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Emilee and Angelina's dearest summer season day act is licking ice mayo off of one another's figures. You fanny inform btw they expertly munch each and every different's nips that it is one thing they do oftentimes. They reside in combination and percentage the similar couch and feature spent many nights sinking their munches deep in each and every different's pussies. And whilst they love getting each and every different off, they are supple with their hook-up lives and do not thoughts including a shaft to the equation. When that occurs, Emilee and Angelina give the dude a demonstrate as they each munch his shaft simultaneously earlier than they take turns humping him. Observe how they get down with each and every different and every other dude on this super-fucking-hot gig. And let this conform as a lesson to all the time elevate a vid digicam with you, since you by no means know when 2 super-fucking-hot supersluts will poke you in a threesome.
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Date: March 21, 2020


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Big Cat Safari Holidays
Big cats are among the most admired and sought-after mammals on the planet, and we are proud to offer a broad and comprehensive range of big cat safari holidays. We offer inspiring and truly memorable wildlife tours to enjoy sightings of all of the world's iconic species in their natural habitats, including Tigers in India and Nepal, Jaguars in the Pantanal, Pumas in Chile and Snow Leopards in India and Mongolia.
We offer a range of itineraries around Africa and encounter the continent's high-profile species like Lions, Cheetahs and Leopards. We also have wildlife holidays that catch sightings of the Asiatic Lion in India and the elusive Leopard in Sri Lanka. We do not neglect the smaller cats either, and offer short breaks to go in search of Wildcat and both Eurasian and Iberian Lynx.
Our specialist recommends...
Tom Mabbett - Operations Manager

subset: commoncrawl


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It seems to have been a bad couple of months for cats in Thailand just a couple of weeks after Love Pattaya Thailand reported on the case of a woman's home being entered by a python.
Who decided to munch on six of her furry companions it seems another python decided to do the same.
A hungry python measuring five metres in length made its way inside of a home in northern metropolitan Bangkok and decided to eat the resident's unfortunate cat whole on Wednesday.
Saowarak Charoen, 59, said that the python that obviously had a hankering for cat slipped into her house in Pathum Thani undetected and ate her cat named Bobo then coiled itself up under the kitchen sink for a nap and to digest its meal.
Saowarak said she realised one of her three cats was missing and was walking around the house looking for it when she spotted the snake under the sink with an ominously swollen stomach.
Wasting no time she called the Kuh Bang Luang police and wildlife officers, who quickly responded to the woman call.
A video was posted online of the officers moving the snake to an outside patio before persuading it to regurgitate the unfortunate Bobo, which once the body was recovered was buried.
The wildlife authorities took the large serpent away to be released back into the wild hopefully far away from Saowarak's remaining two feline companions.
It's not only cats that pythons in the Bangkok area have recently gone after several months ago a woman was doing her private business in the downstairs bathroom of her house when a snake slithered up and bit her on the behind.
Related articles : Cat lovers look away as python has six cats for breakfast
Source : Khaosodenglish
Content : LovePattayaThailand


text: Maintaining a comfortable temperature in the spacious keeping room is expensive, if even possible, using standard ceiling fans. With the volume of air in the room, moving it sufficiently was a job for a Big Ass Fan. The 10' diameter Isis can bring the entire room to a pleasant condition, even in the summer months, with a slow moving pace in a matter of seconds while using a fraction of the energy of smaller fans. Turning, sleek and silently, the clearly industrial aesthetic of the Isis is a nod to functionality, bringing an air of authenticity to the otherwise traditionally designed space.


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Defunct Climate Leaders Program Lives On in NGO Awards
Defunct Climate Leaders Program Lives On in NGO Awards
Many Climate Leaders members felt burned when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced, in September 2010, that it would shutter the popular program, which provided technical assistance and public recognition for companies that sought to reduce their carbon emissions.
The cross-sector Climate Leaders program spurred companies to calculate their greenhouse gas emissions and set goals to reduce them. Participants earned recognition for their achievements. The program had nearly 200 members operating in all 50 U.S. states, collectively reducing greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 50 million metric tons per year. It was a win-win, hailed as an example of a voluntary carbon-cutting program that encouraged action in the absence of federal climate legislation.
The reasons given for terminating Climate Leaders included the existence of other programs available to help with greenhouse gas inventories and goal-setting, and compliance developments, such as the EPA's first-ever emissions reporting rule. Some participants complained the EPA wanted to play a more regulatory role, noting that the agency had also discontinued Performance Track, another voluntary program, the year before.
Other programs do fulfill pieces of the Climate Leaders program (though no individual program covers all parts). However, one piece that had been lacking was a similar recognition program to that offered by the EPA.
On Tuesday, a group of nonprofits stepped up to announce an awards and recognition program that will serve as a legacy to the Climate Leaders program. The EPA will jointly sponsor the new program, which plans to hand out its inaugural awards early next year.
Strength in Numbers
The EPA accepted a joint proposal from The Climate Registry (TCR), the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO) to co-sponsor a program with the agency. The groups began discussing the possibility of working together on an awards program at the Climate Leaders' annual meeting in October, held a few weeks after news of the program's demise was announced.
"The seed was planted there," said Denise Sheehan, TCR executive director. "When the EPA came out with its request for proposals, it occurred to all of us that to provide a strong proposal, it would be better to submit it together than individually."
Each group brings a set of skills and strengths to the table. TCR offers carbon accounting methodologies and a platform for emissions reporting disclosure. The Pew Center is well-known for its analyses and research on climate issues, in addition to its work with the private sector. ACCO, meanwhile, invests heavily in building knowledge and skills of individuals working in the climate change arena.
"I think the EPA has selected three excellent organizations to play this particular role," said Bruce Klafter, managing director of corporate responsibility and sustainability at Applied Materials and a critic of the EPA decision to end Climate Leaders. "The Climate Registry, Pew and ACCO are all excellent groups. I think they put it in good hands, which is nice. Time will tell if the awards program carries the same type of cachet that EPA's did. There was clearly something about receiving recognition from a government organization that people craved."
Expanded Award Categories
Awards programs play a vital role in spotlighting emissions-reducing efforts voluntarily undertaken by companies outside regulatory regimes, Sheehan said.
The new awards program will be a broader than Climate Leaders, which spotlighted goal achievers, goal setters and new partners, Sheehan explained. New awards will be handed out for climate leadership in supply chains and from whole organizations and individuals.
Over the next few months, the partners will work on drafting the criteria and eligibility for the awards, the application and nomination process, and assembling panels to review applications. At the same time, they will work on a parallel path to put together the all-day conference where the awards will take place.
The EPA is also considering another joint recognition program, the agency said on its website.
Filling the Void
Other programs in the marketplace offer similar functions as Climate Leaders, in terms of assisting organizations with calculating and reporting greenhouse gas inventories, including TCR and the Carbon Disclosure Project.
TCR has seen steady growth in the last six months or so since the demise of Climate Leaders was announced, though Sheehan declined to declare a direct relationship. In response, TCR has moved to expand its program in order to create a "bigger tent" under which companies can participate.
"We used to require facility-level reporting, but we have moved to reporting at the entity or organization level," Sheehan said. "We tried to add flexibility to our program and also make it an easier transition from other programs to our program while also maintaining the integrity of our program."
There is another piece of the Climate Leaders program some members would like to see made available, Klafter said.
"Many of us are still waiting for EPA to provide access to some of their modeling and other technical tools that were underpinning their Climate Leaders program," he said. "That would be the third piece."
Stay tuned.


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目前担任全国政协委员、民建中央常委、"十三五"国家发展规划专家委员会专家委员、中国经济 50 人论坛成员、中国金融 40 人论坛成员、中国信息百人会成员。2015-2018 年曾任中国人民银行货币政策委员会成员。2011.8-2012.12 挂任北京市国有资产经营有限责任公司副总裁。2006-2007 年担任布鲁金斯学会非常驻高级研究员。
Professor Chong-En Bai is Mansfield Freeman Chair Professor, Dean of the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University. He is also the Director of the National Institute for Fiscal Studies of Tsinghua University. He earned his Ph.D. degree in Economics from Harvard University. His research areas include Institutional Economics, Economic Growth and Development, Public Economics, Finance, Corporate Governance and Chinese Economy.
Professor Bai is a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the "13 th Five-Year Plan" National Development Planning Expert Committee, the Chinese Economists 50 Forum, the China Finance 40 Forum, and Chinainfo 100. He was a member of the monetary policy committee of the People's Bank of China from 2015 to 2018. He served as Adjunct Vice-President of Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Co., Ltd. from August 2011 to December 2012. He was a non-resident Senior Fellow of the Brookings Institution from 2006 to 2007.


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Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Phillip Morelock's Blog
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Kati on the Ipad
Yes, Apple's iphone's and ipad's are changing the lives of John Q Public, but lost in that is what a big impact they are making on smaller segments of people who face daily challenges. For Kati, the iphone, and soon the ipad are essential for keeping her connected. How else can her dog Inca get the virtual hamburgers and steaks that people leave for her on Living With Ataxia? :)
My favorite part of Kati's review wasn't even about how the ipad relates to her. It was a little anecdote at the bottom of her post.
"I came across another link on Facebook leading to video of two deaf people using the iPhone (Facetime Video App) as video phone to sign to each other."
Monday, June 28, 2010
This Really Happened - Pop a Shot
Maybe too good. Definitely too good. Way too good at Pop A Shot.
Before I took my turn to shoot, I turned to Meghan, Matt & Vanessa (my teammates) and said, "I may be better at Pop A Shot than anything else in my life." They looked at me in a weird way.
Then I shot a 71, which is the world record as far as I know.
At that moment, everything in the world made sense.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
"People Aren't Motivated by Insults"
-- Great advice by Professor Caulkins, one of my favorite Kellogg Professors.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Moore's Law in Healthcare
Health Care Information Technology: Moore's Law is so last century!
The same test was:
$350k in 2009
$650k in 2008
$3B in 2003"
I loved this post by James Siminoff about how Moore's Law is affecting Healthcare Diagnostics, because it was the subject of my internship at Becton Dickinson. The layman definition for Moore's Law is that every 18 months, the number of circuits on a semiconductor doubles. It's not a law of physics, but the magical semiconductor R&D labs always seem to do it. Accompanying the doubling of circuits, is a similar price drop of something like 50% for a given level of computing power. The price drop isn't a law of economics and wasn't even addressed by Moore, but it just kind of happens, and you can bank on it.
One of the best things about going to Business School is your summer internship. You get to try out a whole new profession for three months. You meet great people along the way, learn about what you love, and do great work. BD is a Fortune 100 company and they asked me to research and propose a strategy in the molecular diagnostics market for them. BD was very strong in old school, culture based tests, but didn't have much of a presence in the new fangled Molecular (gene based) market. Molecular Diagnostics are fantastic at determining the genetic markers that tell us whether someone is genetically predisposed to things like Breast Cancer and other diseases. Your genes don't lie and there is a wealth of information in them.
Moore's Law is something that hadn't really occurred to the folks at BD because they had spent their careers in Healthcare, a place where costs only seem to go up, not down like clockwork in technology. However, I'd spent the early part of my career doing Investment Banking for tech companies and I saw the magic that was unfolding in this market. In fact, the capacity improvements and price reductions were blowing away Moore's law, increasing and decreasing respectively by about 4x a year.
The trick in Molecular is finding the genetic markers that correspond to a disease. As James shows above, the tools capable of this work were insanely expensive, kind of like how old mainframe computers were when the computer revolution started. But Moore's Law gradually made the personal computer and server market accessible and today we walk around with a phone that is more powerful than those old mainframes. My message to BD management was that diagnostic toolmakers were going to make finding genetic markers cheaper and easier than they had ever imagined, and we would have a healthcare revolution on our hands shortly. Management enthusiastically embraced my recommendation and has made moves into the market.
I share this story because for all of the developments going on in Information Technology, I think the most exciting leaps are taking place in Healthcare. Technology is a beautiful, unrelenting force, powered on by human ingenuity, and soon, very soon, we'll all be better off for its magic.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Ariel's Life is Funny
My good friend Ariel is blogging now. She's hilarious in real life and a good writer. This is her second post and I was already laughing out loud. Enjoy.
Friday Chill Music (June 25, 2010)
Sadly, many of the mixes have disappeared from my computer over the years. If you have an old copy or any of the mixes, I'd love to burn it so I have a record of what I put together. Leave a comment or send me an email with what you have!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
"I Am Here for You Too"
We started a new patient to patient support network under Ben's Friends. It's for Chiari Malformations and this quote was left on the network from one patient to another last night.
Ben's Friends and all 14 (!) of our networks are a little Internet miracle. Take a second and check it out.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Why won't you feed your blog thru Twitter? I keep forgetting to check it. at the very least can you poll your readers and see if they want it.
I think it's kind of annoying and I don't like it when others do it.
However - I'm posting this on my blog for comments from Readers. If you want this blog to feed through my Twitter feed, that is fine with me.
Fred Wilson on Diversification
Loved this post by Fred Wilson explaining the merits of Diversification, mostly because on the subject, I've been a broken record to friends and family for a long time. Diversification is your friend, a very, very good friend.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Close Enough
- Marco, one of the most famous iphone developers in the world (I read him religiously)
Guilty Pleasure
"Got Mullet lover's address before calling the taxi. I hate sounding like a whore when ordering a taxi."
Note, this is not a PG blog.
State of Love and Trust
This got me really excited because I've been waiting for new rock bands to start covering Pearl Jam, like how PJ covers all the old greats. A couple sample covers below, but here is my current wishlist of current bands hypothetically covering PJ songs:
1) Fleet Foxes doing Oceans
2) M. Ward doing Daughter
3) Jack Johnson covering Around the Bend
4) Band of Horses doing Hunger Strike (oh wait, they already did that)
5) Bon Iver doing Release
6) The National doing Leash
7) The XX doing Hard to Imagine
8) The Yeah Yeah Yeah's doing Jeremy
9) Death Cab doing In Hiding
10) Conor Oberst doing Footsteps
11) Drive by Truckers doing Rearview Mirror
12) Jenny Lewis doing Betterman
13) My Morning Jacket doing In My Tree
14) Ryan Adams doing Off He Goes
15) Wilco doing Present Tense
Here is PJ covering Leaving Here by the Who
PJ Covering Throw Your Arms Around Me:
Here's a great Staind cover of Black:
Monday, June 21, 2010
How to Hire a Programmer by Derek Sivers
One of the most important things he advocates is sketching out the basic functionality ahead of time and telling the developer exactly what he needs to build. This is incredibly important for the developer but also for you, who will be functioning in the Product Management roll. There is a very good chance that you don't know exactly what you want to build. Writing and sketching it out is VERY IMPORTANT so you don't have wicked scope creep.
This was a huge problem on LuvvBugg because I continually wanted to build more functionality into the product as we went. I drove my partner Ashish beyond crazy and he was completely justified in his frustration. LuvvBugg was my first project like that so I was learning as I went. It will be tempting to increase the scope because the market will be moving as you build the product. Do not increase the scope. Get the product out the door and working before you do anything to increase functionality.
For Ben's Friends patient to patient support networks we kept everything incredibly simple and I realized how important that was, both from a scope creep perspective, and also because you know you really have something if people are using your baseline product. That's the case with Ben's Friends and it's totally invigorating. It prevents development fatigue to see people using your stuff and loving it. As I told Matt recently with regard to his side project, once you get a little critical mass using your service/product, it becomes incredibly addictive. The email thank you's are enough on their own to make you become borderline obsessed about it. At that point, you will have actual people telling you what they want you to build for them. It's way easier to incorporate other people's good ideas than trying to project what you think they might want.
One other tip, talk to all the smart people you know who should have an opinion, before you start building. On a little side project called Popcorn that I'm building now, I talked to Matt, Jeremy Downs, Dave Abramson, Mark Himmelsbach, John Hamilton and Alex Bain exhaustively before building. You'll flush out all your ideas in those conversations, they'll tell you what you are missing (which is probably 50% of everything) and you'll have some compadres to share progress with. If you want to get really crazy, build a Google Doc that captures all the constructive feedback you get. Aggregate it and then invite all the friends who contributed to it. This can be invigorating for your feedback providers, because they can see what everyone else is suggesting. It makes it a lot more fun and they can then build on other people's ideas.
Oh yeah, definitely post it on Elance. Awesome network of developers and easy to manage. That's where I found my man Nick who has built a kick ass prototype of Popcorn. For the curious folks out there, Popcorn will be unveiled probably in a month. Stay tuned.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Schweif's Birthday Scavenger Hunt
birthday scavenger hunt. Here is Meghan arm wrestling the bartender at
Bar None and Vanessa immitating him at the Grove on Cheatnut. Awesome
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Friday Chill Music (June 16, 2010)
Ultra mellow track list today. I had the privilege of hanging out with Corynn (my old roomate in SF) and @lattekelli Wednesday night in Seattle. We went to a small concert for Brad, an old school Seattle band fronted by Shawn Smith which also includes Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam. Amazing show. Click through the link on Smith for more of his music.
I've included a bunch of the songs played at the concert. Smith also covered Crown of Thorns, a legendary song by Mother Love Bone. MLB included Stone Gossard & Jeff Ament, the two guitarists would go on to found Pearl Jam after MLB's lead singer died in a drug overdose. It's a beautiful song and it was pretty awesome seeing it covered at the High Dive.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
it's time for molly mutt clean!
...so just like with the dog duvets, since i couldn't find it...i made it! "
Can a VC transfer risk to a startup?
Caterina: OH I read that 4,153,237 people got married last year. I don't want to start any trouble, but shouldn't that be an even number?
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Band of Horses, On My Way Back Home
On that note, I saw this video for the new Band of Horses song on Matt Ziser's Facebook page. Thought I should share it with you.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Does the Internet Make You Smarter? - WSJ.com
We are living through a similar explosion of publishing capability today, where digital media link over a billion people into the same network. This linking together in turn lets us tap our cognitive surplus, the trillion hours a year of free time the educated population of the planet has to spend doing things they care about. In the 20th century, the bulk of that time was spent watching television, but our cognitive surplus is so enormous that diverting even a tiny fraction of time from consumption to participation can create enormous positive effects.
Wikipedia took the idea of peer review and applied it to volunteers on a global scale, becoming the most important English reference work in less than 10 years. Yet the cumulative time devoted to creating Wikipedia, something like 100 million hours of human thought, is expended by Americans every weekend, just watching ads. It only takes a fractional shift in the direction of participation to create remarkable new educational resources."
Friday, June 11, 2010
Friday Chill Music (June 11, 2010)
P.S. I'm on the beach in Baldhead Island, North Carolina right now.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Baldhead Island
Don't believe in ghosts? Well read this article. I dare you.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
One Acre Fund Wins Award
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Things Are Changing Fast
I've seen this many times myself. It's amazing that kids what kids growing up today are going to be capable of doing. My only problem with it is that it makes me jealous. :)
Monday, June 7, 2010
I'm Buying This...
Sunday, June 6, 2010
His new side project is Preview.FM, a simple way to search and listen to the samples of songs outside of itunes. You search for a band like The XX and you get the screen below. You click the play button and it rolls through every song preview on the album. Quick, easy and elegant. Check it out.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
New York City on Pictory
Thanks to Emily Dellas of First Class Cooking for highlighting it for me.
Just Another Friday Night...
Friday, June 4, 2010
Stop It...
Norah Jones covering Jesus Etc.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Friday Chill Music (June 4, 2010)
Quick scouting report:
The XX finished their shows with Stars and it was borderline transcendent. Amazing. I also love Shelter because of how stripped down it is and because of the lyrics. They played the You Got the Love cover when the house lights went on tuesday night.
The new National album - High Violet - has been on non stop play for me. The lyrics to England and the beat is terrific. Crybaby is awesome.
The new Black Keys album is a recent purchase and I love these two songs.
The Yim Yames record is a Tribute to George Harrison by Jim James of My Morning Jacket. Terrific.
These are two of the most mellow songs on the new Band of Horses and they are awesome.
Have fun!
Internet as an Export Industry for the U.S.
"Internet is one of the primary export industries in the US." - via Fred Wilson
Thinking about the Internet as an export industry only recently occurred to me. I was talking to a VC friend of mine and we were talking about one of his portfolio companies which happens to be an Internet music startup. It's a fabulous company but a regulatory hurdle was really hurting them. Lobbyists were working against them and things weren't so great. I asked him what he did about it. His response (paraphrasing) was, "we hired our own lobbyists and pointed out to politicians that the Internet and specifically Internet music is a huge opportunity and U.S. companies are the worldwide the leaders in it but to maintain our leadership, we needed to sort out these regulatory hurdles."
The politicians agreed with the argument and now this company and its competitors have solidified their global leadership in this huge industry. They've exported Internet music to the world and it's tough to see how they won't be a leader for a very long time.
That conversation was a couple months ago but it's shaped the way I've thought about the Ben's Friends Patient to Patient support networks since then. Our patient networks are totally global and have been almost since day one. The most tangible benefit is that if someone is having a painful episode in the middle of the night, U.S. time, they can login into the site, and someone in Europe, Asia or Australia will be on the network and can give them support. This is a HUGE benefit and like most things, we stumbled upon it. However, it's bigger than that because we've come to see ourselves as exporting patient support across the world. Patients on our networks have been meeting up internationally with regularity and it's interesting to watch the pace of these meetups accelerating. It's a fun time to be on the ground floor of an Industry that has a captive audience in the U.S. and also a huge potential audience across the world. Thanks to Fred Wilson and my investor friend for pointing it out to me when I didn't see it right in front of me.


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Course Description:
Basic background in property law. This survey of the law governs ownership, possession, and use of land and other types of property. (One-semester course)
Class Notes:
First year class. See 1L schedule. Section 7.
Attendance is mandatory. No laptops in classroom; all classes are recorded for use of the enrolled students.


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Walk With Me
I am the team leader for Jane's Walks in Oakville and West Mississauga. Read all about Jane Jacobs and why these walks, here.
On the first weekend of May every year, Jane's Walk festivals take place in hundreds of cities around the world. Jane's Walks encourage people to share stories about their neighbourhoods, discover unseen aspects of their communities, and use walking as a way to connect with their neighbours.
Join my walking group in West Mississauga and Oakville. Like my Facebook Page to stay in tune with news about our next walk in May 2020.


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Hi all, Howz your week going??… Today's NOTD is using Innisfree nail polish I received in my June Envy Box. Shade-3, there were 4 shades I guess pink, light pink, orange and grey and I got 2 shades dark and light pink… why two u asking? 😛 here is the story. So coming back to my NOTD I did french manicure with a twist which is kinda in these days 😛 this is my first ever basic nail art which I did on my OWN. M not at all a nail art person though I enjoy seeing the pics on my Insta but I cant imagine that on my nails. All I like is french manicure or plain painted nails nothing fancy. Hope you like it 🙂
Talking about the texture of the polish, its thick and sticky which I dislike. Good part is it doesn't pool around. Next time when I'm using it I think I will add a few drops of Zoya Renew Polish Thinner.
Tools Used:
- Konad Stamping Tools which includes- M19 plate, Rubber Stamp and a Scraper.
- Vega Brush to clean the edges. Mine is not dense, make sure you use a denser one coz it makes the whole process of cleaning the edges easier.
- Put some polish on the image plate according to the size and scrape of the extra polish with the help of a scraper making an angle of 45 degrees with the plate otherwise the plate will become messy. Don't apply too much of pressure otherwise the polish which we want to stamp will also come off.
- Immediately wipe off the polish on the scraper using a tissue paper.
- Press the stamp on the image plate firmly.
- Just roll on the stamp over your nails wherever you want your design to be. In this case its a french mani so it has to be on the tips. Start from the end of your tip… roll.. roll (make sure you roll it straight otherwise you will end up making it a diagonal) and done.
After this process I just layered more of the polish to get an intense color and to clear the edges I used my Vega Eyeshadow Brush which was not at all dense but it was handy at that time. Just dip it in acetone and start wiping out the extra polish and cleaning the edges.
Whats on your nails right now? Happy Wednesday 🙂


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National promotion campaign boosting Pall Mall will be launched on the 1st of May and will last till the 31st of July in 24 Russian towns. The slogan will sound like "Catch MINI with your imagination".
The campaign sense: you need to send 10 special codes taken from Pall Mall packs to the indicated sms-number, then describe Mini Cooper of your dream, give it a name and send your personal questionnaire and you will get a chance to win one of 10 Mini Cooper autos.
Within the framework of this project Global Point agency will realize the BTL-program in HoReCa channel. From the 8th of June till the 1st of July, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday 3 promotion teams will work in crowded places like coffee houses, clubs, internet-cafes etc. Every team will consist of 3 guys. They will inform the target audience about the current campaign drawing their attention.


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I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith…
2 Timothy 4:7
Tan Sri Dato Sri Tai Sing Chii, aged 85, was called to The Lord on 17 October 2011, leaving behind the following loved ones to mourn his loss
Beloved wife Puan Sri Datin Sri Ling Lah Kiong
Children: Joseph Tai Ong Hiuk (Deceased), Dato' James Tai Cheong, Jason Tai Hee; Daughter-in-law: Yek Siew Ting, Dato' Esther Tiong Ing, Connie Ding Kho Nee; Grandchildren: David Tai Wei, Rebecca Elaine Tai Yi-Lan (Deceased), Samuel Tai Huei, Daniel James Tai Hann, Deborah Elaine Tai Hwe-Lan; Grand Daughter-in-law: Lee Tien Tien.
The Encoffin Service will be held at 7am,Wednesday, 19 October 2011 at No.8 Jalan Kumpang (Lane 15, Brooke Drive), Sibu, Sarawak. Thereafter the Memorial Service will be held at 8am at Xin Fu Yuan Methodist Church, Brooke Drive, Sibu. Later the Cortege will depart for the final resting place at Sarawak Kutien Association Cemetery, Bukit Aup, Sibu.
Source: The Star, 18th October 2011, Page 45.


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Novation Named Among "The Best of the Best" Supplier Diversity Programs by U.S. Veterans Magazine
IRVING, Texas, Jul 09, 2015 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Novation, the nation's largest health care services company, was recently recognized by U.S. Veterans Magazine on its annual "Best of the Best" list for Supplier Diversity Programs. The magazine polled hundreds of Fortune 1,000 companies to arrive at this nonbiased list of organizations that offer the best opportunities for veterans, transitioning service members, disabled veterans, spouses and veteran business owners.
The annual list serves to give guidance and current information to readers with the goal of spurring more active outreach and diversity policies among government agencies and corporate entities. Study results are valuable to jobseekers, business owners, students, consumers and managers.
"Novation has a strong and ongoing commitment to encouraging and supporting diverse suppliers," said Cathy Denning, Novation's senior vice president of sourcing operations. "This recognition by U.S. Veterans Magazine is a testament to our belief that diverse suppliers are of crucial importance to a successful supply chain process. Through our Supplier Diversity Program, we will continue to foster relationships between large and diverse suppliers."
Since its inception in 1999, Novation's Supplier Diversity Programhas worked with Minority, Women, Veteran, and Small Business Enterprises by providing support and networking opportunities that raises their visibility and helps them connect with prospective customers. In 2014, alliance members and affiliates served by Novation purchased approximately $1.1 billion in goods and services directly from small and diverse suppliers. In addition, Tier II (subcontractor) spend with diverse suppliers was approximately $1 billion in 2014.


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Used Lead Acid Battery Regulations – W.A.
As a Controlled Hazardous Waste and Dangerous Good, used lead acid batteries (ULAB) must be stored, handled and transported in accordance with a range of Western Australian and Federal regulations. Many companies are unaware of all the regulatory requirements controlling used batteries and the "Chain of Responsibility" laws which can make Companies and its Executives liable.
Battery Rescue has prepared a simple checklist of the key WA regulatory requirements for used lead acid batteries, which you can download here;
The cited regulations apply to both new & used lead acid batteries, except for the Controlled Waste requirements that apply to used batteries only.
For more detail on the used battery regulations please refer to the "WA Battery Regulations Links" section below. For a more general overview of Australian regulations controlling new & used lead acid batteries, click here.
If you are looking for a "regulation compliant", safe and environmentally sustainable battery collection and recycling service, please visit our home page
What Are The Packaging Requirements For Lead Acid Batteries (New & Used)?
As a Dangerous Good, the transportation of Used Lead Acid Batteries by either road or rail within Australia is regulated by the "Australian Code for the transportation of Dangerous Goods (ADG Code)". The Packaging Requirements for new and used lead acid batteries are contained in the ADG Code's P801 Packing Instruction. The Australian Battery Recycling Initiative published the following "Guidance for packing used lead acid batteries for recycling", in 2017 which is recommended best practices, when using wood pallets to transport used batteries.
If you are using wood pallets, referred to as an overpack in the ADG Code, then your packaged automotive batteries should appear like the example below;
The P801 Packing Instruction is being reviewed by the UN Committee for Dangerous Goods in December 2017, with the view to clarify some ambiguity in the current wording. These changes if passed will possible be updated in future versions of the ADG Code.
Common Non-compliance Examples by Used Battery Generators
Below is a summary of some of the used battery regulations that are commonly not met by Used Battery Generators;
1. Used Battery Storage Regulations
- Under the "WA Environmental Protection (Unauthorised Discharges) Regulations 2004" it is an offence to allow acids to discharge into the environment. Your Used Lead Acid Batteries should be stored in a bunded area (or device) and undercover to prevent the occurrence of an unauthorised discharge event.
- As per the "WA Dangerous Goods Safety (Storage and Handling of Non-explosives) Regulations 2007", used batteries must be segregated from other incompatible dangerous goods and the batteries should be protected from impact.
2. Used Battery Transportation Regulations
The transportation of used lead acid batteries is regulated by the "WA Environmental Protection (Controlled Waste) Regulations 2004", the "WA Dangerous Goods Safety (Road and Rail Transport of Non-explosives) Regulations 2007", the "Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Rail and Road" and "WA Road Traffic (Vehicles) Act 2012". Used Battery Generators engaging a Battery Collector or Scrap Metal Company have a "Chain of Responsibility" to ensure the used batteries are transported in accordance to these regulations. Common examples of non-compliance, include;
- Failing to use a suitable, approved container, or transporting batteries loose in a vehicle.
- Using an approved container, such as wood pallet, but failing to wrap, strap and apply the appropriate DG signage. Note if a wood pallet is being used a 30mm, non conductive separator must be inserted between each layer of batteries. This ensure that the packaging provisions in the Australian Code for the transportation of Dangerous Goods (ADG Code), "Battery terminals shall not support the weight of other superimposed elements" and "Batteries stacked shall be adequately secured in tiers separated by a layer of non conductive material", are met.
- No restraint of "placard load" (i.e. pallets) to the vehicle.
- The Battery Transporter doesn't have the necessary Controlled Waste Carrier License.
The introduction of the "Chain Of Responsibility" provisions into the WA Road Transport Laws means that Companies and their Executives can be deemed liable, if they are unable to demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable steps to prevent a breach.
W.A. Battery Regulation Links
1. "Australian Code for the transportation of Dangerous Goods By Road and Rail, edition 7.5" (ADG Code). The WA Department of Mines & Petroleum are responsible for administering the ADG Code. See Chapter 4.1.4 for a list of Packing Instructions including P801 for batteries, Chapter 5.2 for Marking & Labeling requirements for Packages, Chapter 5.3 Placarding and Marking of Transport Units and Part 8 for Stowage & Restraint requirements.
2. "WA Dangerous Goods Safety (Road and Rail Transport of Non-explosives) Regulations 2007" which among other things, gives effect to the standards, requirements and procedures of the ADG Code as to how they apply to the transport of dangerous goods by road or rail in Western Australia. Administered by the WA Department of Mines & Petroleum.
3. "WA Road Traffic (Vehicles) Act 2012" and "Chain of Responsibility" provisions for WA Transport Laws. Administered by WA Main Roads.
4. "WA Dangerous Goods Safety (Storage and Handling of Non-explosives) Regulations 2007". Administered by the Department Of Mines & Petroleum.
5. "WA Environmental Protection (Controlled Waste) Regulations 2004" regulates the storage and transportation of Hazardous Waste and is administered by the Department of Environmental Regulations.
6. "WA Environmental Protection (Unauthorised Discharge) Regulations 2004" regulates the discharge of hazardous substances into the environment. The regulations are administered by local government councils.
7. "WA Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996" which cover used battery related safety issues such as "Risk from exposure to hazardous substances" and "Manual Handling". The "WA OSH Regulations" are regulated by WorkSafe WA.
8. Australian Standard for Storing & Handling Corrosives 3780:2008 – This publication can be purchased from a number of online providers. Section 2 deals with provisions for Minor Storage, which applies if the combined volume of acid contained by the batteries is less than 1000L.
9. Century Batteries, Material Data Handling Sheet for Lead Acid Batteries.
ABRI Recommended Standard
The Australian Battery Recycling Initiative (ABRI), has published several useful documents outlining the regulatory requirements and "best practice" recommendations. You can download a copy of their publications below;
1. Summary Of Lead Acid Battery Regulations
The Australian Battery Recycling Initiative (ABRI) has been formed by a group of battery manufacturers, recyclers, retailers, government bodies and environment groups to promote the collection, recycling and safe disposal of all batteries in Australia.


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Choosing a Criminal Justice University
The criminal justice university that somebody chooses should not be a difficult endeavor. It is the start of an amazing journey to receiving a criminal justice degree and starting on a rewarding career within that field. The best way to evaluate which university is best for you is to break it down into three important criteria. Those criteria will help narrow down what your best option is. Make sure you look at the length of the program for schools you are interested in attending to get your degree, what the cost of getting your degree is, and what the job forecast is for graduates in criminal justice from the school you are interested in.
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There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to which type of degree you should get. The best way to decide which criminal justice university program is the best one for you is to evaluate what your goals may be with your degree. If you are interested in really advancing in the criminal justice field it will likely happen quicker when you have at least a four year degree. If your goal is to get involved in the system, learn as much as you can, and grow career wise with experience an associate's degree is often adequate to help you do that.
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When choosing a criminal justice university it is important to evaluate how much that education will cost you. Sometimes that is the best indicator of which program you should take or can take in criminal justice. Some great ways to keep the costs of your education down are to go to an online university or school. The tuition rates are typically less expensive than traditional classroom settings because of the lower overhead of the school. Those savings can be passed on to you. If you decide upon a traditional classroom setting for your degree you can't control tuition costs but you can do things like purchasing used textbooks to help reduce your costs. All of the best universities do have financial aid programs and assistance available. It never hurts to see if you qualify for a grant or low interest loan.
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There's an old saying that says, "It never hurts to try and get a foot in the door." When you go to school, work hard, and get your criminal justice degree it pays to take any leads you can that invite the possibility of a job interview. Find out which places hire from the school you want to attend, average salaries, and all opportunities that the university can help you with once you've earned your degree and are actively seeking a job. If the school offers no programs or information like that it is considered a warning sign. One of two things could be possible and you need to make sure you fully understand what they are:
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Schools Offering Criminal Justice Studies Courses:


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Conan and Red Sonja Collide
I am a pretty big fan of Conan. The current run at Dark Horse by Brian Wood is some of the best work the character has seen in a long time. The fact that he had some stellar runs by Kurt Busiek and Tim Truman prior shows how highly I think of the title at the moment. Now, Red Sonja has also recaptured my attention as of late. Gail Simone is doing some amazing work with the character at Dynamite. I admittedly fell off of the title a while ago, around the time they launched Queen Sonja if I recall correctly.
Now, as fans have been demanding they do so, they are coming together again for a multi-company crossover event with Gail and Brian working together to craft a story for our sword wielding heroes. CEO of Dynamite Nick Barrucci had this to say;
"Red Sonja and Conan are the power-couple of fantasy comics. They define the genre together, the iconic figures by which all others are measured. Their history is intertwined, and I suppose it was only destiny that would lead them together again. Well, that and a lot of planning alongside great folks like Mike Richardson, Gail Simone, and Brian Wood and the editorial teams from both of our companies. And the timing could not be better as this is a huge cross-over to hit as we go into our 10th Anniversary. We couldn't be more pleased to see the Robert E. Howard legacy made whole again with two Hyboria-shaking crossover events."
I could not agree more. The current climate is perfect for this crossover. Brian Wood is set to wrap up his run and Gail is just making her mark with the character. Interest is at a high point for both characters and creatively we couldn't hope for much better. Brian Wood was quoted as saying;
"Conan and Red Sonja together are a genre dream team, and I'm looking forward to not only working with Gail on the story, but creating a crossover story that is epic and huge as these things should be… and something that matters, that's relevant, and adds something to each character's rich history."
With Gail of course adding;
"It's only the crossover that readers have been begging to have for over a decade: the two greatest barbarian adventurers ever created in an epic tale of blood, lust, and vengeance. This is the kind of stuff that made me a reader in the first place, and working with Brian Wood and his amazing version of Conan? It's just a sword-and-sorcery dream come true. It's sword vs. sword, Cimmerian vs. Hyrkanian, loincloth vs. bikini, and it'll probably be the most fun you'll have reading a comic all year."
So if you're not excited yet, you should be!
Weekly Comic Reviews – 8/14/2013
It's been a hell of a week. Busy is the word I would use to describe it. But no in the "I have things to do" sort of way, more in the "why are so many things happening to me" sort of way. You know, viral infections, dead car battery, relationship drama; the usual. I haven't had much time to blog it up, but thankfully things have quieted down enough that I can slip in and do some reviews. Not many, because there wasn't a whole lot that I was interested in diving into this week just from a casual glance. As I climb deeper into the rabbit hole of reading weekly books on the regular, I'm sure the number of reviews that pile up each week will expand. That said, what I did read carried some heft, so we'll dive right in and get right to it.
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Fernando Pasarin, Jonathan Glapion
Cover Artist: Alex Garner
Price: 2.99
On Sale Date: Aug 14 2013
The new "Batgirl: Wanted" epic begins here, as Commissioner Gordon must track down his son's murderer—who happens to be his daughter! But has Barbara already given up the Bat?
I stepped away from Batgirl when Gail Simone was ceremoniously booted from the title a short while back. When she reentered the fray I neglected to jump back on board but the storyline here intrigued me enough to pick up last month's issue as a refresher and threw this one on the stack as well. For those not in the know, Batgirl is on the hook for the death of her brother and that isn't sitting all too well with their respective father, Commissioner Gordon. Barbara is going through much in her life at this point. She's beginning to date a reformed criminal who can't seem to escape his past and trying to reconcile what happened with her brother at the same time. She's a big ball of emotions and her father is looming over her in more ways than one, needling her about staying safe and afraid of losing another child as well as chasing Batgirl down in a way that even Batman remarks is dangerously close to a vengeful tirade. The rooftop scene between Batman and the Commissioner is excellently written and gives the reader a good idea of what we can expect in terms of character beats from Jim Gordon.
That is really what drives this book and makes it such an interesting work; the character beats. Barbara is heavily conflicted here, and conflict makes for compelling reading. Barbara Gordon, at least as Batgirl, has never come across as a character who really elicits much of a response from me because she reads as cut-and-dry in most respects. I only really started to get a feel for her as a fleshed out human being when she became Oracle. We got to witness her deal with so many different types of adversities while she was in that chair in the clock-tower. Gail Simone has taken that development on the character and given us a new lens to look at Barbara. She feels full. She appears realized. She makes mistakes and deals with the consequences.
All in all, my first reaction is that I should go back and pick up what I missed to fill in the gaps, because I am enjoying what I'm reading. There are a few downsides, mostly having to do with some predictability regarding Barbara's love interest that are far too telegraphed to be enjoyed fully on my end, but I imagine the narrative beats that will result from certain decisions will translate into some payoff in regard to Barbara's development later down the line. At least I hope so.
Published: August 14, 2013
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Cover Artist: Adam Kubert
Price: $4.99
On Sale Date: Aug 14 2013
The oversized kickoff to the year's most anticipate Blockbuster summer event, chaning the way you view the Marvel Universe! • The outbreak of war on two fronts: Earth and Space, with our heroes torn between them. • The world-shattering return of Thanos! • Includes material from FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: INFINITY
If you have been reading Jonathan Hickman's run on the Avengers you may have figured out that his handling of the team is pretty much the anti-Bendis in terms of plot progression, storytelling, and theme. Hickman's take on the book has been much like Morrison's deconstruction of the X-Men years back. It is as different from what preceded it as you can get and yet never feels like it isn't true to what the book should be about. Jonathan Hickman writes the Avengers as a hard intellectual sci-fi yarn, recalling elements from classic Avengers lore like the Kree-Skrull war and Infinity Gauntlet while infusing it with his very distinct creative voice. There is never a time where you are not aware that you are reading a Jonathan Hickman story. Much as Bendis has come to be associated with abundant panels and fast, snappy dialog, the elevated science fiction overtones along with deliberate pacing and neo-modern graphic design stylings clearly indicate a Hickman joint.
Those familiar with his work on the main Avengers title and therefore comfortable with his style and pacing will find Infinity to be a strong book. He takes his time and gives us freedom to enjoy the world-building that he puts on display. We are introduced to an abundance of alien races and evil machinations. We only see the Avengers on panel for perhaps 1/4 of the book's length. Front and center instead are the actions of our antagonists, razing worlds and infiltrating the highest order of the Inhuman's stronghold of Attilan in a meticulously plotted cerebral espionage sequence. What I am trying to say is that people who are looking for the whiz-bang pacing of a Secret Invasion, World War Hulk, etc. may find themselves disappointed at the way the first issue plays out. I personally enjoyed it and I will do my best to explain why without sounding like a total idiot.
The first issue played out, for the most part, like an episode of a TV show. The story beats are concise and structured for maximum effect, but it is the final pages of the book, where we see our heroes putting a plan into action and a final page cliffhanger that could easily have been followed with a meme image of Michael from Arrested Development saying "I Have Made A Huge Mistake" where things really clicked for me. You see, those last few pages didn't feel like part of the narrative of this issue so much as a quick flash of what's to come, similar to a "Next Week on MARVEL" montage at the end of a TV show. The pacing and the implications make for effective drama, and while Infinity # 1 is definitely a slow burn, it is also very much indicative of a quality mini-series that seeks to tell its story in a very deliberate way.
Simply put, Hickman delivers a standout first issue that couldn't be further from what I have come to expect from a Marvel event series while at the same time giving me everything I want from a Marvel event series.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Written by: Simon Oliver
Art by: Robbi Rodriguez
Cover by: Nathan Fox
U.S. Price: 2.99
On Sale Date: Jul 31 2013
It started small: temporary gravity failures, time reversal loops, entropy reversals. With much fanfare a new government agency was formed with a mandate "to prevent and protect." Its official title: The Federal Bureau of Physics. Humans, if nothing else, adapt to the changing parameters of their existence. What was extraordinary soon became ordinary, a part of people's daily lives. They move on and do what people have always done: survive. But even that new status quo is now under threat. Things are getting worse, and it falls to Special Agent Adam Hardy and his FBP team to figure out what's going on, before it's too late…
I know I'm late to the party on this one but following all the hubbub surrounding the abrupt title change (Beginning with issue 2, Collider will be renamed to FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics) I decided to throw this one on the reading pile and give it a go. Writer Simon Oliver has done work previously for Vertigo on Hellblazer and The Exterminators and while I may have read his work before I cannot remember if I formulated an opinion so I am going into this 100% blind.
Collider feels like a Vertigo book. It takes a premise and runs with it. There is mystery and the promise of expanded world building and solid character work along the way with artwork that, were it on a mainstream book, would be decried for not fitting the mold. As it stands, it is a fine book. The premise, that the foundation of universally accepted laws of physics are starting to crumble and the fallout surrounding that hornet's nest, is one worth delving into. It hooks you and keeps you there until the end. I've read comments about the book being boring but I had no such qualm with the book. But then again, I enjoyed Sweet Tooth and that book was admittedly a chore to get through sometimes.
For regular devotees of Vertigo content, this will not disappoint. For those who fall more squarely in line with the mainstream, I'm not so sure you'll enjoy this one. It has all of the hallmarks that most people mock "indy" comics for; strange yet alluring artwork, strange premise, heightened dialog… you get the idea.
I don't want to write much about it because I feel people will enjoy it more if they just go in blind. It's sometimes the best way to enjoy a work of art and I'll wager that this is the sort of book that benefits heavily from a clean frame of mind. It certainly helped when I read it, as I had zero knowledge of the title when I turned the cover. Whatever you do, just don't dismiss it outright. Give it a chance.
Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5
Weekly Comic Reviews
It's been a while since I've done any weekly comic reviews, but with day-and-date digital becoming more common it's easier for me to do timely reviews for you folks. I hope to keep a regular schedule when I can, with new reviews available every Thursday. I would have kept to that schedule this week but I was involved in an auto accident and have been dealing with the fallout from that little debacle.
Anyhow, here's some reviews!
Here's one I was looking forward to. Gail Simone has hardly ever steered me wrong. Just about every book she's written I've given golden reviews to because she knows how to balance character, plot, and wit with equal measure to the betterment of any book she's placed on. She's one of the biggest talents that DC has and it's nice that she's getting one of the most high-profile books of the relaunch to play with as her own.
The book begins with a mystery villain called "The Mirror" assaulting a man who he believes cheated death when he escaped a sinking boat where the rest of the souls aboard perished. He then proceeds to rectify this problem by drowning the man with a water hose. I don't want to make any Final Destination jokes because I only vaguely remember watching the third one one night on Showtime when I couldn't sleep and therefore don't have a whole lot of reference but it does seem like a strikingly similar concept and I would be a bit disappointed in its inclusion if it didn't tie in well with the idea of the overall plot, being that Barbara Gordon is on the list of people who should have died; an obvious first reference to The Killing Joke that will probably drive a lot of the drama as the series unfolds.
We then are treated to Batgirl doing her thing and taking down a particularly vicious group of serial murderers all the while getting glimpses of Barbara's mindset in the process. The internal monologue here gives us a good idea of who this Batgirl is in the scheme of the new DCU. I have to admit that a lot of Barbara's dialogue and internal thought process felt…off. Not particularly wrong but just a bit off base. I'm not going to lie, she has some lines that seemed more in tune with Frank Miller's DKR Batman than what you would expect with Batgirl, but I'm thinking it may be more of Barbara trying to effect a different persona while on patrol than a struggle to find her voice on the part of Simone.
Compared to last week's JLA # 1, this is a stellar intro issue. We don't get many answers as to why Barbara is able to walk again or much in the way of true world building but we get the foundation laid for those things to emerge organically which I find to be far more important. The only problem I found with the book really was that a lot of the dialog felt a bit over-the-top in what seemed like an attempt to feel more like the silver-age comic book writing of the seventies. It felt jarring at some points, especially on the last page where a Gotham cop shouts some dialog that feels like it belongs on the cover of a sixties-era Detective Comics issue. But it's not enough to dissuade me from finishing out the rest of the arc and perhaps staying on for the long haul.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Oh boy…
Listen, I'm a fairly big Green Arrow fan. I've got a complete run of the title going back to Grell's run in the eighties. I think he's one of the best B-list under-the-radar characters that DC had for a while and I appreciated his push to the forefront of the DCU in recent years but lamented the fact that it diluted his character and made him somewhat less interesting as a consequence. I was happy to see him married to Black Canary but saddened by how mediocre that book was aside from some amazing art on the first arc by Cliff Chiang.
This book gives us a reinvention of Green Arrow that I don't find particularly interesting. They're touting him as sort of a vigilante Steve Jobs and they've given him a personality that falls more closely in line with the Smallville interpretation of the character. I can't fault them for doing this as that is the version that most of the mainstream identifies with but at the same time for those of us who have been reading Green Arrow for over ten years it's hard to swallow. It doesn't feel like Oliver Queen. It may have worked with a new character, but for Green Arrow fans its a disappointment.
The story is nothing to write home about, Ollie is overseas in Paris stalking some low-grade super-villains and it seems mostly written as a way to introduce his methodology and support team which includes his own personal Oracle-who's-not-Oracle and a pacifist weapons developer. Oliver's belief system is still intact from previous versions of the character but his attitude has changed. I know that this is an all new continuity but there seems to be almost too much overhaul here. It would have been nice if there were more balance between the old and new on display but as it stands there's not much to interest already established fans of the character and therein lies one of the problems of the relaunch. They're hoping to bring in new readers but they're only going to be replacing the old readers they're alienating with the changes. I'm not going to be sticking around for this title, for example, despite the fact that I have been on-board for about as long as I've been collecting. That should say something.
Overall Rating: 2/5
I fully expected to hate this. I really did. But I'll be damned if I didn't enjoy this one quite a bit. Is it the "bwaha-ha-ha" style of the original? No, it's something different. The dynamic here works, though. Also, unlike JLA#1 we get the whole team assembled within the first issue AND thrown into their first mission. It's not very decompressed the way that some other books have been. It's got a brisk pace and a lot is established in the very first issue.
Booster Gold leads the team, chosen because he's a glory hound who can be easily controlled by the UN so that his PR image doesn't get tarnished, and this immediately sets up some conflict with resident Green Lantern Guy Gardner. In a few panels we get to know everyone's feelings on each other. It's a nice quick buildup and helps establish characters that most people might not be familiar with in a short little exchange of dialog. It works. I will admit that there's not much in the way of explaining the backstories of a lot of these characters. I am willing to bet new readers will be confused as to exactly who Godiva is and what the hell she's doing on the team, but this is a serialized medium and I'm sure things will be fleshed out as the series progresses.
This one could easily be one of my favorites of the relaunch because it isn't written in a way that makes it feel decompressed or empty. There is a lot to like in this book. If you want bang for your buck, this is one of the titles I suggest you pick up. Really. Plus it has Batman and you know you need more Batman.
Overall Rating: 4/5
I was hesitant to read this one. Tony Daniel is not high on my list of most-admired Bat-writers. His recent run on Batman was pretty much horrible. I almost dropped it entirely until I realized I'm pathetic and need a complete unbroken run in my boxes because I'm a nerd like that. So it was with reluctance that I picked this one up. Though I did it entirely for review purposes. Because I love you guys.
It's not a bad book.
There, I said it.
Of course it's a Joker story, because you have to come out of the box hot and capitalize on what people are expecting and the new DCU needs to establish the Joker as much as it does Batman early on or people will think things are amiss. It's the sort of well-established formula Joker story we've seen before but at the same time it feels well put together and cohesive in a way we haven't seen in a while. It's sort of like a forced in-continuity version of Brubaker's Man Who Laughs with more focus on Batman's drive to be a good enough detective to anticipate what the Joker can and will do.
We also establish Batman's relationship with the police. That is to say, he and Gordon are buddies and everyone else wants to shoot him repeatedly. It's a classic dynamic that I think most Bat-fans will appreciate because it's what they're used to and at the same time it feels like an organic part of the idea of Batman. That he works in the shadows and people are immediately distrustful of him. It adds something to the character when he's working alone and under the radar. How this jibes with there being so many other members of the Batfamily operating at the same time is yet to be seen but at the moment it seems to work just fine.
It's not the best Batman story ever, but it's a strong enough effort coming out of the gate that I have to tip my hat to Tony Daniel for upping his game. He really did a good job with this one, which is not something that's easy to do when so much is riding on a single issue. So, kudos.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
This is the big one. The one that I was anticipating above all others. Grant Morrison back on a Superman book. I was anticipating All Star levels of amazing. I was hoping that finally Superman would be getting the sort of widespread attention he deserved and not for shitty PR stunts like rejecting American citizenship or walking across America like a hobo. I was hoping for a total reinvention of the Superman mythos in a single issue and a literary orgasm.
Was it all that? Not really, but it was still one of the best books to come out of this relaunch. This new young Superman, fresh into the world and looking to make a difference, isn't what you would expect out of Superman. There's more edge and attitude to him than you would expect. The way he intimidates criminals, which is something he's always done but albeit more playfully, makes him seem as if he's working from Batman's playbook and so when he transitions back into Clark Kent the shift is so much more immediate and dynamic. It's a change that I agree with, although seeing as this is sort of a "year one" story for the character I don't think it will stay forever, it's too much of a change to be entirely permanent.
We also learn that he's still friends with Jimmy Olsen but in a shocking turn of events he's working for a rival newspaper and Lois Lane doesn't like the idea of Mr. Kent beating her on a scoop. Lois only appears for a few panels here but she's still the same spunky independent woman that she's always been and I hope that in coming issues we'll get more of her because Morrison truly does write her well, even in short snippets.
My favorite element of the issue however was Morrison's Lex Luthor, seen here working in conjecture with the government to bring down Superman. He's relaxed and sure of himself with no sign of bluster or bombast. This is the same Lex Luthor that we saw in All Star. The sort of man who would be bemused at the idea of finding himself on death row. A man with a plan. He executes a Goldberg machine style plan to bring down Superman that ends in an amazing final page cliffhanger and I simply cannot wait for the next issue.
Seriously. Buy this book. Or I will hurt you.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
And there you have it. Next week should see more reviews for your reading pleasure. See you then.
DC Comics Announces Line-Wide Reboot
I know that this year has been a bit different when it comes to the content I've posted on the blog. After leaving my job at the comic shop back in December I had to make the painful decision to alter my comic buying habits to accommodate my new lifestyle. As such, I've been getting my comics from an online retailer, mailed out once a month and as such I haven't had much luck posting real reviews on a timely basis. It's just a sad byproduct of my current situation. Another byproduct has been the steady decline of my interest in the mainstream comics scene. I have, sadly, been dropping titles I once considered vital with each passing month and have instead been focusing on creator-owned work that manages to resonate with me more than anything that DC or Marvel sends down the chute every month.
I never thought I'd see the day that I'd say this but I may just be done with DC comics. Lately the only books that I can say I've enjoyed fully are Morrison's Batman Inc., Palmiotti & Gray's Jonah Hex, Cornell's Action Comics and Gail Simone's Secret Six. Roberson's handling of the Superman book has also been admireable. But that's five books out of a line that will see 52 titles jump started with a new # 1 issue.
Dan Didio was quotes in the USA Today article as saying:
In September, more than 50 more first issues will debut, introducing readers to stories that are grounded in each character's specific legend but also reflect today's real-world themes and events. Lee spearheaded the redesign of more than 50 costumes to make characters more identifiable and accessible to comic fans new and old.
"We looked at what was going on in the marketplace and felt we really want to inject new life in our characters and line," says Dan DiDio, who co-publishes DC with Lee. "This was a chance to start, not at the beginning, but at a point where our characters are younger and the stories are being told for today's audience."
Fans around the internet have been in an uproar over this and I have to say that I understand where some of them are coming from, in light of this news coupled with the rumors that have been coming out that have not yet been substantiated such as Lois & Clark's marriage being lost in the new continuity as well as several creative team changes that are less than exciting including a possible loss of Gail Simone from Birds of Prey. The last time that happened it sucked just about all the energy from the book and it was left to die a slow death. On the other hand Grant Morrison is rumored to be taking over the central Superman title and it is confirmed we will be getting a Justice League book written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Jim Lee, in a move that clearly parallels Marvel's decision to put Bendis on New Avengers several years ago.
The problem I have with the Justice League book being handled by Johns & Lee, aside from the fact that the creative team is almost begging for publishing delays, is that it seems like they're aping Marvel's formula several years after it has already gotten stale. Granted, DC could never make such a move any time after Marvel does anything similar because it's either too soon or too late after the fact for it not to seem like a stunt or playing catch up. My philosophy when it comes to the DC v. Marvel debate comes down to the way Marvel treats its writers. They sell the writers in a way that makes them out to be superstars. Marvel presents their writers as the A-list. The cream of the crop. Brian Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, Dan Slott, Jason Aaron, Nick Spencer, et. al are sold as being equal commodities to the characters they write. DC does not seem to do the same for their writers outside of Morrison or Johns. They have a SMATTERING of amazing talent in people like Chris Roberson, Matt Sturges, Gail Simone, Paul Cornell, Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray, and so many others. But you don't see DC publicizing them like walking gods of creativity the way Marvel does with their stable.
The whole line-wide reboot thing reads like a desperate stunt. DC loves to pull stunts. The repeated weekly series plan alone shows that. This stunt in particular will alienate a great deal of the fanbase and probably lose them for a good long time. They say that the point of all this is to garner new readers by eliminating the confusion surrounding certain characters and their continuity but they are failing to understand the simple reason why the comics market isn't viable to younger readers and that's that comic books are not cost effective to the consumer.
The article in USA today also mentions that beginning in September, DC comics will be going same-day release with digital and print copies. This is a major leap forward in the digital market but raises even more questions. Are the digital comics going to be significantly cheaper than the print counterparts? If DC wants to make me pay full price for a copy of the new Superman # 1 at $2.99 when I can get it from an online retailer for anywhere from a 10-40% discount, then what is the impetus for me to switch to digital? The price debate is probably the most important hurdle that the comics industry will have to face in the coming years. I bought a blu-ray movie yesterday for $8.99. That's two plus hours of entertainment plus special features for roughly ten dollars with tax applied. A comic book is 20 pages of content for about $3.25 after taxes are applied and the best case scenario is usually a ten minute read-time if there's actually any dense content to the book. If you're trying to attract new readers, you have to give them more bang for their buck. I respect DC for trying to lower the cost of buying comics, but the content provided for the price is a huge turnoff to people who aren't already hooked. Add to that the fact that comics aren't readily available anywhere outside of specialized shops and you've got a major dilemma. All the continuity stunts in the world will not save you from that pitfall. Comics are being displayed at Barnes and Noble now, but I've seen that selection and it's not very impressive and not too well organized.
I don't want to sound like a doomsayer, foretelling the end of comics or anything like that. The industry will adapt and survive in some manner, because too much money stands to be lost if they don't. But the logic that has gone into DC's latest stunt boggles the mind of anyone who takes the time to look at it carefully. Perhaps this whole article will be rendered worthless when more information becomes available. I hope everything does work out for the best. I still have friends who work in the retail level of the industry, and all the writers and artists who I've developed a rapport with since developing this blog don't deserve to see their chosen profession crumble because the companies don't know how to adapt. All I can do is sit and wait and see if what DC has to offer is worth paying for.
We Have A Wonder Woman And She's Taller Than I Am So That's A Pretty Good Start I Guess…
So we have a Wonder Woman. Adrianne Palicki (which is a last name sure to invite nerd-drooling innuendo for the foreseeable future) has been reportedly cast as the Amazonian princess in David Kelley's adaptation of Wonder Woman set to air on NBC. Palicki stands at 5'11" and has the build necessary to pull off the character believably though she's going to have to spend some time with a dye pack to get her hair to the jet-black sheen we're used to seeing with Wonder Woman. All that truly is in question right now is how well she will be able to portray the character. I do not have any real idea of how well she can play the part as I honestly haven't seen her in anything live-action, my only experience with her in any form is from her voice work in bits on Robot Chicken and Titan Maximum. Apparently she was in an episode of Smallville once upon a time but nothing about that show really left much of an impression on me other than how badly I want to make out with Allison Mack, because let's face it, that woman is amazing.
So now we have our Wonder Woman, and the vocal Wondy fans will likely spend the next few months complaining about it as I've learned that Wonder Woman fans are 90% psychotic. Their obsession with the minutia of her character is unparalleled and this is equally insane due to the fact that Wonder Woman has to be the least consistent character in the DC universe, paling only in comparison to Donna Troy who herself is part of the Wonder Woman continuity clusterfuck. I'm not saying I don't like the character, as I've got a pretty much a full run of her issues from the moment George Perez took over following the first Crisis through Rucka's run up through Simone's and even currently through this current JMS debacle but I'll be damned if I ever met a Wonder Woman fan who didn't make me raise my eyebrows and inch for the door just ever so slightly.
Weekly Comic Book Reviews
The new novel is almost finished…again. See, this is what happens when I work in "Drafts." So in between that, school, work, and a revitalized social life that includes actually having to go outside of the house for stuff like concerts (on Thursday nights), don't be surprised if the blog starts to lie dormant for chunks of time. I try to avoid it but I'm a one man operation here. That having been said, I'm not gonna deny you guys the comic reviews you so deserve. By that I mean that I'm going back to the old format of cherry-picking what issues to review instead of doing the whole stack because it's getting harder to go through the whole stack in a single evening.
And let's get this show on the road:
Garth Ennis is underrated when it comes to giving us character moments that stay with the reader in their gut long after they've finished reading the issue. Here we get the inevitable confrontation between Hughie and his superhero girlfriend for the first time since he found out she was a supe and since he saw her "initiation" video into the Seven where she did more with her mouth than give a convincing presentation of her resume.
The pathos and emotion on display between Hughie and Starlight here is gutwrenching. While Garth Ennis is able to craft visceral gore and violence with reckless abandon, his ability to make you care for the characters he writes is generally overlooked, which is a huge shame because it's stuff like this that shows what the serialized medium of comics is capable of pulling off with a competent writer at the helm. This issue has been building for some time. It's not rushed, it hasn't been drawn out or decompressed, it's simply been building to a boiling point.
This may be some of Garth Ennis' best work. I know it's not as roundly applauded as Preacher or Punisher Max, but it is probably his most carefully crafted since Preacher ended and I think that in the end people will recognize it for the treasure that it truly is.
I am happy to see Hercules back. I truly am. I love the guy. As far as this particular issue, I'm not so sold on the event after the premiere as I was with Shadowland a few months ago. I think that Greg Pak and company did a good job of getting us pumped up for some good old fashioned theological thrashing in what is coming down the road, but there was no big moment that made me step firmly on board with the series. That's not to say that it's a bad issue, there is some good stuff set up here, and it's bound to get much more epic as it goes on. I simply think that a good portion of people are going to be underwhelmed by the debut issue, as not a whole lot really happens. It's a setup issue pure and simple.
The question this series needs to answer is whether or not the setup is going to pay off. This is going to be one of those series that won't have a whole lot of impact on the larger Marvel universe the way that Shadowland will because the Marvel Gods don't seem to get a whole lot of focus in the grand scheme of things unless they somehow relate to Thor, but seeing how Fraction is doing his own thing with the Thor-verse, the reverberations of this series will have to be felt elsewhere, and unless they relaunch an ongoing Herc series, I'm not sure where that will be.
This is the one people have been waiting a good long while for. We've wanted some unrestrained Deadpool action forever and we finally get it courtesy of Kyle Baker and David Lapham. In the first issue however, we don't actually get a whole lot of Wade Wilson. We get a lot more Agent Bob and sodomy. The violence is there, as is the swearing and the sexual situations. It's definitely a max book. What seems to be lacking is, well, Deadpool. He really only shows up for maybe 5% off the book.
What remains to be seen is how this book will work out in regard to how they want to portray Deadpool. I doubt he'll be breaking the fourth wall or being as goofy as he is in the 616. We already know from this issue that Deadpool will be treated more as a government assassin than a freelance merc for hire, and that he's more mentally damaged and dangerous than gutlaugh funny. This book follows the pervasive Marvel trend of waiting until issue two to give us the full picture of what the series will end up being like in the long run. Luckily, the first issue was entertaining enough that I won't feel like an idiot for picking up issue three.
Jonathan Hickman can do no wrong apparently. According to the internets, Kurt Busiek doens't like him but he seems to be the lone dissenting voice. With Ultimate Comics Thor he gives us a look into the origins of the Ulimate U's version of Thor and it seems to be a basic mirror of the regular Thor, except in the Ultimate scheme of things, there are a lot more nazis.
This series is likely going to be one of the best to come out of the Ultimate relaunch. It's obvious that this one is being produced to be shoved into a hardcover and rushed into bookstores around the time the Thor film hits theaters. I'm not sure how that worked for the Black Widow miniseries from Paul Cornell, but it seems like a smart enough move. It helps that it's a damned good read. If you're going to try to introduce someone to a character, you could do worse than the setup they use here. It's integrated enough into the Ultimate Universe that those with familiarity will be able to place it in continuity, but new readers will be able to jump in just as easily. That's not an easy feat, no matter what universe you're working in.
This one is the winner of the week. Rick Remender may be Marvel's new secret weapon, as the man has yet to produce a book that doesn't totally kick all sorts of ass. He's managed to make Deadpool funny without being over the top. He's made X-Force not seem like a cliche. He's managed to give X-Force a purpose beyond being an unnecessary ancilliary title predicated on having a place where Wolverine can stab people with reckless abandon.
I was originally going to skip out on this one. The last X-Force title did nothing for me. Everything about it pretty much went against my established sensibilities. I was afraid this was going to be more of the same. I should have known better. Rick Remender, who is rapidly climbing the ladder of my favorite writers following Last Days of American Crime and FrankenCastle, brings us a new X-Force that seems fresh and new, despite building off of plot threads that have been hanging for quite some time. (Archangel, people. Archangel) And while it definitely plays off some rich history, it isn't like say, New Mutants, where people unfamiliar with the original story of Inferno might be a little bit lost with the new storyline.
So, long story short, pretty please, go buy the damn book.
And that does it for this week. Join us next time when hopefully DC puts something out worth Reviewing. (I'd review Secret Six, but c'mon, you know how I feel about that book. I'd marry it if I could.)
Weekly Comic Reviews
I wasn't kidding when I said that school was going to interrupt my working on this site. I didn't get to do the reviews last week because I was working on another paper. Priorities are making this a bitch to write, so the reviews are going to be a little shorter than usual. Also, the format is going to get a little change. I'm going to review EVERYTHING I possibly can, but they'll be shorter reviews. Basically I'm trying to cover more ground by hitting the major points as directly as possible. If nobody likes the changes, I'll switch back, but I think this is better for everybody.
Let's attempt this, shall we?
I'm still washing the bad taste of OMIT out of my mouth. It seems like the book is back on the right track, but once again, the issue feels a little light. I feel like if I had paid a full 3.99 for this issue I would be a little disappointed because this was probably the quickest read of the week.
We find out who Hush is in this issue. And once again, I feel like the reveal was a bit of a cop out. I won't tell you who it is, I'll just say that it fits with everything I've come to expect both from the Hush character and the Batman Beyond universe. From what I've seen so far with this miniseries, I don't expect myself to pick up the ongoing when it hits stands.
Gail Simone kicks off a new arc on Birds of Prey picking up where she left off last month with Babara trying to make things right with Creote and Savant, and Dinah flying off to China with the White Canary. The issue has Simone's usual flair for dialogue and the storyline is progressing in a way that seems interesting, with the action having a good amount of organic flow to it, but the artwork leaves something to be desired this time around. It seems like the very definition of "Fill In," with sketchy line work that seems a bit rushed and doesn't convey the same amount of detail that there was in the debut arc of the new volume. It's not horrible, it's just distracting.
This book is becoming so middle of the road that it frightens me. I think they're trying to keep the tone at a certain level so that the upcoming MAX title seems to have an edge over the regular 616 version. That's not to say that the book isn't worth a read. It's fun and light. It's basically worth reading if you want something that makes you laugh while you read it and not much else.
Hack/Slash is pretty consistent. This issue hits all the marks that the series should and I'm primed and pumped for the relaunch under the Image banner. I think having the ongoing back will make up for the flaws of the miniseries, which feels almost too small compared to the overarching continuity of the regular series.
I don't know why they decided to work this title into the Shadowland crossover. I mean, yeah, Luke Cage is in it, but beyond that it doesn't seem to fit. I thought the crossover with Avengers Academy made more sense. The issue itself isn't really bad, especially in the moments that have nothing to do with Shadowland. Anything dealing with the Thunderbolts in the prison setting, where Crossbones and the rest of the team really get a chance to shine are some great moments indeed. It's only when Luke Cage shows up and reminds us that since he's involved the Thunderbolts have to be involved as well. Sadly, once the action does move into Shadowland territory it seems to fall apart. It's all a matter of abrupt change that doesn't seem to really do much for the story we've had thus far.
This one sort of comes off as a New X-Men reunion. It picks up on a lot of threads that have been gestating since the end of that particular series. The characters have been in use since then but it seems like this is the first time in a while since anybody did anything with them that advanced what had been set up before. X-23 was really the only one who had any sort of character development since then, and that's because she had some time in X-Force to deal with her issues.
Now, with her own ongoing series, she should be able to continue to develop, and it looks like the New X-Men cast will be her supporting cast here. Which is definitely a good thing considering that I loved that series and I still get a little mad that its gone sometimes. The story itself seems to be starting off by tossing Laura into a situation that's more personal than the usual do-or-die situations she's been dealing with in X-Force. Hopefully this can grow into a good series with a little time.
It was a pretty small week this week. With the one book I didn't read being the sixth volume of Empowered which is a perennial favorite of mine. Because, c'mon, bondage. Anyhow, next week might be a bigger one, so we'll see how things pan out. Later!