Marisa Miller Hot Picture

Review: Dark Avengers vol 1 - Assemble

Following directly out of Secret Invasion, was the beginning of a new age for the Avengers – a Dark Age, and a new team is formed to follow this new vision, led by Norman Osborn (formerly the Green Goblin) and made up of some of the Thunderbolts (reformed supervillains) and other undesirables – all ready to protect America from the next threat, whatever it might be, and from wherever it might come. Norman came to prominence when he shot the killing bullet into the Skrull Queen’s head, ending the Secret Invasion – and as a national hero, in a nation where the heroes nearly failed to protect the general populace – well, the president has tapped him to lead both the Avengers and SHIELD. But we’ll discover Norman always has plans of his own.

At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to review this book for this column. I read it because I was interested in seeing where things would be going after Secret Invasion – but it didn’t have any obvious cosmic/scifi connections like the other comic TPBs I review in this column every other week. But, what it lacks in scifi (and let’s face it, much of having superpowers is science fiction) it makes up for with a story rooted in Fantasy. The new Avengers have barely been assembled, when they’re called on for their first mission – help Doom defend his country of Latveria from invasion by the mystical forces commanded by Morgana (of King Arthur fame).

So there’s time travel, as Morgana comes from the past to have her revenge against Doom (from a story told long ago, where he loved and left her), fantastical demon creatures, a relation to the classic Fantasy story of King Arthur, plus three of the Avengers on this team have very science fiction leanings. First there’s the leader, Norman Osborn himself. He now controls much of Tony Starks old armory – and he uses it to craft a new suit, called the Iron Patriot (kind of Iron Man meets Captain America). This hi-tech gizmo allows him to lead this new set of Avengers, even as it upsets the former Thunderbolts leader Moonstone (the new Ms Marvel) who had hoped to lead this team. She finds herself more and more pushed to the side, as Osborn introduces the team to his government liaison and his new second in command. So Moonstone finds herself drawn to Noh-Varr, the new Captain Marvel – a cosmic Kree warrior stuck on Earth and not trusted by the American government because he’s an alien (and though not the same species as Skrull – and despite the long standing war between those two races – is still an ALIEN and therefore a potential enemy). Joining the Avengers might be the only way to prove to the people of Earth that they need not fear him. But he has no idea that these Avengers are actually criminals and supervillains – he thinks he’s been given a great opportunity to join something worthwhile, but part of the story is him finding out the truth about the team.

Another cosmically oriented character would be the presence of Venom (looking like Spider-man in his black costume), which is an alien symbiote which has merged with a new human and enhanced him with Spider-man like powers (and an appetite for aliens, literally). Rounding out the team, we’ve got Bullseye (Daredevil villain) as Hawkeye, Wolverine’s son Daken, Ares the God of War (who has his sights set on wooing Moonstone) and finally the Sentry – one of the nuttiest loons this side of crazyville. But Osborn convinces him that his multiple personality problems can be overcome (Sentry’s alter ego The Void is a dangerous killer), just as Osborn has put behind his own Goblin personality. But as the story unfolds, the reader is left to wonder, has Osborn really put it behind him, or is it the Goblin who is in control.

This is both a great introduction to this set of characters and a good story arc in it’s own right, moving from the Latveria/Doom/Morgana plot to dealing with The Sentry and his apparent death (at her hands) and resurrection (leading to the question of just how powerful this guy really is, and how scary it is that he’s both this powerful and this screwed up). But when terrorists from the undersea nation of Atlantis attack the United States, how far is Sentry willing to go to prove to Osborn that he’s ready to follow orders and make a difference as part of this team of Avengers – is he willing to commit genocide? I may not continue to follow the Dark Avengers in individual volumes after this book, but this is a great look at the new status quo of the Marvel Universe post-Secret Invasion – and ultimately, it should make for a good introduction for me leading into Siege (the next mega-event from Marvel), which was really what I was looking for out of this story. Even mostly populated by villains, this made for compelling reading – while some of them are completely reprehensible (even as they are humorous in their interactions) in others you can see some light of hope, and I can’t help but wonder if some of them might yet turn their lives around (as so many other Avengers have in the past). It’s something I look forward to learning more about in the future.

MP3 Player Creative, listen to the music from the wrist

The MP3 Player like portable great that. But if, you haven't a bag will add it, in case that you wear it that your wrist

Brazilian designer Dinard da Mata has developed another wearable gadget that becomes a fashion accessory to complement the style of next-gen users. Hailed as "MP3 Player Creative," the portable music player features a flexible OLED screen that other than displaying the playlist also lets the user select the song or control volume with just a touch of a finger. Worn around the wrist like a bracelet, the MP3 concept gives easy access of the functions to the user. In addition, the sleek music player includes wireless headphones to offer clutter-free music on the go.

Designer: Dinard da Mata

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Giveaway! "Lady Lazarus" by Michelle Lang

Thanks to Tor Books I have a copy of "Lady Lazarus" by Michelle Lang to offer for giveaway. Be sure to go to my giveaway page and CHECK IT OUT.

Winners!

I have randomly selected the winners of two giveaways that just ended.


The winner of The Circle Series by Linda Robertson is:

Melissa Hardy; Salt Lake City, Utah


and


The winner of "The Hypnotist" by M. J. Rose is:

Thomas Semesky; Hammond, Indiana


Congrats to the winners!

Halle Berry Cool Picture

Week 5 - Precedent Study: Seattle Central Library

seeklogo-logo Percuma!!

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Assalammualaikum...Kalau kauorang semua mencari vector logo-logo yang percuma selain brandsoftheworld,aku cadangan laman web ini seeklogo Di sini pelbagai koleksi logo-logo yang terdapat seluruh dunia dari versi lama sehingga yang terbaru,dan yang paling best sekali semuanya boleh di muat turun secara PERCUMA!!!.

baca selanjutnya

250th METRON

So What You're Really Saying is That Girls are More Detached From Reality Than Boys...

I understand the struggle to find something to write about. I can't read/review a book a day, so I know how hard it is to think of something that isn't just plain filler. But is it okay to check your critical thinking skills at the door?

Now I might be a little more sensitive to the male vs. female thing that sometimes pops up in regard to action films. I don't like to think of myself as someone who automatically takes a feminist view on things because frankly I don't agree with much of what passes for feminism these days. But that doesn't mean I buy into strawman arguments either.

Every time an action movie debuts with a female lead we begin the discussion anew over whether women are credible as action heroes and, given the success of films featuring the likes of Angelina Jolie and Uma Thurman, I'd say that most audience goers are buying into the notion that women can, on film at least, throw down with the men. But does that mean that young women are going to start trying to karate chop their way through the real world?

According to the Denver Post it does.

In a recent article titled Beauty meets brute force: Are tough screen heroines empowering or do they send a dangerous message? the publication attempts to argue that big screen portrayals of tough women will lead to foolish risk-taking among young women.

Is watching U.S. Marshal Annie Frost [Chase]— of the startling blue eyes and set jaw — take down a fugitive after a helluva battle empowering or delusional, dangerous or inspiring?

Should these images carry a warning — like Cesar Millan's "Dog Whisperer" or Johnny Knoxville's "Jackass" stunt outings? "Ladies, do not try these kick-butt maneuvers in a dark alley faced with a real assailant."

"I'm concerned about teenage girls who go and see 'Salt' or go and see Lisbeth ["The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"] in action and then think they too have that kind of prowess," says Merin, an admitted "dyed-in-the- wool pacifist."

Okay, I'm just going to say it. Are these people really this stupid?

What bothers me most about this article is that they try to set up an argument based on the fact that men and women are different-- and then assume that young women are going to respond to these on-screen portrayals the exact same way a young man would.

I'm not saying that women are smarter than men-- far from it-- but we are not as likely as men to watch a movie like "Salt" and think we're going approach the world as kung fu-kicking dynamos. Let's face it, we're more likely to add collagen to our lips in an effort to look like Angelina Jolie.

There was good reason shows like "Jackass" had to have disclaimers on them. Young men watched the show and attempted to perform all kinds of stupidity just like the stunts they saw on the show. The success of YouTube has only hastened that kind of idiocy as people the world over desperately look for their fifteen minutes of fame. But young men have historically owned that kind of behavior.

Young women, on the other hand, are much more likely to emulate the less masculine behavior of the women they see on shows like "Sex and the City" and end up in a "Girls Gone Wild" video-- which scares me a heck of a lot more than the idea that my little girl might be encouraged to fight off a rapist despite the horror of the "dyed in the wool pacifist" interviewed for the article I quoted above.

There have always been growing pains between the sexes and entertainment is the perfect foil for such battles. It's pretty natural that women are going to elbow their way into action films in an attempt to declare their equality in all things-- but can we get real for a moment? Unless we main-line steroids and do some heavy duty weight lifting we're not going to be on an even playing field with most men physically. And that statement comes from a woman who holds a black-belt. I've spent too many years watching women come in and out of the karate studio only looking for a good workout and a cool belt to think that my gender is going to suddenly develop a masculine level of aggressiveness. And despite the alarming trend of the metrosexual, I don't think most men obsess over what color to highlight their hair.

Reasonably intelligent people know that men and women each have their own brand of stupidity. When women decide to dress up as Alice from "Resident Evil" or Lara Croft, we're really not worried about the accuracy of the weaponry. Mostly, we're hoping we look hot.

Mariah Carey Hot Picture

E-Concept Zero-Emission

The E-Concept concept electric vehicle is the brainchild of designer Huynh Ngoc Lan that has been designed to provide a flexible, green and a powerful alternative to fossil fuel-powered vehicles. The E-Concept bears the shape of battle horses used by soldiers in the past.

The vehicle gets powered by an electric motor that runs on onboard batteries. The battery packs are placed in the middle of the vehicle to better weight distribution and help the car move flexibly on the classical narrow streets of Boston. The four-wheel vehicle bears the shape of a three-wheel vehicle, but the rear wheel is actually a set of two wheels, which better stability and traction

Designer: Huynh Ngoc Lan

If you liked this vehicle, you would also be interested in:
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Book Review: The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman

The rise of fantasy has, in my opinion, produced two kinds of cliche-oriented reactions within the publishing spectrum: entertaining, inventive, and/or enjoyably derivative trilogies, and fascinating ideas and worlds mired by barely serviceable prose, lackluster plotting, and/or a general failure to maintain cohesion (in the plot, worldbuilding, character development, and/or the writing). Both groups aren't always separate, since sometimes a book with weak prose can still be a thrilling read, but usually they are. Unfortunately, I think The Left Hand of God fits into the latter of the two groups.

Because the synopsis plays a role in my review, I'm going to post the version on the inside flap of the U.S. edition of the book:

In the Redeemer Sanctuary, the stronghold of a secretive sect of warrior monks, torture and death await the unsuccessful or disobedient. Raised by the Redeemers from early childhood like hundreds of other young captives, Thomas Cale has known only deprivation, punishment, and grueling training. He doesn't know that another world exists outside the fortress walls or even that secrets he can't imagine lurk behind the Sanctuary's many forbidden doorways. He doesn't know that his master Lord Bosco and the Sanctuary's Redeemers have been preparing for a holy war for centuries-a holy war that is now imminent. And Cale doesn't know that he's been noticed and quietly cultivated.

Then, Cale decides to open a door.

It's a door that leads to one of the Redeemers' darkest secrets and a choice that is really no choice at all: certain death or daring escape. Adrift in the wider world for the first time in his young life, Cale soon finds himself in Memphis, the capitol of culture-and the den of Sin. It's there that Cale discovers his prodigious gift: violence. And he discovers that after years of abuse at the hands of the Redeemers his embittered heart is still capable of loving-and breaking.

But the Redeemers won't accept the defection of their special subject without a fight. As the clash of civilizations that has been looming for thousands of years draws near, a world where the faithful are as brutal as the sinful looks to young Cale to decide its fate.

It sounds intriguing enough, and Hoffman's book does deliver on a number of the points described above, but overall, The Left Hand of God falls desperately short in three key ways.

The first failure has to do with point of view. While the synopsis indicates that Cale is the main character, Hoffman's writing fails to adequately display that, almost as if Hoffman didn't seem to know who the book was supposed to be about either. The first quarter of the book does focus on Cale, but the rest of the novel switches randomly from POV to POV to give the reader the thoughts of basically anyone in the room at that moment, or even people who are completely insignificant to the actual plot. None of this is done between chapters, which might have been okay, but within chapters, sometimes between paragraphs, and sometimes between sentences. One second we're hearing Cale's inner thoughts, and the next it's someone else. And before you can grow used to the transition, Hoffman switches again.

From a purely stylistic standpoint, this is simply poor writing for two reasons: 1) trying to tell your readers everything everyone is feeling about everything sucks the life right out of the story, because very little remains a mystery, and 2) switching POVs in the middle of paragraphs is unnecessarily jarring and almost as annoying as inconsistent tenses. Sadly, Hoffman violates one of the golden rules of writing on a routine basis in order to give as many perspectives as possible--i.e. "show, don't tell." I suppose you'd have to in order to perform the aforementioned task, but breaking the rule so clearly, with no regard for its eccentricities and ambiguities, is careless. The prose suffers as a result.

The Left Hand of God also suffers from narrative inconsistencies. For example, the synopsis indicates that Cale isn't aware of the world outside of the sanctuary. The problem? This isn't actually true. He doesn't understand the customs of the cultures that exist beyond the walls of sanctuary, sure, but, as we learn later in the book, he is both aware of the outside world and instrumental in the Redeemer's plans for those places (i.e. he actually designed their plans). This leads me to another inconsistency, which is Cale's fighting ability. When Cale first exhibits these abilities, it's a shock both to the reader and to the non-Redeemer characters. Why? Because it's never mentioned beforehand. One moment he's just some poor, beaten-up, grumpy guy, and the next he's the Roman equivalent of a ninja. It's all rather convenient, and obviously so. Narratives aren't supposed to be convenient. They're supposed to feel believable. Nothing should feel as though it doesn't belong.

The last problem I had with The Left Hand of God was the general unbelievability of some of the events that occur throughout the narrative. Characters do things that are completely contrary to who they are, despite Hoffman's attempts to establish them as pretty clearly in one particular form. Perhaps the worst instance of this is when Hoffman writes the Materazzi as a Spartan-esque warrior class, but then proceeds to have them lose a battle in the most idiotic manner conceivable--a thing that no military of the Materazzi's caliber would do. Likewise, characters fall in love at random, sometimes despite legitimate reasons why they shouldn't. I may have rolled my eyes more than once while reading. The point is, Hoffman's novel regularly devolves into nonsensical plot points, which sucks it dry of the potential established in the first chapters--the strongest part of the book is the beginning.

The Left Hand of God isn't without positive qualities. Hoffman does have a knack for tension, and, as I've just mentioned, the beginning third of the book, while a tad long, is quite strong and intriguing. Plus, the interior of the book is quite beautiful, with nice texture for the pages, an awesome map, and a good design for the pages and chapter headings. But it's not enough to have some great ideas, a relatively strong beginning, a nice interior, and a few generally entertaining sections. A novel needs to be more than that, and, unfortunately, I don't think The Left Hand of God comes close to meeting the burden of minimums. The biggest problem for me is that I had high hopes for the book. It had a lot of potential and there truly were some good moments. But I ended up being disappointed and thinking that this isn't the right direction for fantasy at all. Let's keep the mediocre writing standards to the vanity presses, please.

If you want to learn more about The Left Hand of God, check out its website.

Madona's Hot Picture

F*** Me, Ray Bradbury (NSFW)

This is so outrageous-- kind of a birthday present for the 90-year-old... or not. But funny.

Week 4 - Submission I

"LG Smile" various dimension cellphones for a photographer

David Bulfin designer from American skillful both of the work design an automobile and the utensil around by all designing works get unique both of design and the function of the products originally go to be finished

The "LG Smile" designing cellphone idea that emphasize main feature be the photography and systematically remember the face and the smile, zoom many the level, fully internal flash and after stretch out a button presses in the part of camera function goes out, as a result will meet with color display that connect with main display and fully a button presses that is like general cellphone

This LG Smile concept, have seem may no suit every person, especially old people. Because, must stretch out lapse come to may not convenient

Designers: David Bulfin






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