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Re: tjburk
Being interrupted in the middle of a killer set!!!! You're on a roll... someone leans over and asks....is the pool open for swimming? AAAGGGHHHHH!!!!! No, MO - we're swimming here because it's closed.
That's funny!!.....It reminds me of a famous quote by Einstein that goes something like this....."The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits"
newmastersswimmer
p.s. I have to deal with some of the most rediculuously brainless comments you can imagine on almost a daily basis.....Not to complain about my job...b/c I love my job....The other day I passsed back a graded exam...and a student asked me..."do the check marks mean I got those questions correct"....I answered "yaeh and the "x-marks" with the point deductions right next to them means that you got those wrong"....and I get questions like...."How are we suppose to know where your office is anyway?" half way into the semester...and I answer "Well let's see, ...There's the syllabus which is available online (so you can always print up as many copies as you like), ...theres the big Marquise on the wall of the first floor in plain view when you walk in the front door to our building that has all of the teacher's office numbers on it, ...you can call the main office of our department or stop by and ask the secretary,.... you can ask me before or after class, ....or you can simply walk the halls in our tiney building checking each office door at random untill you eventually stumble across mine....that would take all of about 2 or 3 minutes since it's a small two story building"...ect...ect...
Originally posted by aquageek Great topic - my pet peeve is people who put their sweaty gym socks and shorts in the swimsuit water extractor.
I hate this as well; it is so gross
how about unsynchronized clocks? We have one at each end of the pool and they are only off by about 5 seconds. I didn't notice for a while, thought maybe one way was uphill or something when the even 75s were :50 and the odds took a minute!
- people that hock large wads of spit in the pool (don't even go for the gutter)
- people who think they should always have their own lane and act like you are infringing upon them for making them adhere to circle swimming when the pool is crowded
- people who don't rinse off before getting in the pool
- people who hang out in a lap lane to flounder and not swim when the pool I swim at has a large "open" area for non lap swimmers
When people swim in the "wrong" lane! If you are a slow swimmer, please use the slow lane! If you're a fast swimmer, don't get in the "medium" lane and then get annoyed with the "medium" paced swimmers. Isn't it better to circle with 3 people close to your own pace, rather than struggle with 2 that are either slower or faster than you?
Re: dcarson
people that hock large wads of spit in the pool (don't even go for the gutter)
That is not only one of the most vile and disgusting things I have ever heard, it is almost unfathomable to imagine someone doing such a thing!!.....Now I am going to be thinking about that during every lap of my next swim practice....thinking that one of those huge wads of snot/spit is going to get sucked up into my mouth or something....It almost triggers my gag reflex just thinking about it!.......There are apparently NO limits to how crude and disgusting some people can be!!
When I have to choose a shallow lane and the water slide is on. The water is traveling very quickly by the time it reaches the end of the slide and it creates a small whirlpool that makes it difficult to swim in one direction, especially in the shallow end. I guess a turbulent swim is better than no swim.
Your right! Swimmers rarely get respect for our sport! My roommate is a mountian bike rider. She came swimming with me on Monday to start cross training. She said, " I give you credit Jenn...this is hard stuff!" It certainly made me feel good that someone noticed that swimming doesn't come easy as some people may think.
How about the guy at my pool who has terrible form - he strokes only from about the top of his head to his chest, in very wide strokes. It is impossible to swim in the same lane as him. But his endurance is very good so he uses the lane for a looooong time every morning. His stroke is so bad, that I actually counted him doing 32 strokes per 25 yard length. He works real hard, and probably has pretty good cardio endurance. But he is impossible to share a lane with.
How about goggles that fog up.
How about lane lines that aren't tight enough and keep moving back and forth making lanes wider and narrower over and over again.
How about days when my stroke doesn't feel right and I am really struggling for some unknow reason. (Some may argue that my stroke being "off" is the norm! )
How about days when life keeps me from getting to the pool...... this is my biggest pet peave of all! | {
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Japanese Insurance Company Launches Mobile Game to Attract Younger Clients
In a genius marketing move, multinational Japanese insurance company Tokio Marine and Nichido Fire Insurance & Co. has taken it upon themselves to release a mobile game called Hoken Hero Marine. The move is meant to attract more young people to be curious and learn more about the need for insurance.
via Tokio Marine & Nishido Fire insurance
In this game, players use the power of insurance to protect the earth from attacks of fire, natural calamities, diseases and more. The main heroes in the game are named Marine and Mamoru, which will represent the players and fight evil.
via Google Play
The game is currently free for download, and is one of the more unique ways an insurance company has reached out to the younger crowd. The game also includes a quiz segment with questions relating to insurance. Get the answers right and win more points, or just do it to have fun! | {
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"They hold also, that these animals are of a constitution extremely cold; that their food is the air we attract, their excrement phlegm; and that what we vulgarly called rheums, and colds, and distillations, is nothing else but an epidemical looseness, to which that little commonwealth is very su... | {
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* 64 bit version* Has new configuration option to set location of temporary files (used for non-live DSP effects), new -tmpfolder="" option for CoreConverter.exe* m4a album art reader able to read incorrectly written art (from MAX)* m4a new FDK decoder is used* Batch Converter no longer checks drives for content on load.* new flac 1.3.0* flac has rating tagging option of 0-5 0-10 and 0-100 ranges* flac able to detect corrupted files without md5* new Wavpack 4.70.0* Monkeys Audio updated to 4.12* mp3 decoder is able to read through stream errors* mp3 id3 able to read and write TIPL (Involved People) and TMCL (Musician Credits)* mp3 id3 tagger writes COMMENT ITUNNORM for ITUNNORM* mp3 id3 fixed mapping of release time to release date* mp3 tagger will auto upgrade id3v1 tag to id3v2 if storing album art* Album Art (internet search) is able to search more art* Added a new [origdrive] naming variable, can be used instead of 'To Folder' in Music Converter* New Naming items [FRONTFOLDER] and [BACKFOLDER]* New Naming option: [IF]tag,condition,match,stringmatch,stringnomatch[]* Music Converter is more memory efficient with large number of tracks* Music Converter dmc - if converting 3 files and have 16 cores, only shows 3 conversion lines* Compatible with CUE Image Codec / DSP* Multi-Encoder will enable multi-core encoding in CD Ripper* Popup info tip is limited to 34 lines to stop the deletion dialog for Windows being off screen (top and bottom) transform codecs (mp3, etc) do not show sample depth* Batch converter: only hides when Music Converter is ready to take over (previously with 100K tracks nothing would show whilst loading the tracks to music converter) batch converter: Refresh detects deleted folders* All programs which write tags, now retries for longer* CD Ripper- musicbrainz album art supported- musicbrainz multiple artist names supported- new option 'ANSI (ISO-8859) Characters Only in Filename' on 'Filename Restricted Characters Page'- allow review metadata page even if did not get from internet- sort tags are now tied to a unsort tag (in that if perfectmeta chooses an element from amg, the corresponding sort tag would be used)- on metadata review page new captialize button (just first char) next to smart cap- new option to process fingerprints for accuraterip* Bug Fixes- m4a possible decoding deadlock / crash- m4a able to read 24 bit ALAC files where the file is incorrectly indicated as both 16 bit and 24 bit- m4a able to tag files with multiple trak chunks- aiff tagger - was possible to write a blank tag to the file which had the incorrect size- aiff tagger - writes unicode tags- wave ID3 tagger would not read tags which were indicated of a less size- was possible for encoding to lockup at 99% encoding (especially if using [multi-encoder])- cd eject code would not function correctly on some systems, taking 16 seconds to complete- core converter - a DSP effect removed the conversion will no longer silently fail- CD Ripper would truncate the album tag if contained '; '- CD Ripper if using File Name Restricted Characters to remove . from filename, the . for extension is no longer removed- CD Ripper custom tags would replace saved edited custom tag from dbcache- CD Ripper changing encoder or profile on 2nd CD ripper would effect first CD ripper | {
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ALABAMA BASKETBALL
SPORTS BARS
ATLANTA
Atlanta's top Restaurant, Sports Bars, Music and Events finder. We help fans in Atlanta find favorite restaurants, sports fan clubs, music events, festivals and venues.
Fanfinderonline.com is an Atlanta based, Atlanta specific website providing fans live updates on happenings around the city. If you're a fan of a specific team, you'll find the sports bars and restaurants throughout the city where you can cheer with fellow fans. Love music and events - fanfinderonline will post and update weekly events with location details and incentive specials! Or if you're just looking for a restaurant with a specific cuisine, we can help you find that too! | {
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My experiences of racism have put me off the Middle East
As a Muslim growing up in the West, it’s fair to see that my experience of Islam and Muslims has always been multicultural. Having been born and raised in the UK, and Asian culture not having a strong influence in my life, I was brought up to never even notice a person’s colour, educated about Muslims in Africa and China alongside Arab and Asian Islamic history, and met people from numerous backgrounds in my daily life.
As a Muslim millennial, I was also always conscious of those around me who went abroad to study Arabic and aspired to do likewise. Being a Muslim populated region and one that is more connected to Islam than others via the Arabic language, the Middle East seemed to have an appeal to me that was more than just tourism, it was about Islamic heritage.
My experiences there changed everything.
It wasn’t sudden. Since my young teens, I had journeyed to various countries in the region on holiday. But on each trip, and on occasion when I met with people from there in London, something hurtful would occur. Such as when a woman in Egypt forced my mum to recite Quran to prove that she was Muslim, or when a Moroccan sister mimed Hindu worship at me because I was Asian, or when my Syrian teacher told a class full of Arabs to improve their Quran because “the Asians are getting ahead of us.”
Of course, as every non-Arab has experienced, and myself repeatedly, another example is when you are pushed to the back of the queue to enter the Rawdah (the area close to the Prophet Muhammad’s (saws) grave in Madinah) because you are brown, and “Maghrebis” get preference over you (let alone the way in which the Saudi stewards laugh at the old Asian aunties who cry while making dua). For me, it culminated in a trip to Palestine, when I almost broke down in tears after a man questioned me repeatedly and disbelievingly about where I come from, insisting I look Egyptian, forcing me to explain again and again in my hesitant Arabic that I was Asian.
For me, this all culminated in a trip to Palestine, when I almost broke down in tears after a man questioned me repeatedly and disbelievingly about where I come from, insisting I look Egyptian, forcing me to explain again and again in my hesitant Arabic that I was Asian.
There’s a lot of denial that goes on when I tell people this. But for anyone wondering, these are not my only experiences of racism. Living in the West, I’m fairly used to people giving hateful looks or making rude comments. It rarely bothers me, if anything there’s a certain pride that whatever discrimination I am facing is not just because I am a person of colour, but also because I am Muslim. As Muslims, we know that whatever discrimination we face because of our faith is a test for us, and is something that all the prophets faced. What could be more honourable as a trial?
However, when racism comes at you from people who you consider your own brothers and sisters in faith; who make you feel like a lesser Muslim or out of place, when you are trying to bond on common ground between you, it is different. Having never experienced this before, I grew tired of the endless comments and explanations, even if it was just cultural ignorance and not rudely meant. I realised that I started to dread talking to people in Arab countries, even shopkeepers in case they started debating my ethnicity. I started to re-evaluate why I had looked up to a region so much that seemed determined not to have me, instead to box me into their limited understanding of what being non-Arab meant. Despite having not visited every country in the region, I resolved that it was no longer high on my list of priorities.
Mine is not an isolated experience. I have heard stories from numerous brothers and sisters of similar encounters, and of course, general racism is prevalent in many cultures, especially in South Asia. I don’t believe my experiences were always maliciously meant, but the enduring ignorance and stereotypes of Muslims from other backgrounds need to stop, back home, and in the West. Unfortunately, this just the tip of the iceberg for our Black brothers and sisters, many of whom are indigenous to these regions but face much worse discrimination from other Muslims.
Islam outlawed all forms of racism and nationalism from its very outset, and in the strongest terms.
Muhammad (saws) said:
“O people, your Lord is one and your father Adam is one. There is no virtue of an Arab over a foreigner nor a foreigner over an Arab, and neither white skin over black skin nor black skin over white skin, except by righteousness. Have I not delivered the message?” (Musnad Ahmad 22978)
Similarly, in regards to nationalism, he (saws) said:
“He is not one of us who calls to asabiyyah (nationalism/tribalism). He is not one of us who fights for the sake of asabiyyah (nationalism/tribalism). He is not one of us who dies for asabiyyah (nationalism/tribalism).”
It is only since colonialism and the division of Muslim lands into modern nation states that this ugly form of nationalism and assumptions of religious superiority have become prevalent. In the absence of Islam as a unifying factor, societies have looked to these modern identities to bind them together, at the exclusion of others. This is when nationalism becomes poisonous, and goes beyond a mere love of the familiarity of one’s homeland – similar to the way that Muhammad (saws) loved Makkah – and instead becomes something paramount in one’s identity. This then clouds the Islamic understanding of the issue, that being Muslim is what binds us first and foremost, and Islam is not owned by any particular race or country.
As Muslims, we will never progress until we understand the real unity is not just in making dua for the Ummah, or marvelling at people from different races making pilgrimage to the Kaaba. Rather it’s about uniting upon the Deen of Islam spiritually, politically and socially.
7 Comments
I think this is well judged. Other commentators have taken verses from the quran out of context but every religious book has verses, that on the face of it, look heinous. In context they are very different, and yes I’ve read the Qur’an. Colonialism has played it’s part in the racism but I feel racism is everywhere. Even in areas where colonialism never reached. It is wider than colonialism. Black non Arabs have an awful time in the middle east. They go for jobs but the system deems their employer must take their passport in many areas. This was bound to be abused. Once the boss has their passport they(workers) can be treated however the boss wants because they can’t get up and leave. Not forgetting they are sending money home to families so feel bound to accept the mistreatment. When a society see certain types of people only in menial roles, they will eventually see those people as below them. It takes new generations and a concerted effort to change that opinion. Unless the middle eastern Arabs accept racism happens, it will continue. If they do accept it happens then laws need bringing in to strictly prevent it. It’s a serious issue and needs a big serious, grown up discussion. Everywhere. By all governments. How can we tackle this.
Having ranted, I’d just like to say how greatful I am that here in the Americas, 99.99% of muslims appreciate & accept & participate in our civilized, modern, tolerant, accepting Judaea/Christian based society.
I welcome them of any race, and in any number, if they come to contribute, and if they’ve come to escape the human rights abuse of the isLIEmic fiefdoms.
If however, they come here and seek to promote & establish the bigotry, oppression, and human rights abuse of “shariaDiahrea”, then they should be arrested as enemies of civilization, then deported back to that they love so much, or executed for treason if they have engaged in subversion.
Thankfully the overwhelming majority of immigrants from isLIEmic nations are greatful for how good they have it here!
I’m glad to have them!
I’m also very impressed that you people at muslimvibe have embraced the FREEDOM of SPEECH that is the hallmark of our Decent, Western Society.
You are wise to allow all comments, good, bad, and otherwise.
My Uncle gave his life fighting nazi zealots so we all can have FREEDOM of SPEECH….
Thank You.
I read your articles and do find a lot of wisdom & truth on here, overall a very positive message, and good that you accept posts (polite and not so polite) that take issue with any given article.
Colonialism????
You are actually so brainwashed by deluded, deceitful, pc fiberal, leftwing supremacist nonsense propaganda & rhetoric that you blame “colonialism” for the classic bigotry of hard line musLIEims in their intolerant isLIEmic fiefdoms???
You think the intolerance, oppression, bigotry, (and much worse! Lucky for you you weren’t beaten & burned by a zealot mob, roof tossed, or, wait for it…..Stoned to death in the public square for some “insult to moohuMAD”)…you think these bigot’s savage behaviour is because of “colonialism”???
You are a classic blind hypocrite.
Face the FACTS!
You have been enjoying the boundless Kindness, Charity, Tolerance, Acceptance, and Civilized Manners of a WESTERN JUDEAO/CHRISTIAN MODERN SOCIETY.
Gee, funny that you didn’t like your reception in a typical isLIEmic fiefdom.
Oh, but the hadith, the abrogations in the kuran, the life example of moohuMAD himself, oh gee that’s got nothing to do with how musLIEims treated you, Of Course Not!!!
It’s all because of “colonialism”….
The zealots you met must have been affected by Christian Charity, Tolerance & Kindness!!!
It made them bitter & evil & rude!!!
That’s it!!!
If we just kill all other non-believers, if we just force isLIEam on the entire world, if we remove every last vestige of evil “colonialism” then the world will be paradise!!!
Smash all the toilets!!!
Destroy all Phones, Radios, TVs!!!
Burn all books, especially English books!!
Colonialism!!!!
That’s why every isLIEmic fiefdom is a miserable, dysfunctional, intolerant cesspool of human rights abuse!!!
Who Knew???!
As a kufar living in the UK, I hope you realise that it is not your skin colour that we dislike, but your Muslim religion. Who would like a religion whose primary purpose is to replace our British laws based on the Enlightenment and over 800 years of British common law with the Quran/Hadith based Islamic laws, which to us are far, far inferior. Who in their right mind would want to live as a second class citizen in their own country, subjected to dhimmitude and having to pay the jizzya tax in a submissive manner, and feel humbled (i.e. Quran 9:29).
My advice for s to shave off your Muslim beard, ask your wife to throw away her hijab, dump your Islam religion, and enjoy the United Kingdom. Kufars have great respect for ex-muslims who have had the ntellegence and ‘cojones’ to dump their Islam religion. Become an atheist, a Christian, a Hindu, a Jew, a Siek, a Buddhist, or anything else. Anything is better than being a Muslim.
Assalaamu alaykum sister. As an Arab myself but Alhamudillah growing up in a non-Arab environment, I agree with your assessment of racism by the Arabs. This is nothing new. It goes back all the way during the jahiliyah time. Trust me, it has not gone away even after the advent of Islam. Thats why Allah mentions in the Quran specifically that the worst of kufr comes from Arabs. More so, you will find the worst of hypocrites also comes from the Arabs. So do not expect much to change with the Arabs. Thats why today you see the worst of Muslims come from that part of the world. Lets call spade a spade. | {
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PIX: Sofia Hayat's Bikini Birthday
PIX: Sofia Hayat's Bikini Birthday
Keeping up with her flare for grabbing eyeballs, British actress Sofia Hayat celebrated her 27th birthday in a unique way on December 7 at the Peninsula Grand hotel in Andheri, a western Mumbai suburb. | {
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Consumers build the income gap
Wednesday
Nov 30, 2011 at 12:01 AMNov 30, 2011 at 10:55 AM
By WALTER WILLIAMS
Benefiting from a hint from an article titled “Is Harry Potter Making You Poorer?” and written by my colleague John Goodman, president of the Dallas-based National Center for Policy Analysis, I’ve come up with an explanation and a way to end income inequality in America, possibly around the world.
J.K. Rowling was a welfare mother in Edinburgh, Scotland. All that has changed. As the writer of the “Harry Potter” novels, having a net worth of $1 billion, she is the world’s wealthiest author. More important, she’s one of those dastardly 1-percenters condemned by the Occupy Wall Streeters and other leftists.
How did Rowling become so wealthy and unequal to the rest of us? The entire blame for this social injustice lies at the feet of the world’s children and their enabling parents. Rowling’s wealth is a direct result of more than 500 million “Harry Potter” book sales and movie receipts grossing more than $5 billion.
In other words, the millions of “99-percenters” who individually plunk down $8 or $9 to attend a “Harry Potter” movie, $15 to buy a “Harry Potter” novel or $30 to buy a “Harry Potter” Blu-ray Disc are directly responsible for contributing to income inequality and wealth concentration that economist and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman says “is incompatible with real democracy.” In other words, Rowling is not responsible for income inequality; it’s the people who purchase her works.
We can’t blame just the children for the unfairness of income inequality. Look at how Wal-Mart Stores generated wealth for the Walton family of Christy ($25 billion), Jim ($21 billion), Alice ($21 billion) and Robson ($21 billion). The Walton family’s wealth is not a result of ill-gotten gains but rather the result of Wal-Mart’s revenue: $422 billion in 2010. The blame for this unjust concentration of wealth rests with those hundreds of millions of shoppers worldwide who voluntarily enter Wal-Mart premises and leave dollars, pounds and pesos.
Basketball great LeBron James plays forward for the Miami Heat and earns $43 million for doing so. That puts him with those 1-percenters denounced by Wall Street occupiers. But who made LeBron a 1-percenter?
It’s those children again, enabled by their fathers or some other significant male. Instead of children doing their homework and their fathers helping their wives with housework, they get into their cars, drive to a downtown arena and voluntarily plunk down $100 for tickets. The millions of people who watch LeBron play are the direct cause of LeBron’s earning $43 million and are thereby responsible for “undermining the foundations of our democracy.”
Krugman laments in his Nov. 3 New York Times column, “We have a society in which money is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few people, and in which that concentration of income and wealth threatens to make us a democracy in name only.”
I’d ask Krugman this question: Who’s putting all the money in the hands of the few, and what do you think ought to be done to stop millions, perhaps billions, of people from using their money in ways that lead to high income and wealth concentration? In other words, I’d like Krugman to tell us what should be done to stop the millions of children who make J.K. Rowling rich, the millions who fork over their money to the benefit of LeBron James and the hundreds of millions of people who shop at Walmart.
I’d like to end this discussion with a bit of a personal note. The readers of this column know that I never make charges of racism. Rowling is an author, and so am I. In my opinion, my recently published book “Race and Economics: How Much Can Be Blamed on Discrimination?” is far more important to society than any “Harry Potter” novel. I’d like to know what it is about me that explains why millions upon millions have not purchased my book and made me a billionaire author. | {
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AUTHOR=Mariné-Casadó Roger, Domenech-Coca Cristina, del Bas Josep M., Bladé Cinta, Arola Lluís, Caimari Antoni
TITLE=The Exposure to Different Photoperiods Strongly Modulates the Glucose and Lipid Metabolisms of Normoweight Fischer 344 Rats
JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology
VOLUME=9
YEAR=2018
PAGES=416
URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2018.00416
DOI=10.3389/fphys.2018.00416
ISSN=1664-042X
ABSTRACT=Seasonal variations in day length trigger clear changes in the behavior, growth, food intake, and reproductive status of photoperiod-sensitive animals, such as Fischer 344 rats. However, there is little information about the effects of seasonal fluctuations in day length on glucose and lipid metabolisms and their underlying mechanisms in this model. To gain knowledge on these issues, three groups of male Fischer 344 rats were fed with a standard diet and exposed to different photoperiods for 14 weeks: normal photoperiod (L12, 12 h light/day), long photoperiod (L18, 18 h light/day), and short photoperiod (L6, 6 h light/day). A multivariate analysis carried out with 239 biometric, serum, hepatic and skeletal muscle parameters revealed a clear separation among the three groups. Compared with L12 rats, L6 animals displayed a marked alteration of glucose homeostasis and fatty acid uptake and oxidation, which were evidenced by the following observations: (1) increased circulating levels of glucose and non-esterified fatty acids; (2) a sharp down-regulation of the phosphorylated Akt2 levels, a downstream post-receptor target of insulin, in both the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles; (3) decreased expression in the soleus muscle of the glucose metabolism-related microRNA-194 and lower mRNA levels of the genes involved in glucose metabolism (Irs1, soleus, and Glut2, liver), β-oxidation (Had and Cpt1β, soleus) and fatty acid transport (Cd36, soleus, and liver). L18 animals also displayed higher blood glucose levels than L12 rats and profound changes in other glucose and lipid metabolism-related parameters in the blood, liver, and skeletal muscles. However, the mechanisms that account for the observed effects were less evident than those reported in L6 animals. In conclusion, exposure to different photoperiods strongly modulated glucose and lipid metabolisms in normoweight rats. These findings emphasize the relevance of circannual rhythms in metabolic homeostasis regulation and suggest that Fischer 344 rats are a promising animal model with which to study glucose- and lipid-related pathologies that are influenced by seasonal variations, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and seasonal affective disorder. | {
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Best Ways To Relieve Back Pain During Pregnancy
Best Ways To Relieve Back Pain During Pregnancy
Back pain is fairly common during pregnancy, but you shouldn’t just accept it as part of the process. Here are my home care instructions to relieve back pain during pregnancy:
Exercise is the most effective way to prevent or manage back pain. Swimming and walking are great activities.
Do not stand in one place for long periods of time
Do not wear high heels
Sit in chairs with good posture. Use a pillow on your lower back if necessary
If you are sore after a nights rest, your bed may be too soft. Place a board underneath.
Try sleeping on your side, preferably your left with a pillow between your legs.
When lifting objects, listen to your body. Bend your knees more so the pressure is on your legs and you are not straining your back.
Eat a healthy diet, try to gain weight according to your caregiver.
Use heat or cold packs three to four times a day for 15 minutes
Only take over-the-counter medicines for pain, discomfort or fever.
Prolonged bed rest for over 48 hours will aggravate your condition. Use only bed rest for most extreme episodes of back pain.
For acute conditions, ice is very good: Wrap ice in a towel and leave on for 10-20 minutes every 2 hours, or as needed.
The use of heat packs for 30 minutes after activities very helpful.
If problems persist, see your caregiver. They may recommend a back brace, a maternity girdle, an elastic sling or a massage therapist or acupuncture.
Midwife Hannah Bajor, C.N.M., M.S.N – Pregnancy 101 Expert
Midwife of 30 years her website is http://www.lumalove.com. Pregnancy is one of the GREAT human miracles no one will ever fully understand. Hannah walks her talk in everything she does. At the age of 38, she finally got pregnant after a 12-year struggle. She finally joined the elite group of women she cared for called pregnant. At 16 weeks pregnant her world came crashing in. Hannah found out her baby boy growing inside of her had died.
A year after her devastating miscarriage, six months of failed infertility treatments her inner world crumbled to pieces. Hannah’s Doctors told her she was infertile; she had run out of eggs and she was too old to have a baby. The killer was she was advised to stop trying to get pregnant.
Hannah would not give up her dream of having a baby!
Despite her devastating diagnosis of being infertile, she did not give up hope. She did a year of research which finally paid off. She now has two growing boys, conceived naturally. At the birth of her second son, she almost died. She was given a death or stay option at life. This experience ignites Hannah’s mission in the world to be a leader.
Hannah’s Mission in Life…
Hannah is driven by a life mission to provide a multi-platform line of pregnancy and childbirth related educational products. Her company Lumalove LLC helps couples globally to access new and dynamic prenatal education. Hannah shows parent-to-be how to lay the foundational blueprints for a happier, healthier pregnancy outcomes.
Do you have a copy of Hannah’s FREE eBook Birth, A Conscious Choice? If not have it delivered to your inbox, chapter by chapter. It is fascinating to read to deepen your understanding about getting pregnant, pregnancy, birth, and miscarriage. To access click on DEEPER UNDERSTANDING INTO PREGNANCY BOOK
If you liked my blog then do me a BIG FAVOUR and share it with friends and family! | {
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Review: Brutality of Fact/Eclipse Theatre Company
Walking home from a performance of “Brutality of Fact, ” Keith Reddin’s 1994 satiric drama about a Jehovah’s Witness fanatic and her dysfunctional family of sisters, I was approached by a young woman. She was dressed in Gap casual—tiny T-shirt, flip-flops and a skirt—and I figured she was going to ask for the time, or directions, or something equally innocuous. Instead, she thrust a magazine under my nose and asked hesitantly, “Would you like a copy of the Watchtower? There’s a very good article in here on the government.” Shit. It was that damn outfit that threw me off—she looked so, well, normal. This was actually the first time I’ve ever been approached by a Jehovah’s Witness on the street, and the fact that I had just seen a play in which a character also attempts to pass out copies of the Watchtower gave the situation a tasty irony that was amusing for about five minutes. Too bad my reality was more entertaining than this Eclipse Theatre production. Director Nathaniel Swift has a good handle on Reddin’s comedic-sardonic rhythms and the play’s dream sequences have a nicely absurdist quality. But if it weren’t for the presence of Julie Daley as Maggie, the alcoholic, Daria-esque “fornicator” whose life is quickly unraveling, this production would be entirely flat. When Daley isn’t on stage, you start to notice just how drab this production really is. Chris Corwin’s ugly and unimaginative lighting design doesn’t help matters much, giving the production a cheap, community-theater look. Sometimes Eclipse knocks ‘em out of the park. But when this troupe misses, boy do they miss. (Nina Metz) | {
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Bingo
Our game is played weekly on Thursday nights. Sales start at 6:30PM with the games starting promptly at 7:15PM. Fourteen games plus two Happy Dabber games are played throughout the night with the last game ending at approximately 10:00PM.
Admission is $2 for the first pack of 6 games and $1.50 for each additional pack. The total prize for each of these games is $75.
The specials pack is priced at $1 per pack of 5 games. The total prize for each of the special games is $110.
There are two 50/50 games, one in the first half of the night at $1 a sheet and the other game in the second half of the night at $2 a sheet. The prizes vary depending upon how many sheets have been sold for each. Running at the same time as the 50/50 games are the Happy Dabber games. The prizes vary depending upon the size of the Happy Dabber package.
The coverall jackpot is priced at $1 per sheet with the prize rolling from week to week until the game is won within the rules of the game. Every Thursday there is a consolation prize for the winner of the game should the game be won after the specified number of balls for a jackpot win is exceeded.
Since we are a Kosher establishment, no outside food or beverages may be brought into our building. Sandwiches, snacks, and drinks are available for purchase before the games begin and during our intermission. The menu varies from week to week. | {
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Bill Text Versions
Current Version - as introduced
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Section 1.
Subd. 3.
Term of license and renewal.
(a) The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must issue an initial Tier 1 license for a term of one year. A Tier 1 license may be renewed subject to paragraphs (b) and (c). The board may submit written comments to the district or charter school that requested the renewal regarding the candidate.
(b) The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must renew a Tier 1 license if:
(1) the district or charter school requesting the renewal demonstrates that it has posted the teacher position but was unable to hire an acceptable teacher with a Tier 2, 3, or 4 license for the position;
(2) the teacher holding the Tier 1 license took a content examination in accordance with section 122A.185 and submitted the examination results to the teacher's employing district or charter school within one year of the board approving the request for the initial Tier 1 license; and
(3) the teacher holding the Tier 1 license participated in cultural competency training consistent with section 120B.30, subdivision 1, paragraph (q), within one year of the board approving the request for the initial Tier 1 license.
The requirement in clause (2) does not apply to a teacher that teaches a class in a career and technical education or career pathways course of study.
(c) A Tier 1 license must not be renewed more than deleted text beginthree timesdeleted text endnew text begin one timenew text end, unless the requesting district or charter school can show good cause for additional renewals. deleted text beginA Tier 1 license issued to teach (1) a class or course in a career and technical education or career pathway course of study or (2) in a shortage area, as defined in section 122A.06, subdivision 6, may be renewed without limitation.deleted text end
Sec. 2.
Subd. 5.
Limitations on license.
(a) A Tier 1 license is limited to the content matter indicated on the application for the initial Tier 1 license under subdivision 1, clause (2), and limited to the district or charter school that requested the initial Tier 1 license.
deleted text begin(iii) has a master's degree in the specified content areadeleted text endnew text begin (ii) has completed a Minnesota-approved teacher preparation program but does not meet the requirements for a Tier 3 licensenew text end; and
(3) the district or charter school demonstrates that a criminal background check under section 122A.18, subdivision 8, has been completed on the candidate.
(b) A candidate for a Tier 2 license must have a bachelor's degree to teach a class outside a career and technical education or career pathways course of study.
(c) A candidate for a Tier 2 license must have one of the following credentials in a relevant content area to teach a class or course in a career and technical education or career pathways course of study:
(1) an associate's degree;
(2) a professional certification; or
(3) five years of relevant work experience.
Sec. 4.
Subd. 3.
Term of license and renewal.
The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must issue an initial Tier 2 license for a term of two years. A Tier 2 license may be renewed deleted text beginthreedeleted text endnew text begintwo new text endtimes. Before a Tier 2 license is renewed for the first time, a teacher holding a Tier 2 license must participate in cultural competency training consistent with section 120B.30, subdivision 1, paragraph (q). The board must issue rules setting forth the conditions for additional renewals after the initial license has been renewed deleted text beginthreedeleted text endnew text begintwo new text endtimes.
Sec. 5.
Subd. 2.
Coursework.
A candidate for a Tier 3 license must meet the coursework requirement by demonstrating one of the following:
(1) completion of a Minnesota-approved teacher preparation program;
(2) completion of a state-approved teacher preparation program that includes field-specific student teaching equivalent to field-specific student teaching in Minnesota-approved teacher preparation programs. The field-specific student teaching requirement does not apply to a candidate that has two years of teaching experience;
(4) a professional teaching license from another state, evidence that the candidate's license is in good standing, and two years of teaching experiencedeleted text begin; ordeleted text endnew text begin.new text end
deleted text begin(5) three years of teaching experience under a Tier 2 license and evidence of summative teacher evaluations that did not result in placing or otherwise keeping the teacher on an improvement process pursuant to section 122A.40, subdivision 8, or section 122A.41, subdivision 5.deleted text end
Sec. 6.
Subd. 4.
Mentorship and evaluation.
A teacher holding a Tier 3 license must participate in deleted text beginthe employing district or charter school'sdeleted text endnew text begina new text endmentorship and evaluation program, including an individual growth and development plan.new text begin A teacher holding a Tier 3 license may satisfy the mentorship requirement by participating in a mentorship program during the teacher's first year in a new district or charter school, including a school year when the teacher held a Tier 1 or Tier 2 license. No teacher holding a Tier 3 license may be required to serve as a mentor to another teacher in order to fulfill this requirement.new text end
deleted text begin(4) the candidate's most recent summative teacher evaluation did not result in placing or otherwise keeping the teacher in an improvement process pursuant to section 122A.40, subdivision 8, or 122A.41, subdivision 5.deleted text end
Sec. 8.
Subd. 3.
Mentorship and evaluation.
A teacher holding a Tier 4 license must participate in deleted text beginthe employing district or charter school'sdeleted text endnew text begina new text endmentorship and evaluation program, including an individual growth and development plan.new text begin A teacher holding a Tier 4 license may satisfy the mentorship requirement by participating in a mentorship program during the teacher's first year in a new district or charter school, including a school year when the teacher held a Tier 1, 2, or 3 license. No teacher holding a Tier 4 license may be required to serve as a mentor to another teacher in order to fulfill this requirement.new text end
Sec. 9.
new text beginSubdivision 1.new text end
new text beginVerification.new text end
No person shall be accounted a qualified teacher until the school district or charter school contracting with the person for teaching services verifies through the Minnesota education licensing system available on the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board website that the person is a qualified teacher, consistent with sections 122A.16 and 122A.44, subdivision 1.
new text beginSubd. 2.new text end
new text beginReporting.new text end
new text beginNo later than October 1 of each school year, the superintendent or charter school must provide the school board with the number of teachers in each school building who hold Tier 1, 2, 3, and 4 licenses. The school board and the Department of Education must publish this data on their respective websites no later than January of each school year.new text end
Sec. 10.
Subd. 8.
(a) To improve student learning and success, a school board and an exclusive representative of the teachers in the district, consistent with paragraph (b), may develop a teacher evaluation and peer review process for probationary and continuing contract teachers through joint agreement. If a school board and the exclusive representative of the teachers do not agree to an annual teacher evaluation and peer review process, then the school board and the exclusive representative of the teachers must implement the state teacher evaluation plan under paragraph (c). The process must include having trained observers serve as peer coaches or having teachers participate in professional learning communities, consistent with paragraph (b).
(b) To develop, improve, and support qualified teachers and effective teaching practices, improve student learning and success, and provide all enrolled students in a district or school with improved and equitable access to more effective and diverse teachers, the annual evaluation process for teachers:
(1) must, for probationary teachers, provide for all evaluations required under subdivision 5;
(2) must establish a three-year professional review cycle for each teacher that includes an individual growth and development plan, a peer review process, and at least one summative evaluation performed by a qualified and trained evaluator such as a school administrator. For the years when a tenured teacher is not evaluated by a qualified and trained evaluator, the teacher must be evaluated by a peer review;
(3) must be based on professional teaching standards established in rule;
(4) must coordinate staff development activities under sections 122A.60 and 122A.61 with this evaluation process and teachers' evaluation outcomes;
(5) may provide time during the school day and school year for peer coaching and teacher collaboration;
(6) may include job-embedded learning opportunities such as professional learning communities;
(7) may include mentoring and induction programs for teachers, including teachers who are members of populations underrepresented among the licensed teachers in the district or school and who reflect the diversity of students under section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (2), who are enrolled in the district or school;
(8) must include an option for teachers to develop and present a portfolio demonstrating evidence of reflection and professional growth, consistent with section 122A.187, subdivision 3, and include teachers' own performance assessment based on student work samples and examples of teachers' work, which may include video among other activities for the summative evaluation;
(9) must use data from valid and reliable assessments aligned to state and local academic standards and must use state and local measures of student growth and literacy that may include value-added models or student learning goals to determine 35 percent of teacher evaluation results;
(10) must use longitudinal data on student engagement and connection, and other student outcome measures explicitly aligned with the elements of curriculum for which teachers are responsible, including academic literacy, oral academic language, and achievement of content areas of English learners;
(11) must require qualified and trained evaluators such as school administrators to perform summative evaluations and ensure school districts and charter schools provide for effective evaluator training specific to teacher development and evaluation;
(12) must give teachers not meeting professional teaching standards under clauses (3) through (11) support to improve through a teacher improvement process that includes established goals and timelines; and
(13) must discipline a teacher for not making adequate progress in the teacher improvement process under clause (12) that may include a last chance warning, termination, discharge, nonrenewal, transfer to a different position, a leave of absence, or other discipline a school administrator determines is appropriate.
Data on individual teachers generated under this subdivision are personnel data under section 13.43. The observation and interview notes of peer coaches may only be disclosed to other school officials with the consent of the teacher being coached.
(c) The department, in consultation with parents who may represent parent organizations and teacher and administrator representatives appointed by their respective organizations, representing the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, the Minnesota School Boards Association, the Minnesota Elementary and Secondary Principals Associations, Education Minnesota, and representatives of the Minnesota Assessment Group, the Minnesota Business Partnership, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, and Minnesota postsecondary institutions with research expertise in teacher evaluation, must create and publish a teacher evaluation process that complies with the requirements in paragraph (b) and applies to all teachers under this section and section 122A.41 for whom no agreement exists under paragraph (a) for an annual teacher evaluation and peer review process. The teacher evaluation process created under this subdivision does not create additional due process rights for probationary teachers under subdivision 5.
(d) Consistent with the measures of teacher effectiveness under this subdivision:
(1) for students in kindergarten through grade 4, a school administrator must not place or approve the placement of a student in the classroom of a teacher who new text beginholds a Tier 1 or Tier 2 license, new text endis in the improvement process referenced in paragraph (b), clause (12), or has not had a summative evaluation if, in the prior year, that student was in the classroom of a teacher who received discipline pursuant to paragraph (b), clause (13), unless no other teacher at the school teaches that grade; and
(2) for students in grades 5 through 12, a school administrator must not place or approve the placement of a student in the classroom of a teacher who new text beginholds a Tier 1 or Tier 2 license, new text endis in the improvement process referenced in paragraph (b), clause (12), or has not had a summative evaluation if, in the prior year, that student was in the classroom of a teacher who new text beginheld a Tier 1 or Tier 2 license, new text endreceived discipline pursuant to paragraph (b), clause (13), unless no other teacher at the school teaches that subject area and grade.
All data created and used under this paragraph retains its classification under chapter 13.
Sec. 11.
Subd. 5.
(a) To improve student learning and success, a school board and an exclusive representative of the teachers in the district, consistent with paragraph (b), may develop an annual teacher evaluation and peer review process for probationary and nonprobationary teachers through joint agreement. If a school board and the exclusive representative of the teachers in the district do not agree to an annual teacher evaluation and peer review process, then the school board and the exclusive representative of the teachers must implement the state teacher evaluation plan developed under paragraph (c). The process must include having trained observers serve as peer coaches or having teachers participate in professional learning communities, consistent with paragraph (b).
(b) To develop, improve, and support qualified teachers and effective teaching practices and improve student learning and success, and provide all enrolled students in a district or school with improved and equitable access to more effective and diverse teachers, the annual evaluation process for teachers:
(1) must, for probationary teachers, provide for all evaluations required under subdivision 2;
(2) must establish a three-year professional review cycle for each teacher that includes an individual growth and development plan, a peer review process, and at least one summative evaluation performed by a qualified and trained evaluator such as a school administrator;
(3) must be based on professional teaching standards established in rule;
(4) must coordinate staff development activities under sections 122A.60 and 122A.61 with this evaluation process and teachers' evaluation outcomes;
(5) may provide time during the school day and school year for peer coaching and teacher collaboration;
(6) may include job-embedded learning opportunities such as professional learning communities;
(7) may include mentoring and induction programs for teachers, including teachers who are members of populations underrepresented among the licensed teachers in the district or school and who reflect the diversity of students under section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (2), who are enrolled in the district or school;
(8) must include an option for teachers to develop and present a portfolio demonstrating evidence of reflection and professional growth, consistent with section 122A.187, subdivision 3, and include teachers' own performance assessment based on student work samples and examples of teachers' work, which may include video among other activities for the summative evaluation;
(9) must use data from valid and reliable assessments aligned to state and local academic standards and must use state and local measures of student growth and literacy that may include value-added models or student learning goals to determine 35 percent of teacher evaluation results;
(10) must use longitudinal data on student engagement and connection and other student outcome measures explicitly aligned with the elements of curriculum for which teachers are responsible, including academic literacy, oral academic language, and achievement of English learners;
(11) must require qualified and trained evaluators such as school administrators to perform summative evaluations and ensure school districts and charter schools provide for effective evaluator training specific to teacher development and evaluation;
(12) must give teachers not meeting professional teaching standards under clauses (3) through (11) support to improve through a teacher improvement process that includes established goals and timelines; and
(13) must discipline a teacher for not making adequate progress in the teacher improvement process under clause (12) that may include a last chance warning, termination, discharge, nonrenewal, transfer to a different position, a leave of absence, or other discipline a school administrator determines is appropriate.
Data on individual teachers generated under this subdivision are personnel data under section 13.43. The observation and interview notes of peer coaches may only be disclosed to other school officials with the consent of the teacher being coached.
(c) The department, in consultation with parents who may represent parent organizations and teacher and administrator representatives appointed by their respective organizations, representing the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, the Minnesota School Boards Association, the Minnesota Elementary and Secondary Principals Associations, Education Minnesota, and representatives of the Minnesota Assessment Group, the Minnesota Business Partnership, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, and Minnesota postsecondary institutions with research expertise in teacher evaluation, must create and publish a teacher evaluation process that complies with the requirements in paragraph (b) and applies to all teachers under this section and section 122A.40 for whom no agreement exists under paragraph (a) for an annual teacher evaluation and peer review process. The teacher evaluation process created under this subdivision does not create additional due process rights for probationary teachers under subdivision 2.
(d) Consistent with the measures of teacher effectiveness under this subdivision:
(1) for students in kindergarten through grade 4, a school administrator must not place or approve the placement of a student in the classroom of a teacher who new text beginholds a Tier 1 or Tier 2 license, new text endis in the improvement process referenced in paragraph (b), clause (12), or has not had a summative evaluation if, in the prior year, that student was in the classroom of a teacher who received discipline pursuant to paragraph (b), clause (13), unless no other teacher at the school teaches that grade; and
(2) for students in grades 5 through 12, a school administrator must not place or approve the placement of a student in the classroom of a teacher who new text beginholds a Tier 1 or Tier 2 license, new text endis in the improvement process referenced in paragraph (b), clause (12), or has not had a summative evaluation if, in the prior year, that student was in the classroom of a teacher who new text beginheld a Tier 1 or Tier 2 license, new text endreceived discipline pursuant to paragraph (b), clause (13), unless no other teacher at the school teaches that subject area and grade.
All data created and used under this paragraph retains its classification under chapter 13.
(3) at least two years of teaching experience in a similar content area in any state, as determined by the board;
(4) a passing score on the pedagogy and content exams under section 122A.185; or
(5) completion of a state-approved teacher preparation program.
(b) For purposes of paragraph (a), "upper division" means classes normally taken at the junior or senior level of college which require substantial knowledge and skill in the field. Candidates must identify the upper division credits that fulfill the requirement in paragraph (a), clause (1). | {
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Mental health disorders are among the leading worldwide causes of disease and long-term disability. This issue has a long and painful history of gradual de-stigmatization of patients, coinciding with humanization of therapeutic approaches. What are the current trends in Russia regarding this issue and in what ways is it similar to and different from Western countries? IQ.HSE provides an overview of this problem based on research carried out by Svetlana Kolpakova.
On September 5, Laurie Manchester, Associate Professor of History at Arizona State University, presented her paper on voluntary repatriation of Russians from China to the Soviet Union between 1935 and 1960. The presentation was part of the research seminar, ‘Boundaries of History’, held regularly by the Department of History at HSE University in St. Petersburg. HSE News Service spoke with Laurie Manchester about her research interests, collaborating with HSE faculty members, and the latest workshop.
Dr. Sabyasachi Tripathi, from Kolkata, India, is a new research fellow at HSE University. He will be working at the Laboratory for Science and Technology Studies of the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge.
Russia’s effort to become a geoeconomic power in Asia alters the dynamics of the territorial dispute with Japan. Both Moscow and Tokyo aim to prevent Russia’s geoeconomic “pivot to Asia” becoming merely a pivot to China. Yet, a settlement is obstructed by the growing geoeconomic value of the Southern Kurils and Japan’s lack of an autonomous foreign policy.
The Asia-Pacific is, and in the foreseeable future will remain, the safest and least problematic part of the world as far as Russian security interests are concerned. The Russian Military Doctrine of 2014 clearly identifies NATO expansion and NATO activities close to the Russian borders as the main sources of external threat, alongside growing religious and political extremism and ethnic conflicts in the regions close to Russia. The Asia-Pacific is never mentioned directly. In the post-Soviet countries, Russia perceives that it is engaged in a decades-long, zero-sum game against the European Union and the United States. The relations with a number of European countries are poisoned by painful historical memories and ideological differences. The Ukrainian crisis already has led to some long-term changes in Russian defense policies, including the establishment of a new military infrastructure on Russia’s western borders.1 | {
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Bridgman hits out at 'soccer style' sacking
Trojans have sacked their first team coach midway through the season following a revolt from several senior players.
Barry Bridgman said he was ‘gutted’ at the ‘soccer-style sacking’ and angry to receive the news in a telephone call as he was pondering his squad for this weekend’s game at Basingstoke.
Bridgman, pictured, said: “The chairman phoned me and told me it was because of poor results this year.
“I’m gutted and angry. I was asked to come to the club five years ago and we have done nothing but good and got promoted.
“I feel angry and let down. I even went there and coached on the evening my dad died. I just feel like ‘why did I bother’?”
“I got them from London 4 to London 1 and was told to go because of bad results.
“It is just like soccer – apart from I have not had a penny from them in that time, not even expenses.”
Trojans’ steady progress led them to become the leading team in the Southampton area when they were promoted to London 1 South under the guidance of Bridgman two seasons ago. That followed an earlier promotion up to London 2SW in 2008/9, the same season the club won the Hampshire Bowl.
But Trojans have struggled to field a settled first XV this term, with several players making themselves unavailable for first team selection.
They have lost 12 of their 13 league matches – the sole victory coming against basement side Old Colfeians in the middle of October.
Chairman Shaun Magill said many first team players were not happy with the way things were going and ‘started voting with their feet’.
He said: “Over the last few weeks I have been trying to think how I could keep Barry because I am a great fan of him and his coaching.
“But the players were not happy and started voting with their feet and unfortunately I had to ask Barry to step down – I had no alternative, it’s a great shame.
“I did not want to do it with a phone call but it had to be done before the weekend.
“I do not necessarily agree with what the players have done or how they have gone about it, but that’s done now.
“I still consider Barry as a mate and it was one of the worst moments of my rugby life to make that call. I had to make a decision because I am there to do what the players want me to do.”
.........it was one of the worst moments of my rugby life to make that call. I had to make a decision because I am there to do what the players want me to do.”
Is that really the role of the club Chairman or is it to govern an organisation that will be there long after a certain group of players have gone?
.........it was one of the worst moments of my rugby life to make that call. I had to make a decision because I am there to do what the players want me to do.”
Is that really the role of the club Chairman or is it to govern an organisation that will be there long after a certain group of players have gone?Walter K | {
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Dry Mixer Superior to V Blenders, Cone Blenders
Product Announcement from Continental Products Corp.
The Rollo-Mixer Mk 8 rotary batch mixer is touted by its company, Continental Products Corp. (Milwaukee, WI), as a mixer superior in uniformity, cleanout, and overall efficiency compared to other mixers typically used in the dietary supplement and contract manufacturing industries.
The Mk 8 batch mixer uniformly blends dry particulates in 3 to 5 minutes. Like all Rollo-Mixers, the Mk 8 batch mixer creates rivers of material that gently divide and combine in the batch several times per revolution, resulting in a quick, gentle, and homogenous blend, the company says. The machine also allows the entire batch to empty completely within seconds.
Small-volume additions of vitamin additives are made easy using the technology, the firm says. "We blend batches with 80 ingredients where we can uniformly add 10 international units of a vitamin into hundreds of pounds," the company quotes a customer as saying in a video. "V and cone blenders can't do this, and ribbon mixers definitely can't do this."
The mixer was also designed with no mechanical drum seals in order to provide superior cleanout capability. The company says that easy cleanout and access are critical in food, specialty products, and high-purity batch-mixing applications. The Mk 8 machines can be rinsed and dried in 15 minutes, ready for the next batch.
The Mk 8 is one of five versions of the Rollo-Mixer line, which includes the Rollo-Mixer Mk VI Batch Mixer, the Mk VII Rotary Drum Mixer, the Mk VII-1 Rotary Drum Blender, the Mk VIII Powder Mixer, and the new Mk IX Batch Coater.
Rollo-Mixers are designed and built to customers' specific batch, blending, or coating applications. The Continental Rollo-Mixer is a rotary drum batch blender that uniformly blends ingredients having a wide variance in particle size, density, and proportions, typically in only 6 to 9 revolutions. Product moves by gravity in all planes. The gentle, low-shear, fast-mixing, positive displacement action creates continuous rivers of material, which course into and flow through one another in a random confluence. | {
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What is Tom Yum Soup?
Classic Tom Yum Soup is a shrimp soup served in its own broth, to which seasonings and vegetables have been added. Sometimes, dairy is also added. One could say the same of other seafood soups, like Billi B, Bouillabaisse, Portuguese Fish Stew, and dozens of others. So what puts Tom Yum over the top in most soup lovers’ minds?
To get the answer, I went straight to Asian food maven Mark Wiens, an American living in Thailand whose food sites, Migrationology and Eating Thai Food, chronicle his adventures eating just about everything made between Mumbai and Shanghai. I figured that, having eaten hundreds of bowls of Tom Yum Soup, he was definitely the person to go to on the topic.
Wiens sees Tom Yum as a symphony rather than a solo or even a quartet. “It’s popular because it includes a balance of flavors, ingredients, and textures, all in a single bowl. When you take a bite of a sour, spicy, and perfectly creamy (from the shrimp) bowl of Tom Yum Goong, it’s one of the best tastes of Thailand.” Goong, by the way, refers to the freshwater shrimp which are traditional to the dish and make the tastiest version of it.
“A traditional bowl of Tom Yum is an aromatic infusion of kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal, boiled in water with shrimp, chilies, and typically some kind of vegetable, and lime juice.”
The History of Tom Yum Soup
Amazing dish of Thailand @ Youtube
I searched for the history of Tom Yum and came up empty-handed – in my experience, this is almost always the mark of a very ancient dish, one that preceded written recipes and has become such a part of the culture it does not need further explanation.
According to Wiens, “There’s little information about the history of Tom Yum, but many say that it’s a central Thai soup that developed due to an abundance of freshwater shrimp. Boiled in water as a soup, the shrimp gave the broth a real fishy flavor, so cooks started experimenting by adding local Thai herbs into the boiling water to balance the fishy flavor. The trio of herbs that worked so well to infuse the broth with a beautiful aroma were kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal, which are still the three most important ingredients in any bowl of Tom Yum.”
This makes total sense, as Thailand’s natural highway – the Chao Phraya River – flows through central Thailand almost straight south through Bangkok, then empties into the Gulf of Thailand. The river’s fish and water fowl have fed numberless generations of Thai people, and Bangkok’s famous floating markets are filled with upriver people who come to sell their wares. Freshwater shrimp from the river would have become a Bangkok staple early on, along with other ingredients needed for the soup.
om Yum’s history in the U.S. is shorter and much easier to trace. America’s first Thai restaurant opened in Denver around 1960, the brainchild of the Thai wife of a visiting doctor. An outspoken political journalist in her home country, Lily Chittivej liked America’s freedom from political pressure and stayed. She opened the Chada Café at 408 E. 20th Avenue against the advice of Thai friends who told her that Americans would never eat there. They did, and the restaurant prospered. More Thai restaurants opened in Los Angeles near the end of the ‘60s, and the trend got a big boost when servicemen returning from Vietnam found they missed the light, fresh foods of Southeast Asia. Today, Thai is one of America’s favorite cuisines, and can be found from everywhere from Fairbanks to Key West.
How To Make Tom Yum Soup
A simple enough dish to make at home @ Evening Standard
Despite the popularity of Thai cuisine, relatively few Americans make it for themselves. Tom Yum is a perfect opportunity to find out just how easy it is to enjoy Thai at home as often as you want.
As Mark Wiens reminded us, there are two types of Tom Yum – one with clear broth and one with a creamier, opaque broth. Luckily for those of us who’d like to try both, the two differ only in their finishing stages, so make a big batch and divide it between the two
Though many people think the creamy version is made with coconut milk, it isn’t. The secret ingredient is something that should be on every soup-maker’s pantry shelf already – condensed milk. Bottled and canned ingredients, such as fish sauce and roasted chili paste, can be found in many grocery stores, while ingredients like lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal can be found fresh or dried in ethnic shops like Kalustyan’s and Bangkok Center Grocery. Freshwater shrimp are almost impossible to get, but this soup is so good you can substitute ocean shrimp, crayfish, langostinos, and even mussels. For my strictly vegan friends, I add a variety of mushrooms, including at least one strong, deeply flavorful type, such as portobello.
If you’ve never made Thai food before, Tom Yum Soup is a good place to start. It’s easy, doesn’t take too long, and – best of all – yields great results on your very first try. | {
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EVAS: The game-changing solution for aortic aneurysms (OUS only)
16th May 2014
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The Nellix EndoVascular Aneurysm Sealing (EVAS) System from Endologix is designed to completely fill and seal the aneurysm, avoiding complications usually associated with traditional endovascular aneurysm repair. In this supplement, Vascular News interviews experts in the use of the device and explores their experience and the studies assessing the Nellix technology. | {
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Eurozone Industry
Eurozone: Industrial output deteriorates in October
December 12, 2013
In October, industrial production contracted a seasonally-adjusted 1.1% over the previous month, according to data released by Eurostat on 12 December. The reading marked a deterioration over the 0.2% drop recorded in September and exceeded the 0.3% contraction the market had expected.
At a country level, Ireland (-11.6% month-on-month) and Malta (-7.4% mom) were the region's worst performers. The dismal performance of the Irish industrial sector largely reflects a strong deterioration in the all-important pharmaceutical sector as patent expiration on top-selling drugs (the so-called "patent cliff") is dragging down pharmaceutical sales. At the other end of the spectrum, Estonia (+1.1% mom) and Italy (+0.5% mom) recorded the best results. Industrial output dropped in the three remaining major regional economies (Germany: -1.2% mom; Spain: -0.8% mom; France: -0.3% mom).
On an annual basis, industrial production expanded 0.2%, which mirrored the 0.2% expansion registered in September and marked a second consecutive positive reading. Meanwhile, annual average growth in industrial production rose from minus 1.9% in September to minus 1.6% in October.
FocusEconomics Consensus Forecast panelists see industrial production contracting 1.0% in 2013, which is unchanged from last month's forecast. For 2014, panelists see industrial production rebounding to a 1.8% expansion, which is down 0.1 percentage points from last month's projection.
Author:Armando Ciccarelli, Head of Data Solutions
Sample Report
Looking for forecasts related to Industry in Eurozone? Download a sample report now. | {
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Hod's Message
Civil engineering is one of the oldest engineering disciplines because it deals with constructed environment including planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures, and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbours, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems.
These days there is an immense interest for structural specialists for fulfilling the request of infrastructural advancement alongside abilities, our area of expertise expects to form the understudies to deliver competent, trained quality engineers and managers by presenting them to various parts of Civil Engineering, for example, Structural Examination and Design, Town Planning, Transportation Engineering, Water Resources Management, Geotechnical Designing, Earthquake Engineering and so on.
We are guiding our students about the competition that they will be facing in future in the fields like private consultancy, start ups and another civil engineering professions. We always inspire students to beat the boundries and be on the top of this competitive field. Along with that, those students who want to serve themselves as govenment employees to help the government, our faculties are also eager to guide them well. We are eager to make our students laudable technological experts to contend at worldwide level.
Winner of Gujarat Dart Championship
2017-01-29
Our students Mr. Piyush Chauhan took participation in the Gujarat Dart Championship held on 28th and 29th January, 2017 and stood first in the championship at state level. We congratulate him for this grand achievement.
Winner in Inter-college football championship
2017-02-11
The inter-college football chapionship held at Bhagwan Mahavir Foundation Football Ground and students of civil engineering stood first in the tournament. We congratulate them for their big achievement. | {
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Windows media server download vista
Vista server windows download media
It has support. Security update for the libjpeg information disclosure vulnerability in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008; windows media server download vista KB4017018: Media Center was first introduced to Windows …. Media Center was first introduced to Windows …. Windows This is a Community Contributed Download.
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The startup process of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and their successors differs from the startup process part of previous versions of Windows. You can then download and run the media creation tool TVersity Media Server is a DLNA media server software designed for streaming video, audio and images to your DLNA device (including game consoles, smart TVs, Blu-ray. Security update for …. You can then download and run the media creation tool TVersity Media Server is windows media server download vista a DLNA media server software designed for streaming video, audio and images to your DLNA device (including game consoles, smart TVs, Blu-ray. | {
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Select or modify your travel plan
Overview
Since opening in 1993 this hotel has been in the top 10 of all Embassy Suites hotels worldwide for overall guest satisfaction. With 268 spacious-two room suites over 20 000 square feet of meeting space and our own championship golf course this resort can meet your every need. Guests of the Embassy Suites enjoy a complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast and a nightly manager's reception. High-speed Internet access is available throughout the hotel. At Embassy Suites Greenville Golf Resort - Conference Center exceeding your expectations is par for the course.
Location
The award-winning Embassy Suites Greenville Golf Resort - Conference Center is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the spectacular Verdae Greens Golf Course. The Embassy Suites hotel is located one minute away from the International Center for Automotive Research and Millennium Campus and just minutes from Greenville - Spartanburg International Airport downtown Greenville SC and the Palmetto Exposition Center. Other area attractions include BMW's Ultimate Driving Experience Hubbell Lighting Frankie's Fun Park Roper Mountain Science Center and the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research. | {
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In our press release of 17 December 2012 titled, “Humanitarian needs rising as residents flee fighting, seek safety in UNRWA schools”, we omitted to include in the list of UNRWA’s partners, the Syrian Government’s General Authority for Palestine Refugees (GAPAR). This omission occurred in error and is sincerely regretted.
GAPAR remains UNRWA’s principal humanitarian partner in Syria. Its support and cooperation is essential for the Agency’s programmes and operations, including the ongoing response to the present situation. The omission from the press release of 17 December does not in any way diminish the Agency’s appreciation or GAPAR’s exemplary record in supporting UNRWA and Palestine refugees over the decades.
Background Information
UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions, and financial support has not kept pace with an increased demand for services caused by growing numbers of registered refugees and deepening poverty. As a result, the UNRWA General Fund, which supports core essential services and most staffing costs, operates with a large deficit. UNRWA emergency programmes and key projects, also operating with large deficits, are funded through separate funding portals.
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, and microfinance. | {
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The Zepplin Also Rises
The Zepplin Also Rises
When forest fires broke out in a remote area of Massachusetts a couple of years ago, firefighters hampered by a lack of access roads to the blaze relied on helicopters to douse the flames. But the helicopters were ill-equipped for the task: each small craft could carry only 100 gallons of water. In fact, to extinguish the blaze, firefighters spent several days scooping water from a pond, flying to affected areas, dumping water on the flames, and then returning for more pond water.
Mike deGyurky, a program manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., figures there must be a better way to handle such emergencies. His novel approach would entail deploying a giant blimp, perhaps a mile in length. With a capacity of 50,000 tons or more, such an airship could pour more than 10 million gallons of water on a forest fire. It could also be used to transport food and water (perhaps even a small iceberg) to drought-stricken regions, dump tons of dirt and sand on a nuclear reactor to smother an incipient meltdown, or even deploy a vast tarp to contain oil spills from leaky seafaring tankers.
The concept began as a “what-if” exercise spawned during one of JPL’s lunchtime brainstorming sessions. De-Gyurky was also inspired by Theodore von Karman, JPL’s cofounder who speculated about mile-long blimps after conducting research on lighter-than-air vessels in the 1930s.
“We’re basically taking von Karman’s idea and applying technologies that have become available in the intervening 60 years,” deGyurky explains. “These include lightweight materials-synthetic fibers such as Kevlar, graphite epoxies, and the like-that are awesome in strength, and thin-film solar cells that would line the roof of the airship and provide most of the propulsive power.”
DeGyurky’s idea is still in the conceptual stage, and it’s unclear whether the plan will ever reach fruition. Nevertheless, interest in developing airships for a variety of transportation needs is rising again, 60 years after the Hindenburg explosion in 1937 grounded the commercial industry. For example, Lloyd Van Warren, deGyurky’s former colleague at JPL who now heads his own engineering firm, Warren Design Vision in Little Rock, Ark., has a somewhat different notion. Instead of a single gigantic ship, Warren is pursuing a “train in the sky”-a string of blimps linked together like sausages.
This “skytrain” would offer several advantages, according to Warren. “Flying in formation would reduce aerodynamic drag,” he says. “With a train of 50 airships, as opposed to 50 independent airships, you could realize perhaps a 50 percent savings in energy, and the savings go up as the speed of travel increases. That’s why ducks fly in formations, bicyclists ride in packs, and trucks travel in convoys.” Flexibility is another advantage: a train flying from Seattle to San Diego could uncouple along the way, dropping cars in Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and thus enable passengers and goods to travel nonstop. Security is an added bonus: whereas the failure of a gigantic blimp would mean great financial loss for its owner, one car in a string could go down without jeopardizing the entire train. Finally, solar-powered propulsion would operate virtually pollution-free.
Warren has analyzed “sky boxcars” of varying sizes-everything from a 46-foot-long ship costing about $300,000 to a half-mile-long $9 billion unit. Although preliminary price estimates are daunting, he predicts that costs could come down considerably as the price of solar cells, by far the most expensive element, continues to drop. That would raise the economic viability of skytrains and the prospects that the idea will ever proceed beyond the computer modeling stage.
The skytrain is not the only grandiose proposal being floated these days. Charles Owen, a professor of design at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and his students won the Bronze Prize at the 1993 International Design Competition in Osaka, Japan, for their conception of the AeroCarrier, a mile-and-a-half-long airship that would be “like a city in the sky,” according to Owen. The egg-shaped structure, designed to be longer than the Sears Tower is tall, would carry 3,500 passengers and crew members and still haul 35,000 tons of cargo-more than four times the capacity of the largest seafaring container ships. Once filled with helium gas, the AeroCarrier would stay aloft indefinitely. Loading and unloading of passengers and cargo would be handled by six smaller vehicles called shuttle pods.
Owen concedes the odds are slim that an airship on the mammoth scale he proposes would ever be built. But the idea has generated inquiries from several businesses, he says, including a company in Iowa interested in using an airship to transport grain, and a Texas firm that would deliver heavy oil-drilling equipment to Siberia. The attraction, says Owens, is the ability to move “very big things” not feasible by standard air freight.
Fredrick Ferguson, head of the Pan Atlantic Aerospace Corp. in Ottawa, has also received inquiries about his Cargo Airships, which are much closer to realization. In fact, Pan Atlantic has already designed a 1,500-foot-long airship composed of modular, cylindrical sections. Each section would be amenable to mass production-a feature that could make the airships “cheaper than anything that flies,” Ferguson says.
Airships have never been cost-competitive before, because there’s never been mass production in this industry.” He estimates that transport costs would be about four times lower than conventional air cargo-operating at a projected cost of 10 cents per ton-mile, compared with the 40-to-50 cents per ton-mile charged by standard air carriers. Although several times slower than cargo airplanes, the cargo airships could deliver freight three to four times faster than container ships, Ferguson maintains.
Pan Atlantic has built and flown two 50-foot prototypes and hopes to have a 600-footer up and running soon. Meanwhile prospective customers, including delivery companies like Federal Express and TNT of Australia, have already expressed interest. A tour company hopes to fly passengers from downtown Washington to a nearby (though not yet built) theme park in a Pan Atlantic airship. A Vancouver mining firm has told Ferguson that his airship might make it economical to harvest small mines that have gone untapped because of high costs and environmental impacts of laying down roads. The U.S. military also believes the airships could be used to mobilize troops and supplies quickly.
In what is perhaps the most compelling evidence of renewed interest in lighter-than-air ships, the German Zeppelin company is now back in business after lofting a 240-foot-long airship this April-its first since the 1937 crash. Called Zeppelin NT (New Technology) the airship may soon see a 360-foot-long successor that could ferry 84 passengers. | {
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Archive for Interviews
So Hodgins and Angela are now happily married…Michaela Conlin: They’re married. [Laughs] And I hear the honeymoon is over. I don’t know what else I can say.
Tell me everything!MC: [Laughs] There’s going to be some exciting stuff from them this season, definitely.
Might it involve an addition to the family for Hodgins and Angela? [Editor’s note: This interview took place before FOX released a major spoiler in a recent promo]MC: I will say, it’s not what you think.
How did the duo fare while they were away? Were they missing work?MC: Oh, I think they were just thrilled to be in Paris. I think they’re dragging their heels to come back a little bit. But I think the [break] did them well. I think we’re going to see a lot of stuff and hopefully a little bit of what happened in Paris will come out this season as well. And I think Angela is dealing with Booth having met somebody else. So as [Brennan’s] best friend, I feel she definitely is going to be called in for some recon.
Will Angela and the rest of the Jeffersonian crew accept Booth’s gf, Hannah?MC: We’ve talked about her at length. I actually know Katheryn [Winnick (Hannah)] in [real] life, which is funny. I think she’s going to be more well-received than people think. I think she is going to be surprising.
How about the Angela and Brennan friendship? Will we see the BFFs talk about the changes in Booth and Brennan’s relationship on screen? We didn’t see much of that last year…MC: Not [last season], but they are coming. Angela feels like Brennan needs to [talk]…you gotta admit this is really bothering you! You know what I mean? Come on. I think [Angela]’s dragging it out of her. Which in many ways is what I like about Angela so much, we get to see her reveal this other side of Brennan which she doesn’t always want to reveal, obviously.
Yeah, absolutely. And Angela certainly is a force to be reckoned with. Will her time in Paris have her reverting back to some of her more whimsical tendencies?MC: You know, even in really subtle things like her wardrobe, there’s a little bit of a shift in the beginning of the season, a French influence and stuff. I feel like [with] Angela, the great thing is she’s still as sexually open and bold as she ever was. I think the [wedding] ring to her means that she’s now monogamous, but it doesn’t really mean she’s any less wild.
So she still may resort to flashing someone to get information?MC: I hope so! [Laughs] I’m sure she will be. She uses her wiles, that Angela.
And how are things with her ex, Wendell?MC: Wendell is still around…he’s in the first episode — the season opener — and it’s a very platonic banter. I don’t think Angela would ever do anything to cross a line there, but she still finds him hot. She still finds him attractive.
Who wouldn’t?MC: It’s true. I know, I feel like he’s my little brother, Michael Grant Terry (Wendell). But he’s such a sweetheart.
There won’t be awkwardness now that she went back to Hodgins after the Angela-Wendell breakup?MC: No, it’s not so awkward. I should say it’s not awkward for [Wendell] and I. It might awkward for Hodgins and Wendell.
As long as you stay out of the awkwardness, I’m sure the boys can duke it out appropriately. Now, how about the Gravedigger? I’m hearing she’ll be revisited this season?MC: I don’t know anything about that episode. I just know someone is leaving. And I hope it’s not me! [Laughs]
Well, BONES creator Hart Hanson just promised at Comic-Con that Angela and Hodgins were going to stay together, so it would seem you are safe.MC: I think they are. I have to read everybody else’s stuff to find out [what they say at Comic-Con].
Why don’t they have you at Comic-Con? I think you should be there.MC: You know what? Thank you! I completely agree. Keep asking Hart, maybe I’ll get to go again. | {
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With a smile and a song – Adriana Caselotti – Page 2
Despite being the voice of the film’s central character, Adriana had no idea Snow White was going to be such an important film. She saw no rushes from the picture and never even heard a playback of her recordings. “They forgot to tell me that it was going to be a feature-length film,” she laughs, “They had said it would be longer than their usual seven minute shorts, so I figured that it would be maybe a 20 or 25 minute short. They didn’t say and I was a dumb little kid and didn’t ask!”
An early publicity still for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, signed by Adriana Caselotti, right.
Eventually Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was completed and scheduled for a gala premiere at Hollywood’s Carthay Circle Theater on 21 December 1937.
Harry Stockwell, who had played the voice of the Prince, suggested to Adriana that they should go to the premiere: “We felt it would be fine just to turn up, which we did. The girl at the door said, ‘May I have your tickets?’ and I said, ‘I’m Snow White and this is Prince Charming!’ to which she replied, ‘I don’t care if you’re the Witch, you’re not going in without tickets!’ So we waited till she wasn’t looking and sneaked in. She ran after us but we got up to the balcony, way over on one side, and she couldn’t find us!”
The audience reception for Snow White was ecstatic: “They were so thrilled by what was going on, they clapped any little piece of business that amused them, and applauded all the songs, even before they were finished.” It was an unforgettable experience for the now 21 year old, standing in the balcony of the crowded theatre as an audience, which included some of Hollywood’s fairest leading ladies – among them Marlene Dietrich, Carole Lombard and Judy Garland – gave her cartoon persona a standing ovation.
Her one regret was that no one knew who she was, since neither she nor any of the other voice talents received screen credits. “Walt Disney,” she explains, “thought it would spoil the illusion if you knew who the people were who provided the voices in the film.”
Shortly after the premier, however, Adriana was invited to perform at the Trocadero, one of Los Angeles’ famous night spots, where she sang the Snow White songs.
In the audience that night was Jack Benny, who had the most popular radio show in America. After the show, the comedian went up to the young singer and said:
“Snow While, I love you! Will you be on my show?” Adriana, who saw this as an important break in her career, eagerly accepted Jack Benny’s invitation. But, unfortunately, when the show’s producer called the Disney studio for permission, he received the unequivocal response: “Walt says no!”
Adriana’s career as a professional signer and actress ended as abruptly as it had begun. She never made another film for Walt Disney or anyone else.
Disney later relented in his attitude towards revealing Snow White’s identity, and she was taken on promotional tours for the film, accompanied by Pinto Colvig (who spoke for Grumpy and Sleepy) and Clarence Nash (the voice of Donald Duck), companions whom she remembers with great affection. Pinto Colvig, a former Circus clown (who also provided the voice for Goofy, the Practical Pig and other Disney characters), was a permanently happy-go- lucky fellow quite unlike the misanthropic Grumpy. He once told Adriana, when she asked how he managed to be so happy all the time: “You know something? I’m so happy because I’m not mad at anybody.”
As for Clarence Nash, she recalls how he would suddenly talk like Donald Duck in some unlikely place such as a crowded elevator, where he once set a couple of nuns giggling by accosting them with Donald’s customary greeting to any female: “Hi, Toots!”
With each reissue of the film, Adriana – dressed in a Snow White costume – would tour radio stations, schools and children’s hospitals. She wore the famous hair-ribbon and the dress with puff-sleeves until a day in 1951, as she was leaving a school, where she had been making an appearance, and heard two little girls talking: “Oh, look!” one said to her friend, “there’s Snow White – but she’s so old!” Adriana remembers her feelings of devastation at the time, and then bursts into another peal of laughter: “Boy! She should see me now!”
The costume went into mothballs, but Adriana went on being Snow White. Today, if she meets anyone who looks particularly gloomy or sad she starts singing “I’m Wishing”, or one of the other numbers from the film, and watches as grown men and women – once they’ve got over the initial shock -drift back into their childhood and remember, with glazed eyes, the first time they saw Snow White.
The Disney Studio used Adriana’s voice lust one more time when, in 1983, they asked her to re-record “I’m Wishing” for the Wishing Well that stands beside Disneyland’s Snow While Grotto. The song, taken from the film track, had been heard every fifteen minutes for the past 28 years and had become a little tired. It was with some trepidation that Adriana faced the re- recording. But using the same key she had sung in all those years before, Adriana perfectly recreated the song and its echo – although only, she believes, with a little help from the spirit of Snow White’s creator.
Fewer and fewer of those who worked on the film are still around, but Snow White, says Adriana, will never die. “You will see it all your life and, no matter what happens, it will be preserved – even 2000 years from now – and I know that my voice will live forever, and that makes me very happy!”
Happiness is something the once divorced, twice widowed Adriana talks a lot about. Her philosophy of life is as simple and naive as Snow White’s. Obviously the film which gave her such anonymous fame is very special to her, but also, she maintains, it is special to the world: “I think Snow White says everything is going to be all right, everything happens for the best and you can have anything you want if you want it badly enough. But just be careful not to step on anyone’s toes on the way up, because you may not keep it.”
Adriana Caselotti hasn’t achieved everything she might once have dreamed of, but she possesses some knowledge of what true happiness is; and when she says she “wishes everyone a beautiful life”, you can’t help but hope – since it’s Snow White that’s wishing it – that wishes really do come true… | {
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made by hand, drawn from life
political pottery
Pottery is often used to express political positions. As a slogan on a mug, or in a more subtle use of material and decorative form to express social allegiance.
mermaid in pollution
Porcelain for example,has been associated with upper class power and money. It is expensive to produce and requires high firing methods. The material secrets where closely guarded by the Eastern potters who created it. It was patronised by Royalty and aspired to by gentry.
Slip decorated earthenware is associated with working class production. The pottery of ordinary people expressing their own interests and concerns. It is a truly democratic material. Anybody can dig it up and fire it with little cost. This is a main reason reason that I choose to work with it.
After the ExpulsionBased on a Thomas Toft platter.
Red clay is full of imperfection and life, it is not exclusive and forms a link to my own working class roots and passion for gardening. It is the nearest thing to mud that I can use.
These plates make use of traditional decoration seen on 17th Century Thomas Toft platters. They have looked from a contemporary perspective.
Toft’s mermaid is stressed by a crowded life amongst all that pollution, and Eden has been allowed to go wild now Adam and Eve are gone. Into a post apocalyptic state. | {
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Play as Vader in Force Unleashed
LucasArts has revealed that you will be able to play as Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
You will fill his leather boots for the entire first level as you seek out the boy who eventually becomes the game protagonist: the Secret Apprentice.
"We created a level at the beginning of the game where you play as Darth Vader and go to the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyk," Haden Blackman, project lead, told GameTrailers. "And during the course of the level he finds this boy who becomes, ultimately, his Secret Apprentice."
Haden Blackman went on to reveal that Force Choke, as one of Vader's core powers, would be usable, so choking Wookies "will definitely be in the game".
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is the first current-generation game to come out of LucasArts' revamped internal studios, and has turned plenty of heads thanks to its over-the-top helping of Force powers.
Joining the internally-developed 360/PS3 game will be a version for Wii, PS2 and PSP by Krome Studios, and a DS game by n-Space. All will be based on the same storyline, which takes place after Revenge of the Sith and before A New Hope.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will be out in Europe on 19th September.
Bertie is a senior staff writer, which doesn't mean he's old, although he is, a bit. He's part of the furniture here and reports on all kinds of things, the stranger the better. He's a bit odd but then who isn't? @Clert on Twitter. | {
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Could The Wooly Mammoth Roam The Earth Again?
It’s really happening people! Russia is moving forward with plans to unveil the $5.9 million dollar project that will be the first real-life Jurassic Park.
Within a couple of years from now, watching Woolly Mammoths forage the Siberian tundra could be more than just a fantasy.
Although thought to have been extinct for nearly 10,000 years, Russia’s scientists from the Northern-Eastern Federal University (NEFU), located in Yakutsk, plan on bringing them back to the here and now.
Russia’s unveiling of the costly project is set to happen at the 4th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok this month between September 11th-13th.
Russian President, Vladimir Putin, will be revealing research facilities that will purportedly include subterranean laboratories beneath the permafrost of Yakutsk, the coldest city in the world. The purpose of which is to restore extinct animals back to life from preserved soft-tissue.
The reasoning behind the location? Sample tissue origination.
Thanks to the often below-freezing climes of Yakutsk, most of the soft tissue samples of ancient, long-gone, species we have in possession today have been preserved there.
In truth, a total of 80% of all Pleistocene and Holocene animals with viable soft tissue have been discovered in Yakutsk alone. The genetic material required in order to make a clone, though, has to be of the highest quality.
Fortunately, the remains of these ancient land animals have been so well-preserved that, according to Dr. Lena Grigorieva in an interview with The Siberian Times, they are so far unmatched in genetic quality.
“There is no such unique material anywhere else in the world.”
Dr. Grigorieva, who spearheads the research for the International Centre for Collective Use ‘Molecular Paleontology’ of the NEFU’s Institute of Applied Ecology of the North, also says that they haven’t been working alone.
The Russian University has been working closely with the South Korean SOOAM Biotech Research Foundation in the hunt for mammoth genetic material, as well as plans to bring it back from extinction since 2012.
The two powerhouse research institutes came together after SOOAM’s breakthrough in 2011 when the research foundation successfully presented 8 perfect baby coyotes to the world.
The coyotes had been cloned in their facility using a female dog as a surrogate.
SOOAM’s success in the endeavor quickly grabbed Russia’s attention, as both have harbored long-time aspirations of bringing the ancient beast back to life.
So it’s no surprise that the following year, the two joined scientific forces, and South Korean researchers began taking summer excursions into the Yakutsk region, hunting for the perfect piece of Mammoth genetic material.
The mammoth isn’t the only species we may see come back to life within the next couple of decades, either.
The joint research project between Russia’s NEFU and SOOAM seeks to bring back several other species as well, so long as they find viable genetic material coupled with a not-too-distant “cousin” to carry each individual species to term.
In order for a successful clone to take place of an extinct animal, you would have to use inter-species cloning techniques, of which SOOAM is the world leader.
In the instance of a mammoth, the Asian elephant is the best bet for carrying the baby clone to term, as the birthing weight of a calf Asian elephant and a baby mammoth are the same (roughly 200 lbs).
Some the other species we can expect to see, possibly before the Woolly Mammoth itself, are the Woolly Rhinoceros, extinct Siberian Cave Lions, and varying breeds of ancient extinct horses.
Just two weeks ago, researchers recovered a 40,000-year-old horse of the extinct Lenskaya breed in the Yakutsk region, and they discovered two perfectly preserved extinct cave lion cubs last year, dating back around 12,000 years. Both discoveries yielded enough genetic material for cloning.
While whether or not scientists should actually be practicing raising the dead in terms of the extinct, is a highly controversial question of ethics. Though as long as there is funding for the research, scientists plan to carry on in their experiments.
Information on this website is displayed for informational purposes only. We cannot guarantee the results of our products, services or articles written by our staff or articles taken from outside sources. | {
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#funseekingkids round-up week 22
Hi and welcome back to my #funseekingkids round-up. I hope you all had a lovely bank holiday weekend filled with fun. From the images you’ve been tagging #funseekingkids with, it certainly looks that way! This week was a real hard one for me to get my shortlist down from about 16 to 4! But, I finally got there. So, onto my #funseekingkids round-up week 22!
If you’re wondering what #funseekingkids is all about, it’s pretty simple really. It’s a new Instagram hashtag set up by me and Alana who blogs at Burnished Chaos. Anyone can use the hashtag when they post photos of kids having fun. Each week we share our favourite four images on our blogs and on our Instagram feeds. If you’re a blogger we’ll link over to your blog too. But don’t worry you don’t need to be a blogger to join in. If you’re new to the community please do share the love and let your friends know, we’d love to see some more feeds join us each week.
#funseekingkids round-up week 22
1. My first choice is this super pretty fairy one from Sian at Hue My Happy. It looks like a perfect bank holiday weekend was enjoyed here!
A post shared by HueMeHappy (@hue_me_happy_) on Aug 28, 2017 at 2:32pm PDT
2. Next is this absolutely gorgeous from from Liz who blogs at That Liz and Those Boys. I love a good “throw them up in the air” shot, and have taken a fair few in my time. The enjoyment on this little ones face is clear to see. Thanks for joining our community Liz!
3. My third choice is one of a fellow jumping bean! Miss Belle absolutely loves a trampoline at the moment and by the looks of it, so does this guy. Thanks to Susie from So Happy In Town for joining us with this wicked photo.
A post shared by SoHappyInTown (@sohappyintown) on Aug 25, 2017 at 6:35am PDT
4. My final choice is this one from Dear Mummy Blog. Am I weird but I never did the duck race thing as a child?! But it looks great fun for kids and something we hope to do with Miss Belle when she’s older.
So that’s my #funseekingkids round-up week 22. If you don’t follow these accounts already go over and show them some love. Remember to keep tagging your photos of your kids having fun and playing with the hashtag. I’ll be back next week.
Hi there!
Hi, I'm Susie, and I think one of life's great pleasures is fabulous food! I absolutely love to cook and this blog is where I share some of our family favourite recipes, sweet treats and reviews on places to eat. I also write about my favourite places to spend time with my wonderful family, my husband Matt and two children, in beautiful Norfolk. Thanks for visiting! | {
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Time
Electricity
Language
The official language is Mandarin Chinese, but there are hundreds of local dialects.
Travel Health
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from
travellers coming into China from infected areas. There is a risk
of malaria throughout the low-lying areas of the country, and it is
recommended that travellers to China seek medical advice about
malaria before departure. Vaccinations are recommended against
hepatitis A and hepatitis B, typhoid (not necessary if eating and
drinking in major restaurants and hotels), Japanese encephalitis
(usually only recommended for rural areas), and rabies (only
recommended for travellers at risk of animal bites). Tap water
shouldn't be drunk unless it has first been boiled, filtered or
chemically disinfected. Street food should be treated with
caution.
There is generally a high standard of health care in major
Chinese cities, but it is not provided free of charge; travellers
are advised to have comprehensive travel health insurance.
Tipping
Tipping is not officially recognised in China, though the
practice is has become increasingly common among tour guides,
top-end restaurants, tour bus drivers and hotel staff. Travellers
wanting to tip should leave a gratuity of about 10 percent. Large
hotels and restaurants often include a service charge in their
bills, usually of around 10 percent, so travellers should make sure
that they aren't doubling up.
Safety Information
China is generally safe, and there is currently little threat
from global terrorism. The risk of terror attacks is higher in the
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and travellers should exercise
caution if travelling to this area. Serious crime against
foreigners is rare but does occur, particularly in isolated or
sparsely populated areas. There has been an increase in the number
of muggings and robberies at Beijing International Airport and
around the Jianguomenwai area of Beijing, as well as in Shenzen,
bordering Hong Kong. If travelling alone, including following parts
of the Great Wall, it is advisable to leave an itinerary and
expected time of return with a third party. Travellers should take
extra care in street markets and at tourist sites, which attract
thieves and pickpockets, and around the popular expat bar areas at
night, where lone foreigners have occasionally been attacked.
Travellers should be cautious about using pedicabs in Beijing, as
tourists have reportedly been mugged by the drivers; women in
particular have been targeted. Seasonal heavy rains and typhoons
cause hundreds of deaths in China each year, particularly those
areas bordering the Yangtze River in central, southern and western
China. Demonstrations have taken place in Lhasa, Tibet, as well as
in some Chinese provinces in protest against Chinese rule in Tibet.
Even though the situation seems to have stabilised, visitors are
advised to stay up to date on the situation before travelling to
the region and to avoid all protests. The Chinese government
sometimes suspends the issue of permits for travel to Tibet due to
unrest.
Local Customs
Chinese people usually have three names, the first of which is
their surname, or family name. As a result, visitors should be
prepared for hotels mistakenly reserving rooms under their first
names. For clarity, surnames may be underlined. When addressing
Chinese people, the surname should come first and official titles
should be used. Chinese handshakes last longer than those in
western countries, and it is customary to stand close together when
in conversation. Politeness in western terms is often foreign to
the Chinese, and they rarely bother with pleasantries. All
foreigners should carry their ID on them at all times, as spot
checks are common. Failure to show evidence of ID when requested by
an official may result in a fine or detention.
Business
The Chinese are strict timekeepers and being late for a meeting
is considered rude. When meeting people for the first time it is
normal to shake hands and say 'ni hao', which means 'how
are you'. Note that handshakes generally go on for longer in China
than in most western countries. Business cards are commonly
exchanged at the start of meetings in China; it is customary to
have one side printed in Chinese and one in English. When giving or
receiving business cards or a gift, it is customary to hold it with
both hands. Chinese consider gifts an important show of courtesy.
During a meal or reception, your host is likely to offer a toast;
foreigners may be expected to offer them one in return.
Women are generally treated with respect and courtesy when doing
business in China and it is increasingly common to find Chinese
women in senior positions, especially in the big cities.
Businesswomen should, however, avoid showing too much skin.
Business dress for both men and women tends to be conservative and
plain without much ornament or bright colour.
Business hours are 8am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday. A five-day
week is more common in larger cities and international companies.
Workers usually take their lunch break between 12pm and 2pm and it
is not unusual to find offices empty during this time.
Communications
The international dialling code for China is +86. Phone cards
are widely available and calls can be made from post offices and
hotels; phone booths on the streets are usually for local calls
only. In hotels, local calls are generally free or will be charged
only a nominal fee. Mobile phone networks are very advanced and
Chinese networks have roaming agreements with most non-North
American international operators. Internet cafes are available in
most main towns.
Duty Free
Travellers to China do not need to pay customs duty on 400
cigarettes or 100 cigars or 500g of tobacco; 1.5 litres of alcohol;
perfume for personal use; and personal articles up to the value of
¥2000. Prohibited goods include arms, ammunition, or printed
material that conflicts with the public order or moral standards of
the country. Also prohibited are radio transmitters and receivers,
exposed but undeveloped film and fresh produce. Strict regulations
apply to the import and export of antiquities, banned publications,
and religious literature. All valuables must be declared on the
forms provided.
Become our Guilin Travel Expert
We are looking for contributors for our Guilin travel guide.
If you are a local, a regular traveller to Guilin
or a travel professional with time to contribute and answer occasional forum questions, please contact us. | {
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Book: Israeli spies behind Iran assassinations
WASHINGTON (AP) - A new book claims Israel's spy agency dispatched assassins into Iran, as part of a campaign to sabotage the country's disputed nuclear program.
Israeli operatives have killed at least four Iranian nuclear scientists, including targeting them with operatives on motorcycles, an assassination technique used by the Israeli spy service, the Mossad, according to authors Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman in their book to be published July 9, "Spies Against Armageddon: Inside Israel's Secret Wars".
The Mossad agents "excel at accurate shooting at any speed and staying steady to shoot and to place exquisitely shaped sticky bombs" and consider it their hallmark, Raviv said Friday during an interview with both authors.
The hits are part of a series of regular missions deep inside Iran, intended to keep Tehran from developing weapons and following through with threats by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to wipe Israel off the map. U.S. officials have said in the past that they were not involved, and they don't know who did it.
The U.S. and Israel accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.
Iran has long blamed the scientists' killings on Israel, which has remained silent on the matter, but media reports speculated Israel had contracted killers to do the job.
"They don't farm out a mission that is that sensitive," so sensitive that Israel's prime minister has to sign off on it personally, Raviv said. "They might use dissidents for assistance or logistics but not the hit itself. The methodology and training and use of motorcycles is all out of the Mossad playbook. They wouldn't trust anybody else to do it."
The Mossad operatives enter and exit Iran through a "multitude" of routes, using a series of safe houses once inside the country that predate the 1979 revolution, the authors said.
In Friday's interview, co-author Melman said Israel believes the campaign successfully disrupted Iran's nuclear program not only by taking out key scientists but also dissuading other up-and-coming scholars from joining the program.
Raviv is a CBS News correspondent, and Melman is a well-known Israeli reporter and commentator.
Israel has told the Obama administration that it expects American military power to "obliterate" Iran's nuclear program, the authors said. If the U.S. does not act, Israel has threatened to attack Iran's nuclear sites on its own. The U.S. prefers the carrot-and-stick approach of talks aimed at convincing Iran to stick to a peaceful nuclear regime, combined with increasingly harsh financial sanctions to punish Iran as it improves its current program.
The two nations have cooperated on the harassment campaign, including partnering on cyber programs like Stuxnet, malware credited with damaging the control panel on centrifuges in Iran's nuclear plant.
Melman said the cyber campaign was an Israeli innovation, not an American one as recently reported. It was the brainchild of Israel's military intelligence agency Aman and Unit 8200- Israel's equivalent of the eavesdropping, code-breaking National Security Agency- and endorsed by the White House at Israel's suggestion, he added.
Israel's cyber warriors then worked with NSA to build malware. The program Flame was built first- a Trojan horse code designed to penetrate the Iranian nuclear sites and "suck information about the (uranium-enriching) centrifuges and how they operate," Melman said. Once the Israeli and U.S. cyber experts got that information, they were able to build Stuxnet. | {
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women
Women’s Swimsuits
Women’s pro wrestling has come a long way since it’s inception. There are a selection of ways in which you’ll care for your mental well being to help improve your high quality of life for you and the folks you like. What I mean is that whereas women play an important role in the life of the family, many aren’t recognized for their efforts.
A person would assume that was pretty clear that God created HIM, that is man, in his picture and never lady. Gender inequality from the definition of the two completely different words is the state of not treating the male and female genders equally or the state of affairs where the female and male usually are not given equal perspectives.
That is true, however logically, this does not mean that women’s empowerment in its personal right doesn’t cause prosperity. So while some individuals on the earth might imagine only a slim lady deserves recognition and respect, I must say there are lovely and curvy women the world over.
Women are very good at detecting lies, better than you may suppose, and she is going to know its not true should you attempt to tell her that you simply just began sporting women’s lingerie right this moment, or that you simply’re doing it as a dare. Womanhood is the period in a human feminine’s life after she has handed through childhood and adolescence, usually round age 18.
Thoughts you, that is an ALL feminine work atmosphere with about 25+ women. Statistics show that children usually tend to bond with a male partner of their mother than the feminine associate of their father. Going again so far as 1868, in a time the place women have been thought of second class citizens alongside of African Individuals reveal how far in society we have come.
As a result of I have seen some fairly scrawny male troopers, and I have numerous skinny man friends that I would by no means belief my life with because they’re clumsy and weaker than my little sister. We each know that generally females speak so much. | {
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Great news for teachers who have chaffed at not being able to utilize Google Apps for Education such as Google Drive, Gmail, and Google forms! At the summer ICT institute, the Nova Scotia Department of Education announced the roll out of Google Apps for Education tools to the school boards. Each school board will be responsible for what tools are to be permissible for teachers to use. It is expected that some school boards may wish to have pilot schools for the first year but that would be a school board decisiion. The reason for this change in policy was a year long privacy impact assessment (PIA) and review process (with provincial and school board representation) to ensure that these tools would not contravene the PIIDPA (Personal Information International Disclosure Protection Act of 2006) Act. The future is now!! | {
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A new Irish comedy titled “A Film With Me in It” premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival yesterday. It features a cameo by Jonathan! Director Neil Jordan also makes a cameo appearance. The sypnosis: A dissolute scriptwriter and a struggling actor accidentally become embroiled in a seemingly inescapable web of murder and lies. Desperately trying to take control of their situation, Dylan Moran and Mark Doherty shine as the two helpless victims of fate. With Keith Allen providing a hilarious turn as their gruff landlord, this blackly comic thriller...
For the first time, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has announced the top 10 finalists for Best Drama and Best Comedy series. In previous years, lists would leak based on insider information and speculation. This year, the Academy has officially released the list. “The Tudors” has made it to the top 10 list for Best Drama series for the first time. It was widely known that it did not make the top 10 list last year. This weekend, the top 10 list will be whittled down to...
The 2008 Teen Choice Awards nominees were announced today and “August Rush” received a nod for Choice Movie: Drama. It’s up against “21”, “Into the Wild”, “Step Up 2: The Streets” and “Stop-Loss”. Keri Russell was also nominated for Choice Movie Actress: Drama for her role in “August Rush”. You can vote online at TeenChoiceAwards.com.
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About
Jonathan Rhys Meyers is one of the most unique and talented actors working today. He's a marvel to watch tackling a wide range of roles few actors would dare pull off. Since 1997, the Jonathan Rhys Meyers fansite has been providing reliable information for fans and to those who want to find out about this dynamic actor. Learn more » | {
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Configure Organization Profile
Before you actually start using Zoho Books, you must configure your Organization Profile. To configure:
Click the Gear icon in the top-right corner of the window.
Select Organization Profile.
Enter and select the relevant details pertaining to your organization.
Click Save.
Update the Opening Balances
Next, you must generate the trial balance report from your existing system and enter the appropriate account balances in Zoho Books. To enter the opening balances:
Click the Gear icon in the top-right corner of the window.
Select Opening Balances.
Click Edit.
Select an Opening Balance Date by clicking the date field. This is the date in which you are migrating your accounts from your current accounting system to Zoho Books.
Click Click here to enter the opening balance to edit the Accounts Receivable and Operating Payable.
Using the current trial balance report from your existing system, enter appropriate balances for your accounts in Zoho Books.
Note: You may have to make adjustments in your opening balances accordingly if you have already imported your invoices, bills, expenses, payments etc., into Zoho Books so that you could ensure all your accounts are balanced.
Technically debits and credits have to match and there should be zero balance. If there are differences between debits and credits, it will be held in the Opening Balance Adjustments account.
Click Continue.
Click Confirm to finish setting up Opening Balances.
Create Taxes
During the initial setup of Zoho Books, you would have added the taxes and the tax authorities as it was in the old system. If you’ve not added them, you must manually create the taxes. Also, you must create tax authorities and associate taxes to it.
To create taxes:
Click the Gear icon in the top-right corner of the window.
Select Taxes.
Click the + New Tax button.
Enter a Tax Name and Rate (%) .
Select a Tax Authority from the dropdown menu or type the tax authority name to add it.
Click Save.
Repeat the process to create the other required taxes.
Note:
If you import transactions with taxes associated to it and if those taxes are not present in Zoho Books, then the system will create new taxes with the available details.
If you import a transaction with multiple taxes applied to it and if those taxes are not present in Zoho Books, then the system will create a new tax group with the available details.
Export Data from Previous System
Now, you can export the data from the previous accounting system to import them into Zoho Books. To export:
Go to the modules that you want to import in Zoho Books and use the export option.
Save the files in the appropriate format on your device.
Note: Zoho Books supports only CSV, TSV and XLS file formats and you must ensure that the data is exported in any one of the supported formats.
Import Data into Zoho Books
In Zoho Books you have the option to import data from your computer to speed up the data collation process inside every module.
Import Chart of Accounts
Import the Chart of Accounts of your previous accounting system to set up all the accounts in Zoho Books. To import:
Go to the Accountants module from the left pane in Zoho Books.
Click the Gear dropdown in the top-right corner.
Select Import Chart of Accounts.
Click Choose File. (Note: You can download a sample file to compare it with the exported file.)
Choose the appropriate Character Encoding from the dropdown menu to match the exported file format.
Choose the File Delimiter from the dropdown menu according to the exported file.
Click Next.
Map the fields of the imported file to the fields in Zoho Books.
Check Save these selections for use during future imports. to use the same mapping in future imports.
Click Next.
A list of the ready-to-be-imported, skipped and unmapped fields is displayed for final verification.
Click Import.
Import Modules
Now, import the data of each module, such as Contacts, Items, Estimates, Invoices, etc. into Zoho Books either in CSV, TSV or XLS.
For modules such as Items and Price Lists, you can find the import and export option under the Settings icon dropdown.
For the Contacts module and other modules under Sales & Purchases, you can find the import and export option under Menu icon in the list view.
To import:
Navigate to the module you would like to import data.
Click the Import option from the dropdown menu.
You will be directed to another page where the data you wish to be imported needs to be uploaded.
Data can be uploaded either as a CSV (Comma-Separated Values), TSV (Tab-Separated Values) or XLS (eXceL Spreadsheet) file from your hard drive. Also select the character encoding based on your import file and click Next.
Note:
You have the option to download a sample file to compare it to the file you are importing to ensure that the import is quick and efficient. Click on sample file to download it to your computer.
Map the fields of the imported file to the fields in Zoho Books.
Check Save these selections for use during future imports. to use the same mapping in future imports.
Click Next.
A list of the ready-to-be-imported, skipped and unmapped fields is displayed for final verification.
Click Import.
Add Bank or Credit Card Accounts
After you’ve imported the transactions of various modules into Zoho Books, you might want to add your bank accounts and credit card accounts in the Banking module and have the imported transactions matched or categorized for your bank reconciliation.
To add a new bank account or credit card account:
Go to the Banking module.
Click the Add Bank or Credit Card button at the top-right corner of the window.
Search for your bank and select the bank you wish to add.
Enter the credentials and select the appropriate account to configure the bank account in Zoho Books.
Import Bank Feeds
Now, navigate to the bank account in your Banking module. If you’ve linked your Zoho Books bank account to your bank’s website, the bank feeds which are upto 90 days old will be fetched into the account.
If you want to fetch the feeds which are beyond 90 days old, you can import them manually. To import:
Click the Import Statement button on the top-right corner of the window.
Or, click the Gear dropdown and select Import Statement.
Click Choose File to select the statement to be imported. (Note: You can download a sample file to compare it with the exported file.)
Select the Amount Column.
Choose the Character Encoding from the dropdown menu as UTF - 8 (Unicode).
Choose the File Delimiter from the dropdown menu according to the exported file.
Click Next.
Map the fields of the imported file to the fields in Zoho Books.
Check Save these selections for use during future imports. to use the same mapping in future imports.
Click Next.
A list of the ready-to-be-imported, skipped and unmapped fields is displayed for final verification.
We don’t directly support importing your journals, deposits, fund transfers etc., from your existing accounting system. But, you must enter or update the entries in Zoho Books accordingly so that all your accounts match.
Please ensure that you map the fields properly and get rid of unnecessary commas, blank columns etc., and special characters like apostrophes, asterisks etc.
If you have imported all your invoices or bills, ensure that appropriate statuses are maintained even after the migration.
Please note while you import your files into Zoho Books, the value in the field should match with the data type supported by Zoho Books. There will be unmapped fields in your import file that would not have been mapped to any Zoho Books field. Hence, if you want these fields to be imported, the column header(s) should be mapped properly.
You’ll not be able to import the data backup files of a Zoho Books organization into a new Zoho Books organization.
If you need further support regarding entering any of your business transactions in Zoho Books, please contact us anytime, our support folks will touch base with you soon. | {
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Newest Luxury Food: Peanut Butter
As climate change continues on its seemingly unstoppable path, it has claimed America’s food banks and pantries as its latest victims. The reason? The rising cost of peanut butter.
This year, high heat and drought conditions in Texas and the Southeast caused a 30 percent spike in the price of peanut butter. And that, in turn, has made it more difficult for food banks to meet the high demand for peanut butter. Kid-friendly, resistant to spoilage, and compatible with most religious restrictions, it has long had a reputation as the poor man’s protein; during the Great Depression, it was successfully marketed as an affordable alternative to meat. It’s no accident that, according to the USDA, peanut butter consumption in U.S. households has risen 10 percent since 2008.
So this latest chapter in peanut butter’s history is as ironic as it is mean: The president and CEO of one Cleveland food bank told the Washington Post that if peanut butter becomes as costly as some kinds of meat, meat might actually prove to be the better deal. Adding insult to injury, higher prices have resulted in less peanut butter being made available through the USDA’s commodities program, which buys surpluses of it and other foods and distributes them to nonprofits and schools.
This time of year, of course, is when we’re asked to think of those less fortunate. Barring new jobs or a moratorium on home foreclosures, a jar of Skippy could prove to be the gift most likely to keep on giving. | {
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Personal Statement
My experience is coupled with genuine concern for my patients. All of my staff is dedicated to your comfort and prompt attention as well....more
My experience is coupled with genuine concern for my patients. All of my staff is dedicated to your comfort and prompt attention as well.
More about Dr. Avinash Lokhande
Dr. Avinash Lokhande is a trusted Radiologist in Ghatkopar West, Mumbai. You can meet Dr. Avinash Lokhande personally at Metro Diagnostic Centre in Ghatkopar West, Mumbai. Book an appointment online with Dr. Avinash Lokhande and consult privately on Lybrate.com.
Find numerous Radiologists in India from the comfort of your home on Lybrate.com. You will find Radiologists with more than 35 years of experience on Lybrate.com. You can find Radiologists online in Mumbai and from across India. View the profile of medical specialists and their reviews from other patients to make an informed decision.
Cancer is the one of the biggest threat to the young indian population because of the factors that cause cancer, but also due to late detection. However, certain bad habbits and the factors increase the risk of cancer in india.
Causes of cancer in india1. Overpopulation and the problem of nutrition: as per records, india is the world's third most populous country. However, it lacks in resources to feed the multiplying number of mouths. Nutrition plays a key role in deciding the quality of a person's life. Nutrition has therefore emerged as an essential branch of research and medical care in the last few decades. Lack of nutrition directly results in weakened immunity. Your body becomes prone to diseases, some of which can be fatal. To fight off cancer cells, one must have a strong immune system that comes from the right kind of nutrition.
2. Smoking is a recurrent habit among children and adults: smoking can cause cancer. Every cigarette packet reads the same warning messages but it doesn't actually deter smokers in any way. Smoking is prevalent among people of all age groups in india. From poor children to conscious educated adults, all are seen smoking.
3. A tropical country and its woes: tropical countries are known to face the wrath of the sun. While most places in central, western, partly eastern and southern india experience extremes of temperature in summer, other places with moderately hot summers are not exempted from the harmful uv rays. Ultraviolet rays can be very harmful for one's skin, as it can cause skin cancer. Indians have a high amount of melanin, which protects them against sun rays, but the threat exists nonetheless.
4. The concept of fast food: a global economy has opened avenues awaiting your attention in the realm of food. To suit the tones and moods of a fast life, fast food has been made available to you. We take pride in consuming things that can be prepared in an instant: instant noodles, soups and even curries. Packaged food and junk food are sources of cancer cells.
5. Lack of awareness regarding the most common types of cancer: breast and cervical cancer are the two most common types of cancer eating away the health of indians. The problem lies in being unaware about the root causes, symptoms and treatment procedures related to these kinds of cancer. Social repression turns health concerns into matters of insignificance. Women fear social alienation after coming in the open with their problems.
Investigations advised -
hb, tlc, dlc, esr, sugar f & pp, uric acid, vit d3
urine r/e
x ray of the affected part. Anyway you may try-
sleep on a hard bed with soft bedding on it. Spring beds, folding beds or thick mattress are harmful
use no pillow under the head.
Do hot fomentation.
Paracetamol 250mg od & sos x 5days.
Caldikind plus 1tab od x10. Do neck back knee & general exercises. It may have to be further investigated.
Make sure you are not allergic to any of the medicines you are going to take.
If no relief in 4_5 days, then inform again.
Madam lybrate-user you have sever deficiency of these minrals and vitakins with L4- 5 bulge
in my openion you should immediately consult local Orthopedic surgeon and got your treatment according to his advice. At this age this short of deficiency can lead to further complication.
You should do a proper regime of medicaton and Exercises for 3 months. the kind of exercises depend on your x-ray and mri reports.
Only of this fails completely then we think of other measures like injections to the spine, surgery etc.
the basic principle of spine therapy is minimal intervention.
Investigations advised -
hb, tlc, dlc, esr, sugar f & pp, uric acid, vit d3
urine r/e
x ray of the affected part. Anyway you may try-
sleep on a hard bed with soft bedding on it. Spring beds, folding beds or thick mattress are harmful
use no pillow under the head.
Do hot fomentation.
Paracetamol 250mg od & sos x 5days.
Caldikind plus 1tab od x10. Do neck back knee & general exercises. It may have to be further investigated.
Make sure you are not allergic to any of the medicines you are going to take.
If no relief in 4_5 days, then inform again.
Hi lybrate-user, disc herniation is causing your nerves to get pinched when they get out of the spine. This may cause pain, tingling, numbness, etc radiating down the legs. If conservative management is not helping, you may consider a nerve root or epidural injection with a pain physician. They are effective and safe. In severe cases, you may require spine surgery. Good luck.
(a) sleep on a hard bed with soft bedding on it.
(b) use no pillow under the head.
(c) kindly take biod3 max 1 tab dailyx10
paracetamol 250mg od & sos x5days (d) do back (spine)/shoulder/knee exercises
(e) make sure you are not allergic to any of the medicines you are going to take
(f) do not ignore it.
It could be beginning of a serious problem.
(g) if no relief in 4_5 days, then contact me again.
Hello Sir,
This is Dr Akshay from Fortis Hospital, New Delhi.
It appears from your report that you have degenerative spine with multiple levels more at L3/4 level.
I need to understand from you
- How is your back pain?
- Leg Pain?
- How much distance can you walk?
- Is there any numbness in legs, wekaness in legs etc?
Please get back to me with answers and then we can start your treatment accordingly.
Thanks & Regards
Dr Akshay
Email : [email protected]
Did you know barley water is good for kidney stones?Barley (jau), a member of grass family, is a cereal that has been cultivated for over 13, 000 years. Packed with carbohydrates (78%), fat (1%), protein (10%) and water (10%), barley is a rich source of essential nutrients, dietary fiber, vitamins such as niacin, manganese, phosphorus and vitamin B6.
With several health benefits to its name, barley water is termed as the elixir to good health. It has been found to be beneficial in reducing chances of heart disease, soothing bowels, reducing blood cholesterol levels, improving blood sugar regulation in the body and acts as nutritive broth for fever, cold and cough. Additionally, studies support that barley water has also been found to play an integral role in maintaining renal health.
What is a renal stone?A renal stone is a solid stony piece consisting of crystal forming substances in the urinary tract. They are usually formed when the urine is abundant in substances such as calcium, oxalate and uric acid and lack substances that inhibit their accumulation. While small kidney stones can pass through the urinary system without any symptoms, a stone larger than 5 mm can result in blockages in the urinary tract causing severe pain in the back and lower abdomen.
What causes renal stones?- A family history for stones, lack of adequate water in the body, high BMI, excessive intake of diets rich in protein, sodium and sugar have been found to be some of the common causes for stone formation.
Try protein foods & supplements-medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism, inflammatory bowel syndrome and renal tubular acidosis have also been found to alter the digestion of calcium.
How does barley water aid the dissolution of renal stones?Studies show that regular use of barley water can dissolve and eliminate existing kidney stones and prevent the occurrence of stones and other kidney problems. Use of diuretics either natural or synthetic can help speed up the expulsion of the stone.
Diuretic in nature, barley water helps to flush toxins from the kidneys by creating bladder pressure and increasing the frequency of urination.
- It helps maintain the PH levels in the body, making it alkaline, preventing various urinary tract issues, including kidney stones.
- The vitamin B6 and magnesium in barley helps break down the masses of toxic calcium oxalate (primary cause for stones) in the kidney.
Dietary fiber in barley reduces the amount of calcium that is excreted by the body through urine, restoring renal health and cleansing the kidneys.
Ways to prepare barley water:- Boil 1 litre of water with a tablespoon of barley pearls and boil on a low flame for about 30 minutes or until the water has reduced to half.- Strain and cool this mix and drink it through the day.- Add lemon juice or honey to make the mix tasty
Regular use of barley water ensures that the renal system is hydrated, healthy and free of depositions such as renal stones. So, go ahead and add this elixir to your diet to ensure a healthy renal system and a healthier you. Eat healthy, stay healthy!
Weight reduction can not be done over night.
You have to take it as a way of life.
Do diet control. No sugar in tea, coffee, milk etc. No sweets
take small frequent feeds. When you get used to it, skip one meal.
You should do non weight bearing yoga exercises.
For your knee problem
you would need arthroscopic knee surgery. It is a very safe procedure in our hands with uniformly good results.
We have very good well equipped center in delhi. Do ask for detailed treatment plan. Don? t ignore it lest it become beginning of a bigger problem.
Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS), Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS)
Orthopedist
Ask Free Question
AVN of the hip at this age is usually due to either Alcohol intake or Steroid intake. Once AVN has developed then it depends on the stage of the disorder. if its advanced then only hip replacement will help. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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Author: Kim Ward
Kim has been actively involved with real estate for 17 years. As far back as 1989, Kim and her husband, Dave, began purchasing and renovating residential property. They did this while working full time and raising four children. From these experiences Kim learned valuable critical thinking skills, successful multi-tasking, and how to nurture relationships. Their children have grown into independent, well-adjusted young adults, so those skills seem to have paid off. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Past Posts
Meta
About twenty miles north of Lake City FL, 0800 hours Local, 18 October 2009, Countdown: 2 years, 2 months, 12 days
“YEEHAW!” The Steve hollered over the roaring engine. The pickup rattled ominously as it sped down the highway. Mateo wondered if the truck would shake apart before the team even reached their objective. That would definitely fall into the “not good” category. Especially considering the pickup truck was holding the precious cargo.
The small convoy – consisting of Mateo and The Steve in the pickup behind two large U-Haul trucks with the four other members of their small team – continued its race to reach the five hundred strong zombie horde as it crept down the highway towards Lake City. Lake City wasn’t one of Florida’s great metropolises, but there were enough people who lived there for the horde to explode exponentially. That many zombies would threaten the entire state of Florida, and possibly the southeast United States. At that point, the United States government would be left one option, and Mateo really didn’t want part of his home state glowing for the next thousand years.
Once out of Forreston’s electro-magnetic black hole, Sport was able to make contact with Mackenzie & Winston’s on-site team. The exchange wasn’t pretty and left the normally quiet Brit swearing with curses that Mateo had never even thought of using. Sifting through the varied connotations, Mateo gathered the M&W leader decided his job was recovery, not defense, and therefore, had advised the local authorities to evacuate Lake City. The local authorities were desperately trying to organize an evacuation, but the town was in pure panic. Regular people didn’t handle zombies well. That left Mateo’s team as the only defense between five hundred zombies and the twelve thousand residents of Lake City.
Following conventional zombie fighting techniques, the team faced two options. First, the team could nibble at the edges of the horde and hope to whittle it down before the zombies reached the city’s outskirts. The second option was the team could try to force the horde into a single engagement. The sheer number of the zombies and the distance to Lake City ruled out the first option, and the lack of shooters and explosives ruled out the second. Fortunately, Mateo had The Steve.
“Boss, that dude’s playing Pied Piper with a tanker truck,” The Steve said, “So let’s use it. I’m thinking TB.”
“I’m fairly certain you’re not asking me to give a disease to the undead,” Mateo replied dryly. “So, what are you talking about?”
“TB. Thermo-baric,” The Steve said, “Used to be called a fuel-air explosive. Spray out a cloud of fuel and ignite. The force obliterates everything around it.”
The Steve went into a more technical and graphic description, and Mateo’s eyes went wide in shock. Use something casually referred to as the poor man’s nuke? What was his medic thinking? Still, the plan The Steve laid out made a certain amount of sense. Mateo half-wondered if he was becoming as insane as The Steve.
Perhaps the most startling part of the whole plan was that it wasn’t the first time The Steve used it. There were muttered references to, “this one time, outside of Fallujah,” as the medic slapped together a bizarre looking device called “the Sprayer.” Mateo wasn’t sure how he felt when The Steve promised this time would go a lot smoother than the last time. Something about “not going eighty miles an hour with every SOB unloading an AK at us.” For the briefest instant, Mateo could almost understand why The Steve acted like he did, including insisting everyone, including himself, refer to him as “The Steve.” The man had done some epic things before he even step foot on Skull Island to compete in Zombie Strike. As The Steve worked through the night, Mateo and the others assembled the needed vehicles.
“Target sighted Mr. Cortez,” Slim reported, yanking Mateo out of his reminiscence on the previous night, “Mr. DuBois requests we move into formation.” At another time, Slim’s insistence on maintaining formality might have struck Mateo as amusing. At the moment, it grated on strained nerves. Mateo swallowed his angry retort. Slim didn’t really deserve it.
“Do it,” Mateo gritted out through clenched teeth. Ahead of Mateo, the two U-hauls closed up and drove side-by-side. Jim, the cowboy who fought beside them the previous night, drove one of the big trucks with Sport riding shotgun. Collin had been forced to drive the other. Of the three Brits on the team, Collin was the only one who had driven on the “bloody damn wrong side of the road” as Collin so eloquently put it. Slim was riding with Collin to provide fire support. The plan was relatively simple. The two U-hauls would clear the path for Mateo and The Steve. Once they opened a space, Mateo would maneuver next to the tanker, allowing The Steve to board and mount the Sprayer. If all went well, the team would recover The Steve, escape, and watch as the improvised TB bomb annihilated the horde. Then, it was just a matter of dispatching the few zombies weren’t vaporized by the big boom. If all went according to plan.
Mateo slowed as the two trucks plowed into the horde. It was like watching the two large vehicles hit a mud pit. They bumped and jostled as they ran down the zombies. Mateo jinked all over the road as he tried to avoid most of the corpses. A pocket opened up, and Mateo gunned the truck. As he came up to the right side of the tanker, The Steve scampered up the side. The tanker was barely making five miles an hour, so The Steve had no trouble running along the top of the tanker to one of the top openings. He cracked open the tanker’s hatch. The fumes slapped him with an almost physical blow.
“Boss we’ve got a bit of a problem,” The Steve said, “Do you happen to know if crystal meth is flammable?”
“What?” Mateo asked, startled enough by the question he almost collided with the tanker.
“Doesn’t matter. Wouldn’t burn right anyway,” The Steve muttered, “Looks like the Templetons are big into the hillbilly heroin trade boss. This thing’s about a quarter full of liquid crystal meth. Can’t use this to make a TB bomb.” Mateo thought furiously as The Steve plinked away at the zombies on the far side of the tanker. The plan just went Tango-Uniform, so what did Mateo have to work with? The two U-hauls, the pickup, The Steve’s useless piece of machinery, six shooters – and the tanker. The idea flashed through Mateo’s mind.
“Okay, who knows how to drive a semi?” Mateo asked over the radio net.
“Mr. Collins says that he can,” Sport answered.
“Get Jim into that cab now,” Mateo ordered, “Tell him that as soon as he’s in, he needs to floor it until we’re about a mile or so from this horde.” There was a moment of silence from Sport.
“What am I supposed to at that point?” Sport asked.
“Learn to drive American. Fast,” The Steve quipped, “I’ll clear the cab. Give me a minute.” The Steve trotted across the top of the tanker slinging his carbine. Mateo lost sight of The Steve as the medic dropped into the gap between the tank trailer and the cab. The Steve climbed around the side of the cab with a practiced ease that surprised Mateo. The cab door opened violently. The Steve casually grabbed the driver and flung him out onto the asphalt. Mateo grimaced as he watched the driver go under the rig’s wheels. He was hoping to subdue the drive and get information from him.
Sport cautiously edged up to the semi’s cab. The Steve held the rig steady as Jim stepped out off the U-Haul and into the cab. An instant later, the semi’s big diesel roared and the vehicle leapt forward. The zombies tried to keep up with the tanker in an almost comical fashion. The other vehicles matched the tanker and sped away from the horde. Mateo brought the convoy to a halt when they had put a mile’s worth of highway between the horde and themselves.
“So what’s the plan boss?” The Steve boomed as he stepped out of the semi.
“We’ve got three very heavy and very massive vehicles,” Mateo said, motioning his team around him, “We’re going to line them up in a line abreast, with the semi in the center. Then we’re going to keep running that horde down until there are no more walkers.”
“And after that Matty?” Collin asked.
“After that is the big finale,” Mateo said cryptically before explaining the last part of the plan to his team. Their predatory smiles matched their leader’s. The Steve and Collin would drive the U-Hauls with Jim handling the big rig. Mateo, Sport, and Slim would follow in the pickup truck. They would whittle down the horde as the trucks rolled over the horde.
The approach of the convoy was greeted by a ragged chorus of hunting moans by the zombie horde. The trucks’ roared in response and picked up speed. As the rolling phalanx charged at the undead, Mateo and his two shooters set up roughly a hundred yards down the highway. A sickening crunch erupted over the sounds of the engines as the trucks slammed into the zombies. The vehicles staggered for a moment as their wheels momentarily lost traction from the slippery remains of the undead. More zombies were knocked to the side and around the trucks.
“Wait,” Mateo said to his shooters, “Wait until they’re standing.” The Brits didn’t acknowledge the order, but Slim took down the first zombie that wobbled to its feet. Within seconds, the shooters were unleashing a fusillade of precision fire.
The trucks broke through the horde. Roughly half of the zombies were still walking. They turned en masse to chase the trucks. The rumbling engines acted as the perfect lure for the zombies. The shooters put down another twenty by the time the trucks turned around and came in for a second pass. The trucks reduced the walkers to a little over a hundred. The third pass, and the constant gunfire from Mateo’s shooters, finished the walkers. It was time to finish the job.
The Steve had made the modifications to the Sprayer while the rest of the team was getting the trucks together. Instead of turning the tanker into a TB bomb, the Sprayer was used to coat the crawling zombies with the gasoline from one of the U-Hauls. A strike of the match and the remains of the horde exploded into a wall of flame. The team relaxed as they watched the zombies burn. Mateo let them enjoy the sight as he contemplated his future.
One thing was certain. Mateo couldn’t go back to a normal life. Being a leader, especially a leader of zombie hunters, scared him. The people under him could die, or worse, if he made a mistake. Even with that fear, Mateo couldn’t shrug away his duty. Mateo could feel the dark times coming. It was time for him to step up and embrace his destiny. | {
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Washington: Will miss his final season of eligiblity in 2000 after suffering a major knee injury during spring drills.
1999: Earned his third letter ... backup at flanker ... had one catch for 11 yards in Washington's 35-30 victory against Stanford.
1998: Backup at flanker during the season ... played in every game except for BYU and Utah State ... only reception during the regular season was an eight-yard catch at USC ... that proved to be his first career reception ... caught an 11-yard TD pass in Oahu Bowl.
1997: Appeared in eight regular-season games plus the Jeep Aloha Bowl ... earned his first letter ... did not register any receptions during the regular season ... led the White squad with seven catches for 111 yards and two scores in the 1998 spring game.
1996: Redshirted the season ... named the most improved receiver at the end of spring drills.
High School and Personal: Born Jan. 7, 1978 ... mother's name is Linda, father's name is Manuel, Jr. ... father is a small business owner ... has one older brother, Quinn, and one older sister, Catherine ... named the Santa Clara League's DeAnza Division most valuable player ... Central Coast Section's Player of the Year ... chosen by the San Jose Mercury News as its Player of the Year ... selected to the Tacoma News Tribune's "Western 100" team ... coached by Horace Cattolico ... as a senior he caught 45 passes for 1,009 yards and 10 TDs ... rushed the ball 83 times for 937 yards from the receiver position ... scored a total of 21 touchdowns as a senior, including three punt returns for scores ... helped Los Gatos to a 9-4 record and the CCS Division III Championship ... was a team captain and voted team MVP ... played free safety on defense and totaled 62 tackles with two interceptions ... named an honorable mention All-American by USA Today ... an all-conference and all-state selection ... also lettered in basketball, baseball and track ... pursuing a degree in American ethnic studies. | {
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} |
The BLACKHAWK!® AR-15 No-Latch Ambi Charging Handle is a drop-in upgrade to any AR-15, fixing a weak link in the legacy design. The handle is automatically held to the receiver with a flat spring - eliminating the need to squeeze a small latch to charge the rifle. The innovative design gives full ambidextrous control, welcome news for left-handed shooters. The distinctive over-molded handle provides a larger pull point from both sides, easily clearing low-set optics. Several available colors match various furniture kits.
EXACT PHOTOS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR ALL PRODUCTS, PLEASE ORDER BASED ON PRODUCT DESCRIPTION. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2755523001496438847.comments2019-01-16T01:48:31.408-08:00Complete Astrology And Its BranchesNandan Jainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected] | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Comments on: RAWROD 2011 Ride Reporthttp://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/
It's like reality TV. Except it's real. And there's no TV.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 20:03:04 +0000http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9hourly1By: Fat Cyclist » Blog Archive » Youth and Obstinacy Versus Age and Experience: Who Will Get the Daisy?http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/comment-page-1/#comment-518704
Fat Cyclist » Blog Archive » Youth and Obstinacy Versus Age and Experience: Who Will Get the Daisy?Fri, 06 May 2011 16:51:11 +0000http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/#comment-518704[...] I have mentioned, I didn’t do so great at the ride. As in, I hardly got [...][...] I have mentioned, I didn’t do so great at the ride. As in, I hardly got [...]
]]>By: Heber Chadhttp://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/comment-page-1/#comment-518462
Heber ChadMon, 02 May 2011 20:04:49 +0000http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/#comment-518462This was even funnier the second time I read it, it was like watching 6th Sense after you already knew he was dead.
Bravo Fatty, Bravo.This was even funnier the second time I read it, it was like watching 6th Sense after you already knew he was dead.
]]>By: charlottesville homeshttp://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/comment-page-1/#comment-518372
charlottesville homesFri, 29 Apr 2011 21:13:24 +0000http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/#comment-518372Hi this is a great post..........
Thanks Buddy.........
Nice job.........
Keep it up buddy........Hi this is a great post……….
Thanks Buddy………
Nice job………
Keep it up buddy……..
]]>By: Dan in Sachttp://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/comment-page-1/#comment-518317
Dan in SacThu, 28 Apr 2011 20:52:34 +0000http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/#comment-518317Well worded Fatty. I feel deceived, yet entertained!Well worded Fatty. I feel deceived, yet entertained!
]]>By: [email protected]://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/comment-page-1/#comment-518309
[email protected], 28 Apr 2011 16:50:01 +0000http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/#comment-518309*****BAZINGA***********BAZINGA******
]]>By: Benhttp://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/comment-page-1/#comment-518306
BenThu, 28 Apr 2011 15:23:47 +0000http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/#comment-518306Gotta say this ending was much better than the April Fools edition.Gotta say this ending was much better than the April Fools edition.
]]>By: Scooter Foxhttp://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/comment-page-1/#comment-518287
Scooter FoxWed, 27 Apr 2011 23:35:36 +0000http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/#comment-518287Ya Got me! And I thought you were all super human.Ya Got me! And I thought you were all super human.
]]>By: Phil Not Liggetthttp://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/comment-page-1/#comment-518284
Phil Not LiggettWed, 27 Apr 2011 22:52:23 +0000http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/#comment-518284Hook, Line, and Stinker...Hook, Line, and Stinker…
]]>By: Brandonhttp://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/comment-page-1/#comment-518280
BrandonWed, 27 Apr 2011 19:56:01 +0000http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/26/rawrod-2011-ride-report/#comment-518280Thanks again for the brats. They were so tasty and really hit the spot after pedaling all day long.Thanks again for the brats. They were so tasty and really hit the spot after pedaling all day long.
]]> | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Source Book - Direct Push Tooling
ADAPTER 2.25 BOX X AW PIN
Who We Are
Geoprobe Systems® is a team of skilled designers and craftsmen sharing the simple goal of producing the best possible subsurface probing and drilling equipment and tools in the world. To achieve this goal we leverage our strong engineering roots and stay focused on designing and testing new and innovative products for our customers. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
We've finished the development of the Mach4 plugin for our UC100 USB motion controller.The plugin is available on our website for download: http://www.cncdrive.com/UC100.html(If you do not see the download link then your browser is loading the page from cache, then press the F5 button in the browser to refresh the page.) | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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Undoubtedly the part of the annual BET Hip Hop Awards that hip-hop heads prefer: the cyphers. And thankfully you didn’t have to sit through the entire award show in order to watch every single cypher from the show as BET has graciously made the videos available to watch online. There was a total of six cyphers this year, ranging from Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang to Papoose to Kevin Gates and Loaded Lux to Snoop’s Army with Murda Mook to Vic Mensa. We’ve conveniently posted each cypher for you to watch after the jump. Enjoy.Read More
The second BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher is here. This one here features noted battle rappers T-Rex, Goodz, Tsu Smurf, & Rain 910. All four deliver fire bars. But which one was the best? That’s for you to decide. Check out the video after the jump.
Truth be told, I know a few of these rap vets personally and still haven’t heard verses that match these wits. Quelle Chris shines on this low-key appearance, and Ras Kass smoothly injects himself in the Greatest Freestyler conversation yet again. Clip after the jump.Read More
Q says a lot of vague things about Kendrick not going at Drake in the verse, and then starts nervously fidgeting when asked to elaborate. That verse was going at Drake but…it must stink to have to talk about K. Dot in every interview for his album. The Control Effect, everyone!
The New Camp Clik is back in effect for freestyle demonstrations. CJ Fly, Dessy Hinds, Nyck Caution, T’Nah Apex, A La $ole, Dyemond Lewis, Swank Master Raw, Dirty Sanchez, Jab and Joey Bada$$ stepped out of a time machine to give an honorary session to the Old Heads they clearly respect.
Hopsin, Jarren Benton, Dizzy Wright and SwizZz take it back to the essence in this cypher. The Funk Volume team goes in over the classic LOX posse cut “None Of Y’all Better” produced by the one and only DJ Premier.
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Now Commenting On:
Fister a fantastic addition to Nationals' rotation
Fister a fantastic addition to Nationals' rotation
MLB.com analyst Jim Duquette talks about what Doug Fister brings to the Nationals' starting rotation after being acquired from the Tigers
By Richard Justice
/
MLB.com |
Did the Washington Nationals just become the favorites to win the National League in 2014? OK, never mind. Been there, done that, right? Besides, there's plenty of time for that stuff in the months ahead.
For now, let's take a deep breath and begin with the obvious. A team that was already one of baseball's 10 best got better Monday night, acquiring right-hander Doug Fister from the Detroit Tigers for three young players, including highly regarded 22-year-old left-hander Robbie Ray.
Because of Ray, who has averaged more than a strikeout an inning over four Minor League seasons, this trade isn't the giveaway some are portraying it as. Besides that, anyone who makes that kind of snap judgment needs to take a deep breath and see what the Tigers will look like on Opening Day.
In trading Prince Fielder and Fister in the span of a few days, Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski cleared $14 million from his 2014 payroll. If you're assuming Dombrowski has something big planned, you're not alone.
Free-agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is the most obvious fit, but Carlos Beltran or Jacoby Ellsbury would also make sense. Could Dombrowski even have his eyes on Robinson Cano?
That one makes less sense after he acquired second baseman Ian Kinsler from the Rangers in the Fielder deal, but stranger things have happened. Regardless, it's silly to judge the Fister trade until we see what else Dombrowski has planned. And given Dombrowski's history, there is something else.
But I digress. This is a tremendous acquisition for the Nats. Fister, 29, has averaged 189 innings and a 3.48 ERA over the past four seasons and is coming off a 2013 campaign in which he went 14-9 and pitched a rock-solid 208 2/3 innings.
Those American League numbers should translate nicely to the NL. And how will Fister's stuff look on a staff with all those blazing fastballs? After seeing Stephen Strasburg's 100-mph heater one night, opposing batters may have even more trouble adjusting to Fister's assortment of 89-mph fastballs along with changeups, sliders and curveballs.
With Fister tucked into a rotation with Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler, the Nationals have a rotation capable of matching up with any in the game.
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo teased all of us a couple of weeks ago when he talked about tweaking his roster for 2014. His team was already good enough that he didn't have to do anything dramatic. But Rizzo smiled and said, "You know I'm not afraid of signing a free agent or making a trade."
If Rizzo likes the deal now, he's probably going to love it a year from now after he has Fister in his clubhouse for an entire year. Because Fister doesn't throw 98 mph, he has to attack hitters' weaknesses and keep them off-balance.
His new teammates can learn plenty by watching Fister work his way through a game. His reputation is that of someone who prepares relentlessly and works hard at conditioning and sweating the small stuff. If the Nats are paying attention, they may learn plenty.
If there's a downside, it's that Washington's infield defense wasn't very good last season, and that could be a problem for a pitcher like Fister, who relies on ground balls and teammates making plays behind him.
On the other hand, both Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and shortstop Ian Desmond were solid defensively after the All-Star break last season as the club played its best ball and crept back into contention.
In the end, it was a deal Rizzo couldn't pass up. Fister was 32-20 in 68 starts for the Tigers since 2011, and in the last three seasons, he has been arguably one of the 10 best pitchers in the AL.
The Nats were widely seen as one of baseball's two or three best teams around this time last offseason. To miss the playoffs was bitterly disappointing, and Rizzo hasn't attempted to sugarcoat it.
But the Nationals were hit hard by injuries, and now Rizzo has replaced Dan Haren with Fister. And there's that 2013 season in which the Nats were forced to learn some tough lessons. They again appear to be positioned to do great things in 2014, and on Monday night, they got even better.
Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. | {
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Earlier today, ESPN's Linda Cohn interviewed Ken Griffey Jr., who was representing Upper Deck as they celebrated their 25th anniversary. Or, at least, Cohn tried to interview Griffey because something was clearly up with the slugger. After a huge introduction from Linda, who expressed her excitement over speaking with Junior after covering the Seattle Mariners back in the day, Griffey came in with zero enthusiasm. Like, you could've told Griffey that there was a fire behind him and dude would've just shrugged it off and said, "Cool." It was painful to watch, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go ahead and hit that play button. After all, misery loves company.
Following the interview, Cohn hopped on Twitter to express her true feelings since she tried remaining a professional on-air.
I want to apologize to Linda for the way things went today. I was in the middle of a cough attack and felt a little ill and didn't want to walk off the set. Linda has always been professional to me and my family . I'm sorry, Junior @espn@sportcenter@lindacohn | {
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Specification
Please note that all bonsai are unique and that some slight variation from the photograph shown should be expected. All sizes are approximate.
Bonsai Variety
The Chinese Sweet Plum (Sageretia theezans) is a pretty indoor bonsai which has great character at an early age due to the flaky bark revealing tones of red/tan. The stunning foliage has hints of rusty red turning to glossy green. Small white flowers give rise to tiny plum-shaped fruits. A really pretty bonsai and great for beginners. | {
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Tag: totally
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Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” is too high-pitched for mere mortals like ourselves, Shaq, John Oliver, Rachel Brosnahan, Anthony Anderson, and even Mumford and Sons.
That didn’t stop Jimmy Fallon from challenging a bunch of celebrities and musicians to try their voices on the formidable pop song.
The Tonight Show host whacked headphones on the willing participants, but apart from fellow pitch-perfect singer Meghan Trainor, none could come as close as the supremo soprano herself, Kelly Clarkson.
John Oliver screaming like a banshee? That’s what the rest of us sound like. | {
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I got a new kitten yesterday. It was an orphan that my boyfriend found in his backyard. It's black and it's about 3-4 weeks old, so it's eyes are still blue and I think it's a boy kitty. It's still difficult to tell with it being so young.
My problem is that I'm having a terrible time trying to think of names for it. Maybe I'm just to tired to think of anything from the 2 hour bottle-feeding schedule the kitten has to be on right now. Anyone have any ideas?
Well I remember how difficult thinking of a name for my little cat was. I ended up searching some name databases and try to find a name that sounded good.
In the end it took me about three or four days to find the "perfect" name, so don't worry. I named my cat "Kira" and this name suits her perfectly.
I think "nero" would be fine because it's a black cat and "nero" means black. My sister got a cat named "nero" as well. Additionally she also got a "ceasar" to go along with him ;)
Kaira
11.10.2006, 21:17
Thatīs why i like that Name so much :) I red a book called Nero Corleone but itīs German ,so^^
Luna
12.10.2006, 00:30
Thank you, Kirauni. :lionhappy
The Sonic God
12.10.2006, 01:17
Originally posted by Kaira
I donīt know why but I like the name Nero^^
Nero? After the disc-burning software?
As far as names go, it'll become easier to name you kitten as you see its personality develop.
I was thinking of the name "Shadow."
Kirauni
12.10.2006, 10:01
Actually, the burning software was named after a roman emperor "Nero" who was said to blame Christians for burning Rom(e) :rolleyes:
It's a kind of word play, Justin.
Some Christians considered him the Anti-Christ back then. So maybe the name does not fit too well... ;)
Another Idea would be to translate English words into Zulu or Swahili and pick a name then. This is very common when one is looking for a new character's name but I have no experiences if it works for cats as well...
You could give the Online Translators a try:
resonable word traslations to swahili (http://www.pride-lands.org/wbb2/thread.php?threadid=20968&hilight=swahili)
Or you could translate them into another language like Japanese, but it depends on you taste ;)
http://www.indiaexpress.com/specials/babynames/
(With a list of Indian Names)
http://www.babycenter.com/babyname/index.jhtml?
(Has many different names and a good search)
I hope that helps :)
The Sonic God
13.10.2006, 14:13
Originally posted by Kirauni
Actually, the burning software was named after a roman emperor "Nero" who was said to blame Christians for burning Rom(e) :rolleyes:
It's a kind of word play, Justin.
Some Christians considered him the Anti-Christ back then. So maybe the name does not fit too well... ;)
Ah, too right. I don't check up on such history, gets kind of enigmatic from time to time. lol
But, you have a point.
If you're a real TLK fan, maybe a Swahili name would fit better?
red_lion
13.10.2006, 15:47
i think mici isn't bad. just for me , and what did you give to kitty name???????:)rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl
:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl
Luna
17.10.2006, 17:45
I finally decided on a name. (My boyfriend wouldn't let me be indecisive anymore. :P )
I named my "baby" Weeble, after the childrens toy. I was thinking of the toy's slogan, "Weebles wobble but they don't fall down. (http://www.hasbro.com/playskool/weebles/)" because he tries to wash but his little belly is too round for that yet, and he tips over. It's comical and cute when he does that. :D
Thank you, everyone for your input. All really good ideas and suggestions. :)
Reepacheep
17.10.2006, 19:38
that is SUCH a sweet name :D you picked well!
Luna
17.10.2006, 19:48
Thanks. :D
I'm hoping to have some pics back soon. That's what happens when you don't have a digital camera, got to wait for the film to be developed. :P
Kirauni
18.10.2006, 09:18
Ah yes, I remember those toys. Though I never knew they were called "Weebles", but the name sounds nice an I bet it goes along with your cat's habbit perfectly. I can't wait to see some pictures. Young cats are so adorable :) | {
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You are The Man!
I admit, I am late in discussing this event, but did you watch the controversial ‘Koffee with Karan’ episode, two weeks ago? The one where the uber-talented Kangana Ranaut and Saif Ali Khan were Karan Johar’s guests on his famous couch, sipping coffee along with him? Did you notice Kangana’s confidence and her sassiness? Do you remember her repartees, her jibes, her ripostes that were well-aimed at Mr. Johar? How fearlessly she spoke her mind without mincing words! And, she was in conversation with one of the Big Daddies of Bollywood!
I am an admirer of Ms. Ranaut, and I was blown away by her candour. The fact that she gave two hoots about diplomacy, and about the men in power in the hindi film industry, shows how self-assured she is. She wasn’t born into the industry, with a silver spoon; she entered the industry as an “outsider”, who, despite being written off by the industry bigwigs, worked her way up the very competitive ladder, right to the top, and proved to one and all what nerves she is made of!
And, as I watched her, awestruck at the strength she displayed, I wished I was cut from the same cloth. I wished I had the ability to hold my own when faced with dilemmas that rendered me helpless, and submit to the whims of fate. I wished I had it in me to care a damn about people and their judgemental ways, and live life as I please. I wished I had the guts to face life’s tough times as bravely as she has and make myself proud of the way I handled things.
The thoughts dwelled on in my mind for quite a long time after the show ended. I did beat myself up for being a ninny and not building courage to face the upheavals in life. However, as this mental storm subsided and as the dark clouds of self-doubt and self-loathing cleared, I realised I hadn’t been less of a fighter myself! Agreed, I am not like Kangana, or any other Superwoman out there, but then, neither are my battles like those of the others! I may not have shown the conventional bravado we are used to seeing celebrated all around us, but, I did show presence of mind, patience and tact when the situations asked for it.
I went for a walk down memory lane, reliving all the tough times I have been through and saw how well I had dealt with whatever destiny handed me. I felt proud of myself and gave myself a pat on my back for having made it through every storm I faced, without thinking of quitting, ever. I honoured The Hero within me for all those times I know others in my place would have given up. I applauded myself and my graceful performance and came back feeling good!
Today, as I write this post, I feel that every woman out there who has fought a hundred battles in her life is, indeed, a hero. If she were to recognise her mettle, discover her forbearance and proudly show off the scars her wounds give her, she would realise what a hero she is! Our battles are different and so is our fighting technique. We fight the way we were built to, but, the bottom line is, we fight.
We often associate heroism with masculinity, seldom realising that facing the battles of life also requires gentleness and patience apart from determination and courage. It isn’t easy making it out there despite the threats to your life right since the time you are in your mother’s womb, or born a female in our male-dominated society. It isn’t easy dreaming of reaching for the skies of the competitive world where we are considered the “weaker sex”. Neither is it easy making it in life with all the expectations of society and the family foisted on us at every step of the way.
And, yet, we make it. We make it into this world, we make it past the hurdles strewn all along the way to fulfil our dreams; dreams of an education, a career and even dreams of bringing up a family singlehandedly. Caring for each and every soul in our life, we plough on to reach our goals, with minimum support and applause.
So, isn’t it time we applauded ourselves? Isn’t it time we doffed our hat to ourselves for all that we have achieved; for our bravery, for the wounds we carry so proudly, rarely giving the world a glimpse of these, and smiling despite the tears, and the fears?
I think we ought to. For if we don’t, who would?
So, to all the women out there, pat your back, hug yourself and take a bow…YOU MADE IT! Despite everything, you made it. You are braving all odds, facing a million hurdles, striving to live your dreams, despite everything. And, even as you do it all, you are taking your loved ones along with you, fulfilling every duty, every promise you are expected to, by your family, by the society, by the world.
Kudos to you, girl!
You are, truly, a hero.
Wishing all the beautiful women out there, a very happy Women’s Day!Love,SHILPA…
P.S.
Attaching this note now, after reading a few comments of my blogger friends:
The title, ‘You are The Man’, is no attempt at trying to find ( and glorify) the Man within the Woman, but, it’s just a play on words.
Contradictory as it may sound – the title and the post – I don’t have any intentions to prove that I am as strong and capable as a man. I am happy and proud with the woman in me who can deal with life and her weird ways much more competently than a man!
😇
Love,
Shilpa.
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Eat. Pray. Love.
Or, watch what you eat, wish well for all and fill your heart with love!
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34 thoughts on “You are The Man!”
Loved the message you shared, Shilpa. Each woman is a fighter because she fights odds, some greater some smaller. And though there are many who stand behind in support, it is just own strength that takes her forward. So pause and pat your back. I would just say that she is not the man but a graceful, courageous woman because I believe that women have more strength than men. Happy Women's Day, dear girl!
This made for a wonderful and inspiring read this Women's Day, Shilpa. We must pat ourselves on the back. Always. Only one minor correction I'd offer is that we are the WOMAN 🙂 The Man couldn't do half these things as well as us, you see 😉
What an inspiring thought for the day, Shilpa! I know exactly how you felt while writing this post and I can say for sure, there are many many women out there who would echo your thoughts. Kudos to us all for being who we are. I think we ought to celebrate ourselves throughout the year in this way! Thanks for sharing this wonderful post! HAPPY Women's Day to you too!
Happy Women's Day, Shilpa. Unusual perspective, but I'd rather celebrate differences between genders than attempt to find the 'man' in me. I'm all for both genders applauding themselves when they make the right choices and are determined no matter what.
I have sadly missed the one episode that I should have been glued to.Sass, a verve to live life on my own terms and giving a damn abt what peeps think – is how I am trying to live my life. I do feel proud of myself for having come so far.Kudos to your pen for reminding us to appreciate ourselves. 😊
I love Koffee with Karan and never miss any episodes. Kangana was quite a firebrand in that particular show. My first reaction to her attitude was that of bewilderment as to why she was being rude. But I saw the show again to understand the context of her replies. She truly is an inspiration. Kudos to her and all of us women who are able to stand up for ourselves!
I haven't watched the episode but have read about her brave comments and sassiness and we need that. We need outspoken women who won't be all demure and diplomatic all the time. Yes, we all fight different battles. Even when I look at famous women I too feel like I haven't done anything brave or courageous like them, but still I have made this far so I must have done something right 😀 I loved that line about how one also need gentleness and patience too, to fight the struggles. Loved this post ❤
So much needed motivation! At times I do feel dwarfed when I see achievers in different spheres. It then that puts me in a seemingly endless loop of self criticism and low self esteem. But as rightly indicated by you, when I peen into my memories, when I check the time line of life, I can see how bravely I had fought some battles! Victory at times seemed impossible, still I had managed it. I think this itself should be good enough to give a pat on back.
Thanks Shilpa for this piece.
We so need to look into our past, Anagha, to see how bravely we handled situations. It renews our faith in ourselves and gives us the needful motivation to keep going, and most importantly, to be proud of who we are!
This is indeed an awesome post Shilpa and I do still remember that episode of KWK . Kudos to Kangana and all those women who achieve success in various challenging spheres of life. Even as I feel a little incompetent looking or drawing energies from various women being successful in life near me, I appreciate the idea that they stand tall bcoz of their own strengths . Each woman is a true hero in their own world.
Very true, Sudha.
At times, we all do feel unappreciated, which leads us to feel less of ourselves. That’s when we should look around to women who have accomplished something in their life. That’s when we should also look at ourselves – how well we faced the storms in our life and emerged stronger.
Every woman is a hero. She is strong, fearless and also loving and caring at the same time. All she needs to do is reaffirm her faith in her capabilities and she will know how to fight her next battle!
Its so us that we always look how others have done it big. As said rightly we all have fought our battles be it small or big and emerged as winners or learned something. We are all different but stand out in our way. Happy Womans Day.
Yes, Mahek. At times we do suffer from a low morale, but we need to push those feelings out, take a good look at our past and see how beautifully we handled every situation Life threw at us! That’s what will make us realise how brave we are!
Yes, Roma. Kangana belongs to the film industry, where survival is solely based on your guts, the kind Kangana exhibits. But, for us to handle situations in our life, we need to be different, fight differently. At the end of the day, we are all Heroes. That’s one thing we all ought to remember.
Such a wow post, Shilpa…
Indeed every woman on earth – married or unmarried ought to pat their back.
We contribute so much to our family,workplace,society yet are subjected to scrutiny from the time we wake up until we hit the bed that making through the day in itself is indeed an achievement for every woman.
So true, Meenakshi!
Our lives are forever under scrutiny. And, most of the times, it’s the women who criticise the way we conduct ourselves and lead our lives! Yet, despite it all, we should keep doing what we know is right for us and our families. And, keep believing in ourselves, whatever the world may think really doesn’t matter! Just believe that we are a Hero for having come this far in life!
Inspiring change.
"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not."
About me
Hi! I am Shilpa, the quintessential Gemini living in the city of dreams, Mumbai. Writing was a secret fantasy that became a reality with this blog. When I am not busy writing, my books and my art keep me company. My writing partners are my pets who offer me precious insights into Life and are a constant source of inspiration to me.
So, do get comfy, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy your visit. Your presence here means a lot to me, you know?
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Saudi Arabia’s great gamble
(AhlulBayt News Agency) - In 680 CE, less than fifty years after the death of Prophet Muhammad, an army of over thirty thousand men was deployed by thirty-three-year-old Umayyad Caliph Yazid to confront a tiny group of seventy-two people led by the prophet's grandson, Hussein ibn Ali, who had challenged the legitimacy of the Umayyad hereditary rule as un-Islamic.
In the resulting battle that took place in Karbala on the banks of the Euphrates in modern Iraq, Hussein and his companions were martyred almost to the last man. Following the battle, his kinswomen, belonging to the house of the prophet, and their children were taken in captivity to Damascus, the capital of the Umayyad caliphate.
This was the seminal event in the history of early Islam that led to the consolidation of the political identity of the Shia (Partisans) of Ali, the prophet's son-in-law, Hussein's father, the fourth of the righteous caliphs, and now, posthumously, the first Imam of the Shia. Theological differences between the Shia and those who upheld the legitimacy of the Umayyad dynasty, despite its usurpation of the Caliphate (who came to be known as Sunnis three hundred years later), emerged during the next couple of centuries. Religious schism clearly followed political schism and not the other way around as is commonly assumed.
The current inheritor of Caliph Yazid bin Mu'awiyya's political mantle is Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), the impetuous crown prince of Saudi Arabia, who is also thirty-three years old. He seems to be currently promoting a fight to the finish with the Shia in the Middle East just as Yazid did in 680 CE. Keeping in mind the balance of forces in the region, especially between Saudi Arabia and the leading Shia power Iran, he has chosen the Lebanese Hezbollah as his first target. He seems intent on repeating the story of Karbala by destroying Hezbollah, a military pigmy compared to the armed might of Saudi Arabia, just as Yazid's forces had destroyed Hussein's miniscule band of followers in the seventh century.
The forced detention by Riyadh of former Lebanese Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, is but the first shot in this battle. Hariri's main crime in Saudi eyes was that, while being bankrolled by Riyadh, he accommodated Hezbollah as part of a national unity government in Lebanon. Hariri did so in order to minimize sectarian antagonism that had been once again growing in the country thanks to the sectarian color in which the Saudis and their Western supporters had painted the war in neighboring Syria and to Hezbollah's participation in that conflict on the side of the Syrian government. Moreover, excluding Hezbollah from government would have made Lebanon ungovernable given Hezbollah's military strength, which is miniscule when compared to Saudi Arabia's military strength yet has surpassed that of the Lebanese army. It also would have put into jeopardy the political support that Lebanon commands among the Lebanese Shia, who form just under half of the Lebanese population.
Hezbollah is seen by the Saudi regime as a surrogate for its real enemy, Iran, with which it is locked in a no-holds-barred contest for dominance in the Persian Gulf. MbS's actual goal is to cut Iran down to size and make it accept Saudi hegemony in the Persian Gulf. Just as Hussein's refusal to accept Yazid's authority was seen as a challenge to the latter's religious and political legitimacy in the seventh century, today the Wahhabi House of Saud feels its religious legitimacy is at stake as long as Iran, the leading Shia country, which also projects itself as the model Islamic state, refuses to accept it as the predominant power in the Persian Gulf and the exclusive fount of religious authority within Islam. As was the case in the seventh century, issues of political power and religious legitimacy have become inextricably intertwined in the Saudi-Iranian rivalry today.
However, there is one major difference. Iran is a major power in its own right. Moreover, despite the fact that Saudi Arabia's oil reserves account for one-fifth of the world's reserves and it can outspend Iran many times over in the short run, its recent attempts at buying influence in the region have ended in failure. These failures include its support for the largely Wahhabi terrorists armed opponents of the Syrian government who have been almost wiped out by Assad's forces supported by Iran and Russia. Also, Saudi Arabia's attempt to isolate and quarantine tiny Qatar has not only failed, it has forced Qatar into Iranian arms.
Above all, the country's indiscriminate bombing of Yemen, which is aimed at ousting from power the Ansarullah, has failed miserably. This last venture, supported by the United States, has inflicted untold miseries on the Yemeni people without making a dent on the Ansarullah's control of much of the country. Finally, despite the expenditure of vast resources Saudi Arabia has been unable to recruit loyal long-term allies in the region that are linked to it ideologically or by means of its soft power.
Saudi Arabia's attempt to export its Wahhabi ideology has, in fact, backfired and put the Kingdom at further risk. Radical offshoots of its extremist religio-political ideology, such as al-Qaeda and "ISIS", have turned out to be Riyadh's mortal enemies because they consider it highly hypocritical and insufficiently Islamic. Saudi Arabia may be able to temporarily buy support by spending vast amounts of money but its soft power is negligible if not totally absent in the region.
On the other hand, Iran can boast of a successful foreign-policy record in the Middle East despite facing stringent economic sanctions and concerted efforts by major powers to curb its regional reach. Tehran's influence in Iraq is paramount; Shia groups trained by the IRGC are an integral part of Iraq's effort to defeat "ISIS". Its political influence on the Iraqi government far surpasses that of the United States despite the presence of American troops in the country. The Iranian-supported Assad government is fast rolling back opposition forces and occupying territory vacated by "ISIS". Iran's influence in Lebanon through its ally Hezbollah is growing and has made the Saudis very nervous as witnessed by the Hariri episode.
Reports suggest that control of contiguous territories in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon by forces allied with Tehran and thus providing a safe corridor for the projection of Iranian power in the Levant in the future is increasingly turning the idea of a Shia crescent into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Iran's alliance with Hezbollah and the latter's unwavering support for Iranian goals in Syria and elsewhere lies at the base of these achievements. Hezbollah, although a product of the Lebanese context of sectarian civil war and Israeli occupation in the 1980s, is simultaneously an ideological offshoot of Khomeinism, which combines Shia religious doctrines with revolutionary fervor.
However, the success of the alliance lies in the fact that Tehran does not attempt to control Hezbollah's every move. Hezbollah is an autonomous Lebanese actor that works in tandem with Iran because their interests coincide; it does not take orders from Tehran. Not only are the goals of the two parties in sync, Iran offers firm support for Hezbollah's policies within Lebanon and toward Israel, which are crafted in south Beirut and not in Tehran.
Consequently, the level of trust existing between Hezbollah and the Iranian regime is qualitatively different from that between Riyadh and its regional supporters. The latter is based not on a convergence of goals and Riyadh's acceptance of the autonomous character of its allies but on a one-way street of financial patronage on the one side and unquestioning obedience on the other. It is this expectation of absolute submission on the Saudi's part that lies at the heart of the crisis that the PGCC faces today where other than among the ruling elites of the UAE and tiny Bahrain support for the Saudi regime is eroding fast. This combination of patronage and obedience also means that the allies' loyalty to Saudi Arabia dissipates quickly when the going gets rough.
Given this constellation of forces, it is extremely unrealistic for MbS and his courtiers to expect Iran to give in to Saudi ambitions in relation to the Persian Gulf and the wider Middle East. The attempt by the Saudi regime to portray its rivalry with Iran in Sunni-Shia terms can also be expected to backfire. The most important non-Arab Sunni country, Turkey, has already moved considerably closer to Iran than it was before the Qatar crisis erupted. Sunni Qatar's recent defection from the Saudi camp and into Iran's arms can be read as a sign of things to come in the Persian Gulf region. It is worth noting in this context that Qatar is the only Wahhabi state other than Saudi Arabia and thus would have been expected to demonstrate greater ideological affinity with its larger neighbor. Oman, which already has good relations with Tehran, looks like the next potential defector from the Saudi orbit with Kuwait, which has a 30-40 percent Shia population.
MbS's aggressiveness toward Iran and his deliberately provocative religio-political rhetoric vis-à-vis Tehran are only likely to hasten this process. And, if it comes to a military showdown, the Saudi forces, despite the top-of-the-line military equipment Riyadh has acquired from the United States and its allies, will likely be unable to match the battle-hardened Iranian military and the IRGC, which are well-known for their capacity to improvise in times of conflict. This is why Riyadh is itching to sell its conflict with Hezbollah and with Iran to the United States as a part of the continuing confrontation between the Trump administration and Tehran, thus enticing Washington into a shooting war with Tehran. In other words, as one analyst suggests, Riyadh wants to fight Tehran to the last American.
Saudi Arabia's latest move to build a common front with Israel to confront common enemy Iran is also likely to backfire because it will further erode the legitimacy of its claim to be the leader of the Arab and Muslim world. Unless MbS begins to show greater political sagacity very soon, his reckless actions and rash rhetoric will turn out to be self-defeating and could drag the entire region into a major conflagration. The second battle of Karbala between the forces of Yazid and Hussein, which MbS seems to be intent on unleashing, may still occur, but it is likely to end differently than the first battle. | {
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Any club that might think a brand new competition is the answer would do well to consider that the Champions League will always be a mark of greatness
How do you define the greatness of a football club? Its age? Its wealth? The number of supporters? A big stadium? Lots of teams have those. When it comes to establishing the difference between the greats and the not-yet-greats it would appear to be a matter of trophies.
Can a club be big if it has never won its own domestic championship? Probably not. Can a club be big if it has never won the Champions League? Arsenal would say yes. Atletico Madrid too. They’ve been there and bear the scars.
It is certainly true that in order to truly capture the consciousness, a team needs to be competitive, memorable and brilliant when all the world is watching.
That is why, for all their spending power and all their titles accrued under Qatari leadership, Paris Saint-Germain still haven’t matched the lustre of Monaco on the European stage.
Monaco have been to the final; they’ve given the game players like Thierry Henry and Kylian Mbappe. They were semi-finalists a couple of seasons ago and that team containing Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy is fondly recalled.
That is why Red Star Belgrade’s victory against Liverpool this week was notable. It wasn’t portrayed as an upstart team bloodying the nose of a more storied rival. It was a team with history performing proudly in the European Cup. They have that trophy in their museum.
That is one reason why the newly-mooted Super League is a risky idea. Players like money, sure, and it is largely what sustains the game. But try telling any kid growing up anywhere in Europe, or anywhere in the world for that matter, that a new-fangled competition is worth more than this one.
Marcelo - the Real Madrid full-back who has won four Champions Leagues - has an outline of the trophy tattooed on his leg.
The ex-AC Milan executive Adriano Galliani suggested piping the Champions League theme into his side’s dressing room before Serie A games to try and stimulate the players. He was only half joking.
This competition means more than just money. It signifies class and pedigree. When a player or a team does it in the Champions League, it can truly be said that they have done it.
The alleged involvement in that regard of Florentino Perez in the plans for a new breakaway league are surprising. The Real Madrid supremo would love more money for his club but, surely, he cannot be thinking of cleaving a 13-time champion team away from the competition that they are obsessed by?
Real Madrid are defined by this trophy, more than anything else. Whatever plans Der Spiegel allege are being concocted over at Key Capital Partners and shared with Perez cannot match this.
The sights and sounds of the Champions League are unique. For all its faults and foibles - whether that is too many squashes in the group stage or a suddenly-jarring lack of VAR - that is largely forgotten come late May or early June when the medals are doled out. This is what matters.
And any club who have not won this competition should think carefully about whether or not they want to leave it. It’s one thing Real Madrid or Liverpool walking away but it’s another thing altogether if PSG or City do it. That’s quitting; they have yet to hit the heights required in the Champions League and to depart it would mean they never got up there.
And for people like Pep Guardiola too - steeped in the culture of a club like Barcelona and a winner at Wembley in 1992 - this tournament makes them dream.
Can you buy your way to greatness? That is what teams like City and PSG are attempting to do.
UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules are not something to which Roman Abramovich had to adhere to when he began pouring Russian mineral wealth into Chelsea. City could argue that the club needed a running start, financially speaking, to instigate this current productive period they are enjoying.
Rules appear to have been broken and a settlement reached. Besides, is it worse to put a billion or two into a football club - like Abu Dhabi has done - or take a billion or two out as is the case across town at the Glazer-run Manchester United?
The response to that one could be gleaned quite easily with a quick chat to any fan in Manchester. “Sheikh Mansour, Manchester thanks you for 10 great years” reads one banner inside the Etihad Stadium. You’re unlikely to find a similar homage to the Glazers over at Old Trafford.
But a great academy, a great first team, a worldwide “brand” are all add-ons to what truly matters. That is on-field success in the most important competitions. There is no point splitting off and joining a new one. That will never gain respect.
What’s required is suffering, hardship and, ultimately, glory.
City are looking good this year. They have outgrown the competition in the Premier League. Guardiola will go down as the most influential man to have set foot in English football by the time he leaves. You watch his teams and how they play and wonder what the hell kind of training the other teams are up to if this is now the standard.
But he’s got to make that count in Europe. He has got to make the real big teams afraid. When Madrid or Bayern Munich - or Liverpool for that matter - face City in Europe they have a wealth of experience and success to draw upon. History and glory drip off the walls of their stadiums.
City don’t yet have that no matter how many goals they put past Shakhtar Donetsk in the group stages.
One day these players are going to have to stir themselves and realise that the step up is theirs to take alone. Nothing - not even all the oil wealth of Abu Dhabi - can purchase it. It is the one thing that cannot be bought; only earned.
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'Jurgen knows what he is doing' - Solanke not concerned by limited game time at Liverpool
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Hack a Day
Casually browsing YouTube for “shop improvements” yields a veritable river of project ideas, objects for cat amusement, and 12 INCREDIBLE SHOP HACKS YOU WON’T BELIEVE, though some of these are of predictably dubious value. So you might imagine that when we found [Henrique]’s adorable disc sander we dismissed it out of hand, how useful could such a tiny tool be? But then we remembered the jumbo tub o’ motors on the shelf and reconsidered, maybe a palm sized sander has a place in the tiny shop.
Electrically the build is a simple as can be. It’s just a brushed DC …read more | {
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Overview
“This behind-the-scenes look at the first Apollo moon landing has the feel of a public television documentary in its breadth and detail” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
Here is a rare perspective on a story we only thought we knew. For Apollo 11, the first moon landing, is a story that belongs to many, not just the few and famous. It belongs to the seamstress who put together twenty-two layers of fabric for each space suit. To the engineers who created a special heat shield to protect the capsule during its fiery reentry. It belongs to the flight directors, camera designers, software experts, suit testers, telescope crew, aerospace technicians, photo developers, engineers, and navigators.
Gathering direct quotes from some of these folks who worked behind the scenes, Catherine Thimmesh reveals their very human worries and concerns. Culling NASA transcripts, national archives, and stunning NASA photos from Apollo 11, she captures not only the sheer magnitude of this feat but also the dedication, ingenuity, and perseverance of the greatest team ever—the team that worked to first put man on that great gray rock in the sky.
“Thimmesh gives names and voices to the army that got Neil Armstrong and company to the moon and back. The result is a spectacular and highly original addition to the literature of space exploration.” —The Horn Book
“This beautiful and well-documented tribute will introduce a new generation to that triumphant time.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
About the Author
Catherine Thimmesh is the award-winning author of many books for children, including Girls Think of Everything and Team Moon, winner of the Sibert Medal. Her books have received numerous starred reviews, appeared on best books lists, and won many awards, including the IRA Children's Book Award and Minnesota Book Award. She lives in Minnesota with her family. www.catherinethimmesh.com.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Beyond Imagination
It was mind-boggling. The television itself had been a flat-out miracle when it began to dominate the scene a mere twenty years previous. And now, that technological wonder of wonders was going to trump itself. Because very soon, if all went according to plan, it would transmit pictures of an actual man, on the actual moon. In 1969, on July 20 (in one part of the world) and July 21 (in the other part), half a billion people on the blue-marbled globe clicked on their TV sets — flush with anticipation — eager to watch as Apollo 11 would attempt to put man on the moon for the first time in all of history. The moon!
And now, at this defining moment, the world had come together — like nothing ever before — not only to wish the astronauts Godspeed, but to bear personal witness to this incredible event. On that day, people gathered: in homes and schools and businesses; in restaurants and shops; and on sidewalks and streets and in parks. They were eager to be a part, however small, of something so out-of-this-world big. If there was a TV in the vicinity, it was on. And people sat. And watched — wide-eyed, waiting.
"Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace. ... These brave men, Neil Armstrong and [Buzz] Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice."
Rest in peace? On the moon? Thankfully, no; those ominous words (penned in top secret for President Nixon) were never spoken. But while millions upon millions of people were spellbound and starry-eyed with moon mania (sitting, watching, waiting), those people behind the scenes fretted over more problems and concerns and plans for emergencies than the rest of the world could ever know. The "Fate Has Ordained" speech was to be delivered in the event that the worst possible scenario came to pass. The speech's very existence proved that, beneath all the excitement, those people running the show never for a moment lost sight of the all too real dangers they were choosing to run into head-on. And though millions of eyes were focused front and center on the astronauts and the spacecraft, much of the action would, in fact, be taking place on the sidelines.
When those millions of people tuned in hoping to witness the moonwalk, one thing they wouldn't see (or at best might just catch a glimpse of) were the nonastronauts, those beyond the glare of the limelight. The regular folks whose efforts made an impossible mission possible in the first place. All the people behind the scenes whose ideas and expertise, imagination and inventiveness, dedication and focus, labor and skill, combined in one great endeavor — on the grandest of grand scales — and conspired to put man on the moon. Yes, three heroic men went to the moon; but it was a team of four hundred thousand people that put them there. They were the flight directors, controllers, planners, and engineers; the rocket designers and builders and technicians; the managers, supervisors, quality control and safety inspectors; the programmers, electricians, welders, seamstresses, gluers, painters, doctors, geologists, scientists, trainers, and navigators ...
Apollo 11 is their story too.
CHAPTER 2
In the Beginning ...
They were going to the moon, all right — at least that was the plan. That was the dream and the challenge set forth by one man, President John F. Kennedy, when he declared in May of 1961:
"I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth."
So they came by the thousands — kids really, twenty-somethings, a few in their thirties. No one knew for sure how to get to the moon, how to land, or get home. But their goal was clear-cut, and that was enough. That gave them purpose: a reason to puzzle out the problems and seek solutions rather than sleep.
Kennedy's decision was triggered by an intense "space race" with the old Soviet Union. The Soviets were first in space (with Sputnik); first too with a man in space. But for those who actually worked on the moon shot, the "race" became an afterthought. They were fueled instead by a desire to explore the heavens — the poetry of it all, the scientific challenge of it all, the "We're going to the moon!" excitement of it all.
But the moon? Could it really be done? Right from the getgo, administrators had identified ten thousand individual tasks that would have to be completed. And that was only the beginning. So much to do. Too much? An aide to Kennedy quietly predicted that it would take forty-four attempts. Forty-four tries before ever landing once on the great gray rock in the sky.
CHAPTER 3
Moving Forward ...
The final picture was altogether different from the dream. Most thought they'd be going straight to the moon with one spacecraft, land, and come straight back. Instead, as the plan evolved, it called for two very different craft: a command and service module for flight and a lunar module (LM) to land on the surface. No one ever imagined landing on the moon in a seatless, gold-foil-encased, four-legged, spidery-ish thingamajig nicknamed the "LEM." After all, no one knew what a lunar module was even supposed to look like. And so, form followed function. Never mind if it looked like a bug.
"I can't say that I'm aware of any program where more people understood what the schedule was, how important it was, and worked so hard to make it happen. We had a great team," recalled Joe Gavin, vice president of the Grumman Aerospace Corporation, contractor for the lunar module.
That team at Grumman was 7,500 workers strong. They designed, developed, and built the lunar module, christened Eagle for Apollo 11, from the ground up. Reliability was insisted upon. They had a motto: There is no such thing as a random failure. And failures were eliminated — one by one. Because it was their baby, their handiwork — eight years of their lives — that, very soon, would settle down (fingers crossed) on that giant glowing ball in the inky-black soup of space.
CHAPTER 4
And Onward ...
Space ... it's dangerous out there: micrometeoroids, radiation, airlessness. And coming home would be no picnic either. The compact-car-size space capsule would be greeted and surrounded by searing white-hot flames as it slammed madly back down to Earth.
"In designing the command module, the one thing we had to be sure of was that we could keep the crew alive — that was a big item," said Max Faget, NASA chief engineer and principal designer of the command module.
Keeping the crew alive under such extreme conditions was indeed a big item. Only the command module, Columbia, would make the complete journey from Earth to the moon and back home again. It would serve as crew living quarters and as the spacecraft control center. And Columbia alone would confront the fiery Earth reentry.
But the wizards at North American Rockwell (NASA's prime contractor for the command module) were up to the challenge. Fourteen thousand folks there, plus a skilled hodgepodge of eight thousand other companies, toiled to ensure that millions of components on the command module were in top-notch order.
Columbia was off to confront danger. Its builders would need to rely on their eight years of effort to give them confidence for a successful outcome. But it would be five hundred thousand miles before the truth of the matter would be told. Could their command module keep the crew alive?
CHAPTER 5
And Upward ...
Launch operations at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida was like its own little town. A whopping seventeen thousand engineers, technicians, mechanics, contractors, and managers were needed to pull together the Apollo 11 launch. Needed to check, check, check the spacecraft: test it, stack the three rocket stages in the vehicle assembly building, or VAB, roll it out, recheck it, fuel it, and ready it for liftoff.
One of the most critical preparations for launch was the orchestration and performance of the crucial CDDT.
"The Countdown Demonstration Test, or CDDT, gives us confidence that we're going to get there in time and everything's going to percolate [work perfectly] together," explained Ernie Reyes, chief of the Pre-flight Operations Branch for Apollo 11. "It's a dress rehearsal for the countdown. The only thing we don't do, is we don't load the vehicle with all its fluids and juices [rocket fuel]."
Come launch day, Ernie Reyes and about five hundred others would work the consoles from the Firing Room of the Launch Control Center (LCC), the nucleus of launch operations. They would run the controls that would catapult Apollo 11 moonward bound. Five thousand others would directly support them for the actual liftoff.
It was a long, long march to that day, and the little town of KSC became a second home to quite a few folks. Many a lunch — dinners, anniversaries, birthdays — were forsaken in pursuit of Ready to Launch. On July 16, 1969, they were indeed ready. And at 9:32 A.M.... whoosh!
CHAPTER 6
Maiden Voyage ... The Final 10 Miles
"The Eagle has wings!" radioed Neil Armstrong from the lunar module as he and Buzz Aldrin flew sixty-nine miles above the moon. Four words. Slightly cryptic, but oh so lyrical. There was no doubt of their meaning: The lunar module Eagle had separated from the command module Columbia and was now flying solo. It was ready to descend to the surface of the moon. Magical words, those four. Big smiles back on Earth, back in Houston, at Mission Control.
In Houston, the White Team was at the consoles in the control room monitoring and facilitating the moon landing. Gene Kranz was the flight director on duty — the person in charge of the mission during that time and responsible for the final decisions. He had arrived at the Mission Control complex (MCC) shortly past dawn, accepting the good lucks that were tossed his way by those he passed in the lobby. He refused the elevator, instead climbed three flights of stairs to the MOCR (Mission Operations Control Room, pronounced MOE-ker). They were attempting to put man on the moon today — a dazzling technological triumph — but at home, technology had a habit of getting stuck between floors, and Flight Director Kranz was taking no chances. "Today is not the day to get stuck in an elevator," he wrote in his memoir.
"In the next hour we will do something that has never been done before. We worked long hours and had some tough times but we have mastered our work. Now we are going to make this work pay off. You are a hell of a good team. One that I feel privileged to lead. Whatever happens, I will stand behind every call that you will make."
It was time. As instructed by Mission Control in Houston, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin fired their descent rocket engine, lowering the Eagle to an altitude of just 50,000 feet above the moon's surface. (On an earlier mission, several months previous, Apollo 10 had gotten to this very point — 50,000 feet — close, but still so far.) But now, for the first time, Neil and Buzz would go that last leg — the final ten miles.
"You are Go for PDI [powered descent ignition,"] Mission Control radioed the crew.
Never had more monumental words been spoken so simply: The green light was given to go ahead and land on the moon. Twelve minutes, now. And they would be on the surface of the moon. Or not.
CHAPTER 7
Challenge 1: Alarms
BAM! Suddenly, the master alarm in the lunar module rang out for attention with all the racket of a fire bell going off in a broom closet. "Program alarm," astronaut Neil Armstrong called out from the LM ("LEM") in a clipped but calm voice. "It's a 'twelve-oh-two.'"
"1202," repeated astronaut Buzz Aldrin. They were 33,500 feet from the moon.
Translation: We have a problem! What is it? Do we land? Do we abort? Are we in danger? Are we blowing up? Tell us what to do. Hurry!
In Mission Control, the words TWELVE OH TWO tumbled out of the communications loop. The weight of the problem landed with a thud in the lap of twenty-six-year-old Steve Bales. Bales, call name GUIDO, was the mission controller for guidance and navigation.
A moment earlier (after some worries with navigation problems), Bales had relaxed with a deep breath, thinking at last: We're going to make it. Now, wham! His mind, again sent racing; his blood rushing; his heart fluttering; his breath — still as stone. But he wasn't alone.
A voice on another loop — belonging to one of Bales's backroom support guys, twenty-four-year-old computer whiz kid Jack Garman — burst in to make sure Bales was aware of the 1202. A quick glance at a master list told them a 1202 was executive overflow. Simply put, the computer had too much to do. But program alarms, as Garman knew firsthand, were built into the computer solely to test the software. By their very definition, they weren't alarms that should happen in flight. (During development, these alarms were testing computing cycles.)
CapCom Charlie Duke (or Capsule Communicator, the voice link between Mission Control and the spacecraft) mused aloud: "It's the same one we had [in the simulator]."
And indeed, in one of the very last simulations, or practice sessions, before liftoff of Apollo 11, mission controllers found themselves stumped when faced with a similar program alarm. While training with the backup crew, SimSup Jay Honeycutt (or Simulation Supervisor) had asked software expert Jack Garman to concoct some sort of computer glitch for the controllers to solve. So Garman remembered the hidden software testing alarms and threw out one of those. It wasn't a 1202, but a similar type — one that supposedly should never happen in actual flight (because the situations that would trigger those alarms had presumably already been removed from the software).
During that simulation, that test, GUIDO Steve Bales had called for an abort — an immediate end to the landing. They stopped the pretend-land on the moon. But it was the wrong call. While the computer was definitely having difficulties, it would still have been safe to continue the landing because the LM's critical functions were still working.
"And so [Flight Director] Gene Kranz, who's the real hero of that situation, sat us all down and said, 'You WILL document every single program alarm, every single possible one that can happen' and what we should do about it if it happens," recalled AGC Jack Garman, explaining how they ended up with a written record of those "nonexistent" program alarms.
Sometimes, after the bugs have all been removed during development, programmers might go back in and remove all their testing alarms. But often, it's considerably more efficient (and cheaper) to just leave them buried unseen, deep down in the software.
"So I remember," continued Jack Garman, "going back to my little corner with my friends — my colleagues — and we wrote them all down. Wrote them on a sheet of paper (twenty or thirty of these alarms that were not supposed to happen), taped this list to a piece of cardboard, and stuck it underneath the Plexiglas on the console."
As they would discover later, though it seemed an impossible situation, it wasn't a false alarm. Executive overflow meant the computer was too busy. And the computer was too busy (it turned out) because a switch had been mistakenly left on.
"Give us a reading on the 1202 program alarm," said Armstrong from the lunar module as it continued its rapid — and very real — descent to the moon.
"The astronauts had no idea what these alarms were," explained Garman. "Absolutely no idea. These alarms were software development alarms. They'd never seen them. Never studied them. Never had them. No one in Mission Control knew what they were, not Kranz or anybody."
GUIDO Steve Bales determined the computer had not lost track of the LM's altitude or speed — critical for avoiding a lunar crash — and still had its guidance control, also essential. Flight Director Gene Kranz determined, with input from his controllers, that all other systems were functioning within acceptable parameters. AGC Jack Garman concluded that as long as the alarm didn't recur, they were okay.
Garman prompted GUIDO Steve Bales, who gave the "Go" to Flight Director Kranz, who in turn gave the command to CapCom Charlie Duke. CapCom relayed the message to Armstrong and Aldrin. "We are Go on that alarm," he told Neil and Buzz and the hundreds of others listening in on the loops. Not more than twenty seconds had passed from the time the 1202 was first called out.
"Program alarm!" Buzz responded from the LM. "Same one."
Garman clarified to Bales that as long as the alarm was not constant — not continuous — they were okay. The rest of Bales's information looked good. He told the Flight Director, "We're Go." Flight Director Kranz "went around the horn" — polling his controllers for their status reports — they were all "Go." Kranz told his voice link to the astronauts, "CapCom, we are Go for landing."
Aldrin acknowledged the good-to-Go. They were 3,000 feet from the moon now.
"Program alarm!" Buzz called. "1201."
"When it occurred again a few minutes later," Jack Garman recalled, "a different alarm but it was the same type ... I remember distinctly yelling — by this time yelling, you know, in the loop here —'SAME TYPE!' [in other words, Hang tight!] and he [GUIDOSteve Bales] yells 'SAME TYPE!' I could hear my voice echoing. Then the CapCom says, 'SAME TYPE!' Boom, boom, boom, going up."
Editorial Reviews
This behind-the-scenes look at the first Apollo moon landing has the feel of a public television documentary in its breadth and detail.The book opens with several photographs of people huddled around TVs to view the event (one shows Italians watching a small set at an outdoor cafe). The author then delves into the back story of the organizations and hundreds of thousands of people who made the 1969 mission possible. Readers meet 24-year-old "computer whiz kid Jack Garman," who helped work through worrisome computer glitches during the Eagle's landing, as well as one of the seamstresses who sewed the spacesuits ("We didn't worry too much until the guys on the moon started jumping up and down. And that gave us a little bit of an eyebrow twitch"). The 16 chapter-like segments flow chronologically, from John F. Kennedy's 1961 speech to Apollo 11's splashdown. Thimmesh (Madame President) peppers her lengthy, fact-filled narrative with folksy adages (e.g., "Here they were, less than 500 feet from the moon, and just about plumb out of fuel"). The colloquialisms sometime seem at odds with the myriad of engineering acronyms and jargon. But the author maintains a conversational tone, and tackles and explains tough topics such as "cluster interference" in parachute deployment and a bit of the chemistry behind developing the astronauts' dramatic photographs, many of which illustrate the story. Even if the jargon gives readers pause, the little-known facts will keep their interest level high. Ages 9-up. (June) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Publishers Weekly
Gr 5 Up-In infectiously hyperbolic prose that's liberally interspersed with quotes and accompanied by sheaves of period photos, Thimmesh retraces the course of the space mission that landed "an actual man, on the actual Moon." It's an oft-told tale, but the author tells it from the point of view not of astronauts or general observers, but of some of the 17,000 behind-the-scenes workers at Kennedy Space Center, the 7500 Grumman employees who built the lunar module, the 500 designers and seamstresses who actually constructed the space suits, and other low-profile contributors who made the historic flight possible. Despite occasional contrast issues when the white-on-black text is printed over blown-up photographs, this dramatic account will mesmerize even readers already familiar with the event-and also leave them awed by the level of care and dedication it took to surmount so many daunting technological challenges. Drawn from personal interviews and oral histories as well as a wide array of published sources, this stirring, authoritative tribute to the collective effort that left "...footprints, crisp and clear, pressed purposefully and magnificently into the lunar dust" belongs in every collection.-John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal
"For me, that was the time in history and the event to participate in above all others." That comment, from one of the 400,000 involved in the team effort to put men on the moon in 1969, sums up the essence of this dramatic account of the work of people behind the scenes in the Apollo program. Illustrated with striking black-and-white photos, the white text on a black background of each page underscores the risk of this venture into the unknown. Beginning with Nixon's just-in-case prepared announcement of the astronaut's "sacrifice," the author presents the expedition as a series of challenges, including surprising details. Not all the challenges were directly related to the voyage: a windstorm in Australia threatened television transmission; photographs had to be perfect and the film disinfected (of nonexistent bacteria) before it was developed. The authors emphasizes the paper-and-pencil calculations, the endless testing and checking, and elaborate recordkeeping that supported this work, and the sense of personal responsibility each participant felt. This beautiful and well-documented tribute will introduce a new generation to that triumphant time. (author's note, resources, bibliography, glossary) (Nonfiction. 10+)
Kirkus Reviews
Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award * "This behind-the-scenes look at the first Apollo moon landing has the feel of a public television documentary in its breadth and detail." —Publishers Weekly, starred review * "This beautiful and well-documented tribute will introduce a new generation to that triumphant time." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review "This dramatic account will mesmerize even readers already familiar with the event-—and also leave them awed by the level of care and dedication it took to surmount so many daunting technological challenges." —School Library Journal "Thimmesh gives names and voices to the army that got Neil Armstrong and company to the moon and back. The result is a spectacular and highly original addition to the literature of space exploration." —Horn Book "Catherine Thimmesh tells us the stories of the 400,000 people it took to make...that 'one giant leap'...Their collective devotion to an exciting goal comes across strongly." —Chicago Tribune * "Kids . . . probably feel they know quite a bit about the first manned moon landing. But until they've read Thimmesh's breathless behind-the-scenes account, they know zip." —Bulletin, starred review "An edge-of-your-seat adventure . . . lavishly illustrated . . . this exhilarating book . . . will captivate." —Chicago Sun-Times "Thimmesh's enthusiasm for her subject is palpable, and the sense of excitement she brings is as vital to Team Moon's success the book's very premise." —Chris Barton, author of Shark vs. Train An NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books An ALA Best Book for Young Adults An ALA Notable Children’s Book
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon 3.9 out of 5based on
0 ratings.
13 reviews.
pjw1173 on LibraryThing
More than 1 year ago
This is a book that I can see me putting in my classroom library. I have Moon Shot currently and I have seen students spending days admiring each and every non fictional picture and chart. This book contains both informational text and photos that tell the story of how the Apollo 11 mission became a reality.
newanddifferent on LibraryThing
More than 1 year ago
Loved this one! The well-written, snappy prose, paired with excellent and relevant photos, tells an engaging story of the Apollo 11 mission as a whole, from dreams to design to success. Provides excellent back matter with related information, resources, and avenues for further exploration.
mkschoen on LibraryThing
More than 1 year ago
I found this very hard to read. Layout was confusing, I was never really clear what we were talking about or where I was supposed to look on a page. And many pages had white text on grey backgrounds, which I found extremely difficult to read. Switched back and forth betwwen narrator and quotations, but was unclear which was the main text.
KarenBall on LibraryThing
More than 1 year ago
A great read right now, since our final shuttle mission lifted off July 8th. When most people think of the original moon landing, they think of Neil Armstong and his famous quote as he stepped onto the surface of the moon for the first time: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." But who worked to get the three astronauts there, and how did they do it? Team Moon is the fascinating story of so many different little-known parts of the Apollo missions: the computer programmers and mathemeticians, who worked to foresee and solve problems ahead of time, and to solve the ones no one could foresee as they came up during the mission. Check out the photos of the computers they had to work with, and you'll start to understand why they chose to work with paper and pencil sometimes! There were several hundred testers and seamstresses who worked on developing the right combinations of fabrics and materials for the spacesuits to protect the astronauts. The engineers and chemists who worked on the fuel and engines for the rocket and vehicle design were an integral part of the mission also. There were photographers who trained the astronauts to use the movie and still cameras to capture the first steps on the moon, and there were those who designed the parachutes and those who went out to rescue the astronauts once they landed safely back in the ocean. The photos and layout of this book are outstanding, and it is a fantastic choice for everyone!
KelliSingleton on LibraryThing
More than 1 year ago
Team Moon is a Historic nonfiction book written by Catherine Thimmesh. It is about the Apollo 11 flight to the moon and back. It also talks about many of the ¿challenges¿ that they faced. The book begins by telling you everything that it took to make the space craft. The Apollo 11 had a nickname, The Eagle. Neil Armstrong and Buzz were the first men to walk on the moon in 1969. During their trip to the moon they had some MAJOR problems; they didn¿t know if they would make it home alive. Steven Bales, the mission controller for guidance and navigation did a wonderful job at helping them with their first major problem, ¿challenge one¿. The book also takes you through the countdown of the miles they have left until the reach the moon. The flight direction of ¿the eagle¿ was Gene Kranz. Running out of fuel was a main concern to them. They finally arrived back home eight days later. I would recommend this book to a high school science class. There are several activities that you could teach your students. This book would be great when teaching the solar system. It would also be a great history lesson as well. You could make your students do research and do a time line of the eight days that they were in space. This book was ok. It taught me a lot that I did not know about the flight to space and back. At first I thought it wasn¿t going to be interesting until I kept reading. While reading I would get nervous when I would read about the ¿challenges¿ that they faced. I would never be able to do that; I would have a heart attack. But overall, it is a great book for teaching about the Apollo 11.
mmpvppl on LibraryThing
More than 1 year ago
Really cool story about the building of Apollo 11. I had no idea how much is involved in building, launching, and bringing home a space shuttle.
debnance on LibraryThing
More than 1 year ago
President John F. Kennedy set the goal: put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. America met the goal. But it was with the efforts of hundreds of thousands of people that this goal was met. Team Moon looks behind the act of a man walking on the moon to the work of all the people who got him there and then got him safely back home.
michelleramos on LibraryThing
More than 1 year ago
This book is a very detailed look at all of the people that were involved in the extensive process of having a man land on the moon. Of course there were many people involved, but I had no idea that there were close to 400,000. This book is written very kid friendly, other than the many lists of accronyms, names, and codes.
MaowangVater on LibraryThing
More than 1 year ago
It¿s July 1969, moments after the Lunar Module Eagle had separated from the Command Module Columbia, and 33, 500 feet above the surface of the moon. The Eagle is just beginning its decent."Suddenly, the master alarm in the lunar module rang out for attention with all the racket of a fire bell going off in a broom closet. ¿Program alarm,¿ astronaut Neil Armstrong called from the LM (`LEM¿) in a clipped but calm voice. ¿It¿s a twelve-oh-two.¿¿Translation: We have a problem! What is it? Do we land? Do we abort? Are we in danger? Are we blowing up? Tell us what to do. Hurry!"The speech for President Nixon to deliver in the event the astronauts died on the moon had already been written. Fortunately, other back-up plans were in place. Back on earth at mission control in Houston, the Flight Controller looked to mission controller for guidance and navigation, who intern was in touch with the computer programmer in the back room, meanwhile the Capsule Communicator (CapCom) recalled a similar alarm in a simulated training mission. The LM¿s computer was momentarily too busy. Twenty seconds from the call from Eagle the CapCom relayed the message to proceed with the landing as long as the alarm was not constant. Eleven minutes later Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to land a spacecraft on the moon. The subtitle says it all, 400,000 people were working with the astronauts, everyone in Mission Control, the engineers working for the contractors that built the Eagle, the Columbia and the parachute system that would return them to earth, the computer programmers, the seamstresses who sewed the spacesuits for the moonwalk, and the radio telescope operators in Australia battling 70 mile an hour winds to capture the television signal and transmit it to an anxious planet. Thimmesh has carefully selected stories of people behind the headlines and presented them in a marvelously illustrated chronicle of the near-crisis by near-crisis events from lift off to splash down during the first moon landing. The Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association awarded the author the 2007 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal for the most distinguished informational book published in English during the preceding year.
jeriannthacker on LibraryThing
More than 1 year ago
Story of the Apollo moon landing. Interesting, a little wordy at times, cool pictures.
abbylibrarian on LibraryThing
More than 1 year ago
This beautiful book gives a play-by-play of the first moon landing with Apollo 11. We've all heard of Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong. Maybe we've also heard of Michael Collins (the third member of the crew, who flew the ship but did not walk on the moon). But did you have any idea that there were 400,000 other people behind the scenes of the first moon landing? I didn't. Team Moon goes into detail about problems that the astronauts encountered on their trip and the people who rushed to solve them. It includes information about engineers who had to quickly determine why alarms kept going off in the ship and whether they should abort the moon landing, the people who kept the Australian satellite dish steady through high winds so that the images would reach the public on TV, and many others. Information is also provided about the people who worked developing equipment that would help the astronauts. It tells about the seamstresses that helped put together the space suits, the space suit tester, the people who invented the lunar module (the part of the ship that actually touched down on the moon). This book is packed full of information, but short chapters and stunning photos (complete with captions) make it a delight to take in. Very cool book.
Anonymous
More than 1 year ago
Guest
More than 1 year ago
Getting to the moon required a lot of knowledge. The astronauts, especially Neil Armstrong, often distance themselves from the heroism of the Apollo 11 project. Apollo took hundreds of thousands of people and lots of teamwork to develop. It is therefore a treat to see Thimmesh's vivdly illustrated and inspiring book. -Tahir Rahman, author of We Came in Peace for all Mankind: the untold story of the Apollo 11 silicon disc
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Step is Life – that’s the mantra for the girls in Amanda Lipitz’s new film.
08.09.2017
The Jewish News
Suzanne Chessler
Amanda Lipitz explains that the first feature film she has directed and produced — Step: A Real Life Story — is not about Judaism, but it is about Jewish values.
The documentary, opening Aug. 11 in Metro Detroit, showcases an all-girls high school in Baltimore where a step dance team works together to win a championship and transfers energy and enthusiasm from the activity into academic achievements.
The ultimate goal for all team members is acceptance into college.
“The film is entertaining with a really deep and powerful message,” says Lipitz, 37, named by Jewish Women International as one of “10 Women to Watch” in 2008.
“It inspires people to get up and make changes by helping and mentoring, and I hope young people take away [the idea of] having a plan, a blueprint, and sticking to that plan to achieve their dreams.
“Everything in the film would have happened whether I was there with a camera or not. I learned that nothing is impossible when you come together with a group of powerful women.”
The film showcases the Lethal Ladies of the BLSYW (Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women) Step Team and the staff members advising and encouraging them. It takes place in their senior year.
Besides seeing the team performing high-energy step dancing, audiences will get to know individual members and their hurdles, often from family or financial limitations.
Stepping is a tradition emphasizing rhythmic and percussive foot movements with handclaps, call-and-response motions, songs, chants and propulsive musical rhythms combined to become a corporeal form of storytelling. Shaped by African-American history, it added elements of acrobatics, tap dance, hip-hop and stunts.
“I’m a pretty positive person inspired and fueled by music and musicals,” says Lipitz, who thought of being a performer before pursuing creative experiences behind the scenes. “I also have a lot of empathy. My grandmother had a saying, which is ‘one heart fills another,’ and I certainly try to live by that.
“The girls have become a part of my life and like family to me. I can’t imagine my life without them. I’ve been talking to them all the time, and I’ve been with them all the time because of a press tour. All 20 of us were at a festival in New Orleans, and we’ve all planned on going to New York and Los Angeles together.”
Before taking on this project, Lipitz had been making short films about first-generation students going to college and girls’ education. Her experience with a Jewish theme was as producer of Modern Orthodox, staged with Molly Ringwald and Jason Biggs.
As a youngster raised in Baltimore, where she had her bat mitzvah, Lipitz took dance classes and singing lessons, planning on being an actor until attending the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. She realized that the life of an actor wasn’t for her and found herself drawn to the creative process.
“When I graduated, I started working for a Broadway producer, and my first show was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” she recalls. “I was 24.”
Her other producing credits include Legally Blonde: The Musical, The Performers and A View From the Bridge, a Tony Award-winning production. She is represented on Broadway this season by the Tony Award winner (Best Play) The Humans, which was also a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Lipitz served as executive producer and creator of MTV’s series Legally Blonde: The Musical — The Search for Elle Woods. She also was associate producer of A Broadway Celebration for PBS as part of the White House music series.
Current projects include the original musical Brooklynite with music and lyrics by Peter Lerman.
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“I have worked with the Young Women’s Leadership School in New York, where there is a 100-percent graduation rate,” Lipitz explains. “My mom is an activist in Baltimore, and I suggested that she look at these schools as a model for something that could be done there.
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Lipitz, a trustee of New York University and Playwrights of New York, does not leave stepping behind when she goes home. Her own daughters, ages 3 and 7, are fully into it.
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March 3, 2018
It’s a cold, grey, occasionally rainy weekend in Hollywood, so while the Oscar nominees are fretting their fashion choices, you get to curl up with a hot drink and settle in for a few hours of…I don’t know what, but hopefully something more entertaining than reading my predictions. If this is the best you can do, maybe skip the hot drink. You don’t want to spill it all over yourself when you nod off…X
BEST SOUND MIXING AND SOUND EDITING
As you can see, the same five films are nominated in both categories this year. I was sure this was a relatively common situation, but in reviewing years past I realized it was actually a first. That said, it was only in 2006 that the Sound Editing category was expanded from three nominees to five, so there have only been 12 times where there could have been an exact match up. Not that this has anything to do with what will win. Usually there’s only one difference between the two line-ups, and since 1990 the awards have gone to the same movie almost as often as they’ve been split. As I probably say every year, most voters don’t understand the categories, which means they could always surprise us. But the pervading sense this year is that both will go to Dunkirk. I agree.
Personal: Sound Editing recognizes the creation of sounds in post-production that couldn’t be captured during filming. That makes me feel like this is the more creative of the two disciplines, because when it comes to science fiction or fantasy films, the Sound Editors must come up with what alien creatures and droids and spaceships sound like. Not that those are the only sounds which need to be manufactured in post; there could be practical reasons why real world sounds like gunfire or tires screeching must be re-created. Still, the requirement for complete fabrication makes me lean towards the fantastical, so my Sound Editing pick would be Star Wars: The Last Jedi. For Sound Mixing, which rewards the combination and interaction of dialogue, sound effects and music, I’d go Dunkirk. As with all of Christopher Nolan’s films, the music score by Hans Zimmer feels like a more integrated part of the soundscape then a score usually does, plus the ticking clock motif adds to the tension. It’s the nominee in which all of the sound elements work together most effectively.
This category comes down to Blade Runner 2049 and War for the Planet of the Apes, and I want so much to think the latter will triumph and Weta Digital’s amazing work on this series will finally take the gold after the previous installments were criminally passed over. But I’m afraid it won’t happen. For one thing, I never get the sense that the Apes movies are widely seen by Academy members. In 2011, Rise of the Planet of the Apes bafflingly lost to Hugo, a Best Picture nominee. In 2014, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes lost to Interstellar, which had effects that were impressive but fairly standard for “outer space” fare. Although there was no Best Picture nominee in the running that year, Interstellar still carried a hint of prestige that may have helped its chances. It was also nominated in four other categories, demonstrating that attention had been paid across multiple branches. The Apes movies have not broken out beyond visual effects, though each film has deserved additional nominations. That’s true this year as well, where Blade Runner 2049 has five nominations and, like Interstellar before it, carries an intangible prestige factor that while not substantial enough to land it in any of the top categories, is probably enough for it to succeed here.
Blade Runner features beautiful and seamless visual effects, so it’s hardly undeserving. But the Planet of the Apes movies are simply in another league, and if enough voters were paying attention, how could they not realize it? Every main character in this movie, save for two, are achieved through visual effects. Actors like Andy Serkis and Steve Zahn perform the characters using performance capture technology, so we can watch the movie and connect with the emotions these actors are putting out. But we also have to connect with what we’re actually looking at, and what we’re looking at in the case of these films was created in a computer. Main characters, holding the screen in dramatic, compelling moments of rage, warmth, loss, fear…it’s astonishing work. These characters – realized “in the flesh” entirely by computers – never for an instant seem anything less than completely, 100% real. There is no uncanny valley in this planet of apes. These movies, and their fate in this category, are a textbook case for why the Oscars might be far more meaningful if the winners – like the nominees – were chosen by the members of each respective branch rather than the membership-at-large. There is no way this series wouldn’t have picked up at least one Oscar by now if the decision was being made solely by visual effects artists.
I should be more optimistic. I’m writing about the movie as if it’s already lost, when in fact this is not a done deal. The primates do have a fighting chance. But I’m feeling like Blade Runner 2049 will win. I would love to be wrong.
This is one of the easier picks of the year. The transformation of Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill was as talked about as the performance Oldman delivered through the prosthetics. Darkest Hour has this in the bag.
Personal:Darkest Hour. And now I want to see Oldman made up as Churchill and then transformed from that starting point into the ancient Transylvanian count he played in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
If this award were being given out by film critics, I’d call it for Jonny Greenwood’s Phantom Thread, and it could turn out to be the Academy’s favorite too. Or Dunkirk admirers could push Hans Zimmer into the winner’s circle for his essential contribution to the movie’s nonstop tension, as well as for unifying its three storylines. But while Greenwood in particular poses a threat, I think Alexandre Desplat will take the Oscar for his romantic, Parisian-accented score that evocatively captured the playfulness, the love story and the otherworldliness of The Shape of Water.
Personal: Hans Zimmer’s collaborations with Christopher Nolan yield scores that do much more than support the films musically. The scores are almost like another character, and their impact on Nolan’s ability to grab his audience and get their hearts racing can not be understated. So I would be happy to see Dunkirk win. But I’d go with The Shape of Water. At every moment, Desplat’s charming score is the note-perfect complement to what we’re watching. Plus it works better as a listening experience apart from the movie than Dunkirk, which tends to be a consideration for me. And I could listen to “Elisa’s Theme” on an endless loop.
X
BEST ORIGINAL SONGMighty River – Mudbound – Music and Lyric by Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson
Mystery of Love – Call Me By Your Name – Music and Lyric by Sufjan Stevens
Remember Me – Coco – Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Stand Up For Something – Marshall – Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Lonnie R. Lynn and Diane Warren
This is Me – The Greatest Showman – Music and Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Poor Diane Warren. Her nominated song from Marshall marks her ninth time at this dance, but she has yet to win and that’s not going to change this year. In fact, “Stand Up for Something” is the least likely of the five to take the prize. Salt on the wound: while she awaits her first victory, she will likely lose to a pair of repeat winners. Either husband-and-wife team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who won for Frozen‘s inescapable “Let it Go,” or Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who took the prize last year for “City of Stars” from La La Land.
The problem with “Remember Me,” the effort from Team Lopez, is that it’s rather slight. It appears during Coco in three different versions, two of which are barely over a minute long, with the third falling short of the two-minute mark. It’s charming and sweet and I like it, but there’s not much to it. It’s power and effectiveness is less about the song itself than about the role it plays in the movie, especially in its final incarnation. The song could almost be anything; what packs the punch is how it’s used. Will voters make that distinction? Some, maybe. Regardless, my guess is that more of them will be engaged by the energy and aspirational nature of “This is Me,” which is a full-blown production number in The Greatest Showman, and which has taken on a life of its own apart from the movie, thanks in no small part to its prominent use in commercials for the Olympics. Having a platform like that smack in the middle of the voting period couldn’t hurt. That benefit aside, the song is an anthem for underdogs and people who feel unseen, making it as powerful and inspiring as it is jubilant. We’re experiencing a moment right now where those who have felt silenced or victimized are standing up and calling for change, whether it’s women fighting for pay equality and an end to harassment, or African-Americans demanding fair treatment from systems that have historically oppressed them, or students refusing to become casualties of gun violence…this song speaks to all of them, even without directly addressing any of those struggles. It feels like a song for this moment. But who knows. I may be taking away more than the average listener…or Oscar voter.
Personal: Although I seem to have just made a case for “This is Me,” that would be my second choice after “Mystery of Love,” Sufjan Stevens’ airy, haunting ballad that exquisitely captures the mood and tone of Call Me By Your Name.
In Phantom Thread, Daniel Day-Lewis plays Reynolds Woodcock, an esteemed fashion designer who creates dresses for royals and ladies of highest society. It’s a tall order for any costumer to create an array of outfits that could have believably been designed by a world famous couturier, but Paul Thomas Anderson’s longtime collaborator Mark Bridges met the challenge with flying reds, golds, pinks and greens. Unless The Shape of Water gets caught in a sweep, expect Bridges to take the statuette…which, if I were him, I would then dress in a little House of Woodcock replica. He’s already got one Oscar, so he can display that one in its au naturel glory while the new one is dolled up.
Personal: The category features nice work all around, but nothing really stands out like the beautiful designs of Phantom Thread.
In the Best Visual Effects section, I suggested Blade Runner 2049 would win partly because it was embraced more broadly within the Academy than its primatey primary competitor, which I argue is more deserving. Here somehow the opposite applies. The world created in Blade Runner 2049 through the production design is at once familiar and alien, at times grand and imaginative while at others intimate but still idiosyncratic. It’s even more impressive considering that the sequel’s design carves out its own identity despite having to fit with what came before, even though 30 years have passed in the story. The movie pays homage to the original, but still feels fresh in its look. Yet it appears to be facing an uphill battle against The Shape of Water, which takes place in a world more grounded and ordinary but still sports terrific design work and would definitely be a worthy victor. Both films present bold colors that work in concert with all other visual elements of the films to tell their stories, and both films took home awards from the Art Director’s Guild, with Shape of Water winning in the Period category while Blade Runner scored in the Fantasy race. It’s probably the more creative accomplishment in this particular area, and it could win, but The Shape of Water seems to have the edge, perhaps because it’s more popular across the Academy’s ranks.
Personal: As much as I admire and enjoy The Shape of Water‘s design elements, I want Blade Runner 2049 to take this.
As I mentioned in the nomination predictions post, this award almost always goes to a Best Picture nominee, but every once in a while a particularly skillful action movie (The Matrix, The Bourne Ultimatum) or let’s say “near-action” movie (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) can emerge victorious. This year, Dunkirk would seem the clear choice, as it’s both a Best Picture contender and something of an action movie. But watch out for Baby Driver. Although probably seen by fewer voters than Dunkirk, it’s the kind of movie whose reputation precedes it, and even those who haven’t seen it might have awareness enough to admire and vote for the precision with which the images are cut to the pop soundtrack. It’s not your typical Oscar-caliber movie, but it’s exactly the kind of action piece that could take this prize. The precursor awards do little to illuminate a clear choice. Dunkirk won the American Cinema Editors award in the Drama category, while Baby Driver surprisingly lost to I, Tonya in the Musical or Comedy field. I would read less into that, however, than into the fact that Baby Driver beat Dunkirk at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards, which have a pretty decent – though not perfect – record in recent years of matching the eventual Oscar winner. It’s a tough call. I’m going with Dunkirk, but I might as well toss a coin.
Personal: Tough call here too. I’d be perfectly happy to see Lee Smith win for his excellent work on Dunkirk – and to make up for him not getting nominated for Inception. But Baby Driver is probably the more impressive, difficult achievement and it would be great to see it rewarded.
Roger Deakins is one of the most lauded lensers of all time. 15 nominations from the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC); 4 wins. 8 BAFTA nominations; 4 wins. 14 Academy Award nominations; 0 wins. That’s right. Deakins, one of the greatest ever seated behind a camera, has yet to win an Academy Award. Many think this could finally be the year he takes it, thanks to his dazzling work on Blade Runner 2049. He’s already collected the prize from at least 22 critics organizations, as well as the ASC and BAFTA. Should be a slam dunk, right? Much as I’d like to think so, there’s reason to be wary. As mentioned above, Deakins has won BAFTA awards and ASC awards before, only to lose the Oscar. He’s won them both in the same year before, and still gone on to lose the Oscar.
Why might it happen again this year? For the same reason Blade Runner 2049 will probably lose Best Production Design: it’s up against two widely admired Best Picture nominees – Dunkirk and The Shape of Water – that also boast highly impressive work. Dunkirk was shot almost entirely with IMAX cameras, giving the film an epic sweep that still managed to be intimate and place the audience right alongside the characters. In addition, much of the movie’s photography is handheld, which is no easy feat to pull off with cumbersome IMAX equipment. And to get those big, bulky cameras into the cockpits of the planes for the RAF storyline? Quite a challenge. The Shape of Water, meanwhile, may not have posed the same level of physical complexity, but its camerawork and lighting interacts beautifully with every other visual element of the movie. Of course, the same is true for Blade Runner 2049; they both happen to be especially eye-popping films. I’d just argue that Blade Runner‘s imagery is a little more striking a little more often, particularly in its lighting.
With no clear and present frontrunner, this does seem like it might finally be Deakins’ year. But with Dunkirk and The Shape of Water showcasing wonderful work and being in the thick of the Best Picture hunt, either could find more support amongst voters. It should be noted that on the ballots, only the name of the film appears, not the name of the actual nominee. In the end, I’m cautiously predicting that Deakins’ losing streak is about to give way, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it extend yet again.
Personal: I can’t really be disappointed if Dunkirk or The Shape of Water took the prize. Each is immaculately shot and eminently worthy. But so is Blade Runner 2049, and when you factor in how overdue Deakins is, and how in the zone he is with this film, it would be crushing to see him miss yet again.
Not a whole lot to debate or deconstruct in this category. Coco is way out in front, and should easily deliver Pixar its ninth win in this category.
Personal: I’m torn. I loved Coco, even more than I expected. It moved me to tears…several times. But as a work of animation, Loving Vincent is staggering. An entire feature-length film, hand painted in the thick, swirly style of Van Gogh’s art and integrating live performances by actors like Saorise Ronan and Chris O’Dowd rendered as Van Gogh subjects. It’s a painting come to life, and it makes me wonder what the category should be judged on: the film itself, or the achievement of the animation? I suppose the former; the category is called Best Animated Feature, not Best Animationin a Feature. But maybe occasionally, with something as unique as this, the technique or style deserves to come first. So for its strikingly original artistry and its dramatically compelling content (a skeptic investigates Van Gogh’s mysterious death), I’d give the win to Loving Vincent.
Here’s another category where there really isn’t a lot to grapple with. It’s not even roughly a two-way race. Call Me By Your Name might as well be engraved on this Oscar as I type. James Ivory will become the oldest winner in Oscar history at 89, besting Ennio Morricone, who was 87 when he won Best Original Score for The Hateful Eight. Then again, if Agnès Varda wins in the Best Documentary Feature category, she’ll be the oldest winner ever. She’s got eight days on Ivory. Regardless of who holds what record, it will be nice to see Ivory win an Oscar after a long and celebrated career that saw him nominated three times for Best Director, but always for films (A Room with a View, Howard’s End and The Remains of the Day) that were considered also-rans in the Directing and Picture categories despite winning in other top races. His moment has finally come.
Personal: It’s great to see Logan nominated, but Call Me By Your Name is the crown jewel among these contenders. A beautiful movie across the board, and it begins with André Aciman’s novel and Ivory’s script.
Any of these nominees would be a deserving winner, but The Big Sick will have to be content with its nomination. So too will The Shape of Water, despite being a frontrunner in other categories both above and below the line. It’s lovely and imaginative and full of meanings that may go unnoticed but which are carefully layered in by Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, and in another year it might have had a better chance. As it is, there just happen to be three dominant writing contenders this time around. Two of them, Jordan Peele and Greta Gerwig, have been lumped together quite a bit throughout the season (as in this Vanity Fair photo shoot and cover story), forced by circumstance to carry the torch for their respective chronically underrepresented demographics. Both are nominated here and for Best Director. The screenplay nominations were expected, but the Director nominations were question marks. Receiving that recognition is as far as they’re expected to go in that category, meaning this is the best chance that both of them have to win…and like the Highlander, there can be only one. (Well…technically they could tie, but that’s unlikely.) Oh, and there’s still Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri to consider.
This is also Martin McDonagh’s best shot, as he was rather surprisingly omitted from the Best Director line-up. Three Billboards has been a formidable presence in the top races throughout Phase Two, and took Screenplay honors at the Golden Globes and BAFTA (the former does not distinguish between Original Adapted). It did not win the Writers Guild of America (WGA) award, but it wasn’t eligible for a nomination. The big question with Three Billboards is whether the controversy that surrounds it has made a significant impact on Academy members. What controversy, you may ask? Many critics and viewers have a big problem with how the movie handles race. This piece from /Film nicely summarizes the issue, and contains links to several of the critiques, including prominent articles by New York Times critic Wesley Morris and The Daily Beast‘s Ira Madison III. The movie has its defenders, however, including Kareem Abdul- Jabbar, who argue in part that these excoriations miss the movie’s point. So again, will the controversy make a difference? Some voters may think twice, but I’d wager it’s more likely that if they consider this at all, it will be less about their own opinion being swayed than about not wanting to be perceived as endorsing a film that many find racially insensitive or outright ignorant.
So there’s that.
Peele and McDonagh are both among their films’ nominated producers, so if either loses this award, they still have a chance to take home an Oscar if their movie wins Best Picture. Not so for Gerwig, who is not a producer on Lady Bird. So with Best Director likely out of reach, this is her chance. But as perennial as it is for Oscar pundits to think a given person and/or their film might win in one category while their closest competition will win in another, thereby spreading the wealth, this scenario seldom plays out. People vote for what they want to vote for category by category; they don’t play their Oscar ballot like a chess board. So the fact that this is Gerwig’s best hope to win an Oscar this year doesn’t matter. As funny, acutely observed and delightful as Lady Bird is, it’s outmatched by the cleverness and social commentary of Get Out and the originality and potency of Three Billboards. Between those two, it could go either way…but Get Out just feels too relevant and too fresh to lose.
Personal: It’s not my favorite movie of the five nominees, but I still have to give this up to Get Out. It’s such a smart premise; simple but ingenious, and a whole lotta fun.
The way things were going waaaaay back in December, Phase One, the early days of the awards season, it seemed as if veteran character actor Willem Dafoe might earn a sort of career achievement Oscar for his role as a beleaguered motel manager in The Florida Project. But as often happens as the season stretches on, the winds shifted. Sam Rockwell (a veteran character actor himself, if not quite one with as many years logged as Dafoe) came up from behind to establish a lead, and is now the firm favorite. Given that Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was built as a showcase for a dynamic female lead, it’s a testament to Rockwell’s impact that he’s as much a reason to see the movie as Frances McDormand. And even though his character is at the center of the aforementioned controversy, no one seems to have a problem with his performance. Having overtaken Dafoe’s early lead and captured every major prize along the way – Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and BAFTA – at this point it’s hard to envision any other outcome.
Personal: Rockwell. I have loved this guy for ages. The Green Mile, Galaxy Quest, Charlie’s Angels, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Choke, Moon, Conviction, The Way Way Back…he’s just one of those magnetic performers who always commands attention, no matter the quality of the movie he’s in. Still, none of his past achievements are reason to vote for him here. I choose him because Three Billboards gives him one of his best roles, and as expected, he crushes it.
Even more starkly than in the Supporting Actor race, this one saw a shift as time went on. Allison Janney did well with the critics groups, but Laurie Metcalf dominated. Yet it was Janney who took the Golden Globe, SAG, BFCA and BAFTA awards, and there’s no reason to expect that she won’t take the Oscar as well. She has the showiest role of the bunch by far, and perhaps more importantly, she’s never played a part like this. There are moments in this movie when her eyes are so icy and frightening she could make Game of Thrones‘ Night King tremble, and she conjures the attitude to match. Some have pointed out that the character is pretty much one-note, and maybe it is…but take that up with the screenwriter. Janney went the distance with the part, and because she’s so well known across film and television, voters are likely to note what a change of pace the role is for her. She also has the advantage of being more familiar to film audiences than Metcalf, who is active on television and the stage but hadn’t appeared in a theatrical movie since 2008. From all angles, this seems like a sure thing for Janney. Still, proceed with caution. The very fact that all four acting frontrunners seem so locked could belie the possibility of a surprise, and if something unexpected happens, it could be here. Metcalf could still pull it off, and word is that Lesley Manville is gaining ground among voters who are just catching up with Phantom Thread.
Personal: I’ve got nothing but love for Janney and I’d be fine with her winning. I’d also be happy with Lesley Manville, who did so much with looks and posture. But I’d be happiest to see it go to Metcalf. She made that character so real. Flawed, kind, pained, petty, generous…loving. Not always in the right way, but always. Sometimes the most impressive feat isn’t nailing a big showstopper scene, but making all the ordinary and mundane moments so memorable. Metcalf does that here, over and over again.
Gary Oldman has pretty much had this thing locked up since Darkest Hour premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in September. The Toronto Film Festival followed within days, and the buzz was out of the bag. Oldman checks off all the classic Oscar boxes. Real life/historical figure? Check. Physical transformation? Check. Big speeches/scenery chewing? Check. Quieter, subtler, more interior moments to balance out big speeches/scenery chewing? Check. Respected actor, long career, lots of great performances, hasn’t won yet? Check. As time goes on and the Academy’s old guard becomes the minority, these boxes may go away. But for now they remain intact, and they all point to victory for Oldman. Not exactly victory at all costs or in spite of all terror…but victory nonetheless.
Personal: It’s hard to deny Gary Oldman. Just because the performance checks off those predictable boxes doesn’t diminish its impact or suggest that voters who choose him are simply going through the motions. Oldman is tremendously entertaining and wholly committed in Darkest Hour, and having reached a point in his career where he tends to play primarily supporting roles, his work as Churchill is a reminder of his power as a lead. He’s also one of those guys who you assume must have won an Oscar somewhere along the line, but hasn’t, which fuels a classic “it’s time” narrative. It’s hard to put all the side factors out of your mind and just vote purely for the performance, but if I did I would probably go with Timothée Chalamet. Like Laurie Metcalf in Lady Bird, he’s just so authentic. In his portrayal of a teenager overtaken by unexpected romantic desire, he makes some choices that are so surprising and impeccable, yet so straightforward. None of the performances present an existence so believable and fully lived-in as his.
Almost every year at least one of the acting categories comes down to a tight race between two nominees, with either outcome completely plausible. This year, not so much. All four acting categories seem to have clear outcomes, with Rockwell, Janney, Oldman and now Frances McDormand having taken Golden Globes, BFCA, SAG and BAFTA prizes. That factoid is, I believe, a first. It doesn’t mean that there couldn’t be an upset; only that they all have a significant advantage going into the big night.
Unlikely as a loss for McDormand seems at this point, there’s a case to be made that she could miss. For one thing, it’s clear each time she takes the stage that while she is happy and grateful, it’s not too important to her. Frances McDormand does not need your trophy, thank you very much. While accepting her SAG award, she even encouraged voters to support younger, newer talent. For another thing, this acting category might be the one where the frontrunner’s lead is the slimmest. Sally Hawkins and Saoirse Ronan are likely to pick up a lot of votes, and Margot Robbie will get her fair share as well. If enough people who are torn decide not to vote for McDormand, figuring she’ll already get enough support, the tide could turn. Also worth considering…
Oh hell, who are we kidding? Making a case for McDormand to lose is pointless. Yes, yes, anything could happen, but c’mon. People love her in this movie, they love her in general…you watch her give her other speeches – BAFTA, Golden Globes…this lady is just oozing swagger.
Personal: I’ve long wanted to see Academy Award Winner Frances McDormand become Two-Time Academy Award Winner Frances McDormand, so if she wins, it’ll be aces with me. But in a tough, tough choice between her, Hawkins and Ronan, I’d pick Ronan. Her character is more average and grounded than those played by some of her competitors, but her inhabiting of this girl facing typical struggles of adolescence went so deep and was so relatable. Her portrayal was as universal as it was particular, and her deadpan comic timing and delivery is a marvel.
It’s great to have Paul Thomas Anderson back in this category, and great to have Christopher Nolan and Guillermo del Toro here for the first time. One day, this award surely must go to Anderson and Nolan. But it won’t be this year. Like the four acting categories, this one includes a nominee who has won every major precursor. Guillermo del Toro took the BFCA, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Director’s Guild of America (DGA) awards, the latter of which is the most reliable harbinger of Oscar victory in all of awardom. His close compadres Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro González Iñárritu have each won this award in the last five years (Iñárritu did it twice), and now del Toro will complete the trifecta.
Personal: Guillermo del Toro. Every detail in every frame of The Shape of the Water, and every thought behind every word, shot, cut, sound effect and so on, is significant and can be explained in passionate detail by del Toro. When I hear him interviewed about this or any other of his films, I’m always struck by how nothing is without meaning or careful intention. And it all comes together so gorgeously in this movie.
The most difficult prediction of the year is for the top award. Races like Best Visual Effects, Best Original Song and Best Original Screenplay have boiled down to two strong possibilities (maybe three in the case of Screenplay), but four of these nominees are widely thought to be serious players. Of those four, Dunkirk faces the toughest odds. It hasn’t won any major awards on the road to the Oscars, but many pundits who are out there talking to Academy members consistently hear that it’s a popular choice, admired by many. This matters when dealing with the preferential ballot, the method employed to choose the Best Picture winner. All other categories are determined by a simple popular vote; the nominee with the most votes wins. But in 2011, the Academy introduced the preferential ballot in the hopes of reaching a Best Picture winner that represented as wide a group of voters as possible. Once again, I offer this video from The Wrap‘s Oscar whiz Steve Pond, who uses visuals aids to explain how it works.
So…it’s better to be a movie that’s admired and liked by a whole bunch of people than a movie that’s loved by a smaller faction. Based on reports from the trenches, Dunkirk appears to fall in the former group, and it surely has a lot of support from below-the-line members (cinematographers, editors, sound mixers, etc.). Actors make up the largest voting bloc of the Academy, but combine all of the crafts categories and you’ve got an even larger group. Working against Dunkirk? It didn’t receive any nominations for writing or acting. It’s considered almost impossible to win Best Picture without either.
Get Out. It’s seen as one of the most relevant nominees, which can be a huge benefit in these troubled times when social consciousness is on everybody’s mind. Many members want their vote to make a statement. Get Out spotlights an exciting new voice in filmmaking, provides a rare blessing of legitimacy on a genre that seldom gets this level of respect, and demonstrates that an “issue movie” can also be a popular crowdpleaser. And as with Dunkirk, many pundits report that their Academy contacts keep talking about it….though whenever I hear that I think, “Ok, but there are roughly 8,300 members of the Academy. How many are you talking to? A few dozen? Even if it’s a couple hundred, that’s a small percentage.”
Next, The Shape of Water. With a leading 13 nominations, it has broad appeal across the below-the-line categories as well as with actors, who nominated three of its stars. It’s a common mistake to think that the most nominated movie is also the most popular or the most likely to win. This often proves false. The movies that get the most nominations are the ones that not only find success in the top categories, but also hit several below-the-line boxes. Costumes, set design, music, makeup, visual effects, etc. In other words, period pieces and sci-fi or fantasy. So when it comes to The Shape of Water, it doesn’t hurt to have all those nominations, but they don’t necessarily signify anything. While many people love the movie, there are also many who don’t get it or just don’t care for it. One deterrent cited over and over is that despite its acclaimed ensemble and their praised performances, the movie did not receive a SAG nomination for Best Cast. No movie has won Best Picture without that since 1995’s Braveheart. But it did win the Producer’s Guild of America (PGA) award, which is the only major precursor that also uses the preferential ballot. And it won the BFCA award, which comes from an organization whose size is closer to the Academy than any other entity, and therefore probably consists of a similarly diverse and divided voting membership.
Finally, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which has the clearest momentum going into Oscar night, thanks to Picture and Screenplay wins at BAFTA and the Golden Globes, as well as McDormand and Rockwell steamrolling their way through Phase Two. It also won the SAG award for Best Cast. If not getting nominated for that could hurt The Shape of Water, winning it surely helps Three Billboards. On the other hand, Martin McDonagh was passed over for Best Director. A movie can win Best Picture without a directing nomination, but it doesn’t happen often. I’ve also read some interesting comments suggesting that the movie’s depiction of America is not all that realistic, representing an outsider’s view (McDonagh hails from Ireland) that misses certain key cultural nuances, particularly of the American south, and that the top prizes from BAFTA and the Globes are not surprising given that both voting groups are comprised of non-Americans. There’s also the controversy discussed previously. Here, it gives me pause. If the story has permeated the ranks of the Academy, they may be more wary of what they choose to represent them as a Best Picture winner than they will be with Best Screenplay. To whatever extent Oscar wins are remembered over time by those outside the realm of obsessives like me, a Best Picture win is more prominent than Best Screenplay. What kind of movie does the Academy want to bestow its ultimate validation upon? It’s the same question they face with Best Original Screenplay – if they face it at all – but it might matter to them more here, especially when they’re still in the shadow of #OscarsSoWhite.
Nine Best Picture nominees, four thought to have a real chance, all four facing precedents that say they can’t win, or at least are highly unlikely to win. They’re sometimes worth mentioning, but you can drive yourself mad trying to decipher all of these equations for victory that rely on the idea of voters actually stopping to think if the movie they’re selecting for Best Picture was nominated for SAG’s Best Cast Award or received an Editing nomination or is likely to win at least one other award, which is another supposed necessity. All of these rules will fail eventually. Which will it be this year? I have no idea. But my Best Picture guess, after much hand wringing, is The Shape of Water. Not because Guillermo del Toro is likely to win Best Director; the preferential ballot has upended the long-standing correlation between Best Picture and Best Director. The awards have gone to different movies in four of the last five years…and I feel more than a little stupid for not making the connection until last year. The categories are being voted on in two completely different ways now, so of course it’s going to be less likely that they will match up as often as they used to. No, I’m picking The Shape of Water because I suspect the arguments against it are weaker than the arguments against the other nominees, and because I think it’s the most likely among the four pack-leaders to benefit from the preferential ballot. But Three Billboards, especially, is a major threat, and if all the controversy and outsider viewpoint theories turn out to be sound and fury signifying nothing, it could go all the way.
Personal:The Shape of Water. This was the one I loved the most. The story, the production values, the humor, the characters and performances, the music, the bold swing of the romance…top to bottom and everything in between, this was my favorite movie of the year.
XFINAL THOUGHTS
As usual, you’re on your own with the Best Documentary, Best Foreign Language Film and the short film categories. I have a hard enough time keeping up with the feature-length narrative movies. But there are a couple of other things I want to mention. Each year, you’ll find a few entertainment news sites that publish the opinions of some anonymous Academy members, who talk frankly through their choices and their feelings about what was and wasn’t nominated. There were several this year, and it’s always enlightening and frustrating to read them. What they prove is that despite all the time and energy that Oscar geeks like me, professional or otherwise, spend on calculating and predicting what “The Academy” or “The Voters” will do, this is ultimately – and I’ve hit this point before – several thousand individuals just expressing their own random opinions. Every nominee in every category will have some people who love it, some who hate it, and others whose feelings fall somewhere in the middle. Some voters are retired or work less and probably have a chance to see every nominee. Others are busy, active in the industry, and may not get around to everything. Some people will vote for a friend or a colleague, some people will vote to promote an agenda. Some people will vote for the nominee they enjoyed the most, others will wield their vote politically. I said earlier that people don’t play their ballot like a chess board, and while I believe that to be generally true, I’m sure that sometimes a voter might make a choice because they want to see a multiple-nominee win something, even if they preferred another choice in that given category. The reasons are all over the map, as you see when you look at these anonymous comments. (Year after year I read some of these and think there are certain people who don’t deserve the privilege of voting. Their comments also frequently come off as bizarre streams of consciousness that make little sense. But what can you do?)
The point is, for all the words I’ve vomited into this post talking about what voters might do and how the Academy thinks, there is no typical voter or Academy hive mind. It’s just a bunch of people marking a ballot according to their own personal preferences and reasoning. Every voter has their own criteria for determining what constitutes great work. If you’re interested, here’s some insight. IndieWire published a whole series of these interviews, speaking to a costume designer, film editor, publicist, executive, visual effects supervisor and producer. One especially telling detail from all but one of these is that they don’t understand or care for the preferential ballot. I have my issues with it as well, but now is not the time. The Hollywood Reporter, which usually publishes several of these in the week or so before the ceremony, has posted just two so far this year, one from a producer’s branch member and one from an actress, while The Daily Beast interviewed a member of an unspecified branch. Lastly, Vulture published a compelling two-part piece for which they interviewed 14 Academy members who joined within the last two years, several of whom represent the Academy’s push for greater inclusion (over half of their subjects are women and more than a third are people of color). The first article is a wide-ranging conversation about how they feel the Academy’s effort to diversify the voting ranks is affecting the nominations and the organization’s outlook in general. The second focuses on this year’s top eight categories and how these members are voting. These are definitely worth checking out. There’s so much in these two pieces I want to address and comment on, but that would have to be for another post that I’m sure I’ll never have time to write.
There’s one other thing I wanted to touch on, and then I will leave you in peace. Last year’s Oscar night concluded with the infamous clusterfuck of La La Land being mistakenly announced as Best Picture instead of the actual winner, Moonlight. It transpired that one of the PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants who hands the envelopes to the presenters gave a duplicate copy of the Best Actress envelope to Warren Beatty and, well, we all know what happened.
There’s so much more to say about what happened, but that all belonged in yet another piece that I never had time to write. As it pertains to this year’s awards, I wanted to express a hope that last year’s event isn’t leaned on too heavily this year or played for repeated laughs. Returning host Jimmy Kimmel has already used it in an amusing promo…
…and there are bound to be some of jokes and references, and that’s fine. You can’t not acknowledge what happened, as new Academy president John Bailey and Kimmel have both expressed this week. And hey, what happened made for fantastic viewing and probably the single most memorable Oscar moment ever. But at the end of the day, it was huge embarrassment that resulted in three people thinking they had won Oscars only to have to give them up, gracious as they may have been, and another group of people not really getting to have the pure moment they deserved. We’re not talking about tragedy here, obviously. No one died, no one’s career was ruined (not even that accountant, who was not fired…but will most definitely never step foot near an Oscar ceremony again), and it was simply human error on a massive scale. It wasn’t Warren Beatty or Faye Dunaway’s fault, it wasn’t Jimmy Kimmel’s fault, it wasn’t anyone in the Academy’s fault, but the result was a pretty shitty situation for a small group of people. So my advice to Kimmel, show producers Michael DeLuca and Jennifer Todd, and the Academy leadership – because, you know, they’re all reading this – is to not overdo it. Word broke yesterday that Beatty and Dunaway are returning this year, but in what context – genuine presenters, or part of a gag? – is unclear. Have a little fun with it, but be respectful enough to remember that it kinda sucked for some people. They’ll live…but they’ll never live it down.
As for what Kimmel has in store, he hasn’t revealed much, but we are in such fiercely political times right now and you know the show will touch on some of it. #TimesUp, #MeToo, Parkland, Russia attacking our democracy…tough stuff to deal with, but Kimmel has addressed non-entertainment events with great compassion on his nightly show, so I’m sure he’ll handle his second time at the Oscars with finesse. Seth Meyers set a strong example at the Golden Globes, so the path is lit.
Ok, I’m done. Here’s a link to a ballot, here’s a link to an Oscar-themed crossword puzzle, and here’s that Golden Globes monologue from Seth Meyers, to leave you with something more interesting than anything I’ve said.
For an Oscars geek, the morning of the nominations might be even more exciting than the night of the show. By the time Oscar night comes around, dozens of precursor awards have been handed out, each category has been narrowed down and while there are always surprises, there are only a few ways things could go. But nomination morning offers up so many more possibilities, as the field is still wide open and anything can happen. Well…maybe not anything. The Book of Henry wasn’t about to show up on the Best Picture list, nor was Dwayne Johnson’s performance in Baywatch going to score him that long elusive Best Actor recognition. But within the realm of reason fortified by 90 years of Academy Awards history, anything can happen on the morning of the nominations.
Beginning as always in the dreaded 5 a.m. hour, this year’s nominations once again tried something a little different. After last year’s abandonment of the traditional live announcement in favor of a video intercutting comments and memories from past Oscar winners with a bland reading of all the nominees by an anonymous fembot, this year’s presentation combined the two approaches. Before a crowd of gathered press, Academy President John Bailey made some brief introductory remarks, then turned the program over to Andy Serkis and Tiffany Hadish, who announced the nominees. The video component came in the form of some stylish introductions for the below-the-line categories, each starring a female actress/Academy member. Priyanka Chopra, Rosario Dawson, Gal Gadot, Salma Hayek, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, Molly Shannon, Rebel Wilson and Michelle Yeoh appeared in the intros, which added some fun to what can be a dry event while also shining a small but notable spotlight on a diverse group of women. The structure was still a bit awkward, as Serkis and Haddish would read each category’s nominees and then introduce another video. It might have felt less disjointed if each participating actress could also have read their category’s nominees, but of course the videos would have been produced long before the nominees were known, and the logistics of having each actress present to read the nominees live would be complicated. Academy headquarters essentially go on lockdown the night before the announcement, and the presenters spend the night there. That operation is easier to accommodate with two people than with a dozen. Still, this was definitely an improvement over last year, and Haddish added some inadvertent entertainment value as she struggled reading many of the nominee names but maintained her sense of humor throughout.
If for some inexplicable reason you don’t want to watch the entire 30 minute announcement, you can at least check out the intro videos here. I wish I could have learned more about how these came to be, who directed them, etc., but I couldn’t find any details. Missed story opportunity, EW.com.
I had a pretty good morning as far as predictions go. I was only 100% in four categories (Actress, Supporting Actor, Production Design and Sound Mixing), but in 12 others I missed by just one. I don’t have too many thoughts to share on how things shook out, but here are a few.
BEST PICTURE
My typical go-to decision to predict nine nominees worked out this year, and I only faltered by including The Florida Project, which was the one I was least sure about as I finalized my picks. I took it off the list, put it back on the list, took it off the list…and finally put it back on, thinking the voting contingent that had supported child-centric movies like Room and Beasts of the Southern Wild in recent years might propel this indie gem onto the final list. I’m sure it had support, but not enough to land it a spot. The nominee I failed to predict – which came as a surprise to just about everyone; I didn’t see any lists that had it – was Phantom Thread. The re-teaming of Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis did extremely well, with a few other unexpected nominations on its way to a tally of six. There’s no question that PTA is widely admired in the Academy, but you never know from film to film how much they’re going to show it.
By the way, reviewing past editions of this annual post, I realize it’s been a few years since I railed against the constant use of the word “snub.” Every media outlet covering the nominations loves to point out all the movies that were snubbed and the actors that were snubbed. I feel I’d be remiss not to get back atop my soapbox and briefly decry this yearly exercise in stupidity. EW.com‘s list of snubs and surprises pointed out six Best Picture snubs. That amounts to two-thirds of the entire list of nominees. And if any of the nominated films had been passed over, those would have been called out as snubs. Of the movies that did get nominated, only one was really a surprise, with maybe two more thought to be on the bubble. None of these so-called snubbed movies pointed out were any better positioned or more widely expected to be nominated than most of the movies that actually were. These aren’t snubs, idiots. They’re just movies that missed out. Please stop being lazy and talking about these movies that came up short as if there was anything more to their omission than falling victim to an overcrowded field and the whims of several thousand voters.
BEST DIRECTOR
Thank God. Jordan Peele and Greta Gerwig both made the cut, for Get Out and Lady Bird respectively, sparing us the litany of opinion pieces we’d have been subjected to if either or both had failed to be recognized. Don’t misunderstand me; the historical scarcity of women and people of color in this category (and many others) is not unworthy of attention. Peele is only the fifth black director ever nominated (John Singleton, Lee Daniels, Steve McQueen and Barry Jenkins precede him) and Gerwig only the fifth woman (after Lina Wertmüller, Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola and the sole winner, Kathryn Bigelow). Those stats are sufficiently shocking. But as they relate to the recent #OscarsSoWhite outcry, or #OscarsSoMale – which isn’t a thing, but could be (the acting categories notwithstanding) – they are far more the result of a chronic lack of opportunity for filmmakers in those demographics to tell their stories to mainstream audiences than they are of an ingrained bias on the part of Academy voters. So above any other reason, the presence of Peele and Gerwig pleases me because it means we don’t have to hear about an imaginary aversion within the Academy to directors who aren’t white males.
Now…about the white males. While it wasn’t a big surprise by this point in the season, the nomination for Christopher Nolan was cause for his fans to celebrate after he had been left out of this category two or three times too many over the years. Hopefully this is only the first of many more to come. The category’s big surprises were the absence of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri‘s Martin McDonagh and the inclusion of Phantom Thread‘s Paul Thomas Anderson. I thought this might be one of those rare years where the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and Academy were in complete agreement, but McDonagh was the point of diversion. Given Three Billboards‘ momentum in the Best Picture race – top honors at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards make it a strong contender – he seemed a likely nominee, but not a lock. I suspect he came close, but in the end he was kept at bay by an unexpected swell of support for Anderson. No complaints from me about the turn of events that delivered PTA into the final five. He’s one of my favorites, and Phantom Thread finds him in peak form.
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BEST ACTOR
One of my instincts paid off here, and one didn’t. The one that did: James Franco missing out. Of course, nearly every outlet commenting on his “snub” (grrrr) wrote about it as if the accusations against him during the Oscar voting period – first via a series of tweets and then elaborated upon in a Los Angeles Times story – were the reason he wasn’t nominated, definitively. I’m less certain. Although Franco got a lot of recognition throughout the season, including Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) nominations and a Golden Globe win, I had my doubts all along that an Oscar nomination would follow. Yes, it’s important to weigh all the precursor awards to gauge who and what has momentum, but you also need to do some thinking for yourself about what does or doesn’t feel like it will resonate with Academy members. You won’t always be right, but these things are impossible to ever fully know, so sometimes you need to apply reason and instinct. Anyone doing so should have questioned Franco’s chances. That performance was never a sure thing…as much as anything can be a sure thing. Franco is funny in The Disaster Artist, no doubt, but at the end of the day the performance is an impersonation of someone whose natural state feels like a vibrant exaggeration to begin with. Franco may do an uncanny Tommy Wiseau, but was he going to get an Oscar nomination for that? Possibly. Yet there was always reason to doubt, even before he got swept up in the #MeToo movement. I’m sure the accusations cost him some votes, but I’m not convinced they made the difference. We’ll never know, but my gut tells me Franco would have been omitted regardless.
The instinct that failed to pay off was Get Out‘s Daniel Kaluuya. I didn’t, and still don’t, understand the elevation of his performance to any list of the year’s very best. He does good work and serves the movie perfectly well; I’ve got nothing negative to say about him. I’m just confounded by the level of acclaim he’s garnered. Yes, he was armed with a Golden Globe nomination and additional nods from SAG, BFCA and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), and yes, that precursor quartet usually leads to an Oscar nomination…but not always. I let the occasional exceptions to that rule, along with my own opinion – which would surely be shared by the majority of voters – convince me that Kaluuya might not make it. It was possible. But it wasn’t likely, and I probably should have known better. If I thought he deserved the nomination, would I have predicted him? I probably would have.
Thinking that Franco and Kaluuya would miss, I predicted Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. There was room for Washington, but Hanks was once again left out. Although I wasn’t able to make room for Denzel on my personal list, he was definitely right on the edge. I hope the nomination brings some attention to Roman J. Israel, Esq. The movie is decent, but Denzel is the reason to see it. He’s never played a character like this before, and it was fun to see him do something so different.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
I was off by two in this category. I didn’t think Mary J. Blige would make it despite having reasonable momentum. The part seemed too small and too lacking in the kind of showcase moments that would catch the attention of enough voters to gather her the necessary support. But here she is, and her nomination marks the first major-category recognition for a Netflix release. Mudbound picked up three additional nominations, including recognition in another top-category: Best Adapted Screenplay, where director and co-writer Dee Rees became the first black woman ever nominated. Netflix would have liked Mudbound to crack the Best Picture race, but the nominations it did get – some of which made Oscar history – help disprove the idea of a bias against the company and its releases.
My other miss was Lesley Manville. Many hoped but few expected that the Phantom Thread co-star would find a spot, but voters’ undetected appreciation for the movie carried her along, much to my delight. Manville is excellent as Daniel Day-Lewis’ steely sister and business partner. She doesn’t necessarily say much verbally, but speaks volumes with her posture and facial expressions. And when she does talk, she can cut right to the bone. Well done, Academy!
Alas, pleasant surprises usually come at another contender’s expense, and in this case Holly Hunter and Hong Chau were the two most notable omissions. Hunter was widely expected to be included, and although I enjoyed her greatly in The Big Sick, I don’t know that the role merited a nomination. I’m more disappointed by the absence of Chau. I understand Downsizing didn’t catch on, but Chau was something special, and her multilayered performance was deserving. Hopefully the attention she did garner for the movie will at least lead to more prominent roles in high profile projects.
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BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY AND BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
I missed by one in each screenwriting category, but in both cases I was happy to be wrong. I mean…I would rather have been right…but I’m glad about the picks the Academy made that I didn’t. For Original Screenplay, that was The Big Sick. It had unwavering momentum going in, and most pundits expected it to be there, but I thought it might be taken down (with an attack to the kneecaps, maybe?) by I, Tonya. In the Adapted Screenplay race, the Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) choices were mirrored, which meant a nomination for Logan. Maybe still stinging 10 years later from the omission of The Dark Knight, I didn’t think the Academy would go for a comic book adaptation, even one as grounded and somber as Wolverine’s swan song. But how great to see it here, the first writing nomination for a movie based on a “superhero” comic. Expecting it to be passed over, I instead predicted The Beguiled. I didn’t really think that would be included, but it seemed more probable than Logan.
One other comment about Best Original Screenplay. Given the robust support for Phantom Thread, it’s surprising that it did not land writing recognition. Paul Thomas Anderson is a four-time screenwriting nominee (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, Inherent Vice), and this could have been an obvious place to honor a typically unique Anderson vision. But voters stuck to the script – no pun intended – and nominated the five favored choices. I can’t argue with that, even if it would have been nice to see Phantom Thread. This category has felt mostly locked for some time now, with Get Out, Lady Bird, The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri all but assured and all supremely deserving. As discussed above, I thought there was some wiggle room with The Big Sick, but that I, Tonya would have been the beneficiary. This was always going to be a tough race to penetrate, and Phantom Thread probably came up just a bit short.
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BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Seriously? Victoria & Abdul? Over Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2? If I were one of the Academy’s top officials, I would be deeply concerned about whatever ailment befell the members of the Makeup and Hairstyling branch causing them to all go blind over the past year. For clearly that’s what must have happened. There can be no other logical explanation for Victoria & Abdul beating out Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. If there’s one place this year where I might consider calling out a snub, this would be it. I don’t know what bias the branch members might have against the crew from Guardians, but maybe there’s some bad blood somewhere in there, because this is such a comically incomprehensible outcome that there must be an agenda at work.
Okay okay…I didn’t see Victoria & Abdul. But I’ve seen the trailer and I’ve seen pictures and I’m confidant I’ve seen enough to know that there’s no way anyone can make a legitimate case for Victoria & Abdul over Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 in a category recognizing achievements in makeup. Are you kidding me with this?
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The big shock here was the absence of Dunkirk. Although CGI tends to dominate the landscape, practical effects often find a place among the nominees, and Dunkirk was heavily favored, given the overall admiration for Christopher Nolan’s film and its impressive staging, particularly the aerial sequences. Less of a shock but still a surprise was the omission of The Shape of Water, another widely appealing contender and Best Picture prospect with VFX work that’s beautiful if not necessarily groundbreaking. Instead, the visual effects branch members eschewed their tendency to recognize at least one “prestige” film, and kept the focus on the effects themselves. Dunkirk and The Shape of Water would have been deserving, but so are the two films seen as taking their spots: Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 and Kong: Skull Island. The former showcased a wide variety of superb work, from CG characters and creatures to environments to the impressive de-aging of Kurt Russell for his flashback scene. Kong, meanwhile, boasted outstanding creature effects, not just in the form of the towering simian, but in the titular locale’s many other denizens, most of them as creepy as they are gigantic. The 10 semi-finalists were all impressive this year, so some tough choices had to be made.
See, that wasn’t so bad. Just a little light reading between the behemoth prediction posts. Until the next one of those comes along, here are my wishful thinking Oscar categories and nominees, not necessarily concerned with five per category. Because I’m a rebel and I like to break the rules.
Like this:
January 22, 2018
Has it been a year already? It seems only yesterday I bolted upright on my couch when one of La La Land‘s producers declared that a mistake had been made and Moonlight was the Best Picture winner. Now here we are, a new year’s worth of films to consider, and me showing up at the last minute as usual to hear myself talk. Oh the fun! Let’s get to it…
BEST PICTURE This year’s most nominated film will easily be The Shape of Water, and its inevitable field-leading haul trickles down from here, where it will almost certainly be joined by Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Dunkirk, Lady Bird and Get Out. It will mark an especially impressive journey for the latter film, which debuted last February the weekend that the Oscars were handed out. Despite being met with glowing reviews, few could have expected (hoped, maybe, but probably not expected) that when next year’s Oscar season came around, Get Out would be among the top contenders. An of-the-moment social satire blending horror and comedy, it’s a far cry from the kind of movie typically nominated by the Academy, or given serious attention by groups annually celebrating the best in film. But Get Out has been a fixture all season long, and actually leads the field in Best Picture wins from the critics associations across the country that end up shaping the field of contenders each year during what we in the business of Oscar soothsaying sometimes refer to as Phase 1.
As always, it gets difficult from here, as there could be anywhere from five to ten nominees in this category, depending on how many ballots are turned in and how the votes fall. In the six years since the five-to-ten rule took effect, we’ve had four years with nine nominees and two years with eight. Surely one of these days, we’ll see a different number, but I’m going with nine because…well, I gotta go with something.
Call Me By Your Name is a likely nominee, and after that it really is a guessing game as to what will have enough support to crack the list. In addition to these six films, the Producers Guild of America (PGA) nominated The Post, The Big Sick, Molly’s Game, I, Tonya and Wonder Woman. Will some of these repeat with the Academy? The PGA has a guaranteed 10-film slate (well, 11 this year, due to a tie), which the Academy does not. The PGA can also be counted on to go with some popular picks that rarely break through with the Academy. Wonder Woman fits that bill this year, and though I’d normally dismiss it from having a chance, it’s not out of the question given the current climate of female empowerment. Wonder Woman is fun, but it’s a more important movie than it is a great one, so while some Academy members will probably vote for it to celebrate what it represents, it still faces tough odds.
The Post would seem like a lock, given the several timely issues it hits on, as well as the Oscar-friendly combination of Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. But it missed out on nominations from the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), Writers Guild of America (WGA), Directors Guild of America (DGA), and British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), in addition to coming up short in all six of its categories at the Golden Globes, leading many to believe it hasn’t caught on within the industry as expected. I do think the contingent that supported Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies will champion this one too, but then again their loyalty may lie elsewhere this time around. Each year is its own beast. Perhaps those voters will go for Darkest Hour this time around.
The Big Sick is well-liked but probably too light to score here, whereas I could definitely see I, Tonya getting in. It seems to have taken people by pleasant surprise, and feels like the kind of underdog that surges late. Molly’s Game, despite strong reviews and Aaron Sorkin’s cache, doesn’t have the momentum it needs to push through.
Looking beyond the PGA’s choices still leaves a few possibilities. Darkest Hour, mentioned above, was hailed as an across-the-board contender when it played at the Toronto and Telluride film festivals in September, but its central performance aside, it didn’t make much noise during Phase 1. That doesn’t always mean anything; critics and Academy members don’t necessarily think the same way, and Darkest Hour – a robust historical drama energized by a powerful lead performance – certainly meets the criteria of an Academy-friendly movie…though as the demographics slowly begin to change with newer, younger, more diverse members joining the ranks in the last few years, that criteria could be starting to shift.
The Florida Project is a critical favorite, but I can’t gauge how deep the love goes with the Academy. I’m guessing it will make the cut, but it’s the choice I’m least confident in. There’s also Mudbound, which has the gravitas usually found in Best Picture nominees but might suffer for being distributed by Netflix. Silly as it seems, I’ve been reading that many voters seem to hold that against the movie even though the streaming service did give it a brief theatrical release. It would be a shame if voters denied Mudbound for such a petty reason, but even if the Netflix factor doesn’t enter into most minds the movie still may not have quite the must-see buzz it needs to go the distance with the full Academy.
Others in the mix that could get lucky but are relative longshots for one reason or another are Phantom Thread, The Disaster Artist, and All the Money in the World.
Predictions: Call Me By Your Name Darkest Hour Dunkirk
The Florida Project Get Out Lady Bird The Post The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Personal Picks: Blade Runner 2049 Call Me By Your Name Dunkirk Lady Bird
Logan Phantom Thread
The PostThe Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
War for the Planet of the Apes
BEST DIRECTORThe Shape of Water‘s Guillermo del Toro will lead the way, finally getting the nomination he should have received 11 years ago for Pan’s Labyrinth. Expect him to be joined by the even more egregiously overdue Christopher Nolan. I’ve been burned before, betting on the directors branch to recognize Nolan, but Dunkirk is much more in the Academy’s sweet spot than The Dark Knight or Inception were, and if they passed him over this time it would be a pretty shocking and baffling slap in the face. He picked up a DGA nomination – his fourth from that group, I might add – and seems poised to finally get an Oscar nod to match. He’d better, or I take a torch to the Linwood Dunn Theater.
Speaking of the DGA, they also nominated del Toro, Martin McDonagh for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Jordan Peele for Get Out, and Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird. The Peele and Gerwig nominations were welcome news for those films’ advocates after both missed out on nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which hands out the Golden Globes, and BAFTA. There will be no shortage of negative commentary if either of them are overlooked by the Academy, but it could absolutely happen. The Oscar nominees for directing seldom match up with the DGA picks, and del Toro and Nolan are the only ones who feel like safe bets. McDonagh could find himself the odd man out too, so this will be one of the most eagerly anticipated categories of the nomination announcement. Even though neither Gerwig or Peele make my list of personal picks, I kinda hope they both get nominated just so we can skip the outrage from people who don’t understand how this process works and/or can’t possibly conceive of the notion that not everything is about race and gender.
Why aren’t Peele or Gerwig on my list? Well, not that my personal picks matter in the slightest to anyone but me, but it’s because as much as I liked their movies – and I really really did – and as great as their work is, there’s only room for five nominees, and I feel that some different films stand out as achievements in directing. It’s not because I’m racist and it’s not because I’m sexist and it’s not because I have an unconscious bias. I’ve actually read articles suggesting that such mindsets are the reason that Peele and Gerwig have not been nominated by other groups. In past years my own picks have included black directors, female directors, and black female directors. This year, my choices happen to not include either demographic. But I’ve got Guillermo del Toro, so there you go. Diversity.
So…assuming the Academy is not of the same mind as the DGA, who else is in the running? If Darkest Hour had fared better in Phase 1 I’d have thought Joe Wright might finally bag a nomination (he should have had one a decade ago for Atonement). But even BAFTA failed to nominate him despite a strong overall showing for the film, so it’s hard to imagine he’ll show up here. Call Me By Your Name‘s Luca Guadagnino faces more favorable odds, and I would not be at all surprised to see directors put forth Sean Baker for the intimate, naturalistic performances he drew from his non-professional child actors in The Florida Project (and the non-professional adults, for that matter). Ridley Scott managed the seemingly impossible and certainly audacious self-imposed task of completely replacing Kevin Spacey in All the Money in the World, bringing Christopher Plummer onboard and re-convening other cast and crew members on location six weeks before the movie’s scheduled release date. This wasn’t just a matter of re-shooting all the scenes for a role which, while not the lead, is substantial. Plummer wasn’t delivering an identical performance to Spacey’s that could simply be dropped into the already-assembled film. He brought his own rhythm and pacing to the part, necessitating major post-production overhauls. In fact, screenwriter David Scarpa claims that some scenes with Spacey that had been cut from the film found their way back in because Plummer was so good. If that’s true, it would have made the post-production schedule even more daunting. But Scott and his crew pulled it off, with the movie’s release getting pushed back a mere three days. All of this to say that fellow directors could certainly throw their vote to Scott in admiration not just for the decision to remove Spacey from the film and save everyone else’s hard work from undeserved ignominy, but for the sheer madness of what he attempted…and accomplished
All that said, while the movie has been favorably reviewed, it doesn’t seem to have caught fire, so a nomination for Scott would be perceived as directly commending the unique circumstances rather than his overall work on the movie. Interestingly, All the Money in the World was already moving on an accelerated schedule – filming began in May – with the goal of getting it into theaters by the end of the year, which was also the case with The Post. Steven Spielberg began putting that movie together in March almost immediately after reading the script. Spielberg and Scott are known to be among the fastest-moving, most efficient directors working. But it may not be enough this year to get Spielberg into the final five, even if The Post makes the Best Picture cut.
Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins is a remote possibility, but I think the movie is more likely to be a surprise Best Picture nominee than Jenkins is to score individual recognition. When the directors branch deviates from the DGA, it often does so in favor of an admired auteur with a passionate fan base, from David Lynch for Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive to Krzysztof Kieslowski for Red to Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher. This year, Paul Thomas Anderson, Denis Villeneuve or even relative newcomer Dee Rees could benefit from that sort of goodwill for Phantom Thread, Blade Runner 2049, or Mudbound, respectively, though all are long shots if their movies are not nominated for Best Picture. Back in ye olde days of five Best Picture nominees, it was as common for the Picture/Director nominees to not match up as it was for the Academy/DGA choices. Since the field expanded in 2010, however, Miller is the only director to be nominated without a corresponding Best Picture shout-out. All that aside, neither Anderson, Villeneuve or Rees – whatever their films’ Best Picture fates – would be outside-the-box choices. Each received a handful of citations from the critics, and Villeneuve scored a BAFTA nomination. If the directors branch really wanted to go their own way, wouldn’t it be something if they stood up for Darren Aronofsky’s batshit crazy, polarizing but fiercely visionary mother!? Or Edgar Wright’s meticulously assembled popcorn ditty Baby Driver? Or Yorgos Lanthimos’ gripping, unsettling The Killing of a Sacred Deer?
Fun to think about…but don’t count on anything like that happening. When all is said and done, it would not surprise me one bit if this were a year where the DGA and the Academy lined up. I’ve read that Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a extremely well-liked by a lot of members, which bodes well for McDonagh. The Golden Globe ceremony, during which Natalie Portman pointedly introduced the “all-male” directing nominees (immediately after Oprah brought the house down with a feminist call to arms, it should be noted) fell smack in the middle of the voting period. Anybody who was undecided or on the fence about Gerwig might have been inspired to help her get recognized by the Academy. Peele is probably the most vulnerable, having directed the film furthest outside the Academy’s comfort zone as far as genre goes. But he’s been such a presence in Phase 1 that, while it’s not hard to imagine him missing, it’s less hard to imagine him getting in.
BEST ACTRESS We’ve still got a long way to go before women hold positions behind the camera in the quantity they should, and before they’re front and center in well-developed on-camera roles at the same rate as their male counterparts. But perhaps there’s some encouragement to be found in yet another year where there is such impressive competition for the five Best Actress slots. We’re looking at another heartbreaker where some excellent work is going to be crowded out. It’s a good problem to have, though one unlikely to be felt by Sally Hawkins or Frances McDormand, or probably Saoirse Ronan, all of whom are as close to locks as you can get.
As I, Tonya‘s popularity grew throughout the season, so too did Margot Robbie’s chances, to the point that she now feels like a pretty good bet, though not a guarantee. These four actress scored SAG nominations, alongside Judi Dench for Victoria & Abdul. That’s one of the few films with Oscar chances in the main categories that I missed, so while I can’t speak to Dench’s performance – a reprisal of Queen Victoria, who she was nominated for playing in the 1996 film Mrs. Brown – I can say that I’d be surprised if she makes it. Delightful as Dench looks in the movie, and as much as she is appreciated by Academy members, the competition feels too stiff this year for her to score a nomination in what looks like a performance she could probably give in her sleep.
An ocean away, BAFTA gave a rather surprising nomination – alongside Hawkins, McDormand, Ronan and Robbie – to Annette Bening for Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. She’s great in the movie, playing real-life (and Oscar-winning) actress Gloria Grahame in the final few years of her life, when she fell into a relationship with a much younger man before dying of cancer at age 57. The surprise of the nomination is that it’s the only high-profile mention Bening has received his year. That’s not a commentary on her performance, but rather on the film’s under-the-radar status (it was one of the very last releases of 2017). It’s too bad she’s not deeper in the mix, because she’s terrific in the film. But she’ll sit the race out again, just as she did last year for an even more deserving turn in 20th Century Women (an omission that remains one of 2016’s most disappointing).
Assuming that Hawkins, McDormand, Ronan and Robbie are all in, then laws of science, nature and Oscar would dictate that Meryl Streep be the fifth nominee. In The Post, she gives a wonderfully understated performance as a newspaper owner trying to find her voice in the male-dominated (you’re kidding!) world of publishing circa 1971, while also facing a daunting decision that could result in her imprisonment for defying a government-issued court order. As with the Best Picture race, some pundits see The Post‘s lukewarm showing on the award circuit as evidence of too little support. Yet nominations for each branch come from within, and plenty of actors will vote for Streep regardless of whether they include the movie in their Best Picture tally. Also, I’m not reading too much into the film’s no-show with SAG; I think it may have been unveiled too close to the end of the voting period for it to make a dent. So…will Streep get in?
If not, Jessica Chastain is the most likely to round out the category, playing a ski champion-turned-poker madame in Molly’s Game. Actors love Sorkin’s scripts, and they will appreciate Chastain’s dexterity with the writer’s trademark, fast-paced dialogue as well as the strength and intelligence she gives the character. Both Chastain and Streep have been regular nominees among the national and regional critics groups, though neither as consistent as the other four ladies already mentioned. It’s a sign of how many worthy performances there are this year that two as good as theirs are on the bubble.
The dark horse contenders are Michelle Williams, typically terrific in All the Money in the World, and if voters are more enamored of Phantom Thread than expected, Vicky Krieps, a fresh face who goes toe to toe with Daniel Day-Lewis. In a weaker year they might have had a better shot, as would last year’s winner Emma Stone for her take on Billie Jean King in Battle of the Sexes or even Jennifer Lawrence, who certainly gave her all in mother!, whatever people may think of the film. Also deserving of mention are the stars of two potential nominees for Best Foreign Language Film: Daniela Vega for A Fantastic Woman and Diane Kruger for In the Fade. Both play women dealing with grief and resulting challenges after the deaths of loved ones, and each has received wide acclaim, though neither is likely to break into this crowded contest.
A few months ago I’d assumed that Kate Winslet would be firmly in the mix, if not the frontrunner, but unfortunately Wonder Wheel didn’t live up to its promise. Of course, given the resurgence of the Woody Allen controversy in the midst of the #MeToo movement, Winslet may be grateful to be out of the circus this year, where she would surely have faced a lot of awkward questions about working with Allen.
BEST ACTOR Gary Oldman, nominated only once before, has been considered the favorite to win this award ever since Darkest Hour‘s festival premieres last September. He remains the frontrunner, but first, the nomination. The revered veteran’s most formidable competition comes from relative newcomer Timothée Chalamet, for Call Me By Your Name. Possibly familiar to people from Season 2 of Homeland or a small role as Matthew McConaughey’s son in Interstellar, Chalamet broke through this year with supporting roles in Lady Bird and Hostiles, and his emotionally rich leading turn in CMBYN. Meanwhile, Phantom Thread‘s reunion of Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis should earn the three-time Best Actor winner another nomination, though contrary to popular belief, Day-Lewis doesn’t get nominated just for showing up. He’s missed before, and if Phantom Thread hasn’t connected with voters, he could miss again. But it does seem unlikely, especially considering that this is supposedly his final performance before he leaves acting behind. Hopefully his retirement will be more like Michael Jordan’s than Gene Hackman’s, and seven years from now Anderson or Martin Scorsese will track him down in a tiny village in Belize, hand-making candles…blowing glass…beekeeping…restoring frescoes..something like that, and convince him to step in front of the camera again. Until that universal wish is fulfilled, I expect voters will send him off with one more nomination.
Another strong bet seems to be Get Out‘s Daniel Kaluuya, but I’m really not sure what to do there. Personally, I don’t get it. A fine performance, but Best Actor? I just don’t see it. I know better…usually…than to let personal opinions (or maybe potential cluelessness in this case, since I don’t understand what I’m missing) keep me from predicting what I think will happen…but when you remove from the equation all the nominations Kaluuya has collected so far – and he’s collected all the big ones – I wouldn’t think he’d get nominated. Only because he does have SAG, Golden Globe, BFCA and BAFTA noms am I even considering him a contender. Having all those feathers in your cap is no guarantee of a nomination, but it sure goes a long way toward making you look secure. There’s also the delicate matter that as far as acting goes, Kaluuya’s track record so far makes him the best shot at avoiding another #OscarsSoWhite year. The only other real potential there comes in the Supporting Actress category, which we’ll get to, but none of the relevant contenders there are on solid ground. Even if individual voters are thinking about #OscarsSoWhite when making their choice, they have no idea how their fellow branch members are voting, so how can they know if an actor of color will end up getting nominated? I have to believe, perhaps naively, that they simply vote for their preferences, regardless of the possible optics. (Another reason the whole #OscarsSoWhite movement is misguided, but I’m not getting into that here.)
SAG’s nominees, in addition to Kaluuya, Chalamet and Oldman, were Denzel Washington for Roman J. Israel, Esq. and James Franco for The Disaster Artist. Franco makes for another tough call. His performance, though committed and hilarious, never felt like a sure-thing with the Academy to begin with, but now accusations of sexual misconduct have clouded the waters even further. Those stories emerged in the wake of Franco’s Golden Globe win, which came early in the Oscar voting period. But at first it was just one or two casual accusations on Twitter. It wasn’t until the end of the week, a day before Oscar voting ended, that five claims against him came out in a Los Angeles Times story. Who knows how many voters submit their ballots that late in the game. The majority of people voting for Franco had probably already done so by then, so I don’t think the allegations will have much impact. The question of his nomination boils down to the normal factor of how popular his performance was among voters. And I still don’t know what to think about that. If he does get nominated, it’s sure to raise plenty of internet ire, with cries of the Academy supporting his alleged behavior – claims that, as usual with these matters, will be largely misinformed and misdirected. If he doesn’t get nominated, it will be seen as a victory for the #MeToo movement when in fact that probably had little to do with it.
As for Denzel, he plays enjoyably against type in Roman J. Israel, Esq. as an idealistic, socially-awkward lawyer battling the system, but the movie fell through the cracks. Admired as he is, his chances don’t look good. Had Phantom Thread been screened for SAG members in time for their voting, I suspect Day-Lewis would have been nominated, knocking out Washington or Kaluuya (I know, I know…that doesn’t look good…but I’m just reading the room.) Then again, if my instincts about Franco and/or Kaluuya prove correct, Washington’s odds increase significantly. Oh, what to do? BAFTA retains Kaluuya, Oldman and Chalamet, but jettisons Franco and Washington in favor of Day-Lewis and Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool‘s Jamie Bell. He’s good in the film as Annette Bening’s young lover, but can probably chalk his nomination up to a home turf advantage. An Oscar nomination is not in the cards.
Back in October, Jake Gyllenhaal and Andrew Garfield appeared to be in the running, each for playing real-life men who faced significant physical challenges: Garfield in Breathe as Robin Cavendish, who became paralyzed from the neck down due to polio and lived years longer than expected, eventually helping to invent a wheelchair with a built-in respirator; and Gyllenhaal in Stronger as Jeff Bauman, a Boston Marathon bombing victim who lost both his legs. Breathe was met with tepid reviews that quickly took Garfield out of the running, but Gyllenhaal’s faded fortune is more surprising. Both the movie and his performance earned great reviews, and he was expected to be more of a presence during the season. He got a few mentions from critics groups, but was otherwise overlooked. It will be nice when Gyllenhaal finally gets nominated again one of these days. He’s still only been in the running once, for Brokeback Mountain, but after Zodiac, Source Code (yes, I’m serious), Nightcrawler and now this, he’s way past due.
Christian Bale in Hostiles, Hugh Jackman in Logan, and Andy Serkis in War for the Planet of the Apes (when is the Academy going to acknowledge that motion capture visual effects technology can not mask a great piece of acting?) all deserve to be serious contenders, but they’re all on the sidelines. Ditto Robert Pattinson, who got some love from the critics for a change-of-pace role in Good Time, but I don’t see most Academy voters finding much appeal in this grungy crime drama. The one last real possibility is Tom Hanks for The Post. Hanks hasn’t been nominated since 2001, coming up a bridesmaid for Captain Phillips, Saving Mr. Banks and Sully. It’s probably going to happen again this year, but he’s definitely in the second tier of possibilities, especially if we’re underestimating The Post. He brings urgency, honor and a slightly mischievous wit to his take on editor Ben Bradlee (who Jason Robards won an Oscar for playing in All the President’s Men.) If I’m right to doubt Franco and/or Kaluuya, Hanks could make it.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS The two leading contenders in this category are both celebrated actresses with long and distinguished careers, but both would be first-time Oscar nominees. While moving regularly between film and television, Allison Janney’s most notable work has been on the smaller screen, and she’s won multiple Emmys for The West Wing and Mom. Laurie Metcalf, though she has appeared in several films, is far better known for television and stage work, having won three Emmys for Roseanne and a Tony for A Doll’s Hose, Part 2. Both play strong-willed mothers to equally strong-willed daughters: Janney in I, Tonya and Metcalf in Lady Bird, and both are about to add Oscar nominee to their impressive lists of accolades.
Beyond these two, this field is hard to pin down, with a number of actresses on relatively equal footing. Maybe The Big Sick‘s Holly Hunter, as another strong-willed mother, is a better bet than most of the competition, but even she is far from a sure thing. Janney, Metcalf and Hunter are SAG nominees along with Mary J. Blige for Mudbound and Hong Chau for Downsizing. Blige got a lot of nominations from critics groups, but I’m not sold on her Oscar chances. She’s good in the movie, and definitely disappears into the character, leaving behind any thoughts of the star musician with whom we’re all familiar. But putting aside how much of a dent Mudbound will make with the Academy given the rumored anti-Netflix sentiment I mentioned in the Best Picture section, the role lacks the kind of showcase scenes usually needed for an Oscar nomination. As for Chau, she’s the highlight of a film that generally fell short of expectations (I liked it), and while some critics have taken issue with the her broken-English accent that they see as caricature, I think her choices make sense, and her performance runs much deeper than that surface concern. But she will have to overcome the otherwise underwhelming reception met by Downsizing. I think she can do it. I’m sure voters made a point to see the movie, as its director and co-writer Alexander Payne is an Academy favorite and two-time screenwriting winner. Excitement about whatever he’s doing is inevitable, and it would be hard to imagine Chau not leaving a lingering impression on those who watched.
All five of these actresses were nominated by the BFCA, along with Octavia Spencer for The Shape of Water and Tiffany Hadish for Girls Trip. Like Blige, Spencer picked up a number of nominations from critics, but whether Academy members feel the part has enough going for it to rise to the level of Oscar nomination is hard to say. She’s well-liked and definitely entertaining in a movie that is among the season’s most beloved, so that helps. Hadish, meanwhile, broke out as a wild party girl on a trip to New Orleans with her best friends, and she has some truly hilarious moments in a role that earned her comparisons to Melissa McCarthy’s Oscar-nominated turn in Bridesmaids. She garnered a handful of mentions throughout Phase 1, most notably a win from the New York Film Critics Circle, one of the only critics groups that carries any real weight. Still, broad comedies and their performances face an uphill battle for Oscar nominations; Bridesmaids was a rare exception. Hadish may not be as lucky.
The BFCA has a larger field of nominees than most other organizations, so consideration of the BAFTA nominees brings the list back down to the usual five. Their slate included Janney, Metcalf and Spencer, as well as Lesley Manville of Phantom Thread and Kristen Scott Thomas of Darkest Hour. I don’t see it happening for Thomas. There’s very little for her to do in Darkest Hour (she plays Churchill’s wife), and her BAFTA recognition, like Jamie Bell’s, was probably helped by being a local favorite. Manville has some biting moments in Phantom Thread, but it’s a chilly performance that’s probably appreciated more by the critics, and like many of the women we’re talking about here, the part may not give her enough to do to justify Oscar recognition….though I fully admit that’s a consideration I can’t help bringing to the analysis, and there are plenty of past nominees and winners who defy it, so…everyone has their own take on these things.
Two actresses who definitely have enough to do in their film to be worthy of a nomination are The Florida Project‘s Brooklynn Prince (6 years old when she made the movie) and Bria Vinaite, who plays her single mother. Prince had done some commercials, but here was front and center as the main character of a feature-length film. Vinaite was an entrepreneur with a marijuana-themed clothing line who director Sean Baker discovered on Instagram. Both actresses are nonstop engaging, and absolutely worthy of consideration, though I always wonder with performers as young as Prince how much of what they’re doing is “acting” vs natural behavior, albeit guided by a director and played to the camera. Regardless, a straight line can be drawn from the Academy’s 2012 anointment of Quvenzhané Wallis for Beasts of the Southern Wild to Prince. (The same is true of that whole movie – a Best Picture and Best Director nominee – and The Florida Project.) So Prince could get lucky, but I’d feel better about her chances if SAG, which has been more favorable to child actors, had nominated her first. Then again, Wallis made it without SAG. She did have a BFCA nomination though, giving her at least one significant group’s recognition. Prince won the BFCA’s Best Young Actor/Actress category, but didn’t crack the main acting races. Oh, and for what it’s worth while we’re on the subject of young actresses, Logan‘s Dafne Keen was also excellent, and the nature of that performance is less reliant on normal childlike behavior…unless it’s normal for young children to ferociously decapitate people who try and hurt them, using metal claws that grow from their hands. No? I didn’t think so. As such, I might be so bold as to say that Keen is even more deserving of a nomination for her impactful performance than the adorable Prince.
A few other actresses that garnered a bit of attention from critics but are far off on the sidelines are Tatiana Maslany for Stronger, Nicole Kidman for The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and Melissa Leo for Novitiate. There was actually a brief period there where it looked like Leo might have a shot for her role as a demanding Reverend Mother struggling with sweeping reforms in the Catholic Church circa early 1960s, but I think she would have needed more nominations in Phase 1 to keep her in Academy voters’ minds. It’s strange that the movie’s distributor Sony Pictures Classics didn’t put a bit more muscle behind Leo. They’re usually good Oscar campaigners who get results, but it seems most of their attention this year went to Call Me By Your Name. (They also distributed Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, but failed to mount an aggressive campaign for Annette Bening.)
Lastly, a few actresses deserving of mention who received pretty much none: Get Out‘s Allison Williams and Betty Gabriel (especially good as an odd, mysterious maid), The Lost City of Z‘s Sienna Miller, and Hostiles‘ Rosamund Pike. And most surprising? Nary a mention of Michelle Pfeiffer in mother!. I thought at least a few critics groups would have her among their nominees or runner-ups, but she was completely absent.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR The one place where The Florida Project is almost sure to score a nomination is here, for Willem Dafoe’s kind, beleaguered motel manager. At first he looked like a runaway favorite among critics groups, but Sam Rockwell has caught up, if not quite closed the gap, for his dim, mama’s boy deputy in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Dafoe and Rockwell could be joined by the latter’s co-star Woody Harrelson, whose role provided some of the movie’s more surprising and emotional moments. When Three Billboards emerged from the Telluride/Toronto/Venice film festival trifecta with roaring buzz, the reviews focused largely on Frances McDormand and Rockwell. But when the awards game began a few months later, Harrelson started to get his due as well. He picked up SAG and BAFTA nominations, proving an unexpectedly sturdy player in a race where Rockwell was expected to carry the movie’s torch solo. (Rockwell too was nominated by SAG and BAFTA, as well the BFCA and HFPA. He’s already won the last two.)
If Harrelson does join Rockwell as an Oscar nominee, it throws a wrench into a category where, early on, an entirely different film seemed poised to offer a pair of nominees. It was Call Me By Your Name and its stars Armie Hammer and Michael Stuhlbarg who were thought to be a dual threat here. And they still may be. Perhaps the category could shake out with Dafoe, Rockwell, Harrelson, Hammer and Stuhlbarg. But I doubt it, because we haven’t gotten to Richard Jenkins in The Shape of Water yet. We will in a moment, but first, Call Me‘s two contenders. Both have fared well in the precursor awards, with some critics groups nominating each of them, some going with Stuhlbarg only, others with just Hammer. Working against Stuhlbarg is that throughout most of the movie he appears in short bursts with nothing out of the ordinary to do…until that much talked about scene he has at the end. Make no mistake, whatever recognition Stuhlbarg has received for this movie is entirely about That Scene. Actors have won Oscars for what were essentially one-scene-knockouts (Beatrice Straight in Network and Anne Hathaway in Les Misérables come immediately to mind), so certainly Stuhlbarg could be nominated on the strength of that one powerful moment. He won’t be hurt by having been in some of the year’s other most acclaimed films and TV shows (The Shape of Water, The Post, and Fargo). In fact, Stuhlbarg is in at least one of every year’s best films and/or TV shows. Seriously, Michael Stuhlbarg is fucking awesome. He’s surely accumulated enough goodwill from fellow actors to help him score a nomination for what boils down to a few unforgettable minutes. But will he?
I mentioned Richard Jenkins, who’s a SAG nominee along with Dafoe, Rockwell, and Harrelson. (Neither Hammer nor Stuhlbarg made the guild’s cut, not that that wrecks their Oscar chances by any means). Jenkins, the always-terrific character actor who has probably worked with half of the members in the branch, shines as a source of both humor and pathos in The Shape of Water. With nominations from several critics groups, he has plenty of momentum.
Another spoiler who could upset what for most of Phase 1 looked like a tight race between the six actors already discussed? Christopher Plummer. We covered Ridley Scott’s 11th hour re-shoots of All the Money in the World, but here the focus shifts to the man who had to step into a difficult situation with little time to prepare or research, and in a mere 9 days, deliver a performance all his own, calibrating it to the rest of a movie that was already in the can. It takes a real pro to pull that off; someone who can come in without any ego or bullshit, who’s there to get down to work and help tell the story. Not only did Plummer meet those needs behind the scenes, he delivered a performance that pops and crackles with exactly the kind of energy and star quality that the part demanded to begin with. Although not the central figure in the movie, J. Paul Getty needs to be scene-stealer. While we’ll never know what the results were, it’s easy to see why Kevin Spacey was chosen for the role in the first place. Upon casting Plummer, Scott said that’s who he wanted all along, but ended up with Spacey because the studio wanted a bigger star. Ironic that in the end, Scott got what he wanted, the movie got what it needed, and the studio might get bragging rights if Plummer lands a nomination. Surely his fellow actors will be impressed with the effort and the outcome.
With now seven top contenders, I think Hammer is the one who falls out first. That leaves six, all with compelling attributes in their favor, vying for five spots. I have no idea which one will get left out…or if more than one will miss in favor of a surprise. There are plenty of people lurking on the periphery who’ve been heralded by critics and other groups, or who at least earned impressive reviews and who could find themselves nominated against the odds. There’s Patrick Stewart as a mostly-but-not-entirely diminished Charles Xavier in Logan; Idris Elba, who gets arguably the most quintessential Aaron Sorkin monologue in Molly’s Game and crushes it; Steve Carell, who mines depth and nuance in what could have been a one-note take on Billie Jean King’s chauvinist challenger Bobby Riggs in Battle of the Sexes (and who, in something of a surprise, picked up a SAG nomination); Ray Romano in The Big Sick, who, like Carell, started out in comedy but has grown into an actor with genuine dramatic chops, and here gets to blend the two sides nicely; Jason Mitchell as a young African-American struggling with the indignity of Jim Crow-Mississippi after tasting tolerance as a WWII tank commander in Mudbound; Barry Keoghan as an awkward teen who wreaks unnerving havoc on a surgeon and his family in The Killing of a Sacred Deer; and Keoghan’s Dunkirk co-star Mark Rylance, as a civilian boat captain sailing across the English Channel to help rescue soldiers trapped on the beach. Of all these outliers, I think Carell and Elba are the only ones who would have any real shot of breaking in, and still the odds are slim, even for Carell with his SAG and Golden Globe Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy nominations. Maybe Rylance could sneak in if enough members of the acting branch were determined to recognize Dunkirk…but highly unlikely.
There are a few others I’d be remiss not to mention who are eminently worthy of attention this year. Mary J. Blige reaped most of the individual praise from Mudbound‘s acclaimed ensemble, with some love leftover for Jason Mitchell, but I was most impressed by the one actor in the cast I wasn’t familiar with: Rob Morgan, who brought wonderful shadings to his weary sharecropper. Steve Zahn stole the show as Bad Ape in War for the Planet of the Apes, proving perhaps even more than Andy Serkis this time around how much an actor’s own persona and talent can shine through the visual effects in a motion capture performance. Gil Birmingham, perhaps most familiar as Jeff Bridges’ partner in last year’s Hell or High Water, was heartbreaking as the father of a teenage girl whose mysterious death on a harshly cold, remote Indian reservation is at the center of Wind River. And finally, Michael Shannon as the cruel project leader at the government lab that employs Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in The Shape of Water. Shannon was terrific, and has twice come from considerably far behind to be nominated for an Oscar. Maybe he’ll crash the party again.
Personal:Steve Carell – Battle of the Sexes
Rob Morgan – Mudbound Sam Rockwell – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Michael Shannon – The Shape of Water Steve Zahn – War for the Planet of the Apes
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Whatever happens with Jordan Peele, Greta Gerwig and Martin McDonagh in the Best Director category, all three should be safe here for Get Out, Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, respectively. Three Billboards was ruled ineligible for the WGA Awards due to being made outside of the guild’s guidelines – a fate which befalls at least one frontrunner every year. Other disqualified scripts include Darkest Hour, The Killing of a Sacred Deer and Coco, though none of those were expected to penetrate a tight race. (Then again, Darkest Hour seems to be on an upswing, so it has a shot.) WGA’s nominees, in addition to Get Out and Lady Bird, are Steven Rogers for I, Tonya, Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani for The Big Sick, and Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor for The Shape of Water. BAFTA’s slate, meanwhile, is almost the same, but drops The Big Sick in favor of Three Billboards.
The surprise out of these precursors is the momentum for I, Tonya. Landing both the BAFTA and WGA nominations doesn’t mean anything for certain, but it shows support from two organizations who share membership with the Academy and who had other promising choices to elevate, most notably The Post and Phantom Thread. The Post was widely expected to be a major contender here, but being passed over by the WGA and BAFTA does not bode well. As for Paul Thomas Anderson, you never know what will happen. Writers love him, but Phantom Thread might be among his less accessible work, more akin to The Master than There Will Be Blood or Boogie Nights. The Master was nominated by the WGA, but not the Academy. His last movie, Inherent Vice, saw those results flipped.
One other longshot possibility is Christopher Nolan for Dunkirk, but while his fellow writers have a better track record of recognizing him than the directors branch (he was nominated for Memento and Inception) Dunkirk is a more visceral film, with a deliberate lack of dialogue and character development – two things that writers rightfully value. Many of them no doubt still understand the importance of good screenwriting in creating something like Dunkirk, but they are more likely to celebrate films that stand as showcases for their craft.
In a more wide open year, we might be talking about Wind River, another excellent screenplay from Taylor Sheridan, who was nominated last year for Hell or High Water and robbed of a nomination the year prior for Sicario. But the race seems to have solidified around nine movies, four of which are vying for the one spot that doesn’t appear to be spoken for. However it shakes out, there’s bound to be some disappointment. I’m afraid The Big Sick is going to fall by the wayside. I hated omitting it from my personal picks, but something had to give. It was almost as consistent a nominee among critics groups as the other four frontrunners, and had been hailed as a likely screenwriting contender as far back as its Sundance premiere a year ago. There’s plenty of love for it, but the late-blooming I, Tonya many have eclipsed its chances.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Unlike its counterpart, the Adapted Screenplay category feels much more fluid. Or maybe it’s not fluidity so much as there being fewer sure things. In fact, the only lock in my mind is Call Me By Your Name. Most pundits would add The Disaster Artist, and they’re probably right, but I could see it missing. It’s a broad comedy in a category that tends to prefer its comedy more elegant and sophisticated (think Sideways, Wonder Boys, American Splendor, Up in the Air…). Then again, Borat picked up a nomination here, so what the hell do I know? The Disaster Artist has the underlying theme of pursuing your dreams no matter what, and surely that resonates with anyone who’s become successful enough in the movie business to be a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Call Me and Disaster Artist are among the WGA nominees, along with Mudbound, Molly’s Game and Logan. I was thrilled to see Logan cited by the guild. Between that and other more mainstream/commercial films like Blade Runner 2049 (recognized, as was Logan, with nominations from several critics groups), War for the Planet of the Apes and Thor: Ragnarok (and some might say Wonder Woman and Star Wars: The Last Jedi), 2017 provided numerous examples that even franchise movies and comic book adaptations can be as intelligent, emotional and complex as any other drama traditionally recognized in awards season.
In a different year, Logan might appear to be the beneficiary of the WGA deeming one or two more “typical” choices ineligible, but this year none of those excluded scripts on the adapted side are frontrunners. Victoria & Abdul and Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool are the most notable victims, and neither was really in the race. Liverpool did get a BAFTA nomination, but their Adapted Screenplay slate is not much of a barometer for the Oscar this year. They also nominated Call Me By Your Name and Molly’s Game, but their remaining two slots went to movies that didn’t open in the U.S. in 2017: Paddington 2 and The Death of Stalin. It’s not inconceivable, therefore that the Oscar nominations could match the WGA’s picks down the line. But if we assume there’s likely to be one difference, possible nominees are the The Beguiled, The Lost City of Z, Hostiles, or the aforementioned Blade Runner 2049.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE This is one of the few categories where I have seen almost none of the contenders, for one of three reasons:
-It was an underwhelming year for mainstream choices, and very little of what was out there looked interesting or appealing.
-With the exception of Loving Vincent, which had great word of mouth and enjoyed a long run at theaters, most of the independent animated offerings were difficult to find.
-The few indie films that could be found were playing only for the one-week engagements necessary to qualify. I’d hoped to see The Breadwinner and Birdboy: The Forgotten Children, but I wasn’t able to get to either of them during their brief windows of availability.
26 films were submitted for consideration, and assuming they all met the requirements – such as that one-week engagement in Los Angeles – five films can be nominated. The slate of studio-released animation this year looked pretty bland. The Boss Baby, Despicable Me 3, Captain Underpants…not really screaming Oscar-worthy to me. Let’s hope this means it will be one of those years where more indie films shine through…although there’s a new rule that might not bode well for outside-the-box thinking. As with all other categories except for Best Picture, nominees are selected by members of the appropriate branch. This year, for the first time, Best Animated Feature was opened up to the entire Academy. That might pose a challenge for any of those movies that couldn’t be widely seen to get included. On the other hand, it’s not truly an everyone-can-vote situation. According to the rules, a nominating committee will be responsible for the voting. Anyone in the Academy can join the committee, but you must be on the committee to participate. Hopefully this means that only the truly engaged will take part (it could end up being all or mostly members of the animation branch anyway) and those smaller, less publicized films will get a fair shake.
I expect Coco, Loving Vincent and The Breadwinner to make the list, but I have no idea what might join them. The studio films all seem so undeserving, and I know too little about the independent options and how they’ve been received to hazard any well-informed guess about what might show up. I’m basically throwing a dart at the list.
Predictions:Birdboy: The Forgotten Children
The Breadwinner Coco
Ferdinand Loving Vincent
Personal: N/A
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY The great Roger Deakins, still awaiting his first win, should pick up his 14th nomination thanks to Blade Runner 2049. His stiffest competition will come from the other two sure things: Hoyte van Hoytema for Dunkirk and Dan Lausten for The Shape of Water. All three were nominated by the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), and by BAFTA, and by pretty much every single critics group that gives out a cinematography honor. Their fellow ASC nominees are Bruno Delbonnel for Darkest Hour and Rachel Morrison for Mudbound, and I suspect one of them will be replaced in the Academy’s line-up.
Morrison is the first woman to be nominated for the ASC’s award, and should she receive an Oscar nomination, she’ll have the same distinction with the Academy. It would be an especially resonant victory given all that’s happening this year, but she faces tough competition, and is probably more likely than Delbonnel to be the ASC contender who misses out on an Oscar nomination. Darkest Hour‘s use of light and shadow is striking in a way that Oscar voters tend to reward, whereas Mudbound‘s lensing is understated, naturalistic…very unshowy, which is not the easiest path to the Oscars. It will be fellow cinematographers evaluating the field, of course, and many will no doubt appreciate her work. But there are other potential nominees that are equally effective while also being more overtly “pretty” or visually stimulating. Personally, I must have missed something, because I saw Mudbound twice and neither time was I particularly struck by its photography. Which isn’t to say I thought the film was not well shot. It just didn’t stand out to me as one of the year’s best achievements. And I understand that my knowledge of cinematography (and most elements of filmmaking, for that matter) is casual and that I’m most certainly unaware of all the elements that should be considered when judging it.
There is plenty of other impressive work that could break in should the Academy drop Mudbound or Darkest Hour. Ed Lachman won raves for Wonderstruck, shooting on film and using black and white for the 1920’s half of the movie while giving the 1970’s scenes the warm, grainy look of many of that period’s notable New York-set films, like The French Connection. Three time winner Vittorio Storaro brought light and color to Wonder Wheel that popped off the screen; quite atypical for Woody Allen’s movies, which aren’t usually standouts in this area. Call Me By Your Name‘s Sayombhu Mukdeeprom captured the beauty of an Italian villa and helped evoke an impressive sense of mood in the lighting as the protagonist’s lazy summer days bleed into night and back again. And in mother!, Matthew Libatique keeps the camera close to Jennifer Lawrence at all times such that the audience discovers the story’s increasingly bizarre twists and turns right along with her. The Lost City of Z, War for the Planet of the Apes, Hostiles, Murder on the Orient Express, A Ghost Story and, don’t laugh, Kong: Skull Island are all worthy of attention.
BEST FILM EDITING This category shares a special friendship with Best Picture, and many will say that it’s nearly impossible to win the big award without an editing nomination. The numbers bear that out, but is it just coincidence or do voters really make the connection? Birdman defied this historical pattern when it won the top prize in 2015 without an editing nod. It was the first since Ordinary People in 1980. All of this to say that Best Editing tends to be filled with the Best Picture frontrunners. But it also makes room on occasion for a well-received action movie that is otherwise not a contender in most top-tier categories. Air Force One, Crimson Tide, Speed, Terminator 2, and Die Hard were all nominated for Best Film Editing, while The Matrix and The Bourne Ultimatum both pulled off wins. This year, it would be something of a crime if Baby Driver didn’t secure a spot. Nearly every moment of this movie is meticulously timed to the music playing in the central character’s earphones, and the precision and creativity with which the movie is assembled makes it one of the year’s standout achievements in this field.
Assuming the editors branch does the right thing here in regards to Baby Driver, the rest of the slots will likely be occupied by the top Best Picture contenders…though that still leaves a lot of possibilities. Dunkirk and The Shape of Water are looking good for recognition, but it will be a battle between Get Out, Lady Bird, Three Billboards, I, Tonya, Molly’s Game, Darkest Hour and The Post for the remaining spaces. With the exception of Darkest Hour, all of these films picked up nominations from the American Cinema Editors (ACE), which splits their award into categories for Drama and Comedy/Musical. Their roster included Blade Runner 2049 as well, which was also included by BAFTA, the BFCA and several critics groups, giving it major spoiler potential.
Predictions: Baby Driver Dunkirk
Get Out The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Personal: Baby Driver Dunkirk Lady Bird
The Post The Shape of Water
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGNBlade Runner 2049 leads the way here, with The Shape of Water right behind it. Dunkirk is a strong likelihood too, as we move away from some of the contemporary-set films dominating the top categories and get into period pieces, fantasy and sci-fi. The former two meet in Beauty and Beast, where the ornate castle looms large and incorporates period design with plenty of fantastical flourishes. Other period stand-outs that could be included are Darkest Hour, Phantom Thread, Murder on the Orient Express and Wonderstruck. Beyond Blade Runner, there are also some excellent sci-fi contenders in Alien: Covenant, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Downsizing would be a worthy inclusion here, and while it doesn’t have a chance, it deserves mention for perfectly capturing the way the world-changing technology at the movie’s center would be sold and marketed to consumers. The entire layout of the Leisureland exposition hall, and pretty much every aspect of how that entire location is presented, not to mention the luxurious mansions and, later in the film, the more lower income quarters where Hong Chau brings Matt Damon…all the design elements are so spot-on that you might be fooled into thinking the whole downsizing enterprise actually exists. The Art Directors Guild has a Contemporary category, and they did well to nominate this alongside the familiar titles like Get Out, Lady Bird and Three Billboards. (Logan was the category’s fifth nominee.)
Across their Period and Fantasy categories the guild also nominated The Post, War for the Planet of the Apes and Wonder Woman alongside a few titles I mentioned above, so any of them could conceivably show up, but I’d be surprised.
Predictions: Beauty and the Beast Blade Runner 2049 Darkest Hour Dunkirk The Shape of Water
Personal:Beauty and the Beast
Blade Runner 2049 Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 The Shape of Water Star Wars: The Last Jedi
BEST COSTUME DESIGN Again, contemporary films rarely get recognized here, even if arguments could be made for Lady Bird, Get Out or I, Tonya. And if there were an award for best single costume piece of the year, you’d have to consider Frances McDormand’s blue jumpsuit (if that’s what it is) in Three Billboards. It’s essentially her superhero outfit. But, like the Production Design category, this one is all about period and fantasy, which means we’re often looking at the same group of films between the two. Beauty and the Beast should be sitting pretty here, and Darkest Hour and Dunkirk could repeat as well. I could see The Shape of Water going either way. It’s on slightly less solid ground for costume design than in most other below-the-line categories, but will probably be swept in.
If you’re going to make a movie about a famous clothing designer, the costumes had better meet the highest standard so that we can buy into the character’s stature as an icon in his field. Phantom Thread succeeds with flying colors and should easily get nominated. Murder on the Orient Express could make the cut, and The Greatest Showman may also find recognition here. Wonder Woman,Victoria & Abdul and Mudbound are possibilities too. (Can we at least give an Oscar to Mary J. Blige’s sunglasses? Maybe there really does need to be a category for best individual costume piece.) Blade Runner 2049 has picked up a few notices, including one from the Costume Designers Guild (CDG), but I can’t get behind that, if only for the head-scratching choice of having Harrison Ford in a generic grey T-shirt and jeans, utterly failing to draw any connection between the Deckard of the original film and the Deckard of the film’s present day.
Speaking of the CDG, I was disappointed that with an entire category dedicated to Contemporary costumes they still failed to nominate Baby Driver, which featured many memorable looks courtesy of designer Courtney Hoffman. Baby’s jacket, simple though it was, nevertheless stood out, not unlike McDormand’s blue jumpsuit in Three Billboards. Lily James’ waitress outfit was an inventive variation on an everyday look; Jamie Foxx’s red-on-red shirt and jacket combo popped; and Eisa Gonzalez’s ensembles had as much attitude as her character. I wouldn’t expect an Oscar nomination, however worthy the costumes are, but the guild pass is a pretty glaring oversight.
Predictions: Beauty and the Beast Dunkirk Darkest Hour Phantom Thread The Shape of Water
BEST ORIGINAL SONG I’ve written at length before (is there any other way to write?) about the problems with the guidelines for this category and how the contenders are judged, so I’ll move past that and just get to the guess work. As always, it’s a tricky category to nail down, as it’s one of the few where voters look beyond the same films that tend to show up in so many other categories. To be fair, those films often don’t have a song in play, but even still the branch members have been known to come up with some left-field choices in this race.
There are70 songs in the runningthis year, and to my point above, none of them are from Lady Bird, Get Out, The Shape of Water, Three Billboards, Dunkirk, Darkest Hour, Molly’s Game, The Post, Phantom Thread….you get the idea. In fact, the only film among the top contenders that could show up here is Call Me By Your Name, and it likely will. Singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens contributed two songs to the movie, both of which are featured prominently. If voters choose only one, it will probably be “Mystery of Love,” although “Visions of Gideon,” which is more repetitive, is arguably a more memorable melody and plays over the film’s affecting ending moments. Both have a viable shot at a nomination.
Under the current system of judging, songs that appear in the actual movie and not just over end credits are often thought to have an advantage, which is always good news for musicals. This year, Beauty and The Beast and The Greatest Showman can expect to carry on the tradition. For Beauty and the Beast, Alan Menken – the animated film’s original composer – returned and contributed some new songs, written with Tim Rice. Of the two submitted, “Evermore” might be the stronger candidate, although the other, “How Does a Moment Last Forever,” is also graced with that Disneydust which is so much catnip to Oscar voters, so maybe both could land a spot. From The Greatest Showman comes “This is Me,” a rousing anthem of empowerment sung by Keala Settle, who plays a bearded lady in P.T. Barnum’s circus. It’s a showstopper that should have no problem landing a nomination. I’m not sure why no other songs from the film were submitted. It could have put forth up to three, but perhaps the studio felt they had a better chance of a nomination by keeping the focus on one song. Too bad; I’m sure “A Million Dreams” would have been nominated alongside “This is Me,” and although only two songs from a single film can ultimately make the final five, “Rewrite the Stars” would also have been a deserving contender.
While not exactly a musical, the protagonist of Pixar’s Coco is a young boy with aspirations of singing professionally, so the movie does include song performances. The most resonant – and the only one submitted – is “Remember Me,” which is performed various times throughout the film, by various characters and in various styles. Benjamin Bratt, Gael García Bernal and Anthony Gonzalez all have a go, and it’s that last rendition that makes for one of the most emotionally affecting moments in the movie (and there are many such moments throughout Coco). The song is simple and brief, but that final version packs a punch at a crucial moment in the movie, which should assure it a nomination.
There’s one song I would have loved to see included, but it was not eligible. “I Get Overwhelmed,” from A Ghost Story, could not be submitted because composer Daniel Hartdid not specifically write it for the movie, even though he sent it to writer/director David Lowery before using it anywhere else. It became an inspiration to Lowery as he was finishing the script and scouting locations, and he ended up writing a scene into the film in which he could use the song. I wish the rules should be flexible enough to accommodate a situation like that, where a song has not been previously released commercially, and the film and song are clearly in sync with each other.
Predictions: Evermore – Beauty and the BeastMighty River – Mudbound Mystery of Love – Call Me By Your Name Remember Me – Coco This is Me – The Greatest Showman
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE After a brief respite from the season’s usual suspects, they’re back in play for Best Original Score, and will likely dominate the category. The Shape of Water is in for sure, and Darkest Hour and Dunkirk are good bets too. Most will say that Phantom Thread is a guarantee, but I’m less certain. It probably will make it, but composer Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead fame is a rock musician first and a film composer second. It would not surprise me if some members of the branch were not so quick to embrace him.
Blade Runner 2049 was nominated by most critics groups who give out a score award, but I’d wager the movie’s heavily dissonant style, while no doubt effective in the movie, is not many voters’ cup of tea. In fact, the same quality could hurt Dunkirk, though that score has a bit more melody and, like the scores in all of Christopher Nolan’s movies, vigorously propels the action. John Williams, the most nominated person alive, has two chances this year with The Post and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. He was nominated for The Force Awakens, but I don’t think he’ll be back for the sequel, which offered no new themes or standout pieces. It was a good Star Wars score, but not original enough to merit a nomination. I also didn’t feel that The Post offered his strongest work, but it underscores the movie nicely enough, and given how revered Williams is, you can never count him out.
Others that picked up some love from the critics were War for the Planet of the Apes, Wonderstruck and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. I would love to see the Academy recognize Apes, which was easily one of the strongest scores of the year and offered multiple recurring and memorable motifs.
There are always plenty of worthy scores in the running, too many to consider them all fairly and fully, but among those that warrant mention are A Ghost Story, Logan, Victoria & Abdul, Loving Vincent, Thor: Ragnarok, and Murder on the Orient Express. I don’t expect any, other than possibly Victoria & Abdul, to surprise, but I’d be happy if any did.
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING The Academy always does us a favor by narrowing this field down considerably in December, leaving only seven possibilities, from which three will be chosen. This year’s list features Bright, Darkest Hour, Ghost in the Shell, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, I, Tonya, Victoria & Abdul and Wonder.
Well we already know what’s going to win this award come March, so it goes without saying that Darkest Hour will be nominated for Gary Oldman’s stunning transformation into Winston Churchill. Guardians of the Galaxy is a shoo-in too. Nearly every character in the movie sports significant makeup effects, and the work is too vast, too varied and too good to be ignored. But damn if I have any inkling as to where the third nomination will go. I’d maybe rule out Bright, but I haven’t actually seen it; I’ve only looked at pictures. (Ditto Victoria & Abdul and Wonder). They all seem like feasible contenders, from what I can tell.
I would have liked to see It on this list. I thought it would make the cut of seven, if perhaps not the final three. Maybe the nomination committee members are scared of clowns.
Predictions: Darkest Hour Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 Wonder
Personal: Darkest Hour Ghost in the Shell Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Here too, the Academy makes things slightly easier by trimming the field – first to20 filmsin early December, then to 10 a few weeks later. The remaining hopefuls are Alien: Covenant, Blade Runner 2049, Dunkirk, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, Kong: Skull Island, Okja, The Shape of Water, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets and War for the Planet of the Apes.
I once again had a chance to attend the Visual Effects Bakeoff, a gathering of branch members at which 10 minutes worth of footage from each film is shown, accompanied by brief commentary from the potential nominees. After the presentation, the members cast their votes. Being in the room can provide a sense of how the voters feel about the work, and can also help illuminate challenges faced in creating the effects that you might not have been aware of otherwise. It definitely helped me make my picks last year.
This time around, I’m not sure anything I saw or sensed moved the needle too much. All of the work was impressive, though I’d guess that Valerian would be the first to go. It felt like the sheer amount of VFX in the movie was its most impressive attribute, but I can’t see it surviving to the final five. Everything else seemed possible and, to my untrained eye, worthy of a nomination. It’s almost more a matter of determining what feels like it “has to be there” and working back from there. I’d wager that Blade Runner and Planet of the Apes have to be there above all. Dunkirk and The Shape of Water cover the “prestige” films that are usually represented, and Dunkirk should appeal in particular to the branch members who work on practical effects rather than CGI. With The Shape of Water, I got the sense that people in the room were especially impressed with how effects were used to enhance the creature suit worn by actor Doug Jones and make the character feel more organic and otherworldly.
That leaves Star Wars, which will probably get in because the effects are top notch and Star Wars is pretty much the reason every member of the branch works in VFX to begin with. That said, I can’t think of anything in The Last Jedi that breaks significant new ground, so it feels like the most vulnerable of the “has-to-be-there” group. Okja‘s giant pig and its playful relationship with its young owner seemed to strike an emotional chord with the crowd, so if there’s a surprise, that could be it. But as I said, nearly everything looked impressive to me. I wish there was room for Guardians of the Galaxy and Kong.
Predictions: Blade Runner 2049 Dunkirk The Shape of Water Star Wars: The Last Jedi War for the Planet of the Apes
Personal: Same
BEST SOUND EDITING / BEST SOUND MIXING Okay, so I’m running short of time to finish this up, and we’ve come to the two categories about which I know the least, so I’ll try to keep it brief. Each of these races will probably feature three or four of the same movies, so I’ll just lay my cards on the table and see what happens.
I might have found a place for Coco or Transformers: The Last Knight somewhere in there, but it’s been several years since any animated films have shown up in these categories, and the last Transformers movie, unlike all of its predecessors, wasn’t nominated, so maybe the voters have heard enough of that franchise. As for my personal picks, I always say that my lack of understanding of what really goes into this craft – which I’m sure is shared by most Academy members – makes me wish there were a single category honoring overall Sound Design, which seems like it might be a little bit easier for the layperson. In my lack of understanding, this year I would nominate Baby Driver, Dunkirk, The Shape of Water, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and War for the Planet of the Apes.
No doubt to your great relief, that’s all I’ve got. Nominations will be announced Tuesday morning in two parts, beginning at the odd time of 5:22am PT. May fortune favor your picks, as long as they don’t conflict with mine.
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September 10, 2017
Since 2009, I’ve been writing about anywhere from 20-30 movies that I’m excited about in the coming year, which I usually post shortly after the Oscars. Last year, I didn’t get the list out until May, but most of the movies I was anticipating were still to come, so okay, no big deal. My intention this year was to get it out in January, since there were actually some February releases I wanted to include.
That didn’t really work out.
Nor did May.
Or July.
And so The Lego Batman Movie, Logan, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Alien: Covenant, Song to Song, Beauty and the Beast, Trainspotting 2, The Great Wall,Baby Driver, War for the Planet of the Apes, Detroit and Dunkirk have all passed by.
Now, as we enter my favorite movie season of the year, plenty of titles from my original list are yet to arrive, so in an effort to not totally abandon this blog, and to not completely waste the time I’d already put into this post, I’ve reconfigured it as a sort of Fall Movie Preview, informed by some recent developments at the Venice, Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals. Even this late in the year I have no problem coming up with a list of 20 movies, and could easily have included more that I’m eager to see. No doubt many of these will come up again in my Oscar posts. But for now, consider…
Among the many films that come up when people talk about the great American cinema of the 1970’s is Hal Ashby’s The Last Detail, which starred Jack Nicholson and Otis Young as Navy officers tasked with escorting a younger, sentenced cadet (Randy Quaid) to prison. It was adapted by Robert Towne from a novel by Darryl Ponicsan, and in 2005 the novelist published a follow-up that dropped in on the three characters post 9/11. From the time it was published, Richard Linklater has wanted to adapt the semi-sequel for the screen, and originally hoped to reunite Nicholson and Quaid, with Morgan Freeman replacing Young, who died in 2001. Sadly, that ship has sailed, with Nicholson essentially retired and Quaid, well…let’s just say Quaid is otherwise occupied and leave it at that. Still, it’s hard to wallow in regret over what might have been when the newly assembled trio is as impressive and promising as Carell, Cranston and Fishburne. And in the end, Linklater — collaborating with Ponicsan on the script — ended up shifting direction a bit by not making the film a direct sequel to The Last Detail, but rather more of a spiritual one in which the trio of leads play different characters. Either way, as far as I’m concerned. Having only seen The Last Detail once, my interest in this movie was never about that one. I’m just excited by the promise of this filmmaker and these actors.
In Christopher Nolan’s 2006 drama The Prestige, two illusionists in the 1800’s engage in an increasingly intense rivalry to dazzle audiences with a particularly astonishing trick. Though fictional, the characters interact with very real inventor Nikola Tesla, who makes a key contribution to their efforts. In The Current War, Tesla once again factors into the rivalry of two competitors, this time the real-life pioneers Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, as they race to implement the most effective system of delivering electricity to the masses. Cumberbatch and Shannon take on Edison and Westinghouse, respectively, and if Me and Earl and the Dying Girl helmer Gomez-Rejon seems an odd choice for this larger-scale, more cinematic material, he has plenty of experience telling stories of competition and of light and dark as a veteran director of Glee and American Horror Story. As for Tesla, those who can’t get enough of him — nor afford the car that bears his name — can look forward to him being front and center in a potential upcoming film about his relationship with Mark Twain. In the meantime, Nicholas Hoult assumes the mantle from Nolan’s Tesla, the late David Bowie.
If you live in a major city, there’s a very good chance that on any given weekend, there’s a theater somewhere offering a midnight screening of The Room, a 2003 movie so notoriously awful that it has garnered a devoted cult following and been called the worst movie of all time. One of The Room‘s stars, Greg Sestero, wrote a book about his experience working on the project and his relationship with its fascinating writer, director and lead actor, Tommy Wiseau. In this comedic but affectionate adaptation of that book, James Franco takes on the role of Wiseau, with his brother Dave playing Sestero. Based on the highly favorable reaction to the film upon its debut earlier this year at the South by Southwest festival, the filmmaking team may have spun gold from the dreck, crafting an Ed Wood-like homage that aims to celebrate the passion more than mock the results. After seeing the first teaser trailer for The Disaster Artist, I had my doubts that Wiseau could have performed as poorly as Franco’s interpretation suggests. I was wrong. I’ve never seen The Room; I generally feel that there are too many good movies worth seeing to waste time on the bad ones, even those of the so-bad-they’re good variety. But The Disaster Artist may force me to make an exception.
While the pedigree of this movie – Atonement director Wright, The Theory of Everything screenwriter McCarten, and a fine cast headed by Oldman – would automatically put it on my list of movies to see, it probably wouldn’t have made the jump to this list had it not just premiered to a thunderous reception at the Venice Film Festival, where Oldman was instantly elevated to frontrunner status in this year’s Best Actor race for his performance as Winston Churchill. That’s all well and good, and no doubt I’ll have more to say about it if I manage to do my usual Oscar write-ups come January. But the movie was celebrated beyond just Oldman’s work. It was hailed as an across-the-board triumph that tells the story of Churchill’s early days in office with vigor and passion, bringing the history of Britain’s stand against Nazi Germany to thrilling life. In addition, by focusing on a narrow period of Churchill’s life rather than going the cradle-to-grave biopic route, it stands to follow in the sterling footsteps of films like Capote and Lincoln by using a specific event from the subject’s life to tell a larger story about who and what they were. As always, I avoided getting too deep into the reviews and reactions, but what I gleaned left no doubt that the movie was now one to anticipate with great expectations.
As a director, Kenneth Branagh has brought several famous characters of literature to the screen, from Hamlet to Thor to Jack Ryan. Now he’s about to give us a new interpretation of Agatha Christie’s enduring detective Hercule Poirot in one of her – and her character’s – most famous cases. In addition to directing, Branagh will play Poirot, following in the footsteps of such luminaries as Orson Welles, Albert Finney, and Peter Ustinov. The gallery of passengers/suspects provides a grand ensemble opportunity, and Branagh has stacked the movie with an impressive and eclectic cast that includes his hero and regular collaborator Jacobi; Hamilton Tony-winner Odom Jr.; Star Wars: The Force Awakens breakout Ridley; the luminous Pfeiffer, who has worked only occasionally in recent years but appears to be staging a welcome comeback; and Depp, smartly joining a classy ensemble that doesn’t require him to shoulder the movie on his own, but which may amount to more than his recent blink-of-an-eye cameos in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Into the Woods. Branagh has big shoes to fill, not just doing justice to Christie’s book, but also working in the shadow of Sidney Lumet’s acclaimed 1974 version which earned six Oscar nominations and boasted an equally impressive — perhaps even starrier — roster of actors. But the results look promising.
Until recently, details were typically scarce regarding Allen’s latest effort, other than its 1950’s Coney Island setting. With nothing to go on, including whether or not it was a comedy or a drama, and knowing that the enduring auteur’s output is always hit or miss, it was the presence of Winslet that landed Wonder Wheel on my list. I hoped that having an especially special talent like her – the first cast member announced last summer – meant this was something he tailored to her, and that he rose to the occasion and provided her with a film and a role worthy of her gifts, just as he did with Blue Jasmine in 2013 for our other magnificent Kate…or Cate, as it were. Now we know more about the film, and there’s reason to think my hope will be rewarded. Winslet plays the wife of a carousel operator, who falls for a lifeguard (guess which one is played by Belushi and which one by Timberlake!). Her emotional conundrum becomes more complicated when her husband’s daughter (Temple) from a previous marriage turns up after a long absence and also has eyes for the lifeguard, setting up what Winslet described in Entertainment Weekly as her character’s “great unraveling.” According to the same EW piece, Allen has long wanted to work with Winslet; it almost happened a decade ago on Match Point, until she had to drop out due to a pregnancy and was replaced by Scarlett Johannson). He says he knew it would take one of the great actresses of our time to bring the necessary depth to this character. Knowing Allen’s track record with writing great roles for actors, I have a really good feeling about this one and the likelihood that we’re going to get something superb from Winslet.
Baumbach’s latest story of family dysfunction, which bowed to strong reviews at the Cannes Film Festival, casts Hoffman as Harold Meyerowitz, a sculptor who, while celebrated, never quite received the recognition he felt he deserved. Sandler, Stiller and Marvel (a dynamic character actress getting increasingly larger roles, including the President-Elect on the recent season of Homeland) play his children, all of whom are brought together by a pair of events concerning Harold. I’m a big fan of Baumbach’s 2005 and 2007 films The Squid and the Whale and Margot at the Wedding, but haven’t been much enamored with his output since. The word out of Cannes was that his latest is more in the vein of those earlier films, so I’m crossing my fingers that those murmurings prove true. Particular praise at the festival was centered on Sandler, who dazzled critics with a performance that served as a reminder of what directors like Paul Thomas Anderson and James L. Brooks have long seen in him. Those directors, and a few others over the years, have cast Sandler in more dramatic material, and he has always risen admirably to the challenge, even if he usually chooses to avoid those sorts of genuine acting opportunities in favor of palling around with buddies Kevin James, Rob Schneider, Chris Rock or David Spade on lazy, clichéd comedies. His performance here was so acclaimed, in fact, that many critics were calling it Oscar-worthy. Though the movie is being distributed by Netflix, the company apparently plans to give it a limited theatrical release the same day it debuts for streaming, which would indeed qualify it for awards consideration. Whether it can break into the race is another matter, but for now I just hope the movie is a reward in and of itself.
No, it’a not the long-awaited Conan O’Brien biopic about the struggles of a tall, thin ginger to overcome his physical handicaps and conquer the world of late-night comedy. It’s the next movie from Pixar, set in Mexico on the annual Día de los Muertos holiday. It follows Miguel, a music-loving boy from a music-hating family, who dreams of breaking away from the successful shoemaking business that has been handed down for generations and instead charting his own course as a performer. When he discovers a magical guitar that transports him to the Land of the Dead, he seeks out his ancestors as well as his idol, singer Ernesto de la Cruz, uncovering secrets from both that will affect him profoundly back in the real world…if he can get there. Like all of Pixar’s movies — the non-sequels, especially — this one has been in development for a long time, but will arrive at an ideal moment when diversity is top of mind not just in the entertainment industry but in the world-at-large. Given some of the political conversations going on right now, it will be especially welcome for moviegoers from all backgrounds and age groups to see a culture that doesn’t get enough mainstream exposure depicted in all of its rich and vibrant glory by Disney and Pixar, two giants of animation who know how to lure the masses.
The Coen Brothers don’t have a new movie coming out this year, but here’s the next best thing: a script they wrote, directed by one of their frequent stars, and starring three of their past collaborators in Damon, Moore and Isaac. (It almost featured two more, but Woody Harrelson had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts and Josh Brolin’s small role was cut). While Clooney won’t appear onscreen, he’s worked with the Coens enough by now to have a firm grasp of their style, which should help him successfully translate their script to the screen. It’s an older effort that the brothers considered making in the late 90’s, and which Clooney and Heslov have re-worked to bring it up to date thematically, although it takes place in the 50’s. I’ve heard varying plot descriptions, so I’m not sure what’s true and what’s not, but the story may involve a man who tries to have his wife killed in order to be with her sister. It’s said to be in the Fargo/Burn After Reading vein of other violent comedies from the Coens. We’ll see if Clooney and company can deliver something that feels at home with the originators’ own projects.
Aaron Sorkin’s scripts have been directed by an A-list roster of filmmakers. David Fincher, Rob Reiner, Bennett Miller, Danny Boyle and Mike Nichols have all had the pleasure of bringing Sorkin’s words to the big screen. Not for nothing though, Sorkin has been atop the creative ladder long enough that his own time behind the camera seems quite overdue. He’ll finally make the leap with Molly’s Game, adapted from a memoir by Molly Bloom, who as a young woman had Olympic goals as a member of the U.S. national ski team. When that dream failed to materialize, she went to Los Angeles where she got a job as a waitress. Many people go to Hollywood and wait tables on their way to becoming movie stars, but Bloom’s path led her in a different and even more fascinating direction. Her smarts and entrepreneurial nature eventually led to her running a high-stakes underground poker game attended regularly by major Hollywood players including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Ben Affleck. But apparently the Russian mob had ties to the game as well, and because Bloom was taking a cut of the pot, legal lines were crossed and the FBI shut down the game and arrested her. (We’ve all been there, right?) It’s a compelling story that should translate nicely to film, especially with this impressive cast getting to dig into the always-delicious dialogue at which Sorkin excels.
I’m a little late on this one, which opened Thursday night, but since I haven’t seen it yet, it still falls under “looking forward.”
The random surge of popularity in the work of Stephen King — The Dark Tower on the big screen and Mr. Mercedes and The Mist on the small – continues here, and the time couldn’t be more right for a film adaptation of the author’s seminal success It, which was published in 1986 during his most prolific and celebrated period. Fueled by the popularity of last summer’s surprise Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things, It has a chance to capitalize on the renewed interest in King’s 80’s oeuvre that was so lovingly evoked by that series. In fact, one of the film’s producers actually used Stranger Things as a reference point for the tone of the film, a tactic made even more ironic by the fact that filmmaker brothers Matt and Ross Duffer created Stranger Things after Warner Bros. denied them the chance to make the It film, presumably unwilling to hand over so prized a property to a relatively untested duo.
The massive, 1,100+ page novel follows a group of seven bullied friends in Derry, Maine – who refer to themselves as The Loser’s Club – as they contend with an ageless, shapeshifting, child-eating demon who favors the form of a clown called Pennywise. This year’s release is the first of a two-part adaptation, focusing on the kids and their battles with Pennywise. The second film will continue their story in adulthood…those who survive to see it, at least.
Although I went through my own Stephen King phase as a teenager, I never got around to reading It, nor did I see the 1990 ABC miniseries that would probably be forgettable if not for Tim Curry’s performance as Pennywise creeping its way into the pop culture consciousness. The role in this new adaptation will be played by Bill Skarsgård (son of Good Will Hunting/Thor star Stellan, brother of True Blood/Big Little Lies star Alexander). The cast of endangered youths includes the excellent Jaeden Lieberher, and yes, Stranger Things‘ soulful breakout Finn Wolfhard.
Still, there are concerns. It was originally to be helmed by Cary Fukunaga, the terrific director behind the bold 2011 Jane Eyre adaptation starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender, the harrowing Beasts of No Nation, and the entire first season of HBO’s True Detective. He’s a filmmaker who has demonstrated a talent for finding horror in realistic settings. When his take on King’s story clashed with the studio’s, he left the project and was replaced by Andy Muschetti, whose only feature credit is the decently-reviewed 2013 Jessica Chastain horror film, Mama. Fukunaga has said that he wanted to treat It like a character drama, teasing out the horror less overtly, whereas the studio wanted a typical, mainstream horror movie…a fact which is no less disappointing for being so predictable. Seldom does any good come from studio executives overriding the vision of a singular filmmaker. Muschetti will surely give the studio what it wanted, but will that be the best thing?
In the end, maybe it will. Reviews have been mostly kind, and as we speak the movie is doing bang-up business and smashing various box office records, so…fingers crossed. If it turns out to be a disappointment, well, at least we’ve got a second season of Stranger Things to look forward to next month. #JusticeForBarb
Those of you to study these lists each year, riddle over them, puzzle them out, try to analyze my endgame, those of you who have taken a devoted, scholarly approach to my work, may have noticed that few of the previous Marvel films — only Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man — have been included on this list, even though I’ve said in many other posts that I’m a big fan of the whole series. So why Thor: Ragnarok? Because like Guardians and Ant-Man, it looks like a real curveball that will somewhat shake up the status quo of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The first Thor had a lot of enjoyable humor, born out of its fish-out-of-water set-up that found the Asgardian god stuck on earth in a tiny desert town. Thor: The Dark World…well, I can’t say I remember too much about it, though I don’t recall it going for as many laughs. But in perhaps the boldest directorial choice yet on Marvel’s part (even bolder than Edgar Wright for Ant-Man, had that panned out), they handed the reins of this installment to New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi, best known for his comic sensibility on such hilarious and acclaimed indies as What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Waititi is a delightfully offbeat choice, and everything we’ve seen of Ragnarok thus far paint it as a delightfully offbeat entry in the MCU. Ruffalo has described it — perhaps jokingly — as both a road-movie and a buddy-comedy between Thor and Hulk (the only two Avengers who were MIA from Captain America: Civil War). Waititi has also stated that he took inspiration from the 1980 cult classic Flash Gordon, and that he would have loved the movie to have a soundtrack by Queen just as that film did. In that spirit of fun, the teaser trailer – rocking out to Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” – gives off a vibe that feels like an 80s arcade game come to life. I can’t wait to see how this turns out.
Movie nerd that I am, I’ve been tracking movies for years. That is, I keep a list of movies being made by actors, writers, directors, even producers that I’m interested in. So it came as a surprise to me when I first saw the red band trailer for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri debut on the internet back in March or April, considering that despite the impressive cast and a writer/director whose work I’ve enjoyed, I had never heard of it. So I watched the trailer.
It immediately went on the list. Does this require further explanation?
If nothing else, the trailer promised a showcase role for McDormand, and there can never be enough of those. Now that the film has screened at the Venice Film Festival (where it was just awarded the prize for Best Screenplay), the actress has indeed been praised, but the loudest buzz has been centered around Sam Rockwell. Variety critic Owen Gleiberman hailed the performance as a “revelation,” which is pretty staggering praise considering that Rockwell is hardly an actor whose gifts have been hidden. He has done fantastic work — both comedic and dramatic — in any number of movies from Galaxy Quest to Moon, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind to Choke, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford to Conviction. (I’ll forgive his participation in the ill-advised Poltergeist remake.) There are plenty more juicy turns where those came from; this is not someone who’s been hovering on the precipice of a breakthrough. The attention around his performance is additionally surprising since the trailer doesn’t feature all that much of him, and what it does show suggests a performance more in a comedic “dumb guy” vein than the darker, multifaceted character described in reactions to the movie. So if that trailer wasn’t reason enough to put this movie high on the list, it sounds like Rockwell’s work is another.
This is not the Steven Spielberg movie I expected to be on this list. For some time, the legendary director has had two movies in the works: an adaptation of the novel Ready Player One, which long ago finished shooting but has extensive visual effects requirements that will prevent it from being out before 2018, and The Kidnapping of Edgaro Mortara, a true story set to star Oscar Isaac and Mark Rylance that was initially expected this year. Apparently, however, the difficulty in finding the right child actor to play the title role led to a delay that opened up a window in Spielberg’s schedule. So now we’ll get The Post, which was first announced in March and came together remarkably quickly to allow it into theaters at the end of the year.
The topical true story is set in 1971 and casts Streep as Kay Graham, publisher of The Washington Post, and Hanks as the paper’s editor Ben Bradlee, as the two defy the Nixon administration by supporting The New York Times‘ efforts to publish the leaked Pentagon Papers, which called into serious question the United States’ ongoing involvement in the Vietnam War. Amidst threats and talk of treason from the White House, journalists banded together and defended their right to publish the leaked materials, eventually leading to a landmark Supreme Court case. Given the current relationship between the President and the press, it’s easy to see why Spielberg would gravitate toward this subject. As he did with Lincoln, the director has lined up an all-star support team to bolster his main players, and a review of the impressive cast list reveals some fun and surprising connections, like Mr. Show buds David Cross and Bob Odenkirk, and real-life couple Carrie Coon and Tracy Letts.
Darren Aronofsky went to great lengths to keep this movie’s secrets under wraps. We didn’t get a trailer until maybe a month ago, and unlike many trailers that give away too much of the story, this one definitely emphasized tone over plot. And that tone is one of freak-out terror. The movie has now been seen at the Venice Film Festival, where it inspired impassioned reactions all over the map. Whether critics and audiences cheered or booed it, they definitely felt strongly and it generated plenty of talk, which is exactly what Aronofksy wanted. The set-up is that a couple’s quiet life is disrupted by the presence of unwanted visitors, but even after seeing it, many critics seemed to question what it was about at heart. They all agreed, however, that it was an audacious, over-the-top, absolutely insane trip down a deep dark hole. I’m fascinated to see what it’s all about…and a little scared.
The latest film from the endlessly imaginative del Toro debuted last week at the Venice Film Festival to rapturous responses and this weekend it won the festival’s top prize. Set in the U.S. in 1963, Hawkins and Spencer play workers at a secretive government laboratory (is there any other kind?) who discover a shocking experiment involving an aquatic creature. I’ve avoided reading much about it beyond the basic description that it’s a beauty-and-the-beast-like story, but I know del Toro said that he and his team spent more than half a year designing and crafting the amphibious character. The prominent presence of a creature should come as no surprise to del Toro fans, nor should the painstaking lengths that went into birthing it. This is a guy who truly loves, connects with and has deep empathy for what the rest of us might casually refer to as monsters. His affection for them and the thought he puts into them is why his movies are among the few that still feature bold, original, frightening creations while most movie monsters these days are uninspired and forgettable. The Cold War backdrop suggests that The Shape of Water will hew more closely to del Toro’s masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth and other work like The Devil’s Backbone than his more action-oriented projects like Pacific Rim and Blade, and a cursory scan at the reviews out of Venice bear that out. Marrying the supernatural and the historical is del Toro’s sweet spot, which makes this new film – now graced with glowing reviews – especially promising.
Alexander Payne made his reputation on sharply-observed portraits of simple, everyday folks, but his newest finds him making an unexpected turn into what sounds like Charlie Kaufman country. The script has been floating around for many years, and the plot may have morphed somewhat during that long development period, but the core idea remains: people shrinking themselves down to a smaller size in order to simplify their lives. I know that’s a rather simplistic description, but while the movie has now played at Venice and Telluride, meaning there’s more about it to glean, I’m avoiding anything further. Fans of Payne’s early work will be happy to know that the movie reunites him with his writing partner Jim Taylor over a decade after they last collaborated on (and won Oscars for) Sideways, and they’ve put together a fine cast headed by Damon, after earlier stalled attempts to get the movie off the ground included Reese Witherspoon, Paul Giamatti and Sacha Baron Cohen. Regardless of the characters’ size, I’m expecting big things.
35 years after its release, Blade Runner — one of the most acclaimed, admired, revered science-fiction films of all time — is getting a follow-up.
This is a bad idea.
The thing about Blade Runner is that it’s not merely a beloved film. It’s a studied film. It’s a film valued as much by critics and scholars as by fans and cinephiles. The movie’s reputation developed over time; it was not a hit upon initial release. It worked its way into the culture and earned its reputation through conversation and analysis and reconsideration. So in today’s corporate-guided Hollywood landscape ruled by desire for the familiar and for quick-fixes rather than things lasting and meaningful, is there any reason to be optimistic about the movie’s prospects?
The answer is yes, and it’s a big reason: Denis Villeneuve. There have been worrisome rumblings of a Blade Runner sequel for years, but hearing that Villeneuve would take the reins was a game-changer. Because this dude is phenomenal. One of the best directors working today, and yet one who is still flying under the radar of general public recognition even after earning an already overdue Best Director Oscar nomination last year for the Amy Adams sci-fi drama Arrival. Over the last few years he’s been putting out top-notch work (Prisoners, Sicario) and anything he’s doing is worth getting excited about, sight unseen. He also has master cinematographer Roger Deakins onboard, and the trailers for the film have demonstrated expectedly striking, gorgeous visuals. Is it too early to hope this movie could finally end Deakins incomprehensible losing-streak at the Oscars?
Villeneuve has assembled a strong cast for the sequel set decades after the original, led by Ryan Gosling as a new blade runner – a law enforcement agent tasked with tracking down and “retiring” genetically-engineered androids nearly indistinguishable from humans. Serving in that role has him following in the figurative and apparently literal footsteps of Harrison Ford’s blade runner Rick Deckard. Ford is returning, and he’s had both good and not-so-good results in other instances of revisiting years-old characters/films. Original co-screenwriter Hampton Fancher is also back, this time collaborating with Michael Green, who was likely brought to the project by producer and original Blade Runner director Ridley Scott, for whom Green did some story work on Alien: Covenant. Having Scott, Ford and Fancher all involved again is encouraging, but by no means a sign that the movie will be good. Our best hope that the sequel will live up to the reputation of its predecessor is Villeneuve. I’m dying to see what he does.
A decade after their colossal collaboration on There Will Be Blood – a span during which each has only made two other features – Anderson and Day-Lewis are re-teaming. There’s really not much more that needs to be said…which is a good thing, since there’s really not much more than can be said. Almost nothing is known about the movie at this point, other than that it takes place in the fashion world of 1950’s New York…and even that detail is sketchy, since a later report cited London as the setting. Some writers have taken to calling the movie Phantom Threads, but at this stage that’s a working title only. So the movie has no name, it has no substantial plot synopsis, and it barely seems to have a supporting cast to speak of, with only two actresses mentioned when the film quietly began production earlier this year. When news of the film first broke, Vulturetook a swing at guessing what — or more accurately, who — the subject might be, based on the New York locale. It was well-considered speculation, but if the movie is set in London, that might render the guess incorrect. Whatever or whoever the subject is barely matters right now. When either of these guys makes a movie, it’s headline news as far as I’m concerned. And if Day-Lewis is to be believed, his recent out-of-nowhere retirement announcement will make this his final film. I’m not sure I buy that this is the three-time Best Actor Oscar winner’s swan song, but if it is, it’s tough to imagine a better way to go out than by re-uniting with PTA. There will be glory.
J.J. Abrams and his co-writer Lawrence Kasdan brought the Star Wars saga back in fine form with 2015’s The Force Awakens, and now they hand the baton off to Rian Johnson to tell the middle chapter of the sequel trilogy. The inventive writer/director behind Brick and Looper now gets to fill in the gaps while furthering the journeys of new heroes and villains Rey, Kylo Ren, Finn and Poe Dameron. After being much discussed but little seen in The Force Awakens, Luke Skywalker will at last feature prominently, while Princess Leia (she may be General Organa now, but she’ll always be Princess to me) will also find her screen time increased, giving us a last chance to enjoy Carrie Fisher in her defining role. Fans continue to speculate on such mysteries as Rey’s lineage and Supreme Leader Snoke’s identity, but I haven’t engaged much in those guessing games. I’m just excited to delve deeper into the lives of the characters, find out about new additions Dern, del Toro and Tran (all of whom have now now been introduced thanks to Vanity Fair‘s summer cover story), and see what’s become of Luke Skywalker. With a filmmaker as creative as Rian Johnson, I’m confidant the series is in good hands…for now.
February 25, 2017
Better late than never, right? I’d promise you that one day I will actually complete this post more than 24 hours before the show begins, but I don’t know if I have it in me to keep doing these long enough to fulfill that pledge. So for what it’s worth at this point, here are my Oscar predictions and requisite over-explanation.
Get ready — you’re going to see the words La La Land a lot in this post. (Is La even a word?) Here in the Sound categories, it throws us a curveball. I pointed out when predicting the nominees that musicals have a great track record getting nominated for Sound Mixing, and not such a great one getting nominated for Sound Editing. This year, however, the Sound branch cited La La Land in both categories. I have to assume that most voters from other branches don’t much understand the difference between the two categories, nor what constitutes a great achievement in either of them. If La La Land had just been nominated for Mixing, I’m sure they would have voted for it, and the Sound Editing award would have gone elsewhere. But now that they can vote for it in both categories, will they? And if they decide to go with two different movies, will they honor La La Land in Mixing, where musicals have traditionally succeeded? Or will they honor it in Editing because, hey, they’re actors and cinematographers and costume designers, and they don’t know in which category musicals have traditionally succeeded? Since the impossibility of knowing is even more acute here than in other categories where it’s impossible to know but you still kinda know, I’ll be a traditionalist and predict that La La Land takes the award for Sound Mixing, but not Sound Editing. In that category, any of the nominees feel like viable winners, but I’m going with Hacksaw Ridge. When in doubt, voters might equate the chaotic noise of war with the best achievement in sound. Or, you know…not.
Personal: I rarely have strong feelings about the outcome of these races, being admittedly ignorant about how to judge the work. However, knowing that Sound Editing involves the creation of the aural components, my vote in that race would go to Arrival, as the only nominee of the five that had to imagine otherworldly sounds as opposed to re-creating earthbound ones.
All five nominees boast stellar work that seemed to take certain VFX challenges further than they had been taken before, but the complexity and sheer amount of work that went into The Jungle Book has to be acknowledged. This wasn’t just about adding talking animals that looked believable. This whole damn movie was shot on a soundstage in downtown Los Angeles. The young star Neel Sethi was working on bluescreen and greenscreen stages with only small portions of the jungle set constructed for him to interact with. A boulder here, a small patch of grass there, a short sandy pathway over there….everything else around him was created in a computer. EVERYTHING. Think about that for a minute. Here’s the trailer for the movie. Watch it, and realize that other than what Sethi is actually physically touching at any given moment (not including the animals, of course) and perhaps what’s in his immediate vicinity, the rest of it is computer-generated. That, ladies and gentlemen, is Movie Magic at its most astonishing.
The problem is that voters don’t have the best track record of recognizing Movie Magic at its most astonishing. The good news this year is that there isn’t a Best Picture nominee to muddy the waters, as the inclusion of a prestige film often hijacks this award from a movie that features truly amazing and/or groundbreaking work. That’s how you get Gladiator beating The Perfect Storm, or Hugo over Rise of the Planet of the Apes. But that won’t be an issue this time, leaving a clear pathway for The Jungle Book. But you never know. Watch out for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
None of the three nominees are movies that lit it up with the Academy, so voters are a bit off the grid here. Don’t discount Suicide Squad just because it seemed to be derided by critics and audiences. Even without having seen it, I know there was an impressive variety to the work. But I’ll put my money on Star Trek Beyond, because Trek is a known quantity to voters whether they saw the movie or not.
Personal: Judging just by pictures from Suicide Squad, the work looks impressive. But Star Trek Beyond is the only one of the three I’ve seen, so I suppose it gets my vote by default. The new alien designs — especially the one sported by Sofia Boutella — do look Oscar-worthy to me. There’s something about that design that makes me want to eat ice cream. What’s that about?
When Disney musicals had their resurgence in the late 80’s and early 90’s, Oscar voters proved keen to award not just their memorable songs, but also their orchestral scores. The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King and Pocahontas all took home the Oscar for Best Original Score even though you kind of got the feeling members were just voting for the scores as a way to vote for the overall music in the movie. I love those soundtracks (well, the first three anyway), but did the scores really deserve to win? Maybe. Maybe not. I bring it up because we’re in a similar situation this year, with La La Land poised to take this prize even though maybe, possibly, perhaps its actual instrumental score isn’t really as strong or memorable as some of its songs. It has a nice theme, for sure, but does the full score really merit an Oscar? Many will think so, and they will vote for it, and it will win.
Personal: I’m probably not being fair. La La Land‘s score is good, and functions successfully in the movie, which is ultimately what should matter with this award, even if — as I say every year — I’m always looking for something that stands tall on its own, apart from the movie. On that score (no pun intended) I think La La Land comes up a little short. It’s between Jackie and Moonlight for me, because both take a similarly unexpected approach to their subject matter. I admire the stylistic choices of both, but found Jackie‘s to be more memorable.
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BEST ORIGINAL SONGAudition (The Fools Who Dream) – La La Land — Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Can’t Stop the Feeling – Trolls — Music and Lyric by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster
City of Stars – La La Land — Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
The Empty Chair – Jim: The James Foley Story — Music and Lyric by J. Ralph and Sting
How Far I’ll Go – Moana — Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda
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You avid Hamilton fans eager for Lin-Manuel Miranda to complete his EGOT with an Oscar win had better put your hopes on hold. Despite contributing music to the latest animated film from Disney — as well-trod a path to success in this category as it is in Best Original Score — it’s not going to happen this year. But fear not; Miranda will have plenty of future chances. With a Mary Poppins sequel in the works and a secretive animated project with Sony a few years off, he’s not throwing away his shot.
The winning film will be La La Land, and this time it should be. The only question is which of the movie’s two nominated songs will emerge victorious: “City of Stars,” or “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)?” Nearly every pundit seems to be banking on the former, and that’s the smart bet. I’m going against the grain, however, and guessing that “Audition” pulls off an upset. First of all, there are really two versions of “City of Stars:” Ryan Gosling’s solo version, which has that memorable whistle going for it, but which is basically one verse; and Gosling’s duet with Emma Stone, which is longer, and has additional verses and alternate lyrics. I’d wager that when most people think of the song, they think of the solo, “whistling” version. But will they remember how brief it is? Will they care?
Then you have Stone’s solo, “Audition,” which is one of the most stirring moments in the movie, and a scene that I think people are more likely to remember than either of the scenes “City of Stars” figures into. It marks a major turning point in the story and furthers the journey of the characters; “City of Stars” doesn’t. It also has more evocative lyrics. Voters may not notice or care about these facts, especially with the powerful hook of that whistle echoing in their heads. So I don’t know. If voters are trying to recall the songs long after seeing the movie, “City of Stars” is probably the one that comes to mind. But if they really remember the moments in which the songs play and how they felt when they watched the movie, I’m convinced they’d vote for “Audition.” It’s not the wise move, but I’m sticking my neck out.
Personal: “City of Stars” is wonderful, so I don’t mean to knock it. I just think “Audition” is better. Gosling’s version of “Stars” is tinged with a touching melancholy, befitting the movie’s bittersweet resolution. The duet version, meanwhile, warmly speaks to the joys of finding love. But to me, “Audition” is the song that truly captures the full, blooming, in-love-with-art-and-artists spirit that infuses every frame of the movie, and it too is bittersweet, as it speaks to the struggle of reaching for an elusive dream. Plus, as I was saying, it has a more crucial function in the film. I certainly won’t be upset if “City of Stars” goes all the way, but “Audition” is the more deserving; an ultimately richer song that better encapsulates the themes of the movie.
As I said in the previous post, Jackie has beautiful costumes, but many of them are re-creations of well-documented outfits worn by Jackie Kennedy, and to me that means the movie really doesn’t deserve the nomination. A win would be disappointing. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) went there anyway, while the Costume Designers Guild (CDG) instead awarded Hidden Figures in its Period category. Figures is not among the Oscar nominees, nor is Doctor Strange, which took the prize in the guild’s Fantasy category (besting Kubo and the Two Strings, unfortunately). The only CDG winner included among Oscar’s five nominees is La La Land, which won in the Contemporary category. I think it will come out on top at the Oscars as well. Emma Stone sports one striking dress after another, and I imagine at least a few of those will be top of mind for many voters. On the other hand, Academy voters usually favor period pieces and fantasies — or a melding of the two — in the design categories. You have to go back to 1994 and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert for the last time this award went to a contemporary-set film. Before that? 1979(!) and All That Jazz. So history is against La La Land, but I think the bold colors will prove hard to resist, plus the styles are frequently old-fashioned, which helps lend a period feel to this modern musical.
Personal:La La Land. Those colors, those dresses…pretty much everything Emma Stone wears in this movie is splendid, forget about the rest of the cast. I liked the costumes in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, particularly Newt’s outfit, but I’ve got to give it up for La La Land.
In another category where movies with non-stylized contemporary settings rarely come out on top, La La Land is again likely to defy tradition. The movie is a tribute, among many things, to Technicolor musicals of Hollywood’s heyday, and just as in the Costume Design category, color is key. It’s not so much that the sets and locations are all striking in and of themselves, but rather what the design team did to make ordinary locales pop off the screen. The only other nominee that feels like a potential threat is Arrival, for the compelling interior of the alien craft, so unlike other such settings we’ve seen before. Still, that’s a single and sparse location, and most of the movie takes place outside the ship in more drab or ordinary settings.
Personal:La La Land. Every wall, every windowpane, every prop, every single strip, dash and dot of color seems carefully considered and absolutely deliberate. The cumulative effect is an eye-popping visual palette that feels familiar and new all at once.
Any outcome feels possible in this category, where the kind of movie that wins is more varied than in some of the other “crafts” categories. Hacksaw Ridge has brutally intense battle scenes but also plenty of quieter, well-paced character drama. Hell or High Water feels tight and efficiently assembled as it moves between the bank robbing brothers and the Texas rangers investigating them. Moonlight divides one character’s story into three distinct chapters, each one feeling complete yet complimentary to the others. Arrival plays with time in unexpected ways that take on greater significance after the movie has ended. And La La Land moves between the fast-paced energy of big musical numbers and intimate moments of a romantic relationship with ease, where it could have left us with whiplash. (Get it?! Whiplash?!!?) The voters could throw us a curveball, but I have a feeling enough of them will associate editing with the rhythms of a musical and cast their vote for La La Land.
Personal: I wouldn’t be disappointed to see any of these take the prize, but I’d vote for Arrival. Amy Adams’ character experiences flashes throughout the story, and as we start to understand what they mean and why she’s having them, the way they interact with her current circumstances becomes crucial to unlocking the movie’s mysteries.
In making my nomination predictions last month, I pointed out that the Academy’s nominees usually don’t match up with those from the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), and that I thought Greig Fraser’s work on Lion would be the ASC nominee to miss with the Academy. Well, I blew that one. Not only did the Academy’s picks mirror the ASC’s exactly, but Fraser and Lion went on to win the ASC prize. Does that mean Fraser has the Oscar in his sights as well? Probably not. La La Land‘s Linus Sandgren is the frontrunner here. The Academy at large is more likely to remember the play of light (often spotlight) that transports us in and out the movie’s many musical numbers, as well as how the camerawork shows off the rainbow of colors captured within the costume and production design. Part of the reason the colors jump off the screen so vividly is due to the way the lighting illuminates them. All elements of a movie obviously rely on and play off each other, but La La Land‘s costumes, production design and camerawork function in particularly harmonious tandem. It’s hard to imagine the movie winning one and not the other two…though in fact, we don’t need to imagine it. BAFTA spread the love in these categories, giving Cinematography to La La Land, Costume Design to Jackie and Production Design to Fantastic Beasts. So it’s possible. But unlikely, I’m guessing.
Personal:La La Land, for the way the lighting makes the bright colors glow, dance and suck you whole into the world of the movie. Sandgren also gets credit for taking better advantage of Emma Stone than perhaps any cinematographer who’s ever filmed her. She has such an expressive face, so the camera loves her right off the bat. Sandgren really revels in that gift, often holding her in close-up and allowing her to be riveting simply in the act of looking. She brings that to the table, but he has to be there to capture it in all its effectiveness.
This has been an exciting category to watch throughout the season, with Zootopia and Kubo and the Two Strings running in near lockstep with critics organizations. Zootopia took the Golden Globe and the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) prize, but Kubo got the BAFTA. Most of the guilds don’t have a category for animation, but those that do — the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and the American Cinema Editors (ACE) — went with Zootopia, and it was also the big winner at the Annie Awards, though I’ve never considered those to be much of a factor with the Oscars. You’d like to think that people only vote in a category if they’ve seen all of the nominees, but some probably vote regardless, and if that applies to anyone with this category, it’s probable that Zootopia — one of the highest-grossing movies of the year — was seen by a lot more people than Kubo…and I’d wager was playing in a lot more family rooms over Christmas vacation. Kubo has made too strong a showing to be counted out, surprising consistently throughout the season with a Best Visual Effects nomination, a groundbreaking nomination from the Costume Designers Guild, and more critics awards than people may have expected. At the end of the day though, the math seems to favor Zootopia.
Personal:Kubo and the Two Strings. Hey, Zootopia is terrific and I’ll hardly be despondent if it wins. But smart, sly, funny and touching as it is, it’s still cut from the familiar cloth of wide-eyed animals occupying bright, cheerful, landscapes. Thematically too, we’ve seen similar efforts rewarded before. Kubo, on the other hand, is a real original, with arresting visuals and the daring to tell a darker story than the typical plucky animated fare. Plus, Laika Studios has been putting out excellent work from the start. Each of its previous three films has been nominated, but none have come this close to the prize before. Who knows when they will again. The movie deserves this win, and so does the studio. (Speaking, by the way, of voting without seeing all the nominees, I still haven’t been able to see The Red Turtle or My Life as a Zucchini. The latter is just now opening, and the former played only for a limited time and not anywhere very accessible for me. I hope to catch them both, but would be surprised if either lured me away from Kubo.)
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) honored Arrival in this category, but I’m sure you remember from my predictions post — because you studied it and committed it to memory — that the WGA placed Moonlight in the Original Screenplay category (where it won) while the Academy considers it an adaptation. Really though, we don’t need the guild to provide guidance in this case. Against La La Land and Manchester by the Sea in the Original category, it would have been a battle. But in the Adapted column, Moonlight should sail smoothly to victory. The movie is universally admired, and writer/director Barry Jenkins seems to have charmed and impressed everybody who’s encountered him during the months he’s been promoting the movie at Q&As, festivals, award ceremonies, etc. I think many voters want to not just recognize the movie; they want to recognize Jenkins specifically, and since he’s not one of the producers, that leaves this category or Best Director as the place to do it. He’ll get a lot of votes in both, but he’ll get more here. Arrival has spoiler potential, and without Moonlight to contend with I think its structure and surprises would carry it to a win. But it does have to contend with Moonlight, so that’s that.
Personal: I wouldn’t have said this if I hadn’t had the chance to see it a second time, but since I did, my pick has to be Arrival. Not just for the whoa-factor, but for making an engaging movie about a rather abstract concept. With a story about humans and aliens trying to establish a baseline of communication with two entirely different systems, the movie becomes about the fragility and delicacy of language. How do we ask them complicated questions about their purpose on Earth? Do they even understand what a question is? How do we correctly interpret their attempt to use a word that even among our own kind can be misunderstood and construed in different ways? There’s nothing inherently cinematic about this, but Eric Heisserer’s script presents it as gripping, high-stakes drama, and even though it rather conveniently bypasses the nuts-and-bolts of how the humans come to understand and “decode” the alien language — and vice versa — the script has the courage to be about something scholarly and intellectual while still having great humanity and feeling. No easy task.
One of the hardest-to-call races this year finds La La Land squaring off against Manchester by the Sea. They tied with the BFCA. La La Land won the Golden Globe. Manchester won the BAFTA. The WGA by-passed them both in favor of Moonlight. So where does that leave us? I don’t know that enough voters — even those who liked La La Land — will think that its screenplay is as much a winning achievement as certain other components or the film as a whole. The heartache and humanity of Manchester seems more the stuff of great screenplays, and since Kenneth Lonergan is unlikely to factor into many Best Director votes, this is the place to reward him. If there are enough voters who love La La Land and just rubber-stamp it up and down their ballot, then surely they’ll choose it here too. But I think this will be one of the few places it misses.
Personal: I love the originality of The Lobster, but I don’t quite love the movie. Really, these are all great (though La La Land is the weakest as a screenplay nominee). But my pick is Manchester by the Sea. Lonergan took somebody else’s skeletal premise — it was actually John Krasinski who birthed the seed of the idea — and made it completely his own, sublimely marrying humor born of character conflict with harrowing circumstances and heartbreaking sadness, to create something deeply moving and unexpectedly funny. Few movies I’ve seen strike the balance so honestly and effectively, and it’s just a great story that seems miraculously imaginative yet completely, believably mundane.
This year’s acting nominations may have put the #OscarsSoWhite issue on the back burner, but nominations aren’t enough. Some of these folks have to win! And they will, starting here with Moonlight‘s Mahershala Ali, who has nearly swept the circuit so far. He did endure two surprise, high-profile losses on his path to the Kodak Theatre — the Golden Globe went to Aaron Taylor-Johnson of Nocturnal Animals and the BAFTA went to Dev Patel for Lion. But Taylor-Johnson isn’t nominated for the Oscar, and Patel may have benefitted somewhat from a home field advantage in England, and perhaps even some lingering residual love for Slumdog Millionaire. I don’t see him repeating at the Oscars, and can’t really imagine any of these guys coming from behind to overtake Ali. If Jeff Bridges were still seeking his first win, things might be different. But he’s got an Oscar now, so I don’t expect him to collect a second this year, beloved as he is. He’ll get a fair share of votes, I’m sure, but Ali will be crowned the champ.
Personal: Mahershala Ali. My only hesitation is that the part is so small, and I’m always saying that roles should be larger than this to be worthy of an Oscar win. But Ali does so much so beautifully with his limited screentime, and his impact is felt even when he’s not there. His character defies the expected archetype, and Ali makes him wholly believable, speaking volumes while talking softly…and sometimes without talking at all.
This is your safest bet of the night. Viola Davis probably already has the Oscar at home, engraved, on her shelf, in need of a polish. The ceremony is just a sham for the public. Some may argue that she belongs in the lead actress category, but given the history with the role on Broadway, lead and supporting were both deemed legitimate pathways. In Best Actress, it might not have been so cut and dry. In Supporting Actress, her fellow nominees can’t compete. They’re all good, but Viola has more screentime, her character is easily the most fully drawn of the five, and she just plain totally crushes it. She’s deeply admired and respected by her peers, and this role seemed to be waiting for her to come along. I was disappointed when she didn’t win Best Actress for The Help, partly because she had such good odds and who knew if she’d come that close again. I’m glad I was wrong.
For the longest time, this was shaping up to be as sure a thing as Viola Davis: Casey Affleck won nearly every single award there was to win, cutting what looked like a clear path to the Oscar stage. Then last month, he was toppled at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards by Denzel Washington, and now this is being called one of the toughest races of the year to call. Since the first SAG Awards in 1994, only four times has the Best Actor winner not gone on to win the Oscar, and the last time was 2003. I throw that out there just for trivia; I put far less trust in those kinds of stats than other pundits. But it’s a fact that had many people shifting their prediction from Affleck to Washington.
The bigger threat is the renewed coverage of sexual harassment charges leveled at Affleck in 2010 by two female colleagues from I’m Not There, his mockumentary collaboration with Joaquin Phoenix. The situation was brought up here and there during Phase One of awards season, but didn’t gain much traction (which, as noted by many of the people who did cover it, stood in stark contrast to the controversy that erupted around Nate Parker and The Birth of a Nation). The chatter got a little louder right after the nominations were announced, most notably from Constance Wu, the lead actress on the hit ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. Wu shamed the Academy for nominating Affleck, yet still the story didn’t blow up. But it could well be steadily simmering below the surface, and it’s impossible to know whether or not it will impact voters’ decisions significantly. Was it part of the reason Affleck lost the SAG award? Possibly. The reason could also have had less to do with denying Affleck than it did awarding Washington, who had never won a SAG award. The organization has occasionally leaned toward a greatly admired actor who has not previously won. In a tight Best Actress race, Julie Christie won the SAG award in 2007 for Away From Her; the Oscar went to Marion Cotillard. The same year, SAG’s Supporting Actress winner was Ruby Dee, but the Oscars chose Tilda Swinton. In 2002, Christopher Walken got the Supporting Actor SAG for Catch Me If You Can; Chris Cooper won the Oscar. SAG’s voters may simply have felt that Washington was due.
Affleck rebounded a few weeks later and won the BAFTA, which like SAG, has some crossover membership with the Academy. But Washington was not nominated for a BAFTA, so there’s that. Plus, he’s a two-time Oscar winner already, so voters who think about that sort of thing won’t feel any pressure to finally award one of the great actors of all time. And hey, maybe Washington won the SAG award because big, showy performances like the one he gives in Fences tend to capture more awards than quiet, inward ones like Affleck’s in Manchester by the Sea. Academy voters could go with Washington for the same reason. His performance is like a big, jagged bolt of lightning; Affleck’s is like the electric current running invisibly inside the wall.
Bottom line, this went from slam dunk to nailbiter. No doubt, Affleck will lose votes from people who can’t ignore his alleged behavior, regardless of their feelings about the performance. Yet controversies like this one haven’t stopped the Academy from handing Oscars to Roman Polanski or Woody Allen. Have things changed in the era of the Pussy-Grabber-in-Chief? One writer asked if Affleck could win in a post-women’s march world. I think he can. My gut tells me that despite the recent twist in the road, this will go down exactly the way it seemed destined to in the first place. In the end, Affleck will pull it off…but from other predictions I’ve seen so far, I appear to be in the minority.
Personal: I don’t have strong feelings about the outcome, surprisingly. I enjoyed all these performances tremendously, and consider Ryan Gosling’s the only one that doesn’t feel substantial enough to win. Judge me if you will, but part of me wants to see Affleck get it just because when someone wins pretty much everything along the way, it’s a bummer to see them lose in the end, no matter how predictable winning is at that point. But if Washington captured his first Oscar in 16 years, or Mortensen somehow shocked us all, I couldn’t argue.
When the critics were having their say, this was a race between Natalie Portman and Isabelle Huppert, with Portman looking like the Oscar frontrunner since Huppert faced the challenge of starring in a foreign language film with a difficult subject matter. Even with a surprise Golden Globe win over Portman in the Drama category, Huppert’s odds remain low. Portman’s have receded as well, however, with Jackie being embraced less enthusiastically by the Academy than by critics. Instead, it’s Emma Stone who’s emerged as the late-season frontrunner. Some thought as far back as November that she was right in the thick of it, but her fortunes seemed to fade as one critics group after another went with Portman and Huppert. Now Stone has come back from behind, fueled by winning the Golden Globe Musical/Comedy award, the SAG and the BAFTA. And everyone loves Emma Stone. They won’t vote for her just because of that, but if they were put off by divisive films like Jackie and Elle, they may feel okay about voting for Stone. Portman could still pull an upset, but at this point it looks like Emma’s got this. For those unsure how it will turn out, keep an eye on Best Original Song. Stone could triumph regardless of that outcome of course, but if it goes to “Audition,” she’s your winner.
Personal: As I said in my nominations post, I haven’t seen Elle. I hate going into Oscar night having not seen all the nominees in the main categories, but from what I know of that movie, I couldn’t stomach seeing in a theater. Of the remaining four, I’d pick Portman. Emma Stone is wonderful in La La Land, but I don’t see hers as an Oscar-winning performance. Portman, on the other hand, did transformative work. That odd Jackie Bouvier accent did some of the heavy-lifting, but there’s a lot more than that going on in her work. She presents us with a woman who has played the passive role of doting wife, hostess, and First Lady, then swiftly finds her strength and resilience when confronted with the shock and horror of her husband’s assassination. Portman shows us Jackie’s grief and uncertainly mingling with the need to step up and control how JFK’s death and the immediate aftermath are seen by the world and immortalized by history. Her performance is fiery and understated all at once.
Damien Chazelle won the Golden Globe, the BAFTA and most importantly, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) award, which has failed to augur the Oscar winner only seven times in its 69 years…and in three of those cases, the DGA winner wasn’t nominated for the Oscar. In fact, in the entire grand game that is Oscar predicting, the DGA is the most meaningful precursor. So considering his victory there, and the general acclaim for La La Land, Chazelle is the man to beat. The only one who can is Barry Jenkins. As I said in the Adapted Screenplay section, I think there are a lot of Academy members who want Jenkins to go home with an Oscar. I said he’ll get a lot of votes for the Screenplay — more than he will here, I think — but he will get a lot of votes here. Probably not enough to overtake Chazelle, but this is a politically tumultuous year where voters looking to not just honor great filmmaking but also make a statement (we’ll get into that a bit more in a minute) could do both by voting for Jenkins.
Personal: I admit to favoring directors who take the helm of epic productions with physical and visual challenges and a daring that extends beyond the narrative and into the production itself. So while I recognize the skill involved in directing character-driven dramas like Manchester by the Sea or Moonlight, I’m inevitably drawn to something like La La Land, which makes Chazelle my choice. But I would have no problem seeing Barry Jenkins take this. He created a small miracle with Moonlight, and it’s a beautiful and assured piece of work. (Of course, so is La La Land. Ack! Making choices is hard.)
Since Best Picture and Best Director usually go to the same movie, our starting point is that La La Land is the presumptive winner. Not that Chazelle’s Best Director odds alone are boosting La La Land to frontrunner status. The movie’s been thrilling audiences in and out of the industry since it first debuted at the Venice Film Festival in August, landing at the Telluride and Toronto festivals a few weeks later. Although it didn’t actually come out until early December, it has been considered the probable film to beat ever since those early festivals, and that status has been solidified with victories at the Golden Globes (Musical/Comedy), BAFTA and PGA Awards. Many pundits look to the PGA award in the same way they look at the DGA, particularly because in 2009, the PGA adopted the same voting procedure — the preferential ballot — that is used to determine the Best Picture Oscar. Since then, only last year did the PGA winner not go on to take the Oscar. (The PGA had a tie in 2013; one of the two winners — 12 Years a Slave — got the Oscar.
Is there any reason to think La La Land could lose? Well, sure…we can almost find reasons to doubt and wonder. This year, there’s that politics factor. Things are pretty ugly in the world right now. The movies people choose to support — be they “regular” people deciding what to see on a Saturday night or journalists and filmmakers voting for awards — reflect the times, and so the question this year is whether voters want escapism or want to make a statement. La La Land represents escapism. It would be unfair to dismiss the movie as fluff or ignore the honest things it has to say about art and love and the difficult choices some people make between the two. It may arrive at a bittersweet conclusion, but by and large La La Land makes people feel good. Members who want their vote to speak for their conscience could choose movies that celebrate the sort of characters who are undervalued or victimized in our current political climate. Moonlight‘s protagonist is a gay black boy trying to navigate a confusing world. Hidden Figures shines a light on brilliant African-American women who played a major role in launching Americans into space. Lion follows an Indian boy separated from his family and eventually raised by adoptive parents in Tasmania, who years later falls into an obsessive search to find his home. Hell or High Water involves the corruption of banks and the power they hold over ordinary, struggling people. Fences celebrates those people too, those left behind by institutions that saw them as less than. Arrival focuses on the importance of working across cultures — both earthly and extraterrestrial — to achieve a common, positive goal…and how refusal to cooperate could doom us all. So…there are a lot of ways Academy members could use their vote this year to say something that matters.
Still, of all these movies, Moonlight is the only one that could take down La La Land. I could stretch that and call Hidden Figures an incredible long shot, but for all of its pleasures and for highlighting a tragically unknown piece of history, it’s a pretty standard piece of entertainment by Oscar’s yardstick. Consider too, that a victory for Moonlight (or Hidden Figures or Fences) would be the ultimate rebuke to the last two years of #OscarsSoWhite. La La Land, after all, is pretty damn white…not that I think cries of racism will be too prevalent this year if La La Land takes the top two prizes. Oh, and on that point, could we see a Director/Picture split this year? It’s happened 24 times in Oscar’s 88 years, last year being the most recent. If it were to happen this year, which way would it go? Barry Jenkins wins Best Director but La La Land takes Best Picture? Or Moonlight for Picture and Damien Chazelle for Director? In 2013, Alfonso Cuarón won Best Director for Gravity, which boasted incredible technical and visual achievements, while Best Picture went to the powerful, human-scale drama of 12 Years a Slave. Could we see a similar situation this year?
Maybe. Surprises can always happen, but after spinning all of this supposition, the smart money is on things going exactly as the momentum indicates they will…and the momentum is with La La Land.
Personal: When I add up all of the beautiful individual elements of La La Land, I have arrive at that as the movie to which I’m most partial. But Moonlight is exquisite and it would be really wonderful to see something so delicate and humanist win Best Picture. So I’m split between the two. And I loved Manchester by the Sea as well.
XX
THE REST
As usual, I can be of little help with Best Documentary Feature, Best Foreign Language Film, or the animated, live-action and documentary shorts. O.J.: Made in America appears to be the favorite for Documentary Feature, assuming voters made time for all eight hours of it. If not, look for I Am Not Your Negro or 13th to step up. As for Foreign Language Film, I haven’t detected a consensus, but I do know that there’s been a movement encouraging people to vote for Iran’s entry, The Salesman, as a middle finger to our Infant-in-Chief’s Muslim travel ban. Before the ban was struck down, the film’s director, Asghar Farhadi — whose excellent film A Separation won this award in 2011 — stated that even if accommodations were made that enabled him to attend, he would not, in protest of the policy. Although he could come now, he has chosen not to, saying he will be represented by two prominent Iranian-Americans. I know The Salesman was well-received, and maybe it would have won if none of this nonsense had happened. If it does win, there will be no way to know if the bulk of votes it collected were because it was members’ favorite movie among the five or because they wanted to make a statement. In my eyes, people should vote for the movie they think is the best, and not for something different because they think it will send a message. In this case especially, the people who need to hear the message won’t be listening, and even if they were, they don’t care. There are better, more effective ways to protest.
Regardless of whether or not this category becomes a political moment during the ceremony, we can definitely expect it to be a politically-charged evening, where many artists will mix their gratitude with expressions of dismay about the state of the world and our nation, and call for peace, tolerance and love. This is anathema to many, who think celebrities should keep their mouths shut when it comes to politics and that award show acceptance speeches (and presentations) should focus on the honors at hand and nothing more. But I’m all for some impassioned commentary on Oscar night. It will certainly make for a more interesting and more emotional show than listening to winner after winner recite a list of names. If the Academy or the ABC Network are worried about this, they shouldn’t be. Awards season so far has been marked by such speeches, most prominently Meryl Streep’s instant-classic takedown of the Asshole-in-Chief at the Golden Globe Awards, and the amazing, rousing call to arms from David Harbour on behalf of the Stranger Things cast when they won Best Ensemble in a Drama Series at the SAG Awards.
These memorable moments have only helped their respective shows by bringing them more attention and generating momentous web traffic. Many other speeches at both events found winners speaking to our fractured times. At the Academy’s annual Nominee’s Luncheon earlier this month, Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs addressed travel ban-related absences and set a tone for a political Oscar night. Film journalists like Variety‘s Owen Gleiberman and past Oscar winners like novelist John Irving have written opinion pieces to encourage winners to speak their minds. A few days ago, Michael Moore reflected on his controversial speech from 2003 when he won Best Documentary for Bowling for Columbine days after President Bush launched the war in Iraq, and was essentially booed off the stage. This came a day after Yahoo! published a detailed account of how Moore’s infamous moment came to pass. Just on Friday, the directors of the five Best Foreign Language Film nominees released a joint statement calling for “freedom of expression and human dignity.” Politics have a long history of finding their way into the Oscars, and this year promises to be rife with examples.
JIMMY
Despite the potential for fireworks, it’s still an awards show at the end of the day, and it needs to be fun. With Jimmy Kimmel as host, that shouldn’t be a problem. He pulled hosting duties at the Emmy Awards last fall and hit a home run. Terrific cold open…
…terrific monologue…
…and many terrific moments throughout the evening.
(If you don’t get it, you didn’t watch the monologue video).
We can also expect Kimmel to have some fun with his nemesis Matt Damon, who will be in attendance as one of the nominated producers of Manchester by the Sea. Damon crashed the Emmys in brilliant fashion, and no doubt Kimmel will be looking for revenge.
He should more than up to the task of keeping the show entertaining, though it must be said that late night’s other Jimmy threw down the gauntlet with his cold open at the Golden Globes, so Kimmel has his work cut out for him on that front.
Alright, I’ve left you precious little time to mentally prepare for the big night, so I will finally leave you at peace and wish your choices good luck, unless they conflict with my choices, in which case screw you. Here’s a ballot if you still need one, and one last video that you’ve probably seen already, but I’ll include anyway because it’s great and has some fun with a certain bound-for-glory musical. | {
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Yet media commentators have accused CNN of giving preferential treatment to Mr Trump to lift ratings. He pointed to tough questioning of Mr Trump by Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper, and said that the bipartisan contentiousness over CNN's coverage gave him comfort, not anxiety. Half the people want to blame us for Trump, and half the people want to say that we're terrible to Trump, Mr Zucker said. | {
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American Atheists’ New Christmas Billboard Campaign
Christmas is near and that means it’s time for American Atheists to reveal their next billboard campaign! (The War on Christmas begins earlier each year, doesn’t it?)
First, some background. Last year, AA President Dave Silvermanput up this billboard on the New Jersey side of the Lincoln Tunnel:
That caused all sorts of controversy. (I mean, he called Christianity and the Christmas Story a myth! And he said we all KNOW it! With capital letters! Can you believe it?!)
Bill Donohue and the Catholic League responded (and capitalized on the publicity) by paying for a billboard of their own on the New York side of the tunnel:
Of course, those billboards were the source of countless segments on FOX News and they received plenty of coverage in print media across the country.
If you’re AA, how do you top what you did last year? How do you get more exposure for your group, create more conversations about what’s reality and what’s mythology, and find more opportunities to talk about atheism in front of the cameras in the weeks leading up to Christmas?
Well, you can’t do things too differently. Keep the same designers as before. (AA doesn’t do flashy, “professional” looking billboards. They do billboards designed to get your attention — and it works.) Make a bold statement — one that speaks to the closeted atheists out there. Then, sit back and watch people with religious sensibilities get offended over nothing.
Inevitably, someone will ask you to go on the air to talk about your message — and others will follow. It snowballs quickly.
With all that in mind, here’s the billboard that’s about to go up at the foot of the Lincoln Tunnel (click to enlarge):
37 Million Americans know MYTHS when they see them. What myths do you see?
After three weeks, that billboard will be replaced by a new one — a “call to action” — specifically for the closeted atheists out there. (I’ve seen it and the message is great!) Silverman will announce that billboard in an appearance on — where else? — Mike Huckabee‘s show on FOX News Channel on the night of December 10th.
For now, that Lincoln Tunnel billboard will be joined by similar ones in other states.
Someone’ll probably be dumb enough to try to get it taken down over the Santa inclusion – ‘Think of the children!!!11!!one!’ isn’t exactly a rare tactic out of fundie assclowns.
AtheistMom
I don’t agree with your stance of “If you’re old enough to read, you probably already know the truth about Santa”. I have worked with kids that believe in Santa until they go to junior high/middle school.
Me
At first I thought the one from the Catholic League was a sarcastic joke from atheists. It’s almost sad to see how far the faithful have fallen. “you know it’s real” is so weak. it reminds me of Monty Python with monks chanting “O Lord thou art not made up”
Oh, dear. I wish the billboards weren’t so provocative during the holidays. The traditions and imagery of Christmas are awfully charming and warmly familiar to most Americans. Let’s be hardcore in June.
Although if you know what a myth is then you probably know St. Nick isn’t real.
Anonymous
*sigh*
Honestly, I have to believe we can do better than this. There has to be a clever way to reaching out to closeted atheists during the holidays than billboards that essentially say “There are a bunch of us who aren’t fucking morons (like the rest)”. Yeah I know that there will be theists offended by any expression of nonbelief, no matter how benign. However I also know from past campaigns, especially AA campaigns, that this approach turns off a lot of atheists too. I’ll wager that the supposed targets of these ads, closeted atheists, will be even less receptive to in-your-face smug snark than those of us who are “active” atheists.
My vote is with the Coalition of Reason style and the out of the closet ads
.
Jason
Actually, saying “you know its a myth” is a positive claim, taking their atheism out of the protective shell of just being “lack of belief”.
That said, the ad is false, because although they believe it is a myth, they don’t know it.
Jason
Tell the Christians how superior you are, how BRIGHT you are, how much more moral you are.
Never let up! Keep telling the stupid bastards to wake up.
You can’t lose with that approach.
Trust me!
Anonymous
Don’t you have any billboards owned by CBS, Gannett or ClearChannel?
Anonymous
It seems like a decline, and the first sign wasn’t all that great, in my opinion. Good graphics, but lame text. The new signs are lame graphics with lame text. Capitalizing entire words makes writer seem crazy.
Ben Crockett
Hooray for Ohioan nonbelievers!
Anonymous
Here is one definition of myth:
Traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.
Here is another:
A usually traditional story of ostensibly historical
events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or
explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon
One more:
A traditional story, especially one concerning
the early history of a people or explaining a natural or social
phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events:
All of the billboard claims are mythological in nature. Christianity has a mythology just like every other religion. The billboards, which I don’t personally support, seek to point out that Christians elevate their mythologies to “truth” while relegating other equally unsupported mythologies to mere fables. The same could be said of Muslims, Hindus etc.
Personally, I’m not fond at all of the “Good Without God” message – reading it semantically, it comes across as though it’s acknowledging the existence of a god. “Good Without a god” would be more apropos, if they want to stick to the basic line. That said, I’m not overly fond of the billboards above, either; I’d have taken-out satan and Santa Claus, myself, and replaced them with other frequently-seen mythic images. Advertising can be a tricky thing ….
Nice billboard ideas. Yes, Santa’s a myth too. Like we sometimes tell the Christians about Jesus being a myth, deal with it. We all had to eventually, in growing up.
American Atheists rocks.
Kristi
I really love these billboards! I wish there were one close to where I live. My kids still believe in Santa (but not god… imagine that!) and I would love to use this as a conversation piece to be able to break the santa news to them tactfully.
Kristi
I think this would be a good way to talk about Santa to our kids. Eventually they will learn the truth… may as well include it with all the other myths out there so they can get a grasp on the myth vs real idea.
A Portlander
Your concern has been noted.
Kristi
Myths are legends, epic stories, tall tales. We are taught in middle school about Greek Mythology…
The ad is not false. Every religion has it’s legendary and mythological stories… this is no different. People only *think* it is different because they believe the bible stories to be true. That said… how would we know then that Santa is fake? Or the Easter Bunny? Or the Tooth Fairy?
Based on the reasoning style in your post, then we must apply ALL mythological stories to the “positive claim” that you are explaining.
Lauren
Kristi, we have the same thing going on in my household, hahah! But my kids are starting to realize…..
Enigma
How about: “You CAN THANK MITHRA FOR CHRISTMAS”? Most of the things in christianity was stolen from religion of Mithra. It was a major competitor in the Roman world; so in order to win Mithra followers over, early Christians adopted many of the Mithra ideals.
What’ll cause more controversy? Putting Jesus and Satan in the same context as Poseidon… or the Christmas-time revelation that Santa is a myth?
Regardless of the inclusion of Santa, what will make these extra controversial is the timing, because so many Christians seem to think that they own all of November and December, like private land. No Trespassing. No Non-Christians Allowed. If a billboard went up during November or December that only said “Atheists Think Puppies Are Cute” with a picture of a cute puppy, O’Reilly and the gang would still puff and bluster about the “War on Christmas.”
I felt the same way. Dale McGowan’s post on it changed my mind. He says it is a good way for a child to experience myth from the inside and work their way out. Skeptical training basically.
Catherine Vibert
Only one little nit. The Ohio billboard should not have the word ‘know’ capitalized, or it should use title case for the whole sentence. Otherwise, I love the sentiment!
Anonymous
Joseph – what is he thinking?
“Mary? She was out a few times earlier this year. Now she expects me to go along with this virgin birth thing? I know she is not a virgin…so why should I believe the rest? What does she take me for? I just can’t face the guys with this story.
usclat
So why don’t you support the billboards, having explained what you did?
usclat
Relax SC, at least Santa doesn’t condone stoning misbehaving kids. So I suppose you would oppose reading fictional bedtime stories to kids? Really? These innocent myths are intended to make a child happy NOT to control her or to indoctrinate her. Come on. Chill a little and let parents fill their children’s life with wonder and amazement.
See, up until I was seven, Santa would bring the most magical toys ever, every christmas. I know it was him, since he ate the cookies and brought the right toys. He would make it on time, delivering my toys and all the other kids in the world since, you see, his reindeers are magical and can pull that sleight really fast!
But then, when I turned eight, something happened. I became a naughty kid. I would pull pranks on my brothers, forget to do the bed, not eat my vegetables…
So, Santa put me on the Other list, and stopped visiting me.
But my parents wanted to spare me the disappointment, so they stepped in for Santa, and joined the ranks of abnegate parents who shop at the malls and take you to the fake Santas at the plazas.
At first they succeeded in keeping my hopes, but only for a short time. Santa would like the same brand of cookies mother liked, and the toys were not always what I wanted.
So I became suspicious.
But I do have fate. I know I can be a good boy again. I am eating my vegetables now, though broccoli still sucks… Maybe this year I’ll finally get that much coveted train set…
Wendy
I agree whole heartedly. But this is a PR campaign to persuade people who are non-religious to accept their inner atheist, isn’t it? I can’t imagine the non-religious people I know are very responsive to this message. I think we should take a pro-Grinch Stole Christmas approach rather than an anti-Linus one.
Anonymous
I think a lot of fundamentalists are against Santa. It probably depends a lot on what variant they are.
Wendy
Lol, Portlander. I’m more of a middle-aged bible-belt atheist than a concern troll.
Wendy
I tried to say the same thing, but thank you for saying it way better! Pro-“Grinch Stole Christmas” special, not anti-Linus.
Daniel Brown
I’m gonna take a guess that those who are against this billboard will indeed attack AA for spoiling Christmas for the children. That is after all, a great way to vilify them. Make them out to be crushing the spirits of children.
Newavocation
Very good point! Maybe fairly tales would be better.
Anonymous
I don’t mind Santa in it, but I would have preferred instead of Jesus and the devil they used Jesus and Horus or Thor.
I know Christian mythology doesn’t have exclusive claim to the devil, but I would have liked to see more variety.
Annie
Are there really 2 million atheists in Florida? It makes my state feel so much cozier just knowing this. I love the billboards, all of them… I don’t care whether they are welcoming or offensive (to some), provocative or funny. I just want to see them everywhere!
I’m starting to get tired of being forced into the Santa Conspiracy. We’re doing Santa with my son, but not pushing it. And I’m pretty sure he’s starting to figure it out as well. But the general accepted prohibition of mentioning “Santa isn’t Real” anywhere a 10 year old might hear it bothers me. You can tell your kids whatever you want, be it Jesus or Santa. And if some stranger or other kid pointing out the holes in the myth are a problem, then so be it. Maybe your kid just doesn’t have enough ‘faith’ to hold onto the myth.
We’ve argued about a kid’s right to not be spanked, and not be circumcised- how about a kid’s right to not be outright lied to.
Demonhype
Exactly. And they don’t “know” that Posiedon is or isn’t real or a myth either, or any other belief, but that doesn’t stop them from saying so to anyone who will listen and a lot more who don’t.
I wish more Pagans would speak up about the original War On Christmas™ that occurred centuries ago, which they lost to Christians. 😉
Demonhype
Like a vaccination, huh? Build a tolerance using a weakened form of the virus? 🙂 Sounds about right to me!
Lionjill
I agree that the Christmas season isn’t the best time for this hard edged campaign. Wouldn’t a question have worked better in the first board? (Instead of “you KNOW it is a myth” to “don’t believe in this myth? That is ok.” The new boards? Santa doesn’t make sense here – no one prays to him. A statue of Mary or another religious icon would have fit better.
I may not be a Christian, but I think in the darkness of winter it is ok to celebrate Santa time with a little good cheer.
Lionjill
yeah – it just seems like a mean spirited thing. That will raise defenses, not cause people to get intraspective about their own beliefs.
There’s a level in between the fundamentalists and the liberal Christians… the “family values” Christians. They’re crazy enough to believe that things like homosexuality and gay marriage are destroying “family values” (whatever the hell that means), but are sane enough to still tell their kids about Santa and have fun with it.
My ex-wife, who is also an atheist, is more severe than I would be on the Santa issue, but we’ve agreed on a compromise: tell our kids about Santa, but make sure they understand it’s all just pretend and make-believe, and not to ruin it for other kids who DO believe in Santa. They’re 3 and 4. 🙂
Demonhype
That’s a good point. I got the Santa thing when I was little, but I think it might have been more comforting to know the horrible kids I went to school with who made my life miserable got incredible gifts I could only dream of having because they had richer parents–and NOT because the Jolly Old Elf was rewarding the bullies for being so wonderful and that I, their victim, was getting less because I somehow deserved less. I was used to the idea that we were poor and couldn’t afford what I really wanted, but it was confusing to see Santa giving some really evil kids the best of everything when he was supposed to be rewarding the good kids and depriving the bad kids. I could have dealt with being poor, but I stopped writing to Santa early–or at least I stopped writing honestly, since my mom insisted–because it became obvious that I was never going to get what I wanted or be rewarded for being a good kid. So why even ask?
That’s a pretty horrible thing to teach a little kid when they’re poor, because you’re just going to make them think Santa doesn’t love them as much as the rich kids, or that somehow the rich kids (who, in my experience, were the worst bullies) are just so much better and deserve nice things so much more. Though I can see why the rich bastards would like that myth–put the poor kids in their place early and reinforce my own kids’ inflated sense of wealth-based self-importance and entitlement. See, even Santa agrees that our rich family is just more deserving than the hoi polloi–don’t bother feeling sorry for that poor kid!
I think those billboards are great. There’s nothing wrong with stirring up a bit o’ controversy. It spreads the word way better than being overly careful not to offend. I wish I could do something like it on campus. No one knows my group exists, so we could use a bit of controversy.
I liked how you took on those three Fox fools in your TV
interview. Next time it could be Reilly, Hannity, and
Huckabee. Bring’em on.
gsw
I should have preferred to see Mohammud, rather than Prometheas on the far right, after all somebody must have been the first to tame fire.
Anonymous
I don’t support them because I find them dickish and counter-productive. The supposed point of them is to reach out to closeted atheists and let them know that they are not alone and that there is a community for them. Though the goal is great, the method is lacking in my view. I don’t see these confrontational, intentionally provocative ads working on someone who isn’t already an activist or at least perfectly comfortable with their nonreligious identity, and they are not the target group.
I also think there is a lesser problem with the “you KNOW” part because it inevitably leads to long conversations about the niceties of what you can “know” and what it means to “not believe”, and on and on. Besides being an exceptionally tiresome subject, it also derrails the supposed point of the ad, which is to reach out to the closeted or nonbeliever.
Sinfanti
Prometheus? Try Poseidon. The trident is his calling card.
As for Mohammud, there are historical accounts of his actions. So while there’s plenty of myth surrounding him, his existence should be considered factual.
On a technical note, could you scale the images down before posting them? They’re over 10,000 pixels wide, and they make my browser hang for several seconds as they scroll into view, and no doubt others’ too.
Personally, I think they could be more witty! As a witch I am not offended and I don’t think Poseidon is either! Anything that gets people thinking and TALKING and analyzing spirituality can only have a positive outcome.
Rich Wilson
Sounds like the “I’m a Mormon” campaign that I get a lot of targeted ads for.
Rich Wilson
Have you looked at Dawkins’s “Magic of Reality”? And if so, do you think it’s dickish? (That’s an honest, i.e. not a rhetorical question). I’ve come across some atheists who think it’s being unnecessarily insulting to call the stories of ‘modern day’ religions ‘myths’. They say Zeus is a myth, but Adam and Eve is a story.
I feel that having two versions is insulting in and of itself. That is, if you’re going to give one religions extra respect just because there are a lot of people alive who practice it, you’re REALLY disrespecting the very small number who practice some religion that you continue to put in the ‘myth’ category.
Anonymous
I have not read it, but I know what it’s about. I wouldn’t consider it dickish because if you’re reading it, you’ve volunteered to hear things like that.
I think the way you choose to communicate counts. I consider the message that atheists will burn in Hell to be horrific. However I think there’s a difference between saying that inside of your church and putting up a billboard proclaiming it to all the world.
With a billboard you have literally seconds to make an impression, and its my view that the impression being made by these billboards is one not as helpful to drawing out the more timid atheists than the purely positive “Good without God” and “Out of the closet” ads.
AtheistMom
That is assuming that everyone is ready to talk about it with their kids.I’m an atheist, and both my kids are atheist. But, Santa comes to this house, and I’m not saying anything until they are ready.
Yeah, I’ve joked about this idea a few times, but I’m actually serious. Your reasons for doing it are more positive and humanistic than mine, Jeff, and yours are better reasons.
Mine were more of a psychological measurement, a way to demonstrate the level of irrational fear and loathing that the “A” word can stir in even the most innocuous statement possible. I was interested in seeing how much indignation, suspicion, outrage, and “offense” we would get from TV and newspaper man-in-the-street interviews, and from O’Reilly, Hannity, and whoever is the the Fox News Blonde du Jour.
I can just imagine some of the reactions to the puppy ad:
“It’s the atheist War on Puppies!”
“They’re trying to reach our kids through puppies!”
“But where is their cuteness compass?”
“All cuteness comes from God.”
And from the slightly dismayed local preacher who’s trying to keep the peace,
“Uh, I think this is a good thing. Dialogue is good. It will start my parishioners thinking more about puppies and God.”
Kidding aside, maybe both our sets of reasons could be served. If I ever get enough free time, I’ll create some sample billboards and put them up on a separate post.
Patrick9e
Not true, that’s a myth perpetuated by that Jesus documentary from years ago. It’s not Mithra, it’s Sol Invictus.
Kristi
Me not believing in god(s) does not mean that my family has to be stone-cold and non-traditional. Chill. Christmas is fun for me AND the kids. Now… if I had a nativity scene in my front yard and baby Jesus’ all over my house, then I could understand your attempt to call me out.
Really now… did I tell my kids about the tooth fairy because I wanted to “indoctrinate” them? No… because they idea of a magic fairy rewarding you for growing and losing teeth to grow new ones is fun and it helped me with getting my kids to brush their teeth and take care of them.
I think you take “traditional” way too far.
Kristi
Hi Lauren.. I am dealing with a few ages and stages as of now. My 6 year old firmly believes, my 8 year old knows about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy (but she still expects to be paid for those teeth and have eggs hidden!) I think she knows about Santa, but is just taking advantage of it for now. My son, who is 3, really has no idea about any of it yet, but I feel his childhood beliefs wont last long anyway because of his two older sisters….
Kristi
Although I do not agree with “If you’re old enough to read, you probably already know the truth about Santa”… but I do think that if they are old enough to read that ad and understand what it means and what it is referring to, then maybe they ARE ready for “the Santa talk”. Just a thought.
Kristi
Glad someone else sees this point as well and doesn’t look at this whole thing as being too confrontational. I do not think Christians are being too confrontational when they knock on my door or hand me pamphlets outside the grocery store…. advertising is supposed to get your attention and make you talk about how much you like/dislike something and why you do. Advertising like this is meant to get people talking and thinking and pissed off and proud all at the same time.
I do feel the messages are living up to their exact purpose. Causing a stir, getting people to remember them.
And as an atheist I’m never going to lie to my children to get them to behave by using a known-myth to manipulate them. And then eventually crushing them by showing them that people will lie to them to get them to do what they want, even people that love them unconditionally.
Rich Wilson
That’s another aspect. Although (as I said) Santa comes here, we don’t use that as a ‘be good’ threat. That makes me sick. Santa doesn’t discriminate against kids who get cranky because they miss a nap or a snack.
Telling a kid something is true when you KNOW it isn’t, is not innocent.
When you read a book to child and tell them it’s factual, that’s not innocent.
You can fill your child’s life with wonder and amazement without lying though your teeth about it.
The world itself is pretty damn amazing and filled with wonder. Non-Newtonian liquids anyone! What about the beauty of the cosmos?
I know I wasn’t very happy when I found out my Mother had lied to me my entire life about Santa. I know my friends weren’t happy either.
All of you remember those years of joy waiting for whatever “Santa” would get you for behaving (read: manipulated), but always forget that crushing despair that came when you found out it was all a lie and that every adult was in on it. I’m sorry, but the relative good that Santa can provide doesn’t outweigh the horrible reality of what doing that to a child causes.
Seriously you are lying to your kids to get them to behave so then can get stuff from a being that doesn’t exist, how is that ANY different than what religion does to people? Yet so many of you still fall in line with that most antiquated concept.
You know what is healthy fantasy: Lord of The Rings. Harry Potter. Anything by Isaac Asimov. You can still share fantasy and amazement without callously lying to your children.
Spreading the Santa myth is callous, vain, and serves no purpose.
Sulris Campbell
I’m an athiest and I love puppies!!! please lets make that our next billboard!
AtheistMom
Santa is not a behavior modifier for us. He’s a jolly old elf who likes to visit and give presents.
Blondegirl6
I feel sorry for all of you, to even deny the possibility of a loving God means you deny yourself so much more than you can imagine. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of hateful replies to my opinion. Actually it is not about religion, because religion is always flawed, since man designed it. It is truly about a relationship with God. Just sayin. I know everyone has a choice to believe in God or not. Happy searching. | {
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Southampton brought a quarterback at Atletico Madrid! Gardos is a third option of “saints”
Florin Gardos is on the verge of Romanian football caste and he kept in reserve teams of foreigners. Former Steaua defender has less chance to take a place in his team Southampton after English group has transferred a new defender.
Although atrenorul Ronald Koeman said after bringing Gardos, that no longer needs defensive players, Southampton signed a contract with Belgian Toby Alderweireld, in an attempt to cover his departure Dejan Lovren.
Alderweireld aged 25 years, it was given on loan and most likely will have secured a place in central defense alongside captain "saints", Jose Fonte. It is hard to believe that where there are no injuries, Gardos could take over its competitors on post in matches of maximum importance for Southampton. Toby Alderweireld is an asset to the course and participation in the World Championship in the summer, with the team of Belgium.
Tobias Albertine Maurits Alderweireld is a product of the football school of Ajax Amsterdam. In 2008, a player has made a big step team "lancers" and in 2013 was transferred from Atletico Madrid for $ 7 million. | {
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Family Lawyer
for Texas Families
Choosing the Right Child Custody Lawyer in Denton Texas
There are few things in the legal arena that are more difficult than child custody litigation. Every year in Denton Texas, hundreds of families are put through the arduous process of deciding custody and laying the legal groundwork to move forward confidently and with respect for everyone involved after a divorce. This can be an extremely trying time for families to endure, and because of that, we aim to make the process as easy as humanly possible. Let’s break down a few things you should look out for when choosing the child custody attorney you’ll be using.
Choose a Lawyer Who Is Trustworthy
It’s sad that this one even needs to be said, but the unfortunate reality is there are child custody lawyers out there who don’t have you and your family’s best interest at heart. It’s best to take a good look at the strategies, methods and morals of the lawyer beforehand to ensure that you are being treated with respect, and also to ensure that your proceeding happens entirely above-board. Just knowing that you have an honest and well-meaning legal representative can do wonders for your confidence during this trying time.
Choose an Experienced Child Custody Lawyer
Choosing a legal representative that has prior experience handling child custody cases successfully is an absolute-must. Be sure to interview yours beforehand to give yourself confidence in their abilities, demeanor and expertise as it relates to your specific situation. Make sure to ensure they’ve settled cases that didn’t involve putting families through long, drawn-out custody battles.
Understand a Child Custody Lawyers Strategy
You’ll want to speak to your attorney beforehand about their ideas with how to proceed for your case prior to hiring them. The truth is, there are two main types of approaches a child custody lawyer might take, and depending on which route they go down, you can find yourself in a world of hurt before you even know it. What are these two types of strategies?
Adversarial: This type of strategy means that the lawyer intends to try and use brute force to win your case. The problem here is that it usually results in a drawn out, emotionally difficult case for everyone involved. This can mean more expenses in the end for you, and doesn’t guarantee you will win custody in the slightest. It is best to steer clear from this strategy in most cases.
Collaborative: A collaborative strategy, by comparison, is one that employs the skills of mediation in order to come to an agreement that everyone feels comfortable with. These strategies tend to mean cooler heads prevail, ensuring that your child is put through as little emotional weight as possible during the trial. It also ensures that you are able to handle things quickly enough to not become a significant drain on your bank account, or your mental health for that matter.
Here at the law offices of Megan B. Rachel, we pride ourselves on delivering top notch, genuine and heartfelt legal support during your time of need. Don’t hesitate to reach to us today if you are in need of child custody attorney services in Denton, Texas. | {
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Thursday, October 13, 2011
gluten free coconut flour vanilla cupcakes
They are low glycemic, lower carb, and made with coconut flour, coconut oil, real vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, some baking soda, and agave nectar. (I know there's a big debate on whether or not agave's good stuff or bad stuff... you don't have to fight it out here) Soooo...since they are full of fiber, healthy fats, and yummy ol' protein-filled eggs, I'm declaring them kind of good for you! ;-)
But it's not my recipe. It's Elana's. She is a coconut flour and almond flour genius. Seriously. genius.
SewCreativeSTL -- you can see the recipe in the amazon preview of the book, you have to click where it says, "Look inside" it's part of the preview from amazon and yes, while it wasn't intentional, it's sort of an advertisement for her book... but I love the book so I think it's worth sharing about!
Okay, I'm not sure what happened to the recipe in the Amazon preview link... it's not there anymore (so strange, it was there this morning!!) but here is a link to basically the same recipe just with strawberries added: http://www.elanaspantry.com/strawberry-cupcakes/
I love that picture, Carrie. I read a bit on another site from people who had not had good luck with coconut flour recipes. What cam out of that was that they weren't really following the recipes. Baking in general, but coconut flour in particular, is much like a science experiment. It needs to be precise, at least at first.And Cate, the Granny Smith crisp was the very last thing I put in my mouth before I started the Whole30. It is great, not very sweet, but I like that a lot.
Great post (and holy crap - there does seem to be a lot of buzz on agave these days...!). Elana does make good eats. I don't personally make them, but my friend Angela does (and she brings them over when I invite her for tea!). It's good to make fellow celiac friends :)
I totally LOVE Elana's books. Every cupcake I've made has turned out really well and people who aren't gf can't tell. I had one person ask me to make him 3 dozen cupcakes using the chocolate cake recipe in her first book. Love that they are high protein and low carb but mostly really love that they are good! | {
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Application:Circular saws in high speed steel or in super high speed steel suitable for cutting-off steels and alloys . The saw blades are used on manual , semi-automatic and fully automatic sawing machines to cut tubes and pipes, open sections and solid sections up to 200mm. | {
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Welcome to yet another juicy instalment of Pointless and Awesome. These are the facts men need to know today, useful or not, for getting you that first date, promotion, breaking the ice during an awkward encounter or giving you some intellectual prowess in a heated debate.
We’ve got all the facts on hallucinogens and how they can help you be happy, when your friends are going to start dropping like flies, why we insist on eating “humble pie”, where Drake gets all his money from and things that will make you lose faith in the modern world. Read, learn, laugh and pass it on.
#1 Magic Mushrooms Can Treat Depression
Think magic mushrooms are just for tripping out? Think again.
A recent clinical trial has shown that hallucinogeic mushrooms may serve as a treatment for severe depression. The 12 clinically depressed participants involved in the study were given psilocybin, the psychoactive substance in magic mushrooms as well as counselling throughout the one week treatment with sessions before and after.
8 volunteers from the study reported markedly reduced symptoms of depression just one week after treatment, and 5 of those 8 said they had no major symptoms 3 months afterward.
So there you have it. Perhaps ‘shrooms aren’t just for happy hippies.
#2 You’ll Start Losing Friends At This Age
Feel like you’ve been burning bridges left, right and centre these days? Well, you might not be so wrong, with a recent study narrowing down the exact age when you’ll start losing friends.
The study, conducted by Finland’s Aalto University School of Science and Oxford University’s Department of Experimental Psychology, found that both men and women start to lose friends when they hit 25.
Researchers analysed calls made from mobile phones within different time periods, to find that men and women called people most regularly at age 25. But at 39, most men were calling only about 12 people regularly and women were calling closer to 15.
Maybe it’s not so bad to be able to count your pals on one hand.
#3 Where Common Sayings Came From
There are plenty of expressions we use on a daily basis, whether you’re a fan of “kick the bucket”, “rub you the wrong way” or “face the music”, but where on Earth did these strange sayings come from? Here are the answers, via List 25.
“Bite The Bullet” – During battle, there was no time to administer anesthesia before emergency surgery so surgeons made patients bite down on a bullet to distract them from the pain.
“Butter Someone Up” – It was an ancient Indian custom to throw balls of clarified butter at statues of the gods to seek favour.
“Cat Got Your Tongue” – There are 2 possible sources for this saying. The first refers to the ‘cat-o’-nine-tails’ whip that was used by the English Navy for flogging that caused so much pain victims were left speechless. The second refers to the practice of cutting out the tongues of liars and blasphemers and feeding them to cats.
“Don’t Throw The Baby Out With The Bathwater” – In the 1500’s, most people only bathed once a year and the entire family would use the same tubful of water. The man of the house bathed first, followed by other males, females and finally babies. By the time the baby was bathed, the water became so thick and cloudy the mother had to take care not to throw the baby out with the bathwater when they emptied the tub.
“Eat Humble Pie” – In the Middle Ages, the lord of a manor would hold a feast after hunting and he would receive the finest cut of meat, but those of a lower standing were served a pie filled with the entrails and innards, known as the ‘umbles’. So to eat ‘umble pie’ was considered humiliating as it informed others of your lower status.
#4 Hip Hop’s Wealthiest Artists Of 2016
Drake once rapped, “25 sitting on 25 mill”. The now 29-year-old is not alone in his quest for wealth as revealed in Forbes‘ recent list of hip hops’ wealthiest artists of 2016. Whether it be lucrative endorsements, musical releases, tours or clothing lines, here are the hip-hop stars who are laughing straight to the bank with a combined net worth of $2.2 billion.
Sean “Diddy” Combs: $750 million
Andre “Dr. Dre” Young: $710 million
Shawn “Jay Z” Carter: $610 million
Bryan “Birdman” Williams: $110 million
Aubrey Drake Graham: $60 million
#5 Bizarre Facts That Will Make You Lose Faith In The Modern World
We live in one damn crazy world. Advances in medical science and technology are exciting and continue to develop our planet for the better, but we can’t say it’s all peachy. There are signs that the universe is getting collectively dumber, meaner and weirder. Here are some facts that will make you lose faith in the modern world, via Listverse.
You’re more likely to be bitten by a human than a rat: In 2012, over 40,000 ER visits were recorded in the US for human bite wounds, that’s more than 10 times the number of Americans bitten each year by either rats or nonvenomous reptiles.
American toddlers shoot one person a week: Last year after a 2-year-old kid in South Carolina shot his grandmother, The Washington Post’s Wonkblog crunched the numbers and found that American toddlers have on average shot one person a week.
The richer you are, the longer you’ll live: For US men born in 1930, being in the bottom 20% of income meant having a life expectancy of 76.6 years when they hit age 50 in 1980, and 76.1 years if you turned 50 in 2010. If you were in the top 20% of income, however, you’re life expectancy would have leaped from 81.7 to 88.8 years in the same time period.
Sex toy injuries soared after Fifty Shades was published: After the Fifty Shades was published in 2011, sex toy-related injuries almost doubled. They had been rising steadily since 2003, with nearly 1,500 recorded in 2005, but when Fifty Shades became a global phenomenon in 2012, sex toy injuries soared past 2,500. | {
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Climate change is blamed more and more for extreme weather
Scientists have been warning for decades that human caused climate change will bring an increase in extreme weather and it seems that our carbon chickens are now coming home to roost.
Hurricane Sandy was arguably one the most dramatic extreme weather event in 2012 but there was fierce competition for that title as, around the world, extreme weather destroyed communities and devastated lives.
This year has barely begun and already we have seen record-breaking heat in Australia, flooding in Africa and Indonesia and drought in India.
So can these events really be directly attributed to climate change?
As the body of evidence grows, the scientific community is increasingly acknowledging the links between current extreme weather and climate change.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology described this year’s record-smashing heat wave in Australia as consistent with climate change. Speaking about the floods that followed, Professor John Nott told the New Scientist that Australia might be experiencing a "double whammy" of climate change and natural variability, driving wetter conditions.
The most recent study of climate extremes found that record-breaking monthly temperature records are already occurring five times more often than they would without human caused global warming and there is an 80% chance that any monthly heat record today is due to climate change. The authors of the study also suggested that, unless we take steps to significantly reduce human greenhouse gas emissions, by 2040 the frequency of monthly heat records will become 12 times the rate to be expected in a non-warming world and we will be able to blame more than 90% of heat records on global warming.
The UK Met Office recently analysed data from 11,000 precipitation stations around the world, looking specifically at how extreme events have changed between 1901 and 2010. Although there are gaps in the data which means that the coverage is still insufficient to provide a truly global picture of changes, it concluded that in large areas of the world, the number of days with heavy rainfall and the amount of rain that falls during such events have both increased in the last 60 years.
In fact, it is fair to say that all weather events are now affected by climate change, as the environment in which they occur is warmer and moister. As the planet heats, weather patterns are destabilised. Warm air sucks more water from the ground and holds more water, contributing to droughts in some areas and torrential rain in others. Every event has a complex set of causes, but central to these is an increased global average temperature. In that sense there is no longer any such thing as a “natural” (pre-warming) event -- all weather is influenced to some degree.
The disasters the world is experiencing now are happening at a time when the average global temperature has increased by 0.8ºC. They are just a taste of our future if greenhouse gas emissions continue to balloon.
The fossil fuel industry has always shown scant regard for this unfolding global disaster but is now taking that disregard to a whole new level. There are plans for 14 new massive coal, oil and gas projects around the world that would produce as much new carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2020 as the entire US, and delay action on climate change for more than a decade.
Continuing on this pathway will make it difficult, if not impossible, to prevent the widespread and catastrophic impacts of climate change. The costs will be substantial: billions spent to deal with the destruction of extreme weather events, untold human suffering, and the deaths of tens of millions.
The world is clearly at a Point of No Return: either replace coal, oil and gas with renewable energy, or face a future turned upside down by climate change.
With science having been warning for decades in 2013 more than 50% of US-Americans are said to NOT believe in man-made global heating.
Ma...
With science having been warning for decades in 2013 more than 50% of US-Americans are said to NOT believe in man-made global heating.
May I ask what Greenpeace did during recent years?
And to whom Greenpeace-campaigns where adressed to?
Sun Wu, godfather of RW III
PS:
"...Christian Brütsch, an independent political analyst specialised on energy issues doubts that Shell can be pressured to disengage from the Arctic region soon....
Brütsch said that if activists really wanted to prevent the exploitation of natural resources in the Arctic they should target consumers. “Energy companies will only leave the region if the demand for oil sinks to a level where Arctic adventures would become unprofitable...”
http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/01/dubious-awards-presented-at-davos/
PPS: just have a look at Japan where Greenpeace proved Brütsch to be right.
Greenpeace has never asked for GREEN whalemeat.
Greenpeace asked to STOP buying whalemeat...as I was told successfully.
Warehouse are said to be full, with whalemeat being given away for free to get rid of it since nobody really wants it.
Just imagine Shell giving away its kerosene for free because DOCTOR Naidoo and Joel Stewart stopped to fly?
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Grateful Child
says:
Thanks very much Stephanie for a very comprehensive and commanding reality. Clearly we are at a point of no return.
So sad to see you with yo...
Thanks very much Stephanie for a very comprehensive and commanding reality. Clearly we are at a point of no return.
So sad to see you with your attempted mockery of all these good people in here again Sun Wu. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to encourage you by taking apart every absurd notion you flout. I've already answered much of this anyway, and it's becoming quite repetitive.
I'm wondering if you're ever going to say something helpful, and without anger and mockery. Are whales just numbers to you? Isn't it your Love for these beautiful creatures what causes you to wish their suffering to end, what is your reason? Isn't your Love and Stephanie's, Kumi's, Andrew's, JulietteH's, Joel's, the same, ...that you would do your best to provide a safe and beautiful world for the future of our children? And if Love is your reason then, then show some, ...to every person, whether you agree with them or not. Is it your intention here to help us, or just to think of yourself? It's simple enough, ...it works both ways, ...show some respect, or you will never receive any. No friends, no one that wants to listen to you, or what you might have to say? It's the end result every time. You're a smart guy, you should see this. Show me the Love, ...and make it real. Ours is, ..even now for you. We would help you if we could. Do you feel the same? Don't you think you should.
I apologize to you Stephanie for going off subject a bit, and it won't go any further. This is a very important article you wrote and a message we all on this earth needs to hear. Thank you again for your obvious deep Love and concern for the future of our world and it's children.
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(Unregistered) Sun Wu
says:
Of course DOCTOR Naidoo can continue climbing on oil-rigs... (don't miss to follow RW in NZ), but you will have to live with a lack of public inte...
Of course DOCTOR Naidoo can continue climbing on oil-rigs... (don't miss to follow RW in NZ), but you will have to live with a lack of public interest (do you know Inflation)...
...and with me attacking you on your website.
Sun Wu
PS: MAKE BANNERS, NOT WAR...a huge banner ready on RW, just in case Watson decides to use Greenpeace for media-coverage.
If I where him I would do it!
Looks like 'no compromise' is not going all that well at the moment. They are down to legal games, something not very atractive to the average militant vegan.
Is whales only numbers to me? Grateful Dead, didn't I say to finally face Watson? I do believe this is how you end Japanese whaling...there is 5000 tons of frozen whalemeat in the warehouses. Come on guys, this would be a homerun if you provide THE loophole to save an Asian face.
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(Unregistered) katara
says:
Women and Climate change responsibility . We women of the world accepted and accept today to be blind
We are kind women, the most numer...
Women and Climate change responsibility . We women of the world accepted and accept today to be blind
We are kind women, the most numerous. We are formatted by societies, whatever model : religious, ethnical, ancient or so-called modern ... to create happiness and harmony within the limited boundaries of our relatives . We are also often the most benevolent force at work. Very few risk of hazard, jeopardy, conflict with us. It is the self-conservation instinct of our little tribe which guides us . We cannot or do not want to see beyond …
Marina lives in a little town in the North of Italy . She has her family there, she is also the mayor of the town. This little part of the world is her only area of focus She anticipates with optimism that climate change will bring her soon people on holiday yearning for some fresh and cool air. People coming from all megapolis of the world where heat waves will be soon unbearable, much sooner than what TV and social networks claims in most countries of our Orwellian world. In less than 50 years, she says, our industrial wastelands which have been broken by globalization maelstrom, will become a Mediterranean holiday garden. She is blind about the environmental issues that hers sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters will experience.
Liu is a beautifully looking Chinese girl. She never gets out without being perfectly well-dressed and made-up. She hardly ever saw one little square of blue sky in Beijing where she studied. Blue sky over the London roofs enchants her. She is 30 years old. It has been 8 years now that she tries to settle in London, from one temporary job to another one , although security is all what matters to her. Why does not she consider going back to China ? She is always cheerful, she is always in a hurry even more so than my American girl friends. She never finds her way in the big foreign city. She is a hard worker, efficient and pragmatic, always seemingly looking forward but actually ignoring her goal. She is almost completely blind. We speak about the thick grey cloud which suffocates such a large part of the Chinese territory at all moments of the year since the 90’s . She says so then “ My parents are very smart, they have bought a little flat for their retirement in a little paradise, an island in the far south of China, no pollution there.”
Even if we are kind women, we have become blind female animals, material girls like Madonna was singing it, in a global MoneyforMoneyWorld. Each one of us thinks that SHE INDIVIDUALLY has her own key to save herself and her tribe from the consequences of the severe damages we do to our mother planet.
Sue has thrown herself into faith like into a lifebelt. I can never capture her eyes when she speaks to me. Her hasty flow of words hits me like the balls of a Tommy gun. She should deserve my empathy and respect however. Nasty Me. Sue is a hard worker as a nurse and a respectable Christian mother. She breeds 3 kinds, her husband is far from being always kind to he.. Her life pace is awfully speed and tough. Her protestant shepherd told her. “ God created our world and God will end it, not human actions.”. She finds it reassuring . not me.
Charlotta enjoys a successful life with high social visibility. She has worked hard at school to become a top manager in a big company. She is a recognized executive while she has managed to raise 4 kids, or seemingly raised them. She embodies the ultimate dream of almost every single woman in the Western world and in China. Charlotta like Sue deserves respect. She could have let herself go quietly with the flow. Her husband is even more an achiever than her. He has created his own business, he is rich and famous. As advertising was telling in the 80’s she wanted it all and she got it all. Alarm-bell. yet. She is so speed that she is not audible when she speaks. Her career is hatched. She flies from one prestigious job to another one in less than 2 years, our superwoman has her limits. She is such a nice girl, she did not froze her heart into an ice cocoon like many power women. She takes care about others who are less lucky . She also teaches reading and writing to poor foreigners voluntarily. For her, climate change is a manipulation from Greenpeace and other green lunatics.
And all these feminist women thinkers, writers, novelists who think that their brilliant speeches are going to bring a feminine major change for better to the world. Like Marx, Lenine , Staline and a bunch of other mad men they believe that human nature can improve in the future, especially if influenced by women. What about not hoping for a better female future, but acting now to avoid ruining completely earth and humanity?
Women dreams are unfortunately well entrenched in their smartly formatted global brains : be THE ONE, the most beautiful, the wealthiest., experience a lot of good sex. What is really quantitative good sex for us, let’s look at it deeply in our body and heart ????
Our ultimate drive has always been “ be a beautiful princess and then a queen”, even when some of us reach 60 years old, even when most of us cannot breathe anymore in MEGALOCITIES. We women have lost our animal/species instinct of survival. Can it still be awaken ? Are we going to pretend not to see until the day, not far now, that we have to find yuans or dollars to be able to breathe ?
I do not believe in my heart and with my reason that we women were or are victims, at least in a majority of countries in the world . We are supposed to be responsible people just like men, entitled to vote since the 40’s or 50’s in most countries. Have we really acted as responsible individuals when we voted since more than half a century ? Or did we just let us being seduced by some male charisma and emotional speeches ? What about our capacity to be cool and rational ?
I do not believe that we are better people than men. In general we are more clever at manipulating others to get what we want.
What if we, ordinary women, who make 80 % of purchases in the world, what if we decided to purchase with conscience : brands with proven, independently audited engagement towards Home Restorement?
What if we fought against the roots of destruction within our families and really partnered with our companions ?
What if we managed a bit better our infinite sexual power over men which lead them to so many delirious constructions, wars or drugs?
What if we did not listen any more to authorities and media harassing us with nationalist and/or religious identities : Chinese, Japanese, Jewish, Muslim, Christian... using this to instil hatred between natural brothers and sisters, to keep us separate from our real common issues ?
We are all potential mothers in a Small Global Home today. Home is in danger. Obama said in November 2012 that he understood the urgent need to act now to try to repair what can still be repaired, more climate catastrophes avoided . BUT clean energy programs are still at a standstill in the US. With Obama’s blessing oil companies are destroying our Home Vital Frozen Reserve in Arctic, to extract any single gulp of petrol and gas always deeper, harming worse and worse Home. Home needs her two white poles to remain balanced or else she might kill us much quicker than what scientists and climate catastrophe movies predict.
What if we stopped encouraging our men to buy the most powerful and heaviest consuming car or motorcycle because we believe that we are better protected in a big car and because it makes us proud of our macho ? We love so much to believe that we are protected by a man, by men organisation. Protection has become for most of us only a reassuring fantasy since a very long time.
We also still have some responsibility in educating our kids don’t we ?
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(Unregistered) 3l7v
says:
I am totally unable to understand your attitude of climate change. CO2 has nothing to do with climate change. CO2 in air is the only and the lonely so...
I am totally unable to understand your attitude of climate change. CO2 has nothing to do with climate change. CO2 in air is the only and the lonely source of food for the whole kingdom of vegetation. every plant absorbs CO2 in air, takes carbon as the basic and essential source for its food next releases oxygen back to air. Consequently, whenever any animal and every human being open his mouth to eat anything, the source of this food is CO2 in air.
Climate change is due to our increase of energy consumption, we have now more cars, more chimneys, and more industries, all these are dumping in air extra heat through their exhaust.
Now you are claiming to be a protector of the environment, however your understanding is totally irrelevant and wrong. CO2 in air is the primary source of our food, climate change is due to the excess of dumping hot exhaust gases in air. | {
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Several countries across Europe have experienced persistent problems with unemployment since the start of the financial crisis. Alexandre Afonso writes that southern European countries are faced with a choice between adopting either Anglo-Saxon style market liberalisation or Nordic style welfare spending as part of their response to the problem. Seeing neither as a feasible option, he proposes an alternative strategy – a ‘third way’ based on enabling part-time work, offering greater vocational training, and increasing labour market participation among key groups.
Mass unemployment is probably one of the most worrying features of the Eurozone crisis. As youth unemployment is hitting record levels (one in four people under 25 in Europe and more than one in two in Spain are officially out of work), many observers are warning of the prospect of a “lost generation”, especially in southern Europe. The European Central Bank and the international financial institutions may have developed an obsession for deficit and debt reduction, but mass unemployment can be considered a much more worrying problem in the long term for both workers and governments.
For workers, their skills deteriorate when they are out of work and, as technology moves forward, their likelihood of finding a job tends to decrease with the duration of unemployment. For governments, each period of mass unemployment tends to increase the incompressible threshold of structural unemployment. When the numbers of unemployed increase en masse, it is very difficult to come back to the initial level, even in the case of an economic upturn. Many workers driven out of work for too long are never able to come back into employment. The problem is even more serious when unemployment primarily concerns young people at the beginning of their career, who cannot even start climbing the employment ladder in the first place.
In this context, what can governments do, and how do different types of reform impact public deficits and inequality? In the late 1990s, political economists argued that service-based economies, where economic and productivity growth tend to be much lower than in the past, entail a “trilemma” between high employment, low inequality and budgetary restraint. Following this idea, governments in service economies have to choose two out of these three objectives, as all three of them cannot be reconciled.
Continental European approach
For many Continental European countries with the so-called “Bismarckian” welfare state, such as France, Germany, Italy or Spain, the common wisdom is that employment has often been sacrificed to reduce inequality and – often unsuccessfully – contain taxation at the same time. Redistribution is funded through payroll contributions levied on wages rather than by general taxes, which tends to price out low-skilled workers. The amount of contributions employers have to pay even on low salaries can make them too expensive, and earnings-related benefits and minimum wages possibly prevent the entry of low-skilled workers.
In Mediterranean countries, like Spain, Italy, Greece or Portugal, the problem which is often emphasised is the rigidity of labour laws, which tend to protect the “insiders” – people who have entered the labour market in the period of growth between the 1960s and 1990s, making it harder for new entrants to get in. The result is that young people are much more affected by unemployment, in spite of the fact that they are typically much more qualified than their parents.
On top of this, poor childcare inherited from a strong “male breadwinner” bias, combined with the loosening of family structures, typically hampers female employment in southern Europe. In 2012, only 54 per cent of Spanish women and 50.5 per cent of Italian women between 20 and 64 were in employment (64 per cent and 71 per cent of men respectively). The corresponding figure for Denmark was 72.2 per cent of women and 78.8 per cent of men. Even considering lower employment rates in general, the gender gap in employment is typically greater in the South.
Figure 1: European employment rates for people aged 20-64 by gender (2012)
Source: Eurostat
Anglo-Saxon approach
The first strategy governments can pursue to increase employment while keeping a lid on public expenditure is the Anglo-Saxon way – namely, mass deregulation to price in workers again at the bottom of the labour market. It is also the one that is being pushed by European institutions, Germany and the current Spanish government. This involves cutting down payroll contributions and benefits in an attempt to see the expansion of the labour market downwards, through low-wage jobs. It is understandable that Germany is pushing for this kind of solution because it is the strategy that it itself has pursued since the early 2000s, with the rise of mini-jobs, the Hartz reforms and a deliberate strategy of wage compression by German trade unions.
The obvious direct consequences of this strategy are the higher income inequalities typical of Anglo-Saxon economies. Income inequalities in Germany also seem to have increased considerably in recent years in spite of the “jobs miracle”. It is unclear, however, whether deregulation can really increase employment across a wider set of countries. Moreover, the internal devaluation strategy pursued by Germany to boost exports and run a positive trade balance can only work if other countries run a trade deficit: we cannot all be Germans at the same time.
Scandinavian approach
The second strategy is the Scandinavianway. It consists of the massive expansion of the public sector to provide a wide variety of social services funded by high levels of taxes. Countries like Denmark, Norway or Sweden tend to have higher employment levels at least in part because the state provides or subsidises a large variety of high-quality social services such as childcare, which not only employ a large workforce, but also tend to facilitate female employment. Affordable childcare allows both members of a household to be employed, while its absence often forces a member of southern European households – typically the woman – to choose to stay at home.
Moreover, these countries invest massively in active labour market policies. Obviously, the price to pay for this strategy is very high levels of taxation to fund the state, or alternatively, an increase in borrowing. In the context of fiscal austerity that pervades almost all European countries, this is politically very difficult, or even impossible. Countries like France, however, still have large programmes of publicly subsidised employment for young people. In 2013, a quarter of jobs held by people below 25 were partly subsidised by the state.
Liberal-corporatist approach
If deregulation creates inequality and is not guaranteed to work, while public sector expansion is very expensive, what is left? In a forthcoming book chapter, Jelle Visser and I argue that there may be a third “liberal-corporatist” way, based on the experience of countries such as Switzerland and the Netherlands, where employment participation is high, inequality is low to moderate, and the public sector is nowhere near the size of Scandinavian countries.
This model relies on the widespread use of part-time employment and strong systems of occupational skills, lifting wages in the bottom of the labour market. The Netherlands and Switzerland have the highest incidence of part-time employment in the OECD, and Switzerland has one of the lowest income inequality levels in the OECD, in spite of the fact that it redistributes as little as the United States. In a context where public sector expansion and extensive Scandinavian style subsidised childcare are politically difficult to put in place, the increase of part-time employment has been a private response allowing women in particular to reconcile childcare with labour market participation.
Interestingly, the places where the Dutch and Swiss social models perform particularly well are those in which southern European countries are lacking – notably for female, elderly, and youth employment. The latter is largely due to strong systems of vocational training which ensure a better transition from school to work, so that the alternative is not simply between dropping out of school with low skills or going to university – a system which also tends to foster income inequalities. In all these respects, they can represent a politically viable way to escape the trilemma outlined above, at a lower cost in terms of public finances and inequality.
Source: Eurostat
Of course, any supply-side reform agenda is constrained by the availability of demand, which is a massive problem in southern Europe. Governments are cutting spending at a time when households are reducing their consumption. Supply-side reforms can have little effect if nobody at home or abroad is buying anything. In Switzerland and the Netherlands as well, high employment has been underpinned by some form of demand-stimulating factor whose sustainability is uncertain. In the Netherlands, tax exemptions on mortgages have encouraged ever-inflating house prices and the highest levels of mortgage debt in Europe. At the moment, the country is in recession, and the government has cut spending at a time when households are seeking to reduce their debt level.
In short, while the Dutch government has been a harsh advocate of austerity in southern Europe, it finds itself trapped in the same kind of “balance-sheet recession” that Spain is facing. In Switzerland, domestic demand has been maintained by very high levels of immigration since the mid-2000s, compensating for declining exports due to the appreciation of the Swiss franc (as a consequence of the depreciation of the euro) and anaemic demand in the Eurozone. The sustainability of this strategy can be questioned as well, as population growth cannot be pursued indefinitely.
Alexandre Afonso –King’s College London
Alexandre Afonso is a Lecturer in the Department of Political Economy at King’s College London. His research interests are comparative politics, labour mobility, industrial relations and welfare state reforms. His book Social Concertation in Times of Austerity was published by Amsterdam University Press in 2013. He tweets @alexandreafonso
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The Nordic way is to go without credible armed forces & use that money for social engineering & bearing in mind the EU wants a credible military capability a Nordic option would seriously damage their Agenda
Southern Europe tried a third way and it clearly didnot work.
The Nordic way looks as well out of the question. There is simply no platform for raising the taxes that come with that.
So the choice looks therefor pretty simple, effectively it has already be determined by the simple facts on the ground.
Only the way to it is not completely clear. Simply no political platform for the necessary change.
But there the difference with the Nordic system comes into play. You need active policies to get there while market and other forces if there is no other alternative simply will enforce the, better an, AS style system.
Outcome of the game is simply already determined. Some battles still to be fought but non of them is really relevant for the end result.
An AS style system and very likely a much less developed one as we see in AS countries. Simply hard to see how second class governments/countries are going to play in the top leagues. Answer is the won’t they will be playing in the second league with a lot of present really promissing upstarts.
[…] Several countries across Europe have experienced persistent problems with unemployment since the start of the financial crisis. Alexandre Afonso writes that southern European countries are faced with a choice between adopting either Anglo-Saxon style market liberalisation or Nordic style welfare spending as part of their response to the problem. Seeing neither as a feasible option, he proposes an alternative strategy – a ‘third way’ based on enabling part-time work, offering greater vocational training, and increasing labour market participation among key groups. […]
3rd way, 2nd way, how about the 1st way? reducing southern Europe’s love affair with red tape and bureaucracy that would be a good start. All those small SME’s and unemployed entrepreneurs trying desperately to start up a small business of their own, only to hit a wall of bureaucratic form filling and waiting weeks, sometimes months for the slow wheels of municipal and govt to turn.
Freeing up legal opening times of shops and businesses, freeing up rigid employment laws. Northern Europe as made these simple changes many years ago, while southern Europe drags its feet over real reforms and resists changes to its own economic disadvantages. | {
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The Oakland A’s acquired right-handed pitcher Sandy Rosario from the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named later or cash considerations, the club announced today. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the A’s designated outfielder Jermaine Mitchell for assignment.
Rosario spent the 2012 season in the Miami organization before he was claimed off waivers by Boston October 17. He began the season at Triple-A New Orleans, posting a 1.04 ERA in 25 relief appearances and converting all 16 of his save opportunities. The 27-year-old right-hander joined the Marlins June 8 and logged an 18.00 ERA in four relief appearances before going on the disabled list June 16 with a strained right quadriceps. Rosario made four rehab appearances with Single-A Jupiter before he was reinstated from the DL and optioned to Double-A Jacksonville August 30. The native of the Dominican Republic has pitched in 10 games with the Marlins over the last three seasons and has a 15.26 ERA.
Mitchell spent the entire 2012 season at Triple-A Sacramento where he batted .252 with 15 doubles, 11 triples, six home runs and 38 RBI. He was originally drafted by the A’s in the 5th round of the 2006 draft and is a .281 career hitter in 753 games over seven seasons in the minors. | {
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ACG does Everything Tablets!
ACG Films and Foils state-of-the-art Laminator
Watch the latest state-of-the-art lamination machine installed at ACG's facility in Shirwal, Pune, India. With more than 38,000 tonnes of materials produced every year, ACG Films and Foils is one of the largest pharma grade packaging material suppliers in the world. | {
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Little John Lakes – 4th November 2018
It was pleasing to see a good attendance of 15 anglers, with surprisingly decent weights being caught for the time of year.
Mark won the match catching steadily all day from peg 8. He started on banded 6mm pellet on the pole at 7m before following the fish out to 13m as they backed off. Then, a chuck to the island with a couple of hours to go and he didn’t really look back, with a steady flow of decent carp coming to the net. Mark actually weighed 131lb 13oz but, as he went over the net limit of 66lb in his nets, he was subsequently knocked back to 120lb.
Josh put in yet another awesome performance for 2nd place. He caught on the pole at peg 23, but took the majority of his catch on the tip to the island.
Ray had a lovely day’s fishing to end the match in third place. He was drawn on peg 1 and caught on the short pole throughout the match. | {
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Medical personnel routinely slap an oxygen mask on people struggling to breathe as well as on stroke victims left oxygen-deficient in some parts of their brains. Until recently, doctors believed this was the fastest and most effective way to deliver oxygen to needy lung or brain tissue.
But pure oxygen causes rapid breathing, meaning that as it is pumped into the lungs, more carbon dioxide is exhaled, "and that makes the blood vessels much smaller," says Ronald Harper, a neurobiology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and senior author of the study published today in PLoS Medicine. The shrunken vessels "cannot deliver as much blood—or the oxygen that's in the blood—to the brain" or the heart.
Harper and his colleagues used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to trace the effects of pure oxygen on the brains of 14 healthy children, ages eight to 15 years. In addition to constricting blood flow, administering pure oxygen caused some areas of the subjects' brains to go haywire: the hippocampus (buried deep in the midbrain), the insula (located in the brain's center), and the cingulate cortex, part of the its outermost surface. Harper says that these regions are generally linked to learning, memory and emotions, but also regulate pain, stress and blood pressure. In addition, he says, they signal the hypothalamus to kick into action. The hypothalamus is the brain's master gland, regulating everything from the body's temperature and heart rate to its internal clock (by serving as a link between the nervous system and various glands throughout the body).
"Those brain areas which influence the hypothalamus, when you give 100 percent oxygen, they turn on like crazy," Harper says. "They begin driving the hypothalamus very hard." The action triggers the gland to flood the blood with catecholamines: hormones (such as adrenaline and norepinephrine) and neurotransmitters, like dopamine, all of which feed into the pathway that controls contraction of the heart muscle. This chemical dump disrupts the heart rate, causing a reduction in blood flow and, hence, less oxygen being delivered to cells.
The good news: researchers discovered that the negative effects can be avoided if the oxygen is mixed with as little as 5 percent carbon dioxide before being administered. The combo neither triggered significant changes in any of the aforementioned brain regions nor disturbed the hypothalamus.
"The downsides of continuing to overlook the dangers of this [type of treatment] may [result in] a considerable amount of harm to patients," says researcher Joe Fisher, a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, who in 2002 suggested that giving pure oxygen to patients poisoned by carbon monoxide might exacerbate rather than limit or reverse damage. "You would think it's like chicken soup to the soul," he says about the traditional wisdom of administering oxygen. "[But], we saw a mechanism that could lead to additional damage."
Based on the brain-imaging findings, "It's hard to imagine a situation where you would want to give oxygen without carbon dioxide," says the study's lead author, Paul Macey, an assistant neurobiology researcher at U.C.L.A. Harper adds that concentrated feeds of room air, containing only 21 percent oxygen, have proved effective in resuscitating newborns who have trouble breathing and turn blue (from a lack of oxygen). "I think that any administration of high levels of oxygen should be reviewed," he cautions, "to determine whether it is necessary," given the dangers. | {
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"There have been joys too great to be described in words, and there have been griefs upon which I have dared not to dwell, and with these in mind I must say, climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are naught without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste, look well to each step, and from the beginning think what may be the end."
--Edward Whymper | {
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I love the fact that you just never know what Neil will do next. It may not always be my cup of tea, but it's always interesting. And I have a lot of respect for any artist who so consistently does exactly what he wants with no thought of what anyone else might think. | {
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Export US natgas? Get something for it, first
As the bastion of global free trade, the U.S. has been on the forefront of signing free-trade treaties with multiple nations, including the latest in the works: The Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Area. In the background of these treaties, a seemingly unrelated debate has been taking place in the U.S. energy landscape: The export of natural gas.
With multiple headlines ranging from the U.S. becoming the new Saudi Arabia to the environmental disaster that this newfound hydrocarbon wealth portends, people have seemingly paid short shrift to what the U.S. can do with this resource geopolitically.
There has been animated discussion and various economic studies published by interested parties as to whether the U.S. should allow for free exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The oil and gas industry has come out deeply in favor of unfettered exports, citing reports that signify the amount of GDP growth and jobs added if this were to take place. The fact that this will also increase their profits significantly is not lost on their detractors.
Local industry, including manufacturing, petrochemicals and fertilizers, as well as left-leaning pundits, have called for a restriction of LNG exports to keep the historically low-priced natural gas at home to rebuild a decimated industrial sector. So far, the Department of Energy has provided non-free-trade agreement trade approval to four proposed LNG plants that allows them to export LNG to even those nations without a free-trade agreement with the U.S., and more approvals are expected before the end of the year.
However, lost in this whole discussion between export and domestically-focused advocacy, is the role this large natural-gas resource can play for the U.S. in ongoing and future trade negotiations. The largest importers of LNG are Japan and South Korea, with India, China, the UK and Spain not far behind. While South Korea already has a free trade agreement with the U.S., these other countries do not.
Japan belatedly joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations this July and while the exact reasoning is still under speculation, it cannot be overstated that the lure of cheap U.S. sources of natural gas, specifically after Japan's nuclear disaster following a tsunami in March 2011, probably played a large role in this decision.
Now that Japan is at the negotiating table, the added incentive of free natural-gas exports — for which the Japanese paid almost $20/per million British Thermal Units (MMBtu) vs. domestic U.S. prices around $3-3.5/MMBtu last winter) — can be used to bring tariff barriers around "sensitive" industries like agriculture and automotives to the negotiating table. Similarly negotiations for the Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Area, which have moved at a snail's pace, could be pushed forward.
The tumultuous relationship that the EU and Russia enjoy because of the near monopolistic chokehold that Russia has on EU gas supplies should be incentive enough for the EU to negotiate. The EU has already brought an antitrust case against the Russian state-owned gas company, Gazprom. Given already slow economic-growth prospects in the EU and the high prices they pay for Russian natural gas, the added incentive of extensive U.S. exports to the EU could make the countries more open to progress on the free- trade talks.
This will play a role specifically in agriculture where European Union members levy heavy tariffs on agricultural imports, and to a lesser extent on chemical and transportation equipment. In the longer term, countries like India that are also starved for energy and have few cheap options to obtain it would likely be open to some kind of trade talks and concessions (maybe around lucrative government contracts or U.S. company FDI) if the U.S. offered them open access to its hydrocarbon resources.
If the U.S. government is able to successfully wield this carrot in trade talks with various countries, it will take another step towards becoming Saudi Arabia, a country that has used its position atop the oil food chain to gain an upper hand in global geopolitics for decades.
—By Kartik Misra
Kartik Misra is a senior analyst at Energy Intelligence, an independent analysis firm that serves the energy industry. Follow them at @energyintel.
To view this site, you need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser, and either the Flash Plugin or an HTML5-Video enabled browser. Download the latest Flash player and try again. | {
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COUNTING DOWN TO WOMEN'S 2015
The women's conference continues to grow and we are excited about this year's conference because we are expecting even greater things. Make it a point to register and join us.
If you have booked but have not yet paid half the required amount (£80), then please bear in mind your booking is not secure.
To avoid disappointment (and potentially a very costly wasted journey) please ensure that you complete the full payment of £155 by 31st March 2015. Please be aware that this money is non-refundable as we use it to secure a place for you.
The conference offers bed and meals in an excellent purpose built facility, which is located in the heart of glorious Staffordshire. Please make sure you arrange for your own transport in good time.
See you there
SPEAKERS:Pastor KapolyoPastor ClaireShiela Banda
Contact your regional representative for details and to make a payment:
Contact your regional representative for details and to make a payment:
-
Region
Name
Phone
-
Leeds
Kalenga Mtonga
Ethel Mudala
07775 998 28707588 439 138
-
Manchester
Ednah Mtonga
07979 346 009
-
Midlands
Josephine Jamu
Evelyn Maluza
Emma Mwanza
07876 194 635
07533 301 247
07834 959 408
-
London and the South
Mavis Sibanda
07985 670 390
-
Sheffield
Mercy Chisabingo
Sheila Banda
Anastasia Chitwamali
07585 975 023
07947 654 605
07932 482 454
Eastern Region
Rose Muleba
07581 363 362
Wales
Alliness Phiri
07570 791 984
-
Scotland
Catherine Longwe
Loyce Mbambi
07828 549 976
07587 838 831
Whitemoor Lakes - Staffordshire
The question everyone will be asking is this:
"If you are not attending the women's conference this year what are you doing this summer ?" | {
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New Delhi: KredX, run by Minions Ventures Pvt. Ltd, a start-up that helps small businesses raise working capital by connecting them to individual investors, has secured $6.25 million in a series A funding round led by Sequoia India, with participation from its existing investor Prime Venture Partners.
The capital would be utilised to strengthen technology, data and sales functions within the country, the company said in a statement.
Founded in 2015 by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Stanford alumni Manish Kumar, Anurag Jain and Puneet Agarwal, KredX helps businesses meet their short-term working capital needs by discounting their unpaid invoices (raised against blue-chip companies) to a network of buyers/financiers, including banks, non-financial banking companies, wealth managers and retail investors.
Bangalore-based KredX helps micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) maintain their cash flow by unlocking the cash tied up in invoices that otherwise take 30-90 days to be cleared. It offers financiers access to risk mitigated, high yield and short-term investment opportunities that are not tied to the uncertainties of the stock market.
“We aim to connect financiers and businesses in a mutually beneficial manner by helping MSMEs unlock the value of their invoices and boost cash flow, while providing an investment opportunity for financiers to channelize their funds optimally,” said Anurag Jain, co-founder of KredX.
In April this year, KredX raised $750,000 from seed fund Prime Venture Partners, which usually follows a pattern of close to six investments a year. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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Footprints of Londonhttp://footprintsoflondon.com
Where Londoners WalkTue, 26 Sep 2017 19:02:21 +0100en-GBhourly1Scrooge’s Lonely Roomshttp://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/09/scrooges-lonely-rooms/
http://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/09/scrooges-lonely-rooms/#respondTue, 26 Sep 2017 19:02:21 +0000http://footprintsoflondon.com/?p=6133David Charnick explores how Charles Dickens exploited the peculiarities of office space provision in Victorian London to emphasise Ebenezer Scrooge’s sense of loneliness and isolation. David will be running his Dickens of a City walk as part of Literary Footprints 2017, dates and booking details on his walks page.
It was with great astonishment, and with a strange, inexplicable dread, that as he looked, he saw this bell begin to swing. It swung so softly in the outset that it scarcely made a sound; but soon it rang out loudly, and so did every bell in the house. This might have lasted half a minute, or a minute, but it seemed an hour. The bells ceased as they had begun, together. They were succeeded by a clanking noise, deep down below; as if some person were dragging a heavy chain over the casks in the wine-merchant’s cellar.
This is the beginning of a horrific Christmas Eve for Ebenezer Scrooge, but so familiar are we with A Christmas Carol that it has lost a lot of its effect. Perhaps this is because we no longer appreciate how lonely Scrooge’s rooms are in that dark and completely empty house. When the bell starts to ring, Scrooge knows that there is no-one in the house: his are the only rooms not turned into offices. Who is ringing the bell?
Possibly one reason we can’t appreciate Scrooge’s loneliness fully is that we’re used to office blocks. We’ve all grown up with them, and we think of business taking place in specifically-designed, usually open plan, offices. But before 1864, this wasn’t the case. Though some companies erected blocks for their own uses – such as the phenomenal East India Company – smaller businesses took rooms in domestic houses as counting houses. This was to change though with the establishment in 1864 of two companies.
These were the City Offices Company Ltd and the City of London Real Property Company Ltd, which initiated the speculative development of office buildings. For the first time, office buildings were erected to be rented out to tenants. The headquarters of the City Offices Company survives still, at 35 Gracechurch Street, on the corner with Lombard Street. Over its main entrance on Lombard Street is a bold representation of the head of Mercury, messenger of the gods and the Roman god of commerce and profitable trade. This statement of commercial confidence was however misplaced.
The City Offices Company was floated by the Mercantile Credit Association Ltd in conjunction with the French bank Credit Mobilier. It concentrated on acquiring ‘prime sites’, principally around the Bank of England, promising investors that profits would accrue because of the scarcity of sites so close to the financial centre. But a sluggish commercial scene and an increasing supply of office space elsewhere affected the company’s profits. In 1867 shares were giving a return of 4%, instead of the estimated 15-20%. In 1889, after thirty-five years’ trading, the value of the company’s profits was decreasing rather than increasing.
It was the choice of area which undermined the City Offices Company. After all, the City’s stock of office buildings increased hugely in the late C19. Moreover, the installation of hydraulic lifts made taller buildings desirable: previously the upper floors attracted poor rents. In 1873, the City Offices Company installed a hydraulic lift in the four-story Palmerston Buildings at 51-55 Broad Street (completed in 1867). From 1882 the London Hydraulic Power Company made hydraulic lifts more available to a wide variety of customers, installing 221 passenger lifts in the City by 1895, as well as 114 goods lifts and cranes.
The abundance of office blocks caused rents to stay low; profits came from anticipating development beyond the traditional area. Office buildings are more self-contained and less dependent on location, and this allowed for expansion. So the City of London Real Property Company looked eastwards for its sites. The Company was floated by brothers James and John Innes, rum importers, whose Jamaican plantations had been affected by the abolition of the slave trade. The brothers acquired property in Mark Lane and Mincing Lane, an area dealing with the provisions trade; they increased their portfolio, and their profits.
When A Christmas Carol was published in 1843, all this growth was over two decades away. Admittedly some businesses had created their own office blocks. For instance, in 1726 the East India Company began rebuilding the Elizabethan Craven House as East India House. In 1732 work began on the Bank of England’s first premises, purportedly the first purpose-built bank in Britain. Other ventures followed, including the Stock Exchange at Capel Court and the Post Office in St Martin’s le Grand. But these were not speculations. The only speculative office block built before 1864 was erected circa 1823 by Annesley Voysey, at the Lombard Street end of Clements Lane.
When Scrooge let himself into his lonely house (which Dickens describes as being down a lonely court and so out of place that it looked as if it had got lost there while playing hide-and-seek with other houses), most business was still
being carried out in coffee houses, counting houses and merchants’ homes. Aside from Scrooge’s pair of rooms, all the other rooms in the house are counting houses, none of which are occupied on that dark evening on Christmas Eve.
So, when all the bells ring out in the house with no-one to activate them, and then cease suddenly to be replaced by the sinister sound of a clanking chain dragged from the cellar up the stairs to Scrooge’s very door, it is his isolation which adds to the horror of the moment. And when the deceased business partner – who has been on Scrooge’s mind throughout the day – actually walks through his door, even the weak fire in the grate reacts: ‘the dying flame leaped up, as though it cried ‘I know him! Marley’s Ghost!’ and fell again’.
Only when we are able to set aside our familiarity with this tale, and are able to approach it as it was written, will we feel the chill that entered Scrooge’s soul on seeing Marley’s Ghost in that dark and lonely room.
]]>http://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/09/scrooges-lonely-rooms/feed/0Open House – Leadenhall Markethttp://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/09/open-house-leadenhall-market/
http://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/09/open-house-leadenhall-market/#respondSat, 23 Sep 2017 15:40:57 +0000http://footprintsoflondon.com/?p=6121Over London Open House weekend Tina Baxter and her friend Gina led walks around one of the City of London’s finest buildings – Leadenhall Market
The iconic Leadenhall Market built by Sir Horace Jones in 1881 is a jewel in the City of London’s private tenanted portfolio. Thursday’s it is crammed with city types enjoying ‘Thursday is the new Friday’ at the pubs, bar and restaurants. During the week it is a convenient walk through from one City street to another and has been for centuries.
During Open House weekend it is perfect cross roads to link modern day icons with the Victorian. Easy access to Leadenhall Street to the ‘Cheesegrater’ and the Gherkin, also to Fenchurch Street to the ‘Walkie Talkie’, Monument and Lloyd’s Registry as well as Lloyds of London (sadly not open this year).
The credentials of Leadenhall as a market place go back at least 1500 years, it was built on the site of the Roman Forum and Basilica, remains of which can still be found under the hairdressers, Nicholson & Griffin, not open at the weekends, but welcome visitors during the week. The medieval period, which we know is long, introduced Richard Whittington, Simon Ayers (both Mayors of the City of London) and the footprint of master mason John Croxton’s version of a market, with church, school and granary. Including fortifications to keep out the rabble during times of rationing and famine. Of course, the name of the site comes from a mansion owned by Sir Hugh Neville recorded in 1309, which had a lead roof, hence the naming, who for reasons not known opened his gardens and orchards to ‘foreigners’ to sell their wares, meat, fish and herbs. These folk were not from overseas, they were not Freemen of the City so had to seek special permits to trade. Finally the site was made officially the site for ‘out of towners’ to sell all manner of goods.
There are many other stories to tell ancient and modern, the runaway gander and of course the connection with Harry Potter and other films. We had a great day guiding, staring with 12 people at 10am, and ending up doing walks on the hour up to 2pm, the last walk on Saturday we ended up with 60+! The groups were wonderful, avid listeners who soaked up the history and stories with relish!
There is a plan in progress with the regeneration company involved with Leadenhall to arrange regular walks with the City of London guides during November and December and to continue into 2018. For the time being a couple of dates to note:
]]>http://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/09/open-house-leadenhall-market/feed/0Huntsman and The Kingsmanhttp://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/09/huntsman-and-the-kingsman/
http://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/09/huntsman-and-the-kingsman/#respondTue, 19 Sep 2017 07:05:28 +0000http://footprintsoflondon.com/?p=6110Michael Duncan talks about the role Huntsman of Savile Row plays in the new film Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle You can find out more on Michael’s walk “In Search of the real Kingsman – Spies and suits of Savile Row”
Huntsman is one of the great shops of Savile Row.
In its time it has clothed the likes of Clark Gable, Ronald Reagan, Paul Newman and the great Gregory Peck went to Huntsman for fifty years.
But it has also clad notable women including Hollywood legends Katherine Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich and Elizabeth Taylor (and her often less legendary husbands).
And more recently it made the white tie ensemble for Lord Grantham in Downton Abbey.
Through its doors in 1989 stepped a young chap who had just finished at Stowe School. His mother thought Huntsman would be the prefect place to get his first bespoke suit, to release him into the adult world properly dressed to face its many challenges.
Flash forward to 2014 and that same young man, Matthew Vaughn is a successful film maker with an impressive C.V. who has just released what was to be his biggest grossing movie to date; Kingsman: the Secret Service.
Kingsman is based on a comic book series originally called merely “The Secret Service”. Vaughn was inspired by the comics but wanted to give it something extra, so he turned to his favourite tailors “Huntsman” to give it a classy disguise. “Huntsman” has a starring role in the movie, acting as Kingsman’s head office as well as a secret entrance via one of its changing rooms to a network of tunnels which lead ultimately to a country home stuffed full of the usual gadgets and weaponry you’d expect to find at any self-respecting spy organisation.
The film tells the story of the recruitment of a London lad called Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Eggerton) into a spy organisation. He meets a lot of resistance from his fellow candidates who view him as a “chav”, but he wins through to take on and defeat an evil power-crazed billionaire called Richmond Valentine played by Samuel L Jackson.
It’s fantastically produced, has great performances, is utterly ludicrous and brilliant fun.
Now Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle is hitting the screens and the beloved Huntsman, surely one of the world’s most beautiful shops, appears to suffer a terrible fate!
In contrast to the drama of the film, Huntsman is thankfully still there.
Stepping inside it feels like a place where nothing can go wrong. There is a gentle ringing of the bell as you enter. Ahead of you are comfortable sofas and a fireplace framed by two stags heads.
They were left for safekeeping by a customer in 1921 before he headed off for what has always been thought of as a particularly good lunch. He never returned.
But I wonder if Matthew Vaughn wasn’t onto something when he cast Huntsman as the front of his secret service? Could our mystery customer have been whisked away through one of Huntsman’s changing rooms into its underground network of tunnels. Or perhaps he took on one mission too many. We’ll never know. But in the world of The Kingsman, stranger things have happened.
]]>http://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/09/huntsman-and-the-kingsman/feed/0The Queen and the Greenhttp://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/06/the-queen-and-the-green/
Thu, 15 Jun 2017 10:52:03 +0000http://footprintsoflondon.com/?p=6036Dave Charnick recalls how a royal intervention helped stem the spread of deadly disease in Victorian Bethnal Green. You can hear more stories from this most fascinating of London locales on Dave’s walk The Battle for Bethnal Green this Saturday (17th June) at 2.30 pm. Booking details are here.
On Pollard Row in Bethnal Green a rather elaborate building can be found for such a small road. Built in a lavish Renaissance style, decorated with carved fruits and flowers, it has a highly decorative clock tower which features, amongst other details, a bust of a woman. The inscription above her head enlightens you: the lady is the Dowager Queen Adelaide, and this is the (former) Queen Adelaide’s Dispensary. Built by Lee and Long, a firm who specialised in medical and hospital buildings, the Dispensary (i.e. hospital) opened on this site in 1866, and was a response to the ravages of cholera on Bethnal Green.
In 1831, cholera reached England; by 1832 it arrived in London. A bacterial infection spread by infected water, cholera found itself at home in London, with its increasing population density and lack of sanitation. Bethnal Green was one of many parishes racked by outbreaks of cholera, with profiteering landlords packing families into single rooms and keeping their sacred profit margins uncompromised by installing luxuries like drainage.
During the cholera years, the connection between disease and bad sanitation was clear. In 1841 it was noted that poorly drained houses in parts of Bethnal Green were sometimes flooded to a depth of two feet. Cesspools were seldom cleared, and one open privy might serve fifty people. In 1848 physician and health inspector Hector Gavin published his Sanitary Ramblings, a damning house-to-house survey of Bethnal Green. At that time only 9% of streets and courts in Bethnal Green were listed as having sewers. Though the 1848 Public Health Act made house drainage into sewers compulsory, in 1850 only twelve houses were recorded as being connected to a sewer laid between Pollard Row and Shoreditch Church, a distance of around a mile.
Attempts to clean the area of ‘nuisances’ such as dung hills predate the arrival of cholera, with a woman searcher appointed as early as 1749 to search for ‘nuisances’. In November 1832 the local medical board was actively clearing ‘nuisances’, the breeding ground of cholera. In 1848 an immense dunghill was blamed for a death from cholera at a sweep’s house on the north side of the parish, by the Regent’s Canal. The filth along the banks of the canal, condemned by thirteen local doctors but not cleared away, was the alleged cause of typhus, scarlatina and other fevers.
Cholera ravaged the East End from 1832 onwards. Bethnal Green suffered severe outbreaks in 1837 and 1838; by 1839 the average age of death in the parish was 25.8 years, with more than a quarter of deaths arising from epidemic disease. Young children were the principle victims. But when the epidemic of 1849 swept grimly across the East End, it killed 752 people in Bethnal Green; in 16 days 211 died of cholera in the notorious Nichol slum on the edge of the parish. The death rate was 90 per 10,000 inhabitants – in 1832-3 the rate was 50 per 10,000.
Despite this situation the vestry, the local government of the day, refused to establish a hospital, relying instead on sick visiting by the surgeon and apothecary from the workhouse. In 1831 Frederick Agar, the workhouse surgeon and apothecary since at least 1812, included in his claim for a salary increase a reminder that in 1830 he had 2,000 tickets to attend the outdoor sick besides those in the workhouse, and that he had to buy the drugs himself.
During cholera outbreaks, two ‘fever wards’ in the workhouse received some cases from the parish at large. Other patients were given such aid at home as was possible. In 1832 the vestry was granted £2,000 by the government for a cholera hospital. It spent the money on healthcare seemingly, but the hospital was not built.
The 1849 epidemic was to prove a turning point however. In that year the Dowager Queen Adelaide, widow of William IV and aunt of Queen Victoria, was drawing towards death, dying on 2 December 1849. Having undergone four pregnancies which resulted in no surviving children, it was clear that she would not produce an heir to the throne. However, she was a popular queen who bestowed much of her income on charitable causes. On her death she left a number of bequests, including £100 to the parish of Bethnal Green to found a cholera dispensary.
There seems to have been some difficulty in establishing the dispensary, but it opened in 1850 on Warner Place, just to the north of the surviving building. By 1865 though it was clear that a larger building was required and on 23 June the Reverend Edward Coke and eight others began raising funds. Coke had been vicar of the nearby church of St James the Great since 1852. He was a controversial man, offering free marriages to locals to address the issue of cohabitation. Such were his disagreements with the church authorities that they refused to provide a curate to assist him. Typically, the can-do Coke responded by advertising for donations to raise £2,000 to pay for a curate.
The new Dispensary building, costing £7,000, opened in 1866, just in time to meet another epidemic of cholera. While not as severe as the 1849 epidemic, still it resulted in a death rate of 60.4 per 10,000 of population. Out of 3,824 deaths in the parish that year, 614 were from cholera, over 16%. Such was the situation that by 1868 the Reverend Coke was again seeking funds to help fight disease. The significant result of the 1866 outbreak however was an increase in local healthcare, though still not from the vestry, which did not begin thinking about creating a hospital until 1889, and took eleven years to do so.
In 1866 the vicar of St Philip’s, whose parish included the Nichol slum, appealed for help from the Islington-based Mildmay Deaconesses. This appeal led in due course to the establishment of the Mildmay Mission Hospital, at first in a slum cottage then, via a disused warehouse, in purpose-built premises in 1892. In 1988 it became a specialist HIV/AIDS hospice and, as The Mildmay, it still carries out this valuable work.
In 1867 two Quaker sisters, Mary Elizabeth and Ellen Phillips, rented a house near the Nichol, in Virginia Row, as a dispensary for women and children. Moving to much larger premises on Hackney Road it underwent a number of developments until in 1942 it was amalgamated with the Princess Elizabeth of York Children’s hospital from Shadwell and became the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children. Sadly this is now defunct, its function having been absorbed by the new version of the Royal London Hospital, and the Hackney Road building has become a hotel.
Queen Adelaide’s Dispensary itself, with the retreat of cholera before improvements in public health and sanitation, developed into a general hospital. In 1889 it is recorded as dealing with 6,656 medical and surgical cases and 3,248 dental cases. It only ceased to function as a hospital in 1961 when it became the Queen Adelaide’s Charity. The Dispensary became a nurses’ home for the Queen Elizabeth Children’s Hospital in the 1970s, and was converted into flats in the 1990s, but the Charity still functions, providing grants to help the sick poor of Bethnal Green.
Nearly three years ago we exhorted our dear readers and followers to support a kickstarter project to produce a film that promised a new and unique view of the city we all know and love.
We were delighted when the project hit its funding target, and after nearly three years of filming, editing, and composing (it has its own original score), it will have its London première at The Barbican Centre on Sunday 3rd September (you can purchase tickets here).
It promises to be a wonderful evening; not only will you be among the first to witness this unique new take on London’s ongoing story, but also the original score will be performed by a live orchestra and following the screening there will be an open discussion (featuring our own Mark Rowland on the panel).
It’s a project we have been proud to support and we eagerly await seeing the result of the London Symphony team’s labours (you can see a trailer on the London Symphony homepage).
In the meantime, Mark recently caught up for a chat with Alex Barrett, director, editor and driving force behind the project so he could give us a little taster of what to expect.
MR: Three years in the making Alex, clearly a huge amount of work has gone into it! How do you feel now it’s finally made?
AB: I’m definitely relieved to have it finished, but mostly I’m just excited to finally be able to share it with people.
MR: What was the main inspiration behind the making of the film?
AB: I’ve long been a fan of the original city symphonies from the 1920s, such as Man with a Movie Camera and Berlin: Symphony of a Great City. In 2009, I made a short cine-poem, Hungerford: Symphony of a London Bridge, as a tribute to those films.
The short film focused solely upon Hungerford Bridge and the Golden Jubilee Footbridges, and I later thought that it might be interesting to make a feature-length version looking at the whole of London. The idea was to explore life in a modern city, and to look at the way modernity is affecting the landscape of historic London. I also felt that, in a time of divisive politics, I wanted to make something that celebrated the cosmopolitan nature of the city and the diversity found within it.
MR: What were your overall expectations for the look, feel and theme of the film before you started filming and to what extent did they change over the course of filming and editing?
AB: As with Hungerford: Symphony of a London Bridge, we set out to make something that paid tribute to the filmmakers and film style of the 1920s, but without falling into pastiche or parody. I looked a lot at those films, and also at Russian constructivist photography and design, and developed a style guide for the film – but, as the shoot progressed, I think my team and I started thinking less about the style guide and more about how we would naturally frame and respond to our surroundings.
So, really, the films of the 20s were our starting point, but slowly it become more about reinterpreting the form of those films and responding directly to the locations around us.
MR: We guides know that being out and about in London is always full of surprises, what surprises did London have in store for you while you were out and about filming?
AB: I think, in some ways, the most surprising thing about working on the project was the way that it opened my eyes to the beauty of the city. As a life-long Londoner I knew the city well, but I knew it in the way that one knows familiar surroundings – head down and hurrying through. But working on the project made me look and see things that I’d never seen before (both literally and metaphorically) and discover new facets of the city.
I’d love for audiences to have a similar response to the final film. I’ve already heard of people who have seen it seeking out and visiting locations from the film that they’d never previously heard of. Which, to me, is wonderful – and exactly the kind of response I was hoping for.
MR: What are your hopes for the film? In particular, where would you like to see it screened?
AB: My biggest hope is that people see it! And, of course, that they enjoy it! Making a film is only half the battle – and getting people motivated enough to come along and actually see it is an even bigger challenge. A film like London Symphony really needs people to come out and support it, so I’m hoping that the community nature of the project will appeal to people and encourage them to make the effort.
In terms of screenings, I’m delighted to be launching it at the Barbican, which is already a dream venue. And we also have a number of other equally exciting venues lined up for the release, which we’ll be announcing later this summer. They include cinemas and alternative spaces such as a Buddhist mediation centre and a Hindu temple. I’d definitely like to continue to arrange screenings in community spaces like that, as they really represent the heart of what the film is about.
MR: And what next for Alex Barrett?
AB: Good question! I’m not quite out of the woods with London Symphony yet, but I do have several new projects which I’m slowly chipping away it. It’s a bit too soon to tell what will be next, but I’ve been co-writing a script with the Bulgarian filmmaker Andrey Paounov, which will hopefully shoot next year. It’s based on a play called January by Yordan Radichkov – and it’s something very different from London Symphony!
London Symphony has its London premiere at the Barbican Centre on Sunday 3rd September, tickets available to purchase here. If you know of (or would like to suggest) an opportunity to screen the film, *protected email*.
]]>Henry VIII’s Crisis of Supremacyhttp://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/06/henry-viiis-crisis-of-supremacy/
Fri, 02 Jun 2017 18:19:28 +0000http://footprintsoflondon.com/?p=6003As part of our Mandate to Rule series of political-themed walks in the lead-up to polling day, Dave Charnick’s walk The Price of Conscience on Thursday 8th Junewill tackle the thorny issue of where your conscience could lead you during Henry VIII’s reign. Booking details are here, meanwhile Dave highlights the perils of charting the tricky political waters of the day.
As we in the United Kingdom approach the crucial period when we must negotiate our way out of the European Union, we might like to think back nearly five hundred years. At that point England was not so much negotiating its way out of Europe as ripping itself free.
The process began in August 1529 when a certain Cambridge don called Thomas Cranmer suggested that Henry VIII give himself an annulment of his marriage to his older brother’s widow. After all, Henry was king of England: why should he wait on the Pope for an annulment which would never come?
After the collapse of the 1529 Council of Blackfriars, which triggered the fall of his right-hand man Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, it was clear that Henry needed a change of tack. This change would lead to his installation in 1534 as Supreme Head of the English Church. Over the following years the process worked itself out, costing a number of lives along the way, but it is in 1538 that things come to a head.
Part of the crackdown of 1538 is the arrest in May of John Stokesley, Bishop of London, at Syon Abbey, near Isleworth in Middlesex for promoting the Pope’s authority. Though a staunch supporter of the Supremacy when he took over the See in 1530, Stokesley changed his mind in 1534 when he discovered how interested Anne Boleyn was in church reform. Now, acknowledging his guilt and begging for mercy, the Bishop is allowed to resume his See, the crackdown being aimed at Syon Abbey itself.
Also in May 1538 occurs one of the curious moments of the Supremacy, when a Franciscan friar by the name of John Forest is dragged to Smithfield to earn the dubious distinction of being the only Catholic martyr to be burned to death.
This is the death of the heretic: Catholics who resist the Supremacy are condemned as traitors, and so are usually hanged, drawn and quartered. However, Forest is not burned at the stake – he is hung in chains over a fire and roasted to death.
It would seem that this is a new departure – to submit a Catholic to the death of the heretic appears to make the statement that to resist the place of the monarch as Head of the Church is now heretical. Possibly this is why the firewood beneath Forest contains a sizeable wooden statue of the Welsh St Derfel, removed from the church at Llanderfel in north Wales. It is at this time that the churches of England and Wales are being despoiled. The statues of saints and the Virgin Mary are being removed, and shrines destroyed. A statue of Forest can be found on the south wall of the church of St Etheldreda in Ely Place, Holborn.
The attack on church statues and shrines leads Henry to direct an attack on London’s popular spirituality by taking on the power of a long-dead Londoner – St Thomas Becket. Henry issues a proclamation to ‘unsaint’ Becket and to obliterate his cult. Becket has for a long time been challenging St Paul for the hearts of Londoners. After all, Becket was a Londoner, being born on Ironmonger Lane, which was more than could be said for St Paul. He is featured on London’s Great Seal, and has a chapel on London Bridge itself for pilgrims heading down to his shrine at Canterbury.
Dated 16 November 1538, the proclamation orders that Becket’s shrine in Canterbury is to be torn down and broken up, and his bones burnt. (Hearing the news of the destruction of Becket’s shrine, the horrified Pope excommunicates Henry on 17 December.)
Henry orders also that all instances of Becket’s name are to be obliterated from books, as can be seen in the account of the translation of his relics in the Stowe Breviary (written circa 1322-25). Soon most public representations of Becket have been destroyed, along with the chapel to Becket on London Bridge, and in 1539 his image is removed from the City seal.
This is however more than just Henry asserting his authority. When Henry II made Becket Lord Chancellor in 1155, the new appointee proved a loyal servant to the king. However, when appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162, Becket changed allegiance, being now as loyal to the church as he had been to the king. His opposition to Henry II’s attempts to impose his authority on the church and to sideline the influence of the Pope makes him too much of a challenge for Henry VIII nearly four centuries later.
1538 however is a turning point in Henry’s plans. It is a popular error that Henry VIII made England a Protestant country. This was achieved during the reign of his son Edward VI. Henry died a good Catholic – in his own eyes at least. Though 1537 saw him seeking diplomatic relations with the Protestant Schmalkaldic League of Germanic states, this is largely the doing of Thomas Cromwell. It is Cromwell’s hope of an alliance with a Protestant state that leads to the disastrous marriage to Anne, daughter of the Duke of Cleves, in 1540.
The bitter disappointment of his marriage to Anne, and the humiliation of the annulment proceedings, allow Henry to be influenced by Cromwell’s enemies. Soon Henry’s eye has been caught by Catherine Howard, niece of Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk. The Duke is a devout Catholic, and an enemy of Cromwell. Soon Cromwell is condemned for treason, without a trial, and on 28 July 1540 he is beheaded on Tower Hill; along with him die the hopes of church reform in England under Henry VIII.
On the same day Henry marries Catherine, his fifth queen and the niece of Cromwell’s enemy. Never again does Henry allow anyone to get as close to him as were his two right-hand men, Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell. The political expediency which caused him to tear his country in half now means that in his last years Henry has done with all that, as he begins to court an alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor.
]]>Christopher Wren crosses the Atlantichttp://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/05/christopher-wren-crosses-the-atlantic/
Wed, 31 May 2017 20:53:12 +0000http://footprintsoflondon.com/?p=5984 As part of the London Festival of Architecture, Jen Pedler will be running her new walk Once There Was a Church which recounts the stories of how the remnants City of London churches connect the past to the present.
You can join Jen’s walk on the 7th and 18th June (booking details are here), but as little taster she tells the fascinating story of the posthumous Atlantic crossing of one of our most celebrated architects.
Today only the footprint of the little church of St Mary Aldermanbury, just behind Guildhall in the City, remains. It was destroyed twice in the two Great Fires of London. After the 1666 fire it was rebuilt by Christopher Wren and after the second, during the Blitz of 1940, it was rebuilt again – but not in London.
What became known as the ‘Second Great Fire of London’ was the firestorm caused the incendiary bombs dropped by the German Luftwaffe in almost 12 hours of continuous bombing during the night of 29/30th December 1940. Firefighting efforts were hampered by a lack of water; there was an exceptionally low tide making it difficult to obtain water from the river and the bombs fractured water mains, reducing the pressure. There was often little the firemen could do but watch the City burn.
Winston Churchill issued a message: “St Paul’s must be saved at all costs.” And it was.
One of the most iconic images of the war is Herbert Mason’s photograph of the dome of the Cathedral standing amid the smoke of the burning City. Wren’s masterpiece survived but much of the area around it was flattened and 13 other of his churches were destroyed that night.
An auxiliary fireman who watched some of these churches burn, including St Mary Aldermanbury, described hearing their bells falling down the towers and “hearing the organs burn, because the hot air blowing through the organ pipes almost sounded as if the poor old organs were shrieking in agony in their destruction.”
No doubt this fireman shared their pain as he was organ builder Noel Mander; some of the organs he heard in their death throes were his own. He is most noted for rebuilding the organ in St Paul’s in the 1970s but in the immediate post-war period he worked on the restoration of organs in churches that were to be rebuilt, often using salvaged parts from organs in churches that were slated for demolition.
One church on the demolition list was St Mary Aldermanbury. But, once again, Winston Churchill saved the day.
On a visit to the USA in 1946 he had been invited to visit Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri where he gave an address – ‘Sinews of Peace’ – in which he famously introduced the phrase ‘iron curtain’ which came to define the Cold War era. In the 1960s the director of the college, inspired by an article in LIFE magazine about war damaged, soon to be demolished Wren churches, suggested that one could be imported and rebuilt in Fulton to serve as a Churchill memorial and also the college chapel.
So St Mary Aldermanbury was dismantled and reconstructed in what the Times newspaper referred to as “Perhaps the biggest jigsaw puzzle in the history of architecture.” It now stands at the college in all its original Wren glory with the National Churchill Museum beneath it.
None of the interior had survived the bombing but it has been recreated much as it would have been originally. Of course, it needed an organ and who better to build it than Noel Mander who had watched the church burn back in the Blitz; just one of the many fascinating connections in this story of Christopher Wren crossing the Atlantic.
]]>Mandate to Rule; a series of “election specials”http://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/05/mandate-to-rule-a-series-of-election-specials/
Wed, 03 May 2017 19:45:50 +0000http://footprintsoflondon.com/?p=5923Theresa May has called a snap election in search of a mandate for… well, whatever it is she wants a mandate for (she may yet let us know among the Lynton Crosby-inspired parroted soundbites), so we at Footprints of London towers thought we would call our own “snap theme week” with a series of walks with a political bent in the week leading up to the big day.
Our lords and masters seeking our opinion on which of them and precisely how they should rule is, of course, a relative newcomer in historical terms; it is, after all, less than 100 years since the first election with a genuinely representative franchise.
So while we will cover some significant names and events from this more recent period, we will also look back to the years prior to that to explore how political power has been grabbed, stolen, fought over, violently attacked, entrenched and generally abused in the years before “fair” elections.
To join us on any of the walks click any of the links below, or look out for the Mandate to Rule logo on our June walks list.
A little taster of what you can expect:
Amber kicks us off with two walks on Friday June 2nd. First up in the morning is Winston Churchill – The British Bulldog, a personal portrait of arguably our greatest ever Prime Minister which explores his successes, struggles, family life and, of course, his enduring legacy.
Amber returns later the same day with Gunpowder Treason and Plot which not only recounts the detail of the infamous attempt to blow up Parliament, but is also a fun and informative walk through other memorable political events of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Mark is next up on the afternoon of Saturday 3rd June with Tracing the Tudors: The King’s Brexit which tracks down the London locations that tell the stories of Henry VIII’s own version of Brexit and the consequences for the characters who found themselves on the wrong side of his whims as we split from the Roman church.
Jack is back on the afternoon of Sun 4th June with The Battle That Won the War: Churchill versus the Cabinet, another look at the great man’s enduring legacy but this time from the very specific perspective of the crucial internal battle he fought with his own cabinet to stamp his much-needed authority on our war strategy.
On Monday 5th June, Jen enters the fray with The Stuarts: from Divine Right to Constitutional Monarchy which recounts the story of the Stuarts’ turbulent journey through conspiracy, civil war, execution, abdication and revolution and the struggles between King and Parliament over who should have the mandate to rule.
Dave is next up on the afternoon of Tuesday June 6th with The Seat of Power, the story of how Westminster, the cradle of one of the world’s great democracies, was the creation of generations of monarchs and evolved out of kings and regicides, democracy and terrorism.
On the morning of Thurs June 8th Dave presents The Price of Conscience, an exploration of the connections in The City of London connected with Henry VIII’s establishment as Supreme Head of the English church and the price paid by those who chose not to have their conscience suppressed.
Mark brings our mini-series to a close on June 8th with Pomp and Power: Election night special!, a light-hearted early evening jaunt around Whitehall to catch the buzz on election night sprinkled with fun stories such as the dodgy double-dealer after whom the world’s most famous political street is named and the man who won three by-elections from prison, only to have the result overturned each time by the irate King who had put him there.
Hopefully a bit of something for everyone!
So you never know, no matter how tired you are of the current political classes, once you hear of some of the privations our predecessors had to endure, you may yet conclude that you have in fact “never had it so good”!
We look forward to seeing you on the walks.
]]>Walking the Walbrookhttp://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/03/walking-the-walbrook/
Wed, 08 Mar 2017 12:10:40 +0000http://footprintsoflondon.com/?p=5879To coincide with the Museum of London’s current free exhibition of archaeological finds from the river Walbrook, Tina Baxter will be running her Walbrook where art thou? walk on Saturday 25th March. As the walk starts at the museum, you can take in this last chance to see the exhibition (it closes on the 26th March) before joining her to trace the route of the Walbrook to the Thames and hear the fascinating stories of its pivotal role in London’s history. Booking details here.
As a little taster, Tina shares her enduring interest in this most evocative of London’s lost rivers.
My fascination with the lost river Walbrook never wanes, the extraordinary finds during the excavation of the Bloomberg Headquarters site became known as the ‘Pompeii of the North’, wonderfully preserved in the wet conditions of the ancient riverbed.
The term “river”, however, has always been something of a misnomer as from what has been discovered it would have been more likely to be termed a stream – albeit a deep one.
The water it supplied from the Roman establishment of Londinium provided a means for industry to develop on its banks. It also became the dumping ground for many artefacts until its disappearance, covered over, as early as the 1500’s, mainly due the stink and the need for land reclamation and removal of ‘smelly’ industries, to the East of London. The depth of the exploration has confirmed its course, depth and width.
The banks of the Walbrook were weak and the Romans strengthened them by using overlapping planks called revetments. The planks themselves are interesting as they were often remains of ships and ‘clinker’ type boats, this has led to the mistaken impression that larger vessels could reach almost up to where Queen Victoria is today, when in fact it was only recycling of timbers
The small exhibition at the Museum of London is dedicated the tools and implements of manufacture found during various archaeological digs. The labels mention the Walbrook, ‘middle’ and ‘lower’ numerous times, they also give an indication of the many industries in the ancient city. Also, many of the items may have come from further afield, lost, dumped in, or swept down the Walbrook.
There is much more to come over the next few years as the finds are sifted through, preserved and then presented to us by the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA). We already know the wax tablets, of which there are many. Endless pairs of shoes, the leather preserved in the waterlogged layers. Gold coins, amulets, pagan tokens and much more, as well as the site of the Temple of Mithras which will be presented to us once again in the purpose-built museum on the site.
The walk introduces you to the ‘middle’ and ‘lower’ course of the Walbrook, but also enlightens you to its source, the course and its demise.
]]>Charlie Chaplin’s Kenningtonhttp://footprintsoflondon.com/2017/03/charlie-chaplins-kennington/
Thu, 02 Mar 2017 11:30:13 +0000http://footprintsoflondon.com/?p=5871Michael Duncan talks about Charlie Chaplin’s London, which features in new walk looking at art and entertainment in Lambeth, which has its debut on March 4th
Everyone knows Charlie Chaplin.
“Iconic” is one of the laziest words used by writers when they seek to describe something or someone. But it applies to Chaplin. The little tramp, in the bowler hat with the toothbrush moustache and odd walk. Recognised even today virtually anywhere in the world.
Whilst the only legitimate child of the Chaplin family, he still managed to forge a reputation for being a bit of a bastard in how he behaved at the peak of his stardom and what he expected from people and women in particular. There were messy divorces, accusations of abuse, bullied co-stars, badly treated children, miserliness, depressions and rages.
But both these aspects of Chaplin, the man and the movie star owe a lot to his upbringing in London, and Kennington in particular.
Kennington was Charlie Chaplin’s manor.
Although born on East Street just off Walworth Road, Charlie Chaplin spent most of his childhood on Kennington Road, moving from flat to flat either with his alcoholic father or mentally unstable mother slipping further and further into poverty.
Kennington Road forms part of the M23 to Brighton and runs from Westminster Bridge Road to the Oval. The annual London to Brighton vintage car race chugs down here every year.
Today it’s the home of MPs as well as a fair smattering of arty and media types. But when Chaplin was a boy it had all the attributes of a slum. Most of the grand houses that line it had been converted into squalid flats and rooming houses and it was home to breweries, pickle factories and worse, tanning plants.
But smatterings of relative wealth remained. Some of the houses were still intact and pubs such as The Tankard on Kennington Road (now a Grand Union burger restaurant) gave young Chaplin an insight into a better more glamorous life. It was there that he would be captivated by glimpses of vaudeville stars “dressed in chequered suits and grey bowlers” having a drink before Sunday lunch. He set his heart on being like them.
Pubs figured large in Charlie’s young life. The Queen’s Head on Black Prince Road was run by his uncle and he often used to wander over to amuse his friends by mimicking a strange man who used to collect pennies in exchange looking after cabbies’ horses. Rummy Binks was an odd looking chap. He wore trousers that were far two big for him and had an odd waddling. walk. He was easy to ridicule and was major influence on the appearance of the “little tramp”.
But pubs were at least in part a cause of the poverty facing the young Charlie.
Opposite what is now the Imperial War Museum there’s a pub called the Three Stags. It’s still one of the busiest in Kennington. Charlie would walk past it often but hardly ever looked in. But one day he would. There, sitting in the corner was his father, who had split up from his mother. He beckoned him in and for once showed genuine affection to his son. But the sight of his father was appalling. Charles senior, sat bloated, a drink in his hand suffering from the final stages of cirrhosis of the liver. It was the last time the eleven year old Charlie would meet him. He would die shortly afterwards in St Thomas’s Hospital.
(But Charles Chaplin, Senior, had once been a well paid music hall entertainer, and had appeared at most of London’s top venues, including the Canterbury on Westminster Bridge Road. On stage he was an elegant chap in a top hat with a walking cane in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other. He would sing songs of everyday life in his fine baritone voice. But music halls such as the Canterbury made much of their money from selling drink. And part of the attraction would be for audience members to mingle, drink and chat with the performers after the show. A practice led to Chaplin Senior’s slide into alcoholism and early death at the age of 37.)
His father’s death, and his mother’s descent into madness pushed Charlie further into poverty.
But despite the squalor of his childhood in Kennington he would still come back, when he was the most famous film star in the world. Sometimes he would be noticed, and there would be a huge commotion. Other times he would manage to slip over the river from the Savoy or the Ritz and spend an evening re-tracing the footsteps of his childhood.
He could never lose sight of who he was and where he came from. Kennington was home.
Hollywood should be grateful for the influence it had on one of its biggest ever stars. A gratitude many of the people he worked with and lived with would perhaps find difficult to share. | {
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Saranac was paced by Kaylee Hardy, who finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Betsy Simpson scored seven points while Sydney Gage and Sadie Guernsey each finished with six points. Guernsey also pulled down nine rebounds.
St. Pats (18-1, 14-1 in CMAC) will finish the regular season on the road Thursday night in Laingsburg.
Saranac (6-13, 4-12 in CMAC) will play host to Grand River Prep on Thursday in its home finale.
Boys Basketball
Portland 74, Ionia 65
PORTLAND — The Raiders scored 47 points combined in the second and third quarters Tuesday night as they earned a win over county rival Ionia.
Jared Krausz led Portland with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Zach Gustafson chipped in with 19 points and five assists. Brodie VanRiper scored 14 points.
Ionia was led by Austin Gregory, who earned 20 points and seven rebounds. Austin Wolcott scored 19 points and dished out five assists, while Bryce Cashner and Mike Corey finished with five points. Cashner also pulled down eight boards.
Portland (10-7) will travel to Stockbridge on Friday, while Ionia (2-15) will head to Owosso. | {
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Business Phone Service Providers in Graham, OK
Choosing Your Phone Service Provider in Graham, OK
Are you a business owner who is in need of putting in a phone line for your office or building? If you are, you have more options than previous business owners did years ago. While we all love the use of social media to promote our business services, most customers still use the phone to call in orders, ask questions and voice concerns, to name just a few reasons. You will need a reliable, dependable phone service provider when you own or operate a business in Graham, OK, so understanding your choices is important before you make your final decision. You can choose between a VoIP or analog phone service when you are looking for a phone company that will work with your company. Understanding the differences and similarities first will help you make an informed and educated decision that will benefit your company for years to come.
VoIP Phone Service: What it is and How it Works
VoIP stands for voice over Internet protocol and is one of the most recent types of phone services available in Graham, OK. This is an alternative system that has been around for over ten years but is just now beginning to become more mainstream. A large number of businesses are making the switch from traditional phone service to VoIP, especially start-ups who are willing to try a new system. Call quality of a VoIP phone service is just the same as when you have a traditional phone line in place, even though the calls are made through the Internet. For this reason, a reliable business Internet connection is crucial to have in order to receive dependable VoIP service in Graham, OK. If you want to make sure your connection supports VoIP, use the Wirefly Internet Speed Test to check.
Many people aren't aware of how VoIP phone service works, so they may shy away from it. VoIP carries calls through the Internet instead of a traditional analog signal that many people are used to. Sending calls through your Internet provider is actually much cheaper than the traditional way of making calls through telephone lines and cables. Calls can be made and received for a lot less than what you are paying now. VoIP phone service also offers international and long distance calls for much less of a price. More and more providers are putting together long distance packages that allow you to pay a flat rate each month, perfect for businesses that make a lot of these types of calls. You won't have to worry about surprise bills that put you way over budget.
VoIP phone service plans also offer a variety of features that you can add-on to your package. You can request hundreds of features such as caller ID, call-waiting, call-forwarding, voicemail with remote access and more. If your business is larger and you need multiple extensions, VoIP can supply them for you.
VoIP phone service plans are also designed for different company sizes. You may be starting up and only need a few different lines, or your corporation may have hundreds of employees who all need their own extensions. No matter what, you'll easily find a VoIP service that can fit your needs for a reasonable price.
How to Find a Business VoIP Service Provider
In Graham, OK, VoIP has recently become very popular, as more and more business owners are realizing the benefits to this type of service after comparing it to traditional analog services. This means there are many providers that sell VoIP packages and who will compete for your business. This may seem confusing at first, but it is actually something you can use to your advantage, as you won't have to settle for just one company.
To begin, decide what features you absolutely have to have for your business. This may depend on how much you can spend for your phone service; if you think you will be expanding in the near future you will want to have the right add-ons. You'll definitely want to include call waiting and caller ID on your list, as these are basic features most companies need to use.
Look up the different offers from various VoIP phone service providers in Graham, OK. See what features they offer, how much they cost, and how well their company is doing. Consider their reputation before you make a decision. Having a working phone system in place is extremely important for your company, so you will always want a provider that has a good reputation and provides excellent customer service.
What is Traditional Business Phone Service?
As stated before, PSTN has been around for years and is what many people think of when they wish to choose a company. PSTN, or public switched telephone network, was the first kind of phone service ever available. It is used all over the United States and runs over cables, telephone lines and satellites, as well as mobile networks. You may think this type of service would be less expensive since it has been around longer, but this isn't the case.
Since the infrastructure that PSTN runs on is older, it requires ongoing care and maintenance to keep it running. This causes the service charge to use it to cost more for business owners. Plus, the service is analog, making it more difficult to send data further distances. When you make a long distance telephone call in Graham, OK over PSTN, the data goes through numerous locations and stops along the way. Since the data goes through many different companies, the charge is more. The analog connection is the last step between the local office and the customer, known as the “last mile'. This is part of the reason the price is higher.
Combining PBX Service With a POTS System
Most enterprises in Graham, OK use PBX (private branch exchange) service, which directs the calls that come into their office to certain departments. PBX is what enables the usage of different professional communications functions like extra lines, live meetings, call redirecting, voice messaging, and others.
With a conventional POTS telephone line, the PBX may be housed either at the customer's location or on a remote server. Regardless of which solution you go with, analog PBX systems have one major disadvantage: They are quite pricey. Configuring a comprehensive company phone network that runs a PBX requires the purchase of different kinds of machinery, which means making an investment of roughly $1,000 at minimum - and that doesn't include installing, setting up, and maintaining the system. For that reason, you'll have to either assign the chore to an on-site worker with technical skills or hire an expert, which could cost upwards of $100 per hour.
In case you do opt for a standard PBX system for your company's communications needs, it's important to remember that updating or growing it might be problematic and cost a lot of money. A lot of PBX circuits in Graham, OK have limitations on how many lines they can accommodate. If your company expands and requires you to add extra lines, you'll have to buy even more equipment to support this expansion.
Similar to other pieces of digital machinery, a PBX can encounter issues and malfunctions. You might have to spend a lot of money out-of-pocket to repair and replace hardware if some component in your PBX fails. In addition, it could grow to be outdated and require replacement every couple of years.
Wirefly Is America's Most Trusted Source For All Cell Phones, Plans, TV, and Internet Deals
Wirefly offers great deals on a large selection of smartphones, cell phones, tablets, mobile hotspots, and other wireless devices for the nation's most popular carriers. Use Wirefly’s innovative cell phone and plan comparison tools to ensure you are getting the best deal on the market. Shop with confidence knowing that Wirefly wants to help you find the best prices on cell phones, cell phone plans, TV, and Internet service. | {
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Ice, Salt and Warm-Season Flows on Mars
August 04, 2011
This map of Mars shows relative locations of three types of findings related to salt or frozen water, plus a new type of finding that may be related to both salt and water.
Coloring of the map is coded to concentrations of shallow subsurface water ice found by the Gamma Ray Spectrometer - Neutron Spectrometer on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter. Blue, at high latitudes north and south, indicates higher concentrations of water ice (deduced from detection of hydrogen); orange designates lowest concentrations. Some hydrogen, possibly in the form of bound water, is close to the surface even at middle latitudes.
The white squares in the northern hemisphere mark locations of small fresh impact craters that exposed water ice close to the surface and validated the neutron spectrometer data. Observations of these fresh craters were made by the Context Camera and the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
The red squares mark locations of putative deposits of chlorite based on observations by the Thermal Emission Imaging System on Mars Odyssey. Such salt deposits could have resulted from evaporation of salty water.
The blue squares mark locations of a type of feature reported in August 2011 based on sequences of observations by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment. The observations show relatively dark features appearing and incrementally growing down slopes during warm seasons. Researchers hypothesize that these features may result from action of briny water. | {
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Happy, Happy Birthday Richelle!!! (POOH_BEAR_69 on SP) It is so hard to believe that it was 36 years ago the Lord blessed me with my second beautiful daughter who was named Richelle after her father Richard. That Friday the 13th was very special... Read more
Today is my father's birthday although I haven't seen him in 35 years. He has been on my mind all day. Lots of happy memories of the man who raised six children by himself after my parents divorced when I was five years old. What a brave man he ... Read more
For those of you who were following my blogs on my nephew Shannon, I just wanted to update you on his progress. He was blinded in an accident last fall when an aerosol can exploded in a fire they were burning and had several eye surgeries.
... Read more
I tried to post this yesterday on our Fourth of July and America's Independence Day but was having issues with SP.
Here’s a little history of the Liberty Bell:
The Pennsylvania Assembly ordered the Liberty Bell in 1751 to commemorate... Read more
We had a very long day last Tuesday at the election polls. Only 27 people showed up to vote and four of the 27 were the poll workers. We had a gas leak in the building and had to vacate. I was really glad one of our poll workers is married to... Read more
Today Richelle had scheduled a six month photo shoot for Liam. She crocheted his blanket and his Winnie the Pooh Hat as well as doing the printing on his Honey Pot. What an AWESOME job she has done on everything.
This photo was a sneak previ... Read more
Ken and I have enjoyed working in our yard today while the sun was shining brightly. Now we are in the middle of a thunderstorm with lots of rain.
Many things have been happening this month. McKenzie competed in a dance competition and h... Read more
Just want to say a great big THANK YOU to all who saw my pictures of Liam and read my blogs!
Your support (no matter how big or small) is appreciated and makes me want to continue to lead as healthy a life as I can. THANK YOU!!!
We live ... Read more
With the continuing extremely cold temperatures all our area schools have cancelled classes for tomorrow as well as all the Pittsburgh schools. Even though we did get more snow today, there was no major accumulation. I did complete shoveling e... Read more
Just a quick update. First many of you know that the temperatures are below zero with colder than ever wind chill temperature. The weather man said it is the coldest weather we have had in over twenty years. Even our local churches and many ch... Read more | {
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Tag Archives: Final Fantasy XIV
The haze has dissipated around the Forbidden Land of Eureka Anemos in FINAL FANTASY XIV Online with the release of Patch 4.25. The new and unexplored fierce mysterious region, where the elements are in constant flux and the players will be challenged by the new combat models that they will have to master to obtain and improve new and powerful weapons. This patch also includes the newest chapter in the adventures of the extraordinary inspector, Hidibrand, and the seventh season of “The Feast” PvP.
The Forbidden Land, Eureka Anemos, is a large and unexplored area that brings several changes to the common pillars of the gameplay:
Exploration with several players: Up to 144 players can occupy the same instance. They will be encouraged to join in groups with other adventurers to hunt down notorious monsters and work towards the same goal.
Player Progression: Players will gain elemental experience to improve their skills in order to absorb the elements, and they can use the new Magic Board to customize their elemental affinity and explore Eureka.
Altered Combat Mechanics: A new strategy is required in the battle thanks to the elemental system, players must use the Magia Board to change the elemental affinity of their attacks to oppose the element of their enemy. Players will be able to customize the elemental attributes of their Magia Board before going out to explore using Magia Melder, and should carefully consider their plan depending on the goal of their adventure.
Rewards: Occasionally, players can earn protean crystals while exploring Eureka and can use them to improve their weapons and skills in this place with the help of the famous blacksmith, Gerolt.
The complete Patch 4.25 notes can be found at: http://sqex.to/FLz. It is very important to take the time to level up at the beginning of the game. Whenever you need gils, you can turn to FFXIV4GIL for help. FFXIV4GIL has cheap FFXIV Gil for sale. And we guarantee to deliver safe gil to you within 10 mins in safe places of the game.
Square Enix announces the news that will be added in Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood with the arrival of the 4.25 patch that will be released next March 13th.
First of all the patch will contain the wild Forbidden Land of Eureka. This region will include new battle elements that will challenge players and will be critical to obtaining very powerful new weapons. This update will also include the last chapter of the adventures of the extraordinary inspector Hildibrand.
Forbidden Land of Eureka will be a vast and unexplored area that will introduce a series of changes to the usual gameplay:
Up to 144 players can take part in a single instance. We encourage players to team up with other adventurers to drive infamous monsters and complete common goals.
Players will get Elemental EXP to reinforce their domain of elements and can also use the new “Magic Board” feature to customize their elemental affinities, which will help them explore Eureka.
From now on, more strategy will be needed to dominate a system of elements with which players will have to use “Magic Board” to alter the elemental affinity of their attack and counter that of the enemy. Players will customize the elemental attributes of their “Magic Board” before the exploration thanks to a “Magic Melder” and will have to study them very well depending on the objective of the adventure.
Players will occasionally get “protean crystals” by exploring Eureka and can use them to improve Eureka equipment and weapons with the help of the famous blacksmith Gerolt.
In addition, the annual Little Ladies’ Day has begun, which will run until March 14th. The Songbirds will return to Eorzea for another concert and players will be able to celebrate with three new emoticons obtainable by completing a series of special missions. More FFXIV news please keep eyes on FFXIV4GIL.COM which would devote to offer amounts of cheap Final Fantasy XIV Gil online.
In January 2018, as we know, we will probably get one more update from Square Enix. Now, players are eager to know the full feature list for Rise of a New Sun. The update is the upcoming and popular. The developers has released a number of new details on Final Fantasy XIV Patch 4.2, now, let’s know the update’s list details. Final Fantasy XIV Gil has a great impact on players, since Final Fantasy XIV Gil is main currency in the game.
Subaquatic Voyages
Construct a submersible in your company workshop and hunt for hidden treasures in the depths of the ocean.
Glamour Dresser
Inn rooms in each of the city-states and Kugane contain glamour dressers, which allow the conversion of clothing, weapons, and tools into glamours.
Beast Tribe Quests
The Vira, one of the tribes of snake-like Ananta, have long supported the efforts of the Resistance by sending warriors to bolster their ranks. One such battlemaid is Alpa, the broodmother’s daughter, who makes up for her lack of prowess in combat with her courage and ingenuity.
The Feast (PvP)
New Map
Crystal Tower Training Grounds
New Rules
Battles have been made shorter and more dynamic, and feature the new “Light Medal” effect that reduces damage taken as the number of medals held by a player drops. Adjustments have also been made to the UI, making it easier to see the number of medals held and status effects.
New Team System
Form a PvP team of up to six players, utilize the specialized group chat function, and choose an insignia to represent the party. Compete against other teams in brand-new ranked matches.
Rise of a New Sun, this update will feature a new campaign scenario, new dungeons, and a lot more updates that will expand the MMO. The Final Fantasy XIV update 4.2 has been updated yet again at FFXIV4Gil with a brief look at a number of new things coming to Rise of a New Sun, you can view more at here.
In Final Fantasy XIV, even if the second expansion Stormblood doesn’t strike away from Heavensward or other modern MMOs in terms of quest design and content, almost everything it does is exceptional. The Stormblood adds a samurai class and increased level cap to the game this summer. The Stormblood’s story is very well designed and very engaging, new zones and music and jobs are all amazing.
The Stormblood is one of the best expansions to any MMORPG yet, new enemies, sights, story and even two new jobs, Red Mage and Samurai which are both great classes. Hence, The Stormblood is one of the best products available from Square Enix and some of the best MMORPG on the market. The popular MMO’s out on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC, and Square Enix continues to release new expansions on a regular basis.
Many of players were stoked enough to see the Red Mage jobs added to Final Fantasy XIV with this expansion. The new areas are impressive, great design, nice detail. You can swim and dive in some areas, the new story quests and side quests are engaging. The expansion brings new cultures and ideals to the already lore heavy game, this is the perfect representation of the best of Final Fantasy XIV.
Final Fantasy XIV is truly something special, and an adventure you won’t want to miss. At FFXIV4Gil, we promise to finish your orders on time without compromising the quality. You will buy Final Fantasy XIV Gil with cheapest price and the top quality of service. If you want to buy fast Final Fantasy XIV Gil and FFXIV Power Leveling, please visit here to choice.
In Final Fantasy XIV, regardless of your class, your character will have three bars you need to pay attention to during combat. Respectively, HP bar, MP bar as well as TP bar. However, tanks are the rarest thing to find in Final Fantasy XIV at the moment. Everyone knows that tanks are in short supply. Why aren’t there more tanks in Final Fantasy XIV?
Since a good tank has to be aware of everything going on at any given moment, changing targets, watching threat, maintaining survivability, and moving about hither and yon. Being the tank doesn’t mean that you have to be the leader, but you’re expected to set the pace of content, both by what you choose to engage and how you choose to do it.
For a lot of players, the strain that’s inherent to the role is just not a fun ride. Tanking in every game asks a little bit more than other player roles. On the whole, tanking in Final Fantasy XIV is a fair bit harder than average. You also have to learn the dungeon as a tank for the first time, something that’s hard to do when you started out from a DPS or healing perspective.
It should be noted that more exclusive news and guides of Final Fantasy XIV, view more at FFXIV4GIL. The game is available in four languages: Japanese, English, French and German. With a wealth of subtle tweaks and new content, the Gears of Change patch introduces new story quests, beast tribe quests, brand new dungeons and many more.
With time push away, Final Fantasy XIV new added more new content, and Final Fantasy XIV was really be changed until the release of the game’s latest expansion, Stormblood. In Final Fantasy XIV, there’s going to be a lot to do in the game, there’s going to be solo and multiplayer content, and when it comes to classes/jobs, there will be many to choose from. It should be emphasized that Final Fantasy XIV Gil and FFXIV Power Leveling at FFXIV4GIL.
In fact, he’s been looking for a replacement ever since the beginning of Omega. Now, to be clear, he has gone through the proper channels of trying to find a good healer for his group, including going to the group finder. However, no matter where he looks, all the healers he finds are either spoken for, or aren’t up to the level he needs.
Stormblood doesn’t add any new PvP content to PvP, but what it does is completely overhaul the underlying systems governing PvP combat. For one, instead of splitting PvP into multiple brackets, players can start queuing for PvP at level 30 and all players will be on even footing with each other. Whether you’re a fresh level 30 or a raid geared level 70, it doesn’t matter. Skill is all that matters in PvP now, gear is purely cosmetic.
Now, Square Enix may have finally found a workable place for PvP in FFXIV with Stormblood. In FFXIV, the moment-to-moment action is fun. One of the biggest draws to PvP in Stormblood is the fact that PvP is now an alternate means of leveling. Unless you were a hardcore player of PvP, it wasn’t really worth your while in the past. Now, you can spice things up by leveling through PvP as early as level 30 and it’s incredibly efficient to do so. For more on Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, check out more at here.
Concerning the next Final Fantasy XIV event, it can be said that it is coming. According to Square Enix, the Moonfire Faire, will return next week, on August 8. Like previous years, the FFXIV event gives players a chance to snag some exclusive summer-themed gear, for this time event, this following are equipments and items that we will be able to obtain. Further information and tips, see more at here.
In a hot summer, MMORPGs are scrambling to provide events to celebrate the season. Final Fantasy XIV just jumped on that bandwagon, by bringing the traditional Moonfire Faire event.
The first is a summery outfit, the Faire set, which is basically a rehashed Shisui set, buy enabled for dying, allowing you to pick whatever color you like. On top of that, we’ll get an “Evercold Shaved Ice” furniture item that distributes shaved ice snacks, a Moonfire Faire painting and an orchestrion roll with the glorious Hyper Rainbow Z music from last year’s event.
Players will also have a chance to purchase some items from previous Moonfire Faires at the festival’s different vendors. Nevertheless, be sure to visit safe and credible website such as FFXIV4GIL, you have opportunity to buy cheap Final Fantasy XIV Gil and FFXIV Power Leveling.
For the latest FFXIV expansion Stormblood, and it have been launched for a while. Including 8 brand new light party dungeons, 3 of which are expert level. As know, Stormblood is the latest in a series of expansions, it brings a whole host of beautiful landscapes, characters, and swimsuits to all budding Eorzea adventurers. To learn more about the FFXIV expansion, visit official website.
Like any MMO, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Starts with the creation of your character. In addition to the usual skill changes and breeds, you will need to choose your protective deity and date of birth. These two elements have no real importance on your character since only a few points of elementary resistances vary according to the divinity. As for the date of birth, it only serves roleplay.
To learn a new class, all you have to do is go to the guild of the class you are interested in and complete the short blue quest. To move from one class to another at any time, it will be necessary to equip the weapon of the corresponding class, or create a shortcut, via the list of outfits.
To change class, you must first reach level 10 with the starting class and complete class quests (1, 5 and 10, which are taken from the class guild, Form of blue quests). Attention: Class quests are essential. It is very important to go to his guild every 5 levels. These quests allow you to unlock spells, stuff and level 30, jobs.
More guides can be found more at here, regardless of what you want to know, FFXIV4Gil can offers anything. At the same time, the convenience and safe channel to buy Final Fantasy XIV Gil and FFXIV Power Leveling. If you want to know the current news about FFXIV, pleasingly, FFXIV will be update at the first.
Final Fantasy XIV 4.05 update is currently available for download on PC and PS4, so you know all the novelties and details that are being implemented. Please To get more information through FFXIV4GIL. The latest expansion of the game, Stormblood has been available for a while. FFXIV news would continue to update at FFXIV4GIL, pay attention us and visit website.
Naoki Yoshida point out that he will to bring MMORPG to Xbox One and Nintendo Switch as well. This, however, is a condition: cross-play support. In addition, Square Enix has released new Stormblood dedicated artwork: the images, the work of the lead concept artist Yosuke Mogi, depict the characters Lyse, Hien, Yugiri, Gosetsu and others.
The success of Final Fantasy XIV relies largely on the plot. Betrayal of its elements will deprive you of the joy of discovering the many tastes contained in the main scenario. Relax, there will be plenty of action, melodramatic themes and the return of some famous characters.
With Stormblood the skirmishes with the others have ceased to be stiff and are a good way to gain experience. A problem with Stormblood is the fact that tasks outside the main scenario are weak. While mission missions serve a variety of challenges, arouse emotions and some degree of difficulty, all the others turn out to be typical “bring, get, knock out”. Have you ever managed to buy Final Fantasy XIV Gil & FFXIV Power Leveling? FFXIV4GIL is the convenience and safe place to buy Gil.
Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood is unveiled, with the release of the new expansion, a large number of gamers are exploring the new post-level 60 content. The new expansion includes 8 brand new light party dungeons, 3 of which are expert level.
In addition, there’s plenty of new things to do and see in the new Stormblood expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, and more new content was also listed. With the launch of new expansion, gamers are now longing to buy Final Fantasy XIV Gil & FFXIV Power Leveling.
Every Piece Of New Content For You Listed Below
New Dungeons
Expanded item inventory
Changes to the battle system
New gear and crafting recipes
The Forbidden Land of Eureka
Level cap increase from 60 to 70
New Shirogane residential district
Journey to the new city of Kugane
A new Alliance Raid: Return to Ivalice
New adventures in Ala Mhigo and Doma
Play as two new jobs – red mage and samurai
New exploration including swimming and diving
New 8-man Raid: Interdimensional Rift – Omega
Explore Gyr Abania, the Ruby Sea, Yanxia, and the Azim Steppe
New Primals and Beastmen: Lakshmi and the Ananta, Susano and the Kojin
The new expansion is currently available on PlayStation 4 and PC. Along with the inclusion of two new job classes, Red Mage and Samurai, Square Enix has introduced significant changes to both job progression and job abilities across the board. For more information on Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood, recommend you click here. | {
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Corey Nakatani is looking forward to reuniting with Tapizar in next
Saturday’s Grade II, $150,000 San Fernando Stakes at 1 1/16 miles.
Nakatani rode last year’s Sham Stakes winner to victory at Belmont Park
on Oct. 8 in their lone union together.
“He’s very fast,” Nakatani said of the 4-year-old Tapit colt trained by Steve Asmussen. “They’re
going to have to pick their feet up to beat him. I worked him twice going six furlongs and he went well.”
Tapizar was fifth in his last start, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
on Nov. 5. Owned and bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Tapizar has three
wins from eight starts with earnings of $173,032.
Probable for the San Fernando: Balladry, Garrett Gomez; Irish
Art, no rider; Prayer for Relief, Rafael Bejarano; and Tapizar,
Nakatani. | {
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Despite a continuing push to challenge the Affordable Care Act, the no co-pay birth control mandate, and a call to protect “religious freedoms,” a new poll released today by Catholics for Choice shows that a vast number of self-identified Catholics are more interested in job creation and the economy than they are in the agenda being pushed by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the United States.
According to the survey of 1000 self-described Catholic voters, 83 percent believe that they are not obligated to vote in the same way that their bishop urges, and 76 percent believe Catholic politicians aren’t required to legislate as the bishops wish, ether.
“As we prepare to vote in this election, we have witnessed a concerted effort by the US bishops to convince Catholics that some issues are more important than others,” said Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice via email release. “The Fortnight for Freedom was just one part of their campaign. Some bishops and priests have been less subtle, giving explicit voting advice to congregants. In short, the bishops are trying to bully Catholics to vote in a certain way. This poll shows that the bishops’ efforts have been a spectacular failure. Catholics reject this type of politicking from the pulpit and refuse to be cowed by their religious leaders. Just like other Americans, Catholics care most about the bread and butter issues that affect our families when we consider the political decisions to be made come November 6.” | {
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Jeepers Creepers 3 (2017)
DIRECTOR:
CAST:
After many false starts we finally have the much anticipated next installment in the Jeepers Creepers series. Thinking back on the progress and how we got to this point, a sequel had been in talks since before the second movie even found its way into theaters, but finding proper financing has always been an issue (and writer/director Victor Salva's sordid past didn't help matters). Over the years many ideas have been thrown around, like some parts of the film possibly taking place in western times (which might explain The Creeper's choice in clothing) and the more reported idea of the story taking place 23 years after the events of the last one. This idea, of course, is now believed to be where the fourth and final installment takes place, assuming it officially moves forward.
While I'm a huge fan of the first film I was rather disappointed with the second since it primarily took place in and around a bus. It's especially disappointing considering that the first ended in a cliffhanger, so naturally you'd want to know what happens after the events at the police station. Luckily that's where this third one comes in, filling in the gaps between the first and second and finally answering the question of what the hell happened after Darry was taken away.
The story takes place shortly after the events of the first, as we follow Sgt. Tubbs (once again played by Brandon Smith) putting a team together to hunt down The Creeper. Accompanied by another sheriff (Stan Shaw) who happens to have a history with the creature, the men attempt to follow The Creeper's trail and hope to gain a little knowledge on how to stop him along the way. Meanwhile, short on time and with lots to do, The Creeper is running (or should I say flying?) around town hunting locals and throwing them in the back of his infamous truck, as if storing them for later. It's only a matter of time before The Creeper reaches an old farm run by Meg Foster, who apparently holds the key to his origins and possibly a way to stop him once and for all.
This is essentially the sequel that we should have gotten a long time ago instead of the the whole bus fiasco, but I suppose better late than never. Being a fan of the movies I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this and in some respects it was worth the wait--it's well paced and with a good amount of action from The Creeper, especially his truck. The first movie only showed how menacing the truck was, while here it's essentially its own character. The damn thing has all sorts of traps and gadgets that are built into it to stop people from screwing around and don't even think about trying to escape from the inside because there are sharp pointy measures against that as well. It's definitely a nice addition to The Creeper's arsenal.
Next to the truck we learn a little more about the winged foe himself thanks to a little insight from Meg Foster, though it's more like a tease than anything since very little is even revealed. The rest of the movie offers a decent amount of blood and bits of gore here and there, but nothing really notable. My biggest complaint comes from the film's seriously dodgy CG effects. I'm not sure what the budget was, but supposedly the filmmakers were on a strict deadline, so they didn't have enough time to properly take care of the CG, but either way, it's pretty terrible. The ending ties fairly well to the second movie, and also leaves open a cameo with an aged Trish (Gina Phillips) at the very end vowing vengeance for her brother. Aside from the CG I had a good time with this and really hope we do get that next movie (maybe spend a bit longer in post this time?).
OVERALL:
This is the sequel we should have received all those years ago since it's a nice improvement over the last installment (mostly in the story department). Well paced from the start, fans should get a kick outta seeing The Creeper back in action, especially behind his iconic truck once again (which proves to be just as menacing as The Creeper himself). Unfortunately the movie does suffer from some noticeably terrible CG effects, which can take you out of the film a little. However, if you can look passed that you'll likely find yourself having a blast, like I did.
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I’m a stalwart Firefox user (I roll with their cutting edge Aurora build, which is a beta to the beta of forthcoming versions of Firefox). I’ve used Firefox for years. Hell, I was using it even before it was called Firefox. I feel kind of old school about it. I’m not a huge fan of Chrome. I don’t think it’s the best browser out there and I hate that as time has gone on, the heads who make Firefox have tried to make it look more and more like Chrome. Firefox has become, in some ways, such an afterthought in the browser world, that it’s almost crazy to see the level of press that Mozilla, the people who make Firefox, has gotten recently.
All of this stems from the fact that they promoted Brendan Eich, a guy who gave a fair amount of money in support of Prop 8, to be their CEO. This naturally caused a lot of blow-back, because Americans are finally waking up and realizing that it’s not exactly cool to deny people rights because they’re not the exact same as you. This continued to build for a few days until the guy resigned. Then the blow-back started the other way, about how the hell could they do that, it was his personal opinion, and etc. I’m happy that this was the final decision, and this is why.
It doesn’t take a lot of looking around to see just how much influence corporations and CEOs now have over our nation’s policies and politics. Supported by a legislature that bows before the corporate altar and a judiciary that is inclined to allow corporate rights to run amok, we’re at an interesting place these days. You don’t have to look much further than the Hobby Lobby case that was argued in front of the Supreme Court recently. At stake here? Essentially, the rights of a corporation to deny rights to a class of employees because of what they believe in. Supporters of the Hobby Lobby folks will try to offer a more narrow interpretation of this, but that’s what it comes down to (well, that, and the fact that conservatives hate vaginas). If the Court sides with them, it could open the door for all kinds of companies to deny rights about things to all sorts of people because they don’t agree with them. Sure, a small non-profit foundation that makes a free internet browser isn’t going to make as many waves as that, but you have to draw a line at some point.
In some ways, of course, this is an exaggerated comparison, but the fact stands that when a CEO is appointed, what they believe in matters greatly to the world around them. In a world where CEOs wield such influence (and a judiciary that continues to say that money talks… loudly), our rights can disappear just like that. If they go in believing that certain kinds of people don’t deserve rights, what’s to stop them from pushing their political agenda?
In Mozilla’s tag line on their homepage, they say that doing good is a part of their code. They’ve maintained policies that sacrifice usability in the name of higher standards (like holding out on h.264 for so long). Having a CEO who believes that a whole class of people don’t deserve the same rights that he enjoys and likely takes for granted is doing the exact opposite of that. No matter what his supporters think, firing Brendan Eich was the only possible outcome for Mozilla. You can’t do the most good otherwise. Kudos to Mozilla for getting this one as right as they could. | {
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The Invisible ManR
When Cecilia's abusive ex commits suicide and leaves her a generous portion of his vast fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of eerie coincidences turns lethal, Cecilia is convinced she is being hunted by someone nobody can see. | {
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The friendly - the final match of a four-team competition called the 'Superclasico' - was played on neutral turf in Saudi Arabia, and was won in the dying minutes when Miranda fired home.
Launching across social media on October 16, the Halloween themed video finds Jack emulating Michael Jackson's Thriller persona as he joins his cast-mates and Colin the Vampire for the cause. Read more
After beating Shinsuke Nakamura in his WWE return Tuesday on SmackDown 1000, Rey Mysterio is in line for a shot at Nakamura 's United States Championship. According to Marc Middleton of WrestlingInc . ... Read more
The 46-year-old suspect, identified by his surname Zheng, assaulted Dr He Yingdong during an argument at Peking University First Hospital in Beijing on September 22, according to local police. Read more
The couple shared many a passionate smooch on the red carpet as they arrived in their formal get-ups, with Zara, 21, sizzling in a plunging red frock that was bound to turn more than a few heads. Read more
Make Me Feed - Use RSS feeds technology to keep you informed about news relative hashtags that you use on the web, in this regard, all the site content are automatically inserted by reading third part feed. Makemefeed does not write articles. | {
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The news that matters for Gays and Lesbians everywhere!
Relationships
Top showman, entertainer and actor John Barrowman married his long term partner Scott Gill last week, after a 20-year committed relationship.
The couple had already entered into a civil partnership back in 2006, however following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) recently, Barrowman and his partner Scott Gill were delighted to legally marry in the state of California.
Barrowman himself announced the news via a video clip before posting a photo after their special ceremony. During the short video John can be seen addressing the camera, saying: “It’s five after one and we’ve got our coffee and we’re in the car getting ready to leave, because where are we going, Scott?” The Torchwood star then turned the camera on his partner Gill, who replies: “To get married. Yay!”
He closes the video with a reference to the overturning of DOMA last week, adding: “We’re getting married in the state of California. Thank you Supreme Court, about time you made it legal. See you after we have the ceremony!”
The happy newlyweds later posted a photograph of themselves with their marriage certificate, writing: “We are now legally married. Thanks for all your great wishes. JB and Scott.”
The couple have always been open about their desire to get married telling many in the media they would just as soon as it became legal to do so in the US. They have also indicated in interviews that would like to have children too, when the time was right – “We haven’t ruled out having children ourselves but it depends where my career takes us.” John claimed in an interview in the UK’s Sun newspaper last year.
“We wouldn’t want a baby. We’d look at adopting an older child or teenager who might have been in trouble. We would also look at adopting a gay child, thrown out of their home because of their sexuality.”
We send our love and warmest wishes to John and Scott on their happy news and hope they have a long and happy married life together.
Proposition 8 in California is the voter-approved law that limits marriage to one man and one woman that was passed in 2008. In 2010, Prop 8 was declared unconstitutional by Judge Vaughn Walker because it limited marriage to only opposite couples thereby denying gay and lesbian Californians their basic rights.
Judge Walker’s decision was challenged by a group of citizens who put Prop 8 on the ballot. A federal court ruled that this group did not have legal standing to challenge the law. Hollingsworth vs. Perry was the case before the Supreme Court.
The justices essentially adopted the rationale of the federal appeals court that found that California could not take away the right to marry that had been granted by the state Supreme Court in 2008, before Proposition 8 passed. The Court ruled that “because the Governor and Attorney General of California – the officials responsible for defending state laws in court- decided not to appeal Judge Walker’s decision. The supporters of Proposition 8 could not appeal that decision on their own because they could not show that allowing same-sex couples to marry would personally affect them in any way.”
This historic ruling on June 26, 2013, restores the freedom to marry to same-sex couples in California. Because of the demise of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, that defined marriage as only between a man and a woman, Californians once married can now receive federal benefits equal to those of heterosexual couples.
Time-Line for Same-Sex California Marriages
On June 28, 2013, the Ninth Circuit lifted the stay preventing California from marrying same-sex couples. California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. issued a statement saying “I have directed the California Department of Public Health to advise the state’s fifty-eight counties that they must begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in California as soon as the Ninth Circuit confirms the stay is lifted.”
Immediate Weddings
Attorney General Kamala Harris, rushed to San Francisco City Hall within minutes of the meeting to marry two of the plantiffs Kris Perry and Sandy Stier. Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles married the other two plantiffs in the case Paul Katami and Jeffrey Zarrillo.
Many legal experts and advocates had expected the court to wait for an official decision from the Supreme Court –this is normally the procedure. But Attorney General Harris urged the Circuit Court to act immediately.
Counter Argument
Under Supreme Court rules, the losing side in a legal dispute has twenty-five days to ask the high court to rehear the case. The court said that it would not finalize its ruling in the Proposition 8 dispute until after that time had elapsed.
Justice Anthony Kennedy denied the emergency petition from an anti-gay marriage group to halt same-sex weddings in California immediately. The Ninth Circuit’s June 28, 2013 Order purporting to dissolve the stay allowed weddings to resume two days after the Supreme Court declined to rule on Proposition 8’s constitutionality.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the Supreme Court’s majority opinion: “we have never before upheld the standing of a private party to defend the constitutionality of a state statue when state officials have chosen not to. We decline to do so for the first time here.”
“I think I can, I think I can” must have been Windsor’s motto as she led an uphill battle that lasted five years, and culminated in a U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down the federal law DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) that regarded marriage as a union only between a man and a woman. But in terms of her strength, Edie Windsor’s impact on gay rights in the U.S. was (like Superman) “as strong as a locomotive.”
Auspicious Beginnings
Edith Schlain was born eighty-four years ago in Philadelphia. She briefly married a man, divorced , and moved to New York City “to be gay.” A math and computer whiz, Edie worked at I.B.M.., one of the few women at the heart of the revolution in programming. She was closeted at that time, but did ask a friend “if you know where the lesbians go, please take me.”
The First Meeting
On Friday evenings, Portofino in the West Village was a hangout for gay women. It was here that she met Thea Spyer, a wealthy Jewish emigre from Holland, who was a psychologist and violinist in 1963. Four years later, they began what turned out to be “ a very long engagement”( the title of a documentary about Edie and Thea).
Sickness Enters Equation
In 1977, Spyer was found to have multiple sclerosis. Edie quit her job to care for Spyer. At that time, Edie became a gay activist, financial donor, and was drafted to design and manage computer systems for gay groups.
Because of the severity of Spyer’s illness, Edith and Thea went to Toronto to wed in May 2007 ( New York did not have legalized gay married until 2011). Thea died on February 5, 2009. They were a couple for forty-four years!
Edith Taxed Unfairly
Because the federal government did not recognize the couple’s marriage, Edie could not receive federal benefits, according to DOMA. She was saddled with $363,053 in federal estate taxes and more than $600,000 overall because the government did not recognize her as Spyer’s spouse who could inherit the modest cottage in the Hamptons and couple’s Fifth Avenue apartment, tax free.
Windsor sued the federal government Windsor v. United States for failing to recognize her marriage to her partner after Spyer’s death in 2009. In her lawsuit, Windsor argued that DOMA violates the equal protection guarantee of the U.S. Constitution because it requires the government to treat same-sex couples who are legally married as strangers.
Challenging Laws: Through The Maze of Courts
Windsor’s lawsuit was filed by the law firm of Paul Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP,, the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union.
In October 2012, in a 2 to -1 ruling, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York ruled in her favor: that DOMA unconstitutionally discriminates against married same-sex couples.
On December 7, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that the justices would be hearing Windsor’s challenge to the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act as well as a challenge to California’s Proposition 8 marriage amendment.
During this past March, the U.S. Supreme Court heard gay marriage arguments. On Wednesday, June 26, they finally came to a conclusion.
Supreme Court Delivers Victory to Windsor
In a 5-to-4 ruling, U.S. Supreme Court justices, with Anthony Kennedy as the “swing vote,” said that DOMA is unconstitutional because it is deprivation of the equal liberty of persons that is protected by the Fifth Amendment. Same-sex couples who are legally married must now be treated the same as married opposite-sex couples and be entitled to benefits including income taxes, social security benefits and over a thousand other federal laws and programs – same as heterosexual couples. (See Gay Agenda’s Post “Supreme Court Delivers Gay Marriage Victory,” Gay Agenda, 26/6/13.)
Edie never lost sight of what was fair not only for herself, but for other gay couples who have been denied their benefits in states where same-sex marriage is legal. Because of this hero’s tenacity, a bill known as the Respect for Marriage Act is working its way through Congress to supplant DOMA.
The just-released Pew Survey reveals that kids as young as ten sense they are GLBT. For greater anonymity, the survey was done online to attract a wider range of participants who were asked when they first knew they were gay and when they first told a close friend or relative. (Of course, closeted gays are reluctant to participate in a survey, thus eliminating a greater population).
Gender-Different Responses
On the average, male respondents said they suspected by the age of ten, knew at age 15, and told a friend or relative at age 18. Female respondents, however, sensed it at age 13, knew at 18, and told someone at 21.
Ritch Savin-Williams, Ph.D., Cornell University professor, and author of Mom, Dad, I’m Gay: How Families Negotiate Coming Out,” attributes this age gap to the social cues boys and girls receive: It takes longer for a lesbian to realize she has a “crush” on a friend because she is taught that it is socially acceptable to hold hands, exchange friendship bracelets, and have intimate conversations. Boys, on the other hand, are instructed not to have physical contact with other boys. So, the lack of physical contact helps them realize their attraction to other boys goes against society’s expectations of them.
Children claim to know because of an earlier biochemical benchmark: the adrenal gland’s release of hormones or “adrenarche.” According to Savin-Williams, this typically occurs around third grade, before puberty.
Whom Do The GLBT Kids Tell?
Six out of ten GLBT Americans had told one or both of their parents. The others had told friends or other relatives. Surprisingly enough, 13 percent had still not told any one. A few respondents didn’t know they were gay until they were in their 60’s.
Savin-Williams found that a gay teen will usually tell a mother first. Most parents, the survey found, particularly mothers, already suspected. The father was usually told later, either by the child or the mother, by request. Grandparents or extended family members were often the last to be told. Gay teens usually tell a female friend first.
Reaction of Parents
Sons and daughter received the same reaction from parents. The average reaction is characterized as “slightly negative.” It can range from celebration to violence and eviction. “Most don’t throw the kid out of the house,” says Savin-Williams. “I think we haven’t given parents who are really decent and reasonable enough credit.”
Mothers are typically more emotional in their reaction. They worry about what this discovery means for their child’s future, as they worry about their child’s safety and how society will treat their child.
In deference to October as anti-bullying month, glaad, The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is sponsoring Spirit Day on Friday, October 19th. On that day, millions of Americans will wear purple to speak out against bullying and to show support for GLBT youth.
Why Purple? It represents spirit on the rainbow flag. Participants will either wear purple on Spirit Day or change their social media profile pictures to purple using GLAAD’s Spirit Day apps available at http://glaad.org/spiritday. “By going purple for Spirit Day, millions of Americans are helping to send a clear message that no one should be bullied simply because of who they are,” states GLAAD President Herndon Graddick.
Businesses that Participate in Spirit Day
AT&T is the exclusive underwriter of the of the Spirit Day Text purple campaign: supporters can donate to GLAAD, Glsen ( Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network)and The Trevor Project by texting ‘PURPLE’ to 80888 to make a $5 contribution.
American Apparel, the Los Angeles clothing manufacturer launched a Spirit Day store featuring the company’s purple clothing items. Supporters will receive a special 10% discount on the purple items by using the promo code ‘SPIRIT’ at check out. American Apparel will donate 10% of all ‘purple proceeds’ to GLAAD.
Celebrities Don Purple on October 19th
Hosts of ‘Good Morning America,’ ‘The Talk,” ‘E!News,’ ‘Chelsea Lately,’ among others, have pledged to wear purple along with Katy Butler, the 17 year old openly lesbian Michigan high school student whose campaign changed the Motion Picture ‘R’ rating of the documentary “Bully.” Butler is calling for President Obama and Governor Romney to wear purple on Friday.
What will you be wearing this Friday?
GLSEN Sponsors ALLY WEEK, October 15-19, 2012
Glsen, the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students is sponsoring its seventh Ally Week in schools and communities nationwide October 15-19. Ally Week is a time that student organizers can plan events that serve to identify, support, and celebrate allies against anti-LGBT language, bullying and harassment in U.S. schools. Students, often with the help of Glsen’s resources, plan events for their school community through their Gay Straight Alliances, similar clubs, pledge drives, PSA announcements, as well as workshops. The events increase awareness for students and school staff of anti-LGBT behavior while working to build the networks of support within the schools.
The Ex-Senator, Rick Santorum, seems to think we; our little gathering of gay and lesbian people are a lot more powerful than even we thought we were, he thinks we have to the power to overthrow the entire religious establishment. But, not only that, he seems to think we can destroy the entire human race by ending families and smashing to pieces over two thousand years of marriage by simply living under the same laws as everyone else! Gosh, we’ve got some power then huh Rick.
The former senator, not popular enough to run for President, has stepped up joined the campaign against equal marriage in Washington state. He claims that if marriage equality became a reality, churches and families would be destroyed. The former Republican presidential candidate said that marriage would “disintegrate” if equal marriage became law. He was addressing the audience at a closed-door Spokane fundraiser for the Family Policy Institute of Washington, an anti-marriage equality group.
There are only a few weeks to go before the November 6th, referendum on equal marriage takes place in the state of Washington, which is a milestone for equality in the State. The video of Mr Santorum’s full address is posted by SeattlePI, in which he claims “This is a turning point in American history and, yes, the state of Washington,” he said. “The movement you are fighting is the most important movement to win,” he said, “This issue will destroy and undermine the church in America more than any other movement,”
Mr Santorum warned that the fight against equal marriage rights was more important than the anti-abortion battle, and that marriage, and the American family, would “disintegrate” if equal marriage became law.
He described opponents to the referendum as “on the side of truth,” and said: “You folks are in the front line. You folks are in the foxhole.” He said that Western European countries were “declining” because of “a secular revolution, a godless revolution”, which threatened to spread to America and “destroy the institutions of America’s foundation, destroy the American family.”
Mr Santorum whined on about the “normalisation, acceptance, tolerance,” of LGBT people since the 1990s, and said: “This will be the norm in America,” he said, “this is what you are fighting. You are on the front lines.”
The deeply homophobic Santorum doesn’t like gay people obviously, from his remarks it seems like he doesn’t want us to even be allowed to be free in America, the land of the free. He seems to be saying simply allowing gay people to share the same legal rights as our heterosexual counterparts will somehow change the way straight people love each other. His remarks come hot on the back of a poll last week that showed the population of Washington supported marriage equality was running at 57 per cent. How allowing two people to join together in marriage would end other peoples families seems a bit far fetched by anybody with even a reasonable IQ of say over 2.
Maine and Maryland will also be voting on marriage equality on November 6. At the same time, Minnesota voters will choose whether to make a constitutional amendment which would define marriage as only between one man and one woman. This is a most troubling time and a crucial one in American history, as the number of states that increasingly go down to rout of setting up laws to ban marriage equality, the more they are sending the message that gay and lesbian’s are second class citizens. Discrimination is widespread all over the country and the USA is one of very few most powerful nations on earth that DONT have national laws to prevent discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. There is increasing concern in the international community over the anti-equality stance and the laws that legally permit discrimination in the USA and undoubtedly the US reputation is being harmed dramatically.
The Trevor Project, the leading national organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ youth, has named September as National Suicide Prevention Month, with a month of awareness activation on youth suicide prevention. September 27th is Trevor Day, named to raise awareness and show support for youth in crisis through special events held throughout the country.
“Talk to Me “ Campaign
To encourage conversation and support for the GLBTQ population, The Trevor Project has a current campaign “Talk to Me.” It is inspired by research released by the Department of Health and Human Services earlier this month that indicates that the promotion of help-seeking has a significant impact on suicide. The campaign has five components:
The Trevor Project was founded in 1998 in West Hollywood by three filmmakers, creators of an Academy Award-winning short film “Trevor.” This film was about a gay thirteen-year-old boy, who was rejected by his friends and attempted suicide. When the film was scheduled to air on HBO in 1998, the filmmakers wanted a support line for kids like Trevor to be aired during the broadcast.
“Build It And They Will Come”
Finding that none existed, they formed, with the help of The Colin Higgins Foundation and HBO’s license fee, The Trevor Lifeline, the first and only nationwide 24 hour crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth. 1-866-488-7386.
It’s a free and confidential service that offers hope and counseling. Without judgment, the trained counselors listen and understand. They can also direct the caller to supportive organizations and groups in the caller’s area.
Celebrities, both gay and straight, have supported The Trevor Project. Since August 10, 2009, actor Daniel Radcliffe, “Harry Potter,” gave generously to the Lifeline because “it is truly devastating to learn that LGBTQ youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers.” There is a Live Chat Q & A with Daniel Radcliffe now on the website as well as You Tube and Google + pages.
Trevor Chat, a live and secure online messaging service for those not at risk for suicide.
Trevor Space, an online social networking community for LGBTQ youth, ages 13 and 24, and their friends and allies. With links to the home page, Trevor Space is monitored by administrators designed by the project to ensure content is age-appropriate for personal profiles.
Youth Advisory Council serves as a liaison between youth nationwide and the project as it relates to young people and the issues surrounding suicide, sexuality and gender identity. This Council submits recommendations to the project to increase Trevor visibility and best serve the LGBTQ population.
Palette Fund Internship Program has five internships in Los Angeles, New York City offices. They work in communication and development and are introduced to the LGBTQ youth population.
School Workshops. The Lifeguard Workshop Program uses an age-appropriate curriculum to address sexuality, gender identity, and effects of language and behavior upon LGBTQ students. It also teaches recognition of depression and suicide among peers and suicide prevention skills in schools.
Awards: Annual events honor individuals and businesses that have been leaders in supporting LGBT rights and advocated against bullying and hate crimes. Lady Gaga won last year’s Trevor Hero Award. Past recipients of the Trevor Life Award for inspiration to LGBTQ youth include Roseanne Barr and Debra Messing.
Wealth and prosperity are usually terms associated with money and financial matters. When one is wealthy it generally means that they have a lot of money in the bank and are most times influential in matters of business. We also would like to think that well-to-do individuals have some philanthropic commitment to humanity, generally.
In much more subjective terms, however, wealth and prosperity do not necessarily equate to matters grounded in money. An individual can be wealthy and prosperous in spirit and have a benevolent outlook on life and toward the humans and other creatures encompassed within one’s existence and yet have very little monetary worth. In this instance one’s philanthropic commitment may be more focused on improving the human condition and imparting wisdom to others, thus touching other people’s lives in a much more meaningful way than money ever could.
How many rich people have you known that seem to be void of any obligation to helping others or reaching out to someone who has been wronged or just in need of a helping hand. Conversely, there are people struggling with their own lives, just trying to make ends meet, but yet, they are constantly offering what little they have to others; thinking of someone else’s well being before their own. It would appear, anecdotally anyway, that when wealthy people have some grounding in the converse situation, they seem to have more of an appreciation of the human condition and the needs of those less fortunate.
In the context of queer issues, how many times have you seen a queer person turn the other cheek and deny a helping hand to someone else struggling with their sexuality? They make a conscious decision to withhold their wealth of knowledge, their wisdom, and do not give of themselves in a prosperous way to help someone in need with a kind word, a smile or some other reassuring gesture to make them feel that they are not alone.
If you are out, do not be void in your obligation to help someone else not yet out of the closet. Remember the days of your solitary anguish and use your experiences to help others move forward toward becoming who they truly were born to be. You do not need to be wealthy to be generous with your willingness to help others become strong, complete and prosperous queer individuals. Decide to impart yourselves to others and not keep yourself within yourself, thus touching no one in a beneficial way.
April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, a Michigan Lesbian couple, today filed an additional complaint in court during a news conference today. Besides their civil rights lawsuit to change Michigan’s state’s law barring same-sex couples from adopting, they amended their suit to declare Michigan’s ban on gay marriage unconstitutional as well. They are challenging Governor Richard Synder, Attorney General Bill Schuette and Oakland County Clerk Bill Bullard Jr. They are the first, according to the Associated Press, to challenge the state’s ban, operative since 2004, on same-sex marriage. (See “April DeBoer And Jayne Rose, Michigan Lesbian Couple, Battle State’s Marriage and Adoption Laws,” Huffpost Gay Voices, September 7, 2012).
What They Want
The Hazel Park couple are fostering three “special needs” children: Nolan, 3, Ryanne, 2, and Jacob, 2. One adopted one child and the other adopted two, all because the law does not allow them to adopt the children together. They are concerned that because they are not legally married, if one partner dies, the other has no legal claim to the children she did not legally adopt. Only one of them can make legal and and medical decisions for each child. Their children could lose health insurance and other benefits that heterosexual married people automatically enjoy. Says April, ” for Jayne and I this fight is, and always will be, about the rights and protections of our children. It has never been about our rights.”
The state of Michigan wants Judge Bernard Friedman to dismiss a lawsuit that would challenge a ban on adoption for unmarried couples. One of five states that bans joint adoption by unmarried parents, Michigan, in the past seven years, has not passed any proposals introduced to allow second-parent adoptions. In 2011, two new state proposals House Bill 4249 and Senate Bill 169 were introduced that are sitting in committee.
What their Lawyer Says
The attorney acting on their behalf, Dana Nessel, states that “the state gave them children who had been abandoned and surrendered at birth to raise. They are raising them with all the love, nurturing, care and affection that a parent would give to any child. But the state then rewards these women by telling them while they are good enough to foster as a couple, but not good enough to adopt as a couple. We submit that this is pure and utter insanity.” | {
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} |
Rhodes Magazine Summer 2012
Rhodes Magazine Summer 2012
The alumni magazine of Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee.
The Magazine of Rhodes College � Summer 2012
REACHING HIGHER Expanding academic opportunities
Contents
2 Campus News
SUMMER 2012 VOLUME 19 � NUMBER 2
Briefs on campus happenings
Reaching Higher
A compendium of recent Rhodes academic milestones
6
Connecting Conversations
The new Spence L. Wilson Chair in the Humanities, Jonathan Judaken
6
10 14 18 21 24 28
Rhodes Welcomes the New Head of Search
Geoff Bakewell takes the helm
A New Chair for Urban Studies
Elizabeth Thomas is the new Plough Chair
A New Program: Political Economy
Introducing a new interdisciplinary major
A Grand Division
Economics and Business are now two departments
Think Globally, Act Locally
Environmental Studies/Sciences program update
Going Public
Mellon grant propels "creative ecosystem" at Rhodes
24
32
Living the Language
The college marks the 25th anniversary of Russian Studies
36 41 45
A History of Teaching & Learning
The History Department moves to new quarters
Summer Reading
Three faculty recommend a variety of offerings
Alumni News
Class Notes, In Memoriam
28
On the Cover This year, Rhodes observes the 50th anniversary of the Richard Halliburton Memorial Tower. Halliburton, who was born in 1900 and lost at sea in 1939, was an internationally known traveler, author and lecturer. The tower was the gift of his parents, Wesley and Nellie Nance Halliburton, and dedicated Oct. 17, 1962, "to memorialize his wonderful life of action, romance and courage."
is published three times a year by Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112 as a service to all alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends of the college. Summer 2012--Volume 19, Number 2
EDITOR
Martha Hunter Shepard '66
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Larry Ahokas Robert Shatzer
CONTRIBUTORS
Richard J. Alley, Mark Behr, Nicholas Bryon '12, Justin Fox Burks, Dionne Chalmers, Lynn Conlee, Scarlett D'Anna '12, Han Li, Carson Irwin '08, Kimberly Kasper, Lucy Kellison '13, Mary Helen Randall
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Please address postal correspondence to: Martha H. Shepard, Editor, Rhodes Magazine, Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690 E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (901) 843-3544 Fax: (901) 843-3579
CLASS NOTES:
Please send all Class Notes, including marriages, births and obituaries to: Alumni Office, Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690 Phone: (901) 843-3845 Fax: (901) 843-3947 E-mail: [email protected]
RHODES CENTRAL INFORMATION: 901-843-3000 RHODES ALUMNI OFFICE: 1 (800) 264-LYNX RHODES ADMISSION OFFICE: 1 (800) 844-LYNX POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: RHODES, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690 CHANGE OF ADDRESS:
Please mail the completed form below and label from this issue of RHODES to: Alumni Office, Rhodes College, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690
Name Street City Home Phone E-mail Employer Title State Zip Business Phone
{WEB EXTRAS }
Visit rhodes.edu/news for the latest stories and features about people and events. Visit rhodes.edu/magazine to see both online and print versions of the magazine, along with these web extras: � Commencement 2012 photo gallery � Videos of staff members celebrating anniversaries at Rhodes � Noam Chomsky lecture from Rhodes' Communities in Conversation series � Some projects of the Creative and Digital Arts Program � In Print--new books by faculty and alumni
CAMPUS NEWS
Annual Awards Presented at Rhodes Commencement
Dr. Robert R. Waller, a Rhodes trustee and president emeritus of the Mayo Clinic health system, received an honorary doctor of humanities degree at commencement. Dr. Waller joined the Rhodes Board of Trustees in 2003, and in addition to serving on several committees, he skillfully led a vital initiative that has provided Rhodes a trustee governance structure that serves as a model for other national liberal arts colleges. Rhodes alumnus Bruce Lindsey '70 received the Rhodes Distinguished Service Medal. A longtime adviser to former President Bill Clinton, Lindsey served in the White House as an assistant to the president, deputy White House counsel and senior adviser. He is currently the chief executive officer of the William J. Clinton Foundation, the global public service initiative dedicated to turning good intentions into measurable results. History and Philosophy double major Colin Antaya was awarded the college's highest academic honor, the Peyton Nalle Rhodes Phi Beta Kappa Prize. The Rhodes Prize is named after Dr. Peyton Nalle Rhodes, longtime professor of Physics (1926-49) and later president of the college (1949-65). Rhodes graduates Kelly Parry and Salar Rafieetary, and Admission staff member Dorothy Brownyard received the 2012 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards. The awards are presented annually to two graduating seniors (one male and one female) and one non-student who have given selflessly to others and the college.
Dr. Robert Waller
Bruce Lindsey
Dorothy Brownyard
Colin Antaya
Dave Wottle Retires
Dave Wottle, longtime Rhodes dean of admission, and for the last year, special assistant to the president, is retiring at the end of June after almost three decades at Rhodes. His leaving coincides with the 40th anniversary of his stunning, come-from-behind victory in the 800-meter run that earned him a gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics. When Rhodes conducted a national search for the top admissions post in 1983, David J. Wottle was the leading candidate. He came to Rhodes with plenty of contacts and credentials in professional administration in the Midwest and East, most recently having served as dean of admissions at Bethany College in West Virginia. That expertise and athletic fame preceded him to Rhodes, yet nowhere on his r�sum� did it mention Olympic gold.
Dave Wottle and members of the Rhodes Track and Field teams
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reside. He is also a recipient of the U.S. What sold him those students, increase Olympic Spirit Award. on Rhodes, he said alumni involvement in Dave Wottle has always kept in a 1983 article in recruiting and improve everything in perspective. "I enjoyed Southwestern Today (the and expand admission the recognition I got from the predecessor of Rhodes publications to reach magazine), was what recruits. The strategy has Olympics. I went to the Olympic games to see if I could be the best in the world he called the college's paid off. The Rhodes The gold medal that Dave at a particular thing. I didn't go there "one-two punch." At student population has Wottle to make $1 million or become rich and the college, he said, "you Olympicwon at the 1972 risen from 1,046 in games famous. I achieved what I sought and can get a good liberal 1983-84, Wottle's first arts education and you year, to 1,830 in 2011-12. was pleased with that." When it comes to his productive can get it in a beautiful setting, in an A graduate of Bowling Green State University in Ohio, he is a member tenure at Rhodes, he is equally eloquent. environment that has a lot of options in of the National Track and Field Hall "The greatest reward has always been terms of internships and preparation for of Fame, where his Olympic running hearing a student speak fondly about careers. It's a great combination." shorts and trademark golf cap, which his or her Rhodes experience," he says. He went on to successfully grow the he famously forgot to remove during "It really reinforces why our work in number of campus visits by prospective the "National Anthem," permanently Admission is so important. students, encourage faculty to contact
Professors Luther Ivory and Shadrack Nasong'o Win Clarence Day Awards
Religious Studies Professor Dr. Luther Ivory is the recipient of Rhodes' highest faculty honor for outstanding teaching presented April 27 at the college's annual Awards Convocation. Dr. Shadrack Nasong'o of the International Studies Department received the Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Research and/or Creative Activity. He currently is out of the country and will be honored in the fall. The awards, first given in 1981, were established by businessman and Rhodes alumnus Clarence Day and now are provided by the Day Foundation. The Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Teaching is given to a member of the faculty who has demonstrated excellence in teaching over the previous three years as determined by the assessments of students and colleagues, the effective use of imaginative and creative pedagogy, and motivating students to embrace a life of continuing study. Since joining Rhodes in 1997, Ivory has taught courses on theological
tradition, contemporary theology, the classroom discussions with the phrase, texts and context of the Bible, religion "Talk to me," and works deliberately at and racism, African structuring the classroom American religions, so that it resonates with liberation theologies and different voices. He Dr. Martin Luther King ensures that even in Jr. and civil rights. the heated discussions In presenting the award, that may develop from Dean Michael Drompp sensitive topics, scholars said, "If one were to seek respect the voices of others a single word to describe as they learn to develop Professor Ivory's manner their own voices. of teaching, it would be "When his office door `exuberant.' Whether he is open, and he is not in is talking about Aquinas' his frequent consultations proofs for the existence with students, you Luther Ivory of God, Martin Luther can hear the intensity King Jr.'s practice of of his keyboard as nonviolent social change, he sends messages of the Afro-Brazilian encouragement, prompts religion of Candombl�, for discussion and or even one of his evaluations of papers inexplicably favorite and presentations," said theologians--John Drompp. "With his Calvin--Professor Ivory's students, Professor Ivory classroom reverberates is sensitive to the fact with his passion for that what is happening communicating the at home or in the material." residence halls has as Ivory's courses are much impact on the life in high demand, and of the whole student as Shadrack Nasong'o often students start early what is happening in the in their careers at Rhodes aiming at classroom. On occasion, he has practiced taking just one course from him before `tough love' for students who wanted to graduation. He frequently begins give up or give less than their best."
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Rhodes Boasts Three New Fulbright Award Winners
Class of 2012 member Jake Groves of Louisville, KY, was named a Fulbright scholar for 2012-13, and will work as an English teaching assistant at a university in Russia. An English and Russian double major, Groves will also research Russian folk music, exploring its potential as a means of cultural exchange. At Rhodes, he served as an international peer adviser and studied abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he took courses in Russian history, literature and contemporary issues. As a 2009 Rhodes Summer Service Fellow, he taught leadership and public speaking skills to students at Memphis University School. Rhodes alumni Daniel Williford '11 and Richard Hurd '08 were also named Fulbright scholars and both will serve as English teaching assistants in Morocco and Brazil, respectively. Hurd is currently a M.A. student in Spanish Language and Literature at Georgia State University.
At Rhodes, he was a two-time Academic All-American baseball player and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Williford lives and works in Memphis, where he volunteers his time teaching ESL and GED classes for the Refugee Empowerment Program. He also
serves as a program assistant at the Memphis Leadership Foundation. The Fulbright Program, America's prestigious international educational exchange sponsor, is administered by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Jake Groves '12
Five Members of the Class of 2012 Added to Rhodes Hall of Fame
Kelly Allison, Sharwil Bell, Carson Duffy, Jasper Page and Salar Rafieetary have been elected to the Rhodes Hall of Fame, considered one of the highest student honors. Since its inauguration in 1931, the Hall of Fame has recognized outstanding graduating seniors, based on their individual merit, leadership in student activities, service to others and overall contributions to the campus community.
Kelly Allison '12 Sharwil Bell '12 Carson Duffy '12
Jasper Page '12
Salar Rafieetary '12
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Carson Duffy '12 Named a Watson Fellow
Carson Duffy of Charlotte, NC, was awarded a prestigious fellowship from the Thomas J. Watson Foundation that will allow her to explore community building efforts in the post-conflict societies of Chile, India, Northern Ireland and South Africa. The foundation awarded 40 fellowships this year out of 147 finalists representing the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the country. Established in 1968, the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship offers a year of Carson Duffy '12 independent, purposeful exploration through Community Building in and travel outside the United States Divided Societies--Chile, India, to enhance the fellow's capacity for resourcefulness, imagination, openness United Kingdom, South Africa." Duffy, an Urban Studies major and Education and leadership and to foster humane minor, who graduated in May, says, and effective participation in the "My classes at Rhodes, my experience world community. as a Bonner and my involvement with Duffy's winning proposal was titled the Kinney Program have given me "All for One & One for All: Leadership
a foundational understanding of the ways in which communities are built, torn apart and sustained. I am excited to embrace the opportunity provided by the Watson Foundation to further explore the process of community development on a global and more diverse scale."
Michael LaRosa Steps Down from Postgraduate Scholarship Post
Associate Professor of History Michael ael LaRosa is retiring as co-director of Rhodes' Postgraduate Scholarship support port program after serving in that capacity for more than 15 years. He is responsible ble for establishing the "Introduction to Postgraduate Scholarships" course at Rhodes, which helps prepare students for er the rigorous application process. Under his leadership, Rhodes has become Michael LaRosa more competitive nationally in terms of the number of students who apply and receive postgraduate e scholarships, including Rhodes Scholarships, Fulbright Grants. ants. and Watson Fellowships. LaRosa, who was awarded a Fulbright grant in 1997, will continue to advise students who want to apply for postgraduate scholarships. He will also teach History courses at Rhodes related to Latin America. Dr. Judith Haas, assistant professor of English, will continue to serve as codirector the Postgraduate Scholarship program.
National Recogn Recognition for Student-Athlete Student-Ath Sharwil Be Bell
Recent graduate and bask basketball standout Sharwil Bell has r received a prestigious NCAA postgraduate post scholarship. The association associ awards up to 174 postgr postgraduate scholarships annu annually, and Bell is one of only 29 femal female athletes--ac athletes--across the NCAA's three divisions-- divisions--to receive the award. She was also named to nam the 2012 Capital One District V Academic Women's Basketball First Team, and was a finalist for the Jostens Trophy, which honors the nation's top Division III basketball player.
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This issue of Rhodes celebrates several recent academic milestones--new departments, programs and initiatives, anniversaries and updates--and the faculty who lead them. The alma mater says students "learn the higher aim" at Rhodes. Reaching higher is in our blood.
Re ach ing H igher
Connecting Conversations
By Scarlett D'Anna '12
L
ast fall, Professor Jonathan Judaken joined the college with an unusual opportunity: to determine the parameters and establish the scope of his position as Rhodes' first Spence L. Wilson Chair in the Humanities. Tasked with further developing intellectual life on campus, Judaken began by speaking with students and faculty about the culture of Rhodes. These foundational conversations, concerning the college's particular character and needs, informed his primary work as chair. A sustained commitment to dialogue runs throughout all the initiatives Judaken has enacted over his first year. With the development of a program advisory committee he has created an avenue for faculty to communicate and collaborate across department lines, and his efforts to encourage cross-listing courses and promote team-teaching similarly enhance interdisciplinary discourse. The Communities in Conversation lecture series--the first step in Judaken's four-fold plan to facilitate discussion among students, faculty and the wider Memphis community--was met with great success. "We need to have more conversations with each other outside of the narrow silos of our own departmental
borders and boundaries," Judaken says. Education that is confined within a particular academic discipline may limit students' interests to one realm of intellectual concerns or one method for discerning truths. Rather, Judaken advocates a question-driven approach to learning that encourages "you to follow the answers wherever they lead--and that doesn't stop at the doorstep of your department." Professor Judaken's unique methods are clearly shaped by his own upbringing and education. As a Jew living under South African apartheid, he was a religious minority in a predominantly Christian country; yet, he was also "white," which guaranteed inclusion among the racially dominant group. Advantaged but marginalized, both an insider and outsider, he says his experience on the perimeters of privilege has been central to his work. Part of his interest in subjects like existentialism, racism and the so-called Jewish Question stem from a desire to confront and come to terms with his own past. After immigrating to the United States as a teenager, Judaken began his academic career at the University of California, San Diego. He completed his undergraduate education with a degree in Philosophy, spent a year in Paris studying French
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JUSTIN FOX BURKS
Jonathan Judaken, the Spence L. Wilson Chair in the Humanities, accompanied by portions of Burrow Hall's trivium and quadrivium, symbols of the seven liberal arts
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and French culture and history, and then returned to America to pursue a doctorate in History at the University of California, Irvine. Postdoctoral study took him to Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he spent two years rs r learning from scholars of Jewish history. From there he went on to take a o position at the University of Memphis, where he later became the Dunavant Professor of History and director of the Marcus Orr Center for the Humanities. Judaken's scholarly contributions are both prolific and wide in scope: He has edited, coedited and written several publications that examine issues of race, prejudice, Jews and Judaism, tolerance and existentialism. Now firmly settled in Memphis, he is excited to share his manifold intellectual interests with Rhodes students and staff. Judaken says he was drawn to the opportunity to innovate and build academic community in a small, liberal arts environment. His position is the first of its kind on this campus, and one of the challenges he faces as Wilson Chair is integrating the interests of faculty and student groups into newly created structures. Consider the program advisory committee, which Judaken established in an effort to better facilitate the organization of intellectual life on campus and encourage greater dialogue among disciplines. This group, convened for the first time in the spring, includes faculty from almost every department in the humanities and social sciences, representatives from many of the college's endowed lectureships, every director of an interdisciplinary studies program and two student leaders (from the Rhodes Lecture Board and Student Government, respectively). "The idea is that the committee will be the main entity through which we will do the organizing of public events," says Judaken. By involving faculty and students in this process, he hopes to develop an anticipatory annual schedule-- highlighting all the guest lecturers and major projects 18 months ahead of time--which is attuned to the college's interests and generates a sense of cohesive intellectual community on campus.
Judaken has developed a four-part platform for establishing institutionalized dialogue among students and faculty, across disciplines, and between campus and the broader community. The linchpin of the series, Communities in Conversation, debuted this spring. Judaken felt that "there should be an integrated marketing platform for the most significant intellectual events taking place on campus. We could build audiences for these events in accord with a coherent marketing strategy." A series of bookmarks and flyers peppered the campus before every lecture, heralding the coming speaker to the student body. Judaken caught the attention of groups outside of the college as well, advertising through the local NPR station, Facebook and the alumni email list. By directing the marketing through these social networking sites, Judaken says he hopes to "broaden the audience and establish a group of people with a variety of relationships to Rhodes." Judaken's promotional methods were clearly successful; most of the Communities in Conversation events boasted standing-room-only crowds. The second part of the Conversations sequence is designed specifically for professors. Modeled on the European salon, Tasty Conversations invites faculty to gather for a meal. Participants discuss issues pertinent to the humanities, to Rhodes as a liberal arts institution and to their particular intellectual pursuits. Great Conversations, slated to begin next year, will feature two faculty members from different departments discussing a common issue over lunch provided for students. Judaken already has plans for one of the first events, which may be framed as a debate. "We'll hear from an anthropologist and a biologist about the issue of evolution," he says. "It's
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a central category for both of their disciplines, but they don't necessarily understand it in the same way." Explicitly for undergraduates, Great Conversations will provide students opportunities to examine problems from multiple academic perspectives. The fourth piece in the series will be a class available through the Meeman Center. Called Scholarly Conversations, this program will open up Rhodes' intellectual community to include interested people from off campus. The course work, taught by Judaken and other faculty, will correspond with an impending public event. Later, when participants attend the event, they will already be actively engaged with the subject matter. Once all four programs are fully implemented, they will work in tandem to encourage academic activity and cultivate intellectual community on campus and beyond. The Communities in Conversation events will sit at the center of this series, influencing the topics that faculty, students and other participants will explore through Tasty, Great, and Scholarly Conversations. Thus, the components will create an interconnected discursive web. So, he explains, "When the public event happens, you have a really informed audience who's been participating in conversations about the material on various levels." Judaken's commitment to communication across disciplines clearly translates to his work in the classroom. This spring he taught a course titled Intellectuals and Politics, which was cross-listed under History, Religious Studies and Philosophy. The students included majors from each of those departments, as well as from the sciences and Greek and Roman Studies. Having input from so many disciplines shaped the class dynamic accordingly.
"We had theological discussions, philosophical discussions, historical discussions," says Judaken, and "that enabled a genuine interdisciplinary dialogue, because of the perspectives the students were bringing to bear." He describes the experience in somewhat unconventional terms: "Teaching it, at times, was like intellectual rock 'n' roll." Despite his attention to multiplicity and interest in boundary-crossing conversations, Judaken remains aware and respectful of departmental borders. "You don't want a collapse of disciplines," he says. "Students must have a solid grounding within a certain tradition, even if they're pursuing bridge majors. To be trained well, you should be trained from some disciplinary perspective or another." Still, he insists that the most important questions are not circumscribed within such academic perspectives, and neither should our answers be bound by them. Judaken describes his work at Rhodes as a balancing act. His challenge is to harmonize seemingly disparate elements: autonomy and community, disciplinary specifics and interdisciplinarity, specialization in an area and broader expertise. Each has the potential to enrich our students' educational experiences and intellectual lives, and Judaken's programs, newly convened committee, and classes foster an academic culture that embraces all these qualities. And like the collaborative, outside-the-box approach he's developed, Judaken hopes his work through the Wilson Chair will enable "a kind of teaching, research and building of intellectual community that doesn't force those of us inside the institution of higher education to forget what higher education is all about."
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Rhodes Welcomes the New Head of Search
By Carson Irwin '08
nspired by the grand vision of President Charles E. Diehl, Southwestern at Memphis introduced a course in fall 1945 that would become a fundamental part of the Rhodes College identity. Man in the Light of History and Religion (soon dubbed the "Man" course) aspired to "work the vast materials of our Western cultural heritage into an ordered whole under the integrating principles of history and religion." It was originally taught by five professors--two historians, two philosophers and one biblical scholar. First-year students had the option to take the Man course or separate sections of History and Religion classes to meet academic requirements. The latter path would later be known as "Life: Then and Now" or "Life." Lorraine Abernathy '58 remembers the early Man curriculum as a mixture of lectures and colloquia that were held six days a week. The hours spent in class combined with a massive amount of reading caused Abernathy to feel both overwhelmed and awed: "When I was a little freshman from Columbia, TN, it was overpowering to discover for the fi rst time that things were connected in ways that I never realized. It opened a whole new world for us. We learned to study and think in different ways." As incoming faculty brought fresh approaches and
I
new perspectives on what the humanities are, the curriculum evolved over time--though nearly all of the original themes and texts endure in the present version. The most evident change occurred in 1986 when, after considerable faculty discussion, the Man course was rechristened The Search for Values in the Light of Western History and Religion or simply "Search." Search's popularity grew rapidly among both faculty and students. Today, there are 25 faculty members teaching in 47 sections of the Search program and about 60 percent of incoming students elect to take Search. The course is so well known in the Memphis community that the Meeman Center for Lifelong Learning offers a condensed version of the series to area adults. What's more, several esteemed institutions throughout the country have modeled similar programs on Search. Just prior to the 2011-12 academic session, Rhodes appointed a new program director for Search, Dr. Geoff Bakewell. A Yale and Brown University graduate, Bakewell enthusiastically began his new position here after teaching in Classical and Near Eastern Studies at Creighton University in Omaha for 17 years. He says that Rhodes' genuine commitment to the study of liberal arts was a major
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Searchers Vanessa Rogers, assistant professor of Music; Geoff Bakewell, director of Search; Chemistry major Maho Bano '13; and Dan Cullen, associate professor of Political Science
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attraction to the position. "Rhodes is such a lively intellectual community," Bakewell notes. "It has a wonderful mix of students who are interested in lots of different things. The faculty is equally committed to teaching and research. A lot of places talk that talk, but don't walk that walk. But Rhodes really does." A classicist and member of the Greek and Roman Studies Department, Bakewell teaches in as well as directs Search. Managing a diverse staff and recruiting new faculty are his top priorities. He says he enjoys getting to know the interests and personalities of his colleagues while taking on the challenge of seeking out a variety of professors to teach in the program. He is also responsible for organizing the Douglass Seminar, a faculty workshop held each May that allows the Search faculty to troubleshoot everything from course mechanics to the all-important choice of authors and readings. The discussions are typically spirited, occasionally contentious and often humorous. Bakewell describes the experience as "a combination of summer camp and going back to school. It's exciting to get people together from different disciplines," he says. "We are really living what we're telling our students to do, which is to go on and keep learning." Inevitably, there are different scholarly approaches to the topics covered in Search, but faculty members agree that preserving and improving the crossdisciplinary agenda of the program is paramount to its success. Each professor is attentive to the fact that academic disciplines must not be segregated in order for the course to accomplish its mission. This is both an exciting and challenging concept for faculty. Political Science professor Daniel Cullen has been a member of the Rhodes faculty for 22 years and has participated in the Search program for nearly as long. "What's unique about Search is that it's not a course taught by specialists. Every one of us is a specialist in something, but none of us is a specialist in everything that Search covers," Cullen explains. In other words, the professors often fi nd themselves in two roles-- teacher and student in their own classes. Having just completed teaching in her second
academic year at Rhodes, Music professor Vanessa Rogers already appreciates her part in the interdisciplinary program. When asked how music fits into the curriculum, Rogers explains: "Music is always a product of the cultural, historical, political period that it comes out of. So it makes perfect sense that music would be a part of the Search program. For example, Martin Luther was a musician. He was extremely interested in how music worked in his new vision for the church and about what congregational singing meant for religion." Much like the faculty, Rhodes students appreciate the intellectual diversity of the Search curriculum. Political Science major Mary Frances Dunlap '12 was able to explore her interests in political philosophy in light of many other fields through the course. "I think that this approach to learning makes people a little bit more flexible in how they approach problems and how they try to work with people who are coming from completely different perspectives," she says. Senior Chemistry major Maha Bano most appreciated the discussion-based nature of her classes. Bano remembers her professors often teaching by mediating conversations among students. When asked how Search has influenced her studies in the seemingly unrelated field of Chemistry, Bano reflects, "Search taught me how to think. Down the road, I may not remember every detail of every story I read, but it
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taught me how to critically evaluate a source and think about it in broader terms of human nature." Ben Curtis '12 credits the Search program as the defi ning influence on his Rhodes experience. Curtis began at Rhodes on the pre-medical track but after taking Search, he was inspired to pursue a Philosophy degree and later won the Fred W. Neal Prize for excellence in Search. "It's more than just learning about a historical text and moving on," explains Curtis. "It's understanding how we have the beliefs that we have and being able to show the history of the way in which thoughts and ideas have been shaped over time. It's really powerful for the way that we understand ourselves." Geoff Bakewell hopes that students will emerge from Search with a better sense of "intellectual humility." "I hope they get a sense that what matters is not how they're doing, but what they're doing; the kinds of questions they're asking; and the integrity with which they approach them," explains Bakewell. "We're really trying to encourage them to be honest, thoughtful people in a way that fosters their human growth." After completing Rhodes degrees in Greek and Roman Studies and Political Science, Barrett Haga '01 agrees. "One of the key skills that you learn in Search is to explore the question `why,'" says Haga. "That's a skill that Rhodes teaches very well--master the art of exploration."
Students and faculty alike acknowledge the interdisciplinary program as an integral part of the Rhodes, and broader liberal arts, experience. So, where can Search go from here? Bakewell's preliminary strategy is not to disturb something that's working well. "Part of my job is Hippocratic: `First, do no harm,'" he says. "I want to maintain the traditions of democratic collegiality, which says that everybody who's teaching in the program has a share in helping make it work." Bakewell also wants to see the course become slightly less text-centric. "I love the texts that we read but I think that we're missing out on a lot by not having more representation of art, music, the fine arts and archaeology in the program," he says. "There are fascinating things that can come out of working in non-literary viewpoints. I'd like to see us do more work with, for instance, reading Dante alongside the sculptural and painting tradition of the Italian, Medieval and Renaissance periods." Bakewell hopes that Search will enrich the liberal arts experience at Rhodes by being "an intellectual theme park" of sorts. "I don't want it to be tacky and cheap with rides that leave you thinking about nothing, but I want it to really be an intellectual awakening for students and faculty."
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A New Chair for Urban Studies
By Lucy Kellison '13
A
fter one semester at Rhodes, Dr. Elizabeth Thomas has no trouble articulating a clear and attainable goal for her program.
"My vision of Urban Studies is that it becomes an interdisciplinary, academic hub for students, faculty and community partners who come from every area--from the arts and humanities to the social sciences to the natural sciences." Last fall, Thomas joined the Rhodes faculty as an associate professor of Psychology and the new director and Plough Chair of Urban Studies. In the short time since her arrival, she and the rest of the Urban Studies Program have done a great deal to help achieve this vision. Stepping in for Dr. Thomas McGowan, who had served as interim director since Dr. Mike Kirby's retirement in 2010, Thomas used her first semester as chair to observe and actively learn about the projects in which faculty and students were already engaged. She also met with community partners to assess how to better develop these projects. Thomas says she was drawn to the Plough position because of the established focus on community-based learning and scholarship within the Urban Studies Program and throughout campus. "Rhodes has articulated a clear vision that is focused on having students translate the academic study they
are doing in the classroom into leadership and action in communities," says Thomas. "The Urban Studies Program is a really terrific illustration of the college aligning its mission with its resources. And we are so well situated because there is so much interesting work happening on campus already." Thomas, who came to Rhodes from the University of Washington, Bothell, where she served as associate director for graduate education in the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Program, has an academic background in community psychology. Her research has focused on how children and youth actively engage in and shape their learning environments, in addition to the role of community-based arts and public art in community development. Thomas says she hopes to incorporate her research methods into a shared vision for the Urban Studies Program. During this first semester, Thomas taught an Introduction to Urban Studies course and another one on Community Psychology. She also developed a senior seminar for Urban Studies majors, which she will teach next spring. In the course, students are asked to determine the effectiveness of community-based programs that serve youth. In addition, it focuses on key concepts, methods and approaches to participatory action research and evaluation in community contexts.
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History professor Gail Murray, Kelli Zomer '12 and Urban Studies director Elizabeth Thomas at the Midtown North Community Garden
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Thomas' senior seminar is one of many courses within the program that demonstrates the applied component of academic learning that is such an integral part of Urban Studies. Kelli Zomer '12 has worked with several community organizations throughout her time as an Urban Studies major, both in connection with her classes and through independent internships. As part of her senior seminar paper on the concept of aging, she volunteered at the Lewis Senior Center. In addition, during the summer after her sophomore year, she completed an internship at the Vollintine-Evergreen Community Association, working with Memphis residents and at the Midtown North Community Garden. "Just as in any big city, Memphis has its own share of problems with foreclosure, poverty, crime and other issues," says Zomer. "As an Urban Studies major, you become educated in the ways to defend against these types of things. Obviously, it is hard for one person to solve every problem. But with this major, you get the tools needed to put yourself in a better position to help the city that you live in." In Thomas' Intro class, students completed a project in which they interviewed local Memphians to understand their perspectives on topics such as history, culture, political institutions, housing and the future of Memphis. "These projects are really interesting," says Thomas. "Students use what they learn in class to think about cities and Urban Studies. In addition to doing traditional archival research they interview local stakeholders, so the idea is to blend scholarly work with the actual resources and people of the city." As Plough Chair, Thomas hopes to increase this kind of student participation. One way, she says, is through the seven-member Urban Studies faculty committee. Along with serving as an advisory board to the Plough Chair, the committee acts as an interdisciplinary group that discusses course ideas and ways to connect the academic program to pressing, urban problems in Memphis. Thomas has been working to build relationships with the faculty this spring, and the committee will be officially launched under her direction in the fall. Dr. Gail Murray, who has served on the committee since 2004, teaches History courses related to the study of urban issues. Next year, she will teach a class on the History of Poverty in America, which will look at how the American public has historically viewed the poor, and some of the ways the government and private groups have addressed their needs. Students in the class will take field trips and hear guest speakers from local organizations. "I think wherever our students go, wherever they are citizens, they are going to be faced with crises in urban government structure, school systems, infrastructure, transportation and housing," says Murray. "Urban Studies prepares you to understand those problems and hopefully get involved in solutions." Urban Studies requires majors to complete an academic internship. Murray says it provides them with transferable skills that are applicable wherever they go after graduation. "Urban Studies majors are also much more critical consumers of the news," says Murray. "It teaches them to question institutions like local governments and school boards, etc." One new way students are getting hands-on experience with local organizations is through Rhodes' involvement in a federal program called Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere, otherwise known as the HOPE VI Program. Established in 1993, the program provides competitive block grants to local public housing authorities to knock down severely distressed public housing sites and replace them with mixed-income communities. To date, Memphis has received five such grants, each of which requires a neutral third-party evaluator to assess the effectiveness of local programs related to HOPE VI. For the most recent grant, Rhodes was awarded the evaluation contract to assess the renovation and development of the Cleaborn Homes area in the 38126 zip code. Dr. Heather Jamerson, assistant professor of Sociology and Urban Studies, serves as the appointed principal investigator for the 54-month contract. Her course, Field Projects in Community Organization, is focused entirely on working with the HOPE VI grant. During
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Thomas, Murray and Zomer with neighborhood residents
the fall semester, students collect data pertaining to neighborhood problems like vacancy and crime rates. They learn about public housing and work with local police and community partners to organize events such as community cleanups. In the spring, they focus on public housing and the residents themselves. This year, students conducted a door-to-door survey of previous Cleaborn Homes residents, asking how they were faring in their new settings and about any problems they may have faced. Students who work to evaluate the effectiveness of HOPE VI often present some of their data at Rhodes' Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Symposium in April. "The goal is to train students to be quality, social scientific researchers," Jamerson says. "Using multiple quantitative and qualitative methodologies, they find their interest in this huge project and then are supported in pursuing that interest." Once students have completed either section of the course, they are eligible to work with Jamerson as research assistants on the project. This can take many forms--Jamerson has two summer fellows who work for pay, and another former student who interns with an urban planning firm in Memphis. In addition, two former students are now working in the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) class to supplement the existing HOPE VI data.
This participatory action research is one of the focal points of Thomas' background as a community psychologist, and something that both Jamerson and Thomas hope to incorporate more into the Urban Studies curriculum. "To really know a city, to know Memphis, we need the lived experience," says Thomas. "A lot of the history and culture of the city has not been documented. So in a way, by attending to the voices of those who have experienced Memphis, we are creating new forms of knowledge." Jamerson says she is thrilled that Thomas is the new Plough Chair. "I value the type of work she does with communities, which is not about just quantitative surveys but finding out who people are and how to best develop programs and services that are going to really change Memphis. I appreciate that passion." As for the future, developments are under way in the form of new classes and a new faculty hire this fall, Dr. Maya Evans, a political scientist who studies urban issues. "I am so grateful for the strong foundation that has already been laid within the program," says Thomas. "I hope to reflect on everything I have heard this year about what is already going on, and then incorporate my perspectives so that we develop a shared vision for Urban Studies."
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A New Major: Political Economy
By Richard J. Alley
T
he past academic year saw a new interdisciplinary program in the Rhodes catalogue with the introduction of Political Economy, a major that explores important ideas that are the foundations of economic and political systems throughout the world. It is, basically, the study of economics without the math. It brings a more philosophical approach to how and why markets work--or don't work. Political Economy is the perfect storm of five different departments coming together: Economics, Political Science, History, Philosophy and International Studies. Others, such as Psychology and Greek and Roman Studies, contribute courses as well. According to the catalogue, "The program and the associated major will study the many ways that politics, principles and economics interact in the formation of policy choices and actual policies. It will further look at the impact of political and economic choices on the prosperity and well-being of those who organize their society under various systems." The program is supported by program founders Thomas Garrott, chairman and CEO emeritus of National Commerce Bancorporation; Fred Smith, president and CEO of FedEx Corporation; and founder of AutoZone, J.R. (Pitt) Hyde III.
There were already a number of professors from Economics and Political Science in place sharing an interest in the intersection of economics, philosophy and institutions. So when program visionary, Thomas Garrott, agreed to help secure the funding to support the development of the program, Teresa Beckham Gramm, program chair, said, "We jumped on it." A program proposal, along with a Political Economy major, was developed and put in front of the faculty at large for approval, and eventual acceptance, in fall 2010. A Political Economy major is one who is "interested in coming at economics from a direction that was much truer to the field's original existence, which is political economy, and of coming at it from the institutional, political, philosophical side as opposed to the mathematical side," says Gramm. One such student is senior Ian Engdahl, who switched from a Political Science major because "something about it just didn't feel right," he says. He gave one last look through the Rhodes catalogue, stumbled upon Political Economy and reorganized his plan. "It looked like a really good synthesis of the kinds of courses I like to take ... Econ, Political Science, International Studies courses; and they all fit into my major." Engdahl also takes History courses and is on a History
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JUSTIN FOX BURKS
Teresa Beckham Gramm, associate professor of Economics and chair of the new Political Economy program, and John Murray, the Joseph R. Hyde III Professor of Political Economy, at the historic Shelby County Courthouse in downtown Memphis
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track within his major of Political Economy. He relishes the challenge for "not just number crunching, but how we organize society efficiently, and we look at the moral questions under economic analysis." The program, at inception, hit the ground running by welcoming respected speakers to campus such as Amity Shlaes, author of The Forgotten Man, and Pulitzer Prize winner Gordon Wood, professor emeritus of History at Brown University and author of Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different, among others. These are lectures that have been very well attended, Gramm says, because "this is a very interdisciplinary field where we've been able to draw quite a number of speakers from individual departments." Adam Smith, the 18th-century social philosopher and author (The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations) from Scotland, is regarded as a founder of political economy. He is taught and read widely in many disciplines, and studied extensively within the Political Economy program. His writings and teaching set the foundations for what would be free market economics. "The Political Economy program is broad and, at the same time, ideologically open to the idea that market economies are very effective at making people better off," says John Murray, the first Joseph R. Hyde III Professor of Political Economy. "Economic growth is really the only way to make poor people better off, and that's a big issue." Murray moved here last year from the University of Toledo in Ohio to take the position, and has found "a real community" at Rhodes. He made the decision to come here because of this sense of community, and because he believes so strongly in the philosophy and vision behind the new program. "One thing I really want to see is students coming out of the Political Economy program familiar with the notion that, not just people and not just firms, but also governments act in their own best interests as well," he says in explaining the sort of philosophical thought carried on within his classroom. He is quick to point out that government is a neutral arbiter in judicial settings, but that "the executive and legislative functions of governments often are motivated by people who want to get the government to act in their own self-interest or their agency's self-interest. So I would define the government's self-interest more broadly. That's the political aspect that I would want to introduce into a study of economics." "We try to get into some of the deeper questions than in Economics, where ethical, moral questions aren't always central to class discussion," Gramm says. "I think the Political Economy major will ask, `What is the morality of capitalism? What are the ethics involved in some of these institutions that we have, or that we lack?' Those questions are going to be more central to the Political Economy program." They are questions with local, national and international implications, certainly, and Rhodes draws on a worldwide view and student body to delve into such thinking. Sameer Warraich is a senior from Islamabad, Pakistan, who was on a track for a degree in Economics when, as a sophomore, he proposed a major called Public Policy and Economics, which was ultimately not approved. "Even though I was studying Economics at that time, I was still inclined toward public policy and how politics interacts with economics in general," he says. Warraich, it seemed, was a natural for the program that would come about a year later. The shift from the hard numbers of Economics into studying the philosophies of Aristotle, John Rawls and Karl Marx as they apply to the field has been a satisfying approach to Warraich's interests. This approach, coupled with the work he's done in banking in Pakistan and with the Illinois Policy Institute in Chicago, may well lead him to a career in public policy after graduation. The interdisciplinary nature of Political Economy may be where the success will lie for the program. By working together, departments will ensure their students gain the well-rounded education that a liberal arts institution promises. As Marshall Gramm, department chair of Economics says, "Part of our goal, and part of our charge, with the Political Economy program and the funding we received was to increase economic literacy at Rhodes and across Memphis."
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A Grand Division
By Richard J. Alley
ast year the joint department of Economics and Business split in two, becoming separate departments: One is now called Economics, the other, Commerce and Business--in part because of the steady growth of each. The sheer size of the faculty and student body was such that, managerially, one department was becoming unwieldy.
L
Economics
Any liberal arts institution prides itself on a wellrounded education. It's an education that is made up of literature, history, science, religious studies and the humanities. At Rhodes, the study of economics is increasingly gaining favor among students as a major of choice. "Rhodes offers this classical liberal arts education and, on top of it, you add courses maybe in economics, accounting, fi nance and business, which makes our students very, very attractive to the market," says Marshall Gramm, department chair of Economics. "It provides a different way of thinking, a different way of analyzing people's decisions and business's decisions, and I really enjoy it," says Alex Petraglia '12 of his major in Economics. The new Economics Department has taken the opportunity, with the inception of the new interdisciplinary major, Political Economy, to
create an introductory Econ 100 course, combining the study of micro- and macroeconomics. The course gives students a basic foundation for understanding how our nation's, and the world's, economies work. "We encourage students from many different disciplines to take that fi rst Econ course," Gramm says. "It is heavy on intuition, but it's less mathematical and technical; the mathematical and technical courses come next." Petraglia sees real value in the most basic class and recommends it for students from all segments of the college. "When you talk about what's going on in the current environment, in terms of basic economics, it's important to know how fi rms decide how much to produce, when to produce, when to shut down. It's not just about profit, and Economics provides that." Make no mistake, Economics is a numbers-driven course of study with an emphasis on logical and quantitative analysis and communication skills, and Petraglia and his fellow students have learned the nuts and bolts of fi nance. "Econ has gotten fairly mathematical, technical and statistically driven ... it's just the nature of the discipline," Gramm says. "We teach statistics in our department and we teach econometrics, and a lot of our students go into pretty technical work in economic consulting. Many graduates head toward Washington, DC, to `get their ticket punched,' and
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Marshall Gramm, Economics chair
take work with such economic consulting fi rms as Welch Consulting and Keybridge Research. Those with an Economics-Math bridge major will mainly fi nd themselves in graduate school. And then there are the locally-based fi nancial institutions that are drawn to the graduates, so many of whom have taken part in internships around town. The Rhodes name carries a lot of weight in Memphis."
to better understand the workings--accounting, marketing, overall management and strategy--of his family's jewelry business of 28 years. Compared to business school students, Lee feels he's "a lot more prepared than a lot of these other people, maybe not in one specific aspect like accounting or fi nance ... but overall you learn leadership along with a lot of intangibles at Rhodes." Many of those intangibles can be found in real-world experiences and hands-on lessons such as Planchon's ultimate field trip to Belgium each year to study international branding. It's an experience that fi nds students touring breweries, FedEx Paris and the offices of diamond merchants to "learn more than they know they're learning," he says. With its home in Memphis, Rhodes has the unique advantage of sitting literally and figuratively down the street from such worldwide corporations as FedEx,
Commerce and Business
Department chair John Planchon likes to think of the undergraduate major in Commerce and Business as somewhat analogous to an undergraduate MBA. There are no majors offered in any of the "functional areas of business," Planchon says--not in marketing, accounting, fi nance or management--yet courses, introductory and advanced, from all those areas are offered within the major. The confluence of all of those aspects will benefit senior Justin Lee, who chose the major as a way
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John Planchon, Commerce and Business chair
International Paper, AutoZone and many fi nancial institutions. These entities, and the people who help run them, offer a means to step out of the textbooks and onto the production floor, enabling students to combine theory and practice. "Our department has extraordinary relationships with those businesses," Planchon says. "We have quite a few alums who are in those fi rms." Those contacts are called on and, as a result, large numbers of students have received internships, have toured and had access to the main FedEx hub, along with speakers brought in to lecture on various aspects of business. The split from Economics has allowed both majors to spread their wings and grow. There are currently 62 students majoring in Commerce and Business or a bridge with Commerce and Business. Part of this growth means a new position for an executive in residence, Richard (Dick) Fisher. Fisher, who has extensive business experience with Dunavant
Enterprises and is a director of the Tudor Investment Corp. of New York, supervises the department's internships and teaches the course, Internships and Professional Development, for Commerce and Business majors. "One of our goals is for every Commerce and Business major to have had considerable face time with Dick before they leave Rhodes. He works with them on their r�sum�s, and helps them develop their interview skills as well as a clearer idea of their professional goals," Planchon says. "I think Rhodes' effort to connect us with the Memphis community is really important. There's a very big emphasis on having outside internships," says Lee, who has interned at Morgan Keegan and ServiceMaster. "You're learning in the classroom, but you're also learning outside of it, connecting the two and, in many ways, I think that embodies a liberal arts education. We're learning about everything as a whole."
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Think Globally, Act Locally
By Nicholas Brydon '12
he Environmental Sciences (B.S.) and Environmental Studies (B.A.) programs, which debuted as minors in 2009-10, emerged as full-blown majors in 2011-12, providing a framework for students to specialize in Rhodes' abundance of environmentally themed class and field experiences. Students in Environmental Studies focus more on humanities and social sciences--History, International Studies and Anthropology. On the Environmental Sciences side students zoom in on Biology, Chemistry and physical aspects of the environment, yet each is informed by courses common to both tracks. The idea is to keep the program as interdisciplinary and universally applicable as possible regardless of which track a student pursues.
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broader range of experiences, internships and research opportunities." Off-campus opportunities complete the environmental course of study at Rhodes by providing a professional accent to stimulating academics, and many students take advantage of these opportunities through local connections to the college. Junior Autumn Baker, who worked at Shelby Farms State Park Conservancy, one of the nation's largest urban parks and one of the only parks in the world featuring a roaming buffalo herd, offers these words about her experience: "Working for a nonprofit was fun and interesting, especially because I'm majoring in Commerce and Business and nonprofit organizations are maybe not the first things that come to mind when you think of business. I think it's a really good idea to have some kind of work or internship experience while at Rhodes, instead of going out after graduation and walking into something totally new." How did Autumn secure this position? "It's all about connections."
What Makes Rhodes the Best Place to Study the Environment?
History Professor Jeffrey Jackson, director of the Environmental Studies and Sciences program, explains: "It might be difficult to find another school like Rhodes for studying environmental issues. Many schools are either in a large city without access to natural features like we have here--the Mississippi River, Shelby Forest and the Wolf River watershed--or they are in rural areas without exposure to urban environmental problems. Rhodes is unique because we can offer a
In the Field at Home & Abroad
From a field trip in the deserts of Namibia to conservation biology in the Grand Tetons of Yellowstone, the college demonstrates its environmental
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Jeff Jackson, associate professor of History and director of the Environmental Studies and Environmental Sciences programs; Biology major Kimber Jones '13; and Rosanna Cappellato, assistant professor of Biology
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passion through internships, research opportunities and summer field experiences. A few summers ago Rhodes began a collaboration with the Teton Science Schools with the introduction of Rocky Mountain Ecology, a two-week summer field program in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park. Professor Jackson relates the student response to this unique program: "Everybody who has been on the program raves about how much they learned and how they loved the place, so we wanted to expand our relationship with the Teton Science Schools. Summer 2012 is the first time we are offering a four-week course that enables students to conduct extensive field research based in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem." Junior Caroline Todd, an Environmental Studies major, traveled to Wyoming with the program to compare southern loblolly pine trees with another related species found in the Tetons. "I forgot how it felt to go outside and see stars at night--really see stars--it was breathtaking." Writing a research report following the trip is a part of the Teton Science School field experience. All majors and minors participate in some variety of field study experience, explains Todd, who is an environmentally concerned resident of Memphis. She recently interned with Congressman Steve Cohen and spends her time in local and political activities dedicated to making Memphis a greener city. The Namibian Wildlife Conservation summer field study led by Biology professor Rosanna Cappellato places students in a unique environment for studying methods of conservation in the developing world. The Namibian desert offers an ideal environment for these studies thanks to the abundant variety of wildlife, not to mention the economic and political integration among government officials, conservation activists and farmers. Senior Kimber Jones, a veteran of the Namibian field experience, explains the conflict and one promising solution: "Conditions there are unique because the government and activist groups try to express the importance of animal diversity and preservation, but there are also economically stressed farmers who feel the need to hunt predator species in order to protect their families and livestock. How do we solve a tripartite problem like this so that everyone benefits? One promising approach is the promotion of ecotourism: Offering tours and education to visitors, for example, could serve as economic incentives to protect and preserve existing wildlife while enhancing Namibia's political image. The field study is basically dedicated to exploring strategies like this to see what is actually effective and what is not. Ecotourism helps to convince farmers in a poor country that animals are worth more alive than dead." Outside the classroom, Jones serves as the Rhodes student coordinator for Great Outdoors University, a program funded by the Tennessee Wildlife Federation that provides outdoor experiences to inner city middle and high school students. She has also participated continuously in conservation projects at the Memphis Zoo. Back in the classroom, the Environmental Sciences program welcomed visiting professor Christine Powell, from the Center for Earthquake Research and Information at the University of Memphis, as the 201112 Cargill Scholar in Residence.
What Drives the Programs?
A cursory survey of the Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies curriculum reveals a liberal interpretation of environmental topics and courses taught by a number of different departments across campus: � The International Studies Department offers a course on comparative ecopolitics. � A recent research project led by analytical Chemistry professor Jon Russ surveyed area public schools for heavy metals in the soil. � The Modern Languages Department offers a course on Chinese gardens. � An Urban Studies course introduces topics relevant to politics and communities of urban environments. � In the Anthropology and Sociology Department, Kimberly Kasper is a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Environmental Archaeology.
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Inscription on the stone bench at the entrance to the Hubert F. Fisher Memorial Garden, the site of Rhodes Commencements since 1942
� The Biology faculty play major roles as well. Sarah Boyle teaches a course in Independent Research in Environmental Studies, and Michael Collins teaches Ecology. � Tait Keller of the History Department teaches courses in Global Environment History and Environment and Society. � Ermanno Affuso, an Andrew W. Mellon Faculty Fellow in the Economics Department, teaches a course in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. � Students can choose from dozens of internship and research opportunities around Memphis and with programs around the world. What philosophy drives the course offerings of these interdisciplinary programs? Professor Jackson explains, "I think we try to interpret the idea of the environment broadly, so we have an inclusive idea of what constitutes Environmental Studies and Environmental Sciences." The result is that Rhodes' environmental programs are not limited to trees in a forest: If a student wishes to look into something more traditional like fertilizer pollution of the Wolf River watershed, Rhodes offers a selection of courses and internship connections around Memphis to help that passion blossom into something grand and fulfilling. Or, a student may opt to study green architecture, an emerging building style using environmentally responsible techniques for carbon neutrality and energy efficiency. There are courses and internships for this interest as well, such as Introduction to Urban Studies. While an orthodox interpretation of
an environmental program may not include Urban Studies, topics like urban parks, green architecture and pollution control certainly do affect the world around us. Through its broad interpretation of environment-- from the waters of the mighty Mississippi to the roaming buffalo at Shelby Farms, to sustainable architecture on campus and downtown--Rhodes encourages a truly interdisciplinary interpretation of "environment" in order to inform students of broader topics and larger questions in an environmentally concerned world. Every summer new courses seem to sprout out of the coming year's catalogue while alumni and internship connections likewise reach out like roots across the Mid-South. Rhodes is even incorporating principles of green architecture in the construction of West Village, a new residence hall set to open this fall. This is part of the college's growing environmental consciousness, symbolized by the signing of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment by President Bill Troutt in August 2007. The ACUPCC commitment requires colleges to develop a plan to achieve climate neutrality by reducing emissions, purchasing or producing renewable energy and constructing new buildings according to the LEED Silver standard of sustainability. The expansion of Rhodes' Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies programs with new courses, local internships and field experiences demonstrates a growing awareness of and participation in environmental topics. The tenets of these budding programs demonstrate one of the most significant traits of Rhodes as a leading institution of higher education.
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Going Public
By Lynn Conlee
n 2003, a group known as the Creative 100, consisting of some of the best minds in the United States, gathered in Memphis and joined forces with 50 area artists to develop guidelines for attracting creative minds to urban areas. The resulting Memphis Manifesto became the cornerstone plan for cities far and wide in their efforts to form what national columnist Neal Pierce called a "creative ecosystem" that cited creativity as the driving force of a thriving community. Fast-forward seven years and the Memphis Manifesto found itself at the center of a $50,000 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant to fund public and digital arts projects for Rhodes faculty, staff and students. In the ensuing two years, seven projects directed by Rhodes faculty and staff have taken shape in a variety of forms, all with one goal in mind: to link the college's artistic efforts with those of a wider community so that the creative arts could flourish. The Public and Digital Arts Program originated in an effort by Dean Michael Drompp, and soon began to make its way into the city's churches, onto the walls of a local middle school, online via recordings of campus events and a database of public art, into theater textbooks and anthropology texts for children, and as a story of immigrant life. But the road to creative progress was anything but staked
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out when a committee chaired by Professor Bill Skoog, chair of the Rhodes Department of Music, began determining how the grant money should be awarded. "From the very beginning, our meetings consisted of: We don't know what to do with this. This really is-- in the truest sense of creating art--chaos and we're supposed to somehow create form and bring it to our colleagues," Skoog explains. "It was not without a compass, but it was really like Columbus, and here is the ocean, and we think there is land over there. Let's go looking for it." The committee--consisting of Skoog; Liz Daggett, assistant professor of Art and director of the Center for Outreach in the Development of the Arts (CODA); Dr. Scott Garner, director of Fellowships; David Jilg '79, associate professor and chair of the Department of Theatre; and Rashna Richards, assistant professor of English--met three times in an effort to defi ne the parameters of public and digital art for the purposes of awarding grants. A subsequent sequence of public forums for the campus community helped generate feedback that refi ned the grant's guidelines even further and in spring 2011, 17 proposals were submitted. Seven of the projects were awarded grants.
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Alexandra Corbett '15 works on part of the mural at Cypress Middle School
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Working Together
The old trunk that sat underneath assistant professor of Music Carole Blankenship's piano had clearly seen better days. It had miraculously survived a house fi re. Ultimately, it was discarded, but not before the priceless content of sermons by the Rev. Dr. William Herbert Brewster was diligently removed and organized in preparation to be digitally archived. Brewster was an African American Baptist minister, composer, dramatist, singer, poet and Memphis community leader. These sermons, an addition to Memphis religious history, will likely attract scholars for years to come. Funds from the Public and Digital Arts Program helped make the archival project possible. Blankenship and associate professor of Religious Studies Tom Bremer fi rst began working with the Brewster archives around four years ago when both taught during the Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies, a summer student research program on campus. The project, along with similar ones connected to Memphis-area religious music, continued with funding through the Mike Curb Institute for Music. "When Mike Curb, the musician and record company executive, established the Curb Institute at Rhodes, there was a lot of talk about the `Tennessee Music Miracle,' and what was missing from that conversation was the church, which is very central to this whole thing, but there wasn't any interest in that. With our common interests, we thought, `Let's start an archive that focuses on music and religion,'" Bremer says. Applying for the Public and Digital Arts grant "seemed a logical thing to us," adds Blankenship, "because we knew we needed to digitize and make these things available to people. And our focus right now is to get that to work." Likewise, Curb Institute director John Bass saw the grant program as a way to purchase portable recording equipment and training for a team of fellowship students to provide recording services to the campus community, which could then be shared more broadly with others. The students worked with local recording engineer Jacob Church '04, who was already handling campus concert recordings for the Music Department.
"We saw the funding as a way to create an educational opportunity for students and to provide a service on campus that wasn't previously available," Bass explains. "The idea was to have the students shadow Jacob and train for a semester and then work on campus as recording engineers on various projects. Part of the grant goes to fund Jacob's increased duties. The other part goes to buy needed equipment. Through the grant we've been able to create a portable, but pretty powerful and versatile, recording system with a laptop computer, ProTools recording software and some very nice microphones. It's perfect for our needs because it can be taken to various rooms to record all kinds of events." For a reasonable fee, the fellowship students can be hired to capture student recitals, lectures, classroom presentations or discussions--any event that warrants documentation. Thus far, the Curb team has recorded all the Communities in Conversation lectures established this year by Dr. Jonathan Judaken, the Spence L. Wilson Chair in the Humanities; a Curbsponsored panel consisting of Mike Curb, musical historian Peter Guralnick and Knox Phillips '67, son of Memphis music legend Sam Phillips; concerts by the Rhodes Jazz Band; and the annual Battle of the Bands sponsored by the Rhodes Activities Board. A major undertaking that the Curb students tackled involved a tribute to Dr. Brewster in January. Community of Faith Christian Church contacted Bass about recording the service and Rhodes' Crossroads to Freedom Digital Archives students videoed the event. Blankenship was on hand to provide information about the Brewster archive project. Bass describes the program as having been a "learning experience and an opportunity for various programs on campus to work together." The students worked through spring semester to edit the performances, which required syncing audio to different video cameras. "The students are getting training and real-world experience," says Bass. "The grant provided seed money to purchase the equipment, which was the first major hurdle. Going forward, through fellowships we will be able to provide a service to the community and record the many wonderful things that happen at Rhodes."
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Community Art
On the lower level of Cypress Middle School, in the Springdale community north of campus, a room called the Red Zone is home to an after-school program for students. Today, what were once onecolor cinderblock walls leap out with vivid blues, yellows and pinks--the brilliant tones of a roundthe-world mural created by associate professor of Art Erin Harmon's Mural Painting 366 class. Funding from the Public and Digital Arts grant paid for the supplies the class of 15 used on the Cypress mural and on a temporary, site-specific mural installed during the spring semester around the construction site for West Village, Rhodes' new residence hall due to open this fall. Harmon got the idea for starting Rhodes' first mural painting class when her advanced painting students collaborated with the Mathematics and Computer Science Department in spring 2009 on a mural for Ohlendorf Hall. "We collaborated with the Math Department in order to treat them like a client and design something that was specific to their needs," says Harmon. "It was a great experience. We had a lot of fun, and for students, painting murals is an opportunity to paint largescale. We don't have a facility that allows them to make giant paintings, where you're using your physical body instead of your wrists." The Cypress Middle School mural, titled "Imagine the Places You'll Go," covers four conjoined walls along the back side of the room and represents each of the earth's continents. A detailed portrait of a historical figure and colorful graphics of well-known symbols from each continent highlight the land masses in between blue-toned waves of ocean. A festive public unveiling in late April drew members of the Rhodes and neighborhood communities together for a reception. It is this community connection that Harmon appreciates most about public art projects like the mural. "I defi nitely want to teach the class again," says Harmon. "It's been a very positive experience for me and I feel very lucky to be at a school where we have this kind of support." In early May, the Tennessee legislature adopted a resolution honoring Rhodes and
Harmon, along with Daggett and CODA, for the fi lm "Far Away, Next Door" that featured Cypress students.
From Walls to Web
While the mural tells the story of our geographic world, another project funded by the grant tells the story of those whose migration from continent to continent offers compelling details that come alive through digital media. Associate professor of Modern Languages Felix Kronenberg received grant funding to create the website "That's How I Got to Memphis," which features a storytelling mosaic of digital narratives about immigrant life in Memphis. Continuing its reach around the world, the grant was also used to develop an online Introduction to Theatre in India textbook. Associate professor of Theatre David Mason, who received the grant, says, "College and university theater programs are increasingly interested in internationalizing their curricula. This free, online text is designed to help nonspecialist teachers at the college and high school level introduce elements of Indian modes of theatrical performance into their courses." From theater to engaging young people in the arts, the Public and Digital Arts Program also funded the website and database, the "Memphis Arts Project," a developing comprehensive public arts repository under the direction of Karen Brunsting, Rhodes' visual resources coordinator. And Anthropology/Sociology professor Susan Kus received grant funding to create a book series designed to engage young readers' interest in anthropology. While this particular Mellon grant served as seed money for these seven projects, Dean Drompp and Bill Skoog hope that future similar grant proposals will continue to help the arts at Rhodes gain more community exposure and bring the Rhodes arts community even closer to kindred ones off campus. Speaking of his conception of the grant, Drompp comments on its achievement: "In a way, digital is public, but I didn't want to limit the projects to digital. I wanted them to be anything that could draw attention to the arts and link them--and our arts people--to broader communities."
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Living the Language
By Mary Helen Randall
ever before has understanding and appreciation for other cultures and peoples been so crucial, so it's with pride that during the 2011-12 academic year Rhodes marked the silver anniversary of its Russian Studies program. Professor Valeria Nollan founded the program 25 years ago, when the campus and the city surrounding it seemed very different. Six years later, assistant professor Sasha Kostina arrived, and a complementary and comprehensive partnership was formed. Nollan, who was born in Germany to Russian parents, claims Russian as her first language. Kostina is Russianborn and holds dual U.S. and Russian citizenship. "We built the program together," explains Nollan. "Our approach to the language is very intuitive. We both do what needs to be done and we are both very comfortable making decisions." Those decisions on how the Russian Studies discipline should be run are not ones that either takes lightly. "When I started in 1986, I knew that one person could not develop a language program alone," recalls Nollan. "I needed help, and it came in the form of Sasha. The Middlebury Consortium brought exchange students here shortly after I began, and that's how Sasha got here," smiles Nollan. "There is a huge comfort in the stability of this program," she notes. "Our students know we
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are going to be here, and they in turn are there for one another. "It fosters confidence," explains Kostina, who goes on to note that 60 percent of Russian Studies majors go on to graduate school to continue their study of the language and culture, and their acceptance rate is close to 100 percent. It's hard numbers like these that let Kostina and Nollan know they are doing something right. In fact, many things right. "We have a unique program: We compare ours against those at other universities, and what we do goes beyond the surface, which is why we have not only survived but thrived when some others just didn't make it," says Nollan. One of the distinctions, according to the two professors, is that they prefer to do fewer things in an excellent way, rather than doing too many things in a more superficial way. But it would be a mistake to call this simply a "language" program. It is far more encompassing, and far more forward-thinking. The interdisciplinary, integrated program is a perfectly choreographed dance involving communication, writing, literature, art, travel, immersion, social media and cultural understanding, the latter being an issue of much concern for both Nollan and Kostina. "We have the opportunity to be part of the solution to the many misconceptions Americans have about the Russian people. Not all Russian elections are
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Sasha Kostina, left, and Valeria Nollan
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fixed, not everyone drinks vodka, the Russians are not our natural `enemies,'" sighs Nollan. "That mentality is so dangerous. Sure, these days it's easier than ever to get facts, but where do you get understanding? Not just in reading online and having surface discussions; one has to dig deeper. Differences exist even in simple things, like not filling every silent moment with empty words," Nollan explains. "That is a teaching moment. We as Americans are so plugged in and wired. In Russia they respect silence, and I try to bring that aesthetic to my classroom." Says Kostina, "We target the features of Russian culture that are essential for an understanding of the people, such as literature, folklore, Rusian Orthodox religious philosophy, linguistics and music." Nollan adds: "This kind of learning reveals a real gentleness and kindness, which are very touching and so characteristic of the Russian people. But what we both say to our students is, `Don't take our word for it, go see for yourselves.'" And see for themselves they do. Many participate in a Maymester, when students travel as a group to St. Petersburg. It's an experience that stands out for alums of the program, with good reason. One such student is 24-year-old Colin Johnson '10, an Aledo, TX, native who graduated with a major in International Studies and a minor in Russian Studies. He traveled with Professor Kostina to her native city of St. Petersburg in 2008, with the aid of a scholarship through Rhodes' Buckman Center for International Education. "My interest in Russia came from my fascination with World War II and naval history," explains Johnson. "Russia has always been a mysterious place to me, and as I grew older I became interested in the Cold War and felt that we as Americans had yet to get a firm grasp of Russia's history in the 20th century." That fascination stuck with him, and when it was time to choose a college, Rhodes was the clear winner. "After one campus visit I knew Rhodes was the place I'd get the results and that Memphis was a place I could learn to call home. When I received a letter form an alumnus who practiced international corporate law in Japan, it was the icing on the cake. There was no doubt that Rhodes was the place for me to challenge myself, get out into the world and get a huge leap forward on my career path." Immediately after Johnson's Maymester trip, Kostina assisted him in securing a Buckman Study Abroad scholarship to study Russian-European relations at the University of Tartu in Estonia. While not in Russia, the venture helped Johnson obtain a Critical Language Scholarship from the State Department to study Russian in Kazan the summer after graduation. "Both Nollan and Kostina were incredible instructors," says Johnson. "With Nollan, it was the first time I'd been in a literature class since high school, and I loved being able to bring my knowledge of Russian culture to the table. I took all three years of my language classes from Professor Kostina, who inspired my passion for Russian as soon as I set foot in her classroom," he recalls. "She is so knowledgeable of linguistics that she can help put you into the mind of a Russian speaker so that you naturally understand that world through grammar and syntax. I've spoken to students from other universities, including Georgetown, who studied with her for a summer and later said that she was the best Russian language instructor they'd ever had," he says. Currently, Johnson is beginning dissertation research on Russian politics. "After my time in Russia and my classes, I was fascinated by shifts in population: migration urbanizations, population growth and decline," he notes. With all that in his head going into senior year, he decided that graduate school was what he wanted to pursue, and it was with the support from professors in International Studies and Russian Studies that he says he was able to complete the applications and be accepted into a great program. Looking back at his broad range of experiences, Johnson knows he received superior training coupled with the real-world experiences that even the best classrooms can't replicate. "The opportunities that Rhodes provided were exceptional," he says. "If I hadn't been able to study abroad so many times--which was a huge financial
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obstacle overcome by various generous programs--I would not have been able to develop a CV that legitimated my application to Ph.D. programs straight out of undergrad." He offers this bit of practical advice for future modern language students: "While mastering another language is a worthy goal in and of itself, it must complement other skills, whether professional or academic. Whatever language you choose, combine it with training and knowledge of other academic disciplines or professional skills. Another language can create linkages to other cultures, countries and resources to reinforce your other interests. Russian has given me access to sociologists, artists and knowledge that I would not have had if I had not known the language. Mastery of other languages reinforces your other strengths and signals to employers that you can not only absorb massive amounts of information but that you also have the discipline to undertake such long-term tasks," he says. "Take your passion for a language and go to where it's spoken! And take your passion for physics or business or art! Then you have everything you need to succeed in the future." Another alumnus, Emily Liverman '04, a Lexington, KY, native and Russian Studies major, echoes Johnson's sentiments. "I took Russian as an elective my first year and was completely hooked," she explains. Her Maymester trip in 2003 "brought everything Professor Nollan taught in the classroom. Her kindness and passion for her topics really stand out. I enjoyed the small size of the classes at Rhodes, and the dedication of my fellow students in those classes was impressive," she smiles. "After graduation, I went to the University of Texas, Austin, to get my master's in Slavic Languages and Literature, where my thesis was on translations of poetry, especially the poetry of Marina Tsvetaeva." Those experiences have served her well, and she currently works as the academic adviser/assistant director for Student Services at the Russian and East European Institute at
Indiana University. She also credits the combination of classroom work, under the tutelage of professors Nollan and Kostina, with the real-world experiences of traveling and studying abroad. To current and future students of modern languages, she advises, "Spend more time in the country than I did! Seek out more opportunities to engage with the language outside of the classroom. And of course, practice, practice, practice." Conversely, Rhodes provides a learning destination for Russian students studying English. Russian teaching assistants make up a critical part of the Russian Studies experience at Rhodes. In fact, that is how Kostina made her way to Rhodes from St. Petersburg. Zheyna Bakin was another such assistant at Rhodes. "Coming to America was a huge learning experience, obviously," he says via a Skype interview in his native Russia. "It would not be until years later that I was truly able to appreciate all I learned there from the faculty and to a large extent, the students themselves. Being there taught me a lot of patience, which I had not any of before," he laughs. In his current role as an English as a Second Language professor he reflects, "The students at Rhodes are so clever, so studious. And professors are not like they are in Russia, where they are very much independent of students. If the students do the work, great. If they do not, they are out." He takes a page from his favorite professor at Rhodes, Art History Professor David McCarthy, who used songs, jokes and storytelling in addition to lecturing to reach his students, says Bakin. "I very much admire, and try to emulate, his teaching style. He wasn't just talking about pieces of art but rather tying time periods together and explaining how those times affected the style of the pieces. He was giving us his heart with each class. It made me fall in love with the subject and it serves as my guide for my own teaching," he says. "In fact, my experience teaching at Rhodes and taking classes at the same time serve as the cornerstone of my own teaching, especially the way Rhodes encouraged personal responsibility." "It was at Rhodes when I knew for certain I wanted to teach for a living. And I do now. It was very eyeopening," he continues. "It was a whole new way to reach students and approach material that I never would have known if not for Rhodes."
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A History of Teaching & Learning
By Dionne Chalmers
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tudents who engage in Rhodes History courses venture back in time to various periods and destinations. They learn the stories of monarchies and democracies, leaders and rulers, revolts and reformation, and so much more in understanding how societies and civilizations come to be. The Department of History at Rhodes has its own story of transformation. It begins with History being one of the few subjects taught since the college's founding in 1848 in Clarksville, TN. Even after the college moved to Memphis in 1925, there were no "defined" academic departments, but among the professors who taught the subject of History were Robert Price, Margaret Huxtable Townsend, W. Raymond Cooper and John Henry Davis. In addition, there were no "official" department chairs until Douglas Hatfield, who was hired in the late 1960s, served in the role. Chairs who followed include Professor Emeritus Jim Lanier; Michael Drompp, now dean of the faculty and vice president for Academic Affairs; Lynn Zastoupil, J.J. McComb Professor of History; Gail Murray; and current chair
Timothy Huebner, the L. Palmer Brown Professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities. "The main thing that has impressed me about the History Department is the way in which it, both individually and collectively, has remained committed to undergraduate education," says Hatfield. "Besides teaching, it has always encouraged undergraduates to develop a passion for learning in general."
Expanding the Curriculum
When the college moved to Memphis in 1925, the areas of history taught included American and English history. But over the decades, offerings have expanded to include the history of Asia, Europe, Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East. And while the department has long been strong in social and political history, in recent years it has added more courses in cultural history. Hatfield says when he came to the college, the primary entry-level course in the department was a two-semester History of Western Civilization. "It
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JUSTIN FOX BURKS
Tim Huebner, the L. Palmer Brown Professor of Interdisciplinary Study; History major Elizabeth Henrikson '13; and June West, executive director of Memphis Heritage Inc., at the organization's Midtown headquarters
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was taught by a team of two or three professors. The course met three times a week. The first two meetings involved lectures, each given to the whole class by one of the professors. In the third meeting the class was divided into small discussion groups, each led by one of the professors." Now, Hatfield says, the department offers courses that are "much narrower in scope and designed to introduce students not only to a body of historical knowledge, but also to give them an opportunity to learn to think in the ways that historians think, to examine historical sources, to respond critically to historical interpretations and to write their own essays on `live' issues." "If you were to put into perspective the history of the department, the diversity of our course offerings, the fact that our faculty are nationally-and internationally-recognized scholars, the emphasis we place on student research and the availability of internships in the community--these are the things we emphasize, and each one of these is a story of evolution," says Huebner. "These are all points of pride--the opportunities for our students to go into archives, to present papers at conferences, to publish their own journals and to be recognized for their outstanding achievement." Huebner cites Daniel Williford '11 as a success story. "Daniel, who was our top major last year, not only won the college's Peyton Rhodes Prize, the highest academic honor you can win at the college, but received the highest award in the country for undergraduate research. We submitted a paper he had written under the guidance of Professor Etty Terem for a prize sponsored by the American Historical Association, and he won. He and Professor Terem both went to the AHA meeting in Chicago and were recognized by hundreds of people from all over the country." this when he became president of the college in 1999 and included academic space in the college's strategic planning process. Today, Rhodes is one of the few colleges in the nation to possess a master plan for the use of academic space. As a result of that plan, in summer 2011, all History faculty moved to their new home on the second floor of Buckman Hall. It includes new faculty offices and a multipurpose conference room. The space once had been occupied by the Computer Center before its move to the Paul Barret Jr. Library. Although Clough Hall was considered the department's home before last summer, faculty had been housed in various offices throughout campus. "We were in Clough for a long time, and we needed a new design," says Huebner. "The great thing about the move was our faculty got to come up with a list of priorities we wanted and handed it to the architect. This has turned out to be a very nice space that really does contribute to the cohesion of the department and the spirit of our common enterprise." The conference room has provided an environment for teaching, learning and social interactions, and can be used for classes, student conferences, faculty meetings and small lectures. This spring, the department held its Phi Alpha Theta initiation ceremony there.
Classroom Learning and the Memphis Community
The department has recently expanded its internship offerings to include public history, a growing field that includes museum studies, archives management and historic preservation. The Public History Internship gives majors the opportunity to learn about the theory of public history while also doing a local internship. The class involves field trips to places such as the National Civil Rights Museum and the Memphis and Shelby County Room of the public library. Andrea Perkins '12, a History major and an Environmental Studies minor from Milton, GA, worked at Victorian Village Inc. this spring as part of her Public History Internship. Victorian Village
Significance of a Common Place
Although course offerings have become wider and more diverse, an abiding theme that has existed in the department has been to connect students with each other, to the faculty, staff and residential community and to the world. Bill Troutt recognized
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Inc. is a community development corporation working toward creating new construction while preserving original designs and treasuring the architectural heritage of a historic Memphis neighborhood. Located almost downtown, Victorian Village itself is the site of several 19thcentury Italianate mansions along with 20th-century apartments, businesses and offices. "I worked on preliminary research, laying the groundwork for updating the design guidelines, which the Landmarks Commission has on record for Victorian Village," says Perkins. "These guidelines will ensure the preservation of Victorian Village houses so that they can't be torn down and that new construction is compatible and cohesive to what's already there." For her internship at Memphis Heritage Inc., History major Elizabeth Henrikson '13 from Houston developed an educational program about the importance of preservation that incorporates photographs of historic Memphis to be used in local elementary schools. She also updated and added to the extensive archives the organization keeps. "My Public History class taught me that historic preservation is more than saving buildings just because Huebner and Henrikson with photos of old Memphis they are old and beautiful," says Henrikson. "Instead, preservation is about building communities, creating more livable As part of the final grade for the Public History cities and fostering a vibrant economy through internship, students must make a presentation to the the preservation of buildings that have important History Department faculty that ties together all historical meaning. Memphis Heritage gave me the the academic theory and essays they've been reading opportunity to use this knowledge." with what they have been doing in the field.
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Re ach ing H igher
Sharing History with the World
History majors develop highly marketable skills-- writing, research, critical thinking, oral presentation and interpersonal skills--that employers and graduate school entrance committees desire in their candidates. A History major or minor serves as excellent preparation for careers in a number of fields, including law and government, business, the foreign service, education and the nonprofit sector. "What we typically say to our students is that if you major in History you can do anything," says Huebner. "We really feel like History is at the heart of the undergraduate liberal arts experience and because that is true, we feel like our students are preparing to enter the workforce in a wide variety of ways." Still, some History majors follow directly in the footsteps of their professors by pursuing academic careers. Ben Houston '99, a lecturer in Modern United States History at Newcastle University in England, says, "Rhodes is where I first began to learn the craft of doing history. It's one thing to have a general love of history as a high schooler but to have professors modeling for you the acts of thinking, grappling with books and primary sources, drawing out connections, trying to make everything as nuanced as possible, and then writing this all up was at a `whole 'nother' level! I think what's especially amazing to me now is how much I draw from specific examples of my Rhodes professors in teaching and mentoring." Houston, whose book The Nashville Way: Racial Etiquette and the Struggle for Social Justice in a Southern City, which is scheduled to be published in November, adds it was while completing an honors thesis at Rhodes that he began using Nashville as a laboratory to understand the civil rights movement from both black and white perspectives.
conferences. "I would argue that if we didn't have the faculty we have doing research, then we wouldn't have the number of students doing research. That's where those two things fit together." Examples of such faculty activity include Jeffrey Jackson, Lynn Zastoupil and Charles McKinney, who published books last year and delivered numerous lectures--in the U.S. and abroad--to discuss their research. This year, Mike LaRosa published a new book on the history of Colombia, and Alex Novikoff 's article on medieval disputation appeared in the American Historical Review, the most prestigious journal in the discipline. And Dee Garceau is quickly making a name for herself as a historical documentary fi lmmaker, having won a Special Jury Award this past year for her fi lm "Stepping--Beyond the Line" at the Memphis Indie Film Festival. Last year, the department revised its curriculum to incorporate more courses that are global and comparative in nature. Environmental History courses offered by Jeffrey Jackson and Tait Keller particularly fall into this category. "Since rivers, animals, hurricanes and germs brazenly traverse political borders, Environmental History practically demands a transnational approach, just like people who want to understand today's world need to have a global perspective," says Keller. "As our students become increasingly engaged with worldwide concerns, they are drawn to History courses like Disease and Epidemics or Natural Disasters that explore those topics within a global framework." With its continued emphasis on covering more areas of the world, the department will offer a new course on Imperial Russia in the fall. "And so all of these things continue to motivate and inspire our students," says Huebner. "We want to continue to provide those opportunities for them to learn about other parts of the world, to go into archives, to present papers at conferences, to publish their own journals--and to win awards."
The Department's Next Chapter
Huebner says developing and adding more internship opportunities is critical to the department. In addition, he says because students are able to study with faculty who are teacher-scholars committed to publishing books and articles, there are higher expectation for excellence in undergraduate research and for students to publish and present at national
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Summer Reading
Three faculty proffer their picks for summer reading enjoyment
MARK BEHR Associate Professor Department of English
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M
ichael Ondaatje, The English Patient: Written in beautiful, poetic prose and carried by a host of memorable and empathetically drawn characters, the novel offers a new look at European history from the Renaissance to a moment near the end of the Second World War. Set in the ruins of an Italian villa and moving between there and North Africa, Ondaatje's novel engages European art as emblematic of Western civilization by exposing the intersections between aesthetics and violence.
Toni Morrison, Beloved: The most flawless and fully realized novel I know; one that I continue to read. Here the relationship between literary form and content seems perfect. Every reading foregrounds new layers of the text's structural and thematic genius. On the most overt level it is a story of U.S. slavery, trauma, racism and the relentlessness of memory. Morrison shows how this is a story of all of us. The novel engages a multitude of themes, one of which suggests that we will live fuller, more meaningful lives by constantly confronting and (re)integrating the horror and pain of our shared and individual pasts. J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace: Against the backdrop of a transforming South Africa an English professor in Cape Town has an affair with one of his students. But this is no longer a world in which white, educated, heterosexual men are allowed to do as, how, and with whom they please. Intellectually, philosophically and even in terms of sex and sexuality, history has arrived to collect its dues. Read together with Philip Roth's The Human Stain which appeared a year after Coetzee's book, it is clear that male privilege feels itself besieged on a transnational scale. Keri Hume, The Bone People: This highly original novel introduces one of contemporary literature's most unforgettable "butch" characters. Hume resists all pressures to feminize her central Maori character,
Mark Behr in the archway between Neely and Robb/White halls
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instead overturning many of our presuppositions about femininity, masculinity and childhood, and how we organize our relationships to each other and to the world. There is magic to the defiant and transformative ways the English language of Niue Zeeland is used in this book. Michael Cunningham, The Hours: Alternating the stories and connections between three women's lives at different points in the 20th century, the novel asks us to consider what has changed and what remains constant for women over time. Virginia Woolf, creating her novel Mrs. Dalloway, provides this novel's central conceit. How, over extended periods of time does art imitate life and vice versa? How do the constant struggles around sexuality and gender equity impact us all? The novel is crafted in sparse and elegant prose that renders slices of
ordinary life quite unforgettable. Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children: If Morrison's Beloved is the most "flawlessly realized" novel I know, then Rushdie's may be the most "spectacular" as well as the most "ambitious" of the unforgettable texts I've read. At exactly midnight on the eve of India's independence from Britain and the creation of the state of Pakistan, 1,001 children of national liberation are born. Rushdie uses one of these children--one who develops the gift of facilitating telepathy between himself and the other 1,000--to narrate the story of the first 30 tumultuous years of Indian nationhood. This novel was created by a staggering imagination, and it changed world literature in English forever.
HAN LI Assistant Professor of Chinese Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
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G
rowing up in the Jiangnan (literally, "south to the river") area of China, I always spent part of my summer reading about and visiting classical Chinese gardens in the region. Involving traditional Chinese philosophy, ethics, religion, painting, calligraphy, literature, architecture and horticulture, a classical Chinese garden is a microcosm of Chinese culture. In addition to being admired works of art, Chinese gardens are also fascinating because they are at the same time valuable pieces of real estate. Therefore, I greatly enjoyed reading about the "beauty" of the Chinese gardens and studying how the aesthetic meanings were translated into social experience and sensibilities.
The Chinese Garden: History, Art and Architecture by Maggie Keswick is one of my favorites. When the book was first published in 1978, it was among the first book-length attempts in English to explore the meaning behind Chinese gardens. I highly recommend this book because in a scholarly, yet highly accessible way, Keswick traces the origin and development as well as the principles and techniques used in creating Chinese gardens. In doing so, she particularly focuses on the key elements of the gardens--rocks, water, plants and architectural features. Now in its third edition, the book is accompanied with rich illustrations where readers gain an intimate glimpse of this unusual form of art and living. If you find Keswick's book interesting, you probably will be equally fascinated by the next "reading," which is actually the award-winning website of Yin Yu Tang (a Chinese
Han Li beside a Chinese zelkova tree in the Rhodes Arboretum
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residence) at PEM (Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts. URL: pem.org/sites/yinyutang/index.html). Built by a Huang merchant in Anhui province around 1800, eight generations of the Huang family had lived in this house compound until the mid-1990s when the house was abandoned. The remaining members of the family sold the house to the PEM, and it was dismantled, shipped from China to Massachusetts and rebuilt at the museum in 2003. I have visited Yin Yu Tang a couple of times only to find the allowed 30-minute tour time is not nearly enough for one to truly appreciate this compound. The Yin Yu Tang website features a detailed deconstructed view of the orientation, structure and ornamentations in the house. Visitors can take a virtual tour of the house with audio narratives and see incredible detail, including a faded Chinese wedding symbol on one of the doors. I'm guessing some of you will want to take a trip to PEM after viewing this wonderful website. Don't forget to make reservations beforehand as the tour frequently sells out. Another book I have enjoyed reading repeatedly is Six Records of a Floating Life. In this memoir, Shen Fu, a young Chinese poet and painter who lived at the beginning of the 19th century, describes with great tenderness the trifles and idylls of his time with his wife, Y�n. Y�n's admirable balance between her passions
for life and her duties as a traditional Chinese wife has led many critics to reckon her as "the most adorable female image in Chinese literature." Troubled by Y�n's premature death, Shen Fu tells and retells the significant events in their lives in different chapters, each time in a different light. Finishing the book, one can't help but wonder if his memoir writing is actually like one of the practices the couple takes great delight in doing--hiding the puttied joints in the miniature stone mountain, an eternally unsuccessful self-deception. In addition, I highly recommend a film from Ang Lee's "Chinese father trilogy"--Eat Drink Man Woman (1994). This film tells the lives of a widowed Chinese master chef and his three daughters in modern-day Taipei. As the film progresses, each daughter embarks on a romantic relationship (and, actually, so does the father!) and finds there is a surprise around every corner for the family. I love this film for its finelytuned drama, spontaneous comedy, seasoned dialogues and unexpected little twists. Most important, the film is compelling for its portrayal of Chinese ethical relationships, especially between father and daughter. If you like this film, you may also enjoy the other two titles in this trilogy--Pushing Hands (1992) and Wedding Banquet (1993). Happy reading and happy summer!
KIMBERLY KASPER Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellow in Environmental Archaeology Department of Anthropology and Sociology
to fully embrace my new urban landscape. I have therefore selected readings that suggest how, regardless of where you live in the United States or around the world, you can come to fully appreciate and understand the cultural and environmental choices we have made through our history. So if you are interested in understanding cultural choices associated with plants, food and sustainability--this reading list is the one for you. I start this journey with a book written by Colin Trudge. The Tree: A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live, and Why They Matter. This book provides an essential backbone to start a journey to appreciating the tremendous growth in our basic Western knowledge of plants, specifically trees. Trudge presents the reader with an eloquent biography of 60,000 different tree species and how they are the key players on our local, regional and even global stage.
W
hen I arrived at Rhodes last summer, I had just moved from rural Massachusetts where lush deciduous forests, rolling streams and mountains were all around me as I conducted field and lab research related to the field of paleoethnobotany, the study of human use of plants in the past. As I have shifted to my new Memphian lifeways, I have come
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Learning about trees within a humanistic narrative offers a unique opportunity to weave together the beauty of trees, their utility and even their agency in our constantly changing globalized landscape. You will appreciate the life of the tree and its major roles within our highly modified landscapes as a source of food, fuel and architectural and religious inspiration. Perhaps Trudge hopes the readers will recognize the synergy that exists within our humanistic and scientific knowledge of these plants in order to address how we ourselves live and tackle the major environmental problems of our contemporary world. The second book deals with how our cultural use of plants, such as wild weeds and domesticates, has shaped the evolutionary trajectory of our diet. In Ancestral Appetites, Kristen J. Gremillion draws upon the archaeological record from 7 million years to the present day to highlight the vast reserve of cultural knowledge associated with gathering, harvesting and processing plants. Through various case studies, she discusses how we as humans have the cultural capacity of choice and explores the ways we encode and direct those choices. The book imparts a deep understanding of how "fad" diets related to restricted choices, such as the paleo diet, are just contemporary nostalgia. Gremillion demonstrates that our food choices throughout history have been (and still are) extremely complex and adaptive--the central lesson of her book is that our use of plants for food is a continuing story of dietary diversity and adaptability. Ancestral Appetites is a great stepping-stone to the next book, which is a contemporary analysis of our food systems. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, by Michael Pollan, explores our modern-day food landscape through three different lines of food production: industrialized food, organic food, or the food we forage/grow for ourselves. Pollan calls into question the choices that we make as individuals by detailing their political, economic and social implications. After digesting the engaging content in the book, you will certainly be re-evaluating your own cultural choices. Another book, Green Sisters: A Spiritual Ecology, by Sarah McFarland Taylor, may gently push you (if the other three have not) into a more engaged and environmentally conscious existence. It focuses on the lives and motivations of a growing number of Roman Catholic sisters who are creating communityKimberly Kasper by a dawn redwood tree in the Rhodes Arboretum
JUSTIN FOX BURKS
supported organic gardens, building alternative housing structures from renewable materials and adopting green technology such as composting toilets and additional "green" ways of being. This book is fantastic for learning more about environmental activism, different perspectives of nature, feminism, social justice and how religion can be an important resource for solving today's environmental problems. These four books have certainly opened my eyes and shaped my environmental perspectives and choices. I hope they provide you with some food for thought. What better time than now to learn plants, food and sustainability? Enjoy, and happy reading!
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CLARE DEMPSEY '99
I Am a Mentor
Catherine Cuellar is a natural-born communicator--especially when it comes to articulating her passion for Rhodes. A member of the class of 1996, Catherine majored in English, was a Rhodes Singer, a Diplomat, was a leader in her sorority and a member of the publications staff, ODK and Mortar Board. Since graduating from Rhodes and starting her career--first as a reporter in Dallas, and currently as communications manager at electric utility Oncor--Catherine has continued to "walk the talk" for Rhodes. She has served as president of the North Texas Rhodes Chapter, organized career networking events, served as the moderator of career panels, recruited students and worked on her class reunion committee. She is also a member of the Red & Black Society and will begin serving on the Alumni Association Executive Board next March. Catherine Cuellar understands that, as members of the Rhodes community, we are all one. And it takes all of us to ensure that Rhodes remains the very best. Please consider how you can give back to the Rhodes community. For more information, please visit alumni.rhodes.edu.
ONE I AM RHODES
I AM
2000 North Parkway Memphis, TN 38112-1690 www.rhodes.edu
NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID SENATOBIA MS PERMIT NO. 109
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Salar Rafieetary and Kelly Parry received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards at Commencement. The awards are presented annually to two graduating seniors (one male and one female) who have given selflessly to others and the college. | {
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It's time now for State of Affairs, our weekly look at California politics with Southern California Public Radio political reporters Frank Stoltze and Alice Walton.
We start with President Obama, who is in Los Angeles raising money. Later today, he travels to L.A. Trade Tech College south of downtown. Why Trade Tech and what is he expected to talk about?
We should note this is the president 19th trip to Southern California — his third in the last three months. As long as we are "doing the numbers," Obama's held 398 fundraisers since taking office, according to CBS News. In contrast, his predecessor President Bush had conducted 218. Why so many fundraisers?
While we are talking about fundraising, we should talk about the battle over the Citizens United court ruling. The California legislature placed on the November ballot a measure supporting a constitutional convention designed to overturn citizens united. Now there's backlash by a group trying to keep it off the ballot.
We can't really talk about presidential politics these days without talking about Hillary Clinton, who's also in California this week. The possible 2016 candidate was on KPCC this week sidestepping questions about presidential ambitions and jabbing back at possible Republican presidential hopeful Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who suggested she was a "20th Century candidate."
Clinton has her allies working hard on her behalf in California. What's the extent of the Hillary machine in California?
A longtime figure on L.A.'s political scene was convicted yesterday of living outside the city council district he was supposed to be representing. A jury convicted former Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon on four counts. Why is this significant?
There is a battle brewing between Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents nearly ten thousand rank and file cops. The union rejected a contract offer, and now cops are suing for overtime. What's the latest?
Mayor Garcetti takes over as chair of the powerful Metropolitan Transportation Board today. He's chairing his first meeting as we speak. What can we expect out of Garcetti?
Recently on Take Two
About Take Two
Take Two, exclusively on 89.3 KPCC, 89.1 KUOR and 90.3 KVLA in southern California, and on 88.9 KNPR in Las Vegas, captures the spirit of the West in a conversational, informal, witty style and examines the cultural issues people are buzzing about. | {
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Rome Masters: Bopanna-Vasselin look for winning start
Rome [Italy], May 17 : Indian tennis ace Rohan Bopanna and his French partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin will aim to kick-start their campaign at the Rome Masters on a promising note when they play their second round of the men's doubles event here on Thursday.
Bopanna and Vasselin, who had received a bye in the opening round of the tournament, are yet to take to the court in Foro Italico.
The Indo-French duo is due to take on Argentina's Pablo Cuevas and Spain's Marcel Granollers in the last-16 clash.
Last week, Bopanna and Vasselin bowed out in the second round of the Madrid Open after slumping to a 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 5-10 defeat at the hands of the South African-New Zealand team of Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus.
In another men's doubles clash, the Spaniard duo of Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez would also look to make a winning start when they take on the Argentinian pair of Juan Martin del Potro and Leonardo Mayer in their second match of the Rome Masters. | {
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Knox County Sheriff’s Office Searching for Suspicious Vehicles
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office needs your help.The department has received several reports of suspicious vehicles stopping outside of homes at night.Monday, a homeowner on Route 17 in Union said he noticed a dark colored pick up pull into his driveway. He says the vehicle stayed there for about 30 minutes before the driver backed up and drove toward Washington.A homeowner in Washington called and said he woke up to find his front door open and a man with his head inside the door.The suspect is described as a man in his early 20’s about 5’7”, weighing 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a dark sweatshirt with the hood up, with his face partially covered.Anyone with information is asked to call Deputy James Moore at 594-0429 ext. 711. | {
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John Lee Aikuchi Tanto
Masterpieces of asian swordcraft- handforged from carbon steel and traditionally hardened- the blades were folded 12 times (8000 layers) and display lovely damascus properties- the hilt (tsuka) is made of wood and covered in real fish skin (same)- the hilt is wrapped (tsuka-ito) in traditional black cotton- there are two decorative grip swells (menuki)- the hilt (tsuka) is anchored to the blade with bamboo pins (mekugi)- the scabbard is made of wood- the blade has a brass collar (habaki) so it won't rattle in the scabbard
This sword was crafted following museum originals.
JOHN LEE Aikuchi Tanto The Aikuchi tanto traditionally has no hand guard (tsuba). It's remarkable feature is the blade shape (shinogi-zukuri) also used frequently in japanese pole weapons (naginata).
Each sword includes an authenticity seal and comes in a premium padded wooden box. | {
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