#Mage Jones at your service

[emmajh97-mumaji]

Literally ALL My Blorbos

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💕💗💝🥰

A comprehensive list of my favorite characters from my favorite media! (I keep this because it makes it easier to decide on what to draw lol)

[This post will probably be edited every so often, so make sure to go to the original and not any Reblogs for the most up-to-date version!]

[page break because LONG LIST IS LONG]

Ace Attorney: ○ Apollo Justice ○ Miles Edgeworth ○ Phoenix Wright ○ Simon Blackquill Animal Crossing: ○ Lily (Rainy) ○ Wilbur Avatar - The Legend of Korra: ○ Mako Barbie in The Nutcracker: ○ Captain Candy Ben 10: ○ Ben Tennyson Black★Rock Shooter: ○ Black Rock Shooter Bleach: ○ Ichigo Kurosaki Danganronpa: ○ Hajime Hinata ○ Kaito Momota ○ Kazuichi Soda ○ Kiyotaka Ishimaru Danny Phantom: ○ Danny Fenton DC Comics: ○ Shazam (Captain Marvel) ○ Aquaman Demon Slayer: ○ Kyojuro Rengokou Detroit: Become Human: ○ Connor (RK 800) Digimon: ○ J.P. (Shibayama Junpei) ○ Marcus Damon ○ Takato Matsuki ○ Takuya Kanbara Dragon Ball Z: ○ Trunks Briefs (Mirai Trunks) Frozen (Disney): ○ Elsa Final Fantasy: ○ Cloud Strife ○ Prompto Argentum ○ Black Mage [any generic one] ○ Zack Fair Five Nights at Freddy's: ○ Glamrock Freddy ○ Golden Freddy (Fredbear) ○ Toy Freddie [in huggable Gijinka Form] Generator Rex: ○ Rex Salazar ○ Six Genshin Impact: ○ Arataki Itto ○ Lisa Minci ○ Mona Megistus Hazbin Hotel: ○ Lucifer Morningstar ○ Angel Dust Henry Stickmin: ○ Charles Calvin Hetalia: ○ America (Alfred F. Jones) ICEY_ (X.D.Network): ○ ICEY Interstella 5555: ○ Shep ○ Octave ○ Manager (Music Producer Guy) Jarrett Williams' Comics: ○ Joe Somiano from Super Pro K.O. ○ Sensational Sike from Super Pro K.O. ○ Ace Estrada (Yellow Hype) from Hyper Force Neo ○ Neil Tran (Blue Hype) from Hyper Force Neo Kingdom Hearts: ○ Axel (Lea) ○ Meow Wow Kiznaiver: ○ Hajime Tenga Legend of Zelda (BotW/TotK): ○ Link ○ Sidon Mario (Nintendo): ○ Luigi Marvel: ○ Clea Strange ○ Doctor Strange (Stephen) ○ Spider Man (Peter Parker) Miyuli's Webcomics: ○ Oz from Morgana & Oz ○ The Bogeyman from Lost Nightmare My Hero Academia: ○ Izuku Midoriya (Deku) ○ Kirishima Eijirou (Red Riot) Mystery Skulls Animated: ○ Lewis Pepper the Skeleton Ghost Mystic Messenger: ○ Yoosung Kim No Straight Roads: ○ 1010 [Eloni, Rin, & Purl-Hew are all good] ○ Zuke Persona: ○ Ryuji Sakamoto Pokemon: ○ Ash Ketchum (Satoshi) ○ Cilan ○ Hugh ○ Milo ○ Pearl (Barry /Jun) ○ Deoxys ○ Mismagius Promare: ○ Galo Thymos Rise of the Guardians: ○ Jack Frost RWBY: ○ Neptune Vasilias ○ Qrow Branwen Sanrio: ○ Keroppi ○ TuxedoSam ○ Shunsuke Yoshino Seduce Me (The Otome): ○ Matthew (Zecaeru) SOMA: ○ Simon Jarrett Sonic the Hedgehog: ○ Gold the Tenrec ○ Mighty the Armadillo ○ Shard the Metal Sonic ○ Silver the Hedgehog Soul Eater: ○ Black Star The Book of Life: ○ Manolo Sanchez Tiger & Bunny: ○ Kotetsu T. Kaburagi Vampire Knight: ○ Zero Kiryu Voltron: Legendary Defender: ○ Shiro (Takashi Shirogane) Xenoblade Chronicles: ○ Shulk Yu-Gi-Oh: ○ Soulburner (Takeru Homura) ○ Yami Yugi (Atem) ○ Yusei Fudo ○ Stardust Dragon 2064: Read Only Memories: ○ Lexi Rivers ○ Turing

BONUS: Media I love, but don't have a blorbo from

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar (world of Pandora; James Cameron)

Atlantis (Disney)

Angry Birds

Dekoboko Sugar Days

Disney Princess Movies [i.e. The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Sleeping Beauty]

D.N.Angel

Epic (Blue Sky movie)

Epithet Erased

Full Metal Alchemist

Ghibli Movies [specifically Castle in the Sky & Kiki's Delivery Service]

Hamtaro

Hindu Mythology [Amar Chitra Katha comics]

How to Train Your Dragon movies

Kal Ho Naa Ho

Kung-Fu Panda movies

Land of the Lustrous

The Lego Movie (and 2)

Lisa Frank

Little Witch Academia

MLP: Friendship is Magic

Megamind

Molly Moon (book series)

Mune Guardian of the Moon

Paleoart (dinosaur documentaries & encyclopedias)

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Penguins of Madagascar

Pretty Cure (HeartCatch)

Pusheen

Sailor Moon

Scooby-Doo [What's New? and Mystery Inc.]

Scott Pilgrim

Starlight Brigade - TWRP

Steven Universe

TRON [1982, Legacy, and Uprising]

Tatsinda by Elizabeth Enright

The Avengers

TokiDoki

Tokyo Mew Mew

Treasure Planet

Undertale & Deltarune

Vocaloid / UTAUloids

[holly-poly]

New Pinch Hits

Four new pinch hits just went out. Please see below for general details. More specific information can be found by clicking the links. Pinch Hit #11 - https://groups.google.com/u/0/g/holly-poly-pinchhits/c/mDY37xUWKZw Request 1 by DianaMoon Fandom: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)   James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Spock (AOS), Pavel Chekov/Ben Sulu/Hikaru Sulu (AOS) Fanart, Fanfiction Request 2 by DianaMoon Fandom: The Umbrella Academy (TV)   Ben Hargreeves/Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves Fanart, Fanfiction Request 3 by DianaMoon Fandom: DC's Arrowverse   Barry Allen/Cisco Ramon/Iris West (Arrowverse), John Constantine/Oliver Queen/Sara Lance (Arrowverse), Leonard Snart/Mick Rory/Ray Palmer (Arrowverse), Felicity Smoak/John Diggle/Oliver Queen/Roy Harper (Arrowverse) Fanfiction Request 4 by DianaMoon Fandom: Altered Carbon (TV) Any Relationship (nominated relationships are  Elias Ryker/Kristin Ortega/Takeshi Kovacs, Poe/Takeshi Kovacs (Anthony Mackie)/Takeshi Kovacs Prime (Will Yun Lee), Poe/Takeshi Kovacs (in Ryker's sleeve)/Takeshi Kovacs (clone)) Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanvid Request 5 by DianaMoon Fandom: The Expanse (TV)   Amos Burton/Jim Holden/Naomi Nagata, Alex Kamal/Amos Burton/Jim Holden/Naomi Nagata Fanart, Fanfiction Request 6 by DianaMoon Fandom: Bones (TV)   Lance Sweets/Seeley Booth/Temperance Brennan (Bones) Fanfiction   Request 7 by DianaMoon Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe   Jane Foster/Sif/Thor (MCU), Bruce Banner/Pepper Potts/Peter Parker/Tony Stark (MCU), Frank Castle/Karen Page/Matt Murdock (MCU), James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Pepper Potts/Tony Stark (MCU), James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson/Steve Rogers (MCU), Bruce Banner/Pepper Potts/Tony Stark (MCU), Howard Stark/Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers (MCU) Fanart, Fanfiction Request 8 by DianaMoon Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types   Finn/Poe Dameron/Rey, Finn/Poe Dameron/Rey/Rose Tico, Han Solo/Lando Calrissian/Leia Organa, Bodhi Rook/Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso Fanart, Fanfiction Request 9 by DianaMoon Fandom: Sense8 (TV)   Daniela Velasquez/Hernando Fuentes/Lito Rodriguez, Kala Dandekar/Rajan Rasal/Wolfgang Bogdanow Fanfiction Request 10 by DianaMoon Fandom: Dirty Computer - Janelle Monáe (Music Video)   Ché/Jane/Zen (Dirty Computer) Fanart, Fanfiction Pinch Hit #12 - https://groups.google.com/u/0/g/holly-poly-pinchhits/c/W1nfZpXcoYE Request 1 by shopfront Fandom: Doctor Who   Jenny Flint/Madame Vastra/Miss Montague | Clara Oswin Oswald, Christina de Souza/Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan Fanfiction, Fanvid Request 2 by shopfront Fandom: Gotham (TV)   Leslie Thompkins/Tabitha Galavan/Valerie Vale Fanfiction, Fanvid Request 3 by shopfront Fandom: Grimm (TV)   Adalind Schade/Nick Burkhard/Sean Renard, Adalind Schade/Juliette Silverton/Nick Burkhard/Sean Renard (Grimm), Elizabeth Lascelles/Juliette Silverton | Eve/Theresa Rubel, Elizabeth Lascelles/Juliette Silverton | Eve/Rosalee Calvert Fanfiction, Fanvid Request 4 by shopfront Fandom: Haven (TV)   Audrey Parker/Duke Crocker/Jennifer Mason Fanfiction, Fanvid Request 5 by shopfront Fandom: Lip Service   Lexy Price/Sam Murray/Tess Roberts Fanfiction, Fanvid Request 6 by shopfront Fandom: Sanctuary (TV)   Helen Magnus/Nikola Tesla/Will Zimmerman Fanfiction, Fanvid   Request 7 by shopfront Fandom: The Hour (TV)   Bel Rowley/Camille Mettier/Lix Storm, Bel Rowley/Freddie Lyon/Lix Storm, Bel Rowley/Camille Mettier/Freddie Lyon Fanfiction, Fanvid Request 8 by shopfront Fandom: crossover - Fandom   Adaline (Age of Adaline)/Diana Prince (DCEU)/Helen Magnus (Sanctuary), Dutch (Killjoys)/Kyra (Chronicles of Riddick)/Mirror Ezri (Star Trek DS9), Dinah Madani (Marvel Netflix)/Karen Page (Marvel Netflix)/Kate Kane (Arrowverse), Angie Martinelli (Agent Carter)/Catrin Cole (Their Finest)/Phyl Moore (Their Finest), Anne (Glorious 39)/Catrin Cole (Their Finest)/Phyl Moore (Their Finest) Fanfiction, Fanvid Letter: http://shopfront.dreamwidth.org/447973.html Pinch Hit #13 - https://groups.google.com/u/0/g/holly-poly-pinchhits/c/sD2HvMn-4h0 Request 1 by silveradept Fandom: Arthurian Mythology   Bertilak de Hautdesert/Gawain/Lady Bertilak (Arthurian Mythology) Fanart, Fanfiction, Podfic Request 2 by silveradept Fandom: Final Fantasy I   Black Mage/Black Mage/Black Mage/Black Mage (Final Fantasy I) Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanvid, Podfic Request 3 by silveradept Fandom: Pushing Daisies   Charlotte "Chuck" Charles/Olive Snook/Ned Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanvid, Podfic Request 4 by silveradept Fandom: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types   Fujioka Haruhi/Hitachiin Hikaru/Hitachiin Kaoru Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanvid, Podfic Request 5 by silveradept Fandom: RWBY   Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos/Weiss Schnee Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanvid, Podfic Request 6 by silveradept Fandom: Avatar: The Legend of Korra   Asami Sato/Korra/Raava (A:TLOK) Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanvid, Podfic Request 7 by silveradept Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender   Aang/Katara/Mai/Sokka/Suki/Toph Beifong/Ty Lee/Zuko (A:TLA) Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanvid, Podfic Request 8 by silveradept Fandom: Doctor Who   Amy Pond/Clara Oswald/Donna Noble/Martha Jones/Rose Tyler Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanvid, Podfic Request 9 by silveradept Fandom: crossover - Fandom   Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter)/Peggy Carter (MCU)/Susan Pevensie (Narnia) Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanvid, Podfic Request 10 by silveradept Fandom: Original Work   Supervillainess/Superheroine/Female Mutual Friend with No Powers Fanart, Fanfiction, Podfic Pinch Hit #14 - https://groups.google.com/u/0/g/holly-poly-pinchhits/c/Wb0L5YKyLxc Request 1 by Stefanyeah Fandom: Hades (Video Game 2018)   Aphrodite/Dionysus/Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Aphrodite/Ares/Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Ares/Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Asterius/Theseus/Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Chaos/Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Dionysus/Hypnos/Zagreus (Hades Video Games), Hermes/Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Megaera/Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Skelly/Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades VG), Zagreus/The Furies (Hades Video Game), Achilles/Patroclus/Zagreus (Hades Video Game) Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanvid Request 2 by Stefanyeah Fandom: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)   Any Relationship (nominimated relationships are  Aloy/Erend/Val and Aloy/Nasadi/Vanasha) Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanvid Request 3 by Stefanyeah Fandom: Muse (Band)   Any Relationship (nominated relationship is Christopher Wolstenholme/Dominic Howard/Matthew Bellamy) Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanvid Request 4 by Stefanyeah Fandom: crossover - Fandom   Anubis (Ancient Egypt Religion)/Archaeologist (Original)/Loki (Norse Religion) Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanvid Request 5 by Stefanyeah Fandom: Original Work   Airship Pirate/Opera Starlet They Kidnapped/Musketeer Set on Saving the Starlet Demon/Angel/Human Whose Soul They are Competing Over Faery Knight/Captured Human Gifted To Them/Captured Human's Significant Other Questing To Save Them Faery Knights/Captured Human Gifted To Them Female Mad Scientist/Nonbinary Assistant/Nonbinary Creature Female Vampire/Male Vampire/Female Vampire Hunter Female Vampires/Female Vampire Hunter God-Empress/Harem of Badass Women Destined To Serve Her In All Ways Greek-esque God/Greek-esque God/Their Male Human Lover Group of Bored Elf Hunters/Mischievous Satyr Lost Wanderer/Group of Satyrs Male Dom/Male Switch/Male Sub Male Fallen Angel/Male Demon Wanting to Redeem Himself/Male Garden Hermit Male Fallen Angel/Male Mad Scientist/Male Government Agent New Bisexual Queen/Volunteers For Her Harem (Any Genders) A Nobleman/A Noble Woman Whose Love Potion Didn't Work Out Quite As Planned/The Witch Nymph/Pack of Werewolves Pirate Crew/Prince Who Paid Them To Kidnap Him Tentacle Monster/Couple It's Been Stalking Witch Who Stole the Peni of Most of the Town's Men/Her Victims Trying to Reclaim Their Stolen Peni Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanvid Letter: http://stefanyeah.dreamwidth.org/217571.html If you're interested in claiming any of these pinch hits, send an e-mail to holly.poly.exchange@gmail.com with your AO3 name.

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #169 - X-Men: The Last Stand

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Not really.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: Blu-ray

0) Forewarning, I get a little more frank about my distaste for this film than I expected. So if you like this film and are tired of the criticisms about it, feel free to scroll past.

1) So this film had a troubled start. Fox took a while to pull the trigger and when they did Bryan Singer had signed on to direct Superman Returns which he now claims to regret. They hired Matthew Vaughn to direct - and he even made some casting and conceptual progress - but he had to bow out after a family issue. Then they brought in Brett Ratner because the film was rushed into production and he had made a successful film in a rush for the studio with Rush Hour. This - in my opinion - leads to a lot of the issues the film has.

2) This film does not open with the monologue which has opened both previous X-Men films, instead getting straight into a prologue involving Erik and Charles in 1986 visiting a young Jean Grey.

This is probably one of the earliest in depth uses of the CGI facelift technology which Hollywood seems to be all the rage about these days. It’s weird, I’m glad it doesn’t last long.

3) So in 1986 Charles can walk...but in X-Men: First Class he couldn’t walk because of Erik. Then in X-Men: Days of Future Past (before Wolverine altered the timeline) it was established he CAN walk at the expense of his powers. I can head canon a remedy for why Charles and Erik are working together despite being strained, but this is a great example of how continuity in the X-Men films kinda goes to crap after a while. 

4) Not only do we get a Stan Lee cameo, but also a Chris Claremont cameo (Chris Claremont being one of the most quintessential X-Men comics writers).

(Claremont is the guy with the lawnmower, Stan Lee with the water hose.)

5) The intro scene with young Warren Worthington/Angel tearing off his wings is very much inline with the dark tone that the previous films had. Too bad nothing really comes of it.

6) The Danger Room.

Honestly this is one of the strongest elements of the film right here. We actually get to see the team sorta work together (as well as the one time Rogue actually uses her powers in this film), Logan in teaching mode is fun, Colossus has his one line in the whole film, and it’s a fun two minutes (I’m guessing at the time) of screen time.

7) I started discussing this in my X2 recap, but Cyclops in this film literally does nothing.

There were a lot of “casualties” born from the rushed production, and James Marsden was one of them. Cyclops was the badass leader of the X-Men in the comics, with great relationships with Jean and Professor X. In this film? He mopes about Jean’s death, goes shoots up a lake with his eye beams, then dies off screen within the first twenty minutes. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt as bad if he’d had more to do in X2 but you can remedy his lack of screen time in X2 with the promise that he’ll get to do something in this film. But no. No he doesn’t.

8) Similarly, Rogue in this film gets to do absolutely nothing.

All she does is feel bad about her powers, get shoved into an awkward and underdeveloped love triangle between her, Iceman and Kitty Pryde, stand in line at a pharmacy, and have her powers removed. She doesn’t even get a fight scene! This is the end of the trilogy. This is what Rogue was supposed to be growing into all along, the badass heroine we know from the comics. And while the continued conflict with her powers and total frustration with them is a good concept, it does not stand well on its own. It needs more. ROGUE needs more.

9) Kelsey Grammer as Beast.

According to IMDb, Grammer was cast when Matthew Vaughn was still directing. Which makes sense, because he is an absolutely fucking perfect fit for the character. In every way. Easily the best part of this film is Grammer as Beast. Like Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler in X2, you don’t feel like you’re watching an actor here. He perfectly represents not only the X-Man’s intellect but also his when needed ferocity. Unfortunately Beast gets a little lost in the mess of the film, but damn if Kelsey Grammer is not just totally phenomenal in the part (which makes the rest of the film’s mediocrity all the more disappointing).

10) The idea of a mutant ethics class taught by Professor Xavier is wonderful, and if explored a little more illustrates an inherent hypocrisy in the character. Professor X has not always been the stalwart in the comics that many believe him to be. He is flawed, often times superior and filled with hypocrisy. Saying one thing then doing another. This film gives us our best peak into that, teaching a class on mutant ethics before it being revealed that he - without consent - went into Jean’s mind and set up barricades. Making her afraid of her powers instead of teaching her to use them. Unfortunately this isn’t explored as in depth throughout the film as it could be.

11) One thing I really REALLY do not like about this film is Storm.

According to IMDb:

Halle Berry had initially decided not to reprise her role as Storm for this film, citing lack of character development in the previous two installments, and a tense relationship with Bryan Singer. However, after Singer's departure, and suffering a major box-office flop with Catwoman (2004), Berry agreed to return, on the condition that her role be expanded. Consequently, in this film, Storm replaces Cyclops and Professor Xavier as team leader of the X-Men (which is keeping with the comics, where for a time Storm served as team leader in Xavier's absence).

In the film’s attempt to make Storm stronger, the filmmakers instead make her impatient, judgmental, superior, angry, and rash. None of these are traits I would use to describe Storm in the previous two installments nor in the comics or any other medium. It is a total disservice to the wise, patient, empathetic character we were introduced to in X-Men. The one who stood by the bedside of a man who hated her just so he wouldn’t be alone when he died. Trust me, there are plenty of moments in this recap where I am going to be calling out Storm’s characterization.

12) I believe when Bryan Singer was slated to come up, the film was going to exclusively concern itself with the Dark Phoenix Saga. Instead with his departure, Jean Grey’s return as the Dark Phoenix is reduced to a subplot to the mutant cure plot. And honestly? The mutant cure is wildly interesting. Taking inspiration from the first arc of the Joss Whedon penned Astonishing X-Men, I am consistently more interested in the plot with the cure than the Dark Phoenix plot in this film. I think both (especially Dark Phoenix) are put to a disservice by being paired together, and instead they should have been their own thing.

13) Did I mention how much I dislike Storm’s characterization in this film?

Storm [after Beast tells them about the cure]: “Who would want this cure? I mean what kind of coward would take it just to fit in?”

Beast: “Not all of us can fit in so easily. You don't shed on the furniture.”

First: this is remarkably judgmental of Storm, especially considering in X2 she offered Nightcrawler a safe place from the outside world. It just doesn’t make sense.

Second: GOOD ON YOU BEAST! Storm is being sort of ignorant in that statement. Her powers are practically invisible. But does she actually hear what Beast says? No. Because not two minutes later... 

(Screenshot taken of a GIF set who’s source is unknown [if this screenshot is of your GIFs, please let me know].)

There are so many things I want to say about this, but I think it’s said perfectly in these comments from @marxisforbros, @helioscentrifuge, and @kawaiite-mage:

This - more than anything else - perfectly represents my issues with storm in the film.

14) Even in what is by far the weakest of the first three X-Men films, Ian McKellen as Magneto is still wonderfully strong.

Magneto [after a mutant asks why he has no tattoos]: “I had a mark once my dear and let me assure you no needle shall touch my skin again.”

15) Added to the seemingly infinite list of things which are underdeveloped because this film is trying to do too much, Pyro’s return brings nothing to the film. He’s not developed, he’s not peeled back, his rivalry with Iceman is never fully explored, he’s just there out of obligation to the ending of X2. Which is - like a lot of this film - unfortunate.

16) Another item to add to the above mentioned list: Ben Foster as Angel.

Angel is one of the founding members of the X-Men in the comics along with Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, and Iceman. And in this film he just serves no purpose. At all. I think he’s here largely for fan service but I think we only get three distinct scenes with him which are: he runs away from his father for trying to cure him, he is seen at Xavier mansion looking for a safe place, and he goes to save his father. He never really interacts with anyone, we never really get to see him fight, or develop. He just is present in the film.

17) Okay, for the sake of time, here is everything that this film is trying to do: the cure storyline, the Dark Phoenix saga, introduce and develop Angel, continue Rogue’s struggle with her powers, introduce Kitty Pryde, continue Pyro and Iceman’s rivalry, continue Logan’s feelings for Jean, while also introducing iconic characters like the Juggernaut. And none of these things are done well. They are all desperately fighting for time and development and end up being underserved and under baked.

Vinnie Jones as the Juggernaut is particularly disappointing because he could’ve been a great Juggernaut but ends up being stupid comic relief instead.

18) Mystique deserved a better end to her story than get cured, get ditched by Magneto, and feed the feds dirt on Magneto. Again, this is a result of the rushed production as Rebecca Romijn had other scheduling conflicts.

19) Jean Grey’s Dark Phoenix is also not really developed well. We don’t really get a peek into what it felt like to be held back for all these years with invasive and nonconsensual psychic barriers. Instead she’s really fucking horny, does a lot of weird standing around, occasionally has a moment of clarity where she begs for death, and then goes back into being someone who just stares in the distance and doesn’t really talk. And she also aligns herself with Magneto for some reason.

20)

Xavier [after Jean wakes up and escapes]: “What have you done?...I warned you.”

Logan...literally did nothing. He didn’t wake her up, he didn’t let her lose. She woke up, talked to him, and escaped on her own. And you’re fucking giving him crap? What the hell did you do buddy? You created this. You taught her to be afraid of her powers! Don’t give me this Jedi Council mentality that you were doing the right thing all along by teaching her to be afraid of herself. Okay I’m done.

21) When you agree with “death to all humans” Magneto you know there’s a problem.

Xavier [about Jean]: “She needs help, she’s not well.”

Magneto: “Funny, you sound just like her parents.”

Magneto: “You’ve always held her back.”

Xavier: “For her own good!”

22) This film also suffers from just boring fight choreography. Like the fight at the house is sorta dumb and lazily choreographed in my opinion. Storm flying in the air at the beginning is cool but then everyone else is just kinda...hitting each other.

23) Xavier’s death is remarkably sudden. Like, too sudden. We are left in shock, not in tears. We don’t really have the time to process it. Although seeing the school in morning over his death is done well, the actual effect it has on the audience is miniscule.

24) You know what else this film totally drops the ball on? Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde.

You know what hurts most? Ellen Page could be a freaking amazing Kitty Pryde and the fact the character is so lackluster in the film is not through any fault of her own. Kitty is one of the most badass fan favorite characters in the X-Men comics, but instead of using that to their advantage the filmmakers decide to thrust her into a half baked love triangle with Iceman and Rogue and only have her use her powers for a few minutes in an overstuffed fight scene at the very end. We never really get to know her as a character or analyze her relationships with the other teammates. But it’s Academy Award nominated actress Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde! That should be way more awesome than the filmmakers ended up making it.

25) Hey, remember how the relationship between Logan and Rogue was so freaking amazing in the first film? Yeah, this is all we get of it in this film.

Rogue [when Logan catches her leaving X Mansion]: “I want to be able to touch people, Logan. A hug. A handshake. A kiss.”

Logan: “I hope you’re not doing this for some boy. If wanna go, then go. Just be sure it’s what you want.”

[Rogue asks Logan if he shouldn’t be telling her to stay.]

Logan [warmly]: “I’m not your father, I’m your friend.”

Man, I really need to watch the Rogue Cut of Days of Future Past.

26) The most frustrating part of this film is that there are great moments and aspects to it. Jackman is still great as Wolverine, Kelsey Grammer as Beast, the idea of the cure. This line in particular has always stood out to me.

Magento [after Pyro he says he could’ve killed Xavier if he’d been asked]: “Charles Xavier did more for mutants than you’ll ever know. My single greatest regret is that he head to die for our dream to live.”

That line is remarkably powerful, for even though the pair are at incredible odds with each other they’re friends. They have respect, they both want a similar goal (for mutants to be free form oppression) they just are going about it differently. I love that line.

27) Hey, remember how I said I really dislike Storm in this film?

Storm [after Jean killed the professor]: “She’s gone Logan, she’s not coming back.”

Storm: “She made her choice, now it’s time we make ours.”

(GIF originally posted by @kulo-ren)

Okay, first of all: isn’t Jean supposed to be like one of your best friends in the world? Weren’t you Xavier’s first students together? You wash your hands of her pretty freaking quickly and get REAL comfortable with that REAL fast. And then second: the hell do you mean she made her choice? SHE MADE NO CHOICE! This is the result of Professor X screwing around with her mind to the point where she can’t control her own damn powers! Like hell this is a choice! God, I hate what they did to Storm in this film.

28) Wait, is that...that’s R. Lee Ermey. The voice of a sergeant as the military prepares to go fight the brotherhood, that’s R. Lee Ermey!

Huh.

29)

Kitty: “There’s only six of us, Logan.”

Yeah, because Rogue doesn’t get to do anything, you killed off Cyclops, Angel is also barely there, you don’t really get developed as a character, and Colossus already had his one line for the film.

30) I think this is the last time I’ll say this, but I really hate what they did to Storm in this film.

Storm [to Logan, about Jean]: “But are you ready to do what you need to do when the time comes?”

Except for that weird line about what happens to a toad when it’s struck by lightning in X-Men, when has Storm ever gone into battle expecting to murder someone? What part of Xavier’s teachings or his memory would make her think that being EAGER to kill Jean is fucking okay? I just...ugh. Moving on.

31) One of the best parts of this film is the scene where Magneto moves the Golden Gate Bridge so it drops them all off on Alcatraz. It is an incredibly powerful and memorable visual and one of the standout aspects of the film.

32) So Magneto moves the Golden Gate Bridge, gets to Alcatraz (where the cure is being held), and sets his army of mutants lose before saying...

Magneto: “In chess the pawns go first.”

For one thing, Magneto is all into mutant brotherhood and everything. He has never once shown to think that one mutant’s right to live free was more important than the others, so why are these guys suddenly pawns. Secondly, and I don’t know how clear I can make this...

You have the freaking Dark Phoenix on your side, the most powerful mutant ever with no limits to her powers. AND SHE’S JUST GOING TO STAND THERE UNTIL THE BATTLE IS OVER!?!?

33) In the climactic battle, the X-Men don’t really fight like a team. At all. They’re sorta each doing their own thing while standing next to each other. It’s...boring.

34) Okay, this line is probably very stupid but I love it.

According to IMDb:

Cain Marko's line "Don't you know who I am? I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!" was inspired by a popular web parody film that made use of scenes from X-Men (1992). Throughout the parody , the Juggernaut character repeatedly says, "I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!" According to the Wikipedia, Brett Ratner even has a link to this parody on his own website.

35) I will say, even though this film has its problems, the way they defeat Magneto at the end (by distracting him with Wolverine) is very smart I think.

36) I have nothing to say about Phoenix’s demise that I haven’t said before. Underdeveloped, sorta doesn’t make sense, all that jazz.

37) So Rogue decided to get the mutant “cure” after all. And when she talks to Bobby about it...

Bobby: “This isn’t what I wanted.”

Rogue: “I know, it’s what I wanted.”

While I admire the idea for Rogue to take this decision in her own hands, I get the feeling the filmmakers were very noncommittal on this idea. They shot an alternate scene where Rogue tells Bobby she DIDN’T get the cure, meaning they didn’t really know which one fit the story better so they don’t invest in either idea. Also - and I said this earlier - Rogue didn’t do anything during the entire film.

38) The final glimpse of Magneto playing chess is actually a pretty nice way to end the film. It drives home how he has no one - not even Charles - while also setting up things to come. But...wouldn’t he still be under arrest? He’s still a terrorist, powers or not.

This film is an underdeveloped mess in my opinion. While there are still strong performances and worthwhile additions (notable Kelsey Grammer and the Golden Gate Bridge scene), there are characters who are just pretty much forgotten and the fact it’s trying to do too much means nothing is done particularly well. If you liked X2 you should watch it just to get some sort of closure after that film, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll enjoy it. It’s just...eh, in my opinion. I do not enjoy it.

[willreadforbooze]

Hey boozers!

Hope you all had an excellent week! Check out what the WRFB crew read this week.

Linz’s Updates

Writing this as I go to my FINAL holiday obligation, thank jesus

What Linz read

The After Party by Anton DiSciafani: historical midcentury fiction about rich white women in Texas. It’s fine I guess? It’s hard to read books like this in 2020 unless they’re outstanding.

What Linz is currently reading

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco: still working my way through this ARC. It’s…tough.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang: the followup to the iffy The Kiss Quotient; a Vietnamese girl is brought to the US by a Vietnamese American woman to woo and be wooed by the woman’s autistic son. Premise alone is putting this above the first book already.

Minda’s Updates

What Minda is reading now:

Becoming by Michelle Obama – About 50% of the way through. Just got to the most adorable proposal ever.

The Better Liar by Tanen Jones – Got this ARC on Netgalley and it comes out on Tues. To my understanding, it’s about two sisters with a not-so-great relationship and now one of them is dead. The catch? The surviving sister needs the other alive to get her half of the inheritance

Sam’s Updates

This was a much better week than I thought it’d be. I feel like I’ve got my brain back, which is super exciting.

What Sam read this week:

I didn’t finish anything… I am ashamed. To be honest, I’m really liking binge watching right now.

What Sam’s currently reading:

Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi: This is the sequel to The Gilded Wolves which Linz reviewed and then so did I because I couldn’t shut up about it. I’m so damn close to the end of this. So damn close. I love my kids. So so much.

Angel Mage by Garth Nix: This is Nix’s newest book that i’m listening to on audio. This is a society that relies on calling upon angels to help them do stuff. Heal, build, spy, etc. When a plague wipes out an entire country, their descendants are suddenly unable to be touched by magic or the same disease overtakes them. Now you can imagine the power dynamics of THAT situation. Anyway, Lilith (of COURSE that’s her name) has some master plan that involves four strangers. Don’t know what it is yet, but I think that’s the point. I think audio was the wrong platform for this, but I’m intrigued.

Ginny’s Updates

Whatsup. Im skiing right now in a different time zone so I’m a bit exhausted in the best way (21 inches of powder is a beautiful beautiful thing).

Finished:

Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews: the fourth book in this series might be my favorite. There’s a significant time gap between book 3 and book 4 but it was easy enough to figure out what had happened. The plot was fun. The chemistry was less uncomfortable (i.e. no weird power dynamics). 4/5 stars

Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire: fifth book in the wayward children series and be still my beating heart. Gonna be a review but lets just say I wanted to savor this book but read it in an evening.

The Accusation:Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea by Bandi: this book is a series of short stories detailing a variety of people coming to realizations about the bleak future of North Korea. The author is apparently part of the communications organization for the State and these stories are beautifully put together and ring if truth. 5/5

Realm Of Ash by Tasha Suri: apparently all I needed was a vacation to finish this book. Gonna review it!

Currently reading:

Becoming RGB by Debbie Levy and Whitney Gardner: this is a charming graphic novel that my sister gave me for Christmas. I LOVE RBG and this is such a cute way of talking about her history!

A Woman Of No Importance by Sophie Purnell: this is a book about an American who joined the British service to set up their spy network in France to help their liberation from the Nazi regime. Its intense.

A Pineapple in a Pine Tree by Eve Pendle: this book was highly recommended by a bunch of romance authors and boy is that all I need. Regency Christmas romance where miscommunication ended a romance five years previously and theyre gonna have to work through their shit.

Until next time, we main forever drunkenly yours,

Sam, Ginny, Linz, and Minda

Weekly Wrap Up: Jan 6 – 12, 2020 Hey boozers! Hope you all had an excellent week! Check out what the WRFB crew read this week.

[vennomax]

Digital Africa: Young African girls turn to coding

New Post has been published on http://www.vennomax.com/education/digital-africa-young-african-girls-turn-to-coding/

Digital Africa: Young African girls turn to coding

At Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Angela Koranteng was an accomplished student with a special dream. At a time when few women were breaking the gender barrier in male-dominated studies, Ms. Koranteng had her heart set on health sciences—but instead of treating patients, she wanted to be an engineer and build hospitals.

After a round of courses in computer programming, civil engineering and coding, Ms. Koranteng today has earned a degree and a title: professional African coder.

Coding is what makes it possible to create computer software, apps and websites. Your browser, your operating system, the apps on your phone, Facebook, and websites—they’re all made with code. Coding can be learned at a university or boot camp.

Because boys are exposed to technical matters in childhood and girls are not, few young African women imagine themselves on a career track in engineering.

Not just a man’s field

In college, “I learned everything from scratch, whereas the boys already knew the basics,” Ms. Koranteng told Africa Renewal in an interview. That disadvantage ensured that “my contributions [in class] were deemed less intelligent than those of my male counterparts.”

Even Ms. Koranteng’s father was not sure that a path in coding was good for her. “He didn’t know that coding would become one of the most in-demand skills across industries,” she explained.

Today Ms. Koranteng works with a group called STEMbees, a Ghana-based nonprofit organization she helped to found, which mentors young women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Ms. Koranteng hopes that more girls in STEM will help bridge the gender gap in computing.

Unfortunately, training in STEM still attracts fewer women students than training in teaching, law, medicine or business.

Karen Spärck Jones, a professor of computers and information at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory in the UK, once said that “computing is too important to be left to men.”

But even in the most developed countries, the computer field is disproportionately dominated by men. In 2013 in the US, only 26% of computing professionals were female—down considerably from 35% in 1990 and virtually the same as in 1960. While the percentage of women in engineering has risen since 1990, the progress has been modest—from 9% in 1990 to 12% in 2013.

A 2012 US Department of Labor survey reported that women in the US comprised 30% of web developers, 25% of programmers, 37% of database administrators, 20% of software developers, and a little over 10% of information security analysts. Women also held less than 20% of chief information officer positions at Fortune 250 companies, and among the Fortune 100 tech companies, only four women held chief executive officer positions. At tech giants like Google, over 70% of technical employees were men.

Lacking reliable data, Ms. Koranteng presumes Africa’s situation to be far worse than that of the US. In the bustling Computer Village in Lagos, Nigeria, for example, it is mostly young men developing apps or engaging in other computing work, Caleb Ibhasabemon, who monitors technology trends and plans to start a computer hardware sales company, told Africa Renewal in an interview.

Despite the growth of Internet usage in Africa over the last decade, about 10% of the continent has access to the Internet, according to a 2017 report by Internet World Stats, an organization that monitors global Internet usage. Low Internet diffusion on the continent is certain to impede efforts by Africans, especially girls, to become coding professionals.

Marian Tesfamichael, a young Ghanaian who has been coding in Toronto, Canada, is one of the few success stories. Her undergraduate studies were in computer science and mathematics, and her graduate studies in computer science. She is a web developer and data manager at the University of Toronto.

Ms. Tesfamichael says her gender and ethnicity might have slowed her progress within the industry; many at companies she’s worked for didn’t believe she could be good at the job. However, at the moment things are looking up for her.

A Lagos-based tech company Andela is training engineering teams, including coders, to fill the gap in tech talent in Africa. “We have nearly 30% of women out of more than 600 developers based in Lagos, Nairobi and Kampala,” says Christine Magee, Andela’s director of communications.

Another success story is Ghana’s Ethel Cofie, whom Forbes business magazine calls one of the top five women affecting IT on the continent. She is the founder and CEO of EDEL Technology Consulting, a company that provides IT and software services for businesses.

Technology and GDP growth

Ms. Cofie studied computer science during the dot-com period (1995 to 2001) and took advantage of Africa’s emerging market to invest in technology, according to reports by the BBC and CNN. To promote diversity in the computer programming industry, particularly to “encourage African girls to get involved,” she founded Women in Tech Africa.

Many budding female techies from around the continent consider Ms. Cofie a role model.

“Computer programming is one of the world’s most in-demand skills,” and African girls must seize the opportunity, says Ms. Cofie.

Similar sentiments have been voiced at the World Economic Forum (WEF), a Geneva-based nonprofit that meets annually and bills itself as committed to public-private cooperation.

Information technology helps create new businesses in digital marketing, data sciences, and mobile money ecosystems, among others. In 2017, revenues for information technology products and services are forecast to reach $2.4 trillion, a 3.5% increase over 2016, reports International Data Corporation (IDC), which provides market intelligence for information technology, telecommunications and consumer technology markets. IDC adds that the figure could be $2.6 trillion by 2020.

Statistics by WEF also show that a 10% increase in broadband penetration can lead to a 1.4% increase in GDP growth in emerging markets. The GDP growth numbers can be seen in countries adopting mobile money or other technologies that facilitate financial transactions, for example.

Already top tech companies such as Facebook and Google are providing technical and financial support to institutions creating opportunities for African girls learning how to code.

AWELE Academy, a leadership and technology institution based in Lagos, is one of the schools receiving external support for its attempts to close the coding gap in Africa. But it can accept only 20 students at a time—a feeble effort at best.

Technology institutions are working to increase awareness about computer programming through local conferences where girls meet role models to discuss career prospects.

Gender equality enthusiasts are optimistic that the increase in women coders will help close the gender wage inequality gap in Africa. The next few years could witness more African women falling in love with coding, earning decent wages and transforming their countries’ economies, predicts Ms. Tesfamichael.

[voguepay]

Headline News from PaymentsNews.com - April 12, 2017 http://ift.tt/2p8R7Wy

Headline News is brought to you by Glenbrook Partners. Glenbrook provides payments strategy consulting and education services to payments professionals worldwide!

ON THE WEB

NETS buys 2 OCBC subsidiaries for S$38m - Channel NewsAsia - "The company's strategic acquisition will enable it to deliver payment innovations that are simple, swift, secure and accessible to its customers. "The assimilation of both companies will enable a more pervasive digital payment platform which will facilitate wider adoption and utilisation of electronic payments," it said. BCS manages and operates the clearing and payment infrastructure for the Singapore Clearing House Association (SCHA), including managing an electronic service that allows immediate transfer of Singapore dollar funds between accounts of the participating banks in Singapore. It was set up in 1976 and currently operates core services like FAST (Fast And Secure Transfers), IBG (Inter-bank GIRO) and CTS (Cheque Truncation System)."

Swift to Start Suspicious-Payment Alerts to Help Defend Banks - Bloomberg - "Swift, the interbank messaging system that hackers used to steal $81 million from Bangladesh last year, is developing a payment-screening service that will allow small member banks to automate the flagging of suspicious payments."

Visa and American Express to strengthen security for stolen contactless cards - NFC World - "The security processes in place today when a customer reports a stolen contactless card allow — in a “limited set of circumstances” — for the card to be misused by fraudsters “several months after it has been cancelled,” FCA chair John Griffith-Jones wrote in a letter to the Treasury Select Committee published last month. The key risk to customers occurs when merchants process payments offline and store them in a batch to process later on, Griffith-Jones explained. At present, around 45% of contactless card transactions occur offline."

App time will make up nearly 20% of total media time this year - eMarketer - "In 2017, the average US adult will spend 2 hours, 25 minutes per day using mobile apps, a jump of 10.3% over last year, and slightly higher than previously forecast."

Bitcoin miners have collectively earned more than $2 billion - Quartz - "Bitcoin mining has become a multi-billion dollar industry. Bitcoin miners have collectively earned over $2 billion in revenue since the cryptocurrency was established in 2008, according to an estimate from a new report published by the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance."

Biometric e-ID Solution to Help Alabamans File Taxes - Find Biometrics - "The app uses facial recognition to authenticate users, comparing smartphone images of their state-issued ID documents to selfie photos via biometric matching. As such it offers online authentication applications, offering greater convenience for users and stronger security compared to password-based systems. As Alabama Department of Revenue Commissioner Julie P. Magee explains in a statement announcing the pilot project, “There are no usernames or passwords; only a person’s photo can unlock the e-ID, making it secure and easy-to-use.”"

That Fingerprint Sensor on Your Phone Is Not as Safe as You Think - New York Times - "New findings published Monday by researchers at New York University and Michigan State University suggest that smartphones can easily be fooled by fake fingerprints digitally composed of many common features found in human prints. In computer simulations, the researchers from the universities were able to develop a set of artificial “MasterPrints” that could match real prints similar to those used by phones as much as 65 percent of the time."

ON THE WIRES

Adyen Discloses 2016 Revenues of $727 Million, Growing 99% Year-Over-Year - "Adyen, the technology company reinventing payments for the global economy, today announced 2016 revenue for the business surpassed $700 million, up from $365 million in 20151. The news follows Adyen's previous disclosure that it processed $90 billion in transactions in 2016, a year-over-year increase of 80 percent. With $727 million in revenue and 500 employees at the end of 2016, Adyen is bringing in over $1.4 million in revenue per employee."

Wirecard and National Bank of Greece Bring Alipay to Greece - "As banks in Greece often provide local merchants with the entire terminal infrastructure, Wirecard has enabled NBG to integrate Alipay across the country in as many locations as possible. The aim is for most Greek merchants who operate in significant tourist attractions in the country to be able to offer Alipay as a new payment solution at the point of sale (POS) for their Chinese customers."

Global Payments Launches Enhanced Ecommerce Offering in Canada - "Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN), a leading worldwide provider of payment technology services, announced the launch of an enhanced ecommerce payments management offering for Canada. Leveraging the company’s Realex ecommerce technology, the platform provides a range of cloud-based, software enabled technology services for both large and mid-sized businesses to enable them to accept payments online, as well as via phone, mail, email or mobile devices."

Affirm Announces 1 Millionth Installment Loan - "Affirm, Inc., the financial services technology company started by Max Levchin to give consumers fair and honest financial products, today announced the 1 millionth consumer installment loan processed through Affirm and made by its bank partner, Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, Member FDIC."

3 in 10 Have Never Redeemed Credit Card Rewards - "About three in 10 credit cardholders (31%) have never redeemed credit card rewards, according to a new Bankrate.com report. The survey found that cardholders typically gravitate to one extreme or the other, redeeming their rewards points/miles frequently (38% did so within the past six months) or not at all."

Zift Acquires Leading Payments Technology Company PayVisors - "Zift, a provider of merchant processing services and payment facilitation, announced today its acquisition of PayVisors, a leading payments technology consulting company. The acquisition positions Zift as one of the only true payment technology companies with the ability to provide a wide range of integrated omni-channel solutions to software developers, platforms, marketplaces, payment facilitators and merchants of all sizes."

GLENBROOK PAYMENTS EDUCATION EVENTS

Our next public Boot Camp and Insight Workshop series is April 18-20 in New York City followed by Atlanta, May 16-18. Come for the two day boot camp or attend all three days. Check out our spring schedule here. We hope to see you there!

Bring your colleagues along! Group discounts are available. For more information or to learn about our private workshops conducted at your location, contact Glenbrook's Russ Jones.

UPDATES FROM GLENBROOK

We're hiring! Passionate about payments? Love solving tough client problems? If that describes you, come join us! Click here to learn more!

Join our mailing list for updates about Glenbrook events. Follow us on Twitter: @paymentsnews and @paymentsviews

Click here to share PaymentsNews with a friend

Note: Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners. Throughout the day, as we spot interesting developments, this post is updated. Do you have news to share? Tell us here: gotnews@paymentsnews.com!

from Payments News - from Glenbrook Partners http://ift.tt/2p8R7Wy via IFTTT

[payment-providers]

New Post has been published on Payment-Providers.com

New Post has been published on https://payment-providers.com/headline-news-from-paymentsnews-com-april-12-2017/

Headline News from PaymentsNews.com - April 12, 2017

Headline News is brought to you by Glenbrook Partners. Glenbrook provides payments strategy consulting and education services to payments professionals worldwide!

ON THE WEB

NETS buys 2 OCBC subsidiaries for S$38m – Channel NewsAsia – “The company’s strategic acquisition will enable it to deliver payment innovations that are simple, swift, secure and accessible to its customers. “The assimilation of both companies will enable a more pervasive digital payment platform which will facilitate wider adoption and utilisation of electronic payments,” it said. BCS manages and operates the clearing and payment infrastructure for the Singapore Clearing House Association (SCHA), including managing an electronic service that allows immediate transfer of Singapore dollar funds between accounts of the participating banks in Singapore. It was set up in 1976 and currently operates core services like FAST (Fast And Secure Transfers), IBG (Inter-bank GIRO) and CTS (Cheque Truncation System).”

Swift to Start Suspicious-Payment Alerts to Help Defend Banks – Bloomberg – “Swift, the interbank messaging system that hackers used to steal $81 million from Bangladesh last year, is developing a payment-screening service that will allow small member banks to automate the flagging of suspicious payments.”

Visa and American Express to strengthen security for stolen contactless cards – NFC World – “The security processes in place today when a customer reports a stolen contactless card allow — in a “limited set of circumstances” — for the card to be misused by fraudsters “several months after it has been cancelled,” FCA chair John Griffith-Jones wrote in a letter to the Treasury Select Committee published last month. The key risk to customers occurs when merchants process payments offline and store them in a batch to process later on, Griffith-Jones explained. At present, around 45% of contactless card transactions occur offline.”

App time will make up nearly 20% of total media time this year – eMarketer – “In 2017, the average US adult will spend 2 hours, 25 minutes per day using mobile apps, a jump of 10.3% over last year, and slightly higher than previously forecast.”

Bitcoin miners have collectively earned more than $2 billion – Quartz – “Bitcoin mining has become a multi-billion dollar industry. Bitcoin miners have collectively earned over $2 billion in revenue since the cryptocurrency was established in 2008, according to an estimate from a new report published by the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance.”

Biometric e-ID Solution to Help Alabamans File Taxes – Find Biometrics – “The app uses facial recognition to authenticate users, comparing smartphone images of their state-issued ID documents to selfie photos via biometric matching. As such it offers online authentication applications, offering greater convenience for users and stronger security compared to password-based systems. As Alabama Department of Revenue Commissioner Julie P. Magee explains in a statement announcing the pilot project, “There are no usernames or passwords; only a person’s photo can unlock the e-ID, making it secure and easy-to-use.””

That Fingerprint Sensor on Your Phone Is Not as Safe as You Think – New York Times – “New findings published Monday by researchers at New York University and Michigan State University suggest that smartphones can easily be fooled by fake fingerprints digitally composed of many common features found in human prints. In computer simulations, the researchers from the universities were able to develop a set of artificial “MasterPrints” that could match real prints similar to those used by phones as much as 65 percent of the time.”

ON THE WIRES

Adyen Discloses 2016 Revenues of $727 Million, Growing 99% Year-Over-Year – “Adyen, the technology company reinventing payments for the global economy, today announced 2016 revenue for the business surpassed $700 million, up from $365 million in 20151. The news follows Adyen’s previous disclosure that it processed $90 billion in transactions in 2016, a year-over-year increase of 80 percent. With $727 million in revenue and 500 employees at the end of 2016, Adyen is bringing in over $1.4 million in revenue per employee.”

Wirecard and National Bank of Greece Bring Alipay to Greece – “As banks in Greece often provide local merchants with the entire terminal infrastructure, Wirecard has enabled NBG to integrate Alipay across the country in as many locations as possible. The aim is for most Greek merchants who operate in significant tourist attractions in the country to be able to offer Alipay as a new payment solution at the point of sale (POS) for their Chinese customers.”

Global Payments Launches Enhanced Ecommerce Offering in Canada – “Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN), a leading worldwide provider of payment technology services, announced the launch of an enhanced ecommerce payments management offering for Canada. Leveraging the company’s Realex ecommerce technology, the platform provides a range of cloud-based, software enabled technology services for both large and mid-sized businesses to enable them to accept payments online, as well as via phone, mail, email or mobile devices.”

Affirm Announces 1 Millionth Installment Loan – “Affirm, Inc., the financial services technology company started by Max Levchin to give consumers fair and honest financial products, today announced the 1 millionth consumer installment loan processed through Affirm and made by its bank partner, Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, Member FDIC.”

3 in 10 Have Never Redeemed Credit Card Rewards – “About three in 10 credit cardholders (31%) have never redeemed credit card rewards, according to a new Bankrate.com report. The survey found that cardholders typically gravitate to one extreme or the other, redeeming their rewards points/miles frequently (38% did so within the past six months) or not at all.”

Zift Acquires Leading Payments Technology Company PayVisors – “Zift, a provider of merchant processing services and payment facilitation, announced today its acquisition of PayVisors, a leading payments technology consulting company. The acquisition positions Zift as one of the only true payment technology companies with the ability to provide a wide range of integrated omni-channel solutions to software developers, platforms, marketplaces, payment facilitators and merchants of all sizes.”

GLENBROOK PAYMENTS EDUCATION EVENTS

Our next public Boot Camp and Insight Workshop series is April 18-20 in New York City followed by Atlanta, May 16-18. Come for the two day boot camp or attend all three days. Check out our spring schedule here. We hope to see you there!

Bring your colleagues along! Group discounts are available. For more information or to learn about our private workshops conducted at your location, contact Glenbrook’s Russ Jones.

UPDATES FROM GLENBROOK

Note: Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners. Throughout the day, as we spot interesting developments, this post is updated. Do you have news to share? Tell us here: gotnews@paymentsnews.com!

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[lovelyparanormalbooks]

Book Blitz: Trials and Tribulations (Interview + Excerpt)

This is my stop during the book blitz for Trials and Tribulations, these are two anthologies set in Faith Hunter’s Rogue Mage universe. This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 20 February till 5 March. You can view the tour schedule here. Trials (Rogue Mage Anthology #1) By Faith Hunter, Diana Francis, Misty Massey, Lou J Berger, Ken Schrader, Spike Y Jones, Christina Stiles, Tamsin Silver and Melissa McArthur Genre: Anthology/ Urban Fantasy Age category: Adult Release Date: November 28, 2016 Blurb: 21 Vignettes and Short Stories set in Faith Hunter’s World of Thorn St. Croix.

The Rogue Mage world began long ago, when the epic battle between the High Host and the Darkness was won and lost. TRIALS takes fans of Thorn St. Croix into the past, before the opening pages of BLOODRING. These stories, set in Faith Hunter's Rogue Mage world, are adventures with new characters and old, facing dangers unimaginable. And they must save the world all over again.

If you ever wondered what happened between seraphs, kylen, second-unforeseen, mages, seraph-touched, spawn, humans, dragons, and their creatures before the series, now is your chance to delve deeper and wider. TRIALS features new short stories from nine authors—including Faith Hunter—and vignettes from the Rogue Mage role playing game. You can find Trials on Goodreads

You can buy Trials here: - Amazon - Barnes & Noble Interview: Lucienne Diver  1. What was it like to play in the Rogue Mage world? At first it was incredibly intimidating. Faith is such an amazing writer, and the world she’s created is so rich and textured that it was a challenge to jump in and feel that I was doing it justice.  But because the world is so well-realized, it really lives and breathes, and once I got a handle on the approach I wanted to take, it was a lot of fun. Who doesn’t want to write a kylen? Or the woman with a dangerous secret she’s afraid he’s come to expose? Who doesn’t want to fight the good fight in a post-apocalyptic world? 2. Was it hard to develop your character within the confines of the Rogue Mage world? Not at all. Aoife (pronounced ee-fa), my heroine, is an itinerant storyteller and something a little more.  She’ll carry packages and messages for the right price. Not smuggling per se, but not necessarily things that are approved by the Administration of the ArchSeraphs.  She’s such a product of her upbringing.  Aoife grew up in an Enclave where her parents were in service, so she’s got a healthy distain for neomages who treated her and her family as though they were lesser because they were only human.  As soon as she was of age, she left to make her own way in the world, but with some specialized knowledge, like bataireacht, the Irish stick-fighting taught to her by her father, which is very handy in the dangerous Post-Ap world Faith has created.  Put Aoife in the same mule train with a second or third generation kylen (the product of a union between a seraph and a mage or human) and you have instant tension. Add to that the mysterious parcel she carries and dangers stalking their caravan, bring things to a head, and Aoife discovers where she really stands in the grand scheme of things. 3. Tell us about your character. What species, etc. I jumped the gun on this question above, but the short version: Aoife describes herself as “standard-issue human” and is proud of it. 4. When your story was finished, how did you feel about your character and story? I really love Aoife. I know we’re not supposed to put too much of ourselves into our characters, but I identify with her in so many ways, from the skepticism and continuing evaluation of beliefs to not being a joiner. I love that I was able to use my time in Ireland and the nature of the place and people themselves to inform her development, and I’m very pleased with the way she turned out. I hope my story will resonate with others the way it resonates with me. 5. Tell us about your other projects. My latest novel, Faultlines, is a young adult thriller dealing with some serious issues that are close to my heart. In short, six months ago, Vanessa's best friend Lisa changed, pushing everyone away, Vanessa included.  Now she's committed suicide.  As Vanessa struggles to come to terms with Lisa’s death and to reconstruct the last months of her life, someone begins taking revenge against those he or she perceives drove Lisa to suicide.  Everyone thinks it's Vanessa, the former best friend and some begin their retaliation. As vengeance, counterattacks and clues mount, it becomes a race to the truth…and hopefully not to the death. In addition to Faultlines, I’ve written the Latter-Day Olympians urban fantasy series featuring a heroine who can, quite literally, stop men in their tracks, and the Vamped young adult series featuring a heroine who goes from chic to eek when she becomes one of the undead (think Clueless meets Buffy).  My short stories and essays that have appeared in the Strip-Mauled and Fangs for the Mammaries anthologies edited by Esther Friesner (Baen Books), in Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (HarperTeen) and the anthology Kicking It edited by Faith Hunter and Kalayna Price (Roc Books). The Trials Authors: Faith Hunter Diana Francis Misty Massey Lou J Berger Ken Schrader Spike Y Jones Christina Stiles Tamsin Silver Melissa McArthur Excerpt: Kicking the snow from his boots, Zadok took a calming breath and faced the small house, trying to project the confidence of a seasoned healer, rather than the fear of an acolyte on his first solo cure. His smile was stiff on his frozen face, the air so cold and still that his flesh felt brittle, as if it would crack and fall from his bones should he move wrong. The short trip had been brutal, his contingent of six guides and fighters more accustomed to the vicious cold and hard pace than a mage who had lived his entire life in the comfort and ease of the Seattle Enclave. He’d gained an appreciation for the humans who lived in the frozen wastes, losing his snide sense of superiority, which had been based solely on his mage abilities. He never would have survived the short trip without the assistance of the others. He glanced at the human woman, Sarai. She’d saved his life when he’d stepped off the track and crashed through the snow into the creek beneath. The driving snow had already drained Zadok's mage energies dangerously low, forcing him to draw constantly on his prime amulet to fight it, and he'd lost precious body heat to the icy water. Not even his amulets could fight off hypothermia. While Howard, a mule, started a fire, Sarai had activated all of his Healing amulets, stripping him down and crawling into a sleeping bag with him… naked… sharing her body warmth with him… offering him her life energies. He’d accepted the gift of her life, stealing the energies of a human in ways no Earth mage was permitted. Now she smiled at him, encouragement in her glance, seemingly hinting that some bond still lingered between them. Zadok nodded once at her and opened the door of the fortified building. Stepping inside the thick stone walls, he took in the dwelling with a sweeping glance. Perhaps twenty humans were gathered around a huge fireplace in the large room. Except for a table before the fire, the furniture had been shoved against the plastered walls. On the table was a blanket-covered form, a body racked by shivers. The gathered humans looked up, fear and stress grooving their faces. Zadok took a second calming breath and the stench of rotting flesh, old urine, and feces met him. Fear threaded through him, knotting his muscles, causing him to pant. Am I too late? He gulped, frozen on the threshold. Gently, Sarai pushed him into the room and closed the door behind them, leaving the others to set up perimeters. As if she were his servant, she took the satchel from his numb fingers and whispered, “You can do this. I have faith in you.” Louder, she said, “The healer Zadok has arrived from Seattle Enclave to work an incantation of healing on your kirk elder, Judith. He requires a surface for his implements, a cup of warming chai, and space to work.” Within moments, the humans had helped him from his winter gear, brought him hot chai laced with brandy, placed a table before him for his mage amulets, and eased the body from the tabletop to the floor, creating a space wide enough for him to work a healing circle.

Tribulations (Rogue Mage Anthology #2) By Faith Hunter, Lucienne Diver, Spike Y Jones, Jean Rabe and Christina Stiles Genre: Anthology/ Urban Fantasy Age category: Adult Release Date: December 30, 2016 Blurb: 17 Vignettes and Short Stories set in Faith Hunter’s World of Thorn St. Croix The Rogue Mage story began with the post-apocalyptic novels BLOODRING, SERAPHS, and HOST, when epic battles between Thorn St. Croix and the forces of Darkness were fought. TRIBULATIONS (Rogue Mage Anthology Vol. II) takes place during and after the series timeline. These stories and vignettes, set in Faith Hunter's Rogue Mage world, are adventures with new characters and old, facing Darkness and an uncertain future. The relationships between seraphs, kylen, second-unforeseen, mages, seraph-touched, spawn, humans grow deeper, and the battles with dragons and their creatures grow more dangerous. TRIBULATIONS features new short stories from five authors—including Faith Hunter—and vignettes from the Rogue Mage role playing game. TRIALS and TRIBULATIONS will soon be followed by TRIUMPHANT—the paperback omnibus (both Anthology Volumes I and II in a bound format). TRIBULATIONS Authors: Faith Hunter, Jean Rabe, Spike Y Jones, Christina Stiles, Lucienne Diver. You can find Tribulations on Goodreads You can buy Tribulations here: - Amazon - Barnes & Noble The Tribulations Authors: Faith Hunter Lucienne Diver Spike Y Jones Jean Rabe Christina Stiles