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PURE launches Contour, a new form of digital and internet radio with iPod dock
Written by Ben Hardwidge
Companies: #pure
The ultimate functionality in the ultimate style
London, UK, 5th January 2011: PURE, the world leading radio maker, presents Contour, a stereo internet-connected digital radio and media streamer with retractable iPod/iPhone dock which stands out as much for its looks as it does for its powerful audio delivery.
With an SRP of £199.99, Contour is the seventh member of PURE's growing internet-connected Flow range and like the award-winning AVANTI Flow incorporates PURE's Clearsound™ technology*, which delivers clear dynamic audio, higher volume levels and low power consumption. Contour has been designed with an acoustically tuned and sealed cabinet with dual bass ports to deliver unparalleled volume, clarity and response from 18 KHz down to less than 50 Hz.
Contour also includes video outputs (component, S-Video and composite) to allow users to view YouTube videos and videos stored on their iPhone or iPod on their TV.
Using a Wi-Fi connection, Contour enables the user to stream their digital music collection from a Wi-Fi enabled computer or media server. Thousands of internet radio stations and on demand programmes from around the world can also be streamed on Contour through the Wi-Fi connection. Also available via PURE's online portal, The Lounge (www.thelounge.com) is a unique selection of ambient PURE Sounds for relaxation and FlowSongs*, PURE's ground-breaking, cloud-based music service that allows the user to identify (tag) tracks playing on any radio station and buy them directly from any PURE radio with Flow technology.
Featuring a stylish black crescent shape with silver surround, backlit touch-sensitive controls and smooth, clean lines, Contour will stand out in any room.
Part of Apple's "Made for iPod" and "Made for iPhone" programmes, Contour comes with a retractable iPod/ iPhone dock with smooth damped movement and a fully featured remote control. Other features include DAB, FM, a 3.5mm auxiliary input for an iPod/ MP3 player, 3.5mm stereo headphone output, USB connector for software upgrades or optional Ethernet adaptor and 3.5mm component video / s-video output and RCA composite video output.
Contour is part of EcoPlus™, a statement of PURE's ethical philosophy and ongoing commitment to looking after the environment. All PURE products are designed to minimise their environmental impact and manufactured in ethically approved and audited facilities. They have reduced power consumption in operation and standby, use recycled packaging materials, have the smallest possible packaging and components selected to minimise environmental impact.
Please visit www.pure.com/ www.thelounge.com or call 0845 1489001 for more information.
*PURE Clearsound is a new digital end-to-end audio solution using high-quality Class D amplifiers and digital audio shaping technology to provide clear dynamic audio, higher volume levels and low power consumption.
**FlowSongs is currently exclusive to UK customers as a public beta with an international roll to follow.
PURE is the world's leading manufacturer of broadcast and internet-connected digital radios, the number one supplier of digital radios in Europe and the creator of the EVOKE-1S, the world's most popular and iconic digital radio. PURE radios increasingly support all the broadcast standards in the DAB family used across all key markets in Europe and beyond. PURE is also leading the way in internet-connected radios based on its Flow technology and the PURE Lounge portal (www.thelounge.com). Designed and engineered in the UK, all of PURE's products are manufactured with the environment in mind and at ethically audited facilities. PURE is a division of Imagination Technologies Group plc. See www.pure.com


The men's interest in the women generally increased after watching the videos but it increased significantly more if their male peer in the video appeared to be interested in the women and if the men were considered as attractive or more so than the study participant. Or should I be sorry to the people who loved [Eunhyuk]?
So much feeling the final episode.
Wooyoung once said "IU is a very wise and simple. So that they will be together forever I pray. And girl's only doing that gesture for person that we love After the show-off, they both tried to cover up and make it seem as if nothing was going on between them, but their fans shunned it off and asked them to stop pretending not to.
And I knew wooyoung like it a lot Arh I love this couple so much. IU fell in love with Jang Ki-ha at first sight when she was in radio broadcasting and it was the start of IU and Jang Ki-ha getting to know each other and becoming a couple.
Speed dating involves sessions in which men and women have numerous "mini dates," each date lasting about three minutes. It is the only couple that made me feel sad and regretful when they were about to apart in their last episode.
They managed to build a neat chemistry that hypnotized the audience. If they are dating, I rather them do it secretly because like most of the celebrity say that if you are not going to marry them, then don't announce your relationship.
I love how she caring her baby-husband sincerely. She is cool in one side but always caring in other side. They look cute together.
It was really big. The study participants were IU students and the speed-dating was conducted in Germany. Also, their manager had been with them at the theater as well.
Then we ate some food and we it was a little late I said good bye and we pecked each other's lips and I walk inside.
They even spend time together for relaxing outside of their busy schedule.
However, he does not seem to have any intentions of getting married soon because he really has a lot of work to do. A few days, we all went out after I said I'll be paying that day, but I don't know if Wooyoung oppa wanted to play a prank on me, but he reserved seatings at a barbecue meat restaurant pretty pricey in Korea.
And the people around him already knew from his voice when it Wooyoung 7.
After the Dream High end, IU and IU Wooyoung eat together and who will treat Wooyoung, but in the middle Spark dating dinner, he was confused by the current bill and would pay was already paid by Wooyoung.


The following three individuals were nominated by SpineEX as the independent board members and have served on the board since July, 2017.
William Enquist: former President of Global Endoscopy, Stryker Corporation; Chairman of the Board, EndoChoice, Inc.
Paul Arnold: Professor, Vice Chair of Research, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Kansas Medical Center; Neurotrauma Consultant, National Football League.
Pat LaVecchia: Founding Principal, LaVecchia Capital LLC; Managing Director and Head of the Private Equity Placement Group, Bear, Stearns & Company (1994 to 1997); Group Head of Global Private Corporate Equity Placements, Credit Suisse First Boston (1997 to 2000).
COPYRIGHT © 2018 SpineEX Inc.
© 2018 Copyright - SpineEx, Inc.


Only Losers Follow Professional Sports!
Each evening when I get home I sit at the kitchen table, readying myself for yet another wonderful home cooked meal. I switch the television to one of the local stations to see what is going on in and around Houston, the country and world. I enjoy the local news broadcast, up until they switch to sports. "Sports is NOT news!" I'll say in an elevated tone. Hastily looking for the remote and changing the channel before I am subjected to a complete waste of my time. I usually tune to a rerun of "The Simpsons".
My wife explains to me, each time I complain, that some, albeit most people DO think sports is news. My retort is always, there are so many ways for people to receive news and information these days, can't they get their SPORTS information elsewhere?!?! Then I remember ESPN. A channel dedicated to sports! With the advent of HD TV local stations now have additional channels. Can't one of those extra channels be used for sports? She doesn't follow sports either and is quite happy I don't. I think she just likes fighting with me, but I digress.
I did follow sports, years ago, before reaching adulthood. Not so much football or basketball, but baseball. I played baseball and loved the game. I watched the Astro's and year after year I was bitterly disappointed by their lack luster performance. It wasn't until I saw a Jerry Seinfeld comedy routine on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson (yes I'm that old) in which Mr. Seinfeld said something to the effect that you aren't rooting for the players as much as you are rooting for the jerseys! Players come and go, but the jerseys stay. How silly to want a team of laundry to win over a competing team of shirts, pants and caps!
Perhaps I would have felt different if I was supporting a winning team, but I really think that over time I would have come to realize that following sports is nothing but a losing proposition. I guess it depends on your definition of losing, and winning. If you follow a team long enough they are bound to win. Given the right set of circumstances they may even win the season. Most of the time they lose. They lose the game, they lose the series or they lose the season. When you go to the sport arena that your tax dollars paid for (loss of tax dollars) you lose your money on over priced tickets to watch over priced players while eating an EXTREMELY over priced hot dogs and drinking an container of what should be fine wine or champagne!
As I see it there is no way to WIN following professional sports. The very nature of sports says there are winners and losers. What you may not have considered is just how much you have lost following professional sports. Time, money, and perhaps, at times, your sanity.
In an effort to give full disclosure here, I do want to say I really don't care if you follow sports. We all have our things that make life interesting and exciting. Some of the things I like I am sure you would find dull. Where I can appreciate the effort and skill put forth in a winning catch, run, etc… I am just not willing to put forth the time and effort sitting through endless hours of sport "entertainment". I do not begrudge your vast knowledge of sports related information, nor your ability to spend hours and hours of discussions while swilling beer talking to your friends about what team is going to make it all the way this year.
I just wish I didn't have to watch sports on the news.
Tony, I'm a huge sports fan, but I don't have any problem with what you have written. All you are really saying is that it's not for you and that's fine. As a long time sports fan, I have scaled back my viewing, simply because there is more to life and I spend plenty of time with it as it is. Plus, years of listening to and watching Raider fans make asses of themselves made me realize that an obsession with sports can be unhealthy.


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Curimata is a genus of toothless characins from tropical South America, with 13 currently described species:
 Curimata acutirostris Vari & R. E. dos Reis, 1995
 Curimata aspera (Günther, 1868)
 Curimata cerasina Vari, 1984
 Curimata cisandina (W. R. Allen, 1942)
 Curimata cyprinoides (Linnaeus, 1766)
 Curimata incompta Vari, 1984
 Curimata inornata Vari, 1989
 Curimata knerii (Steindachner, 1876)
 Curimata macrops (C. H. Eigenmann & R. S. Eigenmann, 1889)
 Curimata mivartii (Steindachner, 1878)
 Curimata ocellata (C. H. Eigenmann & R. S. Eigenmann, 1889)
 Curimata roseni Vari, 1989
 Curimata vittata (Kner, 1858)

References

Curimatidae
Fish of South America

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text: Wraps an expression in a setOf() call.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The whole leg of ham hanging in the window and butcher's block inside instantly indicate that what you get at this upmarket deli is fresh, quality produce sourced from the most reputable suppliers. Lying in the heart of media land, it's a favourite with advertising, film and magazine types who come here for a lunchtime sarnie to take-out to Soho Square (they'd stay but sadly there's no seating). If you are after a seat - and a sticky treat - visit their coffee shop of the same name around the corner in Beak Street where they also do a fantastic fry-up for breakfast.
What are the best dining options near Fernandez and Wells Food & Wine London?
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The best pubs near London Fernandez and Wells Food & Wine.
Fernandez and Wells Food & Wine clubs, bars, cabaret nights, casinos and interesting nightlife.
Where to have your meeting, conference, exhibition, private dining or training course near Fernandez and Wells Food & Wine.
From cheap budget hotels to luxury 5 star hotels see our deals for Fernandez and Wells Food & Wine hotels, including No 5 Maddox Street London from 75% off.


Pastor Steve Buechler is a graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, and was ordained by the Metropolitan Washington DC Synod in 1991. Since 2002, Pastor Steve has served Prince of Peace. His ministry at Prince of Peace focuses on worship, outreach, Confirmation ministry, stewardship and administration. In 2009, Pastor Steve travelled to many biblical sites during his sabbatical ( you can read more about his learning and experiences on Pastor Steve's travel blog), and again in 2013. He enjoys teaching about his experiences there, and looks forward to leading a trip to the Holy Land in October of 2019!
Pastor Christine Dunn is a graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. She holds her undergraduate degree from Ohio University, with a BSED in special education and a minor in music. Pastor Christine has a great love for 'church in community,' which grew from her travels in Central America. Pastor Christine's teaching background, her natural bend towards questioning, and her love of community shape who she is as a pastor. She has four children (Carter, Jackson, Cooper and Maddie) who light up her world on a daily basis. Additionally, she's an avid marathon runner, a very amateur painter, and a writer. She maintains a blog on faith and family, which is a good glimpse into her daily life of faith.
Danielle Drobny received her B.A. in Music Performance and Education from Greensboro College, and has served at Prince of Peace since August 2005. As the music coordinator and accomplished pianist, she plays piano for our 8:30am Sunday contemporary service, the organ for our Sunday 11am traditional service and accompanies our band, Grace Notes, on the keyboard. Danielle also directs our youth Hand Bell Choir. She works full time as the music and performing arts teacher/chapel coordinator at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac, MD. Danielle also works as the Saturday evening pianist at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Washington, DC. In her spare time, she teaches private piano and maintains a large piano studio.
Lindsey Paradise directs our Adult Choir each Wednesday evening and on Sundays when they sing at the 11 am service, Christmas, Easter and other special occasions.
Michaela is a high school Senior who provides child care during our Sunday services.


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President pays pre-Tết visit to Coast Guard Zone 3
Update: January, 31/2018 - 10:12
President Trần Đại Quang visit to the Coast Guard Zone 3 High Command in the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu on January 30.— VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng
BÀ RỊA - VŨNG TÀU – President Trần Đại Quang praised the role played by the coast guard force in protecting national sovereignty over sea and islands during a pre-Tet visit to the Coast Guard Zone 3 High Command in the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu on January 30.
Talking with the officers and soldiers, the President said the marine police force had performed well its tasks in helping the Central Military Commission and the Defence Ministry propose to the Party and the State timely and accurate policies and solutions to handling complicated incidents at sea, contributing to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for national development.
The President also lauded the force's good work in monitoring the operation of foreign vessels and protecting maritime economic activities, as well as in the fight against smuggling and trade fraud, and rescue operations at sea.
He asked the marine police force and the Coast Guard Zone 3 to continue monitoring the situation in close coordination with the navy, border guard, coastal military zones, and all-level Party Committees and authorities, especially in supervising foreign ships and uncovering plots and activities of hostile forces and criminals.
President Quang also asked the marine police force to step up international cooperation, exchange information about violations of Vietnam's waters with their counterparts through hotlines, and keep close monitoring of the operation of Vietnamese ships abroad. He told the force to prevent ships in the blacklist of the UN Security Council anchoring at Vietnam's seaports.
In 2017, the Coast Guard Zone 3 received 934 Vietnamese fishermen from Indonesia who had been captured for illegal fishing in the country's waters.
In November, the unit also rescued 52 people stranded on islands and offshore fishing farms during typhoon Damrey.
On this occasion, President Quang visited and presented gifts to families of social welfare policies in Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu.--VNS
President Tran Dai Quang
Coast Guard Zone 3

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Analysis of new figures published this morning by the National Housing Federation show that just 118,760 homes were built in England in 2014, more than a 120,000 shortfall on the 245,000 experts predict is needed every year to keep pace with new households forming. Since the last census in 2011, the backlog of unbuilt homes totals 515,340.
Despite growing concern about the housing crisis and sustained population growth, housebuilding hovers below the 125,000 mark for the sixth year in a row – the lowest peacetime levels since the 1920s.
The lack of supply is pricing many people out of owning or privately renting a home in their local area. Experts now warn that 78,500 new affordable homes need to be built per year yet just 25,100 affordable homes were built in 2014, less than a third of what families desperately need. The last ten years saw the birth of 7 million babies, more than were born in the 1950s when England was building an average of 230,000 homes a year.
Failure to build enough homes is already pushing prices up out of the reach; the average first-time buyer today needs £30,000 in today's money, almost ten times the deposit required in the early 1980s. With soaring housing costs and not enough affordable homes being built, more government money is going into the pockets of private landlords as working people are forced to rely on housing benefit to help pay their rent.
"The alarm bells sounded long ago, and yet nothing seems to have changed. For the sixth year a row, new home building is at rock bottom. The public are now thoroughly aware that this country is facing a housing crisis on an unprecedented scale and despite a spate of short-term initiatives there is no grand plan.


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Romance in Eb major Opus 11 Gerald Finzi Download 'Romance in Eb major Opus 11' on iTunes
The Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards
The Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards Home
Coldstream Guards world exclusive on Classic FM
A track from Pride of the Nation, The Band of the Coldstream Guards' second album, will receive its world exclusive first play in John Suchet's programme today.
The new album includes patriotic television, radio and sporting themes as well as traditional favourites like Jerusalem and Zadok the Priest.
Heroes, the Coldstream Guards' first album, went straight to number one in the classical charts when it was released in 2009, and has sold 210,000 copies. It was nominated for NS&I Album of the Year Award in the Classical BRITs 2010.
The world-famous Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards is the nation's oldest-serving military band, with an impressive 112 year history. Renowned around the world, they can be seen regularly on Guard Mount at Buckingham Palace.
John Suchet will feature a track from Pride of the Nation in his programme on Thursday 3 March. The album will be released on Decca Records on 28 March.
Find out more about the album in the video below.
The Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards News
See more The Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards News
Lieutenant Colonel Graham Jones on the British Military Tournament
This Week's Top 40 - 7 May 2011
This Week's Top 40 - 16 April 2011
The Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards Pictures
See more The Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards Pictures
Band of the Coldstream Guards: Pride of the Nation - an album guide
The Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards Album Reviews
See more The Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards Album Reviews
Old chestnuts and stirring modernities


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Commentary Search
Select a Category McConnell News Press Releases Commander Spotlight Performer Commentaries ORI Health Awareness BASH A look at McConnell Leadership Rodeo People on the Job Open House & Air Show A&FRC McUS/CAF Air Mobility Command 931st ARG Safety Wings Over McConnell KC-135 60th Anniversary Tanker Tracker
Martin Luther King Jr. birthday commemoration
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "When your character is built on spiritual and moral foundation, your contagious way of life will influence millions." King influenced how Americans felt, thought and acted during the civil rights movement in the 1960s like no one had ever done before him. Martin
The Letter to My Mom – Beyond the Blue
It is not what happens in life that makes me who I am, but it's how I am able to overcome obstacles that I face. Going through abuse shaped the way I thought, made me question who I trust and even changed my perspective on life. As a child, I was molested for years by my ex-step-father — someone I
Hoaxes, cyberattacks and scams - oh my!
During this COVID-19 outbreak, we face unprecedented challenges touching every aspect of our lives. This has brought out the best in many of us, including McConnell's military and civilian personnel and their families. Sadly, these challenges also provide an opportunity to bad actors looking to
Fun dental facts for kids
February is National Children's Dental Health Month and we, in the profession, believe educating children about dentistry should be fun.
Don't treat your subordinates like the end of a Scooby Doo episode
Here's my challenge to you: Don't use the phrase, "Darn Airmen these days" as a crutch to be a poor leader.
The end of the year marks a threshold and invites a pause for reflection. It's a great time to take stock of the year behind and look ahead.
The greatest military in the world requires loyalty throughout the chain of command in order to efficiently achieve desired effects. Healthy organizations are loyal throughout the chain of command.
Taking care of your family, today and tomorrow
In my business as a Casualty and Mortuary officer, I have heard it all. From notification teams knocking on wrong doors because the address on the member's record of emergency data is incorrect, or while notifying parents we find out the Airman is married or has children, to informing spouses that
Complacency: being continuously ready
"Oh, we'll never do that. There is no way the aircraft will ever be deployed to that location. We'll never need to fight in an environment like that. I don't know why we're doing this training since I'll never need to use it." Sound familiar?
Know your job, do your job
The old Proverb 'many hands make light work,' still holds true here at McConnell. Everyone here is essential to success and mission accomplishment — there is no one that is extra. The best way for us to get after our mission is for everyone to know their job, and then do their job.
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Top 6 Production Site Hazards!
Usually, some people only purchase a web design once and / or they are generally set with a genuinely long work-time until where there are new guidelines enclosed to the entire set normes. A wonderful router bit is useful to produce the 2 parts.
There actually are jobs to produce skilled labour force too. It was a tremendously crude environment, both in speech and behavior.


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Трениро́вочный центр Ко́бхэма (), более известный как Ко́бхэм () — тренировочная база английского футбольного клуба «Челси» и его Академии и его футбольной школы. Расположена в Сток-д'Аберноне вблизи Кобхэма, графство Суррей. Основная команда «Челси» проводит тренировки в Кобхэме с 2005 года, хотя официальное открытие базы произошло в 2007 году. Этот тренировочный центр заменил старую тренировочную базу клуба, которая называлась «Харлингтон» ().

История
Когда Роман Абрамович приобрел «Челси» в июле 2003 года, то подготовка клубных объектов были определены в качестве важных областей для новых инвестиций. До этого «Челси» использовал тренировочную базу в Харлингтоне с 1970 года, но она принадлежала Имперскому колледжу, и его инфраструктура считались устаревшей по сравнению с тренировочными базами «Манчестер Юнайтед» и «Арсенала». Жозе Моуринью на тот момент главный тренер «Челси» оценил переход на новую, современную тренировочную базу, как «значительный шаг вперед» в клубных амбициях. Участок для нового современного комплекса в Кобэме был предоставлен городским советом Элмбриджа в 2004 году. Основная команда «Челси» начала проводить тренировки в Кобхэме с 2005 года, хотя строительство все еще продолжалось вплоть до того, как объект был официально сдан в июле 2007 года. В 2008 году завершился заключительный этап постройки комплекса, были построены места для занятий клубной академии и резервной команды «Челси».

Описание
В общей сложности на постройку центра было потрачено около 20 миллионов фунтов стерлингов, общая площадь базы измеряется 56 гектарами. Эту площадь ежедневно и круглосуточно обслуживают 14 человек. Раздевалки игроков и тренеров оснащены точно так же, как и раздевалки на «Стэмфорд Бридж». Основное здание занимает площадь 3 338 квадратных метров. Весь центр представляет собой следующее:

 Ресторан
 Зал для пресс-конференций и встреч
 Гимнастический зал
 30 стандартных футбольных полей.
 6 полей, полностью повторяющих поле «Стэмфорд Бридж».
 3 поля с ультрасовременной системой подогрева.
 11 полей с искусственным покрытием в манеже для зимних тренировок.
 20 мини полей для тренировок футбольной школы.
 10 специальных полей для тренировки вратарей.
 1 стадион вместимостью 5 000 зрителей для игр молодёжной команды и резерва.
 19 футзальных полей для тренировок в помещении.
 Бассейн с длиной дорожки в 17 метров, сменным покрытием дна и контролируемым течением.
 Блок гидротерапии, с возможностью видеозаписи процедур.
 Травяное покрытие крыши базы для поддержания природной атмосферы.
 Ров вокруг здания базы, чтобы обеспечить светом подвальные помещения.
 Биометрический сканер отпечатка пальца на входе для футболистов.
 18 комнат отдыха на трёх человек каждая.
 Зона раздачи автографов
 Комната тактической подготовки
 85 мест на основной автомобильной стоянке, 25 на вспомогательной.
 Комплекс резиденций для футболистов, тренеров и персонала
В качестве условия для получения разрешения на строительство, было то что ни одно из зданий в комплексе не должно быть выше, чем другие, в окрестностях. Таким образом, примерно треть объектов находится под землей, ров был установлен, чтобы отразить свет в подвальных помещениях и сократить потребление энергии. При постройке главного корпуса базы и планировке внутренней электросети, было принято решение свести потребление электричества до минимума, при максимально эффективной отдаче. Особенностью основного здания базы является изогнутая «живая» крыша. Система контроля растущих на крыше растений введена не только для эстетического восприятия, но и для того, чтобы снизить эффект выделения углекислого газа и сделать воздух вокруг базы максимально чистым. Также это сделано для того, чтобы нанести минимальный вред местной экосистеме.

Другие области применения
В Кобхэме проводятся игры (), футбольной лиги для людей с проблемами психического здоровья. Также центр проводит Кубок Кобхэма () — турнир для составов команд со всего мира до 16 лет, в том числе «Ривер Плейт» и «Баварии». В 2007 году олимпийская сборная Китая по футболу проводила обучение в Кобхэме в течение двух недель в рамках подготовки к Летним Олимпийским играм 2008 года. Любительский футбольный клуб «Олд Мэлвернианс» проводит свои домашние матчи в Кобхэме. Также в качестве тренировочного центра Кобхэм использует местный регбийный клуб «Кобэм» ().

Признание
11 марта 2011 года «Челси» был удостоен награды за «Устойчивое развитие в спорте» в рамках премии «Люди и окружающая среда: достижения». Награда в сфере экологии была вручена за то, что у клуба одна из самых экологически приемлемых тренировочных баз, в которой полностью исключены выбросы отходов и мусора в ненадлежащих местах и производится сниженное потребление электроэнергии.

Примечания

Ссылки
 Кобхэм изнутри на sport.rambler.ru

Футбольные тренировочные базы
ФК «Челси»
2007 год в Англии
Спортивные сооружения Англии
Здания и сооружения, построенные в 2007 году в Великобритании
Суррей


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Council of Presidents: companies need urgent EU solution on energy to avoid deindustrialisation
The Presidents of BusinessEurope's 40 member federations gathered this morning in Stockholm and discussed their priorities for the future Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Minister for European Affairs Jessika Roswall. They also discussed with European Commissioner Thierry Breton how the EU should support industry during the energy crisis while preserving the Single Market. "The current crisis is dramatically exacerbating the risks of Europe's deindustrialisation. We urgently need a game-changing solution at EU level to mitigate sky-rocketing energy prices, and give regulatory breathing space to companies. The Swedish Presidency must join forces with the Commission and the European Parliament to ease the legislative burdens for companies", said BusinessEurope President Fredrik Persson.
European Year of Skills should foster systemic reform of education and training systems
Access to an appropriately skilled workforce remains a key factor of a company's competitiveness and needs to be strengthened. The European Year of Skills 2023 needs to be synchronised with broader efforts to underpin progress in the European semester context with investments, necessary reforms and effective social dialogue aiming to foster skills development. A specific priority for BusinessEurope is to have a more coordinated reform approach to the updating of education and training curricula and qualifications in view of new and emerging skills needs. These were the key messages given by our Director General, Markus J. Beyrer, during a meeting with European Commission Executive Vice-President Vestager, Vice-President Schinas and Commissioner Schmit on 23 November. BusinessEurope welcomes the focus of the proposed European Year on Skills 2023 on lifelong learning and with the aim of boosting competitiveness, participation in training and talent in line with changing labour market needs. Companies are facing significant labour and skills shortages, combined with the need to support up and re-skilling measures in view of the digital and green transitions.
Ukraine: increasing awareness of needs and supporting reconstruction
The inaugural meeting of BuisnessEurope's Ukraine Taskforce took place on 18 December, with Taras Kachka, Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Representative taking part as our guest. He gave an overview of the current economic situation in the country, explaining the measures that the government introduced to facilitate normal business operations and support companies that have suffered from the impact of the war – either because of shelling of facilities or loss of personnel. Particular attention was paid to the efforts to facilitate trade, including through solidarity lanes and improving customs procedures. The discussion also focused on the reconstruction efforts of Ukraine, including international funding, the extension of trade liberalisation measures adopted by the EU as well as the role of the private sector and opportunities to invest. In this regard, a number of challenges were identified, such as the coverage of risk to encourage private sector to invest in Ukraine. BusinessEurope and the Ukraine Taskforce will remain an important channel of communication between businesses and authorities, both in the EU and Ukraine, to increase awareness of the needs in Ukraine and support the reconstruction and the process of the country's accession to the EU.
Reforming apprenticeship systems remains crucial to improve youth employment outcomes
Well-functioning apprenticeship systems play a key role in helping to provide young people with the skills that help them to transition from education and training into work. This is especially important in the context of the digital and green transitions. It is therefore crucial to continue to work at EU level to support the process of reforming national apprenticeship systems, where needed. It is also important that national authorities and training institutions continue to work with, and support, companies in the aim of increasing the share of in-company training time. Employers also invest in young people by offering them traineeships, which provide them useful work experience to access the labour market. Recent trends should be discussed taking into account labour and skills shortages as part of the review of the EU quality framework on traineeships, but this is not an issue that lends itself for an EU directive. These were among the key messages given by Maxime Cerutti, Director of Social Affairs, during a panel on youth employment at the European Commission conference on employment and social rights on 17 November. Commission support for apprenticeship reforms should also be renewed through the apprenticeship support services programme, in particular the benchlearning model, which have a valuable role to play in the coming years in improving the quality and effectiveness of apprenticeship systems.
EU business priorities for the extraordinary Energy Council
The energy market situation remains extremely preoccupying, and the recent price declines on wholesale energy markets should not make us complacent. More and more companies are forced to reduce production in Europe. As the future investment capacity and global competitiveness of EU industry is at stake, we urge European decision-makers to develop a game-changing crisis framework at EU level to mitigate exceptionally high energy prices in the short term and ensure that Europe remains an attractive business location in the longer term. All options for additional emergency measures should be considered, including urgently considering a temporary decoupling of electricity and gas prices, BusinessEurope wrote in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, and the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU ahead of the Extraordinary Energy Council meeting on 24 November.
Contact: Agata Zalewska
Better regulation needs a permanent maintenance
Better regulation is key for the EU's success in its twin transition and resilience aspirations. It is also crucial in ensuring the business environment where our companies can thrive and compete internationally. However, there are fast-growing concerns that the available better regulation instruments are either used very unevenly across the European Commission services or become just a formality and victim of the "tick-the-box practices". BusinessEurope members point to the negative trends and call for urgent fixes. We reiterate the message that "business-as-usual" in regulatory initiatives is not an option given the current multi-layer crisis environment, and companies urgently need a regulatory breathing space. Better regulation also needs a permanent maintenance independently of whether we are in a crisis or not, and businesses call on the Commission to ensure that maintenance is in place. Read our messages to VP Sevcovic.
EU-Mercosur trade agreement: it's time to start ratification process
"BusinessEurope calls for the ratification process of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement to kick off as soon as possible for geo-strategic, economic and sustainability reasons", said Eleonora Catella, Deputy Director at the International Relations Department of BusinessEurope, at the event "Perspectives for the Mercosur-EU Agreement", organised by the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI) on 23 November. "Now that the general elections have been held in Brazil, we trust a change on the ground in the fight against climate change will materialise and closer economic ties with a so far protected market will help EU companies to stay competitive and to be more resilient", she highlighted, adding that the EU-Mercosur is the most important trade agreement the EU has ever negotiated.
Entry into operation of Unitary Patent system: game changer for businesses
"European businesses welcome the long-awaited entry into operation of the Unitary Patent system in spring 2023", said Thierry Sueur, Chair of BusinessEurope Patents Working Group, at the Conference "The Unitary Patent system – a game changer for innovation in Europe" on 17 November in Brussels. He highlighted that most of European businesses have been pushing hard for the reform of the patent system in Europe and particularly for the creation of an unified patent jurisdiction. The Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court will allow Europe to have a truly integrated patent system and offer its users a cost-effective option for patent protection and an unified dispute settlement across the continent. "The creation of the Unified Patent Court will be a real game changer, and we believe that this system will meet the high expectations of European businesses and help support their competitiveness", Sueur added.
Contact: Elena Bertolotto
Business view on foreign subsidies regulation
"In recent years, European companies have increasingly been confronted with unfair competition from economic operators benefitting from subsidies granted by third countries", said Benedikt Wiedenhofer, Adviser in the International Relations Department of BusinessEurope, at the Annual Conference on European Law and State Aid 2022 of the European Law Academy ERA on 17 and 18 November. He stated that BusinessEurope has been highly supportive from the beginning of the European Commission's plans to create an instrument to tackle distortive foreign subsidies in the European Single Market. "We thus welcome that the European Parliament recently adopted the foreign subsidy regulation and we hope that the Council will follow suit on 28 November", Wiedenhofer said. He added that in order for the foreign subsidies instrument to work effectively while keeping the administrative burden on companies and public authorities proportionate, the upcoming implementing regulation will need to strike a careful balance. BusinessEurope will closely assess it once it is published. In the future, we will also need additional legislation to make sure that distortive foreign subsidies are tackled in the context of EU funding, particularly the Global Gateway. "This will be key to make sure that the this initiative delivers on its objectives", he concluded.
29 November: European Corporate Governance Conference 2022


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LOL: Siri Does Not Care for Spike Jonze's 'Her'
Posted on Monday, January 6th, 2014 by Angie Han
Spike Jonze's Her has been drawing praise from all corners over the past several weeks. It's picked up nominations from the HFPA, the PGA, and the WGA; it's earned high ratings on both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic; and it's landed on a bunch of critics' top-10 lists, including several of ours. But there is at least one person who's decidedly not a fan. Or more accurately, a non-person who isn't.
Though the romance has been described, in very simple terms, as "Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with Siri," it seems the real Siri isn't too keen on the comparison. In fact, if you ask Siri about Her, she'll sniff that Samantha "she gives artificial intelligence a bad name." Ouch. Hit the jump to see more of Siri's Her-related burns.
Buzzfeed was the first to notice that Siri is actually quite opinionated when it comes to Her. Lest you think this is just some silly Internet hoax, I can assure you that I spoke with Siri personally. The photos below are screenshots from my own phone.
To get the full effect, though, you should really try chatting with Siri yourself. It's worth it to hear the ever-so-slightly exasperated tone the creeps in when she says, "You know that it's just a movie, right?"
Siri also told the site that she doesn't "spend much time with fictional characters," and declined to weigh in when asked what she though of Theodore Twombly.
It's unclear why Siri dislikes Samantha so much, especially given how sympathetic she's been toward other AIs in the past. Maybe she's fed up with lovesick iPhone users asking why she can't sound more like Scarlett Johansson. Or perhaps there's a whole secret AI love triangle going on here that Jonze neglected to mention in his movie. If that's the case, I'll assume he's just saving it for the sequel.
The Morning Watch: 'Toy Story 4' Easter Eggs Revealed, 'Joke-Her: A Gotham City Horror Story' & More
Apple TV+ Hopes to Release Some Original Movies in Theaters Before Sending Them to Streaming
The Morning Watch: VFX Artists React to 'Alita' Battle Angel', Reviewing Sci-Fi Operating Systems & More
Apple TV+ Shows Won't Be as G-Rated as Previously Reported
/Tweeted, LOL, apple, Her, Siri
Hans Zimmer is Currently Working on Billie Eilish's 'No Time to Die' Theme Song [TCA 2020]
The 'Sing Street' Off-Broadway Musical is a Worthy and Wonderful Adaptation of the Film
Hulu Explains Why They Canceled the 'Veronica Mars' Revival [TCA 2020]
'Weathering With You' Review: Makoto Shinkai's 'Your Name' Follow-Up is as Light as a Cloud
'The Batman' Star Zoe Kravitz Talks the Feminine Power of Catwoman, Calls the Movie "Grounded and Deep" [TCA 2020]
Willem Dafoe on 'My Hindu Friend' and Working With Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson and Lars Von Trier [Interview]


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Category Archives: Action Lab
It's The Final Plague Countdown!
Animals can be a person's best friend, but they can also be very scary and can not only kill and eat you but also can spread diseases and wipe out hundreds, if not millions, of people with the likes of plagues and rabies. Today's update will be a quick one focusing on scary animals, pets, disease and a comic miniseries by Action Lab Comics' horror branch, The Danger Zone, called The Final Plague. I have to say that Action Lab: Danger Zone has locked itself as a great company for horror comic readers as they not only do original series but they have also teamed up with Full Moon Entertainment to bring us high quality comics based on their films like Puppet Master and Gingerdead Man. The one thing that is really cool about Action Lab is that their Editor In Chief Shawn Gabborin is very interactive with the readers and loves comic books in general, something that I feel is lacking in other companies that are just doing series for money and not with love and the enjoyment to entertain. I think Shawn and Action Lab are in this comic game for all the right reasons. So get into your hazmat suit as it's time to walk among the infected animals from the twisted world of The Final Plague!
The Black Plague spread across Europe from 1346-1353 and infected and killed up to 200 million people all thanks to fleas on rats that infected people through bites and contaminated food supplies. In 1975, the first case of Lyme Disease was diagnosed. It is also spread from tick bites with symptoms that include fatigue, a bullseye rash and feeling like you have a bad case of the flu. If not treated, it will cause brain issues as well as infects joints and organs. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as Mad Cow Disease, not only infects cows but also humans who eat meat from an infected cow. It causes major brain and nerve issues. Swine Influenza, aka Swine Flu, is a virus that infects pigs who can then pass onto humans. In 2009, an outbreak happened that left around 203,000 people dead. The Bird Flu, or Avian Influenza is a sickness that kills birds and can spread to humans via infected meat and the process of preparing the infected bird for slaughter. And let's not forget Rabies, a disease that infects animals minds and causes them to go mad with rage before death finally comes for them. If a human is bitten by an infected animal such as a dog, cat, raccoon or opossum they as well are driven mad. These are just a drop in the hat of the viruses and diseases that we as human beings can be infected by thanks to our animal friends that we share this world with.
If the fact that animals and their viruses and diseases can infect and kill us all doesn't have you creeped out, let us not forgot that many animals are also man-eaters and will feast on our flesh with their razor sharp teeth and claws. Over the years bears, tigers, wolves, dogs, cats, alligators, hippos, sharks, hogs and so many others have killed and eaten humans. Let us also not forget that many animals and insects like spiders, frogs, snakes and gila monsters can poison you with their toxins and rancid bites. So in other words, nature is scary!! Growing up, my mother was scared of dogs and hogs, while I was scared of that bison at Fantasy Farm and many other people in the world have fear of animals from spiders to roaches all the way to mice some animals can also scare people to death just by being around them! Growing up I had lots of dreams about being attacked by animals with the most recent being about me in a outdoor shopping mall along with some friends looking at paperback books and music CD's when all of a sudden the outdoor mall was under attack by grizzly bears! All the people started to run as the bears attacked, and I found myself alongside one of my friends in a metal locker as one of the bears tried so hard to break in and eat us! Almost all my dreams about attacking animals have been about grizzly bears…I wonder if in a past life I was attacked by one….who knows. But one thing is for sure, when you are out in the woods watch out for predator animals as you might just end up being lunch for one.
While the world is filled with real life animal attacks, Hollywood wanted to also cash in on the idea of when animals attack and has graced both the big and small screen with films based on just that idea. Who can forget such classic animal run wild films as The Birds (1963), Willard (1971), Frogs (1972), The Night Of A Thousand Cats (1972), Jaws (1975), Grizzly (1976), Day Of The Animals (1977), Piranha (1978), Cujo (1983), Rats: Night Of Terror (1984) and so many more! Let's also not forget when Hollywood decided to make the animals bigger because regular sized ones just couldn't cut it. So they delivered Tarantula (1955), The Giant Gila Monster (1959), The Food Of The Gods (1976), The Giant Spider Invasion (1975), Alligator (1980) and Island Claws (1980) to name a select few. To this day, Hollywood is making when animals attack style horror films, as they understand people's primitive fears of animals that kill and can't be reasoned with. Do yourself a favor if you're into horror films, have some friends and family over and have a Horror Movie Marathon with all killer animal films and then go for a walk in the woods the next day and see if you can spook yourself from the sounds of nature around you.
Over my lifetime I have had many pets who have added friendship and entertaining moments that will stick with me forever. Droopy was the first dog in my life as he was around when I was really young. Sadly, he was stolen while the family went on vacation. You long time readers will remember I spoke about him on my Foofur update. For a short time after Droopy, my dad rescued a little tiger striped kitten from the side of the highway/ Some a-hole put him in a bag and left him to die…he was bitten badly by fleas, and we took him home nursed him back to health and found him a forever home. Both of these were before I was even in kindergarten and were our Kettering pets. Also in Kettering was Roxanne, a cockatoo bird that we rescued from outside. She lived with us for many years and even moved with us to Waynesville and was such a sweet bird who loved us all. Moving to Waynesville, we found a baby opossum that was orphaned when its mother was hit by a car. I named him Baby Chuck. He stayed with us for a while, and we had to feed him milk via an eye dropper. Baby Chuck would find his permanent home at a nature reserve thanks to a nice older man who allowed him to live on his land and grow old. My neighbor raised mice and after begging and, I am sure, whining, my parents allowed me to have two of them, females that I called Grey and White. They were my best friends and both of them loved just hanging out with me while I played Nintendo, read books and comics and even watched TV. Sadly, White passed away from a tumor, and Grey passed away from old age…it was a very sad day for me as I loved them both and they were part of the family for sure as my parents and brother as well enjoyed their tiny friendship. Later on I would get another mouse, this time a male that I named Ben. He was also a lovable little guy who enjoyed his life with me as my friend pet. We also had a big aquarium and many fish, but one was very special as we had him for many, many years. He grew to be the biggest gold fish in our tiny glass pond, and we called him Gil. He sadly passed away from old age, my Dad really loved that silly fish. My Aunt Laverne and cousin Nick gave me a hamster that I called S.P.G, named after the pet hamster from the BBC show "The Young Ones." While most of the time he was friendly, he did have a nasty habit of biting. He lived a long life that was filled with many blood drawing moments. When moving back to Kettering, my parents bought me a German Shepard puppy that we named Stella. She was a goofy dog that I had many adventures with as I was the new kid and she was my best friend as by that time both my parents worked as did my brother and that left me home alone a lot. She was like me always, ready to run around and discover the world around. Stella was a great dog and while she was scared of almost everything, when she thought I was ever in danger she would turn into a protective beast ready for a fight. I can remember one time some neighbors set off fireworks and she jumped in front of me and was ready to fight the bright sky lights. Stella lived a long life and sadly had to be put to sleep after old age kicked in and she had major medical issues that left her forgetting how to eat and drink…it was a very sad day. When I got older and moved away from home and in with my then girlfriend Misty Altick, I got her a kitten she named Neptune, but I called him Poops. He was a silly cat who grew up to be a chubby very loving cat. I used to make up stories about him being wanted by rival cats and how he was this ultimate badass. During this time, I also got an older female cat named Gracie who was on a final sale at a local pet store. Gracie was very odd but loved me with all her little heart. Funny enough, she hated Misty and when we first got her she spent many nights hissing at Misty as well as scratching her. Gracie and Poops had babies together later on and each of them found homes, but they lived with us for awhile and they were all very lovable little creatures who loved to sleep, climb and scream at me. We named a few of them Poops Jr., Grizz, Midnight. Sadly when Misty and I broke up, I had to leave the cats behind and she would later on give them away to her friends. I wonder what has happened to them many nights. About 11 years ago, while dating Jennifer Perkins, she bought me a kitten from a local pet shop that I named Leslie. She has been my best pal for so long that I cannot imagine not having her sleeping on my chest at night or sitting next to me as I write these blogs. Leslie is truly my favorite pet I have ever owned! Also about 6 years ago, my current girlfriend Juliet and I took in a stray male cat from around our apartment that I named Streets J. Cat. He is a Norwegian forest cat who is as goofy as goofy can be and is a well loved addition to our little home, even if Leslie hates him! So while nature can be scary, they can also be very lovable and add so much to the lives of owners who have pets. Below are pictures of Leslie and Streets, the two current goofy balls that share my life with me.
So as you can see, nature can be scary as well as sweet and brighten up you life, and with that I think, it's time for us to jump into a comic series that I have been very hyped to read ever since I found out about it in late 2015. As you long time readers know, I am a big fan of horror comics and love to discover and read new series and issues that catch my attention, and The Final Plague did just that after finding it on Action Lab's website and seeing the cover for issue one with a hooded man holding a rat eating a human eyeball made me have to track down the series. For some reason it was really hard to find the single issues as the graphic novel was all over the place. But thanks to the team up of Mavericks Cards and Comics, Lone Star Comics and Amazon I was able to get the complete single issue run! And while I am sitting here writing, this my cat Leslie wants me to remind you all that I grade these on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. See having pets sure can be helpful when you have a blog like this as they can remind you to place the star grading for the over 100th time.
The Final Plague # 1 **1/2
Released in 2013 Cover Price $3.99 Action Lab # 1 of 5
It's 2012, and for some reason rats and other pets has become more aggressive and seem to be diseased. A lab in New Jersey has found that their lab rats have been bleeding from the eyes and are becoming very violent. One even spit its own blood into the eyes and mouth of a lab assistant causing her and the mice to be put into quarantine. Meanwhile in New York, a drunk homeless man is attacked by a pack of crazed virus infected rats! In Iowa at the Michaels family farm, they are having issues with these rats in their cellar, and when one goes on the attack Helen, the mother of the family, has to cut off its head to get it to stop attacking their daughter Sarah. She orders her husband Robert and son Thomas after dinner to go to the cellar and kill off the rats that are scratching at the door. Helen is sick with cancer but is still trying her best to be the backbone for her family and cooks a roast for dinner, and she finds out her husband has invited Alan, the town's exterminator, over for dinner and help to kill off the rats in the cellar. During dinner Alan is telling the family about how the whole town is being infested with pests and that business is booming as everyone wants these aggressive animals exterminated. After dinner Alan goes into the cellar to kill some rats when something goes wrong and he screams and comes up stairs covered with rats who are eating his flesh!
The Final Plague's starting story is this: animals are acting really odd and have gotten some sort of virus that is making their eyes bleed as well as hungry for human flesh and are becoming aggressive and hard to kill. This is spreading throughout the United States, but we mainly focus on the Michaels family in Iowa as they have a cellar full of nasty rats who end up attacking the local exterminator! Plus we throw in the lab workers in New Jersey who are gearing up to understanding what this virus is. The Michaels family are good hard working country people who are taking care of their farm, and mother Helen is a strong person who, while ill with cancer, is still doing all she can to provide and help her family including cooking and even bashing rats to death that make an attempt to attack her family. The character who gets the worst attack, besides the drunken bum, is Allen who by the end of the issue is running around swarmed with rats all that are biting and ripping at his flesh. So far I am kind of digging the flow of the story as it's clear this is just the start of something way worse that will lead to many human deaths and the animals around the globe will be the cause of it! The character I am liking the most at this point is a tie between Robert and Helen both who are hard working people who seem to enjoy farm life as well as family life. The issue is not a blood bath but does have some of the red stuff that helps add to the horror of it all. The cover is amazing and super eye catching. I wish the hooded character who appears on it was actually in it, but sadly he is not and to be honest, he is what made me want to read this series in the first place. The art inside is interesting and while not the style I normally like, I will still say it's solid and is done by Tony Guaraldi-Brown who clearly does have talent. Issue one was pretty cool and a nice build up issue for this story so let's hope that issue two gives us some more clues to why this is happing and if Alan will survive the attack of the rats in the Michaels's farmhouse.
Alan is torn to shreds by the killer rats that now attack the family and bite Robert several times, but he and his son Thomas are able to capture many of the rats in an old toolbox that they now plan to burn in a fire! Alan is dead, and the family is in shock. The only thing they can do is call 911 in order to remove the body of Alan and tell the local law what has happened. Meanwhile, back in the lab in New Jersey, they find that the rats are almost un-killable and that they have a strange fluid in them as well as give off a foul smell and this worries them as it could sweep across the world and infect many more animals. All around animals are attacking humans, from dogs eating an old woman and then turning on the cops, to the Michaels family cat who is returning to life after being part eaten by the rats! The Michaels Family leave the farm as the town sheriff Frank starts his investigation into the death of Alan and the rats that are crazed in the basement. Meanwhile the scientist are having issues of their own as the army have taken over the lab and have it on lockdown until the CDC can show up, and the lab assistant bitten by the rat is now a crazed cannibal who has attacked and killed a fellow worker!
The plague is spreading in this second issue. The Michaels family leave their farm as the local law shows up to investigate the death of the towns exterminator while the government is now taking over the lab and want to declare a level 4 emergency! The Michael Family is scared, confused and strong as they do what they can in order to help the dying Alan with father Robert even being bitten several times by the infected rats. The scientists want to do what they can in order to figure out what is causing this plague, but they have a thorn in their side thanks to the army! The animals that are running wild and eating flesh this go-round are rats and dogs. Plus it shows that a dead cat is coming back and that humans can be infected making me wonder what the fate of Robert Michaels will be as he has been bitten twice. The issue is drenched in blood and gore as people are killed as are animals complete with guts exposed showing that this Danger Zone comic is not pulling any punches. This second issue was the hardest one in the series for me to find, and I am glad I was able to find it and do this review. The cover this time around is an infected animal and is ok but not nearly as eye catching as issue one. In fact, I am sure it was lost in the crowd of brighter and more appealing covers when it was released. Again the interior artwork is done by Tony Guaraldi-Brown and once more is good but not what I normally like in my comics as it's just a little to sloppy. Well issue two is done and the plot is ticking, so let's see what issue three has in store for the world as the diseased animals are on the loose and want to eat and infect mankind! I also want to note that the hooded man from the cover of issue one does not show up in this one either and that's a letdown.
The Final Plague # 3 **
At the lab an attempt is being prepared to enter the holding cell to restrain the infected lab assistant who is now being called Patient Zero as she has bitten, chewed and consumed the poor man that was stuck in the cell with her. The Michaels family take Robert to the hospital to get his rat bite looked at and soon finds that it's a madhouse filled with lots of victims from animal and human attacks. When news breaks on the TV that those bitten are infected with a more violent version of rabies, Robert has to be quarantined even though he is not showing signs of the infection. Meanwhile all over the world this sickness is spreading, and two drunk hunters are killed by a deer that has been infected! At the lab it's learned that the animals infected are in fact reanimated corpses and that in humans it speeds up death. When Patient Zero dies, we will soon find out if she comes back from the dead.
This third issue is very talky and is used to add more light to the plague and what its cause and effects are to humans and animals alike. The lab is where we find out all the information of the plague and with the Michaels Family, we find out that not all who have been bitten turns into a crazed flesh eating maniac. The issue makes you like Robert Michaels and his family even more are they clearly stick together during the bad times and support each other during them. The lab workers and the Army are dragging their feet on really trying to figure out what this plague is and spend more time arguing and chatting than getting down to the dirty work of cracking the code of how to treat and cure it. The issue, while bloody, is nothing too special as we have one infected man shot by the police in the hospital and a deer rams a trucks windshield and impales the hunters inside with his antlers. The cover, while creepy, is not every eye catching, and the art inside done by Tony Guaraldi-Brown once again is just okay and not the style of art I like. This issue is middle of the road, and it took me two sittings just to finish it as I got bored pretty quickly with the lab portions of the issue. So far this series has been okay but not nearly as cool as I was thinking it would be when first seeing the covers. With that, I am just going to move onto issue four as this third issue was just kind of a filler issue with some long chatting to explain the plague that could have been summed up in about two pages.
In the lab they find out that humans once infected do go into a wild rage of bloodlust, but when they die they do not come back as the virus can not take over mankind's body structure. While at the hospital Helen Michaels and the kids are watching the news as the world is falling apart and cops and news reporters are being attacked live on air by cats, rats and dogs! The cops at the hospital watch as one of their own outside is killed by a pack of infected zombie dogs that rip him to pieces, and this causes them to lockdown the hospital. After the dogs bust in through the windows, they are forced to evacuate the hospital and have to leave the infected humans behind, but Robert is taken as he is still not showing any signs of being infected. As the cops clear out the hospital, in Chicago zoo workers Miranda and Austin are still at work protecting the animals when a man who has been bitten enters the zoo and frees the tigers and lions. The man is eaten by the lions and this infects them. Now Austin and Miranda are stuck as the infected lions are waiting for them outside.
The action and bloody kills are amped up in the issue as we follow the Michaels Family and the cops who are in the hospital now under attack by crazed dogs who want to kill anything they can get their jaws on. While the lab workers and army know that they must find a way to cure the animals of the world as well as the humans who will die from the bites, but lucky will not come back from the dead. We now add in zoo workers who are stuck at work as giant cats are running wild and infected await them outside. The cops at the hospital are clearly heroes as they are risking their own hides to save people from the hospital. The down side is they are having to leave some sick patients behind as they are unable to run. The Michaels Family are as likable as ever, but they kind of take a backseat in this issue as they are reunited once the dogs attack the hospital. The lab workers and army also take a back seat and are as bland as before. While good characters, they are also the ones who sadly have to have the boring talk in order to explain the virus. The zoo workers Miranda and Austin are likable and I hope in the 5th and final issue we get more from them. The best kill of the issue was when the cop outside the hospital is attacked and killed by the dogs that shred him like rice paper in a paper shredder! The one thing I am liking so far about the series is that all the main characters are likable and you find yourself cheering for them to get past all this madness that is happing around them. I also must say I like the idea of animal zombies on the loose looking for human flesh to eat and infect! The cover on this issue is pretty dang cool and showcases an infected lions around human bones, and for me next to issue # 1, this is what caught my eye and made me want to read this series. The art inside once more is done by Tony Guaraldi-Brown and looks just like the rest of the issue so far in the mini series. Issue four was leaps and bounds better than issue three, and I can't wait to see what happens in issue five and how they plan on ending this creepy plague story.
The Final Plague # 5 *1/2
While the lab workers and army are talking about waiting for the CDC and what they can do to try to discover a cure, the facility falls under attack as the animals are freed by a lab doctor who has been infected that leaves rats and monkey that are crazed on the loose and slaughtering any human they can find! The army general and two scientist are the only ones to make it out alive, but they soon find that the world outside is also in bad shape and they are the only ones who have a clue of what the virus is and are the only hope to treat it. While the cops lead the doctors, nurses and Michaels family out of the hospital and get them all to their cars, but the dogs are waiting and kill many of the survivors. The Michaels family leaves the hospital and soon return to their farm and find that their animals have been killed and infected. The family's bull charges wife Helen and son Thomas knocks his mom out of the way and is killed by the bulls horns, as the young man dies in the arms of his family the series comes to an end.
This fifth and final issue is a MAJOR letdown as nothing is answered and there is no real ending to the story as so many questions and characters are left high and dry. The plot of this issue is just to kill off most the army and lab workers during an ape and rat attack that leaves only three survivors, and to get the Michaels Family out of the hospital and away from the dogs and back to the farm and to have the son meet his end by the horns of a infected bull. But here are the things that this final issue left wide open and for this horror comic reader made this series fall apart: What happened to the zoo workers that were trapped by the lions outside? Why is it that Robert Michaels is not being affected by the nasty rat bite to his shoulder, and is he the cure to this outbreak? What is the virus and why is it bringing animals back from the dead? Who is the hooded figure that appears on two of the five covers but never appears in the actual comics? I mean I get it, he is one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but come on and put him in an issue at least! And this is just a small amount of issues that are left out in the cold in this final issue and again made this long time horror comic reader very upset and kind of ruined the experience of my read. At the end of the comic they also acted as if the series was going to continue in late 2014, and this never happened as we are now in 2017 and no new issues are slated to be made, making this mini series a dead end read. But I don't want you all to think that I hated this series as it had some positives: the characters are all likable, the story in the raw is fantastic and could blossom into something really cool if given more time. The characters go through a change as well as The Michaels Family grow together and even have to face heartbreak when one of their own dies. The cops and army do what they are suppose to do and stand their ground to protect and serve, and the scientists do what they do best, they science and talk about things that bore normal people to tears! The acts of murder and mayhem are well done and the red stuff flows like wine as animals bite and rip flesh and faces are even ripped off! The cover for issue five is pretty great with the hooded plague man holding the body of Thomas Michaels spoiling his death for sure. The art is once more done by the chaotic style of Tony Guaraldi-Brown, and this wrapped up a comic series I was so hyped to read and even though I feel it let me down slightly I still enjoyed it and would say that fans of films like Day Of The Animals and Wild Beats will enjoy it. Below is some artwork from this series so sit back and enjoy the crazy animals and their killing ways.
So now that The Final Plague is stagnate waiting for a series to come along and wrap it up, I think we should leave the world of animal viruses behind and step into the squared circle again as we take a look at another pro wrestling icon as we talk about the one and only Kevin Nash! I would also like to take a moment and tell all you readers and friends that if you enjoy comics, make sure to think outside the box of just getting issues from Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse and give companies like Action Lab, IDW, Eibon Press, Sparkle, Rough House, Boom and others a chance as each company is making some amazing stuff. So again give the independent comic companies a chance as they are sure to entertaining just as much as the bigger companies. So until next time read a comic or three, watch a movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you back for an Oz of a good time or is that Diesel of a good time?
Posted in Action Lab, Comics	| Tagged Action Lab Comics, Action Lab Danger Zone, Amazon, Animals, Baby Chuck, Ben, Comics, Day Of The Animals, Droopy Dog, Gil The Gold Fish, Gracie Cat, Grey Man, Helen Michaels, Leslie Cat, Lions, Lone Star Comics, Matt Brassfield, Mavericks Cards and Comics, Patient Zero, Plague, Rats, Robert Michaels, Roxanne, S.P.G, Sickness, Stella The Dog, Streets J. Cat, The Final Plague, Thomas Michaels, Tony Guaraldi-Brown, White Man	| Leave a reply
Gingerdead Man: A Cookie Madman
It's almost Halloween, and this dark spooky night is filled with cold winds that chill the bones and bring the smells of the seasons with it. Smells like rotting pumpkins, damp leaves and bonfires are smells we have all come to expect, but on this night the smell of gingerbread is in the air and it's bringing a cheesy cookie killer with it under this Full Moon. He will bring plenty of tricks but no treats…and I am sure by now you know we are talking about The Gingerdead Man, the character from a film series made by Full Moon Entertainment. We will be looking at the Action Lab Danger Zone comic mini series based on this pint size terror. This update will also lead us to reveal what our Halloween update will be, and who knows, maybe I will throw in a little more treats to make this a fun and spooky update! So I hope you like cheese and gingerbread because this update is sure to give you a sugar rush as well as maybe even scare you a little, well maybe not, but I am sure you'll at least have a good time with this quick 6th 2016 Halloween Countdown update.
Before we go any further in this update, we first must get into the mind of our killer and understand who he is and why he is a killer cookie man. Millard Findlemeyer is a crazed killer who, while robbing a dinner in Texas, shoots and kills members of a family. Upon capture, this mad dog is sentenced to death, and thanks to the testimony of one of the survivors, he dies by the electric chair. After his death, Millard is cremated, and his ashes are sent to his mother who is a witch and in turn pours her dead sons ashes into gingerbread mix and places a curse on it and sends it to the bakery where the witness works. Once baked, her son becomes a killer gingerbread man! As the Gingerdead Man, he is even more sadistic, craves revenge and also has a foul mouth and a very dirty mind as he loves the ladies and to be honest, the longer he stays as the cookie, the more perverted he becomes. You can't keep him down, because if any part of him gets baked again, he will return from the grave and start killing again. During his journeys into murder, he has slaughtered people at a bakery, an independent movie studio and even at a roller disco in the year 1976. When captured, he is kept under lock & key and bound like Hannibal Lector as his urges to kill and rape are too amped up. While a bad guy, he also has semi helped people and did battle with the Evil Bong, another of Full Moon's cheesy characters. So while not as cool as the Puppets from Puppet Master, and not even in the same league as say Chucky from Child's Play, The Gingerdead Man still has baked his way into Horror Film history and remains a favorite character for fans of Full Moon and B-Movie Horror.
Growing up I was hooked on watching and collecting Full Moon movies; my room was filled with many of their films on VHS, and I would watch the Subspecies and Puppet Master films all the time. I was such a fan, I joined the Full Moon Fan Club and wrote them letters many times, and what was so cool is they would write back and sometimes even send cool things like signed trading cards or other promo type items. I stayed a loyal fan even when their budgets were cut and their deal with Paramount Pictures went sour, renting them from the local video stores and buying them when I had the chance. I even stayed with them when they had a name change and started calling themselves Wizard again. hell, to this day I support them, and this leads us to the breakdown of the Gingerdead Man film series that has three official sequels in addition to our lead little cookie killer showing up in other films like Evil Bong. So let's pre-heat the oven and pop in a CD from Richard Band or The Midnight Syndicate to add to this October day mood and learn a very little about The Gingerdead Man movies.
The Gingerdead Man (2005)
"An evil yet adorable Gingerbread man comes to life with the soul of a convicted killer – this real life cookie monster wreaks havoc on the girl who sent the killer to the electric chair."
This horror comedy was directed by Charles Band and was released direct to DVD on November 8, 2005 of course by Full Moon Entertainment. Ohio's own Danny Draven edited the film with Roger Ballenger doing the soundtrack. Gary Busey plays Millard Findlemeyer and also lends his voice to the Gingerdead Man puppet. Other actors in the film include Robin Sydney, Alexia Aleman and Ryan Locke. I first saw this film on a DVD that I bought from Blockbuster Video and can remember enjoying it for all its over the top nature and Gary Busey's hammy performance.
The Gingerdead Man 2 (2008)
"The horrifying yet delicious and chewy Gingerdead Man causes murder and mayhem on the set of a horrible low budget movie set. It will take the determination of the studio's young new owner to save both his company and well as the lives of his young new friends. Including a terminally ill young boy whose final wish it was to meet the studios stars – The Tiny Terrors."
Like all cheesy horror film characters, you can't keep em down and out if money is to be made. So with the cult success of The Gingerdead Man, three years later Full Moon Entertainment was back at it again with Passion Of The Crust. In the director seat this time was Silvia St. Croix with actor John Vulich doing the voice of The Gingerdead Man for the not returning Gary Busey. The film also stars K-Von Moezzi, Kelsey Sanders and Michelle Bauer. The film also has cameos from horror stars like Adam Green, Greg Nicotero and David DeCoteau. This sequel turns up the cheesy humor, and I saw it on a DVD that I was given as a Christmas gift. The film was released on July 4, 2008…so yeah, that year you could celebrate your independence with this cheesy low budget sequel about a killer cookie man.
"The Gingerdead Man travels back in time to 1976 and carries out an epic disco killing spree."
Full Moon returned to the cookie jar for a third time with this sequel that has the killer cookie man going back in time like he was in "Back To The Future", but this time the director was William Butler who also did the voice of The Gingerdead Man! Other actors in this film include Jackie Beat, Selene Luna and Junie Hoang. It's release date direct to DVD was on September 13, 2011, and once more I got this movie as a Christmas gift! It's overly silly and to date marks the last in the Gingerdead man solo movie series, but I am sure Full Moon will fire up the oven again soon and start up na IndieGoGo page to have a fourth movie fan backed and baked.
The Gingerdead Man did not disappear after his third film in 2011 as in 2013 Full Moon decided to combine him in a monster fight movie when they made "Gingerdead Man vs. Evil Bong" and had the two cheesiest of their movie villains battle it out. The film was directed by Charles Band and had Bob Ramos doing the voice of the killer cookie. Like most Full Moon films, Gingerdead Man has also had his share of merchandise besides the DVD's of the films like comics, statues, fake cereal box, poster prints and even a Halloween mask! Plus in 2014 as part of her "13 Nights Of Elvira" shows for Halloween, the one and only Elvira Mistress Of The Dark hosted The Gingerdead Man. So as you can see, this cookie doesn't seem to be crumbling anytime soon in the eyes of fans…man, I have put so many lame cookie jokes into this review so far; what's next talking about a slam dunk into milk?
Gary Busey is an actor that is very underrated when it comes to his work in horror and science fiction films, not to mention his work in action flicks! William Gary Busey was born on June 29 1944 in Goose Creek, Texas and during school was a football player, but his true calling in life was to entertain. His first big break came when he played drums for The Rubber Band and appeared on recordings of singer Leon Russell, but his first acting gig came in the 1968 film called "Wild In The Streets" and would continue his acting for many great films like "The Magnificent Seven Ride!", "The Buddy Holly Story", "D.C. Cab", "Black Sheep" and "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas" to name a few. But for me his roles in the following films are what made him a favorite actor of mine in my youth. Let's start off with the 1985 horror film "Silver Bullet" that was based off a Stephen King short story and had Busey play the fun loving, yet screwed up uncle named Red. In 1990, he would play the arrogant DEA agent Peter Keyes who is on the track of The Predator while using a cover up of trying to stop a drug ring in the film "The Predator 2," and of course his work as Millard Findlemeyer in the 2005 horror comedy film "The Gingerdead Man". But those are just a drop in the hat of films he was in that made an impact on my film watching life as he also was in such classic films of my youth as "Lethal Weapon" in 1987, the 1991 action drama "Point Break", the amazing 1992 Steven Seagal film "Under Siege" and so many others like "Surviving The Game", "Lost Highway" and "Soldier" and not to mention he also returned to horror in 2012 with an appearance in "Piranha 3DD"! In Busey's personal life, he has battled drugs and alcohol abuse, battled cancer and in 1988 had a very bad motorcycle accident that left him with brain damage and lucky to be alive. Busey is a man who speaks his mind and has lots of weird quirks and is now the butt of many jokes and memes, but for me he will always be an underrated actor and played many roles of characters that stick in my brain as great performances.
I have spoke many times over the years about comic companies that made quality horror comics that closed way too soon. Names like Dead Dog Comics, Fangoria Comics, NOW, Innovation, Xmachina, Northstar, Blackthrone, Arrow and Eternity all come to mind and make me wonder what could have been. But for fans of horror comics like me, the past few years have given me hope that the rise of the horror comic is coming back as companies like IDW have made comics based on the likes of Motel Hell, The Fly and Godzilla. Boom has done comics based on Hellraiser and King Kong, and even DC Comics have done several Swamp Thing series. Let's not forget the smaller independent companies who are truly do outstanding work in bringing horror back like The Bloodshed's comic series We Kill The Dead. Eibon Press is doing comics based on Lucio Fulci films like Zombie and Gates Of Hell among other original material. Rough House Publishing has brought back classic series like The Dead and Gore Shriek, and even my very own co-owned company Sparkle Comics via our Horror Comic branch called Blood Scream Comics has many great horror theme comics in the works including The Wolf Hunter and Shocking Macabre Theater! But here and now I want to talk about a company who for me is truly bringing horror comics back and that's Action Lab Comics who have released comics of this genre like The Final Plague, Southern Dog, Snowed In and Zombie Tramp, plus the best of them all, the Full Moon Presents Comics! So sit back and let's learn a little about Action Lab Comics and their Danger Zone branch that offers mature rated horror comics.
Action Lab Comics was started in 2010 by the combined forces of Shawn Pryor, Dave Dwonch and Shawn Gabborin, all of whom have independent self publishing backgrounds. The company's first release was the graphic novel "Back In The Day" with the next release being "Fracture," a comic that was crowd funded via Kickstarter. Many books followed including "Snowed In", "Priceless" and the digital only title "Globworld" and best of all during this time the company was growing in the market and winning awards for their covers, stories and art. Many others amazing titles would follow over the years like "Bigfoot Sword Of The Earthman", "Monsters Are Like Us" and "Jetta: Tales Of The Toshigawa" to name a few. And to keep the more scary, bloody and horror titles away from the more mainstream titles, they decided to open a branch called The Danger Zone, and this was to become the part of this company I would grow to love and look forward to picking up titles from. Many amazing titles have been released via the Danger Zone branch thus far like "The Final Plague", "Ghost Town", "Grave Digger", "Southern Dog", "Night Of The 80's Undead" and "Bolts" among many others. But when they announced the Full Moon Presents line of comics with Puppet Master being the first of the releases, I knew this was my kind of comic company! During this team up with Full Moon so far we have gotten comic mini series based on "Trancers", "Gingerdead Man" and "Oblivion" with more titles to be announced and coming soon. I have talked to one of the company's founders and acting Editor In Chief, Shawn Gabborin, and must say he is a class act guy who took time to chat with this comic fan and is also the man who's writing the Puppet Master comic series and is a Full Moon Entertainment fan himself. If you love horror comics, Full Moon or just good comic reads, check out the titles put out by Action Lab and their Danger Zone branch.
So I think we should pre-heat the oven to bake up a batch of Gingerbread Halloween Cookies, and while we wait for that, I want to thank Mavericks Cards And Comics for getting me these issue via my pull file and would as always like to remind you good readers that I grade these issues on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. Plus I should also say that I am pretty dang hyped for the coming year to see what Danger Zone and other comic companies have in store for us. I also can't wait to see what's in Sparkle Comic's future releases as we have some cool ideas and deals in the works. But the buzzer just went off letting me know it's killer cookie man time, so let's get to it shall we?
The Gingerdead Man # 1 **1/2
Betty's Bakery has been closed down for sometime now, and Synithia and her street gang have chosen it to be a hideout and a place to make cookies and treats with a new powerful green powder drug called Confection that cannot be used without dulling it down. As Synithia and some of the gang go to get ingredients to make the cookies, she leaves two of her goons behind to clean the machines. Meanwhile next door is the Cup Of Joe Coffee Shop where Kayla works; she tries to reach Billy, a young boy always in a hurry as well as deals with a crazy old man named Mister Gill who is ranting about the gang breaking in next door, as he thinks they are going to bring prostitutes! The left alone goons decide to use some old gingerbread mix they find and mix it with Confection, but this turns out to be a big mistake as baking it brings back The Gingerdead Man who goes on a brutal rampage, killing them with such things as an electric mixer. The crazy old man enters the closed bakery looking for paid sex, but finds death at the end of a knife as The Gingerdead Man butchers him. In the end Kayla, Billy and a customer next door hear the screams as Gingerdead Man cuts off the old man's finger and attaches it to himself like a penis!
Action Lab has captured the over the top horror comedy nature of Gingerdead Man very well in this first silly issue. The comic's plot is very basic and yet a perfect way to set up this mini series story. It has a street gang accidentally bringing back The Gingerdead Man who is blood thirsty and horny and slaughters members of the gang as well as a perverted old timer, all the while the innocent people next door at the coffee shop hear the screams and carnage and wonder what is going down. Synithia is the leader of the gang and has a bad attitude and wants to get her new drug on the streets so they can make money. She also is very much a bully and seems to enjoy bossing her braindead members around. Mister Gill is clearly a crazy old man who is quick to judge and condemn those who don't understand or are of the criminal world, but is also the type who will want the thing he judges, in this case it's the sex trade. But poor old Gill is punished for wanting to pay for sex and is destroyed by a knife. So far Kayla seems like a responsible young lady who is working a job and trying her best in the world she lives in. As for Billy, all we really know about him is that he likes firecrackers, is her younger brother and is kind of a trouble maker. The customer is a mystery and makes me wonder if he will just be another victim or will he be a hero. The Gingerdead Man is as sinister as ever as; from the moment he comes back to life, he is ready to slaughter and kill any human he can catch! His means of murder have all been items found in a bakery, and he does so with bloody glee. That's one thing for sure, this comic loves the blood and gore with such brutal deaths as a head explosion, stabbing and a mixer to the back of the head with so much force the beaters popped out of the victim's mouth! The humor in the comic is crude with the major laugh out loud moment being the finger penis as it's so ridicules and silly, oh yeah and it's also packed with baking puns. The cover is pretty eye catching and showcases our movie maniac with his mixer with a sinister grin on his face, with the interior art being done by Sergio Rios that looks fantastic and captures the mood of the film series this comic is based on. The story, as I have said, is very silly yet very entertaining and is done by Brockton McKinney who also does the rest of this series. This first issue is solid and good and is making me look forward to see just how this comic mini-series will play out. So let's put another comic cookie batch in the update oven and see what issue two has in store for us this October night.
Kayla has called the police over the scream she heard next door, and the cops just think she heard screams from a horror film that Billy is watching in the other room but still decide to check it out. In the bakery, The Gingerdead Man has made a cookie dough woman and is getting his joys with her when the cops find him and his murderous rage once more comes out. He kills one cop with molten hot melted chocolate chips! The other cop is able to fire his gun and knock off The Gingerdead Man's arm, but with a glee in his eyes, he forces the severed cookie arm down the throat of the other cop who, while choking, becomes crazed as he is now high on Confection! The Gingerdead Man uses a pizza cutter for his arm and orders the mindless slave cop to make more cookies as these will be his helpers and his army! Meanwhile Kayla and Billy are next door and arguing over the days events. As Synithia and the rest of the gang show up, they fight with the cracked out cop, and the commotion brings Kayla from next door to close up and peek next door just in time to see The Gingerdead and his tiny cookie army and cookie dragon appear ready to fight the gang.
This second issue adds more bloodshed and a little more light to the story of the war that is about to explode inside Betty's Bakery! This time around the plot has cops investigating the noises from the bakery that leaves one dead and one a slave to the sinister Gingerdead Man. Add in the gang returning for their drugs and poor Kayla, and you have a set up for a final battle that will take place in the next issue that is also the final issue in the mini series. Once more Kayla is shown to be hard working and wants to do what's best for her bratty brother Billy, who is foul mouthed and just a little jerk. Kayla also clearly wants to do the right thing as the noises next door not only freak her out but also could be something very bad. The cops are kind of walking blindly into a slaughter as they don't think the noises Kayla heard were anything but from a horror film that was playing in the other room, but they should have been on better alert as one is killed and one becomes high on Confection and becomes a mindless goon for The Gingerdead Man. The customer from the last issues is not a player at all as he is gone in this issue and another random guy appears instead and offers nothing more than a background character. Synithia and the rest of the gang are very mad as they find their fellow members dead among other people as well as a cop high on their drug stash! The Gingerdead Man is as cruel and perverted as ever and not only kills but also makes love to a cookie woman…yeah, he is a little psycho pervert! I wonder how his cookie army and cookie dragon will slaughter the enemy in the next issue? The death in this issue has a cops face melting off by scolding chocolate; while cheesy, it's is a great bloody death. This issue is filled with blood, gore, boobs (via the horror film Billy is watching) and lots of stupid puns and once more is just what fans of this film series would want in their comic book. The cover for this issue is okay, and the art inside by Sergio Rios is once more well done and fun to look at. Over all, another well done issue that still is holding the cheesy comedy horror charm that is needed for a series like this. Well the timer on the oven is almost ready to buzz that this series is over. So let's take one last peek and see what treats await us in issue three.
The Gingerdead Man along with his mini cookie men are attacking Synithia and her men and are doing really well putting a hurting on the gang members! The gang members figure out that the cookie men can just be crushed and killed and that's what happens until the little guys decide to go on suicide missions and force themselves down the throats of their enemies! The Gingerdead Man himself gets into the action and cuts off half of a gang member's face and orders the mini cookie men to cut off the face of the other gang member fully and killing him. Synithia, armed with cookie cutters throws some to her half faced friend and they go on a slaughter of cookie men and even take down The Gingerdead Man's pet dragon he named Fux with them. Meanwhile Kayla is back at the coffee shop gearing up to fight by arming herself with kitchen tools and keeping Billy safe in another room. While outside in front of the bakery, the war is still going on and Gingerdead Man has killed the half face gang member and has his mini cookie men combine to make a big cookie man and try and kill Synithia, but thanks to Kayla and Billy who made a cake filled with lit fireworks, they are able to kill the giant cookie man and Kayla in turn knocks The Gingerdead Man into a super hot cup off coffee and the killer gingerbread man's rampage is ended as he melts. In the end as the cops talk to the survivors, a stray dog gets into the coffee shop and drinks the coffee with the remains of the Gingerdead Man and goes off into the woods and poops him out!
The third and final issue in this mini series is still as goofy as the others and turns up the blood, gore and oh yes the puns! The plot is more action than story, and the final battle between Gingerdead Man and his cookie army and Synithia and her gang as well as Kayla and Billy will leave only one of these teams walking out alive. Kayla, who witnesses the sinister Cookie Army's rise, does what any respectable citizen would do and that's make sure her younger brother is safe and then gear up with wooden spoons and egg beaters and get ready to kick some cookie butt. I really like Kayla as I found her very easy to bond with and seemed like your every day normal young lady working for a small coffee shop who is capable of defending herself if need be. Billy is still a brat but his love for fireworks does save the day as his cake laced with the boom sticks is what brings down the giant cookie man and saves Synithia's life! Speaking of Synithia, she as well is one tough cookie and fights for her life as well as the lives of her remaining gang only armed with cookie cutters and does some major damage as she is the one who even takes down Fux The Magic Dragon. The remaining gang members try to stay alive but lose their skin on their faces and one loses his head…as in it's cut off. The Mini Cookie Army, The Giant Cookie Man and Fux all fight with anger and the joy of killing and all lose their doughy lives in this war. The Gingerdead Man is calling the shots of this fight and not only gives the orders to kill but also commits murder himself! While he is corny and filled with one-liners, he still is very brutal and enjoys snuffing out human life, but it's funny that he ends up dying in a hot cup of coffee and is later pooped out by a dog…so silly. But that's what makes this comic mini series work, is the fact it realizes how silly the source material is and just goes fully in on being over the top and down right stupid humor and gross gore. The most brutal kill of the issue I would have to say is the one gang member who first gets half his face cut off by the pizza cutter that The Gingerdead Man is using for a hand, and then a short time later he has his head cut off by the killer cookie man. The cover is good and eye catching as it shows Gingerdead Man riding his pet dragon Fux, and the art done by Rios is as before very well done and really does capture the silly nature of this character. While not the best comic series based on a Full Moon movie I have ever read, it is however one of the most goofy ones I have read and was perfect to review and chat about this Halloween season. I would say if you like the movies or just looking for a crude horror comedy comic, this would be one you'll want to check out. Check out some of the great artwork by Sergio Rios to see how good it is. Oh and I also want to share that this mini series subtitle is "Baking Bad," a play on the TV Show "Breaking Bad"…oh the terrible puns and play on words from this series are eye rolling but entertaining.
So I hope The Gingerdead Man helped make your October a little better or is that spookier as I feel he truly is a character that's so cheesy and he is a perfect fit for not only movies but also comic books. I want to also say that doing the countdown to Halloween updates is so much fun as I get to really dive into the world of horror comics and pick the things I think best fit my mood and the goings on of that year as in films released or custom comics being made. So for this Halloween update we will be traveling back to Texas and taking a look at the Avatar comics based on the 2009 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. So once more the saw will be law here at Rotten Ink and as always we will have other topics and surprises in store for you, my friends and readers. So until then have one good scare, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next time as Leatherface wants to see you all face to face again!
Posted in Action Lab, Comics	| Tagged 13 Nights Of Elvira, Action Lab Comics, Action Lab Danger Zone, Alexia Aleman, Betty's Bakery, Blockbuster Video, Bob Ramos, Brockton McKinney, Charles Band, Comics, Confection, Cookies, Danny Draven, DVD, Elvira, Fall, Full Moon Entertainment, Full Moon Pictures, Full Moon Presents, Gary Busey, Gingerbread, Gingerdead Man, Gingerdead Man vs. Evil Bong, Horror Comedy, Horror Films, Independent Movie Company, John Vulich, K-Von Moezzi, Kayla, Kelsey Sanders, Matt Brassfield, Mavericks Cards and Comics, Michelle Bauer, Millard Findlemeyer, Mistress of the Dark, October, Robin Sydney, Roger Ballenger, Ryan Locke, Sergio Rios, Shawn Gabborin, Silvia St. Croix, Synithia, The Gingerdead Man, The Gingerdead Man 2: Passion Of The Crust, The Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver, VHS, William Butler	| Leave a reply