text:
I'm not one for words, I havn't got around to purchasing the Andy Warhol "I never read I just looked at pictures" quote for my wall …but I should it fits perfectly!! So I'll keep this short and you will hopefully get my point in fewer words. I'm a doer, a handson kinda gal. FIND workshop was just that, it gave me the confidence to go back to where my passion started and create beautiful images with a limited amount of tools, a trusty film camera, a roll of film and a light metre. Jonathan Canlas is the perfect person to run a workshop like this because he has charisma, a wicked sense of humour (a must ) and experience that blows your mind (also handy) This workshop is coming to Perth and with it already being half full I wouldn't muck around as its the last workshop he will be doing in OZ. Even if you have experience with film there is plenty to gain! Head over to http://filmisnotdead.com/#workshops to register. This will also be the last post on this blog, I've had a new website in the making for well quite some time now so I've been holding off until it's finished which is hopefully real soon.
god. the surfboard. i want that on my wall. Right next to the waves frame. I expect to see heaps more film now, you are perfect match for it.
Film really captures beauty can't wait to see more!


text:
How to Deal With North Korea
Progress in reducing tensions on the Korean peninsula, never easy, has reached a dangerous impasse. The last six months have witnessed an extraordinary series of events in the region that have profound implications for security and stability throughout Northeast Asia, a region that is home to 100,000 U.S. troops and three of the world's 12 largest economies.
Perhaps the most dramatic of these events was North Korea's December decision to restart its frozen plutonium-based nuclear program at Yongbyon -- including a reprocessing facility that separates plutonium for nuclear weapons from spent reactor fuel. Just as disturbing was the North's stunning public admission two months earlier that it had begun building a new, highly-enriched-uranium (HEU) nuclear program. And then came yet another unsettling development: a growing, sharp division emerged between the United States and the new South Korean government over how to respond.
But recent events have not been entirely negative. In the two months prior to the October HEU revelation, North Korea had, with remarkable speed, undertaken an important series of positive initiatives that seemed the polar opposite of its posturing on the nuclear issue. These included initiating an unscheduled meeting between its foreign minister, Paek Nam Sun, and Secretary of State Colin Powell in July -- the highest-level contact between the two nations since the Bush administration took office; inviting a U.S. delegation for talks in Pyongyang; proposing the highest-level talks with South Korea in a year; agreeing to re-establish road and rail links with the South
Log in or register for free to continue reading.
Registered users get access to one free article every month. Subscribers get access to the entire archive.
Or subscribe and save 55%!
- Full website and iPad access
- Magazine issues
- New! Books from the Foreign Affairs Anthology Series

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The purpose of analyzing a series of cases of sciatica and presenting it before this section is to discuss whether there is such a condition or clinical entity that is called essential or idiopathic sciatica. Also I wish to discuss in relation to teaching, what should be taught, and in what department of the medical school should it be made the subject of teaching. There is no question but that it is firmly fixed in the layman's mind that sciatica is a disease in itself, a distinct entity, and I am sure that the profession at large also is satisfied that it is an entity, although realizing that at times it may be a symptom of a lesion elsewhere. If we appreciate that there is a definite cause in every case and that cause can be demonstrated as a physical fact, then much of the uncertainty will be changed and
Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.
Download citation file:
Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.
More Listings atJAMACareerCenter.com >
Enter your username and email address. We'll send you a link to reset your password.
Enter your username and email address. We'll send instructions on how to reset your password to the email address we have on record.
Need assistance?
Athens and Shibboleth are access management services that provide single sign-on to protected resources. They replace the multiple user names and passwords necessary to access subscription-based content with a single user name and password that can be entered once per session. It operates independently of a user's location or IP address. If your institution uses Athens or Shibboleth authentication, please contact your site administrator to receive your user name and password.


text:
< Go to Bike Pumps
Hands-on Gear Review
Topeak Joe Blow Sport 2 Review
Bike Pump
Overall avg rating 4.8 of 5 based on 3 reviews. Most recent review: September 6, 2015
Cons: Heavy. A little stiffer to pump at higher pressures.
Manufacturer: Topeak
Coming in as our top ranked floor pump is the Topeak Joe Blow Sport II. Easy to use, durable, and not bad looking, it scored well in all our testing categories and received a perfect 10 in the comfort department. The Sport II is as tough as it looks, and consistently gave us strong, tight seals to the valves. It is the heaviest of the pumps that we tested, so maybe not the best for transport, but it's heft only adds to it's stability and durability.
RELATED: Our complete review of bike pumps
Expand to show full specification table | Hide details
Analysis and Hands-on Test Findings
Review by:
Chris McNamara
Founder and Editor-in-Chief
Last Updated:
March 28, 2015
Not all floor pump reviews will take comfort into consideration, but we at OGL think it really is an important aspect of the decision process. After all, a floor pump is something that you have to press down on pretty firmly, and repetitively, every time you use it. During our testing period, we really came to feel the difference in the materials used and shapes of the pumps' handles. You might not initially notice uncomfortable handles, but after repeated use, you will be stoked if your pump has handles like the Topeak Joe Blow Sport II. Smooth, strong, and molded well, our palms and wrists were thankful.
Also impressive with the Joe Blow Sport is its durability. This thing is solid, and we couldn't get it to quit or falter in its repeatedly solid valve sealing. The word "sport" is well applied here not only does the pump hold up over time, but it looks good doing it. The dial display is easy to read grey and yellow and the double-sided twin head has a secure locking lever, also in bright yellow, adding some fun accents to an otherwise simple design.
Unfortunately, with all that durability comes weight, and the Topeak Joe Blow was our heaviest floor pump tested, coming in a full ½ pound over the second heaviest pumps. Therefore, if you want a floor pump that travels with you everywhere, you might want to look into a lighter option, such as the Serfas FP-200 or the Blackburn Air Tower. It can also feel a little stiffer and harder to pump once you get over 100 psi compared with our second and third place pumps, both from Lezyne. That said, we think the extra half-pound and slightly stiffer pumping at higher pressures pales in comparison to the overall ease of use, stability, durability, comfort and sporty good looks of the Topeak Joe Blow Sport II.
Other Versions
Topeak Peakini II
Topeak Pocket Rocket
Topeak Road Master Blaster
Topeak Road Morph
— Chris McNamara and Emily Zell
OutdoorGearLab Member Reviews
Most recent review: September 6, 2015
Where's the Best Price?
*You help support OutdoorGearLab's product testing and reviews by purchasing from our retail partners.
Table of Contents
Related Review
Helpful Buying Tips
Other Gear by Topeak


text:
With their timeless beauty and advanced construction, the W-46s are destined to quicken sailors' hearts for generations to come. Before the advent of theW-Class Racing Yachts, a one-design racing class of identical wooden yachts had not been built for more than fifty years. It is time for the unparalleled thrill and spectacle of big-boat one-design racing to set sail once more.
The hull shape is unmistakably stunning. Above the waterline it has gorgeous overhangs fore and aft. But lurking beneath the water is a sleek, modern underbody sculpted from cold-molded strips of wood laminated with epoxy. The keel is a fin with bulb and the spade rudder is of carbon fiber. Towering high above the teak is a strong, light-weight carbon-fiber rig. Tradition and a respect for what is truly beautiful can be seen in the lines of the W-46, but she is designed for today. There is plenty of room for a sizable crew, but she can also be raced easily by just a few eager sailors. In cruising mode, she can be sailed by one or two couples - or even a single-hander.
3 boats have been built thus far to this design. We would be happy to build one for you.
Please contact us for complete pricing, specs and plans.
Images by Allison Langley.


text:
All of a sudden, I'm not getting emails when someone comments on my blogs. I implemented two plug-ins today. Joel Bennett's Acronym Replacer and Robert Deaton's Words per Post plug-ins. I've tried deactiving the plug-ins to see if that takes care of the problem, but when I try that, I get this error, "Sorry, you need to enable sending referrers, for this feature to work." Which makes no sense because I was able to deactivate plug-ins earlier today.
So, no email notifications of comments, yet I am getting email notifications of emails waiting to be moderated. Anyone have any ideas on how to fix this?


text:
"The Bible" as we know it wasn't even remotely written all at once. In fact, it wasn't until well after the last events of the Bible that it was even compiled into something resembling what we have today. Even if you accept that some or all of its constituent texts were written under inspiration of God (I do), you have to understand that it was manually transcribed many hundreds of times between its original writing and its first printing-press edition. Imagine rewriting the five books of Moses by hand, then handing it off your your friend who does it from your copy, and so on for every one of your hundreds of Facebook friends. Now imagine that 90% of them don't speak your language natively. Now hope that none of them get bitter and intentionally mess it up... How well would the last copy resemble the original? Hopefully the message would be about the same, mostly, but you've got to understand that this book wasn't teleported down from on high in the King James (or New International, or whatever) Version.
BeanDogMember Since 21 Feb 2000
Offline Last Active Jan 12 2014 12:25 AM
Community Stats
- Group Members
- Active Posts 2,445
- Profile Views 5,992
- Submitted Links 0
- Member Title Member
- Age Age Unknown
- Birthday Birthday Unknown
Not Telling
1063 Alpha


text:
Volume 89 Issue 22 | p. 27 | Concentrates
Issue Date: May 30, 2011
Issue Date: May 30, 2011
Business Roundup
Syngenta will spend $71 million to construct a new research facility adjacent to its existing campus in Research Triangle Park, N.C. To open in the second half of 2012, the center will focus on discovering and developing agronomic traits to help plants better tolerate climate variability and drought stress.
Huntsman Corp. has licensed technology for the production of propylene oxide and methyl tert-butyl ether to China's Yantai Wanhua Polyurethanes. . . .
You Do Not Have Access to C&EN Protected Content.
- Chemical & Engineering News
- Copyright © American Chemical Society


text:
I know we use normal linear regression for modeling functions on datasets, but can someone explain how neural networks help in approximating more complex functions, especially when they are nonlinear?
Intuitively, what does each layer adds to the whole process of approximation?
Also, when is using artificial networks the best option?
What I am looking for is an explanation of how neural networks approximate functions, and not a comparison with the biological neurons.


text:
Skip to comments.Russia Putting Battleships in Syria: Sources (China and Iran) Video
Posted on 06/18/2012 5:59:20 PM PDT by Hojczyk
Is Russia a growing threat? Radio talk show host John Batchelor, offers insight. "We have tentative and alarming news of major military exercise
Russian battleships?!? What, did they raise the hulk of the Stalingrad and finish it?
Russia has no battleships. It does have 3 modified Kirov class cruisers, which are arguably nuclear battlecruisers. I say so in defference to their tonnage (20,000 tons) and missile armament of 20 Granat antiship (carrier killer) missiles, and 96 SA-N-6/S300 antiaircraft missiles. However, they only have one 130mm (5.2 inch) cannon. They also have 3 Slava class cruisers with 16 anti-ship missiles and 64 SA-N-6/S300 antiaircraft missiles. However, these are the size of our Ticonderoga Cruisers and of World War 2 cruisers.
It's two LST Amphibious ships carring maybe three companies of naval infantry. They may be looking to evacuate theor embassy in the face of civil unrest.
I truly wish that the Israelis had a surplus Chinese torpedo in their inventory. The resultant hilarity of Russia having its own Cheonan sinking, with the evidence pointing to China, would be worth the price of admission.
Battleships? Bullshit. The writer is batshit crazy. Warships? Maybe.
The Russkies will do what they want.
Putin knows Gay Blade Obama is as dangerous as a wet towel in a Penn State shower room.
Obama started all this crap in the Mid-East with his Arab Summer, it sems that Putin intends to finish it.
meanwhile we are destroying out military, shutting down nukes, putting women and queers on the front line.
Putin isn't stupid, he knows what he is doing.
Obama is a push-over.
They would never dare to try this until now.
So what is Russia's end game? Protect Syria from Israel, or get rid of Assad for their own purposes? Help me here, I can't get my arms around this one...
Obama is a bend-over.
>>>I truly wish that the Israelis had a surplus Chinese torpedo in their inventory. The resultant hilarity of Russia having its own Cheonan sinking, with the evidence pointing to China, would be worth the price of admission.>>>
What is an Israel's interest in that? I think Israel is glad to see Russians are coming. It could be a huge improvement over muzzie bros.
This won't end pretty.
Russian battleships?!? What, did they raise the hulk of the Stalingrad and finish it?
Maybe they resurrected one of their old saucer shaped ironclads, like the Novgorod.
Who is commanding the task force? Makarov or Rozhestvensky?
Larry Kudlow: "I'll have back surgery tomorrow. Pray for me if you will."
Pray for me if you will?
LK you a—hole, your arrogance is just overwhelming. You either believe or don't believe in the power of prayer.
Sheesh, these liberals really think they are a notch above God.
In part it could be because Syria, along with Lebanon and Iran are among the last few well-heeled purchasers of Russian arms, aircraft, etc.
And that is big business that brings foreign currency to Russia and helps keep their arms industries running.
They also comprise one of the last foreign areas where Russia has an international presence and influence.
In part it could be because Syria, along with Lebanon and Iran are among the last few well-heeled purchasers of Russian arms, aircraft, etc.
And that is big business that brings foreign currency to Russia and helps keep their arms industries running.
They also comprise one of the last foreign areas where Russia has an international presence and influence.
Obama is an ankle-grabber.
Stuka magnet.
sure, it has the guns but does it have a cup holder?
They are threatening NATO and the UN and europe. Russia wants Assad to prevail. NATO wants Assad to step down. Russia does this little display of force to make it clear they will not allow any intervention in syria by NATO, the UN, or any EU forces.
And just what is the turning circle on that? (In miles or kilometres - I can convert)
Because Russia doesn't have many naval bases and one is in Syria.
Read the historical text in the image. Actual image is larger. Very funny stuff. They built three of them.
Onward to Tsushima and victory!
Wow, and to think two or three Drones would put it at the bottom of the Ocean. Now that is perspective.
And I bet the crew is still allowed to smoke.
FYI - They may have never actually built that Russian Land Battleship. Was an experimental design only. The historical text was apparently created by the illustrator. That is why it is so funny.
Any Sov tank at that time capable of holding up a German armoured division would have been a KV-1
And the supposed fates of the "KV-6"s are exactly what you might guess from looking at the picture.
I don't think anyone really knows what's going on.
Perhaps Russia is trying to make a move while they still have a sucker to deal with-—Obama.
Correct. Before the Arab Spring we had anti-American, anti-Semite regimes that posed no great threat to the United States. Now we have Anti-American Anti-Semite regimes that will cooperate with those that will try and harm the United States.
That really worked out good for us /sarcasm.
A Lebanese Christian I know said this about Syria. "Those Bast---s have been killing each other forever. I hope they all kill each other." His opinion is far more rational than our foreign policy.
Youy need to know what a battleship is before posting on military matters.
They'd like to keep their port in Tartus
Larry Kudlow isn't a 'liberal'.
Kudlow is a converted Catholic.
He could ask for pray, not ask for prayer, or demand prayer.
The 'if you will' is asking.
I've seen plenty of Freepers ask for others prayers, is it really that odd?
Maybe they refloated the one Rudel sunk with his STUKA in Lake Ilmen.
I looked at the daily intelligence summary that Putin looked at yesterday, and here's what it said:
"Obama is the biggest pussy in the history of the United States, and Romney looks like he's going to be the second biggest pussy. Go ahead and do what you couldn't in the 80's - take out the Saudi's, the Jews, and then Europe.
The Chinese will take Taiwan, and when we've cleaned all that up, we'll go after the US. Or we may get impatient and just nuke them now - like that gigantic pussy is going to launch a counter strike."
My two cents is protect their base and keep everyone else out of getting involved in Syria..
You've pretty much got it.
There are two reasonable scenarios here.
1. Putin is wary of our continuing military interventions in the Arab world, and is responding with his own intervention to prevent the balance of power shifting top far in our favor.
2. Putin and Obama have secretly made their Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, dividing which countries the socialist US government will intervene in, and which countries the socialist Russian government will intervene in. Hence, the US refusal to take action on Syria and silence on Russian actions there.
From what I know of Putin, both scenarios are probably equally correct, since I think, no matter what agreements he has made with the Obamunnist, he would hedge his bets and act in whatever way furthers his interests, knowing there will be no consequence.
I guess there are still a few of these old ships around...this one, the Mikasa, was the flagship of the Japanese fleet at Tsushima Straits. She somehow survived WWII (one can imagine American aviators in 1945 seeing that thing and planting bombs on it, just to be sure) and Admiral Nimitz helped fund her preservation after the war.
Interesting stuff.
The Bible says it does not end well for the forces there.
There will be no consequence is the key.
Putin knows it. Flexibility , The Russians have it now.
Our boys did a good job abiding by that list so Japan got to keep (some) of their culture.
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.


text:
Managing Public Computers
As we've moved into the 21st century, providing public access to computers and the internet has become a core function of libraries. Whether your library has a handful of public computers or hundreds, you have become a technology access point for your community and managing that technology requires a range of knowledge. Explore topics that address the varied facets of managing public computers including security, filtering, upgrading, and troubleshooting.
Most Recently Added
Guiding Ohio Online: Volunteer Technology Instructor Training
Document / Last Modified: 04 November 2015
Guiding Ohio Online is an AmeriCorps program that places members in rural Ohio libraries to deliver digital literacy training through computer classes, one-on-one computer assistance, outreach, and volunteer recruitment.
iFought the iPads (and iWon)
News / Last Modified: 03 February 2015
When Rapid City Public Libraries decided to add iPads to the Children's Area, I volunteered for the project. In the end this project took me a couple of months to tackle but the number of children using the iPads made it worth the effort. I hope by s...
You Shall Not Pass! iPad Passcode Programs and Other Insights
News / Last Modified: 27 August 2014
Since her first article, iFought the iPads (and iWon), Sally-Adrina has heard from several librarians struggling with a common problem: iPad passcodes. At Rapid City Public Libraries, they experienced the same issue. A child or an ad...
Easy to be Free: Creating A Smart Wireless Network for Your Library
Webinar / Last Modified: 26 August 2014
Archive and associated resources for October 7, 2010, webinar with Louise Alcorn on best practices for setting up a wireless network for your library.
Funding for Broadband: Indiana & Beyond
Webinar / Last Modified: 26 August 2014
Archive and associated resources for February 10, 2010, session with Wendy Knapp and Mary Alice Ball as part of the Technology Essentials 2010, online conference.
Related Topics
- Advocacy
- Budgets & Funding
- Building Digital Communities: Pilot
- Change & Adaptability
- Children
- Community Relations
- Computer Cookbooks
- Computer Equipment
- Create & Deliver Training
- Digital Inclusion
- Digital Literacy
- E-Readers & Other Mobile Devices
- Innovation & Creativity
- Manage Staff Training
- Needs Assessment
- Networking Public Computers
- Partnerships & Collaboration
- Planning & Coordination
- Policies
- Rural Library Sustainability Program
- Share Your Story
- Teaching Patrons
- Technology Planning
- WebJunction Event Archives
- WebJunction News


text:
A spokesman says Farrah Fawcett's condition is unchanged as the actress battles cancer.
Earlier this month, the 62-year-old "Charlie's Angels" star was treated at a hospital for internal bleeding that her physician said wasn't directly related to her anal and liver cancer.
Spokesman Arnold Robinson said Tuesday that Fawcett is at her Los Angeles area home, where she had a weekend visit with Redmond O'Neal, her son with actor Ryan O'Neal.
The 24-year-old Redmond O'Neal was allowed out of jail briefly to visit his mother. O'Neal, who allegedly was caught with heroin while visiting a jail facility north of Los Angeles, was due in court Wednesday.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


text:
Enfamil equivalent to Similac Neosure
We were able to get the enfacare covered because ds needs to be on 27cal instead of the standard 22cal, so the formula is "medically necessary." When I first called my insurance they flat out told me that the formula wasn't covered, even when I threw in the medically necessary part. But when ds was discharged from teh NICU they sent the ins. company a script for the formula and when they called me to confirm shipping address I questioned it, and they said that it was covered at 80%. So, it couldn't hurt to try. Worse thing they are going to do is tell you it isn't covered.
DEBT FREE !!!!!!!!� Follow me to WDF to see how it's done in baby steps!!
We are fortifying with Enfacare. Funny thing is I was getting more Similac coupons, but Enfamil has started sending them more. When we were discharged the neo asked if we needed a WIC prescription, but we don't qualify. I asked if there was any way to make the insurance to pay and he said no. You can appreciate my last can I paid $1.39! CVS 20% off coupon, $5 Enfamil coupon, and $9 extra bucks. I'm waiting for CVS to email another 20 or 25% coupon to go buy more. The nice thing is since we're fortifying breastmilk a can of powder lasts about 3 weeks, but if that's all she was eating it would be 2 cans a week. That's what keeps me pumping when I want to quit.


text:
Find government information about scholarships and loans to assist with your education.
Australia Awards
International scholarships and fellowships offering the next generation of global leaders an opportunity to undertake study, research and professional development in Australia and for high-achieving Australians to do the same overseas. They are awarded each year to citizens of participating countries from Asia, the Pacific, Middle East and Africa.
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Endeavour scholarships and fellowships
Internationally competitive, merit-based scholarship and fellowship programs providing opportunities for citizens of the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Europe and Americas to undertake study, research and professional development in Australia.
Department of Education and Training
International scholarships to study overseas
In addition to the Endeavour Awards, there are a number of other scholarships which enable Australians to study overseas. There are also scholarships sponsored by foreign governments and other international organisations.
Department of Education and Training
Study Assist
Information for students about Australian Government assistance for financing tertiary study. Includes links to study options, subsidised fees and government loans (HELP), loan repayments, scholarships and additional student income support options.
Department of Education and Training


text:
I thought this time I would share a true story, instead of a fantasy.
I woke to the warm wet sensation of a hot tongue on my pussy. I opened my legs wide, "oh yes baby that's so hot!"
My boyfriend was so good at licking my pussy, so so good, but this was different. Infinately better. It was so rough, yet tender at the same time. I threw back the sheets and to my astonishment, it was his dog Buster between my legs. I clamped my legs closed and he looked up at me and continued trying to get at my pussy lips. Why was he doing this?! He had watched us fucking many times, maybe he was imitating his master? Oh if so he was a quick leanrner. he was ravishing my cunt with his tongue!


text:
Woman dies in crash after Tequesta man stops to save cat on Florida's Turnpike
Michael Schneider in critical condition after being thrown from hood of car
A 75-year-old Boynton Beach woman is dead after her car struck a Tequesta man who had stopped beside Florida's Turnpike to rescue a cat.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Michael Schneider, 35, was northbound on the turnpike in Broward County when he noticed the cat Monday afternoon. He parked by the roadway and walked back toward the cat when he was struck by a car.
More From WPBF: Email alerts | Mobile | Social
According to the FHP, Mary Jane Alston went off the road with Schneider on the hood before hitting his parked car and a guardrail, tossing him to the shoulder.
Alston was later pronounced dead and Schneider was in critical condition. The cat also died.
View, Share Breaking News Photos On WPBF.com's u local:
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
502,894 deals (and counting)
from around the web, shared and ranked by a community of deal fiends like you.
Go to Deals.Woot.
Re: LineArt Killer
love the idea! so great Mr. Arni ;)
By date:
By rank:
If you wanna vote, you need to Sign in first. Be sure to Sign in using an account with at least one purchase, otherwise you won't be able to participate. Sorry we called you buckaroo.


text:
The Blues moved above Edinburgh and Treviso into seventh place after claiming just their third win in their last 14 matches in all competitions.
They were under pressure for most of the match, but pulled through thanks to four penalties from teenage fly-half Rhys Patchell.
The Dragons claimed the only try of the contest through centre Andy Tuilagi but were left to rue other missed chances during a game played in appalling conditions.
- Sports & Recreation
- Contests & Giveaways


text:
Please select a hotel from the list of hotels in and near Downgate. The list below displays hotels within 30 kilometers of Downgate.
745 Hotels found.
Showing page 1 of 50, to view the first page click here.
Price Per Night From
Downgate Map
StarStay UK offers wide range of hotels in Downgate at discounted prices. From budget hotels to luxury hotels in Downgate.
All hotels in Downgate can be reserved online with instant confirmation.
Its easy to reserve hotels in Cornwall With thousands of hotels in UK. Using our website booking hotels in Downgate is quick and safe. We select from the best hotels, and all our hotels in Downgate can be reserved online.
For great discount on hotels in Downgate book now.


text:
Sanger Learning Center
Beauford H Jester Center, Room A332
201 E. 21st St. D7300
Austin, TX 78705-5695
Phone: 512-471-3614 | Fax: 512-475-6838
Sanger Learning Center provides a variety of presentations to UT Austin students. Our undergraduate outreach assistants deliver most presentations, but staff members are available upon request. We also host a number of presentations in our office throughout the semester. Visit our events calendar to learn more.
Please make your presentation request at least three business days before your event.
Presentations for FIGs and Student Groups


text:
July 10, 2016
The (Champaign) News-Gazette
No impasse
There is no end in sight for contract talks with the state's largest union.
State employees represented by AFSCME can put their strike plans on hold now that the state's Labor Relations Board has rejected management's request that it declare talks have reached an impasse.
Meeting in a special session Friday, the five-member board unanimously rejected Gov. Bruce Rauner's request to bypass an administrative law judge's recommendation and find there is no benefit to be gained by further negotiations between the parties.
The board's decision blocks, at least for now, management's option to impose...


text:
Opened 2 years ago
Last modified 2 months ago
#22125 new Cleanup/optimization
Unnecessary creation of index for ManyToManyField
|Reported by:
|Owned by:
|Database layer (models, ORM)
|Triage Stage:
|Has patch:
|Needs documentation:
|Needs tests:
|Patch needs improvement:
|Easy pickings:
Suppose I have the following model:
class Food(models.Model):
restaurants = models.ManyToManyField(Restaurant)
The following table is created:
CREATE TABLE "main_food_restaurants" (
"id" integer NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
"food_id" integer NOT NULL,
"restaurant_id" integer NOT NULL,
UNIQUE ("food_id", "restaurant_id")
and the indexes:
CREATE INDEX "main_food_restaurants_0899c464" ON "main_food_restaurants" ("food_id");
CREATE INDEX "main_food_restaurants_be4c8f84" ON "main_food_restaurants" ("restaurant_id");
Notice that the single index on food_id is not needed due to the unique index (food_id, restaurant_id)
Change History (19)
comment:1 Changed 2 years ago by ceaess
- Needs documentation unset
- Needs tests unset
- Patch needs improvement unset
Is there some of the code missing? I'm not seeing a unique index created in the SQL code you have here, just a unique constraint on food_id and restaurant_id.
comment:2 Changed 2 years ago by anonymous
Let me clarify.
Suppose you have the following code:
class B(models.Model): pass class A(models.Model): b = models.ManyToManyField(B)
The following SQL is produced:
CREATE TABLE "main_b" ( "id" integer NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY ) ; CREATE TABLE "main_a_b" ( "id" integer NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY, "a_id" integer NOT NULL, "b_id" integer NOT NULL REFERENCES "main_b" ("id"), UNIQUE ("a_id", "b_id") ) ; CREATE TABLE "main_a" ( "id" integer NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY ) CREATE INDEX "main_a_b_4d6cc2fb" ON "main_a_b" ("a_id"); CREATE INDEX "main_a_b_2c14050b" ON "main_a_b" ("b_id");
Note that the index on a_id is redundant due to the unique constraint on a_id, b_id
comment:3 Changed 2 years ago by bwreilly
- Owner changed from nobody to bwreilly
- Status changed from new to assigned
comment:4 Changed 2 years ago by bwreilly
I think this fixes it: https://github.com/OneOcean/django/compare/django:master...master
But I am not sure I am entirely happy with it, and perhaps it needs a test. Either way, I'll need to get a CLA and company CLA signed before I can make a pull request.
comment:5 Changed 2 years ago by anonymous
looks good, but I can't comment much because I don't know Django ORM internals.
Thanks for the work!
comment:6 Changed 2 years ago by shai
- Resolution set to needsinfo
- Status changed from assigned to closed
The question of whether an index for the first column of a unique constraint is redundant, depends on how the database implements the unique constraint. I am quite certain that the SQL standard does not specify, that unique constraints must be implemented by indexes which can be used partially.
So, for accepting this change, I'd need some indications that the index is actually redundant -- at least in all core backends; hence, needsinfo. Even if we accept it, I'd require the code to allow a (3rd-party) backend to opt-out of it easily -- that is, with no need to override the entire create_model method.
Your code is not a PR, so I can't comment there; I think it will break on unique_together=[('a','b','c')]. It certainly does need tests (does it pass the Django test-suite?) and also documentation changes.
comment:7 Changed 2 years ago by sfrost@…
The SQL standard *doesn't talk about indexes*, so claiming that it doesn't happen to talk about how unique constraints are implemented is a bit like trying to rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic.
The index is redundant in every database that I've ever come across- and any that are sensible will do the same. How can a unique constraint be at all performant if there isn't a fast way to find an existing value? Allowing some backend to "opt-out" is fine, but it certainly shouldn't be the default.
Note that only the index on the *first* column would be redundant; an independent index on the second or subsequent columns which are included in a unique constraint could be quite useful.
comment:8 Changed 2 years ago by bwreilly
I've confirmed PostgreSQL and SQLite both exhibit this behavior (Gist), I'll check MySQL when I get a chance. I don't have access to an Oracle instance, but I'll check their documentation.
Additionally, I've fixed the issue with unique_together=[('a','b','c')], added tests, and moved the functionality to an overridable method (compare). Sorry it isn't a pull request at the moment, I'm going to fix that Monday.
Besides Model Meta options unique_together and Fields db_index, should I update the documentation anywhere else?
comment:9 Changed 2 years ago by Joshua Yanovski
SQL Fiddle may help (I can't link it since it would be marked as spam, but the address is pretty easy to determine). Oracle and MySQL both do this as well.
comment:10 Changed 2 years ago by alucard
For the core DBs, they usually use B-Tree indexes so I think if [a,b] is indexed, then [a] would be a redundant index. To generalize this, any leftmost prefix of an indexed tuple would be redundant. This is definitely true for MySQL.
However, for hash indexes (and possibly other types), both [a] and [a,b] would be perfectly valid and non-redundant.
Source: https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.5/en/index-btree-hash.html
To quote: "[Hash index] Only whole keys can be used to search for a row. (With a B-tree index, any leftmost prefix of the key can be used to find rows.)"
I think we need to have an opt-out on a per table basis (based on Meta options), or even better, per ManyToManyField basis (based on a setting to init)
comment:11 Changed 2 years ago by anonymous
By the way, a very quick way to verify is to actually create a compound index, and then use "EXPLAIN" to check whether a SELECT statement based on the leftmost prefix can make use of the compound index. Of course this is assuming you have access to those core DBs, of which Oracle could be a bit of a problem.
comment:12 Changed 2 years ago by Joshua Yanovski
Again, please look at SQL Fiddle. It allows you to write queries against a database of every type mentioned here, including Oracle (and also Microsoft SQL Server). And every single one of them uses the composite index for a query that uses only the first indexed column.
comment:13 Changed 2 years ago by anonymous
- Resolution needsinfo deleted
- Status changed from closed to new
comment:14 Changed 2 years ago by anonymous
- Triage Stage changed from Unreviewed to Accepted
This seems like a reasonable optimization to me -- at a minimum we can do it by adding a new flag to backends and then only performing it on databases we've validated have this behavior (you'd have to have a REALLY terrible database for index looks not to support a subset of fields with a left-side prefix though).
comment:15 Changed 2 years ago by bwreilly
- Has patch set
comment:16 Changed 2 years ago by timo
- Easy pickings unset
- Version changed from 1.6 to master
comment:17 Changed 2 years ago by akaariai
- Patch needs improvement set
I don't think the solution in PR2578 is the right solution at all.
If I read the patch correctly it removes all indexes for fields that are already first element in some unique_together index. There are valid cases for asking a separate index for a field even if it is part of an unique_together index. The most important reason for this is that a single-field index is faster than multicolumn index. In addition we shouldn't override what users have asked explicitly.
We should just skip index creation for m2m tables unless the user asks for single column index. I am not sure if we should add flags to m2m field for creation or skipping of these indexes.
comment:18 Changed 2 years ago by timgraham
#23367 was a duplicate.
comment:19 Changed 2 months ago by timgraham
- Keywords db-indexes added


text:
Here in Oregon, Jon Eisman, M.E.T.A. Founder and Sr. Trainer, and Donna Roy, LPC, CHT, M.E.T.A. Co-Director and Clinic Director, now helm the Hakomi Institute of Oregon. Along with various guest Trainers from other locations, as well as highly trained local staff, Hakomi of Oregon combines expertise in the larger psychology field with in-depth knowledge of the Hakomi Method and its applications. The Hakomi Institute of Oregon continues to present both traditional and new Hakomi and Hakomi-related offerings in Portland and other state-wide locations.
We look forward to having you become a part of our ongoing history...
The Hakomi Method is a mindfulness, somatic and experience-based approach to change. The Method is used both as a psychotherapeutic process as well as in educational settings to facilitate self-exploration and personal growth. In addition, The Method has been applied to numerous other avenues of growth, from business consulting to sports performance.
Originally developed by Ron Kurtz in the late 1970's, The Hakomi Method has developed in scope, detail and teachability over the past 28 years. During this time, many new advances have been integrated by Ron, the Hakomi Trainers and numerous practitioners. Today, Hakomi is taught and practiced successfully throughout the world. Here in Oregon, with several professional trainings and workshops per year, Hakomi has thrived for 25 years.
The Method itself combines venerable operating principles with mindfulness and precisely articulated methodology to create an extraordinarily effective path towards transformation. The basis of the work is fourfold:
Hakomi, a pioneer in the use of mindfulness in psychotherapy, employs a strong somatic / experiential orientation. Encouraging focused self-awareness, the client is supported in studying the ways in which movement, gesture, voice, tensions, impulses and so on both reflect psychological material and provide direct access to core transformation.
At the heart of The Hakomi Method is a set of time-honored principles which underlie all aspects of the work. Navigating by these principles, the practitioner approaches both the client and the process with a sense of wholeness, respect, and humility. This framework then translates into concrete clinical skills and thoughtfully designed interventions. Equally important, by being held in this perspective, the client may then be able to internalize these principles as an ongoing source of inner guidance.
While each client and session is of course unique, the Method typically follows a time-proven general pattern of working. This includes the following elements, described in sequence below:
Establish Relationship • Create safety within the relationship and within the client • Elicit Mindfulness • Immerse in and study present experiences to access and reveal the organizing core material • Process the specific states and content of the core material • Transform the core templates that shape limiting experience • Integrate the new templates into everyday life • Complete the work
Establish Relationship Great care is taken to establish an effective working relationship, marked by safety, curiosity, warmth and mutual engagement. Attending to the attachment and relational styles of the client, the practitioner creates an inviting atmosphere of respect and participation. Such a bond allows the client to feel confident and supported in turning inwards, to pursue the transformational journey.
Create safety within the relationship and within the client The first task, then, is to build respect and safety. These essential qualities allow the client to willingly surrender external focus to turn inwards towards his or her inner world. They also invite the cooperation of the client's unconscious. In this way, a powerful and willing ally is engaged in exploring core material and how it shapes one's experience. Such safety must be evoked and maintained between the client and therapist, as well as evaluated and nurtured within the client herself.
Elicit Mindfulness Once a solid working relationship and sufficient safety are created, the therapist establishes and utilizes a distinct state of consciousness we call Mindfulness. Evolved from many different Buddhist traditions and meditation practices, Hakomi employs Mindfulness as a distinct state of mind in which clients can slow down and observe carefully their ongoing internal experiences. Mindfulness includes a gentle and sustained inward focus of attention, heightened sensitivity, a willingness to be aware of whatever arises, and the ability to notice and name the contents of this awareness. As used in therapy, the intention of Mindfulness is not to detach from what is noticed, but to allow both an unbiased awareness of how the Self is operating, and to provide a platform for internal, psychological and experiential preference. Unconscious material that arises into awareness can be studied, evaluated, celebrated, challenged and revised. This shift in perception provided by Mindfulness is crucial in many stages of the Hakomi process, as we engage with a client's innate capacities for self-discovery and healing.
Immerse in and study present experiences to access and reveal the organizing core material Hakomi asserts that perception, attitude and behavior are products of deeply held, typically unconscious memories, beliefs, entrenched emotional dispositions and learned templates or schema, all held by habituated neural patterns in the nervous system and body. Collectively, we call these organizing elements core material. Typically formed during childhood, core material defines us as individuals. Our responses to the major themes of life - safety, belonging, support, power, freedom, responsibility, appreciation, sexuality, spirituality, etc. - are all organized by core material. The heart of the Method is therefore the precise study of the client's ongoing, current experiences, to discover their core origins in the unconscious.
Such experiences may be naturally occurring, or they may be deliberately and gently evoked. Such evocation happens in two ways. First, the client may be encouraged to immerse in and feel more fully some presenting issue or experience, and to observe whatever cognitive, somatic and emotional resonances naturally arise. Secondly, the client may be invited to participate in carefully designed experiential "experiments". For example, the client may be asked to notice the effect of standing in a certain way, or the internal impact of a certain relational exchange. Both verbal and non-verbal, such experiments evolve from and are tailored to the theme of the session and the client's momentary experience. Hakomi experiments often involve present events in the body, such as gestures, small movements, changes in breathing, posture and tension. The experiments always include mindfulness, and thus provide a careful study of the impact and meanings of the experience. Pursued in this felt way, events and their causative core material can be spotlighted, summoned, evaluated and transformed.
In either case, this mindful immersion into present experience awakens the deeply held neural networks that shape the client's beliefs, perceptions and behaviors, and gradually reveal core material.
Process the specific states and content of the core material Human consciousness is an ongoing river, with various specific states of consciousness providing distinct currents to the flow. Core material is anchored by specific states, which reflect the nature of the patterns. Some core patterns are expansive, pro-active, open and creative, while others are more contracted, reactive, limited and fear-based. The Hakomi Method allows the client to distinguish between the two, to immerse in the appropriate state for the patterns, and to change willingly those patterns that constrict his or her innate wholeness.
As the client begins to recognize limiting core material, the session moves to address both the content of the core, and also the specific states of consciousness in which the material is held. Hakomi attends deliberately to recognizing, evoking, stabilizing and emerging from such states. To do so requires the practitioner to understand different states, and to employ specific methods for addressing them:
Transform the core templates that shape limiting experience
The deep, core explorations which Hakomi pursues create a more spacious and invigorated emotional climate in which clients can begin to experiment with and choose evolved beliefs and behaviors. At the core, the Hakomi practitioner works to establish alternative ways of being for the client, to supplant the limited, habituated and outdated beliefs and behaviors established years ago.
This is accomplished by providing the client with a new experience, one that was missing or impossible when injury happened. Such new experiences may be complex or simple, but generally reflect unmet childhood learning and relational needs: for example, being held, being listened to, being allowed to explore, feeling protected or supported, and so on.
Having such a new experience provides a template for living differently, fostering the use of new neural patterns. The encounter with the missing experience creates a new, embodied perspective – a newly imprinted neural pattern - that shifts the perceptual and thus behavioral reference point for the client. The "old" story is updated, forgiven or transformed. This new experience – again, an experience, and not just an idea - is a vital turning point in the Hakomi therapeutic process, and provides motivation for further change.
Integrate the new templates into everyday life This phase of the work integrates the newly discovered truths and options with the client's everyday life. The work here is to stabilize and anchor any positive, powerful new experiences, insights and discoveries.
We help the client to practice whatever new modes of organizing they adopt, and to integrate these modes into their daily lives. In this phase, Hakomi works somatically, emotionally, cognitively and energetically to solidify new templates and to anchor them in the body. The client is assisted in practicing the new attitudes and behavior, so that they may continue to use them as the basis for their lives. Living differently is the only real measure of actual change, and it is here, in fact — in the ability to nurture the new possibilities discovered in the office into ongoing actualities of daily living — that real change happens.
Completion of the work The completion phase allows clients to emerge from the intensity of self-focused inner work, and to orient again towards the outside world. Impasses and discoveries are reviewed, goals are referenced, and future explorations are considered. Great care is taken to be sure the client feels grounded and ready to leave the structured nest of the process and to navigate again through their next adventures and encounters.
Hakomi is a highly effective and creative method for working with individuals, couples, families, and groups. Our graduates come from the wide spectrum of mental health professions, including psychotherapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, social workers, and graduates students in these fields. At the same time, many who study with us are professionals in related fields such as coaches, nurses, doctors, surgeons, dentists, lawyers, financial counselors, business managers, organizational consultants, yoga instructors, accupuncturists, chiropractors, bodyworkers and masseurs.
While primarily developed as a psychotherapeutic modality, Hakomi has continued to evolve in its applications. Because Hakomi attends to the very nature of being human, it is easily and effectively adapted to many other professions and settings. Among the many disparate additional arenas in which Hakomi principles and techniques have been applied have been in counseling, coaching, employer/employee relations, mediation, ethics, creativity issues, theater arts, dance, poetry, naturopathy, movement, body work, accupuncture, parenting, gender issues, politics, corporate relations, sports performance, hospice, and spiritual issues and practice.
The Hakomi Method is an elegant, comprehensive and highly effective approach to human change and development. It was originated in the mid-1970's by therapist and author Ron Kurtz as The Ron Kurtz Method of Body-Centered Psychotherapy. Drawing from an enormous range of influences - Buddhism and Taoism, physics, body-centered therapies such as Gestalt, Reichian work, the Feldenkrais Method, Bioenergetics, Focusing, NLP and Ericksonian Hypnosis, and General Systems Theory, it synthesized a pioneering approach to somatic psychotherapy, combining mindfulness, gentleness and experiential explorations of client behavior.
In 1981, recognizing that the work stood on its own, Ron formally changed the name of the work to The Hakomi Method, based on a Hopi Indian word that asks " how do you stand in relation to these many realms" or, more simply, "who are you?" That same year, Ron and several of his advanced students (including Jon Eisman, the founder of M.E.T.A.) created the Hakomi Institute, a nonprofit educational corporation whose purpose was to promote this work.
During the 1980's, Hakomi expanded in two ways. First, the Method itself continued to evolve, with Ron and the Institute trainers contributing many new or refined elements, articulations and applications of the work. Secondly, the work began to spread geographically, with new staff joining the Institute and new training centers being formed throughout North America, and Europe. One of those centers was the Hakomi Institute of Oregon, established in the mid 1980's by Ron Kurtz and Jon Eisman.
In 1992, to focus on his own particular development of the work, Ron separated from the Institute. Since that time, Hakomi has continued to be taught and developed separately by both the Hakomi Institute and it's many trainers and teachers, and by Ron's Hakomi Education Network.
Today, the Hakomi Institute and the work continue to thrive. Exciting new developments in neurobiology, attachment theory, trauma, child development and consciousness studies have all been incorporated into the model, updating and expanding its range. Institute staff and graduates have taken Hakomi into diverse new directions, including couples work, parenting, working with trauma states, anger management, family dynamics, movement interventions, gender issues, multiculturalism, Selfhood, business consulting, sports performance, group dynamics, ethics, spiritual studies, and coaching. Hakomi remains at the cutting edge of therapeutic theory and technique, while still enjoying its status as an elder in the use of mindfulness and somatics in therapy.
At the same time, The Institute itself has grown into a dynamic network of Training Centers around the globe. Hakomi Professional Trainings and Workshops are now presented across the US, throughout Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. New centers are just arising in Israel and Russia.
Hakomi Mindfulness-CenteredSomatic PsychotherapyA Comprehensive Guideto Theory and Practice
CLICK HERE to order
BODYWORKERSM.E.T.A. for BodyworkersModule ABegins April 10, 2015CLICK HERE for more information
M.E.T.A.COUNSELING CLINICCheck HERE for 2015/2016intern information
CLICK HERE to visit theAlumni Corner
M.E.T.A., LLC - 4531 SE Belmont St., Suite 300, Portland, OR 97215. ph 503-450-9911
Website Questions? Contact email@example.com


text:
Comic-Con Trailers: The Best of the Best, Ranked
Film, TV
Recently, I've noticed some things in the comments, so I decided to write … a mission statement!!!! Everyone loves mission statements, right?
Comics Should Be Good has a mission statement. It's true; go read it. It's a fine missions statement, and I hope we abide by it. I have some other ideas about comics, though, and I'd like to share them with you. This is, as I noted, in response to some recent comments, but also in response to some other comments I've noticed over the years I've been writing for this blog. It might be self-evident, but it's reflected right there in the title of this post:
The way I read comics is not necessarily the same way you read comics. And you know what? That's okay.
Allow me to break it down a bit. In my post about Scalped, a few people seemed to think that because I wrote about how Dash, the ostensible main character, isn't very well done, that I hated the comic, despite my praise for the rest of it. The whole kerfuffle over Saga is also a pretty good example, as people seem to think that I can't call the opening two pages of Saga #12 "gratuitous" yet call the confrontation between Robot IV and Oswald Heist as tense as the first scene in Inglourious Basterds, when Christoph Waltz sits down with the French dude while knowing that he's hiding people in the basement. How can I reconcile these opinions?
Well, it all gets back to the way we read comics. Everyone reads things differently, and one way is not necessarily better than the other. So people seem to take offense at the fact that I can like a comic yet still point out its flaws. You always see comments on threads like "It's just a comic/movie/television show/beastiality magazine – just sit back and enjoy it!" Well, that's fine for some people and even for some things that I watch or read. I'm usually much more forgiving of movies or television shows for a couple of reasons – I don't write about those all that often, and I don't want to watch and re-watch and re-watch to catch everything that's going on. It's easier to sit with a book or a comic and dissect it for something I'm writing rather than sit and watch an hour-long show or a two-hour movie. That's just the way it is.
That doesn't mean I turn off my brain when I watch things, however. I rarely go see movies in the theater anymore, because it's too much of a hassle to get a babysitter, but I still try to watch them when they come on cable. So recently I watched John Carter and Prometheus. Neither is a great movie, but I enjoyed them. However, I couldn't just "sit back and enjoy them," because I don't turn off my brain when I watch something. So I could still enjoy John Carter even though Taylor Kitsch was terrible and the pacing was really weird and we never actually found out what Mark Strong and his pals wanted. Did they just like conflict? As for Prometheus, on one level it was superb, but it had plot holes that you could drive a truck through and characters who acted idiotically simply because the script told them to. I mean, you're on an alien planet and you just decide to poke the weird, creepy, snake-like thing? And you're supposed to be a biologist? So, yeah, even though I don't watch as many movies as I used to, I still can't simply sit back and enjoy them.
I do this a lot more with comics, obviously, because I read a lot more comics and I write about them more and I can sit with them right next to me and dissect them more easily. So I notice when things just don't work in comics. And I don't like saying, "Well, it's just a crappy superhero comic, so who cares?" That's just insulting to readers. People have ranted here how much I hate superheroes, but that's just not true – I love superheroes. I want superhero comics to be brilliant, and I want writers to aspire to greatness when they write superheroes. Obviously, some of them do and they get shot down by the editors because the DC and Marvel superheroes are never allowed to change, which is why I have moved away from DC and Marvel superhero comics in recent years. I don't hate superheroes, but I would argue they've let me down.
But here's the rub: I love reading comics this way. I love reading comics and thinking about what works and what doesn't, and why the writer made the choices that were made and why the artist made the choices that were made and even why the colorist made the choices that were made. It's very enjoyable … for me. If that means I don't get swept away by something, that's cool. I rarely get swept away by anything, and I have a perfectly happy life. I love behind-the-scenes documentaries and commentary on DVDs and all that kind of stuff, because I love learning about the nuts and bolts of a project. I love looking at a work of art and trying to figure out not that it works, but why it works. I can't help myself, and I've been like this for a long time. Yes, once I would simply watch or read something and think "This is awesome!" and not care about the particulars. When I was younger, this usually meant when I watched movies or television, because I didn't start reading comics until I was 17. But even in the early years of my comics-reading, I was willing to read a lot more simply because I thought the characters were cool. The cheapness of comics helped, too, but mainly, it was because I thought Batman was awesome and so obviously every comic starring Batman was awesome.
I don't know when I began to change – when I went to college, maybe, and started to learn a bit more about how to think critically about things? Maybe that's it. But the point is, I did change. I began to understand more about certain styles of storytelling, clichés not only of writing but of movie-making or comics artwork, and subtext. More than that, I began to see these things more clearly, and I enjoyed it. For me, it helps filter some of the crap out, and as entertainment became more expensive (comics being the most egregious example, but movie prices have gone way up over the past 25 years, too), it became easier to ditch things that just weren't doing it for me. I don't think it's good enough to be "okay" these days. I don't think it's okay for writers to write 6 issues without getting to the damned point (I certainly don't hate decompressed storytelling, but I don't like when, after an entire arc, we've only managed to get the team together or we've only managed to find out who the villain is – I mean, really?). I don't think it's okay for pencil art to be pretty if the artist's storytelling skills are terrible. I might like a "Holy shit! that was awesome!" moment as much as anyone, but at the same time, I recognize that awesome moments have to be earned. It's not good enough to draw double-page splashes of Batman getting chased across a rooftop or Captain America striking a pose. That's just lazy.
All of this, of course, is just my opinion. I don't hate the comics I pick apart – in fact, some of them I love quite a bit. Just because I think a writer made a misstep on one page or used a dumb cliché that they should have known not to use or because an artist decided to get sloppy with their layouts or used a celebrity as a face model doesn't mean the book sucks. It might be disappointing, but I am able to look past it. It also makes the things in which I can't find very much at all wrong all the more impressive. Those comics tend to end up on my favorite comics of all time, and that's why I still haven't found anything to replace Morrison's and Case's Doom Patrol and Ennis's and McCrea's Hitman as the top two comic book runs of all time. Even after I've re-read those (because maybe I just had an initial favorable reaction to them and missed some flaws underneath), I can't really say anything bad about them. But that's rare. Even when I write about a Comic You Should Own, I often point out things that don't quite work. That doesn't mean I don't love the comics and think you should own them, but there it is. Even books I like right now aren't perfect, and that's cool, too. I've been trying to think of a comic I'm reading right now that I rarely find any flaws with, and the only one that has been consistently excellent from issue #1 is Chew. Others may hate Chew, and that's fine, but there's a reason it consistently ends up at the top of my "best-of-the-year" list – because I just can't find anything bad about it. I honestly can't remember an issue that made me think, "Well, that wasn't very good" or "Man, Layman and Guillory really screwed that sucker up!" Some issues are better than others, naturally, but usually it's because maybe Layman is setting something up that will pay off later and that issue fits better into the overall plot rather than as a single issue. But that's the only comic I can think of that I really haven't criticized very much (well, long-running comic – I loved East of West #1, after all, but that's only one issue). Maybe I will before Chew ends, but right now, I haven't.
This is why I was surprised a few months ago when I wrote about the "perfect album." I got a lot more suggestions than I thought I would, because I can only think of one "perfect album" – as in, I wouldn't change a single freakin' note – Marillion's Misplaced Childhood. This extends to books, too. I can think of a few books that are so good that I wouldn't change a thing – Don DeLillo's White Noise (my favorite novel), Mark Danielewski's House of Leaves (the scariest book I've ever read), Milorad Pavić's The Dictionary of the Khazars, Joseph Heller's Picture This, A. S. Byatt's Possession, Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, Nicholson Baker's Vox (the most erotic book I've ever read), to name a few. I can think of a lot of books – great books – that I have some issues with here or there. The same thing applies to movies. I just like deconstructing things. I'm not as good at it as some people, of course, but I'm not bad.
Some people might think I'm claiming this is a better way to consume entertainment. I'm not saying that at all. It's just my way. Some people are far more obsessive about breaking down the entertainment they watch, and some people are far more obsessive about, say, continuity within the entertainment. Some people just want to turn off their brains, and that's cool, too. I know that some of my friends are far more obsessive about, say, breaking down music than I am, because they're musicians. They don't care about doing the same thing with movies, because movies to them are an escape. I'm just pointing out that this is how I read comics. It doesn't mean I don't like comics, because I love comics. It does mean I don't rave about a mildly entertaining superhero book, and because of the expense ($3.99 for Uncanny X-Force?), I probably won't buy those kinds of books even though I probably would have 25 years ago. I think it means that when I do rave about something, you can probably trust that I really, really liked it, and if you know my taste, you can gauge your interest in something accordingly.
But I'm going to keep reading comics my way, and everyone can keep reading them their way. It's all good, ain't it?
Your way is the right way!
You and Rob are so obviously wrong….
I should probably read the piece, right?
I read and enjoy comics in the same way. And the "it's only a comic" comments don't really bother me when they're coming from fans, but I've seen the same thing from writers and editors from Marvel and DC before, and THAT'S when that attitude ticks me off.
Rob: Ha! I don't totally agree with you, mainly because I do know some people who just want to say "Did that entertain me?" If it did, they're cool with it. I don't have a problem with that.
Joe H: Yeah, that's a very annoying attitude to take from people who are trying to get you to spend money on their product.
The "just enjoy it" people always whine at us when we criticize something they love. But we don't whine at them when they love something we criticize. Therefore, our way is righter than their way.
Whenever they say, "If you don't like something, don't read it," I respond, "If you don't like my criticism, don't read it." Sometimes followed by, "I suggest you leave before I kick your butt all over the map. No way do you criticize me while telling me I can't criticize the original work."
I know this subject has come up many times on CSBG, and someone inevitably offers the proper response. Namely, that CSBG exists to offer a critical perspective on comics. If you think comics are "just entertainment" and want to gush over them, you're in the wrong place. Go join a fan club or something and leave us alone.
I think most of us read this way, and what I look at after I put down the comic (or take out the DVD, or delete the episode) is: Was it satisfying? And do I want more? It's as simple as that. (Justified and The Americans!)
Splash pages are definately a great storytelling method when used correctly! I'd hardly call it lazy!
the "movie widescreen" panel style has really hurt a lot of storytelling, particularly in superheroe comics. It has lead to the phenomenom of writer's relying on the art and diologue only to tell a satisfying story. Imagine reading a short story or novel, only its all dialogue!
The best comics mix and use every technique together, and that's real hard and takes great skill and imagination, and that's why about 10 or 12 are really, really good (i'm talking mostly at DC and Marvel here) and the rest are just journeyman Joe Average comics.
I'm pretty much the same way too dude. Although for me it all started with movies. Few years back I decided I was gonna try and watch as many of the classics, oscar winners, independant, and cult as possible. For to long I had people telling they couldn't believe I hadn't seen this movie or that, so I decided to fix it.(thank you Netflix) After a while of doing this and watching these acclaimed movies, I began to finally see what critics were talking about in terms of movie structure, character developement, etc. I can no longer just sit back and watch a movie and enjoy it for what it is without picking it apart in some way. It's effected my music, book, and comic book reading as well. And like you I take into account the rising cost of this stuff when making my decision of what to buy. If I'm gonna spend 4 dollars on something I want it to be good. So naturally I will take reviews into a account. Doing this doesn't guarantee me a great buy but it atleast helps my chances.
A good example recently is EVIL DEAD. Lots of people enjoyed it for what it was and it's gore. I can't do that. Yes the gore was great, but the story, acting,pacing, etc were crap IMO.
I'd say you're overthinking this.
If you're on website called "Comics Should be Good" you should expect the writers' opinions about whether comics are good or not and what the writers think about what makes comics good or not. I'm happy to agree or disagree with their opinions, but arguing that they shouldn't be critical about stuff I love would be the attitude of a not-well-adjusted child.
Wow, this is like Jay Sherman if his taste in movies wasn't so narrow. (I know, fictional character, but hey, I love "The Critic".) The reason that Jay gives almost every movie he reviews a scathing review (be it with either his "Shermometer" or his list of which diseases he'd rather get than see a certain movie) is because his is a true love of cinema, but he's been disillusioned by how commercialized the film industry became (this was 1994/95 we're talking about, though his arguments could apply to today's movies too). It's why he's such a devotee of Golden Age of Hollywood classics and foreign films. While you don't turn your brain off, he does the same thing–but it's turned up to 11.
Rob: Ha! Good point.
Trey: I dig a good splash page. Unfortunately, they seemed to be overused in superhero comics these days, especially DC's, for some reason. That's why I think it's a bit lazy.
Sean: Yeah, I think that the more you watch movies or television or read comics, you definitely begin to see things that you didn't see before … that is, if you're paying attention. And that's why I think it's so fun, because you can see the guy behind the curtain more, and you can understand what's going on more.
Turd Burglar: Probably. I tend to do that.
Rojo: You'd think so with the name of the blog, and usually, that's what we get here. I just wanted to be clear about how I read comics, because people have criticized me for it.
Acer: I don't know if that's a compliment or not!
I think the people have a problem with critical discourse. Good criticism is worth reading ragrdless of if the reader agrees or disagrees. For American comics, it seems the whole field comprises solely of 'yo broseph! This shit is awesome/whack y'all". The reason DC can get away with publishing fundamentally broken. The lack of growth extends to writings about comics too, which, barring Greg Burgas, is filled uneducated jelly-men trying to formulate their half-digested ideas and stretching them out to a thousand words.
Read this now. The best thing I find about your writing is that you aren't as much a "follow the crowd" type, so if a book is getting ultra super rave reviews, I can trust you'll break it down and point things out that are just as stupid in the rave book as in the rest of other stuff (not that THAT is your goal, either).
It's probably what turned me off Saga, reading your reviews of each issue. It's an ok book, but jeez.
If I was more gooder at writing stuff, I could articulate why Hawkeye leaves the same bad taste in my mouth as Saga does to you. (hmm, is that a good metaphor given the images in Saga 12?).
Anyway, keep doing what you're doing, because some of us like neato observations.
Trying to find something that's more enjoyable than Morrison's Doom Patrol? Talk about your high standards…
Seriously, though, this was a delightful piece of writing. Also quite daring, since -based on the comments section- your readers loathe Morrison and Ennis (and everyone else who's ever written an entertaining comic book and/or is British) with a passion.
"Obviously, some of them do and they get shot down by the editors because the DC and Marvel superheroes are never allowed to change"
What specific examples are you referring to here.
I like this article. I rarely post in the comments. I think that for 100 people who disagree with something and post on the internet, there are 1000 people who either read and don't care, or agree and don't bother to post.
For people with tl;dr mentallity:
Greg Burgas has your best interest in mind.
Or, my interpretation
We all deserve as many books on par with quality of Morrison's DP, or Ennis' Hitman as possible
Just kidding.
SPOILERS for Saga…
So did you find the intensity of that final scene in issue 12 to be similar to Inglorious Basterds because you expected the main characters to be hiding there, or because you knew (from spoilers, re-reading it) that they were there? I didn't get that vibe at all, in fact, it really didn't make much sense that they would seek the author out.
The problem I find with most critics these days, whether it be movies, books, or comic books, is the juvenile attitude of a lot of recent critics. I compare it to a teenage boy looking at a painting done in art class, and he yells out, "It sucks, man." I kind of expect the critic to be like the teacher of the art class, who points out the flaws but understands what level the artist is at and will give kudos to the positive while explaining how the artist can improve. This could be blamed on the 'thumbs up/thumbs down' attitude of television critics, or on the fact that a lot of critics these days are fans who put their stuff on blogs and then it ends up all over the internet.
I totally get what you're saying, you cannot turn your brain off while looking at something and just enjoy. I actually enjoy your criticisms because they aren't a simple 'this sucks, man', but is willing to concede what worked and what did not. I do admit, when I watch/read something, it just hits me and I like it but can't explain why. I can, and will, look at it again and find the flaws and even comment on them, but I liked it on some visceral level that sometimes defies logic and that's it. I can't stand critics who try to explain why I am wrong for liking something and these are the reasons. I've already decided, dude, give it a rest. It is an incredible waste of your time to keep going on this. I recall reading a blog where a guy spent 20 pages explaining why the Avengers was the worst movie ever made, and went frame by frame, explaining every flaw. I wrote back saying, "In the time you spent writing this, you could have written something ten times better than the Avengers, since you are so wonderful at finding flaws. This is really a waste of your time."
In the end, I have more of a problem with critics who say, 'everyone has a right to criticize' than with viewers who say, 'turn off your brain and enjoy.' Yes, everyone does have a right to criticize, but that does not make your criticism valid or, for that matter, deep in any way.
Thanks for writing this out —
When my wife and I first started dating years ago, we'd go to see a movie. On the way out, I'd ask what she thought of it. I'd have thoughts on the soundtrack, the story, the acting… and she would stare at me blankly. No one had ever talked with her about a movie; she'd never considered talking about it afterward!
It seems that, at least for some loudmouths, that's how they digest comics: eat them, don't think about them!
My wife and I now talk about movies. She'll note things differently than me, but we get to talk about them and extend the enjoyment of the movie beyond the hours when we're in the theatre, making it a shared experience that also brings us closer together.
Can't we do that with comics, too?
I agree for the most part, as I've done several pieces on comics being more than just funnybooks, namely http://www.nerdtopiacast.com/2012/09/10/bipolar-express-how-comics-rails/ and http://www.nerdtopiacast.com/2013/01/03/american-history-x-men-issue-1-first-genesis-socio-political-origins-parallels-marvels-mutants/ that wound up being fairly well received, but there are times I have to disagree with reviews, not because of critical thinking or differences in opinions, but because sometimes–and honestly it happens A LOT on this site–because some reviews are based on plain misreadings of a comic or amount to a case of someone reviewing a book and criticizing not the content because of what it was, but the content because of what they wanted it to be based on their own expectations going into it.
An example of the former is when I'll see a critic complain that a story point comes out of "nowhere," or overuses the word "inexplicably" when referring to a scene or character action. This was the case in an issue of the Buy Pile some time back when the complaint was about an Uncanny X-Men issue that led to a rant about how ridiculous a notion it was that there was a hyper evolved race that was so advanced and yet no one had ever discovered them since they'd been there for so many years, but the review missed the point completely that they WEREN'T there for years; it was explained IN the story AND in the recap that everything underneath this dome was evolving at super speed though the dome itself was only days or weeks old, but the reviewer mistakenly believed it had been there for years based on how advanced the inhabitants were. When an issue of a series has X happen and then it's picked up again an issue or two down the road and the reviewer has only read THAT issue, the use of "inexplicably" to refer to X happening is incorrect; if they'd read the issue beforehand, they'd know it wasn't coming out of left field. That's like only having read the Hobbit and then walking into the Lord of the Rings with Two Towers and then grousing about how all of a sudden, a Hobbit that's not Bilbo inexplicably has the ring. When it's clear a review is being written by someone who missed key points in an issue or hasn't regularly read a series, it's tough to take those reviews seriously.
The other example is seen, like I said, A LOT on CBR, though not by Greg that's I've noticed, and basically consists of a reviewer attempting to review the issue he or she WANTED to read, not what was actually read because they had expectations it would be something else going in. The review then devolves into a case of a series of statements not dealing with the actual issue, but complaints about what they hoped it would be and thought they were getting into. It's like going to a restaurant and ordering the steak, but getting chicken instead; sure, be pissed at the server, but don't blame the chicken for not being steak if you're reviewing the actual FOOD. Review what you read, not what you wanted to read because of your own expectations. Some reviews on this site barely even talk about the story itself, just go on about one aspect or a character or whatever and offer little to a discussion on the actual content.
And, finally, a combination of sorts is when a reviewer goes too far in reading into an issue and tries to create things to be offended by and the review becomes all about this imaginary slight, whether it's the recent accusation that Desaad was in Blackface in the recent Worlds' Finest issue or if something happens to Character X that's been foreshadowed for some time and the reviewer hadn't been reading the series and then sees the event as some malicious and intentional slight on all peoples falling into the same demographic as Character X, those reviews get old, real quick.
In short, I don't mind a review that disagrees with mine or whatever. But show that you at least read and understand what you're reviewing and stop reviewing issues you WANTED to or expected to read and review the ones you actually DID. Because i can't tell you have many times a review consists of something along the lines of, "I went into this issue expecting X, Y, Z and it didn't happen, so it's bad."
Charles J. Baserap
Former Officer, US Secret Service, White House & Foreign Missions Branches
Author, An American at the Crossroads (Amira Rock Publishing, 2010)
Columnist/Editor, NerdtopiaCast.com
Columunist, ForcesofGeek.com
By the way, that should read "…though not by Greg THAT I've noticed," not "…though not by Greg that's I've noticed."
1) It's okay to be analytical, well-informed, and to have critical thinking.
2) It's obvious that two different people with critical thinking, analytical nature, and well-informed notions often come to wildly different conclusions about the value of some piece of art or entertainment.
From 1) and 2) comes:
3) It's hubris to think that just because your critical thinking self sees something "wrong" with a work, that something is "objectively" there.
Criticis (and by "critics", I mean anyone) have notions that they consider as axioms or postulates. Important things they have considered to be true, and a lot of their criticism follows these "axioms". But they're not real axioms (definied as a premise so evident that it is accepted as true without controversy). They only think they are, and many of them fail to have have in mind that the axiom is not accepted as such by other people.
Sometimes even brilliant critics are blind to this. I think Tim Callahan wrote one day that Peter David was an objectively bad writer, because comic book writing could be measured like ability in baseball, and Peter David doesn't score as much points or whatever. But arts and entertainment aren't like sports. In sports, there are defined rules and a team or an athlete will score a certain number of points and all of us can agree on which player scored the most points.
But in writing, or any creative endeavour, there is no one set of rules that is accepted by everybody.
Does it follow that all criticism is useless? No, absolutely not. Only that critics must make as clear as possible what are their own personal axioms, so the rest of us may have a clue as to why they like or dislike such and such book/comic/movie, and we can judge for ourselves based on how much we agree with the critic's axioms.
"I mean, you're on an alien planet and you just decide to poke the weird, creepy, snake-like thing? And you're supposed to be a biologist?"
A biologist using a sealed (it was sealed at the time), armored spacesuit? No Earth creature of that size would be dangerous to him while wearing that thing…
Yeah that's all knowledge. Euclid's postulated most of what we base mathematics on, which is what we base all knowledge on. There is no objective way to prove 1 = 1. Every idea is just an axiom. There is no objective truth, by your measure.
People have accepted Euclid's postulates.
But Mr. Greg Burgas (or insert any critic's name here) is not Euclid. His axioms have not served as a basis for the buildings of a discipline of comic book criticism.
Mudassir: Well, thanks, sir, but I know there are a lot of good reviewers out there. I try very hard not to fall into what you're saying, and part of why I stopped doing weekly reviews is because I felt like I was sliding that way. I want to have something to say about the comics I read, rather than just saying "It's awesome!"
Travis: I'm doubt very much if people are just following the crowd with regard to Saga (or Hawkeye) – those books really do enjoy a lot of popular support! But I do try to insulate myself from reading what everyone else writes about something until I've gotten my thoughts down, because I want them to be my own. I'm certainly susceptible to other writing, so I try to steer clear of it before I can puzzle out my own thoughts on the matter.
Horde of Evil Hipsters: Well, sure it's a high standard, but that's why I don't gush over things too often!
stealthwise: No, I didn't know that Alana and Marko would be there already. I probably should have guessed, but I didn't get it spoiled for me. I just thought that Vaughan did a really nice job having the two characters dance around the issue and imply a lot while still saying mundane things. It felt very tense to me, like they both knew something weird was going on but they needed to keep a sense of decorum. The fact that Alana and Marko were there actually makes it better, because when we re-read it, we can see that Heist knew even more than he was implying. There are plenty of movie scenes that use this device, but my mind just went to Inglourious Basterds because, I think, it's one of the most recent good examples that I can think of. Tarantino likes that kind of thing, though, so I could probably have used some of his other movies as well.
Lyle: Yeah, I see what you mean. I think I can enjoy something on a visceral level and not be able to express what it is I like about it but I can still point out its flaws. I've mentioned before that I don't like the concept of "guilty pleasures" because I don't feel guilty about liking things, but there are some things that, for some reason, just get to me. I really enjoy a lot of the first three seasons of Glee, for instance (this season sucks and I have fallen way behind on the DVR because it's just not very good), even though I know that it's not a very good television show. It just got me at some level that I can't explain, and I don't think I'd try to defend it. But I do agree with you that sometimes critics go way too far. I try very hard not to do that, and I try very hard not to get sucked into an argument when it's clear the other person and I are just too far apart.
Jon: Luckily for me, my wife has been like me since I met her, which might be why we connected. She doesn't like comics, but we talk about television shows and movies and break them down all the time. I still have friends, however, who don't want to do that, and I just say, "That's cool" and we move on.
Charles: Part of the problem is comics' serial nature. When I reviewed the last chapter of "The Lightning Saga" or whatever that Meltzer JLA story was called, I got ripped for not reading the previous chapters so I didn't really know what was going on. That's fine, but I also pointed out that if comics want to be serialized, they kind of have to make each issue at least somewhat accessible. It's a fine line, and if you're a reviewer who isn't keeping up, it might be difficult to get into things. But you're right – if it's right there in the book and the reviewer just missed it, that's just lazy. I have forgotten some things from a series I'm reading because it happened 6 issues earlier or even further in the past, but I try to admit my failings when they occur and ask stuff like "Did we already see that?" That's one of the reasons why I like writing for a blog rather than the main site – yes, the main site has comments, but with this blog, there's more of a back-and-forth, and I think it's made me a better reader of comics because I've been able to get feedback from so many different people. I also try very hard to not do what you're saying, which is rant about what I wanted to read rather than what's there. I'm sure I've done it in the past and I know I've been called out for it once or twice (whether I agreed or not is another thing!), but I try not to do it.
Rene: Oh, sure. I got in trouble a few years ago by claiming that art is subjective, leading to an excellent post by Joe Rice saying I was full of it and an even better comments section debating the topic. I don't know the thing with Tim that you're talking about – I remember his column bashing an issue of X-Factor and his subsequent defense of that, but he did admit that he liked a lot of David's writing in that. But I'm firmly on the side of "everything in art is subjective," even though I write columns like Comics You Should Own. Obviously, it's just my opinion that you should own them! I always stress that this is just my opinion, and if you read enough of what I write, you can get a sense of what kind of stuff I like.
Pedro: Sure, but I still wouldn't be poking weird alien life forms. Who knows what that sucker will do????
Rene: Oh how I wish they were!!!!
Yeah, Euclidean geometry fails in outer space. But really if you want widely accepted theories on writing there are plenty of books on the tules of writing, including writing criticism, which are part of literature class currculums aroud the world. They are very well regarded. Similarly a lot of critics in every medium are very well regarded as well.
Something as esoteric as art criticism is never going to be considered objectively true, but that's like saying the Sun is very bright, but only on Planets that come before Jupitor. The whole of existence is subjective, unless you are interested in the philosophical discussion it leads to, what would even be the point of bringing it up?
Greg: I think that's a fair point, particularly about the serialized nature of comics. And I agree that there should be, ideally, at least some degree of accessibility. For instance, my first comic was Uncanny X-Men #210, bought right off the rack at a bodega in the Bronx. I was 6 or 7 years old, well before wikipedia and the like and had no trouble jumping into the book. A few months back, I bought I believe the 6th issue of I, Vampire because it was serving as a prelude to the Rise of the Vampires crossover and I was already getting Justice League Dark, and I was lost on what was going on and who the main characters were, same for the most recent issue of Dial H, which I got only because it was a slight to in to the last issue of Flash.
At the same time, however, you don't necessarily want books to become bogged down in exposition either, so you're right, there is a fine line. One of the things I like about the Marvel recap pages is that I CAN just jump into many titles. I jumped into Immortal Iron Fist with issue 5 I believe and it was because of the recap page catching me up on things. I couldn't do that with the aforementioned I, Vampire issue. I know the old adage of every comic possibly being someone's first, but feel it's also a bit unfair for a writer in chapter four of an eight part story to have to slow the momentum down to hand hold a potentially new reader at the expense of the old reader who's been reading the arc. For me, that's where "breather" issues come into play, like what we saw right after the conclusion to Dark Phoenix Saga, where Cyclops essentially narrated the history of the X-Men to that point. But when a story is part x of y and it's labeled as such, you should no more expect it to be as easily accessible as a first issue as you would to find it as such for the middle chapter of a novel you're reading, you know what I mean? Again, it is a fine line indeed to walk and I can understand why some readers may be turned off by writers like Hickman or Morrison who often chug along assuming you've been following the bouncing ball.
Anyway, I thought it was a great column and thanks for taking the time out to respond.
Charles J. Baserap
Former Officer, US Secret Service, White House & Foreign Missions Branches
Author, An American at the Crossroads (Amira Rock Publishing, 2010)
Columnist/Editor, NerdtopiaCast.com
Columunist, ForcesofGeek.com
Trust me, what I said was a compliment. Jay Sherman, for all his narrow-minded-ness when it comes to critiquing movies "that bring happiness to idiots" (his words, not mine), predicted a lot of what would become of the film industry today. (The show also unintentionally predicted NBC sliding to 5th place in the ratings….)
Mudassir:Yeah that's all knowledge. Euclid's postulated most of what we base mathematics on, which is what we base all knowledge on. There is no objective way to prove 1 = 1. Every idea is just an axiom. There is no objective truth, by your measure.
There's some difference in the demonstrability of different axioms, though. If I decide to not follow Euclidian math one day, I will no longer be able to function in society. If someone disses something I like or praises something I dislike, I can just say "fuck that" and walk away.
Acer: Phew! I rarely watched The Critic, so I wasn't sure. I have seen the clip of his NBC prediction, though, because of course these days it's all over the Internet!
Fantastic article, Greg.
I thought your comparison between Saga and Inglourious Basterds was spot on, but for me it was because of something present in that scene which is all too often completely missing from comics… suspense. Sure, there are plenty of cliffhangers in comics, but that's not really the same thing. Rarely do you find a well written, tense conversation between two people who aren't just info-dumping and telling the absolute truth all the time. That's why this scene in Saga stood out and why it's a shame the issue has become notorious for other reasons.
Also, because you mentioned it, I have to confess that House of Leaves is the only book I ever had to stop reading because of genuine fear for my long term mental health. Doesn't help that the book starts by telling you everything bad that happens from then on is because you read the story! Thanks very much for reminding me that it's still out there somewhere. Right, about time I measured my walls again!
I'm happy you wrote this. It's doubtful it will do any good, because as with films like Bowling for Columbine, the only people who will watch/read it are the ones who already agree with it. Will the people that lambast your audacity for disliking things ever bother with this post? Hopefully, but I'm dubious.
I'm like you with most artistic disciplines. I simply can't turn my brain off. I remember years ago getting into a fight with someone over National Treasure being her favorite movie, which I couldn't help but laugh at. "Well, I watch movies to be entertained," she said. That bothered me, because the implication was that somehow I don't like to be entertained. Of course I do. I just like to be entertained by creativity and intelligence instead of by crap.
Thinking about the impetus for you writing this, the Saga post, the What I Bought columns, and others, it's occurred to me that trolling isn't the real problem. You'll always have a commenter here and there like mccracken, who just chimed in on the Greatest Doctor Strange stories post to announce that Ditko's Doctor Strange was terrible, and that was it. As though that comment, which offered no explanation whatsoever, is of any value to anything. And sometimes the temptation to make trolling comments gets the better of a lot of us. On the Jeph Loeb voting post, I made a snarky comment about Ultimates 3, which Brian didn't even allow past moderation. And I'm happy he didn't, because I should know better. I tried to make up for it with another comment about some *good* Loeb stories. Comics Should Be Good, after all.
But I think the real problem is that the internet has made people forget how to disagree civilly. With no personal interaction, no measuring of facial expressions, no back and forth, it's all become too easy to go over board with attacking contrary opinions, because what's the consequence?
When I was younger, I used to feel that I had to somehow rescue people's taste. I was, obviously, an idealistic and pretentious moron. No I know that's idiotic and selfish. People can like whatever they like. But when people take the impetus to engage in a critical discussion–and by commenting on a blog that primarily reviews and discusses an artistic discipline, that IS what these commenters are doing–there has to be a realization that a difference is capable of existing between what you like, and what is objectively good. There also has to be a realization that there can be differences in what is objectively good. For every Watchmen (something that has nearly universal agreement that it is, at least in some way, a masterpiece), there are ten Sagas and Snyder/Capullo Batmans (comics that most people agree are toward the better end of the spectrum, but for which there is certainly A LOT of room for debate).
A huge draw of critical discussion is to find differing viewpoints that illuminate your own, which is why it's so disheartening and surprising how many people seek out critical analysis but then immediately act as though a differing viewpoint is a declaration of war. It's a catch-22 that boggles my mind: Either you find critical discussion valuable or you don't. If you don't find it valuable, then don't seek it out. If you find it valuable, then how can you be so offended by differences of opinion?
Obviously, some opinions can simply be wrong. But it's rare for the people with truly outlandish opinions to be able to write intelligently about those opinions, so they don't count as actual critical discussion. But for those that do, it's far more useful to try and understand, and then take part in the discussion, than it is to just dismiss.
Daniel: The thing that bugs me most about people who pick on me is that very often, they don't come back. Whenever someone bashes me for whatever reason, I usually ask them to explain (in what I hope is the nicest way possible), and very rarely do they come back and engage me in a nice discussion. I like those, and even over the Internet, I think they're possible – when you disagree with someone but can have a back-and-forth about why you disagree. What really bothers me are those people, like you noted, who show up, make a snarky comment, and then disappear. I really don't have a problem with people disagreeing with me, but don't disappear when I show up and ask you to explain. I know that the Internet is a place for drive-by insults, but that still bothers me because I try very hard to be civil, and there's no reason why everyone can't be. The nice thing about this blog is that people are generally civil, so when we get someone who just shows up to bash and then never comes back, it's annoying.
Yeah, I've been annoyed in the past by people who think that watching something like Citizen Kane isn't entertaining. I've long given up that fight!
I totally agree with this post. This is how I react to entertainment as well. I enjoy the story of Jack Kirby's fourth world books far more than the actual books. I am still able to enjoy things by turning my brain off but only once, any repeat no matter book movie or television show will only highlight what I didn't like. I research things while I'm reading or watching them as well
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:
If I'm looking through a folder of
.png files for example, with "medium" set as the view size, the screen will eventually fill all the thumbnails with the appropriate pictures. But as I scroll down it takes a while for the pictures to fill in again.
I would like a way for "off screen" pictures to fill in before I get the that section of the screen. Is there a way to do this?