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Tag Archives: Countdown (comic UK)
Thursday, June, 11, 2015
Andersonic Issue 19 Is Out Now!
The latest issue of one of my favourite fanzines, Andersonic Issue 19, has been out for a while now, so I reckon that it's long past time that I gave it a plug. So, what has Richard Farrell and his Merry Crew dished up for us this time?
As per the details on the Andersonic website, the current issue features:
Mary Turner interview – a new interview with Century 21's sculptor/puppetry supervisor in which she discusses her work at Century 21 and the later Cinemation series.
Ken Holt interview – Ken talks of his time working at Century 21 on the later puppet series, UFO and The Investigator. What links a bi-plane, green paint and a very unfortunate ram?
Space:1999/ The Black Sun – a look at David Weir's first draft script for this popular episode.
Thunderbirds at 50/ Still Flying High – our writers look at why Thunderbirds has endured to become Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's most popular series.
UFO/The Cat With Ten Lives – Alexis Kanner has a strange feline all over him. We look at one of UFO's finest episodes.
Strip Story – a look at the Fireball XL5 strip 'Electrode 909' from the heyday of TV Century 21.
Reviews – we review 'Filmed in Supermarionation, the Network box set and Bringers of Wonder on bluray. Plus back cover art by Richard Smith.
Andersonic is, by far, my favourite fanzine focusing on all things Gerry Anderson, from puppet shows, to the live TV series, to films, to the modern CGI series. These days, most fanzines are usually some kind of electronic publication – PDFs/ebooks or websites. Andersonic bucks that trend. It's a genuine, traditional, "real" paper/print, high quality A5 zine that you can hold in your hand and collect, just like the classic zines of yore. These days, when the classic print zine is a bit of an endangered species, zines like Andersonic are rare, precious gems.
It contains 44 pages of gorgeous articles, reviews and artwork, and has black & white interiors, and colour covers, front and back (both interior and exterior). And at only £2.75 (not even the price of a pint of beer), and with postage free (within the UK only), it's an absolute steal.
All self-respecting fans of Gerry Anderson and the series he has produced over the years really should be reading every single issue of this zine. Go get yourselves over to the Andersonic website and buy a copy, right now!
Posted in Gerry Anderson Fanzines, Telefantasy Fanzines
Tagged Alexis Kanner, Andersonic, Century 21, Cinemation, Countdown (comic UK), Fireball XL5, Gerry Anderson, Ken Holt, Mary Turner, Richard Farrell, Space: 1999, Supermarionation, Sylvia Anderson, Thunderbirds, TV Century 21, TV21 (comic UK), UFO
Sunday, October, 26, 2014
Andersonic Issue 18
The best recent news on the fanzine front is that Richard Farrell and the gang have just released Andersonic #18 onto "the streets", and just in time too, as I was in dire need of something good to read.
For those unfortunates who aren't "in the know", Andersonic is THE best (as well as my own absolute favourite) Gerry Anderson-based fanzine, covering all the various Gerry Anderson shows, both the various live series and the classic puppet shows, as well as the excellent CGI animated New Captain Scarlet series.
Oh yeah, and did I mention that Andersonic is a real, honest-to-goodness A5 printed zine, not an electronic publication. Real "paper" zines are as rare as hen's teeth these days, so this is a big, big plus, as far as I'm concerned, as I've always loved real zines, the ones you can actually hold in your hand and turn the pages. I LOVE real, paper fanzines.
Here are the contents of Issue 18, according to the Andersonic website:
David Elliott interview – a new interview with APF's editor and director in which he discusses his work on the APF series.
Alan Perry interview – Alan talks of his time working at APF/Century 21 on series such as Stingray and Thunderbirds and directing Captain Scarlet and the live-action UFO, working with puppets, actors and chihuahuas.
Thunderbirds – Is it Invisible TV? A look at why the Andersons' series are often overlooked by the more academic articles about television.
UFO/ Computer Affair – Someone's in lurve but Ed Straker needs a computer to see it. We look at an underrated episode…
Joe 90/ Most Special Agent – two writers discuss this series opener. One of them likes it… the other one's not so sure.
How do you watch your fave series? – Our writers reveal their little rituals when watching a bit of Anderson telly.
Strip Story – we look at an individual comic strip to see what makes it tick. This issue – Countdown's Stingray story 'Model Mission' drawn by Brian Lewis.
…plus Alpha Log reports, 2014's event reviews and The Overseers of Psychon. New art by Nigel Parkinson and cover image by Martin Bower.
My copy of Andersonic #18 arrived several days ago, and just as soon as I can get one of those rare quiet evenings to myself, I have lots and lots of great reading to look forward to. At only £2.70 (British Pounds Sterling), inclusive of postage (within the UK – check the website for postage elsewhere), for 44 pages of wholesome Anderson goodness, you can't even buy a pint of beer down the pub for that. All fans of Gerry Anderson AND of fanzines should get their booties posthaste over to the Andersonic website and order themselves a copy of this delicious little zine.
Tagged Alan Perry, Alpha Log, Andersonic, APF, Brian Lewis, Captain Scarlet, Century 21, Countdown (comic UK), David Elliott, Ed Straker, Joe 90, Martin Bower, Nigel Parkinson, Richard Farrell, Space: 1999, Stingray, Thunderbirds, UFO
Tuesday, July, 29, 2014
The Age of Innocence – "Sensawunda" and the Older Science Fiction Fan
Older sci-fi/SF fans (or "fen", to give them their correct title), almost all have an incredibly developed Sense of Wonder, more often referred to in the SF world as "sensawunda", that wide-eyed innocence and boundless enthusiasm, that willingness to see beyond the mundane world around us and embrace the infinite potential and possibilities of the universe, of all time and space.
It's almost like a special extra sense, an ability to link to our "inner child", something that makes us different from the rest of the mainstream "mundane" population, who seem to have lost that link to their childhood once they became adults. Many of those people would look at us and consider us "big kids", adults who have refused to grow up and drop the obsessions and attitudes of childhood (or even something much less flattering). We, on the other hand, look at them and consider them boring, unimaginative old farts, having lost all the childish aspects that made life fun, and growing old long before their time.
Our sensawunda keeps us forever young. Unfortunately, very few of the younger generation these days seem to have it, at least once they grow out of the wide-eyed innocence of their childhood years. We older fen were instilled with a powerful essence of sensawunda from a time before we could even read or write. The kids these days have seen it all a thousand times, and have had everything handed to them since birth. They lose their sensawunda at a very early age, and today's teenagers are for the most part very worldly-wise, cynical, and almost impossible to impress.
All of the things we saw on TV and at the cinema, way back when they were new and ground-breaking, are part of background culture for these kids. They don't see anything remarkable about these great films and TV series, because they've "always been there", as far as the kids are concerned. They miss out totally on one of the greatest aspects of geekhood, and we older geeks are so, so lucky to have lived through it all.
Back "when we were young", every new sci-fi series, every new sci-fi cinema release, every new book release by Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov or other top SF writers, every new issue of the Spider-Man Comics Weekly, The Avengers, The Mighty World of Marvel, Countdown and TV Action, Lion and Thunder or any of our favourite comics, any and all of these geek objects were things of wonder, and we all waited on them obsessively, like addicts waiting on their next fix (but in a nice way, of course).
I try to compare cynical modern teens with the wide-eyed innocence and enthusiasm of my teenage self, sitting eagerly in front of the TV every week, waiting for the next episode of Star Trek or Doctor Who. Or sitting in the local cinema, mouth wide open, watching Star Wars for the first time, and listening in awe to the tie fighters roar all around me over the amazing new THX sound system. In the pre-video, pre-internet age, every new sci-fi TV series and sci-fi cinema release was SPECIAL. The newness and uniqueness of it all was overpowering.
In those far-off days, you saw a series episode or film ONCE, and then they were gone, forever. Now, with DVDs, streaming and all the modern recording techniques, you can watch anything, over and over again a hundred times. It may be amazingly convenient, and none of us would be without it, but it has also played a huge part in killing the magic, the sensawunda. It's all become as common as muck, so easily accessible and available. There's nothing special about any of it any more.
The current generation of kids, at least here in the West, are spoiled rotten. All of this great technology and sci-fi culture has been around since long before they were born, and they've grown up with it as an integral part of their lives. But you know the old saying – "Familiarity Breeds Contempt" – they just don't appreciate it. It's no big deal to them. We older fen, on the other hand, we were there when Star Trek first appeared in the 1960's, when Star Wars ushered in the era of blockbuster sci-fi movies in the late-1970's. Before that, with only a handful of exceptions, sci-fi movies were cheap B-movies, sneered at by everyone except the hardcore fans.
We were there for the first appearances of Blake's 7, Battlestar Galactica, Blade Runner, Alien, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. We were there when all of these great television shows and films (which are now familiar cultural icons) were new, fresh, and NOBODY had ever seen anything like them before. Some of us were even there for the first appearance of Doctor Who (although I don't remember anything about it, as it was two weeks before my third birthday!). And the oldest fans were there for the three original Quatermass TV serials – The Quatermass Experiment (1953), Quatermass II (1955) and Quatermass and the Pit (1958), Captain Video and His Video Rangers, and even the sci-fi "pulps". Well before my time, and I'm so envious of them.
All of us older fans, we're starting to get on a bit (I'm 53). But the one great thing about being middle-aged or older is that we lived through the truly great eras of nearly EVERYTHING – sci-fi TV and cinema, the growth and explosion into popular culture of SF literature, the great eras of US and UK comics, and the great popular music eras of the 1950's, 60's, 70's and 80's. We are SO lucky. We're the most fortunate of all, because we lived through the one, true geek generation. We'll never see its like again.
The kids these days missed out on all of that, and will NEVER experience anything like it. There are so many bright, shiny new fads these days, massive marketing machines making sure that they happen seemingly one right after another. And each of them lasts all of five minutes until the next one comes along. Nothing is unique or special any more. They've seen it all before.
To be honest, I'm not overly enthusiastic about the rapidly looming advance of my "senior years". But being a geek is the one area in life where I can honestly say "It's great to be old". 🙂
Posted in Science Fiction - General
Tagged Alien (film 1979), Arthur C. Clarke, Avengers (comic Marvel UK), Battlestar Galactica (Classic Series), Blade Runner (film 1982), Blake's 7, Captain Video and His Video Rangers (tv series 1949-1955), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (film 1977), Countdown (comic UK), Doctor Who: Classic Series, Isaac Asimov, Lion and Thunder (comic UK), Mighty World of Marvel (comic Marvel UK), Quatermass, Quatermass and the Pit (TV 1958), Quatermass Experiment (TV 1953), Quatermass II (TV 1955), SF "Pulps", Spider-Man Comics Weekly (comic Marvel UK), Star Trek: TOS, Star Wars (film 1977)
Saturday, March, 8, 2014
Andersonic Issue 17 Is Out Now
Several posts back, I mentioned that Issue 3 of the excellent Doctor Who fanzine Plaything of Sutekh had hit the stands. And now, what seems like barely five minutes later, Richard Farrell and His Merry Crew have also unleashed Andersonic #17 upon the unsuspecting world. I haven't even had time to finish reading Plaything of Sutekh #3 yet!
In case you don't know, Andersonic is our favourite fanzine dealing with all the various Gerry Anderson shows, both live and puppets (and let's not forget the excellent CGI animated New Captain Scarlet series). And it's also a real A5 printed zine, not an electronic publication, which is a huge plus in my book.
So what's in the new issue? Well, I'll just repeat here what it says on the website:
Sylvia Anderson interview – a new interview with Sylvia in which she discusses her work on the APF/Century 21 series and her creation & casting of such well-loved characters as Lady Penelope, Parker, the Angels and Ed Straker.
Alan Shubrook interview – Alan talks of his time working at Century 21 on series from Thunderbirds up to UFO. He discusses his methods, materials used and his favourite miniatures created for the series, as well as sharing behind the scenes anecdotes. The interview is illustrated with Alan's own photographs taken at the studio.
Space 1999/ Siren Planet – a look at the original script written by Art Wallace which was later rewritten to become the series' second episode 'Matter of Life and Death'.
Thunderbirds/ Desperate Intruder – two writers take opposing views on a mid-season outing where Brains finds himself up to his neck in it.
UFO/ The Long Sleep – we curl up with a tube of Smarties and take a look at one of UFO's weirder episodes. Take a trip with us back to that ruined farmhouse…
Home Taping: 1999 – Mark Rosney recalls the days before VHS
Strip Story – we look at an individual comic strip to see what makes it tick. This issue – Countdown's UFO story 'The Final Climb' drawn by Jon Davis
…plus DVD reviews and other stuff. Internal art by Steve Kyte, cover image by Martin Bower.
I've just ordered my copy, so lots and lots of good stuff to look forward to. I love it all, particularly anything to do with UFO, Space:1999 and Countdown comic. 🙂
At only £2.65 (that's British Pounds Sterling), inclusive of postage (within the UK, that is, check the website for postage elsewhere), it's not even the price of a pint of beer. So why don't you all scoot over to the Andersonic website and order a copy.
Tagged Alan Shubrook, Andersonic, Captain Scarlet, Century 21, Countdown (comic UK), Plaything of Sutekh, Richard Farrell, Space: 1999, Sylvia Anderson, Thunderbirds, UFO
Sunday, November, 17, 2013
Nostalgia Collecting – Old UK Comics and Annuals
They say that nostalgia is the narcotic of the over-forties. I'm almost fifty-three, and I can definitely admit that it's particularly true of me. I've always been a very nostalgic person, always fascinated by the past, even back when I was a kid. So pretty much my entire life, I've been on a quest to collect old stuff, particularly stuff that has some meaning for me, or which connects me to the "Golden Age" of my youth.
In recent years, I've spent a lot of time and money on Ebay, picking up many of the rare relics of my childhood and early-to-mid teenage years. One of the things that I like most is to grab the occasional old (and by old, I mean 1950s-1970s) British comic, as opposed to the US Marvel comics (which I also enjoy collecting) that I became a fan of from my mid-teens onwards. Way back in the day, before I ever encountered my first superhero comics, I was an obsessive collector of several of the traditional British weeklies. But that was before Marvel UK exploded onto the UK comics scene with The Mighty World of Marvel and its offspring from late 1972 onwards, and changed everything.
Over the years I've bought a lot of old issues of my favourite pre-Marvel UK British comics from the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, mainly Lion, Valiant, Eagle and Thunder. I would also dearly love to be able to buy a whole bunch of Countdown and TV21 (otherwise known as TV Century 21), but these seem to be harder to find on Ebay and when you can find them, they are invariably a heckuva lot more expensive than the likes of the Lion, Valiant and Thunder. Maybe someday, when I'm rich. 🙂
Another particular focus of my collecting has been those old UK annuals, the hardback, once-yearly collections of strips and other goodies from our favourite comics. I remember these annuals very fondly from when I was a kid. They were the "Holy Grail" for me back then, something that I eyed up enviously in the shops, and which I really, really wanted to get my hands on, but which were way, way out of my price bracket. We were from a poor family, and I didn't have a lot of pocket money back in those days (the late 60s and early 70s). And annuals unfortunately did cost on average ten times the price of those weekly comics which were already stretching my meagre resources to the limit. Back then, annuals were simply far too expensive for me to buy on a regular basis, and so were usually only acquired when I got them as occasional Christmas presents from my Dad or other relatives.
So, in adult life, I've been trying to rectify things a bit by picking up a lot of these old annuals, and I've developed a real knack for snapping them up dirt cheap, or, at least, relatively cheaply. I've managed to get my hands on most of the Valiant, Lion, and Thunder annuals, and a whole bunch of assorted other UK comics-based annuals including Hotspur, Battle, 2000AD, Starlord, Eagle, Dan Dare, Countdown, The Trigan Empire and a few others. Add to those the various 1970s annuals put out by Marvel UK, and that's a lot of annuals.
And just to add quite a few more to the already huge pile, I've also built up quite a collection of annuals based on various television sci-fi series, including pretty much all of the Doctor Who Annuals right from the very first one in 1964 up until the late-1970s, plus a bunch of Star Trek, Space: 1999, Blake's 7, UFO and other assorted television-based annuals.
I often look at these ever-growing stacks of old annuals and comics in my spare room, and wonder "Am I going mental? Why am I collecting all of this old stuff? What the hell am I going to do with them?" Then I open one of them and feel the tidal wave of nostagia wash over me, all the old memories boring up from the depths of my moth-eaten excuse for a brain. And I feel good. Really good. Maybe nostalgia is the narcotic of the over-forties after all, and if it is, I hold up my hands and proudly proclaim that I'm a complete addict.
At least nostalgia is a much safer and more productive addiction than cigarettes, booze and drugs. And we all need our little hobbies to spend our money on, or life would be unbearable, all bills and shopping and crappy Real Life nonsense. The thought of that being all there is to life makes me shudder…
Posted in UK Annuals & Summer Specials
Tagged 2000AD (comic UK), Battle (comic UK), Blake's 7, Countdown (comic UK), Dan Dare, Doctor Who: Comics and Annuals, Eagle (comic UK), Hotspur (comic UK), Lion (comic UK), Mighty World of Marvel (comic UK), Space: 1999, Star Trek: TOS, Starlord (comic UK), The Trigan Empire (comic UK), Thunder (comic UK), TV21 (comic UK), UFO, Valiant (comic UK)
When I Was Young – The Day I Fell in Love with Superhero Comics
There are certain defining moments in our lives, when we make a decision that greatly changes or influences the way things will turn out from that point onwards. For me, as a comics fan, one of those defining moments was the day I fell in love with superhero comics.
I remember it like it was yesterday, a cold, wet lunchtime at the start of November 1972. I was eleven years old, and had just started, only two months before, as a first year pupil at our local grammar school, the most prestigious school in the north-west of Ireland. We had no canteens in that old school, so we had to bring in a lunchpack. The long lunch break (well over an hour), after scoffing a few sandwiches, a bag of crisps, and a small bottle of lemonade, was a real drudge. We always had about an hour or more to kill before the start of class, so I would head out of the school grounds to do a bit of exploring.
The school was about a mile and a half from the city centre, which was an unfamiliar place to a young boy like myself. I lived several miles outside the city, and I very rarely went into town, and never without my father. However, that was all to change pretty soon. As I became more familiar with the surroundings of my school, I began to venture further and further away from it. At first it was just a half-mile up the road to the chippy, where I often supplemented my meagre lunch with a bag of chips (French Fries, for our transatlantic friends). But gradually I started exploring further and further away.
Then, as time went on, I'd venture up towards the top of Bishop Street, the very long road that wound its way past our school from the outskirts of the town, and extended all the way into the city centre. Eventually, a few weeks after I'd started at the new school, I nervously wandered into the centre of our town, determined to explore all the shops (what was left of them, that is). The "Troubles" in Northern Ireland were, by that time, in full swing, and the year 1972 is generally regarded as being the worst year of the Troubles. The city centre was not a safe place to be in those days, with bullets flying and bombs going off almost every day. It looked just like London, during the Blitz. Ruined buildings and gutted shops everywhere. It was a wasteland.
And William Street was one of the worst hit areas of them all. Even the City Cinema, where I'd watched many films as an even younger kid, was by this time a gutted ruin. There were barely three or four shops left intact in the entire street out of dozens. One of those lucky enough to remain untouched was McCool's newsagents. I liked newsagents. They tended to stock lots of nice books and comics. This particular wet day, I went into McCool's, mostly to escape the rain, which had soaked right through my overcoat and clothes to the bare skin, but also out of sheer curiousity, to see what comics were on the shelves.
I was an avid comics reader even then, although only of British weekly comics, particularly the more sci-fi oriented titles such as the Lion, the Valiant, the Eagle, and Countdown. I'd had very brief, fleeting encounters with US superheroes before, in the short-lived black and white Power Comics of the late-1960s, which published a mix of original British strips and reprints of US Marvel and DC superhero strips. Smash, Pow, Wham, Fantastic, and Terrific, were the direct inspiration for what was to come later, in the early 1970s, from Marvel UK. But I was too young when those were in the shops (only seven or eight years old), and so I paid very little attention to them.
I'd also seen a few of the much rarer import US colour superhero comics (Marvel and DC), which appeared sporadically during the late 1960s and early 1970s, in local newsagents, corner shops, petrol stations, and in the new breed of supermarkets springing up all over the place. I liked the look of these, but they were quite expensive. I had only very limited pocket money, there were so, so many comics out there, and I could only afford to buy two or three anyway. I usually just stuck with my regular diet of the same two or three British weeklies that I'd been buying regularly since I was four or five years old.
So up until the age of eleven, superheroes didn't make any real impact whatsoever on my consciousness or buying habits. All that was to change that miserable, wet November day in McCool's shop. I was scanning the shelves, looking for anything interesting, when I spotted a bright, colourful cover in among all the relatively drab British comics. The colours and quality of the comic stood out like a beacon. The incredible scene of four superheroes (who I later learned were the Fantastic Four) battling it out, seemingly in vain, against a huge green monster, with orange brow ridges and an orange mohican and lumps on its head, pulled me to this comic like a magnet.
It was The Mighty World of Marvel #6, the very first of the classic Marvel UK weekly titles, and the start for me of a life-long love affair with superhero comics. A few minutes browsing through it, and I was hooked. I whipped out my 5p and paid for it (5p? – you'd pay a hundred times that – £5, if not more, for a UK comic these days). The 5p was part of my dinner money, but some days I didn't bother going to the chip shop, and spent the money on comics instead. After this particular day, that was to become a much more frequent habit. I wrapped the comic in a plastic bag and put it into my schoolbag, making sure it was well covered so that it wouldn't get damaged by any rain seeping in. Then I made my way back to school, getting there just as the bell rang for the end of lunch break.
I didn't get a chance to read the comic until after school. When I got home, I rushed up the stairs to my bedroom, took it out of my bag, and, for the very first time, encountered the magical adventures of the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, and the Amazing Spider-Man. The only one of these that I vaguely recognized was Spider-Man, whom I had seen in an earlier British reprint comic (I think it was Smash), four or five years before.
These three sets of characters were to become, very quickly, a near-obsession with me (especially my favourite, the Hulk), and I was so caught up in it all that I nagged and nagged at my Dad until he gave me the money (all of 50p, and that's including the cost of p&p) to send off for the first five back issues of MWOM, which I'd missed. When they arrived, a couple of weeks later (the wait seemed like forever), you'd have thought Christmas had come early :).
I'd become a superhero comic fanatic, and remained a regular reader of The Mighty World of Marvel for many years, at least up until the end of the 1970s. I also collected the newer spin-off Marvel UK comics such as Spider-Man Comics Weekly, and The Avengers, and I still have large collections of these as well. This obsession with collecting the Marvel UK b&w weeklies also started me on buying some of the US colour import Marvel and DC comics, whenever I could find them, that is (distribution of US imports was very unpredictable).
The irony was that while I was reading the classic Silver Age reprints of Marvel characters in the Marvel UK comics, at the very same time I was reading the then-current up-to-date Bronze Age adventures of the same characters in the US Marvel imports. I became a confirmed Marvel Junkie for the best part of a decade during the 1970s and early 1980s, and The Mighty World of Marvel and its successors were the direct cause of that.
Conversely I was never as big a fan of DC superheroes, with the exception of the Legion of Super-Heroes, which I loved, and the occasional issue of the Justice League of America and the Brave & the Bold. DC made the big mistake of not following Marvel's example, and releasing a strong line of British reprint titles during the 1970s. Marvel had the entire UK superhero comics market to themselves.
After I started buying the Marvel UK comics, I dropped all of my earlier British weekly favourites, which now seemed pretty dull and old-fashioned compared to the colourful, exciting new superhero titles. Of course I now greatly regret doing that, and it certainly seems very short-sighted in hindsight (we all have 20-20 vision in hindsight). But I was young and stupid, and like I said, I only had so much pocket money to spend, and the Marvel UK comics took first priority back then, by quite some margin. Ironically, I'm now trying to track down back issues of some of the old non-Marvel UK comics that I was most fond of before I dropped them for the Marvel titles.
I still have all those early issues of The Mighty World of Marvel, an unbroken collection of the first 120 issues, locked away in storage. Every so often I pull them out and browse through them, drifting off on a sea of fond memories, a complete nostalgia rush. And every time I look at my old copy of The Mighty World of Marvel #6, in my memory I relive that cold and wet distant day in McCool's shop, when I fell in love with superhero comics.
Posted in Marvel UK, UK Comics
Tagged Avengers (comic Marvel UK), Brave & the Bold (comic US), Bronze Age, Countdown (comic UK), Eagle (comic UK), Fantastic (comic UK), Fantastic Four (comic US), Incredible Hulk (comic US), Justice League of America (comic US), Legion of Super-Heroes (comic US), Lion (comic UK), Mighty World of Marvel (comic UK), Pow (comic UK), Power Comics, Silver Age, Smash (comic UK), Spider-Man (comic US), Spider-Man Comics Weekly (comic Marvel UK), Terrific (comic UK), Valiant (comic UK), Wham (comic UK)
Wednesday, September, 12, 2007
Collecting Old Comics Stuff
I've been going through a bit of a crazy phase recently. Almost a reversion to my youth, or, at least, my youthful collecting habits. I've been spending a lot of money on Ebay, trying to pick up some of the rare relics of my early-to-mid teenage years, when I was an obsessive collector of British comics, as opposed to the more easily found US comics that I became a collector of from my later teens onwards.
Over the last couple of weeks I've been buying a lot of old issues of my favourite British comics from the 1960s and 1970s, mainly Lion, Valiant and Thunder. I would dearly love to be able to buy a whole bunch of Countdown and TV Century 21 (aka TV21), but these are a lot harder to find and a heckuva lot more expensive than the Lion, Valiant and Thunder. Maybe someday, when I'm rich.
I've also started collecting old annuals, those hardback, once-yearly collections of strips and other goodies from our favourite comics. Again, mainly Valiant, Lion and Thunder, although I did also pick up a nice Countdown Annual from 1972. I remember from when I was a kid – these were the Holy Grail, usually too expensive for me to buy (I didn't have a lot of pocket money back in the '60s and '70s, and annuals cost on average ten times the price of the weekly comic), and usually confined to Christmas presents from my Dad or other relatives.
Well, I've made a really good start on picking up many annuals from the '60s and '70s period, and I'm starting to develop a real knack for picking them up dirt cheap, or, at least, relatively cheap. (I've just won two more as I'm typing – Lion Annual 1973 and Thunder Annual 1973). I often look at this ever-growing stack of annuals beside me, and wonder "Am I going mental? Why am I collecting all of this old stuff? What the hell am I going to do with it?" And then I open an annual and feel the tidal wave of nostagia wash over me, all the old memories boring up from the depths of my moth-eaten excuse for a brain. And I feel good. Really good. Maybe nostalgia is the narcotic of the 40-somethings (I'm 46). If it is, I'm a complete addict. Since my son died in April 2006, I have little else left in my life.
At least nostalgia is a much safer and more productive addiction than cigarettes, booze and drugs. And we all need our little hobbies to spend our money on, or life would be unbearable, all bills and shopping and crappy Real Life nonsense. The thought makes me shudder…
Posted in UK Annuals & Summer Specials, UK Comics
Tagged Countdown (comic UK), Lion (comic UK), Thunder (comic UK), TV21 (comic UK), Valiant (comic UK)


Copies of research publications, exhibitions or conference papers, Curriculum Vitae, Details of previous research experience e.g. research work experience / study and Any additional documents that may add to their scholarship application e.g. evidence of the award of a University Medal.


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This city is home to majestic monuments and great history. Hence, we think that this city Is the best choice for your home if you planning to buy one.
Narmada canal in the north and SG highway on the south, Adani Group developed a project called Adani Shantigram keeping your comfort in mind. This mind-blowing project is the largest and the best which is spread over an area of six hundred acres, where we have planned the best luxurious residences and the commercial complexes are the best state of the art. The beautiful view of lakes, the scenic view of the premium stadium which is facing the apartment. In addition to this, we have something for your royal feel of sports, and that is Golf villa community of Shantigram which is always at your service and we forgot to tell you about the 9-hole golf course. Isn't this amazing?
You enjoy your good life and have a great future is what we wish. And for your good life, we have The Good Life! This is the place where you can go and complete your shopping and this shopping can be a never ending one who is shopaholics. So, you may enjoy shopping also, just under the same complex.
This is not all; don't you think the pollution has crossed the level and we want you to live in a fresh environment and for this, we have more than 80% of the open area where you can play with your children or go for walk or enjoy doing exercise. Is this all? No, we have brought the best for you and this includes 50,000 trees, so that you can enjoy the nature too, there is so much to explore, just sit under a tree and see the birds chirping, squirrel collecting food and enjoy the rustling of the leaves of the leaves. This may also bring creative ideas for you and this may also bring the poet out of you too. And, once this happens, don't forget to share your poems with us! Sit with nature and enjoy some time alone. This is the best place to live for you and your lovely family, don't think much and live a great life in this complex with some more lovely and cooperating people like you. Get a great life for your family too, let your children enjoy playing with other children and make a great future.
Ahmedabad is the ultimate city for you to live. This is a city which has recorded great growth. The vibrancy and an attitude of the celebration of life are something which makes Ahmedabad very special. Alon with this, entrepreneurship is something which is booming to the best extent, so if you are thinking of starting your own business, then this place is the best for you. Education is the best which is provided here and along with this information technology is at its best level and is creating new records every day and this is not all, scientific industries are also developing in the city of Ahmedabad.
This city is no less than the heart of the city of Gujarat and of western India too. If you are still not satisfied with all this, then let us tell you something which will amaze you. A recent list was launched by the Forbes Magazine of the cities which are growing fast and Ahmedabad is a name in this list. This city is one among the three best to prosper and grow in this age of urbanization.
This city has always been in news for the best and the superior technology used in the infrastructure, and along with this, there are many foreign companies which are investing in this city and there are high chances of seeing this city developing at a global level. This city is blessed features which are essential and ideal for the growth of the city. Some of the best key projects are in the form of hotels, SEZs, gated communities and integrated townships and IT market is also playing a major role here. The city is well connected through different modes of transport internally and externally as well, so there should be no worries related to the transportation and this is something which will also help to expand your business if you have one. One of the best achievement of this city is the use of Bus Rapid Transit System or the BRTS which was started in the year 2009 astonished everyone and was awarded the USA International Sustainable Transport Award. The international standards are being met by this city and there are high chances that this city will be a magnet for the population of the whole nation as well as eminent businessmen. Hence this city is developing based on infrastructure too.
On the other hand, if you are keen to know about the Real estate too, then Ahmedabad has loads to amaze you because this sector is to increase even more soon. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation expansion, robust and best development of other infrastructure utilities, increased connectivity has helped the business of real estate grow rapidly and in the best way. The market of real estate in the city of Ahmedabad brings a mix of product categories of the apartment, bungalows, twin bungalows, farm houses, retail, and commercial spaces as well.
The promenade is a 1.5 km stretch adjoining the golf course. Just feel relaxed and sit in the viewing gallery and get into the fitness and exercise or enjoy the game of golf. This promenade is the best and ideal for cycling along with the designated track. The intensive workout place, and the multi-discipline athletic field.Let this city capture your heart and the imagination of yours. The home which is here are homes which inspire you to a life of purity and beauty. All this will bring pleasures to your life and your imagination will fail in front of the developments in this city of Ahmedabad.
Adani Water lily, Adani aangan, Adani Elysium towers and the Adani the meadows will bring happiness in your life. Adani water lily is homes which are open to the lake, and this will bring joy if you live in this city. Adani Aangan is 1 and 2 BHK comfortable apartments which will bring perfect home space and this will also fit in your budget if you are tight for money. But if you want something best then Adani Elysium towers is the best for you as this is the way to a life of heaven. This is the ultimate happiness and spread wide landscape looks quite eternal. So, book your flats and pack your bags to come to this heavenly abode.
Take your lady love and your kids to the finest restaurants of the Gujarat which are in the city of Ahmedabad and enjoy Dhokla, Puran poli, Handvo, Khandvi, Bajri no rotlo, Sukhadi and there are so many lip-smacking dishes waiting for you, just be patient and go on eating! This is important because ultimately whatever we are earning is for food only, so enjoy the food in some of the best places in Ahmedabad and I bet you will be remembering about this article then.
Ahmedabad is Ahmedabad, this city is not comparable and the world is slowly getting attracting to this part of India, and thus it is quite normal for you to get lured by the praise for this city. Love this city, enjoy this city, and never think twice if you want to settle in this city as this city brings a lot of opportunities, good quality education for your kids, easy lifestyle for your lifestyle and a great place to grow your business and all this can happen very fast, just get your home booked and then enjoy your life here. The day is not far away when the whole world will be gazing on this city and you will feel proud and happy if you take your home here and decide to grow old as the city develops.
Bagrecha Realties LLP is perfect realty service provider, which is bridge between buyers and sellers, confidence is key in any Real Estate relationship and provides its clients with a certainty of trust. The firm specializes in with first home buyers. Success is predicated on its inventory and range of services. Whether you are buying a new home or selling your existing one, Bagrecha Realties LLP can assist you each step of the way. The Real Estate Industry is a dynamic and continually changing profession and our team offers you the guidance of proven professionals to represent your individual interests during the sale and/or purchase process.
We deal in properties in residential and commercial portfolio of our services largely covers buying, selling, renting and leasing of properties like residential apartments, independent house, villas, residential lands, independent/builder floors, service apartments, farmhouses, pre-leased properties, shopping malls, corporate houses, office space, industrial factories, special economic zones, show rooms, retail shop, brand stores etc. Choosing the right Real Estate consultant is the difference between a success and a failure in a Real Estate transaction. For us, client satisfaction is top priority. We will help you find the house you want, in the neighborhood you desire. Whether you a buyer, seller or a Real Estate Professional.


To foster and facilitate recovery through therapeutic relationships.
In a psychiatric inpatient setting, mental health problems are defined within the physical constructs of an 'illness' leading to a system that focuses on problems and lacks messages of recovery1. National reviews of inpatient mental health wards routinely criticise services for a lack of meaningful approach to services, engagement, and empathy from staff1-3.
"We can forget stuff in our memories, be preoccupied with life now, like when you're in a bad space, but when you start to talk about culture and heritage, [it] reminds you that you can pull back on those certain strengths.. it's uplifting"
'Tree of Life' is a psychosocial support tool based on Narrative Therapy for facilitating personal recovery5. It was developed in Zimbabwe to support high-risk children affected by HIV/AIDS, poverty, war and conflict in Eastern Africa5-6. The approach seeks to minimize stigmatizing narratives by focusing on strengths and resources first before addressing problems.
In UK acute mental health wards staff is often viewed as being too busy to talk to patients, under-resourced and rely on medication as the only intervention on wards1. The custodial nature of the wards in the absence of positive therapeutic interactions leads to cycles of conflict within staff and service user relationships7. Negative perceptions of staff and service users' views reported from people following discharge who did not find their inpatient care helpful in addressing their mental health problems; are well documented8-10. There have also been concerns cited by The Equality and Human Rights Commission11 regarding equality and diversity disparities for Black and Minority Ethnic groups within mental health services.
The Tree of Life innovation aims to offer a multi-cultural talking treatment that addresses the needs of an ethnically diverse population while building positive and collaborative relationships between staff and service users. Ultimately helping to promote collaborative recovery approaches to mental health care.
Tree of Life workshops embody participative activities that involve drawing trees in a group setting with the aim of building a forest of trees together. Each part of the tree is a metaphor for specific components of an individual's life that define their identity (relationships, strengths, values and hopes for the future).
Within the tree of life model, culture and heritage are recognized as resources, thus making the tree of life a practice that can be valued by diverse communities and services. It has proven successful in its flexible approach and adaptability and is now used internationally in a variety of contexts12-14.
Following the Tree of Life Project in 2013-2016, an extensive mixed-methods evaluation demonstrated the interest and benefit that staff and service users gained from the Tree of Life groups on inpatient wards.
The positive feedback serves as a key driver of the implementation and sustainability of the groups going forward.
Every aspect of the Tree of Life workshops involved a psychologist and service user collaborative approach.
The commitment and investment in adhering to this way of work opened up new possibilities for challenging traditional views of therapeutic relationships on the wards and supported the engagement of staff and service users in the groups.
Due to staff responsibilities and tasks requiring staff attention on the ward, staff members found it difficult to allocate the time to attend Tree of Life groups.
Consistent funding is a key requirement in order to attain service user facilitators who will be running the groups.
Uncertainty regarding funding and flexible payment methods make it difficult to predict and/or reassure service user facilitators of their position in the project.
The Tree of Life workshops are implemented within the South London and Maudsley (SLAM) NHS Trust through over 15 different teams and services and have been running with the SLAM Recovery College since 2013.
Due to the success of the project on the wards, the SLAM Executive Board have recommended that Tree of Life groups run across all 20 adult mental health acute wards and be considered a priority for the psychosocial model of care on inpatient and patient intensive care unit wards in 2018.
The Tree of Life groups were evaluated through both quantitative and qualitative methods.
The Maudsley Charity provided a total of £150,000 to the SLAM Recovery College for two years of programme implementation.
Staff reported in qualitative interviews that the new narrative was integrated well into ward rounds, staff handovers and risk management discussions.
The project was also mentioned and discussed on a BBC Radio 4 feature on Recovery in Mental Health in the 'All in the Mind' programme.
Crisp N, Smith G & Nicholson K (2016) Old Problems, New Solutions – Improving Acute Psychiatric Care for Adults in England. The Commission on Acute Adult Psychiatric Care.
The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (2005) The Neglected Majority: Developing intermediate mental health care in primary care. London: SCM.
Schizophrenia Commission (2012) The abandoned illness: a report from the Schizophrenia Commission. London: Rethink Mental Illness.
Brown R et al. (2016) Creating ripples: towards practice-based evidence for narrative therapy within NHS contexts. Clinical Psychology Forum, 284: 48-52.
Ncube N (2006) The tree of life project. International Journal of Narrative Therapy & Community Work, 1(3): 16.
Ncube-Milo N & Denborough D (2007) The Tree of Life Manual, REPPSI.
Bonsack C & Borgeat F (2005) Perceived coercion and need for hospitalization related to psychiatric admission. International journal of law and psychiatry, 28(4): 342-7.
Thornihill H, Clare L, & May R (2004) Escape, enlightenment and endurance. Anthropology and Medicine, 11: 181-200.
EHRC (2015) Is Britain fairer? The state of equality and human rights. Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Byrne A et al. (2011). A powerful piece of work: African and Caribbean men talking about the 'tree of life'. Context, 117: 40 – 45.
Hughes G (2014) Finding a voice through 'The Tree of Life': A strength-based approach to mental health for refugee children and families in schools. Clinical child psychology and psychiatry, 19(1): 139-153.
Jamieson A (2012) A case study exploring the use of the tree of life as a narrative intervention tool with a black adolescent girl who was sexually abused in South Africa. Unpublished dissertation.
Creating ripples: towards practice-based evidence for narrative therapy within NHS contexts.
Collective narrative practice in forensic, mental health. Journal of Forensic Practice.


Commissioning & Process Supervision – Plant SupervisionA plant audit consists of an inspection by experienced specialists to evaluate the . For cement we have extensive experience in cement crusher, cement storage.crusher cement auditing,INTERNAL AUDIT CEMENT INDUSTRYInternal audit function has vast scope in Cement industry being in . Internal audit in overall Cement Industry may be a . LIME STONE. CRUSHING. 12.
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Can Radiation From Wireless Technology Contribute to Poor Gut Health???
I am very excited to introduce you today to my dear friend and Holistic Health Coach, Rola Masri, HHC. For the last several years, she has been heavily researching the effects of Wifi on children and gut health.
She has been working relentlessly on turning off WIFI at our public schools to reduce carcinogenic load on our children. Did you know that WIFI is actually a class 2B carcinogen alongside lead, DDT and engine exhaust??? I know… pretty shocking!! So what can we do to keep safe levels of radiation for ourselves and our families??
Read her post below for the answer, then sign her petition at Move On-Turn Off Wifi In Our Schools.
It is not well known why certain people develop allergies while others don't. Allergic reactions can range anywhere from sneezing, runny nose, fatigue to autoimmune diseases, anaphalaxis and death. In this post I hope to shed some light on allergies and autoimmune diseases and their possible link to wireless technology.
Every organ in our body is protected by tissue barriers that prevent the outside environment from leaking in. Examples of these barriers include the gut barrier that prevents undigested foods from leaking into the blood or the blood/brain barrier that prevents toxins in the blood from leaking into the brain. Other barriers include those found in nasal mucosa, the lungs, outermost layer of living skin cells, etc. The strength of these barriers are essential for health.
Dr. Olle Johansson, an associate professor at the Department of Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute and a professor at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, says that the skin and the gastrointestinal tract are the major borders between us and the rest of the universe.
This is a picture of a person talking on a cell phone while entering a building. This picture was taken with a help of an instrument called Kirlean Device created by Luis Hernon a Ph.D. student in Newcastle University in the U.K. This Device can map wireless networks using beams of light.
Dr. Andrew Goldsworthy is retired scientist and lecturer. He spent many years studying how tissue and organisms are affected by electrical fields. He found that radiation from wireless devices can penetrate the body and cause organ tissue to be more permeable and cause leakage.
Leakage of foreign matter into the blood or organ system creates an environment that the body does not recognize. As a result the body fights back by releasing a substance called histamines to fight off the enemy (pollen, peanuts, dairy etc.). The result is inflammation which can lead to all types of reactions depending on the location.
1. Turn off all cell phones, iPads and laptops or put them on airplane mode before going to sleep.
2. Never place cell phone directly on your ear. Use a wired ear piece or put it on speaker mode. Keep your cell phone at a distance whenever possible.
3. Turn off WiFi routers when not in use. Try using a timer to automatically shut off WiFi at night.
4. Opt out of utility smart meters. Smart meters are highly emitting devices that utility companies have placed on a lot of homes to determine utility usage for billing. Opting out is a simple way to reduce exposure.
5. Do opt for wired computers for children. Ethernet cables instead of WiFi will eliminate wireless emissions.
6. If choosing wireless devices for children download the information they need in advance and let them use it while on airplane mode.
7. Turn off WiFi, GPS, bluetooth and network antennas on your cell phone when not in use. Only turn them back on when you need them. Most of the time your device is emitting unnecessary radiation when you are not even using these features.
If you have any questions or comments please don't hesitate to email me at HealthyMamaHF@gmail.com.
Click here and give what you can even if it's only $1.
(4) French, P., et al (1997): Electromagnetic Radiation at 835 MHz changes the morphology and inhibits proliferation of a human astrocytoma cell line.
Thank you for reading this informative article by Rola Masri.
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Mariah Carey Reveals That The 'Unconditional Familial' Love She Received From Her Twins Helped With Her Childhood Trauma!
Mariah Carey went through a lot when she was just a child but thankfully, she says that the unconditional love she received later on when she had her twins, helped her heal from that trauma!
The songstress chatted with Oprah Winfrey and that is when she revealed that as a young kid, she never got to know what 'familial love' was all about.
Fortunately for her, Mariah was finally able to experience that when she became a mom herself.
Having twins Moroccan and Monroe was the best thing that ever happened to the artist since not only does she love them unconditionally but they feel the same for her and that has made a huge change in her life and mental health.
While having Mariah on her show, The Oprah Conversation, the host stated that 'Often, when you have had such trauma in your own life, you get to make up for the childhood you didn't have through your own children.'
And as they were talking about Mariah's tell all memoir, she wondered if the kids helped at all with her guest's childhood trauma.
In response, she shared that 'They helped to heal me every day. Every time we have a moment that feels real and authentic and genuine…them loving me unconditionally. Just by the fact that the children provide me with this actual love, and they're my actual family, and I am not worried about them trying to hurt me or do any of the things that happened to me when I was a kid. I have never had a reference for unconditional, familial love until now.'
And that is not all! Mariah also admitted that aside from the kids, 'my fans have been the only ones that I felt I got unconditional love from. Like, all of my die-hard fans.'
Read More: Mariah Carey Reveals That The 'Unconditional Familial' Love She Received From Her Twins Helped With Her Childhood Trauma!
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Super Duty - 02 super duty, 7.3, issue..
Almost sounds like a bad ground. I had that on a Camaro I had, thing would run, just act really goofy (lots of warning lights, missing, etc.). I cleaned the ground up, and it worked fine after that.


Traditionally, in North America the hock is a section of the front arm bone of the pig. On one end the elbow joint is severed. On the other, where the arm of the pig meats the body, a cut is made and the arm bone is sawed through. So on one end of the hock there is a clean joint, and on the other the circular cross-section of a bone.
In traditional British butchery it is the analogous section from the hind leg that is called the hock; that from the front was known as the hand.
Nowadays, whether taken from the forearm or the hind leg, both cuts are considered hocks. They are almost always processed into ham, that is, brined and hot-smoked.
After three days in a curing brine I rinse and pat my hocks dry, then leave them overnight in my refrigerator on a wire rack, uncovered, to dry out the surface. The next day I hot-smoke them on my barbecue to an internal temperature of 65°C. Once cooled they are frozen for later use.
Following is a brief description of those later uses.
Hocks are an interesting cut of pork. The flesh is tough, and must be cooked low and slow to tenderize. As described above, they have a nice bone with an exposed joint. They also have a high skin-to-meat ratio.
They are prepared in only two ways in my house.
The first is simmering. If you simmer a smoked ham hock, you must consume every drop of the cooking liquid. Most or all of the smoke and cured pork flavour ends up in the broth, so to throw out the cooking liquid is a complete waste. You also get a good amount of gelatin from the bone, which gives the broth body. The meat can still be used, but it's really only a garnish for the broth.
Throw the ham hock in a large pot of cold water. Or place it gently in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, skimming away any foam that develops, then simmer gently until the hock is tender, maybe four hours. Remove the hock from the broth and add roughly chopped onions, carrots, celery stalk and root, turnips, potatoes, and garlic. Return the broth to a boil then simmer gently for another hour.
In the meantime, pull apart your hock. The skin is easily removed in one piece, and having been boiled for a few hours, it has been adequately rendered to either have the fat cut off the back and be ground for skin sausage, or simply be diced and served in a bean dish. Return the chunks of ham hock back to the broth.
Ladle the soup into deep, straight-sided bowls. Consume with stale bread, mustard, pickles, and cheese.
The second preparation is slow roasting. My culinary school text (Professional Cooking for Canadian Chefs) tells me that low heat and high moisture are the two environmental essentials to turn collagen into gelatin. As such, for tough cuts of meat like ham hocks, the book invariably recommends "moist-heat methods," either simmering or braising. However, meat is about 75% water, and even when applying the "dry-heat" of, say a 300°F residential oven, there is adequate moisture to tenderize even the toughest cut of meat.
This is one of my favourite dishes of all time. By slow-roasting the ham hock you don't leach any flavour into a surrounding liquid. The meat is tender, with a very unique, sticky, gelatinous quality. The skin becomes fantastic, glass-like crackling.
A roasted hock is a meal for two. Left-over bits of roasted hock meat are my second most favourite pieces of pork to have in my fridge, after bacon but before conventional ham. They make fantastic, flavourful, tender additions to eggs and starch dishes like macaroni.
Roast ham hock (or stelze) is a classic Bavarian beer hall dish. Below is pictured just such a hock, served with mashed apples and potatoes (himmel und erd) and braised cabbage with bacon.
Put the ham hock on a wire rack on a sheet pan. Cook in a 300°F oven until tender, maybe four hours.
Once the meat is tender, raise the oven temperature to 450°F and cook until the skin is very crisp, maybe forty five minutes.
1. I decided to footnote this explanation because it is pretty long-winded. Himmel und Erde literally means "heaven and earth." You know how the French call potatoes pommes de terre ("earth apples")? Well, the Bavarians and Austrians kind of do the same thing. In Hamburg potatoes are called kartoffeln, but in Munich and Salzburg they are called erdaepfel, or "earth apples." The dish "heaven and earth" is comprised of "heaven apples" (the red fruit that grows on tree tops) and "earth apples" (potatoes).


Stan's Pest Control believes in providing quality services and dependability to the customers we serve. Family owned and operated for over thirty years, we are now in our 2nd generation of providing the best pest control services to the metro Jackson area. Our family extends to our customers, as our quality services create a relationship of reliability and excellence within our industry. We pride ourselves on services that not only protect our customers, but also display our care and attention to detail that our customers deserve.
Father and Son attending a MSU Game!
Brandon Guy started working for his father and previous owner of Stan's Pest Control, Stanley Coring, in 1997.
Brandon is a lifelong Madison County resident, graduating from Madison Ridgeland High School in 1991. Being a Bulldog at heart, he attended and graduated from Mississippi State University in 1996 with a Degree in Business and Finance. Brandon began working for Stan's Pest Control in 1997 and bought the company from his father in 2012. He is a member of the Mississippi Pest Control Association and served on the Advisory Council from 2007 – 2008.
Brandon lives in the City of Madison and raising One child and Enjoying a life of love and laughter. When not servicing his customers, he can be found attending MSU ballgames and relaxing in the woods and enjoying the great outdoors.


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Jean-Luc Picard is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise, most often seen as the Captain of the starship USS Enterprise-D. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), the feature films Star Trek Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), and is planned to feature as the central character in an as yet untitled forthcoming Star Trek show currently in development. Actor Patrick Stewart portrays him.
X2 (2003) Review
X2 Review Soap Opera in Comic Book Form


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First Women-Initiated Bank Launched in Ethiopia (Video)
Photo: Meaza Ashenafi, lawyer and activist is the founder and CEO of Enat Bank "Enat" is an Amharic word for "mother" Enat Bank, the first women's bank in Ethiopia, was launched on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, the country's capital. Initiated…
Addis Ababa Light Rail Project Details and Status Report
Ethiopian Railways Corporation Discloses Addis Ababa Light Rail Project Details, Status Report Addis Ababa, March 10, 2013 — Ethiopian Railways Corporation (ERC) revealed details of the Addis Light Rail Project around Adwa and St. Abune Petros squares, which were centres…


We may be in the digital age, but you won't receive an email that you have to pay a fine.
What Are They After: Scammers hoping to frighten you with the loss of your license or other more serious penalties have been emailing their victims with what appears to be a traffic citation, complete with citation number and location the alleged incidents took place.
The only lawbreakers here, though, are the senders of the phony citations. The state DMV has confirmed they are not behind these emails, and that you will never be required to pay through an emailed link.
Never turn over personal information or payment due to an emailed form.
If it's possible that the citation is legitimate, simply contact your state's division of motor vehicles using a verified phone number—NOT a phone number listed in the email—and inquire.


Sam Kingston is a mean-girl with everything she needs: popularity, the hunky boyfriend, and popular mean-girl friends. When she dies in a car accident, she is given the chance to live her final day 6 more times. She learns that nobody is exactly what they seem and that everyone is redeemable. I was eager to read this book because I thought it would be an interesting twist on the Groundhog Day theme. However, I didn't realize that it would be a regurgitation of 80's and 90's movies to the point where there were very few truly original scenes. It's basically Groundhog Day in a mish-mash of high school flicks with other movies worked in. I was actually to the point of looking for the "token black kid" it was so regurgitated (no appearance). So, I was a little disappointed in the author's skill. On the other hand, many teens (for whom this book is intended) will not have grown up on 80's and 90's movies and might find the book quite interesting and original, though very sad. The theme of redemption and everyone's-the-same-on-the-inside was applaudable. The writing was smooth and engaging, though the beginning was a little irritating because you had to choke through her mean-girl attitude. It's good for a light read, but it's not literature.


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Get to know Andrea and A Lawful Truth
A.Lawful Truth Enterprises LLC. began as something small, DivineMuvaDiva or "Muva Diva" as she's often referred to as, shared facets of her life through short stories on social media. In many instances, she confronted the hard truths in between where they are and where they aspire to be. In the midst of telling her truth, emerged an idea to help others share their stories and be their most authentic self. A creative herself, she vowed to create that same space for future generations, thought leaders that will impact and transcend all limitations in the world. Today that vision continues she helps her clients, ranging from college students to professionals, strengthen and develop their leadership skills that will make them more competitive in today's workforce. She Leads dynamic workshops that encourage and promote leaders to ascend with confidence. Muva Diva believes the world needs more creative thinkers who can quickly adapt to their environments, thus generate more revenue for their businesses and meeting personal and client goals. More importantly, thought leaders who will impact the business world.
I've always been an advocate for living your best life despite the odds thrown your way; I use those examples of my life to motivate and encourage others.
Andrea Lawful-Sanders
At 5'10, Andrea Lawful-Sanders has spent her life seeing beyond what others could imagine and living her life with a fierce passion that runs just as deep as her Jamaican roots. The truth is, her height happens to be a physical representation of her purpose.
With the foundation of an undergraduate degree in Communications and masters in Education, Lawful-Sanders' professional journey has led to impact investments and success in her fields of study, as well as advocacy and consulting. The intersecting of her highly respected professional reputation with her transparent sharing of empowering life anecdotes led to her role as CEO of A. Lawful Truth Enterprises LLC, and the founding of DivineMuvaDiva (an ALTE LLC subsidiary) in 2017. "Muva Diva" was birthed out of the expressed desire from her social media audience to live a life of passion while confronting the hard truths in between where they are and where they aspire to be…and to do so with the assistance of her vision.
If there's one thing that Lawful-Sanders is a master at, it's developing both children and adults into the best version of themselves. She dedicates her time drawing from the wisdom of her roots and branching out to impart spiritual, emotional, and mental nourishment into the lives of others.
Nearly three decades ago, after having to become a full-time education advocate for her sons due to the lack of professionals in that role, Lawful-Sanders saw an opportunity to be for others what she once had to be for herself. Upon completing a 20-week program titled "Parents As Leaders," she conducted parent workshops and later served on her local school board for eight years where she helped fuel academic achievement and student enrichment.
Enlight of that, she has provided advocacy training to more than 700 hundred parents, which ultimately resulted in the addition of 37 new school board members; thousands of students who are now either doctoral candidates, entrepreneurs or gainfully employed; and hundreds of police officers and educators who have received thorough training on implicit bias.
Lawful-Sanders has become a highly regarded family and youth expert, often juggling attending I.E.P meetings with parents and her demanding booking schedule of high-profile national speaking engagements on the Achievement Gap; diversity and inclusion training; and on-air radio interviews and guest hosting opportunities.
In the midst of her advocacy and consulting work, she launched The C.A.L.M SOCIETY, an organization that helps teachers and families' work hand in hand to ensure all students have access to high-quality education. Shortly after that, she joined V.I.B.E (Voices Involved In Promoting a Brotherhood of Excellence) a program that works with 7th-8th grade African American males. In her now twelve years as a V.I.B.E Parent liaison, the program has made tangible changes within the lives of these young men and, due to demand, expanded to include I.M.A.G.I.N.E (I'M a girl, Intelligent, Noble and Educated) a sister program for young girls.
Her current commitments include serving as the Chair of SE PA CARES, an arm of the national CARES mentoring movement spearheaded by Susan L. Taylor. Additionally, she acts as a consultant for Police Departments, helping them to seek and improve community relations.
Women of Excellence Award (WDAS) - 2016
This award celebrates extraordinary women who work to improve Philadelphia every day.
Mission Impact Award (YWCA) - 2016
Andrea Lawful-Sanders was chosen for this new award, selected by YWCA staff, for her direct impact on YWCA's mission of eliminating racism and empowering women in the Tri-County region.
Woman of the Year (Zeta Phi Beta) - 2015
Pays tribute to outstanding leaders who have made a significant impact on our community by teaching, promoting and demonstrating the importance of empowering youth for success.
Advocacy Award (CAC for Probation and Parole) - 2015
Lawful-Sanders was presented this award for her advocacy work with children in two groups that grew out of her personal mission: V.I.B.E. (Voices Involved in Promoting Black Excellence) for African American males in grade 7-12 and I.M.A.G.I.N.E. (I'm A Girl, Intelligent, Noble and Educated).
Guiding Light Award (Lucien E. Blackwell) - 2015
Recipients of this award are individuals who contribute greatly to society, said Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, who named the awards after her late husband.
Wayshower Award (National CARES Mentoring Movement) - 2015
Honors those lighting the way for our children and for us, with diligence and above all, with love.
Outstanding Service to Education Award (Pennsylvania School Board Association) - 2012
This award seeks to recognize outstanding contributions from individuals, groups or organizations to education across the commonwealth.
Educator Award (Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission) - 2010
Honors individuals who dedicate their lives to contributing to excellence in educating our community's youth.
A Lawful Truth
A. Lawful Truth is one of the leading industry providers around collaborative thinking. We generate thought leaders who will inspire and empower others to be their best selves.
The future depends on building legacies for — and with — the next generation
All Around Philly Scene: 2018 Salute to Greatness Awards Gala
Life lessons from 6 perfectly imperfect moms
Flashpoint: Philadelphia CBS Radio Interview
'Women it's Time to Heal' wellness symposium
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text:
Q: print complex number from fortran in c So I have an array that was initiated as
COMPLEX(KIND=GP), ALLOCATABLE, DIMENSION (:,:,:) :: C1,C2
(not my code) in fortran, and I'm simply trying to print an element of this array using c code.
This is the c code I have,
    #include <stdio.h>

typedef struct com{
long double r, i;
} x;

void printfunc_(x* k){

        printf("Reading from fortran: %Le\t %Le\n", k->r, k->i);
}

and in fortran I call:
CALL printFUNC(C1(k,j,i))

k, j, i are ints.
But I only get 0.000000e+00
I don't know what GP is, but from looking up fortran code it looks like it can be 4, 8, or 16.
I've tried the c code with the struct being float, double, and long double. With the two former I get -0.000000 and 0.000000. I know there should be values by looking at the actual output: small single precision floats.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A prominent Saudi rights lawyer and activist has been detained by authorities after appearing in court in Riyadh on sedition charges, his wife said on Wednesday.
Waleed Abu al-Khair was sentenced by a court in the city of Jeddah to three months in jail in October for signing a petition in 2011 against the imprisonment of a group of activists demanding political reforms.
An appeals court in the Muslim holy city of Makkah confirmed the sentence in February, but authorities did not implement it and Abu al-Khair had remained a free man since then.
He also faces charges including breaking allegiance to the country's ruler, disrespecting the authorities, creating an unauthorised association and inciting public opinion.
His wife, Samar Badawi, said Abu al-Khair had gone to the Special Criminal Court in Riyadh on Tuesday for a hearing, and she had not been able to communicate with him since.
"I went to the court and they told me he had been transferred to al-Ha'ir prison, they didn't let me see him," Badawi told Reuters in Dubai by telephone.
"I went to those in charge at the Interior Ministry and they said I can meet him two weeks from now," she added.
She said she did not know if her husband had been sentenced by the court in Riyadh on Tuesday, whether the trial was over or whether he had been convicted.
Abu al-Khair, a lawyer, had been representing himself and under court rules, could not take a telephone into the court.
Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Mansour al-Turki said the arrest "was by a court order" and referred further questions to the Justice Ministry, where no officials could immediately be reached.
International human rights groups and activists in Saudi Arabia say authorities in the US-allied kingdom have launched a new campaign to curb political, religious and social dissent in the birthplace of Islam. The government denies there is any crackdown.
Abu al-Khair is founder and director of an organisation named the Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia.
"His demands were not political, but Waleed has always been having human rights demands, now the time has come to pay the price for these demands," Badawi said.
The world's top oil exporter has regularly dismissed criticism of its human rights record by Western countries and campaign groups.
In March last year, a Saudi Arabian court sentenced two prominent political and human rights activists to at least 10 years in prison for offences that included sedition and giving inaccurate information to foreign media.


text:
The Groot Begijnhof of Leuven is a well preserved beguinage and completely restored historical quarter containing a dozen streets in the south of downtown Leuven. About 3 hectares (7.5 acres) in size, with some 300 apartments in almost 100 houses, it is one of the largest remaining beguinages in the Low Countries. It stretches on both sides of the river Dijle, which splits into two canals inside the beguinage, thus forming an island. Three bridges connect the parts of the beguinage. The complete beguinage is owned by the University of Leuven and used as a campus, especially for housing academics.

History

The Groot Begijnhof has the appearance of a small town in the city. It is a succession of streets, squares, gardens and parks, with tens of houses and convents in traditional brick and sandstone style.

As a community for unmarried, semi-religious women (see Beguine), this beguinage originated in the early 13th century. The oldest written documents date back from 1232. A Latin inscription on the church mentions 1234 as founding date. The community is presumably a few decades older. Local historians from the 16th century, including Justus Lipsius, mention 1205 as founding date.

Just like other beguinages in Flanders, the beguinage in Leuven had a first golden age in the 13th century, and difficult times during the religious conflicts in the 16th century. One of the priests of this beguinage was Adriaan Florensz Boeyens, spiritual tutor of the infant Charles V and later known as Pope Adrian VI.

From the end of the 16th century, and especially after the Twelve Years' Truce in 1621, the Beguinage had a second flourishing period, culminating near the last quarter of the 17th century and continuing afterwards, albeit in a gradual decline, until the invasion of the anti-religious French Revolutionarists. The peak in entries occurred with a time span of two generations in the period 1650-1670, when the number of beguines reached 360.  Near 1700, the number had already fallen back to 300, due to warfare (including the Nine Years War) and diseases. By the mid of the 18th century, the number of beguines was further reduced to approximately 250. The sudden increase in entries, followed by a long period of gradual decline, explains the homogeneity in the architectural style of the houses, most of which were constructed in the years 1630-1670. The same demographic evolution can be seen in other beguinages, such as in the nearby town of Diest, or - with some delay - in Lier (where the houses are on the average half a century younger than in Leuven). After the invasion of the French revolutionaries, the beguinage of Leuven was not sold as bien national, as happened with most monasteries and abbeys. The properties of the community were, however, confiscated and attributed to the local welfare commission (the Hospices civils) and reorganised as civil almshouses. Beguines were allowed to continue to live in their houses but free rooms were rented to elderly and poor people. Some former clerics lived on their mandatory pension in the beguinage, among them the last prior of the abbey of Villers.

The last priest of the Beguine community died in 1977 at the age of 107. He is buried in the graveyard of Park Abbey. The last Beguine died in 1988.

Restoration

After more than 150 years in use by the local welfare commission and being inhabited by people not financially able to maintain the dwellings, the place was in deplorable state in 1960. The welfare commission decided to sell the complete quarter. A real estate developer showed interest but abandoned his plans when he learnt that the university wanted to buy and restore the beguinage. This small town was restored between 1964 and 1989 by the Catholic University of Leuven, which had purchased the site in 1962 from the Social Welfare Commission. The restoration proceeded in two phases. The majority of the streets were restored in the 1960s and 1970s, under supervision of professor Raymond M. Lemaire. The church and the street next to it were restored in 1980s. The large scale restoration project of an entire quarter, and according to the principles of the Venice Charter was an important momentum in the popularity of beguinages and traditional architecture in general. In 1998, it was officially recognised by Unesco as a World Heritage Site.

Architecture

The beguinage of Leuven has the appearance of a small town on its own, with houses planned along a network of narrow streets and small squares. This is in contrast to the beguinages of Bruges and Amsterdam, where all houses face a central courtyard. The only large greenyard, on the left river bank, resulted from the demolition of some houses in the 19th century. Five houses date back from the 16th century, three of which still show timber framing. The house of Chièvres was built in 1561, in accordance with the will of Maria van Hamal, widow of William de Croÿ, duke of Aarschot and advisor in political affairs of Emperor Charles V. The characteristic tented roof with the onion-shaped top, refers to the two towers of the duke's castle in Heverlee (today known as Arenberg Castle).

The majority of the houses dates back from the period 1630-1670. They were constructed in the local, traditional architecture, enriched with some sober, baroque elements. The facades show red bricks with sandstone cross-bar frames for windows and doors. A typical element in the beguinage of Leuven are the numerous dormers, often elaborated with crow-stepped gables and round arched windows.

Many houses have strikingly few and small windows on the ground floor. The beguines were keen on their privacy. Houses with large windows on the ground floor used to be hidden by an additional wall, as is still the case in other beguinages.

A few houses were replaced or constructed in the 19th century, but far less than in other beguinages, such as in Lier.

The church is an early Gothic basilica with Romanesque elements. As usual for mendicant orders or women's congregations, it has no tower, only a flèche. Since 1998, this flèche has carried a small carillon, which plays a short melody every half an hour on 16 bells which had come from the carillon of the Leuven library tower. In 2009, 29 new bells and a baton-type keyboard for manual playing were added to the instrument. The north entrance of the church shows two Latin inscriptions indicating the foundation years of beguinage (1234 - anno domini MCCXXXIIII curia incepit) and church (1305). The east end of the church has a strikingly tall 14th century quire window, whose upper part illuminates the attic above the groin vault constructed in the 17th century. The interior is 27 meter wide (the widest church in town) containing a nave and two aisles of ten bays. Daylight is prominently present. The arcades separating nave from aisles carry statues of the twelve apostles, Mary and Saint Joseph with the holy child. These statues, as most other artwork, are sober baroque. They are accentuated by artificial shades in black paint behind them.  The restoration in the 1980s revealed 14th century murals.

Ten Hove and Aborg

The name of the quarter of the beguinage, Ten Hove (Hof = Court), as well as the old name of the left river bank (Aborg = Vetus Castellum = Old Castle) seem to refer to previous settlement, possibly the court of the first Lords of Leuven. This would then have been the field where the battle of Leuven took place. In 891, the emperor Arnulf of Carinthia ended here in the invasions of the Vikings. No hard evidence for the hypothesis was ever found in the Beguinage, and so, some authors  contest the present day beguinage as being the precise location of the battle.

Notable residents
 Anne van Doeveryn (1549–1625), poet

Sources

This article is based on the Dutch Wikipedia article on Groot Begijnhof (Leuven).

References

Bibliography

  Bourguignon, M. (1933) Inventaire des archives de l'Assistance publique de la ville de Louvain. Tongeren: Michiels-Broeders
  Cockx, E. and Fabri, L. (1994) Het Groot-Begijnhof van Leuven, een eigenzinnig verhaal van een eigenzinnige beweging.  Tielt: Lannoo.
  Heirman, M. (2001) Langs Vlaamse begijnhoven. Leuven: Davidsfonds
 Olyslager, W. A. (1983) The Groot Begijnhof of Leuven. Leuven University Press, Leuven, .
 Uytterhoeven, R. (2000) The Groot Begijnhof of Leuven. Leuven University Press, Leuven, .
 Van Aerschot, S. and Heirman, M. (2001) Flemish Beguinages. World Heritage. Davidsfonds, Leuven, .

External links
  Belgium's beguinages were once refuges for women USA Today
 Groot Begijnhof Leuven, a brief history
Goltfuss pipe organ information
  Meet_the_beguines_of_the_Grand_Beguinage_of_Leuven, Helga Gielen

World Heritage Sites in Belgium
Beguinages
Buildings and structures in Leuven

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