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The slower Jackie Chan gets in his old age, the more he has to figure out what the hell it means for him to still be making movies. He's given everything for his art, everything to his fans. He's broken down, beat up, and will be lucky if he can remember his own name or walk in another ten years. Chan has sacrificed himself, his family, and just about everything else. I'm not saying whether this is good or bad, worth it or not; merely that it occurred. You can play armchair psychologist if you'd like, analyzing how the fact that he was abandoned by his parents (who sold him to a Peking Opera school, where he met Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah, and Yuen Kwai, among others) has driven this insatiable need on his part to be loved and accepted by fans while crippling him when it comes to close personal relationships (his marriage was a sham and his flings with sexy female starlets were constant fodder for Hong Kong gossip rags). He's cocky and egotistical (though honestly, wouldn't you be the same way if you were him), but he's also nervous and humble around certain reporters and throngs of fans. If you've ever seen an ignored and lonely puppy desperate for attention and reinforcement, then you've seen Jackie Chan in interviews.
Tag Archives: Jackie Chan
Little Big Soldier
You are probably like me, at least in some ways. Many of you were Jackie Chan fans. You came in during the wild, wild days of Police Story, Project A, and Dragons Forever, or maybe a couple years later it was Drunken Master II that turned you on to Jackie. Or hell, maybe you're even older than me, and you were around for Young Master and Dragon Lord. Whatever the case, you knew the first time you saw one of those movies that it was something special. You became obsessed, started haunting the local VHS-stocking Chinese supermarkets in search of Jackie Chan movies you'd never heard of. You began scouring other video stores for the rare dubbed domestic releases. Or you decided that it was time to enter the seedy shadow world of tape trading. Anything to get your hands on another movie, or hell, even a scrap of information. At the time, there was no world wide web. There was no Netflix. If you wanted info on Jackie Chan, or any other Hong Kong movie makers, your only sources were Rick Meyers' column in Inside Kung Fu magazine, and word of mouth.
I've been a fan of Hong Kong cinema since about 1989. Pretty much all of us who got into the films around that time did so by seeing either The Killer or Police Story, released in the United States as Jackie Chan's Police Force. For me, it was Police Story. I was over at my friend Dave's house. He was the one who was responsible for really sending me off the deep end of obscure film collecting. Usually, we convened in his basement to watch whatever ridiculous splatter film had been released that week, but on that night, he decided to trot out a sampling of stuff that had recently been sent to him. And that's how I first saw Police Force.
Oh, I'd seen Jackie Chan movies before; I just didn't know it. We had the old "Kung Fu Theater" broadcast on the weekends, so I'd caught Half a Loaf of Kung Fu, Spiritual Kung Fu, and a few others. But I didn't know Jackie Chan from Hwang Jang-li at the time. It wasn't until I was watching that ridiculously insane opening action sequence in Police Story, with Jackie dangling off a speeding bus and driving through — literally through — a shanty town, that I learned his name and knew there was something about him that… well, to be honest, something about him that wasn't quite right, but in the most glorious way.
For years, being a Jackie Chan fan was challenging but rewarding. If you lived somewhere other than a major urban area, you really had to work to find any of his movies. I used to drive upwards of an hour to a Vietnamese grocery store on Preston Highway in Louisville. They stocked a modest but well-chosen selection of Hong Kong films there, most dubbed into Vietnamese. And if you think English language dubbing is bad, well let me tell you: nothing can prepare you for the horrors of a bad Vietnamese dub. I remember sitting down to watch A Chinese Ghost Story II off a tape that had been dubbed into Vietnamese. There were like four people doing the dubbing for all the characters, not bothering to try and do different voices. Whoever wasn't working at the moment was sitting in the background having a conversation of their own, unrelated to the movie, and at some point, everyone started eating lunch. If one of them had to do a line while their mouth was full, well, no worries. Just mumble it out as best you can.
When I moved to Florida, things were better and worse. There was only one store in Gainesville that stocked any movies at all — an extremely meager selection of bootlegs, though that didn't matter to me since the cranky middle aged guy behind the counter refused to rent his crummy bootleg videotapes to non-Chinese people. Luckily, Orlando has a pretty huge (for Florida) Asian population, and there was a grocery store there called Trung My that stocked hundreds and hundreds of tapes – originals, at that. It was a glorious wonderland with absolutely no organization whatsoever. Tapes were piled three rows deeps on the shelves. If you had a particular movie in mind, you better have worn your expedition gear and brought a sleeping bag, because you were probably going to be there for a while. But if you simply wanted to stumble across something amazing, then you didn't have much work to do.
The drawback, though, was that Orlando was about a two hour drive from Gainesville. For a college kid with no money for food, let alone gas, it was a substantial investment of time and money just to rent a movie. It was good fortune, then, that Trung My's tapes cost a buck to rent for a whole week. So we could assemble a team of hungry Hong Kong movie fans, split the cost of the trip, and rent four or five movies at once, also picking up some tasty treats from the local bun shop. Oh yeah — we'd also stop in at Fairvilla Video, but umm, well… I guess if you're from the Orlando area, you know what that means.
During our whole era of discovering something a billion other people already took to be common knowledge, a couple things were occurring that would begin to alter the landscape for Jackie Chan fans. First, Jackie was getting older. And second, the end of British stewardship of the island nation was fast approaching. Staring down the gun of a return to being governed by the Chinese mainland — the last time Hong Kong had been subject to Chinese rule, there were still emperors in the Forbidden City — a lot of the big names in the Hong Kong film industry started looking toward England, Canada, and the United States as a new base of operation. The US, in particular, meant having a stab at Hollywood, and even for a film industry as huge and accomplished as Hong Kong's, making it in Hollywood still held an undeniable seduction — like how even the most accomplished online writer still dreams of getting a book deal, even though a book would probably be read by fewer people than a successful website.
So in the middle of the 1990s, a lot of the people who built the Hong Kong film industry into the global juggernaut it became in the 1980s jumped ship. Some did so with no intention of returning to Hong Kong and subjecting themselves to the uncertain tenderness of the Communist government in Beijing. Many others decided to try a balancing act, working in Holly wood while also maintaining their career in Hong Kong. What we all should have foreseen, though, was that handover in 1997 was the least of Hong Kong cinema's concerns. for years — decades, actually — the industry had been controlled by organized crime. For a while, this meant that there was enough money being pumped into the industry to finance any ridiculous piece of crap a film maker could crank out. But as uncertainty over the future began to grow, and as actors and directors began to organize opposition to triad control, the gangsters who controlled huge chunks of the film industry began to gut it.
At the same time, piracy reached such rampant levels that even the most popular movies struggled at the box office. Dirt cheap VCDs of big movies were available weeks before the movie itself was released, resulting in no one bothering to go see a movie at the theater. It was all too much for the increasingly fragile shell to support. By the new millennium, the Hong Kong film industry came crashing down.
Jackie Chan's career seemed to be on a similar trajectory. He tried his hand in Hollywood with varying degrees of success. Things started out promising. Rush Hour was watchable, and Shanghai Noon was, in my opinion, quite good. Each movie got a sequel (or two), and while I like Shanghai Knights pretty well, I can't remember a thing about Rush Hour 2, and I never even bothered to finish Rush Hour 3 — and that was on while I was on a plane, with nothing else to do. The need in Hollywood to stuff Jackie into increasingly dopey comedies resulted in him starring in all sorts of stuff that probably never should have been made, and his age coupled with the much heavier focus on insurance and avoiding broken necks that prevails in American film making meant that the Jackie we got in America was not the Jackie we'd grown to love in Hong Kong.
His Hong Kong films fared better for a while. the late 90s and early 2000's saw the release of a lot of Jackie Chan films I liked: Who Am I, Accidental Spy, Mr. Nice Guy — no classics among them, but for me, plenty enjoyable. Jackie himself seemed to have entered a self-destructive phase, though. Drinking heavily, making a tabloid spectacle of himself multiple times, getting exposed as a rotten husband and father in a series of scandals — if it was a lukewarm time to be a Jackie Chan fan, it was a bad time to be Jackie Chan (and an even worse time to be his wife). His personal demons seemed to manifest themselves most famously in 2006, when a drunken Chan meandered out of the audience and stumbled onto the stage in the middle of a concert by Taiwanese pop idol Jonathan Lee. Chan capered about, demanded to sing a duet, tried to conduct the band, and then threw some slurred insults at the crowd. It didn't do a lot to revive his waning popularity.
And then the movies really started to reflect the crumbling personal life. His Hong Kong films went from good to bad, and his American films went from middling to unwatchable, with pretty much everyone pegging The Tuxedo as the worst Jackie Chan movie ever made. Through it all, a core group of people stuck with him, hoping against hope that we would once again see the light of day, that Jackie would pull himself together, make amends with his estranged family and fans, and remind us all of why we came to love him so much. Things were grim through these years, filled as they were with Robin B. Hood, The Medallion, The Myth, and The Spy Next Door. One by one, those who had done their best to stick by Jackie — not excuse him, mind you — fell away, until eventually, even the most die hard of his fans had no reason at all to do anything other than give up on him.
And then something happened. In 2009, Chan made Shinjuku Incident. It was not the Jackie Chan movie people expected. Even his best films have been filled with dippy comedy and ham-fisted mugging for the camera, but this movie saw a much grimmer Chan, something more along the lines of the glimpse we got in Ringo Lam's Crime Story. Here was a Jackie Chan who was no longer trying to deny his age. Here was a Jackie Can who was trying to make a good movie, with a good script and good acting. After years of poopy diaper jokes and Jennifer Love Hewitt striking Karate Kid poses, Shinjuku Incident seemed to be saying that it was time to start paying attention to Jackie Chan again.
And then, in 2010, came Little Big Soldier, and Jackie Chan fans, covered in cobwebs and the dust of the wasteland, knew that our time in the wilderness was finally at an end.
Little Big Soldier returns Jackie to the period setting of his older movies, something he hasn't done often since the late 1970s. The Myth saw Chan trying his hand at the sort of sweeping period epics that became all the rage in the wake of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero, and just not getting it right. For this second attempt at a period setting, Jackie eschews trying to mimic the wire-fu antics of recent epics and just makes an old fashioned kungfu film. He plays the old soldier, a happy-go-lucky farmer who has spent the last several decades of his life serving against his will in the army. He has lasted that long because of his unique approach to warfare, which is to shout, trigger a spring-loaded arrow mounted to his breastplate, then fall down and play dead until the fighting is over.
When the film opens, the nameless old soldier is the only apparent survivor of a bloody battle that saw both sides annihilated. As he roams the corpse-strewn battlefield, he soon discovers that he's not as alone as he thought. The two opposing generals are beat up and near death, but not so near death that they can't try to kill one another. The younger general (New York-born Wang Lee-Hom, recently of Lust, Caution and previously appearing in the execrable China Strike Force) best the older, but then collapses from his wounds. Realizing the opportunity suddenly in front of him, Old Soldier binds up the fallen enemy general and sets off to turn him in for the reward about which the farmer has dreamed: a modest parcel of land and lifetime exemption from military service.
Making his way across the war-ravaged countryside, however, is not as easy as Chan's frequently-singing farmer hoped, especially once the general wakes up and slowly begins to recover from his wounds. The duo soon realize they are being pursued by a force commanded by the general's younger brother (the seemingly fey but freakishly buff Yoo Cheng-jun). It's the old chestnut about the younger brother, jealous of the older. So begins a game of cat and mouse that gets even more complicated with the arrival of a band of volatile brigands and occasional warring armies.
If Little Big Soldier's backdrop is epic in scope, the central story is intensely intimate. Jackie Chan wrote the script, and it's a very personal, introspective meditation on a variety of subjects, not the least of which would be getting older, but the most obvious of which is the nature of warfare and loyalty. Chan's farmer is torn between several different forces. His loyalty to his country means that he must answer the call when he is conscripted. But his father's dying wish was that, since Chan's two other brothers had already been killed in the war, Chan somehow survive to carry on the family name. Thus he comes up with the playing dead ploy. He sees no honor in battle and shakes his head wearily as the captive general gives him speeches about patriotism and warfare and the glory of dying on the battlefield. All Jackie can see are the shattered lives, sad people, and ravaged farmlands.
Jackie's movies have been called many things; "deep" has never been among them, but Little Big Soldier has a world-weary yet somehow optimistic philosophical edge to it that immediately lets you know Chan is putting his heart and soul into this one. The result is equal parts charming, quaint, refreshing, and poignant. As he nears sixty, and with enough injuries to kill a normal man, Jackie can't pull off the stunt work he used to do. Anyone who expects that of him at this point in the game is, frankly, kind of an asshole. Not that Little Big Soldier is bereft of action — there's plenty, some of it involving Jackie, much of it being shouldered by the younger members of the cast. In place of Jackie Chan the stuntman, we're getting Jackie Chan the actor and Jackie Chan the writer. I don't know what sort of shape his personal life is in, but Little Big Soldier feels like a lot of personal demons being looked square in the eye. The movie hits the perfect notes — balancing the action and comedy (which is generally pretty funny, for a change) with hint of melancholy and an ending that is truly heart-wrenching. This might be the first Jackie Chan movie that makes people cry (no, Heart of the Dragon didn't make me cry, no matter how many times Jackie and Sammo cried at each other). And unlike many times before, the shifts in tone feel completely organic.
There are some familiar faces sprinkled throughout the cast, but for the most part, they were actors with whom I was unfamiliar. Great performances all the way around. Jackie tones down his mugging, when mugging is called for, to a more believable level, and the rest of the cast are giving it their all as well. Yoo Sung-jun seemed like he might be a weak link at first — the feminine acting pampered guy being a stock character in kung fu films, usually handled with as much over-the-top-hamminess as possible — but he really pulls a great performance out of the character. He's aided by the script, which doesn't allow the character to become a cartoon. By the time we're nearing the end, he's not even really the bad guy anymore. Although the story of Jackie's old soldier is the center of the plot, the relationship between the two estranged brothers is no less powerfully realized.
If any portion of the story gets short shrift, it's that of actress Lin Peng, playing a woman who has escaped a life of being forced to entertain troops. Where Jackie's farmer is eternally optimistic despite the carnage through which he must maneuver, the singing woman is much more bitter. Unfortunately, while we understand Jackie's quest, both physically and spiritually, hers seems just as interesting but largely undeveloped. She simply drifts in and out of the movie in a couple spots. I suppose, though, that's the point. As Old Soldier and the general travel across the countryside, their journey intersects with multiple people whose lives have been wrecked by the war: farmers turned to brigandry, scholars turned to slaves, soldiers turned to deserters. It lends a creeping sense of sadness to the atmosphere of the film, a particularly effective way to write a movie about war without ever showing the war.
The other aspects of the film achieve the same high quality. The cinematography is gorgeous. One of the benefits of Chinese governance of Hong Kong is that filmmakers can now take full advantage of the mainlands uncountable sweeping vistas and dramatic scenery. The sort of half-assed setting, uneven pacing, and other rough around the edges elements of some of Jackie's recent films are not present here. This is a near perfect, well-polished piece of film making. Director Sheng Ding is no one I'd ever heard of, and it turns out that's because he's never done anything else. The hand behind the direction is remarkably deft and able, so much so that I think Jackie must have had more than a passing involvement in what went on behind the camera.
To be blunt, I was stunned. I'd heard good things about the movie going into it, but I wasn't prepared for just how good it was. It might not be Jackie's best action film — that honor probably still belongs to Project A or Drunken Master II — but it's Jackie's best film. It balances the action and comedy we hope for and expect with a truly moving story. Even if I hadn't spent the last decade being increasingly disillusioned with his work, even if my exuberance over his films had never faltered I don't think I would have been prepared for just how good Little Big Soldier is. Seriously — you will ever be able to hear the phrase "A big road passes through my house…" without tearing up.
Release Year: 2010 | Country: Hong Kong | Starring: Jackie Chan, Yu Rong-guang, Wang Lee-Hom, Ken Lo, Yoo Sung-jun, Wang Bao-qiang, Lin Peng, Mei Xiao-dong, Wu Yue, Jin Song, Du Yu-ming | Writer: Jackie Chan | Director: Sheng Ding | Cinematographer: Zhao Xiao-ding, Ding Yu | Music: Xiao Ke | Producer: Jackie Chan | Original Title: Da bing xiao jiang
Me and Benny Chan go back a ways, and our relationship has been stormy. Some of his directorial efforts, like Who Am I and Big Bullet, I really like. Others, like New Police Story and Gen Y Cops, I really dislike. So I guess I come out even enough that when Chan makes a new movie, I figure I might as well see it. Shaolin, Chan's first stab at a big budget period epic, is in a way the ultimate Benny Chan film for me in that I really liked about half of it and really didn't like about half of it. It's a movie that seems specifically designed to highlight both his strengths and weaknesses as a director.
Most of Shaolin comes straight out of the generic kungfu film screenplay generator, so much so that I felt like anyone who ever wrote a kungfu film should have gotten credit for the script. As it is, three screenwriters get credit for Shaolin — one of whom (Chi Kwong Cheung) hasn't done much of note, one of whom (Cheung Tan) wrote a bunch of stuff in the 1990s that was really good, and one of whom (Alan Yuen) wrote a bunch of other Benny Chan films I didn't like. But it hardly matters who was responsible for what, since so much of the movie is a repeat of things we've seen before, only delivered with a lack of subtlety that is nigh staggering. When a film is unsubtle even by the generally subtlety-free standards of the kung film — well, I guess that's some sort of an accomplishment.
Case in point: we open with the familiar scene of monks cleaning up a corpse-strewn battlefield. Within a minute of the film starting, we get a shot of a lone yellow flower (I think it's yellow — Benny Chan has opted to go with the artificially washed out, colorless look — like pretty much every other director in the last decade) blooming amidst the grime and death. As if that wasn't groan-inducing enough, the point is further sledgehammered home by having the flower cupped in the hand of a dead child. Seriously, Chan? You're going with the single flower on the battlefield? In the hand of a slain child? That's your opening shot? Amazingly, the film actually managed to get even more ham-handed than that as it progresses through its story of warlord Hou Jie (Andy Lau, who apparently devoured, Highlander style, the power of all other superstars from the 1980s and 1990s to turn himself into the most powerful elder statesman ever), a basically evil guy waging war with his neighbors during the lawless period after the Chinese Revolution. This might be one of the first times one of these warlords hasn't been portrayed by a bald guy with a handlebar mustache (even though Warlords proved Andy Lau can wear fake facial hair with pride). Hou Jie is the merciless sort, even willing to gun down an already dying man — in the back, no less — on the steps of Shaolin Temple, much to the consternation of Shaolin's abbot (a welcome Yue Hoi, who starred in the much better Shaolin trilogy alongside Jet Li in the early 1980s) and prize pupils (Jacky Wu, Yu Shaoqun, and Xing Yu).
Tagging along with the dastardly general is pouty young upstart Cao Man (Nicholas Tse), who despite being a warlord's second in command during the early 1900s, still sports anachronistic 1990s moody anime guy hair, proving that no matter what Nick Tse does in his career, his hair is still most important. While Hou Jie schools Cao Man on the finer points of being a ruthless dictator, the Shaolin monks start careers as noble bandits, stealing stockpiled rice and flour and delivering it to the city of refugees that has sprouted up outside the temple. The monks and the soldiers don't have much interaction with one another after the film's initial conflict, until the night Hou Jie and Cao Man conspire to murder an ally warlord. It turns out, however, that the ambitious Cao Man has really been paying attention to Hou Jie's evil lessons, and the young soldier stages a coup of his own, with the assistance of a band of brigands (which includes Xiong Xin-xin, as is required by Chinese law I assume).
In the ensuing fight, Hou Jie's wife is gravely wounded and his little daughter, after being tossed around like a rag doll for a spell then hit by a galloping horse then tossed off a cliff) is killed. At this point, the movie kicks off what is basically an endless parade of people weeping, though to be fair to Benny Chan, at least he mixes it up with a blend of weeping hysterically and weeping solemnly or simply letting a solitary tear roll down an actor's cheek. Andy Lau and his wounded wife (Fan Bing-Bing, from Shinjuku Incident and Bodyguards and Assassins) turn in a ten minute freak-out during their daughter's death that looks like they were both trying to outdo Jacky Cheung's famous scenery chewing freak-outs from Bullet in the Head.
Hou Jie, wracked with grief and rage, wanders out into the countryside and promptly falls in a pit owned by Shaolin's eccentric cook (Jackie Chan), who of course is going to be the one to dole out in whimsical fashion a series of philosophical platitudes and questions that will cause Hou Jie to realize the errors of his greedy and evil ways, renounce violence, and become a monk. The other monks are suspicious of the one-time warlord at first, but he soon proves himself a dedicated and benevolent changed man. Not so for his underling, though. Cao Man, freed from the shadow of his mentor, embarks on a reign of terror that includes flopping his bangs into his face, slouching, and growing a goatee. He also teams up with a nasty, conniving British general who eventually gives the movie its single greatest, most stilted line reading, and the best example of hilariously terrible acting by a white guy in a Chinese film since the evil Dutch East India guy in Once Upon a Time in China barked, "Who is this Wong Fei-hong? THE DEVIL???" Needless to say, Cao Man will eventually learn that Hou Jie is still alive and thus will declare war on Shaolin Temple. A truly monumental amount of people crying and being murdered in slow motion will result.
To say that Shaolin's many stabs at symbolism are sledgehammer subtle would be to underestimate the precision work one can do with a sledgehammer. This movie is an endless barrage of symbolic cliches, from the aforementioned solitary flower on a battlefield to the scene where Andy Lau's repentant monk slides, in slow motion, down the front of a giant buddha to land resting in its hands. But even that isn't enough, so Benny Chan then has it rain, so that we can get scenes of rain washing away blood while — I kid you not — a solitary tear streaks down the Buddha's face. I was shocked that Chan didn't follow this up with a shot of the entire nation of China crying dramatically in slow motion. As with the lame attempts at emotion and pathos in New Police Story, Benny Chan overplays everything to the point where attempts at tragedy simply become comical, and the ham-fisted delivery of his film's symbols and messages would seem clumsy in a first year screenwriting student's first assignment of the year. There is no feeling of sincerity or earnestness. The stabs at emotion and symbolism are so generic and overdone that they feel little more than crass, cheap melodrama. Benny Chan doesn't try to jerk tears from the audience; he tries to rip them from you using a giant dump truck and a drag car.
Attempting to match the screenplay's goofily overblown melodrama is the acting. Andy Lau turns in a credible performance for most of the film, but he has a few scenes that push into the realm of ridiculousness. His character's journey from ruthless overlord to modest monk happens without any sort of journey. He's a bad guy; his daughter gets killed; he sits in a pit for a day while Jackie Chan talks to him, and then he emerges as the single most pious and devoted monk ever. There's no sense of development, no hint at internal conflict the way we got in movies like Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter or 36th Chamber of Shaolin, where a similarly violent character seeks refuge as a monk but must constantly struggle to defeat their inner demons. Although those films have less of the air of "prestige picture" about them, they are much better at exploring the struggle in the central character. In contrast, Andy Lau's character seems to obtain benevolent enlightenment almost instantly.
Luckily, anything Lau does, no matter how overcooked, seems reigned in when compared to the embarrassing performance by Nicholas Tse. In the late 1990s, when the boy band idols were given the reigns of the Hong Kong film leading man status, I thought that maybe Nicholas Tse would emerge from beneath the hair salon addiction and make something of himself. And while he has flirted with doing that from time to time, for the most part he remains still a pretty boy pop idol who plays every role like a pretty boy pop idol. His attempts here to act or laugh menacingly made me cringe and chuckle. He's just terrible, often humorously so, which makes it even harder to buy into Benny Chan's desperate and over-ripe attempts to infuse this movie with tragedy and meaning.
The monks fare better, with most of them turning in decent if forgettable performances. Jackie Chan's turn as the quirky cook is basically him doing Jackie Chan, only a little less so. There is something novel about seeing him play the character his character from older movies so often trained with, but the joke about how Chan is the one monk who doesn't know any kungfu is as predictable as everything else in this movie. Jackie Chan cameos can often stop a movie dead in its track (see Project S), as it often feels like he wandered in from an entirely different movie, but I think he clicks pretty well in Shaolin. It's a strange day indeed when Jackie Chan is the actor giving the most restrained performance.
Action direction is handled by the team of Yuen Kwai and Yuen Tak, and it's the usual modern mix of real stuntwork with tons of wirework. Some of the wirework is well done, some of it not so much, but for the most part, I enjoyed the action scenes. As is par for the course these days, Benny Chan's camera spends too much time on fast edits and gets too close to the action, but I think maybe my brain is getting to the point where it can decipher this style of filmmaking. Andy Lau is a believable fighter, and Xiong Xin-xin does what he usually does, which is show up and kick the shit out of people. Nicholas Tse has about as much presence as a fighter as he does as an actor, but the rest of the cast is able enough to carry him. The final assault on Shaolin Temple is pretty spectacular, full of all the noble slow motion death you expect from such a film but with the added bonus of a well-executed artillery siege courtesy of that fantastic British general. The action scenes are not great, but they're good enough to save the movie from the hollow, overwrought melodrama in which it wallows.
All in all, Shaolin isn't a very good movie, and Benny Chan's weakness as a director and the screenplay's endless procession of cliche and hokum can't be disguised by the big budget epic sheen — which is dulled considerably by the seemingly unquenchable desire of every modern filmmaker to make every film looked dull, washed out, and blue tinted. Seriously, the color palette in this film is so over-processed and dim that I thought the projector was messed up when I saw it. However, Shaolin is bad in a way that still allows it to be entertaining, and entertained I was. There is some good action, and the destruction of Shaolin Temple achieves the epic scope for which the film strives. It's a shame that Chan didn't recognize the event itself was powerful enough, and thus he feels the need to undermine it with lots of shots of people crying in slow motion or falling into the hands of a giant Buddha with rain-tears rolling down its face. I wouldn't really give it much a recommendation, but if you happen across it, it's dumb but harmless enough. Once people get past the big budget glaze, I think they'll see Shaolin for what it really is: a hokey, badly acted, poorly written, astoundingly hammy, generally entertaining modern day equivalent to cheap, generic, moderately enjoyable old kungfu films.
At the same time, suffering through Shaolin's overplayed attempts at tragedy might make you wonder why you aren't just watching Eight Diagram Pole Fighter or Shaolin Temple instead, and to that question, my only answer is, "Yeah, why aren't you?"
Release Year: 2011 | Country: Hong Kong | Starring: Andy Lau, Fan Bing-Bing, Nicholas Tse, Jackie Chan, Jacky Wu, Yu Shaoqun, Xing Yu, Yue Hoi, Xiong Xin-Xin, Bai Bing, Sang Wei-Lin, Chen Zhi-Hui, Liang Jing-Ke, Shi Xiao-Hong | Screenplay: Chi Kwong Cheung, Cheung Tan, Alan Yuen | Director: Benny Chan | Cinematography: Anthony Pun | Music: Nicolas Errera | Producer: Benny Chan
New Police Story
For my money, this is where the wheels started to come off the Jackie Chan cart. Sure, we had already written off his American career after The Tuxedo (though I personally love Shanghai Knights and think Forbidden Kingdom is bland and stupid but largely inoffensive), but this is where the Hong Kong movies that were our refuge started to show signs of rot as well. I was with him through the 1990s, even when he was working with Stanley Tong, a director who has an impressive ability to make even the most talented action star seem dull and uninspiring. I was even with Jackie through the first part of the new millennium, and while some people didn't care for output like Who Am I and Accidental Spy, I really enjoyed them.


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More Buyouts in the Teen Clothing Space?
Mike is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
In early March, the already volatile world of youth fashion was rocked by the announcement that City of Industry, Calif.-based teenage clothing retailer Hot Topic (NASDAQ: HOTT) accepted an all-cash buyout offer from privately held asset management firm Sycamore Partners.
The $600 million deal will provide a significant return for long-term Hot Topic shareholders, and result in Hot Topic's demise as a publicly-traded company. It will also represent the culmination of years of uneven share-price performance and tumultuous boardroom dealings at the struggling clothing retailer.
Despite the unified front that the company's management team has presented, the deal remains subject to legal scrutiny from several shareholder groups who are holding out for a better agreement. Assuming that none of these investigations results in a shareholder lawsuit or otherwise scuttles the deal, it could close by the end of the third quarter of 2013.
About Hot Topic and Sycamore Partners
Hot Topic is a clothing and novelty retailer that sells a variety of clothing products and fashion accessories for teenagers and young adults. The company operates about 600 mall-based "Hot Topic" stores in North America, and around 150 "Torrid" stores in the United States. Whereas the "Hot Topic" concept appeals to a wide range of adolescents, "Torrid" is marketed specifically to plus-size females under the age of 21. Hot Topic also operates a handful of "Blackheart" stores that sell jewelery, tattoo accessories, and other novelty items.
The company employs about 2,200 full-time workers and earned $16.3 million on $718.7 million in 2012 gross revenues.
New York-based Sycamore Partners is a boutique private equity firm that specializes in wealth management, small-scale leveraged buyouts and corporate guidance. The company has worked with fashion-forward clothing retailers like Talbots and Mast Global Fashions, as well as smaller finance firms. Although it does not issue detailed financial statements to the public, Sycamore has at least $1 billion under direct management, and it employs several dozen employees.
How the Deal Is Structured
This relatively straightforward deal will be structured as a "one-step" all-cash buyout. Under the terms of the agreement, Sycamore will issue cash payments of exactly $14 per share to each Hot Topic shareholder as of a yet-to-be-determined record date.
Relative to Hot Topic's pre-announcement closing price of $10.75 per share, this represents a premium of about 30.2%. Relative to the company's most recent closing price of $13.85 per share, it offers a premium of 1.1%.
Complications and Legal Issues
The pending deal is not without controversy. In fact, it is the subject of at least two separate legal investigations that have been launched in an effort to determine whether Hot Topic's board observed the proper "shopping" protocols before announcing the deal. Specifically, the Brower Piven investigation alleges that the company abdicated its fiduciary responsibility to its shareholders by accepting a deal that undervalued it by as much as 17 percent.
It should be noted that such investigations are common in the wake of buyout announcements. In addition, the means by which Brower Piven "values" Hot Topic is suspect: It simply notes that a stock analyst had issued a $16.40 price target for the company at some time in the past. Owing to this relatively flimsy rationale, it is unlikely that these legal actions will ultimately delay or scuttle the deal. However, they could lead the company's board to entertain the prospect of higher rival bids that may provide shareholders with an additional arbitrage opportunity.
Competitors: Who Could Be Next?
Although the announcement of this buyout deal has fuelled talk that more teen apparel buyouts might be on the horizon, such speculation might be premature. For starters, this sub-industry is unique in several key ways, and it does not necessarily respond well to consolidation. Since fashion trends are subject to rapid change, it is often not in the best interest of a management team to accept a merger offer or buyout from an outside group.
While companies like Aeropostale (NYSE: ARO) and Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF) have lately struggled to stay out in front of changing clothing tastes and posted underwhelming earnings results, this does not necessarily make them prime buyout targets. In the fashion world, it is often more effective for boards of directors to replace the key executives or managers in order to see change.
Aeropostale has experienced flat sales for the past year, while Abercrombie has actually increased sales by 10%. With the PEG ratio much larger for Aeropostale, investors are apparently expecting more growth out of that retailer than Abercrombie in the next five years. Investors who hold positions in Hot Topic's peer companies should not necessarily be crossing their fingers for a flurry of buyout activity.
In sum, investors should refrain from drawing broad conclusions from the specific circumstances of the Hot Topic buyout. Within those constraints, this transaction represents an excellent opportunity for arbitrage investors to realize short-term profit.
Those who believe that legal issues will ultimately delay the deal may wish to initiate a short position in Hot Topic or hold out for a higher buyout offer from a third party. Those who believe that this deal will go through as planned should stand ready to buy into Hot Topic on any news-related dips.
Mike Thiessen has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Aeropostale. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is this post wrong? Click here. Think you can do better? Join us and write your own!

subset: commoncrawl


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Credits & Info
- Uploaded
- Jan 3, 2008 | 7:44 AM EST
- Daily 3rd Place January 4, 2008
If you liked this, check these out!
Author Comments
This is an action film although it is short.
A hero repulses the alien who plans earth invasion.
In order to show the beauty of a line, monochrome is used intentionally.
Rated 5 / 5 stars December 5, 2008
very nice
I love your style! it's got a classic feel to it, I'll look forward to your work in the future :D
Rated 4.5 / 5 stars January 15, 2008
nice nice bumm bumm
=D hey man thats so cool. i like your style and i love the laser thing wich is smashing the landscape. great. also nice: the throwing stone hitting the flying saucer. great. i wanna see more of that.
(and i will try to make my lasers in my commin movie more like yours ^^)
Rated 5 / 5 stars January 14, 2008
That was amazing!!!
well good animation and drawings!!
Rated 5 / 5 stars January 13, 2008
awsome kool beanz dude!
you have talent!
Rated 4 / 5 stars January 12, 2008
great job! i definately want to see more from you!


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ali suede and leather bag
by A.P.C.
Women's Size Chart
Product Details
Italian leather shoulder bag featuring a front flap closure with leather covered buckle and tonal navy suede. Gusseted patch pocket below flap and quick release magnetic closure. Single compartment with interior zip pocket with leather trim.
• 100% calfskin
• measures 11"W x 8"H x 4"D
• adjustable crossbody strap with 21.6" drop
• gold tone hardware
• imported


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A group of some recent sketches. They're all traditional, mechanical pencil and graphite sticks, a mixture of leads.
Girl with the flowers was referenced from: http://rainbowsandwitheringwinters.tumblr.com/post/4257638347/cordura-by-kristina-di-enes
Top left is a Giovanni Civardi study.
Time to get back into the swing of things.
I don't understand how girls get so obsessive over their boyfriends/husbands/side piece. It's kind of ridiculous.
Kravin Glass Pipes
I'm sick :(
Theme by unemotional // Best viewed in Google Chrome


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Yes, you can buy copies of our lovely new album, a collection of special Gamine lullabies called 'You Can Cry (And Other Lullabies)'. We have already made it available as a download release on the likes of iTunes, 7digital and most other well-known download sites (our bandcamp page is best - and you can now also buy our marvellous 'Sabotage' album there as a download) and now it is available on CD in actual (and virtual) shops. But best of all, you can buy it straight away from our website.
Tagged as: gamine ~ you can cry (and other lullabies) ~ bandcamp ~
Theme by: Heloísa Teixeira


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Intel Kills Consumer Larrabee Plans
Soulskill posted more than 4 years ago | from the vapor-what dept.166
An anonymous reader tips news that Intel has canceled plans for a consumer version of their long-awaited and oft-delayed Larrabee chip, opting instead to use it as a development platform product. From VentureBeat: "'Larrabee silicon and software development are behind where we had hoped to be at this point in the project,' said Nick Knuppfler, a spokesman for Intel in Santa Clara, Calif. 'Larrabee will not be a consumer product.' In other words, it's not entirely dead. It's mostly dead. Instead of launching the chip in the consumer market, it will make it available as a software development platform for both internal and external developers. Those developers can use it to develop software that can run in high-performance computers. But Knuppfler said that Intel will continue to work on stand-alone graphics chip designs. He said the company would have more to say about that in 2010."


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- Conversion Rate Optimization & Marketing Blog | FutureNow - http://www.grokdotcom.com -
Let's Not Be This "Clear" With Our Email Marketing
Posted By Bryan Eisenberg On April 23, 2009 @ 8:11 am In Email Marketing | 11 Comments
[1]I am a big advocate for Clear [2]. if you haven't heard of it before, Clear is a high-tech card that gives you access to express security lines at airports across the country. Instead of inching along through airport security, you fly through in mere minutes. When you travel for business and have to wait in long security lines the cost of clear is a no brainer.
As soon as Clear had a lane at the Delta Terminal at JFK, I signed up. I've told many people about the benefits of using the Clear card. In fact, I've already renewed my membership for a second time. I am subscribed through 2013. Makes me wonder why do the keep emailing me over and over again to sign up for a trial membership? Oooooops!
[3]Clear really needs to spring clean and segment their email lists [4] better. Sending your pre-existing customers offers that are irrelevant is just like sending sp&m.
I do have a recommendation for them. Why not send an email to their customers who renewed a special invitation code with a great deal they can pass along to their friends. If I had an offer like that I would gladly share it with you.
What do you think they could do better? Please share your ideas.
Article printed from Conversion Rate Optimization & Marketing Blog | FutureNow: http://www.grokdotcom.com
URL to article: http://www.grokdotcom.com/2009/04/23/lets-not-be-this-clear-with-our-email-marketing/
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://www.grokdotcom.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/clear.jpg
[2] Clear: http://www.flyclear.com
[3] Image: http://www.grokdotcom.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/limited-time-offer_-six-month-trial-memberships1.jpg
[4] really needs to spring clean and segment their email lists: http://www.grokdotcom.com/2009/04/20/have-your-spring-cleaned-your-email-marketing-yet/
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2009 FutureNow's GrokDotCom / Marketing Optimization Blog. All rights reserved.


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Easton Rd & Summit Ave has a Walk Score of 69 out of 100. This location is Somewhat Walkable so some errands can be accomplished on foot.
Nearby parks include Meetinghouse Park, Eaton Memorial Park and Hatboro Memorial Park.
Nearby schools include Horsham Montessori Children House, Keith Valley Middle School and Pennypack Elementary School.
The closest grocery stores are Giant Food, W8LLC and ACME - Horsham.
Nearby coffee shops include Starbucks, Plenti Grand Cafe & Catering and Manhattan Bagel. Nearby restaurants include Tonelli's Pizza Pub, Otto's Brauhaus and Mc Donald's.


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The art: Gerhard Richter, Uncle Rudi, 1965.
The news: "World War II From the Ground Up," by Richard J. Evans in The New York Times Book Review. Evans' essay is a review of Max Hastings' new book "Inferno: The World at War 1939-45," which Evans says is an "account of the war that concentrates on the lived experience of the men and women who took part in it," men like Richter's Uncle Rudi.
The source: Collection of the Pamatnik Lidice/Lidice Memorial, Lidice, Czech Republic. Uncle Rudi is included in "Gerhard Richter," a retrospective exhibition on view now at the Tate Modern.
Related: On Modern Art Notes, I detailed how and why Uncle Rudi is one of the most influential paintings of the 20th century.
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This week at Staples get a FREE Ream of paper after Staples Rewards. Perfect for the coupon printer!
Frugal Living and Having Fun has a list of more cheap items for you HERE.
For Office Max Deals, check out Nicole's Nickels HERE.
Penny Pinchin Mom has has your Office Depot deals this week HERE.
FREEBIE ALERT: Grab a FREE Amazon Prime Trial which includes FREE 2-Day Shipping, FREE Kindle Books, and FREE Video Streaming!
Find this and updated daily deals on Frugal Coupon Living. Receive this and other Daily Deals for FREE in your inbox.


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On the Trail: Mitt Romney visits five states on this final day of campaigning, while President Obama visits two.
ORLANDO — Mitt Romney visits five states in this final day before the election while President Barack Obama hits two.
Romney's day starts here in must-win Florida. The GOP nominee then heads to Virginia and Ohio, two other states critical to his chances. He'll finish the day in a conservative area of New Hampshire, near where he announced his candidacy more than a year ago. Finally, Romney will spend the night at his home outside Boston.
Obama has a slower final-day schedule. He will hold a morning rally in the college town of Madison, Wis. Then he goes to Columbus, the capital of Ohio – two hours before Romney gets there.
Vice President Joe Biden spends the full day in Virginia.
And GOP veep contender Paul Ryan makes a five-state dash that starts in Reno, Nev., goes through Colorado and Ohio, and ends near his hometown in Milwaukee, Wis.
After Romney visited the suburbs of Philadelphia on Sunday – entering to the theme song from "Rocky" – Bill Clinton will spend all day Monday in the state. The ex-president campaigns in the coal country of the western part of the state and finishes with two stops in the east – near the populous areas around Philadelphia.
Polls show the race dead even nationally, but the president continues to cling to a small lead in most swing states.
Obama interrupted by heckler in Ohio
Get more campaign news from Politico.com.


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MONDAY, July 11 (HealthDay News) -- Pet owners are familiar with
cats pouncing on their feet under the covers or a pooch who nibbles
their toes in bed.
But if you have diabetes, this lighthearted play is off-limits:
Your feet and hands should not be exposed when sleeping with a
In the second case of its type reported in a medical journal, a
woman plagued by diabetes-related numbness in her feet ended up
losing her leg after a pet dog chewed on her infected toe while she
Researchers said that the traumatic incident underscores how
critical it is that people with diabetes monitor the onset of
injuries and related threats posed by pets.
"Pets have a tendency to lick wounds, and that simple lick can turn into a bite, if there is no response from the owner," study author Lee C. Rogers, associate director of Valley Presbyterian Hospital's Amputation Prevention Center in Van Nuys, Calif., explained in a hospital news release.
"There have also been reports of dogs' saliva infecting diabetic patients with the antibiotic-resistant superbug MRSA [methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus], which can be deadly," Rogers continued. "This case illustrates the perils of pet ownership in diabetic patients who have numbness in their hands or feet caused by neuropathy."
Rogers and colleagues discuss the case in the June issue of
Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association.
The authors noted that nearly 26 million Americans have
diabetes, and that the disease is the number one cause of
amputations that result from something other than trauma.
The experience of the 48-year old woman began with the onset of
"diabetic neuropathy," a degenerative disorder affecting the
nervous system. The patient had already lost one leg to amputation,
and the condition caused her to lose feeling in her remaining
Compounding the problem was an infection in her big toe. Because
she could feel no pain, it was not until she awoke one morning and
saw blood that she realized that her 2-year old Jack Russell
terrier had chewed off part of her infected toe during the
Initially, the patient underwent a partial toe amputation. But
because of the spread of infection and skin lesions (which are
common to diabetics), the woman ended up having to undergo a second
amputation, losing the lower part of her remaining leg.
"People with diabetes and neuropathy must take special precautions to protect their feet from infections to avoid amputations and other complications," said Rogers.
More information
For more on diabetes and related foot complications, visit the
American Dietetic Association.
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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Nick Diaz And Ronda Rousey Tag Team Michael "Layzie the Savage" Mardones of MiddleEasy.com.
when she went for that armbar at the end all i was thinkin was Ass Ass Ass lol
lol… Ronda is a great athlete, and fighter.. and gorgeous – I love the look on Mike's face @ around 5:00 when she mounts him and he brushes her ass despite being choked.
lets see rhonda and nick rolling. it would be cool to see highlevel mens bjj vs high level womens judo/bjj.
where are they at?
looks familiar
she is hot no wonder why she is getting a shot at that title
howd i do? lol!!!
lucky guy he tapped her booty i wouldnt mind getting in the ring lol… wonder if nick is tapping rousey
This dude totally lets her mount him hahaha, smart man!
rolling with a gracie jiu jitsu blackbelt…people pay big money to do what he did for sh*ts and giggles
pause at 5:02 yeah!!! lol
great video bruno. lol thats how i feel in jiu jitsu class i always get tapped
I like 5:01 better lol
what a ass!!! wow!!!
At 5:03 I'm pretty sure he was trying to put his thumb in her ass or atleast hoping she would settle down on it….
Wow Karen Bryant was tolerable in this video, probably because she kept her damn mouth shut, hands down the worst interviewer…..comes across faker than the injuries in soccer.
fun! good video!
Nick is so efficient, no waste energy pure technique….
What's up nobody's ever seen a cute chick before f*ckin grow up.
Bunch of f*ckin pervs
Oh ya baby, @ 5:11 she looks real cute, with those manly veins popping out of her neck like the incredible Hulk and her legs all spread eagle with a look on her face like she is either getting fisted or giving birth LOL
hey bruno wheres the Ronda Rousey Roll gif lol
stop overrating her attractiveness…


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Chosen as a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times Book Review and as a best book for 2002 by the Los Angeles Times Book Review, Washington Post Book World, and Publishers Weekly. A finalist for the 2003 National Book Critics Circle Award in biography. The greatest statesman of his age, Benjamin Franklin was also a pioneering scientist, a successful author, the first American postmaster general, a printer, a bon vivant. In addition, he was a man of vast contradictions. This bestselling biography by one of our greatest historians offers a compact and provocative new portrait of America's most extraordinary patriot.
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You will see an additional shipping charge added to your order of either $10, $20 or $25.
The fee assessed is based upon the size of the product. Oversize items are excluded from shipping promotions.
[4 of 4 customers found this review helpful]
Comments about Womens Arena Black Boot:
The good: They are awesome boots! They look great and really dress up a costume. They are extremely comfortable. I was able to be on my feet for hours on end and no pain!! They serve for costumes of pirates, ring leader, vampire, and a couple more...they are versatile.
The bad: the quality control on the boots is not very good. One boot was more of a bronze and the other was more goldish...which wasn't hugely noticeable. The other issue was that one was tighter on the calf area then the other, thankfully they zipped up but it almost seemed like the one boot wasn't going to fit while the other fit perfect. So, my pair had a bit of an issue with matching.
[2 of 3 customers found this review helpful]
Comments about Womens Arena Black Boot:
I have pretty skinny legs and although I've read the reviews before purchasing, some fit them too tight. Most boots usually fit me to lose so I took a risk buying them online. Once I received mine, I tried them on and they fit PERFECT!
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text:
Via: CNET | News Archive | Tags: Android, Google, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean
Okay…. So How Will Android 5.0 Jelly Bean undergoes? Well, a number of features have been supposed so far. First they should think about better integrated browser. A much improved integrated browser or a mobile version of Google's own Chrome with stable onscreen tabs and a absolute bookmarks bar is likely to be built-in in the upcoming Android version. As we know iOS and Windows contain previously with their own browsers like Safari and IE, so full Chrome browser maintain in Jelly Bean and could establish to be an actual player for Google. And secondly my point is about its battery life. Most of the times, users see for unseen custom choices to save battery life on their devices. So, a battery management tool or app would include a great deal of importance to the upcoming version of Android.
this is ridiculous. ICS is only on 1% of devices. ICS also has bugs they have to fix, AND its not even on all the nexus S's yet. Google needs to focus on quality not quantity
I'm getting sick of seeing android on so many devices. when will this stop ? also why doesn't any of android devices uses 100 percent of there core's processor ? I have been looking for a android phone to get for a few months now and still not sure. now I don't like the apple's iPhone but they do use 100 percent of the phones processor. now im still a newbie on all of this but i came from iPhone 3gs to the inspire. last year. now should i wait to the end of the year? to upgrade to a new phone?
*** you go back to apple
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|Windows 9 Threshold Video And Screen...


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How to Lose a Constitution—Lessons from Roman History
- 29 August 2014 – Lawrence W. Reed President, Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) I begin with this remark of the celebrated Roman historian Livy, written 2,000 years ago: There is an exceptionally beneficial and fruitful advantage to be more »
Your Newsletter has Good News!
- 28 August 2014 – by Frank Fluckiger, National Chairman I'm really excited about our new newsletter. There is more information and important links than ever before. I urge you to read it — read it twice so you can go to the more »
More Than a Win, Constitution Party Candidates want Ballot Access
- 26 August 2014 – Alaska Public Media – "Alaskans will have one more option in the governor's race: The Division of Elections will allow Constitution Party candidate J.R. Myers to appear on the ballot. The Alaska Constitution Party has just more »
Everything is So Bad We Have to do Something … So Let's Have An Article V Constitutional Convention
- 1 August 2014 – by Janine Hansen, Constitution Party Western States Area Chairman – Last week I spoke at Carole Fineberg's Conservative Talk Lunch in Reno, about the dangerous threat of an Article V Constitutional Convention now being more »
Constitution Party Submits First Statewide Alaska Petition Since 2000
19 August 2014 – Ballot Access News – August 19 is the deadline for Alaska independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, to submit petitions. The Constitution Party is submitting approximately 4,400 for Governor and 4,300 for Lieutenant Governor. more »
The United States, Israel, and the Constitution Party
- 18 August 2014 – by Darrell Castle, National Executive Committee member and 2008 Vice-Presidential candidate When Americans talk about the nation of Israel, the discussion generally centers on questions concerning its right to exist, or of its right to self-defense. more »
Constitution Party says Blame Voters, not Illegal Immigrants.
from Opposition News – 16 August 2014- Spokane Valley, WA. (ONN) The recent onslaught of illegal immigrants streaming across America's southern border has elicited passionate responses from both sides of the issue. Militiamen and volunteer border patrols are trying to more »
Double Standard in Alabama: Both Major Parties Miss Ballot Deadlines But Will Be on Ballot Anyway
11 August 2014 – Major parties miss ballot deadlines but Constitution Party of Alabama candidates remain fully qualified and on the ballot. Read more…
We're Fighting at Every Turn!
11 August 2014 – by Frank Fluckiger, National Chairman I'll be brief and to the point.It's time to take advantage of the opportunities that we have: more than 150 Constitution Party candidates are running for office this year. On more »


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|« Back to Article
Dear Abby on good times, people
Peter Hartlaub
Published 4:00 am, Saturday, January 24, 2009
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Pauline Phillips put her daughter to work while the girl was in her teens, asking Jeanne Phillips to help with the Dear Abby letters as a means to get allowance money.
The former Burlingame High School and Crystal Springs School for Girls student hasn't lived in the Bay Area since her parents moved to Minnesota in the early 1960s, but she loves San Francisco and still enjoys the city during weekend getaways with her husband. We spoke with Jeanne Phillips by phone last week for a short trip down memory lane.
Where did your mother write her first column for The Chronicle?
In her bedroom, in Hillsborough. She had a typewriter in her bedroom, that's where she would have written it. She always had a home office (and) she tried to work with staff. The problem was that when she did put a small office in for herself with staff, people would knock on the door constantly saying, "Abby, you have to see this." She retreated to the house, because it interrupted her train of thought.
What place from the old days do you miss the most?
Johnny Kan's. I had a huge crush on the maitre d', and the food was good, too. I even remember the maitre d's name, but I'm not going to tell you.
What was your mother's favorite hangout in the Bay Area?
Let me think. There was a wonderful Russian restaurant across the street from the Fairmont. My mouth is watering. It was the first time I ever tasted blini, and I can't remember the name. How frustrating. We're going back a ways, kiddo ...
What's your favorite place to visit when you come to San Francisco now?
The San Francisco Chronicle, of course. ... I like to eat at a little restaurant on Belden Place called Café Tiramisu. You can never tell who you'll sit next to. One time we were there and the chef was sitting with the people at the next table because they came from the same village where he grew up in Italy. Another time I wound up sitting next to a darling young couple, and he was the head of Homeland Security in a town in Wisconsin. We also like to go to Fisherman's Wharf.
How did you spend your allowance money helping your mother with the Dear Abby columns?
I loved going to the movies - the local theater (the Fox Burlingame) on the strip in Burlingame. I also went into San Francisco a few times to see plays. Saw "Lil' Abner." Fell in love with Abner. Invited the cast to the house for a swimming party with some of my girlfriends from high school. "Lil' Abner" had all these muscle guys. Shows you where my values are.
Do you have a favorite teacher from your days at Burlingame High or Crystal Springs?
I would have to say that my most memorable teacher was Ruben Beltran at Burlingame High. When I was taking his Spanish class, I didn't fully understand that I'd have to use the language some day, but it sure has come in handy, and I have him to thank for it.
To this day?
Oh, yes. Señor Beltran, muchas gracias.
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The Bling Ring (2013)
Alternate title: Bling Ring, Untitled (Sofia Coppola/FR Productions Project)
Similar Movies
The most popular movies among NYTimes.com readers.
7 Readers' Reviews
July 8th, 20131:20 pm
I enjoyed the movie tremendously because my budget doesn't afford me the opportunity to shop and I love designer clothes and shiny trinkets. Therein lies the problem -- would kids find this sort of bling-obsessive activity something to turn away from or emulate -- given the verite documentary-style POV or its lack thereof? Nonetheless, I loved the totally whacked Secret-obsessed mom and wonder whether all these young sociopaths will be rich and famous merely for stealing from the rich and famous or turn into boozy middle-agers living in cheap crack motels or run down trailer parks. I think the latter, but time will tell.
— Migdia Chinea, Glendale, CA
July 1st, 201310:42 am
I found this tale of teenagers stuffed with drugs and trying to fill their empty lives with celebrity and bling an interesting social commentary -- and both more frightening than a zombie film but also frankly a lot of fun, even though I probably shouldn't have. I think there were a few too many break ins or Coppola simply did not accelerate the pace fast enough. Was it effective that Coppola just reported the facts and didn't pass judgment -- after all, these dumb kids were bound to be caught eventually -- should she have taken sides? I think this was a very effective film, and I rather like that I wasn't beaten over the head with moralizing.
— GinaK, New Jersey
June 27th, 201311:09 am
On one level, this is a very effective film. It certainly captures an aspect of the current California youth culture that's hooked into the celebrity/brandname marketing mania relentlessly promoted by new (and old) media. The art direction is superb.
What it lacks is a critical take on the whole phenomenon. Especially because this is a female writer/director looking at a culture that exploits teenage girls. Coppola's gender politics are disturbing. The one boy in the Bling Ring is treated with real sympathy but the girls are shown to be either idiots or monsters.
— kb, Los Angeles, CA
June 21st, 201311:27 am
Yawn, another slow, drifting and empty movie from Ms. Coppola, who seems to have learned nothing from her famous relative. You could run this film forward or backward and it would make no difference. You could watch it with the sound on or off, same result. Or you could just skip it and save a few bucks. A self-adoring movie-maker licking herself like an overfed cat, Ms. Coppola has no discernible talent or distinction other than her name.
— Independent Voter, Los Angeles
June 21st, 201311:27 am
I guess life on the fashion highway is not all it's cracked up to be. So sad for those along for the ride. And even sadder for those of us who dress for cover rather than to kill. And like their movies with a dramatic arc and characters that are more than tinsel-town-thin. It look good though.
— marrtyy, manhattan
June 17th, 201311:47 am
The inevitable result of Capitalism is that it creates class warfare. Which is why it will ultimately produce revolution. Oh not, perhaps, today. But eventually. Marx was right. It's his interpreters who always get it wrong. These kids are the product of that. Capitalism (and our culture) tell them that they are nothing without material possessions. Culture also tells them that fame is the way to get them, not work. Work is for suckers. Inevitably, you have this movie. Which, ironically, is what these kids wanted in the first place. We've rewarded them for their behavior. Gee, you think any other kids will do similar things, knowing that they may get a movie made about them? Hmmmm.
— Lawrence Bullock, Mendocino, CA
June 17th, 201311:47 am
What a sham!
This film was already done by the "Lifetime" network, and done quite well, if I may say so myself.
Even the title was cribbed by Ms. Coppola.
While I have thoroughly enjoyed her films in the past, I am ashamed for her that she would merely recreate what originated from cable television, and not even premium cable television.
Shame on you Ms. Coppola what a blemish on your family name.
Do better in the future.
— SJD, New York, NY


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Here's a new love letter submission from a reader that I would like to share with you. Beautifully written and heartfelt this is a perfect example of a love letter at its best. Love and romance at its best!
Dear love of my life,
The first time we met, I would have never imagined how much our lives would become entwined, that you would become my best friend, or that I could possibly love one person so much.
You are the kindest man I have ever met. I love that you are so willing to help others and are so giving. You work hard and go the extra mile to be good at what you do. I love how sweet you are and how unselfish you are with your time and affection. I will never forget the night we were by the horse corral and you asked me to be your girlfriend. That was one of the best moments of my life. Your happiness and smile make my life brighter and blissful. When I am with you, I feel completely filled with love and excitement. I can't help but smile when I see you. I thank God every day for bringing you into my life.
You are my first thought when I wake up, and my last thought before sleeping. You have made my life an adventure and I am overjoyed to be sharing it with you. I am excited to discover what the future holds for us. I love you with all my heart.
Love always
(Name withheld to protect the innocent)


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Cassitty is with Africa and Mr. Titlicker, who is sitting in a chair jacking off slowly as the gals play with each other's still-covered big breasts. The tops soon come off. They have fun with their fondling, and they are able to suck each other's breasts at the same time. Cassitty and Africa bounce around on the bed, shake and rub their boobs together. Mr. Titlicker talks to them throughout and prompts them with various ideas before he joins in first for a double blowjob, every man's fantasy. Then he starts to eagerly fuck them both in a dirty threesome session. They are living busty wet dreams.
Pity poor Cassitty. This dedicated career woman has gone out of her way to dress ultra-conservatively at the office. She piles on many layers of clothing to hide her incredibly large breasts, but her boss, Mr. Titlicker, sees through this facade and demands that she change her dress habits. She agrees, and with his eager help and shaking hands, she does a slow peel right there. His choice of attire is a nearly transparent red mesh outfit and high heels, but they don't stay on long. His groping hands and salivating tongue soon engulf her huge boobs. Titlicker gets his fill and clears the desk where Cassitty tit-fucks him. She adds lip service to the titty play and beats his cock while swinging her hanging boobs back and forth across his hard meat.
Cassitty: When I was 16, I was a D-cup. Were you happy about that? Cassitty: Oh, of course. Everybody loved me. They just wanted to see my tits. But I really wanted them to keep on growing and they did. And the girls hated you? Cassitty: Not all of them, but some did. It's the same as it is now. Some people don't care; others will be jealous. There's nothing you can do except smile and be happy with yourself. People are what they are.
"Guys love to see my tits bounce, especially when I'm on the bottom. I like holding them and making them move everywhere. Guys go wild when they see that. When I have my pussy eaten, I don't like guys to dig in like they're in a rib eating contest or something. I like it licked gently, rubbed softly. If you're going to put a finger in there, don't try to ram your entire fist up me. Take one finger and work inside my lips, then go to my love-tunnel and tease me. Rim me, softly, then go in slow and easy'a little at first until you can get your entire finger inside.'
From Black & Stacked Xtra #3 , it's two of the horniest fuck bunnies that ever stepped into our studio. These two are ready for action anytime and no one knows how to take good care of a hard schlong better. There's nothing they don't know about sex. Here it's time for threesome action. The guy lies back on the bed and gets a dual suck-off. They stroke and gargle him together, share and share alike, and he has to think of depressing things like world famine to mentally force himself to avoid shooting his load prematurely all over their faces and tits.
How I Like To Have My Pussy Eaten by Cassitty: "I don't like guys to dig in like they're in a rib-eating contest or something. I like it licked gently, rubbed softly. If you're going to put a finger in there, don't try to ram your entire fist up me. Take one finger and work inside my lips, then go to my love tunnel and tease me. Rim me, softly, then go in slow and easy--a little at first until you can get your entire finger inside. You'd like it in there too. It's so soft and wet and sexy. When I get real wet, you can slide two in real tight and kind of move them around in a circle to get every part of my love tunnel. I like that."
"You know how some girls are shoe-whores and some girls are clothes-whores? I'm an attention-whore. I just can't get enough. The more, the merrier. Now, everybody thinks that because I'm a big girl, I like big, hard cocks and hard, rough things. But the truth is, I'm very gentle and I like to be treated that way. I like my nipples sucked soft and my pussy played with gently. And I don't like pounding. I like it soft. Just because I'm a big girl doesn't mean I can handle all that."
Question to Cassitty: How often do you have sex per week? Her answer: More times than I can count. This pictorial from Voluptuous Xtra #7 will show you in complete detail what Cassitty will do to your cock. She attracts boob hounds who like to suck on nipples and squeeze tits as much as possible. Watch Cassitty as she inhales this guy's dick to the root. We asked Cassitty to hold both nipples in her mouth hands-free while she was being fucked in cowgirl. She did it in photo 49.
How old were you when your boobs began to grow? Did you have a growth spurt or was it gradual? Cassity: My tits first started growing when I was 11, then gradually every year they grew bigger and bigger. What brand of bras do you buy? Cassity: Z-Gans of Hollywood. What style of bras do you like? Cassity: Underwire and see-through bras.
"I like a guy who's well-groomed, never jealous and loves to show affection in public," says Cassitty, who's made two trips to visit us so far."But it's not easy because most guys get very jealous real fast. Even if another guy just glances at me, they get bent out of shape. It's not easy having breasts like mine and not having a jealous boyfriend. I guess most men are going to feel like this because they're afraid that another guy will steal me away. Being a sexy model on top of that also doesn't help. They want to keep me all to themselves!"
Magnificent Cassitty can pop our weasels anytime, and she knows it. "A man attracts my attention with good conversation. I don't just jump into bed with anyone. Most of the time, I dress sexy because I love showing off my boobs. They're kind of hard to hide, you know. I mean, I could wear big sweatshirts and T-shirts, but they'd only make me look fat, and I'm not fat at all. And I always wear a bra, except when I'm around my house, because I want my tits to still look good in 10 or 20 years. You see, my kind of guy isn't going to get angry when I dress sexy in public. He's going to be so excited all day that he'll be counting every second until we get home."
Welcome Cassitty, a true example of a rack so stacked, that if it were against the law to have big tits, Cassitty would get life in solitary confinement. Cassitty was born February 09, 1978 in Aurora, Colorado. She's 5'5", weighs 130 lbs., and wears a 40EE-cup bra. "I am always horny," Cassitty says to us wide-eyed boob worshippers. Cassitty was lensed at TSG studios at the same time that Linsey Dawn McKenzie was in for a LinseysWorld shoot. The staff took them out to dinner one night, a sight the waiters never forgot. Look for Cassitty in the upcoming Black & Stacked #2 in a scorching hot masturbation scene.
In Part 1 of Africa VS Cassitty, Cassitty arrives at the SCORE building by car. She confidently walks straight to the studio where she begins her own warm-up before confronting the sweater stretcher who boasts that she is the best busty cocksucker: Africa! We shall soon see! Cassity says: "You know how some girls are shoe-whores and some girls are clothes-whores? I'm an attention-whore. I just can't get enough. Now, everybody thinks that because I'm a big girl, I like big, hard cocks and hard, rough things. But the truth is, I'm very gentle and I like to be treated that way. I like my nipples sucked soft and my pussy played with gently. And I don't like pounding. I like it soft. Just because I'm a big girl doesn't mean I can handle all that." We'll be seeing how Cassitty compares in cocksucking skills to Africa shortly. But first, it's Cassitty time! She begins her training for the competition, revealing her training techniques. Don't miss part 2 of Africa VS Cassitty on SCOREVideos.com when Africa arrives ready for mammary mayhem! There are few Big Tit Challenges. Get ready to rumble!
In 2001, we found the amazing Africa Sexxx. Cassitty followed in 2002. Their match-up was made in hooter heaven. This Classic fuck party pairs off one lucky bastard sharing his seed with the two cock-loving tit-stars. It takes a strong man to handle just one of them. Imagine their combined boobage! They have huge, real tits and greedy cunts. Banging and jizzing both of them at the same time is a Herculean task but Lee was up for it. Cassitty and Africa share nipples and lock lips while Lee watches and jacks. They call him forward to join in. Africa sucks on his cock first while Cassitty watches. They share the boner, Cassitty's head between Africa's big tits. Cassitty tit-fucks Lee while Africa sits on the floor and licks his taint, the place between the balls and A-hole. Cassitty tongues Africa's cunt while she sucks cock. The fuck and suck position list gets more complex as they release their porn energy. Looks like they've been speed-reading the Kama Sutra!
Cassitty is a dedicated administrative assistant and dresses ultra-conservatively at the office. She hides her giant hangers under bulky clothes, but her boss, Mr. Titlicker, a male chauvinist pig, wants her to wear hotter outfits. She agrees, and he eagerly helps her change. His choice is a see-through red dress and high heels. He loses his mind when he sees her incredible body like this and is all over her like glue. They have a nipple-sucking party, then he lays her on his desk so she can tit-fuck him. She sucks his giant cock as her huge boobs engulf it. A stream of saliva spills out of her mouth and all over his dick and her tits. She rides him for some on-top banging. Cassitty turns into a dirty-talking nasty girl the more they couple. She lies back on the desk and he fucks her hard. Cassitty adds nipple stretching and pulling and changes position to get fucked side-saddle. She gets on her knees for hands-free blowing. Now at the edge of eruption, Mr. Titlicker jacks off on her chest as she looks at him and asks him to anoint her massive danglers with his man-juice. Another wild fuck scene at the office with a wild sex star, Cassitty!
Two of the horniest chocolate fuck bunnies that ever stepped into the SCORE studio get down on one hard dude's throbber in the cocksucking climax to Africa VS Cassitty. These two bra-killers are ready for cum-extraction in Chapter 4. They know how to take good care of the bone like the dick-worshippers they are. They have experienced many cocks and they have become sexperts. Man is their god and they are devout idolizers of his nut-bag and consumers of the contents of his package. Now! It's time for threesome blow job action! Africa and Cassitty stroke, suck, lick and gargle the male-meat together while this lucky bastard must think of depressing things like world famine and global warming to mentally force himself to not emit his semen prematurely all over their faces and hooters. It's all here. Deep throating. Copious girl-drooling of saliva. Hands-free blow jobs. What will the outcome be? Who shall be victorious? Don't miss the blow-by-blow action!
Join now and discover why we are the only choice for
the discerning BBW lover.


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
This article talks about how "big heals" have "more aggro", but it just isn't true. Threat scales with effective healing and ignores overheal, and so healing threat is bounded at the minimum by death and at the maximum by the top of the player's health bars. It doesn't matter at all how "big" your heals are, it just matters where the health of your tank is in the bar. If the tank's health is at the top, you've acquired maximum threat possible. If the tank is 1 hitpoint from dead, you've acquired the minimum.
Of course, letting a tank's health float much below the maximum is an invitation to tank-death, so most healing rotations will push the tank's health toward or completely to full at one time or another, ie. maximum threat.
So we see that the *size* of the heals doesn't really have an effect upon a healer's threat level.
What is something that healers have to consider is when to *push* the tank's health up and when to let up and let it sink for a time. This is a matter of timing. Obviously early in the pull, there has to be some sinking. When adds appear, there will be some sinking. When aggro is solidly established, there should be some health rising. Essentially healing is about the tempo of the fight and knowledge of how your tank applies threat to the total group.
You are correct, healing aggro is healing aggro, but I think what he means is you have a better chance of not pulling threat immediately if you use a HoT or smaller flash type heals at the start of a pull.
If you drop a bomb for 6k there is a good chance that you'll pull any off-tanked mobs from the tank at once and all would be hard to regain aggro. With HoTs there is a good chance you'll get just 1 or 2 and then they will be 'easy' to pull back off you.
Trying to modulate heals to avoid pulling aggro is a very good way to kill a tank.
If I drop a crit big heal (say 6-8k of possible effective) and the whole thing counts as effective then I damn well needed to throw that heal. Unless we're talking about runs with massively overgeared tanks who can afford to comfortably have 3-5 mobs hitting them and 6-8k of health missing from their pool, which btw brings up a whole NEW set of issues for warriors since that level of HP comes from gear that means they'll be rage starved due to lack of incoming damage.
Running without CC realistically means your tank can burst a large amount of threat onto a target and then move on to sustaining aggro on the others while dps burns the first one down ASAP. This means you can heal hot and heavy to keep the tank up and by the time a mob is thinking about turning and running to you the tank is all over it cuz the rest are dead.
Callandra: Overtaking the tank's threat by a little is often WORSE than overtaking it by a lot. Either way the mob starts taking off, and either way the tank needs to taunt it off you. If she taunts off you for a little heal, more heals will come and the taunt is on cooldown. If she taunts off you after a *big* heal, that's tons of free threat for the tank.
Again, the only cut and dry issue is that it's necessary to *wait* before beginning healing, at least with a larger pull, and that if you can get away with a smaller heal as your initial heal that's a good idea. But often when running without any kind of CC, your first heal is optimally going to be something like a greater heal, because that means it can land *that much later* in the fight.


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Anyone who speaks English quotes Shakespeare, oftentimes without knowing it. Sometimes, though, it doesn't mean what a lot of people think it means. Here's another small compilation of quoted and sometimes misquoted Shakespeare:
Part One is here.
You may say: "The game is up." And you mean: No more tricks. And you are: right.
This is from Cymbeline, when Belarius decides to reveal the true identity of his adopted sons, because up until this point he's been lying to everyone. People say this when they have been lying and want to confess, or when they want to call someone else out on a lie (or some kind of deceptive behavior). Not to be confused with "The game's afoot," which is from Henry V and means:
You may say: ("Thingamajig, thingamajig), wherefore art thou, (thingamajig)?" And you mean: Where is (thingamajig)? And you are: wrong.
As you probably know, this is from Romeo and Juliet—and as you also probably know, the real line is "wherefore art thou Romeo?" but people usually customize this when they quote it, and insert the name of something or someone they can't find. Which is technically incorrect because wherefore doesn't actually mean "where", it means "why." In this bit Juliet is not wondering where her Romeo is (surprise! he is creeping in the bushes while she's saying this). She's wondering why he is Romeo, rather than some more convenient lover who's not, y'know, her family's mortal enemy. This is the quotation that some people will really jump down your throats about if you screw it up, and get really indignant if someone jokingly quotes this. Guys. Don't be those people. I was really close to being scared off from Shakespeare because of those people.
You may say: "Star-crossed lovers" And you mean: a couple destined to be together And you are: wrong.
Also from Romeo and Juliet. "Star-crossed" does refer to destiny, but not a good destiny. Fate was thought to be written in the stars, so if your stars are crossed, you're in for a bad time. Star-crossed lovers may be fated to get together—but then they're gonna die. Or at least be tragically separated or something.
You may say: "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." And you mean: The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers. And you are: ….(um)…..
(Siiiiiiiigh) I don't know, man. I don't think quotations have to be 100% in context all the time, and I've mostly heard this as a frustrated or ironic attack on lawyers being useless or deceitful. Like, "let's kill all the lawyers, then the world will be a better place." Which I personally think is a fine way to use this. But keep in mind the context: in 2 Henry VI, this is said by a bad guy. Lawyers are the first line of defense against disorder; eliminating lawyers is step one of his diabolical plan that will lead to chaos and destruction, mwahahahaha.
You may say: "Screw your courage to the sticking-place" And you mean: Be strong. And you are: right.
This is said by Lady Macbeth as she's egging her husband on to commit murder. There's a little debate as to what "sticking place" refers to; some people think it means a peg, others think it's a part of a crossbow. Whatever the literal meaning of the line, the metaphorical meaning is generally agreed to be this:
Go. Confront the problem. Fight. Win! And call me when you get back, dahling, I enjoy our visits.
You may say: "a piece of work" And you mean: a pain in the ass. And you are: R…ight…? Right.
This is an example of a quotation's meaning doing a complete 180 over time—it's so wrong it's become right. I honestly have no idea how the meaning changed so much. See, originally, Hamlet says "What a piece of work is a man!" to mean "Wow, people sure are amazing!" But I have never ever heard anyone use this quotation to mean what Hamlet meant. So maybe stick with the more modern meaning of "pain in the ass" and ignore the original context. Though I guess if someone called you a "piece of work," you could be like, "Why thank you, I am noble in reason, infinite in faculties, express and admirable in form." Protip, though: if you actually answer like that, you probably are a piece of work. Not the good kind.
You may say: "If you prick us, do we not bleed?" And you mean: We share a common humanity, despite our differences. And you are: Right (to a point)
This is a speech by Shylock, the villain in The Merchant of Venice. He is constantly treated as less than human because of his race and religion (he's Jewish) and expresses his frustration in this speech about how Jews and Christians are not all that different. It's the most often-quoted bit of the play, and very moving. Well, mostly. Shylock is the bad guy after all, the rest of the speech shows his nasty side. It gets to a part that says "and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?" Then it turns into a speech about how the need for vengeance is the real shared point of humanity. No one really quotes that bit though.
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A simple rice side dish that works well with any number of side dishes.
Arrive at the tailgate with this flank steak already in the marinade. When the fire is ready, you're good to go. Throw it on the grill, you'll be enjoying steak in about 10 minutes flat.
Extra virgin olive oils, balsamic vinegars, and pastas, lots to choose from.
Catch Emeril as he travels throughout Florida. Thursdays at 9:30 AM ET


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Creamy Lemon Sherbet
Want to impress your guests? Try this refreshing yet easy dessert that's simple to make.
Yield: Makes 6 servings
More From Oxmoor House
Recipe Time
Prep Time:
Other: 12 Hours
- 2 pasteurized egg yolks*
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1 (16-ounce) container whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- Garnish: fresh mint sprigs
- Whisk together yolks and sugar in a large bowl until thick and pale. Whisk in syrup and next 3 ingredients; pour mixture into a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze 4 hours or until almost firm.
- Place mixture in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Pour mixture into a 9-inch square pan; cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm. Garnish, if desired.
- *For testing purposes only, we used Davidson's Pasteurized Shell Eggs.
- Tip: Look for pasteurized shell eggs in foam cartons with the other eggs in large supermarkets and discount super centers. Pasteurized eggs are safe to eat raw and, therefore, eliminate the risk of salmonella contamination.
My Notes
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Creamy Lemon Sherbet Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Desserts, Ice Cream/Sherbet
- CONVENIENCE: Entertaining, Freezable, Kid-Friendly, Make-Ahead, No-Cook
- CUISINE: American
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Dairy
- DIETARY CONSIDERATION: Meatless
- OCCASION: Spring, Summer, July 4th
- PUBLICATION: Oxmoor House
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Click on, for the best looks of Priyanka Chopra, who will be seen next in 'Mary Kom'
From the fun-loving Jiya of 'Andaaz' to the adorable Jhilmil of 'Barfi!', Priyanka Chopra has not only proved her mettle as an actor, but has also outshined her peers when it came to fashion.
The 'Fashion' star is probably one of the few actresses who believe that repeating an outfit is cool. She, along with her stylist Ami Patel, started the #itscooltorepeat campaign on Twitter.
In one of her recent interviews with TOI, she said, "One never attempts to look hot, but one is happy to look it. Over the years, I have experimented with my looks, makeup and outfits. I've done everything to enhance my screen personality through trial and error. And it is not a solo effort. My stylist, hairdresser and the entire team has worked towards getting me where I am. Or how I look."
Click on, for the best looks of Priyanka Chopra, who will be seen next in 'Mary Kom'!


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State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson has announced a new framework to help California teachers teach English language arts.
Real life application for the recently passed Local Control Funding Formula will be a topic of discussion at the State Board of Education meeting on Thursday, specifically the level of autonomy for local schools.
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Welcome to Michelle's Dog Grooming Studio.
Welcome to Michelle's Professional Dog Grooming Studio, 1 mile from Carmarthen Town Centre.
Michelle qualified as a Canine Beautician in 1985 and has built on a reputation of providing dog grooming to a very high standard, and the newly refurbished studio reflects the commitment to continuing this. Only the best equipment is used at all times to ensure a professional finish to each and every dog.
Your dog will be treated in a warm safe environment, and I endeavour to make the whole experience a calm and pleasurable time for your pet.
All at an affordable price, advice given freely!
Your dog's health issues, condition and lifestyle is taken into consideration when being styled, and this is where Michelle's 29 years of experience really counts. For an appointment . Tel :01267 237 222.
Michelle's only use top quality, recommended professional products for the finest results.
A range of grooming services include:-
*Bathing & Blow drying (by hand)
*Routine ear cleaning
*Ear plucking
*Hand stripping
*Nail clipping
*Styling for pedigree, cross pedigree and heinz 57!
For a truly healthy, and shiny dog we would recommend a professional session every 6-
Visit us on facebook
About Michelle
Michelle has been working as a professional dog groomer for 29 years, having run a successful business near Newport, Gwent, she re-
Michelle qualified as a dog groomer at The Dog House, Manchester, and is a Member of The British Dog Groomers Association, The PIF and is an associate member of The Petcare Professional. Michelle is a championship show judge, which has included Crufts and judged the regional heat of The Junior Kennel Club Grooming completion at Builth Wells last year. Michelle has also hosted grooming seminars for Cocker Spaniel and Clumber spaniel breed clubs.