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• TRIACTIVE PROBIOTICS - 2 Adult Formulas & Triactive Junior for Kids

    — 16 Strains — 20 Billion CFU — Includes 5 Digestive Enzymes

    The Science Behind Triactive BioticsBuy Now
  • -- TriActive Probiotic Cap-in-Cap, TriActive Probiotic Jr., and NOW TriActive Advanced Care --

    — 3 TriActive Probiotic Solutions — Nominated 2015 Digestive Product of the Year!

    Features & BenefitsBUY NOW

Capsule-In-Capsule Technology

About TriActive Biotics

Introducing TriActive: The most revolutionary probiotic on the market today!

14 Different Strains & Strengths | 6 Billion Live Cultures per Capsule

Using a unique 3 step delivery system, Tri Active effectively releases a prebiotic and probiotics where they need to be in your  digestive system. Tri Active Biotics features multi-stage Capsule-in-Capsule technology. The unique Moisture Defense in Tri Active  provides shelf stability at room temperature, making it unnecessary to refrigerate.

Our prebiotic releases in the gut where it flourishes, unlike competing delayed release (D/R) caps. Probiotics release in the Prebiotic filled small intestine for superior nutrient absorption.

Featuring Advanced Probiotics

Probiotics are organisms such as bacteria or yeast that are believed to improve health. Researchers believe that some digestive disorders happen when the balance of friendly bacteria in the intestines becomes disturbed. Probiotics can improve intestinal function and maintain the integrity of the lining of the intestines. These friendly organisms make up 70% of the human immune system.

  • Patented Capsule-In-Capsule Technology

    This new patented capsule within a capsule system combines new prebiotic, probiotic and moisture defense technology to boost human immune systems and support the health of the gastrointestinal tract .

  • 14 Different Strains & Strengths

    Triactive contains 14 different strains of microflora, or friendly bacteria, which help maintain the natural balance of bacteria in the intestines and are specially formulated to cover every aspect of gut flora health.  This revolutionary new formula combines a prebiotic and probiotics into one simple capsule, with the benefits of both then delivered to various target areas of the gastrointestinal tract.

  • 3 Stage Delivery

    Triactive’s 3-stage delivery process enables maximum performance probiotic results effectively releasing a prebiotic and probiotics in specific areas in your digestive system for superior nutrient absorption.

    Stage 1: Triactive releases a liquid prebiotic into the stomach where it balances the pH in the gut, discourages the growth of unfriendly bacteria, and establishes a path of food for the probiotic.

    Stage 2: The inner capsule containing Triactive’s probiotics is protected from degradation and travels past the stomach.

    Stage 3:  Probiotics release in the Prebiotic-filled small intestine for superior nutrient absorption.

  • Maximum Growth Potential

    Triactive’s 14 different strains and strengths of probiotic is released into the intestine where the prebiotic has established a pathway of food for it to flourish. This allows the maximum rate of bacterial multiplication, providing the highest level of benefit.

  • Non GMO, Vegetarian & Gluten Free

    Triactive is Non-GMO which means it does not contain genetically modified organisms. Scientists and consumer and environmental groups have cited many health and environmental risks with foods containing GMOs.  Triactive is a vegetarian and gluten free product.

  • Shelf Stable

    In addition to its broad gastrointestinal benefits, TriActive Biotics provides Moisture Defense™, which helps keep moisture-sensitive compounds shelf-stable without refrigeration, unlike many other probiotic supplements.

The Science: Triactive Cap-in-Cap

Moisture Defense System

Tri Active utilizes an innovative delivery system designed for effective probiotic supplement delivery. The Moisture Defense System is an innovative application of a Capsule-in-a-Capsule technology that creates an internal and external barrier to water migration, perfect for moisture-sensitive compounds. Moisture sensitive compounds pull water from the environment or surrounding materials. The Moisture Defense System acts like an internal and external desiccant because both the HPMC capsules and the surrounding excipient system have half the water activity of the inner ingredient. That means twice the protection from moisture from one innovative system.

Advanced delivery science creates conditions for optimal TriActive probiotic delivery.

The Pre-Pro Combo is an example of the Moisture Defense System in action. It combines a probiotic in a sealed HPMC capsule, suspended in a liquid-based prebiotic formula inside of another sealed HPMC capsule. This Moisture Defense System not only creates an external barrier, but it also pulls moisture from the probiotic, so the ingredient remains inactive until it is ready to go to work in your system.

How Triactive Biotics Works

  • Stage 1 - Prebiotic Release

    TriActive releases a liquid prebiotic into the stomach where it balances the pH in the gut, discourages the growth of unfriendly bacteria, and establishes a path of food for the probiotic.

  • Stage 2 - Probiotic Protection

    Through capsule-in-capsule or microencapsulation technology, Tri Active’s probiotic are protected from degradation and travels past the stomach.

  • Stage 3 - Probiotic Delivery

    Tri Active probiotic is released into the intestine where the prebiotic has established a pathway of food for it to flourish. This gives you the maximum rate of bacterial multiplication, providing the highest level of benefit.

  • Lactobacillus Acidophilus

    Lactobacillus Acidophilus gives support to control diarrhea, reduces bad cholesterol by conversion to coprostanol, allowing elimination. Helps reduce lactose intolerance. Controls candida overgrowth, protects GI mucosa and strengthens the immune system for defense.

  • Bifidobacterium Infantis

    Bifidobacterium Infantis and Bifidobacterium Longum have many positive functions in the GI tract. They both are the main inhabitant of every healthy infant’s GI tract and are synergistic with B. Bifidum. B. Longum compliments prevention of potential nitrite toxicity from the diet.

  • Lactobacillus Rhamnosus

    Lactobacillus Rhamnosus has strong affinity for mucosal support through adhering to mucosal membrane, inhibits fungal/bacterial vaginal infections and promotes infection prevention.

  • Lactobacillus Bulgaricus

    Lactobacillus Bulgaricus produces lactic acid therefore promoting a healthy GI environment, growth of friendly bacteria. Fights GI infection. Overall immune support.

  • Bifidobacterium Bifidum

    Bifidobacterium Bifidum are prominent in the ileum and vagina. B. Bifidum is responsible for production of specialized acids preventing risk of candida overgrowth and pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, B. Bifidum contributes to vitamin B production and bile detoxification, which compliments predictability of estrogen recycling. Nitrogen retention in children is another benefit of B. Bifidum.

  • Lactobacillus Casei

    Lactobacillus Casei promotes peristalsis, elimination, and balance of microbial community. Prevents diarrhea and supports the immune system.

  • Lactobacillus Plantarum

    Lactobacillus Plantarum produces lactic acid, inhibiting growth of GI pathogens. Fights against flatulence.

  • Lactospore

    Lactospore has been shown to help with the following conditions: Lactose intolerance, gastro-intestinal infections, hyperchole- sterolemia, hepatic coma and precoma.

  • Lactobacillus Salivarius

    Lactobacillus Salivarius fights against flatulence. It is antibiotic resistant and therefore fights against antibiotic – induced diarrhea.

  • Streptococcus Thermophilus

    Streptococcus Thermophilus represents carbohydrate processing through fermentation.
    Enhanced digestion of milk, inhibits harmful bacteria.

  • L. reuteri

    L. reuteri -Results have been found in adults; those consuming L. reuteri daily end up falling ill 50% less often, as measured by their decrease use of sick leave. This is accomplished through its antimicrobial effect.

  • L. acidophilus DDS-1

    L. acidophilus DDS-1 was shown to have 6 extraordinary criteria that it meets to differentiate it from other probiotic strains.
    1. Grow and multiply rapidly
    2. Easy attachment to intestinal epithelium and colonization
    3. Resistance to acid
    4. Resistance to bile
    5. Production of natural health-defending substances
    6. Enhance immune factors
    It also enhances the production of B-vitamins, particularly folic acid and Vitamin B12, which are biocatalysts in metabolism.

Organic Prebiotic | Microencapsulated 16 Strains and Strengths Probiotic

20 Billion Live Cultures per Capsule | 5 Digestive Enzymes

TriActive-Advanced_PIll-Set_Of1 TriActive Biotics “Advanced Care” is our maximum strength solution for those who may need a higher CFU count. Also recommended during, and after any course of anti-biotics, or to address specific digestive and immune issues.

  • 20 Billion CFU before BAC5 Activity
  • 16 Strains
  • 5 Times more effective with Microencapsulation
  • Includes 5 Digistive exzymes
  • Non GMO
  • Allergen Free
  • No Animal Byproduct
  • Shelf Stable.
  • Prebiotic – (Organic VitaFiber-IMO) Delivered directly to the stomach to balance the pH, ward off the growth unfriendly bacteria, and establish a path of “food” utilized by the Probiotic as it moves into the small intestine.
  • Microencapsulated Probiotic – 16 Probiotic strains that are lipid coated (100% Food Grade) making them resistant to the acidic environment of the stomach, moisture, and ‘hostile’ ingredients like enzymes, allowing 100% of bacteria to be delivered to the intestine alive and viable. (Survival rate of strains have been analyzed in both real and simulated gastric environments, as well as human cross-over fecal recovery studies.)
  • Digestive Enzymes – 5 digestive enzymes break down polymeric macromolecules into smaller building blocks in order to facilitate their absorption by the body. This process essentially aids in the digestion of food, as well as inside cells, where they function to maintain cellular survival.

No Artificial Colors | No Artificial Preservatives | Gluten Free

Does NOT contain any soy, milk, egg, wheat, gluten, peanuts/ tree nuts, animal byproducts, or artificial colors.

TriActive Probiotic Junior

NEW TriActive Biotics Junior

TriActive’s 2 Stage–Advanced Delivery–Prebiotic and Probiotic Formula
Supports Children’s Immune and Digestive Health.

￼TriActive Biotics Junior utilizes Microencapsulation technology, a process where the probiotic is covered with a natural protective coating. This enables safe delivery to the optimal location, the small intestine.

This technology was shown in studies to deliver “friendly” live cultures to the target location 5 times greater than brands that aren’t microencapsulated.

TriActive Biotics Junior also contains a prebiotic that creates important metabolites that balance the pH of the stomach, wards off the growth of unfriendly bacteria, and creates a path of food for the “friendly” probiotic to multiply.
The micro encapsulation process also gives the product a longer active life span and avoids the necessity of refrigeration.
￼
￼

TriActive Junior Product Highlights:

•  6 Billion CFU at 30 day dosage*

• Formulated to optimize children’s immune and digestive health*

•  5 Times more effective with Microencapsulation*

•  Maximum growth potential*

•  No artificial colors or flavors*

•  Moisture Defense Bottle*

•  Non GMO*
•  Allergen free*
•  Gluten free*
•  Naturally sweetened*

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Senior class leads Sewickley Academy boys soccer to another strong season

Sunday, November 22, 2020 | 11:01 AM

The Sewickley Academy boys soccer team was on the brink of a berth into the WPIAL Class A championship for the first time since winning it all in 2016.

The Panthers ran into No. 2 seed Winchester Thurston in the WPIAL Class A semifinals and took the defending PIAA Class A runner-up into overtime before falling 2-1 in a highly competitive match.

“To be fair, we were very good during that matchup,” Sewickley Academy coach Nate Richter said. “We had the ball for a large chunk of time and pinned them back a lot, but they are a very good team, though, and it’s tough to hold a team of that caliber down for that long.”

Although it ended earlier than the Panthers would’ve liked, it was a season to be proud of. They finished with a regular season record of 10-2-1 and earned the No. 6 seed in the WPIAL playoffs with only two real blemishes on their schedule, both of which came against No. 3 seed Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, one loss and one tie.

The Panthers did get revenge on OLSH, and their victory, a 1-0 decision in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL playoffs, may have meant a little more as it allowed them to keep their season alive.

“That is a great group of kids and coaches over there, but any time you have that section-versus-section rivalry, it adds a little more juice to the game,” Richter said. “So our kids were excited to play them because it was the only blip on our schedule. It was super gratifying to come out with a victory in the quarterfinal, and it was a huge victory for not only the team but the community as well to get back into a semifinal.”

After an impressive season, the Panthers will now have to find a way to replace a class of eight seniors, seven of whom started for Richter on a consistent basis.

Those seniors did more than provide the team with a core group of skillful players. The class of 2020 led the Panthers when the status of the season was unknown. They organized practices in the offseason, held their teammates accountable and made sure the team was ready to compete when the lights turned on.

“I can’t reiterate how huge our seniors were and how impactful they were, not just on the field, where their play obviously speaks for itself, but off the field as well,” Richter said. “They kept things organized when coaches weren’t allowed to be present. They kept classmates accountable for their actions so we never had any incidents.”

Sewickley Academy is normally a successful boys soccer program, and senior classes leaving a positive impact is normally a sign of everlasting success. The 2020 class was just another example of that, and Richter believes their impact will still be felt a few years from now.

“You always try to build upon the season prior, and we had some young kids get some vital experience and play some important minutes, and that’s something they can always look back on, their growth and development,” Richter said. “The senior class of this year did that when they were freshmen, and that’s super important for the development process of the team.”

Now, moving forward, with another solid season under their belt, the Panthers are looking to build even further as they look to 2021.

“I think any coach hopes that it would motivate his players and it will drive them on,” Richter said. “Being so close with going to overtime and losing by one, or one second so to speak, hopefully it drives the underclassmen on to work hard in the offseason and gets them geared up and energized to take another crack at it.”

Greg Macafee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Greg by email at or via Twitter .

More High School Soccer Boys

Westmoreland notebook: Youngstown State right fit for Norwin’s Rigone
Greensburg Central Catholic grads Nate Ward, Luke Mort to face off in NCAA College Cup
Deer Lakes defender Colton Spence commits to Robert Morris
Dan Yates resigns as Deer Lakes boys soccer coach after successful 2-year run
Belle Vernon hires boys soccer coach

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Russian sources: Moscow gave Iran the high precision tech for missiles that struck US bases in Iraq

 Jan 19, 2020 @ 9:37 F-35 planesIran missiles strike US base in IraqRussian GLONASS

The high precision technology accounting for the astonishing accuracy of Iran’s missile strike on the US Ain Al Asad air base in Iraq on Jan. 8 came from Moscow, say Russian media quoting local military sources. They name the technology as the GLONASS global navigation system, which corresponds to the American GPS, and had the effect of reducing the Iranian missiles’ targeting error to just 10 meters.

The same sources report that the Iranians launched altogether 19 missiles against the Ain al Asad base n western Iraq, of which 17 struck dead center of their targets.

DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the accuracy of impact amazed US and Israel intelligence, which had not been aware of this Iranian capacity. Its significance is such that – whether provided by Russia or self-made – Iran’s short- and medium-range missiles can reach any point in the Middle East that is unprotected by effective anti-missile systems within a 700km radius.

Still defending Russia’s downing of the Ukrainian airliner, killing all 176 people aboard, hours after the Iranian attacks on US bases in Iraq, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed there were “at least six F-35 fighters in the air in the Iranian border area at the time” when Iranian forces “were braced for some kind of US military retaliation.” Lavrov did not say whether the planes belonged to the US air force or Israel.

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  5. Mandalay
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Ywatha-e Destination Guide

Delve into Ywatha-e in Myanmar

Ywatha-e in the region of Mandalay is located in Myanmar - some 123 mi or ( 197 km ) North of Nay Pyi Taw , the country's capital .

Interactive map of Ywatha-e

Local time in Ywatha-e is now 04:02 PM (Tuesday) . The local timezone is named " Asia/Rangoon " with a UTC offset of 6.5 hours. Depending on your mobility, these larger destinations might be interesting for you: Phayao, Mae Hong Son, Lampang, Chiang Rai, and Chiang Mai. While being here, you might want to check out Phayao . We discovered some clip posted online . Scroll down to see the most favourite one or select the video collection in the navigation. Are you curious about the possible sightsseing spots and facts in Ywatha-e ? We have collected some references on our attractions page.

9:41 min by nijiirobiyori
Views: 9325 Rating: 4.43

ミャンマーの旅（前編：ヤンゴン〜バガン） 2008/12/27〜2009/01/02に旅したときの模様 ..

Unit Blue - Follow Freedom

6:59 min by planetinspiration
Views: 5962 Rating: 4.69

Brilliant Chill Out Tune from the Album: Unit Blue - Free Motion ( Planet Inspiration ) Video shows a road movie style through the beautiful country of Myanmar. Unit Blue on Facebook: www.facebook.com ..

2:16 min by Tabinshwehtee
Views: 219 Rating: 0.00

Wai Bu Sayardaw's Memorials

1:38 min by usoemin
Views: 32 Rating: 0.00

This video was taken by me during my visit to Wai Bu Chaung, Kyaukse Town, Mandalay, Myanmar on 6th September 2012. This small building called "Ariya Thain Daw" was blessed by the famous monks (widely ..

Videos provided by Youtube are under the copyright of their owners.

Interesting facts about this location

Mandalay International Airport

Mandalay International Airport (Burmese: မန္တလေး အပြည်ပြည်ဆိုင်ရာ လေဆိပ်), located 35 km south of Mandalay in Tada-U, is one of only three international airports in Burma. Completed in 1999, the airport is the largest and most modern airport in the country, complete with a 14,000-foot (4267-m) runway which is the longest runway in use in Southeast Asia and capacity to handle up to 3 million passengers a year. It is the main operating base of Golden Myanmar Airlines.

More reading: Wikipedia Article
Located at 21.70 95.98 (Lat./Long.); Less than 21 km away
Tags: Airports in Burma, Mandalay

Related Locations

Information of geographic nature is based on public data provided by geonames.org, CIA world facts book, Unesco, DBpedia and wikipedia. Weather is based on NOAA GFS.


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You can book here!

Select Date
Select Time
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Number of participants
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Sake Brewery & Fushimi-Inari Shrine

This tour is a half day tour exploring Fushimi-Inari shrine and strolling through the town of sake cellars and tasting sake.

When you visit the Fushimi district, you surely come to like Sake! Why?

There are three reasons.
1: The best wine comes from good soils, while the best sake comes from crisp clean water. It takes 8 liters of water to make one liter of sake. This naturally purified spring water flows beneath the Fushimi Hill, making it an ideal location for sake brewing, since sake brewing requires an abundant supply of high quality water.
2: The techniques and tradition of sake brewing has been preserved for more than 1000 years in Fushimi, which is located near Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan.
3: Leading sake breweries in Japan including Gekkeikan are based in Fushimi, and have been incorporating the latest technologies while transmitting Japanese food culture to the world.

Pick up at hotel -> Fushimi-Inari Shrine -> Sake Brewery (Best spring water and Sake Tasting. Optional, advanced booking is required.)

If you cancel your reservation, the following cancellation fees and remittance charge will be charged:
(1) 14-3 days before the program day: 20 % of the program fee
(2) 2 days before the program day: 50 % of the program fee
(3) one day before, on the departure day, or cancellation without notice: 100 % of the program fee

Basic Fee (Per Group)
Fee per Person

Total Price = Basic Fee + Fee per Person * Number of Participants + Tax

3.5 hours

Sake Brewery

Fushimi-Inari Shrine

Guiding fee
Public transportation fee (For taxis or hired cars, additional fee will be charged.)
Admission fee

Cost of meal and sightseeing activities

◆Please follow the guide's instruction during the program. We shall not be responsible for any accident caused by disregard of the instructions.
◆Please advise us if you have any religious or health restrictions, allergies, or the case where you would like to request a special care for participants, including children. Please email us at to check an availability and share the information.
Please note that any programs booked without an inquiry will not be guaranteed.
◆Our services are mainly offered in English. In addition, services in other languages, such as Chinese, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian are also available. In case you would like services in languages other than English, please inquire us at as soon as possible. We will check an availability.
◆Deadline for booking of this program is 10:00 am of 2 business days (JST) prior to the program date except for the peak season described in the note below.
When booking the programs held during the peak season and after the deadline, please be sure to email us at to confirm an availability.
Please note that any programs to be held during the peak season and booked after the deadline without a prior confirmation may not be guaranteed.
*Note : Peak season is from March 20th to April 30th

◆Our business hours are from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays. For inquiries received outside the business hours, we will look into it and respond on the next business day.

Not available.


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This pig is gone! And when we say gone? We mean gone; erased; flushed; zapped; vanished; deleted; dead!

“A hallmark of authoritarian regimes is to call truth into question — except as the regime defines it. Russian president Vladimir Putin offers up a fog of disinformation to maintain power, including denying obvious facts (such as Russian involvement in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17), spouting falsehoods and deflecting attention with nonsensical comparisons (dubbed ‘whataboutism’).” Then the authors quote former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul: “A cumulative effect of all these tactics is nihilistic debasement of the very concept of truth.”

The new book “Donald Trump and His Assault on Truth” by WaPo fact-checkers Glenn Kessler, Salvador Rizzo, and Meg Kelly

We can trace the history of Trump’s duplicity back to the early 1980s, when deeply flawed and in need of funds, Russian oligarchs targeted the pipsqueak millionaire, and began to groom the coquettish mandarin with the vague promise of loans, laundered cash and perhaps most appealing to a man so tawdry and flawed: Power. The KGB knew his flaws and they knew that he was a malignant narcissist. They played to his greed and they won him over. He worked first as a “useful idiot.” And, make no mistake, the KGB knew they were dealing with a deeply psychotic personality. Thus the KGB, including a prominent black ops operative named Vladimir Putin, were gambling that those flaws and that mentally sick man would pay dividends at some future date. Never in their wildest dreams did the KGB think that this sociopath would become President of the United States of America. He did. Thus spake Zarathustra.

An authoratarian douchebag without one teeny tiny piece of redemptive thought or will, Donald Trump is proving what every single Democrat knew before his election. He’s a dumb, ill-educated, striviing, desperate, misogynistic, racist pig. No one disputes that now. The only thing added is the dementia, and the paranoia that feeds his sociopathy. Now? Along with that hodgepodge of desipcable character traits, America, sadly has to factor in the very real possibility that this barking mad psychopath willl actually destroy the country.

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News Sourced Wired

Now, Spidey-sense suit that alerts you when someone gets too close

London, Feb 23 (ANI): Scientists from the University of Illinois in Chicago have developed a suit, called SpiderSense, that has small robotic arms packaged in modules with microphones that send out and pick up ultrasonic reflections from objects.

When the ultrasound detects a person moving closer to the microphone, the arms respond by exerting a growing pressure on the body.

Seven of these modules are distributed across the suit to give the wearer close to 360 degree ultrasound coverage, according to New Scientist.

“When someone is punching Spider-Man, he feels the sensation and can avoid it. Our suit is the same concept,” Victor Mateevitsi, the maker of the suit said.

He said that SpiderSense could help blind people to find their way more easily.

Mateevitsi tested the suit out on students, getting them to stand outside on campus, blindfolded, and “feel” approaching attackers.

Each wearer had ninja cardboard throwing stars to use whenever they sensed someone approaching them.

He said that 95 percent of the time they were able to sense someone approaching and throw the star at them.

Mateevitsi’s work is a step on the road to giving humans truly integrated extrasensory perception, Gershon Dublon of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who also works on augmenting parts of the human body said.

Mateevitsi wants to use the suit, or just a few sensors on the arms and back, to boost cyclists’ awareness of other traffic on the road.

The team now plans to add more sensors to the suit to increase its resolution. (ANI)


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Procedure to Subscribe to TSEWA Yahoo Mail Group

Lot of members after becoming members of TSEWA have stated they are not receiving any updates from TSEWA. To receive emails from TSEWA group mail, you have to subscribe to the same as under:

– On becoming TSEWA member, send  a request from your registered email id to Brig Vidyasagar email id ( He, as Admin, will send you an invitation to join TSEWA Yahoo Mail Group. Kindly click on tab ACCEPT INVITATION .

– At times you may not see the tab due to problem with your browser, then kindly send an e-mail to Yahoo groups  e mail id,

–  Please do not type above e-mail id as you are likely to omit or add one extra letter which will result in bouncing of your mail. Just copy and paste the above e-mail id into your mail.

– Yahoo groups will redirect that mail to him and he will make you a member of TSEWA Yahoo mail group. Then  you will receive all mails from him & other members.

– You too can send mail to all members by typing e-mail id :

– If you also wish to be a member of the Triservices Veterans group (a group meant for more social related activity), please send a mail to

Once you do this, you should be on the mailing list and will receive all mails.

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Payment of Penal Interest on Disability Element to Maj D N Saxena

Payment of Penal Interest of IC-20329l Maj D N Saxena of Disability Element @ 9% as Per PPO No M/Dis/3050/2017 And Court Judgement

Mail from Maj  D N Saxena on Oct 3, 2017:

Hav Harish Asthana (Retd) President UP TSEWA, was instrumental in getting me my long awaited 9% Penal Interest from PNB Mathura Branch as per the AFT PB  NEW DELHI ORDERS resulting in crediting Rs 3,84,872/ in my bank account today. I am indebted to Mr Asthana for his relentlessly pursuing my case with PNB NEW DELHI HQ ,PNB LUCKNOW N PNB AGRA and guiding them in calculations of outstanding amount.

Major D N Saxena
TSEWA No 3305
Mob 9412727382.

Mail from Hav Harish Asthana on 3 October 2017:

Dear Sir,

I would like to inform all that I had lodged the complaint  of Maj DN Saxena in CPENGRAM & kept in constant touch by giving reminders/phone calls to the PNB official & Army veteran Cell (Min of Def) since Jul 2017 because of which the sum of Rs 3,84,872/- as 9% penal interest has now (03 Oct 2017) been paid by PNB Mathura.

I would like to extend my special thanks to Mr Jitender Tanwar of PNB, who has helped me a lot in this regard.

With thanks & regards

Yours faithfully,

Hav H C Asthana, (Retd)
President TSEWA
Uttar Pradesh
TSEWA No. 1849

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Tap Ball 101: Community Prizes

Some changes were made to the Community Prizes on 7/7, these changes have been updated on the post below.  You can also check out more details on the change post here

Hey Howdy Hey Tappers!

Act 2 of Tap Ball launched last week and with it we saw the return of Community Prizes!

Initially launched in October 2013, Community Prizes was another aspect of events designed to get the Tapped Out Community to work together for a goal, in each case the goal was a group of prizes.  They were short lived though, as we only saw them for Halloween 2013 and Christmas 2013 (You can check out details from Halloween here and details from Christmas here).  After that EA tried a bunch of different methods to engage people in the games, but there were always cries for Community Prizes to return.  So now those long time Tappers have their wish and they’re back!

Of course being that they were only around for the last two major events in 2013, I know many of today’s Tappers have no clue what they are, how they work, or what the heck is going on.  I also know that the numbers can seem overwhelming, they always have.  So let’s break down the ins and outs of Community Prizes and how exactly they work for this event….

2015-07-06 13.56.18

As always let’s start with the basics…

What Are Community Prizes?

Community Prizes are a group of prizes that can be won in your Springfield if the ENTIRE Tapped Out Community reaches the goals set by EA.

Is the Counter Just For Me and My Neighbors, or Is It Tapped Out Players World Wide?

It’s the collective total of ALL Tapped Out Players World Wide, so not just you and your neighbors.

How Do I Unlock the Community Prizes?

Community Prizes will unlock at Part 9 of the Act 2 questline.  You’ll get a prompt that says this:

2015-07-03 08.21.18

That will unlock your ability to see the prizes and start collecting Sports Balls.

How Do I Collect Sports Balls?

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There are a few of different ways to get Sports Balls:
-You can purchase them in the Amateur Shop for 500 40 ico_june2015_amateurbucks_md
-You can earn them from Daily Training Tasks (there are three in Daily Training (and each one should unlock several balls for you to throw), but won’t appear for a little while)
-You can earn them by collecting balls your neighbors send you. (we’ll cover this more in depth below) If you see a ball bouncing around in your town tap on it.  You have a 20% 68% chance that that ball you collected will earn you a ball to throw at your neighbors town.

How Does it Work?

It’s pretty simple really, you collect Sports Balls and send them to your neighbors and that’s it.
You’ll have a sports ball counter on the bottom left of your Main Springfield (next to Cap and Amateur Buck totals), this will tell you how many Sports Balls you have available to throw.

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When you have more than 1 you can visit a neighbor and you’ll see in the upper right corner of their screen the Sports Ball Icon with a the number of balls you have available to throw.  Tap on that Icon to throw the ball.

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You’ll then see the ball rolling around your friend’s Springfield.

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And that’s it, you’ve contributed to the Community Prize Total!

For the Questline, Do I Need to Spend the 500 ico_june2015_amateurbucks_md to Complete it?

Honestly, I’m not 100% sure because I’ve already completed it.  I know that you do need to complete the questline for Act 2 in order to advance to the Act 3 questline when it hits.  I’ve seen a few comments from players saying ones they’ve collected in their town have counted towards the task complete, but I have not been able to verify it myself.
Personally, I think right now Amateur Bucks are a little easier to accumulate, especially with the fans dropping them…so for the greater community I say  just spend the 500 Bucks when you can…or as they say in baseball “suck it up and take one for the team”.

Do I Have to Participate to Get the Prizes?

No, as long as you unlock the ability to get the prizes you don’t have to participate to actually get them.  BUT I say yes, participate.  Buy some balls and put them in your neighbors town.  You don’t have to do it a ton, but every once in a while is nice.  It helps everyone out to get those prizes.  So don’t be selfish and be a “team player”, everyone’s participation (no matter how great or small) is what makes the goals achievable.

What Happens When I See A Sports Ball In My Town?

You will see sports balls rolling along in your town (they can be VERY hard to see, especially if you have a large town).  They’ll look like one of these:

ico_june2015_soccerball_lg ballbeach_back_walk_image_1 ballfootball_back_walk_image_1

If you see one, Tap on it!  You’ll have 20% 68% chance of earning a free sports ball to throw to another neighbor!   It’s a great way to earn free Sports Balls!

Will I See Any Sort of Notification That There’s a Sports Ball In My Town?

No.  There are no popups indicating that someone left you a Sports Ball.  It’s mostly just look around your town, if you see it Tap it.  But for the most part you’re “flying blind” about it.

Will I Be Able To See Who Left Me a Sports Ball?

When you Tap on the Sports Balls they’ll only say Ball Collected (or + 1 Sports Ball if it’s one of those 20% ones) it will not tell you which neighbor left it.

I’ve Been Sending Balls To Me Neighbors and No Ones Throwing Them Back, What Gives?

First of all remember that there’s no indication in the game who sent the ball a player just tapped.  So they may not know how to give credit too.
Second, it’s difficult to accumulate Sports Balls.  Just because you sent one doesn’t mean the player will have one to send back.  Even if they tap on that one there’s only a 20% chance it’ll turn into a Sports Ball to throw…so be patient and don’t unfriend people because of it.

Remember it’s a Community Goal.  As long as they’re throwing Sports Balls too, whether they’re to you or not, means that they’re contributing to the Community Total for the prizes…and that’s something everyone should be happy with.

How Long Do I Have to Tap A Ball in My Town?  Do They Disappear After a While?

Honestly, I don’t know.  I’m still checking to see if I see anything in the files that indicates a timer on them.  However, I can tell you I dropped a Sports Ball in my C town from my A town a couple of days ago and it’s no longer bouncing around in my C town.  So it does look like they have a timer, how of a timer?  That I’m unsure of at this time.

What Are the Community Prizes?

Here’s the breakdown:

Tapped_Out_Community_Prize_Donuts10 Donuts- 110,880,000 ico_june2015_soccerball_lg

springfieldarms_menu Springfield Arms- 230,400,000ico_june2015_soccerball_lg

tasteofdufftruck_menu Taste of Duff Beer Truck- 402,200,000 ico_june2015_soccerball_lg

thegridiron_menu The Gridiron- 538,040,000 ico_june2015_soccerball_lg

How Can I View the Prizes/Counter?

It’s simple, just bring up the event hub in your town.  Scroll to the very bottom and you’ll see the Community Prize icon, tap on it and it’ll show you the prizes and latest totals.

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Why Is the Counter Going So Slow?!  It Feels like We’re NEVER Going to Earn All the Prizes!

I know.  It’s moving slow right now.  I get it, everyone’s frustrated by it.  But keep in mind we’ve never not achieved all of the Community Prizes, I have a feeling now that the holiday weekend is over something will happen to cause the counter to start to spike.

I can also tell you that the in game counter is only an estimate of what the actual total is.  While the counter itself is very real, the one we see in game (because it changes every second) is only an estimate based on the last average the server took.

So just keep playing your game and try not to focus too much on the numbers.

And that I think covers all of the details of the Community Prizes!  Hopefully all of the players who weren’t around in 2013, will now get the hang of things and we can all work together to earn the prizes!

What are your thoughts on Community Prizes?  Thoughts about the prizes being offered?  How about the Sports Ball challenge?  Have you earned any for free so far by tapping?  Sound off in the comments below, you know we love hearing from you!

191 responses to “Tap Ball 101: Community Prizes

  1. What did I miss to unlock community prizes? I never got the little trophy tab, although I thought I completed all the quests. I keep getting notices that j have won sports balls, but don’t know where they are. I read through all this and realized I never saw the storyline mentioned with the community prizes. What gives?

  2. If you’ve got notifications set up on your phone you will receive a pop up telling you when someone has thrown a ball in your town as well as who threw it. But if you don’t happen to see the notification when it pops up you’ll never know who dunnit!

  3. Hi I’ve got a question, My four main players are now at max levels for playing tap ball. I have other players that are not yet at max. Is it better to buy balls to throw in neighbours’ towns or is it better to upgrade my other players? Do I need to upgrade my other players for Act 3?

    • Just depends n what you want. I think upgrading one team is a good idea. As for balls, I have just been gifting the freebies I’ve collected in my town and saving up my tickets to buy items for my stadium. SO far I’ve got two uprights and a goal. The ability to upgrade should remain in Act III. Ultimately it’s up to you how you want to play. I definitely plan on buying some balls in Act II to send out, just waiting to see how the whole next part looks, ya know?

      • So you aren’t upgrading anymore characters then? I have the four main characters at max, but the other ones are not.

        I’ll take your advice on the balls and just send the freebies.

  4. How dose the counter go faster or I will not get the prizes bc it runs out of session in 8days help

    • The counter theoretically counts balls that are put in place by tappers worldwide. The only way you can help is to do your part in throwing balls into neighbors towns. Hopefully EA fixes the goals so we get the prizes. Beyond that there is nothing we can do.

  5. I didn’t have to spend 500 ameture bucks to get a sports ball. I only spent 40 bucks & once I sent it to my fiancé town, he’s goal was completed.

  6. So a friend of mine said “Yeah, I dropped 3 balls in your town about 2 hours ago.” I went and looked and see nothing. Is it possible that when you hit a fan and they “blow up” that it could also hit one of the balls and clear it as well?

  7. I’m totally lost. how do I play with the community prizes. I can’t buy balls

    • You have to unlock the ability…explanation is in the post above…and then you can see the balls to buy in the amateur shop.

    • You personally have no control over the community prizes. & what I mean when I say you have no control… I mean that there’s nothing you can rush, there’s no task that you can complete. The community prizes is I guess the amount of times a sports ball has been dropped world wide. You have to let it run its course. As soon as it reaches its certain amount you get the prize. The other day my fiancé & I got ten donuts from the community prizes. For some reason those donuts disappeared. So spend them right away & don’t be surprised if a glitch steals your donuts.

  8. Okay so we’ve unlocked the first community prize but I didn’t get any donuts and I’ve been throw balls like crazy. It came up in game “First Community prize unlocked Reward 10 donuts” and I had them for about 2 minutes them I got an error that said Tapped Out has stopped working. I reentered, and my donuts were gone! What’s going on?

    • The same thing happened to me except I didn’t get a error message I just visited my krustyland. I had them for maybe a min or two also and poof they were gone. Is there anyway to get them back? Have you figured anything out on it?

    • That’s what happened to me. My donuts were gone. It was probably a stupid glitch idk what happened tho. I just hope if I unlock the building that it doesn’t just disappear.

  9. I was on my b town and recieved the 10donuts and then visited my krustyland n came back n donuts disappeared. And then was on my daughters town got the donuts and visit her friends and came back n they disappeared. How is it possible to receive 10 donuts for the community prize and then not get to use them because they disappeared and not even by logging off I was still on the same town.

  10. Michelle vale

    After receiving my 10free community donuts,they disappeared after only a few minutes. My total donuts went down to zero. Why did this happen,will i get them back?

  11. Got the donuts and then they dissapeared

  12. Boy – I really noticed the increase in the percentage of collected balls that “count” this morning…I came into my game to find three balls bouncing around my town (thank you, neighbors!) and, when I tapped them, all three added to my count!

    I also noticed something else that I think is new… Today, I got a notification that one of my neighbors, *mentioned by name!* had left a ball in my town (thanks, Brooders!!). I still didn’t see any names when I collected the balks, so I only know where one out of the the came from, but that’s better than nothing!

    Good changes! 🙂

  13. Don’t know if anyone has experienced similar or maybe just a coincidence. …
    However I know we have 20% at collecting a free one but the only ones that have added to my total is actual soccer balls. If its a beach ball or an American football then they clear…
    I have not tapped a soccer ball yet that I have not been able to re-use.

    Is that why it’s 20% or can the other balls be collected and become a ‘free one’?

  14. Am I the only one seeing we completed the 10 donuts? My Tapped out says that we have unlocked it yet it still shows the lock over the prize and I didn’t get anything even though I’ve been throwing balls…..

    • It’s happened off an on for me for the last few days…when the donuts are actually achieved a popup will appear in your game saying you’ve won…

    • I am seeing the same and I didn’t get the donuts even though I was throwing balls

  15. Marymacnblack

    The total changed AND the price of the balls dropped!! Woo hoo!!!

  16. The goals set for community prizes have dropped drastically. Just checked and it’s a little over 3 million balls for the first prize.

  17. Have they reduced the totals needed? Doughnut prize now seems to require a total of 3 million instead.

  18. Have they dropped the total required for the community prizes? We’re suddenly a lot closer!

  19. The amount needed to earn the donuts have now dropped to 3,266,000 so now things are a little more realistic

  20. They just change the amount of balls for the community prizes 🙂

  21. They just changed the needed numbers on these something crazy. Instead of 110 million for the 10 donuts it’s now 3 and some change.

  22. I just checked my community prize counter and it appears that EA realized how much of a challenge 110,000,000+ was going to be to achieve – the first prize can be earned with 3,266,000 balls now – like it has been said by the writers of this site – we have always earned all of the community prizes .. No more doom and gloom 😄

  23. Seeing that the first prize has been obtained how do I get it now?

  24. Just noticed the amount needed for the first prize has dropped drastically
    We are now halfway there. I’m guessing Ea overestimated how many would be purchasedand reduced the totals needed

  25. Surprise, surprise! EA changed the amount needed for the first community prize to 3,266,000. As someone who has been around for community prizes, I know it was only a matter of time.

  26. I just checked and the total needed has been VASTLY reduced. We are almost to the first prize now because they took it from 110,000,000 to just over 3,000,000. This now seems doable.

  27. I doubt I’ll be the first person to comment here but it looks like they’ve reduced the number of balls needed for each prize. In my game I now see the community donuts are only 3,266,000 which means we’re over halfway there 🙂

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Posts Tagged ‘ben bernanke

Gone In 60 Seconds: IBM’s New SMB Financing Plan Intended To Boost Economic Growth

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I just heard the very end of the Federal Reserve Chairman’s talk in Minnesota.  When Bernanke was asked a question near the end about the movie “Too Big To Fail,” an HBO docudrama (which I highly recommend) that featured Paul Giamatti as Ben Bernanke, Bernanke joked: “I haven’t seen that movie…although I did see the original.”

The audience lapped it up.  Who’d a thunk Ben Bernanke was a comic at heart!?

But, all kidding aside, as many eagerly await President Obama’s jobs speech later on this evening, IBM made an announcement earlier today that should help credit-qualified small and medium businesses finance IBM technology purchases.

IBM announced earlier today it would provide $1 billion in financing to help such companies take advantage of a new suite of advanced technologies such as analytics and cloud computing over the next 18 months.

This effort is intended to help SMBs spur innovation and drive economic growth by making credit more easily accessible, with approvals often in less than 60 seconds, through IBM Global Financing.

Financing is one of the biggest challenges limiting the success of SMBs today.  U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) consistently reports that well over 50 percent of small businesses fail within their first five years due to lack of capital. Since this segment is responsible for nearly 65 percent of global GDP, representing more than 90 percent of all businesses and employing more than 90 percent of the world’s workforce, SMBs play a critical role in a global economic recovery.

Today’s news addresses the urgent need for capital by providing the right foundation and resources to support SMBs in this economy. IBM’s commitment of $1 billion in financing for SMBs is designed to eliminate many of the cost barriers they face to grow their business. IBM will offer simple, flexible lease and loan packages, some starting at as low as 0 percent for 12 months with no money down, allowing them to immediately acquire the IBM technology and services they need to begin to transform their businesses, while managing their cash flow more effectively.

This financing will be made available to SMB clients through IBM Business Partners who can benefit from enhanced online financing tools to generate price proposals and get fast approvals for credit applications for SMB clients, all available by a simple click of the mouse.

As part of today’s announcement, IBM is also launching a comprehensive set of solutions, which include workload optimized systems combining hardware and software and services offerings focused on technologies, such as cloud, analytics, collaboration and security, specifically designed to address SMBs key needs.  IBM aims to help this segment by making these advanced technologies, once reserved for larger enterprises with large budgets, available to SMBs through IBM Business Partners at an affordable price. These new offerings also introduce technologies from IBM’s recent cloud, analytics and security acquisitions such as Cast Iron, BigFix, SPSS, Netezza and Cognos.

“Reaching people on the go is core to our business,” said SkyMall COO, Jay Scannell. “The opportunity lies behind the ability to tie online buying to offline activity.  This will drive expansion and innovation in the way we conduct commerce and will require the continued investment and advance technologies to keep pace.  As a long-time IBM customer, we have used analytics to make key decisions about our business.  Today’s news demonstrates IBM’s commitment to support and strengthen SMBs and we are excited to see the advancements this will drive in the retail industry.”

“We are currently at the forefront of an entrepreneurial renaissance that is sweeping the globe,” said Mike Grandinetti, managing director at Southboro Capital “Affordable and powerful technology has gone mainstream. It has closed the gap between big corporations and small businesses, enabling entrepreneurs and small to mid-sized businesses to radically change the way that we think about and approach our work.

“While some may find it surprising that big company like IBM is involved, they have long been  a powerful ally to entrepreneurs around the world, helping small business grow and deliver the next wave of technology innovation.”

In addition to software, services and financing, IBM offers a variety of ways for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses with no-charge access to advanced technologies, leading business and technology experts and training. Through its Global Entrepreneur Program and network of 40 global Innovation Centers, IBM helps businesses solve tough challenges, enter new markets and access the training and support needed to get their products to market faster.

IBM is providing $1 billion in financing through IBM Global Financing to credit-qualified SMBs over the next 18 months. SMBs can use this financing to take advantage of advanced technologies such as cloud and analytics to drive innovation, become more efficient, and ultimately grow their business.

You can learn more here.

IBM is providing $1 billion in financing to credit-qualified SMBs to help bolster economic growth.

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Pepperoni Pizza Did Not Originate in Italy

thin pepperoni pizza

Pizza is one of the most popular foods in the world, especially in Italy. Among the many varieties and flavors of pizza, pepperoni is one that most people order. But did you know that pepperoni pizza did not originate from Italy? Pizza in Italy is not like the pizza enjoyed in the United States. They … Read more


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Essential tips for building an online community

Websites today tend to strive for returning visitors and to build a pleasant community of users. People who are happy revisiting the website once a week, once or day or even more than once a day. It’s all well saying that good content and a nice design will attract people but will it entice them to return again and again. There are a number of posts that simply list suggestions such as: set up an RSS feed, network with people through social media and comment at blogs and forums. Now these are more marketing tips rather than community building tips. So how does one build a community?

Rewards and Achievements

When someone visits your website they tend to be rather selfish, (subconsciously, of course). They look around and try to determine what the purpose of the website is and how they can benefit from the content. If the user gains something from the experience then they are more likely to return.

If you regularly visit design blogs then you will notice that giveaways are a common occurrence throughout the community. A few people who enter, may revisit the website to have a look around but it is almost assured that your traffic will resume to its original state once the competition has ended.

Now the trick in giving things away or rewarding users is to never stop giving and rewarding. Competitions are great but once they end, they end. If you had a competition to win $2000, you would no doubt get a lot of traffic your way (so long as your marketing is up to par) but once you’ve given the $2000, traffic is likely to resume as normal. If you gave the $2000 away every time a user commented or posted in the forums, then almost everybody would keep returning. Now because you have removed the idea of losing, you are giving the user a win win situation. Thus, you can reduce the amount given away to $200, or $20, or even $2.

You will find that you don’t even need to give something of monetary value away to entice users to return. For example, look at Xbox live, people complete challenges to achieve a certain badge to impress their friends. So long as there is always something to achieve, there will always be competition and so users will replay the game again and again. Another example closer to home is the badges used in the Envato Marketplace forums. Now I don’t use the forums but I’ve heard that users almost go out of their way to acquire a badge (a tiny little image) for their profile.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010 at 18:17 and is filed under Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

An aspiring web designer who is currently working on transforming tutorials into something magical.

About the author Published by Liam McCabe

3 Responses »

  1. I enjoyed this post, and I agree with the need for regular content. This is especially true for those bloggers only posting once or twice a week. Not unlike a TV show that you look forward to watching every, say, Wednesday, a regularly schdeuled blog has the ability to generate loyal followers.

    I also like your idea about competitions and removing the option of losing from the equation. Would you suggest that even smaller blogs with few readers start these competitions and hope that word would spred? Or is there a better way to promote this stuff?

    I’m interested in your thoughts.

    Thanks again,
    Adaptive Consultancy

  2. Sorry about my late response Tamara.

    There is nothing wrong with competitions, they can get you noticed and lead to positive stuff but at an early stage you do have promote them yourself. Your ability to market will determine how quickly your website takes off. So long as the content, in the case what you’re giving away is relevant and worth the reader’s while then you’re in good stead. But you will have to promote/market like hell (without being spammy!) 🙂


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Archive for the ‘Movies’ Category

comments about Captain Marvel

Posted: March 23, 2019 in Movies, quotes, review

SPOILER ALERT: some info here could spoil the surprise(s) if you haven’t seen the film.

* “With her hair like that, Brie Larson reminds me of Marcia Brady. Was that ‘Captain Marvel’ or ‘Captain MARCIA MARCIA MARCIA’?” a recurring thought, while watching the movie XD

* “Hm, there’s that actor. Doesn’t he usually play a bad guy?”
[continues to watch, finally nods to self]
“Ah, yeah, I thought so…”

* It was great to see Agent Coulson again… even if he did have shamefully little screen time.

* Since I’m from the vicinity of Huntsville, Alabama, my inner geek was thrilled to learn that is Nick Fury’s birthplace. [That was actually revealed in the trailer — and it made our local news! I suspected I wasn’t the only one here with an inner geek. 😉 ]

My disdain for the last two Marvel films I watched drove me to avoid the next few installments. Even though I decided to see CM, my expectations were very low.

I found CM a bit formulaic (and a tad self-righteous), so for me it didn’t rise to the level of oh-I-love-it-gotta-see-it-again. But it wasn’t fraught with loathsome, grating characters like Thor: Ragnarok, nor was it the unmitigated disaster of Avengers Infinity War, so I was quite pleased.

In fact, now I’m looking forward — just the tiniest bit — to next month’s Avengers.

“I have nothing to prove to you.” What I’d like to remind haters, shamers and other bullies. (Also, my Facebook friends who want me to repost something to show allegiance to faith, family, country, etc.)

After abandoning broadcast television in favor of re-watching DVDs of beloved shows from the past, spoilers became a non-issue for many years.

When I began to want variety and branched out to DVDs of series I hadn’t seen, I found myself in uncharted territory. My previous experience following a new show on the Internet involved waiting after each airing for some industrious fan to write and post recaps, reviews, etc. Now, extensive episode guides are already available online… and I need them more than ever, because I usually watch with my family, and we tend to miss critical exposition because one of us is talking.

The big disadvantage — as you may have guessed from the theme of this entry — is spoilers. Of course, I know to avoid common sources, such as summaries and commentary for episodes I haven’t seen. But I’ve found spoilers lurking where I never suspected, to the extent that viewing an entire series unspoiled is proving to be quite a challenge.

If you, too, are discovering a show after its original run, be aware that spoilers can pop up in seemingly innocuous places:

  • Fanfiction. When I’m concerned about spoilage, I diligently avoid fanfiction for the topic in question. Fanfic writers are often inspired by key events, and synopses of the fics can be very revealing: “This scene takes place after Jojo’s death at the hands of Zulu.”
  • Fan videos. The montage could contain pivotal scenes, such as the main guy character proposing to the main girl character.
  • Facebook. A double threat, not only from friends’ comments, but also since Facebook might recognize the series as one of my interests and supply commercials for the current season — even though I’m several seasons behind.
  • Overambitious “wiki” episode recaps. In an effort to be thorough, they cross reference to future events: “We see Susie again in season four when we learn she has a long-lost sister.” Even their link designations can share too much. For example, I knew a character’s amnesia wouldn’t last long when my options included, “For the character briefly known as Jezebel, click here.”
  • Google image search. I was looking for a screencap of a fight between three characters, and displayed among the search results was a fan-made graphic of one of them, captioned with “R.I.P.” and the year.
  • Actor biographies. The dossier could reveal the character’s exit or return by providing appearances by year, season, or specific episodes.
  • Articles about the stars. A photo of a smiling couple is captioned “Sylvia out on the town with her TV husband.” But — d’oh! — their characters’ marriage is a very recent development. Hope all of that website’s viewers are caught up on their TiVo!
  • The main page of major news websites. If I watched Game of Thrones, it would be maddening that so many “news headlines” rehash the happenings of the latest episode. (No doubt those sites aim to up their link count using GoT‘s popularity.) Even if they warn of plot talk, very often there’s a telling screencap with the headline.
  • Amazon product reviews. I was about to place an order, and the featured review began with, “This was my least favorite of all the seasons.” Maybe that’s not a true spoiler, but such a verdict might predispose me to dislike it before even I’ve seen the first episode.
  • DVD covers for later seasons. When a would-be cliffhanger has a main character in jeopardy, I’m anything but on edge: “No worries. They’re still pictured with the cast for the final season.” (Okay, I confess. I actually like this bit of foreknowledge. My life’s hard enough without having to fear for the safety of my fave characters!)
  • Episode descriptions on DVD packages. Having written similar summaries myself, I understand how tough it can be to strike a balance between providing details for those who are looking for a specific scene, and ruining key surprises for the rest of us. As a public service to DVD Blurb Writers, here are two examples that, IMHO, land solidly in the latter category:
    (1) “After a failed battle with Xolor…” If the opening scene is a battle, we know how that will end. :thumbsdown:
    (2) “The team falls victim to a smooth-talking con man, and Sam must save the day.” … manages to give away the entire episode in one sentence! :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:
  • Forums about other shows. Curious to know what fans of Program A had to say, I ventured to read one short thread, and I spent the next several seasons dreading the series finale of Program B because of one of the comments. Happily, in said finale, the plot twist that commenter condemned played out extremely well, in my opinion. Even more happily, I learned that exposure to TMI doesn’t necessarily negate any future enjoyment… although I’d still prefer not to take any chances.

With my eyes now opened to the plight of the “spoiler-phobic,” I realize that I need to post warnings with the episode information at my various websites. In the meantime, remember that, when it comes to having your viewing surprises spoiled, the only safe search is NO search!

I’ve seen this movie twice in the last ten days, and, with scenes still (happily) swirling around in my head, now seems like as good a time as any to compile my comments.

With Captain America and the Winter Soldier, the writers checked Requisite Bromance off their list of Marvel movie staples.

Natasha Romanoff: Looking over your shoulder should be second nature.
Sam Wilson: Anyone ever tell you you’re a little paranoid?
Natasha Romanoff: Not to my face. Why, did you hear something?

Thumbsup on the continuity, having the leaked Hydra information be what led Zemo to the trigger words/book.

I truly hated that the Avengers were being taken to task for the aftermath of those attacks. The Avengers didn’t unleash other-worldly aliens on New York. The Avengers didn’t crash SHIELD’s flying fortress in DC. The Avengers didn’t choose Sokovia as ground zero in their plan to destroy the world. In all those cases, they tried to help, even though, no, they couldn’t save everyone. I think I hated this line of the plot so much because it plays out so often in real life: people who don’t! do! anything! rush to shame and blame whenever someone else makes an effort.

I also HATED Tony Stark trying so hard (and so uncharacteristically) to appease the secretary of state, Ross. Being so wealthy, Tony certainly has the most to lose if he’s branded a criminal, but I don’t think his motivation for agreeing with Ross is self-preservation. One of the few reviews I read of this movie pointed out that Tony’s faith in himself is shaken after his causing the Ultron fiasco (and feeling responsibility for all the damage from that), not to mention his failure on a personal level with Pepper. I think we’ve all been there: made some bad choices and found ourselves wanting someone else to do the heavy lifting, to make the decisions and tell us what to do next. But most of the time, it’s not that easy. The responsibility remains ours. And that is as it should be. For better or worse, we each have to do our part. As Peter Parker put it, “When you can do the things that I can, but you don’t, and then the bad things happen? They happen because of you.”

Ross’s repeated demands to be in charge strike me as a red flag, especially when it seems that the Avengers will have no voice in the decision making: in that light, the neatly-bound Sokovia Accords bear a strong resemblance to a red book with a black star on it. Ross (oh, right, “the panel”) basically wants a team of winter soldiers, but as we see with Barnes, the problem with such tight reins is that someone else can take them. No doubt speaking from recent experience, Cap warns that people have agendas, and Zemo demonstrates the lengths to which some will go for them.

Another line for the drinking game: “A super-person wears a hat/sunglasses/hoodie in an effort to blend in.”

When Barnes was framed, I thought of The Fugitive, except there, someone was framed BY the one-armed man; here, the one armed man WAS framed.

Cap’s the best kind of friend: the kind who believes the best in you when no one else does… Not even you. And he doesn’t just say, “I know he didn’t do it”… then sit there. He moves to help, even at great personal cost.

“Everybody thinks the Winter Soldier goes to their gym.” XD

“Buck, stop!” Cap’s nod to President Truman? Alas, (the) Buck did not stop there.

It’s pretty awesome that the cure for Hydra programming is the same as that for TV show amnesia: being rendered unconscious.

Barnes says later that he remembers all of his victims, but when he comes to after being “triggered,” he asks, “What did I do?” He does seem like he’s a bit high/coming off a drunk. Perhaps coming out of the programming and back to his senses is kind of hazy, like waking up out of an intense dream.

I wasn’t surprised that Barnes could have broken out of their porta-prison; he fights back only when he’s in danger of being returned to a different cage. I think he was complying in an effort to pay his dues. Cap tried to dismiss Barnes’ earlier actions as being controlled by someone else. In Barnes’ case, the extent of his responsibility is debatable, but while some would relish such a pass (“They made me do it!”), Barnes still acknowledges that he was the one who did those things.

“I used to think of myself one way. But after this… I am something else. And still me, I think. But that’s not what everyone else sees.” Wanda’s declaration could also apply to Barnes… and to each of the Avengers, to varying degrees. Except maybe Vision.

It was nice to see even Vision finding a bit of humanity, being distracted by Wanda, when not even he thought it was possible for him to be distracted.

I liked how Barnes and Mackie smile, knowing that kissing Agent Carter is a milestone for Steve.

I also liked how everyone is such a fan of Cap.

“Help me, Wanda.” Barton’s nod to the Beach Boys?

When I first heard that this installment was about “civil war,” I put off seeing it, and when I finally decided to go, I was fully prepared to hate it. But I didn’t, primarily because even as The Avengers started to divide, both sides maintained respect. The attitude was, “I hate that it’s come to this” but each stood their ground. Without that respect, the dividing plot would’ve been intolerable to me.

“I don’t know if you’ve been in a fight before, but there’s usually not this much talking.” Methinks this is a pointed (albeit good-natured) jab at nearly every comic book fight… including the ones in this movie.

I didn’t like the Peter Parker character being so young and inexperienced, although his fawning and uninhibited observations certainly lightened the atmosphere. Plus, if he was older and experienced, the fight might’ve ended a different way.

“You have the right to remain silent…” Spiderman to Barnes and Mackie XD

“You couldn’t have done that earlier?” “I hate you.” Barnes and Mackie XD XD

“I picture you as a redhead.” “You must be thinking of someone else.” “Must be.” Tony Stark and Friday. Hmm, what redhead might he be thinking of??

Cap confesses knowing that Barnes killed Stark’s parents, but how long had Cap known? It’s logical to assume that Barnes recounted details when he told Sam and Cap of Zemo’s interest in that December mission. But it’s also likely that Cap researched all he could while he was looking for Barnes, so maybe he knew even before the events of this movie.

Shades of Buffy the Vampire Slayer character Angel with the Winter Soldier tormented by memories of all his victims.

“I could do this all day” love the nod to the first C.A. movie

“He’s my friend.” “So was I.” :**(

I watched Prince of Persia again recently, and I was reminded of two scenes that struck me, even though I neglected to elaborate in my previous writings.

As ever, Caution! Spoilers!

Framed for the murder of his father, Dastan is on the run. While trying to seek help, he is discovered by his vengeful brother, Garsiv. In the confrontation, Dastan insists that he is innocent, but Garsiv is unmoved, remaining set on ending Dastan’s life. Dastan escapes, but later Garsiv catches up again. Dastan maintains his innocence, and this time there is evidence to confirm his story, so that, although Garsiv is still angry and skeptical, he pauses to listen. Dastan rattles off his explanation, ending the account of his current predicament with, “Who could I tell?” Garsiv stands for a moment before imploring with a sincere, “Tell me, brother.” Okay, the scene is a bit corny, particularly after Dastan’s quoting their late father’s claim that “the bond between brothers makes their kingdom strong” (or however he said it). But I love the pictures painted here: a changed heart, a restored relationship, not to mention giving hope to Dastan who was out of options.

After time has been reset, it seems as if all of the bad things that happened have been undone: Dastan’s family and best friend are still alive, and Dastan is able to right the previous wrong by revealing his uncle’s treachery. However, as Tus is apologizing for the invasion-under-false-pretenses, when Dastan sees Tamina, it’s clear that something good was undone as well, that is, the growth in the relationship between Dastan and Tamina. Sure, they started out shaky, but in true Disney style they overcame it to find love… except that now it only happened for Dastan. (Hence, my reference to the [i]Angel[/i] episode, “I Will Remember You.”) Fortunately with Tus proposing a marriage between Dastan and Tamina to strengthen their countries’ relationship**, the two are on the road to getting back what they lost. Dastan even comments that he looks forward to the day when they know each other well. (Again.) 😉

** I love Tus’ “remedy,” btw. “So sorry we invaded your city by mistake. You can marry a complete stranger to make up for it!”

* I still find the Hassansins(sp?) scene hysterical, particularly when one guy just spins – really, that’s his deadly skill? LOL – and Dastan’s uncle looks positively giddy just to be there, walking through the midst of it all.

~ * ^ + – ~

* I miss Loki. I guess the guy can’t be in every movie… then again, why not? (As Paul McCartney would say, “What’s wrong with that, I’d like to know.”) I think his absence is what made seeing this film more of an “I’ll get to it sometime” rather than “I’m SO there on opening weekend!”

* While I liked this movie, others have raised the bar pretty high for me, so I’d place A2 way down on the list when ranking my favorite Marvel offerings. After the first Avengers, the early 2000s Spiderman 2 and 1, the year 2000 X-men, the two Thors, Iron Man 1 and 2, the two Captain Americas… So far, A2 ranks somewhere above Iron Man 3 and the two original X-men sequels.

* I intensely disliked the preachy Ultron. An article I read after the first Avengers expressed the theory that, while Loki is by far the best Marvel villain, the writer had high hopes that James Spader’s character would give him a run for the title. That writer praised Spader’s ability to bring a character to life with shades of subtle nuance… but I saw none of that because, despite Whedon’s insistence that Spader would be more than a robot’s voice, that’s essentially what he was. If they indeed modeled Ultron after Spader’s expressions, well, they still failed to capture a single nuance.

* I thought having the opening scene in the midst of a battle was a bit muddled. But one advantage of a sequel is that you can assume viewers know the earlier story, so you can skip right to the kicking of butts and the taking of names. (I’m having trouble recalling exactly, but it seems this follows a standard formula for many Marvel sequels.)

* In the opening battle, LOL at the team charging all together, then hold it! a brief pause as if they’re posing for a group photo.

* LOL! also at the guys trying to lift Thor’s hammer. But GROAN! at the blatant setup, with Thor explaining that they must not be worthy. Then, later, the Vision (significantly) hands Thor the hammer. “Oh, so he can lift the hammer. Oh, so he must be worthy. I see what you did there.” 😐

* It was effectively shocking that the secret Hawkeye was hiding was… a normal life. And how weird did normal look, in the midst of Avenger-land? It seemed too good to be true, and I admit, Tony Stark said what I was thinking when he declared of Barton’s wife, “She’s an agent!” The affectionate displays continued when the kids arrived, but Tony insisted, albeit with much less conviction, “They’re… smaller agents.”

* I’m glad that, despite being out in the open with no defenses whatsoever, Barton’s house truly was a safehouse. I was going to be disappointed if Ultron crashed the scene… or if the wife (and kids) turned out to be agents, just another lie.

* I liked that Barton’s wife looked real – not impossibly perfect – with a few fine lines on her face. How refreshing to find someone age-appropriate in such a role, not some 20-year-old trying to pass as the mother of an 8-to-10-year-old.

* Tony Stark told Captain America that he doesn’t trust someone without a dark side. (I think a lot of people feel that way. Which is kind of… messed up. “He’s good; I don’t trust him! This other guy’s bad, so he’s alright.”)

* But I loved Cap’s response: “Maybe you just haven’t seen it yet.” Hmm, are they setting up a future storyline? I’d kinda like to see a dark Cap… but then again, I wouldn’t. I like that he’s solidly good. Heck, “dark” is easy! It’s tougher to make the choice – and to keep making the choice – to rise above your dark side and do the right thing.

* I liked that when someone tried to write the twins off as freaks, Captain America defended them, comparing their situation/cause to his own from back in the day.

* Still, the twins’ hand-holding and looking at each other in their first scene was a bit too third-grade boyfriend-girlfriend for me. :shudders:

* I didn’t get the Black Widow’s “lullaby.” Were her fingertips drugged? Has she mastered the ancient art of sleep-touch?

* As I was trying to decide how I feel about the Widow-Hulk affair, I realized that perhaps for director Joss Whedon this is the new Buffy-Angel, from his TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But maybe the Buffy-Angel angle – forbidden love – is why I lean toward liking Widow-Hulk. I especially liked the way the actors portrayed it. Her, being experienced and jaded (likely jaded BY experience) yet being very understated with Banner, with just the right hint of suggestive. Him, completely stupefied by her attention and pushing her away, and yet oh-so-briefly entertaining the hope of “maybe…”

* Natasha was so understated at some times, her attentions were almost child-like. Perhaps this is a nod to her line from the first movie, “Love is for children”?

* Loved that even with all of Bruce Banner’s trying to push Natasha away, he honed right in on Captain America’s comment: “wait, you’ve seen her flirting??”

* Has Thanos put on weight?

* Barton’s advice to Wanda was basically, “It doesn’t matter what you did: it matters what you do.” Words to live by!

~ * ^ + ~

At (very) long last, here are my follow-up, spoiler-laden comments about Thor: The Dark World.

* By far the most compelling relationship in the film is the one between Thor and Loki. Even though that relationship has been strained, and even though Loki’s quick to declare he is not Odin’s son, when Thor and Loki are on their journey, working together, it looks as if deep down, they want their close, brotherly bond back.

* I love how Loki dropped the façade when Thor visited him in prison, not only of what he really looked like, but of how he really felt. “Did she suffer?”

* The scenes where they’re working together are so satisfying, especially the final battle on the dark world. Loki sees the Kursed pounding Thor into the ground, and promptly goes to help.

* Malekith told the Kursed that “no weapon our enemies possess” could stop him. Count on Loki to deduce that the Dark Elves’ oblivion bombs could take out even the Kursed.

* Speaking of Malekith, LOL at him walking in slow motion so much. For that matter, LOL at him in general. After this movie was in theatres, one article claimed that Loki was the best villain in the Marvel universe. That article opined that Malekith had potential to be a great villain, especially since the actor portraying him was a former Dr. Who. (The article’s contention was something along the lines that prosthetics prevented the audience from fully appreciating the actor’s powerful emoting.) Whatever the reason, Malekith generally left me cold. I mean, his single-minded purpose was to darken the universe… and I daresay few of us mere mortals can relate.

* I figured out (okay, just before it was revealed) that Loki and Thor had planned Loki’s “betrayal..” and I love that it wasn’t true. If Loki never truly loved Frigga or any of them, he becomes a boring, one-dimensional character [see: Malekith]. For him to have died fighting alongside Thor, with such honor was a good thing: he found redemption. Still, as my comic-book-loving friend says, “Everyone knows the only comic book deaths that ever lasted were Spiderman’s Uncle Ben and the first Robin.” So, I didn’t believe Loki was actually dead. And, dang it, I’m glad he’s not!

* With the comic-book-death-rule in mind, I expected Frigga to come back. Hey, she still might. 😉

* “Am I not your mother?” “No, you’re not.” Was Loki saying that because he knew he wasn’t actually talking to Frigga? Or was that him sadly realizing – again – that Frigga wasn’t his “real” mother?

* Loki told the Kursed where to go. He played a part in Frigga’s death.

* In my notes, I pondered, “Was Frigga Loki’s last hold to humanity?” But no, I don’t think so. As I said, even though Loki denies it, his brotherly bond with Thor is strong.

Even More Random Thoughts

* Loki in chains! :dreamy sigh:

* Loki protecting Jane twice, including shielding her with his body. :dreamy, dreamy sigh, sigh:

* No, I don’t think Jane’s slap would’ve turned Loki’s head; maybe he was just playing along?

* Poor Jane! Imagine trying to move on to someone else when your ex is a gorgeous demigod.

* I liked that the Dark Elves spoke a non-human language… even if they did have English as a second language.

* Eric’s mention of the aftereffects of having “a god in your head” sends my thoughts to wondering how the Hawk is doing.

* I knew they’d find those keys!

* Only Thor can pick up the hammer, and yet it hangs easily on a simple wooden peg?

* Jane’s face looked almost… hamster-y while the Aether pines for Malekith.

* I didn’t appreciate Sif’s flirting with Thor. No, I don’t blame her for doing so. But in the first movie, she seemed to be just one of the guys. Now that his heart’s elsewhere, she’s trying to get him to notice her?

* What was up with Odin? “Your only BIRTHRIGHT-AH! Was to DIE-YEE!” Is this the same guy who lost the will to live when Loki found out his true parentage and blasted Odin for keeping it from him?

* Thor’s comment to Jane that “my father doesn’t know everything” was not only about Jane not surviving, but also about Thor being “better served” by Sif. I think this declaration is to show that Thor is truly advancing, ready to take his father’s place as king.

* Side note: I hate that phrasing “better served.” Odin really is *such* a jerk here. And note how his levels of wisdom and common sense plummeted as his jerkiness quotient increased. I’d say that’s a great big Lesson Learned for all of us.

* Seriously, though, how DID Jane survive? Why would a dark power like the Aether *not* kill its host? Oh, right. They conveniently tricked Malekith into removing it with no side effects.

* #ThumbsDown for Thor telling Loki to “Shut up.” The highly-advanced Asgaardians have that bit of disrespect, too? SIGH!

* #ThumbsDown #FrownyFace for “We’re Americans” “Is that supposed to make them like us?” I REALLY hate it when someone injects their blatant political jabs into my fun action film. (I’m looking at you, Prince of Persia!)

Favorite Quotes – Loki

“You’ll kill me? Evidently, there will be a line.”

“You missed a column.” Loki, being a little brother

“Oh, dear. Is she dead?” Loki, totally unconcerned about Jane

“If it was easy, everyone would do it.” I say this all the time!

“It’s not in my nature to be satisfied.” That makes me sad for him. 😦

“Trust my rage.”

“I didn’t do it for him.”

Favorite Quotes – Other

* “It’s not me.” Thor, when Jane looks to him after the ringtone music starts

* Thor’s larger-than-life self, crammed in that tiny car, insecurely asks, “Who’s Richard?” And Jane’s all, “Really?!”

* After they realize a huge battle is coming, Eric declares that he better get his pants.

* “Are you well?” Thor to Eric, who is wearing no pants

* Eric’s comment about seeing that the world is crazier than he is, and then tossing his meds in the trash.

To my *great* delight, I was able to see Thor: The Dark World on Friday. I had been all but counting down the days until it opened – and yet, actually going to see it, I was concerned. Once this year already I’ve been looking forward to a movie’s release only to be disappointed after seeing it. :cough: Red 2 :cough: And, in this case, I liked both Thor and The Avengers SO MUCH, I just didn’t see how this sequel could even compare.

But – woo hoo – did it ever. As I reported to the fam, it was even better than I could’ve hoped! Oh, yes, I’ll be seeing it multiple times and buying the DVD on its release day.

Imagine my chagrin when I checked out some reviews yesterday. Um, yeah, I diligently avoid reading any reviews before going to the theatre because I don’t want to have preconceived notions. Afterwards, though, I like to compare notes. Except, as in this case, when the batch of reviews I find are from people who think bashing a film makes them look clever. :rollseyes:

“Predictable,” they pout. I’m reminded of how Roger Ebert said that most people choose movies that provide exactly what they expect. And to that I say, “So what?” Life is *full* of things that definitely do not go as I expect, so excuse(!) me(!) if I want to spend just a few hours every once in a while and get a satisfying ending, for a change.

And, you know, I don’t think I’m alone in that! From what I read, The Dark World did as well as they expected, topping the weekend and blowing the competition away.

I did like this article: Decoding the Secret to Marvel’s Success

I would love it if the movie-makers would take a cue (or a clue) from the success of these movies. To them, I would also add: when considering the popularity of these superhero films, do not discount the fact that they are among the most family-friendly options, typically light on language and sexuality. And they’re just plain fun! While that may not count for much with the Roger Eberts of the world, it can be a big selling point with the movie-going public, if ticket sales are any indication.

In the interest of keeping this post spoiler-free, I’ll stop here. But rest assured I am making notes for a lengthy, spoiler-laden post to be completed upon my next viewing. Which should be soon! 😀

On a side note, a brief…

[Public Service Announcement]
If you, like me, have a thing for Loki, to get your fix between films, I recommend watching episodes of the TV show, Wings. I think that Steven Weber, who plays Brian Hackett, looks a lot like Tom Hiddleston, and Brian is like a modern, less violent – albeit smarmier – version of our favorite power-mad trickster.
[/Public Service Announcement]

I saw “Marvel’s The Avengers” again last weekend, and I was inspired to compose a few thoughts.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will continue act as though it intends to spin on.” Nick Fury, with some sound advice for all of us when we’re tempted to let ourselves be overwhelmed by a potentially bad situation

Those That can be harmful.” Nick Fury’s very serious response when someone explains dismissively that the Tesseract gives off a few gamma rays

“I’m having twelve percent of a moment.” Pepper, referring to Tony’s earlier comment about her getting twelve percent of the credit

“What does Fury want me to do? Swallow it?” Bruce Banner, after being shown the Tesseract

* The Russian general’s response when Natasha says that he’s giving her everything during her interrogation. The General pouts like a little kid, “I… not… give… everything.”

* Loved Tony and Pepper together, especially his jealousy when she refers to Agent Coulson as Phil. “His first name is Agent,” Tony corrects her. Then a bit later (revealing that he – the self-proclaimed “Genius. Billionaire. Playboy. Philanthropist.” – is still thinking about it), he demands quietly, “Why is he ‘Phil’?”

* Thor, about to say something very important, implores that Loki listen, but Thor is suddenly knocked away by someone else. Left standing in place, Loki quips, “I’m listening…?”

* Whenever Loki calls on their connection as brothers, it’s usually because he wants Thor to let his guard down. Some people might fault Thor for “falling for it” (every time), but it shows that he does possess the conviction that Agent Coulson observed Loki lacks. Despite Loki’s repeated betrayals, Thor truly sees him as a brother, and he keeps believing that the true-ness of that former relationship can reach through Loki’s current feelings and help save him.

* Loki, however, is choosing to believe that knowing his true paternity somehow negates the bond he shared with Thor and his family, so he, in essence, lost his identity. He’s trying to be who he thinks he should… but deep down, he just can’t shake the former connection — in the form of sibling rivalry. Still the jealous younger brother, he wants what Thor has, but he doesn’t want to make the sacrifices required to get it. I think this is what Agent Coulson means when he declares that Loki will lose: when working toward what we want, we have to accept the bad along with the good.

* “Put on the suit.” Captain America growls this several times while arguing with Tony Stark because he wants them to fight, but when their location is attacked, Cap says it in a decisive, call-to-arms sort of way, to which Stark responds, equally urgent, “Right Yeah.”

* The way Natasha’s reverse interrogation works on Loki just as it does on the Russian general. It’s quite believable that people will reveal a lot when they think they have the upper hand.

* I loved the relationship between Hawkeye and Natasha, and that they didn’t try to make it romantic. The two shared a history – and clearly some connection – but they weren’t all doe-eyed at each other. That wouldn’t have fit with their characters.

* However, I didn’t understand why Hawkeye basically asked Nat why she was there. Has she previously run from fights? Not likely, since they battled together in Budapest. Still, when Agent Coulson first interrupts Nat’s interrogation to say SHIELD needed help, she was reluctant to abandon her current project – until he said that Hawkeye had been compromised.

* Loved the scene with the caretaker/janitor man casually talking with the naked man (i.e. Bruce Banner) who just fell out of the sky as a large green monster. After they’d chatted a bit, the janitor asks, almost as an afterthought, “You an alien?” I think the man’s acceptance at this point was important, and certainly his seemingly simple observation (“You were awake when you fell”) was critical in confirming for Dr. Banner that he *can* control “the other guy.”

* Really, though, he should’ve known he could control him. When meeting him, the others were curious as to how he got rid of his anger. In the final battle, he revealed, “That’s my secret. I’m always angry.” So he didn’t get rid of it; he had it under control. (Perhaps he didn’t realize that himself until his talk with the janitor.)

* When Loki ominously tells Tony Stark that the others “will be busy fighting you,” Stark’s face shows his concern as Loki lowers the staff toward Stark’s chest, to turn him as he did others earlier in the film. But this time, there’s a harmless “plink” because Stark’s heart is not quite so accessible. (Loved Loki’s confused, almost apologetic, response, “This usually works…”) The fact that the arc reactor protected Stark here further proved his earlier claim to Bruce Banner, about his condition being a gift that saved him.

* The theatre erupted in cheers at both shows I attended when the Hulk smacks Loki down. When the Hulk starts to attack, Loki tries to stop him with words and attitude, “I am a GOD–” but he doesn’t even get to finish his arrogant little speech because the Hulk recognizes that his power doesn’t match his pomp. The Hulk slams him around like a rag doll, leaving him stunned and clearly in pain. It’s so fitting that the one Loki looked down on as a mindless monster, the one Loki apparently thought he could use against the others is the only one to have such an impact on him. And as if that’s not enough indignity for the mighty Loki, as the Hulk walks away, he taunts, “Puny god.”

* Am I crazy, or was that Agent Coulson walking through the last(?) shot of the SHIELD Flying Fortress Command Center?

* If I may be completely shallow, wowza, there is an abundance of yummy eye candy in this movie; my delighted inner fangirl could hardly decide what to feast upon. Captain America’s fabulous shoulders? Tony Stark’s gorgeous face? Thor’s general, overall fine-ness? Too many choices! Although I do confess that I repeatedly stared, transfixed, at that bad boy, Loki…

* Finally, although roles in action movies, especially superhero movies, are (grossly, shamefully) overlooked by The Academy because they’re not Important (or whatever!) enough, I think everyone in The Avengers did a stellar job, playing their roles just right. They not only brought the characters to life but made them real and relatable.

P.S. Are my quotes/scenes incorrect? Please let me know!

[Edited (strikethroughs) 6/7/12… after my 3rd viewing of the movie.]

I recently watched Iron Man again, and one scene really stuck out to me. Tony Stark is being held prisoner, but the location is hidden, so no one will be able to find and rescue him. Plus, though – thanks to his fellow prisoner – he survived being hit by bomb shrapnel, his long term prognosis isn’t good. At one point, as the dire reality of his situation sets in, he makes his case for not doing anything. His expression revealing that he’s rapidly losing hope, he declares that he’ll probably be dead in a week.

His older and wiser fellow prisoner doesn’t bother to dispute that. He simply replies, “Then this is a very important week for you, isn’t it.”

I hope that when I’m tempted to give up, I think of that line and remember that I should do my part to make the most of whatever opportunities I’m given, even when a certain outcome seems unavoidable.

review: Pirates of the Caribbean 4

Although I didn’t like the second movie and I hated the third one, I (finally) saw the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean hoping only to not hate it. Well, I’m glad to report that I actually liked this movie: it’s now my second favorite of the series. My thoughts about it, in random order…

* According to articles I’d read while movie #4 was in the works, the goal was to make the film more like the first one, and I’d say that was accomplished. In a twist on the revenge plot, Barbossa sought revenge on Blackbeard for his lost limb. In another twist, Angelica was the one with a hidden agenda, tricking people into participating in her plan.

* One reviewer said that he was disappointed that there wasn’t even a name-drop of Will Turner and Elizabeth, and at first I agreed, but on second thought, I think it was right to leave them out. This is a new story.

* I loved that Angelica was a strong character, and by no means a damsel. She could hold her own in a fight whether of swords or wits, and she definitely had a mind of her own. But we also got a glimpse of her tender side in her (sadly unrequited) devotion to the father she never knew. I even liked that she got to be the “enigmatic” one with a hidden agenda; when she first told Jack that the ritual required a victim, I was sure that she’d brought him along to play that part.

* Having said that, I thought Angelica’s attempts at not getting left on the island were pretty pathetic. (Although, it did set the stage for his comeback, “I don’t think I’ve ever been *that* drunk,” at her claim she was pregnant with his child: one of the best lines of the series.) He seems to have a keen intuition when it comes to reading people, and her in particular. I don’t think anything she could’ve said would’ve made him change his mind, and I’m a little disappointed that she didn’t see that, and instead, carried on so desperately.

* Her anger raises an interesting question: was Jack wrong to trick Blackbeard into drinking from the deadly cup? Angelica wanted her father to live, and she was willing to sacrifice herself to make that happen. Despite that, I think Jack did the right thing: as he said, he merely helped Blackbeard do what any father should do: save his child.

* I do think that Jack had feelings for Angelica: he even admitted as much to Gibbs. I also think that such feelings scared him. However, I like that he wasn’t mushy with her; that wouldn’t have fit his character.

* Probably my favorite exchange was when one of Blackbeard’s crew was speaking ominously about the mermaids, explaining how they drag a man to the bottom of the sea, have their way with him, and then eat the flesh from his bones. Trying to contribute to the sinister scene being described, another of the crew pipes up, “Or sometimes the other way around!” XD

* One of my favorite scenes was when Jack said that he was the one on watch, to try to spare the one who really was. This really shows a lot about Jack’s character. Some might argue that he knew Blackbeard wouldn’t have killed him because he needed Jack to take him to the fountain. I’m not so sure. This was right after BB said he had to kill someone, or people forget who he is. Jack didn’t hesitate in answering, as if he was trying to force BB to make an example of him.

* It also showed Jack’s character how he lost interest in the fountain when he learned that the highly-hyped ritual required the life of a victim.

* Loved the development of the relationship between Syrena and Philip. I thought it was unexpected, and it was nicely understated: small in comparison to everything that was going on, but monumental in its own right. They are two kindred spirits, finding each other while unwitting participants in someone else’s pursuits. (I loved how Phillip knew her name: I can picture them talking, whispering as he carried her along, him offering words of comfort.)

* Giving Syrena legs on land was a great way to save money on a computer-generated fishtail. More than that it painted a visual picture of how this one that Blackbeard deemed “monster” could pass as human. Certainly, Syrena showed more humanity than the selfish Blackbeard.

* I liked that when it appeared that the mermaids were going to flee into the net trap, they still had other tricks up their sleeves… so to speak.

* Really? Blackbeard ZOMBIE-FIED his taskmasters?? :cough: lame! :cough: