text:
DiDio & Lee Say Early "Rebirth" Response is 'Uncharted Territory' for DC Comics
Comic Books
I am rude about a lot of the new books DC's been putting out lately. I'll own it. But it doesn't mean I don't want to like them. I bought two new trade collections from DC this week, in fact, and one of them I liked a lot. The other one struck me as one-stop shopping for everything I really don't care for about the New 52.
The good one first, because clearly no one currently at DC cares about it or has any interest in promoting it as far as I can tell. The trade collection of Joe Kubert Presents instantly became one of my favorite books in our home as soon as it arrived.
The hook for it seems to be "Joe Kubert's FINAL WORK!" like he was racing the clock to get it drawn while he was on his deathbed or something. But it's actually been in the pipeline for quite a few years, it was initiated under the Paul Levitz regime. Because Kubert was an editor as well as an artist, he knew how to put together a project and the vagaries of press scheduling and… well, all the different things that, for some reason, a great many editors today don't seem to know. So he didn't want it even solicited until there were at least three issues in the can and according to the book's afterword the entire six-issue series was mostly done before it went on the schedule.
So what is it? It's Kubert's dream project, his final thesis statement on Comics He'd Like To See More Of. After reading this book, I can only say, "Geez, me too."
The book simply reprints the six issues in order as they appeared. The anthology format was built around a lead feature from Kubert himself, usually reaching back to one or another of the classic series he made his rep on. Hawkman, Sgt. Rock, The Redeemer, something like that. Each one just a stunning tour-de-force.
Then there's an installment of Sam Glanzman's wonderful U.S.S. Stevens– new stories of his memories about serving in World War II.
This is usually followed by Brian Buniak's delightful take on Angel and the Ape. This was one of my favorites from E. Nelson Bridwell and Bob Oksner back in the day, and Buniak does them both proud.
And an installment of Spit, a brand-new Kubert strip about a cabin boy aboard a whaling vessel.
Plus some unusual new original piece, maybe from Kubert in collaboration with someone else, maybe something brand-new.
The entire collection retails for $19.99, which is the hell of a deal for 300 pages of comics even if it wasn't being discounted from online dealers (and it is; if you can't find it for half-price, you're not trying.) I don't know how I missed it in the $4.99 48-page single issues but I'm kind of glad I did because the book is such an incredible bargain.
So why is it such a great example of what DC can do? Because it calls on the company's legacy, of both bringing great new artists into the mainstream and also of their vast history of doing great strips in a variety of genres. As many of us in the blogosphere keep trying to point out, this is a feature, not a bug. When DC stops trying to run away from their history and just does what they can do really well, we get great stuff: Solo, New Frontier, Batman '66. It frustrates me because there's so much talent out there and the older folks largely get ignored because they aren't the cool kids. Writing and drawing, for God's sake, is not the same thing as being a pro athlete– it's not such a physical job that those in the profession age out after a few years. Talent tempered with experience is always better than just raw talent. Steve Gerber, Nick Cardy, and Joe Kubert were doing sharp, smart work right up to the end of their lives. What's more, this is exactly the kind of book many fans claim to want– no need for tie-ins or crossovers, no big continuity issues, just good stories. And yet DC is putting this book out stealthily, almost as an obligation they are feeling ill-tempered and surly about fulfilling, despite the fact that it's gotten rave reviews from everyone who's seen it.
On the other hand, the new collection I picked up of Justice League of America is everything that annoys me about the whole New 52 sensibility at DC, conveniently between two covers… and they are pimping this turd all over the place.
But Greg, I hear you saying, you knew going in this was Geoff Johns, you knew it was spun out of a Justice League book you didn't really care for, so why would you go back for more punishment?
Well, I did feel stupid afterwards, if you must know. Especially since David Finch's art is just as over-rendered and vaguely unpleasant to look at as I remembered. But I have enjoyed Geoff Johns stories in the past– I liked his JSA, and his opening arc on Aquaman worked for me, as did his first arc of the relaunched Flash up to the "Flashpoint" event. It's not an automatic "no" for me when I see his name on a title, unlike some other folks.
Moreover, I like the Justice League as a premise, I always have, and this sounded like kind of a cool idea– worried about the original Justice League being too powerful, the U.S. government in the person of Steve Trevor and Amanda Waller recruit Katana, the Martian Manhunter, a new Green Lantern, Hawkman, Green Arrow, Catowman, and Vibe, among others, to be on a new government-sanctioned team, the Justice League of America.
It opened pretty strong with an unfolding mystery running parallel to the recruitment and gathering of the team, all leading to a battle with a new version of the Secret Society of Super Villains. It was done well, though as usual a bit grimmer than I'd like for a Justice League book, but it was entertaining me. And the personality clashes of the various heroes were amusing.
The new takes on characters like Vibe and Katana worked well enough for me and I was starting to think I could get behind this.
Then, about four issues in, it all started falling apart. Finch, as per usual, couldn't sustain a schedule and the art was all over the place– a very jarring mix of styles, Mike Deodato, Doug Mahnke. The trouble is that for whatever idiot reason, DC editorial– which is basically Geoff Johns himself, at least in part– decided it would be a fine idea to interrupt the initial story arc for some ridiculous crossover thing called Trinity War, and rather than include any issues that ran up to that, they just printed the chapters of the crossover that ran in this title…. which is confusing enough, but additionally the characters crossing over from other titles were never introduced properly, I had no idea what the hell was going on– and I've been steeped in DC lore for over forty years. God help any kid who buys this because it's the Justice League and it's got Oliver Queen from Arrow on the cover. After that, they had the brass to just stop in the middle and blurb it as To Be Continued in TRINITY WAR!
So the headliners, the JLA, are in two stories– one unfinished, the other randomly excerpted. This is a "volume one" hardcover, the initial experience that's supposed to get people interested. Here's a hint, DC– the initial experience is vastly enhanced when you get a complete story.
So I went from being mildly intrigued to being hugely pissed off. There's a bunch of Martian Manhunter backups also, from Matt Kindt with art by Manuel Garcia that are okay, I guess… but I couldn't even get through them because I was so irritated. Why not use those pages to, I dunno, set up your goddamn stupid crossover that I didn't want? Even a recap page or something would have helped.
The whole book just reeks of contempt for the readership and inside baseball. If you're not up-to-the-minute on the New 52, well, the hell with you, apparently.
Let me spell this out in small words, before I'm swarmed for violating the DC loyalty oath. This reaction is coming from a fan. I was all set to LIKE this thing. I was on board for the first half, despite it being done in the New 52 house style where every part of DC history that's referenced has been given a largely humorless, ultraviolent makeover. I have a wall full of DC team books and a great many are written by Geoff Johns.
And even after all that, they lost me, who was already forgiving a lot. No reader new to the DCU is going to give this thing a second look. Because this book is just terrible. Terrible design, terrible structure, and the art's not very attractive. It's not being a 'hater' to call a bad book bad.
Who the hell are book collections like these aimed at? Clearly not new readers. Not even older fans like me who are up on the DCU lore and want to sample the title. Nor are they for those fans who like the New 52 but are 'trade-waiting' since this mess was all in VOLUME ONE and no other trade collection exists yet to follow up with. It wasn't a case of, "well, you expect a certain confusion when you start in the middle." This was the rollout.
The worst part is, even if I was insane enough to invest in trying to follow this story and buy a boatload of back issues to catch up– and I'm not, it wasn't that good– it doesn't really matter because chances are good the whole thing will be overturned in under five years, given DC's history.
But the damn thing sells, apparently. I have no idea who the audience is, and I'm hard put to explain the appeal of a book that goes nowhere and leaves you hanging, but this got the fancy hardcover treatment and lots of hype. Meanwhile, the Kubert book that's a master class in how to do it RIGHT is kissed off with a discount paperback with no hype at all.
The current editorial staff claims to love DC's history and stable of characters– and they must have some affection for the stuff because they keep name-checking it and giving it new kewl makeovers– but I don't think they have the faintest idea of why the stuff worked in the first place or what the original appeal was. I know for damn sure that it wasn't this Christopher Nolan Batman-style dark, edgy, let's-do-the-classics-but-with-more-death-and-sex approach to frigging everything. Part of what DC used to do really, really well was diversity of genre and also of tone. Not any more. Worse, they can't even manage to tell a complete story using the one-note 'adult' approach they've settled on.
On the other hand, one for two isn't bad. I guess I should be glad the quirky off-brand stuff exists at all, but given recent trends, I fear for its continued existence.
See you next week.
DC doesn't know how to handle trades: News at 11.
DC doesn't know how to handle trades: News at 11.
That's presentation. That's actually the smallest part of the problem. I have lots of DC trades here that I like, many of them recent. The problem is editorial. They don't seem to have any knowledge of how to use what they have. They are imitating Marvel, or rather what they think Marvel is doing, but blindly. The more New 52 DC tries to imitate Marvel with its shared-universe, worldbuilding serial approach that even Marvel itself doesn't do across the superhero line any more, the more they tank it. They don't seem to grasp what they are actually GOOD at doing.
I really want to print this column up and mail it off to DC's offices. While I don't love the gore, I do love the character's reaction of … *sliiiiiiiides chair farther away.* The concept's neat, and I started out interested on the description here. The rest of what you've said here though, tells me I'd just wake someone up yelling at the book when it cut off halfway through and vanished into that Trinity War thing.
Kubert thing's going on my list, though.
I'm continually baffled by how things are done today at the big two. Plainly it's working for them, but I'm hard pressed to understand how any new person can get in to it. I guess I'm sticking to their reprints for now?
Personally, I'm glad that the New 52 exists because its made it pretty easy to drop titles lately. I'd been reading Green Lantern and associated GL titles since 1994, and have just recently dropped them, as well as Batman (been seriously collecting those since late eighties.) Now it's just Aquaman, and All-Star Western. For now.
In addition, with all the 52 hype going on it's been great picking up DC tradepaperbacks published in the 90s and early 2000s. I've spent only a little cash and been able to acquire most of the Superman tradepaperbacks that cover the first 200 issues of the Superman reboot from the mid-eighties. I did read them back in the day, but traded them for other comics. It's been great reading the "real" Superman from the likes of Byrne, Jurgens, and Stern. Also got that Gil Kane Superman hardcover that is absolutely gorgeous (and Wolfman is a great writer too.)
My money now goes to Dynamite and IDW's Star Trek. With Daredevil ending Marvel is also losing me too.
Good for the wallet at least.
"it was initiated under the Paul Levitz regime"
Ah, that explains how it slipped past Didio. I bought JKP every month it came out and it was always at the top of my read pile. Wonderful book and you hit upon so many of the reasons why it worked so well and was such a joy to read. Alas, such a book is too pretty to live in Didio and Johns' dark version of DC Comics we have now…
I got the singles of the Joe Kubert book, and while I haven't finished reading the series yet (I'm bad, I know), I thought what I did read was absolutely wonderful. Angel and the Ape are great, and seeing Kubert kick out the jams on all these other characters was great.
One thing I liked about the singles was the paper. There was a grain, a tooth, a sketchbook feel to the paper, so the tactile experience of reading it was fun. From what other Greg said, it seems that the paper was your standard stock for this trade, which, while it likely keeps the price down, is a shame to lose that tactile experience.
I bought the first issue of that Justice League of America book, and didn't pick up any more, because the entire premise encapsulated what's awful to me about the new 52. The superheroes aren't looked upon with reverence, or a thank goodness for Superman, or any sort of optimistic view. Instead, they're looked upon with such suspicion that this JLofA team is brought together for the express purpose of the government taking out the Justice League when (not if) necessary. Pair this with how awful the Justice League book was, and I'll stick with back issue bin diving. It's way more fun overall.
This article reminds me that like Travis, I bought JKP in singles but still haven't read the last issue. I need to get on that. Those were some pretty comics.
Count me as surprised that you weren't buying the JK Presents singles – as you note yourself here, it's right up your ally. Anyway, I was really intrigued when I first heard about the series, and then read all of the rave reviews and comments on the comics blogosphere, so I could hardly wait for it to be collected. This new trade is right on top of my want list.
So another supposedly "Dc Fan" not happy with the direction of the new 52. How cool he sounds putting down something he "wanted to like". Grow up please.
@John S
I couldn't agree more. People who write thoughtful, well-articulated critiques are so immature. Hatcher should be more like us grownups, put on a pair of dress shoes, and blindly consume inferior products out of a sense of corporate loyalty.
If Greg grew up, he wouldn't like any of the new 52 at all, since it's all for a 13 year old boy's mindset. ZING!
Jazzbo and I not completing reading JKP must be a birthday buddy thing. We Leos apparently have a tendency to leave things unfinishe
First of all, I have no problems with the major part of your review of JLA. I only read it sporadically when it came out, and I imagine that it wouldn't work in TPB form at all. Then again, this series was explicitly set up as leading up to an event, which in turn was explicitly set up to lead into another event, which doesn't exactly bode for a story with a solid beginning, middle and end, and this certainly isn't something that came along with the new52 re-launch. However, that this practice, wether heavily established or not, is hurtful in several ways is a valid view to be sure.
As for the rest of the JLA review, especially the usual tired "old fan" complaints of everything being given a "largely humorless, ultraviolent makeover" I'd like to quote myself from another post on this blog that reviewed the work of Johns and Finch:
"Did you ever consider the possibility that it's not the fact that mainstream comics doesn't live up to 35-year old men's opinion of what "fun" is that's slowly killing them, but maybe that new (young?) readers being scared off from comics because they aren't allowed to enjoy the stuff that's actually made for them without being told that they're wrong and that everything was better and more fun before might have something to do with it?"
If I thought DC was actually trying to get 13 year old boys with the New 52, I'd support it. But I don't actually believe that.
Alan, that wasn't directed at you. I agree with your opinion completely, and it's why you'll never here me talk bad about Twilight, even though I've never read it. If Twilight fans hear traditional SF & F readers say, "Stuff you like isn't what we like," they might never look to our stuff as something they should take a chance on."
I want kids buying comics on their way home from school again, like we did.
But the New 52 is more about getting sales through headlines and news articles. It's all about the news articles and publicity instead of the stories.
This review reflects that. Who cares about a coherent story? We put out a product people could buy.We hyped it to get them to buy it. That's where the money's at.
I'm half-way through the Joe Kubert Presents.
What a wonderful experience!
When I was younger, Kubert—like Gene Colon—was one of those artist I didn't 'get'. Now, I think that I associated Joe with all the 'war', 'real-world' comics….and I wanted escapist, fantastical superhero fare only. Over the years having broadened my reading experiences and preferences when I reconsider Mr. Kubert and his more contemporary work….I'm just pleasantly flabbergasted at his abilities. This volume speaks to that genius.
(As for Gene Colon…I think Tomb of Dracula and Night Force just scared the crap outta' me! Even Silverblade was spooky!! Then I matured into Nathaniel Dusk…wow!)
I have been an enthusiastic DC fan since childhood, with some Marvel mixed in. Most of my reading and collecting became serious from my college days to present. I maintain a database (from Collectorz.com) of all my comics, trades, and hardcovers; Books spanning from the 1960's to present. Currently I have just over 9,000 entries in that database. Two years ago, my collection consisted of DC titles (55%), Marvel titles (18%), and Other (27%). Today, DC has slipped to 46%, Marvel to 14%, and Other has increased to 40%; The vast majority of these coming from independents like Dynamite, Dark Horse, and IDW. These latter publishers know how to tell good stories with good art. It seems anything I buy these days from DC consists of trades or hardcovers that collect stories from the 60's through the 80's, and even some from the 90's. I even bought Marvel's Death-Lok book after you or "Other Greg" posted about it.
All that to say, I want MY DC comics back. But I think that will not happen. However, if history has taught us anything, some creator is bound to come along eventually and give us something that will totally change today's trajectory of storytelling, hopefully for the better. I want to believe that. Until then, the Big 2 will continue to get less and less of my money.
BTW – I just ordered the Joe Kubert book. Thanks for the heads up. I guess I missed it b/c I hardly even look at DC's solicits anymore.
I only got into reading comics a few months before the new 52 reboot. I immediately got hooked on a few DC series – characters I already felt a loyalty to through film and TV – so I thought I had come into comics at the best time when DC were rebooting their whole universe to make it new reader friendly.
Fast forward to now…. I dropped every series I had picked up at the start of the reboot, as writers and artists seemed to change constantly. I figured DC was just going through a bit of an upheaval period and I would pick up some comics again soon. Then the cross-overs started, and never appeared to stop. I got lost trying to figure them out, and most of the time I wound up buying nothing.
It felt like the Superhero comics world was actively pushing me out. Only those with a encyclopedic knowledge of back story and inexhaustible bank account were allowed the whole story. I didn't even know where to start with Marvel comics, and superhero stories from other publishers seemed to run to years worth of trades, without an obvious 'jumping-on' point.
Honestly, without sites like this to make me aware of the good books, and to warn me off the bad stuff, I don't think I would be reading any comics at all, let alone still have an interest in superhero stories.
I only picked up the first issue of JKP due to not having a regular LCS at the time, but it was phenomenally good. This is coming from a young whippersnapper (I'm 21) who never read any of the classic Kubert from days of yore.
There are still good creative people at DC these days, but they are not in the top offices any more.
As I've always said since New 52, Marvel and DC are doing exactly what the other did in the 90s. Bob Harras is making exactly the same mistakes with regards to editorial control, but without Nicieza there to smooth out the storylines and mitigate his arbitrary ADD tendencies. And Marvel is letting great writers try new things and take chances while guiding things together for organic feeling crossover storylines. Hell, they are even making the specific good choice of giving James Robinson a book where he can play with legacy heroes and WW2 storylines, which he probably wanted to do at DC but wasn't allowed to.
@Dalarsco, you are right of course
We just have to wait this out, fellows. Some great DC fan/professional will come in and "fix" the DCU.
And Vertigo is still doling out awesome comics right now
After reading a bit of JKP, I now want more Kubert goodness, looking to get his Tor comics now.
What a bunch of nagging old farts around here in the comments.
The new 52 still has some great stuff I really enjoy. Batman is great, Batman and Robin is great, Wonder Woman is great, Lemire's Green Arrow is great, Animal Man is great, Aquaman is pretty good, Batman/Superman is pretty good, 'Tec was pretty good since Daniel left, GL and GL Corps is good, Red Lanterns is good since Guy is the lead, Swamp Thing is good, All Star Western is good, Flash is ok, Nightwing is ok. All in all, doesn't seem so bad to me.
But I am also of the mind that Marvel are currently as good as they never were before, so what do I know, right?
I collect comics since 92 and I never enjoyed it more than now.
This negativity really bums me out.
This was an excellent essay, and encapsulates a lot of how i feel about DC lately. I love DC…at least I WANT to…but they do seem to be doing their level best to insult and annoy me, and it's getting tired. Who IS the audience for all the death, and gore and "adult" attitude? It certainly doesn't seem to be the actual Adults.
I've been buying Justice League, up until a few issues ago, hoping against hope that something would happen, but it does seem to be mired in the whole Evil Is GREAT mythos, and I've simply given up at this point.
As for the rest of the JLA review, especially the usual tired "old fan" complaints of everything being given a "largely humorless, ultraviolent makeover" I'd like to quote myself from another post on this blog that reviewed the work of Johns and Finch:
"Did you ever consider the possibility that it's not the fact that mainstream comics doesn't live up to 35-year old men's opinion of what "fun" is that's slowly killing them, but maybe that new (young?) readers being scared off from comics because they aren't allowed to enjoy the stuff that's actually made for them without being told that they're wrong and that everything was better and more fun before might have something to do with it?"
Did I consider it? Yes, I did. To the point where it was actually IN THE REVIEW; to the point where I explained that despite being an older fan who is not as enamored of the New 52 as others, they were winning me over– and then they threw it away.
I really don't understand the reasoning that I must just be a crabby old man because I said a book doesn't rise to a level of baseline competence. Go ahead and let's hear the defense. They couldn't help doing a shitty job because it was "leading to an event that was leading to another event"? So, what, someone held a gun to their head? A writer with as much editorial power as Johns couldn't structure what he's doing to make sure the first volume of a new title, the one most likely to be sampled by new readers, is even coherent? Because he was a prisoner of the event he himself had set up? That's the argument? Because that doesn't even make sense on its face, especially since he had to know it was going to go into a trade collection listed as "Volume One."
But if you say so, okay. I must have missed the part where that's welcoming to readers who are trying to give a book a chance. Sorry to all those young hip folks out there who got their feelings hurt by having this pointed out, and by all means, all of you should continue to reward DC's contempt for you and their dismissal of any responsibility to put together a complete read because they would rather just depend entirely on blind OCD fan loyalty to sell their collected editions.
My actual point, which keeps getting buried, isn't that DC can't or doesn't do good books, or that good comics don't come out of the company. It's that the people running editorial can't seem to tell which ones they are. They keep hyping the ones like this JLA hardcover instead of shining a light on the books they have that really ARE showpieces.
I agree with Marius: "All Star Western is good." Old Farts or Young Farts, either way, good storytelling should rule the day. Forgive those of us Old Farts who have seen better days. And, btw, every decade has had its bad days, as far as comics go.
What we older farts uderstand is this: EVERY decade/era has its GREAT books, its good books, and its bad books. You just have to read and buy what you like and not worry about what others think. It's that experience of reading both good and bad that helps the seasoned reader learn how to distinguish between the two.
I disagreed with AlanWilder's premise before, and I still do. I have a hard time imagining that any new readers are going to stop liking something because people on the internet said they didn't like it. Especially considering that that's pretty much what the internet does; talk about how much everything sucks. If people were scared off of comics they liked because someone online said it sucked, they also would be scared off from every single movie, tv show, book, video game etc. they've ever liked too, because somewhere on the internet there are people talking about how those things suck. Existing comic fans are not the primary reason why there are less new comic fans.
Dalarsco: That's a great way of putting it.
Greg Hatcher:
I'm not critisizing or judging you from your actual review of the book, on the contrary I agree with the vast majority of it. Our differences there lies mainly in the fact that I'm a bit more understanding towards writing a series that was concieved as a lead up to a lead up to an event in a way that is pretty hard to transition smoothly into a TPB format than you are, but it's not a big deal. What I did critisize was you connecting your negative opinion of the book to the new 52 re-launch, and "modern comics" as a whole, mostly through these quotes:
"…despite it being done in the New 52 house style where every part of DC history that's referenced has been given a largely humorless, ultraviolent makeover."
"The current editorial staff claims to love DC's history and stable of characters– and they must have some affection for the stuff because they keep name-checking it and giving it new kewl makeovers– but I don't think they have the faintest idea of why the stuff worked in the first place or what the original appeal was. I know for damn sure that it wasn't this Christopher Nolan Batman-style dark, edgy, let's-do-the-classics-but-with-more-death-and-sex approach to frigging everything. Part of what DC used to do really, really well was diversity of genre and also of tone. Not any more. Worse, they can't even manage to tell a complete story using the one-note 'adult' approach they've settled on."
In short, I think that you're making a false connection between the way a certain TPB is written and your dislike of the new 52 re-launch, which I feel works as an example of what I mentioned earlier about old fans scaring away potential new fans through general conservatism.
I see your point, but I don't agree with it. Movies, video games and TV-shows hold a much higher cultural presence and less social stigma than comics, which means that you can discuss them anywhere and with anyone. You would probably not even need an internet connection to have rich discussions on TV-shows or movies (in school, at work or wherever) on a daily basis. On the other hand, comic book fans are more or less banished to tumblr and blogs, where they are pretty much constantly told how everything new that they might like suck. You are probably right that existing comic book fans aren't the primary reason that there are less new comic book fans, but the old guard certainly seems to try their hardest to keep their hobby for themselves.
Your argument about new comics fans doesn't hold water. Usually, the older fans complain about decompressed, told across lots of titles mega-events. That, and the relentlessly grim n gritty tone of newer hero books. All these factors work against newer fans, especially kids. Moms aren't going to buy Junior any cape and rape mags and Junior's not going to spend his allowance on 1/20 of a story for 4 bucks. That's why the demographics of comics-buyers keep skewing upwards: because no one else but existing fans would want to waste money on such humorless, vapid fare as the modern superhero comic.
As for those saying everything new sucks, well, it's been like that since the dawn of comic collecting. You think fans of the Silver Age wanted constant reminders about how comics were so great and ubiquitous before the Comics Code? Even the name of their era signaled "second best"! It only got worse in the Bronze Age, where you had Golden Age Hero fans, EC fans, Age of Marvel fans, etc. all pronouncing newer comics "bad". That's the way it's always been, but not how it will always be, because the editorial policies of the big 2 are more concerned with the fans they already have (that and their movie empires) than the newer readers. It's not the older fans you have to worry about; it's the comics companies themselves. Soon, new fans will be reading nothing but manga, 'cause that at least caters to the younger demographic.
sad to see dc proving that they seem to be ashamed of a legend like Joe by not promoting and doing more to make it known about the trade which i will be tracking down a copy. though one can sadly say the same thing with marvel and kirby still. as for the new 52 the only dc books i read now are just batman and green lantern. and the trinity of sin books with phantom stranger and pandora. for the ones in charge of the dc universe seem to want to bury its rich history including going so far as deciding Amanda need to not be a lovely robus woman any more.
I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with your premise. Enjoyment of any medium, including comics, is ultimately personal. The fact that old guard comic fans say the New 52 sucks isn't going to deter new readers who enjoy what is they're reading, as Jazzbo said, look anywhere on the internet and you'll find someone who says that something sucks. No, what will probably deter new readers from becoming comics fans is the horrifying truth that comics may actually suck. The quality of the work is the only deterrent a new reader really needs.
While I agree with some of your points, I don't think what you're saying debunks my argument. I was mostly referring to that juicy tween/young adult group of potential customers, who generally spend their own money without much influence from mom or dad. Besides, how many parents who could potentially buy comic books for their younger kids would have the slightest idea whether the books they bought took part in a crossover, were decompressed or what general tone they had? I don't think they would go beyond "Spider-Man is on the cover" when trying to assure quality. I still believe that the very attitude you're illustrating by referring to "the relentlessly grim n gritty tone of newer hero books", "cape and rape mags" and "such humorless, vapid fare as the modern superhero comic" has a lot to do with the lack of new young readers.
Bill Williamson:
Check out my response to Jazzbo a couple of comments ago, it responds to the same point you're making.
If existing fans complaining about comics are scaring away newer customers, then shouldn't the opposite be true; that new customers would be buying the stuff that existing fans say are good? So wouldn't stuff like Batman '66 and Waid's Daredevil and All Star Western that get mostly good comments be selling to new fans like crazy? It seems as if the opinion of existing fans is so important to new fans, that it would work for things they say are good as well as bad. As far as I know none of those titles are blowing up the charts.
And while there is a certain amount of bitching about comics on this site, not only is it much less than most places, but there is way more talk about comics that are good. And not just old comics, but new stuff coming out. So new readers reading these posts and comments are exposed to at least as many positive messages and recommendations as negative ones. So unless there's a large portion of new readers that will stop reading something they like because someone on the internet doesn't like it, but won't try out anything new that those same internet people say they like, I can't see how that's more than a tiny part of the reason why there are fewer new readers.
The hook for it seems to be "Joe Kubert's FINAL WORK!" like he was racing the clock to get it drawn while he was on his deathbed or something.
He died just before it came out, and in the singles, the opening issue text piece by Kubert not only makes it sound like the work is fresh to him, he was looking forward to letters and discussing it with fans. As mentioned in the text piece in the final issue, the final issue itself was still be finalised when he passed.
So final work or not, it was solicited before he passed, but came out after he did – it certainly felt like a swan song/goodbye/victory lap/final work as it came out.
And yet DC is putting this book out stealthily, almost as an obligation they are feeling ill-tempered and surly about fulfilling, despite the fact that it's gotten rave reviews from everyone who's seen it.
Is it a stealthy release? I got it in singles, and found it to be as advertised and available as the majority of their titles – I heard about it despite my rapidly diminished interest in their line.
Having watched the sales on the series as it came out, I'd say DC didn't make a hoopla about the release of the trade, because once again the audience has shown little interest in material produced by a previous generations creators. It didn't sell well at all.
I just feel it's slightly off base to criticise DC for this one not receiving more attention or advertising campaign, because despite what fans claim they want from DC (if they do) they don't seem to actually want to buy books like this when DC does publish them.
Is it a stealthy release? I got it in singles, and found it to be as advertised and available as the majority of their titles – I heard about it despite my rapidly diminished interest in their line.
Having watched the sales on the series as it came out, I'd say DC didn't make a hoopla about the release of the trade, because once again the audience has shown little interest in material produced by a previous generations creators. It didn't sell well at all.
I just feel it's slightly off base to criticise DC for this one not receiving more attention or advertising campaign, because despite what fans claim they want from DC (if they do) they don't seem to actually want to buy books like this when DC does publish them.
Well, that conflicts with my experience, and I use the biggest comics retailer in Seattle and because of the blog I get a lot of press releases and so on, and I read a smattering of other comics sites too– and this is something I'd have been all over when it came out. And I missed it.
But it's perfectly reasonable that you are right about it. It may well be a chicken-and-egg thing… John Seavey used to say that since we went to the direct-market, comics-retailer only model to sell superhero comics, the audience has self-selected down to the middle-aged arrested-adolescent Simpsons Comic Book Guys and every time the big publishers try to break out of that and try for a wider audience, they lose money, so why should they bother?
The trouble with that argument is that if we– and more importantly, if the big superhero publishers– believe that, then it never gets better. The audience continues to shrink until superhero comics die off.
So I can see the point, but my position is that the publishers should lead the audience, not the other way around. My big complaint with DC isn't so much that their flagship characters are constantly being presented in this grim-n-gritty house style that seems to be all Nolan-movie Batman all the time, whether it's Batman or the Flash or the Metal Men or whatever. It's that they're so BAD at it. It feels clumsy and forced and desperate. My feeling is that they should look at what they're actually good at and try to reverse-engineer an editorial policy out of that.
Comics Should Be Good accepts review copies. Anything sent to us will (for better or for worse) end up reviewed on the blog. See where to send the review copies.


text:
Skip to comments.New freeper here
Posted on 08/09/2011 4:44:47 PM PDT by Mr. Impatient
Like the title of the thread says, there's a new freeper among the ranks. I've been a constant lurker on FR for about 2/12 years now, so I know my way around FR pretty well.
Homeschooled christian conservative, not a gun owner yet, unless useless dinky little BB guns count, cuz' I have about a dozen of those.
I don't have a job yet, or a driver's license, although that will probably change soon, cuz' I'm 17 years old.
So, first post ever in the bag. Howdy.
Welcome! nice to see a young generation of Conservatives.
Welcome aboard. Just think, next year will see your 18th birthday, don't forget to register to vote! :-)
Welcome to FR! May it be a lifelong journey for you.
By the time I was your age, I had a job before school, after school, plus chores when I got home. And I had to walk everywhere, uphill.
Welcome! At first I thought you could be my son. LOL! I will have to ask him. :)
...in the snow.
...and barefoot too?
Hang in there, some of those BB guns will be worth a buck someday.
You forgot in the snow...
Wouldn't it have been easier to just say you've been a lurker for 2 months?
Heh, heh. Consider that an unofficial official welcome aboard.
Impatient for what?
The best way to get started is to post 30 or 40 vanities all slamming Sarah Palin...just trying to help.
The best way to get started is to post 30 or 40 vanities all slamming Sarah Palin...just trying to help.
Why a vanity thread for your first post? You never found a thread that warranted a comment from you?
Interesting screen name bro.
Welcome, we love to hear from young(er) FReepers. Some of us are pretty long in the tooth ;)
What do you want to be when you grow up?
I had a part-time job on weekends and sometimes after school when I was in the 8th grade, working for a hardware store.
LOL, very funny ;)
Are you rich, my bestest, bestest buddy?
Have fun, but behave yourself.
Been around for 2.5 years and titled " Mr Impatient"? Somethin' ain't right here. Hmm....
Welcome to Freeper Land. Good crowd here, but they can be a tough lot, too. Also an immense amount of knowledge. If you have a question about almost anything, someone here is likely to have an answer. And it's usually even correct!
If you've lurked for 2 1/2 years, I'm sure you knew all that...
Welcome! How come you're Mr. impatient? You've been lurking for years....I'd say you're pretty patient, LOL. Good to see a young conservative : )
I'm one of the younger members here. Not going to give my age except to say I'm under 40.
hey there! have a nice stay.
Wondering the same thing 8-)
Welcome to FR.
Hello, Mr. Impatient! Since you've been lurking you pretty much know the drill, so welcome to FR—glad that you decided to come out of lurkerdom. ;^)
Howdy ... there is much to learn Mr. Impatient. I too am happy to meet a young Conservative, raised a few Conservatives I'm proud to say. May your time here be a blessed experience.
Hope your stay is FReeperful!
Welcome, it's so good to be back at the Dexter Lake Club.
BB guns are a good start. My son use to hang christmas ornaments in the trees so the kids could tell if they really hit what they were aiming at...bought them cheap at garage sales. Put in a tree when the broken glass was not a problem....welcome
Hi there! Welcome!
A big Freeper welcome!!! Recruit some of your buddies!!!
Congratulations, and welcome aboard.
Please ignore the few snotty nosed cranks that chose to
insult you. Every group has its share of jerks.
I will be on the lookout for your contributions, which I am sure will be coming in the future.
If you are an anti Mormon, your FReeping credentials will be A-OK.
Hey, give the young noob a break! Most 17 year olds jump into things with both feet without testing the water first, if I remember right. hehe
Hi - glad you are here. It will be nice to get the perspective of someone your age.
I look forward to your posts and comments.
Welcome. FR has a wealth of information and many, many excellent people.
My advice - read as much as you can.
Is that how you got your Dain Bramaged?! :)
Welcome to FR. :~) I wish my daughters would sign up! (They're 24.)
You joining the military?
Welcome to Freeper land, hope you have lots of good luck and sorry for the debt us old people left you to work off.
Welcome. I hope you get even more from here now.
I meant no harm with my question, and our thread host has yet to post a response to anyone. If you are going to jump in with both feet, I would think you would respond within the first 40-something howdies and welcomes. I asked as gently as I knew how.
Welcome from a relative newbie. Hang onto your socks because it's gonna be a wild ride! Hope to see many posts from you.
But double posts will definitely get you noticed
But double posts will definitely get you noticed
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Written by LSU defensive tackle Claude Wroten, the letter arrived in the personnel offices of all 32 NFL teams last week with purposely impeccable timing, as general managers and scouts were about to convene for the final round of evaluation sessions that would help determine the shape of their draft boards.
Filled with sincerity and simple, declarative sentences, it is a missive with a message, authored by a young man with concerns for his future and contrition over some elements of his past. And it represented one final visit to the confessional by a highly regarded draft prospect for whom the past two months have principally been an exercise in full disclosure.
"My approach has been to put all the cards on the table, spill my guts, just give them all of the details," Wroten said of his past problems with marijuana. "Hide nothing, you know? The whole truth and nothing but the truth, or however they say it. I bring the stuff up before scouts even have a chance to ask about it. I look them right in the eye and tell them everything that happened."
The truth may set some people free and it will, on occasion, send many others into a perilous free fall. The honesty of Wroten, it seems, has helped the former LSU star avoid the latter situation. While there remains a chance Wroten will slide out of the first round, depending on how some of the other tackles come off the board in the early stages of the draft, his candor helped guarantee he will not spiral out of the first day.
That isn't the case with every draft prospect whose résumé includes character-related issues.
A lot of players are naive in believing that past indiscretions might somehow escape the notice of league researchers or the close scrutiny of team decision makers, and some try to figuratively nudge such incidents under the rug. Some are outright duplicitous or disingenuous and others deal in half-truths.
At the NFL combine sessions in February, and at subsequent interviews with individual teams, former Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick, dismissed from the team after a series of off-field incidents, is said to have been fairly open with scouts who have questioned him. Under public cross-examination, however, Vick has been perceived as a prospect only partially willing to accept culpability for some of the events that have probably pushed him into the second day of the draft.
Of course, teams don't juggle their draft boards or make determinations on a prospect's viability based on the public's perception of a player. And in the case of Vick, it is difficult to assess the impact on his draft status, since no one ever had a very good read on the former Hokies star. But some scouts acknowledged that if a player comes across as less than forthright, even in his dealings with the media, it could have some trickle-down effect on his draft status. One NFC director of scouting assessed Vick as "a guy who will take responsibility but only to a point. There's always, in his mind, it seems, an [extenuating] circumstance. He's a little bit of an excuse-maker."
And making excuses usually makes scouts take pause in evaluating a prospect's off-field issues.
Longtime personnel director Ken Herock, who is now retired from the league, operates ProPrep, a service via which he counsels draft prospects on the interview process. Herock advises players to be candid when they meet with teams. From firsthand experience, Herock knows the level of examination to which teams now go in examining a player's background, and the sometimes bulky dossiers assembled on prospects. His simple advice: Hide nothing.
"Some guys listen," Herock said, "and some guys don't."
Wroten apparently was not only a good listener but also an even better talker, scouts agree.
At the combine, Wroten began most interviews by conceding to scouts that, while the incident never went public and didn't draw a suspension, he tested positive for marijuana during his junior season. Then, even more painfully, Wroten, a country kid from Bastrop, La., with zero pretense about him, detailed the events of Jan. 4. That's when Wroten was pulled over for speeding near Sterlington, La., and police discovered a cache of marijuana and $4,000 in his car.
Arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and intent to distribute, Wroten spent several hours in the Ouachita Correctional Center before making bail. A month later, prosecutors decided not to pursue the charges because of a lack of evidence and some questions over the legality of the search. The technicalities aside, though, Wroten knew he had the marijuana, although he says it was for personal consumption, and he knew how close he came to having his football career go up in smoke.
"My approach has been to put all the cards on the table, spill my guts, just give them all of the details. Hide nothing, you know? The whole truth and nothing but the truth, or however they say it. I bring the stuff up before scouts even have a chance to ask about it. I look them right in the eye and tell them everything that happened."
Claude Wroten, former LSU DT
"You see the red lights [from the police car] in your [rearview] mirror and it's a sickening feeling," recalled Wroten, clocked at 77 mph in a 65 mph zone. "And then you remember the marijuana and it's like, 'Oh, no, man, this is bad.' You know how people say there are times they can see their whole lives flashing in front of them? Well, that's how it was. But I saw the future, too, not just the past. And I knew that the future could be disappearing for me. It's something I'll never forget. [It's] scary, way too scary to ever have happen again."
And so Wroten, a two-year starter at LSU after transferring into the Tigers program from Mississippi Delta Community College, has vowed to himself it won't ever happen again. And he's made the same promise to scouts and coaches who have interviewed him. Whether they buy into his story remains to be seen. What has clearly aided his cause, though, is that it's a story Wroten volunteers to repeat every time he meets with a team official.
A prototype three-technique tackle, a quick defender who can get through the gaps and penetrate and who uses his hands extremely well, Wroten is an intriguing prospect. There are scouts, in fact, who insist he is the most physically talented of the prospects who comprise a fairly impressive class of tackles in the 2006 draft. They mention him in the same elite subset as Haloti Ngata (Oregon), Brodrick Bunkley (Florida State), John McCargo (North Carolina State), Orien Harris (Miami), Gabe Watson (Michigan) and Rodrique Wright (Texas).
With good reason, too, because Wroten possesses undeniable tools and seems to have the kind of natural feel for the game -- including the ability to disengage and narrow his shoulders to allow him to penetrate into the backfield -- that can't be coached. At 295 pounds, he isn't as big as some of the wide-body run stuffers a few teams prefer, but he is stout enough against the run and plays with an attacking attitude when motivated.
Right now, with his dreams so close to reality that he said last week he feels like he can "reach out and grab them," Wroten is motivated. He desperately wants a career in the NFL and is moved enough to want to make one more impression on general managers and personnel directors -- and thus, the letter, just to remind them one last time of his resolve. In a league that has the toughest drug-testing program of any pro sport, Wroten figures he's going to be under scrutiny. But he also insisted he's kicked his marijuana habit and is now ready to kick some butt.
"To me," Wroten said, "I'm the best defensive tackle in the draft. That's not bragging -- honest, it's just how I feel. I can't even imagine not being able to play at the next level. So I'm ready to do whatever it takes, on and off the field. People in the NFL have made it clear to me there's no place in the league for [marijuana]. That means if I'm using the stuff, there's no place for me. And I'm not going to let that happen."
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here.


text:
5 things to ponder as Aggies enter fall camp
Considering how much of USU's defensive success the past few years has been due to the play of its line, that's not great news for Aggie fans. Fortunately, defensive end B.J. Larsen, who started 13 games in 2013, is back, along with junior defensive end Jordan Nielsen, who was a second-team all-WAC selection as a freshman in 2012. Junior college transfers John Taylor and Siua Taufa should battle for playing time at defensive end this fall, while junior nose guard Travis Seefeldt and sophomore defensive end Ricky Ali'ifua both saw extensive action last year.
In 2013, the Utah State defense gave up less than 107 yards rushing per game and less than 2.8 yards per carry. Coming anywhere near those numbers again this season would surely leave Wells thrilled.
- Oldest first
- Newest first
- Most recommended
The answer to number 1 is no because he won't stay healthy(not a wish but a fact) and the answer to number 2 is nobody.
- 12:39 a.m. Aug. 3, 2014
- Like
- Report abuse
Stangzero, what was the question #2, "Who is Stang0?"
- 12:49 p.m. Aug. 3, 2014
- Like (1)
- Report abuse
The biggest question for me is the secondary. It will be interesting to see who shows up there.
- 12:35 p.m. Aug. 5, 2014
- Like
- Report abuse
No tinplater the second question was "How will the secondary stack up?"
- 1:34 p.m. Aug. 5, 2014
- Like
- Report abuse
@ Stang0...and your answer to no 2 was "nobody"??? Read the question and your answer together. SUU and MC shining through.
- 3:19 p.m. Aug. 6, 2014
- Like
- Report abuse
Okay my mistake. The answer is they won't. If I'm nobody, then why are you talking to me? Give me a break. Your preaching to certain individuals that you would never belittle any school or anyone in it is laughable after that last sentence. What's wrong with SUU and MC? Give me an example that has nothing to do with three things. The fact that MC is 4A and not 5A, the fact that SUU is an FCS school for football, and the fact that I was a student of both. Give me something without those things and I'll consider it.
- 9:43 p.m. Aug. 6, 2014
- Like
- Report abuse
Can't do it I see. All that preaching down the drain.
- 1:24 p.m. Aug. 7, 2014
- Like
- Report abuse
DeseretNews.com encourages a civil dialogue among its readers. We welcome your thoughtful comments.
— About comments
- Two Utah schools under federal investigation...
- Big 12 watch: Is BYU the long-term solution?...
- If Mitt Romney endorsed Gary Johnson, Utah...
- Morning links: BYU's Emery called one of the...
- In our opinion: Planned Parenthood should...
- LDS missionaries save apartment complex from...
- Backfield to the future: Hill, Williams...
- BYU football: Michael Davis embracing his...


text:
The Arkansas Razorbacks are who everyone thought they would be to start the 2009-2010 season—and that is a mess.
Don't get caught up on that long though, because, in my ordinary fashion, I like to make sure that the positives going on with the Razorbacks come to light. So, I will be writing a series of articles about Arkansas newcomers and how well they are currently performing for the Razorbacks.
First on the list is freshman forward Marshawn Powell.
Powell was picked during the preseason by FoxSports.com to be one of the top impact freshmen this season. That was even before the Razorback suspensions were known, and before he was thrust into an immediate starting role.
Powell has not been one to disappoint.
He was a star recruit out of high school, ranked in the top 100, and seen as one of the top power forwards in the nation. The moment he visited Arkansas, he knew that he wanted to play John Pelphrey's style of basketball.
While the Razorbacks have been unable to play that up-tempo style, so far this season Powell is averaging just under a double-double at 20.3 ppg and 9.7 rpg. He is the second leading scorer on the team behind Rotnei Clarke, and he leads a talented group of newcomers all carrying the Razorbacks through their early season schedule.
Powell is doing all of this with a cast on his left hand, after breaking the hand just a few weeks before practices began. The hand is not yet fully healed, and the cast appears to hold him back some in his ball handling and on some jump shots.
Still, his numbers and performance give Razorback fans a reason to be hopeful for the future.
Powell is one of three newcomers currently starting for the short-handed Hogs, who are 2-1 after three games and currently only have seven scholarship basketball players available.
As the Hogs on suspension begin to return to the team, expect Powell to continue to start. He has outperformed Arkansas' returning All-SEC big man Michael Washington, and will continue to be one of the Razorbacks' most dangerous weapons.
Coach John Pelphrey has commented after each game that this is what is needed out of Powell. He was specifically recruited to come in and make an impact and contribute right off the bat.
Once his hand is fully healthy and the cast comes off, Powell will more than likely start to impress even more.
For a power forward, he has extremely good ball handling skills. In fact, even with his cast he has been the one inbounding nearly every ball and helping bring the ball up the court against pressure.
As he develops over the season, and begins to have more help and rest as the Razorbacks develop a bench, Powell could become one of the top players in the SEC—not just at Arkansas, and not just for freshmen, but the entire league.
The season is expected to be a long one for the Hogs, who are picked to finish fifth in the SEC West and go to the NIT.
Powell is a bright spot for the Hogs and a key component to the future.
As the Hogs build with their 2010 and 2011 recruiting classes they will build around Powell. The pieces for this are all starting to fall in place, but patience and support is needed from the Arkansas fanbase.
No matter how tough the season goes for Arkansas, one thing is for certain: Marshawn Powell is the Real Deal.
Continue to visit the Bleacher Report for updated news on the Arkansas Razorback Basketball team and their season.
Image Courtesy of ArkansasRazorbacks.com


text:
Chicago Tribune In Katie, Berg has created a narrator true to adolescent form.
True to Formby Elizabeth Berg
View All Available Formats & Editions
Katie Nash the beloved heroine of Elizabeth Berg's previous novels Durable Goods and Joy School is thirteen years old in 1961, and she's facing a summer full of conflict. Her father has enlisted her in two care-taking jobs baby-sitting for the rambunctious Wexler boys and, equally challenging, looking after Mrs. Randolph, her/i>/i>
Katie Nash the beloved heroine of Elizabeth Berg's previous novels Durable Goods and Joy School is thirteen years old in 1961, and she's facing a summer full of conflict. Her father has enlisted her in two care-taking jobs baby-sitting for the rambunctious Wexler boys and, equally challenging, looking after Mrs. Randolph, her elderly, bedridden neighbor. To make matters worse, Katie has been forcibly inducted into the "loser" Girl Scout troop, compliments of her only new friend Cynthia's controlling mother. Her only saving grace is a trip to her childhood hometown in Texas, to visit her best friend Cherylanne. But people and places change and Cherylanne is no exception. When an act of betrayal leaves Katie wondering just what friends are really for, she learns to rely on the only one left she can trust: herself.
Full of the joys, anguish, and innocence of American adolescence, True to Form is a story sure to make readers remember and reflect on their own moments of discovery and self-definition.
Editorial Reviews
Beth Gallaway
Nola Theiss
Product Details
- 9780743411356
- Publisher:
- Washington Square Press
- Publication date:
- 05/13/2003
- Edition description:
- Reprint
- Pages:
- 240
- Sales rank:
- 366,909
- Product dimensions:
- 5.31(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.70(d)
- Lexile:
- 790L (what's this?)
Read an Excerpt
Chapter One
It is the first Sunday evening of the summer, the sky an ash rose color and losing its light to night. I am sitting on the floor in my room with a mirror propped up against a stack of magazines, setting my hair according to the directions in Modern Style. If I do it right, I will get a perfect flip. I just need to sleep in such a way that the rollers do not become pushed out of place, as they usually do. Either they get pushed out of place or I take them all out in the middle of the night. I don't know why. I don't even remember doing it, I just wake up and there the rollers are, thrown down on the floor. I guess my sleep self and my awake self don't agree about beauty.
The radio is turned on low to "Moody River," and my question is, Why did she kill herself if the guy was just a friend? And also, how can Pat Boone be singing so smoothly if his heart is broken? He sounds like Perry Como singing "Magic Moments" when he should be sounding like Brenda Lee sobbing, "I'm sorry, sooo sorry."
I am thinking about how tomorrow I will lie out on a towel in the yard, slicked up with baby oil to get going on my tan. I like it when you lie there for a long time and feel the sun's heat like a red thing behind your lids. You see a map of your own veins, and then when you open your eyes the view is bleached a bit of its colors. When I was nine years old someone told me you must never look at the sun straight on because it could make you blind. This made me go right outside and stare up at it, and when my eyes protested and shut automatically, I held my lids open until my eyes burned and watered so much I had to stop. I did not go blind. I do have to wear glasses, but I was wearing them before I stared at the sun. I am this way, sometimes, that I just have to find things out for myself.
I have a feeling percolating under my skin that says this will be a really important summer. Just a feeling that doesn't go away. I think sometimes I am a little psychic, like my grandmother who could read tea leaves. She would sit at the kitchen table with her beautiful white hair up in a bun, and she would be wearing an apron that sagged over her bosom like another bosom. She would stare into the cup for a long time, and nobody talked; even the air seemed to hold still. Then she would look up, and her blue eyes would seem clearer and not quite her own. She would settle her shoulders, and, in a low and intimate voice, tell people things about their lives. I thought for a long time she was a gypsy queen, but my mind just made that up; she was really just a woman from England who married my grandfather from Ireland. She was a housewife who made good gravy and kept a parakeet in her kitchen.
Once, when I was in third grade, my grandmother read tea leaves for me. My mother was there, and her sisters, my aunts Rose and Betty, were there, too. I remember I was so nervous I sat under the kitchen table, and my grandmother had to tell me things without looking at me. She said I had a boyfriend, which was true, Billy Harris was his name, and I got all embarrassed even though no one could see me. Then she told me he liked me too, which was not so true, since if you asked him, "Do you like Katie Nash?" he would have said, "Who?"
I miss my aunts a lot. Since my mother died a couple of years ago, I never see them anymore. We used to go and visit for a week or so every summer. Rose was very prim and proper, but full of a warm love. When I used to stay there, my cousins and I washed up for bed at night in a dishpan at the kitchen sink, and Aunt Rose made sure we got our ears good. Ivory soap, she used, those floating cakes bigger than a kid's whole hand. She made plain dinners but they were the kind of food a person always enjoys. Like just meat loaf from the recipe on the back of the oatmeal box, served with mashed potatoes, butter filling the little well in the middle, and some green beans from the can, all served on an embroidered tablecloth. Her sheets smelled like outside, and everybody used to say you could eat from her kitchen floor. I used to think, Why would you want to do that? and I would imagine my uncle Harry sitting there cross-legged with his napkin tucked into his shirt, leaning over awkwardly to lift his scrambled eggs from the linoleum.
Aunt Betty was a wild woman, that's what she called herself. She told me she was engaged to another man when my uncle Jim proposed to her. She wore a lot of makeup and smoked constantly and painted her fingernails and toenails blood red. She and my uncle were very social, and I never saw anyone look as glamorous as she did when they went out. She would wake up her children for a meteor shower or a good sunrise, and she was always asking them to tell her things they learned in school; she thought her children were wonderful. Every Sunday morning, she would make Monkey Bread, and there was always enough for everyone.
My dad doesn't want to visit my aunts anymore. I guess he has a new life now with my stepmother, Ginger, and the aunts just don't figure in. Sometimes I get mail from them: a joke card from Betty; a card with Jesus on it from Rose. They both call me Honey, which makes for an inside curl of pleasure. I thought I would always go and see them, every summer.
Well, you never know what life will turn out to be. Sometimes when I lie in bed at night, I think of bad things that can happen and how much we can never know, and it's so scary. It's like taking the lid off a box that's in front of you all the time, but usually you leave it alone. But every now and then, you take the lid off and you look in and the box is so dark and deep and full of writhing possibilities it gives you the shivers.
I lean back against my bed, let out a big breath, and look around my bedroom. I am used to it now, which probably means it's about time to move. Every time I get used to something, it's time to leave it. "We have orders," my father will say, and that's that, we're on the way to wherever the army tells us to go.
I like this room. It feels more private than any place I've ever had, situated the way it is at the end of the hall. If my sister, Diane, were still living with us, she would have gotten this room; she always got the best room. But she lives by herself in California now, because she ran away when she was eighteen. We talk about twice a month, and once in a while she comes to visit, but mostly it is just no good between her and my father; it never was. My father was always fierce, but after my mother died it seemed like he got a lot worse. And Diane finally just left. He never talks about it, but I know he is sorry. One thing my stepmother has done is to make my father a little softer, not so mean. It's odd; I think he loved my mother more, but he treats Ginger better. And I think I know why. It is because she is not as nice to him as my mother was. She pushes back, sometimes. She draws a line and says don't you cross this. Now you tell me why someone is nicer to the person who treats him worse.
My favorite place in my room is my desk drawer. In it is a little figure of a bird all covered with jewels. I don't think they're real jewels, but maybe they are. It was given to me by a boy I did not know, for no reason. It was a while ago, just after my mother had died, and I was sitting out by myself in the middle of a field on a summer day, and the boy appeared out of nowhere. He was younger than I, I thought smaller, at least, and so I wasn't afraid. I said, "Hey," and he said nothing back. "What are you doing?" I asked, and again he said nothing. I asked him if he spoke English, and he just smiled and shrugged. I stared at him for a while, and then I patted the ground. He sat next to me, his knees drawn up under his chin, and together we watched the movement of the breeze through the tall weeds, the lazy shifting of the gigantic cumulus clouds that filled the sky that day, and, once, the magical hovering of a dragonfly, colored metallic blue. We only pointed at things, but it was a good conversation. We sat for a good fifteen or twenty minutes, and then the boy got up to leave. But first he took the bird out of his pocket and gave it to me. I was amazed by his generosity, but I am ashamed to say that I made no move at all to refuse that gift. It is the main thing in my drawer, because it was a miracle and it came without asking. Sometimes when I think of that boy, I think, Wait, was he mute? And sometimes I think the thought very small and private Was he an angel? And sometimes I think, in a way that makes me feel like bawling, Was he my mother? That thought is the smallest and most private of all, and it lives in my heart, and it will never be told to anyone.
Also in my drawer is a photo of baby pigs. I remember them vaguely from a time we lived on a farm in Indiana. I think I was three. I remember being barefoot, standing on the wooden rail of a fence, looking down at those pigs. I wanted them to be my dollies; I wanted to wheel them in a carriage, put bonnets on their heads, feed them from bottles, and cover them when they slept. But they were not babies, they were pigs. So I only watched them lie by their mother in their neat, pink row; and I watched them take their grunty little steps around the sty.
I have some rocks I cracked open and kept for their gorgeous insides. I have some acorns, because look what comes from them. I have a pressed flower, a rose I would still call pink, even though its edges have turned tea-colored. I have pictures of beautiful things cut out of magazines: a willow tree next to a river, a kitchen lit up by morning sun, a monarch on a red poppy, a herd of sheep on a hill in Ireland, a wooden, straight-back chair positioned by a window with a blowing white curtain. I have a lot of pictures of dogs, too. I would like to have seven dogs.
I have something that I drew, a woman's face that is full of sorrow. And it looks like a real picture that an artist did. It looks that way to me. And the thing is, I don't know how to draw. I was sitting at my desk one day, my head in my hands, and I had that middle ache that is just the pain that comes with being alive sometimes, that kind of personal despair. I don't know why it comes, but I know it used to get my mother too. Every once in a while, she would sit so still, her hands in her lap, and she would have a little smile on her face that was not really a smile. What's wrong? I once asked, and she looked up quickly and she saw that I saw. After that, she would usually close herself in her bedroom until it was over it never took that long, really. She didn't like for anyone to see her that way. She didn't want anyone to know.
But I had that same kind of feeling one day, that veil of sadness between me and the world, and I had a piece of paper in front of me and I drew that woman's face like I was in a dream, like someone else was borrowing my hand. And I have never shown it to anyone, and I have never drawn anything good since then, either.
Lately, I have begun writing a lot more poems, and I have been saving them in my drawer. And it's funny, the same thing happens, about someone else borrowing my hand. I get a feeling; I step off into space; and a thing makes up itself.
I have red lipstick in my drawer that was my mother's, with the mark of her mouth on it. I have a rhinestone button I found outside, feathers from birds, pennies that mean good luck. I have a box of crayons that I intend never to use, I just like to look at them all perfect and read the names of the colors out loud, and I like to smell them deep, like I smell the test papers at school that have just come off the mimeograph machine. I have some torn-out hairdos that I would like to get, if my hair will ever grow really long instead of acting paralyzed.
Sometimes I think, What if I died and someone looked in my drawer? I wonder what they would understand about me. Probably not so much for one thing, they would get the crayons wrong. I think, actually, that none of us understands anyone else very well, because we're all too shy to show what matters the most. If you ask me, it's a major design flaw. We ought to be able to say, Here, look what I am. I think it would be quite a relief.
Copyright © 2002 by Elizabeth Berg
Meet the Author
Elizabeth Berg is the author of ten national bestselling novels, including the New York Times bestsellers True to Form, Never Change, and Open House, which was an Oprah's Book Club selection in 2000. Durable Goods and Joy School were selected as American Library Association Best Books of the Year, and Talk Before Sleep was short-listed for the ABBY award in 1996. The winner of the 1997 New England Booksellers Award for her body of work, she is also the author of a nonfiction work, Escaping Into the Open: The Art of Writing True. She lives in Chicago.
Brief Biography
- Hometown:
- Chicago, Illinois
- Date of Birth:
- December 2, 1948
- Place of Birth:
- St. Paul, Minnesota
- Education:
- Attended the University of Minnesota; St. Mary¿s College, A.A.S.
Customer Reviews
Average Review:
and post it to your social network
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
See all customer reviews >
Mrs. Bergs books are easy reads there are no hidden meaning behind the words or codes you have to decipher. I like how you can see yourself in some of the situations Katie is in and have the same thoughts. I remember myself thinking "Oh I felt that way before". I would give this book a second read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. True to Form is the third in the Katie Nash series. You don't have to read the first two to follow along with the story, though. Berg does an excellent job of filling in Katie's background for those who haven't followed the series. Katie is a realistic, relatable character. You get pulled into the story by her humor and charm, and miss her when the story ends.
Read this one in 2 nites!!! Love her writing and hope to 'see' Katie again.
I read this book last weekend, when I thought I would be depressed being stuck inside the house because of a snow storm. This is the first book I've read by Elizabeth Berg and I have to get another one. Katie is such a bright, interesting young girl. Elizabeth Berg knows just how to make you feel exactly what Katie is feeling. She is so honest about her feelings, it seems that she took some parts of my childhood and wrote them down. Strongly recommended!
Words cannot express, especially having just finished _True to Form_. I feel like anything I tried to say would just seem trite compared to the absolutely *true* voice Ms. Berg has given to Katie in this remarkable book. (See, what did I tell you? So trite, but still true! (My review, not the book. (which is true, but not trite.)))
Anyway. I stayed up until 5am finishing _True to Form_, and had to jump out of bed to submit this review, hence my rambling. I will just have to be satisfied with saying this:
If you have ever been any of the following: a young girl; a person who notices beauty in nature and in human behavior; a person who has done something for which you end up being ashamed; or a person who has learned from your mistakes, you will feel a deep connection with this book. If you have somehow escaped being any of the above, you will still deeply enjoy _True to Form_, simply for Ms. Berg's disarming observational style.
Thank you Ms. Berg! This is the first book of yours that I have read, and I am looking forward devouring the rest of your work!
Like the others here, I have thoroughly enjoyed every Elizabeth Berg book I have read, and the Katie trillogy has been entertaining! I love the way she talks (and thinks)...reminds me of my own 'self-talk' as a kid!!!!
I have yet to read an Elizabeth Berg book I did not like. Do yourself a favor and read these books in order:'Durable Goods', 'Joy School' and 'True to Form'. I could not put these books down. 'True to Form' is just perfection. I certainly hope Ms. Berg honors us with another book about Katie.
This is the best book of the three books. I hate the thought that this is the last book about Katie. Surely, it can't be. This is Elizabeth Berg at her finest. Please, more.
I loved the character Katie and the way she shared her thoughts with us. Both amusing and heartbreaking.
I have always enjoyed this author's writing and this book is a sweet, poignant story. It took me back down memory lane to my early teenage years even though my growing up years were later than the time period this story is set in. This is a fast read and a great story about growing up, friendships and family. It would make a good book club discussion book.
The book brought back memories of my youth. I laughed; I cried; I enjoyed. It was a relaxed read that is intended for pre-teens. It moved fast and covered so many of the trials and feelings that the young experience. Being set in the 60's, I could relate the character and events to my own youth. I enjoyed Elizabeth Berg's style of writing very much.
Review, don't rewrite the book, don' t have to buy it now!!!
As usual harriet has to come along with her cliff note book report and ruin another book. Please bn, when are you going to do something about this obnoxious plot spoiling poster? She needs to be banned and her plot spoiling posts deleted.
This book takes you back in time to when things seemed so confussing and complicated, a time when u had a lot of self discorvery to do. E. Berg sets the story up with true to life events and memories that are easy to relate too. Great book for all ages!
In 1961, her military rigid father informs thirteen-year-old Katie Nash that since she is now grown up she needs employment during the summer. Katie thinks of obtaining a job at a nearby concession stand, but her dad must not believe she is that grown up because he arranges her work. She is to help the elderly Randolphs and to baby sit the Wexler males spawned in hell. Katie¿s opinion is interpreted as sassy talking back further proving how grown up her father feels his daughter is. A trip to Texas to visit her former best friend turns into a disaster as both have moved on different paths since they last saw one another. Back home, the mother of her friend Cynthia, forces Katie to join the local scouts. Katie believes she is now a member of a the loser¿s club. As the summer of her discontent moves towards the beginning of the school year, Katie learns the meaning of friendship at a high cost with only her stepmother as her ally. TRUE TO FORM is an engaging coming of age character study that focuses on an adolescent¿s struggle with changes in her life forces her to look inside herself. The story line is breezy yet poignant, not an easy feat but accomplished by talented Elizabeth Berg. The author keeps life¿s lessons lighthearted for the reader, but deep and angst-laden for the lead protagonist, who is the puissant key to an effective, entertaining elucidation on maturing. Harriet Klausner


text:
Alert: Stretching
Alert: Shrinking
Early winter morning moon setting at Berenike, Egypt where Area Studies Research Grant recipient Steven Sidebotham used his award to conduct excavations. Photo courtesy of Dr. S.E. Sidebotham
The Center for Global
and Area Studies' (CGAS) competitive
grant program provides awards of up to $5,000 each to support international
research. Grant recipients may be asked to present their research results as
part of the Issues in Global Studies (ARSC300) public lecture series.
Funds may be used for
travel, research costs, and other expenses directly related to the proposed
activities. Salary and stipends are not eligible for funding in this grant
program. No cost share is required. Faculty teams may apply for a joint award,
but the $5,000 grant ceiling still applies. Preference will be given to faculty
who have not received awards from CGAS in the last three years, and whose
scholarship contributes to the Area Studies programs at UD. The award period
is closed for this year. Please check back in the fall for details on the next award period.
Eve Buckley, Department of History. Hunger Politics in the early Cold War: Brazilian Critiques of Overpopulation Discourse, 1930-1970
Monica Dominguez-Torres, Art History. Pearls at Court: European Courtly Art and the Rise of the Atlantic Pearl Trade, 1500-1800
Cristina Guardiola-Griffiths, Languages, Literatures & Cultures. Beauty Matters: The Disenfranchisement of Women and the Cosmetological Field of Medicine
Gladys Ilarregui, Languages, Literatures & Cultures. Children's Literature under Dictatorship
Sheng Lu, Fashion and Apparel Studies. Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Its Impact on the Textile and Apparel Supply Chain in the Asia-Pacific Region
Lindsay Naylor, Geography. Photo Voices in Food Sovereignty Tourism and Knowledge Exchange
Jean Pfaelzer, English, Women & Gender Studies. Russia & Slaveries in the Pacific Northwest: Alaskan Natives Seized, Transported, Enslaved
Abigail Donovan, Art Department. "No One Can Stand in These Solitudes Unmoved"
Jaehee Jung, Fashion & Apparel Studies, Asian Studies Program. Beauty Ideals in China: Feminine Identities, Gender Roles and Cultural Changes
Kevin Kerrane, English Department. "Getting It Said: Expressiveness in Modern Irish Drama"
Daniel Kinderman, Political Science & International Relations, European Studies Program. "Does Business Care About Society and the Environment? Business Interests and the Politics of Corporate Accountability in Europe and Beyond"
Melissa Melby, Anthropology Department. "Patient Satisfaction and Use lf 'Alternative' Medicine in Japan, China, and the U.S."
Steven Sidebotham, History Department, European Studies Program. "Digging Up the Past: Archaeological Excavations at the Global Emporium of Berenike – a Ptolemaic-Roman Port on the Red Sea Coast of Egypt"
Ivan Sun, Sociology & Criminal Justice, Asian Studies Program. "Procedural Justice, Legitimacy, and Public Compliance and Cooperation with Police in China"
Yuanchong Wang, Department of History, Asian Studies Program. "Between Zongfanism and Imperialism: Chinese Settlements and Extraterritoriality in Korea, 1882-1895"
Alice Ba, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Asian Studies Program. Securing
the Malacca Straits: The Role of Japan's Nippon Foundation and Local Actors
in the Promotion of Maritime Safety and Security
Jianguo Chen, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Asian Studies Program. The Road
Not Taken: What Will China Become in the 21st Century?
Ted Davis, Department of Political Science and International Relations, African Studies Program. Political
Voices, Good Governance and Sustainable Human Development of Zambia
Carla Guerron Montero, Department of Anthropology, Latin American & Iberian Studies Program. Touring
Quilombos: Memory, Citizenship, and Identity in Rio de Janeiro's Quilombo
Residual Communities (Brazil)
Jay Halio, Department of English, Jewish Studies Program. Shakespeare
Anniversary Lectures
Wunyabari Maloba, Department of History, Department of Black American Studies, African Studies Program. Mau Mau and Kenya: An Analysis of A Peasant
Revolt // Kenyatta
John P. Montaño, Department of History, European Studies Program. Landscape,
Nature and Destruction: The Meaning of Violence in Plantation Ireland
Muqtedar Khan, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Islamic Studies Program. Are Islamists Learning? Prospects of Change in Political Dynamics in the Middle
Cai, Department of Mathematical Sciences.
and Fostering Mathematical Understanding in a Global Context
Flaherty, Department of History. Trial
by the Public: Gender and the Japanese Jury
McKenna, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.
on the American playwright Barrie Stavis (1906-2007) and his relationship to
the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
Ray, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.
Exchanges: Galileo's Correspondence with Margherita Sarrocchi
Reedy, Center for Historic Architecture and Design.
Innovation and Change in Tibetan Ceramic Traditions, Sichuan Province, China
Schmidt-Cruz, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.
Argentine Novela Negra in the Neoliberal Era: Crime, Politics, and Society,
Attoh-Okine, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.
Monitoring in Predominantly Muslim Communities in Suburbs of Accra, Ghana
Debessay, Department of Accounting and Management Information Systems.
Survey of the Current Status of Accounting Education in Ethiopia
Dickson, Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies.
Global Supply Chains for Sustainability and Traceability: Case Study of
Organimark in Southern Africa
Debra Hess Norris, Department of Art Conservation.
of the Heritage of Sub-Sahara Africa: Assessment, Education and Training
Ram Rawat, Department of History. Dalit Public Sphere: Untouchability and Genealogies of Indian Democracy
Edgard Sankara, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. Research for second book, Récits de vie au Burkina Faso: Enjeu, perspectives, réception
Alex Selimov, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. The Politics of Translation : The Latin American Cultural Canon in Russia
Kelebogile Setiloane, Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition.
Exploratory trip to Nigeria and Botswana to strengthen resources for
the existing course NTDT655, Issues in International Nutrition
Owen White, Department of History. The Blood of the Colony: Wine and the Rise and Fall of French Algeria
Please click here for a list of our grant-funded faculty research projects in 2011.
Dr. Guerrón Montero's colleagues at the Instituto Català de Recerca de Patrimonio Cultural in Girona, Spain. Photo courtesy of Dr. Guerrón Montero.
↑ To Top | Home | Site Map
© Copyright 2011-12, UD College of Arts and Sciences


text:
American English: /ˌdɛfəˈkeɪʃən/ British English: /ˌdɛfɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/
Translation of defecation in Spanish:
- [formal]defecación (feminine) [formal]Example sentences
- This process continued until a sufficient number of defecations were observed and sample collection could commence.
- For example, strong fear, as with soldiers in battle, increases heart rates and blood pressure and may incite uncontrolled defecation or urination.
- Actually, raising pets stimulates dispute among many residents, due to the problem of animal defecation in public areas, and barking.
Definition of defecation in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
Grammar and usage help for Spanish:
= trending


text:
Hello, Hello. Sign In
Please enter a valid city, state or zip code
10 reviews | 3.2 out of 5
All together poor quality. To start things off, the bed didn't even come with directions. The frame was flimsy, and the black finish flaked off with even the slightest bit of force. Once laid on the plastic hooks that held the support beams in place fell to the floor. I had thought about getting additional support for the mattress, when I decided it wasn't even worth it. I'm returning this bed tomorrow.
Bed is very poor quality. My son slept in it three days and it broke. The slats arrived warped and would not flatten. Save to buy better quality. Will be returning.
When package was received- the box was half opened. Not sure if warehouse or shipping company was responsible. However- on top of that we were missing half of the parts. My son was so disappointed that he could not have his bed put together. The best part is that in order to get the parts you need to contact the manufacturer, not Walmart and wait another 4-6 weeks for missing parts. I don't know what the outcome will be once put together, but this process to get the bed together makes me wish I would not have purchased it.
I think Walmart should be solely responsible for issues like this, no one should have to do research and additional work for missing parts that should have been delivered in the first place.
These beds are easy to put together and they look great. My 2 boys love them and say they are much better then there old bunk beds. Very nice product well worth the money.
Very cheap quality
The slats were hard to install and we broke two slat end caps. The company did not have replacement hardware and told us that WalMart purchases the hardware overseas. WalMart offered to exchange the bed but since we put the bed together already we decided not to exchange it (bed was still functional with damaged end caps). The bed is beautiful, looks very sleek and modern and was a great price. Just be careful installing the slats!
This bed looks and feels great. It's a great bed for the price.
It is good in this price.
I bought this for my 8yr. it looks great with the furniture and it suits him just right.


text:
OSI-Approved Open Source (269)
- GNU General Public License version 2.0 (200)
- GNU General Public License version 3.0 (33)
- BSD License (25)
- GNU Library or Lesser General Public License version 2.0 (17)
- GNU Library or Lesser General Public License version 3.0 (3)
- MIT License (3)
- Affero GNU Public License (2)
- Artistic License (2)
- Academic Free License (1)
- Apache License V2.0 (1)
- Attribution Assurance License (1)
- Common Development and Distribution License (1)
- Common Public License 1.0 (1)
- Mozilla Public License 1.1 (1)
- Open Software License 3.0 (1)
- Public Domain (11)
- Other License (6)
- Creative Commons Attribution License (2)
- Linux (274)
- Grouping and Descriptive Categories (196)
- Modern (182)
- Mac (65)
- Windows (59)
- Emulation and API Compatibility (19)
- Other Operating Systems (15)
Archiving Software
- Programming Language: Unix Shell ×
tools for buidling FOSS mirror sites
a collection of tools for building FOSS mirror sites, including mirror sources selection, resources synchronization and web site publishing, etc. it dedicates to liberate the system administrator and provide better services to users.1 weekly downloads
Full backup and fast restores for bytepositioning tape drives - flexible configuration - db for multiple volumes - fast restores due to direct seeks - add. grafical user interface using Xdialog - tape header (first-, lastwritten, # writes, ...)1 weekly downloads
whichcd rpm package locater
A shell script and database containing text files allowing a user to determine which Red Hat distribution CD contains a specific package. Limited support has been added for Mandrake and Aurora Linux. Avoid searching CD's for every rpm package!1 weekly downloads
Extends flexbackup (Flexible backup script) for those who want to manage their backups on hard disc drives. Like flexbackup itself it is easy to configure, uses dump/afio/tar/cpio/star/etc. backend. Xelfbackups creates statuslogfiles containing summary1 weekly downloads
ABB - Advanced Bash Backup
A set of Bash scripts and configuration files to backup data on *nix based servers. We define a general way on how to do backups and splitting that way up into modules which may be implemented and used to fit specific needs regarding backup types/medias.
ALBackup is a backup solution with is build on top of Rsyns and SSH. The backup data will be stored on a central backup server. There can be taken backup of any number of clients.
Arkyve is a command line Linux backup program that behaves a bit differently than most - It's designed to stream data to all configured (decks, partitions, DVD's) in parallel, rather than sequentially, minimizing the backup time window.
BlubbSoft's RDup-Script / BackupScript with RDup - A shellscript kept simple, lightweighted, efficient and powerful, avoiding caveats of other tar-based scripts by using rdup's pre-generated filelists for (remote) backups, speeding them up remarkably.
Remote controlled network boot based, backup, system administration and deployment solution. HTML (AJAX) graphical interface using javascript and cgis in C/bash/Tcl. Runs on Linux, Windows, openwrt/freewrt, live cd, vmware or qemu.
Backup M.D.
Backup M.D. GUI Script - lightweight and easy to use frontend for rar and unrar written in bash.
Création automatique d'une sauvegarde sous SME 7.0 puis sauvegarde sur dvd
Projeto baseado em um sistema de backups.
Bisteca - The remote server reinstaller!
Bisteca is for every sys admin that has private servers in some datacenter and is tired of opening tickets for reboots and installs. Bisteca allows to completely backup or reinstall the server with an image file, all this done in an SSH session.
Bomb Proof Backup
Set of shell scripts intended to backup your configuration data in one place for easy restoring. In theory: reinstall, restore your /home/, replay bpb data and you got the status quo ante.
Build Template System
BTS is a Build Template System designed for building packages for th common packing systems in use by current distributions based on a single XML package description. We are finally restarting development after a long break due to NeOS work.
CATBatch and Script Collection
A useful collection of batch files and scripts for daily purposes (backup, security, system management, etc.) and development
CDB (Configuration Database)
CDB is a simple script which allows to save current Unix/Linux configuration very easily and fast. The main purpose of this is to configure the standard system configuration without using different (GUI) configurators when previously installed system has
CDRecBox is a set of shell scripts to burn CDs under a Linux shell. It uses cdrecord and cdrdao to write CDs. It's easy to configure and use.
There is a great DjVu document converter online called Any2DjVu Server. However this is old and may not be around forever. With the advances in the DjVuLibre project as well as the new Google Tesseract OCR, this program will convert documents as a whole.
DVD Scripts
DVD Scripts is a collection of scripts that assists with DVD authoring and backups. Included are dvdmm (full motion menus), dvdvt (image/video slideshows featuring video transitions and audio), and securedvd (loop-aes encrypted DVD backups).
DYS Backup
DYS Backup is a script written in bash that will help you backup Backups can be rotated and time stamped. Pre and post script functions can be used. Package data was added for Red Hat/Fedora. The user may choose between bzip2 and gzip.
DebToo - Debian powered from source
DebToo - Debian powered from source. Portage-like configurability brought into Debian with the goodies known to Gentoo users: USE flags, optimised packages, hand picked patches, fine grained tweaking performance, inherted configurations.
Doctor in House
An electronic application through which individuals can access, manage and share their health information, and that of others for whom they are authorized, in a private, secure, and confidential environment.
This is basically a small application to backup files from windows machines to the linux server or any other windows machine. It uses the Enlightenment Toolkit. It supports manual and timed backups.
Eloy is a comand line backup system. You simply define the directories to backup and Eloy does partial backups of all changes. You can easily list all changes and restore older versions of files and directories.


text:
- About Us
- Book Recommendations
- Signed Editions
- Kepler's Recommends
- Bestsellers
- Staff Picks
- Angela's Picks
- Becca's Picks
- Brooke's Picks
- Caitlin's Picks
- Christin's Picks
- Cressida's Picks
- Cynthia's Picks
- Jackie's Picks
- Jenna's Picks
- Julie's Picks
- Lee's Picks
- Leigh's Picks
- Lilly's Picks
- Marilyn's Picks
- Molly's Picks
- Nancy's Picks
- Nicola's Picks
- Nicole's Picks
- Pam's PIcks
- Praveen's Picks
- Ron's Picks
- Sina's Picks
- Todd's Pics
- Tori's PIcks
- Award Winners
- Kepler's Events
- Community Partners
- Book Clubs
- Literary Circle Membership
MVP*: Magellan Voyage Project (Paperback)
Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Every kid's dream is to be named Most Valuable Player. But how many ever dream that the game is a race around the world (no flying allowed) in just forty days? That's the challenge Adam faces in the Great Global Game. As the player for the Magellan Voyage Project, he competes against others for a four-million-dollar prize Trackers with blowguns and a nefarious baron don t make things easy.
About the Author
John Shelley began his illustration career in London, his first picture book being shortlisted for the Mother Goose Award. From 1987 he lived in Tokyo, where his work has been used in everything from advertising to character merchandising and editorial, while his children's book illustrations have been published in countries around the globe.


text:
Application Information
Scholarship Overview
This scholarship is for graduating seniors at the following Oklahoma schools: Putnam City West High School in Oklahoma City, Frederick High School in Frederick, Hollis High School in Hollis, and Watonga High School in Watonga. To qualify for this scholarship, applicants must have a GPA between 3.25 and 3.79 and plan to attend an academically accredited institution within the United States. Financial need will be considered.
How easy is it to apply?
Not too bad
This scholarship's application process may have items such as essays that could take a couple hours.
How much competition is there?
Relatively little!
This scholarship has a relatively low number of applicants.


text:
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate has passed a bill to restore unemployment benefits for people who have been out of work for months.
Several hundred thousand jobless people have been unable to reapply for benefits since a Senate impasse caused the program to lapse last week. People who have missed unemployment checks will be able to receive them retroactively.
The jobless benefits measure had been hung up by conservative Republicans fighting to force Democrats to pay for its $18 billion cost rather than add to the budget deficit.
The bill would pay for federally funded unemployment insurance through June 2. Several other lapsed programs would also be extended until the end of May.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


text:
- News
- Calendar
- Blogs
- Sports
- Entertainment
- Business
- Lifestyles
- Community
- Opinion
- About Us
- Classifieds
- Coupons
- Local Savings
- Green Editions
- Legal Notices
- Contests
- Weekly Ads
- Connect2Classes
Connect with Us
Latest news, top stories, and community events,
One-wheeled tribute planned for Coach Tepper
In honor of Coach Alan Tepper, who has retired from teaching and coaching this year, the Panther Pride Unicycling Team is inviting all current and former unicyclists and members of the team to ride with them in the Railroad Days parade Saturday.
Participants are also encouraged to wear a red T-shirt for the event.
To assemble for the parade, the team will meet at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, behind Mount Si High School.
Latest news, top stories, and community events,
delivered to your inbox.
Trending Stories Jul 20 - Jul 27
We encourage an open exchange of ideas on this story's topic, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. Personal attacks, inappropriate language, and off-topic comments may be removed, and comment privileges revoked, per our Terms of Use. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.
Read the Jul 20
Green Edition
Browse the print edition page by page, including stories and ads.
Browse the archives.
Local display advertising by PaperG