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For example, the first Superman story contains a none-too subtle anticaptial punishment message, as our man saves a lady from an execution and a man form a lynching (remember, this is 1938). The second shows Supe stopping a war that is concocted by munitions manufactureres (an early anti-WW2 message).
Along with that, reading these early adventures gives you the feeling that you're a little kid in pre-television 1938-39, sitting with awe and wonder with these exciting tales either being read to you by a skilled adult storyteller, or by yourself with a flashlight at night. Once you get in that mood of an inner child, you can really get into this stuff and it's lots of fun.
However, I would agree that the cost is a bit much for a new edition. Buy a good used copy. Gather the kids (over age 10, that is) around, turn the lights down low, read it with vigor, and have a ball!
Most of these four issues are reprints of stories published in ACTION COMICS, other adventures from which appear in SUPERMAN: THE ACTION COMICS ARCHIVES, although several others were taken from the newspaper strips, which are reprinted in their original black and white form in Kitchen Sink Press' SUPERMAN: THE DAILIES.
These early adventures are, compared to modern comic books, crude and childish, but they reveal a sense of wonder and awe absent from many of today's comics. In 1939, the readers and creators were still enthralled by the idea that a man could do whatever he wanted and dispense justice without rules. Just as Superman is different in these reprints -- a swashbuckling, two-fisted pulp hero, not the "big blue boy scout" of today, most of his earliest menaces are a far cry from the criminal masterminds and alien invaders he later fights. They are enemies of the Depression-era everyman: war profiteers, abusive husbands, incompetent mine owners, con artists, fascist spies, corrupt orphanage directors. Anyone who preys on everyday folks receives swift justice from the Man of Steel's fists.
Comics creator and historian Jim Steranko provides a thorough analysis of the adventures in his Introduction and Afterword, so comics historians will want this book, as will Superman fans, nostalgists and collectors of all ages.
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This trade paperback contains the last three episodes of the 'Bad Blood' story arc that consumed nine issues in total. The force behind the series is the efforts of Selke, a horribly scarred vampire, to recover her looks, establish a power base, and to destroy Buffy. Selke and her accomplice Dr. Flitter have found away to create an evil Buffy twin whose assignment is to track down her original and 'slay' her.
Of course, we know that Buffy will survive, but the clone's ability to anticipate Buffy's every move allows her to accomplish the impossible - leave Buffy for dead in the Sunnydale sewer and shop for clothes in the same night. Buffy find help from an unexpected source and works her way to a final confrontation with Selke in the middle of the Sunnydale Mardi Gras celebration. A final short story tells the story of a sorority initiation that nearly stomps the clock permanently.
These are probably the best three episodes of 'Bad Blood,' both in terms of writing and artwork. Even so the long stretch of the comic book series works against it and it lacks the spark that a shorter series like 'The Blood of Carthage' can produce. It is hardly a failure however. I do suggest that the reader begin at the beginning with the first trade paperback, 'Bad Blood.'
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Chapter 1 shows Nixon taping commercials for varied markets. "I pledge an all-out war against organized crime in this country." But investigations into organized crime was later halted. Chapter 2 tells us that politics, like advertising, is a con game! Both promise more than they deliver. McGinniss says Nixon lost in 1960 because the camera portrayed him clearly (p.32). I think the TV audience judge he was lying, the radio audience took him at his word. By 1968 Nixon learned how to act sincere. He would appear mellow, not intense; respected, if not loved (p.34). Page 36 explains how this works: saturated TV advertising showing the candidate and giving the desired impression, followed by public appearances where he doesn't say anything. TV would be controlled to transmit the best images (p.38). Chapter 3 tells about Harry Treleaven, who worked on the 1966 campaign for George Bush; he was elected because he was likeable, and none knew his stand on the issues. More people vote for emotional than logical reasons (p.45). Chapter 4 explains the power of TV. "The press doesn't matter anymore: (p.59). Painting Nixon as mellow was their way to overcome the old Nixon. Chapter 5 tells how the TV shows were staged for each region. Page 64 explains the politics for a panel of questioners. The selected audience applauded every answer. Chapter 6 says that if Nixon could not act warmer they would produce commercials that made him so!
Chapter 7 tells how a commercial would "create a Nixon image that was entirely independent of the words" (p.85). "The secret is in the juxtaposition" (p.88). (Was this parodied in that scene in "The Parallax View"?) Once complaint was of a picture of a soldier who had scrawled "LOVE" on his helmet; a new picture was found with a plain helmet. Later they received a letter from that soldier's mother - Mrs William Love (p.92)! Page 99 tells why you never saw a farmer on this show. Or a psychiatrist (p.100)! Chapter 9 gives an insider's view to the commercial images and what they meant. Chapter 10 tells of seeking Wallace voters with a ballad. Another trick was to be seen as a friend of Billy Graham. Chapter 11 tells of Nixon's shrinking lead. How could a slick production lose to a rough-edged show? Chapter 12 rates a Humphrey commercial as "contrived and tasteless" (p.138), but also "most effective" since it showed HHH as a real person in open air, not being kept in a TV studio. Chapter 13 explains how a TV show worked. People would call in with questions; these would be passed to the staff. They would be scrapped, and prepared questions and their answers used (p.149).
The Appendix contains various memos from the campaign; relevant extracts from "Understanding Media" and its analysis. Page 187 notes the good appeal of "reagan". Reagan's personal charisma is noted on plage 189. Pages 218-220 explain the benefits of print advertising over TV. Page 233 mentions the strategy of a challenger: the candidate stands for change (you assume what that means). These memos concern Nixon's run, but are applicable to other candidates today. How much has changed since 1968?
The author explains how Richard Nixon is packaged and distributed to the American people by clever television professionals.
The marriage of politicians and advertising men first took place in 1956 when Dwight Eisenhower ran for re-election and selected the agency of Batton, Barto, Durstine and Osborn. McGinniss explains that the basic advertising concepts remained unchanged right up to 1968 but that Richard Nixon made every use of all the sophisticated technical advances of the day. Moreover, the author details how slick New York advertising men seduced voters which elevated them from the smoky parlors to the expensive suites with the political big shots.
Advertising executives allowed Nixon to dominate the airwaves. To this end, the television campaign allowed Nixon to get through the campaign with a dozen or so carefully worded responses that would cover all the problems of America in 1968. After a while it is rather clear that Richard Nixon is basically a boring man. However, with proper packaging Nixon soon represented competence, respect for tradition, serenity, faith that the American people were better than people anywhere else, and that all these problems others shouted about meant nothing in a land blessed with the tallest buildings, strongest armies, biggest factories, cutest children, and rosiest sunsets in the world.
I found the marriage of political and advertising minds fascinating. Of particular interest is how certain keywords such as conscientiousness, vigorous, party unifier, newness, glamour, humor, warmth could create a television facade to hide a candidate's blemishes. This is a great book and should be used in the classroom to show how television altered how politics and campaigns are orchestrated in the United States.
Bert Ruiz
That said, "The Selling of the President" remains the definitive case study of the first sophisticated use of television in American Presidential Politics. Having worked in political public relations for three years, the characterizations and quotes ring completely true. While the public was dismayed by the widening morass in Vietnam, there's no denying the fact that Nixon's very astute use of the tube helped catapult him into the office he ultimately disgraced.
Yes, mass media image-building is now the politician's stock in trade: Willy talking boxers versus briefs, the Veep doing the Macarena, and George The Elder fumbling at the checkout counter.
"The Selling of the President 1968" is written in tough, punchy prose, and chillingly accurate. I'm certain The Founding Fathers would flinch.
Highly recommended as a continuing reality check.
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Other tales include 'The Latest Craze,' the story of what happens when owning miniature demons becomes a fad for the rich and snooty, and 'Double Cross' about a demon who resembles the Alien on steroids and has a knack for being in two places at once. Then there is 'One Small Promise,' a Buffy/Riley tidbit and 'City of Despair,' an interesting story that pits Buffy and Angel against each other in a final confrontation in yet another dimension. The remaining two tales are 'Bad Dog,' in which Oz is freed to so that a geek with low self-esteem can drain Willow's power, and 'Punish Me with Kisses,' a ghost story that is a bit too cute.
On top of offering a set of interesting, well conceived stories, 'Food Chain' has a stellar cast of illustrators. Both the stories and the full page artwork offer a far greater variety than the regular Dark Horse productions, which gives the reader a chance to appreciate different styles and better understand the arcane art of comic book production. If you aren't normally drawn to the graphic novel format, but want something that offers a representative sample of its potential this is the one to own.
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The first is that it is the best personal growth-self help book I've ever read. Seriously. I am a self-help junkie with a large success library of self-help books and the Lazy Man Way to Riches Revised is my favorite by far!
Karbo and Nixon revised the original 70's "Lazy Man", which was great, into this true classic that works for today's world.It still has everyword of the original in it, but it also now has more up to date ideas and suggestions. Their style is simple and direct, easy to read and understand and it has tons of wonderful motivational quotes! Everyone loves a good quote!
Now here is the best thing about it ... it's easy to apply to my life so I can actually achieve the goals I set - not just read how to achieve them. Karbo and Nixon are like the wise old owls in the woods. Their wealth of experience and information about how to "get from where you are to where you want to be" has all been pulled together and put into this book. I have already made some long overdue changes needed in my life.
I'm on my 3rd reading and I find great new stuff each time I read it. It's highlighted in 3 different colors now .(Combined with the workbook that goes along with the "Lazy Man", I feel this is the best self help program ever because it helps me apply what I am learning..)
I really bought the book for the self-help part. I didn't even think about the second part of the book when I ordered it. I have to tell you - the second part of the book was a fantastic surprise. I am in sales and didn't think I had anything to learn, but I learned so much from the first part of the book I figured it wouldn't hurt to read the second half.
I'm glad I did because I learned alot from the second part of the book, which is really about direct response marketing. I don't do mail order, but I found the selling and marketing principles more helpful than any other sales or business book I've read. The part on ad writing is worth the price of the book alone. Much of the information in the second part of the book is dated, but the basic selling and marketing principles are timeless and work in today's world just as well. I am now using those principles to help build my Internet business!
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Now for a little continuity. This graphic trade paperback presents the stories from BTVS comics 13, 14, and 15. They also comprise numbers 4, 5, and 6 of 'Bad Blood,' the story of Buffy's conflict with Selke. It is the sequel to the trade paperback of the same name.
"Delia's Gone" introduces us to an entirely new Cordelia. She is determined to help Willow win the intramural quiz-bowl competition when another contestant is vampirized at a bad time (it there a good time?). Selke has her looks back and does a little partying before hatching a plot to take out The Slayer and turn Sunnydale into a meat market.
"Love Sick Blues" finds Buffy trying to figure out where a sudden run of super vampires is coming from. Fortunately, they seem to spend as much time picking on each other as they do making food runs. Of course, Selke and Doc Flitter know what's cooking, but they are not about to share the information.
Angel and Giles try to track down the source of the strange vampires in "Lost Highway." Buffy is trying to make it to a concert one what was supposed to be her night off, but, as usual, a few 'things' get in her way. Selke and the Doc have gone over the edge cooking up a bit of a surprise for our girl with the stake.
Artwork is by Cliff Richards and Joe Pimentel and is up to their usual high standard. The 'extra' in this book is an interview with Cliff Richards (who lives in Brazil) and includes many of the trial sketches that got him the job. Of all the illustrators that have worked on the comics, Richards seems best at capturing the characters as they appear in the program.
Andi Watson's story line is getting a bit erratic as the series progresses. The individual plots compete with the Selke story arc, creating a profusion of scene shifts. This doesn't seem to work as well in the intense format of a comic story as it does in a media where there is more space to grow the story. Even so, this is another 'must have' for the determined Buffy fan.
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I've seen the other books that try to reveal how baseball should be played. None of them are as informative or focused as the terrific guide.
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This book is the typical formula that that was old after Clancy's first book - it is looking no better with age. So, we have nothing new - but the death of many trees. It is a sad thing that this type of book gets published when there are probably much better books just waiting.
In between the combat, Herman shows a less-than-deft approach to Israeli politics. USAF pilots, well educated as they are, usually have their own opinions about such subjects as Israel's occupation of the West Bank and the settlements erected there - but Herman's protagonist is conveneiently clueless, and the readers can take heart that a sultry Israeli love interest is on hand to explain the UN resolutions against the Settlements while arab bombs rain down from above. The Knesset scenes, where charachteristically litiguous Isreali politicians censure each other for believing their own propaganda, is probably accurate. Less so are scenes meant to depict life in typical Israeli combat units. One such unit, a tank platoon, contains a Druze arab and an orthodox jew, the latter of the two doesn't really do anything but annoy his commander. Because the orthodox doesn't really exist outside his CO's negative perspective, he comes across less as a separate charachter than a blank apparently intended to symbolize all orthodox jewish soldiers. Let those orthodox jews who serve extended military tours debate the accuracy - it's simply poor writing, the product of any writer who can push just about anything with his miltary credentials, no matter how unrelated to his area of actual expertise. Doubtless orthodox soldiers still unaccounted for in the Lebanon war weren't given copies of "Firebreak" to enliven their captivity (assuming they lived long enough for the paperback ed.)
Worst of all, Herman's Israeli protagonist is the sexy Israeli linked up with the novel's hero. When are writers going to wise-up and realize how dated this stereotype is? This has to be the 3rd book I've read since the Gulf war that featured Israelis exploiting sex. Desert Storm, which showed how far ahead our military is in just about every way, has also revealed the how medeival technothriller writers are. Herman's understanding of the mid-east clearly neglects how often real-life anti-zionists (whether Islamic fundamentalist or secular pan-arabist) fall back on the stereotype of Female Mossad agents seducing otherwise stalwart arabs into sedition. So dated is this stereotype that, were Herman's military units comparably equipped, they'd be fighting with slingshots and pointy sticks.
Instead, Herman applies his critical thinking to his command of military technology, but even here comes up flat. These have to be the flattest flight scenes of any technothriller - comparable to some circa-1991 flight simulator. As usual for this sort of book, the plane come off feeling less like soaring engines of military might than cheap plastic models. Ofcourse the author refuses to depict air-to-air confrontations from a single point-of-view, preferring instead to show where his planes are at all times. In real air combat, the relative positions of different planes is one of the single most important factors. Herman's inability to exploit this element robs his air combat of both drama and realism, marring a book with little credibility to recommend it.
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Pete Rose should read this book and take some of his former teammate's advice to heart. Joe's suggestions to Pete are not particularly new, but he's got insight into the man that many other commentators do not.
I definitely recommend this book for any baseball fan.
What happened to the four man rotation? Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame? What should the Lords of Baseball (excuse me Dick Young) do? Joe knows. Read this book. You'll know too.