text:
NOOB SAIBOT
MORTAL KOMBAT: KLASSIC
I don't consider myself a gamer by any means but I go through stints where I get hooked on certain video games. Civilization is all I play these days, but I've lost many hours to Golden Eye, Mario Kart, Pikmin, and others over the years. My early childhood pre-dated Nintendo. I remember when Atari was all the rage. We never owned an Atari when we were kids but we had a Commodore 64 computer and we owned hundreds of games on floppy disks. My dad would swap games with guys he worked with so he regularly brought home new disks with loads of new games on them. They weren't very complicated games mind you. Many of them were just slight variations of popular games like Centipede and Space Invaders.
When the first generation of Nintendo and Sega systems hit retail it was a pretty big deal. The console games blew the Commodore games out of the water. We never owned either of the first-gen system but we rented them regularly from the corner video store (remember when you could do that?). The first system I owned was the 16-bit Sega Genesis. I had a decent library of cartridges but my favorite game was probably Road Rash. If memory serves, Mortal Kombat debuted on the 16-bit systems. I never owned the original Mortal Kombat (I was more of a Street Fighter fan) but my best friend Greg did and we played it at his house a lot between Mario Kart binges. My favorite characters were the ninjas, Sub-Zero and Scorpion.
The first version of Mortal Kombat that I ever purchased for myself was for the Sega Saturn system. It was called Mortal Kombat Trilogy and it contained all of the arenas and characters from the original game and the 2 subsequent sequels. The cast of characters had gotten quite large by then. I still liked the ninjas best but the designers had lazily created a bunch more identical ninjas just in different color costumes, somewhat diluting the coolness of the first too. There was the green ninja Reptile, the gray ninja Smoke, and the all black ninja, Noob Saibot. Even though they all basically looked the same I suppose the appeal of them was that they all had unique moves. I was never able to pull-off any of their special moves before Greg wiped the floor with me so I never really gained an appreciation for the ninja knock-offs based on their "fatalities". I usually used Baraka anyway.
My Mortal Kombat Saturn disc never really got much use. I bought it second hand because I liked to have a large library of games to choose from when my buddies came over to play but I much preferred the Virtua Fighter 2 game that came packaged with the system. I was pretty over Mortal Kombat after the novelty of the first one wore off; the characters didn't really "speak to me" and the live-action movies didn't help much to draw me back in.
So when I saw this figure at Toys R Us last year I don't know why I bought it. I never cared much about Mortal Kombat in general and this character in particular holds little to no nostalgic value for me. I think I was just in the mood to spend some money that day and they didn't have anything better. They had 2 different series of MK figures, one was based on the most recent PS3/X360 version of the game while the other was based on the "Klassic" cartridge version. I bought the modern Sub-Zero and the classic Noob Saibot. If memory serves the other 3 Klassic choices were Reptile(identical figure in green), Sub-Zero (blue), and Ermac (red). So why choose Noob over Reptile or Ermac? No particular reason.
Side note: I did a quick bit of Wikipedia reading on this guy before I started this review and I discovered that he's actually Sub-Zero back from the dead. So while I thought I was buying 2 unique characters I actually bought the same dude twice. I also learned that Noob's stupid name comes from the last names of two of the games designers; Boon and Tobias. Now you know.
As far as action figures go, this guy is pretty bland looking. It's sculpted in black plastic and there's a dark shade of gray painted on. There's also a couple dabs of mauve paint for his eyes. The paint apps are definitely nothing to call home about but it's pretty faithful to his video game look, where he was essentially just a black silhouette. The sculpt is relatively dull too. There are no fine details to be had; no wrinkles or muscle definition in his costume. But again, it's pretty true to the source material. I actually find his simple design more visually appealing than the more detailed sculpt on the modern Sub-Zero figure. The articulation on this toy is more impressive than you might expect. Where many toy companies are reverting to 4" figures with 5 points of articulation Jazwares opted to load this guy up with 14 points of articulation; enough to rival a modern G.I. Joe. He's got ball-jointed limbs, a ball-jointed head, swivel joints at his ankles and wrists, and a mid-torso joint too. He actually blends in pretty well with a squad of modern Joes.
Was this guy essential to my collection? No. Is he essential to yours? Maybe. It really is a nicely put together figure. If you're a big Mortal Kombat fan I would think that you'd like to have this guy on your shelf. I'm glad I picked him up. Besides, he was under $10 which ain't too shabby these days. 7 out of 10.
BEAST MAN (2008)
Once I decided to review a Masters of the Universe (MOTU) Classics figure today my first impulse was to review one of my most recent purchases. I bought 3 figures in July: Flogg, Karatti, and Clamp Champ. I looked at the 3 of them and pondered for a while which one I should write about. Then it dawned on me that I didn't want to write about any of them. Not to knock any of those toys, they're all quite nice, but they're hardly A-listers in the world of MOTU. As I sat there scanning over my MOTU collection I realized that I still have a ton of iconic characters that I haven't gotten around to reviewing yet. It's crazy to think that I've written 650 toy reviews and somehow managed to pass over characters like Trap Jaw, Stratos, and Teela. So today I've decided to go back and review a truly classic MOTU character: Beast Man.
After He-Man and Skeletor I'd say the most recognizable character from the property is Beast Man. My personal favorite MOTU character, Mer-Man, isn't far behind him but between the two I have to give the edge to Beast Man. Back in 1982 Beast Man was one of only four toys released in the initial assortment of figures along with He-Man, Skeletor, and Man-at-Arms. My brother Doug and I split that first wave of toys as we did most things. I got He-Man and Man-at-Arms and Doug got Skeletor and Beast Man (and his own Man-at-Arms too). Each vintage figure came packaged with a mini comic book and I can remember reading the first issue that came with my He-Man, and featured Beast Man, over and over again. I liked Beast Man from the get go. He was a different type of villain than Skeletor and Mer-Man, he was a physically imposing brute and in some ways he seemed more capable. I viewed him as the Destro to Skeletor's Cobra Commander. Like most of the Evil Warriors Beast Man was played for laughs in the cartoon but in the mini comics he was a serious threat and that's how we used him at playtime.
I still think the 1982 figure holds up pretty well. It has a very expressive and mean-looking face. It had a furrowed brow and a toothy sneer that showcased some sizable fangs. His design was very ape-like but not so much so that you would ever mistake him for a red gorilla. He was as much a man as he was a beast so I suppose "Beast Man" was a very apt name. He had spiked armor on his arms and a large collared chest piece which contributed to me associating him with Destro. I was never sure if the blue patterns on his face were natural markings or war paint but they looked cool either way. It was a great toy and I'm pretty sure Doug still has it.
I didn't get my first Beast Man figure until 20 years later when MOTU was relaunched in 2002 with a new cartoon and corresponding toy line. Beast Man's 2002 look made him even more imposing and savage. He towered over other characters in the cartoon and he walked with a hunch. All of the great design elements of the original were still there only now they were magnified. I loved my 2002 Beast Man figure.
In fact I loved all of my 2002 era MOTU figures so much that I was originally quite resistant to the Classics line. I saw the new line of figures that more closely resembled the 80s toys as a step backwards. Other than a promotional King Grayskull figure which launched the line, Beast Man was the second Classics figure produced after only He-Man. Beast Man got made even before Skeletor! I didn't purchase Classics Beast Man upon his initial release. I was sure the Classics line was nothing more than a nostalgic flash-in-the-pan which would quickly fade away. But after a year of solid releases passed I realized the line was gonna be around for a while. The first Classics figure I bought was Hordak which I got second-hand from Monster's Comic Lounge. Once I saw the quality of the Classics figures with my own eyes I was hooked. I made it a mission to hunt down all of the figures I had missed.
Luckily I scored this Beast Man when Mattel made it available again on their website during a Black Friday sale so I didn't have to pay a crazy amount for him on the secondary market. These Classics figures are only available for a limited time on Mattel's collector-driven website (mattycollector.com) and, usually, when they're gone they're gone. Once a figure sells out the prices can sky rocket on ebay.
Classics Beast Man is pretty damn great. I feel that he's the epitome of what the Classics line is all about. It takes everything you loved about the old toy, the 2002 toy, the comics, the cartoons, and mashes it together to create the definitive version of the character. Somehow the Four Horseman (the sculptors who design these toys) are able to take the version of the character you always saw in your head and present it to you in plastic. The sculpt is absolutely killer, the paint job is top notch, the articulation is good, and the whip accessory is exactly what he needs. My only complaint is that these older Classics figures tend to have loose ankle joints. My Beast Man is a little loosey goosey but as long as I don't bump into the bookshelf he stays standing on his own just fine. 9 out of 10.
Posted in Master's of the Universe
Tags: Action Figure, Masters of the Universe, Review, Toy
PREDAKING (2013)
As I've stated a dozen times before, I'm generally only interested in Generation 1 (G1) Transformers. G1 Transformers are what I grew up with in the 80s; only back then they weren't called Generation 1, they were just called Transformers. The G1 title only emerged after Hasbro revived the Transformers brand in the 90s after it had been dormant for a few years. The 90s Transformers were mostly just repaints of the 80s stuff and the packaging labelled them "Generation 2", thus retroactively dubbing the 80s stuff Generation 1. The term G1 has evolved to mean anything Transformer related that ties into the original 80s story. Comic books published by IDW today take place in the G1 continuity. G1 is a term used by Transformers fans all the time. Oddly enough the term "Generation 2" didn't amount to much and subsequent generations of Transformers have not followed suit with that naming pattern.
I've also stated a dozen times that when it comes to Transformers I always preferred the ones that transformed into animals over the ones that transformed into vehicles. The Decepticon sub-team known as the Predacons consisted of 5 bots who not only transformed into beasts but could also merge to create the combiner, Predaking. I loved the Predacons but I only owned two of them as a kid, Razorclaw and Rampage, so I was never able to build Predaking. As an adult collector I considered tracking the 5 of them down (I no longer even have the two I had as a kid) but they're quite expensive on the secondary market.
Luckily I was able to satisfy my Predaking fix by purchasing a cheap Japanese knock off which I reviewed not too long ago. It's smaller, less detailed, and of poorer quality than the original but at least I finally had a Predaking to put on my shelf. Ideally, Hasbro would've released a whole new set of Predacons based on their 80s designs but that hasn't happened yet and seems unlikely to happen anytime soon based on Hasbro's track record.
The most recent animated incarnation of Transformers to grace the small screen was a series called "Transformers: Prime". I only ever watched an episode or two of Prime but I've heard good things. Stylistically the character designs were an amalgamation of G1 and the live-action movies. The plot also seemed to draw from various generations of Transformers.
Even though they weren't strictly generation 1 I found myself drawn to a couple of the Prime figures because of the G1 influence. I bought the Prime Soundwave, even though he was very far removed from the original visually, because he was neat looking and had a unique alt mode. I figured I could display him on my shelf as a separate character than my G1 Soundwave. I bought the Prime Cliffjumper for basically the same reason. I bought the Prime Arcee not so much because I liked the look of her but because to date there is no G1 version of her available (which is a crime but there's finally one coming later this year). I bought the Prime Ratchet because he looked fairly close to the G1 design and I don't have a proper G1 Ratchet. I bought Hardshell just for the hell of it (I like bugs). So as you can see there's some wiggle room in my stance on collecting strictly G1 Transformers.
The second season of Prime was given the subtitle "Beast Hunters". It focused on the Autobots doing battle with a group of Decepticons with monstrous alt modes known as the Predacons. These new dragon-like Predacons were a far cry from the Rhino and Eagle Predacons I grew up with but I can't fault Hasbro for re-using the name, it's a good one. The leader of the Prime Predacons also had a moniker lifted from the G1 days, Predaking.
The new Predaking is big, black, and orange like the original but that's pretty much where the similarities end. This Predaking is a single bot as opposed to being a combiner made up of multiple smaller Transformers. He transforms from a robot into a large dragon. The original Predaking didn't transform into anything, he just broke apart; only his component pieces could transform. It would actually be pretty rad is Hasbro could pull off a transforming combiner.
This new Predaking has been released in multiple scales. I've seen the various versions in stores a bunch of times and have considered picking one up because of the name association to one of my G1 favorites. But, each time I considered it I managed to conclude that this character was too different from the Predaking of old and that I didn't need him in my collection. But then I was at Winners earlier this summer with my Dad. It was father's day and I wanted to buy him something so he suggested we go to Winners so he could check out their selection of golf hats. For those of you not familiar with it, Winners is a large discount department store. I rarely venture into Winners but when I do I often find good toys at really good prices. Dad didn't find a hat he liked but I found this fella here for a mere $9.99.
At 10 bucks there was no way I could pass him up. Judging by the size of this thing I would've guessed that he usually sells for about 40 dollars but I actually spotted him in Wal-Mart recently for $59.99!! He's pretty tall in either mode but it's his 21 inch wingspan that really makes him stand out. I don't really care for his robot mode and intend to keep him in his dragon mode for display purposes, I believe the dragon mode was Predaking's primary mode in the Prime cartoon anyway, kind of like how Grimlock was always walking around in his dinosaur mode for no particular reason in the 80s cartoons.
There's plenty of articulation on this figure so he can be posed all kinds of ways. I actually think he may be too posable as it can be tough to "lock" him into any one position. Evey time I pick him up his legs and wings flop into a new position. I like the dragon mode face on this figure, it's more alien than it is traditional dragon. It actually kind of reminds me of the Godzilla villain Destroyah. There's an action feature on this toy where if you press down on a lever on his neck his head lunges forward and his "fire breath" lights up. In an odd move for this day and age Hasbro didn't include a battery so I haven't actually seen the light up feature in action.
I never even bothered to transform my Predaking into his robot mode so I can't tell you much about it. However I swiped a pic of it from another website and posted it below so you can check it out. It kind of me of Megatron's look from the live-action movies. I do like how he uses his tail as a sword. It makes for a pretty grisly blade.
I'm still holding out hope that Hasbro will produce a set of G1 Predacons one of these days. If they do, I think that this Predaking would make an excellent addition to the team. He's pretty cool. 7 out of 10.
VIPER v.29 (2014)
G. I. JOE : 50th ANNIVERSARY
When the G.I. Joe: Real American Hero (RAH) toy line first launched in 1982 there were 13 members of the team. Those characters are referred to now as "the original 13". There were only 2 Cobra figures at first, a cobra infantry trooper and a Cobra officer. The code name for both of them was simply "the Enemy". The Cobra soldiers were very similar in appearance. The both had dark blue uniforms and helmets and they both had a black balaclava covering the lower half of their face (like so). Since these were the only Cobra soldiers that existed in those early days they appeared frequently the in cartoons, comics, and commercials.
As the line expanded new specialized Cobra troops were added such as frogmen, arctic troopers, and pilots. Despite these additions the original blue-shirts remained the backbone of Cobra's forces. That is until 1986 when a new general infantry trooper was added to Cobra's ranks; the Viper. The Viper became the new template from which all other troopers emerged. Almost every faceless trooper released after '86 was some variation of the Viper: Ice-Viper, Frag Viper, Gyro-Viper, etc.
The basic Viper design was much more elaborate than its blue-shirt predecessor. Their uniforms were blue, red, and black and they were loaded with sculpted details like grenades, pouches, buckles, and padding. They had full silver faceplates similar to that of Cobra Commander. They also had goggles on their foreheads which looked cool but it never occurred to me until just now how silly that was. Were they gonna wear the goggles over their masks? The '86 Viper's biggest detraction was that it suffered from melon-head syndrome. That aside, it was a very cool design.
My brother Doug owned the original '86 Viper. My first Viper was a hand-me-down from my little brother Brian (or is that considered a hand-me-up?). Brian collected Joes for a few years after Doug and I had stopped but he was never as big a fan as Doug and I. When Brian outgrew his figures I gladly welcomed them into my collection. The Viper I inherited from him was the rather ugly version 3 "Sonic Fighter" which had a rusty orange colored uniform.
During the new sculpt years of the early 2000s I accumulated a nice little army of Vipers in various colors; classic red and blue, red and purple, and python patrol gray and black. I really liked all those variations and overall I preferred the new-sculpt's mold to the original.
When the new-sculpt figures were replaced by the modern-era figures in 2007 there were some growing pains as Hasbro worked out the bugs of the new design. The first modern-era Viper figure came out in 2008 (version 16) and was victim to some really bad design flaws. A lot of people complain about the dreaded "Duke arms" of 2007, and sure they were bad, but Duke is one guy and he's been re-done dozens of time since with better arms. The Viper represents one of Cobra's basic infantry divisions and I'm sure some people out there wanted to buy loads of them to build a small army. But sadly the '08 Viper had gimpy ankles that meant he was always leaning back and he had very unnatural downward turned wrists that made it difficult to have him hold a weapon. Plus the functionally useless goggles on the helmet were sculpted separately for some reason which made them prone to fall off which made them easy to lose. I was very disappointed with the initial modern-era Viper. Several variations were released afterwards in different color uniforms but the design issues remained.
Hasbro did eventually get the Viper right in 2011 with version 28, which was released as part of the 30th anniversary line. V.28 was leaps and bounds better than v.16. The ankles were fixed, the wrists were fixed, the goggles were permanently affixed to the helmet, and the faceplate was vac-metal.
But I was kinda burnt out on the Viper by then and couldn't truly appreciate that figure. I felt I had enough of them in my collection and another blue and red Viper didn't really excite me no matter how improved it was.
When I first saw pictures of this repainted 30th anniversary Viper online it still didn't do much for me. Had it been released a couple of years ago I probably would have passed on it altogether to be honest. But the 50th anniversary assortment was just so damn small that I felt compelled to buy the whole lot.
This gray and maroon Viper came in a 3-pack with a Cobra blue-shirt trooper and a Beachhead figure, both of which are virtually (if not completely) identical to previously released figures. Overall, the "Viper Pit" set was the least exciting of the 50th anniversary packs because there was really nothing new to it. At least this Viper's paint job was a color combination we hadn't seen before, even if it was rather bland.
But I gotta tell ya, once my 50th anniversary figures arrived and I got them all opened up I really took a liking to this figure. Other than the new paint job this is the exact same figure as version 28 but for some reason I was really able to appreciate the quality of the sculpt this time around. I still think the color palette is rather drab but its good drab. Some of the recent additions to my Cobra forces (Heat-Viper, Toxo-Viper, Repulsor) have been quite "loud" so it's kind of nice to get a low key, more realistically colored figure. The gold used on his faceplate, goggles and cobra symbol add just enough flair to keep this figure from being boring to look at.
The head sculpt is perfect, the body is well proportioned, the articulation is good, the accessories are adequate (machine gun, pistol, and backpack) and the color is something new. The only thing I can find to complain about is the unpainted belt. I wish it was painted black. It's always nice to be pleasantly surprised when you have low expectations for something and this figure delivers. 9 out of 10.
Notice the gimpy wrists and wonky goggles on the right.
Tags: Action Figure, Cobra, G.I. Joe, Review, Toy
I am a huge Godzilla fan (have been since I was a kid) and I was super stoked about the new movie. My expectations were quite high based on the quality of director Gareth Edwards previous film, Monsters. But truthfully, even if it had been total garbage I still would have got some enjoyment out of it simply because it's Godzilla. I even enjoy elements of the 1998 Matthew Broderick Godzilla film which is blasphemous to say is some Godzilla circles. Fortunately I won't have to be ashamed for loving the 2014 movie because it was great.
I figure you've all seen it by now but in case you haven't perhaps you shouldn't read any further as I may give away some spoilers.
I'll say again that I really enjoyed Godzilla 2014 but it was by no means the perfect Godzilla film. The most common complaint seems to be that Godzilla wasn't in the film enough and I agree with that to an extent. However, I can appreciate that Edwards was going with a "JAWS" less-is-more approach. Also, Bryan Cranston's mourning scientist was the most compelling character to watch and he got snuffed out way too early, to most everyone's surprise. The film then shifted its focus onto Aaron Taylor-Johnson who play's Cranston's son. Johnson was likable enough but I didn't feel any real connection to him. He just kind of meandered through the movie, encountering monsters where ever he went. There were actually a few too many coincidental monster meetings for my liking. At least following a soldier's journey instead of a scientists' was a nice change of pace from the Godzilla norm. Speaking of scientists, Ken Watanabe was another actor who was grossly under used in the film.
Now it might seem like I have a lot of complaints but I really don't; I thoroughly enjoyed the film. But don't take this old Godzilla geek's word for it. I think a truer testament to the film's success was how much my little nephews all enjoyed it. They ran out of the movie theater arguing over who was going to be Godzilla and who was going to be Muto.
Bandai's Atomic Roar Godzilla
On the topic of Muto, the movie's "bad" monster, why the hell aren't there any toys of him? There's a couple of rinky dinky ones but I want a big one. It seems foolish for there to be so many Godzilla toys available but no antagonists for him to fight. Bandai seems to hold the mainstream toy license to the film and to their credit theye produced a bunch of different style toys available at various price points, but they really need to make some other monsters. Even if Muto was off the table for some reason couldn't they have produced new toys of Mecha-Godzilla or King Ghidora? I know my nephews would want them. I bought my sister's kid Tyler the Atomic Roar Godzilla for his 5th birthday recently and he absolutely loved it.
But what's good enough for a 5 year old isn't necessarily good enough for me. I'm not a fan of the stuff Bandai has put out. The aforementioned Atomic Roar Godzilla is a big clunky toy that roars and when you pull his tail his jaw dislocates so that a large phallic blast of energy can shoot out of his mouth. As much as I wanted a toy of the new Godzilla design to add to my collection I wasn't about to buy that kiddie Bandai stuff for myself.
But then I saw that Jakks was slated to release a massive 24" Godzilla figure and I thought that I might get that one if it ever showed up at my local Toys R Us. I could have ordered it online but the shipping charges on a toy that big would've been a nightmare. I checked back at Toys R Us frequently but they never did stock Jakk's Godzilla which may actually be a blessing in disguise. I know myself and I know there is no way that I could resist buying a 2 foot Godzilla figure but in truth the thing would be a pain in the ass to display. My 2 foot Metroplex is awkward enough and I still haven't found a suitable place to display my 18" Galactus and Sentinel figures.
So since the 24" Godzilla was seemingly out of reach I turned my attention to a 12" version produced by a third toy company, Neca. I figured a 12 inch toy would be much easier to deal with and it would blend in better with my current collection of movie monsters. Plus Neca's figures are geared more towards the collector's market so it was likely going to be of superior quality as well. I believe in quality over quality when it comes to Godzilla.
I considered ordering Neca's figure from BigBadToyStore but then my local comic shop, Strange Adventures, got one in stock. BBTS was selling theirs for $50, but when you factor in conversion to Canadian funds, shipping charges and duty fees I was expecting to pay around $80 for this thing. I figured that as long as Strange Adventures priced theirs in that same range it was economical for me to buy it from them; plus I would get to enjoy the figure right away. I asked how much they wanted for it and my pal Cal who owns the store made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Needless to say I got a great deal on this figure. Once I had him in hand I thanked my lucky stars that I hadn't ordered it online because this thing is heavy as all hell. I'm sure the shipping charges would have been far worse than I initially budgeted for.
This Godzilla is a towering hunk of solid plastic. It may well be the heaviest toy I own. He's advertised as 12" tall but once you snap his tail into place I would say he's about 25" from nose to tail. It makes for an impressive collectible.
Godzilla is well detailed and surprising well-articulated. Multiple ball joints are hidden in the seams of his scaly skin. He has joints at his head, neck, jaw, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles, and waist. Most impressive is his tail which is made up of a bunch of individual parts and has a whopping 13 points of articulation of it's own. Yet, despite all these joints he is still fairly limited in how he can be posed. You can make slight adjustments here and there, open his mouth and move his tail from side to side but ultimately you're gonna end up with a pretty standard Godzilla pose. It's not like he can be posed in yoga positions or anything.
I think Godzilla was mostly gray in the movie which is the base color of this toy as well but he's also got green highlights all over his body and a brownish belly. It may not be film accurate but it looks nice and most people think green when they think of Godzilla anyway. he has additional paint apps for his yellow eyes, white teeth, pink tongue, and black claws.
The overall design looks pretty close to what we saw on screen but thankfully I think the toy is actually better proportioned. I thought his head was too small and his legs were too big in the film but it doesn't look bad here. The legs are perhaps still a little thick but overall he's well proportioned.
I don't care much for electronic features in my toys but this Godzilla does have a pretty nice roar sound that is activated when you press down on a fin at the base of his tail.
This is a very nice figure . 10 out of 10.
Tags: Action Figure, Godzilla, Review, Toy
SLASH (2014)
TRANSFORMERS : AGE OF EXTINCTION
A while back I purchased a couple of Dinobot figures from the latest Transformers movie line, "Age of Extinction". I do not care for the live-action Transformers movies, nor do I care for the look of the Transformers in those movies. Hasbro has released hundreds of movie based Transformers toys since 2007 and prior to my recent Dinobot purchases I had only ever bought one of them (Shockwave). I full-on hated Transformers 2 and 3 and when I heard Michael Bay was returning for a fourth I vowed that he wouldn't get my money this time. I refused to shell out another $13 to be miserable for 3 hours. But then news came that Mr. Bay wanted to integrate the Dinobots into his new installment. I'll admit that my resolve wavered slightly at the thought of seeing Grimlock, Slag, Snarl, Sludge, and Swoop on the big screen but I quickly came to my senses. I knew in my heart and soul that Bay would f**k up this movie just as badly as he had the last few, if not more so. I again vowed that I would not pay to see this movie, no matter how many transforming dinosaurs he put in it.
When the first trailer hit I was confident that I had made the right choice. Grimlock didn't look like Grimlock, Optimus Prime was riding him, Hound was fat and had a beard, and a new ditzy airhead had been hired to replace the previous ditzy airheads. No thanks. But then I went to Toys R us and saw the new figures. There were some brightly colored, neat-looking, new characters and I was intrigued. There had never been a Spinosaurus Dinobot before and so Scorn was the one that I gravitated towards first. I liked what I saw and ended up buying both him and Slug (the new version of Slag who was my favorite Dinobot when I was a kid). I wrote a positive review of Scorn and in it I even stated that the figure was so good that it made me tempted to see the movie which was due out a couple of weeks later.
But then the movie came out and the negative reviews hit the internet. By the sounds of things it was another bloated mess with no respect for the source material and so I put my foot down and did not go. To this day I have not seen it. I might try to watch it once it hits netflix, at least then I can take breaks from it when I start to get bored.
Even though I liked my 2 Dinobot figures I had no interest in the other 2 that were available, Grimlock and Strafe. I did not expect to buy any more movie-based figures but I was in Toys R us this past weekend and saw this guy, Slash. This is another new character created for the movie. He transforms into a Velociraptor which is another first for a Generation 1 Transformer. He was in his dino mode in the package and he looked really cool. The thing I liked most about him was that he actually had feathers. Ever since dinosaurs having feathers became an accepted theory I've wanted a toy of a feathered dinosaur. I loved playing with rubber dinosaurs when I was a kid and I would totally buy a whole series of them if they made new ones with feathers. Slash here is the first feathered dinosaur toy I've seen. So while he may not be the most traditional dinosaur figure ever I simply couldn't pass him up.
His dinosaur mode is great. It's well articulated and has lots of nice details like fins , claws, and scales. I love the vibrant blue, green and yellow color scheme. He looks great when displayed next to Scorn and Slug who were both quite flamboyantly colored as well. The translucent red eyes and uneven teeth really make him look menacing.
Unfortunately, all that cool doesn't translate into his robot mode. When I first transformed him I was appalled at how crappy he was. The other 2 figures set the bar fairly high and this guy looked like a total wanker. He looks especially horrible from the back. He suffers from the same issue as Tailgate, Shrapnel, and a lot of other modern Transformers in that the designers don't seem to give a crap what the robot looks like from behind. Just mash everything back there and hope no one looks.
However, my opinion of robot Slash has softened in the time it has taken me to write this review. I'm staring at him as I write this and he's really not so bad I suppose. One thing I do really hate though are the feathers on his upper legs. I wish these had been tucked around back like everything else. They just kind of sit there like he's wearing an upside down grass skirt. It's just weird looking.
The head is pretty cool and maintains the medieval knight look of the others. There are a lot of shared design elements amongst the 3 figures which adds to their appeal. The old Dinobots were all the same colors so you knew they were a team but these guys manage to still look like a cohesive unit even though their colors are drastically different from one another.
This figure is by no means perfect but I'd say he's worth picking up for his dinosaur mode alone. He really only deserves a 5 or a 6 but the inclusion of feathers to his dinosaur mode bump him up to a 7 out of 10.
H.E.A.T. VIPER v.3 (2014)
G. I. JOE: 50th ANNIVERSARY
2 weeks ago I reviewed the original 1989 Heat Viper. Even though that figure was released near the end of my childhood Joe collecting it became a fast favorite of mine that got more than it's fair share of face time during my bedroom battles. Heat Viper was easily my second favorite Cobra trooper behind Ice Viper which is why I was super stoked to see both of them included in Hasbro's small 50th anniversary assortment this year.
Most of the 50th anniversary figures that I pre-ordered from BigBadToyStore arrived in the mail last week, the vehicle sets have apparently been delayed a couple of weeks. Besides the 2 vehicle sets that I'm still missing the anniversary assortment consists of two 2-packs and 2 3-packs. All of the figures are nice but half of them are straight re-issues of figures that were previously released. Had these figures been released individually I could've saved myself the trouble of buying duplicates of Hawk, Low-Light, Beachhead, Blowtorch, and Cobra Trooper. But because of the multi-figure packages I was forced to buy them all just to get the 5 figures that I really did want.
I haven't been into army building (buying multiples of the same figure to create squads of troopers) since the new sculpt years. I simply don't have room for duplicates. But I couldn't resist pre-ordering 2 Heat Vipers. It's actually the first modern era figure that I intentionally bought 2 of. I did so for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the assortment was relatively small and the prices quite reasonable ($15 for a 2-pack) so it didn't break the bank to do it. Secondly, I love Heat Viper so why not? And lastly, because I've been reading all sorts of horror stories online about the lackluster quality of these 50th anniversary figures. People have been saying the paint apps are all f**ked up and joints are gimpy and all sorts of things. I didn't want to risk only ordering 1 Heat Viper only to have a super fugly one show up in the mail. And I was afraid they might sell out while I waited to check on the quality control of my initial order.
Well, I'm happy to report that both of my Heat Vipers arrived in great shape. In fact, all of my anniversary figures did. I don't know what everyone is complaining about. Sure, the plastic is softer than we're used to but it doesn't really detract from the figure and, if anything, it will probably prevent breaks.
This figure shares the same body as 2011's Airtight version 3. It works out really well. Considering it has Heat Viper's signature raised stripe up the front it's almost as if Hasbro planned to use this torso for Heat Viper all along. The purple stripes on the legs and arms don't work out quite so well as they're just painted on and there's no sculpting to define them but they look fine regardless. The colors they used on this figure are pretty close to those found on the original which is great. He's not quite as "loud" as his predecessor but this figure still really "pops" on a shelf.
For accessories Hasbro has recreated the vintage gear fantastically. The rocket launcher and cable appear to be exactly the same ones that the '89 version came with. The backpack is new but looks very close to the original and I actually think they improved on the boot missiles. Instead of having the 6 mini missiles attach directly to pegs on the figure, these new missiles attach to removable straps around his ankles. This way, if you lose the missiles you can take off the straps. With the old figure you were stuck with 3 awkward pegs on each boot. He also comes with a display base which is pretty standard for modern Joes but these 50th figures have a nice gold paint app on the raised logos.
Last but not least is the newly sculpted head. This head is awesome. It's got all the cool design elements that I loved about the original but it's more sleek. The right side still has a rounded gray visor and the left side still has a strange ribbed design. Where they differ is that this new one has an additional gray visor beneath the ridges of the helmet where the original had a solid yellow left side. When I first noticed this change on pictures posted online I was disappointed. The half visor never really made much sense from a tactical standpoint but it was partly what made Heat Viper so cool. I feared dual visors would diminish his quirky lopsided quality and make him appear too much like Cobra Commander. But now that I have this figure in hand I think it looks great. It's still a hella weird helmet design but it's weird in a different way than the original, plus now he can actually see what he's doing. Besides, the dual visor look actually more closely resembles the 1989 card art, which makes me think that maybe the original toy was meant to be painted this way too.
I absolutely love this figure. But here are a couple quick gripes: When they added the second visor they did away with the plug normally found on the left side of this guy's head. Now his rocket launcher cable has nothing to plug into and just kind of hangs there. Also, I don't like his exposed neck. I wish his collar went right up to his helmet line. It should be noted however, that while his neck is now exposed, his chin no longer is. Those minor gripes aside, this is a killer action figure. 10 out of 10.
STARSCREAM (ARMADA) (2014)
TRANSFORMERS : GENERATIONS
I collected the Transformers comic published by Marvel in the 1980s (well technically my brother Doug did but I read them all) but was never really impressed by them. The characters were often miscolored, there were a lot of inconsistencies and errors, and there was too much focus on the human characters for my taste. The book ran for 80 issues but Doug and I only made it to issue 33 before we lost interest and stopped buying it. We quit collecting the toys around the same time.
During the 1990s the Generation 1 Transformers that I grew up with were pretty much dormant; no comics, no cartoon, and no toys. Transformers were still around in the form of Beast Wars but that never appealed to me. I was a teenager by then and was more interested in other things.
But by the time the Generation 1 Transformers were revived on the printed page by Dreamwave Productions in a brand new comic series in 2002 I was 100% on board. I had gotten back into toy collecting and was feeling nostalgic for the toys of my youth. The Dreamwave comics were what I always wished the Marvel Transformers comics were like when I was a kid. They had great stories and even better art. The artwork was straight-up phenomenal actually. Every single cover could have been made into a poster. I was very upset when Dreamwave abruptly lost the license to produce Transformers comics in 2004; especially because they had stories that were left half told.
The license was quickly picked up by a new company called IDW in 2005. After reading their first few issues I wasn't impressed. I didn't care for the art, there were human kids as sidekicks, and it was a whole new continuity to learn. After being spoiled by Dreamwave, the IDW stuff simply didn't cut it.
But that soon changed. Their character focused Spotlight issues were the first to draw me in. Soon the flagship title was picking up steam and by the time the book split into two separate on-going series' "More than Meets the Eye" and "Robots in Disguise" I was loving the Transformers Universe crafted by IDW.
And these days I love how closely related the toy line is to the comics. A new toy comes out of a character you've never heard of, Guess what? He's in the very next issue. A new character appears in the comic and you find yourself wanting a figure of him, Guess what? He's in the very next toy assortment. I don't know who's pulling the strings here, if it's the dog wagging the tail or vice-versa but I appreciate the coordination. I'd say it's working to Hasbro's benefit, at least where I'm concerned, because I'm buying figures I ordinarily wouldn't have. But I'm sure it's more often the case that kids buying the toys are discovering the comics via the reprints included with each figure, thus benefitting IDW. Basically, this symbiotic relationship is good for both companies and fans alike.
My most recent Transformers purchases were Tankor, Scoop, Minicon, and Starscream. The first 3 I have no childhood attachment to: The original Scoop was released in 1988 after I had stopped collecting Transformers as a kid, Tankor is from the series Beast Machines which was also after my time, and Minicon is a brand new character. As for Starscream, I already have a perfectly good Starscream figure with his original iconic gray color scheme so what would I need a red one for. I ordinarily would have passed on this whole assortment. But after reading about these characters in IDW's comics I wanted to own them all.
Getting roped into buying unique new characters is one thing but I'm really not keen on buying needless duplicate figures. A red Starscream seemed pretty needless to me the first time i saw images of this toy online. But then, in the comics, Starscream required a new body after his old one is damaged so he's given this one. It's the body he inhabits as the democratically elected leader of Cybertron (sound crazy? You gotta read the comics; its great stuff). I've grown to really like his new look in the comics so after a while this toy didn't seem so needless at all.
I later learned that this look is actually based on Starscream's appearance in TRANSFORMERS: ARMADA, a anime inspired Transformers franchise from the early 2000s. I never watched the Armada show or read the Armada comics but I suppose this new look would be a neat nod to those who did.
Starscream has never been known to wield blades in the past so the inclusion of two translucent orange energon swords might seem rather odd, that is until you read the issue where he uses them to great effect against Jiaxus.
This figure is relatively well constructed and does a great job of giving us a comic accurate Starscream. This figure is much more posable than my 2006 "Classics" version of Starscream. I'm really impressed by the amount of articulation Hasbro is able to squeeze into their current Transformers toys. One thing I discovered about this toy while taking pictures for this review is that the thrusters on his back can be flipped up to rest on his shoulders. It makes him look much bulkier and dangerous. The back of his head is cast in translucent plastic which allows light to shine through and gives the impression that his eyes are glowing. It's a really cool effect when the light catches it just right.
My gray Classics Starscream will remain the default Starscream in my display as that's the version I grew up with, but this figure could easily be displayed as just another one of his seeker henchmen. Maybe I'll call him Bloodscream. It's kind of nice to have such a diverse seeker army these days. In the 80s the whole gang was the exact same figure repainted in multiple shades. My current squad all look similar but are constructed in multiple ways which adds a unique flare to each.
This is a pretty cool figure that's worth picking up, especially if you missed out on the original Classics Starscream. 8 out of 10.
CROSS COUNTRY v.3 (2014)
The G.I. Joe Collector's Club has been around for quite some time. By signing up as a member you get a monthly newsletter, discounts at the club's online store, an exclusive action figure, and a few other perks. I signed up for the first time 3 years ago.
The free sign-up figure from my first year as a member was Footloose. That was a pretty cool figure of a character who was sorely in need of a modern-era update. But my brother Doug owned the original 1985 Footloose figure when were we kids and I never felt much of a personal connection to the character. Last year's figure was Iceberg. He was another classic character who hadn't yet received a modern update at the time. I owned the original 1986 Iceberg figure so he was a character that I did feel a kinship with; much more so than Footloose. Unfortunately the Club's Iceberg figure was a bit of a mess. The parts used to build him failed to come together in a cohesive way which resulted in a gangly and disappointing version of the Joe team's Cold Weather Survival Instructor.
It seems as though the Club heard the underwhelming fan response to Iceberg and stepped up their game this year. This year's figure is not only beautifully constructed but it also fills another glaring hole in the modern-era collection. This is the first Cross Country figure since 1993's version 2.
I had the original 1986 Cross Country and it was a figure I really liked. Looking back at him, I'm not sure what appealed to me about Cross Country as he's pretty dorky looking. Perhaps the fact that he came packaged with one of the coolest Joe vehicles ever, the H.A.V.O.C. (Heavy Articulated Vehicle Ordinance Carrier), made him more appealing than he would've been on his own. He had a gray civil war style hat, a confederate flag belt buckle, no weapons, socks up to his knees, red hair, and a fat face with a rather dopey expression. It's hard to imagine he ever could've been a favorite of mine but somehow he was. The originality of his design was probably another part of the appeal; you'd never mistake another Joe for this North Carolina born Heavy Equipment Operator.
Cross Country version 2 had even less going for it than the original. Gone were the silly socks but so to was the HAVOC. Now he had acid washed jeans, an over-sized missile launcher, a large confederate flag on the back of his jacket, and bright orange accessories. I only recently acquired version 2 in my epic haul from Eric.
Cross Country was not a character I was expecting to see in the modern-era style anytime soon so I was delighted when he was unveiled by the Club a few months back. The mock-up they showed looked leaps and bounds better than last year's Iceberg. I renewed my membership and waited for my figure to arrive in the mail, all the while hoping that the final product retained the quality of the mock-up.
I got an email from the Club in April telling me that my figure should arrive in the next 6 weeks. 10 weeks went by and I didn't receive anything. It pained me to see everyone else posting pics of their Cross Country online while it seemed mine was lost in limbo. I contacted the Club and they promptly rushed one out to me which I received a week and a half after contacting them. Great customer service by the Collector's Club.
Now that I finally have Cross Country in hand I can tell you that he is just as awesome as I hoped he would be. I'd say that he's easily the best sign-up figure to date. His body is constructed of re-used parts which work really well together and do a good job of replicating the look of the original. The proportions and articulation are spot on, no complaints.
The Club had Boss Fight Studios sculpt a brand new head and vest for this figure. Both of these pieces are stellar. The vest fits great and has a ton of sculpted detail like pouches, straps, zippers, and even a name badge. The head is one of the best in the entire modern line. It's reminiscent of the original but adds so much more personality and realism. The red mullet and sideburns, the flat nose, and the mild smirk really bring this figure to life; it looks like a real person's face.
For accessories Cross Country version 3 comes with a display base, a rifle, a pistol that can be holstered on his hip, and a wrench. I'd say they all compliment the figure very well. I am pleased as punch with this toy. 10 out of 10.
Most of my toy-related childhood memories involve my older brother Doug. We shared a bedroom well into our teens, were into all the same stuff, and we always played together. All of the major toy lines from our youth (G.I. Joe, Star Wars, WWF, etc.) we collected jointly. But as the 80s began winding down my interests and Doug's interests began to differ. We both still liked the stuff we grew up on and continued to play with those collections together but I was also interested in collecting new toy lines while Doug was more interested in going to the roller skating rink with hopes of winning the love of Jody Trethewey (spoiler alert: he didn't).
By the late 80s and early 90s I related more to my little brother Brian when it came to toy collecting. I remember the first time we saw the commercial for Mattel's Food Fighter figures. Doug couldn't have cared less but Brian and I were stoked about this imaginative new toy line. The premise was essentially food soldiers fighting food terrorists. It was like a wackier food-based version of G.I. Joe. One reason it appealed to me was because it reminded me of a creation of my own. As a kid I dreamed up a super hero named Captain Carrot who wasn't much more than a carrot with a cape. The Captain patrolled the Kitchen Cosmos, protecting its denizens from the likes of the evil egg brothers and the animal cracker gang. I still think it's a great idea for an animated series that I may have to revisit one day.
It's a real shame that the Food Fighters never got a cartoon themselves as I imagine it would've been fun. Seeing the Kitchen Commandos, led by the heroic Burgerdier General, defend the counter top from the evil Mean Weener and his Refrigerator Rejects would have made for some exciting Saturday morning viewing I'm sure.
Mattel only produced a single wave of Food fighters consisting of 10 figures and 3 vehicles. If memory serves, both Brian and I got 2 figures each in our Easter basket's one year. It's possible that we only got one figure each initially and then got our second figures later but I'm pretty sure we got all four at once. I can say with absolute certainty that for Easter 1989 I got Mean Weener and Brian got Burgerdier General.
I recall being immediately disappointed with Mean Weener. I was expecting a toy of similar quality to a Ninja Turtle but instead I got a crappy dog toy. The Food Fighters were made of soft hollow plastic that felt super cheap. Dinky unarticulated human arms and legs were tacked onto their squishy bodies and they didn't look natural at all. Even the paint job was poorly done. They came with very generic G.I. Joe style guns and backpacks. All that aside, I did like the design of the characters and it was a fun concept; it was just executed poorly. It's no real surprise that it didn't catch on in a big way.
This is why I think we must've got all four figures at once. Because I was so disappointed with Mean Weener that I didn't feel the need to collect any more Food Fighters. However, it is possible that our parents bought us our second figures sometime later for completing a chore or something. I believe Brian's secondary Food Fighter was Private Pizza and I think he also got Terror Taco and maybe even Major Munch eventually. My second and last Food Fighter was this pile of evil pancakes, Short Stack.
I really like the design of Short Stack. It's actually a very innovative and creative sculpt. They could've went with a big, flat, round, walking pancake but instead we got this syrup drenched stack of pancakes. His facial features are tucked in between the layers and his nose is a big glob of syrup dripping down between his eyes. On the top of his flat head he has a black hat (as all the bad guys did) and a melting pat of butter. I say again, it's a really neat design for a character.
Unfortunately Short Stack suffers from the same deficiency as all the other toys in the line in that he's essentially a squeaky dog toy. The mal-proportioned human arms and legs actually look kind of creepy poking out the sides of this figure.
I got rid of my Food Fighter figures ages ago but I reacquired both of them this summer at a flea market. As ghetto as these toys are they are pretty neat looking and I thought they'd be fun to write about. My flea market version of Short Stack is missing his accessories and his feet are warped so he doesn't stand very well but it's still kind of cool to have him back in my collection. One interesting thing I learned while brushing up on my Food Fighter history for this post was that a few of the figures had variant versions. Short Stack was also available with blueberry syrup, not just this maple syrup version which is the only one I had ever seen before. 5 out of 10.
Tags: Action Figure, Review, Toy


With a centralized location to collect and create personalized nurture campaigns and analyze results, CRM software solutions equip businesses today with the tools needed to generate more qualified leads.
A business needs to be organized to avoid misplacing leads and ensure every opportunity is followed up on promptly. With CRM, you can qualify leads against specific criteria and track at each stage in the sales process. You also ensure that leads are assigned to the most appropriate sales staff using automated workflow, as well as analyze and track the source of all leads with powerful reporting tools.
Do you currently clone successful email marketing campaigns to leverage best practices and consistency? Do you focus email campaigns on the targets that will provide the highest return and generate the most leads?
With tools like Sage CRM, you can analyze your customer and prospect data to create email campaigns with the highest potential for success based on previous transactions, communication, or product preferences.
Responses to your email campaigns can be analyzed in real-time, allowing you to continuously make improvements and allow you to deliver your messages to the right people at the right time to maximize your ROI – and your sales pipeline.
CRM can help you get the best possible view of your customers, including those who are most profitable – and in the greatest position to make purchases. By using the tools and functionality of today's CRM software, companies can track successful marketing campaigns, target and anticipate customer requirements, adjust sales tactics and strategies to meet targeted customers, minimize customer attrition, and improve the overall customer experience.
Mobile CRM features deliver "anytime access" to critical customer analytics and data on any device. Sales teams can view and update contacts, opportunities, leads, and support cases on the road or at a customer site – helping today's mobile sales teams more effectively track key customer communications, map appointments and nurture the sales pipeline – in real-time.
Want More Info About Sage CRM?


THE LONGEST Psalm in the Bible is part of our study this week. The 176 verses of Psalm 119 are divided into 22 stanzas, each of which begins with one of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Then we look at the first acts of the reign of Solomon: His request for wisdom and the famous Judgment of Solomon, when he ordered the two women arguing over a baby to divide the child with a sword–a ploy to discern which of the women was the child's mother.


WRITING a gardening column in the midst of a drought and with our current water restrictions may seem a little absurd but with long-term forecasts suggesting that in future we need to get used to greater weather extremes, more extremely hot days and longer dry periods, it is important for gardeners to start planning their outdoor spaces more carefully and choosing plants that can cope with these conditions.
Here are a few tips to help plants currently in the garden that might be suffering and to help conserve water and comply with water restrictions.
Apply a generous layer of mulch over any garden beds, vegie patches and pots. This will help to reduce the amount of moisture that is lost from the soil or potting mix.
During extended dry periods, a waxy, water-repellent layer can develop on the surface of the soil. Soil-wetting agents help to break this down, enabling water to penetrate and thereby making the most of any rain or irrigation that does arrive.
Soil that contains a lot of organic matter can hold more moisture. Regularly mix concentrated sources of organic matter into your soil, such as compost, manure, grass clippings and leaf debris.
It's best to water in the cool of the early morning, which helps hydrate and prepare plants for the heat of the day when evaporation is low.
Instead of letting the cool water from your shower run down the drain while you wait for it to get hot, try placing a bucket underneath the water stream to catch it. You can then reuse this water for your garden.
Use environmentally friendly detergents in your washing and this water can also be saved and used outside.
Even with great care to conserve water, inevitably you will lose some plants in your garden during this dry, hot period and you will want to replace these. Wait until cooler weather arrives (or, even better, good soaking rain) before doing so.
By choosing drought-tolerant plants you will ensure your garden survives when water is scarce in the future and there are plenty of beautiful varieties to choose from.
Here are a few common attributes of plants that are hardier in extreme temperatures and dry conditions.
Fine lacy foliage, like that on conifers, lavender and westringia, reduces surface area, leading to less water loss through the leaves.
Thick, fleshy, waxy leaves store moisture within them, as is the case with succulents and cacti.
Hairy or fuzzy leaves, like lamb's ears and geraniums, keep moisture on the surface of the leaf for longer to allow absorption.
Silver and grey leaves help to reflect harsh rays, thus reducing water loss. Great examples are santolina and senecio cineraria "Silver Dust".
Australian native plants, particularly those endemic to dry, hot areas, are naturally adapted to cope with harsh conditions. Examples in this area are westringia, leptospermum and lomandra.
Large trees provide shelter from the heat for more tender plants and the shade cast by trees reduces the soil temperature, meaning that plants in the understory do not require as much water.
Lawn is a great consumer of water. Think about restructuring gardens and landscaping with gravel and rocks to reduce water consumption.
Take note of any plants currently thriving in your garden and plant more of these.


text:
Home / Film Notes / Hangman's Knot (1952)
Hangman's Knot (1952)
By Toronto Film Society on March 20, 2018
Toronto Film Society presented Hangman's Knot (1952) on Sunday, March 18, 2018 in a double bill with The Man From Colorado as part of the Season 70 Sunday Afternoon Film Buff Series, Programme 6.
Production Company: Columbia. Producer: Harry Joe Brown. Director: Roy Huggins. Screenwriter: Roy Huggins. Cinematography: Charles Lawton, Jr. Editor: Gene Havlick. Art Direction: George Brooks. Art Direction: George Brooks. Set Decoration: Frank Tuttle. Release Date: November 15, 1952.
Cast: Randolph Scott (Major Matt Stewart), Donna Reed (Molly Hull), Claude Jarman, Jr. (Jamie Groves), Frank Faylen (Cass Browne), Glenn Langan (Capt. Petersen), Richard Denning (Lee Kemper), Lee Marvin (Rolph Bainter), Jeanette Nolan (Mrs. Margaret Harris), Clem Bevans (Plunkett, the Station Agent), Ray Teal (Quincey), Guinn "Big Boy" Williams (Smitty), Monte Blue (Maxwell), John Call (Egan Walsh).
Hangman's Knot was the first and last film to be directed by friendly House of Un-American Activities Committee witness and soon-to-be TV maven Roy Huggins. Asked not long before his death whether the imagery of the Confederates traveling undercover and out of uniform which created the surprising impression of armed insurrection by US civilians was meant to be subversive, Huggins responded, "This is a Marxist interpretation and it may be," in the sense that the Civil War was a war of "an imperialist, capitalist country against a colony trying to get away." Huggins evidently had the avidly pro-North Karl Marx confused with someone else, probably the 1920s and 1930s Progressive historians who cast considerable doubt upon the sincerity of erstwhile railroad corporation lawyer Abe Lincoln. But Huggins had apparently affected through his own creative efforts a demi-Marxist interpretation with a twist.
During the HUAC era, threatened with a jail sentence or internment in a concentration camp, separation from his wife and children and long-term blacklisting, Huggins had named Communist Party members. Although the majority of the people Huggins named were already known by the HUAC after being listed in the "Red Channels" booklet, among other sources, Huggins would later admit, "I was ashamed of myself…. I was caught unprepared and had a failure of nerve. I don't think there's any question about it…. To cooperate in that respect, even though the names had already been mentioned, was, I believe, the wrong thing to do. And that's the only part of my part in this thing that I really regret. I was not about to take the Communist Party tone which was to take the Fifth Amendment. I decided I would do two things. I would give them the names that they already had…. I was also going to state what they were doing was wrong."
Following the HUAC hearings, Huggins was approached by Columbia Pictures vice-president Ben Kahane, who offered him a new seven-year contract. Hangman's Knot had been a critical and financial success and Harry Cohn wanted more of the same. The job description on the contract read, "Roy Huggins, hereinafter referred to as the director."
Huggins had no intention of becoming a full-time director but for the time being he remained quiet as Cohn sent him to Sedona, Arizona, to watch a master, Raoul Walsh, at work on Gun Fury. Huggins, with his new bride and second wife Adele Mara, mixed business and pleasure with a honeymoon on location in Sedona with Raoul Walsh as the entertainment. On location, Huggins and Adele were amazed to find Walsh directing scenes with his back to the action. Adele offered the suggestion that Walsh turned his back on scenes that relied more on verbal than visual cues and listening to the actors gave him a better feel for their performances. Huggins had a more practical answer. Walsh was simply not interested and already thinking of the next scene. Although Huggins had no intention of resuming the role of a film director, he admitted he "had learned more about directing on Gun Fury than I had on Hangman's Knot."
Sources: Hide in Plain Sight: The Hollywood Blacklistees in Film and Television, 1950-2002 by Paul Buhle and Dave Wagner (2003); Roy Huggins: Creator of Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip, The Fugitive and the Rockford Files by Paul Green (2014)
Introduction by Caren Feldman
Guinn Terrell Williams had a film career that lasted from 1920 to 1961, but will be remembered by most film buffs as the often slow-witted companion of Alan Hale, Sr. Although they only appeared together in four films, their performances were certainly memorable. Williams was born on April 26, 1899 in Decatur, Texas. His father, Guinn Williams, Sr., was a Democratic congressman and a rancher. Guinn Williams, Jr. was raised on a ranch and learned to ride and do the work of a cowboy. This upbringing certainly helped in his film career. He joined the Army when the U.S. entered World War I. When he came home at the end of the war, now an officer, he found out that his father had secured for him an appointment to West Point. Williams saw no need to attend after his war service; he wanted to be a baseball player. This caused an estrangement from his father that lasted many years. He played on both major and minor league teams but was never able to make a career in baseball.
Williams made his way to Hollywood, where his size and riding ability brought him to the attention of film producers. He became a stunt rider and his first film role was in the 1919 comedy Almost a Husband, with Will Rogers. He became a close friend of Rogers, who gave him the nickname of "Big Boy". Rogers introduced him to the game of polo, where he became a champion player and was called the Babe Ruth of polo. Despite the age difference, Williams and Rogers became great friends. Rogers had a group of close friends that he would get together to go hunting or fishing or on some other "adventure". Williams would get a call from Rogers telling him that he was coming to pick him up; Williams never knew where they were going or for how long they would be gone. They remained close until Rogers' untimely death in 1935.
After Almost a Husband, Guinn Williams appeared in non-credited and supporting roles until he was cast in a large supporting role, in Lucky Star (1929), directed by Frank Borzage and starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. In A Star is Born (1939), he again worked with Janet Gaynor when he was cast as a posture coach. He appeared in The Great Meadow (1931), with Johnny Mack Brown. He continued to appear in western, sports-themed, and outdoor-action films throughout the 1930s as a support player and as a leading man in mostly B-movies. In 1941, he was cast in Universal Pictures' big-budget western serial Riders of Death Valley. He began to appear in more A-movies after that. He appeared in three films with Errol Flynn: Dodge City (1939); Virginia City (1940); and Santa Fe Trail (1940). Alan Hale, Sr. was also in these films, and he and Williams worked so well together that you can't help but think of one when the other is mentioned. Flynn and Williams became friends and Williams was a pall bearer at Flynn's funeral.
Williams was married to three actresses; the first being silent film actress Kathleen Collins, then B-movie actress Barbara Weeks. His last wife was Dorothy Peterson, whom he first met in the 1940s. Before meeting her, he had been engaged to Lupe Vélez, the "Mexican Spitfire". She broke off the engagement at their friend Errol Flynn's home in true Mexican spitfire fashion by breaking a framed portrait of Williams over his head and then urinating on the picture. Throughout his life, Williams was active both in community affairs and in the Methodist churches of Decatur and San Angelo, Texas and of Los Angeles, California. He worked with the regional Agricultural Credit Association; The Production Credit Corporation; The Goat Raisers Association; The Texas Wool and Mohair Company; and the Bankers Association in his home state of Texas and his adopted state of California. His last role was opposite his close friend John Wayne in The Comancheros (1961), directed by Michael Curtiz and John Wayne (uncredited). His health had not been good and he died unexpectedly of uremic poisoning on June 6, 1962, at age 63. It is thought that his years of polo and other sports had contributed to the condition.
Notes by Bruce Whittaker
Related ItemsClaude Jarman Jr.Donna ReedGuinn "Big Boy" WilliamsHangman's Knot (1952)Lee MarvinMonday Buff 70Monte BlueRandolph SocttRoy HugginsSeason 70
←Previous The Naked Jungle (1954)
Next → Excuse My Dust (1920) and Sherlock, Jr. (1924)
Intolerance (1916)
Cape Fear (1962) and The Killers (1964)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Redesign Your Marriage
Marriage Redesign
Overcome a Marriage Crisis
Marriage Crisis
Marriage Transition & Mediation
Adoption Mediation
Meet Ryder – Our Newest Member & Therapy Dog
JEANNINE CROFTON
Resolvology has added a new member to our team. Ryder is our 8-month-old Golden doodle puppy. Ryder was chosen from a litter of nine puppies and we chose him because he displayed a friendly yet calm disposition. We have been working with Ryder to socialize him and prepare him to be a working dog. Ryder has attended a ten-week training program to help him with basic training. He will attend further training closer to his first job in the therapy office.
Ryder is an excellent traveller, has a thing for socks and sweaty feet and has ingested many a sock. He already has had surgery to remove a sock that wouldn't pass and had the pleasure of wearing a cone for a few weeks. Ryder quickly chows down on his kibble and will greet a stranger with a big tail wag whenever allowed to do so.
Therapy dogs (animal assisted dogs) have been show to help people who attend Psychotherapy to feel more comfortable and to reduce anxiety and depression (Beetz et all 2012). Animal Assisted Psychotherapy means that the working dog assists the therapist to work on the relational interaction between the therapist and the client. A therapist understands the person animal bond may be an opportunity to examine relationships in the moment. (Bachi and Paris-Platt, 2016).
Meet Ryder the therapy dog!
Animal assisted therapy can be helpful with a variety of populations and it can help address various issues. Adults, children, couples and the elderly all have been shown to benefit from the presence of a therapy dog (Beetz et al 2012). Presenting issues of anxiety, trauma and relational issues are area of practice that can benefit from animal assisted therapy.
How this happens is that animals can reduce the amount of oxytocin, a stress hormone, that is generated when we are feeling overwhelmed. (Barker, Pandurangi and Best, 2005). Interestingly in this particular study animal assisted therapy did not positively impact depression. That finding is not consistent among all research into the impact of therapy dogs on depression.
When introducing my services I am clear to mention that a positive relationship between the therapist and the client is one of the main contributors to a successful outcome. Wesley, Minatrea, and Watson in 2009 concluded that the therapeutic alliance between therapist and client can be enhanced by the presence of a therapy dog.
"Therapy dogs (animal assisted dogs) have been show to help people who attend Psychotherapy to feel more comfortable and to reduce anxiety and depression."
What many people do not know is that being a therapy dog is stressful for the animal. The work increases the amount of cortisol released by the dog. For this reason animal assisted dogs should not be working too early in their lives and when they do work they should be given breaks just like human workers get (Beetz et al 2012).
Our plan for Ryder is to socialize him by ensuring he is comfortable in many places, with many people and once he gets to be 18 months old we will slowly incorporate him into the therapy process. Clients will have an opportunity to have him in the room by request.
Bachi, Keren and Nancy Parish-Plass. (2016). Animal-assisted psychotherapy: A unique relational therapy for children and adolescents. https://doi.org/10.1177/135910451667549
Barker, Pandurangi and Best (2003). Effects of animal-assisted therapy on patients' anxiety, fear and depression before ECT. Vol 1: 33-44.
Beetz, Andrea and Kerstin Uvnas-Moberg, Henri Julius and Kurt Kotrshal (2012). Psychosocial and Psychological Effects of Human Animal Interactions: The Possible role of Oxytocin.
E Paul Cherniack and Ariella R. Cherniak ( 2014). The benefit of Pets and Animal-Assisted Therapy to the Health of Older Individuals. The Geriatrics Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Ready to create your next relationship?
Start with a free 20 minute phone consultation.
An Associate at Fong Ailon
115 – 1st Street SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 0B3
Copyright 2018©


At the Personality Plant, robots are being built and slowly outfitted with the artificial memories of real people. Suzu is one such robot, being made to replace the young boy a family has lost. By chance, he meets Hitori, a young girl suffering from progressive memory loss. The two children become friends and attempt to define themselves in the light of their changing memories.


text:
Baker Elementary School
Barack H. Obama Magnet School
Barr Elementary School
Bates Elementary School
Casey Elementary School
Clausell Elementary School
Dawson Elementary School
Galloway Elementary School
Green Elementary School
Isable Elementary School
John Hopkins Elementary School
Key Elementary School
Lester Elementary School
McLeod Elementary School
McWillie Elementary School
Oak Forest Elementary School
Pecan Park Elementary School
Power APAC Elementary School
Raines Elementary School
Smith Elementary School
Spann Elementary School
Sykes Elementary School
Timberlawn Elementary School
Van Winkle Elementary School
Walton Elementary School
Watkins Elementary School
Wilkins Elementary School
Bailey APAC Middle School
Blackburn Laboratory Middle School
Brinkley Middle School
Cardozo Middle School
Chastain Middle School
Hardy Middle School
Henry J. Kirksey Middle School
Northwest Jackson Middle School
Peeples Middle School
Powell Middle School
Re-Engaging in Education for All to Progress
Siwell Middle School
Whitten Middle School
Callaway High School
Forest Hill High School
Jim Hill High School
Lanier High School
Murrah High School
Provine High School
Wingfield High School
Capital City Alternative School
Michelle Obama Early College High School
Let's Talk! Galloway
About Galloway
Galloway Photo Galleries
Brown, Kimberly
*Faculty/Staff Directory
*Administration
Reading Fair
Summer Reading!
JPS Unveils Organizational Chart for the 2019-2020 School Year
At the April 2, 2019, meeting of the JPS School Board, JPS Superintendent Dr. Errick L. Greene proposed and the Board unanimously approved a plan to restructure the school district. Greene presented to the Board six leadership positions that will be significantly revised or newly created effective July 1.
Dr. Greene stated that the goal of this effort is to ensure that every JPS student has the best opportunity to receive an excellent education.
"These positions are largely focused on our efforts to transform teaching and learning in Jackson Public Schools and begin to provide the structures necessary for greater effectiveness and alignment to the needs of the District," said Dr. Greene.
To summarize, these changes are as follows:
The Deputy Superintendent of Academics will become the Chief Academic Officer. He will oversee each of the Assistant Superintendents and other school support areas.
Research and Accountability will become Data and Accountability. The office will be moved from the Deputy Superintendent of Academics to the Chief of Staff which is responsible for keeping the District on course in progressing through its strategic plan.
Public and Media Relations will become Public Engagement and the responsibilities of the office will be expanded.
Student Support Services will become the Office of Climate and Wellness.
The Curriculum and Professional Development offices will be merged into the Office of Teaching and Learning in an effort to bring together teacher development and curriculum in a way that leads to effective implementation of curricular content in classrooms.
An Assistant Superintendent role was added, increasing the number from four to five. Assistant Superintendents will be assigned a group of schools based on grade level instead of feeder pattern. This move will reduce the number of schools under each administrator's supervision. There will be three Assistant Superintendents for elementary schools, one for middle schools, and one for high schools.
A Chief Talent Officer position will be added, although the role will not be funded or filled until after the 2019-2020 school year. In the meantime, the District will focus on enhancing teaching and learning effectiveness as it studies staffing needs and the best approaches for meeting them.
"We believe there is a great need for a Chief Talent Officer in JPS," said Dr. Greene. "But we want to focus on fortifying our teaching and learning efforts first and building towards a stronger talent strategy to transform the District over time."
In the upcoming school year, five division chiefs will report directly to the Superintendent—the Chief of Staff, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Academic Officer, General Counsel, and Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Talent Officer will ultimately report to the Superintendent when the position is filled sometime after the 2019-2020 school year. District administrators believe this will result in a cost savings of nearly $1 million in addition to creating the framework for delivering on the promise of transforming lives through excellent education.
"I'm glad to see this moving forward," said Dr. Robert Luckett. "It's an exciting time for Jackson Public Schools. I appreciate the work and thought and effort that you and your team have put into helping us begin the process of transforming this District."
Download the 2019-2020 JPS Organizational Chart (PDF) for reference.
Jackson Schools Superintendent Announces Restructuring Plan, WAPT, April 23, 2019
186 Idlewild Street, Jackson, MS 39203
Phone (601) 960-5313 Fax


Character education is an essential part of the curriculum and co-curriculum. In kindergarten, students are introduced to character strengths as they discuss strategies for managing their emotions, solving problems, and getting along with others. Teachers welcome mistakes, praise effort, and encourage risk-taking as ways of building independence and confidence. In third grade, students choose a personalized "passion project," paving the way for independent work in fourth and fifth grade.
While the development of self-awareness and independence is nurtured, Riverdale also teaches children how to be engaged members of their community by emphasizing written, oral, digital, visual, and quantitative communication skills; cultural fluency, adaptability, and empathy; and collaboration with diverse teams.
The importance of community can be seen throughout the Lower School. The daily morning meeting allows time for discussion of character and community as it relates to current events. Daily routines require teamwork and collaboration. In kindergarten and first grade, children study the Riverdale community and how they can make a difference to others. The buddy program, which pairs an older class with a younger class, creates friendships across the grades and contributes to a cohesive and supportive culture. Environmental education includes composting and recycling, responsibilities that the students take on in the lunchroom every day.
Issues related to equity and justice are introduced in bi-weekly, all-school assemblies, and discussed further in home base. Diverse communities and cultures are celebrated in assemblies, special lunch menus, and building displays, and discussed further in home base.


text:
Q: An integral identity. P. Dravek and G. Holubova, Elements of Partial Differential Equations, Section 3.4 Exercise 21 Part c):

Fix $x\in \mathbb{R}$ and $y>0$. Show that:
  $$\int_{0}^\infty e^{-y\sqrt{1+t^2}}\cos(xt)dt=\frac{y}{\sqrt{x^2+y^2}}\int_{0}^\infty e^{-\sqrt{1+t^2}\sqrt{x^2+y^2}}dt.$$

How to solve? Change of variable? Maybe use polar coordinates?

A: We may write
$$\begin{align*}
2\int_{0}^\infty e^{-y\sqrt{1+t^2}}\cos(xt)\ \mathrm dt = \int_{-\infty}^\infty e^{-y\sqrt{1+t^2}+ixt}\mathrm dt &=\int_{-\infty}^\infty e^{-y\cosh u+ix\sinh u}\cosh u\ \mathrm du
\end{align*}$$ by making substitution $t = \sinh u$. Let $\alpha\in (-\frac\pi{2},\frac\pi{2})$ be such that
$$
\cos\alpha  =\frac{y}r=\frac{y}{\sqrt{x^2+y^2}}, \quad \sin\alpha =\frac{-x}r= \frac{-x}{\sqrt{x^2+y^2}}.
$$ Then, we have
$$\begin{align*}
\frac{y\cosh u-ix\sinh u}{r}&=\cos \alpha\cosh u +i\sin \alpha\sinh u\\&=\cosh(i\alpha)\cosh u +\sinh(i\alpha)\sinh u\\ &=\cosh(u+i\alpha).
\end{align*}$$ It follows by Cauchy's integral formula
$$\begin{align*}
\int_{-\infty}^\infty e^{-y\cosh u+ix\sinh u}\cosh u\ \mathrm du&=\int_{-\infty}^\infty e^{-r\cosh(z+i\alpha)}\cosh z\ \mathrm dz\\
&=\int_{-\infty}^\infty e^{-r\cosh z}\cosh (z-i\alpha)\ \mathrm dz\\
&=\int_{-\infty}^\infty e^{-r\cosh u}\left(\cos\alpha \cosh u -i\sin\alpha\sinh u\right)\ \mathrm du\\
&=\int_{-\infty}^\infty e^{-r\sqrt{1+t^2}}\left(\cos\alpha  -i\sin\alpha\frac{t}{\sqrt{1+t^2}}\right)\ \mathrm dt\\
&=\cos\alpha \int_{-\infty}^\infty e^{-r\sqrt{1+t^2}}\ \mathrm dt\\
&=\frac{2y}{\sqrt{x^2+y^2}}\int_{0}^\infty e^{-\sqrt{x^2+y^2}\sqrt{1+t^2}}\ \mathrm dt.
\end{align*}$$ Hence
$$
\int_{0}^\infty e^{-y\sqrt{1+t^2}}\cos(xt)\ \mathrm dt = \frac{y}{\sqrt{x^2+y^2}}\int_{0}^\infty e^{-\sqrt{x^2+y^2}\sqrt{1+t^2}}\ \mathrm dt.
$$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Are you inspired by someone in the city of Spokane who has made significant contributions to the development and quality of life in our community?
Why does this individual deserve recognition?
How has this individual's achievements brought recognition to Spokane and/or contributed to Spokane's development and quality of life?
Be available to attend the awards ceremony at the Spokane Public Library, 906 W Main, 7:30 to 9:30 am.
After all nominations have been received, the community selection committee will review the nominations. A meeting of the committee will be held in late February to determine and select the citizens to be honored from each of the categories. There will be three citizens chosen as finalists in each category.
A breakfast will be held on Wednesday, May 1st, 2019 at 7:30 am in the Community Lens in the Downtown branch of the Spokane Public Library to honor the individuals. Doors will open at 7 am.
For questions, reach out to Sarah Bain, 509-444-5318 or foundation@spokanelibrary.org.
The Selection Committee is comprised of representatives from a cross section of citizens that represent people in all six categories spanning professional organizations, educational institutions and service groups along with members of City Hall and the Spokane Public Library Foundation Board of Directors.


The DELETE key does not work as expected when trying to rename a database object in Object Explorer.
The DELETE key does not work as expected when trying to rename a database object in Object Explorer. The BACKSPACE key works correctly.
Indeed this is not working, even in 17.9. I suspect I crossed the wires or something when I posted the comment.
The good news is that we have it fixed in our current development branch, so this could (finally and for real) go out with our next major release of SSMS. Stay tuned.
Have you tried it in the Latest SSMS 17.6? it is working as expected.
I can confirm it doesn't work in SSMS 17.7.
I can confirm it doesn't work in SSMS 17.6.
I've just tried using the delete key when renaming a table in SSMS 17.6 and it does not work. Nothing happens when I use the delete key on my keyboard to "forward-delete" within the name, even though the backspace key does work when attempting to "backward-delete". This is on Windows 10, renaming a table by clicking on the table name in the Object Explorer pane on the left-hand side of SSMS. Using the delete key has never worked for me on SSMS in this scenario.


Runtime errors in Windows XP usually occur when the program that is being used is having some problems. Likely, when you get a runtime error, the program will automatically shut down and you will lose all unsaved data. This can be very frustrating and can create much stress especially if you were doing something important. For most people, it is imperative that these problems get fixed as soon as possible. So, to help you better understand what these runtime errors are, I will discuss a couple of popular ones and explain how to fix them.
The fist common runtime error is runtime error 424. Error 424 is just one of the many errors that you may come across when using Windows XP operating system software. The message is displayed as "Run-time error '424': Object required", means that the program you are trying to run has experienced a programming error that has resulted in the program's failure. You will find that this message is often displayed when someone is trying to use Microsoft Access 2000 while attempting to run MS Office Chart Wizard. This takes place when he is still on the data access page.
There are a couple of different ways that you can fix runtime error 424. If you really need to use the Office Chart, then the best thing to do is to uninstall Internet Explorer 6.0 or use a computer that does not have IE 6.0 installed on its hard drive. There are other Internet browsers out there that are just as good as IE, if not better, such as Firefox. Another way to fix this error would be to avoid using the chart wizard at all, if possible. You can do this by right clicking on the chart that you are working on and selecting the "Property Toolbox" that is found in the corresponding menu.
When runtime error 53 appears on your screen, this means that the file you are looking for cannot be found. Error 53 is one of the most common errors that Windows XP users get. Most people get this error when they are trying to use a new software or hardware, after it has been successfully installed into the computer. This is because one of the files that is needed to run the program could either be missing, corrupted or not installed. The unavailability of this file results in the program producing the runtime error, thus, preventing the program from opening.
There are a couple of easy ways that you can fix runtime error 53. One way to fix this error would be to completely uninstall and reinstall the program you are trying to run. You can do this by going into the control panel and selecting add/remove programs and then clicking on the program and clicking remove. You can also fix this error by updating the software or the drivers for the new hardware you are trying to use. If neither of these methods work, contact the company you bought the hardware or software from.
These are only two of the many runtime errors that can occur when using Windows XP. Most runtime errors have easy fixes, but if you run into a problem that you cannot find a solution for, it is time to call in the professionals. Remember, if your computer is under warranty, do not attempt to open it. Doing so could void your warranty. If you find that the computer is not working, send it in for repairs.
Click Here to get your runtime errors fixed for free. Logan Albright helps thousands of people optimize their computers through a proper computer check up. He is an authority on troubleshooting computer problems at http://www.pcaholic.com .


text:
Q: Contact Listener has no effect in Libgdx I am working on Libgdx collision detection between bodies and I tried implementing it using contact Listener but it has no effect in my code.
Here is my code
public class FirstLevel implements Screen{
......
private Player player;
......
...
Gdx.input.setInputProcessor(player);
world.setContactListener(player);
....
}

"Player" is a class which implements contactListener and InputProcessor.
Here is the Player class
public class Player implements Screen, InputProcessor,ContactListener {
private Body polybody,polybodys;
private Player player;
private World world;
boolean Colliding ;
private Body enemybody;
private Sprite polysprite;
public final float width,height;
private Rectangle rectangle;
private Vector2 movement=new Vector2();
 private float speed=580;
 private Body rec;

    public Player(World world,float x,float y,float width)
   {
    this.width=width; //IMP
    height=width*2;
    BodyDef polygon=new BodyDef();
    polygon.type=BodyType.DynamicBody;
    polygon.position.set(x,y); //
    PolygonShape poly =new PolygonShape();
    poly.setAsBox(width/2,height/2); //
    polygon.position.set(5,4);
    FixtureDef polyfixture=new FixtureDef();
    polyfixture.shape=poly;
    polyfixture.friction=0.8f;
    polyfixture.restitution=0.1f;
    polyfixture.density=3;

    //creating actual body
     polybody=world.createBody(polygon);
     polybody.createFixture(polyfixture).setUserData(polygon);
     polysprite=new Sprite(new Texture("img/car.jpg"));
     polysprite.setSize(2, 3); //size of mario
     polysprite.setOrigin(polysprite.getWidth()/2, polysprite.getHeight()/2);
     polybody.setUserData(polysprite);
     BodyDef polygons=new BodyDef();
     polygons.type=BodyType.DynamicBody;
     PolygonShape polys=new PolygonShape();
     polys.setAsBox(2,2);
     FixtureDef polyxfixture=new FixtureDef();
     polyxfixture.shape=polys;
     polyxfixture.friction=0.8f;
     polyxfixture.restitution=0.1f;
     polyxfixture.density=3;
     polybodys=world.createBody(polygons);
     polybodys.createFixture(polyxfixture).setUserData(polygons);
     poly.dispose();
     }
     public void update()
      {
     polybody.applyForceToCenter(movement, true);
     polybodys.applyForceToCenter(movement,true);
      }

    public Body getBody(){
     {
   return polybody;
     }
   }

     @Override
     public boolean keyDown(int keycode) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
     switch (keycode) {
     case Keys.W:
       movement.y=speed;
     break;
     case Keys.S:
       movement.y=-speed;
     break;
     case Keys.D:
       movement.x=speed;
     break;
     case Keys.A:
       movement.x=-speed;
    }
   return true;
  }

    @Override
    public boolean keyUp(int keycode) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
    switch (keycode) {
    case Keys.W:
      movement.y=0;
    break;
    case Keys.S:
      movement.y=0;
    break;
    case Keys.D:
      movement.x=0;
    break;
 case Keys.A:
     movement.x=0;
}
   return true;
    }

  @Override
   public boolean touchDown(int screenX, int screenY, int pointer, int   button) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
 movement.x =speed;
 Gdx.app.log("Example", "touch done ");
     return true;

    }

   @Override
   public void beginContact(Contact contact) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub

Fixture fixtureA=contact.getFixtureA();
Fixture fixtureB=contact.getFixtureB();
if(fixtureA.getUserData() != null && fixtureA.getUserData().equals(polybody) &&
        fixtureB.getUserData() !=null && fixtureB.getUserData().equals(polybodys)){
    Gdx.app.log("Contact","1");
    System.out.println("its colliding");

}

if(fixtureB.getUserData() !=null && fixtureB.getUserData().equals(polybodys) &&
        fixtureA.getUserData() !=null && fixtureA.getUserData().equals(polybody))
{
    System.out.println("its colliding");
}

   }
   }

This is my code and "polybody and polybodys" are two bodies. I want to detect collision between the two bodies. I am not able to detect any collision when the body collides. Please help. Thanks in advance.

A: You are setting the userData of polybody to be  polysprite:
polybody.setUserData(polysprite);

But, in the collision detection code, you are checking for a different type of userData:
if(fixtureB.getUserData() !=null && fixtureB.getUserData().equals(polybodys) &&
        fixtureA.getUserData() !=null && fixtureA.getUserData().equals(polybody))

So the condition will always be false. It seems this condition:
fixtureA.getUserData() !=null && fixtureA.getUserData().equals(polybody))

should be this:
fixtureA.getUserData() !=null && fixtureA.getUserData().equals(polysprite))


Here's another form of social networking – a conference you can only attend if someone else invites you. Sounds like a party not a conference to me!
It'll be interesting to see how it progresses over the years. On a related note, Google's gmail beta service is only available via invite by somebody else who has service. I think that definitely adds to the mystic and gives them great publicity.


Save money buy heavy duty privacy fence Factory direct. View many vinyl privacy fencing styles online. Fast ship, 24/7 A+ Customer Service. ... Mocha Walnut Vinyl Fence - ON SALE NOW! Beautiful!! Mocha Walnut Wood Grain Vinyl Fence that will not fade!


If you need a company to provide bank runs for your organisation then look no further than Secure Cash. We have been providing bank runs for over 20 years and for some of Australia' largest organisations.
Secure Cash is fully capable of providing professional assistance for your bank runs. We take pride in our years of experience and expertise in bank runs, ensuring our clients a smooth and sustainable cash flow to efficiently run their operations. Our unmarked bank run vehicles will pick up your takings at your specified days in a week or a month and transfer them to your chosen location. We can hold your money in our depots and transfer the funds on another date or deposit them on the very same day.
Our couriers can be fully trusted to do your bank runs for you and you are free to verify their identification through a specially designed online system, through which you can also monitor the status and movement of your bank run. Dressed in plain clothes, they are trained to move discreetly and are able to easily blend in with the crowd without drawing attention and posing unnecessary risks. They do not carry firearms as well for the safety of your employees.
Our bank runs are designed according to your organisation's specific needs. We aim to deliver customised solutions that cater to your budget and schedule. You can avail our bank runs including cash collection, cash delivery, or cash counting services at times when you need them without having to sign any binding contract. You are free to call and book a bank run anytime you need one. We operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week's including special holidays.
Booking our bank runs can be done quickly and simply by visiting our website and submitting online. Secure Cash is one of the biggest and most trusted bank run providers in Australia, servicing all states and localities. With five depots in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Melbourne, we are fully equipped to run any amount of cash to the bank for small to big business and organisation in any industry.
Secure Cash was established in 1992 with a management team that has a combined experience of 150 years in bank runs. We are among the first companies to offer bank runs for various companies first in Brisbane, and later on to all parts of Australia. We are a government licensed and security accredited organisation whom you can rely on to handle your banking runs with efficiency and in a timely manner. If you choose us for your bank run needs, you can rest at ease that your business is in good hands.
In the years we have spent as one of the country's top provider of bank runs, we have consistently assessed our services and upgraded our technology to meet our clients evolving needs and expanding demands. Our processes have been fine-tuned and our staff rigorously screened and trained. Despite all these benefits, you will be delighted that our bank runs are affordable and flexible.


Azra Moheyuddin is one of the oldest and popular actresses in Pakistan. She is a famous television actress in Pakistan. She appeared n various dramas and got so much praised. Her popular dramas are Meri Zaat Zarra e Benisahn, Nanhi, Shikwa Nahi Kisi Se, Rihaai and many more. She is very talented television actress of her time.