I guess I’m not a true blogger until I've played this game. So I'm going to grit my teeth and try it so I can be considered a true blogger. So here are the RULES:

#1 Post these rules on your blog. #2 List 3 joys, #3 List 3 fears, #4 List 3 goals, #5 List 3 current obsessions/collections, #6 List 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Remember if you read this... TAG! YOU'RE IT!

• Joys

Tapioca Pudding just makes me so happy. The Colbert Report is so hilarious that it makes me do my ugly gut laugh and USA Basketball rocks my world. Redeem Team all the way baby.

• Fears

Waking up and finding out I have no friends. I fear exceedingly when people touch my freakin' knees because I might instinctively punch them in the face. I also worry my piece of junk car will breakdown on my way to something really important.

• Goals

Touch Venezuelan ground again. Change the world. Marry the coolest woman in the whole widy worldy.

• Obsessions

Facebook. I admit I love facebook. Its fun to stay connected with old friends and to stalk prospective new ones. I obsess making the perfect nacho using these ingredients: chips, cheese, salsa, sour cream, avocado slices, and a touch of garlic salt. It even looks perfect too. As of recent I have been crazy about writing and write everyday.

• Three Random Surprising Facts

I got seven stitches playing basketball in Venezuela because my fingers spread apart causing the webbing in between my fingers to rip. Scrabble is my favorite board game. I coach a 4th grade soccer team. http://thegoldeneagles.wordpress.com

Besides selling his artbooks and attending signing after signing, Darwyn announced his new project: adapting the "Parker" series crime novels by Donald Westlake (under the pen name Richard Stark) as a series of four full-length graphic novels for IDW Publishing.  IDW's official press release is here.  Comic Book Resources and Newsarama (among many, many others) also have more information.

The cover for Retroactive.

Artwork from Justice League: The New Frontier graphic novel.  The cartoon movie adaptation of this work has been nominated for an Emmy!

My favorite image from Retroactive is a scene from Justice League: The New Frontier.  I was very happy to see it represented in the art book!

This image of Green Lantern and Carol Ferris invokes a sense of wonder that I always get when I look at Darwyn Cooke's work.

You can see a partial bibliography list of Darwyn's work here.  Dunno how accurate it is since it's Wikipedia.  I definitely recommend his amazing work on The Spirit, especially the Batman/Spirit one-shot.

I had the privledge of being able to sit down with Parker and Young TH(Nate was unable to make it) from Seattle's very on State of the Artist to get more of a look into their music and who they are as artists. Through all the laughter and Young TH getting down with his video girl dance moves, it was clear that SOTA knows what their doing and will continue to please  their listeners with their raw lyrics and undeniable passion for their music.

Q: Who does SOTA consist of?

Parker: TH, Parker, Nate

Thaddeus: and our manager Freddy. He’s the most unofficial official member of SOTA. He helps us with getting together our merchandise and shit like that.

Q: How did you come up with the name SOTA?

P: When we recorded our first mixtape in the attic of the house we were staying at on 23^rd and union with a few homies from high school during the summer.

TH: We were recording the mixtape over two weeks and were trying to think of a name. Nate proposed it and we couldn’t think of anything better so were like ‘this is it’ [Laughs]

Q: How did the group form?

TH: We went to high school together, but we didn’t really kick it that much. Parker and Hyphen8d were making music. I was just trying to rap and voicing to Parker about it. And it kind of just took off from there.

Q: What is the purpose of SOTA/What is the message being sent?

TH: Basically the only reason we rap is because we want babes, to replenish my shoe collection and tonsil tag.

Q: So you guys released a mixtape entitled ‘The Cola’, what’s the story behind the name and the reasoning that you chose to come out with a mixtape first before an album?

TH: It was mainly to have merchandise to be sold at our show and to showcase pervious stuff and the new stuff too. To have something that was physically there opposed to just having downloads. Test out our salability.

Q: When can your fans expect to see you’re album come out? What can be expected from it that we didn’t hear on ‘The Cola’?

P: original production, fresh sound, conceptual records & something you can really feel a lot.

TH: Utilizing the fact that we have three members and trying to find our niche in Hip-Hop.

Q: When I look at Seattle hip-hop, I have to admit that it’s been coming along nicely these past couple years. Although no one has been signed to any major labels yet, a lot of the artists have still gained respect and fame in and around the Seattle area…is SOTA looking for that Diddy fame, local fame or is SOTA even looking for fame at all and just making music for the fun of it?

TH: what we’re looking for is…I just want to be acknowledged for what we’re doing. I’ve always been a fan of music and now I just want to be able to get something out there and be respected for our craft, keep the creative cycle going.

P: We’re trying to touch the west coast and east coast , throw a lot of parties and everything that is attached to having a perception of us and our music.

Q: Who has inspired you to make music and live the current lifestyles that you live as individuals (i.e. artists, people in your lives)?

TH: Ex girlfriends, bay music, everything we listen to.

P: Cool mo de, Jurassic five. Kottonmouth kings

Q: Outside of rapping, what do you plan on doing with your lives?

P: absolutely, a dope food shop.

Th: independent business. Pharmaceuticals and a brothel.

Q: A lot of people that don’t understand the concept of Hip-Hop consider it to all be sounding the same. How is SOTA going to break the traditional mold of Hip-Hop and make it their own?

P: That has been one of our strengths from the beginning. People come up to us and say that they don’t’ know about hip-hop but they love our music.

TH: Those people are traditionally naive anyway and would say some shit like red hot chili peppers sounded like nine inch nails if they only listened to rap.  They still think rap is just bitch, motherfuckers, fuck the police, blah etc.

Q: Now that Parker is returning to New York, how is the rest of the group going to cope with that and be able to still produce music as a group. Isn’t it hard to have one of the members all the way across the country?

TH: the first mixtape was recorded in two weeks. It deffinelty makes things harder. Parker and I deffinelty hustle wherever we are to keep things going. Parker has been doing solo shows, I’m going to try and do solo shows got one coming up on the 11^th at chop suey.

P: Whatever we do we always try to tie it back to SOTA. Sometimes we do shows at colleges to try and fly everybody there no matter if its just one or two people. Just try to keep it relative.

Q: What current artists do you look up to?

P: Wayne for his hustle.

TH: Messy Marv, Johnny Cash (the rapper) RIP, Cody Chestnut, Fiona Apple, The Jacka and The Mob Figazcurrency.

Q: Aside from the music: Personal life; what do you do when you’re not in the studio or on stage?

P: Go to college, work full time construction. Get destroyed like every night. Write like, journalistic type shit; performance type reviews.

TH: I blog, watch Red tube, keep a scale on me and the freshest vegetables, work at Laced Up, and being a good son to my mother take her out to happy hour shit like that.

Q: As a rap group, what has been your biggest challenge?

TH: Fucking, being together and the distance between parker being at school.

P: Everything has been pretty much coming back to us. Everyone talks about how hard it is to get the recognition from what they do, but for us, everything has come back to us for the work we’ve done. Slowing our minds down, that’s the biggest thing.

TH: Finding someone to mix and master our music to get the quality of the music that is trying to be achieved at.  Not that it’s not but just constantly trying to get shit better then the last.

Q: What is the craziest thing a fan/groupie has done to you?

TH: I don’t think I have groupies or fans like that but a girl that may be more motivated by our music. I feel that we have a few secret admirers rather than realistic ones. I haven’t had any breasts flashed at me, but I’m currently taking any and all applications.

P: This one tried to kiss me right as I got off stage.

It's long been an assumption here at HQ than many of our customers do not realize we carry Parker pneumatic products. In fact, the last week of July, we answered our phones here at HQ saying, "Innovative Automation, distributors of Parker motion AND pneumatic products. Can I help you?"

Mueller also is doing the technician work on this Parker pneumatic valve assembly (for a closer look, click on the photo), so the customer can plug and play when they take possession in a few days. Mueller is one of our key customer service guys, but as today proves, he's also a problem solver, a technician and a purtdanggood salesman. Truly LEGENDARY for our customers. -- ph

And there you were, thinking that I'll be talking about Spiderman - or perhaps there's a guy who made my day great and he happens to be named Parker.

You're wrong of course. :D

A little history. When I was a kid, I developed some sort of obsession with pens. I would buy one or two of them, and then do all sorts of manipulations with it to turn it into a toy. I'd bring one of them along with me wherever I went and even took one of them with me to the bathroom -  I would fill a pail with water and then let the pen float around in it. There was never a moment then that I didn't have one with me.

As I grew older, the obsession stayed, but it wasn't as obvious as before. For example, I was already using semi-expensive sign pens back in grade school, when my classmates were all using simple and ordinary ball point pens. I knew what sort of pen to use with a particular type of paper to achieve a better output, so on and so forth. Eventually my attention went from sign pens to real fancy pens with gold or silver casings. There were plenty of occasions when I went inside a bookstore out of impulse, and then (and it never fails) end up in that section of the bookstore where they keep the fancy ones. I will stare at each one for a few seconds, making a mental note of which ones looked very sexy and appealing to me, all the while promising to myself that one day, when I have enough money to spare, I'll buy myself one.

And so.. today.. I did. For the first time in two years that I've been working, I finally bought myself a Parker pen.

Wee!! That's it. I could've just cut to the chase and showed you the damn photos of that a little expensive ball point pen but.. I dunno... I love introductions. :D

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We at Native Vote Washington thought we would let everyone know that there is likely going to be a close race in the 6th Legislative District Representative, held by Don Barlow (D).  Barlow is a Native American, a member of the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma. 

Barlow won his seat in 2006 by just 260 votes over incumbent John Serben (R).  Serben won round one in 2004 by beating Barlow by 2361 votes.

The gloves have already come off in the battle between the Republican challengers, Mel Lindauer and Kevin Parker.

According to PolitickerWA.com, Barlow has $23,000 on hand, Lindauer has $21,000 and Parker has $19,000.  

Prior to Barlow's victory, the 6th LD had sent Republicans to Olympia for the past 66 years.

a youtube about living with a cat*.

yes, yes, my work life is mad busy - but, just the same.  damn.

if the video were not completely 100% spot on, (i swear the film maker channeled parker) i wouldn't post it.

need a diversion.  a diversion that looks like this.  but since, that isn't happening anytime soon, i'll just unwind by watching a youtube about a cat.

join me?

*stolen from evilganome

Let me be honest. My first kiss besides my mom was five days before my sixteenth birthday. I was lucky it even happened. I had braces, acne, goofy hair, and a loud gut laugh. My life was simple and easy - until kissing changed all that. Kissing before you're sixteen is like calculus in the second grade. It's way too complicating.

One summer, my best buddy from ninth grade invited me to his family reunion at Raging Waters. What a great place to hold a reunion bro! Anyway, I was near the wave pool eating his family’s delicious reunion potatoes. We all know how those taste . . . delectable! Almost as good as funeral potatoes. While I was indulging in the potatoes, my friend’s hot cousin from Idaho walks towards me. If people had theme music when they walked, hers would be 70’s disco music, boom tick boom boom tick.

While my eyes were no longer stuck to the potatoes and glued to her, she asks me, “Is your first name Parker?”

I answered, with a mouth full of potatoes, “Yea.” Trying to make conversation she said, “Oh that’s my last name . . . (long awkward pause). Well, would you like to go to the wave pool with me?” she asked.

I finally remembered to swallow and sarcastically said, “Oh no, go ahead. I get an upset stomach when I swim after I eat.” She caught the sarcasm and laughed out loud. We partied like it was the year 1999 because it really was the year . . . 1999.

Later that night we put the movie in “Ever After” into the VCR. Totally a chick flick and totally lame. Suddenly, I had the most overwhelming feeling of confusion. Kind of like a second grader doing calculus without a calculator. Should I make a move on her? Should I say something clever? What the crap should I do? Subconsciously I said, “Oh! Look!!! My bulging arm is wrapped around you. Would you look at that! Hahhahhahaha." Don't forget I had an ugly gut laugh. Somehow my arm was around her even though we were like a mile apart.

My arm was getting tired. I wanted to move. Would my chances be ruined if I moved? Just then I remembered a technique my buddy told me known as the “stealth scoot.” Yes, the "stealth scoot." It’s when you don’t want the other person to know that you’re purposely moving in for a kiss and there is almost no possible way to hide it. Unless your know the stealth scoot. It’s vital for a true and natural kiss. Good stealth scooters know that and can scoot without making noise and without making it creepy. Many try and are not successful. Most use a cough or adjusting their clothing. I felt somewhat confident. So I moved very slowly with much coughing and adjusting clothing. Imagine how big of an idiot I must have looked like. Truthfully, I suck a stealth scooting.

The closer we got the more I thought about kissing. I thought things like, “Why do my hands sweat? Does she really like me? Why do I need to sneeze now? Should I have put on more cologne? Great, I sneezed!! Now where do I find a tissue? Why is she sitting so close to me? Why is this movie so dumb?” As I was deeply thinking one question echoed in my mind louder than the others, “Why am I so nervous?” I answered franticly, “Because I’ve never kissed anyone besides my mom you doofus!"

Miraculously a motivating idea came to me. Maybe it’s best that I don’t kiss her. At first, it sounded crazy, but then it kind of seemed like a good idea. I made a few mental notes in order to organize my ideas. Reasons why I should NOT kiss before I'm Sweet Sixteen: #1 Her last name is my first name. I couldn’t handle that. #2 I suck at commitment. Good one, its true. Next. #3 I don't want to lose my lip virginity before I am sweet sixteen. What are you crazy? #4 None of these mental notes make sense. Right? So I forced myself to take action.

My mind was all made up. I didn't want to kiss her. I turned to tell this girl and said, “Jen I don’t want…” then BAM! She put her face right in front of mine! Oh boy!

Everything seemed to slow down. What do I do? How did I get in this situation? How do I get out? Suddenly, the aroma of her Cherry Chapstick clouded my mind. I got seduced. Cherry lips, Herbal Essence hair, soft face, and light perfume. I suddenly wanted to kiss her. I was powerless against her beauty. I caved in. I went for the move. Finally!! Our anticipating lips met!

From that moment on it was a complete blur. We broke up over the phone. We never talked again. Ultimately, it was just too complicating. Now I'm a little older and a little wiser. I know how to kiss a girl and kiss her without hyperventilating. I don't have braces, acne, goofy hair, or a loud gut laugh. Okay, maybe I still have a gut laugh. Let me sum it up this way, kissing, like calculus. It gets easier but is still complex. You just have to work at it. You'll figure it out... someday.

Parker's second ultrasound

Originally uploaded by h2m3

Mostly skeletal profiles, plus some really long legs. She's one pound, six ounces. We checked.

We are very thankful to see him again so soon...now it'll feel like forever until we meet him though. I could seriously just watch him in my belly for hours. He was the wiggliest (is that even a word?) little guy ever today! It was precious to watch him dancing around in there! Anyway, here he is! In the first picture that is his hand up by his face. It looked like he kept rubbing his eyes-so cute! And the second picture is pretty obvious. I'll probably have some explaining to do about that one some day but today is just a day to show off our boy!

A) of all, people think beards are distracting and make it hard for a serious conversation without laughing. (I understand. I often find myself having a tough time controlling myself when a funny bearded man comes in a room.)

And...

B) of all, people don't like long beards because people get uncomfortable around men who (*upon first impression) appears to be pedophile or a bum (which 90% of the time they are correct).

So I understand and empathize with those people who can't stand long beards. When it comes down to it they are just kind of creepy. I found this video that totally captures how creepy long beards can be. Enjoy :)

• At the largest international exposition and conference dedicated to semiconductor equipment, materials, supplies, and services, the latest in Ethernet control, linear positioning, and HMI will be shown.

Parker expands the Compax3 family of popular digital servo drives

• With the addition of the Compax3M, the Compax3 series now consists of devices for single axes in the low-and medium power ranges, devices for the high power range, and now for the multi-axis application.

Newest Advances in HMI

• XPR15 and XPC Power Stations offer users a variety of display sizes and options.

Actuators with Easily Adjustable Belt Tension

• HPLA and HLE offer easy belt tensioning implemented at the idler end of the actuator.

click to embiggan

Also, there is no need to watching both videos if you don't want to. Both videos have the same pictures anyway. Just different music. Well, have fun out there. Where ever you are. Stalking me and my blog. :)

just uploaded these ]]> http://popdaily.wordpress.com/?p=382 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:09:13 +0000 Jessie http://popdaily.wordpress.com/?p=382 It's official ladies and gentlemen - Mr. Clay Aiken is a daddy! 

The former American Idol contestant and music producer Jaymes Foster welcomed a baby boy Friday morning, his mother Faye told Lynda Loveland of Raleigh, N.C., radio station WRAL. 

According to Faye, Foster – Aiken's best friend – gave birth to Parker Foster Aiken at the lucky time of 8:08 a.m. on 8/08/08 in North Carolina. 

Parker weighed 6 lbs. 2 oz. and was 19 inches long.

Clay's mom added that baby Parker has "dark hair" and that Clay is "smiling from ear-to-ear" about the news.

Congratulations!

Universal Life Insurance is a type of permanent life insurance based on a cash value. That is, the policy is established with the insurer where premium payments above the cost of insurance are credited to the cash value. The cash value is credited each month with interest, and the policy is debited each month by a cost of insurance (COI) charge, which is drawn from the cash value if no premium payment is made that month. The interest credited to the account is determined by the insurer; often it is pegged to a financial index. Because only the amount of interest credited and not the cash value itself varies, UL policies offer a stable investment option. A similar type of policy that was developed from universal life policies is the variable universal life insurance policy, or VUL. VUL's allow the cash value to be directed to a number of separate accounts that operate like mutual funds and can be invested in stock or bond investments with greater risk and potential reward. Additionally, there is the recent addition of Equity Indexed Universal Life contracts that invest in Index Options on the movement of an Index such as the S&P 500, Russell 2000, and the Dow (to name a few). These type of contracts only participate in the movement of Index and not the actual purchase of stocks, bonds or mutual funds. They may have a cap (but not always) as to the maximum amount they will credit interest to and a minimum guarantee which keeps the principal of the contract from losing money in a down year. Typically each year the starting point is last year's ending point which means that: (1) the policy amount is locked in at the end of the year; and, (2)the beginning value from which the movement measured is reset.

Universal life is similar in some ways to, and was developed from whole life insurance. The potential advantage of the universal life policy is in its flexibility and the potential for greater cash value growth if the interest rates offered outperform the insurer's general account (that whole life policy cash value growth is based on). Universal life is more flexible than whole life in two primary ways: the death benefit and usually the premium payment are flexible. The death benefit can be increased (subject to insurability) and decreased without surrendering the policy or getting a new one as would be required with whole life. Also a range of premium payments can be made to the policy, from a minimum amount to cover various guarantees the policy may offer to the maximum amount allowed by IRS rules. The primary difference is that the universal life policy shifts some of the risk for maintaining the death benefit to the insured. In a whole life policy, as long as every premium payment is made, the death benefit is guaranteed to be paid if the insured dies. In a UL the policy will lapse (the death benefit will no longer be in force) if the cash value or premium payments are not enough to cover the cost of insurance. To make their policies more attractive insurers often add guarantees, where if certain premium payments are made for a given period, the policy will remain in force even if the cash value drops to zero.

There are two other areas that differentiate Universal Life from Whole Life Insurance. The first is that the expenses, charges and cost of insurance within a Universal Life contract are transparently disclosed to the insured, whereas a Whole Life Insurance policy has traditionally hidden this type of information from the policyholder. Secondly, there are more flexible exit strategies within a Universal Life contract which increases the flexibility of that contract over a Whole Life policy including Zero interest or wash loans which virtually provide the policyholder the ability to access the growth inside the contract "income tax free."

Uses

Universal Life is used as a tax-advantaged way to purchase life insurance. In the early years of the contract, the premium far exceeds the cost of insurance (COI) charges. The difference between the two (the "inside build-up") will grow tax-deferred so long as the policy remains in force. If the policy is held until death, this inside build-up will escape taxation entirely. This is because you paid the premium with after-tax money, so the money going in has already been taxed. So only growth would be taxed. However, since you only pay taxes on the growth of an investment, and you rarely see growth relative to premiums paid, the money in the end is able to escape taxation. Policyholders may also be able to access the inside build-up via a policy loan without incurring it as taxable income for the same reasoning.

Types

Single Premium

Single Premium UL is paid for by a single, substantial, initial payment. The policy remains in force so long as the COI charges have not depleted the account.

Since changes in the tax code, this type of policy is now called a "Modified Endowment Contract (MEC)" and is subject to different tax treatment. All policies paid up in 5 or less years are subject to this same negative tax treatment. While the premiums and accumulation will be taxed just like an annuity upon withdrawing, the accumulations will grow tax deferred and will still transfer tax free under Internal Revenue Service Code 101a.

Fixed Premium

Fixed Premium UL is paid for by periodic premium payments. Generally these payments will be for a shorter period of time than the policy is in force; for example payments may be made for 10 years, with the intention that thereafter the policy is paid-up. If the experience of the plan is not as good as predicted, the account value at the end of the premium period may not be adequate to continue the policy as originally written. In this case, the policyholder may have the choice to either: 1. Leave the policy alone, and let it potentially expire early (if COI charges deplete the account), or 2. Make additional or higher premium payments, to keep the death benefit level, or 3. Lower the death benefit.

Flexible Premium

Flexible Premium UL allows the policyholder to determine how much they wish to pay each time premium is due. In addition, Flexible Premium UL offers two different death benefit options: 1. A level death benefit (often called Option A), or 2. A level amount at risk (often called Option B). This is also referred to as an increasing death benefit.

Policyholders frequently buy Flexible Premium UL with a large initial deposit, thereafter making payments irregularly.

original story from wikipedia.org

Term life insurance is the original form of life insurance and is considered to be pure insurance protection because it builds no cash value. This is in contrast to permanent life insurance such as whole life, universal life, and variable universal life.

Term life insurance provides coverage for a limited period of time, the relevant term. After that period, the insured can either drop the policy or pay annually increasing premiums to continue the coverage. If the insured dies during the term, the death benefit will be paid to the beneficiary. Term insurance is often the most inexpensive way to purchase a substantial death benefit on a coverage amount per premium dollar basis.

Term insurance functions in a manner similar to most other types of insurance in that it satisfies claims against what is insured if the premiums are up to date and the contract has not expired, and does not expect a return of Premium dollars if no claims are filed. As an example, auto insurance will satisfy claims against the insured in the event of an accident and a home owner policy will satisfy claims against the home if it is damaged or destroyed by, for example, an earthquake or fire. Whether or not these events will occur is uncertain, and if the policy holder discontinues coverage because he has sold the insured car or home the insurance company will not refund the premium. This is purely risk protection.

Usage

Because term life insurance is a pure death benefit, its primary use is to provide coverage of financial responsibilities, for the insured. Such responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, consumer debt, dependent care, college education for dependents, funeral costs, and mortgages.

Level Term Life Insurance

Much more common than annual renewable term insurance is guaranteed level premium term life insurance, where the premium is guaranteed to be the same for a given period of years. The most common terms are 10, 15, 20, and 30 years.

In this form, the premium paid each year is the same, and is based on the summed cost of each year's annual renewable term rates, with a time value of money adjustment made by the insurer. Thus, the longer the term the premium is level for, the higher the premium, because the older, more expensive to insure years are averaged into the premium.

Most level term programs include a renewal option and allow the insured to renew for a maximum guaranteed rate if the insured period needs to be extended. Typically this clause is invoked only if the health of the insured deteriorates significantly during the term.

Payout Likelihood and Cost Difference

Both term insurance and permanent insurance use the exact same mortality tables for calculating the cost of insurance, and a death benefit which is income tax free, as long as the policy is in force and premiums are current; however, the premiums are substantially different.

The reason the costs are substantially different is that term programs may expire without paying out, while permanent programs must always pay out eventually. To address this Permanent programs have built in cash accumulations vehicles to force the insured to "self insure" making the programs many times more expensive.

Insurance industry studies show that it is very unlikely that the death benefit will ever be paid on a term insurance policy. One study placed the percentage as low as 1% of policies paying a benefit. The low payout likelihood allows term insurance to be relatively inexpensive. The low payout percentage is a combination of there being a low likelihood (in the aggregate) of a random, healthy person dying within a short period of time. Because of the low likelihood of an insurer having to pay a death benefit, term insurance seems better when considered in terms of coverage per premium dollar basis - by a factor of up to 10.

Life Insurance Pa Pennsylvania Life Insurance Quotes

Life insurance is a contract between the policy owner and the insurer, where the insurer agrees to pay a sum of money upon the occurrence of the insured individual's or individuals' death or other event, such as terminal illness or critical illness. In return, the policy owner (or policy payer) agrees to pay a stipulated amount called a premium at regular intervals or in lump sums.

As with most insurance policies, life insurance is a contract between the insurer and the policy owner (policyholder) whereby a benefit is paid to the designated Beneficiary (or Beneficiaries) if an insured event occurs which is covered by the policy. To be a life policy the insured event must be based upon life (or lives) of the people named in the policy.

Life policies are legal contracts and the terms of the contract describe the limitations of the insured events. Specific exclusions are often written into the contract to limit the liability of the insurer; for example claims relating to suicide, fraud, war, riot and civil commotion.

Life based contracts tend to fall into two major categories:

• Protection policies - designed to provide a benefit in the event of specified event, typically a lump sum payment. A common form of this design is term insurance.
• Investment policies - where the main objective is to facilitate the growth of capital by regular or single premiums. Common forms (in the US anyway) are whole life, universal life and variable life policies.

Overview

Parties to contract

There is a difference between the insured and the policy owner (policy holder), although the owner and the insured are often the same person. For example, if Joe buys a policy on his own life, he is both the owner and the insured. But if Jane, his wife, buys a policy on Joe's life, she is the owner and he is the insured. The policy owner is the guarantee and he or she will be the person who will pay for the policy. The insured is a participant in the contract, but not necessarily a party to it.

The beneficiary receives policy proceeds upon the insured's death. The owner designates the beneficiary, but the beneficiary is not a party to the policy. The owner can change the beneficiary unless the policy has an irrevocable beneficiary designation. With an irrevocable beneficiary, that beneficiary must agree to any beneficiary changes, policy assignments, or cash value borrowing.

Contract terms

Special provisions may apply, such as suicide clauses wherein the policy becomes null if the insured commits suicide within a specified time (usually two years after the purchase date; some states provide a statutory one-year suicide clause). Any misrepresentations by the insured on the application is also grounds for nullification. Most US states specify that the contestability period cannot be longer than two years; only if the insured dies within this period will the insurer have a legal right to contest the claim on the basis of misrepresentation and request additional information before deciding to pay or deny the claim.

The face amount on the policy is the initial amount that the policy will pay at the death of the insured or when the policy matures, although the actual death benefit can provide for greater or lesser than the face amount. The policy matures when the insured dies or reaches a specified age (such as 100 years old).

Costs, insurability, and underwriting

The insurer (the life insurance company) calculates the policy prices with intent to fund claims to be paid and administrative costs, and to make a profit. The cost of insurance is determined using mortality tables calculated by actuaries. Actuaries are professionals who employ actuarial science, which is based in mathematics (primarily probability and statistics). Mortality tables are statistically-based tables showing expected annual mortality rates. It is possible to derive life expectancy estimates from these mortality assumptions. Such estimates can be important in taxation regulation.

The three main variables in a mortality table have been age, gender, and use of tobacco. More recently in the US, preferred class specific tables were introduced. The mortality tables provide a baseline for the cost of insurance. In practice, these mortality tables are used in conjunction with the health and family history of the individual applying for a policy in order to determine premiums and insurability. Mortality tables currently in use by life insurance companies in the United States are individually modified by each company using pooled industry experience studies as a starting point

The insurance company receives the premiums from the policy owner and invests them to create a pool of money from which it can pay claims and finance the insurance company's operations. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of the money that insurance companies make comes directly from premiums paid, as money gained through investment of premiums can never, in even the most ideal market conditions, vest enough money per year to pay out claims. Rates charged for life insurance increase with the insured's age because, statistically, people are more likely to die as they get older.

Given that adverse selection can have a negative impact on the insurer's financial situation, the insurer investigates each proposed insured individual unless the policy is below a company-established minimum amount, beginning with the application process. Group Insurance policies are an exception.

This investigation and resulting evaluation of the risk is termed underwriting. Health and lifestyle questions are asked. Certain responses or information received may merit further investigation. Life insurance companies in the United States support the Medical Information Bureau (MIB), which is a clearinghouse of information on persons who have applied for life insurance with participating companies in the last seven years. As part of the application, the insurer receives permission to obtain information from the proposed insured's physicians.

Underwriters will determine the purpose of insurance. The most common is to protect the owner's family or financial interests in the event of the insured's demise. Other purposes include estate planning or, in the case of cash-value contracts, investment for retirement planning. Bank loans or buy-sell provisions of business agreements are another acceptable purpose.

Life insurance companies are never required by law to underwrite or to provide coverage to anyone, with the exception of Civil Rights Act compliance requirements. Insurance companies alone determine insurability, and some people, for their own health or lifestyle reasons, are deemed uninsurable. The policy can be declined (turned down) or rated. Rating increases the premiums to provide for additional risks relative to the particular insured

Many companies use four general health categories for those evaluated for a life insurance policy. These categories are Preferred Best, Preferred, Standard, and Tobacco. Preferred Best is reserved only for the healthiest individuals in the general population. This means, for instance, that the proposed insured has no adverse medical history, is not under medication for any condition, and his family (immediate and extended) have no history of early cancer, diabetes, or other conditions. Preferred means that the proposed insured is currently under medication for a medical condition and has a family history of particular illnesses. Most people are in the Standard category. Profession, travel, and lifestyle factor into whether the proposed insured will be granted a policy, and which category the insured falls. For example, a person who would otherwise be classified as Preferred Best may be denied a policy if he or she travels to a high risk country. Underwriting practices can vary from insurer to insurer which provide for more competitive offers in certain circumstances.

Life insurance contracts are written on the basis of utmost good faith. That is, the proposer and the insurer both accept that the other is acting in good faith. This means that the proposer can assume the contract offers what it represents without having to fine comb the small print and the insurer assumes the proposer is being honest when providing details to underwriter.

Death proceeds

Upon the insured's death, the insurer requires acceptable proof of death before it pays the claim. The normal minimum proof required is a death certificate and the insurer's claim form completed, signed (and typically notarized). If the insured's death is suspicious and the policy amount is large, the insurer may investigate the circumstances surrounding the death before deciding whether it has an obligation to pay the claim.

Proceeds from the policy may be paid as a lump sum or as an annuity, which is paid over time in regular recurring payments for either a specified period or for a beneficiary's lifetime.

spending a little money to protect against the risk of having to spend a lot of money.

Types of life insurance

Life insurance may be divided into two basic classes – temporary and permanent or following subclasses - term, universal, whole life, variable, variable universal and endowment life insurance.

Temporary (Term)

Term life insurance or 'term assurance' provides for life insurance coverage for a specified term of years for a specified premium. The policy does not accumulate cash value. Term is generally considered "pure" insurance, where the premium buys protection in the event of death and nothing else.

The three key factors to be considered in term insurance are: face amount (protection or death benefit), premium to be paid (cost to the insured), and length of coverage (term).

Various (U.S.) insurance companies sell term insurance with many different combinations of these three parameters. The face amount can remain constant or decline. The term can be for one or more years. The premium can remain level or increase. A common type of term is called annual renewable term. It is a one year policy but the insurance company guarantees it will issue a policy of equal or lesser amount without regard to the insurability of the insured and with a premium set for the insured's age at that time. Another common type of term insurance is mortgage insurance, which is usually a level premium, declining face value policy. The face amount is intended to equal the amount of the mortgage on the policy owner’s residence so the mortgage will be paid if the insured dies.

A policy holder insures his life for a specified term. If he dies before that specified term is up, his estate or named beneficiary(ies) receive(s) a payout. If he does not die before the term is up, he receives nothing. In the past these policies would almost always exclude suicide. However, after a number of court judgments against the industry, payouts do occur on death by suicide (presumably except for in the unlikely case that it can be shown that the suicide was just to benefit from the policy). Generally, if an insured person commits suicide within the first two policy years, the insurer will return the premiums paid. However, a death benefit will usually be paid if the suicide occurs after the two year period.

Permanent

Permanent life insurance is life insurance that remains in force (in-line) until the policy matures (pays out), unless the owner fails to pay the premium when due (the policy expires OR policies lapse). The policy cannot be canceled by the insurer for any reason except fraud in the application, and that cancellation must occur within a period of time defined by law (usually two years). Permanent insurance builds a cash value that reduces the amount at risk to the insurance company and thus the insurance expense over time. This means that a policy with a million dollars face value can be relatively inexpensive to a 70 year old because the actual amount of insurance purchased is much less than one million dollars. The owner can access the money in the cash value by withdrawing money, borrowing the cash value, or surrendering the policy and receiving the surrender value.

The three basic types of permanent insurance are whole life, universal life, and endowment.

Whole life coverage

Whole life insurance provides for a level premium, and a cash value table included in the policy guaranteed by the company. The primary advantages of whole life are guaranteed death benefits, guaranteed cash values, fixed and known annual premiums, and mortality and expense charges will not reduce the cash value shown in the policy. The primary disadvantages of whole life are premium inflexibility, and the internal rate of return in the policy may not be competitive with other savings alternatives. Riders are available that can allow one to increase the death benefit by paying additional premium. The death benefit can also be increased through the use of policy dividends. Dividends cannot be guaranteed and may be higher or lower than historical rates over time. Premiums are much higher than term insurance in the short-term, but cumulative premiums are roughly equal if policies are kept in force until average life expectancy.

Cash value can be accessed at any time through policy "loans". Since these loans decrease the death benefit if not paid back, payback is optional. Cash values are not paid to the beneficiary upon the death of the insured; the beneficiary receives the death benefit only. If the dividend option: Paid up additions is elected, dividend cash values will purchase additional death benefit which will increase the death benefit of the policy to the named beneficiary.

Universal life coverage

Universal life insurance (UL) is a relatively new insurance product intended to provide permanent insurance coverage with greater flexibility in premium payment and the potential for a higher internal rate of return. A universal life policy includes a cash account. Premiums increase the cash account. Interest is paid within the policy (credited) on the account at a rate specified by the company. This rate has a guaranteed minimum but usually is higher than that minimum. Mortality charges and administrative costs are charged against (reduce) the cash account. The surrender value of the policy is the amount remaining in the cash account less applicable surrender charges, if any.

With all life insurance, there are basically two functions that make it work. There's a mortality function and a cash function. The mortality function would be the classical notion of pooling risk where the premiums paid by everybody else would cover the death benefit for the one or two who will die for a given period of time. The cash function inherent in all life insurance says that if a person is to reach age 95 to 100 (the age varies depending on state and company), then the policy matures and endows the face value of the policy.

Actuarially, it is reasoned that out of a group of 1000 people, if even 10 of them live to age 95, then the mortality function alone will not be able to cover the cash function. So in order to cover the cash function, a minimum rate of investment return on the premiums will be required in the event that a policy matures.

Universal life policies guarantee, to some extent, the death proceeds, but not the cash function - thus the flexible premiums and interest returns. If interest rates are high, then the investment returns help reduce premiums. If interest rates are low, then the customer would have to pay additional premiums in order to keep the policy in force. When interest rates are above the minimum required, then the customer has the flexibility to pay less as investment returns cover the remainder to keep the policy in force.

The universal life policy addresses the perceived disadvantages of whole life. Premiums are flexible. The internal rate of return is usually higher because it moves with the financial markets. Mortality costs and administrative charges are known. And cash value may be considered more easily attainable because the owner can discontinue premiums if the cash value allows it. And universal life has a more flexible death benefit because the owner can select one of two death benefit options, Option A and Option B.

Option A pays the face amount at death as it's designed to have the cash value equal the death benefit at age 95. Option B pays the face amount plus the cash value, as it's designed to increase the net death benefit as cash values accumulate. Option B does carry with it a caveat. This caveat is that in order for the policy to keep its tax favored life insurance status, it must stay within a corridor specified by state and federal laws that prevent abuses such as attaching a million dollars in cash value to a two dollar insurance policy. The interesting part about this corridor is that for those people who can make it to age 95-100, this corridor requirement goes away and your cash value can equal exactly the face amount of insurance. If this corridor is ever violated, then the universal life policy will be treated as, and in effect turn into, a Modified Endowment Contract (or more commonly referred to as a MEC).

But universal life has its own disadvantages which stem primarily from this flexibility. The policy lacks the fundamental guarantee that the policy will be in force unless sufficient premiums have been paid and cash values are not guaranteed.

Universal life policies are sometimes erroneously referred to as self-sustaining policies. In the 1980s, when interest rates were high, the cash value accumulated at a more accelerated rate, and universal life coverage was often sold by agents as a policy that could be self-paying. Many policies did sustain themselves for a prolonged period, but the combination of lower interest rates and an increasing cost of insurance as the insured ages meant that for many policies, the cash option was diminished or depleted.

Variable universal life Insurance (VUL) is not the same as universal life, even though they both have cash values attached to them. These differences are in how the cash accounts are managed. The cash account within a VUL is held in the insurer's "separate account" (generally in mutual funds, managed by a fund manager).

Limited-pay

Another type of permanent insurance is Limited-pay life insurance, in which all the premiums are paid over a specified period after which no additional premiums are due to keep the policy in force. Common limited pay periods include 10-year, 20-year, and paid-up at age 65.

Endowments

Endowments are policies in which the cash value built up inside the policy, equals the death benefit (face amount) at a certain age. The age this commences is known as the endowment age. Endowments are considerably more expensive (in terms of annual premiums) than either whole life or universal life because the premium paying period is shortened and the endowment date is earlier.

In the United States, the Technical Corrections Act of 1988 tightened the rules on tax shelters (creating modified endowments). These follow tax rules as annuities and IRAs do.

Endowment Insurance is paid out whether the insured lives or dies, after a specific period (e.g. 15 years) or a specific age (e.g. 65).

Accidental death

Accidental death is a limited life insurance that is designed to cover the insured when they pass away due to an accident. Accidents include anything from an injury, but do not typically cover any deaths resulting from health problems or suicide. Because they only cover accidents, these policies are much less expensive than other life insurances.

It is also very commonly offered as "accidental death and dismemberment insurance", also known as an AD&D policy. In an AD&D policy, benefits are available not only for accidental death, but also for loss of limbs or bodily functions such as sight and hearing, etc.

Accidental death and AD&D policies very rarely pay a benefit; either the cause of death is not covered, or the coverage is not maintained after the accident until death occurs. To be aware of what coverage they have, an insured should always review their policy for what it covers and what it excludes. Often, it does not cover an insured who puts themselves at risk in activities such as: parachuting, flying an airplane, professional sports, or involvement in a war (military or not). Also, some insurers will exclude death and injury caused by proximate causes due to (but not limited to) racing on wheels and mountaineering.

Accidental death benefits can also be added to a standard life insurance policy as a rider. If this rider is purchased, the policy will generally pay double the face amount if the insured dies due to an accident. This used to be commonly referred to as a double indemnity coverage. In some cases, some companies may even offer a triple indemnity cover.

Related life insurance products

Riders are modifications to the insurance policy added at the same time the policy is issued. These riders change the basic policy to provide some feature desired by the policy owner. A common rider is accidental death, which used to be commonly referred to as "double indemnity", which pays twice the amount of the policy face value if death results from accidental causes, as if both a full coverage policy and an accidental death policy were in effect on the insured. Another common rider is premium waiver, which waives future premiums if the insured becomes disabled.

Joint life insurance is either a term or permanent policy insuring two or more lives with the proceeds payable on the first death.

Survivorship life or second-to-die life is a whole life policy insuring two lives with the proceeds payable on the second (later) death.

Single premium whole life is a policy with only one premium which is payable at the time the policy is issued.

Modified whole life is a whole life policy that charges smaller premiums for a specified period of time after which the premiums increase for the remainder of the policy.

Group life insurance is term insurance covering a group of people, usually employees of a company or members of a union or association. Individual proof of insurability is not normally a consideration in the underwriting. Rather, the underwriter considers the size and turnover of the group, and the financial strength of the group. Contract provisions will attempt to exclude the possibility of adverse selection. Group life insurance often has a provision that a member exiting the group has the right to buy individual insurance coverage.

Senior and preneed products

Insurance companies have in recent years developed products to offer to niche markets, most notably targeting the senior market to address needs of an aging population. Many companies offer policies tailored to the needs of senior applicants. These are often low to moderate face value whole life insurance policies, to allow a senior citizen purchasing insurance at an older issue age an opportunity to buy affordable insurance. This may also be marketed as final expense insurance, and an agent or company may suggest (but not require) that the policy proceeds could be used for end-of-life expenses.

Preneed (or prepaid) insurance policies are whole life policies that, although available at any age, are usually offered to older applicants as well. This type of insurance is designed specifically to cover funeral expenses when the insured person dies. In many cases, the applicant signs a prefunded funeral arrangement with a funeral home at the time the policy is applied for. The death proceeds are then guaranteed to be directed first to the funeral services provider for payment of services rendered. Most contracts dictate that any excess proceeds will go either to the insured's estate or a designated beneficiary.

These products are sometimes assigned into a trust at the time of issue, or shortly after issue. The policies are irrevocably assigned to the trust, and the trust becomes the owner. Since a whole life policy has a cash value component, and a loan provision, it may be considered an asset; assigning the policy to a trust means that it can no longer be considered an asset for that individual. This can impact an individual's ability to qualify for Medicare or Medicaid.

Annuities

An annuity is a contract with an insurance company whereby the purchaser pays an initial premium or premiums into a tax-deferred account, which pays out a sum at pre-determined intervals. There are two periods: the accumulation (when payments are paid into the account) and the annuitization (when the insurance company pays out). For example, a policy holder may pay £10,000, and in return receive £150 each month until he dies; or £1,000 for each of 14 years or death benefits if he dies before the full term of the annuity has elapsed. Tax penalties and insurance company surrender charges may apply to premature withdrawals (if indeed these are allowed; in most markets outside the U.S. the policy owner has no right to end the contract prematurely).

Tax and life insurance

Taxation of life insurance in the United States

Premiums paid by the policy owner are normally not deductible for federal and state income tax purposes.

Proceeds paid by the insurer upon death of the insured are not includible in taxable income for federal and state income tax purposes; however, if the proceeds are included in the "estate" of the deceased, it is likely they will be subject to federal and state estate and inheritance tax.

Cash value increases within the policy are not subject to income taxes unless certain events occur. For this reason, insurance policies can be a legal and legitimate tax shelter wherein savings can increase without taxation until the owner withdraws the money from the policy. On flexible-premium policies, large deposits of premium could cause the contract to be considered a "Modified Endowment Contract" by the IRS, which negates many of the tax advantages associated with life insurance. The insurance company, in most cases, will inform the policy owner of this danger before applying their premium.

Tax deferred benefit from a life insurance policy may be offset by its low return or high cost in some cases. This depends upon the insuring company, type of policy and other variables (mortality, market return, etc.). Also, other income tax saving vehicles (i.e. IRA, 401K or Roth IRA) appear to be better alternatives for value accumulation, at least for more sophisticated investors who can keep track of multiple financial vehicles. The combination of low-cost term life insurance and higher return tax-efficient retirement accounts can achieve better performance, assuming that the insurance itself is only needed for a limited amount of time.

The tax ramifications of life insurance are complex. The policy owner would be well advised to carefully consider them. As always, Congress or the state legislatures can change the tax laws at any time.

orginal from wikipedia.org

For those of you not in the know, this is a Preview Review, wherein I find the unlettered preview pages offered online for an upcoming comic (that I really have no intention of buying), and write a review of the issue based entirely on my perceptions of what is going on.

Despite the shortage of unlettered pages being offered for preview (a conspiracy, I maintain, directly against this here blog), I, your humble host have manage to procure some pages from the forthcoming Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane #1.  Wait... #1?  Hasn't this series been going on for a while?  I thought it was up to, like, issue 20 or so.  Oh, wait... now I get it.  New writer, and Marvel decided to cash in by slapping a #1 on the cover.  I see right through you, Marvel.  Can't fool me.

Anyway, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane is the heart-wrenching story of Peter Parker, caught in the grip of drug addiction, desperately trying to --

What?

Not about drugs?  A teenage girl in love?

Huh.  Okay.  I could be wrong.  Or am I?  (Just a note - I probably am.)

As I was saying, today we look at Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, written by Terry Moore, art duties by Craig Rousseau, with a cover by Terry Moore and Adrian Alphona.

Let's see that cover, shall we?

Oh, wow... its so... symmetrical?  Yep.  Main subject posted front and center, grass on both sides, a tree on each side, background pretty sterile.  Hold on a minute - that lampost is only on one side. 

That's daring. 

Moving of from the general composition of the image, we can take note that New York is filled with actual ivory towers, broken up by only the occasional line or square.  Most folks that don't live in New York don't know that.  I can already tell that this comic will be very informative.

And there stands Mary Jane.  Young, innocent, completely unaware that in the future, she will make a deal with the devil and completely screw up Spider-Man's continuity.

Let's open the book.

Splash page!  Alrighty, on this first page, we have... well, it look like M.J. is laying on a big canvas on which someone has pencilled a few faces.  And, it also looks like she's rubbing out some of the images.

You know, that's irritating.  I mean, someone sets up a canvas, pencils in some light drawings to get ready to paint, and along comes Lil' Miss "Spider-Man-Loves-Me-I-Can-Do-Anything-I-Want," who decides to just lay down on the canvass.

Anyway, what else is going on here?  Well, M.J. has a lot of hair.  Don't get me wrong - very shiny and well maintained (she probably buys some really expensive conditioner), but she could do with a little trim. 

I just realized - that hair is probably why she is lying down.  The weight of it exhausted her.  Now I feel kinda bad for judging her too quickly.  Sorry, M.J.

Aw, she has a cute little Spider-Man doll.  You know, I can't decide if it is a good thing or a bad thing that Spidey can give a doll of himself to a girlfriend.  I mean, it is neat that those things exist, but it seems a little creepy, maybe a little controlling, for a guy to give a doll of himself to his girl.  I mean, you don't think that Mario Lopez gives out those Slater dolls to girlfriends, do you?

Let's just go to the next page.

Splash page!  This comic is going to be a really quick read if this keeps up.  Twenty-two glorious single image pages!  Thirty seconds of entertainment for only $2.99!  What a deal!

On this page, we get to see that Spidey also has a doll of M.J.  I guess that's okay, kinda like a reciprocal gift of young love.  You know, like when you see boyfriends and girlfriends wearing identical shirts... which is actually kinda nauseating.  But, they are young and in love and do stupid things like that.

I'm not certain why Spidey is crushing one of his model airplanes, though.  Maybe we'll find out on the next page.

Hold it right there!  That M.J. doll is emoting in this first panel!  Unless that is one incredibly expensive doll, I'm guessing it isn't a doll at all.  It is Janet Van Dyne, a.k.a., the Wasp!  And, she appears to be dressed up in some sort of Mary Jane costume!  Oh, no... I don't like where this is headed.

Panel 2, Spidey looks back at Janet.  Say it ain't so, Spidey!

Then, in the third panel, their eyes meet.  I can't believe you would do this to M.J., Spidey.  Have you no shame?  Cheating on her, making the Wasp dress up like her... oh, man... this is wrong AND creepy.

The next panel, Janet moves in for the kiss.  I can't watch this.  It is just so wrong!

Last panel on the page - a reprieve from the creepy, as someone fires a bazooka at Spidey!  He appears to be the same size as the Wasp... which means it must be her husband, Hank Pym, a.k.a., Ant-Man.  How will the superhero community survive all of this?  Hero against hero?  All for what?  The creepy desires of Peter Parker.  It is just disgusting.  Move on to the next page.

Oh... well, that is a startling change of pace.  We are now in what appears to be a classroom, where M.J. is blissfully unaware of the two-timing activities of her love.  We also learn another previously unknown to most people fact - Mary Jane's arms.  They are gorilla-long.

Seriously, why is she passing that note to the blonde girl to pass to that sulky kid?  I'm pretty sure if she fully extended that arm, she could open the window.

And why is she passing a note to the sulky kid, anyway?  Oh - maybe it is a friendly note to try to cheer up sulky kid.  It really is a nice gesture on her part.

In the following panel, M.J. looks on happily as the blonde girl gives the note to the sulky kid.  She is likely thinking on the coming appreciative smile from sulky kid.

By the next panel, M.J. has returned to her studies, and... a wadded up tissue floats in the air near her head?  Or is it orbiting her head?  I must admit... I'm a bit confused here.  Maybe the next panel will explain things a bit.

Nope, no help at all.  The wadded up tissue has now crashed into the side of her head, irritating M.J., as well it should.  On a quick sidenote - are those walls behind her made of marble?  What kinda budget do New York schools have?

Next page, please.

Okay, it is 11:12 p.m.  (Thanks for the time update, Craig Rousseau!)  In the next panel, we see a tuckered-out M.J., asleep in her clothes among her school books as the TV plays in the background.

Moving down to the next panel - Aghgh!  A mysterious hand on the window!  M.J. is going to get attacked in her sleep!  Quick, move to the next panel!

Uh oh... aw, man... say it ain't so, Spidey!  Seriously?  You are a Peeping Tom now?  First, giving a doll of yourself to M.J., then having the Wasp dress up as M.J. for your creepy little encounter, and now this?  Man, I haven't been this skeeved-out about a superhero stalker since I watched Superman Returns.  Ugh!

In the last two panels, we see Mary Jane, completely oblivious to the invasion of privacy, and then Spidey slips away, fearful of being caught.

Thank goodness that's over!  The entire creepy context of this issue really threw me off.  As such, I can only give it 138 stars out of 15,933 stars.  I like my Spider-Man less stalker-y and more devoted to M.J.

Here's to hoping the next Preview Review is less icky!

EG, signing off.