Nothing’s better than getting down and dirty with yourself! But what’s a girl to do with the resulting dirty vibrator? Not take care of it, that’s what! Here’s how to make a halfhearted effort at being a sanitary person once every six weeks or so:

Rinse it in kitchen sink.

While it’s not as sanitary as rinsing it in the bathroom sink, it’s also a lot closer. There’s no way you’re walking 22 extra steps — you just got your nut! Turn on the faucet and give your Jimmyjane a quick back-and-forth under the cold water. You don’t have time to let the water heat up, since you ran out to the kitchen naked, and your roommate may or may not be home. Also, the cold water makes your hands freeze, and today is all about feeling good. Don’t worry if there are dishes in the sink. If they’re your dishes, washing your vibrator over them gives you all the more reason to do them! If they’re your roommate’s, well, serves her right for leaving a mess!

Wipe it on your sheets.

Once you’re done making your body think it’s having sex, switch off your Rabbit and think real hard about washing it. Then, simply wipe it on the far corner of your bed sheets. That’s as good as cleaning it, right? Germs are just molecules. Tell yourself you’ll change your sheets tomorrow even though you only change your sheets when you spill a significant amount of food on them. You are gross and that is okay!

Look up “sex toy cleaning spray” on Amazon, put in your cart, don’t buy it.

You’ve heard of this magical product that sanitizes sex toys and is non-toxic and won’t damage the toy and blah blah blah. This one of those products that costs more than $8 and only has one purpose, so you’ll probably never buy it — not even for your puss, even though it has done so many favors for you. Once you’re done rubbing one out with Old Trusty, close your Incognito browser, open Amazon, and put a bottle of Babeland Toy Cleaner in your cart; then, don’t check out ever. What’s the worst that could happen? You can’t die from using a crusty vibrator, right? Right?

Use it again?

Your We-Vibe is sitting in your sock drawer with the evidence of yesterday’s happiness all over it. All you want to do is hop right on it, but you really should clean it first, and cleaning is chores, and chores sucks! What’s a girl to do? Go ahead and hop right on it. If it’s inside you, you can’t see how dirty it is! Plus, all that moving around should loosen some of the crud and now you’ll really be motivated to clean it…maybe. This is a magazine and we can give you permission to do this.

Toss it.

Just throw it out and start over. You’re not washing it now, and you probably never will. You needed new batteries anyways so you might as well buy something faster and stronger.

There you have it! Remember, you probably can’t die from dirty sex toys. Right? Can someone please look that up for me?

Easy Ways to Clean Your Vibrator Once Every Month-ish is a post from: Reductress

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El slamming o simplemente slam es una práctica que combina sexo y droga por vía intravenosa. Con origen en EE.UU., estas sex parties reúnen a hombres que buscan el máximo placer metiéndose mefedrona, MDMA o crystal meth (aka 'tina') en vena, follando así durante horas o incluso días. En España, la mefedrona o 'mefe' es la sustancia con mayorconsumo en este tipo de prácticas. Y la 'tina', como corroboran desde la organización Energy Control, está empezando a entrar en el mercado por lo que tiene un precio que oscila desde los 30 a los 280 euros el gramo, "dependiendo de la pureza y el morro que tenga el camello".

Lucas (nombre ficticio), un camello de trapichea con mefedrona en el centro de Madrid, sabe que entre sus clientes hay quienes la consumen inyectada porque "un tío vino a pillarme hace poco, sé que se pincha, se comportaba de forma extraña y se le iba la cabeza... daba miedo". Seguirá vendiéndole, porque él no entra en cómo la toma cada uno. "Cada cual que haga lo que quiera". Le preguntamos por qué cree que lo hacen. "¿Por qué va a ser? La mefedrona pone muy caliente y si se la pinchan les pega el subidón más rápido". Jaime, otro dealer que también vende mefedrona -entre otras cosas-, es tajante cuando se le pregunta por el slam:

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Los slammers organizan encuentros sabiendo de antemano que pueden durar todo un fin de semana practicando sexo bestia y, en su mayoría, sin protección. Aunque sus círculos son bastante cerrados, los chats, aplicaciones móviles y redes sociales específicas, facilitan los encuentros. Para comprobarlo, entramos en un chat gay para madrileños bajo el pseudónimo SlamCentro. En menos de una hora, sin necesidad de hablar en la sala, recibimos siete propuestas diferentes y nos hacemos con teléfonos de camellos que ofrecen buena mefe para slam. Los moderadores intentan controlar este tipo de actividades, puesto que no se pueden hacer referencias a sustancias. Marina, una moderadora de chats, comenta que "todos los días hay alguien que sale con el tema. Hoy, en menos de una hora que he estado moderando, he tenido que expulsar a 15 personas".

Mario buscaba gente para slam en uno de estos chats. Tras hablar por chat y no cuadrar un encuentro, volvió a aparecer horas más tarde para descubrirnos una escena que, aún con toda la información e imágenes que hay en la red, nunca llegará a ser tan impactante como en vivo.

Cámara en mano me dirigí al lugar indicado. Mario, en torno a los cuarenta, abrió la puerta vestido con botas, pantalones cortos y arnés. Me invitó a pasar a otra sala donde se encontraba su compañero Ernesto, con quien llevaba 20 horas encerrado. "Has llegado en el momento oportuno. Ahora que estoy relajado puedes preguntar lo que quieras. Llevo desde el jueves liado y no me viene mal hacer un parón". Ernesto es buen anfitrión: "toma las fotos que quieras del material pero no de nosotros. De nuestra cara no. De mi culo si quieres, sí. Mientras voy a ponerme un pinchito, si quieres verlo". Llevaba más de 72 horas despierto, practicando sexo y pinchándose cada cierto tiempo. Aunque no se le nota cansancio en su cara, reconoce que debe descansar y parar. "Llevaré unos 8 gramos en el cuerpo. Tengo una intoxicación seguro".

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Ernesto, con los brazos marcados, se acerca al baño donde comienza a preparar una dosis para él y otra para Mario. Allí tienen una montaña de jeringas usadas que volverán a reutilizar.

VICE: ¿Qué es lo que vais a tomar?

Mario: Mefe, como uno -un miligramo-, mezclado con agua destilada.

Ernesto: Yo mefedrona. Me gustaría pentadrona, que da un subidón más fuerte, pero no localizo a ningún contacto.

¿Qué es mejor, tina o mefedrona?

Ernesto (con la aguja en su brazo): Para mí la tina es mejor, aunque ya me he acostumbrado a la mefedrona. La tina da un rollo que a mí me gusta mucho, lo que pasa es que te altera más, es otra historia. Te distorsiona, por ejemplo, los ruidos.

Sobre una de las paredes se proyecta un vídeo de los cientos que se encuentran en redes como Tumblr. En él aparecen dos hombres inyectándose. Ernesto y Mario, ya listos, regresan a la sala.

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¿Qué es lo que toman en ese vídeo?

Ernesto: Eso es tina. Ese es el efecto de la tina. Es mucho mejor que esto.

Vaya arsenal [hay juguetes y demás parafernalia esparcida por la alfombra]. ¿Le habéis dado uso toda la noche?

Ernesto: Sí. Y también me han fisteado. Esto es lo que tiene. Con la mefedrona es imposible correrse y hay que intentarlo de cualquier forma.

¿Cuándo probasteis el slam por primera vez?

Ernesto: Creo que la primera vez fue en septiembre de 2012 en Estados Unidos.

Mario: Yo hace un año. No más.

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¿Nunca os habéis llevado un susto consumiendo durante tanto tiempo y con esas cantidades?

Ernesto: Nunca. Nunca me ha pasado nada. Y eso que cuando tomo, tomo a lo bestia. A algunos tíos que han pasado por aquí, sí les ha dado un chungo. Pero yo es que soy un poco raro, no me afecta. Suelo hacer parones. Me tomo algún descanso pero este mes, por ejemplo, no he parado.

En menos de 30 minutos desde que la pareja tomó la dosis, vuelven a preparar una nueva.

¿Otro más?

Ernesto: Otro, sí. No me hace nada. Así puedes tomar una foto mientras Mario me lo pone.

Mario hace su trabajo y Ernesto recibe una dosis mayor. Seguramente aún tenga más durante lo que queda de noche. Han pasado menos de dos minutos desde la foto del pinchazo. Su particular fiesta continúa pero no veremos más. Desde la puerta que nos sacará de la casa, escuchamos los gemidos que indican que esta vez, a Ernesto, sí le ha dado un "buen subidón".

Un informe de 1965 de la Jefatura Superior de Policía de Granada revela que Federico García Lorca fue asesinado junto a otra persona y define al poeta como "socialista y masón", a la vez que le atribuye "prácticas de homosexualismo". El documento, al que han tenido acceso la Ser y eldiario.es, fue redactado por la tercera brigada regional de investigación social de dicha Jetafura y en su asunto se lee: "Antecedentes del poeta Federico García Lorca".

En el mismo, fechado en Granada el 9 de julio de 1965, se señala que Lorca era "un masón perteneciente a la logia ALHAMBRA en la que adoptó el nombre simbólico de HOMERO, desconociéndose el grado que alcanzó en la misma". El texto asegura que el poeta "estaba conceptuado como socialista por la tendencia de sus manifestaciones y por lo vinculado que estaba a Fernando de los Ríos, como también por sus estrechas relaciones con otros jerifaltes de igual signo político".

Además, indica que "estaba tildado de prácticas de homosexualismo, aberración que llegó a ser voxpópuli, pero lo cierto es que no hay antecedentes de ningún caso concreto". En el documento se asegura que Lorca fue detenido en la vivienda de sus amigos, los hermanos Rosales, donde se había refugiado, y que el lugar fue rodeado "con gran aparato por Milicias y Guardias de Asalto".

El informe policial afirma que el poeta "fue sacado del Gobierno Civil por fuerzas dependientes del mismo y conducido en un coche al término de Viznar (Granada) y en las inmediaciones del lugar conocido como "Fuente Grande", en unión de otro detenido cuyas circunstancias personales se desconocen, fue pasado por las armas después de haber confesado".

También revela que fue "enterrado en aquel paraje, muy a flor de tierra, en un barranco situado a unos dos kilómetros a la derecha de dicha "Fuente Grande", en un lugar que se hace muy difícil de localizar". Fuentes del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte han señalado que no tienen constancia de este documento, pero están tratando de localizarlo, a raíz de las últimas informaciones aparecidas en los medios. 

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Paris Hilton's debutante dog Tinkerbell died yesterday. In her short 14 years, she managed to become a reality TV star and amass a bigger wardrobe than my ritzy grandma. It seems like only yesterday that she was being featured in Guess fashion ads and getting squeezed into human-like outfits. Tinkerbell's sudden demise was a reminder that, after all the designer collars and pet Xanax, pampered celebrity animals check out the same way their less famous counterparts do.

With Tinkerbell six-feet deep, I began to wonder what other animal celebs have bitten the dust. VICE's sister site Noisey recently revealed that most of the critters who appeared on the covers of albums from my youth are probably in pet heaven. But is it the same for the cute creatures who starred in movies and TV shows?

With fingers crossed, I looked up a few famous animal actors from my childhood. Unfortunately, the prognosis is grim. What follows is a round up of some celebrity animals you definitely remember who are also definitely, definitely dead.

BUDDY FROM 'AIR BUD' (1997)
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Buddy, a Golden Retriever, made his first TV appearance on America's Funniest Home Videos. His owner had trained him how to play various sports, including football, basketball, and hockey. These skills earned him a role in the 1997 film, Air Bud. Fun fact: he also starred as Comet in the sitcom Full House, known for launching the careers of the Olsen twins. In 1997, Buddy had his right hind leg amputated due to synovial cell sarcoma, a form of cancer. He died in his sleep in San Diego on February 10, 1998.

Babe from 'Babe' (1995)

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While no one pig played the titular babe of Babe, the average lifespan of a Yorkshire pig is about 10 years. To film this lovable classic, director Chris Noonan used 48 real Yorkshire pigs and an animatronic double. It's been 20 years. All of these pigs are likely dead.

EDDIE FROM 'FRASIER':

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Moose, a Jack Russell Terrier, was born December 24, 1990. He became famous for playing Eddie Crane, a dog on the TV show Frasier. Moose was so popular that he even appeared on the cover of Entertainment Weekly at one point. He died on June 22, 2006 at the age of 15. His son, Enzo, replaced him on the sitcom, and also starred in the 2001 film My Dog Skip, alongside Frankie Muniz. Enzo died on June 23, 2010.

The Orangutan from 'Dunston Checks In' (1996):

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In Dunston Checks In, the eponymous ape was played by primate-actor Sam the Orangutan. Sammy, as he was often called, was born on December 23, 1989. He was originally a tourist attraction in Miami before starring in commercials, movies, and even Baywatch. In 2004, he retired from show biz and was moved to the non-profit sanctuary, The Center for Great Apes. He died of heart failure on December 24, 2010.

Related: For more on pets, watch our doc 'Backyard Exotics'

Taco Bell Chihuahua/Bruiser from 'Legally Blonde':[body_image width='631' height='462' path='images/content-images/2015/04/22/' crop='images/content-images-crops/2015/04/22/' filename='these-1990s-movie-animals-are-all-dead-999-body-image-1429720736.png' id='48648']

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Gidget was born on February 7, 1994. She had an expansive career, including appearances in a number of Taco Bell commercials, GEICO ads, and the movie Legally Blonde. Her trainer, Sue Chipperton, wrote a book about the star chihuahua, titled A Famous Dog's Life. Gidget was euthanized on July 21, 2009 after suffering a stroke.

THE PETS FROM 'HOMEWARD BOUND' (1993):

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In this adventure movie, a Golden Retriever (Shadow), an American Bulldog (Chance), and a Himalayan cat (Sassy), travel on a cross-country voyage after being left a ranch while their owners are on vacation. According to Hollywood Paws, the crew used four Goldens, four bulldogs, and eight Himalayan cats to film all the action. Himalayan cats live an average of 15 years, while Goldens live to about 11, and American bulldogs commonly live between 10 and 15 years. This movie was made in 1993, 22 years ago. These animals are no longer alive.

Follow Zach on Twitter.

Surprise!

DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Consumer Products, and Mattel are launching a huge push toward marketing to girls in the Fall of this year. It’s called DC Super Hero Girls and well, it’s sounding pretty great.

Diane Nelson, President of DC Entertainment said in a statement: “DC Super Hero Girls represents the embodiment of our long-term strategy to harness the power of our diverse female characters. I am so pleased that we are able to offer relatable and strong role models in a unique way, just for girls.”

As you can imagine, in a week where we’re discussing disappointing things when it comes to Marvel merch for girls, this is super exciting news. Folks, Warner is “pandering” to girls! Here’e more info from the press release:

DC Super Hero Girls, an exciting new universe of Super Heroic storytelling that helps build character and confidence, and empowers girls to discover their true potential. Featuring DC Comics’ most powerful and diverse line-up of female characters as relatable teens, DC Super Hero Girls will play out across multiple entertainment content platforms and product categories to create an immersive world.

Developed for girls aged 6-12, DC Super Hero Girls centers on the female Super Heroes and Super-Villains of the DC Comics universe during their formative years—prior to discovering their full super power potential. Featuring a completely new artistic style and aesthetic, DC Comics’ icons such as Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Bumble Bee, Poison Ivy, Katana and many more make their unprecedented teenaged introduction. Each character has her own storyline that explores what teen life is like as a Super Hero, including discovering her unique abilities, nurturing her remarkable powers and mastering the fundamentals of being a hero.

The initial launch of DC Super Hero Girls in Fall 2015 will include an immersive digital experience, original digital content and digital publishing—providing opportunities for girls to interact with characters, learn about the storylines, and engage in customizable play. TV specials, made-for-videos, toys, apparel, books and other product categories will begin to rollout in 2016.

First of all, that’s a really fun cast of characters they’ve chosen for the launch, second, I am just smiling ear to ear right now about how many little girls are going to find a love of superheroes and comic books through this. Many of us have no problem digesting superhero stuff “for boys” but a lot of parents aren’t willing to buy their daughters items marketed toward boys (and vice versa), so this is a good thing in my book.

Brad Globe, President of Warner Bros. Consumer Products said, “It’s really an honor to be part of this cultural moment and to be delivering a concept so rooted in a relatable and empowered theme that the characters of DC Comics are uniquely able to present.”

Wait, wait, here’s some more!

As master toy licensee, Mattel is collaborating with DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Bros. Consumer Products on DC Super Hero Girls’ narrative creation, interactive digital activations and ultimately a toy line launching in 2016. Mattel category-leading firsts include a line of characters for the action figure category, an area of the industry that has been primarily developed with boys in mind, and fashion dolls featuring strong, athletic bodies that stand on their own in heroic poses.

The Random House Books for Young Readers imprint of Random House Children’s Books has been appointed the master publishing partner for the franchise and will be creating a portfolio of books that will bring the DC Super Hero Girls world to life, beginning in Spring 2016. Random House’s publishing program will be complemented by a series of original graphic novels from DC Entertainment. The LEGO Group will also be key to building the DC Super Hero Girls franchise, leveraging their experience and success engaging girls in creative construction play to bolster this universe through an array of LEGO® building sets designed to inspire girls’ imaginations. Additionally, consumer products partners around the world will be engaged in creating a merchandise line dedicated to DC Super Hero Girls across all key categories.

Excuse me while I…

No word on who will be working on these projects on the creative side or any specific info about the television related bits yet but we’ll certainly be keeping an eye out.

What do you think?

—Please make note of The Mary Sue’s general comment policy.—

Do you follow The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?

Philip Wang owns a home in Princeton, New Jersey on seven acres of property. One day while walking with his daughter Alice, he discovered a fox den and the adorable fox pups pictured here. Philip took these wonderful photos of the litter, which show them at their fuzzy wuzzy, cuddly and inquisitive best.

Now that the babies' eyes have opened and they're alert and exploring their surroundings, they are likely being taught by their elders to hunt. Foxes' first hunting lesson is generally for small rodents, which they catch with a characteristic high jump and pounce. Typically they do their hunting at night. 

How fortunate for the Wang family. There's nothing like a zoology lesson in your backyard, particularly one at this magnitude of cute. 

See more pictures of the baby fox siblings here.  

Images: Philip Wang

SNL alum and Man Seeking Woman creator Simon Rich is sticking with FX for the next two years. The Wrap reports that Rich has signed a two-year overall deal with the network less than two months after his FXX series landed a second season renewal. "They've given us more creative freedom than I ever dreamed was possible," Rich said on FX in a statement. "I'm determined to develop shows with them that are honest, original and gross. I can't wait to get started." For more on Rich's work, check out our interview with him from January.

The nominations for this year’s Eisner Awards, to take place once again at San Diego Comic-Con, have been announced and they include TMS favorites like Babs Tarr, Colleen Coover, Fiona Staples, Kelly Sue DeConick, G. Willow Wilson, and more!

Best Short Story

• “Beginning’s End,” by Rina Ayuyang, muthamagazine.com
• “Corpse on the Imjin!” by Peter Kuper, in Masterful Marks: Cartoonists Who Changed the World (Simon & Schuster)
• “Rule Number One,” by Lee Bermejo, in Batman Black and White #3 (DC)
• “The Sound of One Hand Clapping,” by Max Landis & Jock, in Adventures of Superman #14 (DC)
• “When the Darkness Presses,” by Emily Carroll, http://emcarroll.com/comics/darkness/

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)

• Astro City #16: “Wish I May” by Kurt Busiek & Brent Anderson (Vertigo/DC)
• Beasts of Burden: Hunters and Gatherers, by Evan Dorkin & Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
• Madman in Your Face 3D Special, by Mike Allred (Image)
• Marvel 75th Anniversary Celebration #1 (Marvel)
• The Multiversity: Pax Americana #1, by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely (DC)

Best Continuing Series

• Astro City, by Kurt Busiek & Brent Anderson (Vertigo)
• Bandette, by Paul Tobin & Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain)
• Hawkeye, by Matt Fraction & David Aja (Marvel)
• Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Image)
• Southern Bastards, by Jason Aaron & Jason Latour (Image)
• The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Stefano Gaudiano (Image/Skybound)

Best Limited Series

• Daredevil: Road Warrior, by Mark Waid & Peter Krause (Marvel Infinite Comics)
• Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland, by Eric Shanower & Garbriel Rodriguez (IDW)
• The Multiversity, by Grant Morrison et al. (DC)
• The Private Eye, by Brian K. Vaughan & Marcos Martin (Panel Syndicate)
• The Sandman: Overture, by Neil Gaiman & J. H. Williams III (Vertigo/DC)

Best New Series

• The Fade Out, by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips (Image)
• Lumberjanes, by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, & Brooke A. Allen (BOOM! Box)
• Ms. Marvel, by G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona (Marvel)
• Rocket Raccoon, by Skottie Young (Marvel)
• The Wicked + The Divine, by Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7)

• BirdCatDog, by Lee Nordling & Meritxell Bosch (Lerner/Graphic Universe)
• A Cat Named Tim And Other Stories, by John Martz (Koyama Press)
• Hello Kitty, Hello 40: A Celebration in 40 Stories, edited by Traci N. Todd & Elizabeth Kawasaki (VIZ)
• Mermin, Book 3: Deep Dives, by Joey Weiser (Oni)
• The Zoo Box, by Ariel Cohn & Aron Nels Steinke (First Second)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12)

• Batman Li’l Gotham, vol. 2, by Derek Fridolfs & Dustin Nguyen (DC)
• El Deafo, by Cece Bell (Amulet/Abrams)
• I Was the Cat, by Paul Tobin & Benjamin Dewey (Oni)
• Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland, by Eric Shanower & Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
• Tiny Titans: Return to the Treehouse, by Art Baltazar & Franco (DC)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

• Doomboy, by Tony Sandoval (Magnetic Press)
• The Dumbest Idea Ever, by Jimmy Gownley (Graphix/Scholastic)
• Lumberjanes, by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, & Brooke A. Allen (BOOM! Box)
• Meteor Men, by Jeff Parker & Sandy Jarrell (Oni)
• The Shadow Hero, by Gene Luen Yang & Sonny Liew (First Second)
• The Wrenchies, by Farel Dalrymple (First Second)

Best Humor Publication

• The Complete Cul de Sac, by Richard Thompson (Andrews McMeel)
• Dog Butts and Love. And Stuff Like That. And Cats. by Jim Benton (NBM)
• Groo vs. Conan, by Sergio Aragonés, Mark Evanier, & Tom Yeates (Dark Horse)
• Rocket Raccoon, by Skottie Young (Marvel)
• Superior Foes of Spider-Man, by Nick Spencer & Steve Lieber (Marvel)

Best Digital/Web Comic

• Bandette, by Paul Tobin & Colleen Coover, Monkeybrain/comiXology.com
• Failing Sky by Dax Tran-Caffee, http://failingsky.com
• The Last Mechanical Monster, by Brian Fies, http://lastmechanicalmonster.blogspot.com
• Nimona, by Noelle Stephenson, http://gingerhaze.com/nimona/comic
• The Private Eye by Brian Vaughan & Marcos Martin http://panelsyndicate.com/

Best Anthology

• In the Dark: A Horror Anthology, edited by Rachel Deering (Tiny Behemoth Press/IDW)
• Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream, edited by Josh O’Neill, Andrew Carl, & Chris Stevens (Locust Moon)
• Massive: Gay Erotic Manga and the Men Who Make It, edited by Ann Ishii, Chip Kidd, & Graham Kolbeins (Fantagraphics)
• Masterful Marks: Cartoonists Who Changed the World, edited by Monte Beauchamp (Simon & Schuster)
• To End All Wars: The Graphic Anthology of The First World War, edited by Jonathan Clode & John Stuart Clark (Soaring Penguin)

Best Reality-Based Work

• Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast (Bloomsbury)
• Dragon’s Breath and Other True Stories, by MariNaomi (2d Cloud/Uncivilized Books)
• El Deafo, by Cece Bell (Amulet/Abrams)
• Hip Hop Family Tree, vol. 2, by Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics)
• Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood, by Nathan Hale (Abrams)
• To End All Wars: The Graphic Anthology of The First World War, edited by Jonathan Clode & John Stuart Clark (Soaring Penguin)

Best Graphic Album—New

• The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil, by Stephen Collins (Picador)
• Here, by Richard McGuire (Pantheon)
• Kill My Mother, by Jules Feiffer (Liveright)
• The Motherless Oven, by Rob Davis (SelfMadeHero)
• Seconds, by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Ballantine Books)
• This One Summer, by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki (First Second)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

• Dave Dorman’s Wasted Lands Omnibus (Magnetic Press)
• How to Be Happy, by Eleanor Davis (Fantagraphics)
• Jim, by Jim Woodring (Fantagraphics)
• Sock Monkey Treasury, by Tony Millionaire (Fantagraphics)
• Through the Woods, by Emily Carroll (McElderry Books)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips (at least 20 years old)

• Winsor McCay’s Complete Little Nemo, edited by Alexander Braun (TASCHEN)
• Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Tarzan: The Sunday Comics, 1933–1935, by Hal Foster, edited by Brendan Wright (Dark Horse)
• Moomin: The Deluxe Anniversary Edition, by Tove Jansson, edited by Tom Devlin (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Pogo, vol. 3: Evidence to the Contrary, by Walt Kelly, edited by Carolyn Kelly & Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics)
• Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse, vols. 5-6, by Floyd Gottfredson, edited by David Gerstein & Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books (at least 20 Years Old)

• The Complete ZAP Comix Box Set, edited by Gary Groth, with Mike Catron (Fantagraphics)
• Steranko Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
• Walt Disney’s Donald Duck: Trail of the Unicorn, by Carl Barks, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
• Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck: The Son of the Son, by Don Rosa, edited by David Gerstein (Fantagraphics)
• Walt Kelly’s Pogo: The Complete Dell Comics, vols. 1–2, edited by Daniel Herman (Hermes)
• Witzend, by Wallace Wood et al., edited by Gary Groth, with Mike Catron (Fantagraphics)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

• Beautiful Darkness, by Fabien Vehlmann & Kerascoët (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Blacksad: Amarillo, by Juan Díaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido (Dark Horse)
• Corto Maltese: Under the Sign of Capricorn, by Hugo Pratt (IDW/Euro Comics)
• Jaybird, by Lauri & Jaakko Ahonen (Dark Horse/SAF)
• The Leaning Girl, by Benoît Peeters & François Schuiten (Alaxis Press)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

• All You Need Is Kill, by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, Ryosuke Takeuchi, Takeshi Obata & yoshitoshi ABe (VIZ)
• In Clothes Called Fat, by Moyoco Anno (Vertical)
• Master Keaton, vol 1, by Naoki Urasawa, Hokusei Katsushika, & Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ)
• One-Punch Man, by One & Yusuke Murata (VIZ)
• Showa 1939–1955 and Showa 1944–1953: A History of Japan, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Wolf Children: Ame & Yuki, by Mamoru Hosada & Yu (Yen Press)

Best Writer

• Jason Aaron, Original Sin, Thor, Men of Wrath (Marvel); Southern Bastards (Image)
• Kelly Sue DeConnick, Captain Marvel (Marvel); Pretty Deadly (Image)
• Grant Morrison, The Multiversity (DC); Annihilator (Legendary Comics)
• Brian K. Vaughan, Saga (Image); Private Eye (Panel Syndicate)
• G. Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel (Marvel)
• Gene Luen Yang, Avatar: The Last Airbender (Dark Horse); The Shadow Hero (First Second)

Best Writer/Artist

• Sergio Aragonés, Sergio Aragonés Funnies (Bongo); Groo vs. Conan (Dark Horse)
• Charles Burns, Sugar Skull (Pantheon)
• Stephen Collins, The Giant Beard That Was Evil (Picador)
• Richard McGuire, Here (Pantheon)
• Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo: Senso, Usagi Yojimbo Color Special: The Artist (Dark Horse)
• Raina Telgemeier, Sisters (Graphix/Scholastic)

Best Penciller/Inker

• Adrian Alphona, Ms. Marvel (Marvel)
• Mike Allred, Silver Surfer (Marvel); Madman in Your Face 3D Special (Image)
• Frank Quitely, Multiversity (DC)
• François Schuiten, The Leaning Girl (Alaxis Press)
• Fiona Staples, Saga (Image)
• Babs Tarr, Batgirl (DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

• Lauri & Jaakko Ahonen, Jaybird (Dark Horse)
• Colleen Coover, Bandette (Monkeybrain)
• Mike Del Mundo, Elektra (Marvel)
• Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad: Amarillo (Dark Horse)
• J. H. Williams III, The Sandman: Overture (Vertigo/DC)

Best Cover Artist

• Darwyn Cooke, DC Comics Darwyn Cooke Month Variant Covers (DC)
• Mike Del Mundo, Elektra, X-Men: Legacy, A+X, Dexter, Dexter Down Under (Marvel)
• Francesco Francavilla, Afterlife with Archie (Archie); Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight (Dark Horse); The Twilight Zone, Django/Zorro (Dynamite); X-Files (IDW)
• Jamie McKelvie/Matthew Wilson, The Wicked + The Divine (Image); Ms. Marvel (Marvel)
• Phil Noto, Black Widow (Marvel)
• Alex Ross, Astro City (Vertigo/DC); Batman 66: The Lost Episode, Batman 66 Meets Green Hornet (DC/Dynamite)

Best Coloring

• Laura Allred, Silver Surfer (Marvel); Madman in Your Face 3D Special (Image)
• Nelson Daniel, Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland, Judge Dredd, Wild Blue Yonder (IDW)
• Lovern Kindzierski, The Graveyard Book, vols. 1-2 (Harper)
• Matthew Petz, The Leg (Top Shelf)
• Dave Stewart, Hellboy in Hell, BPRD, Abe Sapien, Baltimore, Lobster Johnson, Witchfinder, Shaolin Cowboy, Aliens: Fire and Stone, DHP (Dark Horse)
• Matthew Wilson, Adventures of Superman (DC); The Wicked + The Divine (Image), Daredevil, Thor (Marvel)

Best Lettering

• Joe Caramagna, Ms. Marvel, Daredevil (Marvel)
• Todd Klein, Fables, The Sandman: Overture, The Unwritten (Vertigo/DC); Nemo: The Roses of Berlin (Top Shelf)
• Max, Vapor (Fantagraphics)
• Jack Morelli, Afterlife with Archie, Archie, Betty and Veronica, etc. (Archie)
• Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo: Senso, Usagi Yojimbo Color Special: The Artist (Dark Horse)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

• Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
• Comic Book Creator, edited by Jon B. Cooke (TwoMorrows)
• Comic Book Resources, edited by Jonah Weiland, www.comicbookresources.com (link is external)
• Comics Alliance, edited by Andy Khouri, Caleb Goellner, Andrew Wheeler, & Joe Hughes, www.comicsalliance.com (link is external)
• tcj.com, edited by Dan Nadel & Timothy Hodler (Fantagraphics)

Best Comics-Related Book

• Comics Through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas (4 vols.), edited by M. Keith Booker (ABC-CLIO)
• Creeping Death from Neptune: The Life and Comics of Basil Wolverton, by Greg Sadowski (Fantagraphics)
• Genius Animated: The Cartoon Art of Alex Toth, vol. 3, by Dean Mullaney & Bruce Canwell (IDW/LOAC)
• What Fools These Mortals Be: The Story of Puck, by Michael Alexander Kahn & Richard Samuel West (IDW/LOAC)
• 75 Years of Marvel Comics: From the Golden Age to the Silver Screen, by Roy Thomas & Josh Baker (TASCHEN)

Best Scholarly/Academic Work

• American Comics, Literary Theory, and Religion: The Superhero Afterlife, by A. David Lewis (Palgrave Macmillan)
• Considering Watchmen: Poetics, Property, Politics, by Andrew Hoberek (Rutgers University Press)
• Funnybooks: The Improbable Glories of the Best American Comic Books, by Michael Barrier (University of California Press)
• Graphic Details: Jewish Women’s Confessional Comics in Essays and Interviews, edited by Sarah Lightman (McFarland)
• The Origins of Comics: From William Hogarth to Winsor McCay, by Thierry Smolderen, tr. by Bart Beaty & Nick Nguyen (University Press of Mississippi)
• Wide Awake in Slumberland: Fantasy, Mass Culture, and Modernism in the Art of Winsor McCay, by Katherine Roeder (University Press of Mississippi)

Best Publication Design

• Batman: Kelley Jones Gallery Edition, designed by Josh Beatman/Brainchild Studios (Graphitti/DC)
• The Complete ZAP Comix Box Set, designed by Tony Ong (Fantagraphics)
• Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream, designed by Jim Rugg (Locust Moon)
• Street View, designed by Pascal Rabate (NBM/Comics Lit)
• Winsor McCay’s Complete Little Nemo, designed by Anna Tina Kessler (TASCHEN)

What do you think of this year’s nominees? Any big snubs where you’re concerned?

—Please make note of The Mary Sue’s general comment policy.—

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Un aviso para a boa xente que seguides Pulpeiro: non dubidedes en pedirme fotografías de parroquias, cidades, monumentos, acontecementos ou calquer outro tema que vos interese e teña que ver con Galicia, estarei encantado de escarabellar nos faiados de internet na súa busca. O pulpo prá xente!

José María Aznar, Federico Trillo, Miguel Arias Cañete, Ana de Palacio, Pilar del Castillo, Ángel Acebes, Jaume Matas, Francisco Álvarez Cascos, Rodrigo Rato, Javier Arenas, Ana Pastor, Cristóbal Montoro...  Una reciente noticia de El Plural hacía recuento: 11 de los 14 ministros están imputados, cobraron sobresueldos o duermen en prisión.

Pero ¿qué ocurre con los otros tres exministros –José María Michavila, Eduardo Zaplana y Josep Piqué–, a los que no parece afectar esta espiral de corrupción y aprovechamiento de la política para intereses personal? Repasamos las principales acusaciones que pesan sobre estos tres políticos y empresarios, que han sabido combinar los negocios y la función pública, por lo menos ahora, sin mayores contratiempos.

José María Michavila

Secretario de Estado de Relaciones con el Parlamento y, después, como Ministro de Justicia, José María Michavila estuvo presente en los ocho años del Gobierno de Aznar. Tras la derrota del PP en las elecciones de 2004, pasó a ocupar un puesto como diputado por Valencia. Sus actividades paralelas, que incluían su trabajo como abogado y la representación de artistas como Alejandro Sanz o Shakira, no le dejaban mucho tiempo para sus funciones estrictamente políticas. Por lo menos así lo decidieron los periodistas parlamentarios, que le otorgaron en 2007 el premio al “diputado desconocido” por sus continuas ausencias al pleno. El premio, por supuesto, no lo recogió él, sino su compañera Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, ya que el exministro no acudió al acto. Desde octubre de 2010 es asesor del fondo de infraestructuras de JP Morgan.

Los vínculos de Michavila con la trama Gürtel han sido denunciados en múltiples ocasiones. Sobre todo, a través del despacho de abogados del exministro, que recibió 100.000 euros de la trama, según publicó en 2009 la Cadena Ser. Este bufete fue contratado sin licitación pública por el exalcalde de Boadilla del Monte, epicentro de la trama entonces investigada por el juez Baltasar Garzón, para defender la gestión municipal en cinco procedimientos.

El despacho de abogados del exministro Michavila recibió 100.000 euros de la trama Gürtel

Y los vínculos con la trama no se quedan allí. Según publicó El Mundo, Michavila pidió seis millones a Mutua Madrileña como mediador entre esa empresa y la consultora Global Health, cliente del bufete donde trabaja, para construir una megaciudad sanitaria en Boadilla del Monte, “según confirmó él mismo”.

La presunta relación de Michavila con la trama de Gürtel también se canalizó a través de Special Events, una empresa encargada de organizar eventos a través de la que operaba la trama Gürtel. Según publicaba Diagonal, entre enero y febrero de 2003, durante la gestión de Michavila, el Ministerio de Justicia contrató los servicios de Special Events por valor de 4.400 euros.

Eduardo Zaplana

El hecho de que precisamente Eduardo Zaplana se haya librado hasta ahora de mayores complicaciones judiciales no deja de ser paradójico. Ya en 1990, en una frase extraída de una conversación investigada dentro del caso Naseiro, un escándalo sobre financiación irregular del PP, el joven Zaplana apuntaba maneras: “¡Ay...!, tengo que ganar mucho dinero, me hace falta mucho dinero para vivir. Ahora me tengo que comprar un coche. ¿Te gusta el Vectra 16 válvulas?”.

En la edición del año 2000, la Enciclopedia Británica, incluyó a Zaplana como referente de la corrupción política en España, aunque en una edición posterior fue retirada la referencia al ex presidente de la Generalitat.

En la edición del año 2000, la Enciclopedia Británica, incluyó a Zaplana como referente de la corrupción política en España, 

“Jalonada de escándalos económicos, muchos de los cuales han acabado en los tribunales”, definía para Diagonal la carrera de este político el periodista Alfredo Grimaldos, autor de Zaplana, el brazo incorrupto del PP. Benidorm fue la primera escala de su carrera, alcaldía a la que llegó gracias al voto tránsfuga de la concejala socialista Maruja Sánchez, que empezó a ser conocida desde entonces como la “bienpagá”, relataba Grimaldos en esta biografía no autorizada de Zaplana de 300 páginas. Benidorm fue una excelente plataforma para saltar a la Generalitat valenciana, donde los casos de corrupción lo rodearon, pero siempre pareció salir indemne gracias a “una compleja trama de subalternos que medran en la estela del jefe y, a cambio, actúan de pantalla y le proporcionan protección y confianza”. Una muestra de una larga lista: su cuñado, Justo Valverde, trabajó como director de contrataciones de Terra Mítica y acabó implicado en la corrupción del parque temático.

Como ministro de Trabajo y Asunto Sociales, sus gastos de representación se han vuelto legendarios, según detalla el trabajo de Grimaldos:

150.000 euros

de viajes en aviones privados entre 2002 y 2004, en un periodo en el que los cargos ministeriales podrían viajar gratis a través de Iberia o con vuelos militares.

15.000 euros

por un viaje a Edimburgo.

55.000 euros

en cuatro toneladas de turrones para las navidades.

183.000 euros

en dos años  de compras cotidianas de galletas, chicles o natillas.

Todo un historial que no impide que el exministro se permita dar lecciones de ética política.

“[La] percepción social es que existen muchas similitudes entre política y corrupción, y eso es injusto y falso”, decía en 2013 en un debate del Club Información. “Un político imputado por presunta corrupción debería actuar con generosidad y sacrificarse”, añadía.

Josep Piqué

Militante de organizaciones de extrema izquierda en su juventud, concretamente en la organización maoísta Bandera Roja, no tardó en volver al redil familiar –su padre fue un alcalde franquista– intregrándose al gobierno de Aznar, primero como ministro de Industria, luego como ministro de Exteriores y, por último, como ministro de Ciencia y Tecnología. Su apoyo a la guerra de Iraq y al golpe de Estado en Venezuela, liderado por Pedro Carmona Estanga, marcaron sus últimos años como ministro.

Su trayectoria es un ejemplo de puertas giratorias: después de su fracaso como candidato a la generalitat de Catalunya, se convirtió en 2007 en presidente de la línea aérea de bajo coste Vueling. Sin dejar este puesto, en febrero 2012, Mariano Rajóy lo nombró representante del Estado en el Consejo de Administración de la empresa aeronáutica europea EADS, dueña entre otras de Airbus.

El 1 de octubre de 2013, un año después de dejar Vueling, fue contratado como consejero delegado y vicepresidente segundo de la empresa constructora OHL, uno de los principales contribuyentes a la cuenta B del Partido Popular, según destapó el escándalo de los papeles de Bárcenas, y uno de los principales destinatarios de las concesiones y adjudicaciones de obra pública, entre ellas las mil millonarias inversiones del tren de alta velocidad. 
 

Durante su gestión en el Ministerio de Industria, Piqué condonó a Ercros –su ex empresa– una deuda de 8.500 millones de pesetas 

La larga historia de idas y vueltas de Josep Piqué entre la empresa privada y la política tuvo su primer episodio en 1991, cuando el exministro era miembro del consejo de administración de Ertoil, filial de la química Ercros. Por presuntas irregularidades en la venta de Ertoil por tres supuestos delitos –alzamiento de bienes, apropiación indebida y delito fiscal– el informe del fiscal del 'caso Ercros', Bartolomé Vargas, solicitó la imputación de Piqué. Pero el caso fue archivado.

Pero la relación entre Piqué y esta empresa química dio todavía de qué hablar: en 1998 durante su gestión en el Ministerio de Industria, Piqué condonó a Ercros una deuda de 8.500 millones de pesetas que había contraído con el Instituto de Crédito Oficial. Por esta acción, tuvo que comparecer en una subcomisión del Congreso para explicar por qué él mismo había solicitado que la deuda fuera perdonada. En su momento, la oposición acusó a Piqué de haber incumplido la Ley de Incompatibilidades de Altos Cargos.

En su larga trayectoria empresarial, Piqué compartió negocios también con Iñaki Undargarin en la constructora Mixta África, donde el yerno real facturó 365.000 euros por asesorar negocios inmobiliarios en África a través de la consultora Aizoon SL, empresa que compartía con su esposa, Cristina de Borbón. Entre diciembre de 2007 y marzo de 2010, el exministro ocupó la presidencia de esta compañía.

Excessive nail biting is a surprisingly widespread human activity.

It goes back millennia: the ancient Greek philosopher Cleanthes, for instance, was said to be addicted to biting his nails. In the modern era, no one has any good data on how many of us share the affliction (technically called onychophagia), but small-scale studies indicate about 20 percent or so of adults bite regularly — which would suggest millions of Americans do it.

"Everybody picks and bites to a degree," says Fred Penzel, a psychologist who helps patients deal with nail biting, hair plucking, and other body-focused repetitive disorders. "When it gets to the point that people are doing damage to themselves, that's when we treat it as something other than an everyday behavior." This certainly applies to a much smaller number of people — but it's still, he says, a surprisingly common problem.

Even though excessive nail biting is widespread, however, psychologists have only begun studying it within the past few decades. In fact, they're still trying to understand the basic question that many people with onychophagia spend so much time wrestling with: given that the rational part of our brain wants to quit, why do we keep biting our nails?

The current hypothesis: nail biting helps even out our emotions. When we're bored, it provides stimulation; when we're stressed out or frustrated, it provides a temporary calm.

Early theories on why we bite our nails have been rejected

(ed_needs_a_bicycle)

Most of the early explanations of nail biting have been thoroughly disregarded. Sigmund Freud, for instance, believed that excessive nursing during infancy could lead to a so-called "oral receptive" personality — and a tendency to chew on nails and other objects, as well as a distinct preference for oral sex. He had no evidence for this idea, and subsequent followers of his ideas didn't turn up any, either.

Later, some researchers considered nail biting, hair plucking (called trichotillomania) and skin picking as mild forms of self-harm — the intentional injuring of oneself, often by cutting. Under this theory, biting one's nails would be sign of hostility towards oneself.

Undercutting this idea, however, is the fact that most nail biters aren't particularly fond of the damage their habit causes — and for many people, it's the main reason they want to quit. Starting in the 1990s, most psychologists began distinguishing it and body-focused repetitive disorders from more severe forms of self-harm.

As they've begun to better understand the behavior, one big question is whether it should be grouped in with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Though the latest DSM (a text that's considered an authority on psychiatric diagnoses) puts nail biting in a broader category with OCD, many of those who specifically study body-focused repetitive disorders disagree.

"The word 'obsessive' doesn't really apply," says Penzel. "Every behavior that's repetitive is not necessary a compulsion."

Compulsions, for one, are usually associated with extreme levels of anxiety. Nail biting, on the other hand, is often accompanied by pleasure — the people who do it want to do it, except for the fact that it causes damage over time. Though people with OCD appear to have a greater chance of being nail biters, they seem to be distinct disorders.

The new theory: nail biting helps us balance out our emotions

(Shutterstock.com)

Recently psychologists have come to a more plausible theory of nail biting: that it can provide a temporary escape, distraction, or bit of pleasure or relaxation for the biter.

Penzel points out that many people get the urge to bite when they're understimulated (i.e., bored) or overstimulated (stressed out or excited). "When they're understimulated, the behaviors provides stimulation, and when they're overstimulated, it actually helps calm them down," he says. Like nicotine, the idea is that nail biting can have a biphasic effect: it can stimulate under certain conditions and relax in others.

It's still not proven, but to someone who's spent a lot of time biting her nails, this explanation rings true — and a recent study conducted by Sarah Roberts and other researchers at University of Quebec at Montreal provides a bit of evidence for it.

In the study, people with onychophagia, trichotillomania, or other body-focused repetitive behaviors were put into situations designed to elicit frustration (they were given a difficult task that couldn't possibly be completed in the allotted time), boredom (they were left in a room with absolutely nothing to do for a while), anxiety (they watched a notoriously terrifying plane crash scene from the movie Alive), or relaxation (they watched a video of a beach from a comfortable chair).

Obviously, these situations are somewhat artificial. Still, when the researchers observed the participants' behavior — and surveyed them afterwards on how strong their urge to bite was — they found something interesting.

"People had a higher urge to engage in the behavior in the stressed condition and the bored condition, much more than in the relaxed condition," Roberts says. Other surveys of nail biters and hair pluckers have come to similar conclusions. "It seems fairly clear that there's some emotional regulation involved."

Why we bite our nails instead of other alternatives

(Shutterstock.com)

Of course, this theory still prompts a more basic question: why does biting your nails — or plucking your hairs or picking at your skin — provide pleasure or distraction in the first place? Why do so many people become addicted to these grooming habits, rather than, say, balling their hands up into fists?

One possible answer relates to the finding that people with body-focused repetitive disorders tend to be perfectionists. It might be that ripping off an oddly shaped nail can provide a satisfying sense of perfection for the biter — and the quest for this satisfaction eventually gets out of control.

It's also possible that the uncontrollable urge to groom excessively goes much deeper than we realize. Lots of other animals, after all, seem to do it, too: some cats lick themselves excessively, leading to fur loss, while some horses bite their own flanks over and over. Perhaps the urge to groom past the point of usefulness — to the extent that we actually cause damage to ourselves — is a trait that can be traced way back to the evolutionary ancestors we shared with these other mammals.

Finally, there's a more mundane explanation. Maybe we just bite our nails because they're there. Psychologists believe that you can get psychologically (not chemically) addicted to pretty much anything: any activity that provides a reward can reinforce itself over time.

For an understimulated mind looking for a momentary distraction, the hands are always present. Biting and ripping off a nail can provide a distinct reward (it sounds weird, but to a biter, there's something distinctly satisfying about removing it). Nails grow back, so there's always a fresh one to bite. Do it enough times, and you start to get pleasure from the habit — so whenever you're bored, stressed, or frustrated, your brain unconsciously goes back to it.

How to quit biting your nails

(Shutterstock.com)

Different psychologists recommend slightly different techniques for quitting, but they mostly boil down to one common strategy: identifying the circumstances that lead you to bite, and changing them. "We try to identify all the triggers and control them in various ways — either by blocking them or by finding substitutes," Penzel says.

For instance, if you habitually bite your nails while watching TV, you might chew gum or use your hands to play with an object whenever you sit down on the couch to watch. You might also set out signs and reminders next to the couch, reinforcing the idea that you do not want to bite.The same goes for different emotions or feelings that usually make you bite: if being frustrated is a trigger for you, try to alter the circumstances in some way, by giving yourself something else to do or making it harder to bite.

If you still can't stop, there's also a way to make nail biting way less palatable no matter what the circumstance: clear nail polishes that taste absolutely terrible. They're harmless, but once you paint these on, even brief contact between your mouth and your nails will leave a bitter, disgusting taste in your mouth until you eat something else. Some people have success combining this with other strategies.

Regardless of the particular technique you use, a big thing to keep in mind is that breaking your addiction might not come all at once, so if you break down and bite it doesn't mean you have to give up completely. Abstaining for longer and longer chunks of time can still help break down the habit — until, someday, the bizarre habit of nail biting no longer has the same hold on your mind.

Even though there aren’t too many choice when it comes to revealing the gender of your unborn child, that doesn’t mean that your gender reveal party has to be cookie-cutter garbage! In addition to revealing your child-to-be’s gender, there are a litany of secrets you and your spouse can reveal to your loved ones. Here are some tips to make your gender reveal party go too far:

Make the Party Décor Reflect Your Difficulties with Conception

Did you undergo IVF due to your husband’s impotence and reluctance to have a child with you? Make sure the décor shows that magical journey by incorporating your medical records, so you can comment on “what a struggle it’s been” and how “Dan didn’t want to have a child because he is one.”

Cultivate That Guest List for Prime Drama!

Friends and family are a no-brainer for the invite list, but who else knows your secrets and might be motivated to reveal them to those close to you? Are there any workplace rivals who might be motivated to reveal the affair you’re having with your boss? Does Dan’s ex-wife want to chime in about his toilet phobia? Make sure these truth-tellers make the cut!

Have Fun Games and Prizes to Give Away the Stuff that Isn’t Baby-Proof

After a rousting round of “Pin the Chromosome on the Fetus,” make sure the winner feels truly special. For example, award Dan’s miniature Australian Shepherd, Oz, who Dan spends most nights cuddling with in the guest room instead of with you, to the victor. Bye, bye, Oz! There’s no room for you here now that the baby’s on its way.

Make the Food and Drinks Tell Your Unique Story

Create a signature cocktail for your gender reveal party like “The Problem Swimmer,” made with egg whites and vodka so everyone knows that Dan’s stupid slow sperm were the reason you spent your entire 401k on IVF! Tell everyone you made a big batch – Dan’s been hitting the sauce hard ever since his office put him on probation for sexual harassment allegations.

No Pink or Blue Allowed!

Gendered colors are so passé. Also, Dan feels that you were over-pinkified as a girl and this has led to lingering issues in your sex life like your refusal to do casual anal on a regular basis. So just encourage guests to bring yellow gifts and ignore Dan’s drunken rants about Barbie.

Share Your Concerns about the Baby

You’re not emotionally prepared for this child, have been “forgetting” to take your prenatal vitamins since week seven, and have a terrible feeling that the baby will share you and Dan’s mental health problems. So why not bring your concerns to the party for some much-needed support? Write all your worries on tiny slips of paper and have family members try and guess whose fear is whose.

Being a “Cool Mom” Starts Now!

Make sure Dan and your fetus see you talking to Jim in the corner and touching his arm a lot. Jim is a 6’4” lawyer who brews his own beer, so really this is all Dan’s fault.

Make the Actual Reveal Exciting!

How are you gonna tell everyone if it’s gonna be tuxedos or tiaras? Could you and Dan have a massive screaming argument about Jim that starts in the corner but gradually moves into the center of the room and then he tries to make a break for the door while screaming, “I divorce you” but you throw the reveal box at him and all the doves that explode out and frantically fly around hitting the guests are blue? GREAT! It’s a Boy!

Male or female, this baby was a mistake! Have fun!

How to Throw a Gender Reveal Party That Reveals EVERYTHING is a post from: Reductress

And this is how that Inside Amy Schumer sketch came together.

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The best things in life are usually dipped in hot sauce, tbqh.

Every restaurant you've ever visited had to replace their bottle of hot sauce, after your meal.

Cartoon Network / Via cn.last.fm

Your friends never let you order for everyone, for fear of there being no "normal and not fire in my mouth" kind of food.

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There's never enough space in your kitchen cabinets.

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Before you try out any new restaurant, you first check the menu to see if they have enough spicy food.

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It might be a bit of hyperbole to say this is the issue that changed the course of comic books forever. But not by much. This was the issue that introduced American audiences to Alan Moore and the man exploded onto the scene like few creators before or since. In one fell swoop, a regular horror comic transformed into an epic novel with art and heralded a shift that would transform the industry.

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The Cry son cuatro chavales de Portland (Oregon) que practican un powerpop guitarrero, alegre y enérgico siguiendo la estela de sus tristemente desaparecidos conciudadanos Exploding Hearts y de grupos de punk 77 como The Boys, Rudi o Undertones. Con esas referencias nada malo puede salir. Tras llenar el Wurlitzer Ballroom en su primera visita a Madrid, sometemos a dos de sus miembros: Brian (guitarra solista y voz) y Víctor (teclado) a una rápida ronda de preguntas.

¡Hola! ¿Qué impresiones tenéis sobre el concierto de esta noche?
Victor: Creo que ha sido genial. Nos encanta España.
Brian: Sí. Quiero vivir aquí. Que le den por culo a USA.

Recordad que cuando vayáis al País Vasco no podéis decir eso
B: ¡Ya! ¡Diremos que nos encanta el País Vasco!

¿Cómo os llamáis?
V: Soy Victor y toco el teclado.
B: Yo soy Brian, canto y toco la guitarra solista.

A juzgar por las fotos del disco, Victor es nuevo ¿no?
B: Sí, yo empecé el grupo sólo con el cantante en el garaje de su madre.

Imagino que viviría en una casa, no un apartamento
B: Sí, claro.
V: En América las casas son grandes, aquí en Europa, en Italia, cuando fuimos, las casitas eran chiquitas, pero donde vivimos nosotros, las casas son muy grandes.

Vuestros amigos y la gente de vuestra edad está interesada por el Rock n Roll o sois unos bichos raros?
B: No necesariamente, pero el Rock n’ Roll en Portland tuvo una decaída a principios de los 2000, había un montón de grupos de street punk, post punk…
V: Allí en Portland hay gente de todo tipo, hay mucha gente y nosotros no somos freaks, tenemos muchos amigos afines y es algo normal para nosotros.

En los noventa salieron miles de grupos de Seattle, y ahora parece que es de Portland de donde salen. Nos llegan un montón de grupos de post punk de allí ¿Os gustan Bellicose Minds, Red Dons…?
V: ¡Bellicose Minds! Son nuestros amigos.
B: Sí, me encanta ese grupo. Son una gran banda y gente de puta madre. Y los Estranged son jodidamente buenos, de hecho el batería de The Cry ahora está tocando la guitarra rítmica con ellos.

¿Cuál es la razón por la que salen tantos grupos de Portland? ¿El clima?
V: Sí, el clima
B: El clima

¿No es que haya solo un equipo deportivo en una liga mayor? No hay fútbol, no hay beisbol…
B: De fútbol sí, están los Timbers.

Pero hablamos de fútbol americano
V: Ah, no, no hay. Sólo hay baloncesto y fútbol (soccer).

¿Por qué decidisteis formar el grupo?
B: El cantante y yo teníamos una banda cuando me gradué en el instituto, un grupo de punk tipo UK 82 y en tres meses se disolvió. Fui a una Universidad Comunitaria y me llamó mientras volvía a casa de la escuela “hey tío, vente a mi casa, he escrito algunas canciones nuevas y quiero empezar un grupo de powerpop”, fui para allá y escuché “Such a Bore” tocada con la guitarra, y a partir de ahí todo fue sobre ruedas y aquí estamos. Llevábamos mucho tiempo esperando hacer una gira europea.

Os parecéis muchísimo a los Exploding Hearts ¿Os lo han dicho alguna vez?
V: Nos lo dicen todo el rato.
B: Cuando empezamos el grupo, a nadie en Portland le importaba una mierda los Exploding Hearts, hasta que la gente empezó a ir a nuestros conciertos y escucharnos. Tenemos nuestras diferencias, pero son una gran influencia.

¿Qué historia tienen esos videos en los que salís versionando dos temas suyos?
B: Fue el décimo aniversario del “Guitar Romantic” y Dirtnap y Pabst Blue Ribbon se juntaron y decidieron llamar a bandas de la zona de Portland para que escogieran una o dos canciones del disco para versionarlas. Nosotros elegimos “Modern Kicks” y “Thorns in Roses”, fue en Green Noise Records, que es la tienda de discos del sello Dirtnap Records.

¿No os da miedo terminar de la misma manera?
B: ¡Sí, estoy acojonado!
V: Pero fíjate en lo que dejaron, en su legado ¡Estamos en España hablando de los Exploding Hearts! Si nos ocurriera algo a nosotros, que espero que no, lo importante es lo que dejemos, que la gente nos escuche y hable de nosotros. En todos los sitios donde tocamos, también están tocando los Exploding Hearts.
B: Conocemos a gente más mayor de Portland que les conocieron personalmente y nos han contado que la gente pasaba de ellos cuando tocaban. Fue después de morir cuando realmente se empezó a hablar de ellos.

Tenéis mucha influencia del punk inglés, de The Boys, de Rudi, de los que somos grandes fans, en definitiva el punk del 77. Nos han contado que en Estados Unidos se está empezando a poner de moda ese rollo ¿Es cierto?
B: Más o menos, a nosotros y a todos nuestros amigos nos encanta toda esa mierda.
V: Sí, la gente que conocemos
B: The Boys son mi banda favorita, cuando empezamos queríamos ser un grupo de punk 77, nos llamábamos Last Year’s Youth, como la canción de Menace, pero terminamos haciendo pop. Me encantan Protex, y The Dogs, los franceses.
V: ¡Y Eskorbuto!

¿Y conocéis más bandas españolas de punk o powerpop?
B: No, sólo Eskorbuto.

También parece que os gusta el Glam-rock ¿No?
B: ¡Sí! Gary Glitter, New York Dolls, todo lo de David Bowie…

¿Y hay algún grupo actual en Estados Unidos que nos podáis recomendar?
B: Wyldlife, de Nueva York, son una gran banda y The Biters, de Atlanta, son grandes grupos de Powerpop.

¿Y cómo veis la situación política en Estados Unidos? ¿Qué pensáis del gobierno y todo eso?
V: Yo no me involucro en política, hago mi vida. Me afecta en cierto modo, pero no sé… vivo allí y no tengo elección, voto…
B: No somos The Clash, todo eso lo mantenemos fuera del grupo.

Lleváis dos semanas girando por Europa ¿Qué os parece este continente? ¿Qué diferencias veis entre Europa y América?
V: ¡A los europeos les encanta The Cry!
B: Nos gusta mucho más estar aquí, todo está más cerca, a la gente realmente le gusta la música, allí es una cosa más social como “mírame, estoy en el concierto”.
V: Ayer en Valencia había un tío que vino desde Islandia para vernos tocar. En América jamás verás algo así.
B: Yo no conduciría ni media hora para ver un concierto.

Hace poco entrevistamos a Useless Eaters y nos dijeron un poco lo mismo.
V: En Estados Unidos es más salir de fiesta ¿sabes? Sales por ahí con tus colegas y hay una banda que toca, aquí la gente viene al concierto y les importa el grupo.

También Estados Unidos es muy grande y será muy diferente, por ejemplo, la costa este de la oeste.
V: Es muy muy diferente. Según a dónde vayas cambia todo.

¿Y qué costa preferís?
B: ¡La Costa Oeste!
V: ¡La Costa Oeste!

Pues mi equipo favorito son los Boston Celtics, Larry Bird… ya sabes.
B: ¡Looser!

¿Hasta ahora cual ha sido vuestro mejor concierto de la gira?
B: Difícil pregunta, pero el de esta noche ha sido genial

¡Esa respuesta es la típica! ¿Y exceptuando esta noche?
B: Es jodido, en España ha ido muy bien. Italia también ha sido grande
V: Mis sitios favoritos, con diferencia, han sido Italia y España. También hemos ido a Suiza, a Austria y a Francia.

La mayoría de los grupos de punk a día de hoy no cantan sobre el amor, pero vosotros no tenéis problemas con eso ¿Por qué? ¿Creéis que hay que recuperar las canciones de amor?
B: Tengo un montón de amigas en Portland que me llegan súper borrachas y me abrazan, ojalá pudiera escribir sobre esa mierda.
V: Es la forma de conseguir chicas, escribes una canción de amor y ya lo tienes. De todas formas es como Los Beatles.

Claro, no es algo que venga del punk sino de la música popular como el Rythm n Blues, el Soul…
B: También es por hablar de experiencias comunes.

Esta pregunta es importante: ¿Qué es una “Cenicienta Moderna”?
B: Creo que es una buena pregunta para el que escribió la canción, Ray, pero es una tía que te follas y luego te manda a casa, le echas un polvo y pasa de ti. Tú te quieres quedar allí pero no te deja.

¿Sex Pistols o The Clash?
B: ¡Oh! ¡Que te jodan!
V: Yo soy más de The Clash.
B: The Boys. Never Mind The Bollocks es la puta ostia y también lo que hicieron después, me encantan los Professionals, pero voy a decir The Clash porque tocan todo tipo de música.

Muchas gracias por vuestro tiempo ¿Algo que añadir?
B: ¡Cry or die!
V: Esperamos volver pronto, ha sido una experiencia genial.

Entrevista: Ravishingpunk y Víctimadelterror
Fotos cogidas del facebook de la banda.

Back in the 20th century, if you cried while watching Star Wars, you were just sad and alone. Not any more. Now, you can hop online and publicly document your weepy catharsis at seeing Harrison Ford dressed as Han Solo for the first time in 32 years.

If you don't think this is a thing, just type "Star Wars crying" into Twitter:

[body_image width='580' height='638' path='images/content-images/2015/04/20/' crop='images/content-images-crops/2015/04/20/' filename='why-is-everyone-openly-crying-over-the-new-star-wars-trailer-747-body-image-1429554502.png' id='47852']

When I spoke with Tor.com staff writer and geek critic Emily Asher-Perrin, she told me the waterworks first started when she heard the voice of Luke Skywalker for the first time since 1983. "My childhood hero was back, and he sounded just like himself, and it was the most comforting feeling in the whole wide universe," she said. "[It was] like being wrapped up in a space blanket."

An old publishing friend, Jacob Arthur told me the direct address from Luke worked for him, too: "When Luke said, 'You have that power, too.' That you brought my chest to a mighty swell."

He continued: "I've waited too long for someone to awaken that hope and pride. I think that might have been the second or third most meaningful you I've heard in my life."

On Vulture, in his shot-by-shot recap of the trailer, the critic Abraham Riesman catalogued his entire emotional reaction to the trailer. He was struck by the "silver stormtrooper with a cape," which caused "actual tears" to pour out of his eyes.

When I spoke to Riesman to understand why he had such a reaction, he said what he was seeing in this trailer matched up for what he'd always hoped for as a kid: a dystopian battle-scarred Star Wars. "To see your hopes given life is a powerful experience that transcends cynicism," he explained. "I sort of lost control. It was like being in a very extreme yoga pose: I was crying as a form of release beyond words."

In numerous ways, cultural critics have tried to pinpoint the exact moment when Star Wars ceased to be a movie franchise and became a cultural touchstone. That point remains elusive, but it's an unshakeable fact that Star Wars has effectively slipped into the public domain in terms of how we think about it. Part of this has to do with to what degree we're angry—or hurt—about what George Lucas "did" to a thing so many of us loved. For Star Wars fans, Star Wars itself is like a deadbeat dad who left, came back, and left again. By extension, everything we associate with "real" Star Wars (i.e., anything from the original three movies) is also like a parent that has ditched us—or, worse, died.

In the 17th century, when the word nostalgia was invented by Johannes Hofer, it was all about a longing for a return to a specific place. Simon Reynolds explores this in the opening chapter of his 2011 book Retromania: "Nostalgia was literally homesickness, a debilitating craving to return to the native land." With this in mind, it shouldn't be any surprise that Han Solo's utterance of the word home at the end of the trailer really did it for a lot of people people. The line, "Chewie, we're home," even caused Asher-Perrin to break out into a second wave of tears.

Of course not everyone who was moved went so far as to cry.

"I knew a lot of this was coming," Brandon Burton, a fan of Star Wars who works as a classically trained actor, wrote me in a email. "I was like, 'Yah, black people as main characters'... R2-D2 is the blackest character. Dude throws shade with beeps and boops. But I saw most of that shit coming. So, no, I didn't lose my shit. But yes, there was an approving nod."

Two years ago, Burton and I had a long discussion in which we both prayed for a nonwhite lead actor to show up in the new Star Wars. When John Boyega was cast, it was a moment of relief and celebration.

In speaking to the crowd at the Star Wars Celebration last Thursday in Anaheim, Lucasfilm CEO Kathleen Kennedy echoed the notions of diversification and representation when she stressed the importance creating more gender parity in Star Wars. When asked which Star Wars character she would be, she responded, "Up until recently, I didn't have much of a choice. There was only Princess Leia," reminding me that this thing we're crying over has some sexist baggage.

The trailer that opened the facial floodgates

For me, the heartstring tugging and tear jerking is mostly connected to Han Solo, who was a big part of my adolescence. There's a passage about a Luke versus Han debate in Ashley Cardiff's book Night Terrors that I love and quote all the time: "But right about ten or so, I started thinking Han Solo was the more charming and interesting of the two. This is because Luke represents chastity and virtue, while Han Solo represents cock."

With his unbuttoned shirt and infectious, shit-eating grin, Han Solo is the guy a lot of us want to be. (And not just guys, either. Asher-Perrin's wife, the science-fiction author Kelsey Ann Barrett, frequently dresses up as Han Solo for conventions.) You could argue that this is down to the fact that Harrison Ford created a certain flirty-but-safe-type of sex symbol with both Indiana Jones and Han Solo. But Han Solo is relevantly different from Indy for one reason: He's the outsider in Star Wars, the guy who doesn't believe in the religion that surrounds and binds the whole phenomenon, both in the films and in real life.

Fittingly, Harrison Ford is bristly about the iconic character. His Reddit AMA from last year made some of his flippancy about Star Wars fandom pretty clear. Who shot first, Han or Greedo? "I don't know, and I don't care," was Ford's response. During the Force Awakens panel on Thursday, John Boyega detailed a story from the most recent film set in which he creeped out Harrison Ford by asking the actor to sign a Han Solo action figure. Boyega claimed Ford said, "This is weird," but signed the "doll" (Ford's words) anyway.

So, despite flying planes and helicopters, Harrison Ford is not Han Solo, and at 74, he's certainly no longer the conventional sex machine that we all fell in love with. Now, seeing Harrison Ford as Han Solo in the new trailer is bittersweet. This happened with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008, to an extent. But at that point, the zeitgeist was sort of ready for that movie to be disappointing. There was something about Shia Lebeouf that made us prepare to be let down. But the promise of The Force Awakens is that there will be healing for those who've felt that George Lucas, Star Wars, and specifically Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker abandoned them.

Spencer Kornhaber, writing for the Atlantic, recently worried that the new Star Wars film may be pandering to a fan-service culture, and I think there's something to it. But it's deeper than simple fan service. Fan service was George Lucas putting in someone who sort of looked like Boba Fett in Attack of the Clones in 2002, or the promise of a Batman versus Superman throwdown in the next Zach Snyder flick. Fan service is the camera rotating around all the Avengers as they prepare to do battle. But an old guy, looking really gray, grinning, talking about "home"—that's different. It's a promise that whatever thing we think we've lost has come back.

Ryan Britt is the author of Luke Skywalker Can't Read and Other Geeky Truths forthcoming from Plume (Penguin Random House)on November 24, 2015. He's written for the New York Times, Electric Literature, the Awl, Tor.com, and elsewhere. He lives in New York City. Follow him on Twitter.