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Comic Books: Our Own Worst Enemy?

2010-10-15T09:04:00.001-07:00

Like most comic publishers I spend quite a bit of time thinking about the state of the industry and how to make it better – well, truthfully, how to make my little corner of it better. After spending a lot of time thinking it over and discussing what everyone perceives to be the main elements leading to the downfall of comics (the distributor monopoly, for example), I realized what the biggest problem and killer really is: the industry.

I believe most of the problems that we encounter “in the industry” come from the industry itself. First off, comic companies tend to publish only for those who are already in the industry. Comic publishers usually target their marketing towards those who are already here and creators tend to create product only for those who are already well-versed in industry. Very rarely does the thought of bringing new readers in really ever pop up, which is insane. That would be like Hollywood only creating films for those who work in film and television. As wacky as it sounds, this seems to be the mentality of the industry at large.

Magazines like Cosmopolitan are fashion magazines, but their audience is the average woman (or girl) interested in fashion and not members of the industry itself. Their advertising stretches beyond fashion industry trade publications and into the mainstream itself, where its buyers reside. Why short sell your books only to the 50,000 or so members of the active comic community and not go for millions of people out there who enjoy action movies?

Comic publishers aren’t the only ones to blame, either. Creators themselves are as big a deterrent to new readership as anything else. If you want to know why, take a look at a modern comic versus one from as late as even the mid eighties and you’ll see one very big difference. No, I’m not talking about paper or printing processes. The art itself is the main problem with comics. Solid, clear storytelling has become a thing of the past. A new buyer will find most modern comics unreadable because the solid storytelling of days past (along with gutters – remember, full page bleeds on every page get confusing) is gone.

Do you know why a lot of new readers are picking up Manga titles? It’s because they are easier to read than US ones. Even with the flipped format, most Manga has straight forward enough storytelling that even the most uninitiated reader can follow what is going on and which panel comes next. This can’t be said about most US titles (indy or mainstream). The fact that the current trend in the US is for over rendered, poorly thought out computer coloring, doesn’t help readability at all.

Comics and comic art have become so inbred the only ones who can stomach them are their sister-mothers. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The general public will read comics if you can get yourself out of the industry mindset and start creating comics for readers instead of for an industry more interested in John Byrne’s latest social blunder than in buying your books.

Some places to consider for your books (depending on its target audience) are non-chain book stores, new age shops, record stores (Tower is starting to have a great selection of indy and small press ‘zines), libraries, corner markets, magazines with a similar areas of interest, schools, local area mailer compilations (such as the little coupon books you get in the mail), area events (concerts are a great spot), swap meets, arcades or game stores. There is an endless list of places that might be willing to carry your work if you let them know it’s out there. You might have to spend some money to advertise. Get used to it. The old adage, “you have to spend money to make money,” is true for any business.

Here are some tips for making your books more accessible to general audiences:

1) Market your books outside of comic-specific areas. Figure out who might be interested in your book and pursue those outlets. There are tons of places out in the world that would be willing to sell your comic…but they have to know it exists first. I’ve had success at art festivals, flea markets, record stores, sci fi magazines and more. Get as creative with your marketing and sales as you do with actually producing your book. It’s worth the extra effort.

2) Get rid of full page bleeds on every page. Don’t be afraid of negative space around your pages. It will actually open up your pages and keep them from looking cramped.

3) Don’t forget the gutters! Overlap panels are interesting from time to time, but gutters help to keep the art readable and from blending together. They’re also great for pacing in your storytelling.

4) If you’re going to color your books, don’t go for the over-rendered look that most comics use. It’s muddy and unclear. Look at animation or places like Disney Adventures for reference on coloring. Most “cartoony” books are well colored because they want to make sure the work is readily accessible to readers of all ages. Not every panel needs to be a fully digitally painted work of "art."

5) Think of storytelling. The most important thing in a comic is that you do not lose your audience. If at any point your readers get confused as to where to read next, then you’ve failed at your job as a storyteller. And, remember, “style” is no excuse for poor storytelling (or poor artwork in general, but that’s a rant for another time)

6) Don’t have large blocks of text or dialogue in each panel. There’s an old unwritten rule in mainstream comics (and one that has been largely forgotten or ignored): never have more than 26 words in any balloon or caption box. Anything more than that and the words will run together, potentially causing readers to skip over sections of what is on the page.

7) This one is going to cause any comic collector to cringe: get rid of issue numbers. Or, if you just have to have them, place them in the indicia only. Issue numbers are one of the big obstacles for new readers, especially in periodical product like comic books. A reader needs to be able to come in on any issue and not have to worry about having to read 10 back issues to know what’s going on. Sure you can let them know there are other stories they can read (and, which will be available in trade paperback), but don’t make those stories required reading. Follow Cosmo’s lead (or Playboy’s) and just have the month and year on each cover. Comics should be entertainment first and foremost. Get out of the collectible mindset.

8) Forget the mantra, “comics aren’t just for kids anymore.” It’s old, played out and is part of the death sentence of the industry. Creators have spent so much time trying to prove that comics can be for adults that they’ve forgotten to build the next generation of fans by only making comics for older fans who are already in comics. Without young readers there is no future in the industry. As a second part of this thought, just because your comic has adult language, nudity and graphic violence doesn’t automatically make the book for adults. Vertigo and “Ultimate” writers take note.

9) Be prepared to get your hands dirty and do some work. Publishing is a business and, at first, you may find yourself putting in as much time marketing as you do creating. That’s not a bad thing.

My heresy will end with this statement: the only way to save comics may be to let the comic industry, as it exists right now, shrivel up and die. It’s on the road as it is, with everyone racing to tear whatever pieces they can get from its still (barely) living corpse. The industry isn’t the heart of comics and didn’t make them, so dare to be different. Put down the latest issue of the comic industry death watch, Wizard. Ignore the party line that an indy book will sell less than 250 copies – there is a world outside of the Geppi chokehold.

A bit of inspiration for you: Nifty's main title, the Cadre, sells over 5000 copies per issue and 90% of that is outside of the comic industry. Not bad for a black and white, mainstream style super hero comic.

The world is a big, beautiful place full of potential new readers. You just have to venture out and find them.
Summary:

A great primer for getting into comic book publishing going over the traps and pitfuls. By 10+year publishing veteran, Mat Nastos of Nifty Comics.

Keywords:

comic, book, publisher, eztrader - Bandwidth saved by RSScache.com (http://www.rsscache.com)

Chery Automobiles

2010-10-11T08:16:00.001-07:00

China is laying plans at this very moment to begin shipment of passenger vehicles to the North American market by mid 2011. Chinese automobile manufacturer, Chery, yes read that again…the company sounds strangely like Chevy, is looking at bringing not just one, but a whole fleet of low cost production vehicles to our shores. Proposed prices will astound you and could potentially bring the U.S. auto market to its knees. Don’t think for even one moment that Japanese and Korean automakers will be immune from this flood of low cost cars. Chery vehicles have been designed – some say stolen – from current Asian models and will compete directly against the likes of Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai. China’s long awaited war with the US – at one time expected to begin with a Red Army attack on Taiwan -- may be fought on an economic front instead.

Chery, a state-owned car producer formed in China’s eastern Anhui Province, is currently building a number of cars in China including the QQ – a compact car strangely similar to the Daewoo Spark [GM’ Korean division], as well as several sedans and a compact SUV. Indeed, recent charges made by Toyota, GM, and Honda have all alleged that Chery mimicked or outright stole designs from at least one of each automaker’s vehicles including the Honda CR-V. For the record, the Toyota case was rejected, Honda is still attempting to work out a solution with their case, and GM recently dropped its suit after the Chinese automaker agreed not to sell their cars in the US under the Chery name which GM has stated is too close to the Chevy name. Chinese courts have also ruled that the Daewoo Spark design was not registered in China, so GM dropped its suit.

At present, the Chery vehicle line up includes the tiny QQ; a compact SUV built jointly with Mitsubishi called the Tiggo; and three sedans: the Oriental Son, the Flagcloud, and the Windcloud. Recently, Chery unveiled a newly designed crossover vehicle along the lines of the Chrysler Pacifica. With an introductory MSRP of under $20,000 the Chery crossover will seat up to seven passengers and come equipped with both four and six cylinder engines. As you might guess the Chery crossover, if equipped similarly to the Pacifica, could be priced some ten thousand dollars less than the Chrysler model.

Current prices on the other models have not yet been set, but published reports this past summer indicated that a basic Chery could retail for as low as $6995 in the US, which would be some three thousand dollars less than the next lowest priced car, the Chevy Aveo [from GM’s Daewoo unit, naturally]. Of course, this particular pricing strategy has raised all sorts of alarms within the automobile industry, chiefly how to counter a flood of low cost cars invading the U.S. market. As some have pointed out, much like Hyundai’s introduction to the North America market during the 1980s, the Chinese cars are expected to initially have only a limited appeal primarily due to expected low quality levels. Still, it only took Hyundai less than one decade to begin to produce cars which consistently matched the quality levels of many American and Asian models. So, it could be just a matter of a few years before Chinese cars receive the positive press now given to many other Asian automakers, resulting in a sharp surge in sales.

While the Chery dealer network within the US has yet to be established, it is under development; a limited version of the dealer network is expected to be in place by Summer 2007 when the first Chinese vehicles arrive. A rapid expansion of this same network across the US and Canada has been planned over the ensuing years and although the Chery name will not be used in the US, you can expect that whatever name is selected these cars will impact the way many Americans buy their cars from that point forward. Oh, by the way, two other Chinese automakers -- Shuanghuan Automobile Manufacturing, LTD and Geely Automotive -- are also expected to export cars to the North American market soon after Chery makes its debut.

While it is too early to say, the opening of the lucrative North American automobile market to cheap Chinese vehicles could possibly shake the American economy in ways never anticipated. I, for one, shudder to think just how all of this might unfoldChinese made cars will soon be cruising many American streets. , . , covered calls , , Geely, - Bandwidth saved by RSScache.com (http://www.rsscache.com)

Blackjack Strategy Tips

2010-10-08T09:04:00.001-07:00

Blackjack is one of the few casino games that are beatable in the long run. It means that by using a basic blackjack strategy you can have an advantage over the casino and eventually step away from the blackjack table as a winner. Here you can find the basic blackjack strategy explained in a simplified manner.

The blackjack strategy is based on the mathematical probabilities of the game and it provides you guidance on the best decisions to make at every possible situation during the game. It takes about an hour to memorize this strategy but it is worth every minute. This does not man you will win every single blackjack game from now on, but with the help of the blackjack strategy, patience and persistence, you can significantly improve your chances of beating the casino in the long run.

Note that some blackjack rules vary from one casino to another. In some casinos, both brick and mortar and internet casinos, blackjack is played with one card deck while in others the blackjack game occupies four decks or more. In addition, in some of the casinos the dealer hits on a soft 17 while in others he is required to stand and doubling after splitting is allowed only in some of the casinos.

Here you can find a basic strategy to a single deck blackjack game where the dealer hits on soft 17. Playing other blackjack variants would require you to make some adjustments for a few borderline occurrences.

First, here is a short introduction to the terms mentioned here:

Hard Hand: two initial cards that do not include an Ace.

Soft Hand: two initial cards that one of them is an Ace

Stand: when a player is not asking to be dealt more cards after the two initial cards.

Hit: when a player calls for an additional card to be dealt

Double: when a player doubles his initial bet after the initial deal, but it requires him to hit only one card.

Split: when a player separates the initial two cards into two individual hands and plays them as 2 hands.

Finally, here is a basic blackjack strategy:

When your initial two card hand sums up to 8 or less: hit

When your hand sums up to 9 and the dealer hand value is between 3 and 6: double if else: hit when your hand sums up to 10 and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 9: double; if else:

When your hand sums up to 11 and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 10: double; if else hit.

When your hand sums up to 13, 14, 15, or 16 and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 6: stand; if else hit.

When your hand sums up to 17: stand.

when your initial two card hand contains Ace 2 or Ace 3 and the dealer has either 5 or 6: double; if else: hit.

When your hand contains Ace 4 or Ace 5 and the dealer has 4, 5 or 6: double; if else: hit.

When your hand contains Ace 6 and the dealer has 3, 4, 5 or 6: double; if else: hit.

When your hand contains Ace 7 and the dealer has 2, 7 or 8: stand; if he has 3, 4, 5 or 6: double; if else: hit.

When your hand contains Ace 8 or Ace 9: stand

When your hand contains a pair of 2s or 3s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 7: split; if else: hit

When your hand contains a pair of 4s and the dealer has either 4 or 5: split; if else: hit

When your hand contains a pair of 5s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 9: double; if else: hit

When your hand contains a pair of 6s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 6: split; if else: hit

When your hand contains a pair of 7s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 7: split; if else: hit

When your hand contains a pair of 8s: split

When your hand contains a pair of 9s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 7 and either 8 or 9: split; if else: stand

When your hand contains a pair of 10s: stand

When your hand contains a pair of 8s: split
Summary:

Here basic blackjack strategy is explained in a clear and simplified manner. Read, memorize and win.

Keywords:

blackjack strategy, casino games, blackjack rules, anyoption - Bandwidth saved by RSScache.com (http://www.rsscache.com)

el Preferido del Agente 007

2010-10-05T11:15:00.001-07:00

El Agente 007 y su audacia con el juego continúan deslumbrando año tras año a sus sensuales compañeras en escena y derrotando a sus astutos enemigos.

El Bacara: El Juego preferido del clásico James Bond: Bacará y el Agente 007

El Bacará es el clásico juego de apuestas originado en Italia en el siglo 15 y es también característico del famoso espía 007. En cada escena lo identifican una elegancia y excelencia, que junto con su impecable Martini en mano y las apuestas en otra James Bond ha mantenido una leyenda desde su origen desde los años 50 hasta el presente. Es así como el espía ingles domina la versión francesa del juego Bacará llamada Chemin de Fer con gran talento y admiración.

Bacara siempre fue popular entre la alta sociedad, especialmente en el siglo 15, cuando surgió en Italia. Bacara significa cero en italiano y a lo largo de su expansión en diferentes países nuevas reglas y variaciones fueron inventadas y adaptadas como en Estados Unidos o en Francia el Chemin de Fer, o el denominado Juego de James Bond.

El juego consiste en el "Jugador" y la "Banca" el nombre que se la a las opciones de apuestas, estos son repartidos dos o tres cartas cada uno con el objetivo simple de llegar a 9 sin pasarse de el. Mientras tanto la banca decide según las reglas del juego cuando detener la jugada y los jugadores ya han debido apostar a cual de las dos Jugador o Banca ganara la mano. Los jugadores o el jugador apuesta y el que apuesta a la mano que gano el puntaje mas correcto, gana la mano. En la adaptación americana, el juego funciona en contra a la banca, mientras que en Chemin de Fer, los jugadores compiten el uno con el otro. Uno representa al jugador y el otro a la Banca.

En compañía del Chemin de Fer los libros de Ian Fleming junto a las adaptaciones en escena de James Bond, han deslumbrado por décadas las diferentes aventuras del espía, con ayuda de su impecable poder del juego y su atractivo estilo. Hasta su último estreno en el 2006 James Bond sigue disfrutando de la lujuria de las mesas verdes de los casinos junto a su cigarro y el su sensual compañera en acción. En el anio 1964, las novelas y capítulos de James Bond, fueron escritas por Kingsley Amis, John Pearson, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, y Charlie Higson. Tambien sus actores variaron comenzando con el conocido Sean Connery, siguiendo con Geroge Lazenby, Roger Moore, Tomothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan y Daniel Craig.

Si observas, es muy interesante ver la manera en que el Agente apuesta al juego y a su vez actúa y descubre los secretos que lo rodean con la misma rapidez, seguridad y astucia. Enlas películas de James Bond el juego Chemin de Fer transcurre en elegantes salas llenas de mujeres elegantes y hombres adinerados que detrás del juego tienen otros intereses por revelar. En la realidad el enlace entre el Bacará y El Agente 007 es de un acompañante fiel de aventuras secretas y emocionantes de mas de cinco décadas que hicieron de el una leyenda inolvidable que resurge de generación en generación.
Summary:

El Bacará tiene el estilo elegante y sensual que acompaño al legendario James Bond desde los años 50 hasta su último estreno.

Keywords:

movies,film,movie,entertainment,James pcb manufacturing learn day trading - Bandwidth saved by RSScache.com (http://www.rsscache.com)

Art Gallery

2010-10-01T08:32:00.001-07:00

Art Galleries are generally known for art that highlights the natural beauty all around the world. Everyday there are people creating entirely new works of art, and placing them in art galleries all over the world.

The type of art included in a gallery can vary. Art can encompass a wide variety of medium, such as, drawings, paintings, photography, and sculpture, to name a few. The purpose of the art gallery is to show off the work of local and national artists in a way that people will want to purchase them. Many of the artist’s works can also be bought as prints. This allows the artist to sell more, while making the price more affordable to people.

Local Art Galleries

Most major cities have wonderful art galleries. If you have never visited an art gallery, you should make a point to do so. You may think that an art gallery is not where you would want to spend the afternoon, but you may be surprised at how interesting an art gallery can be. Check your local phone book for an art gallery near you.

Virtual Art Galleries

If you have Internet access, then you can find an online art gallery, my choice as well. If you can view and possibly order from the comfort of your own home why not. Virtual tours of art galleries are a lot of fun.

As with walk in art galleries, virtual art galleries are also worldwide. Listed below are a few galleries that you can visit online.

o Art Vitam, Miami, Florida

o Art of this Century, Paris, France

o Art Space/Virginia Miller Galleries, Coral Gables, Florida

o Artco Galleria de Arte, Lima, Peru

o Casa d’Arte San Lorenzo, Pisa, Italy

o Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts, Miami, Florida

o Espace D'Art Yvonamor Palix, Paris, France

o Galleria El Museo, Bogotá, Colombia

o Galleria Habana, Mexico D.F., Mexico

o Galleria de Arte Isabel Aninat, Santiago, Chile

Take the time to experience wonderful works of art at your local art gallery or on the internet. Even if you are not an art enthusiast, the works of fine artists all over the world will impress you.
Summary:

Visiting an art gallery is an educational and worthwhile venture. Why not take the time and visit your local art gallery with a friend or take the whole family.

Keywords:

Art gallery, art centers, art, online art gallery
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A Quick Guide To Understanding Your Individual Retirement Account

2010-09-28T09:01:00.001-07:00

It's never too early to begin preparing for your retirement and one of the best ways to prepare is to set up an Individual Retirement Account (often referred to as an IRA).

The purpose of an IRA is to serve as a personal tax-qualified retirement savings plan. Anyone who works, whether as an employee or self-employed, can set aside a set amount in an IRA, with the earnings on these investments tax-deferred until the date of distribution. In addition, certain individuals are permitted to deduct all or part of their contributions to the IRA. Plus, as of 1998, certain individuals can also set up Roth IRAs, to which contributions are not deductible, but from which withdrawals at retirement won't be taxed.

It doesn't take much to set up an IRA. The trustee (or custodian) can be a bank, mutual fund, brokerage house or other financial institution. You cannot be your own trustee. An IRA can be established and a contribution made after year-end, no later than the due date for filing the income tax return for that year, not including extensions. This generally means that you have until April 15th of the following year to make the contribution and deduct it on your tax return.

The most you can contribute to an IRA in any single year (as of 2006) is the smaller of $4,000 or an amount equal to the compensation includible in income for the year. Those 50 years old and above will also be allowed to make additional $1,000 catch-up contributions to an IRA each year to help them save more for retirement.

The same limit applies even if you have more than one IRA, or more than one type of IRA. When both you and your spouse have compensation, you can each contribute the maximum, which means $8,000 total ($10,000 if you are both 50 or over). In 2008, IRA contribution limits will be raised to $5,000, while the catch up contribution for those 50 years old and above will remain at $1,000.

You do not have to contribute the full amount allowed every year. You may skip a year or even several years. You may resume making contributions in any subsequent year, but you cannot add additional funds to make up for those years when no contribution was made.

Contributions must be from compensation. This can be from wages, salaries, commissions and other sources of earned income. Contributions do not include such things as deferred compensations, retirement payments, or portfolio income from interest or dividends.

You can contribute more than the allowable amount, however, a 6 percent excise tax penalty will be assessed.

No contributions may be made to an inherited IRA, in a form other than cash, or during or after the year in which the individual reaches age 70.5.

You must begin taking distributions from an IRA no later than April 1st of the year following the year in which you reach age 70.5, or the year in which you retire, whichever is later.

This is a quick and general overview of IRAs. The rules are slightly different for Roth IRAs, which have their own contribution and distribution limitations. Before setting up an IRA, take the time to talk to your banker, accountant, or financial advisor to make sure you have a firm grasp on your options and set up the IRA which best serves your personal needs.

You can learn more about IRAs online from the Internal Revenue Service here: http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc451.html
Summary:

It's never too early to begin preparing for your retirement and one of the best ways to prepare is to set up an Individual Retirement Account (often referred to as an IRA).
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Woody Allen's "Match Point"

2010-09-27T07:45:00.001-07:00

The very first line I ever heard Woody Allen speak was a joke on the Tonight show concerning theological issues, about how, during a divinity test, he cheated by “looking into the soul of the girl sitting next to me.” I believe that he used a clip from such a stand up routine in one of his films, perhaps Annie Hall. I honestly don’t remember. For decades, Woody has intertwined several basic themes: love and its yearnings. Faith. Talent and success. Human evil and the absence of God in the universe. And he does that thing that humor does: takes pain and fear, turns them inside out and makes us laugh. But behind the laughter has always been an extraordinarily keen mind and a troubled spirit.

Most of us agree that his marriage to his own step-daughter was a sign of a damaged psyche. Of course, he’d been warning us for decades that he was damaged goods, hadn’t he? It wasn’t until “Bullets Over Broadway” in which a murderous hit-man is revealed as a theatrical genius, did it finally hit me that he was obsessed with the question of why evil is not punished in the universe. Why, in fact, success seems to have no connection to the purity of the soul.

In “Crimes and Misdemeaners” he went further, encouraging us to empathize with a man capable of a terrible act…but that film sat on the fence, allowing us to argue about the right and wrong of things, rather than focusing us on the core question which has obviously chewed at his heart and mind since childhood.

No such mistake in “Match Point.” In this film, which I consider one of his very best ever, he tells the story of a social-climbing tennis pro (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) who marries the boss’s daughter (Chloe Hewett Wilton) while harboring a passion for his future sister-in-law (Scarlett Johanssen). The bedroom farce takes a rather dark turn (to say the least), leading to an action which very few people could find other than utterly reprehensible on every conceivable level. And to a diabolically clever ending. The theme, announced from the very beginning is that few of us want to face the fact that so much of life is based on luck. Specifically, luck as opposed to merit.

But to skip over all further plot details to address this theme, I think it’s something of an Easter Egg. Look deeper, and the question is not merely one of luck, but one that asks: “Is there a God in the Universe? If so, what is His nature, and why is he silent?”

I can’t help but think that Woody is asking the wrong question. If, as I suspect, on one level he believes human beings are shallow and evil, and that he himself has achieved massive wealth and fame while deeply flawed and (he suspects) evil in his personal life, then where is the justice in the universe.

First of all, with this film, I found myself believing that Allen is a good man. Flawed, but good. The nature of the questions he has been asking his entire life, as opposed to what we know of his personal life, leads me to think him damaged but not damned. Just a personal opinion.

Secondly, I think that the key is not in “why are the wicked not punished” but the question “what is the nature of a good, successful life”? He has taken a perfectly reasonable approach: a beautiful spouse, wealth, health, public acclaim are a good life. That evil men and women can achieve this must be deeply troubling to him.

And troubles me not at all. It is possible of course that it is MY philosophy that is shallow, and his that cuts deep. I won’t be self-congratulatory, or dogmatic enough to pat myself on the back, but I must stake out a position.

So here it is. I think that external measurements of success are wonderful, but ultimately satisfying only if they match our internal values. And from the cradle, we crave connection to love, to warmth, to that total acceptance we felt from our mothers, in the womb if nowhere else. And that this craving is totally unconscious, and that we spend the rest of our lives attempting to regain it.

When we sense that our own values and actions could be replicated by the entire world, to its benefit, I think that there is a sense of peace that simply cannot be put into words, a state of grace, of joy that those who have not experienced simply cannot believe in—as sociopaths cannot believe that human beings genuinely experience love and caring for one another. Such poor souls circle in the outer darkness. Say “I love you” to them, and they think “if only you knew what I really was, you wouldn’t say that.” Or worse, they think “poor, deluded fool, to feel such trivial, false emotions.”

Of COURSE it is possible to achieve acclaim, and fame, and health, and hot sex and be evil. Evil is a judgment about things on a spiritual level, not on the level of business (although in general, honesty pays in business) or marriage contracts (you can lie and cheat, and your mate may never discover it) or fitness/health (I’ve known tremendously fit and long-lived people who were monsters).
Summary:

The very first line I ever heard Woody Allen speak was a joke on the Tonight show concerning theological issues, about how, during a divinity test, he cheated by “looking into the soul of the girl sitting next to me.” I believe that he used a clip from such a stand up routine in one of his films, perhaps Annie Hall. I honestly don’t remember. For decades, Woody has intertwined several basic themes: love and its yearnings. Faith. Talent and success. Human evil and the absence ...

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Acting - Handling Stardom

2010-09-24T19:00:00.001-07:00

Well, here you are. You met with your agent, got the audition, got the part, made your first movie in a lead role, the movie is a huge success and you're an overnight success. Yes, it's unlikely, but it does happen. Just look at the cast of "Harry Potter."

So, you're a star. What next?

Unfortunately, not everyone can handle stardom. This has been sadly chronicled in the lives of such people as Freddie Prinze who took his life because he just couldn't handle the pressures of being a big star. So what can you do in order to avoid being a casualty of the movie, TV or stage business?

Everyone has their own theories of how to handle stardom. In this article we're just going to cover some generic ground as every person is different and ultimately what will work for one person may not work for another. For example, some people will really enjoy all the attention from fans and rag mags that they're going to get, good or bad. Others will shun it like the plague. But there are some things that seem to be the Achilles heel of most people who have made it big.

For starters, don't bite off more than you can chew. Once you become a star, everyone is going to want a piece of you for interviews, endorsements, whatever. Budget your time. Do only what you can do. You don't have to agree to every interview request. Don't worry that if you turn one down that these people are going to think of you as stuck up or unappreciative. Make them understand that your time is limited and your schedule just doesn't permit you doing that particular interview at this time but maybe in the future. Always keep the door open. That way you don't alienate anyone.

The next thing you want to do is not let stardom change your lifestyle beyond what you can afford. Mike Tyson, with all the millions he made boxing, is broke. Learn to live within your bounds. This is not to say that you can't have nice things. But if you're only taking in five million a year then you can't live as if you're taking in a hundred and five million. It will eventually catch up with you and you could lose everything.

Probably the most important thing you can do as a successful actor is not let it get to your head. In spite of what the fans have told you, you are not the almighty. You are still just a flesh and blood person and as quickly as you became a star, that is how fast it can all come crashing down on you. So many stars who are big one day are gone the next and this dose of reality is too much for them to handle. As a result, their lives are never the same, many taking to drugs and booze. So keep your head about things. Make sure you put your success into perspective.

Just by doing the above few things you'll have a very good chance of surviving the success that comes with being an actor.
Summary:

In this article we're going to discuss what to do once you've finally reached the point in your career where you have become a true star. - Bandwidth saved by RSScache.com (http://www.rsscache.com)

economic growth

2010-09-19T13:41:00.001-07:00

This week, some significant monetary policy developments with global ramifications are expected. European central bankers will be meeting later this week to set interest rates and likely to discuss containing the debt crisis plaguing the region.

Meanwhile, China will release the latest data on industrial production, fixed-asset investment, and money supply. If results show higher than desired growth, China may need to take additional tightening steps, indicating to the market that it needs to slow its growth. If the data comes at lower-than-expected levels, however, the markets may interpret it as more signs that growth in China is already slowing – and that might, in turn, lead to more turmoil. This might be a case of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” blues, brought on by the global economic jitters.

Almost any news leads to turmoil these days; with better economic data largely disregarded. Late last week, after the spokesman for Hungary’s prime minister sent shockwaves through global markets by saying that his country’s economy was in a grave situation and mentioning default, the Hungarian government pledged to aim for a deficit goal of 3.8 percent of GDP, helping the Hungarian currency rebound from its worst tumble since 2008.

Although Hungary’s economy is not exactly in a great shape (it was the first EU country to receive an international bailout loan in 2008), the government official’s reference to default stirred up more fear than it intended to when you consider economic realities. Hungary’s public debt to GDP ratio of 78 percent (at year-end 2009) is significantly better than beleaguered Greece and is about on par with Germany’s own ratio—Germany is regarded as being one of the soundest EU economies. And the country has successfully reduced its deficit to 4 percent of GDP last year from over 9 percent in 2006. Furthermore, as unwise as a public statement like that was for a government official, it could have been politically motivated, possibly intending to make the situation sound more dire than it really was to the public in order to make them more likely to accept austerity measures in the future.

Speaking of Germany, thanks to the weak euro, which has boosted export demand, factory orders jumped unexpectedly 2.8 percent in April compared to March. The actual result contrasts starkly to economists’ median forecast for a 0.4 percent decline, suggesting that although the credit crisis will clearly have an impact holding back growth in the area, the situation may not be as gloomy as people fear. At the very least, the weak euro will help exports and partially offset weakness in other parts of the economy. For the year, Germany’s central bank now calls for 1.6 percent growth in high contrast to the 5 percent contraction last year.

The latest monthly data from Australia revealed the third straight monthly decline of business confidence after the confidence index fell sharply in May. After dropping from 13 to 5 in a month, the index now remains below its long-term average of 7. Businesses may be feeling the effects of six interest rate hikes between October and May, evidenced by the fact that the Australia Central Bank kept the benchmark interest rate at 4.5 percent last week, signaling that policymakers are seeing no reason to increase rates further at this time. The proposed 40 percent tax for 2012 appears to also be depressing confidence, signaled by a sharp sentiment drop in the mining sector. It’s also likely the gloomy mood caused by the European credit crisis could be dragging down optimism in general.

GDP growth in the first quarter of the year (sequentially) slowed down to 0.5 percent. In the final quarter of 2009, GDP had grown 1.1 percent. The National Australia Bank has downgraded its 2010 growth forecast to 2.75 percent from the previous 3.5 percent; its growth forecast for next year was also reduced to 3.5 percent from the previous 4.25 percent. On the other hand, to put the picture in perspective, while economic growth may be slowing, conditions appear to be stable in Australia. The series of interest rate hikes were designed to temper growth to prevent rampant inflation from taking over the economy and with the job apparently accomplished there should be no further hikes until late this year at the earliest. Australia also only has limited exposure to Europe.

angies list - Bandwidth saved by RSScache.com (http://www.rsscache.com)

3D Fake Model naramani - Flower 10

2010-09-10T15:51:00.001-07:00

3D Fake Models as like

flowers, bushed, tress etc...

to make faster and smaller in

real time 3D Games to use

.x file and .png textures... - Bandwidth saved by RSScache.com (http://www.rsscache.com)

finance tips

2010-09-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

Like many U.S. investors, you may have excess cash on the sidelines but are leery of investing too aggressively in the financial markets for a variety reasons. Unfortunately, yields on money-market vehicles and other cash equivalents run as low as 0.05 percent.

So it’s only prudent that you put at least some of that money to better use. Here are some suggestions:

#1: Pay down consumer debt. Interest rates on credit-card debt often run 18 percent or higher. Worse, interest payments aren’t tax-deductible. Rates on auto loans often are low, but well above today’s savings yields.

Paying off debt basically gives you a risk-free, tax-free return at that rate, such as a 15 percent return on credit-card debt at 15 percent.

#2: Pay off some or all of your home-related debt. Here, the effective return is lower, maybe 5-7 percent. And your mortgage interest may or may not be fully deductible, considering that everyone gets a standard deduction on their tax return. But it’s still a good deal in this economic and savings environment.

Start with any home-equity loan debt. Just keep the credit line open so you can draw it down again.

Next, consider reducing the balance on your mortgage. But don’t overdo it. This is a long-term move. Reason: You won’t reduce current payments unless you pay off the mortgage completely. But you do reduce the term of the loan.

Note that if your mortgage doesn’t have many years to run, this strategy is worth less because your remaining payments consist mostly of principal, not interest.

You don’t want to leave yourself short on cash either. Keep enough available to cover at least a year’s worth of expenses, particularly if you’re retired.

#3: Put some cash to work in low-risk investments. - Bandwidth saved by RSScache.com (http://www.rsscache.com)

interest rates

2010-09-07T18:06:00.001-07:00

Over the past week, weaker than expected employment and other economic data here in the U.S. has lead to significant pressure on U.S. markets. Emerging indices along with industrial metals, shaken by the decline in China’s June Service PMI that followed a slowdown in its manufacturing, were also weak last week, but rallied this week altogether, they were markedly stronger than the U.S. indices, reflecting a stronger growth in the developing world.

Australia will keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 4.5 percent for the second straight month. With interest rates having been raised six times since last October and global economic recovery appearing to slow down, the Royal Bank of Australia noted justification for standing pat for now. The central bank also stated this week that consumer spending and business investment were expanding, helping to alleviate some concerns of slowdown in the country. The Aussie dollar declined last week, also on slow-down concerns.

Also in Australia, there’s finally a resolution on the controversial mining tax. The heated dispute over the proposed 40 percent tax on mining profits was partly responsible for costing former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd his job last month. Less hard-line, the new Prime Minister Julia Gillard has reached a compromise with miners. The new agreement calls for tax only on profits from iron ore, coal, and onshore petroleum and gas, unlike Rudd’s proposal, which included most minerals produced in Australia. The tax rate on iron ore and coal—of which Australia is the largest exporter in the world—was lowered to 30 percent, while the tax on oil and gas will remain at 40 percent. The threshold where the tax will kick in will also be higher. In all, with a new tax unavoidable given soaring profits and a trend for resource protectionism, a less harsh tax is the best resolution miners could have hoped for.

The Agricultural Bank of China has set a final sales price for its initial public offering of its shares on the Shanghai and Hong Kong exchanges. The IPO was initially expected to have the potential to be largest ever at about $30 billion, but reflecting recent softness on the Chinese stock market, the actual market cap will be about $19 billion. It’s still a very sizeable sale, considering that the Chinese state government is only selling about 15 percent of its shares, but with investors seemingly less enthusiastic on Chinese growth—unjustifiably, in our opinion—shares were available more cheaply than previously thought. Despite investor pessimism, China’s GDP growth this year should still be close to double digits, still leading the world. Some moderation in the pace of growth is actually beneficial in the name of long-term sustainability. The Chinese yuan has appreciated less than 1 percent since China loosened its peg to the greenback in mid-June as market sentiment has cooled on China of late, but some analysts expect the yuan to appreciate further by better than 4 percent over the next twelve months.

Meanwhile, India, expected to be in a two-country race with China for the honor of fastest growing economy for the foreseeable future, is showing what slow tightening action could lead to. Its inflation rate has risen at an alarming 14 percent in May, easily more than twice the rates seen in Brazil and Russia, and about four-and-a-half times the rate in China over the same period. After an unscheduled quarter point interest rate hike last week, India may be under pressure to raise rates further later this month.

The former Indian central bank government Bimal Jalan has stated that a contingency plan is needed in September after relatively little was done at the beginning of the year. A drought has put even greater inflationary pressure on grain prices and the hiking of gas and diesel prices last month only fueled (no pun intended) inflation further. Look for aggressive fiscal and monetary action in the upcoming weeks. - Bandwidth saved by RSScache.com (http://www.rsscache.com)

key inflationary forces

2010-09-05T12:37:00.001-07:00

Now while the credit crisis has the stock market in a panic and rising oil prices are guaranteed to fuel a new era of runaway inflation, there's a third powerful force rewriting the rules.
In fact, another deeply inflationary force is already at work and promises to send inflation to highs we've not seen since it hit 18% back in 1946! Combined with the current banking crisis and the impending, still unacknowledged energy crisis, by the beginning of the new decade this third force will boost inflation far beyond the tipping point—where it will take on a life of its own.
It's not a matter of if inflation is coming or not—it's a matter of how high will inflation go before it begins to rupture the very fabric of American society.
Get ready for even more gut-wrenching market reversals…new mindsets… and dramatic shifts in the usual way of doing things…
But if you understand the key inflationary forces building in the global economy at the moment, rather than be crushed by them, you can turn them into the kinds of profits that only come when 3.4 Billion New Capitalists Rush onto an Already Crowded Industrial Stage.
The other major force that will help drive inflation to unprecedented levels is the coming commodity crunch. This crunch is already starting to bare down on global industry. And it is heating up thanks to a number of profound economic events that were set in motion many years ago now.
The first was the collapse of communism. The second was the rise of the Internet.
These momentous events in history allowed 3.4 billion new players to suddenly become an integral part of the global economy virtually overnight. Communist and socialist cultures, not to mention subsistence farming and struggling agricultural communities, that were once almost completely isolated (even barricaded) from the global trading game—suddenly within the blinking of an eye became an integral part of it.
The information revolution melted the iron curtain, opened up the world's last major trading and communications channels, and drew these new players onto an already creaky and crowded industrial stage.
Together these two events changed the shape, redistributed the power, and greatly expanded the size, complexity and reach of global commerce in a way never dreamed possible…
And now these new capitalists are hungry to taste of all the fruits, and enjoy all the wonders that the great American Experiment can bring.
Soaring global demand for all types of commodities will place unprecedented strains on an already stressed system.
Largely we are facing a colossal commodity crunch—everything from oil shocks to zinc gaps…from copper crunches to silicon squeezes.
In most cases it's not the fact that we're running out of the resource (for copper and silicon we still have millennia of supplies)—what we're running out of is human capital and time. We simply don't have enough workers, engineers, geologists, miners, scientists, chemists, and architects to build the enormous infrastructure needed to keep the global engine running.
What Wall Street doesn't realize is that it takes years to educate and train the workforce required to build this essential infrastructure. What's more it takes even more years to build the oilrigs, the copper mines, the refineries, the zinc mines, the pipelines, the power stations, the supertankers, the mega-machines, and the distribution networks. It takes up to ten years to build a nuclear reactor. Seven to get a copper mine online. Five to build an oil rig. Six to lay an international pipeline. And, most of these projects have been shelved.
Another great problem is that the engineers and the upper management (the key sector) are largely baby-boomers, and they're all retiring.
Unfortunately they're retiring at the worst possible time.
In the ‘70s, we had a glut of mining engineers, geologists and surveyors. The industrial world was awash with them. They were among the hottest, and most sought after professions, and they helped flood the market with what seemed an endless supply of cheap natural resources.
But as the green organizations, the popular press, the scientific community and the conservationists began sounding the alarms about global warming, acid rain and pollution, these professions became the dirtiest in industry.
America's engineering classes are empty. What will this spell for the future of our country?
And as economic booms pursued in electronics, computers, telecommunications, healthcare and finance, these old economy careers and corporations were the thorn on industry's side…
The amount of undergraduates signing up for programs in the natural resource sector dropped dramatically.
In 1981 we were graduating 700 mining engineers a year. Today we are graduating a mere hundred. The amount of universities offering mining engineering degrees has dropped from 25 to 15. One school closed in 2001, after graduating only one student.
In the ‘80s, everyone had geared up for an industrial world, but these vital commodities no longer seemed critical to global commerce. The commodity industry had spent billions ramping up production. New mines. New machines. New steel mills.
Demand had been met, and exceeded. Suddenly, a new technology-driven economy was awash with old resources that it didn't need. But an expensive industrial resource machine was already in place. Powering it down proved financially crippling. Oil companies were forced to merge. Copper mines were forced to shut. Furnaces died. Refineries went offline. And commodities began their 18-year bear market. - Bandwidth saved by RSScache.com (http://www.rsscache.com)

the monetary base

2010-09-01T19:29:00.001-07:00

In the inflationary 1970s, as we’ve noted previously, drops in the money supply were viewed as bullish, while today the opposite is true. What the two eras have in common, though, is money supply as the critical figure to watch. For now, the higher the number goes, the better.
On the face of it, the Fed’s task sounds simple—to just make sure the economy has the right amount of money. Too much money, and inflation will likely rear its head. Too little money, and the economy will struggle. But the job is harder than it sounds. For the Fed can control only one aspect of the money supply: the monetary foundation, known as the monetary base. Its components include the paper money in circulation plus—and this is where it gets dicey—the reserves being held by the nation’s banks.
To understand the problem, think of the foundation of a home. A foundation of a certain size would support a 6000-square-foot home—but the same foundation, though bigger than required, also would support a 2500-square-foot home. Similarly, the same monetary foundation can underpin very diverse levels of money in the economy.
Here’s why: banks, as everyone learned in 2008-09, can lend out many times their reserves. That’s why measures of money such as M2 are so much larger than the monetary base: by lending out more than their reserves, banks create additional money for the economy.
Historically there has been a reliable relationship between the monetary base and M2, one that changed only as a result of changes in how M2 was defined. The relationship remained so steady because between the late 1950s and 2008, banks invariably leveraged their reserves up to the limits permitted by law.
That changed in 2008. For nearly two years now banks have hoarded a much greater percentage of reserves than in the past. As the chart shows, the ratio between monetary base and M2 has moved from 9:1 to about 4:1. Moreover, almost all the growth in M2 in the past 18 to 24 months has come from growth in the monetary base, as credit has stagnated despite burgeoning reserves.
If credit continues to stagnate, the Fed will be forced to continue to expand monetary base lest lending stagnate even more. However, if the ratio starts to rise (as banks start holding fewer reserves against loans) the economy could quickly become overwhelmed with money as loans beget growth that begets more loans. In a relative instant, deflationary forces could turn into an inflationary flood.
One clear conclusion: if you’ve been scratching your head as gold has continued to rise in the face of deflation, stop scratching and start hedging. - Bandwidth saved by RSScache.com (http://www.rsscache.com)