Despite the spattering of headlines that have popped up over the past several years proclaiming "infographics are dead," infographics are, in fact, alive and well.
As of 2018, the use of infographics among B2B marketers has increased the most of any marketer in the last four years, now at 65%. And according to John Medina, a developmental biology expert, adding an image to written content can increase one's ability to retain that information by 55% (wow).
Download 10 free infographic templates here to help you create professional-looking infographics without a designer.
But how can those who don't necessarily have a design background — or the budget to commission an agency, hire a dedicated in-house designer, or purchase expensive design software — create professional-looking infographics that are able to captivate their audiences?
Here's a little secret: You can do it using the software you probably already have installed on your computer. That's right — PowerPoint can be your best friend when it comes to visual content creation.
To help you get started, we've created 10 fabulous infographic templates you can download and use for free right within PowerPoint. Don't be shy … download them here.
And in this post, we'll highlight five of the infographic templates from the download and teach you some PowerPoint infographic creation basics along the way. Just be sure to download the PowerPoint templates for yourself so you can easily customize the designs you see below!
Infographics and data visualization are the peanut butter and jelly of the visual content world.
When you have new data to reveal to the world, you can use an infographic to display that data as part of a cohesive, visual narrative. And that's exactly what the "Data Geek" template is for.
Column chart: Use for comparing different categories or for showing changes over time (from left to right).
Line graph: Use for showing data that changes continuously over time. Ideal for displaying volatility, trends, acceleration, or deceleration.
Doughnut chart: Use like a pie chart. This stylistic variation allows you to put a number, graphic, or other visual in the center of the chart.
Telling the history of a particular industry, product, brand, trend, or tactic can be a great topic for an infographic. And while there are a variety of different ways that you can visualize time — including in a circle, which is what we did with our Google algorithm updates infographic — the timeline is by far the most common and easiest design method to use.
Before we describe how to create a timeline via our timeline infographic template, find out below how to design a timeline from scratch using PowerPoint.
Select "SmartArt" from the PowerPoint navigation bar.
Find a graphic that fits your data from the Process menu.
Or, select "Alternating Picture Circles" from the Picture menu.
Add or remove timestamps from your timeline graphic.
Insert your data into the graphic.
Edit the text and imagery of your SmartArt graphic.
1. Select "SmartArt" from the PowerPoint navigation bar.
To make a timeline graphic in PowerPoint, suitable for any infographic, open PowerPoint and click "Insert" from the top navigation bar, as shown below. Then, select the SmartArt icon beneath the navigation bar, where you'll find several categories of graphics to choose from.
2. Find a graphic that fits your data from the Process menu.
There are two categories of graphics that make effective timelines. The first is the Process category. Click this option to expand the graphics menu shown below. To make your selection easier, we've highlighted in red a few of the most fitting timeline-related graphics.
3. Or, select "Alternating Picture Circles" from the Picture menu.
Aside from the Process menu of graphics, you'll also find a viable timeline graphic in the Picture category. Select this category and you'll find the "Alternating Picture Circles" option near the center of the graphics menu. We've highlighted it in red, below.
4. Add or remove timestamps from your timeline graphic.
For the sake of these instructions, we'll use the "Alternating Picture Circles" graphic from the Picture menu. Once you've inserted this graphic into your first PowerPoint slide, you can add or remove circular icons to match how many dates or periods of time your data covers.
5. Insert your data into the graphic.
At this point, the size of your timeline graphic should match the amount of data you have. Begin to fill your timeline with the information you plan to report on using this timeline.
6. Edit the text and imagery of your SmartArt graphic.
As with the other graphics available in PowerPoint's SmartArt, you can edit the text and the images associated with your timeline to your liking. As you can see below, we've edited the years and the images to better represent what happened at each point in time.
To insert images into your timeline graphic, simply right-click the square landscape icon, select a graphic "From File," and upload an image from your computer onto your PowerPoint slide.
Of course, if you're willing to give up a tiny bit of creative freedom for a ton of convenience, you can download the timeline infographic template below — which opens directly in PowerPoint.
To tell your story with our timeline infographic template below, update the time periods in the center circles, replace the placeholder text, and adjust the visuals and colors to your liking. For those latter adjustments, you can choose "Insert" > "Shape in PowerPoint" to add in different visuals, and use the paint bucket (a.k.a. "color fill") icon to change the colors of different elements.
Research. Research. Research. The best timeline infographics aren't just beautifully designed — they also tell a great story based on extensive research. So before you start the design phase of your infographic, put in the time to surface the best information possible.
Narrow the scope: Timelines that cover hundreds or thousands of years can certainly be interesting, but they can also require weeks or months of research. To keep your sanity, stick with shorter time periods.
Keep your copy concise: Infographics are supposed to be visual. If you find yourself writing 100+ words for each date on your timeline, a blog post may be the better content format.
Ok, so "hipness" is definitely in the eye of the beholder. But for this infographic template we wanted to do something that reflected modern design trends, including using banners and arrows.
In terms of content, we provided plenty of space for both stats and copy. There's also a column chart at the bottom. But remember, you can always add different charts and graphs to the template wherever you see fit. Just select "Insert" > "Chart …" and you'll have several options to choose from.
Experiment with new color palettes. There are tons of free color palettes online. Don't believe me? Do a Google image search of "color palette." When you find a palette you like, drag the image directly into your PowerPoint presentation. Next, select the "color fill" bucket, choose "More Colors …" and click on the eyedropper icon. With the eyedropper tool, you can select colors from your palette and use them for elements in your infographic.
Take the time to manipulate shapes. PowerPoint has an extensive library of shapes — including banners, ribbons, and arrows — that you can use in your infographic design. By clicking and dragging on the little yellow diamonds that appear on these shapes, you can customize them. For example, you can make the pointy ends of a ribbon longer or shorter, or make the body of an arrow thinner or thicker.
Warning: Creating a flowchart-style infographic is not for the faint of heart.
While on the surface a flowchart infographic may appear simple and fun, a lot of thought and planning need to go into making sure the different sections flow into each other in a logical way.
In our flowchart PowerPoint template, we created a basic flowchart structure, with positive responses guiding viewers to a conclusion at the bottom left of the infographic and negative responses guiding viewers to a separate conclusion at the bottom right of the infographic.
Draw out the branches beforehand. Before you dive into PowerPoint, get out a pen and paper and do a rough outline of your flowchart. Test for weaknesses in your logic by answering questions in every possible combination and seeing where you end up. For best results, have a friend or coworker run through the flowchart too.
The smaller the scope, the easier the execution. The more questions or stages you add to your flowchart, the more difficult it will be to create (and the harder it will likely be for viewers to understand). So try to narrow the focus of your flowchart.
So far, the infographic templates we've looked at have relied primarily on illustrations that you can create within PowerPoint. But of course, there's no reason why you can't bring external photos and other images into your infographic design.
We've created this image-heavy infographic template for that exact purpose. It's great for comparing different categories, ideas, or results, and since you don't need to create or customize a lot of shapes, it's a lot less work.
Use high-quality images. It's better to scale down a big image (e.g. 2,000 pixels by 2,000 pixels) than to scale up a small image (e.g. 20 pixels by 20 pixels) in order to fit a particular space. The latter approach will result in images appearing pixelated and grainy.
Use borders. Adding borders to your images will help make them feel like their part of a cohesive design. In PowerPoint, you can control the size, style, and color of borders under the "Format Picture" tab.
Save your infographic as a PNG file. This is a best practice for all infographics, but is particularly relevant when publishing an infographic that contains photographs. The PNG extension offers better quality than other options. To save your finished infographic as a PNG file, you simply need to choose "File" > "Save As …" and select PNG from the dropdown.
What are you waiting for? Grab your free infographic templates so you can start customizing fantastic-looking infographics of your own!
Want to learn more about infographics? Check out 10 Traits of Amazingly Awesome Infographics.


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Dan Slott: Peter Parker should be like Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne — and perhaps boink Shanghai women
Written by Douglas ErnstPosted on June 30, 2015 July 1, 2015 49 Comments
Marvel has a "new" idea for Peter Parker: Make him sort of like Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne — and have him stuck in love triangles because Dan Slott liked that as a kid.
MTV reported Tuesday:
Move over, Stark Industries: Spider-Man is in charge this time.
"Peter Parker has stepped up," Slott told MTV News over the phone. "He's grown. He's become the Peter Parker we've always hoped he was going to be. This company, with Peter's inventions and Peter's gumption has gone to new heights." …
"He's operating with Parker industries in not just New York, but also Shanghai and San Francisco and London," Slott said. "He's going to be a far more global Spider-Man, and with that is going to come all new global threats. Things that will really test Spider-Man like never before. …
"One of the things I always loved was there was always a triangle," Slott said. "There's all these characters who are vying for Pete's attention and I think you're going to get back to that. You're going to see all kinds of different characters we know and care about."
Take a look at Marvel's promotional material for its upcoming relaunch of The Amazing Spider-Man (yes, fans get another Slottian relaunch): Nothing says "Peter Parker" than James Bond-ish attire and two casino-bimbo wannabes latched onto his arms. Spider-Man even gets his own Nolan-inspired Bat-Spider Mobile…
If Peter Parker has grown up, then why is he still stuck in endless love triangles? Did he grow up into the "Peter Parker we've always hoped" he would be, or did he merely pupate into some weird version of himself consistent with Dan Slott's childhood fantasies?
Here are the different versions of Peter Parker given to fans by Mr. Slott over the years:
Dumbed-down Peter Parker, who acts like a novice superhero when he's had years of experience.
Dead Peter Parker.
Ghost Peter Parker, whose impotence is only forgotten with time because Doctor Octopus randomly gave the hero his life back.
Where's Waldo Peter Parker, who became lost in a sea of spider-men during Spider-Verse.
Peter Stark-Wayne-Parker, who perhaps gets to boink women in Shanghai love triangles.
Was Peter Parker always destined to be a jet-setting CEO who flies from New York to London to Shanghai, or was he more likely to lead a life of quiet research conducted by men like Reed Richards? Was Peter Parker always destined for expensive love-triangle tribulations of the world's billionaire elites, or was he more likely to settle down with a good woman by his side like, again, Reed Richards?
If Dan Slott were a violinist, he would be a third-string musician who weirdly wormed himself into a first chair. His "ear" for ASM indicates that while he understands the "harmonies" and "melodies" that make Spider-Man a winning character, his handling of Peter Parker is almost always off pitch.
The next volume of The Amazing Spider-Man already sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
Tagged Comic Books, Dan Slott, Marvel, Peter Parker, Spider-Man
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Mike McNulty, aka Stillanerd says:
Here's the other thing about Slott's claim that Peter has "grown" and "become the Peter Parker we've always hoped he was going to be." Note how even the MTV News article reminds us that Peter didn't actually create Parker Industries–Doc Ock did. Doc Ock was the one who got the PhD, not Peter. Doc Ock was the one who got the business loan and the capital, not Peter. Doc Ock was the one who hired the key staff and gave them jobs, not Peter. If anything, Peter Parker, Mr. "With Great Power Comes Responsibility," the guy who, as depicted in the first Sam Raimi film, wanted to make it on his own steam, is literally living off the fruits and labor of Doc Ock. Sure, Doc Ock did do all this by pretending to be Peter, but even so. Might as well have President Obama go up to Peter, point to him and say, "You didn't build that!"
Douglas Ernst says:
Mike, this comment is pure gold. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I can always count on you to provide insightful commentary. That really is a damning observation. How can anyone really counter that? Peter didn't "grow" into this Spider-Man — he died into it. Where would Peter be right now if Dan Slott wasn't allowed to entertain his weird Doc Ock fantasy for over a year? I highly doubt he would be in charge of global technology titan Parker Industries.
spiderterry84 says:
"Dan Slott liked that as a kid"
Well, based on some of his rantings, he does have the mentality of a child, so his thought process here is hardly unusual.
"One of the things I always loved was"
Sorry, Dan, but experience has dictated that whatever follows the rest of that phrase will be a bad idea.
"there was always a triangle"
Hey, I was right.
"Love triangles" should be synonymous with "bad writing." They can be so tedious, especially in a superhero book. There can be some value to it, I admit, like Gwen and MJ during Stan Lee's run. That brought a little extra energy to Peter's life out of costume. (Certainly better than all those heart-attacks Aunt May kept having.) 'Course, Slott doesn't understand why it worked.
1) The girls were fun and distinct from each other. Their whole lives didn't revolve around Peter, so they could be more than living props. Gwen did start to lose some of her identity, but only after she and Peter became exclusive. You can see that kind of contrast and characterization with some of the other women who vied for Peter at the same time: Black Cat and Debra Whitman, Betty and Veronica–er, Liz. Based on the current quality of writing at Marvel, though, I don't doubt for a second that any would-be love triangles will feature paramours along the lines of Mary Sue—I mean, Carlie Cooper: hyped up as great potential partners, but really just bland and annoying.
2) Peter spent most of his life being a geek, so there was a novelty to attractive women responding to him. I suspect there's a lot of "living vicariously through the fictional character" there, but whatever.
3) The main reason it worked: Peter was practically a kid. He did express interest in marrying Gwen while he was still in college (I think in ASM #100), but he was still a stupid kid. He was exceedingly responsible and brainy, but he had also made it clear he wouldn't tell Gwen about being Spider-Man even after the nuptials, which demonstrates he wasn't mentally prepared for marriage. That's fine because he was basically a kid–one who had done and seen more than his social circle, but one who still had a lot to learn about life and what his dual identity would mean for a relationship. (Retroactively, that's kinda the reason why MJ turned down his marriage proposal during Marv Wolfman's run. She knew who he really was, and she knew she wasn't ready to deal with the stress.) It wasn't until the '80s that Peter was ready: he had a few extra years, a lot more dating experience, and some honest conversations with his would-be spouse. Ah, character development, where would we be without you? Oh, right, "One More Day" and onward.
Really, the whole love triangle thing, hasn't that ship sailed already? It's like DC's New 52. After years of wedded bliss, Superman and Lois were retconned back to the same tired Clark/Superman/Lois dynamic that was old before my parents were born. The writers don't know how to keep the story moving, so they want to jog in place (as well as ram questionable decisions and bloated events down our throats). Despite Marvel's pathetic attempts to say otherwise, Peter's an adult. Why retread ground we've seen countless times, particularly when Marvel has made it clear they want a single Peter? What, is he supposed to go through repeated relationship hijinks with a couple girls, only to immediately reset the clock with two new girls? Oh, how exciting. Yeah, that'll really boost sales and dethrone the movies and cartoons as the most important parts of the franchise.
"yes, fans get another Slottian relaunch"
Evidently, someone noticed how the first issue sold over 500,000 and then dropped 400,000 the following issue. Truth be told, the book still sells better than most of Marvel's other offerings, but it has been sliding (albeit along with so many comic books nowadays). "Love triangles" might not be synonymous with "bad writing," but "relaunch" is definitely synonymous with "attempt at a sales boost."
"was he more likely to settle down with a good woman by his side like, again, Reed Richards?"
Did you ever read Joe Quesada's rationale for ending Peter and MJ's marriage but keeping Reed and Sue's? The guy could be a contortionist.
Well, that is most unfortunate. Much of Spiderman's charm comes from his nerdy, somewhat innocent ways. He's an accidental superhero. We all know there's something special about him, but he's not a sophisticated James Bond or even a Batman-like character. Spiderman could stumble into a love triangle I suppose, but it sure wouldn't be true to his character.
superduperawesomeguy says:
Slott is terrible at writing Spider-man. Give the character to Bendis! He did Ultimate pretty well, why not Amazing?
More Slottian flatulence. I doubt the writing has improved much since SSM and ASM. Turning Peter Parker into a Stark/Wayne philanderer is as nonsensical and unoriginal as Slott gets.
Changes to the costume also look silly. What's with the over-sized glowing spider logo?
Zac Bucklin says:
To be honest I'm actually okay with the suit, but I don't get why there's a glowing feature on it.
Fair enough. I just don't like the glowing logo and angular boot design. 🙂
Look at his webs. Those are also glowing. Do his webs now hack into computers and send the data up a line into his costume when he shoots them? Heh. This is going to get really weird.
bossmanham says:
Ugh. Will this Slott nonsense ever end? How do these idiots who he proposes these stories to sit there and not kick him out of the room immediately?
They're all buddy-buddy. When you become too friendly with your peers and they can't give you honest feedback, then it's detrimental to the creative process. You just have these guys that are running amok, and when they screw up they won't admit it. Everything they do is the work of genius, and if you disagree then you're just ungrateful to be standing in the shade of giants.
To better encapsulate my feelings towards this decision by Marvel, I'm going to steal a friend of mine's joke on the subject:
"I think Dan Slott is confusing Peter Parker for Tony Stark
Distances himself from Spider-Man by saying it's a body guard : check
Corporate Tycoon : double check
Suit with advanced technology : triple fucking check"
Sure it's an oversimplification, but honestly, I think it works.
Yep. The thing is, Marvel and Dan Slott are trying to pass off this concept as something original. It's laughable. Yes, it does open up new story possibilities, but there is no reason to believe that the current creative team on the book will actually take advantage of the best options. The needed to get him out of New York City, and this was the only thing they could come up with. Marvel needed to make room for Miles and Silk and Spider-Gwen and Spider-Woman, etc. Bye, bye, Peter. We're packing your bags and sending you off to Shanghai.
Perhaps the upcoming ASM is really Spock 2.0… Remember the 100 day Anna Maria program that was to to awaken? That is part of Spock's plan in motion.
That would make it even worse for Peter Parker fans. If the relaunch of ASM was a stealth relaunch of SSM, it would be a giant slap in the face to anyone who loves Peter Parker. Given that, I'd say your theory has a 35 percent chance of being correct. 🙂 If it's something that would really annoy long-time fans, it's always within the realm of possibility that Marvel will go that route.
zariusii says:
Peter being anything but Peter again. The same old song.
Unless the promise that "elements" of Renew Your Vows remaining was a supremely dishonest troll marketing tactic to keep readers invested in this summer and early fall's marriage-related event, there's no possible way something so grounded can be reconciled with something as out of Peter's natural element as this. At worst, if Annie carries over but not MJ, Peter will come off as a neglectful high-rise society dad.
Tom Brevroot is also acting the fool on his forumspring, even going as far as to say "yep, this is more relatable than him being married". They are living in the Marvel equivalent of the Wrestling Bubble Principal, they are now so detached from the wants and needs of the consumer market that they have convinced themselves that everything they do to divorce Peter from his regularities is more of a challenge than actively relying on what made him a commodity. They are always trying to give you what you don't really demand on the off-chance you'll find it more "surprising", well we'd find it more surprising if you followed the instructions and played with your toys within reason.
I'm reminded of the Mr. Bean sketch where he tells the story of the birth of Christ in a toy shop, only he uses a regiment army, a dinosaur, and a dalek. That worked as a comedy, this is supposed to be serious.
"Tom Brevroot is also acting the fool on his forumspring, even going as far as to say 'yep, this is more relatable than him being married.'"
So fans can better relate to Peter Parker when he makes deals with demons and becomes a billionaire tech titan who jet-sets from San Francisco to New York to London and Shanghai on a regular basis. Got it, Tom. Keep up the great work, buddy.
Ryan Knight says:
Apparently Dan Slott recently posted on CBR that he decided to write this relaunch while all the other creative teams were being shuffled out of pure spite towards his critics. Sorry not interested in this when you get the point where writers aren't just doing whatever the hell they want and occasionally taking jabs at you to said writers confessing that there future stories exist for the sole purpose of torturing you for not worshipping his past work there is no reason for any of us fans to buy the book it would be even more masochistic to do so now.
Of course the moderators deleted Dan's comment not long after he posted it. They didn't want that bit of news to come out.
I'm going to take Nick's advice he gave me "permission to leave" I may not have been purchasing ASM but I can still leave by not following this fiasco until someone else comes in charge. I love your reviews some say you're a little to aggressive towards Slott but keep it up there are enough honest reviews out there already we people like you to keep the pressure on these manchildren.
Thanks for the kind words, Ryan. I can understand the "aggressive" critique, but those people should look at my reviews within the context of what you just said:
"Apparently Dan Slott recently posted on CBR that he decided to write this relaunch while all the other creative teams were being shuffled out of pure spite towards his critics. […] Of course the moderators deleted Dan's comment not long after he posted it. They didn't want that bit of news to come out."
That is huge news. Does anyone have a screenshot of that? Do you have a link to the page? Is there a cached version? If someone can get a screenshot of that, I will gladly write up a blog post. I'm not sure how anyone can complain about an aggressive (but generally pretty fair) approach to Dan Slott's ASM run when a.) Dan Slott is making comments like that, and b.) moderators are deleting his inflammatory comments to cover up for him.
Slott doesn't seem to get it: every time he behaves like that, guys like me and Hube will be there to shine a giant spotlight on his behavior. We will chronicle it so that future ASM fans will be able to put his run into the proper perspective. When a true professional takes control of the wheel, then his immature behavior will become even more apparent.
Dan Slott's fans shouldn't be turned off by my "aggressive" reviews — they should be livid that certain moderators at sites like CBR are not honest brokers. They delete comments by Dan Slott to protect him from bad press, they ban people who shouldn't be banned, they send comments down Orwellian Memory Holes, etc. Fans are not getting the comic books they deserve because the comic book websites are totally in bed with the creators.
Let's talk about love triangles: the love triangles between sites like CBR, companies like Marvel, and creators like Dan Slott.
I read about this on the Crawlspace forum. The person who caught this regrets not screencapping it. Had I known about it I certainly would have (anything to get me from 'tending to my "decapitated barbie doll heads" right? ROFL)
However, Dan's been a busy boy on there all day arguing with people about the new direction, here's yet another outburst from him
How sad is it that moderators at CBR are following Dan Slott around with a little digital mop and bucket to clean up his public relations diarrhea? I once had a moderator at Comic Vine tell me off the grid that a certain thread was closed to "save Dan Slott from himself." Telling, isn't it? Dan Slott wants his inflammatory comments erased so he can essentially whisper in your ear "Shhhhhhhh. This never happened."
Mister Mets, the moderator on the CBR Spider-Man forums, has provided ellaboration on the alleged comments Dan made about staying on to spite critics over on the Crawl Space. The one thing we can take out of this though? Dan apparently has EIGHT YEARS worth of stories planned out for the book
I think the person who told Slott to die should have faced consequences, but here is the takeaway line:
"I feel spite to be a really strong motivator" — Dan Slott.
How often does a creative endeavor performed in spite translate into a good product? Dan Slott admits that he is fueled, in part, by spite. He didn't say that the criticism forces him to become a better writer — he just said that he is motivated by spite. He has given fans a window into his soul, to which I ask once more: Is this the kind of person who should be in charge of handling Peter Parker's adventures? I say, emphatically, the answer is no.
Issaac Wolffe (@IssaacWolffe) says:
I guess this debunks the theory that Marvel was tanking Spider-man so they could get the movie rights back from Sony. Or maybe the new agreement with Sony isn't enough for Marvel.
George Berryman over at Spider-Man Crawlspace has put forth an interesting theory. I have said for quite some time that Marvel was knee-capping Peter. When one considers all weird racial comments Marvel writers have made over the past few years, coupled the company's diversity-for-the-sake-of-diversity editorial moves, it is hard to outright dismiss what Mr. Berryman is saying.
"I try not to be a 'conspiracy theory' kind of guy but with this I have no other choice but to conclude that Marvel actively wants us to reject Peter for Miles now. If you consider that possibility then it makes sense that Marvel would be willing to keep a mediocre writer on a book for throwaway stories.
"That's all I can come up with now. This is the most confounding, creatively bankrupt wave of b.s. I've seen from the Spider-office since Quesada's self-perceived 'masterpiece.' And it may be intentionally bad in order to trump up Miles so they can eventually replace Peter with him. Think about it. What better way to do that then to make Peter even less enjoyable?"
I give Mr. Berryman credit: this is the kind of comic book conversation kick-starter that would get squashed on other websites.
That's an interesting theory. Do you think the idea is to influence the movies by means of the comics? To create enough fan support for Miles Morales (even if it's only because they have nowhere else to go) that they'll do that version in the next film rather than Peter Parker?
I know Sony was pretty adamant about using Peter for the next iteration in the leaked emails, but do you think the comic creators were trying to get the movie people to go that way?
If Marvel plays the long-ball, it can do what Bendis wants — make Miles "the" Spider-Man of this generation. The company has invested so much time and resources into Peter that it's like a giant locomotive that can't really stop on a dime. It's going to take a bit to slow the Parker train, park it into the station, and then go full-steam ahead with Morales.
I suppose if the Sony/Marvel partnership goes well they can eventually just give Miles his own movie. That makes much more sense than the rumored Aunt May film. 😉 I'd be pretty annoyed if an Aunt May film that just ripped off Agent Carter was made before a Miles Morales movie. Heh. There's a part of me that just wishes Marvel Studios stayed back and let Sony bomb — again — so it could get complete control of Peter Parker.
Although, here's another scenario. Sony keeps partial control of Peter Parker while Marvel continues to find ways to undermine his credibility. On a long enough timeline, how weird would it be if the only good depiction of Peter a fan could get was because Sony retained the rights?
Claremont admitted that he used to deliberately write all those Madripoor stories because he knew Wolverine fans didn't like them. I've said it elsewhere, Slott is a Glen Larson 1980s kind of writer, so everything he does on Spider-Man reminds me of Knight Rider. I also think that Marvel has abandoned the idea of building long-term customer engagement through the use of consistent cast members and on-going sub-plots. I think they're treating everything in the major titles as if they are all possible MCU story-boards.
And that's the wrong approach to use. It sucks that the publishing side wants to reflect the movie side, which is quite limited in scope because of time and money constraints. One reason why Marvel got bought by Disney was because of the Film Studio's resources to power up Marvel Films finances.
Ever since Axel Alfonzo took over, Marvel has become more like its movie counterpart, which is more like the Ultimate Universe, which I was never a fan of. Yet, unlike other alternate universe brands, The Ultimate Universe is now part of the regular Marvel Universe.
"Slott is a Glen Larson 1980s kind of writer, so everything he does on Spider-Man reminds me of Knight Rider."
I think that's a pretty decent comparison, actually. I can see that. There's definitely an 80s vibe to his work, although to me it's more along the lines of a mindless 80s cartoon that you really liked when you were a kid, and then you got older and thought, "What the heck was I thinking?"
In some sense the old Knight Rider episodes are like that. Maybe we can fuse the two of our ideas and agree that Dan Slott would be better off writing a remake of the old cartoon "Turbo Teen"? 🙂
"I think they're treating everything in the major titles as if they are all possible MCU story-boards."
Agreed. I think this too is a fair assessment of what's going on. I can see that.
Dan can definitely sniff out an 80s reference a mile off though…he actually got me banned by the moderators on CBR after reading me make reference to the sword of omens
Maybe it's because I too am a child of the 80s, but I honestly don't think a Thundercats reference like that was enough to give you away. Heck, they attempted to relaunch the cartoon in 2011. My guess is that Mr. Slott hyper-analyzes any sort of comment with an 80s reference to see if it might be you. Even if you've commented 400 times, he'll probably start trolling through your previous comments to put together a psychological profile. When he gets enough information, he pulls the trigger and calls the user out. If it's you, great. If not, then there's very little downside. As we have seen, the moderators are more than happy to flush Slott's comments down the Memory Hole.
When I did a post on the CBR forum regarding to Tigra being a part of Spider-Man's world(in place of Carlie Cooper) as part of the NYPD CSI Unit as well as the notion that the character could become an ally of Peter Parker, Slott told me that Tigra was left field because she never had a strong link with Peter Parker in the past. I made a comment that she worked with Spider-Man 3 times in the Marvel Team-Up series and stated that in retrospect, Gerry Conway should have included her in the pages of ASM back in the 1970's (after her initial self titled The Cat series had concluded) because she could have been Spider-Man's first anti-Catwoman partnership in contrast to Felicia Hardy who was stuck in that category.
Here is the following remarks:
Quote Originally Posted by Darthfury78:
Gerry Conway was the first ASM to pair Greer Grant with Spider-Man in a team-up adventure and J.M. DeMatteis was the last ASM writer to use her and Spider-Man together. After that, no one else has used Tigra and Spider-Man together since 1982. It might had been fun to had seen Tigra featured in Kraven's Last Hunt if DeMatteis had used her in that story in addition to Spider-Man.
Dan Slott:
For DeMatteis to have used her in KRAVEN'S LAST HUNT would have been a very bizarre and arbitrary choice… based solely off of one Marvel Team-Up story and an out of continuity Spidey Super Story. Having any other hero running around during KRAVEN'S LAST HUNT (especially an arbitrary one) would have pulled focus away from the very simple/clean/poetic focus of the bare bones cast of Spider-Man, Kraven, Vermin, and MJ.
Had Conway integrated Greer into Spider-Man's world, she might have avoided being used as an avatar for Tigra. In addition, Greer might have been Peter's first anti-catwoman relationship whereby she's a cat themed character who works as a part of the NYPD of which Felicia Hardy is not. Greer might have been the perfect contrast to Felicia as one of Peter's close friends, especially if Conway had transferred her from University of Chicago to ESU as one of Peter's classmates. The one thing that might have bonded them together was the lose of a loved one which as Greer's husband and Peter's Gwen Stacy.
HAD they had done this… It MIGHT have gone this way… IF there was a story where…
When you talk about Peter/Spider-Man and Greer/Tigra, you keep mentioning things that DIDN'T happen in the past, but that you would have LIKED to have happened. That's called "head canon". There are stories that you wished had taken place, but in the end, they didn't happen at all.
It's okay to want things– and even to have wanted things to have happened differently. But "head canon" cannot act as "actual canon." Actual canon (or actual continuity) belongs to books we've all read– and experiences we've all shared together as an audience. In that actual continuity, there have been only 1 or 2 adventures where Spidey & Tigra have properly teamed up and spent quality time together. And those are two adventures that most of the newer audience (of the past 30 years) haven't really experienced. So this whole Spidey & Tigra shipping really feels like it comes out of left field. Sorry.
In the world of comics, everything is left field. Silk and Spider-Man(and to some extent, Alpha) is left field because she has the same origins as Peter which was never presented by any other writer in the past.
Yes. In the same way that Cloak & Dagger were "left field" when they were created. Or the Prolwer. Or the Lizard– or ANY character when they first appeared.
That is not comparable to someone creating an improbable relationship to a character Spider-Man had 2 encounters with over 50+ years, just because of your personal head canon and your desire to "ship" them.
Felicia becoming a villain is left field because of what Otto did to her?
I think you're confusing story concepts with "Why won't Dan do the one thing that I, Darthfury78, wants done."
Felicia's turn, the Doc Ock/Superior storyline, Flash becoming Agent Venom, Kaine getting cured in Spider-Island and becoming the new Scarlet Spider…
…are all status changes that came out of stories *I* the writer wished to tell.
Every story has to come from *somewhere*.
I have absolutely no interest in building off of 2 random issues of Marvel Team-Up to backwards build a Greer/Peter relationship where none really existed before– or bore any interesting fruit.
The Felicia Crime Boss turn didn't come out of nowhere.
It came from Superior Spider-Man running into the Black Cat. How WOULD he deal with her? That is the premise that spiraled into– she flirts with him, he takes her out, she goes to jail, she loses everything, she breaks out…. and what happens next.
That's a world away from: Hey, remember that Marvel Team-Up from 33 years ago? Someone should really bring back that thing from it… that didn't sort of even happen in it… because…. well… WOULDN'T it have been cool if that character WERE in Kraven's Last Hunt?
THAT is left field.
And that's being generous to the field.
That's more like out of left continent.
Or left spiral arm of the galaxy. 😉
Quote Originally Posted by Dan Slott:
Darthfury78:
No one is asking you to write a Spider-Man and Tigra story. Just as no one is asking you to write a Spider-Man and Captain Marvel story either. I asked for your opinion. That was it.
Every Spider-Man writer has a favorite. What doesn't interest you someone else will take advantage of. Just like Peter dating Carol Danvers, which you went on record to say that if you had done the story, one of them would be a Skrull.
And the Spider-Man and Tigra story would not in any way revisit the old Marvel Team-up from where their last adventure left off. Although, I did mentioned that I wished that she was integrated into Spider-Man's world as NYPD Crime Scene Investigator, in retrospect. It doesn't mean that you have to write it anymore than someone wanting to write a Spider-Man and Wolverine team-up adventure against Thomas Fireheart: The Puma.
Dan Slott tells me that Tigra in Spider-Man's world is left field? Yet, he creates a situation of which Peter Parker as Tony Stark is as left field as they come, Especially, Otto jumping into Peter's body and taking charge of his life without one hint of suspicion from those who know him. Yeah, Spider-Man can't be in a relationship with a super heroine. Yet he's allowed to be a CEO of company that's not really his to begin with.
Seems that Dan should have just said "I don't feel like catering to these wants" and leaves it at that rather than try to deconstruct an argument. There are definite left-field romances in many a superhero book, and what of Peter and Kitty? Arguably one of the most popular pairings of the Ultimate Universe, that was introduced swiftly in one annual where the two had only casually known each other previously, and it's a relationship where both parties take an active crime-fighting interest. It's only ended when Peter realizes the depths of his feelings towards MJ and Kitty in-universe never got over that.
Dan Slott respects the history of Peter Parker — that he likes — and the rest is malleable. In a similar vein, his ideas are never out of left field but yours are and all of his internet critics are "crazy." He acknowledges that his response to criticism is to "dig in" his heels instead of trying to look at said criticism from an objective point of view. He admits using "spite" as a motivator. The guy has problems and should be called out on those problems when it's appropriate. Unfortunately, comic website moderators tend to act like his Praetorian guard.*
*Editor's note: Yes, I did get that line from Ted Cruz.
I was just informed when browsing the Crawlspace, but seemingly Dan argued this direction at length with a certain other comic artist/writer who had a controversial run with Peter Parker….John Byrne
I'm still combing through it, but you can read the whole exchange here
http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=48945&PN=1&TPN=1
John Byrne needs to just drop the mic and walk away. Boom!
Dan Slott: "I've been reading comics for over 40 years. I love 'em and respect 'em from every era."
John Byrne: "Fit that into your work some time. Might make for fun reading."
Dan Slott: "It's not courage to speak out in a place where someone else controls both the vertical and the horizontal. You don't fly into Cuba and say anything that might upset Castro. That wouldn't be courage. That'd be madness, right?"
John Byrne: "Perpetuating the myth that opinions different from mine are not allowed in the JBF? Want to scurry down to your LCS with a tale of how you stood up to Big Bad Byrne? Yawn."
It's weird that Dan Slott would essentially compare Mr. Byrne's site to Communist Cuba. It's insulting, but also hilarious considering that Dan Slott favors comic book websites with Castro-wannabe moderators.
Another good one:
John Byrne: "When I started attending conventions on a regular basis, back in the Seventies, I was disturbed by the "dark" thread that seemed to run thru a lot of fandom. I was assured — mostly by Roger Stern — that the fans who attended cons were somewhat atypical, and that the majority of our audience was casual readers who enjoyed the books and characters for what they were, and didn't devote a lot of mental energy (especially "dark" mental energy) to them.
But, as I have noted before, as the marketplace has shrunk, the people who we used to consider fringe elements ("walking wounded" we called them) had not only seem undiminished in numbers, but have actually moved closer to the center. And, to make matters worse, a lot of current pros (or, at least, their attitudes) seem to be drawn from this group.
There was a time when, quite literally, letters that would come in demanding that the characters age, or be more violent, or more sexual, or all of the above — well, those letters would get a laugh around the Office, and then be consigned to the trash.
Today, it often feels like such missives are considered source material!"
It keeps getting better:
"John Byrne: All-Ages should mean that you can read and enjoy a comic when you're ten, and if you happen to come back to that same comic when you're 20 you'll find LAYERS there of which you were not previously aware. Likewise at 30 and forty, and so on."
I have said for years now that Dan Slott does not get this very point. Well said by Mr. Byrne.
I think my favourite part of Slott's conversations with Bryne's fans was this little nugget
DAN: "Even though you think that reader "doesn't care a whit about fifty years of previous Spider-Man stories"– those kids KNOW Spider-Man. They've seen the Raimi movies on Netflix, they've seen the Webb movies in the theaters, and they've DVR'ed the hell out of the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon on Disney XD. They KNOW what Spider-Man is supposed to be"
Dan, the Raimi, Webb, and Ultimate Spideys are the farthest thing from what Spider-Man is supposed to be, Dan.
I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for the first Raimi movie. I'm also willing to cut movie directors some slack because it's really tough to essentially condense decades of material from the comics into a (good) film. Any time you switch mediums there are going to be compromises that need to be made. To me the importance should be placed on knowing where one cannot compromise while also making sure to keep the character's "core" intact.
I thought Webb's first outing was "eh" but it's not like anyone (but Sony) was demanding a new Spider-Man movie so soon. I also thought Peter's jokes made him come across more like a jerk than as a witty guy who was using jokes to hide his fear.
I never saw the Ultimate cartoon, but I heard it was pretty bad. I'm still annoyed that Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes was cancelled. That cartoon was great!
Check out Season Two, Episode 23 to see Spider-Man help save the world. 🙂
Disney Executive: "Hey, this cartoon is really something, isn't it? Everyone likes it. I guess we should just pull the plug and give fans an inferior replacement."
This new set-up for Peter Parker is the sort of thing a writer does when he's bored with a character — you come up with increasingly nutty scenarios, because you aren't interested in the character. Zany scenarios are what currently sells the magazine. SSM was bizarre, but Slott was enthusiastic about it, which showed in his writing, Spider-Verse was 100% about being zany and bizarre. The villains were lousy, but that didn't matter because they were just there to make the flashing, sparking story-gizmo to spin. Carnival fireworks are what he's good at; you notice the soap-opera stuff he writes never flies — which is why badgering him with one's obsessive love-interest fancies is a waste of time. He writes all of that part poorly. I've seen little evidence from his writing that Dan Slott understands the heart. He writes what he's good at, which is to set up colorfully sparky, popping, fizzing plot, and it sells well even though the stories have more holes than the Long Island Expressway.
"Carnival fireworks are what he's good at; you notice the soap-opera stuff he writes never flies — which is why badgering him with one's obsessive love-interest fancies is a waste of time. He writes all of that part poorly. I've seen little evidence from his writing that Dan Slott understands the heart."
Speaking of "hearts," that comment was like an intellectual dagger through the heart. That one cut deep.
I think Dan Slott means well, but because he is so immature he throws online temper tantrums when faced with legitimate criticism. He doesn't know how to handle it when someone exposes his weaknesses as a writer. His problem isn't that he doesn't have a heart to tap into for powerful stories as much as he lacks empathy for anyone with an opposing worldview.
That "spite" comment was incredibly telling. He knows how to write stories for people who see the world through a similar psychological prism, but he's essentially incapable of writing entertaining tales through a more objective lens. He sees at sea level but he can't really get a few from 10,000 feet. That severely limits what he can successfully pull off. Instead of perhaps admitting his faults he "digs in" and doubles down on "spite." Sad.
emmettfowler says:
Hello Douglas. Big fan of the blog. Been a silent reader for a long time and have finally decided to comment.
As always, well written and fun to read. Your use of the word "pupate" nearly had me in tears. So funny!
I enjoy these reviews and updates as I (for the first time since I was about 6) am a bit out of touch with Spider-Man and the happenings over at Marvel, primarily because I've been boycotting the company (as well as DC) for the past several years.
I've heard many people say that Dan Slott's Silver Surfer is basically a Slottian adaptation of Doctor Who and so based on the white tux wearing, bimbo-juggling, goofy gadget – mobile driving Peter Parker I see here I'm going to go ahead and put my money on this new volume of Spider-Man reading like the Dan Slott remake of a late-Connery/Moore Era James Bond film.
Hello! Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. I appreciate it. It always makes my day when someone who has read (and enjoyed) the blog for awhile shares their thoughts in the comments section for the first time.
First off, I can totally understand your boycott. In fact, there was a period of time when I did the same. At some point in time I just got so fed up with the perpetually-glowing reviews certain comic websites gave to questionable stories that I just went for it. I know there are some people who think it's weird I still buy Marvel products on occasion, but I figure that if I spend $4.00 and write an honest review then I might a.) save a few guys and gals who don't have much disposable income some money, or b.) point those same readers in the direction of a book that is truly worth their attention. Dan Slott's weird decision to stalk me around the internet also played a role in prompting me to write ASM reviews on a much more regular basis. If I can't talk about comics elsewhere without getting hassled, then I guess I'll have to do more of it here. 😉
As it pertains to Silver Surfer, I heard the same thing. My personal opinion is that I'm not sure how Dan Slott can really write a character who has been likened to a philosopher of the cosmos…but I think it would be going too far if I zeroed in on that book, too. Spider-Man was my first comic book love, so he gets the bulk of my blogging attention.
If you're right about the next volume of ASM reading like a Roger Moore-era James Bond, then the next couple of years are going to be pretty painful. The only thing I really remember as a teenager watching those on TNT's "Bond Week" was that at some point in time Roger was a bit too old for those ladies… Yes, he's James Bond, but it was getting a little weird towards the end.
Dan Slott didn't do a very good juggling the complexity of Spider-Verse, so I'm not sure how he's going to fare with a globetrotting CEO/Superhero who needs to go from San Francisco to New York to London and then Shanghai on a regular basis. My early prediction is that the run will be creatively herky-jerky. With all of these different locations, new characters, new job responsibilities, etc., I just see it being a challenge to get into a groove and build momentum. I do think that opening up Peter's world offers a lot of cool possibilities, but I have almost zero confidence that Dan Slott will consistently hit the mark. I can't be happy with one cool issue of ASM out of every 8-10. The lead-up to Spider-Verse was atrocious. I'm not sure how anyone can say with a straight face that Dan Slott wasn't either on autopilot or just completely focused on Spider-Verse deadlines/Silver Surfer.
Anyway, thanks again for taking the time to read and comment. I'm always interested to hear what you think.
I love Spider-Man. I also love the Flash (that's only 1/4 true…I'm specifically a Wally West fan). More so than either of them I love the comic book medium. That is where my Marvel boycott stems from. I would love to see the comic book medium flourish into something that is respected and critiqued on the same level as film, music and prose novels. I feel that after nearly 100 years of history comic books should be on that level, but it's kind of hard to demand intelligent people give the medium that sort of attention when the biggest publisher prints nothing but a never ending cycle of publicity stunts, shock value character "deaths", temporary costume/power/relationship gimmicks and lackluster cross-over events. I remember reading the Marvel Comics solicitations on CBR one day and just thinking, "My God…all of this sounds so horrible!" and just haven't bought a Marvel comic or (paid to see) a Marvel movie since.
I was told by a teacher during my senior year of high school that I couldn't count comic book pages toward my semester's required reading because, "Comic books aren't real literature." I successfully argued her statement by pointing out that Watchmen had made Time Magazine's "100 All Time Novels" list, a feat accomplished by very few of the books we read in class. After writing her a short extra credit essay on the history and evolution of comics I was granted the Watchmen (and ONLY Watchmen…she would make no other exceptions) page count.
It's frustrating to me that in all the time comic books have been a staple of American culture they're still largely viewed in disgust by people in academic circles. Then again, it's hard to argue that the medium is more than just pap for basement-dwelling, culturally isolated manboys when you've got basement-dwelling, culturally isolated manboys like Slott and Scott Lobdell working with some of the biggest publishers (on some of their biggest publications). It's obvious that people are interested in comic book CHARACTERS and STORIES (comic book movie box office numbers will attest to that). I'd just like to see some of those people follow that interest to the actual comic book page so that the medium might survive.
For years I've been trying to steer new readers and movie fans towards comics that might make them life long readers and away from soulless, churned-out nonsense like…well…pretty much everything Marvel puts out these days. I've ranted until I was blue in the face about the merits of the medium and the hypocrisy and corruption that happens behind the scenes to people who probably don't even care (but apparently find a ranting comic book fan to be amusing). I just want to see quality comics, because comic books have SO MUCH potential. That's why I appreciate what you do Douglas. For a long time I thought I was alone on this crusade, so I was very delighted to find this blog full of like-minded people.
Thanks again. I'll be reading.
I'm going to respond a bit out of order here.
"I've ranted until I was blue in the face about the merits of the medium and the hypocrisy and corruption that happens behind the scenes to people who probably don't even care (but apparently find a ranting comic book fan to be amusing). I just want to see quality comics, because comic books have SO MUCH potential. That's why I appreciate what you do Douglas. For a long time I thought I was alone on this crusade, so I was very delighted to find this blog full of like-minded people."
This too makes my day. One of the main reasons for writing this blog is that I don't ever want a guy like you to feel like he is alone. I was a free market/strong national defense guy on a college campus in southern California years ago, which is an interesting (i.e., occasionally lonely) experience. At least I met my wife there, so I can't complain! 🙂 Anyway, that same desire to reach out to young conservatives who are busy Googling certain issues also applies to men and women who wish comic book creators tried to elevate the craft instead. I'm not sure why Marvel seems to be vying to become the lowest common denominator's go-to source for comic books.
I'm not sure how long you've been reading the blog, but I'm assuming posts like this would be up your alley: "Guy Delisle's 'Pyongyang' — a comic can become essential reading" I think if we ever sat down over dinner we could probably have some fun conversations on the industry.
It's frustrating to me that in all the time comic books have been a staple of American culture they're still largely viewed in disgust by people in academic circles. Then again, it's hard to argue that the medium is more than just pap for basement-dwelling, culturally isolated manboys when you've got basement-dwelling, culturally isolated manboys like Slott and Scott Lobdell working with some of the biggest publishers (on some of their biggest publications).
In one of my debates with Mr. Slott some time ago, I mentioned that while he seems to think comics are "just" comics, it doesn't have to be that way. I said that someone like Art Spiegelman used "Maus" to tell a tale that really resonated with people on a deeper level. Dan Slott causally tossed what he thought was a throwaway reference to Hitler and Pol Pot into his "Ends of the Earth" tale, but good writers don't have throwaway lines. Every word is precious. Every word means something.
I think there is a way that a comic like ASM could work on multiple levels. It can be written for younger readers, but also have layers to it that adults can appreciate it. Some Pixar movies have done this incredibly well. It can be done. Unfortunately, Marvel's comics division doesn't get it. That's why you get issues of The Superior Spider-Man where Doc Ock is "pleasuring" himself to thoughts of MJ while "Ghost Peter" (or whatever he was) looks on in horror.
If more modern creators had any self respect, then they would hang their heads in shame over what they've done to the industry.
Jack Brooks says:
Nick Lowe said today that Slott is a fanatic student of the "weird" obscure parts of ASM lore. Does that sound fitting? Miss the character of the whole forest because you are interested in this clump of weird misshapen ferns over in the corner?
Thanks for sharing that, Jack. As regular readers know, I have often said Dan Slott creates a warped "fun house mirror" version of Peter Parker. I'm glad that Nick Lowe agrees with me. 😉 Someone tell Dan Slott.
So over on CBR, Dan is on the warpath again defending the new direction, and Mike (aka Stillanerd) is called out and told to "please stop" interpreting the book a certain way by the author, who insists the book discussed at length on Tumblr, the Crawlspace, and other websites is not the one published by Marvel
Then, in another thread, he sees someone using a picture uploaded from your blog and immediately dismisses the person's opinions as invalid because he talks with you, who he believes wants Peter to actually murder Koreans, and labels this blog as "Crazy Town".
Notice how a picture someone uses from the actual comic is suddenly invalid because it's a screenshot taken from my blog. Haha! I hope someone calls Dan Slott out on his continued use of red herring and "poisoning the well" fallacies.
The funny thing is that he completely distorts my original position on the North Korean thing — again — because all he really knows how to do is to lie and distort when he's cornered. For those who are interested, I thoroughly dismantled some of Dan Slott's distortions here: "Dan Slott goes nuts over sales because he knows Spider-Man fans don't respect him"
"The reason why I was upset was that with 6 billion lives on the line, Dan Slott's Peter Parker took precious time — when every second counted — to lecture his teammates about the sanctity of North Korea's gulag overseers."
Why does Dan Slott feel the need to obsess over me on websites with friendly moderators, but he never brings his personal attacks here? Oh, yeah, that's because he knows that I'll intellectually tear him to shreds.
Dan Slott, since you're reading this, you really need to stop. Every time you mention my name and lie about this blog, people come here and realize that you are, in fact, a liar. Most comic book readers seem to know this by now, but your continued obsession with me (from far, far away) only hammers home the point.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Figure skating: Yuzuru Hanyu says quad axel will help win 3rd Olympic gold
KYODO NEWS - Dec 27, 2021 - 23:20 | Sports, All, Olympics
Yuzuru Hanyu said Monday he hopes a successful quadruple axel will help him claim a third straight Olympic gold medal, a night after he secured his place in the Beijing Games with a win at the national championships.
The 27-year-old returned from an eight-month absence from competition due to a right ankle injury by winning his second straight and sixth overall national title, scoring 322.36 in total at Saitama Super Arena.
Having under-rotated his quad axel during Sunday's free skate and turning it into a triple axel, Hanyu is eager to nail it at the biggest stage.
"The Olympics isn't a recital. It's a place you must win," he said during an online press conference. "For that reason, I'll be strongly determined."
"I'm hopeful I can prepare a program that sees a quad axel that earns an extra grade of execution points."
Hanyu, who is expected to battle American world champion Nathan Chen for gold in Beijing, will be joined in the Japan team by 24-year-old Pyeongchang Olympic silver medalist Shoma Uno and 18-year-old Olympic debutant Yuma Kagiyama after they came second and third, respectively, at the nationals.
"I'm hoping to show how far I've developed at the Olympic stage (in the past four years)," Uno said.
Kagiyama, whose father and coach Masakazu competed twice at the games, was thrilled at the chance of competing on the highest stage.
"I'll be trying to add one more quad jump before the games," he said.
(From L) Yuma Kagiyama, Shoma Uno, Yuzuru Hanyu, Kaori Sakamoto, Wakaba Higuchi, Mana Kawabe, Misato Komatsubara, and Takeru Komatsubara are pictured in Saitama on Dec. 26, 2021. (Kyodo)
In the women's field, Kaori Sakamoto won the national title for the first time in three years to book her second straight Olympic berth.
The 21-year-old, aiming to better her six-place finish at the last Olympics, said the camaraderie she shares with Olympic debutants Wakaba Higuchi and Mana Kawabe, who rounded off the podium at the nationals, will serve them well at the games.
"I want to go above sixth, get to the podium," Sakamoto said. "There's nothing to separate the three of us and I'm not thinking about leading them, but hopefully I can make them relax."
Higuchi set a total of 230 points as her benchmark at the Olympics with her triple axel being the key.
"There won't be a single competition over the next month so I'm looking to get some training under my belt that will boost my confidence," the 20-year-old said.
Seventeen-year-old Kawabe, meanwhile, revealed she was surprised to have made the cut.
"I wasn't thinking of making the Olympics at all. There's huge excitement in being able to skate on that stage," she said. "My expression falls behind my rivals and I'll be trying to express the music much better."
The husband-and-wife pair of Misato Komatsubara and Takeru Komatsubara secured their spot in ice dancing after winning the national championship just 1.86 points ahead of Daisuke Takahashi and Kana Muramoto.
Former men's singles world champion and Vancouver Games bronze medalist Takahashi made the switch to ice dancing just a season ago, partnering with Muramoto. They had looked to have a strong chance to earn Olympic selection after posting the highest score by a Japanese duo this season.
"I felt disappointed when I heard the result, but I quickly accepted it," said the 35-year-old Takahashi, who will partner Muramoto at the world championships in March.
The pairs team of Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara had already qualified for Beijing before the national championships.
IN PHOTOS: Japan Figure Skating Championships
Figure skating: Yuzuru Hanyu clinches national championship, Olympic berth
Figure skating: Kaori Sakamoto clinches 2nd national crown, Olympic berth
Dec 27, 2021 | KYODO NEWS


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
OHCHR > English > News and Events > DisplayNews
Iran must ensure rights of Christian minority and fair trial for the accused– UN experts
GENEVA (2 February 2018) – UN human rights experts* have called on Iran to ensure a fair and transparent final hearing for three Iranian Christians who are due to appear before the Revolutionary Court in Tehran this weekend.
"We are deeply concerned by the long jail sentences imposed at a previous hearing on Pastor Victor Bet Tamraz, Amin Afshar Naderi and Hadi Asgari for allegedly 'conducting evangelism' and 'illegal house church activities', and similar charges that, according to the authorities, amount to acting against national security, completely contrary to Iran's international obligations under the UDHR and the ICCPR" the four Special Rapporteurs said in a joint statement.
"We are additionally concerned about the lack of healthcare made available to them while in detention and, in particular, about the current health condition of Mr. Asgari who remains in prison," they added.
"We strongly call on the Government to ensure that the final review hearing on Sunday is fair and transparent, in accordance with Iran's obligations under international human rights law," the experts said.
The Revolutionary Court judge has the power to end the case, confirm the sentences or refer the case to the Supreme Court, with the men either freed on bail or jailed in the meantime.
The three Christians were given provisional jail sentences of 10 years at a previous hearing in July. Mr. Naderi received an additional five years for blasphemy.
The experts say they are also concerned that the prosecution of the three Christians is not an isolated case.
"We are aware of several other reported cases in which members of the Christian minority have received heavy sentences after being charged with 'threatening national security', either for converting people or for attending house churches," they said.
"This shows a disturbing pattern of individuals being targeted because of their religion or beliefs, in this case a religious minority in the country.
"Members of the Christian minority in Iran, particularly those who have converted to the faith, are facing severe discrimination and religious persecution."
The UN experts stressed that it was "of paramount importance" for the Iranian Government to abide by its obligations under international human rights law.
"The authorities must ensure fair trials for all, including the religious minorities in the country," they said.
"We also urge the Government to immediately and unconditionally release all those who have been arrested and detained for exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief."
The UN experts notified the Government of Iran about their concerns.
*The UN experts: Mr. Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; Ms. Asma Jahangir, Special Rapporteur on Iran; Fernand de Varennes, Special Rapporteur on minority issues; andMr. Dainius Pūras, Special Rapporteur on the right to health;
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures' experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
UN Human Rights country profile - Iran
For more information and media inquiries please contact:
Maken Tzeggai (+41 22 917 9889 / mtzeggai@ohchr.org)
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact:
Jeremy Laurence (+ 41 22 917 9383 / jlaurence@ohchr.org)
This year, 2018, is the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN on 10 December 1948. The Universal Declaration – translated into a world record 500 languages – is rooted in the principle that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." It remains relevant to everyone, every day. In honour of the 70thanniversary of this extraordinarily influential document, and to prevent its vital principles from being eroded, we are urging people everywhere to Stand Up for Human Rights: www.standup4humanrights.org.


to the the bird house you want to see.
All bird houses are suitable in any area of the country where a species exists.
Titmouse | Flicker | Wood Duck | Owls | Mounting Info.
Cavity nesting birds prefer certain sizes of bird houses and entry holes depending on the species of bird. We try, as close as possible, to re-create the cavity sizes suitable to the species based on scientific research. However, some species of similar size, from time to time enter into others bird houses. Sometimes to use them as warming box in winter, or in other cases to displace a more desirable species.
In some areas some cavity nesters are under considerable pressure to find suitable housing. Because of land clearing and dead tree removal their habitat is greatly reduced. In these areas some species may inhabit houses outside of it's prefered size.


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Alex Verus
25 books in series
Fated Publisher's Summary
Camden, North London: A tangled, mangled junction of train lines, roads, and waterways. Where minor celebrities hang out with minor criminals and where tourists and moody teenagers mingle.
In the heart of Camden, where rail meets road meets leyline, you might find the Arcana Emporium, run by one Alex Verus. He won't sell you a wand or mix you a potion, but if you know what you're looking for, he might just be able to help. That's if he's not too busy avoiding his would-be apprentice, foiling the Dark, outwitting the Light, and investigating a mysterious relic that has just turned up at the British Museum.
Fated is the first book in a major new series starring probability mage Alex Verus, for fans of Jim Butcher and Ben Aaronovitch.
©2012 Benedict Jacka (P)2013 Tantor Media Inc.
Alex Verus, Book 1
By: Benedict Jacka
Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
Camden, North London. A tangled, mangled junction of train lines, roads and waterways. Where minor celebrities hang out with minor criminals and where tourists and moody teenagers mingle. In the heart of Camden, where rail meets road meets leyline, you might find the Arcana Emporium, run by one Alex Verus. He won't sell you a wand or mix you a potion, but if you know what you're looking for, he might just be able to help.
Excellent gritty fantasy
By lynn on 01-15-15
Alex Verus Series, Book 1
Alex Verus is part of a world hidden in plain sight, running a magic shop in London. And while Alex's own powers aren't as showy as some mages, he does have the advantage of foreseeing the possible future-allowing him to pull off operations that have a million-to-one-chance of success. But when Alex is approached by multiple factions to crack open a relic from a long-ago mage war, he knows that whatever's inside must be beyond powerful.
Harry Dresden meets the Temple of Doom
By Jessica on 05-15-14
An Alex Verus Novel
Things are going well for Alex Verus. He's on moderately good terms with the Council, his apprentice is settling in, and his shop in Camden is gaining quite a reputation. But when a mysterious woman bursts into the Arcana Emporium one night with an assassin on her tail, Alex is thrown into a plot to revive a long-forbidden ritual.
Couldn't stop listening
By Rogerio Vitiver Soares de Souza on 06-05-17
Since his second sight made him infamous for defeating powerful dark mages, Alex has been keeping his head down. But now he's discovered the resurgence of a forbidden ritual. Someone is harvesting the life-force of magical creatures-destroying them in the process. And draining humans is next on the agenda. Hired to investigate, Alex realizes that not everyone on the Council wants him delving any deeper.
Popcorn fantasy, just how I like it
By SC123 on 10-14-15
Welcome to Fountain Reach. Ancient seat of the Aubuchon dynasty. Majestic setting of the White Stone tournament. Alex Verus' (not necessarily reliable) reputation attracts all sorts. Most are plain bonkers. Yet there's one invitation he just can't refuse. At Fountain Reach, Alex is perfectly placed among the noted and notorious to figure out why apprentices have been vanishing.
By Alexandru on 03-28-19
This time last year, I could go weeks without seeing another mage. In mage society I was an unknown and, all in all, that was how I liked it. It's hard to say what changed. Whatever it was, I got involved in the magical world again and started getting myself a reputation.
Great book. Action packed and fun.
By Cliff on 02-03-14
I don't publicly advertise that I'm a mage, but I don't exactly hide it either, and one of the odd things I've learnt over the years is just how much you can get away with if you're blatant enough. Hide something behind smoke and mirrors and make people work to find it, and they'll tear the place down looking for what's there. Alex Verus is a diviner who can see probable futures-a talent that's gotten him out of many a tough scrape. But this time, he may be in over his head. Alex was once apprenticed to a Dark mage, and in his service he did a lot of things he isn't proud of.
best on in the series so far
Life is quiet for Alex Verus. Amazing. With a flat full of friends (and the occasional fish) and business booming, why not enjoy the humdrum here and now? But of course that's too good to be true. In a sudden and cruel pincer movement of fate, Alex finds himself fighting a sinister and powerful gang as well as his own demons - for the same crime. Held hostage by the choices of his past, Alex's future is now in jeopardy....
Never look back. Alex Verus is a diviner who can see probable futures - a talent that's gotten him and his friends out of many a tough scrape. But what happens when someone doesn't want Alex's help? Alex's friend, the life mage Anne, distanced herself from him when she found out about his past as a Dark apprentice. Now she's in serious trouble but wants nothing to do with him. Alex has to start wondering if Anne's problem is really with him - or if there's a secret she's trying to hide.
With his talent for divining the future, Alex Verus should have foreseen his friends' reactions to the revelations about his previous life. Anne Walker no longer trusts him-and has also cut all ties with the mage community after getting kicked out of the apprentice program. As a favor to Luna, Alex's own apprentice and Anne's best friend, he checks in on her only to be told to leave her alone. Then Anne gets kidnapped.
Thought it would be boring
Alex Verus and the Council that governs the magical community have never gotten along. But with his former teacher back in Britain, Alex is in desperate need of allies, and he'll do whatever it takes to get them - even if it means accepting a job enforcing magical law. Alex forms an uneasy alliance with his new partner, but his attempt at legitimacy quickly turns lethal when a mission puts him in possession of an item that factions both inside and outside of the Council would kill to get their hands on.
By Coral on 08-16-15
Alex Verus is a mage who can see the future, but even he couldn't have seen this day coming. Alex has agreed to join the Keepers, the magical police force, to protect his friends from his old master, the Dark mage Richard Drakh. Going legit was always going to be difficult for an outcast like Alex, and there are those in the Keepers who aren't keen to see an ex-Dark mage succeed. Especially when Dark mages are making a play for a seat on the council for the first time in history.
Friggin' love this series. Obsessed.
By Mariel Segovia on 05-17-16
Not available on audible.com
There are many reasons why a book might be unavailable.
Sometimes a book goes temporarily out of print - and sometimes no audio version has ever been recorded. Audible wants to give you the most complete selection we can and we'll keep adding series and filling in gaps as quickly as possible.
Diviner Alex Verus finally made one too many enemies on the Council of Mages, and now one of them is angry enough to have him executed. Fighting for his life is nothing new, but this kill order also calls for the death of Alex's dependents - and there's no way that he'll let Luna, Anne, and Vari take the heat. With only a week before he's history, Alex will have to figure out how to disassociate himself from his friends, scrounge up allies on the council, and hopefully keep his head attached to his body.
Thought it was good.
By Jill on 06-25-17
Alex Verus has a magic shop in Camden, London, and an uncanny ability to see the future. But suddenly everyone can see Alex's future. Because the Mage's Council of Great Britain just named him a traitor and ordered his death in seven days' time, and there's no way anyone can get out of that. Alex's friends - Luna and the other apprentices he's taken in - are tainted by association. They'll be marked for death, too, when the ruling comes into play, and Alex becomes locked in a race against time to save them.
Best book in the series so far!
By Marit on 12-19-18
Alex Verus can see the future. But he never thought he'd see this day. Manoeuvred by forces beyond his control, the probability mage has made a terrible choice: he's agreed to work for his old master once more. Richard Drakh, the sadistic dark mage Alex escaped as an apprentice, has him in his clutches again. And this time he won't let go so easily.
I love this series!
By Mom to 2 on 05-04-17
Alex Verus is still haunted by his time apprenticed to Richard Drakh. He's been free of him for many years, but now the only way to keep his friends from being harmed is to again work for Richard and his deadly ally. Even worse, he's forced to bring the Light mage Anne into this servitude as well. After weeks of being hunted and finally cornered into what he thought was his last stand, Alex never thought his life would be spared - and never anticipated at what price. This time, the diviner can see no way out.
Tighter Coils and Straighter Straits
By Nekko on 07-03-17
Alex Verus is tracking down dangerous magical items unleashed into the world by Dark Mages - however, when the Light Council decide they need his help in negotiating with the perpetrators, Alex must use all his cunning and magic to strike a deal. The ninth novel in the urban fantasy series which began with Fated - the Alex Verus novels are magic-filled fan favourites, perfect for fans of Jim Butcher and Ben Aaronovitch.
When Mage Alex Verus ends up with a position on the Light Council, no one is happy, least of all him. But Alex is starting to realize that if he wants to protect his friends, he'll need to become a power player himself. His first order of business is to track down dangerous magical items unleashed into the world by Dark Mages.
I love the character development but...
An Alex Verus Novel from the New Master of Magical London
Once Alex Verus was a diviner trying to live quietly under the radar. Now he's a member of the Light Council who's found success, friends...and love. But it's come with a price - the council is investigating him, and if they find out the truth, he'll lose everything. Meanwhile, Alex's old master, Richard Drakh, is waging a war against the council, and he's preparing a move that will bring Alex and the life mage, Anne, under his control. Caught between Richard and the council, Alex's time is running out. To protect those he cares for, Alex will have to become something different....
Show 20 30 items per page


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An Appeal From The Baffler
Asking for money is not a natural thing for The Baffler to do, but we do it out of necessity. We're a magazine of ideas and, regrettably, in actually existing capitalism ideas flow in canals carved by money. But this year it is especially tough. All of us at The Baffler know that many of our readers are suffering as a result of the pandemic that has been allowed to burn out of control and the economic calamity created by the inaction of our leaders.
But if you do have money to spare, please consider donating to our magazine. The Baffler's willingness and ability to take on the systems that govern our world and turn what could be widely shared prosperity into a battle royale for individual survival is more necessary than ever. In our April issue, The Saving Power, our editor in chief Jonathon Sturgeon wrote of our staff that
They conceived of this issue, about systems of care, before the virus took hold in the United States. They made the magazine in isolation despite the collapse of everything around them, rejecting the lesser mandates of a distributive system that was promised to be the most efficient and cost-effective in human history. One of our writers in this issue finished a long essay while sick with Covid-19.
I never believed in Hölderlin's "saving power," the restorative thing that grows from the gravest danger. I've changed my mind. This power isn't an inevitable process or a guarantee, it's just other people who care. It's the power that remains when the quarantine ends and the conflicting mandates cancel each other out.
The Baffler's single biggest expense is compensation, paying the staff and writers fairly to produce the writing and art that comes out of this shared commitment to a better world. We need money for that: to produce articles like David Roth's somehow hilarious dissections of the people the money god Moloch has installed to rule over us, Ajay Singh Chaudhary's anatomy of the fictions of #unity that meant to blind us to the growing cancer of climate injustice, Kate Wagner's poignant essay on the architectural delusions that comfort us amidst our collective slide into oblivion, Barbara Ehrenreich's exploration of what cave paintings tell us of human society before our collective descent into narcissism, and so much more.
If you can join me in donating, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you can't, I still thank you. Whether or not you are able to make a donation, I ask that you stay angry.
Most sincerely yours,
Noah McCormack
Publisher of The Baffler
P.S. We're a nonprofit mission, so your donation is entirely tax deductible. Donate today and help us meet the coming year with the wit, tenacity, and full-throated opposition it deserves.
Give to The Baffler
Charitable as a Church


text:
BTC/USD Forex Signal: Bearish Breakout Points to Drop to 37,000 – 18 April 2022
There is a likelihood that this sell-off will continue in the coming days as bears target the next key support at 37,000.
Bearish View
Sell the BTC/USD pair and set a take-profit at 37,000.Add a stop-loss at 42,000.Timeline: 1-2 days.
Bullish View
Set a buy-stop at 41,000 and a take-profit at 42,000.Add a stop-loss at 39,000.
The BTC/USD pair dropped below the support at 40,000 support as investors focus on the ongoing bank earnings season continued. The pair is trading at 38,880, which was the lowest level since March 16th.. This price is about 15% below the highest level this month.
Bank Earnings Season
Bitcoin tends to show some volatility during the bank earnings season. Historically, many banks have made some announcements about Bitcoin when they are delivering their quarterly earnings.
Last week, several banks, including Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Citigroup delivered their quarterly results. These banks did not make any announcement about their crypto initiatives.
However, Blackrock, the biggest asset manager in the world with over $10 trillion of assets made an announcement. The company joined with Fidelity to make an investment in Circle, the company that owns the USD Coin (USDC). The funding was $400 million and valued the firm at over $9 billion. USD Coin is the second-biggest stablecoin in the world after Tether.
There are other Wall Street banks that are scheduled for making announcements this week, including Bank of America and Schwab.
Another major event was the decision by Elon Musk to start a bid for Twitter, one of the biggest social media companies in the world. He proposed to buy the company for about $43 billion. During the weekend, Twitter announced that it had launched a poison pill in a bid to prevent Musk from acccumulating 15% stake in the company.
Musk's acquisition of Twitter would be positive for the company. For one, Musk is one of the biggest supporters of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Dogecoin. In a recent tweet, he suggested that Twitter should start accepting Dogecoin for its subscription solutions. Therefore, there is a likelihood that the BTC/USD pair will react to any announcement about the deal.
BTC/USD Forecast
The BTC/USD pair has been in a tight range in the past few days. It is trading at 38,882, which is at the lowest level since March. It has also moved below the 25-day and 50-day moving averages while the MACD is pointing downwards.
The pair has also moved below the lower side of triangle pattern. Therefore, there is a likelihood that this sell-off will continue in the coming days as bears target the next key support at 37,000.
AUD/USD Forex Signal: Aussie Cracks Below Key Support – 18 April 2022
EUR/USD Forex Signal: Inverted Cup and Handle Forms – 18 April 2022


Incorporated in 1987, Falcon Trailer Works has been on the leading edge of utility trailer manufacturing. We at Falcon do our best to supply our dealers with quality products and the resources to sell our line of trailers. We are continually updating and redesigning our product to keep up with the changing needs of our customers.
We manufacture a full line of single axle, tandem axle, and gooseneck trailers. We pride ourselves in our ability to custom build a trailer for one particular activity or industry. Whether you have blue prints or just an idea, we can help design your particular trailer.
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Please feel free to contact us about becoming a Falcon dealer. It is with anticipation that we look forward to hearing from you.


text:
Health, Education and Welfare
Court ruling not needed to withdraw care, judge says
Sep 21st 2017
Legal permission will no longer be required to end care for patients in a permanent vegetative state, a judge has ruled.
Until now, even if medics and relatives agree to withdraw nutrition from a patient, a judge must also consent.
But a landmark decision by Mr Justice Jackson means those cases will no longer have to come to court.
The official solicitor, appointed by the state to act for such patients, is likely to appeal against the ruling.
Doctors are able to withdraw treatment from a patient - if relatives consent - under various circumstances without needing court approval, for example, when a "do not resuscitate" order is made.
However, removing sustenance from an individual in a vegetative or minimally conscious state has been treated differently.
For nearly 25 years, these decisions have been referred to the Court of Protection, even where doctors and families agree.
At last, a sensible decision, long overdue and one that will prevent a great deal of suffering of patients and relatives. Perhaps it may bring the argument for voluntary euthanasia one step nearer but in any event, I'm sure many will welcome this move.
As long is this is purely for those in a vegetative state and it's with the agreement of families, then I agree with this move. But as I have seen all too often, when elderly people with dementia are dosed up on sleeping tablets, they can appear comatose.
This had better not be "mission creep" against them.


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Christian Dior: More Fashion Comes to Texas
by Paula Newton December 3, 2018
Christian Dior, 1948. Courtesy of Christian Dior.
There have been a lot of fashion-related shows in Texas within the past few years, including "Texas Design Now" at the Contemporary Arts Museum (CAMH), "The Glamour and Romance of Oscar de la Renta" at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), and "Balenciaga in Black" at Fort Worth's Kimbell Art Museum.
Glasstire has been quick to review and promote the fashion craze in "50 Years of Curated Fashion On View in the Perfect Dallas Venue," "Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion," and "Ballroom Marfa Fashion: First Prada, Now Vogue." (There are many more examples of exhibitions and reviews of the Texas-Meets-Fashion history.)
Now, the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) announced that it will present Dior: From Paris to the World, an exhibition that debuted this month at the Denver Art Museum (DAM) and which surveys more than 70 years of the House of Dior's legacy and global influence. On view in Dallas May 19 through September 1, the DMA is the only other US venue for this extensive retrospective of the celebrated House of Dior.
The exhibition will feature a selection of more than a hundred haute couture dresses, as well as accessories, photographs, original sketches, runway videos and other archival material, and trace the history of the iconic haute couture fashion house. Dior: From Paris to the World also will profile its founder, Christian Dior, and subsequent artistic directors who have carried Dior's vision into the 21st century.
"The House of Dior has been a legendary force in fashion and visual culture for decades and continues to be an important influence that blurs the lines between fashion and art," states Agustín Arteaga, the DMA's Director. "Dallas has long recognized the artistic significance of Dior, most notably when in 1947, early in his career, Christian Dior traveled here to receive the Neiman Marcus Award for fashion. We are excited to welcome this innovative creative voice back to our city and to offer DMA audiences the opportunity to be inspired by the remarkable legacy of a global icon."
Christian Dior generated a style revolution in Paris and around the globe after World War II in 1947 with his New Look collection. Dior, the art gallerist who became a celebrated couturier, completely shed the masculine silhouette that had been established during the war, expressing modern femininity with his debut collection.
Special individual and group exhibition tickets for Dior: From Paris to the World will be announced at a later date, but start putting together your outfit for the opening reception.
O'Donnell Foundation Gifts $1.42 Million to Dallas Museum...
Decisions, Decisions: The Uncanny Ed Atkins
$500,000 Mellon Grant Funds New Conservator at DMA
Blue Star Museums to Offer Free Admission for...
Reves-DMA Lawsuit Ends with Whimper: Judge Dismisses Heir's...
Culture Grrl Leaks News: Kimbell's Potts to be...
Dallas Museum of Art Announces New Director
A Hustle Here, and a Hustle There: Is...
Cats, Cats, and More Cat Statues!
DMA Expands Latin American Art Commitment Via Curatorial...
K December 3, 2018 - 12:50
Don't forget we also had A Thin Wall of Air: Charles James at The Menil, which was really special. Can't wait to see Dior's New Look in Dallas.


Richard Wurmbrand, born on March 24, 1909, was a Romanian Christian minister of Jewish descent. He was a youth during a time of anti-Semitic activity in Romania, but it was later, after becoming a believer in Jesus Christ as Messiah, and daring to publicly say that Communism and Christianity were not compatible, that he experienced imprisonment and torture for his beliefs. After serving five years of a second prison sentence, he was ransomed for $10,000. After spending time in Norway and England, he and his wife Sabina, who had also been imprisoned, emigrated to America and dedicated the rest of their lives to publicizing and helping Christians who are persecuted for their beliefs. He wrote more than eighteen books, translated into more than 60 languages, the most widely known being "Tortured for Christ." He founded the international organization, Voice Of The Martyrs, which aids Christians around the world who are persecuted for their faith. Wurmbrand died on February 17, 2001. Recording obtained and published by Rick Sheridan.


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"Et tu, McCain?"
by Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr | Aug 3, 2017 | The Forum
In William Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, the Roman leader declares — on the steps of the Roman Senate and just before being fatally knifed by his friend and colleague, Marcus Brutus — "Et tu, Brute?" The contemporary adaptation of that iconic scene...
Charity evaluator exhibits bias; whitewashes SPLC
by Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr | Jun 21, 2017 | The Forum
Of the 500 million pieces of mail processed and delivered by the United States Postal Service each day, many are solicitations from non-profit organizations. In fact, if you're above a certain age and have been an active donor to non-profits in the past, there...
Campus Liberals Have Lost Control of the Frankenstein They Created
by Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr | Feb 9, 2017 | The Forum
On today's college campus, there are two types of speech; that which is deemed acceptable by liberal administrators, faculty, and students — and everything else. It is this rigid standard of so-called "free speech" that conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos...
Amidst Convention Hoopla, A Congressional Victory for Privacy
by Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr | Jul 26, 2016 | The Forum
With the attention of virtually all media and political pundits centered on the major political conventions, it is important we not lose sight of the fact that many lawmakers from both parties are continuing their relentless drive to increase the power of the federal...


text:
module EachWithAnim
  VERSION = "0.1.4"
end


text:
Мирослава Володимирівна Антонович (псевдо: «Сурма»; , с. Боднарів, нині Калуського району Івано-Франківської області — , м. Івано-Франківськ) — діячка ОУН, педагог. Двоюрідна сестра Степана Бандери.

Життєпис
Народилася 8 травня 1913 року в с. Боднарів, нині Калуського району Івано-Франківської області, Україна.

Проживала в селах Ягільниця (нині Чортківського району Тернопільської області), Вовківці (нині Борщівського району) й Увисла (нині Гусятинського району), де її батько був парохом.

У 1933 році закінчила Стрийську гімназію. Працювала учителькою в с. Цигани (нині Борщівського району), від 1939 — в Копичинцях, Хоросткові, Увислі.

У березні 1944 вступила в ОУН, була зв'язковою. Від липня 1944 — районовий провідник ОУН (серед жінок), їй підпорядковувалось 10 станиць на Гусятинщині. В с. Увисла 1 січня 1945 Антонович, хвору на запалення легенів, заарештували й ув'язнили в Чортківській тюрмі. 23 березня 1945 військовий трибунал у Тернополі засудив її до розстрілу, який замінили на 20 років виправно-трудових таборів (ВТТ).

Покарання відбувала в Норильську. Учасниця повстання в'язнів у липні 1953. Звільнена 12 липня 1960.

Після повернення в Україну Антонович на Тернопільщині та Львівщині не прописували. За допомогою Ірини Вільде влаштувалася опікункою її батька Д. Макогона в Станіславі (нині — Івано-Франківськ). Після його смерті була вихователькою в дитсадку. Взяла до себе 90-літню Ольгу Дучимінську, яка прожила в неї 15 р., до смерті.

Примітки

Література
 Мельничук Б. Антонович Мирослава Володимирівна //
 Мисько С. Незламна «Сурма»  // Галичина. — 2018. — 1 лютого.

Українські педагоги
Діячі ОУНР
Районові провідники ОУН
Незагиблі діячі ОУН
Репресовані в СРСР
Випускники Стрийської гімназії
Персоналії:Борщівський район
Персоналії:Чортківський район
Персоналії:Гусятинський район
Персоналії:Копичинці
Персоналії:Хоростків
Персоналії:Ягільниця
Педагоги XX століття
Педагоги Тернопільської області
Учасники Норильського повстання

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia