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365 days of detention in China: What life is like for Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig
In the News | December 10, 2019
Lengthy interrogations. No access to lawyers. No access to family. Nathan VanderKlippe visits the Chinese prisons where the pair are being held in what has been called hostage diplomacy over the arrest of Huawei executive... read more
more from Current Events
Cartoons | December 9, 2019
The government's throne speech was generally perceived as giving only a nod to western feelings of alienation.
Ottawa urged to sanction Chinese and Hong Kong officials implicated in human rights abuses
In the News | December 9, 2019
The federal government faces increasing pressure to enact sanctions against officials in Hong Kong and mainland China who are responsible for human rights violations, despite threats of retaliation from China’s envoy to Canada. The pro-democracy... read more
Justin Trudeau calls for unity in Parliament on climate change, Indigenous reconciliation
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling for unity in his government’s Speech from the Throne, acknowledging that a minority mandate will require Members of Parliament to work together to fight climate change, cut taxes for... read more
President Trump called Prime Minister Trudeau 'two-faced' for making fun of him at the NATO summit in Europe.
Trump calls Trudeau ‘two-faced,’ overshadowing NATO summit
There were many things that could have derailed the summit of the increasingly divided NATO alliance. Few, however, could have predicted that it would be a video of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gossiping with other... read more
Three experts tell House committee that Trump committed multiple impeachable offences; Pelosi directs House to move forward with impeachment articles against Trump
Three constitutional experts told a congressional hearing that U.S. President Donald Trump committed impeachable offences by soliciting Ukraine to interfere in next year’s election and obstructing investigations into his conduct. Democrats called the legal scholars... read more
Fellow feelings
Cartoons | November 27, 2019
Just as western Canadian support for Wexit increases, 72 per cent of senior-age women reporting they were highly satisfied living on their own, according to a survey.
more from Social Studies
What did you learn in school today?
Chinese government has detained more than a million ethnic minorities in forced ideological and behavioural re-education centres.
Under Kenney’s plan, Quebec’s equalization take would grow
In the News | November 26, 2019
Sometime in the few next weeks, federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau will release the amounts Canada’s have-not provinces will receive in equalization payments for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. And, needless to say, most Albertans won’t... read more
more from Economy
Social conservative groups call for Andrew Scheer to resign
Some social conservative groups say Andrew Scheer can’t stay on as Conservative Party leader because he failed to defend their beliefs during the federal election campaign and are rallying their members to help ensure his... read more
From health lessons to removing outer bathroom doors, how educators are responding to vaping in schools
In a bid to protect their lungs, principal Greg Kenyon is appealing to the stomachs of his high-school students, offering cafeteria credits in exchange for their vaping products. Since launching the buyback program this school... read more
more from Education
Steady there
Chrystia Freeland, newly appointed as deputy prime minister, has the task of coping with western feelings of alienation.
How genuine (and justified) is Western Canadian alienation?
Lesson Plans | November 25, 2019
Columnist Gary Mason summarizes the ostensible reasons for western feelings of alienation from the rest of Canada, while suggesting that remedies demanded by Alberta and Saskatchewan (changing equalization formulae and building more energy production) won’t... read more
Deputy PM Freeland to oversee relations with U.S. and provinces in Trudeau’s new cabinet
Justin Trudeau is leaning heavily on one of his star performers from his last cabinet, Chrystia Freeland, as he seeks to promote national unity, improve relations with China and address concerns over environmental and economic... read more
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‘Canes put Pitkanen on long-term injured reserve
By Mike HalfordOct 1, 2013, 12:11 PM EDT
The Carolina Hurricanes continued to shuffle the roster deck on Tuesday, putting defenseman Joni Pitkanen on long-term injured reserve while placing fellow blueliner Matt Corrente on waivers.
Pitkanen, 30, will miss the entire 2013-14 campaign with the effects of a broken heel suffered late last season. While a blow to the team’s defensive corps, Carolina will get $4.5 million in salary cap relief by placing Pitkanen on LTIR, giving them nearly $5 million in wiggle room all told.
Corrente, 25, was surprisingly kept on the active roster yesterday while highly touted prospect Ryan Murphy was sent to AHL Charlotte. But now, as speculated on Monday, it appears that decision was simply a roster compliance transaction — Corrente is being placed on waivers for the purpose of reassignment to Charlotte, and Murphy is expected to be back with the ‘Canes soon.
Tags: Carolina Hurricanes, Joni Pitkanen, Ryan Murphy
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BUSH EXPRESS IS GATHERING STEAM – STARTS TRAIN TOUR WITH 11-PT. BOUNCE IN POLLS
By Deborah Orin
August 5, 2000 | 4:00am
An “energized” George W. Bush, the official GOP presidential nominee, hopped on a whistle-stop train yesterday, predicting he’ll beat Al Gore – and blasting President Clinton’s plan to veto marriage-tax relief.
“I think we can keep the momentum alive. The main thing to do is keep our eyes on the finish line … Got a good chance of winning,” Bush told reporters as he set off on a crammed eight-stop day.
At a stop in Akron, Bush blasted Clinton for his opposition to a bill passed by the GOP-controlled Congress that would ease the tax rules that require many married people to pay more than they would if they were single and living together.
Republicans plan to make an election issue of Clinton’s opposition to the $292 billion, 10-year tax cut.
“What kind of tax code is it that discourages marriage?” Bush said to cheers at a rally in Akron – drawing boos when he told the crowd Clinton would veto the bill today.
“It’s time to elect people who stand on the side of families and working people,” Bush said.
The president is expected to use his weekly radio address today to announce the veto. Both Clinton and Gore have criticized the bill’s cuts as too deep, and say it would mainly help wealthy Americans.
Meanwhile, elated Republicans headed home from their national convention as the bipartisan “Battleground” poll – one of the most accurate in 1996 – gave Bush a nearly 19-point lead over Gore, up from 8 points before the convention.
The 11-point bounce – nearly double the average convention increase – puts real pressure on the vice president as he heads into the Aug. 14 Democratic convention.
“It won’t be long now. Give us a chance to change America for the better, and it won’t be long now,” Bush said from the train’s rear deck as whistles tooted and red lights flashed before his train chugged out of Pittsburgh.
Bush conceded the election won’t be easy.
“If they want four more years of Clinton-Gore, I’ve got a tough campaign,” Bush told reporters. “That’s why this is going to be a tough, close, election [but] when people get in that booth they’re going to want change.”
Bush aides sought to avoid any sense of overconfidence.
“It’s Al Gore’s turn to bounce. Let the bounce settle,” said Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer.
Before Bush set off, there was a reminder of Republican divisions at a Philadelphia prayer breakfast where Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua raised the abortion issue, which Bush has tried to downplay.
“Millions of children have been slaughtered through abortion and will never have the right to life,” the cardinal said.
Bush, who spoke later, made no mention of abortion.
The weekend train tour has Bush flying between some stops, then chugging for hours in an 18-car vintage train as he hits western Pennsylvania and the Midwest swing states of Ohio, Michigan and Illinois.
Riding with Bush are his wife, Laura, running mate Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne, and the Cheney’s gay daughter, Mary, who’s serving as her dad’s personal aide.
Bush said he doubts he got under Gore’s skin by ribbing him about his much-ridiculed claim to have invented the Internet in his acceptance speech.
“I doubt he even watched it,” he said.
“I’m going to continue pointing out differences and I’m going to do so in a respectful way. As some of you know by now, I like to needle … I need to make the case that this is a wasted moment in American history.”
Pollsters said Bush’s bounce could go even higher since the “Battleground” poll was conducted before his acceptance speech.
Republican pollster Ed Goeas said the poll showed Bush with a 27-point lead on the West Coast and said, “That could be a sign of things to come.”
Goeas said the average convention bounce is 5 points and the record is Ronald Reagan’s 13-point jump in 1980.
Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, who also conducted the poll, said the one bright spot for Democrats is that the Republican convention has actually hurt – not helped – Republican congressional candidates.
STROKE-SUFFERER FORD BACK ON HIS FEET
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China's JD.com appoints PE veteran as strategic investment head -sources
HONG KONG/BEIJING — China’s second-largest e-commerce firm JD.com Inc has hired Jason Hu, a former managing director at Chinese private equity firm CDH Investments, as head of strategic investment to oversee deals both at home and overseas, three sources said.
Hu joined the company also as vice president in late July reporting directly to Chief Strategy Officer Jon Liao, the people with direct knowledge of the matter said.
Filling the newly created role will beef up JD.com’s investment arm which has long been dwarfed by in-house deal teams at bigger rival Alibaba Group Holding Ltd as well as tech peer Tencent Holdings Ltd.
JD.com has been seeking to diversify its business to deal with slowing growth in China’s broader e-commerce sector by venturing into areas such as offline stores, and investing in artificial intelligence to improve logistics and advertising capabilities.
The Beijing-based e-commerce firm has made about 50 investments at home and overseas over the past five years, showed data from Refinitiv.
High-profile deals include a minority stake in London-based retailer Farfetch Ltd, and investments in Chinese luxury e-commerce platform Secoo Holding Ltd and apparel retailer Vipshop Holdings Ltd.
Prior to joining JD.com, Hu, who began his career as a consultant with Bain & Company, held senior roles in investment management at PE firms CDH and Cathay Capital. At CDH, he was involved in investments in domestic couriers Deppon Logistics Co Ltd and Yimidida, and footwear retailer Belle International.
A spokesman at JD.com said Hu’s appointment “further strengthens the company’s deep bench of investment and strategy leadership for continued growth.” He did not elaborate on Hu’s title.
JD.com International’s president, Winston Cheng, who was responsible for the company’s overseas business including investments, left JD.com in September last year.
Vice President Chang Bin, who mainly oversaw the company’s domestic investments, took up a new role in September last year to lead JD.com’s own-brand business, in particular “Made by JD” or Jing Zao in Chinese.
Made by JD launched early last year offering household basics as varied as hair dryers and suitcases, with the goal of competing with manufacturers that sell products through the country’s e-commerce platforms.
CSO Liao had been overseeing strategic investments until Hu’s arrival, said one of the people, who declined to be identified as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The hire comes after a troubled time for JD.com. Chief Executive Richard Liu was accused of rape last year in the United States, with investigations ending in December without charge. He denied wrongdoing.
The company also laid off staff earlier this year amid slowing e-commerce growth, though analysts regarded its cost-cutting measures as a reason behind better-than-expected second-quarter earnings.
(Reporting by Julie Zhu and Yingzhi Yang; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
Find nirvana at the best spas in Toronto Visit these 8 great spots for fall colour in Canada
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Tag: sff
FORMER MISS MICHIGAN RETURNS TO DETROIT BOOK FEST TO NORMALIZE WOMEN OF COLOR LEADING SCI-FI FANTASY ADVENTURES
– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –
Author and former pageant queen promotes stories with Black women in the leading role
DETROIT, July 15, 2019 – Octavia Reese, Detroit-native and Miss Michigan 2005, will return to Detroit Book Fest on July 21 with the next two installments in her sci-fi fantasy series, The Hibouleans. Last year, Octavia’s first two volumes aimed to inspire young women to fearlessly delve into STEM-related subjects through her epic adventure treasure-hunt story. This year, Octavia wants to remind fans about the importance of normalizing women of color in the protagonist role for any genre of adventures, especially sci-fi and fantasy.
“When Disney announced Halle Bailey will take the lead as Ariel in the new Little Mermaid, I was thrilled,” Octavia said. “But not everyone was.”
Octavia was referring to critics from various social media platforms that were upset to learn Ariel would be played by a Black actress.
“If people can get upset about the skin color of a half-fish-half-human fictional character, it only proves we still have a long way to go when it comes to accepting women of color in leading roles,” she said.
In her young adult series, The Hibouleans, Octavia created a world where leading teens, Taryn and Priya, are STEM fanatics and must use their math and science knowledge to solve clues as they embark on a life-or-death treasure hunt against terrifying shape-shifting Hibouleans. She said she wrote the series for all the brown girls out there that love problem-solving, strength-building, lab experiments and dream of having super powers and being the hero in epic adventures.
“It’s incredibly important, not just for young Black and brown girls to refuse to believe their skin color is limiting, but it’s just as necessary for everyone else to begin to envision women of color as main characters, too, not just restricted to foreign supporting roles,” she said. “We need an entire cultural shift – we have as much a right and a capacity to lead as anyone else.”
Octavia, who now resides in Chicago, represented the state of Michigan in the 2006 Miss America pageant, and is also a cellist and composer. She wrote The Hibouleans book score, too – the musical theme that accompanies her characters’ adventures in the series.
“As a musician, I also hope to show my audience that Black women can do anything – we can be queens, scientists, authors, physicians, Hibouleans, cellists and even mermaids.”
Find Octavia, her cello and The Hibouleans Volumes 1 – 4, this Sunday, July 21 from 10am – 4pm at Detroit Book Fest. For more information, visit www.detroitbookfest.com and www.octaviareese.com.
July 15, 2019 July 15, 2019 by Octavia Reese Categories: NewsTags: ariel, author, authors, black authors, black lead, diversity, Halle Bailey, Lashana Lynch, News, sci-fi fantasy, sff Leave a comment
Brown girls dominate Wakandacon 2018
LOCAL AUTHOR AND TEEN ARTIST PARTNER TO INSPIRE GIRLS WITH SCI-FI SERIES AT FIRST ANNUAL WAKANDACON
Former Miss America contestant writes brown girls into the spotlight; 9th grader illustrates
CHICAGO July 31, 2018 – Young women of color can identify with new bold champions in the young adult science-fiction fantasy series, The Hibouleans. Writing and drawing their heroes into existence, author and former beauty queen, Octavia Reese joined forces with fourteen-year old illustrator Aaliyah Lachel’e. Together, the girl team is filling a void, bringing young brilliant brown girls to the forefront of epic adventures.
“I’m a big nerd,” Octavia said. “I grew up admiring Stan Lee, Stephen King, Chris Van Allsburg, Tim Burton and Ed Gorey. But my favorite adventures always seemed to leave out characters that looked like me. I was tired of watching everyone else have all the fun. My main character, Taryn, looks like me.”
Octavia said she wrote the series for all the brown girls out there that love problem-solving, strength-building, lab experiments and dream of having super powers and being the hero in epic adventures.
Her idea resonated with child-artist Aaliyah, also known as “PeanutBuddar,” who jumped at the invitation to illustrate The Hibouleans when Octavia reached out to her mom.
“When I first heard about The Hibouleans, I couldn’t wait to read it – it’s the kind of story I love to read and watch,” Aaliyah said. “Being able to bring fantasy characters to life is so exciting, plus they look like me and the main character is my age. It’s like I’m drawing my own story.”
Aaliyah, who has been drawing since she was three years old, started her own company, PeanutBuddarArt, when she couldn’t find characters in fashion and media that matched her features.
“I love cartoons, visual novels and books, but I never really got to see any characters that I could relate to – not in their skin, not in their hair, and not in their shapes,” Aaliyah said.
“No one really looked like me at all. So, I drew some that did.” Aaliyah’s colorful and charming characters adorn backpacks, lunchboxes, notebooks and pencil cases.
“Kids should be able to read books and watch TV shows and be able to see themselves in those characters,” she said. Aaliyah has already been published twice as an illustrator and in addition to thriving in high school, playing sports and running her business, she plans to work with Octavia throughout The Hibouleans 10-book series.
Octavia and Aaliyah were both thrilled to be a part of the first annual Wakandacon Convention, which aims to unite fantasy fans and comic-book-loving people of color around the central theme of Black Panther’s Wakanda.
Find The Hibouleans and PeanutBuddarArt this weekend at Wakandacon: Friday, August 3, 4pm – 8pm; Saturday, August 4, 11am – 8pm; and Sunday, August 5, 10am – 2pm. For more information, visit www.wakandacon2018.com, www.octaviareese.com, and www.peanutbuddarart.com.
July 31, 2018 August 1, 2018 by Octavia Reese Categories: Writing WisdomTags: amwriting, artist, artists, authors, black authors, black panther, book fair, diverse books, illustrator, sff, wakandaforever Leave a comment
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Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, Sept. 25 – 27, 2014
#ThatTimeAtONA
First-timers Info
Online Journalism Awards Winners
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All speakers →
Peggy Bustamante
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@newsdevchix
Bustamante is a longtime journalist and web developer who recently joined the faculty at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Previously, she worked as a news apps and interactives developer at Digital First Media and at Newsday on Long Island, where she earned an Emmy nomination for an interactive 12-part video series she developed. She also worked at Harvard University and the Boston Herald for many years, and has both a master’s degree in computer science and bachelor’s degree in English literature from Harvard University. Bustamante has lived and travelled all over the world, but is happy to call the City of Angels her home.
http://annenberg.usc.edu/
Thursday, 4:00 pm - De-Coded: An Overview of the Basic Programming Languages for Beginners
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Action, Platforms, PS4, Reviews
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection Review – Still jaw-dropping
October 15, 2015 Brendan Griffiths 2 Comments
No trilogy rocked more socks off PS3 gamers than Naughty Dog’s all conquering adventures. But have they stood the test of time and who is this remastered collection even for?
To be honest, it’s an easy recommendation for any gamer. First and foremost has to be the new Sony converts. If you didn’t have a PS3 last-gen, or simply missed out on the series (you can’t play everything) and now have a PS4, this is an essential purchase.
Alternatively, if you’ve been a die-hard fan throughout the PS3 days, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how damn good the game looks on PS4, it’s no stretch to say much of the game looks better than most brand-new PS4 games. That’s a testament to just how good Naughty Dog’s originals were and the excellent efforts by HD/Remaster regulars, Bluepoint.
Naturally, the first game in the series has a few rougher areas compared to the sequels, but the fluidity of the visuals and the high levels of detail still impress. The only visual downsides are the facial detail for secondary characters (any baddie really) as they appear a little bland compared to the main gang. That’s consistent through the trilogy actually. Another graphical issue occurred after a couple of cutscenes were the distant background appeared blocky and unfinished – we’re talking about eight seconds throughout the entire game though.
Animations during climbing seem a bit ridiculous today too. Watching Drake leap upwards and sideways from scrambling positions looks absurd and way too fast. Some running jumps suffer from seemingly being locked into limited directional degrees, meaning you can fly off at the wrong angle on some jumps.
Gunplay has always been surprisingly rough for the series, especially given the lengthy focus on gunfights as the series went on. Aiming sensitivity can be adjusted, but it’s tough to find that sweet spot. It’s not helped that Drake’s bullets seem to slosh through the air a little sluggishly, especially when trying to pan across and track a moving target.
Enemies are still absolute bullet-sponge bastards. Anything other than a headshot and you can spend an entire clip on just one goon. Some headshots are even shrugged off entirely. You don’t appear to be able to register headshots on enemies that have been staggered by another hit either, forcing you to politely allow them to get their act together before continuing the assault. Playing through the trilogy back-to-back though does show the gunplay getting a bit better throughout. Or I just got used to adjusting for its oddities.
But what about the rest of the game? The set-pieces? The scenery? The chemistry between the characters? All of these features are still absolutely stunning and make the Nathan Drake Collection well worth the price of admission. Naughty Dog’s trilogy is still the high benchmark of action gaming.
The first game cements the characters, with superb dialogue between Drake, Elena and Sully. Here we found a leading hero that wasn’t another po-faced, bald-headed, bullet munching action man discarded by most movies in the 90s. The back and forth with Sully and Elena provided plenty of chuckles throughout.
This was expanded with the next game, aided by the introduction of Chloe. The second game is all about those huge set-pieces though. The Nepal hotel climb and helicopter encounter, the Borneo jungle and the greatest ‘train level’ of all time are still so exceptionally exciting that you realise ‘next-gen’ really needs to get its ass into gear if it’s going to top them. The level of detail and thoughtful design of the cities and ancient ruins is unique to the series and a real palette cleanser compared to the endless corridor shooters or blandly textured copy/paste open worlds.
Game number three often feels a little gunfight-heavy and the set-pieces, while still exceptional, were always going to struggle against those in Uncharted 2. The strength of the characters shines perhaps more so than before as everyone’s aged that little bit more and have started to question why they’re still putting themselves through it all. Drake himself is as driven as ever, but this drive puts a strain on his relationship with the others. It’s an interesting dynamic and it’ll be neat to see how Naughty Dog will expand on this in Uncharted 4 given even more years have passed. If the excellent character writing in The Last of Us is anything to go by, expect to be impressed.
I’m relieved to see the trilogy has held up so well, as I’m an unabashed Uncharted fan. There are some flies in the ointment though, although most of them are the same ones that ground my gears back in the day. The early stages of U2 and U3 in the museum and under London respectively still feel like unnecessarily slow momentum killers. A new annoyance is the removal of motion-control. In the old games, you simple leaned the pad towards you to get Drake to reach out in preparation for a backwards jump while clinging to a wall. Now, the only option is to press towards it on the analogue, a method that often required much twiddling to get the game to find the sweet spot. Motion-controlled grenades have been ditched too. Less objectionable additions include a speed run mode (meh) or individual stat leaderboards amongst your Friends for anything from headshots, melee kills, accuracy and so on.
So what about the value as a full-priced game? If you still have your PS3 and the old games, I’d still recommend picking this up once the price drops a little as the graphical upgrade (if you’re into shiny new graphics) is exceptional. Xbox 360 converts to PS4 should get this as soon as possible and find out what they’ve been missing.
Looks better than most PS4 games
Set-pieces are still ridiculously fun
Characters are as lovable as ever
Gunfights can last too long
Enemies are bullet sponges
Leaning backwards for wall-jumps is awkward
The Short Version: An essential purchase for Uncharted newbies and the graphical upgrade makes it hard to resist for series fans too. Naughty Dog’s trilogy shames the competition with exceptionally detailed levels, blockbuster action scenes and a lovable cast that will be sorely missed when the series wraps up with Uncharted 4 next year.
Platform: PS4
Developer: Naughty Dog / Bluepoint Games
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
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Vatican Warfare: Confusion and Chaos erupt after Benedict XVI distances himself from explosive new Book defending Priestly Celibacy
UPDATES 14-JAN-20 22:52 UTC:
Ignatius Press refuses to drop Benedict XVI as co-author
"Bp." Athanasius Schneider defends "Card." Sarah
English translation of Sarah's communiqué published
UPDATE 15-JAN-20 19:25 UTC:
Antonio Socci reveals the backstory: A furious Bergoglio ordered Ganswein to remove Benedict's name from book cover
The latest Vatican chaos is complete. As first reported on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020, a new book defending priestly celibacy and opposing women's ordination authored by "Pope Emeritus" Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) and head of the Congregation for Divine Worship "Cardinal" Robert Sarah will be released in French on Jan. 15 and in English sometime in February. Its title: From the Depths of Our Hearts (Ignatius Press). It is amusing to see how some journalists have introduced this story by writing that "Benedict breaks his silence" -- as though the man had actually been silent for any length of time since his retirement in 2013, but that's not of primary concern now. Several Novus Ordo sites quickly presented English excerpts from the book:
Sandro Magister at L'Espresso
More from Sandro Magister
Life Site
Le Figaro via One Peter Five
When this news first broke, reactions poured in rapidly, and rather predictably: For the most part, Bergoglio supporters were furious, and Bergoglio opponents were ecstatic. Writing for Vatican News, Francis' in-house journalist Andrea Tornielli published a fairly calm and neutral report, suggesting agreement between the "Pope" and "Pope Emeritus" in the matter. So far, the only blogger we've seen give a refreshingly realistic assessment of it all is Louie Verrecchio. Although it is true that Francis has stated in public before that he is in favor of mandatory priestly celibacy, after the last 6+ years we know that for someone like Francis, a change in this venerable and sacred discipline is only a footnote away. The Ratzinger/Sarah book itself by no means attacks Francis or tries to paint him as an opponent of mandatory celibacy, by the way. In fact, the two authors profess to be writing "in filial obedience to Pope Francis", whatever that may be intended to mean. On this blog, we hadn't published anything about the explosive book yet because we were covering the developments on Twitter and were waiting for the dust to settle before including the essentials of the drama in our upcoming news digest. With the latest news coming from the Vatican, however, it is clear that a dedicated post is in order because what began as a major news item quickly turned into the usual Francis-vs.-Benedict kerfuffle and has now become a full-blown fiasco. Even now it is difficult to put a coherent post together on this because developments are happening in rapid succession. So, what's the deal? What is the story? Aside from the predictable wars that immediately broke out between Bergoglians and Ratzingerites about whether publishing this book is right, prudent, even permitted, or an outrageous affront -- and what its true significance is -- a development of a different kind hit the news late on Jan. 13: Select pro-Bergoglio Vaticanists began asserting that Benedict didn't in fact co-author the book. They were identified as including "Elisabetta Piqué (La Nación), Hendro Munstermann (Nederlands Dagblad), Christopher Lamb (The Tablet), Gerard O'Connell (America Magazine) and Juan Vicente Boo (ABC.es)" (source). But things got more interesting still. Nicole Winfield of The Associated Press wrote:
Catholic Twitter accounts, amplifying the rift between right and left, buzzed with the implications of Benedict’s participation. Francis’s supporters claimed Benedict had been manipulated by members of his right-wing entourage into writing something that amounted to a frontal attack on Francis. Some claimed it was evidence of elder abuse, given Benedict’s 92 years and increasing frailty. ("Cardinal denies he manipulated retired pope on celibacy book", Crux, Jan. 14, 2020)
In response to all these claims and rumors, "Cardinal" Sarah took to Twitter to disprove them. He furnished letters from the "Pope Emeritus" testifying to their collaboration on the work and approving publication. Rome Reports summarizes the kerfuffle in this brief video:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiF6Vkn7EbU[/embedyt]
The publisher of the English edition of the work, Ignatius Press, also weighed in and confirmed Sarah's testimony, underscoring that Benedict XVI is indeed the co-author of the book. Since then, things have only gotten worse. The Vatican's "Abp." Georg Gänswein, who is both the head of Francis' "papal" household as well as Benedict XVI's private secretary, released a statement to the press today, Jan. 14. Vatican News reports as follows:
Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Prefect of the Papal Household and Personal Secretary of the Pope Emeritus has issued a statement to the KNA and Ansa news agencies, regarding the book on priestly celibacy, carrying the signatures of Benedict XVI and Cardinal Robert Sarah, to be published tomorrow in France. "I can confirm that this morning, at the indication of the Pope emeritus, I asked Cardinal Robert Sarah to contact the publishers of the book requesting them to remove the name of Benedict XVI as co-author of the book itself, and also to remove his name from the introduction and conclusions". "The Pope emeritus in fact knew the Cardinal was preparing a book”, Archbishop Gänswein added, “and had sent a short text of his on the priesthood”, authorizing the Cardinal to use it as he wished. But the Pope emeritus “had not approved any project for a co-signed book, nor had he seen and authorized the cover. It was a misunderstanding, without questioning the good faith of Cardinal Sarah". ("The book on priestly celibacy: a clarification by Archbishop Gänswein", Vatican News, Jan. 14, 2020)
Ah, it was all a big misunderstanding! How credible this claim is, is another matter. For his part, Sarah released an official communiqué in French [English translation now available here] after having spoken to Ganswein on the phone. He is sticking by his version of events and emphasizes that Benedict approved the entire manuscript: "I solemnly say that Benedict XVI knew that our project would take the form of a book. I can say that we exchanged several drafts to set the corrections". While accepting that Ratzinger would no longer be named as co-author (but apparently still as a contributor to the book), Sarah insisted that "the full text remains absolutely unchanged." Furthermore, he affirmed: "My attachment to Benedict XVI remains in tact and my obedience to Pope Francis is absolute", according to a report by ANSA. Here are some additional news reports on this most recent development:
Ganswein: Benedict XVI wrote text, but did not agree to be book’s co-author (Catholic Herald)
Retired pope wants his name removed as co-author of book on celibacy (Crux)
Benedict removes name from book on celibacy after dispute over his involvement (National Catholic Reporter)
Benedict XVI to Be ‘Contributor’, Not ‘Co-Author’ of Book on Priestly Celibacy (Zenit)
This is the latest as of almost 6:00 pm Rome time. Heaven knows what will happen next. One thing is for certain: Speculation as to what is going on behind the scenes will skyrocket with the removal of Benedict's name and photo from the cover.
However, in this entire kerfuffle, let's be sure not to miss the forest for the trees: The real story is that this new book is coming out right on cue. On cue for what? For keeping the "good Modernist, bad Modernist" charade in the Vatican going, just as Francis prepares to release his dreaded post-synodal exhortation, which will probably permit married men to be made Novus Ordo priests in the remotest regions of the Amazon on the grounds that the people there are in dire need of sacramental administration. This will then prove to be the necessary proverbial foot in the door that will allow any future relaxing of clerical celibacy wherever there is claimed to be a similar "need". In other words, the geographical peripheries will quickly morph into the ecclesiastical peripheries, in good Bergoglian fashion, and then decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis -- wink, wink! Image sources: own composite with elements from shutterstock.com and Wikimedia Commons (François-Régis Salefran; cropped) / amazon.com License: paid and CC BY-SA 4.0 / fair use
The latest Vatican drama…
“Bp.” Athanasius Schneider defends “Card.” Sarah
English translation of Sarah’s communiqué published
Antonio Socci reveals the backstory: A furious Bergoglio ordered Ganswein to remove Benedict’s name from book cover
The latest Vatican chaos is complete.
As first reported on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020, a new book defending priestly celibacy and opposing women’s ordination authored by “Pope Emeritus” Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) and head of the Congregation for Divine Worship “Cardinal” Robert Sarah will be released in French on Jan.
in Novus Ordo Wire Benedict XVI, Georg Ganswein, Robert Sarah, Synod 0
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Newsbrief: P3 highways cost more and reduce accountability, report suggests
By RobertDevet - June 4, 2019
Steve Joy, Christopher Majka. Photo Robert Devet
KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) – A newly published report suggests that taxpayers will pay more to build and finance the proposed Highway 104 twinning between Pictou and Antigonish as a Public Private Partnership (P3) than if a more traditional approach were to be followed.
The report, aptly titled Highway Robbery, authored by Christopher Majka and published by the Nova Scotia chapter of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) also looks at the Cobequid Pass Toll Highway, a P3 project that was initiated in the mid-nineties.
There too Majka, echoing conclusions by the Auditor General, found no evidence that the P3 approach was more cost effective or efficient. In fact, Majka believes that the province could have saved $232 million had the toll highway been built, financed, operated and maintained as a regular highway.
These savings would have been realized through government’s ability to borrow money at much lower interest rates than the private sector, and reduced cost to build and operate (and pay for the management of) the toll system.
Majka is not the first to raise concerns about the P3 approach to major government initiatives. Here in Nova Scotia the Auditor General issued a scathing report criticizing the P3-built and operated schools in 2010, particularly taking issue with out of control costs and the way contracts were managed.
At a press conference, held at the Central Library in Halifax this morning, Majka explained that findings from his Cobequid Pass analysis fed into many of his predictions around the current Highway 104 twinning project.
The government earlier announced that the newly twinned highway will not be financed through tolls.
Majka raised concerns about the outsourcing of maintenance of the newly twinned highway to a private consortium, with Majka pointing to bad experiences in Ontario in the mid-nineties.
“These experiences indicate that there are potential points of conflict between the imperatives of public safety on the one hand and the cost saving imperatives of private contractors on the other,” Majka said.
Steve Joy, president of the Nova Scotia Highway Workers Union CUPE Local 1867, agreed.
“This raises serious questions about highway safety that the government must address. There is no room for profiteering where it comes to public safety. the government has to act in the interest of the public first, not the interest of private corporations,” said Joy.
Joy also raised concerns about accountability. Earlier CUPE issued a Freedom of Information request for the Value for Money report, an cost benefit analysis purportedly used to justify the chosen outsourcing approach.
“It is not enough for the government to release just one number, and redact 120 pages,” said Joy. “When is the full report released?”
Meanwhile, CUPE is still waiting for a similar FOIPOP request to see the Request for Proposals issued to the three shortlisted responders.
In this case CUPE has already been told that it will cost some $1,100 to pay for a civil servant to apply the many redactions that the department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal deems necessary.
Click here to download the CCPA report.
Two town hall events about the proposed Pictou-Antigonish stretch of Highway 104 take place in Antigonish on June 4 and in New Glasgow on June 5.
With a special thanks to our generous donors who make publication of the Nova Scotia Advocate possible.
Subscribe to the Nova Scotia Advocate weekly digest and never miss an article again. It’s free!
Tags: #CUPE #CUPE Local 1867 #Highway 104 #P3 #Privatization
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Home News High-level caucus on petroleum set for today
High-level caucus on petroleum set for today
Guyana’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has organised a high-level caucus for Cabinet Ministers to engage global thinkers and experts on natural resource management as part of the Government of Guyana’s agenda to prepare for petroleum production in 2020, and beyond.
In a statement on Tuesday, MNR said the event will be facilitated by Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs through its New Producers Group, and will feature world-renowned experts Sir Paul Collier, noted Professor of Economics at Oxford University, Sir Shridath Ramphal, Caribbean Statesman and Advisor, Mr. Eric Parrado, former Manager of the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Chile, Ambassador Patrick Duddy, Lecturer, Duke University, Dr. Valerie Marcel, Chatham House Fellow, Professor Matthew Andrews, Harvard, Kennedy School of Government, Professor Peter Harrington, Harvard, Kennedy School of Government, Mr. Patrick Heller, Advisor, Natural Resource Governance Institute, and Dr. Paloma Mohamed, University of Guyana.
MNR said the Guyana Government’s objective is to move preparations to a deeper level of engagement on issues such as prioritizing spending on infrastructure, agriculture and social programmes, inter-generational savings, geo-political considerations, legal and institutional strengthening, benefit sharing and engagement and involvement of the people of Guyana, to name a few.
This caucus, being held on Wednesday March 21, is expected to lead to further similar engagements in a scheduled and programmatic way in the months ahead, MNR stated.
Ministry of Natural Resources
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Seminar on managing oil resources opens today in Guyana
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Old Magazines » ENTERTAINMENT & FASHION » Teen Vogue » Teen Vogue 2000's
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Our Town Tustin
Blogging political discourse in Tustin, CA
The OC Supervisor’s Embarass Themselves
Posted by Jeff Gallagher
“You’re here to help us, not embarass us nationally.” That’s the words from Orange County Supervisor, John Moorlach, as he lashed out at the Orange County Grand Jury for their latest missive dinging the Board of Supervisors for massive mis-management of CalOptima. Two scathing reports caused the Fair Political Practices Commission to initiate an ethics investigation into the handling of the organization by the Board.
All I can say is, it’s about time.
I can also say it is shameful the way the Board of Supervisors reacted. Although any reader of Our Town Tustin knows I have little regard for the Orange County Grand Jury, it never surprises me how the, so-called, Republican Leadership continues to deny corruption and, when denial fails them, lashes out at those who speak the truth.
PBS SoCal televised the ranting supervisors in the video above. Each supervisor took a swipe or two at the Grand Jury. But, it was Todd Spitzer, future District Attorney and, presumably the Grand Jury’s boss, who actually had the gall to infer that Orange County has no corruption. News flash, Todd, Orange County is about as corrupt as can be and no amount of denial by you or your corrupt cronies on the Board can allay the belief of the voters here in the Real OC.
Supervisor Janer Ngyuen, saying the report “demoralized” her and her family as well as “the 500 employees who work at CalOptima”, was laughable in her defense of a situation that she clearly manipulated to garner favor wtih her constituency when she was appointed as the Board’s representative to the organization. I have news for her, the 500 employees of CalOptima were probably laughing their collective asses off when they saw this video.
Grand Jury Foreman, Ray Garcia, says he stands by the reports. “The only thing I will say about the corruption thing is, you ought to read the corruption thing. It’s a chronology of four decades of malfeasance, misfeasance and downright crime.” Unlike us, Garcia says he was surprised on the backlash from the ethics commission suggestion. Of course, we’re not.
This video shows one thing: the Orange County Board of Supervisors have shamed themselves, more than any report or investigation possibly could. Instead of whining about this, as Shawn Nelson and poor, little hurt Janet Nguyen did, they should be taking an honest look at themselves and how they have acted during their tenure. From failures to identify and rout out sexually criminal behavior to how they have treated the employees in general of this county, they have led among Republican leaders in this county to hide the truth from the public. And now that they have been called on it, all they can do is scream and yell at the messenger.
The investigation will take a year or more. In truth, I don’t expect much to come of it. Ann Ravel, the chief of the FPPC is a milkweed at best. She has never outed any politician, Republican or Democrat for a substantial infraction and I don’t expect her to do much more than pay lip service to this. It is refreshing to see this out in the open, however. And it is fun to watch the worms squirm.
Posted in County Government, In the News, orange county, politics
Tags: ann ravel, caloptima, corruption, corruption investigation, ethics in government, FPPC, Janet Nguyen, John Moorlach, Orange County Board of Supervisors, Politics, Todd Spitzer
It Just Gets Better
You know, I am not quite sure why Todd Spitzer is even bothering to campaign against his opponent Deborah Pauly. He could save himself a ton of money for his future District Attorney race if he would just step aside and let Pauly’s supporters do his campaigning for him. If you follow Todd on Twitter, then you already know what I am about to post. If not, you are in for a real treat.
Posted on the Tuesday morning L.A. Now blog of the LA Times website, was an article titled, “O.C. supervisor hopeful gets support … on George Wallace letterhead”. Right below that was the infamous 1963 picture of Alabama Governor, George Wallace standing, defiantly, at the door of the University of Alabama, challenging the Feds to allow African Americans to enter the building to register for classes. It was iconic at the time, somewhat shameful in present day context. But, it was a part of history. And, for some reason, one of Deborah Pauly’s supporters, Bob Walters, latched on to it and decided to send out an independent mailer on Deborah’s behalf.
From the LAT blog:
The political mailer that recently arrived in Orange County mailboxes seemed from a different era, embossed with a tiny portrait of former Alabama Gov. George Wallace and the campaign slogan: “Wallace for President, Stand up for America.”
But the letter contained no direct mention of the fiery Southern politician, who gained a national reputation as a segregationist during the civil rights era and died in 1998 after four failed presidential campaigns.
Instead, it was a plea to American Independent Party members to elect Villa Park Councilwoman Deborah Pauly to a seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors.
The letter was written by Bob Walters, a businessman from Orange who identified himself as the chairman of Wallace’s bid for president in 1967.
Now it’s the subject of a complaint filed by Orange County political watchdog Shirley Grindle, who said the campaign piece violates state law because it doesn’t mention who paid for it. Further, Grindle says in her May 13 complaint to the Fair Political Practices Commission, Walters failed to file as a committee with the secretary of state’s office.
In the letter, Walters refers to an incident last year when Pauly came under fire for comments she made outside an Islamic charity event in Yorba Linda.
Outside the event, protesters carried American flags as they booed and chanted at families entering the center to “Go back home.”
“I know quite a few Marines who will be very happy to help these terrorists to an early meeting in paradise,” she said at the time.
Walters commended Pauly for the protest and said the Villa Park councilwoman “recently led a demonstration against two radical Muslims speaking up in Yorba Linda.”
He said one of the Muslims was “trying to recruit homegrown terrorists right here in our backyard!”
“We need Deborah Pauly and her brand of hard core limited government, fiscally-conservative positions on the County Board of Supervisors,” he wrote.
Walters did not respond to requests for comment.
Pauly also drew ire last year when she wrote on her Facebook page that applauding President Obama’s healthcare bill was “like applauding a mugging or a rape. Do you feel sodomized?”
Pauly said she has not seen the mailer and doesn’t know much about Wallace.
She blamed opponent Todd Spitzer’s campaign, which she said is “working hard to dig up all kinds of noise” leading up to the June 5 ballot.
Spitzer is a former state assemblyman and Orange County supervisor.
Pauly said she can’t do background checks on all potential allies.
“I have a lot of supporters who come out to help me in a variety of ways,” she said.
— Nicole Santa Cruz
OC’s own political watchdog, Shirley Grindle, blasted Pauly, filing a complaint with the FPPC against Walters for not filing as a “committee” and for sending out the mailer without saying who it came from – but not a word from anyone about the racial connotations. Huh. Well, after all, this is Orange County.
OK, so I agree that Pauly may not have had anything to do with the mailing. Yet, she feels that she has to blame Spitzer’s black ops guys on working hard to dig up all kinds of noise against her. The truth is, she should be hunting down Bob Walters who purportedly sent this on her behalf. Perhaps Bob knows Deborah Pauly as well as we all do – a racist bigot who would fit right in with the old George Wallace.
Now, in George’s defense, I lived in Alabama about the time he decided to run for Governor after being shot and paralyzed. He won the vote by a huge margin because he didn’t just see the light about racism, he actually made the most sincere apology I have ever heard from any politician, ever. He threw himself down before the community and garnered a huge vote from both the Blacks and Whites of Alabama. He lived the rest of his life making amends for his transgressions. Perhaps there is a paranormal lesson from George in the afterlife to Deborah after all. It isn’t too late, Deborah.
Just the same, don’t expect to be elected like George was.
Posted in County Government, In the News, politics
Comments Off on It Just Gets Better
Tags: conspiracy theories, deborah pauly, FPPC, geroge wallace, Orange County Board of Supervisors, shirley grindle
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Russell’s brand of revolution
By Andrew Self and Carlo Dellora
‘Brand is on our side’ – Carlo Dellora
Whenever anyone with even a modicum of celebrity decides to turn around and criticise the system that got them there, the opprobrium is usually immediate and often scathing. Imagine then, the ensuing political censure, when someone with the popularity of Russell Brand chooses to take on a target as large as global capitalism. Brand recently undertook a guest-editor place with the New Statesman (if only because ‘a beautiful woman was asking him’).
Casual sexism aside, Brand’s work for the progressive magazine has been eminently engaging and undeniably enthralling. Casting aside the incrementalism of George Clooney and Alec Baldwin, Brand has lived up to his name and, echoing the activism of Marlon Brando, shown that there is still room for radical, militant firebrands inside Hollywood. With such an extremist agenda it is unsurprising that many different commentators and critics have wasted no time excoriating Brand for committing a number of ostensible political sins – not voting, having no alternative to the current system while maintaining a decadent personal life and a bulging bank account.
But what has been most surprising about the wellspring of criticism that Brand’s stint as editor has earned him is not so much the content but the source, much of it originating from his supposed allies and comrades on the left.
As Brand points out near the beginning of his voluminous 4500-word piece, ‘the right seeks converts and the left seeks traitors’, which is much to their detriment. In the aftermath of this work and his recent interview with Jeremy Paxman, Brand has essentially proved his contention with a number of leftist writers coming out to criticise the man and his ideas. Joan Smith helped get the ball rolling by demanding Brand ‘go back to Hollywood’ (he was born in Essex) and stop pointing out the flaws and inadequacies of our current system until he enrols to vote.
This is well-trodden territory. Whenever social-democrats and other parliamentary socialists find themselves seated next to revolutionaries at the dinner table the same tired arguments about tacit complicity in an unequal system versus the practicality of world wide non-violent revolution are sure to arise. But why discount fellow travellers purely because their methods of achieving change differs? If the left is to remain any kind of potent force in this century it is incumbent upon its members to embrace recruits of all stripes into its house: revolutionaries, democratic participants and everything in between.
Similar critiques of Brand’s ideology and its lack of any substantive solutions to the world’s problems have come from other quarters, too. In his interview with Brand, Jeremy Paxman seemed positively lachrymose when informed that Brand hasn’t had time to devise a new world order which will suit everybody’s needs. Self in his column, alludes to the same thing: ‘Brand does not offer a political alternative, just observational comedy and has denied his politics as “not some weird lefty agenda”.’
These points are by no means new. As the Occupy movement found out, the major criticism held by many of society’s political doyens were not necessarily objections to their methods or messiness, but rather their inability to articulate a well-defined list of grievances and easily cooptable solutions. What these appraisals ignore is that it is not the responsibility for the critics of capitalism to necessarily devise its replacement. As Noam Chomsky said, ‘when we face a problem, we may not know its solution, but we have insight, increasing knowledge, and an inkling of what we are looking for’. And sometimes this is enough: no-one truly expects Brand to be the successor to Marx and Engels, devising a new political system in a hotel during an interview with Jeremy Paxman. But his entrance into the political arena heralds at least a step towards change and altering what has for decades remained a fait accompli.
It seems shocking that when someone of the stature of Russell Brand comes out of the proverbial political closet and announces their deep distrust of corporate capitalism, many of the most vocal and strident critics of his position are those who inhabit a place next door. Can we really dismiss someone whose fundamental thesis is ‘the massive redistribution of wealth, heavy taxation of corporations and massive responsibility for…any companies exploiting the environment’?
Sure, Brand’s waffling is grammatically frustrating and at times embarrassingly self-indulgent, but that’s not really the point. But who on the left can honestly say they want more Jay-Zs and Keshas perpetuating crass consumerism and fewer self-aware, eloquent critics? His ideas may not be perfectly formed nor carry the academic tone we’re used to, but there is no denying that the progressive movement is in dire need of someone with the wit, courage and flair of Russell Brand.
‘We need to watch ourselves on this one’ – Andrew Self
‘The celebrity, the spectacular representation of a living human being, embodies this banality by embodying the image of a possible role. Being a star means specializing in the seemingly lived; the star is the object of identification with the shallow seeming life that has to compensate for the fragmented productive specializations which are actually lived’ – Guy Debord
The word revolution, following Russell Brand’s interview and diatribe on in the New Statesman, has rarely been so hip. He has created a social media explosion congratulating his unoriginal ideas as if they had never been heard before to a collective digital ‘fuck yeah!’
Yet after seeing and reading him, I felt slightly uneasy about the whole thing. Not so much because he is a rich womanising toff talking about these ideas – all luck to him! – more that it’s obvious that he is tactically and theoretically fuzzy.
Brand is not calling for the abolition of capitalism; he is instead calling for a ‘reduction’ of the profit motive, ‘heavily taxing’ corporations and putting extra ‘responsibility’ on them to be green. Which means the substance of his critique of the political class is not structural, but more along the lines of, ‘there are some bad eggs out there’.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that he isn’t earnest or that the issues he raises aren’t real – but his understanding is really limited. Capitalism is not fundamentally a moral problem – that is, a problem made by nasty people. Rather, it is a problem about the fundamental structure of a society based on value and the state. I do not think Brand understands that. As such, his ideas, in their current form, are not going to be truly supportive of a revolutionary movement against the real existing state of things.
More important, for me, is how Brand’s diatribe has been received, which speaks volumes more than what Brand actually said. There have been litres of ink spilt over the ideas Brand put forward in countless publications over many years, much more eloquently written and well researched. So why is Brand’s somewhat-lacking analysis of society so appealing right now?
First, many (including Brand) say that we need education: we need to tell people about the wrongs of the world, the wrongs of crony capitalism. But in fact, many people already know these things. It could be said that we already know too much, and so resign ourselves to being capitalist agents. Those who read and celebrate Brand’s denunciation already know that the political class stinks. What Brand is doing is observational comedy with a political tinge; in seeking to talk to the direct audience, he represents a pure spectacle, not a revolution.
That large corporations inflict pain on the third world is not new. Furthermore, what Brand offers in his New Statesman piece is not a political alternative – it’s not even a new perspective. More accurately, it’s a mishmash of old ideas with some New Age spirituality thrown in the mix, in which he completely gets it the wrong way around! ‘For me the solution has to be primarily spiritual and secondarily political,’ he said, thereby entirely confusing ‘the political’.
‘I have never voted,’ Brand writes. ‘Like most people I am utterly disenchanted by politics.’ But this is precisely part of the problem Russell – politics is not simply the tired voting game! As French philosopher Jacques Ranciere writes: to identify politics as simply the exercise and struggle over possession of power is to do away with politics completely and, in the process, reduce our mode of thinking.
Second, there is the obvious cult of celebrity and how that functions here. Yes, he is witty and entertaining, but all he offers is spectacle of resistance which modern capitalism allows and coopts. Look no further than the most famous image of the twentieth century, Che Guevara. Guy Debord has argued that, ‘The imposed image of the good envelops in its spectacle the totality of what officially exists, and is usually concentrated in one man’. In other words, everyone must identify with this celebrity or disappear. The celebrity is the ‘master of non-consumption,’ Debord says, and the only image in which we can find ‘acceptable meaning’. We are blinded by our gaze onto this shining star.
Many will argue that Brand is simply a man ‘raising awareness’. But we do not necessarily need any more awareness in the form of spectacle, which merely offers – let’s be honest – light entertainment in place of real ideas and a real alternative. The spectacle of performance puts our ideas of resistance and change up on a platform so that the left does not have to. In essence, it is the performing of politics rather than the practice.
One interesting comparison could be drawn with the leftist philosopher Slavoj Zizek, often criticised as a charlatan, a clown who plays on his celebrity to get his ideas across. Hence, some do not take his theories seriously. Paradoxically, Brand is a self-confessed charlatan who’s taken very seriously. Zizek calls for a removal from capitalism and non-participation into a ‘communist nothing’, whereas Brand continues on in the same tired path as celebrity liberals like Bob Geldof, calling for some kind of poorly outlined rich-man action.
The whole Brand phenomenon actually represents a depoliticisation, not a deepening, of politics. In the Guardian, Brand wrote: ‘In this age where politics is presented as entertainment, it’s the most entertaining politicians who ascend.’ The same could be said of him. We can sit, applaud, post on Facebook and release a collective sigh of ‘finally, someone said it!’, but Brand’s new age ‘revolutionary’ ideas have already been with us for a very long time.
In the end, it does not matter if Brand’s personal politics are ‘revolutionary’: I give the man respect for using his enormous celebrity to open the debate ever so slightly. I am not condemning him for not expressing my personal opinions about what is and is not radical. Nevertheless, the opinions he is espousing have not launched a critical discourse in the ways that have been suggested.
Andrew Self is a journalist and teacher from Melbourne. He tweets at @andrewself.
Carlo Dellora is a political analyst and freelance writer from Melbourne. He blogs at blog: Sleng Teng and tweets at @carlodellora.
More by Andrew Self and Carlo Dellora
From Brad on 29 October 2013 at 6.38 pm
Andrew, I partly agree with you about the limits of Brand’s politics. But part of me thinks that you are also partly disagreeing merely with the language Brand uses. When he writes, I am “disenchanted by politics”and then advocates revolution, I don’t think he is “doing away with politics” in the way Ranciere describes. He clearly means politics to refer specifically to the party politics of liberal democracy, even if this doesn’t make sense to someone with a background in political philosophy. One should be a bit more generous, I think, with people who don’t share the same cultural references as one’s self.
From Andrew Self on 29 October 2013 at 7.07 pm
Thanks for the comment Brad. I probably should be more generous, however I still think that Brand, and many without a background in political philosophy solely think of politics as the voting mechanism and government, when it is much more than this obviously. This line of thought does not help at all on the left.
From PB on 29 October 2013 at 6.56 pm
Cannot fathom why you are even giving this sensationalist episode such credence?
The only reason anybody has discussed Brand’s incoherent –supposedly ‘revolutionary’– diatribe is for the fact that he is mainstream celebrity and has maximum media access and exposure.
For ‘progressives’ you seem amazingly smitten by the ‘stature’ of celebrity; to even bother with this as a fruitful subject for a “political analyst” seems deeply counter-productive. How are we in ‘dire need’ of such spokespeople as Brand? Apparently the best available radical Leftist response to rampant consumerist global-capitalism is … to let rich celebrities do the media representation for the masses?
Great. Makes so much ideological sense.
By the way:
“Sure, Brand’s waffling is grammatically frustrating and at times embarrassingly self-indulgent, but that’s not really the point. But who on the…”
Didn’t need the clunky repetition of “but” — lots to be said for well-formed writing, too.
PB – If you read the whole piece you will see that I make a very similar point to you in the second half, Carlo wrote the first half.
From Maxine on 29 October 2013 at 8.28 pm
Russell Brand is hot. Leave him alone.
From Out To Lunch on 30 October 2013 at 12.20 pm
I’d take Brand over Ranciere any day of the week. A direct statement about where you stand is worth a million theories.
From Iren on 30 October 2013 at 12.55 pm
Andrew not everyone has your obvious grounding in high minded philosophy. However is conscience raising such a reprehensible act. Surely if a few minds were kicked out of submission and into action then it is a positive. Also I agree with Maxine wholeheartedly. A bitter pill is much easier to swallow when coated in honey.
From Mitchell Welch on 30 October 2013 at 5.00 pm
Carlo says: “the same tired arguments about tacit complicity in an unequal system versus the practicality of world wide non-violent revolution are sure to arise.”
I’m not tired of this one. In fact, it feels fresh as ever.
No-one is arguing that a vote should be currency in political discourse, but for every person that doesn’t vote, a conservative does. There is no such thing as conscientious objection in the system we find ourselves in – every electoral inaction from the left props up conservative governments.
Brand’s performance was viral by design. He went in knowing his message would be spread far and wide, and he encouraged people not to vote while also failing to incite revolution. In other words he propped up conservatism.
Why not vote progressively, let the small victories have their small impacts on all the small, uncelebrated lives, and go on making your big plans in the meantime?
From Rjurik on 30 October 2013 at 7.00 pm
Methinks you draw too large a distinction between what Brad is doing and ‘real’ politics (‘The whole Brand phenomenon actually represents a depoliticisation, not a deepening, of politics.’). He may be relatively unformed or lacking in coherence – as he admitted in the Paxman interview – but whatever his problems, it takes a fair bit of courage for him to say the things he said, which break the standard neoliberal discourse. In that interview, for example, Paxman tried a number of supercilious comments designed to discredit Brand and maintain a comfortable ‘consensus’, which Brand did well to sidestep. Of course the context in which he’s speaking is one of depoliticisation, but what else was he to do? He can’t really be blamed for that. There are plenty of examples of people like him, say, in the 60s – Norman Mailer and others – who played similar roles.
From Clare on 31 October 2013 at 4.52 pm
“rich womanising toff ”
He may be rich and womanising, but as he tells it he is far from being a toff. He basically grew up as a member of the underclass and got out with his hyperactive comedy talent and a grant from the local council to study acting. Interesting that you would use the term ‘toff’ to denigrate him.
He has written some very thoughtful pieces for the Guardian. One particularly about the London riots where he encouraged us to compare the treatment of the chavs for stealing a few pairs of trainers (gaol, ASBOs, opprobrium) to the treatment of disgraced bankers (not a single one imprisoned, no curtailment of bonuses). He had a good few insights into celebrity/consumerist culture in that one too; he is well aware of the economy of spectacle and his role in it.
“Those who read and celebrate Brand’s denunciation already know that the political class stinks”
Some of those who saw Brand’s interview with Paxton wouldn’t have given the political class much thought at all prior to seeing one of their favourite stars speaking about them. But that’s beside the point, it is absolutely refreshing and inspiring to see a wealthy person who has personally benefitted from the system denounce it root and branch. Granted I don’t think it will make a jot of difference.
As for intoning that Brand’s critique of capitalism is not structural obviously didn’t hear him when he said that “profit is filthy, wherever there is profit there is deficit.” Which seems like a structural critique to me, not ‘there’s a few bad apples.’
While I can’t agree that the solution is firstly spiritual and then political, I would say, whatever the solution to the current (and extreme) rise in wealth and income inequality and wholesale destruction of the environment it surely will need social and cultural as well as political change. When you’re talking about changing people’s beliefs and ideologies underpinning their actions and behaviours I don’t think its all that crazy to call that ‘spiritual’ change. I would prefer ‘social-cultural milieu,’ but if Brand want to call that ‘spiritual’ I would not be too fussed.
‘Brand continues on in the same tired path as celebrity liberals like Bob Geldof, calling for some kind of poorly outlined rich-man action.’ Did we see the same interview? Sure, Brand was hazy about the action required (which is disappointing), but I’m pretty certain he’s not advocating for the next ‘Live Aid’ when he calls for revolution.
What is almost certain is that Brand will be a flash in the pan. What is sad is that the man himself appears to believe he will not be. It is, I suppose remotely possible that he will cause change, but I strongly doubt it.
The media and entertainment industry has a thousand other channels for the chavs to distract themselves with apart from Revolutionary Hour with Russell Brand. The political class has no intention of letting the barbarians in and will not give up without a fight. And there is no fight in the barbarians, though, they stay at home, keep watching their tv and internet, keep lusting after brand name goodies keep taking the drugs and keep staying obese on junk food and no need to move. Just like they’ve done for around 40 years. This particular post industrial system of keeping a populace cowed may last another 100 years. Just imagine another 100 years of boy band mania and x-factor and Kim Kardashian and new and improved psychopharmaceuticals. I see no revolution happening for a while.
Perhaps only when climate change and the resultant resource scarcity really kicks in will anyone come out from behind their screens.
From Dr_Tad on 31 October 2013 at 10.55 pm
This new post at Left Flank by Elizabeth Humphrys and myself is in part a response to Andrew Self’s argument: http://left-flank.org/2013/10/31/anti-politics-elephant-room/
From Anna Sutton on 3 November 2013 at 8.36 am
What happened to the revolution in May 1968? The French Philosophers couldn’t come up with a political alternative either and they were grounded in philosophy. It was the students that did the hard graft and academia that let them down. *Shrugs* I don’t understand why people are so scathing of someone wanting to express their view and opinions. He seems to be more a polemicist than proclaiming to be the leader of the revolution.
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About Overnight New York
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As a method of representation, people buy high-end watches to show how they managed to make in the world.
It depicts the rich or those who inherit Rolex, Hublot Big Bang, Audemars Piguet, and other luxury watch brands, as this is a symbol of wealth and power.
The key factors determining the value of a luxury complex watch are:
Several variables function together to assess a watch’s ultimate value.
The accuracy, craftiness, workmanship, and expertise of lavish makers differentiate them from other watches!
For example, Rolex watches are all mounted with a handle, and the company has its own foundry, which manufactures gold in its watches.
Here is the list for the top 10 most expensive watches in the world ever sold:
10. Vacheron Constantin 57260 – $8 million
The Vacheron Constantin Reference 57260 is a single mechanical highly complicated pocket watch with 57 distinctly available complications, including a perpetual calendar and a double-second retrograde chronograph.
It has 2,800 components and the buttons are inside a white gold case.
It is made by an independent craftsman with traditional methods including bevelling, circular graining, design of “Côtes de Genève,” and much more.
This beautiful series shows the innovative Reference 57260 by Vacheron Constantin, a masterpiece and the most complex watch ever built.
For over 260 years, Vacheron Constantin, the world’s oldest watchmaker, is recognized for its watchmaking excellence.
Some of the brand’s most expensive wristwatches include Vacheron Constantin tour de i’lle.
9. Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 – $11.1 million
Patek Philippe ref 1518 was introduced in 1941 that represented the luxurious brand’s beginning of an era.
The Swiss luxury watch brand and clock company Patek Philippe SA was founded in 1839 and are one of the most expensive watch brands.
Christie’s will sell in the context of its Significant Uhren Auction Dubai, an 18-carat white gold watch owned once by the ruling king of Egypt and Sudan, King Farouk.
The first is a limited edition 4-piece collection by Patek Phillipe and was crafted in 1518 with high-quality stainless steel.
1518 is the only perpetual Patek calendar split-second chronograph made of steel that costs around $11 million in Auction.
It differs from most of the other Pateks luxury watches made of rose or yellow colored gold.
Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 is the most expensive watch in the world ever auctioned for $31 million at a charity auction in Geneva.
Who has most expensive watch in the world?
It was bought by a private telephone bidder following a five-minute auction at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues.
The reference 6300A-010 by Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime is the only of its kind stainless steel watch.
It has 20 complications, including a grande and petite sonnerie, a minute repeater, an instantaneous perpetual calendar with a four-digit year display, a second-time zone, and 24-hour and minute subdial.
It wasn’t included in the list because that’s the only watch Patek Philippe made exclusively for auction for Duchenne muscular dystrophy research.
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8. Paul Newman Rolex Daytona – $17.6 Million
Once the world’s biggest movie star, Paul Newman’s 1968 Rolex Daytona was sold for $15.5 million in an auction in the Phillips auction house in New York.
It was a historical moment as the most expensive Rolex watch ever sold.
Opening offer for Paul Newman’s Daytona started on $1 million and the price skyrocketed immediately.
The bid was set at $10 million by the first buyer, surprising Phillips’ entire auction space.
The amount of the final price was $17,752,500 (including the buyer’s premium of 12.5%) was lifted.
Only two bidders competed to settle the price for the watch to 17.8 million dollars.
Although this Rolex Daytona is fairly well maintained, it is not varied form or made up of valuable materials.
However, the story is what enthusiasts need the most.
Paul’s wife and Hollywood actress Joanne Woodward offered it to Paul Newman during the shoot of the movie “Winning.”
Another similar watch, Eric Clapton’s Rare Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 6263 Oyster Albino was sold for more than $1.4 million (including buyer’s premium).
7. Jacob & Co. Billionaire Watch – $18 million
The Billionaire watch, which comprises 260-carat emerald-cut diamonds, is certainly up to its name.
Billionaire’s timepiece, first unveiled to the world in 2015 in Basel world, is a one-of-a-kind, world-class watch by Jacob Arabo with affiliation to Flavio Briatore’s Billionaire Lifestyle SARL company.
The bold cut enhances the sparkle of the diamonds that are set in an inverse pyramid-style.
Bracelet of the watch contains a diamond set of stones that weigh up to three carats each, on the whole, 18-carat white gold case.
The rectangular case of the Billionaire Watch is skeleton-packed and is supported by an escapement of tourbillons.
These tourbillons are constantly in motion concerning the wrist.
When the watch is in various positions on the wrist, the tourbillon compensates for time management errors related to gravitational effects.
The JCAM09 is made up of 167 components and has a power reserve of 72 hours.
Popular American boxer Floyd Mayweather owns one of this watch.
6. Patek Philippe Supercomplication – $24 million
Another most expensive watch ever by Patek Phillipe is Patek Philippe Henry Graves’ Supercomplication.
It was named after banker Henry Graves Jr. who commissioned it out of his desire to outdo the Grande Complication pocket watch of American automaker James Ward Packard.
This complex timepiece is worth $25 million and contains 24 complications, including a perpetual calendar, a minute repeater, sunrise and sunset times, and a celestial charts based on the sky of the night in Graves’s home in New York City.
5. Chopard 201-Carat Watch – $25 million
We can not talk about what crazy spectral imagination designers had while making this special, reflective watch, as it looks more like the sun.
Amazingly decorated in natural-colored diamonds, the second most expensive wrist watch for women ever created.
Naturally, we would expect its worth nothing less than $25 million.
All this razzle-dazzle, however, also includes a considerable amount of weight.
Using this watch requires a strong wrist and a big bank account.
Chopard 201carat watch is composed of a pink diamond of 15 carats, a blue diamond of 12 carats and an eleven-carate diamond, and an additional 163-carat white and yellow diamonds.
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4. Jaeger-LeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Manchette – $26 million
Jaeger LeCoultre, renowned for its luxury watches, has maintained its reputation as an outstanding brand of making elegant and classy watches.
The 101 Manchette watch Jaeger-LeCoultre offers a random number of polished or diamond-set links that cover the miniature 101 movements.
Jaeger LeCoultre gave this beautiful and fascinating watch to Queen Elizabeth II on her 60th birthday.
This clock has 576 diamonds and a grey dial of sapphire. The watch looks like a bracelet and has black leaves.
It uses manually-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101 mechanics. No estimate is included, but evaluators rate it for over 26 million dollars.
3. Breguet No. 160 – $30 million
Often referred to as “a clockwork’s poem” or Breguet Grande Complication Marie Antoinette.
French future Queen Marie Antoinette’s lover allegedly commissioned the original first version of this watch before she married Louis XVI of France.
Abraham-Louis Breguet began to work on the watch in 1782, and before its completion in 1827 by Breguet’s son, revolutionaries executed Marie Antoinette.
Every recognized complication, including a thermometer, chime, and a perpetual calendar, were included in the watch.
The clock was on display until 1983 as thieves stole it from L.A. Mayer Museum in Jerusalem.
The watch was finally recovered and is now on display at the Mayer Museum.
2. Graff Diamonds The Fascination – $40 million
This is a special watch that transforms into a ring with a removable component.
Graff Diamonds The Fascination, this watch consists of 152.96 carats of white diamonds with an exquisitely unique center cut gem, which is a perfect pear-shaped diamond of 38.13 carats.
It is crafted and polished by world-renowned luxury jewelry and most expensive watch brand Graff in their workshops.
This pear-shaped masterpiece can be worn as a watch dial or detached and worn as a ring in a finely artistic diamond bracelet.
Makers meant the newest item to demonstrate the close relationship between the brands London-based diamond house and its Swiss watch-making atelier, according to Laurence Graff, founder, and chairman of Graff Diamonds.
1. Graff Diamonds Hallucination – $55 million
Graff has produced one of the most expensive series of hallucination watches worldwide since they launched it only a few years ago.
This high-end watch has an astounding 55 million US dollar price tag!
The Hallucination comprises of multicolored and unique 110 carats of embedded diamonds.
Each one is meticulously shaped by the craftsmen to create this vivid and spectacular masterpiece.
Upon unveiling this stunning, unique, crafted, diamond-encrusted watch, Graff Luxury House must be taken seriously.
The incredible worth comes from 110 carats of really unusual, bright diamonds set in a platinum bracelet.
Rarest colored natural diamonds include Fancy Vivid Yellow, Fancy Intense Pink, Fancy Intense Blue, Fancy Light Pink, Fancy Light Grey Blue, Fancy Intense Blue, Fancy Green, and Fancy Orange.
Several cuts are also used like the heart style, pear form, Marquet, emerald, sparkling, and round.
Graff Diamonds Hallucination is the most expensive watch in the world that costs around $55 million in 2020.
Some of the most famous and appreciated artistic innovations are luxury watches.
Combining handicrafts, history, and design with the best, watch prices can reach millions.
Some other noteworthy luxury watches which we couldn’t include are Louis Moinet Meteoris, Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4, Breguet Antique number 2667, and A Lange Söhne Grand Complication.
These are the most expensive watch brands, I hope you enjoyed this post & please do share it with your friends on social media.😊
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2014 Virginia Tech Football
William and Mary
Virginia Tech AD Whit Babcock watches as the team walk begins on Spring Road.
The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets fires "Skipper" at the first Hokie VIllage two hours before kickoff.
The view of the tailgating scene from the top of Lane a couple hours before kickoff.
The team huddles before heading back into the tunnel after warm ups.
The Corps of Cadets stand at attention before the national anthem.
Sam Rogers (45) carries the American flag to lead the Hokies into Lane Stadium for the first time this year.
Greg Stroman (3), Adam Taraschke (70), and Kevin Asante (81) run into Lane Stadium.
Michael Brewer (12) runs with the ball in the first half.
Isaiah Ford celebrates his first career touchdown in the first quarter.
Isaiah Ford (1) celebrates his first touchdown with Bucky Hodges (7).
Corey Marshall (96) leaps into the air as the rest of the VT defense swarms Mikal Abdul-Saboor of William & Mary
A couple Hokie fans cheer on the team from the West Stands.
The Corps of Cadets cheer on the Hokies from the South Stands.
Luther Maddy (92) hits William and Mary QB Steve Cluley as he releases a pass.
A.J. Hughes unleashes a punt in the first half.
Marshawn Williams (42) celebrates a what he thinks is his first career touchdown, but was later called back on a holding penalty.
Bucky Hodges (7) pulls away a touchdown catch from William and Mary's Aireck Green.
Cam Phillips (18) runs towards Bucky Hodges (7) after he caught his first touchdown pass of the season.
A Key Play!
Marshawn Williams (42) breaks a tackle by William and Mary's DeAndre Houston-Carson (36)
Dietrick Bonner (8) leaps to bat the ball as Steve Cluley (16) throws a pass.
Shai McKenzie (22) breaks off a run for his first career touchdown.
Michael Brewer (left) congratulates Shai McKenzie (right) after his first touchdown of the season.
Head coach Frank Beamer looks on during a timeout in the game.
J.C. Coleman runs in for his first touchdown of the year.
Students in the North End Zone continue to have fun late into the game.
Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer (right) talks with William and Mary head coach Jimmye Laycock after the game.
Kendall Fuller (11) talks with Sean Ballard (83) after the game.
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Which politician took the most grief from Jay Leno?
(CNN) - As "The Tonight Show" host Jay Leno prepares for his final show Thursday, a study of the comedian's jokes show former President Bill Clinton was his top political target during his tenure.
The Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University analyzed 43,892 jokes about public figures and public affairs over the past two decades. The study lists the top 20 politicos who took heat from Leno.
Filed under: Al Gore • Bill Clinton • George W. Bush • Hillary Clinton • Jay Leno • President Obama
Boehner on why he won't run for president
Updated 11:45 p.m. ET, 1/23/2014
(CNN) - House Speaker John Boehner laid out why he won't be running for president, telling "The Tonight Show" host Jay Leno it just isn't worth what he'd have to give up.
"I like to play golf. I like to cut my own grass. I do drink red wine. I smoke cigarettes, and I'm not giving that up to be President of the United States," Boehner said Thursday.
Filed under: Jay Leno • John Boehner
McCain 'looking very seriously' at sixth Senate run
CNN's Jonathan Helman
(CNN) - While a majority of members in Congress are focusing on the 2014 midterm elections, one Senator is looking ahead toward his potential 2016 re-election plans.
Sen. John McCain said he is still "looking very seriously" at a sixth Senate run in 2016 during an interview on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" Monday night.
Filed under: 2016 • Jay Leno • John McCain • Senate
Should Jeb run? No Bush family consensus
CNN's Paul Steinhauser and Ashley Killough
(CNN) - Former President George W. Bush and his mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, apparently don't see eye-to-eye over whether Jeb Bush should run for the White House in 2016.
In an interview with Jay Leno Tuesday night on NBC's "The Tonight Show," the former president said his brother should "run for President if he wants to. He'd be a great one."
Filed under: Barbara Bush • George W. Bush • Jay Leno • Jeb Bush
George W. Bush tells Jay Leno: Not worried how history will judge
CNN's Ben Brumfield
(CNN) - It seems George W. Bush can take a joke - and tell one.
But before the former President sat down with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show late Tuesday, the comedian turned his successor, Barack Obama, into the brunt of his hard jabs.
Filed under: George W. Bush • Jay Leno
Romney weighs in on Washington controversies
CNN's Dana Davidsen
(CNN) – Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno on Friday and weighed in on the barrage of controversies plaguing the White House in recent weeks.
The former Massachusetts governor said he's “over” the election but is "not a fan of the president." He said a special counsel should be appointed to investigate the Obama administration and the IRS’ targeting of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.
Filed under: 2013 • IRS • Jay Leno • Libya • Mitt Romney • Obama administration • Washington D.C.
Gingrich and Snooki break it down
(CNN) – Newt Gingrich admitted Wednesday he's never seen the popular "Jersey Shore" TV show but he'd think about stopping by the famed beach house sometime.
Sharing the stage with "Jersey Shore's" Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi, the former Republican presidential contender took a breather from politics to chat with the star, appearing with him on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
Filed under: Jay Leno • Newt Gingrich • Snooki
Michelle Obama jokes with Jay Leno
CNN White House Producer Lesa Jansen
(CNN) - We're getting a glimpse into what life is like in the White House including mentally preparing for a presidential campaign and sleepovers for the first daughters from first lady Michelle Obama as she appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Tuesday.
The first lady is in California raising money for her husband's campaign at Democratic National Committee fundraisers and also advancing her Let's Move initiative to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation.
Filed under: Jay Leno • Michelle Obama
Paul claims Bachmann 'hates' Muslims
CNN's Ashley Killough
(CNN) - A day after a GOP presidential debate, White House hopeful Ron Paul upbraided rival candidate Michele Bachmann for disliking Muslims.
"She hates Muslims," Paul said on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Friday. "She wants to go get 'em."
Filed under: 2012 • Iran • Jay Leno • Michele Bachmann • Ron Paul
On Leno’s show, Perry laughs off recent gaffes
(CNN) - Rick Perry, who's no stranger to poking fun at himself, made light of his recent mishaps in an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” Thursday night.
Asked about his debate "brain freeze," in which he forgot the third of three agencies he would cut as president, the GOP presidential candidate joked: "Well, you know, one, two, and then - uh, uh. It happens, man. Let me tell you."
Filed under: 2012 • Jay Leno • Rick Perry
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Amputee adventurer ready for world record crossing of Greenland Ice Cap
Posted by posabilitymagazine | May 15, 2015
Peter Bowker leads the 65 Degrees North expedition as they set off on the world’s first unsupported attempt by an amputee to cross the Greenland Ice Cap this week. Their mission is a 600km, well below freezing trek over 25-days. The team will cross the ice cap on skis pulling pulls weighing up to 80kg in temperatures as low as -37 degrees Celsius.
A former Queen’s Dragoon Guardsman, Peter was injured by a roadside bomb while on attachment in Afghanistan. He has learnt to ski especially for the expedition and will wear an Elite blade foot, from Blatchford, which will fit directly to his ski boot and perform well at sub-zero temperatures. Blatchford has supported Peter to perfect his prosthesis in preparation for the extraordinary challenge.
Peter’s prosthetist, Alan McDougall, commented:
“Peter is incredibly committed and it’s been a pleasure to support him. The Elite blade is ideal for the conditions as it reduces shock and provides energy return. The carbon fibre design is lightweight and low maintenance which will be essential for Pete to conserve energy and minimise potential repairs during the event.”
The mission sets off with the royal seal of approval. Prince Harry, who helped set up the Royal Foundation Endeavour Fund, has backed 65 Degrees North, and had a private meeting with Peter and the group. The Endeavour Fund exists to support the ambitions of wounded service personnel and veterans in such missions as 65 Degrees North.
Peter and the team have been overwhelmed by the support they have received as they raise money for Help For Heroes. Peter commented:
“We have had fantastic support from everywhere and that will keep us going as we head out to Greenland. I am humbled by the support that has been generated for this mission. But it’s all about giving something back and all proceeds from the mission will be going to Help for Heroes.”
If 65 Degrees North achieve their planned mission they will go down in history. Also with Peter is a former Royal Marine Richard Morgan, from Neath, and team doctor Meinir Jones, from Pontardawe.
For more information on 65 Degrees North, visit www.65dgreesnorth.co.uk
Direct donations can be made at www.bmycharity.com/65degreesnorth
PreviousBenefits delay forced disabled people to use food banks
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Cloth $121.00 ISBN: 9780226770567 Published May 2009
Fermi Remembered
James W. Cronin
Hawking Incorporated
Hélène Mialet
Something Incredibly Wonderful Happens
K. C. Cole
Topics in the Foundations of General Relativity and Newtonian Gravitation Theory
David B. Malament
Einstein’s Generation
The Origins of the Relativity Revolution
Richard Staley
504 pages | 29 halftones, 16 line drawings | 6 x 9 | © 2008
Why do we celebrate Einstein’s era above all other epochs in the history of physics? Much of the history of physics at the beginning of the twentieth century has been written with a sharp focus on a few key figures and a handful of notable events. Einstein’s Generation offers a distinctive new approach to the origins of modern physics by exploring both the material culture that stimulated relativity and the reaction of Einstein’s colleagues to his pioneering work.
Richard Staley weaves together the diverse strands of experimental and theoretical physics, commercial instrument making, and the sociology of physics around 1900 to present the collective efforts of a group whose work helped set the stage for Einstein’s revolutionary theories and the transition from classical to modern physics that followed. Collecting papers, talks, catalogues, conferences, and correspondence, Staley juxtaposes scientists’ views of relativity at the time to modern accounts of its history. Einstein’s Generation tells the story of a group of individuals which produced some of the most significant advances of the twentieth century; and challenges our celebration of Einstein’s era above all others.
Preface and Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Introduction: Einstein’s Generation
I. From Ether Drift to Interferometry
Chapter 2. Albert Michelson, Velocity of Light, and Ether Drift
Chapter 3. Interferometers and Their Uses
II. Physics in 1900
Chapter 4. Science on Display: The World’s Fair
Chapter 5. A Discipline at Work: The International Congress of Physics
III. From the Promise of the Electron to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
Chapter 6. The Empirical Electron: Space and Time on a Photographic Plate
Chapter 7. Relativity and Electron Theory, 1905–1911
Chapter 8. On the Histories of Relativity
IV. From Classical to Modern Physics
Chapter 9. On the Co-Creation of Classical and Modern Physics
Chapter 10. The Solvay Council, 1911
Simon Mitton | Times Higher Education
"Einstein’s Generation is a magnificent achievement and a work of great scholarship. Staley succeeds brilliantly in providing new ground for understanding how Einstein gradually emerged as the central figure within the German physics community."
"Richard Staley, a historian of science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has taken a novel approach to presenting the origins of the relativity revolution. His book reads not as a biography of Albert Einstein, but instead as a considered account of the technological and scientific innovations upon which Einstein’s groundbreaking theory was founded. Einstein’s Generation exposes readers to an era of turn-of-the-20th century scientists whose contributions have too often gone overlooked in histories of modern physics."
British Journal for the History of Science
"Einstein’s Generation succeeds at rethinking the story of relativity’s emergence. It carefully unpacks and redisplays the canonical events along the road to Einstein’s apotheosis in a valuable way. . . . The case made here for the propagation of relativity as the result of the interests and idiosyncracies of a community, not just the brilliance of a gifted individual, is very effective."
History: Discoveries and Exploration | History of Ideas
Physical Sciences: History and Philosophy of Physical Sciences
Sociology: Social History
Chicago Blog: Mathematics and Physics
Events in Mathematics and Physics
Sign up to be notified of new books in the category Mathematics and Physics. Sign Up
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It from bit?
Submitted by Rachel on December 18, 2015
"Every it – every particle, every field of force, even the space-time continuum itself _ derives its function, its meaning, its very existence entirely... from the apparatus-elected answers to yes or no questions, binary choices, bits."
With this statement in 1989, physicist John Archibald Wheeler challenged the way we view the relationship between reality and information. In these articles we explored some of Wheeler's revolutionary ideas and the impact they have had on theoretical and experimental physics.
These articles are part of our Information about information project, run in collaboration with FQXi. Happy reading!
It from bit? — Does reality arise from information? What does this even mean? We talked to Anton Zeilinger about the impact of John Wheeler's radical idea.
Information, physics, quantum: the search for links — This is Wheeler's paper from 1989 introducing the idea of "it from bit", hosted by the John Archibald Wheeler Archive. An entertaining, accessible and brilliantly written paper.
Inferring the Limits on Reality — The fuzziness of the quantum realm could arise from mathematical restrictions on what can ever be known. This article first appeared on the FQXi communities website.
Reality's neverending story — A quantum version of Darwinian natural selection could enable the universe to write itself into being. This article first appeared on the FQXi communities website.
Purifying Physics: The quest to explain why the "quantum" exists — A new framework for the laws underlying reality could explain why nature obeys quantum rules, the origin of time’s arrow, and the power of quantum computing. This article first appeared on the FQXi communities website. FQXi are our partners on this project.
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The Half-loved
by Laura Scott
Sometimes you hear her, breathing heavily,
climbing the stairs to find you in the room
where the old silk wallpaper still clings
to the walls. And then you feel her sighs
tightening around your ribs as she rehearses
her lines one more time so she can tell you
exactly where you went wrong in a voice that cuts
through your chest. Sometimes you see her
swaying in the doorway, churning the ground
under her feet like Hannibal’s last elephant,
tired of all that armour cutting into the folds of her skin.
Sometimes you taste her in the dregs of your wine,
swirling in the bottom of your glass and then,
she cuts you off, mid-swallow, until your throat
remembers all those conversations you turned
with a skier’s grace when they got to the precipice
where the love should have been. The half-loved
remembers everything – every slight you ever dealt her,
every letter you sent her. Sometimes she runs
her fingers over the white space around your name
until the paper is as soft as cloth, and pictures you
putting down your pen and thinking of someone
else. The half-loved saw it all, blinked it in
through her dark lashes, and is weeping it out today.
This poem was published in The Poetry Review, summer issue, 2015, and was the winner of the Geoffrey Dearmer Prize 2015.
Judge's comments: “‘The Half-loved’ is a heartfelt yet subtle poem that repays repeated readings. It does what a poem is meant to do, that only a poem can do: it examines a striking idea in an exhilarating mixture of thoughtfulness and sensuality, from the first irresistible words – ‘sometimes you hear her…’ to the final ‘is weeping it out today’. That last line is a risk, I have to say. I love it being a risk and I hope it works for other readers too.” - Selima Hill
Laura Scott on writing the poem:
"It took me ages to write ‘The Half-loved’. I started it when I was being mentored by Mimi Khalvati and then abandoned it. Mimi had encouraged me to write more directly about people, so the original impulse came from that. I liked the title but that was about it – the images were too full of intention. So I left it but then I went back to it years later, I’m not sure why, and I got the first line and the movement right of someone climbing the stairs and swaying in the doorway. And the rigidity that had constricted it just disappeared and the poem became its own thing with wallpaper and elephants and skiers and glasses of wine. I started to love its turns and it became sadder and weirder than I had wanted when I first tried to write it. And when I showed it to people, they seemed to like it which always surprises me because I think it’s a horrible poem but I’m really pleased that there is enough space in it for you to have had two very different reactions to it, because that unstable quality, the way it moves between the half-loved’s position and the half-lover’s is what I do like about it, and what I hope, stops it from being judgmental." Read more in an interview with Laura Scott
Laura Scott is the winner of The Geoffrey Dearmer Prize 2015, awarded by The Poetry Society and The Poetry Review. Her poems have been widely published in magazines including The Poetry Review, Edinburgh Review, Magma, Rialto, Tate Etc and Envoi. Her pamphlet, What I Saw (Rialto, 2013), won the 2014 Michael Marks Award for a poetry pamphlet. She teaches at the University of East Anglia.
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September 9, 2019 By Paul
My guest on this episode is with the author Claire McGowan. We chat about her life as a writer and her new thriller novel, What You Did.
What You Did by Claire McGowan
“A brilliant, breathless thriller that kept me guessing to the last shocking page.” —Erin Kelly, Sunday Times bestselling author of He Said/She Said
An Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestseller.
It was supposed to be the perfect reunion: six university friends together again after twenty years. Host Ali finally has the life she always wanted, a career she can be proud of and a wonderful family with her college boyfriend, now husband. But that night her best friend makes an accusation so shocking that nothing will ever be the same again.
When Karen staggers in from the garden, bleeding and traumatised, she claims that she has been assaulted—by Ali’s husband, Mike. Ali must make a split-second decision: who should she believe? Her horrified husband, or her best friend? With Mike offering a very different version of events, Ali knows one of them is lying—but which? And why?
When the ensuing chaos forces her to re-examine the golden era the group shared at university, Ali realises there are darker memories too. Memories that have lain dormant for decades. Memories someone would kill to protect.
The Other Wife
She’s a total stranger. But she knows who you are…
Suzi did a bad thing. She’s paying for it now, pregnant, scared, and living in an isolated cottage with her jealous husband, Nick.
When Nora moves into the only house nearby, Suzi is delighted to have a friend. So much so that she’s almost tempted to tell Nora her terrible secret. But there’s more to Nora than meets the eye. It’s impossible—does she already know what Suzi did?
Meanwhile, Elle spends her days in her perfect home, fixated on keeping up appearances. But when her husband betrays her, it unravels a secret going all the way back to her childhood. She’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to him, even if that means murder. After all, she’s done it before…
Caught up in their own secrets and lies, these strangers will soon realise they have more in common than they could ever have imagined. When a shocking event brings them together, their lives will never be the same again.
Claire’s Contact:
Website: www.ink-stains.co.uk
Twitter: @inkstainsclaire
Special thanks to Claire McGowan for joining me in this episode of The Crime Fiction Lounge.
Then You’ll Love these:
Episode #2 with Jenny Milchman, Author of Wicked River
Filed Under: Author Friends, TCFL Podcast Tagged With: Claire McGowan, The Other Wife, Thriller, What You Did
My guest on this episode is with the author Mark Bergin. We chat about his life as a writer and his debut novel, Apprehension.
Apprehension by Mark Bergin
Kelly was a pro until his niece was murdered right before his eyes. His family says he failed her, but Kelly can’t share his one shocking, secret―and criminal―act of vengeance.
Now, fellow detectives digging in another case can end Kelly’s career and send him to jail. Kelly must ignore this looming doom and focus on protecting a boy from his pedophile father in a slam-dunk trial. Except the hotshot defense attorney is his new girlfriend Rachel Cohen, who shares wonderful news but hides her duty to destroy him on the stand. And she can’t reveal that she’s investigating a twisted team of drug cops. While his friends work in secret to save him, Kelly is forced to the breaking point―and beyond.
Mark’s Contact:
Website: https://markberginwriter.com/
Facebook: Mark Bergin
Twitter: @markbergin4
Instagram: marberginwriter
Special thanks to Mark Bergin for joining me in this episode of The Crime Fiction Lounge.
Episode #19 with Ed James, Author of Kill the Messenger, (Fenchurch 6)
Filed Under: Author Friends, TCFL Podcast Tagged With: detective, Mark Bergin, Police Procedural, vengeance
My guest on this episode is with the delightful author Joshilyn Jackson. We chat about her life as a writer and her latest novel, Never Have I Ever?
never have I ever by Joshilyn Jackson
Never Have I Ever
Have you ever done something so bad, so shameful that you would do anything to keep it secret? What if your worst enemy knew . . . and was determined to expose you?
Amy Whey is proud of her ordinary life and the simple pleasures that come with it—teaching diving lessons, baking cookies for new neighbors, helping her best friend, Charlotte, run their local book club. Her greatest joy is her family: her devoted professor husband, her spirited fifteen-year-old stepdaughter, her adorable infant son. And, of course, the steadfast and supportive Charlotte. But Amy’s sweet, uncomplicated life begins to unravel when the mysterious and alluring Angelica Roux arrives on her doorstep one book club night.
Sultry and magnetic, Roux beguiles the group with her feral charm. She keeps the wine flowing and lures them into a game of spilling secrets. Everyone thinks it’s naughty, harmless fun. Only Amy knows better. Something wicked has come her way—a she-devil in a pricey red sports car who seems to know the terrible truth about who she is and what she once did.
When they’re alone, Roux tells her that if she doesn’t give her what she asks for, what she deserves, she’s going to make Amy pay for her sins. One way or another.
To protect herself and her family and save the life she’s built, Amy must beat the devil at her own clever game, matching wits with Roux in an escalating war of hidden pasts and unearthed secrets. Amy knows the consequences if she can’t beat Roux. What terrifies her is everything she could lose if she wins.
A diabolically entertaining tale of betrayal, deception, temptation, and love-filled with dark twists leavened by Joshilyn Jackson’s trademark humor, Never Have I Ever explores what happens when the transgressions of our past come back with a vengeance.
Links to other Works by Joshilyn Jackson
Please find below links to Joshilyn’s other titles:
Roshilyn’s Contact:
Website: http://www.joshilynjackson.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoshilynJackson/
Twitter: @joshilynJackson
Instagram: joshilyn_jackson
Special thanks to Joshilyn for joining me in this episode of The Crime Fiction Lounge.
Filed Under: Author Friends, TCFL Podcast Tagged With: betrayal, Deception, Joshilyn Jackson, never have I ever, secret, temptation, Truth, vengeance
My guest on this episode is the charming author Lynne Truss. We chat about her foray into quirky comedy crime fiction and her life as a writer?
The Man That Got Away by Lynne Truss
In the second instalment of Lynne Truss’s joyfully quirky crime series, our trio of detectives must investigate the murder of a hapless romantic; an aristocratic con man on the prowl; and a dodgy Brighton nightspot…
It is summer in Brighton and the Brighton Belles are on hand to answer any holidaymaker’s queries, no matter how big or small. The quickest way to the station, how many pebbles are on the beach and what exactly has happened to that young man lying in the deckchair with blood dripping from him?
Constable Twitten has a hunch that the fiendish murder may be connected to a notorious Brighton nightspot and the family that run it, but Inspector Steine is – as ever – distracted by other issues, not least having his own waxwork model made and an unexpected arrival, while Sergeant Brunswick is just delighted to have spied an opportunity to finally be allowed to go undercover.
Our incomparable team of detectives are back for another outing in the new instalment of Lynne Truss’s joyfully quirky crime series.
A Shot in The Dark by Lynne Truss
The charming first novel in a new comic crime series, from one of Britain’s most-loved writers, the incomparable Lynne Truss
‘More Marx Brothers than Agatha Christie, this is crime fiction turned on its head – a giddy spell of sheer delight‘ Daily Mail
Brighton, 1957. Inspector Steine rather enjoys his life as a policeman by the sea. No criminals, no crime, no stress.
So it’s really rather annoying when an ambitious – not to mention irritating – new constable shows up to work and starts investigating a series of burglaries. And it’s even more annoying when, after Constable Twitten is despatched to the theatre for the night, he sits next to a vicious theatre critic who is promptly shot dead part way through the opening night of a new play.
It seems Brighton may be in need of a police force after all.
Lynne’s Contact:
Website: https://www.lynnetruss.com/
Special thanks to Lynne for joining me in this episode of The Crime Fiction Lounge.
Filed Under: Author Friends, TCFL Podcast Tagged With: Brighton, Comedy Crime, Inspector Steine, Lynne Truss, Murder, The Constable Twitten Series
June 24, 2019 By Paul
My guest on this episode is suspense author Rea Frey. Unusually, we discuss both of recent books and for very different reasons so why not tune in to find out more?
Because You’re Mine by Rea Frey
Because You’re Mine
But when her best friend Grace convinces her she needs a small break from motherhood to recharge her batteries, Lee gives in to a weekend trip. Surely a long weekend away from home won’t hurt? Noah, Mason’s handsome, bright, charismatic tutor – the first man in ages Lee’s even noticed – is more than happy to stay with him. Forty-eight hours later, someone is dead. But not all is as it seems. Noah may be more than who he claims to be. Grace has a secret – one that will destroy Lee. Lee has secrets of her own that she will do anything to keep hidden. As the dominoes begin to fall and the past comes to light, perhaps it’s no mystery someone is gone after all… Because You’re Mine is a breathtaking novel of domestic drama and suspense.
Order Your Copy of Because You’re Mine today:
Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey
NOT HER DAUGHTER
Gripping, emotional, and wire-taut, Not Her Daughter raises the question of what it means to be a mother—and how far someone will go to keep a child safe.
Emma Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes, brown hair. Missing since June.
Emma is lonely. Living with her cruel mother and clueless father, Emma retreats into her own world of quiet and solitude.
Sarah Walker. Successful Entrepreneur. Broken-hearted. Kidnapper.
Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal. When a second-chance encounter with Emma presents itself, Sarah takes her—far away from home. But if it’s to rescue a little girl from her damaging mother, is kidnapping wrong?
Amy Townsend. Unhappy wife. Unfit mother. Unsure whether she wants her daughter back.
Amy’s life is a string of disappointments, but her biggest issue is her inability to connect with her daughter. And now Emma is gone without a trace.
As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But what about Emma’s real mother, back at home?
Rea’s Contact:
Website: www.reafrey.com
Facebook: Rea Frey on Facebook
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReaFrey_Author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reafrey/
Special thanks to Rea for joining me in this episode of The Crime Fiction Lounge.
Then You’ll Love these
Episode #3 with Sam Blake, Author of No Turning Back
Filed Under: Author Friends, TCFL Podcast Tagged With: Because You're Mine, Kidnap, Murder, not her daughter, Rea Frey, Suspense, Thriller
TCFL Podcast Episode #23 with Gary Bell, author of the Legal Thriller, Beyond Reasonable Doubt
My guest on this episode is legal thriller author Gary Bell QC. Now Gary has an interesting and unusual background, to say the least, this is one interview that you won’t want to miss!
Born into a coal mining family, Gary Bell QC left school without any qualifications and was an apprentice mechanic, forklift truck driver, production line worker, builder, fireman, and door-to-door salesman, as well as a notorious football hooligan, before being arrested for fraud aged 18. After a brief stint in prison, he set off to seek fame and fortune abroad and, after two years drifting around Europe ended up penniless and homeless. He next enrolled in an FE College to study his O and A levels, and then went on to study law as a mature student at Bristol University where he ‘became’ an Old Etonian.
Beyond Reasonable Doubt (Book #1 in the Elliot Graham QC Series) by Gary Bell
Beyond Reasonable Doubt
The start of a thrilling new legal series, perfect for fans of Robert Galbraith and The Secret Barrister, written by an acclaimed QC.
Elliot Rook QC is one of the greatest barristers of his generation.
He is also a complete fraud.
Elliot Rook is the epitome of a highly successful, old Etonian QC. Or so everyone believes. In fact, he is an ex-petty criminal with a past that he has spent decades keeping secret. Until now.
An unidentified young woman of Middle Eastern origin has been found murdered on the outskirts of Rook’s home town. Billy Barber – a violent football hooligan and white-supremacist – is accused of her murder. Barber insists that Rook must defend him. If Rook refuses, Barber will expose him, bringing crashing to the ground the life and career that Rook has spent his life building.
The truth is there for the finding. But at what cost?
Order Your Copy of Beyond Reasonable Doubt today:
Gary’s Contact:
Facebook: Gary Bell on Facebook
Twitter: https://twitter.com/garybellqc
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-bell-46837831/
Special thanks to Gary for joining me in this episode of The Crime Fiction Lounge.
Filed Under: Author Friends, TCFL Podcast Tagged With: Beyond Reasonable Doubt, Elliot Rook QC, Gary Bell, Legal Thriller, Thriller
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Synthesis of a well-dispersed CaFe₂O₄/g-C₃N₄/CNT composite towards the degradation of toxic water pollutants under visible light
Liu, Fei, Dong, Shaocan, Zhang, Zhaoxiang, Li, Xiaqing, Dai, Xiaodong, Xin, Yanping, Wang, Xuewu, Liu, Kun, Yuan, Zhenhe, Zheng, Zheng
RSC advances 2019 v.9 no.44 pp. 25750-25761
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, carbon nanotubes, carbon nitride, chromium, graphene, hydrogen production, irradiation, oxidation, photocatalysis, photocatalysts, photoluminescence, photosensitizing agents, pollutants, reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, semiconductors, tetracycline, toxicity, transmission electron microscopy
Herein, we fabricated a ternary photocatalyst composed of CaFe₂O₄, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) via a simple hydrothermal route. CaFe₂O₄ acted as a photosensitizer medium and the CNT acted as a co-catalyst, which remarkably enhanced the photocatalytic performances of g-C₃N₄ towards the degradation of hexavalent chromium (Cr(vi)) and the antibiotic tetracycline (TC) under visible light irradiation. To investigate the morphological and topological features of the photocatalyst, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses were performed. The surface properties and oxidation state of the CaFe₂O₄/g-C₃N₄/CNT composite were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The recombination rate of the charge carriers and the band gap values of the as-synthesized catalysts were analyzed by photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and diffused reflectance spectroscopy (UV/Vis DRS) studies, respectively. Besides the degradation reactions, the high hydrogen production rate of 1050 μmol h⁻¹ under visible light using the CaFe₂O₄/g-C₃N₄/CNT composite loaded with 5 wt% CNT was observed. The superior photocatalytic performances of the CaFe₂O₄/g-C₃N₄/CNT composite can be ascribed to the effective heterojunction formed between g-C₃N₄ and the CaFe₂O₄ matrix, in which the CNT act as a conducting bridge in the system, promoting the production of photoinduced charge carriers in the semiconductor system. Finally, the plausible photocatalytic mechanism towards the degradation of pollutants and hydrogen production was discussed carefully.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c9ra05005a
DOI: 10.1039/c9ra05005a
Find in a library http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c9ra05005a Download RIS File Export to Zotero
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Resources + Tools
What`s New
Why Hudson?
– House of Refuge for Women
– NY State Training School for Girls
– Hudson Correctional Facility
CHELSEA, NYC
Why Chelsea, NYC?
We started in Hudson, NY and will be adding more prison sites over time…
by PPMP Editor on Jul 29, 2011 • 4:02 pm
The state prison in Hudson, New York is an old institution in a very old city. In 1606, Henry Hudson landed here, 115 miles north of Manhattan on the east bank of the river named after him. Commercial development began shortly after the Revolutionary War, when merchants from New Bedford and Nantucket purchased land and laid out streets. In 1785, Hudson became the third city to be incorporated in the state of New York. Once a flourishing whaling port and shipbuilding center, later known for brick manufacture, Hudson’s economy now is based on art galleries, antique shops, tourism, agriculture, light manufacturing and the state prison.
Like its home city, the prison in Hudson has had a long and varied history. Opened in 1887 as a “house of refuge,” or reformatory, for women aged 15 – 30, it was the only prison at that time in New York for state-sentenced women. Prisoners were sent there for offenses like prostitution and disorderly conduct for five-year, then later 3-year indeterminate terms. The House of Refuge For Women closed following a series of scandals and a declining population. But from 1904 to 1975, the prison became part of the state’s juvenile justice system, housing ‘incorrigible’ girls aged 12-15. When the NYS Training School for Girls closed in 1975, the Hudson prison experienced its last and most radical change. In 1976 it was taken over by the state Department of Corrections as a minimum-security then later a medium-security prison for adult male felons. Today, despite being short-listed for closure by the state over the last few years, Hudson Correctional Facility remains open.
— House of Refuge for Women —
House of Refuge for Women, 1887–1904
The dungeons are damp and cold, 1899
House of Refuge for Women founder inspires New York City’s first monument dedicated to a woman, 1912
— NY State Training School for Girls —
New York State Training School for Girls, 1904–1975
The more things change, the more they stay the same…or do they?, 1906
Investigating the girls training school: The Delaney Report, 1915
She was incorrigible, 1920s
Bearing witness, 1920s
Delinquent Girls Need to Farm, 1920s
First letter home, 1930
They are all Ellas, 1930s
Suffer Little Children, 1940s
Where is Margo Bake?, 1949
Gloria’s Memories, 1950s
Timothy Dunleavy: Understanding and Preserving a Community’s Heritage, 1960s
Thomas Tunney: No place to go but up…, 1964-1972
How Jan Kerouac ‘escaped’ the Girls Training School, late 1960s
Karen Depyster: Happy childhood, broken homes, 1968
Mary Allen: Why is it important to “remember”?, 1970s
Closure of the Girls Training School, 1975
— Hudson Correctional Facility —
Hudson Correctional Facility, 1976–Present
Peter Tenerowicz: Doing no harm, 1981-2008
David Kinlock: People Get a Great Idea and It Doesn’t Materialize…
But they all come back, 2011
Timothy Dunleavy: Understanding and preserving a community`s heritage, 2012
Tags: girls training school, Gloria Memories, Henry Hudson, Hudson Correctional Facility, New York, Suffer Little Children, Timothy Dunleavy Understanding, women
NoVo Foundation asks, “What should the Women’s Building be?”
A Look Back at Bayview
Deborah Berke Partners to Transform Bayview
Reclaiming Bayview
Bayview Rehabilitation Center | NACC and the Rockefeller Drug Laws
Alison Cornyn Annual Reports Bayview Correctional Facility Bedford Hills Bibliography Black History Capital Region Ella Fitzgerald Fannie French Morse Geoff Ward girls training school Goren Group Governor Eliot Spitzer history hudson Hudson Area Library Hudson Correctional Facility Hudson River info Jeremy Travis Jim Crow John Mason Josephine Shaw Lowell Lisa Durfee Marcia Chase Powell Mary Allen men New York New York City New York State Training School for Girls New York Times NoVo Foundation NY Progressive Movement Register Star Russ Immarigeon Shirley Wilder Suzanne Snider Tainted Lady Lounge The Women's Building Thomas Wilson Training School United States women youth
© 2011-2020 Prison Public Memory Project All Rights Reserved.
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**MEDIA ADVISORY** ProEnglish to join Cong. Steve King Press Conference
News, Supporters
ProEnglish in Cong. Steve King Press Conference
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 1, 2012
CONTACT: Eden Gordon, jedengordon@gmail.com or (202) 714-6014
Washington, DC—ProEnglish will join Congressman Steve King (R-IA) for a press conference on Thursday, August 2nd, following the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing on his bill, H.R. 997, the “English Language Unity Act” at the House Triangle. Witnesses include Dr. Rosalie Porter, ProEnglish Chairman of the Board.
What: Hearing on H.R. 997, the “English Language Unity Act,” and Press Conference
When: Thursday, August 2, 2012 Hearing – 10:30 AM ET, Press Conference – 1:00 PM ET
Where: Hearing – 2141 Rayburn House Office Building Press Conference – House Triangle on Southeast side of the Capitol
The English Language Unity Act of 2011 (H.R. 997) would make English the official language of the federal government. It would require all official functions of government to be conducted in English and it would limit taxpayer-funded translations to a limited number of excepted areas, including public health and safety. The bill currently has 121 bi-partisan cosponsors.
Congressman King has championed the cause of official English legislation since his time in the Iowa State Senate, where he led the successful effort to enact English as Iowa’s official language.
ProEnglish Chair Rosalie Porter to Testify Before Congress
New York Times Cites Effectiveness of ProEnglish Testimony in Opposition Editorial
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Program-Ace Wins Kharkiv Football Cup
The Program-Ace team won the 8th Kharkiv Football Cup
Program-Ace, for many years in a row, has actively participated in the Kharkiv Football Cup. This championship is conducted every year among amateur teams, and on June 21st, Program-Ace won gold at the 8th Annual Kharkiv Cup by defeating Shturm 6-3 at the grand final.
Few people doubted that Shturm would be among the leaders; however, our team impressed everyone and stood out from the other teams in the league by overthrowing opponents and becoming the main contender for victory. Nevertheless, we confidently became Shturm’s rivals after defeating Krohn-Auto, and in the meantime, Sturm defeated Bars. After a highly intense match, our team won in a landslide victory and collected the main prizes, including the Champion’s Cup.
As the most surprising football team, Program-Ace gathered talented experts who work in the company as web programming specialists, 3D artists, Unity developers, and many other creative team members.
Our company is extremely proud to gain another victory and to be recognized not only as one of the main leaders in custom software development but also as champions in football and ping-pong. Also, we are pleased to welcome such incredible people to our brilliant team! Program-Ace wishes our sportsmen the best as they reach new horizons in their professional and sports lives.
Program-Ace Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Program-Ace shares the story of how we become one of the most respectful Ukrainian IT company worldwide. In this article, we talk about our history, main principles and core differences that allow us to be one of the best.
Program-Ace Explains AR/VR/MR Projects at Lviv IT Tour: Kharkiv
Program-Ace was invited to participate in the informal conference and tell about our internal projects featuring VR, AR, and mixed reality
The Future of Touchless Technologies: Voice or Gesture
Touchless technologies are just around the corner and already penetrates our daily life. But what stands behind it?
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Distinctive Paleo-Indian Migration Routes from Beringia Marked by Two Rare mtDNA Haplogroups
Ugo A. Perego, Alessandro Achilli, Norman Angerhofer, Matteo Accetturo, Maria Pala, Anna Olivieri, Baharak Hooshiar Kashani, Kathleen H. Ritchie, Rosaria Scozzari, Qing Peng Kong, Natalie M. Myres, Antonio Salas, Ornella Semino, Hans Jürgen Bandelt, Scott R. Woodward, Antonio Torroni
Background: It is widely accepted that the ancestors of Native Americans arrived in the New World via Beringia approximately 10 to 30 thousand years ago (kya). However, the arrival time(s), number of expansion events, and migration routes into the Western Hemisphere remain controversial because linguistic, archaeological, and genetic evidence have not yet provided coherent answers. Notably, most of the genetic evidence has been acquired from the analysis of the common pan-American mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups. In this study, we have instead identified and analyzed mtDNAs belonging to two rare Native American haplogroups named D4h3 and X2a. Results: Phylogeographic analyses at the highest level of molecular resolution (69 entire mitochondrial genomes) reveal that two almost concomitant paths of migration from Beringia led to the Paleo-Indian dispersal approximately 15-17 kya. Haplogroup D4h3 spread into the Americas along the Pacific coast, whereas X2a entered through the ice-free corridor between the Laurentide and Cordilleran ice sheets. The examination of an additional 276 entire mtDNA sequences provides similar entry times for all common Native American haplogroups, thus indicating at least a dual origin for Paleo-Indians. Conclusions: A dual origin for the first Americans is a striking novelty from the genetic point of view, and it makes plausible a scenario positing that within a rather short period of time, there may have been several entries into the Americas from a dynamically changing Beringian source. Moreover, this implies that most probably more than one language family was carried along with the Paleo-Indians.
Current Biology
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2008.11.058
Ice Cover
Perego, U. A., Achilli, A., Angerhofer, N., Accetturo, M., Pala, M., Olivieri, A., ... Torroni, A. (2009). Distinctive Paleo-Indian Migration Routes from Beringia Marked by Two Rare mtDNA Haplogroups. Current Biology, 19(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2008.11.058
Perego, Ugo A. ; Achilli, Alessandro ; Angerhofer, Norman ; Accetturo, Matteo ; Pala, Maria ; Olivieri, Anna ; Kashani, Baharak Hooshiar ; Ritchie, Kathleen H. ; Scozzari, Rosaria ; Kong, Qing Peng ; Myres, Natalie M. ; Salas, Antonio ; Semino, Ornella ; Bandelt, Hans Jürgen ; Woodward, Scott R. ; Torroni, Antonio. / Distinctive Paleo-Indian Migration Routes from Beringia Marked by Two Rare mtDNA Haplogroups. In: Current Biology. 2009 ; Vol. 19, No. 1. pp. 1-8.
@article{630a00cb694143e9b2133ef91b3a6fb9,
title = "Distinctive Paleo-Indian Migration Routes from Beringia Marked by Two Rare mtDNA Haplogroups",
abstract = "Background: It is widely accepted that the ancestors of Native Americans arrived in the New World via Beringia approximately 10 to 30 thousand years ago (kya). However, the arrival time(s), number of expansion events, and migration routes into the Western Hemisphere remain controversial because linguistic, archaeological, and genetic evidence have not yet provided coherent answers. Notably, most of the genetic evidence has been acquired from the analysis of the common pan-American mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups. In this study, we have instead identified and analyzed mtDNAs belonging to two rare Native American haplogroups named D4h3 and X2a. Results: Phylogeographic analyses at the highest level of molecular resolution (69 entire mitochondrial genomes) reveal that two almost concomitant paths of migration from Beringia led to the Paleo-Indian dispersal approximately 15-17 kya. Haplogroup D4h3 spread into the Americas along the Pacific coast, whereas X2a entered through the ice-free corridor between the Laurentide and Cordilleran ice sheets. The examination of an additional 276 entire mtDNA sequences provides similar entry times for all common Native American haplogroups, thus indicating at least a dual origin for Paleo-Indians. Conclusions: A dual origin for the first Americans is a striking novelty from the genetic point of view, and it makes plausible a scenario positing that within a rather short period of time, there may have been several entries into the Americas from a dynamically changing Beringian source. Moreover, this implies that most probably more than one language family was carried along with the Paleo-Indians.",
keywords = "DNA, EVO_ECOL, HUMDISEASE",
author = "Perego, {Ugo A.} and Alessandro Achilli and Norman Angerhofer and Matteo Accetturo and Maria Pala and Anna Olivieri and Kashani, {Baharak Hooshiar} and Ritchie, {Kathleen H.} and Rosaria Scozzari and Kong, {Qing Peng} and Myres, {Natalie M.} and Antonio Salas and Ornella Semino and Bandelt, {Hans J{\"u}rgen} and Woodward, {Scott R.} and Antonio Torroni",
doi = "10.1016/j.cub.2008.11.058",
journal = "Current Biology",
publisher = "Cell Press",
Perego, UA, Achilli, A, Angerhofer, N, Accetturo, M, Pala, M, Olivieri, A, Kashani, BH, Ritchie, KH, Scozzari, R, Kong, QP, Myres, NM, Salas, A, Semino, O, Bandelt, HJ, Woodward, SR & Torroni, A 2009, 'Distinctive Paleo-Indian Migration Routes from Beringia Marked by Two Rare mtDNA Haplogroups', Current Biology, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2008.11.058
Distinctive Paleo-Indian Migration Routes from Beringia Marked by Two Rare mtDNA Haplogroups. / Perego, Ugo A.; Achilli, Alessandro; Angerhofer, Norman; Accetturo, Matteo; Pala, Maria; Olivieri, Anna; Kashani, Baharak Hooshiar; Ritchie, Kathleen H.; Scozzari, Rosaria; Kong, Qing Peng; Myres, Natalie M.; Salas, Antonio; Semino, Ornella; Bandelt, Hans Jürgen; Woodward, Scott R.; Torroni, Antonio.
In: Current Biology, Vol. 19, No. 1, 13.01.2009, p. 1-8.
T1 - Distinctive Paleo-Indian Migration Routes from Beringia Marked by Two Rare mtDNA Haplogroups
AU - Perego, Ugo A.
AU - Achilli, Alessandro
AU - Angerhofer, Norman
AU - Accetturo, Matteo
AU - Pala, Maria
AU - Olivieri, Anna
AU - Kashani, Baharak Hooshiar
AU - Ritchie, Kathleen H.
AU - Scozzari, Rosaria
AU - Kong, Qing Peng
AU - Myres, Natalie M.
AU - Salas, Antonio
AU - Semino, Ornella
AU - Bandelt, Hans Jürgen
AU - Woodward, Scott R.
AU - Torroni, Antonio
N2 - Background: It is widely accepted that the ancestors of Native Americans arrived in the New World via Beringia approximately 10 to 30 thousand years ago (kya). However, the arrival time(s), number of expansion events, and migration routes into the Western Hemisphere remain controversial because linguistic, archaeological, and genetic evidence have not yet provided coherent answers. Notably, most of the genetic evidence has been acquired from the analysis of the common pan-American mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups. In this study, we have instead identified and analyzed mtDNAs belonging to two rare Native American haplogroups named D4h3 and X2a. Results: Phylogeographic analyses at the highest level of molecular resolution (69 entire mitochondrial genomes) reveal that two almost concomitant paths of migration from Beringia led to the Paleo-Indian dispersal approximately 15-17 kya. Haplogroup D4h3 spread into the Americas along the Pacific coast, whereas X2a entered through the ice-free corridor between the Laurentide and Cordilleran ice sheets. The examination of an additional 276 entire mtDNA sequences provides similar entry times for all common Native American haplogroups, thus indicating at least a dual origin for Paleo-Indians. Conclusions: A dual origin for the first Americans is a striking novelty from the genetic point of view, and it makes plausible a scenario positing that within a rather short period of time, there may have been several entries into the Americas from a dynamically changing Beringian source. Moreover, this implies that most probably more than one language family was carried along with the Paleo-Indians.
AB - Background: It is widely accepted that the ancestors of Native Americans arrived in the New World via Beringia approximately 10 to 30 thousand years ago (kya). However, the arrival time(s), number of expansion events, and migration routes into the Western Hemisphere remain controversial because linguistic, archaeological, and genetic evidence have not yet provided coherent answers. Notably, most of the genetic evidence has been acquired from the analysis of the common pan-American mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups. In this study, we have instead identified and analyzed mtDNAs belonging to two rare Native American haplogroups named D4h3 and X2a. Results: Phylogeographic analyses at the highest level of molecular resolution (69 entire mitochondrial genomes) reveal that two almost concomitant paths of migration from Beringia led to the Paleo-Indian dispersal approximately 15-17 kya. Haplogroup D4h3 spread into the Americas along the Pacific coast, whereas X2a entered through the ice-free corridor between the Laurentide and Cordilleran ice sheets. The examination of an additional 276 entire mtDNA sequences provides similar entry times for all common Native American haplogroups, thus indicating at least a dual origin for Paleo-Indians. Conclusions: A dual origin for the first Americans is a striking novelty from the genetic point of view, and it makes plausible a scenario positing that within a rather short period of time, there may have been several entries into the Americas from a dynamically changing Beringian source. Moreover, this implies that most probably more than one language family was carried along with the Paleo-Indians.
KW - DNA
KW - EVO_ECOL
KW - HUMDISEASE
U2 - 10.1016/j.cub.2008.11.058
DO - 10.1016/j.cub.2008.11.058
JO - Current Biology
JF - Current Biology
Perego UA, Achilli A, Angerhofer N, Accetturo M, Pala M, Olivieri A et al. Distinctive Paleo-Indian Migration Routes from Beringia Marked by Two Rare mtDNA Haplogroups. Current Biology. 2009 Jan 13;19(1):1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2008.11.058
10.1016/j.cub.2008.11.058Licence: CC BY
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Temporally varying ethylene emission on Jupiter
Paul N. Romani, Donald E. Jennings, Gordon L. Bjoraker, Pedro V. Sada, George H. McCabe, Robert J. Boyle
Ethylene (C 2H 4) emission has been measured in the poles and equator of Jupiter. The 949 cm -1 spectra were recorded with a high resolution spectrometer at the McMath-Pierce telescope at Kitt Peak in October-November 1998 and at the Infrared Telescope Facility at Mauna Kea in June 2000. C 2H 4 is an important product of methane chemistry in the outer planets. Knowledge of its abundance can help discriminate among the various proposed sets of CH 4 photolysis branching ratios at Ly- α, and determine the relative importance of the reaction pathways that produce C 2H 2 and C 2H 6. In the equatorial region the C 2H 4 emission is weak, and we were only able to detect it at high air-mass, near the limb. We derive a peak equatorial molar abundance of C 2H 4 of 4.5×10-1.7×10 near 2.2×10 mbar, with a total column of 5.7×10-2.2×10 molecules cm -2 above 10 mbar depending upon choice of thermal profile. We observed enhanced C 2H 4 emission from the poles in the regions where auroras are seen in X-ray, UV, and near infrared images. In 2000 we measured a short-term change in the distribution of polar C 2H 4 emission; the emission in the north IR auroral "hot spot" decreased by a factor of three over a two-day interval. This transient behavior and the sensitivity of C 2H 4 emission to temperature changes near its contribution peak at 5-10 microbar suggests that the polar enhancement is primarily a thermal effect coupled with vertical transport. Comparing our observations from Kitt Peak and Mauna Kea shows that the C 2H 4 emission of the northern non-"hot spot" auroral regions did not change over the three-year period while that in the southern polar regions decreased.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2008.05.027
Jupiter (planet)
equatorial regions
air masses
equators
polar region
temperature effect
temperature effects
Romani, P. N., Jennings, D. E., Bjoraker, G. L., Sada, P. V., McCabe, G. H., & Boyle, R. J. (2008). Temporally varying ethylene emission on Jupiter. Icarus, 198(2), 420-434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2008.05.027
Romani, Paul N. ; Jennings, Donald E. ; Bjoraker, Gordon L. ; Sada, Pedro V. ; McCabe, George H. ; Boyle, Robert J. / Temporally varying ethylene emission on Jupiter. In: Icarus. 2008 ; Vol. 198, No. 2. pp. 420-434.
@article{f6ea2b68fa1249f585e65ac9c11b3200,
title = "Temporally varying ethylene emission on Jupiter",
abstract = "Ethylene (C 2H 4) emission has been measured in the poles and equator of Jupiter. The 949 cm -1 spectra were recorded with a high resolution spectrometer at the McMath-Pierce telescope at Kitt Peak in October-November 1998 and at the Infrared Telescope Facility at Mauna Kea in June 2000. C 2H 4 is an important product of methane chemistry in the outer planets. Knowledge of its abundance can help discriminate among the various proposed sets of CH 4 photolysis branching ratios at Ly- α, and determine the relative importance of the reaction pathways that produce C 2H 2 and C 2H 6. In the equatorial region the C 2H 4 emission is weak, and we were only able to detect it at high air-mass, near the limb. We derive a peak equatorial molar abundance of C 2H 4 of 4.5×10-1.7×10 near 2.2×10 mbar, with a total column of 5.7×10-2.2×10 molecules cm -2 above 10 mbar depending upon choice of thermal profile. We observed enhanced C 2H 4 emission from the poles in the regions where auroras are seen in X-ray, UV, and near infrared images. In 2000 we measured a short-term change in the distribution of polar C 2H 4 emission; the emission in the north IR auroral {"}hot spot{"} decreased by a factor of three over a two-day interval. This transient behavior and the sensitivity of C 2H 4 emission to temperature changes near its contribution peak at 5-10 microbar suggests that the polar enhancement is primarily a thermal effect coupled with vertical transport. Comparing our observations from Kitt Peak and Mauna Kea shows that the C 2H 4 emission of the northern non-{"}hot spot{"} auroral regions did not change over the three-year period while that in the southern polar regions decreased.",
author = "Romani, {Paul N.} and Jennings, {Donald E.} and Bjoraker, {Gordon L.} and Sada, {Pedro V.} and McCabe, {George H.} and Boyle, {Robert J.}",
doi = "10.1016/j.icarus.2008.05.027",
Romani, PN, Jennings, DE, Bjoraker, GL, Sada, PV, McCabe, GH & Boyle, RJ 2008, 'Temporally varying ethylene emission on Jupiter', Icarus, vol. 198, no. 2, pp. 420-434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2008.05.027
Temporally varying ethylene emission on Jupiter. / Romani, Paul N.; Jennings, Donald E.; Bjoraker, Gordon L.; Sada, Pedro V.; McCabe, George H.; Boyle, Robert J.
In: Icarus, Vol. 198, No. 2, 01.12.2008, p. 420-434.
T1 - Temporally varying ethylene emission on Jupiter
AU - Romani, Paul N.
AU - Jennings, Donald E.
AU - Bjoraker, Gordon L.
AU - Sada, Pedro V.
AU - McCabe, George H.
AU - Boyle, Robert J.
N2 - Ethylene (C 2H 4) emission has been measured in the poles and equator of Jupiter. The 949 cm -1 spectra were recorded with a high resolution spectrometer at the McMath-Pierce telescope at Kitt Peak in October-November 1998 and at the Infrared Telescope Facility at Mauna Kea in June 2000. C 2H 4 is an important product of methane chemistry in the outer planets. Knowledge of its abundance can help discriminate among the various proposed sets of CH 4 photolysis branching ratios at Ly- α, and determine the relative importance of the reaction pathways that produce C 2H 2 and C 2H 6. In the equatorial region the C 2H 4 emission is weak, and we were only able to detect it at high air-mass, near the limb. We derive a peak equatorial molar abundance of C 2H 4 of 4.5×10-1.7×10 near 2.2×10 mbar, with a total column of 5.7×10-2.2×10 molecules cm -2 above 10 mbar depending upon choice of thermal profile. We observed enhanced C 2H 4 emission from the poles in the regions where auroras are seen in X-ray, UV, and near infrared images. In 2000 we measured a short-term change in the distribution of polar C 2H 4 emission; the emission in the north IR auroral "hot spot" decreased by a factor of three over a two-day interval. This transient behavior and the sensitivity of C 2H 4 emission to temperature changes near its contribution peak at 5-10 microbar suggests that the polar enhancement is primarily a thermal effect coupled with vertical transport. Comparing our observations from Kitt Peak and Mauna Kea shows that the C 2H 4 emission of the northern non-"hot spot" auroral regions did not change over the three-year period while that in the southern polar regions decreased.
AB - Ethylene (C 2H 4) emission has been measured in the poles and equator of Jupiter. The 949 cm -1 spectra were recorded with a high resolution spectrometer at the McMath-Pierce telescope at Kitt Peak in October-November 1998 and at the Infrared Telescope Facility at Mauna Kea in June 2000. C 2H 4 is an important product of methane chemistry in the outer planets. Knowledge of its abundance can help discriminate among the various proposed sets of CH 4 photolysis branching ratios at Ly- α, and determine the relative importance of the reaction pathways that produce C 2H 2 and C 2H 6. In the equatorial region the C 2H 4 emission is weak, and we were only able to detect it at high air-mass, near the limb. We derive a peak equatorial molar abundance of C 2H 4 of 4.5×10-1.7×10 near 2.2×10 mbar, with a total column of 5.7×10-2.2×10 molecules cm -2 above 10 mbar depending upon choice of thermal profile. We observed enhanced C 2H 4 emission from the poles in the regions where auroras are seen in X-ray, UV, and near infrared images. In 2000 we measured a short-term change in the distribution of polar C 2H 4 emission; the emission in the north IR auroral "hot spot" decreased by a factor of three over a two-day interval. This transient behavior and the sensitivity of C 2H 4 emission to temperature changes near its contribution peak at 5-10 microbar suggests that the polar enhancement is primarily a thermal effect coupled with vertical transport. Comparing our observations from Kitt Peak and Mauna Kea shows that the C 2H 4 emission of the northern non-"hot spot" auroral regions did not change over the three-year period while that in the southern polar regions decreased.
U2 - 10.1016/j.icarus.2008.05.027
DO - 10.1016/j.icarus.2008.05.027
Romani PN, Jennings DE, Bjoraker GL, Sada PV, McCabe GH, Boyle RJ. Temporally varying ethylene emission on Jupiter. Icarus. 2008 Dec 1;198(2):420-434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2008.05.027
10.1016/j.icarus.2008.05.027
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008Icar..198..420R
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Rico Blanco admits he is in a relationship
The usually tightlipped Rico Blanco says that he is currently in a relationship with a dermatologist.
BY CRISTINA MALONZO-BALANE
Follow me @cristinatampepe
On Aquino and Abunda Tonight, Pinoy rock icon Rico Blanco talked about his Icon concert with Yeng Constantino and Gloc-9 at the Big Dome on November 21.
Rico revealed that he is “enjoying being an independent artist.” Rico also said he would welcome a reunion concert with his former group Rivermaya, one of the most renowned Filipino rock bands of all time.
Host Kris Aquino revealed that she and Rico used to be classmates and even seatmates in a Political Communications class at the Ateneo University. Asked how he remembers Kris back then, Rico said, “Kris always had an opinion. Even if it was just an ordinary lecture, she would butt in all the time.” For her part, Kris remembered Rico as being smart. She shared that he was two to three years younger than all of them in class because he was an accelerated student.
Rico also admitted being in a one-year relationship with a “dermatologist.”
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Submission by Assistant Professor Narelle Bedford to the Inquiry into the Strategic Review of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman by the Queensland Parliament Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee
Narelle Bedford
Research output: Other contribution › Submission to government › Research
Summary of major points:
1. It is extremely important in terms of access to justice that the Queensland
Ombudsman remain a free service.
2. Given the uniqueness and importance of the non-legal remedy of a formal apology,
consideration should be given to the need for legislative amendment to protect
against any adverse consequences in any related litigation claimed to arise from the
making of an apology by a government agency.
3. Consideration should be given to strengthening the statutory provisions of the
Ombudsman Act relating to responses to Ombudsman reports, including
strengthening the role and powers of Parliament and its Committees in their oversight
of any future non-responses.
4. Legislative amendment to enable accountability institutions (such as the Ombudsman
and the Audit Office) to share complaints and investigation data and other systemic
information in confidence is supported as necessary.
5. There is an urgent need for a whole of government review on contracted service
delivery and the need for accountability over contracted service delivery to ensure
that there are no “accountability gaps”.
Submission to the Inquiry intot he Strategic Review of the Office of the Qld Ombudsman
Media of output
Qld Parliament website submission no.4
university teacher
audit office
Bedford, N. (2018, Apr 17). Submission by Assistant Professor Narelle Bedford to the Inquiry into the Strategic Review of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman by the Queensland Parliament Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee.
Bedford, Narelle. / Submission by Assistant Professor Narelle Bedford to the Inquiry into the Strategic Review of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman by the Queensland Parliament Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee. 2018. 5 p.
@misc{1e0970c10505447690c2cbc5bc58f828,
title = "Submission by Assistant Professor Narelle Bedford to the Inquiry into the Strategic Review of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman by the Queensland Parliament Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee",
abstract = "Summary of major points:1. It is extremely important in terms of access to justice that the QueenslandOmbudsman remain a free service.2. Given the uniqueness and importance of the non-legal remedy of a formal apology,consideration should be given to the need for legislative amendment to protectagainst any adverse consequences in any related litigation claimed to arise from themaking of an apology by a government agency.3. Consideration should be given to strengthening the statutory provisions of theOmbudsman Act relating to responses to Ombudsman reports, includingstrengthening the role and powers of Parliament and its Committees in their oversightof any future non-responses.4. Legislative amendment to enable accountability institutions (such as the Ombudsmanand the Audit Office) to share complaints and investigation data and other systemicinformation in confidence is supported as necessary.5. There is an urgent need for a whole of government review on contracted servicedelivery and the need for accountability over contracted service delivery to ensurethat there are no “accountability gaps”.",
author = "Narelle Bedford",
Bedford, N 2018, Submission by Assistant Professor Narelle Bedford to the Inquiry into the Strategic Review of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman by the Queensland Parliament Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee..
Submission by Assistant Professor Narelle Bedford to the Inquiry into the Strategic Review of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman by the Queensland Parliament Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee. / Bedford, Narelle.
5 p. 2018, Submission to the Inquiry intot he Strategic Review of the Office of the Qld Ombudsman.
T1 - Submission by Assistant Professor Narelle Bedford to the Inquiry into the Strategic Review of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman by the Queensland Parliament Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee
AU - Bedford, Narelle
N2 - Summary of major points:1. It is extremely important in terms of access to justice that the QueenslandOmbudsman remain a free service.2. Given the uniqueness and importance of the non-legal remedy of a formal apology,consideration should be given to the need for legislative amendment to protectagainst any adverse consequences in any related litigation claimed to arise from themaking of an apology by a government agency.3. Consideration should be given to strengthening the statutory provisions of theOmbudsman Act relating to responses to Ombudsman reports, includingstrengthening the role and powers of Parliament and its Committees in their oversightof any future non-responses.4. Legislative amendment to enable accountability institutions (such as the Ombudsmanand the Audit Office) to share complaints and investigation data and other systemicinformation in confidence is supported as necessary.5. There is an urgent need for a whole of government review on contracted servicedelivery and the need for accountability over contracted service delivery to ensurethat there are no “accountability gaps”.
AB - Summary of major points:1. It is extremely important in terms of access to justice that the QueenslandOmbudsman remain a free service.2. Given the uniqueness and importance of the non-legal remedy of a formal apology,consideration should be given to the need for legislative amendment to protectagainst any adverse consequences in any related litigation claimed to arise from themaking of an apology by a government agency.3. Consideration should be given to strengthening the statutory provisions of theOmbudsman Act relating to responses to Ombudsman reports, includingstrengthening the role and powers of Parliament and its Committees in their oversightof any future non-responses.4. Legislative amendment to enable accountability institutions (such as the Ombudsmanand the Audit Office) to share complaints and investigation data and other systemicinformation in confidence is supported as necessary.5. There is an urgent need for a whole of government review on contracted servicedelivery and the need for accountability over contracted service delivery to ensurethat there are no “accountability gaps”.
UR - https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-committees/committees/LACSC/inquiries/current-inquiries/StrategicReviewOmbuds2017
M3 - Submission to government
Bedford N. Submission by Assistant Professor Narelle Bedford to the Inquiry into the Strategic Review of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman by the Queensland Parliament Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee. 2018. 5 p.
Submission by Assistant Professor Narelle Bedford to the Inquiry into the Strategic Review of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman by the Queensland Parliament Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee. Final published version, 58 KBLicence: Unspecified
Inquiry into the Strategic Review of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman
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Reflective essay on writing
Managing Across Culture
{draw:rect} {draw:rect} 000579613; 000573398; 000573202; 000583118;000527971 {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} Managing Across Cultures- Group Report on Case Study Analysis of Alcatel-Lucent BY TEAM: Meenak*shi Mukherjee* 000579613 Carlos Andres Serna 000583118 Quasirat Hasnat 000573202 Sangeet Premkumar 000573398 Imran Shahzad 000527971 Executive Summary This paper examines a case study sprouting mergers of two firms Alcatel and Lucent technologies. This paper provides an insight into the French and American cultures taking into consideration the parent company cultural imbroglio. Alcatel, an American company, was previously owned by the technological giant, the AT&T group. However in the year 1996, the company parted ways from the group of AT &T and merged with the French company, Alcatel. Alcatel, headquartered in France, provides hardware-software services to the telecommunications sector involving service providers and enterprises. On the 1st December, 2006, Alcatel- Lucent merged to explore greater productivity by utilizing jointly owned resources, products and services. Cross-cultural barriers hindered Alcatel-Lucent’s strategic advantageover its competitors. In this paper, the Alcatel- Lucent merger will be critically analysed with help reference frameworks and cultural tools such as Hofstede’s dimensions, Trompenaar’s theories on culture and related articles from newspapers. In the recent years, companies have been adopting the strategy to expand their markets globally with different strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, licensing etc. However, companies trying to achieve synergetic benefits often fail in their process of expansion due to the cultural problems revolving between the host and home countries. Introduction Alcatel-Lucent, headquartered in Paris, France, is the Telecom giant with over 77,000 employees in its payroll a with annual revenue generated as reported in the financial report standing at a staggering 16. 98 billion Euros. The merger of parent companies Alcatel and Lucent was anticipated to be the ‘shining star’ of mergers and was aptly phrased as a merger of equals (Sutherland, 2006). This paper discusses the importance of cultural differences and indicates the problems that can be create when different cultural interaction occurs between different strata’s of organizations. Short Brief about different cultures Culture can be considered to be a vast word having no unified idea that can summarize the true essence of it. Some scholars and researchers define Culture as a part of our environmental conditioning, usually distributed among members of similar nations, regions and areas (_Sorensen_, 1984). This case study is used to communicate the study of cross culture and its related problems. In regards to job environment, the French Culture believes in providing security for the members of the society. The Culture is competitive yet assertive but however is risk averse and consumes too much time to take decisions to deal with a situation. On the contrary, the American Culture is easy going and flexible. Americans believe in quick decision making with a â€Å"win-lose†approach and as a result accept uncertainties in a positive manner. In a recent article, Holstein (2007) stated, that the two parent companies addressed the issue of crisis taking measures differently. In times of crisis, the Americans believe in reducing costs through scaling down job opportunities whereas the French have a supportive approach towards their employees with the government acting as the back bone to resolve such issues making the process of decision slow but unaffected by the crisis piling on the company with additional operational costs. The inclination of the American Culture is towards achieving short term goals such as profit making, however, the French culture denotes a negative aspect of doing business with haste. The French decision making processes are long and tend to measure each step taking important aspects into consideration. Literature review The Dutch anthropologist, Trompenaars , conducted a research over 10 years and eventually publishing his work in 1994. Expatriates in an organisation can benefit from his dimensions by having knowledge on the managing tasks in different cultures (Trompeenars et. al. , 1997). Universalism Vs Particularism: According to Trompenaars , Universalism and Particularism are terms used to denote a culture which is governed by rules and relationships. In the words of French (2007), rules are flexible in particularistic societies and relationships are given more importance than rules. Trompenaar’s classifies of USA as aUniversalistic society bound by rules. Hence, Lucent as a company believes in developing rules, codes and standards that can be applicable to everyone in every situation without any modification. In USA, negotiation takes place in written agreements, shows that a formal procedure is to be followed to do business. However in a particularistic culture, the type of relationship determines the business. Whereas the French culture is average in Universalism indicating Alcatel, the French company is neither too particularistic nor too universalistic and rationally develop inter personal relationship and trust bearing in mind the expected standards (Gesteland, 2005). Affective/ Emotional Vs Neutral: Affective and Neutral are terms used to represent emotions with in a culture. In affective cultures individuals tend to show their emotions explicitly in public like the American culture. However Neutral cultures believe in implicit behaviour towards their emotions. According to French (2007), different cultures exhibit different behaviours when it comes to emotions. American people tend to deliver their disgust spot-on using verbal communication where as the French do so with sign language such as frowning and smirks. The US and French cultures are both alignedvery close to each other in terms of how emotional or neutral they are. Both of them are moderately average, which means people working in Lucent as well as Alcatel neither express their feelings too enthusiastically nor do they try to hide their feelings (Gesteland, 2005). Specificity Vs Diffuseness: According to Hampden (1998), Specificity is a term used to represent cultures where difference between work life and personalised life are applicable. In diffused cultures, the society is non- segregated as work and personalised life are closely interlinked. According to Guirdham (1999), the French are diffused in their cultural believes hence personal and professional life is considered to be a part of the culture whereas the Americans believe in keeping the two separate. Achievement Vs Ascription: Trompenaar describes cultures which believe in achieving status through performance with a generic belief that status can be gained and lost if performances are not measured accordingly. Ascribed status is where people believe that status is gained through inherent right and not according to what they perform in everyday life(French,2007). Achievement oriented societies formed by individuals who believe in achieving goals independently. For example the reigning President of the United States of America, Barrack Obama is an individual who became the president with his qualities and perseverance. In Ascribed societies, people believe in the status and the background of individuals. This juxtaposes the idea that in France one can participate in politics only if their family has been inclined politically in the past. The American culture is achievement oriented thus at Lucent, social status or position of an employee is derived from his/her achievements. The employees in Alcatel could grow only if their business links with the superiors are concrete (Guirdham, 1999). Sequential Time vs. Synchronisation: The word, sequence, is used to describe time where events follow one another whereas in synchronised time, events are arranged at a parallel basis. Multi-tasking is the main feature of synchronisation. Lucent being a North American company follows monochromic time that is tangible and divisible. They view time as a narrow spectrum of distinct, consecutive segments. Hence they perform only one activity at a time with greater focus, keeping a strict schedule of appointments and showing a strong resistance from deviating their plans (Gesteland, 2005). Whereas Alcatel being a Mediterranean country follows Polychromic time, for them time is indivisible and flexible. Time is viewed as a norm and people perform multiple activities simultaneously which makes them distracted very easily. For them appointments are approximate and can be changed at any point of time, schedules are not as important as relationships are. Future Vs Past Orientation: Lucent focuses more on the present and the immediate future than what has happened in the past. They concentrate on achieving result within a short span of time. In Alcatel, the present and future are valued by looking at events that occurred previously. Any given situation is compared to the previous happenings. Time orientation does matter a lot when companies operate in different cultures. It creates chaos specially in taking long term decisions. High Vs Low context cultures: Lucent (USA)- as a company possesses the attributes of a low context culture where it relies on information explicitly provided, detailed communication and even higher detailed instruction at workplace. However at Alcatel (France), employees practice moderate levels of cultural context interms of communication, information and even instruction at workplace. Alcatel being a French company practices very high power distance, which means a wide gap exists between leaders, subordinates and management decisions are made at the top level only without the consent of fellow employees. Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Dutch Anthropologist, Geert Hofstede defines culture as â€Å"The collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another†(Hofstede, 2001). Using his survey at the IBM involving employees from world over, he formulated the cultural dimensional framework. High Vs Low Power Distance: Power distance is related to a society which is divided into classes and ranks. In USA, ranks are least important to individuals as they believe in Equality. Organisational ranks often make employees feel uncomfortable and are not practiced widely. In France such distinction between classes and ranks are acceptable. Though high organisational ranked employees believe in respecting employees of lower ranks but make sure that the distinction is clear. In such countries it is wise for a subordinate to use terms such as ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’. Whereas, at Lucent- a US based company, power distance is relatively low. The gap between superior and subordinate is minimal likewise salary and decisions are made consulting with everyone, though organizational hierarchy exists but for convenience. High Vs Low Uncertainty Avoidance: The term Uncertainty denotes societies that are risk averse and risk takers. In US, the culture believes in taking risks and with France, risk taking is not a wise decision and is often followed with monotonous long-term decision making. The French are known for high uncertainty avoidance. Hence at Alcatel people prefer not to take risks unnecessarily, they usually are loyal to their employers and have long work records. The organization is structured with explicit rules and regulations with the employee (French, 2007). Therefore, Lucent as an organization is not well structured and people are eager to take risk, thus being flexible that makes them not loyal enough and are clear indicators of short term employees. As France is extremely cautious about uncertainty decisions, thus employees at Alcatel are extremely concerned about job losses. In a recent article Sutherland (2006) stated that: â€Å"About 10 percent, or 8,800 employees, will be laid-off. Lucent could not answer which percentage of the job losses will be borne by the U. S. Company, but French laws tightly control when employers can fire workers†(Cited in, Sutherland, 2006). Individualism Vs Collectivism: In Individualistic societies, individuals tend to look after their family and themselves. Organisational goals are based on individualistic performance and not on the group effort. Team works are performed with individual rewarding system. Collectivist countries believe that the essence of good performance is based on team work. Individuals must sacrifice their personal interest for the benefit of the team. Rewards and bonuses are according to the team’s performance on activities. The French and American individualistic characteristics are common, causing a clash of cultures while working in conglomerate companies such as Alcatel-lucent. Individualism evolved when the two companies merged because the people started thinking of their own self interests instead of considering the company on the whole. This leads to chaotic asynchronous processes that are disruptive for productivity (French, 2007). Masculinity Vs Femininity: Masculinity and femininity are characterized by behaviours such as assertiveness, competitiveness, caring and loving. Masculinity is a composition of tough values whereas Femininity shows tender traits. Both the nations are masculine in nature but the roles of women in the two societies are very different. In USA, Women can reach the top layers of the organisation whereas in the France it is the other way round and men are given more precedence as the society male dominant. In an article Holstein (2007) stated that: â€Å"One is that there is confusion about who’s in charge. Russo became CEO of the combined entity and Tchuruk became chairman. In American cultural terms, that means Russo runs the company. After all, she’s the CEO. But in a European context, and particularly a French setting, the chairman is the boss. Confusion at the top is deadly†(Cited by, Holstein, 2007). Masculinity is relatively high in Alcatel compared to Lucent. At Alcatel, people believe in competition, performance and male dominance. Whereas at Lucent ,people seek equal opportunity, better quality of work, solidarity over other factors including competitive behaviour. Patricia Russo, a successful business entrepreneur from the USA is an example of a Masculine dominant society where women scale the height of opportunities. According to Verwaayen (2008), decisions making in Alcatel-Lucent remains a crucial factor as the two companies have different reporting standards. In Alcatel the Chairman is the head who takes the final decisions relating to a company and in Lucent the CEO is the person who delegates decisions. The two different distinct approaches have clearly confused the role of employees in both the companies. Verwaayen (2008) also stated that in mergers, long distances usually creates trauma as processes cannot be co-ordinated hence provides freehand edge to competitors. According Gubbins (2007), it is important for the government to have a top- bottom flat structured system so as to make the operations of the company smooth and efficient to survive the competitive environment. Cultural clashes were so evident that Patricia Russo, the chief executive decided to leave the company and stakeholders expected changes after his reign. This can be analysed from the newsfeed of Alcatel-Lucent (2009) stating that: â€Å"We hope that a new CEO will be able to bridge the cultural divide between the Americans and the French and get all sides pulling together†(Cited in, Windsor, 2008). Analysis of Opportunities, *Challenges,* Considerations Opportunities Alcatel-Lucent partners a project phrased as the â€Å"Cercle Passeport Telecoms†,in France, which is a business program for corporate mentoring of multicultural students from humble backgrounds in their pursuit for higher academic opportunities (Alcatel-Lucent,2008). As a part of the recruitment opportunities, Alcatel Lucent revamped its business training programs into sessions that integrated technical training with hands-on experience on security products and data transmission . Further emphasis on sales methodologies, reaching out to partners to engage with the end-users and to carve out solutions to address their needs. In order to convert innovative ideas into reality products or services, Alcatel-Lucent launched the Entrepreneurial Boot Camp housed in Belgium in the spring of 2006. Aimed at a constructive build of a global knowledge base where creativity blossoms, a business foundation like the Boot Camp is a grooming factory for all the budding business developers of the next generation. Alcatel-Lucent’s strategic security partnership with renowned financial sector reseller Abraxas Partners paves wave for new job opportunities showering prosperity in the near future (Alcatel-Lucent, 2008). Considerations The primary objective of a merger is the integration of skills, resources, and business networks and their harmonic implementation. Taking into account Cultural differences, mergers are drafted, and contingency plans are prepared in order to tackle such differences. When cultural differences arise at higher level of the organizational hierarchy, the execution of these pre planned contingencies become haphazard(Turner & Trompenaars, 2000). The analysis of this uber-merger case study has given us a clear insight in to the detrimental situations aroused by unsuccessful execution of mergers. The cultural differences seem irrelevant considering the fallacies involved with it are not redundant while assessing shifts in fiscal trends. The persistent pressure enforced a moral obligation, convincing the American chief executive, Patricia Russo and the French Chairman, Serge Tchuruk to step down. (Ruitenberg,2008). The ignorance of demographic and geographic interests might have had a negative impact on the merger. Previous acquisitions and mergers may have misunderstood the merger as a change in organizational goals. According to Jolly (2008) ,Alcatel-Lucent’s current vision can be quoted as â€Å"CSR is about being a value driven company, where values are not words on pieces of paper but things we do automatically . It’s about being a company that is inclusive and has respect for the individuals, respect for differences and respect for cultures â€Å". Challenges Mergers and Acquisitions have a tendency to confront various issues and involve constant reframing of policies. Differences can be resolved at the nascent stages of the Merger or Acquisition only. Alcatel-Lucent faces a challenge in restoring their longstanding relation with their previous collaborators like Bell Labs, Packet Engines and Xylan who might have experienced difficulties while the management underwent changes, so that they may continue providing and developing their services. They also face the challenge of retaining existing customers especially those who might have endured inept services while the organization resolved its differences. The merger of the parent companies has taken a toll of time and the company has experienced positive development in turnovers, cultural integration thus reoccupying the held market share and brand goodwill. Internal Organization Alcatel-Lucent’s design and consultancy service convolutes the vital processes necessary to ensure an integration of cost-effective, flexible network infrastructure. Business Consulting, Operations Consulting, Applications Consulting, Security Consulting, Network Consulting & Design, Network & Service Optimization are Business units and processes that constitute this esteemed organization (Alcatel-Lucent,2008). Conclusion and Recommendation Complications usually occur when two companies from two different countries merge to benefit synergetic effects. In terms of Alcatel- lucent, the two parent companies follow an individualistic approach which motivates employees to work towards individualistic goals and often the objective of the company is not taken into mere consideration. The essence of good successful business is to adopt a collectivistic approach giving the goal and the mission of the company at the top priority. Team work will motivate employees of Alcatel- Lucent to take decision jointly (Alcatel-Lucent, 2008). To bridge the gap between America and the France, it is important to reduce the distance by sending employees of each company onto expatriate missions. To understand a culture, it is important to stand in the threshold of the other. Managers in expatriate missions will gain better understanding of the French and the American cultures thus adjusting to the new inter-cross culture. Leadership should be vested in hands of one and not many, therefore confusion at the top should be avoided by integrating processes with clear objectives. Employees should be made to report to only one superior. It is important for the company, Alcatel- Lucent, to use new technologies such as video conferencing to reduce communication barriers between the employees of the two countries. In this time of financial crisis, it is important to cut costs to sustain in the global business market. Top heavy structures in the company with higher pay packs to the employees could create operational loss. In the reduction of financial position, the competitors would benefit by reaping advantage of the situation and overlapping it by way of acquisition. As the French are more protective about the job loss scenario, the company should take effective measures such as putting employee rolls stagnant thereby reducing its financial cost. References French, R. (2007),â€Å"Cross Cultural management in work organizations,†Kerry Press LTD, London. Hofstede, G (2001) â€Å"Cultures and organizations: software of mind†McGraw Hill, New York. Turner,C. H. & Trompenaars,F. 2000) â€Å"Building Cross cultural Competence,†John Wiley &Sons Inc, USA. Alcatel-Lucent, (2008) â€Å"Alcatel-Lucent launches new channel recruitment drive in UK and Ireland and announces security partnership with Abraxas†[Online] Available at: http://www. subtelforum. com/articles/? p=190 (Accessed on 2nd Dec. 2009). Alcatel-Lucent, (2009) â€Å"Alcatel-Lucent announces Chairman Serge Tchuruk a nd CEO Pat Russo to step down†[Online] Available at: http://www. alcatellucent. com/wps/portal/! ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLd4x3tXDUL8h2VAQAURh_Yw!!? LMSG_CABINET=Docs_and_Resource_Ctr&LMSG_CONTENT_FILE=News_Releases_2008/News_Article_001159. xml (Accessed on 2nd December 2009). Fons,T. , Turner,H. , Charles, (1997), â€Å" Riding the waves of culture†, Gardners [Online] Available at: http://www. businessmate. org/Article. php? ArtikelId=5 (Accessed on 10th Nov. 2009). Gubbins,E. (2007), â€Å" UBS: Alcatel faces mobility decline, culture clash†telephony online: Penton media online press [Online] Available at : http://telephonyonline. com/wireless/news/alcatel_mobility_revenue_121907/ (Accessed on :23rd Nov 2009). Hall,E. T. and Hall,M. T. (1990), â€Å"Understanding Cultural Differences, Germans French and Americans†, USA, pg 129;130. Holstein,W. J. (2007), â€Å"Lucent-Alcatel: Why Cross-Cultural Mergers Are So Tough†New York Times [Online] available at: http:// www. nytimes. com/2007/11/01/business/worldbusiness (Accessed on 10th nov. 2009). Jolly,D. (2008), â€Å"Culture clash hits home at Alcatel-Lucent†New York Times [Online] available at: http://www. nytimes. com/2008/07/29/business/worldbusiness/29iht-alcatel. 4. 14867263. html? pagewanted=1 ( Accessed on 1st December 2009). Ruitenberg,R. 2008),†Alcatel-Lucent's Russo, Tchuruk to Quit; Loss Widens†Bloomberg[Online] Available at: http://www. bloomberg. com/apps/news? pid=20601085=a6fn02kzojwE=europe (Accessed on, 20th November 2009). Sorensen,G. (1984) â€Å"How much Poison is Another Man's Meat? †Notes on the Logic of World Systems Analysis, page 29. Sorensen,O. J. (1984) â€Å" Marketing Systems a nd Economic Development. An Institutional-Structural Approach†page 41. Sutherland,E. (2006), â€Å"Lucent Brushes Up on French With Alcatel Merger†Internetnews [Online] Available at: http://www. internetnews. com/bus-news/article. hp/3596246 (accessed on 23rd Nov 2009). Verwaayen ,B. (2008), â€Å"Alcatel-Lucent: New CEO, Same Three Problems†The Wall street journal. Windsor. R(2008), â€Å"Alcatel-Lucent confronts its cross-cultural challenges†BBC News[Online] available at: http://leaderswedeserve. wordpress. com/2008/07/31/alcatel-lucent-confronts-its -cross-cultural-challenges (Accessed on 5th Nov. 2009). Managing across Cultures, INDU 1033 – Team Reflection – Questions to guide the Team Presentation and Written Report Draw on your experiences: how would you qualify the teamwork in terms of {text:list-item} Keeping in mind the scarcity of information available in journals and online web content a strategic plan was devised to search online material using key trigger words that would facilitate in text referencing. The presentation time being short was a challenge for me in my role( Meenakshi Mukherjee) as group leader to define specific roles to my team mates to quantify the case study of Alcatel –Lucent keeping in mind the cultural heritage both companies’ native countries share. A well defined work with ample support from team members in way of skills and research makes me happy and feel good as a budding manager graduating from this esteemed university. {text:list-item} I would like to reflect on the fact that our team being truly multicultural, representing various nations of the world knit as family segregating this task into sections of expertise . Taking the reference frame work set forth by the respected lecturer and tutors, each subtopic in the case study was carefully classified and analysed. Disputes about the content were usually friendly group discussions in a professional manner. How much could difficulties be related to national variations in approaches to group work ? Multicultural teams like ours have different rational thinking capabilities . Innovative ideas streamlined. But the pipeline for these ideas was the standards we must set . Work can be left to interpretation. A consensus of the group eradicated doubt and hesitant notions. What elements of the process would you do differently next time. NB various approaches may exist among the different members of the team The data collection was done in large qualities from various limited resources. The case of Alcatel Lucent is primarily neglected in the business world. Careful selection of the company of reference could have been more articulate and the constrains of time and word limited was a real burden . Optimum utilization of resources can be improvide in future. The following members of the team declare to have fulfilled a
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Movie Theater The Film Theater - 1645 Words
Throughout history, humans have always been able to connect over one thing: entertainment. Whether it is music, theater, or art, entertainment has always been able to help people cope with their lives and make sense of the world around them. In the early 1900s, a new type of entertainment emerged, the motion picture. The first movie theater opened in 1905, in Pittsburgh and showed short films. Since then, films have been a huge part of society. However, what made films so successful, was where they were being showed. The movie theater gave a certain magical touch to the movie that encouraged everyone to come see a film for themselves. In Chicago especially, movie theaters were extravagant and ornate, and were referred to as â€Å"Movie Palaces†because they were so grand. The importance of movie theaters throughout history is a topic which exhibits all three E’s in Chicago for the 2015-2016 Chicago National History Fair. It depicts the first â€Å"E†, â€Å"Expl oration,†with how the movie theater companies explored different ways to attract customers from all backgrounds in Chicago, even through difficult situations. The second â€Å"E†, â€Å"Encounter,†is shown when the theater owners realized that seeing a movie can be an escape for many people during hard times and an inspirational experience through the exotic architecture of other cultures. The final â€Å"E†, â€Å"Exchange†, is represented through the exchange of information from the movie theaters to the people with architecture from all over theShow MoreRelatedFilm Theater : A Movie Theater1524 Words  | 7 Pagesis the main point for any Movie Theatre. The profit for a Movie Theatre is not coming only from tickets but also from all the sales of food and drinks. Nowadays a Movie Theater has a 3 to 4 floors building with different types of restaurants and entertainments for kids so basically there are a lot of different sources of profits fo r Movie Theater. A Movie Theater has to attract people not only with movies but also with all the fun that people can have in Movie Theater. Technological factors †¢Read MoreThe Performance Of The Nielson Company1552 Words  | 7 Pagesindulge themselves in is cinema. Whether the film is based on your favorite book, legend, or you simply were captivated by the preview you saw on television, movies have constantly brought in large revenues for the producers and theaters. However, with the growing availability of online streaming people now have the ability to access movies in the comfort of their own homes, which brings about the debate of whether watching a movie at home or in a theater creates the most enjoyable experience. TheRead MoreHome Television vs. Theater Movies1100 Words  | 4 Pagesmany debates regarding which of these entertainment forms are the best option. This debate has focused specifically on whether it is better to be entertained by the movie industry in the comfort of ones home or in the luxury of a theater. While there are specific advantages and disadvantages to both options, comparing the two modes of movie entertainment can provide a good idea of what would suit the individual taste the best. When such comparisons are made, one might find both advantages and disadvantagesRead MoreWatching Movies: Movie Theatre vs. Home1077 Words  | 4 PagesMovie Viewing Watching movies is an excellent source of entertainment. It can be an escape mechanism, adrenaline booster, romantic evening, social platform, and/or a tension reliever. The environment in which one chooses to enjoy a film can directly impact the experience one has while watching a film. Certainly there is no wrong or right setting in which to enjoy a movie. Rather, the setting one chooses to immerse oneself in while enjoying a movie is usually dependent on the whole experienceRead MoreMovies : Genres Of Movies892 Words  | 4 PagesGenres of Movies Movie theater tickets have become increasingly more expensive in recent years. As a result, movie genres that offer a broad range of entertainment and stimulation can make the theater going experience more worthy of the ticket price. Some of the more popular movie genres today are mysteries, science fiction, romantic comedies, animation, documentaries and horror films. Although all of these movie genres may be enjoyed in a theater, horror movies are more worth the ticket price becauseRead MoreThe Death Of Movie Theaters Essay1092 Words  | 5 PagesThe Death of Movie Theaters? How Netflix and Hulu are changing the movie going experience. Netflix and Hulu have become some of the easiest and most affordable ways for college students to watch television. While these massive online streaming companies advertise affordability, and vast amount of viewing options, other major entertainment companies are beginning to take notice. â€Å"They’re being able to release high quality movie content and original shows that are being able to rival anything thatRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie 1920 American Film 1318 Words  | 6 PagesAmerican Film During the 1920s, American Film was at the peak of its glory. 1920s Film was the biggest form of entertainment and a weekly pastime for millions of Americans, regardless of race and social background. Silent films continued to improve and innovate the film industry. Hollywood established themselves as an American force and produced hundreds of silent films. Also, Hollywood became the birthplace of â€Å"movie stars†such as Janet Gaynor, Rudolph Valentino, and Charlie Chaplin. Movie studiosRead MoreWatching a Movie at Home vs. Theater Essay example667 Words  | 3 Pagessame reason film industry is the largest of any industries with India making the most number of movies per year than any other country. People watch movies at home on their television or in the theaters on a big screen where the film is been displayed with a movie projector onto a large projection screen at the front of the auditorium. Watching a movie at home or in theater is an enjoyable experience for everyone depending on personal preferences. In a theater, one can watchRead MoreRise Of American Theaters And Consumerist Desires1594 Words  | 7 Pages Rise of American Theaters And Consumerist Desires In the early twentieth century movies signified modernity by becoming the most prevalent medium of culture in the United States in a period of time where the social makeup was shifting from a predominantly middle class to working class neighborhoods that were made up of many different communities. As a direct consequence, nickelodeons, temporary storefront theaters, and vaudeville programs all flourished in the working class districts. By the lateRead MoreSwot Cinemas Essay713 Words  | 3 Pagesmanaged by large corporations and manage as profit center to increase their incomes and retained earnings. Weaknesses The main weakness of the Studio production is the cost of bringing films into the market. The average cost of releasing a film is more than $100 million. This cost in producing and releasing the films into the market has dramatically gone up the last five years around 25%. Exhibition Cinemas Strengths: During the global financial crisis in 2008, when the gas prices was going up
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Relationship between Art and Technology in 1960s - 1670 Words
Spurred on by exhibitions, industry sponsorship and education programmes, the artists of the 1960s began to grapple with the space age. The launch of Sputnik in 1957 prompted a new interest in the world of the machine, yet the artistic approach to technology differed from the Futurist and Constructivist precedent. Technology did not hold utopian potential; rather the artists of the 1960s adopted varied approaches, ranging from sheer admiration to fearful pessimism. However, by the end of the 1960s technology became closely associated with the American war effort. The negativity that developed in response resulted in the technological work of artists such as Jean Tinguely and Robert Rauschenberg being pushed aside in favour of Conceptualism. Jean Tinguely’s Homage to New York (1960) and Robert Rauschenberg’s Soundings (1968) will be used to explore how these particular artists responded to the rising technology, and the extent to which artist and scientist collabora ted. The technological works of Tinguely can be classified as kinetic due to their incorporation of mechanical movement. For Pontus Hultà ©n the inclusion of movement implied a ‘complete rejection of the holy values of art’, the traditional characteristics of sculpture were abandoned and kineticism projected sculpture onto a different course. Tinguely, like Rauschenberg, used technology as a means to question and investigate his society. For the artist of the 1960s technology was a tool; it offered newShow MoreRelatedThe Relationship Between Art And Commerce1420 Words  | 6 PagesThe relationship between art and commerce has always been subject of hot discussion. Many people look at creativity as a vehicle for economic interest, while others view it as pure dedication for personal creative needs. The world as we live in today sees the creative industry, including visual and performing arts, sound recording, book publishing, and movie making, a highly commercialized glob al enterprise. People constantly buy and sell art products in a highly active market. Although it is difficultRead MoreLady Chatterlys Lover and A Clockwork Orange1002 Words  | 4 Pagesor political attitudes, which shift over time, and thus re-evaluate art. D.H Lawrence Lady Chatterlys Lover and Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange are known for their notoriety in different moments of the twentieth century, because they as well were part of certain definitions of culture and associated cultural values. D.H Lawrence: Lady Chatterlys Lover (1928) Lawrences novel is a story about a sexual relationship between two members of different class systems, with sexually explicit descriptionsRead MoreExploring The Paths Traditional Recognitions Between Painting, Photography And Filmmaking1577 Words  | 7 Pagesrecognitions between painting, photography and filmmaking blurred the lines and challenged between each other. New times and developments call for a rethinking of the essence of art. Changing not only the relationship of man to the world, but his vision of the artist, the viewer and the work of the whole, there is a need for new methods of communication, new forms of art. In the world of cultural practices have not yet removed the question of whether all can become the object of art. The old bordersRead MoreClaude Manet – Impressionism – 19Th . Oscar-Claude Monet1449 Words  | 6 Pagesother similarly like-minded artists met with dismissal from the conservative Acadà ©mie des Beaux-Arts, which held its yearl y display at the Salon de Paris. During the latter part of 1873, Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, and Alfred Sisley organized the Socià ©tà © anonyme des artistes peintres, sculpteurs et graveurs (Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers) to display their fine arts autonomously. At their first display, held in April 1874, Monet showed the work that was toRead MoreAndrew Warhola was born in 1928, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He majored in pictorial design at the1100 Words  | 5 PagesInstitute of Technology. When he graduated he moved to New York where he started working as a commercial artist and illustrator for several magazines, Vogue, The New Yorker, and Harper’s Bazaar. In the 1950’s, Warhola had a successful job as a commercial artist, earning several awards for his talents and soon shortens his name to Warhol (Andy Warhol // Biography). Andy Warhol was an American artist who was known as a leading figure in the visual art moveme nt in pop art. He explored the relationships betweenRead MoreThe Internet Of Things Is Defined1705 Words  | 7 Pagesmade it into various design circles in which the main concern is the users and the application areas more than the underlying technical solutions. Everything surrounding people will function like the media and mediators with a blurred difference between the tangible or physical materials. The following essay will dwell more on the new pervasive concept of materiality that builds on the overall convergence of the digital and the tangible object that the internet of things have announced. The highestRead MoreThe International Typographic Style By Josef Muller Brockman1410 Words  | 6 Pagescommunication. The early founding characteristics and disciplines of the International Typographic Style could be followed back to Ernst Keller during the early 1900s where he began teaching at the Zurich Kunstgewerbeschule. (The School of Applied Art) His basic beliefs of using the content as a way to solve design problems led him to experimenting with grid systems that will later become an essential principle for the international graphic style. Keller is often recalled as the father of SwissRead MoreDiy Culture From A Youtube Video Blog1688 Words  | 7 Pagesperspective. D.I.Y.C.A.T Do-It-Yourself Culture After Technology In this digital age, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) content is one of the most searched subjects on the web, supported by modern advanced technology. Thus, this paper displays the way technology facilitates the development of DIY used on the Web, particularly Youtube. This paper explores the communities formed from online interactions between DIYers. This paper also investigates how technology allows DIYers to find values and the purpose of DIYRead MoreFine Art And Commercial Art1456 Words  | 6 PagesFine Art and Commercial Art With rapid economic growth and improving technologies, many artists are increasingly become interested in commercial art. This trend is mainly influence by the fact that the financial gains in commercial art are much greater than in fine art. Since the designers are instructed on what to do by their clients, their level of creativity and ingenuity is minimized. This is partially attributed to the fact that many people have misunderstood the true meaning of fine art. HoweverRead MoreEssay about Action Painting965 Words  | 4 Pagesof theory and practice reflected developments in the social and economic structures after the horrible events of World War II. The complex relationship between the loss of faith in the Enlightenment’s promise that rationality would produce increased freedom and changes in cultural value systems caused by revolutionary developments in science and technology brought into focus natural contradictions in modern thinking. Abstract Expressionists of the 1940’s and 50’s were abstract artists because
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Importance of Brand to an FMCG Company-Free-Sample for Students
Question: Discuss about the Importance of Brand Equity in gaining Competitive advantage to an FMCG Company. Answer: Literature review: The literature review takes into account the important concepts and theories pertaining to the subject of study, brand equity. It delves into various aspects relation to brand equity like brand equity model, brand awareness and market penetration. The paper clearly discusses the role brand equity plays in ensuring the FMCG companies enjoy high profits and competitive advantages in the market. Conceptual Framework: Figure 2. Figure showing brand equity and competitive advantage relationship (Source: Author) According to Jin and Weber (2013) the model proposed by Kelly states that companies must create a positive and specific perception, feelings and opinion about their products among the consumers. The theory then mentions that strong brand equity results in a strong market picture about the goods and services which enable the companies pull a large number of buyers. Figure 1. Brand equity model (Source: Keller 2017) Huang et al. (2014) in their literary work mention that customer satisfaction created by consumption a high standard branded goods and services leads to promotion of the brands by the consumers which further makes the brand equity stronger. Sengupta, Balaji and Krishnan (2015) clashes with Huang et al. in their work and point out the brand power singly does not lead to market competitive advantage achieved by a company in the competitive FMCG sector. They state that fall through of the FMCG companies to sell high quality goods and services and generate customer satisfaction results in weak brand equity and losing of the competitive advantage. Brand awareness and market penetration: Huang and Sarigll (2014) state that brand knowledge refers to the capability of consumers relate and recall a particular branded product. Companies generate high brand awareness by promotion which permits them to achieve profound market penetration and sell products to a large number of consumers. Buil, De Chernatony and Martnez(2013) state that elements of brand equity like brand awareness, relatedness with brands and impact of perceived quality on buyers thought about products and optimise their purchase decisions. This analysis points out that market penetration and brand awareness enjoyed by branded products earns them high brand equity. Competitive advantage: Rubach and McGee (2015) states that the theory of generic competitive advantage by Michael Porter covers three strategies companies can adopt to gain competitive advantage in the competitive market. These are cost leadership strategy, differential strategy and focus strategy. Cost leadership strategy: Ibrahim(2015) states in his work that the theory of cost leadership strategy states that the FMCG producers with objective to achieve cost leadership must offer their products to a large population of customers to earn huge revenue. This massive revenue enables these firms to allocate their costs which maximise their profit margin. Malhotra (2014) states that high brand equity enables FMCG companies offer their goods and services to big consumer bases and earn big revenue which enables them to minimise the rates of their products offered. It can be inferred from the above discussion that high brand equity enables companies to obtain cost leadership in the international market. Differential Strategy: According to Davcik and Sharma(2015) companies require to achieve differentiation in their products from their rivals to earn competitive advantage. Malhotra (2014) states that high brand position assist the companies in promoting their goods and services to differentiate them from their market competitors. The analysis shows that strong brand equity permits the FMCG multinational companies to differentiate their product offerings from their rivals and obtain market competitive advantage. Focus strategy: Choudhary(2014) illustrates that niche marketing enables the FMCG firms focus on more specific requirements of the consumers and sell them products which meet those needs. This strategy of focus helps the FMCG firms to withstand the challenges presented by multinational competitor companies. An analysis regarding competitive strategies opted by the leading FMCG companies proves that they use all the three generic strategies to obtain and retain their competitive market positions. These powerful strategies arm the multinational firms to counteract threats of substitutes, new emerging firms and maintain their global market positions. Literature gap: Researchers feel a number of gaps while conducting researches which limits the span of the researches. Brand equity is a new concept but has considerable work to its credit but most of the work lacks reliability. The sources available on the official websites of the FMCG companies often do not give sufficient information about brand equity. The information provided on the other web sources lacks reliability due to access of users to edit them. The research also requires an exhaustive study of articles, journals and books. These two factors results in a gap between the expected amount of amount and actual data collected. References: Buil, I., De Chernatony, L. and Martnez, E., 2013. Examining the role of advertising and sales promotions in brand equity creation.Journal of Business Research,66(1), pp.115-122. Choudhary, S., 2014. Rooting by niche marketing.International Journal of Advanced Research in Management and Social Sciences,3(10), pp.84-91. Davcik, N.S. and Sharma, P., 2015. Impact of product differentiation, marketing investments and brand equity on pricing strategies: A brand level investigation.European Journal of Marketing,49(5/6), pp.760-781. Fremeth, A.R., Holburn, G.L. and Richter, B.K., 2016. Bridging Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Organizational Research: Applications of Synthetic Control Methodology in the US Automobile Industry.Organization Science,27(2), pp.462-482. Huang, C.C., Yen, S.W., Liu, C.Y. and Chang, T.P., 2014. The relationship among brand equity, customer satisfaction, and brand resonance to repurchase intention of cultural and creative industries in Taiwan.International Journal of Organizational Innovation (Online),6(3), p.106. Huang, R. and Sarigll, E., 2014. How brand awareness relates to market outcome, brand equity, and the marketing mix. InFashion Branding and Consumer Behaviors(pp. 113-132). Springer New York. Ibrahim, A.B., 2015. Strategy types and small firms' performance an empirical investigation.Journal of Small Business Strategy,4(1), pp.13-22. Jin, X. and Weber, K., 2013. Developing and testing a model of exhibition brand preference: The exhibitors' perspective.Tourism Management,38, pp.94-104. Keller, K. 2017. [online] Available at: https://www.kvimis.co.in/sites/kvimis.co.in/files/ebook_attachments/Keller%20Strategic%20Brand%20Management.pdf [Accessed 18 Aug. 2017]. Malhotra, S., 2014. A Study on Marketing Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).International journal of innovative research and development,3(1). Rubach, M.J. and McGee, J.E., 2015. The competitive behaviors of small retailers: Examining the strategies of local merchants in rural America.Journal of Small Business Strategy,12(2), pp.65-81. Sengupta, A.S., Balaji, M.S. and Krishnan, B.C., 2015. How customers cope with service failure? A study of brand reputation and customer satisfaction.Journal of Business Research,68(3), pp.665-674. Urde, M., Baumgarth, C. and Merrilees, B., 2013. Brand orientation and market orientationFrom alternatives to synergy.Journal of Business Research,66(1), pp.13-20. Us.pg.com. 2017. Our Brands | PG. [online] Available at: https://us.pg.com/our-brands [Accessed 18 Aug. 2017].
N October 1986, the British press reported that Me Essays
n October 1986, the British press reported that Mercury had his blood tested for HIV/AIDS at a Harley Street clinic. A reporter for The Sun , Hugh Whittow , questioned Mercury about the story at Heathrow Airport as he was returning from a trip to Japan. Mercury denied he had a sexually transmitted disease . [88] According to his partner Jim Hutton, Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS in late April 1987. [100] Around that time, Mercury claimed in an interview to have tested negative for HIV. [34] Despite the denials, the British press pursued the rampant rumours over the next few years, fuelled by Mercury's increasingly gaunt appearance, Queen's absence from touring and reports from former lovers to various tabloid journals - by 1990 the rumours about Mercury's health were rife. [101] At the 1990 Brit Awards held at the Dominion Theatre , London, on 18 February, a visibly frail Mercury made his final appearance on stage when he joined the re st of Queen to collect the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. [102] [103] Towards the end of his life, he was routinely stalked by photographers, while The Sun featured a series of articles claiming that he was ill; notably in an article from November 1990 that featured an image of a haggard-looking Mercury on the front page accompanied by the headline, "It's official - Freddie is seriously ill." [104] However, Mercury and his inner circle of colleagues and friends, whom he felt he could trust, continually denied the stories, even after one front-page article published on 29 April 1991, showed Mercury appearing very haggard in what was by then a rare public appearance. [105] It has been suggested that he could have made a contribution to AIDS awareness by speaking earlier about his situation and his fight against the disease. [106] [107] Mercury kept his condition private to protect those closest to him, with Brian May confirming in a 1993 interview he had informed the band of his illness much earlier. [108] [109] Filmed in May 1991, the music video for " These Are the Days of Our Lives " features a very thin Mercury, in what are his final scenes in front of the camera. [110] The rest of the band were ready to record when Mercury felt able to come into the studio, for an hour or two at a time. May says of Mercury: "He just kept saying. 'Write me mor e. Write me stuff. I want to just sing this and do it and when I am gone you can finish it off.' He had no fear, really." [99] Justin Shirley-Smith, the assistant engineer for those last sessions, states: "This is hard to explain to people, but it wasn't sad, it was very happy. He [Freddie] was one of the funniest people I ever encountered. I was laughing most of the time, with him. Freddie was saying [of his illness] 'I'm not going to think about it, I'm going to do this.' [99] After the conclusion of his work with Queen in June 1991, Mercury retired to his home in Kensington , west London. His former partner, Mary Austin, had been a particular comfort in his final years, and in the last few weeks of his life made regular visits to his home to look after him. [111] Near the end of his life Mercury was starting to lose his sight, and he deteriorated to the point where he could not get out of bed. [111] Due to his worsening condition, Mercury decided to hasten his death by refusing to take his medication and continued taking only painkillers. [111]
Rumors Summary Essays - Rumors, Charley, Eighth Doctor
Rumors : Summary Neil Simon's farce, Rumors, gives readers an in-depth look at the lives of ten wealthy individuals attending a dinner party. In an attempt to stay within the social crown, the characters start unsubstantiated rumors about their friends in an attempt to make themselves look better. The hosts of the party, Ken Gorman, and his wife Chris must cover up the fact that a friend of theirs, Charley Brock, has been shot in the ear lobe. They do not know how he got shot, but they decide that he must have tried to commit suicide, and thereby proceed to spread rumors about what they have heard in an attempt to avoid a possible attempted suicide scandal. They first lie to Charley's personal doctor, they lie about what happened to all of the servants, and they finally about a second gunshot heard in the house. When the Gormans first encounter Charley in his bedroom, they immediately call his personal doctor at the theater to tell him that Charley feels just fine. Chris relates the story to the doctor when she says, "Dr. Dudley, I'm afraid there's been an accident_ Well, we just arrived here at Charley's house about ten minutes ago, and as we were getting out of our car, we suddenly heard this enormous_ thud_ It seemed Charley had tripped going up the stairs_ no, wait, down the stairs. Down the stairs. But he's all right," (13). Finally, Chris manages to explain to the doctor that Charley had not really hurt himself in the first place and that she felt sorry to have bothered him at the theater. After hanging up the phone, the Gormans put Charley in the shower to wash off the blood, wrap a towel around his head to stop the bleeding, and go back downstairs to wait for the rest of the party guests. Lenny and Claire Ganz arrive at the party first. Coming straight from a car accident, the Ganz's ask why Charley has not joined them for the party. Ken Gorman explains that Charley has had a rough day and he decided to take a nap for a little while. Lenny exclaims that he has not had a thing to eat since breakfast and wonders where Mai Li the cook has put all of the food. Not wanting to explain that they have recently fired Mai Li, the Gormans fabricate a story about her having to go back to Japan to visit her sick mother. Claire asks, "But Mai Li is Chinese, isn't she?" The Gormans look at each other and then Chris quickly says, "I know. Her mother was visiting Japan." As a result of this, they must ask their friends to help them prepare dinner for their own party. They know that if they explain to the Ganz's that they do not have enough money to keep her in service any longer, they will fall of out favor with their friends. For this reason, they find it necessary to fabricate stories to explain happenings in the house. As the night progresses, they consistently dig themselves into a deeper hole of lies. The situation eventually gets terrible when Ken tries to hide the gun so Charley can't find it to shoot himself again. On his way to putting in the closet, Ken trips over Charley's slippers and discharges the gun straight into the wall. The report occurred right next to his ear, and for the rest of the play, Ken is almost entirely deaf. Naturally, the Gormans cannot say that a gunshot went off in the house, so they create a variety of different excuses to explain the sound upstairs. At first, Claire decides that a car backfiring has the most credibility, but because of the volume of the sound, she later changes it to a manhole cover that exploded. After some time, she again changes the story to a can of shaving cream that exploded due to the pressure from the manhole cover exploding. This story seems a little far-fetched to the other guests, so she finally says, "Oh, I know. I know. I know exactly what it was_ it was a balloon. They've been blowing up party balloons up there all day," (43). This answer seems satisfactory enough for everyone, and they lapse back into their normal conversations again. The party in Rumors has a lot of humor to it, but on the other hand, it shows just how far people will go just to be accepted by their peers. Through deceit, the Gormans lied about Charley's health to avoid an investigation. They lied about their lack
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Two Hikes
February 17, 2018 David & Brittney Cannamore 4 Comments
Several years ago, when I lived in Juneau, I rented a house near the Mendenhall Glacier. Framing the southern side of the valley was Thunder Mountain. A steep and imposing peak with impressive avalanche shoots and Spruce covered ridges. After a couple months living in its shadow I gave in to temptation and attempted to scramble up one of the avalanche paths. It was mid-summer and the foliage was thick with devil’s club, skunk cabbage, and alder. Halfway up, the moderate grade shoved me onto a near vertical pitch. Consumed with the climb and drunk on sunshine, I continued fifty feet further than I should have. By the time I realized what I had done, I had trapped myself in a stand of alder and was climbing their branches like a step ladder.
My 24-year old ignorance was replaced by genetically infused fear thousands of years old. Just a week ago, a seasonal had scrambled up the ridge near Eagle Glacier to the north of town. One false move, one slip in his Merrill’s and he fell to his death. Like him, I hadn’t told anyone where I was going. I’d broken the cardinal rule of the outdoorsman. My knees shook, my arms trembled. Somewhere to the west, 65 miles away, my fiancee was kayaking, oblivious to the fact that the love of her life was so recklessly risking his.
I began to downclimb. Most mountaineering accidents occur on the descent. I was no different. A foot slipped, a branch cracked, and I began to free fall towards a gully 60-feet below. I’ll never forget the sensation. As I fell my terror was replaced by a serene, almost disarming calm. I no longer felt afraid. I reached out with one hand and grabbed an alder branch as thick as my forearm. The branch bent, bobbed, cracked… and held. From above came a strange rustling followed moments later by a sharp pain on the back of my head. I watched the offending branch and my baseball hat complete the forty-foot plunge into the shoot. The branch gave a sickening crack as it struck the boulders. I hung, as weightless and helpless as an astronaut on his first spacewalk. Helicopters bound for the glacier zipped by. Cars roared by on a road a thousand feet below. And I gripped the branch that was preserving my life.
I throw rain pants, a sweater, and a vest into the backpack I’ve had since I was 21. The straps are fraying, several of the buckles are broken. But I can’t bear to give it up. She’s more duct tape than nylon at this point. But I carried my life in her through New Zealand, British Columbia, and southeast Alaska. Some things are more important than efficiency.
I no longer have a fiancee. But I do have a wife. And I make no bones about where I’m going today. I’m going up the peak to the south of the Hobbit Hole. There’s two feet of snow at sea level and who knows how much at the top. I’m dying to find out. Worst comes to worse, they can follow my footprints. It’s deliciously quiet here. We’re used to solitude. But even when we lived off the coast of B.C, boat traffic inundated our ear drums. Walks through the woods were often interrupted by the dull drone of a diesel engine as a tug plied the inside passage. Here we endure the occasional 737 flying at 20,000 feet but that’s it. The thick snow mutes the silence even more. No squirrels, no birds, just my boots stepping through the frozen crust.
I weave through hemlock, spruce, devils’s club. My breath comes in gasps, I sweat beneath the wool that keeps me warm when I stop. Deer tracks surround me, all pointed downhill. Perhaps they know something I don’t. Three days ago we woke up to blowing snow and flakes as big as thumbnails. It snowed for 16 hours straight, pushing the deer down from the ridges to the beaches. I reach a steppe and come out into the open. It’s like stepping into the deep end of the pool. My boot plunges deep into the snow and doesn’t stop until the crust is at my hip. I struggle out and throw the next step forward in an awkward plunge. I head for a steep ridge. It’s nearly vertical and this all begins to feel familiar.
I watch my shoes swing beneath me with a benign neglect. I’m hypnotized by my hat three dozen feet below, nestled between a couple of boulders and covered with dust. Blood drips from my left hand which grips the branch so tight my knuckles turn white. My body completes it’s flight of fight checklist, determines that I’m no longer in immediate danger of death, and give me permission to freak out. The change is instantaneous. I hyperventilate. My legs begin to shake. I have to move. My stupidity knocks at the back door of my sub-conscious, reminding me that I’m an idiot and lucky to not be laying in that gully with a shattered leg or two. I pull myself up and my feet search for a foothold. To my right is a thin ridge, just wide enough for a couple of spruce trees to get ahold.
I move hand over fist, my feet skittering madly to keep up. At last I feel dirt and root beneath them, I kneel and grip the ground. I want to curl up and never move. I’m never letting go. In my mind I imagine my body hitting the rocks. How far would I bounce? How damaged would I be when I finally came to rest. And with a shudder remember that no one would ever find me.
I stagger towards the ridge and stop at its feet. The snow four feet deep in places, more swimming than hiking. I look at the reassuring trail I leave behind. There’d be no mystery this time. I begin to climb, my feet digging for purchase beneath the snow while hands pull me up with the aid of salmon berry bushes and willow. There’s a melody to hiking through the snow mixed with the improvisation of jazz when a boot falls deeper than expected. I turn around halfway up to catch my breath and feel it catch in my throat. The view is bonkers. West facing, the ocean, the whole Pacific is sprawled at my feet. Three Hill Island and Soapstone Point guard the southern edge of Cross Sound. Cape Spencer to the north, just enough of a break in the clouds to see Mt. Crillion.
Already the landmarks feel like old friends. “Hello dear Port Althorp, hey Elfin Cove, how’s it going Middle Pass?”
I turn and continue to climb, by the time I reach the top I’m crawling. A thin ledge, two spruce tress wide greets me at the top.
I cling to each spruce and try to get my knees to stop quivering. I’m bleeding from four different spots, the pain beginning to whisper from beneath the adrenaline. There’s a welt on the back of my head where the branch made contact, my neck hurts. I’m a fool and Thunder Mountain was punishing me for my foolishness. The wild places teach harsh lessons, lessons you never forget if you survive. I prayed I’d have the chance to learn from my mistakes. As I climb down, the ridge I’m following widens until all I can see is trees on each side. The climb remains steep and down climbing is harder than going up. Gravity a much more willing participant.
To my left I hear something crashing through the bush. Bears litter the valley. Black bears primarily, though the odd brown bear will poke its nose in to chase the spawning salmon of Mendenhall River. But it’s a mountain goat that appears through a tangle of devil’s club. Branches of the bush stick to the thick tangled hair that’s somewhere between yellow and white. A pair of identical horns jut from the top of its head and curve forwards. The beast is maybe thirty feet away. It stops and turns its head slowly in my direction like a villain in a cheesy Hollywood production. Without a moment’s hesitation it begins to trot towards me. I stand at the edge of a drop of twenty feet, and the last thing I want to do is free fall yet again. But the goat seems to have every intention of running me off the ledge. More harsh lessons at the hand of Professor Thunder.
It’s at that moment, after twenty years in the woods and fjords of Alaska, that I realize that I don’t know anything about mountain goats. My body is drained, out of adrenaline, I do the only thing that feels logical and insane at the same time, I scream.
I follow the ridge up a little further. I’m having flashbacks of devilish goats, snapping branches, and serene free falls. The ridge takes a sharp turn to the right and into a thick tangle of spruce. This is far enough. A scattering of trees gives way to a wide open precipice that cuts between the summit I stand on and the next one to the north. I have no intention of looking over the ledge. I lean against the sturdy trunk of a tree, feel snow and dirt beneath my feet, and pull a water bottle from my backpack. Something small and blunt is still in the pocket, I dig deeper and pull out a small shooter of gin.
A smile becomes a grin. Miracle booze, the best kind. It’s barely eleven in the morning. But there are no man made rules in the forest. I crack the cap and empty the little bottle, savoring the burning liquid cooled by the ascent. It only makes sense to taste pine trees when surrounded by them. I give a silent thanks to Jen and Patrick who had filled my Christmas stocking with the little shooters and my own irresponsibility to stash one in my pack and forget all about it. I shoulder the pack and take one more longing look at the world around me. From here it was possible to see the world at its best. No mass shootings in Florida, no indictments in Washington, no missile tests in Korea. Just me, the trees, and that big ocean taking on all comers.
I want to go home. I want a hot shower, fluorescent lights, a big sandwich, a cold beer. The goat continues his advance, his hooves stick to the rock like velcro. I scream a tapestry of vulgarities that continue to hang over the mountain to this day. Five feet away his wild goat eyes weave to the right. He climbs onto the hillside a few feet above me. Those iris’s staring deep into me, mocking me, shaming me.
I step away, my eyes never leaving him, toes probing for the edge. I grab a root and scramble like a fireman down the rocks. I leap the last four feet and fall with a thud. Enough. I lean forward and half run, half fall down the mountainside, bloodied, beaten, and alive to climb another day.
Alaskahiking
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All Offerings
Roaster Village: A New Space to Explore at the Global Specialty Coffee Expo
by Caitlin McCarthy-García | Jul 21, 2017 | Editorial, Events & Classes |
A version of this article originally appeared in Roast Magazine
Inspired by the Roaster Village at World of Coffee in Europe, a new Roaster Village debuted at the Global Specialty Coffee Expo this year in Seattle. The village is designed to be a more relaxed and casual environment than the Expo show floor. Exhibitors included microroasters (producing fewer than 100,000 pounds per year) and boutique green coffee importers. For microroaster exhibitors, the goal was to introduce their coffee and branding to a large pool of coffee industry professionals and consumers. For attendees who purchased a ticket only to the U.S. Coffee Championships area, the Roaster Village was meant to be an added bonus because it offered the excitement of the Expo floor, but at a reduced price. To gauge the impact of this new space, I asked a variety of exhibitors and attendees about their experiences. Kevin Morales, my colleague here at Royal Coffee described the Roaster Village as “a more intimate and smaller setting, which made it easier to engage with attendees.” He interacted mainly with competitors and judges taking a break from the competition to explore the booths. Kate Blackman of Messenger Coffee Co. in Kansas City, Missouri, was judging the Brewers Cup Competition all weekend and was excited that a bit of the show floor was close by. “I thought it was a good complement to the competitions,” she noted, “and really fun to have so many roasters and importers in such close proximity to each other, instead of spread out throughout the show floor.”
The village provided an opportunity for small roasters to showcase their coffee and their brands. | Photo courtesy of the Specialty Coffee Association
Exhibitors had access to hot water towers, grinders and manual brewing devices, and attendees eagerly lined up for coffee. The space, which showcased 25 exhibitors, provided a quick snapshot of the specialty market. Attendee Jon Ferguson, a green buyer at Arbor Day Foundation in Lincoln, Nebraska, was struck by how many small roasters were featured in one place, noting, “I could experience which flavor profiles are trending in the specialty industry and how roasters are developing these qualities through their roasting techniques.” For coffee buyers, the space provided “the opportunity to taste and see what qualities and relationships importers are offering,” Ferguson added. For multi-roaster cafe owners, the village provided a place to develop new partnerships as they could meet roasters, learn their stories, and taste their best coffees all in one interaction.For people new to the coffee business, the Roaster Village offered the opportunity to learn about the industry and network in a casual, welcoming environment.
Royal Coffee’s Director of Operations, Jennifer Huber & President, Bob Fulmer passing time in the Roaster Village.
Exhibitor Deaton Pigot, owner of Take Flight Coffee in Los Angeles, designed a game at his booth with daily prizes, including a coffee brewer, a grinder and an Ikawa sample roaster. To enter, participants had to guess the origin/region of several brewed coffees and submit their guesses on Instagram with a photo and the hashtag #MidnightFlightSCA17. For coffee marketers, the Roaster Village was a great place to introduce branding and merchandise and receive immediate feedback. Deaton quickly sold out of his line of women’s apparel, including tank tops and t-shirts, noting that items with low-key branding were most popular.
Alex LittleJohn, who has served on the Barista Guild of America (BGA) Executive Council and is an instructor for the Specialty Coffee Association, thought the Roaster Village brought more engagement to the coffee competitions taking place in the hall. “The village complemented the competition area by adding more people and the opportunity to mingle at the booths,”she noted. “It was nice to take a break from competitions and circulate between the BGA coffee bar and the Roaster Village, and to see a variety of people and companies.” Exhibitor Omar Herrera of Minnesota’s La Bodega (a Cafe Imports company) said he spoke with a lot of people who were new to the coffee industry, and the village was a great hub for them to learn more about it. “The craft of roasting has never been more accessible to folks looking to start new coffee brands,” he said. “The Roaster Village definitely shares a similar mission as La Bodega in assisting new and smaller roasters in growing their business.” The ultimate goal for village organizers is that Expo attendees—particularly roasters, importers, competitors and those new to the coffee industry—will recognize the Roaster Village as a must-see attraction during the annual event.
Switchbox Roasters Owner Brian Protsman at the Royal Coffee stand in the Roaster Village.
Switchbox Roasters was one of two winners of our Crown Jewel Instagram photo contest. Not pictured is the other winner of the contest, Abanico Coffee Roasters
Looking Towards the Future of Guatemalan Coffee
Chris Kornman 7 hours ago
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The Crown 5 days ago
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Chris Kornman 6 days ago
Write Us: info@royalcoffee.com
Press Inquiries: press@royalcoffee.com
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Home / News (page 3860)
COURT SENTENCES 3 TO DEATH BY HANGING
An Ado-Ekiti High Court, Ekiti State, on Friday, sentenced three men to death by hanging for armed robbery and discharged and acquitted one of the accused.
Mark escapes death as gunmen attack his convoy
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APC chieftains re-live memories of Azikiwe in Ibadan
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Woman accused of stealing husband’s N2.8m SUV
LAGOS— A 29-year-old woman Ngozi Obi was, yesterday, arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stealing a Sports Utility Van, SUV, from her husband, one Aloy Chibuzor Obi, worth N2.8 million.
BSU lecturer discovers formula for exact total count count of primes up to a natural number
A Benue State University lecturer, Michael Atovigba has surprised the whole world with an algorithm for total count of prime numbers below or up to any natural number.
Jonathan’s Vatican Visit Important To Nigeria – Ambassador Okeke
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Deadly NIS recruitment: Applicants drag FG to court
Four co-applicants of the deadly Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) acting for themselves and as representatives of other applicants to Nigeria Immigration Service 2014
N19.2bn: Sylva’s co-accused asks court to disqualify EFCC prosecutor
The move by the EFCC to re-arraign former Bayelsa state Governor, Timipre Sylva and 6 others on a 42-count amended charge, amounting to N19.2billion was yesterday resisted by counsels to the defendants. While Sylva and the other co-accused filed a …
Obiano Offers To Settle Treatment, Burial Bills Of Accident Victims
The Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, has offered to settle the health bills of 9 out of 10 secondary school students who survived an accident on their way home from school in Awka, the state capital.
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yanp@bgu.ac.il
Press, Yan
Senior Lecturer, Joyce & Irving Goldman Medical School , Faculty of Health Sciences
The Results of a Crossover Placebo-Controlled Study of the Effect of Lavender Oil on Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia. Rejuvenation Research. 22:246-253. 2019
Doctors’ Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Enteral Feeding and Eating Problems in Advanced Dementia. DEMENTIA AND GERIATRIC COGNITIVE DISORDERS EXTRA. 8:268-276. 2018
Orthostatic hypotension and overall mortality in 1050 older patients of the outpatient comprehensive geriatric assessment unit. Geriatrics & Gerontology International. 18:1009-1017. 2018
Chronic pain and geriatric syndromes in community-dwelling patients aged ≥65 years. Journal of Pain Research. 2018
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Depressive symptomatology as a risk factor for increased health service utilization among elderly patients in primary care. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. 54:127-130. 2012
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A semi-structured computerized screening interview for the assessment of older patients in the primary care setting. International Journal on Disability and Human Development. 8:259-266. 2009
Effectiveness of Vitamin B-12 in Treating Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. 22:9-16. 2009
The diagnosis of delirium among elderly patients presenting to the emergency department of an acute hospital. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. 48:201-204. 2009
Estimating the need for geriatricians in Israel: 2000-2020. Harefuah. 147:120-4, 183. 2008
An intervention program to reduce the number of hospitalizations of elderly patients in a primary care clinic. BMC Health Services Research. 8:36-36. 2008
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Modern society and prospects of low vitamin B12 intake. Annals of nutrition & metabolism. 51:468-470. 2007
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Successful treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis of any origin with vitamni B12 (irrespective of its blood level). The Internet Journal of Family Practice. 5. 2007
The effect of acupuncture on blood pressure in hypertensive patients treated in a complementary medicine clinic. Integrative Medicine Insights. 2:117863370700200001. 2007
The effect of co-morbidity on the rehabilitation process in elderly patients after hip fracture. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. 45:281-294. 2007
What are the recommended guidelines for checking vitamin B12 by primary practitioners?. The European journal of general practice. 13:155-156. 2007
Successful treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis of any origin with vitamin B12 (irrespective of its blood level). The Internet Journal of Family Practice. 2006
Vitamin B12 could be a" master key" in the regulation of multiple pathological processes. Journal of Nippon Medical School. 73:65-69. 2006
Diplopia as the Sole Manifestation of Hyperthyroidism. The Internet Journal of Family Practice. 4. 2005
Successful treatment of chronic erythema nodosum with vitamin B12. The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice. 18:567-569. 2005
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Characteristics of patients at a complementary medicine clinic in Beer Sheva: summary of the first two years of operation. Age (mean+ SD). 49:584-8. 2001
Glyceryl trinitrate ointment as a potential treatment for primary vaginismus. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. 96:111-112. 2001
Guidelines for evaluation and treatment of erectile dysfunction. Harefuah. 138:883-885. 2000
Soroka University Medical Center Department of Geriatrics, Head 2019 -
Yan Press
https://scholar.google.co.il/citations?user=vMXyGwcAAAAJ
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Design of a Pretreatment and Enzymatic Saccharification Scheme of Understory from Managed Pine Forest for a Biochemical-Refinery Platform: The Example of the Sweetgum Tree
Angele Djioleu, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Master of Science in Biological Engineering (MS)
Danielle J. Carrier
Edgar C. Clausen
Thomas A. Costello
Applied sciences, Bioenergy, Dilute acid pretreatment, Enzymatic hydrolysis, Mixed biomass, Sweetgum
The possibility of using sweetgum from southern pine dominated forests as a biobased refinery feedstock was investigated. First, a baseline hydrolysis scheme for sweetgum wood and bark was designed. Sweetgum wood and bark were pretreated with 0.98% (v/v) sulfuric acid at 140°C for 30, 40, 50, 60 or 70 min and at 160°C for 30, 40, 50 or 60 min. The water insoluble solid (WIS) fraction was hydrolyzed with a cellulase enzyme cocktail. Results showed that maximum xylose and glucose yields from the wood were 82 and 86%, respectively. Similarly, the respective maximum yields of xylose and glucose from the bark were 93 and 24%. Concentrations of detected inhibitory compounds such as furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), formic acid and acetic acid ranged from 0.1 to 32.3 g/ 100 g of raw dry biomass. The second part of this project investigated the effect of adding oak wood, sweetgum bark, or oak bark, to sweetgum wood on xylose and glucose yields obtained from dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. Carbohydrate recoveries for each species and mixed biomass samples were obtained by using previously established hydrolysis protocols at 160°C for 20 min. Mixed biomass samples were prepared to reflect real-life forestry harvesting scenario and consisted of 70% sweetgum wood plus 1) 30% sweetgum bark; 2) 30% oak bark; 3) 30% oak wood. 100% sweetgum was the control. Results showed that oak wood yielded 35% of its theoretical xylose content and sweetgum wood, 65%. Both woody species resulted in higher glucose and lower formic acid recoveries than their respective bark material. Analysis of data with the Dunnett Control's test in JMP 10.0 showed contamination of sweetgum wood did not have a significant effect (P > 0.05) on hydrolysis except with sweetgum bark which exhibited a significantly higher xylose concentration than the control. In conclusion, sweetgum wood was a good source of carbohydrate for a biobased refinery, but the removal of bark might be necessary to achieve desirable yields. It is important to note that all the above results were obtained with intensively washed pretreated biomass, which will not be realistic for a real-life sustainable biorefinery
Djioleu, A. (2012). Design of a Pretreatment and Enzymatic Saccharification Scheme of Understory from Managed Pine Forest for a Biochemical-Refinery Platform: The Example of the Sweetgum Tree. Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/630
Biological Engineering Commons, Oil, Gas, and Energy Commons
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Home > Home > R. Dean Adams
Knowledge Center ➜ People
R. Dean Adams
Founder of PDAT
Dean Adams if founder and principle of Adams Intellex, PLC which helps companies with patent writing and filing.
In 2002, Adams founded Pleiades Design and Test Technologies, that was sold to magma in 2003. At Magma, he held the title of director of IP strategy.
Prior to Pleiades, Adams was with IBM as a senior engineer.
Adams holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Rhode Island, a Master of Science in computer engineering, a Master of Engineering Management and a PhD in electrical & computer engineering from Dartmouth College, Thayer School of Engineering.
FOUNDING:
R. Dean Adams Founded Pleiades Design and Test Technologies Inc. in 2002
Dean Adams Pleiades
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About Sentry
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Events Post
Sentry team to participate in the 2019 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure ®
This Saturday, April 27th, 2019 several Sentry BioPharma Services team members will be proudly participating in the 2019 Komen Central Indiana Race for the Cure ®. Over the years this event has raised more than $2 billion dollars to help fund research, education, screening and treatment. ...
Monday, April 22, 2019 | Read More
Biologics Contribute to Growth in Pharma Products Cold-Chain Market
In its September issue, Pharmaceutical Commerce details the previous and expected contributions of biologic products to its forecast of cold-chain market growth predicting sales of cold-chain drugs and biologics will outpace overall industry growth through 2022. It is reported that “as of 2018, global...
Wednesday, September 12, 2018 | Read More
FDA Researchers Explore Fundamental Chemical Reaction that Could Threaten the Quality of Therapeutic Protein Products
In a recent news release the FDA described research it has conducted regarding detection of protein carbonylation, an oxidative reaction that may occur in therapeutic protein drug products during manufacture, storage, use, and transport potentially causing structural alterations and threatening stability,...
Tuesday, September 11, 2018 | Read More
Tag Archives: pharmaceutical cold chain management
This Saturday, April 27th, 2019 several Sentry BioPharma Services team members will be proudly participating in the 2019 Komen Central Indiana Race for the Cure ®.
Over the years this event has raised more than $2 billion dollars to help fund research, education, screening and treatment. This event is unique in that 100% of the net proceeds are invested in the Komen mission. 25% of all funds go towards research to learn about the biology of breast cancer, advance new screening technologies, develop better treatment protocols and combat metastatic disease. The remaining 75% is invested in locally through a community grants program. Last year $697,047 was invested in 9 local breast health programs and provide 40,000 services within a 41-county service area in Indiana.
Our team realizes that fundraising is critical to helping breast cancer patients living right here in central Indiana. These sobering statistics from the Central Indiana Susan G. Komen website help to bring that need even more into focus.
1 in 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
Every 19 seconds, somewhere in the world, a case of breast cancer is diagnosed.
Every 60 seconds, somewhere in the world, someone dies from breast cancer.
Every 13 minutes, one woman in the U.S will lose her life to breast cancer.
At the current rate, 13 million breast cancer deaths will occur around the world in the next 25 years.
Sentry is determined to take action and this event is our chance to support the Komen organization in its efforts to end breast cancer forever.
For more info on how you can help please visit the Susan G. Komen® website.
This entry was posted in News Post and tagged biological drugs, biological products, biopharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, breast cancer research, cancer research, drug distribution, FDA compliant labeling and packaging services, GMP, GMP labeling, healthcare industry, pharmaceutical cold chain management, pharmaceuticals, Sentry BioPharma Services, vaccine storage on April 22, 2019 by Sentry.
In its September issue, Pharmaceutical Commerce details the previous and expected contributions of biologic products to its forecast of cold-chain market growth predicting sales of cold-chain drugs and biologics will outpace overall industry growth through 2022.
It is reported that “as of 2018, global sales of biotech drugs and biologic products exceed $300 billion in value, and the special logistics for maintaining the quality of such temperature-sensitive products as they are shipped from manufacturers to hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and patients around the world account for more than 17% of all biopharma logistics spending”.
The updated forecast for cold-chain logistics spending in 2018 is that “it will be more than $15 billion worldwide, in an $82 billion overall pharma logistics market, of which $10.6 billion will be transportation and $4.4 billion will be specialized tertiary packaging and instrumentation such as insulated boxes, blankets, phase-change materials, shipping containers and various temperature sensors and recorders. By 2022, cold-chain biopharma logistics spending will expand to more than $18 billion.”
To read the full article visit the following link:
https://pharmaceuticalcommerce.com/cold-chain-focus/biopharma-cold-chain-market-forecast/
Sentry BioPharma Services offers temperature sensitive biological product management to pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and organizations with need for validated GMP storage, labeling, kitting and temperature-sensitive drug distribution services. For more information about how Sentry’s GMP services can help protect the integrity and delivery of your biological products to patients, contact Sentry via email or by phone at 1-866-757-7400.
This entry was posted in News Post and tagged biological drugs, biopharmaceutical, cold chain management, drug distribution, foreign trade zone, global drug distribution, GMP pharmaceutical storage, GMP warehousing, pharmaceutical cold chain management, pharmaceutical distribution, pharmaceutical supply chain management, Sentry, Sentry BioPharma Services, Temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical storage, vaccine distribution on September 12, 2018 by Sentry.
In a recent news release the FDA described research it has conducted regarding detection of protein carbonylation, an oxidative reaction that may occur in therapeutic protein drug products during manufacture, storage, use, and transport potentially causing structural alterations and threatening stability, quality, and clinical efficacy of such products. FDA scientists have refined an antibody-binding assay with high sensitivity to detect protein carbonylation allowing many samples to be studied in a short period of time under a variety of conditions. The assay is being used to study the tendencies of various protein products to undergo oxidative carbonylation and whether containers and chemicals that contact proteins may start or speed up these reactions. The goal is to develop methods such as addition of stabilizing agents to counteract protein carbonylation in order to maintain stability, purity, and potency of therapeutic protein products and to avoid any harmful adverse reactions such as unwanted immune responses.
See https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/NewsEvents/ucm571068.htm
Full FDA Story:
The potential for biotechnology to transform medicine remains immense, with several therapeutic protein products already having come into widespread clinical use and hundreds of proteins under clinical investigation. For the FDA, the regulatory oversight of therapeutic protein development poses a great challenge, not only because of the increasing number of products, but also because proteins, by their very nature, are highly variable, and compared to small-molecule drugs, more likely to undergo chemical reactions over time. Chemical reactions that occur in these proteins (for example, during storage in vials before administration to patients) can have a significant impact on protein function. For FDA scientists in the CDER Office of Biotechnology Products (OBP), these reactions are of great interest because they can directly impact the quality, safety, and efficacy of protein products.
For decades—before the biotechnological revolution and the rise of therapeutic proteins—FDA drug reviewers focused primarily on small-molecule drugs. Aspirin, for example, contains only nine carbon atoms, whereas the modern protein product bevacizumab contains well over 6,000 carbon atoms. In general, proteins also contain sulfur atoms (bevacizumab has 44!), and biochemists have long known that sulfur-containing molecules are prone to undergo reactions related to the presence of unstable oxygen and other atoms in our environment. (Proteins are not the only molecules that undergo such oxidative reactions. The rusting of iron tools and statues, where iron atoms interact with oxygen atoms in the air and water, is also oxidative.) In some instances, oxidized proteins can be damaged in various ways, which could in turn trigger an unwanted immune response in patients. This feature is a unique concern with therapeutic proteins.
Recently, biochemists have begun to investigate the exact locations of oxidative reactions within large intact protein molecules. Laboratory researchers in OBP, for example, have published important new information (see References) concerning protein carbonylation, which entails the addition of a single atom of oxygen, originating from the environment, to discrete carbon atoms (rather than sulfur atoms) within protein molecules. Although protein carbonylation has been recognized within the context of disease and age-related conditions, its occurrence during the manufacture, storage, use, and transport of therapeutic proteins is a relatively new area of study. For pharmaceutical quality scientists, key issues include: understanding the different tendencies of various protein products to undergo oxidative carbonylation; identifying the role that containers and chemicals that contact proteins may have in these reactions; and discovering reliable methods for specifically and consistently detecting and controlling carbonylation.
To detect protein carbonylation, the OBP team has refined an antibody-binding assay that takes advantage of the reactivity of the “carbonyl group,” which is the name given to the carbon- and oxygen-atom grouping that occurs upon protein carbonylation. Carbonyl groups that form in proteins can make the entire protein molecule less stable and lead to damage after degradation or aggregation. By exposing the carbonyl groups that are formed in proteins to a laboratory reagent known as DNPH, the OBP team found that different proteins undergo carbonylation at different levels and at specific sites. The rate and site of carbonylation can depend on temperature, time, and other variables, such as the presence of small amounts of metals that accelerate protein oxidation reactions. The laboratory also investigated the tendency for certain additives in drug formulations to start or speed up these reactions. The methods developed by the team allow many samples, under a variety of conditions, to be studied in a short period of time. Moreover, the method is sensitive enough to detect as little as a single carbonylation modification within a large protein molecule.
The findings of the OBP team may help protein drug developers produce therapeutic proteins under optimized manufacturing conditions, potentially with structural alterations or by adding stabilizing additives that could prevent harmful carbonylation reactions. More stable protein drugs could offer a longer shelf life, reduced risk of quality problems, and more predictable clinical performance. Understanding reactions such as protein carbonylation may result in improved versions of current drugs or new drugs with superior stability, purity, and potency. Above all, the goal is to have safe and effective high-quality protein products available for patients.
This entry was posted in News Post and tagged biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, clinical trial labeling, cold chain management, drug distribution, FDA, foreign trade zone, GMP pharmaceutical storage, pharmaceutical cold chain management, Sentry, Sentry BioPharma Services, SISPQ, Temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical storage, vaccine distribution on September 11, 2018 by Sentry.
Sentry representatives attend DCAT week
Sentry BioPharma Services is pleased to announce delegates from Sentry’s Business Development team will be in New York City attending the Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association (DCAT) Week March 19th -22nd. The four-day conference brings together key sourcing, procurement and business development stakeholders within the industry’s top life science organizations. The Sentry team’s focus will be to connect with current clients and prospective pharmaceutical development and manufacturing companies requiring first-in-class temperature-sensitive product management and global distribution support.
President Tim Mitchell and Business Development Manager Alex Mitchell are looking forward to discussing Sentry’s GMP pharmaceutical storage expertise and expanded service offerings coming throughout 2018 and 2019. They along with representatives from our marketing team will be sharing information regarding Sentry’s services to include:
Six validated storage environments
+15°C to +30°C
+2°C to +8°C
Custom Temperature Solutions from 0°C to -90°C
Controlled Substance Storage and Security
Secondary Labeling and Packaging
Foreign Trade Zone Import/Export Support
Government, Seasonal/Pandemic, Vaccine and Bio-defense Stockpile and Distribution Support
API Sampling and Dispensing
Commercial Fulfillment
Schedule a strategic meeting with the Business Development team to learn how Sentry can optimize GMP solutions for your clinical and commercial project needs.
This entry was posted in News Post and tagged API Dispensing, API Sampling, biological drugs, DCAT, drug distribution, foreign trade zone, global drug distribution, GMP pharmaceutical storage, GMP warehousing, pharmaceutical cold chain management, pharmaceutical labeling, pharmaceutical supply chain management, Sentry BioPharma Services, Temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical storage, vaccine distribution on March 19, 2018 by Sentry.
EMA Announces Brexit Business Continuity Plan
In a press release issued on August 1, 2017, The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced that it “has developed and initiated a business continuity plan to deal with the uncertainty and workload implications linked to the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) withdrawal from the European Union (EU) and the Agency’s relocation”. It was indicated the plan is intended to “preserve Agency’s ability to protect public and animal health”.
The plan outlines 3 categories of EMA activities and prioritizes them “according to their impact on public health and the Agency’s ability to function”.
Category 1, the highest priority activities, includes those related to the assessment and safety monitoring of medicines such as actions taken to protect patient safety and inspections across the EU, or activities vital to maintaining the infrastructure and functionality of the EU regulatory system for medicines such as security of critical IT applications. EMA stated, “It is absolutely crucial to uphold these activities as any disruption would almost immediately have a detrimental effect on the health and well being of citizens in Europe and would also jeopardize production and distribution of medicines in the EU”.
Category 2 activities include the proactive publication of clinical data, various initiatives aimed at promoting availability of medicines, and projects such as EMA’s contribution to the fight against antimicrobial resistance or the Agency’s interactions with Health Technology Assessment (HTA) bodies. EMA indicated, “These activities will be maintained for as long as possible, workload and staffing situation permitting, in order to maintain the development of new medicines”.
However, in order to reallocate personnel for preparations for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and EMA’s relocation, EMA has already begun to suspend activities in what it terms category 3 including:
“the development of the European Medicines Web Portal, a new publicly-available online information intended to be a single-source for information on all medicines marketed in the EU;
EMA’s contribution to the e-submission project that will allow applicants to electronically submit documents linked to authorization requests for human and veterinary medicines in a secure and efficient way;
the development of a transparency roadmap for EMA that lays out future transparency measures of the Agency; and
participation in the benchmarking of medicines regulatory authorities in the EU as of 2018.”
EMA said it was also reducing the number of audits, some corporate governance and support activities, EMA meetings and workshops, and participation of EMA staff in external meetings or conferences.
EMA said it will consider “how long these activities can be put on hold before they start to seriously undermine the quality of the Agency’s work and its planning, and the expectations of stakeholders”. However, the press release concludes rather ominously stating, “Further iterations of the business continuity plan will also take into account various scenarios for staff losses and how these may affect the delivery of category 1 and 2 activities. Unexpected higher, faster or more permanent loss of staff as a consequence of the Agency’s relocation may lead to a situation in which EMA’s operations can no longer be maintained.”
Source: https://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/news_and_events/news/2017/07/news_detail_002789.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac058004d5c1
This entry was posted in News Post and tagged biopharmaceutical, Brexit, EMA, foreign trade zone, GMP pharmaceutical storage, GMP storage, pharmaceutical cold chain management, Sentry BioPharma Services, Temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical storage on August 3, 2017 by Sentry.
EU Countries Contend to Be New Host Country of the European Medicines Agency
Sentry BioPharma Services provides drug product management, global drug distribution, GMP storage and specialized services like pharmaceutical labeling, packaging and kitting. Sentry plays a critical role in protecting temperature-sensitive product safety, identity, strength, purity and quality (SISPQ) for both clinical trials and commercial drug distribution for a wide range of pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients.
The European Medicines Agency, (EMA), oversees medicine regulation within the EU and evaluates applications for medicines to receive marketing authorization across the bloc. It has been based in London since it was founded in 1995.
However, as Brexit is completed the regulatory body will move from its current headquarters in London and as many as 20 EU countries may bid to host the headquarters of the EMA and its staff of almost 1000.
Portugal is the latest to join the competition and other contenders include the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, Austria, Denmark and Spain. Potential interest has also been expressed by Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Finland, Cyprus, Malta, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary. Only the Czech Republic and Estonia have said they would not be vying for the EMA headquarters.
No precise timetable for the transfer has been set, and the EMA itself will have no direct say in the decision. Rather, representatives of the EU Member States will vote to determine the outcome.
Hosting the headquarters should be financially attractive. In addition to the large permanent staff, regulators from member countries are constantly in attendance at the headquarters for meetings and work. It could also be expected that established international big pharma companies as well as emerging European pharmaceutical businesses might locate offices or headquarters in the EMA host city.
However, a number of potential problems loom as the relocation is considered. Pharmaceutical companies fear there could be drug approval delays when the headquarters makes its move. Reportedly a large number of senior staff have left EMA since the Brexit vote and EMA is also likely to suffer a further loss because of the significant amount of review and approval work done by the UK Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). And, the MHRA will face a challenge of how closely to continue to harmonize its regulations with those of the EMA which some UK critics say would allow EMA to continue to dictate the content of the regulations.
As with much of the economic and political adjustments being made during the transition period after Brexit, the one constant at this time seems to be uncertainty.
This entry was posted in News Post and tagged biopharma, clinical trial labeling, clinical trial packaging, cold chain management, drug distribution, foreign trade zone, global drug distribution, GMP pharmaceutical storage, GMP+storage, GMP+warehouse, pharmaceutical cold chain management, Sentry BioPharma Services on July 31, 2017 by Sentry.
Emergency Preparedness and You
Many people are concerned about the possibility of a public health emergency such as a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or disease outbreak. You can take steps now to help you prepare for an emergency and cope if an emergency happens. To help you prepare, we’ve provided step-by-step actions you can take beforehand to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Gather Emergency Supplies
If a disaster strikes in your community, you might not have access to food, water, or electricity for several days. You may think that you will have enough time to run to the grocery store, but stores quickly sell out of important supplies following emergency warnings. Unfortunately, about half of adults in the United States do not have the resources and plans in place for a possible emergency. Preparing emergency kits for your family is an important step in keeping them safe and healthy during a disaster.
Pack an emergency supply kit. Here’s what you’ll need:
At Least a 3-day Supply of Food and Water
Water – one gallon per person, per day
Food – foods that are easy to make and won’t spoil, like canned soup, dry pasta, and powdered milk
Basic utensils to prepare and serve meals
3-day supply of all medicines, at a minimum
Medical supplies like syringes, a walking cane, or hearing aids with extra batteries
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Contact lenses or glasses
Multipurpose tool (that can act as a knife, file, pliers, and screwdriver)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides weather updates during emergencies. Look for a radio labeled “NOAA Weather Radio.”
Radio (battery-powered, solar, or hand-crank) for updates on the situation
Cell phone with chargers
Keep copies of your important documents, cash, spare keys, and maps in your emergency supply kit.
Copies of important documents such as insurance cards and immunization records
Paperwork about any serious or ongoing medical condition
Your completed family emergency plan, complete with family and emergency contact information.
You should also keep
Extra set of car keys and house keys
Taking Care of Others
You may need additional supplies to make sure the whole family is ready
Baby supplies like bottles, formula, baby food, and diapers
Games and activities for children
Plan ahead so you’re ready to take care of your pet during an emergency.
Food and Water:
A 3-day supply of food and water for each pet. A cat or a dog will generally need 1 gallon for three days.
Bowls or bottles
Cleaning Supplies:
Depending on the pet, you may need a litter box, paper towels, plastic trash bags, grooming items, and household bleach.
Health and Safety:
Medicines and medical records stored in a waterproof container
First aid kit with a pet first aid book
Transport supplies:
A sturdy leash, harness, and carrier to transport pets safely. A carrier should be large enough for the animal to stand comfortably, turn around, and lie down. Your pet may have to stay in the carrier for several hours.
Comfort Items:
Pet toys and the pet’s bed, if you can easily bring it, to reduce stress.
Paperwork:
Current photos and descriptions of your pets to help others identify them, and to prove that they are your pets, in case you become separated from them.
Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems, and the name and telephone number of your veterinarian in case you have to board your pets or place them in foster care.
Keep these tips in mind!
Check and replace your supplies throughout the year.
Every family is unique. You may have emergency needs not included in this list. Also, remember to update your kit according to changing needs of your family.
Be sure it’s ready to use
In a disaster situation, you may need to get your emergency supply kit quickly, whether you are sheltering at home or evacuating.
Once you have gathered your supplies, pack the items in easy-to-carry containers.
Clearly label the containers and store them where you can reach them easily.
Remember that certain items, like medications and paper documents, need to be kept in waterproof containers.
Check the expiration dates on food, water, medicine, and batteries at least two times per year. It’s extremely important that all items in your kit are functional at the time of an emergency.
Involve Children
Families can make emergencies less stressful by preparing in advance and working together as a team. Ask your kids to think of items that they would like to include in an emergency supply kit, such as books, games, and pre-packaged foods.
Your kids can mark the dates on a calendar for checking emergency supplies. Tell them to remind you when it’s time to check the supplies.
Include kids in planning and creating disaster kits for family pets.
Know Your House
Find out where your gas, electric, and water shut-off locations are, and how to turn them off.
Prepare For Everywhere
Emergencies can happen anywhere. Remember to prepare supplies for home, work, and vehicles.
For more information about how Sentry can help optimize your solutions for biopharmaceutical product storage, distribution, packaging, project management and commercial fulfillment, contact Sentry via email or by phone at 1-866-757-7400.
This entry was posted in News Post and tagged biopharmaceutical, cold chain management, drug distribution, foreign trade zone, global drug distribution, GMP+warehouse, pharmaceutical cold chain management, Sentry, Sentry BioPharma Services, Temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical storage, vaccine distribution, vaccine storage on June 26, 2017 by Sentry.
FDA approves drug to treat Parkinson’s Disease
The focus of our post this week is Parkinson’s Disease and treatment. Therefore, we are sharing this article from the FDA concerning its new drug approval of Xadago.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Xadago (safinamide) tablets as an add-on treatment for patients with Parkinson’s disease who are currently taking levodopa/carbidopa and experiencing “off” episodes. An “off” episode is a time when a patient’s medications are not working well, causing an increase in Parkinson’s symptoms, such as tremors and difficulty walking.
“Parkinson’s is a relentless disease without a cure,” said Eric Bastings, M.D., deputy director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “We are committed to helping make additional treatments for Parkinson’s disease available to patients.”
An estimated 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year, according to the National Institutes of Health, and about one million Americans have the condition. The neurological disorder typically occurs in people over age 60, though it can occur earlier, when cells in the brain that produce a chemical called dopamine become impaired or die. Dopamine helps transmit signals between the areas of the brain that produce smooth, purposeful movement – such as eating, writing, and shaving. Early symptoms of the disease are subtle and occur gradually. In some people, Parkinson’s disease progresses more quickly than in others.
The efficacy of Xadago in treating Parkinson’s disease was shown in a clinical trial of 645 participants who were also taking levodopa and were experiencing “off” time. Those receiving Xadago experienced more beneficial “on” time, a time when Parkinson’s symptoms are reduced, without troublesome uncontrolled involuntary movement (dyskinesia), compared to those receiving a placebo. The increase in “on” time was accompanied by a reduction in “off” time and better scores on a measure of motor function assessed during “on” time than before treatment.
In another clinical trial of 549 participants, the participants adding Xadago to their levodopa treatment had more “on” time without troublesome uncontrolled involuntary movement compared to those taking a placebo, and also had better scores on a measure of motor function assessed during “on” time than before treatment.
Certain patients should not take Xadago. These include patients who have severe liver problems, or who take a medicine used to treat a cough or cold called dextromethorphan. It also should not be taken by patients who take another medicine called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) because it may cause a sudden severe increase in blood pressure, or by those who take an opioid drug, St. John’s wort, certain antidepressants (such as serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclics, tetracyclics, and triazolopyridines), or cyclobenzaprine, because it may cause a life-threatening reaction called serotonin syndrome.
The most common adverse reactions observed in patients taking Xadago were uncontrolled involuntary movement, falls, nausea, and trouble sleeping or falling asleep (insomnia).
Serious, but less common, risks include the following: exacerbated high blood pressure (hypertension); serotonin syndrome when used with MAOIs, antidepressants, or opioid drugs; falling asleep during activities of daily living; hallucinations and psychotic behavior; problems with impulse control/compulsive behaviors; withdrawal-emergent hyperpyrexia (fever) and confusion; and retinal pathology.
The FDA granted approval of Xadago to Newron Pharmaceuticals.
This entry was posted in News Post and tagged biological drugs, clinical trial labeling, clinical trial packaging, controlled substance distribution, GMP pharmaceutical storage, GMP warehousing, pharmaceutical cold chain management, pharmaceutical labeling, Sentry BioPharma Services, Temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical storage, vaccine distribution, vaccine storage on March 22, 2017 by Sentry.
FDA’s Know Your Source: Protecting Patients from Unsafe Drugs
Beware of Rogue Wholesale Drug Distributors
Wholesale drug distributors are a link between manufacturers and health care professionals. Their role is to ensure prescription medications are delivered safely and efficiently to thousands of health care practitioners and pharmacies nationwide every day.
While the U.S. health care supply chain is one of the most secure and sophisticated in the world, there is a growing network of rogue wholesale drug distributors selling potentially unsafe drugs in the U.S. market.
Reduce the Chance of a Potentially Unsafe Drug Reaching Your Patients
In order to protect your patients from unsafe or ineffective drugs, the FDA urges health care professionals to verify that their supplier is licensed by the state. Drugs from rogue wholesale drug distributors may harm your patients and expose them to unknown risks or side effects. The FDA advises health care providers to know the source for prescription drugs.
Verify that Your Wholesale Drug Distributor is Licensed in Your State
https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/DrugIntegrityandSupplyChainSecurity/ucm281446.htm
For more information about Sentry’s pharmaceutical licensing, registration and international compliance program, contact Sentry via email or by phone at 1-866-757-7400.
For more information: https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/HealthProfessionals/ucm389121.htm
This entry was posted in News Post and tagged drug distributor, drug distributors, drugs, FDA, Food & Drug Administration, GMP pharmaceutical storage, GMP storage, GMP warehousing, health care supply chain, medications, pharmaceutical, pharmaceutical cold chain management, pharmaceutical supply chain management, pharmaceuticals, prescription, prescription drugs, Sentry, Sentry BioPharma Services, Temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical storage, vaccine distribution, vaccine storage on November 30, 2016 by Sentry.
DoD | Human Trials Begin for Army-Developed Zika Vaccine
By Cheryl Pellerin, DoD News, Defense Media Activity / Published Nov. 8, 2016
A clinical trial began yesterday at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, where 75 participating healthy adults were vaccinated with a Zika virus vaccine that the institute’s scientists developed earlier this year, Walter Reed officials announced today.
Laboratory-confirmed Zika virus disease cases reported to ArboNET by state or territory as of Nov. 2, 2016. ArboNET is a national surveillance system for arthropod-borne virus diseases in the United States, such as those from ticks and mosquitoes.
The Phase 1 trial will test the safety and immunogenicity — the ability of the vaccine to trigger an immune response in the body — of the purified, inactivated Zika virus vaccine called ZPIV. The vaccine is being tested at WRAIR’s Clinical Trial Center in Silver Spring, Maryland.
“The Army has moved efficiently from recognizing Zika virus as a threat, producing ZPIV for use in animals and demonstrating its effectiveness in mice and monkeys, producing ZPIV for human testing, and now initiating clinical trials to establish its safety and build the case for subsequent efficacy trials,” Army Col. (Dr.) Nelson Michael, director of WRAIR’s Military HIV Research Program, or MHRP, and Zika program co-lead, said in a statement.
Efficacy refers to the vaccine’s ability to demonstrate a health effect when tested in a clinical trial. “All of this,” he added, “was done in 10 months.”
Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, Zika program co-lead and associate director for emerging infectious disease threats at WRAIR’s MHRP, said the Army was able to move so quickly in developing, manufacturing and testing a Zika vaccine “because of its extensive experience with this vaccine platform and longstanding investments in the understanding and mitigation of flaviviruses like yellow fever, dating back to the founding of WRAIR.”
DoD Zika Response
WRAIR officials say this study is part of the Defense Department response to the ongoing Zika outbreak in North and South America and Southeast Asia.
For service members, there are concerns about infection during deployment and travel, but also in the continental United States, where most military installations are concentrated in southern states. There, climate conditions and mosquito populations favor Zika transmission, WRAIR officials say.
Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito — Aedes aegypti, shown here, and Aedes albopictus. The same mosquitoes spread dengue and chikungunya viruses. The mosquitoes typically lay eggs in and near standing water in things like buckets, bowls, animal dishes, flower pots and vases. They prefer to bite people and live indoors and outdoors near people. Mosquitoes that spread chikungunya, dengue, and Zika are aggressive daytime biters, but they can also bite at night. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on a person already infected with the virus. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other people through bites. CDC photo by James Gathany
As of Nov. 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 149 cases of Zika infection were confirmed in the military health system, including four pregnant service members and one pregnant family member.
Zika infection during pregnancy, CDC says, can cause a birth defect of the brain called microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects.
Other problems have been detected among fetuses and infants infected with Zika virus before birth, such as defects of the eye, hearing deficits and impaired growth. And reports have increased about Guillain-Barré syndrome, an uncommon sickness of the nervous system, in areas affected by Zika, CDC says.
But even Zika infections without symptoms “can lead to severe birth defects and neurological complications,” Zika study principal investigator Army Maj. (Dr.) Leyi Lin said, adding, “A safe and effective Zika vaccine that prevents infection in those at risk is a global public-health priority.”
Zika and Other Flaviviruses
Flaviviruses like Zika are found mainly in mosquitoes and ticks and cause widespread morbidity and mortality worldwide. Other mosquito-transmitted viruses that are members of the flavivirus genus include yellow fever, or YF, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, or JE, and West Nile viruses, according to the CDC web page.
“We want to assess the safety and immune response of the ZPIV vaccine in JE and yellow fever YF vaccine recipients because these vaccines may alter the response to the ZPIV vaccine,” Lin said.
“Uniquely,” he added, “illness as a result of natural infection from JE, YF or Zika could be more severe when prior flavivirus infection or vaccination exists. Our study assesses co-vaccination to learn how to reduce risk when protecting against circulating flaviviruses.”
This is important for service members who are vaccinated against other flaviviruses and then stationed in or deployed to areas where Zika is becoming endemic, WRAIR scientists say.
Zika Vaccine Platform
WRAIR’s inactivated flavivirus vaccine platform was the same technology the institute used to create its Japanese encephalitis vaccine, licensed in 2009.
An earlier preclinical study found that rhesus monkeys vaccinated with ZPIV developed a strong immune response and were protected against two strains of Zika virus.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, or NIAID, part of the National Institutes of Health, helped identify the viral strain used in the ZPIV vaccine, supported the preclinical safety testing and is sponsoring the conduct of this trial.
WRAIR, NIAID and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, have established a joint research collaboration agreement to support the vaccine’s development.
The Pilot Bioproduction Facility at WRAIR manufactured the ZPIV vaccine being used in Phase 1 clinical studies, and the Army recently signed a cooperative research and development agreement to transfer the ZPIV technology to Sanofi Pasteur to explore larger-scale manufacturing and advanced development. BARDA recently awarded a six-year contract to Sanofi Pasteur to further develop this vaccine to licensure, according to the WRAIR release.
Other ZPIV Trials
WRAIR’s ZPIV candidate also will soon be part of an NIH trial that began in August. The NIH vaccine contains DNA that instructs volunteers’ cells to make certain Zika proteins that then illicit an immune response. As part of that study, WRAIR’s ZPIV vaccine will be given to volunteers as a booster after they receive the NIH DNA vaccine, WRAIR officials say.
Three more Phase 1 trials using ZPIV are scheduled to begin this year, the WRAIR release noted:
— St. Louis University researchers, through the NIAID-funded Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units network, will examine the optimal dose of the vaccine to be used in larger studies.
— Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School researchers will evaluate the safety and immune response from a compressed vaccine schedule.
— The Ambulatory Center for Medical Research, part of Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico, will examine the vaccine’s safety and immune response in participants who have already been naturally exposed to Zika or dengue viruses.
The WRAIR trial that began yesterday is sponsored by NIAID and funded by the Army and the Defense Department.
For more information about how Sentry’s proven vaccine management system can protect your vaccine throughout the global supply chain, contact Sentry via email or by phone at 1-866-757-7400.
For more information: https://www.defense.gov/DesktopModules/ArticleCS/Print.aspx?PortalId=1&ModuleId=753&Article=999584
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After Death Story About Obi-Wan Will Answer Those ‘Star Wars’ Force Ghosts Questions
Posted September 15th, 2017 by Stuart Conover
We’ve just learned that one of the forty stories in ‘Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View‘ will be about Obi-Wan Kenobi and his journey after his death as a Force Ghost! What is considered canon at the moment (after the Disney purchase), is that there is no explanation for Force Ghosts and this book might tackle that very subject. The story in question is ‘Time of Death’ by Cavan Scott and while we don’t have much to go on for the tale, we do appear to have the opening line which will set up what we’ll be reading.
FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW IS COMING, PEOPLE!! https://t.co/8evvTgrTnJ #FromACertainPOV pic.twitter.com/2GIdMHbSch
— Cavan Scott (@cavanscott) September 14, 2017
The idea behind the book is to be a celebration of the ‘Star Wars’ franchise with stories that fit in the new Disney canon. Each of the 40 stories takes place at any point over the course of the 40 years of the films and books and will focus on a variety of side characters to the stories. While Kenobi is by no means a minor character, we’ll also be seeing others such as Biggs Darklighter, Mon Mothma, Breha Organa, and more!
It isn’t clear if Kenobi will be explaining why some Jedi are able to stay behind as Force Ghosts or if they’re echoes of the original person or if have their full thoughts or any other details outside of what he’s been up to as one. I’m hoping we’ll get at least a couple of answers but it should be fun seeing where they go with the character as it is unlikely we’ll be seeing much more of Kenobi unless the rumored standalone movie actually happens.
Are you looking forward to picking up a copy of ‘Star Wars: From A Certain Point of View’ when it is released on October 3rd, 2017? Do you think we’ll get an actual explanation as to how and why some Jedi are able to come back as Force Ghosts? Share your thoughts below!
Source: Cinema Blend.
Stuart Conover
Stuart Conover is a father, husband, blogger, published author, geek, entrepreneur, editor of Horror Tree, horror fanatic, science fiction junkie, lives in a world of comics, and a casual gamer (all of this when his wife lets him of course.) He fell in love with science fiction and horror at the same time while watching the movie Alien at probably far too young of an age while still being extremely impressionable and has been happily obsessed with both since! Around the same time, he had also developed an unhealthy addiction to comic books that continues to this day!Want to talk about anything geeky? Reach out on Twitter - @StuartConover
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Updates: My Top 10 SF works (pre-1980) for inclusion in the Gollancz Masterwork series
The Gollancz Masterwork series [list] ranges from famous novels such as Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness (1969) to lesser known short story collections such as The Caltraps of Time (1968) by David I. Masson. The Masterwork series has the power to introduce readers to the canonical “best of SF” and works that should be considered classics. Many of the second group have not seen print for decades. Although I have some qualms about certain inclusions, I was genuinely blown away that they recently chose one of my favorite novels The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe (variant title: The Unsleeping Eye) (1973) by D. G. Compton—an underread and unjustly forgotten author.
Over the course of the next week or so a handful of my fellow SF bloggers (most of whom have a focus on earlier SF) will release lists on their sites of SF they would like to see featured by Gollancz. I have not given them any guidelines so the lists should be varied and hopefully will generate some discussion. I highly recommend you head over to their sites (I will post the links as they come in) and comment.
Thoughts + comments are always welcome (as well as your own lists!).
More “What to Include in the Gollancz Masterwork Series” Lists (blog friends)
Chris over at Battered, Tattered, Yellowed, and Creased
Megan over at From Couch to Moon
2theD over at Potpourri of Science Fiction Literature
Ian Sales over at It Doesn’t Have to be Right…
Jesse over at Speculiction…
2theD over at Tongues of Speculation (his votes regarding translated SF)
Martin over at Martin’s Booklog
My guidelines for inclusion
1. My frequent readers know that I prefer (passionately) SF from the 50s-70s—1972 might be the single best year for my type of SF. Thus, the picks will all be from that range. That is not to say that great SF that deserves to be included does not exist outside of those years! My fellow bloggers will certainly provide some later works.
2. I have only included works by authors who have not yet been featured in the Gollancz masterwork series. Yes, I think Michael Bishop’s Stolen Faces (1976) and A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire (1975) deserve a spot but both Transfigurations (1979) (a rather lesser Bishop novel) and No Enemy But Time (1982) have already been included.
3. I have only included one work for each author. As a compulsive consumer of Barry N. Malzberg’s nihilistic fever visions I made the hard choice to include only one of his novels—I have selected the one that might have the widest appeal and serves as a good introduction to his favorite themes. And, it will definitely give people an indication of what he is routinely capable of and whether or not his brand of metafictional Freudian delusions will appeal.
4. In the past my biggest concern about the Gollancz list was the distinct lack of SF by women (this was a bigger deal a while back that prompted SF bloggers/authors such as Ian Sales to put together relevant resources to introduce readers to SF by women such as SF Mistressworks). At one point the disparity was egregious—In the original 1999-2009 sequence of Masterworks published Gollancz included a grand total of five SF works by women, all post 1969: Ursula Le Guin’s The Dispossessed (1974) and The Lathe of Heaven (1971), Sherry S. Tepper’s Grass (1989), Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness (1969), and Kate Wilhelm’s Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang (1976). Five out of 77 novels….
The Masterworks released since 2010 have shown a serious and welcomed attempt to broaden the range of authors featured: Joanna Russ’ The Female Man (1975), M. J. Engh’s Arslan (1976), Cecelia Holland’s The Floating Worlds (1976), Pat Cardigan’s Synners (1991), among others. But a concern remains, other than Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and Leigh Brackett’s The Long Tomorrow (1955), no SF by women is included pre-Le Guin.
There is a persistent myth that SF lacked quality contributions by women before Le Guin’s late masterful 60s novels. I want Gollancz to remedy this imbalance.
My List (with links to my reviews)
1. Ice, Anna Kavan (1967)
(Gene Szafan’s cover for the 1974 edition)
Reason for inclusion: Ice, caused by some manmade disaster, is slowly creeping over the world. The unnamed narrator is torn between two forces: returning to his earlier research on jungle dwelling singing lemurs in the southern regions vs. tracking down a young woman about whom he has the most disturbing, and often violent, hallucinations. Anna Kavan’s vision, often read as a surreal SF manifestation/representation of her heroin usage, is, as Aldiss proclaims, “unique” in “its incantatory powers.” Powerful, surreal, remorseless, literary.
2. What Entropy Means to Me, Geo. Alec Effinger (1972)
(Fernando Fernandez’s cover for the 1973 edition)
Reason for inclusion: Geo. Alec Effinger channels the best the New Wave movement—with its literary aspirations, metafictional explorations, and experimental storytelling—has to offer. The result is a multi-layered/complex homage to the the act of literary creation. What Entropy Means to Me weaves a fantastic web that gloriously subverts the genre of the fantasy/SF quest. The power of myth/history, fabrication, memory…
3. Beyond Apollo, Barry N. Malzberg (1972)
(Charles Moll’s cover for the 1973 edition)
Reason for inclusion: Beyond Apollo is a multi-faceted rumination on repression; a virulent critique of the space program and America’s obsession with space; a metafictional labyrinth that can, at times, be infuriatingly undefined. Malzberg’s fiction is heavily inspired by the rise of postmodernism in the mid to late 1960s that eschewed traditional plots: only a vague outline can be gathered by the ultimately cyclical 67 short chapters recounting memories, events, tellings/re-tellings/and re-tellings of re-tellings of said memories and events. Not for the fainthearted.
4. Memoirs of a Spacewoman, Naomi Mitchison (1962)
(R. S. Lonati’s cover for the 1964 edition)
Reason for inclusion: Naomi Mitchison’s first science fiction novel, Memoirs of a Spacewoman (1962), is a brilliant episodic exploration of the nature of non-violent interaction with alien species that challenge (and transform) conceptions of ourselves and others. Radical in its depiction of the transformations the family will undergo due to the pressures of women exploring the reaches of the galaxy away from their lovers and partners + time dilation (“blackout”), Mitchison posits a fantastic range societal transformations as humankind contacts bizarre new lifeforms, attempts radical communication experiments, and interacts with neighboring aliens for prolonged periods of time. Social science fiction at its best…
5. Missing Man, Katherine MacLean (1975)
(Richard Powers’ cover for the 1975 edition)
Reason for inclusion: Intellectual disability is a rare SF theme. Fragmentation, both mental and political, dominates this future world. Missing Man is a finely wrought vision of a future post-disaster Balkanized New York City comprised of innumerable communes, often at war with each other, inhabited by a small number of slightly telepathic people who are able to detect the emotions of others. Katherine MacLean’s prose is admirable. Beautiful sentences populate the pages. The result is an vibrant and organic world—replete with dystopic threads— which exudes realism. The original novella version won a Nebula in 1971.
6. The Iron Dream, Norman Spinrad (1972)
(Uncredited cover for the 1972 edition)
Reason for inclusion: Norman Spinrad’s The Iron Dream (1972) is a fantastic alternate history novel. However, unlike a standard “what if this happened instead and now let’s write a traditional narrative” alternate history, The Iron Dream is organized around a powerful metafictional conceit which explicitly serves to satirize pulp science fiction and fantasy and condemn its lurid nature and Spinrad would argue, racist inclinations. As with Nabokov’s Pale Fire (1962) where both an invented text and commentary on the text comprises the novel, The Iron Dream is composed of a pseudo-scholarly commentary on Hitler’s SF novel. Of course, if Hitler never came to power in Germany and wrote SF in the US instead.
One of many Spinrad novels that deserves inclusion (I suspect Bug Jack Barron (1969) would be their first pick).
7. Level 7, Mordecai Roshwald (1959)
Reason for inclusion: Roshwald’s novel should be considered along with Walter Miller, Jr.’s A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959, published 1960) as one of the best nuclear disaster sci-fi novels of the late 50s (and all time). Our protagonists are not explicitly Communist or anti-Communist. All references to government and politics are purposefully general in order to create a more universal message about the dehumanization of nuclear war. In its rigid “realism” the novel, because it is populated by unusual people who could survive underground for such a length of time, enters the realm of the surreal.
8. A collection of short fiction by Judith Merril (1940s/50s) and Miriam Allen deFord (1940s/50s) (reviews here and here)
([left]Richard Powers’ cover for the 1969 edition of Xenogenesis and [right] Robert Fosters’ cover for the 1970 edition of Daughters of Earth)
Reason for inclusion: Judith Merril was not only an important SF author of the 50s/60s but also was instrumental as an editor in popularizing the New Wave. Most of her work was in the short story format and as a result has faded in popularity as the novel took. Her novella “Daughters of the Earth” (1952) remains one of the most radical feminist visions of the future I have encountered from the 50s. It traces humanity’s exploration and colonization of the galaxy over multiple generations through the women of one family. Merril adeptly inverts the Old Testament Biblical trope of tracing generations through the fathers. Miriam Allen deFord was another prolific late 40s/50s/60s short story author whose visions are long forgotten in part because she never made the transition to writing novels. I propose a collection of both deFord and Merril stories (or a reprint of an existing Merril and/or deFord collection).
9. The Hieros Gamos of Sam and An Smith, Josephine Saxton (1969)
(Jack Faragasso’s cover for the 1970 edition)
Reason for inclusion: Josephine Saxton deftly utilizes the coming of age narrative, the quest (more character related than goal oriented), and a fabulist’s eye towards metaphor to weave together a touching and alluring tale. It is set in a world which, at least on the surface, is very much like our own. The buildings remain, food dispensers still dispense food, and undisturbed store shelves are fully stocked. However, the majority of the animals have disappeared and people are almost all gone. Cannibalism is hinted at. A few other individuals flit on the outskirts of the narrative, phantom-like, unsubstantial in their physicality. Are they hallucinations, or external viewers of the spectacle who intrude when needed before vanishing with no evidence of their arrival?
10. Moderan, David R. Bunch (1971) [review forthcoming]
(Norman Adams’ cover for the 1971 edition)
Reason for inclusion: Moderan is comprised of 46 short stories, previously published in a vast number of SF publications (such as Dangerous Visions) and small literary journals. Set in a far future world where men are “made mostly of metal” yet retain strips of human flesh, Bunch satirizes technology with often absurdist strokes. Filled with gorgeous prose, “flesh seemed doomed that years; death’s harpies were riding down” (21), Bunch conjures a vast and profoundly appealing tapestry of daily life, surreal warfare, and philosophical rumination.
1940s1950s1960s1970saliensAnna Kavanavant-gardeBarry N. Malzbergbook reviewscolonialismcolonizationDavid R. BunchexperimentalGeo. Alec EffingerJudith MerrilKatherine MacLeanMiriam Allen deFordNaomi MitchisonNorman Spinradpaperbackspost-apocalypticsci-fiscience fictionShort storiesspaceshipstechnology
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83 thoughts on “Updates: My Top 10 SF works (pre-1980) for inclusion in the Gollancz Masterwork series”
admiral.ironbombs says:
Great list! What Entropy Means To Me almost made my list, but since I haven’t read it yet, it didn’t make the final cut. Same with Katherine Maclean and Miriam Allen de Ford, I’ve read a lot of their shorter works and agree that they need to be included, but I haven’t found any of their novels to make any recommendations there. Spinrad’s not in the Masterworks yet? sheesh.
I would wager that Spinrad + Malzberg have seriously angered some members of the SF community for their rather radical critiques of the genre itself…. Spinrad for example is convinced he’s been essentially (perhaps this is too strong of a word) blacklisted. Very few New Wave novels are on the Masterwork list at all.
Shatterface says:
There’s Dangerous Visions, Delany’s Nova and Dhalgren, Harrison’s The Centauri Device, Masson’s The Caltraps of Time, Sladek’s Roderick, Aldiss’s Greybeard and Moorcock’s Behold the Man so they aren’t averse to New Wave sf.
Ballard’s The Drowned World was also an early release.
I suspect there’d be more Moorcock if Gollancz weren’t already reprinting the rest of his work in a seperate line.
I’d like to see Beyond Apollo, Bug Jack Baron and Thomas Disch’s Camp Concentration. Also, for fun, The Stainless Steel Rat and Bill, the Galactic Hero.
I’m surprised Aaron Sorkin hasn’t snapped up the film rights to Bug Jack Baron; it would be right up his street.
Well, Harrison’s The Centauri Device + Roderick + Dhalgren are rather at the tail end of the movement… Some argue it ends in 1972.
Most of those are in the post-2009 printings of the series.
Disch’s Camp Concentration was slated for release a while back! But neither it not 334 saw print. No idea why.. Perhaps someone knows?
Any works by women pre-Le Guin you’d like to see included?
As for Moorcock, I am no fan… Albeit, I have not read Behold the Man.
iansales says:
There’s plenty of New Wave in the series. I suspect there’d be more Ballard, but most of his novels are still in print. There probably ought to be more Aldiss, though, and Zoline’s collection would be a good candidate. Disch may have blotted his copybook with his weird rants in the months leading up to his suicide.
I would love a Zoline collection…. Oh, I had no idea about Disch (I know he committed suicide but did not know not about the rants).
I wish I knew more about copyright issues. Because yeah, I suspect works like Neuromancer and something by C. J. Cherryh would have been on the list already if there wasn’t some copyright problem.
The list has few short story collections — but the ones they do have are rather confusing, like The Caltraps of Time (1968) by David I. Masson…
A collection of women writers doing short fiction didn’t cross my mind, but just from the pieces I’ve read, I could see the viability of such a volume—you’ve read more de Ford and Merril than I have, but I could point to some killer work by de Ford, Merril, Mildred Clingerman, Zenna Henderson, Kate Wilhelm… More than enough for a Masterworks volume..
Exactly! I would aim it pre-1960 — a lot of authors simply did not write novels (or were not successful at shifting from short fic) in the 60s and thus have faded away… And, if they were women, we then get some sort of fallacious idea that serious SF by women “started” with Le Guin. I would have included more Wilhelm in my list but she did have Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang (1976) featured — so, it sort of violated my restrictive (but hopefully well meaning) guidelines.
Definitely agree. The lack of short fiction collections leaves out many authors whose work was primarily in the short form, so I made sure to include several when I came up with my own list. There’s also a lack of non-Anglo-American authors, and while I tried to touch on that issue I’m hoping someone more qualified than myself can come up with more suggestions.
Yes, completely. My range of time sort of excludes a lot of non-White Americans; other than Delany and Marta Randall I can’t think of that many non-White SF authors pre-1980.
Randall’s work is solid (well, Islands) but did not make the cut.
I do plan on reading Randall’s A City in the North (Ian Sales claims it is her best work and he’s read most of her stuff) over Winter Break. Perhaps my assessment will change.
“Women of Wonder: the Classic Years” would be a good one. I’ve only read about 1/2 the stories in it, but all were amazing, I assume the rest are, too: https://www.infosoup.org/record=b1210715~S77
unsubscriber says:
Great piece as usual Joachim, definitely a couple I’d have chosen on your list. I know you’ve been enjoying your Malzburg this year, I’ve picked a fair few up myself but I’d definitely love to see Effinger’s Entropy brought to a wider audience.
Thanks! Have you read Kavan’s Ice? Dislike the Szafran cover — never been a fan of his.
I haven’t read Ice although I have seen it knocking aroung from time to time. Might have to pick it next time.
They have a couple of Strugatsky Bros titles due out next year to compliment Roadside Picnic: Hard to be a God and Monday Begins on Saturday.
Other than Capek’s RUR they haven’t published much translated work.
Solaris deserves a better translation than the one we have (which is translated via French). A paperback based on the superior audiobook is overdue.
I see now that my list pales by comparison;it’s just not as esoteric.
No surprise not many New Wave novels have made the Masterworks cut. Like any experimental art form, it escapes the majority and is therefore deemed “poor”… This is not to say there isn’t some self-indulgent navel gazing in amongst the bunch, but certainly it’s less transparent than good ol’ Dune.
Well, you know me, I do gravitate towards the esoteric. Although, not all my picks are — Spinrad + Roshwald’s Level 7 for example. If you haven’t read Level 7, you must! One of the best of the 50s.
Part of the problem is that some of the New Wave writers were adopted by the mainstream; Ballard ‘a work has never been out of print so a Masterwork edition of The Atrocity Exhibition or Crash would be redundant.
The Friday Project are releasing most of Aldiss’ work at the moment. They don’t distinguish between his sf, fantasy, mainstream fiction, or even non- fiction.
Genre categories are fluid: Penguin Moden Classics have released some genre sf novels alongside their mainstream fiction: The Black Cloud, The Death of Grass and Make Room! Make Room! Any one of them would have fitted in with the Masterworks line.
One thing I’d like to see is Masterworks return the favour by publishing mainstream authors who have written sf but not under the label of sf, like EM Forster, Evelyn Waugh, Lao She or LP Hartley.
Well, my list does include Mitchison and Kavan, both of whom were “mainstream.”
…obviously of a lesser stature than the authors you listed.
I don’t know if “redundancy” is a valid point — Gollancz masterwork is aimed at a particular market. Dune has never been out of print. Neither has most of Heinlein, Clarke, Asimov, etc and they constantly get new volumes…
Do love Solaris and virtually everything Lem wrote…. There’s a ton of older French SF that Brian Stableford has been translating over the years. I wonder if any of it is any good (it’s all out of print mostly 19th century and earl 20th century stuff). There is a healthy number of modern/contemporary French SF authors and not much gets translated (I could read it in the original French but, eh, would take longer than I want).
There is a fantastic volume of French author H. Rosne Aine out in the Wesleyan Early Classics of Science Fiction Series – three novellas from 1888-1910. He was much better than Verne.
Pingback: My Eight Additions to SF Masterworks | Battered, Tattered, Yellowed, & Creased
Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Herland. It’s still in print by Penguin but so is Frankenstein. I don’t know if there are copywrite issues but it will be 100 years old next year.
Burdekin’s Swastika Night too (a possible influence on Orwell).
I have almost all the Women’s Press sf books from the Eighties.
Apart from Gilman and Mitcheson they’re mainly post-LeGuin/Russ too.
I haven’t read Swastika Night or Herland yet — I want to!
Frankenstein was picked up by the Masterwork series — along with Brackett’s The Long Tomorrow (pointed it out in the review). But there are none included other than that.
I was thinking about including C. L. More’s Doomsday Morning (1957) — but, not sure it’s a “classic.”
https://sciencefictionruminations.wordpress.com/2013/10/17/book-review-doomsday-morning-c-l-moore-1957/
Also, I want to read Judith Merril’s Shadow on The Hearth (1950) as well…
Heh, I liked Doomsday Morning enough to include it, but was on the fence with Shadow on the Hearth—I think you would very much enjoy it if you can find a copy, but I’m not sure it’s a first-round pick. Definitely a good choice though.
There’s a lot more Brackett they could publish. The Long Tomorrow isn’t typical of the sf we associate with her which tended more towards Planetary Romance.
Also Andre Norton was a prolific female sf author for decades.
I’ve read a lot of Norton — but no single volume screams “masterwork.” But rather, the body of work is very indicative of how popular her SF was for younger readers.
There was a Brackett collection, The Sea-Kings of Mars, published in the Fantasy Masterwork series.
Ah, did not know that Ian. *should probably scan the list*
My friend Chris over at Battered, Tattered, Yellowed, and Creased included More’s Doomsday Morning on his list 🙂
http://yellowedandcreased.wordpress.com/2014/12/18/my-eight-additions-to-sf-masterworks/
EDIT: he just pointed out the same thing above.
wgosline says:
What a great list. I’ve never heard of most of these books or writers, but the synopses offered remind me of what an thrilling genre science fiction was and remains to be.
Thanks! I have reviews of most of them linked.
What do you mean by “thrilling genre”? The reason I ask is that some people obviously prefer the adventure in a cool future stuff vs. the more intellectually inclined literary SF I tend to showcase on my site.
And thus are rather disappointed when they read the books I rated highest 😉
fromcouchtomoon says:
Great list and no surprise with some of them! Beyond Apollo and Memoirs of a Spacewoman are already on my TBR thanks to you, and I’ve actually got What Entropy Means to Me knocking about on my ereader and was hoping I might get to it over the holidays. Definitely looking for Ice, now, too.
I’m kind of surprised about the Spinrad inclusion. I remember you talking about The Iron Dream, but I didn’t remember that you loved it so much. I need to go back and read your review.
Yeah, I loved it! 4.75/5
Ice is a hard read. If you like Ballard’s The Drowned World (1962) you might like Ice.
I absolutely adored Memoirs of a Spacewoman; it reminded me that there are just so many great books out there that are not well-known.
Couldn’t agree more. Please Gollancz, pick up Memoirs of a Spacewoman! I’ll buy it! hehe
Ah, Ballard is another one I will be getting around to in the next year or so…
The Drowned World encapsulates everything I like about SF… well, almost everything. It’s missing some metafictional elements! Hahaha.
Richard Fahey says:
I thought the novel was seminal in releasing the tensions of inner space felt by the characters,who undergo psychological changes.Ballard was strongly influenced by Surrealism,and this can be powerfully felt here.
Isn’t this metafictional enough?
I am not sure (or do not remember) that at any moment Ballard “alludes to the artificiality or literariness of [the] work.” Which is generally how metafiction is defined.
Of course later Ballard experiments rather radically with metafictional techniques.
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I see.Ballard’s darkly exotic stuff was largely imagistic,alluding to states of mind that interpret the events.I think TDW was at least innovative in doing this,and opened the way for others to experiment with metafiction.
Most definitely. Kornbluth experimented with metafiction with stories such as “Ms. Found in a Chinese Fortune Cookie” — a recursive tale with a character named after one of Kornbluth’s pen name. And of course, Frederik Brown’s stuff… I suspect Ballard is inspired profoundly by more mainstream literature at the time as well.
He definitely was,not least by Jorge Luis Borges and Bill Burroughs.I think from what I have read of their unique stuff,they approached something like metafictional themes that was being imitated and reflected by what was being done by the likes of Ballard in the sf genre.
I’ve looked on two of the other blogs,and noticed they chose Ray Bradbury’s,”The Martian Chronicles”.That’s a seminal piece that is an injustice to have been ignored by the classics series I would have thought.
It might be a contractual issue with another press — I suspect a lot of the ultra classic type, why is it not on the list *gasps*, type books (no C. J. Cherryh for example) is due to existing contracts.
Yeah, I do love Borges.
Yes that makes sense.Hope you’ve read and like TMC.
Borges as far as I know,liked sf within the genre in turn.Have you read his “Fumes the Meritorius”?
Yes, I read The Martian Chronicles when I was a kid. I wasn’t into SF at the time but did enjoy them. As for Borges, I have his complete fictions and have read about half of them but not “Funes the Memorious.” Thanks for the rec.
Y.I. Washington says:
Great list. I’m going to have to head over to the used bookstore after Christmas to find several of these. You always expand my sci-fi education. Merry Christmas my friend.
Thanks! These might be hard to find in used book stores… unless they have obscenely gigantic collections. Abebooks/amazon might be a better venue.
Thanks. I’ll try there and save on gas.
I should just give in and head to Amazon. I have all but the Mitchison, Effinger, and Spinrad, and I’ve been scouring book shops for those for years.
First, please stop adding to my reading list! It is too long already, but since I LOVE the two books on your list that I’ve read (the Effinger & the Mitchison) I’ll just have to add all the others, won’t I? Sigh.
Most of my additions would probably be from *around* the ’80s (of course, rights notwithstanding, and not in any particular order):
1. Dawn by Octavia E. Butler (or maybe the whole Xenogenesis trilogy? though Dawn works fine on its own) Very readable, very unsettling.
2. Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre
Really showcases her world building, along with its other virtues.
3. Desolation Road by Ian McDonald
I saw this on somebody else’s list — big, big second! Magical Martian mystery tour. Just exactly what I like in my speculative fiction.
4. The Wolves of Memory by George Alec Effinger
My favorite of his. Just a wonderful mix of his off-kilter blend of satire, weirdness and wrenching heartbreak.
5. Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress
I usually find Kress’s style a little cold, but in protag Leisha Camden, she perfectly marries her style to the story. (Though I still say these kids were way too productive — if I didn’t sleep, I would just read more.)
6. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
I’m just going to assume this one is a rights issue.
Maybes:
7. Waiting for the Galactic Bus by Parke Godwin
Witty satire, a sharp and delightful read.
8. In the Mother’s Land (or The Maerland Chronicles) by Élisabeth Vonarburg
A lushly drawn world transformed by cataclysm. No one immerses me in alien society like Vonarburg.
9. Axiomatic by Greg Egan.
Love Egan’s short stories. His dense mind-bending style works much better for me at shorter lengths than in his novels.
10. The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee
I haven’t read Lee exhaustively; there might be a better representation among her works. But I do love this gothicky fairy tale science fiction-ish stew — which also has something of cult following, I believe. (Or maybe I just want to believe that 🙂
I was happy to see many of the authors I had already thought of on the list: James Morrow’s “This is the Way the World Ends” and Tiptree’s “Her Smoke Rose Up Forever” in particular. Not bad, Gollancz!
Thanks. I love making people buy books!
You know, Dreamsnake is the ONLY 70s Hugo winning novel I have yet to read. I need a copy — but I can never find one when I’m at used bookstores.
I need to read more Effinger…
“Funes the Meritorius” is about a man with perfect memory and the limitations it places on his life.Brian Aldiss talked of it in his sf history,”Trillion Year Spree”,as containing elements to be found within genre sf.
I remember my father telling me years ago to read it. He’s a Borges fanatic.
Borges is remarkable for only writing short pieces,usually in the form of essays or papers.
manglar says:
Another probable inclusion could be Margaret St. Clair’s Agent of the Unknown, published in 1956 in an Ace Double along with Dick’s The World Jones Made.
St. Clair’s novel isn’t perfect, but its subversion of genre tropes has been analyzed by critics like Clute in The SF Encyclopedia. Likewise, there is a subtle erotic subtext in the narrative that is really well crafted and adds layers of symbolism to what is a not very well known and underrated novel.
I have not read that particular St. Clair yet. I read and reviewed The Sign of the Labrys and thought it was really awful — although I enjoyed the setting and tone. I have a collection of her short stories but have found them rather average so far. But, Agent of the Unknown is definitely supposed to be her best novel.
One important 19th C book that should come back into print is Richard Jefferies’ After London (1887), one of the great Victorian post-apocalyptic novels. It’s worth a read for more than its historical interest.
I remember your review! Sounded really cool.
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natculturalmagpie says:
Great list! I’ll definitely be having a gander
Which one intrigues you the most?
Missing Man seems like my kind of sci-fi
Then snag a copy! I also wrote a review — link is the book title in the list.
jswriter65 says:
Outstanding, thoughtful choices. I was pleased you mentioned LEVEL 7. I’ve seen some reviews that basically read “What’s the big deal?” To me this would be a terrific “double feature” with THE ROAD, if only to show that McCarthy’s stripped-down approach really isn’t all THAT new to SF.
I think “the big deal” relates to how the novel is told, not the plot. The entire idea that a very select group of people were selected who would be able to live in such a world—who are that disconnected from their own surface existence—makes all the surreal realism (yes, that’s how I describe the book — haha) that makes it that darn good.
I read LEVEL 7 for the first time just a few years ago, and as with the other “older book I took forever to get to and then loved” I read that year, LORDS OF THE STARSHIP, I recommended it to anyone who’d listen. Both books are simply-written in terms of not having dozens of characters and subplots or ornate language, and both left be blown away. (And both had quick endings that kicked me in the head.)
I read Lords of Starship and did not care for it. I enjoyed how dark and dreary it was but ultimately it could have been so much more!
John Stephen Walsh says:
The Miriam A. Deford is on the way, thanks for the reminder. These all sound fascinating. (Another boost for LEVEL 7; even my non-SF-reading brother loved it.)
Mats B-P says:
…and do not forget “Kallocain” (1940) by poet Karin Boye (1900-1941).
/ Regards
Umm? This is my list, Kallocain is welcome to be on yours!
Hello again! Have You read it? 1940 -Then we can talk about “pre le Guin” She was a great poet also, but nearly impossible to translate.
She sadly took her life 1941.
I really like your site! (And the list also; what about Sonya Dorman?)
A comment like this — “oh, you didn’t include my favorite author” strikes me as follows. 1) You attempt cast aspersions on the list suggesting it is flawed due to the omission. 2) You haven’t read the books on the list in question. Have you read them?
And no, I have not read Karin Boye’s novel but I plan on doing so eventually. But, that it no way suggests that the 10 I included above are somehow unworthy as I did not include her!
As for Sonya Dorman, yes. I have reviewed a few of her stories in various anthologies. I enjoy her work immensely.
You are welcome to put together your own top 10 works for inclusion in the masterwork series if you wish….
My favorite novel? Well.. it is forty years since i was a teenager, so there are a few to chose among… Try this one; “Memoirs of a Dead Man” Written 1918 by Hjalmar Bergman (1883-1931).
My approach to culture are not that of top lists, but they can be fun to read sometimes. Yours among others. (Am not joking!)
Am am sad of your very aggresive responses to my earlier comments; but perhaps it is only the New American Trumpish era that has begun.
I apologize for my response. People often respond to such lists by suggesting that the lack of their favorite author somehow invalidates the rational behind the purpose and limitations of the list. Suggesting, due to my nationality (I presume?) that it was some feature of the New American Trumpish era makes me sad in many ways… Rather than contemplating the posibility (and in this case the reality) of misunderstanding….
As for the role of lists, I tend to agree with you. But, this isn’t exactly a standard “my top books” list. This is a list of potential additions to an existing, and lengthy, publication series that covers SF from Gollancz press. My suggestions were made with the attempt to be more inclusive by suggesting worthy but (in many cases) less known novels. i.e. works which should be republished and thus read by those who follow the series.
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Details for: Dr. Patrick Walsh's guide to surviving prostate cancer /
Dr. Patrick Walsh's guide to surviving prostate cancer / Patrick C. Walsh and Janet Farrar Worthington.
By: Walsh, Patrick C, 1938- .
Contributor(s): Worthington, Janet Farrar .
Material type: BookPublisher: New York : Warner Wellness, 2007Edition: Second edition, first revised edition.Description: xv, 575 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.Content type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: volumeISBN: 9780446696890; 0446696897.Other title: Doctor Patrick Walsh's guide to surviving prostate cancer.Subject(s): Prostate -- Cancer -- Popular works | Prostate -- Cancer DDC classification: 616.99/463 Online resources: Publisher description | Contributor biographical information
Introduction -- What the prostate does : a crash course in male anatomy -- Little gland, big trouble -- What causes prostate cancer? -- Can prostate cancer be prevented? -- Do I have prostate cancer? Screening and detection -- Diagnosis and staging -- What are my options? -- Radical prostatectomy -- Radiation and cryo/thermal ablation -- How successful is treatment of localized prostate cancer? -- Erectile dysfunction after treatment for localized prostate cancer -- Help for advanced prostate cancer -- Glossary -- Where to get help -- Index.
Non-Fiction Non-Fiction 616.65 WAL 1 Available
This guide covers every aspect of prostate cancer, from potential causes including diet to tests for diagnosis, curative treatment, and innovative means of controlling advanced stages of cancer.
Introduction -- 1. What the prostate does : a crash course in male anatomy -- 2. Little gland, big trouble -- 3. What causes prostate cancer? -- 4. Can prostate cancer be prevented? -- 5. Do I have prostate cancer? Screening and detection -- 6. Diagnosis and staging -- 7. What are my options? -- 8. Radical prostatectomy -- 9. Radiation and cryo/thermal ablation -- 10. How successful is treatment of localized prostate cancer? -- 11. Erectile dysfunction after treatment for localized prostate cancer -- 12. Help for advanced prostate cancer -- About the authors -- Glossary -- Where to get help -- Index.
Walsh, professor of urology at Johns Hopkins University, and Worthington, a medical writer, offer a thorough guide to one of the most frightening diseases for men. Starting with an explanation of how the prostrate works surprisingly, it's not an essential organ Walsh then discusses why prostate cancer is prevalent in the U.S. and other developed Western countries, but not in Asia. He also detail the reasons men develop prostate cancer, including age, race, family history and diet. The book describes a variety of symptoms, some of which indicate ailments other than cancer, and what steps should be taken to get a proper diagnosis. Complete with diagrams and charts detailing the results of biopsy, the book provides an exceptionally complete (albeit worrisome, for squeamish readers) overview of the disease. Many of these details not taking aspirin prior to a biopsy, taking antibiotics ahead of time should obviously be included in the information doctors routinely provide to patients, but given the state of today's medical system, having such information available in this ready guide is useful and reassuring. Similarly comprehensive and easy-to-understand explanations are provided for surgical and other types of treatment, side effects, postsurgical complications and more, as well as a glossary of medical terms, along with a brief resource section. While people shouldn't use this book as a substitute for a medical check-up, it is one of the best all-inclusive books on this subject. All men and their loved ones battling or concerned about prostate cancer should read this book. (Aug. 28) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Urologist-surgeon Walsh has long striven to improve the prostatectomy, so that men undergoing it run the least possible risk of postoperative incontinence and impotence. Worthington is well acquainted with prostate cancer because of her previous collaboration with Walsh, The Prostate (1993), and the illnesses of her late father-in-law and her father. In this hefty updating of the earlier book, they speak with authority as well as with ordinary reader friendliness. Each of 12 long chapters treats one aspect of the prostate, its diseases, and their treatments, and each begins with a summary of its contents entitled "Read This First." Fully expecting the book to be browsed, Walsh and Worthington also list each chapter's topical subheadings at its offset. More prostate cancer is being reported every year, thanks to rapid recent progress in detecting the disease, and many more men are being cured of it, thanks to rapidly improving treatments. Those bits of breaking news mandate adding the book to any collection patronized by men and the women who care about them. --Ray Olson
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Young Adult ×
Interview with Maranna Chan
How do you write a mystery book? We unravel the processes involved in the creation of young adult mystery series Triple Nine Sleuths with the author, local educator and first-time writer Maranna Chan. The first three books in the series, Dangerous Limelight, Dangerous Despair and Dangerous Island were released in the first half of 2013.
How did the Triple Nine Sleuths series come about?
It all started when my husband was trying to describe to me what a decomposed body smells like. He visited a friend that lived in a one-room where an elderly neighbour had died without anyone’s knowledge. He said the smell permeated the entire floor and even after a week, the smell still lingered. That sparked the beginning of book 1. I ended the first book with a cliffhanger and wanted to continue with the second book but when I told the story for book 2 to my husband, he said that should be the main plot that runs through a series and revealed only at the end. So that was how the idea for a series began.
How did you develop the characters Corey, Colton and Stacy?
The first draft was actually about Corey and Stacy only but I was given feedback that it would only appeal to girls and cut my readership to half so I added in Colton. Corey was going to be the smart, shy one and Stacy the funny, outgoing one. I decided if there was going to be a boy, he should be the one that wants to get to the bottom of things.
What makes the Triple Nine Sleuths series different from other mystery series for young adults?
Firstly, it’s set in Singapore. It’s fun to read about a mystery in a setting that’s familiar to us. Secondly, it’s fast-paced. The suspense often starts from Chapter 1. Thirdly, there is another mystery about Stacy’s parents that runs throughout the series.
How do you do research for your books? Do you rely a lot on technology, like the Triple Nine Sleuths? Or, are you inspired by the locations you visit, like St John’s Island in Book 3, Dangerous Island?
Like Colton and Corey, I live in Serangoon and there’s a Primary and Secondary school just next to my block. There’s a one-room type flat opposite my block, a basketball court below my flat, a new elderly care centre at a void deck of my neighbouring block. The NEX mall is close by and I often visit the library there. The places in my books are based on what’s around me. I used to visit St.John’s Island yearly…Till the bed bugs really got to me.
You’ve mentioned you enjoy crime shows on television. Which are your favourites? Do you draw from these in writing your books?
The Mentalist, Bones, Hawaii Five-O, CSI, Castle, Psych, NCIS. I usually like those that have some humor in them. Yes, definitely, they are written mainly in dialogue so they read like a television series. I think some readers would like something light and entertaining. That’s what the Triple Nine Sleuths series is.
You have a background in education, having worked with Montessori kids up till secondary school students.What advice would you give to parents who want to encourage their kids to read?
Start when they are very young. Read to them regularly even when they’re babies. Bond with your kids as you read to them and make it a pleasant experience. They will always have a good memory about reading and it will become a part of their lives.
What advice would you share with young aspiring writers?
Don’t let criticism discourage you but let it help you improve your work instead. Be humble and be willing to make changes to your work.
We’re now editing Book 4, Dangerous Schemes, and you’re hard at work on Book 5, Dangerous Message. Can you give us any hints about Corey, Colton and Stacy’s upcoming adventures?
Later in the series, Stacy will be framed for a murder. It also brings her closer to finding out what happened to her parents ten years ago. Look out for that one in Dangerous Mistakes.
For more information and updates on the Triple Nine Sleuths, click here.
Tags: Interview Maranna Chan Triple Nine Sleuths Young Adult
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Hotels near Sanshui Lotus World, Foshan
Foshan Sanshui Lotus World Hotels
Cheap Flights to Foshan
Popular Hotels near Sanshui Lotus World
Golden City Hotel
Zhumiao District
The Golden City Hotel (Foshan Jincheng Dajiudian) is situated in Foshan's downtown area, approximately 3 km (2 mi) from Foshan Railway Station.
The on-site restaurants serve Chinese and Western dishes.
Business travelers are invited to make the most of the business center and meeting rooms.
In their leisure time, guests can head to the gym for a workout, take a refreshing dip in the indoor swimming pool or relax in the sauna. This Foshan hotel provides free Wi-Fi in public areas and free parking on site.
FromSGD35.00
Swissotel Foshan Guangdong
The Swissotel Foshan Guangdong (Foshan Heng'an Ruishi Dajiudian) is convenient to the Zumiao Commercial District Fenjiang Financial District and the Foshan Highway connecting Foshan to Guangzhou and Shunde.
This Foshan hotel occupies the top 15 floors of the 50-storey Foshan International Plaza, one of the Foshan's most distinctive architectural icons and the tallest building in the city. Each room features modern décor and deluxe amenities such as plasma TVs, evening turndown service, daily newspapers and Internet access.
Guests at the Swissotel can enjoy access to the hotel's sleek fitness center or indoor pool.
Hongyun Hotel
The Hongyun Hotel provides a great place for travelers to relax after a busy day. The Hongyun Hotel offers a pleasant stay in Foshan for those traveling for business or leisure.
The hotel is conveniently located just 2km from Foshan Railway Station and 52km from Baiyun International Airport. Just a short walk from Zumiao Metro Station, traveling to most city destinations is a breeze. With Liang Yuan, Yewen Hall and Oriental Plaza all within a short distance, there is no shortage of things to do in the area.
In their spare time, guests can explore the hotel's surroundings. This Foshan hotel offers parking on site.
If you demand a high level of service, our guests have indicated that this hotel has excellent standards. This hotel is particularly popular with those traveling on business.
Marco Polo Lingnan Tiandi Foshan
Located in the central Chancheng District of Foshan at the junction of Zumiao Road and Renmin Road, the Marco Polo Lingnan Tiandi Foshan (Foshan Lingnan Tiandi Make Boluo Jiudian) is designed with a modern and oriental touch.
It is adjacent to the Ancestral Temple and the beautiful Lingnan Tiandi historic redevelopment. It is only a short walk to the Zumiao subway station and 55 minutes’ drive to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.
The hotel features rooms and suites, including three stylish villas with private gardens and a variety of 1-3 bedroom serviced apartments. All rooms have private balconies, either overseeing the Foshan Lingnan Tiandi development or the city center.
When it comes to dining, Café Marco, an all day dining venue, offers sumptuous breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets in addition to the extensive a la carte menu in a casual and relaxed ambience.
The hotel offers a magnificent 1,000 seat Marco Polo Ballroom, a Ceremonial Hall for weddings and 7 well-equipped function rooms with natural light and landscaped gardens.
After a long day of sightseeing or business meetings, guests can take a dip in the 28-meter indoor pool to unwind or visit the state-of-the-art gymnasium.
Crowne Plaza Foshan
Choose the elegant Crowne Plaza Foshan hotel for successful business and a superb location in the heart of downtown Foshan.
Local attractions such as the Ancestral Temple, Foshan Culture Centre, Liang's Garden and Lingnan Tiandi plus major venues like the Century Lotus Stadium, International Sports & Performing Arts Centre and the Foshan Theatre are all within easy reach of the hotel. For travel convenience, Foshan West and Central Rail Stations and Foshan Coach Station are no more than a 10-20 minutes taxi ride away, plus direct bus sevices linking Hong Kong and Macau and shuttle bus service to/from Shunde Port are all here at Crowne Plaza Foshan.
Crowne Plaza Foshan is only a 50-minute drive from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. Foshan Metro's Zumiao station is just a short walk away from the hotel and it can take you to Guangzhou central in about 20 minutes. There are also frequent coach services to Hong Kong and Macau leaving directly from the hotel.
Starry Four Seasons
The Starry Four Seasons provides a great place for travelers to relax after a busy day. Visitors to Foshan will find that the Starry Four Seasons is a fantastic accommodation choice.
The hotel is conveniently located just 9km from Foshan Railway Station and 58km from Baiyun International Airport. The closest major public transportation, Chao'an Metro Station, is only 3km away. There is no shortage of things to see in the area, with the Foshan Lingnan Pearl Stadium, Wu Qin's Mausoleum and Yayi Park Shiduo Shop all nearby.
After a long day of sightseeing, guests can retire to the comfort of the hotel. Guests of this Foshan hotel can make use of the parking facilities.
Our guests rate this hotel as one of the best hotels for cleanliness. For guests traveling on business, this hotel is consistently one of the most popular choices.
Ramada Foshan
The Ramada Foshan was recently renovated in 2019, making it a fantastic choice for those staying in Foshan.
Boasting a convenient location, the hotel is just 10km from Foshan Railway Station and 54km from Baiyun International Airport. Transportation around the city is also convenient, with Guicheng Metro Station within walking distance. There is no shortage of things to see in the area, with the Asia Arts Park, The Foshan Folk Art Research Institute and Foshan Lingnan Pearl Stadium all nearby.
This hotel makes a great place to kick back and relax after a long day of sightseeing. Airport pickup can be arranged by the hotel upon request. For those driving themselves, parking is provided on site.
If cleanliness is important to you, this hotel makes an excellent choice, as our guests consider this to be one of the cleanest hotels in the city. This hotel is particularly popular with those traveling on business.
Yumi Boutique Apartment (Foshan Ancestral Temple)
Yumi Boutique Apartment (Foshan Platon Hotel) (Former Zumiao Platon U Apartment) is located in the central business district of Chancheng District, in the core area of the Foshan Zumiao business district. 50 meters directly to Guangfu Line Zumiao Station Exit B, adjacent to Huang Feihong Memorial Hall, Liang Garden, Ye Wentang, Jane's Villa, Donghuali and other famous tourist attractions.
The apartment is less than 500 meters away from shopping and entertainment centers such as Zumiao Commercial Street, Baihua Plaza, Xinghua Shopping Mall and Lingnan Station. The transportation is very convenient. The apartments have high-end suites ranging from 45 to 85 square meters. The room has high-speed fiber optic, WIFI, landscape balcony, open kitchen, brand appliances, furniture, etc., equipped with 42-inch TV, FRANKE refrigerator, washing machine, induction cooker, smoking machine and so on. The apartment also has a business meeting room, a restaurant, flexible rental period, daily rent, monthly rent, annual rent, let people enjoy the freedom and warmth of home life.
Carrianna Hotel
The Carrianna Hotel (Foshan Jianingna Dajiudian) is a four-star hotel located near Liangyuan, two kilometers from the airport and a kilometer from the railway station.
There are various meeting rooms and a conference room with a capacity of 450 guests. The hotel's business centre provides fax, IDD/DDD, typing, translation and photocopying services.
In terms of recreation, guests can swim in the heated swimming pool, dance up a storm in the dancing hall and work out in the fitness room.
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Sanshui Lotus World Hotel Guide
Foshan is a city that is both old and young. It has been named in the Tang Dynasty since its establishment in Jin Dynasty. From ancient times, it has had the reputation of being the Southern Capital of Pottery and the birthplace of Lingnan medicinal herbs. In the Tang and Song dynasties, the handicraft industry and commerce were quite developed in Foshan. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, together with Hankou, Jingdezhen, and Zhuxian town, Foshan was listed as one of the four most famous towns in China. During the Qing dynasty, "Beijing in the north, Foshan in the south, Suzhou in the east, Hankou in the west" were known as the four most important commercial cities in the country.
The prosperity of the economy has promoted the local culture and Shiwan Figurine arts and crafts have become internationally famous. In modern times, the city became well known for the famous martial arts master Wong Fei-hung. In addition, Foshan is also the birthplace of the Cantonese Opera. Therefore, Foshan, the birthplace of art, ceramics, food, and martial arts, not only carries traditional culture, but also guides the emerging trends of the future. Foshan is also the hometown of Wing Chun practitioner Leung Jan, and Bruce Lee, master of the Kung Fu world.
Foshan is located in the south-central part of Guangdong in the Pearl River Delta, adjacent to Hong Kong and Macau. The water, land, and air transportation of Foshan are unobstructed, and the land is vast and abundant. Since ancient times, Foshan’s fertile land allowed it to be the gate that opened southern China to the world. As early as the Eastern Han dynasty, Foshan's cultural and agricultural economy were quite developed. Foshan is known as the southern pottery capital. Ceramic production began in the Tang dynasty, laid its foundation in the Song dynasty, flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and today, Foshan has become China's largest ceramic production base.
Foshan ceramics has opened its historical prelude of burning pottery as early as the Shell Mound in the late Neolithic period. During the Qin and Han dynasties, Foshan's pottery-making techniques were at a relatively high level. A large number of locally-unearthed pottery figurines, animals, and utensils proved that ceramic arts were already being made at that time. During the Six Dynasties, Foshan locals had already mastered the ceramic glaze technology. In the Tang dynasty, Foshan produced commercial ceramic products. In the Song dynasty, Foshan ceramics products transitioned from the circular kiln production to the dragon kiln production and a specialized and scaled production system for ceramic products was gradually formed. In the Ming dynasty, Foshan ceramics entered a prosperous period. At this time, Foshan, as a focal point for the production of folk ceramics, was already unique in its method of industrial production. The use of Foshan ceramic manufacturing technology has continuously improved, and the appearance of fine arts ceramics with a local folklore characteristics also greatly enhanced the Foshan ceramic art. Tiles produced in Foshan, the world-class quality, which generally reflects the status of Foshan ceramics production at that time. In the Qing dynasty, Foshan ceramics embraced a boom, and a large number of various types of daily-use ceramics were produced.
The production of unique pottery tiles, construction decoration components, Buddhist statues, gardening supplies, furnishings, writing furnishings, artistic figures, flowers and birds, and ceramics not only opens up a broad market in many provinces and regions of southern China, but are also widely exported to markets in Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States through the Maritime Silk Road, becoming a highly developed production technology and commodity economy at the time.
The annual average temperature of Foshan is between 21.2-22.2°C. The climate is mild and the best travel time to Foshan is from April to October. There are many hotels in Foshan, ranging from high-end hotels to budget accommodation. Foshan hotels have a complete infrastructure. Middle level to high-end hotels also have meeting rooms, gymnasiums, and swimming pools. In addition, convenient transportation is available around the hotels in Foshan.
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Nanhai District
Shunde District
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Sanshui District
Nanhai Center
Xiqiao
Lecong、Longjiang
Xiqiao Scenic Spot
Tourism Expo
Foshan Ancestral Temple
Qinghui Garden
Nanhai Television Base
Sanshui Lotus World
Nanfeng Ancient Kiln
Mt. Foshan Liang Park
Mt. Shunfeng Park
Sanshui Forest Park
Donghuali Walking Street
Bijiang Golden House
HuaGai Lu BuXingJie
Confucius Temple of Foshan
Qingyun Taoist Temple
Foshan Railway Station
Shunde Railway Station
Beijiao Railway Station
Foshan Sanshui Railway Station
Foshan West Railway Station
Sanshui South Railway Station
Sihui
Foshan hotel information & deal: Check out room rates, photos, a map and reviews of hotels in Foshan and find the best deals on Foshan hotels. Trip.com offers big savings on online reservations for Foshan accommodation. Book Foshan vacation packages and Foshan tours with huge discounts on Trip.com!
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Right Wing Militias in Ukraine Say They’ll March on Kiev Next
Dan Wright 2014-09-08
08 Sep 2014 Dan Wright
Ceasefire between Ukraine, pro-Russian separatists holding despite sporadic violations: http://t.co/cWhxLTlNKr pic.twitter.com/RNZ1SZrj72
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) September 8, 2014
Though the right wing militias battling in East Ukraine were ostensibly fighting for the government in Kiev, it appears once the east is secured they have other plans. After the right wing militias who are referred to as “volunteers” were routed in the recent fighting they told Western media they held the government in Kiev responsible for their loses and would one day overthrow it the same as they had overthrow former President Victor Yanukovich.
While the official military units under the control of Kiev had pulled back from East Ukraine the volunteers kept fighting the separatists and were ultimately defeated and forced to run west. Both the defeat and the lack of support from Kiev left a bad taste in their mouths and led to public announcements that the current government in Kiev may be the next to face their fire.
The battalions enjoy popular support. During the battle, protests outside the presidential administration and the general staff offices in Kiev drew hundreds of angry citizens calling for reinforcements be sent to Ilovaisk, a demand Poroshenko promised to fulfill. Fighters in battalions like Donbass and the far-right unit Azov have promised that when the war is over they will hold another round of protests like the ones that forced President Viktor Yanukovych from power last winter. Ukraine’s new government, they say, is full of officials who are either incompetent or on Moscow’s payroll.
“We will close the border and then go to Kiev to change the regime,” said Frannik, of the Donbass Battalion. “People died on Maidan, and no one answered for it. Now people are dying [in Ilovaisk] and nobody is answering for this. And we want to change this.”
So the US is arming another terrorist group that will blow back on them? Try to act surprised. Clearly President Poroshenko is not aggressive enough for total war and total victory.
If the volunteers do overthrow the current government in Kiev don’t be surprised if you see some regalia from the not-too-distant past. Many of the far right fighters that make up the volunteers long for days of blood and honor, specifically when Nazi Germany rolled tanks through Ukraine towards Soviet Russia. According to one journalist who ran into the militias fighting for Kiev “When we got to the Ukrainian checkpoint the men told us that it was a coastguard cutter that had been hit, they thought by a tank. They were from the Azov Battalion, one of the Ukrainian volunteer militias. On their vehicles and their arm flashes they had the “wolfsangel,” a neo-Nazi symbol, which is their insignia and which tells you much of what you need to know about their background.”
Regime change, what could go wrong?
CommunityThe Bullpen
Coloradans Still Happy They Legalized Marijuana
Ukraine Conflict: Red Meat for Anemic NATO Alliance
Daniel Wright is a longtime blogger and currently writes for Shadowproof. He lives in New Jersey, by choice.
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Many Shortfalls Of Wage Theft Enforcement For Migrant Workers
‘We’re Not Being Paid’: Musicians Struggle Against Orchestra Management, Streaming Services
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Ezra Klein Reviews “Confidence Men,” and Finds it Sorely Lacking
Posted: November 5, 2011 | Author: bostonboomer | Filed under: Domestic Policy, Economy, Team Obama, The Great Recession, U.S. Economy, U.S. Politics | Tags: Barack Obama, Beltway Bob, book reviews, Brooksley Born, Christina Romer, Confidence men, Elizabeth Warren, Ezra Klein, Larry Summers, Ron Suskind, Sheila Bair, Tim Geithner | 44 Comments
Ezra Klein, AKA Beltway Bob
Ezra Klein (AKA Beltway Bob) is really coming up in the world. He somehow managed to get a gig writing a review of Ron Suskind’s book Confidence Men for the New York Review of Books. I’m impressed, I must admit.
As you probably guessed already, Klein is quite critical of the book. In fact he thinks Suskind should have written a completely different kind book instead–maybe even a couple of different kinds of books.
As I see it, Suskind set out to write an interesting and entertaining political book about Obama’s economic advisers, how they interacted with each other and the President, and how administration economic policy took shape over the first couple of years. The book is gossipy and very much focused on the people involved and their relationships with each other. As a psychologist, I found it fascinating to read Suskind’s insights.
Klein admits that
The work that went into Confidence Men cannot be denied. Suskind conducted hundreds of interviews. He spoke to almost every member of the Obama administration, including the President…He takes you inside…the Oval Office. He heads to Wall Street and back. He quotes memos no one else has published. He gives you scenes that no one else has managed to capture.
But that isn’t good enough. Klein disapproves of the gossipy, personality-centered tone of Confidence Men. He wants Suskind to provide evidence for his personal assessments of people. For example, Klein objects to Suskind’s description of Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s appearance at Obama’s announcement that Elizabeth Warren would be working with Geithner to set up a consumer agency that she had first conceived of and then fought for. Although Warren didn’t know it yet, she would never head the agency, because Geithner had already made a deal with the bankers: they would accept a consumer agency as long as Warren wasn’t put in charge.
Here’s the passage that Klein found offensive:
This has caused discomfort not only for the president, but also for his top lieutenants, including the boyish man in the too-long jacket at Obama’s right hip, bunched cuffs around his shoes, looking more than anything like a teenager who just grabbed a suit out of dad’s closet. That’s Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, looking sheepish.
Klein so objected to this paragraph that he felt he had to go watch the announcement again himself, to see if Suskind’s description was accurate.
I prefer to verify. So I went back to the tape. I rewatched the September 2010 press conference where Obama introduced Warren to the country. I paid special attention to Geithner. Suskind’s right: his suit is too big. But he doesn’t look sheepish or ashamed. He looks, by turns, bored and interested. He clasps his hands behind his back. He nods attentively. He tries not to fidget. He looks like every experienced bureaucrat looks when they’re asked to stand like a prop near the president. Blank, and trying not to make any news. He failed.
But Klein doesn’t offer any evidence for his observations either. How can he know what Geithner was thinking–that he tried “not to fidget” and tried “not to make any news?” He can’t. Klein has shared his own observations and interpretations, just as Suskind did. But Klein finds it annoying. He didn’t want to read a book about people, based on the close observations and opinions of its author. No, Klein wanted a book about policy, and he felt that
…any account of what he [Obama] has done wrong, or what he could do right, needs to provide, first and foremost, a persuasive case of how the White House could have done more to promote an economic recovery over the last three years, or could do more to accelerate one now.
Klein wanted a wonky book, heavy on policy and light on human interest, and he can’t understand why Suskind wrote something different. Quite honestly, I think Klein should go right ahead and write a book like that if he wants to. It wouldn’t be as much fun to read as Suskind’s book, but it might make people like Matt Yglesias and Brad DeLong happy.
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The Big Beltway Chill
Posted: October 8, 2011 | Author: dakinikat | Filed under: Barack Obama | Tags: Beltway Bob, Confidence men, Ezra Klein, Obama retrospectives, Ron Suskind, Scott Wilson, White House correspondents | 16 Comments
Autumn brings campaigns and the chilly season. This year also seems to be bringing chilly retrospectives on the Obama Presidency. This Presidency has disappointed many. I think there’s finally some introspection going on within the Washington Press Corps as well as the retrospection. They may be wondering how they became so enamored of some one who seems so detached from leadership basics.
People have been leafing through their copies of Confidence Men. I read an article today by Ezra Klein called “Could this time have been different?” Klein almost steps outside of his Beltway Bob mentality. Almost. Klein is still making excuses for how the administration got the economy so wrong even though the tick tock and the economic rationale make sense. Now, politicos will have to read this one from Scott Wilson–the white house correspondent at WAPO–with it’s interesting title: “Obama, the loner president”. It seems the defining campaign moment should’ve have been “Why can’t I just eat my waffle” because Wilson says that’s how the president handles in job.
Beyond the economy, the wars and the polls, President Obama has a problem: people.
This president endures with little joy the small talk and back-slapping of retail politics, rarely spends more than a few minutes on a rope line, refuses to coddle even his biggest donors. His relationship with Democrats on Capitol Hill is frosty, to be generous. Personal lobbying on behalf of legislation? He prefers to leave that to Vice President Biden, an old-school political charmer.
Obama’s circle of close advisers is as small as the cluster of personal friends that predates his presidency. There is no entourage, no Friends of Barack to explain or defend a politician who has confounded many supporters with his cool personality and penchant for compromise.
Obama is, in short, a political loner who prefers policy over the people who make politics in this country work.
Great. Now they figure that out. Isn’t that just special?
So, the theme of the piece is the portrait of Obama as an isolated man about to head into a reelection campaign that’s looking more and more uphill. His only good fortune at the moment is the one candidate that’s most likely to beat him–Mitt Romney–is the one candidate that can’t appease the vast whacky, moralistic, reactionary Republican base. I’m actually thinking that if this does turn out to be a race between the two of them that we’re likely to see the lowest voter turnout ever. We might as well consider the theme to be dull and duller.
The Wilson ‘essay’ is based on conversations with White House “insiders” and allies over a period of time and although most aren’t named, you can assume that WAPO still does some due diligence in terms of vetting unnamed sources. Well, maybe I should replace that with you would hope they still do that. I’ve been supremely interested in the incredible amount of turnover that’s happened in the staff. It seems the economists all but fled the West Wing. Confidence Men only partially satiated my curiosity. The article points out the quick and easy political response that Obama is such an intellectual and policy wonk, so professory, that he’s got some highly developed form of the Carter disease. The White House still thinks there’s been some major accomplishments and that the press and the public have been slow to appreciate them. I still can’t figure out how highly compromised, marginally effective legislation is supposed to enthrall and inspire. Color me jaded. I’ve gotten way pass the eleven dimensional chess explanation. The article still trots that out.
To veterans of the campaign, though, it was more a matter of Washington not understanding the leadership upgrade that had just taken place. “He’s playing chess in a town full of checkers players,” a senior adviser and campaign veteran told me in the first months of the administration. Obama had a “different metabolism,” the aide explained.
“It’s not cockiness,” the adviser added, “it’s confidence.”
I wouldn’t have called it cockiness or confidence. I thought it was basic mismanagement by failing to identify-and effectively dispatch–the priorities that sent you to the office. People asked for a better economy and an end to wars. The other request was less torture, less domestic spying, and more respect for the constitution. What they got was the old Dole Health care plan of the 1990s, incredible bailouts for Wall Street, and more of the same. He totally got the agenda wrong. That doesn’t seem to account for much, however, if you read the article or any of t he other semi apologetic retrospectives I referenced above. The Washington Media still wants to like him and still wants to be right. They’ve developed an incredible stake in an Obama come back story.
When AIG was preparing to pay its executives millions in bonuses after receiving billions in bailouts, Obama’s inner populist and inner law professor couldn’t come to an agreement. He talked about contract law, then lashed out at the greed and moral bankruptcy of Wall Street, then urged the country not to scapegoat bankers.
Who was the president listening to? The academics, bankers and campaign operatives who populated his inner circle — with personalities much like his own.
White House officials invariably told me that Obama listened to everyone in meetings, then made decisions within a smaller group, rarely reaching outside the White House. “He’s not a guy that leans on others too much,” David Axelrod, his senior adviser at the time, told me in January 2010. “He processes things in his own mind.”
In that cerebral isolation, Obama used his first year in office to chase history rather than focus on the most immediate problem of the day — an economy shedding hundreds of thousands of jobs a month.
Biden, whose last-minute lobbying had helped push through the stimulus bill, and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, the frenetic former congressman from Chicago and onetime Bill Clinton adviser, were among the few who offered a feel for contact politics, a personal heat to offset Obama’s cool. They pressed the president to think and talk about jobs — the issue the public ranked as most important — above all else.
Instead, Obama chose health-care reform, a campaign pledge that promised him a place in American history and, in his technocratic take, would “bend the cost curve” of the country’s fiscal plight.
I wrote this years ago and I’ll write it again. I think Obama chose health care not because of anything else other than to prove he could push through something that was considered Hillary Clinton’s Waterloo. It often strikes me as supremely ironic that we got the Republican Health Care plan out of all that and now he owns it big time. The Lincoln Chaffee plan developed by the Heritage Foundation and anointed Dole Care that was adopted by Romney for Romney care is now ObamaCare. The Democrats burned decades of political capital passing the plan they fought against tooth and nail in 1993-1994. Quelle ironie!
So, this is the killer part of the story. It details acts of narcissism as some kind of Obama brand of empathy. This I really don’t get at all. How can a person that self-identifies with every one but misunderstands so many people be some kind of American every man?
On the stump, Obama is often the star of his own story, preferring a first-person identification with nearly any issue.
He has called himself the first Pacific president, embraced his Irish roots, joked about being part Polish because of the years he spent in Chicago and presented his up-by-the-bootstraps life as proof that America can dig itself out of its current hole.
The next part of the article contrasts the Obama style to Clinton. This makes Obama look like a complete fish out of water for the career he chose. As an example, the narrative moves to the President’s attempt to preach religion to the Congressional Black Caucus which managed to raise more than a few eyebrows.
He addressed the audience as one of them. But the first African American president has made clear that his race does not shape his policies, nor does he identify as a black politician. So his final command was puzzling, even infuriating, to some in the crowd.
“I expect all of you to march with me and press on,” he said. “Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying. We are going to press on. We’ve got work to do, CBC.”
To watch Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), a former CBC chair, address the president’s hectoring a few days later — she said Obama must have gotten “carried away” — was to watch someone unable to explain the motivations of someone she did not truly know.
This is where I want to actually head back to that Beltway Bob piece because Klein thinks there is actually some indication that the White House sees some of its missteps and may be making a course correction. You see some of the same narrative there as in the Wilson piece. Is this wishful thinking on their part or political calculus on the part of OFA?
“The biggest problem we had in terms of the loss of political capital is we came in and did a bunch of stuff, and things got worse,” says Ron Klain, who served as chief of staff to Biden. “And some of that was just bad luck. If we didn’t have the 22nd Amendment and Barack Obama became president in late March rather than in late January, things would have been much worse when we came in than they were. And then the Recovery Act would have come not in February, but in May. We would already have hit bottom, and it would seem like things were getting better.”
This has led to a what-if that torments the White House’s political team: What if it hadn’t taken on so much? The administration rushed from the second bucket of bailout funds to the stimulus to the auto-industry rescue to health care to climate change legislation to financial regulation. In a world where the economy was steadily recovering, Obama might have amassed a record comparable to Franklin Roosevelt’s. But as the situation slowly deteriorated, the American people turned against the administration’s crush of initiatives. The frenetic pace made the White House seem inattentive and unfocused amid a mounting crisis.
But the alternative is similarly difficult to imagine. No one believes that significantly reining in the agenda would have led to much more stimulus. Perhaps the president would have benefited politically from speaking more about jobs and less about health care, but then again, he had historic majorities in both houses of Congress and had come into office promising dramatic change.
Yes, I do think there was this miscalculation that a minimal stimulus built to look like a compromise was going to wave a magic wand over an economic crisis that stemmed from a financial meltdown. These kinds of crises drag on for decades. All we have to do is look at the Asian currency crises of 1997-1998 and Japan to figure that out. That even misses our own experience in the aftermath of the last two of ours in the 1920s and the 1870s. However, when you’re elected on an agenda to end wars, jump start the economy, and stop executive branch excesses and you do none of the above, how the hell do you explain yourself period? When you’re given such a clear agenda and you fail to lie out the strategies and get with the program and stick with it, it can only be called bad leadership and worse management. It’s been three continual years of this. No one else is going to pay attention to the other things when you never handle the basic mandate.
Again, I’m seeing these retrospectives as The Village trying to figure out how they get the narrative in 2008 so wrong. They still so want to be right about him. It’s hard for me to take anything Obama says too seriously now given the disconnect of the last three years from his political rhetoric of three years ago. I see it less as changing course and more as just trying to suck every one into the hope for change again. Frankly, I’m pretty disgusted and at this point, I see voting as futile exercise. Correct me if I’m wrong.
Late Night: “Confidence Men”
Posted: September 20, 2011 | Author: bostonboomer | Filed under: U.S. Economy, U.S. Politics | Tags: Barack Obama, Confidence men, Ron Suskind | 22 Comments
I got my copy of Ron Suskind’s Confidence Men late this afternoon. I’ve only read two chapters so far, but I’ve found those quite interesting. After watching the above video, I’m not sure I agree with Suskind that Obama has grown and changed in office. I hope he’s right, but how many times has Obama said the “right thing” in a speech and then done the exact opposite? I’d love to be proven wrong, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
Certainly, most people who have read the book don’t see it as favorable to Obama, even though that’s Suskind’s spin in the above video. I’ll keep you posted as I work through the book, and I hope some of you will read it along with me.
So far, in the first couple of chapters, I’ve already encountered an example of blatant sexism that no one in the media has mentioned. The scene is a two-hour meeting between Obama and his economic team in August, 2007. The discussion turns to the possibility that the housing bubble would burst, tanking the economy. What would the President do then?
The men (no women are mentioned) begin talking about jobs and how more women are now going to college than men, and men are dropping out of the labor market. How would they create jobs for all these underemployed men? The fastest growing segment of the economy–then and now–was the health care industry. How could they funnel men into nursing, caring for the elderly, and so on. Here’s what Obama had to say:
“Look, these are guys…A lot of them see health care, being nurse’s aides as women’s work. They need to do something that fits with how they define themselves as men.”
Now that is just plain ridiculous. As someone who has dealt extensively with the health care system, including the mental health system and elder care, I can tell you that there are tons of men in those fields–male nurses, orderlies, aides, and administrators. But the consensus in the room is that Obama is correct:
“men like to build, to have something to show for their sweat and toil.”
Therefore the answer is infrastructure. Well I’m sorry, but not all men are cut out to be construction workers either. And what about the men in that room? They’re not doing physical labor. I guess there’s some class condescension going on there too. And does a person who cares for other people–say a nurse–actually have nothing to show for their work? What about if you saved a life? Is that nothing?
Anyway, I won’t get off on a rant–just wanted to share that. I’m looking forward to digging to the book. In my experience, authors often aren’t the best judges of what their work is saying. I think Suskind is partly trying to soft-pedal the negative stuff in the book and partly engaging in wishful thinking about Obama’s learning curve.
Here is Politico’s take on what the “narrative” of the book is:
that the president is a “brilliant amateur” who got rolled by his economic advisors in the beginning but got better at managing with time – bruised but intact.
I say Obama is still getting rolled. Otherwise, why isn’t Tim Geithner gone?
Beltway Bob Rationalizes Obama’s Blunders, while Michael Tomasky Sees a “Scared President”
Posted: September 19, 2011 | Author: bostonboomer | Filed under: Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, Team Obama, U.S. Economy, U.S. Politics, voodoo economics | Tags: "grand bargain", Bagdad Bob, Barack Obama, Beltway Bob, Confidence men, deficit reduction speech, Ezra Klein, John Boehner, Medicaid, medicare, Michael Tomasky, Ron Suskind, Social Security, Tea Party | 25 Comments
Beltway Bob
Okay, I realize that is a silly title, but after reading Beltway Bob’s Ezra Klein’s latest post and then reading the transcript of Barack Obama’s Rose Garden speech from this morning, I was feeling a little bit punchy.
Dakinikat recently called Ezra Klein “Beltway Bob,” or the Bagdad Bob of the Beltway. That’s a perfect name for Klein, who is apparently way too young to remember anything about politics before about 1990. The guy is naive beyond belief. Lately he seems to see his role as explaining away all of Obama’s blunders, usually by arguing that the President is just too good and moral for the rough and tumble of politics.
This morning, Klein set out to explicate the “deficit reduction plan” that Obama announced in his speech this morning. Specifically, Klein wanted to explain “why the White House changed course.”
President Obama’s deficit-reduction plan (pdf)
is most interesting for what’s not in it. It does not cut Social Security by “chaining” the program’s cost-of-living increases. It does not raise the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67. Nor does it include any other major concessions to Republicans. Rather, the major compromise it makes is with political reality — a reality that the White House would prefer not to have had to acknowledge.
Since the election, the Obama administration’s working theory has been that the first-best outcome is striking a deal with Speaker John Boehner and, if that fails, the second-best outcome is showing that they genuinely, honestly wanted to strike a deal with Speaker John Boehner.
That was the thinking that led the White House to reward the GOP’s debt-ceiling brinksmanship by offering Boehner a “grand bargain” that cut Social Security, raised the Medicare age, and included less new revenue than even the bipartisan Gang of Six had called for. It was also a theory that happened to fit Obama’s brand as a postpartisan uniter and his personal preferences for campaigning on achievements rather than against his opponents. But though it came close to happening, the “grand bargain” ultimately fell apart. Twice.
The collapse of that deal taught them two things: Boehner doesn’t have the internal support in his caucus to strike a grand bargain with them, and the American people don’t give points for effort.
Very likely you’re asking yourself, “What the heck does that mean?” I certainly was when I first read it. Is this guy trying to tell us that no one in the White House understood until recently that Boehner had a bunch of looney-tunes tea party reps to deal with? Is he really trying to convince us that–after all those years in Illinois politics and his admittedly short time in national politics–that Obama and/or his advisers actually did not understand that voters expect results, not “just words?”
The answer is “yes.” Beltway Bob does expect you to believe that. The rest of his column is devoted to explaining in great detail that Obama and his advisers actually believed that voters would be thrilled if he made nice with Republicans even if it meant selling out every Democratic ideal–that if the President “looked like a nice guy,” the voters–especially Independents, I guess–would rush to the polls to reelect him.
But now, according to Beltway Bob, the White House staff and the President understand that they made a huge mistake: “the second-best outcome isn’t necessarily looking like the most reasonable guy in the room. It’s looking like the strongest leader in the room.” So that’s why Obama threatened to veto any plan that cuts Medicare or Medicaid and he has for now supposedly taken Social Security off the table. It’s all so sad, according to Beltway Bob–poor Barack has had to go back on all his ideals (those ideals apparently being that he wanted to a great compromiser, while caring nothing about the effects of his compromises) and accept “politics as usual.” Boo-hoo-hoo.
Rather than emphasizing his willingness to meet Boehner’s bottom lines, which was the communications strategy during the debt ceiling showdown, he’s emphasizing his unwillingness to bend on his bottom lines.
That isn’t how the White House would prefer to govern. It’s not how they would prefer to campaign. It is, let’s admit it, politics-as-usual. It’s the triumph of the old way of doing things, an admission that Washington proved too hard to change. But it’s also the only option they have left.
Ezra Beltway Bob can’t seem to recall the hundreds of times that Obama has vowed to draw lines in the sand and then quickly backtracked–not to mention all the Campaign promises he went back on. But why on earth should anyone with a functioning memory believe this hogwash?
Frankly, IMHO, if Obama has in fact taken Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid changes off the table–which I strongly doubt–it’s probably because he’s scared silly that Americans are finally seeing through his lies.
If you read the transcript of Obama’s speech, you’ll see that he sounds defensive, hesitant, scared of his own shadow. This morning he called for the wealthy to pay at least 20% of their income in taxes. We are supposed to buy that that is a tax increase. Yet under Bush, the wealthiest Americans were supposed to pay 35%, already an unconscionably low rate–why not make them pay that much at least?
Michael Tomasky
Because our President is a scaredy cat, that’s why! I think the change–if it’s real–has everything to do with the news that has come out about Ron Suskind’s new book Company Men, which will be released tomorrow. The news reports about the book make Obama sound like a weak, passive, detached executive who lets his underlings push him around. Michael Tomasky at the Daily Beast calls him “The Scared President.”
Tomasky notes that he was persuaded by what Suskind wrote about the Bush administration in a previous book.
I’m on record as taking Suskind at his word in such matters. In early 2004, when Suskind and Bush Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill produced The Price of Loyalty, I reviewed it for The New York Times and found it persuasive.That book was the first to confirm what everyone knew anyway: that the Bush White House was run according to politics, not policy. Confidence Men also confirms what we knew about Obama’s White House: that the president appointed the wrong economic team from the start, failed to crack down on the banks, and was Solomonic to a fault when formulating responses to the financial crisis (oh, and news flash: Larry Summers is hard to work with!).
That would be interesting without being shocking. But the indictment goes one mortifying step deeper: Geithner and Summers and Rahm Emanuel, and perhaps others, sometimes ignored Obama, refused to carry out his orders, and, in Summers’s case, mocked him, saying at one point to then-Budget Director Peter Orszag that “there’s no adult in charge” in the White House. And while I don’t yet know whether Suskind emphasizes this point, let’s carry the critique one step further: They did so, as far as we know, without suffering any consequences at all.
No matter how much the White House tries to deny the details that have come out on Suskind’s book, the overall takeaway is that Obama is weak and indecisive. And that is the impression that most Americans have about him already, so why should they disbelieve it? Tomasky:
That’s the problem the book reveals. Adam Moss and Frank Rich of New York magazine did get an early copy and read it, and in an online dialogue posted over the weekend, they home in on what Rich calls Obama’s “intellectual blind spot.” Obama even recognized it himself, telling Suskind he was too inclined to look for “the perfect technical answer” to problems; Rich quotes Suskind as writing that Obama always favored policies that were “respectfully acknowledging opponents’ positions, even those with thin evidence behind them, that then get stitched together into some pragmatic conclusion—but hollow.”
That sounds awfully apt to me. Obama was afraid to be the president. He listened to a dozen viewpoints and tried to come up with something that made everyone happy. Unfortunately, “everyone” included people on his team who were looking out for the banks more than for the public (or for their own boss), and it included people on Capitol Hill whose clear agenda was Obama’s political destruction. It’s the central—and depending on how the next election turns out, possibly decisive—paradox of this president: In trying way too hard to look presidential in the sense of “statesmanlike,” he has repeatedly ended up looking unpresidential in the sense of not being a leader.
Obama wasn’t ready to be President in 2008, and he still isn’t. Tomasky claims to have hopes that Obama can turn it around, but I think it’s just too late. There have been too many lies, too many betrayals of campaign promises, too many sellouts to Wall Street and the Republicans, and too many reversals of supposed lines in the sand.
Perhaps if Obama were capable of followingJames Carville’s advice and fired most of his staff and stood up to Wall Street and the Republicans, as Tomasky hopes. But Obama simply can’t do it. He’s too weak and inexperienced.
Whether you look at Obama through the eyes of Beltway Bob and conclude that this President is just too good and holy for “politics as usual” or through the eyes of Tomasky and conclude that Obama is scared of his own advisers and of Republicans in Congress, this man is simply not qualified for the office he holds. Obama must go. There is no other realistic solution to the country’s problems.
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Season 3 episodes, Freak of the week episodes, Episodes,
Episodes featuring Pete Ross
Episodes featuring Lionel Luthor
Episodes featuring Martha Kent
Episodes featuring Lana Lang
Episodes featuring Lex Luthor
Drew Z. Greenberg
Production Code
"Truth" is the eighteenth episode in the third season of Smallville, and sixty-second overall. It aired on April 21, 2004.
When Chloe accidentally inhales a mysterious truth gas, she discovers it acts as a truth serum to anyone who comes in contact with her and decides to take advantage of her new power by going to the Kents to find out Clark's secret. However, her new power comes with fatal consequences and Clark must find an antidote before she discovers the truth about him or worse, dies.
Chloe is exposed to a mysterious gas.
Chloe meets with a man who used to work with her father at the LuthorCorp plant. She asks him if someone is sabotaging his chances for getting a new job. He says that Lex is starting projects that no one really wants to get involved in; Gabe would be better off staying away from LuthorCorp. He turns to go and Chloe spies his ID badge in his car. She takes it and uses it to get into a secure laboratory at the plant. She accidentally hits a button, which sets off an alarm. Suddenly, she is blasted by a green mist that causes her to briefly pass out, but she awakens and escapes before security can catch her.
At school the next day, Clark notices Chloe seems preoccupied, but she shrugs him off and asks if he has finished his Teacher of the Year interview with Mrs. Taylor. He admits that he hasn't received a call back and she tells him he should be a more aggressive journalist. Just then, Mrs. Taylor walks through the halls and Chloe urges Clark to give it another shot. He asks again, but the teacher says she is too busy. Chloe then asks if she has ten minutes before literature class. A green mist expels as she talks. Mrs. Taylor admits that she can't do it because she watched TV instead of preparing for class, so she has to make up a pop quiz. Clark and Chloe are stunned and amused at her honesty.
Pete is waiting for them in the Torch office and Chloe asks about their evening plans. Pete says Clark's going to run to the stadium to get hot dogs to eat while they watch the Metropolis Sharks game, and the round trip will only take ten minutes if he goes supersonic. Clark can't believe that Pete just told Chloe this. He says Pete is just kidding and ushers him away from Chloe. In the halls, Pete says he has no idea why he said it and Clark is annoyed.
Chloe uncovers a startling revelation from her teacher.
Lex arrives at the LuthorCorp Plaza where Lionel asks him about the release of a chemical agent at the plant. Lex questions Lionel's concern and leaves. In his car, it is revealed that he is wearing a wire.
Chloe is at Clark's house working on the Teacher of the Year interview when Martha arrives. Clark leaves to get the rest of the groceries while Martha and Chloe talk. Chloe politely asks how Jonathan is doing and Martha responds with a very personal revelation about Jonathan's feelings. Chloe is surprised and asks how Clark is handling it and Martha tells him that Clark feels responsible but it's really Clark's biological father's fault. Clark reenters the kitchen, stunned that Martha is telling Chloe all of this. Chloe asks Clark why he wouldn't tell her he found his biological father and he tries to make something up about it being a metaphor of how his real parents don't want him. He gathers Chloe's things and steers her towards the door. When she leaves, Martha can't believe that she told Chloe about Jor-El, but Clark has figured out that something has happened to Chloe.
At the Talon, Lana is reading a brochure on the Paris School of the Arts. Clark asks if Lana has noticed anything unusual about Chloe, and Lana tells him that one of her dad's old coworkers called to ask about his security card. Clark doesn't think Chloe would steal, but he starts to wonder if she did indeed break into the lab.
Chloe approaches Mrs. Taylor as she is arriving at the school with her son Will. She tries to interview her again and Mrs. Taylor says that the only downside of teaching is hiding her past. She continues to say that she changed her name after playing a minor part in a radical group that blew up a bank in 1972. She is guilt-ridden and upset and Will is horrified. He leads his mom away and tells Chloe to stay away from them. Chloe can't believe her scoop and puts the story on the cover of the Torch. The whole school is mad at Chloe for the story and Clark is annoyed at her lack of discretion, saying the police should handle the matter. He asks her about breaking into the LuthorCorp and tells her that it's wrong to allow people to tell her their private thoughts. Chloe counters that her ability is every reporter's dream and demonstrates for Clark with the students in the hall as Clark looks on in dismay. She is amazed and asks Clark what his secret is, but she notices that he doesn't answer.
Clark goes to the LuthorCorp plant to investigate and finds a folder labeled "Levitas", but he is interrupted by Lex. He guesses that Clark is the person who broke into the lab, but Clark denies it and says his friend is in trouble. He asks what they were working on. Lex says he was trying to salvage one of Lionel's projects, but ended the program before side effects were analyzed. He says Clark needs to tell him who the friend is so they can be treated.
Chloe is approached by Will at the Talon who is angry for ruining his and his mother's life. Everyone leaves when they see Chloe and Lana admits that no one likes being around Chloe
Lana tells Chloe that she is leaving.
any more. She tells Chloe that she has applied to school in Paris because she doesn't fit in. Chloe asks why she hasn't talked to her about this before and Lana says she can't trust her. This upsets Chloe and she leaves. She goes to the Luthor Mansion, summoned there by Lex. He knows that she can make anyone tell her the truth and says he wants her to use her ability to find out what Lionel made him forget while he was in Belle Reve. Chloe says those memories pose a threat to him and he should just leave it alone. She says Lex is the reason her father can't get a job, but Lex tells her that Lionel is responsible. Chloe sighs and rubs her temples. She asks Lex why he continues this endless game with Lionel, and Lex says the only thing he's ever wanted from Lionel is love. He seems surprised and embarrassed by his admission.
Chloe begins to fall ill.
Clark tells Chloe to meet him at the Smallville Medical Center, claiming a big story is breaking, but Pete shows up instead. Clark tells Pete that he made it up to get Chloe to a hospital, and that she was exposed to something and needs to be treated, and Pete realizes that he needs to leave before he exposes Clark's secret. However, Chloe is standing in the elevator when Pete tries to leave. Clark jumps in too and trie
Pete kisses Chloe.
s to stop Pete from talking, but instead, Pete gives Chloe a passionate kiss. He confesses that he's in love with her, then runs away, highly embarrassed, pleading with Chloe to seek treatment. She looks as if she is debating on what to do, but suddenly she clutches her head and doubles over, groaning in pain. Clark calls for help and an orderly whisks her to an exam room.
Clark meets Pete in the Torch office and they talk briefly about Pete's feelings for Chloe. Pete also says Mrs. Taylor has been arrested. Clark discovers that Chloe was writing a story on the Levitas Project, headed by a military general named Jonah Doyle.
Chloe seems recovered when Lionel Luthor enters her room. He admits that he blacklisted her father because she defied him. He also admits that he ordered Morgan Edge to kill his parents so he could use the insurance money to start his company. She reveals that she has recorded the conversation on her cell phone voice mail and she attempts to blackmail Lionel into hiring her dad back. Lionel counters that he doesn't respond to blackmail and tells Chloe that she will uncover a truth for him. He sends her to ask Jonathan and Martha Kent about Clark's origins.
Clark finds Dr. Doyle who tells him LuthorCorp was working on an inhalant to make anyone the ultimate interrogator; he was dishonorably discharged when he discontinued the project. He predicts that Chloe will be dead by morning, but he was able to save a sample of a cure that he never tested. He produces an enormous syringe and instructs Clark to put the entire dose directly into Chloe's heart.
Jonah Doyle gives Clark the antidote.
Clark arrives at the hospital to administer the antidote, but Chloe has left. Lionel is still there and Clark confronts him about the project. Lionel is unconcerned about Chloe's safety. Clark calls Chloe on her cell phone. She is driving to the Kent farm, but her headaches have worsened and she is close to passing out. Suddenly, a large blue truck tries to run her off the road and she crashes into the side of Coughlin Bridge. The truck is being driven by Will Taylor. Clark hears the commotion over the phone and speeds to the scene. Chloe passes out just after telling Clark where she is and as Will tries to ram her car off the bridge. Clark grabs Will's truck and he hits the dashboard and is knocked out. Clark is able to pull Chloe's car off the edge and pull her out. He plunges the needle into her heart and she wakes up.
Lex is summoned back to Lionel's office and Lionel demands to know why Lex resurrected the Levitas project. He asks Lex what he wants from him, but Lex says it doesn't really matter because he will never get it.
Chloe fears she's used up all her apologies.
A fully-recovered Chloe goes to Clark's loft to apologize and thank him for saving her. She feels guilty about what she did and confesses to Clark that she was on her way to ask his parents the truth about him. Clark is surprised, but he says that she wasn't herself. Chloe is very upset and regretful at her actions and says that maybe the serum brought out her real personality. She is afraid that one day she will use up all of her chances to say she is sorry. Clark tells her that today's not that day and gives her a hug.
Clark meets Lana at the Talon and she tells him about her application to the school in Paris. She says she needs a fresh start from Smallville.
Chloe goes to retrieve her voice mail, but it is not Lionel's confession. Instead, there is a recording of Lionel saying that he has erased the voice mail.
Pete shocks Chloe and Clark with his revelation.
With her new ability, Chloe went through the town making people inadvertently tell her their private thoughts:
Mrs. Taylor - She watched television instead of preparing for class, so she is giving the class a pop quiz. Also, she enjoys the students but she hates having to hide her past. Her real name is Marianne Lewis but she changed it in 1972 after she played a minor part of a radical group that blew up a bank and accidentally killed a guard while trying to make a political statement.
Pete - Clark can run to Metropolis and back in ten minutes. Pete has been in love with Chloe since he met her, but he never told her because he knows she's in love with Clark and never felt like he was any competition.
Martha - Jonathan is angry and depressed over his ill health, and she's worried he might not be the same again. Clark feels guilty, but Jor-El is responsible for everything that has happened.
Lana - Lana admits that no one likes being around Chloe anymore ever since she turned the Torch into her own personal gossip column. She applied for the Paris School of Arts because she feels like she has no family and doesn't fit in anywhere. Everyone thinks she's driven and self-involved and she can't wait to go some place where people don't judge her. She hasn't told Chloe any of this before because she doesn't think she can trust her.
Lex - Lionel ordered Mr. Sullivan's dismissal. The only thing he's ever wanted from Lionel is love.
Lionel - He blacklisted Gabe Sullivan from getting hired anywhere and paid Morgan Edge to murder his parents so he could cash in on their life insurance as capital to start his business.
Rebecca - She made an A on a Geometry test while everyone else made a C, by swiping the answer key the day before the test.
Mindy - She doesn't like being a cheerleader because the team always loses.
Doug - He is secretly gay, and wants to take "Fitz" (Thomas Fitzpatrick, the quarterback) to the prom.
Clark seems to be the only person capable of resisting Chloe's interrogation. Likely due to his Kryptonian physiology.
Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang
Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor
Sam Jones III as Pete Ross
John Glover as Lionel Luthor
Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent
John Schneider as Jonathan Kent (credit only)
Gillian Barber as Marianne Taylor
Co-Starring
Mark Houghton as Lab Technician
Andrew Francis as William Taylor
Don Thompson as Jack Cole
Linden Banks as Jonah Doyle
Samantha Banton as Nurse
Ryan Steele as Doug
Christie Laing as Mindy
Victoria Anderson as Rebecca
Ivan Cormak as Doctor
"Someday" - Fastball
"Selling Out" - The Fuzz
"Forever" - Jennie Cathcart
"Better Don't Do" - Ing
"Stabat Mater" - Paul Schwartz
Truth means the actuality of something.
The title refers to the gas that Chloe inhales, giving her the ability to force the truth out of anyone she talks to.
Antagonist: William Taylor and Chloe Sullivan
Clark uses the following abilities in this episode: super strength and super speed.
This is the first episode not to feature Jonathan Kent.
Chloe is driving her father's Ford Thunderbird in this episode rather than her own Volkswagen Beetle. This is not explained in the plot, but it is most likely because four Thunderbirds were wrecked while shooting the episode, and it would be significantly more costly to wreck four late-model Beetles.
The security code to access Chloe's voicemail at KansCom is 1234.
When Clark and Pete are at the Torch and Clark tells Pete that he is worried about Chloe, his lips are not moving.
This is the first episode in which someone from the main cast other than Lionel Luthor or Clark (while under the influence of red kryptonite as Kal) is the antagonist.
Marianne Taylor's story is very similar to the real-life story of Kathleen Soliah, who joined a radical social group, the Symbionese Liberation Army, in the early 1970s. Soliah was indicted as a group member for blowing up police cars but lived as a fugitive under the new name of Sarah Jane Olsen for almost 25 years, marrying and having children until she was tracked down and arrested in 1999.[1] She had served her sentence and is released in 2009.[2]
Clark and Lana reference their last conversation which occurred at the end of Legacy, when she told Clark that focusing on their relationship is causing her to miss out on her life.
Lionel has a scratch on his face as a result of his fight with Jonathan in Legacy.
Lionel states that he conspired to kill his parents in order to collect the money from the life insurance. In Shattered, Morgan Edge explains that the deal was to split the money from the property insurance with the slumlord. Both versions could be true if Lionel took out a life insurance policy on his father and didn't tell Edge or the slumlord about it.
This episode marks the 13th appearance of Clark's Red jacket/Blue shirt outfit, which he wears frequently throughout the series.
Chloe says that Clark "Pulp Fiction-ed the antidote" into her, a reference to the iconic scene in the Quentin Tarantino film in which Uma Thurman's character is saved from a drug overdose after having a needle plunged into her heart.
Chloe also says that the antidote kickstarted her heart, referring to the song "Kickstart my Heart" by rock group Mötley Crüe.
Kent Farm (house, barn, loft)
Loeb Bridge
Lionel Luthor's office
Unnamed LuthorCorp plant
Chloe: What is the big secret, Pete?
[ Pete, after a brief hesitation, gives Chloe a passionate kiss.]
Pete: I'm in love with you Chloe. I've been waiting to do ever since the first day that I met you.
Lana: I haven't seen you around the past few days.
Clark: I figured after our last conversation, you could use some space
Lana: I was thinking the same thing, but we don't seem to be very good at that.
Clark: It's hard to make yourself scarce in Smallville.
Chloe: Doug, if you could take anyone to prom, who would you take?
Doug: That'd be Fitz.
Chloe: Thomas Fitzpatrick the quarterback? Wow...didn't expect that one.
Clark: Congratulations, Chloe. Within 24 hours, you've managed to tick off the entire school.
Chloe: Well, you don't earn your press pass by making friends.
Chloe: My God, Clark, this is amazing! Can you imagine the kinds of stories I could break? I mean, I could crack the mystery that is Clark Kent! (pause) What do you keep hiding from me?
Clark: I can't believe you just asked me that.
Chloe: And you didn't answer. Everyone else would have. What are you so afraid of, Clark? That I'll get behind that armor and finally uncover your secret?
Pete: It's not like I ever had a chance with her.
Clark: What makes you say that?
Pete: Because I'm always standing next to you. Oh, come on, Clark. As far as long shadows go, you're the dark side of the moon.
Chloe: Why do you keep doing this to yourself? Why can't you just walk away from your father?
Lex: Because he won't give me the only thing I've ever wanted from him.
Chloe: And that would be?
Lex: I want him to love me.
Lionel: I understand you've borrowed one of our LuthorCorp security cards.
Chloe: I was just trying to help my dad. What did you do, blacklist him?
Lionel: You're damn right I blacklisted him. He'll be lucky to find a job as a dishwasher.
Chloe: Did you order Morgan Edge to kill your parents?
Lionel: Of course I did. For their life insurance. I needed that money to start my company.
KryptonSite gallery of official episode stills
Legacy Next Story:
Retrieved from "https://smallville.fandom.com/wiki/Truth?oldid=317554"
Freak of the week episodes
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All smartgit.properties settings should be discoverable and editable in a UI dialog
Christopher Kline 3 years ago • updated by Thomas Singer 2 years ago • 8
There's a large number of very useful customizations that can be made via smartgit.properties.
It's very hard to know what all the available options are (they're scattered across various web pages, and these docs are sometimes updated sporadically or slowly)
There's no way to know when a new setting become available unless it happens to be mentioned in the release notes (which it often is not), and you are diligent enough to read every release note
When properties are removed from the application, they can remain (non-functional) in your smartgit.properties
If the setting is misspelled in smartgit.properties, there's no obvious indication of a problem
What I would like is for a UI dialog (perhaps "Customize") to list, document (via a tooltip) and allow editing of every supported setting that can be configured in smartgit.properties.
I'm fine with the editing being raw text like it is now. I just want everything in one place.
A bonus would be a column listing what version the setting was introduced in, so it's easy to see when new settings have been added.
GOOD, I'M SATISFIED
Satisfaction mark
Satisfaction mark by Christopher Kline 2 years ago
Implementing this along with the "All SmartGit settings in a single dialog" request would go a long way towards improving the usability and discoverability of all the powerful features in SmartGit.
And then we will know all defaults too! :) Now documentation page specifies them not for all parameters.
Maybe do the same as about:config in Firefox ?
Yep. Good idea.
Currently, we use VM properties for options that should not be exposed to the GUI and because it is easy to implement (calling something like System.getProperty(key, defaultValue)). If this would become harder to implement, we would implement fewer options and hence need to reject some configuration requests.
Would it become harder to implement if the UI dialog was just an interface (again, key-value string pairs, no fancy widgets) that read from and wrote to the existing smartgit.properties file?
If smartgit did the following at startup:
read in smartgit.properties
wrote out smartit.properties after inserting any missing properties with their default values, perhaps with a comment containing the documentation
and then the dialog was just an interface to that document, would that be an acceptable level of work?
I'm also having in mind just a UI interface to smartgit.properties. This will be a one-time work, no problem with that.
As Thomas has pointed out, the maintenance of system properties (including adding new properties) should not require more effort than currently: (1) adding a single definition line in code and (2) adjusting documentation (Confluence). As you may already have guessed, (2) usually require more work than (1) :)
Hence we have to evaluate possible solutions/designs how (1) and (2) can be combined in code. I'm rather optimistic that it can be done with roughly the same effort as currently.
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Wes Ferguson
Election 2012, Featured, Hays County, News, Texas, Texas Legislature, The Corridor
It’s Hays vs. Comal in district judge race
by WES FERGUSON
It was a good day to be an incumbent in Hays County and Central Texas, with many familiar faces cruising to victory in Tuesday’s Republican and Democratic primaries.
Meanwhile, Buda resident David S. Glickler came storming back in the polls to force a runoff with former New Braunfels Mayor Bruce Boyer for the new 22nd Judicial District judge’s bench serving Hays, Comal and Caldwell counties.
“Hays is alive,” Glickler said shortly before midnight on Tuesday, after learning he had won Caldwell County in addition to his home base of Hays County. He managed to capture 24 percent of the total vote to Boyer’s 49 percent in the field of four candidates.
In the 22nd Judicial District race, Glickler, an assistant attorney general, said the extra campaign period leading up to the July 31 runoff election could give him an advantage to make up some ground against the popular Boyer.
“Our race sometimes gets buried behind the more attractive or volatile races,” Glickler said. “Now we will be the focus of the election. When all the voters become more educated both on what a district judge does and what our qualifications are, I think it will turn significantly in my favor.”
Boyer, for his part, said his broad career background as a prosecutor, mayor and business owner would put him over the top.
“We’ve had a gentlemen’s race, and I anticipate the runoff being the same,” Boyer said. “I just believe I’ve got more experience in the community and in business, and I have a proven track record of representing my constituents as mayor, being a good listener, and making good common-sense decisions based on conservative values.”
The runoff will likely come down to the candidates’ ability to get out the vote. Though the combined population of Hays and Caldwell counties is nearly double that of Comal, voters in Comal hit the polls in far greater numbers. Boyer received about two voters for every one that Glickler received in Tuesday’s primary.
Elsewhere Tuesday,
On a larger political stage, Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, again thwarted the wishes of Republican policymakers who still haven’t figured out how to redistrict him out of office. Campaigning in Congressional District 35, which is heavily Hispanic and stretches from southeastern Travis County to its population base in San Antonio, including most of Hays County east of I-35, Doggett claimed 73.2 percent of the electorate and a whopping 88.7 percent of Hays County’s vote.
The longtime U.S. representative will be heavily favored in November’s general election against former San Marcos Mayor Susan Narvaiz, who claimed 51.8 percent of the Republican vote on Tuesday.
“Rick Perry thought he could pick and choose through his crooked map who will serve in Washington. He forgot that the people choose their leaders,” Doggett said in a statement.
In another major race affecting Hays County voters, incumbent state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, became the unlikely beneficiary of the tea party movement. A bruising campaign battle between Wentworth and the well-funded former Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones, replete with attack ads and a lawsuit, made room for the emergence of a third candidate, the tea party firecracker Donna Campbell.
Wentworth earned 35.8 percent of Tuesday’s vote and Campbell grabbed 33.7 percent — including 52.3 percent in Hays County — leaving Jones the odd Republican out with just 30.5 percent.
U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, a San Antonio Republican who represents western San Marcos and most of Buda, soared with 76.6 percent of the vote. He will face Democrat Candace E. Duval, who earned 61 percent in her primary race.
In the newly created Congressional District 25, Roger Williams garnered a leading 25.1 percent of the vote to enter a runoff with second-place Republican finisher Wes Riddle. The winner will run unopposed in November.
WES FERGUSON is editor of the Hays Free Press where this story was originally published. It is reprinted here through a news partnership between the Free Press and the San Marcos Mercury.
07/09/2012 Audio: David Glickler versus Bruce Boyer, 22nd District Judge candidates
07/31/2012 Campbell takes down Wentworth; Boyer bests Glickler
07/31/2012 Election 2012: Where to vote today (primary runoffs)
10/15/2012 Election 2012: San Marcos League of Women Voters Guide
05/30/2012 Election 2012: The Morning After cheat sheet
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Need for Speed: Most Wanted 1.0
Games Downloads
By Electronic Arts
License:Demo
Download Latest Version (544.33 MB)
Probably there is no person on this planet, who has never heard about Need for Speed aka NFS. This is the most popular racing game simulator nowadays. The game that we are about to present to you is one of the most famous ones for this game series – Need for Speed Most Wanted 1.0. It was released back in 2005.
Need for Speed Most Wanted is a really superb racing game. It might not compete with its newest rivals, but it can definitely entertain you for months. Need for Speed Most Wanted provides games with NOS systems just like all games of the series, which regenerate over time. In order to increase the realism, the designers of NFS have added a blurry effect, so when you activate the NOS system, everything around you loses focus and the only thing you see is the road in front of you. The shortcuts are probably one of the things, which make this game special. They provide you with the opportunity to catch up on your opponents much easier.
Need for Speed Most Wanted 1.0 includes a new mode too – Speedtrap. In this mode, it is all about top speed records by speedtrap cameras. The rest of the well-known modes are available too like Circuit, Sprint, Lap Knockout and Drag.
Unfortunately, controlling vehicles and steering is too easy and childish. There is so much grip and it kills the fun. Basically, it is impossible to spin the car even if you use the hand brake. During our test, we were driving with 150 MPH and try to turn left and right. The tires had so much grip, so the car turned like it was moving on rails.
When it comes to tuning parts, you won't be disappointed for sure. The designers of EA Games have implemented a whole bunch of hoods, bumpers, spoilers, vinyl and other tuning parts. Besides just changing the way your car looks, you can change the way it drives too.
According to standards of 2005, Need for Speed Most Wanted really stands out from the crowd. The level of detail is just superior, especially when it comes to car tuning. However since this particular version of the game is a demo, you can only access two stock and two tuned cars.
Need for Speed Most Wanted includes a really awesome selection of music. All sounds are really realistic.
Need for Speed Most Wanted is a racing game, which will remain in game history for sure. It bundles all possible factors applicable for the street racing culture – extremely fast cars, style and music. If you want to be part of it, please do not hesitate to download and try Need for Speed Most Wanted.
OS - Windows 2000/XP
CPU - Pentium 4 or Athlon XP 1.4 GHz
RAM - 256 MB
HDD - 3 GB
Video - 32 MB DirectX 9.0c compatible 3D video card (NVIDIA GeForce2 MX+ / ATI Radeon 7500+ / Intel 915+)
OS - Windows 98, ME, 2000, NT, XP, Vista, 7, 8
Video - 64 MB 3D video card (NVIDIA GeForce 6200+ / ATI Radeon 9800+ )
Author: Joey Robinson
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Ul...
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Ultimate Vice City Mod...
GTA IV San Andreas
GTA IV San Andreas - be the gangster, play the gan...
FIFA 14 – the hit football video game of EA ...
Superbike Racers
Superbike Racers – free motorcycle racing ga...
Counter Strike is one of the most popular shooter ...
Grand Theft Auto IV Patch 1.0.1.0 – the firs...
1 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ... 2 GTA IV San Andreas 3 FIFA 14 4 Superbike Racers 5 Grand Theft Auto IV 6 Counter Strike 7 Need for Speed: Most Wanted 8 Grand Theft Auto: San Andrea... 9 Angry Birds 10 Need For Speed World
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Citizen Science For City Kids (And Their Parents)
What do picking up litter, ID-ing butterflies at the park, and searching the night skies for constellations have in common? They’re all citizen science projects perfect for city kids. Learn how to find a project near you and join in!
Subscribe to the Sidewalk Club Newsletter
About the Sidewalk Club
We publish interviews, essays, geek parent guides, and links to things we think you’ll love as much as we do. Our essays are a closer look at the joys and challenges of choosing to raise our families in an urban environment.
Jawaria’s Family of 6 in Pittsburgh
This family of 6 in Pittsburgh lives in just 675 square feet but that doesn’t keep them from living a full and vibrant life. Jawaria shares her family’s perspective on the joys and sacrifices of city living in this exceptional interview.
A Gift Guide for People Who Don’t Need More Stuff
Think experiences rather than things and give something that lasts longer than that package of batteries in the bottom of your stocking.
A gift guide for city people
The Sidewalk Club Gift Guide is the best collection of gifts for city kids and their parents! More than 200 books, toys, games, t-shirts, gear, and other things that celebrate city life. Happy scrolling.
Bigger Isn’t Always Better, Even For Kids Rooms
We know many city families who are choosing to live in small spaces for as long as possible, even with kids. Here are some simple but effective tips for shared kids bedrooms to help you get the most out of the space you already have.
Bring Your Harmony With You On The City Bus
Hardly a day goes by when we aren’t enjoying a public space in our city. Knowing that the unpredictability of these spaces can lead to conflict, how do we handle those moments when parenting in shared public spaces leaves us feeling strained or shaken?
Parent hack: take your kids on a walk around the block in their pajamas. It’s a no-stress way to debrief about their day, build genuine connection, and deepen a sense of place in your city. Slippers, anyone?
Happy Monday. You're a great parent.
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International Genetic Solutions Welcomes Newest Partner
The International Genetic Solutions (IGS) has recently welcomed its newest partner, Neogen® Corporation, to better serve seedstock and commercial beef cattle operations across a wide array of breeds. The partnership combines IGS, the world’s largest beef cattle genetic evaluation, with Neogen, the world’s largest agricultural genotyping company, to better service the beef cattle industry with better genetic decisions. “The mission of IGS is to leverage science, technology, and collaboration to improve the profitability of commercial cattle producers. Bringing Neogen in as an IGS partner is a natural extension of the mission of IGS,” says Wade Shafer, American Simmental Association (ASA) Executive Vice President. “This clearly positions serious, profit-focused beef producers to take advantage of the most credible and capable genetic awareness effort in the beef business.”
IGS is a global, unprecedented collaboration between progressive breed associations and companies across the US, Canada, and Australia that are committed to enhancing beef industry profitability. The collaboration encompasses education, technological advancement, and genetic evaluation. Through collaboration, IGS has become the largest beef cattle evaluation in the world.
Neogen Corporation develops and markets products dedicated to food and animal safety. Neogen’s Animal Safety Division is a leader in the development of animal genomics along with the manufacturing and distribution of a variety of animal healthcare products, including diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, veterinary instruments, wound care and disinfectants.
Whether a seedstock operation is looking for a home or a commercial herd is looking to make more informed decisions, the IGS and Neogen partnership promises to empower beef producers to make the best genetic selection and mating decisions.
One of the first partnership developments is the enhancement of the Igenity Beef Profile, a global commercial genetic testing product to help make selection and breeding decisions on non-descript cattle. “As part of this partnership, Neogen will benefit from access to information that will improve the Igenity Beef Profile, and IGS will endorse and promote the use of the product — an important ‘seal of approval’ from one of the largest genetic evaluation services in the world,” said Dr. Stewart Bauck, Neogen’s Vice President of Agrigenomics. “As the beef industry continues to face pressure from competing sources of protein, the Igenity Beef Profile is a valuable tool to help our customers remain efficient and profitable. Selecting the best animals for breeding programs is now absolutely critical. Each replacement heifer represents an investment of about $2,000 per head in cost of development and lost sale opportunity.”
IGS delivers the most credible, objectively described, user-friendly and science-based genetic predictions to enhance the profitability of beef cattle producers who look to leverage the full power of expected progeny differences (EPDs). The continued Research and Development with IGS breed associations will push the envelope in building better predictions and improvements in DNA technology.
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Airbus Sends The A220 To The Pacific To Drum Up Interest
bySimple Flying Editorial Team
Airbus has announced a Pacific tour of the A220, using an A220-300 leased from airBaltic. The A220 Pacific tour itinerary includes nine locations across seven countries with an aim of encouraging more big passenger airlines to add the A220 to their fleets.
airBaltic’s A220 is taking an Asia tour. Photo: airBaltic
What is the specification of the Airbus 220?
Originally the Bombardier C-Series, Airbus renamed the aircraft the A220 last year. The A220 range includes the A220-100, with a 6,297km range and a passenger capacity of 100-120. Its big sister is the A220-300, with a larger passenger capacity of 120-150 and a flight range of 6,204km.
Feature such as larger windows and led ambient lighting offer a heightened traveller experience. Image: Airbus
What makes the Airbus A220 specification different is the fresh new design and enhanced traveler experience it offers, incorporating dynamic new ergonomic design alongside the latest technological advances.
With state of the art engines delivering impressive efficiencies of 20% less fuel burn per seat, alongside an extended flight range. This is a new offering in the aeronautical world which is intended to shake things up.
What is it that travelers love about the Airbus A220?
Airbus describes the A220 range as being ‘high efficiency, low risk’. Alongside the critical practicalities of fuel efficiency and distance capacity, there are several features incorporated to ensure the A220 continues to gain ground in consumer choice.
The A220 is designed for optimum passenger comfort, including spacious and wheelchair accessible facilities throughout. Image: Airbus
These design attributes are intended to make each customer feel as if they are in a much larger, more spacious aircraft, whilst providing a cost-efficient service for short and medium-haul legs. Examples include the larger overhead storage compartments, extra-large windows, higher positioned windows for an optimal view, and LED ambient lighting.
Wider 18-inch seats promise a more relaxed flight experience. With state of the art engines minimizing noise feedback, the A220 promises to deliver exceptional comfort without the traditional compromises of a smaller aircraft.
Which destinations will the tour include?
The A220 Pacific tour itinerary begins in Vanuata, home to Air Vanuatu who boasts four A220’s within its fleet. The tour then moves on to Sydney and Brisbane in Australia, before visiting Auckland in New Zealand. Each location will enjoy dynamic displays aimed at showcasing the impressive Airbus A220 specification, as well as flights for execs from all the prominent airlines.
The airBaltic A220 has arrived in Asia. Photo: airBaltic
Following on from New Zealand, the tour then touches down in Noumea, New Caledonia, and Port Moresby in New Guinea. It then heads back to airBaltic in Latvia via Phnom Penh in Cambodia and Bangalore and New Delhi in India.
This Airbus A220 launch demonstration follows on from a similar demo series earlier this year, which visited six stops around Asia as reported by Forbes.
What makes the Airbus A220 stand out?
How the A220 differs from the norm is the focus on a spacious and relaxed traveler experience. This feels quite the opposite of the stance taken by many of the big carriers in recent years.
With an intense focus on economies of scale, budget airlines had dominated the short-haul market with their cut-price flights. However, consumers vote with their feet, and it seems that public opinion has swung back around to making the experience as essential a factor as cost.
Perhaps it is the distinction bias so very evident across mass-market travel which makes the A220 feel so different. It has certainly been a long time since passenger comfort has been the driving force!
The A220-300 used for the Asian launch tour earlier in 2019. Photo: Airbus
What does Airbus hope to achieve with this Pacific tour?
As we reported last week, the big question is whether the Airbus A220 specification will be innovative enough and corner a sufficient clientele niche to encourage carriers such as Qantas and Air New Zealand to add the A220 to their aircraft asset base.
Airlines seem to be looking toward consumer guidance to direct their acquisitions. For example, Air Austral has now joined Delta and JetBlue in adding the A220 to its fleet.
Commercially, the costs have to stack up against the benefits. Time will tell if this demonstration of the Airbus A220 will see it being rolled out across the big carriers in the coming year.
Simple Flying Editorial Team
Bringing you the latest aviation news and insight!
Jack Abbott
Send one A220-300 to Dallas, Texas… And park for a whole month in Dallas Love Field Airport. Invite the pilots and public to visit it. Load it full with passengers and have it do its signature short-field rocket take off every day in the middle of the morning rush where everyone can see it outclimb a 737.
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Air China Scraps Hawaii Flights After 5 Years
byAndrew Curran
Travelers jetting between Honolulu and Beijing will soon be without a nonstop service following Air China’s decision to scrap its thrice-weekly flights later this month. It follows Hawaiian’s decision to “suspend” their services on the route in 2018.
Air China is scraping it’s thrice-weekly services to Honolulu. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Flight Global is reporting that Air China’s last flight to Honolulu will be on August 27th, 2019. The Beijing based airline is putting the withdrawal down to “network distribution and capacity arrangements”.
It will leave China Eastern as the only carrier offering nonstop services between China and Hawaii. China Eastern currently scoots between Shanghai (PVG) and Honolulu six times a week using an A330-300.
Why would Air China scrap its Honolulu flights?
There are a few ways to look at this decision.
Firstly, it’s a backward step, given the rise of Chinese outbound tourism and the expectation that, in the future, China will be a key tourism market for Hawaii. But weak loads on the Air China Honolulu flights (just 66% in 2018) suggest that there is still some way to go to realize that ambition.
Secondly, there is some commentary that the cessation of the Air China flights is a byproduct of the US-China trade disputes. But more considered analysts believe this is unlikely and merely a coincidence of timing.
The simplest reason for the cancellation of the flights is that they were underperforming. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Will Horton, writing for Forbes, suggests Air China pulling out of Hawaii makes good business sense. He argues the airline is maturing and making better strategic decisions after years of dumping capacity on routes that don’t always perform well.
Sound reasoning behind the decision?
The Hawaii flights were the worst-performing of Air China’s US flights. Passenger loads of 66% into Honolulu compared unfavorably with loads of 81% for Beijing-JFK flights and 83% for Beijing-LAX flights. Air China averages a passenger load of 78% across all its international flights.
Further, capacity is restricted between the United States and China. There is a limited pool of US flights available from key Chinese cities such as Beijing and Air China was effectively squandering one of those limited flights on an underperforming route.
The Honolulu flights had to be financially sustainable in their own right. There are no subsidies available for flying out of Beijing. The Chinese Government is known to incentivize Chinese airlines to fly out of secondary Chinese ports. Local city governments in China can also offer incentives. No such financial incentives are available at crowded Beijing.
Forbes also makes the point that, right now, Hawaii isn’t a big drawcard in Asia – Japan and Korea aside. Hawaii tourism authorities see a bright future in inbound Chinese tourism, but that future is yet to dawn.
Korea and Japan are the key Asian tourism markets for Hawaii. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
The complex visa application process also a barrier to growth
A significant obstacle to inbound leisure-oriented tourism in any market is a complex visa system. The complexities and rigors of the US visa system are well known and will always act as a barrier to tourism growth.
While you could argue that ETSA is merely an electronic visa, its operation under the so-called Visa Waiver Program (VWP) does make traveling to the United States that much easier. Until China can access the VWP or something akin to it, inbound Chinese tourism into the United States will never take off.
The current antagonism between the US and Chinese Governments makes that unlikely to happen at any time in the near future.
And in tourism dependant markets like Hawaii, it’s where the impact will be felt most.
Andrew Curran
Journalist @ Simple Flying. Based in Northern NSW, Australia. Favorite airline: Singapore Airlines. Obsessed with frequent flyer points.
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When Will Virgin Atlantic’s Airbus A350 Enter Service?
byJoanna Bailey
Virgin Atlantic has the keys to its new ride, and is gassing up the tanks ready for its first mission. With inaugural service earmarked for less than a month’s time, here’s what you need to know about getting on board that very special first flight.
When can you get on the Virgin Atlantic A350? Photo: Virgin
If you’re as excited as we are to get a close up look at Virgin Atlantic’s shiny new A350-1000, you haven’t got long to wait. First services are set to launch in under four weeks’ time, with the carrier operating the new bird on the flagship London to New York route.
G-VLUX ‘Red Velvet’ arrived at Gatwick Airport last weekend. Some were confused as to why it went to Gatwick when the inaugural flight will be from Heathrow. The likelihood is that it’s a whole lot easier for Virgin to have it close to their HQ in Crawley than on the other side of London, and of course, they needed to apply that all-important new Virgin icon to the side of the plane!
Our first @Airbus A350-1000, Red Velvet, has arrived home for her final touches… one of our new flying icons: https://t.co/RHnPuGrdyk 🤩 pic.twitter.com/gk7Xn32RIX
— Virgin Atlantic (@VirginAtlantic) August 14, 2019
Nevertheless, the initial flights will be from Heathrow, so if you’re really lucky, you might get to see it in the skies over London prior to its first flight as it ferries from one airport to the other.
Virgin’s first A350 flights
The very first flight on a Virgin liveried A350-1000 will take place on September 10th, 2019. The flight, VS153, will leave Heathrow at 13:30, arriving in New York JFK at 16:25. Following a leisurely two and a half hour turnaround, the aircraft will be ready to take off again at 19:00, arriving at LHR the following day at 07:20 in the morning.
The first A350 will operate LHR to JFK. So will the second, and the third… Photo: Virgin
This schedule continues on a six times a week basis up until September 24th, when the second A350 will enter rotation. From November 5th, an additional A350 service will launch, bringing the daily operating schedule to three flights a day, with two on Tuesdays.
From the 9th December, all four of this year’s quota of A350s should be at home with their new owner. From that point onwards, Virgin will run no less than four flights per day between London Heathrow and New York JFK.
Get me on that flight!
If you want to be one of the first to check out Virgin’s latest acquisition, you’d better be quick. Tickets for the flights have been on sale since July, but is still showing as available on the Virgin website.
In economy, tickets are only a few quid more than the lowest priced transatlantic fares. This cabin will be adequately comfortable, with 235 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration. IFE screens are 11.6 inches wide, and all seats have USB power sockets
Simple comfort in economy. Photo: Virgin
Premium economy pricing is on a par with any other flight on that day. Why would you take an aging Virgin A340 when you can take a brand new A350 XWB for the same price? Here, you’ll find 56 seats in a 2-4-2 layout, with a generous pitch of 38 inches and eight inches of recline. IFE screens as slightly larger at 13.3 inches and power is both AC and USB provided.
A touch of class in premium. Photo: Virgin
But where the smart money is headed has to be that revamped Upper Class cabin. It’s not the cheapest way to cross the Atlantic by any means, but is in line with business class offerings from a number of other carriers. As you’d expect, it comes with direct aisle access, massive 18.5 inch IFE screens and a lie flat electronically operated bed.
Nothing but the best in Upper Class. Photo: Virgin
This Upper Class product is, for now, only available on the A350. There’s something to be said for being the very first person to ever take a nap in one of those gorgeous suites!
Oh to be the first! Photo: Virgin
Just for Upper Class passengers, there’s a unique bar area known as ‘The Loft’. Here, passengers can chat, chill, drink or doze under the gaze of a gold plated chandelier and a huge 32 inch screen. The TV can be connected to with Bluetooth headsets, allowing groups to share a movie, enjoy a concert or even have a silent disco!
Chill out in The Loft. Photo: Virgin
Inaugural flights are always special, both to the airline and the passengers on board. No doubt Virgin will celebrate their launch in a typically Virgin way; that could mean cake, cocktails or something totally outrageous. If you’re keen to take the Virgin A350’s first flight, there’s still time to get your ticket. Simple Flying can’t wait to step on board the Virgin A350 ourselves and will be sure to bring you all the juicy details as soon as we do.
Joanna Bailey
Editor @ Simple Flying! Freshly repatriated after four years of travel across four continents with two kids in tow. Now at the helm of all content published across Simple Flying.
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…Speaking of Mars
Waaaaay back in aught-two, when I was still new to Marshall Space Flight Center, then-NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe came to the center to talk about the state and future of NASA. I was watching the the talk on center TV, and I turn it on to see O’Keefe on the stage at Marshall’s historic Morris Auditorium, with a banner behind him reading “Mars Space Flight.”
And, yeah, space nerd me was excited. This is really happening? The NASA administrator is here to announce something about sending people to Mars? OK, that’s kind of cool.
And then the camera zoomed out. And the banner did not read:
It read:
Space Flight Center
Oh. Well, that’s cool, too, you know. And, to be sure, we were doing exciting things, but for that one moment, I was really hyped that somebody was about to stand on the stage at Morris Auditorium talking about sending people to Mars.
Today, I stood on the stage at Morris Auditorium, talking about sending people to Mars.
I had a really neat opportunity to brief the latest class of Leadership Huntsville about the challenges we face on the Journey to Mars. It was an honor to talk to that group, it was an honor to stand on that historic stage, and it was an honor, due to a scheduling change, to have Marshall Space Flight Center Director Todd May as MY opening act.
But it was one of those moments that drove home what an incredibly exciting time this is. This is happening. We’re going to Mars. And we’re actively working on it now.
Filed under: Editorial, space | Tagged: Journey to Mars, Mars, Marshall Space Flight Center, NASA, Sean O'Keefe | Leave a comment »
One Giant Among Many
Without a doubt, one of the coolest parts of my job is getting a front-row seat for history, and today was an incredible one in that respect. The test area at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is a cradle of exploration — tested here were the propulsion systems that carried the first American into space, the first humans on the moon, and everything from Hubble to the International Space Station.
And now, we’re about to add to that list the core stage that will eventually send humans to Mars. NASA’s Space Launch System has made its own addition to the Marshall test area with two new towers, one of which will test the rocket’s liquid oxygen tank and the other its hydrogen tank.
Pictures don’t do justice to the size of this tower. And as I approached it, I had to remind myself that this gargantuan construct was there not to test the rocket, or even the core stage of the rocket, but one tank of the core stage of the rocket. Seeing how big the stand for that tank is was an awe-inspiring reminder of just how incredible the finished machine will be.
Filed under: space | Tagged: Marshall Space Flight Center, SLS, Space Launch System | Leave a comment »
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(-) Elderly & Elderly Care (5)
(-) Social Reformers (5)
Social Reformers Elderly & Elderly Care
Interviewing Maggie Kuhn of the Gray Panthers
Interviewing political activists for senior citizens in the Chicago area
Interviewing political activists for senior citizens in the Chicago area: Leonard Fuchs of the Gray Panthers and Margaret Person, founder and director of Metro Seniors in Action.
Citizens Action Program Senior Citizen Panel
Interviewing Paul Booth, Casey Lewan, and Margaret Person at a Senior Citizen's Panel sponsored by Citizens Action Program in Chicago.
Theodore Marmor discusses his book "The politics of Medicare"
Interview begins with an excerpt of Marge Person a member of a citizens action program talking about prescription drugs, and cost of living with a health condition.(Unspecified clip #) Discussing the book, "The Politics of Medicare," and interviewing the author Theodore Marmor. Associate professor of Center of Health Administration studies at University of Chicago. Mr Marmor has been part of policy planning with the department of welfare, for medicare. He talks about National Healthcare or at the least affordable healthcare for all.
Discussing Concerned Care, Inc., a Chicago home nursing service, with Debbie Zack and Denise Hennessey
Studs Terkel interviews Debbie Zack and Denise Hennessey about their careers as nurses and why they decided to go into home nursing services.
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COLUMN-Trump's empty threat to stop buying Saudi oil: Kemp
(John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are
his own)
By John Kemp
Nov 16 President-elect Donald Trump is
very unlikely to restrict imports of crude oil from Saudi Arabia
despite threats to do so issued during the election campaign.
Trump is first and foremost a showman and impresario rather
than a policy wonk. Much of what he said on the campaign trail
was intended to mobilise support rather than provide a detailed
programme for government.
The media “never takes (Trump) seriously but it always takes
him literally. I think a lot of voters who vote for Trump take
Trump seriously but not literally,” as technology billionaire
Peter Thiel observed in October.
The prospect of an import ban on Saudi crude is one of those
things he said that should not be taken seriously but was meant
to galvanise support from oil workers hit by the downturn.
COMPENSATION DEMAND
Trump warned that he would be prepared to stop buying oil
from Saudi Arabia unless the kingdom provided ground troops to
fight Islamic State.
He also insisted the kingdom and other Gulf oil producers
should compensate the United States for the enormous cost of
providing them with military protection.
In fact he seemed preoccupied by compensation for U.S.
military protection rather than ground troops.
“We are not being reimbursed for the our protection of many
of the countries … including Saudi Arabia,” Trump complained
in an interview (“Donald Trump expounds his foreign policy
views”, New York Times, March 26).
“We protect countries, and take tremendous monetary hits
protecting countries,” Trump said. “We lose, monetarily,
everywhere. And yet, without us, Saudi Arabia wouldn’t exist for
very long.”
Trump said the United States “desperately needed” oil from
the Gulf a few years ago but now was on the verge of achieving
energy independence thanks to the shale revolution.
The United States had found oil in places “we never thought
had oil” with the result there is a glut with “ships out at sea
that are loaded up and they don’t even know where to dump it”.
“They’re closing wells all over the place,” Trump said,
presumably referring to marginally economic U.S. oil and gas
wells being shut in owing to the slump in prices.
Trump has been supported by Continental Resources
Chief Executive Harold Hamm, who acted as one of the campaign’s
principal advisers and has been tipped as a possible choice as
energy secretary.
Hamm has in turn been critical about Saudi Arabia’s and
OPEC’s role in the 1973 oil embargo and an evangelist for
developing domestic oil and gas resources to provide energy
independence (“How a North Dakota oil billionaire is helping
shape Trump’s views on energy”, Washington Post, June 6).
CARTEL, DUMPER OR BOTH?
The United States has always had a complicated relationship
with Saudi Arabia and other members of the Organization of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries.
The complexity stems from the fact that United States is
simultaneously one of the world’s largest oil producers as well
as its largest consumer and a large net importer.
At times, U.S. policymakers have accused OPEC of being a
cartel which has sought to keep prices artificially high to the
detriment of U.S. motorists and other consumers.
But at other times the United States has accused Saudi
Arabia and other OPEC members of flooding the market, dumping
oil, and predatory pricing designed to put U.S. oil producers
The foundation of OPEC in 1960 was strongly criticised by
the U.S. media for “interference with the principle of free
enterprise” and the formation of an “international cartel”.
Public hostility towards OPEC intensified following the Arab
oil embargo in 1973/74 and the steep increases in the price of
crude during the rest of the 1970s.
But OPEC was also criticised for flooding the global market
during the price crisis of 1985/86 which resulted in widespread
bankruptcies in oil-producing areas of the United States.
Vice-President George H W Bush was even sent to Riyadh to
plead with Saudi Arabia to push up prices to save Texas
producers.
More recently, OPEC has been blamed by some in the U.S. oil
industry for price slumps in 1998/99 and again since 2014,
provoking a new round of complaints about predatory pricing.
U.S. OIL INDEPENDENTS
Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members have always had a
particularly fraught relationship with small and medium-sized
“independent” oil producers of the United States.
U.S. independent oil producers have always been among the
most vulnerable to price swings and therefore the most closely
concerned with OPEC.
The major international oil companies have integrated
operations which means they produce some oil within the United
States but also import foreign crude to feed their refineries.
The integrated companies have always been strong supporters
of free trade in both crude and refined products since it allows
them to optimise their refinery production (“Oil, gas and
government,” Bradley, 1996).
But the independent oil producers have often favoured
protectionist policies to blunt competition from cheap imported
crudes.
During the 1950s and 1960s, rising production from the
supergiant oilfields of the Middle East squeezed U.S.
independents particularly hard.
The independents fought to restrict the amount of foreign
crude that could be imported into the United States (“Energy
policy in America since 1945”, Vietor, 1984).
Pressure from the independents resulted in the introduction
of quotas under the voluntary oil import program which became
the mandatory oil import program in 1959 and lasted until 1973.
The Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners
Association (TIPRO) openly supported the creation of OPEC in
1960 in the hope it would restrict foreign oil production and
imports (“OPEC: the inside history”, Terzian, 1985).
But as Middle East producers added millions of barrels per
day of extra output in the 1960s, the Texas Railroad Commission
imposed increasingly tough restrictions on domestic producers in
a bid to stabilise prices.
U.S. independent producers were therefore big beneficiaries
of the oil shocks of the 1970s and again from the rise in oil
prices between 2004 and 2014.
But they have been at the forefront of complaints about
dumping and predatory pricing by OPEC during the busts of the
mid-1980s and again in the 1990s and since 2014.
U.S. oil producers have complained bitterly that foreign
crude imports have continued and even increased since 2014 even
as domestic oil drilling and output have fallen.
TRUMP’S OIL POLICY?
Given that independent oil and gas producers have been among
Trump’s strongest supporters and advisers on energy issues, it
is no surprise that his campaign views reflect their perspective
and concerns.
Like most other aspects of Trump’s programme, the details of
his energy policy have yet to be worked out.
But a future Trump administration is very unlikely to try to
restrict oil imports for practical as well as political reasons.
The markets for crude and refined fuels are fundamentally
global so it makes no sense to talk about achieving energy
independence.
The United States has never relied on crude from the Middle
East but its partners in Europe and Asia have been much bigger
importers.
And the law of one price ensures that oil price shocks in
Europe and Asia affect consumers in the United States.
Furthermore, the United States remains far from
self-sufficient in crude. Even at the height of shale drilling
boom, the country still needed to import more than 7 million
barrels a day of crude to feed its refineries (tmsnrt.rs/2fYs2Kl).
Most refineries require a blend of light and heavy crudes to
operate efficiently. While domestic shale oil is mostly very
light, imported foreign crudes, especially from Saudi Arabia,
are heavier, and needed for blending.
If a Trump administration banned oil imports from Saudi
Arabia, the shortfall of medium and heavy crudes would have to
come from other producers: Iraq? Iran? Russia? Venezuela?
The major oil companies, including Exxon and Chevron, which
have significant political influence, will resist any efforts to
restrict the choice of crudes available for their refineries.
Independent refiners, many of which are also politically
connected, will also fiercely oppose any measures that restrict
their crude selection and drive up input costs.
The United States cannot easily discriminate against imports
from Saudi Arabia because both countries are members of the
World Trade Organization and bound to extend each other
most-favoured-nation treatment.
Thanks to the shale revolution, the United States has
emerged as a major exporter of refined products including
gasoline and distillate, so it has a strong interest in
upholding free trade in oil and fuels.
Independent producers, led by Hamm’s own Continental,
lobbied hard for Congress to lift the ban on domestic crude
exports, citing the importance of free trade, so it would be
inconsistent to ban imports.
Finally, the mandatory oil import programme was an
administrative nightmare which failed to work properly and
spawned a huge number of distortions, and no one wants to repeat
that unhappy experience.
(Editing by David Evans)
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Stargate Pyramids
Pyramid Discussion Forums
Pyramid Research
Summary of the Russian Pyramid Research
Anatoly Akimov Article – Effect of Torsion Field on Crystallization of Micellar Structures
Russian Pyramid Research Resources
Benefits of Pyramid Power
How to Assemble Your Pyramid
Russian Pyramid Near Moscow
Dr. Alexander Golod
“Contemporary pyramid research owes an incalculable debt of gratitude to Dr. Alexander Golod, who almost single handedly brought about a renaissance in pyramid science through his construction of over 50 geographically strategic pyramids throughout Russia and the Ukraine, where teams of physicians and clinicians extensively documented their stunning powers in a variety of venues”.
Joseph Marcello
“In my opinion, the main problem in the study of pyramids is that many tend to see in the results of the research elements of mysticism, shamanism. However, scientists with intuition, already understand that here we are dealing with a new physics and a new biology.”
Russian Geometry Pyramids are by far the most extensively and rigorously tested pyramids using strict scientific protocols. This research has been carried out by teams of Russian and Ukranian military, geological, medical and behavioral scientists. According to Dr. Golod, the geometry and building materials chosen were shown after extensive research to be optimal for providing the most favorable environment for mankind and nature.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Dr. Golod and his team were tasked with studying ways pyramids could provide benefit to humanity and the environment. Testing was done in numerous areas of interest, including health, environmental remediation, behavioral health, and agriculture. This research involved the construction of over 50 pyramids throughout Russia and the Ukraine. This research continues today, with the proposed construction of a 100 meter (330 feet) pyramid outside Moscow.
Summary of Scientific Findings:
“The field structure of any object, be it a mineral, a solution, cellular tissue, or a living creature undergoes major changes in the area of impact of the pyramid. These structures, as it were, are ordered, become the most optimal, harmonious. In this zone, ordinary thought, thought form, simple wish become part of our field structure, which increases the probability of events initiated in the pyramid field by this thought, thought form or wish by many orders of magnitude. The power and strength of field structures ordered in this way increases dramatically if all of their newly acquired components are in resonance with the shape of the pyramids (in our case with the state of Harmony). The effect is enhanced more than exponentially, when instead of the field structure of a single biological object.”
pyramids.ru
The following benefits of pyramids have been detected and scientifically analyzed by Russian and Ukranian researchers:
If you prefer to watch videos of these topics containing more material, please go to our YouTube channel “Only PVC Pyramids” and look for our “Summary of the Russian Pyramid Research” series on our homepage.
Health-Related Research
Russian Geometry Pyramids Promote Heightened Immunity:
Methodology: Mice were kept in a pyramid in various numbers and for varying periods of time. After several days, the mice were infected with four increasing doses of Salmonella tiphimurium (a virus which results in symptoms similar to typhoid fever in mice). The control group was supplied with mice from the same strain, and was contaminated with the same doses of culture, but without exposure to the pyramid field.
Results: The survival rate of mice who received exposure to the pyramid field considerably exceeded those in the control group. At smaller doses of contamination, 60% of the mice exposed to the pyramid survived, versus 7% in the control group. At larger doses of contamination, 30% of the mice exposed to the pyramid-field survived versus just 3% of those in the control group.
Conclusion: Exposure of mice to the pyramid field essentially promotes the heightening of their resistance to consequent contamination of Salmonella tiphimurium. Therefore, it is possible to speak about a powerful immuno-enhancing influence of the pyramid.
Russian Geometry Pyramids Increase Blood Platelet Count:
Purpose: To study the effect of water exhibited in the pyramid on the blood platelet count of rabbits.
Methodology: Possible changes in the blood coagulation system of rabbits ex vivo when replacing normal drinking water with water exposed in the pyramid were investigated. Studies were conducted for 14 days. Blood from rabbits was taken before the start of consumption of pyramidal water, as well as on days 7 and 14 after the start of the experiment.
Results: The number of platelets of the rabbit before the introduction of the pyramidal water was taken as 100%. On the 7th day after the start of the experiment, their number increased to 129%, and on the 14th day to 167%.
Russian Geometry Pyramids Place on Roofs of Hospitals for Faster Healing:
In 1998, a 11-meter-high pyramid was built on the roof of the Tolyatti city hospital by Alexander Golod and his staff. This Pyramid is very popular in Tolyatti, and in the opinion of hospital doctors it helps very effectively in the treatment process.
Russian Geometry Pyramid Improves Thyroid Function and Regulation:
Methodology: The experimental group of mice (Group “A”) received a 10% salt to water solution, where the salt was stored inside a 22-meter pyramid before being administered to the mice. The control group (Group “B”) received a 10% salt to water solution where the salt was not exposed to the pyramid. The solutions were administered to the mice at the rate of 5 drops per day. A “double-blind” control scheme was applied. Employees who determined the state of the thymus did not know which groups were the control group which were the experimental group, and were only provided with cells marked: Group “A” or Group “B”.
Results: In the experiment, the number of thymus cells was calculated. It has been previously determined that the number of thymus cells, and by extension thyroid and immune function, decreases greatly with age and stress. In the control group, the number of thymus cells in the mice varied from 0.1 x 10^7 to 28.0 x 10^7. In the pyramid group, the variation in the number of thymus cells in the mice varied much less dramatically, from 5.0 x 10^7 to 7.8 x 10^7. Thus, it can be assumed that the effect of the 10% salt to water solution from the pyramid had a pronounced anti-stress effect. It optimizes the cellularity (size) of the thymus (one of the indicators characterizing the immunological status of the organism). [emphasis added]
Russian Geometry Pyramid Reduces Stress In Laboratory Mice:
Methodology: Studies were conducted on the effect on a group a mice of placing 1 gram pieces of crystalline gypsum previously placed in the Russian Geometry pyramid next to the cell of mice. The control group was not so exposed. For 5 days, the number of “fights” in the cells was counted using a microphone system. The number of “fights” in the experimental group on average was 3.5 times lower than in the control group. At the same time, the thymus cellularity indices were similar to those given above. We can conclude from these observations that an obvious decrease in the level of aggressiveness of the experimental group of animals was the result of exposure to the gypsum placed inside the pyramid.
Russian Geometry Pyramid Reduces Cancer and Infectious Diseases:
Since the end of 1997, circular contours of pieces of granite and quartz, exposed in the pyramid, began to be laid around Moscow and the Moscow region. By the beginning of 1999 about 40 such rings were laid. Each ring contains from 50 to 300 stones with a total weight from 20 to 200 kg.
Results: The number of reported cases of cancer, infectious diseases, etc. decreased.
Russian Geometry Pyramid Improves Lymphocyte Proliferation and Longevity:
Goal: Determine whether exposure to Russian Geometry Pyramid fields had impacts on lymphocytes.
Methodology: A study of the effects of the pyramid field on human lymphoblast cells. In the experimental group, water placed inside the pyramid was used to prepare a solution of the nutrient growth medium, whereas in the control group water that had not been exposed to the pyramid was used. Cell viability was determined by staining cells with 0.4% trypan blue and MTT, and was analyzed using spectrophotometry of the absorption of the dye.
Results: By day 10, a noticeable increase in the number of cells and the percentage of cell viability in the treated exposure compared to the control was observed. On day 11, these values were respectively 1.2 million total cells /ml and 52% (622,000) viability for the control and 1.4 million total cells/ ml and 88% (1,232,000) viability for the experiment. On day 21, these values were 0.05 million total cells/ ml and 2% (1,000) viability for the control and 0.3 million total cells/ ml and 49% (147,000) viability for the experiment.
Russian Geometry Pyramids Provide Dramatic Antiviral Effect:
Methodology: The antiviral activity of the drug venoglobulin was determined by its capacity to protect mice cells from the cytopathic (cell-destroying) impact of the encephalomyocarditis virus (EMC). Venoglobulin was diluted in distilled water up to the concentration of 50 mg./l. The drug was tested in two concentrations: 50 and 0.5 microg/ml. Then, a portion of the solutions were housed in the pyramid. Venoglobulin was deposited into cell-like cultures 24 hours prior to their contamination with the virus.
Conclusion: It was found that venoglobulin in concentration of 50 microg/ml lowered the breeding capacity of the virus by approximately 300%. The antiviral effect was still maintained at further dilution up to concentrations of 0.005 and 0.0005 microg./ml, with consequent exposures in the pyramid.
Russian Geometry Pyramid Exposure Reduces Tumor Growth:
Methodology-In a series of experiments, mice were exposed to various carcinogens, and an experimental group drank water from the pyramid whereas the control group drank ordinary water.
Results- The mice drinking the pyramid water had significantly fewer tumors develop than the mice drinking the ordinary water.
Russian Geometry Pyramid Reduces Infant Mortality:
Focus: The research investigated the influence of 40% solution of glucose and distilled water administered orally on 20 premature babies with compromised immune systems which would normally have resulted in death within a few days.
Methodology: The infants were each fed a few milliliters of the 40% glucose to water solution that had been stored in the healing pyramid energy field.
Conclusion: In all cases, administration of the pyramid-exposed glucose solution, resulted in health levels increasing rapidly up to practically normal values.
Further testing found that the results were the same after applying 1 ml of water only which had been exposed to the pyramid.
Russian Geometry Pyramids Improve Athletic Endurance:
Goal: Determine if there was an impact on endurance through exposure to pyramids:
Methodology: Rabbits and white rats were exposed to the pyramid and then compared to control for endurance
Results: Animals exposed to the pyramid gained 200% more endurance than control group animals and their blood gained higher concentrations of leukocytes (white blood cells).
Russian Geometry Pyramid Fields Drastically Improve Prisoner Behavior:
Focus: Determine the effect of pyramid-treated table salt on the behavior of a population of 6,000 prisoners.
Methodology: Over 5 tons of table salt were stored in a Russian Geometry Pyramid. The salt was then distributed and used for cooking and table use by the nutrition services of prisons within the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service housing over 6,00o prisoners.
Results: The incidence of criminal behavior in the prisons virtually disappeared within a few months, suggesting a corresponding increase in feelings of peacefulness and goodwill among the inmates within the facilities.
According to Dr. Golod, after 6 months of using the table salt, the employees of these institutions spoke the same basic idea, that “the prisoners were acting so much nicer that people wondered whether we had somehow replaced the entire prison population”. After 11 months the following statistics were calculated: the death rate dropped by 3.5 times, serious crimes reached zero, and the number of rule violations decreased by three times.
This experience that led Dr. Golod to study the mechanism of what had actually happened with the prisoners. Subsequent tests showed reduced aggressiveness in mice (discussed herein) after drinking pyramid salt water solutions, and demonstrated, in the words of Dr. Golod, an “acquired resistance to stress”.
Environmental Research:
Russian Geometry Pyramid Creates New Streams, Regenerates Extinct Plant Species:
Results: A Russian Geometry pyramid harmonizes space within its radius of influence. After construction of a pyramid in the area of Seliger Lake, new streams appeared in the area, a stork set up a nest, and nearby fields became covered with previously extinct species of flowers.
Russian Geometry Pyramid Purifies Contaminated Water:
Goal: Determine whether pyramids can purify well water contaminated with strontium, heavy metals and salt.
Methodology: A series of pyramids were built in the Arkhangelsk region of Russia.
Results: Strontium and heavy metals that had contaminated a well were able to be cleared by the effects of the pyramids. In another town, a pyramid was constructed that reduced the amount of salt in water.
Russian Geometry Pyramids Create Far-Reaching Energy Field:
Goal: To see if a Russian Geometry Pyramid had an impact on the atmosphere surrounding the pyramid.
Methodology: Radar equipment was placed at distances of 30, 32 and 60 kilometers (19, 20 and 38 miles) from a 22 meter (68 feet) Russian Geometry Pyramid.
Results: Radar readings indicated the presence of ionized energy field 2000 meters (6,200 feet) high and 500 meters ( 1,550 feet) wide along the vertical axis of the pyramid. The column was constantly changing its height from 800 meters (2,500 feet) to 2000 meters (6,200 feet). The radar reflecting ability of this formation was comparable to the reflecting ability of an airplane.
Further studies confirmed that a larger circle of this ionized energy surrounded the area above the pyramid in a 300 kilometer (185 mile) range, with the highest concentration being directly above the vertical axis of the pyramid. Dr. Golod’s team calculated that if such an energy column were to be produced electromagnetically, it would require all the combined energy of all the power plants in Russia.
Hypothesis on Method of Action: Dr. Golod’s hypothesis is that there is an energy vortex above the pyramid, and that the detected atmospheric ionization is a consequence of what he calls vortex radiation. Further, the detected ionic column above the pyramid delineates the neck of the funnel of this hypothetical vortex.
Researchers noticed that fragments of the ionized column detached over the pyramid and moved in an upward flow. These fragments retained their configuration at large distances from the pyramid. Based on this data, Dr. Golod assumes the possibility of separation and movement of this ionization with the ascending flow of the air. Depending on the weather conditions, these structures can be anywhere on the planet in just a few days.
Russian Geometry Pyramids Diminish Earthquake Risk and Severe Weather:
Goal: See if Russian Geometry Pyramids had impacts on earthquakes and severe weather.
Methodology: Teams from the Russian National Academy of Sciences studied earthquake data from the areas surrounding a series of pyramids and compared it to earlier data before the pyramids were built.
Results: Pyramids tend to dissipate the energetic buildup that would normally create sudden, violent earthquakes. Instead of seeing one large and powerful quake, several hundred tiny earthquakes were registered. Furthermore, the atmosphere surrounding the pyramid seemed to be shielded from severe weather, causing a decrease in the amount of violent weather patterns.
Russian Geometry Pyramid Dramatically Reduces Airborne Environmental Poisoning:
Background: Since its inception, the Aksaraysky gas condensate plant in Astrakan, Russia had been poisoning and polluting the surrounding environment, spewing huge amounts of radon, hydrogen sulfide, and other environmental toxins into the air. Due to the extent of the pollution, all villagers within a 30 kilometer (19 mile) zone had been resettled. The City of Narimanov is 40 kilometers (25 miles) away, but the city is downwind from the plant, and was still being severely affected by the environmental pollution.
Proposal: The general director of the Aksaraysky plant sent a representative to discuss with Dr. Alexander Golod the idea constructing a Russian Geometry Pyramid near the plant in Astrakhan, and subsequently a 22 meter Russian Geometry Pyramid was built on the Volgograd-Astrakhan Highway between the plant and the city of Narimanov.
Results: Data collected by the City Health Department indicate that prior to the installation of the pyramid, there were an average of 550-650 cases of environmental poisoning per year. In the first year after the pyramid was constructed, the number of reported poisoning cases dropped to 208. A year later, only 70 poisonings were reported. The following year, there were only a few isolated poisoning cases. A few years after that the City Health Department stopped keeping statistics because of the drastic decline in reported poisonings.
Russian Geometry Pyramids Improve Protective Ozone Layer:
According to Dr. Golod, the data indicate that the problems of the ozone layer on the planet (first in the northern hemisphere, then in the southern) could disappear as a result of the existing pyramids already built, although building pyramids in the Southern Hemisphere would hasten recovery. Ozone holes in the Northern Hemisphere disappeared within 4-5 months after the installation of a 22 meter high pyramid on Lake Seliger. The disappearance of ozone holes on the planet is expected as a result of the 44-meter-high pyramid on the Moscow-Riga Highway in 1999. According to Dr. Golod, similar and more rapid results could be obtained as a result of building similar pyramids in the Southern Hemisphere, for example, in Australia or in South America.
A joint experiment with RSC Energia (Russia’s prime contractor for space missions), started on October 25, 1998, contributes a lot to this and other similar results, according to Dr. Golod. In that experiment, a cargo of quartz crystals and amethysts, processed in the pyramid, was sent aboard the Mir space station. Several thousand orbits around the planet formed an energy cocoon that changed the structure of the entire near-Earth space.
Goal: To determine if placing various types of crop seeds inside a Russian Geometry Pyramid prior to planting would affect the production yield of crops.
Methodology: Before planting crops, seeds were placed inside the Pyramid for 1-5 days. Tens of thousands of acres were seeded with over 20 different crops.
Conclusions: In each case there was a 20% to 100% improvement in crop productivity; the crops were disease-free and not affected by droughts. The quantity of toxic substances in plants decreased. Similar results were obtained when stones previously exposed to the Pyramid energy were placed around the crop fields.
Russian Geometry Pyramid Increases Wheat Production:
Goal: To determine if the existence of a Russian Geometry Pyramid would impact the production of wheat.
Methodology: A 12 meter (37 feet) pyramid was constructed in a wheat field adjacent to another wheat field with similar soil and growing conditions.
Results: Wheat grown in the field containing the Russian Geometry Pyramid had a yield 400% of that of the control planting.
Materials Research:
Russian Geometry Pyramids Change the Structure of Steel:
Goal: To determine if exposure to Russian Geometry Pyramid fields would have an impact on the structure of steel razor blades.
Methodology: Theoretical physicist Dr. Volodymyr Krasnoholovets and his team from Ukraine, placed razor blades inside a pyramid for 30 days and then compared these blades with a control sections of the very same blades not exposed to the pyramid. The investigation was related to the cutting edge of a razor blade. Before putting the blade into a pyramid, a small reference specimen was cut out of each blade.
Results: Electron microscope photography demonstrated that the blade sections exposed to the pyramid had been sharpened relative to the control sections, confirming the experience of numerous Soviet soldiers who had previously been using handmade pyramids of all shapes, sizes and materials to sharpen their razor blades.
Russian Geometry Pyramid Changes Electrical Resistance of Materials:
Methodology: A pyrocarbon material was tested that normally had a resistance of 5-7 micro-ohms.
Results: After a one-day stay in the pyramid, the material became 200% more resistant to electric current, which is an abnormal effect for a pyrocarbon. Similarly, silicon semiconductors would have an exponential lowering of their electrical resistance, moving from 10^5 to 10^4 ohms per centimeter, and high-temperature superconducting materials would lose their superconductive properties after a one-day stay in the pyramid.
Rocks From Pyramid Distribute Electrical Charges More Evenly:
Goal: Demonstrate how pyramid-charge rocks could dissipate strong electric charges.
Methodology: A flat metallic plate that was zapped by positively-charged electric blasts at up to 1,400 kilovolts in intervals between 250 and 2500 microseconds. The electric blasts were generated by a rod that was suspended 5 meters above the metallic plate.
Results: The researchers discovered that there were five times more burn marks on the control plate as opposed to the experimental plate which had granite previously placed in the pyramid in a ring around the plate. This appears to be due to the fact that the electron clouds of the atoms in the rocks became more uniformly spin-polarized in the pyramid, thus helping to absorb and spread out electrical charges more evenly.
Russian Geometry Pyramid Water Does Not Freeze Until Disturbed:
Methodology: Plastic bottles of distilled water kept in the pyramid over the course of three winter months. During this time, the air temperature in the pyramid sank as low as -38 degrees Centigrade (-34 degrees Fahrenheit).
Results: Thermometers inside the bottles revealed that the temperature of the water remained in a liquid form and would not turn into ice. However, if the water was shaken or bumped in any way, it would immediately start crystallizing and quickly turn into a block of ice, suggesting that the presence of the torsion-wave energy was able to keep the water molecules from crystallizing into ice, yet a simple disruption in the harmonic stillness of the water would cause this equilibrium to disappear and ice would form quickly.
Visible Rings Form in Rocks Scattered Inside the Pyramid:
Methodology: Chunks of granite and crystal were scattered along the floor of the pyramid for long periods of time.
Results: A visible ring would appear evenly throughout the chunks, showing a clear change in the appearance of the stones when under the torsion-wave influence. Evidence gathered by Dr. Golod indicated that in communities where the stones were placed in a ring the amount of epidemics in the area would decrease.
Russian Geometry Pyramid Generates Electrical Energy:
Goal: Determine if electrical energy could be harnessed from a Russian Geometry Pyramid.
Methodology: Capacitors were placed at the apex of the pyramid
Results: A spontaneous electrical charge was taken on by the capacitors. Furthermore, pieces of the capacitors were seen breaking away and rising into the air on the energetic column produced by the pyramid.
Russian Geometry Pyramids Increase Oil Well Production:
Goal: Determine if pyramids could increase the production of oil from existing oil wells.
Results: A series of pyramids were built over one of a number of oil wells. It was discovered that the viscosity of the oil under the pyramids decreased by 30%, while the production rate accordingly increased by 30% compared to the surrounding wells. There was a decrease in the amount of unwanted materials in the oil, such as gums, pyrobitumen and paraffin.
Additional Research Results:
Additional research results, conducted under less rigorous methodologies, include the following:
Immune system of organisms improved (blood leukocyte composition increased);
Improved regeneration of tissue;
Increased levels of REM sleep;
Increased levels of melatonin;
Improved ozone layer noted above the area;
Seismic activity near the pyramid research areas is reduced in severity and size;
Violent weather also appears to decrease in the vicinity of the pyramids;
Radioactive substances decay more rapidly after exposure to the pyramid;
Synthesized diamonds turn out harder and purer.
Pyschotropic drugs have less of an effect on people either staying inside or within close range of a pyramid
The half-life of carbon was altered
The strength of concrete changes when exposed to pyramids
Crystals exhibit different unusual optical behaviors
The level of toxicity of any substance exposed in the pyramid even for a short time, decreases.
The level of radioactivity of substances exposed in the pyramid decreases.
The level of pathogenicity of various protein formations (viruses, bacteria) exposed in the pyramid decreases.
In the area of the pyramid, or in the area of objects exposed in the pyramid, the effectiveness of any psychotropic effects is reduced.
Very encouraging data was obtained in cases of the use of standard solutions (glucose, isotonic solution, etc.) intravenously and externally with alcoholism and drug addiction, even in very advanced forms.
Applications of Russian Geometry Pyramid Technology to Current Societal Issues:
A number of societal problems where Russian Pyramid technology is applicable:
Physiological and psychological dependence, including drug addiction and alcoholism
Energy security of the state, including the replacement of hydrocarbons, nuclear and hydro resources
the problem of natural disasters, including man-made (for example, climate weapons): earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, forest fires, floods, etc.
the problem of protecting the biosphere from all sorts of pathogenic radiation (electromagnetic, acoustic, radiation) including from radiation of mobile communications. Billions of mobile phones are capable of disrupting and destroying the human gene pool.
Remediation of nuclear, bacteriological, and chemical wastes
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Chota Kila and a Lioness
Rain kept pounding that day, when we thought we would like to make a quick visit to the fort which had been spoken about with pride in the Ghara Kingdom. A kingdom that may not be well known in the Indian dynasty but has produced legends that are well imprinted in the local legends in and around Jabalpur.
In an era where we are talking of women empowerment and women power, this small kingdom had a queen, Rani Durgavati who revolutionized the way she ruled the kingdom after her husband died at a young age while her son being too young to rule.
She took over the reigns and ruled for 14 years. She is known for bringing in a lot of prosperity to her state which got into the sight of the Mughals. In 1564, at the age of 39 she was martyred in the last battle.
For her, “The pride to live respectfully was more important that living a disgraceful life”.
The steps that lead us to the fort
She lead her army to a battle and seems to have mounted an elephant for the battle. In a battle of unequal, when she realized that she had lost all her army, and there was no other go, she preferred to kill herself. Her martyrdom on 24 June 1564 is commemorated as “Balidan Diwas” even today. This shows us how a revered and powerful lioness she was.
In her territory at Jabalpur, Madan Mahal is one of the small forts that was built. It has been built at such a height and so small compared to the forts that one imagines, that it could have doubled up as a watching post.
This mahal is situated on a hill top and one has to take close to 100+ steps to reach the fort base. The steps give you a mesmerizing feel of the Jabalpur city as you keep moving us. As you reach at the base, one could be surprised by the remains. On the right had side, there is the horse stable and on the left is the small fort.
There seems to be many more places underground but as it had been raining heavy, these places were submerged in water. The distinctive thing is the huge smooth oval shaped rock that will make you look at the fort with awe.
We walked up a short flight of stairs, that tell you the signs of presence of bats. The stairs opens up onto a small landing base area and a few rooms at the end. Should have been used by the solders to keep an eye on the kingdom down below. The place is quite breezy.
There are many tunnels that had been built which opens up at various places that could have been used for safe movements. Today they have been closed down by the ASI and understandably why. It seems that people have found pots of gold while digging the grounds to construct their houses in the new Jabalpur city.
Had a little friend up the Fortress wall
The doorways that tell us of the beautiful life it must have been. The horsemen and the soldiers who may have guarded it.
We walked around the space and enjoyed shooting ourselves with selfies with this “Chota Kila” (Small Fort) and as we left the fort, it reminded me of the glory that this place would have seen during the reign of a wonderful administrator Lioness.
The slight drizzle that started as we made our way down made the place even more mesmerizing for us.
A must place to be when you are at Jabalpur.
Things to check:
There is a lot of walk in and around the place, so make sure you have your comfortable shoes on.
There is no ASI fees to enter the place and no one asks money.
If you are travelling during summer time, carry your own caps and shades. It is quite a rocky place so heat may through you off guard.
The place is very peaceful and soak the beauty, especially during rainy season.
Carry your own food & water bottles. You do not have shops to buy what you may like.
Finally, ensure “Swatch Bharat”
Bankapur Nagareshvara Shiva
Being lost even when GPS seems working I think is something that we have taken up for granted. And, finding newer things and pausing to find something beautiful is a new normal then.
Well Bankapur fort was one such place. We had read about the Nagareshvara Temple inside the fort and wanted to check that out post our trip from Galaganath.
The fort is some 360 odd kilometers from Bengalore and 23 kms from Haveri. Haveri, does not have great places to stay. It was an “ok” place, where we could sleepover as a pit stop before we headed off further north of Karnataka. We started off after a sumptuous breakfast.
The fort is off the main road in the Bankapur area, which is well known for Peacock sanctuary and for Black Bucks (Well we could see none). Bankapur was a glorious place in the past. It was ruled by Rastrakutas, Chalukyas, Suenas, Hoyasala before being ruled by the Bahmani Sultans. This place was also ruled further by Bijapur’s Ali Adil Shah and then by the Suvanur Nawabs who had to pledge the fort to the Maratha Holkars, who fell to Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan. The fort was finally seized by the Britishers. In the due course of time, the fort lost its glory and its structure too.
Not knowing Kannada and following the GPS, we seemed to have gone around the barbed fencing of the fort and reached at a spot where we realized we were lost. That is where we paused and shot some lovely little birds.
We finally reversed and parked outside a wall and people said, you got to walk through this gate. As we started to walk, we were welcomed by a deserted feel. It had wild vegetation all around and the broken walls. From there on it was a deserted walk for close to one kilometer. The good part is that, there is a shade cover that the government has built. There are no signage to lead to the temple space though.
As we walked to a small junction point we happened to meet a bunch of school kids who had come on a school excursion. What energy and fun. Reminded us of our school fun days.
After chatting up with them and asking for directions, we headed on our right side towards the temple place. The placed looked deserted yet had a charm of its own. May be still saying I have my mesmerizing effects still on.
This place was the fort area though deserted and not much of visitors except for the locals, there is a habitation. People come and farm inside too. The government has given the local people the lands to be used. The spaces unused are huge.
Cultivation inside the fort
As we neared the place, the first side was that of the roof and then the temple space opened up for us. The smallness was grandeur for us. The temple today would be some seven feet below the normal ground height as of today. As we took the flight of stairs, one could feel that ASI has been working on the space. It was very clean and gave a feel of the care that the government is taking for preserving these pristine pasts of ours.
This ancient Western Chalukyan temple is also called as “Aravattarukmbhada Gudi” or “Temple with Sixty six columns. It was built in the later Chalukya or Kalyani Chalukya rulers. And yes, this is again another Shivan temple, similar to what Western Chalukya kings have been creating. This temple was created in the 12th century.
We had to remove our footware and get into the temple space, even though we did not find any prayers being done to the linga. The young Bengali ASI person who was bought up in Bihar and had an Odiya girlfriend who wanted to go for a kannada movie that morning with a local friend that day ensured that we all remove our footware there.
As we discussed and started to ask him more questions about the place, we realized he hardly had any understanding of what this place was. He was eager to close the main sanctum and move on for the day.
Exquisite carvings on the door of the sanctum. There is a lot lost with time and still this art work stands tall.
The sixty six pillars forms the part of the small mandapa, which must have been a place of congregation. Though we stepped into the sanctum, we could one see a small shiva Linga and it seemed to have been shut because of ASI work. Our ASI man did not let us click any pics inside too.
The intricate designs on one of the pillars
The first impression that we got were the beautifully chilled pillars. It would remind anyone of the Belur & Belvadi temples. The only difference is that, they were build for Vishu and these Chalukyan were for Shiva. And yes, Hoyasala architecture is heavily influenced by the Chalukyan creations. This temple is a great example for it.
When one enters the temple, one could feel the chillness in the space. The floor and the sandstone pillars chill the place. The sandstone structures also gives in to the fact the carvings and structures suggests that it could have been the beginning of stone carvings. Bankapur has a dense population of peacocks and it shows in the carvings too.
Flower designs
A normal life then
Peacock feather design
Maids Serving
Peacock Symbol of Banakpur
Typical Chalukya Design
Ganapathi carving
We spent a lot of time, walking and feeling the beautiful carvings on the walls. The door especially had some intrinsic workings and one see how the stones have hollowness as well as liveliness at the same time.
The raised platforms around the inner part of the wall did have similar impressions as that of Galagnath temple, where people must have used this for playing board games. There is something about that place that could get peace and tranquility.
The subsequent time that flew post the creation, the fort’s occupiers in the later years broke a lot of artifacts, statues and today what we see could just be a small part of that beautiful history.
Some of the monuments have been placed at different places of the palace, just as a reminder as to what this place would have been.
As we walked back to our car, we could only talk as to what the stars above us would have seen when the plans for this magnificent temple was laid and then its destruction. Thanks to ASI for having preserved such jewels for this and the subsequent generations to cherish and feel awe about.
Haveri is a small place, cannot expect great hotels. And if you are looking at staying before heading to Bankapur, this is the best place only.
Food is local but nice and clean. If you are experimenter then a great way to taste local food.
Own transport is the best to discover new places.
The Bankapur fort is dilapidated and the entrance would like some government place. So check with locals if you feel lost. People GPS is best.
There is no ASI fees to enter the place and no one asks money in the temple.
There is a lot of walking to be done from the gate to the temple space.
If you are travelling during summer time, carry your own caps and shades.
The place is very peaceful and soak the beauty.
Indeed, Incredible India!! and a glorious history of India!!!… Only wanting us to come back again and again.
Sparsha Linga
India is a country full of surprises and are hidden in places that finding them itself is mesmerizing. Though we had done good amount of googling to find more about this lovely place, Galagnath hidden in a small village on the banks of Tungabhadra, one can get lost, practically.
After having done a quick stop at Somesvara, we headed towards our destination. The fascination with this place was more with regard to structure in which this was created by the western Chalukya dynasty during the period of Vikramaditya.
Galaganath village was earlier called as Palluni Village and was later named as Galaganath because of Galageswara. When we read in history that habitations happen on river banks and cultures flourish, this place can stand out to be one great example. The beautiful temple is tucked on the banks of Tungabhardra, It is also called the place where five rivers meet. They are Tunga, Bhadra & Kumudvathi merge with Varada & Dharma.
The temple is on a real high platform and it gives a great view of the river and village.
We after being lost, managed to slowly move towards the temple after multiple attempts to converse and understand the language. Finally the sign language & humanness took the better of us and we reached this beautiful temple.
We paused and wondered before we could step further
As one steps into the temple, what catches our eyes is the structure. Though there is a Chalukya influence, but the base makes you feel that this is that of a pyramid base. But as the structure rises it has got beautiful designs and intricate workings. The structure is that of a mandala and the temple opens up to the east towards the river.
The Unique structure of Galageswara
Small yet Majestic temple
As we walked around, we were mesmerized by this small base and the stone carvings. What fascinated me the most was the Shiva linga. It is a huge linga compared to the ones that I have seen so far in Dakshina Karnataka, where the concept of building is huge linga are evident. More, we got to hear from the locals there who spoke some good Hindi and English.
The eastern entrance of the temple. A Nandi sits there majestically infront of the Shiva Linga. Notice the work on the walls. Simple yet elegant.
It is said that this Linga has a “Sparsha Linga” underneath it. Legends say that, people used to put an Iron rod near the Linga and pray, which used to get converted to gold. When the king got to know about the misuse of it, he got the Linga covered with “Galaga” or a protective layer. Since then the temple has been called as “Galageswara” and the village name changed to Galaganath.
It is not just Shiva, but the walls are also adorned by Vishu avatars, and Lord Surya (The sun God).
The temple has a small mandapa and it seems the temple was used for Art and Dance proliferation. There is no denial that temple were built as culture & Communication hubs and religion was used a binder. On the raised platforms within the mandapa are etching of board games that would have been played during that time.
There are stone inscriptions stating that the temple was built around 1080 AD.
The inscriptions on the stone talking about the temple and its creation
We spent time talking to the ASI caretaker, the School headmaster and a few locals who were very enthusiastic to share their knowledge and understanding. One could see the pride they carry for the place. They loved to pose and we loved to shoot them.
The temple shares its boundary walls with the village and the co-existence is so nicely woven in.
It is said that the Kanndiga Literary novelist “Shri Venkatesh Trivikrambhat Kulkarni” was born in Havanur and he had written most of his novels sitting in the mandapa of Galageswara. He is also called as “Father of Kannada Novels”, who had self published and sold his 29 books on the streets to popularize the language too.
Depiction of Fisherman, Praying woman (Stating normal life) and then the religious belief with Shiva Linga and Nandi
After spending close to an hour we headed for our destination for the day, Haveri and not before we had an impromptu stop on the open field to pick up Byadgi Chilly.
A few pointers:
This is a small village and GPS may not locate the temple accurately. Get onto local people network to find more.
The place is very peaceful so you could spend some “Me time” and soak the beauty.
That one hour is well etched in our minds and we just cannot remove the fascination and creative excellence that India had then.
Hats off to Incredible India!!
Haralahalli Shivan!!
It is so so true that life is a journey and one can discover more beauty that the destination alone.
Our plan was very clear that we reach Galaganath temple before 3 pm so that we could return to Haveri before sun down. We were travelling from Chitradurga fort post our lovely time at the fort. Well, navigating the Indian roads especially when you trust the Google maps, it could be fun and we felt we were lost in the fields.
It is simply a state of bliss though and we did not hesitate to pause and wonder at what the North Karnakata offered us. And when you stop once, It become a ritual to stop again and again. Well the traffic on the road (Which was very heavy & difficult to navigate) also helped us to slow down. This is when our senses and anxiety also slowed down.
We blended with the rustic nature of what the road and the place offered. As we slowly make through the confusion of what the google maps offered to that of the place, we happened to reach a tri-junction. The map said go straight for Galaganath while the scene of the right was something different and it said, “Come over and visit me”. We looked at each other and the answer was clear, we turned our car towards this unknown architectural feat. This was a village called “Haralahalli” and it is on the banks of Tungabhadra. This village holds a beautiful temple called Somesvara or Somesaragudi.
The beauty of most of the temples in this region is that they were built during the Chalukya time in around 10th – 12th century. This temple was built in the 12th century by King Vikramaditya VI. These temples also depict the rise of the lingayats in this part of the country. This temple is dedicated towards lord Shiva and opens up to the eastern side. Today one typically would enter from the northern part as the gate is located there for visitors while the villagers still use the eastern gate to enter.
There is quite an intricate work that has been done. The sanctum has three gopuras each dedicated to the lord Shiva.
Today prayers happen only at one of the sanctums as there is maintenance work that is going on still. The surprising part is that there are some of the Vishnu avatars that have been created. Snake structures and Yalli’s are very common carvings that you would notice. The gopura is quite short.
Today ASI seems to have taken up the task to get this temple in place. There seems to be some deterioration in the structure. But what ever said and done it is a lovely place to stop by and appreciate the kind of work that the then kings had done.
It also makes me wonder and think, this place must have been a prime location at one point of time when the king had given the land and money to get this amazing temple up and today it is struggling to keep it self going with only agriculture to support itself. The people there are very humble and humane.
After the lovely time there, we moved our to our next destination Galaganath.
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Recruitment to the New Governing Bodies
About the CCGs
NHS Brighton and Hove CCG
NHS East Sussex CCG
NHS West Sussex CCG
About our Governing Body
View Roles
Lay Members (Governance)
Share this role
Sussex CCGs
c.£15,000 (TBC and subject to Remuneration Committee approval)
GSe61019
Recruitment timetable
09:00am on Monday 3rd February 2020
If shortlisted you will receive an email from our Assessment Team containing details of an online assessment that you need to complete within 24 hours.
w/c 3rd February 2020
Interview - if you cannot attend this interview date, please email victoria.spenceley@gatenbysanderson.com
18th, 19th and 25th February 2020
It is undoubtedly the case that this is a time of enormous positive change for the Sussex health economy. The decision to establish a new NHS Sussex CCG from the 1 April 2020 is a key part of that programme of change.
All the Sussex CCGs have been working in close alignment through a single management team for the past year. Consequently, we already have a common and consistent approach to commissioning and planning across Sussex. We have also aligned many of our support functions, such as governance, human resources, communications and engagement, quality and patient safety and financial systems.
We have therefore already seen the benefits of the commissioning system coming together and see the establishment of new NHS East Sussex CCG, NHS West Sussex CCG and NHS Brighton and Hove CCG from the 1 April 2020 as the next logical step to enable a more strategic and focused approach to commissioning at place. These changes will also provide the framework to maximise the opportunities to do things once across the wider health and care system where it is most efficient and effective to do so.
Our critical task now is to appoint to the new CCGs Governing Bodies which will formally become operational on the 1 April 2020.
Each CCG will be led by its Governing Body which plays a key role in the strategic oversight of the CCG and for the development of our vision and strategy, approving our commissioning plans and consultation arrangements, and monitoring the performance and quality improvement of our providers. Our Governing Bodies are also there to ensure that there is good governance and to promote a culture of strong engagement with patients, their carers, GP members, the public and other stakeholders about the activity and progress of the CCG.
We want to attract outstanding individuals to fulfil all the key roles on our Governing Bodies. Each role carries with it a number of responsibilities common to all members of a unitary board as well as some role specific responsibilities and which are set out in the job description.
Crucially we want to attract individuals to all these roles who have a real commitment to the NHS, who have a vision and passion for health care commissioning, who are strong team players and who want to see our CCGs grow and prosper so that we commission the best health care possible for all our populations.
As part of the Governing Body, you will combine the duty to ensure effective governance, consistent with the Nolan principles and NHS values, with securing a long-term vision and strategy for the CCG. As part of the Governing Body, you must visibly and consistently demonstrate a commitment to developing and maintaining a healthy organisational culture and environment built on trust; openness; honesty; integrity; and inclusivity, and which promotes collaborative, system-level leadership that is focused on the best interests of all patients and service users and the wellbeing of all staff.
To view the job description and person specification, please scroll to the bottom of the page, tick to agree to the privacy policy, then click 'Continue to full details'.
To apply for this role, please submit an up to date copy of your CV, along with a Supporting Statement that addresses the criteria set out in the person specification, using examples to demonstrate how you meet the essential requirements. Please provide your home, work, mobile and email contact details and let us know of any dates when you are not available or where you may have difficulty with the indicative timetable. You should also provide the names, positions, organisations and contact details for two referees, one of whom should be your current or most recent employer. If you do not wish us to approach your referees without your prior permission, please state this clearly.
Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automated email to confirm that you have applied. If you do not receive this email, please make contact with GatenbySanderson.
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Melanie Shearer
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Locality Representative - NHS East Sussex CCG (GSe61001)
Locality Representative - NHS West Sussex CCG (GSe61010)
Locality Representative - NHS Brighton & Hove CCG (GSe61016)
Lay Members (Governance) (GSe61019)
Lay Members (Finance) (GSe61030)
Lay Members (Patient & Public Engagement) (GSe61033)
Independent Members (Registered Nurse) (GSe61039)
Independent Members (Secondary Care Clinicians) (GSe61043)
Independent Members (GPs) (GSe61046)
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Change from Enterprise to Community Edition (v12.3) License Expired & Pipeline 'play' button greyed out.
Ryan Crawford
We previously used Go Enterprise in our organisation, recently however we have been forced to scale down so had to stop. Since the release of 12.3 however, we have noted that it is now fully featured for smaller teams (users/agents) so have come back to Go because we think it's an awesome product. I have done as the web site says...
"Download our free, 30-day trial which provides Go for up to 20 users and up to 50 remote agents. When the 30 days are up you can choose whether you want to go ahead and buy a supported edition or keep using it as a free Community edition.
See: http://www.thoughtworks-studios.com/go-agile-release-management/download
However now that the demo license has expired, and a week or so has passed, the software is still reporting "Go edition: Enterprise" edition, and the pipeline "play" button is no longer clickable!
Why hasn't this fallen back to the Community edition, and how can I (re-)configure the server to be happy as the community edition moving forward?
All help would be greatly appreciated!!!
Raghuram Bharathan November 02, 2012 03:39
Go has not fallen back to the Community edition because the expired Enterprise license is still "installed".
You could one of two things (based on your need):
* Contact our Sales or Support to provide you with a Community license which allows 10 users and 3 agents
* Remove the "Enterprise license" (by editing the config.xml). This will "default" Go to supporting 10 users, but 0 remote agents.
Raghuram
Ryan Crawford November 02, 2012 11:46
Thanks for the assistance! Our account rep has been in touch and provided the support we needed.
DAVIES, Ben April 29, 2013 23:01
Hi I'm an ex-enterprise user in a similiar situation (although we didn't scale back, I was moved between teams).
I notice I fall back to 0 remote agents as the above, but http://www.thoughtworks-studios.com/go-continuous-delivery/compare clearly says community edition should have 3 remote agents. Is this a bug, or do I need to more than not have a license installed?
Marco Abis April 30, 2013 03:41
as per Raghuram's reply below you need to request a free community license to fall back to the Community version otherwise you fall back to local agents only (i.e. 0 remote agents).
Please contact Sales or Support and request the free license.
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Prey 14.11
Posted on October 9, 2012 by wildbow
I continued my search for the pair, but my tentative explorations of the trails of extermination-mist made a sweeping search all but hopeless.
It felt like I was facing a series of decisions where every answer had some merit, but picking the wrong one would spell disaster. I’d had to make the call between staying at the school in case Jack and Bonesaw were preparing a trap for Amy and Glory Girl, or leaving in case they’d made a run for it. I’d left, and I’d been lucky enough to be right.
Except the Nine were now covering their tracks with a dozen decoys, mechanical spiders leaving trails of bug-killing smoke, leaving me to guess which direction they’d gone.
Two solid possibilities dwelled with me.
The first was that they’d headed back downtown to rendezvous with Siberian. If I was drawing the right conclusions from what I’d overheard, Bonesaw had drawn together a cocoon for Siberian similar to the one that Amy had created for Glory Girl. They could be recovering her real body, maybe doing something to recover Mannequin or Crawler.
It hadn’t even crossed my mind while I was under the miasma’s influence, but I also had to wonder whether Regent would have maintained his control over Shatterbird.
The second possibility was that they’d gone after Cherish. My conversation with Coil had clued them in.
I checked my phone. No service.
Damn the Director. Damn her for making this so hard, and for complicating matters. We’d been playing by Jack’s rules, more or less, and she’d given him an excuse to pull out all the stops.
He probably would have anyways, but she gave him an excuse.
If I headed away from the downtown area, toward the water, I could put myself in a position to track down Cherish, or to get to another point where the satellite phone would work and make a call to Coil. If they were checking the harbor for Cherish, going by what she’d revealed on the phone, then I could get there first. Lay a trap, or get in position to shoot them again. I figured out how to remove the magazine from the gun and checked the number of rounds remaining. Six.
The problem was that the whole reason I’d let Panacea keep using her power on me instead of giving chase to Jack was that I was supposed to cure the others. I could kill and replace the parasites that were carrying the prions. The sooner I did it, the less damage they’d do in the meantime. Some of the damage would be permanent, and the potential victims included Brian and Lisa.
I wanted to head back downtown, to help my teammates and friends, but I couldn’t shake the nagging doubt in the back of my mind.
The difference between Jack and Bonesaw going downtown and their going to the coastline was that the former was almost kind, taking care of a teammate. The latter case allowed them to inflict some terrible torture on an ex-teammate of theirs.
It was the most inconvenient possibility, but my gut told me they’d go after Cherish. If I had to put numbers on it, I’d have said there was a sixty percent chance they’d go that route, a thirty-five percent chance they’d headed downtown. And there was always the possibility I was wrong, that they had something else in mind, so I was leaving room for that extra five percent.
But if I was wrong, if I went to the harbor to try to get ahead of them and Jack didn’t go that way, then my friends would suffer for it. Brian had been through enough, and while Lisa had seemed to deal okay after she’d been scarred, I was willing to bet she valued her mind more than she valued her face.
I headed downtown.
No matter which way I chose to go, I’d have that awful feeling of regret in my chest. I tried to quiet it by telling myself that with Tattletale and the others, I’d actually be able to do something against the Nine. A gun and knife didn’t cut it, no matter how scattered or few in number they were.
I couldn’t quite manage to convince myself.
As it didn’t cost me anything significant in terms of forward momentum, I let Atlas carry me higher. I was getting more comfortable flying him, and there was little difference in being a hundred and fifty feet above the ground and being five hundred stories up. I wanted to assess the situation. Was my dad one of the people who was depending on this cure?
The topography of the city had impacted where the miasma was spreading. As far as I could tell, it wasn’t really advancing into the north end of the city.
Bakuda’s bombing campaign and the militarization of the ABB had predominantly focused on the Docks. Leviathan had arrived in the Docks, and his destruction of the city’s water infrastructure and power had hit that part of the city hardest. I wondered if this would be the first real instance where the Docks weren’t hit as hard by the ongoing series of disasters and attacks in Brockton Bay.
I descended back to a safer distance, where falling wouldn’t be terminal, and tried to plan.
Finding Tattletale was number one. With her assistance, everything else would be easier. As much as I wanted to make Grue my second priority, I knew that there were other things that took precedence. Siberian was a big one. Finding a way to distribute the cure was another. Once I started, it would set up a chain reaction, but I had to decide how to start it off.
Tattletale first. She could help me find Siberian and figure out how to distribute the antidote.
I tracked the trails of extermination smoke as I flew. I was faster than they were, but they were elusive, staying out of sight and moving through awkward positions. I spotted one mechanical spider moving through a trash-littered alleyway and changed my route to close in on another trail.
My second confirmation of a mechanical spider left me with the feeling that I’d made the wrong call.
But it was too late to turn back. It would be faster to go help Tattletale and get her assistance than to turn around and fumble along on my own.
They were traveling on foot, I hoped, and they still had to find Cherish. She was bound to be in a remote spot, and they didn’t have many clues to work with. It would take time.
Things hadn’t exactly been quiet while I’d been gone.
“Calm down! If we all just stop fighting, then this doesn’t end in tragedy.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“I’ll tell you as soon as I can think of a convincing reason!”
Tattletale was on the street, alone, facing down Bitch, two dogs and one wolf on full-tilt mutation-mode. They advanced with measured steps, keeping close to their master.
I landed beside Tattletale, and the two of us made eye contact.
“L-mist.”
“A-Carnelian,” she answered. “You understand if I don’t trust you implicitly, here?”
“I do. Listen, I’ve got a cure-”
“Who the fuck are you!?” Rachel shouted.
I shut my mouth and turned to face her.
I was secretly glad the dogs hadn’t turned on her, as that probably would have meant the death of a teammate, but I was getting a firsthand look at what our enemies had to deal with. The dogs were big and vicious enough that if they attacked, there wasn’t a whole lot I could have done. Heck, Tattletale and I together couldn’t have managed much of a defense against one of the creatures, let alone three.
“We’re teammates,” I told her. “I was just fighting the Nine, I’ve got a cure for this thing.”
“Or you’re going to kill me the second I let my guard down.”
I’d been conned by the Nine. Tricked into letting them get access to certain information. Bitch wouldn’t have fallen for that, but that came with the caveat that she was that much harder for us to reassure.
“I can put my weapons away. Or give them to you.”
“I’m not that stupid,” she growled the words. “Don’t treat me like I’m retarded. I’m not. I know you have powers.”
“That wasn’t what I wanted to say,” I said. I kept my voice low, my tone as calm as I could manage. “I was just saying I’d disarm myself if it would reassure you.”
“The only thing that’s going to make me feel any better is getting the fuck away from here. But she wouldn’t get out of my way.”
“If you leave,” Tattletale told her, “You’ll go straight to the Trainyard, to your other dogs, and you’ll get worse. You’ll wind up isolated from the rest of us. And I think the Nine want that. They wanted people for their group, and doesn’t this set their candidates up for easy recruiting? Separate them from their previous attachments, leave them vulnerable and lost, then give them the hard sell.”
“Not that you’re wrong,” I said, glancing at Tattletale while trying to keep the dogs in sight, “I saw Jack trying that with Panacea. But Bitch tends to see it as slimy or conniving when someone talks a lot.”
“I see. You want to try, then?”
Bentley growled. It didn’t sound like a dog growl. What worried me, though, was Bastard. He was untrained enough that he wouldn’t necessarily listen to Bitch, and big enough to feel confident about attacking.
Not that I was positive she would stop him if he attacked. As much as she felt like she’d feel more secure on her own, Bitch might well decide she could resolve this situation by killing anyone who threatened her. It wasn’t that she was the murdering type, but she didn’t have the innate sympathy for her fellow humans. She cared as little about murdering us as I might feel about killing two dogs if I felt like my life was on the line.
I’d been in a similar headspace, trying to figure out who was friendly and who wasn’t. Jack had been more on the ball than I, and I’d fallen for his ploy. I’d deal with the guilt over what that might mean at a later point.
“A little while ago, we spent some time in one of your shelters. I’m guessing you don’t remember who, but you remember chilling out and eating Greek food with someone?”
“You could have found that out through someone else.”
“I know. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just wanting you to think about that feeling. I’d like to think we got along, as far as people like you and people like me can get along with others.”
“Doesn’t mean anything to me now.”
“Okay.” I let my arms drop to my sides.
“That’s it? That’s your argument?”
“I don’t really have much better. I know that if I tried to convince you using logic and a well worded argument, you’d feel like I was being manipulative. All I can say is that we had a good time then, we were friendly. I know we parted ways some time after that, but I’d really like to get back to that point. So I’m appealing to that emotional attachment, I guess.”
“You think I’m attached to you?”
This again. This situation seemed to be highlighting the worst parts of people and twisting others. Amy’s paranoia, Legend’s battle instincts, Bitch’s antisocial tendencies, and my… whatever it was, that led to me trusting Jack.
“Yeah. I’m making that assumption,” I told her.
She advanced, and I stayed put. Sirius growled.
“I’m not your enemy,” I said.
“We’ll attack you.”
“If you do, maybe the cure will get transmitted to your dog, and then to you.”
“You’re not that stupid.”
I shook my head. “Not really. But I don’t think you’ll attack me, either.”
She advanced closer. Sirius growled again, and she held one hand out to stop him.
So glad they still listen to her. This would be a disaster if the dogs were on a rampage. I supposed the miasma was slower to affect them, given their mass, or the vectors it affected weren’t present or as predominant in dogs.
She stepped close, until her nose was an inch from mine. She stared unflinching into my eyes. I met her gaze with that same unforgiving hardness.
“No way I could like someone like you.” The words were like the twist of a knife. Hostility and aggression combined with pure, petty malice.
“Just going by looks, when you can’t see half my face?” I asked. Without breaking eye contact, I reached up and pulled down the lower half of my mask. “You don’t recognize me?”
She didn’t glance away from my eyes. “No. Now move. I will order them to attack.”
She would. She could.
I leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on her lips.
Her punch knocked me off my feet and sent my glasses flying off my face to land in the water somewhere nearby.
“The fuck!?” She shouted. One of the dogs growled, deep, as if to complement her anger with a threat of his own.
“You’re cured,” I told her. “That’s it, that’s all it takes.”
She stared down at me.
If this doesn’t work, she might kill me for real.
Tattletale helped me to my feet and handed me my glasses. I got my mask in place around the lower half of my face and then gathered bugs over the mask and glasses to hide my features.
“How’s that work?” Tattletale asked.
“The effects are being generated by a parasite. Panacea changed the parasite to some kind of symbiotic species that overrides the effects of Bonesaw’s work and heals the effects on the brain. My bodily fluids are carrying it. That means that right now, the parasites in Bitch’s bodies should be dying or getting replaced or transformed or something. I hope.”
I dusted myself off, wiped at my costume where I’d landed in the water, and made sure none of my belongings had dropped from their positions in my armor or my belt.
I didn’t hurry to meet Bitch’s eyes, because I knew that when I did, I’d have to maintain that gaze. Only when I was done did I meet her eyes.
She took her time responding. “I was going to have Bentley break you.”
“Glad you didn’t.”
Why had I done it? I’d tried to explain it to her so many times. I couldn’t bring myself to do it again.
“Doesn’t matter.”
Tattletale pointed down at the water just behind me. I turned around and looked. Where I’d landed on my back, the water was changing from red to a relatively clear state. ‘Relatively’ only because the water hadn’t been that clear to begin with. “Guess it’s working.”
“Good,” I said. The last swirls of red disappeared from around my feet, and the water around me began to change back to normal. With increasing speed, the water around us began to transition back to normal at nearly the speed the effect had spread in the first place. It extended out in every direction, promising to revert most or all of the affected bodies of water.
“You couldn’t have waited until after you’d cured me before you put the bugs on your face?” Tattletale asked. She was smiling as she asked it. “Unless you want me to drink that water.”
“Sorry. No, I’ll help you out.”
She gave me a stern look, pointed at me, and said, “No tongue.”
I rolled my eyes, scattered the bugs, pulled my mask down and leaned over to give her a quick peck on the lips.
“Now fill me in. I’ll fill in the blanks as you explain, and hopefully it’ll work fast enough that I can catch up.”
“Jack and Bonesaw tricked me and Coil to figure out where both Cherish and Amy were. I gave chase, and Jack left before he accomplished anything more than head games.”
“State she’s in, head games are pretty serious.”
“Maybe. But at least she didn’t cave on his demands.”
“The bad thing is… Jack knows about Dinah’s prophecy.”
Tattletale looked as though I’d slapped her. “Shit.”
“I mean, her numbers weren’t that good as far as our mortality rate going up against the Nine, so maybe she’s wrong about-”
I stopped as Tattletale shook her head.
“Depends how you interpret it,” she said. “The kid sounded pretty certain. Anyways, keep going.”
“Siberian’s somewhere downtown, her real body in some kind of case, maybe.”
“I think we might have run into her,” Tattletale said. “I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to details, mostly just trying to avoid trouble. But I’m pretty sure she was hauling around something big. Fuck, I think she might have had a friend.”
“A friend?”
“Hookwolf.”
I nodded slowly. “Where was she headed?”
“North.”
“Where did Coil stick Cherish?”
Tattletale made a face. “North.”
If there had been a wall in reach, I would have punched it. “Wonderful.”
“Explain?” Bitch asked.
“They’re heading over to Cherish’s location, I’m almost a hundred percent positive,” Tattletale explained. “If Siberian’s heading there to rendezvous with them, then any further encounters with them are going to be ugly. Doubly so if they have new blood on their team.”
“Hookwolf’s under the influence of Bonesaw’s miasma,” I added. “Don’t know what his reasons were for staying here, but the miasma seems to have eliminated that. He’s with the Nine. Maybe permanently. Bonesaw will keep it from killing him, I guess.”
“So they got their candidate?”
“And,” I addressed Bitch as I spoke, “They might be looking for more candidates to round out their group. If they left Siberian behind to try to recruit Hookwolf, and they tried a pretty aggressive strategy against Panacea, then they might make another stab at recruiting you. Or Regent.”
“Or Noelle,” Tattletale added.
Why did that give me such a bad feeling?
I sighed. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I think we should give chase.”
“Head to where Cherish is?”
I nodded. “It hasn’t been too long, so they won’t have much time to prepare any counterattack. It does still leave the problem of finding the others and curing them before something bad happens.”
“If the cure is contagious… Bitch, you think you could work on finding and curing the others?”
I spoke up, “Cure your dogs. Spit in their mouths, whatever. Then see about tracking down the others, ambushing them, and having the dogs lick their faces?”
She scowled. “I haven’t trained ’em to do that.”
“You’ve got ten minutes to teach them,” Tattletale grinned.
“You’ll see about curing the others?”
“Yeah.” Bitch pointed, “But it won’t work with my dogs. They kill any parasites while my power’s working.”
Right. I could remember curing Sirius of heartworm.
I shrugged. “Another way? Maybe if you dose some fresh water with the new parasites, spit in it, then splash people? People are going to start getting better fast, with the water changing, but let’s make sure our side is okay?”
Bitch nodded once, curt.
“And can you loan me Bentley?” Tattletale asked.
“I’m starting to wonder why I’m on this team,” Bitch grumbled.
“You have to ask?” Tattletale grinned as she approached Bentley.
“I know it’s just words,” I told Bitch, “But I’m glad you’re back.”
She stared at me like I was speaking Klingon.
“Let’s go,” Tattletale said, as she climbed onto Bentley. He growled, but she didn’t seem to mind. Maybe his bark was worse than his bite and she knew it?
Either way, I decided to trust her and took off.
I’d done my part, and I’d have to trust Bitch to complete the task.
I was making more forward progress than Tattletale, though I could feel Atlas fatiguing. It wasn’t the same as the fatigue I experienced, but he was slowing down fractionally in his wingbeats per second. It stood to reason. He was big, and he hadn’t eaten since he was created. That was compounded by the fact that he’d been going full-bore with minimal chance to rest.
Still, we had the advantage of being able to fly over obstacles, which was something I was gaining a greater appreciation of since I’d gotten the hang of flying him.
With Atlas being tired, not wanting to lose track of Tattletale, I kept our flight close to the ground.
“Where is she?” I called out, as I met her pace.
“Boat Graveyard. Beached ship, she’s in the hold.”
“Coil told you this?”
“No, but he’ll forgive me for figuring it out, given circumstances.”
“If you’re sure.”
It wasn’t a short trip. Our destination was north of the market, and the market was a distance from my house. We were making our way from downtown to the Boat Graveyard.
When the local industry had collapsed, the Boat Graveyard had been something of a staging ground for the irate dock workers. Shipping companies based in Brockton Bay saw the signs of what was coming and trapped other boats in the harbor as a form of protest, to ensure they weren’t walking away empty-handed. Police had made arrests, but actually moving the ships out of the way required sailors, and the move had mobilized enough of them that clearing the upper areas of the docks of the ships became all but impossible. Things capped off with fights, gunfire and a deliberate sinking of a container ship by one of the protesters.
Opinions varied on whether the incident had been a symptom or a cause of the collapse. Either way, the result was the Boat Graveyard- an entire section of the coastline where boats had sat for so long that they’d rusted or taken on water.
We paused at the top of a hill overlooking the scene: forty or fifty derelict ships, some bigger in sheer mass than the skyscrapers downtown. Leviathan’s waves had slammed them all into the coastline, smashing them against one another and turning more than a few into something unrecognizable.
Even with Tattletale’s hint, I wasn’t sure I could have found where Cherish was lurking.
“How do we find her before she finds us?” I asked.
“We don’t. She knows where we are.”
I scanned the wreckage with my eyes. Would Siberian pop out? Hookwolf?
“They aren’t attacking.”
Tattletale shook her head, but she didn’t speak.
My bugs began searching for signs of life.
“You outrange her,” Tattletale spoke. “You detect them, you attack before she can whammy us.”
“Yeah.” Fat lot of good it’ll do with Siberian there.
I was getting a sense of why there wasn’t any foot traffic here. Even on land, the force of Leviathan’s tidal wave had sent age-worn sheets of metal flying over the landscape. Ragged edges of rusty sheet metal waited under every step I took, scraping and stabbing against the soles of my costumed feet. Tattletale was relying on Bentley’s weight and durability to handle anything that waited underfoot. He was still panting hard from the run.
My swarm sense alerted me to life in the hold of a ship. The space was half-filled with sand, and water had leaked in through a hole in the side of the ship. If supplies were delivered by way of remote control, that was a likely route.
Seven people. Three male, four females, one of whom was young. A child, long-haired. That would be Bonesaw.
“There?” I pointed at the location. It was barely visible from where we stood; two ships had been slammed against one another, nose to nose, and they formed a precarious arch over the ship in question.
“I’ve found them, I think. I think Siberian’s there. There’s a lot of people, anyways. Seven.”
“How much damage do you think you can do?”
“Not enough.”
We paused.
“Cherish should be alerting them,” Tattletale spoke. “I’m surprised they aren’t mounting a counterattack.”
“Maybe they can’t? If they split up, Siberian won’t be able to protect everyone,” I said.
“Well, getting closer is a pretty bad idea.”
“Do we have a choice?”
“We hang back, we follow them, we strike if we spot an opportunity. Between Bentley and Atlas, we can keep at a distance.”
I shook my head. “Bentley’s tired, and I don’t know how long Atlas is going to be able to keep flying.”
“They’ll manage.”
“You sure?”
“Pretty sure.”
Pretty sure. So she wasn’t positive.
“There’s another possibility,” she ventured.
“Do tell.”
“Cherish might not be saying anything because she wants us to attack the others.”
“Or,” I pointed out, “The Nine are giving us that impression because they want us to think that so they can turn the tables.”
“That line of thinking leads to madness.”
“Call me crazy, but I’d rather not gamble.”
“So? What’s the plan?”
“We wait? At least a little while.”
“Sure.” She gave the bulldog a pat on the head. “Give Bentley a chance to rest. You can feed Atlas.”
“Pretty narrow window of time,” I added. “Bitch’s effects on the dogs don’t last that long. Figure twenty minutes, and we took at least fifteen to get here…”
“But she gave them more juice than usual. I’d say roughly ten minutes before he’s too small to carry me,” Tattletale said.
“Ten minutes.”
We settled into a position behind cover, and I began drawing bugs to me to feed Atlas. I wasn’t positive about his diet, and Grue had said that he’d given Atlas a more human digestive system, which left me uncertain. That said, Atlas was made of bugs, I figured he required the nutrients they provided on a sheer logical level, like how humans would generally get most of the nutrients they needed by eating other humans, if they had to. That, and I’d pointed out to the rest of the group how bugs were something we could eat as humans, so his digestive tract could probably manage them.
It was also the easiest thing to provide.
“You have eyes on them?”
“Minimal. My interpretation via the swarm’s eyes and ears is still garbage, as always. And I didn’t want to have so many around them that they get suspicious.”
“Can’t make out what they’re saying?”
I shook my head. Still, I could tell that they were talking.
Seven of them. One of the men was garbed in smooth body armor that covered everything. Mannequin. There was another man who could have been Siberian’s real self or Hookwolf. Long haired, shirtless. My bugs traced the edges of knives at one man’s belt: He was the quietest, and was pacing without cease, sitting down, then pacing again. Jack.
Three women, none of whom were Siberian if I accounted for the presence of clothing and the texture of their skin. Rounding out the group was a little girl with long hair. One of the women was doing most of the talking. Would that be Shatterbird or Cherish? Who was the third? Had the Nine gotten their hands on Noelle?
It unsettled me that Jack wasn’t taking more of a lead in the conversation. Maybe Cherish was just dishing out the dirt?
“The dynamic seems wrong,” I said. “Something’s off. Not sure if Siberian’s present or not, Bonesaw’s quiet and Jack is mute.”
“Maybe Cherish took control?” Tattletale ventured.
It was a scary thought. The Nine were strong, and one of the only reasons they weren’t a bigger problem was that they were their own worst enemies. Most of our victories to date had been because we exploited their character weaknesses. Under a leader…
“No. Bonesaw took measures.”
“Maybe Cherish found a way around it?”
I didn’t have a response for that. Minutes passed, and the Nine lapsed into silence. Some were resting. Or pretending to rest.
“They’re napping or something,” I said.
“Could be baiting you.”
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“And Bentley’s getting too small to help me make an exit.”
“Atlas can manage with just me,” I told her.
“Going alone? No. Grue would kill me. It’s senseless. I can call Coil, so we can get a squad of soldiers in place to try and take someone out. Or maybe we get the Director to bomb the area.”
“Because that’s worked so well this far.”
Tattletale smiled a little. “What would you rather do? Going in is suicide. You’d be opening yourself up to Cherish’s power.”
“She’s resting.”
“Not sure which person she is, but her breathing is really regular, has been for a while.”
“And she could be faking it, a hundred percent aware that you’re thinking what you’re thinking.”
“Yeah,” I admitted.
“Why are you so fixated on this? On going in?”
“I want to end this.”
“That’s not your real reason.”
“And I feel like something’s wrong. The details don’t jibe.”
“That’s a less than stellar reason to put yourself at that kind of risk.”
“There’s a chance Siberian isn’t here, or isn’t in a state to defend her allies. But… I can’t bring myself to attack.”
“This is a shitty time to have an attack of conscience.”
“You sound like Jack. He tried to push me to kill while I thought he was Grue.”
“You’ll have to explain how all that happened at a later date. Jack’s good at fucking with people’s heads. It could still be a trap.”
“It could.”
“I’ve got this feeling in my gut, like I had when I was around Jack and Bonesaw, and I wish I’d trusted it then. I don’t want to doubt it now.”
“A gut feeling?”
I nodded, once.
She sighed. “What can I do?”
“Get out of here. I don’t want to hurt you if I fall under Cherish’s control, which is supposed to be pretty short-lived. In case she plans to make it more long-term, maybe call the PRT director and arrange a firebomb if I don’t report back?”
Tattletale made a face. “This is dumb.”
“I’ve done dumb things. I somehow don’t feel like this is one of them.”
“Go, then. Call me as soon as it’s safe.”
She headed out of the graveyard with Bentley. I waited a few minutes, until she was out of my power’s range.
Atlas and I crossed the gap to the ship. I waited for the hit of Cherish’s power, but it didn’t come.
My bugs sensed more of Bonesaw’s traps – areas heavy with fog, or where vials had been thrown, placed or dropped. I was glad there wasn’t any of the extermination smoke. I set foot on the tilted deck and began slowly making my way into the ship. My soft soled costumed feet were quiet, barely audible to myself.
I drew my gun, readying myself to fire the second I was in range. If Cherish was setting up the Nine for me, I was pretty sure I could hit one and get away before trouble arose. It was a feeble thought – even Jack, one of their most vulnerable members, hadn’t fallen to gunfire. Still, it was reassuring.
More traps forced me to make slower progress through the labyrinthine ship’s interior. It was a while before I could stop at the outside of the door at the lowest point of the ship.
I heard sobbing.
I stepped through the doorway and took in the room’s interior.
The floor sloped one way. Half of the room was metal flooring covered in sand, the lowest half was submerged.
Three men, three women and a girl. The man with knives in his belt stood, then began the ritual pacing once again. His feet were raw where the rusted metal deck had cut at them. The others sat and stood in various points around the hull.
I withdrew my phone and called Tattletale.
“It’s not the Nine. Decoys.”
I stared at them. The disguises had been rushed but thorough. Jack and Bonesaw had clearly changed clothes with the people in question, and Bonesaw had whipped up something approximating Mannequin’s armor for one of the men.
“Call Coil, get medics here. It’s Bonesaw’s work, so he might need to call on some expert surgeons to undo whatever she did. I’ll use my bugs to mark out the traps that Bonesaw set up inside.”
“On it.” She hung up.
Paralysis, compulsive movements. Puppets. Decoys. Had this been Jack’s attempt to make me betray my morals? Setting up decoys with the idea that I’d attack first and check later? If I’d gone with my first impulse and tried to kill them, I’d have seven civilian deaths on my hands.
“Help is on the way, guys. I’m sorry about this.”
“Thank you,” the twenty-something woman I’d guessed to be Cherish spoke. The others were mute.
I saw drag marks in the sand, leading to the water. Who had that been?
The knife was the last thing I spotted. It had been slammed into the metal hull of the boat. I stepped over the chain and collar that had probably been attached to Cherish. I pulled the knife free of the wall and used my bugs to catch the note before it fluttered to the floor.
We concede our loss to you, Brockton Bay. As per my agreement with Miss Amelia, we’ll be leaving your fascinating city. It was fun.
Don’t worry about Cherish. She’s sleeping somewhere at the bottom of the bay. Bonesaw was kind enough to crank up her receptive range toward negative emotions and remove her filters. The girl will personally experience every awful feeling Brockton Bay’s inhabitants do- and with the benefit of Alan’s tech, she’ll get to do it for a very, very, very long time.
A departure marked not with a bang, but a whimper. I’m sure you understand.
This entry was posted in 14.11 and tagged Atlas, Bastard, Bentley, Bitch, Jack Slash, Sirius, Tattletale, Taylor by wildbow. Bookmark the permalink.
150 thoughts on “Prey 14.11”
mc2rpg on October 9, 2012 at 00:03 said:
“The problem was that he whole reason I’d let Panacea”
You are missing a t in the the.
Thanks. Fixed.
Bound to be a few more typos – had a family thing today, it wound up running far longer than I’d expected (had to leave early, felt bad) and then had unexpected company for dinner, making things rather tight on time.
Pinkhair on October 9, 2012 at 00:39 said:
After a day like that I can usually not manage rubbing two pixels together, so I think you did damn well.
Thanks. Still frustrating/embarrassing.
Hydrargentium on October 9, 2012 at 20:18 said:
Ah, the agony of upholding a high standard of quality. Sign of a good craftsman.
Trusting on October 9, 2012 at 00:18 said:
Love the ending , the note gave me shivers !
Is it wrong that I was really hoping Taylor would kill SOMEONE in this arc? I know she has left people to die, but it would have been very interesting to see how she mentally dealt with having killed someone herself.
You’re a horrible person.
No, I kid.
Anzer'ke on October 9, 2012 at 07:46 said:
I agree with you there, I was seriously expecting her to have offed at least one of the nine by the time they left/died.
In any case the nine are still mostly finished now. Siberian will be killed next time they make an appearance, Jack is now public enemy number zero and the rest of their membership is unlikely to balance that out.
Meanwhile the loss of Hookwolf, possibly purity or a hero…maybe Battery, leaves Coil and co in a very nice final position.
Why does everyone assume Siberian will be easy to deal with just because her weakness was revealed?Sure,(s)he is now killable,but she fought the strongest superhero that is not one of the big 5,the man who probably had the most experience in the world,after said superhero got knowlege of that,and won…Siberian seems like a pretty damn god ighter,and with Bonesaw itt won’t be possible to take out her creator in one hit,anyway (perhaps you can ohko him with some superpowers,but it is still not gonnabe a cakewalk).
As for Jack,there was a man in WW2 ,I think,that freed a whole village alone,another who raked up more than 500 kills….ability comes a long way to make you survive and win unplausible circumstances,and Jack has it….and ,again,Bonesaw modifications.
Mr. Walaa on October 9, 2012 at 00:28 said:
In the back of my mind I was hoping Jack would get his, but a little voice in my head said Wildbow is gonna toss a twist and turn in there for a surprise ending 🙂
Fantastic. I will need to reread a bit, there are a few things niggling at me. I love how it turned out. And really, an overly dramatic final confrontation would have either killed off the doom of humanity or given the Nine the sort of exit they like… Maybe both.
“Don’t worry about Cherish.” Such a great line. Since it is pretty much guaranteed to make people worry quite a bit.
“while I”d been” Quotation mark instead of an apostrophe.
“Jack had been more on the ball than I, I’d fall for it.” Not quite sure exactly how best to parse this.
“pretty aggressive strategy against Bonesaw” Against Panacea?
“was north of the” North should be capitalized. Boat Graveyard might be, too, since it’s used as a proper noun.
“turning more than a few into .” Missing word. Jetsam?
“inhabitants do, and” maybe a dash instead of a comma?
Mc2 beat me to the last one=P
Changes made. Thank you very much.
PyromaniacLVI on October 9, 2012 at 00:52 said:
As far as I could tell, it wasn’t really advancing into the borth end of the city.
Will add more as I run into em.
(On a side note I archive binged the whole story and I have to say I really liked it thank you.)
Thank you for reading. Always nice to see when people like it enough to binge it.
If you’re enjoying, a vote on topwebfiction or a review on WFG is a great way to spread the word. Mentioning it to friends & on sites you frequent is also fantastic.
Sorry for taking the excuse to plug the story. Fix made.
Dracul on October 9, 2012 at 00:56 said:
Slight typoe:
“borth end of the city”
leinadrengaw on October 9, 2012 at 00:56 said:
I guess the Jack/Theo fight is still in the cards; I didn’t think much of the promise at the time since Kaiser kicked it long before whatever plan he referred to in Purity’s interlude came to fruition. Fantastic arc and I look forward to whatever comes next!
Question, guys – I’m thinking of squeezing another short arc into the agenda before I get to the bonus week (I really didn’t expect to hit the deadline so soon, or for this arc to run as long as it did). By which I mean I’d intended to have one more arc, then the bonus week and now it’d be two arcs, one of which would be short, followed by the bonus week. It’d mean delaying said event for three weeks to a month, but I think it makes for a better story flow. And there’s the bonus of having more Worm. A little more wind-down time, if you will, and a chance to fit in events and stuff that I’d originally plotted for this arc that just didn’t wind up happening.
That said, if anyone (particularly those who were kind enough to donate) really wants to see it, and if you feel bothered at the notion of the delay, please do say so, and I’ll stick with the original plan.
At the end of the day, I just want my readers to be happy, and I wouldn’t be thinking along these lines if I didn’t. Conversely, I don’t want to come across as unreliable.
I trust your sense of pacing.
As do I, if you think it would be better story flow then go for the two arcs.
In the end I trust your judgement here.
More story is NEVER a bad thing IMO.
eduardo on October 9, 2012 at 08:47 said:
Agree, follow your instincts. Also, you have more information than us, so, you can make a better decision.
Scrambles on October 9, 2012 at 01:24 said:
I would love for you to squeeze in another arc before the bonus week.
Archmage9885 on October 9, 2012 at 01:27 said:
I wouldn’t mind an additional arc at all. More Worm is always a good thing.
Bobby on October 9, 2012 at 01:48 said:
More Worm is good. Better flow is good. The author getting to write the story as it should be is good.
Starry Sky on October 9, 2012 at 02:04 said:
Every Tuesday and Saturday seems more than reliable enough to me.
Tieshaunn on October 9, 2012 at 03:02 said:
More Worm is always of the Good. The author being able to write as he wants, even more so.
In short, I’m all for it. Rock on.
Catastronaut on October 9, 2012 at 04:15 said:
I always vote for doing as you please. Thanks again, for everything.
Psycho Gecko on October 9, 2012 at 05:55 said:
You know we love the way your Worm fills us.
are you a pervert for writing this kind of innuendo or am I one for reading such into it? Or are we both?
Three perverts including me.
Would you prefer enjoying feeling Worm crawl through our brains?
i did not say it was a bad thing…
My mistake, I should have known you liked innuendo in your endo.
Unreliable…
Yeah…don’t think you have much to worry about there.
I’d love to get more wind down time. We’ve been in high tension for three arcs plus now, some peace and character interaction sounds excellent right now.
So I wonder whether the Undersiders, so soon after their attack on the Wards HQ, will be so quick to trust that none of the decoys aren’t actually members of the Nine remade to look like someone who looks like a member of the Nine.
I really want to know where Battery ended up.
Hah. Love that thought, Pinkhair.
A thank you goes out to Travis and Nick for their donations.
As it stands, to clarify:
One bonus chapter coming up in two days.
Another bonus chapter in 9 days.
And a bonus week coming up at the conclusion of the next leg of the story, which is either going to be one or two arcs (tending towards the latter going by feedback thus far).
Thanks guys. Do say the word if you have a perspective you want to see (keeping in mind I try not to repeat anyone)
We still have not had all the Undersiders – some Grue and Regent would be good. Especially the latter, so we could finally get a real idea about what is going on inside Alec’s head.
Otherwise, Legend or someone else from the side of the angels – I am sure I am not the only one who wants to know how they deal with the aftermath.
PS: is it wrong that I feel like there was not enough kissing? especially between Tattletale and Skitter?
PPS: though the “no-tongue”-line was hilarious
PPP: and Skitter kissing Bitch even more so. I foresee some straaaaaange things in the future.
forgot an “S” up there with the “PPPS”
also, a question: just how freaking fast can bonesaw and mannequin work?! specifically, how did mannequin manage to make up a capsule/whatever else for Cherish in a shipyard within minutes and how did bonesaw do the surgical stuff and the work on Cherish in the same time?
I have wondered this. Where do these tinkers store their tools?! Especially Mannequin – shaping ceramic needs both time and equipment! Plus raw materials, if it’s sizeable enough to encase a person the size of Cherish…
I tend to read “tinker” as “wizard who can conjure their specialist kind of technology from thin air” these days. And curiously, given how much of a stickler I usually am for consistency and such, I don’t really mind.
For this case, Bonesaw and Mannequin have been working on this project since Cherish’s scheme was revealed, possibly since she started the scheme (see Jack’s interlude).
I’d say it’s perfectly reasonable to want more of that…
Taylor is putting forward her plan to hook up with the entire Undersider team. Drawing them all in slowly over time. The only real problem she is going to have is bringing Aisha into the orgy once she already has Grue.
No you are not the only one. Tattletale just had to go and ruin it by saying “no-tongue.” Though I take this to be said with a half grin and actually secretly wanting it. Kissing bitch was utterly hilarious though. Poor Taylor never got to find Brian to “cure” him as well though. Too bad for her, better for the shippers. Wildbow you were too cruel. A quick peck on the lips is not nearly enough to sate us.
There is definitely not enough kissing between Tattletale and Skitter. Even fanfic authors are letting the side down.
Tis the curse of comedy! My joke about Skitter kissing Bitch was more accurate than my science!
Still, at least Cherish will get to cherish the feelings she helped cause.
We actually had a big piece from Regent’s perspective — the chapter about him controlling Shadow Stalker.
Also, regarding the speed of Bonesaw and Mannequin’s work, one can only assume Jack had Cherish’s fate planned for a while now, and probably had Bonesaw have something on standby for such a need as this as well. And she has already had plenty of experience making these kinds of body mods — the Nine’s forms are probably pre-programmed into her spiders. She just gives the command.
sudo spdrcmd fetch 7
sudo spdrcmd dummies –all –no-crawler
Might as well share: Siberian’s real body was being kept in a specialized case created by Bonesaw with some Mannequin components. Left in there for an hour to regenerate/weather the venoms. Relatively easy process to get him out, put Cherish in, do the surgery on her corona aurora, change some settings and seal her inside.
Oooooooooooooooh, who lives in a pineapple under the sea? Cherish, Cherish!
Unda da sea! Unda da sea! Baby it’s betta, down where it’s wetta, take it from meeeeee!
Can kind of see her becoming the Siren of Brockton Bay. Any who dare dive near a certain point are drawn towards her, to their doom, in an obsession to locate a relic of the Nine’s visit.
That’s not nearly as horrible as I thought’d be, but only for about a percent or two.
The way I figured it, Bonesaw stripped all the flesh off Cherish and stuffed the pile of organs and misery into a mannequin-brand ™ beach ball before chucking it and a weight into the ocean.
That would almost be better, wouldn’t it? Not from an objective perspective (‘ew, organs in a ball’), but from Cherish’s (essentially the same thing, but still unable to move or break free, unable to die).
I didn’t particularly like Cherish but…that seems unnecessarily cruel to her. While she was ruthless and definitely bad she didn’t strike me as being at anywhere near the level of say Mannequin, Bonesaw or Jack. She was a screwed up kid who got into a bad situation and had burned too many bridges to figure a way out. She’s almost as much a victim of circumstance and upbringing as Bitch. I just feel bad for her. I doubt she could be fixed or that anyone would be willing to do it or even that I want her fixed but…a quick death? Or at least a death in the near future would be good. What they did to her? Bonesaw deserves something like that. Cherish really didn’t from what we were shown. I hope someone searches for that pod and puts the poor girl out of her misery. Suffering like that for decades is simply too cruel.
Between the sheer use of raw material and the hard drive accesses for his constantly updating design, –no-crawler is a HUGE boost to performance.
Oh, made me laugh. Glad you got the joke.
Tattletale asks if Bitch can loan her Bentley, then she gets on Sirius?
Aaaand fixed.
frozen chicken on October 9, 2012 at 04:11 said:
Well, y’know. Bitch isn’t so rich that she has a car, just a bunch of dogs.
OMG, I can’t believe I never saw that joke before. XD
#feeling stupid
ClubOfJacks on October 9, 2012 at 02:45 said:
Really awesome. I like how Jack alludes to the world ending using the “hollow men” reference. Very nice.
trevor on October 9, 2012 at 04:29 said:
I love how much worse the nine are than the normal bad guys and not just little like the joker in
In the batman comics.
but so obvious meaner,curler, and more cunning.
if you had write the joker character for batman I would read the comics on that fact alone.
oh P.S.
found these and thought of bonesaw and would like your a pinyon.
http://www.bloodyloud.com/digital-artist-hollllow/
Damn, they got away. Headcount!
Shatterbird’s either dead or captured. Since the Nine would have an idea what Regent can do, they’d likely kill her. Aside from that, she might be brought in by the PRT. Unlike Cherish, she won’t be sleeping with the fishes.
Cherish got turned into a genie in a bottle who gets to feel every bad thing around. For a mercy kill, Skitter can always send over some lobsters to nibble at her. Not that it’ll do any good.
Burnscar: This is your head on Grue. *puts on a long wig that covers his entire body, pulls out a club, and smashes a skull to pieces* Any questions?
The only advantage Crawler never evolved was a brain capable of intelligent thought. What the heroes never learned is that his secret weakness was a wedgie. This is what happens when no one around uses grappling hooks.
Hatchet Face isn’t coming back for a sequel this time now that he and Oni Lee died in their arms tonight. It must have been something Sundancer said.
Jack Slash lives to be a psychopath another day. I hope everyone realizes this puts an even darker spin on the story. I hope the old people got some sex in, because it looks like any kids around aren’t going to enjoy it when the world ends in a few years. Hope you didn’t have any plans after college, Skitter.
Siberian seems to still be with them, unfortunately. Oh goody, the indestructible killing machine is still around. Maybe the next villain of the story can be Genoscythe the Eye Raper.
I’m holding out for the possibility that Mannequin’s guts are currently showing off the new fall line. He’s a slippery little fashion test dummy, but if he’s dead then his chest makes a perfect home for Cherish.
Hookwolf might just be the new member of the group. Don’t know if he’d be pissed or pissing his pants, but I don’t like his odds of survival. He’s been impressed so hard, the war of 1812 is about to start. Just a little history joke. Watson, get in here, I’m dying on stage!
Bonesaw survives as well. I guess ending the world is better than what she was doing before Jack found her, when she got really crazy with the plastic surgery.
The fake Mannequin, among other things implies that he lived through the bombing. I had previously thought that he was one of the weaker members of the Nine since Skitter fended him off solo, his main armament was knives, and two normal strength humans compromised his head by hitting it- still pretty tough but a bit low compared to Crawler and Bonesaw’s enhancement. So how the hell did he live through the bombing? Did Clockblocker’s trap run out, did Mannequin disassemble himself and slip out? Or is he that badass? And who is the 7th person they left a decoy for? Jack, Bonesaw, Hookwolf, Siberian and Mannequin appear to be the current lineup, with Cherish dead, leaving one person. It COULD be Shatterbird but I doubt Regent would let go of her even if he couldn’t remember who she was, just on principle, and Battery was incapacitated so she couldn’t have interfered. So who is the 7th member? Did they go and grab Panacea? Jack said he would leave if she would indulge herself, which I guess curing the plague COULD count as but she seemed pretty vulnerable; did they pick her up before leaving town? Who else has been pressed into service? This is really going to bug me. You are great at creating Wildbow- that still stands even if I’m miscounting or something to make the 7-people thing seem a bigger deal than it is.
Cue vague sinister chuckle from author.
I’m thinking the way Mannequin survived is he had crawler bury his brain case. Then he fired off some sort of signal and Bonesaw’s spiders dug him out.
If the number means anything, I’d say it was supposed to be Jack, Bonesaw, Hookwolf, Siberian, Mannequin, Siberian’s maker (they know about him now), and Cherish (expecting them to go to her is the only reason someone would have found them there that quickly).
However, I don’t like Wildbow chuckling.
And Mannequin isn’t as tough directly as Siberian or Crawler, but he’s very agile and isn’t that bad at avoiding the blow or taking it well enough to reduce the damage it does. That whole “willow” analogy that’s used for that part is pretty good, but I thought of it like a football player or a drunk driver. If you tense up before a collision, you’re going to get hurt. It’s the people who roll with it either due to preparedness or drunkenness that make it through ok.
Seemed like they lost track of Mannequin fairly soon as they concentrated on Crawler. He might have time to either get out of range or fit himself into a spot with a LOT of cover between him and the blast.
Indigo on October 9, 2012 at 08:20 said:
Very good end to the Arc, lots of horror and drama. Very much looking forward to what happens next.
Guile on October 9, 2012 at 09:22 said:
You know, thinking about it, Skitter dipping her bugs in cured water (just legs or something) and landing them on people would be so much more effective than Bitch and her dogs (who are going to scare the crap out of people).
A Lesbian and Bisexual Kissing Booth would spread it more effectively than either of those.
If it affects dogs, it looks like the cured ones of Bitch will need to go around and hump every other dog around for them to survive.
A cloud of brain curing mosquitos would be amazing.
But my plan has kissing. Will there at least be someone kissing the mosquitoes?
1. Bonesaw likes Panacea and wants her on the team.
2. Bonesaw knows Jack’s plan is to make Panacea break her brain rule.
3. Bonesaw designs a bioweapon that affects the brain. If anyone wants to heal it, they have to be able and willing to mess with brains.
MrGazzer on October 9, 2012 at 22:45 said:
I thought you might like this Wildbow, its informative and might give you a better idea how Atlas would work in (roughly) real life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l79FuGuk1qE&feature=g-u-u
Thanks for sharing, angry-looking cigar-smoking rabbit man.
I read up on some similar stuff before going ahead and creating Atlas, though I hadn’t seen that video in particular.
coldheart7 on February 19, 2018 at 01:14 said:
Another video from the same yt channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3ZapYLsAuc
The girl could be a very unflattering depiction of Taylor. In my head, Taylor is at least mildly attractive to downright adorkable. I find the girl in the video to be… not, but couldn’t help but note the parallels.
Aaron C on October 9, 2012 at 23:01 said:
“Three women, neither of which was Siberian”
How about “Three women, none of whom were Siberian” ?
Eminently reasonable. A snafu from the editing phase. Thank you.
Did you mean to italicize the entire line “one of the creatures”, because it just reads really weird to me. I almost never see entire phrases italicized, it is usually just one word for emphasis.
Thanks go out to Graeme for the donation.
Hmm. Is this arc over then? It didn’t end the way I thought it would, that’s for sure. But so far the story hasn’t done anything I thought it would. So what happens now? The world is gonna end?
That’s what kinda bothers me. The timing on this. I don’t know if I read it wrong or what.
Skitter flies for a few minutes (I believe) and finds Tattletale/Bitch. Maybe 5 minutes later if that she and Tattletale are headed for Cherish.
The Nine aren’t supposed to be far ahead of them, but somehow capture 7 people, change not only their body, but make them walk/move/whatever? And have time to do brain surgery on Cherish, and lock her in a Mannequin suit.
Well…. Where did they get the Mannequin suit? And how on earth did they get all that done in that short of time? Skitter mentioned they barely had a lead at all. Bonesaw and Jack were on foot, Skitter flew, and Tattletale rode a dog.
So, I just don’t understand. How could they have done all that and escaped the city in just a few minutes?
IDK. I’m a little upset, because it feels like the Nine just magically got away. With all they did they might be a few minutes ahead, but in the city they’d have to be on foot right? So they didn’t get out yet?
Anyways, enough complaining. I liked the Team Interaction thing again. I’m glad everything is starting to work out. Also, my bet on the mysterious last person in the 9 is Imp, just because. I’m all for a cooldown chapter/arc, and personally, I’m still voting for either a Taylor’s Dad interlude or a Grue interlude. Otherwise one of the Travellers. Genesis might be interesting.
I guess I should point out that my favorite interludes give perspectives of our heroes from an outside point of view. It’s always fun to see what someone else thinks about them.
Anyways, I hope Skitter gets everyone cured. Also, I laughed at the Tattletale thing – No Tongue! Oh, I know Skitter cares about Bitch and all, but with the way everyone is talking about Panacea being a pain, Bitch needs to stop being her namesake. Skitter has saved her life how many times now? Suck it up and be nice Rachel. Jesus, what’s it gonna take, if saving your life isn’t enough?
Oh, lastly, what is the “bonus” week gonna be about? A miniature story of some sort? Is it a surprise?
Anyways, I still really like this story! Keep up the good work! 🙂
Perhaps a failure on my part to make it clear, but Taylor’s detour to downtown carried her directly away from the Nine. More than a few minutes out of her way, then she had to turn around and head to the northernmost end of Brockton Bay. Not a quick trip either way.
The bonus week is something I’m keeping a secret. Sorry. 🙂
Um the Muse on October 10, 2012 at 23:52 said:
Sorry to say this, but I think they were still able to travel far faster than they should. A disaster area takes a lot longer to travel through than you might think. I think I heard even 10 miles per day on foot is pushing it.
Count on at least an hour for surgery (I know, this isn’t a typical surgery, because Bonesaw doesn’t have to be super precise, but she’s also dealing with more parts of the body than is typical and she still has to exert some caution so she doesn’t rupture the organs).
You also have to wonder about equipment. No electricity and her minions are elsewhere. Presumably, Jack handles the nursing stations and maybe the cuts (can he make a hunting knife behave like a scalpel?). Oh well, all fiction has to have some limits to realism.
Fair enough. I admit I was wondering if it was pushing it, myself.
I’m not going to rewrite it anytime soon, but it’s something to tackle when I get around to a large scale rewrite. Wish I hadn’t been so rushed, so I could have addressed my doubts on the subject before it went live.
I was thinking the same thing with the timeline. The only way I can see it working is if Siberian was waiting right outside the school and she transported them, …and Hookwolf and the seven victims as well?? Could she do all that? But another thing…how did they even find Cherish so fast, without the benefit of Tattletale’s precognition or Skitter’s bugs? This needs some explanation, so I look forward to more details coming out in later chapters. Note: scroll up in the comments and you’ll see Wildbow has already explained where Cherish’s sarcophagus came from.
The answer as to how they found Cherish is deceptively simple. They just needed to find the right general area, and finding that wasn’t terribly difficult once they had the details she provided on the phone.
Robert on July 5, 2013 at 11:50 said:
“You’re hot and you’re cold, you’re yes and you’re no” … hey, Cherish had this musical theme going on in her interlude, and I’m guessing that’s what she did! She probably regrets it now, though. And she’ll be regretting it for a long, long time.
Well, she had already made a bunch of body doubles, maybe she had extras, or a few stashed away somewhere or grabbed them on the run…..
I didn’t get the feeling that they really looked like them at all, except vaguely and from a distance. Remember that they learned that Skitter can’t see/hear through her bugs when they befriended her.
And Jack escapes, exactly as I expected since his introduction.
Sindri Suncatcher on October 10, 2013 at 10:37 said:
Now *that*, ladies and gentlemen, is a villain. Jack just lost in a way that accomplished nearly all of his goals, ended better than he could have expected (with the imminent apocalypse and all), and left the conquering heroes weeping for months at a minimum.
On the other hand, the Chosen are leaderless, the Merchants are gone, and the Undersiders have built up significant goodwill. So the city’s kinda fucked but Coil is doing great!
So the cure for the miasma was an a parasite in Skitter’s blood, and small enough to reach through filters. So why didn’t she cut her palm with her combat knife, and spread the cure with the mosquitos that are no doubt all over a flooded city? In terms of a cure epidemic, I think malaria spreads a lot faster than rabies. I think that’s the first genuinely stupid thing Taylor has done so far. Or did I miss something?
You are making some assumptions, including two major ones. First and foremost, the assumption that the parasite would survive in a mosquito’s stomach; second, that the mosquitoes would transmit them fast enough to be worth doing.
But it’d surely be faster than having the dogs do it. And yeah, she’d be taking a gamble on whether the virus could survive the mosquitoes, but she isn’t exactly gambling with a resource she is going to run out of, and betting on Bonesaw having constructed a decidedly hard-to-kill virus is pretty safe, I suspect.
It’s worth the experiment, surely. She wouldn’t even have to leave the dog’s back to do it, nor would she have to make out with Rachel.
The dogs can run around, lick as many people as they want after finding them. Mosquitoes fly slowly, only bite a fairly small number of people, and tend to get swatted for their trouble.
Oh, and it was only a quick kiss, and it wouldn’t be worth the time spent with Rachel holding back a few feral-acting monster dogs while she waited for the mosquitoes to bite her and Rachel to transfer enough of the parasites. After all, not that many are transmitted per bite–there’s no promise that any will be. Malaria works because it is “designed” to be transmitted that way, and because a lot more than one mosquito biting one host spreads it.
Shwaggy on December 2, 2013 at 17:37 said:
In addition, there’s no guarantee the mosquitoes wouldn’t spread some extra goodies along with the cure, like said malaria.
woodenflute on November 5, 2016 at 14:24 said:
I feel a bit silly commenting this three years later, but…
I think the assumptions that it can be spread by mosquitos are quite fair. There are few reasons to believe that the parasite wouldn’t survive a few minutes in a mosquito when it can survive in the saliva and water as well as be transmitted through air. The mosquito won’t digest all of the blood for some hours. Something that affects the brain heals instantly when getting it orally, how fast would it be if injected directly into the blood?
Also, mosquitos would be much more effective than the dogs. Sure they might be slower, but they can travel in straight lines and would work in parallel, targeting many subjects at once. And once there are newer cure sources, adjacent mosquitos can suck from that person and expand from there. The affected area would grow exponentially, compared to a dogs linear search. And also, since no one knows there is a bug controller and they are pumped with adrenalin and wouldn’t notice one or two bugs, people wouldn’t be hard to deal with and save, instead of being terrified that a monster was charging straight at them.
Lastly, I there is little reason to expect a malaria outbreak in the US, and personally I would gladly spread malaria, where symptoms would occur after a week, to all citizens if that meant increasing the chance of defeating the Nine, who could kill (or do something worse) the whole city that very day.
I see the agnosia is still clearing up.
And here we have good and bad. Good: The Nine are gone. Bad: The world is going to end in a couple years.
trix on November 18, 2013 at 01:17 said:
Usually your writing has pretty good consistency, but 14.10-14.11 chapters left me incredulous about too many things. Jack has no reasons (you did not show these reasons :)) to stop his attempts to kill Skitter when she ran to Amy. Timing thing was already mentioned above, it feels like a whole chapter in between is missing. Getting Hookwolf feels very unprepared in the plot. He was nowhere around, and suddenly they got him without Cherish to track. And Tattletale’s power do need hints, and I don’t see what hints she got, that allowed her to say about Hookwolf capture. Instant cure for the Bitch is too much fairytale-like. Skitter’s glasses survived multiple face/ears cuts – wtf?
otherwise, thanks for the great work 🙂
zack on November 22, 2013 at 13:34 said:
I really loved this series up until this point. This was a very unsatisfying ending. After everything Taylor and the city went through, it was just not enough payoff. Siberian, Jack, Bonesaw – at least one of them needed to die, preferrably all.
One of the problems I had with Walking Dead graphic novel was the unrelenting, utter hopelessness of it. One step forward, two steps back, always. It made me disengage. This is flirting with that.
Syphon on November 24, 2013 at 10:32 said:
60% they go after Cherish + 35% they go down town + 5% Taylor is wrong and it’s neigher = %110.
I shouldn’t try to do math at 7am after a night of drinking…
At least it wasn’t calculus. Remember, never drink and derive!
Curious George on December 2, 2013 at 02:59 said:
I half-agree with Taylor on one point here; the director screwed the pooch epically. Going on the offensive may have been smart, and pulling out all the stops might have been smart, but I think her plan was pretty weak. She didn’t focus enough on taking out the three S9 members that matter the most: Jack Slash, the Siberian, and Bonesaw. Jack probably would have gone all-out if the S9 was losing even if no one broke his rules, but doing so pushed him to that point faster. Failure to coordinate effectively with the villains against the S9 is also pretty crappy.
I don’t blame her for not knowing the truth about the Siberian until the last second (especially since it seems like no one else has figured it out for years). Siberian has done a good job covering her tracks in that regard, and it may only have been revealed because of the combination of the Undersiders’ resourcefulness/unique information gathering abilities and Cherish’s particular powers/traitorousness. That’s a heck of a lucky break, in the long-term.
On the timing question, I agree that the S9 do seem to move a bit fast here, in a physical sense. Granted, they employ some misdirection (it’s very ironic to see Taylor on the receiving end of numerous decoys for a change) and our protagonist gets sidetracked with saving the city from what they’ve already done. My problem isn’t so much with the small amount of time it takes the S9 to regroup and depart as it is with the fact that they manage to meet up in the same place despite having been separated. I guess they might have some way of keeping in touch across a distance, but I’m not clear on how Jack and Bonesaw drew the others to the Boat Graveyard.
The only other thing I wonder about is how quickly Siberian managed to talk Hookwolf into following her. He doesn’t seem like the world’s best listener, exactly. With all that said, I can certainly believe that the S9 might escape in the wake of the miasma catastrophe, in a general sense. But they can only cover ground so fast, and this does seem to push it. Still like the rest of the chapter, though.
Despite my normal stance that no one deserves a fate worse than death, I’m tempted to change my mind in Cherish’s case. She basically tried to sell out the world to save her own ass, when she should have known full well that the best she could hope for was to be shot in the face before Jack and Bonesaw found her again.
One other thing: I’m not sure if this is ever addressed, but IIRC Panacea lost a few fingers (or joints of fingers?) when being chased by Bonesaw, and has said explicitly that she cannot use her power on herself. Is she just making do without them, or what? I suppose it’s not terribly crucial to the story either way (and it’s not like you described her juggling or something that requires all her fingers) but does that ever get fixed, or does she just live with it?
-CG
Siberian ate her fingers, not Bonesaw.
Chaotic Ascension on December 4, 2013 at 05:51 said:
Love the Hollowed Men reference at the end – very fitting if you know the full poem: This is the way the world ends; this is the way the world ends. This is the way the world ends; Not with a bang, but a whimper.
Typo: “the parasites in Bitch’s bodies”, as far as I know she only has one. (There aren’t many stories in which that would only be true of *some* of the characters…)
Welp,in homestuck almost everyone has at least 2 bodies,though they aren’t aware of it from the beggining and they cannot control both at the same time
Amazing. I was just considering posting a smart-aleck comment that one of Skitter’s priorities would soon have to be figuring out how to refuel poor, hard-working, devoted Atlas, and look what you wrote!
Re: the Boat Graveyard:
” … and the move had mobilized enough of them …” I think IMmobolized enough of them would be clearer.
So I was thinking as I read, “The 9 are on the ship, why isn’t Bonesaw using her anti-bug smoke? Seems like a plot hole.” And the amazing Wildbow was actually using it, without exposing it, as part of the niggling “gut feeling” that drives Skitter’s choice to barge in WITHOUT guns blazing!
(gets Reader into Skitter’s headspace like butter!)
One confusion on Jack’s note — his agreement with Miss Amelia (his nickname for Amy/Panacea)? I thought the original “game” agreement was sort of with Tattletale (and the Undersiders/Travelers)? Now I gotta go back and check …
Aprion on September 10, 2014 at 14:45 said:
thats it. im done with this story. started of strong. became an unpleasant drag to read at this point.
Taylor’s first kiss is perfect.
nutella on July 8, 2015 at 21:46 said:
It’s not though, remember Brian on the bus in front of Sophia?
>She cared as little about murdering us as I might feel about killing two dogs if I felt like my life was on the line.
This is a bit ironic, considering she took a shotgun blast for Bastard an arc back.
Well, that was a ridiculously disappointing arc. Probably the first one I flat-out did not like, although the last one bordered on it. Too many idiot balls being thrown about wildly. Too few people getting, you know, actually wounded (unnamed characters or ones with little to no characterisation e.g. Burnscar don’t count) in the whole S9 affair. Still disappointed Brian is alive and well. The S9 had so much potential, but it was ruined by plot armour, and that ended up killing any suspense in both arcs. They both had their high points (Bonesaw’s artwork in the last arc, up until it was undone by a deus ex machina; Atlas in this one), but it was mostly a slog.
Oh, well. Hopefully, Coil will stop being uncharacteristically dumb.
…Hopefully, everyone will stop being uncharacteristically dumb.
zantryx on March 1, 2015 at 23:39 said:
LOVED these two arcs!!! Can’t wait to see what Jack does to end the world and to see what happens with Theo and Jack’s fight in two years. Feel kinda bad for Cherish, even considering how evil she is. It should be very interesting to see how Coil’s plan unfolds now, a lot of the competition is hurt or gone. Best two arcs of Worm so far I think! LOVE the S9 as villains as they are ridiculously smart and resourceful, hope to see more of them. I don’t think it can get any better! I find myself saying that after every arc though, and keep getting proven wrong, each arc just keeps getting better and better.
Chevron on April 10, 2015 at 21:16 said:
‘I descended back to a safer distance, where falling wouldn’t be terminal’
I think it makes more sense to say “safer height”, right? Sure technically that’s your distance from the ground but I dont think anyone would normally phrase it this way.
A minor thing, but Taylor used the phrase “give chase” twice in a way that felt a little awkward to me, maybe it’s just an expression that I personally don’t hear too much but it felt a little off.
On the subject of expression usage, Tattletale saying “You’ll have to explain how all that happened at a later date” sounded a little weird and formal. I think Taylor also used the phrase “at a later date” talking to Panacea back when she first healed Glory Girl. This could again be more about the language patterns *I’m* used to, but it doesn’t seem like what you say in these contexts, in lieu of “explain that later”
So this horrifying arc is finally over. Jack has made it out of the city, worst case scenario has just happened. I’d be screaming if I were in Taylor’a shoes right now. I love the Worm universe, the slaughterhouse nine and end ringers would make me terrified to live in it, but I still love it anyway!
Jay on May 12, 2015 at 15:33 said:
This arc was incredible. I simply could not stop reading it. I generally try to at least do some work in between reading chapters, but each time I finished one, I had to start the next one immediately. I think that’s pretty much the definition of riveting, no?
I didn’t fully understand the “miasma” stuff. From the description of the escape to the rooftops, I was picturing it as an impenetrably dark, red fog, that should have blinded everybody. If the red mist was going that high up, shouldn’t it have been covering everything and everybody? But no one seemed to actually be blinded by it. I didn’t really get it. I agreed with a few of the comments above, too, about the Nine managing their escape so quickly, somehow getting their hooks into Hookwolf, and Jack running away from Skitter and Amy instead of just killing them.
But in the grand scheme of this amazing work, pretty minor stuff. You’re a fantastic writer and I’m so glad I started reading this!
BORDYDORDBORD on August 12, 2015 at 05:19 said:
how many words is worm
wildbow on August 12, 2015 at 15:07 said:
Roughly 1,680,000.
FINALLY. It’s too bad Jack got away, but I’m thankful the Undersiders came away from this with all 6 of their members alive, if not intact.
Every single Taylor/Rachel and Taylor/Lisa shipper must have died a little this chapter. 😀
I’m a Taylor/Lisa shipper and yes, this was an awesome chapter for me lol. The “no tongue” part was frustrating but I can work with the potential in my fantasy world 😉
Same man.
Tony on November 22, 2015 at 17:35 said:
I’m really enjoying the story, but I have to say, I’m also really disappointed by the anticlimactic ending here. When Jack said “A departure marked not with a bang, but a whimper,” he could have been referring to the end of the Slaughterhouse Nine story arc.
Syash on December 18, 2015 at 03:54 said:
After reading this arc, I imagined Skitter as a part of Nine in this horrifying arc. Skitter as a batshit insane member who’s fed up with human society. And I think the test she gave to the candidates would be … planting a bug inside the candidate body and force the candidate to try getting the bug outside their body. A little like Jason torture to Kaneki in Tokyo Ghoul manga. But Skitter made the bug mess with the candidate body, made the candidates awares of every movement of the bugs. Felt them crawling inside your own body.
This was so horrifying that I felt nauseous and immediately try to cure myself by reading a romance vanilla manga and a lot of puff romance before moving to the next arc.
Yeah, Skitter is scary enough as a well intentioned kinda villain. Skitter as a balls-to-the-wall-cacklingly-evil villain is a downright horrifying mental image.
usermist2 on October 18, 2016 at 19:56 said:
“… the parasites in Bitch’s bodies” is still there. Just in case Wildbow is still editing.
sillylaureate on January 7, 2017 at 19:04 said:
tbh mannequin is one of my favorite antagonists in a massive cast of them. on my 3rd read while waitin for more twig, and im always disappointed by all that untapped potential. ah well, ahaha.
Bruhaha on March 1, 2017 at 09:12 said:
Your heroine’s a Mary Sue, despite her own insurance that she’s not.
storryeater on March 2, 2017 at 05:01 said:
Can you explain your reasoning? She is clearly flawed, and she clearly fails.
Doing extraordinary things and/or things no one/few have accomplished before is within the purview of any “protagonist”. We do not tell a story about the guy who slayed the dragon. A Mary Sue is not even someone absurdly overpowered, it is someone who a)has no flaws (thus Saitama is not a Mary Sue, let alone Taylor) and/or b) warps the story rules, not for a gag or as a power, but to make herself more sympathetic or dominant or to make us cry for her (so, again, not Saitama, let alone Taylor)
That does not mean that Taylor is “perfect” or “realistic” , but Mary Sue is still too heavy a term. Besides, even if you find her achievements too great, remember we live in a universe where one of the musicians we consider the best of all time was deaf. Inspirational stories are rare and unlikely in rl, but far from nonexistent, and they are the ones most likely to be told because they are extraordinary.
So, once more, why is she a Mary Sue?
Buggaboo on March 23, 2017 at 19:13 said:
I truly do feel bad for Cherish. No matter what she did, even potentially selling out the world I would not find to be deserving of such a punishment. Damn thats one of the most horrifyingly cruel things I think I have ever read and I’ve read some messed up shit. One can only hope someday somehow someone will come and be able to either free her and fix her, though she would be son insane by then it probably wouldnt matter, or to be merciful and kill her.
I’ll be really angry unless a rescue operation for Cherish is initiated. Going with how much vengeance and cruel punishments have been tolerated/glorified by the “good guys” previously in the story, it seems all too plausible for no one to mount a rescue operation.
(By “rescue”, I mean mercy-killing her. But since the good guys don’t like that, then some way to contain her seems best.)
«get to another point where the satellite phone would work» satellite phone — not cell phone — works anywhere outdoors. What could possibly accoint for spotty coverage within a short distance? Also, where was she carrying this — they are much larger than cell phones.
«there was little difference in being a hundred and fifty feet above the ground and being five hundred stories up» comparing feet and the unusual unit *stories* can be easily misread. Someone might see it as 500 *feet*. One has to mentally convert and estimate to figure out the comparison, so this is awkward. Say perhaps “150 feet or a mile”? Much easier to grasp.
«The topography of the city had impacted where the miasma was spreading. » nooooo… say “had influenced where” or find a more specialized word
«sent my glasses flying off my face» I’m confused. When did she put on glasses, or even *get* the new glasses she ordered from Coil? She wears contact lenses under her mask now. She mentioned that (only) half her face is covered… I don’t recall that happening.
«the water around us began to transition back to normal » no, *transition* is the noun form. Try “began *the* transition back” or “began *transforming* back”.
scherzo on November 6, 2018 at 02:41 said:
-What’s wrong with impacted?
-Taylor ordered new glasses from Coil and was given them in a previous chapter.
-Transition is a verb too, dingus
Shiki Seiren (@ShikiAkaitsuki) on October 24, 2017 at 15:51 said:
RIP World.
heystranger111 on August 19, 2018 at 21:11 said:
See ya wouldn’t want to be ya!
Wheeew. What a relief to finally see these nutjobs leaving. It’s been a bit too much for me in the body horror department. Too bad the protagonists had only one confirmed kill 😦
Midasonna on December 30, 2017 at 20:31 said:
People upset about the ending being a “letdown” – this is the objectively worst possible outcome. If Jack escapes the city, the world will end.
I actually like how the arc ended. It was believable in this situation that the rest of the Nine would simply up and leave. There were casualties on both sides but the core characters are still alive, and it didn’t require giving them obvious plot armor or the author pulling something out of his ass. AND it still ups the stakes dramatically.
qwpanda on January 9, 2018 at 11:20 said:
.. I was hoping she kisses Bryan xD i kind of ship Bitch & Taylor ._.
Pettilicious on February 7, 2018 at 23:06 said:
Augh, this has me so paranoid now that Panacea is gonna be the one to kick off the armageddon since her agreement is directly tied to Jack’s leaving of the city; he could be the catalyst for her downward slide into darkness…
also whoaaaa 6 years late to the party lolol
Good riddance! Although I did want to know more about regents backstory…
““You couldn’t have waited until after you’d cured me before you put the bugs on your face?””
When did she draw bugs together?
I think Skitter should have been spitting into the water as she flew to the Ship Graveyard as that would have been spreading the cure faster as it would be spreading out from more locations.
That, and I’d pointed out to the rest of the group how bugs were something we could eat as humans, so his digestive tract could probably manage them.
Oh, that’s why Taylor responded to “How do you know bugs are made out of proteins and lipids and stuff?” with “I was researching food bugs” and not “Um, all organisms are made out of the same types of macromolecules.”
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Posted on May 21, 2013 by wildbow
“Okay,” Daiichi said. His Japanese was easy, a lazy drawl. He paused at the top of the flight of stairs, sneering a touch as he waited for his followers to ascend. “If you don’t hurry, they’ll be gone by the time we get there.”
There were grumbles from the others.
“Why isn’t there an elevator?” Ren whined. Of all of them, he was the heaviest, the black jacket of his school uniform straining across his shoulders. He’d dyed his hair blond, but hadn’t yet found a good style to wear it. Ren was Daiichi’s lieutenant; most thought that was because Daiichi put too much stock in Ren’s size, ignoring the fact that he was more fat than muscular. People who knew Daiichi better speculated that it was because Daiichi wanted someone fat and ugly that could offset his own good looks. Only those inside Daiichi’s group and the people who crossed them knew better.
“Only three floors,” Daiichi said. “And we wouldn’t use it if they had one. They could have someone watching.”
“With only two of them?” Ryo asked.
“Can’t hurt to be safe,” Arata said.
Kenta was the first up the flight of stairs. Daiichi clapped one hand on his shoulder. Their leader asked, “Ready?”
“Ready,” Kenta answered. His heart pounded.
For others, for his neighbors and peers, conformity was safety. To be the same as one’s peers, it reassured the self, reassured others. Standing out was bad.
But Kenta stood out anyways. He looked different. People knew his mother was Chinese. He was oddly tall for his age, his grades poor. He could have struggled, but there was so little point. He was competing with classmates who were already miles ahead of him, who were fighting to keep ahead of one another by studying after school, studying at night.
This was something else. It was both thrilling and terrifying, to recognize those lines and ignore them. To be brazen, to stand out on purpose. Breaking rules, breaking convention. He imagined it was like the rush that accompanied a fall to open water or hard ground.
“This is our springtime,” Daiichi said, and he managed to say it without sounding ridiculous. At seventeen, he was older than any of them.
Springtime, Kenta thought. Daiichi had it all planned out. They would earn a reputation for themselves, then submit themselves to the Yakuza. With luck, they would be accepted as low-level members of the ‘chivalrous organization’. The freedom would be gone, in a way. Their ‘springtime’, in a sense, referred to the brief period where they were free to do what they wanted, between the confines of school and membership in the Yakuza.
“There’s only two Chinese?” Ren asked, as they filed out of the stairwell and into the restaurant on the third floor. The rooms here had thick walls and a wooden door, rather than the traditional paper. They’d wanted privacy, maybe. It didn’t matter.
“My cousin owns the building,” Daiichi said. “He said they paid with bundles of bills, and no other Chinese came in. Some Western gaijin, but nobody threatening.”
Kenta looked back at their group. Nine people for two men? And they had an unfair advantage, besides.
“Go,” Daiichi ordered.
Kenta was stronger than Ren, so he was the one to kick down the door. He moved aside to let fat Ren advance. He wasn’t stupid, wasn’t ignoring the possibility the foreigners had guns.
There was no gunfire. Instead, he could hear someone speaking in English, very calm.
“The woman is upset you did not take enough precautions,” A man said, in Chinese. He sounded more alarmed than the English speaker.
Daiichi and Ren led the advance into the back room. Kenta followed, looking over Ren’s shoulder to take in the scene.
There were five people in the room. Two were Chinese, sure enough. Businessmen, they seemed to be, kneeling on one side of a squat dining table that was neatly stacked with cash and ‘bricks’ of white powder in plastic wrap, as well as various dishes laid out with vegetables and meat. A Japanese man sat at one end of the table, hands folded in his lap, eyes wide.
But there were two more gaijin in the room, kneeling opposite the Chinese foreigners. A black woman in a white suit jacket and a knee-length dress, and a twenty-something woman with a European cast to her features, with dark hair and a black suit.
The black woman spoke, and the Japanese man translated it to Chinese. “The woman recommends we stand back. Her bodyguard will take care of the situation.”
“The woman in front is a bodyguard,” Kenta told Daiichi.
This was wrong. The two women were too confident.
Daiichi drew a gun and pointed it at the woman. Kenta felt his heart leap at the sight of the weapon.
Then Daiichi fired, a warning shot. Kenta flinched despite himself. He’d never heard a gunshot before. Loud.
The men were cowering, trying to hide beneath the table. The women hadn’t even reacted.
“One bodyguard?” Daiichi asked, sneering. He made the first move. He flared a brilliant green, then jolted as a phantom replica of himself leaped forth.
The phantom Daiichi flew across the room like living lightning, a trail of neon green smoke in its wake.
The bodyguard was already moving, her hand on a plate. She turned it upside-down and threw it in a single motion, and it caught the air like a frisbee. It turned in mid-air and crashed into the real Daiichi’s face.
He staggered, and the phantom he’d created dissipated a fraction of a second before reaching the bodyguard. She shut her eyes as the residual smoke carried past her.
Kenta stared. He’d never seen Daiichi’s ability fail him like that.
Daiichi raised the gun, and the woman raised one knife from the table, turning it around so she held the blade, the metal handle extended. She held it out with one hand, pointing it at Daiichi’s shoulder.
Daiichi fired, and the knife went flying. It ricocheted, spinning rapidly, striking the doorframe behind the bodyguard before flying over her head in a tall arc. She caught it in her other hand, resuming the exact same position as before, then shook her right hand for a second.
She said something, murmuring it in English. The knife, still held in front of her, had a dent on the end.
The black woman behind her said something else.
“What are they saying?” Daiichi asked.
“The woman in the suit just got permission to kill us,” Hisoka said. “But the black one said not to spill any blood.”
“We should run,” Kenta said.
“You scared?” Daiichi asked. “We have muscle.”
“So does she,” Kenta retorted.
Daiichi only smirked.
Can’t run, we’re going to get hurt if we stay…
Ren rolled his shoulders, then inhaled.
Wind rushed out of the room, and small objects were drawn towards Ren. The intensity of the suction grew as the fat boy sucked in more and more air.
The bodyguard kicked one edge of the low table, and the wind caught it, helping it rise. Money, plates and the bricks of white powder slid to the floor, sliding and rolling towards Ren.
Daiichi opened fire again, indiscriminate, but she didn’t even react. Her knife blocked one shot that was directed more at the black woman, flying out of her grip, and the bodyguard walked between the rest of the shots without even dodging. She seized a table leg in one hand. It would have been too heavy to lift, but Ren’s suction was hauling it off the ground. Two bullets bit into the thick wood.
Daiichi unleashed his power, creating another ghostly replica of himself, incredibly fast, stronger than he was.
The woman kicked the table, and it spun through the air as it flew towards Ren, clipping the ghost. The phantom lost an arm and a chunk of its chest, got its bearings, then charged the bodyguard. The damage to its chest was too grave, and it crumpled into neon green dust a pace away from her.
Ren was struck by the moving table, hit with enough force that he stumbled backwards into Kenta, Hisoka, and the other mundane members of the group.
Ren blew, and the table went flying across the room. Kenta’s heart sank as he saw the woman, crouching low to the ground. Her hand reached up to strike the flying table, altering its course as it flew towards the Chinese men. It came so close to hitting them that Kenta thought it would be like the cartoons, where someone was cut but didn’t start bleeding until seconds had passed.
Except it hadn’t hit them, and the woman was too close to the ground to really be affected by the wind.
“Suck!” Daiichi shouted.
“Don’t!” Kenta said, though there was little point.
It was too late. Ren had stopped blowing, buying her a second to move. She stepped forward, closing the distance to the group. Daiichi created a third ghost, rushing towards her, but she avoided the first strike.
Ren started drawing air in once more. Daiichi’s spirit opened with a flurry of attacks, moving twice as fast as she was, but failed to land a strike. The bodyguard took a step back and used the toe of her glossy black shoes to flick a brick of powder into the air. She threw it, and the suction only added to its velocity as it soared to Ren’s right.
Daiichi’s spirit was fast enough to avoid the brick, but Daiichi wasn’t. It bounced off his head, and the ghost dissipated again. She kicked the table, and again, the suction caught it. It flew into Ren’s shins, and he fell.
Thrice, both the ghost and Ren had been countered, almost casually.
Daiichi shouted, uncharacteristically angry. Uncharacteristic, maybe, because he’d never lost a fight before.
The others pushed forward from behind Kenta. Had they not just seen the fight? They really thought they’d accomplish something?
But the force of the others charging forward from behind started him moving forward, and he was driven to keep advancing by the vague, incoherent idea of what might happen to him if he, the largest, physically strongest member of Daiichi’s group, turned coward.
He knew in an instant that it was a mistake. Daiichi’s ghost, twice as fast and twice as strong as Daiichi himself, an expendable assailant, hadn’t accomplished anything. Why would six or seven teenaged delinquents?
She tore through them, every movement precisely calculated to disable, to crush, blind, stun and stagger. They were driven to stumble into one another, their weapons knocked from their hands. She wasn’t any faster than any of them, not a martial artist, though there was a degree of elegance to what she did. No movement wasted.
Her foot caught Kenta in the diaphragm. She planted one hand on the back of his head as he winced from the blow, then pushed him face first into the ground.
His teeth bit into a brick of powder, puncturing the plastic itself. Kenta tried to rise, but she stepped on the back of his head, driving him facefirst into the brick a second time, hard.
Someone else fell to the ground a short distance away. Kenta turned to look, simultaneously coughed, and loose powder exploded around his face, filling his eyes.
The powder caked his nose, thick in his mouth, to the point that he couldn’t swallow.
Drugs weren’t a ‘big’ thing in the East, even among gangs. He didn’t know the particulars of any powder or substance. Only that they were bad, possibly lethal if too much was ingested. He tried to spit it out, but couldn’t help but feel like he was swallowing more than he was removing. The weight of the woman bodyguard was on his head, holding him there, suffocating.
He felt the rush of it taking hold, intense and seemingly without a ceiling to top it off. His face in the dirt, in the dust, he was overwhelmed by the paradoxical sense of being like the king of the world.
That rush lasted too short a time. He could feel the rush building until it felt like his heart was going to burst or vibrate itself into pieces. He felt nauseous, as if he was going to throw up, but couldn’t bring himself to.
Kenta’s left arm started going numb. He knew what that meant.
With a cold feeling in his churning gut, he thought, I’m having a heart att–
He found himself out of his body. He was an observer, an outside agent, without body or mind. He couldn’t think. He could only exist, as a part of some sequence of events.
Two entities, communicating in increasingly short bursts as they drew together. Two entities, each unfolding and folding through realities, through multiple worlds at the same time. Two entities, singing ideas through mediums he could barely comprehend. Through light and heat and space and half-lives and gravity.
And they were looking. Looking at a planet that was broad, more gas than solid. A world of perpetual storms. There were lifeforms in there, lifeforms in countless possible variations of that world. Bloated bags of gas that flowed through and in the storms, in kalleidoscopic patterns.
He could see what they were focusing on, see them examining those possible worlds, declaring something. Ownership here. Claim there. Territory elsewhere.
Kenta’s thoughts were confused as he felt the high seize him. Three things overwhelming him at once. The things he’d just seen, fleeing from his recollection. His own body, dying in a violent, incomprehensible way. The world beyond-
He blinked the dust out of his eyes, felt them burn, could only see shadows, could only hear the rush of blood in his ears.
The bodyguard had stepped away from him, freeing him to raise his head. She’d staggered, and was being supported by the black woman.
He turned away, flipping himself over. He could see the fat shape of Ren, on his hands and knees, Daiichi prone on the ground.
The bodyguard recovered faster. She found her stride quickly enough.
She kicked at Daiichi’s throat, hard. Ren, she struck in the nose with one boot.
The black woman said something in English.
“S-she’ll take the cost of the lost product out of the deal,” the translator said in Chinese, his voice distant.
Kenta only lay there, his chest heaving. He felt stronger, could feel his heart returning to some form of equilibrium.
But he knew he couldn’t win. He lay there, doing his best to emulate the dying, as the Chinese men collected both cash and drugs in a bag, handing them to the black woman.
She spoke, and the Japanese man translated it to, “She would like to discuss delivery of the product on the way out.”
Kenta lay there long after the two women and the Chinese men had left. He wiped caked powder from his face, though the effects had receded, the tingling and the rush long since faded. Whatever had happened to him, the drugs did almost nothing, now.
He wiped his face with his shirt, then checked on his friends.
Daiichi, dead, suffocated, eyes bulging. Ren lay there, eyes rolled up into his skull, his nose rammed into his brain, though the blood hadn’t leaked past the aperture of his nostrils.
Hisoka, suffocated on powder, as Kenta almost had. Arata, gasping for air he couldn’t seem to pull into his lungs. Ryo’s head had a dent in it, and his eyes were unfocused. Jirou’s airway had been blocked, much as Daiichi’s had. Both Takeo and Shuji lay dead with no apparent wounds.
All dead or dying, with no blood spilled. Technically.
Kenta waited, holding Arata’s hand as the boy slowly died, then he straightened.
Idiots, he thought, with a degree of anger. It had been foolish to escalate the fight after seeing what the woman was capable of. He’d be more careful of who he fought in the future.
Lung toyed with a flame in one of his hands as he watched the great lizard-man’s rampage.
The Sentai Elite were battling the thing, assisted by the gaijin heroes. Once every few minutes, someone passed him, flying, carrying wounded. Lung didn’t care. It was about timing. If he was going to do this, he’d do it right.
A tidal wave rocked the area, and Lung had to hold on to a nearby building to keep from falling. Heroes were swept up in the wash of water, and buildings were leveled.
The anticipation of a fight stirred inside him. He could feel the scales beneath his skin, just itching to be brought to the surface. The fire, too, was warm in the core of his body.
This was a fight that was worthy of him. The trick was orchestrating it so he wouldn’t die before he got strong enough. It was his biggest drawback. The fight… the heroes were stalling in their own way as well. He could tell by the way the heroes moved. They fought in shifts.
Eidolon was fighting now. He hurled globes of energy the size of small houses at Leviathan, and each one was sufficient to knock the creature away, flaying away the thing’s skin and simultaneously slowing it. The hero’s own hydrokinesis deflected the lizard’s ranged attacks, diverting them skyward or off to one side. Leviathan couldn’t attack from range, and couldn’t get close without getting pummeled. He attempted to run, only for Japan’s foremost team, the Sentai Elite, to step into his way, blocking his progress.
“Are you fighting?”
Lung turned to look at the speaker. A woman in a yellow and black Sentai costume.
“Yes,” he answered, his voice a rumble. His power had granted him additional strength, durability, regeneration and control over fire even in his ordinary form, but the changes to his body had altered his voice.
She glanced at the fight, as if unsure whether she should be participating or talking to Lung, “You’re a yankee?”
“You’re a villain?”
Another tidal wave rocked the area. This time, the water reached Lung, sweeping up to waist level and forcing him to hold the windowsill again to avoid losing his footing. He caught the Sentai woman’s wrist to keep her from being washed away.
He could feel the scales beneath his skin stirring, threatening to rise, eager.
“Sumimasen deshita,” she said, once the water was mostly gone.
Lung only grunted a response.
“Why are you back here?”
“I’m waiting,” he answered. “And you should be fighting.”
“I can’t do anything. My power hurts people, but it doesn’t hurt him. I’m not permitted to leave.”
The heroes were winning, slowly but surely. Slowly more than anything. Each tidal wave was doing catastrophic damage in the meantime.
I’ll fight, he thought.
With that very thought, his power started stirring into effect. The scales began growing, slowly but surely, bristling like a sea urchin’s spines as they arranged themselves. The very anticipation of the fight was serving to fuel his abilities. When he changed, it would be rapid, accelerated by the sheer threat his opponent posed.
He abandoned his handhold and began striding through the flooded streets, towards Leviathan and the others.
He’d made a promise to himself. He wouldn’t lose again. Victory, it didn’t matter. But losing? He wouldn’t accept it, not like the loss he’d faced at the hands of the unnamed woman.
And that very thought, that certainty, it stirred his power further, as though it were something alive, something other.
Another tidal wave hit. Leviathan disappeared in the midst of it, reappearing elsewhere. Lung could hear the destruction as the beast clawed and tore through the base of one building that heroes were perched on. He quickened his pace, felt himself growing stronger as he got closer.
The beast was otherwise occupied… this was the time.
“You’re going to die!” the Sentai in black and yellow shouted.
I’ll never die, Lung thought. I might fall, but I’ll come back again and again. I might falter, but I’ll return with twice the fury.
The waves were more frequent now. Buildings here had been built to tight specifications, to remain standing in the face of earthquakes and tsunamis, but it wasn’t enough. Barely a minute passed between the strikes, with each wave reaching further inland than the last, and only a handful of buildings stood at their full height, where there had been a city here only an hour ago.
It was in one of those brief moments of respite that the ground shuddered. Lung nearly lost his footing. When he looked up at the night sky, he could see that the tallest standing buildings were swaying, like fronds bending in the wind.
Somewhere he couldn’t see in the gloom, a building swayed too far and crashed to the ground.
Eidolon backed off, and Alexandria stepped in, flying into close quarters with the beast, battering him. He tried to duck beneath the water, but she broke off to fly beneath, using her strength and the speed of her flight to part the water, cutting off his retreat. He slowed as he entered open air, though slow wasn’t the word. Legend caught him square in the chest, and Leviathan slowed long enough for Alexandria to catch him by the tail.
She flew straight up, holding the monster by the tail. Between Leviathan’s dark scales and Alexandria’s black costume, they disappeared in the gloom.
Leviathan fell, and the resulting impact was oddly out of sync with his mass. The water in particular seemed to react, a single ripple extending outward, clearing an area around him of any and all water.
Lung braced himself, felt the water collide with him with a force like a locomotive, was summarily dragged beneath, trapped, suffocating.
Scales pierced his skin, strength surged through him, and his pyrokinesis boiled around him, disrupting the water’s flow, rendering it to steam.
Other heroes were pushed back a hundred meters, but Lung was already standing, burning himself dry, advancing on the fight, where Eidolon was again engaging with Leviathan.
Another tidal wave struck, barely giving the defending forces time to recover from the last assault. Lung lost his footing, lost another dozen feet of headway.
More scales were sprouting, they were growing en masse now. His blood coursed through his veins at twice the usual speed. Fire burned around him perpetually now. He was naked, the burned rags of his clothes swept away by water, and he didn’t care. He was in freefall, of a sort, but it wasn’t the ground waiting for him. It was Leviathan.
His flame blasted out to pelt the Endbringer. It didn’t do any substantial damage.
Lung ran, and it took him an instant to get used to his newfound strength, to find a stride and a rhythm.
The ground was shaking almost constantly, now. The lasers, Eidolon’s strikes, the very impacts of the blows Alexandria delivered, the Sentai’s attacks, the barrages from assisting heroes. A cacaphony of noise, light and violence.
He struck Leviathan, and was struck in turn, his bones broken, internal organs smashed.
He very nearly blacked out, but his rage won out. He struggled to his feet, found one femur in two distinct pieces. He knelt instead, resting his weight on one knee, the other foot planted on the ground, taloned toes biting into asphalt, and he directed a constant stream of fire at the Endbringer.
A flick of Leviathan’s tail sent him sprawling.
But Lung knew he’d reached a critical point. His leg was already healing, the changes speeding up. He stopped to hold his leg, pull the bones into what was more or less the right position, so they could bond.
Anyone who crosses me will pay twice over, he thought.
A Sentai in purple and green offered him a hand. Lung ignored the man, standing on his own. Again, a stream of fire, but the color was more blue than red.
The Sentai joined him, adding their ranged fire to his. They had a man who mass produced their armor and weapons, each with wrist-mounted laser guns, rifles at their hips. Sixteen or seventeen of them opened fire with both weapons at the same time.
Leviathan turned, struck. Some Sentai used powers to soften or deflect the incoming scythe of water.
Leviathan charged, and Lung stepped forward to meet the brute, roared in defiance.
He wasn’t strong enough. Leviathan knocked him aside, and Lung rolled, putting taloned hands and feet beneath him before rushing forward, shallow leaps that carried him over the water that was knee-high to the humans. Barely halfway up Lung’s own calves.
He found handholds in the shallow wounds on Leviathan’s back and shoulders. The abomination moved, and the watery echo that followed its movements crashed into Lung. Not enough to unseat him.
The tidal wave that struck wasn’t enough either, nor Leviathan’s speed as the creature swam. Lung dug deeper, clawed flesh away. Deeper in Leviathan’s body, the flesh was only harder, the ichor making it slick.
Lung roared, burned head to toe as he clawed deeper still. If Leviathan’s muscle was as hard as steel, Lung would burn hot enough to melt steel.
Leviathan surfaced, and Lung found his way up to the monster’s neck. He tried to reach around, and his arm shifted, reconfiguring to be a fraction longer. Lung’s legs, arms, and talons were growing as well.
Stronger, larger. Another man might have been afraid of what he was becoming, but this was only continuing the freefall. Freedom.
Leviathan shook him free, and Lung found no trouble in putting his feet under him. His mouth strained, opened wider than it should have, four individual mouthparts flexing, bristling with teeth, his own lips buried somewhere deep inside, altered.
Water steamed and boiled around Lung’s calves as he stood as straight as he was able. He’d changed more, his shoulders broadening, his chest heavy with muscle. He had to rest his taloned hands on the ground to maintain his balance. His senses focused on Leviathan like a laser, taking in everything, even the faint creaking of the monster’s movements and the Sentai’s muscles, and the infintesmally small burbles of ichor bubbling forth from Leviathan’s wounds.
The ground was rumbling constantly, to the point that the local heroes were starting to seem more concerned about the landscape than about Leviathan.
There was a crack, and Lung was put in mind of the gun Daiichi had fired, more than two years ago. A loud sound, a wrong sound.
The ground shifted underfoot. Heroes scrambled for cover, scrambled to run or save their friends, and water rushed forth. Lung merely set his taloned toes in the ground, ignoring the water, the debris, and the people that flowed past him.
Leviathan charged him.
He can’t ignore me now, Lung thought. He was only half the height of the Endbringer, but it was enough. Fire against water, claw against claw. Leviathan hit harder, but Lung healed faster. Every second he fought without Leviathan tearing him in half was a second that was to his advantage.
The ground parted, and Lung could hear the water rushing in to fill the void. The landmass had parted, and ocean water was streaming in from miles away.
Leviathan tried to drag him closer to the chasm, no doubt wanting to fight in that churning abyss. Lung planted toes in the ground and resisted.
Alexandria was there in a heartbeat, helping, keeping Leviathan from finding his way inside. She drove the monster back, bought Lung purchase.
She said something in English, but Lung didn’t know the language. The only others who spoke Japanese or Chinese were gone, now. They’d evacuated who they could, and the remainder were left to drown. The only ones left were the indomitable, and for now, Lung was among them. They fought to keep Leviathan from continuing his rampage, to keep him from carrying on until he’d wiped away all of Japan. Lung just fought.
Fought for minutes, hours. Fought until four wings extended from his back, and he burned so hot that the steel-like flesh just beneath Leviathan’s skin was blackening and charring to ash by proximity alone. Until he was larger than Leviathan, until even Alexandria hesitated to get too close.
For that indeterminate period of time, Lung was king of the world.
But he began to weaken. The lesser heroes were gone, washed away or helping others to evacuate, the greater heroes a distance away.
And Lung had nothing to fuel his power. He was engaged in a fight of ten times the scale he’d been in before, and his power was leaving him.
The landmass disappeared beneath the pair of them, the shards of land drawn beneath the waves, and Lung was now fighting Leviathan in the monster’s home ground.
For an instant, he thought he would die. But Leviathan, wounded, broke away and fled into the depths.
Lung only sank, too dense to float, growing wearier by the second as his power left him, the fight over.
He’d expected a feeling of satisfaction, but he knew he hadn’t delivered a killing blow, that he had been a long, long way from it, though he’d done more damage than anyone had in years.
His enemy couldn’t be killed. Lung had become something more terrifying than the Endbringer, but there had been nobody to see. None of the public to recognize him, to respect and fear him.
He sank, feeling a kind of despair. Too tired to move, he touched bottom.
Alexandria found him in the depths and brought him to the surface.
The walls of the C.U.I. prison loomed around him.
Lung fumed, but his power was denied him. He paced, punched walls, burned the concrete with his power. All around him, the area was pockmarked with the wounds that marked his periodic struggles.
They’d had him in regular cells before. It had been a learning process for them. He’d found that surviving in a prison like this involved being a true monster, so he’d bowed his head to one boss. When this boss had discovered what he was capable of, he’d attacked another leader in the prison. The ensuing war had ended with Lung being placed in higher security, until he fought the man who’d brought him food, very nearly escaping before Tōng Líng Tǎ, who never showed herself, encased him in a mountain of stone.
All in all, three years since he’d fought Leviathan. Two years since he and his mother had come here to Chaohu. A year and eight months since he’d been arrested by the Yàngbǎn.
A year and four months since Tōng Líng Tǎ had buried him here at the base of this pit, with the same routine. Twice a day, he would get two packages with food. Every day, he would pace, trying to tap into his abilities, finding them beyond his reach. He would struggle, fume, scream, and wonder if he was going mad with the solitude. Sometimes it rained, and he found himself knee deep in water. Sometimes it was cold enough he couldn’t sleep. Always, he was here, in a pit so deep that the hole at the top looked no larger than his handspan when he held his hand overhead.
Every seven days, Tōng Líng Tǎ used her powers on the walls. The floor, she left alone, but the walls were wiped clean, her power to manipulate stone turning the four impossibly tall walls of Lung’s cell into flawlessly smooth surfaces. She would absorb any and all of the trash that remained from his meals, any of the wildlife that had accidentally found their way into the pit, and all of Lung’s leavings, which he customarily left in one corner of his cell.
Every fourteen days, like clockwork, the Yàngbǎn opened communications.
Lung was waiting, waiting for Tōng Líng Tǎ to use her power. Like a ripple traveling over the surface of water, he could see her power extend down the walls of his cell. It touched the base of the wall and traveled along the floor.
Lung didn’t resist as the ground swept over his legs, trapping him from the knee down.
They appeared, descending from above, floating. Two of them this time. They made no mention of his lack of clothes or his shaggy hair. Both wore identical uniforms, red jackets and pants, their red masks turning their faces into overlarge, featureless gemstones with coverings over their ears
At each of their shoulders, there was a number. One-six and two-seven. Not ones he’d met before. No names. No identities.
Always, the same questions, always in Chinese. He didn’t answer.
“The American heroes approached you. What deals did you strike?“
Again, he didn’t answer. He’d tried to tell them the truth, that he’d told the heroes to go away. The Endbringers couldn’t die. There was no point to fighting them. Twice they had approached him with better deals, promising him the world, but he’d turned them down twice in turn. He’d considered the idea of taking the third offer, but then he’d followed his mother to the C.U.I. states and lost touch with the Americans.
Not a real concern.
“You will stay here until you answer our questions.”
“I will join,” he told them.
They exchanged a glance between them.
He moved one hand and saw them flinch. They wouldn’t burn any more than the other Yàngbǎn members had, but they still feared him.
It made him feel better than anything in the past long months.
“The Yàngbǎn is the solution,” the taller of the two said. “You agree this is truth?”
“No,” Lung said.
“That is a shame.”
“I want out of here,” Lung told them. “That is all. If I must kneel, I will.”
“We need to hear the right answers before we can go any further. We will come again in two weeks time and we will ask you again. If you give us the answer we require, we can move on to the next step.”
And, Lung thought, carry down the chain of questions, steps, and procedures until I fail. You will break me and brainwash me until I am one of you.
Worst of all, they would take his powers, most of them, and give him others in turn. This was the reason they imprisoned him, the reason they sought to break him.
He would risk it, and accept the offer. He would do whatever they required of him, and then he would kill whoever he needed to and escape.
With every defeat, a matching ascent.
“The ‘Azn Bad Boys’ is a shit name,” Bakuda said.
Lung didn’t react, staring at her.
“It was the name of the group I joined when I came to America.”
“See, that’s what I don’t get. You’re a badass, fine. You tested the waters, took on a whole team of local heroes, and you walked away. Right?”
“I fought Armsmaster, Dauntless, Miss Militia, Velocity, Challenger, Assault and Battery,” he said. “Yes.”
“Except you’re small time. You’ve got all this power, and what do you have to show for it?”
“Fear,” he said.
“I don’t fear you,” Bakuda said. Her pale blue eyes stared at Lung, unflinching.
“You will,” he answered her.
She shrugged. She paced, looking around the building. Two of Lung’s whores sat on a couch, looking distinctly uncomfortable, as if they didn’t know how to hold themselves, the pose to take.
“There are two kinds of fear, Bakuda,” Lung said. “The first is common. Fear of the unknown. A questioning fear.”
“Uh huh,” she said. He could tell he had her attention.
“This is fear of unanswered questions. If I fought him, would I win? How is he going to hurt me? Who or what is he?”
“And the other kind?”
“A fear of knowing. Of realities. If I fight him, I lose. I know him, and I quiver to be in his presence. I know he will hurt me and I know it will be the worst pain imaginable.”
Bakuda didn’t reply.
“I have found that the first is a weak fear. It breaks. It ends when you have answers, when others give you their support. The other? It is a fear that breeds itself. It is a disease, and it only gets stronger when you fight it and fail. I have situated myself here to engender that kind of fear. The residents know me. Those I want for my gang, I take. My influence grows, and my enemies know not to cross me, because I always have my vengeance.”
“But the ‘Azn Bad Boys’?”
“A reminder, to my enemies, of what I’ve done before, what I could do again.”
Bakuda frowned.
“I defeated many gangs, many groups. Some had powered members, others did not. I recruited some. Oni Lee was one. The rest I killed.”
“And the heroes didn’t stop you?”
“The heroes see me as a double-edged sword. They fear me. They know what I am capable of when the situation calls for it, they know I am too strong to defeat as a group. For now, I wait. They leave me be because the only aggression they can see is that I inflict on other criminals, and I amass power, swelling in reputation.”
“And the fact that you, a halfbreed, recruited me, a halfbreed, and built a gang of a bajillion different races, it’s totally not a freudian thing, tying back to some childhood issues.”
“No,” Lung growled.
Bakuda only smiled. “And what happens down the road?”
“I have enemies,” Lung thought. “Those who have slighted me, those who have won.”
“Like Leviathan?”
Lung shook his head. “Leviathan, I beat, if you can even call it an enemy. It is a force of nature. No, I speak of other enemies, insults old and new. I will defeat each of them in turn, and then I will rule.”
The woman in the suit, the Yàngbǎn.
“So petty. And you want me to help?”
“You will help,” Lung said. “Because you think like I do. In terms of power and fear.”
Bakuda took a seat at the end of the couch. The two whores inched away from her.
She smiled at that. “Alright. You got me.”
“…and that’s the gist of it,” Amelia said.
Lung watched Teacher’s expression change as he considered the idea. The man seemed so ordinary, so unassuming. To hear the man talk about it, he’d been one of the foremost criminal masterminds until the heroes trumped up charges against him.
“I might not be explaining it right,” Amelia said, “How my power works, hard to interpret. But I think I’ve worked it out.”
“I can see where it makes sense to you,” Teacher said. “But for those of us with no conception of these power granting entities, we don’t have enough solid ground to found the idea on.”
Amelia frowned.
Teacher shook his head. “There’s holes in your logic. The Endbringers?”
“I don’t see how they fit in,” she admitted.
“A developmental step forward?”
“No,” Amelia said.
“A step backwards, then?”
“No. At least, I don’t think so. Something else entirely.”
“To be frank,” Teacher said, “I don’t know whether to hope you’re right or wrong.”
“It’s both,” Amelia said. “It’s bad, but at least we know how bad.”
“With nothing we can do about it until someone lets us out,” Teacher said.
Amelia frowned. She rested her elbows on her knees, as she sat on the edge of Marquis’ bed. Plastic crinkled with the movement. The tattoo artist who was working on her arms had scrounged up plastic sheets from the meals that came down the shafts, sterilizing them and then taping them in place. The freshest tattoos and the irritated flesh around the markings were blurry just beneath.
Panacea had complained about how idiotic it was, because she couldn’t get sick, but any artist had their rules and peculiarities, and Marquis had told her to accept them.
“Well,” Marquis said. “It’s food for thought. I’d suggest a breakout attempt, given how grave this all seems, but we know how that tends to go.”
“Yes,” Teacher agreed. “Our deal stands? You won’t replace my dentists or doctors?”
“That wasn’t the deal,” Marquis chided. “We’ll price match. A little competition will keep your employees honest.”
Teacher frowned.
“It’s the best deal I’m willing to-”
Marquis stopped short. Lung turned to see Spruce at the entryway into the cell.
“Hey, boss,” Spruce said.
“What is it?” Marquis asked.
Spruce gave him a curious look before turning back to Marquis, “Big news. TV.”
Lung took his time walking down to the televisions. Marquis, Spruce and Amelia made their way down, where a crowd had gathered to watch. It was rare, that the same thing would be on all of the working televisions.
“It was due to a concerted effort this evening that we were able to stop Alexandria before more damage could be done.”
“What’s this?” Amelia asked. She gave Lung a nervous glance as he approached.
“Alexandria bit it,” Cinderhands said.
With that, each of the new arrivals turned their attention to the screen.
“…will recognize Taylor Hebert, revealed to be Skitter in a controversial confrontation at the school just a week ago, a confrontation Alexandria ordered. Taylor Hebert played a crucial role in stopping Alexandria in a moment of crisis, ending the fight.”
“No shitting way,” Panacea said.
Lung remained quiet.
“She’s the one who arrested you, isn’t she?” Cinderhands asked, looking over his shoulder at Lung.
“No,” Lung said. “We fought twice, I was arrested by others.”
“But she beat you?” Cinderhands asked.
“Shush, C.H.,” Marquis said.
”It marks change, and it marks a step forward. A chance to fight Endbringers and other threats without sabotage, without worrying who stands beside us, or whether our leadership is compromised.”
“Anyone else thinking that we really should get a chance to appeal our cases?” someone in the crowd asked. “If the organization is this fucked up, the arrests can’t count.”
“Yes,” Marquis said, his tone condescending, “I’m quite sure the Protectorate will be apologizing to the public, then they’ll throw open the Birdcage’s doors and let us all loose.”
“…hope. We’ve investigated the portal to another world, and confirmed that there are resources and even shelter, a possibility of escape in a time of emergency…”
“And new allies, as unlikely as they might be.”
Panacea stared as the girl on the television stepped forward at Chevalier’s bidding, She removed the black sweatshirt and pants the PRT had issued her, revealing a costume of white and gray beneath.
Amelia’s hands went to her mouth.
Marquis glanced at Amelia. Lung took that glance in all it’s import. The two girls were opposite sides of the same coin.
Lung’s eyes fixed on the new heroine, then narrowed.
“I admitted to reprehensible things. I won’t challenge that, or pretend I didn’t say or do those things. By all rights, I should go to jail. I may serve a sentence, if the courts will it. I won’t challenge that.”
“is it reassuring?” Teacher murmured.
Lung turned, realizing that Teacher was talking to him. “Why would it be?”
“You lost to her, but she’s strong enough to defeat Alexandria. Less of a wound to your ego?”
“I lost once,” Lung said. “An underhanded trick, but a loss. I’ll credit her that.”
“Mm hmm,” Teacher replied, wordlessly.
The girl continued, “I seized a territory in Brockton Bay. I led the local villains, and we defeated all comers. I was secure in my position. I had wealth, friendship, love and respect. People depended on me. It was everything I’d ever wanted, if not quite the way I’d initially imagined it. I could have stayed and been comfortable. Except there are bigger things. More important things.”
“She was stronger before,” Lung spoke his thoughts aloud.
“More powerful? Likely,” Teacher said. “Stronger? I wonder.”
Lung shook his head.
“I believe in the idea of a new PRT that Chevalier is talking about. I believe in it enough that I was willing to turn myself in and take action to bring it to fruition. That I was willing to leave everything I had behind. If I have to serve time in jail first, then so be it. If I face the Birdcage… I hope I don’t. But at least I could tell myself that seeing the supervillain step up might convince others to come back. Change the minds of heroes who gave up on the PRT for one reason or another.”
“Noble,” Marquis said. “Foolish at the same time, but the line between the noble and the fool is a thin one, or even a matter of perspective.”
“On this, we may agree,” Lung rumbled.
“I’ll endeavor to see that as something other than a veiled insult,” Marquis said.
“This is what I want to do, above all else. Given the chance, I’ll serve the people. As I fought Leviathan, the Slaughterhouse Nine and other evils, I’ll fight to the last gasp to protect all of you. When- …When and if I do take up the job, you can call me Weaver.”
The broadcast ended, with news reporters discussing the fallout, reiterating details.
The noise of it was broken down by singing, echoing through the Birdcage. A dirge.
The yellow feathered girl who was in the truck, Lung thought to himself.
“That’s for Alexandria, I imagine,” Marquis said aloud. “Undeserved, I think, but I imagine Lustrum gave her cell block a very good reason to honor the woman.”
“I wouldn’t have imagined you’d care,” Teacher commented.
“I don’t, really,” Marquis answered. “But I have a lot of respect for people who keep to a particular code, whatever that code might be, and very little for traitors and wafflers.
“Like this new ‘Weaver’?” Teacher asked.
“I would defer to my daughter’s opinion on that. She knew Weaver.”
Amelia frowned. “She’s… both? She’s stuck to her own personal code, even when it made her a traitor.”
“I see,” Marquis mused, rubbing his chin.
Lung frowned. All nonsense, and none of it mattered. That was out there, this was here.
“A word, Lung?” Teacher asked.
Lung nodded. Anything to get away from this intolerable talk of morality and this singing. His cell wouldn’t afford much relief, but it would be a touch quieter.
They departed, but Teacher led the way out of Marquis’ cell block, rather than to Lung’s cell.
“I believe I can be useful to you,” Teacher said.
“You have nothing to give me,” Lung said. He bristled at the implication.
“You know how my power works, yes?”
“You make others smarter.”
“I turn others into lesser Thinkers, into Tinkers.”
“At the cost of their independence.”
“Not something I want,” Lung said.
“You have strength, good instincts on a primal level, and all the potential in the world. Yet you’ve failed here and there. You’re here, after all.”
“And so are you,” Lung said.
Teacher nodded. “Exactly my point. Think on that for a moment. We’re almost to my cell block, now.”
“You were captured because you lacked muscle,” Lung said, “I was captured because…”
Lung didn’t like the implication. Of a lack of brains?
“Because of your incompetent underlings,” Teacher finished for him. “Who escalated the feud with the heroes into a war while you were incarcerated, leaving you to sustain what they had started. And, more apropos to our conversation, because your power has a drawback. It requires a certain mental state.”
“Amelia, Marquis’ girl, she won’t fix that.”
“I wouldn’t let her,” Lung said.
“Because it involves tampering with your brain,” Teacher said. “My offer is… less invasive. We can break down that barrier, give you the ability to control when you change.”
“At the cost of my identity,” Lung said. “No.”
“A temporary cost to your willpower,” Teacher said. He extended a hand, welcoming Lung into his cell block.
There was no conversation in Teacher’s cell block. The residents were neat, tidy, and well groomed. Some seemed functional, reading on their own or watching television. Others were more disabled. Lung could see one individual rocking in place, tapping something out on a table. Another was walking in small, tight circles.
“My groupthink,” Teacher said. “Rest assured, I wouldn’t subject you to something this grave. We would dig deep enough to discover the true nature of your power, fast enough that you didn’t feel the side effects at their worst. Then we would use what is effectively a hypnotic state to unlock your power as it truly should be, effectively a second trigger event. If Amelia is right, the entity that grants you your power will resist… but we can get around that.”
Lung frowned. “There is no point.”
“There is every point! Come. I’ll show you. But first you need to tell me, are you and Marquis friends?”
“Peers, then.”
Lung considered the word. There were some that came up in English that he still wasn’t quite familiar with. “Yes.”
“Then you’ll keep a secret?” Teacher asked.
“I will keep a secret,” Lung answered.
“Good, good.” Teacher led Lung to one TV in the row. “Trickster?”
Lung arched an eyebrow. Trickster… the name rung a bell. It didn’t matter.
“Connect,” Teacher said.
Trickster reached up to the power button on the television, then began a sequence of turning it on and off, with very specific pauses. A code.
The sequence was still going on when Teacher said, “Stop. Leave it on.”
The screen showed a face, the image grainy, flickering. The face had a tattoo of a cross on it.
“Lung, meet Saint,” Teacher said.
Lung didn’t answer.
“He speaks when we give him something to say,” Teacher said. “But I may have been too eager to find a way of contacting the outside world, and I’ve irritated him. Saint explained what happened. The PRT showed him Dragon’s equipment, asked if he could commandeer it, and Saint found an opportunity to insert a discreet backdoor. He has a channel in, a way to observe, but our channel out is poor at best.”
“This matters nothing to me.”
“It matters a great deal,” Teacher said. “Saint can see what Dragon sees, even if he’s blocked off from the Birdcage itself, while Dragon is occupied elsewhere. It buys us a window of opportunity to communicate something, a message in code. The program that Dragon has observing us with every moment tracks the activity of our televisions. Turn it on, turn it off, and do it in a systematic enough way, and patterns emerge in a way that Saint can observe. This allows us to coordinate. He can’t rescue us, or empty the Birdcage, but, we could do something. We could communicate with the outside world, and with the hypothesis that Amelia has posed… well, that’s a world changing set of information, don’t you imagine?”
Lung didn’t speak.
“The alternative, Lung, is that we unlock your power, and we use other information that Saint has collected through his backdoor. We use it to leave the Birdcage.”
“To escape?”
Teacher shook his head. “We wait, and we let things devolve to the point that they are willing to open the door and let us go, for the assistance we can give. Dragon has files dictating scenarios in that vein.”
“They will not let us go free,” Lung said. “Not the true monsters.”
“Most likely not. It’s a question: do we gamble, or do we take a modicum of comfort in knowing we’ve perhaps saved the world a great deal of grief and maintained the status quo? The way things are, if you’re not familiar with that particular phrase.”
Lung folded his arms. “I have no attachment to the current state of things.”
“Then you agree? I should tell Saint to bury the information, maybe push events here and there, if it means we could go free?”
Lung nodded.
“And your power? If I-”
“My power will be left alone,” Lung said. “It is enough. If you want a bodyguard for a time after we’ve walked free, you will have it. I will keep your secret about this Saint for now.”
“Alas,” Teacher said. “But I’ll take the offer. By the time this comes through, I’ll have a small army of parahumans at my disposal. Some will be… under my sway, but I’d rather have your feral instincts to offset my own wit than have you as a slave.”
“I would kill you for trying,” Lung replied. “You use your power on me, I will see you dead for it.”
“Very well,” Teacher answered. He smiled. “I’ll have Trickster pass on a message to Saint, then. We’ll scrub Dragon’s records of this conversation, and any cases Amelia has talked of the power-granting entities, and we’ll leave a request, perhaps. I have large sums of money stashed away. That should be enough to convince Saint to perhaps set some events in motion, in the hopes that things sour just enough that they might open the Birdcage’s doors.”
Lung nodded. “Do what you must. I only care for our deal. I walk free, I will assist you for a time thereafter. The other things do not matter to me.”
“Very well.” Teacher extended a hand, and Lung shook it.
Lung turned to leave.
As with the Yàngbǎn, he would stay with Teacher until he had what he needed: freedom. Then the man would die.
The woman in the black suit, the Yàngbǎn, Skitter, and now Teacher. People he would have his revenge on, at a later date. People who had looked down on him, who had tried to manipulate him.
He could feel his power rippling under his skin. Against Leviathan, he’d waited hours before engaging the beast, had fought longer than he ever had. Now that he knew he might leave… this would be a two year buildup.
The scale of the event Teacher had spoken of? That Amelia had alluded to? Fear and power beyond anything he’d ever experienced, freedom without limits. That very idea gave Lung a taste of that exhiliration he hadn’t experienced for so long.
Lung returned to Marquis’ cell block. Marquis and Amelia were sitting at one table, drinking green tea and conversing with one another.
Marquis glanced at Lung, then poured out another mug of green tea without asking. He gestured to the bench opposite, slid the mug in Lung’s direction.
Acceptance, the idea caught Lung by surprise. He had a place here, odd as it was, as different as he and Marquis were.
Bakuda had taunted him over how he’d sought a kind of connection to others, how he’d recruited his gang to fill a void. At the same time he found himself thinking of the restrictions he’d faced in school as a youth, the joys of rebellion, the Yàngbǎn and everything they’d threatened to take from him.
If there was a middle ground between acceptance and conformity, was this it?
“Marquis,” Lung spoke, carefully.
“Hm?” Marquis quirked an eyebrow.
Teacher is working to undermine everything you and your daughter are striving for, Lung thought.
“The tea is good. Thank you.”
“Quite welcome,” Marquis replied, absently.
And Lung fell silent.
This entry was posted in 22.y (Donation Bonus #1) and tagged Alexandria, Bakuda, Contessa, Doctor Mother, Eidolon, Legend, Lung, Marquis, Panacea, Teacher, Trickster, Yàngbǎn by wildbow. Bookmark the permalink.
wildbow on May 21, 2013 at 00:01 said:
This one wound up being long, and there was an issue with formatting (parsing text). 9k words. Brutal.
Thanks for reading. Votes on Topwebfiction very much appreciated (dropped from 450, which was mindblowing, to 160 as of the time of this comment.)
Don on May 21, 2013 at 00:33 said:
a link: http://topwebfiction.com/.
endgame on May 21, 2013 at 00:01 said:
FIRST POST TYPO THREAD!
Dinstow on May 21, 2013 at 00:26 said:
Alright then.
Lung took that glance in all it’s import.
Also, I’d maybe have written it as “Marquis glanced at Amelia; Lung took that glance in all its import.”, as opposed to “Marquis glanced at Amelia. Lung took that glance in all its import.” But then we’re moving out of the realm of typos and over to personal writing style, so that’s pretty much irrelevant.
JN on May 21, 2013 at 00:33 said:
good instincts on a primal leve,
FarFromUnique on May 21, 2013 at 00:41 said:
rocking in plack -> rocking in place
Gonzo on May 21, 2013 at 00:48 said:
“Lung could see one individual rocking in plack, tapping something out on a table. ”
Should that say place? Or is rocking in plack a term I’m not familiar with?
Passin' Through on May 21, 2013 at 00:52 said:
There’s a response from Lung missing right in there.
comickry on May 21, 2013 at 01:08 said:
There’s holes in logic. The Endbringers?” (in your logic?)
“Exactly my point. Think on that for a moment. We’re almost to my cell block, now. (quotation marks missing, not a case of paragraph jumping monologue)
The scale of event Teacher had spoken of? (scale of events?)
Crow on May 21, 2013 at 01:20 said:
“good instincts on a primal leve, and . . .”
Thanks, Wildbow!
Charles on May 21, 2013 at 03:04 said:
The rooms here had thick walls and a wooden door, rather than the traditional paper.
Kenta was stronger than Ren, so he was the one to tear the paper door down from the wall.
Door goes from wood to paper, might want to check that out.
Peter O on May 21, 2013 at 16:35 said:
Needs capitalization.
Nth_X on May 21, 2013 at 19:28 said:
infintesmally small burbles – should be “infinitesimally”
Kat on May 21, 2013 at 21:44 said:
“This was something else. It was was both thrilling and terrifying”
Double ‘was’.
Ristridin on May 22, 2013 at 02:04 said:
“That very idea gave Lung a taste of that exhiliration he hadn’t experienced for so long.”
Exhiliration should be exhilaration.
Missing closequote after “wafflers”.
“cacaphony” should be cacophony.
MytharGT on January 20, 2018 at 22:30 said:
“Leviathan couldn’t attack from range, and couldn’t get close without getting pummeled” Leviathan should be Lung
Keno Black on May 21, 2013 at 00:02 said:
Ninja’d. 😉
By tenths of a second, bugger. =P Tenths of a second.
Rika Covenant on May 21, 2013 at 00:02 said:
You guys. *rolls eyes*
Kinda feel like saying, “you started it!” here…
I sacrificed myself to WIldbow! They’re just throwing up random comments. 😡
Charles Borner on May 21, 2013 at 00:02 said:
Totally NOT first post!
Lies. This IS the first post you wrote for this interlude.
It’s the first post of the rest of your life.
It’s the first post following Rika’s eye rolling.
It’s the first post written by a non-site-author that I’ve commented on.
I was here. It was. Wildbow just has the power to rewrite time amongst comments. Neither here nor there now. =)
KILLROY!
Do you mean ‘Kilroy’, as in ‘Kilroy was here?’
shanipribadi on May 21, 2013 at 00:03 said:
yes, yes, yesss!!! *cue thunderstorms and lightnings.
Very, very frightening
Gallileo.
Shit, I tried to make it a smaller font size.
Figaro?
johnwedd on May 21, 2013 at 02:38 said:
i’m just a poor Worm nobody loves me….
It’s just a poor Worm, from a poor cycle
Matthew K on May 21, 2013 at 03:17 said:
Entire population of the Bridcage: “Oh let me go-oh-oh-oh!”
Psycho Gecko on May 21, 2013 at 03:44 said:
*From the Comments Section* Beelzebub has a, devil put aside for me, for me for meeee-eeeee!
The Sandman on May 21, 2013 at 06:41 said:
So you think you can stomp me and spit in my eye?
Edit: So you think you can beat me and gouge out my ey-es
alexanderthesoso on May 21, 2013 at 16:51 said:
Spare us this wait, for the next felony!
Althalus on May 21, 2013 at 00:27 said:
Sinister deeds are afoot in the Birdcage.
dirty deeds, done dirt cheap…
For a cigarette, to be exact.
The tea is good. Lung will drink the tea. The tea will go down Lung’s throat hole and be digested.
The tea is good. All is right with the world.
pallandrome on May 21, 2013 at 00:39 said:
Special delivery for the Gecko: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATLKQQI
I suspect that tea being good swayed more than one man to friendship. I very much want Marquis on Team Taylor before all is said and done. Alas, this will probably require the demise of Lung. Which is sad, because he’s awesome too.
Indeed, those two are among my favorite characters now. One of the things I love about this story is how you can have a character like Lung, who seems like a standard, two dimensional brute of a villain (not necessarily a Brute, though he is that too) but is slowly revealed to be a fully formed (if maybe emotionally stunted) person. Brilliant.
I take my tea sweet
as morning dew to green plants
Lung’s momma is fat.
Leave it to Gecko to write a horrible Haiku, ending with a “yo momma” *facepalm*
Head down the page, dude.
It gets worse. Much worse, you know?
At least for Lung, man.
hedelex on March 13, 2014 at 23:45 said:
Great haiku 😀
And yeah, tea is a lie 😦
did Lol at the office
The tea is a lie, and so’s the cake.
No One in Particular on May 21, 2013 at 01:05 said:
What?! They promised me that if I came to the birdcage, I’d get cake! Was the cake a lie?!
At least you get grief counseling. And combustable lemons.
I’m not sure if either Burnscar/Labyrinth or Sundancer/Genesis is a pairing I’d have thought of before now.
Well, to each their own, I suppose.
… Uh, did you mean to post that somewhere else, because I don’t really see /how/ you got that out of my Portal references.
You do know what a lemon is in fanfic terms, right?
Packbat on May 21, 2013 at 20:25 said:
> … Uh, did you mean to post that somewhere else, because I don’t really see /how/ you got that out of my Portal references.
In fanfic circles, a “lemon” is a story with explicit sexual content.
Incidentally, I recommend setting the aforementioned Sundancer/Genesis story post-Echidna, with Mars going over to Jess’s house to talk about the time they spent as Travelers.
If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, that Pinto is in mint condition and nothing is going to explode on it!
Yay! Lemons are tasty.
I’m gonna burn your ship down. With the lemons!
The cake wasn’t a lie, it’s just that they only had three bits, and they didn’t expect such a rush. You should have chosen “death”, no line there!
Delta on January 13, 2014 at 08:27 said:
Don’t take Tailor’s cake, or you’ll be COVERED IN BEES!!!
I would not be even slightly surprised if there were Portal references strewn throughout the Birdcage. Like a door labeled “Emergency Prisoner Release and Cake Dispensary”, or the walls of the vacuum room being covered in “the cake is a lie”.
Miloptheny on May 21, 2013 at 00:31 said:
Ah, dammit. Why couldn’t we tune in early enough to hear Amelia’s explanation? Complete tease: “..and that’s the gist of it.”
My thoughts exactly! I was wondering if I’d missed something.
Glassware on May 21, 2013 at 00:34 said:
Damn it, Lung, sabotage Teacher! You know you want to, and you hate him anyway! Marquis has been actually respectful of you!
Loki-L on May 21, 2013 at 00:36 said:
Lung appears to be a lot more powerful than thought.
The PRT really screwed up by contacting Saint.
I guess this interlude means that Taylor won’t go into the birdcage, the birdcage will come to her at some point.
Funny – to me, he’s now LESS powerful than I thought. He has an upper limit on his fight stamina, for one thing. Granted, it’s a very high limit, but I had no previous indication that he’d possessed a limit at all.
I agree, the Birdcage is going to open up in a big way – probably after the Slaughterhouse 9000’s big reveal.
He doesn’t have an upper limit.
For me, it was the opposite. I now see what TAylor did on her first night out and during the whole Empire fiasco that much more amazing. She took down a guy who has fought Endbringers to a standstill, and even if I’d read it before, it didn’t really sink in until I read this.
boballab on May 21, 2013 at 01:35 said:
And this chapter just reinforces what I said for the last couple chapters: Alexandria was “Too Stupid to Live”.
She was there, she personally saw Lung stand toe to toe with Leviathan. She absolutely 100% knew just what kind of threat Lung is and she knew that Skitter took Lung out on Skitters first night in costume; and she still thought she could handle her after she has had lots and lots of experience against not one but 3 Class S threats.
Four. Noelle wasn’t officially S-class, but we all know that was politics.
Noelle was upgraded to S-class after being trapped in the underground base, and I believe she was included in his count (Leviathan, S9, and Echidna, am I forgetting anyone?).
Zephyr on October 12, 2013 at 18:16 said:
Skitter would not have had a chance against Lung at the stage where he can challenge Leviathan. She attacked him before a battle, before he could use his power to become epic. It is NOT the same thing.
I agree. Alexandria really should’ve known better. Even discounting the first fight, the second time they fought he was already into winged mode. She really shouldn’t have underestimated the ingenuity of that girl.
> Four. Noelle wasn’t officially S-class, but we all know that was politics.
Echidna was upgraded to S-class around the time that Tattletale buried her in Coil’s base. And she’s included in the three — Skitter never encountered Nilbog, Sleeper, or either of the other Endbringers.
@boballab
Alexandria<Endbringers=Super!Lung<FirstNightOut!Skitter
So there’s some reason why he felt his power leave him during his fight against Leviathan? That is peculiar.
This is my question. There is certainly some kind of limit on his stamina, you describe it clearly during his fight against Leviathan. I’d assumed it was an upper cap – perhaps of the ‘not enough threat to keep growing’ variety, but still one significant enough that he couldn’t nail down Leviathan completely. Now you’re saying there isn’t one?
I’m saying there isn’t a physical cap, defined by his power. There might be a mental one, though. In the fight against Leviathan Lung took note of the absence of spectators, or rather witnesses. His desire is freedom, and one way to gain freedom is being feared or respected enough no-one dare to cross your path. Once Lung got close to Endfighter-class in power, no-one saw him anymore, or at least no-one who counted in his mind. The capes, or some of them, sure, but not the general populace. He’d get grudging respect by them, them being aware of his threat level, but he wanted that from everyone. And without witnesses… I mean, no-one mentioned Lung or a dragon fighting Leviathan to a stand-still in story, so it’s obviously not common knowledge (observer bias not-withstanding).
What I’m getting at, if Lung had continued fighting Endbringers, he might have gained the kind of notoriety he was looking for. So, yeah. His limits are psychological, not due to a lack of power.
dudu on March 30, 2015 at 10:46 said:
Bakuda knew about it, and she isn’t anyone special.
I said this as a response to another comment but will add it again here: Lung NEEDS others around for his power to work.
Re-read where his power wanes against Leviathan and it is stated very clearly.
This is in my mind confirmed by how the CUI was able to hold him: They isolated him in a very deep pit. Notice that he isn’t able to blast handholds in the walls and climb out, he can barely chip the walls and it only gets repaired on a weekly basis.
he was bigger and meaner than leviathon at that point. Leviation wasn’t fighting back anymore. no fight, no power.
It’s been written before that Lung’s powers only grow stronger the longer he’s fighting. When an opponent is actively retreating, that’s usually the primary sign that the fight is over. When that happened, Lung’s powers were no longer in effect, and started to wane. If he could find that one opponent, that group of spectators that refused to back down, and continued to fight the metal dragon? We don’t know where the limits could be, or whom could possibly stop him. Aside from the Skitter…sorry, WEAVER choking hazard, at least.
Reveen on May 21, 2013 at 01:14 said:
So I guess he doesn’t just change when you fight him? He needs to be put in progressively more danger over time to build up the “high”? Once he becomes to much for Leviathan, he starts running out of steam?
Kinda of a shitty caveat, if you think about it. His power ensures he will always be strong than his opponents, but never TOO strong.
Someguy on May 21, 2013 at 02:35 said:
So Lung’s the opposite of Night in that he’s an Exhibitionist? He gets stronger the longer he fights & the angrier he gets but still needs other people watching him in order to maintain his state and on the flipside, the stronger he gets the less safe it is for people to be close enough to matter?
Bester on May 21, 2013 at 13:24 said:
I took it to mean that his power is fueled by other nearby capes, sort of leaching. In the absence of other capes to fuel his power, it sputters out. The more capes there are around, the more quickly his power ramps up. This is why he has been able to fight so many teams to a standstill, the more capes (and thus the bigger the threat generally), the faster his power gains critical mass. A single, extremely powerful cape (like Alexandria or Legend) would likely be able to take him apart before he could gain enough critical mass.
My guess, based solely on the line where he says he prepared for hours before the Leviathan fight and will now prepare for two years, is that he can only transform for as long as he charged beforehand. One of the major threats at the end of the world will probably be a dragon that eats Endbringers.
Incidentally, I suspect that the Slaughterhouse Nine Hundred (ten of almost every member, but there were probably only ever around ninety members total) will be one of the five sides that Dinah mentioned, and that Teacher’s Army will be another. I had initially thought it would be four or five Endbringers and maybe groups of parahumans with powers similar to theirs, but now find that unlikely. Maybe the Endbringers, Cauldron, and the remaining heroes and villains are the others. The relative numbers seem off, though, so I’m probably missing something.
Oh, and Zion can’t or won’t intervene in the endwar, or else he would probably be able to stomp all sides before the death toll ever gets that high. More accurately, there is a chance that he never intervenes sufficiently, as whenever he shows up precogs shut down completely. Maybe the reason anyone survives is that he protects them? No, wait, that doesn’t work. Maybe Zion leaves when Kevin dies, maybe because he tries to follow Kevin.
We actually see Contessa fight for the first time here, and the fact that she doesn’t attack Endbringers makes me suspect that she’s like the black suited Sentai in that she has a power that only works on humans. And that it wouldn’t work on Endbringers with help from Tinker weapons or Butcher’s powers, or else Cauldron is dangerously stupid. I wonder which Trump the Yangban has, and wonder how different Contessa’s power is from the Number Man’s. It works faster, for one, and seems more exclusively suited to combat.
chrismcdanielwriter on July 23, 2016 at 13:23 said:
I remember hearing something about Hulk that might tie into why Lung started waning. The guy was talking about how Hulk’s power is technically infinite, but it requires him to be infinitely angry to access it all. The human mind can only be in fight or flight mode for so long before the adrenaline starts waning, because the threat hasn’t gone away or killed you yet, so the mind starts getting apathetic about the danger.
Lung was immensely powerful, but Leviathan wasn’t stopping. He says it while talking to Bakuda “Leviathan, I beat, if you can even call it an enemy. It is a force of nature.” He was slowing it, he was stopping it even, but he wasn’t actually hurting it. It was inevitable, like stopping the tides. So Lung’s power started waning, the fight was leaving him, because mentally he realized that this wasn’t a thing to fight, it was a thing that simply existed and caused damage. You can’t fight and overcome Hurricanes or Tornadoes either. Or someone who can drop you a couple hundred feet below the surface and just completely ignore you and repair any damage you caused. You don’t fight walls or lifting equipment either, they wouldn’t trigger his transformation.
Or perhaps the spectator theory works, but that seems at odds with how his power is talked about. Surely there was a fight he had where he transformed significantly while against only a single opponent, alone with just the two of them.
Horatio Von Becker on July 26, 2016 at 11:59 said:
Like, for example, his first appearance? I suppose he had a number of gangmembers in attendance, but as I recall none of them were really up to talking at the time.
(Or more pertinently, watching. Although some probably were.)
Yeah, that fits. Skitter was watching, but he wasn’t fully aware of her. He was aware of his gang, but they were being swarmed, not really paying much attention to him.
Hobbes on May 21, 2013 at 00:36 said:
Marquis, saying what every reader is thinking. Love that guy.
…well, I’m waiting for everything to go to hell in a hand basket, so this will probably be the dropping of the other shoe, if it happens.
The way Worm is going, well, I’m not sure if the creature dropping shoes has only two feet.
Centipedes are wearing the shoes. Well, sixty of them, stitched together by Bonesaw. That should be enough shoes. I hope,
That… depends. There are centipedes with significantly more than sixty pairs of legs.
You guys are thinking of millipedes. Centipedes barely have a few dozen pairs of legs.
Millipedes have four legs per body segment and centipedes only have two, so centipedes *tend* to have less legs but it varies a lot by species ~30-300 for centipedes and generally 36-400 for millipedes – though there’s one species that has as many as 750.
Freak King on May 21, 2013 at 14:37 said:
It would be hilarious if he was right.
only, with sarcasm.
“And then perhaps they’ll throw a big ice cream party, with hookers and rum. And give us millions of dollars in reparations and our own private islands. They’ll even get Congress to rush into session and allocate the money to us with no grumbling from anyone involved and no filibuster threats. And then the skinheads will find out Hitler’s been brought back to life and he loves them very much and wants to give them all a great big pat on the butt.”
And Lung here, IS IN CHARGE OF CONFETTI!
Wait, the Yàngbǎn can redistribute powers? Are they a mix of Culdron capes and true 1st gen triggers or something far more sinister in the C.U.I?
No… they probably have a cape whose ability switches powers.
Pretty sure they buy vials en masse from Cauldron. This may have been mentioned in Accord’s interlude
Excellent chapter. Very good. The characterization of Lung and his development is amazing.
camo005 on May 21, 2013 at 00:41 said:
Odd, I didnt get an email this time. Either way… ITS HAPPENING
Holy shit, Lung, you scary!
Holy shit, Contessa is like a classier version of Bullseye! I approve.
Holy shit, Maquis must be going crazy watching his daughter get tatted, fancypants that he is.
Look like it’s definitely probability manipulation, so good on whoever guessed as much. Between her and Number Man, there’s a bit of a theme at Cauldron.
Personally, I would have beaten Ren by donning a gorilla suit, winding up my arm for a big punch, then dropping down from the above floor behind him and knocking him offscreen.
That, or I’d have put on a costume with a helmet, called myself Captain Donkey, and gotten behind him for my patented punch.
Gnarker on May 21, 2013 at 06:20 said:
You sure you wouldn’t rather pull that last one on Night?
You want me to use the Donkey Punch on Night? Whatever for?
Oh, that reminds me, Nacht-und-Nebel-Aktion (the one Night and Fog derived their names from) is still a valid term in German for any clandestine action taken. No connotation to Nazi-stuff, at least in the homeland thereof.
I didn’t know there was such a thing as a clandestine donkey punch. Then again, Germans do love their beer.
Well, clandestine donkey punches can’t be tracked, and anything else at this point of the operation would be assinine.
That says something, as I know you Germans are anal about keeping track of things. I’m going to need plenty of time to rest between operations, though, as they’re likely to leave me feeling pooped.
Mrmdubois on May 21, 2013 at 00:49 said:
It’s not surprising that she didn’t stop at one, lots of people don’t. Had a boss who got one and then just…kinda went crazy with it.
It’s interesting that there actually is a limit to Lung’s power, he just becomes almost completely unstoppable before hitting it.
See above, according to Wildbow Lung has no upper limit, at least in regards to stamina, perhaps in general. My guess: his limit is psychological, not physical/powerwise.
The psychological limit is part of his new trauma as a person with a second trigger event. Remember, they don’t tend to last long. We’re just used to something a little more broken due to Grue. Instead, we have a guy who is driven to fight powerful foes and get back at other powerful enemies who have already beaten him with the problem that once he actually matches or exceeds them, his power gets weaker. It’s surprising he’s lived this long.
He reminds me somewhat of Achilles, who was also known for his rage and his prowess in battle. Achilles could have lived a nice long life, but he wanted to go to war and prove himself and then argue over an enslaved woman. In the end he was slain by a much weaker enemy, someone who was pretty much a joke in battle who just happened to hit him in the right place with a bit of poison.
Cut to Lung taking a bug with Newter juice on it to the eye courtesy of Skitter, then being left at her mercy while she carves out his eyes. Lucky he didn’t fall to a villain that was in a murdering mood.
In other words, Skitter at a later date.
Nah, Skitter at a later date would have just pumped him a lot fuller with Newter blood. And lashed him to the building with silk. Actually, I wonder if she could beat him without Newter or Tinker made sedatives without killing him at this point.
Nice. Good to know that whatever Amy figured out is being acted on in some way.
Hey Lung, a haiku, if I may?
Yo momma so fat
Earthquakes are her sitting down
Oh snap, you got served
Or how about
Yo momma so poor
Pigeons throw breadcrumbs to her
And she follows them.
Momma so ugly
She made the ugly stick break
Just with a quick look
Yo momma’s rotund.
Like the noon sun with no clouds,
But more fiery gas.
Lung can’t take me on.
Not even in haikus, yo.
Haiku kung fu, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Lung’s mom has small boobs.
How small? So small the Kleenex.
Only makes her chest flat.
Lung’s mom sucks so hard.
Windmill companies hire her,
for blowjobs, of course.
“only makes her chest flat”
It would work if you change “only” to “just”
True dat, my homie
At least in the song up there,
I sang in haiku.
Just one word, you say.
Quake with fear, mortal!
Like Lung’s mom’s fat ass.
The second line is 5 syllables, it should be 7.
Curses, I’m foiled!
As haikus take over it,
my brain fails at math!
I’m haiku nazi
I’ll be checkin’ all yo’ lines
Get out fool, I win
Psycho Gecko note
My corrections are quite true
Following strict rules
Knock knock, who is there?
Nazi. Nazi? Nazi, who?
Nazi it coming.
I say again, what.
I like the cut of your jib sir!
Warped though it may be…
Pandemonious Ivy on May 21, 2013 at 00:49 said:
Thank you. This was perfect.
What’chu talkin’ ’bout, Lung? You got your ass kicked twice. Once by surprise, the second was a straight up one hit KO.
Now, which of the fights did he count as a loss, and as what does he see the other one?
He wasn’t downed the first time by her directly. Remember, it was the Undersiders coming in that really did it. He just got his junk rotted off because his wounds were ignored by the staff. It was the second with the underhanded trick- the caterpillar in the eye- that was a loss directly to her.
Holy crap I’m excited for more. Though this chapter gives me a chance to bring up something I was thinking about before – Panacea would probably be a pretty high level Striker, wouldn’t she? I’d say at least an 8 or 9, assuming that the rating system goes by how dangerous a person’s power is within the parameters that classifications are based off of? Maybe she’d be an 8, since she needs to be in direct contact with living tissue to use her power, but she can most likely kill someone if she manages to touch them for at least a few seconds.
Also, what classification are the people who create and act through some other form under (e.g. Siberian, Genesis, Crusader, Daiichi, Prism)? Master? And in the case of, say, Manton, would he also fall under the classifications that could be applied to Siberian (Brute, Mover, Striker, and possibly also Breaker and Trump)?
rmctagg09 on May 21, 2013 at 01:04 said:
Panacea is classified as a Striker 9, and those various parahumans would all be Masters.
Okay, I wasn’t sure about Panacea, and I didn’t want to take the time to check. But wouldn’t Manton also get some other classification, considering the projection he creates is invincible, is able to extend that invincibility to things she touches, moves incredibly fast, breaks physics a little, and if I remember right, might even be immune to powers?
The immune to powers is due to Siberian being a projection. Anything directed at her would be woefully inadequate, because she’s just an empty shell, for the most part.
I tend to think of her as anthropomorphized Manton effect.
But because of the powers of Siberian, wouldn’t Manton get some sort of additional rating? I thought ratings were based on the way a power was used, and the Siberian isn’t a Master.
Curtis on May 21, 2013 at 16:29 said:
Siberian was probably classified as a brute(unstoppable), breaker (invulnerable) and striker(share invulnerability). Dunno what the classification would be after the projection thing was found out. Probably just added a master rating and added Manton’s name in database under Siberian’s identity.
More likely he retroactively becomes a Master Fifteen (Sub. Breaker Twelve, Striker Twelve). Of course, Panacea only being a Striker Nine seems ridiculously low, so I dunno.
RazorSmile on May 21, 2013 at 13:45 said:
Well, except Prism. Pretty sure she’s a Breaker. Her duplicates are either a brief hive mind or each have identical copies of her consciousness.
Well she’s definitely a Master, and many, if not most or all powers seem to have a Breaker aspect.
xkcdlover42 on September 14, 2014 at 13:19 said:
she would also be given minor mover and brute ratings for her bursts of speed and strength when she recombines the clones
And I’m going to assume Saint has a power in addition to the tech he has. I mean, it would take a special kind of genius to reverse engineer Dragon’s work. I wonder whether he’s a Thinker or Tinker, and what his area of expertise is.
I rather fancy the idea of Saint being a very clever normal who got ridiculously lucky, twigged to Dragon’s true nature and puzzled out her particular set of Asimov laws.
Alternatively, he’s Undead Andrew Richter :p
Or just Evil Andrew Richter Who Faked His Own Death. Which seems slightly less likely than Brainwashed Andrew Richter. And even a ridiculously clever normal would need at least a Tinkermade cracking program to make any use of the knowledge besides fighting her. My bet is on Technomancer/machine telepath.
Sun Dog on May 21, 2013 at 09:54 said:
Panacea is indeed a Striker, number unknown but if Clockie rates Striker 7…
Genesis was rated by the PRT as a Changer, but it’s not clear if they knew she was using projections and not physically present. So maybe they give classes based on what the projections can do. Crusader is all Master.
If I had to rate the Siberian projection, I’d say Breaker. She affects the world, but is never affected, can stand on things that couldn’t support a human weight and can share her qualities with others.
In addition to the Breaker quality of not affecting the world properly (though this is a questionable one, as she is a projection, after all), I’d give her a Brute rating (no other projections have ever been shown to be as durable), as well as Striker (her ability to make anything she touches invulnerable), and Mover.
Oh, yes, I forgot Mover. But my guess as to “her” actual power is that she doesn’t actually move, she just looks like it while actually being a rolling telefrag sculpture that can spread the effect to whatever she’s touching. And I wonder why Bonesaw never objected to the Siberian’s nudity onscreen.
Probably because she had a taboo on swearing,not on nudity or all dirty things.
Horatio Von Becker on April 21, 2015 at 23:47 said:
Edit: Wait, (minor) SPOILERS.
Well, she complains about Jack not covering up in her interlude.
Authy_Silverfur on May 21, 2013 at 01:08 said:
So his power runs on an emotion. I remember someone saying before that drug-induced trigger events made for emotion-based powers, so this makes sense. But which emotion is it?
At various points, it’s the anticipation of a fight, the determination not to lose again, the desire for others to fear him, but then he runs out of whatever emotion it is during Leviathan’s fight. Did he just get bored or something?
frozen chicken on May 21, 2013 at 01:17 said:
I’m pretty sure he just stopped seeing Leviathan as a threat/restriction to his power.
Landis963 on May 21, 2013 at 01:17 said:
Fairly certain Leviathan has some other nullifier power than allows it to overpower people like that. It just takes a while and/or requires its full attention, which can be difficult with several capes whaling on you.
Leviathan’s “nullifier power” is that he’s a superdense crystalline being–so dense, that, according to Armsmaster, molecules work differently toward his core.
I think it’s just general stress from being in danger, as long as the adrenaline’s pumping he can keep growing. But once his enemies stop being a threat to him the stress will subside and he’ll lose power. Just for a few moments he might have been strong enough to kill Leviathan, but once he hit that point there was nothing to keep him pumped up.
His trigger event seems fitting. He’s an adrenaline junkie, addicted to the power that he gains from being in danger. But it can never be enough, and he might never again reach the high that he got to against Leviathan.
Well it seems like he might reach it..
Actually I think if you re-read the Interlude whatever it is, physical or psychological, Lung NEEDS others around for his powers to keep growing. The Big tip off is in the description of when he felt his powers waning against Leviathan:
Also remember how the CUI deprived him of his powers, they kept him isolated in a deep pit:
“Twice a day, he would get two packages with food. Every day, he would pace, trying to tap into his abilities, finding them beyond his reach. He would struggle, fume, scream, and wonder if he was going mad with the solitude.”
A good point. I might speculate if this is a real aspect of his power or merely a psychological condition for him to fully manifest it, but this distinction is moot in regards too appearances. We could try to surround him with non-powered people and see if the audience lets him continue to change, but again we wouldn’t be able to distinguish if it is an aspect of his power.
This hypothesis (proximity to capes for his power to work) is actually frightening, considering he’s surrounded by them right now.
It makes Bakuda oddly insightful too, speculating that he was creating a family of sorts. Also, by the time he was taken out on Skitter’s first night out, his gang was pretty well scattered.
mauke on May 21, 2013 at 01:35 said:
I think he lose the high/trill of facing someone stronger than himself. A the end of the fight he saw Levi as something unstoppable; a force of nature that you cant beat. Assuming he could feel the high of combat without stop, he should keep transforming indefinitely.
Ah, drugs might help. Or a bit of Aegis power, but oops, no can do.
Alternatively, a single touch from Panacea.
Maybe it is just high states of emotion in general. Those would tend to be anger anyways.
Chaos985 on May 23, 2013 at 14:50 said:
a thought.
chasing your first/best “high” by constantly doing more and stronger drugs is sometimes called chasing the dragon.
funnily enough, a quick google search to verify i was remembering it correctly, also shows it to be from China.
With each fight lung gets in, he tries more and more to get stronger access to his powers, but keeps finding the threat insufficient to get him to the level of power he truly wants.
Heh. Interesting.
Panacea understands Skitter better than I would have expected.
I think I will comment further after I sleep — I just got back from playing a game of Rail Baron at a friend’s house, and boy are my neurons tired!
Don’t you mean they’re tracked? As far as I know, you can’t use tires on railroads…. 😉
There are tracked neurons? Never thought they’d get their own tanks. That’s even worse for trains.
Technically, you probably could, but it would be incredibly wasteful — the big advantage of rail is that you have a lower rolling friction with steel on steel than with rubber on pavement.
*is literal-minded*
Steel on Steel?
That’s got to be one of the least desirable DC slashfics I’ve ever heard of. Probably right up there with Captain Boomerang and Melani Thawne.
langer101 on May 21, 2013 at 01:43 said:
Been wondering if other capes other than Scion could take on the Endbringers and win. Keeping thinking that he’ll kick the bucket during one of those deathmatches.
anonymus on May 21, 2013 at 01:59 said:
thanks for the new chapter
TinkerTailor on May 21, 2013 at 02:35 said:
Damnit, Teacher, stop that! I was just starting to think, “well, at least *someone* has a clue about the meta-plot, and the Simurgh can’t mess with *every* transmission out of the the ‘cage”. And then you go and make it so thats he doesn’t need to 😛
Speaking of Teacher, I wonder how far he has Trickster “under his sway”. Kraus was far from a perfect human being, but I wouldn’t have wished brainwashed slavery on him.
If I get Teacher’s power straight, he is a someone who can give people Thinker or Tinker powers, but for the cost of free will. That is both interesting and frightening. Being a brilliant thrall makes one still a prisoner.
If Teacher has Trickster under his thrall, I would think that that transfer’s Simurgh’s influence to him, and thus to all of his squad.
Ultimately, that means Simurgh has created a large group of villain’s who have a potential way out of the birdcage and multiple reasons to hold a serious grudge against “the hero formerly known as Skitter”.
She has also maneuvered Skitter onto her (the Simurgh’s) main opposition (the PRT).
She’s totally set the stage for a battle royale that will finally and utterly decimate any hope of Endbringer Opposition.
Damn she’s good.
Didn’t think Trickster was a thinker, and that’s who he seemed interested to have under his thrall.
In fact, the defenseless civilians should feel much safer if they only knew that Trickster’s amazing decision-making abilities were now linked to such a criminal mastermind.
Yeah, e had some low-level thinker “qualities” even in aleph.
Trickster ought to get a negative on the Thinker scale.
A on May 21, 2013 at 02:53 said:
Sadly I cannot vote. Allowed once every 7 days. 🙂 was a kick seeing how low everyone else’s series went.
No, no, no. Part of the reason I ask for votes is because I want you to check out other stories and find the good stuff.
Caelum Lex is good, I hear. And Legion of Nothing.
Indeed! I’ve read Legion of Nothing for years, and it was thanks to a post Psycho Gecko made in the comments section that I made it here.
I want to check Legion on but…archive panic. You get it. And I have an almost OCD about reading things from start to Finish. Maybe this summer.
Legion’s archive isn’t so bad. The sections aren’t as big as Wildbow’s.
You can, actually — the vote expires seven days after the last time you refreshed it.
Indigo on May 21, 2013 at 03:10 said:
Well, that’s not good at all.
That’s how I found you. I was reading Adrian at the time. It gave me a kick to see the numbers, because it gives you an idea of who currently has their audience on the edge of their seats.
notes on May 21, 2013 at 03:26 said:
Three possible world-ending threats just got added to the list: Theo was (and remains) the frontrunner, but Panacea is a plausible vector also, with Jack’s escape determining her breakdown and commitment to the Birdcage. (Tentatively leaving her off the list for now, but one could argue otherwise).
1. Lung. His power isn’t a straightforward “the longer he fights, the stronger he gets,” or he couldn’t have charged up and wouldn’t have run dry against Leviathan. Two years’ charge? That’s a world-ending threat, potentially, and one which circles back to the series beginning. Of course, having him as an unlikely ally would do that too.
2. Teacher. A small army of parahumans, now with extra tinker/thinker? Engineering a birdcage breakout by sabotaging Endbringer fights in order to arrange release? That story has no good ending.
3. The sources of the passengers. Hard to say without knowing what Panacea saw, but could easily be that bad.
Other issues: we finally have a non-Taylor vision of passenger-sources that saw more than one of them. Tentative theory: there are at least two, and perhaps many, ‘players’ who grant powers as they see fit to ‘influence the cycle’. Double triggers, and other visions that see more than one entity, reflect more than one entity ‘investing’ in a person.
Doctor Mother is probably not a parahuman, or wasn’t as of Lung’s trigger – Contessa reacted, DM didn’t and supported Contessa as she staggered. Granted, no human has better access to Cauldron’s serum, so that could easily have changed.
Contessa is probably a combat precog.
Take a virus analogy: natural triggers are infections; Cauldron capes are DM’s effort at engineering antibodies. Would explain why they’re careful about killing Cauldron capes.
Tentative prediction: Taylor/D&D/Marquis/Panacea v. Teacher/Trickster/Saint/half the Birdcage, with Lung as a wild card, and the world in the balance. Keeping to one’s code even when it makes you a seeming traitor is exactly the kind of ‘code first!’ life Marquis respects.
For all that people complain (justly!) about the PRT, the CUI solution is a lot scarier – 1984 with powers.
Option to accelerate Birdcage issues – Taylor is the natural person to walk in and say ‘who wants parole?’
Lung may be an exhibitionist, or not. A cap on his charge rate, and no cap on his burn rate, would also explain the given loss of power: he was burning it faster than it came in, and ran out.
Is no one else worried that the whole Birdcage can hear Canary sing? Because that could matter. A lot.
So she could potentially be the most powerful cape in there…nice
Her powers here remind me a lot of Number Man, actually. An understanding of the forces in play around her, letting her do things like deflect bullets away from DM and precisely alter the trajectory of flying objects with a nudge.
Well the CUI seems to wtill be better than whatever methode the Nazi-Organisation uses. The Capes they make are empty shells personality-wise.
Doctor Mother’s apparent lack of powers suggest to me that she is aware of the horrible secret behind them (whatever it is). The question is how she kept her true reasons for not taking the serum herself secret from her co-conspirators/expendable minions.
Contessa’s power is funny. Superficially it seems like her powers are similar to the Numbers Man, but having two capes with such similar powers in the same organization goes against too many rules (It certainly wouldn’t be allowed in the LoSH). It doesn’t seem like it is luck or probability manioulation either since she handily defeated Faultline’s crew including the irish girl with her own luck powers.
Regarding Lung’s trigger event. It seems natural that such a strong cape would have a strong passenger like Taylor is supposed to have accroding to Echidna. This would explain some similarites.
There’s another possible explanation for why DM didn’t react to Lung’s trigger event: she’s seen so many of them at this point that it no longer causes the usual “staggers around with a headache for a bit” side effects.
I think I got Contessa’s powers figured out! She is basically this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UueU0-EFido but you know… deadlier.
Living up to norm, notes’ notes are always noteworthy.
A quick thought: Consider someone has an eidetic memory, perfect recall, in a sense like MM, and also has a power. It doesn’t matter which, just let that person be always close by when someone triggers or takes the formula. This would give the person the most insight into passengers – always from their very own perspective, granted, but still a constant influx of information.
On another note, Passengers being the infecting/attacking agent and Cauldron being the antibodies is a very promising interpretation.
The memory angle is clever – perhaps it is the memory suppression that is disorienting, and not the vision itselt? The passenger integrating into the psyche and, to some extent, taking the wheel? Grant Doctor Mother a perfect memory, and explain away her non-stumble that way?
Probably not a viable hypothesis: Tattletale talks about what she sees to Charlotte before she snaps out of it and forgets again – and she’s staggering at the vision, not the forgetting. If Doctor Mother had a power, she’d react – or be meaningfully unique somehow. If she doesn’t… well, all the more interesting that she can do what she does with the serum-creation, and that she can apparently deal with her ‘lab-rats’.
Possible elaboration – we might be dealing with memetic viruses here, which would be why Alexandria was dead serious when she said she didn’t want people to know what was going on.
Sandman’s idea about desensitization… maybe. That could work.
Take that theory in the direction of problems, (this is Worm, after all) and you get some interesting possibilities. Lovecraftian monstrosities which mortal man was not meant to comprehend? The forgetfulness as a mental defense against simply going mad from gazing upon Elder Gods of Cthulhu-kind? Doctor Mother’s desensitization therapy having both given her the truth about what’s going on and driven her utterly insane, and determined to propagate a Cauldron cult drawing on her favored Old One, in competition with the others?
Thank you, I always endeavour to contribute.
Unless she’s very good at faking sanity, the forgetting-prevents-insanity clause doesn’t work, for the simple reason of MM remembering and still being sane. Or at least appearing to. Paired with natural curiosity of children and the time since she triggered, she must have spent a distinct amount of time remembering and dwelling on her vision.
At the same time MM didn’t stumble or gave any indication of the vision she just had when she triggered, at least from her perspective. If anything she just froze (check Interlude 7.x; Hannah for that). I try not to defend my point unduly, just wanted to point this supporting argument out.
A memetic virus is an interesting take I didn’t consider. From a meta point of view, since there’s not been a mention of anything of that kind in the story whatsoever, it seems unlikely. Not impossible, and meta analysis is not all the methods and means there are, but still… it would feel like cheating.
Somewhat related, Sam Hughes’ Fine Structure is a very interesting setting worth mentioning, but telling anything more would be a spoiler.
If the desensitisation angle would work… Maybe. Contessa is actually a case in point against that. Assuming she was present at a lot of tests (the Case 53’s) to reign in the subjects, at least at the early stages of the formula, she ought to be desensitized by now. Or by then, so to speak.
That’s assuming Dr. Mother has only lived for a human amount of years. My money is still on her being from another universe, potentially the last one the [giant multi-dimensional things] visited, perhaps going even further back. Like some kind of parasite, or predator, or symbiote.
Beware, there is a god under the words. In his universes, he can change Destiny.
Alexandria could come back from the dead if it serves Him and His plot lines..
Wildbow.. always feeding us just enough answers to keep us hungry. Starving us for the next to last mystery box. For what its worth, I believe Worm’s last one will differ than Abrams empty Kleenex ( nods to Psycho [ Gecko ] ) box.
At the end, it is / will_be fulfilling.
The only risk i see with answer starvation is that it could desensitize its audience 🙂
Or it could lead to a Chris Carter effect / Kudzu Plot.
Also, what’s with all the bold and italics?
Probably forgot to close a tag. Was corrected by wildbow, I presume, so the point is moot.
Eventually, there have to be answers, otherwise why did we ever care about the questions?
That’s one of the advantages to having such compelling and intricate worldbuilding in literary form. If this were a TV show and you were just starting out, you’d have to hope for reruns or shell out a bunch of money for enough DVDs to get caught up when you don’t entirely know if you want to see it. Here, you just have to sacrifice a week or two and you can join the rest of us in our wild mass guessing and speculating and knock knock jokes in haiku form.
knock, knock ?
Knock Knock. Who is there?
Boo. Boo who? Hey, do not cry.
It is just a joke.
But if you were actually saying knock knock, then I shall answer it with a “Who’s there?”
theant87 on May 21, 2013 at 03:35 said:
Great update with the fact that Japan apparently had power rangers fight a giant lizard and lose. Contessa was interesting and I loved the fact that Panacea will probably be covered in prison tattoos by the time she gets out. So this chapter shows that Panacea has game changing knowledge about the passengers, and there will be a giant event in the future so dangerous that Dragon will let the prisoners out. If the Smurf planned this so Panacea would come up with this theory and tell the world at large it implies that the queen bitch of the universe can’t talk to people at all similar to Scion. The fact that lung is excited seems to gesture against the theory that more Endbringers show up/they stop talking turns or waiting between attacks as he thinks they are immortal and he doesn’t see the point of fighting them. It seems to tie in with people’s individual passengers and the fact that so many people are predicted to die at once might mean that something happens to every parahuman at the same time. We also got some great info about why Saint and Teacher are dangerous. Saint can see everything Dragon does so he probably knows about Defiant changing her code and I wonder what he is scheming. Teacher sounds like a nasty piece of work but he admits that he lacks muscle or power which implies that the thinkers/tinkers he makes are probably very low level. So we now have a list of possible big bads that Weaver will probably have to deal with in the future. Teacher’s army of parahuman group thinkers including Trickster, a supercharged lung who will probably turn into fucking Godzilla when he gets out, Marquis whose Skill and Code make him deadly, the evil fairy queen with a zombie Bakuda, Saint who might have his Dragon suits equipped with nano clouds, and who knows what else is in there.
paragraph breaks
It was late, and I write it from a phone. Go, Go, Power Rang…oh they died.
Die die Power Rangers! Mighty dying Power Rangeeeeeeeeeers!
It’s Mightily Murdered Power Ringers, actually. See for yourself:
http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/linkara/at4w/32137-mightily-murdered-power-ringers-1
This Saint guy is really starting to interest me, by all accounts we have someone smart enough to reverse engineer the technology of the greatest Tinker on the planet and consistently foil her attempts to bring him down. If anyone could crack the ‘cage open my guess is it would be him.
Liam C on May 21, 2013 at 04:10 said:
Actually, it seems to me that Saint did not necessarily reverse engineer Dragon’s tech. I think it was mentioned somewhere that he stole a discarded power suit after figuring out that she was an AI, and then used that to steal a few others for his buddies.
In any case, it was less him being able to outsmart Dragon, and more him being able to use her own laws against her. Now that Defiant’s been messing with those laws, who knows?
Don’t forget what’s worse. He can see through Dragon’s eyes. Dumbass PRT.
So he’s been watching D&D doing their Ten-By-Ten? Interesting contrast in this chapter, we get Lung who is an exhibitionist & Saint who’s a voyeur.
Ellert on May 21, 2013 at 05:53 said:
I know its probably too optimistic but just because they think they have outfoxed Dragon doesn t make it so.
If this wasn t Worm i d think Dragon was aware of it and simply let them continue while monitoring them for plans especially after being unshackled. However since it is Worm and nothing good ever happens without horrible consequences you are probably right.
Kim on May 21, 2013 at 08:47 said:
If Alexandria can pull a shell game, so can Dragon. Thing is? They may still be able to set something into motion that is… unexpected.
Didn’t Alexandria lose her shell game?
When you’re fighting arthropods in a shell game, you just don’t stand a chance.
beyondperformant on May 21, 2013 at 08:47 said:
I think that is limited to the monitoring of the Birdcage. Or that is my take on the context.
He can see, if anything, through Dragon’s passive eyes. But I honestly doubt the magnitude of that. Not all of her eyes, not all the time.
And to be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if Dragon was aware of that backdoor, or had left that open voluntarily, so she can have a controlled leak of information, or at least knows what her adversary saw through her half-sleeping eyes.
What do the Sith have to do with anything?
Nothing! There is no master plan based on Star Wars! Whoever told you such a ridiculous thing!
*hand-sign to ninja death squads*
Caliban on May 21, 2013 at 07:28 said:
What if the passengers are the embryonic or larval stage of the big interdimensional entities people sense when they trigger?
The entities implant them in suitable hosts (people undergoing a trigger event) to grow until they are ready for the next stage. Making the earth basically a spawning bed as they hope for one or more of the passengers to grow into the next stage. Or one of the passengers reaching maturity is what causes the end of the world as they emerge from their host…
In that vein, the second trigger is the Passenger getting to the next stage in their development. A lot of the passengers don’t get to the next stage, and don’t have to, since their regenerative approach is quantity over quality.
Naeddyr on May 21, 2013 at 12:28 said:
I am under the impression that even if one specific passenger in a specific doesn’t get what it wants, that same passenger still exists in tens of thousands, millions of other timelines, where it very well might hatch, or “inseminate” or whatever they want. Even if in other hosts, other capes. Maybe the passengers make deals, you scratch my back (in this timeline) and I scratch your back (in that timeline), each alternative timeline heading towards one hatching. Or no, there seems to be a finite number of passengers, while we don’t know whether timelines are finite to the same extent, if at all. So maybe there are many timelines that don’t have a passenger hatch, but they have to exist because they branch off the path from which a passenger *does* hatch.
In the above scenario, though, the end of the world isn’t tied to hatching, because there are many timelines where the world ends from Dinah’s point of view.
Maybe we are seeing the one timeline where Skitter’s Passenger hatches.
Plausible. And maybe they’re all going to go into hatching season in two years when Jack inspires Bonesaw to use her research into Passengers to play the hatching song on someone’s brain. Cue Skitter v. almost everyone.
Take the timeline-sieving further: suppose the Passengers-sources are the group-mind of all passengers after a superhero Singularity, and the different Passenger-sources are different futures. The different futures are trying to influence the present to insure that they come about, and the alternative futures don’t. Two years (or whenever) is when they’ll hit critical mass in this universe (meaning Taylor’s efforts to save cape lives are secretly making things worse), and humanity as we know it vanishes into the group mind as (almost!) everyone triggers and the Passengers start driving, and then dipping metaphorical toes into the next universe over.
On a multi-versal level, this still looks like infection, with superheroes steadily going from one universe to the next, leaving…what? behind them.
Still need to fit Scion into these metaphors somewhere, and also the Endbringers.
> On a multi-versal level, this still looks like infection, with superheroes steadily going from one universe to the next, leaving…what? behind them.
Perhaps an Earth mysteriously devoid of global human presence that might, after a few thousand years, end up a tree-covered wilderness?
The Faerie Queen in the birdcage said something about them waking up in three hundred years if I remember correctly. Timeline has the end of the world long before that.
– I’ve figured it out: we’re never going to be told exactly what Contessa’s powers are. I say this because obviously what we saw in this interlude, while informative, is still less than the extent of her true abilities.
– My guess is that she’s a truly perfect precognitive, albeit restricted to what’s happening within the range of her mundane senses
– failed to mention this before but the original in-universe description of Lung’s power never really rung true to me. Nothing wrong with that, lots of understandably unreliable narrators as represented by the in-universe wiki. Hell, lots of paras don’t even know the precise ins and outs of their own power.
– “Grows stronger the longer a fight goes on?” So he’s a mere mortal at the beginning of every fight? Why hasn’t he been pink-misted by an overwhelming first strike (from, say, Bakuda?) So, yeah, this makes more sense. He powers up on anticipation, adrenaline, rage and the rest of the chemical cocktail that makes fighters of us all.
– OMG he straight-up beat Leviathan!
– Ahhh, now we know what Teacher’s power is: make other people smarter and at the same time, make them your slaves. Nice! Reminds me of Tomas Nau from A Deepness in The Sky. I assume the effect isn’t permanent?
– Panacea is finally growing some intestinal fortitude. I approve and at the same time I worry. Someone with her power level, the will to use it and moral … uncertainty is troubling. Hopefully, she adopts a code similar to Marquis’.
Patrick Reitz (@dreamfarer) on May 21, 2013 at 09:32 said:
I like probability manipulation more than pre-cog for Contessa’s power. It’s related to what bugs me horribly about the Numbers Man.
See, lacking super human reflexes, all having a perfect pre-cog power or ability to see probabilities means is that when someone attacks you you’ll know with much greater certainty how badly your about to hit. Yes, you may be able to start dodging sooner but that doesn’t matter at all if you’re not physically capable of getting out of the way of the attack and with a lot of attacks (normal guy with a AK47 say) the only way to get out of the way of the attack is to move faster than a human actually can.
Not necessarily.
It just takes a slightly better understanding of physics, statistics and probability to avoid the bullets. As few people walk an automatic around in a truly random arc.
A short term combat precog could simply see and understand the manner in which the gun is being brandished, understand the basic trajectories of the bullets, and simply arrange themselves to be where the bullets aren’t. Just ahead of it actually happening.
Also, even though it runs counter to paradox theory and observer theory, a combat precog might see themselves and what they do in the future as well.
In terms of human reaction speed you can look at bullets as being lines of injury that stretch from the gun out to the bullet’s effective range. A “combat pre-cog” would need to see a spot they could contort themselves into between those lines in order to not be hit. In other words it’s not as though you can step into a spot after a bullet passes by in order to avoid the next bullet passing through where you are now given how fast a gun can fire and how far a human body can move under normal muscle power.
A halfway decent shooter is going to be able to put those lines in a fairly tight area around the spot where they initially observe the combat pre-cog to be, so my argument is that “being able to predict your opponents moves” just shows you you that if you go left you can predict they’ll shoot you in the right kidney, going right lets you predict that they’ll shoot you 2 centimeters to the right, still in the left kidney.
Mostly, you just get to enjoy knowing that you’re going to lose your kidney, unless you also have some level of super speed so that you can move your slow ass out the way of the shot.
The flipside of that is that superspeed alone, except in ludicrously high amounts ala the Flash, shouldn’t allow you to dodge bullets either. They’re small and they don’t leave little Matrix-esque trails in the air. Also they’re (in some cases) super sonic so by the time you hear the shot the bullets already having a little party in your kidney.
Dodging the guy who’s shooting you before he pulls the trigger is another matter of course. A combat pre-cog has the advantage of being aware of danger regardless of being able to perceive it and could move to any area of safety that existed (duck behind a car before the shooter fires). If they’re in a restaurant and the shooter has the drop of them though, there could easily be no areas of safety they could get to, and they’d know it.
A speedster on the other hand can make their own “areas of safety” since they can move their body faster than the attacker can move their arm or hand. But if you get the drop on them they’d go down before they realized they were under attack (again unless they have Flash level speed and essentially stop time as soon as they begin to take any damage).
Then you’ve got probability manipulators who basically just say “reality is what I saw it is” with different levels of constraints on how implausible they’re allowed so say things are.
Yeah, I think there is another aspect to her power we haven’t seen yet. She couldn’t beat someone who had a large range attack, dodge a sun, or beat a brute who was simply too tough for her to hurt. A reality warper, a power nullifier, can slow down time, etc.
Erm, actually she doesn’t need to out-reflex the bullets to dodge, just out-reflex the person who is aiming the gun and pulling the trigger. And that isn’t that hard if you have combat precognition.
That’s actually what I thought a combat precog was: Seeing the close future within their influence and the multitudes of movements at their disposal, with every possible reaction to each of their movements. The closer they are to the present, the less moves are they able to do. That way the precog knows when the gun will be fired at what tracetory and when and how to throw the knife to deflect the bullet. They wouldn’t even need to have super reflexes, I think, but probability readers would.
This view on combat precog precludes the necessity of deflecting the bullet in mid-air, though. And is virtually indistinguishable from probability changer. Or is essentially that? I confused myself…
eduardo on May 21, 2013 at 21:26 said:
There is a very good movie that shows a combat precog similar to the one that you describe.
I think that the title is The Prophet, but I am not sure.
My mind was more on the Chronicles of Riddick, when they fought at the end and the evil guy’s movements were always coagulating to instances where he’s dead since Riddick was just a better fighter.
Is real probability warping even a thing? Remember that Shamrocks power is actually small scale telekinesis combined with subconscious precognition. The latter of which would be a good way to do this stuff.
Maybe I’m belaboring a joke by comparing her to Midnighter again, but that’s what this really reminded me of. Him combined with Lady Shiva and Bullseye.
Contessa kicks fucking ass, I know that much.
It might be ruled out the way Telepathy is in-setting but otherwise it seems like it’d be a viable power.
Mostly though I’m just don’t find pre-cog enough of a justification for avoiding a hail of bullet fire, especially not routinely, unless it’s also paired with superhuman physical capabilities.
Most of the powers we’ve seen work on some underlying principle within the laws a physics. Isn’t probability just a mathematics invented by humans to calculate chance? That’s not really something that a parahuman would be able to actually interact with.
Even Dinah doesn’t actually detect probabilities so much as peer into millions of alternate universes to calculate probabilities herself.
Keep in mind that this is just one gun, presumably a pistol, being fired by an untrained kid, I don’t see a precog being able to dodge that as unlikely. Once Daiichi fired and missed the first shot, he was fucked because he probably wouldn’t be able to follow her once she started moving.
Precog might actually be one of the more “natural” powers a parahuman can get, because the passengers seem to do timeline-sieving as naturally as we breathe.
Math pretty much IS the underlying principle of the law of physics. What we think of as particles, or the building blocks of physical reality, are essentially just probabilities. A quark is a field of “maybe it’s here and traveling at this speed” with the probability of each varying and dropping off over very short distances.
Also, vs, just one gun I’m fine with a pre-cog in a one off encounter. That’s just getting a little lucky. It’s doing it reliably and consistently under all sorts of conditions for decades and (not that we’ve seen this) against much heavier volumes of fire.
Dodging a guy with a pistol? Sure. Dodging 10 guys with automatic weapons? No. Not without superhuman speed to go along with it. Or enough pre-cog that you simply never wind up in a situation against 10 guys with automatic weapons.
Somewhere in the comments I found out a combat precog and small scale probability manipulator are virtually indistinguishable. Or at least I think so. I’m still confused about that…
Teacher seems to be a Master, possibly a Thinker, and also possibly a Striker, depending on the conditions required for using his power. Theoretically he could also get a little bit of Trump, given that he can control others, including people with powers. Though that might just factor into his Master class.
Teachers final shout as they dragged him to the birdcage was “You can’t do this to me! I have TENURE!”
sarah penguin on May 21, 2013 at 09:00 said:
Interesting Lung update 🙂
javaking369 on May 21, 2013 at 10:08 said:
There was a character in The Last Skull web serial called Mulligan. He would automatically rewind time by a short time (I think like a minute) whenever anything undesirable would happen. Contessa my have something smiler. Also, If Amelia ever fix’s Lung’s little problem, there going to have to update the S-Class threat list.
I now have a new worry about Saint. If he can figure out what Defiant did to Dragon’s code he could use it to make her his slave which would be good for no one.
countgrey on May 22, 2013 at 02:37 said:
Mulligan’s little jaunt through time was only something like 12-16 seconds, and it can strain his brain if done repeatedly. I recall one fight where he had to redo the same situation hundreds of times, and that pretty much took him out of the fight completely.
Hydrargentium on May 22, 2013 at 16:30 said:
The “roll back time and try again” power is essentially what Cody had, iirc. Even something as useful as that is only as useful as the person using it. (Which is, of course, one of the grand underlying themes of Worm.)
Anyone wanna back me up on that one? (The Cody thing, not the theme thing — my statement on the theme stands on its own, unassailable.)
Perdition’s power wasn’t that powerful. Simply put, if he used his power on anything, it would reset to where it was and the state it was in as of a few seconds earlier. Migration 17.7 has him using it and 17.8 has a Noelle-clone of him using it.
Using the power on himself was pretty much a last-ditch type maneuver, one which had a high probability of backfiring, but using the power on someone else had the potential to be pretty powerful — if you know exactly what someone is doing for the next few seconds, or if you can make them do the same thing over and over again, you can exploit that any number of ways.
What struck me as odd was Cody’s glee when he used it on Kraul/Trickster and had him get hurt/hit multiple times. For Trickster it shouldn’t have felt different than a single hit, but the narration made it seem differently, as if the stream of consciousness wasn’t totally affected.
@comickry: I don’t think so — at least in 17.7, that Cody slugged Krouse more than once is only implied, not stated.
Oh, okay. nevermind then 🙂
Ajoxer on May 21, 2013 at 11:08 said:
Unsure if other people have noted this before, but Lung may be powered, not only by his emotions, but by those of those around him. He pulled people together- perhaps in a family, perhaps not- to watch him. He found he just couldn’t keep ramping up once too many of the lesser capes had died.
It seems as though he is powered by the fear of those around him, though who knows if that’s all. But it makes a great deal of sense, for the way he fights, the things that happened in this story, for him to gain greater strength when people react with fear. Even Alexandria feared him, there, eventually. That’s quite something.
But is fear the only way this would work? We scoff a bit at the idea of him recruiting the ABB so as to have a family- But what if he could feed off of other emotions? Awe, desperation, need, these are things that can be directed towards a hero fighting to save you, just like they can be directed towards a monster who is going to defeat you.
Could Lung be a hero? He acts like a sociopath, but I suspect that may be a consequence of the way his powers work. The need to not let himself feel weakness, to push on through it all. But like so very, very many of the characters in this story, I think that he could be a hero, if given half a chance. He was nearly a hero in the fight against Leviathan- And who knows? Perhaps his particular power set would give him an advantage against the Simurgh, too. It would be interesting to see. And as always, it is glorious the way a single interlude can completely change the way we look at a character by showing them when they were weak.
Lung is fucking patient. I think that’s something we should take from all of this. With a stunningly effective power, and a target, he has spent 14 years building up his preparation and resentment, focused on the Contessa. He holds grudges and he holds them very well. Hell, we’ve seen very well that he’s downright prudent; He doesn’t go into a fight before he’s ready to, most of the time. With Skitter? He underestimated her; Fair enough, she just took down Alexandria, that’s not terribly shameful. But I suspect that he has a grudge against someone who beats him, not because he’s not as strong as them, but because he’s not as smart as them. He’s not stupid, but the people he holds a grudge against, they plan to the point that he can’t overpower them. He was physically stronger than the Contessa, but he never stood a chance against her. He was physically stronger than his captors, than Skitter, than Teacher, but he couldn’t defeat them, because he wasn’t as smart. He’s not stupid- But stupid people aren’t the ones who are most hurt by those who are smarter than them. ‘Not-quite-as-smart’ people are.
Weakness… So often, when a character is powerful, they become lazy. Alexandria was sure she could take whatever Skitter had to offer. Lung was sure he could take whatever Skitter had to offer. The Slaughterhouse Nine were sure they could take whatever Skitter had to offer. When you’re so sure that you don’t think you have to push yourself to the utmost, you open yourself up to failure. The fun thing about Alexandria was, it was because she thought she was smarter- a better Thinker than Skitter- that she bit the dust. She didn’t even take any kind of measure to protect herself from suffocation by insects.
Skitter has never, ever, /ever/ gone into a fight being sure she could take whatever enemies have to offer. If she ever DOES get cocky, she’s almost certainly going to be screwed. That’s part of why I’m nervous about her getting teamed up with D&D. Put that girl in a suit of power armor, and she’ll be dead by week’s end.
She did when she attacked the PRT when her identity was outed, but I get your point. I doubt it will be power armor. If it was that easy, why didn’t dragon mass produced suits for every hero? I figure she will have her develop tiny bombs for the bugs, defiant may give her a high tech extendable club, and maybe put a few tricks in her new suit.
Yog on May 21, 2013 at 14:15 said:
That was answered – maintenance. Basically, only tinker can maintain and repair tinker technology, and then only the technology THAT tinker made.
El Sock on May 21, 2013 at 11:23 said:
Updated Trigger Events Pastebin can be found here: (http://redd.it/1eg8e4)
Btw, what is CUI and Yàngbǎn? The former doesn’t compute at all, and the latter seems to be Korean mafia, I guess?
Yàngbǎn is the CUI’s superhero-military organization.
The CUI is the Chinese Union-Imperial.
Huh. Must have totally forgotten when the CUI was mentioned. Thank you!
Huh, so China stayed Imperial rather than going Communist on Earth Bet. That implies differences in the world that go back further than the appearance of Scion. Interesting.
If Alexandria backed off cause of the heat Lung was generating then just how intense was it given that she wasnt phased by Sundancers orb?
He was also super heating the water. Probably not fun breathing that much steam.
My perspective on Alexandria’s fear/reluctance in regards to Lung after his fight against Leviathan was she actually saw pretty much the furthest he got in transforming, and was truly fearsome to behold: fighting an Endbringer one-on-one, being of comparable size and making the sea boil around him with nary a thought. She didn’t exactly know what she was dealing with at the moment, fear of the slightly unknown, of Lung changing further and becoming another Endbringer, …
So, what amount of power will lung need to get all of his revenge?
I wonder if Noelle/Echidna would have ended up with similar powers to Lung if she had taken the full dosage for her powers…
They both can be on par with Endbringers, and it seems like they derive some of their powers from other people. Although, in Echidna’s case it happens to be a little more obvious.
And on that note, what would have happened if Lung got cloned by Echidna? That might have been a doomsday situation in itself.
Jim Lee on May 21, 2013 at 19:18 said:
Oh my God. Wildbow, you bastard. I only just got this.
Lung triggered with his face in a brick of heroin. His power works by constantly seeking a bigger adrenaline rush. He gets stronger so long as he’s moving towards the next impossibly dangerous thrill, and then has a crippling crash period after feeling like the God Emperor of the Universe.
Lung is forever chasing the dragon.
You magnificent bastard.
*looks up “chasing the dragon” on Wikipedia*
That is brilliant. Please tell me that was intentional so I can add it to TV Tropes.
Darkciel on May 22, 2013 at 09:31 said:
My god. That is incredible.
Llum on May 23, 2013 at 00:07 said:
It sounded a lot more like cocaine than heroine to me? The point is still completely valid 🙂
I don’t know…while heroin would make some sense to be associated with Chinese criminals, the rush is one of euphoria.
Besides, I have another idea that you’re going to kick yourselves for not seeing beforehand. At least, the first part you will.
Lung turned into a giant reptile while fighting in Japan, shooting out flames the color of Cherenkov radiation.
It was a kaiju battle in Japan that left the place absolutely wrecked. Look out, it’s Lungzilla Vs. Leviathan!
Not the only way radiation fits into all this either.
You know what happens when you make a mistake seeing how far you can go with a mass of plutonium before it goes critical? Such an experiment, called tickling the dragon’s tail, causes intense heat and a blue glow.
Tom_D on May 21, 2013 at 19:22 said:
Not my usual genre. I have to say that you tell a compelling tale. This is one of the best pieces of fiction I have seen on the web in some time. I am impressed with both content and frequency. Keep it up!!
Looking forward to the Wards first encounter when “Her Royal Creepiness” moves in!
Thank you for the donation, Tom.
I doubt Wildbow is a wrestling fan, despite Canada’s rich pro wrestling tradition, so it’s probably just coincidence that Lung, with his pyrokinesis, super strength, Determinator powerset, and notable losses or at least lack of victories is named Kenta. Or just a common enough Japanese name. But if he starts using the Burning Hammer as a move to finish off his enemies, I’m going to get real suspicious.
Lung description is seeking more and more like a dragon to me. The problem is that he seems like a European dragon, not an asian one, as his name implies.
Fake Name on May 21, 2013 at 21:47 said:
I’ve realized something:
Lung is aware that he’ll be building up for two years. That’s the same timing as the end of the world according to Dinah.
But why does Lung think “two years” will be when the PRT has to open the Birdcage for their assistance? Because of this conversation Amy had with everyone about what the passengers are.
The passengers- _not_ Jack Slash.
Some people were speculating in IRC that the visions of the passengers we’ve gotten so far paint them as part of a lifecycle for interdimensional beings, and that their reproductive cycle involves the whole planet turning into crystal and then fracturing into more of the creatures.
Lung knowing about the two year timeframe to me seems like a confirmation that the actual threat to the end of the world is the passengers themselves.
Amy knew the date of the end of the world via. conversation with the leader of the Travelers.
It doesn’t matter how Amy knows about that timeframe, Lung only knows because Amy mentioned it when explaining to the other prisoners what she learned about the passengers when she touched Glaistig Uaine.
That seems like a very strong implication that the end of the world is related to what Amy discovered about “what happens when they wake up”. And we know from this chapter that what happens is bad, right?
Conversation when? I checked all the Panacea chapters between Interlude 11h and Interlude 15 (that is to say: Snare 13.2 and Prey 14.2, 3, 4, 6, and 10), and at no point does anyone mention the two-year deadline. She knows about the end of the world from Jack mentioning the end of the world in 14.10, but that’s it as far as what has been described on-screen, and I didn’t find any point where she had an opportunity to talk with the Undersiders off-screen.
Maybe she knows because she was told during the conversation where she begged to be Birdcaged, but I don’t think the Undersiders had a chance to give her any briefings on the prophecy.
The leader of the travelers is trickster, so I’m guessing that he told her in the birdcage.
No, packbat’s right. My answer was originally that Amy got the info from the Undersiders, but I was in the middle of getting ready to watch Game of Thrones when I said it – a mental slip.
Apologies to those who went looking. I meant to say the Travelers; Trickster specifically.
@wildbow: Ah, I hadn’t thought of Trickster as a vector for that datum — much appreciated.
Ah, editing your own comments. Tricky.
AVR on May 21, 2013 at 22:36 said:
So we get to see the real person inside Lung’s psychopathic exterior. Motivations, thought processes and all. And the real person is just as much a psycho as the exterior…
Scary guy.
Agreed. Inside his antisocial and violent exterior image there is a very sick and violent person. As a small time thug he was bad enough, but his passenger/power seems to only add on to his perverted sense of honor. A truly honorable person, albeit flawed, like Marquis is a start contrast. All Lung cares about is that people fear him.That is pretty twisted. Perhaps he can learn to act differently, but I doubt he will take the lifeline that Marquis is offering in time.
And in a way, it is reflected in his power. The more he fights, the more the man disappears, replaced by a monster with a mouth in four parts, wings, and intense flames burning all around. One problem with this is that even as such a large and powerful being, capable of forcing Leviathan to retreat, he’s still not enough to save the world. The other problem is that he wants to be the monster more than he wants to be the man.
It’s understandable, too. Sometimes you want to be the thing that people fear. Problem is, you can see now how insecure someone is who needs to be feared and how easily it controls them. Such easily controlled power is, so long as safety measures are taken, not as much a threat. Contrast the last time oil spills wrecked your shit compared to the last time a nuclear meltdown did significant damage to anything.
Interesting that he fell to Skitter twice. Her power isn’t strong on its own, but it is chaotic to her opponents and full of fine control from her perspective. In Worm, the real beings to be feared aren’t the ones commanding tsunamis and stars to bear down like Leviathan or Sundancer, nor are they the physical destroyers like Behemoth or Alexandria, but those with the most control over the situation like Simurgh, Jack Slash, Contessa, and Skitter.
And to make Contessa worse, she’s controlled by Doctor Mother. Unless Doctor Mother’s actually her underling and she’s the one really in control of Cauldron but makes herself look less important as a mere bodyguard and field agent.
“Contrast the last time oil spills wrecked your shit compared to the last time a nuclear meltdown did significant damage to anything.”
Hmmmm, that would be Chernobyl vs. the BP rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Certainly, there have been more oil spills, but the area around Chernobyl is STILL uninhabitable for just about anything. And it killed just about everyone who helped out. (Hmmm, a bit like an Endbringer attack….) Although, the BP f***-up would have been a lot worse had it been on land (but also easier to stop).
(Not that I’m advocating petrochemicals as a better alternative to nuclear energy. Properly handled, nuclear waste is FAR less damaging to the environment than petrochemical waste.)
s/Chernobyl/Fukushima Daiichi. (No, Fukushima Daiichi didn’t have anything like the direct casualties associated with Chernobyl, but there are still areas which civilians are forbidden to return to in the vicinity.)
Mm. Good point, Packbat.
So relatively few nuclear accidents that can cause an local area to be contaminated, sometimes only temporarily, versus the damage of every oil spill that’s occurred, as well as disasters like in Texas City, and the damage done by extracting oil from sands, shale, and hostile countries full of men with guns and RPGs.
There, that should be a good way to phrase that that doesn’t turn this whole conversation in the wrong direction.
It was more meant to be how control, or lack thereof, trumps raw power.
Also, given my analogy and the potential pun involved in Lung chasing the dragon, let’s not forget the inherent danger of tickling the dragon’s tail.
Started a timeline for Worm.
Reddit is here if you want more information: (http://redd.it/1euf21)
Direct link to the timeline can be found here: (http://timeglider.com/t/f1a836311fa00bb3?min_zoom=6&max_zoom=50)
Kytin on May 22, 2013 at 20:47 said:
I notice that you don’t have the predicted end of the world on there. Seems like that would be something worth having.
I feel I may have been spoiled rotten by having so many surprise bonus Thursday Worm episodes of late 😀
Well, that’s totally on me. Looking forward to Saturday, Wildbow!
Right there with you.
Tyesheron on May 23, 2013 at 00:18 said:
I’m pretty much a passive person, and when something happens It’s too late to input my ideas or thoughts. This leads to the validity of someones statement is based on how much time and effort put into preparing one’s thoughts.
Are you a passive person?
No. As I have just learned when I was searching for the best description of myself, I am most likely a circuitous passive-aggressive person.
So don’t get on my bad side.
But see, when I read worm I also realize that there is a truth, fundamentally inside of the hearts in all peroples. Some people like to read and some do not. but that is why I have a person that I am. Do you see?
-Tyesheron
Are you trying to say you’re new to the comments?
On that note, in case anyone else managed to remain oblivious to this the way I was: the “Donate” page linked in the navigation bar lists the schedule of Thursday updates.
As of right now, I’m trying to write Thursday bonuses two out of every three weeks. Every week is a bit much, and wears me down/burns me out. Every other week and I fall behind.
*holds a puppy out for Wildbow* Take this. It will make you feel better.
Dude, it’s fine. You’ve been performing faaaar above and beyond the call of duty for so long both in quantity and quality that it’s become your default setting. Admirable. Incredible. Dare I say … Heroic? Yes.
Make no mistake: I think I speak for every single reader when I say we are immensely grateful for the high standard to which you hold yourself but goddammit man, take a break if you need to! No guilt necessary.
You know, I go and read the FAQ, and it says you’re going to transition to sample chapters straight from the end of worm, and I think, now this is a true parahuman. Seriously, it’s amazing you like writing enough to do this, so maybe you should pick out a name and put yourself on the para humans list. I mean, you’re technically their god, I think that merits a cool cape name. Thanks again, though, for all you do.
Every other week and I fall behind.
I know this might be improper to ask, but is Worm your day job, so to speak? Since if a donation chapter every 2/3 week comes up to 1600CAN$ per month, and I certainly live with less, that assumption is somewhat reasonable. Unless you got tuition fees or something.
Not quite. I should say I -was- falling behind before, but the reason I’m making headway against the backlog is because donations aren’t (yet) coming in fast enough to match my current 2/3 schedule.
I set it to 600 because I knew it would slow things down.
As it stands, it’s a little-less-than-part-time pay for full time work. But my dream, my silly, foolish goal, is to write as a full time job. It’s just… probably a ways off. (Going by current trends, I suspect I’ll get very close to being able to sustain myself through donations around the time of Worm’s conclusion, only to lose some readers with the change in genre/story post-Worm & fall behind).
I don’t say this lightly, but taking into account the ridiculous, truly astoboggling amount of text you’re able to output at such high quality (it is! it truly is! you are a good writer, and you know it), you already are at and above the level of published, editor-bothered authors. I’ve paid for much, much worse. Better yet, you have *It*, a certain quality that makes what you writing bite, like a snapper turtle into the addiction centers in the brains of your readers. You don’t just write good, you’re also… the literary equivalent of *catchy*.
I totally agree. If possible I’d say try crowdfunding what you already have, meaning the collected chapters of Worm. Make them affordable, bundled ebooks, pay with some of the crowdfunded money for the editor necessary so you won’t get bogged down by the technicalities. Make the editor prepare as if for print, and you’ll have that option along the way.
And like I said previously, flattr. A button for each chapter and I’ll gladly press it every time.
Thank you, Nae. I appreciate hearing that.
Making it in something creative, though, is tricky. There’s a lot of people out there who want to make a career of it, but only a fraction make it.
For every one hundred interested musicians who pick up a guitar, one gets good.
For every one hundred of those, only one might get to the point that they could play in front of a crowd.
For every one hundred of those, only one might get to the point that they make money doing it.
And for every one hundred of those guys, maybe, only one gets to the point where they could make a living doing it.
If that. (Numbers pulled out of my ass, but you get the gist). The same idea applies to writing, to art, fashion, music, all those various fields.
It’s really a one in a million thing that someone might actually get to do what they love as a career, with so many others aspiring to do the same. There’s a lot of broken hearts out there, y’know? Even with talent and hard work, a lot of it comes down to luck, to being in the right place at the right time with the right piece of work, or to knowing the right people.
I’m trying to keep my expectations reasonable, while simultaneously being very, very grateful to you guys for supporting me this far.
Doubt you will ever read this,but I think you have the talent and hard work in such high volumes as to make luck a non entity
That said,it does mean your fanbase will grow relatively slowly,despite you deserving better.
Don’t worry, Pallandrome. There’s other things to be read on that big wonderful internet. Many a story to be read. Can always check out other works and stories mentioned on the side of this place to tide you over until the next update.
Devin on May 23, 2013 at 11:42 said:
My thoughts on why Lung’s power started to fail him are that he decided that the endbringers are not only “unkillable”, but that they are forces of nature and not proper enemies. Thus, he was no longer fighting an opponent, he was up against a tidal wave. In those circumstances, his power began to fail.
mrgazzer on May 24, 2013 at 11:37 said:
I don’t know if this idea has ever come up.
But I’m just gonna say it. When this is done, you could probably take this to Dark Horse and it would make a kickass comic. Now, I’m not saying you should but the possibility exists. And it might not work the same way, as the mediums are different enough that it matters,
But Hell, I’d buy that comic faster then you can say OhMyYes.
Problem with going that route is that Dark Horse (or any organization, major or minor) would want the rights to the story before they made any offer or deal.
Then it’d be completely out of my hands, as far as creative direction, choices made, movie/tv deals, etc.
DC already made a character called Skitter for the Nu52, so there’s a problem right there.
As far as rights are concerned, a web based comic might be the way to go. But it’d be a hell of a time adapting for the new medium. It would necessitate cutting ALOT of Taylor’s internal monologue.
But I’d actually like a comic better than a movie or TV (far fetched, yeah) because with those mediums having the story sanitized, whitewashed, or tweaked for a demographic would be inevitable.
Another problem with that is the magnitude/length of Worm. Unless you had a crazy schedule like Homestuck or Super Massive Black Hole, with multiple updates a day, you’d look at a hell of a long runner. Though perhaps not due to adaptation to the medium.
On an unrelated note: Only seven and a half hours! *goes to sleep*
Ehhhh… with a Worm comic the stoy is already written. So there’s no particular reason why it has to be a serial schedule. It could easily be broken up into weekly or monthly issues.
However long each issue is depends on whether Wildbow would want the comic to run for years or not. Cuz if you just did straight one chapter=one issue it would run into the hundreds.
As an addendum, trademarking character names isn’t that big a deal with comics I don’t think, there are several Regents, Imps, and Trickster according to comicvine. But the Teen Titans Skitter is apparently the first one (aside from you know who). Bad luck that.
Well, shouldn’t chronological order be of some relevance? Meaning Taylor was the first Skitter.
I can’t say I really understand. Why would anyone want a comic book version of this story. The fact that it has superheroes in it is only ancillary to the fact that it’s a massive, awesome novel. Do I want a comic book version of Stranger In A Strange Land? Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon? Barney’s Version? Starship Troopers? Midnight’s Children?
You don’t need to answer that. Really. It should be obvious. 🙂
I’d like one because it’s a cool medium. A find a fucking awesome comic to sometimes be more fucking awesome than a fucking awesome book or teevee show.
For example, I think a comic version of the Dollars trilogy would be really cool, for starters.
Comic books ARE an awesome medium. But you tell a different kind of story in comic books than you do in straight prose. Just like you tell a different kind of story in a movie than in straight prose. Heck, you tell a different kind of story in a TV show than you do in a movie. Different media favour different forms.
Heck, you even said so yourself: “But it’d be a hell of a time adapting for the new medium. It would necessitate cutting ALOT of Taylor’s internal monologue.”
Without all the internal monologue (for example), this would be a very different tale.
> Without all the internal monologue (for example), this would be a very different tale.
Completely agreed. A huge part of the story is the divergence between Taylor’s motivations and reputation. Losing the internal monologue means losing the biggest single channel of information about the former.
That’s what the funny yellow boxes are for, right? The internal monologue, that is.
You could still have the inner monologue on a TV show. It’s worked on a few other before (to name one off the top of my head, Dexter).
Jguy on May 24, 2013 at 20:49 said:
Well this chapter answered my question in the most awesome way. I asked way back, like months ago, that since Lung got up to Brute 9 he was as tough as leviathan and if he could take him on in a fight. Many people said no. The better answer is Hell Yes.
Now, for another random question. Bitch can press her power into her dogs to make them grow with their zombie flesh. We have seen her get tired if she goes too fast or spreads herself between too many dogs. My question is, if she focused on one dog over a long enough time, does she have a limit? Could she make a Kaiju sized Bently over the course of a week or does having a dog grow a constant drain on her?
The dogs don’t get strength at a fast enough rate to compensate for the square cubed law of mass. Get too big, they can’t support their own weight. Bitch uses her power on Angelica like at one point, pushing Angelica further than normal when Angelica was still wounded from Fog’s attentions, knowing that Angelica can’t move that well anyways.
I am curious if the Wolf uses her power more efficiently and thus can be strong enough to ignore that. Also, does that mean any cape over a certain size uses their power to ignore the square cubed mass law? Like Lung’s power provides his body with enough oxygen to sustain him and his bones/muscles are strong enough to support that size while the Endbringers just ignore physics as they apply to their bodies?
keyonte0 on May 24, 2013 at 22:45 said:
I dunno why, but Lung saying “thank you” feels out of character.
He needed to say something after having gotten Marquis’s attention — otherwise he’d be as good as admitting that there was something up, and at that point he might as well just tell them.
What I’m saying is that Lung doesn’t seem like the type of person to say “thank you” to anyone.
No, I understand you completely. He’s not saying “thank you” because he’s the type of person to say “thank you” — he’s saying “thank you” because he doesn’t want to say “Teacher is working to undermine everything you and your daughter are striving for”, and he’s not creative enough or on-the-ball enough to have some other excuse for having gotten Marquis’s attention a moment earlier.
I believe keyonte0’s point is: Isn’t Lung acting out of character a giveaway in itself? He had to say *something* there, but why something so out of character?
Still, I have no problem believing that subterfuge isn’t Lung’s strongest suit
He’s just lucky Marquis was distracted…
Wait a minute. Has anyone asked why no literal bloodshed was permissible during the drug buy? Or why Contessa and Doctor Mother actually felt the need to abide by it once things went pear-shaped?
Perhaps I am missing something.
It was probably to avoid leaving behind anything that could point towards Cauldron’s existence.
God on July 19, 2013 at 17:17 said:
I gotta be honest, I have an increasingly diffucult time understanding why the enders are such a threat. I mean lung just basically took one on. By himself, more or less. I’m supposed to believe that this random guy who got taken down by a master 8 is the ONLY one powerful enough to do that? it doesn’t make sense. As long as it’s possible, there should be SOMEONE, among the thousand upon thousands of powereds, and there isn’t.
You do realize this is the same attack that killed millions and effectively removed Japan from the map of world powers? The ‘victory’ Lung achieved took too long, was narrow in terms of the set of circumstances that let it happen and was hollow at best.
First of all are you omniscient? Four minutes to an answer, christ.
Okay maybe that was a bit rash, but that’s not really my point. I’m not saying he defeated him, he clearly didn’t, just that he did vastly better than anyone else.
I’m trying to say that with the amount of parahumans out there (I think the cauldron chapter said 750 000, but I figure it’s at least a FRACTION of that) there should be more people capable of 1v1 ing an endbringer, and that its weird that it’s basically this one guy from japan who can do it. If there’s one Lung, why aren’t there five, or twenty? For rankings he doesn’t look that impressive, he maxes out at Brute 9 and blaster six. Thats not high, there’s a blaster 8 and a shaker 12 right over there! Why isn’t there a brute 12 willing to fight? If he’s just a brute 9 blaster 6, and that’s ALL it takes it doesn’t make any sense that he’s the only one to be this effective.
The only other time we’ve seen the Leviathan he steamrolled everyone and everything (except Arms and that lasted what, 25 seconds?), including some of the most powerful people in the world and it took Scion to even slow him down significantly. It creates immense dissonance for me if you show him getting blasted down by someone with barely any story significance.
I hope you’ll keep reading. This gets addressed later.
Why would I stop reading, were in chapter 22, I’ve already invested like 30 hours into this story at this point. Even if it suddenly goes to shit my curiosity will force me to the end.
I notice you didn’t answer my question about omniscience. Interesting…
I have a control panel where I can see everything relating to the site, including stats and a list of comments in order of most recent. By way of my browsing habits, I refresh it fairly often.
OR you’re making that up to cover for your omniscience.
Sayeth God.
And seriously, the birdcage looks more and more like a human rights violation the more you show of it.
It would be kinder to just kill the lot.
That’s what Tagg said.(can you spot the fallacy I am commiting here?)
Ad Hominid attack by comparing his idea to Tagg?
Yeah, kinda, its like comparing everything to what Hitler did , Godwin’s law with Tagg instead of Hitler, without actually answering for his argument. Though its closer to the strawman fallacy
Doesn’t lung have red eyes? I thought that only cauldron clients have physical mutations?
Lung’s backstory. Holy carp, he was kinda pathetic before he got powers.
Implying he isn’t kinda pathetic after he got them.
Seriously,potential to be the strongest cape and kill an Endbringer…and what does it amount to?being taken out as the wake up call boss for Skitter.
I almost always agree that Skitter taking him out is badass but I’m going to play Devil’s Advocate here and defend the guy. Lung isn’t pathetic, he’s content for the most part. He doesn’t want to win every round, he just doesn’t want to lose. Big difference. He has massive inherent potential but needs a long buildup during which he is still vulnerable to someone smarter. He’s smart but nothing really higher than average. Skitter has proven time again that she excels at improv and is a highly intelligent and observant person in addition. She kicks his ass because she takes him out while he is still somewhat weak.
Yup. As far as Lung was concerned he was still en route to the battle and was just starting to prepare for it. It’s the rough equivalent of defeating Iron Man by ambushing him while he’s still in his pyjamas.
Skitter’s a badass but that was hardly a fair fight.
To be fair, Skitter is also pretty awesome. And so is Newter.
Why does everyone seem to give Taylor so much credit for beating Lung? Sure, she’s a badass and all, but she did maybe half the work each time; you certainly shouldn’t be inferring that Skitter > Lung > Leviathan or anything.
Well,in the second fight she actually fought him at severe disadvantage,as he was already powered up.Even if we accept using the toxin as outside help,her disadvantage evens things out.
But no,Skitter wouldn’t beat Leviathan,or she might,but not because she beat Lung.She might even manage to defeat Lung in his ultimate form (very doubtful,she will most likely just destroy him before he becomes a problem)but if she does,it will be via a combination of Lung’s psyhology and the fact Lung is biological,qualities that Leviathan lacks,and qualities Leviathan could not take advantage of.
Agreed. Taylor’s strengths and the reason why she beat Lung are basically that she is really, Really, REALLY good at improv and she has a huge knowledge of the local battlefield plus multitasking. She is best in a commander role truly because she can direct others with how to team up against the threats she can’t directly take on. That’s why she did well against Leviathan to begin with too. She kept track of him better than a lot of the others and managed to keep others pointed in the right direction.
Brute strength she does not have. Smarts she does. Taylor beats Lung because she can take him out before he reaches the gamebreaker levels.
Jack on December 2, 2013 at 09:11 said:
Wildbow, the way you describe tidal waves isn’t very accurate, and its kind of frustrating to read. Tidal waves aren’t really waves, they’re more like avalanches of water. They aren’t usually very high, but are very long, and very wide. When you describe Lung as enduring a tidal wave, and then getting back up (you also wrote tidal waves similarly in ch8), you make tidal waves sound like a gigantic wave which hits with a bit of power but is gone after a few seconds. Sorry about the rant, I have a bit of a background in geography and this is a bit of a pet peeve.
IIRC, in both cases the ‘tidal waves’ were actually Leviathan throwing around hydrokinetically-controlled masses of water rather than natural tidal waves. It’s not surprising they behaved atypically.
White Phos on March 27, 2014 at 23:40 said:
Damn really cool to see Lung’s origin. A baller with an samurai code and plenty of firepower. Also I really hope Trickster isn’t just a Teacher drone. I know he was a huge ass but I still really like the Travelers and his power.
Passata Sotto on April 29, 2014 at 08:21 said:
I could kick myself i read worm all the way through twice and since i convinced my girlfriend to read it i’ve been skimming and rereading to keep up with where she is and only now do i realize i skipped this interlude the past two times. Honestly feel like an idiot
aypsolmaltis on July 9, 2014 at 12:31 said:
Hi, it’s me again, nitpicking the Chinese, again (hopefully with a more justified reason this time):
“Tōng Líng Tǎ” (通灵塔, literally “soul-link tower”) is indeed a term for a ziggurat, as Google Translate helpfully tells me. Problem is, my Google searches have pointed out that it is almost exclusively used in the context of the Warcraft series of video games to refer to the Ziggurat structure that is used by the Undead faction as a power source for their units, i.e. it was probably coined by Blizzard’s localization team.
The proper term for a ziggurat is “Jīnzìxíng Shén Tǎ” (金字形神塔, literally “金-shaped (i.e. pyramidal) god-tower”), but that doesn’t really roll off the tongue.
There are characters I think I’ll never sympathize with… Then bonus chapters happen. Seriously characterizations of side characters in this story are amazing.
Okay, I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: I love Char. She is has become so damn awesome. I wish she would go talk to someone about her fear of guys though because that is going to cause issues for her in the long run. I mean sure it makes my shipping her with Taylor sooooo much easier but it’s not healthy for the poor girl.
And wow is she freaking smart! She hears second hand about stuff seen during trigger events and immediately manages to equate that to the kid either having had one or having potential to have one.
I like Forrest even more now as well.
You know I didn’t particularly mind the reporter before. He was a bit of a dick but not bad by reporter standards. But now…well now the slimy little dick seemed like a slimy little dick. I hope nobody talks to him and if they do they get kicked out of the territory.
Puppy therapy: AWWWWWWWW!!!!! You feel bad? Take a puppy. Can’t sleep? Take a puppy. Daughter was actually a supervillain? Take a puppy. Lose a prized friend and boss? Take a puppy. Bitch is awesome!
Hmm somehow my comments for this interlude and the bonus one got swapped…I thought I was more careful than this…
I read a lot of these chapters at work and copy and paste my comments into an email so I can add them when I get home. Sorry about that.
Well it’s nice to see that there is a potential avenue of attack against Contessa. Have some snipers/normal mercs in the vicinity and pray to god that someone has a trigger event to knock her off balance for a few seconds. Boom headshot. End Contessa. Not that this is in any way sure but hey it’s a plan! Probably like Plan C or E or maybe Q but still, a plan.
I have to say I understand Lung’s thought about not needing to win but also not wanting to lose. There is a big and important difference.
Lung got BIGGER than LEVIATHAN?! Holy shit…and dear lord he caused him to retreat? After fighting one on one? Wow. I know it’s been said before but hearing what he did and seeing what he did are two very different things. And Skitter beat this monster too…what is there for our hero to kill next? An Endbringer?
And wow Lung almost joined the Protectorate? That’s a scary thought.
Well it’s nice to see that Amelia has figured things out and appears to be somewhat put back together. She really should’ve taken the Undersiders up on their membership offer. She would’ve gotten along smashingly with Skitter/Taylor/Weaver. It is friggin hilarious how the same girl who beat Lung twice is now shown to have killed Alexandria. That really should make him feel better!
It’s pretty cool that Weaver has Marquis’ respect now. And…I think…Amelia’s too?
Hmm well Teacher has been tossed onto my growing pile of utterly-contemptible-assholes-who-need-to-die. Lung is conflicted enough that he just makes the assholes-who-should-probably-die-at-some-point pile. Saint has also made the former pile. At the start it was due to hurting Dragon but now there is actually bad stuff I can lay at his feat. Burying potentially world saving information just ’cause? Yeah dude needs to be killing painfully.
Minor typo:
“is it reassuring?” Teacher murmured. -> The first word is missing a capitol.
“as they filed out of the stairwell and into the restaurant on the third floor.”
I believe that “filed” is a type. Is it?
Nope. “File” as a verb can mean “move in single file”, i.e. in a line. They left the stairwell one at a time.
Just realized this is a reference to Masamune, the tinker with the mass-production specialty who’s been mentioned elsewhere. Nice work.
Was Challenger one of the names on the first side of the Leviathan memorial? The ones whose deaths I couldn’t find in the text of Extermination?
hopefwlyanonymous on April 2, 2017 at 22:07 said:
Are we shipping Lung and Marquis? I think so.
«Lung took that glance in all it’s import» “its” not “it’s”
Sociopath Reptile on November 26, 2017 at 16:25 said:
This chappie made me think. What was stopping Alexandria, assuming she truly was invincible, from grabbing the Endbringers and flying them into space?
Horatio Von Becker on December 6, 2017 at 12:36 said:
They’re all probably capable of propelling themselves through space, and certainly capable of destroying any breathing equipment Alexandria could wear. Considering how Alexandria died, that was a considerable limitation.
“this would be a two year buildup”
How comes Lung to the two year timeline?
They have access to the news sometimes like when Taylor anouned Weaver.
Announced*
Yeah lung! Oh wait he sucks and doesn’t have a dick…
World building time!
And the japanese got their kaiju fight of their wildest dreams!
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Tata Teleservices
TTSL
Tata Tele
TTSL to raise Rs 10,000 cr to clean up its balance sheet
The shares will eventually be converted into equity shares at a fair market value determined on the date of conversion. Devina Sengupta&Satish John | ETTelecom | February 13, 2017, 07:45 IST
Covering more than 4 kms, the deployment of Wi-Fi hotspot would ensure seamless connectivity in the inner and outer circles of the area.
Tata Teleservices plans to raise Rs 10,000 crore in an effort to clean up its balance sheet, which could help the financially-stricken telco be part of the consolidation drive that the industry is going through in an extremely competitive climate. The unlisted telecom company, controlled by Tata Sons and other operating companies in the group, obtained shareholders' consent in a meeting held on Friday to double its authorised capital to Rs 40,000 crore from Rs 20,000 crore and raise up to `10,000 crore through compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPSs), on a rights basis.
Both Tata Sons and Tata Teleservices did not respond to ET's query till the time of going to press.
The shares will eventually be converted into equity shares at a fair market value determined on the date of conversion. The option to convert will accrue within three months of the allotment of CCPS, but not later than three years from the date of allotment. Senior tele com analysts said infusing money into the company is one of the options available with TTSL, which has about ` . 30,000 crore as debt on its books.
Telecom firms in India are infusing fresh capital to stay ahead in the game.This January, Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio decided to invest an additional ` 30,000 crore to power its digital expansion and expand its network coverage and capacity. Last year, Vodafone Group, too, had pumped in nearly ` 50,0000 crore in its India unit. “This way (raising capital), at least, they will create more value and keep their options open for either being acquired or merged. Vodafone's talks with TTSL did not work out; Aircel and RCom have their own pact; Idea-Vodafone merger talks are in discussion stage,“ said a senior telecom analyst from one of the big Four consulting firms who did not wish to be named.
Another senior partner in a consulting firm who tracks the telecom sector said the Tatas need to invest more money to grow their business. “Even a firm like Idea Cellular has posted losses, and Tata Teleservices is buffeted by headwinds, apart from its challenge to pare debt,“ he said on the condition of anonymity .
New Tata Sons chairman N Chadrasekaran will have quite a few issues to deal with, including the biggest challenge of steering the struggling Tata Teleservices to safety, and settling its differences with its Japanese partner NTT Docomo. A reversal of fortunes for Tata Teleservices and change in the telecom landscape of the country had prompted Docomo to seek an exit. When Docomo had purchased its stake in Tata Tele in 2009 for about `12,740 crore, the two companies had agreed that it would get at least half its investment back if the Japanese company exited within five years. But the Reserve Bank of India ruled out the option, saying payment for Docomo's stake would have to be made at a fair market value.
The imbroglio then took a legal turn, with Docomo filing for international arbitration and winning an award of $1.17 billion, and has since moved a local court to implement the award. The Tatas too deposited about `8,000 crore in an escrow account.
How Facebook plans to shake up the telecom equipment market
Tags : Industry, Tata Teleservices, TTSL, Tata Tele, Tata Sons, capital
AGR woes: Vodafone Idea puts 4G expansion, modernisation plans on hold to conserve money
My mission to make BSNL one of top companies in India: Prasad
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I originally intended to post chapter 16 as one installment. That isn't going to happen. We will see how many this takes.
Interested in helping support this free version of the book and other projects? http://www.patreon.com/Amehana
Without further ado...
Opening the Way (part 1)
The boom was followed by another and Kirsty could feel things moving below her feet. Ancient mechanisms impossibly worked into rock sibilantly hissed even more ancient chants in a language that Kirsty did not recognize, yet felt as somehow familiar. Whether Salena’s husband or the Hound heard these she could not be certain, but if they had heard more than the booms would not they be looking for the sources of the voice as she was?
The ice rose slowly, pushed up from below, far more sluggish than the lightning lancing through her brain as she processed everything and fought off magical overload and drainage. She could feel whatever things were turning in their beds feeding from her, tearing demandingly, sucking from stores she hadn’t even known she had. What grounding she had was weakening, and she knew that somehow aspects of her training were still missing. She tried to visualize herself as rooted to rock like a mussel to combat this force pulling from her, but never seemed to be able to connect well enough for more than a thread or two. Some force strained to raise her arms, but she herself strained not to, and to hold onto her body.
Something large moved below, coming for her, and she could almost feel a current of dark laughter riding toward her in this tide. It certainly seemed to know what it was doing and was not having the same problem staying rooted, controlling the machine instead of being controlled or some sacrifice.
Threads somewhere snapped. Dimly she had visions of Mrs Kitsch’s old Lightkeeper lantern lighting up, and probably the one in the nearest Lighthouse as well. If she could just understand what these voices were chanting, maybe she could add a layer and control what was happening, or at least free herself from the machine that was this abandoned Temple of Mara.
Ciarán grabbed her elbow, tried to pull her out of the box. “He’s found the switch somehow. We need to go, get away from the water.”
The cloaked creature stood and left the water alone. “I agree. The enemy is moving fast, or I’m no true Hound of the Cailleach.” He took Kirsty’s other elbow, helped Ciarán pull the girl out before he had even finished his sentence. Neither had been still as they spoke, but moving in tandem as if some cosmic weaver pulled twinned strands.
Neither even let Kirsty’s feet touch the ice. Some unspoken agreement had passed through the pair that allowing the water priestess, fully fledged or not, to touch the water would make the bad situation worse. Instead they held her above the water by her forearms, as if touching her any other place would cause some other mechanism to awaken. Kirsty, unused to being manhandled so, instinctively tried to kick out at them to force herself back to the ground. At the same time she attempted to pull in what energy she could to ready another attack, further fighting against the force that was trying to claim her.
“We aren’t who you should be kicking.” Ciarán grumbled as they arrived to the cavern floor properly, the pair lowering her to her feet once more.
Neither stopped their forward momentum, pulling her along as the ice cap cleared the top and the waters below began to flow into the room behind them. With the rising of the waters magic in the cavern walls, not just those halls and rooms below, activated. A dim green glow spread along everything, securing treasures in place. The chanting now was louder, more demanding.
Kirsty found herself thirsty for something salty and coppery, and it wasn’t a simple need to go out and catch a live fish with her teeth. She wanted to bite and claw.
“I can walk on my own!”
“Not going fast enough.” The Hound let her go, continuing his run forward as Ciarán dragged her forward. The hood he pulled forward more, as tattered and hole webbed as it seemed to be, and wrapped the once waving nightmare around himself. The whiteness of his spectral fur, if she could have seen it, was replaced by black. The change was swift, bones reshaping and jolting into new forms more fully his own, four paws now pounding the stone. Gone was the cloak that gave him the two legged form, spread instead in the matted black fur twisted and knotted from too many errands and too few willing hands to wield a brush and remove those cares.
Taranis eyed the churning legs ahead of him, then bowled into them to sweep the girl onto his back. He swung his head to the side to help toss Ciarán onto his back. As each landed and grasped his fur, in his proper form information about them entered his awareness in short bursts with the open circuit. At some point in the past, though he wasn’t certain how, the girl had been in his touch before. The scent of fire and hissing of serpents briefly assaulted his nose and ears, and the sense of a young male human-Hound willing to give his life and essence to protect her, and the answering of a basilisk wand to that need. Somehow, the Black Gate was involved. Yet, here with her was the Black Gate, and he was positive he’d never met this Kirsty in his long hungry life. He stuffed that odd knowledge and paradox to the back of his mind to ask his mistress about later. For the male the information made much more sense; Ciarán was bound to a selkie turned merchant-pirate, and the progeny was likely to come under his mistress’ care because of some injustice still on the horizon.
Taranis would be a good Hound and deal with all that later. For now the way forward was out, since the girl did not seem to have the sense to just open the gate and take them all to the Cailleach’s hall and cauldron for a nice drink.
Installment Uploaded here: July 8, 2017
Uploaded to Dreamwidth: July 8, 2017
Patreon: July 8, 2017
If you'd like to have another episode in the update schedule, feel free to use the Paypal button below or the Patreon button. Alternatively you can buy an ebook, print book, or audiobook from me through Amazon, B&N, or Smashwords. Basic schedule will be biweekly release.
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One more chapter and this first book in the series wraps up. I still am surprised that what I'd intended to be one book is actually going to be several. The future books in the series will also be written in three sections, as numerologically I like the significance and for functional editing purposes that has proven handy. I intend a break between the finish of this book and starting on posting the next book, but it won't be a long one. Without further ado...
Selkies' Skins
What Lies Within
Kirsty sipped at her tea while waiting, chafing at still not being returned to normal. She wanted into bed and to have legs to carry herself there with. She could almost sympathize now with the tale of the little mermaid. Legs were great. She’d not been greatly sympathetic before since part of the focus was on getting the love of a prince from the land (Setting sights that high? Disaster.) without speaking. If she’d just wanted to walk on land, she’d have understood that more.
But nooo.
Then again, she couldn’t exactly say that her plans for her life made the most sense either. Maybe someone somewhere was reading her story and mocking her.
“Perhaps some would be.” Mara’s voice came from inside her pouch, muffled to the ear but ringing in her head.
“Mara! Why aren’t I changing back?”
“Perhaps because you’ve not finished yet. You’ve done admirably, but...” Kirsty could see Mara in her head, standing on the waves and crossing her arms. This version was younger than she was used to. Mara looked to be her own age, when the wind didn’t have her dark hair covering her face. “You’ve not exactly found ME yet.”
“I got to the sea though. Byron says that’s where the traditional ending for this test is.” Kirsty shifted in the water, setting her cup down on the closest available surface.
“Not everything we do is based in tradition. You’re not going by tradition, why should we?”
Kirsty sighed. “How am I going to find you while I’m stuck in a bathtub? If I ask someone to take me back out to the ocean, especially at this time of night, Da’ and Byron both will probably flip their lids.”
“Then don’t ask. Show me your creativity and see how you can find ME from where you are. Here is as good a place as any.” Mara smiled enigmatically in her mind, but there was a warning curling through her blood that made Kirsty wonder what would happen if she failed.
The vision faded, leaving her in a darkness that was neither here nor there, somehow nowhere and everywhere at once. Now she missed her safe bathtub, as embarrassing as it was to sit there in it and wait.
No matter how hard she tried to see there was no light. Kirsty tried to create light through the several methods she knew of, but neither human magic nor selkie magic brought forth any result. At least when Ven’thrith had taken her into the waters of space, or that’s where she thought shi’d taken her for at least part of the journey, there had been light from the star crystals.
Movement did not seem possible either. She could move her limbs and turn, but locomotion in any direction was constantly thwarted by having nothing to push against.
Dimly she was aware of an uproar, though she couldn’t make out what was being said or where it was from. Struggling as hard as she could only seemed to take her farther away, even without the sense of direction.
Taking a deep breath, Kirsty stilled herself. If she couldn’t search outside herself then it left only one direction. Surely this was something she could do. Right?
Kirsty’s eyes drifted shut, or would have if she had them. It was becoming hard to be aware of even having a body. It faded away quickly now that she had turned herself inward and stopped wasting energy on the outside.
It took a long time of sitting in the same mindfulness that the Lady had been teaching her to use to find the water outside. After several tens of heartbeats she found a swirl of Mara’s energy pumping through her body. Once she found it she was able to feel it all through her bloodstream and moving through her cells. Even in her bones she could feel the two energies, although she could also feel heavier presences there. Mara’s energy presence was weak though, no where as strong as the fresher presence of the Lady through her being.
Kirsty contemplated this and watched as the veins formed beneath her consciousness. It burned and itched as if they grew new. There was a concentration of energy in her hand where the Lady’s blood had entered her bloodstream earlier.
“Blood. Is that the ‘find Mara’ I’m supposed to do?” She tucked in further to herself and listened more intently, focusing specifically on Mara’s energy. Where had been the last place she had been cut and traded blood with her?
Kirsty couldn’t remember, and had to keep a tight rein on herself. Did she need to make Mara’s presence within herself stronger? Could she even cut herself in this state to give herself and receive the water-blood?
“No, that can’t be it. It’s got to be either simpler or more difficult. I’m probably going to beat myself up for taking so long. Watch it be one of those obvious things like when Nevin’s looking for his glasses and they’re on top of his head.”
Her mind drifted and she idly traced her left wrist in the twining pattern of her main bonds, observing how one was glowing brighter than the other in the darkness. Her mind rifled through pages of memories garnered from the Makay Log before she’d been sent to to school. The voices that it recorded soothed her while trying to recall anything that could be useful. Even long dead, they were always going to be part of her.
In her mind and heart she felt a click. Something opened and she pressed at the internal door she’d just found. It screeched further open like a crypt door’s unoiled hinges. Towards the end the door seemed to get heavier, but she pushed at it more, sinking her teeth further into the task and firming her realization.
Behind that heavy stone – it had to be stone – door in her center she saw a muted grey-blue light. The sound of the surf came and caressed her, spreading through her. Kirsty stepped through the door and deeper into herself. Her feet – they had returned! – met sand and she wiggled her toes into its warmth. The surf washed over them and engulfed them in a chill but welcome embrace that lapped up to the top of her head and made her flush and rub her arms at once.
“That took you long enough to figure out... It amazes me how visual your thoughts are.” Mara’s voice came from her right.
Kirsty looked toward it to discover the disturbingly young Mara standing on a rock and preparing to spear a large fish caught in a tidepool with her obsidian and crystal spear. Her skirt was tied up high enough to flash white thighs that were slightly greyish and striped along the outside.
“Mara? This is what was meant by finding you?” Kirsty’s heart rose to her throat at the intensity radiating off the seaside huntress.
“Yes.” She speared the fish and held it aloft, inspecting it as the silver and black scales caught the light, smiling at the movements of the powerful muscles. “You feel about like this fish, don’t you?”
Kirsty held her ground but contracted into herself at the warmth in the usually bitter goddess’ voice. “Yes. A bit.”
“You are still hungry too.” Mara turned and offered the floundering fish to Kirsty with wide, dark eyes. “Eat then. I don’t like seeing you that way.”
Kirsty very carefully removed the offered fish and bit into its side as Mara nudged her nose toward her insistently. The flesh was moist and a strange mix of murk and sweet. Whatever unrecognizable specie it was, it ran between fresh and salt waters by its taste.
“It is extinct, but I still find it here because it lives still in the line you come from. Not directly related, of course.” Mara’s unnaturally toothy smile gleamed and reminded her of some of the manga that the Japanese exchange students sometimes would be seen reading.
“So...you’re basically feeding me myself?” Kirsty took another bite and watched the goddess warily.
Mara threw back her head and laughed, leaning on her spear casually. “I suppose you could say that. Your mother was a little freer with her jokes at your age, but I am glad to see that you aren’t so suspicious of me as to deny me a little laughter.”
Kirsty finished the fish quickly, finding that the more she ate of it the more complete she felt...though not fully. There still existed that hollow ache to wear a skin of her own.
“Why are you acting so...” Kirsty paused, trying to phrase it the least offensive way possible. She found only blanks.
“Nice? Not-bitter? Normal?” Mara offered. “You’re only meeting with part of me while the rest looks for Etain...” Her voice trailed off and her eyes swept out to the fog-shrouded sea. “I’m younger here too. I’m not always the terror that people think me.”
Kirsty found herself pressing a hand over her heart at the pain welling inside. “You miss Mum very much, don’t you?”
“I do. You’re afraid of me. So is your mother, now, but she remembers that I am this too.” Mara sat on her rock and dangled her feet.
“So...when do you turn me back so I can walk on land?” Kirsty itched to sit on that rock beside the goddess, even though she still didn’t fully trust the deity. Her body moved without listening to her mind’s counsel and she hauled herself up to join her.
“You’re walking here, aren’t you? It’s already been done.” Mara’s hand settled over Kirsty’s. Kirsty felt the calluses and scars, especially the one that matched the great gashes that she had seen her mother make across her own hand at times, and blinked.
“Why wouldn’t I keep matching scars to what my children wear?” Mara’s voice was sadder now, fainter. “You are in me, and I am in you. Balance wouldn’t be balance if I didn’t bear the scars and pains too.”
“Do you know when Mum will be back?” Kirsty held still as she floundered through the conversation, still unbelieving at how accessible Mara was in this form.
“No. But I’m trying to bring her home. I don’t know where she is...but at the same time I do.” Mara turned her head to the left and looked further down the beach.
Kirsty looked in the same direction, surprised to see that they were near the birthing pool, although it looked very different than the way she knew it. In that direction she could hear faint shouts and calls.
“I think it’s time for you to go back...” Mara’s hand tightened possessively and Kirsty cried out as a joint popped. Just as quickly Mara released her with a hiss and guilty glance.
The world around her faded as the fog rolled in and shrouded all. She could feel the cold wetness soaking into her skin and the salt air hydrating her sinus cavities...and the sting of it. As the fog rolled out she found herself sitting once more in a tub now chilling, inside an overcrowded bathroom.
“Why are you ALL in here...?” Kirsty grabbed the nearest thing to pull over herself. The shower curtain definitely needed washing by the stiff feel of it. She prayed that the rod wouldn’t fall down on her.
“Kirstin! Taing do Mara!” Her father scooped her out – curtain, water, and all – and held her close forgetting about dignity and soggy clothes. He continued to exclaim in Scots Gaelic before slipping back through Irish Gaelic and then English. “Where were you little pup?”
Kirsty squawked in indignation and went red. “Daaaaaa’.... There’s people in here and I’m in a shower curtain...” Despite how hard she tried to hide, she was convinced that everyone that had been staring at the tub like it had been empty and had seen everything. Half-pelt or not, it would surely have her thrashing at night for weeks. “I was with Mara. I figured out how to finish this test and she gave them back. Or I brought them back...something like that.”
“She’s got her land legs back!” Byron grinned from the door, Kirsty’s ears still ringing from the din. “Lovely hairy legs.”
Kirsty groaned and examined what was exposed, finding that they were hairier than the last she’d seen them. “I hate puberty. Weird changes. Not-even-half-pelt legs.”
Andersen, Merrow, and Marc pushed their way out of the bathroom while Finnol sank to the toilet and refused to let Kirsty go. Byron snickered at the scene. “But wait, there’s more.”
“You’ve been watching too much Cowan TV somewhere.” Kirsty considered picking up the nearest bottle and chucking it at Byron but heaved a deep sigh instead. The more worried he’d been or was, the heavier the sarcasm. She pushed her irritation aside and leaned into her father. “Sorry Da. I didn’t mean to scare you...”
Byron left the door and made his way down to Marsali and the fireplace. With a sigh he reared up and rested his front hooves on the mantle to touch his nose lightly to the painting. His eyes pressed closed. “I don’t know how much longer I can take this Marsali... Sliding back and forth too? There one minute dead to the world and then puff? Gone, then back again?”
Marsali pressed her hand on the canvas between them, stroking his muzzle the best that she could. The wind in her painting picked up some of the spray and kissed his green velveteen lips. “We have to. The pups all still need us, and we need them.”
Byron snorted and pressed a little firmer against the canvas.
Like the story? Vote here at Top Web Fiction. Don't forget to check out the other great stories at the Web Fiction Guide. If you wish, you can also add the book to your currently reading or to read list on Goodreads. The ebook's official release for Book One (Castle and Well) was March 16th on Smashwords, and is currently also on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The print edition is available in paperback on Amazon, and hardback on Lulu. Illya Leonov is currently narrating an audio edition, working on Chapter 26 as of now.
Installment Uploaded here: May 11, 2014
Uploaded to Dreamwidth: May 11, 2014
Check back around May 25th (normal post) or May 18th (possible extra post).
If you'd like to have another episode in the update schedule, feel free to use the Paypal button below. A total of $10 earns everyone an extra episode. Alternatively you can buy an ebook, print book, or audiobook from me through Amazon, B&N, or Smashwords, then comment on a post on here (or pop me an email) with the amount of what you spent on the title and I will credit that to the pool. If the ten dollars is not met, then the amount rolls over toward the next early episode. You can see how close we are to having an extra episode by checking the meter on the sticky post.
Book one (Castle and Well) has 39 chapters. I will be taking a posting break between books one and two to focus more on generating a backlog and having time to edit and polish. Book two will have it's own separate listing.
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You are at:Home»Sections»Broadcasting and media»Stop laughing at the SABC – its video streaming plan makes sense
Stop laughing at the SABC – its video streaming plan makes sense
By Duncan McLeod 25 October 2019 No Comments
A headline yesterday somewhere else on the Internet screamed something about the SABC wanting to launch a streaming service to tackle Netflix.
It was click-bait, designed to elicit howls of derision from the South African public about the long-dysfunctional public broadcaster — which, of course, it duly did. How could our useless public broadcaster take on a formidable, well-oiled machine like Netflix? Click, click, click…
But it is not the SABC’s intention to compete with the US giant in subscription streaming services.
Rather, it wants to make its free-to-air content available to viewers using its own technology platform. It’s a smart move by SABC management that deserves more praise than scorn. Let me explain.
SABC management would be failing in its duty if it ignored Internet streaming – after all, it is the future of video entertainment
What CEO Madoda Mxakwe actually said in a presentation this week — according to prepared remarks first reported on by TechCentral — was that the SABC wants to offer all its content on its own video-streaming platform.
“The SABC has developed an integrated OTT (“over-the-top”) strategy with the aim that it develops or acquires its own OTT streaming platform as a medium-term goal,” he said. “This will allow the SABC to control its own destiny into the future. Previous funding challenges and an inquorate board for over five months this year has slowed us down but not stopped our OTT plans.”
The broadcaster, Mxakwe said, will “leverage online platforms to allow customers to access SABC content and services anywhere, anytime and on any device”.
Through the ringer
That the SABC has been through the ringer in the past decade is well known. Under the “leadership” of previous chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng and others at the corporation, it lost viewers, cut back on original content and made inexcusable blunders that plunged into a financial crisis that culminated earlier this month in a taxpayer-funded bailout.
These problems were not caused by the current board and management under Mxakwe’s leadership, who, by all accounts, are doing a reasonable job in trying rescue the institution from years of abuse.
Indeed, SABC management would be failing in its duty if it ignored Internet streaming — after all, it is the future of video entertainment, even for a lumbering state-owned broadcaster. In 10 years, it’s fair to assume most people in South Africa will be consuming television content delivered over the Internet, not through traditional broadcast networks. It will probably happen sooner than that!
The author, Duncan McLeod, argues that SABC management would be failing in its duties if it were to ignore the streaming television revolution
Right now, the SABC publishes a large portion of its programming to Google-owned YouTube. And this may come as a surprise, but this content is consumed on an eye-watering scale. An episode of the popular TV show Uzalo, published two days prior to the time of this writing, for example, has been viewed more than 115 000 times. A Generations episode from three days ago has been viewed more than 200 000 times. The demand is clearly there.
These figures are particularly astonishing given that these shows are aimed at a mass-market audience, so are probably mostly consumed using relatively expensive mobile data plans, not uncapped fixed-line connections. It shows that consumers, even in the mass market where affordability is an issue, want the convenience of being able to watch content, on demand, from wherever they happen to be — not be restricted by the time schedule of linear broadcasts. If mobile data was more affordable, the YouTube numbers would be even more impressive.
It would make much more sense for the broadcaster to publish this programming on its own streaming platform
In his speech, Mxakwe acknowledged that the cost of data is a major barrier for many viewers, some of whom are among the poorest in the country. He said the SABC has no intention of abandoning its traditional broadcast platforms and will approach the mobile operators with a view to reducing the cost of accessing SABC content on the Internet. Good luck with that, but it’s worth a shot!
The point, though, is that the SABC’s content — despite programming budget cutbacks — is still in demand. And it would make much more sense for the broadcaster to publish this programming on its own streaming platform, where it can better monetise it than it does on YouTube, which no doubt takes a not-insignificant cut of any advertising served against that content.
By all means, let’s criticise the SABC when it makes mistakes — and, to be sure, it’s made plenty in the past. A desire to launch an online streaming platform is not one of them. — © 2019 NewsCentral Media
Duncan McLeod is editor of TechCentral
Duncan McLeod Madoda Mxakwe Netflix SABC top
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Kia Ling Teoh | August 22, 2019
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Elections in Asia Pacific to boost 2019 TV advertising revenues in the region
Kia Ling Teoh | June 25, 2019
The first half of 2019 witnessed a series of general elections in multiple countries in Asia: - Thailand in March, - Indonesia in April, - India in April to May, - Australia in May - and the Philippines in May IHS Markit Advertising service expects political campaigns to significantly boost TV advertising revenues in India and the Philippines; and moderately in Indonesia, Australia and Thailand.
Netflix acquires worldwide rights to second Youku TV series
Kia Ling Teoh | Jun Wen Woo | May 15, 2019
Netflix has acquired a second original series from Chinese streaming platform Youku. I Hear You, produced and owned jointly by Alibaba-owned Youku and Chinese film studio Sugarent Film & TV, will be made available by Netflix to subscribers in all 190 markets today (15 May). In China, the 24-episode romantic comedy was premiered simultaneously on streaming platforms Youku and Mango TV on 28 January 2019. Netflix acquired Day and Night in 2017.
China media watchdog continues to tighten control over foreign content
Kia Ling Teoh | Jun Wen Woo | October 05, 2018
The National Administration of TV and Radio (NATR), the newly formed Chinese media regulator, has published a draft discussion of the Provisions on Administration of Import and Broadcasting of Overseas Audio-Visual Programs. The provisions will aim to regulate the distribution of foreign content, including movies, TV shows, animation and documentaries. Media industry players were invited to comment on the draft until 19 October 2018.
Video-streaming platform Huya files for IPO in the US
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Huya has successfully completed an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, raising $180 million. This comes after the company received a round of investment totaling $462 million, led by Tencent, just back in March 2018.
Video-streaming platform turned mobile-gaming operator Bilibili sets sights on $400million IPO
Chenyu Cui | Kia Ling Teoh | March 06, 2018
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Chinese streaming platform iQiyi looks to raise $1.5 billion from IPO in the US
Kia Ling Teoh | Jun Wen Woo | March 05, 2018
Chinese streaming service iQiyi last week filed a registration statement setting out plans to raise $1.5 billion from an IPO in the US. The company, funded by both advertising and subscription, was launched by main owner Baidu in 2010.
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Netflix to add Indian and Korean to its global original kids slate
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Netflix announced its first original children's series productions with Indian and South Korean partners at the MipJunior event in Cannes this week. Andy Yeatman, kids and family director, also gave some insight on the importance of children's content to the global streaming service. The two new productions, Mighty Little Bheem and Yoohoo & Friends, are based on established kids characters in each territory and will be launched in 2018.
NFL and Tencent ink content deal to boost audience
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Apple and Qualcomm licensing dispute – to SEP or not to SEP?
Wayne Lam | Christian Kim | August 14, 2017
On January 20, 2017 Apple filed a lawsuit against Qualcomm at the Southern District Court of California. In the lawsuit, Apple accused Qualcomm of breach of contract, violation of unfair competition laws and requested judgement on royalty rate it must pay for Qualcomm’s standard essential patents. (SEPs) Since Apple’s initial legal lawsuit, both companies filed additional lawsuits in different jurisdictions and the dispute grew into a full scale patent licensing war. This article provides summary and analysis of the licensing dispute between Apple Inc. and Qualcomm Inc.
South Korean broadcasters launch Kocowa, a new online streaming service in the US
Kia Ling Teoh | Jun Wen Woo | July 28, 2017
Three of South Korea's leading broadcasters have launched Kocowa (Korean Content Wave), an online video streaming service, in the US. The service, launched on 24 July, is backed by Korean Content Platform (KCP), a US-based joint venture company between Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS). The service offers content from these broadcasters with English subtitles, with some shows airing six hours after broadcast in South Korea.
Discovery partners with VS Media and Tabilabo to accelerate growth in Asia Pacific
Kia Ling Teoh | May 04, 2017
Discovery Networks Asia Pacific has announced two partnerships with Asian online companies: Chinese multichannel network VS Media and Japanese digital media company Tabilabo.
Havas and China’s leading advertising group GIMC form alliance for mutual overseas expansion
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Market Monitor: Advertising in APAC
Kia Ling Teoh | March 15, 2017
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The Chinese online advertising market is dominated by search engine Baidu, e-commerce giant Alibaba, and internet-service portal Tencent. Between 2009 and 2016, the trio made a collective of 262 investments. This report provides an overview of the B.A.T.’s M&A strategy in the last seven years.
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Tencent outperforms its competitors Baidu and Alibaba thanks to Weixin (WeChat)
Strong online ad revenue growth for Tencent was driven by the Summer Olympics and the gradual increase of ad load to its social media arm, Weixin (also known as WeChat) in Q3 2016. Benefiting from strict regulation in China, Tencent has been able to dominate the Chinese social media landscape, first with QQ Messenger, and now with Weixin, without any serious competition from Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat. IHS Markit expects this will remain the case for the near future.
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Kia Ling Teoh | November 16, 2016
The bi-annual M&A Market Monitor identifies the key M&A and investment activity in the media and advertising landscape. Over the last 6 months we saw a consolidation of TV networks across the US and Europe, increased investment from agencies particularly in APAC and continued activity from online companies. Data companies and emerging markets were the hottest target for acquisition and funding in H1 2016, but media players vary their investment strategies according to their development plan.
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Sexual dysfunction and satisfaction in obsessive compulsive disorder: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Andrea Pozza ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6634-61061,
David Veale2,3,
Donatella Marazziti4,
Jaime Delgadillo5,
Umberto Albert6,
Giacomo Grassi7,
Davide Prestia8 &
Davide Dèttore9
Systematic Reviews volume 9, Article number: 8 (2020) Cite this article
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic mental health condition recognized as one of the most serious causes of disability and impaired quality of life. In the literature, there is no review about sexual dysfunction and satisfaction in OCD. The current paper presents the protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize data (1) comparing the presence of sexual dysfunction between groups with OCD and non-clinical groups, (2) investigating prevalence of each one of the sexual dysfunctions in patients with OCD, (3) comparing risk for sexual dysfunction in OCD groups with the prevalence in control groups, (4) comparing sexual satisfaction between OCD groups and non-clinical groups, and (5) investigating moderators of sexual dysfunction in OCD groups as compared with control groups. Gender, age, marital status, OCD symptom severity and subtypes, comorbid depressive disorders, comorbid anxiety disorders, concurrent psychiatric medications, comorbid general medical disease, and study quality will be investigated as moderators.
The protocol is reported according to PRISMA-P guidelines. The search will be conducted by independent reviewers during the second week of December 2019 by using electronic databases (Scopus, PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library), by contacting the authors of the included studies to identify further data, by examining the references of the included studies, and by handsearching conference proceedings and theses/doctoral dissertations. The study quality will be independently evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Random-effect meta-analyses will be computed. If there is insufficient data for a specific outcome, only a systematic review will be performed.
This review may support clinical practice highlighting the importance of the assessment of sexuality in patients with OCD and suggesting the use of therapeutic strategies dedicated to sexuality in this clinical population with the aim of improving patients’ quality of life. Potential limitations will regard the heterogeneity of the studies in terms of the instruments used to assess sexual dysfunction/satisfaction and of the definitions used to conceptualize sexual dysfunction.
Prospero CRD42019132264
Clinical picture and treatment challenges of OCD
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic mental health condition characterized by recurrent unwanted thoughts, impulses, or mental images called obsessions, accompanied by repetitive behaviours called compulsions [1]. While obsessions provoke unpleasant emotions including anxiety, disgust, or guilt, compulsions are repetitively performed to cope with the unpleasant feelings evoked by the former, although relief is often only temporary [1]. This condition has a 2–3% lifetime prevalence and an equal gender distribution in the general population [2]; age at onset follows a bimodal distribution with one peak arising in childhood or early adolescence and another in late adolescence or early adulthood [3].
Amongst all psychiatric disorders, OCD is recognized as one of the most serious causes of disability and impaired quality of life in family and social relationships [4,5,6,7,8], and it is associated with considerable economic costs to the individual, healthcare services, and informal caregivers [9]. Serotonergic medications and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with exposure and response prevention techniques (ERP) have been proven to be the first-line treatments [10, 11]. However, as shown by several studies, treatment resistance to first-line treatments is the rule rather than the exception and only about half of patients achieve full remission from OCD symptoms [10, 12,13,14,15].
The World Health Organization [16] defined health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The Positive Psychology framework [17] developed in the last two decades has highlighted that mental health research also needs to take into account the strengths of the patient and his/her positive outcomes such as satisfaction with life and well-being. This theoretical paradigm shift can allow clinicians and policymakers to make their treatments more effective in the long term to help patients live their lives more meaningfully. Treatment exclusively focusing on OCD symptom reduction may under-recognize the importance of a broader set of quality-of-life and well-being outcomes [17]. Two of these outcomes are sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction [18], which may be associated with improvement in OCD symptoms or recovery or, equally importantly, with a better quality of life despite the presence of OCD symptoms. Greater sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction may be expected to be psychological and relational strengths which can help the person live better despite OCD.
Sexual dysfunction and sexual satisfaction
Sexuality is one of the facets of quality of life and well-being [19]. A variety of cross-sectional and prospective studies support the view that sexual activity significantly affects overall well-being for both men and women [20,21,22]. Sexual dysfunctions are characterized by disturbances in sexual desire and in psychophysiological changes associated with the sexual response cycle in men and women [1]. The DSM-5 [1] introduced eight diagnoses: delayed ejaculation, erectile disorder, female orgasmic disorder, female sexual interest-arousal disorder, genito-pelvic pain-penetration disorder, male hypoactive sexual desire disorder, and premature (early) ejaculation, in addition to two non-specific codes (“Other Specified Sexual Dysfunction” and “Unspecified Sexual Dysfunction”). The DSM-5 also specifies substance- or medication-induced disorders, included under Definitions of Sexual Dysfunctions That Can Occur in Men and Women, which identify sexual dysfunctions concerning sexual disorders clearly etiologically related to substance abuse or medication [1].
According to the Consensus Statement of the 4th International Consultation on Sexual Medicine on the epidemiology of sexual dysfunction [23], the most frequent sexual dysfunctions in the general population are desire and arousal dysfunctions for women and premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction for men. In a nationally representative sample of 1489 UK women [24], 5.8% reported recent sexual dysfunction and 15.5% lifelong sexual dysfunction. Hyposexual desire was the most prevalent recent and lifelong sexual complaint (21.4% and 17.3%, respectively).
Sexual satisfaction is an important ingredient of human sexuality and is considered to be the last stage of the sexual response cycle [25]. There are a number of definitions of sexual satisfaction [26]. It is generally defined as the degree to which an individual is satisfied or happy with the sexual aspect of his or her relationship [27]. One of the most accepted definitions was suggested by Lawrance and Byers [28], who defined it as “an affective response arising from one’s subjective evaluation of the positive and negative dimensions associated with one’s sexual relationship” (p. 268). Sexual satisfaction is associated with better physical and psychological health and well-being [19, 29, 30], with relationship satisfaction, and with better communication with one’s partner [29,30,31]. Some studies have found a relationship between good sexual functioning and high sexual satisfaction [30].
Sexual dysfunction and satisfaction in OCD
Sexuality in OCD is an under-recognized topic. One of the first studies conducted in this field [32] showed that about 10% of female patients with OCD reported anorgasmia and 22% had sexual arousal phase problems, whereas 25% of the male patients had lower sexual arousal, 12% premature ejaculation problems and 6% erectile disorder, with 39% of the patients displaying sexual dissatisfaction. More recently, Thakurta and colleagues [33] reported that sexual dysfunction affected 53.33% of a sample of females with OCD. Orgasmic dysfunction was the most frequent dysfunction affecting 20.51% of females, followed by problems of desire at 15.38%. Ghassemzadeh and colleagues [34] found that sexual dysfunction was present in 80.6% of women and 25% of men.
Some evidence from community and clinical research showed that obsessive compulsive symptoms and OCD diagnosis are associated with worse sexual functioning, a higher prevalence of sexual dysfunctions and lower sexual satisfaction. In a national epidemiological study, obsessive compulsive behaviours were one of the strongest predictors of female sexual dysfunction [24]. Kendurkar and Kaur [35] showed that sexual dysfunction was more prevalent among patients with OCD (50%) in comparison with healthy controls (30%).
There are several reasons why patients with OCD may have impaired sexual functioning or satisfaction. A first one may be related to the effects of psychiatric medications [36]. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) may especially delay ejaculation and female orgasm, but also can cause decreased libido and erectile difficulties [37, 38]. Although SSRI-induced sexual side-effects are dose-dependent and generally reversible, high dosages are used in OCD treatment and sexual side-effects can sometimes persist after treatment discontinuation [38]. According to Balon [39], the incidence of SSRI-associated sexual dysfunction is between 30 and 50%. Another clinical aspect which may explain a worse sexual well-being in patients with OCD concerns the content of some symptoms including obsessions related to contamination with diseases, sexual/religious/moral themes, and the possibility of causing harm [40]. Other variables which may contribute to an impaired sexual life may be a poorer physical health [41] or unhealthy behaviours [42].
Rationale of the present study
Sexual life is a topic under-estimated by clinicians working with OCD. In the international literature, there is no systematic review and meta-analysis about sexual dysfunction and satisfaction in OCD. However, a quantitative summary of the evidence about sexual dysfunction and satisfaction in OCD may have important implications in clinical practice for several reasons. First, it may suggest to practitioners that they investigate sexual life more thoroughly in treatment-seeking patients with OCD with the aim of improving prognosis and treatment response to OCD symptoms, and quality of life. Assessment and treatment of OCD is typically focused on the reduction of clinical symptoms, but little attention is dedicated to those strengths and positive outcomes of the individual that are not directly related to symptoms. Knowledge of sexual life in OCD may also lead to the development of treatment strategies specifically dedicated to sexuality, as no psychotherapeutic protocol is available for OCD associated with sexual dysfunction or low sexual satisfaction. This point appears to be important since poor intimate relations can maintain or be a consequence of symptoms. Preliminary research suggests that a partner’s involvement in therapy (i.e., couple therapy targeting both OCD- and non-OCD-related couple problems/stressors) can enhance symptom reduction and improve couple functioning [43]. Thus, intimate relationships, including a satisfying sexual relationship, could represent a relevant target of OCD treatment. Another important reason to investigate sexual life in OCD is the fact that depression symptoms are very common among patients with OCD [44]. Depression symptoms can be hypothesized to be a moderator of higher sexual dysfunction and lower satisfaction as considerable evidence suggests a significant directional association between depression and sexual dysfunction [45, 46]. Also, some OCD symptoms, such as contamination fears or religious obsessions, and some negative emotions typically associated with OCD, such as disgust and guilt, may have a negative impact on sexuality [47, 48].
Interestingly, some studies showed the presence of sexual dysfunctions independently by SSRIs and/or contamination fear symptoms in female OCD patients [48]. Thus, sexual dysfunction in OCD could represent not just an iatrogenic dimension but a relevant clinical dimension that need a proper assessment and treatment.
The current paper presents a study protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize data from primary studies (1) comparing the presence of sexual dysfunction between clinical groups with OCD and non-clinical groups, (2) investigating prevalence of each one of the sexual dysfunctions in patients with OCD, (3) comparing risk for sexual dysfunction in OCD groups with the prevalence in control groups, (4) comparing sexual satisfaction between OCD groups and non-clinical groups, and (5) investigating moderators of sexual dysfunction in OCD groups as compared with control groups. Gender, age, marital status (percentage of married/cohabitant patients with OCD in the study), OCD symptom severity and subtypes, comorbid depressive disorders, comorbid anxiety disorders, concurrent psychiatric medications, comorbid general medical disease, and methodological quality of the studies will be investigated as moderators. It was hypothesized that younger age, male gender, married/cohabitant status, lower OCD severity, lack of depressive disorders, lack of comorbid anxiety disorders, lack of concurrent psychiatric medication, and comorbid medical disease would be associated with a lower risk of sexual dysfunction. A summary of the hypotheses regarding the moderators and the rationale for investigating them is provided in Table 1.
Table 1 Summary of moderators
The systematic review protocol and the procedure used for meta-analysis have been presented according to the PRISMA-Protocol (PRISMA-P) [58] and were registered in PROSPERO on CRD42019132264. Any amendments will be updated on PROSPERO and documented accordingly.
Studies will be included if (a) they are conducted on adult clinical groups aged between 18 and 65 years old with a current primary diagnosis of OCD; (b) OCD has been diagnosed through a clinical diagnosis or using a standardized diagnostic clinician-administered interview, e.g., the Structured Clinical Interview for Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) [59] based upon a standardized diagnostic international classification system (e.g., any version of the DSM or the ICD) or a validated self-report measure of OCD symptoms (i.e., the reliability values are well-established) such as the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) [60]; (c) they define sexual dysfunction according to a standardized diagnostic classification system (e.g., any version of the DSM or the ICD) and investigate sexual dysfunction according to the criteria provided by those systems, or investigate sexual satisfaction; (d) they used a clinician-administered interview or a self-report questionnaire with known psychometric properties (i.e., reliability values) to assess sexual dysfunction or sexual satisfaction (overviews of the eligible measures of sexual dysfunction or satisfaction are presented in Tables 2 and 3); (e) they used any type of research design; (f) they measured the presence of any type of sexual dysfunction or focused on a specific type of sexual dysfunction; and (g) they report the necessary data on effect sizes (please, see the “Data pooling and meta-analysis” section further on for effect size calculation) or the authors are willing to provide the necessary data when contacted if such data are missing in the study paper.
Table 2 Sexual dysfunction measures which will be included in the systematic review
Table 3 Sexual satisfaction measures which will be included in the systematic review
Studies where patients had concurrent psychosis, bipolar disorders, neurological disorders, or mental retardation will be excluded at full text review. This methodological choice aims to allow us to analyze sexual dysfunction/satisfaction in patients with OCD by excluding the biasing effects of such major psychiatric/neurological disorders which can significantly impact sexual functioning.
No language restriction will be applied. Studies will be included whether they used inpatients or outpatients. The presence of concurrent treatment, either pharmacological or psychotherapeutic, will not be an exclusion criterion. If some of the patients are on concurrent medication, the percentage of those on medication will have to have been reported and the type of medication specified. No restriction on publication dates will be applied. Studies using patients with a lifetime diagnosis of OCD or with subclinical or remitted OCD symptoms will not be excluded. Studies where patients had concurrent psychosis, bipolar disorders, neurological disorders, or mental retardation will not be excluded.
Information sources and search procedure
The search will be conducted during the second week of December 2019. Studies will be identified by conducting a systematic search of electronic databases using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH terms) and keywords related to “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder” which will be combined through the Boolean operator “AND” with MeSH terms and keywords related to “Sexual Dysfunction” or “Sexual Satisfaction”. MeSH terms were created by using the PubMed MeSH on Demand Tool which allowed us to identify relevant MeSH terms. The search procedure will be conducted using the databases Scopus, PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. An overview of the electronic search strategy is provided in Table 4. The search based on electronic databases will be piloted by one of the reviewers (AP) through a preliminary search to ensure all relevant keywords have been captured.
Table 4 Electronic search procedure
A search will be conducted also on the following major clinical trials registries: ISRCTN Registry, EU Clinical Trials Register (EU-CTR), ClinicalTrials.gov, Clinical Research Information Service (CRiS), Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR), and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR).
In addition, to identify any further published or unpublished studies, all the authors of the studies included will be contacted. Reference sections of included studies will be checked. Conference proceedings will be hand-searched from inception for abstracts, papers, or posters presented at the following international scientific societies relevant to research on OCD: American Psychiatry Association, American Psychological Association, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, European Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies, European Association of Psychiatry, European Association of Psychology, British Psychological Society, Royal College of Psychiatrists, British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, International Academy of Sex Research, International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation, International Society for Sexual Medicine, European Society for Sexual Medicine, Sexual Medicine Society of North America, International College of Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum Disorders. This search will be carried out independently by the two reviewers by accessing the websites of these scientific societies. For any conference abstracts/papers/posters judged as potentially eligible, the corresponding author will be contacted to request further information to judge whether or not the work can be included and/or further data should be requested to perform the meta-analysis. Eligible theses and doctoral dissertations will be searched and identified by the two independent reviewers who will run the same queries using the same keywords on the Open Access Theses and Dissertations website.
The review process including study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment will be performed through the software Covidence.
Studies will be assessed and screened by two independent reviewers (AP, DD) in three stages using inclusion/exclusion criteria. During the first stage, studies will be assessed independently by the reviewers with regards to inclusion criteria after reading the title. Then, the reviewers will meet to compare their selections. During the abstract selection stage, the two reviewers will independently assess each of the retained studies by reading the abstract and again they will meet to compare their selections. During both these stages (exclusion by title and by abstract), only studies on which both reviewers are in complete agreement on exclusion will be excluded. On the contrary, studies will be retained if there is disagreement between the reviewers on inclusion or exclusion. During the final stage, studies will be assessed independently by the two reviewers by assessing the full text of the paper. Potential discrepancies on inclusion or exclusion at this stage and their reasons will be discussed and resolved in a meeting with two other independent reviewers (UA, DP) to obtain an agreed-upon number of included studies. Between-reviewer agreement on inclusion will be calculated by the Kappa index [79]. After this meeting, the decision regarding the inclusion of the study will be made by another independent reviewer (DM) in a final meeting with the other reviewers.
All information will be extracted from each of the included studies by two independent reviewers (AP, DD) and inserted into an Excel worksheet after an initial pilot using three included studies. Table 5 provides information on what will be extracted and coded from the primary studies. A third independent reviewer (DP) not involved in the extraction process will check the correctness of the data inserted in the worksheet. After data insertion is completed, potential discrepancies in the data extracted by the two reviewers will be discussed at a meeting between the reviewers who conducted the data extraction and the third independent reviewer.
Table 5 Information extracted from the primary studies and coding procedure
Evaluation of study quality
The quality of each study will be independently evaluated by two reviewers (AP, DD) using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale [80]. The final decision regarding the quality score to assign to each study will be made by a third independent reviewer (DM) during a meeting with the two quality assessors. This tool assigns a maximum score of nine: four points regarding inclusion criteria for cases and controls (definition of cases, selection of cases, definition of controls, selection of controls), two points regarding the comparability criteria of cases and controls according to study design and statistical analysis (comparability in terms of age and in terms of gender), and three points for exposure verification criteria of cases and controls (exposure verification, same method of verification, no response point). Studies scoring nine are classified as high quality, those scoring seven or eight as medium quality, and those scoring less than seven as low quality. Disagreement in score attribution between the two authors will be settled by discussion.
Data pooling and meta-analysis
Summary measures
If there is insufficient data for a specific outcome, only a systematic review will be performed. Data will be pooled from studies assessing the mean differences between OCD groups and control groups regarding the levels of sexual dysfunction, sexual satisfaction, and risk of sexual dysfunction. If there is sufficient data, a random-effect meta-analysis will be conducted using the software Comprehensive Meta-Analysis, CMA version 2.00 [81]. For all the analyses, the p value will be set at 0.05. Random-effect models assume that included studies are drawn from populations of studies that systematically differ from each other [81]. According to these models, effect sizes extracted from included studies differ not only because of random error within studies (as in fixed-effect models), but also because of true variation in effect sizes from one study to another. Summary measures will consist of effect-size indexes related to (1) levels of sexual dysfunction, (2) levels of sexual satisfaction, and (3) risk of sexual dysfunction in OCD groups as compared to control groups. Effect-size indexes related to levels of sexual dysfunction and levels of sexual satisfaction in OCD as compared to controls will be calculated using the following formula proposed by Cohen [82]: d = (MCASE − MCONTROL)/SDCOMBINED, where MCASE and MCONTROL represent the means of the OCD and control groups, respectively, and SDCOMBINED is the combined standard deviation. If a study does not include a control group, an estimate of the general population mean for a particular sexual dysfunction will be computed, based on current prevalence studies or normative mean (and standard deviation), and it will be compared with the observed data on the OCD group extracted from the study to generate a standardized mean difference.
Effect-size indexes related to risk of sexual dysfunction in OCD as compared to controls will be calculated by calculating the effect-size index based on the following formula: Relative Risk Ratio = (A/n1)/(C/n2), where A/n1 represents the probability of sexual dysfunction in OCD groups and C/n2 the probability of sexual dysfunction in control groups. For each study, a mean effect-size index will be calculated by pooling the effect-size indexes related to all sexual dysfunctions assessed by the study. In addition, for each study, an effect-size index will also be calculated for every single sexual dysfunction. A value lower than 1 suggests that the incidence of sexual dysfunction is lower in OCD groups than in control groups, while a value higher than 1 indicates that it is higher in the OCD than in the control groups.
The score of each index will be weighted using the following correction formula: Wzr = 1/SE2, where SE2zr is the standard error of the effect-size index calculated for each study. Using Cohen’s model, effect-size indexes greater than or equal to 0.80 are considered high, indexes in the range of 0.80–0.50 moderate, and indexes less than or equal to 0.20 low. Hedges’ correction for small sample bias will be applied [83].
Effect sizes for each sexual dysfunction will be coded by two independent reviewers who will code the measures according to the system presented in Table 2, and a third independent reviewer will have the final word if discrepancy emerges.
To assess whether the evidence from the meta-analysis on sexual dysfunction/satisfaction are clinically meaningful, a Delphi method will be followed by presenting the evidence found through meta-analysis to a panel of five experts. They will be selected according to the following criteria: (a) being associate professor or higher in the field related to this review topic (i.e., clinical psychology, sexology, psychiatry), (b) editorial board membership for a journal related to OCD and/or sexology, (c) having published at least 15 papers on peer-review journals about OCD or sexology. Experts will be contacted and invited to participate by email by one of the reviewers (DD) who will act as moderator of the panel. The first consultation will be dedicated to presenting to each expert the issue addressed by the review and the meta-analysis evidence. In a second consultation, each expert will be asked separately the following two questions: (1) “Do these findings fit with your clinical experience?” (2) “What is their strengths for clinical practice with OCD patients?” After this session, the statement of each expert will be recorded verbatim by the moderator and sent to the other experts who will be given time to complete or refine their statements. A last session will be dedicated to a final comparison of the experts’ input and the meta-analysis evidence by the moderator and another reviewer (AP).
Publication bias
To assess the likelihood that effect sizes have been subject to publication bias, two procedures will be used: Duval and Tweedie’s trim and fill procedure and a visual inspection of the funnel plot [81]. A funnel plot is a scatter plot in which the effect sizes computed from the included studies are plotted on the horizontal axis against an indicator of study precision, the Standardized Error, on the vertical axis [81]. In the absence of bias, the graph resembles a symmetrical inverted funnel because the effect sizes derived from smaller studies scatter more widely at the bottom of the graph, with the spread narrowing as precision increases among larger studies. If there is publication bias because smaller studies reporting no significant effect sizes remain unpublished, then the funnel plot appears asymmetrical [81].
Inconsistency analysis
To verify heterogeneity in effect sizes, the prediction intervals and the Q index will be calculated [84, 85]. The Q index is calculated by summing the squared deviation of each study’s effect estimate from the overall effect estimate, while weighting the contribution of each study by its inverse variance [83]. In the hypothesis of homogeneity among effect sizes, the Q statistic follows a chi-square distribution with k − 1 degrees of freedom, k being the number of studies.
If inconsistency between effect sizes is found, simple regression analyses by weighted least squares will be performed to investigate whether any of the following variables can moderate the effect sizes: (a) age, (b) gender, (c) marital status (coded as the total percentage of married/cohabitant patients), (d) OCD symptom severity (measured by the Y-BOCS scores), (e) concurrent psychiatric medication, (f) comorbid depressive disorders, (g) comorbid anxiety disorders, (h) comorbid general medical disease, (i) study methodological quality coded as NOS scores.
To further account for inconsistency, sensitivity analyses will be performed by calculating the effect sizes only on studies using patients without concurrent psychiatric medication and on those excluding patients with comorbid general medical disease.
Sexuality is an important aspect of relational life and has a key role in the quality of life and well-being [19, 21]. However, sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction are rarely considered aspects of the life of patients with OCD in clinical practice because OCD assessment and treatment typically focus on the reduction of symptoms; little attention is dedicated to strengths and positive outcomes of individuals with this condition. Studies on the general population showed that obsessive compulsive tendencies are associated with sexual dysfunction or lower sexual satisfaction [24]; higher prevalence of sexual dysfunctions and lower sexual satisfaction were found in patients with OCD as compared with community or healthy controls [35].
There is a need for a summary of the evidence about the presence of sexual dysfunction and the degree of sexual satisfaction in patients with OCD. In the literature, there is no systematic review addressing these two points. Several reasons may be considered to explain why patients with OCD may be expected to have impaired sexual functioning or lower satisfaction. A first point is related to the presence of concurrent psychiatric medications [36] since SSRIs may delay ejaculation and female orgasm and can also cause decreased libido and erectile difficulties [37, 38].
Focusing assessment also on sexuality in OCD may improve prognosis, treatment response to OCD symptoms, and quality of life. Increased knowledge of sexuality in OCD may suggest the introduction of treatment strategies dedicated to sexuality. Recent research has shown that a partner’s involvement in therapy (i.e., couple therapy targeting both OCD and non-OCD related couple problems and stressors) can enhance symptom reduction and improve couple functioning [43]. Another important reason to investigate sexual life in OCD is the fact that depressive symptoms are very common among patients with OCD [86].
This systematic review also has the strengths of independent study selection and data extraction, a search strategy based on the identification of published and unpublished studies and data including theses and doctoral dissertations, and, lastly, an evaluation of the study’s methodological quality. The sensitivity analysis of the effect sizes which exclude studies with patients on psychiatric medications or with general medical disease will allow us to more clearly investigate the relationship between OCD and sexuality by excluding factors which could potentially confuse the association between OCD and sexual dysfunction/satisfaction.
Potential limitations will regard a small number of studies in the literature and the heterogeneity of the studies in terms of the instruments used to assess sexual dysfunction and sexual satisfaction and of the definitions used to conceptualize sexual dysfunction. In addition, the cross-sectional design of the studies to be included will not allow us to draw causal conclusions about the relation between OCD and sexual dysfunction or impaired sexual satisfaction. Another limitation of our protocol is the lack of a focus on sexual preferences and sexual orientation (i.e., heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual orientation). This represents an interesting point which needs for a broader investigation in future reviews.
Future works including randomized controlled designs should focus on sexual functioning/satisfaction in patients with OCD after and/or during the administration of medications. It may be interesting to explore which types of psychiatric medications are associated with a negative/positive sexual functioning to orient clinical practice. It should also be investigated which patients’ characteristics may be associated with the effects of medications (e.g., comorbidities, symptom subtypes, demographic factors).
The investigation of the evidence regarding sexual functioning/satisfaction in patients with OCD may advance research on quality of life in this clinical population. Further work should investigate whether standard treatments for OCD, i.e., CBT, produce an improvement in sexual well-being and whether such an improvement correlates with an increase in the general level of quality of life. It may be hypothesized that some recently developed treatment protocols for OCD may produce positive effects on sexual life such as mindfulness-based interventions, since they are aimed to improve awareness of body and internal/external experiences [87]. In addition, future research should be dedicated to the integration of strategies of sexual therapy in the standard treatment of patients with OCD.
Another gap to be addressed in future research may be the investigation of the clinical variables which might explain why an impaired sexual functioning can be observed in patients with OCD. This gap might be investigated through the comparison of sexual outcomes between patients with OCD and patients with other obsessive compulsive spectrum disorders involving a difficult relation with body, such as body dysmorphic disorders or skin picking disorders [88].
In conclusion, this is a protocol of the first systematic review of sexual dysfunction and sexual satisfaction in patients with OCD. A clear summary of the evidence on these topics may support clinical practice highlighting the importance of the assessment of sexuality in OCD and suggesting the use of therapeutic strategies dedicated to sexuality in OCD with the aim of improving patients’ quality of life.
ASEX:
Arizona Sexual Experience Scale
CSFQ:
Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire
DISF/DIS-SR:
Derogatis interview for sexual functioning
FSFI:
Female Sexual Function Index
GRISS:
Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction
IEMSS:
Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction
MGH:
Massachusetts General Hospital Sexual Functioning Questionnaire
OCD:
PRISMA-Protocol
SAI:
Sexual Arousability Inventory
SAQ:
Sexual Activity Questionnaire
SCID-I:
Structured Clinical Interview for Axis I Disorders
SISS:
Sexual Interaction System Scale
SSRIs:
SSS-W:
Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women
Y-BOCS:
Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale
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Abramowitz JS, Baucom DH, Boeding S, Wheaton MG, Pukay-Martin ND, Fabricant LE, et al. Treating obsessive-compulsive disorder in intimate relationships: a pilot study of couple-based cognitive-behavior therapy. Behav Ther. 2013;44:395–407.
Kugler BB, Lewin AB, Phares V, et al. Quality of life in obsessive-compulsive disorder: the role of mediating variables. Psychiatry Res. 2013;206:43–9.
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Gökay A, Berkant Y, Cem K, Süleyman O, Murat Ö. Sexuality in women with obsessive compulsive disorder. J Sex Marital Ther. 2001;27:273–7.
Vulink NC, Denys D, Bus L, Westenberg HG. Sexual pleasure in women with obsessive-compulsive disorder? J Affect Disord. 2006;91:19–25.
Hayes R, Dennerstein L. The impact of aging on sexual function and sexual dysfunction in women: a review of population-based studies. J Sexual Med. 2005;2:317–30.
Laumann EO, Paik A, Rosen RC. Sexual dysfunction in the United States: prevalence and predictors. JAMA. 1999;281:537–44.
Pinnock CB, Stapleton AM, Marshall VR. Erectile dysfunction in the community: a prevalence study. Med J Aust. 1999;171:353–7.
Rajkumar RP, Kumaran AK. Depression and anxiety in men with sexual dysfunction: a retrospective study. Compr Psychiatry. 2015;60:114–8.
Dosch A, Rochat L, Ghisletta P, Favez N, Van der Linden M. Psychological factors involved in sexual desire, sexual activity, and sexual satisfaction: a multi-factorial perspective. Arch Sex Behav. 2016;45:2029–45.
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Gandaglia G, Briganti A, Jackson G, Kloner RA, Montorsi F, Montorsi P, et al. A systematic review of the association between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. European Urol. 2014;65:968–78.
Molina-Leyva A, Jiménez-Moleón JJ, Naranjo-Sintes R, Ruiz-Carrascosa JC. Sexual dysfunction in psoriasis: a systematic review. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2015;29:649–55.
Shamseer L, Moher D, Clarke M, Ghersi D, Liberati A, Petticrew M, et al. Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015: elaboration and explanation. BMJ. 2015;349:g7647.
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Wells GA, Shea B, O’Connell D, et al. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) for assessing the quality of non-randomised studies in meta-analyses. Retrieved from http://www. ohri.ca/programs/clinical_epidemiology/oxford.asp; 2000.
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Higgins JP, Thompson SG. Quantifying heterogeneity in a meta-analysis. Stat Med. 2002;21:1539–58.
Borenstein M, Higgins JP, Hedges LV, Rothstein HR. Basics of meta-analysis: I2 is not an absolute measure of heterogeneity. Res Synth Methods. 2017;8:5–18.
Pozza A, Coradeschi D, Dèttore D. Do dysfunctional beliefs moderate the negative influence of comorbid severe depression on outcome of residential treatment for refractory OCD? A pilot study. Clin Neuropsychiatry. 2013:72–83.
Külz AK, Landmann S, Cludius B, Rose N, Heidenreich T, Jelinek L, et al. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and residual symptoms after cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): a randomized controlled trial. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2019;269:223–33.
Pozza A, Giaquinta N, Dèttore D. Borderline, avoidant, sadistic personality traits and emotion dysregulation predict different pathological skin picking subtypes in a community sample. Neuropsych Dis Treat. 2016;12:1861.
This study did not receive any funding.
Department of Medical Sciences, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
Andrea Pozza
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences, King’s College London, London, UK
David Veale
South London and Maudsley, NHS Trust, London, UK
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Donatella Marazziti
Clinical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
Jaime Delgadillo
Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
Umberto Albert
Brain Center Firenze, Florence, Italy
Giacomo Grassi
Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Opthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa IRCCS San Martino, Genoa, Italy
Davide Prestia
Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
Davide Dèttore
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AP designed the study, conducted the literature searches, and wrote the first draft of the paper. DV, UA and DD designed the study and critically reviewed the final draft of the paper. DM, JD, GG and DP designed the study and critically reviewed the second draft of the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Correspondence to Andrea Pozza.
Pozza, A., Veale, D., Marazziti, D. et al. Sexual dysfunction and satisfaction in obsessive compulsive disorder: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis. Syst Rev 9, 8 (2020) doi:10.1186/s13643-019-1262-7
Accepted: 20 December 2019
Sexual satisfaction
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Horrortoberfest 2019 – Day 2 – Seven in Heaven
October 2, 2019 · by systemmastery · in Horrortoberfest. ·
Hot on the heels of horror movies like Truth or Dare and Ouija; we have another horror film based on trying to make a kids game into something spooky. This time it is less about the actual game and more about…well, actually, I’m not entirely sure what the hell this is about. It’s a confused jumble of a movie that makes you think it might be about alternate realities but it’s really about our dark thoughts given life or something? It felt like the movie didn’t really care all that much about trying to be anything,
The movie follows a high school kid named Jude that goes to a house party. At some point he ends up playing “seven in heaven” with a girl, June, that is ostensibly dating his biggest tormentor, Derrick. When they get out of the closet, though, they are no longer in the same place that they were. Everything is the same but different. Jude gets accused of killing Derrick. June’s sister tries to kill her. Their school guidance counselor is somehow in charge of things but wants them to get home and knows that they aren’t in the right reality. Meanwhile, we know this isn’t happening just in their heads as we constantly shift back to the party and nobody can find them.
For a movie that bills itself as a horror film, there is very little going on that makes it that way. It doesn’t have any sense of dread or tension and even if it did, the constant shift back to the house party trying to fend off the cops and generally just having mundane issues would severely undercut anything they were trying to do. There also aren’t really any jump scares to speak of either. You get one moment when we see June’s sister smothering her with a pillow but that’s pretty much it. I think it falls flat mostly because we don’t know enough about these characters to make an alternate reality really feel jarring. Also once it turns into “This isn’t an alternate reality but is actually the place where bad thoughts go” just makes the whole thing confused.
The rules of this portal to another reality are also arbitrary and never really explained. Jude and June go through but it’s because Jude found a sexy playing card of his mom. Maybe. When he tries to go back and sits in the closet for 7 minutes, it doesn’t work but the message he wrote in the other place appears in the regular universe’s closet. When he tries again, he has June with him and they think maybe that’s what was missing is they had to both be there. Nope! Turns out trying to do that makes the other dimension meaner? Like now the undead Derrick forces them into a game where if they lie, someone dies but nobody actually does in the real world? And in order to get back they have to burn the house down while they are in the closet but it still has to be seven minutes even though nothing has been made of why Seven in Heaven would trigger the reality shift. The end also sees Derrick disappear after going in the closet but he didn’t have a playing card and wasn’t playing the game and why the hell would this random closet even have supernatural powers in the first place?
Score: 2 out of 5. The movie is just frustrating to watch. With no actual horror and a plot that makes less sense the more you think about it; Seven in Heaven is just a mess of a film. The actors try their damnedest, I’ll give them that.
Tags: alternate reality, horror, Horrortoberfest, movie review, party game
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Movie Mastery – Await Further Instructions →
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OIJ investigates bomb that damaged Teletica building
Remembering La Penca, 35 years later
Costa Rica announces drop in murders, increase in gun seizures
More than 500 arrests made in raid against arms trafficking in eight Latin American countries
Costa Rica sentences four members of Mexican jewelry thief gang ‘Los Mazos’ to prison
Two US journalists killed during live TV broadcast
AFP August 26, 2015 October 2, 2015
A TV frame grab courtesy of WDBJ7-TV in Roanoke, Virginia, shows two employees killed in an attack at Bridgewater Plaza in Moneta, on Aug. 26, 2015. (AFP/WDBJ7 )
UPDATE 2: Wed., Aug. 26 at 1:13 p.m.:
The man suspected of killing two journalists as they carried out a live interview in Virginia died Wednesday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a local official said.
Vester Flanagan, also known as Bryce Williams, died at a hospital in northern Virginia outside Washington, after the shooting in the state’s southern city of Roanoke, Franklin County Sheriff Bill Overton told reporters.
This is the suspected shooter, Vester Flanigan, who is also known as Bryce Williams. He is a former WDBJ7 employee. pic.twitter.com/ngXrqHVLmw
— WDBJ7 (@WDBJ7) August 26, 2015
First update starts here:
The suspect in the deadly U.S. on-air shooting has shot himself, local media is reporting. The alleged suspect, a former journalist at the station, is in critical condition at a local hospital, police say. This was after video of the shooting apparently filmed by the assailant was posted on Twitter and Facebook accounts believed to belong to the gunman, accounts that were later suspended.
The video, posted under the Twitter account @bryce_williams7, shows the shooter brandishing a weapon at WDJB reporter Alison Parker. Shots are then heard, and screams. The video is horrifying and graphic, and we will not share it here.
Bryce Williams was the name used on-air by the suspect, former station employee Vester Flanagan.
Original story continues here:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two journalists for a local CBS affiliate in the U.S. state of Virginia were shot dead Wednesday during a live broadcast, according to chilling television footage of the incident and their network.
WDBJ journalist Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, were shot at close range while conducting an on-air interview. The gunman was still at large.
“We do not know the motive. We do not know who the suspect or the killer is,” said WDBJ general manager Jeffrey Marks as he confirmed the deaths to viewers.
WDBJ is located in the southern Virginia city of Roanoke.
Marks said Parker and Ward were “both in love with other members of the team” at WDBJ.
The woman that Parker was interviewing on a balcony at the lakeside Bridgewater Resort in the town of Moneta, near Roanoke, was reportedly wounded.
Parker was talking to the woman about tourism development for WDBJ’s early-morning newscast when the gunman seemingly closed in from behind.
TV reporter Alison Parker, left, during an interview on tourism at a water park before she was shot and killed. AFP/WDBJ7-TV
Several shots were heard, as well as screams, as Ward’s camera fell to the floor, capturing a fuzzy image of the gunman, dressed in dark clothing.
The station then cut away to a startled anchorwoman back in the studio.
On her Facebook page, Parker — whose birthday was just a week ago — described herself as the “mornin’ reporter” at WDBJ with an interest in ballroom dancing.
WDBJ anchor Chris Hurst tweeted that he and Parker were “very much in love,” adding: “I am numb.”
“She worked with Adam every day. They were a team. I am heartbroken for his fiancee,” Hurst said.
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said on Twitter that he was “heartbroken over [the] senseless murders.”
Heartbroken over senseless murders today in Smith Mountain Lake. State Police on scene working w/ local law agencies to capture suspect.
— Terry McAuliffe (@GovernorVA) August 26, 2015
Virginia state police were working with local authorities to capture the gunman, he said.
Investigators piece together motive in mass Oregon shooting
Multiple fatalities reported after mass school shooting in Oregon
Oregon school shooting: ‘He just tried to do the right thing,’ one victim’s family says
Gunman at Oregon college appeared armed for an extended siege
crimegun violencejournalismjournalist killedmediashootingU.S.
View all posts by AFP
Football fans set for Euro trip to visit Costa Rican stars
China’s journey from new normal to stock market crisis epicenter
Zara Palmer / Toucan Rescue Ranch - January 19, 2020
The Toucan Rescue Ranch is celebrating a very special birthday this week – Rolo the baby sloth just turned two…
Terrorism and Venezuela will be focus for Pompeo in Costa Rica, Latin America
Alina Dieste / AFP and The Tico Times - Jan 17, 2020
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Extract: The Spectacle of Illusion
'The Spectacle of Illusion' is the official book accompanying the Wellcome Collection’s new exhibition 'Smoke and Mirrors'. The exhibition opened 11 April 2019, and you can prepare yourself for going to the exhibition by reading an extract from the book here.
This poster from c. 1915 plays on the public’s fascination with mysticism and the supernatural, which Thurston consciously exploited in his act. The Rory Feldman Collection
Everyone’s heard, and most of us have told, a story about an uncanny or supernatural-seeming experience. Accounts of wondrous, impossible phenomena are common around the world and go back at least as far as we have written records: history is riddled with stories of gods and monsters, witches and ghosts, prophecies and premonitions. People have heard dead men speak, seen objects inexplicably vanish and reappear, and watched ectoplasm ooze from unexpected orifices. These extraordinary events often seem to be facilitated by extraordinary individuals: sorcerers, spiritual mediums, psychic sensitives.
Such phenomena have even been reported under ‘test conditions’, witnessed by scientists – men professionally trained in the practice
of empirical observation. The German astrophysicist Johann Karl Friedrich Zöllner, for example, asserted that he had shaken hands
with the disembodied limb of an extra-dimensional spirit being – ‘a friend from another world’. British chemist and physicist William Crookes reported that he had not only photographed a ghost, but had also taken its pulse and cut o some of its hair. The American philosopher and psychologist William James wrote that he had spoken to his deceased father through a spirit medium. Researchers at Washington University believed that they had discovered a pair of psychics with the ability to move objects using only the power of their minds. Physicists in the employ of the United States government have spent decades trying to weaponize spoon benders.
William S. Marriott seems lost in deep thought as a trio of mysterious spirit forms approach him. The magician worked tirelessly to expose the tricks that mediums used to exploit credulous individuals, who may well have been seeking contact from recently deceased loved ones. The photograph dates from 1910. © Image reproduced courtesy of Senate House Library, University of London. Photograph: Wellcome Collection
But while scientists are trained in gathering evidence based on empirical observations, they are not necessarily trained in deception. Perhaps, in some circumstances, well-intentioned researchers
are actually more prone to illusory experiences than the average observer. After all, microscopes and other laboratory equipment might malfunction and produce inaccurate readings, but they won’t deliberately lie to you for the purpose of achieving fame and fortune.
Enter the professional magician. Like psychics and mediums,
magicians present themselves as exceptional individuals who can facilitate
impossible phenomena. But, unlike spiritualists, magicians are artists
who make it clear that they achieve these phenomena through trickery
and illusion. The term ‘misdirection’ tends to evoke thoughts of smoke
ad mirrors or the quickest of the hand deceiving the eye. However, these ideas themselves arguably distract from the broader cognitive implications. Magicians have
long known, and scientists are becoming increasingly aware, that misdirection can encompass much more than simply influencing where a spectator looks. Used effectively, misdirection can affect not just what we see, but how we reason and remember. Most of us recognize that we cannot always trust our eyes, but a deeper, more uncomfortable truth
is that we cannot always trust our minds.
This photograph from the collection of the magician William Marriott shows a young girl operating a planchette. Spiritualists claimed that mysterious external forces would guide the user’s hands, generating written messages. Early psychologists argued that the forces moving the planchette were unconscious muscle actions driven by the user’s mind. © Image reproduced courtesy of Senate House Library, University of London. Photograph: Wellcome Collection
Historically, many magicians have taken a professional satisfaction in exposing self-proclaimed spiritualists and psychics who also make use of trickery and misdirection. Instead of acknowledging their feats as illusions, such charlatans have attributed their powers to magnetic fields, spirits or extra- sensory perception. Paradoxically, exposure of such chicanery has sometimes itself involved elaborate hoaxes and deceptions. Harry Houdini donned elaborate disguises and employed networks of spies to infiltrate and disrupt spiritualist organizations. James Randi orchestrated an elaborate hoax that
ran for several years, in which fake psychics infiltrated a parapsychological lab. In effect, these plans involve stacking lies atop lies in an attempt to reach the truth.
One of our prevailing cultural narratives is that scientific understanding of the world has been steadily marching forward in a neat, linear fashion. And certainly, we have made remarkable progress. But if you look closely, you might notice that many debunked concepts have a tendency to recur over and over again with slight variations. At one time, paranormal practitioners might claim to receive messages from spirits; later, they might claim that these messages were obtained through telepathy; and later still, they might attribute their powers to extra-sensory perception. Each of these marvels
can be effectively duplicated using the same kinds
of magic tricks. Today’s fraudulent bomb-detecting machines are quite probably simply the latest variation of Victorian table-tilting phenomena
and dowsing. Far from being dated tales of archaic superstitions, these weird and apparently inexplicable phenomena represent timeless stories of human curiosity, credulity, ingenuity and guile. They are, by turns, comic and tragic, but consistently fascinating nonetheless. They highlight how illusions can combine with powerful emotional experiences, such as the
fear of death or sorrow at a loss, to create what seem to be extraordinary paranormal experiences that appear to be unexplainable by our current natural scientific conceptions of the world.
While neither magicians nor scientists can ever really ‘prove’ that past testimonies of supernatural phenomena are fraudulent or mistaken, contemporary researchers regularly demonstrate how eccentricities of healthy human perception, memory and cognition can result in vivid and robust illusions. In many cases, scientific explanations of how our minds can produce such illusions are at least as wondrous as the proposed supernatural explanations. For example, we now know that healthy adults who are on the brink of sleep can, under some circumstances, experience vivid dreams that blend seamlessly with their waking world. Indeed, some scientists are increasingly turning to magic as
a tool to explore how sane, intelligent individuals
can experience remarkably weird illusory episodes.
Barring a genuine ability to psychically project your consciousness backwards through time, you cannot truly re-experience historic accounts of these wondrous phenomena. You weren’t there. You didn’t see it. But this book can help reveal what you missed.
Magic Occult Victorian
The Colouring, Bronzing and Patination of Metals
A Manual for Fine Metalworkers, Sculptors and Designers Richard Hughes, Michael Rowe
The Spectacle of Illusion
Magic, the paranormal & the complicity of the mind Matthew L. Tompkins
The Occult, Witchcraft & Magic
An Illustrated History Christopher Dell
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Vintage Mercury
Founded by H.L. Mencken in 1924
Frank Audio Books
Atrocity Gods
Posted on 13 April, 2010 14 April, 2010 by Ann Hendon
by Ashley Howes
About the proposed EU Holocaust Denial Law
“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” — George Orwell, 1984
IF THE EU is going to craft new ‘Holocaust Denial’ legislation, surely it must first be defined. Mainly it is used to label those who, in the opinion of the one using the term, minimize the suffering of Jewish Holocaust victims and thereby foster the potential for future state-organised mass murder. The imagery of the über-industrial Holocaust is so gut-wrenchingly horrific that anyone challenging the story is deemed criminally guilty of intent to incite racial hatred or civic disorder.
The subjectivity involved in evaluating intent explains the many glaring examples of double standards surrounding the ‘holocaust denial’ controversy. For example: the ‘establishment’ historian Raul Hilberg states that the number of those murdered in Auschwitz was not four but one million, whilst the total number of Jews who died in WW II was not six but five million. When he makes such revisions, this is not considered ‘denial’. Yet when an ‘unapproved’ historian such as David Irving cites the same figures or, for example, that the gas chamber at Auschwitz is a post-war Soviet construction, during his trial in Austria he was not allowed to bring in the Auschwitz director to testify because no question regarding the truth or falsehood of any aspect of the Holocaust was allowed. In most courts where such cases are tried, there is virtually no defence against ‘denial’ accusations even if the revision in question is generally agreed-upon by ‘non-denier’ Holocaust historians.
Not only do these surreal double standards make Kafka appear a realist, but also the changing story makes defining the Holocaust, let alone ‘denial’, almost impossible. Although all mainstream ‘approved’ historians accept that the systematic mass murder of millions took place more or less as narrated, the specifics have changed considerably in the light of new evidence, usually uncovered by those they label ‘deniers’. At first, the method was not gassing but steaming, mass burnings and so forth, with people sentenced to death based on numerous eyewitness testimonies (without cross-examination). Later, gassing was established as the main method with hundreds of further eyewitnesses recalling in graphic – and conflicting – detail as to how this was perpetrated in camps in Germany proper. But years – and more testimonies, convictions and executions – later, all mainstream holocaust historians agreed that there were no gassings within Germany, rather outside, most of them in the Auschwitz complex. But when later forensic analysis, witness cross-examinations and other documentary analysis (train schedules, official German inmate records released from Russian archives, trials etc.) revealed that this too was inaccurate, the numbers in Auschwitz shrank from four to around one million, though the global total of six million remains.
Whether or not the total is accurate or even important, always overlooked is this glaring fact: the latest approved version means that previous versions, largely based on eyewitness testimonies in this ‘most documented event in world history’, were false. In other words, even though we know for certain that many events – such as making soap from Jewish fat – did not occur as related in sworn testimony used to execute ‘war criminals’, pointing this out or challenging any aspect of a decades-old narrative riddled with inconsistencies and thousands of outright lies can be construed as hate speech, whereas the original falsehoods, which themselves are clearly hate speech – indeed blood libels – are neither characterized as such nor are the perpetrators prosecuted.
What matters, it seems, is not the facts but simply who is telling the story. ‘Kosher’ storytellers can revise the narrative freely whilst their non-kosher opponents are sent into solitary confinement for years, such as Zündel and Rudolf in Germany. Right now, the kosher historians all ‘deny’ the following: that gassing happened in German-based camps, that soap was made from Jewish fat, that six millions were killed systematically, that four millions were killed in Auschwitz, and most – but not all – that Hitler gave written orders for mass extermination. They are not guilty of ‘denial’. However, if any non-kosher authors state any of the above they can be prosecuted for the crime of hate-speech.
From Denial to Confession
Even assuming such a thought-crime statute were to be passed, it should not exclusively refer to those denying only the Jewish Holocaust during WW II. The point is often made that the Jewish Holocaust receives disproportionate attention because other genocides, such as in Ukraine, Armenia, China or Russia, are generally ignored. Although true, this still misses the key issue, namely the Holocaust’s main function as propaganda whose purpose is to preserve our sense of self-worth and honour by demonising the enemy in order to deflect attention away from the atrocities perpetrated by the victors.
For example, it is time the Allies cease ‘denying’ a literal holocaust (death or sacrifice by fire) that we perpetrated against about 900,000 Germans, mainly civilian women and children in phosphorous-aided firebombing raids. [photo] We deliberately burned them to death, thousands of them roasted alive in airtight bomb shelters which remained so hot from the raging flames in the fire-induced tornadoes outside that, when the doors were opened long after the raids were over, the sudden inrush of oxygen caused families of desiccated corpses to spontaneously burst into flames. We literally roasted living people to death. There are many photographs; but few have seen them.
Similarly, it is time the US admitted how many hundreds of thousands (some say well over a million) of German prisoners we starved to death in open fields, with US guards, as ordered by Eisenhower, on pain of execution, not to provide any food or shelter whatsoever. The detainees ate all the grass available, drank rainwater and died in their hundreds of thousands. We did this. Also, the post-war forced winter march of several million ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe during which over two million starved or froze to death – not to mention, no doubt, other atrocities along the way.
One of the first to raise this explicitly was Justice Wennenstrum in the Chicago Daily Tribune, February 23rd 1948, shortly after quitting the Nuremberg Trial proceedings in disgust:
“If I had known seven months ago what I know today, I would never have come here. . . The initial war crimes trial here was judged and prosecuted by Americans, Russians, British and French with much of the time, effort and expenses devoted to whitewashing the Allies and placing the sole blame for World War II upon Germany…. The prosecution has failed to maintain objectivity aloof from vindictiveness, aloof from personal ambitions for convictions. It has failed to strive to lay down precedents which might help the world to avoid future wars.” (Chicago Daily Tribune, February 23rd, 1948).
Many say that the main value of remembering the holocaust vividly is so that ‘never again’ as civilised peoples will we allow such horror to arise in our midst; this is a convincing point, and usually sincerely made. However, by overlooking much of the overall story in favour of allowing one particular slant to dominate the meta-narrative and thus core identity of ‘modern’ society, we are already doing it again. How else to explain how we believe that since 1990 we have starved and slaughtered well over one million Iraqis, mostly women and children, through sanctions, bombing and invasion all in the name of ‘justice’, ‘decency’ and ‘freedom’? The only way we can buy into such self-serving deception is because of this powerful belief in our own righteousness. This belief allows us to ‘deny’ that we have perpetrated such war crimes because, thanks to our meta-narrative, we do not perceive ourselves as capable of such crimes even whilst actually committing them, as we are collectively doing even today. Belief trumps facts every time.
More importantly, this collective collusion on our parts drives the process. Even assuming ‘ruling elite societies’ exist, it is not they who pull strings in a vacuum, rather we who need puppet-masters to assume responsibility for determining our collective imperatives in the right sort of ‘feel-good’ way. So the murder of a million Iraqis in the past decade, and the displacement of over three million since 2003, is the result of our own mutually engendered ‘conspiracy’ for which we are all responsible.
The Atrocity God
‘Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!’ – Sir Walter Scott
How can ‘good’ people like us be the ones perpetrating such crimes even now? Answering this question reveals the ongoing function of the Holocaust narrative in our lives today.
The Holocaust is part of a much larger history involving most of the world during the past century. However, the emotional core of WW II, itself the essential crucible in which today’s world order was forged, is experienced viscerally within the Holocaust imagery. This is of far greater emotive import than the outer official ‘history’. For us today, the pith of the entire catastrophe known as World War II is captured in the imagined mental image of a few score naked civilians huddled together in a shower room dying an unspeakably horrible death. This vivid imagery provokes immediate, viscerally felt horror. Just as we would deplore anyone who tortures an infant, we feel natural revulsion towards the perpetrators.
To understand this dynamic as it plays out today, we need to examine the nature of the belief system. Since the WW II Holocaust narrative helps shape our belief in who we are as people by defining our role in this seminal period of modern world history, its function is similar to that of a deity – in this case one whose imagery focuses on atrocity, cruelty, injustice, anguish, hatred and so forth. Strangely enough, the past and current examples of our crimes mentioned above are not because of ‘holocaust deniers’ who in essence question the veracity of this ‘Atrocity God’, but its adherents who believe that by ‘worshipping’ images of hatred, injustice and brutality they can in turn dish out atrocity themselves without doing wrong, because ‘they’ who make us fear atrocity, deserve to suffer it themselves, whilst ‘we’ who fear and fight against atrocity, are always reasonable people acting in reluctant but heroic self-defence. This sort of view allows Israel, for example, to keep taking more territory in the name of self-defence without seeing the glaring hypocrisies involved. Zbigniew Brzezinski remarked on this during a recent congressional hearing about Iran, namely that after some sort of attack on ‘us’ – false-flag or otherwise – we could then go after them ‘defensively’.
This deceptive view is far more than simple self-serving opportunism: it is sincerely believed, something most critics and victims do not understand. Shortly after he left office, President Clinton said that his biggest mistake early on was to assume that his opponents were aware of their hypocrisies; however, later on he realised that they truly believed they were doing the right thing, which is why they were so powerful.
The ‘prayer’ invoking such demons into our world is any dynamic which solidifies antagonism between self and other – collectively ‘us’ and ‘them’. This ‘satanic’ prayer has great ‘evil’ power, and we see it invoked day after day in so many ways. By praying to such Manichean deities, we engender their type of emotion-based aggression to incarnate in reality. Our world takes on the atmosphere of our perception, as any mystic, lover or good housekeeper well knows, so we should be far more careful about the nature of the gods we worship. Our contemplation essentially summons them into our mind and body streams, invoking a living presence which then looks out through our eyes, walking amongst us, permeating personal and public life. This power, far greater than any individual’s, is all pervasive but invisible and as such is a form of deity, or god.
Our ‘belief’ in this ‘god’ allows us to ignore the degree to which its living emotional impact shapes our collective identity by confirming us as those who combat demonic forces and from there being able to deny – sincerely – that we are anything but the good people we ‘believe’ ourselves to be. We enjoy cheap chocolate and coffee – the products of exploiting child (aka slave) labour, third world farmers, local governments and crooked international funding mechanisms – starve children, bomb civilian populations and so on, secure in the knowledge that we are the good guys who stood up to the totalitarian psychopath Hitler and the mesmerized fanatical German masses who gassed millions of living, innocents, huddled naked and helpless in chambers disguised as public showers.
The story IS the Deity
The meta-narrative is the peg on which we hang the rest of our self-righteous identity. Anyone who criticises ‘us’ is ‘them’, whom we are now cognitively ‘programmed’ to perceive as emotionally identical to those holocaust-perpetrating monsters of yore. Emotion always trumps reason by having a higher volume on the scale of experience, since emotions are felt viscerally in the body-mind, that agent which anchors our experience to specific place and time, aka ‘reality’. This is why arguing the facts never challenges a core belief system.
Furthermore, it is not the story that creates the Manichean dynamic, rather that dynamic which creates the story, our desire to have our cake and eat it, to perpetrate injustice and selfishness in the name of justice and altruism. Attacking the story is attacking ourselves and is therefore verboten. The debate about whether or not the story is true or its detractors thought criminals is a diversion; rather, we must become more aware of how we use it to avoid responsibility for our own crimes, past and present.
If we in the modern age feel that because of our reliance on science we are less ruled by belief or myth, we are fooling ourselves; there is no power greater in the human realm. Stories mirror how we weave physical, cognitive and emotional faculties into one overall tapestry of experience – aka ‘real life’. Without narrative context, we could not progress moment by moment through getting up, bathing, dressing, eating breakfast, going to work and returning back home; we could not grow up, marry, raise children, age and then die in any coherent fashion.
Because all experience is filtered through this narrative cognitive process, ‘real life’ combines objective and subjective. Each individual at the family dinner table views the same ‘facts’ differently depending on how they fit into their own particular subjective ‘story’ or viewpoint. Similarly, we combine fact and fiction to fashion our collective identities from which manifest national institutions, language, dress, highways, schools, technology and so forth. This is called ‘culture’, something so quintessentially human and real, but which is clearly a blend of reality and artifice. Without such storytelling faculties, we could make no sense of space and time, there would be no society or culture. This faculty binds together our physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual faculties into that which ‘makes sense’.
So the ongoing story of life is a primordial art form; and the art of life is how we fashion the tale to engender mutually enlightening culture, not one that wags us into hell. Hell is where every interaction involves aggression and fear, i.e. intense angst and pain. Intensifying aggression between ‘us’ and ‘them’ is that which fuels the furnaces of hell.
Because ultimately we can never separate fact from fiction, in the context of this issue what is most important is to see how we use narrative, including visceral imagery, to empower the Atrocity God to ‘bless’ our belief that no matter who ‘they’ are and what we do to ‘them’, we will always remain on the side of decency, ‘freedom’, ‘democracy’ and so forth because ‘they’ are evil. Through such belief, we are possessed by the demon of self-serving deception – and it is deception, because of course ‘they’ are of the same nature as ourselves, breathing the same air and sleeping each night under the same celestial canopy of stars.
Propaganda in some form or another is a natural function of all States, for when all is said and done it involves how a collective tells its meta-narratives to itself. In other words, even a totally enlightened society will have its narratives, or ‘propaganda’; the issue is whether or not they reflect sanity and wisdom rather than deception and neurosis.
Beyond the Manichean:
Whilst I was slowly writing this article, William Pfaff published one in the NY Review of Books about America’s current myth of, or belief in, cultural exceptionalism. He too seems to be echoing the theme here that a society’s ‘meta-narrative’ determines how we view ourselves, also that the life of a nation resembles the plot-line of any work of fiction, in this case tragedy.
“Schumpeter remarked in 1919 that imperialism necessarily carries the implication of
an aggressiveness, the true reasons for which do not lie in the aims which are temporarily being pursued…an aggressiveness for its own sake, as reflected in such terms as “hegemony,” “world dominion,” and so forth…expansion for the sake of expanding…. This determination cannot be explained by any of the pretexts that bring it into action, by any of the aims for which it seems to be struggling at the time…. Such expansion is in a sense its own “object.”[12]
Perhaps this has come to apply in the American case, and we have gone beyond the belief in national exception to make an ideology of progress and universal leadership into our moral justification for a policy of simple power expansion. In that case we have entered into a logic of history that in the past has invariably ended in tragedy.”
Being alive at all is a great blessing, and any ‘enlightened’ society nurtures and celebrates this, whereas unenlightened ones pervert living into some sort of endless nightmare. All over the world billions of parents love their children and vice versa; all over the world, there is sun, wind, rain, trees, flowers, foods to eat. Each blade of grass and dewdrop thereon is saturated with a limitless abundance of basic goodness. However, any or all of us can become ‘possessed’ by an Atrocity God or any other demonic principle which perverts our basically good nature into an overly selfish, I-versus-other dynamic.
Any aspect of human life that is essentially good, uplifted, decent etc. can be so perverted, be it speech, food, dress, thought, love, marriage, community, solitude, scholarship, monasticism, religion, politics, parenting – and so on ad infinitum. Such deception covers up our naturally good, kind nature, polluting us with the poison of hatred-spawning aggression from which comes all the horror of immorality, societal neurosis and war. Perfectly good people are capable of this, as we proved not only by the literally millions of atrocities we perpetrated during WW II, but also by the ways in which we continue to perpetrate more of the same whilst denying them – and again: sincerely so.
Interestingly, although natural and perverted can be differentiated, ‘good’ and ‘evil’ are not simply two sides of the same neutral coin; rather there is fundamental goodness, and then its perversion. The Manichean fallacy is to perceive them as being essentially equal, like two different colours. Although philosophically seminal to the issue under discussion, it is beyond the scope of this short essay, not to mention the wisdom of its author, to expound on further as it deserves.
Even if we are ‘good’ and happen to be facing those possessed by such demons, the way to ‘overcome’ them is not by becoming worse demons ourselves, because such aggression only intensifies the demonic ‘us-versus-them’ dynamic, making the Atrocity God stronger as ‘He’ seduces more of ‘us’ into being willing inhabitants in His hell realm. First we should not buy into deceit-derived ‘us-them’ dynamics; then, starting with our own view, we must find a way to perceive ‘them’ as ‘us’ and in turn invite them to feel similarly. In this way, we become of the same kin, which has the same root meaning as ‘kind’. True kindness is a virtue, not a vice or weakness – contrary to what so many pseudo ‘conservatives’ nowadays preach!
If one is not under its spell, this sort of deception is quite easy to spot because it always involves using other to define self, often blaming someone else, or ‘them’, for one’s own condition, a function of solidifying the (illusory) difference between self and other. Those who keep building their narrative edifices using the bricks and mortar of accusing others of being ‘liars’ or ‘mass-murderers’, for example, are reflecting their own state of hostility as projected onto others, whilst denying responsibility for their own aggression. So the us-versus-them dynamic is quintessentially aggressive.
This goes back to the deity principle: the deity image (like anything in life) is a symbol of its own nature. The Atrocity God, whilst pretending to champion the opposite, in fact worships atrocity, injustice, cruelty and so forth because that is the aggressive nature of its imagery – its viscerally, and thus literally embodied, state of being. The lie always reveals the nature of the liar just as the object of worship reveals the nature of the worshipper. For example, consider this famous quotation:
“Every Jew, somewhere in his being, should set apart a zone of hate – healthy, virile hate – for what the German personifies and for what persists in the German.” — Eli Wiesel, winner of 1986 Nobel Peace Prize
Since he is a leading member of ‘the Church of Atrocity’, such outrageous statements do not merit hate-crime prosecution. He is a part of ‘we’, and therefore ‘good’ (even worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize) so we all basically agree that his hatred is ‘healthy’, whereas ‘theirs’, of course, is beyond the pale. And yet the expression is clearly one of other-demonisation in order to justify hatred.
Criminalizing those who question core aspects of our collective meta-narrative only further empowers this Atrocity God, one of whose favourite deceptions is to prevent us from understanding that pointing out the falsehoods in our other-demonising, self-sanctifying narratives is not necessarily the same as saying that ‘they’ are all good and we are all ‘bad’. In other words, if we strip away the victors’ propaganda, we might find that the Germans of WW II were no worse or better than the British, American and Russians, or in other words that we are no better than they who are no worse than ourselves.
But saying this about past or current adversaries is regarded by many as so offensive that any statements intimating that our enemies are anything other than demons or that we are anything other than noble is ipso facto perceived – first emotionally and now legally – as such clear evidence of a ‘hate crime’ that no defence is even permitted and the perpetrators banished from society.
Threat to our individual or collective identity and thus sense of reality, engenders a viscerally-felt fear response, such inner emotional turmoil instantly projecting out distorted versions of other. Having thus projected onto other our own fear-spawned hatred, using the typical response of aggression which essentially places self above other, we strive to eliminate the threat. Our own fear, born of clinging to the false identities that give existential meaning to our lives, engenders such monsters. Rather than listen to what they have to teach about our own distortions, we destroy them. Because challenging the meta-narrative is threatening, arousing hatred in ourselves, those who claim that denial is a hate crime are sincere, but the question remains: whose hatred is in play: those of the deniers, or those who disagree with them?
Even considering such thought-crime legislation evidences the degree to which the us-versus-them Demon of Aggression, the Atrocity God, holds sway in our culture. And the obvious fact that such laws are now being introduced in Europe sixty years on indicates the narrative’s seminal importance in our culture today.
Ashley Howes is a Canadian citizen who grew up in the UK. He works in Sydney, Cape Breton, NS, paying modest bills and watching the larger world go by through the lens of the Internet. Occasionally, he likes to voice his opinion as an individual citizen of this our world.
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Research Brief 158: A Screening Tool to Identify Developmental Neurotoxicants
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Research Brief 158
A Screening Tool to Identify Developmental Neurotoxicants
View Research Brief as PDF(228KB)
Background: Exposure of pregnant women and children to pesticides and other Superfund chemicals represents a major environmental risk for effects on neurodevelopment. Rapid screening techniques are needed to focus resources on chemicals that pose the greatest potential risk. The process of assessing developmental neurotoxicity is complicated not only by the large number of chemicals and mixtures to be tested, but because the presumed mechanisms and nervous system effects seen in adults may be unrelated to developmental neurotoxicity. For example, it was believed that all organophosphates act similarly — through irreversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. Research conducted by Dr. Ted Slotkin at the Duke University SBRP demonstrated that organophosphates' adverse effects on brain development actually involve multiple mechanisms, many of which are unrelated to cholinesterase inhibition (see Research Brief 80).
Dr. Slotkin's research group has developed an in vitro test system using PC12 cells to detect toxicant actions that target cell replication, as well as the events involved in differentiation and the phenotypic emergence of specific neuronal features. This system focuses on aspects of neurodevelopment that lend themselves to rapid screening and that permit ready comparisons of targets involving cell replication, growth, and differentiation.
Advances: The Slotkin lab used the new test system to compare known developmental neurotoxicants (organophosphate pesticides) with other suspected classes of neurotoxicants including a carbamate pesticide, organochlorine pesticides, heavy metal contaminants, and river sediments from contaminated sites.
With the in vitro model, the lab established that the organophosphates chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and parathion are equally damaging to neural cell replication and differentiation at exposure levels below the threshold for significant inhibition of cholinesterase. These effects intensify as the transition to cell differentiation is approached. The researchers also found that the organochlorine pesticide dieldrin and divalent nickel, which act through different originating mechanisms, elicit similar patterns of disrupted neural development. The organophosphates, as well as other agents, interfere with the specification of the cholinergic phenotype; these are the type of neurons that are the most sensitive to damage when assessments are conducted in vivo.
The researchers identified replication through early differentiation as the critical stages that are vulnerable to the developmental neurotoxicity of these agents and identified why certain circuits are targeted. With that information, the lab explored methods of amelioration, depicting that a "cocktail" of protectant drugs can prevent developmental neurotoxicity as a result of organophosphate exposure.
Finally, scientists continue to explore the events in gene transcription that precede the emergence of neurotoxic outcomes as a way of determining if there is a "fingerprint" pattern of gene expression that predicts whether given agents will be developmental neurotoxicants, and what their likely targets and critical periods might be. The lab has successfully defined gene groupings that make these predictions across different classes of compounds with disparate neural targets.
Significance: These results are important for three reasons:
They demonstrate that the adverse effects of chlorpyrifos on neurodevelopment are shared by other organophosphates, and also by apparently unrelated Superfund chemicals that can target similar events, such as divalent heavy metals and organochlorines.
In the case of the organophosphates, these studies point to mechanisms, other than cholinesterase inhibition, as the primary culprits. This suggests that the current use of cholinesterase activity as a biomarker for these adverse effects is inappropriate, necessitating a revised approach to the detection of developmental neurotoxicity.
This demonstration of an effective cell culture mode to assess the developmental neurotoxicity of various compounds opens the door to rapid screening of suspected environmental neurotoxicants, using a combination of gene transcription "fingerprints" and defined, adverse outcomes.
The information provided by this work has been cited heavily in important documents for pesticide regulation, including the 2006 EPA Inspector General’s Report (Report no. 2006-P-00009), "Opportunities to Improve Data Quality and Children's Health Through the Food Quality Protection Act." This research served, and continues to serve, as an endpoint guide for studies of neurodevelopment outcomes in children exposed to pesticides, cited by a number of NIEHS-funded research centers.
Theodore A Slotkin
Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology
Box 3813 Med Ctr.
Email: t.slotkin@duke.edu
To learn more about this research, please refer to the following sources:
Slotkin TA, MacKillop EA, Ryde IT, Seidler FJ. 2007. Ameliorating the developmental neurotoxicity of chlorpyrifos: a mechanisms-based approach in PC12 cells. Environ Health Perspect 115:1306-1313. PMID:17805420
Slotkin TA, MacKillop EA, Ryde IT, Tate CA, Seidler FJ. 2007. Screening for developmental neurotoxicity using PC12 cells: comparisons of organophosphates with a carbamate, an organochlorine, and divalent nickel. Environ Health Perspect 115(1):93-101. PMID:17366826 PMCID:PMC1797840
Slotkin TA, Seidler FJ. 2007. Comparative developmental neurotoxicity of organophosphates in vivo: transcriptional responses of pathways for brain cell development, cell signaling, cytotoxicity and neurotransmitter systems. Brain Res 72:232-274. PMID:17452286
To receive monthly mailings of the Research Briefs, send your email address to srpinfo@niehs.nih.gov.
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TXGR News Updates | Sign your Constitutional Carry Petition | Join TXGR
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Original (3655x2362px)
U2 : Rattle and Hum Year : 1988 Directed by : Phil Joanou Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton, The Edge, Bono
Average fan rating:
U2 era:
Joshua Tree (1987-1989)
Camera model:
Nikon Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 ED
Gman68 rated 3 years ago
Optional comment:
"The song Iris deals with some kind of transference of the female energy because the way I would look at women, from the point I met Ali, was forever changed. It's a big moment, at puberty, you're just discovering girls and this women who brought you into the world leaves you, abandons you. And you think it's your fault, because that's something that kids do. But, of course it's not" - Bono on Iris
The Picture of Dorian Grey mentioned in the song 'The Ocean' is a novel by Oscar Wilde, the Irish author who has been a huge influence on Bono's lyrics. In referring to it, Bono mocks his own vanity in thinking a rock star can change the world.
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Entertainment on Mariner of the Seas
What to do on Mariner of the Seas? There’s a variety of sports, recreational, and chillax activities for you to choose from and do. Otherwise, enjoy the entertainment on Mariner of the Seas that I have listed down in this post.
1) Dreamworks
If you or your children love Dreamworks characters, be thrilled to get on Mariner of the Seas. You will get to see the characters frequently–from photo shoot sessions to dance along performances by the characters. They performed both indoor and outdoors. Check the cruise compass for their schedules!
2) Ice Skating
On Mariner of the Seas, every guest is assigned to a session for the ice skating performance at Studio B. This is so that everyone gets a chance to see! It was like Disney on Ice, except there wasn’t any Disney. Nevertheless it was still enjoyable! Oh, do remember to bring a jacket if you are afraid of the cold. It’s after all an ice skating rink.
Some performers slipped and fell. But can’t blame them, when I was skating on the ice, it was super slippery. I could see melting water even!
There were many ice skating segments–from the romantic skating couple to the fun filled skating group of clowns. There will be a few segments when the skaters would engage with the first row audiences.
See the train in the picture below?
It was carrying the guests’ children. They were probably asked if they wanted to when entering the venue. Because the children were readied before the segment and hopped on the train on cue.
3) Savoy Theatre – Performances
The Savoy Theatre was where we went for the nightly performances–music concerts and shows by magicians and dancers.
This man you see below was the cruise director, Fang (he pronounced it the ang moh way). You will see him (almost) everywhere. You could think of him as the host of Mariner of the Seas.
He was also the emcee of the nightly performances in Savoy, and also late night parties after the show.
Superb performance
A few guests were picked by him to go on the stage.
He was really funny and multi-talented. Love this segment! :)
There was a guest singer who sang Chinese and dialect songs for the older Asian crowd on-board. This crowd is likely to get board with so many other English singing performances. Hence this performance was a nice addition.
The singer interacted much with the crowd and shared that she was the body double for Jackie Chan for a few years running.
Most of the performances were rotated among these singers / dancers.
I love the music played by this trio, and hence checked my cruise compass and caught them playing at the Ellington’s bar. It’s weird to see them up close after seeing them high and mighty on the big stage. Hur hur. But most of the resident performers playing or singing at Savoy could be found in a smaller setting around the cruise.
The band, according to Mr S, was very skillful and good. They had a segment to show off their skills in foreground and not hidden behind singers in the background.
So at the end of the last performance, the grand finale, the management staff all went on stage as a celebration to mark the end of a wonderful trip!
Will you be going for all the shows on the Mariner of the Seas? Leave a comment below.
Bookmark this page >> Comprehensive Guide to Mariner of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) as I update it with links of useful tips and navigation around the cruise.
Travelled in December 2015 | Trip is fully paid by us and in no way sponsored.
Filed Under: Royal Caribbean Cruise, Southeast Asia
Tags: Art, Asia, Cruise, Dance, Mariner of the Seas, Music, Recreation, Royal Caribbean, Tips, Travel Tips
What to do on Mariner of the Seas – Art and Music
Interesting Things to do in Penang (George Town)
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‘Star Trek: Discovery’ USS Enterprise Design Change Clarified As Creative Decision, Not A Legal One
| April 17, 2018 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 470 comments so far
Last week, veteran Trek designer John Eaves shared some notes on Facebook about the process of designing the USS Enterprise, as seen the in season one finale of Star Trek: Discovery, and how it differed from the concept art seen in the 2019 Star Trek: Ships of The Line Calendar. We reported on Eaves’ description of those differences, however chose not to cover additional comments he made that were outside the bounds of being strictly design notes.
In these comments from Eaves’ now-deleted Facebook post, it was implied that there were legal issues surrounding the use of the classic USS Enterprise design which dictated the changes seen in Star Trek: Discovery. These comments were picked up by some fans and a few press outlets, creating a bit of a controversy. However, the implication that there was some kind of legal requirement to change the USS Enterprise design didn’t seem to fit with what is known about CBS ownership of the Star Trek TV franchise.
The final design of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: Discovery
Today CBS provided TrekMovie with the following statement to clarify the design decisions:
Consider this concept art
Enterprise redesign fits with Discovery’s visual update inside prime canon
This clarification fits with comments made by production designer Tamara Deverell and visual effects supervisor Jason Zimmerman at the recent WonderCon Discovery panel, where they talked about how the USS Enterprise was changed to match the aesthetic of the show, and fit with the USS Discovery in terms of size.
Tamara Deverell: For the Enterprise, we based it initially off of The Original Series. We were really drawing a lot of our materials from that. And then we particularly went to more of the Star Trek movies, which is a little bit fatter, a little bit bigger. Overall, I think we expanded the length of it to be within the world of our Discovery, which is bigger, so we did cheat it as a larger ship.
Jason Zimmerman: It starts with them giving us designs to work with and then there is a lot of back and forth between VFX and [Tamra’s] department to make sure that we get everything right. There were a lot of conversations and more emails than I could remember about how the design would evolve and sort of match our universe, and that is how we sort of arrived where we are now.
USS Enterprise was updated to fit with the look, and the size, of the USS Discovery
The producers of Star Trek: Discovery have been consistently clear in saying the show lives firmly inside the canon universe of Star Trek’s prime timeline, set a decade prior to The Original Series. However, this adherence to canon is focused on the story. With regards to the visuals, Discovery has clearly made changes throughout it’s run. Speaking to TrekMovie at the Hollywood premiere, co-creator and executive producer Alex Kurtzman discussed their design approach, saying:
Alex Kurtzman: Obviously [Discovery] looks more modern than The Original Series, because we are in a modern world now and if we made the show look that way people would not feel that it was worth the money. That being said, every prop and costume design is filtered through what existed at the time. And do we create the new version of it or do we augment the original design in very subtle ways or do we just leave it alone? And when I say every prop and design choice I mean every prop and design choice. So, I think you will see a lot of tips of the hat to devices to The Original Series and the timeline. But, obviously we wanted to create a more modern experience and that necessitated certain adjustments.
The changes to the USS Enterprise are no different than other updates we have seen throughout the series from holographic projections, new uniforms, props and yes, even Klingons.
Discovery has been updating the Trek look since episode 1
Star Trek: Discovery is available exclusively in the USA on CBS All Access. It airs in Canada on the Space Channel and streams on CraveTV. It is available on Netflix everywhere else.
Keep up with all the Star Trek: Discovery news at TrekMovie.
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Jeyl
Alex Kurtzman: Obviously [Discovery] looks more modern than The Original Series, because we are in a modern world now and if we made the show look that way people would not feel that it was worth the money.
I like how he his assumptions come off like they’re fact. Are today’s audiences really incapable of understanding why things look the way they do? Trek of the past always tried the look and feel of the original series whenever it could, even in Enterprise that also served as a prequel.
Captain Mateo
Visual updates allow for the freedom of a new artists and production crew to do their best work. Trek visually has never been static and keeping, say, the TOS Enterprise the same through the past incarnations is a fact but I think that time is over and I am happy it doesn’t look like Vic’s Trek or Phase II.
@Captain Ditto. I have no real problems with any of the set or ship designs on the show (and am thrilled they updated the Enterprise, even though the updates are pretty minor). And the things that bug me don’t bug me because they’re different from TOS.
I’d also be fine if Pike etc. were wearing Discovery-era uniforms
BringBackKirkPrime
For those that want the freedom to be more creative, maybe they should create their own series, rather than play in someone else’s sandbox. There was nothing wrong with the look of the Enterprise, and if a writer needs the nacelles to look different to have freedom, that doesn’t say much for the talent of the writer.
Bradley1701
I think you are going to find it difficult to find creative talent that wants to work on a production where they are told just to cookie cutout everything from the past, especially on a tv show where they have a high production value and filming 15ish episodes a year. It isn’t the writers who come up with design elements. There is an entire team of set, ship, costume designers that all work together to make what we watch look cohesive and consistent.
TOS is my favourite of the series as that is what I grew up watching (despite being an 80’s kid). That being said, the TOS Enterprise would have stuck out like a sore thumb in the Discovery universe and I’m fine with the minor adjustments they have made to blend it into the Discovery universe.
CaffeineDelusions
Key detail. ‘Discovery universe’. As distinct from ‘Star Trek universe’.
If you want it to be treated as part of the same universe, you don’t get to act like it gets to have an entirely different visual language for everything. Creating continuity means adhering consistently to what’s been presented, and making sure that changes are explained. It’s in making sure that changes are explained that Discovery has been consistently failing.
Doc Zolfer
and i can’t see how they will at this point, not unless Q or some other cosmic entity snaps their fingers and change how everything looks, Klingons grow hair and change their Artistic style, and the Federation’s technology becomes less advanced……..yeah don’t see that happening any time soon.
Doc Zolfer,
Well, it doesn’t necessarily have to be that:
https://trekmovie.com/2018/04/17/star-trek-discovery-uss-enterprise-design-change-clarified-as-creative-decision-not-a-legal-one/#comment-5398065
well in that case, they should have made the show to reflect the TOS design in the first place, in my opinion (which is shared by a lot of people by the way)the real problem lies within the shows design from the start, i would be more than happy to watch a this show if everything looked like a slightly more detailed version of the original series.
Re: a slightly more detailed version of the original series.
I can’t deny that would have thrilled me, but nether can we deny that time traveling has occurred so much in all the productions since that first series that it allows for changes. In fact I keep wonder if what people are really griping about is they somehow don’t believe Kurtzman can explain all their prime canon apparent discrepancies when all he has to do is have Daniels pop up?:
“DANIELS: We don’t know any more than you do.
ARCHER: I thought you and your colleagues were supposed to be keeping an eye on the time line. You’re from the thirtieth century. Hasn’t all this happened already?
DANIELS: History doesn’t mention anything about a conflict between humans and Xindi.
ARCHER: How could that be?
DANIELS: The events that are taking place are the result of temporal incursions. They are not supposed to be happening.
ARCHER: But they are happening.
DANIELS: Yes, they are, but the outcome hasn’t reached us yet. It takes a while for changes to ripple through the time line.” — Rick Berman & Brannon Braga, ‘Carpenter Street’, ENTERPRISE
And here’s something to ponder: DISCOVERY could be taking place in the delay of a rippling from some distant in time incursion that will restore things your way, eventually. But I wouldn’t hold our breathes.
Sorry but they own the sandbox. Every last sand belongs to CBS and they can do whatever they want with it.
Meeee
And when they poop in their own sandbox, kids are less likely to play in it.
Then they’ll have no friends.
Only unreasonable fans are doing the pooping.
By “unreasonable”, do you mean the fans who have lived with the Original Trek for 50+ years, whom the studios are pissing off by treating this franchise as a cash cow?
Please…educate me. I feel as if I’m missing something important, such as those pissed-off fans’ voices, whom the studios are alienating with these “creative reboots” in their effort to kill off Trek.
Old people don’t buy stuff. That’s why 18 – 34 is the key demographic for networks.
And that is what it is all about: people buying stuff. They create new versions and new styles and tweak everything so they can sell new junk. If the story is good and the visuals look cool, that great, but not the primary goal: they only serve the primary goal which is to make money.
I’ve bought every Trek episode and movie on DVD. And then bought every special edition Star Trek blu-ray every released. And countless tech manuals, novels, behind the scenes books, etc.
I won’t be buying Discovery. I haven’t even seen the show from Episode 6 onwards. Because I just can’t respect a show that hates the rest of the franchise that much.
I’m 21 years old, and I am a fan of the original series, not crap like discovry.
KyRal
Doof! Checked things lately? Who supports 18-34. We kick them out and they come back!
yeah, the fans that own the litter box. because they have no friends.
Danpaine
…got a chuckle out of that, Meee. Nice.
You know, if they wanted to put a little more effort in they COULD update the look while still maintaining a sense of the TOS production design. Instead they opted to blow up all that came before and do something 100% different. There was absolutely no need to make the wholesale changes they did.
To say that their Enterprise is “100% different” is just plain wrong. Everybody who has ever seen the Enterprise will immediately identify the modified design. The essential characteristics are still there even though they tweaked some proportions and details.
I wasn’t talking about the Enterprise. I was talking about the entire aesthtic of the STD. The Enterprise changes to conform with the STD production design actually makes sense.
I dunno. This sounds to me like someone saying that The Dark Knight was a terrible batman movie because it contradicts the canon of the 1960s Adam West in pajamas TV show. Yes, the Dark Knight trilogy was a reboot, and Disco isn’t; fine. But if TDK was just a standalone film, a film that supposedly shared the same canon as the 60s show, would making it be a cosmic crime because the canon and visuals are slightly different? For that matter, what would Shakespeare be like if we were watching it in the late 1500s? It’s like you seem to think the only interpretation of a work is the original interpretation. I say let the writers be writers, and if they want to do a modern cover of a classic song, then let them give it a go.
Fred Javelina
That’s a great analogy.
I grew up on Christopher Reeve’s Superman, so the grimdark interpretation by Zack Snyder seems like a different universe to me (and maybe it is), but who am I to say that there’s only one true interpretation of Superman? What about Smallville (which to me was really Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with superheroes), Superman Returns, Lois and Clark, the Super Friends?
Even when you look at the comics, as years went by, and with different writers and artists, Superman kept changing, yet is always Superman. Superman’s costume evolved, his relationships changed, his code of conduct and sensibilities evolved (of course, the Comics Code Authority had something to do with that).
The Fleischer cartoons had him fighting very offensively stereotypical-looking Japanese spies during WWII, something that just would not fly at all today. Should we hold today’s writers to that standard because it’s “canon”?
Hardly any modern Shakespeare production is done with 15th century clothing, with the audience standing on the ground, lit by candlelight, either.
50 years from now we’ll still be arguing over the accuracy of the Enterprise in some future reboot intended to be beamed directly into our brains… if we’re still around, of course.
Superman is not a good analogy either. Fred. I’m not a comic book guy but I am aware that it is quite common for the books to reboot, restart and change all sorts of things all the time. Often at the same time as there are even multiple books of the same characters every month. STD pretty much is saying we are going to do what comics do. Just start our own thing in that world independent of what came before in our own new version of that world. At least, that is the result we are getting even though those in charge keep saying otherwise.
ML31,
Sure it is. Fiction is art.
And to advance it was why copyright originally was only a limited time of around 14 years after which, all where encouraged to change it however they felt to advance the art.
For example, Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain. There exists no entity with canon “authority” over the character and his stories — save only the fans, and then only if they organize into buying blocs who boycott versions that don’t follow their guidelines.
The only thing I will add to this is that the Sherlock Holmes thing was largely due to Doyle himself not caring what other authors did with the character and the estate honoring that.
RE: Doyle himself not caring
Pure B.S. If Doyle did not care, the character would have immediately entered the public domain as the old copyright laws (pre-Disney lobby) during his lifetime recognized such abandonment as causing authored works to enter it. Instead, Holmes did not enter the public domain in the UK until 1980 because the author and his heirs did their due diligence as the old copyright law required. And in the US, after Disney rewrote the 1976 Copyright laws allowing for renewal, The Doyle heirs were granted renewal in 1981.
Regardless, the question still remains, which Sherlock Holmes is canon, Ritchie’s movie Holmes, US CBS’ ELEMENTARY Holmes, or BBC TV’s SHERLOCK? And who gets to make the call?
Also, since you brought it up, in regards to STAR TREK canon, when did Ball, Bludhorn, Lansing or Grey ever care?
I had read, DIS, that Doyle did not care what another author did with his character. Could that info have been wrong? Perhaps. I read about it a couple of decades ago.
I do not recall ever bringing up the names Ball, Bludhorn, Lansing or Grey. So not sure where that came from.
Re: Ball, Bludhorn, Lansing or Grey
I believe the point you were attempting to make via Doyle was the canon of STAR TREK was an exceptional and precious thing because the owner “cared.”
Lucille Ball, the original owner of STAR TREK, did not care about its canon. Neither did Charlie Bludhorn who bought it from her. And least of all, Paramount, whose two most noted heads controlling TREK during its long tenure there were Sherry Lansing and Brad Grey, which did not want anything to do with running the still in production 1st television series of STAR TREK, and Bludhorn personally had to order to run it because Paramount cared so little for STAR TREK that it couldn’t care less.
No, Dis. I never went there at all. Obviously the concept of canon on a TV show in the 60’s was never even a thing. The Trek universe evolved over time. As did its canon. Not once did I ever infer or even suggest that the Desilu folks had any kind of deep respect for canon. That’s just folly.
Re: I never went there at all.
Well then, your reason for introducing Doyle and his heirs caring or not is lost on me.
When I was watching the first Trek series as it aired in the 60s, the only ones caring and attempting to make sense out of the many incongruous things between episodes were the fans.
Somewhere along the line, apparently, it got usurped by Paramount through some mechanism that I’m not entirely certain about. Because now people are telling me “canon” is something the corporate holders of the STAR TREK “jewels” has been maintaining all along and I find that the most astonishing bunk that I’ve ever heard about STAR TREK’S “canon.”
all versions are their own canon, as far as i know, no one has ever claimed that the Basil Rathbone version is in continuity with the Robert Downey Jr version, or that the Ronald Howard version is in the same continuity as the Jeremy Brett version. your argument is baseless in the Star trek debate because what we traditional fans are concerned about has to do with Continuity, not someone else’s version.
Re: Continuity
But the dramatic arts have various types of continuity and STAR TREK has always focused on its storytelling, first. The look was always secondary. Juxtapose this against its contemporary’s, LOST IN SPACE, priorities where all they cared about was keeping up the look in their sets’ and permanent stage props, and continuity of the narrative between each episode’s narrative be damned.
Re: not someone else’s version.
What are you talking about? Who is this entity that has steadfastly “maintained” STAR TREK as the ONE version of which you speak?
First there was the Ball/Desilu production version. Then she sold it to Bludhorn and then he order his demurring Paramount to produce it which gave us the Paramount produced version. Then Roddenberry decided he had to walk away from the stultifying Paramount producing in the 2nd season which gave us the Freiberger 3rd season version. Then the Wise version, Meyer’s version, etc, etc.
And I know lot of Trek fans who will claim there’s not a lot of continuity between Meyer’s version and the STAR TREK that came before. Gene Roddenberry for one.
Gee, I even recall the knockdown dragout fight between Bjo and Dorothy over the COMPENDIUM.
I certainly hope I’m not exchanging ideas with my contemporaries in my 60s’ decades viewing because I’d hate to think we’ve allowed ourselves to become so maudlin and nostalgic as to ever fool ourselves into believing that it all went down in smooth orderly stormtrooper lockstep.
So you are saying that if someone were to make a prequel to Star wars, it alright to make the stormtroopers armor look like weird alien art? or the Ewoks to suddenly have real time hologram devices, and no hair? continuity folks, continuity is the argument here, not reboots.
Re: Prequel to Episode I
I would be more concerned with the narrative discontinuity in the prequel story of how beings recognizable as Stormtroopers were running around before they were created, than how “off” their armor art looked.
Re: Superman is not a good analogy either.
Aren’t you forgetting that from the 1st series on STAR TREK has been and is in the comic books?
In fact, the producer of note for the last three movies seemed to indicate that the IDW prequel comics needed to be bought to fully comprehend his canon, as I recall?
TokyoGaijin
In a conversation about the design of the enterprise you virtue signal? And you call yourself a Star Trek fan?
What does college professor drivel have to do with recasting Khan or redesigning the Jefferies Enterprise? Nothing!
Please I beg you stop the virtue signaling. All it does is divide everyone and people are getting real sick of it.
The difference is Adam West’s Batman was set in the time it was made. The 60’s. It also carried with it a certain campy tone. Nolan’s Batman trilogy was not only a complete reboot but set in the time IT was made… 00’s. And it was tonally different. If Nolan wanted to do Batman set in the 60’s and claim it was the same world as the Adam West show, then they would need to duplicate the look and feel of that show. They could not claim it was the same as West’s but make it look like it’s the ’00’s. People would see right through that lie. Therefore, Batman is a terrible analogy.
Okay but you have to admit that after a certain point the internal logic of Trek begins to fall apart if you allow it to remain entrenched in its increasingly distant televised past. If The Search for Spock is supposed to take place 300 years in our own future, then why are they using 20th century CRT displays? Why do the computer graphics look like they’re from the early 1980s? A show set in the future has to look like it’s in the future, or else the premise itself defies believability. A modern reinterpretation doesn’t take away anything, unless you allow it to. I definitely see your point of course, don’t get me wrong.
Understood. And I am not arguing against a visual upgrade. What I am arguing against is a visual upgrade that completely invalidates literally EVERYTHING that the fictional world has cemented for that particular time frame. It can be updated but still retain the TOS feel. Albeit, that would mean more work and be a larger task for the design crew of STD. It seems they were more eager to do their own thing than embrace what came before. Which, IMHO, is a disservice to the fans. Who are probably the bulk of CBSAA’s subscribers.
I like Discovery, albatrosity, but it’s the show itself that’s “entrenched in its increasingly distant televised past.” Set the show after TNG and DS9 and all of this nonsense is a moot point.
Yes, the Batman example doesn’t work at all. As ML31 notes, 60s Batman was an ironic take on a character who’d already been around for decades. Not at all what TOS was trying to do at the same time as a sincere attempt at imagining a better future.
But I think the bigger problem here is that Discovery is itself “set in the past,” so to speak. It’s trying to have it both ways–appealing to the nostalgia of the original series, while also trying to claim that things need to change.
I agree with the latter, but a show that’s trying to milk the past for everything its worth instead of embracing the future is going to have trouble in this regard.
I’m sorry to have to burst bubbles, but the Adam West 1960s Batman was truer to Bob Kane, who created the character, than any of the other versions that people are waxing nostalgic about.
sure, just say its not the original and we’ll be fine, i don’t care if they reboot the Enterprise or Star Trek in general, just say that it is not the original. while this is just a work of fiction, it only works if you treat it as historical fiction, all trek up till this Discovery has been worked out to fit together, Discovery has gone to far, and now it can never correct that with messing itself up in the process. The Dark Knight works because it is not in the same continuity as any previous incarnation of the character (batman), the whole point of this debate is because the show runners are telling us that this is Prime Canon, while everything we see tells us otherwise.
A tale told between the ripples of time incursions…
What a shame, then, that they chose to set the show in an era in which their “best work” looks horribly inappropriate and out of place.
Why not simply set it in the post TNG era where they could have their modern aesthetic? Or hell, simply call it another alternate universe / reboot – it obviously is anyway.
Dr. Image
Captain Ransom
“Obviously [Discovery] looks more modern than The Original Series, because we are in a modern world now and if we made the show look that way people would not feel that it was worth the money.”
I completely agree. I see nothing wrong with the updates. Although, like I mentioned before, I would update my AMT Enterprise model kit like that back in the 70s.
Frank Mondana
“Enterprise” looked more modern than TOS.
Trek is pop culture and a business, not a religion. While sticking to the “Roddenberry Rules” and established visual look may appease the hardcore fans, but speaking as an original old guy TOS fan, that’s stupid. The franchise has to make money and hardcore cannon fans are just a part of the audience. Any entry has to appeal to a far larger audience.
You think miniskirts would be welcome? “Into Darkness” caught hell for a few seconds of Alice Eve in her underwear.
If you’re offended by the changes made, don’t watch.
That’s rubbish.
The ‘backlash’ on that case was jealous zialots who themselves most likely carry a few pounds more than they really need. I know I do!
No, the backlash was because it was a scene that has zero reason to exist other then to show off Alice Eve’s body for sexual laughs and make a joke of Kirk’s slack-jawed drooling.
In the context of the fictional story, it was a gross portrayal of Kirk.
Even the way they framed the shot and positioned Alice Eve was all about exploiting her body for the brief sexual gratification that comes with looking at her in that way.
Im all for admiring hot women and Alice is gorgeous. And if they wanted to sex up the film, there were way better ways to get her out of her clothes that werent so painfully immature and obvious.
You almost get the impression that the day they filmed that scene was the one day all the writers “happened” to drop by the set.
Also, there is a difference between miniskirts and underwear.
Praetor Tal
For the next round of remastering, they should give all the female crew opaque black tights.
They had pants in Pike’s day…
And a reasonable collar.
AdAstraPerAspera
Thank you for this comment, Frank. It’s good to see a life long fan capable of accepting change.
While Enterprise looked more modern the design was such that it looked very possible that it could evolve into the TOS design over 100 years later. That is the difference. Perhaps STD should have set their show 150 years after TOS. Then they would have an entirely new sandbox to play in and no one would moan about the different look. Only that bad plot decisions and terrible writing.
Except it doesn’t have 100 years to evolve into the TOS design. It had the TOS design three years earlier (in The Cage), and will be back in the TOS design ten years later (during Kirk’s run on the Enterprise).
Enterprise as in the show “Enterprise” that had Scott Bakula as the lead. Not the Enterprise as appears at the end of S1 of STD.
Carter Dohoney
That’s not the Enterprise that’s relevant to this conversation, is the problem.
The comment I responded to by Frank referenced the show “Enterprise”. I was continuing the conversation in that direction.
Dr Beckett
*comment deleted*
Hard-core fans such as yourself won’t have a problem. But you can bet everyone outside those subset will have an issue with a tv series that looks archaic and primitive in today’s world.
Why is so difficult for people to understand that?
Because we enjoy watching that Archaic and Primitive stuff, which by the way is still better than Discovery.
Re: Archaic and Primitive stuff
Hold on a sec, some of us were weaned on Saturday morning reruns of the motion picture serials in the days before Saturday cartoons. Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and Commando Cody were fine entertainment while I was toddling around in diapers. And as much as I relish chest dial spinning Commando Cody in his secret identity of Larry Martin [at least that’s my head canon] for introducing me to Nimoy’s Martian in ZOMBIES OF THE STRATOSPHERE, my tastes have matured somewhat towards something with a bit more sophistication.
But I have to admit, you have me ready to go on the prowl for ZotS at my local disc dispensaries.
Some people keep pointing to the DS9 episode and the ENT two-parter as “proof” that TOS designs can work today. However, there is a big difference: These were individual one-off episodes that were specifically meant as a throw-back. Trials and Tribble-lations was a fun tribute celebrating the 30th anniversary of the franchise. The ENT episodes were a fun side-trip to the mirror universe that added the Defiant as a bonus. None of these entries were meant as serious episodes. So while this may work in small doses I don’t think that a general audience would take something like that serious if you did a whole show like that today. Yes, some fans would definitely enjoy it but then we’d be in Star Trek Phase 2 or Star Trek Continues territory: with a very small target audience.
So are you saying that those episodes are not canon anymore? and by the way, Star trek phase 2 and star trek continues are both fan productions, and (unless its Axanar) don’t get a lot of attention in the first place, now put a big studio in charge of the project and it gets a whole lot of attention. and have you seen Prelude To Axanar? that fan film really shows that a only slightly updated TOS design would have worked.
Given in the real world we are moving towards crystals in quantum computing, the big plastic (crystal) buttons do make perfect sense for Duotronic look of the TOS set, but doesn’t mean such a look is outdated. Give the consoles a acrylic shine, add in some CGI holos and the TOS set can retain her classic look and yet be modernized. If anyone doubts me, just look at Orville who is doing just fine with basic wood sets that was inspired by TNG. Simple works!
This. In life we tend to always go for the complex solutions, but it has been my experience that most of the times the simplest solution is the best and most creative one. Nowadays, I think creative producers of big properties are forgetting this because of the big budgets they play with, but I still remember Dan Curry’s stories about TNG and how in the earlier years they found simple but clever solutions to their designs and effects.
The engineering application of Occam’s Razor: “The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain.” If you want absolute control over a circuit, your best bet is to use an actual switch. Or you can trust it to a computer. But then you’re relying on the software to be reliable and secure. It’s the exact same argument about voter machines, and the “internet of things” broadly. Say what you will, but the mechanical machines weren’t hackable and they never crashed.
Well, I don’t find the Orville sets very convincing at all, sorry. And based on the TNG aesthetic as they are, they really don’t lend much proof to your notion that the TOS sets could work in a modern context in any case.
Are you serious? TMP is so drastic in it’s visual update it’s sometimes called a soft reboot. Enterprise doesn’t look anything like a prequel to TOS visually. That was one of people’s gripes back then. This Enterprise design directly references the NX. I honestly don’t know what you are complaining about.
It’s a prequel, set during TOS. But looks nothing like that.
Honestly, I feel that it’s not worth the money explicitly because it’s choosing to ‘reimagine’ the franchise’s visual history rather than remaster it. If you say you’re going to show an iconic ship, don’t show me something BASED ON the iconic ship, show me the ACTUAL iconic ship, looking its best with modern technology.
Jeyl,Agreed! He assumes as many in his profession, that his audience is stupid.
Alex Kurtzman is also the guy who gave us white Khan and thought no one would notice, just remember that.
But as far as his point about updating the Enterprise, I agree with him on this. It would look VERY out of place compared to the universe Discovery is in. It would look almost awkward. Now of course Discovery is suppose to take place in the TOS universe obviously but I have commented on that one too many times to name. I’ll just leave it at I understand why they changed the Enterprise since they clearly changed everything else at this point and had to make it fit more organically. So I’m good with that.
Because we got Mexican Khan and they thought no one would notice.
Hee-hee!
What’s funny?
I understand Kurtzman’s point about not wanting to cast a POC in that role for fear of doing the lazy casting stereotype of Indian actors playing the Generic Middle Eastern Terrorist of the Week (I mean??? it’s not even the same continent), but going for the whitest white guy possible seems like an overcorrection.
By contrast, they cast actual Indian actor Naseruddin Shah as Captain Nemo in LXG, and they undercut any stereotypes by basically making him 19th century Batman, with advanced tech and amazing fighting skills; the production design put Indian elements onto everything he had, including his submarine…
Eric Cheung
That wasn’t perfect, but casting a blue-eyed British actor is a step way backwards. Even first choice Benicio Del Toro would have been far better.
When Bollywood is the biggest film industry on Earth, there was no excuse not to cast an English-speaking star from Bollywood ready to break into Hollywood the way Cumberbatch was ready.
Whitewashing in Hollywood is one thing, and something which must be fought at every turn, but whitewashing in Star Trek, the franchise that was celebrated for its relatively subversive diverse casting in the 1960s is painfully outrageous.
Agreed Eric. What they did to the Khan role was despicable and doesnt get the attention it deserves. At best it was racially insensitive (not to mention just creatively stupid). At worst, it was racist.
Bob Orci likes to pop in with remarks, maybe he’d be so kind as to explain why they felt whitewashing Khan was acceptable…
preachh
Shadowknight1
Yes, Khan being “white” is such a flipping crime in the 23rd century when plastic surgery would be child’s play.
Shadowknight1,
Re: …when plastic surgery would be child’s play.
Well, the plastic surgeons in the first series did turn a Klingon into a human that couldn’t fool a tribble, and Captain Kirk into a Romulan. Which did make me wonder why Spock never considered Kirk’s reversible ear job for an away mission?
They probably recouped the effects budget of bobbing Kirk’s ears by just giving Spock a watch cap… (That or they were lazy and trying to beat traffic– City OTEOF was the season finale, after all…)
COTEF was the most expensive episode of TOS ever made by far, barring the pilots. It definitely wasn’t done on the cheap.
Wasn’t much of a reach since TOS Klingons looked like NASCAR fans.
Good point. We should get rid of all non-white character and replace them with white ones because of plastic surgery.
And certainly Khan was so well known, changing his face would be absolutely neccesary lol
The point is never whether or not it can be justified in-universe, but that someone would even want to justify whitewashing a character of color. There’s simply no excuse for it. Not only are there far more white characters on screen than reflects America, let alone the rest of the world, the characters of color that do get to speak often only get the tiniest of bit parts. Dylan Marron’s Every Single Word series demonstrates this discrepancy by showing that in most of the films he edits, their lines only add up to less than ten minutes in films that run at least 90.
Any time there’s a choice between a white actor and an actor of color, or between any other represented people, especially when everything else is equal, the choice must be to cast the underrepresented to compensate for the broader inequity across the industry.
Very well said Eric.
Too often, some people look at like this, if you have one position to hire for and 2 totally equal candidates but you hire the woman or the POC, they’d say “thats racist, why didnt you hire the white guy?”
The lame excuse to defend the white washing of Khan that Ricardo was Mexican playing a middle easterner is silly. They white washed two ethnicites really. Im sure no one would have objected had they cast an Indian actor. And no one would have objected had they cast a Latino actor (Benicio Del Toro was rumoured).
TUP,
Not that I put much stock in such distinctions, besides it could have been just PR fluff to conceal his true ethnicity which could have hindered him in the Hollywood of his youthful prime, but I believe Montalban put out that he was actually descended from European Spaniards which would have made him a Caucasian of immigrant Spaniard descent who was raised Mexican ethnic.
Here’s what I dug up:
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/archive/Actor-Ricardo-Montalban-Dead-at-88.html
”[from a 1970 Ricardo Montalban interview]”The Spanish-speaking American boy sees Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid wipe out a regiment of Bolivian soldiers. He sees ‘The Wild Bunch’ annihilate the Mexican army. It’s only natural for him to say, ‘Gee, I wish I were an Anglo.”‘
Montalban was no stranger to prejudice. He was born Nov. 25, 1920, in Mexico City, the son of parents who had emigrated from Spain. The boy was brought up to speak the Castilian Spanish of his forebears. To Mexican ears that sounded strange and effeminate, and young Ricardo was jeered by his schoolmates.
His mother also dressed him with old-country formality, and he wore lace collars and short pants “long after my legs had grown long and hairy,” he wrote in his 1980 autobiography, “Reflections: A Life in Two Worlds.”
“It is not easy to grow up in a country that has different customs from your own family’s.”
While driving through Texas with his brother, Montalban recalled seeing a sign on a diner: “No Dogs or Mexicans Allowed.” In Los Angeles, where he attended Fairfax High School, he and a friend were refused entrance to a dance hall because they were Mexicans.” — ‘Actor Ricardo Montalban Dead at 88’; WRC-NBC4, Washington, D.C.; Published at 3:50 AM EDT on Jul 14, 2009
That’s asinine. You cast the better actor, period. Be for a fair playing field and meritocracy, not reverse racism.
Reverse racism?
Drew Melbourne
You fundamentally don’t understand how casting works. There is no platonic ideal perfect person for any given role. Different actors bring different interpretations that can have their own strengths and weaknesses. Certain roles benefit from getting someone of a particular race/gender/etc. and some benefit from open casting. And of course casting directors also take into consideration things like name recognition, etc. There is no one right answer, but there are totally wrong answers like “You cast the better actor, period.”
Oh right, because everyone starts out in life at the same level, with the same opportunities, and institutions aren’t completely tilted against you if you’re not of the in-power group. Puh-leeze.
For instance. America. 246 years of slavery (where one group enriched itself from the unpaid labour of another group), then 89 years of segregation (legal structures that keep the former slave group down, even as they are nominally ‘free’, plus a blind eye to lynchings, the burning of Black Wall Street, etc etc), and exactly …64 years since Brown v Board of Education, which started the process of desegregation.
There are people alive today whose grandparents were slaves. It’s not something from the distant past. https://www.currentaffairs.org/2016/10/slavery-was-very-recent
Do you really think in those 64 years, blacks and people of colour in America are now operating on a level playing field, when the white majority benefitted from their being enslaved / kept down for 335 years?
Meritocracy was the title of a satirical essay, by the way, that we in the present day have forgotten. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rise_of_the_Meritocracy
And there’s no such thing as reverse racism. If you argue there is, you don’t understand what racism is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw_mRaIHb-M
I agree that the original Enterprise would look out of place in the disco visual continuity. Much as I love the original Connie design it would have seemed jarring alongside the design of the discovery that looks more at home alongside the Enterprise E than the original. Kinda makes me wish they’d used a Daedalus class ship for discovery – that woulda made my inner trek nerd very happy!
Exactly. Discovery already looks nothing like it belongs in this period even when you look at the TOS films. It just sticks out like a sore thumb and the other ships like the Shenzen does look a bit more traditional but also clearly updated.
Discovery itself would probably fit better in a post-Voyager setting but I will buy at least its some type of experimental science ship but its still way more advance looking from the original 1701.
Spiked Canon
How many federation ships did you see the inside of on TOS?
As I also included the TOS films the Discovery just looks waaaay more different and advanced. Look at the bridges and interiors of the ships in Discovery and then look what you got on TOS and the films. It just doesn’t fit and for this reason why I understand they have to change things up. I mean the Shenzhen is suppose to be as old as the 1701 and yet look miles ahead of that ship. We can pull these excuses all day, the reality is the productions were 180 degree different and there is a big gap in both design and materials.
Kurtzman didn’t not think we wouldn’t notice if he made Khan white. He discussed it openly and his reasons were good. You don’t want a South Asian running around as a terrorist blowing up buildings in this political climate. That comes off as even more racist. It was using Khan at all that gave them this unnecessary problem to have to deal with in the first place.
That’s the problem with NuTrek. Afraid to use their canvas to create allegory to the current world, which is what the franchise was built on.
So how long will it be before undenialable canon changes are made because we are are in a modern world now and if we wrote the show that way original was people would not feel that it was worth the money?
But don’t worry they will create a new version of the original story or they will be augmenting the original canon in very subtle ways. But you will see a lot of tips of the hat to original story elelements of the original and the timeline.
But obviously they will want to create a more modern experience and that necessitates certain story adjustments.
Just make good new episodes that have a internal logic and tell a story. Stop trying to claim it links to the original when it bloody obvious it does not and more importantly it does not matter that it does not follow the original canon.
They are just making a rod for their own backs by constantly saying it links to the original.
Just write stories that make sense.
Very well said Isabella. In my opinion they ‘claim links’ and insist it’s Prime Universe because they want the loyal fans to support their production but to visually reboot, say, the Klingons, when they have been pretty consistent since the 1970s Motion Picture – and series have come and gone, and even explained why they looked different in the original series – it’s mind-numbingly insulting to the creative efforts that came before. If it’s a visual reboot, whether a legal thing or a creative whim… it isn’t part of the family of Trek that it pretends to be a part of. It’s a reboot. It’s a re-imagining, stop cosplaying and (to parrot you Isabella) write good episodes that stand on your own creative merits, not pissing on the past.
Exactly. It’s a new show with no connections to anything else. Just admit it and own it and write good stories.
The worst aspect is how annoyed people who like discovery get when it’s pointed how the show has nothing in common with the original.
They just get argumentive and insulting while insisting there are no canon contradictions despite every thing being different from tos from the use of cloaks to the federation nearly being destroyed in a kligon federation war (which was never mentioned, funny how something that big slipped everyone’s mind) to the discovery mirror universe making no sense what so ever (if they got future tech from 100 years in the future, why don’t the Terran’s have different ships to the regular discovery reality.).
ThePW
The official explanation still smells like &^%$, no matter how they frame it. Political, not honesty.
~Pensive’s Wetness
I interpreted the fact that the mirror ships looked largely the same as “prime” ships to be due to some temporal interference in the “prime” universe. That is, the defiant incident in the MU may be responsible for the look of the MU ships. Therefore in order for ships in “prime” to look like the MU ones there must have been a temporal incursion in the “prime” universe as well. I’m guessing this will be a story line done in the future where they “reconcile” DSC with prime canon (like they’ve been saying they would for ages despite all the visual and characterological reboot evidence to the contrary). So we *are* in the prime *universe* but it looks to me like the timeline has been altered (just like in “yesterday’s Enterprise” – same universe, different history).
But then the show does not tie into the original canon.
Different timeline, different reality …..what ever…..who cares.
It’s only a thing because they keep saying it ties into the original canon.
Fair point – I’m arguing over semantics to try and reconcile DSC in my own head I suppose. FWIW I agree with your original post above – so long as the show is internally consistent, let it be a reboot and have done with it. The visuals and some of the characters have already been rebooted so why not the history?
@Martin Not trying to be a dick, but I really don’t get where you’re coming from.
I couldn’t care less whether it’s a reboot or alternate universe — or neither. I’d rather have this than a pro-version of Star Trek Continues (nothing against them, it’s fun — but not what I want to see in new Trek). I’ve seen those sets and ships already.
Even seeing the TOS Enterprise bridge on TNG, while fun and nostalgic, was completely distracting.
BTW — I wasn’t a big fan of the writing on Discovery. The whole thing feels like a series of stunts without a story behind it. But I was fine with the visuals (especially in the first two episodes).
So TAS isn’t trek either because it was a re-imaging?
anything after the Pilot isn’t Trek because it got a re-imaging
DSC is a Re-Imaging of Star Trek!!!! This argument is so effing old
Andrew SD
Way more interested in current production news and an actual air date for the session 2 premiere.
There are plenty of those articles. I found this article really interesting and refreshing of TrekMovie.com to looking beyond the surface. I appreciate criticism and questioning the Discovery production makes a lot of NuTrek fans uncomfortable and it was good of you to give it a glance.
YEah we all are. Meanwhile there is at least other news to discuss until then. I mean if they posted no news and just waited for that people would complain about it. Lets just be glad there is ANY news.
ANDREW A SKINNER DEMPS
Quite true!
What bugs me is doubling the size.
Stupid choice that has nothing to do with modernization of design.
Space is big. It’s not like they are going to run out of room to build the ship.
Who said they’ve doubled the size? Anyway, Trek has always cheated with ship sizes to make things look good on screen. The only difference is: Back when they used physical models these weren’t built to the same scale, anyway. So they could scale it however they wanted without anyone knowing. Now that CGI models are built to a real-world scale they actually have to scale up or scale down the size of the models if they want to achieve a certain look on screen.
Disagree. When you’ve got windows on the ship, that gives an idea of size that narrows down how big the vessel is, even for inattentive viewers. Unless otherwise indicated, the average person is going to see a window and not even have to think about it, just automatically assume ‘that is somewhere between the size of a sliding glass door and a picture window.’
This is one of the big problems with the Abrams Tardis ship, where they scaled things up DURING production of the 09. Now small details on ships have been introduced previously — the shape of the E-E hull around the deflector dish changed during production of FC, though I’m pretty sure that in the final film it is consistent, owing to ILM having to go back in and redo the model to match Zimmerman’s inability to build the thing with all the nice curves the model originally had — but doing the whole of the ship that way is a pretty bad giveaway.
And you can’t even complain about the TOS ship being scaled up from CAGE to production, because on CAGE there wasn’t much there that could blow the scale on the model in the first place (I think Datin put those windows in after the second pilot, not sure about that.) So it is Abrams and DSC that are doing the worst offending on this (though I’ll grant ST III & IV both played very fast and loose with the size of the BoP, but that is probably ILM being ILM and not caring about such things, as the ‘continuity is for wussies’ credo I heard voiced from there would indicate.)
It’s great that Trekmovie.com has dedicated an entire article to this topic but a copy of John Eaves’ original Facebook post would have been great. John Eaves isn’t an idiot and it’s not his first time at the rodeo… I put more stock in what he said and deleted than the double-speak from Zimmerman, Deverell and Kurtzman. Their justifications for changing the Enterprise are insulting. The thing about the genuine Prime Universe is that all series after TOS tried their best to build upon what came before and honour the rich tapestry, that continued to grow for 50 years. Then along comes Discovery, selectively visually reboots certain alien races, abandons the episodic format, drenches everything in a demoralising blue tint and teaches us about diversity. DS9 did all this a lot better 25 years ago, and showing a faithful recreation of the Enterprise, perhaps with aztecing and HD surface details, graded in the tedious blue tint and with a bunch of lens flares on it, would have been enough. But no – Discovery is re-inventing the wheel. Everything that came before is embarassing. They will do it better. ‘Hark! They planted a bomb in our planets cave system, let’s call off a war we were winning.’ Truly embarassing. I watch Orange Is The New Black and I care. I watch The Walking Dead and I’m foaming at the mouth in anticipation for the next episode. I watch Game Of Thrones and I escape to a fantasy world and my heart leaps at the twists and turns. I watch Star Trek: Discovery and aside from them disrespecting that 50 year tapestry I love so much, as series go… it’s just not very good.
It is a truly terribly written show (as a tv show in general). ☹️
Between it’s bad writing and despite having supposedly a huge budget it’s cgi is pretty poor and almost non-existent.
It was a super disappointing show ☹️☹️☹️
Soooo you stopped watching it… right?
Note necessarily. Sometimes shows are fun to watch because it’s something to complain about. Shows can be entertaining in many ways.
Sorry, I can’t relate. If I don’t enjoy a show or if I always find something to complain about… I stop watching because it’s a waste of time. I stopped watching Orville because of that.
Mirror Galt
Specious analogy, obviously Trekkies are going to pay attention to something they love, Star Trek, being used and abused, Ted.
I don’t buy it.
I enjoyed The Orville more than I did Discovery
kitbashcanon
I enjoy Orville a lot, too. Haven’t seen Disco yet, but I will eventually (not biting on CBS all access, not unless I absolutely have to, to see Disco). This Enterprise is mighty fine-looking, stands well, alongside Enterprise 1701A, the best design to-date…a toss-up maybe. The point about modern times making changes necessary is well-taken. Even the name “Enterprise” doesn’t have the meaning it did to kids and adults(who were WWII vets) in the mid-sixties; a time of “can do” spirit inspired by the Kennedys and King. “USS Enterprise 1701” was inspired by the most decorated WWII-era U.S. Navy ship; the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CV-6 I believe). For a brief time, it was our last carrier in the Pacific Fleet to face the hugely successful Imperial Japanese Navy, after losing all the other pre-war carriers in naval battles with the Imperial Japanese Navy, and before all of the “Essex Class” carriers, and escort carriers took-to-sea. These Naval shortages were the main reason the Guadalcanal Campaign took so long. You see, who now-a-days even knows this stuff, or cares? Modern times indeed.
Originally Roddenberry set the show on the USS Yorktown. Not sure why the change, however. Anyone?
I recall reading that the name enterprise had wider appeal than Yorktown. There was some concern too about it being a too Earth centric name
Kitbash canon
See my comment right above yours. “Enterprise” was a very famous name, because of CV-6 in WWII. This fact was well-remembered in the sixties America.Yorktown was one of the five pre-war carriers sunk by the IJN, before the Essex Class carriers were put to sea for WWII. The pacific theatre of war resembles space with the planets being “islands” in the “ocean” of space.
Fair enough that works for you. I, however, am such a Trek fan I will watch all versions of Trek that arrive even if it ends up being garbage. I will continue to watch new episodes with the hope it gets batter. Even if there is, as is the case with STD, no evidence whatsoever it will. That is just fandom. Another example… The baseball team I follow currently sucks. But I’m still watching the games. Hoping they will get better even though there is little reason to believe they will.
I have said elsewhere, I think “hate-watching” is part of the business model.
I stopped watching TNG after Season 2 (until I saw, quite by accident, Best of Both Worlds one Friday night). Stopped Voyager after Season 1 and Enterprise midway through 1, checking back in for both occasionally.
(I ended up seeing about 70% of Voyager and 50% of Enterprise).
The only show I ever stopped watching was Enterprise after season one and sadly I now think that was a mistake. So I’m not giving up on another Trek show so easily, especially when it took a decade just to get another show at that.
I agree I bailed on DS9, Enterprise, and Voyager at some point. But I have gone back and completed DS9. I don’t know how anyone can completely judge DSC after 15 episodes…
I gave it till the end of season 1. But it never it got any better and my God that finale was terrible and stupid. I have no intention of ever re-watching any episode and I honesty don’t know if I l will watch season 2.
The writing is just so poor.
Well good for you.
Of course I expect you’ll still post about Season 2 anyway.
What’s with the snarky comment?
No one forced you to respond to comment. If I decide to watch season 2 and want to post about it I will and there is nothing you can do to stop me.
I gave up on that terrible show that was enterprise after season 1 for nearly 8 years and you know what. Any season of Enterprise even season 1 was better than that appalling season one of discovery.
True, Isabella. If anything, Discovery has caused me to go back and revisit Enterprise again. In comparison, it really wasn’t as bad as I thought it was when it aired. Which isn’t saying a whole lot. I’ll watch season two of Discovery, but honestly I’m not expecting much.
Because Isabella, there are a minority of posters on this site, you included, that seem to thrive on being negative about a show instead of moving on. It doesn’t make sense to continue to bash the show on a fan site to the detriment of those who enjoy it
Because, Spiked, we are all here because we enjoy and/or love Star Trek. We all WANT to see GOOD Trek. Many are amazingly disapointed now that they finally got another series and it turns out it is terrible. The pain is only intensified because we all had to pay EXTRA just for the opportunity to watch it. That said, we are fans and WANT it to get better. So we hard cores will continue to watch with the hope the show will get better. Yet if the show continues to be sub-par, those who see it that way will continue to post their opinions on Star Trek fan boards designed for people to voice their opinions. This is not a site reserved only for those who think STD is gold and should not bear any kind of scrutiny. Remeber… IDIC. Even if you disagree.
flodburg
Many = The same dozen people over and over.
I thought this was a website where people were allowed comment their opinions. My mistake.
I guess negative comments are not allowed.
I should haven checked the terms and conditions of the website.
Oh wait…… Such reasoning about what about kind of comments are allowed on the site make as much sense the writing of discovery .i.e. none.
Hey Captain Ranson… I really find it fascinating – why aren’t Star Trek fans allowed to watch Discovery and be unhappy with it? Why when anyone voices concern anout their beloved franchise they are met with ‘So stop watching it’. What makes you READ the comment in the first place? Then find the need to comment with such defensiveness? What makes you want to shut down an opinion? Why not carry on about your day and if you have so much faith in Discovery, ignore our conversation and carry on past it.
I can watch a Bravo show, Desperate Housewives, and not take it seriously, that’s where I am with Star Trek today. If I want to talk about how badly written it is, then I can. Meanwhile – if you don’t want to hear how bad your favourite show is, avoid the comments section on articles like this.
Why WOULD you watch something you don’t like and constantly complain about? It’s like being in a relationship with someone you don’t like and are constantly criticizing and telling them the should be better.
No Captain, it is like being in a relationship with someone who is really great. Then they take off for a number of years and when they return you are happy as hell she is back. But she’s just not the same. So you are hoping this new change can evolve into something great because she has been great in the past. She deserves that change.
ML31… She’s back yet you would criticize and put her down at every chance you can get. You don’t like the changes and you will be vocal about it. Does that make you happy? Or does that make you an a-hole for you constant criticism of her? It would seem you don’t want to give her and chance.
OK. That is where the analogy falls apart. Hence, former relationship is not really a good comparison here.
The analogy falls apart for you because it didn’t turn out the way you wanted. The analogy fits. Why stay with something that annoys you and bothers you so much? I loved the original MacGyver, tuned in for the reboot. Never watched it after the first episode. Watched the first season of Orville, didn’t enjoy it… won’t turn in for season 2. And won’t be commenting on the articles about Orville.
The analogy falls apart because at that point it doesn’t fit what it is supposedly being analogous to. BTW.. I liked the old MacGyver show as well. Watched the first three episodes and was annoyed enough to never watch it again. Trek is a different animal. I’m a fan of Trek and will continue to watch even if the show continues to be sub par with the hope it gets good. Just like I will continue to watch my favorite ball club as they continue to lose. Always hoping they will get better. It’s called being a fan.
Keep making excuses. It’s like voting for your favorite politician time after time yet complain that they are doing a horrible job once they get into office yet say you will vote for them the next time too.
That’s not a good analogy either. Perhaps that politician you keep voting for you know sucks but is still a better alternative than the opponent. So you take the lesser of two evils. Being a fan for a ball club that continues to lose is probably the best analogy there is. You are a fan so you don’t abandon your team. But you can still complain about how terrible they are.
In that case, it just makes you a hypocrite.
Your comment, Captain is a non sequitor.
How so? Because if you support a politian to get elected and once elected, you cut them down at every chance you get because you don’t like their policies yet vote and support them to run again. That is a hypocrite.
I agree. I couldn’t justify paying anymore for a show that seems far removed from it’s roots. So I cancelled after midsdason
The answer is simple: if you are so offended by the changes to your precious franchise- find something else to watch. I don’t understand why people who hate Discovery continue to watch it and then post about it endlessly online, attacking anyone who disagrees with them.
It’s simply for the attention they get when they complain. What I don’t get is why they keep coming back to read and post if they stopped watching the show as they claim.
This may be a novel idea, but perhaps the critics are more talking to each other–call it commiseration–than trying to convince you. (I’m not sure the reverse is true for the pro-Discovery contingent, but I have no evidence to marshal.) I think the camps have firmly separated and it avails little to engage each other on each and every contrarian point. It also gives license to trollish behavior.
I submit that no one faction own the comments section, whether they’re enthusiastic about the production being treated by the article or not. You need not always agree with each other, but do agree to play nice and share.
Praetor, that’s a good call on your part. On one of the TWIN PEAKS sites, there is a thread dedicated to folks who hated the new last season, who discuss why they hated it and what they hated about it. I only visited a couple of times, but there was some valid discussion buried in there among the really screwy simpleminded snipes.
Exactly. If this site were ever to add full-fledged message boards, my advice would be to give dedicated space to the critics and enthusiasts each. As it is, you can intend your comment for one group but get buried by the other group instead. Your audience for each comment is anyone and everyone, each time.
Well, that TP site must be kind of odd and maybe even picky … the times I went there (to see if everybody else was as blown away by ep 8 – the A-bomb one — as I was, though I actually dug all of the eps and have rewatched the whole of season 3 four times so far), I couldn’t even sign up to post there because they’d disabled that function, and they didn’t respond to inquiries about how to get around that, even when I was trying to let them know about an article I wrote on the show’s cinematography. (btw, this wasn’t the dugpa site, it was the welcome to twin peaks one.)
Loved the last season of Twin Peaks. I would love to see David Lynch direct a Discovery episode.
You don’t get a lot of things. Such as that if your only “argument” is insulting people, the only one who looks like a fool is you. Given the chance to actually discuss posts on their merit, you instead chose to sling mud and use strawmen, lecturing other people as to their actual intentions and making up statements as to their “claims”.
I’d say the one who craves attention is the one who absolutely has to rail and froth at anyone with the audacity to have an opinion different than his.
The answer is actually rather simple – people believe Star Trek contributed something valuable that Discovery not only doesn’t, but in part even undermined what the previous series had brought.
What I don’t understand is why people like you consider it such heresy to utter criticism that you launch into holy inquisition mode to silence the infidels and hound them off the premises.
and I don’t agree with what you said. Re-imaging is absolutely without a doubt the only way new Trek in the time period they chose could be done.
More Troubles More Dribbles
I just feel like it’s a hard-left version of Trek. Dumbed down for the low IQ viewers while the show runners use the beloved franchise as a vehicle to transport their ideological agenda to the rest of us. Star Trek has been hijacked by people who are not creative enough to come up with their own ideas. They have to attach themselves to a franchise that has already made it’s own mark on the world. It doesn’t need tweaking, it doesn’t need changes, all it needs is fresh writers who want ‘To boldly go where no one has gone before!’ Point-blank-period!
“Hard left” that’s the most insane thing I’ve ever heard, and I listen to Trump all the time [unfortunately]
Maybe the poster meant, ‘hard to port’ ?
Kevin Criswell
do what? How is politics in a decision to make the original Enterprise look more futuristic than it did in the 70’s? Your comment makes no sense, but you wanted to spout of about the left somehow so you crammed this nonsensical complaint in the conversation.
Hard left/hard right, my point was that TPTB have made a radical detour from the successful formula that came before. The changes they make are for the sake of change and do nothing to advance the franchise forward. You can only milk a cow so many times, and Hollywood is handicapped by liberal policies that-in case you haven’t noticed- are not exactly in line with middle-America- the heart, soul and backbone of the country. We have a voice too, and it doesn’t like Star Trek being hijacked by hacks who think they know Star Trek, and completely ignore what the fans say. Trek was built to last, so it will survive this re-imagining. But Star Trek does not need another black-eye. The liberals of the 60’s were consummate, imaginative professionals that did not put their own political ideologies first, and were capable of creating movies that could not compare to today’s. Movies like Gone with the wind, The Wizard of Oz, etc. those movies are ancient, and come from a time when Hollywood was fresh with imagination. Those days are over unless we go back to the days when creativity was mostly free of political agenda.
I stopped reading after ‘liberal policies’. I have no idea what any of that have to do with changing the nacelles on a starship. And frankly don’t want to know.
More Troubles More Dribbles,
You actually believe that GONE WITH THE WIND and THE WIZARD OF OZ were made by fresh faced young industry professionals that became aging 60s’ liberals???!!!
Victor Fleming was 50 during those productions and never lived to see the 60s nor the 50s for that matter.
Re: … when creativity was mostly free of political agenda
Your notion that the films, GONE WITH THE WIND and THE WIZARD OF OZ, were creatively largely free of the political agenda of those books’ authors is the wackiest notion that I’ve ever heard.
So where would Frankenheimer’s adaptation of THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE Fall on your imagination list, MORE TROUBLES? Or his SECONDS, or SEVEN DAYS IN MAY? Are they too ‘leftward’ to be seen by you as compelling drama with well-executed visuals? Or are they ‘safe’ leftist visions? Forgive me for saying, but the qualifications here sound so subjective and arbitrary, they remind me of the guy I went to high-school with who respected the work of Paul Winfield and Robert Hooks, indicating they were black actors he found ‘safe’ and ‘okay.’ As opposed, I suppose, to the more militant ones.
It’s like these people rail against Disco for having some sort of “agenda” but they fail to even identify what that agenda is. What are Discovery’s writers indoctrinating us into believing, exactly? That women can be leaders? That not everyone on a starship is white? Like I’m really confused as to what ideology the so called “heart of America” sees in Disco that is so offensive that people like Dribbles can’t stop complaining about it. Welcome to Trump’s America, everyone.
A black woman is the lead of a show and there are two less white people on the cast vs the last show. So therefore, white genocide.
It’s tRUMP’s aMERICA.
Sorry, More Trouble More Dribbles,
but the one trying the hijacking is you.
Star Trek always was fundamentally political. It was shock full of “political agenda”. From pushing the envelope in “Plato’s Stepchildren” to a clear and obvious political message in “Let that be your last battlefield”. Heck, the concept of IDIC in itself is political.
Roddenberry made his views patently clear, too, stating that humanity needs to relish diversity if it wants to go to the stars.
So I’m afraid, the hack who thinks he knows Star Trek is you.
If Discovery has a problem, then that it turns the core messages of the original series upside down in suggesting we can go on with business as usual for several centuries without major repercussions. If anything, the characters described are not progressive enough.
As for your talking about “Middle America”, that’s precisely the parochialism Star Trek rejected from day one. “Middle America” is not the world. Star Trek had a Russian, an African and a Japanese-American on the bridge crew, the Enterprise-D was commanded by a Frenchman, but you obstinate about “Middle America”.
It gets dumb here sometimes.
wow…um…no
“That being said, every prop and costume design is filtered through what existed at the time.”
Especially those uniforms AMIRITE?
The uniforms seem like reasonable evolutions from Enterprise. Although there doesnt need to be a real evolution anyway as TOS-TMP-WoK didnt exactly look like a natural progression.
They are not, however, reasonable evolutions of the uniforms seen in service in The Cage, which continued to be in service during the early episodes of Kirk’s run.
As I thought, the re-design of this ship was in fact a ‘creative choice’ rather than a ‘legal requirement’ after all.
It looks rather good…as an ‘alternate universe’ Enterprise.
But it sure ain’t the good ship Enterprise from the TOS ‘prime universe’, which suits my way of looking at this show.
It is the Prime Universe. Please get over it.
Fans, and not your corporate edicts, will ultimately determine what it is, Ted.
Who are you talking to Galt the Troll? I can’t follow who you are directing you posts to. Who is Ted? No one posting has that name.
Don’t engage with him Cap, he’s probably some middle aged man living at home in his parents basement with nothing better to do than troll and make sexist comments about female production staff.
Fans dont dictate that at all.
Johnnie Coker Cooper
Well I have a problem you started out On reg TV then you put it on CBS all access TV where everyone has to pay for it if you want to watch it. So where is that being fair.
Broadcast TV is dying.
Imagine having to pay for something you want.
Nowadays it sounds very … presidential.
Or paying for what you wanted then to now go away!
Why would John Eaves- a guy who’s who’s worked on Trek for decades- LIE about something like that, publicly? The fact is, he wouldn’t. So I don’t buy it. Any of it. It reeks of damage control. PS- If they stuck to the well-known aesthetic of the established period, they wouldn’t have *had* to change the Enterprise.
I’ve interviewed Eaves a couple of times and even met him during INSURRECTION, and he seemed a very straight-up guy. Maybe he was misinformed, or the communique came through an intermediary?
I’m an admirer of Eaves’ work (in spite of the awful aesthetic he contributed to in the Abrams films). Nevertheless, I find the whole notion of a 25% change ratio for legal reasons to be pretty fishy, and for all kinds of reasons.
He didn’t lie, he was just wrong. He even deleted his post about it. As a rule, never trust facebook.
Do you REALLY want them to stick to the aesthetic of TOS? Lets be honest the interiors of the ship looked awful, does anyone really want them to use that style nom?
Michael Hafer
Honestly, I really liked the JJprise update to the TOS aesthetic.
No worries; if you like it, enjoy. But many of us didn’t.
NO! The main reason I didn’t want a prequel because I was afraid they might turn it into some cringe-worthy nostalgia romp. But once Fuller made clear it would be a very updated show I relaxed. And I generally agree with the updates. Now they probably went TOO FAR in places but what’s funny about the new Enterprise is that sort of how I envisioned the show, ie, changed to feel a more modern look but still feels familiar enough to the original. I think a lot of the Kelvin stuff do that because at least they have the same similar uniforms as TOS.
With Discovery they completely rehauled everything but then try to tell us it all fits canon. Very little about this show fits TOS canon outside of very shallow connections.
I think we can judge better after Season 2. These guys running the show are being very professional but they inherited a concept and designs that were not theirs.
Didn’t Fuller hire them from the start? I’m pretty sure that’s what happened.
I dont recall the order but Fuller was THE showrunner. And now he’s not. And theyve already admitted they changed some of his creative plans.
I recall someone else, maybe one of the designers, saying Fuller had wild ideas and had to be reigned in.
All I know that the people running the show were all working with Fuller before he got fired. CBS never hired anyone to take over for him.
They made the two head writers the show runners.
But my point about Fuller is, Discovery was his vision. The look of the Klingons, the choice of era it takes place in, the look of the uniforms, design of the ship, war story arc etc. That was all his vision.
So when he left, they could have changed everything but obviously, did not want to delay it even more by starting from scratch.
My impression is these people in charge want to align closer to canon than Fuller did. Its possible Fuller had a larger idea to explain away the changes but we’ll probably never know.
The new people seem to take the position that this is how things were at this time in history and will look closer to TOS as we get closer to TOS
Apparently there are snowflakes on this site who DO want a rigid 1960s aesthetic. Even in an age where the world looks several magnitudes more advanced.
Just the usual strawmen and insults from someone whose ego can’t suffer that people disagree with him.
Stop making up BS and address actual arguments.
Uilliam
If I may direct your attention to “Axanar”
https://youtu.be/1W1_8IV8uhA
If your show is set in the TOS time then yes. It does need to at least reflect the TOS aesthetic. It can be modernized but still needs to be recognizable as the TOS time. Or in this case, Capt. Pikes days.
God no. TOS aesthetics would get the show canceled.
A lot of things could get the show cancelled. Production design is likely not one of them.
I wouldn’t be watching Discovery if it looked like TOS, and I wouldn’t be alone.
Maybe not. But if the show was good you would certainly be in the minority.
Clearly not a lie, a misunderstanding. Probably a game of telephone where “change it to make it fit” became “change it due to legal” after going through 50 people down to the designers.
Bryant Burnette
I’ll be pleased on the day Kurtzman is no longer associated with Trek.
I hope JJ takes over for him. God Bless JJ.
Wouldnt you rather have someone that likes and understands Trek to take over? Kurtz doesnt drive the creative anyway.
Did a guy that knew nothing about Star Trek make Star Trek 2?
Exception that proves the rule. Meyer immersed himself in Star Trek, studying every episode and previous scripts.
The Bad Robot guys said “Bob says he’s an expert so we just defer to him”. And anyway, Trek sucks and needs to be Star Wars-ified.
Even then, Meyers made a lot of changes. We’re just lucky they were for the better. But to expand on your point, if JJ had been hired to make TMP (or Trek 2, to be fair) and made it just like 2009, we’d have nothing else to compare it to to say its not good.
It was Bennett who watched every ep, Meyer may have watched five or seven, same as Wise. But he had a lot of good material to work with and good instincts, and Bennett to reign him in when he went off (some of the time.)
Dyonesse
Every now and then I’m listening to some comic book artist on Youtube. Recently he has been commenting on contemporary Marvel comics, and how the new leadership is deliberately ruining their old established heroes and pushing them aside to make room in the spotlight for new, “correct” ones; how they are hiring artists and writers based not on their expertise, but on their political affiliations; how those new artists and writers have no respect for the established world and its internal consistency. And the worst thing is, it’s no unfounded babbling – he’s reviewing those comic books on video and they indeed are truly, genuinely, profoundly bad, with childish stories and lazy, low-quality art. It’s like watching a slow-motion train crash – you feel embarrassed for watching, but you just can’t look away.
Might it be the very same thing is being done to Star Trek? I’ve been enjoying the new show myself, but I can’t help but notice the blatant disregard for the original that’s showing up in many aspects of the new show. They don’t treat the original with respect, they treat it with poorly disguised annoyance, as if the show was an elderly rich person and they were eager to get their hands on the inheritance.
And really, I’m growing tired of this “visual update was necessary” justification. What they did to Enterprise goes miles above simple “visual update”. They didn’t even TRY to preserve the semblance of the original… they just bastardized the Probert’s refit and called it a day, as if the original never existed. And even though, aesthetically speaking, the ship doesn’t look bad (especially compared to that abramsverse abomination), those changes are lazy, uninspired and entirely unnecessary.
Where will they stop? What’s next to be tossed into the memory hole? Are we gonna get a bald, magenta-skinned Spock with golden hoop earring in the nose? Because that would be no different from what they did to Enterprise. You know, SHE is an established character too.
The Recursion King
It’s an interesting theory. Assuming it was true… then the question, of course, is why would someone want to do this?
I agree to a degree and think its the fault of the people at the top. It was the same when Paramount hired JJ to make Star Trek and he wanted to “fix” it.
If I interviewed 100 people for the job of running Trek, I’d immediately disregard the folks that think it needs fixing.
Do you think JJ told Kathleen Kennedy that he could fix Star Wars? Nope (although after Rian’s bomb, hopefully he can! lol).
I think thats what excited people about Tarantino’s interest. He has always seemed to love Star Trek for Star Trek.
Wildcat30dc
Can we just stick this verbiage on every Discovery article since this issue is settled:
“The producers of Star Trek: Discovery have been consistently clear in saying the show lives firmly inside the canon universe of Star Trek’s prime timeline, set a decade prior to The Original Series.”
No, because their own storytelling says otherwise.
Exactly. I’ll believe it when I see it, and that claim isn’t consistent with what they’re SHOWING us.
dswynne
Then this isn’t the “Prime Timeline”. We’re dealing with the “Discovery Timeline” (or “Disco-verse Timeline”, I guess), which means that we have a third timeline. The difference? More in line with the events of the Prime Timeline.
Nope, it’s prime.
And Early 2000s Battlestar existed within the same timeline as the 70s series, because they had Adama and Apollo and Colonial Vipers and even the theme tune (in the form of the “Colonial Anthem”), right?
Elvis_Shatner
Sigh… I’m glad that STD exists and have enjoyed it so far… BUT… it is not in the Prime Universe.
This is more of the same practice out of Kurtzman’s playbook with Bob Orci:
Boldly ‘reimagine’ what has come before.
No one has criticized Vic and Star Trek Continues for being faithful to the look and feel of TOS.
Rather, the expressions have mainly been that of admiration that they were able to match the look, feel, effects and production quality so closely given the resources they had available.
From the perspective of the Prime universe TNG-era, Enterprise, Discovery and TOS could be considered period pieces. No one has criticized other period productions such as say, Spartacus, Ben Hur, or the Tudors for example, for not ‘modernizing’ their effects and garb for fear of audiences opining that money was not well-spent, or because we now have the technical ability to do so.
In light of other televised Trek productions respecting what came before and building upon it rather than outright changing it, Kurtzman’s assertion is bogus. If he wants to stay inside his comfortable bubble, then that’s fine but he should just stop claiming that his creations are Prime canon, and not worry about having his cake and eating it too…
Kurtzman and others get touchy about it, and end up attacking rather than just letting their show speak for itself. Which, to be fair, it does — it just says things that are in blatant opposition to what the producers say about it. And then x-amount of fans complain about it, and another x-amount of fans defend it.
But the whole thing could have been avoided by simply setting it AFTER the Berman era. You want to do a Klingon war? No problem! Just do a new war and invent a reason for it. Simple.
These idiots painted themselves into a corner and now are trying to get out of it by insisting that there IS no corner. Works on some, I guess; doesn’t work on me. Hopefully that doesn’t make me a gatekeeper to say that, but if so, I’m zen with it.
@Bryant Burnette
I’ll never agree with that. Star Trek TOS was like the Wild West. You don’t set a show like Star Trek 100 years after the Wild West. That’s what TNG was, and that’s why ST got worse with Voy. (DS9 would have had the same faith if not for B&B being too busy with 7 of 9 bust size.) Enterprise was an attempt to fix the problem, but it was already too late.
Star Trek should have never left the TOS era. That’s pure Trek, setting the show after Voy would just be more of the same dilution of the franchise that kill Trek in the first place.
The analogy doesn’t work. The Wild West was 18th century. According to my calendar, that is in the past. Same with Spartacus and all the other historic pieces you mentioned. TOS was 23rd century. To be more specific, it was a creative concept of the 23rd century in the 1960s. Now, 50 years later, we have a very different concept of what 23rd century design might look like.
Since the producers are not attempting to produce a show to air in the 1960s, but a show to air (wait…it doesn’t air anywhere. Stream) for this decade, to try to keep the 1960s image would be truly, horridly backward and totally defy creativity.
If you want to work in a job to hand write scripts and push papers like the 1960s, go for it. Not sure anyone is hiring for that position. But if someone is hiring to do that, you won’t have anyone with any creativity to compete with. You want to hire artists today, you can’t tell them to abandon creativity and lock themselves in a 1960s concept prison.
Re: wait…it doesn’t air anywhere
Well, I wouldn’t advise it, but it can be streamed via Wi-Fi which is broadcast through the air.
The “Wild West” was actually the 19th Century, but I understand what you’re saying.
I don’t think anyone is expecting to see the 1960’s Enterprise still shot using 1960’s TV technology and effects. But I doubt many people would mind seeing a 1960’s Enterprise shot with our current styles, technology and effects. But to me, the problems with Discovery goes far beyond that. The main problem is the ongoing lie that the show is set in the Prime Universe. It clearly isn’t. Let’s use one example from the very first episode. 3-D ship-to-ship communication. In the Prime universe, that did not exist until about halfway through Deep Space Nine, which is a century after the original series. And while I don’t expect today’s Star Trek writers to have every canon line of dialog completely memorized (even the original series contradicted itself on occasion), how did they miss Spock’s statement in “The Tholian Web” that there had never been a mutiny on a Federation ship in the past? These are only two examples of many (and don’t get me started on the Klingons!).
Oh, it’s true that things have been changed before–such as the design of the Klingons from The Motion Picture onward, which seems to only have been done to say, “Hey, look! We have money now!” At least we got a canon reason for that change many years later.
I could have accepted a few changes to what had been established–but the very fact that they felt the need to change everything is what clearly places Discovery outside of the Prime Universe.
I agree, Brad. The show’s aesthetics are indeed a problem. But the biggest problem (after the useless and dumb plot twists that did nothing but destroy the season) is the producers insistence the show adheres to canon when there are too many instances where it clearly does not. Just because you mention Archer or Pike or even mention Sarek’s strained relationship with his son does not mean everything adheres to canon. (and their portrayal of Sarek itself is questionable).
And then there was the promise that by the end of the season fans will see how everything works out. But wait… No… We will see how it works out in season 2. At this point even if we get an explanation I suspect it will be as baseless as the concept of the Klingons abandoning a war they were clearly going to win just because one person was given the switch to a bomb in their hollow planet.
The Wild West was the 19th century (latter half), not the 18th, and I don’t need a calendar to know that.
The analogy being made does work (and believe me, I’m usually the very last one to take HN4’s side of things, if you look at any thread in which we both posted, there is AMPLE evidence), because the frontier feel of TOS is in the TREK message statement, and that feel is largely absent from most all of what followed in the Berman years and after, even if the mission statement remained largely the same. Probably one reason why I love FIREFLY is that some of that feel is back in there, even if they hit it in awkward and somewhat unconvincing ways.
And describing the 60s-era visual concepts as a prison is dead-end thinking in and of itself. Mid-century design, both practical and extrapolative, was based on tech as well as aesthetic considerations, and created looks that are still with us and will probably continue to survive and prosper, just because they are that damn good, from a sense of practicality and usability and certainly the easy-on-the-eye aspect.
I talked to two production designers that work on Marvel films this week, and both of them still use small physical models for set design presentations rather than rely strictly on computer renderings and virtual walkthroughs … and it is because the approach is still valid, and works for the directors and other personnel who feel the benefit from a practical physical visual representation. The idea that ‘old is bad’ doesn’t hold water if the newer alternatives actually shortchange or limit you, and honestly, except for creature work, I haven’t seen a big visual gain in VFX since the late 90s, which is when miniatures and motion control got discarded, supposedly due to cost.
The ‘classic 23rd century’ line of Dax’s is right on the money — whether they use money or not.
But the problem with STD is it is like the producers wanted a show set in the 1920’s but hired writers and production designers that gave the show a look and feel of a show set in the 1970’s. The audience already knows what the ’20’s look and feel should be. They should work at making the ’20’s seem as realistic and authentic as possible to appeal to a modern audience. Don’t make it look like the 70’s and tell everyone it’s a visual reboot of the 20’s. That’s just insulting.
The only problem with that is that the 1920’s really existed. TOS ST was just a TV show made to sell ads on NBC.
HN4,
Re: made to sell ads
Actually the complete concept, for Roddenberry, was to better do that by getting excellent story concepts that were rejected out of hand from ignorance, and the doubled ignorance of being subservient to bigotry, in HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL and THE LIEUTENANT, past the inertia of the network’s censorship bureaucracy and its inaccurate model of the concepts with which they believed their audiences could not cope.
That is generically true of everything in media. And really doesn’t address the points I made, HN4. At least at the corporate level. The makers of the show were all out to make the best quality product they possibly could. Also, the way the show evolved it was established that the TOS era looked like what we saw on the 60’s TV show. This has been hammered home in every future incarnation of the show. STD guys came in and changed it all up. So my comment about they tried to make the 20’s look like the 70’s is appropriate.
Sounds to me as if you are describing FOX’s GOTHAM.
I think the problem is simply people don’t understand how fashion’s designs function in an era, and that its designs don’t go out of date, as in expire and die never to return again, but rather merely out of vogue, as in fail to continue to inspire the next generation who has grown familiar with it growing up in it and seeks something other to inspire, only for it to return after a few cycles to be perfectly acceptable to a newer generation who knows nothing of it and is thrilled by their rediscovery of its charm.
What you propose is sound. If the aesthetic look of 23rd century is presented as retro chic for those living in it, audiences of the now will understand and roll with it, just as they do with GOTHAM.
I disagree. I think Gotham is being intentional vague on purpose regarding when it is set. That is not the case in STD and it is even harder to do such a thing in future sci-fi especially in a universe where rules and looks have already been established. And gain, I get that they simply cannot just duplicate the look of “The Cage”. It HAS to get upgraded. But it also HAS to look like it also belongs in the time frame they said it does. You can’t put a driver in the Indy cars of 2017 and claim it’s the Indy car of 1967. People SEE the difference and question it.
Well every time they whip out a Smartphone on Gotham I know exactly what era they are in technologically.
And your 2017/1967 example is non compos mentis because none of the Trek technology that fans are claiming as being out of place have transpired yet in real time, and in the franchise’s timeline, that again hasn’t yet transpired for the audience, they keep time traveling and/or universe hoping rewriting their histories so that it is only through hubris that viewing fans claim they can undo that Gordian Knot of time rewrites and definitively claim what is or isn’t possible at some future Prime date.
I mean forget how the things looks for a moment, how many fans realize the Defiant that advanced the Mirror Universe’s space program did so at a time prior to that of Discovery’s and even if the Defiant’s tech wasn’t advanced one iota by the Empire over the years, it’s still ahead of Discovery’s?
Knowledge, secrets and lies are the currency of political power in the Mirror Universe’s Empire so not hard to see how Mirror Kirk, et all, knew nothing of Prime until the accident, but what’s the real reason Mirror’s military personnel are in Discovery’s Prime? Seems obvious they crossed over looking for more advanced tech procurement. But wouldn’t they have already known that state of Prime’s development from the Defiant’s computer history?
OK, so someone from the Mirror U could be trying to use the Prime universe to acquire more advanced tech by some other means? Well, could Discovery’s very existence be the result of this Mirror person’s goosing Prime’s research resources? Perhaps, manipulating Starfleet and the Federation with strategic Klingon border skirmishes and conflicts? The problem with trying to do research in the Mirror U is all the backstabbing and likelihood if the funded researchers discovers something significant they’ll use it against their “benefactor” and advance themselves.
Anyway my purpose here is just to show how difficult the Gordian Knot is to unravel once Trek introduced time travel and multiple universe hopping. One version of Lazarus, one man, threatened TWO entire universes.
That’s all well and good, Dis. But first, Gotham never claimed to be in 2012 or 2017 or whatever. It could be recent past or near future. Plus, smartphones aside, they are using comic book tech and diving into the metaphysical. Which also gums up the works. Also, I don’t think it really matters much for that show anyway. That’s not the point and doesn’t play into what’s going on much.
To use your vernacular, the 2017/1967 example is very much ex sana mente. Trek is future fantasy. It doesn’t matter if any of that tech has yet to be invented for real. What matters is Trek over the years created a universe and the rules that govern that universe. Including characters. I do not recall MU’s military personnel in the Prime. Only Lorca. Who says got there by accident. Such an argument is non sequitor. The goings on in the MU do not affect the goings on in the Prime. At least until Lorca got accidentally sent here. And even then it doesn’t follow that changes there represent changes in the Prime.
I will give you that the ease of time travel in Trek creates issues. But that’s as far as I can go. Apart from that, I’m just going with what I know of the era and the characters they are using. Much of which do not match what came before. If they claimed they were in the KU, then all those issues vanish. If they said this was a complete reboot or even reimagining of the TOS era then the issues vanish. But the show runners time and time again have claimed, against all the evidence to the contrary, that this is Prime.
Re: Only [Mirror] Lorca
Aren’t you forgetting, Terran Empress Georgiou? And as for what Lorca says, I said “…lies are the currency of political power in the Mirror Universe’s Empire…”
Re: I will give you that the ease of time travel creates issues.
Indeed it does, and my point is ENTERPRISE’s Temporal War combined with all the other Trek series’ Prime time travels, TVH movie, and the TNG movies TWO Prime Temporal Battles has left what the fan’s think they know of the Prime Universe’s established historical timeline in tatters. And THAT’S how DISCOVERY can claim it’s in the Prime Universe but things are different because of all of the ripples of time changing things, a little.
Kirk liked to pretend his time travels didn’t have any serious consequences, but the arrival of the Temporal Prime Directive people later seems to indicate the contrary.
Georgeau: She didn’t come over until the very end of the season. Lorca had been there for quite some time.
Time Travel theory: That’s entirely possible I suppose… If you squint and try and smash your suitcase shut. But it really starts to enter into fan theory territory. Nothing official and the show runners have never even hinted at such a thing. Either way we are left with way too many inconsistencies. Which, and it is worth repeating, would not have been an issue had the show been better than it is.
Re: fan theory territory.
Which was the origins of Trek Canon, because, as you yourself pointed out, they cared. Ball and Bludhorn certainly didn’t. Paramount didn’t as they most vociferously made Bludhorn aware, when he ordered them to run STAR TREK starting in its 2nd season and as they later offered to sell it to Roddenberry for $157k. Roddenberry DID care but not to the tune of that much.
I have no idea what you are talking about, Dis.
You proposed that the canon of Holmes was not comparable to STAR TREK’s because Doyle didn’t care. I was merely pointing out that despite your being misinformed about Doyle that none of the original owners of TREK cared about its canon.
If Disney hadn’t rewritten the copyright laws, STAR TREK and its canon would have most likely been in the public domain today as there was so little caring over what was perceived by Paramount as worth, at most, only $100k+.
” I was merely pointing out that despite your being misinformed about Doyle that none of the original owners of TREK cared about its canon.”
Great. But I never made such a claim. Hence, the confusion for what you were talking about.
I’m glad Trek left the TOS era. I like TOS but that was for its time. TNG was for another and so on. Thats what I like about Trek, expanding, not stuck in the same mold. Then it would be Star Wars. I like Star Wars but its been decades of the exact same story line. What makes Trek great is that it can live in any time period, any universe and still feel appealing because its story telling is just so much more vast.
And frankly nothing about Discovery feels like its in the 23rd century. You could place it in the 25th century and no one would blink.
Exactly, Tiger. Besides what I consider the weak writing thus far, 80% of my problem with the show would go away if it were simply set later in the timeline. Make new stories, new characters, show new civilizations and technology. Don’t ‘borrow’ what was original 50 years ago. It’s leaving a bad taste with me.
I think fans have a fundamental misconception of how art functions in stage and television show productions to get the sets, and the props and costumes which fill them made. They are so used to doing the fun game of pretending that STAR TREK actually IS the future, they’ve convinced themselves that all the production drawings were rendered in patent level detail to produce what eventually appears on screen.
The thinking is that if you took only the drawings of Jefferies and Theiss, and handed them to any production crew, past or present, that the end product would always turn out EXACTLY identical to what they came up with at Desilu with assembly line exactitude. I’m sorry to say, “No it wouldn’t.”
If they had handed that same art to their contemporaries, the Robert Kinoshita directed crew over at FOX, something credibly recognizable as Theissian and Jefferiesian would result, but I know from my experiences on the periphery of theater that it would be as “off” as people are complaining about the look of DISCOVERY’s take.
For my money, what they came up with for DISCOVERY’s Enterprise, is far more acceptable than the curvy TNGesque bulbous monstrosity that Bad Robot came up with for their movies, which i felt they hammered home its design aesthetics concerns with the “ample nacelles” line. But I can’t deny that it is recognizable as another take on Jefferies’ art.
Dis,
That’s a very interesting point you make. I think Kinoshita and co would have created something finished and polished (they did have more money, I think), but it still wouldn’t have withstood scrutiny, owing to what I think Justman said was ‘all old submarine parts’ for the detailing.
Even so, I don’t see much TOS in the DISCOVERY interiors at all (and by much, I mean almost nothing at all, outside of general layout) — it’s like somebody took the still very decent TFF/TUC/E-B bridge and just wrecked it with a revolting Abrams overlay, just minus most of the crazed overlighting. I see murk instead of Abrams’ glare, but I don’t see ‘comfortable working space.’
To be honest, you could make the best point ever seen on this site but when you begin by sayinf “it is not Prime”, it doesnt matter. Thats factually incorrect.
Fuller saddled the show with all the issues it has. The team in charge now is doing their best to right the ship. Ill judge them far more harshly on Season 2 than 1 because season 2 is their baby.
With all due respect, Fuller didn’t saddle them with the notion of making Gabriel Lorca his own MU evil twin, which turned out to be one of the worst decisions of DSC’s first season IMO. And in all fairness, he gave the show some of its best concepts too. I’d frankly love to see the alternate (mirror?) universe version of it, had he remained in charge, even if there’s really no way to know if it would have been better or not.
The actor that played him knew Lorca was evil from the start.
Context of evil counts; if he is this verse’s s31 guy (as Fuller presumably intended), then we have to eat that as ‘ours’ instead of it just being some alt-meanie. W/o that, it doesn’t resonate.
Sure, but you’re arguing one creative change that you dislike versus the entirety of the concept of Discovery which is what Fuller saddled the new folks with.
They didnt get to revisit the look of the Klingons, the design of the ship, the uniforms or the bulk of the first season story arc, though they admit they made some changes (in fact, it sounds like they shortened the war story in favour of more MU and possibly moved the Sec 31 stuff to Season 2).
Makes sense, the 60’s Enterprise was a turd.
You’re about a tenth as good at trolling as you think you are.
Sorry but that’s my personal opinion, if you don’t agree that’s ok also. Thankfully the showrunners of Discovery agree with me. That old thing never looked right to me.
In that case, I’d bet that you must’ve absolutely LOVED Captain Proton? ;)
Me neither. But I loved the TMP ship.
Yes the TMP ship did look much better.
I would argue they dont agree since the ship is basically the same. Just modern and fitting the visuals of Discovery.
Well, your personal opinion frankly comes off as a little silly, considering that you’re lavishing praise on an update that, according to the artists responsible, is at least 75% the same as the original you refer to as a turd. I personally love the original, and don’t really have major issues with the DSC update (unlike the godawful Abrams version)–but, whichever way you slice it, that’s the very definition of trolling.
I never said the TOS Enterprise was 100% turd. Some of those TOS episodes are pure 100% though.
Actually you DID say the Enterprise was a turd.
I was trying to be nice.
Try harder.
Now you’re just trying to be obnoxious. (Good job!)
Each according to their gifts …
Some fans don’t like the TOS design just as some cling to this ridiculous notion that DSC isn’t Prime.
Could HN4 been more eloquent? Absolutely. But don’t accuse him of trolling for having an opinion.
I’m accusing him/her of trolling because every time I see the name, it’s a troll-type comment. Not a good one, either.
Sadly have to agree. When people say things like Discovery is the only real Star Trek while they been watching it for decades, its just to get a rise out of people and not trying to have a real conversation.
I have been accused of things here myself but no one can’t say I’m trying to just upset people.
That’s because you at least back up what you say, Tig. It isn’t just a declarative disruptive snipe.
That OTHER kind of post is essentially just a kid running into every game of four-square in the school yard and kicking the ball away while yelling nyah-nyah-nyah, it seems more about ‘look at me’ (probably because he wasn’t picked to play by anyone else) than contributing to the discussion.
I appreciate that Kmart! And I know I can get testy but I really do come here to have a conversation and why I fall on both sides of the argument a lot. Because its not all black and white and I accept that.
THe problem with HN4 is he’s not here to discuss anything, just shove his ideas down your throat. And when that doesn’t work, then it just turns into childish responses as you mentioned. Its eye rolling.
I say this a lot but I really wish there was an ignore button here.
I wish that too. We finally got an edit button that appears for a short while. Hopefully we can get an ignore, too. That said, I am ignoring a poster every time I see the name. I just skip past it. But it would be easier if there were an ignore feature.
Thats true it is easy to just ignore the poster but thats how trolling operates in the first place, they are looking to get a rise out of people and they know someone will eventually bite. I ignore about 80% of what he posts here and even I still respond to a few (and to be fair they are not all trollish, he does have legitimate arguments at times). So yeah it would be easier if there are certain posts we literally can not see. And it would also be easier if a poster you don’t want responding to you to you that you ignore as well.
My issue is that even though there might be legitimate comments made, if I were to respond with anything but “I completely agree” he would feel obliged to respond and completely misunderstand and/or misrepresent what I wrote. I would feel the need to correct him and things just go downhill from there. I want no part of that anymore. Better to just ignore all the posts.
This is tRUMP aMERICA now.
It is reasonable that there are a number who do not see STD as prime. For example, a tire company can put out official press releases that their tires are red. They can post on the internet saying their tires are red. All involved in the making of those tires in the factory can say the tires are red. But when they are on the shelf and the consumers are looking at them, and see no red whatsoever, it does not matter what the makers say. The consumer sees the result and it is NOT red.
Except it is prime. And Discovery is a TV show not an object. If those red tires only appeared on Television and were red, then they’d be red.
Also, colour is colour. Its not like Discovery which is an era. No one is arguing the visuals look different so your example doesnt make sense.
Care to expound on that statement? Why do you feel that way? Is it because you think the design is clunky? Is it too simple? Or, are you simply making a silly statement because you were bored and had nothing better to do at the time and it sounded funny to you? I’m not attacking, but it’s more conducive to provide some additional information as to why you dislike the design.
If we post a variant on Matt’s comment here after every HN4 one-line dis, it’ll be interesting to see if there are any cogent and/or informative replies.
@Kmart Always leave them wanting more.
You have to contribute something of interest in order to engender that ‘wanting more’ part, and you ain’t up to that, good buddy.
And yet you keep talking about me. You need to give me up… I’m bad for you.
Naah, you’re just bad, period. And I’m talking about somebody cluttering up the board, which is a bad thing in general, so please don’t take it as a personal attack. You don’t rate THAT kind of attention.
Eaves may not understand the full situation, and it may not be purely a rights issue, but there’s likely something else going on other than just a “creative decision.”
Why? The old TOS Enterprise doesn’t fit Star Trek any more. It needed to change.
…In the same way that all of the characters in the recent remake of ‘The Magnificent Seven’ all had body armor and automatic weapons?
Elvis_Shatner,
Re: The Magnificent Seven’ all had body armor
Poor choice. THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, itself, was a remake of SEVEN SAMURAI. Samurai are known to use: body armor.
Never seen the THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, but I have seen SEVEN SAMURAI many times. YOJIMBO is my fav.
Yep I’m aware of that. Not really relevant though because nobody is claiming that The Magnificent Seven is taking place in Feudal Japan, as far as I can tell…
Also, there are no indications in the recent remake that anything was visually ‘modernized’ just because the production crew had the technical ability to do so.
I tried watching some of it, but musically it was just godawful, and I felt that it was like watching cosplay at times. I’ve seen all the four previous MAG 7s, and BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS too (I like this sub-genre a lot), but I didn’t feel any connection on an emotional level at all, it just all seemed like connect-the-dots. When a new MAG 7 was floated back in the early 90s, I was excited, thinking maybe they’d do something where they had to stave off an attack by the US Cavalry on besieged Indians, so maybe I just had expectations, which are a terrible thing to bring to a remake.
Re: … recent remake that anything was visually ‘modernized’
It is when you consider that the actual source being visually reconceptualized was feudal Japan and the American Wild West setting was NOT contemporary with it but forward in time after.
Sure. Yet, it was never claimed that the events of The Magnificent Seven were set in Japan during their Feudal Period. The visual setting of the film made that obvious, though to be honest, I haven’t gotten an opinion from Kurtzman about that. :p
Seems to me that our current situation would be akin to claiming that The Magnificent Seven *IS* in fact the Seven Samurai and taking place in Feudal Japan despite the obvious visual differences.
Re: …The Magnificent Seven *IS* in fact the Seven Samura…
Now we are getting somewhere, because I bet that’s EXACTLY how the Japanese audiences felt when Denzel’s 7 played there with a Japanese language dialogue audio track.
Elvis, that is another good analogy. Claiming the Mag 7 was indeed set in Feudal Japan but kept the western setting. Audiences would see right through that lie. If Mag 7 were a 10 episode series run by the STD people I could see them claiming all the perceived inconsistencies would be explained by the end of the season… No wait… They will be explained in season 2. Wait…
Billy Posey
Initially, my feeling is to say get over it accept the change. Personally, I love the look. As much as I love the TOS, I’ve always wanted an updated look to the TV show Enterprise. But if I really think about it it’s probably not fair to say that. If they had done a reboot of the TOS and the look of the discovery was the new USS Enterprise I would have been PISSED. I was aleady annoyed with Voyager and stuff after first contact for eliminating the neck and pretty much the saucer.
Anoher examples would be the new Voltron. I loved Voltron growing up. And I think the new show is a good one, but some of the changes bother me. I mean, I know you gotta have an updated look but why did they have to get rid of his crest of the chest, or change the wings to those goofy things?
So, when I look at it like that, saying get over it is a little unfair.
The one thing that about the new voltron that i think is fair not to tolerate is removing Keith as the leader of the voltron force. That’s like making changing Kirk to the navigator and putting Chekov as the captain.
Let me tell you – Lost in Space took 50 years and now it’s pretty damn good.
It is (dare I say) a far better show than Discovery.
It has actual characters.
Just watched the first hour and. . . color me not-impressed. But I’ll probably stick with it for another episode or two.
I lasted about eleven or twelve minutes, but honestly, they lost me on the opening shot inside the ship with the card-playing. The sound seemed really bad, couldn’t easily tell what was being said … and by the time they got outside, I didn’t care. Couldn’t believe how quickly it engendered disinterest for us, just felt ‘off’ in all sorts of ways. Then again, never a fan of original series either (except for the robot), though I found the 97 movie fairly watchable, at least the first half.
I will give them points for originality, staging the crash-landing entirely from inside, without even any window views — but in this case, originality without spectacle failed to create suspense, so while there are brownie points involved, there is no merit badge being given for ‘nice-try.’
I gave it about 15 minutes and had to turn it off. Typical arrogant, domineering girls/women, the typical emasculated male, Will Robinson is no longer a bright, rational kid. Nice special effects, the rest is junk. Imo.
Wow you really don’t like woman. What happened?
You know what, HN4, that’s not what I said at all. I alluded to the opinion they were badly written characters.
Further, 9 out of 10 of your posts are abrasive. I don’t do abrasive. Move along.
Gods, but this oppressed-male shite really gets tiresome.
You must really be pissed about that woman pilot who saved all those people.
Actually, Will does have a few problem solving ideas that help “save the day”.
I thought it got better around the 4th and 5th episodes. One too many cliches in each episode though.
My main issue is that, much like the original LIS pilot, the hour plays out as a series of loosely-structured cliffhangers that in themselves aren’t very interesting. There is some melodrama (the Robinson family was apparently on the verge of imploding before the colonization mission), and I’ll give them some credit for interspersing flashbacks of a not too-imaginative near-future dystopian earth, which at least alleviated the tedium somewhat. And just FYI, I can guarantee that you wouldn’t like the bait-and-switch they played with the robot.
Still, it has some scope and potential. I really like Molly Parker, who did some great work on Six Feet Under and Deadwood back in the day, and that’s reason enough for me to press on a little more.
It’s bloody dreadful. The two eldest kids are Mary-Sues and both parents are totally unlikable.
PhilK
Watched two episodes. This is all opinion, of course, but I found it terribly dull. Not bad by any means, but boring.
If you agree with my assessment, can you tell me when it gets good?
If you disagree and think ep 1&2 are good, then I guess our tastes are too different.
Sounds like they’re getting a little defensive. Good. They’ve acted presumptuously and arrogantly and it’s only right they feel some pushback from longtime fans.
Instead of all this creative wrangling and jumping hoops, wouldn’t it have been easier if they had set this story in the future. Then people might have been more reasonable to all the changes, especially the Klingons.
The Weekend Slice
Hi. At least based on what Ted Sullivan replied to me on Twitter, most if not all of the writers would have liked to have made the show NOT be a prequel. I assume, but this was in no way confirmed by anyone, that Fuller drew up a show bible and by the time he left and the new creative leaders came on board the studio was fed up with delays and such and had them stick to the original concept of it being a prequel to TOS so that no more delays for redesign or re-writes would be needed.
My feeling was that Discovery would have worked better if it had been set post DS9 and instead of the Klingons it could have used the Jem’Hadar (just a random thought).
But in the end I do quite like the show and I had a blast watching Season 1.
If that is true (and I suspect it as well), if the writers come up with a way to move the show into the future, thats fine by me. As long as its a good story.
It seems very clear that Fuller was very, very bad for Discovery and saddled the crew with a lot of issues that they have had to defend. They seem eager to move towards a traditional norm for Star Trek.
I would totally welcome this crew and ship travelling to the future for the rest of its run, again, given a proper story. The ship Discovery already arguably has the technology. Please, leave the pre-TOS “prime” timeline alone.
Frankly, as a fan the last thing I want is a “traditional norm” for Star Trek. Been there, done that. I want it to join the ranks of modern, long-form prestige television, which is what Discovery promised and (mostly) failed to do, in its first season.
Yes, alphantrion, it certainly would have been much easier. Then, bring on the changes – new Star Trek, new species, new look, and all of past Trek would have remained unaltered.
It would have, Alphantrion. But if the same dumb plot twists and writing remained the show would still be sub par.
Agreed, I doubt the writers actually have the creativity to play in a blank canvas, but you never know. I think they should have at least tried.
I hate to say it but it sorta feels like S1 was them trying their best. I have little hope they will suddenly get better for S2. I’m a fan so I’m going to watch. But I’m not expecting anything good. Just like when I watch my crappy baseball team play. I know they will likely lose but I am holding out illogical hope they won’t.
“The producers of Star Trek: Discovery have been consistently clear in saying the show lives firmly inside the canon universe of Star Trek’s prime timeline, set a decade prior to The Original Series. However, this adherence to canon is focused on the story. With regards to the visuals, Discovery has clearly made changes throughout it’s run.”
This is what I’ve been saying for months. In narrative terms, it’s a continuation of what has come before. But in terms of visuals and design elements, it’s a reboot. Some fans say that means Disco is trying to have its cake and eat it too, but I don’t have a problem with it.
Mind you, nBSG had Cylons and being harried and Galactica and Adama and his son Apollo and the survivors of humanity buggering off for Earth.
But nobody was going “Yup this is totes set in the ‘lets do the Star Wars mormons in space Egyptian-greco-roman style 70s vibe’ timeline.”
We could tell it was a reboot, and that didn’t do the show any harm. Andaside from some pissing and moaning about Starbuck being a woman, nobody seemed bothered.
It updated things for the “oh my god terrorists who aren’t afraid to die and are amongst us and worship a weird god!” vibe society was dealing with at the time.
Kinda like sci-fi shows in the cold war used Soviet allegories and told ‘Nam-esque stories.
Aliens was “Mitey American tech is useless to the hoarde of glorioius workers united sneak attacking closely……oh yeah and greed is not *good*.”
Godzilla was a physical representation of “Nukes suck”.
Space Battleship Yamato also had this theme.
I’d love it if they released a “transwarping” version of the Enterprise that changed between the TOS version and the DSC version (like the ent-D “all good things” ship I had when I was a wee bairn that changed between galaxy and galaxy-x class). Including pylon wing retraction and viewscreen window blast shield.
I’m kidding of course – I’ll still buy the eaglemoss version of this ship when it appears.
So, the shows artists think they can’t use the old designs for legal reasons.
We have a writer who thinks we can’t use anything from any of the movies due to the CBS/Paramount split.
Well, the first never made sense. The second does.
“…chose not to cover…”. That sounds like TrekMovie has *chosen* to censor what fans get to read about. We are fragile and gullible, after all, and need to be protected.
I think everyone reading this article has heard about the posts that prompt it in the first place. If TM was trying to censor anything, we wouldn’t have read about those posts that people posted on these message boards in the first place. People are always looking to feel slighted on the internet for some reason.
Well the other site did a feature, almost exactly the same as this one so it made sense they’d follow suit, especially since it was just a few days ago that one of the site Admins was debating it with fans.
There are all kinds of rumors out there on the internet. Some might be true (or contain some true aspects) while others are just plain fake stories. TrekMovie will always decide which stories they cover and which stories they don’t. In the case of this particular rumor they actually reached out to CBS to confirm whether there was anything to it. That’s what journalism should try to do: Confirm a story before reporting it.
Mr. Vulcan
The show runners say this show is in the prime timeline. CBS says it’s in the prime timeline. They own the copyright. So…fact: it’s in the prime timeline. The copyright owners decide what is canon and what is what, not the fans.
It doesn’t matter what any of us think. It doesn’t matter how different visually it looks. If you can’t suspend your disbelief maybe Star Trek never was really your thing. Or maybe you just need to find something else.
Whatever the case stop whining about how different the ship looks and find something to complain about that is actually important. Like how the world leaders are screwing us over by keeping us at war all the time.
Yup. People can debate things but the annoyance is the people that say its not Prime or argue that they tell themselves its not prime. Dont live in denial.
Equally, some of us think the claims that Disco can ONLY be thought of as fitting in the TOS ‘prime universe’ as the ‘canon deciders’ assert…is just as annoying and delusional.
So it’s just an individual ‘point-of-view’ thingy I guess.
The difference is, one is factual and one isnt. Its prime. Period. Unless the writers decide to change that.
That is not entirely correct. Just the word of those making the show does not make it so. What they produce MUST coincide with their comments. Another variation of the analogy I made earlier… Guy opens a widget store (or on line retailer) and says you can get this widget in any color you like. So a customer orders a blue one. It arrives and it’s Orange. The customer complains. It’s not what he was told he would get. Did the proprietor misrepresent? Was the customer wrong for expecting what the store said they would give him? I say the customer has every right to complain when they do not get what they said they would. Some customers might be fine with not getting it. That’s OK too. But it’s not unreasonable for other customers to be annoyed when they did not get what they were told they were getting.
Nope, its Prime. You can’t compare a fictional TV show to a real world product. They could have Kirk walk out and be a gay black woman and as long as they say its prime it is.
So let’s say you go to dinner and order the Prime rib. When they bring it out, it turns out to be pork jowls. You say, this is neither ribs nor Prime! And the waiter gets indignant, tells you it’s Prime if the company says it is, and then invokes the first Rule of Acquisition (no refunds!). You may accept the substitution or you can leave, but it remains a substitution.
Completely irrelevant example.
Again, reasoning from fiat. Would you care to elaborate on my example’s (metaphor’s) irrelevance?
Or do we just eat your pork jowls saying, “Mm, Prime argument!”
Like nBSG was set in the same timeline as the 70s BSG?
Good try, Ted. But if there is a big enough fan backlash, things can certainly be decanonized. One recent example would be Lucasfilm jettisoning the concept of midichlorians because a majority of fans disapproved. Corporate fiat only goes so far, Ted. LLAP
Just curios: why do you insist on presenting an otherwise reasonable argument by framing it as an accusation that those who disagree with you must necessarily be sockpuppets or corporate shills?
Not for nothing, but this new design does NOT look more modern. It’s not like we were building actual ships like that in the 1960s. The Enterprise was imagined. And it was amazing.
This is not more modern, it’s just different, and there’s a bit of arrogance on the part of these producers to think that they can improve on the classic Enterprise. If they want to stick with the prime universe, then they should stick to the design.
It’s no different than their stupid looking Klingons.
There seems to be an element of “the TOS *design* is 50 years old, therefore it’s dated” going on here. I think those two facts are mutually exclusive (I don’t think the TOS design has dated at all). But, I have to admit that given the look of the rest of DSC’s ships, the TOS design of the Enterprise would stick out like a sore thumb. Had it been up to me, the disco herself would have been designed with more of a TOS aesthetic (as would the NX-01 for that matter). But we’ve got a visual reboot on our hands (plus a secondary characterological reboot for some of the people we see in both TOS and DSC) where I don’t think that the old Enterprise wouldn’t look right in this visual continuity. The Jeffries design still looks as futuristic as ever to me, but it’d be like putting her in battlestar galactica (ignore the Easter egg version in the fleet!) or in Star Wars. DSC has way more in common visually with those other franchises than it does with TOS for me. Which is a shame given the last 50 years of canon. But “fresh minds fresh ideas” I suppose…
That’s not really a fresh idea–if anything, it’s a creative weakness. You have the right idea–Discovery should have been more like the other ships in the TOS era. When DS9 and Enterprise showed a Constitutional Class ship it looked amazing.
@BringBackKirkPrime Agreed. I still think Defiant looks more advanced than the NX class in Mirror Darkly – but personal preference has a lot to do with this issue it seems! See my essay below explaining my feelings on this haha!
Thats just not true. The original Enterprise was a very nice design, in fact very different from some of the “futuristic” designs of the time. It was grounded in reality but a reality of the 60’s.
Its like taking the coolest TV made in the 60’s and putting it next to your LED flat screen. Picture quality aside, the 60’s TV might look retro futuristic cool, but its not how TV’s would be designed in the future.
But mostly, once Enterprise and the films came along, they created a new norm for ship designs. If you made Discovery look like TOS, that’s not blending in..because TOS is the one brief period in Trekdom that doesnt look like it belongs between Franklin and Enterprise-E.
@TUP aye, and if my grandmother had wheels she’d be a wagon…
Just kidding!!! I see where you’re coming from, but I don’t agree that the original Enterprise design is dated. This is just my opinion obviously- and I’m not going to tell you your interpretation is wrong (I’ll leave the thought policing to section 31…), I just don’t buy into the idea that just because the Enterprise design is 50 years old that automatically makes it dated. But “as we say on earth, c’est la vie” (I love Star Trek III). Apparently there are people who hate the Enterprise D design where I think it’s the best ship ever shown on screen (4 foot model notwithstanding), but such is personal taste.
I don’t agree with your 60s tv analogy though – they weren’t trying to project 300 years in the future with tv designs back then… they *were* trying to project forward with the Enterprise and I still think the Jeffries design looks futuristic, despite the age of her design. BUT, the Star Trek show *I* would have made wouldn’t have done a fraction as well as DSC has because I *would* have nitpicked canon and come up with stories to address discrepancies- and everyone would have hated it…!
Ultimately this whole debate is moot – the DSC Enterprise is the new design in canon (whatever that may mean in the discoverse) and I have to live with that. If the Enterprise is a character from the show, she’s now being played by a new actress – like Zoe Saldana. That’s right. I anthropomorphised the Enterprise. I went there XD
True, but the 60’s had lots of retro futuristic designs and the Enterprise is a good example of that in many ways. Rounded edges were futuristic. A giant satellite dish etc.
I think if you created a brand new TV show today and it looked just like TOS, people wouldn’t really think twice. But TOS has often been held up as this incredible predictor of future tech and I think the TV people sometimes embrace that idea a bit too much.
So in comparison, today’s show has to predict what tech will be like 300 years from 2018 instead of 1968
Oh I agree with you there. I understand *why* DSC has to look how it does – I just wish it didn’t *have* to be like that is all. Some creative writing or exploration of the effects of the eugenics wars and/or WWIII on what technology looks like (explaining 23rd century tube circuits…) would have been compelling to me. Like the “no networks” caveat on BSG explaining why galactica was low tech etc. But classic Trek ain’t cool for modern TV and sadly Star Trek isn’t ever going to be as cool as Star Wars not even with all the Michael Burnhams in the multiverse… Thing is I could forgive all the visual reboot stuff if the story had grabbed me but DSC just didn’t do anything for me in season one. I enjoyed “magic” and the pahvo episode, and I liked Saru, Stamets, Culber and Tilly, but the rest just left me cold (or worse, annoyed). I vehemently dislike Michael. I can’t relate to her at all. Lorca seemed like he was going to be really interesting but then the “reveal” turned him into Mirror Garak (described by Andrew Robinson as “a dumb bad guy”), AshVoq was a great idea but poorly executed, and the rest of the crew didn’t get nearly enough screen time for me to even learn their names. I want the warm familiar fuzzy feeling I get from the Orville… or to be sucked into the story like I was with BSG. The weird thing is if DSC *had* been like the Orville I’d be complaining it was too similar to TNG or VOY or whatever. I’m hoping season 2 of DSC has a stronger (and slower paced) story. The visual stuff won’t matter one jot to me if it’s entertaining! :) Trekkers, amirite?
Plus I must win some more points for my Enterprise = Zoe Saldana analogy…!
“The visual stuff won’t matter one jot to me if it’s entertaining!”
That has been my take from the beginning. Although, I would like for it to line up better visually but if the show is good then it would matter a TON less.
Since the show is good, it IS easy to overlook things. No show is perfect and we can’t expect 15 million Trek fans to all agree that every second that airs is exactly as we’d want it to be.
chris-leo
I don’t envy these ‘Discovery’ producers, who must be real people pleasers. The ‘creative decisions’ I see seem to involve navigating a new series around pleasing conflicting masters. The show couldn’t have been post-Voyager: too unfamiliar, too much new life and much new civilizations. It had to feel like familiar ole’ Trek, I guess. So, we’re back to retro-future past again. But, it can’t look mid-century retro: non-Trek purists wouldn’t get it (they think). Besides, there are legal problems with designs and with which company gets to sell which props, costumes, and models (…sorry, gang…not totally buying the company line. Nobody made up that 20% figure…).
Then, it can’t quite be set in its own storyline, somewhere in the same vast universe of Star Fleet. Oh no!! Discovery feels this pathological need to pay fanservice like a Star Wars movie, as if to keep yelling, “See? See? I’m really Star Trek!!” We get Sarek, Spock’s sister, Amanda, Harry Mudd, tribbles, Gorn skeletons, Klingons, the mean Mirror Universe. We’ve gotten more Easter eggs than the White House lawn roll. And just when it all seemed self-contained enough, like a secret lost history – without too many direct visual comparisons to TOS, they do the Hail Mary pass of all fan-ass-kissing. Before you can say Eames chairs, goodneck monitors, hand lasers, and ribbed velour turtlenecks, here comes Captain Pike and the USS Enterprise – and it’s treated by the characters as if the Discovery crew were fans of the original series. But with this pandering series, it could be the Talosians throwing them an illusion. After all they’re good for fake distress signals.
And triggering death penalties!
Actually, this whole series being a Talosian illusion would, while reeking of ST ELSEWHERE, also be an eventual justification for the Talos death penalty — more of one that what we see in THE MENAGERIE, anyway. The idea that it took two encounters with them to be enough to create the death penalty general order makes a little more sense to me. Or if you wanted a different species, it could be Thasians, who can do some pretty fancy stuff too.
None of this would be as satisfying as having DS9 with an older Benny Sisko walking off an early 1970s Paramount studio lot, with a first draft of DEEP SPACE NINE – THE MOTION PICTURE under his arm, but it might offset SOME negative feelings about s1.
I guess you meant Benny Russell?!?
yep, totally blew that, sorry.
I think the issue is you had Fuller who came in with a million ideas to revamp Star Trek. Which is the best reason for why he should never have been hired in the first place.
So you had a half baked series dropped in the laps of the new folks and they have been trying to steer the show back towards “normal”.
chris-leo,
Re: goodneck monitors
Did you mean, perhaps, goose-necked monitors??
Exactly. The “Burnham is Spock’s adoptive sister!” Thing reeks of key-jangling fanservice.
Why Sarek?
Why not have Burnham complain to Tilly one evening about her annoying younger brother, Tuvok….if they really needed to sync old and new series up.
Rogue One was made recently but it balanced the modern world with the fictional Star Wars world based on the time the story took place and it looked like it was done well so to argue that we are in a modern world now is a poor excuse.
I still feel like they could have based this entire story during a time after Nemesis, whether close or further in the future to it and goes something like this:
With the Romulans interested in talking peace the Federation sent the Titan to Romulus and things went positively well however this new found relationship between the Romulan Empire and the Federation has strained things with the Klingons and once again as tensions rise The Klingons refuse to co-operate and eventually leads to them breaking all relations with the humans for several years. At some point in the Early 2400s a convoy of ships arrives at Qo’Nos full of (ancient – dating back to before Kahless) Klingons (new design) who claim they have returned from a centuries long journey and are disgusted at what their world has been infested with (TMP/TNG/DS9/VOY Design). These new Klingons claim to be the Purest form of their race and the human augment manipulation of the 22nd Century and subsequent evolution has tainted their blood lines and declare they will do anything to cleanse the empire.
As the Federation learns of this they feel they need to stick their nose in the Klingon’s business because there is no telling how ruthless these “new” klingons are and what that could mean to the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Obviously with the Klingons they know being at odds they, their “help” isn’t well received and the story goes from there.
This solves everything that’s been screwed with:
Technology – spore drive was never ever discussed, not even when Transwarp was being tested. So, there is no concern about Starfleet discovering this new propulsion tech. The 2400s could be an era where Starfleet is going through a bit of a retro phase. Bringing back the more pistol type Phaser (ergonomics) and Designs like the Discovery and Enterprise.
Storyline – They’re not stuck trying to shoe horn things in. And I still think the whole Burnham being Spock’s adopted sister is dumb and unnecessary. Could have been any Vulcan family.
On a side note, don’t get me wrong. I love the redesign of the Enterprise. Thats what I wanted the JJ Enterprise to look like. It’s fantastic looking but even still they’ve cheated a bit too much by changing it.
The Star Wars argument doesnt hold water because A New Hope didnt use effects from a TV show in the 60’s. Its that simple.
Ye gods, but I hate that STAR WARS argument, which is endlessly repeated on these forums in spite of the fact that it relates to the challenges of visually updating TOS in no way whatsoever.
Any Star Trek show, whether it’s a prequel to TOS or a sequel to VOY, must adjust to the real-world history that happens in the intervening years, as well as the realities of production techniques. Even if a show takes place after VOY, it’ll still mean that TOS will have looked totally different, even if we don’t see it.
Star Wars takes place in a galaxy far far away, completely removed from any sense of time relative to our own world (the “long time ago” thing is meaningless there).
Since TOS designs were based on real-world military aesthetics and function over form design philosophies, it wouldn’t entirely make sense for anything from the Trek timeline to look like what the 1960s thought would fit that mandate. Beyond a general sense that repairs should be done from inside the ship, necessitating a relatively smooth hull (but not necessarily negating surface detailing seen in Starfleet ships from TMP right up to DSC), the interiors would certainly have to be radically different, and I expect as much when and if we see inside the Enterprise.
I’m a long time Trek fan. I get the anger at some of the changes being made, but I for one don’t have an issue with the ship design, etc. Sure, it’s more of a sequel to ENT than a prequel to TOS visually, but that’s fine to me. The only times we had visual consistency in the franchise was when shows were made close to each other and even then it was not 100%. TAS changed quite a few things from TOS and introduced tech and species that were never seen again in the franchise. TMP changed almost everything compared to TOS except for the general outline of things. WOK changed everything from TMP again. In fact I would argue that the changes TMP made to the visual and story elements from TOS are no different from the changes Discovery made to the TOS/franchise. Klingon redesign without an explanation? Check. Ship redesign? Check (they called it a refit, but…come on, the engine room for one is a completely different design, the corridors are a complete overhaul, etc). Visual changes that made the interior of the Enterprise to look bigger than before? Check. Character changes that go against details from the previously established lore? Both TMP and Khan – check and check. I am not pointing at specific things, but the general approach to the visual design of things. Outside of TNG, DS9 and VOY which were quite consistent (and even then, uniform redesign for a different look? Check. Multiple uniform variants in use at the same time? Check. Technology redesigned as the budget and resources got bigger? Check.) there is no “to the detail” visual consistency in Trek. NX-01 looking more like Voyager than the Khan Reliant (similar visual structure)? Check. Star Wars is easy to keep within the same visual continuity because it’s Sci-fi Fantasy. None of the tech is…explainable and realistic. They never designed Wars to be “mankind in the future”. Trek did. TOS changed the landscape of modern tech to the point where the communicator from it looks ancient compared to a modern smartphone/tablet. Even the PADDs from the TNG era are ancient now. Not to mention the computer displays. Hey, it’s the future, but we’re still using CRTs! Trek had to update visually for it to work for a modern audience because the core concept within Trek visuals is “mankind in the future”. The tech has to be advanced and futuristic otherwise the audience at large would not take it seriously. But I do wish they would have chosen a design direction closer to what the Kelvin movies had (not in all aspects) or to what the first episode of Black Mirror Season 4 had for its ship from that episode (a bit more restrained though, not identical). I hope that for the Enterprise bridge in Season 2 they go with something like this: http://thehightechhippie.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1515191216_397_Black-Mirror-Season-4-Episode-1-039USS-Callister039-Shows-How-Technology-Enables-Creeps.jpg BUT I will be fine if they don’t as long as they nail the story and characters and in Season 1 there were a lot of great character moments and side stories (I agree with the whole Klingon war thing being mishandled and more of a background story than a main one). What hurts Discovery was the decision to make it a prequel. At least based on what Ted Sullivan replied to me on Twitter, most if not all of the writers would have liked to have made the show NOT be a prequel. I assume, but this was in no way confirmed by anyone, that Fuller drew up a show bible and by the time he left and the new creative leaders came on board the studio was fed up with delays and such and had them stick to the original concept of it being a prequel to TOS so that no more delays for redesign or re-writes would be needed. My feeling was that Discovery would have worked better if it had been set post DS9 and instead of the Klingons it could have used the Jem’Hadar (just a random thought). But in the end, this first season of Discovery was one of the best first seasons Trek has ever released (IN MY VIEW). And I enjoyed watching Season 1 and I am looking forward to Season 2. And yes, I can still love any other previous incarnation of Trek AND Discovery and meld them together into one universe even if they look different. Heck, I still choose to ignore Into Darkness (my least favorite Trek thing ever) and thus (minus the “Vulcan is gone” part) can watch Trek 2009 and Beyond as more TOS era adventures without feeling they don’t meld with the original TOS show and movies. That’s how I work. My hope is people will become more willing to accept and move past the differences… Read more »
When does The Orville return?
I’m genuinely sorry for those who can’t wrap their head around the fact that this show has a more modern design aesthetic. I honestly wouldn’t have minded if Enterprise had taken the lead on this because for it being a prequel, everything still looked more advanced than TOS designs. Anyway, there’s so much past Trek for those to enjoy who just can’t get into what Discovery is offering. I personally look at that image of the Enterprise and fall in love all over again just like I did with the original design. Keep moving forward team!
Here are some of the relevant comments from Facebook.
“Gabriel Charles Koerner John Eaves, was the “25 percent difference” mandate creative or legal?”
Scott Schneider Legal.
“Gabriel Charles Koerner Scott, fascinating. I’d heard this before. Which seems very odd to me, as I would assume CBS owned all legacy Trek assets carte blanche, except the Kelvin timeline films, whose merch still goes through CBS…”
John Eaves after Enterprise properties of Star Trek, ownership changed hands and was devided so what was able to cross show VS tV up to that point changed and a lot of the cross over was no longer allowed. That is why when JJ’s movie came along everything had to be different. the alternate universe concept was what really made that movie happen in a way as to not cross the new boundries and give Trek a new footing to continue.
“Scott Schneider Alex Rosenzweig and the 25% is typically the number used when making one product similar to another. It must be at least 25% different in order to avoid copyright infringement. This is common with many products. Ive also come up against this in the past when using inspiration from other ideas that were copyrighted. In fact back on coneheads we used Libbius woods designs for Remulak and production was threatened with a lawsuit because it was too close and we had to change the models “20-25% ” to avoid a lawsuit. This is nothing new or exclusive to trek.”
“Gabriel Charles Koerner Man, its just baffling, considering that CBS can sell the original Constitution Class design in form of toys, model kits, all manners of licensed merch… but it can’t be included in new Trek TV productions?”
“John Eaves Samuel Cockings your asking the wrong guy. I only know there is a division of property and when the task at hand asks for 25% changes or a whole new design I know that what ever it is is not allowed to be used”
“Overall, I think we expanded the length of it (Enterprise) to be within the world of our Discovery, which is bigger, so we did cheat it as a larger ship.”
Pretty simple, Deverell said it herself. The Enterprise is a larger ship. Therefore, not the same ship we know from the past. What, they make it SMALLER in less than 10 years for TOS?
“…within the world of OUR Discovery…” Thus, confirming it’s a different world (and I’ll insert ‘universe’ here). The rest is backtracking and smoke and mirrors, imo.
Again, it’s Prime.
The creators tell us it’s prime. When it’s established one way or another on screen, then it’s canonically prime.
Hell, Roddenberry said that V was apocryphal. But it doesn’t matter what the writers or even creator says. It’s what is on screen that counts.
No, its Prime until something on screen tells us other wise. If not, we have an awful lot of episodes of Star Trek that arent canonically prime…
I think its valid to argue either way – you can say its prime until something tells us otherwise.
Don’t we know that TNG is prime, because it ties so well to TOS – there is Generations that ties those series together. DS9 likewise has a crossover episode and Voyager is seen in Caretaker and Janeway in TNG. Its all woven together nicely.
With Enterprise, things get a little caca, especially if you buy into the argument that First Contact started a new timeline. But I don’t subscribe to this one. For me, Enterprise suffers badly from having to be a prequel.
Now, I like DSC – really I do. I can even appreciate the merits of the redesigned Enterprise. I simply have a hard time acknowledging it as Prime. I mean, the Klingons have to change, the Enterprise has to shrink – but more importantly, some characters have to change. Its hard to reconcile Harry Mudd with the TOS character. Worse is Sarek, the peace loving Vulcan is a war monger in DSC.
I also know what people say: its just a TV show.
In the end, my “head-canon” is what counts, seeing that it’s just a TV/Movie franchise, and not Holy Writ.
Honestly I think your points are valid James. For *me* I take the writers at their word and its in the prime universe but I think we can ALL agree if they said it took place in a different universe than many of its problems would go away tomorrow. Not all of it, but a lot. And this is the problem they are going to continue discussing until they can either reconcile it better bringing it closer to TOS (which they say they will) or they come up with an in-universe explanation of why it looks so different. And I don’t see the latter happening, which a lot of people did see as a possibility.
I’m not going to repeat what I always repeat in this part of the argument but frankly I’m just STUNNED they really didn’t seem to understand how this would bother a lot of fans and now there are constant articles of them defending their choices. Put it someplace else OR just tie it closer to TOS at least and these arguments will eventually go away.
” I’m just STUNNED they really didn’t seem to understand how this would bother a lot of fans and now there are constant articles of them defending their choices. ”
That is not so stunning to me because it tells me those running the show have little idea about what Star Trek is. They may have a loose idea… Starship. Sci-Fi space stuff. Klingons. Spock. But that is as far as it seems to go. It seems they REALLY wanted to do their own thing but were stuck with the Star Trek world to do it in. It’s just more evidence that CBS has no idea what it has with Star Trek.
It doesnt bother a lot of fans and their defense is answering questions they are asked.
But thats the point, the fact its constantly getting raised that they have to answer it probably tells you it was a mistake to go so far with it in a fanbase that’s pretty fickle.
I go back to the Kelvin films, they acknowledged those films take place in a completely separate universe and yet fans were still bothered by so many of the changes, especially how advanced it feels compared to TOS. Now you supposedly have a show that takes place in the old universe and that seems to have just as many changes as the Kelvin did is not surprising the same issues wouldn’t prop up?
And it seems to bother a lot of fans, certainly online because every fan website I go to from this one to various others its argued about weekly.
But its Bryan Fuller who came up with a lot of these ideas in the first place. I get the other show runners may not see it as important as they were pretty new to Trek but they were only following Fuller’s lead.
And I’m not knocking him for just trying different things but Roddenberry was smart to do something different in another era where his ideas could flourish. It looks like Fuller probably would’ve changed it more if he was still in charge but that’s just a guess on my part.
Its not valid to argue against facts. Thats like saying “well the earth is flat until I go to space and see it for myself.”
Its prime.
OK TUP. It’s Prime. At least until it isn’t. Like the writers who said Khan wasn’t in STID. Until he was.
It’s valid to argue against so called facts if they don’t make sense. This is the foundation of Science and reasoning.
James, saying the producers are lying because you dont like their creative choices is not about science and reasoning. Its banging your head against the wall because you dont like the choice.
The only way the issue of Prime is comparable to Khan in STID is if Discovery actually is NOT in the Prime Universe and the writers know it and are lying for no reason. Which would be stupid.
In fact, if they are lying for a GOOD reason, such as a story that explains it, thats fine. Thats their creative prerogative.
But its Prime.
If I said I thought the 4th episode of TNG season 3 was not in the Prime Universe just “because” and argued that point everytime the subject of TNG came up, then it would not only be annoyingly factually incorrect, but just silly.
Its Prime. Even if I hated it, its still prime.
Azurian
I said it before, I honestly do like the Discovery Enterprise’s look, but at the same time I’m bothered she isn’t the classic TOS Enterprise. Especially given them constantly telling us it’s in the Prime Universe, aka the original timeline. I really do not buy that the Discovery producers needed to modernize the looks of Star Trek, especially when Orville uses 90s TNGesque sets and pulling superb ratings. And how Axanar used the classic Constitution-class with Prelude and making it look like she belonged. So they really did the unnecessary with all these bells and whistles. My only hope is that the Enterprise will be mentioned needing a refit, the last time we see her in Discovery, and it results in the true TOS Constitution for the 5-year mission.
As for the Klingons, that still greatly bothers me as a fan of the Klingons. Especially with their ships. Part of me really wants to see them connect to TOS, but at this point I’m just wanting them to just admit this is a new timeline and just end the controversy.
I think we can easily argue the “superb” ratings of Orville but you also have to remember this, Orville was going for that aesthetic. It was a part of what they wanted to be from the start. That doesn’t mean it works for Trek. I feel that a lot of fans would have seen it as “same old stuff.” Axanar, again had a very specific goal in mind as do all the fan productions. I totally get the argument for wanting the classic aesthetic, but I also completely understand why they went for a modern approach if Trek is supposed to be the story of us in the future.
Let’s remember that when Star Trek Phase II was going to be the follow up TV show in the 1970s, they were going to update the Enterprise look.
If the original creators were ok with updating the Enterprise is the 70s, why is it so bad to do so in 2018, with our 4K TVs?
Even so, the Discovery Enterprise is remarkably faithful to the original. It is clear the producers are trying to be accurate. They need to satisfy original Trek fans and appeal to a new generation of fan. It’s a hard job, but Trek will die if it doesn’t appeal to the next generation.
The Enterprise even changed from film to film (TVH to TFF for example). We allow for changes like that because its creative allowance. But I think the internet takes a minor complaint from a minority segment and blows it up.
Creative allowance to some degree but still, the refits made to the ship over the various movies occurred in subsequent order of succession though.
Claiming that Discovery’s visual changes are Prime canon is akin to claiming that the events of Star Trek V occurred during the Five Year Mission and that the 1701-A’s design was actually the TOS Enterprise, but simply updated visually to fit a modern aesthetic. Can’t buy it…
Whether it was legal or creative, I love the design. If the actual Star Trek was made today, I’d hope the style was more in line with that brief shot than JJland or the rest of Disco. I just hope they don’t jack up the unis and interior. Just lose the Starfleet officers walking around in shorts like they’re on the set of a 1958 Coppertone ad. One of the worst shots in franchise history even if it was the pilot. Since they’re doubling down on the hologram nonsense that is out of place on a late 24th century show, perhaps they could use the “speakers” or whatnot on the Cagerprise’s consoles and captain’s chair to show mini holograms of messages, ships, star systems, etc.
The novelization of the Star Trek: The Motion Picture written by Roddenberry had holo coms. In the book Kirk uses it to speak to an admiral before he goes to the Enterprise. So you’re pretty wrong about it being nonsense.
We both know that, for better or worse, only what’s shown on screen counts. And sometimes not even then. Even in the Kelvinverse, which is significantly more advanced, this technology does not exist. In fact, when Robeau sees the 25th century Romulan technology of Spock’s holohead it’s clear that he’s amazed by the technology and asks “where are you from?” Even if one were to accept that the timelines match prior to the incursion, the interactive holograms don’t fit at all.
Yeah holograms doesn’t belong anywhere in the 23rd century. It really feels like a 24th century tech. Another reason why you would never know this show was anywhere close to TOS period.
The sad thing is, I really think I’d like the show more if it were set post Nemesis. Everytime they use something TOS related it comes off as more of like pandering than a tribute let alone not replaceable by an original creation.
It comes off as very two dimensional, with story development just taking us from one “OMG!” moment to the next. They make a huge deal about casting a black woman as the lead, which let’s be honest it is. But then her character could’ve been played by a white dude or an Andorian hermaphrodite and it wouldn’t change one thing. Hopefully in season two, now completely Fuller-free, the characters will be fleshed out more and the stories won’t be chock full of plotholes.
I actually agree with you Burnham could be fleshed out better. In fact one of the things I wish they did more was show her Vulcan side. They sort of allude to it but its not much than her sounding like a computer at times. I mean she lived on Vulcan most of her life, I wanted to see more conflict of a human who lived there for so long and reconciling that with illogical humans again. It just feels like all that potential of what the character could’ve been is already gone.
And I would like the show more if it was post-Nemesis as well, not because I want a show in that period, but because THIS show would just make a lot more sense in that era. Everything we see on Discovery would fit just fine in that period.
And yes I don’t like the fan pandering stuff either which is why I originally rolled my eyes when I heard Harry Mudd and Sarek would be on the show. BUT I will say Mudd has won me over and I wouldn’t mind seeing him again. I’m not against Sarek being there until the whole foster dad bit came into play but I have accepted it at this point.
But yes I HOPE this show can just feel like its own thing in time once the Enterprise warps out next season.
Oh give it up. Even the TOS cartoon had a Holodeck on the enterprise. There’s an episode of TOS where Spock even recognizes a hologram that was being used by aliens. Hell we have simple holograms right now in 2018.
How the hell could they not exist in 23rd century?????????
It’s fantasy, HN4. They still reference the eugenics wars of the 1990’s. Did that ever happen? It wasn’t in the papers…
Roddenberry wrote it, you calling Roddenberry a liar.
Everybody is probably justified in calling GR a liar, from the ‘Harlan had my Scotty selling drugs’ lie he repeated over and over for years to how he spun the creation of the TNG bible to cut Gerrold out of getting proper credit for it. As for the TMP novelization, that was his attempt to get more of his vision on record, which is reflected in some improvements on scenes in the film and a lot of digressions. If you can spare 30 bucks, RETURN TO TOMORROW, a book on the making of TMP, is worth reading, though it does not do a warts&all recounting, and definitely implies that GR was not up to managing things, though that the fault on the film was probably as much Paramount’s, given their ridiculous faith in the original VFX team.
I’m ok that the 80s metal head Klingon look is gone. Why dust off the same wigs and grey armour for the upteenth time? We’ve had that since TMP/The Search for Spock era. Same uniform and wigs were done to death through DS9. Enough already.
My EXACT thoughts. I look at the tech and say, if Trek is supposed to be OUR future, it’s just weird to me that people want to see consoles with jellybean buttons when we use phones and tablets, computers and laptops with touch screen. We have VR headsets. This is all common tech today in 2018 so even if we had another great world war, why wouldn’t the tech of our future expand on what we currently use? At that point they’re using the aesthetic for nostalgia’s sake and Trek at that point no longer feels like our future. How ridiculous would it be if TOS was made with that aesthetic and they did a time travel episode to the year 2018 where our tech looks much more sophisticated than theirs? There would be a real problem with that in my opinion.
I agree although for me personally if I was in charge of Disco, I’d try not to use tech that can be a crutch. No holodeck is GREAT news.
But I would not have holographic communications. It just seems silly as a plot device to me and ramps down the intensity of a scene when the actors can effectively be in the same room. it seems too “easy”.
TOS always seemed like this amazing tech that was both awe-inspiring AND on the verge of falling apart. It made space flight seem dangerous. Its never seemed dangerous since even when they actively try to replicate that feeling (VOY, ENT).
But there is no difference between the bulky PADD that Kirk used in TOS and the iPad varient used now. Its the same piece of tech just using modern visuals.
In 300 years we could very well fly through space from the comfort of Earth with VR tech but that doesnt work for Star Trek. So I think they went a bit too far in Discovery with some things, mostly the holograms really and the size and splendor.
One reason the TOS films are so good, especially when Meyer came on board, was his desire to make the ships like Subs, make them feel claustrophic,. It adds intensity and stress to even mundane scenes and makes you feel that, despite the incredible tech, that there is still danger in space flight.
The novelization of the Star Trek: The Motion Picture written by Roddenberry had holographic communications. Read the book.
Well, that’s not relevant since books are not canon and even if they were it doesnt change my point.
It holds more weight since Roddenberry wrote it. I wouldn’t be surprised if the writers read the book.
Books aren’t canon man. Never have been. And I suffered through the movie, I can’t suffer through the book too.
TUP, if you haven’t already done so, I suggest you look up a film called “The Enemy Below,” which is a submarine film from 1957 starring Robert Mitchum. It was what TOS’ “Balance Of Terror” was based on. I found it very enjoyable.
TUP, I see what you’re saying about holographic communications. I look at it as a production time and money saver. I have a feeling it’s why DS9 did it as well. You didn’t have to show another ship bridge and could film an actor in the same space as another and have them work off of each other better than the view screen at times. It shouldn’t be used all the time that’s for sure and I wouldn’t mind it if there was some event that happened in an episode or with the tech in general that made them get rid of it. I just feel it’s the natural progression. I mean with the rate we’re going, there will be holo communication in place of facetime and at that point view screens will begin to look outdated. It’s the trap that Trek falls in because of our own technological advancements.
I also really miss the submarine feel that Trek had but then at the same time, when I think logically about it, I don’t know if it’s plausible that it would feel cramped on a newer vessel of that era. Maybe an older ship, definitely but…I don’t know, it’s just my opinion really.
I dont know. Is the cost of rendering the Hologram less than the cost of filming an actor in front of a generic “wall” to represent a bridge or whatever?
I think production people naturally want to push things forward. But I really dislike it.
No one wants to watch two people using Skype. It’s boring.
Tech is not strictly a straight-ahead, always improving thing. If it were, we wouldn’t be having a minor vinyl record renaissance right now, and a filmmaker like Nolan wouldn’t still be using miniatures. Old tech is not necessarily inferior tech, and there are Trek ways to justify this too (the Reeves-Stevens’ first book, MEMORY PRIME, ‘explains’ why the consoles on the Enterprise bridge are so bulky, because the size makes them resistant to overloads, and you can invoke similar solutions for other aesthetic issues.) Just because we have VR headsets, does that mean it is preferable to a face-to-face meeting, where you can get a better sense of a person?
Also, too-advanced tech is dramatically a story-worsener a lot of the time. I pitched a replication-is-bad-for-spacetime idea in the TNG era, mainly because I hate magic-box/something-for-nothing-tech dramatically, and I think the warp-drive-is-bad-for-space they wound up doing a few years later was a step in the right direction, but of course they just HAD to backspace over that afterward.
Bassmaster22
Has everything to do with selling new models and toys. These shows are hour long commercials for merchandise. If they thought they could get away with just showing it flying through space for an hour without a story or crew, they would.
Buckle up because there will be five more variants of this ship in your lifetime and a plethora of merchandise for your purchasing pleasure.
Trek aint Star Wars, there isn’t that much value in the merch.
DPrescott
Hmm, sounds like a retraction to me. I don’t buy it, Update, by all means and with sensitivity. An overhaul… was not needed.
This and other amazing insights can be found in the pages of “DUH” magazine.
Very insightful comment. Care to explain why it wasn’t “duh” obvious to the ship designers of Discovery?
Greg Cooper
Pure garbage!
Which one of you complained to the CBSC??
Ross What some people don’t think about is that back in the 60s TV shows where not given alot of money to do the best they could sometimes and SIFI shows suffered the most! And most of the time the budgets were cut more with every new season. So you can’t expect everything to look like it did when the show first came on, because of course they only had a limited amount of money to work with and they had to be creative to make futuristic vessels and clothes, uniforms, weapons and equipment. Of course you have to make the new things look somewhat like the originals that’s why the main shape of the Enterprise is simular. I loved the redesign of the Enterprise in Star Trek TMP, but I thought the uniforms were horrid! Also I think the Enterprise in Discovery looks awesome!!!
They still need to figure out a path from this Enterprise to the one we’re familiar with from the original series. Battle damage plus budget cuts, perhaps?
An Important Question I Have For The Fans… Before I pose my question… I love how this article has exploded with 300 comments. Looking at the articles around it, it’s clear THIS article, whether divisive or not, creates a passionate reaction amongst fans of the franchise. It shows the subject of continuity matters to some and is worth discussing. Last night, I finally unwrapped The Last Jedi and sat down to watch it on my humble home cinema… it blew me away, the scope, the message, the integrity (while still having plenty of humor, action and insane sfx) but one thing dawned on me watching it… Although it was set in the Star Wars ‘future’… while updating the ships and costumes, they still had 1970s ‘flick switches’ on the newest ships… sets with bold colours, black, whites and reds, preserving not just a 70s look… but preserving a style that the director, production team and Disney execs presumably consider important to the Star Wars universe. And it works, they enjoy new creative ideas within the confines of a familiar aesthetic and design-logic. It’s taking all I’ve got right now not to use caps-lock for my question: Why when fans of the 50 year legacy of Star Trek say ‘How dare Discovery change the Enterprise? Or before it, questioned JJ’s choices, or ask why Discovery visually reboots a beloved alien race who’s inconsistencies have already been explained? Basically, why instead of building on the rich 50 year tapestry, they instead seem ashamed of Star Trek and try to reinvent the wheel, changes for changes sake…’ immediately cruel comments appear saying “Get Over it! You can’t have the Enterprise on the screen in 2018 looking like it did” “Get Over it! Nobody wants embarassing clunky 1960s buttons on a ship design” “Get with the times. Visual reboot or not, if they say it’s Prime Universe then it is!”. And I find myself then apologising for myself, for my instincts, for what feels right and wrong. So I start to think maybe it’s just me, maybe continuity doesn’t matter, maybe I need to suspend belief more… but then last night, I’m watching The Last Jedi and I saw that tacky black plastic flick switch on The First Order’s latest ship (The Empire) and I realised how different the attitudes to the two seperate franchises were. Is it because Star Wars is more popular and their numbers are stronger, that fans aren’t afraid to fight for consistency, continuity and the studios know to preserve the style, the music, the visuals – and maybe because Star Trek is less sure of itself, maybe seen as the geeky little brother, always trying to prove itself, so it reinvents itself, tries desperately to be cool, and in doing so, looses sight of it’s own magic. Continuity for me makes the universe richer, more believable and the escapism I get from watching sci-fi or fantasy adventure feels even more pronounced. But when I see heartless change for changes sake, it does angry me, I feel like the creators are capitalising on a brand name but not really caring for it. I find the writing on Discovery to be dire. I used to be was proud that MY TREK inspired scientists and physicists, I’m not sure the magic mushroom drive will have that effect on viewers of this generation. The cone headed Klingons, with their bad prosthetics, with an embarassing set of human nostrils on show next to their new ones, sounding like they have a mouth full of marbles. And the ships, looking like they belong in the 25th century. And the blue tint, everything cast in blue. As if to say ‘strip the blue back, and we are naked and have nothing of value’ so let’s sex it all up with blue grading and lense flares. Why does Star Wars stand up for itself and WIN but Star Trek seems so embarassed of itself and it’s historic and cultural contributions? I realised last night that old aesthetics do work and damn, can look very sexy. What would happen if a new director came along to the Star Wars franchise and gave Chewie’s race a make-over or they changed all the windows on the Millenium Falcon to portholes and add a red go-faster racing stripe? Why are Star Wars fans allowed to be passionate while Star Trek fans have no right to preserve anything they love without being called names? I never cared much for Star Wars, not when I have my Trek… but Nu-Trek hates itself and that doesn’t inspire me to be a fan. I really can’t wait for the last of the new SW Trilogy films. I’m excited to see a quality production which cares and as imtegrity. Meanwhile, I couldn’t care less whether Lorca… Read more »
bsan
Here here! Well said. New Star Trek is ashamed of it’s own visual history. Stars Wars does it well. New Doctor Who also embraces its own visual history, and wrote an excellent story arc which explained the look of the original Cybermen.
Star Trek should be ashamed. TOS looked awful. TMP was an attempt to fix it.
A GREAT example bsan.
Star Wars is a film franchise.
If you want to be critical of Star Trek for updating the look of TOS in TMP, fine. But Star Wars had ground-breaking effects from Day One.
Its also not based in reality. Its fantasy.
Normally I post at some length, but here I’m just gonna say I agree with you on pretty much all your points. The question is really whether TPTB are simply insecure about staying with the established aesthetic (or variation on same) or are more concerned with leaving their own personal stamp on the show, but the answer either way is what we’re getting, which isn’t appropriate, so far as I see things.
Insecure or ego-ride, a very good analysis kmart. Like you say, which ever one… it doesn’t work. I know I’ve harped on enough about The Last Jedi, but I can’t remember the last time I saw a sexier looking film. And yet the same visual faithfulness on a Trek film or show wouldn’t work apparently… awesome sets and beautiful technology… everything looked so damn sexy and yet was entirely ‘retro’. And yet, up on the screen it worked perfectly. I’m sorry but the next time I hear somebody say nobody wants to see the original enterprise or you can’t do this, or you can’t do that – I can no longer humor it.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said:
“instead of building on the rich 50 year tapestry, they instead seem ashamed of Star Trek”
Trek ain’t Wars and will never be that cool sadly (a fact I lament greatly).
And I have much the same feeling re: instinct and feeling apologetic for it… thanks for your comment :)
My pleasure Dr C. Thank YOU for telling me you agree, when you feel a little like you’re going insane… the validation means a lot! It’s so awesome to know others feel the same way.
Excellent post Martin.
Something has definitely been lost in translation.
Thanks Lurker!
There is a difference with Star Wars in that its science fantasy and so their sort of grungy, retro future look is part of it. There isnt going to be the sense of “why hasn’t humanity evolved” like there would be for Star Trek which isnt a galaxy far far away, its us.
Saying that, the backlash to Discovery would be worse if it looked identical to TOS. But I do think they went too far in some respects like the holographs and the big and shiny.
Thanks guys. *bows*
I had hoped I’d have a response from the ‘get over it’ crowd but they suddenly fall silent when you ask them to reason and not insult.
You said a lot of things I agree with as well, Martin. Disney seems to know what they have with Star Wars. CBS does not. And your like that STD people seem like they are ashamed of doing Star Trek really resonates. It totally feels like they want their own stamp on it rather than embrace what was already established. In fact, I think it easier and lazier of them to ignore it all and use only the elements they feel work for them than it would be to accept the established universe and write something that would work well within it.
Well played, Martin. Well played. I especially like the way you finished it – “…I’m excited to see a quality production which cares and as imtegrity. Meanwhile, I couldn’t care less whether Lorca comes back or Simon Pegg writes a script or who they’ve cast as Pike or whether Tarintino directs or whether Burnum does next.” I feel exactly the same way. So far, I believe DISC to be quite forgettable, and disrespectful of the 50 years that preceeded it.
My copy of TLJ should be waiting for me when I get home tonight, too –
Yep, all the weak rationalizations for Discovery fall apart in the face of Disney Star Wars – which puts tremendous effort in grounding the experience in the aesthetic traditions of the franchise. They even made their cartoon show, Rebels, replete with 1970s fashion and design. The short answer to your questions is that Kathleen Kennedy is much smarter and savvier than the likes of Alex Kurtzman.
Markm
Keep in mind that Star Wars is set in a universe a long time ago and far far away. Our Star Trek is supposed to be set in our future. Star Wars is not immune to making changes. They have made changes to their movies by retroactively adding cgi to the original 3 movies.
Some arguments have been made to make it post voyager. However, keep in mind on TNG they didn’t t show allot of technology we have available today (such as wifi). So we would just be kicking the can down the road.
I think it’s not unreasonable to update the storytellling and technology to reflect a more realistic view of the future as we move forward. If they made a Star Trek set in the late 22nd century 50 years from now I wouldn’t expect them to retain the Enterprise (the show) technology and astestics.
Of course, the Klingons don’t just look different, they act different too. Our rebooted Klingons seem as if they’re under the influence of Valium and Vicodin. (Maybe it’s a downer variant of Ketracel-white, to be revealed in season 2?)
So this means, when someone whants to do a movie that plays in the 60’s we should see cell phones and the internet and todays cars because we live in a modern world now and stupid producers think a stupid audience would expect to see that.
You are aware that TOS is set about 200 years in the future, right? So it’s not completely unreasonable to expect it to look more modern than the present, certainly more modern than the 60’s. Otherwise, what you’d be doing would be a TV show about the production of a sci-fi show during the 60’s.
And space ships flying at warp speed with artificial gravity and what not is not “futureistic” enough for you?
The original comment suggested that Trek was a period piece set in the past. It’s not. It’s supposed to be set in the future. Nobody is suggesting they should drop artificial gravity or warp speed. And they haven’t. Basically, most of what they’ve done is update the interface to these technologies.
No, the comment suggested (sarcastically) that if someone wants to put a modern take on a movie set in a certain era that it was OK to use elements that take the viewer out of place of what they know of that era.
The Enterprise is DSC looks great! A perfect visual update of the original. People complain just to complain. There’s nothing wrong with the way it looks.
And by “updating”, they really mean “pissing on accepted canon”, and in the process, pissing off fans.
Star Trek is nothing more than a cash cow to the studios; adding to that, ST:D and “All Access” are nothing more than major flops…yet they’re throwing good money after bad in an effort to kill Trek off once and for all.
All TV shows are made to make money. I really don’t get this Cash Cow crap.
Yes, Im not sure how “cash cow” and “we dont care if its good” work together.
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Star Trek Picard Series Adds Two New Cast Members [UPDATED]
| March 4, 2019 | By: Brian Drew 225 comments so far
The first casting announcements for the upcoming Jean-Luc Picard series are here. Joining Sir Patrick Stewart as he returns to the role of Jean-Luc Picard will be Santiago Cabrera and Michelle Hurd, both of whom have been cast as series regulars.
There is no official word yet on the character’s Cabrera and Hurd will play. [UPDATE] However, Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva offers some possible (unconfirmed) details:
I hear Cabrera will play the pilot of Picard’s ship who also is a skillful thief. Hurd is playing a former intelligence officer who is a brilliant analyst with a terrific memory that has not been affected by her drug and alcohol abuse.
The 40-year-old Cabrera began his career in England, appearing in various stage productions and television shows, and where he is best known for playing Aramis in the BBC series The Musketeers. Recently, he has appeared in HBO’s Big Little Lies and Alex Kurtzman’s CBS series Salvation. His feature film credits include Steven Soderbergh’s Che and Michael Bay’s Transformers: The Last Knight.
Santiago Cabrera in Salvation
Michelle Hurd has played several genre roles in her career, appearing on Ash vs. Evil Dead, Daredevil, and Jessica Jones, but is probably best known for playing Detective Monique Jeffries during the first two seasons of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Most recently, she’s had recurring roles on Blindspot and Lethal Weapon. She also has a Kurtzman connection, having guest starred in six episodes of Hawaii Five-O.
Michelle Hurd in Hawaii Five-O
This announcement confirms that casting is underway for the Picard show, as TrekMovie reported earlier today. Check out that earlier report for more details on the production, including a possible title for the show.
Keep up with all the news on the Picard show and other upcoming Star Trek TV shows here at TrekMovie.com.
Watch: Clip Of Jean-Luc Picard In His Vineyard From ‘Star Trek: Picard’
Conventions/Events/Attractions, Star Trek: Picard
L.A. To London: Fan Reactions From The ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Premieres
‘Star Trek: Picard’ – The Possibility of Worf In Future Seasons, A New Perspective On The Borg, And More
‘Star Trek: Picard’ Renewed For Season 2 With Terry Matalas As Showrunner; Wil Wheaton To Host Aftershow
Damn, that was quick!
Zaid
Michelle looks like she’ll be playing the character Connie (as per the cast breakdown listed elsewhere)
Could be. But, also could be “Alana,” which better matches her age.
Let’s also remember that trekmovie.com has not confirmed this source so it’s best to take it with a grain of salt.
Is she diverse enough to qualify for a diversity hire, though? I’m not sure what American norms are these days, but her face looks European enough to fit into my all-white East European homeland (skin tan notwithstanding; every other girl over here has a tan like this when the high summer hits).
If they went out of their way to specify the ethnicity of the character, they will surely go for somebody more recognizably ethnic. Speaking of which, I wouldn’t mind seeing Jade Eshete in a SF again… loved her very much in Dirk Gently.
It’s Star Trek. “American norms” are irrelevant.
Vulcan Soul
Jeez Boze, listen to yourself. You guys don’t even see people anymore. You see skin colors that need to fill up a roster.
Pet peeve: the use of “diverse” to mean “other than straight cis white male”. A cast can be diverse, or not. One person cannot be diverse.
Sorry, prescriptivist rant over. We now return you to your regularly scheduled political flamewar.
Should be Alana because of the age and the detail of deadline article if you see the original character leak it fits.
Wow, looks like its starting!!!!!
I said just a few days ago we would start getting news in the next few weeks, instead it look like the next few days lol. I know both of these actors and while Salvation was terrible Cabrera was great in it! Hurd I seen in a bunch of stuff most recently the Marvel shows and Blindspot. She’s great too. I guess we are going to be hearing all kinds of news now. The 24th century is on its way!
Oh NOICE! I loved Michelle Hurd in the first seasons of Law & Order SVU and was very disappointed when her character was written out. I must say, this is quite a change of genres for her–has she ever done science fiction before? As for Mr. Cabrera, I am not familiar with his work but oh my, he is very easy on the eyes.
CBS All Access certainly seems to be moving quickly with the Picard news!
p.s., After seeing that photo of Michelle above, can I throw in a quick word to The Powers That Be: BRING BACK PUSHING DAISIES ALREADY!! I miss Chi McBride, and unless I’m mistaken all the other cast members are available. Bryan Fuller certainly seems to be free at the moment. :)
I'm Dead Jim
I agree. Daisies is probably my favorite Bryan Fuller show (that or Hannibal). Sadly I didn’t start watching it until it was too late. The Pie Maker actor (can’t remember name right now) is probably too big of a movie star now. (Lord of the Rings & Lincoln, among others).
The entire cast from Lee Pace to Kristin Chenoweth have repeatedly stated in interviews that they’d be down for a reboot or reunion or whatever. Also, unless you’re an A-lister like Tom Cruise, everybody does TV these days.
Cabrera was the only good thing about Salvation (I only watched season 1 after I learned that it was cancelled after season 2 on a cliffhanger)
Douglass Abramson
If you have access to Hulu, I recommend The Musketeers. The last series was only available there in the US and I believe they had streaming for the whole thing.
Cabrera!!! He was fan-tas-tic in Salvation… stole every scene in every episode. And by the way: Pisco is a great drink. ;) I think it’s a shame that they canceled that series, but props to Kurtzman for transferring him over to ST:Picard. Absolutely looking forward to seeing his character alongside Picard. Hurd is badass. I’ve seen her many times, mainly on Blindspot, and everytime it’s an emotional mixture of intimidation and admiration, or (if you will) wanting to kiss her or beat her up. (Not her, obviously, her character!) I just hope she isn’t typecast. She’s formidable.
I’d switch sides for Michelle. She is SO badass.
Yeah Hurd is badass! Her role in Blindspot was a very physical role and she did a lot of fighting on that show so I can see her mixing it up here on this show as well.
That’s what I hope is *not* going to happen, at least not right away. The clue is in what @Scott_Gammans said: “I’d switch sides for Michelle”. Blindspot is all about joining this side, that side, FBI, terrorists. It’s one thing for the series’ writers to *tell* (or show) the audience that Jane/Remy is drawn to Shepherd, but it’s for Hurd to make us *believe* it. And boy did she make us believe it. And that was not due to her physical skills, which she undoubtedly has, and which (I hope) we’ll also see in the Picard series at some point, but due to her acting skills. While most of Blindspot is just good old action shlock, you just *believed* that her character could concoct such a plan for Remy, and make Remy believe in it too. Usually characters in fiction are about what they do, and their actions infuse the plot, but in the case of Blindspot the Shepherd/Remy backstory was in the past, and you needed a great actor to pull it of and fill it with life. And Hurd did it.
Well this show is not Blindside but its Star Trek and they all been action shows. I don’t expect any less with this one although maybe a bit toned down from Discovery.
But I agree Hurd was really good in it and I wish she stayed on it…well not anymore. ;)
She’ll probably play an action role here too, especially now that we know her character is a former intelligence officer.
Don’t know. “Intelligence officer” could just mean “pencil pusher”. Would make for some interesting character arc, her going from an analytical genius (or just a worker bee) to action hero. But she would need to be trained over a couple of seasons… and there’s your next casting call: martial-arts-proven Klingon warrior. ;)
How many pencil pushers do we see on Star Trek though? And if she’s on a ship then clearly they are on a mission of some kind. If this show took place at Starfleet Headquarters or something I can see what you’re suggesting.
But we’ll see. I have a feeling this is going to be an action show though. I never believed the idea it was going to be Picard sitting in an office somewhere.
“I have a feeling this is going to be an action show though.”
Sadly! If thats true they have a strange definition of “grounded” and “introspective” of course but then again we can all see in the Absramstrek movies which country Kurtzman is hailing from…
(And I’m sure you agree with this but to reiterate, action show is not the opposite of sitting in an office. By all means TNG was not an action show but no office to be found but Picards ready room! :D)
See to me TNG was an action show too. I mean it didn’t have action in every episode but it was still an action based show. If people are punching each other, shooting torpedoes, running around or the ship is about to explode, its an action show. It’s not Law and Order or a melodrama where 90% of the episodes are of people talking in an office or a room. But I know people see it differently. We can at least agree it has action elements, right? That’s all I mean for this show as well.
No I don’t think its going to be Daredevil or 24 but there are still going to be episodes of ships trading gun fire or people fighting on an away mission. Picard will probably get into a few scraps as well. I just meant I don’t see him just sitting behind a desk and giving orders as everyone else get into the thick of the action like you see on a cop show where the captain sits in his office while his officers ends up in a gun fight on the street. Of course I could be wrong, its just my guess.
To me an action show has *predominantly* action elements (fights). For example there is no doubt that Voyager and Enterprise were much more action shows than TNG (even though ostensively being so similiar that Kurtzman can’t separate them) because they had a phaser fight in nearly every episode. For budget reasons alone (and the lack of CGI), that was rare on TNG. And thank god for that! In many ways more money and technology does not improve drama and intellectual quality at all!
Like I said people will see it differently. Yes TNG had the least amount of action out of the others and probably why some people think its ‘boring’ but it still had tons of action in it. But yes it wasn’t predominantly an action show the way TOS or DS9 was (or became because that show actually had less action in its first season than TNG had before it went full blown Star Wars lol).
But as I said I don’t see the new show not being action based at least. Maybe not as much as Discovery (which has less this season than first not being war based) but it will have some. If the cast list is true, they have a character there they emphasized has a martial arts background. That tells you everything lol.
With Discovery they struggled to find and sign the series lead. Sonequa Martin-Green was one of the last to be cast. That would really slow down a production. But with this show, once Sir Patrick signed, I am sure that everything moved at a very efficient pace. Everyone else is built around him. Plus Kurtzman’s production company already has one Star Trek series under their belt; starting a second one should come more easily.
I am still hopeful that the original cast will make meaningful guest appearances throughout the projected three-year series. Most interesting will be Gates McFadden’s Beverly Crusher. Even if the characters never eventually coupled, subtext will be strong and an interesting story for both Picard and Crusher.
These are very exciting times for a Star Trek fan. Now all they need to do for me is write a compelling story-line for Picard to need the assistance of Emissary of the Prophets Ben Sisko and convince Avery Brooks to take their money. To see Brooks/Sisko again alone would be worth a year’s subscription to CBS ALL Access.
trekfan67
They had to wait for Martin-Green’s contract to be done first. That was the only reason why things were delayed.
I’m excited too. But I have to mostly disagree. First Brooks: Sisko should get his own series, or there shouldn’t be any mention of him at all. And I really mean that. DS9 was lightning in a bottle, and the ending of the series was mythological, and you can’t just bring Sisko back like that in a mundane way, unless you make the whole new series about *him*. Sisko must not be an auxiliary.
Then Crusher. They’d have to really cook up something wonderful for her, because in TNG her character was mainly bland. Stuff just happened to her, even when she was the main character of an episode. Pulaski was way more interesting because there was tension when she was involved. I’m good for a Worf or Data/B4 cameo, even at the very beginning, but for recurring roles I’d leave the old TNT crew out of it.
As for the original cast in general: it’s problematic, I think, because the ensemble is so monolithic, as a group. I actually like the idea of having Picard out there with new obstacles, but none of the old friends and crew to help him. Crossovers, okay, if there’s room, but not with leading characters, not with Sisko, Janeway et al, but maybe with Dax or Julian Bashir. Or be bold and add someone like Naomi Wildman.
If you add any of the old TNG (or any other) crew, it can’t be just for show, it needs to be integral to the plot. Or it has to lead to a grand reunion after three or four years (seasons), but then you’d have to build towards it, meaning the focus would have to shift away from Picard onto other characters all the time. But why? It’s the **Picard** series. The easiest and most promising solution would be to just roll with the original idea.
I don’t see Avery Brooks ever agreeing to return to the 24th Century though. He’s stated before that his time with Trek is over.
Emperor Mike of the Terran Empire
True. But so did Sir Patrick Stewart!!
It would be great for Sisko to get his own series, but I don’t think it’s likely. I know in the documentary that is still not finished, they pitch an eighth season. If its compelling enough, maybe Kurtzman and CBS might take interest. But if the story was interesting enough, I think Brooks would consider it. If they had something really fresh and interesting.
In regards to the TNG original cast (including Crusher), I think there is virtually NO way that most if not all will make an appearance. I get the sense that the Federation will have experienced a real change and Picard will not on board with it. This gives everyone room to grow and change. I’m pretty optomistic that Stewart and the writers are going to develop a story that is compelling and provoking. And visually stunning!!
But I think Avery Brooks is also retired from acting. Stewart was not.
Yes and so was Leonard Nimoy! ;)
Gooood. It’ll be interesting to see the mean age of the supporting cast, since that could – in theory – give us a little hint about the setting of the show. That’s a big “in theory” though, considering that on Discovery the respective youngest and oldest regular cast member (of the first season) were covered in heavy makeup that made their age indeterminable, which was also reflected in their roles: Saru is supposed to be roughly the same age as Michael Burnham, while Doug Jones was already 56 at the start of the series. L’Rell, on the other hand, is never stated to be particularly young, even though Mary Chieffo was only 24 or 25 when the first season was shot. But even regarding the “human” cast such considerations are kinda moot, given that Tilly is supposed to be much younger than Burnham (around 22 in the second season), whereas Mary Wiseman and Sonequa Martin-Green are of the same age…
But still, it could be interesting to see whether this show will feature a cast whose mean age is either particularly low or particularly high – just speaking very roughly.
I don’t know if that’s true. Michael is supposedly 31 (born in 2226). Saru left Kaminar 20 years ago, in roughly 2237. Hard to tell age, but he seemed much older than 11 in “The Brightest Star.”
tl;dr: age difference can be awesome.
Well, Stewart is a geezer, so probably almost every other character will be younger than him. ;D Seriously, though, the age difference could be fantastic, as a counterpoint, but also with regard to federation history, something that the series can draw from: young (or comparatively young) Starfleet officers working for a crumbling UFP, disillusioned, and the old fossil Picard trying desperately to hold it together, himself (because he’s old), the ship (his immediate surroundings), the federation & the quadrant (the hero’s fight against nature), a classical tale of the rested hero rising once more, trying to ignite the spark to reinvigorate the federation, first within himself, then on the ship, with his crew, then elsewhere… and at the end Picard sacrifices himself for it all, and with “all” I do mean the galaxy. I can think of so many wonderful ways this series can go, and I just hope that the showrunners can too.
Tezna
I can see the cast being overall older than most series. ‘The Mandalorian’ for Disney Plus has a fairly older cast with the youngest main actor being 36.
I still can’t believe they got Werner Herzog for a role in that. His films as a director are interesting, but I am very curious about his acting. Very unusual choice, but I like it.
brainhawk
He can definitely act but I’ve mostly ever seen him in very strange roles (e.g. Julien Donkey-Boy), most likely because he is a strange man interested in the strange and mysterious. I love Herzog though. His acting should bring a strangeness and gravity to the part, though I’m not sure about his range.
His acting career is not quite as extensive as his directorial career, but at the very least he knows how to act. I would guess they cast him mainly due to his distinctive voice and accent. Oh my, that accent – as a native German I can tell you: That’s not simply a German accent. That’s a Werner Herzog accent! It’s its own beast.
I learned about this only now through your post XD Whaaaat! That is beyond mind-boggling… imagine an episode narrated by him…
“Epizode Zix Zeason Won – ve can now clearly zee how ze mandalorian shows hiz true color – after all, iz in hiz nature.” XD
Ohhh, yes! Some classic Werner Herzog doom & gloom voiceover narration, would be beautiful: “As ze cries of orphaned Wookiee cubs fill zee air, ze Mandalorian marches on – unfazed”
Werner Herzog on Boba Fett facing a bunch of sand people:
“They zaid: ‘Shall we kill him for you?’ And I said: ‘No, for the forces zake! I still need him for shooting. Leave him to me!”
“I can see the cast being overall older than most series.”
It better be older! How old is the typical non-casual Trek fan on average? The bulk must be with the old series from 20 years ago. The new series are not gonna replace that focus any time soon by sheer amount of episodes; the new shows only have half the episodes per season (and half the seasons per show probably!)
Super. Two solid casting decisions with one actor with significant across-the-pond experience.
Now let’s see if the casting team has the skill and the guts to really reach further afield than who’s available in LA.
Chuck Abernathy
Two theories:
1. They are Starfleet or Section 31 fixers.
2. Picard’s dream retirement job: Action adventure xeno-archeology for fun and profit with a surrogate Indiana Jones and River Song. High spirits and fun prevail! THAt would be a Picard we we’d seen hints of, but more in line with the joyfully adventurous person Patrick Stewart we’ve seen him become IRL. It would ALSO be nice counterpoint to the upcoming grimdark of the yummy Section 31 series coming up.
I believe TV Trek is where the Marvel MCU was in 2008. Now under one flag, and with the inmates running the asylum, they are set to make good on year round programming.
Professor Spock
Chuck Abernathy TV Star Trek is a lot like Star Wars under Disney. The MCU has the movies and TV shows are connected in one shared universe.
“THAt would be a Picard we we’d seen hints of, but more in line with the joyfully adventurous person Patrick Stewart we’ve seen him become IRL”
Also Stewart has pushed for “Action Picard” ever since TNG’s Starship Mine!
Yeah, there’s that famous quote about him wanting Picard to do some “shooting and screwing” (except he didn’t say “screwing”) – I think it was Ira Steven Behr who mentioned that, regarding the writing of the episode “Captain’s Holiday” – “Starship Mine” obviously followed suit concerning the action aspect.
But keep in mind that that was a 50-year-old Patrick Stewart talking, as opposed to a 78-year-old Sir Patrick.
JAGT, we all know from at least one infamous example that even septuagenarians are not necessarily exempt from these “interests” ;)
Yyyeah.. I was rather pointing towards the possibility that Stewart’s take on the role might be a different one nowadays than it was over 25 years ago. And I’d go out on a limb and say that Stewart himself clearly not opposed to any of these things – his beautiful wife has famously become a stepmother to two “children” who are older than her…
Maybe this is Ageism XD but I doubt he can go full Han Solo / Indiana Jones in his age… (Harrison Ford himself could not go full Han Solo / Indiana Jones lately ;)
Aren’t they still making an Indiana Jones 5? I don’t suspect Ford to be any less in action mode like he was in KOTCS even if it has been another decade later.
I have heard that, yes. Great for Ford that he’s doing it but in MHO, I think the days of him playing the swashbuckling version of Indy ought to be retired.
He wanted Picard to have a bit of Kirk from time to time but, yeah, may not be his primary focus now.
Corinthian7
@JAGT I have a feeling that Captain’s Holiday might tie into the series in a significant way. Obviously the origins of the new characters are wide open just now but I have a hunch that he could be playing the offspring of Picard and Vash. Clearly this is wild speculation that may be far wide of the mark but the character description fits, the actors both have similar accents and it could explain why Picard is mixing in circles that include thieves.
But where does Picard go from “joyful”, if you project Stewart’s joyfulness onto the character? What lies at the end of that arc? Despair & ruin? Joyful-to-joyful would be meaningless and boring, especially if you’re only planning for three seasons. Wouldn’t it be better to begin at a (relatively) negative point and aim at a joyful & hopeful conclusion?
But I do like the aspect of archaeology! You can even make an episode about it, where the study of an ancient vanished alien culture, the study of how & why they perished, rekindles some spark in Picard, with direct consequences for his character and the future of the federation.
PS: we’re getting our own Section 31 show… leave them out of the Picard series. :)
I’m currently going with a ‘Guardians Of The Alpha Quadrant’ vibe for this show, which someone suggested elsewhere. ;)
I think its “Star Trek: Gambit”, this whole mercenary vibe and hunt for archeology. Welcome back, Galen!
PEWDIEPICARD
Let me guess. Picard ran away from Starfleet after he failed or something and went into exile doing archaeology and shunning the galaxy. Sound familiar? *cough* The Last Jedi *cough*
Yes, that’s exactly it based on a few lines of cast info.
I’m think he’s retired, not exiled but it sounds a bit like the fan film “Star Trek: Renegades”. Truth be told, my biggest concern is a visual reboot for the sake of a visual reboot.
It’s 20 years later. It will undoubtedly look different. That doesn’t make it a visual reboot. And besides… Visual reboot = reboot depending on how drastic one changes things.
If it is visually different in terms of technology then that is fine because it is set in the future which is the issue I have with Discrappery. I hope it isn’t crazy busy and shiny like DSC.
It is amazing how shiny everything is in Discovery lol.
Yeah it should look dull and gray just like TNG.
Uhm, if the plot of Dayton Ward’s last TNG Relaunch Book is what we expect it to be, Captain Picard will need to leave Starfleet in 2387 as part of the great fallout from the mass media public exposure of Section 31’s misdeeds.
While Picard was honestly deceived by S31, in the books he was implicated in something that his admirals were culpable in.
So, yup a kind of exile it would be Pewdiepicard.
If the show uses the backstory from the books, Picard will likely be at a turning point when Romulus is destroyed.
I’m not sure why they would have let the book go forward for release in late 2019 if they’re completely disconnected. It wasn’t in the forward publishing schedule until after the Picard show was launched, and Kirsten Beyer is managing the book and comic tie-ins.
Last note, Dayton Ward is an ex-marine. It could be helpful if they connected him up with one of the writers’ rooms.
While I personally appreciate that they are doing more to incorporate aspects of the books on film (Control with Section 31) I don’t see them taking that much from the novels.
If anything they would probably pull from Countdown first with Picard having left to become a Vulcan Ambassador first (Kurtzman was involved in that story).
To avoid having to toss a check in the general direction of Ward and provide on screen credit (more money) it seems unlikely that they’ll utilize any of his work.
Definitely has a “ragtag group” vibe to it. I am reminded a lot of “Gambit” or outings like “Ensign Ro” also. Operating in the grey area, far from (a supposedly more militarized and corrupt) Starfleet. Alien bar brawls, DS9 frontier stuff… i hope they don’t srcew this up…
I’m getting a Star Trek: Renegades vibe personally…
Wonder if Will Riker will be sent to bring Picard in…
That’s what I was getting from it, too.
“Definitely has a “ragtag group” vibe to it”
There’s nothing modern about that “ragtag” idea though. A bunch of scifi shows did that in the 1990s already, Farscape, Firefly etc. Even the Trek fan shows did it already. I dont see the appeal. So I hope to be proven wrong by the impression this casting sheet gives of course!
(And others have said that already but I could definitely do without thieves and addicts among Trek regulars! Another tired old idea they seem to collect from the attic with the sole intention of pissing off old-schoolers)
Well, there are tons of ensemble shows that rely on a familiar constellation (of course with varying results).
I would not like another Starfleet Ship with Starfleet Officers much over this basic idea (if its even true). But in the end, it`s always about where they go with a basic idea. So everything could be a effective and nice ensemble show, no matter if the basic idea was used before.
Me personally would have liked this to be a look into the political gears of the Federation. But yeah..
I don’t see the “either or”. What does it say about the civil Federation if any non-Starfleet crew automatically is one of thieves and addicts? We know from Kassidy Yates’ ship in DS9 already that this is not true. Let’s not kid ourselves, they are doing this (if they are doing it) to amp up the character conflict and “drama”. Because a Star Trek show where the core characters are cheating and threatening each other is such a joy to watch! /s
If we think about it, all Trek shows after DS9 more or less abandoned their original premises and became more Trekkian comfort food (including Discovery with season 2), and only DS9 doubled down on its difference-ness in later seasons. So I could expect some course adjustments later on even if the cast and season one could be as conflict-laden as this sounds like…
Yes, DS9 went pretty much away from the Trekkian comfort food with the War Arc. Granted, there’s a pattern… but maybe it is more complicated. Look at VOY, it could have been so much more. Going too comfort food crippled it badly imho. It was okay for me to turn the Borg into the main villains, but overall rehashing the old / established stuff did more damage than good imho. And ENT was way too formulaic with its Trekkian comfort food (season 1 to 2) and then way too gimmicky with the War Arc/Time Travel mess (season 3). Everyone seems to think, season 4 could have turned the tide. Maybe. I liked the TOS references too, but overall it was a giant missed opportunity to short cut the whole Federation Arc. But look: Using familiar trek races, trek characters and trek history for me is not primarily doing Trekkian comfort food. Telling the same tired old narratives is (wich remains to be seen).
David Alexander Harrison
Ooga-chaka, when Blue Swede couldn’t stop a feeling…
I’m happy this show is not a TNG season 8. I’m excited to see what this TV will bring to Star Trek.
I would lie if I said I’m not distressed it’s not (in any way) . Picard outside a Starfleet setting will take time to get used to. Like Pike, Picard IS Starfleet. Well, not anymore.
Agreed. I want to see the old man in a starfleet uniform and on the bridge of a starship. Ok fine. Doesn’t have to be immediately but at some point!
Yeah nothing wrong with that! It is curious that apart from Stewart of course they are casting nobody above 30 – this coming from the people who are frequently outraged about “lack of diversity”, it smacks of ageism. Stewart’s 79 and everybody else’s 30 minus is almost half a century apart! How about going for the middle?
Not true. Several characters are described as “20s or 30s”, and one female character is described as “40s or 50s”
Which character is 40s or 50s? I must have missed that!
Michelle Hurd is 52, so her character will likely be so old.
“So old”? Patrick Stewart is 25 plus years older than she is.
See below (I truncated the descriptions for brevity). Only two characters are specifically under 30. The two cast in this article appear to be Lawrence and Alana. Most of these names are probably placeholders, too.
Dr. Smith — Producers are seeking a male actor of any ethnicity in his 30s or 40s for the part of a hologram that assists the crew of Picard’s ship.
Starton — Producers are seeking a male in his early 30s of any ethnicity, to play a scientist-type.
Connie — An African-American female in her early 30s. A pilot with an impressive ship that she uses to “transport people to and from an artifact of some kind.”
Lawrence — a “handsome” man of any ethnicity in his 30s. He has “a dodgy moral compass,” and is the pilot of Picard’s ship.
K’Bar — This character is a 17-year-old Romulan, “the only child of what’s a mainly female Spiritual Order.”
Indira — A woman of any ethnicity in her early 20s. Described as “extremely agile and physically agile,” she is also described as “not so mature and a bit socially challenged because she tries too hard.
Alana — Producers are seeking a female of any ethnicity in her mid-40s to mid-50s for Alana, a “brilliant analyst” with a “great memory,” but a dark past.
Thanks. I missed the Alana character is older and thus closer to Picard. Hopefully the names are placeholders! Though as discussed below, the final names for Discovery weren’t much better.
A nearly three decade age difference isn’t exactly closer to Picard.
Closer than a 50 (in words: fifty) year difference though?
I know I may be splitting hairs here, but at least it’s not Klingon hairs ;)
If Discovery season 2 is any indication, they will course correct if necessary based on fan reaction.
Hope not. The fans have no idea what makes good television.
Agreed! Fan reaction is what made Discovery a better show. So if the Picard show is too different and not winning over the fanbase in season 1 they will naturally course correct. After all, every show has basically and seems to always be for the better IMO.
Kurtzman, please don’t screw this ship up. Still nervous that Discrappery people are involved in this. Please don’t Last Jedi this.
Novarcharesk
Yeah, but DIS is good, so bring them on, I say.
@PEWDIEPICARD Don’t hold your breath! These are EXACTLY the same kind of people that would’ve done Last Jedi.
*nervous stare*
You’re not wrong. At all.
MysticalDigtial
Considering Discovery is damn good and season 2 is quickly becoming one of the better Trek seasons, them being involved is only good for the show.
“Considering Discovery is damn good and season 2 is quickly becoming one of the better Trek seasons”
If anything Discovery season 2 proves how important “loud’ fan feedback is to jettison the more anti-Trek elements of their shows!
I still don’t see any different between season 1 and season 2.
Seriously? If you can’t see the difference. you’re not paying much attention. Season 1 felt like it was trying to be BSG in the Star Trek universe and alienated a lot of people in the process. Season 2 actually feels like Star Trek again, even if it still has many issues and flaws. Whats funny is Lorca and Pike are essentially representative of each season they appeared on. Lorca was what the show was trying too hard to be in the first season: edgy, cynical, constant plot twists, anti-Federation, war, dark and ultra serious. Pike represents this season: lighter, fun, adventure, Federation values, exploration, thoughtful, science and philosophical.
Or the kinds of things people think of when they think of Star Trek. And this is even WITH Section 31 lol. Those guys probably belonged on season 1 but they work here because they balance the show and doesn’t over take it.
They clearly listened to the fans and did a complete turnaround with the show and for the better. The fact we are getting 80% less Klingons is a HUGE plus alone since many fans thought they sucked last season and brought the show down.
The thing is, I felt Lorca was the most interesting Captain Trek EVER had! I loved the idea of a morally ambiguous captain. I wanted to learn about what caused this guy to turn this way. What made him tick? That was the one thing in season one they got right. At least until it was revealed that he really wasn’t interesting at all. And the sad part is the idiot Lorca stunt has probably ruined any future captain being fascinating in that way for quite some time.
Aus Trekker
Completely agree. After sitting through Star Trek Disgracery, my expectations for this new series are extremely low unfortunately. Let’s hope Klutzman and his team surprise.
J1user
Im willing to bet Cabrera is gonna be Young Picard! He kinda looks the part. The “pilot” rumors are misdirection. I hope they flashback his Stargazer years.
Taking the unconfirmed casting notices with some salt, as prescribed… but with that caveat in mind, let’s start speculating wildly!
If the casting notices (and Deadline’s interpretation of them) are correct, Hurd would seem to be playing “Alana”:
“ a female in her mid-40s to mid-50s and is of any ethnicity. She’s a brilliant analyst and has a great memory despite abusing drugs and alcohol. Often times she gets irritated with her own vulnerability and is certain of herself, even when she’s wrong. A former intelligence officer, she sees conspiracies everywhere. Her professional and personal losses weigh heavily on her.”
Well, having a Starfleet character with a drug problem was a big no-no for Gene Roddenberry (that was one of his issues with Harlan Ellison’s original script for “The City on the Edge of Forever”). Of course, having the character be ex-Starfleet, or even ex-Section 31 might mitigate that… but what if the intelligence service she used to work for is the Tal Shiar? Having your planet blow up could certainly mess up a career in intelligence, and might well send you to the bottom of a bottle of Romulan ale…
(As an aside, I know that casting notices often don’t use the final names of characters. With that in mind, I’ll wager that “Alana” will not be the character’s name, in part because it’s very close to “Alara” on “The Orville.”)
Right, I still remember Michael Rainsford (or something) before they changed it to Burnham. From rain to fire ;)
It was always indicated that – while most humans and federation species where quite “roddenberian” in ideals – there were fringe groups, thiefs, slave traders, mercenaries and all that (Orion Slave girls, Harry Mudd etc.). To believe there where zero humans who would become renegades or something is preposterous.
Under Roddenberry himself fascist species like the Klingons and Romulans where created – that alone induced a whole lot of grey area to the Star Trek Formula.
” I still remember Michael Rainsford (or something) before they changed it to Burnham”
For all this tired talk about “diversity”, getting anything BUT Anglo-American or generic human names (Alana?) for main cast members seems still impossible for a Trek show in recent years (or any definite non American nationalities). Yeah i know, Picard. Nothing Kurtzman would have ever come up with. I think we gonna see half a cast of African-Americans before we see another French regular in those shows who’s NOT Patrick Stewart (or Italian or Dutch or Spaniard or Russian or Chinese or …)
Sigh. VS, I share your concern and wrote to it on another page.
Roddenberry had the daring to put a character called Pavel Checkov on the bridge as a regular at the height of the cold war.
Despite the deep commitment to a certain kind of diversity, there seems to be a real blind spot in current powers that be.
Delmar and Owoshekun are on the bridge in DSC, but the first tier cast all have middle American names (except Saru). And even when the cast Brits they use American accents and have American identities.
What, in particular, was with the decision to make May Ahern from California? … it kind of washed and denied the lovely Guyanese accent that Bahia Watson used. Couldn’t Tilly’s mum have had a posting the region…or is everything important on Earth in California or Paris?
While the US is Trek’s base market, it wouldn’t be financially viable with that alone. Are CBS and Kurtzman that concerned they’ll lose their subscribers in the lower 48 if they give the humans a less American feel?
I read somewhere that one casting call says “…of no certain ethnicity”. Isn’t that what people often bring to the table as an argument, when they see non-white-anglo-male-casting choices? “They should get the person who is best qualified for the job, not choose based on gender/sex/ethicity…”. What makes people think, that Qualification is not what led to the casting? Why is this almost never implied (afaik) that its NOT based on Qualification when a white-anglo-male-casting-choice is made?
GT, we are talking about characters and their biographies, not necessarily actors. They went from a Brit playing a Frenchman (which is fine in my book) to obviously non-American actors with non-American accents playing American characters (see May Ahern example above). Obviously a Russian character would still be white, which is why this “color casting” is such a red herring. They are still all American characters! Where’s the real diversity in a United Earth Federation? TOS had more of that already!
As for casting by qualification, in a majority country for one ethnicity, the natural result would be a cast predominantly of one ethnicity if hiring is done by qualification, unless they are implying that one ethnicity is relatively less qualified than others and thus should be under-represented (that’s what “equality of opportunities not outcome” is about). We wouldn’t expect more than one Caucasian character at most in an African tv show, right?
They went half the way with Michelle Yeoh and then turned back when the character went from having an actual Chinese name “Han Bo” (a casting rumour I can believe since the ship still ended up being called “Shenzhou”) to becoming “Philippa Georgiou”. Greek surname (?), alright. Not non-Western though. We all know the human future will be dominantly non-Western, and as such, all Star Trek shows including the new ones are instant failures, no matter how much (American) diversity they put into them!
Like I said before, I’d like them to challenge more than strictly inside their own world view and political in-group which has really become little more than preaching to the choir. Obviously a Russian crewmate would be more ballsy than a gay character at this point in history because it would make their own target feel uncomfortable, and maybe also challenge some preconceptions along the way. Same for Iranians and North-Koreans, which incidentally we have never seen on Trek.
As for May Ahern, her accent sounded Singaporean to me which we also have never seen in Trek.
This is something I also don’t get. Going global is sound business! Does a target group who apparently wants the one half of the cast be African-American and the other half gay really reject non-American crewmates with non-Western names at this point? How can they not have one or several Chinese crew mates; science fiction is soaring in the Chinese market! (Ever heard of Wandering Earth?) But then again they already abandoned half the American electorate in season one already (so that concern about “the lower 48” seems moot), meaning business is not coming first for them anyway…
Is Norman Lloyd still alive and acting? perhaps he can make a small appearance as a hologram or video recording as Prof Galen to get Picard back into archaeology or as a reminder for Picard of his old mentor.
alastair87
Apparently he is still alive. Remarkably in fact – he’s 104!!
That would be one hell of a cameo!!!
More than that: Apparently he’s even still somewhat active and had a recurring role on a STARZ TV series called “Fly” quite recently
http://www.jerseywood.net/2018/11/12/new-jersey-profiles/norman-lloyds-still-goin-strong/
I’d not have thought that a character could best Picard age-wise in the new series, but seems we have found our perfect candidate :)
Gary 8.5
Michelle has a lovely smile.
Oh that character description sounds like a very conscious misdirection. Still, well played!
The River Temarc
I read the description of the characters on “Den of Geek,” and frankly, I’m a bit disappointed (assuming it’s correct, which is a big assumption). “Picard-as-archaeologist leading a ragtag crew” was not the way I had hoped they would go.
I’d say that’s CBS putting up a bit of a smoke screen if anything.
Not so sure, really. The fans have been two steps ahead of CBS nearly every step of the way.
And some “fans” have also been dreadfully wrong in the past. I don’t mean to badmouth the more investigative parts of the fandom here, but I’d say that any bit of “leaked” information is to be taken not just with a grain, but with an entire shaker of salt – especially since these particular “leaks” happened so very early on.
DING DING DING. I said so long ago, this show would NOT be what people really wanted. But that was what Stewart insisted: he wasn’t going to return to do another “Starfleet Ship” show. He said specifically that he’d been there and done that. He wanted to do something different.
Anyone who thought this was going to be Ambassador Picard on the USS Enterprise F, with Admiral Riker, Captain Tuvok, First Officer Paris, Chief Engineer Nog, and Doctor Ogawa were fooling themselves.
That Enterprise-F crap sounds awful (imho). An invitation for recycled characters and story ideas.
I think you’d be surprised by how many fans wanted a 90s Trek All Star show. Either way, I think it’s safe to say a large majority of the fandom was hoping for a “Starfleet Ship Show” with Picard in charge (either as an Ambassador or Admiral).
But do we really need another one of those? Wouldn’t that be just as derivative and tiresome? A lot of critics today are saying this just feels like Firefly, or whatever other show/movie/book they see it influenced by, but the idea of putting a character like Picard into situations like those is at least a different spin, even if it was done in one or two episodes.
It’s what made “Starship Mine” and “Captain’s Holiday” so memorable.
But then again who is paying money for an unproven show on a streaming channel that has nothing but new, unproven Trek? If not the fans? I think they boxed themselves in here by wanting to be different, but still needing the fans like never before. And as Discovery season 2 proves, for that reason in the end they always come back to fan service with Warp factor 9.
I could imagine something similiar will happen with the Picard show: the difference-ness will piss off TNG fans big time, and adjustments will be made after the initial mission in season 1 is over, for season 2. Going forward again, the sky’s the limit!
(And that’s why season long arcs are still much better than series arcs. They need the flexibility, and they know it!)
That is sort of funny it happened with Discovery. They tried a different approach with the types of stories and reimagined a lot of the look but now in season 2 they are back to the same stories you can find in any of the other shows and trying to please fans making the Klingons look closer to the others, etc. And its obviously working.
But this isn’t new, while DS9 was still a very different show from TNG they still added a starship to at least feel like they can explore and go on an odd mission together when they have to. Enterprise, like Discovery, realized it needed to be a more traditional prequel to TOS and started to tell those kinds of stories which pleased a lot of fans. I think what you said is true, they have to be a little flexible and try something different but also realize when its not completely working and change course just like they did with Discovery.
We still don’t know enough about any of the new shows yet but hopefully they all infuse more Trek elements even if their premises are different.
“now in season 2 they are back to the same stories you can find in any of the other shows and trying to please fans making the Klingons look closer to the others, etc. And its obviously working.”
And I see nothing wrong with that! TBH Trek has been in a constant identity crisis since the mid Nineties now (when DS9 introduced Worf and Klingon war to “shake things up”), and this yearning for Trek to be different from what Trek is all about is really self-defeating. It’s like Coca Cola selling New Coke or McDonald’s selling salads (ok the latter is apparently happening :D) We want Trek because it is Trek and not Star Wars, not Firefly and not Dark Matter (God forbid!) Changing it into the latter shows is therefore a fool’s errand.
I’m not saying its wrong, obviously I’m saying the opposite. DIS is getting a much stronger reception this season because it is a different show from the first season. The problem with Discovery first season wasn’t just changing the look or trying to fit in an advanced looking show to a more primitive TOS universe, it also lost the essence or spirit of Trek which was really the main problem.
You could get over the other stuff more easily if you felt like you were still watching a Star Trek show and not an imitation of if. As you said we still wanted Star Trek, not something else pretending to be Star Trek. And that was the problem with season 1, the show felt like it lost that but season 2 has brought it back in droves. It doesn’t mean everyone suddenly loves the show and in fact there is still a big discourse of people who don’t but its clear the response overall has definitely gotten better because DIS is finally feeling like the other shows while still doing its own thing. So that’s a plus.
But it is also why the longer seasons are better than the short ones. The longer season allows the creators to see how the show is working with audiences. And it allows for them to make course corrections before finishing the season as typically shows are shooting through to about 3 months before the finale airs.
Well that’s just human nature though, people want what they are familiar with. How many times a week do we see people here who say they want a Captain Pike show with him back on the Enterprise with The Cage crew? Many have even said they would happily take that over Discovery because its Pike and the Enterprise although technically they can get the exact same stories on Discovery which is also a starship last time I checked. And most certainly want that over Section 31.
I think if the show is good and the characters interesting most will get over it.I’m super excited over the idea but I’m super excited over pretty much any idea that’s not another prequel lol. And TBH, we barely know anything, people are mostly responding to the cast list. We have to hear what the story is actually about first. But its the internet so we react to the first thing we hear.
In this case, people are responding to the superior characters of Pike, Nahn and Reno over the established Discovery ones. Hence the desire to see a Pike centered show over the Burnham centered one.
But couldn’t Nahn and Reno just stay on the Discovery then? And Reno was never on the Enterprise, she will probably just stay there. And I like Nahn, but she has been in two episodes and maybe said twelve words in each of them, is she actually that popular now? Pike is different for canon reasons of course but it sounds more than just missing that character (and I’m not convinced he’s leaving after this season yet). It sounds like people also just want to be back on a show with the original Enterprise. Not surprising obviously but it does prove fans do want to see certain things.
It doesn’t mean they can’t be persuaded to like other things though as DS9 certainly proved but I don’t think it proved that right away with a big portion of the base and why we got Voyager next, which was a watered down TNG.
For me, I do want to see different things but of course I’m still susceptible to fan service like everyone. I would be curious to see what it would be like to see Pike and Spock on the original Enterprise full time. Or see Picard back on a new Enterprise. But I also think Trek has to try new things to stay relevant and why I prefer they stick with Discovery over the Pike show and go a new direction with Picard. Maybe it won’t work out but I give them credit for going a different direction. And will pay off in dividends if it does.
OK. Nahn was a stretch. But they introduced two new characters this season and both were received better than anyone they had last season. What does that tell you? Since Pike came from Enterprise and obviously can’t stay on Discovery it makes sense that most viewers would want to stick with him. Sure, Reno could stay on Discovery. But here we are half way into the season and Reno has only showed up in 2 episodes. TWO! They have no idea what they have in that character, it seems. Which also tells me something about those who are currently running the show.
I think Pike and Reno are as well liked as Stamets and Saru were last season.
I don’t know about Stammets. But for me Saru evolved into the most interesting character from season one in the end.
Reno has been in like two episodes so far.
“And most certainly want that over Section 31.”
The problem with the Section 31 show is not that it is something different or new but that it is antithetical to Trek at its core, especially in the way the current TPTB imagine it. Space Hitler and all.
And how exactly is Trek “staying relevant” with that? At best it’s the grandpa playing teenager that everyone is laughing about.
I mean it can’t just appeal to the SAME people whose been watching it for decades by doing the exact same things. It has to do things to appeal to difference segments and demographics of an audience to get them to watch it too or Star Trek is going to just feel like a dinosaur and the franchise already appeals to a much more older base than other famous franchises do like Star Wars and Marvel.
That’s what I mean. Section 31 may not be a show others here particularly like but it may grab new people who see Star Trek as one note and maybe will be interested in a spy show and check it out. Its also good to see shows like Lower Decks being made since Star Trek is not known for being a comedy (even though there is a lot of it infused in it) and may get people who wants something a bit less stuffy and serious. And another cartoon aimed at kids is something they should’ve tried long ago so looking forward to the new show premiering on Nickelodeon even if its something that doesn’t appeal to me directly.
Yes, if we left the future of Trek up to this board I’m sure everyone will love every new show for the next decade to take place on the Enterprise B or the Enterprise H or Captain April’s Enterprise and on and on. Hell I would watch them all no problem lol. But its not going to bring in a lot of new fans if its just a slightly new variation of an old theme either.
That’s what I’m talking about, keeping Star Trek relevant and changing with the times to grab new audiences, not just appeal to the same one for another two decades with a few newbies here and there. Now will it work will depend on a lot of factors (main one just being good) but again I give them credit for trying to mix it up more at least.
Yes, I’m hoping for the best, but this seems very derivative.
Not what I’d have thought that writers’ room would have come up with.
I’m not necessarily opposed to the archaeology idea (episodes like “The Chase” were endlessly intruiging!) but the “ragtag crew of criminals and addicts” is what strongly puts me off. First, its been done before in shows like Farscape, which I never watched for a reason, and second it’s another Anti-Trek concept at its core which we don’t need after having the “Space Hitler show” for that already! And how would “Mr. Starfleet himself” Picard out of all people lead such a crew?
Exactly. I mean, this is JEAN LUC PICARD, whose leadership skills are so good as to be used in training by the real military and United Airlines, and he’s ended up commanding a crew of teenagers and drug addicts? Eeeek.
LJ (was LJ)
The Chase should have been the premise for an entire show. Wasted in 45 minutes.
TG47, “that writers room” includes a guy who wrote a novel that was basically “what if the creators of Superman had an encounter with the Golem of Prague”, and another that is a hard-boiled detective story set in an alternate history in which after WWII the state of Israel was not established, but Jews instead were given a hunk of Alaska as a homeland (a plan that was actually considered at the time).
So at least one of the writers is more than capable of thinking outside the box. I think we will have some surprises in store.
My thoughts precisely Josiah Rowe…and Kirsten Beyer has been very innovative with the characters she’s created in her Trek-lit.
But I expected something more novel.
So, maybe they’ll turn a derivative set up on its head. Maybe they were looking to give Picard the kind of leadership challenge he wasn’t getting on a Starfleet flagship.
Think of what Picard told Riker and Laforge when they wanted to offload Reg Barclay…
It sounds as though they intend to show how a saint can lead when he’s not in Paradise.
Besides, most “rag-tag crew” stories don’t have someone like Jean-Luc Picard at their core. Even a changed Picard would have a moral center stronger than typically found in the “crew of thieves and misfits” subgenre. The interaction between that man, who dedicated most of his life to Starfleet, and people from the fringes of Federation society, would amount to something new.
These fall in line with the character descriptions leaked by the Hashtag Show. Including a holographic doctor, and a teenaged Romulan martial artist.
But whatever the case, from those leaks, this is definitely not a “Starfleet Ship” show, which I think is a very good thing.
FWIW. I think the descriptions will prove to be VERY divisive, and turn a lot of people off. I think 90% of fans are hoping for TNG Part II, but this is not that. As I said many moons ago when this was announced: be careful what you wish for.
To be fair they have stressed from day 1 that this is VERY different more than they did for any other of the new shows, so I suppose I have given hope on that a long time ago already. Now the only question remaining is whether it is a worthy entry for Star Trek in its own right, or ramming the stake another inch deeper towards the heart of Trek (no doubt Section 31 will do the rest)?
For you, it’s another stake. For me, it’s another worthy successor, adding to the franchise in new and exciting ways.
I’m not opposed to different or new, but first I don’t see this as new (Firefly etc.) and second for me it’s simply the wrong direction. I’d like them to double down on the aspects that made TNG or TMP stand out – hard science fiction, Utopianism, literature writers, concept-driven shows, anthologies… Movies like “Gravity” or “Arrival” prove there’s a market for this. Stuff like this is satisfying my thirst for “Star Trek” much more than any Star Trek in name they have given to us in the last two decades!
Couldn’t agree more with this comment. Well said.
I’d love them to cast Chris Barrie as the non-Starfleet hologram.
In the role of Scientific, Medical and Emotional Grievances Hologram for Emergencies and Assorted Dangers!
Patrick Stewart will probably be the only straight white male on the show, like Pike is on Discovery. Welcome to 2019. (coming from a gay man from the middle east)
Yes, welcome indeed. I work in a 30-person office where I am one of only FOUR straight white men. I work alongside many women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans people. This is our world, now that people no longer feel the need to hide who they are, differences are accepted and tolerance is (largely) on the rise.
AB, I didn’t know that skin color could be hidden ;) Joking aside, the producers of this show (which I thought they want to sell globally) should keep in mind that the majority of the world is not like America at all, even if your workplace was representative of the whole country (the official statistics say something else; look up “selection bias”). So if they want to sell this show, for example, to scifi-hungry China with a predominantly non-Western, and predominantly homogeneous population, but zero representation in the show, good luck with that!
China is one of the very few countries left in which Netflix isn’t available. They only have a licensing deal there with a Chinese streaming platform.
Does someone know if Star Trek Discovery has aired in China? It is forbidden to show homesexuals on TV there. They also forbid it for video platforms, but I am not sure how it is for their versions of Netflix.
Either way maybe just pick another Asian country which has Netflix. Why not India? They will have soon a larger population than China. Or Japan. Quite a big population and they are rich. Or if they are going for a positive message, then someone from North Korea.
It was just an example. My point was that Discovery, and this new show too apparently, is closely tailored towards contemporary American sensibilities and representations (and only one faction of it if we are honest), and as such does not have the international appeal it could have. It certainly is not reflecting the makeup of humanity globally (then the crew should be majority-Asian).
I still maintain another Russian crew member (after Chekov) is the most ballsy choice in the current political climate. Coming full circle with TOS.
I get your point and agree. Characters from the USA and to a lesser degree from the British Isles were always very overrepresented. But I guess it will continue. CBS’s main interest is success in the USA. They want their own streaming platform to do well, so the appeal to the U.S. market is their priority. Netflix is just nice extra money.
” CBS’s main interest is success in the USA.”
I’m pretty sure this will change in the future though, and the question is if they will adapt or die. We are now at that inflection point in history where for the first time there are more well-off people outside the Western world than inside of it. Right now global Netflix may still be regarded as “nice extra money” by TV execs, but as many multi-million-dollar movies saved by the “foreign box office” in recent years have proven, at some point relying on domestic audiences will not just be backwards, but financially suicidal. But it seems for Trek, that day of change is not today.
As an international Trekkie (I am from Turkey)I also agree that more international variety is required. I would love to see some Turkish crew members or Turkish actors in Trek.
I have no idea what your point has to do with the discussion, and “hiding” was a clear reference to sexuality and gender identity. Open your eyes.
Nobody is hiding anything in anonymous statistics and longstanding scientific research, and a company self-selecting a more “diverse” makeup may contradict this of course, but doesn’t change the bigger picture. We all have our bubbles, that’s natural; it just becomes wrong when we mistake it for reality globally. That’s the point.
Nobody’s doing that. You have no point. You’re the one arguing AGAINST showing a diverse cast, for no reason.
I did no such thing. Check out my other posts. I’m arguing for real diversities, opposed to imagined ones.
Ok so how do you know Picard and Pike are straight?
1. Vash
2. Vina
I dared to say a certain character of a TV show is straight based on her having be shown with a bunch of male love interests, her outright saying “I am not gay” and her acting really like a straight woman when her sister came out. It didn’t stop the “She could be bisexual.” comments and people accusing me of heteronormative thinking and being offensive. So be prepared. No matter the amount of love interests of the opposite gender you might be able to name for a character, while at the same time not being able to name one of the same gender, there will be people attacking you for saying the character is straight.
Mel, no offense, but maybe you are hanging out with the wrong people? I can assure you for much of the people in most parts of the world that wouldn’t even cross their mind! This all starts to sound like a crazy cult in the meantime. People should really spend less time thinking about their sexuality as the overriding aspect of their identity and primary source of pride, and more time about what they can bring to the table *intellectually*. The Chinese competition in science and technology is not waiting.
I am not hanging out with them. It happens when you discuss TV shows online in forums. I guess it depends a bit on what specific character you are talking about and the kind of fandom. If the canon straight character is part of a popular fanon slash couple, reactions like I described are really not uncommon though.
Mark Calcagno
He did a pretty good job resisting Vina…
My wife is also attracted to– and had romantic/sexual relationships with– women, men, and trans people.
And that makes you, your wife or your company representative of the whole country, let alone the whole world? I’m sorry, I trust in science and statistics more than personal anecdotes.
You need to learn to follow a discussion, it might serve you well. The point was to say that because a man dates women he is straight. Do keep up.
Also, I don’t care what statistics say, there is PLENTY of diversity and it’s OK for a series to showcase that. People like you who argue against it are barking up a very wrong tree. Move along.
OK, no further arguments here I see :)
Sorry, I meant to say that because a man dates a woman it’s not a guarantee that he’s straight.
“I meant to say that because a man dates a woman it’s not a guarantee that he’s straight.”
That’s a given of course; my prerequisite here was that these are sexual relationships (OK for Vina that is a stretch, but my impression was that Pike is sexually attracted by her, thus the need to “resist”).
thebiggfrogg
Boohoo! This is coming from a 50 yr.+ straight, white male. Maybe in 2019 it is time to let EVERYONE join the party (in fact, wasn’t that TOS’s breakthrough and main point: multinational, multiethnic, multispecies in the Mad Men heyday Iof the straight, white, middle and upper class male).
Santiago Cabrera is white and the character description doesn’t say that he plays a LGBT character, so there might be another straight white male.
Clearly started this topic simply to troll. Thread closed.
Lancelot!
Every character needs flaws. I see we have a character with alcohol and drug habit or maybe she is in recovery to connect with what we see in today’s society along with a thief so he’s probably one of these characters that might do shady things. So far so good.
If that casting call is correct, we have a thief, an addict, a kid, a boffin – so far, so generic.
Hmm… Based on the update it sounds like Picard could be associating with elements outside of the law… Maybe Captain LaForge will be required to stop this renegade?
Sigh. For everything we know about who IS Picard, that would be a complete travesty! I won’t get all worked up about it at this point though since this is all speculation.
We are speculating of course, but it would not be against who Picard is. He absolutely would go against the powers that be or Federation law if he felt they went against the ideals they supposedly stand for.
Aka “Insurrection”, which ended up as Picard & crew standing up against one admiral though, really. So this scenario would require the entire Starfleet and Federation being corrupted to a degree that Picard would rebel, which is even worse in my book!
That one admiral actually told Picard “I’m acting on orders from the Federation Council.” It went way beyond one admiral, apparently. I don’t know how much I would like to see it but since I am not nearly as invested in Picard as others around here are, I honestly don’t care if he becomes an all out criminal in the series. So long as the man becomes interesting.
I happened to have read a review of Insurrection just the other day and it reminded me that informing the Council of what is really going on over there (and the Son’a stopping the Enterprise from delivering that message) was a major plotpoint. So that the Federation had signed off on genocide is not exactly what happened. The entire decision to relocate the Ba’ku was based on a false premise due to lack of information, and that admiral plus the Son’a were keen to keep it that way.
The Federation did not sign off on Genocide. They signed off on relocation. Picard felt that move was morally wrong and since the actions were being taken surreptitiously he took it upon himself to make it public thinking that would be impactful enough to cause those in charge to stop and reconsider. The reason Picard decided to act against orders was preciously because Federation had OK’d the procedure. He had no other recourse.
I suspect this is on the right track VS and ML31.
Patrick Stewart has spoken about how Picard’s moral centre is especially relevant in current times.
If this new Star Trek story is to be allegorical and upholding positive Trek values, it may be that broader Federation values are threatened after war (Dominion, Borg) and destabilizing catastrophe (Romulus).
What Picard and his team from the margins can do to uphold the values is the challenge.
Last thought: we need to keep in mind Trek’s ‘bad admiral’ phenomenon. How can Starfleet have had so many ethically challenged admirals across the series without there being some kind of underlying issue?
Good point! Yes I think this is the direction they may be going as well, that Picard believes the Federation is undermining its values so he has to go rogue, just like he did in Insurrection. I would love this kind of story.
Picard has butted heads with many Admirals and Starfleet brass in the past, it would be good to see he’s still sticking to his values and the same Picard we all know and love. God I hope they spill the beans about this show soon now.
Former Intelligence Officer? …Romulan Intelligence? I’m a huge Klingon fan but I think the Romulans might be my favorite Trek alien, I hope we get a few really good new Romulan characters.
Cardassian for me. They always offered many of the more three-dimensional alien characters: Dukat, Damar, and obviously Garak.
I wonder could the the pilot who is a skilled thief be the son of Picard and Vash? Admittedly I’m basing this on a flimsy character description and superficial similarities between the actors accents and yeah, before anybody else says this I do know that not every character in Star Trek needs to be linked to each other and that Cabrera is maybe a little too old for such a role. However, it is Trek and a ‘small galaxy’ so you never know.
Not another flimsy Picard pseudo-son. That was done already. His son should have been Wesley as it makes more sense.
I am beginning to think that “intelligence” and “intelligence agency” are the favorite words of the writers and producers of this Trek. Everywhere I go I seem to be hearing them again and again. Where does this infatuation with “intelligence” come from? Next thing you know we will have a tribble intelligence agency too.
Totally agree! Maybe the CIA and NSA are meeting new approval in their home country due to their opposition to that infamous septuagenarian, but most assuredly outside of America they are still associated with illegal mass surveillance, disastrous regime changes, black prisons, forced abductions, torture, drone killings etc.
Something the producers should also keep in mind when building Trek for a global audience….
You do realize that there’s a program called the “Five Eyes” under which Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and US share intelligence very extensively, right? And that NATO allies and other allies cooperate extensively on intelligence?
Sharing the spoils of an illegal operation with selected friends doesn’t exactly make it better. Plus that was only one (the most minor one, and that’s saying alot) of a whole list of damning, human rights violating activities. Anyway, the point here was glorifying “intelligence agencies” and remodeling the Federation on that basis is the last thing Kurtzman & Co. should’ve done. It’s bringing 20th and 21st century medievalisms into the 23rd and 24th centuries for a supposedly enlightened Utopian organization.
That ship has long a go sailed on GR’s utopian society. It only ever existed in trek mythos anyway. How enlightened was Kirk when he was arming his friends in “A Private LIttle War”? or when he stranded Khan? Capitalism was quite alive and active on TOS and DS9. Members of Star Fleet do receive financial compensation, how else do they gamble, drink, etc.
Gathering intelligence is an essential part of governing in any organization. To think different is unrealistic. Even if the Federation is “enlightened” the rest of the universe is not. To not use every tool possible is suicide.
Uh, yeah. I really, really hope there will be no mention of Section 31 in this series. One of the worst invention in the Star Trek franchise.
Seriously. Intelligence this intelligence that. Yet no one seems to be actually intelligent. It was fine the way it was in DS9. A shadowy organization no one knew about. In ST:ID and Discrappery it’s like Goth Starfleet that everyone knows about. You think in 100 years or so people will forget about them by the time DS9 rolls around? These people have bloody electronic records don’t they? I mean, heck, we still know about the Nazis and the SS and that was without computers! Give me a break.
This is a good point, PDP. We keep coming up with justifications from history why an organization going undercover is not unprecedented and forget that there was no digital age before the digital age. It would be possible if the “forgetting” happened between now and the founding of the Federation (due to WW3), yet there is no evidence whatsoever that there was a corresponding dark age between the 2250s and the 2370s!
Yes. I would have to agree that Section 31 has been the singlemost worst invention ever in Trek. Way too much has been spawn from that little idea from just a couple of shows. The next worse thing was the MU. And that is only because it’s a good idea but got overused. DS9 dipped into it too much and certainly STD used it as a crutch.
Oh please, it was far from being a crutch for them. It’s a connecting sandbox that any person in their right mind would think of using.
The MU is hardly a “connecting sandbox”. It’s a candy bar that is nice to enjoy once in a while. But I don’t want a meal where candy is the main course. I’m not 8 years old.
there were only about 4 eps in the whole of ds9 that were to do with S31.
I felt DS9 visited the MU too much. Section 31 first appeared on DS9 and that, IMHO, was the worst thing to come from that show. Not creating S31 in and of itself, but because others have picked it up and ran with the concept. I’m not a fan of it but the organization seems to work better when it is used sparingly.
So Picard is hanging out with thieves and drug abusers now. Got laughed at a while back when I suggested a broken Picard had hooked up with the Orions and was dabbling in sex trafficking and stolen antiquities.
I imagined an old Picard hanging out in Thailand and drinking it up in Walking Street.
I will of course reserve judgement, but these details don’t excite me very much. Seeing an old archeologist Picard with a pilot who’s a thief and a drug/alcohol addict intelligence officer seems kind of ‘off’ to me and an odd dynamic for a Star Trek story. I didn’t care for Gambit and this makes me think that will be the vibe. I don’t want a dark story with mercenaries and I definitely feel that this might be the direction they’re going.
I’ve always thought a story about the Federation at large would be interesting and Picard as an ambassador or Federation president would be an opportunity to show how a utopian future really functions. There’s lots of cool stuff to explore there that we’ve never seen in 50 years of the franchise and the possibilities for drama and parallels to present day are endless.
I don’t want a TNG retread either but some semi familiar surroundings would be nice. I hope they stun us with whatever they do. I just don’t want to see Picard as a broken man who has to seek redemption or something. That’s been done to death and is totally out of step with this character.
To be fair, Star Trek is mostly going to be utopian when focused on the Federation. From the actual synopsys, this is going to focus on an older Picard dealing with the aftermath of the destruction of Romulus. By nature, it was going to be darker. I feel he may find himself or his old self by the end of the series but that’s definitely not the Picard you’ll start off with. Honestly, he could feel that his last mission, his ultimate mission, is to restore what’s left of Romulus. I doubt it would be any type of a mission the Federation would sanction or allow for one of their most decorated former Captains so he would have to piece together a rogue or crew to help him do this. I could see this being the premise and that combined with Stewart’s acting when given interesting things to work with, I’d watch the hell out of.
I absolutely agree. Though I liked Gambit as a one off story having the entire premise be that seems like a retread of so many other shows. I would like to see things being dealt with at the Galactic level and Picard being central to that. Sure, he was a great archaeologist and had a love for it but his diplomacy and leadership skills were second to none and him trying to bring about peace or justice in his waning years is something I think would be very in character for Picard. Dealing with issues at the Galactic level also allows the various characters and locations from the past series be touched on yet not be the focus of the show. But what you said is bang on. PIN THIS MANS POST.
Completely agree with this. I’ve been saying this here too, for a long time.
However, there’s still hope. The cast details could be somewhat misleading, especially if Picard really is POTUFP. For example, for all we know, “pilot” actually means “captain of the Federation’s equivalent of Air Force One”. Not sure how “thief” would fit into that, although maybe there’s a coup and Cabrera’s character helps Picard escape by stealing the Presidential starship (with Picard on-board).
I’ll admit, I paused at the rumored casting decisions. Like many here, I was concerned about overdone tropes and this becoming some dark, renegade show. But I’m taking a step back and trying to wait. Everything I’ve heard about the show up until now has me excited and looking forward to the next chapter of Picard.
Even if the casting descriptions are true, I’m not getting caught up by what appears to be brief, high-level overviews for characters. Even if the pilot character description is true, that does not necessarily curtail any depth of a character’s storyline. One of my favorite characters of any show was Leo McGarry on The West Wing. They handled his arc as a recovering addict well, and he was always a principled, yet at times flawed, leader on that show.
I read a lot of Michael Chabon. I like Kirsten Beyer’s influence in this. And I trust that Patrick Stewart wouldn’t be coming back for nonsense. Yes, this will be different. But I’m (cautiously) optimistic.
Like many others, those rumoured character descriptions are giving me qualms – albeit I fully understand such descriptions are deliberately generic and characters change and grow as the writing staff gets working, and as the actors offer their own interpretations. It just all sounds a bit Star Trek Renegades to me, at the moment that is. And a Picard outside Starfleet is somewhat a betrayal of the advice made by Kirk in Generations. Sometimes it’s best leaving the ultimate destiny of a character to the reader (or viewer).
It’s a shame they already wasted the story The Chase, which is what this should have been – that idea could have, and should have, been the premise for an entire show.
David Knowles
They could still spin a story of that episode. Let say if there was a message hidden in the original message. We know the program was more than just a message, it reconfigure the triquarter to emit a hologram, so why not multiple messages.
I could imagine a story Picard is approach by a young cadet that use the message as part of a thesis project until all of his files became mysteriously corrupted. Then his room mate end up in sick bay having mysteriously been injured. He reveal he thinks he deciphered a second message.
Which lead the cadet and Picard on a journey to truly complete Galen work. Have it be reveal that Picard has his own vessel and been looking for an excuse to go off on a adventure for a while.
One is a thief, and the other has a drug problem? This is who Picard trusts? Seriously? Hopefully that is a joke. Is this the Picard with Irumodic Syndrome? Perhaps he’s lost it.
Marc from Chicago
I waited a minute to reply to this, but here’s my 2 cents… Destruction of Romulus = disbanding of the UFP. I predict little or NO Federation in this series…Stewart’s Brexit comments, humans backsliding into drugs, thievery, etc…
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A Guide to Nigerian Journals and Institutional Repositories
Worry has been expressed over the reliance on foreign journals which are products of research carried out in and around those societies, when there are so many local journals in and about the country. One of the reasons for this discrepancy is the invisibility of local journals published in Nigeria. Researchers in most cases are only aware of the journals published within their environment or online. Nigeria is a big country with many academic institutions and research institutes that make frequent journal publications. This work “A GUIDE TO NIGERIAN JOURNALS & INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORIES” is an attempt to promote the use of local journals in Nigeria. The publication has collected all the journal titles with their table of contents published locally within 2017/2018 in the field of Agriculture, Engineering, Arts, Science & technology, biology and life sciences, information science etc.
EDITORS: ASOGWA, J.I; NWIMO, L.C & ORUKA, J
Inspirational, Non-Fiction/Academia, Religion
Triumph Over The Giants
Everyone in life has Giants. There is a Goliath for every David. When you have a destiny, you will have to deal with your giants. In this book Lisa Chilombo Sakala leads every reader in principles that will help you Triumph Over Your Giants.The Author will show you the significance of Dreams and what could threaten your dreams, keys of facing giants and more. In over 23 years of Ministry I highly recommend this book to everyone who has a destiny and faced with challenges. BISHOP EDDIE MULENGA Presiding Bishop of Liberty Christian Centre . ISBN: 978-9982-950-20-6
Guides/Manuals, Handbooks, Non-Fiction/Academia, Self-Help
Tai Chi & Chi Kung Secrets
Secrets of Tai Chi & Qi Qong explains the secrets of the Chinese martial arts to the public. Also different exercises and meditation is included. This book is written by Douwe Geluk. Douwe Geluk is Dutch Champion of Tai Chi & Qi Qong and owns Tai Chi Apeldoorn his school.
Federal Government of Nigeria 2016 Approved Budget
Federal Government of Nigeria 2016 Approved Budget. Source: yourbudgit.com
Essays, Fiction, Handbooks, Non-Fiction/Academia, Relationships
How to write and reply letters for marriage, engagement letters,love letters and how to know a girl to marry.
Published by J.C Brothers in the 1960s.Do you find yourself in need of a love letter tutorial or sample? This 1960's model might work for you. It contains samples of engagement or love letters and a simple drama on how to find a wife in a city of girls with questionable morals.
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (third alteration) Act 2010.pdf
This act further alters the provisions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the establishment of the National Industrial Court under the constitution. Also contains citations.
Documentaries, Essays, Non-Fiction/Academia, Onitsha Market Literature
Cocktail Ladies
''Cocktail Ladies'' is a compendium of a series of broadcast by Mr Nkwoh on Eastern Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation.It was part of the Community Social Register programme which analysed social behaviour of the nigerian society in the 1960s.
Non-Fiction/Academia, Textbooks
Applied Economics for Africa
Economics is full of surprises. Its foundations might at first glance seem counterintuitive, but they have proved themselves true, again and again in practice. People in countries where citizens and their governments understand economics have higher standards of living and more personal liberty than do people who have the misfortune to live in countries where these principles are ignored or misunderstood. Dr. George Ayittey understands these principles, and Applied Economics for Africa shows exactly how ignoring them has contributed to the struggles Africa faces today. This book demonstrates that the key to Africa’s development lies in building upon “its own indigenous heritage of participatory democracy based upon consensus (under the chiefs), free village markets, and free enterprise.”
Igbo Proverbs: A Compilation
This is a compilation of 1,000 proverbs in Igbo language, each followed by a usable English translation. The author, Onyekachi H. Ibekwe made this compilation after much personal reflection on the remote origins and existential imports of the proverbial mode of communication. Proverbs remain vital and peculiar elements of Igbo traditional religion, daily discourse and contemporary worldview. Made available on the digital platform, it is the author's hope that this compilation will serve as a portable, easily navigable reference for anybody that has an interest in the subject matter. Author: Onyekachi H.Ibekwe; Published: 2017-11-08; ISBN: 9781386499817.
Biography, Free Public Domain E-book, Inspirational, Non-Fiction/Academia, Religion
Anna Hinderer of Yoruba
Anna Hinderer Nee Martin was a missionary who lived in Yorubaland with her clergy husband, Rev. David Hinderer who worked in connection with the Church Missionary Society in Yoruba (Lagos- Ibadan- Abeokuta, all in Nigeria). This is a chronicle of Anna Hinderer's life as a missionary in Yorubaland. After years of illness, she passed on the 6th of June 1870 at the age of 43.
Guides/Manuals, Non-Fiction/Academia
Social Media Usage Guide for Health Workers
Social Media Usage Guide for Health Workers is an open access resource and tool for healthcare professionals who wish to engage and share accurate health information or correct medical misinformation on social media. It was written and designed by Healthhub Africa - A network of innovators, leaders, influencers and key players in the health sector, collaborating to advance #SDG 3; Good health and Well being
Free Public Domain E-book, Journals, Non-Fiction/Academia
Life Among the Nupe Tribe in West Africa
A.W Banfield, who lived among the Nupe Tribe, wrote this book in 1905 in order to give the people of America an insight of that part of the great West Coast of Africa, known as Nigeria, and especially Northern Nigeria, which is Great Britain's latest Protectorate. He also hoped it would aid the missionaries who came down to West Africa to convert the natives.
Non-Fiction/Academia, Relationships, Self-Help
Lessons on Love
Everybody who desires to learn how to increase their love life, happiness, friendship and interactions in this busy world should grab this thought-provoking book which is bound to transform the way you deliberately build your relationships. Written by Uma, Uche Gabriel aka UCdMC
Share Anonymous Initiative
Share Anonymous Initiative is an ongoing project that is transforming society's understanding and response to sexual and domestic violence through storytelling, data, and technology. This free e-resource is guide and tool for survivors and victims of sexual and domestic violence to track their progress and compare themselves to others who have experienced the same things, they could learn more about how to improve their outcomes.
Non-Fiction/Academia, Technical Writings
The Orthographic Assimilation of Nsibidi Ideograms.
In this dissertation, Henry Ibekwe calls into question the silently-held presumption that the Latinization (i.e. the use of Latin alphabets in transcription) of indigenous languages in southeastern Nigeria is both necessary and sufficient for their orthography. The arguments presented herein aim to demonstrate the fact that Latinization has systematically excluded an entire realm of symbols and meanings which facilitate the inter-subjective transfer of ideas; realms that cannot always be navigated by relying upon transcription by way of Latin alphabets. In order to adequately address several of the weaknesses identified in the Latinized scripts, the author argues for an expanded orthography that is more inclusive and representative of the sociofacts, mentifacts and artifacts that are peculiar to southeastern Nigeria. Author: Henry Ibekwe Date of Publication: 2016-07-07 ISBN:978-3659840319
1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.pdf
The complete 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, from chapter I to chapter VIII with schedules and parts intact. Edited by SNIPPARZ EFX.
NBS Nigerian Aviation Report Q1- Q2 2016
Nigerian Aviation recorded a decline in activity between the first half of 2016 and the second half of 2015, both in terms of the numbers of travelers and aircrafts and the weight of cargo and mail moved. This data was collated by the National Bureau of Statistics and published on 25th October, 2016. Source: NBS
Non-Fiction/Academia, Onitsha Market Literature
Written by Nkwoh, Marius, this book addresses bribery and corruption in the Nigerian society.it is important to note that as far back as 1965,corruption was a bane to the Nigerian society as much as it is presently.
Data, Grey Literatures/Non-Commercial Govt Documents, Non-Fiction/Academia, Reports
Central Bank of Nigeria Economic Report 2012
Central Bank of Nigeria Economic Report for the year 2012.
Oyo State Government 2015 Budget
2015 Oyo state, Nigeria approved budget
Federal Government of Nigeria 2016 Budget Proposal/Appropriation Bill
2016 Federal Government of Nigeria appropriation bill/ budget proposal.
This contains information on petroleum products consumption statistics in Nigeria for Q1-Q4 of 2015.Data collated and published by the National Bureau of Statistics in November 01, 2016. Source: NBS
Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria (First-Alteration) Act 2010.pdf
This act alters the provisions of the 1999 Federal Republic of Nigeria constitution. Also contains citations.
Guides/Manuals, Handbooks, Non-Fiction/Academia, Technical Writings
Node.js Server Setup
Node.js { Server Setup is an open source e-book by Greg Sidelnikov. It was created to speed up the learning process of setting up the JavaScript-based Node server for building your own applications.
Free Public Domain E-book, Handbooks, Non-Fiction/Academia
The Sayings of the Wise- Ibibio Proverbs
The Sayings of the Wise is a collection of Ibibio - a Nigerian language- proverbs and idioms. It is written by Anietie Akpabio. Written by Anietie Akpabio Marshall Press, 8 Paul Bassey Street, Uyo Source: Internet Archives (Free Public Domain Book)
Data, Grey Literatures/Non-Commercial Govt Documents, Librarian's Pick, Non-Fiction/Academia
National Examinations Council (NECO) Analysis of Performance of Candidates, Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) 2011-2015
This contains an analysis of candidates performance in Senior Secondary Certificate Examination/ National Examinations Council (NECO) from 2011 - 2015. Data was collated and complied by NECO and published on NBS site. Source:NBS
Free Public Domain E-book, Non-Fiction/Academia, Textbooks
Leopards of the Magical Dawn
Leopards of the Magical Dawn: Science and the Cosmological Foundations of Igbo Culture Igbo traditional life is ritual-centric, quite simply, for Igbo culture is primarily and largely a mystical culture, propelled by a deeply primal awareness of the spirituality of life. Igbo culture gravitates towards an ordered universe of interconnection of life. Hence, if ritual is the language of the spirit, the language which speaks to the interconnected whole of life, it is only surmisable that, a culture in continuous adherence to its own rituals is a culture in unbroken communication with its own spirit. Written by Nze Chukwukadibia E. Nwafor
Exam Preparation Modules, Handbooks, Non-Fiction/Academia, Onitsha Market Literature, Textbooks
How to study and write good letters,applications,compositions, telegrams, agreements, better sentence,important letters, speaking in public and teach yourself good English.
Written by Onwuka,Wilfred in the 1960s. Learn and teach yourself English, public speaking, letter and telegraph writing,agreements,applications and composition.
Free Public Domain E-book, Non-Fiction/Academia
The Real History of Ijebu Igbo
The Real History of Ijebu Igbo attempts to trace the origins of Ijebu Igbo which is in Ogun state, Nigeria. It is written by Hon Osifeso Olukorede ,Chairman CAC Ijebu North, Ogun state, Nigeria. Source: Internet Archives - Free Public Domain Format,Conversion and Book cover: Crater Library & Publisher
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‘The Fury’: Brian De Palma’s Formalist Playground
Nick Newman○ July 18, 2016
It is either my gift or my curse — maybe both; how you end up feeling about this piece will do a lot to decide — that I have been tasked with assessing one of the Brian De Palma films towards which few feel any need to express a strong, set opinion. (The director offered this ringing assessment in Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow’s documentary: “You know, it wouldn’t necessarily be your first choice.”) “Be your own man!” you might say, which is just the thing: for as much as I enjoy his 1978 telekinesis-espionage actioner The Fury, and no matter the fact that I consider a handful of its sequences some of the very best in his oeuvre, the thing can take a bit of time to get there. But there exists a chance — a fine chance, in fact — that we may extract from its stop-start, hot-cold rhythm a further case for De Palma’s brilliance.
Let’s first take that insufferable auteurist’s route and lay a good deal of blame at the feet of screenwriter John Farris, who adapts his 1976 novel in such a way as to make me hope I’ll never have to read it. Almost every piece of dialogue in The Fury’s first sequence is a sign of what’s to come from his end: thrown-together locations (“the states”; “Chicago”; “a good school for you”) and more-than-clear intimations of characters’ relationships with one another (“since Mom died”; “give up soccer?”) in an attempt to stay above an expository fray. Yet something in the way of intrigue nevertheless emerges — a notice from father to son that this young man possesses “a talent that will shock the hell out of people.” Andrew Stevens as Robin, the son of Kirk Douglas‘ Peter Sandza, can groove with the dialogue just fine, and while the latter and John Cassavetes are too magnetic a pairing to be handed standard-issue conversations that see “a couple of guys” ribbing each other in an affectionate manner, preternatural talents make them strong enough to sell it to a certain point.
And at least they have De Palma. The extent to which he might have whipped all this into a stirring cinematic experience is more a matter of taste, but the how and why of his involvement with this material is a bit less disputable to even a semi-familiar eye. Nearly every exemplary piece of this sequence is a product of a director and cinematographer (Richard H. Kline) who manage to trace the effects of conversational rhythm through particular patterns. As if engineered to spice up bland material, the camera accomplishes its own effects by slowly oscillating between father and son in a ground-laying sequence; without cutting, it then settles on a locked two shot of Douglas and Cassavetes, the latter of whom has replaced Stevens in conversation, and in this formal schema are the picture’s most charismatic actors trusted with delivering the most “naturalistic” dialogue. (Make of it what you will that I still use quotation marks.)
Curiously enough for a supernatural film by a director whose name is most often associated with spectacle, both lovingly and derisively, De Palma’s main characteristic here is great restraint — or, some would just say, patience. Perhaps, after digging myself than 500 words in, I should tell you The Fury is more or less his version of an X-Men story, tracking a young man, Robin (Stevens), and woman, Gillian (Amy Irving), who possess what can only be described as “intense psychic powers.” The description’s left to only those three words because the film is at once rather blunt and largely vague about what, exactly, these people might be capable of. The closest point of understanding is when Farris’ script piles on a few dialogues about new age-sounding concepts and scientific possibility, which register as ineffectively from the actors as they do De Palma — who, with Kline, most often photographs actors in close-ups and two shots when they aren’t engaged in some sort of psychic, physical, or conversational show-down. (That is to say, when they’re explaining.) If it’s worth nothing that he feels more lost (or simply detached) here than in almost any other film, it should especially be said, perhaps in part to distract blame (there’s that auteurist route again!), that even Douglas and Cassavetes only bring marginal life to what’s on the page.
More than granting The Fury’s standout sequences a sense of relief, it makes them all the more delightful, no matter that they’d ring stellar with or without surrounding material of just about any quality. It’s in this film where De Palma latches onto something that I’m not sure he’s ever really expanded upon, or at least not done so well: representations of human thought under moments of extreme duress and attention alike. It’d seem he’s having the most fun with portraying psychic abilities, but the visual trait that stands strongest — mastery of the extended take, no doubt a reason many even see his movies — does so because it’s played in an ostensibly simpler register. It’s not just that he’s doing something well; it’s that he’s doing something even style-over-substance detractors should (should) recognize.
Consider the page-to-screen transition of a scene in which Douglas’ Peter Sandza, a man on the run and seeking his kidnapped son, is discovered by and introduces himself to the tenants of an apartment, who he’ll have to hold hostage for his safety and some clothes. It’s an extended dialogue sequence that only (speaking literally) brings him into the picture halfway through — and, given the situation and exchange between players, one that would most likely be depicted as a series of wide, medium, and close-up shots. De Palma stations a camera at a point between the apartment’s living room and entrance hallway, oscillates between separate spaces, sets a clear midpoint for the image (the patriarch of this shabby home standing in fear of an unknown occupant), and makes necessary revelations through well-timed pans, performers’ onscreen entries as dictated by dialogue, and focus-racking. It’s as much a matter of efficient staging — something every director should know, not something they should really be congratulated for — as anything else, but in comparison to, oh, 95% of ways it otherwise would have been handled, it’s as revelatory as it is effective in a present moment; and when compared to The Fury‘s worst scenes, where De Palma is contained to a particularly confined setting (e.g. cars and buses) and a few expository pages, it at least feels as out-there as whatever would typically go into a career-highlighting montage.
Being that these films are separated by but two years, it’s hardly surprising that The Fury‘s visualization of psychic powers resembles Carrie in many a regard. These are easy to imagine — close-ups of faces in thought, quick cuts to a moving object, a screech on the soundtrack, a quick zoom communicating mental action — so it’s the differences that mostly compel. Here’s what I consider key to appreciating this as a unique work: The Fury is more upfront about its properties than Carrie, embracing them in a fuller, more giddy, and sometimes more perverse way. The Fury’s opening action sequence — a failure on De Palma’s part, more mechanically assembled image-by-image than cut together for maximum effect — contains a shot from a cameraman’s POV. In the moment, this induced a smile for “allowing me to recognize” an “indulgence” on the meta-textual De Palma’s part. What it does later is far more surprising: serve as the bedrock of a sequence wherein Irving’s Gillian envisions a group communicating information to her. A static close-up of the actress’ face alternates with a projection of her mind that rather resembles a live-television-director’s studio, the camera panning wildly from multi-television display to multi-television display until firmly settling — focusing — upon a screen playing the footage from earlier, in this barely stable state of intensity amply generating the thrill of a shocking cinematic image.
It is these supernatural expressions that so profoundly affords The Fury the “shocking” label, one more apt than just about any other De Palma film. With the likes of makeup master Rick Baker at his side, he compounds the oddity of these indescribable strengths with very real expressions of pain through a series of inflictions that seem to mount encounter-by-encounter, from an authentic-looking, mentally transmitted nosebleed to a woman who, with the touch of Gillian’s hand, begins convulsing as she oozes blood from every visible orifice to a bizarre, carnival-side comic set piece that seems horrifying but ends on a weirdly innocuous note to a tortuous, Carrie-esque, blood-spattered killing to, finally and of course, the sight of John Cassavetes being blown the fuck up not one, not two, but thirteen times in what Pauline Kael somewhat implied is cinema’s greatest climax — and a fine climax for De Palma, who embraces standard continuity editing at long last, albeit as a means of instilling comfort before his final, disorientingly cut jolt of an explosive encounter.
Let’s end, then, with a terribly concerned moral question: does the artist enjoy this pain a bit too much? For me, the primary pleasure of Brian De Palma’s cinema is what pleasure he seems to take from building these worlds of glances, gestures, attacks, pain, ecstasy, roving cameras, voyeuristic POVs, and split diopters, and it’s with this appreciation in mind that I acknowledge some hard-to-ignore discomfort with The Fury’s casualty rate, or perhaps just its means of racking up casualties. (Sue me for being sensitive. The thought of profusely bleeding from every fingernail is hard to shake.) Yet the formalist’s playground it so often affords him, despite (and sometimes because) he’s bumping against lesser material, is its own source of joy — a conduit for what I tend to enjoy most in the first place. And isn’t indulgence the feeling his filmography, best and worst entries alike, serves better than just about any other?
Continue reading our career-spanning retrospective, The Summer of De Palma, below.
Watch: One-Hour Roundtable with Martin Scorsese, Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Lulu Wang & More
NYC Weekend Watch: Terrence Malick, Romanian Revolution, Patricia Mazuy & More
Nick Newman○ November 15, 2019
NYC Weekend Watch: Two by Ozu, Early Efforts, ‘All About Lily Chou-Chou’ & More
Nick Newman○ November 7, 2019
12 Films to See at the 57th New York Film Festival
The Film Stage○ September 24, 2019
The Best Films at the 2019 Toronto, Venice, Telluride, and Locarno Film Festivals
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TIFF Short Cuts Capsules: ‘Firecrackers,’ ‘Lay Over,’ ‘Paradiso,’ ‘Foreclosure’ & More
With all the buzz around world premieres and gala events happening at the Toronto International Film Festival, it’s easy to forget there is also a pretty stellar shorts program in the mix. Consisting of work spanning all genres, the format is a great way to experience new, upcoming talent as well as to check up on a couple familiar faces too. And—new this year—24 hours after their Festival premiere, films will be available to screen at YouTube.com/TIFF until September 19.
The following is a collection of capsule reviews, scores and embedded shorts where available for each film in screening block 6.
Anatomy of Assistance – 13 minutes
A fun and poignant lesson in public assistance, writer/director Cory Bowles and co-writer John Titley apply a satirical slant to a heightened situation of one young girl’s refusal to be a part of Affirmative Action in Anatomy of Assistance. Talia (Keeya King) has the grades to get a scholarship to go to whatever college she wants yet every month like clockwork comes an envelope with her name on it containing money raised by local Samaritans. Feeling she’s above charity, she decides to misappropriate Black Power and Malcolm X’s sacrifice in order to take a stand. What follows is a cyclical study towards understanding help is anything but a synonym for pity.
Bowles includes political commentary in a way that makes it accessible to teen audiences in similar circumstances. What Talia is too bull-headed to acknowledge is that friend Whalen (Kingslee Christie) can actually use the money as a way to go to college despite his bad grades while another classmate—a minority—isn’t even eligible for an envelope because the money is earmarked specifically for black youths. As a result, while not wanting to take the money is Talia’s prerogative, the program itself is far from being worthless even if it may voluntarily discriminate by race. Help is as much for the giver as it is the receiver.
In order for Talia to learn this, however, she’ll have to go through a series of trials that show how necessary the money could be if she finds her back against the wall. Officers Blanchard (Shamier Anderson) and Rayley (Raven Dauda) provide a bit of extra assistance with some scare tactics that ultimately put the young girl in as desperate a place possible at her age. Only at this point does she discover how quickly an educated kid like herself can fall to crime and poverty when it appears there’s no way out. A bit of subversive humor is tossed into the mix—something Bowles is familiar with from his time on Trailer Park Boys—as Talia not only discovers how it feels to accept a helping hand, but also to give one.
Firecrackers – 15 minutes
A grainy, personal account of two best friends in the seen-better-days town of Coberge, Ontario, Firecrackers shows the bittersweet result of unchecked optimism in a world where lucky is a luxury of the rich. For Lou (Vanessa Orford) and Chantal (Lindsay Smith), life is going to change as soon as they find a way out from under the deteriorating cesspool of home so big city aspirations can help them forget pasts better left forgotten. The money saved from pumping gas will get them out and the map will show the way, but leaving always proves trickier thing many initially assume.
Written and directed by Saskatonian Jasmin Mozaffari, this short paints Coberge to be little better than the fend for yourself environment of Winter’s Bone’s Ozarks. There is a haze of dereliction in every frame as the existential crisis of becoming that which Lou hates potentially ends up being her last chance at escape. Her mother (Christina Garcia) can’t be bothered to care and yet still possesses that maternal power to elicit sympathy for her plight while mom’s boyfriend Jimmy is your usual abusive misogynist with an erratic behavior that risks ruining her carefully laid plans. The only person Lou has is Chantal—warts and all.
As much a tale of youth’s lofty dreams as it is a display of friendship’s love despite life’s steady stream of consistent roadblocks and failures, Firecrackers allows its leads to hold onto that glimmer of hope for a future no one yet knows. The ease of prostitution and the complete desensitization of sex as anything more than an act bought and sold is perfectly embodied by an opening scene of Gavin Lanteigne’s Jesse finding a condom and blowing it up like a balloon. These inhabitants have grown up quicker than any kid should, so they grab onto that promise of a better life tightly because there’s always a chance it’s right around the corner.
Lay Over – 12 minutes
An American set short owing much to Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise, Lay Over portrays a condensed eight hours in the life of Montreal native Sam (Jordan Hayes) and Angeleno Owen (Noah Reid) as they cross paths one fateful Los Angeles evening. Walking down Hollywood Blvd. until her flight to Australia leaves, Sam arrives at a local club to hear a band and write from the inspiration. Sitting on the bar’s stoop with pen in hand, Owen’s exiting accordion player can’t help but say hello. A light, good-humored conversation leading to an explanation of her journey commences, culminating in his inability to fathom her experience of the City of Angels being his gig at a dive bar. So he tells her to get up and prepare for a personalized tour.
The song “No Cars Go” by Montreal’s own Arcade Fire starts playing and we’re treated to a brief glimpses within a collage of LA. It’s definitely a North American vision in direct juxtaposition with Linklater’s film as ancient buildings and open-air cafes are replaced with Amoeba Music and In-N-Out Burger. Sam and Owen laugh, open-up to one another, and have an experience neither could have dreamed of having just that morning. The whole enterprise is shot in close-up with the characters’ joy in full view as night becomes day. Written and most likely largely improvised by Hayes and Reid with her serving as director, the movie’s simplicity in scope perfectly complements its universal themes of life’s infinite beauty.
Paradiso – 13 minutes
Who wouldn’t want to make a film with a vulgar, combative St. Peter (Zak Sayer) giving God (Kirk Wilson) the proverbial middle finger as he helps the newest arrival to Heaven escape in order to retrieve his brother burning in Hell? Devan Scott’s Paradiso is a satirically funny short that does just that, using Catholicism as a springboard towards a biting romp about the religion’s selfish sanctimony in the vein of Kevin Smith’s Dogma.
When the second coming of Jesus occurs, it’s only a matter of time before the good boys and girls are separated from the bad. Watching brothers Cain (Charles Lysne) and Phil Tibbons (Kristopher Nielsen) age in a rapid-fire montage at the start allows us to intelligently hypothesize which will be God’s choice and which Lucifer’s, but the result ends up reversed. Cain hopes to rectify the mistake by pushing St. Peter aside to storm into the Big Guy’s chambers for a little heart to heart and paradox building that will soon expose the hypocrisy every detractor of the church believes lies at its core.
Scott has some good ideas and finds success playing with time and perception with truth constantly being subverted into fantasy. Lysne and especially Sayer may go a bit too far over-the-top with cursing and spitting and violence in realm of peace, but the broad physical comedy does ultimately fit the silly tone. The art direction is inventive, the indifference of angels just performing their jobs a treat, and the quick cuts a nice visual tool to turn everything into a fast-paced actioner. Writer/director Scott sadly seems to bite off more than he can chew by the end, though, trying to be too smart for his own good with a final twist. Even so, the whole remains an entertaining romp nonetheless.
Foreclosure – 13 minutes
Quite easily a candidate for most disturbing film at the festival, Foreclosure doesn’t have any gruesome blood, guts, or monsters. No, it’s just the human form in all its stark naked glory in the office. The old confidence booster of envisioning your coworkers without clothes on to relax ends up having the exact opposite effect for Sigmund (Dylan Harvey) as the important task of completing a dossier in order to win a promotion has his nerves frayed. Wanting nothing more than to finish the work without any trouble, there always stands a peer in his or her birthday suit looking at him each time he lifts his head.
But having a penis onscreen for three-quarters of its thirteen-minute runtime isn’t where writer/director Wayne Robinson draws the line. Not only does Jacques (Massimo Frau) end up on Sigmund’s desk massaging his muscles as he moans in pleasure, but Anna (Alissa Hansen) is ready for sex in the break room while Firenzi (Christian Bower) is reduced to tears on the floor with his bare chest heaving in distress. Sigmund tries his best to ignore everyone until he’s finally had enough to snap at Carl (Adam J. Wright) by screaming he’s naked. It only gets weirder when taskmaster boss Mr. Wolfman (Vic Stapel) joins in for a discomforting moment inside his office before our lead gives in and joins the insanity.
A memorable look at an overworked over-achiever’s nerves playing disastrous tricks, Foreclosure is not a film quickly forgotten. It does have its fair share of shaky performances—probably due to the prerequisite of showing your genitals for prolonged periods of time—but the situation is absurd enough to distract you from caring too much. Its most interesting tidbit, however, becomes its gratuitous male frontal nudity in contrast to a almost complete lack of female. With North American cinema considering penises taboo and breasts fair game, Robinson ensures the opposite to surprise both audiences and Sigmund. Our society is so ingrained in thinking male nudity is the more disquieting and vulgar of the sexes that putting it in our faces is bound to earn a reaction.
Drop – 12 minutes
Chris Goldade’s unsubtle homage to The Twilight Zone entitled Drop has all the earmarks of the seminal television program with twenty-first century production values. In a story that ends as abruptly as it begins, WWII Private Frank Hutchins (Jan Bos) wakes up bleeding on top of a parked car in a suburban California driveway desperate to discover where the rest of his platoon is. Considering he thinks the Nazis just shot him down, it’s not surprising when he points a rifle at the first person who crosses his path. A not so bright gentleman who lives at home with his parents, Barrie (Darcey Johnson) does his best to explain he’s a friendly despite being absolutely clueless to the situation at hand.
The comedy that follows is effective straight man versus goofball shtick as Frank’s patience wears thin while Barrie’s flights of fancy have him geeking out about the potential for wormholes and time travel. And then the doorbell rings to introduce an SS Major (Peter Ciuffa) who is either a friend of Frank’s looking for him or a Nazi officer with orders to kill. The tension escalates, a policeman is called to the scene, and everyone tries to calm Frank down before another car comes with the American soldier’s worst nightmare.
With very high production values and authentic performances—besides the rampant Canadian accents converging on a California home—Drop effectively instills that same feeling of empathetic helplessness Rod Serling’s old black and white mysteries used to back in the day. The characters react with authenticity and the resulting tragedy earns a welcome punch to the gut for its troubles.
Short Cuts Canada Programme 6 plays at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12th & 13th.
Kevin SmithTIFF
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Spring Arts Preview
Garden Collection
Disney+ streaming service reaches 10 million sign-ups, shares surge
Disney shares rose 7.5% to US$149 in late day trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Walt Disney Co shares soared to a record high after the entertainment firm said its new streaming service, Disney+, had been met with “extraordinary consumer demand,” reaching 10 million sign-ups in its first day.
The strong performance, which added US$18 billion to its market capitalization, appears to establish Disney as a leading player in the streaming wars that pit it against industry leader Netflix Inc, Amazon.com Inc’s Prime Video service, Apple Inc’s Apple TV+ and AT&T Inc’s forthcoming HBO Max service.
Disney+ faces glitches on launch day as company blames demand
Disney launching streaming service to rival Netflix
Disney strikes deal with Comcast, takes full control of Hulu
Combined with Disney’s other streaming businesses — Hulu, which has 26.8 million subscribers, and ESPN+, which serves 3.5 million subscribers — the company now serves 40.3 million viewers in the United States, compared to about 60 million for Netflix.
Disney+, which launched in the United States, Canada and the Netherlands on Tuesday, was hit with technical glitches that the company said were caused by higher-than-expected demand.
In Canada, the service costs $8.99 a month ($89.99/year) and features roughly movies and shows from the company’s deep family entertainment catalogue, as well as new programming.
In April, Disney said it plans to reach 60 million to 90 million Disney+ subscribers globally by 2024.
In a note on Wednesday, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives wrote that at its current pace, Disney could hit that subscriber goal potentially two years earlier.
Although Disney’s day one numbers were more than three times the size of some forecasts, it was not immediately clear how many of these new customers were from free promotions.
In October, Disney and telecom provider Verizon Communications Inc announced a promotion that made all new and existing Verizon unlimited wireless customers, as well as new Fios and 5G home internet customers, eligible for a free, one-year subscription to Disney+.
Ahead of the launch, Disney executives said they expected between 17 million to 19 million new subscribers as a result of the Verizon promotion. Verizon told Reuters in October it expected even more of its customers to have access to the deal.
Disney said it had no future plans to release Disney+ subscriber data outside of the company’s quarterly earnings calls.
Town Talk: Vancouver Chinatown Foundation gala raises $5.5 million 5 Disney+ shows to watch
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Vietnam hair: Best remy human hair extensions
Home Celebrity The 4 Villain Faces Of The Speed Series Fast & Furious
The 4 Villain Faces Of The Speed Series Fast & Furious
Beauty Hair
The series Fast & Furious owns a very memorable cast, outstanding among them are 4 villains who have caused difficulties for Dominic Toretto and his teammates.
The movie universe “Fast & Furious” is about to unveil the first extra story Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw with the “perfect” combination of “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson and “Transformer” Jason Statham in early August. Accompanied by the “heroes” are the insidious evils that bring in personal hatred or attempts to dominate the globe. Let’s review the “notorious” villains who used to make storms on the racetrack Fast & Furious.
The randy “monkey” Donkey Kong in Tokyo Drift
The character Takashi in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) is nicknamed the “prince of drifts” played by Brian Lee, impressing the audience with the ultimate Drift technique. Takashi is the son of the infamous mafia terrorist and he dominates the racetracks in Tokyo. With an excellent racing skill, Takashi made Sean (Lucas Black) lose in the first round.
Seductive terrorist boss Owen Shaw in Fast & Furious
When it comes to villains in the Fast & Furious series, it is impossible to ignore Owen Shaw in Fast & Furious 6 played by Luke Evans. Owen Shaw is a member of the British Special Forces but after being “kicked out” from here, he formed a team of elite mercenaries with the goal of stealing parts to make Nightshade equipment – which can cut down the power of the whole country. The combination of a keen mind, a desperate and a world-peaceful is just a “child’s play” way of thinking, the character Owen Shaw was built to be a worthy rival for Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his teammates.
Transporter Deckard Shaw in Furious 7
Having appeared in Furious 7 (2015), Deckard Shaw played by Jason Statham is the brother of Owen Shaw. Deckard Shaw appears to avenge his younger brother because he was defeated by Dominic Toretto’s gang in the previous season. With a clear black-and-white personality, he plans to take revenge on each of Dominic Toretto’s “families”. Not only is the international terrorist, but Deckard Shaw is also a former MI6 agent who is considered to be the strongest character in the Fast & Furious series by the ability to ride supercar, special talent to use a variety of weapons, and the ability to duel fight. It can be said that he is an equal rival for both Luke Hobbs and Dominic Toretto through this blockbuster action.
Black Superman in Hobbs & Shaw
Brixton is the next villain to debut, under the acting of the sexiest man on the planet Idris Elba. Claiming to be “Black Superman”, Brixton is expected to be a more powerful evil man than ever. Brixton can simply handle “The Rock” and former MI6 agents at the same time. Brixton is not only equipped with modern, advanced weapons but also body strengthening. With a plot to “wipe out” half of the global population and determined to win back the super virus from MI6 agent Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby), Brixton’s “brutal fighting machine” is expected to be a formidable rival that the “reluctant” duo Hobbs and Shaw are going to face.
Furious 7 (2015)
MCSARA
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
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Posts Tagged ‘secret organization’
THEATRICAL REVIEW: Suicide Squad
August 11, 2016 CJ Stewart 3 comments
Directed by: David Ayer
Produced by: Charles Roven, Richard Suckle
Written by: David Ayer
Edited by: John Gilroy
Cinematography by: Roman Vasyanov
Music by: Steven Price
Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Karen Fukuhara, Ike Barinholtz, Scott Eastwood, Adam Beach, Jared Leto, Ben Affleck
Based on characters from DC Comics
Well, DC, at least you’re making money off this one (so far…?).
Don’t get me wrong – Suicide Squad is nowhere near the overlong, overstuffed disaster that Batman v Superman was. That movie was crammed with events, aggressively downbeat, and was edited to the point of absolutely no breathing room in its theatrical cut. (I still haven’t seen the extended cut.) Suicide Squad, by comparison, is lean, surprisingly fun, and – most importantly – its story is coherent. Why, then, the disappointment? Read more…
Categories: Reviews Tags: Adam Beach, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Amanda Waller, antihero, Batman, Ben Affleck, Captain Boomerang, Cara Delevingne, Charles Roven, comic book, comic books, David Ayer, DC Cinematic Universe, DC Comics, Deadshot, disappointment, El Diablo, Enchantress, espionage, Flash, flashback, government, Harley Quinn, Ike Barinholtz, Jai Courtney, Jared Leto, Jay Hernandez, Joel Kinnaman, Joker, Karen Fukuhara, Katana, Killer Croc, Margot Robbie, mediocre, missed opportunity, pop music, popcorn film, Richard Suckle, Rick Flagg, Roman Vasyanov, Scott Eastwood, secret mission, secret organization, Slipknot, special forces, Steven Price, Suicide Squad, superhero, superheroes, supervillain, supervillains, Task Force X, team up, teamwork, unlikely hero, Viola Davis, Will Smith
THEATRICAL REVIEW: Spectre (2015)
November 20, 2015 CJ Stewart 1 comment
Produced by: Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli
Screenplay by: John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Jez Butterworth
Story by: John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade
Edited by: Lee Smith
Cinematography by: Hoyte van Hoytema
Music by: Thomas Newman, Sam Smith (theme)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Dave Bautista, Andrew Scott, Monica Bellucci, Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kinnear, Jesper Christensen, Alessandro Cremona, Judi Dench
Based on characters created by Ian Fleming
It’s been three years since the release of the last James Bond film, Skyfall, but it seems as though a mere matter months have passed by the time Spectre begins, with Bond tracking down an assassin named Marco Sciarra, who is suspected of having ties to a larger organization that has been causing headaches for MI6 and, more generally, the world at large. Fans of the series, particularly those who have either read the books or seen the older films, will by no means have any trouble quickly knowing exactly what organization Sciarra is working for (hint: it’s in the title) as well as what this will likely mean for the Bond franchise going forward. Your enthusiasm for the film and the implications of this organization’s presence from here on out will largely depend upon one’s devotion to the series and whether you’re willing to accept that the more serious, grounded, and gritty Bond films that began with the Daniel Craig era of films were pretty much always going to build up to this from the very beginning. And even if you’re willing to accept this inevitable return to a refreshed but familiar form, what few surprises Spectre does have in store for audiences will actually be a far greater point of contention than the choice to continue moving these films “backward” in terms of tone and grandiosity. Read more…
Categories: Reviews Tags: 007, action, Alessandro Cremona, Andrew Scott, Aston Martin, Barbara Broccoli, Ben Whishaw, Blofeld, Bond 24, Bond Girl, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Craig, Dave Bautista, drone strikes, espionage, Hoyte van Hoytema, Ian Fleming, Jaguar, James Bond, jealousy, Jesper Christensen, Jez Butterworth, John Logan, Judi Dench, Léa Seydoux, Lee Smith, M, MI6, Michael G. Wilson, Moneypenny, Monica Bellucci, Naomie Harris, national security, Neal Purvis, Q, Ralph Fiennes, revenge, Robert Wade, Rory Kinnear, Sam Mendes, Sam Smith, secret agent, secret organization, spy, superspy, supervillain, terrorism, Thomas Newman
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Legislature | Marijuana
Sandoval signs major marijuana bills, adds two more to veto pile
Michelle Rindels
Riley Snyder
June 13th, 2017 - 2:30am
Gov. Brian Sandoval delivers his State of the State address on Jan. 17, 2017. Photo by David Calvert.
Gov. Brian Sandoval plowed through more than 30 bills on Monday, signing 32 of them into law and rejecting controversial measures on marijuana convictions and a UNR cooperative extension program.
He signed three major pieces of marijuana legislation, including a bill to make sure marijuana products aren’t too attractive to children (SB344) and a measure that aims to keep the medical marijuana program efficient and relevant in a world where all adults can buy pot (AB422). He also approved SB487, which imposes a 10 percent tax on recreational marijuana and is expected to bring $64 million over the biennium into the state’s “rainy day” reserve fund.
The Republican governor signed AB249, which would codify portions of the Affordable Care Act requiring insurance companies cover contraception free of charge.
Here’s a look at other action he took on Monday:
VETOED
AB407: Cooperative Extension
Sandoval added to his veto total on Monday by rejecting a measure proposed by Democratic Assemblywoman Olivia Diaz that would have designated UNLV and the Desert Research Institution as “land-grant” universities in the state.
AB407 as initially drafted would have substantially organized the Cooperative Extension program at the University of Nevada, Reno — which largely deals with agricultural and public welfare issues — to be more regionalized and would have granted authority for UNLV to run a similar program in southern Nevada.
The measure was amended in the final days of the Legislature to require an audit of the program, and retained language recognizing UNLV and DRI to be “land-grant” institutions akin to UNR.
But that designation was reason enough for Sandoval — a UNR graduate — to unleash his veto pen, writing in a veto message that the bill would unnecessarily risk splitting federal funding currently directed to UNR in three ways, crippling existing programs at UNR and not providing enough funding to restart them at other colleges or research institutions.
“It is unclear what AB407 would achieve other than a diversion of scarce federal funding,” he wrote.
The bill passed on a 30-12 vote in the Assembly and a 15-6 vote in the Senate, with a bipartisan group of mostly Northern Nevada lawmakers voting against the measure.
AB259: Vacating and sealing marijuana conviction records:
The governor rejected a bill that would allow a person who was convicted of a marijuana misdemeanor to have their conviction vacated and their records sealed.
The measure, sponsored by Democratic Assemblyman Will McCurdy, would apply to people convicted of possessing one ounce or less of marijuana or violating any provision of law involving marijuana that is legal as of January 1. It would also allow a judge to depart from mandatory minimum sentences on certain drug crimes.
The bill passed out of the Assembly on a 27-15 vote on party lines and later saw a party-line, 12-9 vote in the Senate.
In his veto message, Sandoval noted “there is much to commend in AB259” but indicated it went a bridge too far, especially since other bills this session made it easier to seal criminal records. He also said the bill wasn’t clear on what other marijuana-related offenses that are now legal it would allow to be vacated and sealed.
“Presumably this provision would permit vacated judgments and record sealing for all marijuana conduct that is now lawful, potentially including marijuana trafficking and possession of large quantities of marijuana, since such activity is now allowed in Nevada, although limited and subject to significant regulation,” he said.
He also took issue with the bill allowing judges to depart from mandatory minimum sentences in drug possession cases other than ones involving the date rape drug.
“Simply giving judges the statutory discretion to depart from otherwise mandatory statutory sentencing requirements is an incomplete solution, and one that opens the door for potential inequities depending on the preferences and practices of each individual judge,” he wrote.
ALL SIGNED BILLS
Senate Bill 144 Assembly Bill 130
Assembly Bill 487
This story was updated at 7 a.m. on June 13, 2017 to reflect that the governor has not acted on SB325, a bill expanding federal health insurance to more immigrant children. Sandoval’s office initially said he signed the bill on Monday, then retracted the statement.
Caption: Gov. Brian Sandoval delivers his State of the State address on Jan. 17, 2017. Photo by David Calvert.
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SOUTHERN NEWS
ALL THE SNEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
Media Application 2019-2020
SAGE presents documentary that lends a voice to queer women
Posted on March 27, 2019 by Southern News Leave a comment
Haljit Basuljevic—Reporter
In The Same Difference, lesbians not only have to worry about feeling outcasted because of the heteronormative standards they break, but they also face scorn from fellow members within their own community.
The film centers on the conflicts black lesbian women will have with one another based on a set of “rules” of normalcy they are expected to follow. We are introduced to Jordan who, due to her partners infertility, overwhelmed by the idea of adopting, decides to get pregnant herself. Problem is that there has been hate circulating around about her dressing in baggy jeans and retro jerseys.
[Because of her masculinity,] she is forced to confront an online hater who is appalled that she would do something that is considered feminine.
The film features similar interviews like this with celebrity figures like Felicia “Snoop” Ferguson, AZMarie Livingston, and comedian Lea DeLaria. The terminology of who is considered a “butch”, “stud” and “femme” give the lesbian community a clear designation of how the rules are enforced. As the documentary makes clear, a femme is supposed to date a stud, and stud a femme. Any deviation is an invitation to be exiled and ridiculed.
“We have to use these boxes and use these labels to describe ourselves to other people,” said Executive Director of the New Haven Pride Center Patrick Dunn, “but the problem is that we create these prisons for ourselves. Like if you don’t fit perfectly into this box, then the community doesn’t know what to do with you.”
Dunn said that he felt that the film does an excellent job of lending a voice to queer women. He said that there is a lack of productive dialogue for queer women who feel that their stories need to be heard and exchanged.
“Queer women aren’t necessarily included in women’s studies and…there’s a whole section of queer women that feel isolated and alone and don’t feel like they have spaces that are safe for them to gather and come together,” said Dunn.
“We’re still women. It’s just clothes. Lesbians still want kids, so what do you do?” said artist Versatile Poetiq, who spoke along with rapper Anne Gogh about the oppressive factors that come from conformity.
They said that to simply be yourself has the consequence of being atomised and judged for that one particular characteristic. Even the thought of being a bisexual, the documentary depicted, can spark stigma from peers who feel it as an act of betrayal.
“You have to be aware of that who you are can offend someone. And some people might hurt you,” said Poetiq.
“We’re kind of hitting a large swathe of different identities and issues within the LGBT community,” said SAGE Coordinator Jenna Retort, “looking at the history, looking at a bunch of different aspects of the community.”
Retort said that part of SAGE’s goal is to enlighten students about LGBT+ community as well as establish a sense of solidarity here on campus.
Retort also said that it is enriching to see those who attend the film screenings or events to share the experiences or be reminded of the fact that someone they know is currently dealing with this type of marginalization. She said this helps spark a dialogue that delves deeper into how the LGBT+ community are perceived.
She added that it has always been a significant challenge in getting the information out because of Southern’s many events. To help aid this, she said she has been using social media more as well as other ways of advertising.
After the film, the audience gave a resounding applause. Many viewers agreed with the speakers that exposing more content like this can help dispel the ignorance heterosexual people have in their judgement of queer individuals. They felt that they had not needed to fulfill societal expectations in order to feel comfortable and that they had did that on their own.
Dunn explained that he and the SAGE Center originally intended to premiere “Paris is Burning,” but due to schedule delays, the film has been pushed back.
The following Wednesday SAGE is to present the documentary Kiki as a part of Southern’s 64 Days of Non-Violence.
Photo Credit: Haljit Basueljevic
tagged with arts and entertainment, documentary, SAGE, Sage Center, SCSU, scsu owls
Southern holds memorial in honor of Melanie Coleman
Southern Hosts a Conversation Surrounding Trans Related Issues
Folio Social Justice Night
Ethnic history of New Haven exhibit reveals immigration roots
Men’s basketball opens at home with blowout win
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Southern holds memorial in honor of Melanie Coleman thesouthernnews.org/2019/12/04/sou… https://t.co/GwM686IMph 1 month ago
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Buley Library
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Sept. 4, 11, 18, 25
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May 6,
Letters of encouragement and remembrance decorate a door and wall of Pelz Gynmasium. On Dec. 4, faculty, friends and students gathered in Pelz for a memorial celebrating the life of Melanie Coleman, who died on Nov. 10 after sustaining a fatal injury during gymnastics practice. 📸: Izzy Manzo
A #BehindTheScenes look at the models of @facemodels_scsu getting ready to put their best F.A.C.E. forward for the Fall Fashion Show! Be on the look out for out Nov. 20 edition of the paper featuring photos by students in Prof. Jonathan Elmer’s JRN 270 class! 📸: Izzy Manzo
Spanish major Gabriela Vasquez poses with some of her artwork that was on display during Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sonia Nazario’s keynote speech about her book, “Enrique’s Journey.” 📸: Izzy Manzo
Award-winning journalist, Sonia Nazario and author of “Enrique Journey”. Speaking at Southern as part of Social Justice month. 📸: Jacob Waring
Happy Halloween from the Southern News! 🎃 Copy editor J’Mari Hughes interviewed computer science major Kalem Bettencourt, a freshmen, during the Anime Society’s Cosplay Café on Oct. 28 #BehindTheScenes 📸: Izzy Manzo
Southern News’ Managing Editor @jessguerrucci handing out newspapers to trick-or-treaters as part of Commuters Trick-or-Treating. 👻 🎃
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45 Main Motor Road, The Redeemed Christian Church of God
What We Built
Project Type: Borehole Well and Hand Pump
Regional Program: Port Loko, Sierra Leone WaSH Program
Port Loko, Sierra Leone WaSH Program
The Water Project’s WaSH program in Port Loko district, Sierra Leone consists of a concentrated network of water wells that have transformed Lungi-town. Because of near complete coverage in the area, work is expanding to Lokomasama Chiefdom. Explore these projects that remain at or near 100% functionality because of dedicated quality implementation, effective customized hygiene, sanitation, and maintenance training, and reliable monitoring, evaluation, and resolution relationships.
Impact: 397 Served
Project Phase: In Service - Sep 2019
Functionality Status: Functional
Functionality Data
Install Date: 09/30/2019
Current Status: Functional
Last Checkup: 11/02/2019
Checkup History:
09/25/2019 — Functional
Borehole Well and Hand Pump
Girls and women walk long distances for water when safe water is very often right under their feet! Underground rivers, called aquifers, often contain a constant supply of safe water – but you have to get to it. No matter what machine or piece of equipment is used, all drilling is aiming for a borehole that reaches into an aquifer. If the aquifer has water - and after the well is developed - we are able to pull water to the surface utilizing a hand-pump. If all goes as planned, the community is left with a safe, closed water source providing around 5 gallons of water a minute through a hand-pump.
Rehabilitation Project
Rehabilitation is not just fixing a pump - it’s total community re-engagement.
There’s only one thing we can think of that might be worse than not having safe water: having safe water, and then losing it because a project fell into disrepair.
Rehabilitation often proves to be a big challenge, as many wells have sit idle for years and there is typically little information about the specifics of the well. A borehole and dug well rehabilitation involves quite a bit of discovery. First, our teams work to discover as much as they can about the initial project. What materials were used? Was the borehole/hand-dug well properly constructed? Many of these questions can only be answered by diving in, and doing “the work” which makes up a rehabilitation.
Once our teams have found the problem, they find the solution. Then, they reconstruct the well and install a hand pump.
Engagement and training with communities takes into account rehabilitation was needed and alters the program to suit the needs of the community. After all - engaging with this community in the same way which led to the initial, failed project will not bring new results. Our teams work to understand the social and support reasons leading to initial failure, and make those areas a focus of our ongoing engagement with communities.
Local leadership is a lasting investment
Sustainable water projects only occur through the presence of local leaders. The Water Project identifies, develops, supports, and partners with local organizations who share our vision of reliable and verifiable clean water. Together, we build water programs that include responsible community development, lasting local solutions and ongoing monitoring and resolution.
Community engagement is at every step of a water project.
Our engagement is rooted in relationship and includes involving the community in implementation and ongoing support, setting expectations for water point management and ongoing costs, etc. All of this happens before a water project is installed.
We use a term called ABCD: “Asset Based Community Development”. This means the community gets a leading seat at the table. Before we seek to bring anything into the community, we first seek to understand and utilize the assets that already exist within the community.
Hygiene and Sanitation Training
Community education and self-discovery about hygiene and sanitation concepts lead to improved health.
Improved health is always the goal. This is why all our projects include hygiene and sanitation training. We utilize many different methods for this training, depending on the community/institution, program and country. Training topics include disease transmission, personal hygiene and cleanliness, proper disposal of waste and proper water storage methods.
Monitoring and Resolution
Water isn’t a pump. Water is a service. And, it must be reliable.
The known benefits of water are ONLY true if water can be counted on, over time. We love celebrating when a project is complete and a community has access to clean, safe water. However, the ongoing service of water - making water reliable - is how we know our true impact.
The Water Project continues to monitor our water projects, and we provide continued support to make sure water service continues for communities.
Past water projects and the communities they serve are just as important to us as anything else we might be doing in the future.
To learn more about how you can help with ongoing monitoring, evaluation and resolution, read about our awesome monthly members.
Project Timeline FAQ
We’re working hard to make sure your gifts result in a lasting water project for the community it serves. Our engagement with a community begins many months before construction and lasts years after construction. The timeline here is focused on the physical construction of the water project. There is also training and engagement work that has already started.
Water project construction in the developing world is hard work. A lot of things can and do cause delays - which are normal. We attempt to make our best judgment of when construction will be complete, but the circumstances surrounding actual "in the field" conditions are far from our control.
Weather, supply availability, government paperwork, and progress of community involvement are just a few of the variables that can delay (and sometimes speed up) a project's completion.
We will always tell you if anything changes. And, if you get a notice like this – it’s actually further proof your gifts are being carefully used towards a water project that lasts.
Click icons to learn about each feature.
Report Submitted by Thomas Lewis, Lead Project Reporter
Thomas was born in the southernmost part of Sierra Leone. He has multiple certificates in business and a degree in applied accounting. He is great at working with technology and is the lead of water project reporting for his team.
Thomas has been a Lead Project Reporter since 2018, with Mariatu's Hope, The Water Project's trusted partner in our Port Loko, Sierra Leone WaSH Program.
Report Submitted by
Thomas Lewis, Lead Project Reporter
Packaged water is only accessible by a minute fraction of the community population. That means that there is really only one consistent water source for the majority of this community: the swamp.
The swamp receives its supply of water from an underground source and from drainages when it rains. This means that the quantity is higher during the rainy season than in the dry season. When it is not raining, the underground source becomes its greatest supplier. This source does not normally supply enough water to serve the entire community. The situation becomes dire during the dry season. People scoop water from every available hole regardless of quality.
The swamp water is highly contaminated.
“My brother, the thought of drinking from this swamp makes some of us sick. Because some of us do not have the courage to drink from it, we try hard to buy the packaged water from the meager profit we earn,” said Fatmata Akai.
First of all, the swamp is under nobody’s control. Everyone behaves the way he or she feels at this source. People flock to this source for different purposes. Some people, for example, use this source for bathing while others use it for laundering. Still, some others use it for farming irrigation.
In all of these cases, care is not given to the source’s sanitation. Nobody pays attention to what the chemicals and dirt from laundering and bathing do to the source. Certainly, poison from detergents ends up in the source. In the same way, this source is contaminated by the gardeners. And it also is open to runoff from the community living uphill from it.
This swamp is not protected and is therefore shared with other wild animals. Some of these are infected with deadly diseases that kill humans. This exposes the people of this community to these deadly diseases.
“I would not drink this water,” said our field staff.
New Well
We will be drilling this well at The Redeemed Christian Church of God. Our team will drive over the LS200 mud rotary drill rig and set up camp for a couple of nights. Once the well is drilled to a sufficient water column, it will be cased, developed, and then tested. If these tests are positive, our mechanics will install a new India Mark II pump.
This community has been pushed to the swamp for their water. By drilling this borehole, community members will be provided with plenty of accessible clean drinking water.
There will be hygiene and sanitation training sessions offered for three days in a row.
Community members will learn how to make a handsfree handwashing station called the “tippy-tap.” We will use these tippy taps for handwashing demonstrations, and will also teach about other tools like dish racks and the importance of properly penning in animals. We will highlight the need to keep latrines clean, among many other topics.
These trainings will also strengthen a water user committee that will manage and maintain this new well. They will enforce proper behavior and report to us whenever they need our help solving a serious problem, like a pump breakdown.
09/30/2019: 45 Main Motor Road, The Redeemed Christian Church of God project complete!
We are excited to share that there is a safe, reliable borehole well at The Redeemed Christian Church of God. The students and community members no longer have to rely on unsafe water to meet their daily needs. We also conducted hygiene and sanitation training, which focused on healthy practices such as handwashing and using latrines.
The drilling of this new borehole was a success, and clean water is flowing!
“I thank God for His favor of directing you people to this community to provide us with clean drinking water,” said John Mcfoy.
Before the team moved to the site they consulted with the pastor of the church, the WaSH Committee, and some community people. Formal introductions were made and arrangements for their lodging determined. The church itself was their temporal lodging place and Miss Mariatu Koroma was selected to handle their cooking.
2 pits were dug next to the drill rig, 1 for the drill’s water supply and another for what was pulled back up out of the borehole. Since the community already struggles with finding enough water, we ordered a private supplier to deliver the water we needed for drilling.
The pastor, together with some members of the water committee rallied the community people to fetch water for the drilling.
Community members fetch water for drilling
Day 1 of drilling started with filling the 2 pits with water mixed with bentonite. A 4-inch carbide-tipped bit was fixed to the 5-foot-long drill stem. The mud pump was started to supply water to the drill rig and the drilling starts. During drilling, after every 5-foot length of drill stem put into the hole the team would take material samples. The bags were labeled 1, 2, 3, and so on. These are to be reviewed later to determine the aquifer locations.
The second day of drilling was meant to expand the hole and clear it of mud. The team reached a total depth of 96 feet.
The team forcefully pumped clean water into the well to clear out any mud and debris from drilling. After, filter pack was added so that the screened pipe would be protected. The temporary drilling casing was hoisted out so that we could fortify the pipes with cement.
The well was bailed by hand for 3 days before doing a yield test to verify the water quantity at a static water level of 48.8 feet.
Yield Test
With these great results, a stainless steel India MkII pump was installed. Water quality tests show that this is clean water fit for drinking!
The team arrived at the dedication site at 9:50 am. Already, the pastor, together with some members of the water committee, some members of the church, and some community members were here. However, the pastor was not ok with the number and asked that he be allowed some time to go around the community to call more people to the ceremony.
The church pastor dedicating the well
In no time, people came from different angles of the community in a celebratory mood, singing traditional songs. The venue was now in full celebration mode.
In fact, the boom box could not compete with the loud voices of the people and it had to be turned off. The voice of one Miss Fatmata was so melodious that some men who were there as observers initially, could not resist but join in the celebration. The people circled around the well while singing praises for the well.
The singing and dancing were quieted, however, reluctantly, to allow speeches from various people. Then the celebration continued. The activities under the tap included pumping water from the well, children drinking from the well, and other community members having fun around the tap area.
Before any hygiene training occurred, repeated phone calls and visits were made to the committee to help them understand the challenges and lack of sanitation facilities in the community. The findings from our baseline survey were brought to the attention of the water committee to help them make the necessary adjustments before the training or drilling could commence. When all the necessary and required guidelines were met, then and only then did our team of hygiene trainers go to conduct the training.
While the team prepared themselves in terms of getting training materials ready, the pastor and the chair of the WaSH committee opted to get the people’s total involvement. On the day of training, this group ensured the venue was prepared even before the team arrived. These 2 people were also key in walking around the community to call the people to the venue for the training.
The training was held in the church where all community members, regardless of faith, were welcomed. More than 100 people attended for 3 days of training. What made the training environment even more conducive was the location of the church. This part of Benkeh is very attractive to the cool Atlantic Ocean breeze.
Training topics covered included: Handwashing and tippy tap; good and bad hygiene; disease transmission; worms and parasites; proper care of teeth; proper care of the pump; keeping the water clean; the cost recovery system; dishracks and clotheslines; the importance of toilets; keeping the latrine clean; balanced diets; diarrhea; and HIV and AIDS.
The level of participation and involvement of the attendees was very high. The training itself was naturally interactive as the attendees were involved in demonstrating hygiene and sanitation topics. Notable among them was the display of good and bad hygiene drawings. This group of people was in high spirits by asking critical questions on every topic that was discussed because they wanted to know everything and the team was very much impressed with that.
The participants discussed among themselves and later came to the conclusion that it can be easy to change their behaviors.
“Honestly, most of us in this community lack the basic hygiene education and that has always been our reason for our exposure to plenty of illnesses,” said Mr. Mcfoy.
“It is very certain that this training will have a profound effect on our lives in this community.”
Thank you for making all of this possible!
08/26/2019: 45 Main Motor Road, The Redeemed Christian Church of God Project Underway
A severe clean water shortage at 45 Main Motor Road, The Redeemed Christian Church of God drains people’s time, energy, and health. Thanks to your generosity, we’re working to install a clean water point and much more.
Get to know the community through the introduction and pictures we’ve posted, and read about this water, sanitation and hygiene project. We look forward to reaching out with more good news!
Cureaids Foundation
T.H. Rogers School
Mariposa School of Global Education
Fishing Creek Baptist Church
Girl Scouts of Utah Troop 377
Town of Burlington DECA
College View Elementary 5th Grade
Bellaire Baptist Church VBS
North Warren Regional School District
Empowerment Academy Charter School Ms.Marklands Class
17th Street Baptist Church VBS
Bounce Treatment Services
Jonny Blockchain
United Way of Central Maryland
Bishop McNamara High School
P.E.O Sisterhood Chapter EW
Jumbo Volleyball Clinics, LLC
Perform and Transform
Kelly, Ria, Shea, and Jessica's Clean Water Campaign
And 2 other fundraising page(s)
97 individual donor(s)
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Welcome to the Psalter Hymnal Resource Library, a growing collection of commentaries, sheet music, and audio and video recordings of the psalms and hymns in the 1959/1976 blue Psalter Hymnal. This prominent songbook of the Christian Reformed Church, still widely in use today by the United Reformed Churches in North America, gives a powerful voice to the grandeur of Reformed worship. Its texts reach back as far as the ancient Hebrew psalms, while its tunes span at least eight centuries.
Here, in this URC Psalmody project, you can search our comprehensive tables of the Psalter Hymnal’s contents and browse through the myriads of links in our collections. You’ll find meditations on the psalms and their musical counterparts; you’ll find links to free and legal versions of the songbook’s texts and sheet music; you’ll be able to hear and watch real choirs and congregations—not computer-generated instruments—singing beautiful, heartfelt renditions of its psalms and hymns; and you’ll be able to access links to countless other related resources across the internet.
Best of all, much of the content of the Psalter Hymnal Resource Library is user-supplied. Through our User Feedback page, anyone can broaden the scope of this project even further by sharing their own collections of Psalter Hymnal-related links. We encourage you to take full advantage of this library, and to contact us via the User Feedback page if you have any questions or comments. It’s our hope that this humble library will in some way serve the church of Christ.
Library Tour
If you’d like to learn more about how the Psalter Hymnal Resource Library is set up, or if you’d like a guide for digging deeper into our catacombs, visit our Welcome page for a quick walk-through of our virtual facilities.
Visit the Psalter Hymnal Tables
Jump right into the action and start browsing through the songs in the Psalter Hymnal. For your convenience we’ve divided the master table into five separate pages, listed below.
Numbers 1-100 (Psalms 1-55)
Numbers 101-200 (Psalms 55-103)
Numbers 201-310 (Psalms 103-150)
Numbers 311-400 (Hymns)
Believe it or not, complete albums of Psalter Hymnal songs do exist and are usually quite available online or on CD, often through the work of URC Psalmody! Visit our Psalter Hymnal Albums section to learn more.
If you’re looking for something beyond the contents of the tables, peruse our Resources section for dozens of links to everything remotely related to the Psalter Hymnal.
We want to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, suggestions for improvement, and additional Psalter Hymnal resources here on the User Feedback page.
With such a large database to manage, there’s bound to be some broken links and other errors somewhere in the library. If you’re having trouble accessing the items in the Psalter Hymnal Resource Library, stop by the Technical Log to check our list of known issues.
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/ Liz Phair
/ Whip-Smart
Whip-Smart (Explicit)
Explicit Content Preview Whip-Smart (Explicit)
Chopsticks (Explicit)
Supernova (Explicit)
Support System (Explicit)
X-Ray Man
Dogs Of L.A.
Whip-Smart
May Queen
Alternative, Alternative/Indie, Rock, 1990S
℗ 1994 Capitol Records Inc.
© 1994 Capitol Records Inc.
Also by Liz Phair
Preview Horror Stories: A Memoir (Audiobook Samples) (Explicit)
Horror Stories: A Memoir (Audiobook Samples) (Explicit) Liz Phair 2019 From $8.99
Preview The Girly-Sound Tapes (Explicit)
The Girly-Sound Tapes (Explicit) Liz Phair 2018 From $31.49
Preview Bomb (Girly-Sound Version)
Bomb (Girly-Sound Version) Liz Phair 2018 From $1.09
Preview Divorce Song (Girly-Sound Version)
Divorce Song (Girly-Sound Version) Liz Phair 2018 From $1.09
Preview Exile In Guyville (Remastered) (Explicit)
Exile In Guyville (Remastered) (Explicit) Liz Phair 2018 From $10.49
Preview Funstyle
Funstyle Liz Phair 2017 From $8.99
Preview American Thighs
American Thighs Veruca Salt 1994 From $5.99
Preview Among My Swan
Among My Swan Mazzy Star 1996 From $7.99
Preview Blurring The Edges
Blurring The Edges Meredith Brooks 1997 From $5.99
Preview Deep Cuts
Deep Cuts Mazzy Star 2009
Preview Live Through This
Live Through This Hole 1994 From $7.99
Preview To Bring You My Love
To Bring You My Love PJ Harvey 1995 From $5.99
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2019 Online Qualifier
Werksan Barbells Announced as Official Equipment Partner for USAFF National Championships
Published by admin on April 6, 2018 April 6, 2018
April 6, 2018 – USA Functional Fitness is excited to announce Werksan Barbells as the official equipment provider for the 2018 USA Functional Fitness National Championships.
Werksan Barbells is known for its high quality barbells and plates and is one of only 5 equipment companies in the world to hold the prestigious IWF Certification, a testament to the precision and quality of Werksan’s equipment. Though famously known for their weightlifting equipment, Werksan will also be unveiling a new custom built pullup rig for USAFF Nationals.
Josh Plosker, President of USA Functional Fitness, stated “USA Functional Fitness couldn’t be more excited to work with Werksan as our equipment provider for Nationals. They offer an unparalleled quality of product, and now with their expansion of offerings to include pullup rigs, they offer the total package for equipment within the functional fitness space.”
Kenny Triboletti, President and General Manager of Werksan Barbells, commented “Werksan is thrilled to team up with USA Functional Fitness. USA Functional Fitness has been clearing a path to promote and grow functional fitness as a competitive sport in the US. Like Werksan, USAFF is proud to create opportunities for competitive athletes of all ages and abilities.”
USA Functional Fitness Nationals will be held August 25th and 26th at Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean, West Virginia. The event will be a part of Spartan’s North American Championship weekend. USAFF Nationals will feature two days of competition with the top functional fitness athletes in the country vying for a spot on the USA Functional Fitness National Team as well as the crown of National Champion. The top finishers at the event will also qualifier to represent the US at the International Functional Fitness Federation National Championships October 5-7th in London, England. Please visit https://usafunctionalfitness.org/2018-nationals/to learn how to qualify to compete at USAFF Nationals.
Werksan Barbells USA is based in Moorestown, NJ and produces high quality weightlifting and strength and conditioning equipment. They are known for producing the World’s Toughest Barbells and Bumper Plates. For more information on Werksan please visit werksanusa.com and follow them on facebook and instagram @werksanbarbells.
USAFF
USA Functional Fitness is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving as the national governing body for competitive functional fitness in the United States. Their mission is to promote and grow the sport throughout the country by striving to improve fairness, safety, and integrity in the sport as well as increasing sporting opportunities for athletes, coaches, judges, and spectators. You can learn more about USAFF at usafunctionalfitness.org or follow them @usafunctionalfitness on facebook and instagram.
Categories: Press Release
Anti-Doping Education to Feature Once Again at USAFF Nationals
USA Functional Fitness to Kick off Anti-doping Efforts at National Championship
2018 USAFF Rulebook Released; Major Qualification Updates Explained
USAFF Hosts National Championship during Spartan’s North American Championship Weekend in West Virginia
June 5, 2019: The USA Functional Fitness National Championships will include anti-doping education provided by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) thanks to a generous donation by OPEX Fitness. USAFF Nationals will kick off on Friday Read more…
For Immediate Release May 10th, 2018: USA Functional Fitness (USAFF) will be initiating its efforts in the realm of anti-doping this August during the USA Functional Fitness National Championships. These efforts will start with an Read more…
The 2018 USA Functional Fitness Rulebook is now publicly available on the USAFF website at https://usafunctionalfitness.org/sport/usaff-rulebook/. Any updates to the movement standards for the 2018 season will be released in the upcoming weeks. While the majority Read more…
View usafunctionalfitness’s profile on Facebook
View usafunctionalfitness’s profile on Instagram
Official Member of the iF3
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Saving Money, Growing Trade, Raising Incomes Worldwide: The New WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement
Promoting Food Security, Facilitating Competition, Enhancing Exports: New Multilateral Agriculture Provisions at the WTO
Trade as a Tool to Alleviate Poverty: Multilateral Results on Development at the World Trade Organization
The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Economic Benefits
24th U.S. –China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade Fact Sheet
FACT SHEET: Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) Signings
2007-2017 Fact Sheets
Agriculture and trade in agricultural goods support families and communities around the world – and agriculture is a key part of almost every World Trade Organization Member’s trade. The new multilateral agreement struck by the WTO Membership at the 9th Ministerial Conference in Bali, Indonesia takes important steps to address some key issues with regard to agricultural trade.
The United States has put food security – including increasing the productivity and trade of agricultural products – front and center on the global development agenda. This commitment of the United States to enhancing global food security has been enshrined in efforts from the L’Aquila initiative, which mobilized over $20 billion for food security, to the Feed the Future initiative to the New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition. In the WTO, the United States has been highlighting and discouraging the use of trade distorting policies that can undermine the food security of other nations. Because of the trade-distorting nature of market price supports to farmers, the WTO has clear criteria and limits on such support, including when farmers are offered an administered price for crops used as part of a program of public stockholding of food. But a number of developing countries utilize this type of support to create stockpiles of staple foods for feeding programs, and spending on these programs has increased. A new decision by WTO Members will now provide developing country Members who may be in danger of breaching their domestic support limits for these programs freedom from legal challenge, to give them time to bring their policies in line with their WTO commitments. But the United States worked to ensure that this freedom from challenge is only available to Members if their programs do not distort trade, and if they meet certain transparency conditions to share the details of their support mechanisms.
Export competition in the WTO covers ag export subsidies, ag export credits, food aid, and the operation of agricultural exporting state trading enterprises (STEs). WTO export competition rules aim to preserve well-functioning markets by facilitating competition amongst market actors. The new Ministerial decision on export competition will require transparency to help Members understand how their trading partners are proceeding toward this commitment; this is most meaningful with regard to state trading enterprises, where transparency is currently limited. The MC9 export competition result also ensures a balanced approach across all forms of export competition, including export subsidies, export credits, food aid, and STEs. A key priority for the United States, it also provides an important impetus for Members to resume the WTO agriculture negotiations, addressing the other pillars of these negotiations – market access and domestic support – along with export competition.
WTO Members have also reached an understanding on the administration of Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQ) that facilitates increased opportunities for U.S. farmers, ranchers, workers, and food processors to enhance exports to a number of WTO Member countries, including the European Union, Japan, Norway, and Switzerland. This understanding provides American agricultural producers more market access by addressing the issue of chronically low fill rates in Members’ WTO bound TRQs. Further, the Understanding provides an increased level of transparency regarding how Members are filling their TRQs.
Visit www.wto.org for full WTO text.
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Interior Design.
Making Of.
Post Process.
Script-Plugin.
Useful Tips.
Louvre Architectural Film
Groves Ryan
It was a few months ago when we first saw some stills of this project uploaded on our FB *Group. It was obvious that a passionate 3d artist was hidden behind it! Just a few weeks ago Ryan presented his personal project "Louvre Architectural Film" and then he kindly prepared a really interesting making of article for VW Community. Enjoy it!
Firstly, I would like to thank the Vray World team for inviting me to put together this making of. My name is Ryan Groves & I am a 3D artist at The Neighbourhood in Manchester, UK. In this making of I’ll be taking you through some of the processes I have used in creating my architectural film of The Louvre Museum in Paris. I started this personal project as an opportunity to learn how to create an animation from start to finish as previously I only had experience with still images. This is my first attempt at animation and there are many things that I would like to improve, but I learnt a lot along the way and hopefully I can share some of this with you.
*Sponsor LEARNVRAY.COM.
Making of articles are always a great source of both education and inspiration! Reading them we are able to learn several tips and tricks which are useful for our evolution as 3d artists. But what about an education method from scratch?
LEARN V-RAY comprises various complementary activities and possibilities to ensure continuous and satisfying training.
Reference & Project Folders.
Reference was really important for this project. Due to the lack of drawings I had to model purely from photographs so I gathered as much reference as I could to cover all of the details. Here is a small selection of what I collected below.
I also think it’s important to cover the folder structure. Due to the large nature of this project it was important to keep it under control and organized. All project specific assets were organized into folders to ensure models, project specific maps, Xref’s and more were easy to find, relink and merge when needed. All shots and scenes were also catalogued and numbered with the same scene names, camera names and file names to keep the process clear and efficient.
Composition & Storyboarding.
I started thinking about composition and storyboarding very early on, and once there was enough of the scheme modelled I could start fleshing out the film with viewport previews. There’s not really anything new here but capturing a viewport preview animation was great for editing my storyboard with some music to quickly give the film structure and narrative, without the long wait for frames to render. Exploring compositions this early on also kept the modelling process efficient, it allowed me to identify which elements would need to be modelled with higher levels of detail.
With this being a personal project it gave me complete artistic freedom to create compositions exactly how I would like them! I wanted this film to generate a sense of place, be visually pleasing and generate an emotive response. Even when exploring a large, encompassing building such as the Louvre, I personally felt it was important to express this space intimately on a human scale as well as portraying its grandeur & context. With this in mind I tried to keep a healthy balance between wide hero shots and intricate details.
When producing compositions I feel there has to be a clear meaning & focal point. There may be various elements within the image working together to enhance its story, but to me it’s important to preserve a meaningful message and not over complicate with too many elements fighting for attention. Clear perspective lines, framing and light can all help to draw the viewer’s eye to its intended target. Depth of field gives further emphasis, as can environment fog and haze. I also tend to use the well known rule of thirds when tweaking my camera angles (settings shown below), which really helps to ensure the composition feels balanced.
All of these techniques I used only to enhance the purpose of my image when necessary, the narrative and focus is what I found most valuable to the aesthetic and meaning of my work. For example, I would never drive a composition dictated purely by rule of thirds, without thinking of what I am trying to achieve with the image.
Modeling & Texturing.
Bar the sculptures, a couple of windowsill accessories and vegetation, this project has been completely modeled myself using photography as reference. I take great pleasure in modeling and texturing to high levels of detail as I feel it’s an important area not just for photorealism but to get that element of ‘craft’ in my work. You can find below some of the details and processes I used when modeling and texturing the Louvre. Using a variety of poly modeling and turbosmooth techniques, splines, lathe & sweep modifiers, noise, displacement, normal mapping, floor generator and more…
I also sometimes use Bertrand’s free studio set up when testing materials as you can see from the material tests below; it’s a good studio setup & shader ball I use when adding materials from my scenes into my material library.
Wet Materials.
The film’s narrative is designed to take you through a variety of moods and weather conditions. Some of my favorite shots are the aftermath of the rainfall - where the wet materials introduce reflections to add another layer to the compositions. I kept the wet shaders quite simple, controlling the reflection & glossiness with a couple of black and white dirt maps to create the puddle like effect. To take this a step further if you have the time you could use bercon noise as a mask to achieve a procedural effect with more detail - or better yet unwrap the landscape and hand paint the masks to give you ultimate control on puddle location for added realism.
Mood Paints & Lighting.
When experimenting with mood and lighting in the pre-viz process, I quite enjoy taking it a step further than the white card render and put together quick digital paints in photoshop. I think it’s a great tool at the start of the shot creation as it allows you to break it down into the core principles and work much more loosely with mood, colour, depth, shadow and light using a few default brushes and a wacom. In my opinion it helps the image to feel more natural by doing something like this early on. It then serves as a reference of your intentions when working into details and masks in a final image.
Granted, the model was quite developed with materials by the time I put together mood paints for this project. However, even at an earlier stage than this I think it gives a more effective and provoking vision of how you intend the final image to look compared to a white card render. Each one of these paints only took 10-20 minutes so these things can be done quickly, but increase the impact of a concept image.
Click on the image above to see the process.
In terms of the lighting of my scenes there isn’t a huge amount to report, I don’t tend to do anything out of the ordinary. I generally used HDRI dome light setups for all of my scenes, with additional Vray plane and sphere lights where needed in the dusk and night set ups. For quite a while now I’ve been using the ‘sunny 16’ rule as a starting point when exposing my cameras, you can find a good description of how this rule works here. The table below shows the general guidelines to follow depending on the lighting conditions to help in achieving a balanced and well exposed image.
Coming from a fine arts background before architecture, this tends to inform my approach to lighting as a compositional tool. I think the way a subject is lit can have a massive influence on the emotional response it generates, particularly in film. When lighting a piece of arch viz I always try to emphasise the building’s form with clear light direction and depth, as well as attempting to bring out a building’s more intricate with subtle highlights. Architectural photographers such as Hufton and Crow use lighting particularly well and I’m a massive fan of their work.
For the moving parts of the film I used various free plugins and scripts such as Houdini Ocean and the chain tread script as well as realflow for the water fountains. Going through Realflow is essentially a tutorial in itself so to keep this making of simple for now I’ll just show a couple of previews of this aspect. Realflow was a really enjoyable program to use, with great online learning material.
Keyframing noise modifiers were also used to emulate vegetation blowing in the wind, as well as general keyframing on rotating doors, candle lights and more for other animated parts in the film.
Rendering.
The animation was rendered using Vray 3. Thanks to The Neighbourhood I could stick the animation on our render farm so the majority of the shots in the film are rendered using brute force and light cache. There are some great links out there for render optimization, and also flicker free optimization so rather than regurgitate what has been said before I will just point you in the direction of links I find useful when it comes to rendering.
Render optimization:
CgGallery
Grant Warwick
Flicker Free animation:
Workshop.mintviz
Although I used Brute force GI methods this is still a really important technique to know.
Compositing & Editing.
The film was composited and edited using Nuke Studio. This personal project was the perfect opportunity to give Node based compositing a go. I much preferred it to the layer based approach of After Effects. The studio aspect enabled me to edit and composite the shots of the film in the same project. So I could apply grades etc in my comps and then click a tab and view my changes in the film to check the shots tie together instantly. This was really convenient when compared to opening separate programs and made it much more intuitive. Although for me, it’s not quite yet a replacement for Premiere Pro it’s definitely a step in the right direction and I will certainly use Nuke for comps in the future!
Aswell as general grading and effects I also used Viz People Timelapsed skies for sky replacements which are extremely good considering you can purchase them individually very cheaply. I also applied overlays and sound effects all purchased from Pond 5 to make the film feel more cinematic and dynamic where possible. You can find a breakdown of some of my favourite shots from the film below.
Thank you guys for reading my article and I hope that you found it useful somehow!
Visit the author.
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Rohingya Survivors Speak Out About Mass Rape
Clip: Season 2018 Episode 10 | 4m 58s
In this excerpt from the FRONTLINE documentary "Myanmar's Killing Fields," survivors of the Myanmar military's violent crackdown on the country's Rohingya Muslim minority share their stories — and a number of them say Myanmar soldiers engaged in mass rape.
Rating: TV-MA
Season 2018 Episode 10
"Myanmar's Killing Fields" - Preview
Secret footage shows the effort to kill and expel Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar.
Preview: S2018 Ep10 | 31s
Documenting Hate: New American Nazis
An investigation of a neo-Nazi group that has actively recruited inside the U.S. military.
The Facebook Dilemma (Part Two)
FRONTLINE investigates a series of warnings to Facebook as it grew into a global empire.
The Facebook Dilemma (Part One)
A major investigation of Facebook’s impact on privacy and democracy around the world.
The Pension Gamble
FRONTLINE examines the role of state governments and Wall Street in the pension crisis.
Trump's Showdown
FRONTLINE goes inside Trump’s unprecedented confrontation with federal investigators.
Left Behind America
Intimate stories of one Rust Belt city’s struggle to recover in a post-recession economy.
Our Man in Tehran (Part Two)
A revealing series on life inside Iran, with New York Times correspondent Thomas Erdbrink.
Our Man in Tehran (Part One)
Documenting Hate: Charlottesville
FRONTLINE and ProPublica investigate the resurgence of white supremacists in America.
Separated: Children at the Border
The story of what happened to immigrant children separated from parents at the border.
UN Sex Abuse Scandal
An investigation into sex abuse by UN peacekeepers in the world’s conflict zones.
Myanmar's Killing Fields
Secret footage shows an effort to kill and expel the Rohingya from Myanmar.
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Zen for the Homeless and Imprisoned by Daizan Skinner & Laszlo Mihaly
09.10.2019 vicky 78
Time is tight; life is short. How long do you want to remain in the dream? Drawing from his new book “Rough Waking”, Zen master Daizan Skinner will share insights concerning how we can rapidly and sustainably awaken within the constrictions and insecurities of modern life. Based on over a thousand years of practical wisdom and Daizan’s many years of helping hundreds of westerners to awaken and transform their lives, we will explore specific Zen techniques and practices that can form a survival kit underpinning any spiritual path. Julian Daizan Skinner is a Roshi or Zen Master. Thirty years ago, he gave up a promising career as a scientist in the pharmaceuticals industry, sold his house, gave all the money away and entered a Zen monastery. Over many years of strict training, in Japan and the west, Daizan Roshi received Dharma Transmission and permission to teach in both the Rinzai and Soto lineages of Zen. He has also undergone training as an enlightenment intensive master with Lawrence Noyes. Daizan Roshi received inka from Zen Master Shinzan Miyamae of Gyokuryuji, with whom he continues to study. “Rough Waking: For Those Confined And Homeless (Including You)” consists of poems and artworks on the themes of dealing with insecurity and confinement – the homelessness and imprisonment we all share. Sharing their stories and their responses to this shared human predicament are the book’s three contributors: (1) Prize-winning photographer and meditator, Laszlo Mihaly, uses words and images and an intimate knowledge of homelessness to illustrate his path through brokenness to creativity. (2) The poems of Zen Master Julian Daizan Skinner, inspired by his own teacher’s joke that Zen life combines prison and homelessness, depict the pains and joys arising through his three decades in the Zen world. (3) Zen artist Kazuaki Okazaki who, after eighteen years incarceration on death row was executed in July 2018, contributes a sequence of images depicting a spiritual journey from lostness and wandering, through the intense confinement of Zen training, and then onwards into a new homelessness a vastly expanded realm of liberation and service. Under the motto, “Change your body; change your mind; change your life”, Zenways has been sharing meditation and yoga practice for over five years within homeless and prison charity, the St Giles Trust. All profits from the book go to supporting and expanding this work. https://zenways.org/
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Vickie Allen and Levon Putney
Faithful reach out to Pope Francis during an audience with participants of a pilgrimage of the Italian-Albanian diocese of Lungro, in the Pope Paul VI hall, at the Vatican, Saturday, May 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Equates Abortion To "Hiring A Hitman"
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis said Saturday that abortion can never be condoned, even when the fetus is gravely sick or likely to die, and urged doctors and priests to support families to carry such pregnancies to term.
Speaking to a Vatican-sponsored anti-abortion conference, Francis said the opposition to abortion isn't a religious issue but a human one.
"Is it licit to throw away a life to resolve a problem?" he asked. "Is it licit to hire a hitman to resolve a problem?"
Francis denounced decisions to abort based on prenatal testing, saying a human being is "never incompatible with life."
Even those babies destined to die at birth or soon thereafter deserve to receive medical care in the womb, Francis said, adding that their parents need to be supported so they don't feel isolated and afraid.
While one can argue about using medical resources this way, there is value to it for the parents, he said.
"Taking care of these children helps parents to grieve and not only think of it as a loss, but as a step on a path taken together," Francis said.
Francis has spoken out strongly against abortion but also has expressed sympathy for women who have had them and made it easier for them to be absolved of the sin of abortion.
His comments come as the abortion debate is again making headlines in the U.S. with state initiatives seeking to restrict the procedure.
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« Adam Sandler - The Thanksgiving Song | Main | Kerry Politzer »
Josh Ritter @ The Sage Gateshead (17/11/07)
23 Nov Concorde 2 - Brighton, UK
24 Nov New Trinity Centre - Bristol, UK
26 Nov Everyman Palace - Cork, Ire
29 Nov Dolans Warehouse - Limerick, Ire
30 Nov Rugby Club - Tullamore, Ire
01 Dec Black Box - Galway, Ire
02 Dec Glor - Ennis, Ire
04 Dec The Classic Grand - Glasgow, UK
05 Dec The Empire - Belfast, Ire
06 Dec Olympia Theatre - Dublin, Ire
07 Dec Watergate Theatre - Kilkenny, Ire
08 Dec Forum - Waterford, Ire
11 Dec Club Passim (7pm) - Boston, MA
11 Dec Club Passim (10pm) - Boston, MA
14 Dec Grand Ballroom - New York, NY
Josh Ritter Live : El Rey Theatre & Artists Den Performance
I was hyped to see Josh Ritter perform at the El Rey Theatre this past Thursday in Los Angeles. ...
The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter [2007]
The Animal Years [2006]
4 Songs Live [2005]
Hello Starling [2003]
Golden Age of Radio [2002]
josh ritter [1999]
And the award for the happiest man alive goes to...Josh Ritter. From the moment he walked on the stage of Hall Two at the Sage Gateshead, to the moment he told his final bow, Josh Ritter wore on his face the most dashing smile I've ever seen.
Now I know Cristina (Ritter's future wife) has already mentioned the Josh Ritter tour, but W♥M is an international site and I loved the gig in Newcastle so much that I couldn't resist mentioning it again.
I never truly understood how being compared to Bob Dylan can used as a criticism, however I've read a few reviews making similar comparisons as if it were a bad thing. In my eyes, Ritter has always stood apart from Dylan, as part of the vanguard of the modern Americana.
I expected a good performance from a seasoned singer-songwriter such as Ritter. What I actually witnessed in the intimate setting of the Sage was an astonishing show from a musician at the peak of his game.
His personal serenade to a bearded man in the balcony was a priceless moment, as was his theory that David Attenborough makes most of the animal sounds on the documentary 'Planet Earth'. There was a moment during the show were he plunged the entire hall into darkness, although the lighting crew were quite reluctant. In the pitch black, he led the audience in making the sound of the giant carnivorous rabbit. Ritter had a lot of fun.
Supported by a band for most of the show, he was rarely off the stage during his two hour set. In total, he left for five minute break before returning for an encore of classics. The sole disappointment of the evening was 'A Girl in the War'. I have become so accustomed to hearing his acoustic demo version, that hearing it plugged in and amplified seemed alien to me. But all sins were forgotten when he started his encore with a soulful cover of 'Chelsea Hotel No 2', which is probably the closest I'll get to Leonard Cohen himself.
Josh was clearly playing to a crowd of fans. He seized the opportunity to rehash classic such as 'Monster Ballads', 'Lillian, Egypt', 'Good Man' and 'The Snow is Gone'. He even threw in an old Dylan song. Throughout though, there remained a healthy dose of new material taken from his latest album, 'The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter'.
The Temptation Of Adam
One of the highlights of the night was 'The Temptation Of Adam'. A ballad about a romantic affair in a nuclear bunker located underground and out of sight, which managed to be hysterical and sentimental all in one as the couple ponder whether WWIII is the only way to make their love flourish.
Supporting Ritter was the surprisingly delightful Katie Walsh, who has just returned from her US tour. Her brand of soft-spoken, sensual ballads was a fitting introduction to the more well-rounded sound of Ritter, and at times a little more heart-felt and personal.
At the end of it all, I felt like a born-again Ritter fan and fully justified in my decision to join the Josh Ritter Appreciation Group on facebook. Talking of facebook, there is an awesome W♥M fan page...Ok, so it ain't awesome but it is pretty good.
Check out Ritter's website for more free tracks available to download (spread across his entire discography).
Josh Ritter's Fall Tour continues on in the UK and Ireland before finishing in Boston and New York. A lot of the venues are already sold out.
Most importantly Ritter managed to convince my younger brother, Tim, that I am still cool. I am still cool. I am still cool. I was never cool. All in all, it was another wonderful night at the Sage Gateshead.
November 22, 2007 21:05 Ryan my♥posts joshritter.com
Posted by W♥M on Thursday, 22 November 2007 at 03:05 PM in Josh Ritter, Manchester, Ryan, Sage Gateshead | Permalink
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"Idol" Top Five: Not Even the Chair
by Mark T.R. Donohue
Neil Diamond!
I can't think of anything to say about Neil Diamond. I don't dislike him exactly, but his popularity and longevity mystify me. There are so many better songwriters in the world. I went to a concert last week in Boulder featuring Nick Lowe and Ron Sexsmith, two songwriters who are exponentially better, and the place was half empty. But Neil Diamond has sold hundreds of millions of records. The world is very strange.
This season of "American Idol" is getting strange, too. The producers seem determined to change every little nagging detail all at once, including some that didn't really need changing. For the first night of the season where each contestant would be called upon to perform two songs instead of one, the judges were asked to hold off on doing their little comment schpiel until after the second song. Except after the first five performances, Ryan Seacrest brought the whole cast out and asked the judges to recap the round quickly, which led to the season's highlight thus far, and one unlikely to be topped -- Paula Abdul's inexplicable conviction that Jason Castro had already performed two songs when indeed he had only performed one. Whatever it is she's taking, I want the prescription.
Jason Castro I think that the producers see Castro as the biggest threat to their idealized David Cook-David Archuleta showdown, and that's why the judges have been increasingly savage on him in the past few weeks. While it is true that the laid-back Castro is prone to experiencing lulls, I rather liked both of his Tuesday songs. "Forever in Blue Jeans," particularly, suited Jason's vibe, and it was surprisingly pleasant to hear his lower register utilized for once. He didn't try and make a reggae song out of it, and the result was to my ears the most commercial-sounding tune we've heard from Castro. It was also about as good technically as he's capable of being. His "September Morn" was less satisfactory. His voiced strained obviously at a few points and while the parts that were in the pocket were affecting on the whole he didn't seem to find a personal entry into the song in the way he did "Blue Jeans." Still, I thought the harsh words he received from Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell were uncalled for. If the objective for an "American Idol" candidate is to illustrate what one would be like as a successful recording artist, Jason is doing a better job than David Archuleta. 9/7
David Cook Cook, I feel it is underreported, sounds much worse than he tries to sing a song "straight" rather than imposing his own arrangement (or someone else's arrangement that suits his style) than does Jason Castro. Cook did "I'm Alive" more or less like a Neil Diamond song and it sounded wrong, almost as if he was attempting an impersonation at points. The arrangement was large but not in the fashion that lets Cook best showcase his power. If he was going to attempt to show his more introspective side, he could have at least picked a more familiar melody so that people could have better followed how well he was doing. As for his second outing, Cook's rendition of "All I Really Need Is You" was much more what we've come to expect from the guy, a relevant-sounding hard-pop-rocker with soaring, gritty vocals. I haven't always been Cook's biggest fan, but I would be far happier with a David Cook win than a David Archuleta win. 7/9
Brooke White When "Idol" did the two-week Beatles song theme earlier in the season, Brooke White had two performances that had the same Jekyll and Hyde character as her two Diamond tunes from last night. When she did "Let It Be," it was elegant and moving. Her "Here Comes the Sun" was gaudy and tacky and both White and the viewer felt as if they couldn't wait for it to be over. White's "I'm a Believer" and "I Am, I Said" demonstrated the same duality, only conveniently this time White saved the good one for her second go-round. That might save her from elimination this week, because "I'm a Believer" was dreadful indeed. It sounded off, the tempo was sluggish, White's vocal was a disaster, and she looked and sounded utterly miserable. I thought for all the world that she was sabotaging herself so that she could go home. But then she came on for the second time and was quite lovely, so who's to say? Obviously whatever record company gets a hold of Brooke needs to keep her away from the upbeat stuff. 5/8
David Archuleta Snooze buttons engage! David Archuleta hasn't developed musically or emotionally for this entire season, and his first choice of "Sweet Caroline" revealed this -- even singing a song about holding hands, Archuleta's utter lack of adult sex appeal made the lyrics sound like something being parroted by a high school kid in a musical theater production. I don't understand -- well, I do understand, but I resent it -- why the judges don't take David to task for using such an unshaded, open-throated theatrical style of singing when it's supposed to be a contest looking for a pop recording artist. Who was the last guy have to a hit single taken from a musical, Murray Head? David's second song, "America," was presented with the same billowing-flag scenery as the producers gave Kristy Lee Cook for her abominable "God Bless the USA." It wasn't quite as base as that occasion, however, since David probably did not consciously choose the song looking for votes and certainly does not need them. Past that, though, Archuleta sounded even more hammy and old-fashioned on the song than he did on his first number. 7/7
Syesha Mercado Syesha might have been the evening's best performer, but I also think she's the most likely to go home. The numbers start to work against you at this point, and I just think based on the amount of blog coverage and extraneous screen time they get that the other four are all more popular than Mercado. She can hang her head high if this is the point she goes out. She more than anyone else in the cast grew over the course of the season. She started out as an actress with a good sense of stage presence, some raw vocal talent, and little idea of her identity. She's leaving as a great singer with possible careers ahead of her in either field. First she challenged herself and made herself better by picking harder and harder songs each week, and now we're seeing her begin to define her own style. Her first Diamond choice, "Hello Again," was done in a ballad style that's nothing new for Syesha, but as it was a less difficult melody we got to hear her really express herself and play around with her delivery in her middle register. The second song, "Thank the Lord for the Nighttime," was not as technically precise but it did introduce a swinging 60's girl-group vibe that fit Syesha surprisingly well. She also looked as beautiful as she has all season. She blew away Archuleta and Brooke last night but if it's her time, it'll be perhaps the best way to go. 9/8
Like I said, I like Syesha Mercado to get sent packing tonight, through no fault of her own. The six-sided die likes Brooke White.
"Idol" Lloyd Webber: God Save the Queen
Okay, was it me -- or was Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber flirting with David Archuleta and David Cook? Obviously he has the same taste as the "Idol" producers, who could not make their preferences for the final more clear if they digitally put little frowny faces on Jason, Syesha, Carly, and Brooke. Or little skulls and crossbones -- all of those kids are dead meat. It's going to be the "Daves I Know" final, and may God have mercy on our souls if David Archuleta wins. His eye twinkles might melt your flatscreen.
This was a predictable week -- Syesha and Carly pushed it to no avail, Brooke and Jason were set up to fail, and David and David... well, they were pretty good. If singing was the only factor in play, Jason Castro would go home, undoubtedly. Brooke White was actually pretty good for the second half of her number and everybody else was a cut above. Syesha in particular was marvelous, giving easily the most expressive performance of the evening and a fine technical vocal as well, although she didn't pick as difficult a song as some. The fact that Mercado went first -- and the rather large Jason Castro fanbase -- could topple her anyway, which would be the worst injustice of the season so far. A Carly Smithson ejection would be a surprise too, but I for one wouldn't mind seeing her go. Her act has worn thin.
As for Jason and Brooke, I feel for them. This was supposed to be the "musician" season of "American Idol" as opposed to another diva season, and Andrew Lloyd Webber night was just asking for trouble. Jason Castro didn't seem to know anything about Webber at all (which is Castro's own fault, but still). It would be pretty wacky if both of them survived, but somehow I doubt it. The musical theme is going to end up costing the show one of its two most interesting characters, and from a drama perspective that's too bad. Clearly 19 Entertainment feels as if whatever drama is lost from the show, they'll make it up on the back end when both David Cook and David Archuleta become superstars. I don't know about Archuleta -- he tried a bit of a love song for the first time this week and he sounded utterly irrelevant -- but Cook is going to make somebody some dough.
Syesha Mercado Syesha has lasted a lot longer than I gave her a shot to, and that's partly been by choosing harder and harder songs each week and showing steady improvement on them. She did "One Rock & Roll Too Many" and started it as kind of a nightclub number, only blown up for the big stage, with a sexy reveal and some antic facial expressions. When the arrangement expanded to use the whole band proceedings got a lot less interesting; Syesha started out sounding smoky and beguiling but ended up just sounded like bland, overprojected musical theater. She whiffed on one big note near the end but that was the only thing keeping her from a perfect score technically. I thought she was great and ought to rally some undecided/former Kristy voters to her side, but those votes could go to Brooke or Jason as well. 9
Jason Castro Jason probably could have gotten out of Lloyd Webber week bruised but not broken if he'd picked something within his range that fewer people were familiar with, but fatally he picked "Memory," which was really just stupid. Everyone knows that melody and thus everyone knows that Jason sung it brutally, with his low register flapping like an untuned bass string and his high notes not even coming close. Folks, it was ugly. Despite the lumpy technical delivery the song wasn't entirely without its charms. Jason was affecting in his higher register (which while still imperfect sounded truer than his lows to mids) and his body language had an "I know I'm toast" feel that some might find a tad endearing. The judges rightly raked him over the coals. I didn't think it was Sanjaya-level horrible but it certainly was a disastrously bad vocal for the fifth-from-last "American Idol" of the season. 4
Brooke White Poor, overmatched Brooke blew the first line of her "You Must Love Me," leading to a mortifying few seconds where she had to announce she'd screwed up and ask the band to begin again. Or wait a second. Did Brooke really forget a line? Or... was she playing the deep strategy, trying to draw some attacks from the judges and thus sympathy from her voters? Perhaps Brooke thinks she isn't going to win over a lot of new fans at this point and thus she needs to try drastic measures to get her fans to vote even more often than they do already. That might be conspiracy theory, but stranger things have happened on this show. White was almost as bad as Jason for the first half of her tune but really, really picked it up when the song swelled up -- I've always thought that Brooke had more pure vocal talent than we were seeing, and for a little while we saw just that. Overall, though, it simply wasn't polished or professional on the level of the rest of the cast last night save Castro. 6
David Archuleta This night could have been designed for pitch-perfect, content-light David Archuleta, the only male in the cast really with the instrument to sing theater. Weirdly David picked a song written to be sung by a woman, and it really backfired on him. His "Think of Me" was nowhere near as good as we have come to expect from the 17-year-old. He normally misses only a handful of notes each outing but on Tuesday he was noticeably off a good number of times. He also didn't give as good of a performance interpretation as the others, pretty much just walking around and smiling. He's such a lock to move on that Fox should replace his performances from here on out with promos for "'Til Death." 7
Carly Smithson Carly chose "Superstar," and it was really nice to get one uptempo number mixed in with all the dreariness. That right there may have predisposed me to rate Carly a little higher than she merited. She was very strident, sometimes singing so hard that she lost tonality and was just shouting. The song choice called for it more than some of the other tracks Carly has howled through, but it still was a little much. Smithson's desperation is her least attractive quality. It will be interesting to see if she avoids the top three. Perhaps her choice of a religious-themed number (even if it is sung from the perspective of an angelic Judas) will give her a boost in the Bible Belt. 8
David Cook David like Jason Castro had a slight "this is not my scene" expression on his face for the entire night, but Cook was better equipped than Castro to coast through the night on a good but not great vocal. Cook didn't take too many chances on "Music of the Night." He found a way to get his hard rock singer ballad croon into the arrangement at points, but for the most part he sang it straight. This was not an entirely unpleasant experience, as David Cook -- unlike Jason Castro -- has a pretty good, not great, pure singing voice. If David had been fully engaged in the song, he probably could have really blown it away. But I can see the wisdom behind taking it easy this week and saving up my ammo for the battle to come. Rocker David versus Little David! Either way, Nigel Lythgoe wins! 7
The picks: It's got to be Jason Castro. I don't think his fans are going to want to vote for him after that -- I think they're going to feel sorry for him and think like Amanda Overmyer when she went it's just his time to go. Jason is a dreadlocked college student who loves reggae, and he's been sequestered under 24-hour "Idol" surveillance for months now. How long do you suppose it's been since Jason smoked a joint? Poor guy must be bouncing off the walls. Maybe he picked "Memory" to sabotage himself.
Six-sided die -- you probably have some of those in your house -- likes... wow, Jason Castro. That's the second time that's happened in a row, the die and I agreeing. It didn't bode well for Kristy Lee Cook. We'll see how it goes for JC.
"Idol" Rundown: Mariah! Mariah!
Although part of me was hoping to see Mariah Carey and Paula Abdul compete to out-crazy each other on "American Idol" last night, as it turned out Carey was the best guest coach they've had all season. She listened, she gave intelligent opinions, and she gave David Archuleta a genuinely insightful tip. Carey might be loopy, but she's no dummy.
As for the final seven, there are six of them who could win (although Syesha Mercado's and, increasingly, Carly Smithson's chances are slim) and there's Kristy Lee Cook, who sounded unbearably wretched compared to everyone else in the field. Even Jason Castro outsang her handily. Castro and, even more so, Brooke White seemed back on their games as we close in on the finale. David Archuleta remains formidable, as maddeningly vanilla as his song choices continue to be. The night belonged however to David Cook, who put a highly unexpected and frankly quite brilliant on "Always Be My Baby" -- an arrangement I'm almost certain Cook didn't lift from some obscure version he found online.
David Archuleta There are some things about David that will never change -- his predilection for "inspirational" songs of any stripe, his appeal to preadolescents and grandmothers, his inability to add the least bit of original shading or personality into any vocal. But I will concede that the David whose last name I can't remember has been expanding the limits of his fine instrument with his last few outings and that's what he has to do -- all he can do, really -- to win the competition. In the event he does, he will surely not be more successful than the likes of David Cook and Brooke White. David's "When You Believe" was blatantly obvious, but it gave him a lot of tough notes to hit. Past recurring problems with his very low register, he hit them. I think that if Archuleta had any musical knowhow at all, he would have rearranged the melody into a sequence more suited to a male voice, which is less suited to making huge rapid drops up and down in pitch. But as it seems I write every week, Archuleta doesn't know anything about anything. Not music technically, not anything about its history except for the inescapable megahits -- he probably has the "Macarena" on his 4-gig flash drive iPod, which is two-thirds empty. 8
Carly Smithson Carly performed as if she thought she was absolutely destroying "Without You," but really it was merely engaging -- a lot of the tune's impact was blunted by an arrangement that put every note somewhere where Carly could murder it. That was a bad idea -- other singers on the night, and far less talented ones at that, got into the spirit of the theme (Carey, as Knocked Up's Ryan Seacrest narrated at the top of the show, has a five-octave range) by just giving the notes that were way out of their league the old college try. If Carly had challenged herself, she could have blown those kids out of the water. She didn't, though -- it's like the field was all playing Guitar Hero and Carly set it on Medum while the other six had to play Expert. She might have gotten away with this gambit, but the judges called her on it, old school. Have they turned? It would certainly be a shocker, and a travesty, if Carly went home over Kristy Lee this week. Were I the producers, I would toootally fix things so this happened. 9
Syesha Mercado Syesha has survived a long time by repeatedly being slightly better than I thought she was -- since this keeps happening logic dictates that she must be continuously improving. She swings for the fences each time out, a risky but defensible approach given her position, and I think it's worked once again with a "Vanishing" that despite its obscurity (ironically, not to me -- I was all over Mariah Carey's debut album when I was ten, I listened to that cassette over and over again, maybe Syesha did too) really won me over. Syesha picks a song that's too hard for her every time out and it always costs her a perfect score but impressively, she gets closer each time. She didn't quite reach the peak of "Vanishing," but she came close to toppling it. Syesha is still a huge longshot since she just doesn't have the following of the others I sense. It's not beyond the realm of possibility though that she just has a transcendent moment one of these weeks and surges to the finale. Given her persistent efforts to better herself it could happen. She's playing on Expert. 9
Brooke White Brooke White could go home this week, but it wouldn't be the fault of her performance, which was her best in some time. The wipeout potential on the tune "Hero" was huge. This was the toughest song White had ever attempted on "Idol" by a wide margin. Winningly, she delivered it while also giving the most confident accompaniment on the piano we've yet seen from her. That shouldn't figure into anybody's judgements about whether White should continue on "Idol," but it does show her shaping into someone who's going to sign a record deal right after her ejection and releasing a record quickly with several of her own compositions on it. I felt like after a few detours that took White out of her comfort zone and led to a bottom three scare she was at once restoring her potential as a dark horse winner and her potential as a commercial artist. The latter is rather substantially more important. The one thing that White did that was unnecessary was following the original's key shift up for the bridge. Key shifts like that are an imperative part of diva music, since they allow the Big Finish to commence, but since White was giving it more of a reading in her Carole King-derived style, it would have been totally appropriate (and face-saving). Anyway, I thought even with the fluffed notes on the bridge it was a pretty nice one and I think Brooke moves on. 8
Kristy Lee Cook Kristy's "Forever" was so bland, glitchy, and stiff that I felt bad for her -- she's a draft horse in the field of thoroughbreds, talentwise. I think she's a near-lock to get the axe. Her attempt to graft a bit of a country feel on to the tune didn't go all the way -- she still tried to sing it like a ballad, only she missed her mark about every fifth or sixth note. Every single person who went before her was massively better, something that at least some of the people who have been voting for her week in week out had to notice. 6
David Cook Cook's "Always Be My Baby" was reminiscent of Blake Lewis's "You Give Love a Bad Name," a radical remix that was so eye-popping it changed the shape of the whole season. Only Cook is already a strong #2 favorite right behind David Archuleta. Will this be enough to defeat Mr. Adorable? No. Cook has to be this good or better pretty much every time out after this, which seems unfair since all Archuleta has to do is not forget to put his pants on... or the lyrics. I don't know if I can understate how smart Cook's treatment of this song was. By throwing in some haunting suspended chords and delivering the vocals in a knowing growl, he totally gave the song a stalker subtext (euphemistically identified by Carey as a "male take") that one would have thought impossible. That's pretty badass for "American Idol." It seems plain that to complete the theme of reinvention, renewed relevance, and "the most talented cast ever" David Cook would be the ideal winner of "American Idol" this season. He'd be the first "rocker" winner, the first instrumentalist, and certainly no complete commercial stiff like Ruben Studdard or Taylor Hicks. As for David Archuleta... about 94% of mainstream hits these days are love songs. Either that or anthems about how hard you're going to party. Neither seems something David Archuleta can deliver with any authority, so who's buying his records? Not all the people who are voting for him. By the time his album comes out they will all be obsessed with whomever is the cutie-patootie of "Idol" Season Eight. 8
Jason Castro Tough act to follow for Jason, who did sound a little more confident and invigorated adding hand percussion and an island feel (reggae from the guy with dreadlocks -- it's a rule) to "I Don't Want to Cry." I didn't think it was either as good as Paula and Simon did nor as bad as Randy did (the incredibly rare Paula-Simon/Randy split was trenchantly noted by the ceremony with which Cowell revealed he was siding with Forever Your Girl). Although the sound of the performance was nothing out of the ordinary for Jason the difficulty of his vocal part was -- it was the first time I felt as if Castro was challenging himself in a month. He did better than I though he would, too, hitting most of the notes, if not exactly with authority. At the very least most of his croaks were in pitch. I also felt that like Kristy Lee's sort-of not-quite country touch, the monster ballad nature could not quite be killed. He should have gone further, and used fewer instruments. Could he maybe be a shock ejection? No, I think the big pats on the back from (two out of three of) the judges keep him going. Bottom three? Totally could happen, it could be anybody in there. Likely not David Cook. Absolutely not David Archuleta. 7
This week the die and I agree that Kristy Lee Cook must go. MUST go. Whether I actually threw the die or fixed things because I hate Kristy Lee's singing so much I leave for you to speculate for yourselves.
"Idol" Inspirational Night: No Subhead Suffices
"American Idol" ought to be getting super exciting right about now, now that almost every obvious candidate for elimination has been sent home and those left have to start manuevering to put themselves into position to win the thing. The trouble is, the people who run "Idol" hate music, and television, and particularly you, and they want to have Inspirational Week. Something about making all the contestants wear white fills them with a sense of accomplishment. As for actual entertainment, look elsewhere. HBO's "John Adams" miniseries is very good.
The big charity week of the show had an unexpected warped nature this time out, since the producers haven't given the cast a single chance to pick their own material the whole season long. This meant that a few of the more desperate people in the field took rather radical interpretations of the category and we ended up with the weird, fevered, but not precisely inspirational "Dream On" of Michael Johns and a strident, hectoring "The Show Must Go On" from Carly Smithson, whose sweaty desperation officially became obnoxious this time. Emotional favorites Jason Castro and Brooke White made obvious choices again, were underwhelming delivering them, and yet should be able to coast through another vote. David Archuleta, who picks a generically inspirational tune every week, was as good as he's been in a long time, finding some unexpected dimensions of expressiveness in his normally vanilla vocals. David Cook was off for the first time in a while, indulgently choosing a song by a terrible band with no melody. Kristy Lee Cook and Syesha Mercado are both lucky to still be alive but neither has any surprises to pull out at this point; even when they're okay as they both were Tuesday it still seems like a deathwatch for that pair. Or maybe it will be Carly, who really does need to be put out of her misery -- you'd think in the seventh season everyone would be savvy to what "Idol" is and how it works, but Smithson seems so white-knuckle set on winning that she's wrecking her chances of having a successful music career after the competition whether she wins or not. She's exhausting to me, and I suspect that the voters might feel the same way.
Michael Johns Michael's logic behind choosing Aerosmith's "Dream On" as an inspirational tune was a bit tortured. Whatever he said for the purposes of the show, what his internal thinking must have been is obvious -- after weeks of scuffling, he'd finally shown his voice in its best light and wanted to bring it with another scorcher. Trouble is, "Dream On" has a slow build that didn't really lend itself to the truncated minute-and-a-half "Idol" format and by rushing to the end, Johns was mostly just squealing by the climax. It was a song choice that a contender would make, but not much of a performance. Whenever I hear "Dream On" I think of how much Steven Tyler's voice has changed since the original was recorded in the early 70's and it seemed like Michael was thinking about that too, he sounded rather imitative for most of the song. Even if he had made more of an effort to stamp his own identity on the tune I think it was too much for Johns' modest talents to handle. I think his built-in fanbase is larger than Carly's but I could of course be wrong. Based on the quality of the vocal he could certainly be a candidate to go home this week. 7
Syesha Mercado Syesha is so predictable with her song choices that she's selling herself short. I don't think she has any shot of winning but she could be positioning herself for a commercially relevant singing career right now. Instead she's dragging out "Idol" warhorse after warhorse in a misguided attempt to outsing everyone else in the field, not something Mercado really has the capacity to do. It's a shame because she is a very good singer and has some verve to her, but with Ramiele gone the only purpose she is serving is to keep nobly carrying the flag of "Idol"'s diva-crazy past. I guess if you want to get into deep strategy Syesha must figure she doesn't have much shot of expanding her following past where it already is so the best thing to do is pick songs that will mobilize her base. That might be the best short-run choice and it could sustain her for another... what, two or three weeks? It's past the point where Syesha could boldly redefine herself and it would be foolish to expect that of her at this point. She is what she is, which is to say a huge bore each week. It wouldn't be total justice if she got the axe instead of Michael or Kristy Lee, but it would probably make for the most entertaining show next week. 8
Jason Castro Castro's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was cute enough, but he hasn't changed his look or style for a month and his vocals have been slipping in quality each time out. He was barely in key at all for "Rainbow," something that didn't seem to register with the judges or the crowd. Personally I would feel uncomfortable if Jason kept performing at this level and made it all the way to the final; there is a certain baseline of respectability "Idol" usually adheres to and Castro is starting to flout it. It's not like he's incapable of singing better, it just hasn't been necessary for a while since it's been so clear that he's more popular than a lot of the other singers in the field. He also still has a boost coming, because Brooke White is going to go out before he does and her fans seem a natural fit to transition over to Jason. It's been a long time since Castro could do the "Aw, shucks, I hate interviews" thing in his pre-song footage and seem believable. He needs a song that he knows really well and some sort of new hook, whatever that may be. It sure would be novel if a guy with dreadlocks who can play the ukulele won "American Idol," but it would be better for all parties involved if said winner actually deserved it a little. 6
Kristy Lee Cook I kind of feel sorry for Kristy Lee because I am running out of ways to say she's just not very good. Wait, no, I don't feel sorry for Kristy Lee. I feel sorry for myself. She brought about the best vocal she's shown throughout the whole competition in the last third of her performance Tuesday, and it was still a B-minus. That's as good as Kristy can get, and if she could look pretty and maintain that standard, it might be enough, but she only peaks at B-minus -- when she's out of key, as she was for most of the verses of her song this week, she's way worse than that. Also, every time she moves at all on stage it seems overplanned and mechanical. She'd be an excellent regional beauty pageant candidate but she's kind of a dud as an "Idol" contestant, and having prevailed on both god and country to sustain her run this unnaturally long, it'd be a fine time to ride off into the sunset. I wish we were so lucky, but I think Kristy Lee has a few more weeks in the bottom three without being the big loser left in her. I'll bet she outlasts Carly, which based solely on talent level would be a travesty. 7
David Cook David Cook has been consistently good longer than anybody else in the field. It's hard to remember the last time he came out and was just lousy. Well, not any longer! David chose to do a song called "Innocent," by the deservedly forgotten alterna-band Our Lady Peace, which according to Cook is his favorite band ever. Really? Our Lady Peace? And I thought Blake Lewis's 311 fixation was embarrassing. Well, Cook's crappy taste is a subject for another time and place, but his song pick we can deconstruct right now. Why pick a tune that allowed no space whatsoever for Cook's money vocal midrange? He was either way too deep, doing a half-assed impersonation of OLP's singer, or way too high, squeaking at us in a lumpy falsetto. Where were all the soaring notes we come to expect from Rocker David? Hiding in a better song. The judges didn't really express the sentiment coherently, but it was vain of Cook to pick a song he liked that no one had heard. He's one of the favorites, but he's not so safe that he can do whatever he wants from here on out. Another brash arrangement of a well-known tune like his watershed "Hello" would have been a good move here. Our Lady Peace was profoundly not. He's one of the few in the field who could afford a total disaster, though, and this fell a bit short of that mark. 7
Carly Smithson Vocal talent has never been the issue with Carly, who was powerful and professional again this week. The trouble is that she looks somewhere between desperate and miserable on stage, and the effect has gotten only more extreme with each passing week. Singing Queen's "The Show Must Go On" (a very weird choice indeed) Smithson was doing everything short of grabbing the audience by the lapels and demanding they like her. This had the opposite effect as intended. I'm terrified of Carly now and I want her to go away. How did she perceive a cumbersome, dated Queen anthem as a good choice for 2008's "American Idol" inspirational week? Like her hair and her outfit, the song was just... tacky. And Carly's deluded attitude that anything she does is brilliant because, well, dammit, she's Carly is one shared by few in the "Idol" viewing audience. I think that the judges and the producers want her to go home this week, in classic recognition of their own failure to shape Carly's arc properly. Her story has been supposed to inspire "Idol" viewers since early on in the auditions, yet past a small core of loyalists everyone I know who watches "Idol" is just sick to death of Carly and her tenacious need for everyone to like her as much as she likes herself. For some reason I think the "Idol" braintrust would love for Carly to go home this of all weeks. They are usually pretty good at manipulating results to meet their desires. 8
David Archuleta I still have trouble remembering his last name, but here's little David, who's really not as bad as I make him out to be sometimes nor anywhere near as good as the frothing, drooling judges describe him week after week. This was one of David's best performances, as he picked a song that was slightly more soulful than is the norm for him and he gave it some really nice flavor with vocal ad libs. He had a lot of noticeable timing issues, starting a lot of his lines late from the beat, but that is kind of a common complaint with Archuleta seeing as he knows absolutely nothing about music and has to learn his entire song from scratch every week. David is talented but just too young -- his peak is higher than Kristy Lee's but it's still no better than a B-plus or so because he simply never has any idea of what it is he's singing. He should have waited another two or three years before going on "Idol." That said, he could still totally win, if none of the more interesting but less adorable kids ahead of him seizes their moment. 8
Brooke White White did a bit of a brave thing coming off of the piano this week -- most of the times she's done that she's looked awkward and exposed. She was dressed too chastely in an unflattering pink dress but "You've Got a Friend" was a total alley-oop of a song choice, like Jason's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and she didn't blow it. White isn't going to win over new converts at this point so give her credit for a nice honest reading of a great song. When White goes, it probably won't have anything to do with her performance that week -- it will be more a product of her being the least popular singer left. I think she's ahead of a few people still so this won't be her week. Good candidate for the bottom three, though. 8
I think it's going to be Carly Smithson -- she's not that popular, and she's utterly blown her vocal advantage by picking songs terribly and dressing hideously to boot. The eight-sided die likes Michael Johns, also a distinct possibility.
"Idol" Recap: Dollyworld
Wow, Dolly Parton has written some great songs. And even in the few moments the "Idol" producers granted her, she sure sounded impassioned and serious about the craft. Like most celebrity guest coaches Parton was far too polite to criticize any of the cast -- indeed, she didn't seem to much if at all other than listen to them run it once and give a hug. So what if she maybe wasn't the best on-camera guest? The body of work she brought with her to the night is all the case Parton needs to stake her claim. On the whole contestants felt a little too free to arrange the material as they liked -- I don't think Jason Castro or even David Cook should be afraid of a little country, and David Hernandez's "Smoky Mountain Memories" just felt uncomfortable played in a neutral mallpop style -- but also I think that that's a commendable aspect of Parton's writing. Her songs with their simple chord changes, readable storylines, and strong central melodies can stand up to a lot of squeezing and pulling and still sound good.
It's going to be a tough call on elimination this week. Not because there aren't any obvious, richly deserving candidates, but because all three this week have perfect "Idol" thumb-week storylines working. Kristy Lee Cook has been treading on thin ice for a while due to the fact that she's not a very good singer; her willingness to take on the "country contestant" mantle granted by the judges led to some of the most hideous moments of the season thus far. The fact that this was country week and Kristy was substantially worse than Carly Smithson and all the boys and no better than Brooke White would make for a deliciously ironic dismissal. That probably won't happen, though, since Kristy's still got the body. More probable would be Ramiele Malubay. Ramiele is a talented singer (although to my ears she's been adrift and out-of-touch increasingly since the finals began) but she knows nothing about music history or music theory. Less-schooled such talents show up on "Idol" all the time but they tend to get tripped up on a theme week that doesn't suit them, as country did not suit the 100% high-school-talent-show Ramiele. I've also picked her to go two weeks in a row and it hasn't happened... it's bound to be coming though, right? How far would Ramiele have to last for it to be considered a travesty? Final six? Final five?
Then there's Syesha Mercado. I think Syesha's body of work on the show thus far has earned her more of a pass than either Ramiele or Kristy Lee, but... how many "Idol" wannabes have seen her dreams dashed against the rocks of Whitney. Did Syesha have to choose "I Will Always Love You?" Did she have to sing it in the precise same Whitney arrangement with the big key shift at the close... which Syesha botched completely? Syesha's performance was better than Ramiele's or Kristy Lee's, but "Idol" voters tend to react instinctually to hubris, and Syesha had no business singing that damn song.
Brooke White I was pleasantly surprised by how White took the spirit of the evening to heart and injected a bit of a twang in her voice to sing "Jolene," but it didn't quite gel -- it was a happy twang instead of a heartbroke twang. That was the major problem with Brooke's capable outing, which utilized a stripped-down band arrangement (a good choice both visually and sound-wise for Brooke) and did feature some choppy guitar playing from White. I think it's kind of beside the point to criticize the "American Idol" cast for their guitar-playing abilities, particularly this late in the game, but the judges seem to pick on Brooke disproportionately. Watching Jason Castro try to hit high notes while remembering chord shapes reminds me of trying to drive my car and pick songs on my iPod at the same time. Brooke wasn't terrible, but she could make an appearance in the bottom three thanks to going first, which is always no fun. 7
David Cook Cook continues to challenge himself with arrangements that take his voice to its limits, and he also gets that he doesn't have to use big electric guitar every song, every week to be secure in his identity as the rock guy. (Remember Robbie Carrico? Hah!) Cook's "Little Sparrow" wasn't the best he's ever shown, but theme weeks can be death traps for niche contestants and in continuing to handle every curveball with a smart answer Cook has locked down his status as someone who can win. It was also smart of Cook to finally do his own arrangement of a song instead of cribbing off someone else's. The "controversy" over that story is hugely overstated (and completely irrelevant to "Idol" voters -- the intersection set of people who vote for "American Idol" habitually and people who care deeply about fair acknowledgment of intellectual property rights is pretty damn near null) but it didn't hurt Cook any. And like we've discussed, Parton's songs aren't tricky to put your own spin on if you're motivated. 8
Ramiele Malubay Ramiele has been plummeting almost since live shows began, but she's become increasingly exposed as pretty much everybody else in the cast has tried at least once or twice to do something creative or individual. Malubay continues to present performances so shallow you wonder where the screen for the karaoke machine is. Her outfits are also garish, ill-fitting, and silly; Ramiele is not a young girl because she's petite and she should dress more to her age. I have no idea how she's managed to build such a loyal fanbase (somebody has to be voting for her in huge numbers); I suppose it's in some small part the show's core demographic of older women providing resistance against the new wave of Cook, Castro, White types. But even so Ramiele is less talented and way more bland than similar contestants of recent "Idol" vintage. As has been happening with increasing frequency of late, Ramiele's usual ability to stay on pitch left her often during her "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind." It was badly sung, her stage movements were amateur and dull, and her body language was screaming "Please send me home, I don't want to play any more." 6
Jason Castro Castro, like Brooke White, has seen a few weeks go by since the last time he genuinely blew anyone away. That's why it would have been smarter for Jason to do something in a bit of a country style, to which I think his voice might be suited, rather than a soft-rock, bongo-flecked thing that sounded... pretty much the same as Jason the week before this one, or the week before that. It's going to catch up with you eventually, guy. Although for a guy like Castro the utility of winning or even reaching the final of "Idol" is suspect, my personal affection for the guy makes me root for one more real good night for him. 7
Carly Smithson Carly does a bit more to wipe away the doubt with each passing week, but concerns continue. She still dresses funny, and her desperation to win and Make It is very, very palpable. I don't know if Carly could ever be a star -- is she really that interesting? She's a great singer, though, and her "Here You Come Again" was maybe her best of the season. It wasn't perfect, but it was quite close, and it proved once and for all that from here on out the tentative Smithson should continue singing ballads whenever possible. She's significantly better than Syesha at it and simply assassinates Ramiele. She is raising her game as we approach the big finish as are some others are but I wonder if she will have problems winning enough a big enough share of the vote totals that splinter off each week as one contestant's fanbase has to pick a new person for whom to vote. 9
David Archuleta Boy, David is a really good singer -- I'm not sure whether I have said that too much or too little. He's probably the most talented 17-year-old they've yet had. But... he's still 17, and there's so much he just completely doesn't get. Like how performing a song about being from Tennessee and making it sound like Phil Collins (not from Tennessee) might be a bad idea. David sounded like he had a bit more of an emotional connection to his song choice this time around, but that might have been a bad thing -- rural TN and suburban Salt Like City are not comparable. For all of his generic heal-the-world song choices, Archuleta is just monumentally oblivious, and to indulge the conceit of "Idol" for a moment, it seems to me as if such a person ought not to presented as the winner of a pop singing competition. But then of course my idea of pop music was formed in the 80's when Prince, Springsteen, Madonna, Boy George, what have you all sold millions of records while also attempting to be in their own ways trangressive, confrontational, and political. It's not like the pop nowadays, where the vocalists (female and male) are essentially sweaterhangers. On that note, it is worth a mention that Archuleta was one of few in the cast to not seize country night as the opportunity to wear a completely ridiculous outfit. 9
Syesha Mercado Not much to rehash on this one that I didn't already cover in the above comments. I knew she was going to do "I Will Always Love You" before they announced it, I knew it would start out sounding fine, and then it would all go horribly awry at the climax. The infamous Whitney Bodyguard version of the song has a modulation up at the end that's like the vocal equivalent of hitting the wall in a marathon. Syesha got to that point fine and then collapsed in a heap -- not a single note she sang after the key change was in tune, including a very long and very squirm-inducing "glory" note. 6
Kristy Lee Cook I don't have a lot more to say about Kristy, either. You know her strengths and weaknesses by now. She's the least talented person still in the field, which is sort of an accomplishment. At least Syesha's wipeout was exciting to watch; K.L.C. was just tepid. Again. And she has to pay for that atrocious flag-waving "God Bless the U.S.A." perforce. 7
Michael Johns I said a lot during the semifinals that I suspected Michael Johns had reserves of talent he wasn't using. On the rare occasion that he connected with a song -- sadly for Johns, the last memorable example of that was on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," back in the Hollywood audition round -- he showed power and range. And he's also been the best-looking guy in the male field from the getgo, which doesn't hurt any. "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right," the Parton song Johns chose, obliterated whatever you might consider his past best and possibly threw the whole season storyline into chaos. Johns took his vocals to an entirely new level, tearing it up with his falsetto, and the piano/electric guitar arrangement was stylish and classy. Wait, if the really good-looking guy can also really sing, what ever will happen? Will "Idol" break? 8
I didn't know for sure when I started writing this, and I'm still not sure now... but what the hell. I'm going with Syesha, because that's the storyline I feel in my gut. Kristy Lee, who isn't very talented, and Ramiele, who hasn't progressed as an artist or personality one iota since the competition began, seem destined to return to continue annoying me. 10-sided die likes Michael Johns. Nah, I don't see that.
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