text:
Reimagining the Female Superhero
by Lindsey Morris
on Jun 17, 2014 April 3, 2019
Saturday I attended a panel at Special Edition: NYC, and from what I gathered it was one of the only panels that day that was even nearing maximum capacity. The Carol Corps, various members of the Young Avengers team, and plenty more in addition to myself waited patiently in the ever-growing line for this event. It was pretty much the only reason I went to the convention that day. It seems that many others had the same idea.
The totally stellar line-up of creators for the talk included Gail Simone, Amy Reeder, Marguerite Bennett, Emanuela Lupacchino and Jenny Frison – moderated by Ben Saunders. Now, I just want to get out there how much I enjoyed this panel. I've attended too many that were nearly ruined by over-eager, over-opinionated moderators, slideshows that dragged on for far too long, merciless promotions and panelists that were understandably upset by these things and more. This panel and its participants were great in every respect, and it produced some great conversations.
The following is the entire discussion prior to Q&A, which I have chosen to omit for my sanity and the safety of my hands at this point in time. I will be doing a smaller post later in the week with the highlights of the audience portion, which had some wonderful questions from fans and thoughtful answers from the panelists. Enjoy!
Saunders began the discussion by asking the ladies what their experiences with comics and popular culture were like when they were growing up, specifically in relation to female protagonists and heroes. Were there any particular heroes they were drawn to?
"When I was a little kid my parents got me a Wonder Woman book with a tape, I think it was called "Cheetah on the Prowl," said Frison. "I loved it, I was obsessed with it. I always thought Wonder Woman was really cool, even when I wasn't reading comics. I really wasn't into them until I got into high school," she continued, "and that's when I saw Adam Hughes' first Wonder Woman cover. My jaw just hit the ground. I was just so excited that that was a thing people could do – that you could create women like that and put it out in a comic book."
"My favorite superheroes are from the 80's," Lupacchino noted. "I knew them when I was a little girl and I couldn't read the comics because I was too little. They are She-Ra from Masters of the Universe and the Incredible Hulk from the television series. It was the best. At that time there was nothing like that that you could watch on the television. I was totally addicted to the characters."
Bennett was next in line, mentioning that her introduction to Batman was actually through the animated series, and added, "I guess my introduction wasn't so much to female superheroes as it was to female supervillains. And so Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn – that was my holy trinity. It was so wonderful to see these women who did not abide by your rules and were not going to take your consequences."
"I was becoming very frustrated with a lot of the material that was out there at the time when I was first learning to read," began Simone, "because it seemed to me that most of the female heroes and protagonists – if they had any kind of adventure at all – it was thrust upon them or it accidentally happened. It was never something they went out and chose.
I was at a garage sale," she continued, "and I saw the cover of a Justice League comic, and Wonder Woman was on the cover and I was like 'Oh, what's this? Is this some kind of princess that looks really strong?' So we got the comic and I just couldn't believe it. I didn't understand how comic stories went, I didn't understand the numbering, I understood nothing, But I did understand that this was a really strong female character that made her own decisions, that chose to leave her homeland and go out and have adventures, and that was it for me. It was a done deal. It really struck a huge chord with me when I was young and impressionable."
Reeder mentioned that she was also a She-Ra fan, as well as being a fan of Jem. "I was mostly into things that had girl characters," she said. "It was a great time being a kid in the 80's because there was a lot of empowered female characters back then, and it's sad that there are fewer now. It's really weird. I got super-duper-duper hooked [on Sailor Moon] and that's like pure, unadulterated superhero. There's no reason not to group her into superheroes. And also, I believe the fandom is basically 50/50, men to women, and I think that's great."
Sailor Moon by iamacoyfish
Saunders used the statistic Reeder gave to segue into his next question. " I teach these classes on comics," he began, "and women consistently outnumber men in all of my classes. Girls just read more than boys. What I've discovered is – it turns out that girls like action adventure stories, like superhero stories, and always have liked them! But a lot of the female fans that I teach feel that they have to battle with publishers, with store owners, and with, let's say, certain male-dominated enclaves of fandom, in order to even be taken seriously as members of this fandom. So I'm wondering if any of you have ever been given that message – that superhero comics were not for girls."
"I will say a very easy thing," Lupacchino responded, "we are women, not aliens. We like rock music, heavy metal, we have feelings, we like flowers, but we like adventures as well. It's something mysterious because people think that girls can't like man-centric stories or adventure because they're not 'girly'. In the end, it's a matter of interests. It's about stories. They think that superhero stories are something definitive for men and that women cannot understand how to make them."
Simone replied with a story about her beginnings with the industry. "When I first started," she said, "since my name Gail could be male or female, most people in the industry just assumed I was a male. It was only when pictures were taken, or I talked on the phone, or I met some people that they would even admit that I was a girl and writing superhero stories. That was 12 years ago at the most, and I was telling them at the time that we are going to have a 50/50 male to female audience, we are going to have more female creators, and I am going to prove to you that these female characters have more value to your company than just being someone that can be de-powered, raped, chopped up, put in a refrigerator, and then the stories become all about the male heroes. So it's come a long way, it's been absolutely incredible to see."
I think there is sort of an idea amongst some companies," stated Frison, "that they're not trying to make comics for boys. They're just making comics and just a few people happen to be in charge and so a lot of their comics are very similar. And then when they hear that they're pigeon-holing themselves and should be making more comics for women, then they're trying to make comics for women, and not trying to make comics for everybody. And that's what I think is so exciting about Image, is that there are so many people in charge. No one person makes the decision, everyone is creating their own story, and no one's trying to hit a marketing niche that they've been missing."
"There are some people that have it in their head that, in order to attract a female audience, it has to be a romance comic, but there's more to the audience to that," added Simone.
"When I broke in I was actually encouraged not to go by my name," announced Bennett, "which is an old woman's name. I actually started in prose – I graduated with my MFA last year, and I got in because I had written two prose novels. I've been shipping them around to agents, and what I've actually heard several times in response was 'Well, female writers have a much harder time, especially with the work you want to do. Would you consider having a pen name, or abbreviating your name?' And for 30 seconds, in a moment of weakness, I considered it. And then I decided THE HELL WITH THAT, they are going to learn that I'm a girl."
Saunders then brought up a slide of the first appearance of Lois Lane. "This is her first panel," he said, "and she's being very cruel. Cruel and alluring. I love the economy of the character – that she's really there in that first panel. But then for decades, they reduce her to someone else – someone whose entire agency and goal in life is to marry Superman. Now she's back from that, so I was wondering if we could talk a little about Lois or another character with a similar history in comics?"
"Lois is that great embodiment of the change, and just the great arc that female characters have taken, to me," replied Bennet. "Starting out as just the love interest or comic relief, and becoming fully-formed, singular, compassionate heroines."
"You know," quipped Saunders, "we should really talk about Batgirl."
"Well… whaddaya wanna know?" said Simone.
Saunders chuckled nervously as the crowd laughed. "Yeah, you try being up here with Gail Simone asking what you want to know about Batgirl! Tell me you won't choke!" He continued, by asking what Simone what she thought was the essence of the character.
Batgirl by Jez Tuya
"For me, Barbara has always been the most intelligent character in Gotham," she responded. "She's very compassionate. So I see her as the hope in Gotham, and I think Gotham needs that sometimes. And also, no matter what her circumstances are, she wants to help people, to make Gotham better. Those are the things at the core of her character… She's one of those DC characters that should inspire someone to do something."
Saunders furthered the discussion by asking the artists on the panel if sexualizing female characters was an issue for them – if it was something they thought about while drawing.
"I'm not going to say this is the right answer," started Frison. "I'm not a creator, necessarily. I'm not creating a character and a costume for her, I'm usually assigned a character that has a costume. So that being said, with Red Sonja wearing her chainmail bikini – which is ridiculous – it does not bother me. To me, the thing that makes her sexualized by other people is the way she presents herself. Not the costume. I probably wouldn't draw her with, you know, her legs spread and sucking her thumb because that's not her. To me, it's the strength that she has.
"Can I tell a funny story about Red Sonja covers?" interjected Simone. "So Jenny does the main covers for Red Sonja, and all the variants are done by female artists. And we were sitting at a convention just talking, myself and some female artists, and it was the best conversation ever. It was all about how to draw the boobs. And listening to these female artists talk about it was completely different from how a lot of male artists talk about it. They kept saying things like 'the weight of the underboob,' and the shape, and if she's flipping up in the air where would those really be? And I was just sitting there thinking, 'This is the best conversation that has ever existed.' And I'm so proud of all the covers on that book. No one wanted to draw her NOT in the chain mail bikini, which totally cracks me up."
Lupacchino spoke up next, wondering why everyone only seems to notice how set the women are in comics, and not the men. "I mean seriously guys, do you think Batman is not sexy for us?" she said. "When I went to the DC offices and I faced this big Batman 2 meters high, man, he's sexy. It's just cardboard and grey paint with black underpants."
"I think what I really care about when I see a female character and how they're done, is if they really have personhood," Reeder remarked. "And that's really what gets to me, is when they don't really seem like a person anymore, that they're an object. When they seem like they don't have a personality, or like they're soulless. So when I did a Red Sonja cover, I wanted something on her face, I wanted her to be fierce. I just want to know that they're people."
Simone was the last to speak before the Q & A, stating, "The best covers, the sexiest covers to me, always tell some kind of a story. And without that story, and with a porn pose, it just means nothing. I don't even know how you're trying to attract someone to read a story without creating some sort of sexiness with something behind it."
Comics. Coffee. Cocktails.
Artists, Comics, Conventions & Cosplay, Culture, Interviews, Writers
Amy Reeder, Ben Saunders, Emanuela Lupacchino, Female Superhero, feminism, Gail Simone, Jenny Frison, Margerite Bennett, SENYC
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"We are women, not aliens." Somebody should put that on a pillow. :)
Adrian Martinez (@dasrunt) says:
Thank you for sharing! I was only able to attend Sunday so I missed out on this. Great recap.
Andrew J. Sammut says:
Agreed: this is a terrific recap of a very thought-provoking conversation.
Thanks for the great recap! I've featured it here: http://www.swordofnerdom.com/blog/2014/6/20/links-to-the-past-6202014
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https://www.nhregister.com/connecticut/article/China-rushes-relief-after-Sichuan-quake-kills-11425480.php
China rushes relief after Sichuan quake kills 179, injures over 6,700
Published 12:00 am EDT, Saturday, April 20, 2013
In this photo released by China's Xinhua news agency, people carrying their belongings walk in quake-damaged Gucheng Village, Longmen Township, Lushan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Saturday, April 20, 2013. A powerful earthquake struck the steep hills of Sichuan province Saturday, nearly five years after a devastating quake wreaked widespread damage across the region. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Fei Maohua) NO SALES less
In this photo released by China's Xinhua news agency, people carrying their belongings walk in quake-damaged Gucheng Village, Longmen Township, Lushan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Saturday, April ... more
YA'AN, China (AP) -- Rescuers and relief teams struggled to rush supplies into the rural hills of China's Sichuan province Sunday after an earthquake left at least 179 people dead and more than 6,700 injured and caused frightened survivors spent a night in cars, tents and makeshift shelters.
The earthquake Saturday morning triggered landslides that cut off roads and disrupted phone and power connections in mountainous Lushan county, further south on the same fault line where a devastating quake wreaked widespread damage across the region five years ago.
Hardest hit Saturday were villages further up the valleys, where farmers grow rice, vegetables and corn on terraced plots. Rescuers hiked into neighboring Baoxing county after its roads were cut off, reaching it overnight, state media reported. In Longmen village, authorities said nearly all the buildings had been destroyed in a frightening minute-long shaking by the quake.
In the fog-covered town of Shuangli, corn farmer Zheng Xianlan said Sunday that the quake damaged her house, in a setback for a family that does not have much money. She rushed from the fields back to her home when the quake struck, and cried when she saw that the roof collapsed. She then spent the night outdoors on a worn sofa using a plastic raincoat for a cover to watch over it.
"We don't earn much money. We don't know what we will do now," said 58-year-old Zheng, her eyes welling with tears. "The government only brought one tent for the whole village so far, but that's not enough for us."
Along the main roads, ambulances, fire engines and military trucks piled high with supplies waited in long lines, some turning back to try other routes when roads were impassable.
Rescuers were forced to dynamite boulders that had fallen across roads, and rains Saturday night slowed rescue work, state media reported.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived Saturday afternoon by helicopter in Ya'an to direct rescue efforts, the government's official Xinhua News Agency reported.
"The current priority is to save lives," Li said, after visiting hospitals, tents and climbing on a pile of rubble to view the devastation, according to Xinhua.
Xinhua, citing the China Earthquake Administration, said at least 179 people had died, and more than 6,700 were injured.
The quake -- measured by the earthquake administration at magnitude-7.0 and by the U.S. Geological Survey at 6.6 -- struck shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday, when many people were at home, sleeping or having breakfast.
Tens of thousands of people moved into tents or cars, unable to return home or too afraid to go back as aftershocks continued to jolt the region. In Ya'an, a city that administers Lushan, where aftershocks rattled buildings nearly a day after the quake, residents sat in groups outside convenience stores watching the news on television sets early Sunday. Fourteen-year-old Wang Xing sat with her family on chairs by the roadside in the cool night air, a large blanket on her lap.
Wang and her relatives decided to spend the night in their cars. "We don't feel safe sleeping at home tonight," said Wang, a student. She said the quake left tears on the walls of her family's house. "It was very scary when it happened. I ran out of my bed and out of the house. I didn't even have my shoes on."
As in most natural disasters, the government mobilized thousands of soldiers and others, sending excavators and other heavy machinery as well as tents, blankets and other emergency supplies. Two soldiers died after their vehicle slide off a road and rolled down a cliff, state media reported.
The Chinese Red Cross said it had deployed relief teams with supplies of food, water, medicine and rescue equipment to the disaster areas.
Lushan, where the quake struck, lies where the fertile Sichuan plain meets foothills that eventually rise to the Tibetan plateau and sits atop the Longmenshan fault. It was along the same fault line that a devastating magnitude-7.9 quake struck on May 12, 2008, leaving more than 90,000 people dead or missing and presumed dead in one of the worst natural disasters to strike China in recent decades.
"It was just like May 12," Liu Xi, a writer in Ya'an city, said via a private message on his account on the Twitter-like Weibo service. "All the home decorations fell at once, and the old house cracked."
The official Xinhua News Agency said the well-known Bifengxia panda preserve, which is near Lushan, was not affected by the quake. Dozens of pandas were moved to Bifengxia from another preserve, Wolong, after its habitat was wrecked by the 2008 quake.
Suit: Yale health program fines employees, requires invasive tests

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires EU Member States to perform activities to achieve or maintain a Good Environmental Status (GES) of their marine waters by 2020.
The government has set out these activities in the Marine Strategy for the Dutch Part of the North Sea, Part I.
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The MFSD moreover requires the EU Member States to develop a programme of measures by 2015 (for the Netherlands, this is the Marine Strategy for the Dutch Part of the North Sea, Part 3, part of the 2015 – 2021 North Sea Policy Document as an appendix to the 2015 – 2021 National Water Plan) and to implement it by 2016.
The MFSD applies a cyclic approach to the above activities. This means that the Member States must review and update the various elements of their marine strategy every six years after the establishment period for those elements stated in the MFSD. Regarding the programme of measures, within three years of the deadline stipulated in the MSFD for making the updated programme of measures (for the Netherlands, the Marine Strategy for the Dutch Part of the North Sea, Part 3) available for inspection, the Members States are required to draw up and submit a concise interim report within that period to the European Commission.
For further details of the MSFD, see the MSFD Timetable.
To view the text of the MSFD, visit the EUR-Lex website.
Further information on the implementation of MSFD monitoring by the Netherlands can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.


text:
Norsecore (vertaling: Oud-Noorse hardcore, refererend aan de Vikingtijd) is een geuzennaam voor een karikaturale blackmetalstijl die gespeend is van enige mentaliteit of ideologie. Kenmerkend zijn eenvoudige songstructuren, opeenvolgend gebruik van eenvoudige powerchords, continue blastbeats en overdreven satanische teksten. De norsecoreband Dark Funeral maakt veel gebruik van duivelse symboliek en zijn nummers gaan over Satan. Ook Gorgoroth en Marduk worden wel onder norsecore geschaard.

Black metal

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
from __future__ import unicode_literals

from kitchen.text.converters import to_bytes
from .kitchenpatch import getwriter

from .exceptionhandler import ExceptionHandler

def writeOut(pipe, outputPrefix):
    """Use with ProcessRunner.mapLines to easily write to your favorite pipe
    or handle

    Args:
        pipe (pipe): A system pipe/file handle to write output to
        outputPrefix (string): A string to prepend to each line

    Returns:
        function
    """
    # TODO Validate the pipe somehow

    def func(line):
        pipeWriter = getwriter("utf-8")(pipe)
        output = "{}{}".format(outputPrefix, line)

        try:
            pipeWriter.write(output)

        except TypeError:
            # Shenanigans with unicode
            try:
                pipeWriter.write(to_bytes(output))
            except TypeError:
                pipe.write(str(output))
            except Exception as e:
                raise ExceptionHandler(e,
                                       "Crazy pipe writer stuff: {}".format(e))

        except ValueError as e:
            raise ExceptionHandler(e,
                                   "writeOut caught odd error: {}".format(e))

        finally:
            pipeWriter.flush()
            pipe.flush()

    return func

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Perfect for the family who desires quiet, secluded living, this 1.19 acre wooded lot is the start to a beautiful dream home. Limited restrictions make for endless building possibilities. This lot is situated across from a state wildlife area and backs up to farmland preservation which ensures no future development of the surrounding areas.


For a relaxing Sunday Roast with friends or family join us on Sunday from 12pm until 8.30pm when we offer our Restaurant Menu* and Sunday Roasts menu. To avoid disappointment booking is suggested. Due to high demand, we operate 2 lunch sittings each Sunday – 12/12.30pm or 3/3.30pm.
Children sized roasts are available.
A 10% discretionary Service Charge will be added to tables of 5 people or more.
If you have a food allergy or sensitivity, please speak to your server about the ingredients in our dishes before your order.
*Please note, Grill Section in the Restaurant Menu is not available on Sundays.


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1. Click the Facebook link to view its associated Facebook account. The Facebook ID of the profile is the section of the Web address displayed in your internet browser's address bar between "facebook.com/" and the initial question mark. If you see no question mark, the ID is whatever after "facebook.com/" without the quotes.
2. Click the "About" tab below the cover image on the top middle of the screen while visited to your Facebook account to browse to the individual's standard details.
3. Scroll down to all-time low of the screen to view the "Contact and basic info" area of the Information display. If the individual has made her phone number noticeable to you, it shows up to the right of "CONTACT INFORMATION" on "Mobile phones".
Bear in mind, Facebook has been desiring your mobile phone number for time as well as hasn't already been above utilizing scare strategies to get you to hand it over.
Several users are compelled to enter a mobile number for authentication when they develop an account, or to be made use of as a security check if dubious activity is identified.
There could be an instance for maintaining an old phone in a drawer, with a pay-as-you-go SIM. That throwaway number can be utilized for sites that require a phone call, however you do not feel they truly need it. Keep your genuine, regular telephone number closer to your upper body-- and only share it with web sites which you believe have an authentic need for it.


I actually debated about the backstory between these two for quite a while before deciding to pull the trigger on it. I also hadn't given Patricia a last name until last night or at least if I had I didn't bother to write it down, or remember it, so she got the one she has now and it's in the comic so this time it will stick.
The other day The Teen showed me some kind of swap meet thing on her facebook because it had a listing for Lego on it. Apparently it showed her it randomly and knowing my hobbies she showed me the listing. It was mostly stuff from a few years ago. Nothing I was particularly interested in, except for a Creator set. 31012 if you want to look it up. It's a house that is mostly windows on the front side if you build what's on the front of the box. It also comes with a yellow light brick, which you don't see too often. It allows you to illuminate the inside of the structure as though the lamp in the top section is an actual working lamp.
I always thought the set was neat. I really like the little Lego houses, but this one in particular reminded me of houses I've seen in real life. When it was available in stores I didn't have the kind of money readily available to buy a big set like that. Even now I'd have to budget around the thing for a while. I can't remember how much it was but I think it was in the area of $70. Even when it was on clearance that year, I'm thinking it was 2014, it was too expensive to get. It runs anywhere from $99 to $200 on ebay now mint in box.
Honestly I think you can order every piece in the set straight from Lego if you wanted to and it would likely cost around the original price. In any event the guy wanted $30 for it and was willing to haggle, but after come communication via the Teen I decided to just buy it for that much. It has already been assembled, and I was pretty sure it was going to be missing parts, but most of the thing was probably going to be intact and $30 is more than fair in my estimation.
The guy actually lives a town away so since it was going to be a face to face encounter rather than chancing mailing money to some rando I decided to just buy the set. After a typically difficult series of events to get actually money to pay this person the Teen set out to retrieve the set. It was far too hot for me to go myself. It was missing several parts, as expected, in spite of noted assurances otherwise, but most of the set was there. The missing parts were really odd ones in some cases and the set itself had been constructed in a very odd way. Certain substitutions made me wonder if the previous owner had gotten it second hand himself. In any case I had the parts in question that I actually cared to replace. The brick built animals in the set are lame as far as I'm concerned, so I didn't bother to mess with replacing any of them.
Basically I went over the whole build and replaced the parts whoever made the substitutions for, then improved on the original builds so it better suits my tastes. Mostly small things like changing bricks to match the color of other bricks. One of the hinges comes in a light gray while the rest of the section is in dark gray, so that had to be fixed. The garage door hinges are light gray so I changed them to white to match the walls. That sort of thing. I don't know if they hinge came in white at the time the set was built but they do now and they are pretty common. Also the dark gray hinge is in several minecraft sets. As well as some of the lock mechanisms, but I don't have enough to fix those parts. In the original build they are yellow and red on purpose so you can see the connection points easily, but I prefer stuff like that to match the overall color scheme. I got as close as I could with what I have on hand. The garage door windows were all 1×1 clear bricks so I replaced most of them with 1×2 bricks to make it look more like actual windows. I also changed the light fixtures from yellows to either clear or trans blue where I could. I don't like light fixtures being depicted as yellow generally so I try to swap them out for trans blue or clear whenever I can.
There are some other small things I want to change as far as mismatched colors go but I either don't have the parts or they don't exist at all as far as I know. I added a lot of flower stuff and little touches for the yard. a couple of minor things inside too but it's actually a very limited space. Honestly, it's missing a couple of rooms worth of build to be an actual functional house, but that's a bit more effort than I care to put in to the thing at the moment. It would be cool to double the length and put in the missing rooms someday though. All it really needs is a kitchen and bathroom. I doubt seriously that I'll ever get a chance to get this set for so little ever again but that's basically what I would do. Just stick another set directly on to the back of the first one and alter the rooms to suit the need.
I don't know why but this set gives me the strongest sense of deja vu I've had in a while. I know I've never built it before, but I swear it feels like I have. A lot of the Creator structures have similar parts and whatnot so maybe that's what's going on.
Oh, I also changed the little car around a bit so it fits in the garage better and swapped out some old style parts for the newer curved bits that exist now. I also switched the off road style wheels for street wheels because that makes more sense for the set. I also reduced the colors used down to yellow and white as much as I could. I'm short a yellow piece so there's nothing more I can do… No, wait, I can see one in a parts bin. Well, there we go. Yellow white and light gray all the way around.
I'll probably mess with it some more until I get it exactly how I want. I really wish Lego made more colors for the little flower studs. I want blue and white but they don't exist. I don't hate the options that do exist, I just also want blue and white.
They just released a fan created fishing store set that so cool. I really want one so I can make it into an abandoned version of the set, or a haunted version. I think it's one of the high end sets just based of parts count, but I haven't actually looked up the price. It seems like the kind of set that will be available for a long time so maybe I have a shot at it in the future.
I suspect that is going to be a memorable day for "Tommy" … mainly because neither of them will ever let him forget it!
I'd give her a spin.
But no, she was a rules lawyer, and made sure that she could use the rules against you.
Somehow- I see her as a dominant type, at a leather club.
Tommy as in the green ranger?
I can relate to Thomas in this in that he seems to not want to remember or dwell on the "triumphs" of his past, since they color the perception of the present unfavorably….unless I'm interpreting this too much from a personal perspective.
And may we see a pic of the (corrected build of) the Legos? Plizzz? It sounds, and I quote a Random Neighborhood Kid, "Totally Wicked!" Thank you for your kind attention.
Seconded! I would love to see your Lego House… maybe post it to twitter?
I'll have to find a clear spot to take a picture. The light in most of the house is bad.
Lego Old Fishing Store 21310 is $150. It will be in stores on Friday.
Oh man… I hope they make it for a long time. It looks so fun.
The Fishing Shack is one of the Lego Ideas sets, availability has varied. They have generally gotten better about gauging quantities but there are no guarantees.
Also you can buy most sets from Lego's shop.lego.com sometime you can find better pricing on Amazon or otehr websites.


Historically, Norwich has been a city of utmost importance within the United Kingdom, coming only second to London in terms of population and influence between the 11th and 19th Centuries. More recently it is renowned for its beauty and culture, becoming England's first UNESCO City of Literature in 2012. Norwich boasts attractions both old and new, with the likes of Norwich Castle and Felbrigg Hall or the popular riverside walk which invites visitors to stroll along the river and take in the local wildlife. The Theatre Royal is a popular venue in the city, originally opening its doors in 1758, getting rebuilds along the way before a recent refurbishment in 2007 that turned the theatre into the modern venue that it is today. For a truly unique theatrical experience however, you would be hard pressed to find something more surprising than the Norwich Puppet theatre, the only one of its kind in the UK, located in a Medieval church. Norwich is accessible by road from the A47, rail and air from Norwich International Airport, which offers regular flights to Schiphol. Booking a hotel in Norwich couldn't be easier. Simply browse our selection of hotels below and choose one that best suits your needs. Booking online with AccorHotels offers a host of benefits, including our Best Price Guarantee and last minute and real-time room availability.


text:
Jagr wants to resign with the Flyers
News Article Jagr wants to resign with the Flyers
Jaromir Jagr admits he hasn't been this happy to play in the National Hockey League in a very long time.
To that end, Jagr said on Thursday that he wants to re-sign a one-year deal for next season.
He's been hinting all along he wanted this, but kept saying he didn't want to commit until after the season. That changed today. He was more definitive in stating he intends to re-sign.
And, he added, he is not looking for Sidney Crosby dollars.
"If I play good? I don't think it's going to be a problem because, from my side, I'm happy," he said. "I like this team too much. I don't want to go anywhere."
Though he could likely making $5 or $6 million elsewhere, he said it's not about the money, it's about personal happiness.
"Can you buy happiness for two years?" Jagr asked. "Are you gonna take a risk to go somewhere else and not be happy? I want to be happy. I want to come to work and be happy.
"There's a lot of places guys don't like each other and have to come to [work] because that is their job. I don't want that.
"If it were about money, I wouldn't have come here when I could have made three times more in Russia."
The Flyers are going to have cap issues next season with more than $58 million already allocated to present contracts.
Jagr, who will be unrestricted, earns $3.3 million.
The Flyers have no idea whether Chris Pronger will ever play again and if they replace his salary with a player of equal value, it makes this even trickier if Pronger were to come back at some point in time in 2012-13.
A familiar face was around the Flyers practice facility this week in former defenseman Petr Svoboda.
It's been more than three months since Svoboda has seen his two Flyer clients, Jagr and Jakub Voracek.
Both have contracts that expire this summer.
"There is nothing going on right now," Svoboda said. "I am just here to see the boys."
Svoboda did speak with general manager Paul Holmgren to check in about his players, Holmgren said. Clearly, they're setting things up for future talks.
Jagr doesn't want any contract discussion in-season because it would be a distraction.
Voracek is a restricted free agent.
Jagr said that the combination of a winning team, young, enthusiastic players, the coaching staff and general feeling in the dressing room is something he's had before and he feels it suits him best.
"It's like a family and it's not like that everywhere," Jagr said.
That said, he admitted he doesn't know how things might be here if "things were bad and we were losing and fighting for the playoffs."
"Everything is good here and nobody is panicking and that is what I like," Jagr said. "We lose but coach has confidence. We don't panic, we don't switch lines. Our line didn't play good for four or five games and nobody panicked. Coach told us we had to play better but no one panicked."
Told that Flyer fans are nervous about his re-signing, he said, "They don't have to worry. If I'm going to play good, I'm probably going to be here."
per Tim P
Spinorama
I like his approach. At least he's being honest with himself and fans regarding his playing ability. He could easily try to sign a longer term deal and then suck and just sit back and collect paychecks but seems like he want to make sure he can commit to something before actually committing.
Sign him Homer!
Great to see guys give up more money for haapiness and success. Wonder if he will take a pay cut if we land Weber but either way we need to bring him back next year.
Somehow, I actually trust Jagr. I like that he's willing to take a little less money to be happy too. Exciting!


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The Growing Role Of Latin America In The Technology Industry
Nacho De Marco Forbes Councils Member
Forbes Technology Council COUNCIL POST
Nacho De Marco
Co-Founder and CEO at BairesDev, a technology services company that employs the Top 1% Talent and specializes in Software Outsourcing.
I've spent my life traveling in and out of my native Argentina. I have worked in Silicon Valley, in Australia and across major cities in Latin America. Throughout these years, I've managed multiple diverse teams from all these nationalities, providing software development for leading companies such as Google, HP, Netgear, Viacom, IBM and more, and it's been fascinating to watch the drastic technology boom in Latam. Part of it is due to the vast economic growth in the early 2010s, led by Brazil, Chile and Argentina, and part of it is a mystery.
Fifteen years ago, "Latin America" and "technology" were not often used in the same sentence. Everyone had eyes on Silicon Valley, watching tech talent flock to San Francisco. I was no exception, as I moved there roughly 10 years ago, taking a break for a few years to work in Brisbane. I went where (I believed) the talent was. Soon after that, however, my view on the nature of talent changed, as did what I thought were the necessary conditions for its growth.
Many countries -- including Colombia, Argentina and Mexico -- were once synonymous with danger and inadequate infrastructure. Through government initiatives, private investments and the drive of local citizens, these countries got involved in the technology race and now produce IT talent that matches the level of those in first-world countries.
Talent is everywhere, and it arises when the necessary conditions meet people with drive and ambition. I once mentored a young developer from Colombia who arrived at one of our internships through a government program. He came from a (very) rough neighborhood, the likes of which can't be found in the U.S. or even most other countries in Latin America. He had taught himself how to program with free online classes and tutorial videos and, without formal higher education, had become a reliable developer with an incredible will and discipline. Although his internship at BairesDev was short, we stayed in touch, and last I knew, he was working for a top IT company and traveling all around the world.
The moral of the story for me is that the IT industry has thrived in Latam because it doesn't require the things we lack -- advanced machinery, "brick infrastructure" or any of the elements that traditional industries need. The IT industry only asks for an internet connection, a computer, hard work and talent. We have plenty of the latter, and Argentina is the eighth-largest exporter of computer services in the world, according to a report from the World Trade Organization.
Latam Outsourcing On The Rise
There are even more statistics to back up my personal experience and hopeful wishes. Deloitte found that Latin American countries are becoming technological hubs of innovation and production at an increasing rate. I've noticed a significant shift to Latin American outsourcing in the last decade, beginning with the most apparent reason for outsourcing: Companies want to save money. Accelerance published the 2018 Guide to Global Software Outsourcing Rates, which listed the costs of various technical positions across the globe. Compared to North America, the prices in Latin America are significantly lower.
Let's not forget about the language barrier: English is unofficially the official language of the world, but not everyone is fluent in it. Latin Americans often learn English, and now Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Brazil have all surpassed China in English proficiency. I was excited to see that my native Argentina was home to the most proficient English speakers in Latin America.
The education systems have improved dramatically over the last decade as well. The hubs in Latin America -- including Santiago, Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Bogota -- produce highly educated, technologically savvy individuals. Their governments have recognized the excellent cost-benefit investment that tech training represents and how it can bypass the many infrastructure shortcomings they have as third-world countries, and they are pushing hard to create as many qualified students as fast as possible. Furthermore, companies in the United States often want an outsourcing team that can work with them in real time, which is extremely difficult when working with Indian or Chinese organizations.
Latin American Governments Pushing To Become An IT Outsourcing Hub
Based on a report from Frost & Sullivan (via Data Economy), Latin America's IT industry revenues were expected grow 20.3% from 2016 to 2017, partly thanks to a variety of initiatives brought forth by governments. Many of my colleagues enjoy Argentina's free higher education for all adults. Plus, Argentina introduced Program.AR, which is a government investment to help teachers around the country integrate programming into public school curriculums.
Moving north, each time I visit Mexico or Colombia, I learn about a new initiative. Mexico had over 113,000 engineer graduates in 2015, which was the eighth-highest in the world. In Colombia, the Ministry of Technology (MINTIC) launched a program called Plan Vive Digital that has trained over 6,000 students, and the country is covering up to 80% of the training costs for individuals who want to study information technology. Now, developer salaries in the country have jumped 20-30% this year alone, and 95% of developers in the country are already employed
The Future Of Latin America And Tech
Governments across Latin America realize that the investment in IT initiatives helps their countries grow exponentially, improving the lives and futures of their people. I am proud of this growth and honored to be a part of it. I can already see the results in these few years: The United States and Europe are recognizing the talent of the software engineers in Latin America and acknowledging them as peers. I've already seen the start of a technological revolution across Buenos Aires, Santiago and Mexico City, and I have faith this will not only revitalize our industries and set a higher bar for our new generations, but also show the world what Latin America can do and what talent and hard work can achieve.
Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Co-Founder and CEO at BairesDev, a technology services company that employs the Top 1% Talent and specializes in Software Outsourcing....


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Comic Kunal Rao will tickle your funny bone with his show Done on Amazon
Farah Khatoon
Published: | 18th October 2019 07:56 PM
Kunal Rao
Relinquishing his role as a Chartered Accountant, Kunal Rao donned the hat of a comedian, after watching his friend Sorabh Pant, open for popular comic Vir Das in an event in 2009. Known for his shows Holy Krao and It's Not Okay, the funny-man reaches a milestone in his career. Excited about his show Done on Amazon, Rao talks about his inspiration, making people crack on his existential crisis and more. Excerpts:
Tell us about your show Done.
'Done' is a stand-up comedy special that was created during a mid-life crisis as I was nearing the age of 40. The show tries to capture the fact that for most of the time, we have no idea what we're doing! The show is relatable, sometimes silly, occasionally dark and intermittently thought-provoking.
How excited you are, given that it's your first show on a web platform?
Yes! I'm very excited. The treatment of the show is a bit risky so I'm curious to see the public's response. Also, this show is overdue by about two years, so that adds to the anticipation. It will release in over 100 countries on Amazon Prime Video.
How will it be different from your earlier shows?
We've treated Done more like a film, keeping the feel intimate and personal, which is the opposite of how most people see stand-up. There are a few personal anecdotes that lead me to dig deep into my own experiences, dipping in and out of existential questions like "What are we doing with our lives?."
What is your style of comedy?
My style has evolved over the years. I'm much calmer and personal now with a relaxed delivery style. But my content continues to be observational. I just prefer to use them to explore more philosophical questions. However, I still like to hit classic topics like dating, generation-gap and bad driving.
Who do you follow in the circuit?
Everyone and no one. I enjoy watching international acts like Jim Gaffigan, Bill Burr and British panel shows like The Big Fat Quiz of the Year.
More stand up. Also, I am hoping for a tour abroad and come back to India with renewed vigour.


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Uruzgan: Dutch Military Intelligence tortured prisoners in 2003 - Is it still going on?
De Volkskrant, Dutch national daily, had a scoop today: Nederlanders martelden Irakezen. ("Dutch tortured Iraqis").
It happened in November 2003, during the 1,5 year Dutch pacification mission in the Southern Iraqi province of Al-Muthanna. Although the Dutch general Command in The Hague was alerted by the Military Police (marechaussée), it did not inform the miltary court, as it should have.
The description of the torturing methods ressembles awfully the Abu Ghreib practices that happened at the same time.
Was the Dutch Defence Minister Henk Kamp informed?
Is the Dutch Military Intelligence (MIVD) continuing those practices in Afghanistan?
The then Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant-Admiral Kroon, retired, indirectly confirmed the facts.
As the coming 22 November Dutch Parliamentary elections are heating up the political climate in the country, a proposed parliamentary debate (Monday), if it takes place, will be dominated by the need for the Government parties CDA (Christian Democrat) and VVD (Conservative Liberal) to limit the damage to their election results.
The Balkenende Government got in 2002 and in 2005 a faltering parliamentary green light for its military support to the American-British interventions in respectively Iraq and Afghanistan, by declaring its position as "political, not military" support and as an UN-conform pacification-reconstruction mission.
It becomes clear now, that, from the beginning, both missions were also meant as a (stealthy) delivery of unconditional human and material reinforcements to the US (and the UK).
The Dutch MIVD torturing of Iraqis happened in a "Coalition Provisional Authority" facility in As-Samara, capital of the province Al Muthanna. The CPA was the American-led provisional Government of occupied Iraq at that time. It ended in 2004. It was utterly corrupt and its books are still under scrutiny.
Torture: From Iraq to.....>
A possible line of defence for the Dutch Government and its defence minister, is saying that they were not responsible for what the British, who led that CPA facility, did or commanded. That, however, would contradict many statements of the same Government, that the Dutch troops were exclusively governed by the Dutch rules of engagement. Rules that explicitly confirm the Geneva Agreements and make any transgression punishable.
The Dutch Governments' position is the more lamentable, while the same British, in contrast to the Americans, actively pursue in justice their soldiers and officers who have been engaged in torturing or indiscriminate killings. Several severe condemnations of British troops are already definitive.
And in Afghanistan?
....Uruzgan in Afghanistan? >
Since 2004, a mistery-clouded Dutch commando-engagement is going on at the side of the American Enduring Freedom operation in South-East Afghanistan. After the Bush proposals on the legalisation of torturing, and their partial acceptance by Congress, there is no more doubt that those practices have been going on (and still are) in that region.
Is Dutch Military Intelligence still engaged in it?
It is more than probable. The Dutch commando units, even after the takeover by NATO, are being advised by an embedded American officer and are roaming around in the neighbourhood of the Dutch "reconstruction" mission at Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan.
Several witnesses confirm, that they are terrorizing the population and provoking engagements with "Taliban". In doing so, they minimize any chance of effective "reconstruction" in the region. It is an outright example of sabotage and American stubbornness.
The Afghan Government of Karzai itself, has objected to those practices. To no avail.
As we said earlier, NATO has become nothing more than an US frontshop for hiring mercenaries to do the dirty work.
Now, there is a clear-cut choice for the Dutch parliament: Either to go overtly along with the Bush-Cheney style terror, or to opt out, as the Poles, the Spanish and the Italians did before, and seek an European platform for military intervention on a civilised basis, and in the interests of collective European security.
[An earlier version in Dutch and Netherlands-oriented, appeared in De Lage Landen and in In Europa Thuis]
Posted by Huib Riethof at Friday, November 17, 2006
Labels: Afghanistan, Army, Iraq, Netherlands
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