproved DPH = Department Public Health EID = Electrical Inspection Division FTA = Failure to Appear NA = Noise Abatement NR = No Report PAP = Public Assembly Permit PID = Plumbing Inspection Division RA = Redevelopment Agency SFFD = San Francisco Fire Department TTF = Tenderloin Task Force Police Station WN = Work Needed * = Condition


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Going Digital?
Well my friends... I think my pull list is about to get a big hit in terms of how many print books I get on a monthly basis. Here's the thing, last Christmas my wife gave me a NOOK from Barnes & Nobles as a present and, even though I loved it, I was kinda ignoring it because I felt that if I read too many digital comics I'd be turning my back on this medium that I love so much. As it turns out, prices on comics keep going up, page count keeps going down, plot lines are being dragged on way too long in order to sell trades and my bank account keeps suffering because of it I feel I have to support the comic book industry. So, last night I got my NOOK, charged it and I said to myself: "the heck with it"! Today i took my NOOK out at lunchtime, downloaded Thor: The Mighty Avenger Vol. 1, read it, took it all in and... I LOVED IT!!! The colors were as vibrant as they were intended to be, the pages moved just like a comic would, the prices are far less than the print versions and more importantly; I can carry 100+ books anywhere and everywhere I go without a problem. I absolutely love my NOOK. So, from this day on I solemnly swear that I'll cut my "pull list" at least in half and I'll be reading the trade version on my NOOK. Thanks Barnes & Nobles and thank you NOOK! (This read like a paid advertisement for NOOk and/or Barnes & Nobles but I swear it wasn't!) LOL!
Fairness is Needed in Our Industry
Sometimes I wish everyone had my same moral compass and I'll tell you why. I say this because in this day and age, it seems that wanting fairness for everyone makes you naive or an idiot in society's eyes. I feel we should treat others the way we want to be treated no matter who we are or what we do, that's how I was brought up; that's how I live my life. I say this and the example I want to present to you is how unfair the comic book industry has been, is and if we don't act on it; always will.
One of my biggest gripes is the fact that the comic book industry was built on the backs of a few, very talented artists and writers like Jack Kirby, Bill Finger, Steve Ditko, Gary Friedrich and many more that simply got taken advantage of by greedy individuals who only cared about dollar signs. But this is not exclusive to the comics industry, I'm just expressing my disgust with the industry as whole due to this important fact. The thing is, corporations made, and are still making millions upon millions of dollars while those people who actually put in the work and created these characters got nothing in comparison. It's sickening really!
I understand they signed those contracts, I understand they had a choice (if you can call it that) and I know that the "Big Two" aren't doing anything "illegal", but just because something is legal, doesn't necessarily mean it's right. Like the great Dr. Martin luther King Jr. once said: "Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal". Now I'm not comparing these corporations to Hitler, my point is that wrong is wrong, it doesn't matter if the law covers your heinous acts, if you treat someone unfairly; you're still wrong!
I do know, without a shadow of doubt, that those creators who started this medium we love so much should've had a far better compensation and recognition than what they got; regardless of what the the law stipulates. I wish I woke up tomorrow and when I checked the news I find out that the "Big Two" were announcing that their golden age creators were going to get a % of the sales from those characters they created, that the Kirby heirs would be getting a piece of the pie, that Bill Finger would be credited with being the co-creator of Batman and all those characters he created and his heirs would be getting a retroactive payment of what he should've had in the first place if it weren't for scumbag lawyers taking advantage of honest
and hard working creators. Now THAT would be super heroic.!
-Manuel A. Carmona
Here are some links so you can understand what I'm talking about and why I'm so angry about all this.
Why boycott Marvel?
Jim Starlin on Cosporate comics
Jack Kirby Documentary
In Search of Steve Ditko Documentary
-Manuel A. Carmona
Rene Montoya/The Question
Renee Montoya is a fictional comic book character published
by DC Comics. The character was initially created for Batman: The Animated Series, and was preemptively introduced into mainstream comics before the airing of her animated debut in 1992. The character has developed significantly over the years. Renee Montoya is initially a police detective from the Gotham City Police Department, assigned to the Major Crimes Unit who comes into frequent contact with the masked vigilante; Batman.
Over the course of her comic book history, Renee is outed as a lesbian, and later resigns from the police force, disgusted by its corruption. After being trained by the first man to bear the name, Montoya now operates as the Question out of a lighthouse she shares with Aristotle Rodor in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Renee Montoya was created for Batman: The Animated Series, in which she is voiced as a uniformed officer partnered with Harvey Bullock.
In the follow-up The New Batman Adventures, Montoya has
been promoted from police officer to detective.
Montoya was also a recurring character in the third season of the web cartoon Gotham Girls, in which she is voiced by Adrienne Barbeau. The show's official "bible" described Montoya as the widow of a fellow police officer who was killed in the line of duty, as well as an active volunteer at her Roman Catholic Church, but this information was never mentioned on the series itself. The comic series Gotham Central describes Montoya as the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Montoya is a recurring character in the Batman-related comics after Batman #475. After she is promoted to homicide detective by Commissioner James Gordon, Montoya is partnered with Harvey Bullock. After Bullock is promoted to Lieutenant, Crispus Allen becomes Montoya's new partner.
Gotham City is destroyed by an earthquake in the Bat Universe Cataclysm crossover. It is soon closed off from the rest of the United States in the No Man's Land story arc. Montoya and Bullock are two of the many Gotham police officers to stay behind with James Gordon in order to keep the peace among the people who have stayed behind. Montoya is the focus of an uneasy truce between Gordon's forces and the crime boss Two-Face. She reaches out to Two-Face's Harvey Dent persona in helping with aid and relief efforts, and he falls in love with her.
He keeps her restrained in his headquarters against her will.
She becomes involved when Two-Face puts James Gordon
on trial for perceived wrong doing. Montoya persuades Two-Face to offer a more fair trial, giving Gordon a defense lawyer. But Two-Face's Harvey Dent persona takes on this role, and ultimately convinces Two-Face to allow everyone to go free.
Gotham City is later re-opened thanks to humanitarian efforts spearheaded by Lex Luthor.
Jedi Master Yoda
Yoda is a character in the Star Wars universe, first appearing in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. In the original films, he trains Luke Skywalker to fight against the evil Galactic Empire. In the prequel films, he serves as Grand Master of the Jedi Council and as a general in the Clone Wars. In 2007, Yoda was selected by Empire magazine as the 25th greatest movie character of all time. On their list of the 100 Greatest Fictional Characters, Fandomania.com ranked Yoda at number 60.
Yoda is a powerful Jedi Master in the Star Wars universe. Series creator George Lucas originally wished Yoda to follow his other characters in having a full name--Minch Yoda—but instead opted to have many details of the character's life history remain unknown. Yoda's race and home world have not been named in any media, canonical or otherwise, and he is merely said to be of a "species unknown" by the Star Wars Databank.
The films and Expanded Universe reveal that he had trained several Jedi, including Count Dooku, who is identified in Attack of the Clones as Yoda's old Padawan Learner; Mace Windu; Obi-Wan Kenobi (partially, before Qui-Gon Jinn takes over as Obi-Wan's master); Ki-Adi-Mundi, Kit Fisto and eventually Luke Skywalker. During the animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars, set between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, he mentions that he trained another one of the leaders on the Jedi Council, Master Oppo Rancisis. In the Star Wars prequels, it is shown that he instructs several younglings in the Jedi Temple before they are assigned to a master. This was displayed in a scene in Attack of the Clones.
Yoda makes his first film appearance in The Empire Strikes Back. Luke Skywalker arrives on Dagobah to seek his guidance, having been instructed to do so by the Force ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Yoda doesn't initially identify himself to Luke and instead tests his patience by presenting himself as a comical and senile backwater individual, deliberately provoking both Luke and R2-D2. Luke is shocked when he finally realizes that this small, elderly creature is the powerful Jedi Master he was seeking. Finding that Luke has the same anger and recklessness which caused his father's downfall, Yoda is reluctant to teach him in the ways of the Force, and agrees only at Obi-Wan's behest. Before finishing his training, however, Luke chooses to leave Dagobah in order to confront Darth Vader and save his friends from the Empire's grasp at Bespin. Ignoring Yoda and Obi-Wan's warnings that he is not ready to face Vader and is being lured into a trap, Luke leaves but promises to return. Thinking his fears about Luke have been confirmed, Yoda chides Kenobi: 'told you I did, reckless is he.
Now, matters are worse.' Obi-Wan laments that Luke is their "last hope," but Yoda reminds him that "there is another", referring to Princess Leia.
Yoda makes a brief appearance in Return of the Jedi, set a year after The Empire Strikes Back. Yoda, now sick and frail, informs Luke that he has completed his training but will not be a Jedi until he confronts Darth Vader; he also confirms that Vader is Luke's father, which Darth Vader had told a shocked Luke in the previous film. Yoda then peacefully dies at the age of 900, his body disappearing as he becomes "one with the Force". He leaves Luke with the knowledge that "there is another Sky...walk.......". Moments later, Obi-Wan's ghost helps Luke come to the realization that the "other" whom Yoda spoke of is Princess Leia, who is his twin sister. In the film's final scene, after the Empire has been defeated, Luke sees Yoda's spirit looking upon him with pride, alongside Obi-Wan and the redeemed Anakin Skywalker (Vader's former Jedi self).
The Creech
The Creech is an American three issue comic book series published by Image Comics in 1997, followed by a subsequent three issue series in 2001. The series was created by Greg Capullo. The series features a powerful creature created in a laboratory created out of an aborted fetus and infused with it's creator's memories. Dr.Battu was a gentle pacifist whose only simple goal was to help the world better itself through genetic research. In honor of his wife who died during childbirth, Dr. Battu decided to literally make life from death and in the process creating the Creech from hundreds of aborted fetuses. Engineered in the idyllic isolation of Battu's laboratory, the creature
is born an innocent being with no conception of good or evil. Unfortunately, the group that funded his project had different plans for the creature. Named simply The Agency, they wanted to create the ultimate weapon of war and found it in the Creech, outfitting him with strange experimental weapons.
In a last-ditch attempt to save the creature. Dr. Battu infuses the creature with his own mind patterns just before he is murdered by rogue officers of The Agency. The newly self-aware creature is a muddle of internal contradictions as the consciousness of the peaceful Dr. Battu struggles with its genetically engineered instincts for killing and destruction. During one of his battles he causes the death of an important agency member, Dross.
Moon Knight
The character debuted in the title Werewolf by Night #32 (August 1975), written by Doug Moench with art by Don Perlin, as an enemy of the title character in a two-part story continuing in issue #33. The character proved popular with readers, and was granted a solo spot in Marvel Spotlight #28-#29 (1976). Born in Chicago, Illinois, Marc Spector is an American rabbi's wayward son. As an adult, Spector spends time training to be a heavyweight boxer, a U.S. Marine, and a mercenary. He becomes a skilled combatant and befriends the French pilot Jean-Paul DuChamp, whom he calls "Frenchie." While the pair work for the African mercenary Raoul Bushman in Egypt, the group stumbles upon an archaeological dig whose crew includes Dr. Peter Alraune and his daughter Marlene. The dig had uncovered an ancient temple where artifacts included a statue of the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. Intent on looting the dig, Bushman kills Dr. Alraune. In response to Alraune's murder, Spector challenges Bushman to personal combat but is beaten nearly to death and left to die in the sub-zero temperatures of the desert night. Roaming Egyptians who worship the ancient Egyptian gods find Spector and carry him to their temple. Helpless before the statue of Khonshu, Spector's heart stops.
Khonshu appears to him in a vision, offering Spector a second chance at life if he becomes the god's avatar on Earth. Spector awakens, wraps himself with the silver shroud that covers Khonshu's statue, and again confronts Bushman. He defeats Bushman and returns to America with Marlene Alraune, Frenchie, and the statue of Khonshu. Deciding to become a crimefighter, Spector creates a silver cloaked costume, based on the silver shroud, and becomes the Moon Knight. After his return to the United States, Spector invests the money that he had accumulated as a mercenary and develops a small fortune. To distance himself from his mercenary past he creates the identity of millionaire entrepreneur Steven Grant, using this identity to purchase a spacious estate. To remain in contact with the street and criminal element he also creates the identity of taxicab driver Jake Lockley. As Lockley, he has acquired civilian allies such as Bertrand Crawley and Gena Landers and her sons.
Spector has also developed three new multiple personalities based on Spider-Man, Wolverine, and the original Captain America who help guide him. Moon Knight gets the head of the Ultron, and attacks a strip club as Spider-Man to get to the mysterious L.A. Kingpin. Moon Knight beats the club leader Snapdragon, but gets shot by a guard before getting answers. It was the superhero Echo who saved him, but she lost her cover in the process. Moon Knight and Echo then team up against the Kingpin. Meanwhile it is also revealed that Spector hired ex-SHIELD agent Buck Lime to design his weapons while posing as a soldier of fortune consultant for his T.V.Show. After a fight with the Night Shift (sent by Snapdragon), Moon Knight and Echo formally team up against the Kingpin. Buck, however, informs the Avengers of Ultron's head, and they visit Spector who convinces them (and later Buck) that he knows what he is doing. Together with Buck and Echo, Moon Knight beats the Kingpin who turns out to be Count Nefaria, and captures Snapdragon (although Nefaria got away). But Moon Knight and Echo keep targeting and attacking Nefaria's bases of operations. Soon, however, Nefaria strikes back, and Echo gets killed. This sends Moon Knight's Wolverine personality into berserker mode and it seemingly kills the Captain America and Spider-Man personalities.
Moon Knight proceeds to violently attack Nefaria who gets
beaten up badly. Nefaria, however, survives and sends his daughter, Madame Masque to retrieve the Ultron head, who succeeds. But Moon Knight and Buck retaliate and attack her. Madame Masque is about to beat Moon Knight, but just then he develops an Echo personality, who tells him to not let her die in vain. Moon Knight fights back, and defeats Madame Masque. Meanwhile the police have Snapdragon testify against Nefaria, and get a warrant for his arrest. Nefaria angrily attacks the police station, and is about to kill Snapdragon, but Moon Knight intervenes again.
In the ensuing battle, Moon Knight is beaten, and Nefaria orders him to return the Ultron head, and work for him. Moon Knight tells Nefaria that the head is outside, but the tables were turned as Moon Knight had called the Avengers, and Nefaria was defeated. The next day, Tony Stark commends Marc Spector for a job well done, and tells that Ultron is waiting and planning a robot holocaust. After Stark leaves, it seems that Spector developed an Iron Man personality as well. In the epilogue to the series, Spector leaves Hollywood. During the events of Avengers vs. X-Men, Moon Knight is partnered with Falcon and She-Hulk as part of a small team of Avengers assigned to watch over the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. During the ensuing skirmish initiated by Frenzy, Moon Knight is rendered comatose by Rogue. He is last seen at Stark Tower as one of the many former Avengers celebrating the return of Janet Van Dyne.
Lady Sif
Like most Asgardians, Sif was born with golden hair. Hers, however, was turned black after Loki jealously cut it and replaced it with enchanted hair made by dwarves. At an early age she showed great prowess as a warrior and was considered the best female warrior of all of Asgard, matched only by Brunnhilde. At one point she was given to the death goddess Hela by a giant in exchange for immortality, but Thor saved her by offering himself in her place. Hela was so impressed that she let them both go. Sif and Thor are separated when he is banished from Asgard by his father Odin and begins a life as a superhero on Earth. Many years later Thor becomes romantically involved with Jane Foster. Thor brings Jane to Asgard to be wed, where she is granted immortality but after she fails a final test Odin sends her back to Earth, stripped of her newly acquired powers and without memories of the event. Odin then arranges an encounter with Sif while Thor is battling the monstrous super-strong Unknown, and the two fall in love again.
Sif won't settle for just being the future wife of Thor as the myths proclaim she will become, and an encounter with
a mysterious witch gives her new berserker strength and an angrier disposition. The ensuing rampage injures one of Volstagg's daughters, forcing Sif's brother, Heimdall,
to send Sif to another dimension for her own sake. Newer readers more familiar with Idris Elba's turn as Heimdall in Thor: The Mighty Avenger might be surprised to know that Sif is Heimdall's much younger sister.
Sherlock Holmes
Explicit details about Sherlock Holmes's life outside of the adventures recorded by Dr. Watson are few and far between in Conan Doyle's original stories; nevertheless, incidental details about his early life and extended families portray a loose biographical picture of the detective. An estimate of Holmes's age in the story "His Last Bow" places his birth in 1854; the story is set in August 1914 and he is described as being 60 years of age. Leslie Klinger cites the date as 6 January. Holmes states that he first developed his methods of deduction while an undergraduate.
His earliest cases, which he pursued as an amateur, came from fellow university students. According to Holmes, it was an encounter with the father of one of his classmates that led him to take up detection as a profession, and he spent the six years following university working as a consulting detective before financial difficulties led him to take Watson as a roommate, at which point the narrative of the stories begins. From 1881, Holmes was described as having lodgings at 221B, Baker Street, London, from where he runs his consulting detective service. 221B is an apartment up 17 steps, stated in an early manuscript to be at the "upper end" of the road. Until the arrival of Dr. Watson, Holmes worked alone, only occasionally employing agents from the city's underclass, including a host of informants and a group of street children he calls "the Baker Street Irregulars". The Irregulars appear in three stories: A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, and "The Adventure of the Crooked Man".
Little is said of Holmes's family. His parents were unmentioned in the stories and he merely states that his ancestors were "country squires". In "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter", Holmes claims that his great-uncle was Vernet, the French artist. Sherlock's brother Mycroft, seven years his senior, is a government official who appears in three stories and is mentioned in one other story. Mycroft has a unique civil service position as a kind of memory man or walking database for all aspects of government policy.
Mycroft is described as even more gifted than Sherlock Holmes in matters of observation and deduction, but he lacks Sherlock's drive and energy, preferring to spend his time at ease in the Diogenes Club, described as "a club for the most un-clubbable men in London". In "His Last Bow", Holmes has retired to a small farm on the Sussex Downs. The move is not dated precisely but can be presumed to predate 1904, since it is referred to retrospectively in "The Second Stain", first published that year. Here he has taken up the hobby of beekeeping as his primary occupation, eventually producing a "Practical Handbook of Bee Culture, with some Observations upon the Segregation of the Queen". The story features Holmes and Watson coming out of retirement one last time to aid the war effort. Only one other adventure, "The Adventure of the Lion's Mane", which is narrated by Holmes, takes place during the detective's retirement. The details of his death are not known.
Sgt. Rock and the Howling Commandoes
During World War II, Sgt. Rock fought in the infantry branch
of the U.S. Army in the European Theatre and eventually rose to authority within his unit, Easy Company. The unit was a collection of disparate individuals who managed to participate in every major action in the European war. Rock's dog-tag number was 409966, which had been, it was claimed, Robert Kanigher's own military serial number. Robert Kanigher mused in letters columns in the 1970s and 1980s that Rock probably belonged to "The Big Red One" (First US Infantry Division) given his appearance on battlefields in North Africa, Italy, and Northwest Europe.
Rock's backstory was fleshed out in different comics over the
years; generally he is considered to have come from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he worked in a steel mill. Enlisting after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he went to North Africa as a private but promotion came quickly as his superiors were killed, to assistant squad leader, squad leader, and then platoon sergeant. During the main series, his unit is only ever given as "Easy Company", but no regiment or division is named nor is unit insignia ever shown. Rock is shown to have two siblings (Sgt. Rock #421) Larry, a Marine fighting in the Pacific and Amy, a nun. In the 2009 six-issue mini-series "Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion" Rock's unit is still referred to as "Easy Company" but is of the 141st Infantry Regiment.
Rock also usually wears the chevrons and rockers of
a Master Sergeant on his uniform and also applied, oversize, to the front of his helmet. It is likely Rock's official position in Easy Company was of senior platoon sergeant though dialoque and scripts are usually vague on his actual responsibilities and duties. He usually leads patrols and appears to have powers of command over the men of the company. Several officer characters also appeared in the comic, as both platoon and company commanders, all of whom were regarded by Rock as superiors. Easy's commander was usually referred to as "the skipper" by Rock. Rock in turn was referred to by others as the "topkick", or senior non-commissioned officer in the company. Most infantry companies did not have master sergeants; significantly, Rock does not have the diamond of a first sergeant on his rank insignia.
Stephanie Brown/Batgirl
Stephanie Brown was introduced in a 3-issue story arc in Detective Comics #647-#649 in which writer Chuck Dixon reinvented a villain called the Cluemaster. Dixon created the Cluemaster's daughter, Stephanie, as simply a plot device
for this story, seeking to "spoil" her father's plans. Even so, the character was well received by fans. The following year, Chuck Dixon launched the first ongoing Robin series and featured The Spoiler as a foil and love interest for Tim Drake. The character was at the center of a high-profile teen pregnancy storyline in 1998, which caused Wizard Magazine to name Robin the best ongoing comic book of the year. Stephanie remained an integral part of Robin's supporting cast for over a decade, until her death in the 2004 crossover storyline Batman: War Games. Her death was revealed to have been faked in a 2008 story, and in 2009, she became the eponymous lead character in the Batgirl series written by Bryan Q. Miller, with pencils by Lee Garbett. The title was canceled after #24 issues and replaced with a new Batgirl series starring Barbara Gordon.
Stephanie graduates from high school off-panel, is a student at Gotham University, and is still living with her mother. Cassandra Cain has apparently become disillusioned following Bruce Wayne's apparent death
and gives Stephanie her Batgirl costume. After operating as the new Batgirl in Cain's costume, Stephanie is confronted by Barbara Gordon, who was notified of her activities by Dick Grayson. Barbara tried
to reason with Stephanie to get her to stop being a vigilante, as she still saw Stephanie as an impetuous youth, remembering her role in causing a city
wide gang war and her near-death experience at Black Mask's hands. However, a new type of recreational
drug is hitting the streets of Gotham known as "Thrill", which they discover was manufactured by the Scarecrow and Black Mask II, and the two women need each other to stop the drug trade. Stephanie eventually confronts and defeats the Scarecrow, impressing Barbara and proving that she now has the maturity and responsibility to face her fears and failures. Barbara decides to allow Stephanie to continue on as Batgirl. Barbara later takes a job as an assistant professor at Stephanie's school in order to continue to keep in
contact with her. Barbara also designs a costume for Stephanie to replace Cassandra's tattered costume, incorporating various elements of both the Spoiler and previous Batgirl costumes.
Han Solo and Chewbacca
During Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Han Solo and Chewbacca are indebted to Jabba the Hutt, having lost a valuable cargo. On Tatooine, Solo accepts a charter to transport Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3PO and R2-D2 to Alderaan in his ship, the Millennium Falcon, for a payment to clear the debt. But when the crew and passengers arrive at the planet's coordinates, they discover that Alderaan has been destroyed by the Death Star, and the Falcon is then captured and held within the battle station. Enticed by the likelihood of a large reward, Solo and Chewbacca help Skywalker rescue Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) held captive aboard the station. After delivering Skywalker, Leia, and the droids to the Rebel Alliance, Solo and Chewbacca receive payment for their services and depart. Solo has a change of heart, however, and returns to save Skywalker's life during the Death Star battle, ultimately enabling Skywalker to destroy the Death Star. For his heroics, Solo is presented with a medal and is appointed a Captain of the Rebel Alliance.
Solo plays a central role in several Star Wars stories set after Return of the Jedi. In The Courtship of Princess Leia (1995), he resigns to pursue Leia, whom he eventually marries. Solo and Leia have three children:
twins Jaina and Jacen and son Anakin. Chewbacca dies saving Anakin's life in
Vector Prime (1999), sending Solo into a
deep depression. In Star by Star (2001), Anakin dies as well, compounding Solo's despair. At the end of the series, however, Solo accepts the deaths of his son and his best friend and reconciles with his family. In the Legacy of the Force series, Jacen Solo becomes a Sith lord named Darth Caedus and plunges the galaxy into a bloody civil war. Han Solo disowns Jacen, but is still devastated by each new outrage his son commits. He and Leia adopt Jacen's daughter, Allana, after Jacen's death in the novel Invincible.
Shanna The She-Devil
Shanna O'Hara, Lady Plunder is the daughter of a diamond miner named Gerald O'Hara. Born in Africa, she spent the majority of her childhood growing up in the jungles of Zaire. At the age of six, her father went to kill a rogue leopard that belonged to her mother, Patricia O'Hara. While hunting for the leopard, Shanna's father accidentally killed her mother. This traumatic incident led to Shanna's lifelong crusade against the use of firearms. After the incident, Shanna moved back to the United States to live with relatives. Shanna grows up to become an accomplished Olympic athlete, specializing in competitive swimming and track and field.
She then became a licensed veterinarian.
After completing college, Shanna began to work for the Central Park Municipal Zoo in New York City as a zoologist. While working
at the zoo, Shanna raised many animals, including a female leopard named Julani. During this period another shock to her system came when Julani was shot and killed by a zoo guard. The following day, the zoo director proposes Shanna take Julani's cubs, Ina and Biri — Yoruba names meaning "bright" and "black", respectively — to the Dahomey Reserve in Africa. While in Africa, Shanna becomes more attuned to nature, patrolling the jungle and living freely in the wild lands. She begins to wear Julani's fur pelt as a sight-and-sense cue to help with the raising of the cubs. In the jungle, Shanna becomes more and more at home with herself and her new native element, all the while protecting the reserve from poachers as Shanna the She-Devil.
A blond, alternate-universe version of the character starred in the seven-issue miniseries titled: Shanna, the She-Devil vol. 2 (April-Oct. 2005), written and drawn by Frank Cho. This Shanna is the result of a genetic experiment and she also has superhuman strength and agility. One member of a scientific expedition that encountered her named her Shanna after the "comic book character". The series was originally scheduled for release under Marvel's "mature readers" MAX imprint, but was reworked, with Cho eliminating the nudity before publication. It ran with a "PSR+" rating through issue #4, and a "Parental Advisory" rating afterward.
Blade (born Eric Brooks) was born in a whorehouse in the Soho neighbourhood of London, England in 1929. Blade's mother, Tara Brooks, was a prostitute at Madame Vanity's Brothel. When his mother experienced severe labor complications, a doctor was summoned who was in actuality Deacon Frost, a vampire who feasted on her during Blade's birth and killed her. However, this inadvertently passed along certain enzymes in his own blood to the infant. This resulted in Blade's quasi-vampiric abilities, including a greatly prolonged lifespan and the ability to sense supernatural creatures, as well as an immunity to complete vampirism. Brooks' fellow prostitutes drove off Frost before he could kill the infant as well. Blade grew up living at Madame Vanity's, and at age nine, returning home from school one December, he saw an old man being attacked by three vampires. Blade helped the old man, who used a silver cane to kill the vampires and fight off the attackers. The man was Jamal Afari, a jazz trumpeter and vampire-hunter who then moved into Madame Vanity's and trained the young Blade in both music and combat. Blade was soon able to defeat many of the weak, younger vampires that he and Afari found in abundance. Blade became an Olympic-level athlete and a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, with absolute expertise in edged weapons such as swords, knives and daggers.
However, Blade's victories made him cocky. He joined
a street gang, the Bloodshadows, headed by a much older and more powerful vampire than any Blade had met before, named Lamia. Blade barely defeated Lamia, and, in doing so, lost his girlfriend Glory. However, the tragedy of the experience left Blade more determined than ever to dedicate his life to the complete and utter extermination of vampires. Afari himself later fell prey to Dracula, the first occurrence in an ongoing battle between Dracula and Blade. Blade slew the vampire Afari and tracked Dracula back to Europe, Asia Minor, and Asia, staking him many times, but never completely destroying him. In China, Blade joined Ogun Strong's vampire hunters, which included Azu, Orji, and Musenda. Together, they staked Dracula again. Dracula survived, and killed all the hunters except Blade and Musenda (who eventually retired from vampire hunting). Orji had created a lasting impression on Blade with his use of wooden daggers to combat vampires, leading to Blade adopting that weapon as his preferred arms. Consumed by grief for his fallen comrades, Blade resumed his quest alone.
Ghost Rider
Following the western comics character who originally used the name, the first superhero Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, debuted
in Marvel Spotlight #5 (Aug. 1972), and was created by writer Gary Friedrich, writer-editor Roy Thomas, and artist Mike Ploog. He received his own series in 1973, with penciller Jim Mooney handling most of the first nine issues. Several different creative teams mixed-and-matched until penciller Don Perlin began a long stint with issue #26, eventually joined by writer Michael Fleisher through issue #58. The series ran through in issue #81 (June 1983).
The next Ghost Rider, a young man named Daniel Ketch, debuted in Ghost Rider vol. 2, #1 (May 1990). This Ghost
Rider was nearly identical to the previous, although his costume
was now a black leather biker jacket with spiked shoulder-pads,
grey leather pants, and a mystic chain he wore across his chest,
which responded to his mental commands and served as his
primary melee weapon. His new motorcycle resembled a futuristic machine and the front of it could lower to serve as a battering ram. Like the original Ghost Rider's bike, the wheels were composed of mystic hellfire. Unlike the relationship between the previous Ghost Rider and the demon with which he was bonded, Ketch and his demon — who in vol. 2, #91 (Dec. 1997) is revealed to be Marvel's incarnation of the Angel of Death/Judgment — are cooperative with each other. At the close of the series with vol. 2, #93 (Feb. 1998), Ketch apparently died. The following year, however, Peter Parker: Spider-Man #93 (July 1999) revealed Ketch was still alive. Nearly a decade later, Marvel published the long-completed final issue as Ghost Rider Finale (Jan. 2007), which reprints the last issue and the previously unpublished #94.
The Ghost Rider is a human who can transform into a skeletal being with a flaming skull and supernatural powers. The motorcycles he rides can travel faster than conventional motorcycles and can perform such seemingly impossible feats such as riding up a vertical surface, across the surface of water and leaping across great distances that normal motorcycles could not match. The Ghost Riders are notoriously hard to injure by any conventional means, as bullets and knives usually pass through them without causing pain (knives are seen to melt while in their body).
It is possible that they are genuinely immortal; it is said that God created them and only God can destroy them. The Ghost Riders possess superhuman strength, enough to easily pick up a truck and hurl it across a road. It has been stated that Johnny Blaze as Ghost Rider can press around 25 tons (or more as seen in World War Hulk). But a Ghost Rider's powers are more of a curse until they learn to control it. Each Ghost Rider entity also had abilities specific to him..
During the 2011 crossover story arc "Fear Itself" in several Marvel Comics titles, a Nicaraguan woman named Alejandra becomes Ghost Rider through a ritual performed by a man named Adam, in Ghost Rider vol. 7, #1. Though she demonstrated many previous unknown powers of the Ghost Rider entity, she was deprived of its full power when Johnny Blaze took back most of this power.
Lando Calrissian
Lando Calrissian first appears in The Empire Strikes Back
as the administrator of Cloud City, concerned primarily with keeping the Galactic Civil War and the Empire out of his affairs.
The bounty hunter Boba Fett, working for Darth Vader, tracks Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO traveling in
the hyper-drive damaged Millenium Falcon to Bespin. Shortly before Solo and crew make it to Bespin, Darth Vader and a contingent of Imperial Forces arrive at Bespin and threaten to take over the city.
Calrissian is strongarmed by Darth Vader into betraying his old friend Han Solo and turning him over to the bounty hunter Boba Fett. Unwilling to leave the city in the hands of the Empire, Calrissian reluctantly does so, but his conscience gets the better of him when Vader goes back on his word and takes Princess Leia Organa and Chewbacca as prisoners. In the ensuing evacuation of Cloud City, he helps Leia, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO escape. He then assists Leia in rescuing the maimed Luke Skywalker from the underside of Cloud City. Afterwards, he joins the Rebel Alliance and promises Leia he will find Han.
Lando's life prior to The Empire Strikes Back is chronicled in The Adventures of Lando Calrissian series of novels. Early in his career, Lando is a very prodigious gambler and wins the Millennium Falcon in a game of sabacc. He also wins a strange star-shaped droid named Vuffi Raa, who would be his friend and ally on many occasions. After acquiring the Falcon, and under the tutelage of his friend Han Solo, Calrissian begins to develop his skills as a pilot. In Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu, he is conned by the Sorcerer of Tund, Rokur Gepta, into hunting down the titular object in the Rafa system. When he arrives, he finds it totally covered in sand and plastic pyramids, and inhabited by a dull and slow-witted society, the Toka. Lando eventually finds the mindharp, but the human governor of Rafa IV activates it. Majestically, the pyramids crumble and the Toka are revealed as the Sharu, an ancient civilization that had drained their intelligence away for safety. Once the Sharu are resurrected, they drive out all the humans. Lando is forced to return to Rokur empty-handed.
In Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka, Lando tries to save a space-borne species called the Oswaft. During the mission, strange spherical droids appear and take Vuffi Raa away, for he is actually a scout for this strange culture. Then, he enters the sabacc championships, and loses to Han Solo. Han makes off with the Millennium Falcon. In Rebel Dawn, Calrissian helps Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Solo's old flame Bria Tharen (then a Commander in the Rebel Alliance) in a raid against the Hutt-controlled slave world of Ylesia.
During the raid which promises generous rewards to Han and his compatriots, Tharen's Red Hand Squadron double crosses Lando and the rest of Han's friends. In the ensuing chaos, Han is branded an accomplice and a traitor. Back on Nar Shaddaa (then Solo's home) word soon spreads, and Calrissian punches him out. Later, he wins the mining facility of Cloud City from its current ruler, Baron Raynor. He becomes a responsible leader, keeping his operations out of the eyes of the Galactic Empire. Finally, when the newly located Galactic Senate on Mon Calamari sets out to vote for a new Chief of State, Calrissian and Talon Karrde provide "incentives" such as silence, money, and blackmail to convince a group of corrupt senators to vote for Cal Omas, who supports the Jedi. When Omas is elected, Calrissian, Karrde, and Star Destroyer owner Booster Terrik lead the Smuggler's Alliance, with Han Solo commanding, to victory over a massive Yuuzhan Vong force in the rout at Ebaq 9.
Calrissian eventually retires to private life after proving crucial in the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar and creating a new Holonet to replace the one the Vong destroyed. In the seventh novel of the Legacy of the Force series, Fury, Calrissian announces to Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo that he and Tendra are having a child. Lando is revealed to have a son Lando Jr. nicknamed "Chance".
Iron Man 3 Review
OK, so I saw Iron Man 3 in the theaters and I was itching to give you all my two cents about them the film but, I was giving you all some time to see it for yourselves. If the box office numbers are any indication, you've probably seen it by now so I don't think I'll be spoiling anything that you either haven't seen or haven't read on the internet already, so please; bear with me. :)
Due to the fact that I got the movie spoiled by some very annoying Facebook "friends", I went into the movie with a bit of negative feelings towards a few things regarding the treatment of classic characters; but I still gave it a chance. And guess what? I absolutely enjoyed this film! I actually enjoyed it way more than I thought I was going to for many reasons, and the few things that annoyed me weren't even that annoying after all. So, shall we begin?
When we first see Tony Stark, he's having panic attacks, he's distant, doesn't sleep, he's hiding behind his work and his relationship with "Pepper" Potts is "rocky" to say the least. He's obviously still shaken up by the events that transpired in New York where he found himself looking for answers and for the first time, he had none! If there's one thing that Tony Stark can rely on is his genius and the ability to find all the answers, but the moment when he met a god of thunder, aliens and parallel worlds, he came to the abrupt realization that he was, as he himself puts it: "a man in a tin can".
Enter: The Mandarin. For comic fans across the globe, The Mandarin is Iron Man's arch nemesis. Created by Stan Lee and designed by Don Heck, The Mandarin first appeared in Tales of Suspense #50 (February 1964), battling Iron Man of course! The character is described as being born in China before the Communist Revolution, to a wealthy Chinese father and an English aristocratic mother, both of whom died when he was very young. He is portrayed as a megalomaniac, attempting to conquer the world on several occasions, yet also possessing a strong sense of honor. The Mandarin is also a genius scientist and a superhumanly skilled martial artist. However, his primary source of power are ten power rings that he adapted from the alien technology of a crashed space ship. Each ring has a different power and is worn on a specific finger. But... as Hollywood often does, they completely changed the character to the point of him not even being "real", but just a ruse created by the true villain of the story. As you can tell, I'm a bit upset about this but I decided to just enjoy the movie for what it was and roll with the punches but I can totally understand why so many Iron Man fans are up in arms throughout the internet because of this plot twist. I feel your pain my brothers and sisters!
Now, some of the best moments for me came by way of "Pepper" Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and it went from fun to shock to amazement. She was vulnerable, funny and a badass at the same time and they did it in such a way that it takes you by surprise in such a great way! The fact that she puts on an Iron Man suit and saves Tony, she gets "killed" right in front of Tony and she comes back thanks in part to the villain, and she completely kicks ass; it was a blast to see on screen. Of course, Paltrow is always easy on the eyes, but to have her in a more action oriented role is perfect for the character, especially if you're a comic book fan like me, and have seen her become a part of the Iron man Corps and wear her own Iron Man suit, it was great to see in this movie a little bit of that. It also gives them the opportunity to potentially use her in a more demanding and active role n future installments of the series, which I hope they do.
One of the cool things about this movie was the introduction of Iron Patriot into the fray. For those of you who don't read comics, the Iron Patriot armor is first worn by Norman Osborn during the Dark Reign storyline. Norman Osborn first dons the Iron Patriot armor when he establishes the Dark Avengers. The armor serves as an amalgam between Captain America and Iron Man. The Iron Patriot armor utilized a version of Iron Man's armor painted in the colors of the American flag. The armor featured superhuman strength, enhanced durability, flight, magnetic impact blasts, heat seeking missiles, miniaturized lasers, flamethrowers, and a communications system housed in his helmet which allowed him to interface with any U.S.-controlled satellite or computer network. While the original Iron Man armor utilized repulsor technology, Osborn's design does not. Stark destroyed all but one repulsor, and stated that "Oz is too stupid" to make his own repulsor-based weapons system. The star shaped Uni Beam projector on his chest because of its shape, also has a less powerful output than that of the original Iron Man model.
Now, in the movie, the Iron Patriot armor is an upgrade of the War Machine armor worn by James Rhodes (Don Cheadle). Rhodes is asked by the President to take on the Iron Patriot identity to be used as the US government's "American hero" symbol in response to the events that occurred in The Avengers. The armor is briefly stolen by Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM) and used by Eric Savin to abduct the President, but Rhodes is able to recover the armor at the conclusion of the film and is the only Iron Man armor that still remains active. I personally enjoy seeing the character of "Rhodey" in action, be it as War Machine, Iron Patriot or as the soldier. He's one of the few people that Tony Stark can truly count on and he's also a badass; he proved it in this movie.
Now to the real villain of the story, Aldrich Killiam. Dr. Aldrich Killiam was a brilliant scientist working alongside Dr. Maya Hansen. Together they developed Extremis, an attempt to create a new super soldier. Extremis was a techno-organic virus that rewrites the body's genetic code, regenerates organs and/or limbs, gives superhuman strength, speed, endurance, reflexes and the ability to project electricity and breathe fire. In the movie we see all of these features except the electricity part, but Killiam, in part because of Tony's egocentric tendencies, becomes obsessed with power and the desire of recognition. So, in a way, Tony Stark created his greatest foe.
He's also charming, elusive, conniving and just an evil genius the likes of which Tony Stark hadn't met before. Before all the genetic tinkering, Dr. Killiam was a genius, but after Extremis, he was also a physically superior to Tony Stark and for the first time, Tony was outmatched. It was truly a great battle at the end, and we could see just how superior Killiam was to Tony, how clever Tony had to be to even stand a chance against his most imposing threat ever and how lucky he is that the has loyal friends whom he can count on.
All in all, I really enjoyed this film from beginning to end and like I said, even the parts that annoyed me didn't annoy me to the point of me not liking the film. If you haven't seen Iron Man 3 I got two things to say to you 1. Why haven't you? and 2. Give it a shot and I guarantee you it'll be money well spent.
I give it a rating of 8.5/10
A Boricua Like ME!
The other night I was reminded why I love the internet so much! I've been a comic book fan since the early 90's and I've loved every minute of it. Of course I always follow artists since I'm an artist myself, and there have been a few that have always stayed at the top of my list in terms of the greats in my book. Jack Kirby is the first to pop in my head because of his importance to the comic book medium itself, but one of the most influential artists in the history of comics has to be the one I'm talking about today; Mr. George Perez!
His style is one of the most recognizable in the comics industry and I'd describe it as very "busy", because Mr. Perez has the gift of being able to put 10-15 characters in a page/panel and, not only make it work; but make it look amazing! Now, in the back of my mind I've always thought that Mr. Perez was from Puerto Rico not only because of his last name (Perez) but also for the fact that it'd be amazing if he was from the place I was born in. For those of you who don't know, Perez is a very Puertorican last name, it's almost like Smith or Johnson to the United States, so I had very hopes that this was the case. So, after all the years I've thought about this, only recently was I bold enough to apprach Mr. George Perez with my inquiry. Here's how the conversation went down...
Me- Mr. Perez, I'm a longtime fan of yours and I'm also a omic book artist. I'm currently working on my own book and I have a small indy label called Truthful Comics. But that's not why Im writing you, the reason for my email is to find something out that's been in my head for quite a while. My question is this, are you of Puertorican descent? I ask because I'm Puertorican and Perez is a very Puertorican last name. I could be wrong. Thank you for your time sir.
In case you don't know who George Perez is, here's a list of the books he's worked on throughout the years:
I wanted to share this with all my friends because I was so excited, I felt I was about to explode! Now, I can tell my son "You see these comic books, how amazing they look, well they were drawn by one of the greats. And guess what? He's a Boricua just like you and me. He made it, he became a legend, and if he did... so can you".
As we promised, we're going to be doing a series of Cosplayer Spotlights and were going to give a fun interview to thos Cosplayers whom we are fans of. This week we're spotlighting one of the cutest Cosplayers in the world, the lovely Teeny Foxx!
Truthful Comics- So Teeny, let's start by asking you how long have you been Cosplaying?
Teeny Foxx- I've only been serious about it the past few years... but I've always dressed up in costumes for fun.
TC- Cosplay or Crossplay? Or both?
TF- Both. I like taking male characters and doing a female version.
I do it often with sentai Characters and Spiderman making Anya Corazon basically raiding Peter and Ben's closets.
TC- I see. Why do you Cosplay?
TF- because I enjoy having fun and what's more fun than being super heroes? Seeing kid's faces at events and cons just makes me wanna do this forever.
TC-Is Csoplay a hobby you consider yourself doing for a long time?
TF- I don't plan on quiting anytime soon.
TC- If someone told you they hated your Cosplay, what would you do? Be honest now!
TF- People have both good and bad to say all the time. I usually just take in stride.
TC- Great attitude! If someone told you they loved your Cosplay, what would you do?
TF- I'm always thankful for the support and compliments.
TC- Homemade Cosplay or bought/comissioned cosplay?
TF- I have made some of my Cosplays like my Starfire, but I also commission work from people like my Sentai suits.
TC- Oh yeah, you did an awesome job on the Starfire Cosplay. There is a lot of debate if western/asians should Cosplay. Your thoughts?
TF- I encourage people to do whatever they enjoy.
TC- Do you prefer to work alone or with others?
TF- I've worked with lots of Cosplayers and always enjoy working together.
TC- What is your most expensive cosplay?
TF- Sentai costumes can get pretty pricey with helmet costs.
TC- I can imagine! They look crazy though. What Cosplay has gotten more attention from your fans?
TF- I get different attention with different costumes from different people, but my Sentai Cosplays tend to get the most positive attention from all ages.
TC- What is a cosplay pet peeve of yours?
TF- People who are in it for something other than smiles.
TC- I like that about you, you're doing it for the right reasons. What was your first convention? What was the reaction?
TF- A toyshow in NJ, 4 years ago; I loved it! I found such fun stuff and it started my love for conventions.
TC- It's always great to discover a convention for the first time, it definitely opens your eyes to a whole new world! What was your last convention? What was the reaction?
TF- Zenkaikon - it was smaller than most I attend but was still very nice and had some fun panels.
TC- Photoshopped or un-Photoshopped images?
TF- I usually post un-Photoshopped pix but I like both. If a photographer does edit work, I post it just the same. I also recieve alot of pretty cool edits from my page supporters.
TC- How far are you willing to go while in Cosplay? At the end of the day, are you "YOU" or are you the character?
TF- When I am in costume, I stay in character for the kids I meet with, but once the day is done and the helmet comes off... I'm just normal me.
TC- How do you pay for your Cosplays?
TF- I work a regular job and do freelance makeup as well as get paid for Cosplay appearances.
TC- Nice! When do you do Cosplays? At conventions only?
TF- I try to do charity events, in-store appearances and photo shoots outside of my convention appearances.
TC- What got you into Cosplaying?
TF- A childhood dream to the characters I saw in cartoons and comics.
TC- Well, thank you for your time and continued success in all your endeavors. We definitely look forward to your next Cosplays and who knows, maybe you'll be Csoplaying as one of Truthful Comics' character in the near future!
Helping Callie!
This blog entry was copied from the Geek Girls website and it was done in order to help a friend in need. We hope this will bring another spotlight on the gravity of Leah's situation and if there's anything else that we can help with, please let us know. Our prayers go out to Leah and her family.
Helping Callie
When I became a Geek Girl I did not even dream that it would be anything more than just a fun little side hobby, I figured I would cosplay a little and write some cool articles and that would be that. Wow was I ignorant. I now have come to know that being a part of this site, this team, this family has been one of the greatest things to of happened to me in a long time. I never had a lot of friends, let alone girl friends that I could relate to. I never thought for a million years I would come to have all of these amazing women on my side cheering me on, and being there to talk to when I needed them.
Callie is very sick. And I had known for a while that she was but did not know the extent of it. But now I do. She messaged me and confided in me about it and I could tell she was feeling completely defeated, and that wasn't like the girl I had met before, so I was worried. And what can we do? What can we do as friends but to be there with an open ear and a shoulder to cry on, especially when living across the world from one another. I felt helpless. So I thought to do the one thing I knew I could. Reach out. I know Geek girls has a large platform of fans and I decided to use it to help as best as I could. So I teamed up with Dana (Our Geek Girls co creator) to make this post. Callie is well aware of it, but at the same time I know she does not want to be pitied as she is such a strong woman, but I tell her sometimes it is ok to ask for help.
We ask everyone who reads this blog to please help Leah in any way you can, it'll be greatly appreciated! We wish Leah all the best in the world and we'll be praying for her. From the Truthful Comics Family to yours, God Bless you Leah!
-Manuel A. Carmona
Well, today we launched unto the interwebs our first effort from what is going to be the Truthful Comics Podcast. This is something I've been wanting to do for a while now and thankfully, I met Aaron Hoover, a master in the art of podcasting, through the magical world of Facebook and now I can truly say, we've become good friends. And what do friends do? They help each other out or course!
Being that he's such a wizard in the art of podcasting, I asked him to help me out with this little experiment and he agreed! No loopholes, no small print in a shady contract and no bribes, none of that was necessary for him to give me a helping hand; and I appreciate him for that. He not only co-hosts the podcast, but he's also is the driving force behind the editing and post-production of the episodes and all the technical stuff I have no idea how to deal with, plus he produced the intro to the podcast which I fell in love with as soon as I listened to it, being a HUGE Batman: Brave and the Bold fan. I think what he's doing with this podcast asa favor to me is incredible and the appreciation I feel for my friend is something I can't quite put into words, but I'll just say: Thank you Aaron!
Joining us on this crazy ride will be Ethan Parker who is Aaron's co-host on a podcast called Confessions of a Movie Snob (http://confessionsofamoviesnob.com/) as well as Batman super fan Cory Gaitan. So, without further further ado, I give you Issue #0 of Truthful Comics Podcast.
Truthful Comics Podcast Issue #0: http://www.truthfulcomics.com/podcast.html
We hope you enjoy our little podcast and we're looking forward to listening to your feedback. If you have questions or you want us to discuss anything in particular, send us an email to: email@example.com
Batman's True Creator
Ok kids, here's a little comic book history class for all those of you who think you know your comic book characters. One of, if not THE most, important names in Batman lore is Bill Finger. Who is he you say? Well, let me explain. Everywhere you see a Batman comic book, movie, tv series or whatever, Bob Kane is credited as the sole creator of Batman; but the Batman he actually created was the one you see wearing only a bright red costume, stiff black bat wings attached to his arms and a black domino (Robin style) mask. That was the Batman that Bob Kane created, the Batman you know and love today is Bill Fingers' Batman design.
In 1938, Superman would create a boom in the comic industry and DC would go looking for another hero. Bob Kane would come up with a character called The Batman. After creating this character, he phone up Bill Finger, and showed him the sketch of the Batman. Finger felt the character looked too much like Superman and suggested some changes. The rest, as they say, is history.
**The image on the right was a recreation done by Arlen Shumer based on Kane's & Finger's descriptions, originally the front cover to her "Bat-Man Cover Story" article in Roy Thomas' comics history mag, Alter Ego #5 in 1999. You can find it here on her website: http://www.arlenschumer.com/images/stories/history_pdfs/BATMAN_coverstory.pdf. --------------------------------------------------------------->
"I got Webster's Dictionary off the shelf and was hoping they had a drawing of a bat, and sure enough it did. I said, 'notice the ears, why don't we duplicate the ears?' I suggested he draw what looked like a cowl... I had suggested he bring the nosepiece down and make him mysterious and not show any eyes at all... I didn't like the wings, so I suggested he make a cape and scallop the edges so it would flow out behind him when he ran and would look like bat wings. He didn't have any gloves on. We gave him gloves because naturally he'd leave fingerprints." -Bill Finger
Bill Finger also wrote some of the early Batman stories. In doing so, he created the personality of Batman and turned him into a great detective. "My idea was to have Batman be a combination of Douglas Fairbanks, Sherlock Holmes, The Shadow, and Doc Savage as well". Finger went on to give Batmans alter ego the name of Bruce Wayne, and later named his sidekick Robin (Dick Grayson). He named Batman's hometown Gotham City, and contributed in the creation of many of Batman's villains. Catwoman, Penguin, Riddler, Two-Face, and ClayFace were among them. While Bill Finger didn't create the Joker, he did write the first Joker issue in Batman #1.
Bill Finger really enjoyed mystery novels. He would often use that style of story in the Batman comics. He would also use giant props in the stories because they were good visuals for the readers, and often did the research that artists usually do for the prop scenes. He was very good in writing them, to the extent that the artist didn't have to guess what was going on.
Bill has worked on much more than just Batman, he created the original versions of Green Lantern and Wildcat with artist Irwin Hansen. He also went on to work on Superman, Superboy, Wonder Woman, Flash, Atom, Challengers of the Unknown, Tomahawk, and many others. He at one time, worked for Marvel Comics and wrote Captain America and the All Winners Squad. Bill also did some work outside of comic books. He co-wrote the 1969 film "The Green Slime" and wrote for many Warner Brothers TV detective series of the 60's. Some included 77 sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, and The Roaring Twenties.
Sadly, during the 60's, Bill was one of the long time creators that DC fired when they asked for some health benefits. He later went back to work for DC in the 70's and wrote some a few mystery stories, he then died in 1974. So, from now on, whenever you hear someone say that Bob Kane created Batman I won't ask, I DEMAND that you let them know the truth, Bob Kane came up with a name; Bill Finger is the one responsible for the Batman we know today. REMEMBER THAT!
Manuel A. Carmona
ORDER is brought to you by RockBottom Studios and hosted on Truthful Comics, an opening tale of a coming satanic apocalypse. This web mini series gives a look into a world where all of the conspiracies and secrets of society are in fact spout from the lips of the King of Serpents himself. A cosmic event that tramples through lives and spins a universe into a dark and desolate future.
The web comic series ORDER carries an interesting take on the apocalyptic prelude of 2012. A subject that in genre isn't always accepted with open arms. I do however enjoy the approach taken by Corey Davis, I like his style, his voice. Some of the dialogue could be tweaked, but his anatomy fits his fantasy spin and is a quick read. Surely a mere opening of curtains to a grander arena.
Set to debut in February 2013, Shadow Club Karma will rock the shelves as the first collaboration of Rocbottom Studios and Truthful Comics talents. Be sure to keep an eye out for it's budding debut, and stay tuned for more from Truthful Comics as we will undoubtedly have more to share!
Review by AgromaniaWorldwide
The Truth
This is the Blog about all things Truthful Comics. Looking forward to reading your posts!