Flex Mentallo

This being Easter also reminded me, as it always does, of a trip- a pilgrimage really, many years ago to Northern Italy. I was a student at the Royal College of Art at the time – it must have been 1978 – when my tutor Peter De Francia suggested I climb out of the dark corner of the studio I inhabited and go and see what real art looked like. “Go and see the mosaics in Ravenna my boy! It will open your eyes!” In the space of a few weeks I visited Ravenna,

Just as the smell of baking bread led Proust to a cascade of memories and his magnum opus, Remembrance of Time Past., I found myself remembering that Tuku – who I knew as mischief when she was a child , a Muslim child - wanted to be a dancer, a Hindi dancer, and that Hogulkuria, a Christian village, where she now teaches Hindi dance to Moslem children, was very, very poor. Mohammed Yunus walked into Hogulkuria on 30th December 2007 like Christ riding on the back of a mule on Palm Sunday, feted by crowds. Swallowed up by adoring crowds, a troupe of local village girls trained by Tuku performed a traditional Hindi dance of welcome. More of which later.

Last year, Hugh Jackman travelled to Cambodia and Ethiopia to see and learn about micro‐economic development. It’s long‐term, it’s about giving communities a future, and that’s a powerful thing. When you are spending time with people in their communities you see first‐hand the dramatic effects that certain programs have on people and their families. Then of course you see the ripple effects that this has for the entire community. I remember very clearly one woman receiving a loan for the first time in her life. Finally she had the chance to get ahead. I spent time with her family, and got to know about her life, and then also saw the broader work going on in the community. When communities are empowered, the effects can be far‐ reaching and quite astounding. The story of Dukale, who I met in Ethiopia, is truly one of the most inspiring stories I’ve come across in all my life. He has five children and grows coffee on a small farm. With help from World Vision he has installed a methane gas converter so the gas from his two goats and cow powers the stove he cooks with and the lights he reads by. Most importantly, it also powers a roadside café he operates to sell coffee to make extra income. He can now look after the day‐to‐day expenses of his family and save for the future. Dukale has inspired me and my family to look at our lives and consider what we could change in our world to reduce our footprint.

I met him once, sort of. Well, in December 2007 we shared a glance across a crowd of people where he evidently mistook me for a photo-journalist. Not much of a connection really. I’d forgotten all about it until I read a review of Les Miserables, in which the writer said that Hugh Jackman was a big supporter of charities and in particular a friend of Mohammed Yunus.

He and the Grameen Bank won the Nobel Prize, but he is more famous for having appeared in an episode of the Simpsons http://www.theworld.org/2010/07/muhammad-yunus-lisa-simpson/

Mohammed Yunus is the founder of “Micro-Finance”, which he began in 1976 and led to the founding of the multi-billion-dollar Grameen bank, which supports millions of women in Bangladesh and West Bengal with tiny loans that make all the difference to their ability to make a living for their families.

I now have a mental picture of you and Cat playing an air guitar duet to - oh, say - Argus by Wishbone Ash. (And please don't tell me they were before your time as well. Darn, they probably were)

Nah, too good looking.

Wow! Those are great! Whenever I've seen copies they've been lower grade. Does anyone know what the interiors are like?

Oh my (that's me, Billy, Russ & Ricky)!!! You sound like a '60's pop group! Well .... Ricky and I both play some guitar, Russ plays drums and Billy plays a mean cowbell I was thinking of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch - before your time young man!

Oh my (that's me, Billy, Russ & Ricky)!!! You sound like a '60's pop group!

He looks even younger now.

the power to get dudes to pay big $'s for her comics All women have that super power - at least over me.

What a great book that is! Thanks It came out quite a bit before Captain America #1, and isn't very plentiful in my experience. Also, Cap's shield for issue #1 looks to be modeled after the costume of The Shield. Stripes are a different color pattern, and Cap had a few more stars across the top, but the shape is a dead ringer A bit of a sleeper. And great robots!

Your #2 is the highest graded copy as well I am humbled. Had no idea.

I have a strong suspicion he refrained on my account, as he knew how keen I was. But he's never admitted it!

Thanks Bill! I think I was quite fortunate with that and the #2 from Heritage last year. I'd had the #3 for quite a while before I had a shot at #1 and #2. Getting all three together the way you have is incredible considering their relative scarcity. #1 seems less scarce tan the other two, so I'm quite surprised to be top census. Presumably there is a raw Church copy out there to blow mine away? Anyone here? Anyway, here are my others: What is her super power anyway?

That's exceptionally pretty for a 6.0!

Crivvens! That means I have the highest graded and didn't even know it! Great set Bill!

Yes, I did. Even though I think it was a pressed up 7.0, it went cheaper than I thought. I've now got the highest graded copies of 9, 12, and 15-24. You need to accept the inevitable and go ahead and sell me your 10 and 13 (and 11 and 14 though I don't remember seeing your copies of those). j/k I still need a 12 and 15. Here are 11 and 14... Crumbs

Struth!

Crikey!!

Blimey!

Beautiful Jack. I've always been fascinated by dream-like covers in general and this one especially. (I'll find a copy one day!)

I'll happily take it back when you upgrade!