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Wonder Woman (Training Armor) Sixth-Scale Figure by Hot Toys
It's no secret that I'm woefully behind on my Sixth-Scale figure reviews. Hell, the last Hot Toys figure I reviewed was Yondu all the way back in the Summer of last year. I have some Hot Toys and TB League figures that have been waiting for their turn in the spotlight for the better part of a year, and I really want to turn that around in 2019. And to that end, I'm rolling out a Hot Toys review today and going with one of my newest arrivals just so I can prime the pump and get back into a regular routine. Yes, I got the Justice League version of Diana before this one, but it just seemed appropriate to go with the one from her own movie first.
Hot Toys hasn't been wowing me with a lot of their packaging lately and this release kind of follows in that trend. The deco is actually beautiful and the art really captures the feel of the film. It also gets by without any pictures of the figure itself. On the other hand, when you get down to it, this is just a flimsy window box with a sleeve around it, which feels wanting for such an expensive item. I will, however, give kudos to Sideshow as this one arrived at my door in a proper shipping box with packing material inside. I'm not sure if that's something new they're doing, but if so I approve! Inside the box, the figure comes in the usual molded plastic tray with all her accessories and extras surrounding her. She comes out of the box more or less ready for display. I just had to slip her bicep band on. So let's check her out!
This is the outfit that Diana wore on Themyscira, basically for the first act of the film. The term training armor might be a little excessive, but I obviously liked the look of the outfit enough to warrant double-dipping on the character, and that's something I rarely do when it comes to Hot Toys. The armor part comes into play with the bronze cuirass, which is sculpted in plastic and includes a strap that hugs the left side of the figure's neck. The cuirass includes some really nice texturing and layering, as well as details right down to the tiny sculpted rivets on the straps. The rest of the outfit includes a pleated skirt made out of a slightly stiff cloth, her wrist bracers, sculpted wraps on her hands, and a pair of high sandals, which are separate from the legs, and sculpted as part of the feet.
Hot Toys seems content to reluctantly mingle with the idea of a seamless body, and that continues to be the case here. The shoulders, elbows, and knees are all covered with rubber skin, which makes a huge difference on a figure like this where jointing in those areas would be exposed and, as a result, most definitely spoil the realism. And to that end, the sculpted musculature in the knees and and shoulders looks fantastic. The ankles, on the other hand feature regular joints, which can be seen through the sandals, and the legs themselves are connected under the skirt with ball joints. In this case, I think Hot Toys did everything necessary to keep the realism going, but despite these areas being bare, the range of motion in these joints is still fairly limited, as if she were still wearing a restrictive suit. This is probably not a big surprise for Hot Toys collectors, but mixing realistic bodies with articulation is an area where Phicen continues to have Hot Toys beat.
With all the Wonder Woman action figures the movie has spawned, we've seen some hits and a lot of misses with Gal Gadot's likeness. Some would argue that even Hot Toys didn't land a direct hit with their Batman VS Superman version. I think this one is pretty spot on. It may not be as perfect as some of their best likenesses, but I can't find a whole lot to pick at here either. She's certainly beautiful, and easily recognizable to me, and the paintwork conveys that sense of uncanny realism that Hot Toys is known for. The hair is sculpted, and that was definitely the way to go with this figure, as it's drawn back very tightly, and braided into a long pony tail down her back. I'm especially impressed by the fine sculpting in the individual strands, and the incredible paintwork along the hairline. It's great stuff!
Obviously, the figure comes with a bevy of extra hands, from the usual relaxed hands and fists, to ones intended to work with the accessories. The most notable of these accessories are her her sword and shield. The "Godkiller" is a beautiful piece of work. The ornate hilt features a crazy level of detail in the sculpt, and a beautiful gold finish. It has an elongated grip, allowing it to be wielded by one or both of her hands. The blade is straight with a textured finish and an inscription running through the central channel. I'd dare say that this is as fine a recreation of this sword as is possible in this scale.
The sword also comes with a recreation of the stand that held it in the beginning of the film. It's a simple stand, sculpted from two pieces of plastic with a notch in the top to insert the swords tip. It holds it well and the accessory certainly looks great displayed this way. I'll likely be displaying the figure holding the sword most of the time, but this is a damn fine option to have.
The shield is also impressive, and possibly my favorite accessory in the box. It's a large concave disc with a rich, deep brown color and a gold starburst in the center. The edge features a series of triangular designs opening out toward the edge, all of which are neatly painted in gold. All in all, it makes for an absolutely beautiful piece and I love how natural it looks on Diana's arm.
On the inside, the shield features a concentric circlet of sculpted to look like hammered bronze and you can see the reinforced edges, raised over the rest of the shield surface. There are two straps fixed to the interior with sculpted fixtures, each painted gold. One strap secures the shield near the elbow and the other is used for her hand to grab. It isn't terribly difficult to get it on and off the figure, although I found it was best to put the hand around the grab strap first and then attach the hand to the figure. Indeed, I'd probably just leave the hand attached to the shield even when it's off. Then again, I can't imagine ever displaying the figure without the shield. It really does look that good.
The set also includes a bow and three arrows. These are fine additions to the accessory count, but at the same time, they aren't going to spend a lot of time displayed with my figure. The bow itself is very thin and elegant with gold and brown paintwork and a real string, which allows for a lot of give to be pulled back. Diana comes with a special hand for the bow and another designed to knock the arrows. The three arrows are identical, and while I'm not going to complain about extra accessories, I'm not really sure why they included three. There's nowhere to store them, so the only real way to display them with the figure is to have her clutching them in one hand. And since she has a hand specifically designed to hold one, that will likely be the preferred way to go.
Because of the limitations to the articulation, she can't really be posed drawing to fire, but rather preparing to fire. Obviously, this should come as a surprise to long time collectors of Hot Toys. It's also a much bigger issue for someone who wanted to display the figure using her archery skills, and that's not me. And besides, she can still pull off some cool poses while holding the bow and arrow.
Finally, the figure comes with a second pair of her Bracelets of Submission, which are colored to look like they're glowing. The bracers themselves are made of a translucent orange plastic and the panel lining is traced in yellow. These are a pretty cool idea, but I'm not all that sold on the effect. Fortunately, they are super easy to swap in and out to give them a try or just to mix up the display every now and then.
As always, Hot Toys includes a stand. This one is pretty simple but is styled to convey the feeling of the film's art direction. It's a simple rectangular base with a sculpted WW logo to the left and some golden stars to the right. The post is the usual "crotch cradle" which does a fine job holding the figure without messing with the outfit.
There's also an illustrated cardboard backdrop that can be placed behind the stand. I'm not sure how Hot Toys decides which figures get this treatment. I've encountered it with a few before, like the Netflix Punisher and Daredevil figures. I don't tend to use them, but it's a pretty cool bonus nonetheless.
At $240, Wonder Woman falls at the higher end of Hot Toys' Non-Deluxe pricing spectrum. She definitely comes with enough goodies to fill out the box, and there's nothing essential that I can think of that she's missing. Granted, the giant column that I have her displayed on in one of the above pictures came with a Sixth-Scale figure from another company that sold for under $200, but by now I'm used to Hot Toys charging a premium.
And between the high price points, and display space needed, I very rarely double-dip on characters when it comes to my Sixth-Scale figures. Indeed, I've only done it once before, and that was Captain America. And yet here I am picking up this version of Wonder Woman just a few months after getting the Justice League version. It would be safe to say a lot of it has to do with how great Gal Gadot looks in the costumes. It only took me an offer of a small discount and free shipping to get me to jump on this one, and I'm glad I didn't hesitate because she sold out pretty quickly. And now that I've had some serious time with her, there's certainly no buyer's remorse here!
By figurefanzero • Tagged dceu, hot toys, movie masterpiece, sixth scale, wonder woman
DC Multiverse (Ares Wave): Wonder Woman by Mattel
Welcome back to another one-two punch of DC Friday content. It's a strange thing to still be talking about a wave of Multiverse figures after wrapping up the Collect & Connect figure, but in this case, Toys R Us had two exclusive releases, which weren't necessary to build Ares, but did give him some extra accessories. This morning, I had a look at Menalippe and this evening I'm checking out Wonder Woman.
As with Menalippe, there's no specific TRU branding on the package, which is weird, because TRU loves to stick their foil Exclusive stickers on everything. The only other thing notable here is that this figure is added to the back of the box, where she wasn't pictured on either of the four wide release versions. Makes sense. Target and Walmart don't want packages advertising figures you can only get somewhere else.
And here she is, Wonder Woman in all her cloakless glory, and she is a damn nice figure. Yes, I still find it really odd that the cloaked version was the regular retail release and the more iconic one was an exclusive. This is mostly the same figure I looked at last week, obviously minus the cloak and with re-sculpted head and arms to remove the hood and sleeves. I don't own the Superman V Batman WW figure, but I think it's very likely that this is more or less the same one with a new (and better) head sculpt. I'm also all but certain that the Justice League version, which I have yet to open, will also be a repack.
The sculpting and paint on her outfit is fantastic. So much so, that it's hard to believe this is a Multiverse figure. Yeah, I've said that about several figures in this wave, but it's worth repeating here as well. Her outfit features sculpted lines, including some battle scarring, and a leather-like texture on the skirt. The gold, red, and blue all have a bit of a metallic sheen to them, and it's great to see this outfit in all its vibrant glory and without it being shot through a depressing filter or overly saturated.
Her gold and silver bracers include some sculpted panel lines and she has brown wraps for her hands, while her red and gold boots feature sculpted straps and some more scrapes from battle. Everything about this costume really shines!
Except maybe the shoulder rigging, which I'm still very torn on, and is permanently attached to her back. It was a little less bothersome on the cloaked figure because it was partially concealed, and it looked less bulky with the big cloak over it. But here it does get in the way of my enjoyment of the outfit. At least it serves a purpose, with a pegged loop on the right hip for her lasso and an enclosed loop on her left hip for The Godkiller. I guess I just wish it fit the figure a little more snugly.
The head sculpt is also excellent. There's definitely some Gal Gadot in there, but I'm willing to be forgiving because it is generally a very good looking portrait. She's pretty, the paint is applied with precision, and her the detail in her hair is very well done. The fact that part of the hair is sculpted to spill over her right shoulder doesn't even hinder the neck articulation as bad as I thought it might. As far as 6-inch scale portraits go, it's not up to Hasbro's MCU standards, but I'd say it's better than some of the Star Wars Black Series in my collection.
Wonder Woman sports some excellent articulation, but nothing we really haven't already seen in this wave. Her arms have rotating hinges in the shoulders and elbows, and swivels in the wrists and elbows. The legs have rotating hinges in the hips, hinges in the knees and ankles, and swivels in the thighs. The torso features a swivel in the waist and she has a ball joint in the neck. The only thing really missing would be some lateral rockers for those ankles.
Both the sword and lasso are the exact same accessories that came with Cloaked Wonder Woman, so I won't spend much time on them here. The lasso is sculpted in a coiled configuration and the sword is still a great looking sculpt and nicely painted. It would be nice if Mattel would toss in a piece of gold string to double as an uncoiled lasso, but I suppose that shouldn't be too hard for me to find.
The new accessory is the shield and it's a fantastic piece. This is definitely the more ornate version that she had in her own movie, as opposed to the blander one she carried in Batman V Superman. It features some sculpted geometric patterns, which make it look more Art Deco than Greek to me, but I don't care, because it just looks fabulous. The shield itself is dark gray with bronze paint on the sculpted lines. The back of the shield features two soft plastic straps, which slide over the figure's arm. I couldn't really get her to grip the second one, but it works just fine without it in her hand. And speaking of shields…
Wonder Woman comes with a shield for Ares too, and it is an absolute work of art. I mean, just look at this thing! It's got some insane sculpted detail decorating the front and a beautiful silver-blue finish, which matches the painted parts of his armor. It works the same way as Wonder Woman's shield, with two straps on the back that slide over his arm. I'm definitely going to have to give his flaming swords to another figure, because there's just no way I'm not going to always display him with this shield and his sword.
While I've enjoyed this assortment from the beginning, I have to say that this particular figure is a total home run. It's a great sculpt, beautifully painted, and she's lots of fun to play with. The only downside here is that it really should have been the wider release instead of the cloaked one. There are no Toys R Us stores near here and I wasn't able to get her through their website. Nope, I had to hunt her down through a secondary seller. I didn't get beat up too badly on the price, as she was just a couple of bucks more than she would have been at retail. But even with that having been said, this Gal is worth hunting down. On the next couple of DC Fridays, I'm going to switch gears to some DC Collectibles figures and then I'll come back to Mattel to check out their DC Multiverse Justice League movie figures.
By figurefanzero • Tagged dc multiverse, dceu, exclusives, mattel, wonder woman
DC Multiverse (Ares Wave): Menalippe by Mattel
YES! DC Fridays are still alive and well, and should be going strong well until next year! Last week, I wrapped up the core figures in this Ares Wave of DC Multiverse Wonder Woman movie figures as well as had a look at the Collect & Connect Ares figure. But the wave doesn't end there. Toys R Us had two exclusive figures for this wave, each of which came with extra accessories for Ares, making them completely optional for the C&C build, but still worth checking out. I'm going to have a look at both of those today, starting this morning with Diana's friend, Menalippe.
There's nothing on the box that states this is a TRU Exclusive, which is pretty weird, because The Giraffe House usually loves to plaster foil stickers on these releases. Nonetheless, you still get photos of the character on the front and side panel, and the only other difference is that where the back used to show only four figures in the wave, here Menalippe has been added as #1. As always, the box is collector friendly, but I'm about to tear the crap out of it to get at my goodies.
So, I can't say as I actually remember Menalippe in the movie, but I've still only seen it once and I was pretty well sauced. I hope to remedy that sooner or later. But despite being a specific character, I think this figure could probably work just as well as a generic Amazon army builder. She features a very handsome suit of maroon, black, and bronze armor with some cut lines running in a "V" pattern on the torso and some additional pitting sculpted in. Her arms feature shoulder pads and wrist bracers. The ensemble isn't as flashy as what we saw on Queen Hippolyta or Wonder Woman, but it makes for a great rank-and-file soldier.
The bronze belt looks like it's supposed to be an eagle motif, with the wings reaching out and back around her hips. Below the belt Menalippe has a soft plastic brown skirt, which is sculpted to resemble strips of leather. Under that she has sculpted high boots with grieves and knee armor. My only real gripe here is that the color of her flesh tones doesn't match too well between her upper biceps and lower arms. The upper biceps are painted, but the bottom arms are bare plastic.
The head sculpt is good and I can see a little bit of the actress likeness in there, but then again, she's got her helmet on, so some of the features are concealed behind the sculpted cheek guards. There's a lot of detail in the hairstyle, and the paint on the face is basic, but all around solid. The seams running up the sides of her neck are a little f'ugly, though.
The articulation here is identical to what we saw with the previous female figures. The arms have rotating hinges in the shoulders, bicep swivels, hinges in the elbows, and swivels in the wrists. The legs have rotating hinges at the hips, hinges in the knees and ankles, and swivels in the thighs. She also has a swivel in the waist and a ball joint in the neck. The skirt is designed so that it doesn't hinder her leg articulation too badly at all.
Menalippe comes with three accessories: A bow, an arrow, and a spear. The bow is brown with a gold grip and additional gold fixtures. There's no string, and it doesn't look like one could be easily attached, so you just have to use your imagination. The arrow is also brown and gold. Mattel designed the figure to have a socket in the right hand to plug the arrow into. The downside, it renders that hand useless for anything else, but it does mean you can actually get her to hold the arrow well and even pose as if she's knocked it and is ready to shoot. A swap-out hand would have been nice, especially since it's a common thing to see in Hasbro's 6-inch Marvel line, but let's face it, DC Multiverse isn't working at that level yet.
The spear is a completely different sculpt than the one we saw with Hippolyta. This one has a plain elongated gold point, and looks more like the weapon of a soldier. I dig that. Her left hand is clearly sculpted with the intent to hold the bow first and the spear second, as a result the spear can be a little loose in her grip. Before wrapping up, let's see what this box has for Ares.
HOLY SHIT! The Ares accessories are a pair of flaming swords and these are some bitchin' looking weapons. If this guy didn't already look like he belonged on the front of a Metal album cover, he sure as hell does now. The underlying sculpts are meant to resemble the sword he came with, so I guess he just ignites that bitch and splits it into two swords.
These are each cast in an orange-yellow translucent plastic and there's some paint spray to bring out the swords which are supposed to be at the heart of the flames. The effect isn't bad, and I've got to appreciate how much plastic went into crafting what are essentially a couple of bonus accessories for a Collect & Connect figure. Indeed, considering I didn't pay a lot more than ten bucks for Menalippe, these swords were almost worth the price of admission alone. And Ares doesn't know it yet, but he may be lending these puppies out to some of my Mythic Legions figures.
I think Mattel made some solid character choices for this wave, beyond the obvious ones, and I'm really happy that they leaned heavy on the Themyscira stuff, because that was my favorite part of the whole movie. The fact that I hunted down Menalippe just goes to show how happy I've been with this wave, and she displays quite nicely with the other Themyscira-based figures. Later on tonight, I'll come back and check out the last figure in the line… Wonder Woman!
By figurefanzero • Tagged dc multiverse, dceu, mattel, wonder woman
DC Multiverse (Ares Wave): Collect & Connect Ares by Mattel
It's Friday evening and I'm ready to collapse after a long work week. But before I dive head first into a bottle of Jameson, let's wrap up DC Friday with one more review for today. If you hadn't noticed, I've peppered my other reviews of this assortment of Wonder Woman movie figures with my general feelings about the film, but to sum it up here: I loved the first half, didn't care so much for the second half, and felt that the final act really let the whole film down. It started with such lofty goals and excellent character presentation only to fizzle out with a disappointing and shitty CGI mess and it deserved so much better. By the time the final battle with Ares came, I was pretty drunk, very sleepy, and barely even paying attention. And so I give you the star of that disappointing denouement: Ares.
Ares is the first Collect & Connect figure from the DC Multiverse line that I've actually completed. Oh, I've done plenty from DC Universe Classics, and as such this one felt very abbreviated. Only four figures? Really??? That's easy enough. Yes, despite still consisting of seven parts and a sword, Mattel doubled up on a lot of them to give us the whole figure in just four installments, with extra accessories coming bundled with the two Toys R Us Exclusive figures, which I'll review next week. Putting this guy together is pretty simple, and the pieces fit tightly enough that I wouldn't want to have to take him apart again.
As for the design, well… it's certainly interesting. He looks like an armored terror that stepped right out of the pages of an AD&D manual, and that's cool. But he's also a far cry from how I'm used to seeing DC's Ares depicted. This guy is a mix of human, demon, and armor, all blended together. He's got regular looking hands and feet, as well as normal musculature running through the bare parts of his arms, but all cast in dark plastic. The chiseled chest features a bit more of metallic blue sheen to it, making me uncertain as to whether that's supposed to be him or just armor, or maybe the armor is part of him. He has a similar finish on his grieves, arm bracers, and shoulder plates, as well as a sculpted black pelt thrown over his shoulder and secured with a strap. It looks as if there are sculpted keys hanging on the cross strap. Overall, the painted blue metal effect is cool, and there's some nice pitted texturing on some of the armor, but I don't find the design to be terribly compelling. The proportions are also a little wonky, like his legs seem a little weak and atrophied for his upper body.
The head is nearly featureless and hidden under the large demonic skull. Again, this is a pretty cool effect and I dig how at first glance it looks like the skull is actually his head and not just a helmet. The skull itself features a chalky blue paint job with white teeth and a pretty intricate sculpt showing all sorts of crags and bumps. It certainly makes for an intimidating look.
The articulation has all the right points. The arms have rotating hinges in the shoulders and elbows, as well as swivels in the biceps and wrists. The legs are ball jointed at the hips, hinged at the knees and ankles, and have swivels at the thighs. The torso features a swivel at the waist, a ball joint in the chest, and a ball joint in the neck. It's all pretty good, except for a super loose swivel in my figure's right thigh. It's bad enough that it will sometimes give way, especially in wide stances.
Ares includes one accessory (so far), and that's his sword and I really dig it a lot. It isn't ornate or gaudy, nor does it look ceremonial. Instead it looks like a utilitarian rank-and-file tool for butchering enemies, just like I would expect the God of War to wield. The hilt looks like it's meant to be forged out of simple iron, with a turned grip and a down sweeping cross guard. The blade features a fairly sharp taper and most of it is washed in red paint. I'm not sure if that's supposed to be blood, or maybe it's glowing with heat, but either way it looks pretty bad ass. Of course, there are some more accessories to give him, but we'll have to wait until I open up this wave's two TRU Exclusive figures next week to look at those.
Despite my feelings for the DCEU version of Ares and that final battle in Wonder Woman, I have to say that I still dig this figure. Of course, individual mileage may vary based on personal opinions about the character design they went with. It's also only fair to note that the DC Universe Classics Ares figure is one of my all time favorite releases in that line and was a very tough act for this Ares to follow. I can't say that he would have been worth chasing in order to build on his own, but luckily I was pretty happy with the figures in this assortment, so Ares was just a cool extra.
By figurefanzero • Tagged collect & connect, dc multiverse, dceu, wonder woman
DC Multiverse (Ares Wave): Steve Trevor by Mattel
I was originally going to save the second half of my DC Friday content for later in the day, but I decided to just unload it all at once this morning before heading off to work. So, if you happen to be checking in today, don't forget to scroll down and read the review for the Wonder Woman figure as well. This way I'll be freed up to come back later tonight and have a look at the Collect & Connect Ares figure as well! But for now… let's check out Steve Trevor.
There's nothing new to say about the packaging, so let me just go on record by saying, I like Chris Pine a lot. He's a damn charismatic fellow and based on some of the behind-the-scenes stuff I've seen, he seems like he's fun to work with. I'd even dare say that some of the interviews I've seen with Gal Gadot and Pine promoting Wonder Woman have shown more chemistry between the two than between their characters on screen. But maybe that's just me. With that having been said, Pine didn't always work for me as Steve Trevor. Maybe it was the way he was written, but I just didn't see it. Nonetheless, he wasn't necessarily bad in the role and I was happy that Mattel gave him a figure.
And it's a damn nice looking figure as well! Steve features his WWI-era garb, which consists of boots, sculpted wraps for his lower legs (socks?), some baggy trousers, a belted tunic-like vest, and a heavy knit shirt with a turtleneck. It's a strange attire, and that's coming from someone who has made reading the history of the period a hobby for a while now. I'm not saying it isn't authentic, but it's far more of a swashbuckling adventure garb than a straight on uniform. Then again, in the DCEU Trevor is an American Pilot who attaches himself to a British Army Unit as an Intelligence Agent, so it makes sense that he wore whatever was on hand and suitable. In any event, the sculpting here features some decent texturing on the wool socks and the the vest, as well as the knitted pattern on the shirt. I think the vest is supposed to be leather, which is why they went with a glossy paint for it, but I think it would have looked better in matte. Still, the recreation of the underlying costume is not bad at all!
Steve also wears a coat over his duds, one which I would say is like a cross between an aviator's jacket and a trench coat. Yes… after all the figures I have wearing trench coats, I finally have one wearing an actual TRENCH coat. How exciting! The coat consists of the usual soft plastic vest with arms sculpted to look like sleeves. The arm holes are a little bigger than they needed to be, which sort of dispels the illusion that it's all supposed to be one garment, but it still works pretty well. The jacket features sculpted stitching and buttons, wide lapels, a sculpted fur collar, and even the buttons on the sleeves are sculpted and painted gold. Again, nice attention to detail!
The head sculpts in this assortment haven't been the best, but Mattel sure hit all the right notes when they did this one. It's an excellent likeness to Pine, and I'm guessing that's not an easy thing to do, because Playmates sure as hell couldn't make it work when they were releasing the Kirk figures from the 2009 Star Trek film, and they sure tried in every major scale. The paint here is a little basic, especially the wash on the hair, but I'm confident that I could recognize who this was supposed to be, even if the figure was taken completely out of context. It's not quite up to snuff with some of Hasbro's best MCU portraits, but it's still good work.
Despite being the first male character in the assortment, Steve features close to the same articulation we saw with the ladies, but in an ironic twist, there's actually a few points less here. His arms have rotating hinges in the shoulders and elbows, and swivels in the wrists, but not in the biceps. The legs have rotating hinges in the hips, swivels in the thighs, and hinges in both the knees and ankles. After years of complaining that Hasbro omits the bicep swivels from their Marvel Legends ladies, it's kind of funny to see this mostly female assortment from Mattel go the other way around. He does make up for it, however, by adding a ball joint at the chest, in addition to the swivel waist and ball jointed neck.
Trevor comes with one accessory and that's a shotgun. It's a fairly bland sculpt and the trigger and guard are both one piece of solid plastic, but at least the forestock is ribbed. The weapon has a blued finish with brown paint for the stock. I was able to get some decent poses of him holding it, but since the trigger guard is a solid piece, and he doesn't have a trigger finger, you can't really have him firing it.
All in all I think Mattel did a really nice job on this figure. Yes, he's relatively simple and the colors are bland, but both fit the source material pretty well, there's some nice attention to detail on the costume, and the likeness is exceptionally well done for a DC Multiverse figure. He also looks great next to Wonder Woman, and that's really what counts. Not to mention, he comes with the final pieces I need to cobble together my Collect & Connect Ares figure. So, come on back tonight and I'll wrap up an ultra-rare DC Friday Triple-Play by checking out Ares.
Welcome to another Double Feature for DC Friday! And after some spotty weeks without new DC content, it feels good to be doing these again! Last week, I knocked out the first half of the DC Multiverse Ares Wave with a look at Diana and Hippolyta. Today I'm going to finish up the four figures needed to build the C&C figure by opening up both Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor!
And here's Wonder Woman in the box, and I'll go ahead and point out the obvious by saying this is Diana wearing her black cloak over her costume. It's a look that she adopted for some very specific sequences in the film and it's probably not the iconic look that most fans and collectors are looking for. There is a more traditional version (sans coat), but oddly enough that one is a Toys R Us Exclusive and is not necessary to build Ares, but does come with some optional extras. And yes, I will be looking at that figure, as well the other TRU Exclusive of the wave, Menalippe, next week. For now, let's get Diana out of her box and check her out.
While I don't own the Multiverse Batman V Superman Wonder Woman, this one looks like this is a re-sculpt of that previous release. She's been fitted with a soft plastic sleeveless coat, and her arms have been sculpted with sleeves on them to resemble part of the jacket. It looks good, I like the sculpted fur fringe, although it does cover up a lot of the beautiful work they did on her rather iconic outfit underneath. And damn, it is a beautiful outfit, with plenty of detail, and some snappy red, blue and gold paint. I'll actually save some of that gushing for when I review the TRU Exclusive version.
Diana also sports the shoulder strap, which is sculpted from a separate piece of soft brown plastic and features a loop for her sword and her lasso. The lasso loop works well and pegs into place securely, although the sword loop pits the sword against the cloak, making it a difficult fit. And while I appreciate the ability to store her equipment, I do wish this rig was removable. Alas, it's permanently attached to the back of the figure. Some deft work with a razor could probably get it off of there, but I think I'll keep it.
The head sculpt is also unique to this figure, as it features an integrated and non-removable hood. It looks good and allows her to still have working neck articulation, while still convincing me that it's supposed to be part of the cloak. The overall portrait is OK, but it's certainly not a great likeness for Gal Gadot. I can see a little of her in there, but it's fleeting. Also, they seem to have missed the white paint on my figure's right eye. I'd argue that such lofty goals as good likenesses are too much to expect from a 6-inch mass market line these days, but then I look at some of Hasbro's MCU figures in Marvel Legends and realize that solid likenesses can be done at this scale and price point. You just have to work harder at it, Mattel.
As for articulation, this wave has been really consistent with the different points, meaning that it's all the same points we saw last time with Diana and Hippolyta. The arms feature rotating hinges in the shoulders and elbows, with swivels in the wrists. The legs have rotating hinges in the hips, swivels in the thighs, and hinges in both the knees and ankles. There's a swivel in the waist and a ball joint in the neck. On the downside, the sculpted jacket sleeves restrict the range of motion in those shoulders just a bit. I was sort of able to get the Diana figure to cross her bracers, but that ain't happening here.
As already mentioned, Wonder Woman comes with her sword, The Godkiller, and her Lasso of Truth. The lasso is more or less the same accessory we got with Diana. The sword is similar a similar sculpt to the one bundled with Diana, but features several notable distinctions, including the pommel crossguard and blade. She can hold either accessory in either hand.
And so this wave continues to give me hope for the DC Multiverse line, where previously I had none. As I'm sure I said before, there's still room for improvement, but compared to some of the garbage this line has churned out in past waves, figures like this one are definitely steps in the right direction. Mattel obviously invested some effort into the sculpt and paintwork, and if you want a figure of Diana that is very specific to her first solo movie, than this cloaked version definitely fits that bill. Coming up next… Steve Trevor!
DC Multiverse (Ares Wave): Queen Hippolyta by Mattel
As promised, I'm back to dish out an extra helping of content on this beautiful Post-Thanksgiving, DC Friday evening. It'll help make up for taking yesterday off, and also start to balance the scales against all those damn Marvel Monday Double Features. I so desperately want to give DC Comics action figures some love, they just have to give me something to work with. So… continuing on through the DC Multiverse Ares Wave, let's check out The Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta!
This is one of those figures that I may not have bothered with if I weren't hunting all the C&C parts in the wave. Shhh… don't tell Hasbro and Mattel, but this strategy to get me to buy an entire wave usually works. The package is identical to what we saw earlier today, only with photos of Hippolyta on the front and side panel. It's also branded for the Wonder Woman film at the top J-hook flap. Everything is collector friendly, and these look pretty good lined up on the shelf with the character photos showing.
But forget about pretty good, because this figure turned out surprisingly great. I mean, just look at this lady! For a figure of a relatively minor character, Mattel invested a crazy amount of work into this one. And nowhere is that more evident than in her beautiful armor. The sculpted layers, the tiny etchings, the eagle motif on her chest, I'm quite beside myself. This is so far removed from what I'm used to seeing in the Multiverse line. Even the skirt has a lovely snakeskin like texturing to it. The gold and copper deco looks luxurious and the whole ensemble gives off this wonderful Art Deco vibe.
Hippolyta also sports sculpted armor pieces up near her shoulders, and bracers with sculpted straps. Over her armor, she dons a sleeveless cloak on with a sculpted fur lined collar. It looks great, but it's also easy to take off if you want to give her a little more range of motion.
The facial features on the head sculpt are a bit soft, but certainly not bad. At the right angle I can see a little resemblance to the actress in there, but not a whole lot. The sculpting on display in the crown, however, is superb, as is the detail in her hair.
Hippolyta's articulation is identical to the Diana figure I looked at this morning, so I'll just refer you back to that review. The cloak obviously inhibits things a bit, particularly with the legs, but if you take it off, it frees her up a lot, thanks to some strategic slits in the skirt.
Queen Hippolyta comes with two weapons: A spear and a sword. The spear is measures a bit longer than the figure itself and features a smooth brown shaft and some nice sculpted detail on the golden tip. She can hold it in one or both hands.
The sword features a rather ornate gold hilt with swirling patterns making up the guard. The stout blade is painted silver and has two fullers running down the center. The grip is extended, so she can wield it in one or both hands, and her articulation allows either option.
Hippolyta was certainly a pleasant surprise. Diana was a solid figure, but I think this one raises the bar quite a bit. I don't know if it's because they're DCEU based figures or if Mattel has been upping their game with this line in general, but I'm happy to have picked up this figure, not to mention finally dug it out and opened it. Next Friday, I'll open up Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor and maybe just throw together the Ares Collect & Connect figure too!
DC Multiverse (Ares Wave): Diana of Themyscira by Mattel
Well, I saw Justice League last week, and to my surprise I actually loved it. Yes, I appear to be in the minority, and I'll grant you that my emotions were probably grading it on a curve, but I don't care. This was the first time I came out of a DCEU film happy and it felt great. So great, that I bought up all the Multiverse movie figures. Then I realized I needed to get caught up reviewing some of the ones that I had kicking around and unopened, so I made myself a deal. I'd finally go through the figures from the Wonder Woman movie, before I allowed myself to open up any from Justice League. I can be a real strict asshole sometimes, but fair enough. And since it's been a little while since I've had a proper DC Friday, let's double up and check out a couple of them today, starting with Diana of Themyscira!
Here's the DC Multiverse packaging and it's pretty much the same as we saw when I last attempted to review a wave of these. Remember that? I got through a little more then half of the Doomsday Wave before I gave up in disgust because the figures were so awful. Oh, I'm going to finish that wave some day… I promise! As for Wonder Woman… I came away from seeing it the first time liking it, but not loving it. Or to be more precise, I loved the first half and really didn't like the second half. Nonetheless, I picked up all the DC Multiverse figures back then and it's going to feel good to finally open them with a renewed confidence in the direction of the DCEU. The package features some lovely photos of Gal Gadot in costume on the front and side panel, and the back shows the rest of the figures in the wave. Surprisingly there are only four figures needed to collect in order to build Ares, although there are two additional figures not pictured, which I think were exclusives. I'll check them out in a couple of weeks, after I've finished with these.
So, this figure depicts Diana donning her native garb, and overall I think it's a pretty good effort. The dress has a subtle texture and features a metallic copper color up top and a tan skirt, which gradually gets darker toward the bottom. There's also some darker copper paint on the straps to give the outfit a little added pop. The bracers feature panel lines and sculpted straps holding them in place. They're neatly painted silver with gold borders on the edges, and she has sculpted brown wraps around her hands. The knee-high sandals are also sculpted and painted, although my figure has a little splotch of brown paint on her right toe.
The skirt is cast in a separate piece of soft plastic and attached at the waist. It's rather thick, and it isn't all that flattering from some angles, like there's a little too much gear in her saddlebags, if ya know what I mean. Again, not bad, but maybe could have been executed a little better and with thinner plastic. There's a part in the front of the skirt by her right knee, which helps a little with articulation, but I went ahead and razored it all the way to the top to make it a little less restrictive.
The head sculpt isn't great, especially when you get in close with a camera, but in hand it doesn't look terrible either. Alas, it also doesn't look much like Gal Gadot. I do, however, really like the detail in her hair and the way the ponytail is executed. On the downside, they could have done a better job matching the flesh tone between her torso, which is a shade darker, and her head and arms, which are a shade lighter.
The articulation here is actually much better than what I've seen in my past run ins with the DC Multiverse. The arms feature rotating hinges in the shoulders, hinges in the elbows, and swivels in the biceps and wrists. Oh look, Hasbro! 6-inch female figures can have bicep swivels! Her legs have rotating hinges in the hips, swivels in the thighs, and hinges in both the knees and ankles. There's a swivel in the waist, no articulation in the torso, and a ball joint in the neck. Again, the biggest issue here is that thick skirt, which really hinders the hip articulation, unless you're willing to do a little modification.
Diana comes with two accessories, the first of which is her sword. I thought it was supposed to be The Godkiller, but the pommel design doesn't match what we saw on screen, so I think it's just a regular sword. The sword is a cool little sculpt, with a gold hilt and a silver painted blade. There are sculpted symbols running down the center of each side of the blade, presumably meant to be Greek lettering. Mine came out of the package rather warped, but I was able to get it to straighten out fairly well. Sadly, there's no loop on her hip or back to store the sword, but then I'm not sure if I remember her wearing it while she was on the island.
The other accessory is her Lasso of Truth. It's sculpted in a coil and cast in very soft gold plastic. Like the sword, there's nowhere on the figure to attach this, so she just has to hold both.
Overall, I find myself liking this figure quite a bit, even though there's certainly room for improvement. Granted, much like the Justice League movie, I set my expectations pretty low here, based on my past experiences with DC Multiverse, so I'm probably being a lot more forgiving than I should be. The head sculpt and paint are a long way from what Hasbro is doing with their MCU figures in Marvel Legends, although I'd say the rest of the figure holds its own pretty well. My original plan was to look at Queen Hippolyta now too, but I went a little long discussing Diana, so I'll come back later tonight to check her out.
DC Designer Series: Wonder Woman (Frank Cho) Sixth-Scale Statue by DC Collectibles
DC Collectibles has been throwing some serious love to everyone's favorite Amazon Princess with not one, but two Designer Series statues released within about a month of each other. In September we got the magnificent revamp of the Adam Hughes Cover Girls Statue, and now we've got a new release based on a stunning piece of art by Frank Cho.
If you've picked up any of DC Collectible's statues than you have a pretty good idea about what to expect from the packaging. This piece comes in a fully enclosed box, mostly white, featuring plenty of shots of the statue. Diana comes encased in two halves of a styrofoam brick and requires very little assembly. Just peg her foot into the base via the metal rods and peg her sword into her hand and she's all ready to go. The statue is limited to a production run of 5,000 numbered pieces and there's a piece of tape on the flap with the individual number.
Great Hera! Just one look at the solicitation shots for this statue had me mashing the pre-order button. Yes, it helps that I adore Frank Cho's work in general, but there was something specific to this piece that called out to me. Measuring in at about 12-inches tall, the pose has Diana standing poised to engage in battle. She has one foot on the base with sword and shield in hand and a determined gaze as her hair blows in the wind. There's so much I love about this figure I hardly know where to begin. I think one of the things that struck me early on was how powerful she looks and that's something very faithful to Cho's art and credit also has to go to sculptor Jonathan Matthews. This Amazonian Princess has some muscle on her, particularly in those thighs and I just love the muscle definition sculpted into her back. I'll also note how much I appreciate that the shield is being held in a manner so as not to diminish the figure itself by obscuring it from view. Even if you're viewing her from dead on, it's still off to the side just enough.
And then there's the costume, which exhibits some magnificent sculpting and paintwork. The gold eagle and WW Belt look as if they are actually layered over the red corset, despite all being sculpted from one piece. The corset and bracers include sharp cut lines and the skirt is textured to look like leather with sculpted stars and border edges. The boots include sculpted creases where her ankle flexes as well as shin and knee armor with nicks and scrapes from battle. The deep crimson, lustrous gold leaf, and deep blue paints are masterfully applied with virtually no slop or missteps to be seen. And all of the colors contrast beautifully with her warm, soft skin tones.
The portrait is a classical beauty and her blue eyes are hauntingly bright. I love the attention given to her clavicle. The paint on the face is nice and clean, and the skin tone looks incredibly lifelike. The only place where the paint on this statue fumbles a bit is the star on her tiara. It's not something I notice when admiring the statue on the shelf, but when I get in closer with the camera, I can see it needed to be a little sharper. They did a particularly nice job with the wind-blown hair.
Diana's gear includes her sword, shield, and golden lasso. The bottom part of the hilt is sculpted as part of her hand, while the blade and crossguard are one separate piece that pegs in through the top of the hand and holds together quite securely. The golden hilt features a sculpted, ribbed grip and a simple pommel and crossguard. The double-edged blade has a deep fuller running through the center and tapers rather quickly to a sharp point.
The shield is a striking piece of work on its own right. The face in adorned with a bird sculpted to look like hammered bronze, and a segmented border that looks like it might be meant to simulate a rope pattern. There are some stray scrapes in the surface to show the shield has seen some action. The reverse of the shield featured sculpted straps sculpted and painted to look like calfskin and are detailed down to the faux rivets that hold them into place. It's also painted in bronze finish, which distinguishes it nicely from the gold paint on her costume. I've always loved her depicted as an actual warrior and while she's strong and skilled enough to best most foes with her bare hands, she just looks so much more bad ass with her sword and shield in hand.
The golden lasso is attached to her right hip. The vibrant lasso is made of a strong rigid wire-like material and fashioned to resemble braided rope. It's secured to her belt with a sculpted "leather" buttoned loop.
The base is pretty standard stuff. In fact, it's identical to the one DCC used for the Adam Hughes Designer Statue. It's a thick black disk with the familiar WW logo sculpted into it and painted in gold leaf. I really dig the way she's only got the one foot on the base and the other on the ground beside it. It not only accommodates her action stance by allowing that one knee bend, but the fact that she's only half on the base gives the whole composition that extra little dynamic kick to it. The limitation is noted on the bottom of the base. In this case, mine is #1,024 of 5,000.
After having the Adam Hughes Wonder Woman for only a few weeks, I never thought my head could be turned by another statue treatment of the character so quickly. That's not to knock the Hughes Wonder Woman, because it's a fantastic piece. Indeed, the two of these statues compliment each other perfectly. The Hughes statue has a smoother and less complex costume, emphasizing the more classic blue starfield panties, whereas this one features Diana as the grittier warrior princess. Despite being in the same Designer Series line, this statue was a smidgen pricier than the Hughes statue, but only by about ten bucks. Either way, she was well worth it.
By figurefanzero • Tagged dc collectibles, dc comics, dc designer series, frank cho, wonder woman
DC Designer Series: Wonder Woman (Adam Hughes) Sixth-Scale Statue by DC Collectibles
The last bunch of DC Fridays haven't been terribly cheery ones, as I've been slugging my way through a wave of Mattel's subpar DC Multiverse series. As a result, I'm extremely pleased to be able to take a look at something of quality for a change. Anyone who's been kicking around my blog for a while, should know that I'm a big fan of the latest run of DC Cover Girls statues, but I confess that I often feel bad that I didn't jump on board with the original Adam Hughes run. A lot of those statues are difficult to come by for reasonable prices these days, so I've dismissed any prospects of ever going back and collecting them now. Fortunately, DC Collectibles has decided to take one of the best pieces in that line and give it a remake in an up-scaled sixth-scale format. Let's check out the new DC Designer Series Adam Hughes Wonder Woman statue!
This Amazon Goddess comes in your typical fully enclosed DC Collectibles statue box and is limited to 5,000 pieces. The box is mostly white, has a blue side panel, and features several photos of the statue inside. It also has a logo celebrating Wonder Woman's 75th Anniversary. The packaging is totally collector friendly and the statue itself comes sandwiched between two styrofoam bricks with the stand stored in a separate compartment on the outside of one of those trays. Once you get her unwrapped, all you have to do is plug her foot posts into the stand (the posts on mine went in easily, but are not quite flush with the base) and she's good to go. I will pause here for a moment to say while this statue was billed as a cold cast porcelain piece (much like the Cover Girls statues, there are parts of it that look and feel more like resin, so I'm not entirely sure about the materials we're dealing with here.
But whatever materials are used here, Diana is absolutely gorgeous! This iconic pose comes from the cover of Wonder Woman V2, Issue #150, which is itself a stunning piece of art, and I've got to say that the sculptor, Jack Mathews, has pulled it off perfectly in 3D. Her arms are stretched above her with each hand holding on to her golden lasso as the gilded magical rope coils and dances around her. The composition here is bold, majestic, noble, and bespeaks everything there is to be said about the Princess of the Amazons. And while this is a sixth-scale statue, the fact that she's on a base and has her arms stretched upward, she actually measures in at just under 15 inches tall.
The outfit is both classic and simple, consisting of her iconic one-piece. The front features the wide golden wing border over her chest and the very large gold belt around her waist. Both areas are painted in a lush gold leaf paint that gives off a brushed metal look when viewed in the right lighting. Both the chest and waist pieces are sculpted as well as painted and the lines between them and the red middle are fairly clean. I had to get in pretty close and view it from a low angle to really see any minor deviations in the line. Diana's blue "undies" are painted with a very vibrant shade of blue and speckled with razor sharp white stars. Lastly, her boots are red with white stripes running down the centers and white borders circling the tops. They also feature a very cool texture to make them look and feel like leather.
I'm extremely happy with the way the portrait came out as well. Her chin is lifted slightly upward, but no so much that it interferes with viewing the statue from dead on. Diana features soft, but well-defined facial features and crisply painted lips, eyes, and eyebrows. Her hair blows backwards and off her shoulders, and her gold tiara can be seen on her forehead, peeking out from her hair. If there's one gripe I have, it's that the ears didn't receive quite the same level of detail as the rest, but they're mostly obscured by her hair anyway. Now's also a good time to come back to the question of materials, because I'm pretty sure that all the exposed skin is resin. It definitely isn't flesh paint over porcelain. Whatever the case, I love what they did here. It gives her skin an extra warm and more realistic look, which contrasts beautifully with the matte paint used for much of the outfit.
And speaking of materials, the golden lasso is made of a springy wire, which is perfect in that it allows it to hold its intended shape, while not being brittle and prone to breaking. It's even patterned to look like actual rope. I anticipated having to go through a lot of fussing and bother to get her lasso to look the way it's supposed to, but it turns out that none of that was necessary. The statue actually comes out of the box with the lasso in it's intended position, and that fact by itself is pretty damn impressive to me.
The base is a simple black disc, but it is extremely heavy. The figure is no slouch either, but in this case, the base clearly makes up most of the weight. That means you don't have to worry about this lady toppling over, probably not even if you bump her. The stand includes Diana's sculpted Wonder Woman emblem, which is also painted in the same lush gold leaf paint used for her costume. The bottom of the base features the statue's hand numbered limitation. Mine is 3064 of 5000.
I can't even express how happy I am that DC Collectibles decided to give this beautiful statue a new lease on life. She's an absolutely gorgeous update to the original piece and displays a level of quality and craftsmanship that actually feels like it exceeds the cost of the piece. And at just a smidge over $100, she actually clocks in at considerably less than you're apt to find the smaller, original release. I own a lot of DC Comics Statutes, but this one is going to get a place of honor somewhere in my display. Previously, my favorite Wonder Woman statue was the first Wonder Woman Bishoujo statue by Kotobukiya, but this piece may usurp that one. Now, the only question is can the next DC Designer Series Wonder Woman (by Frank Cho and set to release next month) possibly upstage this one? I'm excited to find out.
By figurefanzero • Tagged adam hughes, dc collectibles, dc comics, dc designer series, statues, wonder woman


text:
Palmeria gracilis är en tvåhjärtbladig växtart som beskrevs av Janet Russell Perkins. Palmeria gracilis ingår i släktet Palmeria och familjen Monimiaceae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Lagerordningen
gracilis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
#include "OpenGL3.h"

bool FOpenGL3Context::Construct( FViewport* InOwner, uint32 Width, uint32 Height )
{
	guard;

	Owner = InOwner;
	Res.X = Width;
	Res.Y = Height;

#if defined (_WIN32)
	if ((GLWndProps.hDC = GetDC( Owner->GetWindowProps().WindowHandle )) == NULL)
	{
		Throw( L"OpenGL3 Error : GetDC() returned NULL", true );
		return false;
	}

	GLWndProps.PFD =
	{
		sizeof( PIXELFORMATDESCRIPTOR ),
		1,
		PFD_DRAW_TO_WINDOW | PFD_SUPPORT_OPENGL | PFD_DOUBLEBUFFER,
		PFD_TYPE_RGBA,
		32,
		0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
		32,
		0,0,0,0,0,0,0
	};

	GLWndProps.PixelFormat = ChoosePixelFormat( GLWndProps.hDC, &GLWndProps.PFD );
	SetPixelFormat( GLWndProps.hDC, GLWndProps.PixelFormat, &GLWndProps.PFD );

	if ((GLWndProps.hRC = wglCreateContext( GLWndProps.hDC )) == NULL)
	{
		Throw( L"OpenGL3 Error : wglCreateContext() returned NULL", true );
		return false;
	}
	wglMakeCurrent( GLWndProps.hDC, GLWndProps.hRC );

	OnSize( Width, Height );
#endif

	if (glewInit() != GLEW_OK)
	{
		Throw( L"glewInit() failed.", true );
	}
	if (!GLEW_VERSION_3_3)
	{
		Throw( L"Minimum version of OpenGL 3.3 is not supported", true );
	}

	Logf( LOG_ENGINE, L"OpenGL 3.x viewport constructed" );
	return true;

	unguard;
}
void FOpenGL3Context::Update( double DeltaTime )
{
	glClearColor( 0.0f, 0.5f, 0.5f, 1.0f );
	glClear( GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT );
#if defined (_WIN32)
	SwapBuffers( GLWndProps.hDC );
#endif
}
bool FOpenGL3Context::Destroy()
{
	return true;
}
void FOpenGL3Context::OnSize( uint32 NewX, uint32 NewY )
{
	glViewport( 0, 0, NewX, NewY );
}

void FOpenGL3Context::OnClose()
{
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FGraphicsContext* FOpenGL3RenderDevice::CreateContext( FViewport* Viewport, uint32 Width, uint32 Height )
{
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	FOpenGL3Context* GL3Context = new FOpenGL3Context();
	if (!GL3Context->Construct( Viewport, Width, Height ))
	{
		Throw( L"OpenGL 3.x context could not be constructed", false );
	}

	return (FGraphicsContext*)GL3Context;

	unguard;
}

bool FOpenGL3RenderDevice::DestroyContext( FGraphicsContext* Context )
{
	return Context->Destroy();
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Hartwood Hospital – September 2011
Hartwood Hospital is set in a spectacular location with a stunning building commanding a fantastic view of the surrounding area. The 19th century psychiatric hospital's main feature is the twin clock towers, one of which has sadly been the victim of a rather bad fire.
The fire pretty much gutted a large part of the main building which has now been fenced off in an attempt to prevent people from doing the same again.
Within the main building very little remains of its former life as a hospital and television study for Lanarkshire TV. Here you can see a couch once used by the television company:
The corridor's glass roof has seen better days but still has some of its original features intact.
An old cash register lies amongst the rubble of one of the clock towers.
Most of the surrounding buildings and connecting corridors were demolished after closure however the building still looks magnificent even with all the damage done to it over the years.
Unfortunately it would appear that the cost to save the building would be far too much in today's financial climate. Hartwood Hospital looks destined to lie abandoned until it collapses.
abandoned abandoned scotland articles derelict exploration exploring flickr forgotten hartwood hartwood hospital hospital lost photos psychiatric psychiatric hospital scotland urban urban exploration urban exploring urbex
where is this exactly could u post a linnk on google maps please
Derekb9 says:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=ml7+5jn&hl=en&ll=55.811459,-3.8394&spn=0.008609,0.019076&sll=55.811424,-3.839284&sspn=0.004329,0.009538&hnear=ML7+5JN,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=16
Andrew November Bradley says:
ML7 4LA
Holliswoodhospital says:
That is a beautiful building. A psychiatric hospital would be lucky to have such a location to help people recover.
Unfortunatley ,thiss building is going the same way as a few in North Lanarkshire , namely , just left to rot . Wishaw High School was left in a similar state , until it became dangerous , and being in the middle of town , it was demolished , and the council sold the ground onto developers .
As far as Hartwood is concerned , there is some debate on just who own the land , it was given over by a Lord , just after the Boar War , to be used as a hospital , but if it ever stopped being used as a hospital , the land was to be returned to the descendants of the parsn that donated it . I am not sure of the full story , but the hospital is only a small part of the larger estate, there was till rescently another hospital just a few hunderd yards fron this one , but that has been flattened as well .
Locals living in the area wonder , just what is going to happen to the estate , building , and farms connected to this place . its crime to see such a lovely building being left to rot,
Sandy fleming says:
I worked here when it was used for lanarkshire tv. I used to sneak around exploring. Such a shame to see how its been left. If not for the fences id love to revisit with my camera!
David McDonagh says:
Do you have any pictures from when you used to work there?,
Nellie Nelson says:
The land was given to them by Lord Deas – also known as "The Hanging Judge". This was once a centre piece for excellence in the care of the mentally ill. Lanark District Asylum – as it was then known – was opened on Tuesday 14th May 1895. A fine building with a noble past, left to rot. Very sad but nothing unusual for Lanarkshire.
far too many building in Lanarkshire , have been left to go this way , its really a moral crime . I worked for a short time at the Hartwoodhill Hospital , and its not that long ago that it was raised to the ground as well , but that was not a listed building .I wonder who will the powers that be try to sell all the the land too ? and at what "profit"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Letters to the Editor – 2/5/14
Don Chapman
Real cost of war
It was heartening to see Charles Djou's column "Hawaii Ties To Lone Survivor."
My daughter's fiancé was sent to Afghanistan in August for a nine-month deployment as part of an intelligence group, an his mission was to interview the locals. But he was sent home after just three months with PTSD after witnessing 10 of his comrades die, including one who was decapitated. It begs the question: For what? And why are we still there?
Mr. Djou is right that we nee real leadership in D.C. and Hawaii. The only way to make a change is if we all go out and vote, and vote according to our conscience, not by who our aunties, uncles an union tell us to vote for. Choose wisely. If you think we need a change for the better, then don't be afraid to vote that way. You have no one to blame if you don't.
Peter Junker Waikiki
Bob Jones regards concern over genetically modified organisms as a fad that should fade into the background by the end of this legislative session. He holds up peer-reviewed evidence as the only "sensible" evidence that would make him climb aboard the anti-GMO band wagon and states that the only peer reviewed evidence available contradicts other evidence that GMOs are harmful. Mr. Jones neglected to note that "independent" scientists who would like to do this level of research are forbidden to use patented GE (genetically engineered ) crops for this purpose by the manufacturers who keep the information necessary to conduct a valid research project secret.
Shellie Fielden Pauoa Valley
Anti-Hawaiian?
Bob Jones' column strikes again, being offensive an hostile toward the native Hawaiian community. I have drafted many letters in response to his previous columns, one questioning efforts toward preserving the Hawaiian language, an another about the desecration of burial sites containing the iwi of our ancestors, which he describes as being "just bones," on the rail lines. His GMO column, however, deliberately takes a jab at the native Hawaiian sovereignty movement. He had "hoped" the GMO debate in the Legislature would have "… faded into the background chatter as did the idea of total Hawaiian sovereignty." How can you justify such a malicious statement, Mr. Jones?
Perhaps the voices calling for Hawaiian recognition, rights an self-determination are drowned out by people like Bob Jones who have columns dedicated to sharing "just thoughts" preferring to keep Hawaiian culture packaged an sold in Waikiki.
The call for justice for the Hawaiian people is still alive an well.
Stephanie DeMello
Editor's DeskLetters
Classes Now In Kailua For Little Rembrandts
'WOW' Engineering In Waipahu


text:
Say goodbye to single-use plastic: PM at UN event
New Delhi:: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that it was now time for the rest of the world to follow India and "say good-bye" to single-use plastic. He made the remark at the Conference of Parties (COP14) to United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
"My government has announced that India will put an end to single use plastic in the coming years," Modi said. "I believe the time has come for even the world to say good-bye to single use plastic."
"Climate and environment impact both biodiversity and land," the prime minister added. "It is widely accepted that the world is facing the negative impact of climate change. Climate change is also leading to land degradation of various kinds be it due to rise in sea levels and wave action, erratic rainfall and storms, and sand storms caused by hot temperatures."
During his Independence Day speech on August 15, the prime minister had asked Indians to eliminate single-use plastic and use cloth and jute bags instead. He urged authorities across the country to make arrangements for collecting plastic in the "first strong step" in the direction on October 2, Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. The Indian Railways has decided to ban single-use plastic in its trains from October 2. Modi took up the matter again in his "Mann Ki Baat" address to the country last month. During the programme, he called for a "new mass movement" against single-use plastic.
On Monday, Modi added that India will be happy to organise initiatives for South-South cooperation in addressing climate change problems, biodiversity and land degradation. "It would make you happy that India has been able to increase its tree cover," he said. "Between 2015 and 2017, India's tree and forest cover has increased by 0.8 million hectares." Modi added that the central government has released funds worth nearly $6 billion (approximately Rs 43,000 crore) to state governments in India for the purpose of development of forest lands.
"I would like to announce that India would raise its ambition of the total area that would be restored from its land degradation status, from twenty one million hectares to twenty six million hectares between now and 2030," the prime minister said. He said India will use remote sensing and space technology to combat land degradation. Modi said India can also help other countries tackle their land degradation problems by providing technology.
Related Topics:Climate and environment impact Narendra ModiCOP14Plastic banPrime Minister
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Washington: An aide to Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's personal lawyer, has said that the US President "knew exactly what was going on" regarding efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, it was reported on Thursday.
Ukrainian-American businessman Lev Parnass, who is facing separate criminal charges, made the comments in an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday after letters, phone records, notes and flash drives were obtained from him earlier this week, the BBC said in a report.
Documents show that the Ukraine-born Parnas was in regular contact with Giuliani as well as Ukrainian officials, and suggests that the businessman was directly involved in trying to have Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky look into the Bidens.
In the interview, Parnas said Trump was "aware of all my movements".
"I wouldn't do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani or the President. Why would President Zelensky's inner circle or (Interior) Minister (Arsen) Avakov or all these people or (former) President (Petro) Poroshenko meet with me?
"Who am I? They were told to meet with me. And that's the secret that they're trying to keep. I was on the ground doing their work," he added.
Parnas further said that the President was lying and knew that unless there was an investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who was a director of a Ukrainian gas company, military aid to Kiev would be withheld.
He also claimed that the investigation was about digging up dirt on Joe Biden.
Meanwhile, some of the materials obtained show Parnas and Giuliani discussing the removal of Marie Yovanovitch, the then US ambassador to Ukraine, said the BBC report.
In Wednesday's interview, Parnas claimed the only motivation to get Yovanovitch removed from her post was because she was in the way of the effort to get Ukraine to announce an investigation into Joe Biden.
Trump was impeached by the Democrat-controlled US House of Representatives on December 18, 2019 and is accused of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The two articles of impeachment were sent to the Republican-majority Senate on Wednesday night, paving the way for the starting of a trial against the President.
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Researchers, educators, growers, and students have enthusiastically promoted and discussed alliums in local, regional and national meetings for decades. In 1985 at a joint meeting with carrot and onion personnel in Phoenix, they formed a voluntary organization that became known as the National Allium Research Conference (NARC) that has served as a focal point for biennial conferences devoted to the allium plant species, and its improvement, management, and consumption in the United States and globally. Volunteers from the private sector, agribusinesses, universities, and the USDA unselfishly support and promote this publically open venue to their colleagues and others for the benefit of all. During the last 30 years, each biennial meeting has averaged more than 100 participants freely sharing information during more than 25 talks, and more than 20 posters with ample opportunities for one-on-one discussions, networking, collaboration, and nurturing of lasting relationships that have been rewarding to all participants on personal and professional levels. Participants eagerly look forward to each biennial meeting that is rotated between different allium regions of the U.S. The NARC meetings have become a popular and efficient venue to link up with other allium-related organizations and national committees, including the W2008, USDA Genetic Resources, regional and national research/extension project updates; as well as coordinate listening and strategy sessions dealing with priority issues such as impacts of water quality regulations, pesticide label changes and residue limits, and retirement drain on the future research, extension and marketing of alliums. The NARC has served the allium community well during its first three decades, and promises to continue as a dynamic resource and catalyst for allium improvement well into the future as agriculture continues to evolve in the U.S. and globally.


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text:
Homechevron_rightIndiachevron_rightIT capital is now...
date_range 1 Nov 2014 2:24 PM GMT
IT capital is now Bengaluru
Bangalore: Shedding the colonial name, Bangalore Saturday became Bengaluru synchronising with the state formation day --"Karnataka Rajyotsava".
In tandem, 11 other cities across Karnataka were also rechristened by the state government, casting away the anglicised names.
The new names have come into force after the state government issued a special gazette notification to effect the changes, giving them the distinct local flavour.
Now Bangalore will be called Bengaluru, Mangalore (Mangaluru), Mysore (Mysuru), Bellary (Ballari), Belgaum (Belagavi), Hubli (Hubballi), Tumkur (Tumakuru), Bijapur (Vijayapura), Chikmagalur (Chikkamagaluru), Gulbarga (Kalaburagi), Hospet (Hosapete) and Shimoga (Shivamogga).
In the ninth century, Bangalore was called Bengaval-uru (city of guards). In the 12th century, according to another legend, it became Benda-kaalu-ooru (town of boiled beans).
According to an apocryphal, 12th century Hoysala king Veera Ballala II lost his way during a hunting expedition in a forest. A poor old woman offered him boiled beans to the tired king, who with a sense of gratitude called the place "benda-kaalu-uru".
Kempegowda, a feudatory ruler under the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire, was considered the founder of Bangalore.
He chose Bendakaluru for his capital in early 16th century, which transformed into Bengaluru and in colonial times, and during British rule became Bangalore.
The city has in recent decades metamorphosed into the country's IT capital, earning it the tag the Silicon Valley of India, as also as Biotech capital, after its earlier forms as a Pensioner's Paradise and Garden City.
With explosive growth and cracking infrastructure, the city has now earned the notorious distinction as "Garbage City". Bengaluru is also evolving as a "StartUp City", incubating the new ventures.


text:
Two Hundred Teens, Ten Days and a Robot: Investigating How Superbugs Evolve
Home > Topics > Life Sciences > Two Hundred Teens, Ten Days and a Robot: Investigating How Superbugs Evolve
An intercontinental project has high school students doing real science
One of the biggest challenges to future medicine is the rise of superbugs – bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. This problem is essentially one of evolution, and a group of high-school students recently had the opportunity to use some of the most advanced techniques used in research labs to investigate how bacteria evolve resistance. Developed by scientists and educators, the program had the teens using a robotic system – an automated setup that enables students anywhere in the world to conduct cutting-edge experiments on evolution in a test tube.
This program was developed in collaboration with Prof. Anat Yarden, Head of the Science Teaching Department at the Weizmann Institute of Science. The project's initiator, Dr. Amir Mitchell, is a Weizmann Institute alumnus who now heads a research group at the University of Massachusetts, and Dr. Orna Dahan, a staff scientist in the Weizmann Institute group of Prof. Yitzhak Pilpel in the Molecular Genetics Department.
"Participating in the project gave students a taste of the practice of advanced scientific research, granting them access to technology they don't get in the classroom," says Yarden. "When students encounter unexpected results in experiments, it deepens their experience and provokes their curiosity."
"We developed a science education platform in which geographical distance is irrelevant," adds Mitchell. "High school students from all over the world can do empirical research, direct the process, check results and make new decisions based on those results."
Some 200 students from Israel and the US participated in the experiments in which, over the course of 10 days, they created evolution in test tubes. The teachers first received preparatory instruction on both the research techniques and on the subject of evolution. Then it was the students' turn to prepare as they conducted initial experiments in their schools' science labs.
"The research level of this project was fairly complex," says Dahan. "It was amazing to see the creativity, time and thought the students put into their work, and the levels of commitment and excitement showed in the lively discussions over the 10 days."
At the center of the experiment was the research robot. Each class planned their experiment and the robot carried out their instructions from a distance. After the bacteria were grown in a medium, the students exposed them to antibiotics, controlling the types, timing, and concentrations. They had a number of Internet tools at their disposal so they could observe their results in real time and issue new online instructions to the robot. For ongoing discussions, much of it in their free time, the students formed a WhatsApp group. In addition joining a virtual tour of Mitchell's lab, they consulted with him and with Dahan, who has experience working with a similar robot in her Weizmann Institute research lab.
"The students discovered for themselves how different antibiotic regimens determine how quickly the bacteria develop resistance. They also got a glimpse of the molecular mechanisms that make evolution tick," says Dahan. "At the end of the experiment, we sequenced a number of genes from the surviving bacteria and the students compared them with the genomes of 'superbugs,' so they could double check their results," adds Mitchell.
Participating in the project were Dr. Bat Shahar Dorfman, who is in Yarden's group at the Weizmann Institute of Science and Rivka Misgav, a teacher who is student herself in the Rothschild-Weizmann Program for excellence in science teaching at the Institute. Dr. Irit Sadeh, Inspector of Biology Education in Israel's Ministry of Education Pedagogical Secretariat, oversaw the participation of the six Israeli schools in the program.
Prof. Anat Yarden's research is supported by the estate of Myron H. Ackerman; the estate of Morris Shapiro; and the Maurice and Ilse Katz Center for Science Teaching, which she heads.
Anat Yarden


StockOverflow 有一篇Examples of GoF Design Patterns 列出 JDK中使用哪些Design Pattern,或許可加深印象及想法!
section, header, footer, nav, article, aside...或許div將愈用愈少, 文件結構語意更重要!
we're introducing a module for the Apache HTTP Server called mod_pagespeed to perform many speed optimizations automatically. We're starting with more than 15 on-the-fly optimizations that address various aspects of web performance, including optimizing caching, minimizing client-server round trips and minimizing payload size. We've seen mod_pagespeed reduce page load times by up to 50% (an average across a rough sample of sites we tried) -- in other words, essentially speeding up websites by about 2x, and sometimes even faster.


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Motorcycles are no exception when it comes to the effects cold weather has on your engine and it's ability to start effectively. In this post, Lifetimeoil has some important information to share about using the right oil for your motorbike.
Conventional motor oils and lubricants contain paraffins which can thicken under extreme cold conditions which prevent it from being able to provide a comprehensive coating throughout your engine as it starts. As this coating is not fully present, excessive wear can occur as engine parts interact without adequate lubrication. In addition to this, as your gear lube start to thicken it requires more energy to move it through your engine. This additional energy translates to a drop in your fuel economy and a spike in your expenses.
With modern refining techniques, the majority of paraffins and other contanimants are removed during the creation of synthetic oil and lubricants. The heavy reduction in contaminants in synthetic oils allow it to maintain its designed consistency during extreme cold weather conditions. While conventional oil can fail to adequately protect your engine during cold temperatures, AMSOIL Signature Series maintains its fluidity and delivers cold starts 36% faster. This immediate protection allows your engine to run smoothly, quicker, reducing engine wear and promotes fuel economic operation.
With the benefits of synthetic oil it's hard to justify putting off that conventional oil change. If you have questions about AMSOIL in Dallas the right oil for your engine needs, speak with Lifetimeoil on (612) 819-8835 and speak with us about the benefits of switching your motorcycle engine to an Amsoil Oil in Dallas can bring.


text:
Evaluation of the Implementation and Impact of Diplomas: Information, advice and guidance
Pauline Wade, Sarah Golden, Tami McCrone
Research report available to download from DfE
Over the first three years of the evaluation of the implementation and impact of Diplomas, the evidence from surveys and case studies has highlighted the central role of information, advice and guidance (IAG) for the take-up of Diplomas, levels of learner understanding of, and satisfaction with the qualification and, potentially, the future success of the Diploma. The evidence presented in this paper is drawn from six of the evaluation reports which presented evidence from surveys of learners in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and case-study visits to 15 consortia delivering or planning to deliver the first five subjects and 15 that were delivering or planning to deliver the second five subjects.
This paper explores the part Diploma-related IAG has played in supporting young people, in locations where Diplomas have been introduced, to make informed decisions about whether to study for the new qualification since its launch in 2008.
The national evaluation of diplomas
Findings from the first stage of the evaluation
Findings from the evaluation of the first year of delivery
Preparation for 2009 delivery
Gateway 2 lead consortium survey
Cohort 2 - the first year of delivery
Cohort 3 - findings from the 2010 consortium lead and pupil surveys
Cohort 1 - the second year


Child Bed Linen Warehouse Dealer: kept a store of bed linen to be rented by expectant families, to be used during childbirth at home.
Chimney Sweep: swept soot from chimneys, a dangerous and low paid job often involving child labour from a very early age. A chimney sweep could have several child apprentices. Soot could be sold for use in gardens to protect plants from slugs.
China Dish Maker: worked in the pottery industry making flatware.
China Door Furniture Maker: a pottery industry worker who made finger plates and door handles from china.
Chinglor: alternate spelling for Shingler, a man who installed or maintained shingled roofing.
Chippy: nickname for a carpenter, a skilled craftsman who worked with wood.
Chiropodist: a podiatrist; a person who treated foot disorders including calluses, corns etc. The occupation is thought to date back to ancient Egypt.
Chirugeon: archaic term for a surgeon.
Chowder: a fishmonger. The occupation name derives from the archaic word Jowter.
Chronologist: keeper of historical records.
Cigar Roller: a 19th century home based occupation for people who made (rolled) cigars. By early 20th century In the US family shops made and sold cigars.
Cinder Wench: woman who collected ash produced by factories and sold it to households for use in the garden as an additive to compost.
Circuit Rider: a nickname for travelling clergy in the US who rode on horseback to preach to populations in remote areas.
Cissor: alternate term for a tailor.
City Meter: a junior or assistant Weights and Measures Inspector. The UK has had a series of Weights and Measures Acts dating back to the 18th century which were designed to ensure that traders accurately described the quantity of goods being traded.
Civil Engineer: a term used from the 18th century to describe an engineer who worked on public projects as opposed to a military engineer.
Civil Servant: held a civilian job as a crown employee. A rather vague title which does not tell us much about what the individual actually did.
Clagger: combed out knots and muck from woollen fleece.
Claker: according to a great many internet sites this means a magician or astrologer. Have yet to find evidence to confirm this.
Clapman: possibly an early term for a Town Crier, similar to Bellman. The name may be a reference to the clapper inside the bell rung by a Town Crier.
Classman: an unemployed labourer, although in other contexts the word can also refer to a classmate or a graduate in Arts in a honour class.
Claviger: a Doorman or servant. The word has a French origin, meaning key carrier.
Clay Bearer: a pottery industry worker who carried clay to the thrower or pug mill.
Clay Blunger: a pottery industry worker who tended a machine which stirred slip, a suspension of clay in water used to produce ceramics.
Clay Grinder: a pottery industry worker who operated a machine called a disintegrator.
This monumental and authoritative encyclopedia lists over four thousand British ceramic marks, making it the most comprehensive volume of its kind.


Employees of DÉCOR HOME IDEAS or their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the competition or helping to set up the competition shall not be permitted to enter the competition.
Closing date for entry will be in 2 days after the post is live. After this date the no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
Winners will be chosen: Randomly from all entries received and verified by Promoter and or its agents.
The winner will be notified by direct message within 3 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by US law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of USA.
The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current US and Europaean data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant's prior consent.
ELIGIBILITY: GIVEAWAYS ONLY OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES (EXCLUDING RHODE ISLAND AND PUERTO RICO) WHO ARE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER (EXCEPT RESIDENTS OF ALABAMA AND NEBRASKA WHO MUST BE 19 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER) ON THE DATE OF ENTRY By entering, you agree to these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor, which are final and binding in all respects.


text:
package org.apache.jena.atlas.io ;

import java.io.StringWriter ;

import org.apache.jena.atlas.junit.BaseTest ;
import org.junit.Test ;

public class TestBufferingWriter extends BaseTest {
    StringWriter    sw = null ;
    BufferingWriter w  = null ;

    public void create(int size, int blobSize) {
        sw = new StringWriter() ;
        w = new BufferingWriter(sw, size, blobSize) ;
    }

    public String string() {
        return sw.toString() ;
    }

    @Test
    public void write_01() {
        create(10, 5) ;
        w.output("x") ;
        w.flush() ;
        String x = string() ;
        assertEquals("x", x) ;
    }

    @Test
    public void write_02() {
        create(10, 5) ;
        w.output("foofoo") ; // Large object
        w.flush() ;
        String x = string() ;
        assertEquals("foofoo", x) ;
    }

    @Test
    public void write_03() {
        create(10, 8) ;
        w.output("a") ;
        w.output("b") ;
        w.output("c") ;
        w.flush() ;
        String x = string() ;
        assertEquals("abc", x) ;
    }

    @Test
    public void write_04() {
        create(10, 8) ;
        w.output("abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz") ;
        w.output("XYZ") ;
        w.flush() ;
        String x = string() ;
        assertEquals("abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzXYZ", x) ;
    }

    @Test
    public void write_05() {
        create(10, 8) ;
        w.output("") ;
        w.flush() ;
        String x = string() ;
        assertEquals("", x) ;
    }

    @Test
    public void write_06() {
        // Test closing the stream without flushing (the flush should be done
        // implicitly)
        create(100, 50) ;
        w.output("test") ;
        w.close() ;
        String x = string() ;
        assertEquals("test", x) ;
    }
}


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