text:
Wonderful news this week that Saudi Arabia will finally be giving its women the vote, and will also allow them to stand in future elections. Progress! Now if it legalised letting them drive without a male relative in the car, then they might actually be able to get to the ballot boxes…
– Jonathan on Zahra's Paradise h/c
Habibi h/c (£20-00, Faber & Faber) by Craig Thompson.
"From the Divine Pen fell the first drop of ink. And from a drop, a river."
"Like a river has a spring, every story has a source."
One of the most beautiful books that I have ever held in my life.
From its rich, russet cover embossed with gold and a smooth, raised cameo which one can't help but stroke, to over 650 black and white pages threaded with Persian mythology, tales from the Qur'an and flooded throughout with patterns steeped in religious symbolism and curling, swirling, Arabic calligraphy, it is a work of wonder.
It's also bursting with love and humanity – provision, protection, self-sacrifice and survival – but also degradation, desecration and defilement: the very worst we have to offer. Rape. Racism. Sexual slavery. The constant threat of death. Pollution. Oh yes, pollution. This work will surprise you and there are hints early on as tyres and plastic begin appearing anachronistically in the sewers, streams and desert. It takes an unexpectedly modern turn, I can tell you, and water is the key element here: water as a life source during drought, a killer during floods and a purifier too, because I also mean the pollution of innocence.
"The Prophet has said that every child is born with a natural disposition – perfect and lacking nothing – until marred by this world."
Both Dodola and Cham / Zam / Habibi see far too much of the world far too early on.
When their land dried up with drought, Dodola's parents sold her into marriage. That was the end of her purity. But it was also the beginning of her literary and religious education, for her husband copied manuscripts which she then learned to read. But her husband's soon murdered, she is abducted and about to be sold into slavery when she finds a young baby bawling alone on the ground. Seizing her one opportunity she scoops him up and escapes, seeking refuge in a boat in the middle of the desert. It's there we first find them, Zam and Dodola, three years later, "afloat" on the prow of their boat.
They survive safely for years, Dodola passing on the stories she'd learned from the Qur'an to soothe him to sleep, to bring them together, to motivate, educate and divert him. The boy was originally called Cham, the name of Noah's third son who was born black then cursed, but to release them both from their past she renames him Zam (and calls him Habibi – "my beloved") after the sacred well of Zamzam which gushed from the feet of young Ishmael when he and his mother were dying of thirst in the desert. It's from this point on that Zam and water become inextricably linked in the story whether as a means of last-minute rescue, purification or as its provider. At first it's the water they bathe naked in together.
"I wash and wash, but still my skin is darker than yours. Is it because I am dirty?"
Zam asks this quite innocently for when he was a mere three she was but twelve. But by the time he turns twelve, Dodola is twenty-one and he starts having entirely natural but, well, really dirty thoughts about her. Whereas they used to wash together, they can't; whereas they used to share a bed together, Zam wrapped in Dodola's arms… now it gives him an erection and it starts to tear them apart in a way which will have a profound, emasculatory effect on the boy after Dodola is abducted yet again and sold into sexual slavery in a Sultan's harem, and he's left to fend for himself in the nearby village, burning with desire and a fever born of starvation.
And that, I kid you not, is when their journeys really begin during years of tortuous separation.
I have four pages here crammed with notes and quotes but they give far too much away. What I hope I've established is the bond between our two metaphorical orphans left to nurture each other and fend for themselves in an environment poor in resources, rich only in predators. Male predators, it should be emphasised, imposing their lust on women, although there are a couple of exceptions (and not just the Eunuchs), most notably the "modern-day" Noah and literal fisher of men whose fishing ground is actually a squalid, disease-ridden river of effluence. It's his turn to become the provider and that sequence is pure Will Eisner – positively effervescent – you'll recognise that when you get there!
The biblical Noah also shows up in the one pure burst of comedy here as Dodola and Habibi imagine what life must really have been like on an Ark stuffed to capacity with animals picked in pairs for the purpose of breeding, yet obviously asked to forgo that pleasure for the duration of their stay: there's just no room at the inn, as it were! The treatment of Noah's atheistic wife, forbidden entry to the Ark is hilariously irreverent ("Next time, try believing in God!" he bellows from above as she stands in supplication, waste-deep in water.) and I laughed out loud as the animals went in two by two, male and female, the snails asking each other…
"Do we count? We're hermaphroditic?"
"I'll play 'bottom'."
There's a superb sequence during which Dodola strives to earn her freedom from the Sultan during his challenge to turn water into gold. She sneaks into the all-male library (women not being trusted to decide for themselves which writings are safe and which are sinful) to study the ancient art of alchemy, but in the end finds a far more ingenious answer for herself, once more proving which of the two is more valuable.
But yes, on the whole, it's a book about love and survival and although Dodola and Habibi endure against all odds and adversity, I don't think Thompson is overly optimistic about the human race as a whole. We're greedy, overpopulated and self-destructive.
"Why create man in the first place? Man forsakes his Creator. Man desecrates Creation."
"We've poisoned the earth, and we've poisoned ourselves."
We've also poisoned those life-sustaining waters to the extent that they become death-dealing cesspits of disease; we've raped the environment to the extent that modern-day floods of biblical proportion need no mythology to explain them, just global warming; and then we go and build dams in China etc. which actively flood out the plain-dwellers below. In fact, here's a telling sentence given how much of the book is about slavery:
"Thanks to the dam, our home is no longer slave to flood or drought. We own the water instead of the other way round."
Then we package it plastic bottles which end up where, precisely? It's all here, trust me, including the water-bottling factory, the modern day ownership of water presaged well before by others selling what should be a universally commodity and a gift to all from God. I think that's Thompson's point.
This is my book of the year so far. We've anticipated it keenly for half a decade and for me it delivered on every single front. Better still, it surprised me. I relished its religious aspects – the sacred shapes, the magic squares, the calligraphic iconography, numerology and the way they all slotted together – because Craig married them both imaginatively and faithfully to the central narrative at each particular juncture and then finally, thematically, to love above fear. Structurally it's astonishing, and it'd be very much surprised if many of these pages didn't require a great deal of judicious juggling. Visually it is breath-takingly beautiful, each page alive with one flourish or another, and I don't just mean the ridiculously detailed border frames, chapter pages, the Jinn, the dreams or the dives into the stream (although they were particularly stunning); I mean unexpected frames like the struggle three-thirds of the way down on page 199 between Dodola and the thieves, and some damn fine chase sequences too.
But above all I relished this thematically. It all ties together:
Temptation, torment, and feverish dreams.
"After battle the Prophet said, "We have returned from the Lesser Jihad to the Greater Jihad." When asked "What is the Greater Jihad?" he replied; "It is the struggle against oneself."
Gender, race, sex, slavery and violence.
"It's misogynistic, racist… vilifies the descendants of Cham," sighs Dodola of the legend of the Sultan and the magical fish.
It's about the power of words, a love of stories. Food and water. Life and death. It's no coincidence that the Sultan's gardener is his executioner too. Just look at that fountain with its water cascading from the skulls' empty eye sockets!
But above all, it seems to me, it's about protection, provision, sacrifice and survival – spiritual and biological – and a most unusual love story under conditions which seem determined to thwart it.
"Sweet dreams, little Zam. I hope that we'll make it."
From the creator of BLANKETS which is now available in hardcover and softcover.
Buy Habibi h/c by Craig Thompson and read the Page 45 review here
The Man Who Grew His Beard (£14-99, Fantagraphics) by Oliver Schrauwen…
"Gentlemen, can I have your attention please? Today there'll be no free drawing. Instead I'll give you an assignment. You'll make a drawing featuring the following items: a cat, a table, a bottle of milk, a mouse, a piece of cheese, Mr. Peters.
"Now these things shouldn't be put on the page randomly. A storyline will give everything its place and purpose. Here's a tip: imagine yourself in this room, witnessing events."
Oddly enough, the title, its font and also the cover art of THE MAN WHO GREW HIS BEARD made me think of the 1985 book The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat by neurologist Oliver Sacks describing the case histories of some of his patients, which given the completely insane collection of shorts in this book, both in terms of the stories and art, may not be entirely coincidental, I suspect. If surreal, single-panel humorist David Shrigley were ever to do comics, this is exactly what they would be like, to the point that I had to do a quick google search to check Olivier Schrauwen wasn't a nom de plume for Mr. Shrigley. He isn't.
Taking the story from which the above quote is pulled, The Assignment, and following the teacher's instructions, one of the class has a rather peculiar and murderous sequences of events play out in his mind's eye. Let's see what happens when the teacher returns to see what he's drawn…
"Now what is this? What happened to the cat?"
"It is dead."
"And where is the mouse?"
"It's in the cat."
"And the cheese is…"
"… in…"
"…the mouse. I get it! That just won't do, Mister! Get back to it!"
The teacher doesn't remotely get it, believe you me.
The Man Who Grew His Beard By Oliver Schrauwen
New York Five (£10-99, Vertigo/DC) by Brian Wood & Ryan Kelly.
From the creators of LOCAL, this self-contained sequel to NEW YORK FOUR returns us to the lives of five young women handling life in the Big Apple with varying degrees of self-awareness, self-discipline and self-confidence.
Angie Wilder has her own band which has just struck it big on the gig circuit. She also has a boyfriend called Frank who is anything but: he anonymously seduced her younger sister Riley by text. Angie's no longer speaking to Riley, Riley isn't speaking to Frank, but Frank hasn't done using Angie to speak to Riley as the first chapter's cliffhanger makes clear.
Riley's attending NYU with Merissa, Lona and Ren who all share an East Village flat roughly the size of a cupboard, their rent paid through part-time jobs evaluating PSAT/SAT tests. For this they need to undergo casual therapy sessions but the beautiful, outgoing Marissa's stopped attending. In fact she seems to be spending an awful lot of time going back home to Queens. Lona's less outgoing but still going out, if only to stalk her professor. We're talking the breaking-and-entering end of stalking, dumpster-diving for dirt, and her boyfriend's unimpressed. I really don't know what Ren's problem is. She doesn't seem to have one right now. She likes older men. Is that a problem?
Like LOCAL, there's an exceptional spirit of place here whether it's the civic parks in winter, the city skylines at night or the chunky tenements with street-level steps rising up to their doors. The gigs are perfectly populated while the pavement outside is teeming with individuals hanging out on bikes, checking their bags or checking out each other. You can tell when an artist is trying to avoid drawing something; I couldn't find a single instance of that here. Even the iron fire escapes and scaffolding have been lavished with so much attention that they have as much weight and character as the pedestrians passing them by. When you stop to take in just how many cityscapes there are on top of that…
Someone was on their way to New York the other day, and she asked if we had any comics that would act as a good guide. This would make the perfect guide, dotted as it is with insider titbits on every location featured including The Strand (used book shop), Washington Square, the Ukrainian diner Veselka, and St. Mark's Place in The East Village:
"NY 101: St. Mark's Place, as iconic and compelling as SF's Haight Astbury, this enduring hang-out block is way more seedy and has much cooler rock and roll roots. But, in the end, both succumbed to The Gap. This author's most-missed: the St. Mark's Cinema."
For me this is what Brian Wood does best: compelling and thoroughly contemporary straight fiction with a young cast of real individuals – females with foibles, individuals with issues – gradually revealing bits of themselves as they contemplate, hesitate or override their better instincts. Because coming back to that cliffhanger, it really is one of those, "Noooo, don't do it!" moments.
Buy New York Five by Brian Wood & Ryan Kelly and read the Page 45 review here
Zahra's Paradise h/c (£14-99, FirstSecond) by Amir & Khalil…
Eloquently written work set in Tehran about a beloved missing son, presumed snatched by the state's thugs during a protest against the mullahs stealing yet another 'free and fair' election. It first appeared as a webcomic, serialised in multiple languages, presumably with a view to disseminating the truth about the violence that is perpetrated towards the burgeoning new wave of political dissidents who have the temerity to protest. Consequently it's a rather moving read, one which makes you all too glad we live in a free society. At least we merely have greedy, incompetent politicians to cope with, not murderous cowards besmirching religion whilst ruling the roost.
I won't give any more away about the story, told from the perspective of the mother and brother of the missing young man, but I do sadly get the impression it's an all too realistic portrayal of a heartbreakingly common scenario. It's a personal opinion and I'm getting slightly off-topic again, but I can't help but feel that more damage is done to the good name of Islam in the eyes of the rest of the world by the supposedly legitimate Iranian regime, than any number of deluded individual terrorists or small cells of nutjobs could ever manage to achieve.
The finely pencilled, occasionally sweeping art in this work, meanwhile, neatly compliments the intricately weaving story, and has an almost proto Craig Thompson / Hope Larson feel to it. Overall this is an essential read for anyone wanting to depress themselves a little more about how repressed certain countries' populations still are in the twenty-first century, by the very people that are supposedly to be leading and inspiring them.
On a lighter note then, wonderful news this week that Saudi Arabia will finally be giving its women the vote, and will also allow them to stand in future elections. Progress! Now if it could just get around to legalising letting them drive without a male relative in the car to accompany them, then they might actually be able to get to the ballot boxes…
Buy Zahra's Paradise h/c by Amir & Khalil and read the Page 45 review here
Don Quixote vol 1 (£14-99, Self Made Hero) by Miguel De Cervantes & Rob Davis…
"You're mistaken, senõr. They are windmills."
A rather chortle-worthy adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's enduring classic. Saavedra was a real character himself and had what could only be described as an extremely arduous yet adventurous life, including being captured by pirates and enslaved for five years on the way home from being maimed at the Battle of Lepanto, and later on spending nearly a decade in and out of debtors' prisons. But despite it all, he managed to keep a positive outlook on life, and that certainly resonates throughout the absurdist adventures of his delusionary creation Don Quixote, and his long suffering squire Sancho Panza. This adaptation captures the surrealist nature of the material perfectly with an art style and editorial touch that at times put me in mind of Sergio Aragonés' GROO, René Goscinny & Albert Uderzo's Astérix comics and indeed even the classic Pink Panther cartoons. Great fun, which proves once and for all that taking the piss out of Alzheimeic old people has been hilariously de rigueur since time immemorial.
Buy Don Quixote vol 1 by Miguel De Cervantes & Rob Davis and read the Page 45 review here
Evelyn Evelyn: A Tragic Tale In Two Tomes (Slipcased Ed'n) (£18-99, Dark Horse) by Amanda Palmer, Jason Webley & Cynthia Von Buhler…
Faux autobiography of the conjoined twin musical duo (well they wouldn't be a trio now would they?) as recounted / channelled to Amanda (Dresden Dolls) Palmer and Jason Webley. Forget the fact that Evelyn Evelyn in real life bare an uncanny resemblance to Palmer and Webley bewigged and frocked up, this is the true fictional story of the sisters' horrific childhood as illustrated by Cynthia von Buhler in a wide-eyed gothic style which will undoubtedly appeal to fans of Roman Dirge, Jhonen Vasquez et al. It's a dark and terrible tale, which probably entirely due to having just become a dad, I am tremendously pleased that the sisters didn't actually have to endure. Neil Gaiman's a fan apparently (though that's probably just as well if he wants to avoid a divorce, Amanda being his wife) and provides a thoughtful afterword.
Buy Evelyn Evelyn: A Tragic Tale In Two Tomes by Amanda Palmer, Jason Webley & Cynthia Von Buhler and read the Page 45 review here
Blue Estate vol 1 (£9-99, Image) by Viktor Kalvachev, Kosta Yanev, Andrew Osborne & Viktor Kalvachev, Toby Cypress, Nathan Fox, Robert Valley, Paul Maybury…
"How to read Blue Estate by international acclaimed action film auteur, Jiu-Jitsu master & 9th level Bodhisattva Bruce Maddox.
In Tibet, Buddhist monks practice the art of dul-tson-kyil-khor, or mandala of coloured powders, using sand to create intricate patterns which are then swept away to symbolise the impermanence of life. When it comes to art, mandalas are the most Zen.
Music (like the original sitar ragas I composed for the soundtrack of my film Hunt To Kill 5: Power Fist may be equally transcendent… and the same can be said of certain motion pictures. For example, the entire Hunt To Kill franchise (which I star in, direct and stunt coordinate) is very spiritual (not to mention highly profitable in selected foreign markets).
Unfortunately comic books (and especially comic book collections) are nothing but frivolous distractions on the path to enlightenment, forever trapped in the physical plane. In other words: not so Zen.
However, whilst you may not experience nirvana while reading BLUE ESTATE, the following steps should at least help you to maintain a proper karmic balance:
- Ensure your nether regions are clothed in loose-fitting garments to avoid a constricted yoni or pinched lingam.
- Establish a "zone of tranquillity" where you drunken wife can't find you.
- Take a deep, cleansing breath. Then, close your eyes. Exhale through your nose. Open your third eye. Inhale through your third nose.
- Visualise serenity.
- Now visualise the opposite of serenity: a high-octane adrenalin shot of comic violence, violent comedy, tangled alliances, mistaken identities, desperate heroes, ruthless villains and maximum firepower.
You are now in the BLUE ESTATE state of mind."
Not often I let one of the characters introduce a book but that probably gives a nice little hyperbolic flavour of exactly what this work is like, i.e. much humour and absolutely everything the final bullet point above promises. I realised pretty quickly this had to be a joke intro but once I actually started reading this crime caper I twigged the Bruce Maddox character, who features heavily within this story, is clearly a spoof of neck-chopping, flabby fantasist Stephen Seagal. I know I've bigged a lot of crime books up recently, simply because there have been so many great ones, but this too is brilliantly and hilariously written, full of LA egos, both cinematic and gangster playas (sic), and illustrated in a glorious technicolour style that definitely has hints of Paul Pope pencilling to it. Yet again I find myself saying that crime fans shouldn't miss this one… or Stephen, I mean, Bruce will come and sort you out with a trademark neck-chop.
Buy Blue Estate vol 1 by Viktor Kalvachev, Kosta Yanev, Andrew Osborne & Viktor Kalvachev, Toby Cypress, Nathan Fox, Robert Valley, Paul Maybury and read the Page 45 review here
Morning Glories vol 2 (£9-99, Image) by Nick Spencer & Joe Eisma.
Oh me of little faith!
I had certain doubts about volume One, but each of these six chapters were riddled with revelations and reversals that had me slack-jawed at the implicit scope of what's been crafted behind the curtain and yet to be unveiled. This is a completely new game, and I'm only just beginning to guess at the rules.
To recap: six new students have been selected to attend a prestigious boarding academy which will not let them go. There literally is no escape and whilst a semblance of regular routine is maintained in the corridors and curriculum, the overt threats from teachers and fellow classmates alike are almost as sinister as what's not being said. There is a lot that's not being said.
Here six interlocking short stories focussing on the past, present and potential future of each new Glory reveals them to have far more in common than their birth dates: they're all so psychologically screwed up it's just not true. Please don't think that I know all the answers but… Why can't Hunter tell the correct time? Where does Jade go each time she dies and why doesn't she seem to mind? Did Ike really kill his Dad then hire an open-topped bus full of bimbos to jeer at the funeral? And if so, how did he get away with it? Did Jade's parents die? Why does Jun seem to blow so hot and cold? What is Zoe's earliest memory, how much is she capable off, and who the hell is David? Who is this Abraham that seems to have intervened in their early lives during crucial hours and what specific, completely unexpected connection does he have to one of them in particular? What do all these teachers actually want? Trust me when I tell you that those are some of the more pedestrian questions you'll be asking yourself once this book has finished freaking you out.
"Faith isn't about understanding. It's about –"
"Putting your hand in someone else's… and learning to take the good with the bad."
Very much coming round to the art too: clean lines and a misty colouring.
Buy Morning Glories vol 2 by Nick Spencer & Joe Eisma and read the Page 45 review here
Stormbreaker (£8-99, Walker books) by Anthony Horowitz, Antony Johnston & Kanako, Yuzuru.
We now have all three Alex Rider graphic novels in stock, each penned by WASTELAND's Antony Johnston: Stormbreaker, POINT BLANC and Skeleton Key. No idea when I'll have time to review them properly, but basically: full-colour espionage thrillers starring a fourteen-year-old schoolboy roped reluctantly into MI6 after his guardian uncle is killed on a covert mission. Alex had no idea the supposed banker was actually an undercover agent or that he'd been training Alex as a potential replacement for years. Martial arts, white water rafting, mountaineering, abseiling, scuba diving…? He thought they were hobbies! Learning those multiple languages…? Holidays! It's only when his one remaining friend in the adult world is threatened with deportation that Alex agrees to join the club and embark on his first mission. Although… those gadgets are pretty cool!
My thirteen-year-old second cousin loved these books with their anime-inspired artwork, and he's a reluctant reader. I'd say that was a pretty sound piece of market testing for you!
Stormbreaker By Anthony Horowitz, Antony Johnston and Kanako, Yuzuru
Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Pursuit Of The Flesh (£7-50, Boom!) by Clive Barker & Leonardo Manco, Stephen Thompson.
Just a quick note to impress upon you that this is the new series from Boom Studios as opposed to the classic series from epic available once more as HELLRAISER MASTERPIECES. Also, fans of the recent DAMAGED series written by David Lapham or Andy Diggle's magic, three-volume run on HELLBLAZER beginning with JOYRIDE will relish the grit and the gore which their artist Leonardo Manco has not skimped on here. He's by no means slacking here, and neither is Stephen Thompson who's all a bit Butch Guice.
Clive Barker'S Hellraiser: Pursuit Of The Flesh By Clive Barker and Leonardo Manco, Stephen Thompson
Marvel Illustrated: Dracula (£12-99, Marvel) by Bram Stoker, Roy Thomas & Dick Giordano.
Formerly black and white, now full-colour.
Buy Marvel Illustrated: Dracula by Bram Stoker, Roy Thomas & Dick Giordano here
Art Of Metal Gear Solid h/c (£18-99, IDW) by Ashley Wood.
Breathlessly energetic and effortlessly poised full-page painting here. Huge weight on every mech and mercenary. If you can't be bothered reading the graphic novels when you've already played the games (yup), you can just sit back and admire the formidably impressive artwork instead.
Buy Art Of Metal Gear Solid h/c by Ashley Wood here
The Astonishing Secret Of Awesome Man h/c (£13-50, B&B) by Michael Chabon & Jake Parker.
From the award-winning writer of Kavalier & Clay which later went on to inspire Brian K. Vaughn's exceptional THE ESCAPISTS with art by Steve Rolston, Jason Shawn Alexander and Philip Bond, a bright and shiny young children's book with a big broad grin that sparkles like those old tv ads for Colgate toothpaste. Packs an awesome punch(line).
Buy The Astonishing Secret Of Awesome Man h/c by Michael Chabon & Jake Parker here
Avengers Prime s/c (£12-99, Marvel) by Brian Michael Bendis & Alan Davis.
Steve Rogers and Tony Stark:
"Hop on."
"There's got to be another horse running around here somewhere."
"Hop on! Let's go."
"Any excuse to get me to hold you."
"You see right through me."
"Where's Thor?"
"Don't know exactly. I'm following the lightning."
Not a single tower of the once mighty Asgard is standing. Amongst the stone ruins there are fires ablaze as the timbers and fine linen of the more opulent halls crackle and spit out flaming-hot cinders, and the night sky is clouded with smoke. Steve Rogers in combats and a black, polar-necked sweatshirt comes straight to the point:
"Thor, tell us what you need and you will have it."
"Just seeing it like this… my Father's kingdom in complete ruin."
"Hey, anything can be rebuilt. Anything. Every time I've had to rebuild this armour, I've always made it better every time. Wait till you see my new stuff."
Good old Tony look-at-me Stark: Mr. Sensitive 2010. No wonder Steve is pissed off.
"We'll see."
"We'll see what?"
"I'm not convinced letting you keep that armour is in the best interests of the country, Iron Man. I haven't made up my mind."
Just in case you've been holidaying on the moon these last five years, the three core Avengers – Thor, Iron Man and Captain America – have issues with each other. Or at least Thor and Steve Rogers have issues with Iron Man, and have had ever since CIVIL WAR. Then Tony Stark took the government's position on the Superhuman Registration Act and endorsed the construction of a cyborg clone from Thor's cell tissues. It killed one of their friends. Then he had Steve Rogers locked up for good measure.
Anyway, the destruction of Asgard in SIEGE comes with additional hazards like the Rainbow Bridge, a portal to other dimensions, being broken. But before they can contain the gateway, the gateway contains them, sucking them through to three different, otherworldly locations, none of them particularly hospitable. Stark is deprived of his armour and runs around naked, desperately trying to hide his genitals with rejoinders (he has a sympathetic letterer) and trying to wise-crack his way back into his old friends' hearts.
"Boy, am I glad to see you, Steve. I take back almost everything I have ever said."
"Why are you naked?"
"It's the new armour. It's see-through."
"Jokes? Really?"
"It's very high-tech."
He even finds time to mix up his Shakespeare, holding his helmet in his hand and paraphrasing Richard III.
A very old Avengers villain reappears in a radically different role, there are dragons, elves and ogres which for once don't rankle with me at all, a romance snatched away at the last minute for Steve, and the most enormous art from the softest of artists, Alan Davis. What's not to love?
Buy Avengers Prime s/c by Brian Michael Bendis & Alan Davis and read the Page 45 review here
Batman: The Widening Gyre s/c (£13-50, DC) by Kevin Smith &Walter Flanagan, Art Thibert…
"So… Alfred said a girl came over this morning. Anyone I…?"
"No one you know."
"Alfred says she calls you Deedee. What's all that about?"
"Business, Robin, mind it."
"Did you guys… y'knowww…"
"If I was interested in smutty innuendo, I'd partner up with Eel O'Brian."
"Fair enough. But if you have any questions about the feelings you're having… or just questions about girls in general… you can always come and ask me. Okay, sport?"
"Alfred and his big mouth…"
Hmm, okay, so I am now forced to completely revise my opinions about Kevin Smith as a Batman writer because THE WIDENING GYRE is absolutely everything a great Bat-book should be: packed with action, intrigue, witty dialogue and a brooding Bruce. I'm not completely sure that Mr Smith is halfway to an Absolute edition as he coyly suggests in the afterword, but it's certainly a major stride and flying kick to the side of the head forward from the relatively one dimensional CACOPHONY. I was rather puzzled why this is billed as a sequel to that book. I wasn't by the end, but it would be somewhat churlish of me to say any more, and it's certainly forced me to revise my opinion about CACOPHONY. Seen as an appetiser to the main course, it's a rather different dish, much less bland than it first seemed.
Once again we get a look into an unknown chapter of Bruce Wayne's past, as old flame Silver St. Cloud, aware of his true identity, unexpectedly comes back into his life, and completely prepared to share him by night with the streets of Gotham. And there's another significant new arrival in the form of the vigilante Baphomet, who's got all the makings of a possible ally, and whom, over a significant period of time, Bruce is seriously considering bringing into the inner Bat-fold as a trusted working associate. It's well written stuff as we see Bruce / Batman struggling with trust issues about allowing a new person gradually into the different aspects of his life. The big difference of course is that Silver St. Cloud is already aware that Bruce is Batman, whereas Baphomet is of course unaware that Batman is Bruce. Eventually, won over by his discovery of a very significant tragedy in Baphomet's past, he decides to bring him fully into the fold…
I can't explain why, this is just one of those books that you have to read before someone else tells you too much about it. It is destined to become a minor classic I think, and with the impending publication of a third book which will conclude the wider arc (which becomes apparent) it is actually definitely in with a chance of achieving an Absolute collected edition.
Buy Batman: The Widening Gyre s/c by Kevin Smith &Walter Flanagan, Art Thibert… and read the Page 45 review here
DC New 52… mostly sold out last week before I had chance to even look. Well, they obviously don't need me to promote them. Selected reprints due 19/10/11, the same day as their second issues, I think.
Arrived, Online & Ready To Buy
Reviews to follow or already up if they're s/cs of h/cs – and quite a lot this week are! Regardless, you can now go straight to these books in the shopping area simply by clicking on their names.
Love And Rockets: New Stories #4 (£10-99, Fantagraphics) by Jaime Hernandez, Gilbert Hernandez
The Finder Library vol 2 (£18-99, Dark Horse) by Carla Speed McNeil
Pure Pajamas h/c (£16-99, D&Q) by Marc Bell
Feeding Ground hardcover (£18-99, Archaia) by Swifty Lang & Michael Lapinski
Hellboy vol 11: The Bride Of Hell And Others (£14-99, Dark Horse by Mike Mignola & Richard Corben, Kevin Nowlan, Scott Hampton
Tom Strong's Terrific Tales Book 2 (£13-50, DC) by Alan Moore, Steve Moore & various
Jenny Finn: Doom Messiah (£10-99, Boom!) by Mike Mignola, Troy Nixey & Troy Nixey, Farel Dalrymple
The Wrong Place (£14-99, Jonathan Cape) by Brecht Evans
The Book Of Human Insects hardcover (£16-50, Vertical) by Osamu Tezuka
1-800-Mice h/c (£16-99, Picturebox) by Matthew Thurber
Holy Terror h/c (£22-50, Legendary) by Frank Miller
Emma hardcover (£14-99, Marvel) by Jane Austen, Nancy Butler & Janet Lee
A.B.C. Warriors: The Volgan War vol 1 s/c (£12-99, 2000AD) by Pat Mills & Clint Langley
A.B.C. Warriors: The Volgan War vol 2 s/c (£12-99, 2000AD) by Pat Mills & Clint Langley
Ozma Of Oz h/c (£22-50, Marvel) by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower & Skottie Young
The New Teen Titans: Games hardcover (£18-99, DC) by Marv Wolfman & George Perez
Green Lantern Corps: The Weaponer hardcover (£16-99, DC) by Tony Bedard & Tyler Kirkham
JLA: The Deluxe Edition vol 1 s/c (£14-99, DC) by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar & Howard Porter, John Dell, Oscar Jimenez, Don Hillsman
Strange Tales vol 2 softcover (humour) (£14-99, Marvel) by various including Harvey Pekar, Jhonen Vasquez, Rafael Grampa, Jaime Hernandez, Gilbert Hernandez, Terry Moore, Jeff Lemire, James Stokoe, Nicholas Gurewitch, Dean Haspiel, Dash Shaw, Gene Luen Yang, Kate Beaton, Shannon Wheeler, Kevin Huizenga, Jeffrey Brown, Paul Mayberry, Paul Hornschemeier, Tony Millionaire, Farel Dalrymple, Jon Vermilyea, Benjamin Marra, Tim Hamilton, Michael Deforge, Alex Robinson, Eduardo Medeiros
Iron Man 2.0: Palmer Addley Is Dead s/c (£12-99, Marvel) by Nick Spencer & Barry Kitson, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Kano, Ariel Olivetti
Essential Defenders vol 6 (£14-99, Marvel) by J.M. DeMatteis & Don Perlin, Sal Buscema
Ultimate Comics New Ultimates vol 1: Thor Reborn s/c (£14-99, Marvel) by Jeph Loeb & Frank Cho
Ultimate Comics Avengers Vs. New Ultimates: Death Of Spider-Man hardcover (£18-99, Marvel) by Mark Millar & Leinil Yu, Stephen Segovia
Irredeemable vol 7 (£12-99, Boom!) by Mark Waid & Peter Krause, Diego Barreto
Spawn Origins vol 12 (£10-99, Image) by Todd McFarlane & Greg Capullo
Bloody Monday vol 1 (£8-50, Kodansha) by Ryou Ryumon & Kouji Megumi
Gon vol 1 (£8-50, Kodansha) by Masashi Tanaka
Arisa vol 4 (£8-50, Kodansha) by Natsumi Ando
Sailor Moon vol 1 (£8-50, Kodansha) by Naoko Takeuchi
Codename Sailor V vol 1 (£8-50, Kodansha) by Naoko Takeuchi
XXXholic vol 17 (£8-50, Kodansha) by Clamp
House Of Five Leaves vol 4 (£9-99, Viz) by Natsume Ono
Negima! vol 31 (£8-50, Kodansha) by Ken Akamatsu
Berserk vol 35 (£10-99, Dark Horse) by Kentaro Miura
Rosario + Vampire Season II vol 6 (£6-99, Viz) by Akihisa Ikeda
The Moon And The Sandals vol 1 (£9-99, June) by Fumi Yoshinaga
The Moon And The Sandals vol 2 (£9-99, June) by Fumi Yoshinaga
Kabuki vol 1: Flower (£9-99, June) by Yukari Hashida
Mouse Guard Role Playing Game h/c (£25-99, Archaia) by Luke Crane & David Petersen
Bolland: Cover Story: The DC Comics Art Of Brian Bolland h/c (£29-99, DC) by Brian Bolland
Williams: Eklektikos hardcover (£37-99, ASFA) by Kent Williams
Vampire Art Now h/c (£22-50, Harper) by Jasmine Becket-Griffith, Matthew David Becket
Page 45 Facebook fans are now being deluged by a tenth of my tweets. Yes, that's still a deluge. They seem to "like" them, though.
– Stephen


text:
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times (Hardcover)
Staff Reviews
This book provided just the comfort I needed as I enter my third season of the pandemic with winter on the horizon. May uses eloquent language, fables, nature, seasonal holiday rituals and solstice traditions to tell about one portion of her year—September to March—after she experienced a series of difficult life events. Her descriptions of swimming in the ocean in winter were so vivid and yes, even appealing, that I dreamed about it afterward. This book is remarkably relevant to our lives right now, a time when we have been forced to hunker down for months, a state usually reserved for winter. (This book will make a wonderful gift for the holidays.)— Mamie
Wintering encourages us to see life as cyclical, not linear, and to relate to our own low periods in a gentler way. May's writing is gorgeous, and some of her anecdotes - from hibernating dormice to friendly robins - have stuck with me.— Kaley
December 2020 Indie Next List
"When we all started our own 'winters' in March, some of us were more prepared than others. May writes delicately of the struggles of life and the ways we may be able to prepare ourselves for such times, something I feel we all need to learn in order to survive the emotional winter that is a worldwide pandemic. Grab a cup of tea, find a cozy blanket, and burrow into this book of thoughtfulness and comfort."
— Emma Warren, Oblong Books & Music, Millerton, NY
"Katherine May opens up exactly what I and so many need to hear but haven't known how to name." —Krista Tippett, On Being
"Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself. . . . This is truly a beautiful book." —Elizabeth Gilbert
"Proves that there is grace in letting go, stepping back and giving yourself time to repair in the dark...May is a clear-eyed observer and her language is steady, honest and accurate—capturing the sense, the beauty and the latent power of our resting landscapes." —Wall Street Journal
From the bestselling author of the forthcoming book Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age, this is an intimate, revelatory exploration of the ways we can care for and repair ourselves when life knocks us down.
Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a break up, or a job loss can derail a life. These periods of dislocation can be lonely and unexpected. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job. Wintering explores how she not only endured this painful time, but embraced the singular opportunities it offered.
A moving personal narrative shot through with lessons from literature, mythology, and the natural world, May's story offers instruction on the transformative power of rest and retreat. Illumination emerges from many sources: solstice celebrations and dormice hibernation, C.S. Lewis and Sylvia Plath, swimming in icy waters and sailing arctic seas.
Ultimately Wintering invites us to change how we relate to our own fallow times. May models an active acceptance of sadness and finds nourishment in deep retreat, joy in the hushed beauty of winter, and encouragement in understanding life as cyclical, not linear. A secular mystic, May forms a guiding philosophy for transforming the hardships that arise before the ushering in of a new season.
About the Author
Katherine May is the New York Times bestselling author of Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times. A writer of both fiction and nonfiction, May has had journalism and essays appear in a range of publications including The New York Times, The Times (London), Good Housekeeping, and Cosmopolitan. She lives by the sea in Whitstable, England and is an avid lover of the outdoors.
Praise For…
"A beautiful, meditative book…It feels like Katherine May opens up exactly what I and so many need to hear but haven't known how to name." – Krista Tippett, On Being
"There is power and clarity and wisdom to be gained from accepting these difficult times. Wintering offered me empathy, acceptance and perspective that will stay with me long after the pandemic." – New York Times
"Honest and deeply sympathetic...proves that there is grace in letting go, stepping back and giving yourself time to repair in the dark...May is a clear-eyed observer and her language is steady, honest and accurate—capturing the sense, the beauty and the latent power of our resting landscapes." – Wall Street Journal
"Wintering succeeds in delivering a powerful, realtime account of what it is to experience life's inevitable winters — both literal and metaphorical — and come out on the other side. I can think of no more valuable voice to have in your ear as we stumble our way out of a pandemic and emerge from a collective wintering." – Popsugar
"May writes beautifully….A contemplative, hopeful, consoling book." – NPR
"Lovely...May is an astute observer of life's emotional discouragements." – New York Times
"A gorgeous book, a generous book, a layered book of uncommon sensitivity and substance…A splendid and soul-salving read." – Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
"Drawing on her own life's difficult periods, May offers a guide to leaning into fallow times and savoring the lessons of hardship." – People Magazine
"Wintering is every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself. Katherine May thoughtfully examines the emotional, spiritual, and geographical reality of the cold times, the dark days, and those periods of our lives when things are neither soft nor easy. In so doing, she offers a great and humane service to her readers: she shows us that wintering cannot be avoided, but need not be feared. This is truly a beautiful book." – #1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert
"Wintering is the book equivalent of a perfectly timed hug you didn't know you needed, a warm blanket on a cold day. So many books about adversity focus on ways to get away from the discomfort, and this book so wonderfully and sincerely says it's okay to be here, even when it hurts. It's exactly what the world needs right now." – Nora McInerny, host of Terrible, Thanks for Asking
"Enthralling…[May] has a gift for unleashing unexpected comedy…There is so much to treasure here…Her sensual connoisseurship a joy." – The Guardian
"May brings a poet's eye and unexpected comedy to this enthralling celebration of our fallow season." – London Observer
"An empowering and touching read that will inspire a survivalist spirit on even the darkest days of winter." – Town & Country UK
"A beautifully written mix of memoir and philosophy...With a pandemic keeping us isolated in so many ways, May offers much-needed solace and comfort and a reminder that seasons eventually turn." " – starred Booklist ★
"Beautiful...She is a poetic observer of the natural world, and quotable lines abound...I want to share Wintering with all my friends who experience winter blues, and keep a copy close at hand for the inevitable winterings of my own life." – BookPage
Free Media Mail shipping on U.S. orders over $75

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sunday, 24 July 2011
#SilentSunday 24/07/11
6 comments:
Excellent photograph. Really centred. Didn't think I noticed that sort of thing but you certainly do with this wonderful scene!ReplyDelete
that is a lovely photo, beautiful countryside!ReplyDelete
Very symbollic - tree trunk becomes window frame ...eventually. Also slightly sureal with floating tree-top. Great photo.ReplyDelete
I love this!I think it is my fave sulent sunday this week :) Love the perspective :)ReplyDelete
Stunning! I am soooo jealous of that view xReplyDelete
Very interesting perspective and great atmosphere outside...ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Study Finds That 90% of Women Who've Had an Abortion Also Had at Least 3 Sexual Partners
N.J. Rep. Chris Smith Says Abortion 'Is an Act of Voilence Against Children, Hurtful to Mothers'
WASHINGTON – Women who have more sexual partners are more likely to get an abortion, according to research presented at an event held at the Family Research Council (FRC) on Wednesday.
In a report published this month by the Marriage and Religion Research Institute (MARRI) and presented at the FRC, the authors argued that the sexual revolution fuels the abortion industry.
Authored by Patrick Fagan, Ph.D. and Scott Talkington, Ph.D., the report drew from data gathered from the National Survey of Family Growth, 2006-2010.
Fagan, who also serves as director of MARRI, told The Christian Post that his group undertook the report in part because he believes there is presently "a need for the pro-life community to develop its own research agenda."
"We have plans if we get the money to do much more sophisticated research," said Fagan, adding that the pro-life movement often relies on other sources for its information.
Findings reported by Fagan and Talkington include 83 percent of women "who have had an abortion have cohabited at some time." "Abortion is rarest among women" from an "always-intact family," and the "percentage of women who have an abortion is higher among those separated, divorced or never married than among those currently married."
Fagan and Talkington also found that 40 to 50 percent of women who reported having 10 or more sexual partners have had an abortion versus 6 percent of women who reported having only one sexual partner. Nearly 90 percent of abortions were procured by women who reported having three or more sexual partners.
When asked by CP what sort of influence he believed this report will have on the abortion debate, Fagan responded that it might lead to recognizing a link between abortion and permissive sexual practices.
"The impact on beginning to link more deeply and more closely the outcome of abortion with the sexual practices of young people," said Fagan.
The MARRI report drew from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), a nationwide survey by the National Center for Health Statistics.
MARRI used as their sample space the female population aged 15 to 44, which represented the responses of 12,279 individuals.
In his presentation before those gathered at the FRC and watching online, Fagan acknowledged that underreporting of abortion by respondents was an issue at certain points in the data gathering.
"I don't think you're going to get away from the underreporting difficulty," said Fagan to CP regarding the challenge of underreporting, especially by younger female respondents.
"Young women who have just had an abortion, we know they are under deep guilt and feel ashamed, that's why they don't talk about it."
Fagan believed the more reliable responses on abortion came from the older female respondents, whom he felt had more time to cope emotionally with their decision and therefore were more willing to mention it.
In addition to Fagan, the other guest speaker at the FRC event was New Jersey Republican Congressman Chris Smith, who introduced legislation to make permanent federal measures banning the taxpayer funding of abortion save in the event of rape, incest, or health of the mother.
Known as HR 7 or the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act," Smith's proposed legislation was given a hearing last week before the House Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
In his remarks, Smith spoke about his efforts to advance HR 7, as well as other efforts to make sure federal legislation like the Affordable Care Act, better known as "Obamacare," does not lead to the federal funding of abortion.
"Abortion is the antithesis of compassion," said Smith, "it is an act of violence against both children and is very hurtful of their mothers."
"Since 1973, more than 56 million children have been killed by abortion; a staggering loss of children's precious lives, a death toll that equates to the entire population of England."
"Chris Smith's leadership in the cause of life has been historic. Most Americans, regardless of their view on abortion, oppose government funding for abortion," said FRC President Tony Perkins in the opening remarks.
"The 'No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act' will make sure that the Hyde Amendment applies across the government, including fixing the abortion funding provisions in Obamacare. H.R. 7 will restore government neutrality on abortion."
According to Fagan, the report detailed on Wednesday is the first of three studies that analyze the data on abortion. The next report is scheduled to be released next week.


text:
Eric Holder and Head of DOJ's Criminal Division Were Partners for a Firm Which Used to Represent the Big Banks, Fannie, Freddie and MERS
by Guest Author Washington's Blog
Obama's Department of Justice isn't prosecuting any big fish. Indeed, the Obama administration is prosecuting fewer financial crimes than Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush or Bill Clinton.
This is true even though the big banks – such as Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan and Wells Fargo – committed some fraud, but their entire business model is fraudulent. See this, this, this, this and this.
The same is true of Fannie, Freddie. And even more so with Mers, where its entire purpose – from day one – was fraudulent. Here, here, here, here and here.
So why haven't the fraudsters running these chop shops been prosecuted by Attorney General Eric Holder, and the head of the DOJ's criminal division Lanny Breuer?
Reuters helps explain why today:
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Lanny Breuer, head of the Justice Department's criminal division [watch this to get a sense of Breuer], were partners for years at a Washington law firm that represented a Who's Who of big banks and other companies at the center of alleged foreclosure fraud, a Reuters inquiry shows.
The firm, Covington & Burling, is one of Washington's biggest white shoe law firms. Law professors and other federal ethics experts said that federal conflict of interest rules required Holder and Breuer to recuse themselves from any Justice Department decisions relating to law firm clients they personally had done work for.
Both the Justice Department and Covington declined to say if either official had personally worked on matters for the big mortgage industry clients. Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said Holder and Breuer had complied fully with conflict of interest regulations, but she declined to say if they had recused themselves from any matters related to the former clients.
Reuters reported in December that under Holder and Breuer, the Justice Department hasn't brought any criminal cases against big banks or other companies involved in mortgage servicing, even though copious evidence has surfaced of apparent criminal violations in foreclosure cases.
The evidence, including records from federal and state courts and local clerks' offices around the country, shows widespread forgery, perjury, obstruction of justice, and illegal foreclosures on the homes of thousands of active-duty military personnel.
While Holder and Breuer were partners at Covington, the firm's clients included the four largest U.S. banks – Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo & Co – as well as at least one other bank that is among the 10 largest mortgage servicers.
Covington represented Freddie Mac …. [and] MERS Corp …. Court records show that Covington, in the late 1990s, provided legal opinion letters needed to create MERS on behalf of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and several other large banks.
Covington in 2004 also wrote a crucial opinion letter commissioned by MERS, providing legal justification for its electronic registry. MERS spokeswoman Karmela Lejarde declined to comment on Covington legal work done for MERS.
This isn't as bad as Department of Justice lawyer John Yoo's letter justifying torture by the Bush administration, but it's arguably somewhat analogous, as it is a legal opinion trying to justify blatant illegality.
No wonder top financial crime expert Bill Black says that we have to fire Eric "Place" Holder and all other government officials who are blocking prosecution of the criminals who caused the economic crisis.
Indeed, it makes one wonder whether the Department of Justice still dispenses justice … or has turned into a "protection racket" for the rich and powerful.
Of course, most of the rest of boys in D.C. are not much better.
Related Articles
The Most Important 17 Minute Lecture You Will Hear in 2012 (GEI News)
Analysis Blog articles by William K. Black
Opinion Blog articles by William K. Black
Analysis and Opinion articles by Washington's Blog


text:
A Vancouver Island man had to walk more than 20 kilometres back to town after his mountain bike was stolen near Tsable Lake last week.
Royston resident Ross Hunt, 63, said his modified Cogburn CB4 fat bike was stolen while he was bikepacking in the Comox Valley backcountry on June 20.
"Usually out in the bush, nobody steals anything," he said. "Everybody's honest. Hardly anyone has things stolen from the bush, 23 kilometres from town."
Hunt said his helmet, pump, and biking shoes were also taken. He believes the cost to replace all the stolen goods is estimated at $4,000.
The Royston resident said he got into bikepacking (combining mountain biking with camping) after learning about the sport at a Comox Valley Cycling Coalition AGM. After trying it out a few times, he bought a secondhand Cogburn CB4 for $1,000 and modified it to better suit his needs. He likened the trip to Tsable Lake as his new bike's "maiden voyage."
Having not seen any traffic on his ride out to the lake, and few tracks, Hunt was confident that it would be okay to simply stash the bike out of sight while he set up camp. A gully leading down towards his camping site meant it would have been difficult to bring the bike with him.
"I didn't lock the bike. I took my bags off for camping and went down the hill to camp. The next morning, I came back up… and the bike was gone," said Hunt.
"I was confused. I thought I must have put it somewhere else, but I distinctly remembered where I put it."
With his bike stolen and no cell reception in the area, Hunt had to walk 23 kilometres to return to Cumberland, the nearest village. He said he didn't get cell service until he'd already walked halfway.
Though he never felt in danger, Hunt said he only had $4 crocs for footwear. He said it made the hike out of the woods difficult, as he had to modify his walking style.
A bad knee also complicated matters.
"I can cycle but hiking was always a bit of a problem for me. But I was in survival mode and had to walk back," said Hunt.
" I just kept walking and walking and walking."
Hunt said he walked for about six hours in total, and that the soreness in his legs and back lasted for four days.
"I thought I might be in extreme pain because of my knee but I knew I'd make it," he said.
Since his return to civilization, Hunt and his wife have filed a police report with the Comox Valley RCMP and have contacted local pawn shops to inquire about his missing bike.
It has a carbon fork, Jones bar, and a green camo paint job.


text:
Hi Everyone,
As I mentioned I'm not going to be posting on here as often as I'd like to but I'd like to provide a bit of an update. I'm currently working as a Community Relations Intern in the Office of University Communications at the University of Virginia from now until July 25th. I'm two weeks into my primary project of helping to update the University of Virginia's community outreach directory known as Outreach Virginia. This is my second time working at a school at which I'm not a student so I've adjusted fairly quickly.
There are some things that I've gotten to understand (like what a Wahoo is, why graduation is called Final Exercises, why the quad is called a lawn). Here they denote years like in Canada (1st year, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc following Jefferson's notion that you never stop learning..and it just makes more sense) which is nice.
People here are really nice in a way that reminds me of Canada. Campus is beautiful and I've explored the area a bit (which you can see on my Instagram account) and it's a great combination of necessary amenities and being close to nature and hiking trails.
However, I can't get too comfortable. I still have to send back two sets of journals discussing my experiences here and how public relations theories mesh with reality. I'll done this internship (and all of my master's coursework) July 25th and I'll be looking for full-time work. I'm looking at listings across the US and Canada for positions at higher ed instituations that include social media outreach (be it in an admissions, communications, alumni relations, or individual college office) that begin as early as July 29th. I'll update everyone here with any progress (and likely another "Hire Me" post) in the near future.


text:
The Coyote Fourplay is a four-day, more or less, orgy of idiocy in the mountains around Oxnard, California. It was conceived by the JABOYS*. (Can't you just picture the act of conception?) Despite the 2003 event being billed as the "last C4P," the JABOYS held the event again in 2004.
The JABOYS are no longer bothering to "cancel" the C4P. They are threatening to have the event again in 2005. Watch for it! The law enforcement authorities in Ventura County will be.
* JABOYS = "Just a Bunch of Yahoos"
The 2005 Coyote Fourplay was held on February 24 to 27.


text:
Challenge your friends to a little mental Tug of War thanks to the Omaha Maker Group's Red Bull Creation contest entry. The power struggle is all in your mind, and can only be won if you're able to concentrate deeply and quickly. The headsets worn by each competitor monitor brain waves over a ten second window. If you concentrate more deeply than your opponent they'll get a squirt of water in the face. If no one is concentrating well the contest is a draw the measurements start again. The screenshot above was taken from the test footage found after the break.
Hardware details are scant on this one. Obviously the Bullduino is the centerpiece of the build, taking readings from the headsets. A motor moves the water nozzle along a slit cut in the top of the sphere. Progress during the 10-second window is displayed by that nozzle, which starts in the center yellow 'safe' zone and moves to one side or another to enter the green 'kill' zone.


text:
This is what happens when you use an electronic device during takeoff: The engine cover breaks off and hurls itself into the side of your plane.
Okay, just kidding about that cause-effect, but there was some panic among passengers on this TAM Airbus A320, (registration PR-MYP) as it took off this past Saturday.
TAM Flight 3317 was departing Natal, Brazil for Sao Paulo when the cowling doors gave way on its left-hand CFM56 engine. At least one of the doors proceeded to fly into the side of the fuselage about a dozen rows behind the wing.
The flight, with 166 people onboard, circled for about an hour to burn off fuel and made an emergency landing at Natal, according to Aviation Herald. No one was hurt.
While the producer of this video and other passengers believe an engine explosion caused the doors to fly off, it seems more likely to us that the problem was contained to the doors themselves: Either someone failed to latch one or both of the doors properly (and the captain failed to notice during his pre-flight walk-around) or a latch itself failed. Once the first door blew off, the air flow entering the cowling would be strong enough to dislodge the second door.
Being that the plane was delivered just a three weeks ago, fatigue to the doors can probably be ruled out as a factor.
Those cowling doors should be pretty easy to replace, but damage to the fuselage might be a little trickier, depending on how deep those gashes are. We'll let you know if we find out more.


text:
This is a sound of an alarm buzzer that can be used in video games, trivia, quiz, board games, interface buttons or web. Classic sound for a warning, wrong answer, error, or access denied.
The sounds loops perfectly (not in the preview), so you can prolong the buzz for any length you need.
Related items:


text:
Sorry, but I have to brag here for a minute -- my daughter's soccer team finished the season yesterday with a 22 and one record!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sorry, but I have to brag here for a minute -- my daughter's soccer team finished the season yesterday with a 22 and one record!
22 comments:
Congratulations! You must have a had a fun time watching the girls play.ReplyDelete
YEAH.....WAY TO GO RIDGE HIGH !How fun this is. Thanks for sharing this great time in your daughter's life with us. WAY TO GO, MARY!ReplyDelete
Congratulations!! You must be so proud!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 30, 2007 at 9:23 AM
Hi Mary! Thanks for stopping by our Blog and your lovely comments! Love your banner and The Little Red House! So sute! Congratulations to your girls, way to go! We will be back! Jenn and JacquiReplyDelete
Congratulations to the girls team and your daughter. It is always a pleasure to receive your commentoe still compliments for your beautiful house! ! !ReplyDelete
Woohoo! They all look like they are having such fun in the pic.ReplyDelete
Both my children were in soccer when they were young & watching the games is so exciting!!
Congrats to all the winners!!!ReplyDelete
Congrats! You must be so proud of your daughter (and all the girls!).ReplyDelete
Congrats to your daughter and the team! Way to go!!!!ReplyDelete
YEAH!!! Congratulations!! What fun!ReplyDelete
Hugs to you all.
Hello! ! I forgot to tell you that the "family friends" are not paintings painted by me.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 30, 2007 at 3:55 PM
Wow...that's quite an impressive record. Congratulations Katie. Goalie is a hard position. I remember when my boys were little things and first started playing soccer. We called it BumbleBee soccer and it was so much fun to watch.ReplyDelete
Congratulations girls! (and mum too!) That's wonderful news Mary, thanks for sharing such a great story sweetie.ReplyDelete
Amanda (aka Cottage Contessa)
- AnonymousOctober 30, 2007 at 6:05 PM
That is great. Love and miss soccer. Good job GIRLSReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 30, 2007 at 6:13 PM
Congrats to the Girls!!!ReplyDelete
I used to coach soccer many, many years ago for my son's soccer team. It was so much fun. Do they still do the oranges quartered at half-time for a snack?
I loved those oranges.
:) Bren
Congratulations! You sound like a very proud mama - thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
Awesome record! Congratulations to the winning team!ReplyDelete
Yeah!!! I love to see girls having so much fun and not only enjoying it, but winning too!!! She reminds me of myself in high school! Go ahead and be very proud Mom!!!ReplyDelete
Congratulations to the winning teams. You have every right to be proud Mary.ReplyDelete
~~ Heidi ~~
Congratulations to your daughter and her team!! What a wonderful sense of acomplishment:)ReplyDelete
Congratulations! I know how proud you must be.ReplyDelete


text:
This visual love letter crafted by filmmaker Luc Bourdon uses clips from 120 NFB films to pay tribute to the city of Montreal in the '50s and '60s, with hat tips to its famous figures, places and residents.
Pedagogical evaluations and study guides are only available to CAMPUS subscribers.
Features designed specifically for teachers. Learn more
Already subscribed? Sign in


text:
CHTC Italian Wine Tasting & Dinner
CHTC hosted a Tennis and Italian Wine Tasting and Dinner on Saturday Night. It was a huge Success. The format was an hour and a half of drills followed by 45 minutes of wine tasting. Guests then sat down for an Italian dinner. Firstly, six different stations were set-up each with one type of Italian wine paired with an appropriate appetizer for that region. Chef Ashley and Petra outdid themselves with appetizers like polenta topped with sauteed mushrooms or grilled shrimp with basil and garlic. It all was delicious. Dave Cozzens provided the wine and his expertise in what to look for when tasting wines. His enthusiasm and outgoing attitude set the tone for the evening. After a wonderful dinner of caesar salad, pasta and tiramisu certain lucky guests won prizes after putting their names in a raffle. All in all it was a wonderfully relaxing evening and an opportunity for CHTC members to get to know each other better.Read More


text:
No products in the cart.
Oct 03
Oct 06 - Oct 08
Oct 10 - Oct 17
On Tuesday We Watch This Is US Shirt, Hoodie, Tank
Are you a loyal fan of This Is Us? We are sure that you are going to love this shirt! Multiple styles and colors are also available.
Shipping Information
Please find below the details of our shipping costs, delivery locations, and estimated shipping times.
Shipping Costs:
Delivery Locations:
We offer worldwide shipping to ensure you can enjoy our products no matter where you are.
Shipping Times:
U.S. Regions:
Other Countries:
Please Note: Public holidays, destination countries, and couriers may affect the shipping time.
Total Delivery Time: Handling Time + Shipping Time
Tracking Your Order:
Once your order has been shipped, we will provide you with a tracking number via email, allowing you to track your package and stay informed about its progress.
Delivery Issues:
If you have any issues with your delivery or if your package has not arrived within the expected time frame, please contact our customer support team at firstname.lastname@example.com. Our team will be happy to assist you in resolving any shipping-related concerns.
Customs, Duties, and Taxes:
For international orders, please be aware that you may be subject to customs, duties, and taxes imposed by your country. These additional charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost and are the responsibility of the buyer. We recommend checking with your country's customs office to determine any potential additional costs prior to placing your order.
Returns and Exchanges:
We stand by the quality of our products and want to ensure your complete satisfaction. If for any reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, we offer a 30-day return policy. Please visit our Returns & Exchanges page for detailed information on how to process a return or exchange.
Need More Information?
If you have any questions or need further assistance with your shipping inquiries, please feel free to reach out to our customer support team at email@example.com . We are always happy to help and ensure your shopping experience with us is seamless and enjoyable.
Username or email address *
Password *
Remember me
Log in
Lost your password?


text:
June 4, 2018
The California Early Start Central Directory of Early Intervention Resources is now online and easy-to-access!
Read more
January 29, 2018
California State University, Northridge special education professor Ivor Weiner has spent most of his professional life working to ensure those with special needs and their families get the support and respect they deserve. For his efforts, Weiner has been awarded one of the California State University's highest honors, the Wang Family Excellence Award. Read more
January 25, 2018
Family Focus launches self care training to help parents understand the importance of taking care of themselves so that they can better take care of their children with disabilities. Read more
January 11, 2018
Family Focus Resource CenterSan Fernando Valley (Main Office)18111 Nordhoff Street, E-109Northridge, CA 91330-8265
Phone: (818) 677-6854Email: email@example.com
See our Contact page for other location information
The FFRC is a part of theTeaching, Learning, & Counseling Consortium
The TLCC is governed by the charter of theInstitute for the Advancement of Educational Studies and Programs
Sign up for our Email Newsletter
Suscríbase a nuestro boletín


text:
Kerry meets Iranian FM one-on-one
UNITED NATIONS — After meeting one-on-one with Iran's foreign minister, Secretary of State John Kerry says he is pleased with a new positive tone from Iran on talks over its nuclear program.
But, he says one meeting with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is not going to resolve international concerns about Iran's nuclear intentions. Kerry said Thursday that Iran had to demonstrate its willingness to come clean about its nuclear program with actions.
Kerry spoke after he and the foreign ministers from the other four permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany met with Zarif on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Kerry and Zarif then met privately for a short time.


text:
Logging is something any respectable application needs to do. Whether it's to keep track of what the application is doing under the hood (for possible trouble shooting), to show a list of events that we might need to inform the user of, or simply to keep a history of events, logging is as necessary to the programming world as note taking is to a class room. If you don't do it, you might be able to get by for the moment. Just hope you never need to refer back to something that happened a few minutes, hours or days ago.
This article shows an excellent mechanism for adding logging to a C# project. It is extremely powerful and versatile, yet very simple to implement and use. It uses two very common programming patterns: the singleton and the observer.
The ideas and code shown in here are not rocket science, so as long as you have at least a basic idea of object oriented programming, and have been playing around with C# for a while, I'd say you're safe.
This having been said, it is always a good idea to brush up on a couple of things if you want to get the most out of this. I would suggest reading up on patterns, and focusing on some of the more common ones such as the Singleton and Observer.
To keep it brief and concise, however, I'll delve into these two for a bit and give you an idea of what they're about.
Probably the most widely known and one of simplest patterns, the singleton is a mechanism that ensures all objects in your process have access to a shared and single set of data and methods.
Imagine an intersection where several roads meet, and where the cars need to ensure they do not crash into each other when crossing this intersection. Assuming there were no traffic lights to guide them, we would need a police officer standing in the middle to direct traffic. This officer would be a real life approximation of a singleton.
The officer would receive visual queues from all roads, telling him which one is filling up the most with cars. With all this information, he would be able to decide which road to let the cars come through, and which roads to block.
This would be significantly more complex if there were several officers controlling the intersection, where they would all be receiving visual queues from the roads, would have to communicate with each other and then collectively decide which road to let traffic come from.
Similarly, a singleton object is something shared by all the objects in the system. For the purposes of the logging mechanism, the singleton is the one and only object to which all other objects will send the information they wish to have logged.
Not only does this centralize and simplify control of the logging mechanism, this also gives the developer an excellent way to provide uniform formatting to the log output. You can add timestamps, titles, parameter information and more in just one place. None of the objects that need information to be logged need be concerned with this, as the singleton logger takes care of it on its own.
When regular classes need to be used, they are instantiated as an object and then used. A singleton class, however, does not allow anyone except itself to instantiate it. This guarantees that only one copy of this object will ever run, and all objects in the program will be accessing this one copy.
To accomplish this, the logger has only one private constructor and a private variable of its own type. The only way to really get a hold of this object from the outside then is to instantiate the Logger class and equate the new object to the static handle exposed in the class. The Instance property then checks to see if the private mLogger object was ever created, and if it was not, this is the only place where Logger will ever get instantiated.
private mLogger
class Logger
private static object mLock;
private static Logger mLogger = null;
// the public Instance property everyone uses to access the Logger
public static Logger Instance
// If this is the first time we're referring to the
// singleton object, the private variable will be null.
if (mLogger == null)
// for thread safety, lock an object when
// instantiating the new Logger object. This prevents
// other threads from performing the same block at the
// same time.
// Two or more threads might have found a null
// mLogger and are therefore trying to create a
// new one. One thread will get to lock first, and
// the other one will wait until mLock is released.
// Once the second thread can get through, mLogger
// will have already been instantiated by the first
// thread so test the variable again.
if (mLogger == null)
mLogger = new Logger();
return mLogger;
// the constructor. usually public, this time it is private to ensure
// no one except this class can use it.
private Logger()
mLock = new object();
public class SomeWorkerClass
// any class wanting to use the Logger just has to create a
// Logger object by pointing it to the one and only Logger
// instance.
private Logger mLogger = Logger.Instance;
This is where things get a bit more complex, but a bit more fun as well. The observer pattern is simply a mechanism where one object (such as our police officer from the example above) has the ability to dispatch a message to one or more observers. What they do with this message is completely up to them, and in fact, the officer doesn't even know who they are or what they do. He just knows how many observers there are, and has a predefined method for giving them this information.
Going back to the traffic example: whenever the officer needs to let traffic on one road stop moving, he shows his open palm to that road's direction. He is in effect sending all traffic, which is observing him for input, a message. The traffic facing him will interpret this message and stop, and all other traffic will interpret the message and subsequently ignore it has no effect on them.
Next, he waves to traffic in another road indicating that the drivers should start moving. Again, he has sent another message, and all the drivers will receive it in the same way, but act on it in different ways. Those facing him will start moving, and all others will simply ignore the message.
So far, we have one observed subject (the officer) and several observers (the drivers). The beauty of this pattern, however, is that there could be observers of other types as well, and as long as they can receive the officer's messages in the same way as the drivers (i.e. as long as they have eye sight and are looking at him), they can act on the messages as well. A simple example would be for the officer to actually be a cadet on training, and a senior officer to be sitting in his car watching this cadet and taking notes of the stop and go messages. Again, the senior officer is observing the cadet and receiving his messages in the same way as the drivers, but is acting on them in a different manner.
In programming terms, the officer would be sending his messages to the observers via an interface. If a given object implements an interface, any other object can interact with it through the properties and methods exposed in that interface without even knowing what the true nature of the object really is.
The first part of this pattern is the use of an interface which will allow the Logger to dispatch new log entries to the objects observing it. The beauty of this is that those objects could be of literally any type and offer all sorts of functionality. They could be forms, file writers, database writers, etc. But the Logger will only know that they implement this interface and will be able to communicate with them through it.
interface ILogger
void ProcessLogMessage(string logMessage);
Next is the management of these observers within Logger. We need an array (or List<>) to store them (technically speaking, though, we're only storing a reference to them), and a public method by which they can be added to the array:
class Logger
private List<ILogger> mObservers;
private Logger()
mObservers = new List<ILogger>();
public void RegisterObserver(ILogger observer)
if (!mObservers.Contains(observer))
mObservers.Add (observer);
Whenever we want to implement a new observer, we just need to ensure it implements the ILogger interface and does something meaningful when the ProcessLogMessage method is executed. An example would be a FileLogger object that writes the log messages to a file:
class FileLogger: ILogger
private string mFileName;
private StreamWriter mLogFile;
public string FileName
return mFileName;
public FileLogger(string fileName)
mFileName = fileName;
public void Init()
mLogFile = new StreamWriter(mFileName);
public void Terminate()
public void ProcessLogMessage(string logMessage)
// FileLogger implements the ProcessLogMessage method by
// writing the incoming message to a file.
This class would then be instantiated and passed to Logger as follows:
public partial class Form1 : Form
// the main Logger object
private Logger mLogger;
// a logger observer that will write the log entries to a file
private FileLogger mFileLogger;
private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
// instantiate the logger
mLogger = Logger.Instance;
// instantiate the log observer that will write to disk
mFileLogger = new FileLogger(@"c:\temp\log.txt" );
// Register mFileLogger as a Logger observer.
private void Form1_FormClosing(object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)
// The application is shutting down, so ensure the file
// logger closes the file it's been writing to.
Our logger will use both of these patterns, and the attached sample code uses two observers: the FileLogger mentioned above, and the actual form itself. The FileLogger logs the messages to a file, and the form shows the messages in a textbox control. This is obviously a simple implementation, but it could be used in more complex scenarios. We could have an observer that writes the log entries to a database table, another that concatenates all the entries and then emails the log, etc.
Whenever the form needs to have something logged, it simply executes the AddLogMessage() on the logger and passes it the log entry:
class Logger
public void AddLogMessage(string message)
// Apply some basic formatting like the current timestamp
string formattedMessage = string.Format("{0} - {1}",
DateTime.Now.ToString(), message);
foreach (ILogger observer in mObservers)
public partial class Form1 : Form
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
mLogger.AddLogMessage("The button was clicked.");
The sample project does not perform any complex operations, but showcases the logging discussed in this article. The main form has a button that, when clicked, increments a private counter and displays the value in a text box.
Every time the counter is increased, however, the logger is informed. In turn, the logger formats the message it receives and dispatches it to all the observers for processing.
As a nice plus, the Logger's AddLogMessage() method is overwritten to accept an exception. If the application throws an exception and we want it properly logged, we just pass the exception to the Logger and it extracts all the messages from the exception and inner exceptions (if applicable), puts them together, adds the stack trace, and then logs the whole thing. Very useful.
I hope this article and the attached sample prove useful. If you have any suggestions for improvement I'm all ears, so post a message and let us know what you think!
This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)
class Logger
private static object mLock;
private static Logger mLogger = null;
// the public Instance property everyone uses to access the Logger
public static Logger Instance
// If this is the first time we're referring to the
// singleton object, the private variable will be null.
if (mLogger == null)
// for thread safety, lock an object when
// instantiating the new Logger object. This prevents
// other threads from performing the same block at the
// same time.
// Two or more threads might have found a null
// mLogger and are therefore trying to create a
// new one. One thread will get to lock first, and
// the other one will wait until mLock is released.
// Once the second thread can get through, mLogger
// will have already been instantiated by the first
// thread so test the variable again.
if (mLogger == null)
mLogger = new Logger();
return mLogger;
// the constructor. usually public, this time it is private to ensure
// no one except this class can use it.
private Logger() // This needs to be a static constructor, if used at all.
mLock = new object();
class Logger
public readonly static Logger Instance = new Logger();
private Logger(){}
static Logger(){}
Jon Skeet has written an excellent article on Singleton Implementation that readers may find interesting. Option 4 mirrors your solution.
General News Suggestion Question Bug Answer Joke Praise Rant Admin
Use Ctrl+Left/Right to switch messages, Ctrl+Up/Down to switch threads, Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right to switch pages.