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Op Ed

The Houston Chronicle - Racism in video games? The new norm? Thanks GamePolitics.
One of the games that comes to mind is "Left 4 Dead 2." Though the game isn't out yet, it's already causing an uproar. Set in New Orleans, players will have to fight their way through hordes of zombies - with several of them who appear to be African-Americans. When I saw the first trailer for the game, all I could think about was Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. Setting the game in a city that was scene of dead, bloated bodies floating by so soon afterward was a bad call, IMHO. The city has had enough to deal with -- Valve, you should have spared them, even if it's just a video game.

Sessler's Soapbox - Indie Games Are Important.
The Sess wanted to explain why he thinks games coming from independent developers are so important for the industry and gamers alike. If you bring more creative voices to the table, everyone else has to match their game and be just as innovative, creative and interesting as the other guy. So press play and find out what Adam has to say on the subject.

IncGamers - WoW is Killing Itself.
Essentially, the problem is that WoW has gone off the track. The game gained popularity because it appealed to normal gamers, willing to devote a few hours a day running dungeons and completing quests in a game they really enjoyed. However, WoW has evolved. The game is now catering to a small minority of so-called 'hardcore' players - according to one developers' research, these make up less than 5% of the overall population. The WoW developers have repeatedly discussed the fact that the hardcore players experience is the best, most challenging content in the game; have more skills than 'casual' players, and therefore receive the best rewards. Even normal, average players now accept these ideas as fact.

IncGamers - WoW Is Not Killing Itself.
In Wrath of the Lich King, Blizzard really went to town and introduced 10 man raids alongside 25 man ones. When this announcement was made at the WWI in Paris last year the cheer from the crowd was deafening. Bleeding edge guilds certainly weren't happy with losing their exclusive access to the hardest encounters in WoW, but this change meant the majority of level cap players would finally get the chance to see end game content.

2. Re: Op Ed Jul 16, 2009, 09:56 Bob
I'd suggest the author of the article needs to take a trip to New Orleans sometime. The population has a healthy percentage of black people, so it makes complete sense that there would be black zombies.
Previous Post Next Post Reply Quote Edit Delete Report
    Date Subject Author
  1. Jul 16, 09:30 Re: Op Ed space captain
>> 2. Jul 16, 09:56  Re: Op Ed Bob
  5. Jul 16, 11:08   Re: Op Ed Darks
  6. Jul 16, 12:03    Re: Op Ed Will W
  3. Jul 16, 10:23 Re: Op Ed space captain
  4. Jul 16, 10:25 WoW is Killing Itself eunichron
  8. Jul 16, 12:36  Re: WoW is Killing Itself Kxmode
  14. Jul 16, 14:35  Re: WoW is Killing Itself Fang
  16. Jul 16, 15:04  Re: WoW is Killing Itself Krovven
  7. Jul 16, 12:30 Re: Op Ed Ruffiana
  9. Jul 16, 12:45  Re: Op Ed space captain
  10. Jul 16, 13:03   Re: Op Ed Elf Shot The Food
  11. Jul 16, 13:14   Re: Op Ed Burrito of Peace
  17. Jul 16, 15:37    Re: Op Ed space captain
  20. Jul 16, 15:54     Re: Op Ed Masa
  23. Jul 16, 16:32      Re: Op Ed Burrito of Peace
  22. Jul 16, 16:30     Re: Op Ed Burrito of Peace
  26. Jul 16, 17:00      Re: Op Ed space captain
  27. Jul 16, 17:57       Re: Op Ed Cutter
  12. Jul 16, 13:40 Re: Op Ed PropheT
  13. Jul 16, 14:29  Re: Racism in video games DG
  15. Jul 16, 14:48  Re: Op Ed eunichron
  18. Jul 16, 15:39  Re: Op Ed Krovven
  19. Jul 16, 15:50 Re: Op Ed WinterMadness
  21. Jul 16, 16:15  Re: Op Ed Krovven
  24. Jul 16, 16:38 Re: Op Ed WinterMadness
  25. Jul 16, 16:45 Re: Evening Consolidation HellSlayer
  28. Jul 16, 18:31  Re: Evening Consolidation Kxmode

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Rainy season brings hardships and benefits

Posted: September 1, 2013 - 12:13am

COLUMBIA — The rainy summer has done more than breed mosquitoes and drench crops.

Months of downpours have refreshed the Floridan Aquifer.

If only just a little.

“The rains have had a noticeable effect,” said Scott Harder, a hydrologist for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. “We are not seeing the typical drawdowns at many sites that occur during this time of year, and in some cases water levels are increasing.”

He said it’s likely attributed to of a combination of groundwater recharge and reduced irrigation and pumping from the Floridan.

For one thing, when it’s always raining, people aren’t as eager to water their lawns and golf courses.

The aquifer is a natural water bank made of limestone and dolomite, that serves as a primary source of water almost 10 million people. It extends 100,000 square miles beneath southern Alabama, southeastern Georgia, southern South Carolina and all of Florida.

But Harder and other experts agree any extra water won’t do anything to relieve the effects of saltwater intrusion, which threatens the water supply most immediately in Hilton Head Island and parts of greater Bluffton.

“While the abundant rainfall has helped to recharge all of our groundwater systems, the upper Floridan is a deeper aquifer, and it would take many years for this recent rainfall to reach the aquifer beneath Hilton Head Island,” said David Baize, assistant chief of S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Bureau of Water.

“Saltwater is entering the upper Floridan aquifer due to pumping of the groundwater from wells, and no amount of natural recharge would be able to stop the saltwater intrusion caused from this pumping.”

For the area’s water supplier, the Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority, the heavy rainfall brought a special odor and color to the water, at least temporarily, because organic material was swept into the Savannah River. It has since been fixed.

Still, BJWSA spokesman Matthew Brady pointed to the good side of the wet conditions.

“Lakes Hartwell, Russell and Thurmond have fully recovered from the drought and are full,” he said. “This is good news, but releases from the lakes increased significantly in July due to the continuing rain.”

This led to flooding in the lower Savannah River basin.

“This was a pretty historic event, in that we had not seen this much flooding in the Savannah in decades,” he said.

Heavy rains that flood the area have lots of healthy environmental effects, said William Conner, a professor and assistant director of the Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology & Forest Science.

“Flooding has both good and bad effects on the environment,” he said.

“Floods help move sediments and nutrients around, thus rejuvenating the fertility of the soils... and helping to build up the surface elevation.”

That’s important in coastal areas, said Conner, because, “we are seeing the impact of sea level rise and saltwater intrusion into our fresh water marshes and swamps. The deposition of sediments helps offset the rise in sea level, thus maintaining the marshes.”

Other benefits, according to Conner: “Flooding can actually trigger breeding events, migration, and dispersal of aquatic organisms.”

Another happy outcome? More fish.

“Freshwater floods can lead to higher fish production in our coastal estuaries as many coastal resources are dependent on nutrients supplied from upstream lands,” said Conner.

Consider this: Savannah experienced its fifth wettest summer and third wettest year to date, according to data from the S.C. DNR. South Carolina, as a whole, experienced its wettest July since 1916.

• While Savannah shared in its eastern neighbor’s wet conditions, data show it was far from record-breaking. Savannah had an astonishing 20 inches in July of 1964, the “any-month” record since 1948, according to data from Wes Tyler, a climatologist for SC DNR. In July of this year, there were only about 12 inches.

• This year, a well in Yemassee reached a water level that was the highest it’s been since early 2006. That’s even more unusual to see right now, said Harder, because usually winter or spring is when wells hit annual peak levels.

• Farmers have suffered: It’s been a disaster because of the heavy rains. On Wednesday U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack granted Gov. Nikki Haley’s request that 36 South Carolina counties be given a disaster designation. The decision also named six Georgia counties, including Burke, Chatham, and Effingham, as contiguous disaster areas. Farmers in all are eligible to apply for emergency federal loans. Of South Carolina’s 36 primary disaster counties, damage to wheat, soybean, peaches and other crops exceeding 30 percent.

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New SunSations hits the street

Posted: May 30, 2012 - 12:14am

In June, SunSations takes to Sun City’s Great Outdoors.

From our Audubon Sanctuary Certified golf courses to the cool blue water of the pools to the view from our own back door, the beauty of the Lowcountry is celebrated in this issue.

Also, don’t miss another issue of the Marketplace and the 2012 Hurricane Guide.

Check your lower boxes this week for the June issue of SunSations.

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Blogs Are No Longer Emo: Effective Blogging for Your Business

Written By: Eric Baumon 07.13.2010
5 Minutes
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Effective Blogging For Any Internet Advertising Campaign Starts With Choosing A Writing Approach

The Importance of Having A Blog

A blog is an inbound marketing tool which every company needs to incorporate into their internet advertising campaign.  Blogs are no longer just for teenagers who bash ex-boyfriends or write depressive thoughts.

Blogs exist to create a company’s interior definition.

  • What does your company represent?
  • How do you want others to view your company?
  • What values do you want your company to reflect?

A webpage may have products and services, but a blog is the connecting thread that ties a brand image together.

Some Successful Blogs:

Design Photographer  Blog

1e selby

The fantastic feature of Todd Selby’s blog is his ability to engage his audience and potential readers/customers with inspired photographs of creative individuals inside their homes.  His blog becomes a place for viewers to come and find inspiration, hire him for marketing campaigns, or buy his book The Selby from the sidebar on his page.

Visual Marketing Group

1e duck

Duck Duck Collective is a group of young, forward-thinking minds who create stimulating visual material through photography, print, audio production, video, and web design.  Being a visual “collective,” their blog creatively centers around their images.

1e zapp

The purpose of the Zappos blog is to connect the reader with the company’s fun environment.  By highlighting the fun atmosphere behind the company name (they post silly work videos and refer to the group of employees as “family”), the company establishes trust with the customer.

Real Estate

1e zillow

Zillow is an internet real estate marketplace.  The blog features real estate trends across the country, as well as advice to increase the value of your property.

1e construction

Northfield Construction Company is a full service general contractor who features their current projects on their blog pages.  They use plenty of images to show the development of a home or office, as well as explanations as to the work the company performed.

These are merely a few examples of companies/persons who creatively used the blog medium as low cost branding and to engage potential customers.

Benefits of Blogging:

  • Boosts Your Internet Marketing Campaign
  • Enables Direct Communication with Your Audience and Even Allows Them To Respond By Leaving A Comment
  • Builds Your Brand
  • Separates Your Company From The Competition
  • Establishes Your Company as An Authority
  • Builds and Maintains Your Reputation
  • Cost Effective

Maybe blogging did not cross your mind when you were thinking about improving your internet advertising campaign, but let these be your assurances. The benefits to effective blogging are endless. The many different styles of blogging approaches you can take are available to the industry-specific creative mind.  You just need to be real with yourself and ask, “What would I enjoy reading about?” Make a list of ideas, talk them over with your employees, coworkers, husband/wife, friends, and get started.  It is about choosing what you want your company to look like to another person's eyes, and fullfilling that role and those values.

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image Steven Pergolizzi Stephen Ruggiero Anthony Lando
Anthony Lando

Anthony Lando has been recruiting financial talent since 1995. He has experience working with Private Equity, Healthcare, Technology, Consumer Goods and Manufacturing companies. Anthony's specialization is executive level search for growth oriented middle market companies. It is at Benchmark where he will spearhead our executive search practice while also adding considerable value to our consulting and general practice areas. It is his innate ability to understand his clients business needs, growth strategy and management style which results in a great long-term fit for both the organization and the candidates he represents.

Anthony holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and has 5 years of prior experience in public accounting servicing middle market companies. Anthony’s overall expertise and knowledge of the public accounting arena will enable him to better serve his candidates and provide a long term trust with the senior level clientele he represents.

Contact Anthony at


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Building Materials: Eurozone Weakness Still Depressing Market

BMI View: We remain bearish on the European building materials market as conditions for firms continue to deteriorate in light of ongoing e urozone austerity. The sovereign debt crisis, lower domestic demand from peripheral countries, and tighter financing conditions are constraining our construction outlook for the region, and will continue to limit growth for the foreseeable future. Overcapacity, increasing production costs, and falling sales volumes have hit the bottom lines of producers since 2009, and we see no immediate end to these phenomena. Notable exceptions to this trend are Russia and, to a lesser extent, Turkey and we expect these outperforming markets to sustain high levels of demand over the medium term.

As the graph below illustrates, steel production in the eurozone is following a long-run downward trajectory, and we believe that this trend is likely to continue. Notably, however, production in countries outside the eurozone, largely Russia, is incrementally bolstering output. It is our view that the production levels of the two sub-regions will soon reach parity.

Saying this, we highlight that these positives will be counterbalanced in the medium term by ongoing weakness in the eurozone economy, a view highlighted by the poor performance of steel majors over H112. In July, Europe's largest steel producer, ArcelorMittal, slashed its forecast for European steel consumption, with the company now posting a 3-5% contraction for the fiscal year. This is broadly in line with the World Steel Association (WSA)'s deteriorating global outlook for consumption - the organisation believe that global consumption will rise just 3.6% over 2012, a slump from the 5.6% experienced over 2011.

Steel: Output Slump As Eurozone Eclipsed By Rest Of Europe
Europe - Crude Steel Production, '000 Tonnes

Cutting Capacity

We expect building material prices to remain under significant pressure for the remainder of 2012 as demand remains muted, while efforts to curb capacity continue. We believe that heavy public spending cuts and ongoing weaknesses in the majority of the eurozone's housing markets will inhibit a sustained recovery. In terms of supply-side costs, although we are witnessing a significant fall in the global price of iron ore, we believe that this will be largely offset by the elevated price of oil and chronic overcapacity.

With this in mind, it is our view that an ongoing decline in the consumption of building materials will have a negative impact upon total European output, as firms look to streamline their operations. On the back of lower-than-expected second quarter earnings, the Swiss based cement giant Holcim Ltd announced that a "leaner and more efficient" structure for its European operations, which over H112 experienced a 75.8% year-on-year (y-o-y) decline in operating profits - attributable to elevated costs of energy, transport and inputs, as well as the strength of the Swiss franc.

Holcim reported that sales volumes in the region were down 4.1% y-o-y, with Spain, Italy and Bulgaria suffering the steepest declines. In an effort to reduce Southern European capacity, Holcim cut employees at its Spanish plants by more than a third in July. Following the closure of its Pontassieve plant in June, Italcementi plans to end production at two further plants over Q312.

Western and Northern Europe also weighed heavily on Lafarge's H112 results, as total European turnover fell 7.5%. This decline was driven by Western Europe (10.8%), which experienced significant declines in demand from Greece and Spain. Italcementi noted a 24.9% y-o-y fall in cement and clinker sales volumes in Italy. Although Heidelberg noted sales volume increases in Germany and the Nordic region, lower shipments to the UK and Netherlands significantly hit the firm's margins.

We believe that the increase in German demand may be attributed to a notable uptick in residential starts off the back of boom in house prices. However, we currently believe that this growth lacks the potential to constitute a significant uptick in German construction activity and therefore see demand tapering off over the long run.

Overcapacity will also remain a serious problem in the steel industry. According to the director-general of the WSA, Edwin Basson, the European slump has left the region with a surplus capacity of between 30mn and 40mn tonnes per annum. In August, reports suggested that, of ArcelorMittal's 32 European blast furnaces, 10 were temporarily offline. Two of Mittal's Belgian furnaces have been taken out of service permanently and, according to reports, inefficient plants in Florange, France and Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany are also being scrutinised. In October 2011, the steel giant 'idled' plants in Germany, France, Poland and Spain.

Cement: Emerging Europe Key To Long-Run Growth
Selected European Countries - BMI's Cement Forecast - Consumption, % Y-O-Y Growth

Regional Discrepancies

A notable trend in our regional forecast continues to be the widening gap between conditions in the Eurozone and those of peripheral European states and CIS countries. Indeed, we expect that a gradual regional recovery will be likely be driven by emerging European markets, but note that a recovery will be subjected to significant headwinds. Government spending in Russia and Turkey will bolster demand over the medium term, yet low levels of public and private investment will stymie growth across developed markets for the foreseeable future.

Turkey - for whose construction sector we forecast robust 6.25% y-o-y growth - became the world's largest exporter of clinker and cement in 2010 and strong domestic demand off the back of large-scale infrastructure investments should sustain long-term consumption growth - our forecast posts a growth of 3.6% per annum between 2012 and 2015.

Russia will continue to solidly outperform the region. Holcim reported a 22% y-o-y rise in clinker and cement volumes in H112, and a 33% uptick in prices over 2011. Indeed, it was due to a 70% uptick in demand from Russia that offset the decline in HeidelbergCement eurozone sales volume in H112. We expect this strong growth to be sustainable over the coming years due to relatively decent construction activity - we are forecasting real growth for Russia's construction to reach 3.5% and 4.5% over 2012 and 2013 respectively.

We also note that the rise in demand from central and eastern European countries will not be uniform. Markets in Poland and Ukraine will continue to suffer from weak construction activity in the aftermath of the 2012 UEFA Football Championship - Polish demand for cement dropped 19.4% y-o-y in June.

Domestic Cement Prices, % Variance (2011/12)* Clinker & Cement Volumes, % Variance (2011/12 +/-)
*Calculation based on local currencies. (1) Weighted average like-for-like. Source: Holcim
Europe 2.2 -6.3
Belgium -0.3 -15.9
France 0 -11.4
Germany -2.7 -6.1
Switzerland -1.1 -13.2
Italy 30.1 -29.9
Hungary 1.9 0.5
Czech Republic -6.4 -6.3
Slovakia 0.1 -24.1
Croatia 4.5 -5.2
Romania 1.2 -1
Bulgaria 5.4 -30.1
Serbia 13.1 -8.3
Russia 26.5 15.1
Azerbaijan 0.7 40.3
Spain 0.9 -32.2
This article is tagged to:
Sector: Infrastructure
Geography: Europe, Europe, Germany, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Europe, Europe

Access all of our latest analysis, data and forecasts - request a trial


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Do it for the Fans!

December 3rd, 2012 | By BODmuzik

We can’t thank you all enough for comin out and showin support Friday night at the Mezzanine! Opening for French Montana was insane and the building was packed! We truly appreciate everyone of our amazing friends, families, and fans for showin some love! Stay tuned for our album droppin before the end of the year… makes a great stocking stuffer for that music lover in your life!

August 22nd, 2012 | By BODmuzik

Breaking News

BOD Muzik is a 106 KMEL Home Turf WINNER! Our song “MOLLYS” is now officially on the radio and we need you to help us get it spinnin’. Please call & Request the song by calling (877) 955-1061 or go to

BOD Muzik opens for RZA at Mezzanine – 8/16

August 2nd, 2012 | By BODmuzik

Board Of Directors Muzik Opening for RZA 8/16/12 - SOLD OUT SHOW!

Are you a true BOD MUZIK fan??

June 29th, 2012 | By BODmuzik

Band website builder

Check out new BOD MUZIK

June 25th, 2012 | By BODmuzik

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30-10-2007, 10:47   #1
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Currency Exchange Rates

This might be a silly question but do different banks give different exchange rates? I'm going to New York at xmas nd have been keeping an eye on the rates with the Irish Times website and which both give a rate of $1.43926 to the € but the BOI 365 online currency calc only give a rate of $1.3990 to €. Is there a way of getting the better exchange rate?

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30-10-2007, 11:42   #2
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Posts: 20,761 isn't the "retail" exchange rate, so it should only ever be used as a guide. The banks will never be at the same rate as it is.

The retail rate that you see in banks may be slightly different from one to another, but generally your talking in fractions.
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30-11-2007, 20:33   #3
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Not meaning to thread hijack, but can anyone recommend a company that offers good rates when dealing with large sums of money?
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30-11-2007, 23:53   #4
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All banks can do a better rate if you have enough to exchange.
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01-12-2007, 00:00   #5
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The rate that you get from a bank will be marked-up, ie they will cut the rate by an set percentage which they take as their profit.

For example if you use a credit card abroad the normal mark up is often 1.75% - 2.75% (but can differ between issuers) so your rate will be approx 1.75% worse than what you see advertised as basic rate. Some of this may be kept by the bank and some by the scheme (eg Visa/MasterCard etc) - if you read the terms and conditions of your cerdit card/ATM Card/Debit Card it should give the mark up rate.

BOI CREDIT CARD = 1.75% cross border handling fee is charged per foreign currency Credit Card transaction outside the euro zone.

AIB CREDIT CARD = AIB MasterCard MasterCard AIB
FX Currency Transactions 0.16% 1.75%
FX Transactions - Visa Europe Region 1.75%
FX Transactions - Visa Rest of World 2.75%

Note: No currency conversion fees apply on Euro transactions.

MBNA - 2.65% commission on foreign currency transactions

If you go onto the banks websites you will be able to read the above clearer in a table. Search for terms and cnsitions of credit cards, ATM Card, Debit card (current account) etc

I should be working for the financial regulator. Pity I dont know what a tracker mortgage is.

If you re making a straight cash exchange in a bank say euro for dollors the rate is often worse again. You will see a buy and sell rate for dollars. The sell rate for FX$ will be higher than the buy rate (often up to 5% worse) - this is the banks profit. They will display both rates in branches.

Last edited by cazzy; 01-12-2007 at 00:07.
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01-12-2007, 23:58   #6
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Posts: 2,203
Send a message via Skype™ to ircoha use mid-market rates

Like any non-centralized, widely distributed market, the currency market has different prices when you're buying and when you're selling. As an example of how this market operatives, let's consider a similar and familiar market: antiques.

Let's say you find an antique lamp in your house. You look up the value of the lamp on the Internet and find that on average, the market value of your lamp is $200.

So you take the lamp to the antiques dealer and they offer $180 for your lamp. Yes, it may be technically worth $200, but the dealer has to buy it for a little less than market value in order to stay in business. So they buy the lamp from you for $180.

So next you go home, only to find out that the lamp was an important heirloom that should not have been sold. So you head back to the market to buy back the lamp. Luckily, they haven't sold it. You see the lamp in the store window, but now the price tag says $220! The dealer has marked the lamp up from market value in order to stay in business. So they sell the lamp back to you for $220.

In this example, the antique dealer's buy rate was $180, and their sell rate was $220. The average of the buy rate and the sell rate is the market rate, which was $200. However, it is important to note that no trade actually occurred for this amount. With the lamp, as with currency, nobody trades at the mid market rate. Anyone who did would lose money.

Of course, different dealers might have charged different amounts. One might have offered to buy the lamp for $150, another for $190. But in no case can dealers buy at more than the market rate, or sell at less than the market rate, without going out of business in the long run.

The exact same thing is true when dealing with currencies. All currencies have a market rate, and different dealers will set different buy and sell rates depending on the money they want to make. When converting from one currency to another, you are always buying one currency and selling another, so you will always get the buy rate from one currency and the sell rate from the other.

The further the buy and sell rates are from the market rate, the more the transaction costs you. Some dealers are very far from the market rate, whereas we at XEtrade strive to save you money by making our rates as close as possible.

In summary, buy and sell rates are prices set by currency dealers to stay in business.

When doing a conversion, our free currency information services always list the mid-market rate, since we can not know if you will be buying or selling a given currency. The mid-market rate is the most generally useful number, since it serves as a reliable, indicative value for the currency that is not weighted towards buying or selling.
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Friday, 4 June 2010

EXPO visit: Niche at the Irish Pavilion

Because Matthew was coming to do Match with me, and since Stéphane was already in Shanghai with his Australian partner, I offered Culture Ireland and the Pavilion that we could do some of the Niche material as an additional performance. Of course it wouldn't really be Niche without Mikel and Bernadette but I hoped the material would survive its being juxtaposed with the strange Expo environment.

As an acknowledgment of Expo's superficial glamour, I decided we should recostume the piece in something more colourful than our usual sombre work-gear. Uniqlo provided the candy-coloured clothes that stood out in the cool neutrality of the Pavilion.

I thought a lot about what Niche could mean at Expo. After all, it should make sense there: I started bodies and buildings research in Shanghai in 2007.

Looking back at the material I worked on (some of which was developed for Tattered Outlaws), I can see that I felt then the juxtaposition of Shanghai's extraordinary urban development with the large scale urban destruction that attended it. The shiny facades are constructed on ruins of other lives.

Xiao Ke's discomfort at being in EXPO was born of a similar awareness of the ugliness of the controlling authority behind the exuberant One World architectural regalia.

As we prepared to perform Niche in the courtyard of the Irish Pavilion, builders gathered around a misplaced pole, dug up the pristine grass in an action that reminded me of all the labour that has gone in to creating and sustaining the Expo illusion. I was pleased to see this group of men, their nonchalant choreography, their bouts of activity and waiting, all of which reminded me of Niche. It gave me a reason to be showing the work there.

But when we performed for the audience in that space, I doubted again the value of presenting work to a group of people who are primarily collecting stamps in their Expo passports. They really don't expect to see contemporary dance - mostly because they have no idea what contemporary dance is. They clap at anything that looks like a trick. They come and go as their attention span dictates. It's pretty humbling and demands that you have your own sources of confidence and validation.

When rain dictated that we move our performance indoors to the marble-floored temporary exhibition space, what we lost in audience numbers (100-150 outside, 60 inside), we gained in focus. The enclosed space meant that people watched our dancing with attention. I know we made an impact on some people, because they came to talk about the work, to thank us and to have our photograph taken.

Our photograph made the front page of the Expo website and several newspapers.

The fact that we used no music seemed to be the most noteworthy aspect of our performance. The media coverage felt like an achievement, a recognition of our work that could so easily have been lost in the din of competing national day pageants. What did we communicate? That Ireland is willing to support the individual artist, to foster innovation and experimentation, to allow talent to be expressed in unconventional ways? I'd like to think so.

Thursday, 3 June 2010

EXPO visit: Match at the Irish Pavilion

It was sad to say goodbye to Xiao Ke, He Long and Feng Hao at the end of our series of Dialogue performances in Shanghai. The challenges we faced cemented our relationship and made the piece stronger. But I did have the consolation of familiarity: Matthew and Stéphane were around for me second week in Shanghai so that we could perform Match and some of the Niche material at the Irish Pavilion at EXPO.

Match was specially requested. It had appeared from the architect's drawings that there would be a big grass area on the roof of the Pavilion and it seemed like a good idea to present Match there with its GAA references. My April visit revealed that there was lots of grass on the sides of the Pavilion, the roof was covered in sedum. So performing Match there was not going to be so easy.

In fact the sedum wasn't the real challenge. The main problem was that the sedum was planted in plastic hexagons with sharp edges the protruded from the ground, making it uncomfortable and dangerous to work on. Why, oh why do I do that? Why didn't I say it was impossible to work on? It's important to me to bring my choreography to environments that challenge it, but this seemed foolhardy. And yet I didn't say no. A mixture of cowardice (not wanting to disappoint) and courage (thinking we could pull it off) spurred me - that and the fact that we would only show the piece once.

I bought protective gloves, let Matthew wear his track pants to protect his legs and decided not to take our tops off as we usually do. And we did a great performance which was more physically expansive than I'd hoped under the circumstances and which looked pretty good on the roof in the middle of the EXPO.

But it did cost. Matthew wore track pants but I wore football shorts and my knees got pretty cut from the plastic. And the physical risk we took didn't feel satisfying in the way that performing on the Martello Towers was satisfying. With the Towers, the environment was clearly challenging and an audience could read the encounter between body and building as a process of accommodation. But on the surface of it, the Pavilion is beautiful, modern and though pretty inhospitable to the kind of physicality of my choreography, it's not obviously so. I'm not sure an audience will have seen or felt the friction between our bodies and the environment. So while I'm pleased we did a good job, pleased our bodies can still engage with the effort and shove of Match, I'm not sure I was really satisfied with it there.


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Bollywood News and Gossip | Bollywood Movie Reviews, Songs and Videos | Bollywood Actress and Actors Updates | Fri, 03 Jul 2015 17:56:53 +0000 en-EN hourly 1 Amitabh Bachchan: Will again try hand at TV Sat, 17 Jan 2015 09:45:22 +0000 Omkar Purohit | IANS

The megastar wants to do something breakaway from the current style of serials

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan struck gold with his reality game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, but his attempt at fiction didn’t work well with Yudh. Undeterred by this, Big B says he will try the genre again, hopefully with something “breakaway”.
Yudh, a psychological thriller directed by Ribhu Dasgupta, was aired in 2014. A 20-episode mini-series, it also featured actors like Sarika, Zakir Hussain, Mona Wasu, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Kay Kay Menon in prominent roles, but didn’t work well with viewers.

Asked what went wrong with Yudh, Big B said: “People didn’t like it, so it didn’t work. Just by acting well things don’t work. People should like the story. They didn’t like that. We will try our hands (at TV) again in future.”

Big B says he is still open to try something interesting on TV. ”I’m open to try it if there is something interesting. We did Yudh, it didn’t work. When we sat down with Anurag (Kashyap), we felt we need to do something breakaway from the current style of serials. I think that will prevail in the times to come. We made an attempt, we will try again and see how it goes,” he added.

Yudh TV review: Amitabh Bachchan makes a smashing impression in his acting debut on the small screen! Mon, 14 Jul 2014 19:19:03 +0000 Vinod Talreja

Big B’s debut fiction TV show has finally hit the television screens and here is our review of the first episode

Everyone was waiting with bated breath for Amitabh Bachchan’s debut fiction TV show, Yudh to hit the television screens. And the wait finally came to an end today. So as a really smart person once rightly said, “First impression is the best impression.”, we tell you if you should watch more of Big B’s acting debut on the small screen or just put a full stop after the first episode…

What’s it all about - Anurag Kashyap (creative director), Shootjit Sircar (creative consultant) and Ribhu Dasgupta (director) have certainly sought some inspiration from Western TV shows. Why do we say so, you ask? That’s because, just like the American shows, not much of the plot is revealed in the pilot episode of Yudh. However, the basic plot is that Yudhishtir Sikarwar (played by Big B) is a man many believe to be invincible. He is a successful construction magnate, who has built his empire without compromising his integrity and principles. However, that has created many bitter rivals including Tigmanshu Dhulia, who plays a politician and Kay Kay Menon, who is seen as a corrupt police commissioner. And others who eager to bring him down. While he faces evil in his professional life, his personal life is also going through a lot of troubles. Yudhistir suffers from a psychological disorder, which can’t be treated. Due to this, he sees normal people dressed as clowns, which is kind of funny. But we are sure, it will be one of the main highlight of the show.

Plus he has two wives (yes, they will create problems in the upcoming episodes, we are told). The first wife is named Gauri, played by veteran actor Sarika, with whom he has a daughter Taruni (Aahana Kumra) and his second wife Nayantara (Ayesha Raza). From Nayantara, Yudh has a son named Rishi, portrayed by Pavail Gulati. Obviously, in such situations, one can expect a lot of conflict in the upcoming episodes. So how he manages to tackle his professional and personal problems and whether or not he wins forms the story.

What’s hot - Big B surely makes a smashing impression as an elite business. He portrays the right kind of emotions and he does it well. The show has a very cinematic feel to it, and is high on production value. It has some brilliant performances by Kay Kay, Tigmanshu, Mona Vasu (Yudh’s PR officer) and others. Each actor fits the character and does justice.

What’s not - We expected a little more of the plot to open up in the first episode, but it did not. And it made the episode a bit confusing. So Yudh is like a Pandora box waiting to be opened. You will have to watch it to know it.

What should you do - If you liked the first episode, then of course, you should continue watching it. For those, who didn’t like it, watch the second episode and decide. After all, you can’t really jump to conclusions so fast.

Rating: 2.5 out of 52.5 Star Rating

Reviewed by Vinod Talreja

* Poor

** Average

*** Good

**** Very good

***** Excellent

What is Amitabh Bachchan’s Yudh all about? Sat, 12 Jul 2014 15:42:47 +0000 Letty Mariam Abraham | IANS

The promos of the forthcoming TV series Yudh have left audiences guessing the actual story of the show, but a source says the narrative will centre on the division of the business empire of the show’s protagonist, Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh, who is making his debut in the fiction space on TV with Yudh, essays Yudhisthir Sikarwar aka Yudh, the owner of a construction company.

Yudh has two wives. The first wife is named Gauri, essayed by veteran actor Sarika, with whom he has one daughter Taruni, a role played by Aahana Kumra. Yudh’s second wife is called Nayantara and Ayesha Raza will be seen in this role.

From Nayantara, Yudh has a son named Rishi, portrayed by Pavail Gulati. ”When Yudh comes to know about his illness, he wants to give his empire to Taruni. But Nayantara wants it to be divided and given to Rishi also. It’s the yudh (battle) of this empire,” said the source.

Co-produced by Amitabh’s production company Saraswati Creations with Endemol India, Yudh is being promoted as a “first of its own kind” TV series. With Anurag Kashyap on board as its creative director, Shoojit Sircar as creative consultant and Ribhu Dasgupta as its director, the much-awaited show is due to premiere Monday on Sony Entertainment Television.

The finite series will then air every Monday to Thursday at 10:30 pm.

Aahana Kumra: Working with Amitabh Bachchan in Yudh was like going on a Tirtha Yatra Tue, 01 Jul 2014 13:56:21 +0000 Letty Mariam Abraham

The theatre actor is making her small screen debut as Amitabh Bachchan’s daughter on Sony TV’s Yudh

Aahana Kumra who was last seen in Anup Kurian’s The Blueberry Hunt and Makrand Deshpande’s Sona Spa, is super excited about sharing screen space with Big B, Sarika, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Kay Kay Menon.

When queried about her character, she said, “I play Mr Bachchan’s daughter who is an oncologist. She is a very serious person in life, who prefers to keep to her work and studies. One day, she comes to know that her dad is not her biological father. That’s when her life gets complicated.”

Aahana says that she can’t believe her luck and that it’s a dream come true to work with Mr. Bachchan. “I never thought in my wildest dream that I would get a chance to work with Mr Amitabh Bachchan, that too so early in my career. Working him with for almost a year and playing a character which is so close to him is like going on a tirtha yatra (pilgrimage). I am still very dazed.” Guess it was Ahana’s lucky time.

Ribhu Dasgupta has directed the show; filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is the creative director and Shoojit Sircar is the creative consultant of Yudh. The show is expected to on air by sometime this month.

Pavail Gulati: You can’t describe working with a stalwart like Mr.Bachchan in one word Thu, 12 Jun 2014 09:33:55 +0000 Namrata Thakker | IANS

Pavail, who plays Big B’s son in Yudh, talks about the superstar and reveals how it is an altogether a different experience working with him

After rejections and dejections, landing a role as Amitabh Bachchan’s son in the megastar’s debut fiction TV series Yudh has turned out to be a “big confidence booster” for young actor Pavail Gulati. He says the 71-year-old veteran’s generosity and knowledge is a learning experience.

In film school, Pavail was taught by Naseeruddin Shah, with whom he even worked later. He says “it prepared me for bigger things which probably peaks with working with someone like the Big B”.

“You can’t just describe working with a stalwart like Mr.Bachchan in one word. His professionalism is to die for. There’s no end to the amount you can learn from him,” Pavail, who’s making his TV debut, told in an email interview.

“Being an actor of his stature, I was surprised (pleasantly, of course) when he would let me give as many takes, he gives suggestions, he gives cues…I could go on and on,” said the Delhi boy, whose father is a documentary filmmaker and mother a radio producer.

In Yudh, which has Anurag Kashyap as its creative director, Shoojit Sircar as creative consultant and Ribhu Dasgupta as director, Pavail plays the role of Rishikesh. It’s a “cinematic dream come true” for the young man, who strongly believes that Kashyap, the man behind films like Dev D and Gangs Of Wasseypur, has “single-handedly changed the face of contemporary filmmaking in India”.

The role in Yudh came to Pavail when casting director Mukesh Chhabra asked him to audition for it.

“I had no clue what it was about. The only thing I knew about was that Anurag Kashyap was doing it. That name got me super excited,” he said, adding that he had later been told he had been rejected. However, a phone call changed it all.

“I got a call from Mukesh Chhabra and he said, ‘Congrats, you’re Bachchan’s son’. I almost said no I’m not, but then quickly understood what he meant. Apparently, Anurag saw my audition and loved it,” recounts Pavail, who couldn’t believe his luck until he gave his first take. The show is a “big deal” and “big confidence booster” for the 26-year-old, who is nervous.

“Working with him (Big B) means I have to be better than I’ve ever been before. I really don’t want to be the guy who disappointed Mr.Bachchan and Anurag Kashyap.”

And especially because the opportunity hasn’t come his way easily. He shifted base from Delhi to Mumbai when he was 18 to study acting at Whistling Woods International under Naseerudin. He did his share of work – “a couple of movies, some of which sadly never saw the light of day”. But when “it all led up to this”, Pavail can look back with a smile.

“I’ve faced tons of rejection. Worked as an assistant. I have had films been given to another actor at the last moment…But honestly I’ve loved it all. It makes me who I’m today.”

Amitabh Bachchan: I am not the USP of Yudh but the story is Wed, 11 Jun 2014 13:53:55 +0000 Avinash Lohana | PTI

Mr Bachchan is all set for his fiction show

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, all set to make his grand fiction debut on television with Yudh, hopes that the unique story of the series will help him connect to a larger audience.

Yudh boasts of a plethora of talent in its writing and casting departments, led by Bachchan’s character of a real estate baron.

The 71-year-old star, one of the first from Bollywood to take a plunge into television by hosting popular gaming reality show Kaun Banega Crorepati, said he wanted to explore the narrative format for a long time.

“For quite some time I wanted to get an opportunity on television in which I get to work in a serial. I got in touch with Anurag Kashyap last January. Then we together took this forward. For me it has been an amazing experience. And I am thankful to those people who have worked with me and helped make this series,” said Bachchan, who unveiled the first poster of ‘Yudh’ in the Capital on Wednesday.

Bachchan, who has starred in over 180 films in a career spanning more than four decades, says he decided to be a part of the series because he understands the potential of TV.

“Television is a very powerful medium. Commercially the turnover of television is three times more than that of films.

It means that more people watch TV than films… there are more than 800 channels. I wanted to contribute to this. It is not about coming down to TV or going up to films. I think it is a healthy interchange of talent,” he said.

Yudh has been directed by Ribhu Dasgupta with Kashyap on board as creative director and Madras Cafe helmer Shoojit Sircar as creative consultant.

“The story is the USP of Yudh and not me. I feel the directors, the writers are the main guys involved in this show. If there is no story then I am useless. I am a mere puppet and I did what they asked me to do,” Bachchan said.

Yudh has a stellar ensemble cast with the likes of Sarika, Kay Kay Menon, Nawazuddin Siddique and Tigmanshu Dhulia among others. .

In the TV series, Bachchan will be seen playing the role of Yudhishtir Sikarwar, who has been recently diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disorder.

Yudh has been co-produced by Bachchan’s production company Saraswati Creations and Endemol India.

The makers said that the show is expected to air on Sony television next month.

Kashyap, who directed a section in Bombay Talkies in which Big B did a cameo, feels this is the actor’s finest work in the past many years.

“This is Mr Bachchan’s finest work in so many years. I hope that we do to television what we have been wanting to do for so long and we start creating a new kind of content. It is a novel way of storytelling on TV,” said Kashyap.

Sircar says Yudh is novel concept and it will change the whole Indian television scenario which is mainly dominated by ‘sass-bahu’ sagas.

“It is really a privilege to be part of something which is a first of its kind. Television needs a change. I feel this is that change where people will see cinema on TV,” said the director.

Sircar said he would not mind releasing his Bachchan-starrer ‘Shoebite’, which is yet to see the light of the day, on TV. PTI

MICHAEL movie trailer: Naseeruddin Shah looks dark and grungy Wed, 28 Nov 2012 04:00:57 +0000 Prathamesh Jadhav

The veteran actor is all set to thrill us in his forthcoming film produced by Anurag Kashyap

After receiving accolades and adulation at the Toronto Film Festival this year, Anurag Kashyap’s Michael is now ready to grab the eyeballs of film-goers here in India. Directed by Ribhu Dasgupta, the film has Naseeruddin Shah playing the lead role of Michael. The highly accomplished actor portrays the journey of a father who is obsessively haunted by his past, and who fights all odds to make a fortune for his son.

The psychological thriller is set in the vibrant city of Kolkata which serves as a perfect backdrop for this art-house cinema. Besides Naseer, the movie will also star Bengali actors Sabyasachi Chakraborty and Rudranil Ghosh in pivotal roles. Mahie Gill too will be seen in this tense character-driven drama. Going by the trailer, we can say that it looks really refreshingly different in terms of its hatke storyline, the arresting characters and a fine screenplay. Now, you watch the promo and tell us if you are ready to take this ‘thrill’ pill?

[jwplayer mediaid="165127"]


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Wake Up Sid movie review - News, Photos & Videos

Wake Up Sid - Review

Wake Up Sid – Review

While "Wake Up Sid" would of course raise Ranbir's stock in months to come, it would be noticed in a major way for Mukerji's script sense and direction. He makes the kind of debut that made Farhan Akhtar


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18.8 Non-allocated extractions to users

Supporting Information

This line item refers to groundwater extraction from domestic non-licensed bores within the Perth region.

Quantification Approach

Data Source

Department of Waters: Water Resource Licensing database, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS): domestic bore survey database.

Provided by

Department of Water.

The Department of Water does not have sufficient metering information relating to actual extraction from domestic non-licensed bores to determine the total volume of water extracted. Consequently, the extraction was estimated based on ABS (2009) survey results for the Perth metropolitan area. These usage figures in the Perth metropolitan area were then extrapolated to also include the southwest area (around Mandurah). The estimated annual extraction per bore is 0.405 ML per year, which is based on the initial results of the Department of Water's domestic bore metering project for several dozen domestic bores across Perth.

Assumptions, Limitations, Caveats and Approximations

The estimate for domestic non-licensed extraction is based on a number of assumptions, including:

  • The ABS domestic bore survey is relevant for the southwest area, for which there is no alternative, independent research or evidence available.
  • The usage based on the Department of Water's research for several dozen bores was used to estimate the usage of all non-licensed bores in the region.

Uncertainty Information

The uncertainty estimate was not quantified.

Comparative year

The following table presents substantive changes in the line item reported in this 2011 Account with the corresponding line item in the 2010 Account.

Comparative year information for line item 18.8

2011 Account line item

2010 Account line item

2011 Account volume for the 2009–10 year (ML)

2010 Account volume for the 2009–10 year (ML)

Change from the 2010 Account to the 2011 Account

18.8 Non-allocated extractions to users

16.4.2 Groundwater extraction–other lumped basic rights

Methodology change: revised estimated extraction

Change in line item name and number

The Department of Water used a change in methodology to recalculate non-allocated groundwater extraction for the 2009–10 year, which resulted in a 10% decrease in the line item volume from that reported in the 2010 Account. Although this change had a relatively minor impact on the water balance for the groundwater store, this line item is important for the management of the water store by the Department of Water. Therefore the comparative year value was restated in the water accounting statements.


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Bombshock Turns 10!

To celebrate, I've launched operation overhaul, and are adding several hundred new fringe books to the archives.

I Need HELP! "Like" and share with your friends on facebook. Put a link to bombshock on your site or blog. That's All.

You Are Here: Home » Weird Science » Ways to Make Different Stink Bombs

Ways to Make Different Stink Bombs

Here you are going to read Ways to Make Different Stink Bombs at home with readily available materials. Its really easy and in addition to this you get unlimited fun and enjoyment by using these stink bombs to get even with people who have done you wrong!

1) Basic Stink Bomb

Like the kind you can buy at certain stores. Take a few eggs and place them in a glass jar. You then must sprinkle some sulfur on them just to layer the top. PLace this outside on a high place in the sun where the bugs can’t get to it. The lid to the jar must be off. Let that sit for about 2 to 3 weeks. Then divide into your small or big glass containers and Throw it at a party or at or in someones house who you dont like.

2) Basic Perfume Bomb

It will have the same effect of the one above exept for the difference in smell. Take one part mixed perfumes and one part alcohol and you have an extremly strong smelling substance. This one won’t make your victim throw up, it will probably have one of these few effects….pass out..leave their house for a day..go crazy … see stars… think they are going to see the stars..

Now you know Ways to Make Different Stink Bombs so its time to have some fun!!

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  • ISBN 10: 0425246663
  • ISBN 13: 9780425246665
  • Edition statement: Original
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Product description

Glory Martine has inherited her uncle's Florida souvenir shop, one stuffed with collectibles, mementos of times gone by--and ghosts--who, like her customers, refuse to let go of the past. But things take an even more unexpected turn when a local football hero dies far too suddenly and suspiciously. Now, Glory has to uncover the truth before someone makes her history...

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The Lancashire Witches eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 680 pages of information about The Lancashire Witches.

“Alas! my dear daughter,” he replied, “they all, excepting Nance Redferne, refuse my services, and will perish in their iniquities.”

“Then go to her, sir, I entreat of you,” she said; “she may yet be saved.  But what of Jennet?  Is she, too, to die?”

“No,” replied the divine; “being evidence against her relatives, her life is spared.”

“Heaven grant she do no more mischief!” exclaimed Alice Nutter.

She then submitted herself to the executioner’s assistants, and was led forth.  On issuing into the open air a change came over her, and such an exceeding faintness that she had to be supported.  She was led towards the stake in this state; but she grew fainter and fainter, and at last fell back in the arms of the men that supported her.  Still they carried her on.  When the executioner put out his hand to receive her from his aids, she was found to be quite dead.  Nevertheless, he tied her to the stake, and her body was consumed.  Hundreds of spectators beheld those terrible fires, and exulted in the torments of the miserable sufferers.  Their shrieks and blasphemies were terrific, and the place resembled a hell upon earth.

Jennet escaped, to the dismay of Master Potts, who feared she would wreak her threatened vengeance upon him.  And, indeed, he did suffer from aches and cramps, which he attributed to her; but which were more reasonably supposed to be owing to rheum caught in the marshes of Pendle Forest.  He had, however, the pleasure of assisting at her execution, when some years afterwards retributive justice overtook her.

Jennet was the last of the Lancashire Witches.  Ever since then witchcraft has taken a new form with the ladies of the county—though their fascination and spells are as potent as ever.  Few can now escape them,—few desire to do so.  But to all who are afraid of a bright eye and a blooming cheek, and who desire to adhere to a bachelor’s condition—to such I should say, “BEWARE OF THE LANCASHIRE WITCHES!”

[Footnote 1:  A similar eruption occurred at Pendle Hill in August, 1669, and has been described by Mr. Charles Townley, in a letter cited by Dr. Whitaker in his excellent “History of Whalley.”  Other and more formidable eruptions had taken place previously, occasioning much damage to the country.  The cause of the phenomenon is thus explained by Mr. Townley:  “The colour of the water, its coming down to the place where it breaks forth between the rock and the earth, with that other particular of its bringing nothing along but stones and earth, are evident signs that it hath not its origin from the very bowels of the mountain; but that it is only rain water coloured first in the moss-pits, of which the top of the hill, being a great and considerable plain, is full, shrunk down into some receptacle fit to contain it, until at last by its weight, or some other cause, it finds a passage to the sides of the hill, and then away between the rock and swarth, until it break the latter and violently rush out.”]

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The Lancashire Witches from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.
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The Haunted Chamber eBook

Margaret Wolfe Hungerford
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 106 pages of information about The Haunted Chamber.

And now at last he raises his eyes.  Slowly at first and cringingly, as if dreading what they might see.  Upon the board at his feet they rest for a moment, and then glide to the next board, and so on, until his coward eyes have covered a considerable portion of the floor.

And now, grown bolder, he lifts his gaze to the wall opposite and searches it carefully.  Then his eyes turn again to the floor.  His face ghastly, and with his eyes almost darting from their sockets, he compels himself to bring his awful investigation to an end.  Avoiding the corners at first, as though there he expects his vile deed will cry aloud to him demanding vengeance, he gazes in a dazed way at the center of the apartment, and dwells upon it stupidly, until he knows he must look further still; and then his dull eyes turn to the corners where the dusky shadows lie, brought thither by the glare of his small lantern.  Reluctantly, but carefully, he scans the apartment, no remotest spot escapes his roused attention.  But no object, dead or living, attracts his notice!  The room is empty!

He staggers.  His hold upon the door relaxes.  His lamp falls to the ground; the door closes with a soft but deadly thud behind him, and—he is a prisoner in the haunted chamber!  As the darkness closes in upon him, and he finds himself alone with what he hardly dares to contemplate, his senses grow confused, his brain reels; a fearful scream issues from his lips, and he falls to the floor insensible.

Dora, after her interview with Arthur Dynecourt, feels indeed that all is lost.  Hope is abandoned—nothing remains but despair; and in this instance despair gains in poignancy by the knowledge that she believes she knows the man who could help them to a solution of their troubles if he would or dared.  No; clearly he dare not!  Therefore, no assistance can be looked for from him.

Dinner at the castle has been a promiscuous sort of entertainment for the past three or four days, so Dora feels no compunction in declining to go to it.  In her own room she sits brooding miserably over her inability to be of any use in the present crisis, when she suddenly remembers that she had promised in the afternoon when with Florence to give her, later on, an account of her effort to obtain the truth about this mystery which is harrowing them.

It is now eleven o’clock, and Dora decides that she must see Florence at once.  Rising, wearily, she is about to cross the corridor to her cousin’s room, when, the door opening, she sees Florence, with a face pale and agitated, coming toward her.

“You, Florence!” she exclaims.  “I was just going to you, to tell you that my hopes of this afternoon are all—”

“Let me speak,” interrupts Florence breathlessly.  “I must, or—” She sinks into a chair, her eyes close, and involuntarily she lays her hand upon her heart as if to allay its tumultuous beating.

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The Haunted Chamber from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.
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Mae Madden eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 109 pages of information about Mae Madden.

“Not at all.  Perhaps your brother’s remembrances of last night are not very distinct.  I certainly sat up for Sismondi’s sake, not for yours.”  And he really thought, for the moment, that he told the truth.

“I warn you,” continued Mae, rising as she spoke, “that I have a tremendous retinue of mentors, and nurses, and governesses already.  You had better content yourself with the fact that you have four proper traveling companions, and bear the disgrace of being shocked as best you may by one wild scrap of femininity who will have her own way in spite of you all.”  Mae half laughed, but she was serious, and the boys both knew it.

“You flatter me,” replied Norman, “I had aspired to no such position, but for your brother’s sake, if not for your own, I wished to tell Eric that the Roman air at midnight was dangerous to your health.  I saw you had your window open.”

“Did you look through the ceiling, pray?” Mae retorted from the door-way.  “Eric, ring if you want anything.  Rosetta is close at hand.”

“I have put my foot in it this time,” said Eric, clumsily.  “I am real sorry, Norman, old boy.”

Norman did not feel like being pitied, and this remark of Eric’s roused him.  He fairly ground his teeth and clenched his hands, but his big brown moustache and the tablecloth hid these outer manifestations of anger.  “Don’t be a goose, Ric,” he said.  “What possible difference can all this make to me?  Your sister is young and quick.”

Now, it was Eric’s turn to wince.  Was he giving this fellow the impression that he thought his sister’s opinions would affect him?  Horrible suspicion!  Boys always fancy everybody in love with their sister.  He must cure that at once.  “Of course,” he replied quickly, “I know you and Mae never agree, that you barely stand each other.  But I didn’t know but you would prefer to be on good terms with her, for all that.”

“Miss Mae can choose the terms on which we meet.  I shall be content whatever her decision.  What are your plans for the day?”

Lounging Eric straightened himself at once.  “I was a perfect fool last night,” he confessed, “and I must rely on you, old fellow, to help me out.  I made engagements for two weeks ahead with Miss Hopkins and Miss Rae.  At any rate, I’m booked for the play to-night.  Now, I can’t take two girls very well.  That is, I can, but I thought you might like a show.  You may have your choice of the two.  Miss Rae, by the way, says she’s wild to know you; thought you were the most provoking man she ever saw; and that you were—nonsensical idea—engaged to Mae.  All because you wouldn’t look at her the other day when she passed you two, But you can go with Miss Hopkins, if you prefer.”

“Are they pretty?” asked Norman, apparently warming to the task, “and bright?”

“I should say they were.  Miss Hopkins has gorgeous great eyes,—but Miss Rae is more your style.  Still, you may have your choice.”

Project Gutenberg
Mae Madden from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.
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Stuart MacBride

Stuart MacBride

Stuart MacBride is the No 1 bestselling author of the Logan McRae series and BIRTHDAYS FIR THE DEAD.

The McRae novels have won him the CWA’s Dagger in the Library, the Barry Award for Best Debut Novel and Best Breakthrough Author at the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards. In 2012 Stuart was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Hall of Fame.

Stuart’s other works include Halfhead, a near-future thriller, Sawbones, a novella aimed at adult emergent readers and several short stories.

He lives in the north-east of Scotland with his wife Fiona and cat Grendel.

Stuart MacBride

Books by Stuart MacBride

by Stuart MacBride - Fiction, Mystery

A little girl’s body washes up just outside the sleepy town of Banff, kicking off a massive manhunt. The Major Investigation Team is up from Aberdeen, wanting answers, and they don’t care who they trample over to get them. Acting Detective Inspector Logan McRae has enough on his plate keeping B Division together, but DCI Steel wants him back on her team. As his old colleagues stomp around the countryside, burning bridges, Logan gets dragged deeper and deeper into the investigation.


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Scarlet's Second Chance (TaylorShaeee's Challenge)

Short story By: MidnightQueen12

Scarlet, a runaway prostitute, dies and is told she is going to Hell. There is one other option though: become a Guardian Angel.
For TaylorShaeee's challenge. Song: Leave Out All the Rest by Linkin Park :)

Submitted:Jul 26, 2009    Reads: 207    Comments: 5    Likes: 2

Scarlet's Second Chance

I coughed as I inhaled my cigarette. I always coughed, though.

My eyes slowly went down to the bag of marijuana I had just bought. My hands twitched to start doing the marijuana right then and there, but I knew not to. I had to wait until it was dark. Dark enough so that no one would see the kid doing drugs.

Yes, you heard me right: I'm only seventeen.

My name is Scarlet Donahue. I have dirty blonde hair, long enough to go past my waist; but I normally wore it in a ponytail. I have green eyes and freckles that run across my nose. I hated how innocent I looked. Because I was not innocent.

I dropped out of high school and ran away from home. For money, I'm a prostitute. It's not that enjoyable of a job, but it puts bread on the table.

Today, I'm hidden in the comforting darkness of an alleyway, smoking.

I decided to go see if Tiffany, a fellow prostitute I knew from work, would want to hang out. I exit the alley, check to see if it's safe to walk, and make my way down the street.

Unfortunately, some idiotic bastard wasn't paying attention. I looked over in surprise and saw a car speeding toward me. I shut my eyes quickly and felt a long moment of pain before it melted away with numbness.

I felt a soft breeze cross past my face. When I opened my eyes, I saw a white gate in front of me.

Rich golden sunlight shimmered down from the sky, making the gate sparkle. I blinked, confused, and whipped my head around. I saw with shock that I was standing on a cloud, my shoes sinking into the white fluff.

"Scarlet Marie Donahue?"

I looked up at the sound of my name. Standing in front of the gate was a man; he looked about a few years older than me, with dark hair and glasses, looking down at a clipboard in his hands. He wore a blue suit and a red tie. He looked up at me. "Scarlet Marie Donahue, correct?" he repeated blandly.

I nodded shakily. "Yes. Where-?"

"You were hit by an oncoming car at 12:32 P.M. Died at 12:34 P.M. The driver was talking on the phone and not paying attention. Now, let's see where you will go."

"What?" I whispered.

Hit by a car? Died? Was he serious?

"So I'm in . . . Heaven?" I choked out.

"What was your first clue: the clouds or the gate?" he answered, sounding annoyed.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"I'm Justin, the Heaven's Gates advisor," he replied casually. "I'm here to either welcome you into Heaven or Hell."

My heart stopped. Well, not in the physical sense, anyway; that happened all ready. But I knew exactly where I would go because of the life I had lived.

Justin made a tsk sound with his tongue. "Hmm, not looking that great for you, Ms. Donahue," he commented. "It says here in your file that you dropped out of high school in junior year, ran away from home, became a prostitute, live in a small apartment in a-ahem-bad neighborhood, and sell and do drugs. Is that so?"

I bit my lip. "Yeah, what of it?"

"Those aren't very good applications for a place in Heaven, if you catch my drift." Justin looked me right in the eye. "I'm afraid I have no choice . . ."

"No!" I gasped. "Not Hell! Please!"

He looked distraught. "Well, there is another option . . ."

"What?" I asked immediately. "What is it? I'll do anything. Just not Hell."

He shrugged. "You could become a Guardian Angel for a loved one you truly care about."

A Guardian Angel?

"I'll do it," I agreed without any hesitation. "And I know just who to watch over."

Back in high school, I had an amazing friend named Erica Saunders. She was beautiful, smart, popular, and when I ran away from home, I could sense she was heartbroken. Don't ask how, but I just knew.

"And who is that?" Justin asked.

"My friend from high school, Erica Saunders," I explained.

Justin snapped his fingers, and a manila folder appeared in his hands, with mine vanishing. He scanned through it quickly, adjusting his glasses. "It says here she's still alive, and lives in New York City as a journalist."

Journalist? That figured. She had always wanted to succeed in a career with writing.

"I'll take it," I said.

"Are you sure?" Justin said, his expression stern. "Once you're a Guardian Angel, you can't just quit."

I nodded. "I'm sure."

He shrugged and took a pen out of his suit pocket. He scribbled something down in another manila folder that appeared in his hand and snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, I felt warmth on my back. I turned my head to see a shining patch of light running down my back. Then, two more lights sprouted out of the path and forming into wings.

"Wings!" I cried.

"Of course." Justin smiled. "How can you be an angel without wings?"

I smiled back.

"Your client, Ms. Saunders, is currently in her apartment in New York City," Justin instructed. He tossed me a bracelet with a diamond on the strap. "The diamond will start bleeping when you're close to her. And when she's in danger, the diamond will glow red. Understand?"

I nodded. "Thanks."

A circle opened up in front of me. I peered down and saw the open blue sky.

"Good luck," Justin told me, winking.

I smiled, stretched my wings, and soared down into the hole and raced down to earth to find Erica and begin my new job as a Guardian Angel.

And I knew in my heart that I wouldn't miss my old job.

After for what felt like hours, I arrived in New York.

The diamond began to bleep. Excited, I zipped around everywhere until the bleeping started racing. Finally, when I was directly above a tall office building, the bleeping accelerated.

"This must be the place!" I whispered.

I zoomed down to the window where the bleeping got faster. I glanced in and saw a tired woman with librarian-like glasses and short brown hair typing over a laptop.

"Erica!" I murmured, stunned.

I could hear what was going on inside. Erica's phone rang; her hand went to it instantly and it went to her ear.

"Hello?" she asked. The she sighed dreamily. "Damien! Oh, how are you? What? Are you sure? Oh, okay. Love you too. Bye." She slammed the phone down, taking angry breathes in before tears started swimming down her cheeks. "Why does he keep on canceling?" she asked.

I knew what had happened. Damien, her boyfriend, had canceled on their fourth date. And it was Valentine's Day.

Erica rose from her seat, slipped on a brown coat, and grabbed her suitcase before signing out and walking down to the parking lot and pulling out and starting out onto the street. I watched from a good distance.

I noticed with anxiety that the roads were slick with ice from the snow.

Suddenly, as Erica was driving, her car swerved at an intersection. I saw an oncoming car coming straight for her. She was going to crash!

I flew down to her car, seconds before it slammed into the other car, and pushed the front of Erica's car back. It stopped instantly, inches away from the other car.

I had saved her from death.

I went to her car window, put my head threw the window-which I can do, since I 'm only there in spirit-and whispered softly into Erica's ear, "Don't resent me, Erica. And when you're feeling empty, keep me in your memory. It's me, a great old friend of yours who is now your protector."

Her eyes bugged open with shock. "Scarlet . . . ?" she whispered in awe.

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Slasher Movies and Spiritual Enlightenment

Short story By: Mister Termineus

A little piece of writing from about a year ago, concerning my (guilty) admiration for hockey-masked serial killers.

Submitted:Mar 20, 2010    Reads: 97    Comments: 0    Likes: 0

On Friday, February 13th, Jason was back. And I was so there, dudes. I mean, sort of. I didn't make it to the theater until Saturday, February 14th. But I'm slow like that.

It's a tradition that began when I was a pissed and dejected teenager, and it's one that continues today in my weary and dejected thirtysomethings: Whenever a new Friday the 13th movie is released, I line up and buy my ticket. Eagerly. Since 1986, with the release of Part VI: Jason Lives, my unholy cinematic ritual has been interrupted only once. When Jason X came out in theaters, I was serving home detention for one of my numerous drunken misdemeanors. And my case officer felt that my desire to see a slasher movie was not a valid reason to let me out of the house. Of course, I didn't really expect him to. But I made my request to him anyway, in a distinctly half-joking tone.

"But it's Jason in outer space," I whined. "I can't miss that! C'mon and go with me. I'll even buy your ticket."

My case officer studied me, quite rightly, as if I were an imbecile. "Don't piss me off."

Well. It made the DVD release that much sweeter, I suppose.

According to the Associated Press, the new Friday the 13th movie "nailed" (groan) the #1 box office spot for its opening weekend, pulling in an astounding $42.2 million. Pretty impressive for a thirty-year-old fright franchise. It pleases me that horror's hardest-working homicidal maniac has butchered his way to the top of the mountain once again. And the new F13 is, in my opinion, one of the best.

It isn't the sort of thing you mention when you introduce yourself to someone: "Hi, my name's Milo, and I'm a Friday the 13th fan." Matter of fact, it isn't something I mention to people very much at all. Sometimes when I'm watching a F13 movie and realize how much I'm enjoying it, I feel like I should walk outside and apologize to a total stranger. My rational adult mind tells me I'm too intelligent to enjoy such brainless nonsense. But deep inside of me, there's still a little boy who used to dismember G.I. Joe action figures with firecrackers. And that little boy looks on Jason's works and calls them good.

The term "guilty pleasure" was practically invented for Friday the 13th and other films of its kind. Made on the cheap, devoid of substantial plot, filled with atrocious acting, and often downright incoherent, the never-ending saga of Jason Voorhees is almost totally free of redeeming qualities. It's one of pop culture's purest junk foods. So when I say the newest Jason flick is one of the best, I suppose that's like congratulating a homeless guy for not stinking too much. But the film is good black fun, a mean-spirited thrill ride that knows what it is and suffers no pretensions of being anything more. Once in a while, it's exhilarating to surrender to something so unapologetically stupid.

After my regrettable absence during Jason X's theatrical run, I would not be denied the new F13 reboot. (Don't get me started on Freddy vs. Jason. Just don't.) I went to the theater nice and early so I could claim a good seat. There were fifteen minutes to waste before the movie began and only a handful of people were in the theater as I walked in. An oldies station was playing over the cinema's sound system. I heard the Beatles caterwauling in prime nasal harmony: "All you need is love!" they demanded.

As a person sitting down to watch a Friday the 13th movie, the incongruity of this song was not lost on me.

Stranger still: It may sound unbelievable, but this particular fan of Jason Voorhees often carries a pocket-size version of Dhammapada: The Sayings of the Buddha. I am not a practicing Buddhist--or a practicing anything, for that matter--but I do enjoy reading the Buddha's teachings. They have a calming effect on the out-of-control whirligig that is my psyche. Even if the effect is momentary and illusory, I'll take what relief I can get.

I flipped open the Dhammapada and squinted my eyes in the dim light of the theater. The oldies station was playing Tom Jones now. "It's not unusual to be loved by anyone," Tom declared.

Better than a thousand hollow verses
Is one verse that brings peace.

Some bored teenagers across the aisle were throwing popcorn and M&M's at each other. One boy called another boy a "Fuckin' pussy." "Bring it, faggot!" was the reply.

It is better to conquer yourself
Than to win a thousand battles.

A few minutes passed this way. Then a very tall young man sat down directly in front of me. It was immediately obvious that I would be staring at the back of his head throughout the movie. Sigh. I stood up and moved to a different seat, grumbling profanities to myself.

Set your heart on doing good.
Do it over and over again,
And you will be filled with joy.

Finally, the lights went down and the previews began. First up was a glimpse of the forthcoming adaptation of Alan Moore's brilliant Watchmen comic. The loud, flashy preview did nothing to sway my cynical opinion that this movie is a terrible idea fueled by simple greed. There is zero chance that a two-hour movie will be able to capture the depth that Moore layered into his original story. As the preview ended, I made up my mind to skip the movie entirely.

As the rich merchant with few servants
Shuns a dangerous road
And the man who loves life shuns poison,
Beware the dangers of folly and mischief.

The next preview was for a Disney movie starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. In this film, the Rock is teamed with a pair of excessively cute kids who (I guess) also happen to be aliens. The preview featured a lot of family-friendly explosions and wisecracking. I think the movie's title had something to do with a Magic Mountain? Or was it Space Mountain? I could look it up, of course. But why would I?

Do not be reckless.
Meditate constantly.
Or you will swallow fire
And cry out: "No more!"

After that was a sneak peek at Confessions of a Shopaholic. I was going to make some snide comments about this preview as well, but I just…don't want to talk about it. My capacity for cinematic horror has its limit.

At last, the New Line Cinema logo appeared onscreen, appropriately drenched in crimson red. (Cue the music: Ki-ki-ki, ma-ma-ma…) And it didn't take long for matters to take shape, as a group of horny teens entered the Crystal Lake woods in search of a marijuana crop. As darkness fell, they set up camp and were soon engaged in the usual behavior of getting drunk, getting stoned, and fucking like beasts. They had heard the legend of Jason Voorhees, but didn't believe it was true. Of course.

But bad men move unseen
Like arrows in the night.

Soon, a beautiful, naked brunette was tied up inside of her sleeping bag and roasted alive over a roaring campfire.

But the fool in his mischief forgets
And he lights the fire
Wherein one day he must burn.

The flame-broiled girl's boyfriend returned to the scene, screamed in terror, and then stepped into a bear trap that Jason had carefully placed nearby. The boyfriend gaped in shock at the mangled red meat of his ankle. And, understandably, he screamed some more. But not for long.

All beings tremble before violence.
All fear death.
All love life.

And so it went. Arrow through the skull. Machete to the head. Screwdriver to the throat. I settled into my seat and let out a contented sigh. For me, watching Jason ply his trade was like slipping on that old pair of jeans with the ripped knees and frayed pockets. Familiar and comforting. Most of the people in the audience were teenagers, and I watched with amusement as many of them yelped, howled and cheered at all the proper moments. But, for me, the best moment was Jason's discovery of his trademark hockey mask. After slipping it on for the first time, he stepped in front of a mirror and took a long look at himself in the dust-covered glass.

When the world dissolves
Everything becomes clear.

I offered a loud "YEAH!" and several others in the audience echoed my sentiment.

Satisfied with his new look, Jason picked up his machete and went back to work. Audience approval would not have mattered to him. He is beyond such concerns. Faceless, voiceless, calm, focused. It occurred to me that if Jason could only get rid of that one nagging earthly desire to kill all human beings, he would be very Zen indeed.

I pondered this notion briefly, until I watched Jason impale a big-breasted blonde onto the antlers of a very large deer trophy. And I decided that nirvana might be too much to expect of Jason Voorhees. But, like the rest of us in the theater that night, he's only human.

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A Game*

Poetry By: ashi17

Tags: Love, Game, Mistery

Is love nature's idea of a game?

Submitted:Apr 20, 2013    Reads: 34    Comments: 3    Likes: 2

What is that string?
Which binds me with you,
After all those years of abstinence
Why can't we just cut it loose?
Was that something eternal?
Written before we even got this life,
A faded scar in our frail hands,
Or is it something we alone created?
Can it be our destiny?
To be together for a while,
Then separate to make our own ways,
Why do we have to live this way?
Or is it something vague?

With no clear meaning attached to it,
Perhaps nature's idea of a game,
Is death the only end to this pain?

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Matt Damen has a past. A past that involves lies, deceit, gangs and death. But how will he cope when that all... : Thrillers » Read

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Blind Beauty Must Change

Novel by xzebrax
Posted: Feb 29, 2012
emily is a girl with a troubeld life . her school life is...

im fun loving girl with a lot going on in my life and i love horses.I hope you like my books ive got loads to write !!! i like horse riding ice skating and going for long bike rides because i am a very sporty person! i also have loads of pets

i have 2 hamsters poppy and honeybut sadly honey died on the 12th of feb but ive still got poppy i also have 2 cats called kitty and felix (felix by name felix by nature)3 fish and a rabbit called chocolate!!!!  as i said i adore horses and i go horse riding.

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The ADVENTUROUS READERS CLUB at Books Inc. Laurel Village

The ADVENTUROUS READERS CLUB (Ages 9-12) will discuss book #1 in The Keepers series The Box and the Dragonfly by Ted Sanders.

Event date:
Sunday, June 7, 2015 - 1:00pm
Event address:
Books Inc.
3515 California St
San Francisco, CA
By Ted Sanders, Iacopo Bruno (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780062275820
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: HarperCollins - March 3rd, 2015

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April 2007

Jeff VanderMeer

Top Shelf X 4 = Required Reading

Last year, the apex of Top Shelf Productions's efforts had to be Alan Moore’s Lost Girls. This year, they’re starting off with four varied and interesting books by Jeff Lemire, Aleksandar Zograf, James Kochalka, and Jeffrey Brown. The Lemire and the Zograf strike me as absolute thoroughbreds, essential reading for anyone interested in the best comics have to offer. The Kochalka and Brown, however, provide significant reading pleasure as well.

Essex County Volume I: Tales From the Farm, by Jeff Lemire

In this heartfelt and beautifully sparse tale of an orphaned ten-year-old named Lester, Jeff Lemire uses an illustration style that perfectly captures the wide open spaces of rural Ontario. After Lester’s mother dies, he’s sent to live on his uncle’s farm. He hardly knows his uncle and his father has long since left the scene. Lester forms a friendship with a gas station attendant named Jimmy Lebeuf who used to be a professional hockey player until a bad hit knocked him out of the game. Together, the two comics fans build a rich fantasy life revolving around the possibility of an alien invasion. In a watermark grayscale, Lemire also provides flashbacks to both Lebeuf’s career and the details surrounding the death of Lester’s mother. Another section, showing pages from Lester’s own home-made comic book, is imaginative and funny.

The book has four parts, corresponding to the four seasons, and beginning with winter. If there wasn’t a word spoken in this understated and genuinely moving tale, readers would still appreciate the strength and off-hand precision of Lemire’s landscapes. From fields to farm equipment to the simple shapes of a gas station, Lemire manages to find the essence of each object and somehow give it an emphasis that makes you see it with fresh eyes. Tales From the Farm often has the same effect as the best black-and-white photography: making you focus in on what matters.

Essex County Volume I: Tales from the Farm, Jeff Lemire
Top Shelf Productions
ISBN 978891830884
112 Pages

Regards From Serbia by Aleksandar Zograf

Just as there have been multiple accounts of, for example, living through the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror, accounts of living through the horrors of Yugoslavia’s disintegration and civil war have been ubiquitous over the past few years. Top Shelf’s headline on its press release for this new title -- “Cartoonist Lives Through Bombings By NATO Forces” -- doesn’t help, and is hardly original. Basically, anyone who lived there during that time and is still breathing “lived through” those bombings. So, really, any assessment of this kind of creative nonfiction has to analyze how well the latest iteration either says something new or presents the information in a unique way.

I think Zograf succeeds by portraying both macro and micro views of the situation, with his focus always returning to the personal and the absurd. The devil really is in the details, so that a scene in which soldiers civilians think are there to rescue them just steal their radiator has an uncanny surrealism to it. Throughout the book, you find yourself engaging in uncomfortable laughter, because Zograf fully grasps the awful absurdity of the human condition during wartime. Aiding this effort is his bold yet fluid line work and his willingness to include fantastical elements and portents that capture psychological truths about the situation. Zograf is also able to draw realistic scenes and yet include within them strangeness and exaggeration, all while remaining causal and consistent. Most importantly, perhaps, these vignettes, observations, and stories give a more complex and perhaps ultimately more horrific view of the conflict than a documentary. Perhaps this is a simply because there are fewer constraints on a cartoonist. Perhaps it’s because if we were to see video or actual photographs documenting Yugoslavia’s disintegration we would have no distance from the horror. And by horror I mean not just the overarching horror of bloodshed and torment, but the day-to-day stress and the day-to-day struggle of people caught in the crossfire who try to find some way of not only living but of having a normal life of sorts. Regardless, Zograf has done an excellent job of personalizing the experience, but, more importantly, making it universal.

Regards From Serbia by Aleksandar Zograf
Top Shelf Publications
ISBN 978-891830-42-6
288 Pages

American Elf Vol. 2 by James Kochalka

Sometimes the sheer accumulation of mundane detail can be compelling -- if that detail veers between the humorous, the surreal, the sad, the silly, the inconclusive. American Elf Vol. 2 collects two years of daily observations by James Kochalka. In the three- or four-panel strip, both Kochalka and his wife are drawn as elves. Whether as a distancing technique or just to be gonzo, it tends to work in making the mundane slightly less familiar. While many of these strips are the kind of slice-of-life observations that can grow tiresome, they’re interspersed with more structured fare, and material that seems to have a kind of coiled Zen koen feeling to it, as Kochalka compresses a lot into a tiny space. Many of the sequences with the baby are particularly hilarious. The flat drawing style with its friendly color palate lends itself to explorations both realistic and more fantastical, as when an intern is drawn as a cyclops. Over the period of 720 days, the linkage between strips becomes stronger and stronger, creating an over-arching storyline that provides a nice counterpoint to the individual strips. Although I was prepared not to like American Elf, I found it hypnotic the more I read, the more I began to live in Kochalka’s world. There’s nothing subversive or, ultimately, that profound about American Elf -- maybe that’s part of the point -- but it’s comforting and generous in spirit. Those are both qualities worth seeking out.

American Elf Vol. 2, by James Kochalka
Top Shelf Publications
ISBN 978-891830-85-3
192 Pages

Feeble Attempts by Jeffrey Brown

Jeffrey Brown belongs to the school of deceptively simple artists. His illustrations in these collected vignettes tend to be deliberately primitive, which becomes obvious when he tries something more complex, like the hilarious “Cycloptopus” sequence, featuring a superhero with one eye and tentacles for arms. The extended “Cycloptopus” is side-splittingly funny. Some of the one-page comics suffer by comparison. A deliberately simple illustration style is fine, but it puts more weight on the scenarios and words. In about half the cases, Brown conveys something funny or something slightly profound. But in the rest, the vignettes just fizzle out while the art isn’t interesting enough to get excited about. However, for five bucks, it’s definitely worth seeking out.

Feeble Attempts, by Jeffrey Brown
Top Shelf Publications
48 Pages

Next Time

In the middle of April, I travel to San Diego. Once there, my fellow Eisner Award judges and I will be sequestered in a room until we’ve read any comics we haven’t already read from 2006. Then, we’ll decide on the Eisner finalists. Then, it will be Monday and I’ll be going home. Meanwhile, my wife will probably have had a great time exploring San Diego. On the other hand, I get to read comic books nonstop, with no distractions. Hopefully, I’ll have collected my thoughts sufficiently to discuss the Eisner Awards and the process next time.

Contact Info

Send complaints, compliments, concerns, and rambling rants about how wrong I am to: vanderworld at hotmail.com. (I’ll assume you don’t mind being quoted in this column if you send me something, unless you tell me otherwise.)

Send materials for review to Bookslut and to me at POB 4248, Tallahassee, FL 32315.