text: 000 CXUS55 KTFX 022101 CLAGTF NOUS45 KTFX DDHHMM CCA PNSTFX MTZ008>015-044>055-151800- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 200 PM MST WED JAN 2 2013 THIS DATA IS PRELIMINARY UNTIL CERTIFIED BY NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER. ...2012 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA... AVERAGE TEMPERATURE / NORMAL/ DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL Great Falls....47.3 / 44.6... +2.7...12th warmest year of record. Havre..........45.4 / 43.5... +1.9...15th warmest year of record. Helena.........47.2 / 45.3... +1.8... 4th warmest year of record. Bozeman........44.9 / 45.2... -0.4... 3rd warmest year of record. Cut Bank.......43.1 / 42.1... +1.0...20th warmest year of record. Dillon.........45.2 / 42.8... +2.4... 1st warmest year of record. Lewistown......44.6 / 43.1... +1.5...19th warmest year of record. W Yellowstone..36.0 / 34.4... +1.6...19th warmest year of record. HIGHEST / LOWEST TEMPERATURES Great Falls....102 on 08/08 / -21 on 01/18 Havre..........100 on 08/06 08/06 / -25 on 12/25 Helena......... 98 on 06/24 06/25 / -9 on 01/18 Bozeman........ 99 on 08/08 / -10 on 11/10 Cut Bank....... 95 on 08/05 08/28 / -29 on 01/18 Dillon......... 95 on 08/28 / -7 on 11/11 Lewistown...... 96 on 08/28 / -19 on 01/18 W Yellowstone.. 86 on 07/30 08/08 / -29 on 12/19 PRECIPITATION / NORMAL / DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL / MOST IN 24 HOURS Great Falls....13.13 / 14.75 / -1.62 / 1.18 on 07/14-15 Havre..........12.81 / 11.20 / +1.60 / 1.76 on 03/19 Helena......... 9.77 / 11.22 / -1.45 / 1.09 on 11/08-09 Bozeman........ 9.35 / 14.10 / -4.75 / 0.62 on 11/08-09 Cut Bank....... 9.62 / 10.85 / -1.23 / 0.81 on 06/05 Dillon......... 6.19 / 10.50 / -4.31 / 0.65 on 03/18-19 Lewistown......15.36 / 16.85 / -1.49 / 1.26 on 05/19-20 W Yellowstone..21.11 / 21.09 / +0.02 / 0.91 on 05/25 Some temperature and precipitation highlights and ranking... Bozeman...This was the third warmest year of record at Bozeman, and the warmest year since 2007. 2012 was the fifth driest year of record, and the driest since 1996. At Bozeman MSU, this was the 25th snowiest year of record. Cut Bank...This was the warmest year since 2007. 2012 was the 36th driest of record. Dillon...This was the warmest year of record. The old record was set in 1998. 2012 was the driest year of record. The old record was set in 1966 when only 6.26 inches of precipitation fell. Great Falls...This was not only the 12th warmest year, but the warmest year since 1988. 2012 was the 39th driest year of record, and the driest since 2007. For snowfall, this was the 32nd snowiest year of record. Havre.....This was the 15th warmest year and the warmest year since 2001. This was the 54th wettest year of record. Helena....This was the fourth warmest year of record, and the warmest year since 2007. This was also the 34th driest of record, and the driest since 2008. For snowfall, this was the 57th snowiest year of record, and the snowiest since 1991. Lewistown..This was the 19th warmest year of record, and the warmest year since 2006. 2012 was the 36th driest year of record. West Yellowstone...This was the 19th warmest year of record and the warmest since 2003. 2012 was the 31st wettest year of record. This was the 43rd snowiest year of record. SNOWFALL / DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL / MOST IN 24 HOURS / MAX SNOW ON GRD Great Falls.. 62.2 / -0.9 / 14.0 on 11/08-09 / 11 inches on 11/09 Havre.........45.4 / +0.9 / 11.9 on 03/19 / 12 inches on 11/10-12 Helena........51.3 /+13.2 / 10.0 on 01/18 / 14 inches on 01/20 Cut Bank...... 6.0 on 11/08 / 6 inches on 11/09 Dillon........ 6.0 on 03/18-19 / 6 inches on 03/19 Lewistown..... 10.0 on 03/18-19 / 10 inches on 03/20 Bozeman MSU.. 88.8 / -2.2 / 13.0 on 03/19 / 10 inches on 03/19 W Yellowston.151.4 / -9.2 / 9.0 on 02/26 / 49 inches on 03/01-03 04/07 AVERAGE WIND / DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL / PEAK WIND /MPH/ Great Falls....11.4 mph / -0.7 / 74 mph on 01/25 and 7/30 15th calmest yr Havre.......... 9.8 mph / +0.7 / 62 mph on 03/13...30th windiest yr Helena......... 6.5 mph / -0.5 / 60 mph on 02/22...10th calmest yr Bozeman........ 5.6 mph / -0.3 / 65 mph on 04/23... 9th calmest yr Cut Bank.......12.5 mph / -0.2 / 78 mph on 01/29...20th calmest yr Dillon......... 8.9 mph / -0.3 / 60 mph on 10/16...21st calmest yr Lewistown...... 9.2 mph / 0.0 / 59 mph on 02/22 and 03/13 21st calmest yr W Yellowstone.. 6.1 mph 51 mph on 01/18 and 03/13 LAST SPRING FROST / FIRST FALL FROST average average Great Falls....05/03 05/13 / 10/04 09/25 Havre..........05/11 05/13 / 10/01 09/20 Helena.........05/02 05/21 / 10/03 09/22 Bozeman........06/04 06/02 / 08/25 09/11 Cut Bank.......05/31 05/26 / 09/12 09/12 Dillon.........06/04 06/03 / 09/12 09/12 Lewistown......05/19 05/29 / 09/12 09/11 DAYS OF MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE 90F OR HIGHER / 32F OR LOWER average average Great Falls.... 33 18 / 34 40 Havre.......... 35 24 / 40 54 Helena......... 33 24 / 37 41 Bozeman........ 33 33 / 32 35 Cut Bank....... 16 8 / 45 48 Dillon......... 21 8 / 35 45 Lewistown...... 20 11 / 44 44 DAYS WITH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE 32F OR LOWER / 0F OR LOWER average average Great Falls.... 158 166 / 13 21 Havre.......... 182 180 / 21 31 Helena......... 170 167 / 6 18 Bozeman........ 195 178 / 12 22 Cut Bank....... 190 183 / 17 27 Dillon......... 190 191 / 9 14 Lewistown...... 181 181 / 14 21 MILESTONES REACHED DURING 2011... BOZEMAN... Jan...Average temperature of 28.0F was the fourth warmest of record and the warmest since 1984. Precipitation of 0.10 inches was the fourth driest of record. Mar...Peak wind gust of 65 mph was the highest of record. the old record was 58 mph in 1960 and 2010. Wind average of 7.8 mph was the windiest since 1989. Average temperature of 40.2F was the third warmest of record and the warmest since 2007. Apr...Wind gust of 65 mph is a new high gust for the month. The old record was 58 mph in 1960 and 2010. Wind average of 6.4 mph was the fifth calmest of record, and the calmest since 2009. May...Wind speed average of 5.5 mph was the calmest of record. Old record was 5.8 mph in 2008. Jun...Precipitation of 0.94 inches was the fifth driest of record, and the driest June since 1985. Aug...Second calmest August of record with an average wind speed of 5.4 mph. This was the calmest August since 2009. Precipitation of 0.23 inches was the sixth driest of record, and the driest august since 2001. Sep...Second calmest September of record with an average wind speed of 4.6 mph. This was the calmest September since 2008. Summer...The period of June through August was the third driest of record with 1.55-inches of rain. This was the driest summer since 1996. Fall...The period from September through November was the fourth calmest of record with an average speed of 4.8 mph. This was the calmest fall since 2010. CUT BANK... Jan...A peak gust of 78 mph was the highest in January since 2007. Aug...A peak gust of 72 mph was the highest gust of record for August. DILLON... Jan...Precipitation of 0.02 inches was the fourth driest January of record...and the driest since 2005. Mar...Average temperature of 38.5F was the fifth warmest of record and the warmest since 2007. Jun...Precipitation of 0.26 inches was the third driest June of record and the driest since 1979. Jul...Average temperature of 69.1F was the fifth warmest of record and the warmest since 2007. GREAT FALLS... Jan...A gust of 74 mph was the second highest gust of record for January. Also, the highest was 77 mph in 1974. Mar...Wind average of 14.6 mph was the windiest March since 1988. May...A gust of 56 mph was the highest in May since 1989. Jul...A gust of 74 mph was the highest July gust since 1990 when a gust to 85 mph was recorded. Sep...Precipitation of only a trace was the driest September of record, and the driest since 1932. The snow season from Jul 1 2011 - Jun 30 2012 produced only 40 inches. This was the lowest amount since 1997-98. A 47-day period from Aug 16 through Oct 1 produced only a trace of precipitation. This is the second longest period with no measurable precipitation. The longest is 62 days in 1907. HAVRE... Jan...A peak wind gust of 58 mph was the second highest January gust of record. highest is 60 mph in 1976. Mar...average wind speed of 12.8 mph was the highest of record. Average temperature of 40.9F was the 5th warmest of record and the warmest since 1986. Precipitation of 1.91 inches is the second highest of record. Jun...Average wind speed of 12.2 mph was the highest of record. The old record was 12.0 mph in 1973. Nov...Snowfall of 16.5 inches was the fifth highest of record. The snow season from July 1 2011- June 30 2012 produced only 17.4 inches. This was the lowest amount since 1997-98. For the 242 day period that ended March 18 2012, this was the second longest period with two or less inches of precipitation at Havre. The longest is 258 days from Sep 28 1987 through Jun 12 1988. HELENA... Jun...A 59 mph peak gust was the highest June gust since 1999. Jul...The second calmest of record with an average speed of 6.1 mph, the normal is 7.6 mph. Average temperature of 73.4F was the fifth warmest of record and the warmest since 2007. Sep...No precipitation fell in September making it the driest of record, and the driest since 1880. An average wind speed of 5.4 mph was the fifth calmest of record, and the calmest since 2011. Nov...Precipitation of 1.78 inches was the fifth highest of record. Fall...The period from September through November was the fifth calmest of record with an average speed of 5.5 mph. This was the calmest fall since 1987. A 32-day period from Sep 1 through Oct 2 produced no precipitation. This is the longest period with no precipitation. The old record was 31 days set in 1904 and 1985. With only six sub-zero days, this was the lowest number in a year since 1999. LEWISTOWN... Mar...Average temperature of 39.8F was the fourth warmest of record and the warmest since 1986. Apr...Precipitation of 3.36 inches was the fifth highest of record. Jun...Windiest June since 1990 with an average speed of 10.0 mph. Sep...Precipitation of only 0.02-inches was the 2nd driest September of record, and the driest since 1990. Average wind speed of 6.7 mph was the fourth calmest of record, and the calmest since 2008. NEW RECORD TEMPERATURE warm| DAILY WIND DAILY HIGHS LOWS lows| HIGH AVG LOW AVG GUST PRECIP Bozeman 14 3 5 6 17 21 3 Cut Bank 4 3 2 1 6 16 3 Dillon 8 3 13 3 6 43 3 Great Falls 4 1 3 2 10 5 1 Havre 8 1 4 10 4 20 3 Helena 3 1 3 4 15 11 3 Lewistown 4 1 7 3 1 9 2 W Yellowstone 2 4 5 5 The following is a summary of significant weather events and patterns during the year... 2012... JANUARY... Generally mild conditions prevailed during the first one-half of January. Temperatures were as much as 30 degrees above normal during the first week. The warmest temperatures of the month were on the fourth and fifth, with record highs set and temperatures reaching the mid 60s. These were the warmest temperatures in January since 2006. Wind was a natural companion of the warm air. A downed power line sparked one of the largest fires in history in the Browning area on the fourth. The fire burned around 18000 acres. Winds gusted to near 80 mph during the fire. A snow event around the 11th brought up to a foot of snow to Marias Pass and portions of the Rockies. A cold front brought much colder air and snow to the area on the 15th. High temperatures did not rise out of the -10 to -15 degree range along the Hi-line on the 16th and 17th. Lows dropped as low as -31F on the 17th. By the end of the month warmer air returned, with gusty winds. Gusts reached 74 mph at Great Falls on the 25th, the second highest January gust of record. High Low Temp 66F at Valentine -33F at Havre 26N Precip 4.30 inches at East Glacier. Wind Gust 92 mph west of Pendroy 123 mph at Logan Pass FEBRUARY... February temperatures averaged above normal as northwesterly flow aloft dominated the area. Above normal precipitation fell over most mountainous areas, with below normal amounts at lower elevations. With above normal temperatures in February, this was the eighth consecutive month with above normal temperatures. Mild conditions continued from January into the first week of February. On the fourth, Grass Range reached 52F, while cold air trapped in southwest valleys allowed temperatures to drop to -24F at Wisdom on the fifth. During the middle of the month, changeable weather conditions occurred, with periods of precipitation. On the 20th, up to 10 inches of snow fell in the Little Belts, with 17 inches in the Bridgers on the 21st. Warmer conditions returned with 56F recorded in Fort Benton on the 22nd. Windy conditions accompanied the warm air. Logan Pass reached 113 mph and Hyalite Peak clocked winds at 97 mph. Reports of gusts into the 70s /mph/ accompanied a cold front that brought thunderstorms, graupel and hail to many parts of central Montana on the 224th. At Great Falls, this was the first February thunderstorm since 1954. High Low Temp 56F at Fort Benton -24F at Wisdom Precip 3.60 inches at Many Glacier Wind Gust 113 mph at Logan Pass MARCH... Temperatures in March were above normal, as much as 7-9 degrees above normal. Above normal precipitation fell across southwest Montana and portions of the Hi-line, but below normal amounts fell elsewhere. Havre had their second wettest March of record. March was a windy month, with above normal wind speeds. After a snowy and windy start to the month, dry, windy and mild conditions prevailed mid-month. During a warm period around the 13th wind gusts to 63 mph occurred at Great Falls and 62 mph at Havre. At Havre, this tied for the highest all-time gust in February. Cooler conditions and precipitation dominated from the 18th-20th. Up to a foot of snow fell over higher elevations of southwest Montana. A storm developing over central Montana on the 19th produced blizzard conditions and two feet or more of snow in the Highwood and Bears Paw Mountains. Wind gusts to 50 mph pushed the snow into five foot drifts. High Low Temp 72F at Grass Range -20F at West Yellowstone Precip 5.03 inches at Marias Pass Wind Gust 76 mph at East Glacier 117 mph at Logan Pass APRIL... Windy conditions of March continued into early April. Temperatures were near normal, Havre set a daily high temperature of 74F on the fourth. From the 6th through 19th, precipitation fell at regular intervals. After some snow on the 5th and 6th, temperatures warmed by the 11th with high temperatures in the upper 70s. Another storm brought generous amounts of rain from the Highwoods to the Hi-line on the 11th. Over two inches of rain fell in the Highwoods. Windy conditions returned from the 20th-24th, along with warmer temperatures. Gusts reached 85 mph near East Glacier on the 20th. A point near Rudyard topped out at 90F on the 23rd. Some cooling occurred, then on the 23rd thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 65 mph at Belgrade. A late month storm produced widespread precipitation and heavy snow in the mountains. Close to a foot of snow fell over most mountains, with precipitation amounts to two inches. High Low Temp 90F at near Rudyard 4F at Laurin Precip 9.50 inches at Sacajawea Wind Gust 85 mph at Deep Creek RAWS MAY... May temperatures were mostly below normal as a ridge of high pressure dominated. A storm system moving through central Montana produced up to nine inches of snow in the Bears Paws and 1.13-inches of rain near Lloyd on the sixth. Much warmer conditions by the ninth produced new record high temperatures at Bozeman and Dillon. By the tenth, snow again fell across the region with up to eight inches in the Little Belts and four inches around Bozeman. Very cold air settled in with lows of 10F at Wisdom and 20F at Cut Bank on the 11th. Another rapid warm-up occurred by the 15th, with cut bank reaching 87F. The stormiest period occurred mid-month with cooler temperatures and heavy rain. Crystal Lake measured 1.30 inches of rain with over one inch at Rocky Boy. Thunderstorms produced gusts to 59 mph near Grant. By the time the storm was over, up to two feet of snow fell in the Little Belts and Tobacco Roots. Though dry conditions returned during the last few days, a thunderstorm produced 59 mph winds and pea-sized hail near Geyser. High Low Temp 88F at Havre and Chinook 10F at Wisdom Precip 7.90 inches at Sacajawea Wind Gust 72 mph at Garden Wall GNP JUNE... June temperatures were below normal over western portions and a bit above normal east. Overall, it was the warmest June since 2007. Precipitation was mostly below normal. During the first few days, warm conditions prevailed, with scattered thunderstorms. The most organized thunderstorms of the month occurred on the fourth and fifth. Three tornadoes occurred in central Montana on the fifth, along with large hail and very strong winds. Cooler air behind this system dropped temperatures below freezing over the southwest on the seventh, with Wisdom reaching 22F. Up to 10 inches of snow fell over higher elevations of southwest and central Montana. Warm and humid conditions returned during the later half of the month. Some the highest dew points since 1975 occurred, with a dew point of 69F at Lewistown. Record high temperatures occurred on the 24th. High winds prevailed over the northern plains on the 27th. Gusts reached 71 mph west of Dupuyer and 76 mph at Heart Butte. High Low Temp 99F at Valentine 22F at Wisdom Precip 6.70 inches at Many Glacier Wind Gust 100 mph near Danvers JULY... July turned into the warmest July since 2007. Temperatures were above normal, with below normal precipitation. Windy conditions along the Rocky Mountain Front produced gusts to 60 mph over the plains, and 86 mph at Logan Pass. The warmest period of the month, from the sixth to 13th, pushed temperatures to near 100F. Great Falls reached 98F. Heavy rainfall on the 15th set a daily record of 0.98 inches at Havre, meanwhile over two inches fell near Sand Coulee. More thunderstorms on the 17th dumped over two inches near Gibson Dam. Heavy rain in the Rockies caused rivers to rise. Very warm temperatures and scattered thunderstorms dominated the last half of the month. A gust to 74 mph at Great Falls on the 30th was the strongest July gust at Great Falls since 1990. High Low Temp 103F at Armells Creek 27F at Gates Park Precip 3.66 inches at Elkhorn RAWS Wind Gust 86 mph at Logan Pass AUGUST... Under a ridge of high pressure, below normal precipitation was a large factor. Soil moisture values were at their lowest levels since 2007. Temperatures were near to slightly above normal. Cool conditions early in the month produced a record low temperature at Bozeman on the fourth. Temperatures rebounded by the fifth with several record high temperatures being set. On the ninth, a thunderstorm at Jackson dumped 2.15 inches of rain in a short time. This is the greatest 24-hour amount of record at Jackson. Great Falls reached 102F on the eighth. One of the strongest Canadian cold fronts in a decade passed through central Montana on the 14th. Gusts to 72 mph set an August gust record at Cut Bank. Gusts reached 62 mph at Great Falls and 86 mph at Millegan. Extensive tree damage occurred in Great Falls. A trace of snow fell at 8400 feet in Glacier Park. Again on the 24th, another strong cold front moved through the state. Winds gusted to 57 mph at Galata. Behind the front, Wisdom fell to 17F on the 25th. Fires in many areas were causing hazy skies due to smoke. High Low Temp 102F at Great Falls 17f at Wisdom Precip 2.50 inches at Jackson Wind Gust 86 mph at Millegan SEPTEMBER... In September...above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation dominated. Temperatures were as much as five degrees above normal at Dillon. This was the fourth consecutive month with above normal temperature averages. Many locations recorded no precipitation at all, making it the driest months of record. Thunderstorms in the Bozeman area early in the month snapped a few power poles near Gallatin Gateway. Meanwhile, up to four inches of snow fell at Swiftcurrent Lookout in Glacier National Park. More thunderstorms on the ninth produced gusts to 59 mph near Kremlin and some small hail. On the 12th, Wisdom cooled to 10F. This was their coolest September temperature since 2000. On the 25th, some light showers ended a 24-day streak with no precipitation at Great Falls. High Low Temp 94F at Fort Benton 10F at Wisdom Precip 1.32 inches at Red Rock RAWS Wind Gust 85 mph at Logan Pass OCTOBER... Northwest flow aloft contributed to a month of below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. The coolest anomalies were across northcentral Montana, with temperature averages as much as six degrees be low normal. Winds picked up in October, with a gust to 86 mph at Logan Pass on the first. On the second, Havre reached 83F, with up to a foot of snow falling at Mount Lockhart, in western Teton County. By the fourth, record low temperatures occurred in southwest Montana, with a low as cold as -1F at Wisdom on the sixth. At most locations, this was the coolest October since 2005. This was also the earliest of record that Wisdom recorded a sub-zero temperature. Windy conditions on the 16th produced gusts to 87 mph near Millegan. Dillon peaked at 60 mph, which set a new October high gust record. Dime size hail fell from thunderstorms east of Townsend. Near the end of the month, Heart Butte measured six inches of snow on the 22nd and 23rd. High Low Temp 86F at Loma -1F at Wisdom and West Yellowstone Precip 8.10 inches at Many Glacier Wind Gust 90 mph at Logan Pass NOVEMBER... During November, a ridge of high pressure dominated. This pattern contributed to above normal temperatures over the southwest, and below normal temperature northeast. Anomalies were from six degrees above normal at Ennis to nearly five degrees below normal in Blaine County. Precipitation amounts were generally above normal. The wettest areas were across the Gallatin Range in the southwest, and the northern Rockies. On the first, thunderstorms dropped pea-size hail near Canyon Creek in Lewis and Clark County. Winds increased by the fifth, with a gust to 100 mph at Logan Pass and 83 mph at Two Medicine. The primary storm of the month occurred from the 8th through 11th. Daily and storm records were exceeded at several locations. Gold Butte received 17 inches over a two day period. This was an all-time amount for a 48-hour period at Gold Butte. Great Falls received 14 inches over a 24-hour period on the eighth and ninth. This was the highest 24-hour amount of record at Great Falls. After the snow stopped, Gold Butte fell to -18F on the 11th. Another storm affected a smaller area on the 21st. For a two-day period ending the 21st, Goat Haunt, in the northern Rockies, received 3.69 inches of precipitation. High Low Temp 71F at Valentine/Ft Benton -18f at Gold Butte Precip 8.40 inches at Many Glacier Wind Gust 100 mph at Logan Pass DECEMBER... December temperatures averaged near to slightly above normal. The hi-line averaged below normal, as much as 4-degrees below normal. Precipitation was near or slightly above normal most areas, with below normal in the southwest. The wettest areas were higher locations in the Rockies and southwest mountains. Helena did have their wettest December since 1982. Warm temperatures on the first produced a record high temperature of 59F at Bozeman. A snow storm on the eighth and ninth produced heavy snow in central Montana. Sand Coulee measured a foot of snow, with Great Falls receiving nearly 6-inches. Drier conditions prevailed for most of the rest of the month. Windy conditions on the 20th produced very high winds in many areas. A location near Cascade reported a gust to 78 mph. Colder air settled in across the state after the 23rd. West Yellowstone and a point near Rudyard dropped to -29F on separate dates, for the lowest temperatures for the month. High Low Temp 63F at Fort Benton -29F at West Yellowstone and near Rudyard Precip 9.10 inches at Black Bear /Gallatin County/ Wind Gust 96 mph at Logan Pass $$ && NNNN


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User Dedoh wrote: "I love the old Braves uniforms. I could care less that someone is offended over the new logo. Too many people are offended by insignificant things that have no bearing on their daily life. The offended can watch another less offensive team. Go BRAVES!!!!!!!"
Slick Rick wrote: "
This isn't bad ... but 'Redskins' is. That name should go away forever."
Other fans weighed in on an online forum on MLB.com, baseball's official website.
"How can you not love this?" wrote one commenter, with the moniker NELSKOF.
But one person, writing with the name Shag23, questioned whether the change was worth it.
"This new hat will draw a lot of attention, just maybe the wrong type," the commenter wrote.
But Gover said such imagery leads kids to grow up thinking that all Native Americans look menacing or do the tomahawk chop, the customary "rally" routine of Braves fans.
"It's nice that they named a team after us but we don't behave like that," he said. "It's hard to see what honor there is in using that imagery."

subset: commoncrawl


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CS Major, Minors and computational science master's students:
It's time for summer and fall advising sessions! The sign-up sheet is in the CS office in Hebeler 219. Sessions are held in HEBE 219 Conference.
Who needs to sign up?
EVERY Computer Science PRE-MAJOR, MAJOR, MINOR and computational science MASTER'S student.
These are permission-coded courses. Codes are given at these advising sessions.
Each session lasts approximately 20 minutes. Sessions will be held May 6 - May 31.
So.....come on in and sign-up now! Look forward to seeing you soon.
questions? email@example.com
Thursday, December 5, 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. / Hebeler Hall, Room 218
Department NewslettersFall 2013 - Newsletter
Garret Bolton's Thesis ProposalMonday, Oct 14, 2013 at 4:00 pm in Hebeler 106. The proposed area of research is Mountain Pass Finde


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June 29, 2012
Justin Rowland Duck Sports Authority
Oregon recently picked up a commitment from one of the nation's top kickers in Matt Wogan and after his camp performance it should be easy for fans to get excited about the future of the Ducks' kicking game.The Indian Trail (N.C.) Porter Ridge kicker only attempted two field goals last year, connecting on a pair of 25-yarders, while he also handled extra points.Wogan committed to Oregon earlier this week after camping with the Ducks and picking up an offer. ...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now for a FREE Trial
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JB's Blog
Film Review Gravity
10/13/13 at
Jonathan Bautts
Its been a long seven-year wait since Alfonso Cuaróns last film, the masterful Children of Men, so needless to say there was a lot of excitement for Gravity among the film community, especially considering Curaón has spent the last four plus years working tirelessly on it. However, I found the marketing of Gravity to be a letdown, with the CG standing out as quite corny in places, so was prepared to be a little disappointed going in. Thankfully, within the first few minutes those fears were quickly put to rest because, when taken in context on the big screen, the effects are nothing short of spellbinding.
With Gravity, Curaón has created a visual feast the likes of which have not been seen before. From the opening 17-minute shot, you immediately get the sense youre watching something special unfold. I have no idea how they made it (I cant wait to watch the extras!), but he renders space as realistic as anyone could possibly expect in a Hollywood production. I have little doubt its the closest most people will ever come to actually being there or experiencing a zero-g environment. Its the closest I personally ever want to get, thats for sure.
All is for naught, however, if there arent good characters or a good story. Sure, the story is as simple as it gets, and it only consists of two characters, but its always compelling and resonates on an emotional level. In a role several other A-list actresses passed on, looking foolish for them now, Sandra Bullock turns in the strongest work of her career, one in which will position her in the center of Oscar talk once again.
Ive never been a huge Bullock fan, but here shes stripped of all charm or awkward attempts at humor and is simply fighting for survival, and she is magnificent. Even when the back story involving her son is brought into focus, which, lets face it, was fairly manipulative and made the films themes blatantly obvious, she still makes it play and have it feel real.
George Clooney, as the other character, doesnt have as much heavy lifting to do, but does exactly what is called for. He makes a few wisecracks to alleviate some of the tension, gets Bullock to where she needs to be (in more ways than one), and then brings it home with one of my favorite scenes towards the end.
Gravity has a few minor faults, but none I would call serious or major. The dialogue, which has been called out by many, I didnt have much of a problem with. I can understand why it has gotten under fire, and cant deny the film likely would have improved if it had been even more silent than it was, but two other things stood out to me more.
Gravity does a stellar job at avoiding clichés, but theres one whopper of a scene where it fully embraces one of the oldest in the book midway through. Youll know it when you see it. It could easily have been switched out for something less predictable, and it became all the more bothersome when I found out afterwards it wasnt even scientifically accurate in the slightest. Oh, well.
The other quibble I have with is the ending, which I thought would have greatly benefited from some ambiguity, in much the same way Children of Men would have. It was a little too Hollywoodized for my tastes, which Im sure a lot of people appreciated as a release after going through such an unconventionally rendered experience, but imagine the gut-punch it would have packed if it ended two minutes earlier.
Still, those complaints are essentially nitpicks when taken with the grand scale of things. Gravity is one of 2013s finest achievements and will likely be looked back as one of the special effects pioneers of our day. Its also on pace to becoming the most financially successful avant garde film ever made and a global phenomenon, which is equally as impressive. Curaón is one of the great visionaries of our time, and its a joy to watch the rest of the world finally catch on.
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Film Review Side Effects
02/13/13 at
Jonathan Bautts
Stephen Soderbergh has been contemplating early retirement for a few years and now, according to him, Side Effects will be his final theatrical release, at least for the time being. He has a film that will air on HBO later this year, and then after that, hes moving on to the next phase of his life. If Side Effects does indeed go down as his swan song, he goes out on a high and striking note.
Tapping into his inner Hitchcock and Polanski, Side Effects is Soderberghs version of a creepy psychological thriller. It starts out as a vicious, almost PSA-esque attack on the dangers of pharmaceuticals before morphing into something completely different 45 minutes in. Our society has become far too overly dependent on trying to prescribe its way out of problems, and Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns take that concept to its extreme conclusion in unexpected ways.
Needless to say, there are plot twists aplenty, which are quite effective at keeping you on your heels, so go in as cold as possible. At some point a certain level of disbelief becomes required by necessity, as is often the case with stories of this nature, but the groundwork laid is strong enough to fall back onto without much of a hiccup. A good deal of that is due to the brilliant casting of Rooney Mara, who previously was the opening scene-stealer in Social Network and underwent the impressive transformation as the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. She does another 180 here, suffering under an intense depression cloud with deeper demons bubbling beneath the surface. Mara has established herself as one of the most talented young actresses of her generation, and its obvious to anyone paying attention shes going to have a very long and prosperous career.
Jude Law is the other main piece of the puzzle and responds with some of the best work hes done in a while. Hes able to play both sides of the aisle, as his character seems to be a good guy at times and a bad one at others, and that gray becomes key when his life and career quickly unravel and he starts to lose it. The supporting cast of Channing Tatum and Catherine Zeta Jones, among others, all contribute important, and memorable, aspects to the story.
Side Effects is a definite step up from Soderberghs last two efforts, Haywire and Magic Mike, both of which left plenty to be desired, and joins Contagion as his best work since the early 2000s. Its masterfully shot and put together, clearly demonstrating hes still at the top of his game with a lot left in the tank. There stands a good chance he will get the itch to direct again and be back at it in a few years, but you never know. This could very well be it. Anything is possible, as Side Effects makes abundantly clear, and if he is done, his 25-year, one-of-a-kind career wont soon be forgotten.
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Film Review Zero Dark Thirty
02/10/13 at
Jonathan Bautts
Without a doubt 2012s most controversial film was Zero Dark Thirty, especially if you were a member of Congress. Torture has become one of
moral issues of our time, one that everybody has a strong opinion on, therefore it was only natural something touching on it so directly would generate a heatedly split response. Months before it was even released there was a debate over whether or not classified information had been leaked to the filmmakers, and then of course there were the huge questions over whether the film was pro-torture and the manner it portrayed torture in helping to get bin Laden. The controversy turned out to be something of a double-edged sword it contributed to it becoming an unexpected box office smash, but the ruckus also likely cost it a shot at several prestigious (and well-deserved) awards, as Kathryn Bigelows snub for Best Director can attest to. Above all, though, it got people talking, a tradeoff the filmmakers are likely content with.
Zero Dark Thirty is immaculately constructed by Oscar-winning scribe, and former journalist, Mark Boal, which was no easy task. He had to boil down a decade-long manhunt into 150 minutes, plus rewrite the whole thing when bin Laden was killed halfway through preproduction, and it all works seamlessly like a charm. Its not hard to follow nor does it feel overstuffed, yet at the same time its very thorough and never feels shortchanged, either. Its a tricky balance to walk but Boal manages to get it just right.
The acting is another big reason why Zero Dark Thirty is as good as it is. Jessica Chastain gives one of 2012s most compelling performances, in my opinion a Best Actress worthy one. The 10-year hunt ends up consuming her to the point of obsession, and Chastain nails the transformative steely resolve and determination to a T. Bigelow also enlists a long line of excellent character actors to make even the small roles worth paying attention to, one of the perks of having just won Best Picture and Director.
Which, as we all remember, happened three years ago when the Hurt Locker famously beat out Avatar, but Bigelow and company werent content sitting back and decided to one-up themselves with the follow-up. This time its on a larger scale, a lot more storyline threads are at play, its more complex thematically and less of an action picture. But that isnt to say its not exciting or dull, and being that everyone already knows the ending, was an obvious concern going in. Rest assured, the bin Laden raid is one of the most arresting sequences in recent memory. Kudos to Bigelow for shooting it in what feels like real time and keeping Hollywood bombast out of it.
As for its depiction of torture, I found it to be about as accurate as can be expected for a non-documentary. The facts are our nation did many terrible things in the wake of 9/11, and Zero Dark Thirty never shies away from the ugly. Does it make torture out to be more successful than it was in real life? Perhaps, but it also shows how unreliable the information obtained using enhanced interrogation can be and that sometimes good old-fashioned detective skills are the best bet. Truth is, the real life issue of torture is far from clear-cut and cannot be summed up in a simple paragraph. There are countess articles that delve into the accuracy and message of Zero Dark Thirty in greater detail than I am able, so read a few and make up your own mind. I would recommend starting with
The Atlantic
s excellent Zero Dark Thirty Is Not Pro-Torture and go from there.
Whatever your thoughts on torture are, whatever you felt Zero Dark Thirty was or wasnt advocating, there is no denying it is a striking and well-made piece of filmmaking. Ultimately, it tries to be as ambiguous and apolitical as possible to force viewers themselves to wrestle with the consequences of using torture, both the positive and negative, because persuasive arguments can be made on either side. Bigelow even fittingly chooses to end by lingering on an unanswered question as if to say the debate is far from over and now left up to us to decide the final outcome. Art is supposed to be provocative, and few did it better in 2012 than Zero Dark Thirty.
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Film Review: Sound City
01/25/13 at
Jonathan Bautts
Sound City was a popular Los Angeles recording studio that rose to prominence in the 70s, sagged a bit in the 80s and went on to enjoy a resurgence in the mid-90s. It was a trashy building that no one was particularly fond of, but inside featured one of the premiere Neve soundboards in the world, which is where the real magic happened. The studio closed in 2011 due to financial difficulties, but thankfully Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl decided to buy the board for his home studio and make a documentary about its storied legacy.
The beginning portion of
Sound City
focuses on its early roots, those running the studio and the first artists to record there. Fun fact: the board originally cost $75,000, a boatload of money at the time and twice as much as the owner had paid for his house. We see snippets of Neil Young cutting
After the Gold Rush
, as well as Fleetwood Macs self-titled breakthrough, Tom Pettys
Damn the Torpedoes
and Rick Springfields
Working Class Dog
. Some of the history can be a bit dry, and being this was years before my time Im only halfway aware of all the names tossed around, but Grohl keeps things moving at a steady clip so it remains interesting. Plus, its pretty cool hearing about how it took Petty and the Heartbreakers 150 takes to get Refugee right and how Springfields dog was awkwardly in between the legs of his guitarist when they were cutting Jessies Girl.
Then we get to the 80s, where the digital revolution is starting to materialize with the advent of computers and the compact disc. Sound City begins to struggle as a result and is in danger of closing, but then in 1991 a band few had heard of decided to record an album there that would go on to change the face of music. As we all know, this band was Nirvana and the album turned out to be
. Being how this is one of my favorite albums from the 90s, this is when things really started to take off for me. Obviously, Grohl was there himself for all this, so we hear firsthand from him about the 16 days Nirvana spent recording the album and anecdotes like how he had to play to a click track for the first time ever on Lithium. His enthusiasm is infectious, and he says numerous time he literally owes his career to Sound City and the board. We then move on to see the likes of Rage Against the Machine, Johnny Cash, Queens of the Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails working in the ensuing years at the studio.
But with Pro Tools and the digital age becoming ever more pervasive and cheaper, easier alternatives, Sound City just wasnt cost effective anymore and it was only a matter of time before it, like most classic recording studios, was forced under. As previously mentioned, Grohl buys the board and then decides to invite several artists over to cut an album at his studio like they used to do back in the day at Sound City. Similarly as in the Foo Fighters documentary
Back and Forth
, which spent the last half hour focusing on the making of the bands current album
Wasting Light
, Grohl spends a half hour on the making of the Sound City Players album, which will be out in March. We see Grohl and the Foos jamming with Stevie Nicks, Springfield, Josh Homme, Trent Reznor and finally Paul McCartney. For fans of the aforementioned, its a neat chance to get an up close look at them in action and hashing things out on the spot.
For a first feature,
Sound City
is a solid accomplishment for Grohl, whose previous directing experience consisted of only a handful of Foo Fighters music videos. Its competently edited together and well shot, while its never immediately obvious the idea originally was envisioned as just a YouTube short. At one point in the film, Grohl broaches the question, In this age of technology, where you can simulate or manipulate anything, how do we retain that human element? How do we keep music to sound like people? At its core, this is what he feels the story of
Sound City
encompasses, and probably why he felt so compelled to turn it into a movie in the first place. Its unfortunate, then, he never allows himself the opportunity to delve too deeply into the subject, especially as we all know from the Grammys a few years back he is clearly opinionated on the matter. But thats really a whole other can of worms for a different feature-length documentary, while
Sound City
turns out to be more content with simply rehashing the good old days. So instead we get to see many respected and well-loved artists reminisce and recount stories of days gone by, and in the end thats more than entertainment enough.
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Film Review - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
01/21/13 at
Jonathan Bautts
I saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on opening night, of course, which has given me a month to let the film simmer and plenty of time to reflect upon. Turns out thats not a positive thing, however, because the more I think about this first Hobbit film, the more glaringly problematic it becomes and the less I like it. Perhaps most tellingly of all, I cant shake the feeling Peter Jackson has made a major mistake, or rather several.
Lord of the Rings is neck and neck with Star Wars as my favorite film of all time and the books are my favorite books of all time. I am a huge Middle Earth junkie, needless to say, and have been greatly anticipating the Hobbits cinematic adaptation. Things got off to a rollicking good start in April 2008 when Guillermo del Toro was brought on board to direct. In my mind, he is a superior director to Jackson in almost every area, along with being in my top five favorite directors, and I was very much looking forward to what new and different things he would bring to the table.
Alas, it was not meant to be, as the Hobbit was stuck in development hell over MGMs bankruptcy woes for years and thus could never be greenlit. This forced del Toro, one of the busiest guys in all of Hollywood, to eventually leave the project in May 2010 because he couldnt afford to waste more time on something that was going nowhere. In hindsight, this turned out to be an ominous omen of what was to come. Strike one.
Then after filming was complete, Jackson got the bright idea to stretch the Hobbit into a three-part trilogy, which as we all know is only 300 pages in length. Originally envisioned as a two-parter, which would still have been somewhat of a stretch but one I was willing to accept and could definitely have seen working, this new vision pretty much damned the Hobbit before it was released, especially considering how Jackson and company never scripted it that way to begin with. Strike two.
And what do you know? As a pure stand-alone entity, An Unexpected Journey is an outright mess. I can only imagine the reaction from someone who is either unfamiliar with Lord of the Rings or not a fan of the trilogy to begin with. For starters, its far too long and has more pacing issues than any of the Lord of the Rings films, all of which were even longer. This is shocking because since they didnt have enough good material to split it up in the first place, one could have logically deduced these three new films would end up shorter and more manageable as a result, but no. Doubly shocking is theres still an extended version to come with 20 more minutes. Shudder.
Instead, almost everything Jackson has added to the film that wasnt in the original novel, from either Tolkiens other writings or stuff he made up himself, feels superfluously out of place. Theres several tangents that contribute nothing to the story and only slow things down or make the story unfocused, whether it be the Necromancer stuff, anything involving Radagast, Orc villains or a pointless mountain pass journey.
Everything involving Azog, a newly created Orc chief framed as Thorins personal archenemy, is laughably terrible. Theres a reason Tolkien didnt have something like that in the Hobbit in the first place because it doesnt work! Speaking of not working, Jackson must have been watching the Star Wars prequels recently because he decided to throw in a bunch of cartoonish stuff and juvenile attempts at humor, which lo and behold fails as well. Chief offense is Radagast, who absolutely has no business being in the theatrical version. You could literally edit him out of the entire film and not miss a single beat.
Finally, Jackson got the equally novel epiphany to shoot in 48 fps, which has backfired on him in a big way. The reaction has been almost universally panned and harsh from the first time he screened footage at CinemaCon. It was so bad I didnt dare venture to see it in that format myself, lest I risk tarnishing Middle Earth for myself, and I almost guarantee the lukewarm reviews would have been much kinder if it had only been shown in the traditional 24 frames.
Despite all these narrative deficiencies and cartoonish elements, the Hobbit does do a lot of things well. It still feels like Middle Earth, for one, which is an accomplishment in and of itself, and it was very welcome to set foot in the beloved land once again. The performances are solid, too. Martin Freeman as the new Bilbo fits right in, though despite being the title character he isnt given much substantial to do. Richard Armitage as Thorin is the only other new character to stand out in a good way, as unfortunately most of his dwarf brethren blend together and have trouble differentiating themselves. It was nice to see a few familiar faces as well, namely Ian McKellen, wonderful as always as Gandalf, yet the unequivocal highlight was Andy Serkis return as Gollum. The game of riddles between him and Bilbo is by far the best thing in An Unexpected Journey. Those 15 minutes are a brilliant delight in every way and the only scene that feels like it could hold its own to the best from Lord of the Rings.
While the Hobbit as a whole is competently told, its the flaws that stick out the most and serve a stark contrast to its award-winning predecessors. As previously mentioned, it doesnt really work as a stand-alone film, something I felt like the other Rings actually could do, especially the Hobbits narrative cousin, Fellowship. However, it does a decent job at setting the stage for what is to come, so in hindsight if the next two films turn out to be amazing, it will be much easier to pardon An Unexpected Journeys faults. Yet I feel like the odds are against Jackson this time, especially when almost everything he added to the first one were the weakest parts, and in the end I just dont think the Hobbit functions best as its own trilogy. I would love to be proven wrong, but this Hobbit project has seemingly been doomed from the start. At this point, the strikeout might be inevitable.
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Film Review: The Impossible
01/17/13 at
Jonathan Bautts
The will to survive and the bond of family are two very familiar themes in storytelling, and its true the Impossible is not breaking any new thematic ground. But framed against the horrors of the tsunami that hit Southeast Asia in 2004, its a powerful and personal story that wont soon be forgotten.
The one scene that everyone immediately calls out is of the tsunami itself, which is as realistic a tsunami/flood scene as has been portrayed in film. Its both terrifying and exhilarating, a remarkably realistic feat for something operating on a somewhat limited budget of $45 million or so. It is shot and framed well, while most of the water effects seem to have been done practically, which feels like youre put right in the middle of it all.
The other aspect that stands out is the performances, particularly those of Naomi Watts and Tom Holland. Over the past decade, Watts has established herself as one of the premiere dramatic actresses working today, and she deservedly earned her second Oscar nomination for her work here. I doubt any other character in 2012 had to go through as many trying circumstances, as shes either in various stages of excruciating pain or literally trying to stave off death for most of her screen time. Its a gutsy role that is both physically demanding and emotionally draining, and we feel it through her every breath.
Holland plays her eldest son of three, in his early teens, and he joins Beasts of the Southern Wilds Quvenzhané Wallis as the years most revelatory discovery. He capably holds his own against his more experienced costars, and this type of material is no easy task, regardless of age. Meanwhile, he evokes remarkable pathos in the moments when he has to act on his own, perfectly walking the scared-brave tightrope everyone in the film is undertaking on some level.
Now the first half of Impossible is near flawless. Following the tsunami we stick with Watts and Holland basically in real time as they try to find safety and medical attention. Theres no score, and its a riveting piece of pure filmmaking. However, an hour in it starts cross-cutting between the other half of the family, which consists of Ewan McGregor and their two youngest sons, and the raw intensity gradually begins to fade until it becomes more traditionally movie like. Thats not necessarily an outright bad thing, but the second half writing is the weakest element by far.
It should come as no surprise theres some kind of reunion that takes place, and the scenes immediately preceding it definitely are exaggerated narratively. The sequence still works because weve become so invested in these characters, but in the back of your mind you know what youre seeing is fairly ridiculous and manipulative. Im not sure how you would fix the problem, because almost any ending you pick would feel impossible to a certain extent, but it remains a particular flaw nevertheless. Im curious how the direction they went with compares to what happened in real life.
Speaking of real life, the last thing I found interesting is how the nationality of the actual family was switched from Spanish to British. I dont know if theres an underlying studio reason for that, or if they simply jumped at the chance to get actors of Watts and McGregors caliber, but considering how almost all of the principle crew is Spanish to begin with, it struck me as slightly odd and out of place.
The Impossible is just the second film from director Juan Antonio Bayona, who started out on 2007s above-average horror film The Orphanage, yet you never would have guessed it because he already seems like a seasoned pro. I have no idea what the mans future ambitions are but I can definitely see him helming a huge Hollywood blockbuster in the near future. The Impossible is a wonderful accomplishment and something to be proud of, a moving testament to one familys love in the face of some of the worst life can throw your way.
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Film Review: Gangster Squad
01/15/13 at
Jonathan Bautts
Its no secret I have been looking forward to Gangster Squad for some time. It boasts a fantastic cast, with one of my favorite actors (Gosling) and actresses (Stone), while Im a huge sucker for period gangster-noir films. L.A. Confidential and Chinatown are two of my all-time faves, and I was hoping Gangster Squad could be this decades updated version. But when the reviews began trickling in, they were less than kind, to say the least, and frankly I dont quite understand why all the hate.
Yes, its derivate of several much greater films and unoriginal, but the same can be said for a good chunk of what Hollywood churns out these days. Plus, dont forget back in the 30s there was a new gangster flick released literally every week, so originality isnt exactly this genres forte. Gangster Squad has other issues as well. The bookend narration is terrible, the closing action set piece laughably nonsensical, its overly stylized and uses too much slowmo, and the script that was buzzed about for years is light on character depth and very pulpy. In hindsight, it makes sense why so many A-list directors passed it over before Ruben Fleisher, who has now used up most of the goodwill generated from his Zombieland debut, landed the gig.
Still, for all its faults, Gangster Squad remains a capable piece of entertainment. Fleisher did his best contribution by landing a near dream-list cast, and even though its far from their best stuff, it keeps things respectable and never dull. Even though, as previously mentioned, the story is entirely all too familiar, the majority of key ingredients are included and the marks hit at least somewhat accurately. It will never be mistaken for a classic, but for fans of the genre, its hard not to walk away at least halfway satisfied.
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Film Review: Django Unchained
01/12/13 at
Jonathan Bautts
Django Unchained is about as quality as weve come to expect from Quentin Tarantino over the last 20 years. Its not quite on the same level as his last film, the near-masterpiece Inglorious Basterds, but its roughly in the same ballpark, especially as theyre both period pieces reinterpreting history in a way. Its not as groundbreaking or unconventional as past efforts, or narratively as creative, but more of his version of a straightforward spaghetti, exploitative western, and viewed from that front, it works best.
The obvious highlight is the acting, which is pretty noteworthy across the board. Theres no doubt left Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson were born to act in Tarantino films. Walt may not have top billing but his character is more complex and easily surpasses Jamie Foxxs Django, and the film suffers whenever hes not on screen, especially during the end. Leonardo DiCaprio is a delicious scene-stealer in a rare villainous turn, but the real villain is Jackson, and he delivers a wicked, darkly comedic performance about as strong of work as hes ever done.
Now Foxx does an adequate job as the title character and is nothing to shrug off, its just the writing barely bothers to develop him or give him something substantial to do. Despite this being his story, hes essentially relegated to the sidelines until he busts out on his killing rampage for the finale. The relationship with his wife, which is supposed to be the crucial crux of the story, fails to hit home on an emotional level. We know were supposed to care about it because the story says so, but the plot is so stuffed with characters and tangents, it shortchanges a good chunk of the dramatic impact.
The other main criticism, besides the editing needing to be tightened up, is Tarantino doesnt seem to push himself as much as he could or should have. By putting racism and slavery front and center, and by portraying them to such an extreme extent, he had an opportunity to dig deep and really say something, but instead he seemed content with merely cracking a few jokes and never deviating much from basic blaxploitation, which hes already shown to be quite capable of handling. At this point, we more or less know the basics of what were going to get from Tarantino, and however weird and demented a sandbox it may be, he ultimately plays it too safe and never expands upon said sandbox.
As it stands now, Django Unchained will go down as the most financially successful film of Tarantinos and one of his most acclaimed. Without a doubt, its a well-made, well-acted and overall entertaining film, but its missing those moments of brilliance that have made Tarantino a star and one of the most talked about directors on the planet. Theres nothing as memorable as cutting off an ear, or the Ezekiel vengeance speech, or the mall swichteroo, or the Crazy 88s bloodbath, or the tavern standoff. Because in the end, as good as Django may be, its hard not to walk away wanting a little bit more.
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Film Review: Les Misérables
01/09/13 at
Jonathan Bautts
Les Misérables is the epitome of everything I hate about the musical genre, chiefly being it takes twice as long to say half as much in a wholly ridiculous and unconvincing fashion. The constant singing and bombast rob it of whatever genuine emotion or drama it was striving after. Its mind-numbingly boring while being wildly disjointed. Basically, it embodies poor and lackluster storytelling, plain and simple.
I knew next to nothing about the Les Mis story going in, and believe it or not, I was more or less on board for the first 40 minutes or so. I love Hugh Jackman and felt he got things off to a solid start. Anne Hathaway was great as well, although I felt her now almost guaranteed-an-Oscar performance did not live up to the hype. But then Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter are introduced as zany, slapstick characters, which feels like its directly culled from their roles in the superior Sweeney Todd but feels woefully out of place in this movie, and its all downhill from there.
It just goes on. And on. And on. With no more Hathaway, and Jackman not as convincing as he was in the beginning, things unravel disastrously. Several awkward time jumps take place, new characters are introduced, some pointless and never-explained revolution occurs, but by that time Ive become so numb to the whole thing I just want it to end. Russell Crowe doesnt do anyone any favors, either, showing how hes a shell of his prime years by being locked into the same grim expression the entire time, no matter the scene.
Now I will applaud Tom Hooper for utilizing live singing. Ive always been a big proponent for films doing this more often, have never understood why they dont, and I think it pays off. It certainly works better than some of his other directorial choices and shot selection. I will also applaud the production design and costume work, which sets a grimy and realistic tone, even if the singing and some of the ridiculous plot points immediately takes you back out again.
Les Mis is one of the most apathetic experiences Ive ever had in a theater. Im sure the original Victor Hugo book is good, because there are some promising story elements at play, but the manner in which the deluge of operatic singing is portrayed and how repetitive the storytelling becomes wore me down to no end. I was as thankful as can be when it was over.
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Film Review: Life of Pi
12/07/12 at
Jonathan Bautts
Early on, Life of Pi makes the bold, and if you think about it rather arrogant, claim this is a story that will make you believe in God. Yet once its over, it has almost the opposite effect, and will likely leave any rational filmgoer more confused than anything. Certainly, I dont see it being used as an evangelical tool to convert atheists any time soon.
First, however, I suppose I should preface this by admitting I was almost preconditioned to not like the film going in. In my mind Ang Lee is the most overrated director in my lifetime, and the discussion is not even close. He seems like a nice and smart enough fellow from the interviews Ive seen, I just personally dont care for any of his work, even outright hating some of it (cough, Crouching Tiger, cough), and have never understood why critics are so eager to eat his stuff up at every turn. That said, Life of Pi is easily the strongest film of his Ive seen, and the problem with it ultimately lies in its source material and not his faults as a director, although he isnt entirely off the hook, either.
With that out of the way, yes, Life of Pi looks amazing, as everyone and their mom seem to be quick to mention. It has some of the best 3D work ever put to screen, rivaling that of Avatar, as theres several stunningly beautiful sequences involving water and some of the most realistic CG animals money can buy. It also features a fine central performance from Suraj Sharma in his first acting role, who proves to be quite the find. When you think about it, most of the time hes either by himself playing off of imaginary things or in front of a green screen, a difficulty for any actor, much less someone making his debut, and he handles it like a veteran. The always-reliable Irrfan Khan does fine work as the adult Pi as well.
Pacing has always been a major issue in nearly every film Lee has done, and when a little over half your movie is a boy and a tiger stuck together in a boat, obviously theres going to be some issues to overcome. Its not as bad as it could have been, but it definitely grows monotonous after awhile. But pacing isnt the main problem this time, instead its Pis theology and muddled message.
For starters, the defining characteristic of Pi when he is first introduced as a young boy is how he cherry picks from every religion he comes across, in this case Hinduism, Catholicism and Islam. Im not going to open this can of worms other than to say that at their core those three religions are not compatible in any way, shape or form, and any true follower of one would never claim to also follow the other two. Whatever, it was showing how naïve Pi was in his youth, as his father points out one night over dinner, I get it, but then its basically discarded for the remainder of the picture until its rashly tried to be tied back in at the end. It all comes across very awkward, while never progressing beyond a rudimentary stage. I dont know why Hollywood loves to fall back on this kind of vague universalism, (oh look at us, were so postmodern!), but its starting to become a lazy crutch. By not taking a firm stand on anything, you really end up saying nothing at all.
In keeping with that theme, we learn at the end Pis fantastical journey, which Lee has dutifully shown us, most likely never factually occurred, but was instead merely an element Pi concocted to help him deal with the harshness of what really went down on the boat, never mind how neither of his stories seems all that plausible in the first place. But the movie zips right along to culminate with him saying it doesnt matter which one is true, only which one you personally choose to believe in, and that is the same with God. Say what?
I understand the using an altered form of reality as a coping mechanism it was attempting, which was more dramatically convincing in Pans Labyrinth, and finding inherent truth in storytelling, even among greatly exaggerated tales, a la the excellent Big Fish. Yet these conclusions come across much too hastily and underdeveloped when revealed in the climatic hospital scene, and it is no help when Sharma chooses that moment to turn in his least effective acting in the entire film. No matter what interpretation you have, it just feels clumsily handled and way out of left field, akin to resembling a thrift shop version of Robert Shaws famous Jaws monologue. For someone as cynical as myself, who always thought Pis boat ride was far fetched to begin with but didnt buy into the real explanation either, I was really left scratching my head. (Youre telling me he actually survived 227 days in that boat. As Gob Bluth would say, Come on!!)
The most unexpected and interesting part of Pi has easily been seeing the wide variety of readings people have taken away from it, and after only a single week Ive already thought about it more than most films from 2012, so on that level it can be considered a great success. Ive even come to accept and somewhat make peace with the ending, or at least more than I did when walking out of the theater, centering around the idea of Pi being a postmodern version of Pascals Wager, where if you have a 50/50 choice between a fantastical explanation (God, religion) and a natural reality (neither), you have nothing to lose and theoretically everything to gain with believing the former to be true. If it makes you feel better and allows you to make sense of life more easily, well, then hooray for you.
Now as previously alluded, it never clarifies what its big metaphor actually represents, instead indirectly implying one story is as good as any other because no matter what the ship still sinks. All roads lead to Rome, theologically speaking. Above all, it reminded me of the hollowness of Losts finale more than anything else, and we all know how well that went over. Or, maybe in a Losteque twist, they were really trying to suggest Pis worldview, or any belief in God for that matter, is as irrational as the number his nickname derives from and nothing more than a childs parable. Either way, I just wish there was a more compelling argument presented on screen, and maybe there is in the book, because the story has the basis for a meaty subjective vs. objective truth discussion and why it is we do believe in the things we do. Yet as something that repeatedly states its primary thesis to be a story that will make you believe in God, it falls woefully incomplete and inadequate.
Now you might be thinking, Well, of course there isnt a lot of depth to Life of Pi, it is based on a childrens novel after all, but any such argument is disqualified for something being positioned as a genuine awards contender and coming from a previous Best Director winner. For instance, it shares many passing similarities to last years Hugo, (both were released at the same time of year, are based on childrens books, feature acclaimed directors tackling 3D for the first time, etc.), yet with his Scorsese was able to tap into a legitimately profound portrait on the power of storytelling while grounding it in a fulfilling emotional core.
Sure, Ang Lee did the best with what he had to work with, and Life of Pi is a well-made effort, which is the highest complement Ive paid the filmmaker before. In the end, though, its lasting impact will likely be all about the visuals and not the substance, or lack thereof. It might be directly attributable to the original source, it might not be, but when all is said and done it was Lees decision to turn it into a $120 million film in the first place, and thus the final result falls squarely on his shoulders.
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Film Review: Silver Linings Playbook
11/27/12 at
Jonathan Bautts
No matter how hard you might resist its impossible not to fall head over heels for Silver Linings Playbook, as its likely to be the most charming film about mental illness youre likely to come across. In dealing with such a tricky and sensitive subject matter, it balances the line between comedy and drama, never fully committing to one tone over the other for any long stretch. Thankfully, writer-director David Russell, still fresh from his career resurrection 2010s the Fighter provided, masterfully blends the two together in the greatest outing of his career.
Certainly the writing is a strong suit, yet Silver Linings greatest asset is its casting, and boy do they deliver. Hands down, this is the best-acted film of the year. Bradley Cooper, who Ive never thought highly of and feared he was gravely miscast when the project was first announced, is nothing short of a revelation. For once, hes not douchey, instead bringing to light the honest conflict of a man trying to stay on the positive side of a midlife crisis amid frequent outbursts brought on by a bipolar disorder. Its a career-redefining performance.
On the other side is Jennifer Lawrence, who unlike Cooper Ive always been impressed by her acting ability, and once again she raises the bar to a new personal height. Shes just as mentally unstable as Coopers character, the two really are quite the perfect match despite the age difference, combining the backbone that earned her an Oscar nomination for Winters Bone with a sharp talker wit and haughty, take-no-prisoners attitude, the likes of which she hasnt really shown before. Both are locks for plenty of awards attention, and Lawrence has a decent shot at Best Actress.
Then, as if proving Cooper is actually a legitimate actor wasnt enough, Russell does more of the unthinkable gets the least annoying performance of Chris Tuckers career, also his first non Rush Hour role in over a decade, and an emotionally resonant turn from Robert De Niro, easily his best and most serious work in probably just as long. The rest of the supporting players are fantastic as well, and like I said theres not a weak link in the bunch.
I suppose at its core Silver Linings Playbook could be considered a romantic comedy, as the feel good ending seemingly betrays. However, hardly any of it plays out or seems to live in the trappings of said genre, and the touching moments it does have all feel deservedly earned. The way it captures the different relationships and issues between the characters, giving you people to genuinely root for and care about in a non-sappy way, is an accomplishment that cannot be understated, which is why its already garnered an incredible reaction amongst the film world. It won the prestigious Peoples Choice Award at Toronto, an honor recent Best Picture winners Slumdog Millionaire and the Kings Speech also took home, and is without a doubt one of 2012s absolute finest offerings. I, for one, will be cheering for Oscar gold come awards night.
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Film Review: Lincoln
11/25/12 at
Jonathan Bautts
Centering a picture on arguably the most beloved figure in American history is no easy task, even for the most celebrated director of our time, Steven Spielberg. To his credit, then, he wisely enlists Daniel Day-Lewis as his collaborator to bring the larger-than-life Abraham Lincoln to life, and on that front the results are nothing short of spectacular. Towards the end of his life, Lincoln was under about as much pressure as you could humanly imagine, and Day-Lewis makes you feel it. Day-Lewis is a once in a generation talent who is famously known for completely immersing himself in his characters for months at a time, and his physical transformation as Lincoln is astonishing. His body seemingly creaks and aches under each movement, his demeanor deathly grave when hes not sharing his knack for storytelling. Much attention has been made over his voice, which is higher pitched than usually has been portrayed but more historically accurate, and Day-Lewis simply makes it another extension of the character we immediately believe. Really, the film could have consisted entirely of Lincoln in a room talking and it would have been a triumph.
So with half the battle already won, Spielberg than goes ahead and proceeds to enlist one of the strongest acting rosters assembled in recent years, just because hes Spielberg and he can. This isnt to say its automatically the best-acted film of the year, because its not. The script is so jam-packed with characters hardly any are given ample time to be developed, so he wisely leans on them to do the heavy lifting and come across with strong personalities in short amounts of time. Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn and James Spader are easy standouts but others are shamefully underutilized, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Lincolns son, Robert. The film clearly is most adept at political maneuvering than Lincolns personal life, which outside of his relationship with his youngest son leaves much to be desired, and were never sure which side of his wifes were supposed to be on.
Now Spielbergs past forays into historical dramas have been decidedly mixed. Last years War Horse was his worst outing in more than a decade, while I remember Amistad, his previous film Lincoln most closely resembles, being very underwhelming. Lincoln is easily stronger than both but it does have its dry spells, especially in its first half where it takes quite a while to get going, yet unlike those two it has a well-timed sense of humor to continually fall back on, an unexpected bonus. In addition, it offers some eerie parallels to the modern American political landscape, and while we obviously are not on the brink of a civil war, despite those nut-job secession petitions going around online after Obamas reelection, much of the rhetoric has remained largely unchanged.
Spielberg also keeps many of his past tendencies more subdued in Lincoln, which was a smart move and makes the overall picture stronger. However, while it might not be as emotionally calculated as some often find his films to be, an unintended side effect is its not as exciting as were used to him delivering, either. Sure, everyone already knows the major plot points, but the same case can be made for Munich or this years Argo, and that didnt stop them. Either way, he definitely butchered the ending, which he had set up beautifully to end with Lincoln walking down a hallway, late for his date at the fated theatre, only to extend things another five minutes and squander almost all of the intended impact.
Ive always been fascinated by the Civil War era ever since I was a little kid, while Ive been a Spielberg devote just as long. Lincoln has all the ingredients for a modern classic, and theres little question Day-Lewis deserves his third Oscar for his work here, but as a passion project Spielberg has spent a decade developing, Lincoln never can measure up to his best work, no matter how hard it wants to.
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Film Review: Skyfall
11/23/12 at
Jonathan Bautts
Skyfall is not only the strongest installment in James Bond's storied 50-year history, it's also one of the finest films of 2012. I've been saying for years the best way to take a franchise to the next level is get Oscar-caliber talent involved, and Skyfall certainly fits that bill to a T. Sam Mendes, who burst onto the directing scene at the turn of the century with one of the most striking one-two punch debuts in cinema history, was a bold choice to helm a Bond film. He's never done an action picture before, and though there was some action stuff in Road To Perdition and Jarhead, none of it suggested he would be a good fit for a big-budget extravaganza. However, as someone to lead Bond further down the road Casino Royale started, which strived after a grounded and character-based tone, he was a logical continuation and one the franchise needed to take that next step.
Skyfall does deliver the action goods as well as any Bond adventure to come before it, so it hasn't gotten all artsy for those who may have been worrying. There's fun homages to the Bond of yesteryear, as well as characters such as Q and Moneypenny presented in new light for the first time in the Craig era. There's arguably one of the most memorable villains Bond has yet battled, brought to life with particular gusto and relish by the masterful Javier Bardem. Bardem makes such an impression from his introduction, an amazing static shot of him walking towards the camera delivering a monologue about cannibalistic rats, you're instantly in awe. He's almost like an exaggerated Julian Assange but combined with a helping of the Joker. In fact, it shares several interesting parallels with the Dark Knight, as both men are beaten down and battered, almost to the point of no return, before reaching down deep and pulling off a miraculous resurrection. If you want to dig deeper you can even read it as a kind of meta commentary on the Bond mythos itself, which finds itself now quite antiquated from the modern age.
Skyfall's biggest weapon isn't Bond, though, it's Roger Deakins, one of the greatest DPs on the planet. From beginning to end Skyfall sparkles and pops, especially in IMAX, and you won't see a more beautifully shot film this year. In particular, there's a sequence in Shangai set in a glass skyscraper that is absolutely gorgeous. The amount of time and care it took to set up shots and have it be an integral part of the storytelling is obvious, and it works wonders. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention Adele's theme song, one of the best in Bond's history, and Judi Dench, who delivers a phenomenal performance that takes M to places the character has never gone before.
Skyfall isn't perfect, but as a Bond film it's pretty dang close. Really, I only have a few slight story nitpicks here and there, nothing major, and it would have been nice to see the sex slave character fleshed out a bit more. I know a lot of people had issues with the ending, which slows things down for an old-school western style shootout, but I thought it worked fine and helped close things out on a more intimate level. Just as Casino Royale raised the bar on what a Bond film could be a handful of years ago, Mendes calls and raises it further with Skyfall, once again proving amazing things happen when you have A-grade talent both in front of and behind the camera, no matter the setting.
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Film Review: Flight
11/23/12 at
Jonathan Bautts
Flight is a tricky film to pinpoint because it's both better than you would think and yet not as good as it should have been at the same time. The real reason it works at all is due to the greatness of Denzel Washington. Flight is one of his strongest performances of the past decade, possibly even his best work since 2001's Training Day. Denzel is always at his best in darker roles and here he makes the character's downward spiral believable and the battle with addiction feel authentic, not overplaying things in a film where subtlety is not in its natural vocabulary (more on that in a moment).
Much ado has also been made over Flight as it marks Robert Zemeckis' first foray into live action since Cast Away back in 2000, and for the most part he hasn't skipped a beat. The plane sequence is one of the most harrowing scenes of its kind we've seen on screen before, while he gets some truly great work from his deep cast. Quick shout out to James Badge Dale, who has rarely been mentioned in reviews but is absolutely fantastic in his one scene.
Really everything is clear skies, Flight even flirts with being A-grade material, until its final half hour that is and the metaphorical plane starts to go down. That bad pun pretty much sums up just how little subtlety there actually is. It quickly goes south with a sequence seemingly lifted from some other movie, way too lightly played and unrealistic for this film, and then the themes are continually spelled out for you with the grace of a jackhammer. Denzel even has one of those speeches everyone hates in which the point of the entire movie is summed up in one neat little monologue for those who weren't following along.
Contrast Flight with how Shame plays out from last year, in my opinion one of the most powerful and emotionally draining films about addiction ever made, and the difference is mind boggling. Flight comes across as so much clunkier and its message so overtly explicit it almost dims Denzel's masterful work somewhat. Now I understand Flight is a big-budget Hollywood production with an A-list star and an A-list director, so it's natural to not have as much creative license and leeway, and it is commendable for what it does with the pieces it has. Without a doubt it's a far more interesting take on Sullenberger's heroic landing than just being, "Oh, it's the movie with the one scene where the plane flies upside down." However, I've never been a big Zemeckis fan, and the ending serves a stark reminder why. All I could do was shake my head and wonder what might have been.
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3 hrs ago | EDGE
The latest release from the "54 BELOW" series is from Broadway's original "Little Mermaid," Sierra Boggess.
What Do You Know About Conspiracy Theories?
Should the US stop sending aid to developing countries?
7 hrs ago | Northern Michigan News
Detroit mayor-elect to speak at orchestra meeting
Detroit Mayor-elect Mike Duggan passed an audition held by Detroiters last month, and he'll face the music before he even takes office.
11 hrs ago | Sunherald.com
During 'Scandal' hiatus, Morton will await fate
In this Nov. 11, 2013 photo, actor Joe Morton poses for a portrait in Los Angeles.
Your Week in Music: Garth Brooks out of retirement and ready to rock, err twang
When Garth Brooks last left the stage 12 years ago, he vowed to return when his youngest daughter was 18. After some much needed family time, Brooks is proving that he's a man of his word.
Sierra Boggess, Broadway's high-flying soprano ingenue du jour, had exited the stage moments ago and the lounge within 54 Below was buzzing with electricity.
Love Bytes: Fledgling New Web Series Looks At Our Fluid Sexualities
Long ago, fledgling actors, writers and filmmakers would move to Hollywood, New York, London, or a small handful of other cities and hope that someone would notice they had arrived.
Pageant Theatre in Chico reaches fundraising goal
As the final curtain loomed for the Pageant Theatre, people from around the world helped the longtime Chico establishment keep its doors open.
Chanel takes inspiration from American West
Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld drew inspiration from the American West for his annual Metiers d'Art traveling fashion show, held Tuesday night in Dallas.
La Scala takes another step in artistic transition
The Milanese opera house La Scala took another step in its artistic and managerial transition on Tuesday by confirming that Riccardo Chailly will be its new musical director, replacing Daniel Barenboim.
Youngsters lack commitment: Acosta
Carlos Acosta embraced dance as a way out of his impoverished childhood after his father saw it as a way out of trouble Leading ballet star Carlos Acosta has warned that young people have too many distractions and lack the commitment to produce his successor as a world-leading figurehead for dance.
Director Adam Shankman enters rehab
Director-choreographer Adam Shankman has entered a rehab facility, but no details have been made public about what treatment he is seeking.
Linda Lavin to return to off-Broadway stage
A member of a search team on Tuesday found a couple and four young members of their families who had been missing in the frigid mountains of northern Nevada since Sunday, authorities said.
Kennedy Center names 1st woman to lead arts group
Deborah F. Rutter, 57, will join the Kennedy Center in September. Her selection was approved Monday by the center's board.
Indy symphony reports better finances
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra says its budget is back in the black for the first time since 2007 after big spending cuts and an increase in donations.
Clegg gets Santa makeover on card
The Clegg family Christmas card features a photograph of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg with his wife Miriam with Christmas doodles added by their children Nick Clegg's children have created a festive doodle for the Deputy Prime Minister's Christmas card - giving the Liberal Democrat leader a Santa hat and beard.
Modern-dress 'Traviata' upsets La Scala puristas
Milan opera buffs who wanted a Verdi opera to open a La Scala season in the bicentenary year of his birth got their way this past weekend, but many were not pleased with the new production of "La Traviata" they paid premium prices to see.
a Hoursa starring the late Paul Walker, to play in Burbank
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Fran Drescher heading to Broadway's 'Cinderella'
Producers of "Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella" said Monday that Fran Drescher will make her Broadway debut Feb. 4 in the show, playing Cinderella's stepmother.
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A federal appeals court on Monday resurrected a Jewish family's long legal battle to regain ownership of a $20 million masterpiece seized in Nazi Germany during World War II.
Health care debate has trust, politics themes, too
People who didn't know a URL from an http were blithely expounding on software snags and web design, thanks to the clunky launch of healthcare.gov, the insurance marketplace for the government's big health care overhaul.


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Obama ad 'Challenges' looks back to go 'Forward'
President Barack Obama's newest ad, released Saturday morning, makes the case for a second term by telling the audience the work of his first term is not finished.
The ad, titled "Challenges"
"Four years later our enemies have been brought to justice. Our heroes are coming home. Assembly lines are humming again," Freeman
and narrated by actor Morgan Freeman, begins: "Every president inherits challenges; few have faced so many." It goes on to detail Obama's accomplishments from his first term. says in the spot.
But, he says, "the last thing we should do is turn back now." Then the president's slogan "Forward" appears on the screen.
The ad echoes some of the reasons Freeman listed earlier this year for supporting the president, in a statement following the actor's $1 million donation to Priorities USA Action, a super PAC supporting the president.
"Pres. Obama has done a remarkable job in historically difficult circumstances," Freeman wrote.
"He ended combat operations in Iraq, put in place sensible reforms of Wall Street, saved the auto industry and protected the health care of every American. He has led our nation to be more tolerant and placed impressive, accomplished women on the Supreme Court."
Freeman also donated $2,300 to Obama ahead of the 2008 election, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
In a statement following the most recent donation, Freeman wrote that he was "proud to lend my voice -- and support -- to those who defend him. Priorities USA Action is doing a great job of protecting the values I believe in. I am happy to help them and I hope others will join me."
Copyright 2012 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Glass Family red wine
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"This is all you need to set out a great daily table." That's how Jasper Morrison described the porcelain and glass ranges that accompany the KnifeForkSpoon cutlery sets. The glass family range contains white wine, red wine and goblet shapes.
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Damask Framed Rugs
European-inspired decor for your floor! Classic damask in trend-right hues creates an elegant frame around this rug's center weave design. Rugs are incredibly soft underfoot and easy to care for, too. Skid-resistant backings provide extra safety. Machine washable rugs are constructed in nylon. Please specify color choice on order.
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6. A great example of a small-space laundry solution. Hooks and shelves maximize the potential of this laundry nook. Domino magazine via CocoMalé.
7. High shelves keep cleaning supplies out of the reach of kids, and vibrant countertops make folding more fun. For the full scoop, see Before & After: Laundry Area Goes from Messy to Fab
8. Milk crates break the shelf area into zones, hanging shelves add vertical storage, and canvas bins add extra storage. From Real Simple.
9. A closet gets a makeover as a laundry nook, and on-the-door storage and drawers below the machines maximize the storage possibilities. From Fine Home Building.
10. Dual hampers and matching storage containers keep the look tidy while open shelving and a sink skirt (to hide messy items below) maximize the space. From House to Home.
11. An Expedit storage system, hooks, shelving, and bins add utility to this vibrant coral space. From Decor Chick.
12. Numbered bins, clothespin jars, and clear detergent jars make it quick and easy to locate items. From I Heart Organizing.
13. A vintage table adds more surface area, a wall-mounted bin adds space for clean linens, and a lamp/storage jar holds extra clothespins and gives a bit of extra under-cabinet light. From Country Living.
14. A basement is transformed into a joint laundry room and playroom. Rolling storage, ample cabinet space, and a hanging drying rack keep the space functional. From Real Simple.
15. A closet is transformed into a laundry closet with the addition of a concrete workspace, curtains to hide the machines, and a between-machine rack to hold supplies. From Southern Living.
• Stylish Laundry Rooms: Inspiration Gallery
• Inspiration: Organized Laundry Rooms
• Inspiration Gallery: Laundry Rooms
• Organization Inspiration: Neat & Beautiful Laundry Rooms
(Images: as credited above)


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Karl Holford
Karl belongs to: The Diving Centre Ltd
Karl learnt to dive through his father Stan. He grew up with diving with his brother Michael. Karl manages The Diving Centre Ltd, providing the diving community with equipment, training and advice.
Karl was interviewed by Carl Greenwood on 17 January 2006. The interview took place at Discovery Museum History office and lasted 38 minutes and 50 seconds.
"Its the last thing you want to hear- you dont want to smell anything"
Its the last thing you want to hear- you dont want to smell anything, because if you smell anything it would be to do with the air, which means that the air you would breathe would be then tainted, so no. The air that you breathe is like Swiss mountain air, you know, its filtered and really pure. So anything which has got taint of a smell to it would be the air. But underneath the water, no, your nose is all enclosed with the mask, so you cant smell anything.
Karl has 17 memories in the memorynet:
Karl's memories with a Leisure theme:
- Growing up in the diving community
- The Dive School
- Diver and jellyfish
- St Abbs Head
- Cawfield Quarry
- Scapa Flow
- The Diving Centre Ltd
Karl's other memories:
This memory has these themes:
Danger | Sounds and Smells
Use this form to add your comment to the memorynet:


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59 min ago | Real Clear Politics
Putin's Poker Game Makes Fools of West
In chess you see everything. Every piece of information you need is available on the board, so what is being tested during a game is your ability to process all that information.
Which Is the Only State That...
Do gun control laws need to be more or less strict than they are now?
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World Tennis Number One Rafa Nadal Wins Live Poker Tournament in Prague
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Former poker game hostess pleads guilty in NY
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"Snow Day" Slots Returns to Kick off the Holiday Season
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Exchange USA Now Offering Military Loans on a Top Quality 84 inch Poker Table
Hampton, VA December 12, 2013 With Exchange USA's expansion of their military loan program to include high-end gaming equipment comes the availability of a magnificent 84' folding poker table .
Construction picks up at Dania Casino & Jai Alai
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Dan Bilzeran, the poker playboy crowned Instagram King, reveals 'lunatic lifestyle'
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Inos signs two Rota appropriation bills with reservations
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