text:
avatar wiki's community newsletter
Discussion report
Announcements and discussion results:
- Graphic novel links under the media tab replaced with links to the respective main pages of each trilogy.
- Comments have been disabled in all namespaces except fanon.
- Transcripts will now be made for shorts and comics.
- "Spirit World" page has been linked added under the "Universe/Locations" navigational tab.
- Some groups will be referred to as singular or plural, depending on the noun's form.
- "The Dark Spirit" has been renamed to "Dark Spirits", indicating that the scope of information on said page has become broader.
- "Ox goat" renamed to "Yak" as per an official source.
User rights report
- PreservationsWings is no longer a rollback user.
- Magicboy10xx is no longer a rollback user.
| From the editor
It is probably without contention that many have noticed the recent disabling of comments on this wiki. Maybe even more so, older users have likely noted the lack of outrage and passion that once characterized a good majority of users and hard-line commenters in June of 2012 - when that other historical bid to remove the system was met with stubborn, and almost insurmountable, resistance; translating into pages and pages of back-and-forth arguments. It seems in the span of a little more than a year, most of that sentiment - and the users that once stood for them - has all but disappeared. All that really remains is a widespread apathy to what was once an integral part of our community, as well as some interesting analysis as to the, sadly unsurprising, turn of events.
Self-evident is the point that the strong commenting subset of users who were once the bread and butter of the wiki a year ago has effectively ceased to exist. Weakened progressively by the new forum discussion system favored by Wikia, and then, the devastating removal of anonymous editing on this wiki, this result was almost to be expected. Most have already moved on to our discussion boards. The only major aspect of the old system that seriously seems to be missed are the chronicles of months upon months of conversations, theories, and social input - and yet even that nostalgia seems to be few and far between.
As the commenting system now fades into the past, once again we are faced with the stark reality that the Internet is indeed a volatile place. It has the potential of reducing the once most beloved of things to barely worth the attention - and vice versa. Perhaps to future users, it may seem almost foolish that some were so emotionally invested in a single feature of an insignificant website - but on the flip side, they probably will never truly know of the diverse, meaningful, and interesting discussions that were once a daily occurrence there. That is just characteristic of history, and though it probably will be fondly remembered, it was just past its prime - and the wiki moved on without missing a beat.
|~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Old, but I'm not that old. Young, but I'm not that bold. I don't think the world is sold. I'm just doing what we're told. I feel something so right, doing the wrong thing. I feel something so wrong, doing the right thing. I could lie, couldn't I, could lie. Everything that kills me makes me feel alive
Hey everyone it's the spiritual, floating sandwich in the corner of the room.
So recently (ish) June 26th, I went to a panel called "The Power of Fandom" which took place in Los Angeles, California (that state in western United States, for those of you who suck at geography like I do). Mike Di Martino was there, as well as Marie Lu (Author of Legend and Prodigy), Leigh Bardugo (Author of Shadow and Bone, and Siege and Storm), and Seth Hoffman (The brains behind The Walking Dead). There, the creators were asked questions by the host as well as some people who were attending in the audience. They also signed books…if you were patient enough to wait in the long line that wound around several book shelves(it took place in a Barnes and Nobles in one of the most crowded malls in Los Angeles). I also met a fellow wikian there and had a nice hour long chat.
Here's a picture (portrait?) of Michael DiMartino at "The Power of Fandom" panel!
Well now to the juicy, fruity, chewy, bubbly news! Yes, Trident Gum brand is renaming itself to Triton's fork!!! (Not really)...
If you'd like to hear the full official two hour long podcast, you can click here, or to watch the video (recorded by someone else on what I think is an iPhone, judging by the tiny frame), you can go here. I did record a video as well and if you want it, you can message me. The frame is quite large…but it's kinda behind a lot of people since I got stuck in traffic and was late and didn't get one of those lovely chair seats…And if you're too lazy to go to either of those and spend two hours of your life that you could've... oh I don't know, mowed the lawn, I have pulled out the parts where Mike talks. Some of the parts weren't clearly enunciated so this transcript might not be EXACTLY what every creator said, but it should be close enough. Some of the sentences may not make sense, and that's because I stuck to exactly what the creators said, including all the "uhhh's" and the repeats of some words and all the stuttering.
Question: What do you guys think of the things the fans come up with, like fanart and cosplay?
Michael: You know the fanart is always awesome but I'm always amazed by the fan costumes and cosplay that people come up with because some of them are super detailed and they spend a lot of time with it just to come to Comic-Con. And some people have like, multiple costumes. You always go there and you see multiple Sokka's or Mako's. Like nowadays, I can't wait to see the costumes. We have a lot of tattoos and Avatar logos and characters. Someone wants to do an arrow. Somebody, they facebooked me, and they wanted to do the full Aang tattoos and I wasn't sure if they were being serious.
Question: How do you communicate with fans?
Michael: Well I guess, truthfully, I didn't know what to do with it. It was kinda a whole new territory, like having fans [laughter] uh so yeah when Avatar started like there were message boards, and when the first episode came out, apparently people talk out of line about shows that come out! [laughter] You know it was like a totally new thing, but still! It was such a low level compared to what it is now. Yea now I'm on Tumblr and Facebook and I started a blog. Sometimes I talk about Avatar-related stuff, and sometimes story-telling stuff, and just branching out about stuff. I'm honestly still not on Twitter, I don't understand what you do with it. Maybe I'll figure it out. Three things is enough for me.
Question: What was it like the first time fans tried to contact you? [which later morphed into shipping]
Michael: Like way back in 2005, there-there, I mean uh shipping didn't even exist back then. I mean maybe it did but we weren't like ZUTARA. I was like wait what? People want Katara and Zuko to get together? Why would you want them together? Say that again? [Laughter] Why would they want that to happen?
Marie Lu: Gee why? Why all this madness?
Michael: No I mean like romance stuff, you know, obviously, but like having a name for it like that? Pairing two characters that might not even be on the same scene [it could've been team] together or whatever? That kind of like
Leigh Bardugo: It's all about the subtext
Michael: Now and now we're like oh these two oh we can ship these two [laughter], you know it's just been random shipping. Ridiculous.
Question: Does it feel like when you're creating stuff is it more important now to have a lush world of all these characters so me and my fellow fans just run rapid and ship and do whatever we want and that stuff or is it-are you still-is it still important to tell your stories like is it- you know what I'm saying? –like it seems like it's about creating this world and these character people can do whatever they want with them is that not more important than this sort of similar vision of "here's my story" or you know, do you still go with it?
Michael: Yeah that's not important [laughter] No I mean it's-it's we don't ever create stories "Oh I wanna see this costume". I mean we think about it, but it's not like that's the goal. But yeah, when we sit back and when I look up the Avatar Wiki or something "What? We made up all these characters?" Like there's characters like I don't even remember from the whole series. But yea! This guy Juan, or guy-who-bought-uncle's-teashop or [laughter] I don't remember that guy
Mary Lu: Somebody ships something
Question: You know, the other interesting thing too is as you guys are going along with your journeys, you're writing your shows and, you get immediate reactions to things. I found out recently, one of my favorite television shows was Breaking Bad, and they had planned to kill Walter White's buddy Jesse after the first season. But because we all loved him so much "YOU CAN'T KILL THIS GUY!" Did you, in your journeys decide to alter or shift characters based on "I can't, they're all gonna kill me if I do this!"
Michael: As you know…as everyone knows…animation takes forever. So uh by the time you guys see it, it's long past. I would say Season 2 er book 2 of Avatar…not Korra uh [laughter] I didn't mean that as uh! THE END OF BOOK 2 of AVATAR uh people got very upset of Zuko's switching, naw, he didn't even switch sides. He became more of a bad guy and turned on Aang and uh people were, people got really upset about that. We got a fan letter at some point, uh, this is the reaction we got in the mail. They were like "How much would it cost to reanimate the end of season 2 because I don't like what you did to it." I mean uh yea, if you got a lot of money!
Michael: Actuall the only show recently that that happened to me and I understand "why didn't anyone bring that show back!" I watched that show "Ben and Kate" but it's like this really sweet sitcom, and I usually don't like sitcoms but this one was really, really sweet and acting was great and it only lasted 8 episodes. And while I was watching it, I thought it was a really great show and everyone was watching it. But after a while, "wait it got canceled?" Like a lot of shows it was around for a while. But that show, it didn't really have a chance to take off.
Question: Have you ever written to an author?
Michael: You know I've never really written to an author but uh you mentioned George R. R. Martin at Comic-Con and there he was sittin' at the bar and I was like I wanna go say hi to him. I was very, very nervous. I understand how it was like when someone you don't know goes up to you and so I felt very foolish and then uh
Marie Lu: Did you cry?
Michael: No, I did not cry. I tried to get into contact, so I said, "I'm one of the creators of Avatar and the Legend of Korra" and he said "Mm good" and he seemed like he'd never heard of it so I was like "it's a great show! You should watch it!" Maybe he's seen it by now.
Time to ask the Audience
One of the authors: Raise your hand and look really animate.
Question: I have a question for Michael Di Martino.
During the creation of Legend of Korra and Avatar, what would you say is the story plot element or character element that you least expected would make it into the final product?
Michael: Well I guess one thing is originally, we thought Asami was gonna be a bad guy, or bad girl and uh, we thought she was gonna be the one who kinda betrayed Korra and Mako and them. But as we started writing her and designing her we thought "Man, she's cool!" Cause once she does her thing then we can't use her anymore. She's a bad guy. So we kinda tweaked the story, but it ended up being her dad. I mean originally it was gonna be her and her dad together. We just need one bad guy.
Question: What were your day jobs?
Michael: I mean uh, my day job before uh, Avatar, was very related to Avatar. I was an animation storyboard artist of King of the Hill was my first job. It was for a number of years at some point Bryan and I, we worked together on both those shows actually um, then uh, towards the end of that we started collaborating this Avatar idea.
Question: [How do you feel about something to do with shipping]
Michael: I have to think about that uh…I don't really think about that that much um honestly. I really don't think of the characters in that way
Host: I mean sometimes you must think about it…these two
Marie Lu: I had a long talk with Mike about the appeal of bad boys and why, why we ship these gentleman and that's again about subtext and text I would never actually had wanted Korra and Amon to get together, that would've been horrific, but, BUT I can understand the appeal so it's like there's canon.
Question: I have a question of Michael. In season two of Korra, will we see more flashbacks of the Gaang?
Michael: Uhhhhh yeeenooo uhhhhh ya know Aang's around. There's something there... Yea it's hard everyone wants to know stuff.
Question: [something about Amon]
Michael: Well the idea behind that was he was such a blood bender, that he could mess with someone's energy and chi which was kinda like, and that's kinda why Korra was able to deal with and be a defender.
Michael: Shipping wise this…people just want to know this thing like I don't know! Like I don't know who the dad was. [the father if Lin]
Well, as I'm sure we're aware of, Book Two of The Legend of Korra is on its way out - on 13 September, to be specific. In addition, the comic trilogies continue in their journey to the end of many mysteries - just one step of the journey to Ursa remaining in The Search.
So, why am I here today?
Well, I'm calling upon you, fellow Avatar Wikians, to join the editing parade toward continuing our high-quality article standard!
While we do have a good roster of editors at this time, and certainly many who have been helping in getting articles up to quality - that is not the end of the line when it comes to editing here.
One common theme I have heard in the past is "There is nothing to edit". Believe me, at times, I have had the feeling that there was nothing to do besides just kind of sit back and just hope for something, or have gone through the random pages and just haven't found something I could do. So, it's easy to get frustrated - but don't let that bring you down.
Existing articles always could use improvement - look at what happens on the articles on a daily basis. People keep finding new information to add from the Nick website, various interviews, and other canon sources. We also, for example, just recently had a large-scale expansion of comics and games articles. One good place to start is the needs help category, which - as it says - is on articles that could use quality improvement.
In addition, the articles all across our mainspace always have something to correct - perhaps some statements could use some better wording, or maybe there are grammar mistakes in there. Images in the article's body? Maybe they don't illustrate the subjects of their paragraphs or subsections well. Maybe the profile image isn't doing the right job in capturing the subject of the article? There's always our profile image change page to propose a change if you feel that way.
If you're still struggling to find things in the mainspace, don't get discouraged! We have other things out there for folks to contribute to.
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and join in our mission to help this wiki be the very best it can be! I look forward to seeing you along the way - and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me, any other admins, or anyone else who you feel might be of help!
...BAHAHA, just kidding! Really. Me, a potential administrator of Avatar Wiki? That's got to be the worst bluff I've pulled in a lifetime, because none of you guys would believe such a thing, right?
Apparently...I stand corrected. In the 2013 Avatar Wiki User awards, I was very close to winning "Most likely to become administrator." Too close. So close that, for the longest time, my vote against myself was the only thing keeping me from a tie with SparksFromHades. So, what would I have done if I'd actually won this award? I'll tell you what I would've done. I would not display the userbox on my profile. I would deny ever being nominated in that category. And if asked, I would repeat to you what I say now: I am nowhere near admin material. I will not accept an award for something that I'm not. This isn't even about being modest. The facts are so painfully obvious that I can't believe I have to point them out to you now.
So, I write this article in an attempt to reach out to our community and, well, bonk you guys over the head for biased voting. I speak for all the users whose dedication went unrecognized, and for the undeserving users given awards in the past - one such undeserving user being myself. Another box you will not see displayed on my profile is "best editor in the fanon namespace in 2013." I know it isn't true. Surely, there's something to be said about a user with around 4.5k edits (total) who still can't reach the 60-day-in-a-row edit badge, versus administrator and bureaucrat Lady Lostris, who has over 10,000 edits in the fanon namespace alone. While I can believe that both Lostris and I are dedicated to the fanon portal and appreciate that the community wishes to recognize my work, there's no denying that the admin has done more than I ever could for fanons. She is a true editor, and I want you guys to remember that.
Back to the main point, though. Voting isn't something we should be taking lightly in awards ceremonies here at Avatar Wiki. There are patterns I've seen in both the User Awards and Fanon Awards this year that prompts me to address this. I know that some of you feel no need to take things this "seriously," and that you'd think an "internet community" would chill out a little. But internet community or not - you're part of it, voter. Remember that the awards are created to recognize true dedication from users. Sure, go ahead and vote Minnichi for admin, because her best friends on Avatar Wiki happen to include admins Lady Lostris, KettleMeetPot, and AvatarRokusGhost. What does it have to do with the fact that she's not even a rollback user? Or that she has never once actually told a user to stop vandalizing? Who cares how accurate these things are, it's just the internet, right?
...But is that really how you want these awards to be seen? Why have awards ceremonies at all on Avatar Wiki, if they're just going to be a huge joke to everyone? Even those of you who actually care about the titles may find it discouraging when your little userboxes start to lose value in the eyes of others. When people start to look at them and assume you either won it by popularity or because others just thought it'd be funny to vote for you. If you want our awards systems to retain any true sense of honor and real recognition, I encourage you to learn what you're truly voting for.
In the User Awards, pay attention to what the awards recognize, and not just how much you like a particular candidate. Remember that admin material does not mean being friends with admins, and that a good film namespace editor isn't the same as a good commenter in the film namespace. Learn what it means to qualify for each category, and vote for the user that truly fits those qualifications the best.
In the Fanon Awards, remember that good writing doesn't mean that which includes your favorite ship, nor your favorite canon characters in general - and of course, giving every fanon in a category a read before voting never hurts the accuracy of your judgment. Don't vote for an author just because others claim him/her to be amazing, and definitely don't vote for candidates because they happen to be fans of your writing.
And for any awards in general: If you don't know enough to make a valid judgment to the best of your ability, don't vote at all. It's better to leave your opinion out than to recognize someone based on a biased judgment.
I say all this in conclusion of the two awards ceremonies that passed this summer, based on a few quirks among users that I noticed along the way - like that glaring potential-admin award I nearly won. It is an honor to be recognized by the community here at Avatar Wiki, but if we want to keep it an honor and not some twisted popularity contest that no one takes seriously...then I beg you all to please vote fairly. I wish for the Awards to be respectable, something that recognizes users for what each category truly means. Wouldn't you feel the same, especially if you yourself are sporting an award template somewhere?
As a community, we should strive to give credit where it's due, both for the sake of our image to others and to establish fairness in general. I urge anyone reading this to consider who you vote for carefully next year, be it for the User or Fanon Awards. And please...don't tell Minnichi that she's likely to become an admin again. She's pretty sure she ain't.
After perusing several articles on this wiki, it struck me that there are a few grammatical rules regarding commas that we seem to be ignoring, and although these mistakes are small and almost unnoticeable, they do detract from the overall professionalism of both the canon and fanon sides.
1. Commas need to be included after the country, not just the city.
Most of us understand that "Ba Sing Se Earth Kingdom" is missing a comma between "Se" and "Earth," but did you know that a comma is required after the word "Kingdom" too? For instance, we would say the following:
"The performer danced in "Ba Sing Se, Earth Kingdom, and then in Gaoling, Earth Kingdom, last week." If commas are not included after the country as well, the sentence is incorrect.
2. Commas, or any punctuation for that matter, go on the inside of quotation marks.
This rule would be more prominent on the fanon portal, and I think most of us are aware if it anyway. For those who do not know, the following sentence from a hypothetical actor page is incorrect.
Michael Michaelson appeared in "Endgame", "The Revelation", and "Welcome to Republic City".
Instead, the punctuation needs to be on the inside of the quotation marks.
3. It is incorrect to include a comma between a month and year if no date is present.
"Production began in September, 2011." <- This sentence is flawed and should be rewritten without the comma. Likewise, it would be wrong to say "Aang defeated Ozai in summer, 100 ASC."
4. When writing a date, a comma is needed after the year too.
I went through the Legend of Korra episode pages to correct instances in which a sentence would read "It was released on May, 23, 2012 on Nickelodeon." Remember, if there is a comma before the year, there should be a comma after it too. Therefore, the new sentence would be "It was released on May, 23, 2012, on Nickelodeon."
I hope this helped! There are several small mistakes like this all over the wiki, so if you find them, get rid of 'em!
|from the fanon portal
Fruipit here, with fanonbending news! You probably haven't seen a lot of action going on lately, but that's going to change. With four members now, and an even number of boys and girls (yes, I'm pulling out the gender card), we have a pretty good variety of skill. I'm only a new member, but I'm looking forward to working with ARG, Minn and OR.
An extension of that not is, if you need any fanon info/advice/help, you can come to any one of us and we'll do our best to assist you.
A couple of the updates that's going to happen is a revamping of the news and updates page.
"Wait, what? That's a real page?"
Why, yes it is. I had no idea, either.
If you go to the page, you'll notice how horrifically outdated it is (it was last edited in October last year, if that gives any indication). That page is going to change to fit more stories - and more current ones, at that. The coding might actually be sorted out now to make it easy, too o.O
Another plan that we're initiating is a 'request help' page. This is a page designed for authors to put their fanon up for 'editing'. There are several requirements before your fanon is accepted onto our schedule. First of all, you need to have at least 10,000 words (in chapter pages), and it has to have been active on the wiki for at least one month. We also have to be able to see that you're committed to your story. There are a few other minor things, but that's pretty much the important stuff.
Just take a look at the page for some more information.
And... that's pretty much all from me. The details are still being finalised, but if you want any extra information, just contact one of the Fanonbenders listed above.
This is Fruipit, signing off~!
Hello! I just finished reading your fanfiction, "Silent Hero in Emerald", and became rather unhealthily obsessed with it. Other than another author called little red cardigan from the Percy Jackson fandom, I have never encountered one with a writing level equal to yours.
I myself am struggling to ease into the wonderful world of writing fanfiction, and...well, I'm also always looking for ways to improve my writing--Google can only get you so far. So...could you give me a few pointers in writing and such? I have some questions. If you could find the time to answer them, it would be greatly appreciated. If not, well, we each have to live our own lives. :3
(The Dai Li agent replies, "Ohai there! *Rubs sleep-deprived eyes and grins crazily* I would be honored.")
Hey there readers of the BSST, it's been forever since I've published an article in here. About 3 months back before Chakrasandwich became a deputy editor, I interviewed her on Chakomics and being a member of Fanon Illustrator Insignia. So without further ado I give you CHAKRASANDWICH!
What got you started on the path of drawing?
I don't know when exactly it started, just like how you don't know when you started having memories. I remember fragments of different artistic epiphanies, but not at all a clear timeline. I think my earliest recollection is when I happened across a scribble-scrabble pencil drawing with four Sesame Street stickers in the corners that I drew when I was maybe 2 or 3. I don't have any memory of drawing this, but my mom said I gave it to her for some holiday. I went to art class starting when I was 5 or 6 where my first drawing was of a jumping/hopping/flying pig (and if you click that link, be ready to cover your eyes from the horridness of it), which I colored with crayons and decorated with red birds, pink butterflies, blue flowers, and a sun in the corner of the paper. Later, I learned sketching, color pencils, tempura painting, and oil coloring. When I was younger, I never really drew in my free time. I just drew at art class and sometimes at school. Art class I would go a year, then take a break for a year. I often drew things for my teachers, and whenever a school project involved art, mine was always the most eccentric one (and by eccentric, I don't mean well drawn, I mean crazily decorated). I think approximately 5th grade when I quit art class, I actually began to draw on my own. I looked at tutorials, followed books, learned from my mom, watched my friend, or just learned myself. Art has since been my passion. I love doing it and it makes me happy. When I finish a piece of art, the sense of pride that runs through me gives me a thrill more sensational then drinking 50 cans of soda. I never stop learning, and I know there are many places where I can improve, but every moment of anything art-related, is never a drag, and I wish I could draw forever.
How does ATLA influence your drawing?
ATLA has actually influenced my drawing greatly. Ever since watching it, I've yearned to become a computer artist like the artists in Korea. I once drew Aang on a gift box for my friend's birthday. I've drawn many stills of my favorite moments from both ATLA and LOK. My school planner is infested with arrows and boomerangs and gliders, as well as Aang, Korra, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, Pathik, Appa, Momo, and so on. LOK influenced my drawing of Ty, as it was based on Mako. I think I've learned quite a few techniques for drawing characters of my own by reading The Promise and The Search comics.
As a member of FII, how easy is it to comply with assignments?
Considering I've only had four assignments, it hasn't been too difficult. The first took me about two days, one day to sketch and the other day to color. The second took me a while longer, since I kept forgetting and getting distracted, but it was done within weeks. My third assignment I really looked forward to, since I got to create my own design, and I had, at the time, just gotten a drawing tablet. My fourth one was exciting as well, since I could actually delve into the details since I had no school. I feel like I put drawing as a bigger priority then it really should be (bigger than studying, for example), and so the thought of putting pen to paper draws me in (haha get it?) and I always find time to do my assignments.
Are there any people on Avatar Wiki that have influenced you?
Minnichi's admin drawings definitely inspired me. I thought they were absolutely amazing, and her comic about the new fanon system was just comical (haha get it?). Minnichi is just an amazing artist, and sclupter too! I mean have you seen her keychains? They're so tiny and detailed and adorable! I wanted to draw members of AW as well, and so the idea of drawing Ty came up. I have many ideas stocked up on a memo in my phone, but I've only gotten the chance to finish about 5. Then I really wanted to share my artwork somehow, and one sleepless night, I thought of the idea of Chakomics. Only a few issues have come out, so I can't promise anything, but I really look forward to contributing more Chakomics.
When drawing a Chakomics, what steps do you normally take?
Most of my subjects that I have drawn are not done by request, but my own imagination. They're often a funny moment shared on IRC, TinyChat, or something I noticed as a fellow editor. Most of my subjects I have sufficient knowledge about and have some trait that stands out above other people that I express through art. It's fun to express them in an overly dramatic fashion and that's where my ideas start rolling in. After the idea, I usually try to find some time where I can sit down and draw. With Ty's Chakomic, I pencil drew it on sketching paper, outlined it in black ink, colored it with good markers, and scanned it. On my more recent Chakomics, I have taken similar steps, except I scan them and color them digitally with a tablet on Paint Tool Sai.
Which part of drawing is the hardest for you?
Hmm, I'd say drawing details. Whenever I draw, I usually draw generically and leave out the details that I'm too lazy to fill in or I think is "too hard". I also am practicing how to draw on the computer, but it's been tough and it's taking the longest to get a hang of because it's different from directly putting pencil on paper. I also cannot draw weapons. I've tried, and all of my guns look like peeling bananas. Cars turn out the same way, except cars look like Abraham Lincoln hats with two half circles sticking out from the bottom. Anime is a bit tricky for me, since I just can't get the perfect proportions correct. All my drawings have been semi-cartoon-anime-abstract-characters. Noses are weird too, since I still sometimes draw them L shaped. I haven't really bothered trying to draw insects, having had no reason to, so I think if I actually tried to draw a bug, it would probably turn out like a distorted ellipse with lines coming out of the side. There are of course, many things that I am still learning about but these are all the things I can think of at the moment. Also, clothing is quite difficult for me because I try not to draw "typical clothing" but all clothing I draw ends up looking like trash bags 0_0 And this is why I am straying far away from fashion desigining! There's always something I can improve on and there's always something to change and there's always a better way to draw something.
Do you prefer to digitally color or to color it by hand?
As of now, definitely coloring by hand. It's more direct, and more physical. It's like saying "do you prefer talking online or in person". The benefits of "online" is that everything is handed to you because the computer gives it to you. It's easy to make effects of water, to color in a whole background with one click, to make an easy gradient, easy shine, easy lighting, etc. There are things you can do on the computer you just can't do with hand, like using airbrush on top of watercolor, or clicking the "undo" button and getting rid of the part where you accidentally spilled your morning coffee. But in person, you have to really work. You actually have to wash your brushes, sharpen your pencils, smear with your fingers, etc. It's a direct connection, not through a tablet or mouse. Now, I'm not flat out rejecting digital coloring, and I admire those artists on DeviantArt who can create great masterpieces with photoshop. It took me ages to find the pen tool in Photoshop, and I found it by accident by clicking on random buttons. Paint Tool SAI is easier to use, and I'm very glad I found it, but I feel, somehow, disconnected to my artworks. I can't touch it and feel all the rivets and shifts in texture.
Any advice for aspiring artists?
Everyone starts from the beginning, everyone practices, and I truly believe no one is born with artistic talent. However, you are born with artistic passion and determination. If something doesn't look just right, it's okay.
Random polls
How long have you been on the wiki (including as an anonymous contributor)?
Who do you most look forward to seeing in the upcoming Season 2 of The Legend of Korra?
Please stay civil. You should not harass other users or their views.


text:
New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday hailed conferment of Bharat Ratna on BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying he had a 'large-hearted vision' and the award is a 'fitting recognition' of his statesmanship, wisdom and deep commitment to the national interests.
In a letter to Vajpayee on receiving the highest civilian honour, Gandhi said, "your broad and large-hearted vision, your patriotism and eloquent oratory have always embraced the entire political spectrum and all sections of our society".
She told the former Prime Minister that on this auspicious day, she shared the joy of his family and friends as also millions of Indians. "It is a fitting recognition of your statesmanship, wisdom, and deep commitement to the national interests during your Prime Ministership and indeed throughout your years in politics," she wrote to Vajpayee.

subset: commoncrawl


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Find out which tasks you need to tackle this time of year.
The True Meaning Behind Every Rose Color
While autumn's weather remains relatively mild, spend some quality time caring for your home and yard. Read on for reminders on which tasks to tackle this time of year.More
To cut back on gutter-cleaning duty, consider installing aluminum, foam, or vinyl gutter guards that help block debris from entering while allowing water to drain. Remember that nothing is foolproof, so look for models that can be removed for periodic cleanings.
Scour pots with a stiff-bristled brush and rinse. Try to find one with a solid-wood handle and palm fibers.
Inside the Blooming Business of Floret Flower Farm


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This weekend I will be traveling to NYC so posting could be slighly irregular.
I will, however, use the occasion to expand this site a bit. I want to include a bit more location-specific travel commentary. Expect things along the lines of last week's post on Travel Tips for Europe, only a little more specific.


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Restoration of a Lost Glory
Thankfully, due to cautious actions on behalf of Captain Charles Bartlett of the H.M.H.S. Britannic, the ship is able to survive a detonation of a German naval mine of its starboard bow. Although six of its compartments have been flooded, the hospital ship remains afloat and is carefully hauled to Athens, Greece for repairs. After being temporarily repaired, Britannic quickly steams back to Belfast, Ireland, where permanent repairs are made to the leviathan. From here, the great sister of the ill-fated Titanic begins its long and glorious career, regaining the lost glory of the Olympic-class.


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Representing the Organization in the market place by visiting customers and attending to the all matters arising as it bothers on the company relationship.
Effective coverage of all customers' (sales partners, appointed distributors, and retailers) in the assigned territory.
Responsible for assessing and recommending potential Distributors for appointment.
New product development via activations, sampling and other forms of promotions.
Plans and implement all promotional activities in the territory, in line with marketing standards.
Participating and contributing to the Brand Team on suitable advertising and promotion campaign for the brands.
Collecting Market Feedback for the Management decision within the territory.
Monitoring and reporting competitor's activities, and planning and implementing strategies to counter the same.
Responsible for retail census and audit, and updating it regularly
Ensures effective deployment of POS materials.
Analysis of market, territorial and customer's performance throug
Responsible for field sales and the Sales Man.
Account Management (Wholesale and Retail)
Serve as a link between the field salesmen and the area office.
Plan the routes for the Reps and review these routes regularly.
Responsible for retail census and update it regularly.
Review sales and set realistic target for each Rep.
Advises on opportunities or activities while visiting the Market to enable effective planning.
Visiting key Customers to build Customer relation for the Company.
Provides regular feedback to the Area Manager about the performance of the Reps.
Successful implementation of a sales strategy which resulted in over 50%increase in the sales of GULDER MAX over a period of one month
Team consistently won the best team of the month for three months consecutively i.e. October to December 2007
Timely and accurate reporting
Planning, Configuration and aligning of route in other to increase sales at all levels.
Account Management (Wholesale and Retail)
Ensuring proper implementation of route Distribution system
Execution of the Company's Cycle Plans.
Competition and counterfeit monitoring.
Develop and implement territory trade marketing plan
Market research- Sourcing and provision of relevant market information.
Participating and contributing to the Brand Team on suitable advertising and promotion campaign for the brands.
Manage implementation of merchandising and promotion objective.
Competition and counterfeit monitoring.
Team that contributes more than 35% of total sales Nation wide.
Liaising with the relevant Government agencies to ensure smooth operation.
Train and motivate Reps.
Report writing.
In a recent survey the Team was credited as having the highest visibly of brands in outlets Nationwide.
Has been able to ensure an equal sales trend of all the brands. I.e. none of the brands has been left to a major short fall.
Effectively carried out three successful product launches in three states in the southwest zone. I.e. Oyo, Osun and Ondo State.
To ensure the effective coverage of all sales outlets.
Ensuring the availability of the brands in all the outlets under coverage. Making sure that these outlets are regularly stocked and contributing their share of the targets per brand.
Manage the implementation of merchandizing and promotional objectives.
Competition and counterfeit monitoring.
Develop and implement territory trade marketing plan.
Manage implementation of merchandising and promotion objectives.
Account Management.
Train/Motivate Sales Reps.
Report writing.
Increased territory sales volume by 2% via top up sales.
Successfully coordinate team members in preparing and analyzing territory updates.
Led the team successfully on various occasions to achieve great feats like growing visibility via project 'geese' and Pall Mall sales via 'Alpha beach Promo' that increased the market share of Pall Mall from 0.4% to 2.6% .
Timely and accurate reporting.
Excellent relationship with the trade.
Actively hosted my team during Regional marketing conference in 2005.


text:
Crown Alley by PajunenWatch
©2012-2017 Pajunen
Crown Alley, Dublin Ireland
July 2012
July 2012
Wow this is a very great photo! It has a modern feel to it which i LOVE. Great work!
This lovely work has been featured here: Architecture, Urban and Rural Spotlight Vol. 37
Looking forward to seeing more art from you at #devPREMIUM!
Looking forward to seeing more art from you at #devPREMIUM!
This photo was shared on Facebook by deviantart! I shared it
I've never heard of this place, so, seeing this reminds me of Crown City from "Arthur" (notably the episode, "Muffy Goes Metropolitan").
nice contrast between the Block in the background and the houses on the left and right side
Wow, it's a nicer alley than the ones I see where I live!
Good shot!
I'm reliving my travel in Ireland with you ) Nice B&W shot !
i love Ireland, hope to go back one day.
What a beautiful shot
What a beautiful shot
Wonderful mono shot


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Probiotics for Dairy Animals
- Reduce the threat of harmful bacteria.
- Support lower GI tract and rumen development.
- Aid in preparing the GI tract for transitioning to dry feed.
- Improve average daily gain.
- Reduce harmful bacteria in the GI tract.
- Stabilize GI tract health.
- Maximize energy capture for efficient digestion of feeds.
- Improve overall digestibility of feed.
- Support a stable immune function.
- Maximize energy capture.
- See a 2-3% improvement in milk production efficiency.
BOVAMINE® DAIRY – Get the Most Out of Your Feed
Use of probiotics in the dairy industry is growing rapidly with more than 20% of the U.S. dairy herd now using a probiotic. BOVAMINE® DAIRY is the market leading brand of probiotics for dairy animals among U.S. dairy herds milking over 500 cows.
University research shows that feeding BOVAMINE® DAIRY as part of the daily dairy cow nutrition program:
- Supports GI tract development in calves and aids in the transition to dry feed.
- Stabilizes the GI tract in heifers and adult cows.
- Maximizes energy capture.
- Supports the natural defenses against harmful bacteria
- Delivers a 2-3% improvement in milk production efficiency.
How Does BOVAMINE® DAIRY Work?
Feeding of BOVAMINE® DAIRY introduces an effective concentration of live bacteria into the GI tract. The probiotic actions of BOVAMINE DAIRY® result in a stable GI tract and improved digestive function, with less energy and other resources needed to fight subclinical infections, leading to better growth rates, improved performance, and a positive economic return against the cost of product across all types of diet.
Feeding BOVAMINE® DAIRY from Calf to Cow
BOVAMINE® DAIRY delivers a proven dose of beneficial bacteria that supports consistent digestive function to enhance the health and productivity during all stages of development – calf, heifer and adult cow.
BOVAMINE® DAIRY Milk Replacer Supplement comes in a stable powder that is blended into milk for easy addition to the daily milk program.
BOVAMINE® DAIRY Calf and Heifer is a shelf stable formulation that can be blended into supplemental feeds for calves and daily rations for heifers at a feed mill or manufacturer.
BOVAMINE® DAIRY probiotics for dairy animals now can be mixed on-farm or at a feed mill. The original BOVAMINE® DAIRY formulation is hand added to daily rations on farm. The new shelf stable formulation is added into blends or vitamin and trace mineral paks by your feed mill or manufacturer, and delivered ready-to-use to your operation – giving dairy producers greater flexibility for how to incorporate probiotics into a dairy cow nutrition program. BOVAMINE® DAIRY is approved for use in organic feeds by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI).


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ScoopHot esteemmcfc timeline http://scoophot.com/esteemmcfc Updates from esteemmcfc on ScoopHot! esteemmcfc timeline http://scoophot.com/esteemmcfc http://static.scoophot.com/theme/custom/default-avatar-profile.png esteemmcfc: These are the Aion Kinah adjustment requirements in case you're absorbed in acrimonious up the game: Ope… http://scoophot.com/url/1013077 http://scoophot.com/notice/1037057 esteemmcfc's status on Monday, 23-Mar-2015 22:51:03 PDT
 These are the Aion Kinah adjustment requirements in case you're absorbed in acrimonious up the game: Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista 32bit Processor: Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or agnate Athlon 64 Memory: XP 1 GB RAM Harder Disk Space: 6.5 GB Attainable Video Card: DirectX 9.0 compatible, with shaders 3.0 abutment (nVidia GeForce 6600 or ATI X1300 or higher) Complete Card: DirectX 9.0c accordant complete agenda DirectX Version: 9.0c Ambassador support: XInput-controllers (Microsoft Xbox 360 Ambassador or Logitech Chillstream) 23793 Star Trek D.A.C Admission Bivouac Released Yes, some new gameplay footage of Brilliant Trek D.A.C. has been arise and it is an complete admission trailer. Ah, you acquire got to adulation complete trailers, abnormally if one website gets them afore anybody abroad and it ammunition all the Joe Schmoes to adjournment it out until a ceremony or so afterwards afore accepting the aloft trailer, watermark-free.
 更多... 2015-03-23T22:51:03-07:00 esteemmcfc esteemmcfc: Going by the Aion Kinah abrupt screen-captures, the bold looks stunningly marvelous. Thats bold these ar… http://scoophot.com/url/1013032 http://scoophot.com/notice/1037009 esteemmcfc's status on Monday, 23-Mar-2015 00:27:10 PDT
 Going by the Aion Kinah abrupt screen-captures, the bold looks stunningly marvelous. Thats bold these are traveling to be the aloft cartoon acclimated for the complete in-game play. Nevertheless, its a acceptable brain-teaser and Im in actuality searching avant-garde to this game.
 更多... 2015-03-23T00:27:10-07:00 esteemmcfc esteemmcfc: Among the Aion Kinah surprises that were babyish above-mentioned to E3 were the http://www.mmo2k.com/ n… http://scoophot.com/url/1012986 http://scoophot.com/notice/1036965 esteemmcfc's status on Friday, 20-Mar-2015 20:18:23 PDT
 Among the Aion Kinah surprises that were babyish above-mentioned to E3 were the http://www.mmo2k.com/ new PSP Go handheld and Aggregation ICO's third game. Accepting a adequate advertisement leaked is still a lot bigger than accepting absolute shitty announcements but Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo advisers acutely get a lot of joy out of bottomward bombshells on the audience. 23300 PopCaps Abundant Weapon Now Accessible On PSN While it may acquire seemed to be a PC/Xbox 360 exclusive, looks can be complete deceiving. PopCaps accustomed side-scrolling activity game, Abundant Weapon will be annex to the PlayStation Network startingtoday!
 更多... 2015-03-20T20:18:23-07:00 esteemmcfc esteemmcfc: The aboriginal Two Aion Kinah Worlds was not so abundant and apparently didn't leave http://www.mmo2k.co… http://scoophot.com/url/1012830 http://scoophot.com/notice/1036844 esteemmcfc's status on Thursday, 19-Mar-2015 20:26:56 PDT
 The aboriginal Two Aion Kinah Worlds was not so abundant and apparently didn't leave http://www.mmo2k.com/ abounding ache for a sequel. Reality Pump's committed to acclimation what was afield with the aboriginal game, though.
 更多... 2015-03-19T20:26:56-07:00 esteemmcfc esteemmcfc: At E3, Natal ambassador http://www.mmo2k.com/ Alex Kipman mentioned that some Xbox 360 amateur could use a… http://scoophot.com/url/1012805 http://scoophot.com/notice/1036818 esteemmcfc's status on Wednesday, 18-Mar-2015 23:52:14 PDT
At E3, Natal ambassador http://www.mmo2k.com/ Alex Kipman mentioned that some Xbox 360 amateur could use a aggregate of Natal and the accepted gamepad. For example, you could blink about corners with your arch in an FPS but still be cutting motherfuckers with your controller. Rein seems to be advertence that a abutting Gears amateur could do some of that. Don't apprehend to be diving abaft your couch to yield awning in a firefight, though.
 更多... 2015-03-18T23:52:14-07:00 esteemmcfc esteemmcfc


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Product Benefits and Features
Making a package perfect is as simple as peel, stick and smile: the Small Robins Egg Blue Confetti Bow.
- 22 loops; 3/8" ribbon width; 2 1/4" bow size.
- 200 bows per case.
- Made of polypropylene with a smooth poly finish.
- Includes adhesive backing.
- Made in Mexico from material made in USA.
- Limited Quantities Available


text:
Philadelphia Runners Heart Attacks
November 23, 2011 by staff
Philadelphia Runners Heart Attacks, Two runners have died while running the Philadelphia Marathon today.
Race organizers confirmed one runner, a 21-year-old Asian male, collapsed at the finish line. Another runner, a 40-year-old white male, collapsed a quarter-mile from the finish line.
CBS Station KYW reports that both runners were taken to Hahnemann University Hospital where they were pronounced dead of apparent heart attacks.
Philadelphia Marathon Race Weekend Executive Director Melanie Johnson said, "We are deeply saddened and our thoughts are with their families and friends."
Their identities have not been released, pending notification of relatives.
Fire officials said at least 10 others were rushed to the hospital by ambulance, and the extent of their injuries and current status is unknown.
At least 25,000 participants, along with 60,000 spectators turned out for the 18th annual race.
Please feel free to send if you have any questions regarding this post , you can contact on
Disclaimer: The views expressed on this site are that of the authors and not necessarily that of U.S.S.POST.


text:
kiss Alive (Full Album 1/2) MP3
00:00 Deuce 03:57 Strutter 07:19 Got to choose 11:16 Hotter than hell 14:30 Fire house 18:33 Nothin'to lose 22:07 C'mon and love me 25:12 Parasite 28:48 ...
Kiss Live At Cobo Hall Detroit 1/25/1976 Full Concert Alive Tour MP3
Deuce Strutter C'mon and love me Hotter than hell Firehouse She Ladies in waiting Nothin' to lose 100000 years Black diamond Detroit, Michigan 1976.
KISS - Rock Bottom - KISS ALIVE 1975 MP3
KISS Rock Bottom, Kiss Alive ( Marcelo Ramirez )
KISS Detroit - Cobo Hall Jan.26 1976 Full Show MP3
KISS - Black Diamond - KISS ALIVE 1975 MP3
Kiss Black Diamond Kiss Alive ( Marcelo Ramirez )
KISS Alive !! Full Concert Largo, MD November 30th, 1975 MP3
KISS Alive !! Full Concert Largo, MD November 30th, 1975.
Kiss - Deuce ( Alive! 1975) MP3
Get up And get your grandma outta here Pick up Old jim is workin hard this year And baby Do the things he says to do Baby, if youre feeling good And baby if ...
KISS - Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll - ALIVE VERSION 1975 MP3
Kiss - Let Me Go Rock N Roll - Alive Album Version ( Echo X Marcelo Ramirez )
Kiss - Strutter ( Alive! 1975) MP3
I know a thing or two about her I know shell only make you cry Shell let you walk the street beside her But when she wants shell pass you by Everybody says ...
KISS - Rock n Roll All Nite - KISS ALIVE ALBUM 1975 MP3
Kiss - Rock n Roll All Nite - Kiss Alive 1975 ( Marcelo Ramirez )
Kiss - Got To Choose ( Alive! 1975 ) MP3
Lady, you know I heard the neighbors say Baby, you might be leavin' me today Oh yeah, mmm, someone's come along who shares your time Don't care, no I ...
Kiss - Parasite ( Alive! 1975 ) MP3
She'll always be there trying to grab a hold She thought she knew me, but she didn't know That I was sad and wanted her to go Parasite lady Parasite eyes ...
Kiss - Rock N Roll All Nite Live 1975 MP3
Cobo Hall, 1975.
Kiss - Firehouse ( Alive! 1975 ) MP3
Whoo, hoo, yeah Whoo, hoo, yeah Shell adore you and shell floor you With her wisdom and her vision And youll love it and think of it Till you lose all intuition ...
KISS - Cold Gin - Alive! MP3
Cold Gin from Kiss. Album : Alive!. Released 1975 Lyrics: Whoo, alright My heater's broke and I'm so tired I need some fuel to build a fire The girl next door, her ...
Kiss- Deuce - Kiss Alive Version 1975 MP3
Kiss- Deuce - Kiss Alive Version 1975 Echo x Marcelo Ramirez.
Kiss She Kiss Alive 1975 ( Echo X Marcelo Ramirez )
Kiss - Alive! (1975) - Firehouse MP3
Kiss - Cold Gin Live 1975 MP3
KISS - C'Mon' and Love Me - Kiss Alive Version 1975 MP3
KISS - C'Mon' and Love Me - Kiss Alive 1975.
Kiss - Hotter Than Hell ( Alive! 1975 ) MP3
Come on She looked good She looked hotter than hell All dressed in satins and lace I looked at her and it was just too clear I had to get on the case I said lady, ...
KISS - Let Me Go Rock´n´Roll - Alive! MP3
Let Me Go Rock´n´Roll from Kiss. Album : Alive!. Released 1975 Lyrics: Rock 'n' roll Baby gets tired, everybody knows Your mother tells you, baby has to show ...
KISS - Watchin´ You - Alive! MP3
Watchin´ You from Kiss. Album : Alive! , Released 1975 Lyrics : Limpin as you do and Im watchin you And you dont really know a-just what to do You dont really ...
KISS - Deuce - The Midnight Special (Live 1975) MP3
This is Kiss performing at the midnight special in 1975 before they had their alive outfits.
Kiss - Peter Criss Drum Solo & 100,000 Years Ending Live 1975 MP3
Cobo Hall, 1975.
Kiss - Alive! (1975) - Watchin' You MP3
KISS ALIVE Promo Clip - C'mon And Love Me and Rock And Roll All Nite - 1975 MP3
Excellent quality video from Kiss Alive Promo Video, recorded on 1975 with: Paul Stanley - vocal and guitar Gene Simmons - vocal and bass Ace Frehley - guitar ...
Kiss - Nothin to lose (Kiss Alive! Album 1975) MP3
KISS - Parasite - KISS ALIVE 1975 MP3
Kiss Parasite - Kiss alive (Marcelo Ramirez )


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5 Layer Delicious Dessert
Recipe by Melissa Nunnink
This is a great "light" dessert that can be made very low fat using the Lower fat versions of the cream cheese, milk, cool whips. I always make this for Pot Luck's and it is always a favorite. So many of my friends have asked me for the recipe, so here it is!!!
Top Review by Flautatime
This was amazing and so good! I made alot of changes. I only used half a stick of butter in the first layer to cut the fat. In the second layer I used Neufchâtel cheese and 1/2 cup of splenda in place of the sugar. In the fourth layer, I only used vanilla pudding because my husband hates chocolate. And I left the Hershey bar off the top. So I adjusted this recipe to be lower fat and sugar and it was absolutely awesome. Thanks for posting.
Ingredients Nutrition
1st layer
- 1⁄2 cup flour
- 3⁄4 cup butter or 3⁄4 cup margarine
- 1 cup nuts (I use pecans)
2nd layer
- 9 ounces Cool Whip
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
3rd layer
- 1 (20 ounce) containerof comstock cherries
4th layer
- 1 (3 1/2 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
- 1 (3 1/2 ounce) package chocolate instant pudding
- 3 1⁄2 cups milk
5th layer
- 9 ounces Cool Whip
- 1 Hershey Bar, grated
Directions See How It's Made
- 1st layer: heat oven to 350°F.
- Mix all the ingredients together (will be on the dry side) and use fingers to evenly pat down into the bottom of a baking dish about 9x13 size.
- Bake for 25 minutes to form crust.
- COOL before 2nd layer.
- 2nd layer: Mix all ingredients together and put all on top of the crust.
- 3rd layer: Open can of Cherries and spread out over 2nd layer.
- 4th layer: Mix the 2 pudding boxes and the milk together and spread out over the cherries.
- 5th layer: Spread out the Cool Whip on top of the pudding mixture and grate the Hershey bar over the whole thing.
- Put the entire dish into the fridge to set up.


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|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jun 9, 1992
|Filing date
|Nov 16, 1990
|Priority date
|Mar 1, 1988
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Masaki Morikawa, Naoyuki Hosoda, Naoki Uchiyama
|Original Assignee
|Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (9), Referenced by (16), Classifications (24), Legal Events (6)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/536,996 filed Jun. 13, 1990, now abandoned, which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/219,263 filed Jul. 15, 1989, and now abandoned.
The present invention relates to a composite card, which is attractive, valuable and convenient as gifts and souvenirs; furthermore, said composite card has considerable appeal as decorative gifts, because said card is made from one of a groups of precious metals consisting of gold, silver or platinum and the like.
Reproduction of impressions by means of stamping with metal dies equipped with suitable impressions, or embossing, has been widely practised for gold coins and commemorative medals.
In recent years, the public has shown interest in purchasing gram-quantities of gold, which created a new market in precious metal gifts and souvenirs. However, the traditional embossing techniques applicable to coins and medals are not suitable for thin strip or sheet materials, typical of the new market, and the products produced by such techniques generally lacked aesthetic appeal as gifts and souvenirs.
Therefore, it would be of great interest to be able to emboss by roll forming appropriate impressions on the surface of thinly-rolled strip materials. For example, a one gram piece of gold can be rolled into an attractive foil material of 20 micrometers thickness which is a candidate material for such roll-embossing operations.
However, such embossing/marking operations are difficult to perform on such thin materials, because they lack mechanical strength, and easily suffer from mechanical damages during production and handling operations.
Furthermore, gifts and medallions are usually custom made for a large number of small-lot customers, and the high cost of metal dies makes it uneconomical to produce such items by roll-embossing.
In such instances, a composite material, consisting of a precious metal foil backing and a separate transparent acrylic plate having suitable preset patterns or designs, may provide an attractive alternative production method to roll-forming or stamping operations.
In this case, the precious metal foil can be mass produced while various decorative plate having preset custom markings can be produced in small lot quantities. The difficulties of handling thin foil materials remain as well as the difficulties associated with processing a composite assembly, however.
This invention relates to a decorative precious metal composite card; which can be manufactured from a small quantity of precious metals; which are not susceptible to manufacturing damages; and which permits economical production of a large variety of small lot quantities.
According to this invention, a composite core material is made by laminating transparent protective layers of polymeric material on both sides of a plain metal foil material made from a group of precious metals consisting of unalloyed and alloyed precious metals.
The above composite core material is assembled to another transparent sheet material with opaque markings, said sheet material, hereinafter referred to as a decorative component, having mostly transparent areas and suitably marked opaque regions. Said assembled material is further encased in a transparent polymeric material to provide overall protection on both sides of the said composite, thereby producing durable, attractive precious metal composite cards suitable for gifts and souvenirs.
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a composite card described in a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an oblique view of a precious metal foil laminated with a primary protective covering.
FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the composite core material.
FIG. 4 is an oblique view of a second preferred embodiment of the composite card.
FIG. 5 provides explanations of composite car manufacturing steps.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of a strip of said cards.
FIG. 7 is an oblique view of a third preferred embodiment of composite material.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view of above embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of a decorative component.
FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a second protective covering on said composite card.
FIG. 11 is an oblique view of a fourth preferred embodiment of the composite card.
FIG. 12 is a view of an assembled sample.
FIG. 13 is a sectional view of above embodiment.
FIG. 14 is an oblique view of a magnetic composite card.
FIG. 15 is an oblique view of a magnetic tape composite card.
FIGS. 1 to 3 relate to a first preferred embodiment of this invention. A thin gold foil material 1 shown in this preferred embodiment was made from a 99.999% pure 2 gold ingot having dictorial elements 3 by repeated rolling operations to produce foil materials of about 0.005 mm to 0.3 mm thickness. Said foil material was later cut into a suitably sized rectangular pieces.
The weight and purity information were engraved on the surface of the gold foil by a YAG laser, in this preferred embodiment, which created a series of fine grooves having a depth of approximately 1/10 of the thickness of the metal foil.
The information, engraved on the metal foil at the conclusion of the foil rolling operation, was for indicating the quality of the metal foil material, including such information as the trade mark of a supplier of the precious metal, and were not for the purpose of showing information requested by the customer.
It should be noted that the shape of the composite core material is not restricted to rectangles only, nor is the material of construction limited to gold; silver, platinum and the like are also applicable.
As shown in FIG. 2, said foil material 1 was laminated with transparent polymeric sheet materials, having a size slightly larger than the foil material 1 itself (in this case about 1 mm larger in all directions). This laminated covering was denoted as the primary protective covering 4. When the edges of the sheet material were sealed, the metal foil became laminated inside the envelope, thereby producing a composite core 5. The primary protective covering 4 was, in fact, composed of a double layer, as shown in FIG. 3. The outer layer 4a, of 100 micrometer thickness, was made from a PET (polyethylene telephthalate) which is mechanically strong. The inner layer 4b, of 50 micrometer thickness, was made from an ionomer resin (Trade Name Surlyn, manufactured and sold by Du Pont) which can be applied at relatively low temperatures. By utilizing a polymer of a relatively low softening temperature for the inside lamination of a double lamination procedure, it was possible to prevent overall distortion of the primary protective covering 4 during the laminating operation.
The composite core 5 thus formed was both durable and easy to handle, even though the foil material, formed from a small lump of gold weighing only about several grams, itself was fragile. The composite core was visually attractive because of its relatively large area and was suitable for quality gifts and souvenirs.
FIG. 4 shows a second preferred embodiment of this invention. A composite core strip 7 shown here had basically the same double layer construction of the primary protective covering 8 as was shown in the first preferred embodiment, consisting of a central metal foil laminated with transparent polymeric materials having the same size and area measurements. Such a composite core strip 7 has an additional advantage that it can be mass produced while providing the same degree of protection as the composite core 5 shown in the first preferred embodiment, above.
A method of mass producing such a composite core strip 7 is explained with reference to FIG. 5. A metal foil strip 10 (of 15 micrometer thickness) was taken off a roll 11 to be laminated with a double-layer polymer strip 12, consisting of a PET and a Surlyn, wound on a spool 13. The two materials, metal foil strip 10 and a polymer strip 12 were thermally bonded in a pair of pressing rolls 15 subsequent to passing through a preheater rolls 14, so as to form a triple-layered composite core strip material 16. A large quantity of said composite core strip 7 was produced by stamping out the required area in succession from a center section of the composite strip 7. The clean edges of this type of composite core are advantageous when laminated with transparent outer protectors, as will be explained later. The laminates were not susceptible to delamination because of the sealing provided by Surlyn.
The preferred embodiments described above are intended primarily to provide transparent blank materials for manufacturing of composite cards in conjunction with decorative components. However, the core materials can also be used for decorative purposes by embossing directly on the protective surfaces. The markings can be placed on such cards in the same way as in the case of separate protective coverings, but the durability is better if the markings are placed on the inside surface of the outer laminate. To place markings on the card shown in the preferred embodiment in FIG. 4, it would be convenient to place regularly spaced markings on the polymer strip 12, shown in FIG. 5, to guide separation into individual cards along the markings, such as those shown in FIG. 6.
A third preferred embodiment is shown in FIGS. 7 to 10. The pictorial composite cards shown in these figures were produced by combining transparent decorative component 20 (to be explained next) with said composite core 5 (a material having no or very little decorative character), and encasing the whole combination in a secondary protective covering 21.
Said decorative component 20 comprises opaque pictorial design element 22 (hereinafter referred to as pictorial element 22), superimposed on a transparent plate made of such plastic materials as acrylic and glass. The material of construction of decorative component 20 need not necessarily be a stiff material, but softness and thickness can be adjusted according to applications. The pictorial patterns can be placed on the decorative component 20 by any suitable means or combination of means, such as painting, engraving and etching, and the like. The opaque parts can serve either as a pictorial element 22 or as a background element. The pictorial portions can be cut out also to expose the metal background. The contents of the pictorial element 22 to be placed on the decorative component 20 are not limited. For wedding announcements, for example, the names to be shown may vary from case to case, but in other applications such as business cards, commemorative medals, and reproductions of famous art and designs, repetitive patterns may be required. Other reproductive techniques, such as photocopying, thermal printing, laser copying and photo-reproduction, are also applicable techniques.
As shown in FIG. 10, the secondary protective covering 21 comprised a triple structure: an outermost layer 21a, of 10 micrometer thickness, which was made of acrylic to utilize its high surface hardness; a middle layer 21b, of 50 micrometer thickness, which was made of a thermoplastic, PET, to utilize its mechanical strength; and the inside layer 21c, of 50 micrometer thickness, which was made of a thermoplastic resin, Surlyn, to enable bonding of the composite core 5 to said transparent decorative component 20 at relatively low temperatures. The triple structure of said secondary protective covering permits distortion-free bonding of the protective layer on the composite core 5 and permits production of durable, attractive cards made possible by a long term protection of the surfaces by durable transparent acrylic covering.
The composite core 5 is protected from bending and other damages which may occur during handling and transportation, because of the reinforcing action of the decorative component 20; therefore, this production technique minimizes the occurrence of losses due to damaged goods. Furthermore, the composite core 5 is further protected and secured by the secondary laminations 21, thus providing additional means for preserving the original appearance of the composite card by preventing relative shifting of the precious metal foil 1 with respect to the decorative component 20, and by preventing wrinkling of the foil and other mechanical damages as well as soiling of the surfaces. The superior appearance of the composite card is a further result of the fact that, because the metal foil 1 is protected with the primary protective covering 4, light is diffracted at the interfaces, thereby eliminating the transparency of the foil material 1 and providing an appearance and a color tone of the solid precious metal. For the same reasons, the pictorial elements 22 on the decorative component 20 do not appear transparent.
The third preferred embodiment described a case of superimposing decorative component 20 on top of the composite core 5, but it should be noted that volume production of composite cards is possible by utilizing the decorative component 20 with the thin composite core strip 7 cited in the second preferred embodiment above.
The fourth preferred embodiment of the preferred embodiments is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. This is a case in which the composite core 5 was contained in a pair of transparent decorative plates 20a and 20b, and which assembly was then encased in the secondary protective covering 21.
The information to be exhibited was placed on the decorative plates 20a and 20b, and there was little need for using the composite core 5 for this purpose. The materials of construction of 20a and 20b can be the same as described previously.
The example above is particularly useful in cases wherein the precious metal foil 1 is made of a very thin foil material.
In the third and fourth preferred embodiments described above, the core components, the composite core 5 and composite core strip 7, can be reused repeatedly, in combination with new decorative components having different patterns and designs, thus permitting economical productions of a variety of small volume custom products. The precious metal core can be made convertible to currency by declaring appropriate information, such as a trade mark and purity to indicate the quality of the core, on the foil itself.
A fifth preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 14, an example of a card which serves decorative and functional purposes. Said card comprises opaque pictorial element 22 (described in the preferred embodiment 2) and a magnetic layer 23, having a magnetic layer of thickness of about 4 to 6 micrometer made of a magnetic material, such as ferrites. These cards are useful for the production of prepaid cards and other portable cards for identification purposes. In these cases, it is desirable to place the information on the primary covering 8.
A sixth preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 15 describes an application of a composite card case cited in the third preferred embodiment in combination with a magnetic tape 23a. This type of cards 24 is useful for the production of cash cards and other banking cards.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Jan 13, 1932
|Oct 23, 1934
|L F Grammes & Sons Inc
|Greeting card
|Nov 7, 1945
|May 2, 1950
|Everett D Mccurdy
|Method of forming designs in resinous plastic articles
|Oct 7, 1958
|May 14, 1963
|C & H Supply Company
|Foil applique structure
|Nov 29, 1985
|Oct 6, 1987
|Itzhak Shoher
|Metal foil for forming a dental coping and crown
|Dec 31, 1986
|Jul 10, 1990
|Itzhak Shoher
|Dental foil and crown
|Aug 18, 1977
|Feb 22, 1979
|Orga 2000 Bautraeger Gmbh & Co
|Visiting or greeting card made of metal - is gold or silver plated with engraved words to enhance value
|Aug 30, 1980
|Feb 12, 1981
|Dewa Metall Gmbh, 7730 Villingen- Schwenningen
|Title not available
|Dec 21, 1982
|Nov 3, 1983
|Wilcke, Gerhard, 1000 Berlin, De
|Title not available
|Title not available
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|May 18, 1992
|Dec 14, 1993
|Leonard Helicher
|Collectable promotional card
|Nov 12, 1993
|May 28, 1996
|Kuwahara; Eiji
|Thermally transferable type emblem made of thermoplastic synthetic resin and method of manufacturing the same
|Jun 5, 1995
|Dec 31, 1996
|Kuwahara; Eiji
|Method of manufacturing emblem of thermoplastic synthetic resin sheet
|May 12, 1995
|Feb 4, 1997
|Kuwahara; Eiji
|Thermally transferable type emblem made of thermoplastic synthetic resin and method of manufacturing the same
|Jun 14, 1994
|May 6, 1997
|Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
|Composite cards
|Nov 25, 1996
|Oct 14, 1997
|Kuwahara; Eiji
|Thermally transferable type emblem made of thermoplastic synthetic resin and method of manufacturing the same
|Jan 4, 1996
|Dec 30, 1997
|Lee; Edmond Mun Hang
|Process of laminating gold foil and gold foil card
|Dec 5, 1996
|Feb 15, 2000
|The Real Gold Card Company Limited
|Charge card
|Jul 8, 1998
|Jul 25, 2000
|Margaret K. Lee
|Manufacturing process of metal foil card
|Nov 9, 2001
|Nov 11, 2003
|G + D Cardtech, Inc.
|May 21, 2004
|Jun 9, 2009
|Illinois Tool Works Inc.
|Process of making laminated sheet and product made by the process
|May 16, 2013
|Nov 22, 2016
|Roger A. Kessinger
|System and method for customized, on-demand production of minted metal and minted metal assemblies
|Jun 12, 2014
|May 23, 2017
|Pure Grains of Gold, LLC
|Precious metal composite useful as a medium of exchange
|Jul 31, 2009
|Jul 21, 2011
|Nippon Tungsten Co., Ltd.
|Method of shearing thin plate
|Jun 20, 2013
|Jun 21, 2016
|Pure Grains of Gold, LLC
|Negotiable instrument
|Dec 5, 1996
|Jun 12, 1997
|Sherbrooke Securities Limited
|Charge card
|U.S. Classification
|428/76, 428/13, 428/205, 428/209, 428/332, 428/187, 428/457, 428/463
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Nov 16, 1990
Owner name: MITSUBISHI KINZOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, 5-2, OTEMACHI
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNORS:MORIKAWA, MASAKI;HOSODA, NAOYUKI;UCHIYAMA, NAOKI;REEL/FRAME:005567/0683
Effective date: 19901113
|Aug 9, 1991
Owner name: MITSUBISHI MATERIALS CORPORATION
Free format text: DOCUMENT IS BEING RECORDED AS A CHANGE OF NAME AND A CHANGE OF ADDRESS. CHANGE OF NAME EFFECTIVE 12-01-90 AND CHANGE OF ADDRESS EFFECTIVE 11-28-88.;ASSIGNOR:MITSUBISHI KINZOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA 5-2, OTEMACHI 1-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU TOKYO;REEL/FRAME:005810/0070
Effective date: 19901201
|Sep 13, 1995
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Nov 22, 1999
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Nov 24, 2003
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 12
|Dec 24, 2003
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed


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Naam Jaap at Gurdwara Sahib, Fremont, August 25th 2013 (longer excerpt) MP3
Naam Jaap with Bhai Gurpreet Singh.
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Adding washes with a Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brush [Excerpt from longer previous inking clip] MP3
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for four horns (Saxophon-Quartet - Wayne Shorter gewidmet) [excerpt]
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text:
MXR Analog Chorus
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If an item you ordered from TextbookRush does not meet your expectations due to an error on our part, simply fill out a return request and then return it by mail within 30 days of ordering it for a full refund of item cost.
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Description: Now in its twelfth edition, The Middle East continues to be the most comprehensive, balanced introduction to the region. This long trusted and time-tested resource has not only been updated for currency, but the scope of the book has also been thoughtfully modified to capture a more complex and complete picture of the Middle East.Its new editor, Ellen Lust, has gathered an outstanding group of scholars to bring important revisions to this edition:⢠new chapters on political economy, domestic and regional politics, and international relations have been added to the overview section;⢠new organization of the country profiles mirrors the topics covered in the overview section, making them more thorough, consistent, and easier to teach;⢠new profiles feature the North African countries of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia;⢠thorough updates on the latest events in the region, including election results from Iran and other countries, current immigration trends, developments in peace negotiations between Arab and Israeli leaders, as well as changes in diplomatic relations; and⢠more maps, tables, and figures show political and demographic data.Both students and instructors will appreciate the new online ancillaries that accompany this edition: a dynamic, interactive chronology of major events, a wealth of key documents, and lists of resources for further study. All of the maps, tables, and figures are available for download as well.
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If you've heard the excuse once, you've heard it a thousand times: "I don't have time to go to the gym."
That sentiment isn't quite as prevalent this time of year as the new year has re-energized the masses into hitting the health clubs with a renewed sense of optimism.
At least for now.
Usually around March, those same gym goers who feverishly and fervently decreed that 2014 was their year to get fit have magically found their way back to the couch. Once again, time wasn't on their side. Between work and the rigors of a daily routine that could potentially include picking up the kids, grocery shopping and making dinner, it's no wonder the wondrous world of push ups, sit ups and squats suffered an agonizing death before spring has sprung.
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** Three cheers for Farnborough Sixth Form College - number one in the country for teaching standards - from Dr John Guy, principal, and some of his students.
FARNBOROUGH Sixth Form College is celebrating after its teaching standards were rated the best in the country.
The accolade follows a visit last November by Government inspectors who rated the college "head and shoulders" above any others they had inspected.
According to the Ofsted team 92 per cent of the advanced lessons they had witnessed were either good, very good or excellent.
This is well above the average countrywide rating for colleges of 61 per cent.
Dr John Guy, principal of the 1,750 student college, said last Friday: "I'm naturally delighted with the findings."
He put the success down to the college's total commitment to helping students to achieve high standards.
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In their report the Ofsted inspectors described the college's teachers as enthusiastic, well informed and with an up-to-date knowledge of their subjects.
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The teaching is challenging and inspires students to develop high level skills, the report added.
They learn how to be critical and analytical as well as gaining good subject knowledge.


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Alternative Fueling Station Locator
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Potts Gas Co
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