Mark S. Williams

Blade Squadron - Kuat

David J. Williams

The Autobots and Decepticons are forced to work together when the ruthless Quintessons, who claim to know the location of the AllSpark, attempt to enslave them to use in experiments to create genetic/machine abominations.

Retribution

The Republic of Indonesia is a rising great power in the Asia-Pacific, set to become the eighth largest economy in the world in the coming decades. It is the most populous Muslim majority country in the world. The largest Islamic organizations and parties have supported Indonesia’s participation with global markets, but this has not come from an ideological support for capitalism or economic liberalization. Islamic political culture has denounced the injustices caused by global capitalism and its excesses. In fact, support for Indonesia’s engagement with the international political economy is born from political pragmatism, and from Indonesia’s struggles to achieve economic development. This book examines the role of Islamic identity in Indonesia’s foreign economic relations and in its engagement with the world order. There is no single expression of Islam in Indonesia, the politics espoused by Islamic parties and organizations are far from monolithic. Islamic sentiment has been invoked by the state to justify heinous acts of brutality, as well as by violent, subnational revolutionary groups. However, these expressions of Islam have deviated from the dominant narrative, which is in favour of international cooperation and economic development. Economic exploitation, political alienation, financial volatility, and aggression toward Muslims around the world that has caused some Islamic groups to radicalize. The political culture of Islam in Indonesia is a social force that is helping to foster a peaceful rise for Indonesia. However, a peaceful expression of Islam is not inevitable for the republic, nor can it be assumed that Islamic identity in Indonesia will unwaveringly support the global economic order, regardless of what might occur in global politics.

Clash Or Cooperation?

Indonesia, Islam, and the International Political Economy

Mixed martial arts or MMA is widely regarded as the fastest growing sport. Events fill stadiums around the world and draw vast television audiences, earning strong revenue through pay-per-view at a time when other sports have abandoned it. In 2016, the Ultimate Fighting Championship was bought by the massive talent agency WME-IMG for $4 billion. Despite this success, much of the public remains uneasy with the sport, which critics have denounced as "human cockfighting." Through an exploration of violence, class, gender, race and nationalism, the author finds that MMA is both an expression of the positive values of martial arts and a spectacle defined by narcissism, hate and patriarchy. The long-term success of MMA will depend on the ability of promoters and athletes to resist indulging in spectacle at the expense of sport.

The Sport vs. Spectacle Divide

Mixed Martial Arts and the Quest for Legitimacy

﻿ Mixed martial arts or MMA is widely regarded as the fastest growing sport. Events fill stadiums around the world and draw vast television audiences, earning strong revenue through pay-per-view at a time when other sports have abandoned it. In 2016, the Ultimate Fighting Championship was bought by the massive talent agency WME-IMG for $4 billion. Despite this success, much of the public remains uneasy with the sport, which critics have denounced as “human cockfighting.” Through an exploration of violence, class, gender, race and nationalism, the author finds that MMA is both an expression of the positive values of martial arts and a spectacle defined by narcissism, hate and patriarchy. The long-term success of MMA will depend on the ability of promoters and athletes to resist indulging in spectacle at the expense of sport.

Timothy Zahn

Jason Fry

Christie Golden

Matthew Stover

John Ostrander

Jeff Grubb

Ari Marmell

Michael Reaves

John Jackson Miller

Karen Miller

Alexander Freed

Ryder Windham

Maya Kaathryn Bonhoff

18 fully illustrated short stories. Darth Vader confronts a mysterious face from Anakin Skywalker’s past… Lando Calrissian faces the terrifying firepower of an Imperial walker… The Empire’s stormtroopers ruthlessly pursue survivors from Alderaan… A squadron of B-wing fighters engage in a desperate mission during the Battle of Endor… This volume features a diverse collection of short stories which chronicle the exploits of intriguing assorted side characters along with some of the more familiar names in the saga, including Lando Calrissian, Han Solo, and Darth Vader. The tales include Legends stories – from the continuity pre-2014 – such as a moving tale of Darth Vader reuniting with an old acquaintance, a dark story with the mysterious Darth Plagueis, and an edge-of-your-seat adventure with Han Solo and Chewbacca in action aboard the Millennium Falcon. From the current lore – 2015 to present – there are tales of Blade Squadron, the pilots of the Rebel Alliance’s B-wing starfighters, as they strike out against the Empire; the story of Darth Vader and the Emperor making a surprise inspection of an Imperial facility; and a gripping tale of survivors of Alderaan evading the Empire’s stormtroopers.

Star Wars Insider: The Fiction Collection Volume 1

Mark S. Williams

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