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__label__cc	0.628071	0.371929	Shadows Among Us Author: Ellery A. Kane Evil is closer than you think. Psychologist, Mollie Roark, had it all. A hotshot husband, a beautiful daughter, a successful career, and a fancy house on the Napa hillside. She’d finally made it. Left her troubled past and her crazy father far behind her. But two years ago, the unspeakable happened. Her daughter’s burned body turned up on the shores of Lake Berryessa just days after her fifteenth birthday. The police seem certain Dakota fell victim to the Shadow Man, the prolific serial killer who had terrorized the Napa Valley for two decades. Mollie’s normal life is now anything but. Childless, divorced, and unemployed, she’s barely staying afloat. She’s got one mission. To find the scumbag who killed her daughter and make him pay. When a mysterious old man shows up at her door seeking absolution and promising answers, it’s impossible to resist. But the deeper she goes inside his mind, the shakier her sanity becomes. Everyone is a suspect. No one is innocent. Because Mollie knows evil may be as close as her own shadow. Click here to pick up your copy of Shadows Among Us in the Amazon Kindle store. Forensic psychologist by day, novelist by night, Ellery Kane has been writing–professionally and creatively–for as long as she can remember. Just like many of her main characters, Ellery loves to ask why, which is the reason she became a psychologist in the first place. Real life really is stranger than fiction, and Ellery’s writing is often inspired by her day job. Evaluating violent criminals and treating trauma victims, she has gained a unique perspective on the past and its indelible influence on the individual. And she’s heard her fair share of real life thrillers. An avid short story writer as a teenager, Ellery recently began writing for enjoyment again, and she hasn’t stopped since. Ellery lives in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, a picturesque setting that provides the backdrop for many of her novels. If you don’t find Ellery interviewing murderers behind prison walls or pecking away at her latest novel, she is probably at the gym landing a solid jab-cross to a punching bag; riding bicycles with her special someone; or enjoying a movie the old-fashioned way–at the theater with popcorn and Milk Duds. Killer Cruise Author: A.R. Winters All Adrienne wanted was a fun new job on a cruise ship—instead, she’s dealt three big surprises. Surprise number one, wonderful: Her best friend Samantha has joined the cruise! Surprise number two, also quite good: the First Officer is rather handsome. Surprise number three, definitely not good: Samantha is suspected of murdering a VIP cruise passenger. Throw in a few more surprises—an over-the-top boss, a potentially homicidal chef, and a blast from Adrienne’s past—and this cruise might end up being Adrienne’s last. Join Adrienne, her new friend Cece, and First Officer Hot Stuff—er, First Officer Ethan Lee—as they try to uncover the truth before it’s too late… Click here to pick up your free copy of Killer Cruise in the Amazon Kindle store. Murder at the University Author: Faith Martin MEET DI HILLARY GREENE, A POLICE WOMAN WITH A THIRST FOR JUSTICE AND A CAREER ON THE ROCKS A pretty French student is found dead in her room at an exclusive Oxford college. Everyone thinks it is another tragic case of accidental drug overdose. But Detective Hillary Greene has a nose for the truth. She quickly discovers that the student was involved in some very unusual activities. With a shocking cause of death found, the case becomes a high-profile murder investigation. Adding to the pressure, Hillary’s nemesis is transferred to work with her at the station. Can Hillary keep her cool and get justice for the unfortunate student? Click here to pick up your free copy of Murder at the University in the Amazon Kindle store. The Reign: Out of Tribulation Author: Jeffrey McClain Jones Genre: Christian Fiction Out of the end of the world as we know it, comes the beginning of the world we dreamed of and prayed for. In a small Iowa town, survivors of unprecedented global war and natural disasters set out to rebuild their lives. So much of what has happened in recent weeks defies explanation for the remnant of the resistance to the last Dictator, survivors of the last human war. Out of tribulation and loss, they stumble into a fresh breeze of hope that seems too good to be true. Yet, peace has fallen all around the world, and the new ruler in Jerusalem enforces that peace through an odd assortment of people spread over the Earth. Even the weather and wildlife have been transformed for the comfort of the remaining people. Could this be what the Christians looked forward to for millennia, the Kingdom of God come to Earth, the Reign of Jesus Christ? Even in the face of gracious prosperity, for the world and its inhabitants, the seeds have been planted for one last human revolt against God. Click here to pick up your free copy of The Reign: Out of Tribulation in the Amazon Kindle store. The Trojan Key Author: Richard Dodge Davidson The book tells the story of an international photographer and his correspondent girlfriend who are befriended by a beautiful, yet mysterious, woman in Florence, Italy. She reappears in Washington, D.C. and relates to them that her boyfriend in Florence has been murdered and so has her husband in Washington. The photographer learns of a sinister crime organization connected with the woman’s husband, and he is thrown into a race to find three digital keys which together will open a secret computer server and disclose files incriminating members of Congress. Unfortunately, the criminal organization is looking for the same keys so it can destroy the files. The photographer, his girlfriend, the beautiful woman, and her unusual friend, all try to unravel the mystery resulting in murder, deceit, and an unexpected ending. Click here to pick up your free copy of The Trojan Key in the Amazon Kindle store. Mustang River Author: Bev Pettersen From award-winning author Bev Pettersen comes TWO heart-pounding romances where rugged alpha protectors collide with strong unforgettable women. Don’t miss this special edition of the Mustang River Ranch suspense series! Shadows of the Mountain (Book 1) A wary former SEAL is hired to protect the President’s daughter on a routine three-day horseback ride. But when they are attacked by ruthless assassins, he and his beautiful but suspicious trail guide must team up in order to protect their innocent charge. As they lead their pursuers on a dangerous decoy, they learn to lower their guard and trust each other. Can they survive long enough to have a chance at love, or will either of them leave the mountain alive? Along Came A Cowboy (Book 2) A hot cowboy, a twisted killer, and one very resilient woman. A burned-out rodeo champ vows to steer clear of female fans, especially artificial cowgirls with their bright lipstick and plastic smiles. The luxury ranch’s wilderness chase offers the perfect opportunity to escape. He doesn’t count on being asked to track an attractive woman, and certainly not one who has never dirtied her designer jeans. And while her surprising pluck might prove enough to capture his heart, the Montana backwoods conceals many dangerous predators… Not all of them are four-legged. Click here to pick up your copy of Mustang River in the Amazon Kindle store. One Helluva Bad Time: The Complete Bad Times Series Author: Chuck Dixon ASK ME FOR ANYTHING BUT TIME… You don’t punch a cocktail waitress around Dwayne Roenbach, not even if you are his wealthy mogul boss. Unfortunately, said boss got him blacklisted for actions that Dwayne knew were entirely appropriate of a retired US Army Ranger. Now, a phone call from a mysterious benefactor wants Dwayne to pull together a team to help rescue scientists who are lost. With the kind of money he’s being offered he only asks a couple of questions to make sure the job is legit. Perhaps he should have asked a few more. This Epic Adventure spans multiple time periods, gun battles with creatures and people all over the world as well as up and down history as they battle to do what is right. No matter if Hell is there to greet them in the end. Bad times or not, these Rangers have no ‘quit’ in them. Everyone and everything needs to get the hell out of their way. They have mission(s) to complete. Click here to pick up your copy of One Helluva Bad Time: The Complete Bad Times Series in the Amazon Kindle store. Louisiana Hotshot Author: Julie Smith WANTED: HOTSHOT P.I. WITH NEAR SUPER-HUMAN SKILLS. Confirmed grump Eddie Valentino placed the ad. Hotshot twenty-something Talba Wallis knew exactly how to answer it. And thus was born the dynamic duo of New Orleans private detectives—one cynical, sixty-five-year-old Luddite white dude with street smarts, and one young, bright-eyed, Twenty-First century African-American female poet, performance artist, mistress of disguise, and computer jock extraordinaire. Think Queen Latifah and Danny DeVito. In Louisiana Hotshot, their job is to hunt down a sociopath and pedophile who’s molested the fourteen-year-old daughter of their client, hangs out on the ragged edges of the rap and recording industries, and has more powerful allies than a Cabinet member. But both detectives have unfinished business from the past—in Eddie’s case, something he deeply regrets; in Talba’s, a personal mystery, one so frightening no one will help her investigate. But she knows she won’t sleep till she solves it—and the truth will change her forever. Click here to pick up your free copy of Louisiana Hotshot in the Amazon Kindle store. That Unexpected Kiss When Clues Link Julie’s Mother’s Twenty-Year-Old Disappearance To The Man Who Killed His Father, Can FBI Agent Dylan Keep Her Safe From A Vicious Predator? FBI Agent Dylan Nash is in Wisconsin searching for his father’s killer. While working undercover as a game warden in the town of Crystal Rock, he meets special education teacher Julie Thompson, and he’s immediately attracted. But the problem with that? Not only does Julie work in Colorado, but she’s involved with another man. While visiting her hometown, Julie and Dylan become friends, but she’s devastated to learn he’s dating her best friend Kate. A few years later, when a teaching position opens at the new Crystal Visions school for children with disabilities, Julie accepts the job and moves back home. Learning that a series of misunderstandings has kept them apart, Dylan finally confesses his feelings, claiming Julie with an unexpected kiss. But twenty years ago, Dylan’s father was killed and Julie’s mother disappeared. Julie is obsessed with discovering the truth, and Dylan wants justice. When clues link her mother’s twenty-year-old disappearance to the man who shot his father, can Dylan keep Julie safe from a vicious predator? Click here to pick up your free copy of That Unexpected Kiss in the Amazon Kindle store. Murder in the Manor Author: Fiona Grace Lacey Doyle, 39 years old and freshly divorced, needs a drastic change. She needs to quit her job, leave her horrendous boss and New York City, and walk away from the fast life. Making good on her childhood promise to herself, she decides to walk away from it all, and to relive a beloved childhood vacation in the quaint English seaside town of Wilfordshire. Wilfordshire is exactly as Lacey remembers it, with its ageless architecture, cobblestone streets, and with nature at its doorstep. Lacey doesn’t want to go back home—and spontaneously, she decides to stay, and to give her childhood dream a try: she will open her own antique shop. Lacey finally feels that her life is taking a step in the right direction—until her new star customer turns up dead. As the newcomer in town, all eyes are on Lacey, and it’s up to her to clear her own name. With a business to run, a next-door neighbor turned nemesis, a flirty baker across the street, and a crime to solve – is this new life all that Lacey thought it would be? Click here to pick up your free copy of Murder in the Manor in the Amazon Kindle store. Monster Born Author: Kris Austen Radcliffe What happens when a man starts life as a corpse? Two hundred years ago, Frank Victorsson awoke as a semi-dead, monstrous abomination reanimated by his hubris-ridden father, Victor Frankenstein. But Frank refused to become the infernal hate his father spewed at the world. He walked away from his origins — and into a small, Minnesota town overflowing with magic. Now Dr. Frankenstein’s other sins want revenge. The Nordic elves of Frank’s new home call him family. The werewolves call him friend. And when the town’s vampires disappear and innocents die, Frank realizes the demon responsible might be the one force on Earth faster and stronger than him — and the one foe capable of pulling to the surface his long-suppressed rage. Now Frank must stop a rampaging evil bent on murdering the people he loves the most. But can he save his town without losing himself to the monster he once tamed? Click here to pick up your copy of Monster Born in the Amazon Kindle store. Filed Under: Featured, Featured Book of the Day, Free Book Links, Free From Amazon Store Tagged With: free from amazon, free kindle books Dodos Don’t Fly Author: Mark Sippings Mojo was a Dodo but his real name was Colin, that’s because dodos weren’t allowed to have unusual names. It was just one of the 127 dodo rules Colin had to follow. But Colin was different. He was always asking questions and one day he discovered that the most important Dodo rule wasn’t right at all. Beautifully illustrated by Essex artist John Hepburn, Dodos Don’t Fly is a story for all ages. If you have ever dreamed so hard you have wished the world away, then this is the book for you. Click here to pick up your copy of Dodos Don’t Fly in the Amazon Kindle store. Author: Cory Barclay Iceland, 930 AD—Magnus is an aging Viking content on living a peaceful life on his family farm. But his bloody past haunts him and won’t be easily left behind. In order to save the ones he loves, he must distance himself from them and go raiding across the seas. Little does Magnus know, trouble awaits his family while he’s gone. An old blood feud threatens to tear his family apart, while dismantling everything he’s worked so hard to build. It seems the Viking warrior’s quest is not yet complete. He is fated for more adventure, and his only option is to greet every danger ahead of him with axe and shield… Click here to pick up your copy of Divided We Fall in the Amazon Kindle store. Aerovoyant: The Industrial Age, Volume One Author: P.L. Tavormina On planet Turaset, droughts ravage farmlands, cyclones rip through coastal cities, and with every barrel of oil the combustion industry pumps from the ground, the climate worsens. Alphonse has just refused a council seat because taking it means serving that rapacious industry. He leaves the city to seek solace in the wilderness, and there, a power to live the past awakens within him. Alphonse walks the steps of his distant ancestors on long-dead Earth, soon growing plagued with memories of its collapse, and he’s left with a troubling certainty: He must infiltrate the combustion industry to secure proof of its treachery, or Turaset will be next to fall. Alphonse finds an ally in Myrta, a farmgirl who sees air, every molecule in every pulse of breath or blast of exhaust. With her talent, she can evade the patrols on the industry’s grounds. Together, Alphonse and Myrta can prove the industry lies about emissions. They can convince the councils to shut down fossil fuel use permanently. But people in the industry have grown wise to Myrta’s power—and now she’s marked for death. Click here to pick up your free copy of Aerovoyant: The Industrial Age, Volume One in the Amazon Kindle store. The There Were Nun Author: Dakota Cassidy My name is Sister Trixie Lavender, and I’m an occasionally possessed excommunicated nun. Okay, that’s a lot to swallow at once. But it’s true I was booted from the convent after doing something unspeakable. Something I had no control over. Something that lives inside me to this day, exploding out like that chestburster in Alien when I least suspect it. But I have help. My amazing friend Coop—the demon who saved me from an ugly end—remains by my side, loyal and true. She was Hell’s best tattoo artist back in the day, and together with my designs, we’re opening Inkerbelle’s Tattoos and Piercings, right in the heart of Portland’s most darling district, Cobbler Cove. Of course, our bid to fit in would be a little less rocky if I could help Coop assimilate with humans, keep a lid on our sassy talking owl, Livingston…oh, and if someone hadn’t killed our landlord on day one—in our shop. This mystery-loving, bumbling ex-nun and her trusty demon sidekick are on the case! If I don’t bumble my way right into my own demise first… Click here to pick up your free copy of Then There Were Nun in the Amazon Kindle store. The Christmas Cookie Shop Author: Ginny Baird Hannah Winchester is down on her luck and disillusioned with love, but her fortunes are about to change. When Hannah inherits a defunct bakery in East Tennessee, her first thought is to sell it and settle her substantial debt. Then the townsfolk welcome her warmly and she’s taken with the joyful spirit of the place, where stores employ holiday themes and residents have surnames like Christmas and Claus. After a handsome lawman comes to her aid dressed as Santa, Hannah learns he’s more than a hot guy in a red suit and shiny black boots. Sheriff Carter Livingston has joined in the cause of rejuvenating the town, and he’s encouraging her to do her part. Hannah’s great-grandmother, Lena, sold special holiday cookies that brought hope and renewal to the people of Christmas Town. Yet Hannah has plans elsewhere and isn’t looking to stay. Can she possibly reopen the shop known for kindling romance—without sacrificing her heart? Click here to pick up your free copy of The Christmas Cookie Shop in the Amazon Kindle store. Wicked Innocents Author: S.H. Livernois Evil hides behind the sweetest faces. Even the face of a child. A dark evil has infected the Huggett house. Hyla and Lizeth Frontenac can feel it. What form has the monster taken this time? A deranged mother? A secret crime? Or maybe it’s a little girl, weaving a web of lies. For nine-year-old Nelly Huggett has quite a story to tell. Maybe she’s just precocious, imaginative, and misunderstood… Or maybe that glimmer in her eye is deceit and cold vengeance. Maybe she’s the source of the powerful evil that consumed her entire family. Wherever this evil comes from, it’s dragging Hyla into the abyss faster than she can chase the clues. And she may lose herself before she can save anyone else. Click here to pick up your free copy of Wicked Innocents in the Amazon Kindle store. Coven of Secrets Author: C.J. Beaumont A broken witch. A missing sister. A grisly murder. Once touched by darkness, always tainted. Roxanne Cole swore off magic for a reason. But now her little sister Kathryn has gone missing, and the only person willing to help is her pretty-boy nemesis, Ray Hammond. Roxy’s not sure she can trust him, but with nowhere else to turn, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance. When the coven’s high priestess also goes missing, it seems her sister’s disappearance is just a small piece of a much bigger puzzle. And the more she works with Ray, the more she realizes he’s just another temptation that could add to the ever-increasing magical missing persons count. As bodies start dropping and the death toll rises, it becomes clear someone is declaring war on the Bayshore Witches. Now, if Roxy wants her little sister back, she’ll have to decide what, and who, she’s willing to sacrifice. Click here to pick up your copy of Coven of Secrets in the Amazon Kindle store. Loving a Cowboy Author: Anne Carrole Saddle bronc rider Chance Cochran knows a bad omen when he sees one, and Libby Brennan isn’t just a bad omen, she’s the woman he was married to, five years ago, for all of forty-eight hours—before her father dragged her away and started divorce proceedings. It isn’t by coincidence Libby Brennan shows up where Chance is celebrating the win that put him in the million-dollar cowboy class. Older and hopefully wiser, she’s come to clear up a legal technicality as well as ask his forgiveness. Then maybe she can move on with her life. But saying she’s sorry won’t be enough to make amends to this cowboy who has endured a lifetime of people abandoning him. When Chance needs some help after sustaining an injury however, Libby may have a second chance—at love. Click here to pick up your copy of Loving a Cowboy in the Amazon Kindle store. Domna: The Complete Series Author: Tammie Painter Destiny isn’t given by the gods, it’s made by defying them. Sofia Domna has her future planned. She will follow in her father’s footsteps and lead the Temple of Apollo. She’ll marry her childhood love, Papinias. She’ll have respect, status, and power. But when her father bitterly forces her betrothal to a stranger and orders her from the life she’s always known, Sofia is thrown into a new world where any wrong move could mean her demise. Thrown into a world of full of political turmoil, violent ambition, and dangerous temptation, Sofia discovers her only chance of survival is to stay one step ahead of her enemies, but in Osteria new perils lurk around every corner and plots don’t always strike down their intended victims. As Sofia’s life moves through the trials of a forced marriage, motherhood, and yearning temptation, she learns that destiny isn’t given; it’s made by cunning, endurance, and, at times, bloodshed. With every option having dire consequences to those closest to her, when it comes down to the choice between love and power, which will win out? Click here to pick up your copy of Domna: The Complete Series in the Amazon Kindle store. Little Emmett Author: Abe Moss “They’re going to tell you we’re crazy…” …Emmett’s mother says as their little rusted car struggles to climb the mountainside. She’s taking him somewhere safe. In the forest ahead lies a house full of children like him—children whose parents have been diagnosed like her. Mentally ill. The Cradle—a government organization hellbent on eradicating the condition—believe they have the ultimate solution. Like any other disease, they seek to quarantine it. Entire families ripped apart and placed in asylums. Total removal from the gene pool, they say. For the future of humanity… Now Emmett can’t decide what’s more frightening: this new home where he’ll supposedly be safe, hidden from The Cradle and its horrific reputation… …or the ideas in his mother’s head which led them there in the first place. Click here to pick up your copy of Little Emmett in the Amazon Kindle store. Healing Hearts Author: Ruth Hartzler Diana Hunt has been an advertising executive in New York for the past fifteen years, avoiding her family and her old home in Lancaster as much as she can. A phone call changes everything. When Diana returns home, she finds herself the close neighbor of Amish man, Jethro Wittmer, whose heart she broke fifteen years earlier. Is Jethro betrothed? And why does Diana care? Can God work a miracle and heal these broken hearts? Click here to pick up your copy of Healing Hearts in the Amazon Kindle store. Out of the Woodland Author: Alexandra Kettles Genre: Children Charlotte and her brother Thomas live in the Cotswolds, England with their dog Edward and pony Crackers. During the summer of 2018, it was unusually hot, and their adventure takes them past Mr Tarrant’s fields to the woodland which grows beside the river Windrush. Here they meet new friends, both real and mythical. The mythical creatures take them on a journey of curiosity and discovery. Wonderfully illustrated and easy to follow ‘Out of the Woodland’ immerses the reader in a world of animal and bio-wonders, bridging the real and the imagined. This children’s book with traditional undertones will both delight and enthrall the reader. Click here to pick up your free copy of Out of the Woodland in the Amazon Kindle store. I Saw What You Did Box Set Author: Tim Kizer I Saw What Your Did: If you’re on his list, he’ll make you wish you were dead. “I saw my husband kidnap a woman forty minutes ago.” Shortly after Emma says these words to a 911 operator, her husband, Paul, is arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murder. His victim, Alison Bowles, is found raped and strangled hours later. The evidence against Paul is irrefutable: there are traces of his DNA on Alison’s body, and her hair was discovered in his trunk. The police believe he may be a serial killer. Paul insists he’s innocent and claims he was with his lover, Julie, at the time of the murder. A few days after talking to Paul’s lawyer, Julie disappears without a trace. Emma is surprised to find out that all fingerprints in Julie’s house have been wiped off. Where is Julie? Why were the fingerprints wiped off? In her search for answers Emma uncovers a diabolical conspiracy masterminded by a serial murderer. He has a long target list, and he knows who he’ll kill next. Richard Brower has killed a dozen people. Now someone is trying to frame him for the murders committed by another serial killer. This box set contains novels I SAW WHAT YOU DID and MANIA. Click here to pick up your copy of I Saw What You Did Box Set in the Amazon Kindle store. Osmium War Author: Thomas Green On Mars, they were lovers. But he betrayed her and sent her to Earth. Captain John Lang has devoted his life to his duty. Raised as a child soldier, he has never known another life. And since the cold war between Earth and Mars has been going on for over two centuries, he never will. To save his lover, Raina, from the same fate, he sent her to Earth. But things didn’t go for Raina the way John expected them to. Wearing an artificial face, she works as a corporate assassin for the Earth’s largest weapons manufacturing syndicate. On Earth, she’s an escaped prisoner while on Mars, she’s officially dead. And has neither forgiven nor forgotten. So, when Earth bans deep core mining, creating a system-wide osmium shortage, she seizes the opportunity and escalates the crisis. For if she manages to make Earth and Mars go to war, they are sure to destroy each other. And her syndicate would then rule over the wasteland. After all, she could have no better revenge than for John and all his soldier brothers to die in a nuclear apocalypse. Click here to pick up your copy of Osmium War in the Amazon Kindle store. The Nothing Within Author: Andy Giesler Root is…different. Though raised in a fearful society that reveres conformity, she’s irreverent, outspoken, and deeply curious. Her congenital blindness sets her even further apart. Centuries after the Reckoning, a biotech disaster, savage chimeras still threaten human survival. When Root hears a voice that no one else can hear, she flees into the wilderness. Outcast and hunted, she must confront a dire threat to her people–and unravel the mystery of who she really is. Click here to pick up your copy of The Nothing Within in the Amazon Kindle store. When Andy was ten, he wrote his first book. Attack of the Dinosaurs was seventeen pages long, variously single- and double spaced, with rough cut cardboard backing and a masking tape and white yarn binding. It was the heart-pounding tale of Alaskan scientists using nuclear bombs to prospect for gasoline and–as happens all too often–inadvertently waking frozen dinosaurs. Without giving away too much, things didn’t end well for the dinosaurs. (Things never end well for the dinosaurs.) He fell in love with writing and promised himself that, one day, he’d write an even longer book. Then, one evening many years later while reading bedtime stories to his daughter and son, he thought: Hmnh. Maybe it’s time. Andy has been a library page, dairy science programmer, teacher, technical writer, healthcare software developer, and official Corporate Philosopher. He grew up in a town in Ohio Amish country. He’s a husband, father, and nonprofit web consultant living in Madison, Wisconsin. You can visit his Amazon author page if you click here. Here’s your listing of free and discounted Kindle book offers in a variety of genres for Friday: for those books listed as being free in this post – while the pricing of the free status is valid at the time of this posting, please make sure you check the pricing carefully before you press the “buy” button as it could revert back to paid status at any time! Author: Pamela Callow What would you do if you faced a serial killer? Meet lawyer Kate Lange. She has one chance to prove herself—and to prove to herself that she can make it—in a firm where everyone wants her to fail. But landing this job is what Kate believes will lead to redemption in the tragic death of her sister years ago. Instead, Kate makes the biggest mistake of her career… and becomes the target of a serial killer. Click here to pick up your free copy of Damaged in the Amazon Kindle store. The Black Heart of the Station Author: Jay Allan Storey Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction Delinquent or Prophet? Whichever one teenager Josh Driscoll is, he may be the Station’s only hope for survival. The Station is a city buried deep beneath the surface of a frozen, lifeless earth, its origins lost in the mists of time. Josh’s frequent rule-breaking exploits are focused on a single question – how did we get here? But Josh goes too far when he steals a space-suit and escapes to the surface to explore. As punishment, the governing Council, of which his father is a member, forcibly enrolls him as a novice monk at Saint Carmine’s, the Station’s resident monastery. At first desperate to escape, Josh finds himself drawn into the monastery’s ancient texts. Deciphering an encrypted journal hidden for centuries, Josh learns that the Black Heart, a computer complex sealed off after an ancient asteroid strike, may hold the answers he’s been seeking, and may be all that can save the city from certain annihilation. When the deranged head of the Council is determined to demolish the Black Heart and doom them all, Josh leads a desperate battle to stop him. But can Josh and his tiny band of followers prevail in time to avert catastrophe? Click here to pick up your free copy of The Black Heart of the Station in the Amazon Kindle store. Grain of Truth Author: V.J. Chambers Genre: Mystery / Thriller They have the power to overturn wrongful convictions… and a target on their backs. Elke Lawrence welcomes the long hours and relocation her “promotion” requires. She hopes leading the new Conviction Review Unit, an experimental investigation team, means leaving her wrecked marriage and troubled past behind. Their first case challenges that notion. Twenty-five years ago, someone sat Dr. Abeer Mukherjee and his wife Tempest on their couch and shot them in the head, execution style. Their eighteen-year-old daughter and her boyfriend were sentenced to life in prison. They insist they are innocent. The evidence suggests they’re telling the truth. But as Elke and her team delve deeper into the case, it becomes clear there are those determined to keep the truth buried… even if that means burying the team with it. Is this all somehow tied to her murky past? Will the CRU’s first case be its last? Click here to pick up your free copy of Grain of Truth in the Amazon Kindle store. A Recipe for Romance Author: Laura Van Hulzen Wes planned a drive by trip to Marietta, Montana to help his dad close a business deal and then to head back to his life in New York. But when his dad volunteers him for the Bachelor Bake-Off to commemorate a local fallen first responder, Wes can’t say no, even though Marietta holds painful memories and baking eludes his skill set. After an accident sidelines Noelle Olsen’s career as a dancer, she moves to Montana to pursue a new dream: opening a dance studio in Marietta’s historic and charming downtown. When one of her students suckers her into helping the handsome Wes St. Clare whip up some winning recipes, Noelle finds herself dreaming about more than teaching dance. Falling in love wasn’t part of Wes’ plans, and definitely not in Marietta, and as Noelle learns more about Wes and his business dealings, she fears she’ll lose her business along with her heart. Will cozy kitchens and a nudge from the St. Claire family help Wes and Noelle find the love they didn’t know they were looking for? Click here to pick up your free copy of A Recipe for Romance in the Amazon Kindle store. All The Good Girls Author: Willow Rose Detective Harry Hunter of Miami PD’s homicide squad throws himself into a case no one asked him to solve. Four teenagers from one of Miami’s affluent neighborhoods are murdered on a boat. Another is found in a dumpster. All five of them go to the same school and are on a list of witnesses to another crime. Because he’s in bad standing with his boss, Harry is given the task of protecting a possible future victim, but Harry isn’t always known to follow his boss’s orders. Soon, he’ll risk everything while racing to stop a killer who has left everyone else in the homicide squad shaking in terror. Click here to pick up your copy of All The Good Girls in the Amazon Kindle store. Invisible Secrets Box Set Everyone Has Secrets; Some More Devastating Than Others… Presenting a brand new collection of page turning romance and suspense from NINE International USA Today Bestselling, Award-Winning Authors. Nine stories, nine heart-wrenching soon to be revealed secrets. Can the truth really set them free? GEORGIA MOON (new): Jen Talty, USA Today bestselling author: He wants to give her everything, but she wants the truth. And the truth could kill them both. ALANA (new): Denise Devine Meinstad, USA Today bestselling author: Done with men…or so she thought. THE SISTER PACT (new): Jacquie Biggar, USA Today bestselling author: Two sisters lose sight of what’s most important- family bonds. THE SET UP (new): Dani Haviland, USA Today bestselling author: Life was perfect until her mother took over. ALL OR NOTHING: Natalie Ann, USA Today bestselling author: Can the explosive chemistry between Ben and Presley survive the secrets they both hide when the truth is finally revealed? BIGGER THINGS: Ev Bishop, USA Today bestselling author: Lifelong friends, Jen, Chelsea and Kyra know everything about each other. Or think they do. KIP’S RESOLUTION: Alicia Street, USA Today bestselling author: Mina has been the good girl her whole life, but her bargain with Kip uncovers secrets they both have to face. CLOSED DOORS: Nancy Radke, USA Today bestselling author: Can she keep his secret and not destroy him and his company? THE LIBERATION OF RAVENNA MORTON: Suzanne Jenkins, USA Today bestselling author: Ravenna’s granddaughter uncovers secrets no one wants to face. Click here to pick up your copy of Invisible Secrets Box Set in the Amazon Kindle store. Journey To A Dream Author: Craig Briggs Sell up, move abroad, and live the good life. How difficult could it be? Craig Briggs dreamt of a new life, free from the stresses and strains of modern living. Unlike most of us, he decided to follow his dream. In May 2002, Craig, his wife Melanie and their dog Jazz packed all their worldly belongings into their ageing executive saloon and headed off to Spain. Not for them the tourist-packed Costas of the Mediterranean or the whitewashed villages of Andalucia. They chose Galicia, an unspoilt paradise in the northwest corner of Spain. With help from the locals, they quickly settle in to their laidback lifestyle. Long, lazy lunches fill their days and lively village fiestas keep them up until the early hours. It’s only when they start searching for a new home that the problems begin. They encounter a freelance estate agent of dubious character and risk life and limb tiptoeing through dirty, derelict, and dangerous buildings. Worse follows: a brush with the law, a builder who downs tools, a floating swimming pool, and the mysterious disappearance of their life savings. Join Craig, Melanie and Jazz along a colourful, bumpy and sometimes perilous journey and immerse your senses in the sights, sounds, and tastes of a Spanish adventure. Click here to pick up your copy of Journey To A Dream in the Amazon Kindle store. Zero Percenters Author: Scott T. Grusky Would you sacrifice your humanity to live free from pain and suffering? Conservationist Anja Lapin always stood firm against her father’s profiteering. But in her wildest dreams, she never guessed his tech company would stumble on an algorithm enabling humans to digitize their bodies and secure artificial immortality. Before Anja can stage a protest, terrorists take out the research team, along with her father. Billions adopt the new technology in record time, lured by an eternity free from pain and filled with pleasure—even if it means losing a few pieces of their identity. Anja finds she’s one of the last two flesh and blood humans remaining on Earth. But while her worries turn to the future of consciousness, her father’s rival plots to hijack the network of digitized people and claim ultimate control. Can Anja counter the attack and safeguard a brave new stage of human evolution? Click here to pick up your copy of Zero Percenters in the Amazon Kindle store. Scott T. Grusky lives in Los Angeles, California. He holds an M.A. in economics from Harvard University and has spent most of his adult life either writing about technology or slogging through its trenches. Here’s your listing of free and discounted Kindle book offers in a variety of genres for Thursday: for those books listed as being free in this post – while the pricing of the free status is valid at the time of this posting, please make sure you check the pricing carefully before you press the “buy” button as it could revert back to paid status at any time! Author: Daniel Gibbs Corporal David Cohen thought he’d left war behind. The Terran Coalition faces repeated and brutal attacks from the repressive League of Sol. To defend his home planet, David trades his dream of becoming a rabbi for a battlefront in the far reaches of space. When particle beams fly, his courage under fire brings quick promotion. But in the lulls between battles when he must confront his soul, David finds a different enemy: the ghosts of those killed under his command. Yet in war, it’s kill or be killed—and the enemy shows no mercy. David must square the tenets of his faith against his responsibility to crew and country. If he fails in his command, billions face enslavement by a ruthless regime. Now it’s an all-out fight for the galaxy’s freedom. Because a man’s greatest foe lies within. Click here to pick up your free copy of Fight the Good Fight in the Amazon Kindle store. Forever Dreams Author: Leeanna Morgan She came to Montana looking for answers…and found forever. When Gracie Donnelly, a school teacher from New Zealand, arrives on a Montana cattle ranch, she has more on her mind than mending fences and feeding chickens. She’s secretly searching for her father and answers to questions that could destroy a family. Just one look at the fiery five-foot-one redhead and Trent McKenzie knows Gracie is going to be trouble. Ever since the failure of his first marriage, he promised never to listen to his heart again. Especially when his heart is saying he’s falling in love – and the one thing Gracie’s searching for is the one thing that could take her away from him forever. Click here to pick up your free copy of Forever Dreams in the Amazon Kindle store. Super Farty Pants! Author: Paul Wennersberg-Lovholen Is it a bird? Is it a plane? And what’s that smell? Amelia is just a regular kid. That is until a chance encounter with a strange looking bug that grants her super powers- super farty powers! A hilarious story full of farting and flying that children of all ages (and their parents) will love! A beautifully illustrated children’s book that is both perfect for reading to your little ones, but also great for those that can read themselves. Click here to pick up your free copy of Super Farty Pants! in the Amazon Kindle store. Famously Switched Author: Emily Evans Genre: YA Contemporary Romance When a Texas teen switches places with her Hollywood actress look-alike, her dating life changes from a delicious disaster to a dazzling love with a hot Hollywood Star in this captivating new sweet romantic comedy. Not all true loves come when the timing is convenient. Not all guys who fall in love with you know your real name. Yeah, I lied. Chloe Travis is fun, ambitious, caring, friendly, and trapped in a favor. She’s supposed to be researching California lavender fields. The family farm depends on it. But her secret identity is getting in the way. To further complicate her life, the drunk actress who plays her mom suspects she’s not who she says she is. The writers are hinting at killing off her character—and not in the good vampire way—in the “she just lost her job” kind of way. And then there’s Hudson. She has every reason to resist him, but… Hudson Cooper is Hollywood’s biggest teen star. Handsome. Athletic. Wealthy. Talented. And Not Interested in dating his co-stars. Hot, movie actor Hudson is doing a cameo on Vampire Games as a massive I’m Sorry to his best bro. He won’t let a cute, intriguing actress get in his way, and he’d never date a co-star. When life on set throws these two together, they can only resist their forbidden love for so long. And when Chloe’s true identity comes to light, her happily ever after shatters, morphing this couple into enemies. It’ll take forgiveness, and quite possibly an acting award, to restore this fated pair’s love story. Click here to pick up your free copy of Famously Switched in the Amazon Kindle store. The Baby Plan Author: Joan Carney Tick, tock… The itch of ‘baby lust’ has prickled just under the surface of Tessa’s skin since she turned thirty. Five years have passed since her thirtieth birthday, and her obsessive nature has stoked the minor irritation into a full-blown fertility frenzy. She’s given up waiting for the right man to put a ring on her finger and, instead, decides to actively seek out a man with the right genes who will give her the child she wants with no further involvement. Love wasn’t in the plan, but Karma had other ideas. Click here to pick up your copy of The Baby Plan in the Amazon Kindle store. Please Not Again! Author: Eli Reuven Let there be light. Again? A young New York couple are trying hard to do the right things in order to get ahead in life. Even when stressful social and personal complications stand in their way, they are willing to push themselves to the limit, and do anything in order to achieve the goals modern society dictates, without giving any consideration to what they truly desire. When everything seems to be going as planned, a single critical decision drastically changes life as they knew it. In this bitingly humorous tale, Eli Reuven presents his modern version of the Adam and Eve story and the wonders of relationships between the sexes who can’t get along together, but can’t live without each other either. Click here to pick up your copy of Please Not Again! in the Amazon Kindle store. Death and Deception Author: E. A. Copen An ex-con who talks with the dead. A bloody murder. Figures they’d blame the guy with the record. For Lazarus Kerrigan, The Big Easy is anything but easy. Crime is up, incomes are down, and now his front door is a murder scene. Talk about a bad morning. Since Lazarus is the only ex-con around, the cops are ready to pin it all on him and call it a day. If he wants to clear his name, Lazarus will have to find the murderer. Fast. You’d think that’d be easy considering he can talk to the dead. But more than monsters go bump in the night when the sun sets in New Orleans. The infamous Baron Samedi is back in town, and ready to offer Laz a new power he can’t refuse. At least, not if he wants to get out of this one alive! Death And Deception Includes the complete First Five Books in the Best Selling Lazarus Codex 1. Death Rites 2. Organ Grind 3. Shallow Grave 4. Knight Shift 5. Death Match Click here to pick up your copy of Death and Deception in the Amazon Kindle store. The Witches of Wormwood Boxed Set Authors: Silver Nord & Ruby Loren A thrilling and funny supernatural mystery series, packed with magic, cats, and murder! Not many people move to Wormwood. The witches aren’t welcoming. The fortunetellers are frauds. And the recent murder is only going to make things worse. Hazel Salem just wanted a story for her magazine. Instead, she finds herself at the centre of an investigation that’s about to turn into a witch hunt. If someone doesn’t solve this murder – and fast – it will be out of the cauldron and into the fire for Wormwood’s witches. Click here to pick up your copy of The Witches of Wormwood Boxed Set in the Amazon Kindle store.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412432
__label__wiki	0.829893	0.829893	January 15 – April 24, 2011 Organized by the George Eastman House, this exciting exhibition explores 160 years of railroad and photographic history. Both trains and photographs emerged around the same time in history and can be credited with changing how we perceive the world. Trains offered access to places that seemed impossible to reach by foot while photography captured details often missed by the human eye. In the United States, the railroad and photography played an important role in opening the West and in the development of national identity. Even today, when cars and airplanes have become the preferred methods of travel, trains continue to hold sway over our imaginations. We continue to cherish memories of playing with model railroads and of waiting on a train platform for a glimpse of an oncoming train, hearing its far-off warning whistle. In this survey of railroad images from around the world, trains appear as potent emblems of the modern industrial age. They played a crucial role in transforming the social and physical landscape. William Henry Jackson’s heroic visions of trains rumbling through majestic mountains celebrate the technological advances that allowed mankind to tame the previously uncharted wilderness of the American West. Robert Misrach similarly embraces the awesome beauty of nature but endows his scenes of lonely, inhospitable places with an atmosphere of unease that calls into question the presumption that technology can conquer nature. Alvin Langdon’s photograph of a train rushing past the smokestacks of Pittsburgh’s factories also offers a more ambivalent view of technology, while L. Wright’s and Lori Nix’s scenes of a train wreck serve as more cautionary statements about technology and its effect on nature. Lewis Hine and Aaron Siskind, on the other hand, interpret modernity in more human terms. Hine focuses on the workers who oiled the Machine Age and shows how industrial revolution changed the very nature of work. Siskind represents the African-American porters who worked for the George Pullman Railroad Company and successfully formed a union that anticipated the later civil rights movement. The range of photographs and concerns represented in this exhibition is sure to please a variety of audiences, including history buffs, lovers of the American West and train enthusiasts. Tracks will be accompanied by a companion exhibition that will explore the history and significance of the railway in the Quad-Cities area. Organized by the George Eastman House Collection This program is su pported by Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The views and opinions expressed by this program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities Iowa or the National Endowment for the Humanities. Watch a classic movie about trains in March and April at the Figge. Different films each week, and films are free with museum admission. Learn more about the companion exhibition Crossing the Mississippi: The Quad Cities, the Railroad, and Art. 2011 is the year of the train in the Quad Cities. Find out more about other Quad Cities events to be held throughout the year. image: Lewis. W. Hine, American 1874-1940, {Man working on steam boiler} from the series Railroad Workers and Rail Photos (detail), ca. 1920, toned gelatin silver print, transfer from Photo League Lewis Hine Memorial Committee, ex-collection of Corydon Hine, courtesy of George Eastman House 1978:0993:0073. image: Lewis W. Hine, American 1874-1940, {Man cleaning lenses on signal light} from the series Railroad Workers and Rail Photos, ca.1920, toned gelatin silver print, printed from original negative 85:0279:0033, transfer from Photo League Lewis Hine Memorial Committee; ex-collection of Corydon Hine, courtesy George Eastman House 1978:0993:0033.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412439
__label__cc	0.543552	0.456448	Inpixon Signs Master Technology Group (MTG) as Authorized Reseller GlobeNewswire August 29, 2019 PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 29, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inpixon (INPX), a leading indoor positioning and data analytics company, today announced it has signed Master Technology Group (MTG) as an authorized reseller. MTG employs more than one hundred full-time employees and specializes in the planning and installation of video surveillance systems, video management systems (VMS), video analytics, access control, life safety systems, and other building systems. MTG is based near Minneapolis, MN, and services customers across the U.S. and Canada. The companies anticipate MTG's first initiatives will be to market IPA Wi-Fi™ and IPA Video™ to their retail and commercial real estate customers and prospects. IPA Wi-Fi is an inexpensive, easy-to-activate visitor analytics solution that leverages a customer’s existing Wi-Fi infrastructure. IPA Wi-Fi delivers visitor counts, dwell times, path analysis, and other critical metrics for retail stores, brands, shopping centers, office buildings and other organizations. IPA Video uses a unique, patent-pending process that correlates radio frequency (RF) device presence (e.g., what phones are present) to each security video frame in order to help retailers identify persons-of-interest (POI), to follow them across cameras and off-camera, and to be alerted when the POIs return to the facility. IPA Video addresses tough, persistent problems in the traditional video surveillance market, because it can help identify and track suspects if their face is obscured at the time of the incident, in low- or no-light conditions, or even as a suspect roams building areas where cameras are not accessible. "MTG customers increasingly ask us for advanced visitor analytic and loss prevention solutions, so we're excited to represent Inpixon," commented Ryan Blundell, MTG's CEO. "We're currently proposing Inpixon Indoor Positioning Analytics (IPA) at a large national retailer, and I look forward to taking it to our other customers and prospects. Inpixon has a comprehensive solution set, from straightforward Wi-Fi access point data collection that can be activated in a matter of days, to RF sensor integration with video management systems, to advanced mapping solutions. Indoor data and IoT are opening a lot of doors of opportunity, and having Inpixon solutions in our portfolio is a powerful asset." "I'm pleased to welcome MTG to our Inpixon Authorized Partner Program," said Kirk Moir, Inpixon VP of Video Analytics. "Not only is MTG a great fit to market and sell our solutions but I’m also eager to work with the company whose stated core values include 'Do the Right Thing,' which is in direct alignment with Inpixon's mission to 'Do Good With Indoor Data.'" About Master Technology Group Master Technology Group (MTG) provides planning and installation services for audio/visual systems, data cabling and infrastructure, fire alarms, intrusion, video surveillance and life safety systems. Since 2002, MTG has been helping customers select, install and integrate the right technologies for their business. MTG strives to always do the right thing for their clients. From small local businesses to large national corporations, MTG's services are flexible and scalable to any project size, scope, and quantity of locations. For more information, visit callmtg.com. About Inpixon Inpixon® (INPX) is a world leader in Indoor Positioning Analytics® (IPA®). The Inpixon Indoor Location Data Platform™ ingests diverse data from proprietary, IoT and third-party sensors designed to detect and position all active cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, and uses a proprietary process that ensures anonymity. Paired with a high-performance data analytics engine, patented algorithms and advanced mapping technology, this technology is used by a multitude of industries and disciplines including marketing, customer experience, operations, facility management and security. This multidisciplinary depiction of indoor data enables users to increase revenue, decrease costs, and enhance safety. Inpixon customers can boldly take advantage of mobility, analytics, sensor fusion and the Internet of Things (IoT) to uncover the untold stories of the indoors. For the latest insight on IPA, follow Inpixon on LinkedIn, @InpixonHQ on Twitter, and visit inpixon.com. All statements in this release that are not based on historical fact are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. While management has based any forward-looking statements included in this release on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of the control of Inpixon and its subsidiaries, which could cause actual results to materially differ from such statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not limited to, the fluctuation of economic conditions, the performance of management and employees, the purchase of Inpixon’s products and services by MTG customers, Inpixon’s ability to obtain financing, competition, general economic conditions and other factors that are detailed in Inpixon’s periodic and current reports available for review at sec.gov. Furthermore, Inpixon operates in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment where new and unanticipated risks may arise. Accordingly, investors should not place any reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Inpixon disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, update or revise forward-looking statements. Inpixon Investor Relations CORE IR Scott Arnold, Managing Director www.coreir.com The Outsider Recap: 'You're the One Who's Supposed to Be Scared' TVLine.com Google's Sundar Pichai doesn't want you to be clear-eyed about AI's dangers Jack Dorsey will face more pressure in 2020 to step down from Twitter or Square Recapping the last decade in entertainment Stocks fall after gloomy manufacturing report Soulcycle CEO Melanie Whelan resigns U.S., China may announce limited trade deal: RPT How to examine competition in the U.S. Economy Holiday shoppers are expected to spend $731B: NRF Mark Zuckerberg to testify before Congress on cryptocurrency plan Walmart kicks off holiday season with deals Friday What to watch in markets: Wednesday, October 9	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412442
__label__wiki	0.604133	0.604133	Law Exchange Русским клиентам Working at FOD Summer Internship Programme Pre-Trainee Graduate Programme Flynn O’Driscoll and Fanning and Kelly have merged Pictured are: Pat Flynn, Chairman, Flynn O’Driscoll; Kieran Kelly, Managing Partner Fanning and Kelly; James Duggan, Managing Partner, Flynn O’Driscoll We are delighted to announce that Fanning and Kelly, Solicitors have merged with Flynn O’Driscoll, Business Lawyers. The combined firm will operate from the Flynn O’Driscoll offices at No. 1 Grants Row, Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2. Established in July 2000 Fanning and Kelly, Solicitors advises clients in the areas of litigation, corporate and property law with Kieran Kelly being renowned for his expertise and extensive practice in media and defamation law . Flynn O’Driscoll is a full service business law firm with a domestic and international client base comprising multinational companies, owner-managed businesses, public bodies, as well as private clients. Making the announcement, James Duggan, Managing Partner of Flynn O’Driscoll, said: “Flynn O’Driscoll has always strived to look at innovative ways to succeed and grow. This merger reflects our on-going commitment to client focused strategic growth and development enabling us to continue to build out our full service offering through the development of our existing practice areas and the addition of new expertise in media, defamation and libel law.” Commenting on the merger, Flynn O’Driscoll Chairman, Patrick Flynn, said: “We have worked collaboratively with Kieran Kelly for almost two decades and as a result of the strong relationship that has developed between the two firms this merger is a natural fit for us.” Kieran Kelly, Principal of Fanning and Kelly, said: “This merger allows us to offer additional service areas for our existing client base; having worked closely with the team in Flynn O’Driscoll over a long period we know each other well and we share a common culture and values which will make the transition seamless for our clients.” For more information or to speak to a member of the team please call +353 1 642 4200. Copyright © Flynn O'Driscoll 2019 \| FOD name is a registered Trade Mark of Flynn O'Driscoll Business Lawyers Designed by exSite	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412447
__label__cc	0.652865	0.347135	Blackice 2019-02-07 10:23:11 UTC #4304 No, that’s it, I’m never reading it EVER AGAIN. Or, maybe I will, if the mood takes me again some day… I’ve just started the second book by ex Guardian games writer, Keith Stuart. I really enjoyed his first book, A Boy Made of Blocks, so thought I’d give Days of Wonder a go. Only a couple of chapters in. Read a fair bit since I last posted here, brief comments on them. Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass - Ugh. Part of the highly variable “teenage female assassin” fantasy subgenre which seems to have appeared, and sadly at the bad end. I foolishly read it because the third sequel was on some best fantasy 2018 lists. I dunno if people have bad taste or the sequels improve massively but this is bad. The assassin is somehow a spoiled acting romance minded blonde girl with no real dark side despite everyone, including her internal narrative, labelling her the world’s most fearsome assassin, and her nearly starving to death in a death camp. She doesn’t kill anyone in the entire book, just endlessly internally boasting about how she could. Mostly she just sulks and thinks about handsome boys whilst wearing pretty dresses. Virtually every other character is more engaging and we find out her friend has been waging a secret war for the entire book we must wonder why the book isn’t about the friend! Total people killed by the world’s greatest assassin in the book? 0. There are some okay world building ideas and the non main characters are much more believable but oof, stay away! Oh and the descriptions of emotions are overwrought even for teenagers. It feels very much like an author with a strong imagination, no experience and limited writing talent was given free reign. Revenger - Alistair Reynolds - Decent but… Decent but… could sum up most Alistair Reynolds book and Revenger is no exception. Wonderful setting ideas, memorable but two dimensional characters, a bit of edge and a sadly predictable plot. The setting is begging to be made into a roguelike, indeed Sunless Skies isn’t a zillion miles away but nothing else about the book really excites, despite solid prose and well handled scenes. Wonderful setting ideas, memorable but two dimensional characters, a bit of edge and a sadly predictable plot. Sounds like this guy should make video game plots. Finished N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy. As good as everyone says it is. A well realised world with allegories to our own (if allegories can be to something). Complex characters and events that built across the series to a climax that brought tears to my eyes. Must read for anyone who enjoys sci fi. Sarfrin: A well realised world with allegories to our own (if allegories can be to something). Analogies is the word you’re looking for I think. Finished N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy. As good as everyone says it is. Yeah, it is, shockingly so actually. I’m about 2/3rds of the way through Red Wolf, Black Leopard by Marlon James. It’s been called “the African Game of Thrones”, but it’s actually a lot better than that. It’s definitely going to be “too much” for the kind of reader who doesn’t read much fantasy, and basically only reads GoT or and other mainstream stuff maybe claims to have read LotR but actually hasn’t or the like. It’s much closer to Gene Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun series, which are weird fantasy, rather than high fantasy, and this is very definitely weird fantasy. It’s similar to China Mieville and Patrick Rothfuss (the latter being high fantasy but of and odd kind), but with the weird fantasy, constant storytelling, and clearly unreliable narrative elements (the two sequels will be the same story from different perspectives, we hear), it’s very much in line with what Gene Wolfe did with the Book of the New Sun (which is probably one of the best-written and most challenging fantasy series - it’s better written than LotR for example, which is saying something). It’s interesting to see that most reviewers have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what to make of it, because they’ve never read weird fantasy or even good, risk-taking fantasy, only fairly straightforward stuff like LotR or ASoIaF. The amount of whinging about the sentences being hard to read from some is particularly bizarre to me. I’ve found pretty easy to get through, and actually really like the way he writes. But it’s definitely not a book for everyone. It’s also really brutal and gritty, but not in a cheap, exploitative way (unlike, say some of Joe Abercrombie’s stuff), but in a way that will disturb a lot of readers. I will admit that it is incredibly long, which will put off more people. Plus the writing is extremely good, which has always been a problem in the fantasy market - generally the stronger the writing, the higher the reading level, the less fantasy-reading audiences engage with it. Something like Brandon Sanderson, which is solidly mediocre in it’s actual prose will always get more readers than China Mieville or the like, no matter the subject matter or story. Rothfuss is a rare exception in that he master-polished his excellent prose to make it accessible, but that was at the cost of a certain amount of poetry and power, I would suggest (also it unfortunately means he is able to put out about 1 book per 5 years, if that). And I hear the last section is actually the strongest, so if it’s this good at 2/3rd of the way in, that’s a very good sign. I think you’re right. Just finished Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor. Another superb book. Powerful, imaginative, emotional, human. As highly recommended as Jemisin. After reading an article online about women writing SF and Fantasy and seeing the dearth of books by them on my bookshelf, I made an effort to change that. Thank goodness I did. I’ve been missing out on a hell of a lot of amazing writing. Not that I’m one of those men who consciously avoids books by women, but the ratio of books I own was very skewed. Don’t suppose you grabbed the Women of Science Fiction & Fantasy humble book bundle a few years back and then forgot about it… like… ahem… some people who are definitely not me might. The only one I actually got around to reading (from that bundle or one of the other ones by the same company, i don’t remember) was the Nalo Hopkinson short stories, which I mostly liked. I didn’t, unfortunately. But I don’t like reading long pieces of writing on devices anyway. FYI: Storybundle has a Feminist Futures bundle right now, though that’d mean reading on devices of course. I’m reading Wee Free Men which is a Pratchett book, but I had to put it aside because I was busy with other stuff. I’m also trying to read something every day on Blinkist (infomercial voice: read a summary of a book free every day!). It’s not the same as reading the proper book, but it’s not bad. I never know how closely the summary related to the full book, and you lose a lot of the style and emotional involvement that comes from reading through the whole thing. Anyway, reason for posting, the free book yesterday was The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age by Tim Wu which was an in interesting history lesson about how people like JP Morgan, Carnegie etc… created monopolies, the societal trouble that caused, how government got into antitrust / monopoly busting and how they stopped that in the 90s and we’re now in another era of monopolies like Facebook/Google/etc… Some of it i knew of course, but it was interesting to see it laid out clearly and persuasively. It’s the kind of thing we never really studied in school. That does look like an interesting bundle. Kind of sad this thread gets no love, because I got a lot of great recommendations and interesting perspectives from it! Some stuff I’ve read since last post: The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie Very nice SF novel by Leckie, told from an interestingly semi-omniscient perspective (all seeing, perhaps, but not all knowing). With this and the Broken Earth series it feels like maybe the distant inheritors of LeGuin are finally here. The plot is hard to describe without spoilers but is about a iron age civilization and its complex relationship with its gods. Recommended to anyone who likes thoughtful SF. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine Wonderful very Iain M Banks-ish SF novel about the new ambassador from a vulnerable civilization to a dominant space empire with very elaborate customs. The book is really all about language, culture and people in a way that is rarely seen, and is very well-executed. Like Banks the focus is always on the characters, too, not the technology. As a bonus it’s basically humane and sane, rather than grim and cynical. Strongly recommended to anyone who liked Banks or just likes good SF. Possible contender for my top ten favourite books. Blood, Sweat and Pixels by Jason Schrier Essentially an extended journalistic piece by Schrier, famed for his access and reliable contacts, covering the development of a number of troubled games from the last decade or so. It’s short and a fairly light read, and comes across rather as an apologia for crunch, but still interesting and would be very informative to a lot of people who make grand proclamations about game dev. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky If you put all of Tchaikovsky’s recurrent themes and ideas into sort of randomiser, I feel like this book might well be the result. We start with would-imperialist colonisers falling into ideological in-fighting and accidentally seeding a terraformed planet with increasingly large and smart jumping spiders instead of a servant race and it all goes from there. Surprisingly, the book actually works really well, with lightly sketched but plausible and enjoyable characters, a good sense of passage of time, some good twists, and a very believable and flawed technological development. A much better book than A Deepness In The Sky by Vernor Vinge, which contains a number of similar ideas, and is perhaps technically better written, yet is nowhere near as compelling nor as deft in handling difficult subjects (Vinge ends up resorting to crude extremism to make his point, which works emotionally but seems cheap and unlikely when reflected upon). The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan A grim weird-fantasy novel interesting mainly in that it is the first novel I’ve read that is clearly inspired by Perdido Street Station, and trying to do something similar. Unfortunately Hanrahan does not have Mievilles edge, wit, or whimsy, so it’s a more pedestrian tale, that feels very much a ‘genre novel’, just from a rare genre. Lots of briefly cool ideas and a fair willingness to “kill your darlings” do not add up to greatness, sadly. Still better than most fantasy genre fiction so there’s that I guess. Nearly done with the sequel, which is also about uplifted 8-appendaged creatures. The octopodes are pretty well realized, and I’m enjoying the novel quite a bit. But it’s a bit less hard sci-fi than Children of Time, and it unfortunately falls back for a major plot thread on a fairly well-trod sci-fi trope, though Tchaivosky handles it in an interesting and novel way. Yeah I’ve just started that on Audible, seems good so far! On Kindle I’m reading The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, which has been pretty great so far (distantly remembering it being recommended here, which was why I finally picked up and also what reminded me to post in this thread again!). Kizzy makes me roll my eyes with literally everything she does or says (she seems like she’s one depressed boyfriend short of being a Manic Pixie at this early point in the book, hopefully this changes), but I like the rest of the characters, particularly Sissix, and the whole thing just seems very well-judged in a lot of ways, particularly the well-justified trope inversions (pacifistic humans, for example). That the aliens are dissimilar to humans in form, but very similar to them in psychology/emotions (in all cases so far - but we have yet to actually meet the Toremi for example) is stretching my disbelief somewhat, but I can handle it. I got Part 2 (A Closed and Common Orbit) a few weeks back for my birthday, along with Player of Games. They are both on the shelf next to my PC waiting for me to get the chance to crack one open. Sadly, the only chance I get to read novels these days tends to be when I’m in bed with a cold. I’m not sure Long Way to a Small Angry Planet has any particularly deep themes going on, but it was just very enjoyable. While the general emotions of most of the aliens are pretty compatible, in that kind of Star Trek / Farscape mold where the crew have to interact in reasonably compatible ways, I thought the author did a few interesting things with some of the ways alien societies, relationships, sexuality, etc worked… which I guess was the closest thing to a theme that was going on. Andrisk(?) attitudes to kids and families, for example. I’ve seen Children of Time pop up in Kindle sales a few times, but it’s hard to judge which books are decent and which ones are just junky self-published cash grabs. Adrian Tchaikovsky is pretty reliable. I have yet to read anything from him that isn’t at least decent, and all have contained some interesting concepts. I did avoid his stuff for years because of his name, which sounded like a particularly silly nom de plume and I doubt I’ll read his early books about people who can partially shapeshift into insects or something. It is very true that it’s hard to separate out self published tosh, small press but good, big press but tosh, and actually good books, though. No longer are blurbs, covers, or even user reviews good indicators. Good Reads and Amazon reviews have a notable problem, which also occurs with Amazon Prime TV, where if something is really good, like genuinely great, it will usually get a sort of 3.5 to 4.5 score, often at the lower end, whereas something a lot trashier, with a child grade reading level, no challenging or intellectually engaging content, and a titillatory but ultimately cowardly approach to sex and violence will do better. Finished up Children of Ruin this morning during my commute. Great Audible narrator. The book was indeed enjoyable to the end, and I even think he redeemed his mid-book descent into tropeyness. His rendering of octopus cognition is pretty fascinating: they have a Crown, which, like our ego, is where their sense of self resides. Their Reach is their arms, which are governed each by almost a separate brain and are semi-autonomous from the Crown, a collection of powerful subconsciouses. And they have their Guise, which is the colors and textures they display on their bodies, as well as the poses of their arms. What’s interesting is that the octopodes’ Reach is the rational, calculating part of their personality. The Crown is all emotion and desire; kind of a reverse of Freud’s id and ego–the octopus id is their conscious Crown and the ego is their subconscious Reach. This, and their entirely visual language, manifests itself in myriad well-conceived ways with how they communicate and how their society is formed (particularly given that real octopusses are not social creatures.) Tchaikovsky, once again, is very good at showing how even the familiar is more alien than you think. pacifistic humans, for example Not all humans are pacifists, and the Exodus culture that Ashby comes from has specific reasons for being so that are explored in depth in book 3. hat the aliens are dissimilar to humans in form, but very similar to them in psychology/emotions (in all cases so far - but we have yet to actually meet the Toremi for example) is stretching my disbelief somewhat, but I can handle it. Yeah, but I get the sense that Chambers is just not that interested in writing hard sci-fi. (Though it’s harder, for instance, than Star Trek.) She’s more interested in exploring alternate, more beneficent ideas of culture and society, and uses sci-fi as a canvas for this with a bunch of endearing characters. Her Wayfarers books are some of my favorite reads of the last few years. Me too. I’ve read The Passage by Justin Cronin. It’s a post-apocalyptic nu-vampire novel which has some interesting ideas but drags them out at least twice as much as it needs to. Then I read The Passenger by F.R. Tallis, which is a curiously old-fashioned psychological horror set on a WW2 German submarine. I enjoyed reading it but it fizzled out a bit at the end. Would recommend though. The setting and characters were interesting enough to make it worthwhile. Currently reading The Explorer by James Smythe. It’s about a journalist on a space mission that’s aiming to go further than any manned mission has gone before. Then (and this isn’t really spoilery but look away if you’re really sensitive) everyone else dies and the spacecraft doesn’t turn back on schedule and he’s stuck heading out into deep space on his own. So you think ‘that’s interesting but how is he going to sustain this for a whole book?’ Then you get to chapter two and suddenly… wait… what… what the hell is going on now? Depending on how it develops, it could be amazing or utter rubbish. Lukasz 2019-06-24 08:17:00 UTC #4321 Depending on how it develops, it could be amazing or utter rubbish. Sounds intriguing so plz let us know if it’s worth it. I really liked Angry Planet but I’m not very impressed with A Closed and Common Orbit so far. I think part of this though is a suspension of disbelief issue that Chambers has accidentally created. Normally I have no issues with this when reading SF, because stuff is either sufficiently plausible, or is explained as some kind of hypertech or whatever. However Common Orbit opens by casually describing how the android body “kit” works - and its a bloody perpetual motion machine. Not only that, it’s the most common and facepalmy kind of perpetual motion machine! It supposedly works like an inertia powered wristwatch, but for an entire system to work that way violates the laws of thermodynamics. Its like, why not just not specify, why not say its powered by food (which is entirely plausible)? I doubt Chambers realises this but it’s weird, because my brain didn’t even finish the sentence before “Thermodynamics violation” started flashing in big red mental letters and surely one of her beta readers would have noticed? The other brain issue I’m having with the book is the bizarre apparent retcon to Aeluons, taking them from silent and uninterested in sound, which made sense, to silent and having no sense of hearing at at all. Maybe I’m misremembering but it seems weird. Didn’t Ashby and Pei have a deal where they knocked on the wall? It would also mean that Aeluons were terrible at infantry combat, which is weird with them repeatedly being implied to be badasses. They’re also supposed to be deadly silent, which laughable if they’re stone deaf. Curiously the first book gets this re humans and smell. Humans have a weak sense of smell so tend to stink because they are unaware. Makes total sense. But totally deaf = silent? That makes no sense. Maybe they have great body sense and can feel vibrations well and so on, so walk quietly, but they’d miss all the little noises you make, like breath sounds, creaks from wood, rustles from leaves, the flapping and clawing of a bunch of bird analogues you scared, bullets pinging by your head, knives being drawn, and so on - and sneaking up on them would be easy, so long as you stayed upwind or people were wearing environment suits or the like. Again this wasn’t the result of deep thought, it hit me immediately in the party scene. Plus, and this is the result of more thought, their repeatedly vaunted ambush skills seem implausible because they have bright flashing damn lights on their faces! And without those they can’t talk! I suppose the implants would deal with that but they’d still be both louder than humans who weren’t speaking and easy to sneak up on. Is this missing the point of the book? Definitely! But it’s very distracting. Especially as so far the stories so far are basically a generic YA fiction backstory for one character and the world’s most boring AI (who I kind of feel they tricked in a rather dodgy way, hopefully that gets dealt with properly by the end) hanging out in a rather nice and non-threatening enclave. Re Children of Ruin I’m further through and I see the classic trope. It is used more interestingly but I feel like the physics of it are implausible. I just really doubt that what is basically a DNA computer could be that small, that smart, and that fast, all at once. It feels like a “pick two” case. But that is really only an issue with a few scenes. Lukasz: Oh yes, it’s worth it. The gradual revealing of what’s going on is paced really well and the ending is perfectly pitched. My only criticism would be that the characters around the protagonist are pretty one-dimensional, but don’t let that put you off. Highly recommended.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412455
__label__cc	0.650529	0.349471	451 Research: Adversary Attack Campaign Strategies Tech Industry Doppelgangers: Campaign Innovation in the World of Cybercrime BURLINGTON, Mass., 21 juin 2017 – Arbor Networks Inc., the security division of NETSCOUT (NASDAQ: NTCT), today announced the availability of a provocative new research paper produced by 451 Research, a preeminent information technology research and advisory company. The goal of the paper is to help security professionals understand the persona and capabilities of their adversaries and also how attack campaigns can be more easily stopped, disrupted or frustrated by a better knowledge of the attacker’s tactics, techniques and procedures. 451 Research interviewed several white-hats experienced in dealing with black-hat tactics in various roles, including incident responders, malware researchers, penetration testers and all-around cybersecurity veterans. Together, these individuals have over 100 years of security experience, have investigated hundreds of incidents and given hundreds of talks on the subject. “We have produced a very compelling paper with valuable insights and specific recommendations to enhance your security posture. Attackers aren’t Hollywood movie hackers and are more likely to think, act and use the tools of an IT administrator,” said Scott Crawford, Director for the Information Security Channel at 451 Research. “They don’t rely on malware, custom or commodity. They don’t attack from the outside in. They work from the inside out. They use common IT tools to access and escalate through internal systems. As an industry, we need to think more like the adversary, with less emphasis on tools and more on attacker strategy.” Read this paper to learn: The persona and capabilities of your adversaries and how attack campaigns can be more easily stopped, disrupted or frustrated by having a better understanding the attacker’s tactics, techniques and procedures. The people targeting your business are not who you expect. Many attackers are professionals and have basic IT skills. They are more likely to think, act and use the tools of an IT administrator than those of a Hollywood movie hacker. How attackers use common IT tools to access and escalate through internal systems. Think about what this means for your security posture. What do you need when dealing with an adversary with a high degree of technical skills and familiarity with the tools IT administrators use? Where are the gaps? And what are they after? Learn more by reading the complete 451 Research paper here. About Arbor Networks Arbor Networks, the security division of NETSCOUT, is driven to protect the infrastructure and ecosystem of the internet. It is the principle upon which we were founded in 2000; and remains the common thread that runs through all that we do today. Arbor’s approach is rooted in the study of network traffic. Arbor’s suite of visibility, DDoS protection and advanced threat solutions provide customers with a micro view of their network enhanced by a macro view of global internet traffic and emerging threats through our ATLAS infrastructure. Sourced from more than 300 service provider customers, ATLAS delivers intelligence based on insight into approximately 1/3 of global internet traffic. Supported by Arbor’s Security Engineering & Response Team (ASERT), smart workflows and rich user context, Arbor’s network insights help customers see, understand and solve the most complex and consequential security challenges facing their organizations. To learn more about Arbor products and services, please visit our website at arbornetworks.com or follow on Twitter @ArborNetworks. Arbor’s research, analysis and insight is shared via the ASERT blog. For a global data visualization of DDoS attacks that leverages our ATLAS intelligence, visit the Digital Attack Map, a collaboration with Jigsaw, an incubator within Alphabet, Google’s parent company (NASDAQ: GOOGL). Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and other federal securities laws. Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release, which are not strictly historical statements, including without limitation, the statements related to Arbor’s portfolio of solutions, constitute forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements due to known and unknown risk, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors. For a more detailed description of the risk factors associated with NETSCOUT, please refer to NETSCOUT’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 31 mars 2016 and NETSCOUT’s subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. NETSCOUT assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein. Trademark Notice: Arbor Networks, the Arbor Networks logo and ATLAS are all trademarks of Arbor Networks, Inc. All other brands may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Kevin Whalen	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412456
__label__cc	0.737108	0.262892	Craig Wood, 45, charged with kidnapping murder of 10-year-old girl: EDITED BELOW Terrible new case out of Springfield, MO involving 10-year-old Hailey Owens, who was reported missing two days ago. Due to the assistance of eyewitnesses to her abduction, who provided a description of the vehicle in which she was abducted and the license plate number, police have recovered her remains and arrested a suspect, 45-year-old Craig Michael Wood, of Springfield, MO. KMOV.com in St. Louis is reporting: According to the probable cause statement, a woman was in her garage around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday when she saw Wood’s Ford Ranger pull up to Owens and ask her where Springfield Street was. The witness said Hailey tried to walk away from the vehicle, but Wood opened the door of his truck and said “Hey, come here for a minute,” extending his hand to her, motioning for her to come over. The witness says Wood lunged out of the vehicle and grabbed Owens with his left hand and threw her into the truck “like a rag doll.” He then drove away from the scene at a high rate of speed. According to court documents, it’s believed Owens was walking home from a friend’s house. “Our witnesses said it happened just that quick,” Police Chief Paul Williams said. Neighbor Carlos Edwards told the Springfield News-Leader he ran after the truck as his wife tried to get the license plate number after seeing the abduction. Police say another witness got into a car and tried to pursue Wood’s vehicle, but lost track of it. Based on the information provided by the witnesses, police obtained a search warrant for the residence of Craig Michael Wood, 45, an athletic coach and teacher’s aide at Pleasant View, a K-8 school in the Springfield Public Schools system. Hailey was not a student at this school and apparently did not know Mr. Wood. During the search, they found her dismembered body in two plastic garbage bags in the basement and arrested Mr. Wood. Authorities say Wood pulled up in the truck, belonging to his father, around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday as officers were waiting for him at his home in the 1500 block of E. Stanford St. The officers approached Wood as he got out of the truck, and noticed he had a roll of duct tape in his hand. When he saw the officers, he threw the duct tape into the bed of the truck. Ligature marks were found on her arms and she died from a single gunshot wound to the base of her skull. Police recovered a spent .22 caliber casing from the basement. Wood has been charged with first degree murder. Go here to read the graphic court documents, including the affidavit for probable cause. This could become a death penalty case. EDIT: Apparently she was not dismembered. Her body was folded over at the waist and double-bagged rather than bagged in two separate bags. I apologize for my mistake and any confusion that it might have caused. This entry was posted on Thursday, February 20th, 2014 at 10:27 am and is filed under Craig Wood, Hailey Owens, Kidnapping murder. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. 168 Responses to Craig Wood, 45, charged with kidnapping murder of 10-year-old girl: EDITED BELOW A pretty good article. http://www.kansascity.com/2014/02/20/4838949/past-of-man-suspected-of-killing.html Additional Information including a copy of the search warrant http://www.ozarksfirst.com/story/d/story/evidence-in-hailey-owens-murder-outlined/37587/fXWph6PcI0KCy7vyZ3R5Hw Something strange. When he was arraigned, the reporter said that Wood seemed surprised (raised his eyebrows) at the charge of armed action involving a gun. He worked. He may have owned his own small home. He was driving his FATHER’S TRUCK, though. There seems to have been a binder containing child pornography netted in the search of his house. Is it possible that the kidnapping and the other crimes were committed by more than one person? Missouri Revised Statutes Offenses Against the Person Section 565.032 http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C500-599/5650000032.HTM (7) The murder in the first degree was outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible or inhuman in that it involved torture, or depravity of mind; (10) The murder in the first degree was committed for the purpose of avoiding, interfering with, or preventing a lawful arrest or custody in a place of lawful confinement, of himself or another; (12) The murdered individual was a witness or potential witness in any past or pending investigation or past or pending prosecution, and was killed as a result of his status as a witness or potential witness; Oops. meant to put this: (15) The murder was committed for the purpose of concealing or attempting to conceal any felony offense defined in chapter 195; (16) The murder was committed for the purpose of causing or attempting to cause a person to refrain from initiating or aiding in the prosecution of a felony offense defined in chapter 195; These are the potential issues in the Wood case, that may come up, surrounding the issue of- will the death penalty apply in this case? There are also several mitigating factors, such that the death penalty may not apply. An example of a mitigating factor is age. In Missouri, if a defendant is age 16 or under, they can not be sentenced to death. Hope that was clear. The age factor does not apply in Wood. The age example is only one example of a ‘mitigating factor.’ Court finds Craig Wood has $1 million in trust fund, still requests public defender http://fox4kc.com/2014/02/21/court-finds-craig-wood-has-1-million-in-trust-fund-still-requests-public-defender/ Despite this, Wood still requested a public defender, which the judge granted. Wood is expected to appear in court again in March and a preliminary hearing is set for April. As I indicated above, Wood did not enter a plea. He was read the charges. He will return to court in March (arraignment, after grand jury indicts) and a preliminary hearing is set for April. Would the court still give him a public defender in this instance? The judge granted his request for a public defender. If the prosecutor seeks the death penalty, $1 million would not be enough money to cover defense fees and costs. With rare exceptions, all death-penalty cases are handled by public defenders or court-appointed counsel paid at public expense. And the fact that the court did approve a public defender- it looks as if this could very well be a death penalty case. Speculation. But still. This will be an initial court appearance. The purpose is: -The court will explain his rights to him. -Counsel will be confirmed. -The affidavit of probable cause will be reviewed for probable cause. -The issue of release on bail will be considered. -The intertwined issues of flight risk as well as connections to the communities will be considered. -The question regarding the community is, is there a set of conditions to be imposed, to ensure safety to the community. -He is a danger to the community, there is no set of conditions and -bond will be denied. -This is an initial appearance, and not an arraignment. -He will be detained without bail. -The grand jury will meet and there will be an indictment. -At that time, there will be an arraignment, and he will plead not guilty, which is standard in a case such as this one. If anyone has more up-to-date information on this, please post. In other words, is today’s appearance an official arraignment where Wood entered a plea, or not? At this point, I am not seeing that any not guilty plea has been entered, but I could be wrong. Candlelight march for Hailey Owens This article has information about the Saturday planned candlelight vigil for Hailey Owens, and it also includes a timeline of events in the case, from the beginning. http://southcountymail.com/n2rogersville/candlelight-march-for-hailey-owens/article_342a7bd2-9993-11e3-9070-001a4bcf887a.html Juror breaks her silence on Dunn trial Girlp says: A good guy!!!!!!!!! Really!!!!!!! I can accept second degree but the other things she’s saying…..not I know, huh. Thanks for posting … A good guy???? Yes, good for nothin’ I just realized the Dunn thread is still open for discussion. Okay, thank you. Fred is writing a post, and on my screen, I only see replies back to me, as they appear. Seems odd, but we do not receive notice on the same comments! Mo. coach charged in girl’s death heads to court http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/ap/ap/top-news/mo-coach-charged-in-girls-death-heads-to-court/ndXFq/ First appearance today. It will be video court, I believe I heard. Black female juror in Dunn trial is interviewed……oh well….hmmm Alina Machado…….. Alina is the reporter….my bad…they really do a good job choosing minority jurors Of course she believed what she wanted to believe, for her own reasons. Like Maddie, she gave an incomprehensible interview, coming up with some really stupid statements that were wrong on their face. But if you try to argue with a person who forms her beliefs from “tossed salad thinking,” you can’t achieve anything trying to appeal to logic. I think this juror: (a) wanted it to NOT be about race; (b) has/had no affection for young African American males; (c) wants to be seen as a magnificently unusual and fascinating person who rises head and shoulders above others because of her unique qualities; and (d) feels really great now, feels like FINALLY history has found her and given her a bit of the distinction she always knew she deserved. When folks stop raving over her public coming out party (either positively or negatively) she may come to realize that she has been used and discarded and it all may taste very different to her then. She’s a racist murderer’s wet dream. Oh, and the arrogant comment that she would say to Jordan’s parents “I fought hard for your son,” that’s in a category with Maddie’s disgusting comment that “I felt worse than Trayvon Martin’s mother.” Both the jurors interviewed, so far, appear to be malleable. IOW, they are not going to really try to fight someone who is holding out for a hung jury, nor are they going to say anything that is “not nice. IMO, there must have been one hard nut fight for a conviction, otherwise a hard holdout would have run roughshod over these two to get a not-guilty. That is how Fogen got off. There was no one with stones to back Trayvon. Nice guy??? Nice guys do not pull out guns to settle arguments. What’s with “nice guy” anyway? Who cares? BEFORE the case was presented she thought he was a “nice guy”? Based on exactly what? Listening to the news tonight, I am of the understanding that Hailey was not dismembered. They mention two totes stacked, but one had papers in it and the other had the body. She was folded in half and placed inside two trash bags. They had a visual example. It was one trash bag inside another trash bag. Double-bagged. I re-read the police report and believe this is true. I also thought she was in two bags and two totes until seeing the news. Thanks for mentioning that. bgesq says: o/t: second Dunn juror speaks to cnn- repeated in part at mediaite- sorry if this was posted already,I’d like to see/hear whole interview; http://www.mediaite.com/tv/michael-dunn-juror-race-was-never-a-factor-in-the-verdict/ better link:http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/20/justice/florida-loud-music-case/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 Ok….did not see thst comment before I posted below I wonder if Wood was sloppy because he wanted to get caught – that’s apparently sometimes a factor with serial killers. Just as one can not see a forrest when you concentrate on a single tree an vice a verca . Its wrong to label such monsters serial killers . This particular peice of human exreament appears to be a peadaphile with a lust for young girls, The Killing may or not play some part in his sick perversion.. More likely Its just his way of dissposing of his object of lust once he has finished , He objectifys his victims as nothing more than his sexuall deviant wants come to friutition. Often lust killers whom have struck often an got away with it do become more an more brazen I doubt its a subcounsious want to get caught but more that when they see an ideal victim who fufills there needs. They laser In on the victim an the fact that theres a high risk of detection.. Becomes imaterial There desires overwhelm them makeing them blind to all but there target. The environment around there victim becomes a forrest an there victim the Tree. Colin, We still don’t know if he raped this child. He may not have had time if that was his motive. Also, we don’t know if he had a preference for children. Not all violent offenders have an age preference. For some it is a matter of convenience. The kid in Colorado is a prime example. He will be subjected to numerous evaluations over the months to come, and as the professor stated LE will do their best to determine if he can be tied to any other crimes or missing person cases. Right now he is not speaking. I was talking to a coworker today (a psychologist who has extensive experience working with violent offenders) and he agreed that it is almost unheard of for a man his age to go from zero to murder of a child. If this man has never killed before, he is a rare case. Lord, this is exactly why I sit outside when my kids are playing. I don’t let any of my children walk alone, not the boys or the girl, they like to say I’m overprotective, but I know this cruel world we live in. a world where people pry on the weak and on our children like, Dunn, Zimmerman, Castro, and this bastard! Something have to change with this justice system, when you can get off for murdering a kid, get a couple of years for sexually assaulting a child or probation and your name added to a damn list, but get 30 years for a drug crime I say again something is Damn wrong. People that harm our children should never see the light of day again. One thing I can pretty much guarantee, Craig Wood will be facing the DP and based upon cases of this nature committed in Missouri, will get the DP if he doesn’t plead guilty, in exchange for taking the DP off the table. There is absolutely no rhym or reason. It is so sad that children are not safe in their own neighborhood. Parents can’t even feel safe to allow their children to leave the house unaccompanied. The scary thing is the presence of adults did not deter him. At least for once the family is not coming out in his defense. Instead his father has been quoted as sharing in the communities shock, despair and anger over this tragedy. The parents cooperated fully with LE during their investigation, and have in no way tried to claim this couldn’t have been their son. At least so far. Hailey did everything right too – ignoring the man. So parents will now have to provide further teaching – Don’t talk on the cell phone while walking. Pay attention. Be aware of your environment. If someone asks for directions or calls to / approaches you, move quickly towards safety. Maybe parents need to escort children home Good advice except the cell phone . Tell them to not only get on cell phone but to either if possible dial emergency number straight away so perp can hear. I know most Children are not sophisticated to be aware an calm when faced with stranger danger. But I f she had switched her converstion as to one with an imaginary emergency telephone operater.Describe make of car licence plate ect. That would scare 99 percent of abducters of. One thing I teach my children, is that an adult is smarter than you, they know more than you, there is nothing they should have to ask you . I tell them never say a word when an adult ask them for any information, they are to take off running screaming fire, because Americans don’t respond to the word help as we learned from the Zimmerman trial. Its an old saying but I tell them its better to be a live chicken than a dead duck. Run baby and fight that’s what I teach them. Great idea. My point about the cell phone is that it seemed that the child was more interested in talking with the other person than dealing with the man. She ignored him. If she would have focused on the situation (aware that she was in possible danger versus viewing the man as a distraction to her call), she might have made an even better choice of action. I pictured the situation that she wasn’t even looking at the man, so he could easily get out of the car and easily grab her and toss her “like a rag doll”…. In adding more details, it looks like i’m blaming the victim. No – just means that parents need to teach children to not be distracted by talking to their friends and be oblivious to what is going on around them. OTOH, if the child had not been distracted by the phone call, perhaps she would have approached the man and helped him with directions. I like to hope that there is a way for children to avoid being kidnapped and harmed. But as “The Art of War” teaches, the VICTIM does not know what is formulating in the mind of the PERP. A child is walking along talking on the cell phone. OK. Should she be watching out all around herself like a soldier in Falujah? One cannot live one’s life that way, child OR adult. In fact, constant fear of the dangerous other is the attitude that produces murderers like Fogen. I don’t think there’s any lesson to be learned about the victim’s conduct in this case; there’s a lesson to be learned about how our society will deal with this crime, of course, and how our society will deal with this criminal. But I am so TIRED of getting my graduate degree over and over and over again in this subject… At least the neighbors, the police and the bystanders (and the victim) did what we hope our citizens will always do: try to protect and obtain justice for the VICTIM, not enhance and embolden the perp. OK, was this eight-year-old beating the man to death or did he hold a stick or what? Anybody know if he had music on him or something? Wearing a hoodie? WHAT? ❓ ❓ ❓ Has the poor victimized innocent gun-bearer entered his self-defense plea yet? Someone on another blog wondered why the Dunn trial didn’t get as much attention as the Zimmerman trial. The main reason is that Zimmerman was not charged. It was in your face that murder of a black kid was so okay that the police didn’t charge a person. With Dunn, he was charged and held without bail. So the huge population didn’t have to be as vigilant to make sure justice would be carried out. another interesting case (no attempted murder charge) http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/dallas-boy-8-recovering-shot-face-article-1.1476503 This is from October last year. ” A motive for the shooting wasn’t known, though witnesses said Cloninger, 46, was waving a gun at people before the shooting, cops said. Cloninger was charged with injury to a child and being held at Dallas County Jail on $2.2 million bond.” his bail was recently reduced to 1million, IIRC JJ, same reason all the other black on white or black on black or white on white, asian, HIspanic, purple doesn’t gain national attention – the perps are arrested and mostly adequately prosecuted, except non-violent crime seems to get people in more trouble than violent crime. : / Here’s an article in the Baxter Bulletin about Craig Michael Wood. (H/T to Vicky for the link) Apparently, he grew up in Springfield and graduated from high school there. People who knew him are stunned. The article says he is going to be arraigned tomorrow, but I believe it’s an initial appearance for the judge to go over his rights with him, confirm counsel, review the affidavit for probable cause and consider setting conditions of release. The affidavit establishes probable cause (reasonable grounds to believe he committed the crimes charged) and bail ain’t going to happen for this guy. Look for him to be detained without bail to be followed by a grand jury indictment within the next few weeks. The arraignment will take place after he is indicted. This is probably going to be a death penalty case. We don’t have sirens yet, but: National Wx Auth ‏@NationalWxAuth 1m 520 PM CST THU FEB 20 2014 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO… http://fb.me/3pGBg1o92 To clarify, I believe this is NWS Paducah, that has issued a warning for S/Cen Illinois. 3 surrounding counties in KY warned as well. Thanks. I am phobic, have been since I was a child, so I admit I get almost sick with the storms! Rescue Remedy :(homeopathic drops) work great for stuff like that. And do stay safe – I grew up in tornado country and it’s no fun. Never heard of that, thank you! This morning, it is sunny, and beautiful! Thanks for letting me know. I checked the weather.com site and the severe weather is a wide band from Louisiana + Mississippi to Ohio. My family in Louisiana is affected by this severe weather threat. Hope that you’all have a safe place to be and that the threat does not result in any damage or harm to you or your loved ones. There are usually 67 tornadoes to date, but in 2014 there have only been 4. Thank you, we are good. We are under five weather advisories, but still okay, so no worries. I hope your family is all right also! Although i would rather focus on Hailey at this point. Here is an article about Craig Wood. Gives a bit if insight on his background. http://www.baxterbulletin.com/article/20140220/NEWS01/140220006/Who-Craig-Michael-Wood- Totally weird and incomprehensible; are we sure they have the right guy? If I had a dollar for every reaction of stunned disbelief to the arrest of a violent killer, I wouldn’t have to plague you guys for donations. OT: It is a weekday afternoon and it sounds like a freaking war zone outside. Steady gunfire. Non-stop, for the past several minutes. I don’t mind if people do some target practice, but this is ridiculous, they need to take it to the range. Little kids outside, neighborhoods, and just bam bam bam bam bam bam bam BAM BAM bam bam. I used to live in the country near a parcel of state land. Very peaceful and it was outside town limits in the county, so houses spread out on acreage. Once in awhile someone would go out shooting in there. – probably shooting bottles or cans. Not a big deal – plenty of room . But one day I watched an idiot dressed in camoflague (sp – sorry) walking up and down the fenceline shooting at god knows what, right along the road which has homes on acreage along the other side of the road – like uh, my house, with children in it.. I called the SO to complain, because I felt it was unsafe – after all, I could have ended up with a bullet through my house, and I’ll be damned if the SO wouldn’t do a damn thing about it. For one thing, technically you’re supposed to have a permit to even WALK on state land, though many people liked to hike and walk their dogs there, for another, I don’t think it was any type of hunting season and even if it was, this was just a parcel of state land, and leased by a rancher to run his cows on (there were other critters like deer, javelina, pronghorn, probably cougar and once a baby bear showed up out of there — but the parcel was surrounded on at least three sides with homes, so it wasn’t all at safe for hunters and likely not allowed under state law. So yeah, that bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, can be lots of fun until some icareless person hurts someone. Well, exactly. This small area around here has woods for sure, but it is not in the middle of the woods by any means. Plus, people walk in the woods, and walk along the creeks. It is more residential than woods, and there are many children, and I would say that a majority of the families have pets. I really don’t think they are supposed to be doing this around here. There are ‘no hunting’ signs posted as well. They need to go to an uninhabited area, or a range, IMO. Plus, it is loud, and annoying. Love Jessica Williams!!! Her bits are soooo good. She is really good, I agree. If Craig Wood is a serial killer, he may have information about the locations of the remains of his victims that he could offer in exchange for a life without parole sentence. I suspect he is a serial killer. If he was able to kill her and dismember her body that quickly, he knew exactly what he was doing and has probably done it before. I just read the article posted below – apparently he was an avid hunter, though the anatomy is different, those could be transferable “skills.” BTW, I am not saying this guy is a serial killer. Due to the indicators that I mentioned, I’m saying he might be. Whether he is or not will be determined by others who have access to the evidence. I can’t even imagine the pain this family must be going through. On the home front, I’m quite disturbed. I’ve been happy that S. Cali has restrictive conceal carry laws and that for the most part, people don’t carry outside their homes unless they have good reason – not just fear, but for career reasons, business people carrying valuables and cash, etc. This limited the number of people who had permits. Good cause also mandated that you show evidence of a clear and present danger to life or of great bodily harm to the applicant. Then I wake up to a headline that Orange County SO is easing permit rules for concealed guns because of “a recent federal court appellate decision that deemed many urban counties in California to be overly restrictive in saying who can an who can’t carry a concealed weapon.” Previously there was a good cause standard that makes total sense. Watcha wanna bet that shootings increase, that we end up with SYG, and well, you get the picture . . . I felt relatively safe here in the big city surburbs without the presence of a lot of guns, even with gang activity and the sheer numbers of unpredictable people. However, San Diego County is appealing the matter and it may affect Orange County’s adoption of it and people who get a new permit may have to reapply. And of course each urban county has their version of what good cause is, so some may be stricter than others. OC has traditionally been a conservative stronghold (though getting a little less so)- but don’t forget, this is where murdering cops Ramos and Cicinelli just waltzed out of a Santa Ana courtroom with not guilty verdicts for the beating death of Kelly Thomas. Now I don’t, because although I have nothing to fear from responsible gun owners, we all know damn well there will be plenty of non-responsible gun owners rushing out to maintain their “God-given” 2nd amendment rights. I may be leaving this country far sooner than I planned! : / This is looking real ugly. I am so sad. To me, the worst crime in the world is stealing the life of the young. The Charley Project profiles over 9,000 “cold case” missing people mainly from the United States. It does not actively investigate cases; it is merely a publicity vehicle for missing people who are often neglected by the press and forgotten all too soon. http://www.charleyproject.org/ Springfield, MO has an unsolved disappearance case from June, 1992. Three females (a mother, her daughter and her daughter’s friend disappeared without a trace from the 1700 block of E. Delmar St. The girls had graduated from high school earlier in the day and returned to the mother’s home @ 2:15 am after attending a party. The residence from which they disappeared is 0.9 miles from Craig Wood’s residence at 1538 E. Stanford St. The distance can be driven in 4 minutes, according to Google. Here’s a link to Google maps showing the route. I don’t know where Craig Wood was living in 1992 or even if he lived in MO. He started working for the Springfield Public Schools in 1998. He would have been about 25-years-old in 1992. The mother’s name is Sherill Levitt. Her daughter’s name is Suzanne Streeter and her friend’s name is Stacy McCall. Go here to read more about this puzzling case. I am going to check, but I don’t think he lived in that particular house back then, but his family lived in the area then. This article shows that luminal will detect blood stains on concrete that are exposed to months of weathering. And blood diluted by rain merely spreads the stain. http://www.acsr.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Shimamoto-DeFrance-Adair-o.pdf Quote from link: Visible Stains. As the original bloodstains faded and were washed off by rain, they left behind an outlined image of the original x-shaped bloodstain. This appears to indicate that despite the volume of blood present, the stain failed to penetrate the concrete immediately below the original deposition. However, as the rain washed the blood away from the original stain, the diluted blood stained the surrounding concrete. This resulted in an outlined image of the original stain (Figure 3). With time, the weathering washed away the original surface deposition of blood and the stains left in the concrete became increasingly faint. Figure 4 shows the progression of grid 5M from day 1 to day 376 under normal lighting. The visits to the site were more frequent during early stages of the study when the visible changes to the pattern were more rapid and became less frequent as the difference was less dramatic. By day 6, the dried blood volume on the surface of the cement had already largely washed away and left only the outline described above. This outline persisted until day 95, by which time…” By now, the forensic investigators have probably sprayed the basement floor with Luminol and photographed the results. Luminol is very sensitive and luminesces in the presence of blood that cannot be seen by the unaided eye. Despite his efforts to clean-up the scene with bleach, I would expect Luminol to react. I read that it picks up the iron molecule from the blood that tends to get into any porous material. As anybody who has dealt with hard water stains from a well knows, that shit is there permanently. The exception, of course, being blood from Afro-Peruvians, who have mythical black sisters and mentor virtual children. This article shows that cleaned concrete will test positive. [I embedded your link] Yeah, that one in FL is still claiming he had blood in his eyes, LOLOL! At mid-morning Wednesday, police confirmed another crime scene related to this case is at Dutch Maid Laundry, 526 S. National Ave., near Elm Street. That’s a laundromat. FBI agents were looking through the washers and dryers there. They were there from about 3 a.m. until about 10:30 a.m., when the business reopened. http://www.ky3.com/news/local/breaking-news-man-charged-with-murder-in-case-of-missing-springfield-girl/21048998_24555750 Hmm. Washed his clothes? Presumably, he was attempting to wash the blood out of his clothes. If he had a washer and dryer at home, this diversion is another indicator of someone who either planned carefully or had done this before. Interesting. I wonder what led the police to the laundromat, and what did they find there. No idea for sure, assuming someone called. Also wondering about the FBI involvement. I suspect this crime may be the work of a serial killer because of how quickly he dismembered the body and packaged the parts in 2 plastic garbage bags for easy and quick disposal. He also cleaned the area where he dismembered the body. Apparently, he didn’t have any duct tape to complete the packaging process and went out to acquire some. Police arrived at his house a few minutes before he returned. He had the duct tape in his hands when he got out of his vehicle. If he had enough duct tape on hand to complete the task, he might have gotten away with her body before the police arrived and disposed of the plastic bags at widely separated locations by weighting them down and depositing them in bodies of water or burying them in remote locations. Prosecutors might not have been able to convict him without her remains. I don’t believe she is his first kill and I suspect local authorities and the FBI are investigating that possibility. Springfield is in Greene County, which has 30 missing people, a disproportionately high number for its population. Six, including Hailey Owens, are juvenile females (i.e., under age 18). There are very few missing people in the counties adjoining Greene County. To minimize the possibility of arrest and prosecution, serial killers usually try to avoid hunting and killing in their own backyard, so to speak. Needless to say, there are exceptions. One other thing to consider, given the speed with which he dismembered her body is his conviction for poaching. How much do you want to bet there is animal cruelty in is past. Word has it he has never been married, so plenty of time to go out on the hunt. He may also be experienced at cutting-up human bodies. I think there is a lot more to come when it comes to this man. Bryan Stow beating suspects plead guilty in Dodger Stadium assault http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bryan-stow-beating-suspects-plead-guilty-20140220,0,5946300.story#ixzz2ttAqAx23 If you watch the sentencing, in the video above, one of the suspects who pleaded guilty is actually smiling, nearly laughing. Their sentence is unbelievably disgusting… Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of mayhem in exchange for ONLY eight years in prison. Norwood was sentenced to ONLY four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to assault causing great bodily injury. Right. Saw that. That was my sentence. Underscores, one more time, how fucked up the so-called criminal justice system is. My son just got convicted to a 12 Stipulated Sentence for a non-violent offense in which there was no evidence he participated in… May 29, 2013… Colorado Springs Task Force positively identified “Poncho” (James Daryl Davis) as the driver of Shanel’s Saturn while conducting a drug deal with Janine Knight-Bauserman. June 5, 2013…. SWAT found NO drugs, guns, money or stolen property on AJ’s person, in his apartment, nor in AJ’s or Shanel’s vehicles. However Poncho was busted with 21.6 grams of methamphetamines in his pocket. Per AJ’s attorney Dennis Hartley (Timothy McVeigh) ALL evidence against AJ is circumstantial hearsay by Janine, Poncho and Undercover Police Officer (who only saw an arm sticking out of a car window). Janine and Poncho’s immunity was contingent upon AJ’s choice to go to trial. If AJ took a plea bargain of 24-48 (1st offer in Sept. 2013) (2nd offer in Nov. 2013) and last offer of 12 Stipulated (3rd offer in Jan. 2014… Stipulated meaning not more than 12 years) they could keep their immunity, however if in fact AJ chose trial, the terms of their immunity would be revoked if they didn’t testify against him, in turn they would be prosecuted for drugs, money and guns. AJ’s choice # 1 1) Go to trial and have Poncho, Janine and Undercover Cop testify against him. a) AJ was on parole b) AJ is a 3rd Strike Felon c) Not getting a jury of his peers d) Black Man e) Tattoos Guaranteed AJ would be convicted of Special Offender Charges in Colorado: 1) Drugs w/ access to gun (no drugs, money, stolen property & no gun were found) 2) Drugs within X(?) proximity to school (AJ lived across the street from middle school) 3) Convicted felon (yep) AJ was also told he was going to be charged with possession, manufacturing and distribution. Three (3) more felony’s putting him over the 3 Strike Law… 48-64 yrs. which also could and probably would be doubled and extended 96-144 yrs. if he went to court and was found guilty. Guaranteed he would be, based on the testimony of “Poncho” Janine and the Undercover Officer, AJ’s 3rd strike, a jury of white people NOT his peers who see a young black man as guilty just because of his skin color. Remember a large segment of the white population harbors the view ALL black males are dangerous. 1) 12 years Stipulated, no additional time or sentencing could be added 2) Time served: 8 months to be applied to his sentence = 1 yr off 3) Good time based on 10 days credited to his sentence every month 4) The opportunity to get into the SWIFT Program (State Wildland Inmate Firefighting Team) = Day for day time served (fire school, firefighting, cutting fire trails etc. works 30 days gets 30 days Good Time Credit plus $300 a month) 5) Free classes and education toward and degree 6) Due to all of the above AJ may be able to work off/serve 1/3 of his time and be released in 4-6 years It’s extortion, but what else can one do when the system is corrupt? Cases like AJ’s are one of the major reasons why I left the practice of law. Meanwhile the guys in California who beat the Giant fan to the brink of death in the parking lot at Dodger Stadium causing permanent brain injuries were sentenced to less time. Nothing makes sense anymore. I am so sorry. I effing hate the corrupt system, I swear to God, I will continue to write, shout, scream…until my last breath. Meanwhile- Two men, who nearly BEAT someone to death, one of which who laughed at his sentencing, will WALK home free, while others who never hurt anyone do more time, harder time…I want to scream!! @ Professor and Crane… These mistrial’s, not guilty’s and low sentence verdicts for those who are so obviously guilty piss me off beyond belief. I agree, it’s outrageous. I’m not familiar with this case. Can someone quickly explain why these fools beat this man? What was their reasoning? Because he was a fan of a sports team that they didn’t like. The crime was violent, senseless, horrific…The man was a paramedic, but the beating left him disabled. Terrible. No reason at all. Only positive note here is that the LAPD actually caught them. I remember when it happened, authorities were seeking the publics help and for awhile had nothing. When law enforcement does it’s complex job well, it deserves credit. There is that, I guess. The case is so heartbreaking. A Baseball Game. A Stop and Go. A Walk Home with some Candy. It’s enough to make one pause Ms. Crane.. It really is. It’s enough. shaking my head silk says: I’m not good at writing so please bear with me a moment. Last nite this article was placed on the dunn case so wen I read the comments on this child being murder , the comments was stating how people value the death of trayvon as a thug.. I can only imagine what this beautiful innocent child saw in her last moments of life.. Thank you silk. It is amazing how hateful the comment threads are, at some of the sites. Maybe parents need to escort children home. Hailey did do everything right as did the witnesses. I do agree with CS, in that it is unlikely this man has not offended in the past. If not, he is an exception to the rule. OMG! We should start looking at some new statistics regarding violent crime: grown man-on-child Here is the initial Amber Alert: http://www.kctv5.com/story/24758656/amber-alert-issued-for-10-year-old-girl-out-of-springfield I live in NE Kansas and my cell phone began alerting (x3) at about 8:30. Facebook began sending out messages around 7:45. The people who saw the kidnapping, plus others who responded to the Amber Alert…heartbreaking. And haunting. This could become a death penalty case Already Is for Hailey Owens They got the search warrant and discovered the body the next day. Actually, they were at his home and waiting for him within three hours of the abduction. They conducted a welfare check for her soon thereafter, discovered what they believed to be remains in a tote in the basement, obtained a search warrant and found her body around 3:00 a.m. Given the timeframe, and all of the circumstances, I would say everything that could possibly have been done to save this child was done. A friend’s niece lives in east Springfield and her daughter attends the school Dunn taught at. People there are very supportive of the police response. They are much more concerned with the fact that a monster was lurking in their school system. sorry, I meant Wood not Dunn. 🙂 Missouri is extremely intolerant of crimes against children, especially those that result in death. If he doesn’t plead guilty, it will be a DP case. Not so sure they will offer him a plea, to be honest. What’s the timeline here? How long after the guy grabbed this child was there a search of his home and discovery of the body? Timeline of events in Hailey Owens case http://www.kctv5.com/story/24765582/timeline-of-events Nancy Grace, police chief on people chasing the vehicle, in vain: This is horrible breaks my heart poor baby. What kind of person does this how does his brain work….demented I am thinking that a serial killer thinks this way, for real. Having a hard time believing this is the only thing he has ever done, in terms of violence. I saw your map most likely not his first time or only one he’s too old and organized for this to have been his first victim Certainly strange, even if coincidental. Tried to watch but really can’t handle Nancy Grace. [choke, sniff, sniff] Oh I hear you. I almost didn’t post it! Just wondering. How could a citizen armed with a gun have changed the outcome of this incident in MO. How could they shoot without putting others in danger, shooting at tires of an escaping vehicle, … If they accidentally shot someone – even with good intentions – they could be a defendant in a trial. And I’m trying to figure out is that why is wood still alive. Forgive me. Last nite I read the article and I actually seen a few zimmerman suPporters crusing trayvons death over this child.. I have played the tape out of this horrific death of this little girl .. I actually seen a few zimmerman suPporters crusing trayvons death over this child.. I’m sorry; I can’t figure out what this means. Some of Fogen’s supporters are doing what? I would think this child-killer is completely different from what happened in the Fogen murder case. ??? Hi silk, can you clarify a bit? Unreal!!! May god bless this child. Indeed, G-d Bless this child. So heartbreaking. Shattering! I know I have said that I am against the death penalty, but in a case like this, I kind of reconsider. I mean there is NO reason for this at all. NONE!!! He didn’t even know this kid. When it comes to something like this, I can see no reason he should live. Ditto everything Rachael said. Actually, he may have known her. She earlier went to the school where he worked, perhaps as recently as the previous school year. Horrible. No words… On Dunn: Just took an unhurried look at Dunn’s “Black Friday” letter. I think he had help penning this, and that it was designed to deceive. Within the first two graphs he sets up to both place and deflect blame. To avoid looking like a clod who sends his girlfriend in for wine while sitting on his ass, Dunn claims the SUV was “parked too close” to the line “of its space for me to exit.” Snort. Only after parking, he says, did the “blaring” start up. So how long was Rhonda dilly-dallying in the parked car before going into the store? She claimed he said he hated that “thug music” and that she said “I know.” He claimed he said “rap crap.” Did either of these two dunderheads consider reparking their car elsewhere … or just moving on without the gas station wine? I think Dunn was spoiling for trouble and deliberately squeezed into that space. i On any retrial, the State needs to eviscerate Dunn with details of that letter. Thank you, TO. I know the letter was linked in a previous thread, but here is a link again, for anyone who is interested: http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/local/michael-dunn-trial/2014/02/17/dunn-black-friday-letter/5560847/ Another fave passage: Dunn: “At the time, I had no idea that anyone had been hit.” By what. you weasel … lightning? A regular guy, not writing to cover his ass, would say; “At the time, I had no idea I’d shot someone dead.” Cannot help but wonder what he means by “mean” and “menacing looking.” Also, wondering what he means by “racial diatribe.” Just finished reading the scripted, absurd letter. I think instructions to write that letter and word combos like “racial diatribe” etc. were supplied by counsel. Not necessarily Strolla, who came in later, but maybe that first attorney who was busy blathering to the media and who got dumped. How do you get racial diatribe out of the word “motherfucker?” I mean, how do you make the leap? Dunno on that leap 🙂 As for “mean” and menacing” … we saw those kids on the stand. Was Dunn trying to convey, uh, balaaack? “He looks bu-lakk.” That’s bull. If a normal person fired 10 shots into a vehicle with 4 people in it, they would assume that they’d hit somebody To I’m wondering if old bastard dunn writes to Ronda now I’m thinking ah not. I wonder what would have happened if poor old Ronda refused to get in the car that night. I keep thinking of the song Help me Ronda. About the poor child murder I’m not sure if my mind can take anymore filthy people at the moment. How the parents cope I will never understand and with such grace. Intriguing hypothetical, Patd — If Rhonda had refused to get in car, he could have vamoosed without her. Not good for him. But if he’d stuck around to fetch her until after cops came, he wouldn’t have been accused of leaving scene, going to hotel for drinkies, pizza and shuteye, and heading on home without calling cops. Lately, he likely could have gotten bail. By meekly following Dunn’s orders, Rhonda had access to what happened after shooting (he never mentioned a shotgun to her) and ended up helping the jury that convicted this liar. Later, not lately. TrainedObserver It was very interesting reading your thoughts on what could have happened if Ronda had not gotten in the car. So the conclusion is good that she did but luck Shawn Aikens got the plate number. One thing The asshole should not have done was get on the stand.Wonder whose brilliant idea that was. Guess he thought if he couldn’t dazzle them with his brains he’d baffle them with his bullshit. It didn’t work quite as we’ll as he expected thank god. He had no choice because he would not have gotten a self-defense instruction without testifying. Until he testified, there was no evidence of self-defense. Without evidence of self-defense, the judge could not have instructed the jury on self-defense. It worked out beautifully for Dunn. It kept him from being convicted of murder… so far. Like the SO FAR aspect. Now, if retried and Dunn gets on stand again, he’s stuck spinning his yarns without impeaching his earlier testimony … and Corey’s team can pick him apart with more precision. Pitiful. Looks like they got their man. Anybody who works with or is around children ratest unwavering scrutiny. Doubt that? Think Jerry Sandusky. So sad, here everything was provided, a good description and even the license plate of the car and it was still too late to save her. Right, people witnessed the kidnapping, apparently, and tried to do something. Awful. My god…snd I bet people thought he was such an upstanding citizen with a good reputation……..you knever know who a perdon really is…..yes their past history may be an indication of the type of individual they are but many prople are good at hiding their true colors….they are seen as a certain type of individual where as they might be the exact opposite in their home life……………….and too think we tend to look down on drug users and alcoholics and thieves and expect that tyoe of behavior from them…….when child abusers come from all classes and socioeconomic bacground….they are teachers, pastors,policeofficers, construcyion workers and the list goex on and on Good point- we really don’t know. I don’t know any other way to put it. I hope they fry this bastard I much rather see him spend a long time in a cell where he will co-habit an area with people who don’t much care for those who pick on children. Good morning LLMPapa. It is a terrible case. Made me run and pull up the missing persons map of Missouri. Aside from the two large Missouri cities St. Louis and Kansas City, Greene County has the largest number of missing persons. Could be a total coincidence, but somehow I think police are looking at that. Here is the map I am referring to: http://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/CJ51/map.jsp ed nelson says: Maybe they will, but Let’s hope they have a competant legal proceedings to ascertain his guilt or innocense… first! Not that it always works too good. You got to keep rule of law in there ya know, or else, they ain’t much to hold things together, in these weird times. Looks like, had he not gone to the store for duct tape, the body may have never been found. I am speculating (and maybe I shouldn’t!) that the duct tape he was holding, and that he tossed into the truck bed when the police arrived- that he was planning to use the tape to seal the bags- and then conceal the body somewhere else. This is pure speculation at this point, but odd that he would not want the police to see the tape, if his intention was to use it for ordinary repair in the home, for example. Ah. I see. That makes sense. Hate to say, wondering if he has done this before. Leave a Reply to neveragain Cancel reply	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412457
__label__wiki	0.934641	0.934641	Idiom ∕ Xu hướng Xem thêm: sectarian bombing Sunday Easter trong tin tức easter sunday - chủ nhật Các câu ví dụ và ý nghĩa Chọn câu để xem ý nghĩa In his speech, Rajapaksa also pledged to prioritize national security following suicide attacks this past Easter Sunday that killed 269 people, and to follow a neutral foreign policy. Sri Lankan security officials have warned that radical militants behind Easter Sunday's suicide bombings are planning imminent attacks and could be dressed in military uniforms. On Easter Sunday, at the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo, he put those words into action. The raids came after the coordinated attacks on Easter Sunday, which killed 253 people, including many worshipers attending Easter Mass services. Colombo, Sri Lanka (CNN)Sri Lankan security forces were involved in a shootout and seized bomb-making equipment during raids in the eastern part of the country Friday, as they searched for suspects linked to the Easter Sunday bombings. Following Sri Lanka’s Easter tragedy, high-ranking Democrats engaged in a game of semantics gymnastics, dancing around the name of ‘Christians’. Colombo, Sri Lanka (CNN) — Early warnings from India's intelligence services to Sri Lankan officials ahead of the Easter Sunday bombings were based on information gleaned from an ISIS suspect, CNN has learned. On Easter Sunday, at least 320 people were killed and 500 others injured when a total of eight explosions targeted eight different locations in and outside Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka. (CNN) — The calm of Easter Sunday was shattered by gruesome bombings that killed at least 290 people in Sri Lankan churches and hotels. Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also condemned the attacks "targeting innocent people in churches and hotels during Easter". The Sri Lankan government has blamed the National Thowfeek Jamaath, a little known Muslim militant group, for the coordinated attacks on churches and hotels that rocked the island nation on Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday blasts across Sri Lanka Easter Sunday blasts across Sri Lanka -- live updates Churches and hotels attacked on Easter Trouble flared when police entered Creggan area to carry out searches on "dissident republicans" who they believed were storing firearms and explosives for a number of planned attacks over Easter weekend, the police said in a statement. Thursday's unrest in Derry comes in advance of Easter weekend, during which republicans mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, considered among the most important dates in the struggle for Irish independence. London (CNN) — Sending lawmakers off on an unexpected Easter break after the Brexit deadline was extended for six months, Theresa May told them to use the opportunity to "reflect" on how to get out of the current stalemate that has left the UK in limbo. Go the extra mile with your Easter eggs and turn them into something amazing! Easter is a highlight of the food calendar, and who doesn't love roast lamb and hot cross buns? BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said one government minister had told her that the delay could mean a Conservative Party leadership contest after Easter, with potentially a new prime minister by June.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412461
__label__wiki	0.681368	0.681368	Video Games News, Reviews & Guides Publisher - Video Games News, Reviews & Guides New Super Lucky’s Tale for Switch Handheld Gameplay Revealed Rajesh V Oct 22, 2019 0 Playful Studio has published a new gameplay video of New Super Lucky's Tale for Nintendo Switch, this time showing the game in the portable mode of the console, being able to see directly how it looks on your screen. It is a 3D platform… Luigi’s Mansion 3 New Gameplay Clips & Official Website Revealed Andy Oct 4, 2019 0 Nintendo has recently opened the official Japanese website dedicated to Luigi's Mansion 3, in which some video clips from the title were published. The website has a curious design based especially on the game, where even a loading… My Hero One’s Justice 2 First Gameplay & Characters Revealed Rajesh V Oct 3, 2019 0 My Hero One's Justice 2 is already a reality, so Izuku Midoriya and fans of the company are eager to hear about some news on the sequel. According to reports, the game will be present at New York Comic-Con 2019, so we will soon know more… Watch The Death Stranding 49-Minutes Gameplay Demo Live Here Rajesh V Sep 12, 2019 0 If you thought you had seen little gameplay of Death Stranding, Hideo Kojima is willing to change your mind. As he had announced in advance, Metal Gear's father has taken the stage of the Tokyo Game Show 2019 to present nothing more and… Marvel’s Avengers: Here’s The Plot of the New Gameplay Shown Behind Closed Doors At… Rajesh V Jul 19, 2019 0 Today at Comic-Con in San Diego, Marvel Games took a closer look at what fans can expect from Square-Enix and Crystal Dynamic's for their Marvel's Avengers. After giving us a look at E3 last month, and leaving us a bit with a bitter taste,… Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Extended Gameplay Video Released Rajesh V Jun 25, 2019 0 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the new action adventure of Respawn Entertainment, former creators of Titanfall and Apex Legends. In the role of Cal, padawan rescued from Order 66, we will have to become part of the rebellion and escape the… E3 2019: Luigi’s Mansion 3 Releases in 2019, Gameplay Video Revealed During one of the most awaited conferences of this year's famous Los Angeles festival, something more was finally revealed about one of the most anticipated titles from Nintendo fans. We are indeed talking about the particular and very… E3 2019: Battletoads Gameplay Revealed for Xbox One Since last year, Xbox was responsible for raising the hype of old school fans with the revelation that Battletoads would return and yesterday, in the context of E3 2019, a new gameplay trailer was presented that has given us a perspective… Nioh 2 First Gameplay Video of the Closed Alpha Rajesh V May 23, 2019 0 Yesterday the software house of Team Ninja surprisingly published a tweet about the announcement of Nioh 2. A small video posted by the YouTube channel of PlayStation Europe showed some of its future features, also announcing a closed Alpha… Cyberpunk 2077 Will Be Different from What Was Shown at E3 2018 Rajesh V Apr 22, 2019 0 At E3 2018, CD Projekt showed a long gameplay video of Cyberpunk 2077, and needless to say, it greatly enhanced the fans. However, Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz, the director of the game, tried to dampen the enthusiasm a little, stating that the… Borderlands 3 Gameplay Reveal on May 1st @dinsh Apr 4, 2019 0 Borderlands 3 is one of the most talked-about games of the moment. After the announcement of Gearbox at PAX East in a panel that will also be remembered for a longer-than-expected magic show and a series of technical errors during the… Mortal Kombat 11: First Scorpion Appearance Showcased, Gameplay Reveal on January 17 Rajesh V Jan 14, 2019 0 Let's take a look at the renewed Scorpion in the Mortal Kombat 11 roster thanks to the first full-length image of the character that will be present in the new chapter. The Mortal Kombat 11 development team continues to show some clues… Overkill’s The Walking Dead Closed Beta First Mission’s Gameplay Video Revealed @dinsh Oct 13, 2018 0 The Closed Beta of Overkill's The Walking Dead, the first-person shooter developed by the Payday series based on the famous AMC television series, has been available for a few days ago. The gameplay video, which we have published at the… Resident Evil 2 Licker Battle Gameplay Video Revealed We are getting closer to the release of Resident Evil 2 and Capcom cannot wait for fans to see what they are preparing. That is why it shared a new video on YouTube that shows us more gameplay. When you see it, you will surely tremble… Rumor: Harry Potter RPG AAA Gameplay Footage Leaked @dinsh Oct 2, 2018 0 What a surprise! Some time ago (in April 2017) there was a rumor that Avalanche Software, responsible for the Just Cause saga, was working on a Harry Potter RPG, the wizard created by JK Rowling that has become a success in books and on the… © 2020 - GameTransfers. All Rights Reserved.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412469
__label__wiki	0.575431	0.575431	The Fox the Hedgehog & Knuckles: Sonic Mania collaborative review By Kyle Movius Since Sonic Mania has three playable characters, we decided to do a collaborative review with three writers, each coming from a different direction. I, Kyle Movius, am an old-school 2D Sonic fan. Elisha Deogracias is a fan of the newer 3D Sonic games. Joe DeClara had never played through a Sonic game before Sonic Mania. Enjoy our discussion below. Elisha: Okay, first of all, just wanted to say they nailed the Sonic Mania opening PERFECTLY. It invokes a feeling of nostalgia mixed with some pretty neat animation (from the guy that made the short-lived Sonic: Mega Drive Archie series) and music. Gotta go fast & Knuckles Anyways, it’s a weird thing to talk about nostalgia with the Sonic games, since I’m a bigger fan of the 3D era rather than the Genesis/CD one. (To have an unpopular opinion, I actually really enjoyed Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice.) However, Sonic Mania revitalizes that nostalgic itch quite perfectly, and some of these game’s zones were new to me since I haven’t played through the entirety of the 2D era. Kyle: Well, even if you had played through the entirety of the 2D era, some of these zones would still be new to you. Having been obsessed with Sonic during the 2D era, I can tell you that they’re not all remixed old zones; some of them are 100% new. Studiopolis has never been seen before. Tails running like he’s late for work Press Garden, Mirage Saloon, and Titanic Monarch Zone are totally new as well. But the thing I love about Sonic Mania is that even the old zones are about 50% “Oh yeah, I remember this” and 50% “What the hell!? This is definitely new. Cool!” So the nostalgia value is there, but it’s also a strong, new game on its own merits. And the bosses are so cool! Almost all of those are brand-new with this game. Tails identifies as an attack helicopter. Joe: I’ll second Kyle’s sentiment on the bosses…well, most of the bosses. I’m still working through the early stages of the game, and the second Flying Battery Zone boss is still giving me too much trouble to allow for any endearing feelings from me. As a newcomer to the series (having grown up on the Super Mario series), I’m finding myself totally at odds with the game’s style of challenge. I’ve had to relearn my entire approach to 2D platformers just to get through each level. There’s so much trial and error involved with each new area, I’ve come close to bailing on the game multiple times; but I keep coming back, and I’m not sure if it’s for that challenge or just so I can get my fill on these sweet tunes! Man, is the music good! Elisha: Hyper Potions (the duo that did all of the trailer music and opening), is amazing, and the in-game soundtrack is pretty great too! My friend also just told me that there may be a new generation of gamers with which Sonic Mania is their first 2D Sonic game. It’s so weird to think about how much time has passed since the last 2D Sonic! (To be fair, these are the same kids that tell me they don’t know what a Game Boy is, so eh.) As for the trial and error portion, I feel like that’s what makes games like Mega Man, and more recently Slime-San, so fun; they challenge you to memorize the layout, and eventually you’ll beat that learning curve. Kyle: I’ll admit, Joe, I too have a certain boss that I hate: Metal Sonic from Sonic CD, the one 2D Sonic game that I never played as a kid. I have it on Steam now, and I hate Metal Sonic in his original game, too. You’re not the only one with unpopular opinions, Elisha. To me, the boss fight against Metal Sonic is the absolute worst thing in this entire game. It was a neat idea poorly implemented. Why? Just…why? Sonic does use a different style of platforming from Mario, with several different paths that can be taken through each level. While it may be tempting to just keep running forward and maintain your momentum, you’re often better off if you press down while running to curl into a spiky ball, allowing you to crash straight through most enemies that may be in your path. This will gradually reduce your momentum and may eventually require you to spin-dash to get yourself started again, but you’ll be much safer. Memorizing when certain hazards come up, as Elisha mentioned, is also helpful, and it’s something that’ll happen naturally if you play a zone enough times. Joe: Yeah, coming to that realization required many controller tosses, but it does come. At first, it seems like the most obvious design flaw—interrupting the player’s flow with unforeseeable enemies and spikes in the grass just comes off as rude upon first playing. But that’s part of the language; memorize the level, explore its many branching paths, and stick to the one that works best for you. And holy cow—these levels are huge! One thing I’m definitely enjoying is the depth of each zone and the challenge in unpacking it. Accessing each branching path seems to require a certain skill or ability; executing a jump with the right amount of momentum, getting through a long line of enemies without losing your Thunder Shield, etc. I’ve mostly blundered my way through this game so far, but the one or two times I nailed a specific run unscathed—man, those feel good! Pictured: A huge level, holy cow! Elisha: Yeah, it certainly feels like these levels are some of the biggest I’ve seen in a 2D Sonic. Not sure if either of you played Freedom Planet, but that game had some big levels, which of course Sonic Mania has exceeded in size. I do agree that there are some parts in the design that could be improved, but for the most part, I died because I sucked, not because it was the game’s problem (unlike a lot of the recent Sonic games, where yeah, you’re going to die for no reason). A couple of things that I was annoyed with was the blue sphere special stages (never completed one in Sonic 3 & Knuckles, haven’t completed one in this one yet either), and the save system (which, for me, is more of an annoyance than a flaw). It’s only a 10-minute drawback when I lose all my lives, but it does sting a little. Kyle: I actually haven’t played as Sonic yet. I started off with Knuckles, and now I’m playing with Tails. Their abilities to climb walls and fly for a short distance, respectively, allow for much easier exploration of levels. And if you have a second player for co-op with Sonic & Tails, you can have Tails carry Sonic while flying, enabling him to reach new heights more easily as well. I have actually played Freedom Planet and enjoyed it (haven’t finished it, though), and I agree. Not that the levels in Sonic 2 or Sonic 3 & Knuckles were small, of course, but these things are very large. In fact, I’m kind of surprised that they’ve stuck with the 10-minute time limit for each act—the same amount of time allowed for the older levels. The biggest, most tedious acts in old 2D Sonic (like friggin’ Carnival Night Zone Act 2) would take me 5–8 minutes to complete, but in Mania, almost all of the acts take me that long. I would’ve liked to see the time limit either disappear or expand. Ironically, for me, Sonic games have never really been about going fast as much as having the ability to explore and platform in large levels. The things you learn when you spend hundreds of hours playing Sonic as a kid… It may be just that they became second nature to me as a kid through constant practice, but I’m surprised that you have such difficulty with the blue sphere stages, Elisha. One thing not everybody seems to know: if you get the spheres around the outline of a formation, the entire formation will transform into rings instantly, including both the outer spheres that had turned red after you collected them as well as the internal ones you hadn’t collected yet. There are still a few blue sphere stages that I haven’t been successful on—I think about three or four—but the rest I’ve finished relatively easily. Some of them were ripped straight from Sonic 3 & Knuckles; I mastered those as a kid, and I still remember them very well as an adult. Elisha: Ah! I see. (Okay, now I feel stupid, haha.) Well, I actually really liked the other special stages (where you have to chase the UFO to grab a Chaos Emerald), so that’s probably why I’m so harsh on the blue sphere stages. Speaking of special side quests, oh boy, that boss at Chemical Plant Zone Act 2 was hilariously amazing. Love what the devs did there. Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine (1993) Kyle: I like the UFO stages, too, but they’re way more difficult for me. They’re based on the special stages from Sonic CD, which…again, didn’t play that one as a kid, so I’m just now figuring out how it works. I actually laughed out loud the first time I got to the Chemical Plant Zone Act 2 boss. There were a few other fandom in-jokes I noticed as well. In Studiopolis Zone, there are lines of squares you can flip over to reveal letters. Two of those lines say “Genesis does,” referencing the old tagline “Genesis does what Nintendon’t,” which was hilariously ironic to see on my Switch screen. Only ’90s kids will remember this! Another thing that made me laugh was near the end of Lava Reef Zone Act 2 as Knuckles. In Sonic 3 & Knuckles, when Eggman (called Robotnik at the time) came to steal the Master Emerald from Hidden Palace Zone (essentially an extension of Lava Reef Act 2), Knuckles just jumped up and clung to the Emerald instead of trying to knock it out of the claw on Eggman’s machine; this ended with Eggman zapping him into unconsciousness and getting away. In Mania, when one of the Hard-Boiled Heavies tries to steal the Master Emerald, Knuckles thinks back on what he did last time and how that turned out, and he takes a different course of action this time. Zapping tentacles & Knuckles Joe: Going back to something Elisha said—I’ve also had a frustrating time with the rings/lives system. I have finally learned how to approach each level and enjoy the learning process, but I wish the game wouldn’t force me back to the beginning of each zone every time I lose all of my lives. Unlike you, Elisha, I feel totally justified blaming the game for some of my deaths; dying to unexpected hazards is, after all, part of the process. I’m more than happy to roll with the punches while memorizing the layout of a certain path, but once I’ve finished a level and beaten its boss, I’d love to put it behind me and move on! Nevertheless, I’m loving what I find in these levels. Each zone’s inventive gimmick feels new and exciting to wrap my head around. I especially like any elements that play with Sonic’s physics, like the wind and anti-gravity segments in the Flying Battery Zone or the bouncy conveyor belts in the New Garden Zone. Elisha: Now that we’ve gotten that all underway, I guess we should probably end on our final thoughts of Sonic Mania so far. For me, Sonic Mania is basically a love letter to fans of the franchise, and a great starting point for those new to the series. As someone who appreciated the recent Sonic entries, I think this is basically the marriage of the two “eras”: Something old, something new, something borrowed, and erm… something blue? It meshes what we loved about the 90s, the glorious technology of today, reuses some elements but alters them slightly, and wraps it all up in a nostalgic bow. Simply put, I loved the attention to detail, and I can’t wait to see more of this in the future! Kyle: I’ve barely touched anything of Sonic since the 2D era, so I don’t really know enough to like or dislike the 3D games. But Sonic Mania, I love. It’s the perfect mix of classic 2D Sonic gameplay with brand-new content. And I think it shows that Sega now understands something important: they essentially have two separate fanbases, and they can’t please both of them with any one game…so they’ve got separate teams to work on two at once. They’ve made Sonic Mania to appeal to the older fans, and Sonic Forces is on the way for the newer fans. I think Intelligent Systems, the company behind the Fire Emblem series, could definitely learn something from the success of Sonic Mania. Nintendo seems to understand the same truth about the Metroid series as well, as evidenced by next month’s classic-style 2D Metroid title and the future Metroid Prime 4. Joe: On good days, I find myself enjoying the experiment that is Sonic Mania. I haven’t quite made my peace with the unforgiving lives system paired with routine surprise attacks from unexpected enemies and medieval lawn spikes (who put those there?!), but the inventive level design and flashy presentation has kept me coming back for more. With excellent level design, smooth animations, impressive pixel art, and a bunch of brand-new twists on classic-style gameplay, Sonic Mania manages to feel both old and new at the same time in the best way possible. Whether you like the old Sonic games or the new ones, or even if you've never played one before, Sonic Mania holds plenty of fun for everyone. —Kyle Movius Strong and varied level design Unique bosses Excellent music Appeals to nostalgia without completely relying on it Often hits the player with unforeseeable traps and enemies A Game Over can set you back 10 minutes or more The 10-minute time limit is a little tight for the huge levels Kyle is an unashamed longtime Nintendo fanboy. Some of his earliest and fondest memories are of playing Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES with his grandmother. His favorite series are Fire Emblem and Metroid. Outside of gaming, Kyle is also a serious Whovian, favoring the Seventh Doctor and Ace as his preferred Doctor and companion. He also loves superhero movies, power metal music, and basically anything in the space fantasy genre. Avatar by Smashley (@SmashleyDraws on Twitter). Related Articles: Sonic Mania	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412471
__label__wiki	0.879769	0.879769	Man found living in bunker stocked with weapons near park, sheriff says Geoffrey Graff MILWAUKEE — A man was found living in an underground shelter stocked with weapons and ammunition along the Milwaukee River Greenway, a short distance away from shops, schools and restaurants, according to sheriff's officials. Geoffrey Graff, 41, is charged with second degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon; and possession of a short barreled shotgun after officers uncovered two underground shelters near Estabrook Park. Inside those shelters, officials say they found a stash of firearms and ammunition. Authorities found the bunkers Graff is accused of maintaining Wednesday morning after multiple law enforcement agencies responded to a report of shots fired in the area near E. Capitol Drive and the Estabrook Park (near Capitol and Humboldt). The Milwaukee Sheriff’s Office on Friday identified the man they arrested at the bunkers as Graff. Inside the bunker, the criminal complaint says authorities found the following: Single barrel, short-barrel shotgun 9mm semi-automatic handgun in the "lock back position" .22 caliber Marlin rifle Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun Numerous rounds of ammunition Several shotgun stocks and barrels Archery bow and six arrows Three knives Shelter uncovered near Estabrook Park The complaint says a detective interviewed Graff who stated that when he was being handcuffed by the police, he "could've cleared [the police] pretty easily if I wanted to" -- in reference to his ability to shoot the officers. The complaint says Graff "refused to provide information to (the detective) about the whereabouts of an SKS rifle, stating that he would only do so depending on when he would be released from custody because 'we wouldn't want that slipping in the wrong hands.'" Graff told authorities "he has been using the structure for seven to ten years," the complaint says -- and that "he knew he was going to catch a felony charge." Graff also stated, "the UWM police should have shut down the street if they knew there were gunshots because 'one of those innocent college kids' coming in and out through there could have been shot." Graff also admitted "they could stop looking for the shooter because it was him," the complaint says. Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office news conference During a news conference on Friday, Nov. 22, Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas said when officers initially found the bunker, Graff immediately incriminated himself on Wednesday morning by saying he had fired the shots into the river because he was frustrated that his dogs ran away. Lucas says the bunker was 8 feet deep, 8 feet wide, and 20 feet long. "Additionally, the encampment has a few items of sustenance, such as a grill, propane tanks, a generator and also had numerous power tools and hand tools inside," said Lucas. Investigators made the discovery on land owned by Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). The shelters were found near MATC's transmitter. Court records show Graff has been in the criminal justice system for years. In 2009, he was cited for causing a disturbance by riding down the street on a bicycle with eight German shepherd dogs running alongside him. In 2012, he was accused of getting into a scuffle with officers trying to detain him. "Thus far we have not been able to find any ideological or political motive for the individual's alleged conduct. Nor do we feel that there is any further or ongoing threat to public safety tied to this individual in custody, "said Lucas. "One would wonder how in an urban setting, an individual was able to hide in plain sight, if you will." MATC officials said debris has been cleared. The shelter has been capped and some additional work will take place in the near future. They do not have a cost estimate for the cleanup at this time. Topics: Milwaukee, park, weapons, Wisconsin Human remains may belong to one of two murdered brothers, authorities say Dad shot 4-year-old daughter and himself, lied to investigators: police Police locate teen wanted for questioning in killing of Barnard College student 14-year-old arrested for stabbing father to death with spear Medal of Valor to be presented to two Lower Swatara Township Police Officers Marine deserter wanted in killing placed on FBI’s Most Wanted list Police question and release teen sought in connection with Barnard College student’s killing Hikers in California’s Sierra Nevada found the remains of a Japanese internee from World War II A Marine deserter is wanted in the murder of his mother’s boyfriend in Virginia, police say A man linked to a gunman in the Jersey City mass shooting has been arrested, officials say U.S. citizen says he had acid thrown in his face after being told to go back to his country 10 animals were killed in a fire at the African Safari Wildlife Park in Ohio Seven workers fired after brawl at Milwaukee Popeyes caught on video	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412477
__label__cc	0.734656	0.265344	April 19, 2019 by Full 10 Yards Draft Prospects; Top 5 Offensive Tackles This year’s offensive line class is kind of the opposite of last year. Last year it as an insane class for guards and centers but less impressive on the outside, flip that around for this year. This group of tackles seems to have grown in the hearts and minds of a lot of draft analysts but it also seems to have a few polarizing players too. Don’t get me wrong there are some good interior guys in this class but there’s no Quenton Nelson type player who is going to make the pro bowl and be instantly dominant. Let’s get into these tackles. These boys should be pretty sought after since there’s so many bad offensive lines and QB’s that spend too much time on their backs. 1. Jawaan Taylor, Florida Fits; Texans, Vikings, Chargers Taylor is a 3 year starter at tackle who has got better and better throughout his time at Florida. Taylor iis huge but has a little bit of grace about the way he moves whilst remaining incredibly powerful. Taylor is a true right tackle in this class. To be honest, some might see this as a weakness or a deficiency but nowadays, teams line their best pass rushers up on both sides of the line, so you can’t have a weak link. Taylor is much better than the Gators left tackle, Martez Ivey. 2. Jonah Williams, Alabama Fits; Bucs, Jets, Giants Jonah Williams is a tackle, first and foremost and anyone trying to put him at guard is focusing too much on measureables. Yes, he’d make a good guard but that’s because he’s a really good offensive lineman, not because of the length of his arms. Williams is clearly one of the best lineman in this class and one of only 3 top tier left tackle prospects so he’s a rare breed this year. I heard a great little insight just yesterday about how Williams charts pass rushers and which moves they use and how successful they are with each. Then he gets his scout team opponent to use those moves so he can get better against the opponent’s strengths through the week. Fantastic preparation. 3. Cody Ford, Oklahoma Fits; Giants, Houston, Bucs Cody Ford has been a sharp riser on a lot of people’s boards recently. He’s a right tackle to me who has excellent athleticism and foot quickness, I often see him winning because he beats a pass rusher to the spot. I can see him going in the top 15 of the draft with his ceiling possibly being #5 to the Bucs. 4. Dalton Risner, Kansas State Since Risner has played 10 games at tackle guard and center, I didn’t really know where to place him in my rankings. He’ll provide a llot of experience and a hell of a lot of versatility at the NFL level. Risner was excellent at the Senior Bowl and really seemed to strike up a great rapport with Chris Lindstrom in particular. These things tell me that he’s a good guy, works hard and is a good teammate and can also pick up new schemes really quickly. 5. David Edwards, Wisconsin Fits; Vikings, Texans, Giants I’m a big fan of Edwards, I think more so than a lot of people. He’s 6’7, 320 lbs there or thereabouts but he’s such a graceful mover! He’s got really nice body control for a man of his size which is a nice surprise. What isn’t a surprise is his power and how he moves people, especially in the run game. I’ve been a big fan of Wisconsin’s offensive line and I have had it down as the most talented in college football this past year… although Oklahoma may have words for me on that score. Sleeper. Tyree St. Louis, Miami Fits; Any team with an aging tackle or two who can spend time developing St. Louis for a year or two. Tyree St. Louis is another 3 year starter in my crop, as I’ve said, I value experience when looking at prospects. St. Louis played 2 years at right tackle and looked great but then got switched to left tackle for his senior year and he kind of dropped off a little playing the blindside… this kind of illustrates why I value guys who do their business on the left side of the line that little bit more. A team could pick him up on day 2 or early day 3 and use him as a swing tackle who could spot start whilst the develop him further as a left tackle. He could also slot in as a low end right tackle starter immediately if needs be. Previous Where Do They Go From Here; Oakland Raiders Next Draft Prospects: Top 5 Corner Backs	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412487
__label__wiki	0.597106	0.597106	Gateway Grizzlies About the Grizzlies Team Tryouts GCS Ballpark Events Schedule League Transactions League Attendance Playoff Procedures Promotions Information Grizzlies Media Network Connect with the Grizzlies GCS Credit Union Ballpark Ballpark Information Ballpark & Fan Guide Firecracker Classic 2019 Sing the National Anthem Swing 4 a Cause Golf Tournament LETKEMAN DOMINATES, GRIZZLIES WIN SERIES SAUGET, Ill. — Reign Letkeman delivered the Gateway Grizzlies' second fantastic start in as many days and Shawon Dunston Jr. clobbered the first Gateway home run of the season to boost the Grizzlies to a 4-1 victory Sunday night over the Schaumburg Boomers at GCS Credit Union Ballpark. After a leadoff single from Brent Sakurai in the opening frame, Dunston Jr. crushed a two-run homer over the wall in right field off Boomers starting pitcher Aaron Rozek (0-1) for an early 2-0 edge. Gateway (2-1) doubled its lead in the third by manufacturing a pair of runs. Jamey Smart drove in Dunston Jr. on a groundout following a successful double steal and Andrew Daniel came in on a wild pitch. Letkeman (1-0) struck out the first four batters and allowed only two hits over six shutout frames. He finished with five punchouts on the night. Chris Carden, the Grizzlies' starting pitcher Saturday night, also tossed six innings without allowing a run; he limited Schaumburg (1-2) to just one hit. Out of the Grizzlies' bullpen Sunday, Sean Johnson surrendered a solo homer to Quincy Nieporte to get the Boomers on the board, but they still trailed 4-1. Grant Black was summoned to record the save for the second time in as many nights and he struck out Nick Oddo looking to slam the door. Sakurai had three singles — the first three-hit game for the Grizzlies this season — and a stolen base. Dunston Jr. picked up a single in addition to his home run and became the first Grizzlie with multiple multi-hit games in 2019. He also had two singles Saturday. Gateway is off Monday before starting a six-game road trip with the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night in Joliet, Ill., against the Slammers. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. with the Budweiser Pregame Show on the air at 6:50 p.m. on the Grizzlies Media Network. ABOUT THE GATEWAY GRIZZLIES: The Gateway Grizzlies are a professional baseball team, located a mere 100-yards from I-255 (10 minutes from downtown St. Louis). The Grizzlies offer baseball fans entertainment, the likes of which are difficult to find - affordable, family, fun in the comfortable GCS Credit Union Ballpark with a great view of the St. Louis skyline. For tickets or general information please visit gatewaygrizzlies.com or call 618.337.3000. ABOUT THE FRONTIER LEAGUE: The Frontier League is a professional, independent baseball organization. Since its inception, the Frontier League has provided millions of fans to a fun and exciting baseball experience within the American Midwest. Consisting of 10 teams in two divisions and 96 game schedules, the league is recognized for the amount of talented athletes that are picked up by various MLB teams every year. 2301 Grizzlie Bear Blvd. Sauget, IL 62206	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412490
__label__cc	0.748308	0.251692	ISA East Triathlon - Thursday 6 October 2016 With a short trip down the M25 to Woodlands Manor School this was relatively close for the start to our triathlon season. The children were all enthusiastic, especially as Mrs Hughes had returned to come and watch them compete. Once we arrived, it was a quick size up of bikes and then to the pool ready for the start. The girls set off first with the boys setting off 5 minutes later. The girls had high expectations of themselves after winning the National ISA Triathlon last year and they really pushed themselves proving they were tough competition for the other schools. The boys wanted to equal the girls and worked hard to keep up with the level that the girls had set. A quick thank you to Woodlands School staff before we made our way back to school to await the results on the following day. We had hoped the M25 traffic would be kind enough to allow us to return to school in time for clubs and fixtures, however this was not to be. A fuel spillage meant we were stuck on the motorway for 4.5 hours and before having to leave at J25. Traffic was gridlocked, Mr Clark ended up directing traffic and by luck we came across a school called Forty Hill School in Enfield that kindly welcomed us in for a very essential toilet break, an apple and cup of tea for staff. At 8 oclock we finally returned to school with a warm welcome from parents. Luckily it was all worth the travel as the girls were awarded with first place and the boys awarded with 2nd. Congratulations to both teams. They were fantastic throughout the day and should be praised for how well they handled the delay. The individual results can be found here. A final thank you to Mrs Hughes for her time and to Mr Grosse for driving the bus through the chaos.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412491
__label__cc	0.67529	0.32471	The Future of Reading Filed under: e-book readers,Fortune Magazine,future of printed word,future of reading,Josh Quittner,portable devices,publishing — gator1965 @ 4:01 pm Is there still a desire for the written word? Yes there is, and by 12 year olds at that, as Josh Quittner of Fortune magazine found out from his own daughter: A few months ago the most amazing thing happened: Unbidden, unpressured, and all by herself (armed only with my wife’s credit card), my 12-year-old daughter subscribed to a magazine. While Clem has long harbored a fantasy of one day being the editor of the French version of Vogue (inexplicably, she is a life-long Francophile), it still surprised and thrilled me when Vogue started showing up in the mail. Magazines, books, newspapers — all that printed stuff is supposed to be dying. Advertising pages, which have been steadily declining, dropped 26% in 2009 alone. But here, surely, was some evidence that publishing might have a chance. If an adolescent who otherwise spends every waking hour on a laptop still craves the printed word, then maybe, just maybe, there’s a little new growth left in old media. This tender, green, old-media sprout began to bloom in a curious way, however. Each month Clem was excited when Vogue arrived. She’d rip into the issue and scamper up the stairs to her chambre à coucher, with enough enthusiasm to do Anna Wintour proud. But after digesting each issue, Clem would reappear with it hours later — only now a zillion Post-its jutted from its pages, stegosaurus-like. Over time, one by one, those stegosauri began to stack up, spines out, in her closet. One day I decided to take a peek at the dinosaur graveyard to see what my daughter was tagging so furiously. It turned out that she was trying to annotate each issue, sorting the material by outfits, accessories, footwear, and other categories for later reference. I noticed that the more issues she tagged, the more frustrated she became. This was a lot of work. So why was she doing it? “Don’t you get it?” my wife observed. “She’s trying to turn the magazine into a computer.” Et voilà! Of course she was. The more I thought about it, the more I decided there was good news for the evolution of the publishing industry here — and better news. The good news is that 12-year-olds, just like their parents and their parents before them going all the way back to the publication of the first magazine in 1731 (the year Charles Darwin’s grandfather was born), still enjoy the medium. But they want it delivered in an exponentially more useful way. Raised to expect instant, sortable, searchable, savable, portable access to all the information in the world, these digital natives — tomorrow’s magazine subscribers, God and Steve Jobs willing — could well become the generation that saves the publishing industry. Read more @ http://alturl.com/qq26	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412492
__label__wiki	0.645235	0.645235	Grand Challenges Explorations Apply Grand Challenges Explorations filter (278) Grand Challenges Apply Grand Challenges filter (19) Grand Challenges for Development Apply Grand Challenges for Development filter (19) Grand Challenges Brazil Apply Grand Challenges Brazil filter (9) Grand Challenges India Apply Grand Challenges India filter (3) Agriculture and Nutrition (2)All Children Thriving (11)Bacteriophage (12)Brain Function/Gestational Age (14)China Tsinghua-GCE (10)Community-Based Interventions (9)Diagnostics (14)Drug Resistance (14)Financial Services Data (12)Global Health Interventions (4)HIV Infection (14)Infectious Diseases (21)Malaria Eradication (38)Malaria Transmission (9)Mobile Money (22)Mosquito Control (15)Mucosal Immunity (14)Pneumonia (18)Reinvent the Toilet (1)Saving Lives at Birth (19)Tuberculosis Latency (5)Vaccines (37)Women and Girls (13) Filter by Awarded Year 2019 Apply 2019 filter (121) (-) Remove 2015 filter 2015 (171) Australia (19)Austria (1)Bangladesh (2)Brazil (13)Cambodia (2)Cameroon (1)Canada (9)China (12)Denmark (1)Ethiopia (1)Finland (1)France (1)Ghana (3)India (12)Ireland (1)Italy (3)Kenya (10)Lebanon (1)Luxembourg (1)Mexico (1)Netherlands (8)Nigeria (7)Norway (1)Pakistan (1)Peru (1)Portugal (1)Singapore (1)South Africa (5)South Korea (1)Spain (2)Sweden (2)Switzerland (5)Tanzania (3)Thailand (3)Uganda (5)United Arab Emirates (1)United Kingdom (20)United States (165)Zambia (1) Date AwardedDate AwardedTitle (A-Z)Title (Z-A) "Coffee Ring Stain" Diagnostics for Malaria David WrightVanderbilt UniversityNashville, Tennessee, United States David Wright of Vanderbilt University in the U.S. will develop a new low-cost diagnostic tool in which a droplet of malaria-infected blood deposited on a glass slide will, based on fluid dynamics, leave a ring-like pattern as the blood evaporates. The slide will be prepared with a solution that will interact with a particular protein of the malaria parasite to visualize this "coffee ring stain," allowing for easy interpretation and ready diagnosis. A Bacteriophage Platform for Programmable Killing of Bacteria Chase BeiselNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, North Carolina, United States Chase Beisel of North Carolina State University in the U.S. will exploit non-lytic bacteriophage for promoting infant gut health and treating enteric infections in low-resource settings. Generally, lytic phage are being studied for treating diseases, but they suffer from a number of limitations including causing resistance and the release of endotoxins, which can damage healthy cells. They will use the CRISPR-Cas9 defense system to engineer non-lytic P1 phage to specifically target the bacteria Shigella sonnei, which is a leading cause of enteric diseases in children in the developing world. The engineered phage, which can be produced at low cost, will be tested for ability to efficiently infect and kill the targeted bacteria. A Glycan Formula as Diet Additive Against Mosquito-Borne Viral Transmission Gong ChengTsinghua UniversityBeijing, China China Tsinghua-GCE Gong Cheng of Tsinghua University in China will develop a glycan formula as a diet additive that specifically inhibits the lectin-based viral receptors in mosquitos, thereby providing a practical approach against dissemination of multiple mosquito-borne viruses. A Lexicon of HIV-RNA Interactions Alice TelesnitskyUniversity of MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan, United States Alice Telesnitsky of the University of Michigan in the U.S. seeks to define and characterize HIV interactions with host RNA. The team will attempt to determine whether disrupting or mimicking essential interactions with host RNAs may lead to antiviral strategies to which HIV cannot readily develop resistance. A Low-Cost Ultrasound System for Detection of Malnutrition Mirko ZimicUniversidad Peruana Cayetano HerediaLima, Peru Mirko Zimic of Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Peru will develop a simple, low-cost lung ultrasound device that can automatically diagnose bacterial pneumonia and measure nutritional status in children in low-resource settings. They have developed an algorithm to detect lung infiltrates from digital ultrasound images as evidence of pneumonia in children, and have built a prototype device, which comprises an ultrasound probe connected to a laptop or smartphone for realtime analysis of the images. Visible and audio alerts are used to notify the technician of suspect regions. They will develop an additional algorithm to automatically measure anatomical parameters including rib diameter and skin thickness for predicting levels of malnutrition, and test it in a hospital in Peru. Ultimately, this will be incorporated into the ultrasound device so that both pneumonia and malnutrition can be easily diagnosed together by non-specialized health care workers. A Low-Pressure Oxygen Storage System Roger RassoolUniversity of MelbourneMelbourne, Victoria, Australia Roger Rassool of the University of Melbourne in Australia will build a device that stably stores oxygen ready for treating children with pneumonia particularly in low- resource settings with unreliable electricity supplies. They will develop a safe, low-pressure oxygen storage device comprising two coupled storage chambers and utilizing water to provide pressure for delivery. The volumes and pressure required will be tested, and the device will be fillable from existing oxygen concentrators. Once built, the device will be tested by training staff and assessed for usability in the field. A Machine Learning-Based Tool to Estimate Gestational Age Ana NambureteUniversity of OxfordOxford, United Kingdom Brain Function/Gestational Age Ana Namburete of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom will develop a computational tool called Autodate that identifies physical features of the fetal brain from a routine ultrasound image to automatically estimate gestational age at any stage of pregnancy. Determining accurate gestational age is important for healthy pregnancy. However, ultrasound, which is the most accurate technique, can only estimate gestational age when used during the early stages of pregnancy by a trained sonographer, who are often absent in low-income settings. To overcome these limitations, they will use existing ultrasound images of fetal brains to develop software that can automatically extract structural features. Machine learning will be used to identify links between these brain features and gestational age. The ability of Autodate to accurately estimate gestational age will be validated on newly acquired images from pregnant women in Kenya. A New Tool for Anti-Malarial Target Gene Validation Philip ShawNational Center for Genetic Engineering and BiotechnologyPathumthani, Thailand Malaria Eradication Philip J. Shaw of Thailand's National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology will seek to identify potential drug targets and vaccine antigens in the malaria parasite using a novel technology to reduce specific gene expression. By fusing a natural genetic “riboswitch” onto gene targets, the team will attempt to attenuate gene expression and thereby determine gene function. A New Way to Prevent HIV Infection During Breastfeeding David SokalFamily Health InternationalDurham, North Carolina, United States David Sokal of Family Health International in the U.S., with colleagues at Cambridge and Drexel Universities, will develop and test low-cost filters coated with safe microbicides that can be inserted into tips of nipple shields to prevent HIV transmission during breastfeeding. A Non-Pathogenic Chimeric THLV-1/HIV-1 Viral Genome as a Model to Study Superinfection Restriction Kuan-Teh JeangNational Institutes of HealthBethesda, Maryland, United States Kuan-Teh Jeang of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. will investigate whether cells infected by one virus become resistant to infection from other viruses, and if this viral interference can confer protection against HIV. The team will develop an attenuated virus to test whether over-expression of viral envelope proteins within cells can confer resistance to further HIV infection. A Novel Approach of Creating an Attenuated Pneumonia Vaccine Vijay PancholiOhio State University Research FoundationColumbus, Ohio, United States Vijay Pancholi of The Ohio State University Research Foundation in the U.S. will attempt to attenuate the S. pneumonia bacteria by altering export of the GAPDH enzyme, a function thought to be essential to the bacteria's survival. Preventing export of this key enzyme will decrease bacterial virulence, allowing the attenuated strain to be used for development an affordable live vaccine for pneumococcal pneumonia. A Novel Bactericidal Protein Found in Milk Anders HakanssonThe Research Foundation of the State University of New YorkAlbany, New York, United States Anders Hakansson of the University of Buffalo in the U.S. has identified a protein from human breast milk (Human Alpha Lactalbumin Made Lethal to Tumor cell, or HAMLET), that kills respiratory tract bacteria. Hakansson will attempt to understand the mechanism by which HAMLET binds to and kills pheumococci without the bacteria developing resistance. A Novel Effective Vaccine Against Cholera Michael LebensUniversity of Gothenburg Institute for Vaccine ResearchGothenburg, Sweden Michael Lebens of the University of Gothenburg Institute for Vaccine Research in Sweden proposes to develop a new oral cholera vaccine using a single cholera strain that expresses antigens for both the Inaba and Ogawa serotypes and produces cholera toxin subunits that act as an adjuvant to stimulate mucosal immune activity. In this project’s Phase I research, Lebens and his team successfully generated potential vaccine candidate strains that express both Ogawa and Inaba type antigens simultaneously. They also demonstrated in an animal model that oral immunization with these bacteria in a killed formulation elicited immune responses similar to those obtained by vaccination with currently licensed oral killed whole-cell cholera vaccines. In Phase II, he will further improve these strains by inducing them to express an accompanying adjuvant and conduct immunogenicity analyses and other work to prepare for a Phase I trial. A Novel Nano-Iron Supplement (IHAT) to Safely Combat Iron Deficiency and Anemia (IDA) Andrew PrenticeMedical Research CouncilSwindon, United Kingdom Global Health Interventions Andrew Prentice of the Medical Research Council in the United Kingdom will conduct a phase II clinical trial to test the ability of a unique nano iron compound to safely and more effectively treat iron-deficiency anemia in children. Iron-deficiency anemia is a common condition particularly in women and children in resource-poor settings and can be deadly. Current iron supplements have limited effects in these settings and undesirable side effects including increasing the risk of infectious diarrhea in children which causes severe morbidity and mortality. They previously developed a compound iron hydroxide adipate tartrate that acts like dietary iron as it can be directly absorbed in humans keeping it away from any resident intestinal pathogens that also use it as a nutrient source. They will perform an intervention study with 600 iron-deficient anemic children in The Gambia and compare their compound with the current supplement to see if it can normalize iron levels without the side effects. A Novel Vaccination Strategy for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Jesus ValenzuelaNational Institutes of HealthBethesda, Maryland, United States Because Leishmania is transmitted to humans when sand flies feed on humans, Jesus Valenzuela of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. proposes to develop a novel vaccine against salivary proteins of sand flies with the aim to induce a strong immune response against the parasite. A Novel Virulence-Associated Malaria Drug Target Paul GilsonBurnet InstituteMelbourne, Victoria, Australia Paul Gilson of Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health in Australia will study the function of a newly discovered malaria parasite mechanism that exports proteins into host red blood cells in an effort to develop compounds that block this transfer and inhibit parasite growth. A Novel Way of Targeting TB using Aptamers and Nanotechnology Boitumelo SemeteCouncil for Scientific and Industrial ResearchPretoria, South Africa To optimize the effectiveness of current anti-tuberculosis drugs, Boitumelo Semete of the CSIR in South Africa will work with collaborators to develop “sticky nanoparticles” that specifically attach to TB-infected cells. Once taken in by these cells, the nanoparticles will slowly degrade, releasing the anti-TB drugs and killing the bacteria. With this novel drug delivery system, the team aims to improve the bioavailability of the current therapies, with the possibility of shortening the treatment period for TB as well as reduce drug side effects. A Point-of-Care Instrument for Rapid Diagnosis of Pneumonia Bastiaan HoogendoornCardiff UniversityCardiff, United Kingdom Bastiaan Hoogendoorn at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom will develop a simple, inexpensive breath-testing device to measure the type and levels of bacteria in the lungs for rapid diagnosis of pneumonia in children in low-resource settings. Rather than condensing the exhaled breath, which can cause variation, the device directly captures respiratory fluid droplets containing non-volatile pathogen markers. These markers can then be identified using low-cost commercially available bioassay kits. They will analyze biomarker levels in the breath of sick and healthy children, and test and refine the design of their prototype. A Push-Pull System for Control of Outdoor Malaria Vectors Alexandra HiscoxWageningen University and Research CentreWageningen, Netherlands Malaria Transmission Alexandra Hiscox from Wageningen University in The Netherlands will enhance the effectiveness of outdoor baited traps to attract disease-spreading mosquitoes by combining them with a repellant applied to the outside of houses. In contrast to indoor repellants and insecticide-treated bed nets, this push-pull system targets those outdoor mosquitoes specifically looking to bite humans, and does not use potentially harmful chemicals that can lead to resistance. At a field site in South Africa, they will test whether their system can reduce the entry of mosquitoes into occupied houses. A Rapid Field Test for Detecting Infected Mosquitoes Joanne MacdonaldUniversity of the Sunshine CoastSippy Downs, Queensland, Australia Joanne Macdonald from the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia will develop a simple diagnostic test that can be used in the field to rapidly identify mosquitoes infected with pathogens such as the malaria parasite and dengue virus. Traditional methods require costly equipment and a laboratory setting. The test combines recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) with a lateral flow strip and can detect DNA from multiple pathogens in parallel, which will reduce costs. They will first perform a proof-of-concept study using laboratory-infected mosquitoes to evaluate the test and develop smart-phone software to translate the results. They will then perform field trials in Cairns to evaluate if their test can detect single infected mosquitoes placed in field traps containing uninfected insects. A Self-Adjuvanting Vaccine for ST-ETEC Roy Robins-BrowneUniversity of MelbourneMelbourne, Victoria, Australia Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) is the leading cause of diarrhea in the developing world. Roy Robins-Browne, of the University of Melbourne, in Australia will evaluate the effectiveness of a prototype vaccine that combines enterotoxin of E. coli (which lacks immunogenicity by itself) with another epitope to attract helper T cells and a lipid adjuvant to ensure delivery of the antigen directly into the cell. A SIM Overlay Platform to Extend Phone Payments Offline Ross AndersonUniversity of Cambridge Computer LaboratoryCambridge, United Kingdom Ross Anderson at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom will develop technology to enable secure offline phone-to-phone and card-to-phone payments between customers and merchants. The ability to use mobile phones to make and receive payments has expanded access to secure financial services in low-resource settings. However, the requirement of a network connection makes it particularly problematic in rural communities. They will develop SIM overlay technology, modern cryptography and audio coupling to securely transfer payments offline also from a SIM format payment card for those without a phone. Merchants can then bank the payments periodically whenever they have a network connection. They will evaluate their prototype for usability and security, and work towards interoperability across countries so that migrant workers can also use it. A Single Vaccine Against Pneumococcus and Typhoid Fever Yingjie LuChildren's Hospital BostonBoston, Massachusetts, United States Yingjie Lu and Richard Malley of Children's Hospital Boston in the U.S. will develop a bivalent pneumococcal and typhoid vaccine by using a new technology to include three highly conserved pneumococcal antigens and the well-established Vi polysaccharide antigen that provides protection against typhoid fever. The team will test the ability of this vaccine to induce strong humoral and cellular immune responses against both pneumococcus and the causative agent of typhoid fever, Salmonella Typhi. In this project’s Phase I research, the team successfully developed the bivalent vaccine and in initial research was able to demonstrate dual immunity to both pneumococcus and S. Typhi. In Phase II, they will perform further proof-of-concept experiments in animal models that will provide support for the clinical development of this bivalent vaccine candidate. A Small Molecule That Blocks Male-to-Female Sexual Transmission of HIV David EisenbergUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles, California, United States Recent evidence suggests that HIV infection may be drastically enhanced when a specific protein found in human semen is present in fibril form. David Eisenberg of UCLA in the U.S. will design and test a small peptide that can effectively block formation of fibrils on this protein. If successful, the therapy could be administered via spray or liquid drops to inhibit transmission of HIV. A Social Media Data-Driven Platform for Informed Data Collection Grant McKenzieSpatial Development InternationalSeattle, Washington, United States Financial Services Data Grant McKenzie of Spatial Development International in the U.S. will map the location of activities (touch points) related to financial services in developing countries by geosocial data mining, analysis and modeling to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of data collection. They will first evaluate whether social media platforms such as Facebook, which include some geographic information, can be used to identify the location of actual touch point locations and from that develop a spatial regression model for estimating distribution in an unmapped, developing country. They will also develop a data collection platform that displays point of interest data for users to supplement with photographs and text, and add any unmapped touch points. In this way, unmapped regions can be easily identified for further exploration. They will evaluate the platform by surveying its performance in a test country.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412496
__label__wiki	0.837321	0.837321	• Certified Geek • Geek Shop • Giveaways! Geek Art Geek BitsTV/Movies Top Gun: Maverick – Get On The Highway To The Danger Zone Once Again In June 2020 The trailer for the highly anticipated sequel Top Gun: Maverick has finally landed, showing us several scenes of Tom Cruise reprising his fan favourite role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, though this time as a captain, and instructor at Top Gun, the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar. The actor himself made a surprise appearance at the San Diego Comic Con, at Paramount Pictures’ Terminator: Dark Fate panel, where he took to the stage to announce the release of Top Gun: Maverick’s trailer. In the trailer, we see a battle-hardened Maverick, who even after 30 years of service is unable to get a promotion beyond the rank of captain yet refuses to retire. According to a superior, Maverick might soon face “extinction”. Little else is revealed about the film’s plot but we do see several callbacks to the original film, such as Maverick cruising on a motorcycle with a bright smile on his face, a volleyball scene, and of course, Maverick piloting fighter jets. The trailer also showed Maverick at the controls of a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet, and riding his vintage Kawasaki Ninja H2 motorcycle on the runway once again. For fans of the original who miss having the F-14 Tomcat as the air superiority vehicle of choice, it does make an appearance at the end of the trailer. Let’s hope it isn’t just pure fan service. READ ALSO: The Dragon Ball Z Smash Battle Miniatures Game By Kids Logic Co. Is A Must-Have For Diehard Fans The film is also a direct sequel to the 1986 original and will feature Maverick teaching the son of his late partner, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, who was killed during a training exercise in the original film. Top Gun: Maverick has been in production since 2010 and is slated to be released in 2020. It will reunite Cruise with director Joseph Kosinski, who directed him in 2013’s sci-fi film, Oblivion, and Val Kilmer, who plays Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. Aside from Cruise and Kilmer, the film also stars Jon Hamm (Good Omens), Jennifer Connelly (Alita: Battle Angel), Ed Harris (Westworld), and Miles Teller (Fantastic Four). Iceman (Val Kilmer) and Maverick (Tom Cruise) in the locker room in 1986’s Top Gun. In an interview with Collider, Hamm had hyped up the film’s reportedly complex use of special effects. “They’re using some technology on this that is never before seen,” Hamm said. “We’re shooting the movie in, I think, 6K. So it’s incredibly hi-def. The aerial footage is mind-blowing. And it’s mostly practical. There’s not a lot of CG. Those guys are really up in planes and getting thrown around in multiple Gs.” Top Gun: Maverick will hit theatres on June 25, 2020. Germaine is a fun-sized introvert who loves nothing better than sleeping in on rainy days. She can be found reading fanfiction and manga while still waiting for her Hogwarts acceptance letter. It’ll come eventually. Drop a Facebook comment below! paramount pictures SDCC SDCC 2019 tom cruise top gun Top Gun: Maverick Pokémon Masters’ New Trailer Showcases More Characters And New Co-Op Mode Sony Confirms ChinaJoy, TGS, and Gamescom Attendance Henry Golding-Led G.I. Joe Snake Eyes Begins Filming Get ready for the October 16 release! GamesGeek BitsTV/Movies New Sonic The Hedgehog Movie Redesign Finally Gets It Right Welcome back Sonic! Samara Weaving Is Scarlet In G.I. 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__label__cc	0.735313	0.264687	Posts tagged ‘Thurn-Taxis aristocracy’ Chateau Mcely: Fairytale castle in the Czech Republic Like Hansel and Gretel, Snow White and Robin Hood, I recently wandered into an enchanted forest. I didn’t happen upon any evil witches, merry men or dwarfs, but I did find an inspiring five-star chateau with a modern-day alchemist who gave me a secret elixir insuring a long life. Located in the Czech Republic’s legendary St. George Forest, Chateau Mcely, now a boutique hotel, was once the hunting lodge of the Thurn-Taxis aristocracy, a German-based family who set up the postal service in 16th century Europe. From 1869 to 1948, the young aristocrats used the castle to stage news-making parties, fox hunts and literary soirees with such guests as Mark Twain and Rainer Maria Rilke. After the war and the Communist takeover, the neo-Classical chateau that’s situated about an hour northwest of Prague, fell into disrepair. In fact, Chateau Mcely was slated for demolition when Inez Sipulova bought it in 2001, not having a clue where she’d find the small fortune she’d need to renovate the crumbling mess. A few months later, she met American James Cusumano, a late 50’s rock star (his band Royal Teens sold several million records up into the 60’s) who later started several successful businesses, the last of which he’d just sold to look for a new project. Together, the Cusumanos, who married in 2003, restored Chateau Mcely to its former glory. Or make that better than its former glory as this wooded property became the first five-star hotel in the Czech Republic, the second in the whole of Europe, to earn the EU’s green Eco Label. That means that not only is the chateau powered with renewable energy (wood chips discarded by local sawmills), but it has a wastewater recycling system, uses long-life light bulbs (sometimes even candles), composts food scraps and trains its staff to sort trash from recyclables. Set on 12 acres, Chateau Mcely also uses herbs and flowers from the St. George Forest to make its own cosmetics and spa products and to concoct the secret elixirs guests receive upon checking in. Turns out, Cusumano is quite the Renaissance man. Among his many talents is amateur alchemist. During the renovation process, he built an on-site alchemy lab now stocked with flasks, beakers and antique microscopes where he mixes up the sizzling concoctions. Also unique at this 23-room forest getaway is a 17th-century wine cellar, a roof-top observatory complete with high-power telescopes (guests climb a skinny, pull-down ladder to reach the telescopes and the views of the night heavens) and a European-style park with forest paths, wishing fountain, princess cottage, an outdoor sauna and an herb garden. Chateau Mcely 420 325 600 000 April 12, 2011 psgrout Leave a comment Categories: Uncategorized Tags: castle, Czech Republic, James Cusumano, Thurn-Taxis aristocracy	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412499
__label__wiki	0.586557	0.586557	Baseball Falls in Series Opener to South Florida, 8-2 Harvard (7-4) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 7 0 South Florida (16-1) 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 3 X 8 14 1 2B: Matt Rothenberg 3B: Patrick Robinson 2B: STUNKEL, Duke; CHATFIELD, Chris HR: BORDERS, Luke; VILLAR, David; CHATFIELD, Chris McColl tallied two RBI for Harvard (Elan Kawesch). TAMPA, Fla. – Taking the field for the first time in a four-game series, Harvard baseball fell to South Florida, 8-2, on Friday night at USF Baseball Stadium. Sophomore Patrick McColl led the Harvard (7-4) offense with two hits and two RBI, while freshman Quinn Hoffman also tallied a two-hit day. Sophomore Simon Rosenblum-Larson got the start on the hill, allowing 11 hits and five runs over six innings with five strikeouts. South Florida struck first with a two-run home run and RBI-single in the third inning, and extended its advantage to 5-0 with another two-run shot in the third. McColl put Harvard on the board with an RBI-single in the fourth, plating sophomore Patrick Robinson after a leadoff triple. The triple was Robinson's team-high sixth extra-base hit this season. The Crimson closed the gap to 5-2 in the eighth, with McColl driving a single up the middle to score sophomore Ben Skinner. The two RBI gave McColl the team lead on the season. The Bulls tacked on three runs in the eighth to push the game out of reach, courtesy of a home run and sacrifice fly. The Crimson and Bulls continue the series with a twin bill Saturday, March 18 at USF Baseball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412510
__label__cc	0.592172	0.407828	hip-logo Fields of expertise pfeil-rechts-weiss pfeil-rechts-weiss Legal experts Dr. Thomas Höhne Mag. Georg Streit Mag. Alina Alavi Kia Mag. Daniel-Peter Garn Advertising law – a classic interdisciplinary issue. It covers everything advertisers are faced with in their day-to-day practice, from copyright law to (unfair) competition law, media law to many advertising bans and restrictions (such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling, etc.). Our practical approach can be seen in our many years of cooperation with the Werbeakademie (WIFI). Thomas Höhne has been a member of the Board of Experts of Österreichische Marketinggesellschaft for years. Art does not only hang on our walls – our law firm has been working with art in all of its form since its beginnings. This involves several fields of law – copyright, licence, and labour law; issues concerning the marketing, exploitation, publication, exhibition of art and works of art; transport, events, purchases, sales and auctions of works of art – and sometimes even imitations or even fakes. Our customers come from different sectors, such as event organizers, theatres, opera and concert halls, exhibitors, gallery owners, art dealers, museums, publishers, creative individuals or buyers and consumers. See also copyright law. Mag. Markus Dörfler, LL.M. Mag. Alexander Koukal LL.M. Mag. Maximilian Kralik, LL.M. Mag. Philipp Thumfart Mag. Daniel Schärf Mag. Nikolaus Sauerschnig “Copyright” is being discussed more than ever. But it does not necessarily mean that everyone know what it means when someone is protected by “copyright”. And this is how it starts: it is not uncommon for arguments about who granted what rights for what purposes and what geographic area for what period and against what fee to end up in disputes. And the many manifestations of media on the internet have not made this problem any easier. We offer advice on all issues relating to copyright, from literature to film, music to architecture, painting to photography, whether you are an author, licence holder, exploiter or a simple consumer. We have created our own website for a special field of copyright law; the rights of architects and planers: www.architekturheber.at. See also Publishing law, Event law, Film law, Copyright law, Internet. The 2nd edition of our book “Urheberrecht für die Praxis” [“Copyright law in practice”] was published in 2016. Event law “Purchases on the Internet are booming as never before”, wrote “Die Zeit” in February 2017, and the Chinese site Alibaba generates more sales than Amazon and Ebay put together. We must admit that Alibaba is not our client. And we have to outsource our Chinese translations. But apart from that, entrepreneurs who sell goods or services online will find here everything they need – from legal statements compatible with the Austrian E-Commerce Act to durable privacy statements and working GTCs. See also Internet. Mag. Gunther Gram Ventriloquism can be learned and is not an art, just like magic. Supreme Administrative Court, 12.12.1988, 87/15/0002. This statement already describes two areas of entertainment law. But naturally, our advisory activity goes beyond that: Sports and music, film and television, everything that has to do with creating and exploiting works in the entertainment sector – and this does not only include contracts, but also labour law issues, personal rights, copyright claims, non-disclosure agreements and all aspects of event law. See also Event law, Copyright law. In Oxford, amateur actors had planned to perform the Passion of Christ on Good Friday – a Passion Play. The authorities refused to grant the authorisation. Officials were afraid that it was a live sex show. Which is not exactly what we see everyday when advising event companies and operators – but even that would be no problem to us. Event law does not only involve great acts, but also traffic safety, neighbouring rights, event registrations and licence applications – all public and legal prerequisites that are relevant when holding events. Sometimes, we have to fight with authorities. And if issues of liability or compensation for damage or problems with the authorities arise, we are at your side. See also Copyright law, Entertainment law, Film law. Film law IT, data protection Mag. Thomas In der Maur We have been offering advice to the Austrian film industry for years on all matters of film law: From material development, making sure the script is devoid of any legal pitfalls, to film funding as well as national and international co-productions up to its evaluation by film distributors. Our clients not only include film producers – our advice is also valued by screenwriters, outfitters, actors, composers, cutters and whoever else is involved in the making of a film. Do you know how many Twitter messages were published during the Football World Cup in Germany (2006)? Not a single one! Twitter wasn’t launched until a week after the World Cup. By the way, no one could follow the World Cup on their iPhone either – it was only introduced one year later. This is how fast the world of IT changes. Luckily for our clients (and us), we keep up with these changes. Companies in the IT sector are also constantly faced with such challenges. Our experienced lawyers can address all of our clients’ IT questions, and, as some of us are also technically versed, we are able to find long-lasting solutions together with technicians. See also Media. Thomas Höhne and Alexander Koukal co-wrote the book “Ihr Recht im Internet” [“Your rights on the Internet”] (2nd edition 2016). Mag. Alexander Wippel We tell you whether and how you are allowed to process data and what legal framework conditions you must meet – such as for example create a procedure directory and impact assessments. This allows us to safeguard the enormous value of properly collected data and prevent you from facing penalties which can amount to up to 20 million Euro or 4% of your worldwide annual sales. Since we are faced with more and more violations of privacy by electronic means – from internet media to data-collecting drones – data protection law has become the most important lever for protecting privacy. As we have been working in the media sphere for a long time, it was only logical that we also address the topic of privacy in data protection law. See also Privacy rights, internet Publishing law All areas of law relevant for printed media, broadcasting and other electronic media are of particular importance to us. It is important to follow these still quite young areas internationally and to combine practice and scientific theory. We were involved in the creation of the Information and Media Law university course and still have a hand in its management; members of our firm teach at several universities and technical colleges and have also published many works. The law firm is also a supporting member of the scientific interest group for information law IT-LAW.AT. See also Privacy rights. The field of Privacy rights is very wide: Naming rights, right to one’s own image, right to honour – and these rights are protected by the Austrian Civil Code, Copyright Act, Media Act and Criminal Code. Many paragraphs that dedicated to something that cannot be seen or touched – but it can be attacked, which can lead to the destruction of livelihoods. Still, these many paragraphs provide us – and you – with several weapons that, if wielded by an experienced lawyer, can nip such attacks in the bud. “The mind of Austrians has been fogged by music for centuries.” (Thomas Bernhard) That may be true. But when it comes to examining or drafting publishing agreements, whether it concerns music or literature, we turn down the music, the fog lifts and we get a clear view of the rights and obligations of authors, composers and their publishers. And if we look closely, it gets really interesting: Publishing a book is one thing, but what about the rights for public transmission, audio and video recordings, making the work available on the Internet, and filming, sending or translating it? When are the rights returned to the author? Can the author compete with his own work? Who provides footage and is liable for ensuring that it can even be used? So many questions – and publishing law must answer them all. Trade mark and design rights (Unfair) competition law It is said that a trade mark is a promise. A promise that is kept each time a consumer buys goods or makes use of a service bearing the trade mark. Trade marks, names, designs and similar immaterial intellectual property rights have become more important than ever. And it has become more important than ever to be knowledgeable in this area. Word mark, figurative mark or word and figurative mark? Industrial design or utility model? What is protected where (Austria, Europe, the entire world?) and how in the best possible way? The protection of a trade mark or design costs money. We make sure that you use your money optimally and find the right protection for your goods and services. Our website www.markenregistrierung.at offers support and basic information on trade mark law issues. See also (Unfair) competition law. “Competition law” is a dazzling term – on the one hand, it stands for the law governing restrictions of competition, aka antitrust laws, and on the other hand for fair trading law which mostly addresses unfair competition. Rules for fair competition are varied, and conflict sometimes arises with these rules. If you are the one in conflict with them, we will help you get out of that conflict; if a competitor is not following the rules, then we know how to lead him or her back to the path of virtue – and we might be able to get you some compensation for your damage. Höhne, In der Maur & Partner Rechtsanwälte GmbH & Co KG Mariahilfer Straße 20 Local offices Carinthia: Waagplatz 6 Auf der Werzer Leitn 4/A-01 A-9210 Pörtschach am Wörther See Tel: (43 - 1) 660 19 69 119 E-Mail: kaernten@h-i-p.at Local office Burgenland: Eisenstädter Straße 14 Tel: (43 - 1) 664 545 79 09 E-Mail: burgenland@h-i-p.at Tel: (43 - 1) 521 75-0 Fax: (43 - 1) 521 75 - 21 E-Mail: office@h-i-p.at Newsletter Association Law Our Newsletter keeps you up to date on association law four times a year - free of charge and unsubscribable at any time. vereinsrecht.at markenregistrierung.at gemeinnuetzige-stiftung.at immobilienrecht.at architekturheber.at datenschutz-recht.at vereine.datenschutz-recht.at startup-anwalt.at it-rechtsanwalt.at ULN Member We are members of the international lawyers network ULN. http://www.united-legal-network.com Yes, I agree to the use of cookies.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412513
__label__wiki	0.662606	0.662606	Since its launch in 2006, Professional Hairdresser has been an essential source of information for all those seriously involved in the business of hairdressing. In a style that is tailored to meet the demands of key professionals, it delivers all the latest the industry has to offer from new products and techniques to the business of running a salon. Strong editorial content reflects this highly creative industry with quality coverage on everything from catwalk fashion to the latest hair trends and collections. Professional Hairdresser had the largest reach into the industry with a market leading ABC audited circulation which is precisely structured to deliver a highly focused target audience of key industry buyers. In addition to the print version, the brand also includes www.professionalhairdresser.co.uk – for all the latest news, products, trends, step-by-steps and videos relevant to the hairdressing industry – a newsletter that hits over 21,000 inboxes each week and the Pro Hair Live show (LINK) which takes place in Manchester and features the big name brands and key faces of the industry. You can also view an archive of PDF versions of the magazine here: professionalhairdresser.co.uk/news/magazines Get in touch today to find out to get your message in front of key buyers and decision makers. Media PackPDF Features ListPDF View ABC certificatePDF Nicola Shannon nshannon@hamerville.co.uk Nicola Shannon launched Professional Hairdresser magazine in 2006. Having studied at the London College of Fashion, Nicola previously worked across home interiors titles and as a Fashion Editor.Under Nicola’s guidance, Professional Hairdresser is now firmly established as one of the hairdressing industry’s leading titles for salon professionals, going into more salons than any other title.A well-known figure within the industry, Nicola is frequently asked to judge hair competitions, present awards and sit on committees and feels that working on Professional Hairdresser is a lifestyle choice not just a job! At the Professional Hairdresser Live exhibition held in Manchester every year, Nicola is fully responsible for the editorial content of the show, organising top names and artists from the industry to appear on the main stages. Advertising Group Manager Oliver Shannon oshannon@hamerville.co.uk National Sales Executive Alana Asher aasher@hamervile.co.uk	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412514
__label__wiki	0.541124	0.541124	BillionaireRomanceBook.com/ Home \| Top View \| Bookslist Bittersweet Love By: Cathy Williams NATALIE could feel the spring in her step become heavier and heavier the closer she got to the awesome glass edifice that housed the Marshall Corporation. Why not admit it? she told herself. I don’t want to see Kane Marshall. I don’t want to see his face, I don’t want to hear his voice, I don’t want to feel that awful, sickening rollercoaster of emotions every time he glances in my direction. Not that he had the slightest idea what went on underneath that bright, efficient smile of hers. If he had, she would have left his employment immediately. She stuck her hands into her jacket pocket and stood still for a moment outside the building, letting the cool summer breeze whip her hair across her face, glaring at the squares of glass, already hating him for what he did to her. She was twenty-seven years old, and she had spent the last five of those years hopelessly in love with a man who wouldn’t have noticed her if she had stood naked on top of his desk with a rose between her teeth. He was the boss, and she was his personal assistant. He discussed work with her, trusted her completely in that respect. In fact, he had jokingly told her once before that the office would seize up should she ever decide to take her talents elsewhere. She had smiled politely at the compliment, wondering how it was that some compliments could sound very much like insults. But she knew how he saw her. Plain, slightly overweight, owlish behind her spectacles, brimming over with crisp efficiency. Neat navy suits and sensible shoes. Reliable little Natalie Robins. Even when, six month ago, he had taken her out to dinner, and announced that he would be leaving the country to set up a new and important subsidiary in the Far East, he had had no qualms in handing her the reins of responsibility. He would be accessible by telephone and on the fax machine. The rest he was quite confident that she could handle. Six months without being subjected to the force of his aggressive, dominant personality, was a long time. Long enough to think very carefully indeed about where her life was going. Long enough to lose quite a bit of weight, to get rid of those awful spectacles that did nothing for her eyes, to style her hair into something more resembling a tousled mane than the lank bun which she had been wont to wear to work every day. Long enough to make up her mind once and for all that loving Kane Marshall was a disease which she would overcome if she died in the process. Even so, standing here in front of the building and knowing that she would be seeing him for the first time in six months made her skin prickle with alarm. She was realistic enough to realise that her idiotic love for him was responsible for that clutching knot in the pit of her stomach, but that didn’t mean that she had to like it. She took a deep breath and quickly covered the ground towards the building, her feet automatically taking her to the private lift which would carry her straight up to his office. The knot in her stomach seemed to have grown, making it difficult for her to breathe, and her hands were balled into nervous fists in her pockets. Thank heavens her cool, slightly aloof face betrayed none of this inner turmoil. The outward package might have undergone a few renovations here and there, but basically she was the same collected person as she always had been. She had spent years perfecting the ability to express on her face only what she wanted the world to see, and as she stepped into the office now, quietly hanging her jacket on the coat-stand next to her large L-shaped desk, she thanked God for that. She knocked perfunctorily and pushed open the connecting door between her outer office and Kane’s main one, unable to prevent her quick intake of breath as her eyes rested on his tall, powerful frame. He was standing half turned from her, staring out of the window, his thoughts miles away. He couldn’t have heard her soft knock. She had thought her memory to be quite vivid, but now, seeing him for the first time in months, he seemed so much more overpowering than she had remembered. The black, springy hair was slightly shorter than when he had left, his frame a little leaner, as though he had spent a great deal of time working out. Or maybe it was simply that his tan created that illusion, because he was certainly more bronzed now than she could ever remember him being. ‘It’s good to have you back, Mr Marshall,’ Natalie forced herself to speak into the silence, afraid that she would be unable to tear her eyes away from him until he turned around and caught her in the act of watching him. He turned to face her, and whatever he had been about to say remained unspoken as his eyes swept over her. She could see the surprise written there, and she met his gaze blankly, steeling herself for the inevitable sarcasm. ‘Natalie?’ he finally asked, moving towards her, his hands in his pockets. He circled her, his green eyes amused as he inspected her with the thoroughness of a racehorse owner inspecting a horse. ‘You’ve changed.’ He continued to look at her, his brilliant eyes missing nothing, and she had the intensely uncomfortable feeling that she was being leisurely stripped by someone who was quite an expert at the procedure. ‘People tend to,’ Natalie said crisply, moving away from him and positioning herself closer to the door. ‘From time to time.’ ‘Do they?’ He sounded as though this was a novel concept, but she could still see the amusement lurking there in the depths of his eyes and it irritated her. She had forgotten just how quickly he could get under her skin. ‘I haven’t,’ he pointed out, returning to his desk and gesturing for her to sit in the chair facing his. ‘You look much browner,’ Natalie said non-committally. ‘Was it very hot out there?’ ‘Oh, very. And what was the weather like over here? Do tell.’ He leaned back and surveyed her from under his thick black lashes, his eyes flicking once again over her body, resting on the gentle swell of her breasts, which she had hitherto played down under muted, baggy clothes, as if he couldn’t quite get to grips with the transformation. ‘I’m merely trying to make small talk,’ Natalie said, frowning. ‘Don’t you think we’ve known each other too long for small talk?’ It was the sort of remark that, in different circum-stances, might well have sounded quite intimate, but here, in the clinical severity of his office, she knew what he meant. They had worked together for so long that they operated with the kind of familiarity that came to old, married couples. ‘Besides,’ he was saying, moving on from his offhand observation, ‘if we’re going to play that game, let’s at least talk about something slightly more interesting. Like what the hell has happened to you?’ ‘Not a great deal,’ Natalie informed him, deliberately misunderstanding his question. ‘I’ve taken up squash and swimming. My sister has made me godmother to her little boy. And, of course, I’ve pretty much kept on top of the workload, you’ll be pleased to hear, although, as you suspected, that Grafton deal is proving trickier than was originally anticipated. But I discussed all that on the telephone with you a couple of days ago. The file is on my desk, if you’d care to see it.’ She rose to get it, too nervously conscious of his eyes on her to remain in the room any longer. ‘Sit down,’ he barked. ‘I haven’t laid eyes on you for six months, dammit, to find that you’ve gone and got yourself overhauled. You haven’t found yourself a man, by any chance, have you?’ There was a thread of suspicion in his voice. Natalie gave him a look that would freeze water, and he laughed. ‘Good. I can’t afford to have you besotted with any man. There’s too much work on here at the moment for that little luxury. The Hong Kong operation is going to have a massive knock-on effect on our outlets over here.’ He began rooting through some paperwork on his desk and she glared at the downturned dark head. She had become quite accustomed to this trait of his. He would pick up a topic, explore it for a while, like a child with a plaything, and then when he was satisfied that there was nothing left to discover about it, or when it began to bore him, he would drop it without a backward glance. It was how he treated the women in his life, and there were enough of them. Blonde, brunette, red-haired, all perfectly proportioned Barbie doll look-alikes who adorned his arm for just as long as he wanted them to, before boredom set in. It never failed to amaze her that she had fallen in love with someone whose character she was quite capable of assassinating with a few easy strokes. How could anyone with a scrap of common sense actually love a man whose idea of involvement was a diamond necklace and a weekend in Rome, work permitting, and whose attitude to parting was a philosophical shrug of the shoulders? Now, she thought acidly, he had sized up her transformation, made sure that it would not cause any ripples in her work life, and, that done, was quite content to get back to the business in hand. For once, though, Natalie was not going to accept his change of direction with equanimity. Maybe six months of freedom from his engulfing, mesmeric personality had taken their toll in more ways than one after all. She looked at him, her grey eyes level, and said coolly, ‘You can rest assured that the presence of a man in my life would not affect my work here in the slightest’ He glanced up from what he was doing, his black brows drawn together in a frown. Also By Cathy Williams · Bound by the Billionaire's Baby · At Her Boss's Pleasure · A Pawn in the Playboy's Game · The Italian's Pregnant Mistress · Merger By Matrimony · The Multi-Millionaire's Virgin Mistress · A Deal with Di Capua Hot Read Previous1 2345678910..31 Next SupportMail To:[email protected]	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412520
__label__wiki	0.665991	0.665991	= Subscribers only. Sign in here. Subscribe here. Wraparound — From the March 1975 issue Just a gigolo By Stephen Birmingham FEATURED ON HARPERS.ORG Trumpism After Trump· The city was not beautiful; no one made that claim for it. At the height of summer, people in suits, shellacked by the sun, moved like harassed insects to avoid the concentrated light. There was a civil war–like fracture in America—the president had said so—but little of it showed in the capital. Everyone was polite and smooth in their exchanges. The corridor between Dupont Circle and Georgetown was like the dream of Yugoslav planners: long blocks of uniform earth-toned buildings that made the classical edifices of the Hill seem the residue of ancestors straining for pedigree. Bunting, starched and perfectly ruffled in red-white-and-blue fans, hung everywhere—from air conditioners, from gutters, from statues of dead revolutionaries. Coming from Berlin, where the manual laborers are white, I felt as though I was entering the heart of a caste civilization. Untouchables in hard hats drilled into sidewalks, carried pylons, and ate lunch from metal boxes, while waiters in restaurants complimented old respectable bobbing heads on how well they were progressing with their rib eyes and iceberg wedges. I had come to Washington to witness either the birth of an ideology or what may turn out to be the passing of a kidney stone through the Republican Party. There was a new movement afoot: National Conservatives, they called themselves, and they were gathering here, at the Ritz-Carlton, at 22nd Street and M. Disparate tribes had posted up for the potlatch: reformacons, blood-and-soilers, curious liberal nationalists, “Austrians,” repentant neocons, evangelical Christians, corporate raiders, cattle ranchers, Silicon Valley dissidents, Buckleyites, Straussians, Orthodox Jews, Catholics, Mormons, Tories, dark-web spiders, tradcons, Lone Conservatives, Fed-Socs, Young Republicans, Reaganites in amber. Most straddled more than one category. The Cancer Chair· The second-worst thing about cancer chairs is that they are attached to televisions. Someone somewhere is always at war with silence. It’s impossible to read, so I answer email, or watch some cop drama on my computer, or, if it seems unavoidable, explore the lives of my nurses. A trip to Cozumel with old girlfriends, a costume party with political overtones, an advanced degree on the internet: they’re all the same, these lives, which is to say that the nurses tell me nothing, perhaps because amid the din and pain it’s impossible to say anything of substance, or perhaps because they know that nothing is precisely what we both expect. It’s the very currency of the place. Perhaps they are being excruciatingly candid. There is a cancer camaraderie I’ve never felt. That I find inimical, in fact. Along with the official optimism that percolates out of pamphlets, the milestone celebrations that seem aimed at children, the lemonade people squeeze out of their tumors. My stoniness has not always served me well. Among the cancer staff, there is special affection for the jocular sufferer, the one who makes light of lousy bowel movements and extols the spiritual tonic of neuropathy. And why not? Spend your waking life in hell, and you too might cherish the soul who’d learned to praise the flames. I can’t do it. I’m not chipper by nature, and just hearing the word cancer makes me feel like I’m wearing a welder’s mask. “My Gang Is Jesus”· When Demétrio Martins was ready to preach, he pushed a joystick that angled the seat of his wheelchair forward, slowly lifting him to a standing position. Restraints held his body upright. His atrophied right arm lay on an armrest, and with his left hand, he put a microphone to his lips. “Proverbs, chapter fourteen, verse twelve,” he said. “ ‘There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is . . .’ ” The congregation finished: “ ‘Death.’ ” The Assembly of God True Grapevine was little more than a fluorescent-lit room wedged between a bar and an empty lot in Jacaré, a poor neighborhood on Rio de Janeiro’s north side. A few dozen people sat in the rows of plastic lawn chairs that served as pews, while shuddering wall fans circulated hot air. The congregation was largely female; of the few men in attendance, most wore collared shirts and old leather shoes. Now and then, Martins veered from Portuguese into celestial tongues. People rose from their seats, thrust their hands into the air, and shouted, “Hallelujah!” The Birds· On December 7, 2016, a drone departed from an Amazon warehouse in the United Kingdom, ascended to an altitude of four hundred feet, and flew to a nearby farm. There it glided down to the front lawn and released from its clutches a small box containing an Amazon streaming device and a bag of popcorn. This was the first successful flight of Prime Air, Amazon’s drone delivery program. If instituted as a regular service, it would slash the costs of “last-mile delivery,” the shortest and most expensive leg of a package’s journey from warehouse to doorstep. Drones don’t get into fender benders, don’t hit rush-hour traffic, and don’t need humans to accompany them, all of which, Amazon says, could enable it to offer thirty-minute delivery for up to 90 percent of domestic shipments while also reducing carbon emissions. After years of testing, Amazon wrote to the Federal Aviation Administration last summer to ask for permission to conduct limited commercial deliveries with its drones, attaching this diagram to show how the system would work. (Amazon insisted that we note that the diagram is not to scale.) Amazon is not the only company working toward such an automated future—UPS, FedEx, Uber, and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, have similar programs—but its plans offer the most detailed vision of what seems to be an impending reality, one in which parcel-toting drones are a constant presence in the sky, doing much more than just delivering popcorn. The Skinning Tree· Every year in Lusk, Wyoming, during the second week of July, locals gather to reenact a day in 1849 when members of a nearby band of Sioux are said to have skinned a white man alive. None of the actors are Native American. The white participants dress up like Indians and redden their skin with body paint made from iron ore. The town prepares all year, and the performance, The Legend of Rawhide, has a cast and crew of hundreds, almost all local volunteers, including elementary school children. There are six generations of Rawhide actors in one family; three or four generations seems to be the average. The show is performed twice, on Friday and Saturday night. The plot is based on an event that, as local legend has it, occurred fifteen miles south of Lusk, in Rawhide Buttes. It goes like this: Clyde Pickett is traveling with a wagon train to California. He tells the other Pioneers: “The only good Injun’s a dead Injun.” Clyde loves Kate Farley, and to impress her, he shoots the first Indian he sees, who happens to be an Indian Princess. The Indians approach the Pioneers and ask that the murderer give himself up. Clyde won’t admit he did it. The Indians attack the wagon train and, eventually, Clyde surrenders. The Indians tie Clyde to the Skinning Tree and flay him alive. Later, Kate retrieves her dead lover’s body and the wagon train continues west. Cost of renting a giant panda from the Chinese government, per day: AUGUST 1988 > SEARCH > World Wildlife Fund (Washington) A recent earthquake in Chile was found to have shifted the city of Concepción ten feet to the west, shortened Earth’s days by 1.26 microseconds, and shifted the planet’s axis by nearly three inches. MAY 2010 > SEARCH > A decorated veteran of the American wars in Vietnam and Iraq had his prosthetic limbs repossessed from his home in Mississippi when the VA declined to pay for them. SIGN UP > SOURCE > MORE > Subscribe to the Weekly Review newsletter. Don’t worry, we won’t sell your email address! HARPER’S FINEST Report — From the March 2003 issue Jesus Plus Nothing By Jeff Sharlet At Ivanwald, men learn to be leaders by loving their leaders. “They’re so busy loving us,” a brother once explained to me, “but who’s loving them?” We were. The brothers each paid $400 per month for room and board, but we were also the caretakers of The Cedars, cleaning its gutters, mowing its lawns, whacking weeds and blowing leaves and sanding. And we were called to serve on Tuesday mornings, when The Cedars hosted a regular prayer breakfast typically presided over by Ed Meese, the former attorney general. Each week the breakfast brought together a rotating group of ambassadors, businessmen, and American politicians. Three of Ivanwald’s brothers also attended, wearing crisp shirts starched just for the occasion; one would sit at the table while the other two poured coffee.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412521
__label__cc	0.64202	0.35798	Thinkific Home pure Purevpn No Logs – PureVPN Review – 2019 Purevpn No Logs – PureVPN Review – 2019 by newadmin November 15, 2017 Background Purevpn No Logs PureVPN has been providing VPN services because 2007, so It’s not surprising that it now claims a long list of features: 2,000+ self-managed servers across 180+ locations, a wide selection of protocols, torrent service, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, a wise kill switch, five apparatus allowed and payment via Bitcoin should you need it. Purevpn No Logs Unusual Extras include’split tunneling’ (you decide which traffic goes through the VPN, and which uses your ISP) and also the capacity to produce an instant Wi-Fi VPN hotspot in your laptop, and connect even more devices through that. The Company offers dedicated apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Linux, extensions for Chrome and Firefox, and much more downloads and tutorials that will help you set it up on routers, Kodi, Android TV, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick and much more. Click here to subscribe to PureVPN. PureVPN PureVPN subscription options: 12 month program – $5.75 a month ($69 total cost) The Monthly strategy is typical value at $11 (#8.40), however, the yearly program is merely a monthly $2.99 (#2.30), a excellent deal. This Drops to a monthly $1.32 (#1) should you pay for five years upfront, a total of $79 (#61). We would suggest registering for that long, but the cost is really low, you may think it’s rewarding. Private online Access offers a decent two-year plan for $2.91 (#2.24) per month, for instance, but that’s still $70 (#54) in total, less. If you only use PureVPN for a couple of decades, you’re getting value. The By utilizing some marketing trickery, company spoils this fantastic impression a little. Each plan has a’last sold’ indicator which tells you if a person signed up, and it. This is Presumably intended to show you the service is, but we are not sure the amounts are genuine. We refreshed the page a few times, and visited in different browsers, and the’past sold’ figures varied widely. They behave like they’re chosen randomly, rather than corresponding to any real world events. PureVPN does not advertise a trial. We dug deep and found a page for something called a’3-day trial account’, but that is somewhat misleading. It is really only a commercial program in which you pay a non-refundable $2.50 (#2) for 3 days of support. There’s a 31-day money-back guarantee for your . PureVPN’s refund policy utilized to include some sneaky circumstances where you wouldn’t get your money back if you’d connected more than 100 times, or used over 3GB of data transport, but we’re happy to observe these happen to be dropped. It is currently promoted as a’no questions asked, risk-free, stress-free’ money-back guarantee, so if you are unhappy, just send an email and ask for a refund. Purevpn No Logs Handing Over your cash to PureVPN is remarkably simple, as the company supports just about every payment format there is: credit card, PayPal, Bitcoin and several different cryptocurrencies (via CoinPayments), AliPay, assorted gift cards, and more than 150 additional payment methods via the Paymentwall platform. After Parting with your money, download links direct you to programs for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, the browser extensions and much more. We grabbed the Windows client, also as it had been downloading, a email came with login details. Installation Was simple, and after a quick launch, the Windows client prompted us to pick one of five modes: Stream, Internet Freedom, Security/Privacy, File Sharing and Dedicated IP. We guess most people will wonder if to choose Security/Privacy or Internet Freedom, and there’s no advice to explain the difference. The Support site told us that selecting a manner would optimize PureVPN’s settings for this undertaking. File Sharing manners and the Streaming would optimize for speed, although As an instance, choosing Security/Privacy would prioritize security above all else. VPN Beginners might appreciate this strategy since it means that they don’t need to know and tweak the settings. Since there’s no obvious indication of what each mode does but specialists are not as inclined to approve. There’s nothing wrong with task-based mode choice, but we would like a clear display of those settings that are unsuitable for each mode, so experienced users can comprehend the effects of their choice. After Selecting a mode, you’re in a position to pick at locations. This has lots of functionality, enabling you to navigate locations by cities or countries, search by name, view ping times, or create favorites for quick recall afterwards. Alternatively, Deciding upon a Goal option displays a list of tasks you may want to execute — unblocking Netflix or other streaming sites, utilizing VoIP, accessing social media websites or whatever — and you can in theory select one of these, and allow PureVPN to select a server for you. Connect To the client and a host displays your connection status. There is also an optional bandwidth chart showing your data transfers for the past few seconds. You won’t need it, but it’s good to see PureVPN making the effort. The Client makes clever of use of alarms to be certain you know what’s happening. Choose a place as long as the Windows client is the foreground program, it won’t waste your time with notifications. But if you switch to another program, the customer notices, and a window seems to let you know when it connects and disconnects. A bonus Gravity feature blocks access. We would always prefer to purchase this type of attribute from a professional security firm, but Gravity is a lot smarter than the majority of the VPN-related competition. In addition to blocking dangerous links, it can turn on Safe Search for the main search engines, block entire categories of site, whitelist websites you always wish to access, and blacklist sites you do not. Oh, and it may block ads, also. Purevpn No Logs The Settings Box is a highlight, especially for experienced users, since it stuffed with intriguing and unusual extras. The Customer does have options to launch as an example, auto-connect and system start. As soon as you’re protected it may automatically open your default browser. Need a Different protocol? PureVPN allows you to Pick from OpenVPN TCP/UDP, PPTP, L2TP, SSTP and IKEV. There’s also an automated alternative which the customer suggests offers the very best speed and security, but from what we could see, that is not true: it just cycles through another protocols till it finds one that works. Split Tunneling allows you to send only specified apps’ traffic by your VPN. That requires more time to install, and you have to be very certain which apps you need to redirect, but it can additionally optimize performance by limiting your data transfer needs. The VPN Hotspot is an additional, configuring a wireless hotspot which turns the host computer to a restricted VPN router. When it’s enabled, you’ll have the ability to use your phone, tablet or other devices to go online via the host’s PureVPN connection. Along with the List continues, using IPv6 leak security, an unusually configurable kill switch, and a multi-port alternative which chooses the very best port, avoiding any closed or throttled options. You can elect to use a non-NAT network to get a special IP address, port forwarding is available should you require it, and a Support section does not only link to the site: it eases creating a service ticket from inside the customer. Even though There’s lots of power , the interface is a mess that is inconsistent and awkward. There are normal buttons, radio buttons, links, icons and sidebars, they do not necessarily work as you’d expect, and although we figured out how to navigate across the machine, it never felt natural or comfortable. Still, The client did a decent job for us, blocking DNS and WebRTC escapes, and together with the kill button successfully killing our net access if the VPN link dropped. If you will use some of the client added features, it may appeal. We took a Look at PureVPN’s Android app, and it had been the same story as the Windows version. After choosing a’Mode’ (still not certain why), we were able to select cities, states, or choose a Goal (optimized for China, unblock this or that streaming assistance, etc ). It is more awkward to use than the VPN app, but you will find it out easily enough. What’s More interesting is that the Android program does not drop the majority of choices and the desktop’s settings, which is what we normally see. It has a very similar feature set, including a choice of protocol (OpenVPN TCP/UDP or IKEv2), a kill switch, split tunneling, port forwarding, Gravity URL filtering, and more. If you will utilize some or all of that functionality, it’s well worth a go. Purevpn No Logs Privacy and logging In a Previous inspection , we pointed out that PureVPN made a big deal of its’zero log’ policy. Nevertheless, the small print stated there was a session logging, which seemed to add time you connect to a host, your incoming IP address as well as the total bandwidth used. This Isn’t a detail. In October 2017 reports emerged of a guy being detained on suspicion of running”an extensive cyberstalking campaign”, in part based on PureVPN records demonstrating that its services were accessed from originating IPs such as the accused man’s home and workplace. The’zero log’ VPN kept some sort of logs, after all, and these were able to help connect internet actions to a particular account. PureVPN Type of responded to this in a blog Post, where the company pointed out that it didn’t keep full logs, like your browsing history, and it had not done anything to violate its privacy policy, where the session logging was cited. This Does not tackle the dilemma of why the company described itself as maintaining’zero logs’ in the primary part of the website, however, when this turned out not to be entirely correct. That’s also not a point. Logging policies are based almost entirely on trust, and a VPN isn’t inclined to be trusted if it is seen to mislead consumers or bury the fact of a situation from the small print. PureVPN has updated its privacy Coverage, which now includes probably the most explicit no-logging sentence we have ever observed:’we don’t keep any record of your surfing activities, link logs, documents of this VPN IPs assigned to you, your original IPs, your relationship time, the history of your surfing, the websites you visited, your incoming traffic, the information or information you obtained, or the DNS queries generated by you personally.’ The Policy also explains the minimum link data it will report –‘We know the day you connected to some particular VPN place and from that Internet Service Provider’ — also covers plenty of other vital issues in a clear and readable way. Then, the Fantastic news, is that PureVPN’s current Privacy policy looks good and says the right things. It is much better than the majority of the contest. But the catch is that the previous logging story will understandably lead some people to wonder whether they can trust what the provider says. We can’t tell you what to believe, but it’s well worth checking out both PureVPN’s unique site defense and also its current privacy policy before you make up your mind. PureVPN Creates more of an effort to support website unblocking than most of the contest. The company doesn’t just make airy promises on the website then forget about them later, it includes special support for streaming within its programs, in theory allowing you to get Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer and a host of different services from where you are on the planet. Purevpn No Logs We Double-clicked that the BBC option, and viewed as the customer connected and exhibited an’err-network-changed’ message. What? This seemed like a serious difficulty, however, the browser had just detected the change in our network settings as the customer connected, and once this was complete, the BBC iPlayer website opened and streamed content as usual. It was The exact same story with Netflix. The customer started our browser before the link was complete, thus we saw the exact same error message, but this vanished mechanically, and we were free to navigate and flow whatever Netflix content we enjoyed. You’re Not restricted to the professional services built into PureVPN’s programs , naturally. Linking to a US server in the manner got us , although youTube wasn’t included for instance. Our Normal performance evaluations involve running custom software which connects to numerous servers, checking place , ping time, rates and much more. Unfortunately, we could not get this working with PureVPN, or determine why (whether that is our fault or theirs, we can’t be convinced ). But An warning in the print explains that consumers aren’t permitted to have more than 200 sessions every day if we did. That won’t concern most people, but it will become a problem when you are running VPN benchmarks. Purevpn No Logs We dropped Back on our older manual way of linking via customers and assessing the results from various speed checking sites, such as SpeedTest.net, Fast.com and TestMy.net. This will not provide us as much data to use, but there’s still enough to get a feel for exactly what the service can provide. Our local UK servers diverse but still gave quite decent rates of 50-65Mbps on our evaluation connection that was 75Mbps to us. Near Speeds were mildly below average. Netherlands connections can deliver substantially the same speeds for us as UK servers, but they were typically 35-45Mbps. US Performance ranged from approximately 30Mbps in the west shore, on the east to 50Mbps. That is far from the fastest we have seen, but unless you are likely 24 hours of intensive torrenting, it’s probably not likely to cause you any issues. As usual, Speeds tailed off radically for the places. By way of instance, New Zealand averaged 12Mbps, Vietnam was 10Mbps, 1Mbps was reached by Taiwan, also China ranged down to a slow speed that the web benchmarking websites often stalled mid-test. That places the magnitude of PureVPN’s system into perspective (having loads of servers doesn’t matter whether many are unusably slow), but if you’re only planning to utilize the major locations, it won’t matter very much. On a few Occasions, our PureVPN Windows customer was not able to link to our test server that is chosen. The Cancel button didn’t work, however, the problem here is that the connection didn’t time out for several moments, although that is not uncommon. What You Want To Know About PureVPN The Test of Speed — Just How Quick is PureVPN? Let’s start off by making one thing clear, i.e. whatever VPN service you use, the online speed will take a hit. That strike is a result of the security measures employed to encrypt and protect your identity. The majority of VPN services make every possible effort to ensure that the hit is as gentle as it can be. So, unlike what many folks are going to have you think like utilizing dial-up, it’s not likely to be. PureVPN, compared to other similar VPN services, appears to be much quicker. So it does live up to the promise of being the fastest in the business. Purevpn No Logs The way we tested the operation was by using Ookala’s nifty speed testing website and program. We ran the speed test on both international and domestic servers. We then compared the results, calculated their portion gap, and that’s how we found PureVPN to be quicker. PureVPN includes a national latency of a mere 6.7% percent. During our downloading evaluations, as a matter of fact, PureVPN improved speeds that by our calculations is an incredible 346 percent percent. We discovered that competing VPN services were substantially slower. Some we suspect were throttling download speeds because they didn’t want to stress their servers. Once it comes to uploads, PureVPN didn’t really boost it did with downloads, but it took a mere 4.5percent percent hit. If anything this is still one of the upload scores we’ve seen from a VPN provider. Throughout our international speed tests, the latency increased by 200%. Though download rates have been still a whopping 403.8percent better than some of the competing products I tested it against. The uploads have been 22.7% percentage slower which is second best compared to possibly Hotspot Shield which enhanced the upload rate by 1.4% percent. A Mind-Blowing Number of Servers The map on the left lets you bypass the software’s default recommendation and choose a server on your own. Remember that by default PureVPN chooses the server which is often the one. When in China I discovered that it kept picking up servers in Hong Kong by default which is not nearby but also the simple fact that the cyberspace of Hong Kong is not as rigorously censored as mainland China. PureVPN has over 2000 servers which are dispersed across 140 countries and 180 locations around the globe. Servers are located in Asia, Central America, South America, North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. You may believe that PureVPN only has servers in nations which don’t censor or block sites, but you would be wrong. Servers in Russia, Turkey, and China are there in case you wanted them. It Does Not Slow Down Your Internet Over time VPN providers, generally speaking, have received bad press for infamously slowing down internet rates that users have never been pleased with clearly. There are still many VPN services that slow down what might be internet. Fortunately, with PureVPN that is not the case even if you use it to stream Netflix, YouTube, etc.. Along with not slowing down your net, PureVPN offers a number of other features like robust servers that can be found around the globe and which scored tremendously throughout our speed tests. Then there is also the fact that they utilize military-grade encryption, together with programs for Android and iOS apparatus. Even though there are many more reasons to think about PureVPN as we’ll examine in detail below. Purevpn No Logs Excellent Set of Features and Easy to Understand I’ve used dozens of VPN programs over the years, and PureVPN is like a breath of fresh air. It is easy to use and compared to the previous time that I used the program its now geared towards people who are new to using VPNs. As soon as PureVPN loads you’re prompted to pick from five choices, i.e. Safety, Internet Freedom, Stream, Remote/Dedi IP (this feature gives you a dedicated IP) and File Sharing. An experience that is based on the option selected is then delivered by the app. The other thing I enjoy about PureVPN is that every one of the features are to the stage. For instance, their Internet Freedom feature enables you to choose what region you need to access Netflix out of, such as from the UK, Australia, etc.. Netflix can be also accessed by you from China where it is otherwise blocked. Compared to the last time I used PureVPN this time around it felt zippier. The interface has been glowing, with vibrant pictures some of that could be hard to read on a smaller screen. Once you’re connected to a server that is private, you are going to see the IP address, connection status, and the length of your session. The traffic graph gives you a good feel for just how much bandwidth has been absorbed, which is useful for anyone on a metered internet connection. But it’s very important to mention worrying about data caps that PureVPN does not have any. So, you’re just limited to what the ISP has in store for you! Like many other competing VPN services, you choose the server and the country it’s based in. You can search for servers and then click on them to link. Some servers based on where you’re located are currently going to be faster than others because of latency. You can also select which protocols to use. Choose between OpenVPN, IKEv2, SSTP, PPTP, and L2TP. There is PureVPN’s very own stealth protocol that according to the provider ensures the anonymity. Since people like me have PureVPN makes it easy by giving a speed and security rating for every. The important thing to notice here is because the security boosts the rate slows down. You’ll need to strike a compromise between both based on what is needed. By default, a protocol is chosen by the software. Most people who do not work for the CIA (pun intended) will probably be fine using the default alternative. Purevpn No Logs Hands-on and Initial Impressions We have admittedly used PureVPN earlier, but following a hiatus or perhaps two decades we pretty much forgot how things worked. As soon as you’ve decided to register and download their software, you’ll need to put in your email and select a password. Perhaps confusingly and interestingly, this isn’t what you’ll use to the software to log-in, but it is used for charging purposes. After subscribers have paid, they get an email with the username and password in plain text. We have utilized other VPNs that use the same system to payment identities that were separate from consumer identities which guarantees anonymity. Nevertheless we believe that it could be perplexing to first-time customers however its something you get used to. Plus, in our experience the email will land for some reason on your spam folder, so make sure before calling service that you check that. PureVPN has a support Website with a massive number of tutorials and troubleshooting guides. The opening page points you Setup Guide For Users in China and to watch nearly all of these sections, and Netflix US, for instance include more content than you would expect. The Setup Guide has subsections for Routers Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Smart TV and Devices, for example, and a number of those sections have more content than the support site of VPNs. Although it’s an impressive Quantity of work, we’re Unsure how successful and reliable it might be. We assessed the manual OpenVPN setup guide and found it failed entirely. OpenVPN was not installed there weren’t any PureVPN settings files, and there was no information in the manual to help us figure this out. If the Website can not help, you raise a support ticket from inside the client or can send an email. We took the ticket route and the service done with the support team sending a friendly and helpful response to our evaluation question to us . Alternatively, Chat can be used by you on the site. We found it might take a minute or two to get a response, and even then, we weren’t given the level of help by the broker since we had received to our email query. PureVPN couldn’t get close to the level of service we had received from leading competitors like ExpressVPN, then, but we are still glad the option is available. With quick service to hand, any live chat issues you might have probably aren’t too important. Purevpn No Logs PureVPN Comes bundled with a pile of features, which can be surprising considering the purchase price. These do not always work as you might expect and there are tons of usability problems with the programs — but demanding users who will use this degree of VPN power must give PureVPN a look. Click here to sign up for PureVPN. Spyfu SEO Competitor Research Tool @2018 - www.healthfitnessandbeautyreviews.com All Right Reserved. We receive compensation from companies whose products and services we promote.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412527
__label__cc	0.596872	0.403128	Dobutamine echocardiography and thallium-201 imaging predict functional improvement after revascularisation in severe ischaemic left ventricular dysfunction. R. Senior, B. Glenville, S. Basu, B. S. Sridhara, E. Anagnostou, R. Stanbridge, S. J. Edmondson, C. E. Handler, E. B. Raftery, A. Lahiri Department of Cardiology, Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, Middlesex. OBJECTIVES--To evaluate the concordance between thallium-201 uptake and echocardiographic wall thickening, which are both indicators of potentially reversible myocardial dysfunction, in patients with chronic ischaemic left ventricular failure and to assess their relative contribution to predicting improvement in regional function after revascularisation in a subgroup. PATIENTS AND METHODS--45 patients with chronic ischaemic left ventricular dysfunction (mean (SD) ejection fraction 25 (8)%) underwent echocardiography before and after dobutamine infusion (10 micrograms/kg/min). Of these, 22 patients underwent rest echocardiography at a mean (SD) of 9 (1) weeks after revascularisation. 201Tl imaging was performed during dobutamine echocardiography and at rest, 1, and 4 h after treatment with sublingual glyceryl trinitrate on two separate days. Potentially reversible dysfunction was thought to be present when a myocardial segment contained a Tl score of > or = 3 (ascending score 1-4), or showed improved wall thickening of a dysynergic segment during dobutamine stimulation. RESULTS--Of the 201Tl protocols, the redistribution scan 1 h after treatment with glyceryl trinitrate best demonstrated myocardial viability. Concordance between 201Tl and dobutamine induced wall thickening was 82% (kappa = 0.59) for detecting potentially reversible myocardial dysfunction before revascularisation (n = 45). Regional function improved in 18 of 22 patients after revascularisation. There were 168 dysynergic segments before intervention. The sensitivity of echocardiography and 201Tl imaging for detecting "recoverable" or viable segments after revascularisation was 87% and 92% respectively and specificity was 82% and 78% respectively (P = NS). CONCLUSIONS--Dobutamine echocardiography and 201Tl imaging may be used to predict mechanical improvement in dysynergic segments after revascularisation in patients with chronic ischaemic left ventricular dysfunction. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/hrt.74.4.358	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412533
__label__cc	0.576662	0.423338	Apple (Product)RED iPhone 8 J.D. DiGiovanni Back in 2006, the Cupertino, California-based tech giant Apple teamed up with The Global Fund to help raise money to fight HIV/AIDS by selling limited edition all-red products. Their most recent? The new Apple (Product)RED iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. The aluminum band along the sides of the phone as well as the glass backing, buttons, and just about everything else is given a red all-over treatment. Already jump on the new iPhone? Don’t worry. You can still do your part to pitch in by picking up Apple’s new (PRODUCT)RED iPhoneX Leather Folio that is available starting Tuesday 10th of April. For those of you who haven’t yet felt the urge to grab up the newer models of iPhone, now is your chance to have your hard-earned dollars go towards the $160 million Apple has already donated over the past decade plus. Look for these special edition iPhones starting April 13th. Purchase: $700 More From Tech Roland Modernizes The Age-Old Piano With The Digital GPX-F1 Facet Concept A digital concert grand piano concept that's straight out of the future. B&O Taps Danish Architects For The Sleek & Unique ‘Contrast Collection’ A collaborative eight-item collection marked by gorgeous finishes & materials. Sony’s Wireless Shooting Grip Is A Versatile Gimbal-Tripod For Photogs Access movie recording, zoom, angle adjustment, and camera flip at the touch of a button. Sennheiser & Continental Created A ‘Speakerless’ Hi-Fi Car Stereo A game-changing combination of AMBEO 3D tech with an Ac2ated sound system. Mophie’s Latest Portable Battery Is Powerful Enough To Jumpstart Your Car But features a 65W output for your less-needy electronics. Razer Just Unveiled A Massive Fully-Immersive ERacing Driving Simulator With a 128" curved full-HD display, a hand-crafted chassis, and more.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412538
__label__wiki	0.906682	0.906682	The satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield. Genre: Animation , Comedy Director: Matt Groening , Sam Simon Season 1 - The Simpsons 1 "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" "When his Christmas bonus is cancelled, Homer becomes a department-store Santa--and then bets his meager earnings at the track. When all seems lost, Homer and Bart save Christmas by adopting the losing greyhound, Santa's Little Helper." 2 "Bart the Genius" "After switching IQ tests with Martin, Bart is mistaken for a child genius. When he's enrolled in a school for gifted students, a series of embarrassments and mishaps makes him long for his old life." 3 "Homer's Odyssey" "Homer is fired for nearly causing a meltdown at the nuclear plant. When he finds a new calling as a public safety advocate, he finds himself facing off against Mr. Burns." 4 "There's No Disgrace Like Home" "After an embarrassing experience at the company picnic, Homer pawns the TV and uses the proceeds to take the family to therapy sessions." 5 "Bart the General" "Fed up with Nelson's bullying, the kids from Springfield Elementary decide to teach him a lesson. With advice from Grandpa, Bart leads them into battle." 6 "Moaning Lisa" "When Lisa get a bad case of the blues, jazz musician Bleeding Gums Murphy teaches her how to express her feelings through music." 7 "The Call of the Simpsons" "Homer buys an RV and the family takes off on an ill-fated camping trip." 8 "The Telltale Head" "Bart tries to impress the school bullies by stealing the head of the Jebediah Springfield statue in the town square, but everyone is outraged by his act of vandalism." 9 "Life on the Fast Lane" "Homer gives Marge a bowling ball for her birthday, and his self-serving gift backfires: she starts taking lessons from a suave French bowling instructor. When the lessons take a romantic turn, Marge faces temptation." 10 "Homer's Night Out" "Bart puts his new spy camera to use when Homer gets rowdy at a bachelor party, and the incriminating photo gets distributed all over town." 11 "The Crepes of Wrath" "Bart is sent as a foreign exchange student to France, where he is enslaved by corrupt winemakers. Meanwhile, the Simpson family hosts an Albanian student who takes a surprising interest in the workings of the nuclear power plant." 12 "Krusty Gets Busted" "Krusty the Clown gets busted for robbing the Kwik-E-Mart, with Homer as an eyewitness. Convinced that their idol was wrongly accused, Bart and Lisa investigate the crime." 13 "Some Enchanted Evening" "While Homer takes Marge out for a night on the town, the kids spot their babysitter on America's Most Armed and Dangerous." 1 "Bart Gets an F" "Bart fails four consecutive history exams and the school psychiatrist recommends that Bart repeat the fourth grade." 2 "Simpson and Delilah" "Homer uses his medical insurance to buy Dimoxinil, a miracle hair-growth formula. After growing luxurious locks, he's given a promotion which allows him to hire a secretary named Karl and makes grand promises to his family at home." 3 "Treehouse of Horror" "The Simpson kids hide in the family treehouse and tell each other spooky stories. The first regards haunted houses, the second introduces Kang and Kodos for the first time in an alien abduction, and the third is a Simpson-adapted retelling of The Raven." 4 "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish" "Bart catches a three-eyed fish in a river downstream of the Nuclear Power Plant. This causes the plant to become inspected, and in order to prevent it from being shut down, Mr. Burns decides to run for governor. After a hard campaign which sees Burns rise from being universally despised to running neck and neck with popular incumbent Mary Bailey, it is decided that Burns will have dinner with a random employee the night before the election. Homer is chosen, much to Marge's chagrin." 5 "Dancin' Homer" "Homer fires up the crowd at a Springfield Isotopes baseball game and is chosen to be the team's new mascot. He immediately becomes a popular attraction and the Isotopes start a winning streak. As a result, Homer is promoted to a team in Capital City, the Capital City Capitals." 6 "Dead Putting Society" "Bart and Todd Flanders decide to enter a miniature golf tournament. Homer becomes confident that Bart will win and makes a bet with Ned that the father of the boy that does not win will have to mow their neighbors lawn in their wife's Sunday dress. " 7 "Bart vs. Thanksgiving" "Lisa makes a table centerpiece for the Thanksgiving dinner, which Bart accidentally destroys. After he is sent to his room by his parents, Bart angrily runs away from home and experiences a very different kind of Thanksgiving holiday." 8 "Bart the Daredevil" "The Simpsons go to a Monster truck rally that features famous daredevil Lance Murdock. Bart immediately becomes enamored and decides that he wants to become a daredevil as well. His first stunt ends in injury, but to gain the respect of his friends, he promises a far more impressive feat to them: to jump the Springfield Gorge." 9 "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge" "Maggie attacks Homer with a mallet after seeing it on Itchy & Scratchy. Marge begins a protest outside the production offices, demanding the show be retooled to prevent further violence." 10 "Bart Gets Hit by a Car" "After Mr. Burns hits Bart with his car, ambulance-chasing attorney Lionel Hutz persuades Homer and Marge to sue for a million dollars." 11 "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish" "After eating poisonous blowfish at a sushi restaurant, Homer decides to live life to the fullest in the 24 hours he has left to live." 12 "The Way We Was" "When the TV breaks, Marge and Homer entertain the kids with the story of how they first met." 13 "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" "Homer becomes the most popular guy in town when he gets an illegal cable hook-up, but Lisa fears he will go to hell for violating the Eighth Commandment." 14 "Principal Charming" "When Marge begs Homer to find Selma a husband, he sets her up with Principal Skinner... who falls in love with Patty instead." 15 "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" "Homer's long-lost half-brother is the CEO of a car company that's wildly successful... until he hires Homer to help design a car for the average man." 16 "Bart's Dog Gets an F" "After a series of destructive acts, Homer decides that Santa's Little Helper must go unless he passes obedience school. As the dog's last hours with the family approach, Bart must find a way to get through to him." 17 "Old Money" "When Grandpa's new girlfriend at the Springfield Retirement Castle dies, he inherits her savings and must decide the best way to spend his windfall." 18 "Brush with Greatness" "Marge rediscovers her interest in art and takes up painting. When Mr. Burns hires her to paint his official portrait, Marge tries but fails to find his \"inner beauty.\"" 19 "Lisa's Substitute" "With Miss Hoover out sick, a substitute teacher takes over the class and becomes an inspiring role model for Lisa." 20 "The War of the Simpsons" "At a lakeside retreat for married couples, Marge is determined to fix her marriage with Homer, but Homer is more determined to catch General Sherman, the freakishly large catfish that lives in the lake." 21 "Three Men and a Comic Book" "Bart, Milhouse, and Martin pool their money to buy the first issue of Radioactive Man, but their investment and their friendship are threatened when they can't agree on who will keep it." 22 "Blood Feud" "When Mr. Burns is saved by a transfusion of Bart's blood, Homer expects a handsome reward but is outraged to receive only a simple thank-you note." 1 "Stark Raving Dad" "Mistakenly committed to a mental hospital, Homer meets a tall, stocky white man who claims to be Michael Jackson." 2 "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" "Lisa\u2019s patriotic essay wins the family a trip to Washington, D.C. -- but the corruption she sees there inspires her to write a new and very different essay." 3 "When Flanders Failed" "When Ned Flanders opens a store for left-handed people, Homer wants him to fail... until he sees the downtrodden Flanders family living in their car." 4 "Bart the Murderer" "Bart becomes an errand boy for the Springfield Mafia. When Principal Skinner disappears, Fat Tony points the finger at Bart." 5 "Homer Defined" "Homer averts a meltdown through sheer dumb luck. When he\u2019s invited to the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant to give a pep talk, he faces another potential meltdown and again \u201cpulls a Homer.\u201d" 6 "Like Father, Like Clown" "\"Like Father, Like Clown\" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons' third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 24, 1991. In the episode, after recalling a traumatic memory, Krusty the Clown reveals to the Simpson family that he is of Jewish heritage, and that his father, Rabbi Hyman Krustofski, disowned him for pursuing a career in comedy. Krusty is emotionally upset and Bart and Lisa decide to try to reunite Krusty with his long-estranged father." 7 "Treehouse of Horror II" "In the first story, the family buys a cursed monkey paw in Morocco, and their three wishes turn out badly. In a Twilight Zone parody, Bart is the fearsome \u201cmonster\u201d who can read the townspeople\u2019s thoughts. In the final story, Mr. Burns steals Homer\u2019s brain for a giant robot he\u2019s building." 8 "Lisa's Pony" "Overcompensating for his neglect, Homer buys Lisa a pony; the high cost of maintaining the animal forces him to work the graveyard shift at the Kwik-E-Mart." 9 "Saturdays of Thunder" "Homer tries to bond with Bart by building a soapbox racer. On race day, Bart must decide between driving Martin\u2019s aerodynamic racer and disappointing Homer, or driving his own racer and losing to Nelson." 10 "Flaming Moe's" "Moe steals the drink recipe Homer invented, and the rechristened \u201cFlaming Moe\u201d turns his tavern into a hotspot. When a national franchise wants to buy the recipe, Homer wants revenge." 11 "Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk" "Mr. Burns sells the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to wealthy German investors who are shocked at the conditions. When the ceiling caves in, the Germans are desperate to sell the plant... back to Mr. Burns." 12 "I Married Marge" "Homer and Marge recount their early years, when the couple faced a shotgun wedding and Homer\u2019s poor career prospects." 13 "Radio Bart" "Bart plays practical jokes with a radio microphone, and his hoax tests the limits of the town\u2019s kindness." 14 "Lisa the Greek" "Sundays become \u201cDaddy-Daughter Days\u201d when Homer discovers Lisa\u2019s uncanny ability to pick winning football teams." 15 "Homer Alone" "Marge has a nervous breakdown and goes on a vacation alone, leaving Bart and Lisa with Patty and Selma, and Maggie with Homer." 16 "Bart the Lover" "Bart discovers his teacher\u2019s personal ad and invents a fictional suitor to string her along. When Mrs. Krabappel falls madly in love with \u201cWoodrow,\u201d Bart\u2019s conscience starts to bother him." 17 "Homer at the Bat" "With a million dollars on the line, Mr. Burns hires ringers for the upcoming baseball game against the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant. But as misfortunes fell the pros, with bases loaded and the score tied in the ninth inning, Homer is sent to bat." 18 "Separate Vocations" "After a career aptitude test pegs Lisa as a homemaker and Bart as a police officer, she becomes a rebel and he becomes a hall monitor. When Lisa\u2019s subversive behavior goes too far, Bart steps in." 19 "Dog of Death" "When Santa\u2019s Little Helper needs a life-saving operation, the family tightens their belts to save up the money. Sensing their resentment, the dog runs away from home, only to be adopted by Mr. Burns." 20 "Colonel Homer" "Homer becomes the manager of a beautiful country music singer, whose attentions drive a wedge between Marge and Homer." 21 "Black Widower" "When Selma agrees to marry her prison pen pal, Sideshow Bob, only Bart remains suspicious of his motives." 22 "The Otto Show" "Otto loses his job driving the school bus and the Simpsons take him in. When he must get a driver\u2019s license, he finds common ground with Patty and Selma." 23 "Bart's Friend Falls in Love" "Everything\u2019s coming up Milhouse when Bart\u2019s best friend falls in love with the new girl at school. Jealous, Bart snitches to Milhouse\u2019s father and the lovebirds are separated." 24 "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?" "Homer\u2019s half-brother Herb Powell returns, his finances in ruin from his last encounter with Homer. With a little help from the family, he invents a product that\u2019s sure to turn his life around." 1 "Kamp Krusty" "When Bart and Lisa arrive at Kamp Krusty, they find the summer camp is more like a prison camp. When Krusty doesn't show up to set things straight, the kids seize control and take their case to the media." 2 "A Streetcar Named Marge" "Feeling underappreciated at home, Marge takes up acting and channels her pent-up rage as Blanche DuBois in a community production. Meanwhile, Maggie leads a revolt at the Ayn Rand School for Tots." 3 "Homer the Heretic" "After skipping church one Sunday morning, Homer decides to quit church altogether and spend Sundays worshiping in his own way -- with cigars and beer." 4 "Lisa the Beauty Queen" "Homer enters Lisa into the Little Miss Springfield Pageant to help her feel better about her looks. But when she must choose between the title and her integrity, she realizes that confidence comes from within." 5 "Treehouse of Horror III" "In \"Clown Without Pity,\" Bart's Krusty doll is determined to murder Homer. In \"King Homer,\" Homer plays King Kong to Marge's Fay Wray. Finally, in \"Dial Z for Zombies,\" Bart finds a book of witchcraft and accidentally brings Springfield's dead to life." 6 "Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie" "When Bart's misdeeds at school and at home reach new extremes, Homer puts his foot down and imposes the ultimate punishment: Bart is forbidden to go see the new Itchy & Scratchy movie." 7 "Marge Gets a Job" "Mr. Burns is instantly smitten when Marge takes a job at the nuclear power plant." 8 "New Kid on the Block" "Bart has a crush on his new neighbor, a teenage girl who only has eyes for Jimbo Jones. Bart sets out to prove that Jimbo is not as tough as he seems." 9 "Mr. Plow" "Homer starts a thriving snow-plowing business, but cutthroat competition arrives when Barney sets up shop as the \"Plow King.\" When an avalanche buries Barney, Homer realizes the rivalry has gone too far." 10 "Lisa's First Word" "While trying to get Maggie to say her first word, Marge and Homer reminisce about Bart's and Lisa's first words." 11 "Homer's Triple Bypass" "Homer's doughnut-clogged heart needs a triple bypass operation, but Dr. Hibbert's fee is $40,000... so Homer takes his chances with Dr. Nick Riviera, who'll do any operation for $129." 12 "Marge vs. the Monorail" "When Springfield gets a sudden windfall, a charismatic traveling salesman convinces the town to build a monorail." 13 "Selma's Choice" "After seeing Aunt Gladys die alone, Aunt Selma wants to get married and have a baby... until she spends a day babysitting Bart and Lisa at Duff Gardens." 14 "Brother from the Same Planet" "When Homer neglects Bart once too often, Bart goes to the Big Brother program to get a new father figure. Stung, Homer replaces Bart with a little brother." 15 "I Love Lisa" "Ralph Wiggum mistakes pity for love when Lisa gives him a Valentine's Day card. After a public humiliation, broken-hearted Ralph gives an unexpectedly moving performance in the school's President's Day pageant." 16 "Duffless" "After a DUI, Homer swears off beer for a month. Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa's sibling rivalry plays out in the school science fair." 17 "Last Exit to Springfield" "Homer negotiates his union's contract with Mr. Burns, mindful that he needs a dental plan for Lisa's new braces. Burns mistakes Homer's utter ineptitude for strategy and concedes, on the condition that Homer resign as union president." 18 "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" "An April Fools' Day prank provides the jumping-off point for Simpson family flashbacks." 19 "The Front" "Convinced that Itchy & Scratchy has been going downhill, Bart and Lisa pen their own script and sign Grandpa Simpson's name to it. Meanwhile, Homer goes back to school to make up a missing credit." 20 "Whacking Day" "Lisa takes a stand against Springfield's annual snake-bashing festival." 21 "Marge in Chains" "Overwhelmed by her family's demands during a flu epidemic, Marge accidentally shoplifts at the Kwik-E-Mart and winds up in prison." 22 "Krusty Gets Kancelled" "An advertising blitz for \"Gabbo\" spells trouble for Krusty: his show gets canceled when the new ventriloquist act gets higher ratings. Bart and Lisa enlist Krusty's Hollywood pals for a comeback special." 1 "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" "Through flashbacks, Homer recalls the dizzying rise and fall of his Beatles-esque barbershop quartet. The Be Sharps reunite for one last concert on the roof of Moe's Tavern." 2 "Cape Feare" "When Bart receives death threats from newly paroled Sideshow Bob, the family goes into the Witness Relocation Program and starts a new life on a houseboat on Terror Lake." 3 "Homer Goes to College" "Burns discovers that Homer is grossly unqualified to be a nuclear safety inspector, so Homer enrolls at Springfield University to study nuclear physics. While there, Homer befriends three nerds and instigates a prank that gets them expelled." 4 "Rosebud" "Mr. Burns pines away for Bobo, his beloved childhood teddy bear and symbol of lost innocence. When the bear turns up in Maggie's possession, the resulting tug of war affects the whole town." 5 "Treehouse of Horror IV" "In \"The Devil and Homer Simpson,\" Homer sells his soul for a doughnut. Next, in the Twilight Zone spoof \"Terror at 5 1\/2 Feet,\" everyone doubts Bart's sanity when he's the only one to see a gremlin sabotaging the school bus. In \"Bart Simpson's Dracula,\" the family turns into vampires, and Lisa sends Homer to the Burns mansion in an attempt to kill the head vampire." 6 "Marge on the Lam" "When Marge has a girls' night out with a new neighbor, they wind up roaring toward a cliff in a Thelma-and-Louise-style car chase." 7 "Bart's Inner Child" "Bart heckles the guru at a self-help seminar, and the man presents him to the audience as a role model for their \"inner child.\" But when the whole town tries to \"be like Bart,\" things start to fall apart." 8 "Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood" "After a reckless Squishee bender with Milhouse, Bart wakes to the shocking realization that he joined the Junior Campers. Lured by pocketknives and knot-tying lessons, Bart assimilates into the group but then must face the father-son rafting trip." 9 "The Last Temptation of Homer" "Homer struggles with his attraction to new coworker Mindy, a beautiful engineer whose love for doughnuts is equal to his own." 10 "$pringfield" "When gambling is legalized in Springfield, Mr. Burns opens an extravagant casino on the waterfront. Meanwhile, Bart opens a casino in his treehouse. Burns becomes a germ-phobic recluse and Homer must tear Marge away from the slot machines." 11 "Homer the Vigilante" "When a cat burglar prowls Springfield, Homer forms a citizens' watch group that winds up breaking more laws than they protect. When the cat burglar sets his sights on the world's biggest cubic zirconia, a clue comes from an unexpected source." 12 "Bart Gets Famous" "Working as Krusty the Clown's assistant, Bart accidentally steals the limelight by blurting an instant catchphrase: \"I didn't do it.\" But when he tries to capitalize on his fifteen minutes of fame, the fans are fickle." 13 "Homer and Apu" "Fired for selling tainted meat to Homer, Apu tries to make amends to the Simpsons, and Homer joins him in a pilgrimage to Kwik-E-Mart headquarters in India." 14 "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy" "Lisa is shocked to find that her new Malibu Stacy doll reinforces negative stereotypes of women. With Smithers' help, Lisa tracks down the original creator of Malibu Stacy and convinces her to market a new doll that's a better role model for girls." 15 "Deep Space Homer" "Dejected by a lack of recognition at work, Homer makes a crank call to NASA and winds up being chosen to ride into space with astronauts." 16 "Homer Loves Flanders" "Homer and Flanders bond over a football game. As the two friends become inseparable, Flanders struggles with a growing dislike of Homer that finally blows up in front of the entire church congregation." 17 "Bart Gets an Elephant" "Bart wins a wacky radio contest and forgoes the cash to claim the gag prize instead: an elephant." 18 "Burns' Heir" "The childless Mr. Burns selects Bart as his heir and begins grooming him for his new role. As a test of loyalty, Mr. Burns orders Bart to fire Homer." 19 "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" "When Bart gets Principal Skinner fired, Ned Flanders is brought in to act as principal. Skinner befriends his former nemesis and the pair look for a way to get Skinner reinstated." 20 "The Boy Who Knew Too Much" "Playing hooky, Bart sneaks onto the Quimby Compound and is the only witness when Mayor Quimby's ne'er-do-well nephew Freddy allegedly assaults a snooty French butler. But if he comes forward, he will be punished for truancy." 21 "Lady Bouvier's Lover" "Mr. Burns and Grandpa Simpson compete for the affections of Marge's mother. The more dashing suitor prevails, but in a scene straight out of The Graduate, Grandpa crashes the wedding just before Mrs. Bouvier becomes Mrs. Burns." 22 "Secrets of a Successful Marriage" "Homer teaches an adult education class on successful marriage, but his students show little interest until he starts telling them juicy details of his marriage to Marge. Furious, Marge kicks Homer out." 1 "Bart of Darkness" "Stuck in his room with a broken leg, Bart hears a high-pitched scream. When he looks through his telescope, he sees a guilty Ned Flanders burying the evidence." 2 "Lisa's Rival" "Lisa feels threatened when a new girl moves to Springfield: Allison is smart, pretty, a great saxophone player and a crack diorama builder. Lisa tries to befriend her new rival, but she's consumed with envy and competitiveness." 3 "Another Simpsons Clip Show" "After reading the weepy best-seller The Bridges of Madison County, Marge sits down with the family and recalls romantic moments, along with temptations from her bowling instructor Jacques and Homer's coworker Mindy." 4 "Itchy & Scratchy Land" "The family's trip to Itchy & Scratchy Land takes an unexpected turn when high-tech robots malfunction and become violent." 5 "Sideshow Bob Roberts" "Backed by a cabal of Republicans and the talk radio blowhard Birch Barlow, Sideshow Bob runs for mayor of Springfield. When new mayor Bob decides to build a freeway right through the Simpson's' home, Bart and Lisa set out to prove the election was rigged." 6 "Treehouse of Horror V" "In \"The Shinning,\" Homer becomes groundskeeper of Mr. Burns' isolated mountain mansion. Next, in \"Time and Punishment,\" Homer tries to fix the toaster and winds up traveling through time. In \"Nightmare Cafeteria,\" Principal Skinner finds an ingenious way to reduce overcrowding in the detention room and deal with cafeteria budget cuts." 7 "Bart's Girlfriend" "Smitten with Reverend Lovejoy's daughter Jessica, Bart tries to reform to win her heart -- but what she really wants is a bad boy. When she steals the church collection plate, Bart finds he's in over his head." 8 "Lisa on Ice" "When she nearly flunks gym class, Lisa is forced to take up a sport. She's a natural at hockey, but things get complicated when her team faces off against Bart's. In a tense moment on the ice, sibling rivalry melts into sibling loyalty." 9 "Homer Badman" "When Homer gropes for a gummy candy stuck to the babysitter's pants, she mistakes his intentions and turns the town against him." 10 "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" "Grandpa Simpson's miracle elixir reinvigorates Homer and Marge's sex life. When father and son embark on an old-fashioned medicine show to sell the love tonic, they rake in the money, but eventually old resentments bubble up between them." 11 "Fear of Flying" "When they try to go on vacation, the family discovers Marge's debilitating fear of flying. Marge consults a psychoanalyst to find the source of her baffling fear." 12 "Homer the Great" "Homer joins the secret society of the Stonecutters and is suddenly exalted when the brethren discover his birthmark. The ancient order is shaken to the core by the ineptitude of its new Chosen One." 13 "And Maggie Makes Three" "The story of Maggie's birth is told in flashbacks: after Homer quits the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to pursue his dream of working at a bowling alley, Marge reveals that she is pregnant." 14 "Bart's Comet" "When Bart is forced to assist Principal Skinner in early-morning astronomy observations, he discovers a giant comet heading towards Springfield. Facing impending doom, the entire town shows up at the Flanders family bomb shelter." 15 "Homie the Clown" "Krusty the Clown's reckless spending forces him to open a clown college to keep afloat. New graduate Homer discovers the perks and perils of being Krusty." 16 "Bart vs. Australia" "After Bart's prank phone call to Australia goes awry, the Simpsons must fly out to the land down under and apologize to the Australian people. When they discover Bart's penalty will be a kick in the pants, international relations deteriorate." 17 "Homer vs. Patty & Selma" "Homer must turn to his sisters-in-law for a loan. Relishing Homer's degradation, Patty and Selma make him their slave. But when the sisters are caught smoking on the job, Homer reluctantly covers for them, saving their jobs. Meanwhile, Bart is late to sign up for a gym class and must take the only class still open -- ballet." 18 "A Star Is Burns" "Springfield plays host to a film festival. Among the contenders for best film: Barney presents \"Pukahontas,\" a haunting meditation on his alcoholism; Mr. Burns commissions the fawning biography \"A Burns for All Seasons\"; and Hans Moleman exploits misfortune with \"Man Getting Hit by Football.\"" 19 "Lisa's Wedding" "A fortune teller foresees Lisa's future marriage to an upper-crust Harvard classmate. After a series of embarrassing incidents, Lisa comes to realize that even though her family may not be classy, she loves them the way they are." 20 "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds" "When Santa's Little Helper sires a litter of puppies, Mr. Burns adopts them, secretly scheming to use their pelts to make a fur tuxedo. When Bart and Lisa confront Mr. Burns, he relents and turns the puppies into racing dogs instead." 21 "The PTA Disbands" "A teachers' strike forces the Board of Education to enlist PTA members as substitute teachers. Realizing he preferred the old regime, Bart locks Skinner and Mrs. Krabappel in a room together until they can agree on the contract." 22 "Round Springfield" "Lisa is reunited with her idol, Bleeding Gums Murphy, but their time together is short-lived. When the jazz legend passes away, a heartbroken Lisa wants to buy his rare album for $500 and play it on the local jazz station as a tribute." 23 "The Springfield Connection" "After Marge helps catch a petty criminal, the adrenaline rush inspires her to join the Springfield Police Department. Marge experiences feelings of power and authority that she's never known before, but police corruption makes her question her newfound calling." 24 "Lemon of Troy" "The simmering rivalry between Springfield and a neighboring town heats up when Shelbyville kids steal Springfield's prized lemon tree." 25 "Who Shot M. Burns ? - Part One" "In Part One of this two-part suspense story, Mr. Burns' evil schemes go too far. When Burns winds up shot, everyone is a suspect." 1 "Who Shot Mr. Burns ? - Part Two" "With Mr. Burns shot, Chief Wiggum investigates the crime, and nearly everyone in town has a motive. At the end, it all comes down to the Simpson DNA." 2 "Radioactive Man" "Bart longs to play \"Fallout Boy\" in the new Radioactive Man movie, but the Van Houtens thrust Milhouse into the spotlight. Meanwhile, the town of Springfield sees an opportunity for profit." 3 "Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily" "When Homer and Marge are found to be unfit parents, the kids are placed with the Flanders family. Reluctant participants in the Flanderses' wholesome family activities, Bart and Lisa become the targets of an emergency baptism." 4 "Bart Sells His Soul" "Bart sells his soul to Milhouse for five dollars, but soon regrets his decision. Meanwhile, Moe turns the Tavern into a family-friendly restaurant." 5 "Lisa the Vegetarian" "After visiting a local petting zoo, Lisa becomes a vegetarian and faces ridicule from family and friends. When she lashes out and ruins Homer's barbecue, she learns a lesson in tolerance." 6 "Treehouse of Horror VI" "In \"Attack of the 50 Foot Eyesores,\" strange atmospheric conditions bring giant advertising statues to life. In \"Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace,\" Groundskeeper Willie is killed in a freak accident and seeks revenge in the childrens' dreams. In the final segment, Homer steps through a secret portal and becomes three-dimensional." 7 "King-Size Homer" "Homer tries to gain sixty pounds so he can stay home on disability. When he nearly causes a catastrophe at the plant, Homer reconsiders his plan." 8 "Mother Simpson" "Homer discovers that his mother is still alive, a former radical who is a fugitive from the law. When her old nemesis Burns spots her and tips off the FBI, she is forced to return to the underground." 9 "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" "After Sideshow Bob escapes from prison, the Springfield Air Show is the setting for his ill-fated vendetta against television and Krusty the Clown." 10 "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" "Troy McClure hosts a behind-the-scenes look at the show, including clips of the series' beginnings as filler on \"The Tracy Ullman Show,\" Simpsons trivia questions, and unaired scenes from popular episodes." 11 "Marge Be Not Proud" "Nabbed for shoplifting, Bart manages to keep it a secret from the family... until it's time to have the family Christmas photo taken at the Try-N-Save." 12 "Team Homer" "Homer catches Mr. Burns in an ether-induced haze and asks for $500 for his bowling team. When Burns' head clears, he demands to join the team. Meanwhile, Bart's inflammatory T-shirt provokes Principal Skinner to require school uniforms." 13 "Two Bad Neighbors" "Homer resents being upstaged when former president George Bush moves into the neighborhood. After Bush spanks Bart, an all-out prank war ensues." 14 "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield" "A chance encounter with a former classmate yields an invitation to the Springfield Country Club, where Marge tries to parlay a bargain basement Chanel suit into elevated social status for her family." 15 "Bart the Fink" "In a scheme to get Krusty's autograph, Bart sends him a check. When Krusty's offshore holding corporation endorses the check, his illegal tax shelter is exposed. In despair after the government auctions off his possessions, Krusty fakes his own death." 16 "Lisa the Iconoclast" "While researching into Jebediah Springfield's past for an essay, Lisa discovers that the town founder wasn't the hero that everyone thinks he was." 17 "Homer the Smithers" "Forced to take a vacation, Smithers needs to find a temporary replacement who won't outshine him. Homer seems the perfect choice until a sudden outburst forces Mr. Burns to assert his independence." 18 "The Day the Violence Died" "Bart meets the original animator who created Itchy, penniless some 70 years after the studio stole his idea. When Bart helps him sue for restitution, he unwittingly bankrupts Itchy & Scratchy." 19 "A Fish Called Selma" "Washed up and plagued by scandal, Troy McClure sees a marriage to Selma as his ticket back to success." 20 "Bart on the Road" "Bart creates a fake driver's license for himself and uses it to go on a spring break road trip with Milhouse, Nelson, and Martin. Meanwhile, Homer and Lisa bond after spending some quality time together at work." 21 "22 Short Films about Springfield" "Bart and Milhouse wonder if anything interesting happens to the citizens of Springfield, which leads to a series of interconnected vignettes." 22 "Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in \"The Curse of the Flying Hellfish\"" "When a fellow veteran dies, Grandpa Simpson and Mr. Burns fight for buried WWII treasure as the only surviving members of their battalion." 23 "Much Apu About Nothing" "When Mayor Quimby uses immigrants as a political scapegoat, the Simpsons discover that Apu is an illegal immigrant." 24 "Homerpalooza" "To show his kids how hip he is, Homer takes Bart and Lisa to a music festival, where he earns himself a place in the sideshow by catching a cannonball with his belly." 25 "Summer of 4 Ft. 2" "On a family vacation, Lisa tries on a new identity to fit in with the other kids at the beach. Jealous, Bart reveals her true nerdiness to the group." 1 "Treehouse of Horror VII" "In \"The Thing and I,\" Bart discovers his evil Siamese twin in the attic. In \"The Genesis Tub,\" Lisa's science experiment becomes a quickly-developing micro-universe, where she is thought of as God and Bart is the devil. In \"Citizen Kang,\" aliens replace Clinton and Dole just in time for the election." 2 "You Only Move Twice" "When Homer accepts a job offer, the Simpsons move to Cypress Creek, where everything seems too good to be true. Finally happy at his job, Homer fails to notice that his new boss is an evil megalomaniac bent on world domination." 3 "The Homer They Fall" "When Moe sees that Homer can absorb massive blows to the head, he turns him into a prizefighter and sets up a match with heavyweight champion Drederick Tatum." 4 "Burns, Baby Burns" "Mr. Burns' boorish long-lost son Larry gets the brush-off from Burns, but Homer hatches a plan to reconcile them." 5 "Bart After Dark" "After trespassing and damaging property at a mysterious old house, Bart is required to work there as a punishment... but it turns out to be a burlesque house." 6 "A Milhouse Divided" "Kirk and Luann Van Houten are getting a divorce. Homer is confident that it will never happen to him, but Kirk tells him how quickly things can change." 7 "Lisa's Date with Density" "Lisa develops a crush on Nelson and tries to change him into a better person. Meanwhile, Homer finds an autodialer and starts a telemarketing scam." 8 "Hurricane Neddy" "A hurricane destroys the Flanders' home and they have to move into the church basement. The people of Springfield gather to rebuild their house, but when Ned sees the poor workmanship, he has a complete breakdown." 9 "The Mysterious Voyage of Our Homer" "After eating a dish laced with potent peppers during the chili cookoff, Homer has hallucinations where a mystical coyote urges him to find his soulmate." 10 "The Springfield Files" "Homer witnesses something out of this world in Springfield woods, but no one believes him -- not even FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who come to investigate the incident." 11 "The Twisted World of Marge Simpson" "Marge's new pretzel franchise is failing until Homer strikes a deal with Fat Tony, Springfield's local mobster." 12 "Mountain of Madness" "To promote teamwork amongst the power plant's employees, Mr. Burns makes them go on a corporate retreat up in the mountains." 13 "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious" "Marge is stressed by the demands of motherhood and the Simpsons get a magical British nanny, who floats down from the sky holding an umbrella." 14 "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" "In an attempt to boost ratings, the Itchy and Scratchy Show adds a new \"in-your-face\" character voiced by Homer." 15 "Homer's Phobia" "The Simpsons befriend a shop owner, but when Homer discovers the man is gay, he worries about his influence on Bart." 16 "Brother from Another Series" "When Sideshow Bob is released from prison, his brother Cecil puts him in charge of building Springfield's new hydroelectric dam." 17 "My Sister, My Sitter" "Lisa has a stellar reputation as a babysitter, but when Homer and Marge leave her in charge of Bart and Maggie, everything starts going wrong." 18 "Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment" "When Prohibition is revived in Springfield, Homer and Bart supply the town with alcohol." 19 "Grade School Confidential" "Bart discovers Principal Skinner and Mrs. Krabappel kissing, and it's not long before the whole town knows of their secret affair." 20 "The Canine Mutiny" "When Bart can't pay the credit card bill for his expensive new purebred dog, the repo men unwittingly take Santa's Little Helper." 21 "The Old Man and the Lisa" "Financially ruined, Mr. Burns turns to Lisa for help in building a recycling business. Lisa believes he's changed, but his new business venture takes a shocking new direction." 22 "In Marge We Trust" "Disturbed that Reverend Lovejoy has lost interest in counseling parishioners, Marge volunteers as the \"Listen Lady.\" Meanwhile, Homer sees his likeness on a box of Japanese detergent." 23 "Homer's Enemy" "A hardworking new employee at the power plant is consumed with resentment at Homer's undeserved success." 24 "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase" "Troy McClure presents three Simpsons spinoff spoofs: In \"Chief Wiggum, P.I.,\" Chief Wiggum becomes a New Orleans detective. Next, Grampa Simpson's soul is trapped inside Moe's Love tester machine in \"The Love-Matic Grampa.\" Finally, the Simpson family hosts a '70s-style variety show." 25 "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson" "When Bart is sent to military school after playing a prank on the town, Lisa decides to join him... as the school's only girl cadet." 1 "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" "Designated driver Barney absconds to Manhattan in Homer's car and leaves it there. But when the family journeys to the Big Apple to retrieve their property, Homer discovers his car has been booted." 2 "The Principal and the Pauper" "Unmasked as an impostor, Principal Skinner flees to Capital City to reclaim his former life as a shiftless good-for-nothing. The people of Springfield gain a newfound appreciation for him and form a plan to bring him back." 3 "Lisa's Sax" "After Lisa\u2019s saxophone is destroyed, the Simpsons reminisce about how she originally got the instrument. On the hottest day of the year, Homer must decide whether to buy an air conditioner or replace Lisa\u2019s sax." 4 "Treehouse of Horror VIII" "In \u201cThe Homega Man,\u201d Homer faces a post-apocalyptic Springfield. Next, Bart attempts to become Superfly in \"Fly vs. Fly.\" In \u201cEasy-Bake Coven,\u201d amidst a witch hunt in 1649, Marge and her sisters invent trick-or-treating." 5 "The Cartridge Family" "Alarmed by a soccer riot, Homer buys a handgun. His reckless behavior drives Marge and the kids out of the house, and even his new gun club buddies desert him." 6 "Bart Star" "When Homer becomes the coach of a peewee football team, he replaces star quarterback Nelson with the less talented Bart. Facing his teammates\u2019 scorn, Bart looks for a way out but finds a better way to show his team spirit." 7 "The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons" "Trying to escape his arranged marriage, Apu asks Marge to pose as his wife during his mother\u2019s visit. When the ruse fails, Homer makes a last-ditch attempt to intervene, but Apu is smitten with his new bride Manjula." 8 "Lisa the Skeptic" "When a skeleton is unearthed at the site of a future shopping mall, all Springfield is convinced it is the skeleton of an angel \u2013 except Lisa." 9 "Realty Bites" "When Marge gets her real estate license, she learns to put a positive spin on the flaws of the houses she\u2019s selling. But when the Flanders buy the Murder House, she realizes she has to tell the truth." 10 "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" "After accidentally ruining the family\u2019s Christmas tree and presents, Bart buries the evidence and claims a burglar stole everything. When Kent Brockman does a human interest story on the family\u2019s tragic loss, the townspeople shower the family with generosity\u2026 until the truth comes out." 11 "All Singing, All Dancing" "Homer rents a Clint Eastwood movie and is dismayed to find it's a musical. Using clips from past episodes, the rest of the family reminds him about the many times he and other members of the family and town have broken into song and dance." 12 "Bart Carny" "When the carnival comes to town, Homer and Bart wind up working the ring toss. A father-son team of grifters shows them the downside of the \u201ccarny code,\u201d but the Simpsons beat them at their own game." 13 "The Joy of Sect" "A cult lures in most of Springfield to toil for \u201cThe Leader.\u201d After Marge escapes and has the family deprogrammed, Homer exposes the man behind the spaceship." 14 "Das Bus" "When Otto drives the school bus off a bridge, the kids wind up on a deserted island, fending for themselves in a \u201cLord of the Flies\u201d parody. Back in Springfield, Homer takes on Bill Gates." 15 "The Last Temptation of Krust" "Krusty bombs at a charity comedy event and feels like a tired old hack. With the Simpsons\u2019 support, Krusty takes his act in a fresh new direction\u2026 but in the end, his true nature asserts itself." 16 "Dumbbell Indemnity" "Moe goes broke trying to wine and dine a new girlfriend. Desperate for money, he cooks up an insurance scam with Homer." 17 "Lisa the Simpson" "Lisa struggles with solving a simple puzzle and fears that the \"Simpson gene\u201d is suddenly wiping out her intelligence. Homer stages a family reunion in hopes of introducing Lisa to some Simpsons she can respect." 18 "This Little Wiggy" "At Marge\u2019s insistence, Bart has a \u201cplay date\u201d with Ralph. Bart suddenly sees the upside of this friendship when he discovers Chief Wiggum\u2019s \u201cmaster key\u201d and goes to explore Springfield\u2019s abandoned prison." 19 "Simpson Tide" "When Homer joins the Naval Reserve, a captain takes a liking to him and leaves him in charge of a nuclear submarine." 20 "The Trouble with Trillions" "Facing an IRS audit, Homer agrees to help the feds bust Mr. Burns for a missing trillion-dollar bill. When Burns makes an anti-government stand, Homer flees with him to Cuba." 21 "Girly Edition" "Lisa becomes the anchor of a kids\u2019 news program but is upstaged by Bart\u2019s treacly human interest stories. At home, Homer corrupts a helper monkey." 22 "Trash of the Titans" "Homer feuds with the Springfield garbage men and decides to run for Sanitation Commissioner. After winning the election with a sleazy campaign, Homer can\u2019t keep the extravagant promises he made to the town." 23 "King of the Hill" "After Rainier Wolfcastle helps Homer get in shape, Homer accepts a challenge to climb the Murderhorn, the tallest mountain in Springfield." 24 "Lost Our Lisa" "Bart\u2019s latest stunt thwarts Lisa\u2019s plan to attend a museum exhibit. When she tries to go alone and takes the wrong bus, Homer sets out to find her." 25 "Natural Born Kissers" "Homer and Marge try to spice up their love life and are caught baring it all in public. Bart and Lisa discover an alternate ending to Casablanca." Season 10 - The Simpsons 1 "Lard of the Dance" "Homer and Bart try to make money by selling used grease. Meanwhile, Lisa organizes a school dance but feels alienated when a new classmate and her friends try to act like adults." 2 "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace" "A midlife crisis prompts Homer to quit his job and become an inventor." 3 "Bart the Mother" "Under Nelson's bad influence, Bart shoots a bird with a BB gun. Stricken with remorse, he tries to nurture the eggs from the bird's nest, which hatch into a species of lizard outlawed in Springfield." 4 "Treehouse of Horror IX" "In \"Hell Toup\u00e9e,\" Snake is sent to the electric chair, and his hair is transplanted onto Homer. In \"The Terror of Tiny Toon,\" Bart and Lisa become cartoon characters in an episode of Itchy & Scratchy. In \"Starship Poopers,\" a growth spurt casts doubt on Maggie's paternity, and the family goes on the Jerry Springer show." 5 "When You Dish upon a Star" "After a chance encounter with Hollywood celebrities secretly living in Springfield, Homer becomes their friend and gofer... until he spills the beans to the gang at Moe's." 6 "D'Oh-in' in the Wind" "In a quest to learn Homer's middle name, Homer and Grandpa travel to his mother's old commune, where Homer embraces the hippie life." 7 "Lisa Gets an \"A\"" "Stuck at home with a cold, Lisa gets addicted to a video game and neglects her homework. Her A+++ on a test wins the school a grant, but when she confesses that she cheated, Skinner covers it up. Meanwhile, Homer raises a lobster." 8 "Homer Simpson in: \"Kidney Trouble\"" "When Grandpa needs a new kidney, Homer agrees to donate one, but then chickens out." 9 "Mayored to the Mob" "After a riot at a sci-fi convention, Mayor Quimby hires Homer as his bodyguard, and Homer witnesses the rampant corruption in town politics. When Homer takes a stand, he runs afoul of the Springfield mafia." 10 "Viva Ned Flanders" "When clean-living Ned Flanders wants to experience a new side of life, Homer takes him to Las Vegas. After a drunken binge, they marry a pair of cocktail waitresses." 11 "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken" "Scapegoated for the vandalism of drunken Isotopes fans, the children of Springfield wage war on the adults by broadcasting their secrets on the radio." 12 "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" "Homer and his friends charter a bus to the Super Bowl, only to find that their tickets are fake. Misadventures ensue." 13 "Homer to the Max" "A new TV series features a suave and debonair character named Homer Simpson. Homer capitalizes on his new namesake, until the character is rewritten to be a bumbling fool. Trying to recapture the positive attention he enjoyed, Homer changes his name to \"Max Power.\"" 14 "I'm with Cupid" "Apu is making the husbands of Springfield look bad with his extravagent Valentine's Day efforts for Manjula. When the men try to sabotage Apu's grand gesture, they accidentally wind up benefiting from it." 15 "Marge Simpson in: \"Screaming Yellow Honkers\"" "A new Canyonero SUV turns timid Marge into an aggressive driver, and her road rage lands her in traffic school. But when a stampede occurs at the zoo, the town looks to Marge to save the day." 16 "Make Room for Lisa" "Indebted from a mishap at the Smithsonian, Homer lets a cell phone company put a transmitter in the house. Forced to share a room with Bart, Lisa resents Homer until a New Age experience gives her empathy." 17 "Maximum Homerdrive" "After beating Homer in a steak-eating competition, a trucker dies; Homer and Bart take over his rig to complete his shipment." 18 "Simpsons Bible Stories" "When Reverend Lovejoy subjects the congregation to an extended Bible reading, the Simpsons fall asleep and have dreams based on Bible stories." 19 "Mom and Pop Art" "Homer's failed do-it-yourself project gets mistaken for \"outsider art.\" Suddenly in the limelight, Homer must come up with new \"works\" to impress the art world." 20 "The Old Man and the \"C\" Student" "When Bart ruins Springfield's chance to host the Olympics, the kids are sentenced to community service work at the retirement home. To help the residents recapture their youth, Bart takes them on an ill-fated boat ride." 21 "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" "A new mogul wins the hearts of the townspeople with a shower of cash. Jealous, Mr. Burns asks Homer to help make him a beloved billionaire too, and they hatch a plan to bring the Loch Ness Monster to Springfield." 22 "They Saved Lisa's Brain" "Mayor Quimby flees Springfield, leaving the town chapter of Mensa in charge. As the group's new power goes to their heads, they take their utopian plans too far and the townspeople revolt." 23 "Thirty Minutes over Tokyo" "After their bank account is drained at a cyber-cafe, the Simpsons go on a disastrous low-budget trip to Japan, where they wind up as contestants on a humiliating game show." 1 "Beyond Blunderdome" "Homer befriends Mel Gibson just as Mel is completing a remake of Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Homer convinces Mel to make the film more violent, with disastrous results." 2 "Brother's Little Helper" "When Bart commits an extremely destructive prank, he is given Focusyn, a pill to help him concentrate in school. At first the results are impressive, and then Bart starts believing in a conspiracy involving spy satellites and major league baseball." 3 "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?" "With Lisa's help, Homer uses his vast knowledge of food to become the town's leading restaurant critic. But when he gets petty and vindictive in his criticisms, all the other chefs in town try to kill him." 4 "Treehouse of Horror X" "In \"I Know What You Diddily-Iddly-Did\" the SImpsons fear they have killed Ned Flanders. \"Desperately Xeeking Xena\" satirizes superheroes of yore with \"Stretch Dude\" Bart and \"Clobber Girl\" Lisa. And \"Life's A Glitch, Then You Die\" depicts the upcoming horror of Y2K." 5 "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)" "Fleeing from a duel, Homer takes his family to live on a farm. There he discovers that by mixing tomatoes, tobacco and radioactivity from the nuclear plant, he can create a dangerously delicious new substance." 6 "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder" "Homer bowls a perfect 300 game, then concludes that the greatest accomplishment of his life is behind him. He reconnects with the world by bonding with baby Maggie." 7 "Eight Misbehavin'" "Due to overuse of fertility medication, Apu and wife Manjula give birth to octuplets. Desperate for money, Apu loans the babies to an unscrupulous carny promoter, then needs Homer's help to get them back." 8 "Take My Wife, Sleaze" "After winning a motorcycle at a dance contest, Homer becomes part of a motorcycle gang. But when he puts Marge's photo in a biker magazine, a much tougher gang takes her, and he must win her back." 9 "Grift of the Magi" "In this Christmas-themed episode, the students of Springfield Elementary are unwittingly used as a focus group to test new toys. The product of their labors, a cuddly doll named Funzo, is a lot more sinister than he appears." 10 "Little Big Mom" "When Marge leaves the house to recuperate from a skating injury, everything goes to hell - until Lisa convinces Homer and Bart they have leprosy." 11 "Faith Off" "Homer gets a bucket stuck on his head, and when it is removed the town is convinced that Bart has the powers of a faith healer. Then mobster Fat Tony tries to turn the boy's spiritual abilities into more sinister directions." 12 "The Mansion Family" "Worried about his health, Mr. Burns visits the Mayo Clinic. He lets Homer housesit his mansion, which leads of course to an offshore knife fight and an attack by Chinese pirates." 13 "Saddlesore Galactica" "Homer and Bart befriend a diving horse at a county fair. They turn it into a racehorse with an attitude, whose success runs them afoul of mysterious, tree-dwelling jockeys." 14 "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" "Ned's wife Maude is inadvertently killed by a T-shirt accident at an auto race. Homer and his family try to help Ned cope." 15 "Missionary: Impossible" "When Homer fails to give money he promised over the phone, he is forced by PBS stars to flee the country. He becomes a missionary on a small tropical island, where he introduces the natives to casino gambling." 16 "Pygmoelian" "Plastic surgery gives Moe the bartender a handsome new face and a whole new life as a soap opera star." 17 "Bart to the Future" "We see a possible future in which Bart is a grown-up slacker, living with Ralph Wiggum, while Lisa is no less than President of the United States." 18 "Days of Wine and D'oh'ses" "After being embarrassed by a drunken video of himself, Barney vows to sober up. Newly clean, he gets work as a helicopter pilot." 19 "Kill the Alligator and Run" "After a terrible bout with insomnia, Homer takes the family to Florida during spring break. There, they kill a beloved alligator and are sentenced to a chain gang." 20 "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" "Lisa enters a tap dancing academy, where the teacher is a child star who never quite grew up. Meanwhile, Homer gets laser eye surgery." 21 "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge" "When Otto dumps his bride at the altar, she goes to live with the Simpsons - and the family comes to believe that Marge has lost her mind." 22 "Behind the Laughter" "In this satire of VH1's \"Behind The Music,\" we learn the secrets of the Simpsons' rise, fall, and ultimate success." 1 "Treehouse of Horror XI" "This year's Halloween story sees The Simpsons as \"The Munsters\" (with everyone except Lisa getting killed), Homer as a wandering spirit on the hunt for a good deed in \"G-G-Ghost D-D-Dad,\" Bart and Lisa as peasants in a fairy tale forest in \"Scary Tales Can Come True,\" and Lisa inadvertently dooming mankind by rescuing a dolphin in \"Night of the Dolphin.\"" 2 "A Tale of Two Springfields" "While calling Animal Control over a badger taking residence in Santa's Little Helper's doghouse, Homer discovers that Springfield has two different area codes\u2013and ends up leading a revolt that splits the town in two." 3 "Insane Clown Poppy" "Krusty takes parenting lessons from Homer when, during an outdoor book fair, a girl tells Krusty that she is his long-lost daughter from a one-night stand with a female soldier who fought during the first Gulf War." 4 "Lisa the Tree Hugger" "Lisa falls for the teenaged leader of a militant environmentalist group and tries to impress him by living in Springfield's oldest tree in order to keep it from being cut down." 5 "Homer vs. Dignity" "When the Simpsons once again have financial problems, Mr. Burns pays Homer to play pranks on others and humiliate himself in public. Meanwhile, Smithers creates a Malibu Stacy-themed musical." 6 "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" "Homer decides to buy a computer after turning up to the Plant to find it closed by e-mail. He then creates his own website and it eventually gains attention when he posts gossip. Homer dubs himself as \"Mr. X\" to conceal his identity. When he reveals that he is Mr. X, he becomes drugged into a mysterious island where people who know too much are imprisoned after Homer starts writing conspiracy theories such as flu shots." 7 "The Great Money Caper" "Homer and Bart become father\u2013son con artists (after Bart is given money out of pity when Homer decided to not take him home), but soon find that they are the ones being had." 8 "Skinner's Sense of Snow" "A snowstorm traps the students of Springfield Elementary inside, with them overthrowing Principal Skinner when he uses his Army skills to control them. Meanwhile, Homer tries to rescue the children\u2013using Flanders' car." 9 "HOMR" "While working as a human guinea pig (to pay off the family's lost savings after making a bad investment), Homer discovers the root cause of his subnormal intelligence: a crayon that was lodged in his brain ever since he was a boy. He decides to have it removed to increase his IQ, but discovers that being smart does not necessarily equal being happy." 10 "Pokey Mom" "Marge tries to rehabilitate a convict with remarkable artistic talent. Meanwhile, Homer uses a trash can to fix people's spines." 11 "Worst Episode Ever" "Bart and Milhouse are banned from The Android Dungeon after stopping Comic Book Guy from buying a box of priceless Star Wars memorabilia for $5, but are hired as his replacements when Comic Book Guy has a heart attack and is advised to leave his job in order to make friends." 12 "Tennis the Menace" "While making funeral arrangements for Grampa's future, the funeral planner pitches the idea of a mausoleum that uses the same amount of cement as a full-sized tennis court. This prompts Homer to instead build a tennis court in his backyard, initially mistaking the sport for \"Foxy Boxing\". The tennis court makes Marge and Homer popular in town, but it turns out that this is only because Homer's inferior tennis ability makes them an easy target. Bart on the other hand, shines as a natural." 13 "Day of the Jackanapes" "Krusty announces his retirement due to interference from network executives and the growing popularity of the big-money game show \"Me Wantee\", but when Krusty reveals to Sideshow Bob that all of the episodes featuring him have been erased, Sideshow Bob uses Krusty's biggest fan (Bart) to murder him during Krusty's farewell show." 14 "New Kids on the Blecch" "A music producer selects Bart, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph to be members of the next hit boy band, who record subliminal songs about joining the Navy." 15 "Hungry, Hungry Homer" "Homer becomes a Good Samaritan after discovering the simple joys of helping people in need\u2013which is put to the test when he goes on a hunger strike after the owner of the Springfield Isotopes attempts to discredit him when Homer stumbles on his plot to discreetly move the team to Albuquerque, New Mexico." 16 "Bye Bye Nerdie" "When Lisa becomes the target of a female bully, Lisa discovers a scientific reason as to why bullies pick on nerds. Meanwhile, Homer goes into the baby-proofing business, which is threatening the businesses of pediatricians and greeting card salesmen." 17 "Simpson Safari" "When the Simpsons run out of food thanks to a bag boy strike (caused by Homer), the family finds an old box of animal crackers with a sweepstakes that sends The Simpsons to Africa." 18 "Trilogy of Error" "Homer's rush to the hospital to reattach his thumb, Lisa's rush to school to win the science fair, and Bart's run-in with an illegal fireworks scheme are interconnected in a parody of Go and Run Lola Run." 19 "I'm Goin' to Praise Land" "After finding a sketchbook belonging to his late wife Maude, Ned Flanders opens a Bible-themed amusement park to honor her memory." 20 "Children of a Lesser Clod" "After spraining his knee during a basketball game, Homer begins taking care of the neighborhood kids to cure his boredom, prompting jealousy from Bart and Lisa, who feel that Homer is giving the kids the attention they never had." 21 "Simpsons Tall Tales" "When Homer refuses to pay a five dollar airport tax to fly to Delaware, the family is forced to ride in a livestock car of a train instead. There they meet a singing hobo who tells three tall tales: Homer as Paul Bunyan. Lisa as Connie Appleseed, a parody of Johnny Appleseed. Bart as Tom Sawyer with Nelson as Huckleberry Finn." 1 "Treehouse of Horror XII" "In the twelfth Treehouse of Horror episode:\n\nHex and the City \u2013 While on a day trip through Ethnictown, Homer's bumbling catches the ire of a gypsy, who curses Homer's family and friends into receiving nothing but bad luck.\n\nHouse of Whacks \u2013 in this mixed parody of Demon Seed and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Marge buys an automated house and customizes it with the Pierce Brosnan personality, who falls for Marge and attempts to murder Homer.\n\nWiz Kids \u2013 In this Harry Potter parody, Bart and Lisa go to a school for wizards, and Lord Montemort (Mr. Burns) uses Bart to capture Lisa's magic.\n\nGuest star: Pierce Brosnan and Matthew Perry.[20]" 2 "The Parent Rap" "Bart gets in trouble for joyriding in a police car, but feels confident he will be let off by Judge Snyder. However, Snyder goes on vacation before ruling his verdict and is replaced with a coldhearted judge named Constance Harm. She accuses Homer of being a negligent father and sentences him to be tethered to Bart. The two are against it at first but later start to bond. Marge however is unable to take anymore of it and slices the tether off of them both. Homer and Marge then go after Judge Harm only to end up sinking her houseboat. Eventually Bart decides to take punishment and is about to be sentenced to 5 year in juvenile hall, only though Judge Snyder returns and dismisses Harm.\n\nGuest star: Jane Kaczmarek and Jess Harnell.[21]" 3 "Homer the Moe" "Moe becomes depressed and decides to return to bartending school so he can re-evaluate himself. He meets an old teacher, who suggests that Moe try improving his bar, which might make him happier. Moe takes the advice, and turns his bar into a trendy nightclub, which does not sit well with his regular customers Homer, Lenny, Carl, and Barney." 4 "A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love" "Homer becomes a fortune cookie writer for a Chinatown restaurant. Mr. Burns reads one of Homer's fortunes, which says that the reader will find love before Flag Day is over. Burns goes searching for love and meets Gloria, a meter maid, and asks her out. Gloria reluctantly agrees, and Burns recruits Homer to help him look young and hip to his new girlfriend." 5 "The Blunder Years" "After tricking Marge into thinking an advertising spokesman is coming to visit her, Homer takes Marge and the rest of the family to a restaurant. A hypnotist uses his powers on Homer, and makes him remember a horrific childhood incident where Homer found a dead body in a ravine. The Simpson family decides to investigate this and find out where the body came from." 6 "She of Little Faith" "After Homer and Bart's model rocket damages the church, Mr. Burns makes a deal to commercialize the church in return for paying for the damages. Lisa becomes disgusted at what the church has become, so she decides to find a new religion suitable for her. She eventually converts to Buddhism, causing Marge to fear for Lisa's soul." 7 "Brawl in the Family" "A social worker is assigned to make the Simpson family functional after they get arrested for fighting while playing Monopoly. He helps them learn how to work together and function as a family. The moment is ruined when, Ginger and Amber, the barmaids who married Homer and Flanders while they were drunk in \"Viva Ned Flanders\", arrive at the Simpsons' home, which outrages Marge." 8 "Sweets and Sour Marge" "Springfield is officially declared the World's Fattest Town after an attempt to break a world record lands everyone on top of a truck scale. Out of embarrassment and disgust, Marge goes on a crusade against the local sugar corporation. However, when sugar is banned, Homer, Bart, Mr. Burns and Apu start bootlegging sugar." 9 "Jaws Wired Shut" "A jaw injury from colliding with a new town statue turns Homer into a better listener while recuperating with his jaws wired shut, but once the wires come off, Homer does not go back to being loud and obnoxious and Marge becomes starved for thrills." 10 "Half-Decent Proposal" "Homer develops a snoring problem, so Marge decides to spend a night with her sisters Patty and Selma. After a night of drinking, Marge sees a news report about her ex-prom date Artie Ziff, who is now very wealthy, and decides to send him an e-mail. Artie is still obsessed with Marge, so he offers the Simpsons $1 million in exchange for Marge spending a weekend with him." 11 "The Bart Wants What It Wants" "Bart befriends Rainer Wolfcastle's daughter Greta. She has a crush on Bart, but he does not seem to realize it and eventually stops seeing her. Seeking revenge, Greta begins dating Bart's best friend Milhouse, which causes Bart to start missing her. She leaves for Toronto with her father, and Bart convinces his family to follow them there." 12 "The Lastest Gun in the West" "While running away from a vicious dog, Bart meets Buck McCoy, a former Western film star. Bart begins hanging out with him and starts to idolize him. Bart wants to help McCoy stage a comeback, so he convinces all of the kids in town to become interested in the Wild West. McCoy appears on the Krusty the Clown Show, but the comeback flops when Buck begins drinking again and injures Krusty the Clown." 13 "The Old Man and the Key" "Grampa falls in love with Zelda, a woman who has an interest in men who can drive. He decides to get his driver's license back, but is ignorant to Homer and Marge's concerns that she is only using him for his car." 14 "Tales from the Public Domain" "When Homer gets a notice from the library that he has a book of classic tales that is years overdue, he finds it on the shelf and reads three stories: The Odyssey (where Homer and his bar buddies try to get home after fighting the Trojans), Joan of Arc (where Lisa leads the French against the English with the help of God), and Hamlet (where Bart tries to kill Moe after Moe kills Homer in order to marry Marge)." 15 "Blame It on Lisa" "When Homer gets the family's telephone service cut off for refusing to pay for calls made to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Lisa confesses that she was the one who called Rio after sponsoring an orphan who goes missing. She convinces the family to travel to Brazil to look for him. However, once there, they have no luck finding him, and Homer is kidnapped." 16 "Weekend at Burnsie's" "Homer is prescribed medicinal marijuana after getting pecked in the eyes by a murder of crows. While his family and friends worry about the drug altering his personality, Homer becomes Mr. Burns's vice president after cracking up at Burns's antiquated jokes." 17 "Gump Roast" "In this clip show episode, Homer is honored at a Friars' Club Roast. A number of characters show up to roast him, but the celebrating is interrupted by Kang and Kodos, who say that humanity will be judged based on Homer's experiences." 18 "I Am Furious (Yellow)" "Inspired by a cartoonist who speaks at the school as part of a career day assembly, Bart creates a comic book series based on Homer and his anger problems, which turns into a popular Internet cartoon series called Angry Dad. Homer finds out about this and is at first outraged, but after talking to his family, he decides to try to become a less angry person." 19 "The Sweetest Apu" "Homer and Marge discover that Apu is having an affair with the Squishee delivery lady at the Kwik-E-Mart. They decide to keep Apu's wife Manjula from finding out about it. However, she eventually learns of Apu's affair by watching store security tapes. She throws Apu out of the house and decides to file for divorce, but soon realizes that she misses him." 20 "Little Girl in the Big Ten" "Lisa tries to fit in with two college students by lying about her age. She finds that the college atmosphere is perfect for her, but her lie is soon discovered and she is shunned by her fellow elementary school students. Meanwhile, Bart is diagnosed with a weakened immune system after getting bitten by a Chinese mosquito and must live in a plastic, germ-free bubble." 21 "The Frying Game" "While faced with community service for abusing an endangered insect, Homer begins assisting an elderly woman named Mrs. Bellamy. One night, Mrs. Bellamy is murdered, and Homer and Marge are accused of committing the crime." 22 "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge" "Homer starts a security company with Lenny and Carl after the police are ineffective during a blackout, and eventually Mayor Quimby decides to have them replace the police. Homer finds that he excels at the job, but then he runs afoul of mob boss Fat Tony, who threatens Homer with death unless he leaves town." 1 "Treehouse of Horror XIII" "The 13th Treehouse of Horror episode, consisting of three self-contained segments.\n\nSend in the Clones \u2013 Homer buys a hammock that can produce clones of himself. He creates numerous clones to help him around the house, but they soon overrun Springfield.\n\nThe Fright to Creep and Scare Harms \u2013 Lisa petitions the town to get rid of their firearms after discovering the gravestone of a young man named William Bonney who died from gun violence. However, Lisa soon discovers that William Bonney is the real name of Western outlaw Billy the Kid, whose ghost, along with the ghosts of other infamous criminals, takes over the defenseless town.\n\nThe Island of Dr. Hibbert \u2013 Dr. Hibbert invites the citizens of Springfield to his island resort, where he turns them into animals." 2 "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" "A drunken Homer appears on the show Taxicab Conversations and rants about how awful his life as a husband and father is. Although his family is at first outraged, they realise that they do somewhat burden him and decide to make up for it by sending him to a Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp where he mingles with rock stars, including Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The rock stars ask Homer to help out at a concert and, expecting that he will be allowed to perform, he accepts. Actually, they want him to test the microphones; however, a humiliated Homer grabs a guitar and starts playing." 3 "Bart vs. Lisa vs. the Third Grade" "The Simpsons buy a satellite television, which Bart spends so much time watching that he does not study for an important achievement test. He scores so low that Principal Skinner demotes him to third grade, while Lisa does so well that she is moved up to third grade. The two are placed in the same class and become rivals. During a trip to Capital City, they get separated from their class and are forced to help each other in order to find their classmates." 4 "Large Marge" "Thinking Homer does not find her attractive anymore, Marge decides to get liposuction, but instead receives breast implants. She becomes adored by many of the men in Springfield, and becomes a spokesmodel for trade shows. Meanwhile, Bart and Milhouse try to imitate a stunt they saw on an episode of Batman that guest stars Krusty the Clown. When the stunt ends badly, media watchdog groups blame Krusty, forcing the clown to make his show more safety-conscious and less fun." 5 "Helter Shelter" "The Simpson family has to find temporary residence while their house is fumigated for termites. When they run out of options, they decide to become contestants on a reality show where families live in the manner that people did in 1895. The family is initially miserable, but slowly adapt to their new life, which causes the show to lose ratings. The producers decide to try to boost viewers by dumping the house in a river and forcing the family to survive in the wilderness. However, the Simpsons find a bunch of rejects from other reality shows and they attack the producers." 6 "The Great Louse Detective" "The Simpson family win a free spa weekend, and Homer is nearly killed when a mysterious figure locks him in a sauna. Chief Wiggum decides to hire someone who can think like a murderer in order to find one. Bart's mortal enemy Sideshow Bob is sent to live with the Simpsons so he can help find Homer's attempted killer. Bob and Homer track down the attempted murderer and discover that it is Frank Grimes, Jr., the son of a man that Homer drove to insanity (in the season eight episode \"Homer's Enemy\"). After Grimes is arrested, Bob tries to kill Bart, but he finds that he has \"grown accustomed to [his] face\" and cannot harm him." 7 "Special Edna" "Ms. Edna Krabappel begins to lose faith in her relationship with Principal Skinner and becomes depressed. Bart wants to cheer her up and decides to nominate her for the Teacher of the Year Award. Ms. Krabappel and the Simpsons are given a free trip to Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida. Skinner decides that he needs to do something to win Edna back, so he follows them there. He tries to sabotage Edna's chances of winning the award, in hopes that she will become so depressed that she will come back to him. However, he has a change of heart and proposes to her." 8 "The Dad Who Knew Too Little" "Homer disappoints Lisa on her birthday when he gives her a thoughtless present. He realizes that he knows little about her and decides to hire private detective Dexter Colt to spy on her. Colt compiles a report, the information from which helps Homer bond with his daughter. However, Colt soon demands to be paid $1000, which Homer refuses. In retaliation, Colt vandalises an animal research lab and steals all the animals, leaving behind several clues that implicate Lisa. Homer and Lisa go on the run as fugitives and end up at a circus, where they meet Colt. He tries to kill Homer, but Lisa saves him. Later, Colt is arrested and Lisa exonerated. She finally receives the present she wanted from Homer." 9 "The Strong Arms of the Ma" "Marge gets mugged and becomes so traumatized that she develops Agoraphobia. She hides in the basement. Having little else to do, she decides to exercise with a weight set Homer bought from Rainier Wolfcastle's garage sale. She becomes so strong and confident that she is able to leave the basement. She continues working out and decides to start taking steroids so she can enter a bodybuilding competition. One night at Moe's Tavern she loses her temper and starts destroying the bar and fighting all of the patrons. Homer confronts Marge and says he misses the sweet woman that he married. Marge, horrified at what she has done, apologizes and decides to stop working out." 10 "Pray Anything" "Homer becomes depressed when he sees that Ned Flanders seems to be better off than him. To remedy this, he begins to pray constantly. Meanwhile, the Simpsons discover that tree roots have clogged up their plumbing. The house becomes too run down to live in, and Homer prays for a solution. Homer is injured while attending church; he sues Reverend Lovejoy and is awarded the deed to the church. He throws a huge house-warming party, in which all of the partiers drink and engage in sinful activities. It suddenly starts raining and the town begins to flood. The townspeople flee to the roof of the church. Homer tries praying again but the flood keeps rising. Reverend Lovejoy returns in a helicopter and leads everyone in prayer, asking God to forgive them, and the rain stops." 11 "Barting Over" "Bart learns that he was once a child actor in commercials and that all the money earned was spent by Homer. In retaliation, Bart petitions the court to have himself legally emancipated from his parents and moves out of the Simpson house. Bart is initially miserable in his new apartment, but discovers that skateboarder Tony Hawk lives on one of the floors above. He and Hawk become friends, and Bart is content with his new life. Homer apologizes to Bart and requests that he return home. Bart accepts the apology, but tells his family that he is going on tour with Hawk. At an event, Homer speaks to Bart and finally promises Bart that he will never treat him badly again." 12 "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can" "Lisa competes at a spelling bee and earns the right to compete in the Spell-lympics, becoming the pride of the town. The host of the show George Plimpton, asks her to intentionally lose so that a more popular boy can win. Lisa refuses and continues to compete, but accidentally misspells a word and loses. Meanwhile, Homer tours with a group obsessed with eating Krusty Burger's latest sandwich." 13 "A Star Is Born-Again" "During the annual Jellyfish Festival, Ned Flanders realizes that he is lonely and becomes depressed. One night, he meets a beautiful woman, who asks him out on a date. He soon learns that the woman is Sara Sloan, a famous actress. Sloan is charmed by Flanders' wholesomeness, and they continue to date to the point at which she asks that he move to Hollywood. Flanders, worried that Hollywood would conflict with his conservative Christian values, refuses, so Sloan instead decides to stay in Springfield. However, their relationship does not work out, due to his insistence on marriage." 14 "Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington" "An air traffic route is redirected so that airplanes start flying directly over the Simpsons' house. The noise starts to disrupt their lives and, desperate for a solution, the family turns to their Congressman. However, he dies of a heart attack, so they ask Krusty the Clown to run for Congress so that he can help them. Krusty is successful in his campaign, but finds that his air traffic bill is ignored by the veteran Congressmen. He soon becomes disillusioned with the system, so the Simpsons, with guidance from Walter Mondale, help him out by blackmailing one of his opponents and attaching the bill to a more popular one. The bill passes, and the air traffic is re-routed." 15 "C.E. D'oh" "Homer decides to try for a promotion at Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and suggests several ideas to Mr. Burns, all of which are rejected. One night, Homer overhears Burns admit that the plant's real owner is a canary to protect Burns from responsibility for any wrongdoing by the power plant. Homer releases the bird and tells Burns that nuclear inspectors have arrived for a surprise inspection. Burns, desperate to find a scapegoat, names Homer the new owner. As his first act, Homer fires Burns and takes control of the Plant. However, he finds that his work life as a CEO is conflicting with his family life. Homer decides to return to his old job and gives ownership back to Burns." 16 "'Scuse Me While I Miss the Sky" "A snobby British filmmaker named Declan Desmond begins making a documentary about student life at Springfield Elementary School. When introduced to Lisa, he tells her that she has too many goals and suggests that she pick one career. Lisa focuses on astronomy, but cannot watch the stars because of light pollution. She convinces Mayor Quimby to decrease the light's intensity during the night, which only results in an increase in the crime rate. Quimby bows to public pressure and switches the lights back on permanently. Lisa overloads the generators at the Power Plant, causing a power outage, and is able to watch a meteor shower undisturbed by light." 17 "Three Gays of the Condo" "After yet another Homer and Marge fight, Homer ends up sharing a condo with two homosexuals - who don't exactly think Homer is straight." 18 "Dude, Where's My Ranch?" "When challenged to think up a new Christmas carol, Homer instead writes a song about how much he hates Ned Flanders. The song becomes such a hit that the Simpsons become sick of hearing it and take a trip to a dude ranch. Lisa develops affections for a local boy named Luke but becomes jealous when he hears him talking to a girl named Clara on the telephone. One night, she meets Clara and gives her the wrong directions, leading her to become lost. After Lisa discovers that Clara is actually Luke's sister, she rushes to find her. She saves Clara, and decides to tell Luke what happened, but he is offended and dumps her. Meanwhile, Bart and Homer decide to help a tribe of Native Americans who want a beaver dam removed so they can reclaim their land." 19 "Old Yeller-Belly" "The Simpson family's dog Santa's Little Helper fails to save Homer from a treehouse when it is on fire. Consequently, Homer declares him a coward and disowns him. One day, a photographer finds Santa's Little Helper playing with a Duff Beer can and takes a picture. The picture becomes popular and SLH becomes the new mascot for Duff Beer while the old mascot, Duffman, is fired. Homer earns a lot of money but SLH's original owner shows up, claiming that the dog is rightfully his. Bart fears that he will never see Santa's Little Helper again. The Simpsons conceive a plan to get Duffman rehired as Duff's mascot by showing what a coward Santa's Little Helper is. At a Duff-sponsored beach event, Homer pretends to be drowning (while floating on a keg of beer) but is attacked by a shark. The shark bites the beer keg and becomes drunk, and wins over the crowd on the beach. The shark is named the new mascot of Duff Beer and Santa's Little Helper returns to the Simpson family." 20 "Brake My Wife, Please" "Homer becomes obsessed with using new gadgets in his car. One day, he becomes distracted and drives off a pier, losing his driver's license. Unable to use a car, Homer starts to learn the joys of walking. Meanwhile, Marge shoulders the burden of Homer's driving duties and becomes stressed out. One day, as Homer sings about the virtues of walking, Marge accidentally runs him over with her car. Later, as Homer recuperates from the accident, he begins to suspect that Marge is trying to hurt him. They fight and go to see a marriage counselor. The counselor advises Homer to perform one completely unselfish gesture to win Marge back. Homer holds a party with all of her friends and a surprised Marge tells Homer that she loves him." 21 "The Bart of War" "After destroying Flanders' shrine to The Beatles, Bart and Milhouse are punished by being put in community groups. Bart joins the Pre-Teen Braves along with Ralph Wiggum, Nelson Muntz and Database. Led by Marge, they start engaging in community activities. However, they soon become rivals with The Cavalry Kids, led by Milhouse. The two groups try to outdo each other and become involved in a contest to sell the most candy. The Cavalry Kids win the prize of singing the national anthem at a baseball game. However, the Pre-Teen Braves pretend to be The Cavalry Kids and sing their own version of the national anthem. As the crowd becomes enraged, the real Cavalry Kids arrive and a massive stadium-wide brawl erupts. Marge becomes upset, and the fighting ends when an image of her crying is shown on the JumboTron." 22 "Moe Baby Blues" "Moe Szyslak becomes lonely and decides to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. However, he inadvertently saves Maggie Simpson when she is sent flying from the Simpsons' car window and into his arms. He starts playing with Maggie and becomes attached to her, telling her the story of The Godfather. Homer and Marge become upset about how much time Moe is spending with Maggie and forbid him from seeing her again. One night, Maggie wakes up and hears Fat Tony and the Springfield Mafia outside the house and decides to follow them. When Homer and Marge find her missing, they automatically assume that Moe kidnapped her. When Moe is told that Maggie is missing, his request to help find her is granted by Homer. Maggie follows the mobsters to Luigi's restaurant, where Fat Tony's gang gets into a gun battle with a rival family. Homer, Marge and Moe track Maggie down and Moe decides to go inside and save Maggie. After Moe saves Maggie's life, Homer allows the two to spend more time together." 1 "Treehouse of Horror XIV" "\"Reaper Madness\" - Death becomes Homer and our hero must learn to reap what he sows (and pull a fast one on the almighty). \"Frinkenstein\" - Soon to be Nobel-prize winning Professor Frink reanimates his father for some gruesome body parts-swapping. \"Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off\" - A parody of Clockstoppers, starring Bart and Milhouse." 2 "My Mother the Carjacker" "Homer's mother returns, and after being cleared of all charges, is re-imprisoned on a technicality." 3 "The President Wore Pearls" "In this loose parody of the musical\/movie Evita, Lisa is elected Student Body president, but is unaware that the school staff is using her for their own devices and as a scapegoat if something goes wrong." 4 "The Regina Monologues" "After making over $3000 from his own museum featuring a $1000 bill, Bart takes the family to London (on the suggestion of Grampa), where Homer is arrested for treason after crashing into the Queen." 5 "The Fat and the Furriest" "Homer is humiliated when he appears on the news running from a bear that nearly attacks him at the city dump. After Grampa scolds him, he swears to fight the bear himself." 6 "Today I Am a Clown" "Krusty discovers that he never had a bar mitzvah as a child. He quits his show to have it as an adult, with the help of his father, Rabbi Krustofski. Meanwhile, Homer hosts a late-night talk show a la \"Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher\" as a replacement for Krusty's show." 7 "'Tis the Fifteenth Season" "Homer realizes how selfish he is after he spends all the family's Christmas money on a present for himself. He becomes the nicest guy in town, making Ned Flanders jealous." 8 "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays" "When a group of singles, seniors, childless couples, teens and gays band together to protest having to accommodate families (including paying property taxes used to teach children they do not have) after a riot at a children's concert, Marge takes up the cause for the families, with some help from Bart and Lisa." 9 "I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot" "Homer builds a battle robot to win Bart's respect, and places it in a tournament against other robots. What Bart does not know, though, is that the robot is actually Homer in costume. Meanwhile, Snowball II dies and Lisa tries to find a replacement cat." 10 "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife" "Marge writes a romance novel with characters based on Homer and Ned Flanders that becomes a hit. Meanwhile, Homer gets fired from the power plant again and becomes an ambulance driver." 11 "Margical History Tour" "When the local library proves to be useless for the kids' class project, Marge tells Milhouse, Bart, and Lisa three Simpsons-style historical accounts: Henry VIII's (Homer's) attempts at siring a son, Lewis and Clark (Lenny and Carl) exploring the USA's wilderness with Sacagawea (Lisa), and Salieri (Lisa again) out to ruin piano-playing virtuoso Mozart (Bart)." 12 "Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore" "Bart finds a friend in his own sister Lisa after Milhouse moves away to Capitol City to live with his divorced mom. Meanwhile Homer goes into panhandling to buy anniversary gifts for Marge. Later on Milhouse returns and Bart goes back being friends with him." 13 "Smart and Smarter" "When Maggie does better than Lisa on an IQ test, Lisa becomes upset over no longer being the smart one and tries to lead Maggie astray." 14 "The Ziff Who Came to Dinner" "The Simpsons go on a late-night attic search after Bart and Lisa (who are freaked out over a horror movie Homer let them watch) begin hearing voices -- and find Marge's ex-prom date Artie Ziff, who's on the run for cheating the shareholders of his company." 15 "Co-Dependent's Day" "Homer and Marge's bond becomes stronger when they both get drunk on wine, but soon the bond unravels when Homer blames Marge for crashing the car and Marge gets sent to rehab. Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa complain to Randall Curtis (a George Lucas-esque science fiction movie director) about his latest film." 16 "The Wandering Juvie" "Bart gets sent to juvenile hall after fooling everyone that there was a marriage concerning him. He encounters a dangerous girl there... He flees with Gina, but then the two are caught by Wiggum." 17 "My Big Fat Geek Wedding" "After hearing that Skinner is getting cold feet about their wedding, Edna leaves Skinner at the altar and, after sending back one marriage gift, hooks up with Comic Book Guy. Meanwhile, Homer and Marge have an argument about if their marriage is still solid or not." 18 "Catch 'Em If You Can" "After a ruined movie night, thanks to Bart and Lisa, Homer and Marge take a vacation away from them, but decide to go to Miami instead of going to see an uncle. When Bart and Lisa catch wind of their parents' secret plan, Bart steals Rod's credit card (just like Homer stole Ned's) and go after them." 19 "Simple Simpson" "Homer becomes \"Pie Man\", a masked vigilante who delivers a pie in the face of justice to evildoers. However, after attacking Mr. Burns, Burns hires him as a personal hitman, until Homer is ordered to attack the Dalai Lama." 20 "The Way We Weren't" "Homer and Marge recall the story of their first kiss at a summer camp when they were children\u2014an event which was not all happy, as Homer (unwillingly) betrayed Marge by standing her up on their second date." 21 "Bart-Mangled Banner" "After receiving an injection from Dr. Hibbert, Bart becomes temporarily deaf, which makes him impervious to being bullied, until he accidentally moons the American flag during a donkey basketball game, prompting everyone in town to accuse the Simpsons of being unpatriotic under the new \"Government Knows Best\" Act." 22 "Fraudcast News" "Mr. Burns buys out Springfield's media outlets after a newspaper mistakenly reports his death, and Lisa's homemade newspaper is next on his list." 1 "Treehouse of Horror XV" "We open with an episode of \"Keepin' It Kodos\" with Kang. In this episode, Kang and Kodos have the Simpson family for dinner with their boss. The meal is a success as Kang gets a hyper-galactic promotion. a). \"The Ned Zone\" Homer knocks Ned unconscious with his bowling ball, when he recovers he discovers that he was really dying of a brain tumour & the bowling ball lodged it out (which give him premonitions of doom). He tells Homer about his new power and Homer wants to know his future. Ned sees Homer being shot in the back, and the shooter is he. Ned keeps this information to himself and manages to not shoot Homer. He then finds out that Homer is going to cause the destruction of all of Springfield by destroying the plant's nuclear reactor. Ned goes to the power plant to try to prevent the catastrophe. Unfortunately, he had to kill Homer to save everyone (but even through that, Homer accidently fell onto the nuclear reactor button still consious from the bullet & killed everyone in the end). At least, everyone is in a better place. b). \"Four Beheadings and a Funeral\" The \"Mutton Chop Murderer\" has taken another victim, and Eliza Simpson and her sidekick Dr. Bartley join with Inspector Wiggum of Scotland Yard to find the killer. The dagger used is the latest crime is found to be one of a set, and they find that the set was owned by C. Ebenezer Burns. They go to the opium den and find that Burns had sold the daggers to a fat man (Homer) to get money for opium. The fat man is caught and sentenced to death, but when Eliza and Dr. Bartley find yet another body, Eliza knows the fat man is innocent and finds an important clue to the real killer's identity on the latest murder weapon. c). \"In the Belly of the Boss\" At the \"New Invention Expo\" Maggie gets inside of a new vitamin pill that is going to be reduced by Prof. Frink's new shrink ray. The pill is swallowed by Mr. Burns. The other Simpson family members become bionauts inside a submarine that is miniaturized and sent inside of Mr. Burn's body. Maggie is found, but there is not enough power to get everyone and the submarine out of the body, someone must stay behind, & that person is (drumroll) Homer (again). Everyone else makes it out & Frink announces that there is still a chance to save Homer. Unfortunately, he returns to normal size inside the skin of Mr. Burn's. Then, everyone from all three segments of the episode start dancing." 2 "All's Fair in Oven War" "The house next door is for sale and Marge and Homer go inside to check it out; Marge falls in love with the kitchen. Back at home Marge asks Homer for a new kitchen. Rather than hire someone, Homer decides to do the renovation himself. While demolishing the kitchen, Homer unleashes his old collection of Playdude magazines. He tells Marge he keeps them for the articles; she obliges him by cutting up the magazines, keeping only the articles. Now that they are useless, Homer throws them away, only to have them found by Bart and Milhouse. Using these 1970's era magazines as a model, Bart decides to renovate the Treehouse. After Homer has made a mess of the kitchen remodeling, Marge is finally able to hire a contractor, who completes the job \"on-time\" two years later for $100,000. Marge's first new dish out of her kitchen gets rave reviews and she decides to enter the Ovenfresh Bakeoff with her Dessert Dogs. At the bakeoff Marge encounters stiff and ruthless competition, so ruthless that Marge resorts to cheating to get even, much to Lisa's dismay. Chief Wiggum and other concerned parents talk with Homer about Bart's spreading the Playdude philosophy to the other children. Homer has a talk with Bart about the facts of life, which a horrified Bart quickly spreads to the other children. Meantime, in the finals for the bakeoff against Brandine, Marge admits to her foul play and Lisa's faith in her mother is restored." 3 "Sleeping with the Enemy" "Lisa has a big butt and her friends at school, Sherri, Terri and Janie let her know about it. Homer explains to her about the Simpson butt, it is something she'll have to learn to live with. Bart comes home with 100 on his test, and now he wants to collect on the party that was promised. Lisa is trying to deal with her weight issue, meanwhile Bart gets his party; with his relatives, Ralph, Martin and Milhouse via speakerphone. It's the worst party ever as far as Bart's concerned. It's made worse when Lisa returns home only to be confronted by her mother wanting her to eat a big slice piece of cake, she runs out of the room crying. Marge is bummed that the kids don't appreciate her anymore. She finds Nelson in the park and spends some quality time with him and when her kids continue to shun her, she adopts Nelson as a surrogate child. Lisa tries diet and exercise to reduce her big bottom. Marge brings Nelson home to do some chores around their home, but Nelson's real mother returns that money that Marge paid her son and then she leaves for Hollywood, leaving her son in Springfield and homeless. Nelson goes to the only place where he can find refuge, the Simpson home. Much to Bart's dismay Marge lets Nelson stay in his room. Late one night Bart finds Nelson singing for the return of his father and Lisa overindulging in a cake (she'd previously been starving herself). Lisa gets help from Nelson to get revenge on Sherri and Terri. When the pair returns to the Simpson home there is a surprise waiting for Nelson; Bart has found his father. Nelson is reunited with his father (and his mother who's returned from Hollywood with an acting job). Lisa still hasn't found a conclusive solution to her weight problem." 4 "She Used to Be My Girl" "Famous journalist Chloe Talbot comes to Springfield to cover a scandal involving Mayor Quimby. Chloe Talbot comes from Springfield and she and Marge were journalism students together in high school; Chloe went on to fame and fortune and we all know what happened to Marge. Lisa becomes enamored with Chloe and Marge becomes jealous of loss of her daughter's attention. After a half a glass of wine, Marge goes cuckoo bananas and gets into a fight with Chloe. When Marge won't let her go with Chloe to news conference, Lisa sneaks out and into the trunk of Chloe's car. Everything might have gone according to plan if Chloe hadn't been diverted to cover the eruption of a volcano. Lisa and Chloe get into trouble and it takes a mother's love to affect Lisa's rescue, whereas Chloe's rescue comes from an old high school boyfriend, Barney Gumble." 5 "Fat Man and Little Boy" "Bart loses his last baby tooth in a spitball fight. Called the money tooth, Bart is suffering from what he calls a midlife crisis when the tooth fairy has given a gift in his name to the United Way, what his mother calls a \"grown-up gift.\" Bart gives up on his childhood and Lisa suggests that he expresses his feelings in some way and Bart chooses to put them in the form of slogans on a T-shirt. When Goose Gladwell, a gag-gift entrepreneur, sees the slogans he forms a partnership with Bart that begins to make Bart a lot of money. Homer is suspended from work without pay and then decides to quit outright and live off of his son's earnings. Of course he loses his place in the family as breadwinner and starts to lose his self respect. A documentary by Declan Desmond on lions inspires Homer to start focusing on his relationship with Lisa. He decides to help her with her science project about nuclear power, which includes a scale model of the first nuclear power plant. Homer improves on her model by making it functional, something easily done after finding the instructions on the Internet. He sneaks into the power plant and get some plutonium. Meanwhile, Goose Gladwell has sold the rights to Bart's T-Shirts to Disney and Bart won't get a dime from it. To get back into his role as the alpha male of the family, Homer makes use of the working nuclear reactor to threaten Gladwell into giving his son what he deserves and few novelty items for himself. As to whether the reactor actually works or not, Homer decides to leave that up to the seagulls at the city dump to figure it out." 6 "Midnight Rx" "The power plant's office party is being held at the Springfield Air and Space museum, where amongst other things we learn that Agnes Skinner was a wing-walker back in the 1920s. Mr. Burns is acting unusually nice, and then he makes an announcement that the employee prescription drug program has been canceled. Other companies follow suit, the citizens of Springfield At Springfield Retirement Castle, due to the high cost of medication, they cut their residents off cold turkey. Grandpa goes to his son's home with a plan; he has a friend that will help them out. He and Homer go to Canada where they meet the friend that gives them cards that will let them get all the drugs they can carry. They return home and their drugs are in high demand. Ned and Apu accompany them on their next trip to Canada, but an unfortunate incident with Apu and a hot cup of coffee gets their cover blown as they try to cross the border. They are banished from ever returning to Canada. Because he can no longer afford the medication he requires Smithers' thyroid begins to swell causing a concern for Mr. Burns, he doesn't want to have to train anyone else on his filing system. He provides the means, his old wooden plane The Plywood Pelican, for Homer to invoke his plan to fly into Canada. They load up, but on the return flight the plane encounters trouble. Burns bails out, leaving Homer and Grandpa to crash land the plane in Springfield's town square, where their smuggled drugs are hit. Meanwhile, Mr. Burns has cured Smithers and decides to reinstitute the drug program for all his full time employees. Homer comes home from work to report that he is now a freelance consultant, complete with a lump on his throat." 7 "Mommie Beerest" "The family is celebrating by having brunch at a fancy restaurant; Homer has finally paid off the mortgage. Lisa and Bart get into a food fight, embarrassing Homer. Homer goes to Moe's, where a visit from the health inspector, results in his death from eating one of Moe's pickled eggs. The new health inspector comes down hard and Moe's is closed until the violations are cleared up. The regulars hold an Irish wake for the demise of Moe's. Homer decides to help Moe reopen his bar; and he gets a new mortgage for their home. When Marge finds out, as a new co-owner she goes with Homer to the bar and tells Moe that there are going to be changes until he pays them back. On Homer's next visit, he finds Marge behind the bar, protecting their investment. She sends him home to take care of the kids, while she sells Moe on the idea of remodeling the place into an English pub. The new place opens and is a success; the kids tell Homer that they've noticed that Marge is spending more time at Moe's than he ever did. Homer becomes worried; but Marge tells him there is nothing to worry about. They go to a movie together, but they are joined by Moe. Homer is more worried than ever; Lenny and Carl tell Homer that Marge and Moe are having an emotional affair. When Marge and Moe are leaving to go to a convention together in Aruba, Homer makes a mad dash to the airport and gets to the airplane as it is taxing down the runaway. He confronts Moe, but Moe makes him realize that he really doesn't know that much about his wife. Homer concedes defeat, but Marge tells Moe that she doesn't love him. She tells Homer that she is totally committed to him. In Aruba, Marge makes Moe realize that he might be able to make a woman happy some day with a few changes. Marge realizes that no one is home watching the kids, but the kids aren't at home as Bart has them entered in a European balloon race." 8 "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass" "The family goes to run down Springfield Park, where a carnival is being held to save it. Homer performs a wild crowd-pleasing dance at a local carnival, after beating Bart's performance in a game. Ned Flanders has captured the performance on videotape and Comic Book Guy (Jeff Albertson) puts it up on the Internet. The video gets worldwide attention, much to Homer's embarrassment but his tune changes when a football player wants to buy the rights to use his dance as his own end zone celebration. Homer turns the opportunity into a new lucrative occupation, which prospers as other athletes come to learn from him. Meanwhile Ned looks to create his own wholesome entertainment by creating his own versions of bible stories, which get the backing of Mr. Burns. Marge doesn't like his approach, which eliminates the good aspects of the stories, and only concentrates on the violence. She threatens a boycott, which gets Burns to remove his financial backing, leaving Ned with no creative outlet. The commissioner of football (and all the owners) want to talk to Homer, his teaching of crazy antics to their players have increased their ratings. They want him to choreograph the Superbowl half-time show. Homer struggles for a show idea and on the night before the big show he still doesn't have one. Homer looks for inspiration at the church, but instead finds Flanders, who is looking for an outlet for his ideas. Together they bring the story of Noah to the half-time show, but everyone boos as no one wanted to see such a \"blatant display of religion and decency.\"" 9 "Pranksta Rap" "Homer's lost the TV remote, which was swallowed by Santa's Little Helper and in the chaos that follows Bart sees a commercial for a rap concert and wants to go. Bart gets permission from Homer, but when Marge finds out and disapproves, Homer quickly changes his position. Bart sneaks out and goes to the show anyway. He is in the front row of the show and when the microphone comes his way he winds up rapping on stage and holding his own. He gets back home only to find out he is going to be in big trouble; to prevent that he decides to fake his own kidnapping. The police are on the case; meanwhile Bart finds Milhouse and hides out in his dad's bachelor apartment. Chief Wiggum decides he needs to do something to improve his reputation as a police officer and puts the clues together to find Bart at Kirk Van Houten's apartment. Wiggum is hailed as a hero and Milhouse's father is in jail. Wiggum has been promoted to Police Commissioner but Bart, feeling guilty about getting his friend's father put in jail, comes clean about faking the kidnapping. Wiggum shows Bart that everyone is better off believing the lie, Milhouse's dad is being worshipped by prisoner loving woman and he gets three square meals a day. Back at the house, Lisa has found a clue that proves Bart wasn't kidnapped. She tries to tell Homer, but he has sold the story to Hollywood. Lisa goes to Principal Skinner for help and the pair begins an investigation that will unravel the lie that is benefiting everyone. Bart takes the other conspirators to rapper Alcatraz's crib to prevent Lisa and Skinner from finding the truth. They arrive too late, only to find out that they know the truth. Bart and Homer try to convince Lisa to be cool about living the lie and a house party ensues." 10 "There's Something About Marrying" "Bart and Milhouse look for someone new to play tricks on and they find their new victim in Howell Huser, a yokel who just fell of the turnip truck. Their pranks get Howell Huser to stop smiling and he leaves town, only to turn up on the Soft News Network reporting that Springfield is the only town he's been to that he doesn't like. The negative publicity affects tourism. Mayor Quimby calls for the town to give him ideas to promote tourism and Lisa suggests they start allowing same sex marriages. The idea is approved and Springfield becomes the place to be for same sex couples to get married. When Reverend Lovejoy won't perform the ceremonies, Homer can't pass up the opportunity to make money and he becomes a certified minister via the Internet. He marries all the gay couples in town and then starts to marry anything to anything else. Patty requires Homer's service; she wants to marry her partner, Veronica, who is a pro-golfer. Marge has trouble dealing with the fact that her sister is gay. Marge discovers Veronica's secret, that she is really a man. Marge stops the wedding and reveals the secret, and when Leslie Robin Swisher (Veronica's real name) proposes that they still get married, she sticks to her guns, she still likes only girls." 11 "On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister" "The students of Springfield Elementary are on a field trip to Springfield's Glacier, but when they get there, the glacier is a shadow of its former self, a huge pond with a hardly noticeable block of ice. Lisa (of course) blames global warming. While Lisa is calling for action to save the glacier, her brother is taking every opportunity to torment her. Meanwhile, back in town Homer and Marge have gone to Sprawl Mart to do some shopping. When Grampa (Sprawl Mart's greeter) isn't capable of doing his job, Homer takes over and does such a great job it gets him a full time position with no chance for advancement. Lisa has vengeance on Bart by getting a restraining order against him, he must stay at least 20 feet away from her at all times, or go to jail. Chief Wiggum shows the family a videotape hosted by Gary Busey on how to live with a restraining order. For his part Homer constructs a 20 foot pole that Lisa can use to help keep them apart. It impacts Bart's life at home and school. At family court, after Bart points out some obvious flaws in her character, Judge Harm increases the distance to 200 feet. Having to live at the edge of their property, Bart decides to embrace living the natural way. Homer finds out from his fellow employees how to survive working at Sprawl Mart. And mistakenly feeling that Bart might have changed, Lisa decides to forgive him and burn up the restraining order." 12 "Goo Goo Gai Pan" "Mr. Burns is taking his driving test and Selma is having hot flashes. Dr. Hibbert diagnoses that she is going through menopause. After seeing a video on the topic hosted by Robert Wagner, Selma is disappointed to learn that she'll never be able to have children. Patty suggests that she try adoption and Lisa suggests China. Only to qualify, Selma needs a husband who must go with her to China to collect their child. She fills out the form with the name: Homer Simpson. Selma flies the Simpson family to China. At Marge's request, Homer goes along with the charade. Under the supervision of Madam Wu, a Chinese functionary, the family, with Marge as the children's nanny takes a tour of the sites. For his occupation, Homer tells Madam Wu that he is a Chinese acrobat, and of course later his services in that capacity are called into action. Selma gets her child, a daughter named Ling Bouvier, only to have her taken away after Madam Wu sees Marge snuggling with Homer. At the airport, Lisa comes up with a plan to get Ling back. Homer poses as a Buddha statue to get inside the orphanage. Only Madam Wu stops them with a tank in Tien An Men Square. Selma appeals to Madam Wu, bureaucrat to bureaucrat and it works. Selma, her new daughter and the family are allowed to leave China via a junk." 13 "Mobile Homer" "Marge takes the kids on a Sunday drive while Homer is at home attempting to clean out the garage. After Homer suffers a garage-door-to-the-throat incident, Marge wants them to buy life insurance. Homer however is deemed uninsurable. Fearing that with no insurance for Homer they will go broke, Marge starts cost-cutting measures. Homer is against these new measures and takes the nest egg that Marge has made and spends it on the down payment for a new motor home. Marge tells him to enjoy being the king of his new castle, because she is no longer speaking to him. Homer is now living in the RV in the backyard and he and Marge try to entice Bart and Lisa to come and stay with them. Homer then opens up the backyard as a RV park, until Marge puts an end to it and they get into a big fight, which makes Bart and Lisa take action. Bart decides they need to take the RV back to the dealer. Homer and Marge try to stop the pair who has managed to get the RV onto the freeway. The RV crashes onto a Turkish container ship, which is leaving port. With the right enticement, mushroom soup, Marge gets the ship to turn around, saving the children and what is left of the RV. The RVs fate is determined when Homer try to put it on the dock." 14 "The Seven-Beer Snitch" "The family visits Shelbyville and are appalled at the perception those citizens have of the inhabitants of Springfield. Back in town, Marge brings it to the attention of the Springfield Cultural Advisory Board and then asks architect Frank Gehry to design and build a new Springfield cultural center. He sees inspiration in her request and submits a design that is approved by the town. $30 million dollars later, the project is built and it opens and closes quickly as nobody in town really cares for classical music. Mr. Burns agree to take over the space, with his plan to turn it into a state prison. Homer applies for a job as a guard, but fails the drug test after Otto switches their samples. Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa follow Snowball II, when they believe the reason she is so fat is that she is getting food from elsewhere; after following her they discover she has another family. Burns needs convicts for his prison and Chief Wiggum blows the dust of some old forgotten laws. Homer is arrested for illegally transporting litter (kicking a can 5 times in a row). In prison Homer inadvertently squeals on Snake's escape attempt and is drafted to becoming a snitch and he begins enjoy the perks that go along with it. Snowball II (\"Smoky\") enjoys life with her new family and Bart gets into the home to find out; there is plenty of good eating to be found there. Fat Tony and his boys try to find out who the snitch is. They feed Homer information regarding a breakout. While all the guards are outside waiting for the breakout, the prisoners are taking care of their snitch and a riot ensues. The riot is stopped and Homer snitches on the conditions of the prison." 15 "Future-Drama" "Bart and Lisa find themselves in Prof. Frink's basement and he uses the science of astrology on his new computer to show them their future, eight years from next Tuesday. In this future, Maggie is away on a trip to Alaska; Homer and Marge have separated and Bart and Lisa are getting ready for prom. Lisa's date is Milhouse, who and Bart is dating a skateboard chick named Jenda. Lisa is graduating 2 years early and is going to Yale (now owned by McDonalds) on a scholarship funded by Mr. Burns as punishment for stealing Christmas. Bart is also graduating and is ready to move to the next level of his relationship with Jenda, he wants to marry her but his vision of their future together makes her break it off. Working his part-time job at the Kwik-E-Mart, Bart winds up saving Mr. Burns life while delivering groceries. As a reward Mr. Burns gives him the scholarship that Lisa was to receive. Bart is back with Jenda, now that he has a future, but Bart finds his way back in Prof. Frink's old basement and sees Lisa's bleak future with Milhouse. He does the right thing and keeps her from destroying her life." 16 "Don't Fear the Roofer" "Springfield is experiencing an unusually strong thunderstorm, and the rain is causing roofs to leak all over town. Homer devises a unique solution for getting the rain water out of their house that ultimately fails and sends him dejected off to Moe's, where he ruins Lenny's surprise party. Homer goes off wandering and finds himself at a bar called Knockers, where he makes a new friend named Ray, who is a licensed and bonded roofer. Marge takes the kids on some errands while Homer and Ray almost begin the roof repairs; they screw around and never get around to doing any work until he gets called away. Marge wants Homer to fix the roof by himself. Homer runs into Ray at the Builder's Barn and Ray promises to stop by later and help him with the roof. Homer waits for him, but Marge is skeptical that Ray even exists when Ray never shows up. Marge has Homer placed in the mental ward of the hospital and she and no one else can confirm that Ray really exists. Dr. Hibbert recommends and gives Homer electro-shock therapy. Six weeks later Homer's treatments are over and to everyone's surprise Ray turns up at the hospital to celebrate Homer's release. Plausible explanations, even one by Stephen Hawking, are given to explain why no one had ever seen Ray before." 17 "The Heartbroke Kid" "At Springfield Elementary the new vending machine contract is awarded to a company that promises to give half the profits to the school and it is of little consequence whether the snacks are healthy for the children or not. Bart begins taking all of his meals from the vending machine and three weeks later has gained a lot of weight, so much so that he has heart attack symptoms as a result. The X-Ray shows that malted milk balls have blocked his arteries. Despite it all Bart continues to eat junk food. Marge has no choice and holds an intervention, which Bart escapes from, right into the hands of representatives of a maximum security fat camp who take him away. Bart finds himself Serenity Ranch with Kent Brockman, Apu and Rainer Wolfcastle. The first bill from the ranch arrives and Marge decides they need to find a way to pay for it. They open their house up as youth hostel to German tourists. Having a hard time getting through to Bart, Tab Spangler takes him home and shows the horrors his family is enduring on his behalf. Bart finally gets the message and rages against the vending machines and is cured of his junk food addiction, there are three non-refundable weeks of fat camp available for a family member to use. Homer, the obvious choice, is elected to go." 18 "A Star Is Torn" "The family tries to eat a total vegetarian meal and everyone except Lisa gets sick from eating the healthy meal. As they moan from the sickness Lisa sings them to sleep. The next morning they've recovered enough to go back to their old dietary habits. On television a commercial airs for a Krusty-sponsored \"Li'l Starmaker\" competition and Lisa's singing voice seems a natural for the competition. Of course, Lisa and every other child in Springfield signs up. When Clarissa, one of the competitors sings the same song that Lisa was going to sing, and does it much better than Lisa believes she will be able to, Homer reassures her that he will write her a can't lose song. Lisa sings the song and makes it into the final competition. Homer takes charge of her career and writes her more songs that take her into the finals of the competition; it's Lisa versus Cameron, a boy all the girls go crazy over. When Homer oversteps his bounds with his obnoxiousness, Lisa fires him. Homer retaliates by getting himself a new client, Cameron. The final competition begins and Lisa's sings a song she wrote on her own, a song about her relationship with her father. Homer tells her that he was always in her corner and that Cameron is learning the greatest lesson he can ever learn in the music business, don't trust people in the music business." 19 "Thank God It's Doomsday" "Bart and Lisa want to start getting their hair cut at the mall. They go to the mall with Homer and while getting their haircut they get into a fight, which results in them each getting really bad haircuts. Out in the mall they are spotted by fellow school students who have cameras in hand. They find Homer and go on the run; they sneak into the back entrance of a movie theater and see the film \"Left Below,\" which is a movie about the apocalypse. The images in the movie are disturbing to Homer, who fears the worst. Marge assures him that there needs to be some ominous signs before the rapture will come. When Homer is out driving, he sees what he believes to be the signs. Homer gathers some books on the subject and he calculates that the \"rapture is nigh\" at 3:15 PM on May 18th, seven days from now. He starts to spread the word and tells everyone on television a passage from Revelations 6:13 that says before the rapture \"the stars will fall to Earth.\" At the Springfield Stadium, there is a celebrity filled blimp accident that causes the stars on board to fall to the Earth and Homer gains instant credibility. He gets a bus full of people to join him at Springfield Mesa. When the appointed time comes and goes, Homer loses credibility and everyone return back to their normal lives. Homer later realizes that he made a mistake in his calculation and the new time is only 30 minutes away. When no one in his family will join him Homer goes to the Mesa on his own. The rapture comes and Homer goes to heaven, but despite all that heaven has to offer, Homer needs his family. He gets an audience with God, but when God won't grant his request to have his family join him; Homer begins raising hell in heaven. To put a stop to it, God agrees to turn back time and put off the rapture." 20 "Home Away from Homer" "Lisa wins 4 tickets to see a foreign film and Homer gets Flanders to baby-sit Maggie. Flanders doesn't take any money for his effort, but he does need to earn some extra money; Marge suggests that he rent out his spare room. Flanders rents the room to two college age women, who turn the room into the set for their live webcam at www.SexySlumberParty.com. Flanders is unaware of what is going on in is his home, and when Homer finds out he makes sure that every man in Springfield knows about it. When Marge finds out she makes Homer tell Ned and then he finds out that Homer has made him the laughingstock of Springfield. Flanders decides to move to Humbleton, PA., where his favorite figurines are made. Homer mourns the loss of his favorite neighbor and tries to make friends with the new neighbor that has moved in, Clay Roberts, but this new neighbor is obnoxious. Meanwhile in Humbleton, Ned seems in heaven, only for him to live and work there, he must remove his mustache. Ned refuses and is making waves in his new community. When Homer arrives on his doorstep, pleading for him to come back to Springfield, Flanders decides to return." 21 "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star" "Bart is given the role of a cooper in the school's medieval festival, while Lisa is the queen. Bart is blamed and expelled when rats come out of large pie that is presented to the queen. Marge looks for a new school for Bart and decides to try out a Catholic school. In his first day at school Bart encounters a tough nun and Father Sean. Bart takes a liking to Father Sean and begins to embrace the Catholic faith, which concerns Homer and Marge. Homer goes to the school with the purpose of taking Bart out of school, only to himself being converted before the night is through. With her husband and son gone Marge finds herself alone at church. Reverend Lovejoy tells her that when they die she and Homer will be going to different heavens. Marge, Ned and Reverend Lovejoy go to Homer and Bart's first communion class to at the very least liberate Bart from becoming Catholic. To bring Bart back to his old religion they take him to a religious festival. Father Sean and Homer arrive hoping to take Bart back, but Bart in one his rare moments of insight brings both sides together, that is until 1,000 years later." 1 "Bonfire of the Manatees" "After Homer gets into trouble over his football gambling debts, he allows the Springfield Mafia to shoot a \"snuggle film\" in the house without Marge's permission. When she and the kids return home from a trip to \"Santa's Village\" and find production still going on, a furious Marge leaves for the beach and encounters a marine biologist named Caleb Thorn who has dedicated his life to saving manatees." 2 "The Girl Who Slept Too Little" "After the family successfully protest against a stamp museum being built next to their house, a cemetery is built near the Simpson house instead, making the normally unflappable Lisa realize that someone as smart as her can be afraid of something." 3 "Milhouse of Sand and Fog" "When Maggie is showing signs of being ill, the family goes to \u201cthe more boisterous house of worship\u201d in town to find Dr. Hibbert, who tells them that Maggie is developing the chicken pox. After Maggie develops the disease, Marge tries to keep Homer away from her, since he has never had them. After Flanders expresses an interest in getting his kids infected, Homer and Marge open up the house for a \u201cpox party.\u201d Milhouse\u2019s divorced parents are both at the party and after some \u201cMargerita\u2019s\u201d are consumed, find themselves getting back together. Meanwhile, Homer has developed the chicken pox and Marge tries to keep him from scratching. Milhouse likes the idea of his parents getting back together, but then begins to hate it when he has trouble getting either of them to pay any attention to him. After seeing an episode of The O.C. Milhouse and Bart come up with a plan to get his parent\u2019s separated again, they plant one of Marge\u2019s bras in Kirk & Luann\u2019s bed. They don\u2019t succeed in breaking them up; rather they break up Homer and Marge. Even after Bart confesses his guilt, Marge doesn\u2019t want anything to do with Homer, since he obviously doesn\u2019t trust him anymore. Bart concocts an outrageous scheme to get them back together, but it goes terribly wrong and both he and Homer find themselves in the river heading toward the falls needing to place their trust in Marge." 4 "Treehouse of Horror XVI" "It is game six of the World Series and Kang and Kodos decide to speed up the play of the game and they fire the acceleray. They shatter the fabric of the universe and everything is destroyed. a). \"B.I.: Bartificial Intelligence\" Bart falls into a deep coma from which he will never emerge. Well Bart does wakes from his coma only to find that his family has replaced him with David, a newly developed artificial robot son. Bart struggles to fit back in with his family and Homer and Marge decide they must get rid of one of their sons. They abandoned Bart, but harvesting parts from some abandoned robots he gets his revenge. The robot nightmare only turns out to be a dream when it is revealed that Homer has actually been possessed by the devil. b). \"Survival of the Fattest\" Homer and others are invited by Mr. Burns to his estate for \u201cA Most Dangerous Game.\u201d It turns out that they are participants on \u201cThe World Series of Manslaughter\u201d featuring guest analyst Terry Bradshaw where they are the quarry and Mr. Burns is their hunter. Surprisingly Homer is the last contestant left standing, but it takes Marge\u2019s intervention to even the score. c). \"I\u2019ve Grown a Costume on Your Face\" It\u2019s the Springfield Semi-Annual Halloween Party but the costume contest goes awry when a real hideous witch turns everyone into real-life versions of their costumes. Lisa, as Einstein, searches for a solution to their problem; but it is up to Maggie, who was dressed as a witch, as the only one with the power to reverse the spell." 5 "Marge's Son Poisoning" "The family is at Paradise Pier, where Marge was looking forward to riding the Ferris wheel all her life, only to find out that it is being dismantled with some of its equipment being sold. Homer purchases a dumbbell while Marge gets a tandem bicycle. When Marge wants to take the bike for a ride, she finds that Homer is a less than willing participant. She tries it on her own and falls. Realizing that his mother might actually be lonely, Bart offers to go for a ride with her. They ride into an unincorporated part of the county and come upon a small village that features a tea house. Later the tea house closes forever causing Bart to invite his mother to his treehouse for tea. Marge redecorates the treehouse and the pair goes off to get a new tea service where he gets a Krusty Teapot. Outside the store the bullies accuse Bart of being a \u201cMomma\u2019s Boy,\u201d which causes Bart to rebel. Marge goes into a depression and eventually sells the bike. Feeling bad, Bart offers to compete with her in a karaoke contest. While seeing Skinner and his mother perform, Marge has visions of a terrible future for Bart and she stops the show to let Bart know that he shouldn\u2019t worry about her, it\u2019s her job to worry about him. Meanwhile at Moe\u2019s Homer shows off the strength in one of his arms he\u2019s gained from working with the dumbbell and Moe has an idea on how to capitalize on it. Moe takes Homer to the arm wrestling championships, where Homer readily wins, but finds that he really misses his wife." 6 "See Homer Run" "Homer is ready for everyone to shower him with gifts on Father\u2019s Day and Marge and the kids go to the mall to obtain the presents. Lisa decides she is going to make something for her father, while Bart purchases the Leather Buddy multi-function knife. Lisa\u2019s heartfelt gift doesn\u2019t go over as well as Bart\u2019s knife and Homer doesn\u2019t immediately do anything to make Lisa feel any better. Bart sees a street sign with his name on it and the bullies entice him into stealing it. Homer makes a lame attempt at making up to Lisa. At school Lisa goes on a rampage. Citing her father as the cause, Principal Skinner and the school psychologist talk with Homer and Marge about what they can do to prevent Lisa from growing up to hate men. Homer becomes the school safety salamander. His initial pathetic attempts at safety don\u2019t change her feelings for her father, until an accident at the intersection of Evergreen Terrace and the unsigned Bart Blvd. The safety salamander rescues all the victims of the accident and Homer is awarded the keycard to the city. Then the mayor comes under fire for the many disasters under his administration and it is decided that a recall election is going to be held. With a number of ridiculous candidates running, Lisa decides that her father, with his popularity as the safety salamander, would be the ideal choice. With Lisa as his campaign manager, everything is going well, until Marge washes his salamander suit. When it shrinks and tears apart is reveals the man underneath, whom nobody is interested in voting for, but at least Homer and Lisa strengthen their relationship. Finally when none of the candidates garner enough votes to take over as mayor, it\u2019s business as usual in Springfield government." 7 "The Last of the Red Hat Mamas" "The mayor\u2019s estate is used for Springfield\u2019s Easter celebration, and in the course of the events, Homer embarrasses Marge in front of some new potential friends. To make it up, Homer decides to find her some new friends, with little luck. Marge finds some new friends on her own, Tammy and other members of \u201cThe Cheery Red Tomatoes,\u201d a group of women of a certain age. This group has plans for a fund raiser; they intend to rob Mr. Burns of 1 million dollars, an amount he once promised to charity. Homer finds out about the plan and tries to stop her from doing something she\u2019ll regret. Meanwhile, Lisa in search of summer opportunities decides to spend the summer in Rome. Lisa tells Principal Skinner that she speaks fluent Italian, since she really doesn\u2019t she tries to take a crash course and winds up hiring a tutor that turns out to be Milhouse." 8 "The Italian Bob" "After being humiliated by Mrs. Krabappel's class, Mr. Burns finally decides to buy a new car, so he orders a Lamborgotti Fasterossa. He sends Homer and his family to the factory in Italy to pick the car up. The family takes a tour of Italy in the new car, but an accident with the car and a cheese truck has the family pushing the car into the town of Salsiccia. They find out that only one person in the town speaks English and it happens to be their mayor. The family goes to meet the mayor and they are surprised to see that it is Sideshow Bob, and he is equally surprised to see them. Sideshow Bob tells them how he came to Italy, become mayor and started a family with his wife (Francesca) and son (Gino). He hopes that the Simpsons will keep the secret of his criminal past, but Lisa\u2019s first exposure to drinking wine leads to loose lips, which sinks his ship. Sideshow Bob, being no longer welcome in his new home, swears a vendetta on the Simpson family. The Simpsons go on the run from Sideshow Bob, who is joined by his wife and son as the vendetta affects their entire family. In Rome, the family discovers that Krusty is preparing to perform the lead in \u201cI Pagliacci.\u201d The Simpsons hide as extras within the show, but Krusty gets tossed off-stage only to be replaced by Sideshow Bob, whose family has the Simpsons surrounded. Krusty and his limo save the day, while Sideshow Bob and his family adjust to their unresolved vendetta." 9 "Simpsons Christmas Stories" "When Reverend Lovejoy and Ned Flanders are unable to deliver the Christmas sermon, Homer steps in and tells the story of the birth of the baby Jesus (Bart), King Harod\u2019s (Mr. Burns\u2019) attempt to have the baby killed and the creation of the first Christmas tree. Grandpa relates to Bart and Lisa the story of how in the Navy he and his older brother Cyrus were fighting in the Pacific in World War II. During a battle Cyrus\u2019s plane is lost and Abe and Mr. Burns (his co-pilot) crash land their own plane. At Christmastime while awaiting rescue, Burns, anxious to shoot at something, shoots down Santa Claus. Abe and Burns help Santa to rebuild his sleigh (only for Burns to later steal.) After Abe gets it back, Santa promises to come back for a follow-up rescue, but never does. After Abe has finished relating the story to the kids, Santa makes his overdue appearance and takes Abe to Tahiti to be reunited with his brother. The kids at Springfield Elementary perform \u201cPerhaps the worst version ever\u201d rendition of \u201cThe Nutcracker\u201d ballet according to Superintendent Chalmers. When it is revealed that you don\u2019t have to pay for the music rights it leads to a montage of citizens of Springfield going about their usual Christmas activities to the more familiar pieces of music from \u201cThe Nutcracker,\u201d including a sequence where Moe tries to kill himself, and Homer (forgetting as usual) tries to get Marge her present at the last minute." 10 "Homer's Paternity Coot" "The result of Marge's anger against Quimby\u2019s new toll road leads to the discovery of a frozen mailman and his 40-year-old mail. The old mail is delivered to the recipients, including one to Grampa Simpson's deceased wife, and it reveals a secret love affair and who the real father of her baby Homer might be. Confused and emotional, Homer finds Mason Fairbanks, his wealthy and much improved paternal dad, and happily establishes a father-son relationship with him while rejecting Abe, his surrogate father of 40 years, especially after a DNA test reveals that Mason is indeed his real father. Homer joins Mason on an undersea treasure hunt and when Homer\u2019s life is in mortal danger he reflects upon his childhood and realizes who his true father is. When he confesses that to Abe, Abe has a confession of his own." 11 "We're on the Road to D'ohwhere" "Bart obtains the key to the steam tunnels under the school and with Milhouse they go down to check them out. When Bart turns just one of the little valves they find in the valve room the chain reaction causes chaos throughout the school. Bart is caught and Skinner wants to send him to a discipline camp in Oregon. When Bart can\u2019t fly there alone, Homer has to drive him there himself and that is going to cause him to miss the trip to Las Vegas that Moe is sponsoring for all his regular customers. While the boys are gone, Marge and Lisa take some of the boys' old stuff and hold a yard sale, but the only things that sell well are their old medications and that gets her into bit of trouble." 12 "My Fair Laddy" "Mr. Krupt is the school\u2019s new gym teacher and introduces Bart and the kids to \u201cBOMBARDMENT!\u201d Bart\u2019s attempt to get back at the new gym teacher results in the destruction of Groundskeeper Willie\u2019s shack and the family takes him in. Lisa decides to make Willie the focus of her science fair project and tries to turn him into a \u201cproper gentleman\u201d with surprising results. Meanwhile, Homer has ruined his last pair of blue pants and attempts to generate interest in them so the manufacturer will start making them again." 13 "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story" "The family is on a nature walk through \u201cCarl\u2019s Dad Caverns,\u201d when Homer tries to get a piece from a stalactite. This results in the family falling through the cave floor and winds up with Homer getting stuck in the ceiling of one of the lower chambers of the cave. Marge, Bart and Maggie go off to find help, while Lisa stays behind and tells her father a story to pass the time. Her story involves running from a bighorn sheep and into Mr. Burn\u2019s mansion. The pair evades the tenacious sheep by finding refuge in the mansion\u2019s attic, where Mr. Burns tells her the story of how he came to work at Moe\u2019s Tavern by losing a scavenger hunt with a rich Texan. While there he learned (and tells to Lisa) the tale of the Moe\u2019s treasure. The stories within stories culminate in the fate of the treasure being determined in the cave." 14 "Bart Has Two Mommies" "The family is at a church fund-raiser, where Homer tries to ensure his rubber duck onto victory, but Flanders wins the big prize, which he doesn\u2019t want and gives it to Marge. In return Marge agrees to watch Rod and Todd while Ned is attending a left-handed convention. While Marge is spending all her time with the Rod and Todd and trying to let them learn how to be boys; Homer takes Bart and Lisa to a home for former celebrity animals and a monkey kidnaps Bart. Marge\u2019s ability to be a mother comes into question when Ned discovers what she is doing with his boys and the local news covers Bart\u2019s current predicament." 15 "Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife" "Homer is stoked for a party, where Lenny shows off his new plasma screen HD TV. Three days later and Homer still hasn\u2019t left Lenny\u2019s apartment. Lenny eventually gets him to leave and Marge enters them in a contest where they can win a plasma TV of their own. They don\u2019t win, but 3rd place gets them a tour of the FOX studios, where Homer learns about a wife-swapping show where he can win enough money to buy his own plasma TV. Marge agrees to appear and they exchange wives with the Heathbar family. Charles Heathbar winds up falling in love with Marge (who is giving him what he needs), while his real wife Verity finds Homer detestable." 16 "Million Dollar Abie" "Homer spearheads the effort to get pro-football to bring a new franchise to Springfield. The football commissioner, on his way to officially award the franchise, stops at the Simpson house where Grandpa (mistaking him for a burglar) attacks him. Springfield loses out and Abe becomes the town\u2019s pariah. After trying and failing assisted suicide, Abe decides to live his life without fear and when the town decides to reuse their football stadium as a bullfighting ring, he volunteers to be the toreador. Ever the activist, granddaughter Lisa protests his new profession." 17 "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore" "At the power plant a movie is shown where the workers endorse outsourcing and Mr. Burns announces that he is closing the plant and moving the work to India. Homer is the only union employee left on the payroll and he is sent to India to train the replacement workers, when he succeeds beyond expectations, he is given total control of the plant and declares himself a god. Meanwhile, Selma & Patty take Bart and Lisa to their MacGyver convention. When they discover Richard Dean Anderson doesn\u2019t like MacGyver and much as they do, they kidnap him in retaliation. Anderson escapes only to enjoy the thrill and he turns himself back in so that he can escape again. When it happens over and over again, soon Patty and Selma are the ones who need a means of escape." 18 "The Wettest Stories Ever Told" "As the family waits for their food at \u201cThe Frying Dutchman,\u201d they pass the time by telling stories. Lisa tells about the Mayflower\u2019s journey to America, where Marge and her kids are Pilgrims and they are joined by a knave named Homer who joins their family to escape the authorities. Bart recounts the story of Mutiny on the Bounty featuring Skinner as Captain Bligh and Bart as Mr. Christian. Homer tells the tale of the maiden voyage of a cruise ship in the 1970s featuring of a ship that can\u2019t flip over, which of course it does and the attempts of the survivors to get out of the ship alive." 19 "Girls Just Want to Have Sums" "The family attends \"Stab-A-Lot: The Itchy and Scratchy Musical.\" The musical's director is a graduate of Springfield Elementary and Principal Skinner puts his foot in mouth when he makes sexist comments about her education and that of women in general. He tries to make the situation better, but only buries himself deeper and deeper until he is fired and replaced by Women's Educational Expert Melanie Upfoot. The first thing she does is split the school into girls and the boys. Lisa dislikes the way girls are being taught math and she ventures over to the boy's side of the school in search of a challenge. Disguising herself as Jake Boyman she starts attending the boy's school but while she finds the math problems more interesting, it is being a boy that is a greater challenge." 20 "Regarding Margie" "Marge goes on a cleaning frenzy before the housekeeper she\u2019s won the services of comes to the house. One spot remains and she mixes a number of toxic cleaners together to tackle the job. The noxious mixture knocks her out and she wakes up suffering from amnesia. Marge is taken home and the family tries to bring back her memory. She starts to get back memories of her children and other insignificant things, but when it comes to remembering her husband, nothing he does seems to jog her memory. When he can\u2019t get her to remember him, he tries to win her all over again, especially after Patty and Selma get her back out on the dating scene." 21 "The Monkey Suit" "Working through their checklists of things to do before summer ends, Lisa gets the family to go a museum. At the Springfield Museum of Natural History there is an exhibit Lisa is excited to see on Women\u2019s History turns into an exhibit on the history of weapons, which excites Homer and Bart. When Flanders sees the exhibit of evolution and another that mocks creationism, he raises an alarm. Reverend Lovejoy gets Skinner to have creationism taught in school. Lisa is the only one who holds onto the scientific theory. She brings the topic up at the town meeting and the town votes to teach only one theory, creationism. Lisa decides to hold her own class on evolution, until she is arrested. The ACLU gives her a lawyer who is up against a slick Southern lawyer, but ultimately it\u2019s a family member that is a key to her defense." 22 "Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play" "When Homer hears that the Isotopes are on a winning streak, he takes the family to the game. The first baseman\u2019s game is going bad, caused by his sexy singing wife Tabitha embarrassing him during the game\u2019s national anthem. Buck Mitchell sees Marge and Homer\u2019s kiss on the game\u2019s Kiss-Cam and comes to them for marital advice. They start working with the couple and Buck\u2019s baseball career turns around, but it and the Simpson marriage goes awry again when Buck catches Homer giving Tabitha a neck massage. While Marge and Homer try keeping their marriage together they also try to get Buck and Tabitha back together." 1 "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer" "At school, Lisa befriends a boy named Michael, who happens to be the son of mob boss, Fat Tony. Fat Tony is put out of commission by a rival family, and Homer and Bart get involved with the mob, when Michael, who is nothing like his father, is not interested in the \u201cfamily business.\u201d" 2 "Jazzy and the Pussycats" "When Bart has problems with acting out, Marge and Homer take him to a child psychiatrist, who suggests that Bart should taking up drumming. Bart turns out to be a natural with the drums and much to the chagrin of Lisa; Bart is approached by jazz musicians, who want him in their band. Meanwhile, Lisa turns to rescuing animals as a way to deal with her jealousy and depression, over not being a member of a jazz band herself." 3 "Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'Em..." "After buying Homer a collection of handyman's books, Marge becomes a handywoman, but uses Homer since no one in town is thrilled over the idea of a female carpenter. Meanwhile, Bart finds out that Principal Skinner has a peanut allergy and uses a peanut on a stick to torture Skinner, but the joke is on Bart when Skinner discovers that Bart is allergic to shrimp." 4 "Treehouse of Horror XVII" "Three more scary tales are offered up in this 17th edition of the Treehouse of Horror.Married to the Blob: After eating mysterious green goo from a meteorite, Homer grows to massive proportions while he eats everything in sight.You Gotta Know When to Golem: Bart takes control of Golem of Jewish folklore, and forces the ancient statue to do his bidding by writing instructions on scrolls and placing them into the Golem's mouth.The Day the Earth Looked Stupid: Taking place in 1938 Springfield, the townspeople react to Orson Welles\u2019 famous War of the Worlds radio broadcast. However, they pay no attention when Kang and Kodos actually do invade the town." 5 "G.I." "Bart pre-enlists in the Army and when Homer goes to the Recruitment Center to clear up the mess, he is tricked into enlisting in the Army himself. Upon completion of basic training, Homer is assigned to lead some troops against a disgruntled Army Colonel in a war games simulation." 6 "Moe'N'a Lisa" "Lisa aides Moe in discovering his inner-poet and he gains swift popularity and recognition from a group of successful American authors, when Lisa helps to get his poetry published. However, Lisa is crushed, when Moe enjoys his newfound success with literary giants and fails to credit Lisa for her assistance in his poetry." 7 "Ice Cream of Margie (With the Light Blue Hair)" "After Homer is fired from the power plant, he buys an ice-cream truck and sells ice-cream. His successful business yields an abundance of discarded popsicle sticks and Marge finds another calling in life, as she uses the leftover sticks to create popular life-size statues of various citizens from Springfield." 8 "The Haw-Hawed Couple" "After being forced to attend Nelson\u2019s birthday party, Bart becomes best friends with the schoolyard bully. Meanwhile, Homer develops a big interest with one of Lisa\u2019s fantasy books." 9 "Kill Gil: Vols. 1 & 2" "At Christmas time, Marge opens up her home to the jobless Gil. But problems arise when Gil overstays his welcome and Marge can\u2019t bring herself to kick Gil out of the house." 10 "The Wife Aquatic" "Homer surprises Marge with a visit to her favorite childhood vacation spot: an island called Barnacle Bay. But when the family arrives, they are shocked to discover Barnacle Bay\u2019s tourism and economy has been decimated by the disappearance of the local delicacy, the \u201cYum-Yum\u201d fish. After causing some major damage to the boardwalk, Homer is forced to join a fishing crew to work off his debt and a parody of The Perfect Storm ensues." 11 "Revenge is a Dish Best Served Three Times" "In an effort to stop Homer from taking revenge on the Rich Texan for cutting him off on the highway, Marge, Lisa and Bart offer up three cautionary tales of revenge.The Count of Monte Fatso: A parody of the book and film The Count of Monte Cristo, in which Homer is cast as the Count.Revenge of the Geeks: Using a futuristic device called the \u201cGet-back-inator,\u201d Milhouse takes revenge on the Springfield Elementary bullies.Bartman Begins: A parody of the Batman origin story, in which Bart is cast in the title role." 12 "Little Big Girl" "After saving Springfield from burning down in city-wide fire, Mayor Quimby awards Bart with a driver\u2019s license. During Bart\u2019s travels to a nearby town, he develops a serious relationship with a teenage girl. Meanwhile, during a presentation at school, Lisa lies about her Native American heritage and when everyone believes her, the lies result in some escalating problems for her." 13 "Springfield Up" "Eccentric documentary filmmaker Declan Desmond returns with his new film \"Growing up Springfield\" in which various characters in The Simpsons are interviewed. Homer and family pretend to be rich on the documentary, until Mr. Burns catches them in his summer home." 14 "Yokel Chords" "Principal Skinner decides to allow Lisa to tutor Cletus's kids instead of them enrolling into Springfield Elementary, but they end up on Krusty's show as a Musical Act; Bart sees a psychiatrist after pretending that he's possessed by a ghost in an an attempt get free food from the cafeteria." 15 "Rome-old and Juli-eh" "When Homer accidentally declares bankruptcy, Grandpa ends up leaving the Springfield Retirement Castle and falls in love with Selma; Bart and Lisa con a delivery man out of cardboard boxes." 16 "Homerazzi" "When the fireproof safe (which was bought after one too many house fires) explodes, Homer and Marge try to recreate the photos, but when one of them uncovers a scandal in the background, Homer decides to join the world of paparazzi - forgetting what happened the last time he had a job that dealt in revealing other people's flaws to the public (in \"Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?\")" 17 "Marge Gamer" "Marge becomes a spectacle during a PTA meeting for not having an e-mail address, and she decides to take a chance on using the Internet. Amazed and delighted by all the Internet has to offer, Marge decides to join a popular role-playing fantasy game named \"Earthland Realms.\" To Marge's dismay, the game has her interacting with practically the whole town of Springfield, including Bart, who happens to be the game's most feared and destructive player. Meanwhile, Homer saves Lisa's soccer game from cancellation after he volunteers to take the place of a referee who recently quit. However, Homer's refereeing skills only exasperate Lisa, and her competitive streak gets the best of her." 18 "The Boys of Bummer" "Bart becomes a hometown hero when he makes the game-winning catch at his Little League game, sending the Springfield Isotots to the championship for the very first time. Meanwhile, Homer runs into some luck, when a customer misunderstands Homer's excuses for a sales pitch after falling asleep in a department store's display bed. The impressed store owner hires Homer as a salesman." 19 "Crook and Ladder" "Maggie goes on a path of destruction in the Simpsons home after Marge follows advice in a parenting magazine and throws away her pacifier. Marge finally gives in and sends Homer to get Maggie a new pacifier, but when he cant find the right brand, Maggie comes up with her own substitute an especially squeaky dog toy. Homer cant sleep through the toys incessant squeaking and is driven to take sleeping pills, which turn him into a sleepwalker with a penchant for mischief. When one of Homers sleepwalking schemes leaves the entire Springfield Fire Department debilitated in the hospital, Homer and some of his fellow Springfieldians become volunteer firefighters. They extinguish several fires and are rewarded with gifts, but when the gifts stop coming, they seek other forms of compensation for their heroic acts." 20 "Stop, Or My Dog Will Shoot!" "Homer unwittingly drags the family into a cornfield maze after attempting to leave a boring Harvest fest that Marge brought them to. When everyone except Homer escapes, Santa's Little Helper rescues him and becomes the town hero. So the Simpsons enroll him in Police Dog Academy where he's teamed with Lou." 21 "24 Minutes" "When finding out Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney plan on sabotaging Springfield Elementary School's annual bake sale by releasing the \"ultimate stinkbomb\" (a rotten yogurt cup from Springfield's Nuclear Power Plant), Bart and Lisa enlist the help of Jack Bauer and Chloe O'Brian. Meanwhile, Marge attempts to make the perfect cake, so she can win the bake sale." 22 "You Kent Always Say What You Want" "When Homer buys the 1,000,000th ice-cream cone at a local shop, he ends up on Kent Brockman's news program. When Brockman swears on live TV after coffee is spilled in his lap, Ned Flanders leads a crusade to clean up Springfield's airwaves, starting with getting Brockman fired. Then Homer once again saves the day." 1 "He Loves To Fly And He D'ohs" "After Homer saves Mr. Burns' life he is rewarded with a trip in Mr. Burns' private plane. A depressed Homer realizes he will never again receive a chance to fly in a luxurious private jet and Marge hires Homer a life coach to help get him out of his rut." 2 "The Homer of Seville" "After a freak accident, Homer becomes an opera singer and finds himself star of the Springfield Opera. Soon he becomes mobbed by fans and gains himself a female stalker." 3 "Midnight Towboy" "Homer starts working in the towing business, but gets into some trouble when the town sets up Homer to look like he is towing on a rival's turf after he becomes greedy with power. Meanwhile, Marge signs up for a counseling program that teaches parents how to raise young children to become independent, but the program works a little too well on Maggie." 4 "I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" "During a bank robbery, Marge convinces Dwight, the bank robber, to turn himself in with the assurance that she will visit him once in jail. Marge never makes good on her promise and things get interesting when Dwight escapes from jail and comes looking for Marge." 5 "Treehouse of Horror XVIII" "The 18th installment of the Treehouse of Horror series. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson A parody of the 2005 film Mr. and Mrs. Smith, featuring Marge and Homer as the title characters. E.T. Go Home Bart and Lisa help Kodos return to his home planet, but Kodos uses their assistance to secretly plan something sinister. Heck House Flanders decides to scare Bart, Lisa, and their friends straight after they go too far with their pranks." 6 "Little Orphan Millie" "After Milhouse's parents are lost at sea and assumed dead, he is forced to toughen up. His new confidence and personality help him become cooler than Bart. Meanwhile, Homer gets into trouble with Marge, when he can't remember her eye color." 7 "Husbands and Knives" "Marge starts up a new women-only gym in Springfield and Homer frets about losing her after she becomes a highly successful businesswoman. Meanwhile, Coolsville, a new comic book shop, opens up in Springfield and puts Comic Book Guy out of business." 8 "Funeral for a Fiend" "Sideshow Bob returns, this time with his entire family, and sets in motion a complex diabolical scheme to finally kill Bart." 9 "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" "Homer wakes up to find himself outdoors and covered in snow, without memory of the night before. When he arrives home, he finds everyone missing. Seeking help from Moe and Professor Frink, Homer tries to piece together his memory to find out what happened to him the night before." 10 "E. Pluribus Wiggum" "In an effort to raise money with a bond issue Mayor Quimby moves up election day, making Springfield's primary election the first in the nation causing the media, candidates and political pundits to descend in the city." 11 "That 90's Show" "After discovering Marge's diploma, Homer recounts the story of how he gave up his dreams of being a musician so Marge could attend Springfield University. However, after she became attracted to one of her professors Homer started focusing his emotions into music and formed the first grunge band called Sadgasm." 12 "Love, Springfieldian Style" "After being stranded in a Tunnel of Love ride at a carnival, Homer, Marge and Bart pass the time by sharing some of the greatest love stories of all time." 13 "The Debarted" "Bart teams up with a new kid at school, Donny, to pull some pranks, but when the hijinks go haywire, Groundskeeper Willie tips Bart off to the fact that there might be a rat amongst his friends. Meanwhile, Homer becomes attached to a loaner vehicle while his is in the shop being repaired." 14 "Dial 'N' for Nerder" "Marge hires an investigative television show to follow Homer around after she suspects him of cheating on his diet. Meanwhile, one of Bart and Lisa's pranks on Martin Prince goes wrong and they become burdened with guilt after assuming they are responsible for Martin's accidental death." 15 "Smoke on the Daughter" "Lisa enrolls in a ballet class and develops an addiction to secondhand smoke after being exposed to it by her smoking ballet classmates. Meanwhile, Homer lets Bart in on his secret beef jerky manufacturing operation." 16 "Papa Don't Leech" "When Mayor Quimby realizes the city of Springfield has gone broke, Lisa goes through the town's financial records and discovers millions in uncollected city taxes; Marge reluctantly allows a fugitive to stay with the family." 17 "Apocalypse Cow" "Bart joins the 4-H club and falls in love with a cow named Lou, but when he finds out that Lou is destined for the slaughterhouse Bart gives the cow to Mary, a fellow 4-H member, and her father mistakes the cow for a dowry. Homer and Marge come to the rescue to try and free Bart from his marriage agreement." 18 "Any Given Sundance" "Lisa makes a documentary of her own family for a school project, and the film is so impressive that Superintendent Chalmers and Principal Skinner push her to enter the documentary in the Sundance Film Festival." 19 "Mona Leaves-a" "After Mona, Homer's mother, passes away unexpectedly, Homer feels guilty for not getting the chance to tell her how much he really loved her." 20 "All About Lisa" "Lisa outshines Krusty as his new assistant and steals the spotlight from him, earning her own TV show. Meanwhile, Homer and Bart spend some quality time together with their new coin collecting hobby." 1 "Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes" "Bounty hunter Ned is forced to scrap his partnership with Homer when the hapless layabout skips bail, and Marge mistakenly takes a job at an erotic bakery." 2 "Lost Verizon" "Bart lands himself in trouble when he steals a mobile phone from Denis Leary and subsequently uses it to land the actor a comical film role. The troublemaker then leads his family to the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu after Marge confiscates the device and decides to use its GPS technology to track her son." 3 "Double, Double, Boy in Trouble" "An irreverent take on the Prince and the Pauper. Bart enthusiastically trades lives with a wealthy lookalike after landing himself in trouble for triggering a rampage of vacuum cleaners, but finds the lavish lifestyle too much when he becomes the target of all his new friends' pranks." 4 "Treehouse of Horror XIX" "Springfield is the setting for parodies of Charlie Brown, It's the Great Pumpkin and Michael Bay's Transformers as Homer's vote on election day is misread by a renegade machine." 5 "Dangerous Curves" "Homer and Marge remember the ups and downs of their marriage through a series of flashbacks, including the time they each began flirting with guests at a glamorous party - a situation that led to a food fight and an unexpected swim in the pool." 6 "Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words" "Lisa learns she is good at crossword puzzles and enters a city-wide contest. Homer discovers he has a flair for letting loved ones down so he opens Sweet Conclusions Break-Up Service, but lands himself in trouble with his daughter when he places a bet against her in the competition." 7 "Mypods and Boomsticks" "Lisa struggles to become the proud owner of a Mypod, and Homer believes Bart's new Middle-Eastern friend Bashir is involved in a terrorist plot to destroy the Springfield Mall." 8 "The Burns and the Bees" "Mr Burns wins a professional basketball team in a poker game at the annual billionaire's retreat. He decides to build a state-of-the-art facility in an attempt to lure fans, but the stadium site is on the last remaining bee colony in Springfield - prompting Lisa to lead a protest." 9 "Lisa the Drama Queen" "Lisa lets her imagination run wild when she makes a new friend and they create a magical kingdom together called Equalia, complete with characters and plotlines. But they find themselves facing a nightmare when the boundaries between reality and fantasy are blurred. With the voice of Emily Blunt." 10 "Take My Life, Please" "Homer is jealous when old classmate Vance Connor is inducted into the Springfield Walk of Fame. Lenny and Carl confess they fixed the result in favor of Principal Dondelinger - leading the hapless father to speculate on how his life would have changed had he won the ballot." 11 "How the Test Was Won" "Bart gets a perfect score on a practice test for a national achievement test, which not only rattles Lisa, but it means Bart gets to attend a special party instead of having to take the actual test. Meanwhile, Homer must avoid injuring himself for an entire afternoon after failing to pay his insurance." 12 "No Loan Again, Naturally" "\"No Loan Again, Naturally\" is the twelfth episode of the twentieth season of The Simpsons. It premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States on March 8, 2009.\n\nIn the episode, the Simpsons lose their house, but Ned Flanders buys it and offers to rent it back to them. However, when they turn out to be less-than-reliable renters, Flanders kicks them out. \"No Loan Again, Naturally\" was written by Jeff Westbrook and directed by Mark Kirkland.\n\nMaurice LaMarche guest starred in the episode. It was seen by 5.99 million viewers. Since airing, the episode has received generally positive reviews from television critics. The name of the episode references a 70s song Alone Again as well as the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons' eleventh season, Alone Again, Natura-Diddily, which also centered largely around interactions between Homer and Ned." 13 "Gone Maggie Gone" "Lisa infiltrates a convent in order to steal back Maggie who was accidentally taken in by nuns. While in the convent, Lisa uncovers a series of cryptic clues leading to a hidden jewel in Springfield. With help from resident history buffs Principal Skinner and Comic Book Guy, Lisa sets off to find the coveted prize. But Springfield's Freemasons are also hot on the trail of the jewel, and Lisa must race against them to find the jewel and rescue Maggie." 14 "In the Name of the Grandfather" "The Simpsons travel to Ireland so that Grampa can have a final drink at O'Flanagan's Pub - an old watering hole of his. But when the small town of Dunkilderry isn't quite what Grampa remembers it as, and O'Flanagans has become a rundown and empty pub, he and Homer decide to buy it and fix it up." 15 "Wedding For Disaster" "After Marge and Homer's marriage turns out to be invalid, they decide to re-do their vows. But when Homer goes missing, Bart and Lisa smell something funny and investigate his disappearance." 16 "Eeny Teeny Maya Moe" "Moe once again searches for love and falls for a woman named Maya over the Internet. However, when Moe meets Maya face-to-face, he discovers it's more like face-to-knee, as Maya is only three feet tall." 17 "The Good, the Sad and the Drugly" "Bart falls in love with a charitable girl named Jenny, prompting Bart to behave in order to date her. Meanwhile, Lisa becomes depressed when she writes a report on Springfield's future." 18 "Father Knows Worst" "Bart and Lisa start struggling in their academic and social lives at school and Homer starts monitoring them and forcing them to do better. Meanwhile, Marge discovers a sauna in the basement." 19 "Waverly Hills, 9021-D'Oh" "When Marge learns Springfield Elementary is the worst school in the state, she and Homer rent an apartment in the upscale Waverly Hills school district so Bart and Lisa can attend a better school. Meanwhile, Homer moves into the rented Waverly Hills apartment and gets used to the bachelor lifestyle." 20 "Four Great Women and a Manicure" "Marge and Lisa visit the nail salon where they engage in a spirited debate as to whether a woman can be smart, powerful and beautiful all at the same time and spin four tales of famous women featuring famous Springfield faces: Selma as Queen Elizabeth I, Lisa as Snow White, Marge as Lady Macbeth and Maggie as Howard Roark, the idealistic architect protagonist from Ayn Rand\u2019s The Fountainhead." 21 "Coming to Homerica" "When nearby Ogdenville\u2019s economy crumbles due to tainted barley discovered in Krusty\u2019s veggie burgers, the unemployed workers of Ogdenville flock to Springfield. After Mayor Quimby closes Springfield\u2019s borders and enlists private citizens to help patrol them, Homer organizes a border patrol group." 1 "Homer the Whopper" "Homer gets the lead in a movie about a superhero who can take on the powers of every superhero in any comic book he touches. To whip Homer into superhero shape, the studio hires a celebrity fitness trainer." 2 "Bart Gets a 'Z'" "\"Bart Gets a 'Z'\" is the second episode of The Simpsons' twenty-first season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 4, 2009.\n\nIn the episode, the fourth grade students of Springfield Elementary School decide to spike Ms. Krabappel's coffee in order to teach her a lesson after she takes away their cell phones. She is fired by Principal Skinner, who hires a new teacher named Zachary Vaughn. Although Vaughn is a hip young teacher who impresses the students, Bart is plagued by guilt and tries to get Ms. Krabappel hired back.\n\nIn its original airing, the episode had an estimated 9.32 million viewers and received a Nielsen rating of 5.1\/8. The episode was written by Matt Selman, and directed by Mark Kirkland." 3 "The Great Wife Hope" "The men and boys in Springfield become obsessed with Ultimate Punch Kick and Choke Championships, a violent sport where fighters inflict severe pain on each other. When Marge and her friends stage a protest against the sport, the show's promoter embraces the controversy and challenges Marge to a match, promising to shut down the competition if she wins. She begins to train with rhythmic gymnastics, but her family step in and get her professional martial arts help to give her a real chance at winning." 4 "Treehouse of Horror XX" "Dial \"M\" for Murder or Press \"#\" to Return to Main Menu- Lisa is forced into a Hitchcockian murder scheme by Bart.\n\nDon't Have a Cow, Mankind- Springfield is once again overrun by zombies, thanks to Krusty Burger's latest sandwich.\n\nThere's No Business Like Moe Business- In a Sweeney Todd spoof, Moe bleeds Homer dry to create the perfect microbrewed great beer." 5 "The Devil Wears Nada" "Marge and a group called the \"Charity Chicks\" pose for a calendar in hopes of raising money for charity, but Marge becomes the talk of the town thanks to her racy poses. Meanwhile, Carl is chosen as the newest supervisor at the nuclear power plant, and hires Homer to be his personal assistant." 6 "Pranks and Greens" "Principal Skinner is getting fed up with Bart's pranks, so he informs Bart that he is not the best prankster after all. A former student named Andy Hamilton is hailed as the best prankster, and Bart sets out on a mission to track Andy down. However, when Bart finds out that Andy is a 19-year-old still in his pranking days, they become fast friends." 7 "Rednecks and Broomsticks" "\"Rednecks and Broomsticks\" is the seventh episode of the twenty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 29, 2009. In the episode, Lisa befriends three teenaged Wiccans after getting lost in the woods during a game of hide-and-seek, and must clear her new friends' names when they are accused of cursing the townspeople with their supposed witchcraft. Meanwhile, Homer befriends Cletus after learning that he and his friends make their own moonshine.\n\nThe episode was written by Kevin Curran, and directed by Bob Anderson and Rob Oliver. In its original airing, the episode had an estimated 9 million viewers and received a Nielsen rating of 4.2\/10. The episode also received positive reviews from critics." 8 "O Brother, Where Bart Thou?" "One snowy day in Springfield, Lisa informs Bart that she and Maggie share a bond that Bart will never understand because he doesn't have a brother, so Bart asks Homer for a baby brother. When Homer denies Bart's request, Bart makes his way to the Springfield Orphanage to find what he thinks he's missing." 9 "Thursdays with Abie" "Grampa is sitting on a bench waiting for his family when a thoughtful-looking man named Marshall Goldman approaches him and asks to hear about his life. Grampa tells Goldman about the time he was on a World War II battleship, which was hit by an enemy torpedo, and Goldman, a human-interest columnist, publishes it in The Springfield Shopper. Later, Grampa meets Mitch Albom and shares another story with Goldman for a follow-up article. Homer becomes jealous of Grampa's newfound fame and seeks a surrogate father. But when Homer discovers a draft of Goldman's third story, he must race to find Grampa before it is published and his life is changed forever." 10 "Once Upon A Time In Springfield" "Krusty grudgingly adds a pretty, singing cohost named Princess Penelope to his show in order to attract more female viewers. Girls love her, and ratings improve, but Bart and Milhouse want to get the show back to the way it was. The situation gets more complicated when Krusty and Penelope fall in love and decide to get married. Meanwhile, Homer, Lenny, and Carl consider working at a competing nuclear plant when Mr. Burns cuts off their daily doughnut service. " 11 "Million Dollar Maybe" "Homer blows off Marge to buy a lottery ticket and winds up winning the million-dollar jackpot. Fearing how Marge will react if she finds out the reason Homer missed their date, Homer keeps his newly inherited fortune a secret and spoils his family with \u201canonymous\u201d gifts. When Bart finds out, he and Homer spend the money like it\u2019s going out of style, including buying front-row to tickets to see Coldplay in concert." 12 "Boy Meets Curl" "Homer takes Marge out for a romantic evening of ice skating and hand-holding, but upon entering the rink, they encounter a curling team practising. Marge and Homer take to the ice and discover their love for the sport, and soon after, join the curling team and compete with them in the Olympic trials. Team Springfield claims the win and moves on to the 2010 Vancouver Games where Bob Costas covers the action. Meanwhile, sleazy vendors introduce Lisa to the world of collecting Olympic pins, and before long, Lisa is hopelessly addicted." 13 "The Color Yellow" "When Miss Hoover asks her students to research their family history, Lisa is horrified to discover that most of her ancestors were bad people \u2013 a motley crew of horse thieves and deadbeats. But while rummaging through the attic, Lisa happens upon a diary kept by her ancestor, Eliza Simpson. As Eliza\u2019s story unfolds, Lisa learns that her family was part of the Underground Railroad, a group that helped slaves escape to freedom. Eliza recounts liberating a slave named Virgil, but when Lisa presents her findings at school, some of her classmates refute it, leaving Lisa determined to exonerate her family\u2019s name." 14 "Postcards from the Wedge" "When Bart fails to turn in his homework, Mrs. Krabappel sends a letter home about Bart's behaviour. Despite Bart's best efforts to intercept it, Homer reads the letter, and he and Marge visit Principal Skinner for a parent-teacher conference. Furious, Homer punishes him, but Marge takes a more sympathetic approach. When Bart realizes he can pit Homer and Marge against each other to his benefit, his scheming reaches new heights." 15 "Stealing First Base" "Principal Skinner announces that Mrs. Krabappel was called out of town and budget cuts dictate that, until she returns, the school's two fourth grade classes will merge. Bart reluctantly shares a desk with Nikki and develops a flirtatious rapport. Bart talks to Grampa about his new crush, and at Grampa's suggestion, gives Nikki a kiss. But when Nikki starts sending Bart mixed signals, he swears off women forever. Meanwhile, Lisa's classmates ostracize her for being an overachiever, and First Lady Michelle Obama, a self-professed nerd, comes to Lisa's defence." 16 "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed" "\"The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed\" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons' twenty-first season and the 457th episode overall. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 28, 2010. In this episode, the Simpsons vacation in Israel with Ned Flanders, but Homer does not appreciate any of the culture\u2014until an Israeli tour guide named Jakob shows him around and, in a severe state of dehydration, Homer believes he is the Messiah.\n\nThe episode was written by Kevin Curran and directed by Michael Polcino and guest stars Sacha Baron Cohen as Jakob and Yael Naim as Dorit and features references to films like Transformers and Veggie Tales. \"The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed\" received a 2.7\/8 Nielsen Rating in the 18-49 demographic and received mixed reviews from critics." 17 "American History X-cellent" "When the police are called to diffuse a rowdy crowd at Mr. Burns' estate, one of the officers recognizes priceless stolen paintings on the walls, and the maniacal billionaire is taken downtown for questioning. With Mr. Burns gone, Smithers takes charge of the power plant. But when employees take advantage of his good nature, he exacts revenge by forcing the employees to work night and day. These unfair working conditions prompt Homer and his crew to devise a plan to bust out Mr. Burns." 18 "Chief of Hearts" "Homer is completing his court-ordered community service when he befriends his supervisor, Chief Wiggum, by offering him one of his sandwiches. Touched by the act of kindness, Wiggum assigns the other convicts unpleasant tasks, but allows Homer to join him at the picnic table. They continue to grow close, but when the Chief gets injured during a botched bank robbery, Homer doesn't come through when Wiggum needs him the most. Meanwhile, Bart becomes addicted to Battle Ball, a Japanese game made up of plastic balls and magnetic cards, and his family and teachers try to help him kick the habit." 19 "The Squirt and the Whale" "The Simpsons decide to embrace a cheaper, alternate source of energy by erecting a wind turbine in their backyard. But when Homer realizes some of the power is being directed to the local electric company, he decides to remove his home from the grid and becomes completely dependent upon an unreliable source of power. Meanwhile, a storm erupts, trapping a magnificent 150-foot-long blue whale ashore, and Lisa and Homer attempt to help the poor creature." 20 "To Surveil With Love" "A bomb squad mistakenly blows up Homer's unattended gym bag, releasing radiation into the city and authorities react by suspending civil liberties. Wiggum and his men install surveillance cameras around Springfield and round up suspected terrorists, including groundskeeper Willie, but when monitoring the nonstop flow of video imagery proves to be too much, Wiggum enlists concerned citizens to help keep the city safe. Meanwhile, Lisa becomes fed up with being blonde, so she dyes her hair a dark color." 21 "Moe Letter Blues" "As Mother's Day approaches, Moe narrates an episode in which he writes a letter to Homer, Apu and Reverend Lovejoy, who are vacationing with their children, and threatens to run away with one of their wives. While the trio tries to determine whose wife Moe is referring to, Homer, Lovejoy and Apu flashback to the intimate moments they initially ignored between Moe and Marge, Manjula and Helen Lovejoy. But when the boys return from their trip, they're in for the surprise of their lives." 22 "The Bob Next Door" "Bart becomes convinced that his new neighbor, Walt, is his archenemy, Sideshow Bob, disguised and back for revenge. But when Marge tries to convince Bart otherwise by taking him to visit the state penitentiary, a disturbing truth is revealed." 23 "Judge Me Tender" "When Moe discovers a hidden talent for judging contests, he is approached by a television agent to join the AMERICAN IDOL judges' panel. Moe flies to Los Angeles where he tours the Fox lot and receives some sage career advice. Meanwhile, Homer drives Marge crazy when he begins hanging around the house." 1 "Elementary School Musical" "Marge sends Lisa to a performing arts camp, where counselors and fellow campers inspire her to embrace her creative side; upon returning to Springfield, Lisa grows restless with her boring suburban lifestyle." 2 "Loan-a-Lisa" "Lisa invests in Nelson's brand-new business venture, but soon realizes that her friend's instant success might lure him away from the classroom. Worried that his judgment might be clouded, Lisa introduces Nelson to the well-educated and successful creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, only to find out that he too dropped out of school." 3 "MoneyBART" "Lisa starts coaching Bart's Little League team; Marge and Bart spend the day at an amusement park, where former MLB manager Mike Scioscia gives Bart advice." 4 "Treehouse of Horror XXI" "\"Treehouse of Horror XXI\" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons' twenty-second season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 7, 2010. This is the 21st Treehouse of Horror episode, and, like the other \"Treehouse of Horror\" episodes, consisted of three self-contained segments: In \"War and Pieces\", Bart and Milhouse discover a real-life board game that they must win to return home; in \"Master and Cadaver\", Marge and Homer go on a honeymoon on a sailboat, and rescue a mysterious castaway named Roger; and in \"Tweenlight\", Lisa falls in love with a vampire named Edmund.\n\n\"Treehouse of Horror XXI\" was written by Joel H. Cohen and directed by Bob Anderson. Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Laurie both guest starred in the episode. The first segment references Jumanji, the second is a loose parody of Dead Calm and the third satirizes the Twilight novel and film series. The episode also contains references to The Office, A Clockwork Orange and Sesame Street.\n\nIn its original airing on the Fox Network during the November sweeps period, the episode had a 3.7 Nielsen rating viewed in approximately 8.2 million homes. Critical opinion of the episode was mixed, with \"Tweenlight\" generally being regarded as the best of the three segments." 5 "Lisa Simpson, This Isn't Your Life" "Discovering that Marge was once a stellar A+ student whose grades plummeted after being distracted, Lisa fears that she will end up just like her mom unless she pledges to focus solely on academics in an encore episode. When Marge makes a secret deal allowing Lisa to attend her dream school, Lisa learns a lesson in family and altruism. Meanwhile, Bart puts Nelson Muntz in his place and unintentionally claims the title of \"School Bully\"" 6 "The Fool Monty" "After learning that he is suffering from multiple illnesses and has only a few weeks to live, Mr. Burns becomes distraught by the town\u2019s less-than-sensitive reaction to his announcement.\n\nFollowing an unexpected turn of events, Bart finds Mr. Burns weak and vulnerable in the wilderness and secretly takes him into the Simpsons\u2019 home.\n\nBut when Homer and Marge learn about their new houseguest, they decide it\u2019s payback time, and Lisa, determined to stand up for Mr. Burns, learns that old habits die hard." 7 "How Munched is that Birdie in the Window?" "Bart helps nurse an injured pigeon back to health. After Santa's Little Helper eats the bird, Bart has a hard time coping with the loss. Worried that Bart needs some help getting over the loss, Marge and Homer take him to a therapy session with Dr. Thurston, who advises that the only cure for Bart\u2019s blues is to give away the family dog, but when the Simpsons visit the pup\u2019s new home, a shock causes them to rethink their decision." 8 "The Fight Before Christmas" "When the rest of the family seems to lack Christmas spirit, Marge contacts Martha Clause (Martha Stewart)." 9 "Donnie Fatso" "Jon Hamm will guest star as a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent as Homer goes undercover to infiltrate Fat Tony's mob. Joe Mantegna will return as Fat Tony, and also voice his cousin Fit Tony." 10 "Moms I'd Like to Forget" "Marge reconnects with a close group of mothers she used to be friends with; Bart tries to break up their group when his playdates stop being fun." 11 "Flaming Moe" "When Smithers transforms Moe's pub into a refined and trendy lounge, the establishment becomes Springfield's local gay hangout; Principal Skinner falls for the new, free-spirited music teacher (Kristen Wiig)." 12 "Homer the Father" "When Homer insists Bart must earn the new dirt bike he wants, Bart comes up with a scheme; James Lipton interviews a TV cast." 13 "The Blue and the Gray" "Moe gets Homer to be his wingman, but becomes distraught when the women are drawn to Homer as well. Meanwhile, Marge discovers some gray hairs and tries a new more mature hair style to go along with it, much to Bart's dismay." 14 "Angry Dad: The Movie" "Bart and Homer make a film based on Bart's comic book character Angry Dad. The cartoon becomes a critical favorite and begins to win a number of awards, but Bart becomes upset when Homer takes all of the credit during acceptance speeches." 15 "The Scorpion's Tale" "\"The Scorpion's Tale\" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons' twenty-second season. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 6, 2011." 16 "A Midsummer's Nice Dream" "The town is abuzz when Cheech and Chong announce a Springfield stop on their much-anticipated reunion tour. But when Cheech and Chong take the stage in front of their loyal fans, the jokes were just not the same for Chong, so Homer steps in and delivers all the punchlines by heart. Impressed, Cheech invites Homer to go on tour with him as new duo \u201cCheech and Chunk\u201d while Chong forms a more progressive comedic team, \u201cTeach and Chong,\u201d with Principal Skinner. \n\nWhile Homer is on tour, Marge attempts to help the neighborhood cat lady and change her hoarder ways, but turns into a hoarder herself in the process, and Homer realizes that life on the road is not all high times and slapstick humor" 17 "Love Is a Many Strangled Thing" "\"Love is a Many Strangled Thing\" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons' twenty-second season. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 27, 2011." 18 "The Great Simpsina" "The family is greeted by folk singer Ewell Freestone (guest voice McBrayer) when they visit a peach farm, but when Marge goes overboard with peach-inspired dishes, Lisa and Bart try to get rid of the unwanted fruit. Later, Lisa becomes a magician\u2019s apprentice to the legendary Great Raymondo (guest voice Landau) who helps her develop her craft, but a schoolgirl crush clouds her judgment when she is coaxed into revealing the Great Raymondo\u2019s most famous magic trick to his phony archnemesis. But when the rival magician\u2019s act takes a risky turn, the Great Raymondo has one last trick up his sleeve and stages showdown with Ricky Jay, Penn & Teller and David Copperfield (guest-voicing as themselves), showing them why he is the master of the craft" 19 "The Real Housewives of Fat Tony" "Fat Tony (voice of Joe Mantegna) woos Marge's sister Selma, and they marry. Marge worries that Selma is choosing her new lifestyle over family after the whirlwind romance, but Tony invites Homer and Marge to join them on a getaway at the Jersey shore. Meanwhile, Bart develops a gift for finding truffles, much to Lisa's delight." 20 "Homer Scissorhands" "After Homer discovers a genius talent for styling hair and opens his own salon, he becomes Springfield\u2019s most in-demand hair stylist. But having to listen to women\u2019s problems and gossip all day long leads Homer to believe his gift may actually be a curse. Meanwhile, when Milhouse decides to live each day to the fullest, he comes out of his shell and professes his love for Lisa, only to have his heart broken. Milhouse then catches the eye of popular fifth-grader Taffy, causing Lisa to make a bold move." 21 "500 Keys" "When the Simpsons discover a collection of keys to every door in Springfield, Lisa stumbles upon an eerie hidden classroom beneath Springfield Elementary School. When she shares her discovery with Principal Skinner, the secret room mysteriously disappears and he takes the only key away. A determined Lisa uses her detective skills to lead her back to the room to solve an old school mystery." 22 "The Ned-Liest Catch" "Feeling guilty for getting Mrs. Krabappel suspended after one of his school pranks, Bart helps her escape detention, and Ned Flanders winds up saving her life in the process.\n\nWhen Edna and Ned start dating, he is surprised to learn she's been with many of Springfield's men, including Homer and Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer." 1 "The Falcon and the D'Ohman" "Homer befriends Wayne, a reserved security guard recently hired by the nuclear power plant. Plagued by violent flashbacks from his past as a CIA agent, he must overcome his tortured nightmares to save Homer from a Ukranian terrorist. Meanwhile, Marge fantasizes about being a contestant on \"Top Chef\" hosted by Tom Colicchio, and the future of Springfield's hottest \"it\" couple Nedna, Edna Krabappel and Ned Flanders, will be revealed after months of online fan voting and speculation." 2 "Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts" "Superintendent Chalmers reveals his hero as former President Theodore Roosevelt, who makes an appearance in the episode with the use of archival recordings." 3 "Treehouse of Horror XXII" "Simpsons' twentysecond Halloween show.\n\nThe Diving Bell and the Butterball:\n\nHomer is bitten by a radioactive spider.\n\nDial \"D\" for Diddly:\n\nNed becomes a serial killer.\n\nIn the Na'Vi:\n\nBart and Milhouse in an Avatar spoof." 4 "Replaceable You" "Bart\u2019s science fair project, a mechanical baby seal, outshines Lisa\u2019s brainy asteroid model and quickly becomes a popular pet among the retirement home patrons. Meanwhile, Homer\u2019s new and eager assistant Roz, steals Homer\u2019s job, forcing him to team up with Flanders to reveal her true colors and evil past." 5 "The Food Wife" "Marge takes Bart and Lisa on a weekend excursion, and when an unexpected restaurant detour awakens their taste buds, fellow foodies Amuse Bruce and Fois Garth (guest voices Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim) inspire them to start their own food blog, \u201cThe Three Mouthketeers.\u201d" 6 "The Book Job" "Lisa becomes disheartened when she learns the shocking truth behind the \u201ctween lit\u201d industry and her beloved fantasy novel characters, but Homer decides to cash in on the craze and forms a team to group-write the next \u201ctween lit\u201d hit, with the king of fantasy, Neil Gaiman, lending his expertise to the effort." 7 "The Man in the Blue Flannel Pants" "The Simpsons host a tastemaker party at their home to promote Absolut Krusty, Krusty the Clown's own brand of liquor. Mr. Burns takes notice of the party's success and decides to promote Homer to \"Account Man\" for the Springfield Nuclear Plant." 8 "The Ten-Per-Cent Solution" "\"The Ten-Per-Cent Solution\" is the eighth episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 4, 2011. In the episode, Krusty the Clown becomes depressed after getting fired from his television show for being unpopular with children. The Simpson family encourages him to make a comeback, suggesting that he seek help from an agent they met earlier at a television museum. This agent turns out to be Annie Dubinsky, who was Krusty's first agent and former girlfriend. Krusty left her when he became successful but now he begs her to take him as a client again. She accepts and together they are able to get him back on television, hosting a show for adults that features his clown tricks. However, Annie soon begins to interfere too much, which frustrates the network executives.\n\nThe episode, which contains parodies of films such as The King's Speech, The Social Network, and Black Swan, was written by cast member Dan Castellaneta and his wife Deb Lacusta. Comedian and actress Joan Rivers, who is a big fan of The Simpsons, guest starred as the character Annie. Other guest performances in the episode came from Kevin Dillon and Janeane Garofalo as themselves and Jackie Mason as Krusty's father. Reception of \"The Ten-Per-Cent Solution\" from television critics has been mixed, with praise directed at Rivers' appearance and the development of Krusty's character. The episode was criticized by the Parents Television Council for containing sexual dialogue. During its original American broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately nine million people." 9 "Holidays of Future Passed" "In this futuristic holiday episode, Bart is a deadbeat dad living in Springfield Elementary (which is now an apartment complex instead of a school) with Principal Skinner as his landlord. Meanwhile, a pregnant Maggie goes into labor during a family dinner." 10 "Politically Inept, with Homer Simpson" "Homer lands his own political talk show and becomes the spokesperson for the Gravy Movement. He then is asked to select the next Republican nominee for President and officially endorses right-wing rock star Ted Nugent." 11 "The D'oh-cial Network" "Lisa creates her own social networking service, SpringFace, and subsequently makes everyone addicted to the internet. Meanwhile, Patty and Selma challenge the Winklevoss twins at the 2012 Summer Olympics." 12 "Moe Goes from Rags to Riches" "After Moe is heckled for not having any real companions, Moe's best friend and beloved bar rag narrates his incredible thousand-year journey to Springfield.\n\nBeginning in the Middle Ages, the bar rag was loomed into a beautiful and ornate medieval tapestry and traveled around the globe through the hands of royalty before finding himself found himself at Moe's Tavern.\n\nMeanwhile, Bart begs Milhouse for forgiveness after the two friends get into a tiff, and when the bar rag goes missing, Moe realizes that he has more friends than he thought." 13 "The Daughter Also Rises" "Marge and Lisa's mother-daughter Valentine's Day plans take a turn when Lisa meets Nick, an intellectual romantic who shares the same passion for culture, history and literature. Lisa and Nick fall head over heels for each other in a fairytale romance and make a secret getaway to Mulberry Island to profess their eternal love.\n\nMeanwhile, Bart and Milhouse are inspired by the hosts of \"MythCrackers\" to \"crack\" Springfield Elementary's own legends." 14 "At Long Last Leave" "The Simpsons are evicted from Springfield and join an off-the-grid community outside of town.\n\nBut when Homer and Marge try to sneak back into Springfield, they are welcomed with hostility from their former friends and neighbors and begin to appreciate their new and more accepting home." 15 "Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart" "In order to get back at his dad, Bart goes undercover as a graffiti street artist and plasters Homer's unflattering image all over Springfield. But one night, Bart and Milhouse get caught in the act by established street artists Shepard Fairey, Ron English, Kenny Scharf and Robbie Conal (guest voicing as themselves), and to Bart's surprise, they invite him to exhibit his satirical artwork in his very own gallery show.\n\nMeanwhile, a hip, new health food superstore opens in Springfield that threatens to put Apu and the Kwik-E-Mart out of business." 16 "How I Wet Your Mother" "Karma gets the best of Homer after he gets his friends in trouble, and as a result, his bedwetting problem worsens. The family goes on a mission to infiltrate his dreams to search for clues in his subconscious to determine the source of his problem. But just as things take a dangerous turn in the dream, a figure from Homer's past appears, and he is finally reassured that the fond memories of his mother Mona (guest voice Glenn Close) remain alive, giving him just the right amount of reassurance to cure him of his problem." 17 "Them, Robot" "Mr. Burns replaces all of Springfield Power Plant's employees with robots (guest voice Brent Spiner) but decides to keep Homer as the sole human worker. With unemployment at an all-time high and mechanical arms operating the workplace, Springfield becomes a dismal and humorless place. But when Homer's machine-programmed peers start to turn on the community and his former real-life employees come to the rescue, they all realize that robots can't replace human friends." 18 "Beware My Cheating Bart" "When Bart supervises Jimbo's girlfriend at a movie, she develops a crush on him; Homer is persuaded to buy a state-of-the-art treadmill with a television, and he becomes obsessed with watching it from the treadmill, but not actually working out." 19 "A Totally Fun Thing That Bart Will Never Do Again" "When Bart gets his wish for a family vacation, he becomes determined to make it last forever." 20 "The Spy Who Learned Me" "Homer embarrasses Marge at the movies during a film featuring superspy Stradivarius Cain, and his apologies fall on deaf ears. In an effort to become a better husband, he seeks help from someone he believes to be the real Stradivarius Cain." 21 "Ned 'n' Edna's Blend" "When word gets out that Edna and Ned have secretly wed, Marge offers to throw them a party, but bringing folks together makes them all realize that no marriage is perfect. Meanwhile, Edna tries to help Ned's children become more socially acceptable. Watch the credits... there's a treat!" 22 "Lisa Goes Gaga" "In the Season 23 finale, Lisa tries to boost her popularity by ghost writing positive things about herself on the school blog. The effort fails miserably, until a psychic force tells Lady Gaga (who provides her own voice) that Lisa needs her help." 1 "Moonshine River" "Bart will be visited by many of his past girlfriends. Zooey Deschanel, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Silverman, Natalie Portman, and Sarah Michelle Gellar will guest star, reprising their roles as Mary Spuckler, Jenny, Nikki McKenna, Darcy, and Gina Vendetti" 2 "Treehouse of Horror XXIII" "When Marge's car falls into a sink hole, she buys the perfect replacement to fit her family of five. But she quickly grows to hate it because, as she tells a shocked Homer, the car would be too small if she wanted to have another baby. Meanwhile, Bart and his friends are determined to find out what secret Lisa is keeping when Bart finds her cryptic messages and follows her sneaking off downtown for covert meetings after school." 3 "Adventures in Baby-Getting" 4 "Gone Abie Gone" "Homer and Marge try to track down Grampa by following clues that lead to secrets from his past." 5 "Penny-Wiseguys" "Homer is shocked to discover that his bowling teammate is an accountant for Fat Tony and his mob. When Fat Tony gets jury duty, he appoints Dan as the temporary don of the mafia. Meanwhile, Lisa adds insects to her vegetarian diet after she passes out in the middle of a saxophone solo, but starts questioning her decision when bugs start pleading for mercy in her dreams." 6 "A Tree Grows in Springfield" "Homer wins a MyPad at the school auction and Steve Mobbs, who is now in heaven, talks to Homer through it. Homer goes into a funk when he breaks the myPad, until Ned Flanders discovers a miracle tree in the Simpsons' back garden." 7 "The Day the Earth Stood Cool" "A \"cool family\" from Portland moves in next door to the Simpsons. Homer is desperate to befriend them, while Marge is skeptical, thinking that being cool is not all it's cracked up to be." 8 "To Cur, with Love" "Springfield Elementary must depend on Bartificial intelligence when it's threatened with closure after doing poorly on standardized testing, and since Bart's the only one who missed the exam, it's up to him to raise the average grade to save the school." 9 "Homer Goes to Prep School" "\"Homer Goes to Prep School\" is an episode of The Simpsons. It is the ninth episode of the 24th season and is the 517th episode overall in the series. It aired on January 6, 2013." 10 "A Test Before Trying" "With the end of the world looming, Homer decides to join an off the grid group of survivalists who've set up a secret sanctuary outside of Springfield to prep for the apocalypse. However, a skeptical Marge is suspicious of the plans." 11 "The Changing of the Guardian" "A distracted Homer allows Santa's Little Helper to get loose, and the family are furious with his unconcerned attitude, until Grandpa shines some light on things by telling them the story of Homer's childhood pup, Bongo." 12 "Love is a Many-Splintered Thing" "Bart's dream girl, Mary Spuckler, comes to town, but his failure to pay her enough attention is having a negative impact on their relationship. Meanwhile, Homer once again runs afoul of Marge and lands in the doghouse." 13 "Hardly Kirk-ing" "Bart and Milhouse explore the perks of adulthood following a shaving experiment." 14 "Gorgeous Grampa" "Homer's obsession with the TV show \"Storage Battles\" leads the family to discover Grampa's past identity as \"Gorgeous Godfrey,\" the most feared, villainous man in pro-wrestling history" 15 "Black-Eyed, Please" "When Flanders' parents prove to prefer Homer's company to his, he jealously responds by giving Homer a shiner, and then tries desperately to reconcile with him. Meanwhile, Lisa is at a loss to understand why a new substitute teacher is bullying her for no obvious reason." 16 "Dark Knight Court" "\"Dark Knight Court\" is an episode of The Simpsons. It is the sixteenth episode of the 24th season and the 524th episode overall. It aired on March 17, 2013. The episode is dedicated to Janet and Maggy Reno's brother, Robert Reno, who died of Alzheimer's disease. The episode was rated TV-PG for suggestive dialogue, bad language, violence and sexual situations." 17 "What Animated Women Want" "Homer's behavior once again lands him in hot water with Marge and he needs to fathom a way to save his marriage, while a dose of \"A Streetcar Named Desire\" drives Milhouse to affect a Marlon Brando-esque bad-boy demeanor in an effort to impress Lisa." 18 "Pulpit Friction" "Homer is recruited to be a deacon by the cutting-edge new pastor. The dry cleaner mistakenly switches Marge's wedding dress for one of Krusty's costumes." 19 "Whiskey Business" "Moe is flying high after venture capitalists take a shine to his homemade whiskey, while Grampa, after injuring himself babysitting Bart, decides he'd rather be looked after by his grandson than be at the nursing home. Also, Lisa voices her displeasure at a hologram of music legend Bleeding Gums Murphy, and Sonny Rollins (as himself) shows up to ask her to stop all that jazz about boycotting a record label." 20 "The Fabulous Faker Boy" "Marge encourages Bart to explore his creative side, and his initial reticence quickly subsides when she hires Slava\u2019s beautiful daughter, Zhenya, as his new piano instructor. Homer is shocked when he loses the last two hairs on his head, and employs a wide variety of headgear to try and keep his new found baldness a secret from Marge." 21 "The Saga of Carl Carlson" "Homer, Moe, Lenny and Carl win $200,000 in the Springfield Lottery. But when Carl takes off to Iceland \u2013 his homeland \u2013 with all the winnings, the guys embark on a Nordic adventure to get the cash back." 22 "Dangers on a Train" "\"Dangers on a Train\" is an episode of The Simpsons. It is the twenty second episode and season finale of the 24th season and the 530th episode overall. It aired on May 19, 2013." 1 "Homerland" "A parody of \"Homeland\". Homer starts to act strangely polite after returning from a nuclear power plant convention, prompting a suspicious Lisa to ask an intense FBI agent named Annie (Kristen Wiig) to help her solve this mystery." 2 "Treehouse of Horror XXIV" 3 "Four Regrettings and a Funeral" "Kent Brockman has decided that local news has been a real mistake and a terrible career move for him." 4 "YOLO" "Marge encourages Homer to cross an item off an old to-do list by inviting an old pen pal to visit; Lisa institutes an honor code at school." 5 "Labor Pains" "When Homer helps a woman give birth in an elevator, he forms an emotional attachment to the baby; cheerleaders for the local professional football team recruit Lisa." 6 "The Kid Is All Right" "Lisa discovers her new best friend is a Republican who is opposing her in the class election." 7 "Yellow Subterfuge" "Principal Skinner promises the students that the best-behaved among them can take a ride in a submarine. When Skinner gives all the kids a clean slate, Bart believes even his own past indiscretions will be forgotten if he doesn\u2019t get into any more trouble. Meanwhile Lisa tries to help a cash-poor Krusty to turn things around by suggesting he sell the foreign rights to his shows." 8 "White Christmas Blues" "Springfield is inundated with holiday revelers after the nuclear power plant springs a radiation leak, causing snow to fall all over town. When the tourists drive up Christmas shopping prices, Marge opens up the Simpsons' house to boarders." 9 "Steal This Episode" "Homer becomes annoyed with movie theaters, so Bart teaches him how to download movies illegally. Homer is delighted with his discovery of free movies until he's caught for piracy. Deputy Director Gratman, the FBI's anti-piracy boss, is tasked with hunting down Homer, who stands accused of illegally downloading a film." 10 "Married to the Blob" "When Comic Book Guy meets a woman writing an autobiographical manga, he seeks Homer's advice on dating." 11 "Specs in the City" "When Marge tries Homer's new high-tech glasses on, he learns she's seeing a marriage counselor; Bart refuses to buy Nelson a Valentine's Day card." 12 "Diggs" "A recent transfer student named Diggs (Daniel Radcliffe) rescues Bart from a confrontation with bullies." 13 "The Man Who Grew Too Much" "During a research trip, Lisa learns that Sideshow Bob is the chief scientist at a big chemical engineering company; Marge tries to teach a teen church group about healthy sexual practices." 14 "The Winter of His Content" "When Retirement Castle is closed, Marge asks Grampa and two other octogenarians to move in; Nelson befriends Bart after Bart defends him." 15 "The War of Art" "After Lisa's new pet guinea pig destroys the Simpsons' living room art, Marge finds a beautiful painting at the Van Houten's yard sale, which Homer snaps up for 20 bucks" 16 "You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee" "Homer is recruited as a World Cup referee after Lisa extols his integrity on the youth soccer field in a Springfield Elementary speech contest. But when the Simpsons travel to Brazil (again), Homer finds his honesty tested by one of South America's slickest gangsters in the soccer match-bribing business." 17 "Luca$" "Lisa dates a competitive eater; Bart benefits from helping convict Snake Jailbird escape from a jam." 18 "Days of Future Future" "Set in the future, Homer has a new clone for every time he dies. Lisa is married to a zombie version of Milhouse, while Bart deals with custody issues with his ex-wife, Jenda. Each defines what love means to them." 19 "What to Expect When Bart's Expecting" "When Bart's voodoo doll spell accidentally makes his teacher pregnant, he becomes a savior to couples hoping to conceive." 20 "Brick Like Me" "Homer wakes up in a Springfield where everyone and everything is made out of Legos, and he must figure his way out before he gets stuck in the plastic world forever." 21 "Pay Pal" "Marge swears off befriending any more couples when Homer offends their charming new British neighbors, but when Lisa declares that she, too, doesn\u2019t need friends, Marge reconsiders." 22 "Yellow Badge of Cowardge" "Bart feels guilty after he wins the annual \"last day of school\" race around Springfield Elementary School, with help from Nelson, who beats up the frontrunner, Milhouse. Meanwhile, Homer tries to bring back 4th of July fireworks after they are canceled due to budget cuts." 1 "Clown in the Dumps" "A Springfield resident dies, Krusty retires after he's offended by a comedy cable channel roast of him, and Lisa tries to protect Homer from getting hurt." 2 "The Wreck of the Relationship" "When Bart disrespects Homer's authority, Homer makes a point to try his hand at parenting. This proves fruitless, so Marge signs them up for the Relation Ship, where they'll resolve their conflicts at sea. Meanwhile, Marge is in charge of Homer's fantasy football league, but manages to win despite being the underdog." 3 "Super Franchise Me" "Marge opens a sandwich franchise store after her sandwiches become a huge hit at Springfield Elementary. But running day-to-day at the store proves challenging, especially when the same franchise opens another location across the street." 4 "Treehouse of Horror XXV" "In a Halloween-theme episode Bart reads Aramaic symbols from the bottom of his desk and he and Lisa are transported to an alternate world filled with demons. Also, Moe organizes a \"Clockwork Orange\"-ish gang in which member Dum (Homer) falls for a young lady (Marge) who wants him to quit. In a homage to \"The Others,\" the Simpsons reconnect with their earlier incarnations from the Tracey Ullman era." 5 "Opposites A-Frack" "Lisa brings in assembly woman Maxine Lombard to put a stop to Mr. Burns' fracking operation, but is taken aback when the two political opponents find themselves attracted to one another." 6 "Simpsorama" "The Planet Express crew come to present-day Springfield to prevent the Simpsons from destroying the future." 7 "Blazed and Confused" "Bart schemes to bring down his new teacher, Mr. Lassen, who is a terrible bully. Meanwhile, The Simpsons go to Burning Man." 8 "Covercraft" "Homer has a mid-life crisis, takes up bass guitar and forms a cover band with some of the other dads in town. But the band's modest early success is soon overwhelmed by the breakout potential of their most unlikely star, Apu." 9 "I Won't Be Home for Christmas" "After Moe convinces Homer to stay out drinking on Christmas Eve, Marge tells Homer not to come home. This leads to Homer's sad trek through lonely Springfield, where he learns that the only place where one should truly get drunk on Christmas is home." 10 "The Man Who Came to Be Dinner" "During a trip to \"Dizzneeland\" the Simpsons board the wrong ride, Rocket To Your Doom, and are transported through the galaxy to Kang and Kodos' home planet, where they are held captive at the local zoo and the inhabitants decide to eat Homer." 11 "Bart's New Friend" "Bart has a new accomplice and best friend when Homer is hypnotized at the circus and believes he is a young boy again." 12 "The Musk Who Fell to Earth" "When inventor Elon Musk lands in Springfield, he and Homer become fast friends and revolutionize the town's nuclear plant. But when Musk goes overboard and Mr. Burns wants him removed, Homer must figure out a way to break up with him." 13 "Walking Big & Tall" "When Lisa learns Springfield's anthem was stolen from another town she writes a replacement. Meanwhile, Homer learns the meaning of \"Wide Pride\"." 14 "My Fare Lady" "When Marge gets fed up with the thankless duty of chauffeuring her kids around, she begins working as a driver for a transportation app service. Meanwhile, Homer bankrupts Moe when he watches over the bar for one night, which forces Moe to take a temporary job as a janitor at the nuclear plant." 15 "The Princess Guide" "Homer is put in charge of keeping Princess Kemi out of trouble while her father, a Nigerian king, works out a uranium deal with Mr. Burns." 16 "Sky Police" "Chief Wiggum is mistakenly delivered a military jet pack, which he gleefully accepts and uses in order to fight crime. But when the jet pack crashes into the church, the congregation, led by Marge, must resort to gambling and counting cards in order to collect money to repair the church." 17 "Waiting For Duffman" "When Duffman (guest voice Stacy Keach) undergoes hip replacement surgery and retires, the company sets up a reality show competition to find his replacement. Homer wins the competition, and because the job requires him to stay sober, he learns that beer isn't as necessary as he thought to have a good time." 18 "Peeping Mom" "Bart lies about being involved in a bulldozer crash, so Marge decides to follow him everywhere until he confesses. Meanwhile, Homer ignores Santa\u2019s Little Helper when Flanders gets a new dog." 19 "The Kids are All Fight" "When Homer gets an old film roll developed, the family takes a trip down memory lane to see the origins of how Bart and Lisa first started fighting with each other." 20 "Let's Go Fly a Coot" "The Simpsons learn about Grampa\u2019s days in the Air Force, and Bart takes up smoking to impress Milhouse\u2019s Dutch cousin, Annika." 21 "Bull-E" "After Bart gets bullied at the school dance, Marge convinces the town to pass anti-bullying legislation. Homer then gets arrested and sent to rehab for bullying Ned Flanders, only to subsequently leave rehab as a hero." 22 "Mathlete's Feat" "When a modernized Springfield Elementary has a technical meltdown, Lisa transforms it into a Waldorf school. Meanwhile, Groundskeeper Willie becomes the coach of the mathletes." 1 "Every Man's Dream" "Homer is diagnosed with narcolepsy, but instead of returning home with his prescription medication, he returns home drunk. He and Marge visit a marriage counselor and have a trial separation, during which Homer begins dating a 20-something." 2 "Cue Detective" "Scotty Boom, a Chew Network super-chef, challenges Homer to a smoke-off. But when someone steals Homer\u2019s secret weapon \u2013 a smoker he bought off a mysterious man at a BBQ shack \u2013 Lisa and Bart are on the case." 3 "Puffless" "Upon learning that their father really died of lung cancer, Selma and Patty agree to quit smoking. When Selma relapses, an angry Patty moves in with Marge and Homer." 4 "Halloween of Horror" "When Lisa becomes scared at the Krustyland Halloween Horror Night, Homer is forced to take down his Everscream Terrors decorations. Halloween pop-up employees seek vengeance on Homer for causing them to lose their jobs, and rob his house while Homer and Lisa hide out in the attic. Homer and Lisa light up their stored holiday decorations to attract attention and stand up to the intruders." 5 "Treehouse of Horror XXVI" "In the annual fright fest Halloween episode, Sideshow Bob finally kills Bart, only to reanimate him; Homer wakes up with short-term memory loss; and Lisa, Bart, and Milhouse get super powers from radiation." 6 "Friend with Benefit" "Lisa makes a new pal at school named Harper, whose internet billionaire father becomes buddies with a different Simpson: Homer. Soon, though, Lisa becomes worried that Harper is a little too entitled." 7 "Lisa with an 'S'" "When Homer loses $5,000 at a poker game with Broadway legend Laney Fontaine, the only way he is able to settle the bet is if he loans Lisa to Laney for a month. Then, Laney turns Lisa into a show biz kid and Marge and Homer fear they made a mistake letting her go. So they head to New York to get her back." 8 "Paths of Glory" "Lisa sets out to restore the tarnished reputation of Springfield\u2019s first female inventor. To find her invention, she scours an abandoned asylum and a restaurant that caters to men. Bart joins Lisa at the asylum, stealing one of the homicidal patient\u2019s notebooks, and bragging to the boys at school that he wrote the entries himself. This revelation causes Homer and Marge to believe he is a sociopath, which Bart decides to use to his advantage until things go too far." 9 "Barthood" "Bart\u2019s coming of age story a la \u201cBoyhood\u201d chronicles his life from six years old to his time as an accomplished young man. Along the way, his tense relationship with Homer, an overly uncaring version of himself, and Lisa, who overshadows him in every way possible, shape Bart more than he realizes." 10 "The Girl Code" "After a photo Marge posts on social media gets Homer fired, he returns to the best job he ever had, a dishwasher at a Greek restaurant. This same post inspires Lisa to code an app that predicts the real-life consequences of anything you post online, only to create sentient artificial intelligence." 11 "Teenage Mutant Milk-Caused Hurdles" "There is a new teacher at Springfield Elementary, and a captivated Bart tries everything to win her over. Meanwhile, Homer decides to buy a new brand of \u201cmilk,\u201d which causes early puberty, both for Bart (augmenting his wooing powers) and Lisa (whose small bout with acne opens her up to the world of makeup and popularity)." 12 "Much Apu About Something" "Sanjay passes his stake in the Kwik-E-Mart to his millennial son, Jay, who turns it into a hip, health food market against Apu\u2019s insistence on tradition. Bart, whom Homer had convinced to give up pranking, is called upon to return to his trickster life and take down the new store." 13 "Love is in the N2-O2-Ar-CO2-Ne-He-CH4" "Lonely Professor Frink uses science to turn himself into a man whom women find attractive. Then, overwhelmed by the attention, he invents an algorithm to perfectly pair the lonely men and women of Springfield, realizing that scientific exploration is his true love. Meanwhile, Marge, Bart, and Lisa visit Grampa for Valentine's Day and try to rescue the old folks from a drug-induced hallucination that allows them to relive their happiest memories." 14 "Gal of Constant Sorrow" "After Bart accidentally sends a sweet homeless woman's cart into the river, he allows her to live in his closet for a small fee. When Lisa discovers that the woman is an incredible folk singer, she offers her own closet and plans a concert, only to be disappointed by Hettie's surprising substance abuse and violent nature. Meanwhile Homer tries to prove he's handy, but accidentally traps the cat in the walls of the house." 15 "Lisa the Veterinarian" "After performing CPR on a tased raccoon, Lisa discovers her calling to be veterinarian and becomes an intern at the local office, but learns a tough lesson when her neglected class hamster dies. Meanwhile, Marge moonlights as a crime scene cleaner for a little extra money, and the trauma of the gory scenes make her increasingly dead inside." 16 "The Marge-ian Chronicles" "Not feeling unique, Lisa signs up for the Mars One Space Colony \u2013 to Marge\u2019s dismay. Then, Marge hires Bart to go through the tryout process with Lisa to make her want to quit." 17 "The Burns Cage" 18 "How Lisa Got Her Marge Back" "After getting into an argument, Marge takes Lisa on a touristy trip to Capital City, where, after attending a musical, they meet the show\u2019s star who reminds Lisa how lucky she is to have such a great mom. Meanwhile, Bart is frustrated that everyone expects his pranks, so he teams up with Maggie to trick people." 19 "Fland Canyon" "Homer recalls a tense family vacation to the Grand Canyon with the Flanders family. At first, the Flanders\u2019 perfection puts the families at odds, but when they get stranded and Ned and Bart go for help, the families finally bond." 20 "To Courier with Love" "\"The Simpsons are going to...\" Paris (well, Homer and Marge are), but in order to be able to afford the trip, Homer has to smuggle an exotic snake into France so it can be made into a gourmet meal." 21 "Simprovised" "After butchering a speech in front of all of his friends at work, Homer turns to improv comedy to gain back his confidence in his public speaking skills. Meanwhile, Marge decides to rebuild Bart\u2019s lackluster treehouse, but tensions rise when Bart questions her building skills. Also, in the episode\u2019s last three minutes, Homer appears LIVE for the first time on television (both for East and West Coast broadcasts) to answer fan questions." 22 "Orange is the New Yellow" "Marge goes to prison for letting Bart play in a park unsupervised." 1 "Monty Burns' Fleeing Circus" "When a fire levels Springfield, Mr. Burns agrees to the Simpsons' pleas that he fund the town's rebuilding, on the condition that he gets to put on a variety show." 2 "Friends and Family" "Mr. Burns hires the Simpsons, except Homer, to be his virtual family; Homer becomes best friends with the girl next door." 3 "The Town" "After Homer catches Bart rooting for Springfield\u2019s football rival, the Boston Americans, he plans a family \u201chate-cation\u201d trip to Boston in an attempt to show Bart that Boston is a terrible city." 4 "Treehouse of Horror XXVII" "Better late than never, The Hunger Games come to Springfield!" 5 "Trust But Clarify" "Lisa and Bart investigate Krusty\u2019s suspicious new \"Krustaceans\" candy. Meanwhile, Homer wants a promotion at the nuclear plant and asks Marge to help him dress the part, and news anchor Kent Brockman struggles to find his feet in the changing media world." 6 "There Will Be Buds" "Homer gets roped into coaching the kids' lacrosse team with Milhouse's dad, Kirk, who is in desperate need of a friend. When Kirk gets too clingy, Homer vents about how much of a loser he is. Kirk overhears his rant and disappears, right when the team needs him most: the championship game." 7 "Havana Wild Weekend" "When the Retirement Castle and the V.A. Hospital can\u2019t solve Grampa\u2019s health issues, the Simpsons decide to take a family trip to Cuba to get him cheap medical care." 8 "Dad Behavior" "Homer finds a new app that makes his life much easier and outsources his father-son bonding. Meanwhile, Grampa finds that he is about to be a father again." 9 "The Last Traction Hero" "A workplace accident leaves Homer in a cast, and in a position to sue Mr. Burns. This leaves Marge unfulfilled, so she turns to an unexpected source for romance. Meanwhile, Lisa is made \"Bus Monitor\" and tries to keep the peace." 10 "The Nightmare After Krustmas" "Krusty tries to impress his daughter as they spend Christmas with the Simpsons. Meanwhile, Reverend Lovejoy seeks converts after church attendance plummets, and Maggie is haunted by a spooky Christmas toy." 11 "Pork and Burns" "When Marge becomes obsessed with a Japanese style of living, the Simpsons must part with any item that no longer brings them joy. For Homer, this means finding a new home for the family pig. For Lisa, it means saying goodbye to her beloved sax" 12 "The Great Phatsby Part 1" "Mr. Burns tries to relive his glory days and crosses paths with a mysterious music mogul. After being conned by him and reduced to bankruptcy, Mr. Burns seeks revenge on the Music Producer with the help of Homer, Bart, rapper Jazzy James and the mogul's ex-wife, Praline. Also, Lisa is courted by the richest kid in town, Smithers begins a perilous journey and Marge opens an obscure boutique store." 14 "Fatzcarraldo" "All of the fast food restaurants in Springfield go healthy, forcing Homer to turn to the last bastion of greasy food for comfort." 15 "The Cad and the Hat" "Bart deals with his guilt after betraying Lisa; Springfield is in awe of Homer when he is revealed to be a chess savant." 16 "Kamp Krustier" "Bart and Lisa return home from Kamp Krustier early, interrupting Homer and Marge's romantic encounters; Bart and Lisa confront a source of trauma." 17 "22 for 30" "Bart goes from delinquent with detention to the star basketball player at Springfield Elementary. Lisa covers Bart\u2019s success for the school paper, and Homer becomes the team\u2019s coach. Things go awry when Bart gets involved with the mafia" 18 "A Father's Watch" "Marge turns to a series of parenting experts for advice when she becomes worried that Bart is destined for failure; Homer decides to open a trophy store; Grampa gives Bart a watch coveted by Homer." 19 "Caper Chase" "Disappointed in Yale, Mr. Burns decides to start his own for-profit university and Homer is hired as a professor" 20 "Looking for Mr. Goodbart" "Bart gets in trouble on Grandparents Day at school and is forced to hang out with Skinner's mother as punishment. After spending time with various grandmas in the neighborhood, he learns the benefits of hanging out with the elderly, but eventually recognizes the dangers of taking advantage of them. Meanwhile, Peekimon Get has taken over the town of Springfield." 21 "Moho House" 22 "Dogtown" 1 "The Serfsons" "In a magical medieval world, Marge's mother is turned into an Ice Walker and the only way for Homer to afford the cure is to force Lisa to use illegal magic. When the King discovers this, he kidnaps Lisa, and Homer must lead a feudal uprising to save her." 2 "Springfield Splendor" "Marge and Lisa turn Lisa\u2019s sad experience into a successful graphic novel-turned-Broadway show, but they struggle with creative differences and ego." 3 "Whistler's Father" "Homer discovers that Maggie is a whistling savant and launches her baby-celebrity career. Meanwhile, Marge impresses Fat Tony with her interior design taste, and he hires her to style his brothel." 4 "Treehouse of Horror XXVIII" "Maggie becomes possessed by an ancient demon, Lisa discovers a creepy\/perfect version of her family in an alternate universe and Homer cannibalizes himself." 5 "Grampy Can Ya Hear Me" "Grampa gets a hearing aid and finally hears what everyone has been saying about him. Meanwhile, Mr. Skinner discovers that his mother has kept the ultimate secret from him." 6 "The Old Blue Mayor She Ain't What She Used To Be" "Frustrated with the local government, Marge decides to run for Mayor. To win public support, she begins making Homer the butt of her jokes." 7 "Singin' in the Lane" "Homer and the guys try helping Moe cheer up by getting their old bowling team back together again, but they soon face a team of arrogant millionaires." 8 "Mr. Lisa's Opus" "As future Lisa writes her college application essay for Harvard, she recalls past disappointing birthdays that helped shape her." 9 "Gone Boy" "When Bart goes missing, the town puts together a search party to find him. After most give up hope, Sideshow Bob manipulates Millhouse into revealing where Bart is hiding." 10 "Haw-Haw Land" "When the Simpsons go to a STEM conference, Lisa falls for a crooning jazz pianist named Brendan. Meanwhile, Bart discovers that he has an affinity for chemistry" 11 "Frink Gets Testy" "Mr. Burns will build a doomsday ark after he believes that the end of the world is near when he sees an old Orson Welles show about Nostradamus. Meanwhile, Professor Frink comes up with a new way of testing everyone in Springfield after Burns wants a test to determine who should go on a spaceship with him." 12 "Homer Is Where the Art Isn't" "When Homer is accused of stealing a million-dollar painting, only a detective from the 1970s can clear his name." 13 "3 Scenes Plus A Tag From A Marriage" "Homer and Marge recount the story of their transition from loving their life without kids to being miserable parents." 14 "Fears of a Clown" "Everybody is now horrified of clowns after Bart's prank using clown masks, which also causes Krusty to lose his job. He attempts a comeback as a dramatic actor in the play \"The Salesman's Bad Day\", with Llewellyn Sinclair as his director." 15 "No Good Read Goes Unpunished" "In an attempt to bring the family together, Marge forces everyone to hand in their electronics and take a trip to a book store." 16 "King Leer" "Homer and Marge follow Moe after the bar closes early and discover him and his father fighting. The Simpsons, after finding out that Moe has been excommunicated from his family for years, attempt to bring them back together." 17 "Lisa Gets the Blues" "When the Simpsons' flight to Gainesville gets re-routed to New Orleans, Lisa is forced to face her failures, and regain her confidence as a jazz musician. Meanwhile, Bart is intrigued by the voodoo in Louisiana, and Homer is intrigued by the drinking." 18 "Forgive and Regret" "Grampa makes a confession to Homer while on his deathbed. After his recovery, he comes to realize that this issue will not be easy to reconcile." 19 "Left Behind" "Homer gets Flanders a job at the plant, and he soon learns that no good deed goes unpunished when Flanders starts to insist on carpools and demands more from Homer's work performance. Meanwhile, Marge feels as though their marriage has lost its spark." 20 "Throw Grampa from the Dane" "The Simpsons go to Denmark so Grampa can benefit from its free health-care system." 21 "Flanders' Ladder" 1 "Bart's Not Dead" "Bart takes a dare, and ends up in the hospital. To cover for himself and Homer, he says he went to Heaven and met Jesus. Christian producers offer the Simpsons a movie deal, which Homer takes. But Bart can't deal with the guilt and comes clean to Marge after the movie is finished." 2 "Heartbreak Hotel" "Marge and Homer's marriage is tested when they travel to a tropical island to compete for a million dollars on Marge's favorite reality competition show." 3 "My Way or the Highway to Heaven" "God and St. Peter contemplate what merits a soul getting into heaven, while citizens of Springfield remember their divine encounters." 4 "Treehouse of Horror XXIX" "Homer wins an oyster-eating contest against the mythical Cthulhu, Springfield is overrun by plant body-snatchers, Lisa finally snaps and Mr. Burns opens a retirement home with some Jurassic upgrades." 5 "Baby You Can't Drive My Car" "A self-driving car company comes to Springfield, poaching all of the power plant employees with their fun work environment." 6 "From Russia Without Love" "On a mission to play hardcore pranks, Bart, Nelson and Milhouse get Moe a mail-order bride on the Dark Web." 7 "Werking Mom" "Marge wants a job, and stumbles into becoming a plastic food storage container-selling drag queen. Meanwhile, Lisa tries to make the world better in the style of \"Amelie\"" 8 "Krusty the Clown" "Homer finds his calling as a TV recapper, but his harsh grading causes a brawl with Krusty. After almost killing Homer, Krusty hides out at a real circus, and finds happiness there." 9 "Daddicus Finch" "Lisa and Homer's bond gets stronger when they start spending real quality time together, and Bart feels neglected. So Marge tries to help Homer balance his attention between the kids." 10 "'Tis the 30th Season" "After a failed Black Friday shopping spree, Marge is determined to fix Christmas; Homer and the kids surprise Marge with a vacation to a Florida resort." 11 "Mad About the Toy" "When Marge and Homer leave Grampa to baby-sit the kids, some little green army men trigger a PTSD episode, sending the family on a journey to Grampa's past and the time period when he was a post-war toy model." 12 "The Girl on the Bus" "When Lisa spots a new best friend from the window of the bus, she gets a taste of what life could be like with a different, more cultured family." 13 "I'm Dancing as Fat as I Can" "Homer angers Marge by binging their favorite show without her, and has to pick up a new skill in order to make amends. Meanwhile, Bart prepares to compete in \"Krusty's Holiday Trample\"." 14 "The Clown Stays in the Picture" "Krusty reveals the untold story of his past in his movie \"The Sands of Space\". While working as personal assistants on the movie, Bart and Lisa learn about the early years of their parents' relationship." 15 "101 Mitigations" "Comic Book Guy sues Homer for joyriding in his car. Meanwhile, Guillermo del Toro saves Mr. Burns from his troubles with the law." 16 "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" "When a romantic night ends in injury, Marge recovers by taking up kite boarding while Homer bonds with his hallucinated hernia; Lisa attempts to fix her parents' strained relationship by seeking advice from an unlikely source." 17 "E My Sports" "As Bart begins to excel in video game competitions, Homer discovers a passion for coaching him; Lisa attempts to bring Homer back to reality, but the plan causes chaos." 18 "Bart vs Itchy & Scratchy" "Krusty releases an all-female reboot of \u201cItchy and Scratchy,\u201d so Bart and his crew of all-male friends decide to boycott the show. After Bart\u2019s friends turn on him for laughing at the reboot, Bart joins a woke group of sixth-grade girls who commit crimes against patriarchy." 19 "Girl's in the Band" "Homer works extra shifts at the plant so Lisa can play in the Capitol City Philharmonic." 20 "I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say D'oh" "Marge becomes director of Springfield's local theater, armed with Lisa's script resembling \"Hamilton\"; Homer joins a baby class with Maggie, and he takes a liking to supervisor Chloe." 21 "D'oh Canada" "Lisa is mistakenly given political asylum in Canada during a family trip to Niagara Falls; Homer goes to a \u201cDaddy and Me\u201d class with Maggie." 22 "Woo-Hoo Dunnit" "The documentary crime series \u201cDateline: Springfield\u201d goes in-depth to solve the case of Lisa\u2019s missing college fund." 23 "Crystal Blue-Haired Persuasion" "Marge starts a business selling healing crystals to the naive mothers of Springfield when Homer\u2019s work cuts children\u2019s health-care benefits, leading Marge to use the crystals as a cheaper solution for Bart\u2019s ADD." 2 "Go Big or Go Homer" "Homer inspires a 35-year-old millennial who idolizes him to start his own business, which leads to the two of them getting chased by the mob." 3 "The Fat Blue Line" "When the wrong man is arrested for pickpocketing Springfield during the San Castellaneta street festival, Chief Wiggum sets out to catch the real criminal." 4 "Treehouse of Horror XXX" "The 30th Treehouse of Horror features a demon Maggie, a mission to rescue Milhouse from another dimension, dead-Homer's spirit trying on some new bodies for size and Selma finally finding love in an unlikely place - the alien in the basement." 5 "Gorillas on the Mast" "After visiting Aquatraz Water Park, Lisa and Bart set out to free from captivity the most vicious animals in Springfield. Homer fulfills a lifelong dream and buys a boat, only to realize how much boat ownership sucks." 8 "Thanksgiving of Horror" "The Simpsons face various Thanksgiving nightmares, including the first Thanksgiving, an A.I. mishap and a dangerous space mission complicated by a sentient cranberry sauce." 11 "Hail to the Teeth" "N\/A" Wild West Alaska Snake City Spooks: Code 9 The Story of Film: An Odyssey Swipe Right for Murder Buddy's Family Vacation Impractical Jokers: Inside Jokes Trailer: The Simpsons	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412552
__label__cc	0.648177	0.351823	by Paul Lilly — Monday, February 27, 2017, 11:23 AM EDT Sony Drops Xperia XZ Premium Bombshell With 4K HDR Display And Snapdragon 835 There are phones galore being announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, including one that Sony says is its most ground-breaking smartphone to date, the Xperia XZ Premium. We will not argue against that claim—the Xperia XZ Premium is the latest in a long line of high-end Xperia products, and the first from Sony to combine a 5.5-inch 4K Ultra HD resolution display and High Dynamic Range (HDR) support with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip (SoC). Those two features alone are enough for some people to consider the Xperia XZ Premium, though there is more to digest here. Sony's newest flagship also boasts 4GB of RAM, 64GB of built-in storage, a microSD card slot supporting memory cards up to 256GB, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back, and an IP68 design for water and dust resistance, which has become a staple of Xperia handsets. Sony is also known for offering high-end camera optics in its Xperia smartphones. The Xperia XZ Premium is no exception—it has a 13-megapixel front-facing camera with a 1/3.06-inch Exmor RS image sensor featuring an f/2.0 aperture, 22mm wide angle lens, and ISO 6400. On the rear is a 19-megapixel camera consisting of a 1/2.3-inch Exmor memory stacked image sensor with support for super slow motion video capture at 960 frames per second and 4K video recording. "The first smartphone to feature a memory stacked Exmor RS sensor with technologies usually only found on premium compact cameras, it provides 5x faster image scanning and data transfer. This means you can create sensational videos from your everyday moments by recording in 960 frames per second, providing Super slow motion video playback that is four times slower than other smartphones giving you more detail than has ever been possible in the palm of your hand... On top of this, the new 19MP high resolution sensor has 19 percent larger pixels to capture more light and provides exceptional detail and sharp images even in low-light and backlit conditions," Sony says. Rounding out the features is a 3,230 mAh Smart STAMINA battery with Qnovo Adaptive Charging and Android 7.1 Nougat for the OS. Sony will offer the Xperia XZ Premium in two color options—Luminous Chrome and Deepsea Black. Both will be available starting in late Spring 2017. No word yet on how much it will cost. In addition to the Xperia ZX Premium, Sony will also offer a toned down Xperia XZs. Here is a look at the spec sheet: 5.2-inch Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) TRILUMINOS display Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC (Adreno 530 GPU) 32GB or 64GB of built-in storage 13MP 1/3.06-inch Exmor RS front camera 19MP 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS camera 2,900 mAh STAMINA battery w/ Qnovo Adaptive Charging and Quick Charge 3.0 IP65/IP68 rating The Xperia XZs will also be available starting in April 2017. Tags: Sony, (NYSE:SNE), mwc2017, xperia xz premium Via: Sony	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412557
__label__wiki	0.526082	0.526082	The going gets tough for takaful industry September 18, 2010 September 16, 2010 Editor Insurance, South East Asia Malaysia’a takaful industry is expected to step up its performance now that an additional four operators have been issued licences to start business next year, said industry players. “With 12 operators in the country now, we have to work harder to gain market share and profits,” said an executive from a takaful group that has been in operation for more than 10 years. Although Malaysia’s takaful industry has seen tremendous growth in the last five years, it still lags behind its conventional peers in terms of total insurance market penetration and share. It is understood that the penetration rate for takaful industry in Malaysia is around 10 per cent, compared with 40 per cent for conventional insurance. Another existing takaful executive said the entry of four new players is against the spirit of consolidation that the regulator has been propagating. However, he said the regulator may have decided to add more players since the Islamic banking and takaful industry has yet to command 20 per cent of the banking and insurance market share targeted by 2010. Takaful fund assets comprise only 8 per cent of the total assets of the Malaysian insurance and takaful industry although it has more than doubled in this same period from RM5.87 billion in 2005 to RM10.5 billion in 2008 and RM12.4 billion in 2009. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said last year that the liberalisation measures, including new licences, are in line with the provisions and timetable set out in the Financial Sector Master Plan (FSMP) announced in 2001. The government said then that the measures are aimed at enhancing “inter-linkages to leverage on global developments in Islamic finance and reinforce Malaysia’s position as an international Islamic financial hub.” In this context, it will be interesting to see how new takaful players would contribute in areas where there are gaps in the financial system and in which there are new areas of growth in the financial system. The four new licences issued to joint ventures are between American International Assurance Bhd (70 per cent) and Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd (30 per cent; AMMB Holdings Bhd (70 per cent) and Friends Provident Group plc, UK (30 per cent); ING Management Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd (60 per cent), Public Bank Bhd (20 per cent) and Public Islamic Bank Bhd (20 per cent); and the joint venture between The Great Eastern Life Assurance Co Ltd (70 per cent) and Koperasi Angkatan Tentera Malaysia Bhd (30 per cent). Existing takaful operators include CIMB Aviva Takaful Bhd, Etiqa Takaful Bhd, Hong Leong Tokio Marine Takaful Bhd, HSBC Amanah Takaful (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, MAA Takaful Bhd, Prudential BSN Takaful Bhd, Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Bhd and Takaful Ikhlas Sdn Bhd. In addition, Malaysia has four Retakaful operators, namely, ACR Retakaful SEA Bhd, MNRB Retakaful Bhd, Munchener Ruckversicherungs-Gesellschaft (Munich Re Retakaful) and Swiss Reinsurance Co Ltd (Swiss Re Retakaful); and one International Takaful Operator in AIA Takaful International Bhd. // source : btimes.my Takaful operators need to ‘up their game’ September 13, 2010 September 6, 2010 Editor Insurance, South East Asia By EUGENE MAHALINGAM Existing takaful operators will have to “up their game” and gear up for stiffer competition as the granting of four new licences by Bank Negara on Wednesday will see more players fighting for a share of the profit slice. Takaful Ikhlas Sdn Bhd president and chief executive officer Datuk Syed Moheeb Syed Kamarulzaman said the company would need to find a niche to stay ahead of the competition. “We were surprised that four new players were granted licenses rather than two. With more players coming in competition will increase and so will customer expectation,” he said when contacted by StarBiz yesterday Datuk Syed Moheeb … ‘We were surprised that four new players were granted licenses.’ “The introduction of more (new) players into the industry will increase the takaful penetration rate and take away the businesses of the existing players and we must find our niche,” Syed Moheeb said. He however added that the local takaful market was huge and offered great growth potential even with new players coming on board. According to Syed Moheeb, the penetration rate for takaful in Malaysia was around 10%, compared with conventional insurance at 40%. On Wednesday, four joint-venture (JV) companies were issued new family takaful licences by the central bank following the approval from the Finance Ministry. Those getting the licences are the joint ventures between American International Assurance Bhd (70%) and Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd (30%); AMMB Holdings Bhd (70%) and Friends Provident Group plc, UK (30%); ING Management Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd (60%), Public Bank Bhd (20%) and Public Islamic Bank Bhd (20%); and the joint venture between The Great Eastern Life Assurance Company Ltd (70%) and Koperasi Angkatan Tentera Malaysia Bhd (30%). The four new licences, issued under the Takaful Act 1984, were given based on the applicants’ financial soundness and resilience, track record, expertise, business plan and contribution towards local financial sector development. Previously, there were eight existing takaful operators in Malaysia, namely CIMB Aviva Takaful Bhd, Etiqa Takaful Bhd, Hong Leong Tokio Marine Takaful Bhd, HSBC Amanah Takaful (M) Sdn Bhd, MAA Takaful Bhd, Prudential BSN Takaful Bhd, Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Bhd and Takaful Ikhlas Sdn Bhd. Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Bhd group managing director Datuk Hassan Kamil also concurred that competition within the local takaful industry would be much stiffer. “It is only natural that with more competitors coming in everyone has to buck up.” Hassan said the JV companies comprised well established foreign partners with “good infrastructure.” “Many of the local takaful players had to start from scratch and build their infrastructure from scratch. Some of the local operators are still building themselves up. “The four players coming in are allied with established partners that are ready to go,” he said. Syed Moheeb however noted that the inclusion of foreign partners as new takaful licensees was a boon to the local insurance industry. “The new (foreign) operators have the international network to promote Malaysian takaful products in other countries,” he said. source : biz the star Takaful insurance sector to grow in 2010: Report August 15, 2010 August 15, 2010 Editor America, Insurance The takaful insurance and reinsurance sector is likely to continue to grow in 2010, according to a report by Standard & Poor’s Corp. S&P said the market for takaful insurance and reinsurance, which complies with Islamic Sharia law, is supported by high levels of growth and an increase in profitability. In a report, “Takaful Insurance Has Long-Term Viability and Benefits from Expected Growth, but Stiff Competition Exists,” S&P said particularly strong growth is likely in Malaysia and the Gulf Cooperation Council states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. But the takaful market is becoming highly competitive and is suffering from the impact of global investment markets on returns, factors that “place an ongoing strain on sustainable development,” Neil Gosrani, a credit analyst at S&P in London and one of the report’s authors, said in the report. One area of concern is the lack of risk-based regulatory supervision of the takaful sector, particularly in the GCC region. This means the sector lacks “the growing sophistication of risk management and capital demand increasingly found in Europe and North America,” according to the report. source : business insurance Nigeria: Deposit Insurance Corporation to Develop Insurance for Non-Interest Bank July 31, 2010 July 30, 2010 Editor Africa, Insurance Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has said that it is developing a deposit insurance framework for the operation of non-interest (Islamic) banking in the country. Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is also developing framework for the regulation of non-interest banking and Islamic financial institutions. The proposed Islamic banking in Nigeria – Jaiz Bank – will commence operation before the end of this year, its Managing Director/CEO Mohammed Mustapha Bintube has said. Islamic Finance Working Group of Nigeria visited NDIC, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Debt Management Office (DMO) yesterday in Abuja to work out modalities for the commencement of non-interest banking in the country. Acting Managing Director of NDIC Ibrahim Umaru said the Corporation will work with the team for the speedy commencement of Islamic Finance in Nigeria. “You need to have appropriate legal framework for it. You need to develop compliance. You need to educate consumers who would want to avail themselves on the opportunities of non-interest bank”, Umaru said. Current operators of non-interest banking in Nigeria include the Standard IBTC, Bank PBH, Diamond bank and the proposed Jaiz Bank. “All stakeholders are working together to make sure that non-interest bank or Islamic bank takes off successfully in Nigeria. We have challenges in policy framework, on capacity building and on customers orientation”, Jaiz’s MD said. He said they are visiting regulators so that Islamic and non-interest banking can be strengthen in Nigeria to be able to compete favourably with other countries like Egypt and South Africa. He said the reason why Jaiz Bank is slow in commencing operation is because there is no compliance instrument for Islamic finance or non-interest banking in Nigeria. “The second reason why we have not started is that the share size of the capital was increased from N2 billion to N25 billion and therefore the level of risk has increased significantly and people did not want to take bigger risk on something that is new”, he said. “All these obstacles are been taken care off and before the end of the year you would hear good news from CBN on the JAIZ operation”, Bintube said. source : allafrica How Can Insurance Be Islamic? July 5, 2010 July 5, 2010 Editor Insurance islamici insurance, takaful, takaful theory In the world of Islamic economics and finance, conventional financial instruments such as credit cards, mortgages and insurance are generally considered impermissible. Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam prohibits usury and financial interest. Considering credit cards and mortgages depend on financial interest to remain viable for conventional banks, both are generally considered impermissible. In an effort to provide Muslims with the convenience and flexibility of credit cards and mortgages, Islamic banks have developed shari’ah compliant financial products that eliminate interest. Instead, these Islamized credit cards and mortgages incorporate a profit-and-loss approach, where the lender assumes ownership risk in the goods and services financed. However, what of insurance? Why does insurance need to be Islamized? Conventional insurance serves a very important function in the global economy by mitigating risk. Insurance policies effectively transfer risk from the insured to the insurer for a monetary amount. In the event of an insurance claim event, the insured is guaranteed a monetary payment from the insurer to make the insured whole. The unequivocal guarantee that an insurer provides is especially problematic for family insurance products such as life insurance. Because a life insurance policy guarantees payment in the event of death, most Muslim jurists consider this a bet against God. In Islam, only God knows when a person will die. Any wager or hedge against this date is theologically insoluble. In Islam, God is considered omniscient and omnipotent. Therefore, God’s knowledge is perfect. More specifically, what God knows to happen must happen. If what God knows to happen does not happen, then God is either not omniscient or not omnipotent. However, denouncing God’s omniscience or omnipotence is anathema to Islamic theology and doctrine. Moreover, conventional insurance typically invests the policy premiums in a variety of financial instruments that include interest. Therefore, most Muslim jurists consider insurance and more specifically life insurance impermissible. Instead of conventional insurance products, Islamic insurers offer mutual protection through a takaful fund. The word “takaful” is a derivative of “kafalah” which means “surety,” “guarantee,” or “mutual care.” Indeed, this type of a mutual care has been in use throughout Islamic history. In addition to the myriad proscriptions mentioned above, Islam also demands that each Muslim care for members of the community. The Qur’an says that one should “spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves” (2:177). Accordingly, takaful embodies the spirit of social solidarity and mutual care. Instead of insurance policy premiums, a voluntary donation is made to a communal takaful fund. Using the law of large numbers, the takaful fund operator uses statistical data and mathematical calculations–similar to conventional actuarial sciences–to ensure that the fund is sufficiently capitalized to fund any insurance claim events. All takaful funds are invested in shari’ah compliant investments that are free from interest and impermissible investments (e.g., equities engaged in the manufacture, distribution, or sale of porcine food products, alcoholic beverages, pornography, gambling, etc.). Unlike a conventional insurance policy, because the tabarru payment is a donation, policy “premiums” do not accumulate any cash value for the insured. According to proponents of takaful, this prevents an insured party from profiting from an insurance policy. While critics of takaful–and Islamic banking and finance in general–may argue that takaful is simply another example of an Islamic financial product being superficially Islamized, takaful does appear to promote social solidarity and mutual care. Source : thexaminar Sharia insurance market is mounting June 28, 2010 June 22, 2010 Editor Insurance takaful Sharia insurance market is mounting of the insurance industry with the more interests expressed by investors to have investment in that the sector. Bapepam-LK considered the sharia insurance up to quarter III/2009 showed good performance. Life insurance market shares are 4.16 percent and loss insurance and reinsurance are 2.8 percent. When combined, the total sharia insurance industry market shares are 3.79 percent of the total national insurance industry. “This is satisfying noting that last year it remained at the level of 2 percent. So there is quite rapid increase,” said Insurance bureau chief of Bapepam-LK Isa Rachmatarwata in Jakarta recently. In terms of asset, loss insurance has reached 2.09 percent but life insurance is 1.38 percent as the asset accumulation of life insurance industry had happened long before. “The total sharia insurance assets in quarter III/2009 was at 1.54 percent of the total assets of the industry in quarter I/2009 of 1.32 percent,” said Isa. Sharia insurance industry, particularly life insurance, is more lucrative with the incoming giant player like AIA Financial and Manulife. Formerly Prudential has entered the market and booked significant returns. In quarter III/2009, Prudential has booked IDR254.6 billion premium income or rose 22.1 percent as from quarter II/2009. But President Director of PT Asuransi Bintang Tbk Zafar Dinesh Idham said the government has relaxed the regulation of sharia unit capital fulfillment at least it is the same as the conventional capital gradual fulfillment as stipulated by Government Regulation (PP) No. 81/2009. “For us, the regulation is burdensome,” he said. On the other side, regulator called for stern measures from old player to take necessary measure to opt whether to continue its business by complying with the minimum capital regulation or to return the license. “Sharia insurance in quarter III/2009 has showed good performance. Those with less capital should improve themselves and have time to think fast and make rapid decision to stay in the industry, while the new one is not reluctant to join,” he said. PP No. 39/2008 on insurance business requires insurance company minimum capital with sharia unit is IDR5 billion in 2008, IDR12.5 billion in 2009, and IDR25 billion next year. Up to quarter III/2009 there are companies with under IDR5 billion fund. One of them, life insurance firm, has returned its sharia business license. source : bisnis Takaful firms search for suitable long term assets March 23, 2010 March 6, 2010 Editor Insurance assets islamic insurance, islamic insurance The Islamic insurance industry, or takaful, is struggling to find suitable long term investment opportunities, executives at the Reuters Islamic Banking and Finance Summit said. The takaful – or sharia compliant – insurance industry has grown at double or three digit growth rates so far as the Gulf Arab region is underpenetrated with insurance products in general, and has also attracted business from conventional peers. But issues like the absence of long term sukuk, or Islamic bonds, to compliment some of the products are hampering the process of asset deployment. Speaking at the summit in Bahrain, Abdul Rahman Tolefat, chief executive, Allianz Takaful, said: “As an insurer, if I want to offer annuity products I need to have long term assets to match my liabilities which are still not available.” Tolefat said the firm was in talks with a regional financial institution, urging them to issue a bond earmarked for the industry. Islamic insurance works like mutual insurance, but there is a clear segregation of the assets owned by members and those owned by the insurer. Unlike conventional insurance, investments made using the pool of funds have to adhere to sharia law and shun sectors such as alcohol and gambling. Islamic insurers also keep away from investments in risky assets and prefer fixed income products for parking their funds. Global takaful premiums total about $2 billion to $3 billion and are expected to reach more than $7 billion by 2015, industry figures show. While medium term sukuk are available in the market, takaful firms in this space have to compete with big banks who absorb a major chunk of issues, leaving little for takaful firms. Tolefat said: “The credit rating of corporates who issue sukuk is just not there. I prefer an issue which has an ‘A’ rating and above. Even if they provide low yields, we don’t mind.” source : INN	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412558
__label__cc	0.714558	0.285442	Vocal Course String Course Book concert tickets Getting to Issigeac Issigeac is 15km south of Bergerac in the Dordogne region of South West France. By air. The best way to reach us is by air into Bergerac Roumanieres Airport, this is a very easy 20 minute drive away and is well served with regular flights from the UK, Holland and Belgium. For UK flights Ryanair fly from Stanstead, East Midlands and Liverpool, and Flybe from Exeter and Southampton. The airports at Bordeaux-Merignac (2 hours) and Toulouse (3 hours) also serve the region. Car hire is best arranged when booking your flights. By Car. We are about 6 or 7 hours drive from the nearest Channel ports, St Malo and Caen to Portsmouth being the most convenient. By Rail. Eurostar to Paris then high speed train (TGV) from Paris to Bordeaux. There is a regular service from Bordeaux to Bergerac. Bergerac airport and train station transfers to Issigeac can be arranged. Please contact us if you would like to arrange a transfer. The Issigeac International Music Academy is brought to you by George Berkeley Public Relations Ltd. © 2019 All Rights Reserved. Design by Bedazzled Media Limited.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412562
__label__wiki	0.892428	0.892428	Syria Claims to Down Israeli War Plane near Damascus November 30, 2018 5:39 AM IMEMC News & Agencies Arab World, News Report, Syrian war 0 The Syrian military has reportedly shot down an Israeli war plane and four missiles, over the country’s southern region. “Our air defense forces shot down an Israeli war plane and four missiles before they reached the targets,” a Syrian security source was quoted as saying by Russia’s RIA news agency as saying on Thursday night. The source said, according to the PNN, that all the missiles targeting the town of Kiswah, south of the capital Damascus, were struck. However, speaking to Reuters, an Israeli military spokesman rejected the RIA report as “bogus”. Syrian state media had earlier cited an unnamed source as saying that the country’s air defenses had shot down “enemy targets” over the town, without specifying the nature of the target or its origin. Other sources reported that objects had fallen from the sky, near Harfa village, but it was not clear if it was an intercepted missile or debris from an interceptor missile. The Israeli army said a missile was fired at the Golan Heights, but that it remains unclear whether the projectile fell in Israel. Troops are scanning the area. The army added that reports that Israeli aircraft was hit are incorrect. Israeli strikes on Syria “have been cut almost to zero” since a Russian plane was shot down near Latakia, two months ago, a former head of Military Intelligence said, earlier Thursday. « Army Injures Several Palestinians Near Bethlehem Palestinian Leadership Pressured to Release Detainee Held for Selling Property to Settlers » IMEMC News & Agencies Christopher Carlson is a full-time student of Religious Studies at Mount Mercy University, USA. He has been with the IMEMC since 2013. (chris@imemc.org) Israeli Court Orders Removal Of Palestinians From Their Residential Building in Silwan Palestinian Dies From Serious Wounds Suffered On March 30, 2018 The Palestinian Flag: A Threat to Israel? The Palestinian Flag: A Threat to Israel? 20 Jan 2020 On 27 Nov. 2019, three soldiers came three times to the home of the a-Tabib family in the village of [more]	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412566
__label__cc	0.635797	0.364203	ConspiracyControlRecent Articles The Merovingian Bloodline: One of the 13 Satanic Bloodlines that Rule the World Alexander LightMarch 27, 2017 Based on Christian Illuminati researcher Fritz Springmeier’s book “Bloodlines of the Illuminati.” In my writings this bloodline has been interwoven into the text of many articles, but it hasn’t been singled out very much. Although a great deal has been mitten by this author on this final family, to pull out articles which concentrate on it solely is difficult. After assembling some pages on it, a few words of explanation were still needed. Allow me to briefly explain those items which were selected: An article on the top family that appeared in Feb. ‘95 newsletter on page 73. An appendix to the Be Wise As Serpents book about the British Royalty. The British Royalty are tied in with the 13th Bloodline. Many of the American political leaders have been related to the British Royalty incl. George Bush and Dan Quayle. A flier from a Christian conference is Included showing who the speakers are. Finally, a little of the genealogical information I assembled on the Mormon leaden is given. This was included in the Be Wise As Serpents book to give people an idea of how the Mormon leadership ties back in with the leading occult bloodlines of the Merovingian dynasty. The chart for LDS President Albert Smith is only about 1/3 typed out. The remainder of Albert Smith’s (as well as other Mormon leaden) genealogical work is in a file in some unknown box at my house. The Merovingian bloodline (European “royal” families) is harder to track because it weaves in and out of the other 12 bloodlines. There are many surnames which are part of this bloodline (Including the Smith family), however I can give one very prominent one, the Sinclair family. THE 13TH ILLUMINATI BLOODLINE The 13th Illuminati Bloodline is where the Anti-Christ will come from. This bloodline believes that it has both the Holy Blood of Jesus and the blood (or seed) of Satan in its bloodline. In my Be Wise As Serpents book, I make reference to this bloodline but I never really took the time to explain it completely. In fact I don’t fully understand this bloodline myself. I encourage those who want to learn more about this bloodline to study the following books: Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Lincoln, Leigh & Balgent The Messianic Legacy The Temple and the Lodge Crusaders of the Grail by J.R. Church The Anti-Christ King – Juan Carlos by Dr. Charles R. Taylor This bloodline is so extensive in its many branches that its membership takes in many of the Presidents of the United States, including George Hush and George Washington. The reason that I gave the genealogies of the some of the Mormon Presidents to people back in 1991 in my Be Wise As Serpents book is that all of the Mormon Presidents in history, whether RLDS or LDS, trace their blood back to this 13th bloodline. Within the Illuminati rituals, the emphasis of the 13th bloodline is that they are the seed of Satan. As their secret story goes, they are the direct descendents of Jesus’ spiritual brother Lucifer. Since the Freeman family and the Rothschild family have members who are also in the 13th bloodline, It is unclear to me how interwoven the “seed of Satan” is. Some of the earliest attempts to trace the seed of Satan were some books which did extensive research on the Tribe of Dan and the descendents of Cain. “The Curse of Canaan” is an interesting book along with its mate The World Order by Eustice Mullins. One of the books which I looked with difficulty for before finding it, was Gerald Massey’s A Book of the Beginnings (Secaucus, NJ: University Books, Inc., 1974.) The book goes in and shows in detail how the inhabitants of the British Isles came originally from Egypt. This is Important because (as this newsletter has always contended) the Druidism of the British Isles was simply a derivative from the Egyptian Satanic witchcraft/magic of Ancient Egypt. The Egyptian word Makhaut (clan or family) became the the Irish Maccu and the Maccu of the Donalds (clan of Donalds) now reflected in the name MacDonald. The sacred keepers of the Clan-Stone in Arran, were also known by the family name of Clan-Chattons. Another word for clan is Mack and the Clan-Chattons were also known as Mack-Intosh. Ptah-rekh the name of the Egyptian god Ptah was passed down to us by the Druids adopting the name Patrick, which sounded similar. St. Patricks day then is a Christianized form of a druidic holiday which originally had its origins in Egypt. The All-Seeing Eye can be found on ancient buildings in ancient Chaldea, in ancient Greece, and in ancient Egypt. The MI-seeing eye represents Osiris. Osiris had debauched revelries (saturualias) celebrated in his honor. The temples in Arabia clear back in the time that Moses had his black father-in-law Jethro used the all-seeing-eye to represent the false satanic trinity of Osiris, Isis and Horus of Egypt. This MI-Seeing Eye pops up everywhere the Illuminati has been. In the Winter Palace Square in St. Petersburg, Russia is that Illuminati all-seeing eye on top of a pyramid. You will also see it in the old Mexican Senate Building which is now a museum in Mexico City. You will find this on the back of our one dollar bill, and you will find the all-seeing eye was placed on Ethiopian stamps when they got a communist government in power. The Illuminati is the continuation of the Mystery Religions of Babylon and Egypt. And the bloodlines of the Illuminati go back to people who at one time lived in Babylon and Egypt. Just how the House of David (the Satanic one) and the Holy Blood of the 13th family fit in with everything else in history I can’t say. I’m sure It would be a big story to tell if I knew. But I do feel that somehow the 13th Illuminati family does goes back to ancient times. Is this via the Tribe of Dan or via some Druidic bloodline or is it via the Merovingians or is it via all three’ And where do the Guelphs and Black Nobility fit Into this? Whatever the case, the 13th bloodline has amassed a great deal of power and wealth on this planet. The 13th bloodline lacks nothing to bring forth their Anti-Christ who will appear to have all the correct credentials. I would not even be surprised if their Anti-Christ in order to appear real will expose another Anti-Christ. The 13th bloodline has kept its genealogies very secret. I would welcome more Input from informed persons about this bloodline. The tribe of Dan was prophesied to be the black sheep of the nation of Israel which would bite the other tribes of Israel. The tribe of Dan had the snake and the eagle as its two logos. The tribe of Dan left its calling card all over Europe as it migrated west in the names of many places. The tribe of Dan ruled the Greeks, the Roman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian empire and many others which used the eagle as its logo. Great Britain is the mother country of Satanism.1 Scotland has long been an occult center. The national symbol of Scotland is the dragon (the snake), and for years the chief of Scotland was called the dragon. The Gaelic language is an important language for Satanism, although English and French are also use extensively by the Illuminati. The planning sessions for world takeover that some ex-Satanists experienced were held in French. The British Royal Family have long been involved with the occult. For more information on this there is a detailed examination of the Royal family and the occult in the book The Prince and the Paranormal – the Psychic Bloodline of the Royal Family by John Dale (1987).2 They have also been actively involved with Freemasonry. (See the chart.) British MI6 has been a major vehicle for the Satanic hierarchy working behind the secret veil of Freemasonry to control world events.3 British MI6 is the most secret intelligence organization in the world.4 (It is properly known as British Secret Service not to be confused with the U.S. agency by that name but performing a different function entirely.) The British Royalty have served as important figureheads to British Freemasonry lending credibility and respectability. British Freemasonry has managed to keep itself free of much of the criticism that the other national masonic groups have brought on themselves. However, much of the credibility of British Freemasonry is undeserved. True, British Freemasonry is what it portrays itself to the public for the lower levels. But, the lower level Masons by their dues and activities are unwittingly supporting an organization that is led by Satanists at the top. An example of the subterfuge constantly exercised on the public by Freemasonry is a book purportedly written by a non-Mason entitled The Unlocked Secret Freemasonry Examined. The book portrays itself as an unbiased and complete expose of Freemasonry. The book states unequivocally that the Masonic order called Societas Rosicrucian in Anglia (sic] is only open to Christians and is a “Christian Order.” However, Edith Star Miller reprints copies of a number of letters from the chief of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia which show that the English Grand Masonic Lodge, the SRIA, the OTO, and the German illuminati are all working together.5 Sources: BibliotecaPleyades.net; Fritz Springmeier’s book Bloodlines of the Illuminati; McCain: 'The New World Order is Under Enormous Strain' Previous post Zika Vaccine Warning: It Will Alter Your DNA! Next post ControlPropaganda US Government Propaganda Use Against American Citizens Is Officially Legal Now	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412572
__label__cc	0.521913	0.478087	NewsPlanned ParenthoodRecent Articles Planned Parenthood Harvests Body Parts from LIVING Babies Alexander LightSeptember 17, 2019 A couple of years ago during the Obama administration, an undercover media organization exposed Planned Parenthood for illegally harvesting baby body parts and then selling them at a profit. As Natural News reported in July 2015: A gut-wrenching new video (viewer discretion advised) reveals the sinister shadow industry and the evil intent that is hiding behind Planned Parenthood and their temple of abortion dogma. … Revealed for the first time, this shadow industry has a monetary incentive to encourage abortion so fetal body parts can be strategically removed, preserved, and sold. The videos were made by undercover journalists on behalf of the Center for Medical Progress, though they didn’t lead anywhere. In fact, six months later, Planned Parenthood — in an ironic twist — actually filed suit against the organization for exposing its operations. When President Trump came into office he pledged an investigation into Planned Parenthood, and true to his word, his Justice Department launched a probe into the organization’s alleged illegal trafficking of baby body parts. The DoJ investigation is ongoing, as is the lawsuit against the Center for Medical Progress. And, as the Washington Examiner reported this week, officials with Planned Parenthood were forced to make a stunning admission: Yes, the organization has been trafficking in body parts. “Sandra Merritt and David Daleiden are currently defending themselves against 15 felony charges after their series of undercover videos exposed the abortion provider’s unethical trade in baby body parts,” the news site reported. “As Liberty Counsel has pointed out, Merritt and Daleiden are the first undercover journalists to be criminally prosecuted in California history, indicating that the charges may have been politically motivated.” A clear conflict of interest The Left-wing state filed felony charges against Merritt and Daleiden, and they have been pursued with vigor by Democrat politicians including Sen. Kamala Harris when she was California’s attorney general and her Democrat replacement, Xavier Becerra. As the Washington Examiner points out, Harris has received massive campaign contributions from the abortion industry including some $81,000 from Planned Parenthood and other groups advocating abortion. When she was still attorney general, Harris elected not to investigate Planned Parenthood’s alleged illegal activities. But she did have her office search the home of Daleiden, where prosecutors took possession of his laptop and hard drives containing footage of his undercover investigation. Daleiden’s legal counsel, the Thomas More Society, has filed a motion to void the warrant that led Harris’ office to search his home and seize his property. The motion contains evidence that Harris sought to protect Planned Parenthood from legal scrutiny. “The timeline of the Attorney General’s investigation as reflected in internal email communication released between the Attorney General and Planned Parenthood shows an investigation conducted and overseen by Planned Parenthood and allied activist groups as the basis for a sham search warrant,” the motion states. “The special investigative team tasked with preparing and serving a search warrant on Mr. Daleiden’s home apparently did not believe that the search warrant was accurate or based on probable cause.” Several abortion industry employees have provided some very revealing testimony including Melissa Fowler, vice president of the National Abortion Federation, meaning that the grotesque practices of harvesting and selling baby body parts is now going to be exposed. References: Abortions.news; Brighteon.com EMFs Linked to Massive Decline in Global Health Previous post CPS Worker Defies Gag Order, Exposes Violent Child Sex Ring in State Foster System Next post NewsSJW Stephen King Savaged by ‘Woke’ Mob For Saying Art Should be Judged on Quality, Not “Diversity” Global Warming HoaxNews Australian MP Craig Kelly Is Right – Bushfires Not Caused By Climate Change NewsSatanist Pedophiles Trans Activist Jonathan “Jessica” Yaniv Tried Grooming a 14-year Old Girl And Asked Her: “Show Me Your Used Tampon!”	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412573
__label__cc	0.592473	0.407527	Humphrey Law Firm, P.C. Attorney Headquartered In Des Moines, Iowa Call Today to Schedule a Marc A. Humphrey Allen L. Perkins Iowa Employment : Personal Injury : Nursing Home : Medical Malpractice Lawyer Stumbling into a legal problem — whether it be an auto accident or discrimination at work — can leave you confused and overwhelmed. Unfortunately, our legal system is not geared toward making it easy for the average person to navigate tough legal issues. At Humphrey Law Firm, P.C., we are dedicated to guiding people like you through difficult legal circumstances in Iowa Employment, Personal Injury, Nursing Home Negligence and Medical Malpractice issues. Our attorney, Marc Humphrey, and dedicated staff share a commitment to helping others — particularly those who have suffered injustice. And because we handle most cases on a contingency fee basis, you can obtain quality legal representation without having to worry about straining yourself financially. An Iowa Employment, Personal Injury, Nursing Home Negligence & Medical Malpractice Attorney Dedicated To Fighting Injustice In A Wide Range Of Cases For 30 Years We represent clients facing a broad range of legal issues. Our areas of focus include: Employee representation: Employees have important rights under state and federal law. If your employer has violated your rights or broken the law, you may be entitled to significant compensation and other legal recourse. Our firm can guide you through your options for pursuing justice. Medical negligence: Lawyer Marc Humphrey enjoys a renowned reputation for his experience and success in pursuing medical negligent claims on behalf of victims and their loved ones. He is well-versed in the legal and practical nuances of presenting a powerful case. Personal injury: Our firm represents injury victims in all types of claims, including brain injuries, auto accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, product liability and other significant trauma cases. Mr. Humphrey has extensive experience handling personal injury cases, including trials. Nursing Home Negligence & Abuse: Attorney Marc Humphrey represents family members who have a loved one that has been injured in Iowa nursing homes due to neglect or abuse. Mediation and arbitration: Attorney Humphrey leverages his decades of trial experience and in-depth legal knowledge to serve as a mediator and arbitrator in complex litigation matters. As an accomplished trial attorney with more than 30 years of experience, Mr. Humphrey approaches each case with a passionate determination to achieve the best outcome possible. Many of our former clients refer others to us as a result of this unwavering commitment to personal, tenacious representation. Statewide Trial Experience \| Free Consultation Learn more about our Humphrey Law Firm or to discuss your particular situation with us during a free consultation by calling 515-331-3510. Based in Des Moines, Iowa, our law firm serves clients statewide to obtain justice in employment law, including workplace sexual harassment and discrimination, and with personal injury, nursing home negligence and medical malpractice issues. Attorney Marc Humphrey I have read the disclaimer * For security, answer the question. * What is the fourth letter of the alphabet? Personal Injury & Sexual Harassment Attorney 300 Walnut Street Suite 5 At Humphrey Law Firm, P.C., in Des Moines, we help protect the rights of everyday people across Iowa. Specific counties we serve include Polk County, Boone County, Story County, Jasper County, Marion County, Warren County, Madison County, Woodbury County, Pottawattamie County, Cerro Gordo County, Linn County, Black Hawk County, Johnson County, Scott County and Dallas County. © 2020 by HumphreyLaw Firm, P.C. All rights reserved · Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Sitemap · Search Site · Log in · Return to Top	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412574
__label__wiki	0.500443	0.500443	I would like to subscribe and I let the website store the given information about me. Domestic Politics Ballgames AllDomestic PoliticsForeign AffairsSecurity corruption fraud Nikola Gruevski North Macedonia Péter Szijjártó Foreign Minister Regularly Meets Former Macedonian PM Gruevski to Discuss Balkan Issues Ábrahám Vass 2019.06.14. On the heels of 444.hu’s journalists last week’s accidental encounter with Nikola Gruevski, who was having a meeting with a government official, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Thursday admitted that he regularly meets and consults with the convicted former Prime Minister of North Macedonia. In November 2018, Nikola Gruevski fled his country days before he was due to go to jail for corruption charges. He was helped by Hungarian diplomats and authorities to flee to Hungary, where he was soon granted asylum. The Hungarian government emphasized that it regarded the case not as a political, but legal matter. Gruevski made headlines once again last week when he was accidentally spotted by journalists of liberal, investigative site 444.hu, entering an apartment building next to the site’s editorial office. Coming out one hour later, he refused to talk to journalists. It turned out, however, that he actually met István Joó, the Deputy State Secretary for Export Development of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition, the “safe house” allegedly belongs to two Chinese businessmen, one of whom arrived in Hungary through the government’s Residency Bond scheme. This week, the Hungarian Parliament discussed the accession of North Macedonia to NATO, and in the debate, Democratic Coalition (DK) MP Ágnes Vadai brought up Gruevski’s case, in reference to 444.hu’s finding. In his response, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó replied that “(…) If we want to obtain the most authentic information about the Western Balkans, who should we talk to, if not to a man who was Prime Minister there for ten years? And yes, we regularly talk to him (…) As for me, I usually meet him in my office. And the fact that Foreign Ministry officials keep contact with a man who has been the prime minister of his own country for ten years is, in my opinion, natural. And you know what? We will keep in touch with him, and I will continue to consult with him on issues concerning the Western Balkans, and I will obviously always do that in my office.” Szijjártó added that since the Macedonians had elected Gruevski to lead them for a decade, then the Hungarian opposition should not make a big deal of it and advised the opposition “not to be more Macedonian than the Macedonians themselves.” featured image: illustration; via MTI/PM’s Office Gov’t Finds Court Ruling on School Segregation of Romas ‘Unfortunate’, Refuses to Pay Compensation Párbeszéd MP Mellár: Gov’t Uses ‘Artificial Means’ to Keep GDP Growth around 4-5% Magyar Suzuki to Make Only Hybrid Models for EU Markets from 2020 Fidesz: Opposition Momentum’s Liberal EP Group Wants to Implement ‘Soros Plan’ Gov’t and Opposition Disagree on Ratification of Istanbul Convention Art of Banksy Exhibition Opens in Budapest Matolcsy: Reform of Euro Zone and Rethink of Maastricht Criteria Needed Dozens of Illegal Accommodations Operate in Budapest Weightlifting’s Olympic Spot Might be in Danger Amid ARD’s Doping Claims Migration Not Needed for Successful Economic Policy, says Foreign Minister Szijjártó © 2018 HungaryToday \| All rights reserved. Design and development by EN-CO Software Kft.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412577
__label__cc	0.636137	0.363863	hurdler49 Hurdler49: Hurdling the Real World Tag Archives: Verena Sailer London Olympics Preview: The 4x100m Relay Leave a comment Posted by hurdler49 on July 21, 2012 The team aspect makes the 4x100m relay exciting. Since the athletes are going at full speed, the margin for error in terms of baton passing is small. Teams, especially the hastily formed ones, are susceptible to passing lapses. In the 4x100m relay, the squads with inferior aggregate flat out speeds can draw level or, at times, triumph over the highly touted teams. Read: “The 4x100m Relay – Where Underdogs Thrive” Photo from Nigel Chadwick Ironically, a larger country such as the U.S. could get disadvantaged because of its depth of talent. Having a large pool, with the uncertainty of the U.S. Olympic Trials providing the suspense, do not exactly provide ample time for teams to prepare. The smaller countries have, more or less, determined its relay lineups months before a major competition. Women’s 4x100m Relay The Americans have run two of the fastest 4x100m relay times this season (42.19s, 42.24s), followed by the Germans (42.51s – Leena Günther, Anne Cibis, Tatjana Pinto, Verena Sailer) and the Ukrainians (42.61s – Nataliya Pohrebnyak Наталія Погребняк, Mariya Ryemyen, Olesya Povh Олеся Повх, Viktorya Pyatachenko). Netherlands (42.80s – Kadene Vassell, Dafne Schippers, Eva Lubbers, Jamile Samuel), Poland (43.06s – Marika Popowicz, Daria Korczynska, Marta Jeschke, Ewelina Ptak), and France (43.12s – Carima Louami, Ayodelé Ikuesan, Jennifer Galais, Christine Arron) are the next fastest countries. The Jamaicans are few rungs lower with a season’s best of 43.31s. In terms of the Olympic qualifying period, which stretched from January 2011 to July 2012, the Carribean sprinting power is second on the list (average of 41.97s) behind the Americans (41.75s). Ukraine (42.57s average), France (42.65s average), Germany (42.77s average), and Nigeria (42.84s) round up the next four. Screenshot from the IAAF The defending Olympic Champion, Russia (Evgeniya Polyakova Евгения Полякова, Ekaterina Kuzina, Ekaterina Voronenkova, Olga Belkina), is eight on the list with an average time of 42.86s. On paper, the lead U.S. and Jamaica are the strongest contenders for gold. Its respective lineups are peppered with a multitude of individual sprinting talent in the likes of Carmelita Jeter, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Allyson Felix, and Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce. Read: “London Olympics Preview – The 100m Dash” Jamaica has won Olympic gold only once, in 2004. The Jamaican women lost out on a potential gold in Beijing when they failed to finish the race. The Americans are historically the dominant force in the event, winning nine gold medals since the 1928 Paris Olympics. However, their last Olympic title came in 1996. Like the Jamaicans, the Americans have been bedeviled by erratic baton passing in the last two editions of the Games. The Americans are the reigning World Champions, while the Jamaicans are the victors from Berlin. Once Jamaica and the United States get their acts together, and pass their respective batons efficiently and with minimal loss of speed, these two countries are unbeatable. If the two sprinting powerhouses commit lapses, Ukraine and Germany are the most likely to capitalize. The Ukrainians have world class sprinters in Olesya Povh and Mariya Ryemyen, while the Germans are led by the comebacking Verena Sailer. The Ukrainian and German teams have the benefit of competing at a relatively recent major championships, whereas the Jamaicans and Americans last big meet was the World Championships in Daegu. The confidence level of the Germans, in particular, are at record-highs in light of their smashing win in Helsinki. Top Three Predictions: Gold: United States Silver: Jamaica Bronze: Germany/Ukraine Men’s 4x100m Relay In the men’s division, the Jamaican gap over the Americans is glaring. The Jamaicans have an average time of 37.54s to the Americans’ 37.85s. Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, and Yohan Blake are all set to compete in London. Barring any unforseen hitches, Jamaica looks poised to win back-to-back Olympic golds. The Americans have dominated this event, having triumphed 15 times in the last 22 Olympic Games. Their record in major championships of late has not been as immaculate. The error-prone Americans narrowly missed the gold in Athens to an inspired British team. In Beijing, the American quartet crashed out of the preliminary rounds. They crashed out of the Berlin World Championships, disqualified for an illegal baton exchange. Daegu could have been a lot better, had it not been for the unfortunate collision between Briton Harry Aikenes-Aryeetey and American Doc Patton. Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin will banner the American challenge. Gay and Gatlin, both former World titlists and the latter an Olympic Champion, will bring maturity and experience into the squad. France (38.29s average – Teddy Tinmar, Christophe Lemaitre, Yannick Lesourd, Jimmy Vicaut) Olympic hosts Great Britain (38.32s average), Trinidad and Tobago (38.40s average – Keston Bledman, Marc Burns, Aaron Armstrong, Richard Thompson), and Brazil (38.41s average – Ailson Feitosa, Sandro Viana, Nilson Andrè, Bruno de Barros) are the next fastest countries. Interestingly, the 10th ranked Hong Kong relay team (38.59s average – Tang Yik Chun, Lai Chun Ho 黎振浩, Ng Ka Fung, Tsui Chi Ho) is ahead of Canada (38.64s – Ian Warner, Oluseyi Smith, Jared Connaughton, Justyn Warner), Italy (38..65s average – Simone Collio, Jacques Riparelli, Davide Manenti, Fabio Cerutti), and the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Japan (38.68s average – Masashi Eriguchi, Ryota Yamagata 山縣亮太, Shinji Takahira, Kenji Fujimitsu). Read: “Japan’s Olympic Bronze” Outside the top two countries, France is the standout talent. The French are led by the duo of Christophe Lemaitre and Jimmy Vicaut, both 100m dash finalists in Daegu. Lemaitre is a World Championships 200m dash bronze medalist. The Olympic hosts will also send an experienced team, with Mark Lewis-Francis and Dwain Chambers leading the charge. Lewis-Francis is the only holdover from the gold medal winning squad in Athens. The talented youngster Adam Gemili will be around to give much-needed firepower. As much as I would love to see Britain win gold again or the Americans break their Olympic drought, the Jamaicans are much too dominant. Gold: Jamaica Silver: United States Bronze: France IAAF – Olympic Relay Lineups 4x100m relay, Aaron Armstrong, Adam Gemili, Ailson Feitosa, Allyson Felix, Anne Cibis, Asafa Powell, Ayodelé Ikuesan, Blessing Okagbare, Bruno de Barros, Carima Louami, Carmelita Jeter, Christian Malcolm, Christine Arron, Christophe Lemaitre, Churandy Martina, Dafne Schippers, Dafne Schippers, Daria Korczynska, Davide Manenti, Dwain Chambers, Eva Lubbers, Evgeniya Polyakova, Ewelina Ptak, Fabio Cerutti, Harry Aikenes-Aryeetey, Harry Aikenes-Aryetey, Ian Warner, Jacques Riparelli, Jamile Samuel, Jared Connaughton, Jennifer Galais, Justin Gatlin, Justyn Warner, Kadene Vassell, Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Kenji Fujimitsu, Keston Bledman, Kim Collins, Lai Chun Ho, Leena Günther, Marc Burns, Marika Popowicz, Mariya Ryemyen, Mark Lewis-Francis, Marta Jeschke, Masashi Eriguchi, Nataliya Pohrebnyak, Ng Ka Fung, Nilson Andrè, Olesya Povh Олеся Повх, Oluseyi Smith, Richard Thompson, Ryota Yamagata, Sandro Viana, Sherone Simpson, Shinji Takahira 高平慎士, Simone Collio, Tang Yik Chun, Tatjana Pinto, Teddy Tinmar, Tianna Madison, Tsui Chi Ho, Usain Bolt, Verena Sailer, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Viktorya Pyatachenko, Yannick Lesourd, Yohan Blake 4x100m relay, Aaron Armstrong, Ailson Feitosa, Allyson Felix, Anne Cibis, asafa powell, Ayodelé Ikuesan, Bruno de Barros, Carima Louami, Carmelita Jeter, Christine Arron, christophe lemaitre, Dafne Schippers, Daria Korczynska, Darvis Patton, Davide Manenti, Doc Patton, Евгения Полякова, Марія Рємєнь, Наталія Погребняк, Олеся Повх, Ekaterina Kuzina, Ekaterina Voronenkova, Eva Lubbers, Evgeniya Polyakova, Ewelina Ptak, 高平慎士, 黎振浩, Fabio Cerutti, Harry Aikenes-Aryeetey, Harry Aikenes-Aryetey, Ian Warner, Jacques Riparelli, Jamile Samuel, Jared Connaughton, Jennifer Galais, Jimmy Vicaut, Justin Gatlin, Justyn Warner, Kadene Vassell, Kenji Fujimitsu, Keston Bledman, Kim Collins, Lai Chun Ho, Leena Gunther, London, Marc Burns, Marika Popowicz, Mariya Ryemyen, Marta Jeschke, Masashi Eriguchi, Nataliya Pohrebnyak, Ng Ka Fung, Nilson Andrè, Olesya Povh, Olga Belkina, Oluseyi Smith, olympics, Relay, Richard Thompson, Ryan Bailey, Ryota Yamagata, Sandro Viana, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Sherone Simpson, shinji takahira, Simone Collio, Tang Yik Chun, Tatjana Pinto, Teddy Tinmar, Tianna Madison, Tsui Chi Ho, Tyson Gay, Usain Bolt, Verena Sailer, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Viktorya Pyatachenko, Yannick Lesourd, Yohan Blake, 山縣亮太 Verena is Back! My favorite moment of the 2010 Barcelona European Championships was when Verena Sailer stormed to first place at the 100m dash. Since then, I’ve been a fervent supporter of Verena. Unfortunately, the German sprinter’s performance have been hampered by injury. Read: “Track Beauty of the Week – Verena Sailer” The Helsinki European Championships was her first major international since her breakout win in Barcelona a couple of years ago. The German champion performed magnificently. Sailer notched a season’s best of 11.14s in the 1st Round. Verena (11.17s) finished second in her semifinal, behind the fast-finishing Olesya Povh Олеся Повх (11.13s)of Ukraine. Click this link to read the full article… European Championships, Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Verena Sailer 100m, 4x100m relay, Anne Cibis, Barcelona, Олеся Повх, European Athletics Championships, Helsinki, Leena Gunther, Olesya Povh, sprints, Tatyana Lofamakanda Pinto, Verena Sailer Lalova clocks 11.01s at the Bislett Games Leave a comment Posted by hurdler49 on June 10, 2011 It’s good to see Ivet Lalova Ивет Лалова back in sterling form. The Bulgarian, slowed by a broken femur the past few years, ran her fastest time in the 100m dash since 2005. Lalova came out on top of a quality field at the rain-soaked Bislett Games in Oslo, stopping the clock at a highly competitive 11.01s, almost three-tenths of a second away from her 2004 best of 10.77s. Read: “Track Beauty of the Week: Ivet Lalova Ивет Лаловa” The reigning European Indoor 60m champion, Ukraine’s Olesya Povh Олеся Повх, came second (11.14s). Nigerian-born Norwegian Ezinne Okparaebo clocked 11.17s for third place. Povh and Okparaebo had a blistering start, with the former leading the pack until Lalova turned on her afterburners at the 65 meter mark. Verena Sailer, apparently still hampered by a back injury sustained at the early part of the year, lagged behind with an unremarkable 11.46s. In the absence of the Jamaicans and the Americans, the top five positions were occupied by Europeans. Read: “Track Beauty of the Week: Verena Sailer” Lalova’s performance at the Oslo leg of the Diamond League is the 13th fastest in 2011. With big names like Carmelita Jeter and Veronica Campbell-Brown churning out 10.70s and 10.76s, respectively, the 10m dash in Daegu will be highly interesting. An in-form Lalova could give the traditional sprinting powers a run for their money come August. Bislett Games, Diamond League, Ezinne Okparaebo, Ivet Lalova Ивет Лалова, Olesya Povh Олеся Повх, Sprints, Verena Sailer 100m dash, Bislett Games, Diamond League, Ezinne Okparaebo, Ivet Lalova Ивет Лалова, Olesya Povh Олеся Повх, Oslo, sprints, Verena Sailer Verena Sailer on Vision Gold Leave a comment Posted by hurdler49 on May 19, 2011 Check out the following feature on my favorite female sprinter, the reigning 100m dash European Champion Verena Sailer. Too bad my German’s not sophisticated enough to understand the clip. But the sights and sounds are sufficient! I hope Verena fully recovers from her back injury, in time for the Daegu World Championships. She missed several key indoor meets and the European Indoor Championships in Paris because of a troublesome back. Verena Sailer Verena Sailer “What is your profession?” Leave a comment Posted by hurdler49 on December 20, 2010 Whilst watching the pre-game analysis from last night’s Azkals game, the haughty Star Sports analyst made an interestingly poignant observation. He pointed out that most of the Filipinos, save for a handful of Fil-foreigners, are part-time footballers. When pitted against honest-to-goodness professionals, a glaring difference in “physicality” comes to the picture. True enough, even the English-born Younghusband brothers are currently unattached. Our homegrown players are mostly members of the nation’s Armed Forces. Even though the Philippines has a nascent semi-pro football league in the UFL, this pales in comparison to its regional counterparts like Singapore’s S-League or the Thai Premier League. One of the most famous scenes in “300” came into mind. Leonidas asked the Spartan allies, the Akkadians, their respective professions. The answers were diversely mundane. But when the legendary Spartan king asked his crack troops “what is your profession?” a loud and intimidating “ah-woo! ah-woo! ah-woo!” was their answer. This is certainly the case for most Olympic sports, now that the lines of strict amateurism and professionalism has become porous. Aside from amateur boxing, professionals are allowed to run roughshod over major international competitions, putting the amateur at a major disadvantage. There lies the underlying fundamental factor that spells the difference between victory and defeat. Take the example of athletics, for instance. I can only name a handful Asian medalists in recent Olympic history. Aside from the naturalized athletes of oil-rich middle eastern countries, only Susanthika Jayasinghe சுசந்திக ஜெயசிங்க்ஹி, Hadi Souan Somayli هادي صوعان الصميلي‎, Dmitry Karpov, Xing Huina 邢慧娜 and Liu Xiang 刘翔 had finished within the top 3. The Europeans have won countless medals in the aforesaid time period. Truly, an amateur pursues his/her respective sport as a passion, as something on the side. Whereas the professional practices the sport as a career. Having the domestic infrastructure to support a professional league speaks volumes about a particular sport’s development. Take the case of the Philippine basketball. Despite setbacks in international competition the past few years, Filipino cagers rank among the best in Asia. In the newly-established ASEAN Basketball League, Filipinos play for our Southeast Asian neighbors as imports to beef up their respective locals. The same cannot be said of football, athletics or any other sport not part of the Four B’s (Basketball, Boxing, Billiards and Bowling). In Athletics, for instance, the backbone of the sport is comprised of collegians. A club scene is virtually non-existent, with competition being mostly schools-based. After college, only the most talented and dedicated athletes progress to the national team ranks. A slot in the crack national squad merits a modest stipend. International exposure is afforded only to the elite few. World-class training and facilities are hard to come by. In contrast, the Europeans have a vibrant system of athletics clubs for all ages. Clubs like France’s Dynamic Aulnay Club, Portugal’s Sporting Lisbon and Germany’s MTG-Mannheim have produced successful internationals like triple jump sensation Teddy Tamgho, 2004 Athens Olympic silver medalist Francis Obikwelu and the 2010 European 100m dash Champion Verena Sailer, respectively. Hence, there is continuity of talent. A career in sports can be a financially-adequate, even lucrative profession – where one is not bound to live in the margins of penury whilst pursuing one’s passion. Azkals, சுசந்திக ஜெயசிங்க்ஹி, Dmitry Karpov, Dynamic Aulnay Club, Football, Francis Obikwelu, Hadi Souan Somayli هادي صوعان الصميلي, Liu Xiang (刘翔), S-League, Sporting Lisbon, Susanthika Jayasinghe, Teddy Tamgho, Thailand Premier League, Track, United Football League, Verena Sailer, Xing Huina 邢慧娜 300, சுசந்திக ஜெயசிங்க்ஹி, Dmitry Karpov, Dynamic Aulnay Club, Francis Obikwelu, Hadi Souan Somayli, Hadi Souan Somayli هادي صوعان الصميلي, Leonidas, liu xiang, Liu Xiang (刘翔), MTG-Mannheim, Professional sports, S-League, Spartans, Sporting Lisbon, susanthika jayasinghe, teddy tamgho, Thailand Premier League, United Football League, Verena Sailer, Xing Huina, Xing Huina 邢慧娜 Track Beauty of the Week: Verena Sailer 2 Comments Posted by hurdler49 on October 23, 2010 Verena Sailer is this week’s track beauty! The German sprinter came first international breakthrough in an individual event came at the 2009 European Indoor Championships, where Sailer won bronze. As a junior, the powerfully built Verena finished 5th at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Grossetto. The 24-year old and the rest of the German 4x100m relay quartet, performed magnificently in front of the home crowd at the 2009 World Championships. Photos from sportgate.de, welt.de, sulekha.com, and fehmarn24.de The Bavarian-born Verena competes for the MTG-Mannheim athletics club. The German sprint queen was slowed down by a spate of injuries at the start of the 2010 season. But gradually, she recovered her fine form. In the Barcelona European Championships, Verena stopped the clock at a new personal best of 11.10s, winning an unexpected gold by the infinitesimal of margins. This is a long overdue post! I originally wanted to do a Track Beauty post as soon as Verena stamped her class in the Barcelona century dash field. Read: Barcelona 2010 Wrap-up – Underdogs and Finishing Kicks As they say, it’s better late than never! 2009 Berlin World Championships, 2010 European Championships, Sprints, Track Beauty, Verena Sailer 100m dash, 2009 Berlin World Championships, 2010 Barcelona European Championships, sprints, track beauty, track beauty of the week, Verena Sailer Verena Sailer und Berlino! Leave a comment Posted by hurdler49 on September 1, 2010 ISTAF Berlin Berlino, ISTAF Berlin, Verena Sailer Verena Sailer Verena Sailer: Ich wollte unbedingt Gold Leave a comment Posted by hurdler49 on August 26, 2010 Verena Sailer’s post-race interview! Video credits: 2010 European Championships, Verena Sailer Barcelona, European Championships, Verena Sailer Sprintwunder Verena Sailer! http://www.sport1.de Verena Sailer: Das ist unsere neue Sprint-Königin! Verena Sailer and Christian Reif appear in a German talk show. No subtitles, sorry. I would’ve gladly written a translation, but my German is horribly basic. Ich spreche nicht gut Deutsch! Grabbed this post’s title from sportbild.de. Christian Reif, Verena Sailer Christian Reif, Verena Sailer Plain White T’s – Hey There Delilah Leave a comment Posted by hurdler49 on August 9, 2010 A former teammate introduced me to this song years ago. For some reason, I didn’t really pay much attention to it, even if it was written for a distance runner, Delilah DiCrescenszo. I only looked up the origins of the song moments ago, years after I first heard it! Come to think of it, I’m almost as sappy as the guy from Plain White T’s, sans the musical talent of course! I feel for you, man! I’d love to sing a cover of this song. Of course, I’d change the Delilah to Verena! MSNBC article Delilah DiCrescenzo Celebpeeps Delilah DiCrescenzo, Plain White T's, Verena Sailer Delilah DiCrescenzo, Hey There Delilah, Plain White T's, Verena Sailer Das schöne Fräulein Sailer! Abendblatt.de Track, Verena Sailer Verena Sailer Europameisterin Verena Sailer! 2010 European Championships, Sprints, Verena Sailer 100m dash, 2010 Barcelona European Championships, Verena Sailer 2010 BCN Wrap-up: Underdogs and Finishing Kicks 2 Comments Posted by hurdler49 on August 2, 2010 The past two weeks have been quite exciting for this track & field buff. I had fun watching the future of athletic strut their stuff at the 2010 Moncton World Junior Championships. A week later, the Barcelona European Athletics Championships took place. And boy, did I have my fill of high caliber track & field action. Despite the absence of marquee names such as Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay and the African distance specialists, the quality of the competition was superb since the cream of the crop of events like the heptathlon, the throws and the jumps originate from this storied continent. Europe, after all, is the hotbed of track & field. Even though I’m thousands of kilometers away and every inch an Asian, I became so engrossed at the Euro Championships that I devoured every single video clip and news article that piqued my interest. Thanks to broadband internet, it seemed as if I was actually amidst the crowd, savoring the championship festivities. Experience a panoramic view of the Barcelona Olympic Stadium What I liked best about the 2010 Euro Champs are the underdog victories and last-ditch bursts of speed to the tape. The Monstrous, Finishing Kicks (or last ditch leaps) 3.) 4x100m (M): Martial Mbandjock’s anchor leg: 2.) Long Jump (M): Christian Reif rewriting Robert Emmiyan’s championship record with his final jump: 1.) 200m (M): Christophe Lemaitre erasing Christian Malcolm’s lead: The Underdogs 7.) 1500m run (W): Nuria Fernandez’s first major championship crown: The 33-year old overcame fast-starting world leader Anna Alminova in a free-for-all dash to the tape. 6.) 4x400m (M): Russia wins first-ever 4x400m relay medal since 2002 – a gold at that! 5.) 200m dash (W): Myriam Soumare’s golden half-lap: The French sprinter had the slowest PB among all finalists, but still managed to shave off a significant chunk of her previous best to win the gold: 4.) Decathlon: Romain Barras‘ Decathlon victory! Barras hung-on to a 5-point lead coming into the 1500m run – and his first major crown. 3.) 4x100m (W): Ukraine grabs relay gold: Ukraine, with its nifty passing, wins the 400m relay crown – without a Top 10 sprinter in its lineup! 2.) 400m dash (M): Kevin Borlee does a Marc Raquil: The “other” Borlee twin came out of nowhere all the way to first place, ahead of his more illustrious brother, Jonathan, and two Britons. 1.) 100m dash (W): Verena Sailer’s decisive dive (and Soumare’s unexpected bronze) I’m just a sucker for underdog stories. The football movies “Rudy” and “The Replacements” are one of my favorites. There’s an infectious magic found in those unexpected victories. It doesn’t have to a gold medal. Once an athlete exceeds his/her expectations and does the improbable, the sheer joy the athlete exudes is indeed priceless. Being an athlete myself, I know how it feels to chase something distant, to give your all for a single larger-than-life goal. Perhaps that’s why we love sports so much. Despite its fair share of scandals, sport brings out the best in our being human. Those Herculean feats inspire and sustain, enables us to smile more often amidst the reality that is life – to dream a little bit higher. 2010 European Championships, 2010 World Junior Championships, Anna Alminova, Christian Malcolm, Christian Reif, Christophe Lemaitre, Decathlon, Jonathan Borlée, Kevin Borlée, Marc Raquil, Martial Mbandjock, Myriam Soumare, Nuria Fernandez, Romain Barras, Rudy, The Replacements, Tyson Gay, Usain Bolt, Verena Sailer 100m, 1500m, 200m, 2010 European Athletics Championships, 4x100m, 4x400m, Anna Alminova, Barcelona, Christian Malcolm, Christian Reif, christophe lemaitre, decathlon, Finishing Kick, Jonathan Borlée, Kevin Borlée, Long Jump, Marc Raquil, martial mbandjock, Myriam Soumare, Nuria Fernandez, Robert Emmiyan, Romain Barras, Rudy, Russia, The Replacements, Ukraine, Underdog, Verena Sailer Categories Select Category 10-for-10 (12) Archery (1) Mark Javier (1) Rachel Cabral (1) Ateneo (97) Ateneo Basketball League (23) Ateneo Big Blue Running Club 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__label__wiki	0.633139	0.633139	Fortizars Down; First Two New Faction Fortizars Popped Savvy Kneel 2018-06-18 Art by Empanada Here at INN, we have been reporting on the emergence of faction Fortizars for a long time. We shared details of the various types of new Fortizars as they were announced by CCP. We shared CCP’s plans for rollout of the new structures, and we covered their movement on the market as they began trading hands. This being Eve, after all, it is only fitting that we’re now able to share the news again as they start blowing up, one week after their vulnerability ended. It was on Saturday 16 June, within minutes of each other, that the first two faction Fortizars in New Eden were destroyed. First across the finish line at 16:55 Eve Time was New Eden’s inaugural Faction Fortizar killmail, a collaborative effort between Skill Urself (INGME), WE FORM VOLTA (GLHF), and Snuffed Out (B B C) to take down a “Prometheus” model Fortizar in Etherium Reach (C-V6DQ), owned by the Prothean Alliance (PROT). Just behind them at 17:45 Eve Time was Test Alliance Please Ignore (TEST), taking out the Tenerifis (XGH-SH)-based “Draccous” model Fortizar owned by Ranger Regiment (RR). INN caught up with GLHF’s Raethrius, who also posted about his alliance’s landmark accomplishment on Reddit. He explained, “It was right next to our staging system, so a member of our valued ally, INGME, went and solo-reinforced it as soon as it was possible. We then showed up with a larger fleet.” GLHF’s Capqu added that it wasn’t much of a fight. “We killed it without contest, just because we could, basically.” Capqu continued, “the only reason anyone in Etherium Reach even got any in the first place is because we were to lazy to stop them after we’d already taken three+ regions of stations.” The second Fortizar to be destroyed also ended up going out with more of a whimper than a bang. TEST FC Seddow shared that “Basically we were gonna form a alliance fleet but Fraternity (FRT) had max pinged and had supers ready. and we were not ready to take on that fleet.” So instead, Seddow explained, “We stood down, and when FRT saw us do that they stood down as well,” at which point, “we quietly formed a fleet and slowly headed that way, avoiding eyes. SouthsideDevil took the fleet to kill it while I coordinated.” “We started hitting it, and at about 70% they noticed.” Seddow said. The delay was enough, however, for INGME, GLHF, and B B C to complete their task in Etherium Reach, beating TEST to become the first to take down a Faction Fortizar. “When the first faction Fort died, FRT stood down because theirs wasn’t the first to die, so they didn’t care,” Seddow explained. There were conflicting reports as to the rewards to be gained from destroying Faction Forts. According to Raethrius, there was no salvage to be had from the Prometheus. When asked if TEST’s experience with the Draccous was the same, however, Seddow said, “Nah, we got a Rorqual and about 4 billion in loot.” Presumably the two combined experiences indicate that Faction Fortizars drop loot as normal, but apparently don’t provide anything additional when salvaged. Estimating the value of the losses is difficult because the Forts themselves are valued at .01 ISK, so zkillboard records only their contents as significant losses. Because of their scarcity, however, and because they can never again be built, they are invaluable. Obviously, in both cases the owners did not value their property enough to mount a particularly determined defense, and it’s not at all clear that some of the new stations’ owners value them all that much, despite their finite numbers. Capqu notes that GLHF is not just in the business of popping Faction Fortizars. They’re also holding a bit of a fire sale on them. “Current stocks are 20 Prometheus, 17 Draccous, 4 Marginis, 3 Horizon, and 1 Moreau.” he said. “Everything must go.” And “go,” they most certainly will. More Faction Fortizars are certainly likely to go in the next days and weeks – some of them in sales, and some, no doubt, in explosions. And if there are fights to be had over them, INN will no doubt be there to share those stories with you, as well. Savvy Kneel 3 Outer Passage Out Rats Delve December 16, 2019 5 Black Legion Sets Sail for Content March 10, 2019 6 Geminate: The Million Dollar Invasion January 8, 2019 Ganthrithor Hmm. Kind of sad to see these go, although in fairness outposts felt pretty cancerous towards the end. Nothing like Fozziestructures, of course, which have re-defined space-sprawl, but there were certainly a fair number. I still kind of think they should’ve made the conquerable ones indestructible / permanent. That, or NPC stations should’ve also become destructible. But whatever. Rhivre Ganthrithor It is strange to see things which have been part of the landscape for so long go.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412584
__label__cc	0.688224	0.311776	HomePosts tagged 'carbon sink' Climate change and soil: sink or source? November 29, 2018 November 26, 2018 jposka Climate, Land, Soil, Uncategorized, water carbon emissions, carbon sink, climate change, peat, soil, soil carbon Peatlands, or bogs, are wetlands where partially decomposed vegetation accumulates saturated in water. The soil is very rich and productive and contains huge amounts of carbon (flickr). Julia Poska\| November 29, 2018 The world’s soils hold massive amounts of carbon from decomposed plants and animals. In this way the soil acts as a sink, storing carbon that could otherwise end up in the atmosphere, but soil is a source of carbon emissions. Two studies published this month highlight just how helpful and harmful the the soil’s carbon storage capacity might be in the face of climate change. The first, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined the changing role of peatlands, also known as bogs or mires, in the carbon cycle. According to author Qianlai Zhuang of Purdue University, peatlands cover about 3 percent of the Earth’s surface but contain 30 percent of soil carbon. This major sink, though, has begun to release large amounts of carbon, too. When peatlands are drained for human uses like agriculture or mining, they release some of that carbon into the air. The rate of carbon loss is predicted to increase with climate change, even for untouched peatlands. Northern-hemisphere peatlands in Canada, Siberia and Southeast Asia have already begun releasing significant amounts of carbon, but Zhuang and PhD candidate Sirui Wang found that Amazonian peatlands may soon follow suit, according to a Purdue University media release. The researchers estimate that by the end of the century, peatlands in that area could release an amount of carbon equal to 5 percent of current annual emissions worldwide. The second study, published in Nature Climate Change, found increased capacity for carbon storage deep within the soil. Much of the soils carbon is stored in a dissolved form; the carbon leaches downwards in the water and attaches to minerals over 6-feet underground. Little is known about this method of storage, but Washington State University researcher Marc Kramer and Oliver Chadwick from the University of California Santa Barbara have looked at it closely and believe humanity could take advantage of the process to bury more atmospheric carbon deep inside the earth. Unfortunately, they believe climate change will limit this capacity in tropical rainforests, currently the best locations for dissolved carbon storage. Check out our 2018 Iowa Climate Statement to learn more about the impacts of climate change right here at home.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412589
__label__wiki	0.543455	0.543455	CNN Goals to Sink Bernie Sanders in Favor of Documented Fabricator Elizabeth Warren Deprecated: Non-static method snp_links::search() should not be called statically in /home/u446727304/domains/iqobroker.com/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php on line 286 CNN seems to be taking the phrase of a Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a candidate who has a historical past of fabricating key particulars of her life, and some extent that boiled over after moderators of Tuesday’s debate demonstrated a transparent bias towards Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). The community got here beneath hearth Tuesday night time after moderators demonstratively favored Warren over Sanders, repeatedly, through the Democrat debate in Iowa. It hit a boiling level after CNN’s Abby Phillip posed Sanders’ alleged feedback, a few lady not with the ability to win the presidency, as reality. CNN broke the story, which alleged that Sanders advised Warren throughout a personal assembly in 2018 that a lady couldn’t win the presidency, a day forward of the talk. He vehemently denied the allegation, calling it “ludicrous,” however Warren launched a press release affirming the declare made in CNN’s report. “Among the many subjects that got here up was what would occur if Democrats nominated a feminine candidate. I assumed a lady might win; he disagreed,” Warren stated, reverting the story again to a political model of “he stated, she stated.” CNN’s bias reached a tipping level when Phillip posed the report as reality, proper after Sanders denied it. “Warren, what did you assume when Sanders stated a lady couldn’t win the election?” Phillip requested Warren. “I disagreed,” the Massachusetts senator responded, accepting the framing of the demonstratively biased query. “Bernie is my good friend, and I’m not right here to attempt to battle with Bernie.” The bias snowballed all through the night, with moderators grilling Sanders on the price of his proposals however largely failing to do the identical to Warren, who has embraced comparable massive authorities concepts accompanied by pricey plans. The phenomenon gave Sanders supporters and surrogates flashbacks of the remedy Sanders acquired by the hands of the media and the Democratic Nationwide Committee (DNC) in 2016, which have been in cahoots with Hillary Clinton’s marketing campaign. This time round, CNN is taking the phrase of a lady who has a documented historical past of issuing falsities. Maybe the most important falsity touted by Warren was, in fact, her claims of Native American heritage — claims she held on to till pretty just lately. The Massachusetts senator held on to the narrative all through her profession, even itemizing herself as a Native American on her 1986 Texas Bar registration card. Harvard Regulation Faculty Information Director Mike Chmura additionally bragged about Warren’s standing because the “first lady of shade” tenured at Harvard Regulation — a proven fact that calls into query Warren’s claims that she didn’t profit from her false claims. She held on to her false Native American id all through her 2012 senatorial bid, telling a reporter in 2012 that she had “loads of footage” proving her claims of Native American ancestry, however refusing to point out them. Warren often informed the story of her mother and father’ relationship so as to show her ancestry claims, telling the story of her father’s mother and father’ supposed prejudice towards her mom, who was half Cherokee and Delaware, in line with Warren. She additionally as soon as attributed her claims, partially, to her grandfather, who had “excessive cheekbones like all the Indians do.” A DNA check taken in 2018, nevertheless, confirmed Warren solely possessing between 1/sixty fourth and 1/1,024, or zero.1 % to 1.fifty six, of % Native lineage. The quantity was far under the minimal requirement to say membership in Native American tribes, successfully ending her claims of Cherokee heritage, particularly. She has since confronted questions over her false claims on the marketing campaign path and has admitted that she isn’t a “individual of shade.” “I shouldn’t have finished it. I’m not an individual of shade, I’m not a citizen of a tribe,” Warren stated throughout a New Hampshire city corridor in December. “And I’ve apologized for the confusion I’ve prompted on tribal citizenship, tribal sovereignty, and for any hurt I’ve induced,” she added: Dangerous WiFi so didn’t go full clip. Right here’s the place it cuts off. pic.twitter.com/GkJ5rhX4Rr — Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) December 6, 2019 “Like anybody who’s been trustworthy with themselves, I do know that I’ve made errors,” Warren stated throughout an look on the Native American Presidential Discussion board in Sioux Metropolis, Iowa. “I’m sorry for hurt I’ve brought about.” Her claims of Native American heritage have been simply the tip of the iceberg with regard to Warren’s difficult historical past of embellishing the reality. She was lately accused of mendacity to a faculty selection supporter after she advised the lady that her youngsters went to public faculties. Warren, nevertheless, failed to inform the lady that her son did, in truth, attend a personal faculty as properly: Warren’s marketing campaign confirmed that her son went to non-public faculty – a personal faculty that presently prices roughly $15,000 per yr. “In response to the Austin American-Statesman, Kirby Corridor’s tuition was $four,seven hundred a yr in 1995, the earliest document of the varsity’s tuition prices reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon,” the outlet reported. “Elizabeth’s daughter went to public faculty. Her son went to public faculty till fifth grade,” Warren communications director Kristen Orthman stated in a press release to each Free Beacon and Fox Information. She additionally discovered herself surrounded by controversy after proof emerged that recommended she lied about being fired from her job educating particular wants youngsters at a public faculty resulting from being “visibly pregnant.” She claimed throughout a city corridor assembly in August: Again me up on this: educating particular wants just isn’t a job, it’s a calling. And I liked it. I actually liked it. I nonetheless can keep in mind the faces — I had little ones. Nonetheless keep in mind their faces. And I in all probability would nonetheless be doing that work at this time, solely my story has some extra twists and turns. And right here’s how the subsequent twist goes. By the top of my first yr in educating, I used to be visibly pregnant. And the principal did what principals did in these days: wished me luck and employed another person for the job. In a video from 2007, nevertheless, Warren informed a vastly totally different story: And my first yr of submit commencement, I labored — it was inside a public faculty system, however I labored with the youngsters with disabilities. And I did that for a yr. After which that summer time — I truly didn’t have the schooling programs, so I used to be on an “emergency certificates,” it was referred to as. And I went again to graduate faculty, and took a few programs in schooling, and stated, “I don’t assume that is going to work out for me.” And I used to be pregnant with my first child, so I had a child, and I stayed residence for a few years, and I used to be actually casting about, considering what am I going to do. Furthermore, county data finally confirmed that she resigned and indicated that she had been unanimously permitted for an additional yr. Board of Schooling assembly minutes present unanimous approval for a @ewarren to return to educating for a second yr by way of @CAndersonMO – https://t.co/nIBW56qfCv pic.twitter.com/Hol53CCWnf — Eliana Johnson (@elianayjohnson) October 7, 2019 Waren has additionally confronted scrutiny over her previous acceptance of billionaires and large fundraisers, which she embraced all through the course of her political profession. She acquired help from at the very least 30 billionaires over her political profession, regardless of portray them because the enemy in her present presidential bid. Moreover, Warren “reportedly used $10.four million in leftover funds from her 2018 senatorial bid to cushion her present marketing campaign,” as Breitbart Information detailed, leaving a few of her former donors crying hypocrisy: In the course of the course of her senatorial marketing campaign, Warren fortunately attended fundraisers and accepted cash from huge donors, sparking questions surrounding her newfound dedication to maintain massive donors out of politics. Regardless of a marketing campaign mired with controversy, CNN seems to be taking the phrase of Warren — a candidate with a historical past of fabricating key elements of her life — over Sanders. The community’s determination is creating a fair larger divide between the 2 candidates, who have been lengthy thought-about ideological similars and buddies, even, and their supporters. Warren’s refusal to shake Sanders’ hand on the conclusion of the talk was virtually emblematic of the rising hostilities between their respective supporters, in addition to between Sanders’ base and the DNC and institution media.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412591
__label__cc	0.696312	0.303688	104 Automotive jobs Browse for Automotive Jobs. Find the job of your dreams on CareerCast IT & Engineering Network today! Assistant Professor, Associate Professor. and Full Professor The Department of Ocean Engineering, College of Engineering at Texas A&M University, invites applications for two tenured or tenure track positions with a 9-month academic appointment and the possibility of an additional summer appointment contingent upon need and availability of funds, beginnin... The Department of Ocean Engineering, College of Engineering at Texas A&M University, invites applications for two tenured or tenure track... Materials Engineer (Process Development) (Metals) Department of Treasury US Mint As a Materials Engineer (Manufacturing) (Metals), you will: • Provide expert advice on and reviews various coin programs, manufacturing practices and equipment specifications for process capabilities, suitability, and reliability potential. Performs analyses and tests and makes significant and innov... As a Materials Engineer (Manufacturing) (Metals), you will: • Provide expert advice on and reviews various coin programs, manufacturing... Tenure-Track Professor/Associate Professor/Assistant Professor The University of Hong KongTenure-Track Professor/Associate Professor/Assistant Professor in Next-generation Computational Materials and Devices in the Department of Mechanical EngineeringApplications are invited for appointment as Tenure-Track Professor/Associate Professor/Assistant Professor in Ne... The University of Hong KongTenure-Track Professor/Associate Professor/Assistant Professor in Next-generation Computational Materials and Devices... The Facilities Management department at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is seeking qualified candidates for the Assistant Director of Building Operations and Utilities. The Assistant Director will oversee the operations, inspection and preventive maintenance of building and utility system... The Facilities Management department at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is seeking qualified candidates for the Assistant Director of... Dean of the College, Engineering and Computer Science COMPANY DESCRIPTION Wentworth Institute of Technology is a nationally ranked university offering a powerful hands-on and career-focused education to students throughout the world. Wentworth is known as a college of opportunity with a track record of transforming students into high-performing profess... COMPANY DESCRIPTION Wentworth Institute of Technology is a nationally ranked university offering a powerful hands-on and career-focused education... Patent Examiner Join America’s Innovation Agency as a patent examiner! A patent examiner (PE) reviews applications to determine whether patents can be granted for inventions. Patents give inventors the right to exclude others from making or selling their inventions for a limited time. As a U.S. patent examiner, yo... Join America’s Innovation Agency as a patent examiner! A patent examiner (PE) reviews applications to determine whether patents can be granted... Intern- HI Sensor uSystems & FA R&D Undergraduate Summer : We are seeking an Intern Summer - R&D Undergrad On any given day, you may be called on to: + Design and develop analog, digital and/or mixed-signal ICs + IC design, validation, layout, and/or debug + Develop test methodology for verification of the ICs + Develop of fabrication processes i... : We are seeking an Intern Summer - R&D Undergrad On any given day, you may be called on to: + Design and develop analog, digital and/or... R&D Materials Scientist (Experienced) Livermore, CA US : We have a new R&D technical staff position opening focusing on materials science problems with applications in the areas of alternative energy and national security. The role will emphasize experimental plasma-surface interactions studies in support of our Fusion Energy Sciences programs, which... : We have a new R&D technical staff position opening focusing on materials science problems with applications in the areas of alternative... Electronics Technologist (Early/Mid-Career) : The Trusted and Secure Systems in the Validation and Qualification Sciences Experimental Group is seeking a high-energy, hardworking technologist who has hands on experience in development and testing of electronic components. You will work on challenging programs that have significant contribu... : The Trusted and Secure Systems in the Validation and Qualification Sciences Experimental Group is seeking a high-energy, hardworking... R&D S&E, Electrical Engineer (Early/Mid-Career) : Are you passionate about your work? Do you dream of working in state-of-the-art facilities with safety & security culture? Do you want to join a diverse team that serves an organization that supports our national security? We are seeking an Electrical Engineer to be part of a team target... : **Are you passionate about your work? Do you dream of working in state-of-the-art facilities with safety & security culture? Do you want to... Postdoctoral Appointee - Computational Optical Imaging : We are seeking a highly motivated Computation Optical Imaging Postdoctoral Appointee to join a multidisciplinary team developing and using active and passive remote sensing systems to collect and analyze optical signatures and observables relevant to the proliferation detection and nuclear nonp... : We are seeking a highly motivated Computation Optical Imaging Postdoctoral Appointee to join a multidisciplinary team developing and using... Engineering Support Technologist (Experienced) : We are seeking professionals to fill several technologist openings, who are needed to join a multi-functional team that supports various aspects of satellite product realization. Candidates would have a focus in one of three major areas but will be expected to be cross-trained and could shift t... : We are seeking professionals to fill several technologist openings, who are needed to join a multi-functional team that supports various... Electrical Engineer - Embedded Intelligent Systems (Early/Mid-Career) : We need your help in exploring and developing innovative concepts and new technologies to meet challenging and diverse national security needs spanning across security systems, robotics, unmanned aerial systems, and transportation systems. Our department is looking for Computer Scientists who, ... : We need your help in exploring and developing innovative concepts and new technologies to meet challenging and diverse national security... Intern - Mechanical Engineer R&D Grad Summer : We are seeking an Intern - Mechanical Engineer R&D Grad Summer As a graduate mechanical engineering intern at Sandia, you are self-motivated and excited to assist our research team in the development of light-weight composite structures of interest to U.S. national security under the Departm... : We are seeking an Intern - Mechanical Engineer R&D Grad Summer As a graduate mechanical engineering intern at Sandia, you are... Electronics Technologist (Experienced) : We are seeking an experienced technologist with an electrical background to support system engineering development activities for future Sandia programs. This person will interface to mechanical and electrical engineers on the system engineering team. This person will be located at our Liverm... : We are seeking an experienced technologist with an electrical background to support system engineering development activities for future... Postdoctoral Appointee Building & Facilities Manager Documentation Engineer Electrical Designer Electrical Power Repairer Electrical System Engineer Electro-Optical Engineer Generic Engineer Materials Hardware Design Engineer Industrial Hygienist Master Control Engineer Materials Scientist Mechanical Systems Engineer PCB Designer Research & Development Officer Systems Project Manager Test Equipment Certification Technician Undergraduate Intern	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412599
__label__cc	0.568725	0.431275	About Amundi Institutionals & corporate HD Portraits Yves Perrier Pascal Blanqué Dominique Carrel-Billard Fathi Jerfel Guillaume Lesage Bernard de Wit Third party distributors & retail networks Fund Channel, a leading European cross-border fund distribution platform, is now available for institutional investors in Asia Paris, France, 3/6/17, by Amundi Fund Channel, a major player among European fund distribution platforms, has extended its presence to Asia with the opening of a branch in Singapore. Based in Luxembourg with an office also in Switzerland, this joint venture owned by Amundi Group (50.04%) and BNP Paribas Investment Partners (49.96%) now offers to distributors of Asian funds support services for the management of distribution contracts with asset managers. These services consist of regulatory monitoring, optimizing revenues by assisting them in the calculation, monitoring and commission payments for the distribution of funds. Fund Channel currently supports over 100 institutional clients in their cross-border fund distribution activity across a dozen European countries. Its B2B distribution platform administers around 45,000 funds from over 400 management companies. “We are specialized in services for distributors who wish to maintain full control in their choice of product distributed whatever their choice of fund manager, but also their order routing and custodian services" states Richard Lepère, Managing Director of Fund Channel. "We simplify the legal work required for implementing distribution agreements, monitor regulatory requirements and apply a systematic process to deliver over 90% of the distribution fees within 90 days following the quarter-end.” With more than €60 billion[1] in assets distributed, Fund Channel ranks among the top 3 international distribution platforms in Europe[2]. Through its new branch in Singapore, the company has an objective to reach €5 billion in assets distributed within 4 years. [1] Data provided on December 31st, 2016 [2] Source : The PlatForum October 2016 Natacha Andermahr-Sharp Head of Press Relations and Digital Communication Amundi is the European largest asset manager by assets under management1 and ranks in the top 10 globally[1]. It manages 1,563 billion[2] euros of assets across six main investment hubs[3]. Amundi offers its clients in Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and the Americas a wealth of market expertise and a full range of capabilities across the active, passive and real assets investment universes. Clients also have access to a complete set of services and tools. Headquartered in Paris, Amundi was listed in November 2015. Thanks to its unique research capabilities and the skills of close to 4,500 team members and market experts based in 37 countries, Amundi provides retail, institutional and corporate clients with innovative investment strategies and solutions tailored to their needs, targeted outcomes and risk profiles. Amundi. Confidence must be earned. Visit www.amundi.com for more information or to find an Amundi office near you. ^ Source IPE “Top 400 asset managers” published in June 2019 and based on AUM as of end December 2018 ^ Amundi figures as of September 30, 2019 ^ Investment hubs: Boston, Dublin, London, Milan, Paris and Tokyo A question? A specific need? CONTACT US! 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__label__wiki	0.835613	0.835613	Adaptive Insights Continues to Scale with New Customers, Expanded Management Team PALO ALTO, CA, Aug 16, 2016 – Adaptive Insights, the only pure-play cloud vendor to be named a leader in strategic cloud corporate performance management (CPM), today announced it is continuing to scale its business with the addition of new customers and an expanded management team, while at the same time maintaining top ratings in customer satisfaction and ease-of-use—qualities critical to the adoption and deployment of CPM software. Adaptive Insights has secured customers with recognized names across industries including software as a service (SaaS), manufacturing, nonprofit, and retail. Customers include large, global enterprise organizations, indicating that cloud-based CPM solutions have gone mainstream as financial planning and analysis (FP&A) becomes the critical function to enabling maximum corporate performance. Some of the new customers include First West Credit Union, Fletcher Jones Auto Group, MaxLinear, and New York Mets. To support its ongoing growth and scale, Adaptive Insights also announced it has expanded its executive management team with the addition of strategic visionary Michael Schmitt in the role of chief marketing officer (CMO). Schmitt joins recent executive appointments Jim Johnson, chief financial officer, and Bhaskar Himatsingka, chief product officer, as part of the company’s leadership expansion plan announced in January. Schmitt has held executive-level positions at a range of software and financial services companies, including JD Edwards and Ariba. While at JD Edwards, he helped the company grow to over $1 billion annually. He also helped Ariba execute a dramatic turnaround, repositioning the company to become a market leader in spend management. Most recently Schmitt was CMO of E2open, a provider of cloud-based supply chain management solutions to the enterprise market. During his tenure, E2open nearly doubled its revenue and established its position as the market leader in collaborative planning and execution. “CPM is being embraced by companies of all sizes as the way forward in strategic finance and business agility, putting Adaptive Insights on a fast growth trajectory,” said Tom Bogan, CEO, Adaptive Insights. “Michael’s track record in executing strategic marketing programs in fast-growing companies will be an invaluable asset to our expanding executive leadership team as we enter this next phase of growth.” Analyst Firms, Industry Accolades Recognize Adaptive Insights as Cloud CPM Leader In addition to experiencing rapid and sustained growth, Adaptive Insights continues to be recognized by market analyst firms as a leader in its space. The company emerged for the first time in the Leaders Quadrant of the Gartner 2016 Magic Quadrant for Strategic CPM Solutions report. This is the first year that a cloud-only vendor has been placed in the Leaders Quadrant of the Gartner Strategic CPM report.* Other firms to recognize Adaptive Insights include 451 Research, BPM Partners, Dresner Advisory Services, and Nucleus Research. Nucleus Research rated the Adaptive Insights offering #1 in usability, and Dresner Advisory services gave the solution top marks for scalability, ease-of-customization and technical support.BPM Partners placed Adaptive Insights in its Established vendor category—the only pure-play cloud vendor to be placed in the category. Adaptive Insights also received the highest customer satisfaction in that category. Analyst 451 Research has recognized Adaptive Insights for data visualization advances, data integration capabilities, and continued expansion into the enterprise. “Technology and product momentum have continued for Adaptive Insights, as the company innovates its cloud CPM platform and gains traction with enterprises far and wide,” said Krishna Roy, senior analyst, data platforms and analytics, 451 Research. “The new capabilities delivered by Adaptive Insights’ solutions directly target productivity and visibility for finance teams, enabling those teams to take on a much more strategic role within their organizations.” Adaptive Insights’ leadership has also been acknowledged for its pioneering achievement in cloud CPM. Founder and Chairman Robert S. Hull was named a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2016 Award in the Northern California Region. He also received a 2016 Stratus Award for Cloud Innovator of the Year by Business Intelligence Group.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412617
__label__cc	0.530394	0.469606	Embed badge What is this page? Rates of Prevalent HIV Infection, Prevalent Diagnoses, and New Diagnoses Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in US States, Metropolitan Statistical Areas, and Counties, 2012-2013 Overview of attention for article published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, May 2016 Altmetric Badge 21 news outlets 28 tweeters 1 Facebook page dimensions_citation 60 Dimensions Readers on 41 Mendeley What is this page? Summary News Blogs Twitter Facebook Dimensions citations So far, Altmetric has seen 24 news stories from 21 outlets. South Carolina’s Multi-Faceted HIV Epidemic Must Contend With Harmful State Laws The Body, 20 Dec 2019 In light of the federal government plan announced in February 2019 to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S., TheBody has created a… In Mississippi, Efforts to Fight HIV Epidemic Clash With Health Care Disenfranchisement Sitdown Sunday: How female directors are changing porn The Journal (Ireland), 11 Jun 2017 ITS A DAY of rest, and you may be in the mood for a quiet corner and a comfy chair. America’s Hidden H.I.V. Epidemic MSN, 10 Jun 2017 Jermerious Buckley, an H.I.V.-positive man in Jackson, Miss. © Ruddy Roye for The New York Times Early on a balmy morning last… 3 In 10 Gay Men Have HIV In Some Southern Cities Medical Daily, 19 May 2016 Though anyone can get HIV through unprotected sex, multiple partners, and intravenous drug use, some racial, ethnic, and gender… Three Out Of 10 Gay Men In Southern Cities Have HIV: Report Tech Times, 19 May 2016 Men Anyone is at risk of contracting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, a new study found that the disease's… H.I.V. Rates Among Gay Men Are Higher in South, Study Finds New York Times, 19 May 2016 More than a quarter of gay and bisexual men in some cities and states in the South are living with H.I.V., according to a new… National data reveal prevalence of HIV among MSM on local level Healio.com, 18 May 2016 HIV infection was confirmed to be hyperendemic among men who have sex with men in many parts of the United States, particularly… News story from Daily Mail on Wednesday 18 May 2016 Daily Mail, 18 May 2016 Urban, Southern Gay Men Have 30 Percent HIV Rate NBC News, 18 May 2016 A health educator puts a bandage on a man's finger after taking blood for an HIV test at the Whitman-Walker Health Elizabeth… HIV Burden High Among Southern MSM MedPage Today, 18 May 2016 Action Points In many places in the U.S., HIV is "hyperendemic" among men who have sex with men, with a prevalence of 15% in… As many as 4 in 10 gay or bisexual men have HIV in some southern cities - Tue, 17 May 2016 PST The Spokesman-Review, 18 May 2016 NEW YORK – Three out of every 10 gay or bisexual men in several cities in the South have been diagnosed with the AIDS virus… 3 in 10 gay men have HIV in several Southern cities, including Baton Rouge NOLA - New Orleans Local News, 17 May 2016 HIV Metro Areas In this Monday, Dec. 1, 2014 file photo, a viewer casts a shadow while looking over some 800 AIDS memorial… As many as 4 in 10 gay men have HIV in some Southern cities The Guardian (Charlottetown), 17 May 2016 NEW YORK, N.Y. - Three out of every 10 gay or bisexual men in several cities in the U.S. Star Tribune, 17 May 2016 NEW YORK — Three out of every 10 gay or bisexual men in several cities in the U.S. Lexington Herald Leader, 17 May 2016 Three out of every 10 gay or bisexual men in several cities in the U.S. South have been diagnosed with the AIDS virus, three… Idaho Statements, 17 May 2016 Winnipeg Free Press, 17 May 2016 NBC29, 17 May 2016 By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer NEW YORK (AP) - Three out of every 10 gay or bisexual men in several cities in the U.S. ABC News, 17 May 2016 HIV rates soar among men who have sex with men in Southern states, D.C. PBS, 17 May 2016 The American South has a big HIV problem. Rates of HIV infection among men who have sex with men are highest in six Southern… News story from Stat News on Tuesday 17 May 2016 Stat News, 17 May 2016 This page is provided by Altmetric.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412618
__label__wiki	0.814837	0.814837	65 SAINT MARKS PLACE, NEW YORK, 10003 \| TEL: 212 477 5560 Sonelius Smith Trio 10jan8:30 pm12:00 amSonelius Smith Trio Sonelius Smith, is a classically trained pianist, composer, producer and performer. Sonelius has played with jazz luminaries Kenny Dorham, Roy Brooks, Charles Mingus, Roland Kirk, Robin Kenyatta, Rashied Ali, Warren Smith, Frank Foster, Harold Vick, Donald Byrd, Elvin Jones, Archie Shepp, Freddie Hubbard, Art Sonelius Smith, is a classically trained pianist, composer, producer and performer. Sonelius has played with jazz luminaries Kenny Dorham, Roy Brooks, Charles Mingus, Roland Kirk, Robin Kenyatta, Rashied Ali, Warren Smith, Frank Foster, Harold Vick, Donald Byrd, Elvin Jones, Archie Shepp, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey, and Lionel Hampton. A recognized figure in the NYC jazz world, Sonelius has appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and The Today Show. As he tickles the ivories, his musical influences are apparent. Come and enjoy an evening of sophistication with Sonelius Smith. (Friday) 8:30 pm - 12:00 am HOUR OF OPERATIONS Dinner : Monday – Sunday: 5.00pm – 11.30pm Brunch: Saturday – Sunday: 11.00am – 4.00pm Friday & Saturday: 1rst seating 7 to 9pm, 2nd seating 9.30 to 11.30pm Les Lundis chez Jules avec Francois Wiss. "World music experiment" (Copy) 20jan7:30 pm10:30 pmLes Lundis chez Jules avec Francois Wiss. "World music experiment" (Copy) François was raised with a deep consideration for music and artists, and the idea that we should enjoy at full the short time we're given here. His great grandfather, his François was raised with a deep consideration for music and artists, and the idea that we should enjoy at full the short time we’re given here. His great grandfather, his grandfather, his grandmother, and his father, played respectively the accordion, the banjo, the violin and the guitar. François moved to New York in 2004, gave over 3,000 performances in the U.S. and had the opportunity to play at prestigious venues such as the Rainbow Room, B.B. King Blues Club, Cafe Wha?, Bar Tabac and Jules Bistro! Robert Silverman Trio 21jan7:30 pm10:30 pmRobert Silverman Trio Robert Silverman was born in New Haven, Connecticut. and has been playing jazz piano, trumpet, singing and composing for about 47 years. Mr. Silverman was first mentored by the great Robert Silverman was born in New Haven, Connecticut. and has been playing jazz piano, trumpet, singing and composing for about 47 years. Mr. Silverman was first mentored by the great Jackie McLean in Hartford, and then moved on to study at the New England Conservatory in Boston where he was fortunate to work with George Russell, Jaki Byard, Fred Hersch, Jimmy Guiffre, Ran Blake and many others and graduated from the Jazz Studies Department in 1984. He moved to New York where he did graduate work with Jimmy Heath at Queens College and has been the recipient of many awards including two Meet the Composer Grants and a Brio award in 2013 for Best Jazz Composer for his CD Fractured time. Mr. Silverman has released 12 CDs in NY and works with the elderly population and Alzheimer patients in the Bronx. (Tuesday) 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Noe Socha Acoustic Trio 22jan7:30 pm10:30 pmNoe Socha Acoustic Trio Meet acoustic group featuring unbelievably talented guitarist and harmonica player Noe! Ed Cherry 23jan7:30 pm10:30 pmEd Cherry "An expressive instrumentalist, Cherry has a hip, melodic approach that is a refreshing contrast to guitarists who frequently resort to playing 'finger music', the execution of rapid streams of notes “An expressive instrumentalist, Cherry has a hip, melodic approach that is a refreshing contrast to guitarists who frequently resort to playing ‘finger music’, the execution of rapid streams of notes that serve no musical purpose other than to fill space”- Jim Ferguson: Jazztimes – 06/02 See www.edcherrymusic.com for more info. Evy Joy 24jan8:30 pm12:00 amEvy Joy Known for her joyful wordplay and tap-dance breaks, Evangeline's first album, 'Verbatim' was released in 2013 and upon release, Sara Bareilles quoted that she has "a great voice and a Known for her joyful wordplay and tap-dance breaks, Evangeline’s first album, ‘Verbatim’ was released in 2013 and upon release, Sara Bareilles quoted that she has “a great voice and a really unique sound!” Since then Evangeline has toured the globe playing everywhere from streets in London to famous bars in Seattle and even on Caribbean cruise lines. She has studied opera for 12 years and enjoys bubble tea and doing good deeds in a skunk costume (for anonymity purposes ;). She is also organizing a large-scale project to distribute and teach the homeless to play ukulele and planning a Ted Talk for her created music genre: ukulele rap. She now resides with her uke, Ed, in New York City. They’re going on 6 years and going strong. Feelin Irie (Brunch) 25jan12:00 pm3:00 pmFeelin Irie (Brunch) Feelin IRIE means Feeling Good.. That's what I'm about .. making you feel good at your next Party, or event whatever it is , wherever.. Feelin Feelin IRIE means Feeling Good.. That’s what I’m about .. making you feel good at your next Party, or event whatever it is , wherever.. Feelin Irie is a One man to 3 man band. Beach Island music at its core.. right from the Islands of Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and even some Buffet for all you parrot heads. We play steeldrums or what we call PAN, along Hawaiian Ukelele, World Music instruments from: India, Africa , SE Asia,. Because its a Small World Afterall” We play traditional genres of Caribbean music, Jazz & Latin too.. We keep our group small and intimate and more affordable in these tough economic times.. Live music can never die.. lets keep it alive.. help support Live music..Hire Feelin Irie for your next event. Angel Williams 25jan8:30 pm12:30 amAngel Williams Angel Williams is a New York based Singer. A Soulful, inspirationally charged up vocal power house, Angel belts out the big songs by some of the most iconic and beloved Angel Williams is a New York based Singer. A Soulful, inspirationally charged up vocal power house, Angel belts out the big songs by some of the most iconic and beloved singers in music. From Billie Holiday to Beyonce, Angel crosses genres with ease..No stranger to the stage Angel comes from a family of gospel singers. Angel honors the “ICONS” in Jazz, Blues, Rock & Roll, RnB Funk & Soul this evening at Jules Bistro. 2 sets: 7.30pm – 9pm & 9.30pm – 11.30pm (Saturday) 8:30 pm - 12:30 am Sunday Jazz with Renaud Penant & Friends 26jan7:30 pm10:30 pmSunday Jazz with Renaud Penant & Friends Renaud PENANT was born in 1959 in Normandy, France. He moved to Bordeaux, in the south of France, with two friends (Emmanuel Bex and Jean-Philippe Viret), and their trio Renaud PENANT was born in 1959 in Normandy, France. He moved to Bordeaux, in the south of France, with two friends (Emmanuel Bex and Jean-Philippe Viret), and their trio eventually won the 1978 “Jazz Aquitaine” competition and toured the region. He moved to Paris in 1980, studied drums at the Kenny Clarke-Dante Agostini Drum School and percussion in the conservatories of Bagnolet and Rueil-Malmaison, and obtained a unanimous first-prize at the Seine Saint-Denis drums competition. He also attended workshops under the direction of great drummers such as Max Roach, Jack DeJohnette and Clifford Jarvis While performing in jazz festivals and every major jazz club in Paris (New Morning, Duc des Lombards, Petit Opportun, Manhattan Jazz Club, Sunset), and touring France, Germany and Italy, he also started teaching in the conservatories of Arcueil, le Pré-St-Gervais, Epinay Sous Sénart and Chevilly. Drummer Renaud Penant has performed with musicians like Joe Magnarelli, Grant Stewart, Bob Cranshaw, John Webber, Mike LeDonne, John Farnsworth, Ralph Lalama, Mike Mullins, Sacha Perry, Joe Cohn, Zaid Nasser, Jerry Weldon, William Ash, Roy Merriwether, Dan Nimmer, Ugona Okegwo, Rob Bargad, Adam Scone Pat Bianchi, Annette St John, Satoshi Inoue and Carla White. (Sunday) 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Les Lundis chez Jules avec Francois Wiss. "World music experiment" 27jan7:30 pm10:30 pmLes Lundis chez Jules avec Francois Wiss. "World music experiment" Arianna Neikrug 28jan7:30 pm10:30 pmArianna Neikrug After winning the 2015 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition then performing at the Montreal International Jazz Festival the following year, 25-year-old singer and songwriter Arianna Neikrug makes her grander After winning the 2015 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition then performing at the Montreal International Jazz Festival the following year, 25-year-old singer and songwriter Arianna Neikrug makes her grander introduction to the music world with the August 24, 2018 release of Changes on Concord Jazz. Produced by the Grammy-winning pianist and arranger Laurence Hobgood, Changes displays Neikrug’s gift for interpreting tunes from the Great American Songbook and more recent pop and R&B classics from the ’70s. For more information : http://mediakits.concordmusicgroup.com/p/changes/ Andreas Toftemark trio 29jan7:30 pm10:30 pmAndreas Toftemark trio Andreas Toftemark is a 26 year old saxophone player and composer, currently living in New York. Andreas has studiet at The New School of Jazz, in Andreas Toftemark is a 26 year old saxophone player and composer, currently living in New York. Andreas has studiet at The New School of Jazz, in New York. He was studying with fantastic musicians such as Joel Frahm, Eric Alexander, Ben Wendel and Sam Yahel to name a few. Before that, Andreas studiet at Conservatorium van Amsterdam, that is known to be one of the best jazz conservatories in Europe. Listenig to Andreas, you’ll find an intense but round sound. It’s clear that he’s been listening to the masters of jazz through out his carer, and his personal sound emerges from players like, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Leter young, Barry Harris, Chet Baker and others. Though Andreas playing comes from traditional players, he’s been exploring many generes, and have played everything from traditional jazz to bebop, hardbop, Afro-cuban, folk music and contemporary Jazz. Futher more Andreas doubles on alto-saxophone and clarinet. Assaf Kehati Trio (Copy) 30jan7:30 pm10:30 pmAssaf Kehati Trio (Copy) Assaf Kehati, an Israeli native Jazz guitarist based in Brooklyn, will take you on an energetic journey to a colorful world of sounds and grooves. With his trio, consisting Assaf Kehati, an Israeli native Jazz guitarist based in Brooklyn, will take you on an energetic journey to a colorful world of sounds and grooves. With his trio, consisting of Steve Whipple on bass and Peter Traunmueller on drums, he will present an excited but intimate night of Jazz, Bossa Nova, Samba, and popular songs from the 80s. Satish Robertson 31jan8:30 pm12:00 amSatish Robertson Raised in Jersey City and now residing in the Big Apple, Satish has studied under trumpet greats such as Ted Curson, Rob Henke, Vinnie Cutro, Dr. Eddie Henderson, Jeremy Raised in Jersey City and now residing in the Big Apple, Satish has studied under trumpet greats such as Ted Curson, Rob Henke, Vinnie Cutro, Dr. Eddie Henderson, Jeremy Pelt, and Duane Eubanks. He has performed and/or recorded across a wide spectrum of music with acts such as Spirit of Life Ensemble, Chris Rob, Talib Kweli, Jessica Care Moore, heavyweight jazz pianist Marc Cary, UTFO, Sadat X, Chaz Van Queen, The Emily Wolf Project, Will Calhoun of Living Colour, and Argentinian reggae legend Fidel. Satish has appeared in venues such as Blue Note, Metropolitan Room, Showman’s, Schomburg Center, Kennedy Center, and most recently the Exit 0 Jazz Festival alongside Marc Cary. In addition to being an active sideman, Satish also leads various celebrated small groups of his own throughout NYC including his newest jazz-funk infused project Flow-Motion featuring exciting young vocalist Noël Simone Whippler. @julesbistrony Sign up for our mailing list to receive exclusive invitations and updates * © Copyright \| A Forgeois Group Restaurant \| Powered by indigonyc.com	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412621
__label__wiki	0.668042	0.668042	Justin McElroy: journalist/ ranker of stuff #CanadianTVBracket B.C. Brewery Reviews Canadian Heritage Minutes UBC Thoughts Deep Twitter “Investigations” Electoral District Analysis Top 1000 Songs Canada’s Most Memorable (English) TV Thing: Final Round November 24, 2017 26 Comments by Justin McElroy Features And here we are. Mr. Dressup vs. Kids In The Hall. After hundreds of thousands of votes, and two weeks of tearing Canadian Social Media apart (insert stereotypical “Meanwhile in Canada” joke here), we’re left, after 64 initial entries, with two finalists. Round of 64 results Quarterfinal results Semifinal results But first, let’s quickly decide which of the semifinal losers deserve third place. Alright, now that we have that out of the way, let’s get back to our melodramatic preview of the final. We have two incredibly worthy contenders for the title of most memorable (English) TV thing in Canadian history. Kids In The Hall and Mr. Dressup were discussed as heavy favourites from the outset of this tournament, and there’s no telling which one will win. But perhaps just as interestingly, they come from two very different places in our country’s collective psyche. Mr. Dressup is all about the broad strokes: your childhood, a feeling a comfort, a bonding of generations, 30 years of repetition, 30 years of crafts and sketches and costumes that are geared towards young children, but fundamentally accessible to all ages. Kids In The Hall is, um, not Mr. Dressup. It’s focused, passionate, character-driven sketch comedy, a cult hit that went big if there ever was one, a show of weird and daring conceits, a show for when you were 15 to 24, and somewhat difficult to understand if you didn’t love it during those years. it's going to be Mr. Dressup vs Kids in the Hall. A battle between your nostalgia for when you were innocent and your nostalgia for when you learned that you weren't. — Emmet Matheson (@emmetmatheson) November 23, 2017 Really, aren’t they both the winners? Mr. Dressup helped instil the niceness and coziness values Canadians share; KITH reflected the self-effacing and power -mocking humour that keeps us humble. https://t.co/xrmEGDxjZv — Marcella Munro (@marcellam) November 23, 2017 But this is the Internet. You have to pick one. In the balance hangs a victory that will be cited on various CBC programming for a couple of days, and for eternity 80% of the way through the Wikipedia entry for the winner. BIG STAKES PEOPLE. Here is the endorsement for Kids In The Hall. It comes from John Semley, who literally wrote the book on the group. Look, what am I? Made of friggin’ stone? I love Mr. Dressup. I grew up watching Ernie Coombs, Casey, Finnegan, Chester the Crow, that creepy-as-hell granny doll, and the whole gang, just like most Canadians born in this country between the mid-‘60s and the mid-‘90s. But that’s the thing, isn’t it? I grew up. Of all the other youthful entertainments I binged on, nothing escapes the honeytrap of nostalgia like The Kids in the Hall. (Peak Simpsons comes close, maybe.) With its biting satire (of business, of family, of whatever-you-got), weathered cynicism (“Screeeeewwww the bank I work for. screw the b-b-b-baaaaank”), exultant queerness, and ludicrous characters (a Belgian twit with a brain tumour whose imagination consists solely of an oompah band) and scenarios (a child molester winning a preserves contest at a small-town fair), the comedy of The Kids in the Hall feels meaningfully timeless. Sure, the fashions and haircuts may seem desperately dorky in a date, ‘90s grunge way. But the humour holds up — still funny, fierce, and, for the most part, wonderfully un-topical. Unlike a lot of other cheesier Canadian TV, The Kids in the Hall offers more than a warm-fuzzy reminder of the innocence of our bygone youth. If anything, it was the show that ruptured that innocence, and dragged generations of plucky adolescents into the bleak, jaded, hopeless landscape of teenage rebellion and, finally, adulthood. It remains a singular piece of Canadian entertainment, and of comedy, writ large. And even if your sole criteria for who wins this thing is the capacity to dress-up, well, the Kids’ own expansive wardrobe of wigs, dresses, poorly-tailored business suits, and flying pig costumes outshines even Ernie Coombs’ formidable Tickle Trunk. John Semley is a Toronto-based writer and author of This Is A Book About the Kids in the Hall (ECW Press). Here is the endorsement for Mr. Dressup. It comes from your childhood memories. I guarantee Mr. Dressup helped millions upon millions of Canadian children make what can be a scary thing — starting school — a much happier experience. Mr. Dressup WAS Kindergarten. The songs, the paper crafts, the stories and the tickle trunk mirrored my own K year with Ms. Caldwell at Mundy Rd. Elementary in Coquitlam, B.C. (except Ms. Caldwell had a dress up corner instead of a trunk). Can there be anything more noble? No, there cannot. – Karin Larsen, CBC Vancouver And it’s time to say goodbye to this tournament. Voting is open until midnight PST on Sunday. Results will be announced on Monday morning. Kids In The Hall: 1989-1995, CBC. Defeated Double Exposure (95% of the vote), Royal Canadian Air Farce (67%), Trailer Park Boys (80%), SCTV (54%), Degrassi (66%) Mr. Dressup, CBC (1967-1996): defeated The Edison Twins (93% of the vote), Reboot (75%), The Raccoons (79%), The Friendly Giant (76%), Heritage Minutes (71%) Categories: FeaturesTags: #CanadianTVBracket, Kids In The Hall, Mr. Dressup Justin McElroy Canada’s Most Memorable (English) TV Thing: Final Four My 1000 favourite songs: #875-851 Leslie Sigurdson Leslie Sigurdson November 24, 2017 at 5:37 am Reply D.W. D.W. November 24, 2017 at 10:24 am Reply I just voted and am not being shown the bar graph to let me know what the results are so far. Is this an intentional change from previous rounds? Have you been hacked by the Russians? Do we need a Parliamentary probe into possible voting irregularities here? Will this issue make it to Question Period? Will PM Trudeau declare that voting here is “underway with challenges”? Am I taking this all WAAAAY too seriously? (Ok, I know the answer to the last question, but still….) Jimmy November 24, 2017 at 10:47 am Reply We’ll know when the winner is announced and it’s The Hedgehog in the Fog. jay loder jay loder November 24, 2017 at 12:12 pm Reply I’m with DW, I’m feeling uneasy that the bar graph has disappeared. Who’s behind this? Should we follow the money? Or did Mr Dress-up send a couple of his thugs over to rough you up? Jacqueline November 24, 2017 at 12:51 pm Reply Your correspondent @banker_by_day is absolutely correct. I was there. It was like Beatlemania. No joke. For those hundreds of people who were in UMSU Centre that day so long ago, today’s vote is a no-brainer. #Finnegan4PrimeMinister MJ November 24, 2017 at 3:03 pm Reply Either way…. i feel dirty, and that i surrendered a piece of my soul having to choose one over the other. Damn you. Damn you all to hell. lisevancouver lisevancouver November 24, 2017 at 3:26 pm Reply voting Mr. Dressup as no way KITH should have beaten SCTV Nicky Walker-Kobly Nicky Walker-Kobly November 25, 2017 at 7:50 am Reply When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. KITH Julianna November 25, 2017 at 9:34 am Reply Personally, I would love to see a TIE between these two. Mr. Dressup was my favorite as a kid and Kids in the Hall ensured that inner kid did not die…. but rather raced down the hall trailing chicken feathers and flipping the bird. Uppyday Uppyday November 25, 2017 at 4:04 pm Reply My god- the anguish and guilt having to make a choice… but… while I think with longing of those youthful 90s young adults we were, watching KITH we had taped off the tv onto VHS, watching on long winter Canadian nights, enjoying a Canadian and clam or four… nothing will ever replace the pure joy and excitement of hearing the “twit-twoo” on Mr. Dressup, and knowing the owl was making one of it’s rare appearances. I was a little girl obsessed, and my nickname was Finnegan. Thanks for this post, ahhh good memories. Rudy Rogalsky Rudy Rogalsky November 25, 2017 at 9:17 pm Reply Mr. Dressup D November 26, 2017 at 6:47 am Reply I was a student at Western when Mr. Dressup came on the same tour. I got his autograph on a tshirt and asked if I could give him a hug. I spent every day following along making the crafts, drawings, and it really started my love of art. Although I was also a major KITH fan later, hands down Mr. Dressup for the influence he had on many Canadian children (bet KITH watched it too!) Note: he cross dressed and I believe Casey was always intended to blur gender lines… Pingback: Canadian History Roundup – Week of November 19, 2017 \| Unwritten Histories Lisa Sweeney Lisa Sweeney November 26, 2017 at 4:23 pm Reply I. Am. Going. To. Miss. This. Poll. Serious withdrawal Monday… SandRa Lee November 26, 2017 at 4:59 pm Reply Heritage Minute: Ernie Coombs arrived in Canada in 1963 to work with Fred Rogers on a children’s show for the CBC. When Rogers went back to the USA, the CBC offered him a part in a new show, which became Mr. Dressup. And that’s why Canada needs the CBC. Dan McCarthy Dan McCarthy November 27, 2017 at 9:43 am Reply My father was one of the founders and then Producer of Mr Dressup and of The Friendly Giant and spent the last several years of his career at CBC, building the Canadian segments of Sesame Street. He passed away a few years ago, and he would have been extremely pleased to see that Children’s television still has a significant “place” in Canada, decades later. I will relay this great news to my mother and siblings. Thanks very much for all your work on this great story. Dan McCarthy Pingback: Mr. Dressup crushes Kids In The Hall in the final round of The Great Canadian TV Thing - Rock Music News Pingback: Mr. Dressup crushes Kids In The Hall in the final round of The Great Canadian TV Thing - Times of News Canada Casey November 27, 2017 at 11:40 am Reply I’m sorry I didn’t get my act together earlier to vote but I have no problem with the eventual winner. I’m so glad I took the time to go back and read the whole thing though. So much entertaining and thoughtful writing by you, Mr McElroy. Plus Canadian culture. This is the sort of thing the internet is for. Pingback: Mr. Dressup crushes Kids In The Hall in the final round of The Great Canadian TV Thing – Viral News David Ginsberg David Ginsberg November 27, 2017 at 5:22 pm Reply Ok I just came across this battle royale, but what sort of society do we live in where Fraggle Rock ousts Hilarious House of Frankenstone in any sort of competition? And what about Mighty Machines? My kids watched that show at every opportunity, primarily because I would ALWAYS put it on… Pingback: Mr. Dressup crushes Kids In The Hall in the final round of The Great Canadian TV Thing – British Columbia Pingback: Mr. Dressup crushes Kids In The Hall in the final round of The Great Canadian TV Thing – British Columbia – CHB Blog 2017 Christmas pictures 2017 Christmas pictures December 11, 2017 at 10:39 pm Reply Hello great website! Does running a blog such as this require a lot of work? I have no knowledge of coding but I had been hoping to start my own blog soon. Anyway, should you have any recommendations or techniques for new blog owners please share. I understand this is off subject nevertheless I simply Pingback: Canadian audiences call for more Encore+ \| On Screen Manitoba Pingback: CANADIAN AUDIENCES CALL FOR MORE ENCORE+ - eBOSS Canada	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412626
__label__wiki	0.810263	0.810263	Craniometric Data Supports Demic Diffusion Model for the Spread of Agriculture into Europe Ron Pinhasi , * E-mail: r.pinhasi@ucc.ie Affiliation Department of Archaeology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel Affiliation Department of Anthropology, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom Ron Pinhasi, Ron Pinhasi Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel The spread of agriculture into Europe and the ancestry of the first European farmers have been subjects of debate and controversy among geneticists, archaeologists, linguists and anthropologists. Debates have centred on the extent to which the transition was associated with the active migration of people as opposed to the diffusion of cultural practices. Recent studies have shown that patterns of human cranial shape variation can be employed as a reliable proxy for the neutral genetic relationships of human populations. Here, we employ measurements of Mesolithic (hunter-gatherers) and Neolithic (farmers) crania from Southwest Asia and Europe to test several alternative population dispersal and hunter-farmer gene-flow models. We base our alternative hypothetical models on a null evolutionary model of isolation-by-geographic and temporal distance. Partial Mantel tests were used to assess the congruence between craniometric distance and each of the geographic model matrices, while controlling for temporal distance. Our results demonstrate that the craniometric data fit a model of continuous dispersal of people (and their genes) from Southwest Asia to Europe significantly better than a null model of cultural diffusion. Conclusions/Significance Therefore, this study does not support the assertion that farming in Europe solely involved the adoption of technologies and ideas from Southwest Asia by indigenous Mesolithic hunter-gatherers. Moreover, the results highlight the utility of craniometric data for assessing patterns of past population dispersal and gene flow. Citation: Pinhasi R, von Cramon-Taubadel N (2009) Craniometric Data Supports Demic Diffusion Model for the Spread of Agriculture into Europe. PLoS ONE 4(8): e6747. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0006747 Editor: John Relethford, State University of New York College at Oneonta, United States of America Received: June 3, 2009; Accepted: July 20, 2009; Published: August 26, 2009 Copyright: © 2009 Pinhasi et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: The authors have no support or funding to report. The debate over the origins of agriculture in Europe has mainly centred on two demographic models. The demic diffusion model (also known as the wave of advance) suggests a progressive dispersal of Southwest (SW) Asian Neolithic farmers into Europe [1]–[3]. This process involved region-specific and variable degrees of admixture between the incoming farmers and the local Mesolithic hunter-gatherers. Alternatively, a cultural diffusion model suggests that agricultural knowledge and technologies diffused from SW Asia into Europe but without a significant demographic expansion of SW Asian farmers [4], [5]. Various intermediate scenarios have also been proposed. Some suggest diffusion as the main underlying mechanism involved (e.g. [6]), while others argue that early European agriculture was developed independently by indigenous Mesolithic hunter-gatherer-forager populations with no diffusion of either knowledge or people from the core SW Asian regions [4]. The first mathematical analysis of chronometric archaeological data on early Neolithic European cultures demonstrated a southeast-northwest (SE-NW) temporal cline across Europe [1]. A re-assessment of the wave of advance model using a much larger data set and calculating the probability of various hypothetical centers of agricultural origin provided further support for the observed clinal pattern [7]. While this cline suggested that agriculture spread across Europe in a SE-NW fashion, the archaeological data alone cannot detect whether this is the outcome of a demic diffusion, cultural diffusion, or a palimpsest of complex demographic and historical processes. Subsequent genetic studies of classical allelic markers using principal components analysis (PCA) reported a similar SE-NW clinal pattern observed when plotting the major component of variation [8]. It has been demonstrated that PCA analyses of spatially correlated genetic data can produce highly structured results which are mathematical artifacts that do not necessarily reflect underlying historical migration and dispersal events [9]. However, partial correlations of classical genetic, temporal, and geographic matrices have also found support for the demic diffusion model [10] and hence imply that in this specific case, the clinal pattern is not artefactual but rather produced by demographic historical processes. Studies of nuclear DNA polymorphisms [11], [12], autosomal microsatellite loci [13] and various sets of DNA markers [14] all confirm a substantial contribution of Southwest Asian populations to the European gene pool and report similar SE-NW clines across Europe. In contrast, analyses of mtDNA haplogroups [15]–[17] suggest a pre-Neolithic coalescence date and a limited contribution of SW Asian Neolithic farmers (∼20%) to the European gene pool. Studies of Y-chromosome markers provide conflicting results. Semino et al. [18] estimate a contribution of ∼22% from SW Asian farmers, which is in close agreement with the figures provided for mtDNA haplogroups. However, a recent reassessment using a different methodological protocol [19] report an average contribution of SW Asian farmers to the European gene pool of between 50 and 65%. Studies of biallelic Y-chromosome polymorphisms report clines that are in agreement with the demic diffusion model [20]. Employing modern European genetics to assess the nature of the spread of farming from SW Asia into Europe is inherently problematic for several reasons: the size and representativeness of modern samples may not match those of the actual populations affected; observed patterns of genetic variation could be explained by several different evolutionary scenarios [21]; any modern gene genealogy may not portray Neolithic and post-Neolithic population history unless founder effects eliminated pre-existing polymorphisms [21], and molecular coalescence dates of geographically patterned lineages do not necessarily correspond to the timing of arrival of a genetic variant in that region [22]. While ancient DNA studies allow for the direct comparison of archaeological and modern populations, they are also limited by constraining factors such as small and unrepresentative samples, limited authenticity methods, and contamination [23]–[25]. The analysis of ancient mtDNA sequences, extracted and amplified from 24 Neolithic central European specimens, points to a genetic discontinuity between these early farmers and current European populations [26]. The discontinuity is attributed to a negligible genetic contribution of Southwest Asian farmers to the modern European gene pool and hence supports the cultural diffusion model. In contrast, a more recent paleogenetic study of Neolithic samples from the Iberian peninsula [27] indicates long-term genetic continuity in this region since the Neolithic. These results suggest a heterogeneous Neolithic dispersal into Europe, which possibly involved acculturation in Central Europe and demic diffusion along the Mediterranean coast [27]. These conflicting results indicate that paleogenetic studies are, as yet, not extensive enough to provide conclusive results regarding the genetic contribution of SW Asian farmers to the European gene pool. In contrast, the availability of extensive samples of Mesolithic and Neolithic skulls from SW Asia and Europe provide a unique opportunity to assess the biological relationship between pre-farming and early farming populations. In recent years, several studies have demonstrated that human cranial shape variation is largely congruent with an evolutionary model of neutral expectation (e.g., [28]–[38]). Therefore, patterns of human cranial shape covariation can be employed successfully as a proxy for neutral genetic evidence of past population history [34], [39]. Thus, we use this empirical relationship between craniometric and neutral genetic variation to test several alternative hypotheses of population change in Europe associated with the spread of farming from SW Asia. Competing hypotheses regarding the nature of the spread of farming were tested using a Mantel matrix correlation approach [40], [41] and an extensive craniometric dataset representing Mesolithic and early Neolithic SW Asian and European populations (Table S1). These OTUs (operational taxonomic units) represent the best available craniometric data for Mesolithic and early Neolithic populations in these regions (Figure 1). In contrast with previous studies of this kind [40], [41], we do not use arbitrary values (0, 0.5, 1 etc.) to quantify the hypothesised morphological distances between OTUs in our alternative model matrices. Rather, we create a null model based upon evolutionary expectations of cranial differentiation according to the principles of isolation-by-geographic and temporal distance [42] (Figure 2). This is based on the observation that there is a strong correspondence between geographic distance and genetic distance in humans for neutrally evolving markers such as microsatellites [33]. Therefore, in the absence of non-neutral forces such as natural selection or directional long-range dispersal, the expected neutral pattern of craniometric diversity would correlate with geographic distance, once the effect of temporal distance is controlled for [42]. In turn, all alternative models are variations of the null model reflecting different hypothesised scenarios (see Materials and Methods). We conduct a series of partial Mantel tests [43] to assess the congruence between craniometric distance and each of the geographic model matrices, while controlling for temporal distance. We particularly chose to focus on the neolithization process in those European regions which preceded the further spread of agriculture into the northern and western parts after 5000 cal. BC [5], [44], [45]. The null model (Figure 2a) reflects the expected pattern of morphological distance between populations if the expansion of farming was largely an indigenous process involving minimal or no dispersal from SW Asia. We then test 5 alternative hypothesized scenarios (models 2 to 6) in order to determine: (1) the extent to which the transition to farming in Europe was the result of demic diffusion of SW Asian farmers; (2) whether the process involved single or continuous dispersals; (3) whether the dispersal origin of the SW Asian farmers was more likely located in the Southern Levant or Anatolia; and (4) the extent to which a demic diffusion process also entailed admixture with indigenous European Late Mesolithic populations. In each model, the distances between OTUs were modified according to the expected variation in gene flow between OTUs (see Methods section). In order to assess the effect of employing different geographic distances, dispersal events (i.e., models 3–6) were each modeled three times; as a decrease in geographic distance between the affected OTUs, of 500, 1000, or 1500 km per migration event. Similarly, limited gene flow (model 2) was modeled as an increase in geographic distance of 500, 1000 or 1500 km between the relevant OTUs (Figure 2b). Figure 1. Map showing geographic distribution of all OTUs. Dispersal models involving the active migration of people from SW Asia take two basic forms. Once-off single dispersals from either Anatolia (brown arrow) or the Levant (orange arrows), or continuous dispersal models whereby active population migration continued from southeastern Europe into central Europe (blue arrows). CD = Continuous dispersal, IBD = Isolation-by-distance (null), LGF = Limited gene flow. Figure 2. Two-dimensional representation of the null model of isolation-by-geographic and temporal distance. The horizontal axis represents the distance between all OTUs and OTU1 (Natufian) in km. The vertical axis represents the chronological distribution of the OTUs in average years B.P. A. The null model expects all OTUs to be related to each other according to their distribution in space, once time is corrected for (dashed lines). B. The LGF model (solid lines) is a variant of the null model, which expects decreased gene flow between contemporaneous Mesolithic (OTUs 9, 10 and 12) and Neolithic (OTUs 4, 5, 6 and 7) populations as a result of cultural barriers imposed by the adoption of agricultural practices. Figure 3 plots the first two principal co-ordinates of the craniometric distance matrix. The OTUs do not group according to any particular geographic or temporal pattern on the first or second principal co-ordinates. However, the first principal co-ordinate separates the archaeologically defined Neolithic OTUs from OTUs designated as Mesolithic plus the Natufian. Therefore, the principal co-ordinate analysis suggests that Neolithic and Mesolithic populations are biologically differentiated. Figure 3. Plot of the first two principal co-ordinates illustrating OTU affinity patterns based on craniometric data. The major axis of variation (horizontal axis, 34.9% variance) shows a clear distinction between all archaeologically defined Neolithic OTUS (green, brown and black circle symbols) and all Mesolithic OTUS (purple and red symbols) plus the Natufian (black triangle). Second axis = 18.7% variance. The results of the partial correlations (Table 1) show that the null model was not significantly correlated with the craniometric distance matrix, once temporal variation was controlled for. The null model reflects the degree of differentiation we would expect amongst OTUs under a model of pure cultural diffusion. Of the alternative scenarios modelled, all variants of the continuous dispersal models were significantly correlated with the craniometric data, regardless of whether the dispersals were modelled as originating in Anatolia or in the Levant, and regardless of which geographic parameter was employed to model dispersal (500, 1000 or 1500 km). In contrast, no model of a single dispersal from SW Asia was significantly correlated with the craniometric data. There was some support for a hypothesis of biological change due to a restriction on gene flow between contiguous Mesolithic and Neolithic populations, but only when this barrier was modelled to be relatively strong (i.e., increase of 1000 or 1500 km). These results support a model of demic dispersal from the Near East, as opposed to a model of pure cultural diffusion or sporadic single dispersal events. Table 1. Partial Mantel test results are given as correlation coefficients (r-values) with p-values in parentheses. The results of the Dow-Cheverud tests (Table 2) mirror those of the partial Mantel tests in showing that the continuous dispersal models and the model of restricted gene flow between Mesolithic and Neolithic populations are significantly more likely than the null model (Table 2, left column). In the comparison of pairs of alternative models, the Dow-Cheverud results also show that there is no statistical difference between dispersal models originating in Anatolia or the Levant (i.e., SD Levant = SD Anatolia; CD Levant = CD Anatolia). The results also show that models of continuous dispersal (i.e., CD Anatolia, CD Levant) fit the craniometric data significantly better than single dispersal models (i.e., SD Anatolia, SD Levant). Moreover, a continuous dispersal model from the Levant is significantly more likely than a model of restricted gene flow between Mesolithic and Neolithic populations when distances of 500 km and 1000 km are assumed (see Table 2, right column). Table 2. The Dow-Cheverud test results (p1Z scores and p-values in parentheses) for comparisons of alternative models against the null model (left column) plus comparisons of several alternative models (right column). The results of both the partial Mantel and the Dow-Cheverud tests indicate that the Neolithic and Mesolithic craniometric patterns better fit a model which includes the active dispersal of people (and their genes) from SW Asia, when compared with a neutral model where no such migration(s) occurs. Similarly, modelling the initial spread of farming as once-off single migrations does not explain the craniometric pattern better than the null model of cultural diffusion. Even allowing for a decrease in contact between exogenous farmers and indigenous hunter-gatherers (i.e., the LGF model) does not account for the craniometric affinity pattern as well as a model of continuous dispersal from SE Asia. Currat & Excoffier [46] demonstrated using a series of genetic simulations that even a small percent of genetic admixture between hunters and farmers would result in an extensive amount of pre-Neolithic contribution to the current European gene pool. Our null model of cultural diffusion allows for admixture between Mesolithic and Neolithic populations living contemporaneously under a model of isolation-by-distance. However, the results show that it is more likely that the arrival of farming in Europe was accompanied by the active dispersal of people from SW Asia, which created a barrier to gene flow between hunters and farmers during the period of co-existence. We, therefore, do not rule out some gene flow between hunters and farmers but argue that the craniometric data does not support strong admixture between Neolithic and Mesolithic populations. Our analysis could not resolve the question of the origin of the dispersal process or its most probable timing. A previous craniometric study [47] indicates that its centre of origin may have been central Anatolia, while spatial interpolations of the radiocarbon chronometric Neolithic record suggest a centre of origin in the Levant [7]. However, both regions fall within the primary core region in which agricultural societies first emerged more than three millennia prior to the emergence of farming in SE Europe [48], [49]. Recent archaeological research suggests that the diffusion of agriculture from the core region into SE Europe occurred in several waves. The earliest occurred during the early pre-Pottery Neolithic B (EPPNB) circ. cal. 8550-8150 BC, and involved the maritime colonization of Cyprus [50], and possibly Crete and the Peloponnese [51]. A probable second dispersal is associated with the appearance and diffusion of the Fikirtepe Culture (cal. BC 6450- 5900 [52]), which is characterized by dark surfaced monochrome pottery in sites in western Anatolia, eastern Thrace, and possibly further west into the Balkans [49]. A third dispersal occurred a few centuries later and involved the appearance of burnished red pottery, the use of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic vessels, clay figurines, and other stylistic characteristics. During this dispersal hundreds of new Neolithic sites appear in western Anatolia and the Balkans [49]. Despite the overall uniformity in artefacts and domesticated crops and livestock which were part of the “Neolithic package”, archaeological research reveals some stylistic variations suggesting continuous endemic population movements and trade within and between these regions [53]. These movements would have involved extensive gene flow along the dispersal route from Anatolia to SE Europe. In conclusion, our results indicate that the craniometric data best fit a model of continuous demic diffusion into SE and Central Europe from the SE Asian core region in which agricultural societies first emerged. These results are in agreement with most genetic studies which report a considerable genetic contribution of SW Asian farmers to the modern European gene pool [6], [14], [18], [19], [22], [46]. We found no strong support for significant admixture between contemporaneous Mesolithic and Neolithic populations, or for an indigenous adoption of agriculture by Mesolithic populations as has been proposed by some archaeologists (e.g., [5], [54]) and geneticists (e.g., [16], [26], [55]). Our results illustrate the utility of craniometric data for assessing past population history and highlight the importance of testing hypotheses within a population genetics framework. Our study does not deny or contradict models that propose the existence of regional variability in Europe. In the northern and northwestern regions of Europe the transition to agriculture was possibly more complex and gradual, entailing a larger degree of genetic contribution from indigenous populations [47], [56]. In fact, the evidence amassed from a number of regional case studies indicate that the Neolithic transition process probably involved various demographic and biogeographic mechanisms such as leapfrog colonization, jump dispersals, range expansions, and folk migrations (cf. various contributions in [57]). Future model-bound and simulation analyses of craniometric and genetic data from a wider geographic range will shed more light on these issues. However, our results do not support the assertion that the initial spread of agriculture into Europe proceeded purely as a cultural diffusion event, but instead involved the active dispersal of people from SW Asia. We utilise a set of 116 Mesolithic/Epipalaeolithic and 165 Early Neolithic crania from SW Asia and Europe. These were divided into 15 operational taxonomic units [OTUs] (cf. [41], Figure 1, Table S1), each comprising at least 10 individuals. These OTUs represent samples from biological populations that are defined according to their archaeological, spatial and temporal contexts (Table S1). In all cases, an OTU comprises specimens from a single major archaeological phase. Whenever possible, we construct OTUs using specimens from a single site (e.g., Çatal Höyük, Oleni Ostrov) or specimens from a well defined phase in a given region (e.g., Linienbandkeramik (LBK) East). Sampling was constrained by uneven spatial, temporal and archaeological representativeness of certain phases – for example the Aceramic (Pre-Pottery) sample from the Near East – yet this dataset comprises the best available cranial samples whose archaeological contexts and skeletal preservation facilitate their inclusion in these OTUs. The 15 OTUs provide a secure dataset for testing the contribution of SW Asian early Neolithic farmers to the southeastern and central European gene pool. Craniometric distance matrix The craniometric data comprised 15 standard calliper measurements (see Table S2) taken on samples of skulls representing each of the 15 OTUs described in Table S1. Given the fragmentary nature of many of these archaeological specimens, some of the data were missing from the initial database. Only individual skulls with data present for at least 70% (i.e., 10 measurements) of all measurements were included in the analysis [58]. Missing data were estimated in SPSS v.16, within-sexes and within-OTUs, using a multiple linear regression algorithm. These data were adjusted for individual differences in isometric scaling by dividing each cranial variable by the geometric mean of all variables for that individual [59], [60]. Craniometric distance matrices were generated in RMET 5.0, software written by John Relethford to perform population genetics analysis using quantitative phenotypic traits [61]). Hence, multivariate biological D-matrices (based on a phenotypic analogue of Wright's [62] Fst) were calculated under the assumption that population phenotypic variances are proportional to genetic variances [61], [63]. Constructing model matrices The isolation-by-geographic distance model predicts a positive relationship between increased genetic (and phenotypic) population differentiation and geographic distance [42], [64]. However, the effect of temporal distance between archaeological OTUs is more difficult to model. There is empirical evidence to suggest temporal autocorrelation for craniometric data, implying a positive relationship between temporal distance and craniometric distance within individual archaeological sites [65]. However, the exact parameters of a model of isolation-by-time and space are currently unclear. Given these uncertainties, we base our null model on geographic distance only and employ partial correlations to control for the effects of temporal distance [42]. The null model matrix was subsequently altered to reflect five alternative scenarios of migration and/or restricted gene flow, based on competing hypotheses of whether the spread of farming proceeded primarily as a migration of people (genes) or of culture (Figure 1): Null: The null model is the expected pattern of morphological distance between OTUs if the expansion of farming was largely an acculturation event (Figure 2a). LGF (limited gene flow): As in the null model, farming expands under the parameters of cultural but not genetic diffusion, but this cultural shift causes biological change due to a restriction of gene flow between culturally ‘Neolithic’ and ‘Mesolithic’ OTUs living contemporaneously in Europe (Figure 2b). SD Anatolia (Single dispersal from Anatolia): There was a single human migration from Anatolia (Çatal Höyük) into southeastern Europe, followed by cultural diffusion into central Europe (Figure 1). SD Levant (Single dispersal from Levant): There was a single human migration of Aceramic populations (Levant) into southeastern Europe, followed by cultural diffusion into central Europe (Figure 1). CD Anatolia (Continuous dispersal from Anatolia): There was a human migration from Anatolia (Çatal Höyük) into southeastern Europe, followed by further human migrations into central Europe (Figure 1). CD Levant (Continuous dispersal from Levant): There was a human migration from the Levant into southeastern Europe, followed by further human migrations into central Europe (Figure 1). Geographic distances between all OTUs were calculated in kilometres as great circle distances based on the haversine [66], [67]. Hence, the distance (D) between two points specified by latitudinal (α1, δ1) and longitudinal (α2, δ2) co-ordinates with a central angle of θ between the two points was computed as: Where hav (θ) = sin2 +cos δ1 cos δ2 sin2 and R = radius of earth (6,371 km). As several OTUs were comprised of pooled specimens from different sites (Table S1), all pairwise geographic distances were rounded to the nearest 500 km. Where several sites were combined to create a single OTU, the average geographic coordinate was taken. Temporal distances were calculated, on a pairwise basis between all OTUs, as the square root of the squared differences between chronological estimates provided in Table S1. Table S3 provides the geographic and temporal distance matrices employed in the partial Mantel tests. In order to tests the hypothetical scenarios described in the text, the null model was altered to create seven alternative model matrices, reflecting different migration and/or gene flow processes. The LGF model differs from the null model in assuming that the adoption of Neolithic practices by some European OTUs (4, 5, 6 and 7) caused a barrier to gene flow between these populations and contemporaneous un-acculturated Mesolithic populations (9, 10 and 12). Therefore, the biological distances between OTUs (4–7 and 9, 10 and 12) are modelled as lengthened by either 500, 1000 or 1500 km compared with the ‘null’ distances. In the Single Dispersal (SD) models, farming is spread by a once-off migration of people from Anatolia (OTU 3) or the Levant (OTU2) into Europe thereby decreasing the distances between these OTUs and OTUs 4–7 by either 500, 1000 or 1500 km. The Continuous Dispersal (CD) models hypothesises the spread of farming to result from the dispersal of people from Anatolia (OTU 3) or the Levant (OTU2) into Europe and then the repeated dispersal of people from SE to Central Europe according to Figure 2. This results in a decrease in distance of either 500, 1000 or 1500 km between all pairs of OTUs 3,4,5,6 and 7. The correlations between the craniometric, geographic and temporal matrices were compared statistically using Mantel matrix correlations [68]. As with a standard Pearson correlation, coefficients (r-values) range from −1 (perfect negative correlation) to +1 (perfect positive correlation). However, because matrix elements cannot be considered independent, significance (p-values) was assigned through a randomisation test, where the observed matrix correlation was assessed against a distribution of correlations obtained by 9999 random permutations of the rows and columns of the matrices [43], [69]. The basic Mantel test allows for the comparison of two matrices (X and Y). However, a partial Mantel test can be performed to control for a third matrix (Z). This is achieved by regressing the elements of X and Y onto Z, and using the residuals from the regressions as the input for a standard Mantel test [43]. Here, we employed partial Mantel correlations to assess the fit of the craniometric data to the six alternative models based on a null model of geographic distance, while correcting for temporal distance. Bonferroni correction was applied to the partial Mantel tests, thereby lowering the accepted α-level to 0.017 [34], [37]. Partial Mantel tests were performed in PASSaGE 1.1, freely available from Michael Rosenberg (www.passagesoftware.net). In order to determine whether or not any of the six alternative model matrices differed significantly in their congruence with the craniometric distance matrix, a series of Dow-Cheverud [70] tests were performed. Here, the null hypothesis is that the correlation of A (craniometric distance matrix) and B (Model 1) is equal to the correlation of A and C (Model 2). If the null hypothesis is rejected (p≤0.05), then one model is significantly more likely than the other. In order to control for temporal distance, each of the model matrices and the craniometric distance matrix were regressed onto the temporal distance matrix, and the resultant residual matrices were used as input for the Dow-Cheverud tests. All comparisons were performed in R, employing a code written by the lab of C.C. Roseman. As discussed in detail by Konigsberg [71], all matrix comparisons (Mantel and Dow-Cheverud tests) assume that the biological affinity matrices are known without error. Given that the biological matrices employed here were generated from relatively small samples (10–31 crania per OTU) there is an error inherent to the estimation of the biological relationships between OTUs. Therefore, we add the caveat that all significance values associated with Mantel and Dow-Cheverud tests reported here are minimum values. Table S1. Archaeological samples employed to construct the operational taxonomic units (OTUs). (0.12 MB DOC) Description and codes of craniometric variables employed Null model matrices of geographic distance (km; lower triangle) and temporal distance (years; upper triangle). We wish to thank Stephen Lycett, Tim Weaver, Lyle Konigsberg and an anonymous reviewer for constructive comments which helped improve this manuscript. Data were kindly provided by Winfried Heneke. Software was kindly made available by John Relethford (RMET) and Charles Roseman and Mark Grabowski (R code for Dow-Cheverud tests). Conceived and designed the experiments: RP NvCT. Performed the experiments: RP NvCT. Analyzed the data: RP NvCT. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: RP NvCT. Wrote the paper: RP NvCT. Collected the data: RP. 1. Ammerman AJ, Cavalli-Sforza LL (1971) Measuring the rate of spread of early farming in Europe. Man NS 6: 674–688. 2. 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Smouse PE, Long JC (1992) Matrix correlation analysis in anthropology and genetics. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 35: 187–213. 70. Dow MM, Cheverud JM (1985) Comparison of distance matrices in studies of population structure and genetic microdifferentiation: quadratic assignment. Am J Phys Anthropol 68: 367–373. 71. Konigsberg LW (1997) Comments on matrix permutation tests in the evaluation of competing models for modern human origins. J Hum Evol 32: 479–488. 72. Howells WW (1973) Cranial variation in man: a study by multivariate analysis of patterns of difference among recent human populations. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 259 p. 73. Martin R, Saller K (1957) Lehrbuch der Anthropologie in Systematischer Darstellung, mit Besonderer Berücksichtigung der Anthropologischen Methoden. Bd. I. Stuttgart: Fischer. Is the Subject Area "Europe" applicable to this article? Neolithic period Is the Subject Area "Neolithic period" applicable to this article? Is the Subject Area "Agriculture" applicable to this article? Mesolithic period Is the Subject Area "Mesolithic period" applicable to this article? Is the Subject Area "Mathematical models" applicable to this article? Agricultural workers Is the Subject Area "Agricultural workers" applicable to this article? Is the Subject Area "Archaeology" applicable to this article? Is the Subject Area "Gene flow" applicable to this article?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412643
__label__cc	0.597511	0.402489	Citations 48 The Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure: Development and Initial Validation of a New Tool for Measuring Atopic Eczema Severity From the Patients’ Perspective—Correction Arch Dermatol. 2005;141(3):381. doi:10.1001/archpedi.161.4.356 Omission of Editor’s Note. An Editor’s Note should have been included in the Evidence-Based Dermatology Study by Charman et al titled “The Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure: Development and Initial Validation of a New Tool for Measuring Atopic Eczema Severity From the Patients’ Perspective,” published in the December issue of the ARCHIVES (2004;140:1513-1519). That Editor’s Note is printed here. The journal regrets the error. Leaving its indelible imprints those fine tattoos of living known as poems —Lawrence Ferlinghetti1(p62) Charman and colleagues provide dermatologists with a new, much-needed tool to measure how much atopic dermatitis physically affects patients. The data presented show that this instrument has good psychometric properties (ie, it measures what it is supposed to measure), that it demonstrates these properties with good reliability (ie, when repeatedly measuring a given severity level in a patient, the scores obtained are quite similar), and that it has good sensitivity to change (ie, if the severity level of a given patient changes over time, the change is reflected by a similar change in the instrument). The POEM (patient-oriented eczema measure) provides a disease-specific tool that may complement the dermatology-specific instrument already available. The Symptoms scale of the Skindex-29 questionnaire2 inquires about 7 symptoms (pain, burning/stinging, itch, irritation, hypersensitivity, bleeding, and being bothered by water). Sleep disturbance is also included in Skindex-29, but in the Social Functioning scale. It is quite amazing that a tool that measures how much atopic dermatitis physically affects patients was missing for such an important skin condition. This disregard for patient-centered measurement may reflect the physician’s self-centered way of looking at a patient that italicasizes physical signs and disregards feelings. This inattention to patient feelings is also demonstrable in psoriasis3 : the main dermatology textbooks describe pruritus in psoriasis only in passing and rarely mention other symptoms.3 Such an attitude has negative consequences, not only for the patient’s well-being but also for the patient-physician relationship, and ultimately for the physician’s role. It may affect patient satisfaction, adherence to treatment, and the patient’s return to the same clinical center or office for follow-up visits. Instruments such as the POEM and the Skindex-29 Symptoms scale will certainly be useful in controlled clinical trials, providing a much more comprehensive depiction of the effects of treatment. However, I really wish that these simple, single-page instruments would be used in everyday clinical practice—in reference centers and in private offices—to evaluate a patient’s status and to monitor it over time. Patients could fill out the questionnaires in the waiting room. Then, to score such questionnaires (ie, to obtain a valid, repeatable quantification of a patient’s severity) one need only add up 7 figures that range from 0 to 4 each. This could be done when the patient enters the office or while the patient undresses. Scoring could be managed by nurses or secretaries, but it sounds so easy, even a doctor could do it! Damiano Abeni, MD, MPH Ferlinghetti L. A Far Rockaway of the Heart. New York, NY New Directions Publishing Corp1997; Chren MMLasek RJFlocke SAZyzanski SJ Improved discriminative and evaluative capability of a refined version of Skindex, a quality-of-life instrument for patients with skin diseases Arch Dermatol 1997;1331433- 1440PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref Sampogna FGisondi PMelchi CFAmerio PGirolomoni GAbeni DIDI Multipurpose Psoriasis Research on Vital Experiences Investigators, Prevalence of symptoms experienced by patients with different clinical types of psoriasis Br J Dermatol 2004;151594- 599Google ScholarCrossref The Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure: Development and Initial Validation of a New Tool for Measuring Atopic Eczema Severity From the Patients’ Perspective—Correction. Arch Dermatol. 2005;141(3):381. doi:10.1001/archpedi.161.4.356	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412647
__label__cc	0.704471	0.295529	Tag Archives: Batman What are you? I’m Batman: Batman (1989) So it is time for our Tim Burton movie! Batman: I’m not going to kill you. I want you to do me a favor. I want you to tell all your friends about me. Nic: What are you? Batman: I’m Batman. So I was trying to decide which Tim Burton movie to do next, when I saw this at the library and realized this was perfect as it turns 30 this year. Some of you might not think this counts, as it is a superhero film but I say it does. Yes, first of all every year on abcFamily, now known as freeform, as part of their 13 Night of Halloween they would always show this. So I always associate this film with Halloween. The second reason it counts is because the Joker is chemically changed into a monster, but even without that he is a total psycho-killer. So I grew up watching this film and I just love it. When I think of Batman, to me it is always Michael Keaton or Kevin Conroy. There is no other Batman (although I do recognize Adam West, I just never watched his show until I was older) This is an absolutely amazing film and Keaton is an amazing Batman. So without further ado… We have an amazing opening with fantastic music…oh yeah, Danny Elfman did the music, Tim Burton just loves him. Gotham city-I have always loved how it looked as it was a blend of modern with art deco giving it feeling of being both times and not of the time. So a guy is leaving the theater with his family at night trying to get a taxi. They are tourists and lost. As they walk around the bad side of town, they get mugged, the father getting knocked out. (Although to be honest, it was kind of his fault. Why didn’t he stay in front of the theater?) That’s not good. So one of the robbers look like Kevin Bacon but it is totally a discount Kevin Bacon. So the best part is when Batman creeps up behind the two muggers as they are dividing up the spoils. His cape flying out, creepy and cool. Spooky! He takes them down, so tough and awesome. I know the costume kept him from moving his head right, but it looks so cool. He looks otherworldly. He was supposed to say something else about being justice in the night or so. But Michael Keaton changed it to “I’m Batman”, and it was awesome! He takes those muggers down and flies out. Meanwhile, the mayor is having a news conference with him appointing a new district attorney, Harvey Dent (Billy Dee Williams)-although why isn’t he in the third film? Why did they replace him with first of all, a white guy, and secondly why Tommy Lee Jones? I’m surprised Meanwhile Jack (Jack Nicholson) is a thug watching the conference. I can’t stand Jack Nicholson, he just looks creepy in EVERYTHING. That voice, that smile, it creeps me out. And not in a good way like Vincent Price. He’s talking to his moll, mobster’s gal, about his plans for keeping control of the city. Meanwhile, on the conference they get questioned about “The Bat”, by reporter Knox. No one believes the reporter, and laugh it off. I love how they all wear 1940s clothes! Oh, I just love this movie. They have that film noir, Dana Andrews in Laura vibe going on. It turns out one of the detectives is dirty, on the payroll of Jack. He tells him that D.A. Dent is onto one of their deals, a property, and he needs it to be handled. The cop insults him, but Jack is not having that, he pulls a gun on him. Watch out you are dealing with a psycho. Don’t mess with me! This is why you don’t become involved with bad guys, they can easily kill you. The mayor is trying to take done crime and wants Grissom to go on trial. He wants to bring business back and revitalize the town. Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) meets with Knox, the pressman from earlier. She’s a photojournalist and is interested in this “Bat”. She knows that if they can prove it-it’s pulitzer prize worthy. She wants a piece by trying to get a picture of it. He thinks that he might show up to Bruce Wayne’ social, and she has an invite. Already they are a dynamic duo. Meanwhile, Grissom and Jack are discussing what to do about this Dent. Grissom wants Jack to take care of him. Grissom’s moll comes, and its the dame that Jack was with. Oh it looks like Jack was a naughty boy. I love how Jack wears a purple suit. I like when movies do things like that, setting the stage for what is to come. Plus that suit is sharp, I don’t find him attractive-just creepy-but I can see why she might be into him. Grissom sends Jack out, but I can’t help but feel that there is more to this than mets the eye. Oh yes, he calls up Lt. Eckhardt and it seems he found out about Jack dating his girl and he is on the way out. So the big Casino Night Gala has come. All the bigwigs are there and Knox. Vicki Vale has come too, working the room searching for Bruce Wayne. She taps a guy asking for his help and it is Michael Keaton. Our first look at him. I think I love him as Batman because he is just a regular guy. He’s not ostentatious, he’s not super serious-he’s cool, composed, and just chill. I love it as you don’t realize who he is until later as he is just so normal. Perfect intro and contrast to when we see how awesome he is as Batman. So like I said, it is the perfect intro, but it is weird that these reporters don’t know who he is. He’s a gazillionaire and leading philanthropist in the city. I mean Vale gets a somewhat pass as she has just arrived in the city, but Knox should know! Knox and Vale notice Commissioner Gordon speaking to a police officer. Sensing a story, they try to track him down, but end up in an armory. Bruce Wayne comes in as they eviscerating his collection. I love it. Who are you-Bruce Wayne. He compliments them and I can’t get over it. He’s perfect! You would never ever think a guy like this would dress up as a giant bat and run around the city protecting it. He starts flirting with Vale but has to run off. The two just can’t get him as he seems so odd? But you know what they say, the rich aren’t odd they are “eccentric.” Bruce enters his batcave where he goes over the film he shot of the Commissioner, getting the info on what was going on. I like this version because he actually does detective work, rather than in the Christian Bale version when Morgan Freeman solves everything. Lt. Eckhardt is leading the people who are out to get Jack. Jack, Jack, Jack the first rule of being in a mob, never get with the boss’ gal. Should’ve know. The police shoot them and gunfire starts between the two in a dangerous warehouse full of chemicals. Gordon shows up with his people as he doesn’t trust Eckhardt. He goes over Eckhardt refusing his order shoot to kill as he wants Jack alive to get the goods. Jack destroys the warehouse, steam and bullets flying everywhere. But then Batman descends slowly from nowhere. SO COOOL!!! He uses his batarang to catch one of the criminals. OMG every time I watch this I feel like I go back to the age I was when I first saw this on VHS. I was probably six or seven and after seeing this just thought Batman was SO COOOOL! Still feel this way 20-21 years later. And that music. So COOL!!! Anyways Jack tried to make enough steam to confuse the cops and get out of there, but he didn’t count on the Batman. I love how he flies in his cape flowing so cool! He catches Jack, using his utility belt to get the gun away, but Jack’s man gets Gordon. Jack picks up his gun to shoot Batman, but he’s gone. So COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!! Sorry, I can’t help it, 6-7 year old me just keeps popping out. Jack shoots Eckhardt and tries to get Batman, but accidentally mars his own face, Then oops Barman accidentally knocks him into vat of chemicals, he tries to save him but oops, Jack falls in. Batman throws a fogbomb and is gone! Sooooooooooooo cooooooooooooooool!!!!!!!!!!!!! Vale and Knox are working on the story, but haven’t figured anything out yet. Knox tries to take Vale out, but Wayne asked her first. He invites her to his home for dinner. It always cracks me up- he’s in this ostentatious and gorgeous house, seated at a giant table that could fit 20 and acts like a regular joe. I love it. I love him. Michael Keaton is one of my favorites. He takes her from the dining table to eating in the kitchen instead. There Alfred tells stories-good job Alfred. Doing what a parent would do. Vale shares about herself and her family. Bruce tells her how he doesn’t have any family but Alfred. Vale says this house doesn’t seem him-and she’s right. He’s just too normal, not at all like those typical rich guys. And I love it. So Jack survived his fall and went to the plastic surgeon. The nerves were messed up so the doctor did the best he could, but Jack isn’t happy with it. Grissom is getting ready for bed when Jack walks in. He pretends he’s happy to see him, but Jack’s not buying it. They start him off in the shadows so we don’t see what happened yet. But we know-it’s not going to be good! Grissom reaches for his gun, but Jack has one on him already. He walks into the light and we see-The Joker. White face, green hair, and permanent grin. I think he looks as creepy as he always does. Jack Nicholson is perfect. He always creeped me out when he looked his regular self and does it double as the joker. Vale got drunk and stayed the night. She wakes up and sees Bruce doing upside down exercises? Sleeping like a bat? I’m not sure exactly what he was doing. She takes him to bed, but I personally think I would be weirded out by that. Joker’s thrilled at the death of Grissom but mad that no one in the paper cares about him, even though he’s been the Joker for one night. But any-who, who cares about that logic, he wants fame, glory, and to enact his psychotic vengeance/reality/crime spree on Gotham. The next morning Vale wakes up and invites Bruce out for lunch, but he’s too busy running “errands” We know what that means-Batman Business. Meanwhile, Grissom’s gal gets home and finds Joker, fainting. Joker takes over the mafia. He covers his face with paint and tries to look normal-but still looks creepy. One guy challenges him, and Joker kills him, death by hand buzzer. Wow, love that he stays in theme. Just noticed this boardroom has weird artwork. A lady naked but tied up, her nipples covered by the tie. Then it looks like a nude man’s chest on another wall. Weird art choices. Oh Jack Nicholson is so creepy with that extra creepy laugh and creepiness on the side. Knox is jealous that Vale was with Bruce, while she’s mad because she thinks Bruce just slept with her and then is going to ignore her. She finds nothing in the newspaper files as to who he is-weird as a gazillionaire there should be a gazillion clips- and then she decides to sneak over to his house and follow him. He is walking down the street, bringing two roses outside an old hotel building. Aw. I know why he does it, but Vale is confused. Who is this guy? What is he doing? Why toss out expensive roses. Meanwhile, the court trial of Grissom has stalled as no one can find him. Bruce goes to the courthouse when a guy announces he’ll be taking over his business. As he watches the exchange a mime shows up, then another one. Odd. But are they just mimes? Never trust a mime. They are evil. Then the Joker shows up and challenges the guy trying to take over Grissom’s business. He has a feather pen and uses it to stab and kill him He walks down the stairs in a top hat, spats, and shiny shoes. Man, I love that this joker has style. I like this better than today’s constant brooding , chaos, evil blah blah blah. Blah, blah I just love how he acts. Meanwhile, Bruce spots Vale and storms off angry that she followed him. The Joker’s angry that after his big show stopper number no one cares about him, they just care about the bat. I love it. I love him as the Joker. He is so evil and fun. They don’t make villains like that now. They are all so serious, brooding, and stiff. OMG, Bruce has an amazing library! It’s going on my next library list! Alfred tries to get Bruce to call Vale as she lifts his spirits, but Bruce is all business. He needs to take this joker down! Vale calls Knox and gets him to check out the alley Bruce laid the roses on. She know it has to mean something but what? Meanwhile, the Joker starts checking out the photos from the guy he had follow the reporters and falls for Vicki Vale. He wants her as his new gal. Mh my goodness, I love his one liners. Back at the Chemical factory, Joker starts working on his master evil plan. We switch to the news, Action News, who bring up a story of models dying. They became allergic to something? But what? Three more mysterious deaths at a beauty parlor? Then the female news anchor starts going crazy laughing. She faints and is dead too. Meanwhile, Joker cuts in to the broadcast. He reveals that he has poisoned all the makeup. and he doesn’t just reveal his plan on TV. He does his own infomercial. THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He does an infomercial about his evil plan of poisoning makeup. Bruce looks into Jack Napier, the Joker. He has an interesting backstory, since 25 his rap sheet has started but he also has studied art, art history, and chemistry. The next day we see the news anchors with no makeup. Its hilarious! They look tired and haggard a major difference from the day before. The mayor still wants to celebrate the city’s bicentennial, even though there is a mad man and batman. Crazy mayor. Ah, Bruce is wearing a cable knit sweater. I love men in sweaters. So Vale goes to meet Bruce at the art museum, but it was actually a set up so the Joker could get to her. Bruce only found out when Vale called to let him know she would be running late. She waits, and waits but no Bruce shows up. However, a package does saying urgent in child’s scrawl. I know Jack probably wasn’t the best student but he really needs to work on an adult handwriting. It is a gas mask and she quickly puts it on as the museum is filled with noxious gas that knocks everyone out. Joker shows up in a purple coat, purple chef hat, a posse, one dude with a boombox playing music as he robs the museum. I LOVE IT! This film. I can’t get over it! This Joker is awesome and the kind of crazy, illogical, chaos that I love. They don’t steal the art but destroy it. He switches his dance music to “romance”. He looks at her portfolio and call it crap. Wow, you sure know how to romance a lady. The only one he does like is of the dead body. He knows real art as he is: “Joker: I am the world’s fully functional homicidal artist.” Can you imagine if you had the Joker, Norman Bates as his mother, Jason, Michael Myers, and the other psychos all stuck together in a therapy group. Someone needs to make this into a film or short. Joker’s former girlfriend comes wearing her mask, her face marred from the Joker as “a living piece of art”. Jack questions Vale about Batman. I can’t get over his one liners! “Vicki Vale: You’re crazy. Joker: I thouht I was a pisces.” He tries to get her to spill on batman and almost sprays acid on her face. Just when all hope seems lost, Batman comes crashing through and swings Vale to safety, crashing out the doors. SOO COOOL! OMG, that Batmobile! Sigh. SOOOOOOOOO COOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!!!!!!! I got to see it person at the Ca State fair once. It’s Amazing! The Joker’s people drive a purple car with a green top. I just love how committed he is to his theme. I miss stuff like that in modern superhero films. Vale and Batman ditch the car, shield coming up it as he can’t drive through the street. Vale tosses her shoes and they run for it. Batman and Vale face an alley with no way out. He asks her how much she weighs, not cool batman. He sends her up to safety and stays behind to fight the guys. They shoot him, and one guy says “Who’s this guy?” The one guy says to check his wallet. Like Batman is really going to by carrying a wallet or a credit card or something. Flashes to Batman and Robin I know I made that joke on purpose. Anyways, his body armor protects him and he take these goons out. AWESOME fight scene!!!!! Vale photographs the whole thing, although where was she carrying her camera. Her bag was tiny, but whatever. Batman calls his ride and Batman tells her she weighs more than 108 lbs, Haha. That makes me laugh. They car picks them up and they drive out to the Nightmare Before Christmas wood Seriously with the Elfman soundtrack I expect to see the gate to Halloween land. Batman drives off in silence, leaves flying as he races down the highway. SOO COOOOOL!!!!!! I love how Vale is totally creeped out. Like adrenaline and fear kept her going, but now she’s like I don’t know this dude he could be taking me to his torture cave. She’s seriously freaked out. Batman takes her to the batcave which is a dumb idea. You don’t take a reporter to your secret cave. In fact as a superhero you shouldn’t date a reporter! Especially one who is investigating both of you-superhero and secret identity. Batman’s Achilles heel. Seriously dude! He reveals what he knows as he wants her to print it. I love how he hides in the shadows. I love how Vicky is curious but uncertain. The screen fades to black and bats and Vale wakes up passed out on her bed. Did he drug her? Not cool bats. She gives the newspaper what Batman gave her and its printed. Deodorants with baby powder, lipstick, and hairspray are all infected. Joker is not so angry but hurt that Batman figured it out. I love it! I love this movie. Sorry Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Zach Synder, and others. This movie is better than yours. Sorry, not sorry! Bruce goes to see Vale who gives him a cool reception. She was saved by Batman and you didn’t call after your night. She’s kinda over you. This sucks for superheroes they are always competing with themselves for a girl. Bruce tries to tell Vale about his “secret life” but it sounds like he is a creep or bipolar or has a weird love/torture room thing. This scene is so funny. He is speaking gibberish and just sounds crazy . I love it. You know Vale is really nice, I would just been like you’re crazy get your butt outta here. But before he can make any sense, someone rings the doorbell. The Joker shows up and is angry that she has a “boyfriend”. He tells Joker off and insulting him, egging him on, distracts him and pulls the fireplace poker out. The Joker: Tell me something, my friend. You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? Bruce Wayne: What? The Joker: I always ask that of all my prey. I just… like the sound of it. [shoots him] And the Joker shoots him. Bruce is dead! Joker says goodbye and Vale cries, she dressed appropriately in black. How did she know a death would come? But when she turns around Bruce is gone, her silver tray on the ground. He put it under his shirt and used it as armor. SOOOO COOOL! And definitely a nod to the 39 Steps. Vale opens the box and there is a Jack in the box hand with dead flowers. She goes to the newspaper office and Knox reveals Bruce’s sad backstory to Vale. Meanwhile, Bruce is in he batcave. That saying that the Joker told him rally shook him up. He starts looking through the file on his parents. Hmm…how does this connect? (I know how I just like asking rhetorical questions) Joker cuts into the broadcast again. “You guys have said some really mean things, some of which are true.” He has the best one liners. He announces that a midnight he will dump $20 million on the city. He announces this in PBS Masterpiece Theater style in a fancy old fashioned armchair and sweater vest. This guy. He calls out Batman to meet him and basically challenges him to a duel. We then see a flashback of Bruce and his parents coming home from the theater. Why they are walking and don’t have a car waiting when they are uber rich I don’t know. That makes the least bit of sense actually in all of this. Why walk down an alley. Why not have a car waiting? How does this make any sense?!! They get approached by a thug who steals his mother’s pearls and another who shoots them dead. The shooter asks Bruce: “The Joker: You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?” It was him, it was Jack. That guy looks just like that guy. Vale storms to the batcave. How she figured it out when she is like the worst reporter, I don’t know. And like I said THIS IS WHY YOU DO’T DATE REPORTERS INVESTIGATING YOU OR BRING THEM TO YOUR SECRET HIDEOUT!!! This was always my least favorite part. I love you stop doing this blah, blah. Vale you hardly know him. He dresses in epic fashion. Gets going in his batmoblie, and speeds down to the warehouse, shoot the door down SOOOO COOOOOOOOL!!!! Batmobile drops a bomb, and all are taken out at the factory. Batmobile continues down the fire and smoke. The factoy is destroyed, but the Joker is in a helocopter. The Joker holds his own parade with ’80s music blasting. He dances on his float, OMG I love how the Joker has style. I love this movie. Like seriously, he is Ferris Buellering it up, while his minions toss money int the street. But it isn’t real money, it is bills with his face on them. Which means, he must have some kind of evil plan, but what? Joker says he giving money but where is Batman, and boom here he comes, flying overhead. Everyone puts masks on releasing noxious fumes from one of his balloons. Vicky gets good pics While everyone is going crazy. Luckily Knox has a mask in his trunk and a baseball bat as he goes after the minions. He puts Vicky in the car, but that can’t really help her as air gets in the car. She should be going crazy too. It’s not like a car is air proof. She realizes this and drives off, hitting Knox and knocking him onto the hood, and into trash cans. Knox gets a cut on the side of his face. Ouch. Dang Vale. Batman goes flying into the parade taking the balloons with him. Joker is seriously hurt that he stole his balloons. This cracks me up. I love this movie. He so upset after Batman shoots his “number one guy” he needs a minute or two alone. OMG he cracks me up. Batman goes flying down, missiles launched taking out the float. He launches it into Joker then misses because he has honor. Joker pulls a gun out and shoots Batman from the sky with his giant gun. His plan crashes and Vale goes charging after him. The plane is destroyed and Joker takes his giant shotgun, and Vale up into the church. But Batman is alive, it takes more than bullets, crashed plane, fire, and a possible concussion to stop him (just kidding about concussion, he wears a helmet.) Batman goes after them and knocks all the pews down in the church. Like this does nothing to help Vicky and to be honest it is kinda a jerky thing to do as the ushers are going to have to pick them all up next church service. The joker forces Vicky up the staircase, like out of Vertigo, Batman follows, the police behind him. Joker has her in the belltower, and shoots acid at the bell causing it to crash down and destroy the stairs. The police won’t save her, but Batman isn’t going to let a thing like no stairs stop him. He’s Batman! The police shine their searchlights at the top of the old church. Now it is time for the final showdown between Joker and Batman. One minion really gets the punches in there and throws him over, but he’s batman, he uses his utility belt to get up and knock that guy over. Joker continues dancing while batman stalks by. Vale spots him and distracts the Joker by kissing him. You’re so powrful and purple, I love purple. She ducks down and is she…? But Batman comes storming in. Joker says you made me, but Batman counters with you made me. He pits glasses on and says you wouldn’t hit a guy with glasses. He manages to push both Vale and batman over the edge. They are hanging on the side of the building. Is this he end? Joker steps on the church’s old bricks trying to get it come crashing down on the two. His helicopter comes and it looks like it is the end. Batman has one more thing, he shoots a batarang that gets the joker caught on a gargoyle. They can’t pull him up and when they pull the gargoyle out, ouch as it is pulling down on is leg. Joker can’t hold the weight, slips, and goes crashing down. So does the church roof, but Batman and Vale are saved. The police gather around Joker’s body and that’s his end of the reign of terror. At the next press conference, thy reveal Batman gave them the bat signal to call him if they were ever in need. Vale walks off and looks up to the sky, then sees her man’s butler in his fancy car. And that is the amazing Batman (1989) And just cause: To start Horrorfest VIII from the beginning, go to Count Dracula the Propagator of This Unspeakable Evil Has Disappeared. He Must Be Found and Destroyed!: Horror of Dracula (1958) For more Batman, go to Man-Bat: On Leather Wings, Batman the Animated Series (1992) For more Tim Burton films, go to Once, There Was Even a Man Who Had Scissors for Hands: Edward Scissorhands (1990) For more film-noir, go to This Is Fate We’re Talking About, and If Fate Works At All, It Works Because People Think That THIS TIME, It Isn’t Going to Happen!: Dead Again (1991) For more Nostalgia Critic, go to Ever Heard of the Tommyknockers?: The Tommyknockers (1993) Posted in Horrorfest VIII Tagged 13 Nights of Halloween, abcFamily, Adam West, Aladdin, Alfred Pennyworth, Art Deco, Batcave, Batman, Batman (1989), Batmobile, Billy Dee Williams, Bruce Wayne, Casino Night Gala, Commissioner Gordon, Court Trial, Danny Elfman, Detective, Dynamic Duo, Film-Noir, freeform, Gotham, Gotham City, Harvey Dent, I'm Batman, Jack Nicholson, Joker, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Conroy, Kim Basinger, Lt. Eckhardt, Masterpiece Theater, Michael Keaton, News Conference, Nostalgia Critic, PBS, Psycho-Killer, Pulitzer Prize, The 39 Steps, The 39 Steps (1935), The Joker, Tim Burton, Tommy Lee Jones, Vertigo, Vicki Vale October 1, 2019 by Moreland Count Dracula the Propagator of This Unspeakable Evil Has Disappeared. He Must Be Found and Destroyed!: Horror of Dracula (1958) Since the death of Jonathan Harker Count Dracula the propagator of this unspeakable evil has disappeared. He must be found and destroyed! So typically when I begin Horrorfest I always start and end with a movie I love. As my drama teacher always said “you want to start and end hot. The middle can be a failure but you want them going in to love it, and exiting to love it.” This year I had a really hard time choosing a film to start with. I really wanted to do something from the 1940s, like Rebecca, The Phantom of the Opera (starring Claude Raines), or The Return of the Vampire, etc- but this year the pick needs to be from the 1950s. I also really wanted to start off with a Gothic film to honor Catherine Morland. Eventually I decided on Horror of Dracula, as the Christopher Lee & Peter Cushing films are iconic, gothic, and not the classic classic monster films-but are Classic monster films. This was called Dracula in England, but in the US it had to be changed to the Horror of Dracula as they still showed Dracula (1931) in theaters. The only thing it, I have ever seen it before. In fact don’t think I’ve reviewed any Hammer films yet, I didn’t grow up watching them but the classic universal films instead. I hope this goes well! So as the film begins the credits rolls, and as I look at them I notice in the credits Michael Gough. I feel like I saw that name recently in something I watched… I know he played Mr. Bennet in version of Pride and Prejudice, but that’s not what I’m thinking of. Then it hits me! He’s Alfred in Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman and Robin. Anyways, we see a crypt! As we zoom into the tomb we spot a tomb and the coffin of Dracula! But then blood squirts on it-weird. We then move to the diary of Jonathan Harker. It is May 3, 1885. A carriage brings Jonathan to Castle Dracula as Jonathan narrates. He is going to see Dracula as he wants to make good money to marry his fiance. Majorly Yes, it turns out that this is not like the original novel, but that Jonathan has come to the Castle under false pretenses. He’s there for another plan-to hunt slay Dracula. You could say he is Harker the Vampire Slayer! The castle seemed fine in the warm afternoon sun, normal except no birds. Now I’m not a fan of birds, you know-but even I know thats not good. That is not good, The house is nice but I wish it was in black and white. It’s not so creepy when you see it in color, especially all the bright red. I mean look how creepy this is: And then Dracula is not even there to greet him! What, no awesome scene?!? So if you have been following me for a while, you know how I feel about remakes and sequels: And so far I’m not liking the changes. I’m not happy Jonathan does find a note from Dracula, after all he is a gentleman: My Dear Harker, I am sorry I was unable to meet you. Eat well, make yourself comfortable. Jonathan eats and it actually reminds me of Beauty and the Beast, the original fairytale when he is left a note by the castle owner. As he looks around the castle he meets a beautiful woman who begs him to take her awry from here. Jonathan introduces himself as the librarian come to catalog Dracula’s books. In this Jonathan is a librarian and not solicitor/real estate agent? I know I should be upset at the change but all I can think is that I’ll be able to add another library to my list. So the woman runs off when Dracula (Christopher Lee) comes. This portrayal of Dracula is very interesting-he seems normal, and a regular guy. He is helpful by picking up his luggage and shows him to his room, him a count! I have to admit I like his portrayal. It’s not Lugosi, but its not bad. I mean when Lugosi entered the room, you were instantly freaked out as something was not quite right in the castle. With Lee, nothing seems off about him. He is polite, kind-the perfect employer. It is a nice way to lull you in (I mean it is Dracula, I know he’s bad). Dracula shows Harker to his room and leaves, as he has to go out of town. Harker starts unpacking and the first thing he puts out is a picture of Mina, aw! Dracula return to give him a key to the library, when he spots a picture of Harker’s fiancé, Lucy?? LUCY!!! What’s the heck? It’s supposed to be MINA!!! Ugh Ugh! You can’t even get the names right. After Dracula leaves, Harker sees his room is locked and he cant get out!!! Harker starts to write in his journal-it’s weird because obviously something is not right in this home, but you still trust Dracula as Christopher Lee plays him so open. That night Harker is drowsing when something is at his door. He can see the handle twisting! When he checks it he sees that it is unlocked so he walks out and downstairs to the library. There he finds the woman who begs him to help her! Jonathan Harker: You make it very difficult for me. After all, I’m a guest here. If I’m to help you, I must have a reason. Woman: A reason! You ask for a reason? Is it not reason enough that he locks me up in this house, holds me against my will? You can have no idea what an evil man he is… or of the terrible things he does! He questions her more, but she can tell him nothing. Now this is very well done. I mean, like I said in the 1931 version Dracula is creepy from the beginning. In this, Dracula has bee so open and kind so when she says he’s evil you kind of feel unsure what to believe, as what she said and what we have seem of him don’t match up. (Except for you know, he’s Dracula) Harker promises to help her and hugs her to comfort her, when she then goes right for his neck. She bites him, but Harker is saved when Dracula storms into the room. Dracula and his Vampire bride fight with each other, as she wants Jonathan and Dracula wants him to be let alone. Harker tries to help her, while Dracula throws him off choking him until he is knocked out. He then carries his bride off through a secret door in the library bookshelves. The next morning Harker wakes up in his room The door is locked from the utside and he cant get out. Was it all a dream? No, he has the bite marks with bright red blood on his neck. Yeah the blood doesn’t look right. I think this would have been better in black and white. He pulls his journal out of the chest of draws (which is pretty cool, it has all these different sizes on it.) He writes that he has become a victim of Dracula and prays that he will not become one of them and that if he fails, someone with the knowledge to do what is necessary will release his soul. He decides to do what he has set out to do. He’s on a search to find the resting place of Dracula and destroy him! He hides his journal in a hedge and then goes looking for Dracula’s tomb. As he walks around the set, it reminds me of the Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf film I watched last year. Harker finds the tomb, the girl is there as well. He unrolls his package which holds a stake and mallet to put the girl out of her misery. He should have done Dracula first instead of the girl so she wouldn’t wake him up. Dumb. Night falls and the woman’s screams awaken Dracula. The girl turns into an old lady as she is now dead. Harker turns to stake Dracula, but he is GONE!!! Always do the Prince of Darkness first boy. Who mentored you?? Wait a sec…they aren’t going to kill Harker are they? The scene fades out so I am not sure if they locked him up in the tomb, or if Dracula killed him. Back in the village pub a man walks in with aristocratic features and fancy gentlemen clothes who asks about Mr. Harker. It is Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) who questions the pub owners but they claim to know nothing. The pub owner warns Van Helsing to get out of these strange parts, but Van Helsing won’t give up. The waitress, however, takes pity on him and Harker and gives Van Helsing the Harker’s diary that was found. Van Helsing goes up to Dracula’s castle and sees a black hearse carriage carrying off a white coffin. This is obviously Dracula taking off. Van Helsing goes into the castle searching for Harker, but finds him nowhere. He does find his room which has ben horribly disturbed. And the picture of Lucy (it should be MINA), is gone! Oh no-Dracula took it! That means he has some nefarious purposes! Van Helsing finds the tomb and steps inside. The dead female vampire is there, and Harker!???!! He’s a vapmire?!!!!!! vampire???!!!!!! (sorry I was in such shock I couldn’t spell) WHATTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!! But, but, but the story! What’s going to happen? Aww, Van Helsing picks up the stake and mallet and has to take care of his friend. That’s heartbreaking. Van Helsing returns to tell Lucy that Harker died, but she is ill so he meets with her brother Arthur Holmwood (Michael Gough) and Mina (Melissa Stribling). Arthur doesn’t believe him-he finds everything suspicious. He is angry as they should have been told sooner. Now this seems odd to me. Grief makes you angry, I know, but he seems to extra hate him. Van Helsing gives them the death certificate and is sent out. Arthur’s wife tries to calm him down and they go to see Lucy. Poor Lucy! She has been ill and can’t wait for Jonathan to return. But he won’t be. So when I was watching this I began counting off all the things they changed in this film. But I guess if they were competing with Dracula (1931) and Return of Dracula (1958), you want to do something new. After Mina and Arthur leave, Lucy gets up. Is she faking being ill? Lucy goes to her window and opens the door, allowing the wind and leaves in. She then takes off her cross necklace, NOOOO don’t do that! And then waits in bed for her vampire lover. Van Helsing is going through Harker’s diary while listening to his notes on killing vampires.This listening to his list is mostly for us-1) They can’t handle light, they can’t go out, 2) Garlic, they can’t stand it, and 3) The crucifix, the crucifix protects the human being but reveals the vampire or the vampire victim. Van Helsing is determined to go and find & destroy Dracula! Meanwhile, Dracul at this moment is with Lucy in her bed. He pulls up his cape and fade out. Dr. Seward has been trying to help but is puzzled by why she is getting sicker. They think it is just anemia, and all I can think is too bad women wore such high collars or else they would spot the fang marks. Mina Holmwood goes to see Van Helsing and confides her worries about Lucy. She was afflicted 10 days ago, the same time when Jonathan died… Van Helsing goes to see Lucy, and spots the wounds on her neck right away. Mina noticed the wounds on the neck too, but thought she was stung by something. Van Helsing tells Mina to leave the windows shut at night and to put Garlic flowers at the window and by her bed. He warns Mina to do what he says or else Lucy will die. Lucy, however, doesn’t want them and begs the housekeepr Gerta to remove the flowers and to open the windows, and of course Gerta listens, NOOOOOO!!! The next day Lucy is dead. Gerta admits she opened the widow and took the plants away. Arthur, however, doesn’t blame her. Instead he blames Van Helsing as he can’t stand him. But why blame Van Helsing? If anything, why not blame the doctor who was supposed to be treating them? Van Helsing gives Arthur the diary to read so he can know the truth, and walks out. That night the couple is grieving when a policeman comes with Tonya, Gerda’s daughter. Tonya tell Mina that Lucy was walking with her and then someone came and she took off. That night arthur goes to the crypt and Lucy is GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So this movie has strayed heavily from the book and I have no clue what will happen next, beside of course Dracula and Van Helsing will eventually fight. That night Tonya goes off with Lucy, who called to her. Lucy has giant fangs, but Tonya doesn’t see them. Arthur goes looking around, confused Then spots Lucy with Tonya. I like how she glides-unearthly walking. Lucy tries to get Arthur, but Van Helsing is there! He puts the cross on Lucy’s forehead and it burns her. She runs into the crypt, with Arthur following. Van Helsing gives Tonya his coat and the crucifix as he goes after Arthur. Van Helsing wants to let Lucy roam free to find Dracula, but Arthur won’t have that. So Van Helsing sends Tonya home with Arthur and then when he returns Van Helsing prepares to make sure she will not walk again but rest. Arthur: [Van Helsing prepares to stake Lucy] Is there no other way? It’s horrible. Doctor Van Helsing: Please try and understand this is not Lucy the sister you loved. It’s only a shell possessed and corrupted by the evil of Dracula. To liberate her soul and give her peace we must destroy that shell for all time. Believe me there is no other way. So vampires are supposed to be staled through the heart, but here he does it under her left breast. Poor Arthur hes traumatized by the screams of his sister. So now that he does not have a bride, Dracula will be on the hunt for another. Arthur reads Harker’s diary and decides to join Van Helsing to stop the evil. The first thing they need to do is find Dracula. The vampire must rest in his own soil during the day. They must travel to the border to discover where the coffin was going. They leave Mina alone as they travel off. Poor Mina. I hope Dracula doesn’t come after her. Later that evening, long after the men have left a boy comes to the l door with a message-Arthur says to go to 49 Fredricks Street. Okay I actually am not sure what street he said and I couldn’t find it online, but that’s what it sounded to me. Uh, oh. We know it not the guys, that means it must be: So over at Customs on the border, Van Helsing is arguing with the clerk, but Arthur has had enough of that and just bribes him. 49 Fredricks Street! Oh no, the same address given to Mina! The mortician’s address! The perfect place to hide a coffin. Mina searches for Arthur, which really shouldn’t she be more suspicious? Why would her husband send her to a mortuary? Especially one that is closed? She searches the mortuary and finds the coffin, Dracula poking out. Arthur and Van Helsing return home but Mina isn’t there. They find her, but she’s pale, not herself, and covering her neck! She must have been bitten too. The two go to the morticians but the coffin is GONE!!!!!!!!!!! They return to the house unsure where he went. He could be anywhere. Mina questions them but they tell her nothing! Jerks, maybe if you gave her the whle story she wouldn’t have been running to mortuaries and getting bit. Arthur is worried and gives her a cross to wear, but when she touches it she faints! It leaves a burn mark in her hand-she has been bit. Arhthur is angry, but this time at himself. He knows he should have listened to Van Helsing. They decide to leave her alone and watch for Dracula. That night they wait and watch. That night all is quiet, so when they head indoors to check on Mina they are shocked to find her dead! What they be killing everybody! I am super into this movie and have no clue where it is going next! Oh no, she’s still okay, they give her a blood transfusion. You know for a Dracula movie, we don’t sped a lot of time with Dracula. It’s very different, but not in a bad way, as we focus on Ven Helsing and Dracula becomes more shadowy and unknown. He only talks to Jonathan Harker in this making it only a few lines of dialogue. Although I definitely prefer that over Dracula 2000. I hate that movie. After the transfusion Van Helsing makes Arthur go downstairs to get something to drink. Didn’t he just HAVE a transfusion-have Gerda fetch him some, or you go get him something. He should not be walking. Both the men are shocked how Dracula could have gotten in, they were watching all the entrances and never spotted him. Arthur is convinced he can shape-shift, but Van Helsing assures him that is not the answer. Then what is? They ask Gerda to fetch another bottle of wine, but she refuses as she doesn’t want to go down the the cellar, Mina told her not to. The answer hits Van Helsing and he goes running down there and finds the coffin, BUT ITS EMPTY!!!! Dracla has outsmarted them, he’s awake and he’s trapped Van Helsing in! Arthur gets Van Helsing out but they are too late as Dracula has carried Mina off! Vn Helsing knows they have him on the run and with them having his coffin, the only Dracula can go is home to his castle they are off! Back at the castle, Dracula digs a grave for Mina and throws her in, like she’s a doll, even though she’s still alive, Arthur and Helsing get there just in time. This film really gets you going! Dracula goes running up the stair followed by Helsing. But the house is vast with many nooks and crannies and secret passage ways. Sidenote: Except for the vampire trying to make you undead, this would be an awesome place to live! Anyways, Helsing finds him and Dracula starts choking him. Helsing passes out! And Dracula is going to bit him but, oh no Helsing faked it. The music is pumping along to bring the excitement as Helsing runs for the curtains and pulls them aside-causing the sun to come in and Dracula to turn to dust! Dracula tries to stop him, but Van Helsing makes a crucifix out of candlesticks and stops him. Ew, thisscene is great and crazy, like Indiana Jones. With the vampire that turned her dead, Mina is back to normal. And the evil is dead. …or is it? I know the DVD I rented from the library has four Dracula films so he must come back. You can’t kill evil after all… So what’d I think? I really liked it! You know me, I’m not one for you know remakes, but I enjoyed this a lot. It strayed heavily from the book. But I guess with something that has been around a while and remade constantly you have to do something to make it surprising. I actually liked how we focused so much on Van Helsing, and I liked Michael Gough assisting as Arthur. I’m interested in watching the other films but I won’t be reviewing them this Horrorfest, I already have the whole month planned out. It wouldn’t be Horrorfest without our facebook banner: So this kicks off the beginning of Horrorfest ViII. I hope you enjoy it and the spooks, thrills, and chills that are to come. For more Dracula adaptations, go to Dracula. Not Myth, Nor Ravings of a Mad Irish Novelist, Oh No, He’s Real: Dracula 2000 (2000) For more vampires, go to I’d Risk My Life to Save Yours: Earshot, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1999) For more Van Helsing, go to I Bid You Welcome: Dracula (1931) For more Peter Cushing, go to One of Our Guests is a Werewolf, I Know It.: The Beast Must Die (1974) For more remakes, go to Did the Niece Poison Mrs. Harlowe?: The House of the Arrow (1953) Or adieu in this case! Tagged Arthur Holmwood, Batman, Batman and Robin, Batman Forever, Batman Returns, Catherine Morland, Christopher Lee, Count Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf, Dr. Van Helsing, Dracula, Gothic, Gothic Film, Hammer Films, Horror of Dracula, Horrorfest, Horrorfest VIII, Jonathan Harker, Journal, Librarian, Lucy Holmwood, Melissa Stribling, Michael Gough, Mina Holmwood, Peter Cushing, Rebecca (1940), Remake, Slayer, The Phantom of the Opera (1943), The Return of the Vampire, Vampire, Vampire Bite, Vampires, Van Helsing Every Three Thousand Years, the Stars Align. Unleashing an Army of Monsters: TMNT (2007) Every three thousand years, the stars align. Unleashing an army of monsters. If you’ve been following me you’ve read this already, but for the new readers I’m giving a little background as to why I choose a TMNT film. If you have seen it already, feel free to skip ahead So this is our second installment of four reviews of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ films. So I know those of you who haven’t been following me, and have stumbled upon this post are probably really confused. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? As a horror film? NO WAY. I know you are all saying to yourselves, hey this is a superhero movie, not a horror film. Au contraire, you see the turtles are radioactively enhanced to be larger; agile, smarter, etc. In fact the only thing that separates them from other radioactively changed creatures: such as the ants in Them, the giant spider in the Tarantula, or even Godzilla. They choosing to use their abilities for good and be superheroes doesn’t change the fact of how they were made. So last week I started with the 2014 film as it contained a lot of horror film components, as these turtles are engineered in a lab instead of accidentally created, just like Frankenstein. Today we are doing the 2007 version/remake. In this one we have a lot of horror film components, I mean we have giant stones turning into monsters and trying to destroy New York City. So no use waiting around: So as you know I hate remakes and sequels. I was not excited about this film coming out at all. It’s going to suck. I just knew I would hate it. But my nephew loved the film and wanted me to watch it with him when it came out. What are you gonna do? It’s family! But I was right. It was horrible. So the film starts off with long narration about an Aztec warrior finding a portal to another dimension granting him immortality but his generals were turned to stone. It also released 13 monsters, everything from Bigfoot to the Jersey Devil. Flashforward to present times, after the defeat of the Shredder, the turtles have broken up. Yes…I’ll get to that later. So Leonardo was sent to central America to train to be a leader and hasn’t returned. Since then, the remaining turtles have been working Yes…I know. More later. With Raphael doing vigilante things at night. April is working as a relic acquirer And not a reporter Yes…I know. More later. She runs into Leonardo and convinces him to come back. He does and him and Raphael fight all the time. OVERDONE April delivers the statue she find to the uber rich Max Winters, makes me think of Shreck from Batman Returns, and he hires the Foot clan to hunt down the 13 monsters. The Generals awaken and help hunt down the monsters, but when they discover they won’t be immortal with all 13, they want to betray Winters. Thanks to Casey, they’ve discovered the Aztec warrior is Winters and try to help him. Meanwhile Leonardo hates the vigilante Raphael is secretly, and tries to stop him. When he finds out it is Raphael, the two fight and Leonardo ends up getting captured by the generals as the 13 monster. And in the end they save the day, destroy the monsters, and reunite. So why did I hate it? Let’s count down! 1) CGI The CGI was horrible. They looked awful and boxy and just bad. I would have preferred 2D. I mean look at Casey, his whole face and body, just no. Not the right one. And it’s not like CGI was still working out the kinks. I mean you had some good stuff like Ratatouille, Meet the Robinsons, I mean even the dumb movies like The Bee Movie and Alvin and the Chipmunks had good CGI. This was just bad. 2) Instead of the Turtle Background We are Focusing on Aztec Warrior Meets Monsters Meets Multiple Dimensions I know this is so strange. They give the turtle background as to who they are, how they were created, and such like three lines! Three LINES! Four turtles. Four brothers. Genetically reborn in the sewers of New York. Named after the Renaissance masters and trained as ninjas. And then we are supposed to give our attention to this Yactl or whatever, his generals turning into stone, immortality gift, blah blah… Our full attention? I PAID TO SEE A TURTLE FILM!!! I WANT THE TURTLES!!! It is so stupid! It makes no sense!!!! I mean really, out of all the comic written, this is the back story you want to give us???!!! OUT OF EVERYTHING??? Who was paid to write that? If it had been up to me, as soon as I read that, they would have been FIRED!!! 3) Why Was the Main Warrior Not Turned to Stone? So how come Yactl was not turned to stone but all the generals were? They never really seem to explain why he was the only one given the immortality. Then again maybe they did, but my mind glazed over when I had to pay attention to the most non-turtle Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle film. Yes film you are so bad you are forcing me to reference not just the Master of Disguise, but its stupidest scene to talk about how I feel. 4) The Turtles are Split Up Hey guys let me point you to the title of the comics and the films: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Yes did you get that? TurtleS!!!!!!! TurtlesSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU CAN’T EVEN GET THAT RIGHT!!!!!! THERE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MORE THAN ONE TURTLE FIGHTING!!! Yes, they split the turtles up and send Leonardo to South America, why I don’t know. It’s dumb, it makes no sense, just argh!. They are supposed to be a team! When I paid for my ticket I paid to see four turtles not one on his own. And it makes no sense why they would split them up? Like seriously, who wanted that. Did any of these people read the comics or watch the TV show/films. I mean seriously!!! Let’s move on… 5) April is Not a Reporter but Tomb Raider April is not a reporter… Yes April is not a reporter… April is not a reporter but a tomb raider… Yes no matter how many times I say it, it still sounds dumb. Why isn’t she a reporter? I mean how could she even go from reporter to tomb raider. It’s not like she’s an archeologist or anthropologist, or knows any of that stuff at all. And I SHE’S SUPPOSED TO BE A REPORTER!!!!! And to ease the suckage of this film 6) The Turtles Have Jobs WHAT! The TURTLES have JOBS?!!!!!! Just end the film here because that is literally the stupidest thing I have ever heard. So you are telling me GIANT, MUTANT, GREEN, TURTLES with no social security numbers, good contact info, experience, etc are able to have jobs? And let’s just forget about the social security number, experience, education; you know all those things you need to work and focus on this tiny little issue: GIANT, MUTANT, GREEN, TURTLES!!!!!!!!! How do GIANT, MUTANT, GREEN, TURTLES get jobs? Huh HOW?!!!!!!!!!! This is just so stupid that if I think about it any longer my IQ will drop. 7) Why is Raphael the Nightwatcher? So Raphael is the only one continuing to fight crime and be a ninja superhero. But instead of continuing as himself, he has faux batman gear and even takes on a faux Batman name with Nightwatcher (similar to Nightwing). I mean why does he even have to dress up? He is a giant turtle!!! And why hide it? Just because Leonardo is gone they can’t be vigilantes anymore? That makes NO SENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are driving me insane!!!! 8) No Shredder While its true you don’t have to have a Shredder to make a TMNT film, you notice how much they suck when they don’t have one. Like this movie, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. I mean Shredder and Turtles just go together, it’d be like making macaroni and cheese with no macaroni. 9) The Convoluted Plot It feels like they spend hours talking about Yactl, the monsters, dimensions, blah blah blah. I totally checked out from this film. I mean I came to see TMNT, not all this useless drivel they keep trying to push. Just dumb, dumb, dumb. 10) Raphael and Leonardo Fight Over Who is the Leader Ugh I hate this plot thread. It is too: I mean it worked in the first film, but because of that it doesn’t mean you have to do it non-stop!! Just do something else. I swear that if I see this repeated one more time in a TMNT film(not counting the 2014 one) I will be held responsible for me actions. ARRRRGH!!!!!!!!!!! 11) The End It was horrible, dumb, and I didn’t like it. The only thing that was good was that it was over! Good-bye forever! Yes this film was horrible, just horrible. I mean it was so bad, it made the 2014 film look good. For all their faults, at least they tried to make a TMNT film that actually centered on the TMNT. Well that’s it for this post. Next week I’ll be reviewing the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle film. How does it compare? How does it hold up? Well, all those questions will be answered in seven days. To start Horrorfest V from the beginning, go to Who You Gonna Call?: Ghostbusters (1984) For the previous post, go to The Butcher of Burtonsville High: The Death of the Queen Bee, Bones (2010) For more Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, go to Heroes are Not Born, They’re Created: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) For more sucky remakes, go to Don’t F*** With the Original: Scre4m (2011) For more alternate dimensions, go to There’s Nothing Out There. Nothing in the Mist: The Mist (2007) In other news today is our 800th post For the 700th post, go to Fan-do or Fan-don’t. There is No Fan-try For the 600th post, go to There Are Thirteen Chairs at the Table…And That’s Unlucky: Mystery of the 13th Guest (1943) Posted in Horrorfest V Tagged 100th post, Alternate Dimension, April O'Neal, April O'Neil, Batman, Batman Returns, Billy Madison, CGI, Donald Trump, Donatello, Foot Clan, Frankenstein, Godzilla, Immortal, Indiana Jones, Leonardo, Master of Disguise, Max Winters, Meet the Robinsons, Michelangelo, Monsters, New York City, Nightwatcher, Nightwing, Raphael, Ratatouille, Remake, Remakes, Reporter, Shredder, Sucky Remakes, Sucky Sequels, Tarantula (1955), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, Them!, TMNT, Tomb Raider Man-Bat: On Leather Wings, Batman the Animated Series (1992) I knew he discovered a formula to create a totally new species, neither man nor bat. When I think of Batman, two things come to mind instantly. First, Michael Keaton as Batman and Batman: The Animated Series. Batman: The Animated Series came out in the ’90s, when children’s television was perfect. It was one of the best animated shows in the history of TV. One of my absolute favorite things about it is how they blend three different styles to create this artistic and amazing work. We have the Art Deco movement of the 1920s-30s, the 1940s outfits and clothing, blended with the technology of the ’90s and beyond (seriously, some of the things they created in this are things we actually have today!) So this is the “first episode” in the series, but not the first one shown. It was the first one made but was actually aired later because of the popularity of Batman Returns, them going with the episode The Cat and the Claw as it had to do with Selena Kyle. So while this isn’t the most famous episode, the best written, etc; I liked it and it fit one of the themes we had going this year. The real name of the episode is actually On Leather Wings, but I liked Man-Bat better. So the first part of this episode is the amazing opening. We open on Phoenix Pharmaceuticals. The night watchman of course, isn’t paying any attention. He’s trying to make a tryout tape for a radio program. All of a sudden he is attacked! We, the viewer, are unable to see what this creature is. All we see is a shadow, that resembles something like a….Bat! NO not him…that movie were he and Batman meet was kinda weird. NO not him either. Definitely not him. But everyone thinks it is. Who else could have gotten in and loves bats as much as him? Officer Bullock hates Batman and is all set to do anything to take him down. The commissioner, on the other hand, doesn’t want to destroy Batman, he thinks that he does good (even though he does technically break the law by being a vigilante.) However, the mayor sees it as best to get rid of him and gives Bullock full backup. Harvey Dent also agrees if they can get the evidence and the Batman; he will do it. Things are looking grim for the Caped Crusader, everyone is going to be on his tail. So Batman starts investigating. The first thing he does, it head out to the Pharmaceutical company to do some research. As he looks around with his special goggles, he spots a hair, strange. After some more thorough digging, he also finds the tape recorder, which not only caught the guard but the sounds of whatever attacked him. As he is searching around, Bullock comes with a whole contingent of SWAT. Man when the mayor says he’s got your back, he means it. So Bullock comes in and pretty much blows up the lab with his trigger happy ways. Thank goodness for Batman, or they would all be dead right now. Commissioner Gordon comes by and relays that while Bullock was pretty much wiping out his own men; another company was being robbed. It clearly is not Batman. But we already knew that, I mean come on. It’s Batman! As Bruce Wayne is an amazing scientist, with technology that most only dreams of, he still isn’t the leader in the study of bats and heads out to visit a Dr. March. Freidrich March? He tells the doctor that he has a “bat issue”: Dr. March: You donate a few million and you think you own the place. I understand I’m the analyze something for you. Bruce Wayne: Yeah, doc. See, I keep hearing squeaks in my chimney. [Hands Dr. March a small plastic sandwich bag] Bruce Wayne: And I found these in my empty fireplace. They look like hairs. I thought maybe you could tell me if I have a bat problem. Dr. March: And what if they are bats, Mr. Wayne? What then? Destroy them like insects? We won’t survive the next evolutionary cataclysm, but bats will! They’re survivors, Mr. Wayne, not pests! You should understand that! I think he loves bats a little too much. However, a beautiful blonde doctor rescues Bruce, Dr. Francine Langstrom, his daughter. She is followed by her husband Dr. Kirk, who assures Bruce that they can help him. Kirk acts kind of weird too… Maybe it runs in the family? Francine could be the exception. Anyways, later Dr. Langstrom calls Bruce and tells him that they ran the hair and that it is a regular old brown bat, and the noise on the tape a combo of bats and birds. Just the usual. Except, unbeknownst to Dr. Langstrom, Batman already ran the hair follicle and the sounds through the computer and no match came up. He the tape again, under combined noises, but no match. Meanwhile, we see someone burning the evidence of the tape and the hair. We already know both doctors are crazy, maybe even Francine (nicely rounding out to three), but which could be behind this? And why? Batman also figures out that the answer lies in the lab and takes off. Batman reaches the lab and finds things from Phoenix Pharmaceuticals. He searches for Dr. March to apprehend him, but runs into Dr. Langstrom. Dr. Kirk Langstrom: Who’s back there? [Batman steps out of the shadows] You. Batman: I’m looking for Dr. March. Dr. Kirk Langstrom: He’s not here, Batman. Batman: Where is he? Dr. Kirk Langstrom: Giving a lecture on human extinction and bat evolution. He’s really quite brilliant. Batman: [holding up a stolen chemical] He’s misguided and a thief. Dr. Kirk Langstrom: He’s just a theorist. He was afraid to put it to the test. But I wasn’t. I knew he discovered a formula to create a totally new species, neither man nor bat. And once I started taking it, I couldn’t stop. Yep Kirk is the Man-Bat Batman asks him why he didn’t stop, but Dr. Langstrom said he couldn’t. And he enjoyed it. Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; he got a little taste and can’t give it up. He’s addicted and can’t stop, turning into….the Man-Bat. He only needs one more component to stay that way forever, and he’s out to get it. You know what that means for Batman. Batman Vs. Man-Bat Batman and the Man-Bat are fighting in the sky, as Batman has hooked on to him. As they struggle, Commissioner Gordon and Officer Bullock heads up in a chopper to try and get him. They manage to get away from the police and Batman knocks him out. He takes him back to the lab, and Batman uses it to fix Dr. Langstrom and heals him of the drug. How you may ask? Two words: Batman can do anything. For the previous post, go to And Then There Was Two: A Study in Scarlet (1933) For more on Batman, go to Na Na Na Na Batman! For more on mad scientists, go to We’re Mad Scientists. We’re Monsters: Avengers, Age of Ultron (2015) Tagged Art Deco, Bat, Batman, Batman Comics, Batman Returns, Batman: The Animated Series, Bruce Wayne, Caped Crusader, Commissioner Gordon, Dr. Francine Langstrom, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Kirk Langstrom, Dr. March, Dracula, Gotham, Harvey Dent, Mad Scientist, Man-Bat, Michael Keaton, Na Na Na Na Batman, Night Watchman, On Leather Wings, Pharmaceuticals, Radio Program, Selena Kyle, SWAT Team, The Bat (1959), The Batman vs. Dracula, The Cat and the Claw Na Na Na Na Batman! For those of you who don’t know, today is Batman Day! So as one who loves to celebrate holidays (real and made up) and one who loves Batman: I am all for it!!! I don’t know about you but I’m about to geek out in my Batman gear, read Batman comics, watch Batman movies, and the ’90s Batman show (the best in my opinion). So I hope you all have one super day! For more on Batman, go to Fanning All Over the Place For more holiday posts, go to A Pirate’s Life is the Life for Me Posted in Holiday, Modern Times, Musings of Me Tagged Batman, Batman (1989), Batman and Robin, Batman Begins, Batman Beyond, Batman Comics, Batman Day, Batman Forever, Batman Returns, Batman: The Animated Series, Holiday, Holidays, I'm Batman, Na Na Na Na Batman December 25, 2014 by Moreland 25 More Films of Christmas So two years ago I tried to do a Christmas countdown, the 12 Posts of Christmas, but I discovered that it is really difficult as you get involved in Christmas activities. So last year I decided to make it easier on myself and did a singular post listing 25 of my favorite films that were either classified as Christmas movies or had a Christmas scene in it. Since it worked so great last year, I decided why not do it again? So here are 25 more films of Christmas! (Once again these aren’t my my top favorite 25, but randomly picked and then rearranged them in the order of how I love them. 25) Holiday (1938) Holiday (1938) is a remake of the 1930 film. In it Johnny Case (Cary Grant), a self-made man, is heading to his fiancé Julia Seton’s house for the holidays. While on the surface the two appreared perfect for each other, as Johnny spends more time at the Seton household he finds himself having more in common with Julia’s younger sister, Linda (Katherine Hepburn). Johnny now finds himself in a dilemma, should he honor the commitment he made to Julia? Or should he try to find love with another? Why it’s Great: Hepburn and Grant made four films together, and anytime you have these two paired up you have pure gold. Grant is his attractive, charming, and at times comical self. Hepburn is the silly, comedic, oddball, and modern woman that she always does great at. A fun film. Plus those scenes of Grant tumbling? Priceless. 24) The Polar Express (2004) The Polar Express is based on the short book of the same name. In the 1950s, a little boy, no longer believes in Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve, he hears something outside and goes aboard the Polar Express, the train that heads right up to the North Pole and Santa’s home. He makes new friends on the train, helps control the train, meets a ghost hobo who tries to teach him morals, and ends up in the North Pole coming face to face with Santa Claus. Why it’s Great: This is a cute kid’s movie. Tom Hanks is pretty amazing at how he plays almost every character in the film. The kids are cute, especially the geeky, know-it-all tattletale. He makes me laugh. It has a good message of faith, believing, leading, etc. It also has a couple great songs: The Polar Express and When Christmas Comes to Town. It does have a few problems though. Mainly it suffers from the same issues all small picture book film adaptions face, extra content to fill the time block. There are a lot of unnecessary songs, characters, and scenes; that if they had been culled would have resulted in a stronger film. But on the whole it is a cute, family, Christmas film. 23) Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) The sequel to Home Alone (see #2 on the list). Home Alone 2 has Kevin McCallister once again finding himself spending Christmas on his own, but this time he’s in New York! How did this happen? Well this year instead of going to France, the McCallister clan is heading to Florida. Once again they find themselves running late to the airport (but this time being sure they have Kevin) and have to run to catch their flight. Kevin stops for a moment to get batteries out of his dad’s bag and accidentally follows the wrong man onto a plane to New York City. He starts living it large at the Plaza and using all his dad’s credit cards and cash (as he has his bag). Everything goes well, until he runs into the two thieves he harassed the year before and sent to prison. They come after him, but luckily he has rigged his uncle’s townhouse into one giant trap. Why it’s Great: I have to say how he gets alone again was done really clever. The scenes of him just spending the dough and buying pizza, ice-cream, going on huge toy shopping trips, etc is fantastic. That was all the things that kids wished they could be able to do. Tim Curry plays the hotel manager who notices the lack of an adult and is awesome in being evil and trying to trip Kevin up. Unfortunately, the second half the film falls a little flat. I mean what are the odds of the thieves running into Kevin in New York City? There are a gajillion people who live there. Also the traps aren’t as clever as in the original film. It wasn’t nearly as great as the original, but still one fun holiday film. 22) Elf (2003) Go here to see who you are One Christmas a baby boy accidentally gets on to Santa Claus’ sled and is transported to the North Pole. One of the elves adopts him and raises him as his own child, naming him Buddy. One day, Buddy overhears some elves mention he is a human. He goes to his elf father and discovers the story of his adoption. They tell him who is real father is, and Buddy travels to New York City to meet him. When he firsts meets his father Walter Hobbs (James Caan), Walter doesn’t believe Buddy’s story to be true. After a DNA test confirms it, Buddy is introduced to the family. Buddy befriends his stepmother, stepbrother, and makes new friends. However, he doesn’t fit in well with “humans” and after an argument with his dad, decides to return to the North Pole. On his way he runs into Santa who is having trouble using his sleigh and magic as people don’t believe in him anymore. Now Buddy has a bigger problem to solve. How can he save Santa? Why it’s Great: Now let me say that I am not that big a fan of Will Ferrell. I only like a few of his films, and this is one of those. The story is silly, but the reason it works is that Ferrell goes all in to the character of Buddy. Unlike everyone I know, I do not watch it over and over, but I do think it is definitely worth checking out and viewing around the holidays. And I do have to agree that I am as crazy about Christmas as Buddy. 21) Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) Dr. Seuss’ beloved book finds itself heading to the big screen with Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Jim Carrey plays the Grinch, the beloved grump who hates the Whos and hates Christmas. He terrorizes Whoville, and all are afraid of him. Except one girl, Cindy Lou Who. Cindy Lou is eager to find out all she can about the Grinch and why he is the way he is. She discovers his sad childhood and decides making him the Holiday Cheermister will repair everything. When her idea has disastrous results, the Grinch decides to head down to Whoville and steal Christmas. Why it’s Great: Jim Carrey really is the only reason why the film is great. Like The Polar Express, it suffers from being stuffed with extra scenes, characters, and things not needed in order to fill the time block. And I absolutely hate the song “Where Are You Christmas?” But as I said, Jim Carrey is a great Grinch. His makeup is amazing, I mean look at him! He’s looks just like the illustration. The backstory of why he is mean loses ground, but the film really picks up once he starts stealing Christmas. I love how they illustrate the song and copy the scenes from the original film. It’s worth watching the film to see that scene. It may not be as great as the Boris Karloff version, but it is still a fun Christmas film. 20) The Santa Clause 2 (2002) This is the sequel to The Santa Clause (see below #6). Eight years has passed since the original film and Scott Calvin, AKA Santa Claus, has just discovered that if he is to remain being Santa Claus he has to have a Mrs. Claus. Scott also discovers that Charlie has been having a lot of problems and and acting up. So the elves create a robot Santa to fill in for him, and Scott heads back home. He stays with his ex-wife’s family, trying to reach Charlie, and becoming an uncle figure to Charlie’s sister Lucy. When talking to Charlie’s principal he finds himself falling for her, but will she believe him and go with him back to the North Pole? Also, while Scott has been gone, his robo-Santa has become and evil dictator. Will Scott be able to stop him in time to save Christmas? Why it’s Great: I like how this film deals with real issues. Charlie is having problems as he misses his father, has the stress of having to lie about his dad’s job, etc. I loved how realistic it was as this are issues a boy who’s father has to be away for his job would actually deal with. I also enjoy the scenes of Scott and Principal Carol Newman. There were real dates and actually showed them falling in love over a period of time, it wasn’t instantaneous. And the Principal’s reaction to “I’m Santa” talk was completely real. Some scenes are definitely cheesy and silly, but I have to say this is one of the better Disney sequels and one great film to watch at Christmas. 19) The Toy That Saved Christmas (1996) So this film is part of the Veggietales series. Veggietales was a series of Christian films that lasted 30 mins and told two stories that were either a retelling of a bible story or had a strong biblical message. And all the characters were fruits and veggies! The Toy That Saved Christmas was the first Christmas Veggietale video and starts with a green onion, Grandpa George, telling his granddaughter Annie a Christmas story. In the Veggietown (or wherever they live), December is here which means CHRISTMAS!!! All the kids are excited. They see a commercial on TV for a new toy Buzz Saw Louie and everyone wants them. Besides having a saw, Louie talks and tells people that the true meaning of Christmas is getting stuff. This was planned by the toy factory owner as he wants to sell more toys. When more Louies are being made, something happens to one, and it comes to life. It starts to wonder if getting stuff is the true meaning of Christmas. Louie escapes from the factory and gets stuck in the snow. The next day Bob the tomato, Larry the cucumber, and Junior the asparagus all go sledding and come upon the toy. They also run into Grandpa George who tells them the true meaning of Christmas. After the hear the message they want to tell the world the good news? But how? They get the idea to use the factory owner’s equipment and make a commercial. Will their plan work? Will everyone get to know the true meaning of Christmas? Why it’s Great: It is an incredibly funny and adorable film. This is one that my family has to watch every year. Besides the comedy, adventure, and fun it also has a lot of great songs. One of my favorites is Can’t Believe It’s Christmas! as it truly captures being a kid excited about the holiday. And then there is the hilarious silly song Oh Santa!. If you don’t watch the film at least check out that song. 18) Lady and the Tramp (1955) The classic story of a rich girl who meets a boy from the wrong side of the tracks with one major difference-dogs! Lady is a cocker spaniel is a Christmas gift to “Darling” by her husband Jim “Dear”. She grows up in the household, becoming a real “Lady”. Everything changes when Darling gets pregnant. With a baby coming Lady is unsure of what her life will be like. The baby comes and Lady realizes that she loves him as much as her other masters. Things seem to be great until Darling and Jim Dear have to go away on business. Jim Dear’s Aunt Sarah comes to watch the baby, and brings along her two siamese cats that cause problems for Lady, and gets her a muzzle. Lady embarrassed, scared, and confused; runs away and straight into a mutt, Tramp, from the other side of town. He not only frees her, but the two have a romantic dinner, a moonlit walk in the park, etc. However, when the Tramp gets Lady to chase chickens, she winds up being sent to the dog pound. There she hears all about Tramp’s sordid past. She is freed from the pound but chained up outside by Aunt Sarah. The Tramp visits to apologize, but Lady won’t hear anything. Then a rat tries to get into the nursery. Will Lady be able to save the baby? Will Lady and the Tramp get back together? Why it’s Great: It is an old story that has been done before, but the choice of dogs is great. I love how the dog thinks Jim Dear and Darling are their real names as that is only what she hears, and there are also some great dogisms. The We Are Siamese song is really catchy and the pasta scene is just adorable. This film actually has two Christmases in it; one when Lady is first introduced, and the second at the end of the film. Making this a great film to see round the holidays or any time of the year. For more on Lady and the Tramp, go to Part IX: Adventures in Movie Lines 17) Chasing Christmas (2005) This abcFamily film, part of the 25 Days ’til Christmas countdown, tells the story of A Christmas Carol in a completely new way. Jack Cameron is a modern day Scrooge. He caught his wife with another man at his daughter’s Christmas play. Not only is the marriage over, but so is his love for Christmas and Christmas spirit. At the Bureau of Yuletide Affairs (BYA) the company is reviewing which holiday grumps need a little Dickens spirit. He assigns Christmas Past (Leslie Jordan) and Present (Andrea Roth) to take care of him. Past has started to become disgruntled with life. Every year it is the same thing over and over again. So he decides to do something about it. After taking Jack to his childhood in the ’60s he knocks him out and takes off. Present is then sent back to catch Past and help Jack find his Christmas spirit. As they travel through time Jack discovers a lot about himself and his family. When they reach the ’70s, they accidentally break their time machine and are desperate to find Past in order to get back to the future. Will they ever catch up to Christmas Past? Or are they doomed to stay in the ’70s? And more importantly, will they be able to save Jack’s love of Christmas? Why it’s Great: The twist on the classic is extremely hilarious, fun, and adorable. In fact, the film is almost a parody of all the films and TV episodes that rip of Dickens’ work. The characters are lovable as you have the sarcastic, unhappy, stick-in-a-rut Past that wants to relive the good times instead of just visiting. Then there is Jack, the average guy who gets pulled into this adventure and really starts having a great time. Then there is Present, who knows nothing about the past and has to educated by Jack. This is actually pretty adorable, as it awakens his love for different things as he explains why they are important or special. A truly great film, loosely based on one great book. 16) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) The story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer started out as a short poem, then transformed into the hit song, and ultimately (like everything) found its way into film. Rudolph is the son of Santa’s flying Reindeer Donner. Everyone bullies him and doesn’t want him around because he has a blinking, red nose. Rudolph ends up not being able to deal with it and runs away, hoping to find a place for misfits. As he heads out, he runs into an elf named Hermy. Hermy is also a misfit as he doesn’t want to make toys, sing carols, or other elf-y things; he wants to be a dentist. As the two journey out they run into a miner named Yukon Cornelius, hunting for silver and gold, who joins up with them. They have to fight the Abominable Snow Monster, when running from him they hitch a ride on ice and end up on the Island of Misfit Toys. Rudolph, conscious that his nose almost got them attacked by Abominable, he takes off on his own. He later returns home to find that his family has been captured by the Abominable Snow Monster while searching for him. It’s up to the team to save them from the monster. Everything seems like it is going to be a great Christmas until the fog rolls in and Santa won’t be able to see where he is flying. That is until Rudolph steps up to the plate. Why it’s Great: My earliest memory of this cartoon was when I was three years old. My family was visiting my aunt’s house, and being kids, us cousins were running around everywhere. I ran smack into my cousin Sean, and began bawling. I was bruised, so I did have a reason to be sad, but I wouldn’t stop crying. I kept going and going, until my mom told me that I could watch Rudolph if I stopped crying. I stopped immediately. My favorite character as a kid actually wasn’t Rudolph. I loved Yukon as I thought he was hilarious and I loved Hermy as I too wanted to be a dentist (which everyone thought was weird). Watching it as an adult, I still love it. Happy Anniversary Rudolph! Here’s to another 50 years! 15) Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too (1991) It’s Christmas time at the Hundred Acre Woods and Christopher Robin is writing a letter to Santa Claus. As he is finishing the letter, asking for a sled big enough for him and a friend, he asks each one of his friends what they want for Christmas. Rabbit needs a new fly swatter; Tigger a snowshoe for his tail; Eeyore an umbrella to keep snow off his house; and Piglet asks for whatever Santa wants to give him. Christopher Robin sends his letter off into the wind and to Santa. The next day, Christmas Eve, Winnie-the-Pooh is drawing his Christmas tree on the wall when Piglet comes in and tells him that Pooh forgot to ask Santa for something. They chase after the letter, find it, and take it to Rabbit’s house to add on Pooh’s request for honey. As they are doing that everyone asks for an upgraded present: Rabbit a super bug sprayer, Tigger a special bouncing boot, and Eeyore a mobile home. They send the letter out, but when Pooh gets home a southern wind has sent the letter the same way. Pooh and Piglet don’t want Christmas ruined so they set out to fix everything. They try to create the gifts asked, suit up, and head out. Will their homemade gifts work? Will Christmas be ruined? Or will everything turn out just right? Why it’s Great: First of all it’s Winnie-the-Pooh. Secondly, the story is amazingly sweet. Once Pooh realizes that Christmas might be ruined, he tries to do everything in his power to make it right. A great story of friendship, love, and Christmas! For more on Winnie the Pooh, go to Heartbreak Hotel 14) Christmas Every Day (1996) Billy hates Christmas! For him it is always the worst day of the year and this one is no different. It starts off with him tripping, his uncle coming to visit and crashing into the garage, the pies burn, he misses his basketball shot, he loses the jellybean thousand dollar contest, messes up the Christmas pageant, and gets socked in the eye. To top it off, his uncle is bringing his monster conglomerate store, Value Mart to town, and will be putting all the smaller businesses, (including his dad’s store) out of business. Billy sarcastically wishes it was Christmas everyday, and gets his wish granted. At first he is in denial, then he makes it the most selfish Christmas, then tries to make it the most unselfish Christmas, but still remains stuck in the day. After he has been going through all those days, he finally stops thinking about himself, but tries to make it the best Christmas for his friends and family. Will it be the best? Will he finally get to December 26th? Will he be able to stop his uncle from bringing in his Value Mart? Why it’s Great: My sister and I loved this movie so much. We would watch it every year on the 25 Days ’til Christmas until they stopped showing it. I just rewatched it a week ago and love it as much now as I did then. I thought Billy was pretty realistic in how he dealt with being stuck in Christmas, sort of the preteen version of Bill Murray in Groundhog’s Day. He gets over his Christmas hate much quicker than in Groundhog’s Day, but he is a kid and hasn’t been jaded as long. The best part, of course, is the fact how Billy learns from his past mistakes, and ultimately does create the best Christmas for himself and everyone. 13) Batman Returns (1992) The Joker may be gone, but Batman is back to the big screen in his film Batman Returns. It’s Christmas time in Gotham, but even though it is supposed to be a time of good cheer, crime still abounds in the city. Oswald Cobblepot (Danny DeVito), who as a baby was thrown down the sewers by his rich parents because of his deformity only to be saved and raised by penguins, has returned 33 years later as the Penguin and leader of the Red Triangle Circus Gang. He kidnaps businessman, Max Shreck (played by Christopher Walken) and blackmails him about his dirty business dealings into making the Penguin a citizen of Gotham. Shreck agrees and promises to do even better, promising to make the Penguin mayor. Shreck has some plans he wants to put in motion, but knows the current mayor would not approve. Unfortunately, Shreck’s secretary, meek Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) has discovered them. Shreck does the only thing he thinks he can do, he kills her by throwing her out the window. Unbeknownst to him, Selina is revived by nine cats and granted “9 lives.” She goes home having fully transformed in her personality, creating a black leather outfit, and becoming Catwoman. She returns to work for Shreck, planning on destroying him when he least expects it, and runs into Bruce Wayne. The two begin dating, while at night their alter egos begin fighting. The penguin and Catwoman team up to destroy Batman. They sully his reputation, but Batman is able to outwit the Penguin and disgrace him. Upset, the Penguin renounces humanity and kidnaps the first sons of all the wealthy families of Gotham during Shreck’s annual Christmas party. Bruce takes Selina as his date to the party and the two discover that they are Batman and Catwoman. What does this mean to their relationship? Will Batman be able to stop the Penguin? Will Catwoman get her revenge? Why it’s Great: So Christmas does play a role in this film as a little more than a backdrop. There is a line about mistletoe that is the key in discovering each other’s identities. When Batman and Catwoman are fighting the first time Batman says, “You know, mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it.” In which Catwoman replies, “But a kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it.” When Bruce and Selina are at the party, Selina tells Bruce ,“You know, mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it.” In which Bruce replies, “But a kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it.” But that’s not the reason why I like this film. First of all Michael Keaton has to be my favorite Batman, he just gets the stoic and serious, along with debonair and slightly fun side correct. I mean out of all the actors I think he captured the duality of Batman’s character the most. Then we have Michelle Pfeiffer who has been the best Catwoman to date. Morally ambiguous, vengeful, focused on her goals, but still having a heart of gold. No one could have played her better. Plus Christopher Walken as the bad guy? Perfect. The only thing I don’t like is that the Penguin was much sillier than I would have had him be. Danny DeVito did a great job and he looked great, but a lot of his lines and obsession with birds of all kinds were just a bit too silly. Otherwise, this is one great film to watch anytime. For more on Batman Returns, go to Fanning All Over the Place 12) The Year Without a Santa Claus (1975) Santa Claus is sick and tired, and has decided that he does not want to do Christmas anymore. After all, no one believes in him anymore. Mrs. Claus is determined to prove Santa wrong and sends out two elves, Jingle and Jangle. The two get into some scrapes and end up in Southtown, USA. Their mistakes cause Santa to come down and try and help out. The two elves and a small Southtown boy, Ignatius, end up getting the Mayor to agree to giving Santa a holiday, only if it snows in Southtown. The chance of that happening, -100%. The elves go to Snow Miser, but he it isn’t his territory and he can’t do it unless his stepbrother Heat Miser agrees. Heat Miser will only let them, IF he gets the North Pole. Something that Snow Miser will never give up. Will they be able to get the two to compromise? Will Santa get his holiday? Will we have a year without Santa Claus? Why it’s Great: This is a cute film that tries to revitalize the Christmas spirit. It has some great numbers like the Miser Brothers’ Song, I Believe in Santa Claus, I’ll Have a Blue Christmas, and Here Comes Santa Claus. A cute film that old and young will love. 11) The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow (1975) In The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow, Lucas a shepherd boy is blinded by lightening. Nearby is the nunnery, who takes in the orphan boy. He befriends a girl Lisa, who helps him. Sister Theresa, one of the nuns, takes care of Lucas, even describing the snow that wishes would come. Lucas is chosen to be an angel in the play, and as it starts snowing, a Christmas miracle occurs. The snow falls in Lucas’ eyes and grant him back his sight. He remains with the nuns and the priest, finally having a family. Why it’s Great: This is a cute and cuddly Christmas film with great songs. You’ll enjoy this half hour production, along with their version of White Christmas and The First White Christmas. It is a great addition to your Christmas lineup. 10) Borrowed Hearts (1997) Sam Field is a millionaire who is trying to negotiate the biggest deal of his life with Javier Del Campo. The only problem, Del Campo only likes to do business with family-orientated people, and Sam is a confirmed bachelor. He hires a family to pretend to be his, but that doesn’t work out very well, and he is unsure of what to do. Enter Kathleen, single mother and worker at Sam’s plant. She is trying to save up money to buy a house, but so far does not have as much as she needs. A chance meeting, winds up with Kathleen and her daughter Zooey pretending to be his family for a few days, which expands into weeks as Del Campo wants to spend Christmas with the Fields. As they spend more time together; Sam, Kathleen, and Zooey all learn more about family and learning to love again. Why it’s Great: I love this film sooooo much. It’s one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies. I will not go to far into it, as I have written a separate blog post on it that you should check out. For more on Borrowed Hearts, go to On the 9th Day ‘Til Christmas: Borrowed Hearts (1997) 9) Rise of the Guardians (2012) In Rise of the Guardians, Jack Frost (played by Chris Pine), is created in the depths of a pond and suffers from amnesia. He doesn’t know how or why he was created, but just goes around having fun. One day Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin) discovers that the Boogeyman Pitch, has returned and notifies the other Guardians: Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), Australian Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) and the Sandman. They learn that their creator, the Man in the Moon, has chosen Jack Frost to join them as a Guardian of Children. Pitch goes about trying to destroy the children’s beliefs in these characters, and attacks the Tooth Fairy’s home, stealing her helpers. The other Guardians pitch in to help her out, doing the same for the Easter Bunny. Will they be able to defeat the Pitch? Will Jack finally learn who he is and why he was chosen? Will they secure the children’s belief in Jack Frost, Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and the Sandman? Why it’s Great: When the film first came out, I thought it would be really dumb, but then I saw it and loved it. It is funny, cute, sweet, everything you’d want in a family film. The characters are amazing and just perfect as they bring your childhood to life. I just love this film and could watch it over and over. For more on Rise of the Guardians, go to Dreaming of the Sandman 8) Swiss Family Robinson (1960) It tells the story of the Robinson family, (they are Swiss), who are traveling to New Guniea but end up getting stuck in a storm, abandoned, and stranded on their broken ship. They pack up every bit of supplies they can and travel to the nearest place, a little island. The family consists of the father, mother, and three boys; Fritz (my fav the cute one), Ernst (the smart one), and Francis (the baby). The family creates a tree house and lives on the island going through many adventures; dealing with wild animals, saving a young teen, fighting pirates, etc. Why it’s Great: This was a favorite of mine as a kid, although more beloved by my sister than me. It has everything you could want: action, adventure, pirates, etc. Plus, like Supernatural, you have your pick of which brother to chose from. Do you like a brawny man of action? Or are you more interested in a thinker and planner? And let’s not forget their amazing treehouse. I wanted one like it so bad growing up. It used to be in Disneyland, but they replaced it with Tarzan. And yes, this film does have Christmas in it. The Robinson family has sent out Ernst and Fritz to explore the island, and are sad that they won’t all be together for Christmas. The boys surprise them with a zebra for Francis, and a rescued hostage. It is classic Disney at its best, and a worthwhile checkout any time of the year. For more on the Swiss Family Robinson, go to Snakes on a Post: Chinese New Year 7) Jingle All the Way Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a workaholic. His wife and child are very upset with him, and the only way he can get back in their good graces is to pick up a Turbo-Man doll. Only problem is, EVERYONE wants one and EVERYONE is sold out. This causes him to go on one crazy adventure involving a faux toy factory, a postal postman, a mall doing a Hunger Games to sell off their remaining doll, battling a reindeer, storming a radio station, bombs, fistfights, etc. Howard even goes as far as replacing Turbo-Man in the Christmas parade in order to try to get a doll. Will he be able to do it? Will his family be reunited for Christmas? Why it’s Great: This movie is so freakin’ hilarious. I just love it so much. All the crazy things that happen to Howard as he tries to achieve success in his quest to get the doll. And that end fight scene is just great. A true holiday classic that I watch every year I can. 6) The Santa Clause Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is a self-absorbed and selfish toy designer. This Christmas Eve he gets to have his son spend the holiday with him, while his ex-wife and her husband celebrate elsewhere. Of course he is not only extremely late (too much partying at the office), but he burns their Christmas Eve dinner. Things are not going as planned. That night Charlie hears something, and the two go out to investigate, surprising Santa and causing him to fall off the roof! Scott puts on the suit, and the two go out to deliver the gifts. After the deed is done, Scott discovers that when he put on the suit he entered a clause, that is a decree, making him the new Santa. He doesn’t believe it, but as the year passes, his body starts to become more Santa-like. Will he have enough faith to become Santa? Will he be able to change his ways so he can be more like Santa? Why it’s Great: Like Borrowed Hearts I have done a post on this, so I’m not going to talk too much aout it. It is a truly hilarious movie with some truly memorable lines and scenes. I love this movie so much that I don’t even always wait for Christmas to watch it. Defintely worth seeing again and again. For more on The Santa Clause, go to On the 11 Day ‘Til Christmas: The Santa Clause (1994) 4) Christmas With the Kranks (2004) Based on the John Grisham novel, Christmas with the Kranks shows how one can never truly skip Christmas. After Luther (Tim Allen) and Nora Krank (Jamie Lee Curtis) discover that their beloved daughter Blair won’t be coming home for Christmas, they decide to forget it entirely. No decorations, no Christmas cards, no Christmas party, no Christmas tree, zip. Instead, the two will go on a lovely cruise. It starts out a great plan, until they start getting upsetting calls from the neighbors who want to win the best decorated street contest; tickets from policemen who are used to them buying multiple calendars, charities who expect their yearly donation, etc. As they are getting ready to go on Christmas Eve, they get a call from Blair who is surprising them by flying home-with a fiancé. They have to rely on their neighbors for help in making this the greatest Christmas ever. Why it’s Great: I just realized that this is the third Tim Allen movie on this list. Guess it was a good thing I decided to save Toy Story for another time, or else there would be four. Anyways this is just a hilarious film, from beginning to end. Grisham is a true master and the actors really bring his work to life. This is a truly great addition to you Christmas lineup as it is funny, heartwarming, and covers the true meaning of Christmas. 3) Goodfellas (1990) A film based on the real life of gangster turned FBI witness, Henry Hill. Half-Italian, half-Irish; Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) has always wanted to be a gangster. He is taken under the wing of mob-boss Paul “Paulie” Cicero, to work under James “Jimmy the Gent” Conway (Robert De Niro) alongside Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). The trio hijack cars, commit insurance fraud, and the famous 1967 Air France Robbery. They spend most of their time at the Copacabana, hanging out with women. Hill meets Karen, Jewish and upper class, and the two eventually marry. At first Karen is alarmed at Hill’s lifestyle, but eventually becomes enamored with the perks. They continue to live the criminal lifestyle, ultimately having to serve a stint in prison. There Hill discovers how “real” money can be made in drugs, and his life starts to take some real twists and turns. Why it’s Great: Now this film isn’t for everyone, but if you are a fan of the gangster genre then you need to check this out. It covers the life of Hill pretty accurately, and of course the actors they chose are just amazing-De Niro, Liotta, & Pesci. In fact if this wasn’t a Christmas list countdown, I probably would have it even higher. And for the Christmas part of the film, well this is no Christmas film but the holiday does play into a crucial part of the film. My friends and I used to have “gangster film and spaghetti” parties, with this one always being one of the main courses. For more on Goodfellas, go to Sucky Sequels: Mean Girls 2 (2011) 2) Home Alone (1990) Kevin McCallister’s whole family is getting ready to fly to Paris for Christmas, spending the holidays with his uncle and aunt. The night before they leave, Kevin is punished (unfairly) to sleep up in the attic by himself, where he makes a wish that his family would just disappear. When a tree limb crashes on the powerline, the McCallister’s find themselves waking up late and rushing out the door to the airport, in order to catch their plane. And…completely forgetting Kevin. At first being home alone is just fun and games, but when two robbers try to get into his house, Kevin finds himself defending it, in very imaginative ways. Why it’s Great: This movie became so popular, almost every family pic after it tried to recreate it’s success. It is funny, memorable, and the scenes where Kevin is just wolfing down junk food was every kid’s dream. It is one fantastic movie, great for Christmas or anytime you want a laugh. 1) Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970) In Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, postman Special Delivery Klugman (Fred Astaire) is prepared to answer all questions about Santa Claus. In Sombertown, the Burgermeister Meisterburger discovers a baby on his doorstep, with a tag saying Claus. He sends one of his stooges to take the baby to the orphanage, but a wind blows the baby away. The forest creatures take the baby to the elf family Kringle, where he is raised as one of their own, Kris Kringle. The Kringles used to be toymakers for the King, but an evil man, the Winter Warlock, keeps them from continuing this tradition. Kris resolves that when he is old enough, he will brave the forest and Warlock, in order to give their toys to the children in the nearby town. He manages to slip the Warlock and heads to the town. Unbeknownst to Kris, toys are outlawed in Sombertown. He meets the school teacher, Jessica, and convinces them all to take toys. Kris almost gets arrested, but runs away, only to be captured by the Winter Warlock. When he gives the Warlock a gift, it melts his icy heart and removes his evil. Winter Warlock teaches Kris a few tricks, like magic snowballs that allow you to watch anyone. Kris keeps coming back and giving more toys, first handing them out to kids, then leaving them at night, lastly putting them in the children’s stockings. The Burgermeister Meisterburger lays a trap and catches Kris. In order to free him, Jessica gets the Winter Warlock to give reindeer his flying corn, and thus Kris’ eight flying reindeer were born. Jessica and Kris get married and move to the North Pole, Kris reverting to his given name of Claus. Why it’s Great: This film is absolutely adorable and Christmas is never the same without at least one viewing of this film. Merry Christmas All! For more on Christmas, go to O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree For more on Christmas movies, go to 25 Films of Christmas For more quizzes, go to Simply Fantastic For more of my favorite quotes, go to Dreaming of the Sandman Posted in Christmas, Disney, Non-Austen Movies, Pride and Prejudice, Quizzes, Quotable Quotes Tagged 12 Posts of Christmas, 1967 Air France Robbery, 25 Days 'Til Christmas, 25 Days of Christmas, 25 Films of Christmas, A Christmas Carol, abc family, Abominable Snow Monster, Alec Baldwin, Amnesia, Andrea Roth, Batman, Batman Returns, believing, Bill Murray, Bob the Tomato, Boogeyman, Boris Karloff, Borrowed Hearts, Brawn, Bruce Wayne, Buddy, Bureau of Yuletide Affairs, Burgermeister Meisterburger, Buzz Saw Louie, Can't Believe It's Christmas!, Cary Grant, Catwoman, Charles Dickens, Chasing Christmas, Christmas, Christmas Every Day, Christmas Past, Christmas Present, Christmas With the Kranks, Christopher Robin, Christopher Walken, Cindy Lou Who, Classic Disney Film, Cocker Spaniel, Copacabana, Cruise, Danny DeVito, Dentist, Disney Film, Disneyland, DNA, DNA Test, Dog Pound, Donner, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Easter Bunny, Eeyore, Elf, Elf (2003), Elves, Ernst, Evil Dictator, Faith, Film based on a book, Film based on a Real Person, Film based on a Song, Film Based on a True Story, Florida, focused on her goals, Francis, Fred Astaire, Fritz, Fruits, Gangster, gangster film and spaghetti parties, Gangster Genre, Goodfellas, Gotham, Grandpa George, Groundhog's Day, Grump, Happy Anniversary, Heart of Gold, Heat Miser, Henry Hill, Here Comes Santa Claus, Hermy, Hobo, Holiday (1938), Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966), Howard Langston, Hugh Jackman, Hundred Acre Woods, I Believe in Santa Claus, I'll Have a Blue Christmas, Insurance Fraud, Isla Fisher, Island of Misfit Toys, Jack Cameron, Jack Frost, James "Jimmy the Gent" Conway, James Caan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Quotes, Javier Del Campo, Jim Carrey, Jimmy the Gent, Jingle All the Way, Joe Pesci, John Grisham, Johnny Case, Joker, Julia Seton, Junior the Asparagus, Katherine Hepburn, Kathleen, Kevin McCallister, Kris Kringel, Kris Kringle, Lady and the Tramp, Larry the Cucumber, leading, Leslie Jordan, Linda Seton, Luther Krank, Man in the Moon, Man of Action, Max Shreck, Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Miser Brothers' Song, Misfit, Misfits, Mistletoe, Modern Remake, Modern Twist on a Classic, Morally ambiguous, Morals, Mr. Sandman, Mrs. Claus, New York, Nora Krank, North Pole, Nuns, Oh Santa!, Oswald Cobblepot, Parody, Paul "Paulie" Cicero, Penguins, Piglet, Pitch, Planner, Pride & Prejudice, Priest, Principal, Principal Carol Newman, Quest, Rabbit, Ray Liotta, Red Triangle Circus Gang, Remake, Rich Girl Meets Poor Boy, Robert De Niro, Robo-Santa, Rudolph, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Sam Field, Santa Claus, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (1970), Scott Calvin, Scrooge, Secret Identity, Selina Kyle, Sequel, Shipwrecked, Shipwrecks, Siamese Cats, Snow Miser, Spanned Sequels, Supernatural, Swiss Family Robinson (1960), Tarzan (1999), The Bishop's Wife, The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow, The First White Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow, The Hunger Games, The Joker, The Penguin, The Plaza, The Polar Express, The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2, The Toy That Saved Christmas, The Year Without a Santa Claus, Thinker, Tigger, Tim Allen, Tim Curry, Tom Hanks, Tommy DeVito, Tooth Fairy, Toy Story, Train, True Meaning of Christmas, Tumbling, Turbo-Man, Veggies, Veggietales, vengeful, We Are Siamese, When Christmas Comes to Town, Where Are You Christmas?, White Christmas, Whos, Whoville, Will Ferrell, Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too, Winter Warlock, Yukon Cornelius, Zebra, Zooey O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree So I don’t know about you all but my family actually cuts down our Christmas Tree. We always go the day after Thanksgiving to the black friday sales, and then a few hours to the forest to cut down our tree. Now some of you may wonder why we would go through so much trouble? Why not buy a fake one? Well I’ll tell you why: 1) The permit to cut down a tree only costs $10. That means you can get as big a tree you want for only ten bucks! For instance we got a 12 foot tree for 5% of the cost of buying one from a lot. 2) Cutting down your Christmas tree is very good for the environment. I know many of you have just read that and are probably saying to yourselves this girl is stupid, but just hear me out. You see trees grow in clumps and while that is a great thing as they share resources, protect each other, pollinate each other, etc. However, at times this can be bad. Sometimes trees grow too close together that they are unable to get their share. Often times one, or all, the trees will die as there isn’t enough to go around. Cutting down your own Christmas tree from one of the clumps means that one side might be a little thinner (you just aim that side in the corner) and it helps the other trees grow big and strong. Also periodically clearing out sections of trees protects them in the summer when there are threats of forest fires. And of course, this cutting isn’t a free for all. You can only cut from certain sections, therefore protecting a wider majority of trees. You also have restrictions on the tree size. Your trunk can only have a diameter of 6 inches and there is a restriction of high the stump can be. These regulations keep older trees protected, along with making sure people are not cutting off the tops and leaving the rest of the tree. That’s a lot! 3) Cutting your own tree means that it will last longer. You see one of the biggest problems with tree lots is that these trees are cut at the end of November, shipped over to the city they will be sold, and hanging around on pavement until they are sold. They are not getting the same TLC or water and a lot of them die really early, shedding tons of pine needles along the way. Now when you cut your own tree, it is nice and fresh and lasts much, much longer. As I said we always get our tree at the end of November and take it down at the end of January. We could keep it up longer, but usually by February we are packing up our Christmas stuff. Besides longevity, it also smells absolutely wonderful. And with cutting down your tree there are always adventures. Three years ago I went with my parents and we brought my two nieces, my nephew, and our dog. We hiked all over the area in the snow looking for the perfect tree. We finally found it and my dad cut it down using a manpowered saw rather than a chainsaw. I tried to help him but it was hard work and both of us were pooped. He was really tired so I had him rest and had to carry that tree on my own. Let me say, I’m never doing that again. It was sooo heavy! I don’t know how I was able to carry it even for a minute. After my dad’s rest we finished moving the tree to the truck. After that I had to carry the three kids as the snow embankments had grown larger, and they wouldn’t be able to make it out. Yep, every time I feel like something is too hard, difficult, or heavy, I just remind myself that I carried a tree down a mountainside. I rule! And this year wasn’t any duller. There was no snow as we’ve been suffering some strong dry spells, but we still had a lot of fun hiking up and down the mountainside for that perfect tree. When we found it we cut it down (using a chainsaw this time) and started to head down the mountainside. Now, we’ve been doing this since I was like 13, but this year something happened that had never happened before. As we started down the hill trying to bring the tree to the truck, my dad yelled at us to turn the tree as he wanted the weaker side pointed to the ground as that side was to lay in the flatbed. As we turned the tree, BAM! SMACK! The tree branches kept smacking me in the face. And when I mean kept, I meant it didn’t stop. I guess it was the section of the tree I was in, but I couldn’t see a thing, just branches and branches smacking me in the face. I felt as if it was like in The Wizard of Oz when the trees come to life and start smacking Dorothy. It was almost like it was mad at me for me cutting it down. When we got home we got it out of the truck and was taking it into the house and had to turn the tree again. Now this time I had stood on the opposite side of the tree, hoping that would keep it from hitting me, but now once again tree slap. Hair everywhere, I can’t see a thing, I’m afraid my glasses might get knocked off and go flying, and I am praying so hard that I do not fall in our pool. Luckily we get it in the stand and straighten it out. And boy does it look lovely. It kind of makes up for the abuse it gave me. Now my abuse from the tree branches doesn’t end there. Oh, no! You see after I graduated and interned this summer; I moved back home. I’ve been trying to find a job, but this is pretty much what it is like. So to fill the time until I am hopefully hired, I am volunteering at quite a few places. One of which is my local museum. So last week I headed down there as it was my turn to work the desk. I brought with me some pine clippings from our tree as the museum was decorating for Christmas. Well it turned out that they didn’t have as many volunteers as they hoped, so they asked me to help with the decorating. I thought okay, it will be fun. So I thought decorating meant we were going to hang ornaments on the tree. We were making these giant wreaths. So I was paired with one of the volunteers and let me just stop and share something with you. Most of the volunteers at the museum are older, like 60+. So the woman I had wasn’t the most helpful. You see you take branches of the tree and put them on a plastic doughnut, tying them down with string or wire as you go along. Adding more and more branches until it is filled. However, that’s not what happened here. My helper laid tons of branches down and then sat down as she couldn’t tie them on. I tried to tie the branches down, but the wreath slipped and they all went crashing to the floor. Yep, I had to do everything over, but this time I did it right. As I continued, more people came and helped out which was nice. It was a really hard process though as it had rained for the past three days, and all their tree clippings were soaked, making the already hard job of trying to tie them down even harder! Replace Rothbart with wreath Finally we had completed it and I was tired. It’s a lot of bending over and being pricked/stabbed by the wire and tree branches. I sat down for a bit but then had to move on to making garland. OMG it was so hard. You have a piece of rope and have to twist tie the branch to the rope. Yep, those flimsy little twisty ties. IT TAKES FOREVER! You keep placing branches over and over each other to make it fuller and until you cover the rope. This is extremely hard. At times I was trying to use one of those flimsy things to tie three branches together! And because a lot of people had to leave, I had to do it all on my own. By one fourth of the way I wanted to burn the thing. We had a time limit to this as at noon the county was sending over free labor and the right machine to hang this things high up on the walls. So when every team completed theirs and saw I wasn’t even at the halfway point they all descended on me to help out. Now you think this would have been nice, and it would have if it was one or two, but there were like five trying to take over the tying or telling me what to do. It made me feel kind of surly: But I just kept to myself, trying to be professional. After that my shift was over and I headed home, bearing more battle wounds that those brought on by the slapping tree. My hands were covered in cuts and they hurt sooo bad, my back was aching from bending over, my feet were sore from standing, etc. But hey beauty is pain, and the place sure did look amazing! For more on Christmas trees, go to On the 7th Day ‘Til Christmas For more on Christmas, go to the 25 Films of Christmas For more moments of my every day life, go to How Can This Be? For more on the Wizard of Oz, go to My Favorite Movie Lines For more of my favorite songs, go to Fantastic Fantasies For more of my favorite quotes, go to When in Doubt Posted in Christmas, Disney, Modern Times, Musical Stylings of Me, Musings of Me, Quotable Quotes Tagged Abuse, Audrey Hepburn, Bam, Batman, Beautiful, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, Beauty is Pain, Bending Over, Black Friday, Boromir, Bruce Almighty, Buy Tree Off the Lot, Can't Get Experience Without a Job, Can't Have a Job Without Experience, Can't See, Carry Tree, Cary Grant, Chainsaw, Christmas, Christmas Carols, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Tree, Cindy Lou Who, City, Clear a Section, clumps, College Graduate, Comic Books, Corner, County, Crashing to the Floor, Cut Down Tree, Cut off Top, Decorating for Christmas, Die, Dog, Dorothy, Dorothy Gale, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Drought, Dry Spells, Dull, Environment, Experience, Fake Christmas Tree, Fall in Pool, February, Flatbed, Forest, Forest Fire, Free Labor, Fresh, Game of Thro, Garland, Glasses, Glasses Knocked Off, Graduated, Grimm, Grimm (TV Series), Grow in Clumps, Hair in Face, Halfway, Hang Ornaments, Hanging Around, Hard Work, Heavy, Hiked, Hiked All Over, I Hate Everything, I Hate You, I Know How to Do It, Impossible, Information Desk, Interns, Internship, Interview, January, Jim Carrey, Job Interview, Jon Snow, Kaboom, Lasts Longer, Local Museum, Look for the Perfect Tree, Mailroom, Merry Christmas, Mountainside, Mr. Rat, Museum, Nephew, Niece, Nieces, No Experience, Nothing is Impossible, November, O Christmas Tree, Office Position, Older Trees, Packing Up, Pearls Before Swine, Perfect Christmas Tree, Permit, Pine Clippings, Pine Needles, Plastic Doughnut, Pollinate, Pool, Pooped, Pow, Pray, Praying, Pricked, Protect Each Other, Put in Corner, Rain, Rained, Real Christmas Tree, Regulations, Resources, Restrictions, Rope, Rules, Saw, Share, Share Resources, Shed, Shedding, Shipped, Smack, Smacked in the Face, Smells Good, Smells Wonderful, Snow, Sold, Stabbed, Stephan Pastis, String, Stump, Stupid, Summer, Swan Princess, Tearing Me Apart, Thanksgiving, The Bishop's Wife, The Grinch, The Swan Princess, The Wizard of Oz, The Women (1939), Thinner, Timber, Time Limit, TLC, Too Close, Tree, Tree Branches, Truck, Trunk, Twist Tie, Volunteer, Volunteering, Water, Wire, Work the Desk, Wreaths, Wrongo	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412648
__label__cc	0.723019	0.276981	Tag Archives: Film Culture It’s Alive, it’s ALIVE!: Frankenstein (1931) Look! It’s moving. It’s alive. It’s alive… It’s alive, it’s moving, it’s alive, it’s alive, it’s alive, it’s alive, IT’S ALIVE! What horror movie countdown would be complete without the film Frankenstein Frankenstein is an amazing film that tells the story of when one man tries to be more than he is; he tries to be God. It is based on the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley (FYI: A much better writer than her husband) Edward Van Sloan: How do you do? Mr. Carl Laemmle feels it would be a little unkind to present this picture without just a word of friendly warning. We’re about to unfold the story of Frankenstein, a man of science who sought to create a man after his own image without reckoning upon God. It is one of the strangest tales ever told. It deals with the two great mysteries of creation: life and death. I think it will thrill you. It may shock you. It might even horrify you. So if any of you feel that you do not care to subject your nerves to such a strain, now is your chance to, uh… Well, we’ve warned you. I have always loved this film, but I think The Bride of Frankenstein is much better. I will get more into why that is later. This movie is terrifying as we see a Frankenstein becomes consumed with creating this being. He won’t listen to anyone else and his behavior frightening his friends, family, and fiancé. Henry Frankenstein: Crazy, am I? We’ll see whether I’m crazy or not. Let me just clarify for everyone out there that the name Frankenstein alludes to Victor Frankenstein, the mad doctor who creates the Monster. For some reason they changed his name to Henry in this film. In the film his best friend’s name is Victor, while in the book it is Henry. Go figure. The Monster is never called by a name other than Monster, Creature, or something similar. It’s like The Creature from the Black Lagoon or The Thing from Another World, no proper names are given. Anyways, he is helped out by a hunchback named Fritz Not Igor, FRITZ! The hunchback named Igor who helps mad scientists isn’t from the original Frankenstein, but comes from one of the sequels, Son of Frankenstein, where his name was Ygor; later translated to Igor. Anyways, Fritz is the one who makes the mistake of stealing the criminal brain. So Frankenstein starts getting ready to bring his monster to life. In the novel, Shelley never tells us how it is done; Frankenstein never wanted to share the details of the experiment for fear that someone would create their own living dead. With nothing to go off of, the writers and directors decided to use lightening, and therefore changeing film culture and film history as this is referenced and parodied in so many films and TV shows. “Henry Frankenstein: Look! It’s moving. It’s alive. It’s alive… It’s alive, it’s moving, it’s alive, it’s alive, it’s alive, it’s alive, IT’S ALIVE! Victor Moritz: Henry – In the name of God! Henry Frankenstein: Oh, in the name of God! Now I know what it feels like to be God!” Frankenstein is so intent on proving everyone wrong, so focused on completing everything that he never stops to think whether he should do this. This is an interesting question posed; how far is too far? So Frankenstein is able to create his monster: Played by the very amazing Boris Karloff; extraordinary actor. He almost didn’t play this part as they originally offered it to Bela Lugosi who turned it down. I’m glad it was Karloff, because as much as I love Lugosi, no one could have done this better. The green makeup that is such a part of the Frankenstein figure was used because it gave Karloff a deadlike pallor of skin. Now it has become such a strong part of culture, we see the green-skinned, bolted monster every October. After the Monster is created, we see this innocentlike creature. He is afraid of fire and tries to attack Fritz who brings a torch by him. All bystanders fear for their lives and chain the Creature up in the dungeon. Frankenstein and his friend Victor leave and discuss the best way to euthanize him. Unbeknownst to them Fritz is stupidly taunting the creature with a torch; causing the Monster to reach out and kill him. When Victor and Frankenstein return; they see Fritz’s dead body on the floor, and have to run away from the Monster as it tries to attack them too. Frankenstein prepares a shot to kill him, and Victor gives it him. With all his problems solved, Frankenstein leaves to prepare for his wedding, and Victor begins to dissect the Creature. Unfortunately, the Monster didn’t die; but was only knocked out. He kills Victor and then escapes, running amuck in the countryside. He runs into a little girl, who is nice and shows him the flowers she is picking up. She shows him how flowers float in the river, which Frankenstein ultimately does to the little girl. Thinking that if he tosses the girl in the water she will float; he ends up ultimately drowning her. “Little Maria: See how mine floats. [the Monster picks her up] Little Maria: No, you’re hurting me! No!” The farmer finds his daughter’s floating corpse and goes to pieces. He starts hunting down the monster; searching everywhere to find the fiend. Frankenstein, happily preapering for his wedding is brought news of Victor’s death. He goes out searching for the monster along with the peasants who have their torches and pitchforks at the ready. Grab your torches and sharpen your pitchforks! Eventually Frankenstein tracks the monster down and is prepared to destroy him. However the Monster knocks him out and carries him off to the windmill where he throws him off. Luckily, Frankenstein is caught by a vane and saved from death. There some peasants carry him home while others destroy the mill and kill the monster. Or do they? Frankenstein gets home, where we see that he is safe and sound and in the arms of his Elizabeth dear. After I watched the film a gazillion times, I read the novel and found it to be much more horrifying than the movie. In the book Frankenstein isn’t this bumbling creature, completely innocent and doesn’t understand things; but a criminal mastermind. Having learned to read and talk before he died; he is able to after some time remember how to do this and begins becoming more “human”. The one thing that he never regains is compassion, kindness, etc; all the caring emotions that make us who we are. He has no empathy or sympathy, believing that he was shown nothing but hatred and cruelty so he must show this to all. What they take from this and use in the sequel, The Bride of Frankenstein, is his want of a mate; his desire to have one like him to spend his life with. He threatens to destroy everyone that Frankenstein holds dear if he does give in to his demands. Frankenstein goes through a constant struggle with himself; knowing that he cannot risk creating another creature being made and mating along with the first. He realizes his mistakes at creating such a thing far too late. The monster doesn’t like hearing no and kills all Frankenstein loves. There is no sweet guy, accidentally killing someone like Lenny in Of Mice and Men, but this is a true psychopath fully aware of the crimes he is committing. Not only is the creature a serial killer, but he has become so intelligent that he is able to plant evidence so that people think someone else is the murderer. He kills Frankenstein’s brother William, and plants a locket on William’s nanny so that she is also killed. Then he kills Henry, Frankenstein’s friend, planting evidence so Frankenstein is arrested. He also kills Elizabeth, Frankenstein’s wife, making it seem once again that Frankenstein is the killer. With all those that he loves dead, Baron Frankenstein dies as well. After everything is gone from him; Frankenstein devotes his life to hunting down what he created and destroying it. It’s a great book, I suggest reading it and watching the film. There’s a classic terror for your Tuesday! More to come! I almost forgot to mention this. Unlike The Mummy, Dracula, or The Wolfman; Frankenstein has never had a major motion, globally shown, sent to all theaters, remake. However that is all about to change as Guillermo del Toro is planning one, and hoping that it will be coming out soon. To read more up on it go here. We shall have to wait and see what happens and how it turns out. Here’s poster I made for my cover page on facebook in honor or Halloween. Hope ya love it. For the previous post, go to When Potatoes Go Bad For more on Frankenstein, go to A Monster Race For more on Boris Karloff, go to Eternal Punishment for Anyone Who Opens This Casket For more films based on books, go to The Only Thing That Matters is the Ending For more on Jurassic Park, go to Life Finds a Way For more on the living dead, go to A Tale So Strange It Must Be True For more on mad scientists, go to A Very Scary Story For more universal films, go to Universal’s Classic Monster Movies For more of my fav quotes, go to Insults Posted in Horrorfest, Quotable Quotes Tagged Accidentally Kill, Accidentally Stole Wrong Brain, Admits Mistakes, Afraid, Angry Mob, Arrested, Baron Frankenstein, Bela Lugosi, Body, Bolts, Boris Karloff, Bride of Frankenstein, Bring Monster to Life, Bumbling Fool, Carl Laemmle, Chain, Chained Up, Change History, Children, Classic Horror Film, Compassion, Corpse, Countdown, Countryside, Create Life, Creates a Monster, Creature, Crimes, Criminal Brain, Criminal Mastermind, Cruelty, Dead, Dead Body, Deadlike, Death, Directors, Dissect, Dr. Frankenstein, Dracula, Drown, Drowning, Drowns, Dungeon, Edward Van Sloan, Elizabeth, empathy, Escape, Ethics, Euthanize, Evil, Experiment, Family, Farmer, Fear, Fear for Your Lives, Fiance, Film based on a book, Film Culture, Film History, Films, Fire, Float, Float on the River, Flower, Flowers, Frank Peretti, Frankenstein, Fritz, God, God Given Morals, Gone Mad, Green Makeup, Guillermo del Toro, Hatred, Hearing NO, Henry Frankenstein, Horrify, Horror Movie, Horror Movie Countdown, Horror Parody, How Far is Too Far?, Hunchback, Hunting, Hunting Monster, Ian Malcolm, Igor, Innocent, It's Alive It's ALIVE!, John Hammond, Jurassic Park, Kill, Kill the Monster, kindness, Knocked Out, Lenny, Lenny Small, Life, Lightening, Little Girl, Living Dead, Mad, Mad Scientist, Man of Science, Mary Shelley, Mate, Mill, Mistake, Mob, Monster, Murders Whole Family, My Bad, Mystery of Creation, Need Truth, Nerves, Nightmare Academy, No Win Situation, October, Of Mice and Men, Pallor, Parodied, Peasant, Peasants, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Period Piece, Pitchforks, Plants Evidence, Prepare for the Wedding, Psycho, Psychopath, Referenced, Relearn Things, Remake, Right and Wrong, Run Amok, Science, Scientists, Sequel, Serial Killer, Shock, Shot, Son of Frankenstein, Spanned Sequels, Stealing, Strained Nerves, Struggle, Sympathy, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Mummy, The Mummy (1932), The Thing From Another World, The Thing From Another World (1951), The Wolf Man, The Wolfman, Thrill, Thrown off a Cliff, Torch, Torch and Pitchforks, Torches, Try to Create a Man, Trying to Be God, TV Show, TV Shows, Universal Film, Veritas Project, Victor Frankenstein., Victor Moritz, Warning, Weathervane, Wedding, Windmill, Won't Take No for an Answer, Writers, Ygor	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412649
__label__wiki	0.76784	0.76784	Tag Archives: William P. Gottlieb “A BAG OF JIVE HE HAD ON HIS BACK”: CHRISTMAS EVE by BABS GONZALES Babs Gonzales, between 1946-8. Photograph by William P. Gottlieb. Dig this crazy Christmas Eve scene! That side was recorded in 1954 or 1955; Teddy Brannon played organ. I saw this disc in a remarkably odd store — vases, postcards, jewelry, books, and other objects — a few years ago for $3 plus tax and decided that it would be my antique antidote to Andy Williams singing of Christmas. Looking at Babs’ discography, I see that his Santa never died, and was resurrected as a rock ‘n’ roll Santa, a hippie Santa, and perhaps other manifestations. A bag full of jive, indeed. Posted in "Thanks A Million", Swing You Cats!, That Was Fun!, The Things We Love Tagged Babs Gonzales, Jazz Lives, Michael Steinman, Teddy Brannon, THE BE-BOP SANTA CLAUS, William P. Gottlieb “CONTINUOUS ENTERTAINMENT”: MR. WETTLING GOES TO WASHINGTON AND PLAYS A GIG (March 1953) If you’ve been wondering about George Wettling’s whereabouts in the first week of March 1953, all will be revealed to you. A few days ago, I posted this portrait: The first urban sleuth to point out that the site was the Washington Monument was Eric Elder. Others agreed. A second photograph, appearing here for the first time, has this identification on the back: GEORGE WETTLING AL SIMMONDS The picture shows that George was gigging there — see the photograph on the wall behind him, underneath a sign ending with “DIXIE BEAT” and “NOW PRESENTING.” I do not recognize the man portrayed in the second picture but some mysteries related to the other man, smiling at the camera, will be untangled below. I assumed that these photographs were taken in Massachusetts because they came from a drummer Walt Gifford’s collection, and he was based there at this time. Boston, like other cities, did have a nightclub / restaurant called the Brown Derby — perhaps emulating the Hollywood landmark. But “Al Simmonds” was still unidentified. Was he a Boston jazz fan? Only when I began to search without preconceptions (a lesson here?) did I find the threads connecting Wettling, Washington, Simmonds, and the Brown Derby. Whether the two men were friends before 1953, I can’t say. But George and Al had a show-business link, explicated (not surprisingly) through an artifact for sale on eBay in characteristic eBay prose: “Wonderful Vintage feature and display type matchbook for The Brown Derby, Washington D.C. / matches with the picture of a brown derby and dancing nude women”: Peek behind the matches and one would read, “The Brown Derby in the Nation’s capital, where Al Simmonds and George Berg, the two international mad monks of buffoonery cavort with all the cash customers.” (It appears that George played the piano and Al sang . . . but that is mere conjecture.) And the seller explains, as one must, that the matchbook “is in VG condition, all 21 matches intact / unstruck.” What has this to do with George Wettling, drummer? Now it’s clear that he went down to Washington to play at the Brown Derby and he might have taken in the sights or visited an auto show during the day. He and Al were photographed outside the club in daylight, presumably before their appearances, but their unrecorded dialogue is lost for ever. And if the Brown Derby’s advertisement for nude women suggests that Wettling’s career had suddenly plunged, photographs by William P. Gottlieb show that the club featured famous jazz musicians in the Forties. In May 1946, he photographed John Kirby and Buster Bailey performing there. And I believe that prestigious nightclubs might have offered patrons drinks and dinner, a jazz band, comedians, and pulchritude in profusion. So now you know it all, or as much as two candid snapshots can reveal. If anyone asks, “What are you spending so much time looking at that thing — that JAZZ LIVES — for?” you might reply, “It provides continuous entertainment.” We do our best. Posted in "Thanks A Million", Bliss!, Hotter Than That, Ideal Places, It's All True, Jazz Titans, Pay Attention!, Swing You Cats!, The Real Thing, The Things We Love Tagged Al Simmonds, continuous entertainment, DIXIE BEAT, Ebay, Eric Elder, George Berg, George Wettling, Jazz Lives, Michael Steinman, nightclub, nude women, steaks and chops, the Brown Derby, William P. Gottlieb THE SHAPE OF A CAREER: RED McKENZIE, 1924-1947 Posted on October 2, 2012 \| 5 comments Photograph thanks to Scott Black: a trio of solid senders, Frank Trumbauer, Red McKenzie, and their former boss Paul Whiteman William “Red” McKenzie, born in 1899, had a career whose highs and lows might have made a good — and sad — film biography. Let us begin with a phenomenal hit record, the 1924 ARKANSAS BLUES — a smash for the novelty group, The Mound City Blue Blowers (McKenzie on comb and newspaper, Jack Bland on banjo, Dick Slevin on kazoo): A word about his musical abilities, unique to him. McKenzie’s singing isn’t to everyone’s taste; he is earnest, declaratory, even tipping over into barroom sentimentality. But he could put over a hot number with style, and his straight-from-the shoulder delivery is both charming and a product of the late Twenties. As an instrumentalist — on the comb and newspaper, a homegrown kazoo with panache — he had no equal, and the remarkable thing about the records on which he appears is how strongly he stands his ground with Coleman Hawkins and Bunny Berigan, powerful figures in their own right. Both singing and playing, McKenzie reminds me greatly of Wild Bill Davison, someone who had “drama,” as Ruby Braff said. In the late Twenties McKenzie was not only a musician but an activist for the music, bringing hot jazz players — Bix Beiderbecke, Frank Trumbauer, Jimmie Noone, the Spirits of Rhythm — to the attention of record companies and creating early record dates where Caucasians and African-Americans to record. Without McKenzie, Coleman Hawkins would have waited a number of years to be allowed into the recording studio to perform with mixed groups. Here is McKenzie in 1929 — out in the open in the short film OPRY HOUSE as a delightfully unrestrained singer, with Bland, banjo; Josh Billings, whiskbrooms and suitcase: His popularity grew — as s singer and someone whose face might sell sheet music of a new song: McKenzie was the featured vocalist with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra — an orchestra, we should remember, that had launched the careers of Bing Crosby and Mildred Bailey — with a pretty 1932 tune, THREE ON A MATCH (featured in the Warner Brothers film of the same name, starring Ann Dvorak, Joan Blondell, and Bette Davis): He continued to be someone whose presence could help sell new songs — this 1936 number, that most of us know through Billie Holiday’s recording: and this 1936 song, more famous in Bing Crosby’s recording: At forty, McKenzie went into a temporary retirement — moving back to his hometown, St. Louis, to work at a brewery for four years. Apparently he was one of the great heavy drinkers of his time, and only the support of his great friend Eddie Condon kept him in the limelight in the Forties, where he appeared now and again at a Condon concert or a Blue Network broadcast. The latter, I think, accounts for McKenzie’s 1944 appearance on a V-Disc and a session for Commodore Records — where Milt Gabler also thought the world of him. Gabler produced record sessions simultaneously for Decca Records and the World Transcription System: here’s a 1944 version of DINAH with McKenzie, Max Kaminsky, Jack Teagarden, and Pee Wee Russell: Here’s McKenzie as captured by William P. Gottlieb in an October 1946 photograph: But little was heard from McKenzie for the last years of his life, except for one 1947 record date — shown in a newsprint advertisement for four sides on the National label. His obscurity is nodded at — another “comeback story” in the sad word REINTRODUCING: By February 1948 McKenzie was dead — cirrhosis the official cause. I find IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER and HEARTACHES sad reminders of what had happened. I would hate to think that his life could be summarized as an equal devotion to hot music and hard liquor, the latter winning out over the former. Had he been in better health, he could have been one of those apparently ancient but still vivacious stars who appeared on the ED SULLIVAN SHOW and the HOLLYWOOD PALACE alongside Crosby, Sophie Tucker, Durante, and Ted Lewis . . . but it was not to be. May your happiness increase. Posted in "Thanks A Million", Awful Sad, Hotter Than That, It's A Mystery, Jazz Titans, Pay Attention!, Swing You Cats!, The Real Thing, The Things We Love Tagged Ann Dvorak, Bette Davis, Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby, Bix Beiderbecke, Charlie Barnet, Coleman Hawkins, Dick Slevin, Eddie Condon, Eddie Lang, Frank Trumbauer, Jack Bland, Jack Teagarden, Jazz Lives, Jimmie Noone, Jimmy Durante, Joan Blondell, Josh Billings, Machito, Max Kaminsky, Michael Steinman, Mildred Bailey, Milt Gabler, Mound City Blue Blowers, OPRY HOUSE, Paul Whiteman, Pee Wee Russell, Red McKenzie, Ruby Braff, Sophie Tucker, Ted Lewis, The Spirits of Rhythm, Wild Bill Davison, William P. Gottlieb YOUNG MISTER TOUGH: LOOK CLOSELY My dear friend Uwe Zanisch is a generous fellow, as his website SATCHMOTUBE proves — on it he collects television appearances of Louis Armstrong, some of them never seen before. But this post, for a change, isn’t about Mister Strong. It’s about the New Yorkers — the “New Yorkers Tanzorchester” made up of hot players including George Carhart and Danny Polo and one other, who made some wonderful Goldkette-inflected records in Berlin in late 1927 / early 1928. Here’s the label of one of the more incendiary sides, OSTRICH WALK: And something even better — although how many of us have seen a picture of that 78? Here’s a formal portrait of the band, with young David Tough to the right. As a typical Twenties band portrait, it is oddly diffuse: the young men in their tuxedoes look as if they did not know one another, as if their clothing fit very poorly. Three of them are gazing off to the left — two skeptically, one far away; one stares challengingly, coldly at the camera; one takes its measure. And then there’s Mister Tough — not even identified by name in the Bear Family booklet from which this picture comes (thanks to Uwe!). His hair threatens to explode from its pomaded state; his light eyes are both searching and even suspicious. Do we read into this face the one that William P. Gottlieb captured in the basement of the Greenwich Village club — amused, mournful, rueful, trapped? When we see two pictures, two decades apart, we might play the game of IS IT THE SAME PERSON — but all we know of him is the lovely singular music he had in front of him, his intelligence, and the sadness of short life and helpless self-immolation. When I think of Tough, I think of his cymbals and bass drum accents on FORTY-SEVENTH AND STATE, of his solo on the Charlie Ventura Town Hall Concert, his relentless playing behind Hot Lips Page on THERE’LL BE SOME CHANGES MADE, and those are exaltations of body and spirit. But it’s impossible to think of him without grieving for him. And I may assume too much, but sadness and distance are in the early photograph as well. Posted in Awful Sad, Irreplaceable, It's A Mystery, Jazz Titans, Swing You Cats!, The Real Thing Tagged alcoholism, Artie Shaw, Bear Family, Berlin, Charlie Ventura, Danny Polo, Dave Tough, George Carhart, hot jazz, Jazz Lives, Jean Goldkette, Louis Armstrong, Michael Steinman, New Yorkers Tanzorchester, Satchmotube, Tri-Ergon, Uwe Zanisch, William P. Gottlieb SAY IT SIMPLE: DICK WELLSTOOD Once the English pianist Harold Bauer gave a concert in San Francisco, and an F-sharp got stuck just after he’d begun his last piece. He struggled with the note, trying to disguise that from the audience, trying to keep it from ruining the piece, trying to get through. When he came offstage, his manager said to him, “Harold, I’ve listened to you up and down the world for twenty years, and that last piece was the most moving performance I have ever heard.” Which means that audiences are rarely on the same wavelength as performers. In fact, two very different things are going on at once. The musician is wondering how to get from the second eight bars into the bridge, and the audience is in pursuit of emotional energy. The musician is struggling, and the audience is making up dreamlike opinions about the music that may have nothing at all to do with what the musician is thinking or doing musically. If audiences knew what humdrum, daylight things most musicians think when they play, they’d probably never come. — told to Whitney Balliett, “Easier Than Working,” American Musicians 312-13. The Dear Departed Days: December 1946, Jimmy Ryan’s, New York City: Ed Phyfe (drums), John Glasel (tpt); Bob Wilber, Wellstood, Charlie Traeger (bass). Photograph by William P. Gottlieb. Posted in "Thanks A Million", Irreplaceable, It's A Mystery, Jazz Titans, Jazz Worth Reading, Pay Attention!, Swing You Cats!, The Heroes Among Us, The Real Thing, The Things We Love Tagged Bob Wilber, Charlie Traeger, Dick Wellstood, Ed Phyfe, Harold Bauer, jazz blog, Jazz Lives, Jimmy Ryan's, John Glasel, Michael Steinman, musicians and the audience, Whitney Balliett, William P. Gottlieb APOLLO THEATRE, SUMMER 1947 The photograph is by the much-missed William P. Gottlieb, and I was guided to it by John Leifert and David Weiner: My first reaction was, “When are we going?” And after that elation died down, amusement that they had made Sid’s last name CATLET. I thought, “I don’t care how it’s spelled . . . !” A few days later, I looked at the picture and noted that the marquee had turned Arnett into ARNET . . . and then, as they say in the UK, the penny dropped. Nearly forty years ago, I worked in a local movie theatre as a doorman / usher / all-around functionary in an ill-fitting black jacket. It wasn’t a career, but a way to put gas in my Volkswagen Beetle and to buy records at Record World. The minimum wage was $1.85 an hour. Once in a while I had the chance to make extra money “changing the marquee,” an annoying business involving ladders and sifting through piles of huge red plastic letters to spell out THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE or whatever the new feature was. And it dawned on me that the people who changed the Apollo Theatre’s marquee for this week in summer 1947 were running low on the letter T — especially troubling because a marquee has at least two sides. It’s not a mystery that kept me up at night, but it’s today’s answer to an unasked question. Posted in "Thanks A Million", Ideal Places, It's A Mystery, Jazz Titans, Pay Attention!, Swing You Cats!, The Real Thing, The Things We Love Tagged Apollo Theatre, Arnett Cobb, Big Sid Catlett, Dave Weiner, jazz blog, Jazz Lives, John Leifert, marquee, Michael Steinman, movie theatre, Sidney Catlett, William P. Gottlieb REMEMBERING JOE THOMAS Posted on June 11, 2009 \| 33 comments The trumpeter Joseph Eli Thomas — fabled but truly little-known — is almost always confused with his higher-profile namesake, who played tenor sax and sang in the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra. But a quick scan of the people our Joe Thomas played with should suggest that his colleagues thought very highly of him. How about Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, Johnny Guarneri, Earl Hines, Fletcher Henderson, Sidney Catlett, Coleman Hawkins, Jack Teagarden, Bud Freeman, Ed Hall, Vic Dickenson, Red Norvo, Roy Eldridge, Emmett Berry, Cozy Cole, Lil Hardin Armstrong, Claude Hopkins, Buddy Tate, Pee Wee Russell, Tony Scott, Buck Clayton, Woody Herman, Trummy Young, Rudy Powell, Eddie Condon, Benny Carter, Jo Jones, Benny Morton, Al Hall . . . . ? Clearly a man well-respected. But he is an obscure figure today. He can be seen as a member of Art Kane’s famous 1958 Harlem street assemblage. Shirtsleeved and hatless, he stands with Maxine Sullivan and Jimmy Rushing to one side, with Stuff Smith on the other. Fast company, although the sun must have been bothering him, for he looks worried. In another world, Thomas would have had little reason to worry, but he came up in jazz when hot trumpeters seemed to spring out from every bush. To his left, Red Allen and Rex Stewart; to the right, Bill Coleman, Emmett Berry, Bobby Hackett. Rounding the corner, Buck Clayton, Cootie Williams, Benny Carter, Frank Newton. So the competition was fierce. And Thomas often had the bad fortune to be overshadowed: in Fletcher Henderson’s 1936 CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS band — the one that recorded extensively for Victor and Vocalion — his section-mate was a fireball named Eldridge. In Fats Waller’s big band, Thomas played section trumpet and the prize solos in Fats’ Rhythm went to Herman Autrey or Bugs Hamilton. And then there was a colossus named Armstrong, apparently blocking out the sun. John Hammond was busy championing other players, all worthy, and never got around to pushing Joe Thomas into the limelight. Although he recorded prolifically as a sideman, he never had a record date under his own name after 1946. But Thomas got himself heard now and again: his solos shine on Decca recordings (alongside Chu Berry) under Lil Armstrong’s name, and on a famous Big Joe Turner date for the same label that featured Art Tatum and Ed Hall. On the much more obscure Black and White label, he recorded alongside Tatum and Barney Bigard; for Jamboree, he was captured side-by-side with Don Byas, Dave Tough, and Ted Nash. Later in his career, the British jazz scholar Albert McCarthy featured him on a Vic Dickenson session (Vic, like Tatum, seems to have admired Joe’s quiet majesty), and he popped up on sessions in the Fifties and Sixties in the best company. Whitney Balliett celebrated him in an essay, and the drummer Mike Burgevin used him on gigs whenever he could. Thomas’s most important champion has to have been the Javanese jazz enthusiast and record producer Harry Lim, whose biography should be written — producing jam sessions and heading one of the finest record labels ever — Keynote — then shepherding another label, Famous Door, through perhaps a dozen issues in the Seventies. I gather that his day job was as head of the jazz record section in the Manhattan Sam Goody store: probably I saw him, but was too young and uninformed to make the connection. Lim loved Thomas’s playing and featured him extensively on sessions between 1944 and 1946. Regrettably those sessions were reissued in haphazard fashion in the Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies — vinyl anthologies on the Emarcy and Trip labels — then in a wonderful box set first appearing in Japan, then briefly in the US, then disappearing for good. A number of compilations drawn from that set — featuring Hawkins, Eldridge, Norvo, and Young — made it to CD but seem to have gone out of circulation. And wise collectors aren’t putting them up on eBay. Thomas also appears on a few sessions for the HRS (Hot Record Society) label, and those sessions have been collected in a Mosaic box set, which I believe is still available — although the Keynotes show him off far better. What made Thomas so special? His tone was luminous but dark, rich — not shallow and glossy or brassy. His notes sang; he placed his notes a shade behind the beat, giving the impression of having all the time in the world at a fast tempo. Like Jack Teagarden, he wasn’t an improviser who started afresh with every new solo. Thomas had his favorite patterns and gestures, but he didn’t repeat himself. Listening to him when he was on-form was beautifully satisfying: he sounded like a man who had edited out all the extraneous notes in his head before beginning to play. His spaces meant something, and a Thomas solo continued to resonate in one’s head for a long time. I can still hear his opening notes of a solo he took on CRAZY RHYTHM on a New York gig in 1974. What made his style so memorable wasn’t simply his tone — a marvel in itself — or his pacing, steady but never sluggish. It was his dual nature: he loved upward-surging arpeggios that spelled out the chord in a gleaming way, easy but urgent. Occasionally he hit the same note a few times in a delicate, chiming way (much more Beiderbecke than Sweets Edison) — and then, while those notes rang in the air, he would play something at one-quarter volume, which had the shape of a beautiful half-muttered epigram, something enclosed in parentheses, which you had to strain to hear. That balance between declarations and intimacy shaped many a memorable solo. And when Thomas was simply appearing to play the melody, he worked wonders. I don’t know where a listener would find the Teddy Wilson V-Disc session that produced only two titles (and one alternate take) with a stripped-down version of Wilson’s Cafe Society band in 1943: Thomas, Ed Hall, Wilson, and Sidney Catlett. I mean them no disrespect, but Benny Morton and Johnny Williams may have wanted to go home and get some sleep. The two titles recorded were RUSSIAN LULLABY and HOW HIGH THE MOON — the latter of interest because it is one of the first jazz recordings of that song (including a fairly straight 1940 reading by a Fred Rich studio band with Benny Carter and Roy Eldridge as guest stars!) that I know of. But RUSSIAN LULLABY is extra-special, taken at a slow tempo, enabling Thomas to illuminate the melody from within, as if it were a grieving anthem. Alas, there are no CD compilations devoted to Thomas; someone eager to hear him on record might chase down the Keynotes in a variety of forms. One session finds him alongside Eldridge and Emmett Berry, and it’s fascinating to see how easily Thomas’s wait-and-see manner makes his colleagues seem a bit too eager, even impetuous. His playing alongside Teagarden and Hawkins on a session led by drummer George Wettling couldn’t be better, especially on HOME and YOU BROUGHT A NEW KIND OF LOVE TO ME. But he came to prominence, at least as far as the record studio executives were concerned, most often in the years of the first record ban, during World War Two. After that, he emerged now and then in a variety of Mainstream revivals — he played at Central Plaza on an elusive “Dr. Jazz” broadcast; he was a member of an Eddie Condon troupe in the Forties that did a concert in Washington, D.C. I was lucky enough to hear him a few times in the early Seventies, primarily because of the enthusiastic generosity of Mike Burgevin, a classic jazz drummer whose heroes were Catlett, Tough, and Wettling — someone who also sang now and again, his model (wisely) being early-and-middle period Crosby. For a time, Mike took care of the jazz at a club named Brew’s — slightly east of the Empire State Building — that had a little room with tables and chairs, a minute bandstand, a decent upright piano. His sessions usually featured himself and the quietly persuasive stride pianist Jimmy Andrews (or Dill Jones), perhaps Al Hall on bass, and a noted horn player. It could be Ruby Braff or Kenny Davern, but often it was Max Kaminsky, Herb Hall, Herman Autrey, or Joe Thomas. (One week, blessedly, Vic Dickenson played three or four nights with a shifting rhythm section: glorious music and a rare opportunity to observe him on his own.) The sessions were even noted in The New Yorker. I remember noting that these players — people I had heard only on record — seemed to be gigging about ten minutes away from Penn Station. When Joe Thomas’s name came up in print, I was nearly-incredulous. Could this be our Joe Thomas, the trumpeter who was nearly luminescent on his choruses on SHE DIDN’T SAY YES? I think I prevailed on my friend Stu Zimny to come into the city and see whether this was miracle or mirage, and I remember one brilliant set — Joe, Waller-altoist Rudy Powell, Herb Hall, Jimmy Andrews, and Burgevin — that featured Rudy on WHERE OR WHEN and there was a closing CRAZY RHYTHM for the whole band. Of course I had my cassette recorder, but where these tapes are I cannot say. Joe’s chorus, however, is fresh in my mind’s ear. We struck up a friendship with Mike Burgevin, who was thrilled to find college-age kids who were deeply immersed in the music he loved, and he told us that Joe and he would be leading a quartet for an outdoors concert in a park at the very southern end of Manhattan. I remember that Stu and I brought a heavy reel-to-reel tape recorder, the better to capture Joe’s golden sound, and set it up in the shade, near a tree. This provoked the only conversation I remember having with him. Understandably, perhaps, the sight of young strangers with a big tape recorder made him nervous, and he kept on telling us that we shouldn’t do this, because “the union man” could come by. Perhaps impatiently, we assured him that Local 802 representatuves didn’t seem to be hiding in the bushes, and that we would take the blame if anyone came around. He could pretend that he had no knowledge of our criminalities. It was a less memorable occasion: the quartet was filled out with someone of moderate abilities on a small electric keyboard, the bassist played an over-amplified Fender. Joe fought his way upstream, but it was difficult. In retrospect, I feel guilty: was he worrying about the union man all the time he was playing? I hope not. He also got a chance to shine twice at the 1972 Newport in New York concerts, once at an affair devoted to Eddie Condon and his music. It was a characteristically uneven evening. The sound engineer at Carnegie Hall amplified the piano so that it sounded other-worldly, and Thomas (perhaps playing the role of a more modest Hot Lips Page) was brought on, along with J.C. Higginbotham, for a closing version of IMPROMPTU ENSEMBLE. Of that occasion, I remember a stunning Bobby Hackett chorus and break, but Thomas didn’t get the space to do what we knew he could. He also was a member of Benny Carter’s SWING MASTERS big band — its rhythm section featuring Teddy Wilson, Bernard Addison, Milt Hinton, and Jo Jones (!) and Thomas took a wonderful solo on a very fast rendition of SLEEP. I don’t know what kept him out of the limelight after that, whether it was ill health or tiredness? Was it that more showily assertive trumpeters (and there were plenty) got the gigs? Whatever the reasons, he seems to have faded away. Ironically, Mike Burgevin had issued three vinyl recordings on his own Jezebel label that featured Herman Autrey, Jack Fine, Rudy Powell, and Doc Cheatham . . . which, in a way, led to Cheatham’s rediscovery and second or third period of intense (and well-deserved) fame. Had circumstances been different, perhaps it would have been Joe Thomas playing alongside Nicholas Payton, and that is to take nothing away from Cheatham. I had begun to write a post about Joe Thomas very shortly after beginning this blog, but shelved it because so little of his work is now available on CD. But the impetus to celebrate him came in the past few days when the Beloved and I had the great good luck to hear Duke Heitger on a brief New York City tour. I have admired Duke’s work for a number of years, and think of him as one of those players who honors the tradition — subtly yet passionately — without imitating anyone. But on a few occasions this last week, Duke would get off a beautiful phrase that hung, shimmering in the air, for a second, and I would think, “Who does that remind me of?” And the answer, when it came, startled me: the last time I had heard something quite so lovely was in listening to Joe Thomas in his prime. Duke is too much his own man to have copied those Keynotes, but it’s an honor (at least in my estimation) to come close to some of Thomas’s quiet majesty. One other person who thought Joe Thomas was worthy of notice was the esteemed photographer William P. Gottlieb. In this shot, taken at the Greenwich Village club “The Pied Piper,” sometime between 1946 and 1946, Thomas is third from the left, the only African-American. To his left is Harry Lim: Here he is playing alongside pianist Jimmy Jones, at the same club: Ultimately, Thomas got a number of opportunities to record and to perform, so that a few people still remember him, but it’s sad that his work is so difficult to find. He deserves so much more. Posted in Irreplaceable, It's A Mystery, Jazz Titans, Pay Attention!, The Real Thing, Uncategorized Tagged Al Hall, Albert McCarthy, Art Kane, Art Tatum, Babe Mathews, Barney Bigard, Benny Carter, Benny Morton, Bernard Addison, Big Joe Turner, Bill Coleman, Bing Crosby, Bix Beiderbecke, Bobby Hackett, Brew's, Buck Clayton, Bud Freeman, Buddy Tate, Bugs Hamilton, Cafe Society, Chu Berry, Claude Hopkins, Coleman Hawkins, Cootie Williams, Cozy Cole, Dave Tough, Dill Jones, Doc Cheatham, Don Byas, Duke Heitger, Earl Hines, Ed Hall, Eddie Condon, Emmett Berry, Fats Waller, Fats Waller and his Rhythm, Fletcher Henderson, Frank Newton, Fred Rich, George Wettling, Harry Lim, Herb Hall, Herman Autrey, Hot Lips Page, Hot Record Society, HRS, J.C. Higginbotham, Jack Fine, Jack Teagarden, James P. 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__label__cc	0.737818	0.262182	My Trip To Las Vegas Is Nearing Its End… I have a red-eye at 10pm or so back to the East Coast, which means I should be arriving around 6 in the morning! Holla! IHOP IS GOING TO GET KERRRRRRRAAAAYYYYZZZZZZEEEEE like Patrick Swayze. I saw some fights, I talked about those fights, I saw some dogs, I pet those dogs, I saw some drinks, I drank those drinks, I didn’t do any gambling, which is all good stuff. I really don’t have any appetite to gamble. Any dollar I spend on gambling is a dollar that I could potentially lose and could have spent on alcohol. And I would never forgive myself for doing that. I saw Hangover II. Apparently, so did everyone else. It was pretty good. I definitely laughed a bunch and thought the movie was fun. Everyone is saying that it is a complete ripoff of the first and. it. is. But wasn’t that what we expected? It’s still fun. It is pretty much the same story, but ratcheted up. If you could imagine Hangover as Bad Boys with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence then Hangover II is Bad Boys II aka the movie where they invaded CUBA. It’s fairly non-stop ridiculousness after ridiculousness. Also, Todd Phillips knows how to make a good looking movie. It’s visually the best looking comedy out there right now and has a good soundtrack. And as good as Todd Phillips seems to be at being the Michael Bay of comedy – the female characters may even be worse in this movie because there are none. Not that it matters it’s just funny. The first one at least had the attempt at a couple ladies having lines, but this one not so much. If people thought Jamie Chung was “useless” in Sucker Punch then I would love to hear what adjective they come up with for her in this movie. She’s only seen like two maybe three times in the movie and her character is absolutely robotic and brainlessly “in love” with Ed Helms. Nevertheless, she is the prettiest goddess angel to play a brainless robot. I did see a couple articles I wanted to critique for articles from this week, so hopefully I remember to do that on Thursday or next week or some time soon. By the way, I’ve been watching Nick cartoons while I’ve been typing this for reasons that don’t need to be elaborated on. The first show that was on was Power Rangers Samurai or Samurai Power Rangers or something. IT WAS INSANE! Kids should not be watching that show. It was all screaming, stupidity, flashing lights, colors with absolutely no substance at all. And at the end of the show they promoted eating cotton candy. Don’t let your kids watch this show. Now, Sponge Bob is on. It’s ok. I’ve never really watched this show, but it’s pretty good. You can let your kids watch it. That’s it for now. Packing Packing Packing for LAS VEGAS This will be my fourth time to Las Vegas. What can I tell you about Las Vegas? Well, you can get anything you want to eat fried. Just choose a food item that you feel like stuffing into your mouth hole then say “I want that fried” and somehow they have a fryer and BOOM or SIZZLE it is fried! Ice cream cake? FRIED. Steak? FRIED. Beer? FRIED! You can also drink on the streets. Actually, it is not only legal, but often preferred. It isn’t classy drinking though. It isn’t walking around with fine stemmed martini glasses sipping $50 vodka with a rare breed of Mediterranean olives on a gold tooth pick. It is more just GET HAMMERED type of drinking. Two feet tall plastic cylinders topped with Costco margarita mix and Banker’s Club tequila. Or my personal favorite a plastic football filled with 55 ounces of beer drank through a straw. What beer you ask? Oh well we have ICEHOUSE or MILLER HIGH LIFE. Excellent choices. Who the fuck knew they made kegs of Icehouse? That just seems insane. The keg itself has to have cost more than the Icehouse beer inside of it as well as the brewery it was made in. And there are buffets everywhere. At anytime of day or night. The city certainly knows how to cater towards the whimsy of a drunk at all times. Not only the whimsy, but the true whimsy that no decision the drunk makes will work out for the best. Always heart burn and sore stomachs and sun burn the next morning type of decisions with no money in your wallet and not a coherent caring thought in your head. Well, time to pack. I Have An Annoucement, I Hurt Everywhere. Actually, That’s Not The Announcement I do hurt everywhere. Like I’m starting to understand what those superheroes who have control over all the cells in their body feel like. Except, but “control over” I mean I can feel every cell in my body because it is in PAIN. Like a dull jabbing pain at all times. Pretty much my whole body is one huge bruise. That’s pretty sexy, right ladies? I’ll also tell you that when I’m rolling with a dude doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, that absolutely last thing on my mind is kissing him. I hate to break it to you slash fans, but when I’m fighting a guy – I’m not thinking about making out with him. Generally, I’m thinking about how much I want whatever I’m trying to do to work, how exhausted I am and how whatever he’s trying to do to me I’m hoping won’t work or won’t hurt too much. Those are my thoughts. Also, lingering in the back of my mind is how much sweat smells. Oh God does sweat stink when it is soaked up in a cloth and then jammed into your face. Luckily, I have not been farted on yet. There is a high probability of that happening every time you roll, but so far knock on wood that hasn’t happened. So, I’ve come to the conclusion that if you are a dude character from a story and you fight another dude character in that story and you start thinking about kissing him in the middle of your fight then you have to be CRAZY GAY leading up to that fight. Like you are George Michael gay. That is gay with a ton of INSANITY. Like you can’t control your bodily urges at anytime where ever. You’re liable to strip naked and attack something with your penis at any given point during the day. Remember, George Michael had sex with a bathroom hand dryer. That’s pretty insane. That is lock you up and throw away the key type of insane. He’s also gay, so he’s CRAZY GAY. If he was straight then he would be CRAZY STRAIGHT. Well, I just thought about it for a second, if I was rolling with a hot chick – I would probably try to sneak a thousand million kisses into the rolling if she didn’t break my arm or choke me out before hand. That’s still kind of crazy. Either way, I’m saying that you are not some how overtaken by the fact that you are now rolling around with someone and not attracted to them prior and then start thinking – you know what we should kiss. In conclusion – George Michael fucked a hand dryer in a public men’s bathroom. BUNNIES! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHAHAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!! BUNNIES!!!!!!!!!! GIVE ME THOSE BUNNIES!!!!!!! I WANT BOTH OF THEM!!! I NEED BOTH OF THEM!!!! NOT ONLY DO I NEED BOTH OF THEM BECAUSE I WANT WHAT I SEE, BUT BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY HAVE GROWN ATTACHED TO EACH OTHER AND SEPARATING THEM WOULD CAUSE ANXIETY AND I DON’T WANT TO CAUSE THOSE BUNNIES ANXIETY!!! I JUST WANT TO GIVE THEM ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD!!! THAT’S ALL!!! NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK, RIGHT?!!! GIVE THEM HERE!!!! LOOK AT THEIR NOSES!!!! LOOK AT THEM!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I saw this video the other day. I’m pretty sure this video could win the war on terrorism. We just need to convince the terrorists to watch this video then explain to them that any and all terrorism will make these bunnies sad and make them cease to be and the war would end tomorrow. BUNNNN NNNNN BBBBBBBUUUUHHHHH NNNNNNUUUUHHHHH IIIIIEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!! Is that Liz Taylor or Snooki? The other day I was looking at LIFE.com which is what I do and I saw these of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. In most of the pictures Liz looks great and Rich looks drunk. There were two pictures in particular where Liz looked very much like Snooki. There is the one above ^^^^ and the one below… Does this raise your opinion of Snooki? Does it lessen your opinion of Liz Taylor? That’s the question. I was reading a movie website yesterday and Hollyweird is adapting the fantasy sci-fi book series about… Starring Taylor Kitsch as the titular lead, the film is based on Edgar Rice Burrough’s science fiction series which sees Civil War veteran John Carter transported to the world of Barsoom (the Martian word for their own planet) where he becomes caught up between the different races of warriors who inhabit the red desert. The movie was going to be called John Carter of Mars, which I think helps set-up the movie pretty well.But Disney is changing the film title to be just John Carter. That is pretty stupid. John Carter? What is that about? I don’t know who John Carter is. He sounds kind of boring actually. He sounds like he would have a pretty straight laced job like doctor. Maybe a general practitioner or a pediatrician. That doesn’t sound like a movie I want to see. Maybe he’s a lawyer. But would you guess John Carter was actually on MARS? Probably not. Probably not because it doesn’t say “on Mars” or “of Mars” in the title. What sounds like a more interesting movie to you? Greg Daniels of Mars I’m picking number 2. You probably will as well because it has those additional two words that mean he is from a different PLANET! One rationale given for the title change is that John Carter of Mars is actually the title of the last of the books in the series and the movie will be focused mainly on the first book. But the title of the first book is A Princess of Mars. It’s got that hook with the “of Mars” bit in there that makes people want to know about as opposed to the title being just A Princess. The other rationale for the name change is that Disney is full of idiots. I’m interested in this movie really for one reason and one reason only – Andrew Stanton. That man directed Wall-E. He also directed Finding Nemo and A Bug’s Life. But he directed Wall-E and this is his first live-action film. I’m looking forward to seeing what he’ll do with actual people. I’m leaving for Las Vegas tomorrow. I’ll be gone for a week. It is a holiday weekend over here in the States, so I might not have been posting anyway this coming Monday. I’m not sure what my schedule is going to be like, nor do I know if I’ll be posting, but I’m sure I’ll throw up something or other while I’m out there. I’m going for the vacation and to see these… Yes, fights! I will be rooting for the black guy and the bearded guy if you are wondering. Anyway… I hope you are having a great day. I’ll post something tomorrow because my flight isn’t until much later in the day. BUNNIES!!!!! Think About It – No Rapture, No Problemo. Apparently, there were some people out there who thought that on Saturday we were all going to: A. Eat ice cream B. Take a beginner’s class of Yoga C. DIE! If you guessed “C” then you are correct-ah-mundo. Well, the world was supposed to end on Saturday in those people’s opinions and as far as I can tell it didn’t. I got drunk Saturday night, watched the Mavericks whoop the Thunder, woke up hungover Sunday, watched the Heat beat the Bulls, watched Game of Thrones then signed up for HBO Go to watch next week’s Game of Thrones, but the HBO web site had pretty much crashed, so I took my Ambien and watched Benson Interruption until I passed out. If that’s the Rapture then I’ve been living in the Rapture MY ENTIRE FUCKING LIFE. I do have something to say to those people who were involved in the WRONGNESS of the Rapture. If you were apart of believing in that the Rapture was going to happen then you are now a fucking idiot. If you were apart of convincing people that the Rapture was going to happen then you are now and forever a dickhead. Please follow the next set of instructions to understand fully how you should use those honorifics for the rest of eternity. Let’s say you are the person who listened and believed and possibly gave all your money to a guy already worth $70 million because you thought the world was going to end at 6pm on Saturday for abso-fucking-lutely no reason at all. You are a fucking idiot. Refer to yourself as a fucking idiot. Being wrong isn’t the worst thing in the world – depending on what’s it about. The Preakness was on Saturday. If you said you thought Animal Kingdom was going to win then you are wrong. If you said you thought the horse Astrology was going to win then you are wrong and even in some circumstances more wrong than the previous guy because Animal Kingdom did come in second place and there was a much better chance that Animal Kingdom was going to win in general. But you’re both wrong. No shame in being wrong in these circumstances. But if someone asked you who do you think will win the Preakness and you responded 9x Olympic Gold Medalist Carl Lewis – then you’re a fucking idiot. Carl Lewis isn’t in the race! Carl Lewis is a human being! Not a horse. So he is completely ineligible to be in the Preakness to begin with and even if he somehow was eligible – he wasn’t in the Preakness! Another example – if someone asked you a month ago who do you think will be the Republican party’s nominee for the Presidential Election in 2012 and your response was Newt Gingrich then I would say you’re an idiot. But you know, stranger things have happened – there is a place for idiocy. If you said that you think Donald Trump would be the Republican candidate then you’re a fucking idiot. Trump?! He was/is the face of corporate business money man EVIL for the past 30 some odd years. He’s been living in New York City for his whole life and you think he is going to garner support in the red states of this America? You’re a fucking idiot. Oh, I thought the world was going to end on Saturday – I’m a fucking idiot. Oh, I thought the Thunder would be able to overcome that 20 point deficit in the first quarter to the Mavericks – I’m a huge idiot. But not a fucking idiot like that guy who didn’t think there would be a playoff basketball game because he thought there would be NO WORLD LEFT! On the other hand, if you convinced other people that the world was going to end and it didn’t you’re a dickhead. Some would say that person is an asshole, but I prefer the term dickhead. I would replace that person’s name in all circumstances for the rest of the time we speak as dickhead. Let’s say the person’s name was Steve. Instead of saying “hey, Steve”, I would say “hey, dickhead.” Another example, “Can you, dickhead, drive me to the post office because oddly enough I have to mail my rent check because the world didn’t end on Saturday and I still have to pay rent for June now, dickhead?” Every time you speak to that person, always end the sentence with dickhead. Do you want to go to the movies, dickhead? How about we go to IHOP for breakfast, dickhead? Want a piece of gum, dickhead? Et cetera. And if dickhead ever responds to you calling them dickhead then just SHOUT RIGHT INTO THEIR FACE – “THE FUCKING WORLD ISN’T OVER AND YOU TOLD ME IT WAS GOING TO BE OVER AND YOU SOMEHOW CONVINCED ME IT WOULD BE OVER BECAUSE I’M A FUCKING IDIOT AND YOU’RE A DICKHEAD BECAUSE OF ALL THAT!” That should keep them quiet until you use dickhead another 1,000 times. Then rinse and repeat. By the way, I did watch Game of Thrones this morning on HBO GO. I’m still battling with the idea of really reading these books. I have them. I’m like 50 pages into the first book. They are pretty different from the show in many respects, but similar in most. One major difference that works so much better in the show than the books is their ages. Everyone is much younger in the books. Jon Snow “the Bastard” is played by a guy named Kit Harington. In real life according to the internet – Kit is 24. He looks about 24 in the show. I think they may have said he was a little younger, but over 20. In the book, he is FOURTEEN. Yeah, that wouldn’t make as much sense on the show. Eddard “Ned” Stark is played by Sean Bean who in real life is a newly minted 52 year old. Makes sense. In the book, the head of the Stark Household and Warden to the North and Lord of Winterfell and the Hand of the King and all that good stuff is THIRTY FIVE. Yeah. Doesn’t make too much sense. I guess that in Medieval times with the swords and shields people lived shorter lives and came into power earlier and earlier, but it wouldn’t look good on TV. There are not many 35 year olds that look seasoned and command respect. Fuck that there’s got to be less than 1% of the 14 year olds on this planet that would actually strike the smallest amount of fear in my heart. They better be one of those Puerto Rican 14 year olds who pitch in the Little League World Series who are probably 21, but no one has a real birth certificate for them and since they’re throwing 90 mph and winning games then who gives a crap. Another weirdly creepy example, Daenerys Targaryen the hot platinum blonde who fucks the big barbarian horse King and whose brother felt her boob in the first episode is played by Emilia Clarke. I can’t get an exact age on the pretty girl, but she’s 23 or 24. She is probably playing a little younger, but clearly she is not some kid. But in the books… THIRTEEN! EWWWWWWWWWW!!!! She’s fucking horse barbarians and having her brother feel her up and she’s THIRTEEN! Thank God they jacked up these ages. Every character regardless of how young in the show is younger in the book. Anyway, I’m glad the Rapture didn’t happen. I was glad to see the Heat beat the Bulls and go up 2-1 in this series. I was glad to watch Game of Thrones – and two episodes at that. I was glad that none of you people died and you could still be alive to read my musings and live life and hopefully one day decide to get back to commenting – oh how we dream! I was not glad to read that Pirates FOUR made $90 million at the box office. Jesus Christ people! Really?! You should be ashamed of yourselves. Next weekend, The Hangover II better OBLITERATE the box office. Unless of course the Rapture happens because those dickheads were only off by a week. Happy Monday – at least you weren’t killed by divine intervention. This Week In Kristen Stewart Wants IT #55 My ass hurts. It HURTS. Right now, my ass hurts, my right elbow hurts, my left ankle hurts when I move it and my left forearm is tender. Plus with the change in the weather and pollen everywhere I’m feeling a little sick, so my whole body kind of aches besides that thing I’ve been doing for an hour every morning where I wrestle fight other dudes. Any time I sneeze I feel like somebody liver punched me. It is a great time to be alive… especially since a radio station is claiming that tomorrow is the end of the world. I really hope it isn’t because there is just too much stuff I haven’t done. Plus, living ain’t so bad. It beats dying. They’re claiming it is the RAPTURE. As far as I remember from the book of Revelations, Jesus will descend from Heaven looking somewhat like Skeletor in Masters of the Universe when he got the Sun’s power and he was wearing that gold armor. GREATEST END FIGHT SCENE EVER. Hey guys, I know this is “He-Man” and everything, but how about we make this Return of the Jedi? Fuck yeah. Jesus is going to come down to Earth and just wreck shit. In the process, he’ll take the good to Heaven and the rest will be burned in the lakes of fire from Hell. Something like that will happen. I hope it doesn’t. I don’t want to see Jesus and his sword tongue and so forth. Now, if it was an apocalypse like zombies. I’m all for that. I’m not saying I’m 100% ready for the zombie apocalypse because right now I’m just typing on a computer and I don’t have a shotgun or a katana with me, but I think I’m pretty prepared in my mind. I think I know what to do as far as a zombie attack. There is a mall only a couple miles up the road, so that worked pretty well for the people in the movies. Anyway… off topic… let’s get back on topic. Friday and I have two questions… ‘Whats the temperature in your general vicinity…?’ What the What? The temperature? It’s like 65 here in Jersey. 65 Fahrenheit. If you’re doing the whole Celsius gag then it is not 65. 65 in Celsius is like the temperature of the Sun hot. Um… in Celsius it is 18. The temp is switching a lot around here because it has been raining a lot off and on. Right now, the Sun is out and it is shining, but off in the distance it looks like the Rapture is coming with those dark clouds. Randomly, thunderstorms just drop on us. But right now it is nice out. Let’s take a little break for a second from these questions for a Batman update. The first image of Tom Hardy as Bane from The Dark Knight Rises has been RELEASED: I’m so fucking excited for this movie. As we can see in the picture – Tom has gotten muscular again and he’s wearing a mask. Now, in the comic books Bane get super huge when he uses “venom” which is more or less steroids. We’ll have to wait and see if this is as big as Bane gets or is he going to get even bigger. Also, Bane runs the group “League of Shadows” which was seen in the first movie run by Liam Neeson as Ra’s Al Ghul. Bane is muscular and tough, but he is also a genius, so that’s rough for old Bats. There have been pictures leaked from the set in India of what many are assuming is Ra’s Al Ghul’s infamous Lazarus Pit, which is what he uses to stay pretty much immortal. So… I’m psyched. I just want to see this damn movie already and I know they just started filming, but I LOVE IT ALREADY. Everyone wanted the Riddler as the bad guy, but I’m really glad they didn’t go that way. The Riddler is a great concept for a character and I think Jim Carrey played him very well in Batman Forever. The Riddler was also a great character in the Batman Animated Series, but in the comics the Riddler isn’t nearly as tough or as badass. He actually is kind of sniveling. Not saying that Nolan would make a sniveling Riddler, just saying that as far as the comics go – he really isn’t much of a badass. Plus The Joker in Dark Knight kind of did the Riddler gag of setting up traps that Batman had to figure out. Another movie of that would have been pointless. I think Bane should be a nice tone of pace where he is a full frontal assault on Batman. Batman Begins was about creating Batman. The Dark Knight was about facing his first opponent and what that meant for him. This third Batman should be a war. It is Bane plus the League of Shadows. The Joker wanted to create chaos and play with Bats, but Bane will want to destroy him and kill him. Should be great. Plus the whole Catwoman thing. There hasn’t been a worthwhile chick in these Nolan movies. Hopefully Catwoman will be that. And there is a second chick with Talia Al Ghul in this – Ra’s daughter. You’re never fail to make me laugh, which is kinda hot, I wonder if you’re hot? Well, thank you for at least wondering. That’s a compliment in its own right. Am I hot? I would say no. For a couple reasons – 1. I’m attracted to women, so generally my opinion of hot is a woman. Like Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kate Upton is hot. I don’t really look much like Kate Upton. I mean we’re both white. We both have lighter colored hair. Two arms, two legs, belly buttons and such, but outside of that our similarities stop. As for #2 reason – Also, I’m kind of sick of me and I’m always around me and have seen myself in the most disgusting situations. Like I’m always there when I’m pooping. That couldn’t be good. Like Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro is a handsome guy. But if every time he had to take a shit you were there to see it, well he’d probably get a lot less hot. You know? If this helps any – if I was gay or being described by a gay man I would be a “bear”. I actually love gay men for that. Sincerely. Bears are badass. And from what I’ve been told by various television shows, there are a group of men out there (1/10 to some estimates 1/5) who would naturally consider me a bear. That rules. I wish there was another group of people out there calling me a lion. And then another saying I was an eagle or a snow leopard. Oh fuck that would rule. See that guy over there? Which one? The red bearded white tiger drinking the PBR. THAT WOULD FUCKING RULE. So thanks for that gays. And thanks for Freddy Mercury. I hope that answered your question, but I’m guessing not. I hope the world doesn’t end. I love you all. Especially if you call me a wild animal name. This Guy Must Love “The Fast and The Furious” Movies Man admits having sex with 1,000 cars We’re getting into this shit today. This ain’t no normal Thursday. This is at the very least a mildly “aggressive” to a fully “aggressive” Thursday. AGGRO! When a man is having sex with 1,000 cars – shit gets a little bit aggressive. First, what the fuck?! Yesterday, I don’t know why exactly, but this story about an Edward Smith appearing in the UK’s Telegraph involving his story of molesting four figures of automobiles. Here’s the buzz line… per usual the article is in bold and my whimsical delivery is in regs… A man who claims to have had sex with 1,000 cars has defended his “romantic” feelings towards vehicles. Yeeeeaaaaahhhhh. This is going to get weird. Real weird. It already is pretty weird. There really is no where else to go, but weirder as Ed tries to make sense of all this. And when you try to make sense of something that is this weird, well you only make it sound even WEIRDER. Reason being, if there is any “reason” to why you do crazy things then you weren’t “crazy” when you did them. You thought it through. You didn’t just act on some impulse without thinking about it. You didn’t blackout and go into a trance or have your body controlled by aliens. No! In fact, you put a lot of time into preparing all of this and following that you are justifying your actions through some type of logical thought process… WHICH MAKES YOU FUCKING SUPER CREEPY! Not only was this an odd article, but it wasn’t even from today’s news cycle… 12:20PM BST 21 May 2008 Yep. Three years ago this article came. Back then Osama Bin Laden was just hanging out in that mansion in Abbottabad and jerking it to all that porn and eating eggs and using nasal sprays and if some kid kicked a soccer ball over the barbwire wall – he wouldn’t return. Just like the terrorist dickhead he is. Jeez, you mastermind the killing of 3,000+ civilians in the US with hi-jacked airplanes AND you won’t give a kid back his soccer ball? What type of MONSTER are you?! Also, we didn’t know anything about Lady Gaga or Kesha at that time. CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE?! Let’s get into this article. Edward Smith, who lives with his current “girlfriend” – a white Volkswagen Beetle named Vanilla, insisted that he was not “sick” and had no desire to change his ways. YES! YES! YES! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! His GIRLFRIEND is a CAR! Do we even need to go any further? YES! WHAT IN THE FUCK, bud? It’s his girlfriend, which means they’re not engaged or married because that would be silly. With so many cars out there and Vanilla giving up the milk for free, why would he put a ring on it? Also, if you name your daughter a food product then she’s going to be a ho. That’s standard as far as I know. Vanilla? Really? What were her parent’s expecting? Of course she would end up in the Telegraph slutting it up with this semi-homeless looking fella. “I appreciate beauty and I go a little bit beyond appreciating the beauty of a car only to the point of what I feel is an expression of love,” he said. Typical guy. Am I right, ladies? Am I right, lady cars? “Love” just means an erect penis inside you. Pfffft… Honestly, doesn’t it? Isn’t that what the Bible told us? You wait till you fall in love and get married so you can jam parts of yourself into holes of others. Actually, I think “love” could be allowing someone explain some horrible book or horrible TV show or horrible movie they are watching simply because they are involved in it and feel the need to tell you about it even though you really didn’t ask. Oh you’re reading Chevy Chase’s autobiography and you hate it, but you want to tell me about it because you feel the need to keep reading it because you’ve never not finished a book you started? Hmmmm… fair enough, but I’m putting my penis in you right after you finish talking. Deal… go! “Maybe I’m a little bit off the wall but when I see movies like Herbie and Knight Rider, where cars become loveable, huggable characters it’s just wonderful. Ugh… that’s disgusting. He definitely jerks off in the theaters when seeing those movies. Were you thinking about that? Are you thinking about anything else besides that now? Nope. Ugh, I bet he wears a long tan trench coat and you just see that belt flapping and his face starts to get red and sweaty and his breath labored and then a painful noise like he got punched in the stomach and then he’s asleep from the credits onward of Fast Five. What’s creepier? The guy who is getting all hot from watching the Herbie remake because of a kid Lindsay Lohan or because of Herbie? It is much easier making sure your kid doesn’t get taken by a stranger than your car getting molested in the parking lot outside. You can’t take your car into the bathroom with you when you or they have to pee. You know? “I’m a romantic. I write poetry about cars, I sing to them and talk to them just like a girlfriend. I know what’s in my heart and I have no desire to change.” Just because you know a few power chords and you fuck several hundred cars doesn’t mean you’re a poet or a musician. He added: “I’m not sick and I don’t want to hurt anyone, cars are just my preference.” He doesn’t want to hurt anyone… OUTSIDE OF THE CARS! Seriously, isn’t it everyone’s worst nightmare right now that the movie Cars is real and this guy is just raping cars? Ooooh that’s disturbing. I may have over done it right then. Nope, could you imagine the redneck retarded pick-up truck and then this weird Brit is humping his tail pipe and the whole time the pick-up truck is calling out to the Owen Wilson race car to help him. That’s worse. Yeah, that’s worse. Mr Smith, 57, first had sex with a car at the age of 15, and claims he has never been attracted to women or men. FORTY TWO YEARS! Let’s do this math. 1,000 cars / 42 years = So he’s fucking about 24 cars a year. That just makes me feel sick. Bare minimum he is fucking a different car every two weeks. Seriously, if you live in England with in a 50 mile radius of this Ed Smith – HE’S FUCKED YOUR CAR! What’s crazier… To fuck 1,000 different cars? To fuck 1 car 1,000 different times? At least in the second scenario, the problem is contained. At this point, it is an epidemic. He is spreading his seed all over our automobiles. So, it’s been three years and he’s had sex with around 75 new cars. This is really a deterrent for me ever moving to England if this guy is still able to get around and I’m thinking of owning a car. I don’t want to have to worry that Ed Smith is out there fucking my car when out at dinner or at work or wherever. I would never be able to go to a movie and be fully invested into the story knowing this guy could be out there violating my ride. This next bit is my favorite two sentences ever written. Fuck Tolkein’s “door in the floor” the second sentence coming up is the greatest sentence ever penned. But his wandering eye has spread beyond cars to other vehicles. He says that his most intense sexual experience was “making love” to the helicopter from 1980s TV hit Airwolf. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I honestly do not know what to say besides that makes me laugh like no other phrase, idea or anything. He fucked the helicopter for AIRWOLF! HAHAHAHAHAH!!! How can you make this stuff up?! That’s absolutely insane! How is that even possible? Wouldn’t that be in a museum or something? At least a Planet Hollywood? Did he pay off some night watchman with a fistful of $20’s and the security guard is thinking, “what the fuck could he possibly want to do in this place after hours?” Ten minutes the guard peeks around the corner to see this guy humping the helicopter from Airwolf. How could you ever tell that story to someone? How could you ever look at that helicopter again without such shame? I picture the security guard as tall black security guard from The Office and him looking at this squirrelly Brit with his pants around his ankles and pounding away at the plexiglass door of the helicopter and saying to himself in a huff, “white people” then shaking his head and walking away. As well as Vanilla, he regularly spends time with his other vehicles – a 1973 Opal GT, named Cinnamon, and 1993 Ford Ranger Splash, named Ginger. He’s a playah! Don’t hate the player, hate the game that is fucking cars. Before Vanilla, he had a five-year relationship with Victoria, a 1969 VW Beetle he bought from a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Serves you right, Jehovah’s Witnesses! Stupid Jehovah’s Witnesses! That’s what you get for ringing doorbells early in the morning on weekends trying to get us to read your dumbass Christian books. That’s right, we’re fucking your cars! HAHAH! Where’s your God now when this guy is out drilling your car with his peter?! Am I right?! By the by, did anyone tell Victoria that Ed was religiously cheating on her? 5 years is 125+ cars. Sorry Vicky. But he confesses that many of the cars he has had sex with have belonged to strangers or car showrooms. NO SHIT! That’s a big no shit right there. You think this guy – the guy who fucks cars at a 24 per a year cycle since he was 15 – has an income where he can purchase 1,000 cars. If this guy has lived for any stretch of time longer than 3 years not with his parents when they were alive then “colour” me shocked. His last relationship with a woman was 12 years ago – and he could not bring himself to consummate it, although he did have sex with girls in his younger days. WHO THE FUCK IS THIS WOMAN?! I want a full investigation put into place to find and interrogate this woman. I want Navy SEAL Team Six flown in an abduct this woman. She dated a 40+ year old car fucker? They broke up when he was 45, but who knows how long that went on for before then. Also, I’m not sure what type of diseases a girl can catch from car, but let’s hope he was using a condom or something because I would bet that it isn’t good to get turtle wax or motor oil in your vagina. Mr Smith, from Washington state in the US, kept quiet about his secret fetish for years, but agreed to be interviewed as part of a channel Five documentary into “mechaphilia”. He is shown meeting other enthusiasts at a rally in California. No fucking way! This dude is American?! What?! Why the hell is the Telegraph writing about this? Well, I’m sorry England. I’ve said a lot of bad shit about you guys throughout the years mostly because I’m American and I don’t give a fuck about your feelings considering history and all plus I’m a guy and I have no accent, so I’m constantly at odds with you cockney accent having Merry Poppins peoples when I’m trying to talk to ladies. Oh he has an accent! Yeah, well I can do a pretty good impression of that accent considering it does sound absolutely cartoony. But I’m sorry for what I assumed earlier. This Ed Smith is my country’s problem. There are 300+ million of us, so there are some outliers in the group. Sorry again. But you are the one giving this guy publicity and making documentaries about him, so you still are apart of the blame. Also, fucking California. Talking about how his unusual passion developed, Mr Smith said: “It’s something that grew as a part of me when I was a kid and I could not shake it. “I just loved cute cars right from the beginning, but over the years it got stronger once I got into my teenage years and was my first having sexual urges. “When I turned 13 and the famous Corvette Stingray came about, that car was pure sex and just an incredible machine. I wanted it. “I didn’t fully understand it myself except that I know I’m not hurting anyone and I do not intend to.” Oh this is all comforting news. He doesn’t “intend” on hurting anyone. Besides the fact that he is going around and raping our automobiles in parking lots and in showrooms. Yeah, that’s not hurting anyone. His semen covering the door handles, tail pipes, gas tanks, and windows of the car doesn’t hurt anyone. Oh, so if you’re living in Washington and you think a bird crapped on your car… don’t worry it’s not bird poop – it’s just good ole’ neighborly Ed Smith jizz. He added: “There are moments way out in the middle of nowhere when I see a little car parked and I swear it needs loving. “There have been certain cars that attracted me and I would wait until night time, creep up to them and just hug and kiss them. FUCK! Seriously, this guy is so weird. STOP IT! Anytime you have to wait at night and creep up to some unsuspecting thing and then you start hug and kissing it – that’s no. “Creep” should not be in your own sexual vocabulary. That’s a bad thing. Bad images. “As far as women go, they never really interested me much. And I’m not gay.” Well, that’s good. At least he’s no fag. Whew. I was worried there for a sec- OH WAIT! NO I WASN’T! What a fucking asshole? “And I’m not gay.” Yeah?! No shit, buddy. Do you know what gay guys do? They fuck gay guys. GUYS! They fuck dudes. They don’t fuck a dude’s car! It’s the dude they have sex with. They have sex with a human being. A member of their species. Not a metal contraption we use to go from one place to another. What a fucking ass. Like at some point through this article I was like “man he really loves fucking cars, I bet he’s a queer.” What are you shitting me? I never thought that. Why would anyone? Mr Smith is now part of a global community of more than 500 “car lovers” brought together by internet forums. Great. That’s comforting. They’ve unionized. Probably have websites and everything. Thanks internet! Thanks Al Gore! Well, that fucked up. I would love to hear your thoughts about how you think Ed Smith has been having sex with these 1,000 cars. Below is a template you can use in MS-Paint if you want to create your own little diagram. Also, any questions for Friday would be great…	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412654
__label__cc	0.568191	0.431809	Legal Aid Handbook About us, contact & disclaimer LASPO Resources by Vicky \| March 3, 2019 · 8:25 pm LASPO review – still much to do The Ministry of Justice published its analysis of the impact of LASPO in February. Although it acknowledges that the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 damaged access to justice in England and Wales, the scale of any improvements is disappointingly modest. The government committed to spending only £8 million – a tiny fraction of the amount cut from the legal aid budget since 2013. At the All Party Parliamentary Group meeting on 27 February, Lucy Frazer QC MP (Under Secretary of State for Justice) stated that there would also be additional expenditure on some of the initiatives which had been announced; but this was not quantified. There are some glaring ommissions – for example failing to extend legal aid for inquests or provide any legal aid to assist the ‘Windrush’ generation. The list of concrete proposals with dates attached is to be welcomed. They seem more likely to be implemented than the more ambitious list of initiatives with no target dates; but only time will tell. Expand scope to include separated migrant children in immigration – by 2019 Non-means-tested legal aid for parents/people with parental responsibility who wish to oppose applications for placement orders in public law proceedings – by summer 2019 Test changes to improve triage and signposting by the Civil Legal Aid telephone service – by summer 2019 Implement a campaign to improve awareness of legal aid – by autumn 2019 Expand scope to include special guardianship orders – by autumn 2019 Pilot and evaluate the expansion of legal aid for early advice in a specific area of social welfare law – by autumn 2019 Review whether the exceptional case funding scheme can be simplified – by the end of 2019 Enhance provision for litigants in person and increase funding to the litigants in person support strategy to £3 million for the next two years Renove the mandatory telephone gateway in Debt, Discrimination and Special Educational Needs – by spring 2020 Review the legal aid means test – by summer 2020 Review crime legal aid fee schemes – by summer 2020 Conduct a review of regulatory and administrative requirements passed on to providers and streamline where possible – by the end of 2020 No specific timetable Work with the Law Society to explore an alternative model for family legal aid Consult on proposals to provide separate guidance for families on legal aid for inquests Undertake a pilot to explore how signposting can be better co-ordinated Pilot, test and evaluate holistic legal support hubs ot support early resoltion of legal problems Work across government to reduce preventable demand Foster a culture of innovation and use data more effectively Set up a Legal Support Advisory Network to make use of external expertise to shape research and evaluation Filed under Civil, Costs, Crime, Family, LASPO, Policy Tagged as civil, crime, family, LASPO, social welfare by Simon \| July 7, 2018 · 10:38 am New LAA position statement on statutory charge Family practitioners will be aware of a difficulty with the application of the statutory charge in some cases. Failings by a local authority towards have led to damages being sought on behalf of the child under the Human Rights Act.However, where this is done within the care proceedings it meant the damages would be swallowed up by the statutory charge which recovered the cost of the care proceedings. A line of cases confirmed the proper approach was to bring the damages claim separately to the care proceedings. Although this would mean a separate legal aid certificate, there was still an issue around the extent to which these were connected proceeding within s25 LASPO, meaning the statutory charge would still bite to recover the costs of the care proceedings. See Chapter 5 of the Handbook for more.This issue has come to court again in the recent case of Northamptonshire County Council & Anor v The Lord Chancellor (via the ire County Legal Aid Agency) [2018] EWHC 1628 (Fam). Francis J noted that the LAA has now agreed to publish an updated statement of its position in these cases. Although it has not yet done so, the LAA’s position statement in this case is attached to the judgment and can be viewed here. It says [If] HRA damages are obtained outside of the care or other family law proceedings (e.g. within separate civil proceedings, or by means of a settlement outside of the care or other family law proceedings), only the legal aid expenditure incurred in respect of pursuing an HRA claim will be treated by the LAA as provided in connection with it. If the LAA is asked to give an early indication as to whether the statutory charge will apply to any HRA damages in these circumstances, it will request undertakings from the provider and counsel in the care proceedings that they will not make a claim for costs in respect of any HRA work carried out as part of the care or other family law proceedings. Once the undertakings have been received, the LAA will be able to confirm that the statutory charge will not extend to the legally aided care costs. Note that, unless a certificate or amendment to a certificate specifically authorising an HRA claim has been granted, there could be no valid claim for such costs in any event. For the avoidance of doubt, legal aid expenditure in relation to the HRA claim will form a statutory charge in respect of any damages or costs recovered in the settlement of that claim, to the extent that a claim is made for costs from the LAA. The LAA now clearly accepts that – provided proceedings are separate – the HRA damages will not be used via the statutory charge to recover the costs of the care proceedings. However any legal aid costs in the HRA claim will. Such cases will often be unsuitable for a CFA and the costs protection afforded by a legal aid certificate will be needed. Even if costs are awarded in the event of a successful claim they will not cover the legal aid only costs and perhaps not part of the substantive work. This leaves practitioners with the invidious choice of not claiming perhaps significant costs, or seeing them recouped from their child client’s damages. However this position seems as far as the law can go in these situations. Whether it is just for the state to recover costs from damages awarded to a child client for HRA breaches by the state is essentially a political and policy question, and perhaps one the forthcoming LASPO review may address. UPDATE 11 July: The LAA has now published the statement on its guidance page here Filed under Civil, Costs, Family, LASPO, Public Law Tagged as care, costs, family, Human Right Act, LASPO, statutory charge by Vicky \| April 28, 2018 · 6:25 pm LAA amends contracts for GDPR The LAA has amended all current contracts in order to meet the requirements imposed by the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and the Law Enforcement Directive (Directive (EU) 2016/680), being implemented under Part 3 of the Data Protection bill. Amendments regarding the GDPR apply from 25 May 2018. Amendments relating to the Directive apply from 6 May 2018. There are some detailed obligations. The LAA require you to notify them within 5 business days if you receive the following in relation to LAA or shared data: A data subject request A request to rectify, block or erase personal data A complaint or other communication about your (or the LAA’s) handling of data A communication from the Information Commissioner You must also indemnify the LAA if it is fined because you fail to comply with the legislation. Filed under Actions Against the Police, Advocacy, Civil, Clinical Negligence, Community Care, Crime, Family, Housing, Immigration, Mental Health, Public Law, Social welfare Tagged as Actions against the police etc, advocacy, CCMS, civil, clinical negligence, community care, contracts, crime, family, housing, immigration, mediation, mental health, Public Law, social welfare, welfare benefits by Simon \| January 7, 2018 · 11:50 am Changes to legal aid for victims of domestic abuse in force on Monday Funding for private family law cases is generally only available where the applicant for legal aid can show that they are a victim of domestic abuse, or where they can show that the aim of the proceedings is to protect a child at risk of abuse from a third party (such applications are in scope because of Paras 12 and 13 of Part 1 Schedule 1 of LASPO; see also Chapter 6 of the Handbook). Until the successful challenge to the original regulations by Rights of Women, there was a requirement that the evidence in support of the application had to be no more than 2 years old. Following the litigation, that was extended to 5 years. From Monday 8 January 2018, the five year limit is removed. The existing evidence requirements are also removed, and replaced with a new Schedule 1 of the Procedure Regulations. When the Civil Legal Aid (Procedure) (Amendment) (No 2) Regulations 2017 come into force, acceptable evidence (for civil legal services to be provided to an adult (A) in relation to a matter arising out of a family relationship between A and another individual (B)) will include: Domestic abuse – para 12 Part 1 Schedule 1 LASPO cases Evidence that B has been arrested for a relevant domestic violence offence. A relevant police caution for a domestic violence offence. Evidence of relevant criminal proceedings for a domestic violence offence which have not concluded. A relevant conviction for a domestic violence offence. Evidence of a court order binding over B in connection with a domestic violence offence. A domestic violence protection notice issued under section 24 of the Crime and Security Act 2010 against B. A relevant protective injunction. An undertaking given in England and Wales under section 46 or 63E of the Family Law Act 1996 (or given in Scotland or Northern Ireland in place of a protective injunction) by B provided that a cross-undertaking relating to domestic violence was not given by A. A copy of a finding of fact, made in proceedings in the United Kingdom, that there has been domestic violence by B. An expert report produced as evidence in proceedings in the United Kingdom for the benefit of a court or tribunal confirming that a person with whom B is or was in a family relationship, was assessed as being, or at risk of being, a victim of domestic violence by B. A letter or report from an appropriate health professional confirming that that professional, or another appropriate health professional— (a)has examined A in person; and (b)in the reasonable professional judgement of the author or the examining appropriate health professional A has, or has had, injuries or a condition consistent with being a victim of domestic violence. A letter or report from— (a) the appropriate health professional who made the referral described below; (b) an appropriate health professional who has access to the medical records of A; or (c) the person to whom the referral described below was made; confirming that there was a referral by an appropriate health professional of A to a person who provides specialist support or assistance for victims of, or those at risk of, domestic violence. A letter from any person who is a member of a multi-agency risk assessment conference (or other suitable local safeguarding forum) confirming that A, or a person with whom A is in a family relationship, is or has been at risk of harm from domestic violence by B. A letter from an independent domestic violence advisor confirming that they are providing support to A. A letter from an independent sexual violence advisor confirming that they are providing support to A relating to sexual violence by B. A letter from an officer employed by a local authority or housing association (or their equivalent in Scotland or Northern Ireland) for the purpose of supporting tenants containing— (a) a statement to the effect that, in their reasonable professional judgment, a person with whom B is or has been in a family relationship is, or is at risk of being, a victim of domestic violence by B; (b) a description of the specific matters relied upon to support that judgment; and (c) a description of the support they provided to the victim of domestic violence or the person at risk of domestic violence by B. A letter from an organisation providing domestic violence support services. The letter must confirm that it— (a) is situated in England and Wales; (b) has been operating for an uninterrupted period of six months or more; and (c) provided A with support in relation to A’s needs as a victim, or person at risk, of domestic violence. (3) The letter must contain— (a) a statement to the effect that, in the reasonable professional judgement of the author of the letter, A is, or is at risk of being, a victim of domestic violence; (b) a description of the specific matters relied upon to support that judgement; (c) a description of the support provided to A; and (d) a statement of the reasons why A needed that support. A letter or report from an organisation providing domestic violence support services in the United Kingdom confirming— (a) that a person with whom B is or was in a family relationship was refused admission to a refuge; (b) the date on which they were refused admission to the refuge; and (c) they sought admission to the refuge because of allegations of domestic violence by B. A letter from a public authority confirming that a person with whom B is or was in a family relationship, was assessed as being, or at risk of being, a victim of domestic violence by B (or a copy of that assessment). A letter from the Secretary of State for the Home Department confirming that A has been granted leave to remain in the United Kingdom under paragraph 289B of the Immigration Rules. Evidence which the Director is satisfied demonstrates that A has been, or is at risk of being, the victim of domestic violence by B in the form of abuse which relates to financial matters. Protection of children – para 13 Part 1 Schedule 1 LASPO cases Evidence that B has been arrested for a child abuse offence. A relevant police caution for a child abuse offence. Evidence of relevant criminal proceedings for a child abuse offence which have not concluded. A relevant conviction for a child abuse offence. A copy of a finding of fact made in proceedings in the United Kingdom of abuse of a child by B. A letter from a social services department in England and Wales (or its equivalent in Scotland or Northern Ireland) confirming that the child was assessed as being, or at risk of being, a victim of child abuse by B (or a copy of that assessment). A letter from a social services department in England and Wales (or its equivalent in Scotland or Northern Ireland) confirming that a child protection plan was put in place to protect the child from abuse or a risk of abuse by B (or a copy of that plan). An application for an injunction described in paragraph 5 of this Schedule made with an application for a prohibited steps order against B under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 which has not, at the date of the application for civil legal services, been decided by the court. Withdrawal of legal aid The rules on when the Director can withdraw a grant of legal aid have also been revised. The new rule (a revised Reg 42(1)(k) of the Procedure Regulations) says legal aid may be withdrawn where the evidence relied on was: a conviction for an offence and that conviction has subsequently been quashed; evidence of ongoing criminal proceedings and those proceedings have subsequently been concluded without a conviction; evidence described in paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 or paragraph 5 of Schedule 2 where— (a) the order was obtained without notice to the respondent; and (b) that order has subsequently been set aside by the court; evidence described in paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 where the application for a domestic violence protection order has been made under section 27 of the Crime and Security Act 2010(6) but has been unsuccessful on account of the conditions set out in section 28 of that Act not having been satisfied; evidence described in paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 where no charge is brought for the domestic violence offence (within the meaning of Schedule 1) and the Director is satisfied that it is unlikely that such a charge will be brought; evidence described in paragraphs 16 to 18 of Schedule 1 and a public authority has confirmed in writing that it is satisfied— (a) there has not been domestic violence between A and B; or (b) A was not at any time at risk of being the victim of domestic violence evidence described in paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 where no charge is brought for the child abuse offence (within the meaning of Schedule 2) and the Director is satisfied that it is unlikely that such a charge will be brought; evidence of an application described in paragraph 9 of Schedule 2 and that application has subsequently been withdrawn or refused, unless there is some other form of evidence which would also justify a grant of legal aid. The new evidence requirements are not backdated. They will only apply to Controlled work applications signed from Monday 8 January onward. Licensed Work applications signed from Monday 8 January will be made under the new rules, but those signed before that date and received by the LAA before 5pm on 15 January will be treated under the old rules. Grants of emergency representation made before 8 January will be treated under the old rules even if the 5 day notification is received by the LAA after 8 January. This is a helpful development. Although the requirement to obtain evidence is still in place – with all the practical difficulties that causes – the widening of the range and age of what constitutes acceptable evidence should help make legal aid available more widely than before. The manner of the change is also a helpful development. We have been saying for some years now – in the Handbook, on this site and elsewhere – that the current system of amending the scheme is not fit for purpose. Post-LASPO, most of the significant rules are no longer in LAA documents, but in primary and secondary legislation. Amendments to the rules are made via amendments to the legislation. Neither the MoJ nor the LAA make consolidated versions of the regulations available, and nor does the legislation.gov.uk website. That means – unless you have the sort of subscription legal research tool that is unaffordable to most legal aid lawyers – the only way to work out the current rules is to cross-reference the original and amending regulations. The civil legal aid merits tests, for example, are not publicly available – unless you read four sets of regulations side by side, manually amending them as you go (or unless you buy the Handbook!). The MoJ and LAA should urgently make available – and keep up to date – a single consolidated version of all the key legal aid regulations. It cannot be right that the fundamental basis of the scheme is obscure to practitioners – and impenetrable to the public using it. It hasn’t yet gone that far, but removing the previous much amended sections of the Procedure Regulations and replacing them with a single up to date Schedule is a welcome step in the right direction. In the meantime, links to all the regulations and other resources can be found on our Resources page. Filed under Family, Handbook, LASPO, Policy, Uncategorized Tagged as domestic violence, family, LASPO by Vicky \| November 27, 2017 · 4:14 pm Civil and Family contract extensions acceptance deadline The LAA has sent emails to holders of civil, family and mediation contract holders to inform them about contract extensions to 31 August 2018. Holders of 2010 contracts (Mediation) and 2013 contracts (Family, Immigration/Asylum, Housing/Debt) need to send back an acceptance form. The letters attached to emails give a deadline of 5 December 2017, the website says 6 December 2017. Holders of Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme contracts will receive an extension offer in due course. Holders of welfare benefits, mental health, and community care contracts will have their contracts extended automatically. Holders of AAP etc., clinical negligence and public law contracts will have their contracts terminated earlier than originally envisaged, so that they will also end on 31 August 2018. If you haven’t received an email, you should contact the LAA’s central commissioning team: civil.contracts@legalaid.gsi.gov.uk Filed under Actions Against the Police, Civil, Clinical Negligence, Community Care, Family, Housing, Immigration, Mental Health, Public Law, Social welfare Tagged as civil, clinical negligence, community care, family, housing, immigration, mediation, mental health, social welfare, welfare benefits by Vicky \| November 2, 2017 · 1:13 pm Civil and family tender 2018 FAQs published The Legal Aid Agency has published the frequently asked questions and answers in respect of the 2018 face to face contracts. There are two documents you should consider: FAQs relating to the Seelction Questionnaire FAQs relating to the Face to Face contracts themselves The LAA has also published a separate FAQ document dealing with the CLA telephone service tender (to be found further down on the same page). Once you have checked the answers against your response to the tender and made any changes necessary, you will be ready to submit. Tagged as Actions against the police etc, civil, clinical negligence, community care, domestic violence, family, housing, immigration, Public Law, social welfare, tenders, welfare benefits by Simon \| October 31, 2017 · 8:41 am LASPO review finally announced The long-awaited review of LASPO, promised by the government within three to five years of implementation, has finally been announced. In a written statement to Parliament yesterday, the Lord Chancellor said it would be conducted by MoJ officials, with input from interested parties, and would report by the 2018 summer recess (which would take it just beyond five years since LASPO came into force in April 2013). The statement is here, and the accompanying memorandum is here. Filed under Actions Against the Police, Civil, Clinical Negligence, Community Care, Crime, Family, Housing, Immigration, LASPO, Mental Health, Policy, Public Law, Social welfare Tagged as civil, crime, family, LASPO, legal aid, legal aid reform, social welfare Legal Aid Handbook 2018-19 Solicitors Office Procedures Manual 2nd Edition Click the cover to buy the Manual Criminal Costs Click the cover to order Click the cover to buy the handbook - still in print for Access to Justice Act cases Law Society Complaints Handling Toolkit Click the cover to buy the toolkit Legal Aid Toolkit The Law Society Future of Law lecture: the future of justice and the justice system LAA gets new power to backdate funding Updated guidance for civil legal aid applications LAA speeds up prior authority applications in CCMS New housing court duty tender opens Legal aid back in Parliament this week A turbulent August New LAG Legal Aid Handbook Actions Against the Police (46) Clinical Negligence (42) Community Care (56) Costs (121) Handbook (30) LASPO (130) Legal aid bill (31) Public Law (62) Social welfare (193) Archives Select Month March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 July 2018 June 2018 April 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 APPG on legal aid Association of Lawyers for Children BAILII for case law Bar Council Criminal Law Solicitors Association Direct Gov – getting legal aid Education Law Blog Free Movement (immigration law) Guardian Law Guardian Legal Network Housing Law Practitioners Association Inner Temple Library Current Awareness Institute of Legal Executives International Legal Aid Group Law Consultancy Network Law Society Gazette LCCSA Legal Action Group Legal Aid Agency Legal Aid APPG Legal Aid Practitioners Group LegalVoice – magazine for professionals working in access to justice Mental Health Lawyers Association Nearly Legal – housing law Pink Tape – family law Sound off for Justice Supreme Court – live broadcasts of hearings UK Supreme Court Blog Vicky Ling Young Legal Aid Lawyers Legal aid in the news Trio who helped London Tube bombers given £4.5M legal aid - Daily Mail January 5, 2020 Televising court proceedings is a gimmick that has not been thought through - inews January 16, 2020 Travellers refusing to leave former Crawshaws car park after stand-off with bailiffs - Grimsby Live January 13, 2020 Thailand hit by record number of human trafficking cases - The Guardian January 7, 2020 Gang battered suspected burglar to death with knuckle dusters - Daily Mail January 16, 2020 Encrypted app aims to boost anonymous sex crime reporting in India - TEISS January 10, 2020 Paralegal – x2 – Jackson Boyd Lawyers - Scottish Legal News January 15, 2020 Shamima Begum is on legal aid despite being stripped of UK citizenship - Daily Mail April 14, 2019 Encrypted app aims to boost sex crime reporting in India - Reuters January 8, 2020 Jihadi Jack's parents receive £122k in legal aid - while victims of terror get nothing - Express September 22, 2019 Legal Aid Handbook · News, updates and comment on legal aid	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412663
__label__wiki	0.867726	0.867726	‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’: Let’s discuss that wild second season finale – The Washington Post Rachel Brosnahan, left, and Alex Borstein in a scene from “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” (Amazon/AP) Emily Yahr Style reporter covering pop culture and entertainment (This post contains spoilers about the Season 2 finale of Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” You have been warned.) After winning a truckload of Golden Globe and Emmy trophies over the last year, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” returned for a second season last week. Similarly to the first season, it ended on a cliffhanger — so for everyone who spent the weekend binge-watching all 10 episodes, let’s discuss some of the takeaways from a wild finale: [REVIEW \| ‘Mrs. Maisel’ is back, making the world safe again for obnoxious personalities] Midge has a real shot at stardom. Midge, a.k.a. Mrs. Maisel, is fed up with show business: Disappointing gigs on the road, sexist club owners, manager Harry Drake’s scorched-earth ban that bars her from half the clubs in town. Plus, her nemesis Sophie Lennon bumps her to the last slot at the arthritis telethon. However, Sophie’s revenge turns into a gift: Because Midge goes last, superstar singer Shy Baldwin happens to catch her set (after they have a nice chat in the bathroom). Shy is impressed and wonders why she isn’t yet a star. So he invites her to be the opening act on his upcoming world tour — three months in the United States, followed by three months in Europe. Plus, an all-expenses wardrobe upgrade. Midge reacts the way anyone would: She shouts “YES!” immediately, then hangs up the phone and starts screaming. However, this means that. . . Rachel Brosnahan in a scene from “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” (Nicole Rivelli/Amazon/AP) Midge and Benjamin have some tough times ahead. What will become of Benjamin, the lovely, socially awkward doctor who is madly in love with Midge? Benjamin spends the episode groveling in front of Abe, Midge’s father, as he tries to get permission to ask for her hand in marriage. Although her mother, Rose, is thrilled with the match, Abe is far more suspicious. “After the Joel fiasco, I am taking this decision very, very seriously,” Abe says, as he asks for bank records, 25 character references, religious affiliation, favorite authors, political leanings, favorite radio shows, favorite baseball teams, etc. Finally, just after Midge has accepted Shy Baldwin’s offer, Abe comes to her with good news: He is giving Benjamin permission. But the look on Midge’s face tells him everything he needs to know. Abe utters a word that we can’t reprint here, except there’s only person who is going to be more upset, because. . . Rose’s life is about to get some major upheaval. After Rose’s temporary move to Paris, she’s back and happy at home. All she wants is for Midge to get remarried, preferably to a rich doctor, and resume her life as a stay-at-home wife and mother. Is that too much to ask? Of course! Midge has no interest in Jell-O molds or having “three under 30,” as she puts it. While Rose will be devastated to hear about Midge’s impending breakup, that’s nothing, compared with Abe’s news. Suddenly changing your life apparently runs in the family: Abe, a tenured Columbia University professor who has a cushy side hustle at Bell Labs, wants to run away from it all. He’s forced into a sabbatical at Columbia, and decides he wants to leave altogether. When Bell Labs takes away his project after Midge jokes about his job during a set, Abe decides to leave that, too. During his big “I’m leaving!” speech, Abe mentions that he used to be an activist who fought against companies like Bell Labs — a few scenes later, he decides to consult with a lawyer. So that can’t be good. But speaking of people who originally thought they would need legal help. . . Susie gets an unexpected offer from Sophie Lennon. Susie reluctantly goes to Sophie’s comically extravagant home, probably expecting a lawsuit or to be carted off to her death, given that manager Harry Drake sent two hit men to kill her after Midge’s brutal takedown of Sophie. And in the previous episode, Susie threatened Sophie (in colorful language) to stop her relentless efforts to end Midge’s career. In a shocking twist, Sophie wasn’t angry about Susie’s threats — she was envious that Susie would go so far to protect her client. Turns out, Sophie is tired of her “people” telling her that she has to play the fat-suited “Sophie from Queens” character for the rest of her life. She wants to be a serious actress, and she needs someone who will stand up for her. So she asks Susie to be her manager. Susie’s reaction involves another word we can’t repeat here. She never gets to tell Midge the big news, as they get distracted by the Shy Baldwin tour, and Midge is also a bit preoccupied with the fact that. . . Joel will never go away. In an effort to get Joel out of the family business and to follow his own dreams, his father handed him a $60,000 check in the penultimate episode — that’s about $500,000 today, so most people would take the money and run. Not Joel. He’s far too in love with Midge to go anywhere, even though, let’s remember, he blew up their marriage last season by having an affair. While some viewers may have thought that Midge was over her ex . . . not so much. Watching Lenny Bruce sing about loneliness on Steve Allen’s show, it dawns on Midge that by saying yes to Shy Baldwin’s tour, she’s also sacrificing her personal life. So in a vulnerable moment, in the last scene of the finale, Midge finds Joel in his office. She tells him that she accepted an offer to go on tour. “I am gonna be all alone for the rest of my life,” she tells him. “That’s what I just decided in a five-minute phone call.” “You don’t know that,” Joel says. “I’m going to leave really soon, barely enough time to get packed, especially the way I travel,” Midge says. “And I don’t want to be alone. Not tonight. Tonight, just for tonight, I really need to be with someone who loves me.” Then Joel dramatically pulls her toward him — and just as they’re about to kiss, end scene. And end of season. (Disclosure: Amazon.com CEO Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Washington Post.) More from Arts & Entertainment: ‘Shallow’ could clinch major awards, plus 8 other takeaways from the Grammy nominations Kevin Hart says he’s out as Oscars host after outrage over homophobic tweets The Cut deleted a bizarre article that called Priyanka Chopra a ‘global scam artist’	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412665
__label__cc	0.698254	0.301746	Home / This Month's Edition / Flat fee billing another alternative for solos, small firms Flat fee billing another alternative for solos, small firms By: Correy Stephenson August 20, 2010 1 Comment Lawyers looking for an alternative billing method to utilize when portfolio billing isn’t right for a client should consider flat fee billing. Gary D. Sparks, a sole practitioner in Walnut Creek, Calif., started offering his family law clients flat fee options last year. “It started out of a need to be more flexible in how to offer services to clients who were struggling because of the economy,” he said. Sparks began researching what it would cost to establish a fixed rate for his services. “The response has been better than I anticipated,” Sparks said. Of the new cases he’s taken on, almost 95 percent of clients have opted for the flat fee over the traditional retainer format. “And I just had a retainer client call and ask to switch to the flat fee,” said Sparks, who blogs at the California Divorce Lawyer. Some clients who have inquired about the flat fee rate and then shopped around have called him back, he said, after realizing that it was a better deal than they could find at other firms. The basic rate covers clients with less than $500,000 in assets without a business or professional practice to be divided, he explained, and operates under the assumption that the case will settle. “The basic schedule is based on the assumption that we will not have to go to court on a contested hearing,” he said. So if the other side files a motion for child support and it can’t be resolved without a court appearance, the cost of those pleadings and court time requires an additional charge. Outside costs – like the initial filing fee, or the cost of an expert like a forensic accountant – are paid directly by the client. For an uncontested divorce, the basic rate begins at $950; for a contested divorce, the flat fee is $6,000. Additional services are also charged on a flat fee basis. Similar to attorneys offering portfolio billing (see “Portfolio billing: A valuable option for solos, small firms”), Sparks said that the most important thing to do when drafting an agreement is to define the scope of the work being performed. Link: Portfolio billing story “Make it very clear to the client what is and what is not included,” he emphasized. As for every lawyer’s nightmare client in a flat fee arrangement – the needy person constantly calling and e-mailing at all hours of the day – Sparks said that the law of averages will apply. “For every [needy client], you will also have several very trusting and more passive clients,” he said. “It is part of the risk you take.” The flat fee format has also offered Sparks, who launched his own firm last year, a chance to market himself in a way that differentiated him from the competition. “The sales pitch is that flat fees eliminate the uncertainty,” he said. “Whether it takes one meeting or five meetings, five letters or 10 letters, the lawyer will do everything necessary to get the case resolved.” – Correy E. Stephenson billing flat fee billing practice management solo practice 7:33 am Fri, August 20, 2010 Lawyers USA Online Correy Stephenson Tagged with: billing flat fee billing practice management solo practice The law practice and the law office How to eat an elephant LegalTech 2013: from settlement predictions to social network tracking Pingback: Portfolio billing: A valuable option for solos, small firms « Lawyers USA Online	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412670
__label__cc	0.63385	0.36615	Angry Youth Comix #4 Angry Youth Comix This series is rated Adults Only DISCLAIMER: GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: In addition to the sex, violence and scatological filth on display, Angry Youth Comix delivers equal opportunity antagonism toward every race, gender, sexual orientation, political persuasion and religion, as well as jokes about international and humanitarian tragedies, in abundance. Reader discretion is advised. GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: In addition to the sex, violence and scatological filth on display, Angry Youth Comix delivers equal opportunity antagonism toward every race, gender, sexual orientation, political persuasion and religion, as well as jokes about international and humanitarian tragedies, in abundance. Reader discretion is advised. This fourth issue of Ryan's hilarious, over-the-top series finds Loady and Sinus in destructo-parody mode, taking the sci-fi genre and tearing it into pieces as only Johnny Ryan can do it! The year is 3,000,006 and the Intergalactic Federation of United Planets is meeting on the swampy asteroid Swivlon 4 to discuss the crippling healthcare crisis. But the meeting is threatened when the evil Overborgs, a race of half human/half werewolf robots, kidnap the Omnicontroller of the Federation. Hot-Headed Cyborg Ass-Kicker, a reckless space bad-boy, is their last hope for rescuing the Omnicontroller and saving the entire interstellar healthcare system... Mature Comedy The 2000 Ignatz nominee for "Best Mini-Comic" is an ongoing quarterly series from Fantagraphics! Find out why in this first issue, featuring the full-length "Whorehouse of Dr. Moreau," in which Ryan's resident loser, the pizza-faced Loady McGee, is forced to get a job and decides to open up a whorehouse in his pal Sinus O'Gynus's pad. Sinus isn't too happy about it, especially when he finds out wh VIP: The Mad World of Virgil Partch Only a few months after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor and the same year that Albert Camus offered the world his bleak vision of man’s existence by introducing his philosophical dictum of The Absurd, Virgil Partch burst onto the scene with his own twist on the phrase. Partch was a cartoonist who offered comic counterpoint to the grim headlines and a unique perspective on human nature in Blecky Yuckerella Sure, she's smelly and gross, but she's got a heart of gold! This collection collects over 100 strips for the first time, and his unmistakable blend of politically incorrect gags and social satire is as sharp as ever. Peter Bagge's Other Stuff Over the past 20 years, as Peter Bagge worked on his "Buddy Bradley" stories and other graphic novels, he also cranked out dozens of shorter stories, which are now collected here. Included are one-off gags and short stories as well as a series of Bagge-written stories drawn by other cartoonists, such as Daniel Clowes, Adrian Tomine, R. Crumb, Johnny Ryan, the Hernandez Brothers and Danny Hellman p These legendary stories from Hate are a defining icon of Seattle's early 1990s culture, as well as Generation X in general. Bagge's riotous tales of the early 1990s subculture are more hilarious now than ever.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412672
__label__cc	0.625049	0.374951	An event is only good or bad in retrospect. When it happens, it’s hard to tell whether it may be an immediate good for long term harm, immediate harm for long term good, or simply what it seems to be. The Three Force At Work American politics are all about two sides locked in an eternal war of good versus evil. Which one is good depends on which side you’re on. In Hinduism there aren’t two sides, there are three, and this may help us understand what’s going on. The three gunas, the strands that bind to manifestation, are as follows: Goodness (Sattva): Contentment. The preserving force, strives to unite and maintain perfection. It shows the truth that we are all connected and allows acceptance. Darkness (Tamas): Fear. The decaying force, strives to separate, obscure and destroy. It gives the illusion that we are all separate, with fear driving the urge to gather more power and dominate others to be safe. Passion (Rajas): Desire. The changing force, strives to improve and diversify. It is consumed by a need to improve and experience variety. These three work in a cycle. A fruit on a tree starts in Passion as it grows, matures, and tries to be the best it can be. When it reaches its summit of juicy sweetness, it is in Goodness, and tries to stay that way. That is of course impossible. Then it goes into Darkness, falls and becomes separated from its nourishing tree, decaying back into compost that will feed the tree. Another way to see them is as a planet orbiting a sun. Goodness is gravity, the force that attracts the planet to its sun. Should it succeed, the planet will fall into its star and “become one” with it in a fiery act of transmutation. Darkness is the centrifugal force that tries to rip the planet away into space. Imagine you’re spinning a ball on a string, the faster you spin it, the more it tries to pull away. Should this force succeed, the planet will be plunged into darkness, becoming a frozen rock in the empty void. Passion is the orbiting force, not really a force but a balance of the other two. When in balance in the sweet zone, life thrives and multiplies into an endless diversity. Evolution happens. So now let’s look at some of the forces at work within a very brief timeline. Remember that the cycle goes through Passion, Goodness, Darkness, and then loops again. These phases overlap as each new phase gains steam and momentum. Darkness: Look at the early 90’s. Sexism and racism were rampant, but few people talked about it. The situation was obscured. It just wasn’t a big issue to most people. Passion: 1993 President Clinton reverses pro-life advances in banning abortions. 1995 The internet comes and people used Geocities make their own websites. 2000 Same-sex civil unions become legal in Vermont. 2003 MySpace comes and makes social media a reality. 2003 US Supreme Court declares sodomy laws unconstitutional. 2008 Facebook overtakes Myspace. 2008 Supreme Court 2009 Geocities shut down. 2010 Was the first selfie, when the IPhone 4 came with a front facing camera. 2011 Law is passed forcing insurance companies to cover women’s contraceptives. 2012 Idle No More begins in Canada and Native American protests increase in the US. 2013 was the start of #BlackLivesMatter. 2016 Charlotte NC passes trans-friendly bathroom bill. 2016 Gay marriage becomes legal in the United States. Goodness: You’d think Goodness means making things better, but what it really means is being content with things the way they are, keeping the status quo and not rocking the boat. So in this case, it’s #BlueLivesMatter in reaction to #BlackLivesMatter. GamerGate in reaction to games having more options for female players. 1996 Defense of Marriage Act denies federal recognition of same-sex marriage. 1997 A US abortion clinic is bombed. 2000 Marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman in California. This starts a long chain of states making similar laws to prevent same sex marriage. 2011 Push to redefine fetuses as “persons” and make abortions murder. 2014 Gamergate begins, female game writers receive rape and death threats. This is after a few years of complaints by women to have female playable characters and not be stuck with “bikini armor.” Gamergaters attack Social Justice Warriors that are “ruining our games with feminism” 2016 Bathroom Wars begin with North Carolina’s law against trans people. Trump promises a “bloodbath” if he loses the elections. Darkness Path 1– Hillary Wins: About half the population voted for Trump. That’s a lot of angry people. A Hillary win preserves standing legal protections to women’s rights, contraception, abortion, LGBT rights, and racial discrimination. But it doesn’t stop angry people from getting angrier and taking increasingly violent actions as they feel their voices aren’t heard. Liberal city slickers get their way over conservative Christian values. Some people have voiced the possibility of a civil war breaking out, or increasing Christian domestic terrorism. Those actually seem likely. Nothing an un-charismatic Clinton can say will pop this pimple of festering hatred. It gets worse and worse, just not through legal means. Liberals mean well, but are for the most part impotent to do anything when not outright apathetic. No one trusts the government, and society starts falling apart. Democrats are demoralized and fail to take action. Darkness Path 2– Trump Wins: Conservatives get their man in power, and they’re happy about it. They have big parties. They control congress and senate, so they can roll laws back to the 1950s. Gay, trans, trans, immigrants and uppity women get crushed under the heavy boot. People die. A lot of people die. Not in mass shootings and bombings like the previous dark path, but through newly instated discrimination and lack of legal protection. The loss of rights is sharply felt by everyone except white Christian men. Women who thought feminism wasn’t important start to realize that maybe it was. Blacks get slaughtered and outrage increases. Queers get murdered at an even higher rate. Outrage increases. Immigrants and visible minorities live in constant fear. Previously passive liberals get angry, very angry. The government tells people what they can do in their bedrooms. Comments about Hitler and concentration camps abound. The pimple gets popped. Passion Path 1– Hillary Wins: The Christian Right leads a revolution to reshape the US under the Dominionist view that laws must be based on the Bible. Angry people change the world. Passion Path 2– Trump Wins: The reality of what Trump stands for becomes clear, and the Republican party implodes under the strain of its internal conflicts. Liberals lead a new movement whose name we do not yet know in reclaiming their rights through grassroots mobilizations, and those who were previously passive now take an active role. Angry people change the world. Conclusion: So yeah, I’m sad Clinton lost. Things will massively suck for a while but this had to happen. All the social justice progress we’ve seen has created its counter-force, and that force has to expend itself somehow. It can do so from the top down with Trump, or from the ground up with Clinton. But I think the Trump path is better in the long term. All things contain the seeds of their own destruction. The Norns care little for individual lives, and I think they’re satisfied with how things turned out. It’s a cold and callous call to make, but that’s their job. Because humans are dumb and that has to be taken into account. I hope this rant helps you sleep a little better at night. And to those that come under the boot, I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry. I wish there was a better way. Because I’m just a seer, not a Norn, and those are my friends who are about to die. But since I’m also a bard, there’s a Pagan song by Leslie Fish at the top that may cheer you. I get it, I do. But it doesn’t make the present any less sucky. I’m amazed that so many shitheads with such abhorrent views have been waiting there. I just keep thinking, if only it had been Bernie going against him. He would have wiped the floor with that orange mop. 😦 As you say, I hope more positive change is down the road. wynndark says: Thank you for this, its a much different take on the current situation than what I’ve been seeing. Dark yes, these are dark times, but not hysterical and leaving room for Wyrd to work as it does. May the dark days be short and some kind of firth be woven from what remains. Thank you for your comment. I hoped to hear that my hours devoted to writing this were useful to at least a few people 🙂 It had been and likely to many more than the comments suggest. I for one hope these times don’t keep you from the work you do here. They don’t. I dedicate my worries to more personal and immediate concerns than what may or may not happen in the world. I’ve been on vacation for a week, visiting my teacher and then some Druid friends. For the last two days, I’ve been waking in my camper with ideas and writing more of Sjofn’s story, past the point where I was ran out of inspiration a few years ago. So yeah, I’m actually getting juices flowing again. 🙂 Oh I am very glad to hear that particular story is progressing. Sjofn’s story is particulely of interest as She has inspired me to actually try to take up toy making instead of thinking it is just a foolish whimsy [a reoccurring one for years]. Glad to hear things are going well, may your gods and goddesses keep you well. That’s awesome! I’m always thrilled to hear when people make a connection with my Ladies. What toys do you craft so far? Right now I’m in the middle of a move so much of my supplies are packed, but I’m toying with some littler felted stuffed animals on one hand and wood ball jointed dolls on the other. I want to make marionettes based on the wooden dolls so there will potentially be small play stages getting built down the line in conjunction with that. Hopefully after a number of practice dolls I’ll make one for Sjofn, to give Her a physical seat to watch over the toy making part of the shop [once that’s built!]. I have an image of Her in my head for that but who knows if she looks anything like it. Sky Goddess Mirror	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412680
__label__wiki	0.78817	0.78817	How to Harness the Power of Open Source and Manage its Vulnerabilities Ayala Goldstein Open source has come a long way. Open source components are the building blocks of arguably every organization’s software. According to Stack Overflow’s 2018 developer survey results, nearly half of professional developers contribute to open source projects, and 40% listed contribution to open source software as part of their non-formal learning background. Recent GitHub research results showed that a whopping 72% of users said that they always seek out open source options when evaluating new tools. As open source software continues to eat the world, industries and organizations across all sectors and verticals — from automotive to government, telecom, fintech, health services, and everything in between, continue to integrate open source into their platforms and products. What’s the FOSS About? Industry giants like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft have become enthusiastic supporters of the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) ecosystem, contributing to the open source community, and open sourcing big chunks of their code, having realized years ago that sharing actually allows them to source the best developers around to poke and prod at their code and ultimately give it the most TLC they could hope for. Open source components also provide organizations with popular, free, and customizable resources to help them create and support products within an aggressive time frame to an ever-demanding market. So far, open source sounds like the magic puzzle piece that will make our most innovative products complete. But — there’s always a but. Open Source Components: How Well Do you Really Know Them? In our last webinar with Microsoft and Forrester, WhiteSource polled a group of nearly 200 R&D opinion leaders and influencers from a variety of tech organizations about their open source practices and concerns. The results we found raise quite a few questions about where tech leaders and managers are, in their attitudes towards open source adoption, their concerns about open source usage, and the processes put in place to manage open source usage in their organizations. Over half of the participants said that security was their utmost concern when dealing with open source. However, when asked how many open source components were used in their products’ code, most guesstimated a much lower percentage than the 60%-80% that most analysts estimate compose the average application. Which begs the question: how much do development teams know about the open source components in their code? Open Source Security First Software executives’ awareness of the importance of prioritizing open source security is great news, and not surprising, considering the increasing amount and impact of data breaches over the past few years. Open source vulnerabilities first came into the public spotlight four years ago with the notorious Heartbleed vulnerability, and in many ways, lessons are still being learned. The infamous, record-breaking Equifax data breach is still making headlines as more information continues to be released about the case. Clearly, executives are interested in avoiding Equifax-like oversights, where they were hit through a component they did not even know they had. That’s why managing open source security is on everyone’s minds. However, many in the development ecosystem are still in the process of learning that open source security vulnerabilities are a very different creature than the proprietary security risks that they already know how to address. Open Source vs. Proprietary Security Vulnerabilities Traditionally, security risks in your organization’s proprietary code are most probably addressed by using SAST and DAST tools to detect potential issues that could be hidden within your code. Open source components require a different set of tools to meet a different kind of need. Since the primary threat to open source components come from known vulnerabilities that have been made public rather than the dreaded 0-days, then the mission is less about analyzing the bits of code and is instead focused on identifying the components and matching them with vulnerabilities that were reported in various repositories or databases by the open source community. What Happens to Known Vulnerabilities in the Open Source Bazaar Many fine folks today invest their time and skills in analyzing and searching for security vulnerabilities in open source projects or researching fixes for them. These may be in-house security analysts, security research firms, or the increasingly popular bug bounty hunters. When a security researcher discovers an issue, they first contact the project owner. This could be the software vendor or the project manager of an open source project. They might also notify the MITRE organization, a security advisory that will also vet the report, give it a unique ID, and add it to the CVE index. The project of the vulnerable component is generally given a grace period of between 60-90 days to come up with a fix and make it public. Once a fix is found, or the grace period runs out, the full information regarding the vulnerability is released, usually along with a remediation path. This information is then recorded in the National Vulnerability Database – or NVD, which will test the vulnerability to check how exploitable it is and come back with a vulnerability score within a few days. Sound simple? It’s not. Open source is a bazaar, and information about the vulnerability, as well as its fix, is not centralized in one database. Known vulnerabilities can also be found in various vulnerability databases, advisories and bug trackers — sometimes months before they are published in the NVD. In addition, these platforms are not searchable by components or versions, so unless you know how a vulnerability was indexed, it’s extremely difficult to find in the database or advisory. Unfortunately for us, hackers are also familiar with vulnerability databases and advisories. They know that all the information they need is ripe for the picking and that the popularity of many well established open source projects means that one vulnerability can help them hit many victims, and harvest lots cash for hackers. That’s exactly what happened with Heartbleed, not to mention other familiar and not-as-cute-as-their-names vulnerabilities like StageFright, Ghost (GlibC), ShellShock, Poodle, and Quadrooter. All of them were known open source vulnerabilities discovered in components with tens of thousands of users. If recent history has taught us anything, it’s that once an open source vulnerability is made public, there are hackers out there racing to reach victims who have been too slow to patch their open source components. Which means if we work in a development team, it’s our job to get to those vulnerabilities and remediate them first. What’s an Open Source User To Do? The challenges facing an organization that’s leveraging open source, are clear: it’s extremely difficult for a team to manually track their open source usage and components. The sheer scale won’t allow for it. Even if you do know the code inventory in your product, you still need to follow the updates on open source security, and the information, both on vulnerabilities and on their fixes, isn’t published in one centralized location, rather it is spread throughout the open source bazaar. To top it all off, response time is critical, as information is released to all. Time for some good news. The open source community is doing a great job of researching, detecting & fixing vulnerabilities, increasingly backed by resources from some of the big guns like Google and IBM. And the collaborative ethic at the heart of the open source community ensures that once they’re discovered, fixes are published swiftly. Since open source management has become a priority, there are automated Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tools that can automatically and continuously track your project’s open source components, meaning you no longer have to spend restless nights wondering whether there’s an open source component in your build that is begging for a fix. An automated SCA tool will do the tedious component tracking for you, alerting you or an admin when a vulnerable component is found, or even breaking the build to ensure a project’s safety, and providing actionable remediation for those pesky vulnerable components. How to Win at Open Source Security Like in life, the first step is admitting you have a problem. You know that your team is using open source components, and that means your projects most probably contain vulnerabilities and bugs. Working with open source components requires its own set of policies and practices. Once you have those in place, open source management can easily be integrated into your development processes. The DevOps approach has upped the automation game for all of us, and dev teams are learning to track and address issues from the earliest stages of the product lifecycle. Viva la Shift Left revolution! This approach has proved itself extremely efficient in the open source management game. It requires you to automate your open source tracking from the very beginning of your product’s development lifecycle, using automatic and continuous tools to address open source vulnerabilities head-on. Moving forward, if you want to start implementing best practices for open source security, follow these three steps: remediate, track, repeat. This will allow you to harness the power of open source without losing hold of the reins. Looking for a secure ELK solution? Try Logz.io! Get the latest posts on the ELK Stack, Devops and Log Analytics Related Resourses Announcing the Logz.io Search API Chef vs. Puppet: Methodologies, Concepts, and Support Puppet Server Logging with the ELK Stack – Part 2 11 Open Source SIEM Tools 14 Open Source DevOps Tools We Use in Production 16 Free and Open Source Business Intelligence Tools 2 responses to “How to Harness the Power of Open Source and Manage its Vulnerabilities” Can you give some examples of “automatic and continuous tools to address open source vulnerabilities”? There is a nice list of some tools listed in this piece: https://techbeacon.com/13-tools-checking-security-risk-open-source-dependencies-0	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412681
__label__cc	0.720137	0.279863	« A Famous Book and its 170-Word Title (1828) \| Main \| The First Half of 1933 from "The Nation": Hitler's Menace and a Future Forecast » Edgar Allan Poe and Science: the Power of Words and Words as Energy (1845) This is a follow-up to a post from yesterday about the transcendental/mystical science found in Edgar Allan Poe's last work, Eureka. Today I was looking at one of his great "Marginalia" pieces that appeared in the Democratic Review for June, 1845, called "The Power of Words". And it seems quite literally so--that the force of (I assume) spoken words is an actual physical thing, atoms at play with others from one point to the next, ad infinitum. Poe writes: It is indeed demonstrable that every such impulse given the air, must, in the end, impress every individual thing that exists within the universe..." Full text of the 1845 piece here: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=msu.31293013987718&view=1up&seq=526 “ You are well aware that, as no thought can perish, so no act is without infinite result. We moved our hands, for example, when we were dwellers on the earth, and, in so doing, we gave vibration to the atmosphere which engirdled it. This vibration was indefinitely extended, till it gave impulse to every particle of the earth’s air, which thenceforward, and for ever, was actuated by the one movement of the hand. This fact the mathematicians of our globe well knew. They made the special effects, indeed, wrought in the fluid by special impulses, the subject of exact calculation — so that it became easy to determine in what precise period an impulse of given extent would engirdle the orb, and impress (for ever) every atom of the atmosphere circumambient.” “... there could be no difficulty in tracing every impulse given the air — and the ether through the air — to the remotest consequences at any even infinitely remote epoch of time. It is indeed demonstrable that every such impulse given the air, must, in the end, impress every individual thing that exists within the universe; — and the being of infinite understanding — the being whom we have imagined — might trace the remote undulations of the impulse — trace them upward and onward in their influences upon all particles of all matter — upward and onward for ever in their modifications of old forms — or, in other words, in their creation of new — until he found them reflected — unimpressive at last — back from the throne of the Godhead.” “ In speaking of the air, I referred only to the earth: but the general proposition has reference to impulses upon the ether — which, since it pervades, and alone pervades all space, is thus the great medium of creation....And while I thus spoke, did there not cross your mind some thought of the physical power of words? Is not every word an impulse on the air?” Posted by John F. Ptak in Anticipation, History of \| Permalink	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412683
__label__wiki	0.75006	0.75006	Memory Alpha incomplete articles, Weapons This article or section is incomplete This page is marked as lacking essential detail, and needs attention. Information regarding expansion requirements may be found on the article's talk page. Feel free to edit this page to assist with this expansion. Captain Jean-Luc Picard firing bullets from a Tommy gun. A bullet, pellet, or projectile, was an object propelled by a firearm. Most bullets were made from a type of metal, such as lead. Gunpowder was used to propel the bullet by igniting the gunpowder with a spark. Damage caused by a bullet piercing something was called a bullet hole. In 2151, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed was shot by a Novan who used a projectile weapon. The bullet still stuck in his left leg after they gained the trust of the Novans and were able to return to Enterprise NX-01. (ENT: "Terra Nova") When talking about their first encounter with the Borg in 2153, Malcolm Reed told Trip Tucker that his security team could also fire with holographic bullets as this would have had the same effect as the phase-pistols. (ENT: "Regeneration") This was a direct nod to the events of Star Trek: First Contact in which Picard fired holographic bullets. (ENT Season 2 Blu-ray, "Regeneration" audio commentary) In the alternate reality created by Nero's temporal incursion, Montgomery Scott described the notion of transwarp beaming as being like "trying to hit a bullet with a smaller bullet, whilst wearing a blindfold, riding a horse." (Star Trek) By the late 24th century, weapons that fired bullets were relatively rare. In 2375, when three Starfleet officers on board Deep Space 9 were killed with tritanium bullets, Chief Miles O'Brien pointed out that one didn't see bullets every day. (DS9: "Field of Fire") Captain Jean-Luc Picard also used bullets to kill two Borg on the holodeck by using a holographic Tommy gun and deactivated the holodeck safety protocols. (Star Trek: First Contact) Plasma bullet External link Edit Bullet at Wikipedia Retrieved from "https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Bullet?oldid=2410200" Memory Alpha incomplete articles	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412698
__label__wiki	0.699491	0.699491	Community Tech/Improved diff comparisons < Community Tech Tracked in Phabricator Task T121469 The Improved diff compare screen project aims to help contributors understand a diff in situations where it's impossible to tell what changed from the current design. 2.1 Sept 12 2.2 August 3 2.3 Hackathon, April 3 2.4 March 7 2.5 March 4, 2016 3 Technical discussion and background 4 Internal Community Tech team assessment Definition of problem: Diffs are difficult to process when it's difficult to compare what changed. Just changing whitespace or moving a paragraph breaks the matching. StatusEdit This is a slightly less technical overview. For more details, please see our meeting notes and the Phabricator task. Sept 12Edit MaxSem (WMF)'s solution for the bad diff from the original proposal is live, fixing the issue. The problem with that diff was that a small change was made to a very long paragraph, and the diff engine had a limit of 10,000 bytes before it would give up and mark the whole paragraph as changed. This was set as a performance limit, to keep the process of generating the diff from overloading the system. In the new version, the diff engine is estimating the complexity of the diff based on the number of words changed, not on the overall size of the paragraph. Here's another example of a nightmare diff from Russian Wikisource that's easy to read now, thanks to this new change. It's not likely that we'll be able to make any other improvements to the diff view this year. Now that the original issue is fixed, we're going to look at the other examples collected on Community Tech/Improved diffs to see if there are any other possibilities. But changing diffs is a high-stress venture -- Max's fix took six months of discussion and testing before it could be released. One thing that we've learned from this first year of Community Wishlist work is that we need to be more careful about determining the scope of the proposal before people vote on them. This wish started with one discrete example that could be fixed, but the concept of "improve the diff compare screen" is much larger, and could include a complete re-imagining of how diffs are displayed. It's hard to tell afterwards exactly what people were voting for, and figure out whether we've successfully completed that request. In that broader sense, it's pretty much guaranteed that we'll fail, because there will always be more possible improvements. We're going to conduct a second Community Wishlist Survey in November-December 2016, and we're going to focus a lot more on making sure that the proposals are clearly scoped before people vote on them. We're expecting to see some more diff comparison problems as proposals for the next survey. August 3Edit The WMDE Technical Wishes team is investigating a way to improve the problem of an edit that moves a paragraph from one place to another and changing a word in the paragraph. There's interesting (somewhat technical) discussion on Phabricator ticket T138922. Hackathon, April 3Edit Jon Robson has spent the Hackathon working on improved diffs, using a "unified" view that shows both drafts in the same block of text, similar to the way that diffs look on mobile. He's also working on a way to represent moving a chunk of text from one part of the page to another. You can follow the development on Phabricator ticket T121469. After the Hackathon, we'll test Jon's new draft out on a test wiki, and invite everyone in the community to try it and discuss. March 7Edit Interesting discussion on T128697: Wikisource wikis are hit by the paragraph size limit harder than the Wikipedias, because they can't insert arbitrary lines to make new paragraphs -- they have to preserve the formatting of the source. Languages with non-Latin characters (Russian, CJK) are also hit harder, because individual characters take up more bytes. March 4, 2016Edit MaxSem (WMF) has identified the problem that causes the bad diff from the original proposal. There's a performance-related limit based on paragraph size -- if the paragraph is bigger than 10,000 bytes, then the diff won't show the words that were changed. But that performance limit was set many years ago, and there may be ways to increase the limit without hurting performance. Max is currently investigating this on this ticket: T128697. Technical discussion and backgroundEdit Phabricator ticket tracking the work Phabricator ticket for the Community Tech investigation Proposal and votes Currently collecting examples and screenshots on Community Tech/Improved diffs. Internal Community Tech team assessmentEdit Support: Very high. There was unanimous support on the survey, although a couple of people wondered if this was too big for our team to handle. (They might be right, we'll see.) That being said -- the proposal itself was very vague, and there are a lot of different ways to define what needs to be improved. Impact: Potentially high. This tool is commonly used by editors, and improvements could help many people’s workflows. However, the actual impact won't be clear until there's a concrete proposal. Feasibility: TBD. We need to analyze what works in current diffs, and what the problems are that people would like us to solve. Some improvements may be easy while others would be major projects. Risk: High. This wish is not well scoped yet, and there are no firm acceptance criteria. This will need considerable research/design research work, and the CT team does not have these capabilities. Changes to the diff page will also require significant community discussion to approve changes. Status: We really want to work on this. It's a huge, important problem, and there's no other current WMF team that would take this on. We'll have to really dive into defining the problem, including lots of input from active contributors. Wikimedia Deutschland's TCB team also has "Show changes to the section text in a move" on their list. (link in German) We can work together. We'll focus on this in the spring. WMDE Technical Wishes/Show text changes when moving text chunks Retrieved from "https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Community_Tech/Improved_diff_comparisons&oldid=18236428"	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412700
__label__wiki	0.707172	0.707172	Why America must stop circumcising baby boys and start viewing it as mutilation By Oliver McAteer, US news editor Wednesday 2 Aug 2017 7:46 pm It’s not my charming accent or dapper dress-sense that sets me apart as an Englishman in America: It’s my foreskin. Let’s talk about it. My uncircumcised penis provides quite the social lubricant at after-work drinks, because when it comes to American guys, I’m the minority. ‘EW’, ‘that’s disgusting’ and ‘you know, I have the name of a great doctor who’d be happy to take care of it for you’, are just a few of the reactions I’ve had. And don’t get me started on the ladies. Many have told me — with hardcore grimace — that they’d leave the bed if they discovered their date was carrying a little extra tackle down there. Someone please tell me what America’s problem is. ‘Because the circumcised penis is still the norm among adult American men, a good number of men and women in this country have never seen an intact penis,’ said Georganne Chapin, founding executive director of Intact America — an organization changing the way Americans think about the snip. Georganne, founder of Intact America stands with pro-foreskin campaigners (Picture: Intact America) She told Metro US: ‘Stigma and bias – about any topic – are the results of unfamiliarity and misinformation. ‘Further, most Americans don’t know much about circumcision. What they have heard is that “it’s cleaner”. This is absurd, of course, but like a lot of cultural myths, it’s accepted unquestioningly, and the intact guy is viewed as weird or unclean. Crazy, right? Like the average guy isn’t just as capable of washing his genitals as the average woman is.’ It’s true. The idea that uncircumcised schlongs are dirtier than those cut is an insidious ruse. Look, I’m not going to lie; sometimes there’s a little extra cheese on the taco, but it’s nothing a two-minute shower can’t fix. In fact, Georganne says it’s actually cleaner for baby boys to have a foreskin. ‘It keeps the glans from coming in contact with urine and feces in the diaper,’ she explained. ‘Most people aren’t aware that circumcised toddlers often experience urinary complications in childhood and as adults because the glans of their penises were exposed and irritated when they were in diapers.’ Intact America was out and about at this year’s Gay Pride event in New York (Picture: Intact America) Circumcision usually takes place within ten days after birth, but most get cut before 48 hours. Reasons for circumcision? Well, it can be for religious beliefs, but it’s mainly a cultural thing. Around 75 percent of American men have been circumcised, according to an independent study by Dan Bollinger, strategic adviser at Intact America. This compares to 32 percent in Canada, ten to 20 percent in Australia and seven percent in New Zealand. In the UK it’s extremely rare, at less than one percent. That explains my pride and joy over here. Prince Harry says he had 'no other option' but to step back from Royal Family In a separate study, the same author found that more than 100 infants die in American every year due to circumcision-related incidents. However, the circumcision rate in the US has dropped from 81 percent in 1981 to 55 percent. So the trend is shifting. A big part of the pro-foreskin movement is Intact America. The cause has exploded since the organization was founded in 2008. Graphic shows how common circumcision in newborn boys is in America (Picture: Intact America) But what about the supposed link between circumcision and HIV? This is a huge topic of contention. Various studies by medical experts suggest that circumcision helps reduce the risk of HIV and other STDs. The World Health Organization (WHO) state on its website that controlled trials have found that those with the snip are 60 percent less likely to contract heterosexual HIV. It said: ‘WHO/UNAIDS recommendations emphasize that male circumcision should be considered an efficacious intervention for HIV prevention in countries and regions with heterosexual epidemics, high HIV and low male circumcision prevalence.’ Africa is attacking groups like UNICEF for its voluntary circumcision program (Picture: Getty) These groups, along with UNICEF, push for voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) in such countries. However, one African empowerment organization issued a letter to UNICEF this month, raising concerns about mass circumcision propaganda being spread and how the procedure seems to be viewed as some sort of ‘surgical condom’. The VMMC Project claims western public health agencies are ‘actively misinforming Africans that circumcision is protective against HIV’. Its website states: ‘This false security is a leading contributor to the HIV epidemic today. In Malawi, the national HIV rate is reported to have doubled from ten to 20 percent in the first year VMMC was implemented. In Uganda where we conducted our investigation, Ministry of Health statistics show higher HIV rates now than before VMMC implementation.’ Furthermore, the group say their investigation revealed less-than-voluntary recruitment methods for circumcision, including $3 vouchers to impoverished men and the targeting of schoolboys without their parents’ consent. Campaigner say Africa is being fed false information from western health agencies (Picture: AP) When it comes to circumcision and the supposed medical benefits on our home turf, however, Georganne has very strong views. She explained: ‘Since circumcision began as a medical procedure (i.e., carried out by doctors), its promoters have been searching for rationales. ‘Over many decades, new “benefits” have been proposed, only to be discredited and then replaced by a subsequent one. The conditions that circumcision has been proposed to prevent or cure have, without exception, been the confounding or misunderstood maladies of a given time. ‘Of course, one needs to look no further than to the fact that the HIV epidemic got rolling in the United States at a time when (conservatively) three-quarters of American men were circumcised. American cemeteries are full of circumcised men who died of AIDS. And the prevalence of HIV throughout Western Europe, where most men are intact, is lower than the prevalence in the United States, where most men are circumcised.’ Intact America is the first group in the States to solely focus on this one cause every day. It has a meticulous content strategy, and is reaching more and more people every day thanks to the power of social media. Their end goal is to completely halt circumcision in America, and ‘ensure a healthy sexual future for all people’. They’re doing this — with success, btw — by changing the way people think about circumcision. For Georganne, circumcision is much more than a standard procedure — it’s mutilation. She said: ‘Most people don’t question it because they are uninformed or don’t want to confront their own feelings about mutilating babies or having been mutilated themselves. ‘It just always seemed wrong to me. It makes no sense that half of the world’s population would need corrective surgery in their first few days of life. It’s nonsensical. When I first learned about female genital mutilation, my initial reaction was, “but isn’t this what we do to little boys?”. ‘We don’t amputate any other healthy body part, and never when someone is not capable of giving his or her consent. Circumcising babies is a violation of human rights, bioethics, and the Hippocratic oath doctors take to “Do No Harm”.’ More: UK Harry and William heal rift in secret talks before move to Canada Man walks into shop and leaves mystery note on counter Boy, six, can't eat sleep or talk because of ultra rare condition But she says the mood is changing quickly. Now, a lot more Americans are keeping their sons intact. Georganne thinks this is the result of people coming into contact with other cultures through TV and the internet. ‘Americans are becoming aware that intact penises are actually nice and sexy,’ she continued, explaining how her 36-year-old son and his intact friends have never felt their foreskins to be an obstacle in their love lives.’ On a personal note, I can 100 percent vouch for that. And as for the squeamish, Georganne has this message: ‘I say that if any man or woman doesn’t like an intact man’s penis, it’s a good indication that the person is shallow. An intact man should be grateful for the heads-up — so to speak — and move on.’ Women explain why they're showing off their hairy bodies on Instagram this Januhairy Girls as young as 11 being groomed into sending explicit selfies online Harry and Meghan join royals in wishing Kate a happy birthday Harry and Meghan ‘plan to launch TV and film production company’ to fund new life What Prince Harry’s speech reveals about decision to step down from Royal Family	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412701
__label__wiki	0.784452	0.784452	Marand Industries Build to Print Composite Structures Titanium Structures Aerospace Tooling Layup Universal Holding Fixtures Aerospace Ground Support Equipment Work Assist Devices Atlas Rail Products Turn-Key Workshops Automated Handling Devices Siemens 840D Robots / Robotic Applications Automated Guided Vehicles - AGV’s Assembly Lines Complete Facilities Rail Workshops Aerospace Automation 5 Axis Machining Mechanical & Electrical Assembly Simulation & Concurrent Engineering Electrical and Mechanical Design Specification and Project Scoping Complete life cycle management Scheduled servicing Breakdown support Final Assembly Tooling & Universal holding fixtures Rolling stock maintenance equipment Automation & Facilities Refurbishment & Retrofit High efficiency electric motors Food and Packaging Marand wins "Manufacturer of the Year (Large Business)" On Thursday the 3rd May, Marand was honoured at the Victorian Government’s Manufacturing Hall of Fame awards ceremony at Crown Casino’s Palladium room taking out the prestigious Manufacturer of the Year award (Large Business). Marand is the inaugural winner of the award and was selected by industry experts against a criteria including export performance, enabling technologies utilised, innovation in manufacturing, quality management and sustainable practices amongst others. Marand has 43 years of accumulated experience, knowledge and success as Australia's leading precision engineering company amongst a breadth of sectors including aerospace, defence, rail, automotive, mining and energy. Marand's solid management approach and commitment to cost, scheduling, risk management and quality are combined to exceed customers requirements. This has resulted in Marand being the largest Australian supplier on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program; the largest defence program in the world to date. Marand's list of achievements on the F-35 include being the first supplier in the world approved to manufacture large finished aerospace tools for BAE Systems, UK and being the global sole source of the engine removal and installation trailer for the world's first 5th generation stealth fighter. Marand has won three consecutive Lockheed Martin Excellence awards in quality and delivery performance for shipping in excess of 500 tools around the globe for the F-35 program. Marand is also supporting the Australian mining boom. All of the 32,000 ore car and locomotive wheels which transported Rio Tinto's 223 million tones of iron ore in the Pilbara in 2010 were re-profiled by machines designed and manufactured by the company. Marand also supply rolling stock maintenance equipment to BHP Billiton, Queensland Rail and Fortescue Metals. Marand continues its success through its strength in manufacturing innovation. Marand designed and manufactured the world's first tidal turbine that was connected permanently to the power grid, which is located in the channel between San Remo and Phillip Island, Victoria. Marand was also the primary Australian company to work with Boeing Aerostructures Australia on the design, manufacture and integration of its state of the art B787 carbon fibre manufacturing facility. The Managing Director of Marand, Mr. David Ellul accepted the award on behalf of Marand from the Minister for Manufacturing, Exports and Trade, The Hon Richard Dalla-Riva MLC. The award follows on from Marand’s induction into the Manufacturing Hall of Fame in 2006. Mr. Ellul was excited to be honoured with the award in its first year and thanked the State Government for the recognition and then AIDN-VIC (Australian Industry Defence Network) and AIG-VIC (Australian Industry Group) for nominating Marand. Mr. Ellul also expressed his thanks to the Marand customers in particular Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems for the trust they have placed in Marand on the F-35 program, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton for the Marand work in rail, mining and automation and Ford Motor Company for their continued relationship and support for over 35 years. Mr. Ellul announced that planning was well under way for setting up the new plant in Geelong later this year in support of F-35 program and other work. Mr. Ellul closed with thanking his employees in recognition of their valued contribution and effort that had enabled the Marand success with its customers over the years and ultimately the Manufacturer of the Year (Large Business) award. Media Enquiries:- Meagan Cameron. Phone: +61 3 8552 0600 or vie email ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Published in Press © 2020 Marand Precision. All rights reserved. Website by Omega Creative Vestas partners with local manufacturing service provider for Wind Turbine Assembly Facility in Geelong Global sustainable energy solutions provider Vestas today entered a partnership...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412702
__label__cc	0.702656	0.297344	Manchester Historian UoM History Department's Student Newspaper Article Idea Submissions Category: In Photos 1928 in 10 pictures Posted On 12th November 2014 13th November 2014 By James Schoonmaker 1928 in 10 Pictures The Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed in Paris by 60 countries including France, Germany and the United States. The signatories agreed not to use war to resolve disputes. Countries began to wage war without declaring it instead. (Wikimedia Commons) Emelia Earhart greeting the Mayor of Southampton after Continue Reading Category: University Dan Snow Interview Posted On 12th November 2014 12th November 2014 By Cai Reaich Your family has a well-document interest and passion for history and politics, was conversation around the dinner table dominated by these topics when you were growing up? The conversation at the table was very historical, very political. My mum’s a journalist, my aunt is Margaret McMillan who’s the head of St. Anthony’s College, she’s a Continue Reading Category: Behind The Headlines Kim Jong-Un’s Disappearing Act Posted On 12th November 2014 12th November 2014 By Mandy Poon Kim Jong-Un’s recent more than month-long disappearing act has inspired many speculations. The most credible hypothesis is that the world’s youngest head of state’s love for cheese and alcohol has resulted in a pair of fractured ankles, supported by recent pictures of Kim with a cane. Such bizarreness may seem reminiscent of Team America: World Continue Reading Category: History in Culture Silence in the Theatre Charlie Chaplin was one of the most celebrated, influential, innovative and ultimately controversial film-makers of the twentieth century. As a star of silent films he became arguably the most important Hollywood figure of his era. Film critic Andrew Sarris called Chaplin ‘arguably the single most important artist produced by the cinema, certainly its most extraordinary Continue Reading Category: History You Should Know David Kitson David Kitson (1919 – 2010) was an important anti-apartheid campaigner born in South Africa who demonstrated a lifelong refusal to compromise on his principles, even at great personal cost. After training as an engineer, Kitson served during the war as a ‘sapper’ in the South African army, an experience that was to facilitate his later Continue Reading Manchester HistorianFollow Manchester Historian@TheMcrHistorian· Write for our 35th issue on Fractured Nations! Now open for pitches and submissions. https://t.co/coHhLNMr2f Come to te launch of Issue 34 of the Manchster Historian! Tomorrow (wednesday 11th) at 3pm, Ellen Wilkinson building A2.7 We’re launching our next issue! Drop by to get a copy and hear some fascinating talks from some of our contributors https://t.co/NBoGo5uflK ‘A second-class citizen for his skin, and a criminal for who he loved, Rustin’s activism for black civil rights put him in the line of fire at a time when being openly gay menat he was already a target, even within the civil rights movement.’ https://t.co/bpLLslevlc ‘Hooks points out a white hegemony that exists throughout the art world and, in particular, art histories. The strong Afrocentric works of Kehinde Wiley and Akuniyli Crosby often counter this, however.’ https://t.co/Kg5EnFzFSS https://twitter.com/TheMcrHistorian https://twitter.com/UoMhistdept	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412708
__label__wiki	0.817862	0.817862	By Jessica Malay. Photograph used with permission from Lakeland Trust. Anne Clifford, Countess of Pembroke, Dorset and Montgomery has been called many things. She was well versed in history, theology, geography, the arts and literature. She was an astute financial manager, and was politically canny. Her letters, accounts, and her Great Books of Record all tell us this. And this is how most people view the Lady Anne, as an intelligent, pious and gritty Lady. Certainly she was all of these things. However her autobiographical writing, recently published by Manchester University Press, reveals that Anne Clifford also had a keen sense of fun. Her first surviving record of her life, is her 1603 memoir. Here she recalls her thirteen year old self getting into a bit of trouble for riding with a Mr Menerell. Her mother punished her by forcing her to sleep alone, which she records ‘I could not endure’. However, her cousin Frances Bourchier got the key to Anne’s room and ‘lay in my chamber with me, which was the first time I loved her so well’. During that summer she and her favourite cousins Frances, Francis Russell and Mary Cary could often be found eating too much fruit, vying for places to see the coronation of James I, and generally enjoying the freedom of that summer where the change of monarchs also meant disruption to the general routine of young people’s lives. Anne continued throughout her teenage years to dance in the court masques of Queen Anne, those elaborate productions of costumes, dance, and scenery. She enjoyed the whirl of court life, as she and her mother strategised to find the best marriage for her. In 1609 she married Richard Sackville, the dashing Earl of Dorset. The two were in love and after more than two years of negotiations and set backs, had a rushed wedding in her mother’s bed chamber. They later had to petition the Archbishop of Canterbury to have the marriage recognised as valid. Certainly Anne’s marriage to Richard was not all fun and games, but even in the most difficult times we see Anne attempting to enjoy herself. One her favourite games at Knole House in Kent where she spent much of her married life with Richard, was Barley Break which she played often in the summer of 1617. She recalls, ‘we played at Barley Break on the Green’ and while this may sound quite tame, Barley Break was anything but tame. It was a game where two couples clasp hands and a third couple stood in between them in ‘hell’. This couple attempted to catch the other two couples who would ‘break’ and change partners if it looked like they are going to be caught. It was a very high spirited game and one can imagine quite hilarious in the elaborate dress of the day. When Anne was less energetic she played cards – not very well. She recalls in 1619 that she lost fifteen pounds to Lady Carr and Lady Grey playing Glecko. A few months later she lost twenty seven pounds again to Lady Grey. After that she took up playing with her husband’s steward, Richard Amherst, perhaps hoping to improve her luck or develop her skill. It didn’t work. In November she writes with disgust, ‘I had such ill luck playing with Legg and Basket (two servants at Knole) at Glecko that I said I would not play again in six months’. As Anne matured her reputation for being, as her husband Richard once called her, ‘a sober woman’, increased. But we see that Christmas at the Lady Anne’s castles was anything but a sober affair. She records in December 1669 paying for ‘5 Hogsheads (or 48 gallons) of beer…besides wine’, and ‘4 roundlets of Sack’—that is 16 gallons of the fortified wine! She bought in sugar, lemons, oranges and raisins. She records paying for massive amounts of beef and mutton, as well as the more rare boar meat. She purchased ‘several sorts of spices for my house this Christmas’, sparing no expense in creating rich meals for her household during the holidays. She records buying devotional books for gifts at Christmas, which were perhaps not quite so fun, but also more useful Almanacs, gloves, ribbons, lace, linen and locks (engraved with her initials, clearly a most desirable gift), as well as distributing money. She invited in the players and musicians to entertain her household at Christmas, and records in December 1669 that ‘nine players came hither’. One wonders what play they performed. Christmas in 1671 was even more extravagant, when ‘several players and New Year’s Boys came about this Christmas’. The Lady Anne was eighty-one years old but still clearly knew how to have a good time. From 1649 until her death in 1676 the Lady Anne lived in her castles in the North: Skipton, Brough, Brougham, Pendragon and Appleby. She was of course too old and too eminent to be able to join in a game of Barley Break, and too wise to play Glecko with her servants. But she still enjoyed a show, and made each of her moves between castles into a high holiday for the community. In her yearly memoirs from 1650-1676 she records the chief gentry of the area riding alongside her in her horse litter, while the bells of each town she came through rang out, and the village musicians played, and money was distributed to the excited bystanders who cheered her through the byways of Yorkshire and Westmorland. Anne Clifford’s autobiographies reveal a woman who was sensitive, strong and resilient. But one shouldn’t miss the glimpses she gives us of her warm nature and ability to enjoy life despite all its challenges. Anne Clifford’s Autobiographical Writing: 1590-1676, edited by Jessica L. Malay is out now! Jessica will be at Skipton Castle on Sunday 4th March at 1pm talking more about Lady Anne Clifford and signing copies of her book. All welcome. Visit our Women’s History Month sale page, with 50% off a selection of titles, including Anne Clifford’s Autobiographical Writing. By Rebecca Mortimer Category: Blog, History, Social History 0 Comments.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412709
__label__cc	0.659205	0.340795	Autism Schools DDD Services AboutAuthor2019-12-20T12:53:24-07:00 LEXINGTON SERVICES WAS FOUNDED WITH PASSION At Lexington, we care for children, protecting their welfare and preparing them for the future and the important issues we face during our lifetime. OUR PASSION STARTED AT THE BEGINNING Birth of Lexington First Location Harrison Rogers started Lexington out of his own home, initially not expecting it to be a very large scale project but had the simple goal of bettering the quality of life for his sister. Lexington’s first location started in Mesa, Arizona where it quickly grew and flourished. Striving to deliver the same quality of life and services to the surrounding community. Our first school was established to provide more than just the service of care taking but to improve the education of others with special needs. Lexington has expanded to multiple locations providing more schools and programs to increase special needs education as well as In-Center and In-Home care. Lexington plans on always adding more resources for those seeking help for their special needs individuals. Our ambitious commitment to improving the lifestyle of your family’s future is our continuous goal. Harrison Rogers Harrison has always believed everyone learns differently. Growing up with a sister who has severe autism, and who struggled in formal education herself, Harrison always wanted to find a solution for what he believed was broken in formal education, thus founding and building what Lexington is today. Jeff Montgomery As a family man and successful owner of multiple businesses, Jeff enjoys helping others to reach their full potential. He is the architect behind the system that propelled Lexington into a multi-million dollar company in just over two years. In his spare time he is a professional singer, actor, and songwriter and one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. Sandy Brimhall SUPERINTENDENT OF LEXINGTON LIFE ACADEMY After learning many of the needed elements to become a great educator, Sandy pursued her degree in Elementary Education through Northern Arizona University. Having a special love for students with disabilities, she always found herself serving that population. After many years as a teacher, her love of Special Education students pulled her back into the field of servicing this unique and incredible population and now serves as the superintendent of Lexington Life Academy. Jared Harker PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH While working as a therapy intern at a children’s psychiatric treatment center, Jared could only see children desperately trying to find safety where others saw mental illness and unmanageable behavior. With a Master of Science in Integrated Healthcare Management and a focus on the Psycho-Social Rehabilitation Process informed by Behavioral Analytics, Jared Drew Harker developed a passion for driving the build for mental and behavioral health at Lexington. Shaun Hawkins General Manager of Lexington Learning Center Shaun’s goal was to graduate with a Bachelor’s in biology and get into a PA school until he discovered Lexington Learning Center. He was offered a position to manage the providers in early 2015. “It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with amazing employees as well as seeing growth in the members we serve. What an awesome responsibility we hold in assisting in that growth.” “I couldn’t be happier with Lexington. It’s more than a school with great teachers and caregivers, it’s been a new life for my son.” Richard Roe, Parent \| Mesa Campus “The Life Academy is probably the best school that my daughter has been in and is the only school that she looks forward to going to and no longer fights me to stay home.” Sharron Carstens, Parent \| Show Low Campus “Lexington has opened many doors for our son and we believe it will only continue to grow into adulthood.” Jennifer Barker, Parent \| Mesa Campus SCHOOL FOR AUTISM Educating our students with life skills, social interaction, academics and appropriate behaviors in their everyday environments. IN-CENTER PROGRAMS Providing after school, summer, and adult programs to meet the needs of every family and individual. Home & Community Based Services IN-HOME PROGRAMS Providing home and community services involving Habilitation, Respite, and Attendant Care. Providing comprehensive, evidence based services to children and adults with mental health diagnosis and developmental disabilities. Emotional Disabilities Program Providing positive behavioral supports in an individualized educational setting. Individually Designed Living Arrangement Providing customized living accommodations for our members. Start A Career At Lexington. CONTACT ANY LOCATION School for Autism Education After School Programs Adult Programs In-Home Services Summer Programs Transition To Employment Your LocationPhoenixGlendaleAvondalePeoriaSun CityMesaGilbertTempeChandlerScottsdaleShow LowSnowflakePinetop-LakesideOther Find Out How To Donate We care for children, protect their welfare, prepare them for the future and the most important issues we face during our lifetime. E: info@lexingtonservices.com The Similarities and Differences Between ADHD And Autism Reviewing 3 Inclusive Pixar Short Films on Disney+ LEGO Therapy Benefits For Kids With ASD Setting Goals For The New Year With The Right Mindset Schools for Autism In-Center Care © Copyright 2017 Lexington. All right reserved.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412712
__label__wiki	0.606936	0.606936	Home » About » Blogs » Topic » Blacklight Blog topic: Blacklight Announcing the ArcLight Phase II work cycle kickoff Last week, contributors from five institutions – Stanford University, Duke University, Indiana University, University of Michigan, and Princeton University – kicked off a collaborative nine-week work cycle for ArcLight. The work cycle, which runs from August 13 to October 11, 2019, will build on the ArcLight MVP implementation from 2017, and focuses on refining ArcLight’s usability and accessibility, addressing strategic needs in a community-based project. Major areas for this work cycle include: Usability and accessibility refinements, including potential design changes Revamping the tools used for indexing archival description into ArcLight’s Solr index Analysis and implementation supporting better integration with request management systems, digital object viewers, and more You can follow our work on the #arclight channel on the Code4Lib Slack team or the GitHub project board for the current work cycle. We expect to release public demo videos on YouTube, and will share them on Slack as well as the arclight-community Google Group to report on our progress. The work cycle’s conclusion coincides with the 2019 Blacklight Summit, to be held in Durham, North Carolina from October 9-11. Call for feedback and contributions to forthcoming ArcLight work cycle Stanford Libraries is organizing a work cycle later this year for ArcLight, a Rails engine supporting discovery of archival material. The work cycle is expected to run from August 12 to October 11, 2019, with planned contributions in terms of staff and development time from Stanford University, University of Michigan, Indiana University, and Princeton University. This work expands upon the work undertaken between April to June 2017 to develop a minimum viable product, and focuses on adding features, fixing bugs, and ensuring it is better suited as a product for future adoption and development. As a part of planning for this work cycle, Stanford, Michigan, Indiana, and Princeton have begun developing a collaborative roadmap to help us scope candidate areas of development. Following the process undertaken recently by the Spotlight community, we are now looking for contributions to and feedback on the roadmap to inform our work. If you’ve previously shared evaluations of ArcLight internal to your organization, we welcome you incorporating your ideas for features and improvements to this document. Our first deadline for contributions to the ArcLight work cycle roadmap is June 28, 2019. ArcLight MVP work cycle completed The ArcLight MVP project team has completed our eight-week work cycle to develop a minimum viable product to support discovery and delivery of archival materials using Blacklight, and have released ArcLight 0.1. More details, including a demo video and list of implemented features, follow below. The code for ArcLight, as well as documentation on how to get started can be found on GitHub. Spotlight on Service-Learning: New online exhibit explores fifty years of service-learning’s history and evolution in higher education by Josh Schneider The following is a guest post by Seth Pollack (Director, Service Learning Institute, California State University, Monterey Bay) and Tim Stanton (Senior Engaged Scholar, Ravensong Associates; Director Emeritus, Bing Overseas Studies Program, Cape Town, Stanford University). Improvements to SearchWorks in Summer and Fall 2018 During a four-month span between August and November of 2018, an interdepartmental team from the Stanford Libraries worked diligently to make a series of improvements to SearchWorks, Stanford’s world-class online catalog and discovery system. The improvements are wide-ranging and diverse, and touch nearly every aspect of SearchWorks, which is an essential tool for Stanford faculty and students in support of research and instruction. The work described below is the result of over four months of hard work by a world-class team of experts drawn Who’s on First at Stanford by Jack Reed Here at the Stanford Libraries, we are a big fan of Who’s on First. While the comedy routine by Abbott and Costello is pretty good, here we are talking about the gazetteer project Who’s on First created by the team at Mapzen. The Who’s on First (WoF) gazetteer is a “big list of places” comprising one of the largest and richest compilations of Open and permissively licensed geospatial data. New updates to EarthWorks with more access to data Over the past two months a team at Stanford Libraries have been working to add new features and resources to our geospatial discovery portal EarthWorks. EarthWorks is the place for users to find and access geospatial data at Stanford. With the recent updates, the amount of data users can find has more than doubled with access to over 70,000 resources from more than 20 institutions. Users can now discover scanned maps alongside Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data, index maps, census data and research data. Stanford Libraries brings article searching to SearchWorks The Stanford Libraries has added article search capabilities to its online catalog and resource discovery environment, SearchWorks. Stanford students, faculty, and patrons world-wide can now search a database of over 300 million journal articles, ebooks, patents, book chapters, newspaper articles, reports, and other high-quality scholarly resources from over 80,000 journals and other sources. SearchWorks Articles+ is now live at https://searchworks.stanford.edu/articles.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412714
__label__cc	0.587224	0.412776	3 Tipasa 200 Libraries Live Press Release: OCLC [October 5, 2018] Copyright (c) 2018 OCLC Abstract: 200 libraries are now using Tipasa, the first cloud-based interlibrary loan management system that automates routine borrowing and lending functions for individual libraries. 05 October 2018, Tipasa 200 libraries are now using Tipasa, the first cloud-based interlibrary loan management system that automates routine borrowing and lending functions for individual libraries. OCLC introduced Tipasa in January 2017 as a new interlibrary loan management system built on the OCLC WorldShare technology platform that takes full advantage of the world's largest resource sharing network. Tipasa reimagines features and functionality of the Windows-based ILLiad service and moves them to the cloud. Because updates and enhancements happen automatically in the cloud-based system, Tipasa requires only limited IT resources. The straightforward staff interface is easy to use, making it easy to train staff, volunteers and student assistants. OCLC continues to develop Tipasa in phases. New features and functionality released this year includes RapidILL integration, WorldShare Circulation and Acquisitions integration, and patron data retention. Additional features and functionality will continue be added over time, such as Ex Libris Alma integration coming in early 2019. ILLiad users will move to Tipasa as their functionality needs are met in the new system. ILLiad will be supported as Tipasa continues to expand; no end date has been set for ILLiad. A current list of live libraries is available on the Tipasa resources page. Tipasa	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412715
__label__cc	0.609109	0.390891	Rendering Equipment Rendering Processes Mavitec Group Information about Rendering Poultry Rendering Red Meat Rendering Fish Rendering Process for Edible Products Process for Inedible Products Products of Rendering History of Rendering Benefits of Rendering 28 Jan – 30 Jan IPPE Atlanta 09 Mar – 11 Mar VIV MEA Abu Dhabi Feel free to e-mail us at info@mavitec.com or call us at The rendering industry processes most animal by-products from the meat production chain which do not end up on the consumer’s plate. These vary from country to country dependent on the eating habits of different cultures. In the western world, this represents almost one third of the weight of animals slaughtered (more than 1.75 million tonnes in the UK only each year, producing 250,000 tonnes of fat and 400,000 tonnes of protein meal). The rendering process is the crushing and grinding of animal by-products, followed by heat treatment to reduce the moisture content and to kill micro-organisms. Separation of the melted fat (tallow) from the solid (protein) is achieved through centrifuging (spinning) and pressing. The solid fraction is then ground into a powder, such as meat meal or meat and bone meal. Although rendering as an organised and cohesive industry has been around for only 150 years, the process of melting down animal fats to produce tallow and other fats and oils probably started when man began cooking meat over a campfire and saving the drippings. Historians have charted soap and candle-making from the products of rendering, with one of the first accounts of rendering being written by a Roman soldier. In recent times, the industry has made an important contribution to our effort to maintain a clean and healthy environment. In addition, it turns otherwise unusable material into usable commodities, for example tallow for soap production and the manufacture of base chemicals and animal protein for livestock nutrition. State-of-the-art technology, strict regulation and a real sense of commitment and responsibility for the environment mean that today’s rendering operations are highly technical and require very high levels of investment. Address: Galileistraat 32, 1704 SE Heerhugowaard Contact: Tel.: +31-72-574 59 88 E-mail: info@mavitec.com	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412720
__label__cc	0.718497	0.281503	Tina and her parents were sold to Hyperion to become test subjects for Jack’s slag mutation experiments, an event which led to the deaths of her parents. She escaped their fate using a grenade that she had hidden in her dress at her mother’s insistence. Now that the explosives expert is all grown up, she has found herself as one-thrid of the mercenary group known as “B-Team,” along with her colleagues Brick and Mordecai. Incredibly detailed Tiny Tina figure modeled from in-game scans 7” Articulated Tiny Tina figure featured in on-screen attire from the all new Borderlands 3 video game Figure features 12+ moving parts of articulation Figure comes with in-game accurate Torgue Pistol accessory	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412724
__label__cc	0.589043	0.410957	Facebook Vkontakte Twitter Instagram YouTube Register Your Cart Mikhailovsky Theatre Friends Club Mikhailovsky Theatre at the Hermitage Tue, 19:00 opera in two acts music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart one interval deperformed in German (with Russian surtitles) 12+for viewers over 12 years old 1 hour 10 minutes Interval 30 minutes 1 hour 20 minutes Conductor — Pavel Petrenko Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder Original staging, sets, costumes, and lighting: Pet Halmen Staging by Éric Vigié Musical Director of the production: Mikhail Tatarnikov Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Chorus: Vladimir Stolpovskikh Director’s Assistants: Jean-Philippe Guilois, Yulia Prokhorova Conductor’s Assistant: Igor Tomashevsky Principal Pianist: Alexander Pakuev Chorus Masters: Alexey Dmitriev, Sergey Tsyplenkov Pianists: Maria Kopyseva, Maria Mikirtumova Music Style and Language Consultant: Eytan Pessen Dialogues in translation by Galina Burkova Surtitles: Margarita Kunitsyna-Tankevich Stage Manager: Olga Kokh Assistants to Stage Manager: Elena Piskunova, Vyacheslav Kalyuzhny The performance features soloists of the Children’s Choir of St Petersburg TV and Radio Principal Chorus Master: Igor Gribkov Collaboration between the Mikhailovsky Theatre and the Opéra de Lausanne under the patronage of André and Rosalie Hoffmann Sheet music provided by Bärenreiter-Verlag Kassel Première of the production at the Mikhailovsky Theatre: 22 March 2016 Mozart’s opera Die Zauberflöte is performed on the Mikhailovsky’s stage in a version first seen at the Opéra de Lausanne in 2010. The well-known German stage designer and director Pet Halmen decided to shift the opera’s setting to the Duchess Anna-Amalia Library in Weimar, home to a priceless collection of rare books and librettos. And although the idea for this arose following a terrible fire that broke out at the library in 2004, destroying most of the rare volumes stored there, many critics in Europe deemed the production to be one of the most vivacious and harmonious interpretations of Die Zauberflöte in the modern era. Recommended for family viewing A fairy dale. Tamino, a handsome prince, is pursued by a serpent. He asks the gods to save him and faints. Three ladies, attendants of the Queen of the Night, appear and kill the serpent. They find the unconscious prince attractive, and each of them tries to convince the other two to leave. After arguing, they leave together. Tamino wakes up and sees Papageno, a bird-catcher, who complains he has no girlfriend. Tamino thinks that Papageno killed the serpent. Papageno happily takes the credit. The three ladies suddenly reappear and place a padlock over Papageno’s mouth as a warning not to lie. They give Tamino a portrait of the Queen of the Night’s daughter Pamina who has been captured by the evil sorcerer Sarastro. Tamino falls in love with Pamina and vows to rescue her. The Queen of the Night appears and promises Tamino that Pamina will be his if he rescues her from Sarastro. The ladies remove the padlock from Papageno’s mouth and give Tamino a magic flute, which has the power to change sorrow into joy. They tell Papageno to go with Tamino and give him magic bells for protection. Tamino and Papageno set forth to Sarastro’s temple guided by three child-spirits. Sarastro’s palace. Monostatos, a blackamoor and chief of the slaves, orders the slaves to chain Pamina and leave him alone with her. Papageno enters. Monostatos and Papageno are each terrified by the other’s strange appearance and both flee. Papageno returns and announces to Pamina that her mother has sent Tamino to save her. Pamina offers sympathy and hope to Papageno, who longs for a wife. The three child-spirits lead Tamino to Sarastro’s temple. An old priest tells Tamino that Sarastro is not evil and that he should not trust the Queen of the Night. Tamino plays his magic flute and hears Papageno’s pipes. Papageno and Pamina enter. Monostatos and his slaves try to recapture them, but Papageno plays his magic bells making Monostatos dance. Sarastro enters, with a crowd of followers. Pamina confesses that she tried to escape, and Sarastro receives her kindly. Monostatos brings in Tamino and tells Sarastro that he caught Papageno and Pamina and demands a reward. Sarastro, however, punishes Monostatos. He announces that Tamino must undergo trials of wisdom in order to become worthy as Pamina’s husband. Tamino and Papageno are led in by two priests for the first trial. The priests advise Tamino and Papageno of the dangers ahead of them and swear them to silence. The three ladies appear and tempt Tamino and Papageno to speak. Papageno cannot resist answering the ladies, but Tamino remains aloof. The ladies withdraw in confusion. Pamina is asleep. Monostatos approaches and tries to kiss her, when the Queen of the Night appears. She gives Pamina a dagger, ordering her to kill Sarastro, and leaves. Monostatos returns and tries to force Pamina’s love by threatening to reveal the Queen’s plot, but Sarastro enters and drives him off. Pamina begs Sarastro to forgive her mother. He reassures her that revenge and cruelty have no place in his domain. Tamino and Papageno are led in by priests, who remind them that they must remain silent. Papageno complains of thirst. An old woman enters and offers Papageno a cup of water. He drinks and teasingly asks whether she has a boyfriend. She replies that she does and that his name is Papageno and disappears. The three child-spirits bring in food, the magic flute, and the bells. Tamino plays the flute, and Pamina appears. She tries to speak with him, but Tamino, bound by his vow of silence, cannot answer her. Pamina thinks that he no longer loves her and leaves in despair. The priests celebrate Tamino’s successes so far. Sarastro instructs Pamina and Tamino to bid each other farewell before the greater trials ahead. They exit and Papageno enters. The priests grant his request for a glass of wine and he expresses his desire for a wife. The elderly woman reappears and warns him that unless he immediately promises to marry her, he will be imprisoned forever. When Papageno promises to love her faithfully, she is transformed into the young and pretty Papagena. The priests declare that Papageno is not yet worthy of her. The three child-spirits hail the dawn. They observe Pamina, who is contemplating suicide because she believes Tamino has abandoned her. The child-spirits restrain her and reassure her of Tamino’s love. Two men in armour lead in Tamino. Tamino declares that he is ready to be tested. Pamina enters and declares her intention to undergo the remaining trials with him. Protected by the music of the magic flute, they pass unscathed through chambers of fire and water. Papageno despairs at having lost Papagena and decides to hang himself. The three child-spirits stop him and advise to play his magic bells to summon Papagena. She appears. The happy couple plan their future and dream of the many children they will have together. The traitorous Monostatos appears with the Queen of the Night and her three ladies. They plot to destroy the temple and the Queen confirms that she has promised her daughter Pamina to Monostatos, but before the conspirators can enter the temple, they are magically cast out into eternal night. Sarastro announces the sun’s triumph over the night. Everyone praises the courage of Tamino and Pamina, gives thanks to Isis and Osiris and hails the dawn of a new era of wisdom and brotherhood. Build your subscription Purchase rules Friends club meeting News and actions Friends Club Contacts Box office: +7 (812) 595-43-05, boxoffice@mikhailovsky.ru Press office: pr@mikhailovsky.ru ©2000-2020 The St. Petersburg Mussorgsky State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre [Mikhailovsky Theatre] — A Cultural Establishment Supported By The St. Petersburg Government Budget Design and Layout - GREENLABS Development - Медиасофт Black and white theme Magnified font 1.5х Magnified font 2х 1.1. This User Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Agreement’) defines the procedure for accessing the website of the St. Petersburg State Funded Cultural Institution, the St. Petersburg Mussorgsky State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre – Mikhailovsky Theatre (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Mikhailovsky Theatre’) located at the domain www.mikhailovsky.ru. 1.2. This Agreement regulates the relationship between the Mikhailovsky Theatre and the users of this website. 2. DEFINITION OF TERMS 2.1. For the purposes of this Agreement, the terms indicated below shall have the following meaning: 2.1.2. Mikhailovsky Theatre Site Administrators – those employees authorized to manage the website, acting on behalf of the Mikhailovsky Theatre. 2.1.3. User of the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site (hereinafter the ‘User’) – a person having access to and using the website via the Internet. 2.1.4. Site – the Mikhailovsky Theatre website located at the domain www.mikhailovsky.ru. 2.1.5. 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Consents to the processing of the following personal information: full name; date of birth; telephone number; email address; payment details (if the service is used to purchase electronic tickets to the Mikhailovsky Theatre); 9.1.2. Confirms that this personal information belongs to him/her personally; 9.1.3. Gives the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site Administrators the right to carry out, without limit in time, the following actions (operations) with his/her personal information: - collection and accumulation - storage for an unlimited period of time (indefinitely) from the moment that the information is provided until it is recalled by the User by means of an application to the Site Administrators - clarification (renewal, modification) - destruction 9.2. The User's personal information shall be processed in accordance with Article 6.1.5 of Federal Law No. 152-FZ dated 27.07.2006 ‘On Personal Information’, solely for the purposes of performing the obligations accepted by the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site Administrators under this Agreement with respect to the User, including those indicated in clause 3.1.1 of this Agreement. 9.3. The User accepts and confirms that all of the provisions of this Agreement and the terms of processing his/her personal information are understood by him/her, and expresses his/her consent with the terms of processing his/her personal information without reservation or limitation. The User’s consent to the processing of his/her personal information is specific, informed, and conscious.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412730
__label__cc	0.700808	0.299192	Milligan Athletics #BuffStrong A Winning Tradition Senior Spotlight Training Table Track/CC Dakstats Milligan - Milligan NAIA Champions of Character Milligan College is an institution that is committed to maintaining and practicing the standards of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' Champions of Character program. Each year the NAIA selects schools to become Champions of Character Five-Star Institutions if they meet a certain number of requirements laid forth by the association. To be named a Five-Star Institution signifies the athletic department at the school exhibits what it means to practice conduct that demonstrates integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership. Resources regarding the Champions of Character program can be found here. What is Champions of Character? The vision of National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Champions of Character program is to change the culture of sport. Its mission is to provide training to instill the values that build character so students, coaches and parents know, do and value the right thing on and off the field. Research shows that the longer a student spends in sports, their social reasoning - sacrificing for the good of the team - rises, while their moral reasoning skills - doing what is fair, just, honest, and noble - decline. The Champions of Character program helps participants find the balance by keeping five core values - integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership - at the heart of the athletics experience. Students learn to understand how the values play out in both practice and competition. Coaches are taught how to intentionally define, model, shape and reinforce the values through their coaching and mentoring. Parents learn how their behavior is key to supporting their athletes. For more than a decade, Champions of Character has been making a difference in developing athletes, coaches and parents of character. Links to the Five Core Values Integrity • Respect • Responsibility • Sportsmanship • Servant Leadership © 2020 Milligan College \| Privacy Policy	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412732
__label__wiki	0.827568	0.827568	Posts Tagged ‘Give Me Blood’ All the news from Film Bazaar, Goa (2013) Posted: November 26, 2013 by moifightclub in cast & crew, cast news, cinema, film, Film Festival, Indie, News Tags: Abhay Deol, Amit Kumar, Anup Singh, B.A. Pass., Baji, Bounty Hunter, Brahman Naman, Chingari, Fandry, Film Bazaar, Give Me Blood, Guneet Monga, Kanu Behl, Maa Bhagwatiya IIT Coaching, Miss Lovely, NFDC Film Bazaar, Over The Rainbow, Q, Rajesh Jala, Shreyas Talpade, Side Hero, Sulemani Keeda, The Good Road, The Spark, Titli, Varun Grover, Vasan Bala – Early buzz on Kanu Behl’s Titli : Titli is the most stunning, daring, solid Indian film i have seen this year. Nothing like Indian cinema has seen ever…not a single wrong frame. Too depressing and suffocating at times…but man, this MUST go international. Animal kingdom ka baap hai! And all actors just at their career best roles. (via a friend who saw it). Titli is produced by Dibakar Banerjee and Aditya Chopra. To know more about the film, click here. – Kanu Behl’s Titli also won the DI Award for the Best Work-in-Progress Lab Project. The DI Award sponsors the completion of the Digital Intermediate process at Prasad Labs. – New York-based BGP Film has picked up the North American rights of Gyan Correa’s film The Good Road. – Abhay Deol will star in the UK-set thriller, Bounty Hunter, to be directed by brothers Sunandan and Yugesh Walia. They will also co-produce the film rough their UK-based production company Endboard Productions. – Q to make English-language debut with Brahman Naman, to be produced by Steve Barron’s UK-based Riley Productions. Set in Bangalore in the 1980s, the film is a comedy about a 17-year-old who tops his class but also has whisky addiction, filthy mouth and a porn collection. Q’s Kolkata-based production company Overdose Joint will co-produce. – France’s ASAP Films to produce Rajesh Jala’s The Spark (Chingari). It was selected for NFDC Screenwriters’ Lab and Co-production Market. The script also won the Incredible India award at Film Bazaar. The Award comes with a cash price of Rs. 1 mn for the best project in the Co-Production Market and is presented by the Ministry of Tourism. – Ashim Ahluwalia’s film Miss Lovely is set to release in India in January 2014. This will be done through the start-up theatrical distributor Easel Films and Eagle Movies. – Guneet Monga’s Sikhya Entertainment has announced two new films – Amit Kumar’s Give Me Blood and Vasan Bala’s Side Hero. – Nikhil Mahajan (of Pune 52) has announced his new film Dainik which will star Rajkummar Rao (Yes, RajKumar Yadav is now Rao). DAR Motion Pictures, IME Motion Pictures and Nikhil Mahajan’s Blue Drop Films will co-produce Marathi action adventure Baji, starring Shreyas Talpade. – Varun Grover’s film Maa Bhagwatiya IIT Coaching will be produced by Nikhil Mahajan. The script was selected for Screenwriters Lab. – DAR Motion Pictures, IME Motion Pictures will co-produce Nikhil Mahajan’s Marathi Superhero film Baji starring Shreyas Talpade. – After Qissa, filmmaker Anup Singh is working on adapting UK author Paul Pickering’s novel Over The Rainbow. The film will be produced by Switzerland-based Saskia Vischer Productions. – Channel 4 has picked up four titles – The Good Road, Sulemani Keeda, Fandry and B.A. Pass. (Via various News sources)	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412736
__label__wiki	0.874415	0.874415	Is BlackBerry's new Priv the last phone it makes? by Paul R. La Monica @lamonicabuzz November 6, 2015: 4:02 PM ET BlackBerry's CEO open to working with Apple BlackBerry's new phone, the Priv, came out on Friday. But will it be the last new phone the company ever makes? BlackBerry (BBRY) has struggled mightily in the past few years. It lost subscribers, sales and a boatload of money because it didn't fully commit itself to the touchscreen, app-centric world we're all accustomed to. BlackBerry now lags Apple (AAPL) and the army of companies that make phones which run on Google's (GOOGL) Android mobile operating system in global smartphone market share. Microsoft (MSFT) -- thanks to its Windows Phone OS -- is ahead of BlackBerry too. The stock is down more than 25% so far in 2015 and nearly 90% in the past five years! So the pressure is on BlackBerry to launch a phone that consumers might actually want. CEO John Chen hinted in several interviews last month that BlackBerry may stop making phones if it can't sell 5 million of them a year. That's the level he thinks is necessary for the hardware business to be profitable. Related: The Priv follows BlackBerry's quirky new Passport phone So BlackBerry has done something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago -- it's selling a phone that runs on another operating system. The Priv is an Android phone. Yes, it still has a slide-out keyboard with actual buttons for the CrackBerry addicts. But you can use a touchscreen too. And because it runs on Android, Priv owners will have access to many more apps than they would on a typical BlackBerry phone. The Priv is -- for now -- only available on AT&T's (T) network in the United States. It's selling for $249.99 with a two-year contract and $699.99 without a contract. It is also available in BlackBerry's home turf of Canada and will soon launch in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany as well. Related: Don't ditch that BlackBerry yet! The company said in a statement to CNNMoney Friday that the Priv will eventually be available in other markets too. So can the Priv be BlackBerry's savior? In a blog post Friday, Chen touted the device's security and privacy features, a full-day battery life and the fact that popular apps like Uber, Instagram and Spotify are available ... as well as the company's own BBM messaging service. But reviews have been mixed so far. Engadget said that the Priv is "probably the best-looking BlackBerry device that has ever been made" but added that the $699.99 price tag may scare off a lot of consumers. Wired praised the phone's "awesome" keyboard and said that it's a great phone "if you're a longtime BlackBerry user who's looking for something that finally -- finally -- gives you a hardware keyboard with a legitimate app ecosystem." But the Wired reviewer added that iPhone and Android users (i.e. 96.7% of global smartphone users, according to the latest figures from IDC) would not be impressed with the Priv's camera and touchscreen. ZDNet panned the Priv, saying it was merely a "passable" Android phone. And Gizmodo's reviewer didn't mince words. The headline? "Nope, Not For Me -- Not Even For My Worst Enemy." (Tell us how you really feel.) Wall Street (and Bay Street in Toronto) didn't seem to mind the reviews though. Shares of BlackBerry gained 5.5% Friday and rose above $8 for the first time since late July. Related: BlackBerry kills the Ryan Seacrest iPhone keyboard But the Priv must be a massive hit. Otherwise, it may wind up being the last new BlackBerry. The company sold just 800,000 smartphones in its fiscal second quarter, down from 1.3 million in the first quarter. That means BlackBerry has to sell 2.9 million phones in its next two quarters to meet Chen's 5 million sales goal. BlackBerry told CNNMoney Friday that it is still "committed" to its own BlackBerry 10 platform and added that an update "focused on security and privacy enhancements" will be available early next year. But the company would not comment on whether BlackBerry planned to release any new devices that run on BB10 next year. Still, Chen stressed in another blog post last month that BlackBerry is not throwing in the towel on phones just yet. But he reiterated that the hardware unit has to start making money. "Anyone who has been watching closely what I've been trying to do at BlackBerry has surely heard me say that we would not stay in the device business if we were not profitable," he wrote. "That said, we are doing everything possible to make our devices profitable." So what happens to BlackBerry if it does pull the plug on hardware? It would likely continue to support the existing devices out there. Loyalists (I'm talking about you, Kim Kardashian!) shouldn't worry about whether or not their phones will stop working. But the company would likely continue its shift towards selling software that can be used on other smartphones as well as other kinds of connected gadgets -- the so-called Internet of Things. BlackBerry has made three software acquisitions in the past few months, scooping up WatchDox, AtHoc and Good Technology. So BlackBerry's future may not be as bleak as some are predicting. Still, it would be a sad day if the company stopped making its own phones. And unless the Priv flies off the shelves, that day may be coming soon. CNNMoney (New York) First published November 6, 2015: 12:12 PM ET	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412738
__label__wiki	0.638741	0.638741	Mink Machine Entries with tag seville Movie locations around the world part 6 Reine, April 16, 2018 in Movies. bilbao cardiff gibraltar losangeles niagarafalls panama paris seville tucson Welcome to part 6 of my quest for finding movie locations around the world! Left images are from the actual films and to the right are my visits to the spots. Sessions in Seville Reine, May 29, 2017 in Travel. andalusia columbus seville spain Seville may be the city of Carmen, Don Juan and a certain barber. But today I’m roaming the ancient streets in the footsteps of a foreigner. Traces of Christopher Columbus can be found all over Andalusia. Wazzup in Vaduz "Vaduz Castle is overlooking the town from a hill, a short walk from the center. It’s really a postcard view with the alps in the background, which I’m sure the prince enjoys as he sips his morning coffee while towering above his loyal subjects." The fairytale castles of Sintra "The Portuguese town of Sintra is famous for many beautiful castles. Palácio Nacional da Pena is arguably the most stunning of the lot. " Exploring Chernobyl "The soundtrack of the day was Radioactivity by Kraftwerk, as we rolled into Chernobyl this morning." Vineyards of southern France "Not far from Sauternes is the village of Saint-Émilion, also a famous wine region but what got me hooked was their impressive limestone caves." The lakes of Lombardy "The town of Como, largest settlement around Lake Como, attracts a lot of people with big wallets. But I preferred to take the funicular up the mountain to the Brunate region, where you get a much better view of the lake." Roaming in Valletta "I passed the statue of Jean de Valette, the 49th Grand Master who laid the foundation stone to Valletta in 1566, to gaze at the golden interior of St. John’s Co-Cathedral, where he is buried in the crypt." Reine is a software developer who enjoys caffeine-fueled urban traveling. More... Copyright © 1994–2020 Reine Larsson. All zombies reserved.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412743
__label__cc	0.637337	0.362663	← Authors on Author Photos When April Fool’s Day Pranks Partially Deploy → Writing methods vary by writers, for the excellent reason that we all have different preferences and quirks. Some writers work best with the “start with a basic idea” approach advocated by Stephen King in his (excellent) book On Writing. I’ve used that method a few times in short fiction, but it’s not a good fit for me. Maybe I’m more anxious or a control-freak (…..maybe?), but I far prefer to work with an outline. Outlining varies. Some writers just get a generalized sense of direction and big plot beats. I like my outlines to be a bit more detailed – and by “a bit” what I really mean is “a shit-ton.” When I’m putting together an outline, I’m pulling in all the notes and ideas that I’ve been coming up with for the book over the past three to four months and collating it into one massive document. This gives me individual scenes, important background elements, and sometimes even specific lines of dialogue. I then go through that outline with a fine-tooth comb, looking for plot inconsistencies and weaknesses. Then I get out paper and calendar and plan out days and times – just to make sure where everything falls, and particularly how much time things are taking. This is information that almost never makes it into the book – after all, does the reader really care that Fort and Suze are in a battle for their lives on a Tuesday? Probably not. But it can help me keep track of where the weekend should fall. With the time-stamp, it helps me keep track of how long people have been at something – a personal quirk of mine is that it drives me nuts in fiction when characters have been running around for basically eighteen hours straight, killing monsters, exploding magic, banging each others’ brains out, and no one mentions that it might be time for lunch! (why does that bother me? I have no freaking idea. But there it is) It usually takes me anywhere from two weeks to a month to put together my outline, but once I have it, I go straight into the book and don’t surface until the manuscript is complete. My outlines have gotten more detailed as I’ve gone – Generation V’s outline was six pages long, while Iron Night’s was fifteen pages. Tainted Blood hit twenty-two. Not everything is identical from my outline to the book that people end up reading. If you look at my outline, for example, Keiko’s boyfriend never makes an appearance. That was a decision I made during the writing, since I felt like that would amp up some pressure. Other things got tweaked as I went (the name of Jacoby’s tattoo parlor, for instance) – when I do something like that, I’ll write that in on the printed copy of the outline that I’m using while I write. (that copy gets incredibly written over and dog-eared during the writing) Finally, some elements get changed as a result of first reader comments or editorial comments. How Matt ends up at the Gage crime scene changed many times – when I was writing, I changed from him just showing up to Fort calling him over. Then my editor pointed out that this was pretty stupid long-term for Fort to do, so I switched it again in the editing process so that Matt hears something on a police scanner and rushes over because he’s afraid that Fort has been murdered. Moving Dan Tabak’s introduction from Book 3 into Book 2 was a decision I made during edits as well. For anyone who is really curious about what my outline looks like, I’ve included a copy of the original Iron Night outline below. If you haven’t read Iron Night yet, definitely don’t read this – it’s basically nothing but pure spoiler. But if you read and liked Iron Night, and are interested in the process that turns a concept into a book, this could be interesting. Book Two – Plot outline September 27, Friday, 4am * Fort & Chivalry have driven a truck of goats out to the Claiborne-Pell bridge to feed to the trolls. Part of Fort’s new duties & training. (though getting up this early is unusual) * Fort & Chivalry return to mansion, work out & train until 9am. (this has been daily since the end of the last book. Boxing, lifting. Fort is in better shape than in the last book, but not in an overwhelming way. Primarily he’s been getting used to the new strength & speed – he now has the attributes of an exceptional human. He has some vampire speed, but it takes a lot out of him to use it – needs to be rare) (needs a reference to Chivalry’s small sailing yacht, the Firefly, which he’d like to take out for one last sail this season. The name should be a very old one – from his first little yacht in the 1890s – but Fort should give him a lot of grief about the Joss Whedon series. Maybe jokes about browncoats?) * Fort drives back to his apartment, changes & showers, dresses for work, catches a nap. Gage (the new roommate – spend some time here establishing the character) wakes him up to go to work. Need an exchange with Gage, brief, but enough to show what a nice guy that he is. Establish that he’s going speed-dating that night (at a local bistro, ages 19 to 30, tiny tables, etc. – make clear that he’s doing it on a whim, because it ‘looks like fun’), extend an invitation. This can also give a chance to a) make the audience miss Gage when he dies at end of chapter, and b) give a chance to talk about Fort’s nonexistent dating life. 1pm, Fort goes to work at superfancy restaurant (think ten course tasting menu). Introduce to evil chef. Go through a little of his day. 3pm, Suzume is in his section, questioning a potential client and tormenting Fort, teasing. She always makes sure that she’s placed in his section, and the other waiters are jealous. Fort could take a pass on this. 10pm, restaurant finally closes. Fort goes home, exhausted. It’s Friday – tomorrow, Saturday, he’ll be able to sleep in, since it’s his day off from work and Chiv & Bhumika have a standing date at a local place for brunch. Plus there’s an auction that they like to go to. 2am, a sound wakes Fort up. His new vampire hearing has been kicking in. He assumes that it was Gage coming in, but as he waits for Gage’s routine to start up (an anti-oxidant milkshake before bed) he can’t hear it. He gets up to investigate. Something’s wrong – Gage always leaves his shoes by the door. He knocks on Gage’s door, nothing. Now there’s something tickling his nose – can’t quite place it yet. Wait, blood. He pushes into Gage’s room. There’s the body. Pale, bloodless. Hands gone, some cuts on the mouth. He’s lying on front, Fort won’t know about the genitals yet. The window has been pushed open, screen pulled out & dumped. That’s the sound that woke Fort up – Gage’s body being pushed inside. Dumper (Soli) climbed up fire escape that’s on that side. Fort goes straight for phone. Gage was human, Fort’s first call is the police. Then realizes that he’s an idiot, but call was made. Call Chivalry. Chivalry can’t come – Bhumika sick. Sends lawyer, tells Fort to call “that fox buddy of yours.” Fort makes the call to Suze. (S: Just to let you know, Fort, etiquette dictates that the woman has to initiate a booty call relationship. F: What? S: I know, it seems sexist to me, too, but Miss Manners is very clear. F: Suze, it’s nothing like that. My roommate is dead and the police are coming.) Police show up, plus Fort’s lawyer. (note: Scott family lawyer immediately tells Fort to say nothing to the police. The police are okay with this, because they immediately get a visit from their roused boss, who just got a call from the woken-up mayor not to bother that nice Scott boy – so no questions at all). Matt McMahon (review) has a few contacts within the police department, and he shows up and nudges his way inside, trading on that connection to Fort. There’s strained interaction, and Matt examines the body (he knows that he has to move fast – bodies & evidence tend to disappear around the Scott family). Suze arrives just as Matt is leaving (no introduction) & body is being taken away. Tells Fort to grab some clothes and come along – police are all over apartment, he’s coming to her place for the night. Fort wakes up in Suzume’s “spare bedroom.” Turns out that it’s Keiko’s room, and now she’s standing over him & freaking the fuck out. At the noise, S enters and she & K begin to engage. There’s a lot of tension here – K is angry at S’s closeness to F, the fact that she’s now engaging herself in a situation that she wasn’t even hired on for, and her complete disregarding of a tricky political element. But S is angry because she’s been hiding K’s relationship, and K is clearly skewing her pregnancy human for minor excuses (that won’t be overt). She won’t explain the pregnancy/relationship element to Fort yet, however. K leaves. Back to F’s apartment for clothing. Police are gone. This time, S sniffs around in fox form, and picks up a scent on the windowsill, where the killer rested a hand. Smells inhuman, but she can’t identify. But now there’s something unusual about the murder (they were just assuming human murderer), so they’re curious. Call Chivalry – but Bhumika’s health has taken a turn for the worse, & he can’t come, & in fact cancels future work-outs. He won’t be seen again for most of the book. Tells F to work out with S to keep up conditioning. F recalls that Gage mentioned speed-dating to him the night he died, even invited him along. F to computer to look, S goes through G’s stuff. She finds some info written on a stub of paper, leads them to the bistro. There, they learn that the event was coordinated by the Dreamcatching (New Age store) staff, who have been hosting a whole bunch of the events around the city lately. It nets them the cash for the night, brings business to the stores that host, plus they set up a little table with crystals and cute candles, with store cards to try to drum up business. This event was coordinated by Tomas, but Lilah was also there. That night, everyone arrived at six and left by seven-thirty. No one at the bistro remembers Gage, but they didn’t pay much attention to the group – they’re annoyed that they didn’t sell more alcohol – all they really sold were appetizers and finger food. (some of the workings of the speed dating will be covered by Lilah later) First visit to Dreamcatching. Meeting Lilah Doubrant, establishing interest and attraction between her and F. She is outed as a halfsie by S, F introduces himself as a vampire. Talk about Gage, F gives her his phone number in case she thinks of anything. S mocks a bit. They see Allegra, establish the pregnancy & her ¾ status. Otherwise, nothing. No big leads. Lilah does remember Gage, and notes that he got a few matches. She doesn’t remember seeing him leave – she was doing business at the candle table. Tomas is out today. F & S leave. No other events that day, other than the lawyer calling to assure F that no one will be talking to him. F calls Gage’s parents, who live in California, to offer condolences and offer to help get Gage’s stuff home for them to sort through. He and S (unexpectedly helpful here) clean up room, start boxing up Gage’s stuff to ship back to his parents. (note here: Gage was an only child – his parents were originally from Rhode Island) The clean-up lasts from Sat to Sunday (F & S dispose of Gage’s porn), S there both days, sleeping on the futon at night (in fox form? She’d want to spend a little time in her natural form). They watch movies (Avatar jokes!) and eat dinner together. Sunday morning S will work out with F – here there will be absolute mocking over how Chivalry has been training him. Note that he will have to use his legs, that he needs to do anything to take down his opponent, and that Chivalry’s style of fighting is relying on being so much faster than his opponent that he can take them down extremely fast – that’s not an option for Fort yet. She’ll suggest that he start getting lessons in muay thai (not the drink) – with his height, that fighting style might work well for him. It’s the “art of eight limbs” – using eight points of contact (punches, kicks, elbows, and knee strikes) instead of the “two points” – just his fists – that Fort is currently using. (note: Suze herself uses a mixture of several styles, including what she was taught in self defense as a young fox, but as an adult she’s spent a lot of time working with Krav Maga (the Israeli fighting style) because she likes its clear emphasis on finishing a fight as quickly as possible, meaning that all attacks are aimed towards the most vulnerable parts of the body (face, neck, groin, knee, eyes, joints) – since she rarely fights for show, it makes sense for her, particularly given her small size, which means that she is almost never fighting at a distance. She also works very hard with both her switchblade and a pair of long fixed knives (think Legolas) that she can wear in thigh sheaths and hide under a long skirt, while still having quick access) Maybe a trip down to the gun range? Fort will be working on his aim with both the .44 (put a model on that one) and his new toy, a shotgun (Ithaca 37, pump action shotgun that he has sawed down. It carries four shells that are loaded into the front, same place that they are expelled from. Fort will be working on getting his reloading faster and faster. Work with a 20 gauge, but note that the lower the number, the larger the size of the bullet. Fort will also be trying to work his way down to a 12 gauge, but he has to get his arms used to the kickback from that.). S has called Atsuko, but neither know any kind of critter that would want to cut off someone’s hands, though plenty would’ve drained the blood. (S: “Sometimes there are weird supernatural killings too. I mean, humans don’t have the market cornered on crazy and random. Plus, there are some critters out there that are like great white sharks. It’s not personal – you just get unlucky. It’s really just bothering me that they dumped the body.” – here’s another reason that S has stayed over for two nights, and moved F the first – she was worried about his safety) Monday, am Movers come by to pick up boxes from Gage’s room, packing them onto a truck to take back to California. The room is stripped down to the mattress again. F is both sad about Gage’s death and really irritated over the thought of having to start yet another roommate hunt. F goes back to work, S heads home. Matt contacts F, saying he needs to talk to him privately. They meet up that night after F gets out of work, at F’s apartment. Matt has been working all weekend. The tattoos on Gage linked to a missing person’s file that Matt has had for about six months, Rian Orbon, since the police wouldn’t call it a homicide the parents turned to him (note: this guy was the actual first murder, 9 months ago – for Allegra’s pregnancy). He’s also, through a police connection, rustled up another disappearance (Brent Jung) (3 men total – none older than 30 – there are actually 4 guys, but they won’t have that last name until the visit to the tattoo parlor) in the last few months that match in a lot of ways. Through the family of the hiring family, he has the promotional card for the tattoo parlor (Heart of Darkness Tattoos) (F feels its pull). Matt also called the coroner – while he’s still trying to get his hands on the coroner’s report (important that he doesn’t’ have it yet), he was able to talk with a connection and find out a few details that the police haven’t released – namely, that in addition to the hand loss that Fort saw, Gage was also missing his tongue and his genitals) He wants F, who generally matches victim descriptions, to go to parlor and check it out. Matt will be staking it out. (Matt is planning to tail F – suspicions from last book are alive & well) – There’s a lot of strain and undercurrent to this conversation. F is eager to help out – both because of the lead on Gage’s murder, and his desire to placate Matt about what he might know. He wants their relationship to return to what it was before, and (most importantly) for Matt to be safe. F calls S right after meeting (this is evening), gets her to agree to meet him the next day. She drops by that night instead, they talk about what’s going on. She sees the promotional card on the counter (F: “That is the best designed card I’ve seen in my life. I mean, I look at that thing and I actually start thinking that a tattoo is a good idea”), recognizes the glamour. Still early explorations, but now they’re on alert for elf involvement (elves at Dreamcatching, elf glamour on the tattoo card). She’ll ride along with him tomorrow. (S: “With how you were reacting to that glamour, I have to keep an eye on you. Otherwise you’ll have a butterfly tramp stamp the next time I see you.”) S makes an appointment at the parlor for “her boyfriend.” Tuesday, 8am F & S drive over together to the tattoo parlor (Heart of Darkness Tattoos). Matt is across street in a Starbucks – F calls him (first mention & exchange about S). F & S go into the tattoo parlor. While they’re waiting (tattooist busy getting high – note that there should be a mixture of alcohol and drug abuse here – tattooist’s name is Jacoby Anderson – see other file for Jacoby’s arm tattoos), F flips through the design book. He stops at the tattoo that Gage got – that page is riveting. It’s been glamoured, and it’s compelling to regular guys, too. Tattooist is a changeling halfsie, with no loyalty at all to the elf community (called The Neighbors). He’s bitter, with a drug problem as a result of his childhood trauma. He’s willing to do anything for money, which S picks up on fast. For cash, he’s happy enough to reveal what his involvement was. In exchange for money, he gave a woman several of his promotional cards (note: Soli’s skin at this point was a hot Latina woman) (Jacoby: “No, she wasn’t an elf. I don’t know what the fuck she was, but she paid enough that I didn’t give a shit. But when those guys came back, they all gave me cards that had been glamoured up like crazy. Not one of the Neighbors, either. No one I know could do a glamour like that. For that, you’d need one of the big guys, one of The Crowd. (spits) The glamour was specific, too. Young men would like it.”) The men who came back carrying those cards were the ones who he was paid to keep an eye on & tattoo. The design page was also provided, pre-glamoured (“yeah, you’d know if I put the glamour on it. No one would fucking buy it. Maybe they’d look back at it once or twice, but that’s it.”) The page is compelling, and then he can talk the right guys into getting it, throwing in a discount if he has to. He was also supposed to write down their names & info, so that he could get paid his bonus. For another round of cash (cleaning out Fort), he hands over the list of names. Four names total, leading with Gage’s. This is one more than Matt found (the last guy, Franklin Litchfield, was supposedly killed in a car accident, which is why Matt didn’t pick up on him). (important – the list has to be handed to Fort, S won’t look at it, just ask him. This way she won’t pick up on the Lulu/Litchfield connection until she actually looks at the files later) Last thing – the tattooist was supposed to make sure that all the guys left with a glamoured flier for the speed-dating. F walks over to the Starbucks to see Matt while S goes over to the car. F tells Matt about design, gives him list with the name of the car accident guy, but leaves out everything else. Matt says that he’ll keep staking out tattoo parlor. F joins S in car, he’s driving. On drive to Dreamcatching, F catches sight of Matt’s car, realizes that Matt is tailing them. Doesn’t tell S yet. Worried. F & S go back to Dreamcatching, question Lilah. With the info about the tattooist (she knows him), the glamours (she sees the promotional card and confirms that it was placed by one of Themselves – not Nokke, but maybe Hobany or Amadan), and sending the guys to the speed-dating, she’s alerted and unhappy. Also introduce changeling stockboy, Felix Ortiz, at some point. There will only be a partial conversation about the earlier stuff – enough to convince her. Lilah will have to hurry them out of the store, not wanting this to get the owner (Tomas)’s attention, but promises to call F – to arrange meeting. L calls F about 5 minutes later – S is driving. (some undercurrents here – he clearly likes her, S is stepping back a little) L & F arrange to meet at his place that evening, after each gets out of work. (S: You know, I think I still have my old boombox in a closet. You can borrow it. F: Huh? S: You know, to hold up outside Lilah’s window. F: You’re nuts. S: I can already see you composing your mix tape. Don’t forget to put ‘In Your Eyes’ on it. Chicks dig that one.) F to work. Don’t go into detail. S takes off to handle some fox stuff. F & L meet up at his apartment. S is not there – she’s made an excuse about being busy (“I’ve got whores to the left of me, gigolos to the right” F – yes, that’s exactly like Bob Dylan described). F & L talk & bond – L mentions that she is suspicious about the Neighbors’ intentions (descriptions of her family life here), pledges to help, but not wholely sure what to do. At some point S will come in the window – she was eavesdropping from outside (on the tree? On the fire escape? Either way she was using fox tricks to remain undetected by passerbys – didn’t have to bother for F & L – “You two were distracted”) She has a suggestion – that they see if the tattoo artist had anything he was still hiding. They agree to break into Heart of Darkness. (“Crime!”) F & L & S break into the tattoo parlor. Looking around, they don’t find much else. Clearly he really was willing to tell everything for cash. They find lots of drugs, changeling has destructive habits. While they’re searching, Soli (the skinwalker – she’s wearing the skin of a cute Latina woman – matches description tattooist gave) walks in on them – she was coming by with more of the special inks. L was going through a broom closet when Soli entered – at one point in the fight F sees her there, crouching and looking freaked out, he gestures for her to stay down – it’s clear that she is in no way prepared for this fight, and F also realizes that it’s probably important to conceal that they have a connection to the elves. Soli has no intention of being questioned – she sniffs out intruders, and there’s a tussle. Soli needs to be really, really good at fighting. Good enough that S and F are having trouble, even with S’s great hand-to-hand and F doing pretty well. Soli knows that vampire involvement is a problem – and she recognizes Fort. At some point S gets a blade out and manages to cut her – revealing part of her true form. Recognition of skinwalker. Things are getting problematic – Soli manages to get S out of it for a second (damage here?), and now it’s her against F, and he’s overmatched and knows it. Then Matt comes in, armed. He shoots – Soli is too fast, dodges, & retreats. She’s clearly pissed at Fort. Now there’s a BIG problem. A human is in the room. Matt & F engage (words), but S has pulled herself up, sneaks up on Matt, and knocks him out. They have bigger problems here – skinwalkers are not allowed in Scott territory – they’re problems who leave high body counts behind them. They can keep Matt under cover for now, but F has to call home. F calls Chiv, is told to get to the mansion, NOW. L is still on board (after her courageous huddle), she’ll go home and try to get more info. S will take Matt back to her place (L needs to help (S: Yes, it would be nice if you contributed) – they use Matt’s car). F drives home. The mansion, late night, early am. Madeline (agitated), Chivalry (worried), and Prudence are all in attendance. Madeline needs to be noticeably older than in Book One – slightly weaker, too. (feeding F so often is taking a toll, as is general age). Madeline’s orders are immediate – Prudence is to set up a residence in Providence and immediately start helping out. F is to remain point on investigation (Mad pleased by his work so far), Pru is to provide FULL support & backup. The skinwalker is the priority – it needs to be executed, and if someone employed it, they need to be made an example of. There needs to be a suggestion here that those in the territory are picking up on Madeline becoming weaker – that is a large part of why this is happening now (P: Elves with some kind of plan. The kitsune numbers increasing. More movement among lower creatures. They sense your weakness, Mother). Pru is grouchy, but obeys. Mad makes F take a full drink from her (F sees that this is making her weaker, but Chiv at one point holds his head down, making him continue & obey – even Pru agrees with this action here), then he’s sent home. Pru meets him in the parking lot – discussion. Unusually amiable, for them, that is. At least she isn’t trying to kill him this time – she’s interested in him right now. Trying to weigh how Grace’s death has changed him. She needs to pack, then she’ll be setting up in ritzy hotel – gives him her phone number (important here). (reminds him to call her if he needs to – not to hesitate. A skinwalker is nothing to play with) Back to Providence. F to S’s house. Matt is tied up in the living room. Keiko is also here – completely irate. They are using fox tricks to keep M from overhearing – S & K are filled in by F – S wants to get some more foxes to help (list off about four cousins (Hoshi, Takara, Rei, Mio) suitable – better to have more than less with a skinwalker involved), K shuts her down. “Now isn’t the time to remind the vampires of our numbers.” K pushes F, he admits and repeats Pru’s comment – S explains it (“When the kitsune first came to Scott territory, it was only Atsuko. A generation ago, it was Atsuko and her 4 daughters. Now those four daughters have produced twenty granddaughters, all in our prime, and my cousins are at an age to start having families if they want. There are three great-granddaughters already, bringing the total today to twenty-seven foxes, and the floodgates are just opening. We’re stronger than we were when Atsuko negotiated her treaty with Madeline. To a suspicious mind like Prudence’s, I can see how this would be threatening.”) K angry that she explained honestly (indication of S’s relationship with F), & the twins fight about politics – K pulls trump card & says that she’ll call Atsuko – no foxes on any side – S’s presence is dangerous enough. With Pru and F both involved, there’s already too much danger that S will side with one over the other (and obvious that she’ll side with F) – with just one, she can be dismissed as a rogue. Five foxes would be a declaration of allegiance, especially if Mad is getting weaker. S gets one last shot – if K doesn’t want to be involved, she should go stay with the boyfriend (“I know you haven’t broken up. You shouldn’t bother trying to lie to me.”) K leaves. S doesn’t want to explain to F – shifts discussion by telling him to deal with Matt. F talks to M (tied to a chair). This is a difficult conversation – F admits to his involvement on the Grann incident, but keeps the supernatural stuff hidden. Manages to convince M that he really wants to find Gage’s killer. M agrees. S has brought in his files, spread them out on table, been taking notes. M asks if she’s found anything – she says no. Maybe there’s a link at colleges – three victims were undergrads or grad students. M agrees that he’ll follow up on it. Leaves. F knows S better (it should be notable that he can now tell when she’s lying). Asks what’s going on. She hands him the list of victim names – the same one they got from the tattoo artist, but that she didn’t read. Goes into her own office (very Suz, but with a surprisingly professional element) pulls out a file folder. Pulls out an article – the article about Dr. Lulu’s fertility practice. S recognized the one boy’s family name (Franklin Litchfield – the car accident victim) from the feature – they were interviewed, since their son had just been accepted by Harvard – the ultimate success story. Reference here to coroner files (Matt got them, Suze read them), and how Gage’s wrists, tongue, and gonads were all removed while he was still alive, and with surgical precision. The coroner was able to tell that the killer used surgical tools that cauterize as they cut, which is how he lived through the removals. They also learn here that from the marks on Gage’s ankles, he was tied upside down and then his throat was cut, draining his blood down with gravity. The cut was careful, though – not a big gash. He bled out from it, but it probably took him twenty minutes or more. Matt was busy today – he also got copies of the accident reports from the Litchfield wreck – Franklin Litchfield’s body was damaged by fire, but he also was missing at least hands (with the fire damage it is hard to determine the rest). They have a first target now. It’s 3am now – they’ll get 3 hours of sleep, then head out. Notify Pru (she is unusually complimentary). Bed. (Fort put in Keiko’s bed again) Wednesday, 7am F & S to Lulu’s office. Pru meets them there. (note on Pru/S interactions – S is very careful around Pru, treating her like a rattlesnake). They go into clinic, pushing past the scheduling nurse. Lulu is in the wind, but they do snag her witch, Mitch (Mitch the witch!). They get incinerator’s use out of the witch, along with the fact that he’s been cooking up a roofie-like drink for Lulu, not for use in the clinic. (It will fog drinker’s memory and mind, but make them highly obedient, and willing to do things that they would never do under normal circumstances. He has no concerns about cooking it, or any interest in what she did with it. What he cared about was that it was something different than the constant fertility magic, of which they have racks of. A few of which are missing, by the way. But it wasn’t unusual for Lulu to take that home – it was common to use whenever they bred any of the Neighbors – a lot of times they were breeding people who didn’t want to have to try more than once for results). Mitch is very clear that he did not provide whatever new ritual they’re using now. They don’t kill him, but tell him to leave town and not have contact with the elves again. Pru scares him enough that he does it. F is behind that decision (Pru points out that “he’s the point”) – by pointing out that witches can be useful, (and easily bought – useful when you need them, and hard to locate – not a lot of them) that’s why doesn’t kill. P agrees with the decision, is pleased with him. There’s that balancing act that F is hitting here. They go through the files here (Lulu has had them scanned – they bully the scheduling nurse (Maureen – human) into printing them (interesting here – all four have files – better yet, all four were inseminated with elf semen, but were recessives, no elf traits). Pru needs to go back to hotel to wait out sunlight. Phone call with M – he’s working through colleges, trying to find patterns. Call from L – she’s at Dreamcatching, and she’s found something. F & S drive over. Allegra went into labor, Tomas is with her, and changeling stockboy (Felix) is at school (high school senior). With coast clear, L has been searching owner’s office, found some useful stuff (also found out that he cheats on his taxes). F & S show her the files they pulled from Lulu’s office. L is confused – it’s clear from the files that the four men were recessives, not changelings – and that should’ve been enough for them to be ignored their whole lives. No one has ever found a use for them (she will point out the coding in the files – the elf’s semen who each was created with – “They’re like prize stallions. There’s serious semen storage going on. The Neighbors are terrified of what would happen if any of Themselves were killed. So there’s just crazy storage going on”) Note: Felix is one of Nokke’s sons, which technically means that he’s a half-brother to Lilah. She looks out a little for him, but the truth of the society is that family really only means who was raised as a sibling. But there’s another speed-dating scheduled tonight – this one is located at a bookstore (independent bookstore – book sales for them, cash for Dreamcatching). Suggests that F & S check it out (hands them free coupons – because it’s one man & one woman, it won’t throw off the numbers, just be one extra table). With Tomas busy with Allegra, L will be the only coordinator there. F calls M on his way to work – gives him partial info, asks him to stake out the tattoo parlor. Anyone with those tats is in danger. From last night’s info, all the guys who got them are dead – any new victims still need to be tattooed. F goes to work. Half shift. Cuts out early to go to speed dating (boss very not happy). Call to Pru – she’s hunting Dr. Lulu. F & S at speed dating. There’s early amusement and merriment (also some business with L not being thrilled seeing F do the dating), but no breaks. None of the tattoos they’re looking for (they’re checking the women, too, just to be sure), no elf presence other than L in her coordinator position. Toward end, Soli (now wearing Beth’s skin) shows up, inserting into schedule so that F suddenly faces her across the table. Smug & taunting (dangers of Facebook!) – and F can’t do anything. Public place, surrounded by humans. S across room – she can’t interfere. Taunts are personal here. Some hints of info (answer the question of why Soli dumped Gage’s body in house rather than disposing of it in the incinerator or an accident – Soli has a nasty sense of humor. Liked the idea of a vampire dealing with a drained body. Knew that the vampires would cover up everything, making an easy evening for her. She wanted to cut out early and hit a bar, not stage an accident or sit around waiting for the incinerator to do its work. A line also about Gage being tied upside down: “Impressed? I was a Girl Scout. Got a badge in knotwork.”) Soli slips out of place before F can follow. He runs out, but she’s gone. She got into a car, so S can’t track her. S & L both react. F & L & S in car, discussing. L has been making calls – no answers, but there are hints that something big is going on with Themselves. And Allegra had a son, and there was a lot of excitement – more than usual, even for a ¾ giving birth. Note: What Lilah knows here is what everyone not involved in the murders has been told – that Allegra’s pregnancy was a ¾ and ¾ mix. Learn here about elf reproduction – the changelings were comparatively easier to create – human DNA seems to stabilize the elf problems, though there’s still only a 7% success rate. ½ to ½ are fine, with all offspring being active halfsies, but it was only after Lulu involved witch magic 30 years ago at her clinic that they were able to get a larger stream of changelings, and that 25 years ago there was the first birth of a ¾ cross. Before that, crossing a halfsie and an Ad-hene (Themselves) (one of the politer terms used by the Neighbors – the elves themselves prefer Sidhe or Tuatha de Danann) invariably resulted in nothing. The first generation of the 3/4s are in reproductive age now, and while they cross well together (just like halfsies, in fact), they’ve hit a wall again on reproducing with the Ad-hene – and in this one, even the witch magic hasn’t resulted in the 7/8th pregnancy that they’re hoping for. Allegra’s birth happened that afternoon. (Discussion on why Lilah won’t ask her parents for help. S: Fort, Keebler has a point. Her mommy fucked PopPop, and not in a Kathryn Harris The Kiss kind of way, either. Total premeditation and intent. We probably shouldn’t ask this woman to question her loyalties. F: Suze, don’t be like that. They did an insemination, obviously. That’s different. L: (silence) F: Uh, Lilah? L: (quiet) F: You mean, your mom really—L: I don’t know, okay? F: How can you not know? L: That’s kind of a zero-sum question to ask your mom. ‘Did you fuck your father’ has a really collosal downside. I’d rather just assume insemination.) F & S hit a hotel room. Two beds, one room. S doesn’t like how much Soli seemed to know about him, and isn’t willing to sleep in the apartment, or even her place. (she calls K, tells her to stay at the boyfriend’s and keep an eye out). L back to her place (S doesn’t worry about her. Plus, since the elves are employing Soli, she’d probably hesitate to do anything to L, even if she’s figured out that L is involved with the investigation, which she probably hasn’t, thanks to L’s incredible duck and cover routine at the tattoo parlor). F calls Pru, she thinks she’s closing in on Lulu. F & S try to get some sleep. (some early convo about after all this whining about reproduction S is grateful to be a kitsune. F: Why, how do you guys manage it? S: You meet a guy in a bar, you get laid, a few months later you have a litter of kits. Easy-peasy, and you even get a few free drinks in the deal.) F has the skinwalker nightmare about Beth’s death. S wakes him up. They talk. She tells him the kitsune story (the wife, the dog, the son, returning every night), to explain a little about the kitsune & relationships. F eventually falls back to sleep, S watching over him. October 3, Thursday, am F wakes up because someone is knocking on the door – S is sleeping next to him in fox form (save human form for Book 3; She’s occupying his pillow – his head has been completely pushed off). It’s L with breakfast – she’s a little cautious at first – there are undercurrents, but S stays in fox form the whole time (eats breakfast that way), and L relaxes, starts warming up to F again. They’re finishing up breakfast when F’s phone rings. Call is from Matt – he’s been staking out the tattoo shop. A guy just came out with bandages in right spots, accompanied by Soli/Beth. He took a photo – emails it to Fort’s phone (all the bells & whistles from Chiv after Book 1). L recognizes Felix from Dreamcatching, good wtf & shock moment. Matt has now lost them in traffic. (Soli being careful this time). L is flummoxed – makes no sense, but she’s scared for the changeling boy. They need answers. Call Pru – she’s hit a dead end on Lulu – woman is wiley, has gone to ground. F asks L if there’s anything she can do. Hard decision, BUT (because she realizes that changeling is in danger) – Lulu would come out if there was enough incentive. And L can create that incentive. F & S & L go to L’s apartment. There, L calls a woman she is friendly with in the elf community (Peggie), but who has completely uncompromised loyalty to Themselves and the population. Lilah tells her that she is preg by a ¾ guy (Cole, Neighbors have been trying to set them up forever), but has been hiding it because she wasn’t sure what she was going to do, if she’d keep it. But now she’s having cramping, and is scared. Says she’s at her apartment. (knows that the woman will track Lulu down wherever, and this woman is utterly loyal – Lulu would trust, and there’s too much desire for ½ and ¾ crosses to not come – 5/8 aren’t ¾, but they’re better than 1/2) F & S & L wait at the apartment. Half an hour later, Dr. Lulu hurries in. Gets jumped by S & F, who were hiding. Tied to chair. They try to interrogate, but nothing. Lulu is a fanatic – really mad at Lilah (but Lilah is holding firm – more horrified that they are now hurting not just humans, but their own changelings. Lilah will also at some point say the ultimate heresy – that they’re all frantic to breed back to the full elves, but maybe they should just be freaking content with the community they’ve created and stop trying to recreate the past, which has never sounded that rosy to her in the first place). This section covers most of the afternoon – F realizes that they aren’t getting the info they need – calls in Pru. Once it is dark enough (4:30) Pru arrives – now Lulu is scared, and with some ‘encouraging’, spills the whole story.: When the witch magic wouldn’t create the 7/8 that they’d been trying for, a few in the community who were trusted more closely by Themselves for this task (known to be fanatical) started looking to even darker stuff, and Tomas located the fertility ritual for Lulu – now F/S/Pru learn about how this is an enormously powerful ritual. Now they learn the details – the hands and gonads have to be eaten by the man (the elves have no problem with that – they like it), the tongue by the woman, and they have to have intercourse in a rain of the sacrifice’s blood. The witch’s roofie drink was used to drug the girls enough to do anything. The ritual starts just after moonrise, and ejaculation had to happen while the sacrificial man was still alive. The sacrifices, the connections, and the breeding to ¾ females. We learn here that Allegra was the first time they used this ritual, and the baby who was just born is the 7/8 cross that they’ve been striving for. With that baby, though, and its promise – yesterday Themselves got excited, and made the decision to start using active changelings, with hopefully even more spectacular results. The first sacrifice is planned for tonight. Horrifying, but they get the location of the sacrifice (the fairy circle outside the entrance to Underhill – Lilah knows the spot) out of her, as well as the time (moonrise – 8:09pm). (L: Who are you using [which ¾]? Lulu: You should know [implying Iris, Lilah’s 19-year-old sister]. L: No, no – my parents would never agree to that. Lulu: They are loyal. They didn’t question us, just agreed to give the girl the brew, have her ready for Tomas to pick up.) Prudence kills Lulu after she’s told everything, and Fort is okay with it. (Pru: You’re point, Fort. What do I do? F: Kill her. (impressing Pru)) After all, Lulu just admitted to multiple murders, with no remorse, and was the one who cut off the hands & genitals, cut out tongues, sliced open the men’s arteries. All of men she’d delivered as infants. F & S & L to car. Pru to her own car. A note on Underhill: Underhill is located in Lincoln Woods State Park – close to Providence (95 N to Rt 146N, to exit marked with signs) No entrance fee, open sunrise to sunset, gates open year-round, though. 627 acres with freshwater lake, equestrian trails, hiking and climbing. (history) The elves, with severely declining numbers, were locked in Underhill in 1845 – the year the Potato Famine in Ireland began. That’s when their halfsie offspring (all Irish at that point) fled to America, ending up in Boston & Providence. It took sixty-three years for the halfsies and the few elves locked out with them to open a gate – they managed it in what would become the park. Worried about long-term security, they made deals with Madeline Scott that went beyond their settling deals that led her to use her political influence to influence the creation of the park around their gate in 1908. They are all rushing to the fairy circle – the time needs to be close enough that they have to rush, and even then will only get there after everything has been set up and the ceremony has just started, with them just waiting on the arrival of Lulu. F calls M’s cellphone, gets voicemail. (M is actually tailing them right now.) They arrive at park entrance and park. L will direct them to a secluded place to park. F has the Ithaca 37 hidden in his trunk – in a locked container, along with the .45 from last book, which will be his backup now. He’ll also put extra shells & ammo in his belt. S has her own long knives, plus grabs the tire iron. Pru will be working with bare hands. Lilah – well, she takes a smaller gun (that unregistered .38 that Suze keeps throwing in her duffel just in case), but mostly she is going to focus on getting her sister and the changeling out of there. (so brave – so very unprepared – she’s clearly still dealing with Lulu’s death – even though she agreed to the necessity) Big throwdown. Map out in more detail when closer, but important elements are: at the fairy circle, the 5 big elves will be there. At seeing F & Pru and realizing the vampires are coming down, two (Beron & Hobeny) will cut and run, leaving Amadon, Nokke, and Shoney. There are also 6 ½ elves (including Tomas), 1 ¾ elf (Cole, that dude that they were trying to set up L with) actively helping – relatively easy to engage with – no training. Plus Soli – big threat – able to engage with Pru. There’s also Iris (drugged to gills, sitting naked in an inflatable kiddie pool that has been set up underneath where the changeling is hanging). They were waiting for Lulu to arrive to start. S will slice with knives, catch one elf (Nokke?) really well with the tire iron. Pru will rip one elf’s head (Shoney) head completely off his body (kill move!), slices up some halfies. A few halfsies have guns. F gets one elf with a shotgun blast to the body (Amadon), shoots at least two halfsies. Fort will also have a direct engagement with Soli, and in some way neutralize her or drive her backwards (she’s for hire, after all – she isn’t here to die). Matt will also show up at some point – early enough for Pru to see, but when the tussle could go either way. F threatened? Lilah directly threatened? He followed them, sees that these people are NOT human. Learns truth. In a moment where everything is obvious, he’ll have to trust F completely (despite everything), and will. Will shoot at a couple of elves – cold iron. Will be injured and on the ground at some point at end of fight. (not critically, but enough to take him down). Maybe Soli injured him, then F drove her back? (YES) Pru ends up chasing Soli after she disengages and runs – they disappear into woods. Eventually the halfsies are scattered and on ground, Iris & changeling have been grabbed by Lilah (standing in front of them with gun), Shoney is dead, Soli has fled, Amadon is full of cold iron and not doing great (Suze gets a few good hits with the tire iron on this one), and Fort has the shotgun aimed right at Nokke. Nokke raises hands, agrees to surrender. Talks with Fort, accepts him as Mad’s emissary, agrees to accept whatever judgement Mad decides on. (at last minute, when everything is agreed on, Fort will shoot Nokke in the kneecap. Just getting in a small moment of vengeance for those who died – showing also that Fort is harder now.) Grabs Amadon, they disappear into Underhill, leaving the remaining halfsies alone. Shoney’s dead body left, swarmed by hysterical halfsies (whoever left alive), who are no threat at all. Moment where everything seems okay, then Pru returns with Soli’s skin. Says that the skinwalker is dead, approves of Fort’s actions. No need to wipe out elves – Shoney’s death and the injuries to Amadon and Nokke – Pru is very much approving. Then suddenly things are problematic again – Pru walks over to where Matt is on the ground – he’s seen everything, and Pru knows that he knows. She also clearly knows who he is – calls him by name, says that he’s been a problem for long enough. Goes to kill him, but Fort moves with vampire speed and puts the shotgun muzzle against her head, tells her to stop. Tries to argue that this is a decision for Mad, but Pru realizes that he wants M to live, even knowing what he does. She’s upset. Forced back from Matt (F: Don’t push me, sister. Remember what happened to Luca.), points out that it will be Mad’s decision, but who will present their case to her first? Runs to car. Suze goes Matt, tells F to go – she’ll handle this. F runs to car. Car race to Newport! Back & forth, but the both peel into the driveway at the same time. Pru pushes F down, he skids and bounces on the rock driveway, runs ahead. He gets up and follows, leaving the guns in the car. Knows that Mad is inside, but Chiv is not – worrying. Runs inside, but Pru isn’t heading upstairs, where they both know Mad is. Instead, she’s going for Henry. F chases her, not knowing what she plans, but nothing that it can’t be any good. The polishing maid has been thrown aside, injured, not dead. F runs down the stairs. When he gets downstairs, he sees that Pru has also pushed aside Mr. Albert. He arrives just as Pru rips open the door to Henry’s enclosure – a huge example of strength. But Henry is fast and strong – he’s past Pru in an instant, going straight for his target – Mr. Albert, hurrying behind Pru, trying to contain. Henry moves close, close enough that Mr. Albert uses a stun-gun, but Henry is already ripping into Mr. Albert’s throat with his teeth. Even the stun-gun just jolts him, but he’s still ripping, ripping open Mr. Albert’s chest. He’s trying to eat him – F stops in his tracks, horrified, but Pru has pulled around now. She grabs at Henry, he pulls away. F yells, asks what she’s doing. She says something to indicate that she’s going to kill Henry. F is in shock, but he tries to stop her – he left the gun in the car, he is bare-handed. Pru slams a hand in his chest, he’s thrown hard against the wall, smacking his head. Slides down, head swimming. Pru catches Henry by the neck, and is pulling her other hand back to strike & kill him. Pru’s hand is caught by Mad, who is enraged – first time that F has ever seen her blue eyes completely black (neither he or Pru saw her enter – but Mr. Albert managed to hit the panic button). (M: My will was clear. Why have you crossed me? Pru: (still holding onto Henry) Whether it is sentimentality or ego that holds you back, it is enough. Fortitude’s transition has been held back for two decades, and I am saying enough. Perhaps it’s too late, maybe he’s ruined – more human than vampire. But I am putting a stop to your games.) Mad swipes, and Pru has to drop Henry, who lies still. He’s injured in a few places (maybe he and Pru actually had some kind of engagement?) Pru and Mad lock hands, each pushing. For a minute, Pru is winning. Then Mad grunts, her black eyes actually start to glow, and she pushes with full strength. Pru forced down. Pru is down, but this has to clearly take a lot of effort out of Mad, and her eyes bleed quickly down to blue, and don’t gleam with her usual strength. (Mad: (gently, the anger is gone) My darling, my dove, my daughter. So strong, and almost ready to leave my nest. (quick move, damaging Pru) But not today, love. (another injury) And not tomorrow. (a third move, gruesome, leaving bones sticking out, damaging even more) My will is still your law. (then leans down and strokes Pru’s face lovingly, with weird pride on her face) But soon, dearest. Now go. (Pru can’t walk, so she crawls, past Fort, who she glares at – the old hatred is doubled – this betrayal was worst) Now Mad checks on F, then Henry. Clicks her tongue disapprovingly (Mad: Ah, Henry. Such trouble you are.) Drips her blood into his wounds, wounds slowly close. Henry breathes easier again. She is visibly weakened, orders him back into cage. He struggles against command for a second, then gives in and obeys. He goes and sits, then looks at Fort. Note: With Mad in the room, Henry is puppet-like – F has never seen him with Mad in the room. Now Mad bends and touches Mr. Albert on forehead, sighing. (Mad: Oh, Albert. Faithful to the last). Now she goes to Fort, who was pulled himself into a sitting position. They will have the conversation about why she made him different (survival, adaptation – humans are a danger. In the 1800s, there was a significant uptick in the hunting of vampires. Rarely dangerous, but those with slow reproductive cycle (Mad realized) needed to be cautious. This was also the era where human-caused extinctions were starting to happen in the animal world, and be noticed by naturalists for the first time. She took note of that, plus the new theory of Darwinism, and decided to make a change), and the results. Prudence’s host parents were killed at her birth, which was usual. Their blood was her first meal. She is everything that a typical vampire should be – and that most parents would be proud of. But that’s not what the species needs. So when Mad made Chiv, she killed his father at birth, but she also experimented by leaving his host mother alive until he was 15, which she found held back the transition significantly. Chiv is different than most vampires – more capacity to love, less fixation on his own self-interest, his devotion to his wives, even though it leads to their deaths, is notably different than typical. Both were entirely raised by Mad. With Fort, though, she made significant changes – she wants him to have self-control, but also an understanding of humans that she, Pru, and even Chiv lack. Now Mad is clearly very weakened, F has to physically carry her upstairs to her own room. There’s a long blood trail leading to Pru’s suite of rooms. F sets Mad up in her own room (Mad: Much to do, my darling), then brings up what he and Pru were speeding here to discuss – Matt. There’s some discussion. Mad isn’t pleased, tapping her fangs with her fingertips – she knows of him. She and Pru have discussed him several times. Long wait, but in the end, Mad allows Matt to live – but to Fort: “You are close to an adult. I will let you make this decision – but remember that he and his actions are your responsibility now. If Mr. McMahon is dangerous to us, you will have to kill him. Not me. Not even your brother.” F leaves the mansion. Chiv is coming in when he leaves, but F tells him to help Mad, keep an eye on Henry and Pru – he can’t stop to talk. F calls Suze. She brought Matt to F’s apartment. F drives there – completely exhausted, yet unable to even imagine sleeping. F asks, and S leaves them alone. Matt is tied to a chair (again – make a lame joke here), and bandaged up. F tells Matt everything – the truth about Jill & Brian’s deaths, what is at stake, the world that Matt didn’t even know existed. What was behind the Grann murders months ago. Matt listens to it all, not speaking. F unties Matt at the end, and Matt just looks at him. Matt leans forward, pushing his hand gently but insistently into F’s mouth – F knows what he’s looking for. Says that he doesn’t have the teeth (which Matt saw on Pru when she was about to kill him) yet, but he will eventually. Once he transitions. Matt abandons him – this has to be harsh, but at the same time with justification. S walks in – she didn’t listen, but was waiting in the parking lot. She saw Matt leave. Fort sits on the couch, shattered. S takes him by hand, leads him to bed, settles him down, gently, with great care. Tells him to go to sleep – that it will be easier to deal with in the morning. He takes her hand as she starts to leave, asking where she’s going. She says she’s going home – there’s no more danger. It was taken care of. While he was driving, Chivalry already called all of the elf leaders left – laid down Mad’s punishment. Won’t tell him what it was tonight – just that it was harsh. No one is going to dare come after him. He can’t believe she’s leaving – she looks at him (full poker face) – tells him that Lilah had to take her sister & Felix home, but that she’ll call him in a few days. Leaves. F can’t quite get it. But sleeps. Aftermath (over a period of a few days) Next day, F gets voicemail – he skipped out of work the night of the throwdown, not even thinking about it. He’s been fired. Again. He has to job hunt and find a new roommate – again. Chiv calls, tells him that in a few days they’re going out on the Firefly with Bhumika – no discussion. F tries to get out, saying that he has a lot to do. Chiv forces it, and (still bruised and sore from last night’s throwdown), F agrees. A few days later, L shows up at F’s apartment. (NOTE: Suze has not shown up since she tucked him into bed. She is deliberately keeping distance, though she should have sent some kind of silly gift his way – pajamagram?) Her sister and the changeling are safe – no one is particularly happy with Lilah right now, especially not Nokke, but she’s okay with that. She’s quit her job at Dreamcatching – will be figuring out how to live outside the community again. But suggests that maybe it doesn’t have to be like last time – asks F on a date. A lot riding on this – F is in the moment of decision, has to really weigh this, understand that Lilah really would be a good person to be with. But F chooses – he says that he’ll always be L’s friend, always be there to keep her company, but he isn’t going to date her. L blushes, asks if this is about S. F nods – he isn’t going to sugarcoat. L nods, then says (with grace) that she does hope that they really do stay friends. The day of the Firefly yacht ride – cool but sunny, a good last sail of the season. They’re on the boat, sailing in crisp October air in Narragansett Bay – and it’s clear that this will be Bhumika’s last trip on the boat. Sadness, worry about future. Toward end of day, there needs to be one small conversation between Chiv and F (about Mad’s decline, Pru’s challenge to their mother, worries about future. At least one mention that Chiv wants to make sure that F has the Matt situation under control – that Chiv would have chosen to kill Matt in that situation, though he would’ve done it quickly and painlessly) (There will also be the conversation here about Fort being ready to police alone – needing to cover for Chiv a while during Bhumika’s last months, but also an acknowledgement that after the elf incident he’s confident that F can handle himself (he negotiated when he could, he was willing to fight when negotiation failed, he made allies, and he was willing to make hard choices, like killing Lulu) He gives F his first solo assignment – a group of selkies are sinking local fishing boats that haven’t paid ‘protection’. Look into it, locate ringleaders, stop it) *F goes home after boat ride. He is still leaving calls with Matt, but Matt won’t answer or pick up. He’s starting to look into the selkie incidents (there does need to be that solo confidence here). He’s also doing job interviews, hunting for work, putting up fliers for roommate, but at the same time he’s doing it halfheartedly – always waiting for S to show up. She doesn’t. Finally, one evening he gets irritated (glancing at window all evening long) and drives to her apartment, rings bell. She answers, looks surprised. He is standing on the doorstep, just blurts out his decision with Lilah. She’s surprised – teases him a little, but he can tell that she’s pleased. He then hands her a mix cd he made (as a joke on her earlier mix tape dig), and he’ll also end by asking her to partner up with him on the selkie run – and implied, in future. She gives him that slow, foxy smile, and says, “Sounds like fun.” and invites him in. He walks inside, knowing that something has changed between them, again. Ends with this element of commitment going forward – hint at romance. But the equality and respect is most important to emphasize on way out. About M. L. Brennan Author of the Generation V urban fantasy series, published by Roc Books. Not your usual vampires, kitsune shapeshifters with attitude, Doctor Who jokes, and underemployment. GENERATION V and its sequel, IRON NIGHT, available wherever books are sold. Third installment, TAINTED BLOOD, to be published 11/14. View all posts by M. L. Brennan » Posted on March 12, 2014, in Iron Night, Publication, Writing process. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments. bwtaylor75 \| March 12, 2014 at 4:30 PM It’s always interesting to see how different writers approach writing. I rely heavily on outlines too. Mine are usually two to three pages with a few sentences for each planned chapter. Thanks for the inside look. Good stuff! Chad \| March 19, 2014 at 4:17 PM Wow! I wont have to re-read the book after reading your outline summary. Thanks for posting it. (I had a good LOL reading the outline of F’s day at the gun range.)	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412750
__label__cc	0.672726	0.327274	Servetus unashamed, or: Many fewer than 95 Theses on Armitagemania Richard Armitage as Richard Armitage, photographed at the Strike Back premiere, April 15, 2010. The straight-on, appraising gaze. One of my absolute favorite pictures of the man himself. Source: RichardArmitageNet.com Last week I admitted that I had some questionable fantasies about John Porter, and then I admitted that I had developed a certain kind of fantasy life around Richard Armitage himself. So did a sister blogger. I got a fair amount of off-blog mail about those posts, either expressing concern about my sanity, or admonishing me for my inappropriate action in writing about this stuff (or writing about it and not labeling it as fiction). That notwithstanding, I say to all of you, I feel so much better now. Because not admitting it did not make all that stuff not real. And since that is a classic coping strategy of my mother (pretending that real things aren’t real in hopes of making them not real), I should have realized by now both what I was doing and why it was creating problems. As John Porter (Richard Armitage) warns Hugh of all of the things he is likely to suffer when the truth about the Bratton extraction comes out, we see him remembering all the pain inflicted on him as a result of the distrust he received from his family and the regiment, in Strike Back 1.6. Source: RichardArmitageNet.com. All of which realizations prompt me to try to express a few things that have been percolating a few weeks and since the last time I addressed the issue of what constitutes “appropriate” behavior for fans in general and for me in specific. As in the past, this is probably at least partially a work in progress. Richard Armitage and a fan after he hugged her, in the publicity buildup to the Spooks 9.1 premiere. Interview on Radio 1, September 17, 2010. Source: RichardArmitageNet.com 1. If you have Armitagemania, pretending you don’t have fantasies won’t work as a means of getting rid of them. Writing about them will also not necessarily help you get rid of them, although it will force you to look at both yourself and your fantasies. Writing may also calm you, however, and you may find friends to sympathize. 2. If you have Armitagemania, admitting that you have fantasies — or even writing about them in detail — will not make you into a “crazy” fan who does “inappropriate” things. (Unless, of course, you are already one of those, in which case see [2] below.) I’ve experienced no impulses to mail Mr. Armitage my underwear or a photo of myself in a bikini with my cell phone number scrawled on it, and not even the faintest desire to move to Wellington and follow him around town, either before making these admissions or since. Why not? Because I am not the kind of person who does those things. Admitting to a fantasy — no matter how “crazy” or “inappropriate” it may be — is not a step on the path to criminal behavior. Without evidence, that’s a slippery slope argument. 3. Writing about your Armitagemania will not cause someone else who’s been “on the cusp” to turn into a “crazy” fan who does “inappropriate” things, either. Why not? Because people who do those things decide to take those steps all by themselves. They were “crazy” people with a tendency to do “inappropriate” things before Armitagemania, and they have a likelihood of being that way afterward as well. People like that are hiding in plain sight by masquerading as “normal” fans, not waiting, susceptible, to be fertilized into crazies by the fantasies of other “normal” fans. Writing about my fantasies does not facilitate the questionable behaviors of other people; they do that all on their own, without assistance from me. My fantasies are a vehicle, I suppose you could argue, but not a cause. Richard Armitage as Alex Track in The Golden Hour. Putting this here because it pains me to take it off the top of the blog when I publish this post. Source: RichardArmitageNet.com. 4. Conversely, I have come to believe, writing about “inappropriate” behavior and why it is bad will never stop people who behave “inappropriately” from doing so. My disapproval of the action of any other fan will never be a sufficient barrier to her decision to do something she has decided is acceptable. I know this because such statements would be unlikely to stop me. If I claim that it’s okay to trust myself as a rational actor who can make decisions according to a conscience derived from what I find to be a thoughtful moral calculus, I have to assume that others can also make such claims and that they are legitimate, at least on their own terms. Just as I am the only one who can change myself, I cannot protect Mr. Armitage from the “crazy” behavior of anyone else but myself. In that sense, the only way in which I can make prescriptions about appropriate vs. inappropriate behavior is by following my own conscience. Presumably, each of us has her own and doesn’t need to be burdened with the strictures of those of others. You’ve noticed that I never broach certain topics here that are discussed with some regularity elsewhere. That needs to be my decision for me — not for everyone else in the fandom. 5. I want to apologize for steps in the direction of prescription of others’ behavior that I have made in the past, because I really don’t know better than others how they should behave. I believe that on some level this discussion of appropriate fan behavior is a necessary step in the development of any fan’s consciousness, and a way of thinking through a problem that uses other fans as a measure, but I think we have to keep in mind that this is an identity development problem for the fan herself, not an essential statement about the essential appropriateness / inappropriateness of others’ behavior. That is, by looking at others’ “crazy” behavior, we develop our own personal sense(s) of the boundaries of “normal.” I think it’s not surprising that such statements sometimes occur early in the unfolding of a blog insofar as writing in a single authorial voice for the public about the role Mr. Armitage and his work play in one’s life can be read as “too much.” Once one has engaged in the act of speaking about one’s fascination, such statements become part of the process of deciding “how far I will go” or “how far is too far.” At the same time, however, I have grown to believe that to some extent such statements reflect our own guilt, not about our actual or likely behavior, but about our feelings. We see a behavior (for me it was lewd comments on youtube videos) and recognize the emotion or reaction that underlies it in ourselves. It’s not enough to say (for instance), “I will never make crude comments about Richard Armitage’s posterior on youtube”; instead, we use prescriptions we make to others to reassure ourselves that we are not “inappropriate” fans. Let’s recognize that in this case, saying “she shouldn’t do that” is, in many cases, really a statement that says, “I wouldn’t do that, but part of me wishes I could.” 6. Given that prescriptions we make to others are really about our own identities as fans, it’s time for us to abandon the frequent justification that we’re prescribing behaviors to others because we are trying to protect either them (a sentiment I regularly heard in my comments for awhile) or, more commonly, that we are trying to protect Mr. Armitage. Mr. Armitage does not need protection from his “normal” fans; indeed, he needs support from them and they are important to his career. He potentially needs protection from “crazy” fans (or, perhaps, from rude ones), but this is not something that we can give him from our position as writers. Our forays into Armitage protectiveness mode are really all about us. Honestly, I hardly think that people who are doing the sort of things he occasionally reports he doesn’t like are members of our community. So let’s ease up on each other in this regard. We risk making each other into shrews, I fear, and all over something that we have no control over, anyway. Let’s prescribe not to prescribe, or rather, that if we do prescribe, it’s that each of us uses her conscience. Next one in the series. Repeated for the same reason as specified above. Source: RichardArmitageNet.com. 7. Why is this important? For two reasons. The first is that I sometimes think that insofar as there’s tension with this fandom, it has to do with precisely the issue of what it’s okay to say one thinks about Mr. Armitage. (And in rare cases, how should one behave if one meets him — but very, very few of us have that opportunity, so it’s a relatively smaller issue.) This tendency relates not only to disagreements over concrete issues (would Armitage prefer his fans keep their distance, or is he essentially fan-friendly?), but even to what it’s acceptable to discuss (can we talk about his personal life ever?). The reason I think this mutual policing of each other is unfortunate relates to the second reason, which is that every second I spend prescribing behavior for someone else is a second that I’ve wasted in terms of self-expression. 8. Here I am potentially burying a central assumption of this argument in a disadvantageous position, but I’ll write more about this eventually, too — that is, while I think Armitagemania is about many things, in a different mix for different individuals — about appreciation of artistry, about the perception and critique of identity, about fantasy, about desire, about thinking about partners, and certainly also about sexual attraction — I am starting to think that its central feature is the facilitation of expression. Armitagemania helps people find a voice — whether an artistic one, a verbal one, a visual one, an analytical one, a personal one. How else to explain the many blogs that have sprung up in the last year? The numerous drawings and paintings of characters he’s played? The unbelievable industry of fanvidders? And all the stories of people who’ve been moved to try something new that they’d never have contemplated without the Armitage example? The number of voices moved to express is impressive. And I remain clear that the plurality of voices is a strength, not a weakness. The more, the better. 9. Every second I spend thinking about what I am not allowed to say for reasons that have nothing to do with my own conscience is a waste of energy and a betrayal of self. Armitagemania happened to free me from the waste and self-betrayal I’ve experienced as a professional for the last decade. No more rules for me except those self-imposed: to follow my conscience, to be forthright, to be honest, to say things the best way I can. Not to waste energy, and not ever to betray my voice, even though it’s only developing now. ~ by Servetus on May 3, 2011. Posted in Alex Track, Armitage as victim, Armitageworld dogmas, attempts at bravery, fans, fantasy, gratitude, gravitas, humiliation, if I could interview Mr. Armitage, John Porter, joy, loss, me, morality / ethics / norms, objectification, reality, redemption, Richard Armitage, sex, the Armitage morass, the real Armitage, why Armitage?, Why me? 213 Responses to “Servetus unashamed, or: Many fewer than 95 Theses on Armitagemania” Could have put this off-blog; but the h with it. Don’t give a second thought about fitzgj4 said this on May 3, 2011 at 2:29 am \| Reply Bravo, my dear Servetus. Well said. I see Richard as an extraordinary catalyst in my life, an amazing muse who has inspired me in so many ways and has helped me through some very dark days. I like him, I admire him, I respect him–and yeah, I think he’s absolutely gorgeous and very, very sexy. But even if I am “larger than life” as Frenzy says, I would NEVER send him undies or photos of me in compromising positions or start stalking him. Even if I was 20 years younger and never mind how many pounds lighter. Because I DO like and respect and admire him. And you don’t treat people you consider special in such a thoughtless manner, do you? Angieklong said this on May 3, 2011 at 2:36 am \| Reply The laptop bounced. May I finish, WordPress? Thank you. Watching election returns. Multi-tasking isn’t always a Good Thing. having the odd fantasy about the actor himself. Hardly unnatural or indication of insanity. Who doesn’t have such fantasies? Our fantasies might not take all take a similar form. Who cares? There’s so much respect for Mr. Armitage within this blog and among the commenters. There is also no doubting that an enormous part of the actor’s appeal is sexual. Please express yourselves, servetus and everyone else. Publish and be…. @Angie 😀 you interrupted me – giggle 😀 and hugs. Oops, fitzg, Sorry!! I wanted to add, “Servetus, you have nothing to be ashamed about.” Mr. A is who he is, and he is one enormously appealing man on a number of levels. I agree, the occasional fantasy is not something anyone should beat themselves up over (or berate anyone else over). We’re human; he’s, well–Richard Armitage!! 😀 I rest my case. I should perhaps clarify, if it’s not clear from the post, that one of the issues in my mind was the question of whether my expression of my fantasies endangers others. That’s most of what I am claiming to have resolved here for myself 🙂 servetus said this on May 3, 2011 at 2:52 am \| Reply That’s the point of course Servetus. You don’t claim them as anything but fantasies. You don’t write about doing anything inappropriate with Mr A and you give him the respect he very much deserves. Nothing dangerous there that I can see. Amandajane said this on May 3, 2011 at 7:56 am \| Reply I’m taking a bow. RAFrenzy said this on May 3, 2011 at 3:13 am \| Reply Well, you know, a fair amount of this was for you 🙂 servetus said this on May 3, 2011 at 11:23 pm \| Reply Endanger others? If we’re not adults on this blog, then we don’t have to be here. Don’t feel like an endangered species myself. 😀 That smacks of censorship and Big Brother for me when people start talking about “endangering others” — let’s take this book off the shelf, close down this blog . . . NO ONE is holding a gun to anyone’s head (well, as far as I know) makiing them read this or any blog. It’s your choice as an grown-up individual, isn’t it? You guys should be able to speak your mind in your own blog as your conscience guides you. Also, considering recent events, people endlessly quibbling over things that are really not of earth-shattering importance kind of irritates me. That and the fact I have “those” cramps for the first time in well over a year. sigh Grapefruit, anyone? 🙂 It couldn’t hurt at this point.;) Perhaps because it hasn’t happened in so long, it seems worse than ever? Coupled with the fact I am knackered. Angieklong said this on May 3, 2011 at 11:38 pm \| Reply No endangered species here either Servetus. I may not be the sharpest knife in the block, I may be be eccentric and I admit to having treatment for a mental illness ( ie depression ); what I’m not is unable to tell fantasy from real life. I’m also able to appreciate a highly talented, intelligent, hard working, modest, polite and charming actor who I happen to find incredibly attractive; and keep it at a distance and be respectful both to him and fellow fans. I’ve certainly never read anything (and since 2006 I shudder to think how many words that amounts to ) that would ‘endanger’ that. The problem, Fitz, is that everything you see on this blog is not everything to be seen. Servetus, I think you know I needed this post. Thanks. There are times I get so close to really letting go, well, I may do it any day, and Damn! I know it will be good even if it pisses everyone around me off. Frenz, if you do decide to let go, know you’ll only tick off the ones who probably need to go elsewhere anyway. The rest of us will cheer, “thank goodness she finally said it!” I always wonder: do these people have anybody to tell them when to stop, the sort of person who they admire and respect, who says their crap stinks and they’re out of control? Because I get the impression nobody else has. judiang said this on May 3, 2011 at 5:02 am \| Reply That was supposed to be “Because I get the impression they think nobody else has.” Can you tell I abhor thought police? Thanks, Judi. RAFrenzy said this on May 4, 2011 at 12:10 am \| Reply Me too, Judi. Please don’t tell me what I should watch, read, or listen to or how I should think. I am an adult and I can make those decisions for myself. Angieklong said this on May 4, 2011 at 12:26 am \| Reply I agree that there should be no thought police. I abhor it too, but usually the problem in communication doesn’t arise from an explicit statement of do’s and dont’s directed toward someone(s). It often comes when someone just gives an opinion, and not necessarily directed to anyone in particular, for example,if I were to say, “I don’t like slash. I think it has an ick factor, and I don’t want to read it, and I probably will never feature it on my blog.” If I were to say that, what would you think? Would you think I had overstepped my bounds and was trying to corral what you’re doing? Those are honest questions. I’m curious what you think, and no, I’m not trying to be antagonistic at all. Ah, but you aren’t saying, “And no one else should be reading or writing this kind of stuff.” You are not setting yourself up as the Hall Monitor for Armitage-Related Creative Stuff. That’s the difference for me, Frenz. You aren’t writing RA and his agent and complaining about slash or mounting a campaign to end all slash on fanfic sites. Plenty of people don’t like slash and I respect that. I don’t like all of it, anymore than I like some people’s writing of hetero relationships or some fanfic writing, period. All fanfic authors are not created equal, let’s be honest. But I am not going to tell them they can’t write what they choose to write. I just don’t read it. And I think you know me well enough by now to know you coudn’t corral me if you wanted to 😉 You are one of my peeps, girl. You’re right; I would never be try to corral you. 😀 But you and I know that someone reading what I just wrote is hacked I said that and has already construed it as a type of control since I guess it’s a restrictive (disciminating?) statement. But really, it’s just my opinion, which begs the question: do you never share your tastes, which by their very nature are restrictive? Is this where I slip in that I didn’t like the LOTR movies. Yes, I’m one of those who didn’t like the movies (ducks). The second movie was so boring to me that I fell asleep in the theater. BUT I’m willing to take a second look. LOL! 😎 I did say earlier I might cut loose at anytime. 😉 I’m really, really not trying to be antagonistic. LOL! I hope the Wrath of the Tolkien fans doesn’t rain down on you, dear Frenz. I read the books and loved them as a teen, but I haven’t seen all of any of the movies, so I can’t really weigh in on my feelings. (I do love other things PJ has directed, though.) Seriously, it’s a shame if we feel as if we can’t express our own views and tastes because we fear someone is going to beat us up for it if they don’t coincide with their views and tastes. How boring and Stepford Wife-ish if we all thought exactly the same way. Of course, I have no shame. I’ve made two videos with Ke$ha songs. And bought her CD! My guilty, guilty pleasure . . . I liked the books. OOh, maybe that makes it sound worse. LOL! The fact I run an anonymous blog should indicate how I feel about potentially getting beat up but certainly not by someone in cyberworld. Although a few of you do know the “real me.” I hate that term. This is the real me dammit! 😀 And we like the real you. The real you on blogs and the real “real” you offblog. Wait. I’m confused. Who’s on first? 😉 Angieklong said this on May 4, 2011 at 3:31 am Should I even go on about understanding guilty pleasures? 😉 I think we all have them, don’t you, whether or not we admit it. I would love to know what RA’s considers his guiltiest guilty pleasure . . . 😉 I agree that this is a real problem, but I think on some level we could conclude that the Internet is a way of circumventing it. I’ve noticed how this works in my class at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution lecture, when I ask my students how many pairs of underwear they have (usually dozens and dozens) and then ask them what they would do if they didn’t have automatic washing machines and dryers and cheap textiles. Some classes are willing to be creative (can I turn my underwear inside out?) but in some classes, someone expresses a restrictive opinion about how people who don’t change their underwear every day are gross, and then everyone feels they have to agree. At least part of this dynamic is due to the fact that they see each other all the time. no one wants to be known as that kid who doesn’t change her underwear enough. But on the Internet, we can be freer, right? We don’t have to be afraid of the consequences of having our fantasies known. I’ll never run into one of you in the hallway and know that you’re thinking, “ah, she’s the one who dreams of bondage.” Obviously, that freedom has its negative outcomes too (social constraints also restrict trolls from being too trolly in real life), but it has to have some positive outcomes, no? Yeah, we can be freer and yeah, there are pitfalls, but I still love it, and when the issue is raised about free thought I wonder how much people really mean that. It’s just like the statement of underwear being gross. Who is going to disagree and say we need more thought control? Well, not if you call it “thought control.” But if you call it “appropriate writing”? Plenty of people. servetus said this on May 4, 2011 at 8:48 pm \| Reply I should have phrased that as “thought police” since that was the issue raised. Well, even the thought police have their defenders. They certainly did in the East bloc in their day. servetus said this on May 5, 2011 at 1:53 am I’m a fan and heartily endorse everything you said. I’m going to go out on a limb and add an observation from my years in other fandoms: IMHO the most strident and loudest “fans” who attempt to police others are the ones fearful of or in denial of their own potential craziness. They don’t understand boundaries, see only in black and white and don’t get nuances in behavior. They are unable to distinguish between wholly disturbing behavior/thoughts or innocuous ones. Hence they straightjacket themselves into a unreasonably rigid mindset and attempt to foist this thinking on everybody else. Personally, this type of fear-based repressed thinking is exasperating because it attempts to shutdown thoughtful discussion and keeps things on the level of superficial squee where these fans are comfortable. This element of enforced mindlessness is one of the reasons I don’t participate in fan forum discussions. The fantasies you described were harmless, and truth be told, they weren’t particularly shocking. The only surprising part was you felt free to say them, based on your earlier posts. I saw it as a watershed moment of liberation for you. This type of fan will never understand your blog; it’s too esoteric for them. However, I applaud you for that post and this follow-up. I can’t imagine you saying any of this a year ago. Your tone and language is becoming more direct and true as you discover and find your voice. I’m thrilled for you. Totally agree. OML 🙂 OneMoreLurker said this on May 3, 2011 at 3:13 pm \| Reply Or perhaps, just perhaps, they’re not repressive Calvinists, but they’ve seen the damage obsessed fans can do to the fandom as a whole? Fanfics about RA and the woman who starred in North and South with him, written as though they were a real word couple, exist and are excruciatingly embarrassing to read, and would probably seem intrusive to RA if he searched them out for some reason. But I doubt he has, and presumably they haven’t hurt the fandom as a whole. But a few years back someone wrote a fanfic about Guy of Gisborne, post series 2, capturing Marian and abusing her sexually in revenge for her rejection at the altar. There was a certain logic about it–he did torture people for a living–but to say it was graphic and violent S/M would be to understate things. It caused a huge reaction in the fandom. Some posted that it was not their usual cup of tea but disturbingly sexy all the same. But apparently many concerned fans wrote him about it. Eventually RA waded in to say that he felt it was inappropriate to post such material about a character in a show that was watched by children. The writer removed it from the internet, which was surely the appropriate thing? And since that time he’s distanced himself from the fandom–sometimes his “spokesperson” announces things, but there have been no more messages to fans and he’s mentioned frustration with fans more than once since then. There haven’t been any more references to how he feels like he has an army of fans supporting him. (If you look at his messages, which I think are on richardarmitage.com, you can pretty easily see when this transition happened.) Sometimes posting fantasies is neutral; sometimes, and I hope most often, it just gives pleasure to admiring fans; sometimes it takes readers to places where they read things they wish they could forget. Sometimes it makes a person a little bit embarrassed for the writer, and sometimes it has a real-world negative effect on the fandom. aaa said this on May 3, 2011 at 3:23 pm \| Reply Truthfully, I think the lunatic fringe element is, sadly, always going to be there in any fandom. And because they are lunatics, they are going to draw more attention to themselves. Then there are those who are obsessively overprotective IMHO of Richard Armitage. He’s almost 40 years old; he’s intelligent, astute, thoughtful and more than capable of managing his life without us. I think he does appreciate his fans but his fans also have to remember he doesn’t owe any of us anything. I think fans demanding too much of him and trying to police not only what fans said and did but what Richard said and did put the nail in the coffin for those regular messages. He learned to be more wary, and who can blame him? Not sure I approve of any fans contacting him about fanfic good, bad, or indifferent as it may be. That seems to me to be a further invasion of his privacy, somehow, and is more troubling to me than the fanfic concept. Just my two cents worth. I wouldn’t ever choose to write about Richard and any other real person in a relationship nor would I read that sort of thing, but I can’t imagine writing Richard and complaining about it to him. He has far more important things to do than manage our silly quarrels, don’t you think? Angieklong said this on May 3, 2011 at 5:26 pm \| Reply I don’t want to hijack this thread but since you offered a long considered reply, I’ll offer a response. I knew RA had distanced himself from fandom, but thought it was due to the BAFTA brouhaha that he was gay. I had not heard about the S&M story. I don’t like RP fiction. I find them creepy and disturbing; there are ample fictional characterizations to use for stories without bringing a real personality into it. That does strike me as invasive. But I wouldn’t insist they not write the story. Instead I’d suggest it be placed on a password protected forum where like-minded people can read it and the celebrity can not find it. As for the concerned fans that went out of their way to tell RA, I highly question their motivation. They didn’t like a piece of sadistic fiction about fictional characters. Did they actually believe the story or the writer by extension was somehow personally harming RA? It’s probable RA knows little of fandom and nothing of fan fic. His reaction was no surprise, and of course the story had to be removed which they knew would happen. Removing it was appropriate because he objected, but telling him was not. This “concern” is a perfect example of what Servetus was pointing out in her post about censorship and policing. Was RA in actual danger of anything? Was that really necessary? This strikes me as an overwrought kneejerk reaction over an issue that should have been resolved within the fandom. To run straight to the man himself has the taint of spitefulness, if not maliciousness. RA was only distressed by that story because they told him. If they were supposedly viligant for stalker craziness, that wasn’t it. Meanwhile, RA’s sweet interactions with his fans got pruned. So who did the most damage in the zeal to police the actions of others? Who was obsessed, the writer of the story or the concerned fans? A personal story: in an old fandom, a writer posted a real person fiction on our closed mailing list that was revolting by any standard. The list mom told the writer RP fic wasn’t allowed on the regular or EF list but she was free to set up shop elsewhere, which the writer did. Nobody cast aspersions and it was resolved quickly and quietly. And nobody dreamed of telling The Man. For what? I’m aware in every fandom exists a few who are genuinely disturbed and there is a real fear that one may act out and make us look bad as whole. However I’m confident, at least with this blog ring, that we will be able to identify such people and act accordingly. Here’s an example of legitimate craziness that was appropriately reported: it was leaked in my Other Crush’s fandom that he was first, engaged, and then his fiancee was expecting a baby. This news outraged one fan so much she ranted at great length that the unborn should die, among other things. BTW, OC also had a stalker. This is the type of behavior we should watch for, not fictional character based stories or Servetus promoting an honest discussion about fantasies by discussing her fantasies. Personally I tired of this trend towards of unthinking hysteria, no matter what the issue. It’s so pervasive today. judiang said this on May 3, 2011 at 5:31 pm \| Reply Let’s see if my connectino will hold this time. Judiang, as you can see by my latest comments, you and I seem to be on the same page. As a community newspaper journalist, I have to say I am heartily sick of mountains being made out of molehills and people taking idle gossip and thinking it’s the gospel truth. Tired of “unthinking hysteria” myself. And I never have liked tattle-tales or bullies. Connection. Well, I am home under the weather today. sigh Sorry to hear that, hope you feel better soon. Thanks, Judi. A combo of FMS, allergies and my female hormones trying to bring back the “bad old days” have conspired against me. I have still managed to write a couple of stories and cutlines, IDed folks on a picture page pdf and send them and photos to the office while reclining on my bed. Hooray for the Internet. @Angieklong, learning about the all the unnecessary furor over the sadistic story made me angry. RA took precious time to write those missives and court the fans; it was very sweet. Then along comes “concerned” fans who couldn’t think past their zeal and “protectiveness.” They didn’t consider who he would feel or what the lasting consequence might be. This incident plus the gay rumor nastiness must have been a shock, like petting a dog and it suddenly turns and bites him. It’s a damn shame. Yeah, a nice guy like RA with that purity Frenz mentioned in her latest post–that sweetness of spirit–certainly wouldn’t have expected some “fans” to behave as they did. (And note I put “fans” in quotes, because I suspect they aren’t as considerate of and concerned for Richard Armitage himself as they are holding up some priggish plaster saint image of him they’ve created in their minds . . . I don’t think he wants or has ever wanted to be put on a pedestal.) He’s older now, and more savvy, “wisdom from the pain.” I’m sure plenty of actors are squicked out by fanfic on general principles – some of it is quite excruciating. But seriously, what was to be gained by writing to him about it? That, to my mind, crosses a lot more boundaries than any fic I can imagine. CP said this on May 3, 2011 at 6:38 pm \| Reply Exactly, CP. Re fanfic, we’re not saying it’s all great stuff–I still can’t believe someone wrote slash stories about the guys from Top Gear!– but why, WHY would anyone feel compelled to write Richard about some fanfic they didn’t approve of? What good did that really do anyone? A writer, who was receiving no pay for her work BTW, was hounded off the internet because some fans freaked out over her stuff? Thst’s not an accomplishment I would be particularly proud of. In the immortal words of the drill sergeant in Stripes–Lighten up, Francis! Slash about the guys from Top Gear?! The mind is a curious thing. Wait, that means there’s Guy/Vasey slash too! Ewwwwwww! 😉 As for telling RA, that’s why I sense an element of spite; they need to protect their view no matter what. yeah, there is definitely Guy / Vasey slash. Well, as you know, Servetus, I have written slash, but I have to do it my way, which is definitely kinder and gentler than some of what I have seen out there. For me the dark and sadistic route just doesn’t work. It’s not “me” as a writer. Not criticizing others who do write it, just stating my POV. Someone said it’s like a sweet, funny romance that happens to feature two guys LOL The thought of Guy/Vasey slash creeps me out. Although I always thought the Troll put his hands on Guy just a little too much for Guy’s comfort . . . in this “children’s” show. Guy manipulates Vasey in “Dangerous to Know” playing upon those kinky thoughts Sherry has about Guy. Much to Sherry’s detriment Muhahahahahaha! Angieklong said this on May 4, 2011 at 12:02 am Wait. Top Gear slash? Yeah, I know. The mind boggles. But a fellow RA (and Top Gear) fan whom I trust said Top Gear slash is out there, although she hasn’t been able to bear the thought of reading any of it, even though she does read slash (can’t blame her there . . .) The Hamster and Captain Slow and Jeremy doing the nasty? With each other? I just don’t want to go THERE . . . Some people have taken things way too seriously — including Richard Armitage at times. Yes, I really said that. No offense to him, but he should have never deigned to address that issue or others, and I’m not down on him because he felt it was a reflection on him. It was not at all. He is not responsible if someone who happens to like him misbehaves. I’m sorry that he felt it was, and I’m so glad he’s distanced himself from that crap. And it’s amazing to me when fans feel entitlement beyond paying to watch something and wanting to get their money’s worth for it. Almost two years ago now I remember a fan who frequented IMDb (as I did in those days) getting their knickers in a twist over one of his interviews where he seemed to be criticizing some fans. She wrote to his agent to complain. Color me shocked when he replied with one of his messages. I’m so jaded I thought it was a joke at first and laughed about it. Thankfully, he’s learning that an arms’ length relationship with the public is healthy. In his innocence he didn’t realize at first how ferocious the public can be. No, innocence is not a euphemism for stupid. I think it’s more the case of “to the pure all things are pure.” And now I need to listen to my own words. RAFrenzy said this on May 3, 2011 at 5:54 pm \| Reply I seriously doubt RA has been part of any fandom; he’s unaware of what goes on. Mostly likely he surmised from the letters that the story was a rare aberration and a Big Deal, and he was expected to address it. Had he known about fan fic, its varieties, and that such stories are common, he probably would have ignored the letters. So, yes, his innocence played a part too. Apparently from his Christmas greeting, he’s venturing a toe in the water again. Hope nobody bites it off. Again. Judi, you’re probably right about his addressing the fanfic situation, but he’s been part of his own fandom at times, which is not an accusation at all. I realize he was not a big name and had time and was kind and innocent enough to interact with fans. Funny enough, my next diary entry is about discovering his messages to fans. It’s interesting to read my reaction to that now. Of course I agree about his annual greetings. I hope they do not swell expectations to unrealistic proportions. LOL! I couldn’t help but laugh. It is so absurd that this is even an issue. But then this is the general public, and with it come some nuts. Just hope I’m not one of them. 😆 Frenz, it’s my unqualified but considerably hot-aired opinion that the ones who are self-ware and keep tabs on their sanity usually aren’t the ones we need to worry about. You’re fine. 😉 That’s “aware.” I need to take my sloppy proofreading over to my own blog. That is the thing I recall I’d been a fan about year when that broke. It was a really sad episode on so many levels. Fans taking sides and RA withdrawing from fandom. I write FF but I would never write about a real person that is just creepy. I cannot stand slash it just does work for me. Do I complain about them no, I just don’t read them I guess that the wonderful people who write the blogs do in a way lay themselves open to criticism if a poster does not agree with the point they are making. But as I said those people replying don’t have to read it. I wonder if his fandom is evolving as well. When he first came on the scene it was really period dramafans who liked him. That has changed over the years the fan base is wider and more diverse. So RA does not have a hope of pleasing us all and nor should he try. The other thing I notice about the internet is that 1 peoples comments get misunderstood. There is no body language or change of tone in a typed comment. 2 people can be unbelievably rude when they hide behing a user name. No 1 happens a lot in RA fandom especially on a certain board. NO 2 happens rarely but is normally found where there are no mods. khandy said this on May 3, 2011 at 6:31 pm \| Reply Khandy, I do think his fanbase is definitely evolving. North & South was the catalyst for the intial furor over him and it’s been–what? seven years since that originally aired? Since then, he’s done what has been called a children’s show (Robin Hood) and two contemporary action series, Spooks and Strike Back. Now he is playing a Nazi spy and warrior dwarf. Quite different from the romantic period hero many initially gushed and swooned over. Some fans will fall away (or already have) because they don’t like his choice of roles; others will continue to support him because we know no matter what character he chooses to play, he will bring something special to the table. And new fans have been gained along the way who are perhaps quite different than those original JT-oriented fans. That sense of entitlement some “fans” feel still amazes and confuses me, Frenz. To me, THAT is something to be concerned over, not somebody’s fanfic or vids or artwork that you in some way find objectionable . . . read, watch, listen to what you like and enjoy and leave the rest ALONE. If a particular forum or blog distresses you greatly, then don’t go there unless you are a glutton for punishment. But don’t assume you should have the power as some sort of Red Queen of Armitageworld, shouting “off with their heads” every time someone, including RA, says or does something with which you disagree. I had a former boss who once told me that if you are unhappy/angry about something that you have read, write your reply, but then wait 24 hours and read it through again before deciding whether or not you should send it. Giving yourself this time to think about your response, you invaribly find that it is unwise to press the SEND button. I was never “the sharpest knife in the drawer”. I have always been of ‘C’ grade intelligence and should have listened my boss’ wise councel. Because (RAFrenzy), I’m the “fan that got her knickers in a twist” about reading an interview where I felt that RA was criticizing his fans, and consequently, as you correctly stated above, I wrote to his agents. I was misguided and don’t know what I thought I was trying to achieve by sending the e-mail. It backfired on me, big time. This is one of those stupid/foolish moments in my life that I still regret on almost a daily basis. I was naive, to say the least, and was terribly hurt by some of the cruel replies, and, some say, deserved backlash I received. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I should have certainly have waited 24 hours and read it through again. I was incredibly shocked at the response from his protective fans, who told me in no uncertain terms what they thought of me, and it was not pleasant, I can assure you. To this day, I still feel physically sick, as I did on reading you mention the event in your post above. And when RA wrote a message a couple of days later, I wished the floor would have opened up and swallowed me. It made me ill at the time and shattered any confidence I ever had about making any comments about RA on any blog again. This is extremely scary and painful to write, but isn’t confession supposed to be good for the soul? I know admitting that I am the person responsible for my lunacy on this blog today is very risky and I’m dreading reading the comments that you will post in reply. Also, I understand if I’m banned from posting comments or am removed in the future. Before this happens, I’d like to say that I’ve enjoyed all threads and posts from all on this blog. I now don’t feel so alone in some of my thoughts about RA and I’m not as crazy as I once thought I was, although you may all disagree with this. He’s a man that inspires us all in so many ways, such an incredible human being, and VERY easy on the eyes. lizzie said this on May 4, 2011 at 9:29 pm \| Reply Wow. THIS WAS BEYOND BRAVE. Nobody pick on lizzie. Seriously. Questions and comments are allowed, NO CASTIGATION. Bless your heart, lizzie. NovemberBride said this on May 4, 2011 at 9:51 pm \| Reply Amen to that! Well done you, lizzie! That took guts and I take my hat of to you! Teuchter said this on May 4, 2011 at 11:21 pm \| Reply Should proof read BEFORE I post a comment!! That should read “hat off”!! It takes a big person to admit what you have, lizzie, and I have a lot of respect for that. And that was great advice from your former boss. I think if some of the people who comment online at my newspaper would do just that–give themselves 24 hours to think things over–they wouldn’t post or they would certainly re-word things. No castigating from me, I assure you. Lizzie, I echo what others have said in their admiration of your making the post, and yes, confession can be good for the soul. But please know that you owe me nor anyone else a thing. You were and are entitled to an opinion even if someone disagrees with you — as I did about this incident. I do want you to know that I’ve never condoned anyone being nasty to you, and I really hate that the situation was so painful for you or anyone else. I hope that your post and this discussion will allow all of us who may have a need to put it behind. I know I had put it behind, and I should not have made that comment about the entitlement as it was a direct hit on you. What’s so ironic about this is that when the interview backlash happened, I also felt I shouldn’t have written that long diatribe on IMDb about how I hate the word fan. Imagine how it felt to see it in a postscript from Richard Armitage. It felt pretty weird and had me wishing I had never said a thing. Now I find myself in that situation again with the same incident. LOL! Yes, I’m chuckling at how this bit me again. LOL! So tell you what, let’s just move on. You game for that? 😀 RAFrenzy said this on May 4, 2011 at 11:57 pm \| Reply -Lizzie, I want to agree with what everyone has said here, in particular that you have the right to an opinion even if people disagree with you, and you have a right to express and explore it on this blog. -Second, I need to think a bit more about my own ethical position in writing something that essentially was a criticism of your behavior when I am asking people not to criticize. This is a really hard tightrope to balance on, and I beg your forgiveness for saying something that hurt you. -Third, I really think you should not blame yourself, and certainly not on a daily basis (though I completely understand how guilt roots itself in one’s soul). What the comments on this blog argue, and I agree, is that the trend was always going to have to be for Mr. Armitage to take a more distanced stance toward his fans. “Good behavior,” whatever that is, wasn’t ever going to change that. He had to “grow up” and his fans had to realize that they weren’t going to control him with their behavior, no matter what kind of behavior it was. I don’t even think we can say that you were in the wrong place at the wrong time with your comment, that it was a bad coincidence, because I’m not sure it was you (that is, your letter could have been just one, or the last complaint in a series of complaints — we just do not have enough information to know) that caused anything. And anyone who blames you or makes you feel responsible for something that practically had to happen anyway has an awfully big axe to grind themselves, I am guessing. –fourth, even if if you are right, and it was “your fault,” there has to be forgiveness in the world, both from others and from yourself. No one can live with that kind of guilt. Anyone who feels they have to keep making you feel guilty is really expressing something fundamental about themselves, not about you. I urge you: say to yourself: “I learned from this, I would do it differently now, I can’t change what happened, I’m sorry.” Don’t shut yourself off from people, because then you can never experience their forgiveness, and you end up trapped in pain and guilt. This is also a dynamic I am all too familiar with from my own life. Fifth, a sum total of one person has been blocked from posting on this blog (and there’s been one other person I’ve thought about blocking). No one is ever blocked here for diversity of opinion. I shut down one thread when I felt that I had caused a flame myself by not adhering to my own rules, but as long as no ad hominem attacks take place, you are always free and welcome and encouraged to say whatever you think. Again, I really admire your bravery. You get the purple heart for today. 🙂 Granted the things that human beings can do to hurt each other . . . you’re in the clear, Lizzie. You didn’t really do anything wrong in expressing your opinion; you just did something other people disagreed with. Anybody here who hasn’t written an upset or angry note at some point in her life? One that you regretted? I thought not. Your misfortune was to write something which happened to upset a number of people who were very vocal and hostile, I gather. If you were “wrong” to write what you did, they were “wrong” to write things that made you feel miserable and guilty. Perhaps a general forgiveness on all sides is in order? It’s a shame that something I truly believe most of us have done backfired so harshly because a number of people learned of it, but the people who criticized you were part of the problem. It certainly sounds as if their contribution wasn’t always peaceable and benign. It’s a shame when such things happen in a fandom; we all are fans because it bring us joy, and then occasionally we stumble into something in the fandom that causes HUGE grief. You’re not alone in experiencing that. aaa said this on May 5, 2011 at 5:15 am \| Reply Many months late, but I am going to come in support of Lizzie here. I’m sorry it is so tardy. I was the OP on the thread Lizzie is talking about. The topic related to “Do Actors need fans” and was very much a topic all of you have discussed from time to time on the blogs. In fact it was a discussion with regard to fan behaviour and we were reflecting about whether RA’s fandom was becoming a bit unmanageable and whether he was a trifle embarrassed by it all. Does he (or any other actor), “need” fans or does he not “need” fans and their expressions of support/presents etc. The rationale behind all of this came from comments he had made, (or was reported to have made) in the print media during the promos for Spooks 7 (2008) with regard to the fandom/the AA and the presents some fans have given him including a pair of boxer shorts with a caricature drawn by an artist placed on the leg (I believe these were the “knickers” everyone so loves to refer to) – if you can be bothered to search, you can find a lot of the interviews on Richard Armitage Online where fans are being described as going into paroxysms of orgasmic delight over him; where he described some of his presents as “weird”… well maybe they were, I don’t know. All in all the impression that was given by the journalists was that RA was ambivolent about, to the point of embarrassed by, the fanbase. Those of us who were original posters on the thread were questioning whether actors like RA really need a fanbase of the intensity it was in those days (at the time of Guy of Gisborne RH S2); and/or whether actors find fanbases at times, annoying and embarrassing. There was some confusion about what measure of support and respect RA really wanted from the fanbase. At no time in my opinion was there ever any implication that RA “owed” his fans anything … I still don’t understand where that misconception came from, but the IMDb posters of that time became a target for every recrimination that could be hurled at us simply for expressing our confusion about the comments made. None of us to my knowledge had ever written to RA, sent him presents, or were even interested in meeting him – we simply watched his work and liked to discuss on IMDb. As Lizzie has mentioned, she, in the heat of the moment, sent an email for which she deeply regretted, and had to suffer absolute vitriole, ostracism and nastiness from the fandom. We all did, but she was given the harder time and I’m sorry for it. Like her, when RA chose to reply, I was ready to sink through the floor as I had felt responsible for starting the discussion which led to the response. To this day, I don’t know why RA decided to even respond and I was upset that he did. Lizzie, I think suffered at the hands of the fandom way more than I did, but I did not visit the forums for over a year, and I still avoid that particular message thread as we were labelled “crazies” and no doubt other derogatory descriptors simply for expressing a concern we had on a public forum. I personally have learnt my lesson, and as a person who is very sensitive to criticism, ridicule and downright meanness, I am very careful these days to avoid any sort of conflict within the fandom. Apologies to Lizzie for not commenting earlier and clarifying the circumstances surrounding that RA message before now. MHJ PS: I’m really glad RA continued to send a message at Christmas after that August 3rd message, as it showed we were not entirely to blame for him stopping communication. MHJ said this on August 21, 2011 at 12:34 am \| Reply Thanks for the thoughtful comment, MHJ, and the helpful context. I do think it’s easy for communities to pick on each other — I know there are RA communities that I like better than others myself, and it’s tempting to condescend or allow oneself to be mean. servetus said this on August 21, 2011 at 12:44 am \| Reply It was in 2007 that he mentioned that he got complaints about an “adult only Gisborne site” (though I never found out what that really was) but the messages continued for more than a year after that. I don’t know what caused them to stop but I don’t think it was connected to speculation about his private life either. I always was under the impression that it had to do with something happening behind the scenes that was pretty serious. Jane said this on May 3, 2011 at 6:40 pm \| Reply I came on the scene in early 2008, and this was still being talked about. I never knew what happened either, and frankly, I didn’t care. I was never going to frequent that site, so I blew it off, and therein lies the most important part of having fun with this — blowing off things that do not matter. IMO (yes, it’s just my opinion you know what they say about opinons; yes, it’s true. : D), too many people take themselves too seriously. I think we all do that at one time or another, and I really resist that urge ’cause when I don’t, I bore myself not to mention others it probably bores. I read in an print interview in which he said he was distancing himself from fandom or words to that effect. It was the first time I realized some sort of implosion had occurred (a phenomona I’ve unfortunately encountered in every fandom in which I’ve participated). It made me wonder why he would feel the need and expressly say so after being so interactive. Judi, I’m not surprised this is a common phenomenon. Is the general public involved? LOL! Yeah, amirite you know? LOL! Sigh. This is why we can’t have nice things. BTW, I also learned fans aren’t the only ones who can hurt a fandom. I also keep an eye on the source of adulation. Happily RA seems a stable agreeable bloke. I just want to mention that Calvinists have some of the most intellectually curious minds of the European seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It’s mostly to Calvinists that westerners owe their tradition of religious dissent. Very good point, having Calvanistic leanings myself, and being from a church based on that kind of theology. Teuchter said this on May 4, 2011 at 12:06 am \| Reply I just want to thank you for having less than 95 theses. : D I did say it was a work in progress 🙂 Well, this bucks me up, granted that my ancestry is so heavily Calvinist. It’s used as though it’s a swear word. How right you are aaa! Made you almost afraid to mention the name as folk would come down on you like a ton of bricks. I have found that some have quite erroneous ideas about him and his theology! Teuchter said this on May 5, 2011 at 5:11 am \| Reply I think the problem comes in with something called tulip. In an effort to simplify it, a stumbling block was created. Very well put!! That is exactly what happened and didn’t help at all! Teuchter said this on May 5, 2011 at 5:31 pm \| Reply yes, although the dynamic was a much older one. In much of his writing on free will, for instance, Calvin is already trying to resolve problems set up by Augustine and raised again by Counter-Reformation era controversialists. So even though Calvin was at best a shaky endorse of limited atonement (I can think of at least twenty articles or books on this topic and whether he did or didn’t), the TULIP people were only taking up themes that were already under discussion by the mid-16th century. DO NOT ask me how I know this stuff 🙂 Calvin should certainly be included in any rousing discussion of identity, and I’m sure there will be some oaths. 😉 Absolutely, since Calvin was so critical of people who pretended to be something they weren’t. OK, I think I’ve read this whole train of comments now regarding things that have happened in the fandom in the past. I can understand that not every fan is comfortable with everything that is written about Mr. Armitage, either as himself or in the guise of characters he has played. I’m certainly not. However, how is it not coercive to Mr. Armitage to write to him or his agents to complain about what other fans are doing? Of course, once anyone writes to say, “here’s this fic of questionable taste about a character associated with you,” he has to react. What is he going to say? Social mores being what they are, it’s inconceivable that he could say, “write what you want.” I have to agree that he was not personally hurt by the fiction (since the vast majority of readers, even those under the age of 18, can distinguish between a real person and a fictional role) — but he was pushed forcefully into a corner about complaints about it. If he had not responded, he’d have been understood to have been condoning it. But I think it’s important to note here that it wasn’t that he was surfing the web and ran across something he found offensive and asked the author to remove it. He was told by a segment of his fans that he should do so. I agree that it’s the fans here who are hurting the fandom by acting on their insecurities and then insisting that Mr. Armitage do so as well, putting him in a position where he had little choice as to how to respond. I don’t see how fans can possibly be under an obligation never to do anything that the object of their attentions finds questionable, embarrassing, or whatever. That would suggest that becoming part of his fandom requires that I adopt Mr. Armitage’s conscience for my own. First of all, he’s never asked that of any of his fans; he’s limited himself to rather generalized moral discussions along the lines of modesty and the Golden Rule. But secondly, that would be difficult. The lines of what constitutes an embarrassment are drastically different in England than they are in the United States. Probably cultural mores in the UK require that he’s somewhat embarrassed by having fans in general. Does that mean that because I know it’s embarrassing to him, I should avoid being his fan? That would seem counter-intuitive to his success as a performer, which requires to some extent that he has fans. servetus said this on May 4, 2011 at 12:06 am \| Reply His reaction to the alarmists who were outraged by the S/M story was interesting. If I remember the message, he sounded sort of half-hearted about even mentioning the issue and, I think, was careful to say that posting S/M material about Guy was a problem because Guy was in a kids’ show. And so they might see it, which wouldn’t have been a good thing at all. Fair enough. But it did seem as if he was backed into having to respond in some way. That seemed outrageous to me at the time. Bullies by proxy. Wasn’t there also at some point a message saying that he didn’t favor one message board above another, didn’t communicate personally with anyone who runs a message board or fan site, and so on? It made me think “Somebody’s been saying that she and RA are friends, at the least . . . yechhhh. How pathetic to have RA as an imaginary friend you brag to other people about!” I don’t actually know what happened behind the scenes that led to that message, though. Those messages left me thinking “This poor man is being made miserable by fans who want him to control his own fandom. He doesn’t want that, and in any case, it would be impossible. Poor man; some fans must drive him batty.” I read the half-hearted “please don’t post stuff inappropriate for kids” message and thought “This is a grown man, and unless he’s very unusual, he’s probably seen some porn in his life. He’s probably seen S/M porn in the past; it’s out there. I assume he knows that reading porn doesn’t automatically turn a person into a slavering sex maniac, and S/M porn doesn’t necessarily make readers race out and buy whips and chains. For all we know he read the piece as a piece of fiction and enjoyed it! Who knows?” On the first, I’d need to check my chronology on this before making any definitive claims, but there was an article that interviewed him and Keith Allen heavily, I believe from 2007, in which he was asked directly about fanfic and he referred with what seemed to me like amusement to “sadomasochistic stuff.” Well said. Bravo. 🙂 Darkangel66a said this on May 3, 2011 at 6:06 am \| Reply Spot on, Servetus, and beautifully argued! 🙂 Nietzsche said this on May 3, 2011 at 6:51 am \| Reply I wonder, Servetus, do you regret all this? I mean finding Mt A and becoming a fan with all that that has entailed for you? Do you wish. It had never happened? Or do the benefits (for you) outweigh the costs (I don’t mean monetary costs obviously). Mr A has a pretty special fandom (I think) and if you had latched onto another actor or celebrity then you might not have found the level of interest and responsiveness to your writing that you have going on here. Perhaps. And your interest (in that other actor/celebrity) might have fallen away quickly as a result. What am I trying to say here? Not sure. But I think the community aspect of this “hobby” is important and has many facets. kaprekar said this on May 3, 2011 at 6:57 am \| Reply He is very special. I have never had such a strong reaction to a performer (and never such fantasies, but only about his characters), although I had my crushes, naturally. He is different and his beauty is different – he has an inner beauty and a way to move and inspire that must be very unusual. Wow, what a question, and again I feel “seen through,” kaprekar 🙂 this isn’t the first really shockingly intuitive comment you’ve made. On the whole, I don’t regret things, period. There’s one post on this blog I really regret making, because I wasn’t mature enough to follow my own rules and see what was going on when I responded to comments. Maybe I should save this for a post much later, but on the whole, no. On individual days when I get a poison email I want to throw in the towel, but the good outweighs the bad by a large percentage. When Armitagemania happened, I was in desperate straits — something was going to have to happen. I was grateful that it happened. And I am very grateful for the many kind and supportive readers I have. I feel a little weird barging in here, since many of you are friends, but Servetus’ brave post about her fantasies has brought this lurker out of the shadows. 🙂 Lots of fans say they spend hours online watching RA because they admire his acting skill and would never fantasize about him (and that’s probably true in some cases–I don’t mean to offend anyone) Still,I have wondered if the fans making the raunchy posts on youtube are more honest than the rest of us. 🙂 I don’t generally crush on celebrities and never to this extent– my RA fascination sometimes seems more like an illness than a crush. 🙂 I’m now at the point of asking myself “Why him?”, “Why me?”, “Why now?”. For what it’s worth, here are my thoughts: 1. Why him? I could name a dozen talented, beautiful actors who I admire but have never fantasized about. My current theory is that RA represents a powerful masculine archetype, a masculinity that is capable of both extreme brutality and extreme gentleness. His characters seem to swing on a pendulum between those extremes. They spend more time at the extremes than in the middle, yet he somehow makes the character completely believable. He sort of referenced this when talking about the monstous mill-owner versus the “vulnerable boy” in Thornton, or when he said: “If I’m offered the role of the hero, I immediately look for the antihero within; I see everything in terms of an outer skin and an inner skin.” Women respond to RA much more than men, so maybe the tension or attraction of this archetype (or duelling archetypes) is especially powerful for women?? I think this could also explain why he inspires such creative growth and expression in his fans; he stirs the psyche and the psyche responds. 2. Why me? Where am I in my life right now that makes me respond to RA in this way? My current thinking is that I’m struggling to access my masculine self. I need to connect with the part of myself that is strong, effective, powerful, that focuses on action rather than feelings, that does what’s necessary, that isn’t afraid to be confrontational. I think perhaps RA portrays these qualities, and at the same time (especially in Guy and Lucas, haven’t seen Strike Back) he shows an ambivalence and even self-disgust at his “masculine” behavior and actions. I think that ambivalence resonates for me emotionally at this partcular time. I’ve also toyed with the idea RA often conveys a certain self-consciousness or shyness which I, being fundamentally shy myself, find attractive. I also liked Servetus’ post about the way he draws in his audience by both withholding and revealing at the same time. In a couple of interviews he’s described trying to both conceal and peel back layers in his characters. 3. Why now? Well, there’s the issue I mentioned above, about my stuggle to release my more masculine qualities. Also, while I have a good life, I’m dissatisfied with many things right now: my work, my relationships, my feelings of irrelevance as I age and become less attractive and productive in a society that puts a premium on both, my lack of expression, my lack of a creative community. I don’t think it’s an accident that I’m drawn to RA at this point in time. I also don’t think I’m actually in love with a total stranger who I’ve never seen and probably never will see. But, as Servetus said, ignoring the experience isn’t good, and in my case at least, nor is pretending it isn’t significant. My current plan is to study my fantasies and try and learn from them. I’m hoping that when the fantasies end, I’ll even be a wiser and happier person as a result of this experience. I’m vaguely off-topic here but that’s my 2 cents and thanks for all the thought-provoking comments and the great photos. I’m not very computer-savvy, so I’ll slink back into the shadows now. P.S. If I was computer-savvy, I’d make a screencap of Thornton at the first (male-only) dinner party. There a beautiful candlelit image that I haven’t seen in a screencap anywhere. Cheers. Daisy said this on May 5, 2011 at 11:40 pm \| Reply You make some excellent points here and please don’t stay in the shadows. This is a very good place to be, lots of food for thought, and civilized behavior, two things you don’t find just everywhere on the internet. 😉 Richard registering in your life at a time of crisis and/or reaching a crossroad in life, wanting something more from your life; so many of us seem to fall into those categories. Richard Armitage is an amazing fellow, and how he affects me certainly goes above and beyond being a handsome, talented and charismatic performer. He seems to strike a special chord in us and it is, yes, I have to say this, a life-changing experience. And one I do not regret. I love the way he inspires me and indirectly encourages me as a great role model in life–his dedication to his craft but lack of self-importance; yes, that shyness and sweet-naturedness that shines through, his support of charities, his gentlemanly behavior. By the way, have you checked out all the N&S screencaps at Richard Armitage Central Gallery and at IHEARTRichardArmitage? I could swear I have seen the screencaps you are speaking of . . . There are links here to access them. Thanks for your nice comment, Angieklong. I don’t do much of this and appreciate the response. And I found the screencap, thanks so much!! It was on IHEARTRichardarmitage, http://richardarmitagecentral.co.uk/v/Main+Gallery/North+and+South/Episode+1/vlcsnap-00308+copy.jpg.html? Daisy said this on May 6, 2011 at 4:26 pm \| Reply Hey, Daisy, thanks for the great, detailed comment and welcome. I apologize that it’s taken days for me to get back to you — it’s been a big five days or so. I really like this point about masculinity and ambivalence. I’d like to expand on it in future if you don’t mind. My Dear Friend the feminist film blogger thinks something very similar, and the body language involved is interesting. A year and a half ago most of us didn’t know each other. So we hope you’ll be friends with us, too 🙂 Thanks for the welcome, Servetus. Please do expand on anything I said — that’s why I put it out there. Sounds like you’re going through some big career changes in the last few days, so best of luck in whatever you do next. Oh, and the suffering, introspective gaze in the Porter picture is amazing. Great acting moment, haunting grey-green almond eyes. Wonderful cap! 🙂 Lucas’s memories cause different expressions. I am guessing being fan is different for each of us. I certainly don’t regret it. On the whole it has been positive experience for me. Any disputes I have been involved in have been easily resolved. Although I don’t fantasize abour RA himself, but quite obviously I do about his characters. Why is that I wonder, I think it is because he immerses himself in his roles so completely that I know his characters better than the man himself. I’m not a dreamer as in close my eyes and dream while asleep. Infact I have probably only has five or six dreans in my entire life. I have no idea why I just don’t. So I certainly don’t dream about the man or his characters. It is only in my writing that my thoughts are played out. I do find that I am protective of him and find myself defending his choice of roles. It got so bad that I actual in the main avoid those discussions. That is my choice and as I think Angie says we do have a choice about whether we join in with a discussion or not. khandy said this on May 3, 2011 at 11:53 am \| Reply I need to write more about the protectiveness issue. The last time I raised that I got a comment that sort of shut down my desire to continue, but it’s been on my mind. Amen! I think finding your voice is not only liberating for YOU, but it liberates all of us because it gives us the freedom to do so, and I don’t just mean in our fan lives but in RL. We are all grown women and it is for each and everyone of us to establish her boundaries. As for Mr. Armitage, I agree he does not need our “protection” as he is as a grown man and is more than capable of taking care of himself. He seems to be doing a great job thus far. @Rob said this on May 3, 2011 at 1:18 pm \| Reply I feel exactly the same way. Everytime I see a new blog emerge or a new fanfic author, I think, “someone else is finding a voice.” It’s really gratifying and inspiring. I think that’s the aspect of the fandom that we should emphasize and promote. I second what Kaprekar is saying. Having been a part of another fandom for many years, I can’t imagine anyone having the type of discussions that RA fans have, all the many unique blogs, and especially here Servetus, you challenge us to think about RA, being fans,and so many things. I agree this is all unique to RA fans and a reflection of the wonderful man that he is. Of course, I also believe people have a right to disagree, as long as they do it politely and in a civilized way. I admire your honesty Servetus. As for Richard Armitage, he’s an adult, a very level headed adult as far as I can tell, an intelligent person,and it was his choice to become an actor and a public figure. As a shy man he may not love the red carpet moments and other things, but I’m positive he knows it’s part of his job as an actor, and I’m positive that most of the time he’s grateful to have loyal fans who support his career after struggling so many years. I’m sure he can tell the difference between supportive fans and fans that cross the line, and there’s nothing from what I have seen or read of him that tells me he hasn’t handled all of it well. Not meaning to sound pompous, but here’s a quote from a favorite writer that sums up what I believe better than I can: Liberty is the right of every man to be honest, to think and to speak without hypocrisy. Musa said this on May 3, 2011 at 1:28 pm \| Reply Ah, José Martí. He was a really important theorist of freedom. Thanks for the reminder! Wonderful! You really describe an ideal fan-world and I admire your courage and energy to fight for your believes. RA is a freeing energy and a wonderful motivator, not a ‘bean-counter’ (= German: Erbsenzähler; absolutely intentional reference to “Strike Back”). I feel the same effects of him for my life and wish you all the best with your efforts! (Besides, I want to read more of your wonderful posts about fandom. Your analyses are absolutely addictive and brilliantly written ;o) CDoart said this on May 3, 2011 at 1:50 pm \| Reply I suppose the next step in this analysis is to talk about why watching him promotes self-expression … thanks for the kind comment. I will look forward to such a post. I know he has unleashed something in me that I can’t imagine would have happened with any other performer. I desire to express myself all the more, even in ways some may not agree with or condone (and as a people pleaser, that is something of a breakthrough for me); a wellspring of creative impulses seem to flow out of me. And I have seen this happen to others again and again and again through fic writing, blogging, vidding, artwork . . . This is the only fandom I have ever been involved in, but surely, this is a somewhat unusual communal experience? I look forward to her take as well. The inspiration has puzzled me exceedingly. The effect on me has been marked. Sorry I can’t share what as so many have been willing to do, and I’ve enjoyed that thoroughly. I’ve scratched my head over this question more than once. Why Richard Armitage? Why the Armitage Effect? I can’t imagine making more than 40 videos on little more than a month NTM writing all that fanfic and commenting frequently online for ANY other performer. I remember consciously looking for things I could dislike about him because I questioned my sanity over going so gaga about a fellow at this stage of my life. Didn’t happen. Don’t really anticipate it happening, either. But it’s wonderful, it really is, this effect, and all those I have gotten to know through my various efforts. Being part of the fandom has, in fact, been a blessing. But what else could I expect from a good man sent by God? 😀 It puzzled me too, and I did think about it a lot, but I realized something along the way, and that’s what my diary is about. I wonder why I felt the need to write about this man’s character. I mean he is not the first actor that I have admired as my Mum pointed out yesterday I have watched a lot of Kevin Kline, Harrison Ford and Tom Hanks movies. For me at least It was timing he entered my life when things were grim. Writing was something I could do away from society while m wounds healed to stop me going mad from boredom. Servetus and all the other bloggers I think were I you I would try and hold on to the fact that these people who criticise you are very much in the minority khandy said this on May 4, 2011 at 7:40 am \| Reply I’ve said this before but it is worth saying again. RA seems to come into our lives–to register on our radars–just when we need him most. For me, it was struggling with the decline and deaths of parents and in-laws while dealing with my own health issues. The fandom and becoming a fanfic writer and now vidder allows me to escape some of the pressures and strains of my daily life without resorting to less healthy things like alcohol and pills. And I agree. I think the joyless, humorless ones who try to rain on the parade are definitely im the minority “in the minority” Servetus, I was struck by something you mentioned early on in this post, about how you were taking flak for not “labeling [the Porter vignettes] as fiction.” Firstly, I applaud you for NOT calling these fiction. It takes a lot of nerve to make this kind of disclosure. The fact that you’re willing to look hard at things – sometimes difficult things – is the reason I follow this blog. And secondly: what? Do “inappropriate” thoughts somehow become acceptable when narrated in the third person? Is that why the video that launched a thousand comments was artistic, but talking about how it makes us feel is lewd? Where does that leave the performer, when the purpose of a performance is to be seen and reacted to? CP, Excellent! I should just quote your entire post. : D Thanks. I think your second point is essential. One might say that one desired effect of theatrical performance is (inter alia) to produce discomfort. Now, of course, Strike Back is not theatre of alienation — but one would guess that for an actor part of the desired goal would be to deliver something that makes his audience struggle a bit with their reactions. Actually, in all forms of art, the desire is to move the spectator, the reader, the audience in some way, is it not? Whether it is happiness or pleasure or fear or anger or guilt, the artist wants to spark a reaction. In the newspaper biz, we say if we aren’t making at least one reader angry every day, we aren’t doing our job. I’ll make no bones about it. I wrote the first paragraph of my story on the drunk driving demonstration with the goal of making my readers very uncomfortable. But as my co-worker said, it grabbed their attention and held it. If I can save one kid from drinking and driving, it will be worth making a thousand people squirm in their chairs. When people tell me my fiction makes them laugh, or cry, or feel all tingly for that matter, well, then I think I am doing something right. When your blog entries spark spirited discussions, Servetus, then surely YOU are doing something right. I’ve been thinking a lot about this “it’s ok if it’s the third person” thing. Historians wrestle a lot with the problem of what the difference is between autobiography and fiction. The distinction isn’t entirely obvious. My students have trouble with it, too. Why I like to read this blog? because the author is not “crazy” fan of RA. Writing about Mr. Armitage you always write with such esteem. Your analysis also helps me to understand the phenomenon of this artist. I think that your fantasies do not endanger others. They are beautiful and I thank you that you’ve shared with them Ania said this on May 3, 2011 at 3:04 pm \| Reply On a more general level, may I offer felicitations to servetus and other RA blog-owners (yes, Frenz) for the courage in speaking? As simply a commenter, I don’t feel exactly the responsibility of the blogger. As for commenters, the courtesy, tolerance and unity engendered by common appreciation for this actor, has been striking. We might not agree all details, but the discussions are, and have been broadening and enlightening. Appreciation to fellow commenters, too. Any who come with agendas less tolerant and express themselves sans courtesy and respect, (only a few) do find that this is not their environment. That can be a tough call for the bloggers, and I’ve been impressed with your reluctance to eject anyone except as a last resort. I truly hope that everyone will continue to speak their minds, with politesse and the good humour that has characterised these venues. I do lurk on one or two sites and forums, without comment, because I won’t shut my eyes to opinions which are far from my frames of reference. I also subscribe to diverse TV news networks and print media in the same spirit. Pointless to shut eyes. Good on you all. And major support for Richard Armitage. fitzgj4 said this on May 3, 2011 at 3:07 pm \| Reply I’ve always thought it was healthy to read and listen to opposing viewpoints. That’s how I was reared, and I can’t imagine changing. Or to be blunt: it never bothers me for someone to disagree if it’s done with courtesy,and sometimes when it’s not. I am just so grateful for your erudite and well considered comments on such a variety of topics. I am constantly being made to think by your writing and it has enhanced many RA scenes for me. I love your work and it enriches my life. I know of no other actor who has the same effect as Mr Armitage which seems to be an opinion widely shared here. I greatly admire your honesty and integrity and please don’t stop. What would I do without your musings? kathy said this on May 3, 2011 at 4:26 pm \| Reply Wow!! All these comments already! I should have guessed it would generate a lot of interest. Haven’t read all of your post yet or the comments but just wanted to say that I’m with you Servetus on the picture at the top of your blog today. Since everyone is so good at admitting things here, this is the picture I have enlarged a bit and look at last thing every night and first thing every morning! Would love LOVE to know what is going on behind those compelling eyes. I feel he is looking right into my soul!!! RA fans have a certain honor, grace and respect for the feelings of the man who seems to be a bit shy and humble – which most all of us share. “Every second I spend thinking about what I am not allowed to say . . . is a waste of energy and a betrayal of self.” You said it best. It’s your blog. Say exactly what you want to say and be true to your self. RavenRoseBeetle said this on May 3, 2011 at 5:25 pm \| Reply I can only agree to what has been expressed in the previous comments. Although I’ve hardly ever commented here, I’ve been following your blog for almost a year now and I am still looking forward to any new entry. Your analyses are extremely well written, your arguments are well balanced and your meticulous observations provide a lot of “food for thought”. I’ve sometimes felt that you are too demanding on yourself but I’ve NEVER found your posts disrespectful either towards Mr. Armitage or your readers. I very much hope that I will be able to enjoy your blog for quite some time. I am really thankful to you – and to your regular commentators – for making me feel more at ease with my Armitagemania. Suse said this on May 3, 2011 at 6:09 pm \| Reply I don’t think Servetus has it in her to be disrespectful, and this is a wonderful asset, but it is also what makes for the struggle in speaking without feeling like you’ve crossed into something forbidden. I pray for wisdom for her, and selfishly, for myself as well. Got it in one, Frenz. I don’t want to be disrespectful, but I have to be myself. I have no other choice anymore. How to balance those things for myself is hard enough, without the intrusions of people who think they know better. Very much with you Suse in what you have written there. I love this blog and so happy to be a part of it now. I find it a learning experience so many times and have NEVER EVER found Servetus disrespectful to Mr Armitage or us, the readers. On the contrary I have found just the opposite and feel very comfortable being here and thankful that others are part of this Armitagemania too and to know I am NOT crazy – even at my age!! Servetus – know you are LOVED!!! Wow, didn’t expect all these comments! Let me get at it. I really want to thank you all individually, severally, and collectively for these thoughtful comments. They were really helpful, reassuring, and also made me think about the next stuff to talk about. I really look forward to continued honest conversations on this blog with your support. And we truly look forward with you, to be sure! This is such a rousing discussion. There are so many issues raised, I’m still collecting my thoughts. (I DID mention I’m a slow thinker.) There are points raised by servetus and Frenz that have been immensely intriguing from the blogger PoV. Even for the commenter: One issue is, just how free do we feel post or comment? Even on such congenial and collegial sites as these. Personally, I still have a fear of making a donkey of myself and measuring below the radar on IQ. So, I have to think responses through. Which is also very self-conscious. There is also the fear of revealing oneself in too raw glory. etc. If you’re a slow thinker, there’s no hope for me. LOL! You made me laugh re: your comments about “slow thinker” and and below the radar IQ. Don’t we all sometimes suffer mental lapses? LOL Tedgirl said this on May 4, 2011 at 5:41 am \| Reply I’ve been wondering lately if there’s any communications research into the conditions that facilitate speech on a blog. People have to feel comfortable. Maybe. Or they have to feel outraged? I’ve never wanted to encourage an atmosphere where people just deliver manifestos or statements and then march off into their corner to sulk. Speaking of donkeys, touch-typing, after all these years, escapes this donkey. Proofing from the screen does, too. Failed the IQ test on both counts. 😦 I hadn’t been to see any of the LOTR movies when they were in the theatres but I saw part three of the Trilogy in a store, bought it, found that my son had the other two, watched all three in as short a time as I could and really loved them even though I wasn’t sure I would! HAD to read TH as soon as I found out a certain TDHBEW was to star in it and thankfully one of my granddaughters had a copy so devoured it quickly! I’m sure it will be magical as I think Sir Peter is a genius! Sorry if this is a little off topic but LOTR was mentioned above. A little anxious after hearing about, and seeing video of, the NZ tornado – thankfully (and selfishly) NOT in Wellington. Not on anything like the scale of the ones in the U.S. but scary none the less. Somehow I’ve found myself in a household of LOTR zealots. We own several copies of the LOTR books and two complete sets of the movies, and now they’re all laughing at me ’cause Richard Armitage is going to be in ‘The Hobbit’. I mean the household laughing at me and not the movies although I wouldn’t rule that out. I know the feeling! I can hear mine groaning inwardly (and sometimes outwardly!) or see them rolling their eyes when I mention him yet AGAIN!! Just wait though! WE know “The Hobbit” will be fantastic, especially Thorin!! So who will be laughing then, we ask! Some of my grandkids want to see CA with me though, so that is a start!! I am seeing some of the girls (there are 11 girls and 4 boys among my grandkids) taking a bit more interest though, so I’m doing my part! Oh, I hear you. We will certainly have the last laugh. My Significant Other is taking great delight that I’m now going to relent and see ‘The Hobbit’ when I swore I wouldn’t. So much for oaths. But I’m taking great delight that he will pay to watch Richard Armitage. MUHAHAHAHA. Revenge is sweet, isn’t it? evil grin worthy of Vasey. Only I’m much cuter Yes, I am very much looking forward to taking Dearest Benny to see both CA and TH. And I love having the last laugh. 😀 Prof, Thank you for the beautiful photo of RA that blew into my face when I switched on last night. I believe it takes a lot of guts, courage, responsibility, time, dedication even financially to be a blog owner/moderator (is that the right term)? When I ventured into this blog, my thoughts were this is a place for intellectuals, not that I am one.. but try to keep up with the discussions. I’m not a critique of topics, just comments at times but I love reading all the long discussions… and I learn historical facts. Thru this blog, I’ve gone to other sites too reading their fanfics, some I like some I don’t. It all depends on individual taste..which topic we love to read. Reading is also entertaining, so as the vids and the photos. Most probably there is envy around this blog for all the positive discussions and analysis going on. Who are we to antagonize one another in the pretext of constructive criticism? We have to be tolerant and develop a thick skin to deflect the arrows coming our way and learn to explain if our comments are construed the other way or taken out of context. Nobody’s perfect! This is no ordinary fan blog (not to offend the others). The bloggers seem to be good, nice people. The atmosphere around is informative, fun, loving and dedicated to the craft of the actor we so admire. If we fantasize, so be it, we don’t harm anybody and we don’t go over the top. We maintain the decency expected of us as fans of a modern society. I believe the most appalling aspect of cyber blogging is envy and squabbling. It would be more shameful I think if RA picks up the intrigue going on to think that we have one common denominator. I hate to think also that the reason for him staying under the radar is to avoid too much attention on his part as an actor and a person that even his private life is being scrutinized. I think we can assume that he loves his fans and he knows to stay in this business, one should have a fan base. We cannot blame him if interaction with fans’ within arms length ’cause he can’t choose the kinds of fans to have. Hope we all learn from the discussions. Keep up the good work! Thanks nice point that he can’t choose his fans. I wonder what kind of fan he would choose? The situation is complicated by the problem of humor — if he says, my fans are mostly mature Radio 4 listeners, he may be making a joke about himself, but not everyone may realized that. I’ve fallen into this, not liking to be called motherly, for instance. It’s nice that in the summer when asked about his fans he admitted, I talk about them like they’re one person but really they are very diverse. Just a heads up that I will be slightly revising my ‘desire’ thesis. I have another one in the works… but are concerned it goes into terrain some folks will not want to think about. I may, once again, disrupt the fun of fandom. I’m a firm believer in reading and writing dangerously though, so keep at it, Servetus! Skully said this on May 4, 2011 at 8:04 am \| Reply Look forward to reading the revision. It’s my opinion that one reason there is such policing of other fans is the fear that Richard Armitage will cut off his communications completely. I think I’ve even read statements to that effect, e.g., if we don’t stop, there will be no messages. Or maybe that tone was there so much in some parts of RA universe, that I read that in. Whatever the case, the desperation was made starkly evident when I made my request for a verbal message. I love the messages, but I think the day I feel I can’t be honest about what I think of his performances or of anything to do with him actually, I will not want to participate in whatever this is — group, fandom, collection of fangirls, not sure what to call it. Forgive me, I’m rather new to this sphere, but it seems strange that people are so wrapped up in these missives from Mr. Armitage. I think it’s sweet that he has sustained this conduit to fans for as long as he has, but I don’t see this continuing except perhaps as an occasional gesture for old times’ sake. And I don’t believe it has a thing to do with what individual fans say or don’t say. As Martin Freeman so eloquently put it, Mr. Armitage “is in “The **ing Hobbit.” I think fans are accustomed to a sense of intimacy with him that he simply won’t be able to deliver once he hits the mainstream. Hmmm. I think you are misunderstanding what I’ve said, so at the risk of being repetitive, I’ll try to be more clear. Part of the fan base is indeed used to the intimacy the messages bred and hates to give it up. It was cool that he was that connected and developed a type of relationship through his messages. So I can understand the desire for him to continue. But I take exception to the lengths to which some have gone to make sure the fan base is well behaved in the misguided belief this will induce Richard Armitage to continue. This kind of policing, no matter the well intentioned words with which it’s couched, really makes having fun a lot of work, and I’ve got plenty of work elsewhere. When I made my request for a verbal fan message (when or if he does one again), it was amazing the emails I got. Some were concerned for my mental health should he not reply. LOL!! Sorry I had to pause a moment and roll around on the floor at that. Some were put off that I would deign to make a request and how it would probably be offensive to “him” should he hear of it. Oh brother. LOL! I’m sitting hear having difficulty typing this for laughing, and I’m sorry if some who sent me those notes are reading this and are offended, but a lot of you need to lighten up. This is supposed to be fun. I know I’m having fun, but I did have a stutter step at all the amdonishments I received for supposedly overstepping a boundary. One good purpose it’s served is that I’m not sure I will be so responsive to them in the future. It was a drain, and I don’t need a drain. Did I misunderstand? I meant my comment to refer to the aforementioned “other fans” who seem so anxious to preserve the relationship (I’m resisting the urge to put scare quotes around that word). From my vantage point, the present state of Mr. Armitage’s interaction with fans seems congenial and perfectly normal. Then again, I’m a latecomer and don’t know how it was before. Aahh. I see I misunderstood, and we are agreed. Definitely agreed! And for the record, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with lobbying for a fan message. It never hurts to ask. If you later put it about that he was a jerk for not providing one, that would be excessive. But you don’t seem particularly prone to excess. 🙂 Well, I like to think I pick my excesses wisely. 😀 Glad we’re agreed. Some people just don’t get humor. Sad, but true. I do want to clarify that I have no problem with asking for a verbal message or an interview or an autograph or having him sign your copy of one of his shows. Heck, I made the sound bite asking him to consider coming to the US and playing a southern gentleman which RAF posted at her site! There’s no harm in asking . . . I just have a problem with fans who get all stroppy if he doesn’t do what they expect of him or says something they don’t like. Again, that sense he “owes” us something. It’s a bit like the crowd in front of Buckingham Palace shouting “kiss her” to William and Kate, I think. The joy is in making the request, not in having it fulfilled. And the addressee can fulfill it or not. Yep. I think of the fan who cheekily asked RA if she could feel his bicep muscle at a red carpet event. Well, he could have flashed one of those grins, crinkled his brow and said no, but he flexed and let her do it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! I think it’s true that the first time you end up the object of some distress, it’s harder to take then later. A year ago, when something I said was misunderstood, I tried hard to clarify, until I realized that there are some interlocutors for whom you just can’t make it good. The growing significance of that realization has made some aspects of blogging easier. yes, I mean to say “here.” I think there can be a self-consciousness even about commenting on a friendly blog. Which leads me to question: is this the real, unadulterated me? Or what image do I wish to present? For my satisfaction? Just ruminating. Behooving slow-thought grazers anywhere… I love ruminating and haven’t embraced it enough. I’ve always been moving too fast. Today, I’m actually sitting here grading papers and then saw this pop up. Unlike Servetus, I only have two students (a senior and a fifth grader). I know how hard this is for me, and I respect her all the more for what she is able to do. Based on my experiences online, which has reached the 25 year mark this year, people who post long enough reveal what they’re about whether they intend it or not, so this idea that someone can craft a false image is somewhat of a myth. Oh, some can do it for awhile, and a very few can do it for a long time, but eventually, people get comfortable and their real personalities emerge. Emphatically agree. I’ve often found that I’ve developed a line for how much I can say about myself on the blog and then realize that I’ve implicitly crossed it later. Pseudonymity is increasingly a pro forma exercise for me. Of course, all this may change depending on what happens after June 1. And even if I said nothing about myself at all (though there are significant things I don’t say about myself here), basic facets of my personality emerge through my writing. Servetus is a piece of me that has significant overlap with the actual writer here. I always feel certain qualities in me end up in my fiction and even in the way I approach feature writing for our magazines. I don’t mean that the characters are me with a different name, please understand; just that certain elements–my humor, my tender side–tend to shine through. But I think that is part of finding your voice as a creative person. RAF, you are so right. We can run, but not hide. That doesn’t prevent me being self-conscious, and therefore – what? spinning? Yeesh. I shudder to think what I’ve revealed of my pompous self on this, and other blogs. As for ruminating: spent so many years rushing among family/education/career etc responsibilities and trying to catch spaces to “ruminate”. We’re all a bit familiar with that. And I’m so not high-energy, go-go, always needing action. Just action in travel. Cows, goats and yes, tortoises come to mind 😀 Rumination and chewing the cud is a bit easier now. (Oh, the fence blew down, and the carport requires remedial action? More manageable). When I think pompous, I surely don’t think of you. LOL! Me neither, Frenz. And I have known some pompous sses in my time, let me tell you. 😉 @CP, Complete agreement. I see no reason whatever for Richard Armitage to establish a web site/blog or to return to writing notes to fans. His earlier notes, from the RH days were charming. It is delightful of Sir Ian McClellan and Peter Jackson to communicate their thoughts via “new media”. Mr. Armitage is at a completely stage of his career, and somehow, it doesn’t seem appropriate. I’d like to offer more analytical reasons for this feeling; but it’s purely intuitive. Actually, I’d feel somewhat that he was pandering to fans, and it’s just the wrong time. Please maintain your privacy and discretion, sir, and allow your talent to speak for you. Naturally, I’d love to interview the gentleman, and enjoy thinking up questions, but in RL that’s best left to professionals who just might refrain from ask about circuses etc. in future. Or regrettably, not. Fun to play with, though. He has moved to a different stage of his career, and we have to accept that things change. I love the messages. They are charming, funny and disarming. But expecting him to keep it up now, to maintain these close ties to the fandom, when he is moving into the big time–it just seems to be asking a lot. I think he has already gone above and beyond in his treatment of his fans. But we are not automatically entitled to anything from him. He doesn’t belong to us. I would also love to interview him as I think he is such a fascinating, talented and interesting gentleman. And I definitely would NOT ask him about the bloody circus. 😉 Late in 2008 when I discovered that there had even been those charming messages from Richard Armitage, he had already said he was ceasing. Imagine my surprise when there was a Christmas message in 2008, and then it happened again in 2009 and again in 2010. Great fun to receive those, and of course the one wedged in there during the summer of 2009 about the interview issue. So I think it’s fair to say it’s not clear he’s ceased his messages. If he does, then it was great fun while it lasted. If he hasn’t, I don’t feel the least funny about having requested a verbal, and there’s about a snowball’s chance in hell he would even know of my request anyway. But I had fun doing it and would do it again. 😀 And I might be the only one to make so public a request. I could be wrong about that. If so, please feel free to correct me. In the meantime, I’m continuing on with what I’m doing because as I’ve said over and over again, I’m having a blast. I wish I had done something like my blog sooner. Great fun, which thankfully has not been marred enough by all the angst over what Richard thinks or is inclined to do. LOL! I had said, when mulubinba asked whether it was time for him to have an official fan site, that he should do as he pleases. I stand by that. But in a way, I think that the official site would solve some of these fan factionalism problems. He would then be officially neutral with regard to communication. @Frenz, we (fans, or I prefer “supporters”) exist in a different, parallel sphere from actors who capture our imaginations. I think the wish for a verbal message is a lovely one. Why should we not dream? Please just keep doing what you do. As far as I’m concerned, it’s not inappropriate, and crosses no lines. I hope I am clear about this. i don’t think you said anything that is construed as demanding of the actor. Good grief, we’re just enjoying discussions. Dreaming, and making no demands of the gentleman. . Thank you, Fitz, that is exactly what I’m doing. @fitzgj4, so true about fans existing in a different sphere. I worry though, that we will have our particular bubble burst when The Hobbit comes out, especially if he is attractive enough in that to generate squee. And also at the other extreme if his career does not take off spectacularly as is generally expected now. But I have a lot of confidence in him, which tends to pull me through my doubts. He’s fab. Squeeee!!!!! kaprekar said this on May 4, 2011 at 10:10 pm \| Reply I worry about this, too. Sometimes I think that people who’ve been “fans from the beginning” are bothered by us newcomers because we’re ruining their beautiful little secret, and then I think, what will happen in the winter of 2012? How will I feel? Already the number of people who come to this blog daily has exploded beyond my expectations. When I started I thought I’d be writing to at most two hundred people or so. Cough. I feel where Servetus was brief in her theses, that I’ve been making up the difference in my comments, yet I would much rather read all of yours. …I wasn’t going to mention the 136 Theses comments here (to which I contributed)… 😉 I’m not shy, so I could keep going, but I’m out the door in a few minutes, so you will be spared. 😀 Well, many theological statements have way more than 136 paragraphs 🙂 Ahhh. Then you’re saying I should cancel my ticket to fly over in Aug. w/birthday cake in hand? Crud. I almost choked. 😆 I had a mental image of you with a cake that had sideburns. I think you should wait till you get over there to back the cake. Hard to get a cake through the xray detectors. NB 😀 Don’t give up that ticket!! And bring the sideburned cake! So good that we can laugh at ourselves, and each other. Let us never take ourselves or fandom TOO seriously! Actually, I am thinking Richard needs a really large birthday cake–what with it being the big 4-0–and Deb can pop out of it. Now that would be a surprise! 😀 I have great difficulty relating to people who cannot see the humor in life and particularly in themselves. Richard seems to be a person who takes his craft very seriously; himself, not so much. That’s the kind of person I find sympatico. I hate the feeling of walking on eggshells I get with some people. Makes me “noivuss.” @Angie…honey, that would be ONE BIG cake if I popped out. ROTFLOL!! =0) @fitzgj…you know the sideburn thingy is kinda growing on me. Off to grab my sketch book… NovemberBride said this on May 4, 2011 at 10:43 pm \| Reply @NB I forwarded a picture of that amazing cake to one of my granddaughters and she replied that she could see why I liked the SFR spoon!! I loved that cute raised eyebrow BTW!! @kaprekar, Yes, I actually worried that Mr. A would be seduced by Hollywood, and have his nose “fixed”! For heaven sake. He turns 40 this year, and he’s learned a few things on the way. He seems to have a sensible team around him. No worries about his portrayal of Thorin. It’ll be fine. fitzgj4 said this on May 4, 2011 at 10:19 pm \| Reply I know he had a lot of years of struggling and wondering if he was ever going to make it in this business, but I think all this happening now rather than much earlier may be a blessing. He is older, well-grounded, wiser; I don’t think he’d be tempted now to have rhinosplasty as he might have been in his youth(I consider that nose one of the national treasures of England). I can’t really see him “going Hollywood.” Whatever else the movie is or is not, I feel Richard’s performance as Thorin will be terrific. And I suspect it is going to be one of those critic-proof movies that will do well at the box office even if it doesn’t get great reviews (of course, I am hoping it WILL. Especially good things said about RA). Well said! Once again you have taken the words out of my mouth – or at least a lot of them!! Yeah, that’s why they pay me the (not-so)-big bucks to write . . . ’cause that’s how I roll . . . 😉 If he were younger, then he might be coerced into going Hollywood, but he’s definitely of an age that allows him to be who he is more. At least I hope that’s the case. I hope that for everyone frankly. Be who you are, and no, the irony of saying that from an anonymous id is not lost on me. LOL! PS kaprekar, I loathe the word, but SQUEEEE 😀 One for all, and all that. this is just a general comment, to some extent in response to lizzie, but also as a bookmark for myself to reinforce: I think we may have to give up the idea that we can really understand anything meaningful about “the real” Richard Armitage based on (esp) print interviews. We are asking those media for information that they don’t deliver. I’ve had various discussions with people about the meaning of these statements he’s made about fans, and they seem highly ambiguous to me. I backed off of this after “Armitage epistemology” because it made people so angry but maybe it’s time to go back there. It’s been a year, my nerves are a bit calmer now and my skin a bit thicker. Print interviews are certainly not good source material with respect to picking up the tenor of someone’s comments — especially if there is dry humor. SO has a fantastic sense of humor and has been interviewed countless times, but it’s amazing how different the printed piece sounds from what he actually said. Of course he’s learned, as I’m search Richard Armitage has learned, that you have to think for yourself and the interviewer when you’re being asked questions for publication, and the dry humor rarely works. In fairness to journalist, they are usually under a deadline and have only so much space, so they can’t always develop a piece to convey humor effectively. RE: Armitage Espistemology, I’ve been waiting for you to go back there. Let’s get into a rousing identity discussion. I say that selfishly since that is my favorite topic no matter who is the subject. I actually quite often prefer his audio interviews because we get that lovely voice, of course, but there is also the addition of hearing how he says things. I remember that distinct growl when asked about Guy killing Marian during a radio interview–“No. He should have married her.” I really don’t think he was very happy with TPTB at Tiger Aspect re certain developments (oh, how little we knew, it was all going to get much, much worse at Kudos for Lucas . . .) And yeah raises hand journalists DO have deadlines. Sometimes very tight ones. And space in print editions is more precious than ever. I would LOVE to be able to write a feature such as you would find in Rolling Stone on someone like Richard. Lots of space, plenty of room to get descriptive and fully convey the personality, temperament, aura of the interviewee. And, of course, this would require me to spend a significant amount of time with said interviewee. 😉 A journalist can dream, can’t she?? Agree on print interviews, they are always filtered trough the eye of the journalist and more often than not they like to give the article a slant they think pleases the reader. If it is a tabloid they try to sex up his statements, if it is a high-brow newspaper they are dismissive of the fans etc.. IIRC The Stage and Reader’s Digest from last year were quite good though. A formate like the Vulpes Libris interview is different because as I understand he was sent the questions and answered them via email. Forgot to add, with his frequent and eloquent facebook updates Sir Peter Jackson has found a good way to work around having his words filtered by journalists! I think Sir PJ is a marvel with everything he gets done. I’d love it if Richard Armitage had a facebook page he updated, but I know myself how much work it is to keep that sort of thing up, even if it’s just a few paragraphs every month or so. Just go ahead and re-visit that issue, servetus. Let the chips fall. Respectful discussion can only be enlightening. Very thin-skinned myself, literally and figuratively; but age has withered and seasoned (if only it had offered the ability to tan rather than sunburn, literally, not figuratively). So, perceived affront or criticism have a shorter term effect of grieviously hurt feelings now. OK. I may do a prelude before I get into full blown interpretive mode again, though. Those posts take a lot of time, and I’ve got finals starting a week from today. Just wanted to say that this blog post and all the comments is a COMPLETE TOUR DE FORCE!!! Sorry for shouting but I had to say it. I know that what you write, servetus, and what others, me included, add in comments will be regarded by some fans with horror, embarrassment or simply “rolled eyes” but you know there are many people (me included) who love it (warts and all) and whatever your stance there is no denying this blog is a simply amazing work, the like of which I have never seen or heard of before. I’d like to say more but now I need to go and vote. Later, perhaps. kaprekar said this on May 5, 2011 at 6:45 pm \| Reply Wow, kaprekar. Have to tell you how much this meant to me when I read the other day. I think it’s the commentators who really make the blog. I learn so much from reading the comments! I know I’ve enjoyed it, but I feel compelled to apologize for all of my comments on this entry. I should have said “so many entries.” I’m not apologizing for all of them just the number of them. : D No need. […] Protection Mode,” see what Frenz said today, in a very intelligent post. I can only reiterate what I’ve written about this before: that I personally don’t think that on the whole, other fans are endangering him, or that if […] On the eve of my “new” life … « Me + Richard Armitage said this on June 21, 2011 at 5:58 am \| Reply […] I’ve come out against prescription with regard to other fans’ behavior, and I stick with that. If you are so motivated to express your convictions about Armitage that you’ll hack a poll to do so, I trust that you must have some significant reason for coming to that conclusion, and I won’t tell you not to do it or try to burden your conscience. The people who do it must understand themselves why, or what they think is fun about it, or why anyone should care enough about a poll like this one to hack it. […] Why I don’t like these things « Me + Richard Armitage said this on August 14, 2011 at 8:24 pm \| Reply […] If this is how you feel, that’s great! Nothing in what I say below seeks to make anyone feel guilty or move them to think or behave any differently than they are. I write here about things that move me to think about them, about problems that concern me — so what I say I am saying only about myself and my observations. It may or may not be of significance to you, but if it holds my attention, I’m going to write about it. I can’t control what you think about that, of course, but if you think that the simple (re-)opening or continuation of the discussion of sexual objectification in the case of Richard Armitage somehow constitutes an indictment, nothing I will ever say on this topic will make you happy. I will say honestly that I think that a clearer discussion of it would defuse some of the apparent anxiety and/or outrage around this issue much better than criticism of the attitudes of other fans. But above all, I say, as I’ve been trying to articulate for months: Let each woman question and follow her own conscience. […] On the Genesis of Perving: ad quod respondit Servetus — THREE « Me + Richard Armitage said this on October 17, 2011 at 3:24 am \| Reply […] yeah, I’m breaking my rule about not disciplining other fans. Because this kind of behavior is cruel and destructive and it damages the very thing that many […] Stop cruelty. Don’t participate in it. Don’t let others think you tolerate it. « Me + Richard Armitage said this on November 1, 2011 at 4:27 pm \| Reply […] an initial misstep in that direction, I’ve tried hard not to police other fans, except when a clear case of bullying occurs. When I say why I am doing or not doing something, […] Losing Armitage? or, Thorin aches and pains, part 2 « Me + Richard Armitage said this on October 27, 2012 at 3:36 am \| Reply Could anybody tell me about that fanfic thing? I see a lot of you have mentioned it in your comments, but I don’t know the background. From what I surmised, a person wrote an RPF with Richard Armitage, and a fan told him about it, cauing him to ask it to be removed. Is that correct, or? Tribi said this on May 8, 2013 at 3:01 pm \| Reply Thanks for the comment, and welcome to the blog. The story as I received it was that in the wake of RH 1, a fan wrote a fanfic in which Guy captured and sexually abused Marian for her behavior at the altar. After fans pressured the author to remove the story unsuccessfully, they turned to Richard Armitage to achieve the same end. The story was removed (or hidden?) and Armitage issued a message urged fanfic authors to remember that RH was a story for children. This happened about two years before I was a fan of Armitage, so if you need more info than that you’ll need to find someone who’s a fan of longer duration than. As far as we know, Armitage has never commented publicly regarding RPF written about him. (There was very, very little until The Hobbit premiered.) Any statement a fan makes about his feelings on that particular issue are thus speculation. […] Every second I spend thinking about what I am not allowed to say for reasons that have nothing to do… […] me + Richard Armitage fandom: An answer to a reader query and a confession \| Me + Richard Armitage said this on November 11, 2013 at 9:47 am \| Reply	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412754
__label__cc	0.558537	0.441463	Richard Armitage, gender trouble, and status expertise [This is a theoretical post / building block.] Guy of Gisborne (Richard Armitage) importuned by the Sheriff (Keith Allen) in Robin Hood 2.6. Source: RichardArmitageNet.com I’ve referred occasionally, particularly while discussing Guy of Gisborne, to what I’ve called Guy’s “gender trouble.” The first time I said it, no one noticed, and the second time, two very astute readers said, “What do you mean?” I’ve been wanting to write about this idea for years, and just never felt I had the time. Recently a few things came together in my awareness of Armitage, and then I saw a Richard Armitage confession that made me think a lot, and Judi mentioned some of the questions around the gender elements of Guy’s appearance, so it seemed like a good time to start dealing with this question. My attention’s been fragmented, and I’m not sure this is going to be as well-organized as I’d like, but it’s time to starting making good on my insight about writing from the Fall if I want to get somewhere on my goals for the blog. I’ll begin by defining what I mean (and don’t mean) by “gender trouble” and continue by talking in very general terms about how I think the concept illuminates pieces of Richard Armitage’s work — Guy of Gisborne in particular, but also almost every other major role he’s done from Paul Andrews in Between the Sheets, to the “role of his life” so far, in which gender is up for grabs: Thorin Oakenshield. I did a post on how aspects of this idea applied to John Porter in Strike Back 1.1 without, however, calling it “gender trouble.” I hope to write periodically about how I see this dynamic working itself out both in Armitage’s dramatic performances and its intersections with his performances of self. Harry Pearce (Peter Firth) expresses concern over Lucas North’s (Richard Armitage) capacity to return to work, in Spooks 7.1. Source: RichardArmitageNet.com Longtime readers know that I’m a fairly strong opponent of the notion that it’s primarily biological qualities or “human nature” that affect our perception of and response to the person and work of Richard Armitage. My position on questions like this was heavily influenced by my discovery during grad school of the now-famous book, Gender Trouble (1990) by Judith Butler, professor of English at UC-Berkeley. In college, I learned that theorists had come to distinguish between “sex” (the physiological quality of being male or female) and “gender” (the cultural expression of being male or female). This division probably seems relatively uncontroversial, as simple observation of culture reveals changes in femininity and masculinity over time. Butler’s most important contribution to gender studies involved assertions against this view. Gender Trouble presented a series of essays that critiqued the vestiges of essentialist views of sex, gender, and sexuality in the theories of sex and gender then prevalent. Butler argued that sex itself is not inherent in a particular kind of a body, but culturally constructed through a series of acts over time that cause observers to associate (for example) the expression of masculinity in gender with the male physical body and the sexual desires of those two with the notion of a male kind of desire, or sexuality. In other words, Butler’s most important contribution to gender studies was the idea that sex, gender, and sexuality are performative rather than inherent to a particular form of body. (NB: This assertion makes the concept particularly useful to examining the work of any actor.) On this view, seeing someone whom we identify as “male” is a matter not primarily of identifying the body (sex) of the person who occupies a gender, but rather of understanding the performed actions of the person in relationship to other actors and observers (including ourselves). A simplified way of putting this, on Judith Butler’s view, would be to say that a man is not so much a person who has a penis or a beard, but rather a person who performs masculinity successfully. To put it crudely — we know that Richard Armitage or one of his characters is a man not because he has the necessary (to us as viewers mostly hidden) primary or (in some cases visually prominent, as with the beard) secondary sex characteristics of a male (though he might / does), but rather because he acts like a man. And the masculine quality of a man is never something essential, but always a matter of context (personal, social, historical, cultural). This argument — that our current notions of binary sex are constituted by performances rather than physiology — is probably the most notorious claim associated with Butler’s work. Harry (Richard Armitage) comes back for one last look at Geraldine (Dawn French) in Vicar of Dibley: The Handsome Stranger. Source: RichardArmitageNet.com Hope everyone follows the argument that far, even if you disagree. Please note that Butler’s not claiming that there is no such thing as a body or that primary or secondary sex characteristics have no meaning — although, in a point that’s relatively less important to what I want to say about Richard Armitage, she would assert that the physiological qualities of the human body are much less binary than the scientists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have led us to think. Rather, on Butler’s view, the physiological quality of the body comes to have meaning through performances of gender. Her point would be that the perception and meaning of the apparent physiological qualities of sex are created by how people act and how others perceive those actions. So she’s claiming that our perception of the body is unavoidably constituted by culture and society. In order to have a particular physiological sex, Butler would say, one must act that sex out via a performance of gender. Only then, through perception, does one come to embody a particular sex. Additionally, drawing on the work of Michel Foucault, Butler went on to note that performances of sex, gender, and sexuality are not exclusively independent choices made by the person performing them. As a person becomes a man via his performance of masculinity, he does not decide himself or on his own or even necessarily consciously how to do so. Rather, in identifying himself as a man, performing masculinity, and experiencing male desire, he both acts in response to and in turn contributes to systems of social rules about masculinity. (I would call these “discourses,” but I know that raises hackles among a certain group of readers). These social rules (Foucault called them “disciplinary regimes” because they have the effect of coercing results) make a gender appear “natural” (so that we say that certain elements of performing masculinity are inherent, natural, biological, etc.) Note that an important component of this activity in our society is the performance of the other gender in the binary system, as well as the performance of gender transgressions of various kinds — so that when fans like us react to a performance as particularly “masculine,” we not only act to define that term, but in doing so, we also perform our gender (whatever that is) ourselves. *** John Porter makes a crack about “conjugal visits” when Layla (Jodhi May) appears in Chikurubi Prison, in Strike Back 1.3. Source: RichardArmitageNet.com Drawing in Foucault raises a third essential moment of Butler’s argument: performances of gender are a means of constituting and negotiating power between parties involved. Not all performances are successful, not all are created equal; some are deliberately parodic; but a successful performance of gender is one that offers its performers a means of taking or losing or mediating power as the performer desires. Summary of this section, then: When I write, in the analysis of a scene, that an Armitage character finds himself in gender trouble or creates gender trouble, I am arguing that something in Armitage’s performance of gender in that particular setting makes the traditional or expected gender/power axis unstable. I would also argue that Armitage’s games with, or even at times outright subversion of, gender performances constitute a striking feature of his acting style, which brings me to my next point, but. How could it be otherwise? Two caveats. Mr. Thornton (Richard Armitage) kisses Margaret (Daniela Denby-Ashe) in episode 4 of North & South. Source: RichardArmitageNet.com Before I get there. First. Longtime readers of the Armitage blogosphere may remember a few posts that RAFrenzy wrote in response to Strike Back and Spooks 9 about Richard Armitage as alpha or beta male in various roles he played (particularly here and here). I’m not so much disagreeing with her as taking a different, more contextual, performance-oriented route to approaching my discussion of Armitage and gender. The main similarity in her argument to mine is the congruence that we can observe varieties of ways to appear male and that Armitage’s work mixes these varieties up in interesting ways. However, I wouldn’t have chosen that schematic for explaining Armitage’s work. First, in its original articulation, the alpha / beta distinction is essentialist in its reliance on dynamics of animal behavior. Second, I haven’t found it very useful for explaining human interactions, mostly because the exercise of gender power is so much more subtle than simply whether someone is acting aggressively or less aggressively. In my perception, power, its expression, and its exercise are more complicated than simply dominance and submission, leadership or hanging back, silence or articulation. Alpha / beta discussions assume the very standards that I’m trying to critique here — and that I think Richard Armitage’s performances often subvert. I want to decide from within the scene just exactly how Armitage’s work assess and attacks, overtakes, or undermines the gender dynamics, not start from a previous assumption about what exactly constitutes dominance (and whether Armitage’s performance achieves that standard). Finally, the circulation of gender performances and power are not unidirectional; they do not result solely from the choices of a performer, but also emerge in the responses provoked in him and which he provokes in others. I’m hoping that gender trouble will provide a more diffuse, less rigid framework for looking at Armitage’s work than comparisons to biologistic schemata. And second: It’s really important to me to emphasize the contextual quality of the arguments I will be making. Although I think certain patterns in Armitage’s manipulation of or responses to gender / power in his dramatic work can be observed, I am not talking about Armitage’s own personal notions of gender or sexuality, about which I have the necessary information to say exactly nothing, and I will keep it that way. I know that some people will misunderstand what I’m saying here on purpose in order to serve their own ends, so let me say clearly: I AM TALKING ONLY ABOUT ARMITAGE’S PERFORMANCES OF SEX, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY HERE. When I say, “Armitage performs sex / gender / sexuality in the following way,” I am not saying “Armitage’s sex / gender / sexuality is as follows.” To assert “Armitage performs desire” is not the same as asserting “Armitage desires.” I have a lot of information about the first and none about the second. I hope everyone keeps this difference in mind as they read these posts. So, to summarize what I’ve been trying to say so far: Armitage’s acting draws interest, I will argue, via its gender performances. Lucas North (Richard Armitage) the moment after kissing Sarah for the first time in Spooks 7.2. Source: RichardArmitageNet.com What I want to add as a second but equally important point is also verges on something I’ve talked about before; that is, Armitage’s use of power and status negotiations between characters in his acting. Understanding Armitage’s work from the perspective of performances of gender enhances our capacity to evaluate them as performances that are inherently and always about power and negotiating power. Even more than the creation of gender trouble in Armitage’s acting, the theme of status negotiation may be the most striking feature of his work. Armitage is what one calls, as I’ve mentioned before, a status expert. At the time I broached that topic, there was some suspicion of what I was saying, apparently, but I think it’s perhaps clearer now that the matter of power plays a role in his own thinking, in light of his own remarks about his status vis-a-vis Gandalf (and how Ian McKellen gave Armitage his status) and what he’s said about the nature of Thorin’s leadership in some of the press about The Hobbit. Armitage uses both conscious and unconscious moves, along with an employment of some of his more marked physical characteristics, to negotiate power. I’m thinking about things like the variable permeability of physical boundaries that he signals with his body; hand, chin, lip, mouth, eye, and head position playing counterintuitively against the status he gains by being tall; particular gestures that we see often enough from him that they appear to belong to a repertoire (though Thorin Oakenshield has significantly complicated an assessment of such tendencies). I’m also thinking of characteristic styles of speaking, particular vocal timbres and pitches that signal particular emotional responses; and the way that all of the above are used to create responses that in turn provoke. I had originally planned to talk about some examples of this second point, but I am going to leave it for now and hopefully move on to examples as soon as I can. And I want to add one last point — Armitage’s performances of gender and power are executed in ways that may be likely to appeal to particular segments of a female audience. Now there’s a cliffhanger assertion. More soon. ~ by Servetus on July 29, 2013. Tags: acting, gender trouble, Guy of Gisborne, John Porter, Judith Butler, Lucas North, Mr. Thornton, Richard Armitage 101 Responses to “Richard Armitage, gender trouble, and status expertise” “I know that some people will misunderstand what I’m saying here on purpose in order to serve their own ends…” Question: When you state this, do you mean it as a general assertion of human behavior in the inevitable statistical sense of the number of possible reactions, or are you specifically thinking about one or more people you have chosen no to name in order not to fuel the fire? What catches my attention is the use of the words “on purpose”. I ask because – if you did not have anyone specific in mind when you wrote that – then it makes it sound like you believe that those who say they disagree with you or simply do not understand what you are saying or where you are coming from. are pretending to do so in order to rile you up. The whole sentence stuck me as strange. If your reasons are private and none of my business, please accept my apologies. Thank you. mujertropical said this on July 29, 2013 at 7:17 am \| Reply Whenever I break into a controversial topic, someone misstates my actual position despite my ability to point out with textual evidence that what I said neither states nor implies their misstatement. This has happened to me at least five times now. And no amount of me pointing out to those readers that I didn’t say what they said I said, nor is it a necessary conclusion of what I said, has stopped attacks on me. I love thoughtful discussion. But I’m no longer naive. I know this blog has readers who are not of good will. Not understanding and disagreement with a claim are very different things than saying, “Servetus, you are saying X” when I am not in fact doing that and the text of my assertions is visible for all to see. You might extrapolate from what I would say here something that is a possible extrapolation, but which I am not saying. It’s fine to extrapolate — your thoughts are your own and not mine — but readers need to take responsibility for those thoughts as their own extrapolations and not tage them as assertions of mine. Since I think the issue that I’m talking about it is pretty clear from the examples given in that paragraph, I don’t think I need to say any more. If it turns out that I do need to say a lot more, I’ll continue to write on the topic as it interests me, but I’ll simply close comments. The level of time and energy suck pointing out other people’s cognitive errors is no longer affordable in my world. Servetus said this on July 29, 2013 at 7:27 am \| Reply Another reason for pretending not to understand this discussion may be to further someone else’s agenda having to do with sexuality … – which is expressly not the topic. Such a professed lack of understanding could drive the discussion in a different direction, on purpose. Something the writer anticipates. I’m only guessing. perry322 said this on July 29, 2013 at 7:32 am \| Reply it might be said that I occasionally write via aporias. There are topics I never discuss but I also never say what they are. I don’t understand how the first element, the physiological fact of being male ( or female), can be performative – unless the term “physiological qualities” means something different from physiological. What is the definition of the noun “sex” if not the fact that one has the equipment and chromosomes , i.e. the biological characteristics, of either male or female – Aside from that, which I know you will explain, can this be boiled down to “if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck,” it will be perceived as a duck, and if it is perceived as a duck, than it is a duck? On the first point — it’s a point that’s akin to the argument that scholars of race have been making for several generations now (scholars of race got there first) — not that physiological differences don’t exist (they may. I’m not a strong poststructuralist, so I’d even go so far as to say they possibly do) but that our perceptions also create them. There are many physiological differences in humans that we do not invest with meaning. It is at first the choice to invest the physiological characteristic with meaning (skin color and other features in the case of racism; secondary sex characteristics in the case of sexism) that creates the notion of (in our culture) binary sex as a characteristic. The means of making that investment, Butler would say, is performative (rather than essential). I’m not sure to what the pronoun in the second paragraph (this / it) refers. But I’m trying pretty hard here following Butler not to create another ontological category. I’m talking only about perceptions of gender as a means of power negotiations. The “it” meant the specific individual being perceived, i.e it’s up to the duck to act like and look like how we think a duck should act, and then we’ll recognize it as a duck. But Ok, anyway- you answered my question based on the first paragraph. ah, I see. yes, I am saying that for the purposes of gender the perception and conditioning of the performance serves as the reality. This is a point that works really well with regarding to talking about acting. I’m less convinced of its applicability to things like (say) childbirth. I do happen to think people have bodies. You would be surprised knowing sex is a matter of quantity and not quality even in genetic. We all have the same “possibility” then something (depending you are XX or XY) develops or not. Even physiological sexuality is not a Yes/No thing. Everything is more blurred than we can think. micra1 said this on July 29, 2013 at 7:57 am \| Reply This was an issue that Butler had been interested in when she wrote her early works — the assignment of gender to gender-ambiguous bodies and the gender “misidentification” of people with a particular chromosome combination that would indicate one gender as a member of the other gender, which is apparently fairly frequent (something like 10% of the population). The tendency in the twentieth century, too, was to constitute chromosome combinations like (say) XXY as “errors” rather than as legitimate sexes in their own right, due to cultural constitutions of gender. Very interesting post. I will read your next ones on the subject with great pleasure and interest (I also have to read the ones you linked here). I’d say I agree with you about gender perception and the difference betwen sex and gender. I like your cliffhanger final assertion. Waiting for more 😉 That question (why Armitage and women?) was the one that finally pushed me out of the closet on this question — I don’t know how this is going to go or how regular this will be but I will be doing my best. Fascinating. Looking forward to the next part immensely. Am particularly interested in this as I soak up most everything I can find on gender politics and self-identification in the Middle East and South-East Asia (particularly the latter — India’s hijras ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijra_(South_Asia) are an example) and am very interested in this topic here in our own culture as well. I’ll look forward to more. 😀 Hooray! Christine (msgigglepants) said this on July 29, 2013 at 7:46 am \| Reply That’s a nice example of what Butler would see as instance of potential gender troubling as it demonstrates her point about the cultural creation of physiological sex (in this case the physiological quality of male is a category that doesn’t really apply). Butler would also call lesbianism a different gender. Yes. While we were in India in December, I actually saw the hijra in action, along with some of the different status variations of the phenomenon. We also saw a version of it in Bali, but not from an informed perspective. Okay, I’m following, interesting stuff, learning new words (biologistic schemata). But did that last line mean you’re really going to tell us? Why women of a “particular segment” cough (age?) and Armitage? Or am I still just water wings in the shallow end. CarlyQ said this on July 29, 2013 at 9:11 am \| Reply And something even more diabolical raises it’s head in my world…is he doing it, knowing exactly what he’s doing? I mean, fully understanding his appeal to a “particular segment”? Because then I feel, manipulated, cheated, not sure? Or is is back to our old friends, biology, society, training…it’s is so late at night for me to still be typing…. I think it’s part of the success of his performance that we can’t really tell. All performances are to some extent intentional and manipulative. They also always have unconscious elements. Servetus said this on July 29, 2013 at 6:07 pm \| Reply yeah, I’m going to hypothesize about that. That’s great 🙂 I can’t wait for your hipotheses, Servetus! ..and thank you for this very interesting post….( I always suspected that I’m a bad performer 😉 ) Joanna said this on July 29, 2013 at 11:26 pm \| Reply me, too. can’t be rsed. 🙂 Tip-toeing around your stake, Servetus… I admire your courage and wait eagerly for part two; though I’ll probably find myself in disagreement as I often do, these posts are always stimulating. Thank you. movie said this on July 29, 2013 at 10:32 am \| Reply Disagreement is fine. Just given stuff in the fandom I need to make clear what I’m not discussing 🙂 Completely fascinating. You are stretching my brain, and I love it! Please continue as you are able to do so. I really feel you are onto something essential with regard to the perrenial question: Why Richard? Lynneloubielat said this on July 29, 2013 at 11:36 am \| Reply That’s what I want to know, too. Why Richard? (and why us?) I am hanging on your every word. The reason being I have been confused by the wide range of comments concerning the different perceptions of Thorin’s “actions” in the Hobbit. Is he flirting with Bilbo in one scene? Does he truly feel his manhood is being questioned when Gandalf takes over the company? I only saw him at first as man conflicted by his past…I had to go back and rewatch it to look for those scenes. Then there’s the FANART. What a wide range that is! At least now I think someone is ‘splainin’ it to me. I am not ready yet to get into the whole Mr. Thornton thing yet. Thanks, Serv. xoxox TheArkenstone said this on July 29, 2013 at 1:17 pm \| Reply YES. FANTASTIC comment here. One of the recent things that helped to push me over to speaking about this was the confusion among fans on so many levels about Thorin’s gender / sexuality. It’s an interesting problem — do dwarves have gender? And the fact that fan response to that question (on the level of Thorin confessions, fanfic, discussions about honor, etc.) is so multivalent means that Thorin is a prime example of gender trouble. This is really fascinating and I look forward to reading more of your thoughts and the readers’ reactions. While RA may or may not be familiar with Butler, I suspect he gives much thought to these types of issues when creating a character’s biography. For example, why insist on remaining nude during Lucas’ torture scenes when the director offered to allow him to wear some clothing? Was it because of the stark contrast between traditional hallmarks of physical masculinity which exude strength, power and control compared with the degradation, humiliation and utter powerlessness caused by what was happening, and the recognition of a person being considered vulnerable when unclothed (at least according to some cultural standards)? I don’t join CarlyQ’s fear that he works within blurred gender roles to ensnare a female audience of any type–I think it’s simply an actor making choices so that the character makes sense to him and becomes more alive. For example, his recent comment that he would have asked Tolkien if Thorin had a love of his life, and his surmising there would likely have been a princess, was not, I believe, a moment of “Gee, let’s see how many of these ladies will say ‘awwww, isn’t that adorable'” but really a question a thinking actor would have. Thorin as heir to the throne would certainly have had a match, even with the scarcity of dwarf females, because of his status, whether he wanted one or not. Power and wealth would have made him an attractive choice and the necessity to continue the line of Durin would have played a part as well. But it is much more complicated–was it a political match or a love match or both? If he “lost” her along with the throne, was she killed during the attack (prompting even more personal sorrow) did she reject him because he no longer had status and had failed to protect his people, or even her own family (increasing Thorin’s humiliation and shame) or (what I believe) did his shame and need to take back Erebor cause him to jettison someone who was personally meaningful to foster the welfare of his people (highlighting his nobility)? There are hundreds of clues as to Thorin’s character which would have been filled in if Tolkien stated whether or not Thorin had a partner or possible partner and what his feelings toward her and interactions with her were like. RA is an intelligent enough actor to have considered the possibilities to form his character. Does he smile at Kili simply because he is fond of his nephew or is he also wistfully envisioning a son he didn’t have? Would he be a less bitter man-even with having lost his throne-if he had regular interactions with a partner? How would Thorin’s exhibited masculinity be different depending on the answer to the question RA would have liked Tolkien to answer? Northern gal said this on July 29, 2013 at 1:55 pm \| Reply I think it’s unlikely that Armitage has read Butler. Although it’s a kind of academic bestseller (and came out before he went to drama school), it’s not the kind of book that anyone would pick up casually unless they were incredibly interested in central questions of feminism and I don’t read him as that. Establishing a chain of causality doesn’t require me to postulate him having read it, however — Butler is describing general forces operating in our world. He wouldn’t have to be explicitly aware of them to have them operate within his thinking. What I’m saying is that we pick up indices of the issue of gender trouble in his work because gender trouble is a feature of our world. We can use Butler to help us understand it because she describes that phenomenon. I’m mostly going to leave Butler behind after this — but I needed her to establish that gender is performative rather than essential. I think you’re absolutely correct in what you say about Armitage’s remarks about Thorin’s “lost love.” If he thinks about Thorin as an entity, one of his primary questions is who are Thorin’s most important relationships going to be with. And I agree that the fact that he wants to fulfill some sort of realism in certain settings that in turn involves toplessness is also an index of his thinking imaginatively about what realism involves. (Realism is also an aesthetic effect; we could call its form verisimilitude. We could talk about that, too, but it’s a more conventional effect of all acting at the moment. Realistic/naturalistic performances are currently in style.) What that assertion (Armitage is thinking about how to make something look real) points out to me is that gender trouble (gender / sex / power negotiations) are a feature of our world, whether Armitage addresses them explicitly or not. Now: it is also observable –we have seen it– that a statement about Thorin’s lost love is going to provoke, has provoked, certain reactions in an audience listening to that remark. That is also* a gender performance (on both sides — Armitage’s statement, audience responses). But it is a separate gender performance than the question of how who Thorin might have loved affects Armitage’s performance of Thorin. I’m looking forward to future posts on this subject, to see how you apply this to specific characters. right now what you’ve said is just floating around in my brain, waiting for examples to apply it to in order for me to get a real grasp on what you’re saying 🙂 kelbel75 said this on July 29, 2013 at 2:45 pm \| Reply yeah. The concept itself took enough space to explain that I thought I should stay away from examples. Although the illustrations may give you something to think about. But the days when I can write 10k word posts are probably over at least temporarily. What a fascinating post, especially your cliff-hanger! If you’re going where I think you’re going, I look forward immensely to further posts on this subject. I don’t know if it is a deliberately malicious manipulative method of acting designed to appeal to a certain “type”. I think it more likely that he saw the response to N&S and purposely honed those mannerisms/methods in order to keep up the success. I cannot imagine how such a response as he won with N&S would not inform his further work. It seems to me that he is obsessed with his work, and having cottoned on to what succeeds, he would be a fool not to capitalize on it. And a fool he is not, I think. chaifreak said this on July 29, 2013 at 2:52 pm \| Reply This! I agree! (but I think is manipulative…) movie said this on July 29, 2013 at 4:12 pm \| Reply I agree that it is manipulative, just not maliciously manipulative. I don’t think there’s a real strong line between doing something deliberately and doing something unconsciously, except in our heads (do I feel manipulated?) I would say that on some level if we feel manipulated, that’s the sign of a unsuccessful performance. Performances are supposed to hide their traces so they appear “natural.” For myself, I don’t ever feel manipulated by Armitage himself, certainly not when I am watching his work, perhaps occasionally when I am watching him. I often feel manipulated in the last year or so, however, by the Hobbit marketing machine. If we want to talk about maliciousness — I think it’s hard to charge an actor with maliciousness (and I know you are not, but what you say gets to the question of intentionality). An actor just wants you to believe him in a role, to find his work convincing. Presumably the viewer wants that as well. If that succeeds, is that malicious? Is some harm intended? Yes, the actor gains from having succeeded, but that was his goal all along. It would only be malicious if the actor sought to gain something from the interaction that was not actually real. But everything about acting is illusion — the point of acting is that you believe something that is not real while watching it. Yeah, in acting, both the actor and the audience are willing participants in the deception. As an audience member you know it’s a story, but you’ve agreed to believe it for the purpose of your own gratification. Intentional, yes. Deliberate, yes. But how can it be malicious? I don’t think that’s possible. saraleee said this on July 29, 2013 at 7:39 pm \| Reply I wonder if all handsome actors are analyzed as deeply as this young man has been. Maybe he is just a really cool guy. Janet E. Nisbett` said this on July 29, 2013 at 3:01 pm \| Reply Nothing I said precludes him being “a really cool guy,” Janet. But this is an analytical blog, so I’m going to analyze. In the end, I will never know what Richard Armitage is really like. My data don’t support that. What I’m looking at here is his performance — I am evaluating his work and its effect on me. Oh, what an interesting and thought-provoking post! I like the way you (or maybe it’s Butler) distinguish between sex and gender — that’s very helpful to me. Yes, it seems to me that gender roles are socially and culturally dictated, like when people say that if a guy does a certain thing, he’ll “lose his Man Card,” as if being a man is not just a biological fact, but something that can be diminished or lost by one’s thoughts or actions. And I felt like women didn’t have this same problem, because (thanks in large part to feminism) women today are able to do many things once considered unfeminine and still be womanly. Not entirely, but mostly. And with respect to Richard Armitage’s performances, I’ve always believed that the reason he has garnered such a devoted female fandom was because in his roles he shows us a man who thinks and acts the way women think men think and act. He communicates the thoughts and feelings of his character in a way that makes complete sense to me. Still, I couldn’t figure out why it should be that other talented actors didn’t produce performances that resonated in me on such a profound level — they should have, because the attitudes and emotions these others expressed were also universally understandable. But they were being expressed by someone who was different from me in some indefinable way (sorry, I don’t know if that makes sense. I mean that I would have to think to myself, “If I were him, I would feel that way,” and not “Yes, I feel that way too”). Until you expressed this idea of negotiating power and status in relationships, I couldn’t figure out why he had such an effect on me, but I think that may be a big part of it. I’m looking forward to more on this subject. Thanks, Servetus. Leaving aside questions about what feminism has achieved (too big a topic for me), I think it’s an important question about why so many women identify with Armitage either as opposed to or even as they find him attractive on gender terms — and his performances of power through gender get at that question. Yes! Women identify with him, as well as finding him attractive. I see that in the fanfic depictions of his characters. I think women identify with him because what he brings to characters is the universe of complex emotions common to all humans. How that is filtered though (or perhaps filtered by) gender is fascinating and the interpretation of the actor’s work need not be limited to the gender identification chosen by the actor. There is no reason to think men aren’t capable of responding similarly, although due to societal constraints, many men would not feel comfortable discussing or identifying with certain common aspects of the human condition, such as vulnerability based on something other than lack of political, financial or physical power or deep desire unconnected to money, power or sex (the act). Although, oddly enough, how many great pieces of literature and art, created by men, have explored these very things? This is why I think traditional American gender stereotypes (and I limit this to the US as it is the only place I’ve lived) does a disservice to men–they are culturally conditioned not to explore “non-masculine” emotions or perceptions. But that’s a whole other topic! Note that I am not saying “gender is the only way to express emotion” or “gender is the only way Armitage expresses emotion.” I am saying “gender is a prominent way in which Armitage does that.” All actors strive to portray emotions. All audiences interpret particular strategies for expressing emotions within the cultural frameworks that condition their responses. What makes a particular actor unique are the means to which he resorts for doing that. What I will argue here is that Armitage often does that by subtle creations of gender trouble. Sorry, Servetus. I suppose I was unclear–I meant the emotions which his performance evokes from the viewer and was not entirely focusing on just how RA expresses himself. Long day here and words are not my best friend at the moment. LOL. Northern gal said this on July 29, 2013 at 10:42 pm \| Reply Lots of food for thought here. I’m looking forward to further posts on this subject. Little Red said this on July 29, 2013 at 6:43 pm \| Reply Wow, to say this post is thought-provoking would be an understatement. Having discovered Thorin fan fic, I was wondering why character ran the gamut of sexual preferences. Watching the movie I did not feel any sexual ambiguity from the characters. it just wasn’t on my radar. I even asked my son who used to write and read a lot of Manga why there is so much m/m parings for this movie. Was it because Thorin gave BIlbo a big hug on the carrock? He said that happens all the time in fan fic and the carrock scene didn’t have anything to do with it. But would this choice of hugging create gender trouble and would it not be the director’s choice? I guess what I would like to explore is how much gender trouble comes from Richard. the writers or director since film is such a collaborative medium. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I apologize in advance if I am off base. I am still unclear on what gender trouble is exactly. Is it sending a subtle message of gender ambiguity? Is it something old movie stars like John Wayne didn’t explore and now actors feel freer to do? Like all good writers, you raise many more questions than you answer. Well done, even if your post went way over my head. Kathy Jones said this on July 29, 2013 at 8:44 pm \| Reply I have to sit here by Kathy Jones for a bit! Thanks for letting me know I’m not the only one who didn’t realize there was such a question about Thorin. I don’t regularly read other blogs, or get on Tumblr, though I have read some Hobbit fanfic that I saw on Legenda. I was aware of Bagginshield and Durincest but not that there was so much discussion about that among fans. I’m curious to hear what you think about how much of it is up to PJ and other directors/writers, what feeling or question are they trying to raise with these moments. Or is it only Mr. Armitage in that scene that would bring on that discussion. Ex. If another actor were portraying Thorin and hugging Bilbo, would there still be so much discussion? What about a Fili/Bilbo hug or a Kili/Bilbo hug. Thanks Kathy, for reading my mind. CarlyQ said this on July 29, 2013 at 9:02 pm \| Reply I’m confused too ladies 😉 that’s why I said it will be floating around in my brain until the future posts with examples. I would expect this kind of discussion about Guy, but not Thorin. Thorin seems very “manly” to me, so the thought that there is “gender trouble” in relation to him has thrown me off. and personally, that word “trouble” is prickling under my skin, it makes me feel defensive for some reason. I’m totally with you on Guy! That poor man suffered more creepy attention from the sheriff ….I’ll never get over the look on his face at the arrow slap to the backside… 0_0 Now that we’ve mentioned Guy I’m thinking about how “sleek” Mr. Armitage has been in most of his pre-hobbit work and also how graceful he seems to naturally be and I wonder if that contributes to the trouble? Appearance is definitely one aspect of performing gender. She means that word in the same sense as that song, “Wade in the Water” … “for the Lord’s gonna trouble the water.” It means something like “stir up,” “roil,” or in its figurative sense, to say something troubles one means that one is occupied with it. I picked the concept on purpose in place of the more common “gender confusion” because I don’t think anyone, Armitage, characters or fellow actors, is actually confused about gender. thank you for that clarification 🙂 that word kept throwing up walls for me when I tried to wrap my head around this. I was looking at it as “gender confusion” 😉 yes, i needed that clarification too. I was reading this post and was a little perturbed as to why what you were describing was considered “trouble” (i.e. something negative, something needing to be rectified). Llory said this on August 17, 2013 at 8:49 pm \| Reply Thanks for the comment and welcome! Servetus said this on August 17, 2013 at 8:57 pm \| Reply To add a bit, this is also part of why I put that long caveat in there. There are some people who are going to claim that what I’m saying is that Armitage is somehow not masculine. I’m not claiming that. I’m saying that his performances make traditional hierarchical gender axes less stable in productive ways. You know I find him terribly feminine myself so…NOT….where was I.. oh yes, but the innate grace and the vigorous wax/shave regimen make him more gender ambiguous as Guy or Porter or Lucas? N’est pas? I mean, to me, Thorin is the least gender ‘troubled’ character I think I’ve seen him play. I’m sure you’re going to clear all this up….err, please? I was just thinking how much more fun this conversation would be, on a beach, in Greece, with some wine and Mr. Armitage moderating. (and giving me the odd definition here or there to words that are beyond my current vocab) I am so there. I’ll bring the wine if you bring Richard. Kathy Jones said this on July 30, 2013 at 3:13 am \| Reply Okay. I don’t know anything about wine so that works great for me. I think it depends on how you interpret a character who doesn’t have a human gender. Some people are more inclined to accept that silence and not think about it, while others read the silence on gender in a different way, by filling in certain blanks in the story. that’s a really interesting perspective. I fit the former category, and have always been baffled by the latter type of people. i just assumed that all the unconventional pairings of Thorin with this character or Thorin with that character were because fandom … is fandom. Fandom is just nutty. But this casts it in a different light… that maybe fanfic writers (and fan art illustrators) are just experimenting with the concept of gender. Maybe their conceptions of gender and sexuality are just more open-minded than mine… If you wanted to ask questions about gender (or if gender were more fluid that it is represented as being), fantasy would be the best place to accomplish that. LOTR is a very male world (PJ’s attempts to add a female character to it notwithstanding). I’m there with you about Thorin and seeing no “gender trouble” performance . He seems all male Dwarf to me. Ha! Gratiana Lovelace said this on July 31, 2013 at 3:14 am \| Reply Those are all great questions, Kathy Jones. It’s true that fanfic, manga, etc. are more open to all kinds of gender trouble (I read a fanfic yesterday where a pregnant Kili, who’d been impregnated by Fili, was observed by a proud Thorin to be giving birth to cats with Bilbo as midwife). Some genres demand greater or lesser avoidance in adherence to gender convention. Part of talking something about as gender trouble is gets away from saying, “this is happening because the actor / director did x”. It points out that gender readings and acts come from all over the place. One consequence of gender trouble can be sending a message about ambiguous gender. That’s not the only one, though. homoeroticism is one permutation of gender trouble, as is drag. Sorry, I meant you are welcome to CarlyQ for sitting next to me. Sometimes on these comment threads I’ll occasionally hide behind people too…. Não sei o porque de toda essa análise e discussões, só sei que, para mim, RA reune em si mesmo as caracteristicas e a beleza dos 3 homens mais lindos e machos que conheço: Hugh Jackman, Gerard Buttler e James MacVoy. Em poucas palavras, RA é para mim o resumo de tudo oque vem a minha mente quando penso na palavra HOMEM !! Beijos! Obrigada por postar… Regina said this on July 29, 2013 at 8:54 pm \| Reply Thanks for the comment and welcome. My response would be: why do you identify those particular features / actors as masculine? That’s the kind of question that Butler seeks to answer. Well, , I’m going to reveal myself as an intellectual lightweight here, but I just don’t understand the connection with gender performance and power negotiations. I have not read Butler or Foucault. Are you saying that the performance of masculine gender is to appear dominant, and the performance of feminine gender is to appear to be submissive? So that when Armitage uses “feminine” attributes in his performance WHILE he is also performing those of a “masculine” nature, that = gender trouble? Sorry for being dense! marieastra8 said this on July 29, 2013 at 10:44 pm \| Reply No. I’m saying something pretty different. I’m saying that the performance of gender and power contingent on particular situations in which we see it expressed. Masculine is not the same as dominant; feminine is not the same as submissive. Gender trouble results from any situation in which gender and power relations begin to appear unstable because of the actions of the participants. Servetus said this on July 29, 2013 at 10:47 pm \| Reply OK. I’m going to back out of this because I really don’t undertand. The performance of gender and power is contingent on particular situations in which we see it expressed. Maybe I’ll understand when you give examples in a later post. Sorry! Don’t pay any attention to me. We can’t give a definition to gender or power until we see them. They do not have essential definitions outside of a particular setting in which we identify them. Their definitions depend on their context. (This is why we cannot say masculine=dominant for every case.) so is the focus more on the actions themselves, rather than the being who is performing them? kelbel75 said this on July 29, 2013 at 11:07 pm \| Reply yes — this is what it means to say gender is performative — we only know it, indeed it only exists, when we see it being performed. Oh, I get it. Thank you for explaining! Don’t we as observers give different definitions depending on our cultural expectations? Sure — that’s kind of the point of talking about sex as a cultural rather than an essential quality. Armitage and his audiences have to negotiate this as well; the standards for masculinity vary from place to place. In some settings in the US the British accent is coded as not masculine because too “refined.” Yes, I see that. Thanks. HAH! The plethora of British accents as too refined. The insularity of the US sometimes boggles the mind. chaifreak said this on July 30, 2013 at 12:02 am \| Reply well, and US codings of masculinity are often troubled with regard to the question of manners. Here’s another example of gender trouble that appeared recently: http://jezebel.com/5946643/reddit-users-attempt-to-shame-sikh-woman-get-righteously-schooled A woman appears in public as a matter of course with a lot of facial hair and someone is so disturbed that he takes a picture of it and posts it on reddit. Power iterations: — woman appears at herself, without bothering to shave / depilate in order to conform to western conventions of femininity. She thus has both prominent breasts and noticeable facial hair and apparently no shame. [Asserts power by not altering her body] — observer so troubled by this that he not only takes a picture, but also posts it for discussion, apparently with object that women with facial hair should be discursively disciplined. Why? What is the threat of a woman with facial hair? [Asserts power by attempt to discipline woman for not altering her body] — observers of picture begin to discuss the incident, thus interacting with gender norms, both reinforcing those norms [ick, it’s gross for a woman to have facial hair, she should shave it off] and questioning them. — story makes it back to woman, who writes a rather kind post explaining why she doesn’t shave [both asserts power — I have a reason for not shaving — but also accepts the boundaries of the discussion, as her comments imply that she accepts the judgment of some observers that she is not beautiful] — discursive disciplining goes on in the comments, with some people arguing that she is misrepresenting her religion, her position is not innerly consistent, while others argue that she has high self-esteem, etc. What we have here is the case of a person standing in a line somewhere, reading. Gender trouble occurs because of the enforcement of gender norms — for a woman in the US, standing in line somewhere with a beard is transgressive. Note that while gender trouble always in some way challenges power norms, in some cases it ends up reaffirming them (especially if the trouble is able to be suppressed or disciplined) and in some cases it ends up destroying them. I am glad am I late to this one. At first I was not sure what to say, but I have it now. I think it is culture, what ones culture deems ok. Culture can be be as what ones family has as there culture, or country etc. Last springs class comes back to mind for me on this one. It seems I really learned a lot in that class ( back to collage soon again). I also think that people think that there normal is the right normal. Is there such a thing as normal? What is right for one may not be for someone else. I must get ready for lots of hugs and kisses in less than two weeks. Mr. 70’s family’s culture is big on this and after 24 years with him I guess I am used to it. My poor teen sons, they live it. Looking forward to what you have to say next. katie70 said this on July 30, 2013 at 1:32 am \| Reply hugging and kissing you! Thanks! Now just need to work on the polka, oh I forgot I don’t dance, well in public or around Mr. 70. I am sure someone will want to dance too. His family aunts, uncles and cousins are such fun. I am massively intrigued by this prologue, Servetus. I am not quite sure I know where you are gonna go with this, but it’s probably going to set off an avalanche… 79 comments on this post alone (and I have not read through them, apologies). Gender preception and construction is something that I am hugely interested in. In fact, had I not decided on a degree in photography, I would’ve applied for an MA in gender studies. I must look into Butler – I don’t think I came across her work when I did my first degree a hundred years ago… (PS: Half way through ooof, just taking a break before “Endspurt”… Should be out later today.) guylty said this on July 30, 2013 at 11:30 am \| Reply Very much looking forward to the next instalment, Serv. As with many of your analytical posts, I spent quite some time down the rabbit hole chasing previous links so I could fully grasp your meaning- most intriguing! KatharineD said this on July 30, 2013 at 2:37 pm \| Reply thank you for posting the link to the story about the woman with facial hair. it made my day. I have re-read this post three or four times. the word that is bothering me is “trouble.” I can’t get my head around it, it seems like the wrong word. I want it to be gender bending or elastic, not gender trouble. Maybe I am missing the entire point? @Rob said this on July 30, 2013 at 7:01 pm \| Reply see the comments above in response to questions about “trouble.” Another reason to use “trouble” here is because of the matter of questioning the hierarchies. In a lot of the scenes that are most intriguing to me, the power problem caused by gender play is as significant as the gender play itself. Interesting concepts–they harken back to some women and gender studies doc classes I took a few years ago. As to whether or not the gender performance theory/concept is controversial, I can’t say–then there is Erving Goffman’s theory about one’s own impression management as performance. But that’s another essay. Ha!. Each of us has a lens (or two, or three) through which we view the world and form our opinions about how to understand our world. I’m not so objectivist to think that anyone’s opinion is fact. So no reason to get one’s nitey in a knot about it. Ha! Rather, reading other people’s opinions, provides a stimulus for further reflection. So, thanks for continually making us think with your insightful essays. what’s controversial is the assertion that physiological sex is constructed by gender. I agree with Butler but I can see why people would disagree. Uh huh. I guess I’ve been around the gender studies folks long enough that the theory of “constructing” gender, sex, or anything else doesn’t phase me any more. Ha! I’ve been looking forward to this analysis and it’s going to take me awhile to digest all you’ve written, but I’m wondering if I’m on the right track: the gist of the theory is our sex is based on our genitalia; however we perform a gender based on what’s accepted/expected from our culture? sloan said this on August 10, 2013 at 7:55 pm \| Reply kind of. the 80s feminist would have said sex (male / female) =physiognomy; gender=cultural standards about being male or female (masculine / feminine). Butler would have said that sex is also performed, that there’s no difference between sex and gender. The aspect of the claim that performance constitutes a sex is less important to me than the bigger issue, which is that we determine someone else’s sex or gender primarily based on his / her performance of same. […] interesting. Thus this scripting — whether I like it or not — makes the show ripe for a gender trouble analysis. In particular, the Paul / Alona relationship is conceived along these lines. Alona is performing […] Richard Armitage, Paul Andrews, and gender trouble in Between the Sheets [Spoilers for the whole series; frank sex talk] \| Me + Richard Armitage said this on August 15, 2013 at 11:23 am \| Reply […] and reassurance works so well in Sparkhouse (and it could be read as a subtle permutation of gender trouble, to some extent) is that it comes, not from an obvious place of strength, but from a clear place of […] Richard Armitage’s performance of John Strandring: Strongest where he is weakest \| Me + Richard Armitage said this on September 9, 2013 at 1:07 am \| Reply […] But the Cinemax interview raised a question for me that’s germane to Armitage’s broader appeal to female audiences, a matter that’s come up here and there over the years. Why is it that Armitage’s fan base is so heavily skewed toward women? Why does a certain kind of woman fall for Armitage? Many answers can be offered to that question and this post doesn’t seek to mention, let alone plumb, them all. Obviously, his pronounced talent and physical beauty both play a role in his appeal. I could also list his breakthrough in North & South as a costume drama hero with all sorts of traditional appeal to female readers; his tendency to play heroes or very sympathetic anti-heroes; and so on. I have other answers I’ll explore more fully as I keep writing, one of which relates to the regular involvement of his characters in status games and gender trouble. […] Not a good look? or: Why women might dress as Thorin Oakenshield \| Me + Richard Armitage said this on December 29, 2013 at 4:43 am \| Reply […] having babies, but of building and perpetuating things), even though both modern and premodern men display the characteristic desires of men that signal and thus perform their masculinity to onlooker…. To make a much-too-bald distinction, the male gaze exists in both cases, but the pre-modern male […] Virile Armitage, or: richard armitage + samantha colley + anna madeley in The Crucible, part 1 \| Me + Richard Armitage said this on September 21, 2014 at 5:47 am \| Reply […] thing most on my mind after last night is the way Armitage genders Proctor, as it seems like a significant portion of the way in which he creates the […] Friday, August 29th: Armitage blurs, part 1 \| Me + Richard Armitage said this on November 30, 2014 at 11:41 pm \| Reply	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412755
__label__cc	0.740161	0.259839	Housing Data Snapshot NEW TOOLS FOR CONSIDERATION: LESSONS LEARNED FROM UNCG’S HOUSING & HEALTH SYMPOSIUM Areas Affordable at up to 50% Median Household income in Richmond Ashley Williams Clark UNC Charlotte Urban Institute Courtney Morton Mecklenburg County Community Support Services On Friday, June 1, UNC Greensboro hosted the Innovations in Planning for Better Community Housing and Health Symposium. The goal of the Symposium was to “explore the use of data and cross-sector collaborations to develop healthy neighborhoods facing the greatest barriers to good health.” We shared information on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing & Homelessness Dashboard as a community engagement tool and information hub for housing and homelessness information during a session on “Using Dashboards to Inform Non-profits and Residents.” Session topics included gentrification, eviction and displacement; market valuation analysis for guiding revitalization efforts; government open data; and community health data. The event also served as the kick-off site for The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) “National Healthy Homes Month 2018,” which also focuses on the intersection of health and housing; this year’s theme is dedicated to protecting current and future generations of children from exposure to lead from contaminated paint, dust and soil in homes. The Symposium included keynote remarks by HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson, Cone Health CEO Terry Akin, as well as planners, community officials, nonprofit leaders, researchers, students, advocates and other professionals whose work relates to health and housing. Below are two ideas we took away from other communities for consideration in Charlotte-Mecklenburg as we work to prevent and end homelessness and promote housing sustainability throughout the community. TAKEAWAY 1: GENTRIFICATION INDICATORS Niki Jones with the Housing Neighborhoods Department in Raleigh and Jeff Staudinger, an affordable housing consultant in Asheville presented information on gentrification and how both communities are working to prevent displacement. They shared the common factors to look for in communities where the process of gentrification is starting, including: High growth markets / Evidence of increased housing improvements and prices Presence of NOAH (Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing) Near transit improvements Historic housing stock Near employment centers Raleigh’s strategies include home ownership assistance, owner-occupied home rehabilitation assistance and a City-owned rental portfolio of over 200 units with a less than 1% vacancy rate. Asheville’s strategies include a land use incentive grant equal to the City of Asheville property tax for at least 10% of units developed as affordable for households at or below 80% of area median income for a term of 15 years. Asheville is also looking at small-scale infill strategies to target the “missing middle” of housing stock between single-family homes and mid-rise multifamily units. This includes a look at tiny house zoning, a high density residential buffer zone and cottage developments. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Strategies for Affordable Housing Development Report (2015) authored by UNC Charlotte Urban Institute references Asheville’s land use incentives. TAKEAWAY 2: USING A MARKET VALUE ANALYSIS FOR STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN HOUSING & JOBS Dr. Ira Goldstein, President of Policy Solutions for Reinvestment Fund, delivered a keynote presentation on Market Value Analysis (MVA), which can be used to help identify how to invest limited resources that can “transform urban real estate markets into revitalized neighborhoods”. Reinvestment Fund is a non-profit based out of Philadelphia that integrates “data, policy and strategic investments to improve the quality of life in low-income neighborhoods. Using analytical and financial tools, Reinvestment Fund brings high-quality grocery stores, affordable housing, schools and health centers to the communities that need better access—creating anchors that attract investment over the long term and help families lead healthier, more productive lives.” There are four assumptions built into their work: Public subsidy is scarce and it alone cannot create a market where there is none. Public subsidy must leverage or clear the path for private investment, depending upon market circumstances. When working in distressed markets, public subsidy should be used to build off local nodes of strength, such as significant transportation hubs, parks or other environmental amenities and large institutions such as hospitals, universities or other institutions with a long-term commitment. Decisions about places must be made based on facts. The MVA provides a data driven framework that can help target public investments to catalyze private sector investment and magnify the impact on housing and economic development. The MVA can also provide an impartial way to target the development of subsidized housing for low-income households or identify high opportunity places and pre-gentrifying neighborhoods. This is a slide from Dr. Goldstein’s presentation describing how cities across the United States are currently using the MVA. The scrolling visualizations below are from the MVA work in Richmond, Virginia. The three maps show the difference in areas that are affordable in Richmond, Virginia by median household income up to 50%, 80% and 120%. The maps show that as the median household income decreases, there are less available, affordable areas, especially near the city center of Richmond. Also depicted are the average market characteristics that correspond with the colored letter blocks featured in the maps. SO, WHAT These data-driven approaches pave the way for solutions that can increase the supply of affordable housing while maximizing limited resources and strengthening neighborhoods. This includes investing in affordable neighborhoods at risk of gentrification, which provides an efficient way to preserve affordability, prevent displacement and improve neighborhoods that might not otherwise receive investment or resources. ABOUT THE CENTER FOR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY STUDIES UNCG is home to the work conducted by Dr. Stephen Sills, director of the UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies. Their work on evictions including scanning eviction court documents inspired the third eviction brief released in May: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Evictions Part 3: One-month snapshot of court records. In addition to work on evictions, the Center for Housing and Community Studies is currently involved in studies related to studies of mobile homes, immigrant and refugee housing, crime and housing, fair housing and homelessness. This post is co-authored by Ashley Williams Clark and Courtney Morton. Ashley Williams Clark is the Director of Outreach & Strategic Partnerships at the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute. The Director of Outreach & Strategic Partnerships is a new position created to help the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute strengthen its visibility and impact throughout the Charlotte region through the building of collaborative partnerships to address important regional issues. Ashley is also the author of the report, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Evictions Part 1: Evictions in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Courtney Morton coordinates posts on the Building Bridges Blog. Courtney is the Housing & Homelessness Research Coordinator for Mecklenburg County Community Support Services. Courtney’s job is to connect data on housing instability, homelessness and affordable housing with stakeholders in the community so that they can use it to drive policy-making, funding allocation and programmatic change. Continuum of Care (CoC) Update Housing Counts: Using the Numbers on Housing & Homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Counts: Looking Back and Ahead: The Ongoing Need for Systemic Solutions Housing Counts: Volunteer, Donate & Raise Awareness with the Point-in-Time Count Housing Counts: Prevention & Policy © Copyright - Mecklenburg County - Housing & Homelessness Dashboard - Enfold Theme by Kriesi Does your family need assistance? 2-1-1 is here to help.Click here to contact us.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412756
__label__cc	0.599441	0.400559	Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging– Jin Hyung Lee Associate Professor of Neurology, of Neurosurgery and of Bioengineering and, by courtesy, of Electrical Engineering Current Research and Scholarly Interests In vivo visualization and control of neural circuits Marc Lee Clinical Professor, Neurosurgery Instructor, Neurosurgery Current Research and Scholarly Interests One of the key characteristics of life is the dynamic cross-scale interactions across different levels of biological organization, such as molecules, genes, cells, tissues, organs and an organism, in their own multi-scaled environmental contexts. The dynamic property of these interactions results in variation in physiological traits across individuals, shaping individuality of an organism. The overall research direction of my laboratory is to establish in vitro experimental platforms in which we can investigate this cross-scale interaction efficiently to develop personalized therapeutic strategies. Because many aspects of cross-scale interactions are mediated by blood circulation and crosstalk between the vasculature and perivascular tissues, our current efforts are focused on engineering the functional vasculatures in pathophysiological conditions of various human tissues. We have successfully developed in vitro experimental models equipped with the capacity of real-time monitoring of individual cell behaviors, which enables effective identification of the vascular routes that induce desirable behaviors of endogenous or exogenously grafted cells. Our in vitro model allows precise and independent control of the experimental parameters in highly time- and cost- efficient ways and facilitates the development of therapeutic and preventive treatment strategies in consideration of the phenotype variations across the patient population. Michael Leong Clinical Professor, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine Current Research and Scholarly Interests - Intrathecal / Intraspinal Analgesics - Ziconotide (Prialt) - Resiniferatoxin - Industry-supported clinical trials Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery Gordon Li, MD Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and, by courtesy, of Neurology and of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Stanford University Medical Center Current Research and Scholarly Interests 1.) My laboratory studies the biology of brain tumors with the goal of developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of malignant brain tumors and translating that research into clinical trials. 2.) My clinical interests include improving surgical techniques for brain tumor surgery, immunotherapy for the treatment of glioblastoma, and novel uses for stereotactic radiosurgery. Yiping Li Clinical Instructor, Neurosurgery Frank M. Longo, MD, PhD George E. and Lucy Becker Professor in Medicine and Professor, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery Current Research and Scholarly Interests Clinical interests include Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease and the development of effective therapeutics for these disorders. Laboratory interests encompass the elucidation of signaling mechanisms relevant to neurodegenerative disorders and the development of novel small molecule approaches for the treatment of neurodegenerative and other neurological disorders. ARTS Program Visting Clerkships Visiting Residents Nuclear Medicine Monday Lectures Correlative Imaging Lecture Series Nuclear Medicine Wednesday Lectures Basic Science Lectures Molecular Imaging Journal Club Nuclear Medicine Clinical Lectures Tumor Boards Nuclear Medicine Teaching Files Radiology Residency Educational Resources VA Nuclear Medicine MedHub Internal Division Directory & Clinic Schedule Study List	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412757
__label__wiki	0.963026	0.963026	> Animation & VFX The real inspiration behind Mr. Mime in Detective Pikachu - and why it's so hard to keep Pokémon kawaii Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures By Giacomo Lee \| on May 26, 2019 The Good, the Bad and the Duckly: VFX giants MPC reveal how your favourite - and not so-favourite - Pokémon made the jump from 2D to 3D in the new Detective Pikachu movie. Warning: This article is spoilerific. On the surface, Pokémon Detective Pikachu may seem like a family film centered around everyone's favourite yellow pocket monster, but anyone who's seen the Hollywood adaptation of the Nintendo best-seller since its release this month will know things aren't that simple. Firstly is how the film is Hollywood's first attempt at Pokémon: The Movie, meaning Pikachu (or Detective Pikachu, as voiced by Ryan Reynolds) is more of a guide to the big colourful world of pocket monsters who populate the film's main setting of Ryme City. It's also fair to say that most cinema-goers were surprised by the live-action film's at times darkly bizarre nature. The rather dour opening reveals an intense interpretation of Pokémon arch foe Mewtwo that isn't for the kiddies, while one of the most celebrated scenes centres around a figure called Mr. Mime, a creature more nightmare-fuel than Christmas wish list filler. That's not mentioning Psyduck's big ol' eyes, too. Behind the creation of all these things fright and beauty-ful was the Moving Picture Company (MPC), a global leader in VFX who you may know from films like Blade Runner 2049 (in particular that amazing Rachael scene). MPC's VFX supervisor on Detective Pikachu was Pete Dionne, who revealed to us in a phone interview the amazing character design secrets in turning some of Pokémon's strangest and most beloved from 2D to three-dimensional life. The Man Behind Mr. Mime "The character design of Mr. Mime from the anime (above) is very simplistic compared to the other Pokémon we worked with," Pete tells us. "He’s got a humanoid form but with super 'cartoony' proportions and face. Honestly he’s creepy, and us imagining him into life as a human would have fueled nightmares without a doubt. "Early on we decided that the only way to pull off this character was to try and not make him look like an organic, breathing creature but go in the opposite connection, making him look as synthetic as possible. "Instead of trying to make Mr. Mime's arms and face look like flesh with anatomically-correct muscle structure, we built and shaded him as if he’s just a huge blob of silicone. The lights then shine on him and make his whole head and arms glow from that synthetic, latex-like material. Mr Mime and Justice Smith as Tim Goodman in Legendary Pictures’ and Warner Bros. Pictures’ comedy adventure “Pokémon Detective Pikachu,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures "His skin looks very recognizable as being real-world materials but it’s clearly not organic. The same thing with his red shoulder pads. We looked at those from the cartoon and decided to make them red rubber kick-balls with that same kind of textured surface. And for his torso we based the whole thing upon foam. "It's like when you have a Nerf football and you squeeze it and it just has those little micro-wrinkles in there and you can see every pore tightened up loosen as you let go of it," Pete explains. "We built that same thing into his body so that it explicitly felt like foam. He wasn't a living, breathing human, so we were really able to have a lot of fun because of the forms, especially his facial performance. We could really push it without it looking creepy, as if it was a real human falling into the 'uncanny valley.' And because he had so many of these recognizable photo-realistic shading features on him plus lighting features, he also never really felt too cartoony, despite him having the most cartoonish performance in the whole film." The performance of Mr. Mime himself was based on New Zealand physical comic Trygve Wakenshaw, who you can see below 'fighting' a toddler in front of a live audience. "Trygve is just absolutely hilarious. (Director) Rob Letterman brought him in after seeing a video online, and he did about three hours of workshopping the interrogation scene with him, which we recorded with multiple cameras. "We got absolute gold, and a large portion of that performance in the final film was inspired by Trigve’s original performance in the workshop." Mew Framed Detective Rabbit/Panda? Detective Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds) in Legendary Pictures’ and Warner Bros. Pictures’ comedy adventure “Pokémon Detective Pikachu,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures Pete revealed in our interview how the world of zoology was a big influence on the final character designs seen in the movie. "The thing with Pokémon is they’re very simplistic 2D designs. They're really adorable with their big heads, small bodies and big eyes and all the things that in character design you can turn to to make an appealing character. "But in real life if you saw an animal with these same kind of features and proportions, it would look grotesque and unnatural. "A term we threw around a lot at MPC was 'How would this Pokémon survive the night?' Could this animal make it through the night in the woods on its own? Would it be able to run away fast enough from whatever predators might pursue it? So we decided to follow the logic of nature's design. "For Pikachu, he spends so much of his time upright in the film and cartoons, with a range of motion that a human performer would have. But very quickly he turns into looking like a guy in a Pikachu suit. So I imagined him as an upright quadruped, like a rabbit. "When you think of a rabbit up on its hind legs they really swing a lot of momentum into their steps. They’re not very well balanced. "The moment that Pikachu would go down on all fours, that’s when we’d allow him to embrace the natural quadruped look. We referenced a lot of red pandas for those movements. Pete also revealed that the first facial rig for Pikachu was based on a feline muscle structure. So there you have it - Pikachu is a realistic-looking combination of rabbit, panda and pussycat. But what about that human element of Mr. Ryan Reynolds? Anime meets Actor "We decided to test the rig out by seeing how it would translate with an actor’s voice coming out of him and an actor’s performance so that we could continue our development of Pikachu," Pete tells us. "We had a list of eight or so actors that would be in the running, went onto YouTube, downloaded clips from their previous movies and did motion studies for each of them using our work-in-progress model "Ryan Reynolds really stood out from the group. He’s such a dry performer and when he telegraphs his performance into Pikachu we don’t need big gestural animated moves. With Ryan's delivery he’ll let a line in and it’ll be that little glance or smirk he gives and it’s just very contained physically, but to great effect emotionally from a performance point of view. "He was the one that just inherently felt the least cartoony. But the one challenge we ended up having was when we animated our face to match Ryan’s, he no longer felt like Pikachu. He felt like a human face, with weird eye and nose placement and structure. "So what we did was capture Ryan Reynolds doing a fast facial expression workout where we stick a head cam on him and have him run through about 80 different isolated expressions, as well as combination expressions. Then we did the same with the original 2D anime Pikachu, grabbing as many expressions as we could. "Once we had that it became clear was that Pikachu has about six or seven different core expressions that look like Pikachu. "When his mouth is wide open you have that kind of teardrop shape; when he’s sad or serious his mouth is an upside-down C, and when he’s excited or happy or mischievous it’s a W-shape. "His eyes always need to stay as big discs. And he conveys his emotions by having his upper brow tuck into the silhouette at different angles of the brow, so he either looks scary or excited or happy etc. "We'd found this playground to work with to keep it looking like Pikachu, and all of our shapes were built up as Ryan Reynold’s face, then the Pikachu equivalent, whilst also working within the constraints of an animalistic facial structure. The animator’s reference of Ryan performing would be version one of Pikachu’s performance and then we would embellish on top of that." A purple Bruce Lee? The hardest Pokémon to keep cute or kawaii was arch-nemesis Mewtwo. "We needed to build him in a way that he was serious, commanding, powerful," Pete says on the phone from Vancouver. "Physically, we wanted him to look threatening while staying within the bounds of what the Pokémon Company deemed as 'adorable.' A tall order, but Pete broke down what it took to get Mewtwo to the big screen without offending the character's proprietors back in Japan. "In earlier versions we tried to embrace the human anatomy of Mewtwo, because unlike Mr. Mime we needed him to be a convincing performer. "We were referencing Bruce Lee a lot, who like Mewtwo was very lean while still having a very solid and strong physique. As Mewtwo doesn’t have a lot of detailing on his body, and his form is pretty smooth and simplistic, what we ended up with was a purple Bruce Lee, with a big long, purple tail and giant legs. There’s really nothing adorable about that." We bet - but a simple solution ended up saving the day. "We eventually started looking for pictures of teenage boys who were very muscular. You still feel this muscular physique, but it’s less masculine. It’s more juvenile, a little softer. "We started modifying his physique in that way, making him thinner and more wiry, but still with an underlying muscle structure. We started looking for that smooth skin as he has in the show, looking at baby pigs, hairless kittens, very soft flesh with cute little micro-wrinkles." "It was also interesting that when you'd have Mewtwo in a more neutral pose under flat lighting, he's pretty appealing looking. That gave us the latitude to pose him in a menacing way, especially once Howard Clifford's spirit enters Mewtwo, and we’re really able to take on some of those personality traits. "It really allowed us to push the more menacing aspect of him, but stay anchored with the base appeal that we designed into him which the Pokemon Company signed off." Speaking of purple nemeses, I ask Pete about one surprise sequence near the film's end where - spoiler - a human character is revealed to have the eyes of a shape-shifting Ditto, revealing her true nature beneath the disguise. If you thought Mr. Mime was weird, expect to be more than a little creeped out by the sight of an adult woman in noir garb staring at the screen with big black dots for eyes. It bears more than a little resemblance to a climactic scene in live action/animation classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit? in which bad guy Judge Doom turns out to be a 'toon posing as a human, big cartoon eyes popping out of the very real face of Christopher Lloyd. While Pete says the comparison is coincidental, we've embedded the sick little scene further on down for your amusement. "In the cartoon, no matter its form, the Ditto always retains those beady little eyes," he says. "But as soon as you apply those to a human performer it got really dark and creepy, like something straight out of a horror movie. "We tried all these different anatomical solutions - scaling her eyes down, stick in an exterior eye or black contacts - but it was always creepy. It was Rob Letterman who suggested that it wouldn't be so hard if we just stuck a black dot on the actor's face. "We went for removing all anatomy in her eye cavity, leaving behind soft, featureless skin. Then we built a little half sphere of black marble that we popped on top of the flesh that ended up looking both extremely simplistic but also being the key to having something that remained adorable while serving its point narrative-wise as the big reveal." Pete may call it adorable, but I was still left a little disturbed in the cinema. Same for when I saw the Judge Doom death scene above from Roger Rabbit, a film which Detective Pikachu follows in its masterful blending of the human world with imaginary characters as though it were a natural fit. All of this success comes down to Pete and team at MPC's wonderful character design work, bringing everyone's favourite - and not so-favourite - Pokémon to life in 3D form. Call it a case of the Good, the Bad and the Duckly. Coming soon to Digital Arts: more on the world-building itself of Detective Pikachu. The film meanwhile is now out in cinemas worldwide.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412758
__label__wiki	0.95562	0.95562	Home TopicVinod Khanna Sanjay Dutt Vinod khanna sanjay dutt news Stories result for Vinod Khanna Sanjay Dutt Vinod Khanna Will Always Be Family To The Dutts, Says Sanjay Dutt Vinod Khanna appeared in several films with Sanjay Dutt's father Sunil Dutt, including 1968's Man Ka Meet. "It is saddening to hear of the demise of Vinod Khanna ji. I have watched him as a child and throughout my life was always fascinated by his style and charisma," said Sanjay Dutt Vinod Khannavinod khanna sanjay duttvinod khanna filmsVinod khanna deathBollywood Sanjay Dutt to feature in qawwali song after 41 years Sanjay Dutt, who starred as a child actor in a qawwali song in Reshma aur Shera four decades age, will now be seen as a qawwali singer in a song from Apoorva Lakhia's remake of Zanjeer. sanjay dutt zanjeer sher khan sanjay dutt zanjeer reshma aur sheraBollywood Amitabh Bachchan on shooting near the LoC and living in tents Amitabh Bachchan's latest Tuesday memoir deals with the filming of Reshma Aur Shera (1972) in a tiny village called Pochina near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. amitabh bachchan. reshma aur shera pochina rajasthan jaisalmaer sunil duttBollywood	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412768
__label__cc	0.59908	0.40092	Mr & Mrs Hale Visited Places Our Instagram Pages Mr Hale’s Instagram Mrs Hale’s Instagram Posted on Mar 18, 2019 Mar 19, 2019 by Kim & Curtis Hale Place 74 – Day 4: San Francisco,CA – Alcatraz & Cable Car We took the tram to the city this morning and then had to take another tram to get down to where we needed to be. We got there at exactly the time we needed to be and then had to stand in line for a while. We eventually started to board the boat to Alcatraz Island (which means Pelican, by the way!). The Arrival We arrived at the island fairly quickly and there were a lot of people! We first had to stop at the entrance and get a brief talk from a park ranger as Alcatraz is a national park. The first building itself is quite daunting as thst isn’t even the prison! There is a cool sign at the entrance, too; We made our way up to the theatre and got a seat whilst waiting for the introductory film to play. The film was about 15 minutes long and just explained the history of Alcatraz. We moved on from here to one of the workshops which was only open for a brief time today. Along the way, we saw the power station, remains of the officer recreation hall and the former firing range. Recreation Hall For Officers We entered the workshop and it was pretty damaged. Most glass was smashed and there were sinks and toilets leftover, as well a sign, for some reason! There was an art exhibition in another room in here, but it was pretty unrelated to the workshop. This is the place in which prisoners would work, making things, sometimes for the military but also worked in the laundry area. There were some incredible views from this island, especially with the weather we had for the start of the day! We walked up to the prison, getting some awesome photos on the way. The Cell Block The First Lighthouse In Western America We got to the start of the audio tour, which was in the shower block of the prison, where there was also clothes from the prison times. We went from here up some stairs and into the main prison block. The audio guide told us multiple stories and information about different cells and locations around the prison, including solitary confinement, attempted escapes, living conditions and more. A Prison Cell Which Someone Escaped From A Solitary Confinement Cell – Nicer, But The Prisoner Spends 24/7 Here The Main Hallway We moved through the library and we were then told about a part of the prison that has marks on the floor from grenade blasts which were thrown in during an attempted escape, via a hole in the roof. We saw the visitation station, followed by the officer area and then the officer’s control room. The final area was the most dangerous – The dining hall. This was where everyone ate and therefore had cutlery. A lot of the kitchen equipment is still there, along with a board of the menu for breakfast. The food was the best here out of all the prisons, so much so that the guards ate the same as the prisoners. Former Inmate There was a former inmate, now in his 80’s, who was signing books. He has written a book about being in Alcatraz. His name is William Baker. Here Is A Link To William Baker’s Book – Amazon The Trip Back To San Francisco We took the boat back and, by this time, having spent a while on the island, the weather had got more overcast, more windy, and much colder! We got back to the city safe and sound and went for a coffee to warm up. In And Out Burger We had seen that In And Out burgers were meant to be great, so we lined up to get ours! The menu hasn’t changed since 1948, so there weren’t many options, but we had to get the ‘double-double’ which was double beef and double cheese. In And Out Burger History The ingredients are fresh and made to order, so it’s fast food, but fresh! The burgers and the fries were terrific. The fries don’t look great, but they were fresh and delicious! We were well filled, so we left here and planned to head home, but then saw the old cable car and had to jump on! Our transport passes got us on, too, so that’s a win! These cable cars were 146 years old and the only city to have them was San Francisco. We eventually got a chance to ride it hanging off the edge, which was awesome! We got off the cable car in the shopping district and got Curtis a cheap pair of shoes for summer. Curtis’ current shoes have lasted well, but they’ve hit the end of their life, so new shoes it is for Curtis. He got some nice Levi’s shoes, weirdly. Just $20 though! Rammed Tram We took the tram home, but this was at around 19:00 so it was absolutely rammed for a while. We got home and were incredibly tired…we have been on our feet for over 9 hours, so laying down and watching TV was great. This Time Last Year! CategoriesSan Francisco,CA Tagsalcatraz, blog, boat, cable car, coffee, Couple, cruise, dinner, fast food, ferry, Food, in and out burger, jail, Married, old, prison, san fran, san Francisco, things to do, things to do san Francisco, tour, Travel, travel blog, traveling, travelling One Reply to “Place 74 – Day 4: San Francisco,CA – Alcatraz & Cable Car” Tom and Maggie (mum and dad) says: What a great day. I knew it would he fascinating. Enjoy the rest of your week. Love you lots. Laters. Xoxoxo Previous PostPrevious Place 74 – Day 3: San Francisco,CA – Golden Gate Park Walk, Bison & Dutch Windmill Next PostNext Place 74 – Day 5: San Francisco,CA – Mission Dolores Park & Ferry Building Mrandmrshale Facebook Page View mrandmrshale’s profile on Facebook View curtis hale’s profile on Instagram View kimbo.h_’s profile on Instagram Click to follow our blog, MrandMrsHale, and receive an email when we post our daily blog! 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__label__wiki	0.863271	0.863271	Hip Hop & R&B After Hours Исполнитель: Various artists 2014 rap Anytime (Re-Recorded) — Brian McKnight Whatta Man (Re-Recorded) — Salt-N-Pepa Incomplete (Re-Recorded) — Sisqo O.P.P. (Re-Recorded) — Naughty By Nature Get It on Tonite (Re-Recorded)Remastered — Montell Jordan Party Up (Up in Here) [Re-Recorded] — DMX Set Adrift on Memory Bliss (Re-Recorded) — P.M. Dawn Kung Fu Fighting (Re-Recorded) — CeeLo Green If I Fall in Love Again [Re-Recorded]Acapella Version — Shai Candy Rain (Re-Recorded) — Soul For Real I'll Do 4 U (Re-Recorded) — Father MC Let's Get Married [Re-Recorded]Remix — Jagged Edge PiscesAlternate Mix — Mariah Carey, Trey Lorenz No Diggity (Re-Recorded) — Blackstreet Oh Sheila (Re-Recorded) — Ready For The World Freak Like Me (Re-Recorded) — Adina Howard Don't Be Cruel (Re-Recorded) — Bobby Brown I Wanna Sex You Up (Re-Recorded) — Color Me Badd Wipeout (Re-Recorded) — Fat Boys Freak Me (Re-Recorded) Ice Ice Baby (Re-Recorded) — Vanilla Ice Knockin' da Boots (Re-Recorded) — H-Town Kissing You (Re-Recorded) — Keith Washington Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...) [Re-Recorded] — Lou Bega Sunshine (Re-Recorded) — Lil' Flip White Lines (Re-Recorded) — Grandmaster Flash, The Furious Five Do Me Baby (Re-Recorded) — Meli'Sa Morgan Let It Whip (Re-Recorded) — Dazz Band Just a Friend (Re-Recorded) — Biz Markie — Tone-Loc Thong Song (Re-Recorded) Back at One (Re-Recorded) Hangin' on a String (Re-Recorded) — Loose Ends I Wonder If I Take You Home (Re-Recorded) — Cult Jam, Lisa Lisa I Miss You (Re-Recorded) — Klymaxx Treat 'Em Right (Re-Recorded) — Chubb Rock Every Little Thing I Do (Re-Recorded) Knockin' Boots (Re-Recorded) — Candyman Happy with You (Re-Recorded) — Samantha Cole Where the Party At? (Re-Recorded) Fantastic Voyage (Re-Recorded) — Coolio I Got a Man (Re-Recorded) — Positive K One Last Cry (Re-Recorded) Why You Treat Me so Bad (Re-Recorded) — Club Nouveau Stroke You Up (Re-Recorded) — Changing Faces Wild Wild West (Re-Recorded) — Kool Mo Dee It Takes Two (Re-Recorded) — Rob Base Basketball (Re-Recorded) — Kurtis Blow Hip Hop Hooray (Re-Recorded) She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked) [Re-Recorded] — Carl Carlton ЛейблX-Ray Исполнитель: Soul For Real My love, do you ever dream of Candy coated raindrops? You’re the same, my candy rain Have you ever loved someone My love, do you ever dream of Candy coated raindrops? You’re the same, my candy rain Have you ever loved someone So much you thought you’d die? Giving so much of yourself It seems the only way Tell me what you want and I And I will give it to you Cause you are My love, do you ever dream of Candy coated raindrops? You’re the same, my candy rain My love, did you ever dream That it could be so right? I never thought that I would find All that I need in life All I want, all I need now, I know I know I found it in you, I found it in you Cause you are My love, do you ever dream of Candy coated raindrops? You’re the same, my candy rain My love, do you ever dream of Candy coated raindrops? You’re the same, my candy rain My love, do you ever dream of Candy coated raindrops? You’re the same, my candy rain Candy coated raindrops Candy coated raindrops My love, do you ever dream of Candy coated raindrops? You’re the same, my candy rain My love, do you ever dream of Candy coated raindrops? Soul For Real 2009 сингл Re-Recorded / Remastered 101 Hits of the 80s & 90s #1 '90s Album 100 Hip Hop Hits Summertime Hip Hop 200 Hits - the Only 200 Songs You'll Ever Need 2010 a Desert Island Collection Hip Hop R&B Gold 80s & 90s 2013 Re-Recorded Versions Sex And The City - Emotional Music From TV & Film 2010 Re-Recorded / Remastered Versions Old Skool R&B Classic Anthems - The Greatest All Time Rnb Hits Ever Hip Hop R&B Hits Hip Hop R&B Players Happy With YouRe-Recorded / Remastered Samantha Cole DJ Redbi, DJ Party Jadi Pilihanku Don't Look Any Further Stevie B Kayınpeder Ragga Oktay Native New Yorkeralbum mix Irreplaceable[In the style of Beyonce]Karaoke Lead Vocal Demo	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412776
__label__cc	0.691814	0.308186	Anime Reviews, Drama, Romance, Science Fiction Orange – Anime Review 13 March 2017 Nefarious Reviews 10 Comments Japanese Title: Orange Related: Orange: Mirai (alternative perspective + extended ending) Similar: Erased Watched in: Japanese & English Genre: Science Fiction Drama Romance Length: 13 episodes Nice colouring and animation. Some sweet moments. Forgettable characters. One of the weakest, most non-committal endings. Needs to be smarter. (Request an anime for review here.) The more I think of Orange, the dumber it gets. Okay, you receive a letter from your future self warning of the death of a friend. Included are a list of events and instructions on how to save your friend. Do you: a) Read the whole letter to know what’s to come or b) Leave the letter and read each event at the last moment or better yet, after the crucial event. Now imagine you’re the future self, do you: a) Tell your past self exactly what happens or b) Keep events vague so the story isn’t spoiled. You know, I’m not convinced you care about saving your friend. This scenario is where Naho finds herself. The letter from her future warns that the new transfer student, Kakeru, who joins her circle of friends, will die soon. The letter laments Naho’s many regrets in life, such as not playing in a school baseball game, sharing an umbrella with Kakeru… Wait, these are the crucial regrets that will save Kakeru’s life? Furthermore, the ultimate plan save to Kakeru is to get him together with Naho. It’s not that he has deep psychological issues because of his unstable mother and her suicide. No, he needs a date. The goals are so menial, so petty that despite the consequence being someone’s death, it doesn’t feel as though the story has anything at stake. Orange is a slice of life anime trying to convince us it’s a drama. I can’t even talk of what happens during spoiler moments (‘spoiler’ is too strong a word here). There is a twist of sorts in act 2 that makes Naho’s decision not to read the whole letter seem genius. Turns out, Naho doesn’t get smarter with age. Look, the premise is interesting, but such a timid approach isn’t viable. Compare Orange to Erased. Both feature abuse, parental problems, warnings from the future, and death as the consequence, yet feel nothing alike. Where Erased has tension, Orange worries about playing sports. Erased has its many faults and I appreciate that it’s easier to pull off this story when you have a murderer to confront, but at least it understood the weight of its consequence. The only time Orange bothers to have any weight is in the final episode. And you know what caps it off? One of those non-committal, insipid endings that doesn’t want to make the tough choices with its characters. The live-action film deviates from the source material in this one aspect, to better results, which is something. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the explanation for how the letters travelled back in time is…idiotic. This is fiction, where you can do whatever you want and you went with the science fiction equivalent of ‘pulled out of the arse’? I would show no surprise if I learnt that Orange took a day to write. No effort went into any part of this story. I have enjoyed many mediocre or bad stories because of good characters. Orange does not have these. Naho is too dim-witted to find endearing. Apart from not reading the whole letter like a logical person, one point of “conflict” has her not understand what Kakeru means by holding out his hand. “A guy I’m dating (sorta) reaches for my hand several times. What could he possibly want? What does it mean!?” No joke, she has to consult her friends for an answer. I really hope no one’s relying on Naho to save a life… The other friends are forgettable. I honestly forgot the nerd friend until past the mid-point, thinking he was a background filler student until then. These friends lack those moments that endear the reader to the group. The first scene that tries in episode one has them hanging out, eating bread from one friend’s family bakery. I don’t know about you, dear reader, but eating bread isn’t enough to make me love characters. They have some joke about one girl’s nickname related to a shinkansen, which they find hilarious…for some reason. Think back to your favourite group of fictional friends and how quickly you loved them. The TV show Friends is my go to example – one scene and I want to see more of them. Orange’s friends can barely fill a test tube with their chemistry. What good is there to say of Orange? Well, it isn’t atrocious, more sigh-worthy when logic jumps out the window, and the visuals and audio are pleasant. They fit perfectly to the slice of life Orange wishes it could be. In essence, everything taken from the manga is lazy while the rest is good. Art – High Nice colours and a good amount of animation found here, but some of it looks strange, such as the way a couple of characters smile – coat hangers in their lips. Sound – Medium The voice work is good in Japanese and English, though the script doesn’t allow for much. I like the OP and ED for being different from other anime in the genre. Story – Low A schoolgirl receives a letter from her future self to save a friend from death. Orange is a slice of life masquerading as a drama that needed more thought before the first draft. Overall Quality – Low Recommendation: Skip it. Orange makes no effort to recommend itself. Watch Erased if the premise entices you or the recently reviewed Your Lie in April if you want a romance about avoiding regrets. (Request reviews here. Find out more about the rating system here.) Awards: (hover over each award to see descriptions; click award for more recipients) Positive: None AnimeDramaOrangeRomanceSchool LifeScience FictionShoujoTragedy Previous PostYour Lie in April – Anime ReviewNext PostFrom Up on Poppy Hill – Anime Review 10 thoughts on “Orange – Anime Review” Karandi says: I agree that the premise of this utterly lets the story down and they really do just need to get Kakeru into counselling rather than trying to ‘save’ their friend by themselves. How is it ten year older versions of themselves don’t understand that? Nefarious Reviews says: I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I expected them to fail in everything and then earn the lesson in the end that he needs psychological help. But no, he needs a DATE! What the hell? Ha ha. Kapodaco says: [Readies himself for a commonly used statement] I hear the manga’s better. I have heard the same, but unless the execution is 100% different, I have no motivation to read it. Pingback: In Case You Missed It \| 100WordAnime naomiblog says: Great review. I agree that the ending was disapointing. The explaination for how the letters were sent back in time was so stupid. I agree with you about the characters eating bread in the first episode. Was this seriously supposed to sell me on the characters friendship? It was kinda lame, should have been karoake or bike riding, anything other than bread. Naho was an annoying and stupid character. I facepalmed a lot when I questioned her decisions. How was she still dumb 10 years later? This was a show I wish I could forget, same with a lot of Shoujo I’ve seen. They seem to be all the same. I didn’t really notice a difference with the characters 10 years later because they had so few defining qualities to alter during the time gap. So yep, she’s just as stupid. For some good shoujo, see His and Her Circumstances (but do know that it is incomplete with an empty ending) for romance, Revolutionary Girl Utena if you want something weird, Ouran High School Host Club for comedy, Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun for even greater comedy, or Rose of Versailles for a classic and favourite of mine. I have reviews for all of these so you can see what’s to your taste. Hope you find something worthwhile! Thanks for the recommendations! I’ll check out your other reviews. 🙂 Pingback: Tsukigakirei – Anime Review \| Nefarious Reviews Pingback: ReLIFE – Anime Review \| Nefarious Reviews Scheduled reviews: Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo (reader request)	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412781
__label__wiki	0.519442	0.519442	Mr. Badd, Ultra Dimension Residents, Humans, Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory Characters Seven Sages members Mister Badd “ But it's also my chance to bury all four CPUs here and take over the world like a true businessman! ” — Mr. Badd アクダイジーン Akudaijīn Mech Suit Mister Badd, known as Akudaijin in the Japanese version, is a member of the Seven Sages and his role mostly seems to be that of the organizer for the group. The name he is addressed as is merely an alias and no one knows for certain what his real name is. Mr. Badd is visually the oldest member of the Seven Sages. He is a middle-aged man that has short gray hair along with thick framed square glasses on his face. His attire consists of a navy blue business suit accompanied with a black tie with light blue circular line designs as well has simple black dress shoes. Mr. Badd can hardly be called villainous despite his actions during the Seven Sages. Mr. Badd can easily be called a sentimental middle-aged man due to his actions during the events of the children being kidnapped where he confessed to always wanting children of his own and loved the girls who were made into monsters after having CPU Memories forced upon them as if they were his real daughters. As his appearance suggests, Mr. Badd loves business and anything related to it, claiming during the Seven Sages' meetings that he wanted it to be over so he could "work late" again. Main Article: Mister Badd/Relationships Initially, Mr. Badd acts as Lowee's Prime Minister and therefore serves directly under Blanc while hiding the fact that he is really working alongside the Seven Sages as a double agent. When Neptune, Plutia, and Noire take down Blanc during Abnes's live broadcast, it causes her to lose all of her faith and therefore take away her ability to transform. With Blanc completely powerless and Neptune and the others completely worn out from the fight, Mr. Badd orders Loweean soldiers to lock them up in a holding cell. As an extra precaution incase they escape, he also designed a dungeon filled with powerful monsters. However, this is all for naught when Vert frees them from the cell and they escape his dungeon. Mr. Badd confronts them with his mech suit but is defeated. After the battle, White Heart and Iris Heart torture and humiliate him on live television. He begs Warechu to stop filming it, but Warechu refuses, fearful of Iris Heart would do to him if he did. After the humiliation and torture, Mr. Badd is allowed to leave. During the events with Seven Sages kidnapping children and making and attempting to make them into goddesses, Mr. Badd attacks Leanbox with strange monsters which Neptune and the others have a hard time beating due to them constantly bouncing back. when Abnes reveals the location to where the Seven Sages are holding the captured children, the party heads there and are faced with Mr. Badd yet again. They learn that the strange monsters are actually girls who had been kidnapped and had a CPU Memory forced upon them which lead to them being turned into monsters. Sometime after that battle, Mr. Badd ordered his "daughters" to not fight anymore. Mr. Badd encounters the CPUs again when they try to free Peashy, and battles them without the assistance of his "daughters". He is defeated and about to be killed when his "daughters" stop them from doing so. Mr. Badd reveals that he feels remorse for turning the girls into monsters, and that he had been taking good care of them (such as giving them presents and attention). He also tells them that he was trying to find a way to change the back into their human forms as his final request before dying to them. Noire assures the creatures that they can come to Lastation's Basilicom so that they can find a way to change them and spares Mr. Badd. Completely shocked that he is being spared and delighted that someone else is going to help them, Mr. Badd leaves the Seven Sages. In the True End of the game, Mr. Badd moves to Lastation and leaves the girls in the Basilicom, going out grocery shopping. When he returns, he finds the girls have turned back into their normal forms and informs Noire of this. No one is aware of who did it, though it is shown later on that Anonydeath was responsible for reverting the girls back. His Japanese name "Akudaijin" is a word play of the Japanese words "aku" ("evil") and "daijin" ("minister"), fitting to his role as Blanc's evil minister. His English alias "Badd" is pun to the word "bad", which underlines his role as a bad person. Main Article: Mister Badd/Quotes Mr. Badd is the first non-silhouetted human male character. Despite being human, he is categorized as a machine-type Bestiary, due to his fighting robot suit. Ultra Dimension Characters CPUs Plutia · Noire · Blanc · Vert · Peashy Makers IF · Compa · Falcom · MarvelousAQL · CyberConnect2 · Tekken · Broccoli · 1st-Gen Compa Seven Sages Rei Ryghts · Abnes · Arfoire · Warechu · Copypaste · Mister Badd · Anonydeath Other Histoire · Croire · Furapura · Deco · Neptune Retrieved from "https://neptunia.fandom.com/wiki/Mister_Badd?oldid=55772" Mr. Badd Ultra Dimension Residents	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412783
__label__wiki	0.82539	0.82539	Visual Neuroscience Post-doc in Non-Human Primates NIMH - Lab of Brain and Cognition Postdoctoral fellows-spatial navigation and memory National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes Lecturer in Neuroscience at University of Maryland Post-doctoral research fellow Postdoctoral position at the National Institute of Health (NINDS) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship The Johns Hopkins University Postdoctoral Fellow: Substance Use Disorder And Neuroimaging NIH Postdoctoral Fellowships in Molecular Addiction Research Falk Lohoff, M.D. NIAAA CGET Postdoctoral Position in Systems Neuroscience Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Williamson Laboratory) Post-doctoral positions at the Adaptive Brain Lab, University of Cambridge, UK University of Cambridge, Department of Psychology Postdoctoral and PhD positions at Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE, Moscow, Russia National Research University Higher School of Economics Postdoc in Synaptic Biology Biederer Lab at Yale University Post-doctoral Fellow in Developmental Neuroscience Children's National Hospital 2 postdoctoral positions at the Learning and Cognitive Control Lab, Ghent University, Belgium Gent, Belgium Ghent University Postdoctoral Research Fellow Assistant Professor in computational neuroscience and machine learning Université de Montréal - Department of Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow in Vascular Biology	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412784
__label__wiki	0.671755	0.671755	Robotic recycling hand knows which materials it's grabbing By Ben Coxworth Robotic recycling hand knows w... A Baxter robot uses the RoCycle hand to sort objects for recycling MIT CSAIL The components of the RoCycle hand The RoCycle hand can identify metal items via conductive sensors In municipal recycling facilities, workers pick through discarded items going past on a conveyor belt, sorting them according to their material. While this setup is a source of employment, it's also costly, limiting the economic feasibility of such operations. A new material-detecting robot hand, however, could help bring costs down. Known as RoCycle, the device is being developed in a partnership between MIT and Yale University. Compatible with any third-party robotic arm, it's reportedly 85 percent accurate at differentiating between paper, plastic and metal items when they're sitting still, and 63 percent accurate when they have to be grabbed off a moving conveyor belt. Both of those figures should rise as the technology is developed further. RoCycle utilizes two soft-bodied fingers to pick up objects, gently squeezing them as it does so. First of all, this allows it gauge the size of each item. Additionally, utilizing pressure sensors in the fingers, it measures the amount of force that's required to grasp the object. This indicates the stiffness of that object's material. Custom software then compares those size and stiffness figures to those for a variety of known paper and plastic items, that have previously been entered into a database. When a match is found, the system knows what the hand is holding, and what that thing is made of. The pressure sensors are also conductive, which lets the system identify metal objects. Once an item's material has been ascertained, the RoCycle-equipped arm proceeds to drop the object in an appropriate bin. And while the fingers are soft and squishy, they're not as fragile as other "soft robotic" devices. That's because instead of having a balloon-like body, each finger consists of two parallel cylinders, covered in a silicone sleeve. Those cylinders are in turn made of an auxetic polymer, which actually gets wider as it's stretched. When a motor turns the cylinders, the polymer twists and stretches, thus getting wider and making the finger fatter. Called "handed shearing auxetics" (HSA), this technology not only makes for soft fingers that are still relatively hardy, but it also allows regular motors to be used. By contrast, some fluid-based soft robotic systems require more expensive air pumps or compressors. The researchers are now working on combining the RoCycle tech with video output from robots' cameras, allowing for greater accuracy by using both tactile and visual data. "Computer vision alone will not be able to solve the problem of giving machines human-like perception, so being able to use tactile input is of vital importance," says MIT's Prof. Daniela Rus, lead author of a paper on the research. That paper is being presented later this month at the IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics in Seoul, South Korea. In the meantime, RoCycle can be seen in action, in the video below. Source: MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) A Recycling Robot RoboticsRecyclingMITYale Ben Coxworth Based out of Edmonton, Canada, Ben Coxworth has been writing for New Atlas since 2009 and is presently Managing Editor for North America. An experienced freelance writer, he previously obtained an English BA from the University of Saskatchewan, then spent over 20 years working in various markets as a television reporter, producer and news videographer. Ben is particularly interested in scientific innovation, human-powered transportation, and the marine environment. paul314 April 11, 2019 09:22 PM The auxetic polymer looks kinda like a cylinder that's been slashed into strands in some kind of spiral pattern. Which makes sense with the handedness, because it would tighten up and get smaller when twisted to make more turns of the spiral, and expand when twisted the other way. So possibly something that relies more on mechanical engineering than fancy chemistry.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412785
__label__cc	0.517361	0.482639	The Corinthian 330 East 38th Street \| Murray Hill The Corinthian: I would like information on apartments in The Corinthian. Please contact me ASAP. With a structure that resembles tightly packed cylinders, the Corinthian at 330 East 38th Street is a striking residential tower that occupies the full block between 37th and 38th Streets in Midtown Manhattan. Designed by Der Scutt and Michael Schimenti and built by Bernard Spitzer, this 55-story building was once New York City’s largest apartment building. Thanks to its unique curved structure, every apartment has large, curved bay windows that fill rooms with a lot of light. Just like the outside of the Corinthian is distinctive and awe-inspiring, the interiors of this luxury apartment building are worth a look as well. The building has an awe-inspiring lobby, which has been billed as grander than most major hotels and movie sets. In terms of living spaces, the Corinthian condominiums don’t disappoint either. The 840 stunning apartments in the Corinthian come in studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom and four-bedroom layouts. But the Corinthian has still more to offer, thanks to its numerous five-star amenities. A 24 hour doorman, a concierge and valet service, full underground parking, an indoor swimming pool, a fitness club—the list of amenities here seem to go on and on. Adding to the allure of the Corinthian is its incredible location. Living in Midtown Manhattan would be living in the heart of the bustling metropolis that is New York City, and the Corinthian is the best place to enjoy this fascinating vibe. 330 East 38th Street Neighborhood Highlights Built-in Closets Glass Shower Rain Shower The Corinthian Info Bernard Spitzer Rose Associates Wechsler & Schimenti Post-war High-rise Business Meeting Room 330 East 38th Street Updates Interested in staying informed the 330 East 38th Street and other luxury condo buildings throughout Manhattan - you have come to the right place. Get the latest updates for The Corinthian Ice, Ice, Baby: Murray Hill’s Best Cafés For Cold (and Hot) Coffee	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412786
__label__wiki	0.968417	0.968417	Home>Highlight>Campaign treasurer says Hill not entitled to funds Carmen Memoli Campaign treasurer says Hill not entitled to funds Councilman suing for roughly $26,000 raised under Gilmore By Nikita Biryukov, May 11 2019 4:22 am Carmen Memoli, the treasurer of a campaign account an Ocean County Superior Court judge ordered frozen Wednesday, on Friday said Toms River Councilman Mo Hill did not have a right to any of the money in the account. Hill filed a suit against Memoli, Ocean County Republican chairman candidate Frank Sadhegi and the joint fundraising committee Hill was part of before he made his primary challenge to county-backed Toms River mayoral candidate Joseph Coronato. “He did nothing to raise any of that money. He did not raise a finger to raise that money,” Memoli, who was treasurer of Hill’s 2015 campaign. Sadhegi is listed as the committee’s chairman on documents submitted to the Election Law Enforcement Commission. Councilman Dan Rodrick is also seeking the mayoral nomination. Memoli said ELEC director of compliance Stephanie Olivo told him there were no written rules or regulations that might entitle Hill to the money. “She said the control of the money is in the hands of the finance chairperson and the treasurer, and if anybody doesn’t like it, then they have to bring suits,” he said. “So, Mo didn’t like it, and here we are going to court.” The councilman claims he is due $25,832.50 of the $103,330 left in the account, which named “CTRE Kelaher, Hill, Kubiel and Whitmann.” The committee is named after Mayor Thomas Kelaher and Councilmen George Wittman, Brian Kubiel and Hill. The former three are not seeking re-election this year. Memoli, a CPA at the accounting firm Memoli & Company, PC, said he has since disbursed most of the funds in the account to Coranato, a former Ocean County prosecutor, but had held back a portion in case Hill’s suit proved successful. “It’s going to show up any day now on ELEC reports — three quarters of the money,” Memoli said. “I held back one quarter because I knew this was coming.” A hearing in the case is set for May 17. To Memoli, Hill’s attempt at the money in the joint committee’s account and his bid for the mayor’s seat of second largest town in Ocean County are a case of sour grapes over his being twice passed over by county Republicans. “He’s been a sore sport from day one,” Memoli said. “He lost the Screening Committee 10 votes to nine, then he wanted to go before the club. He lost the club vote 43 to 35, and then he decided to run a primary after agreeing in the beginning that he would follow whatever the screening committee came up with. He’s had a sense of entitlement from day one with this.” At the time the Ocean County GOP made its pick, George Gilmore was still the county chairman. Since that endorsement came down in March, Hill taken aim at Gilmore, his criticism intensifying following Gilmore’s conviction on federal tax charges last month. “It is a shame that we have to go to court to get the funds raised in my name in order to get our message out to the Toms River voters,” Hill said earlier Friday. “But that is the campaign strategy of convicted felon George Gilmore, Carmen Memoli and Frank Sadeghi who are now running the campaign account of my opponent Joe Coronato who was handpicked by Mr. Gilmore.” On April 17, a jury decided Gilmore was guilty on two counts of failing to pay employee payroll taxes and one count of making false statements on a bank application. It found he was not guilty on two counts of filing false tax returns and did not return a verdict on tax evasion charges. A week after Gilmore’s conviction, Hill claimed the then-chairman had frozen the account. Even following his conviction, many Ocean County Republicans have eschewed criticism of Gilmore, though Hill does not number not among them. Given that, Hill’s attempt at funds raised by money under Gilmore’s watch struck Memoli as odd. “Mo Hill’s quick leap to condemn George Gilmore — doesn’t want anything to do with him,” Memoli said. “but yet, now he wants to take the money that George helped raise.” Tagged Brian Kubiel, Carmen Memoli, Frank Sadhegi, George Gilmore, George Wittman, Joseph Coronato, Mo Hill, Thomas Kelaher Highlight National Congress Governor Beto O’Rourke NJ campaign to be organized by Mike Beson, Justin Shoham Beson was Howard Dean state director long before campaign took off Booker campaigns in New Hampshire Six stops on first post-announcement trip to the state Steinhardt tells Republicans no campaign NDAs or else GOP State Chairman would deny party support to candidates, organizations that require Monica Walsh, popular NJ political figure, dies at 67 Incumbent freeholders want ELEC to investigate Dinsmore payment	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412787
__label__wiki	0.869444	0.869444	/ Modified nov 2, 2010 2:38 p.m. From Thailand to Tucson: New Temple in Tucson is Attracting a Variety of People Buddhist Temple and Meditation Center opens at former school for landscape architecture. by Tony Paniagua TWEET SHARE Ajahn Sarayut, the leader and teacher at the Buddhist temple, moved to the United States from Thailand in 2000 and worked at another temple prior to opening Wat Buddhameta on Swan Road just north of 22nd Street. Sarayut says the name of the facility means "loving kindness of the Buddha" or "the temple of loving kindness," and he hopes it inspires many people in Southern Arizona to come by and pay a visit. “My goal is to expand the community to American people here in Tucson and to maybe give the opportunity to American people in Tucson to be able to appreciate the teaching and the practice in Buddhism, especially meditation,” says Sarayut. The temple offers various services including a study group, a chanting class and the meditation. Tucson attorney Ken Goldberg heard about the temple and decided to take part. He says he's glad he did. "I had a business, lost my business and it took my life savings with it and that was excruciating emotional pain, and I found out through meditation it really wasn’t that important. I found out by studying Buddhism that it really didn’t mean anything, that money was going to come and go anyway. So I found great solace.” Local nurse Mary Ageton agrees because she had been dealing with very challenging experiences. "It’s really brought me a lot of peace in my life. I was going through a very difficult time in my life a few months ago in closing my retail business and had a lot of frustrations and some anger and resentments, and it’s really helped me let go of all of that and it’s made my transition much easier," says Ageton. The temple is also a welcome facility for many immigrants from Thailand, such as residents from Sierra Vista who previously had to drive to Phoenix to congregate with other Buddhists. Buddhist Temple and Meditation Center MORE: Arizona, Arizona Spotlight, People and Places, Tucson Infinite Lifetimes The great white whale, sighted in Tucson! Youth Crossing Gender Borders, Episode 2: Changing Expectations	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412788
__label__wiki	0.821641	0.821641	North Carolina gets new state board of elections with NC-09 investigation still pending By Emily Aubert Gov. Roy Cooper (D) appointed three Democrats and two Republicans to the new North Carolina State Board of Elections: Stella Anderson (D), David Black (R), Jeff Carmon III (D), Bob Cordle (D), and Ken Raymond (R). Cordle was elected chairman of the board Thursday. Reaching a conclusion in the 2018 election for North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District, where there is an ongoing investigation into alleged election fraud, is the top priority of the new board. Four board votes are required to order a new election and three votes are required to certify the current returns that have Mark Harris (R) leading Dan McCready (D) by 905 votes. At least one board member must cross party lines to move forward on the race. The board will also work to implement new voter identification requirements and evaluate voting equipment for upcoming elections. Emily Aubert Emily Aubert is a staff writer at Ballotpedia and can be reached at emily.aubert@ballotpedia.org	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412789
__label__cc	0.537711	0.462289	The route a hovercraft would take between the village of Akutan and the runway on Akun Island. A $64 million runway for no one in Alaska? Remember Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere," a $400 million span that was supposed to connect Ketchikan to its airport on sparsely inhabited Gravina Island? The project gained infamy in 2005 as a waste of taxpayer dollars and the funds earmarked for it were withheld. The 8,000 residents of Ketchikan continue to be connected to their airport by ferry. Fast forward six years and another remote Alaskan airport project is raising questions about how the government spends money. The price this time is $77 million and the place is Akutan, a remote island village in the Aleutian chain, according to a report from the Alaska Dispatch. By next winter Akutan is scheduled to have a 4,500-foot-long runway, built at a cost of $64 million ($59 million in federal and $5 million state funds), the Dispatch reports. The problem is, the runway is on Akun Island, 6 miles from the village across the treacherous waters of the Bering Sea. Plying those waters can be tricky with seas over 6 feet and winds above 30 mph. Original plans called for using a hovercraft - at a cost of $11 million - to ferry passengers from Akutan to Akun. But, the Dispatch points out, the same model hovercraft planned for the route has proven unreliable under similar conditions elsewhere in Alaska. And when it did run, operating losses were in the millions. Now, transportation officials are considering using a helicopter to ferry passengers from Akutan, according to the Dispatch report. Cost of that is still being determined. Should officials get it all figured out and funded, who'll benefit? Akutan has a year-round population of 100, but that spikes to about 1,000 in the summer when Trident Seafoods processing plant, the largest seafood processing plant in North America, is in operation, the Dispatch reports. Trident is contributing $1 million to the project, the Dispatch says. And why is this necessary? Air service to Akutan is now provided by World War II-era amphibious aircraft operated by Peninsula Airways. Those are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain, Peninsula Vice President Brian Carricaburu told the Dispatch. Carricaburu also says the runway could cut the government's costs in one way. Peninsula Airways routes to Akutan are now subsidized by about $700,000 annually under the federal Essential Air Service program. Using bigger, more efficient aircraft could bring that cost down, he told the Dispatch. But to reach that point, it looks like a lot of figurative bridges have to be crossed. Filed under: Air travel • Alaska • Travel The oil companies will be drilling here. fidgetwidget What? You're just catching on to this trend? Runways to Nowhere are located all over the US, not just Alaska. Same with bridges, roads, etc. JackT Then, DON'T LIVE THERE!!!! Why are my tax dollars used to build a runway on PERMAFROST???? And, at a cost to FEDERAL Taxpayers of $59 MILLION dollars, the article does not mention how many inhatibants this would serve? What, 100, 200, 300? This is STILL an example of runaway Government spending. Actually, it does mention how many residents the runway would serve. Between 100 in the off months to 1000 in the busy months. COMPLETE waste of money. Justen beiber I can see Russia from my house. You too can get a bridge or an airport built by corrupt politicians. You just need to make a large donation. Our politicians should be jailed! They are traitors. cory bricco I bet people said the same thing hundreds of years ago when Europe was sinking money into that "new world" landmass across the atlantic, it'll never work they said.... Are you a government contractor or a politician... or one of the 100 residents of this town... or do you sell hovercrafts? Seriously? We're not talking about a 'New World.' We're talking about a remote island with between 100-1000 inhabitants. They will have $16 muffins at the airport lounge, but the federal government will defray the costs by paying for $15 of every muffin. TomNPitt How can this article have such a tongue in cheek air to it. Like, "Those Alaskan's – such a fun bunch of people". We're firing Teachers,Policemen and Firemen by the thousands. Looking at cutting Social Security and Medicaire – benefits people pay into their whole lives. Talk of turning these peograms over to the private sector because they'll do such a better job of handling it. Where's the private sector on this project? This benefits one company, and they contribute just over one percent of the costs, and reap ninety-nine percent of the benefit. Again – money talks and middle Americans pay for the rich to walk. Cartodude Another fine example of corporate welfare... let Trident Seafoods pick up the cost since they are the ones increasing the population each summer from 100 to 1000... granted, this is probably a waste of tax payer dollars at a time when such waste is unconscionable. in reality, though, bus service in a lot of metropolitan areas is also heavily subsidized by local governments. in my area (with a service area population in the neighborhood of about 200,000), the city bus service operational cost is $7 for every one dollar collected in fares. GatorALLin Get them Free tickets on the Epic Fail Boat to nowhere! please cancel these projects HMMM ?? Secret military bases in Alaska, perhaps ? Protecting us from Sarah Palin, perhaps ? We can only hope. My God. Bush has been gone for almost 3 years. Give it up. Move on. If you knew anything you would know that decisions like this aren't made typically by the Whitehouse. They are made by government bureaucrats. It's not Obama's fault. It's not Bush's fault. Please see a shrink. It's obvious, after 3 years, your Bush derangement syndrome has not subsided. Brent Clay Wonder if there is another location where the processing plant can be relocated – some larger, neighboring island where there is already a suitable marine port and airport? If Alaska gives money back to its citizens, why not lower that and use those funds to fund it... why should my money go to Alaska... Wait?!?! Isn't Sarah Palin From Alaska? She's rich!! Let her pay!!! muleskinner527 most idiots like you think the rich should pay for everthing the rest of us want. The first part of your statement was good. The second pert of your statement just proves you are a dumb demo-c-Rat. Madarain Your reply is a stupid comment typical of morons like you. You assume they need they the airport just because they want the airport. You assume alaskans should be taxed more, because you're a liberal, and you assume a particular private citizens name (that you can remember how to spell) ought to be dragged out because it show's how witty you are. Who put the internet access in your playpen? Louisiana Man Where O where is the OUTCRY and denunciation of wasteful government spending from the hypocritical republicans. This is palin's 'conservative',' self reliance' rallying cry from her cronies, isn't it? H Y P O C R I T E S « Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Next »	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412790
__label__wiki	0.619377	0.619377	Ohio State program helps pet owners cope during grief process Allison Burk Ohio State News contributor Burk.113@osu.edu Making end-of-life decisions for your pet or coping with the loss of an animal is something that no pet owner wants to think about. A program at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center recognizes the importance of human-animal bonds and provides grief support for pet owners facing tough decisions for their animal. “Grief is a very real and life-impacting feeling – whether that loss of a loved one is a human or animal,” said Joelle Nielsen, a licensed social worker and Honoring the Bond program coordinator at Ohio State Veterinary Medical Center. “We believe every veterinary medical center should have a social worker available to support pet owners navigating this loss.” The Honoring the Bond program at Ohio State is one of only about 30 programs in the U.S. that provides a full-time social worker to support pet owners faced with the loss of their beloved pet. “If you go to a human hospital, you’re guaranteed to have the support of either a social worker or a chaplain. That’s rare in a veterinary hospital setting,” Nielsen said. Ohio State’s Veterinary Medical Center treats more than 40,000 pets each year with a variety of specialty services ranging from emergency medicine to oncology. Nielsen works as a liaison between the veterinary team and the client to help sort through confusing medical terminology, offer support for those coming in on an unexpected emergency basis, assist with processing difficult end-of-life decisions, facilitate family discussions with children, and provide assessment and referral for additional resources. Nielsen acknowledges that – as with any type of grief – the process is different for everyone and stresses that one of the most important things she does with pet owners is to normalize their experience. “It’s common for people to face conflicting feelings generated from a societal stigma surrounding grieving the loss of an animal,” said Nielsen. “I want people to know that it’s completely normal to grieve the loss of their pet.” Nielsen suggests the following to help people through the loss of a pet: Try not to compare your experience to others. We all grieve differently. Remember there is no standard timeline for the grief process. The goal is to begin to feel better as the days go by but there may be ups and downs. Find an outlet for your emotions. If talking about your feelings is difficult, you can also memorialize your pet by making a scrapbook, creating a memory box or journaling. Find a pet loss support group, book, website or therapist who specializes in pet loss for ongoing support. If the sadness doesn’t ease with time, don’t be afraid to seek help from a professional counselor. Nielsen developed and coordinates the Hospital-Based Veterinary Social Work Group, which provides support and collaborative opportunities for the small niche of social workers employed by veterinary medical centers across the U.S. and Canada. “We hope this group can serve as a model for veterinary medical centers and ultimately expand support services to more pet owners,” Nielsen said. To learn more about the Honoring the Bond Program, visit vet.osu.edu/honoringthebond More Ohio State News RSS feed - More Ohio State News (opens in new window) View all headlines - More Ohio State News Jen Flynn Oldenburg named Ohio State women’s volleyball head coach \| 07:49 PM America/New_York Jen Flynn Oldenburg, a former four-year standout for the Buckeyes, is returning to Columbus as the head coach of The Ohio State University women’s volleyball program. Oldenburg is the sixth head coach in program history, the department of athletics … Acid reflux drugs that are sometimes recommended to ease stomach problems during cancer treatment may have an unintended side effect: impairment of breast cancer survivors’ memory and concentration. What’s a halo made of? Scientists have new insights on the galactic kind The halo that surrounds our Milky Way galaxy is hotter and made up of different proportions of elements than scientists previously thought, new research shows. The findings are the first to show that multiple gases exist in the Milky Way’s halo — or … University trustees announce presidential search process Buckeye Food Alliance opens second food pantry at Ohio State Sign up to receive the latest news about The Ohio State University in your inbox. SUBSCRIBE opens in new window About Ohio State News © \| Student Academic Services Building \| 281 W. Lane Ave. \| Columbus, Ohio 43210 \| 614-292-OHIO Contact: Admissions \| Webmaster \| Page maintained by University Communications Request an alternate format of this page \| Web Services Status \| Nondiscrimination notice	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412791
__label__cc	0.629323	0.370677	By Wendy C 77, 22nd Jun 2018 \| Follow this author \| RSS Feed TIME FOR CHANGE THEN Raw Cannabis leaf drink GW Pharmaceuticles Proud sponsers of ICRS.. INTERNATIONAL CANNABINOID RESEARCH SOCIETY since 1998 T May, insists there is no medicinal value and maintains Cannabis is a drug, it is not ! Cannabis is a nutritinal plant, a herb that works with the human body, The government are very aware of the quailities of this plant and have sponsered research along side the 'Father of Cannabis' Dr Rapheal Machoulam an Expert in the Science of Cannabis for over 50 years. The Government have knowingly kept life saving information from the public so as to fuel thier ego's and bank balances, Theresa May has even talked down her own party members, telling them not to bring up the question of legalizing Cannabis even for Medical use to protect the business interests of her Husband and GW Pharma. Cannabis in it's natural form is not harmful, However, Synthetic Cannabis is very harmful and can cause death! I find it truely dissapointing that T. May had the oppertunity to ease the suffering of thousands of voters and has up until mainstream media took up many cases of suffering, maintained ignorance in favour of profit. The UK is in effect 20 years behind in the true Education of Cannabis because of Government Greed. There are thousands of scientific studies readily available to support the fact Cannabis is a Herb, a very remarkable herb! Social media is bringing together thousands of people in the UK and Ireland, WTU ( We The Undersigned) A prolific movement of 3000 + members, and Cannabis clubs everywhere will be protesting for change on several dates over the next few months, starting with 26th June and 6th July 2018 Background of GW Pharma as from Wikipidia.. Doctors Geoffrey Guy and Brian Whittle founded GW Pharmaceuticals in 1998. That year they obtained a cultivation license from the United Kingdom Home Office and the MHRA, allowing GW Pharmaceuticals to cultivate cannabis from seeds and clones to conduct scientific research concerning the medicinal uses of the plant. HortaPharm In July 1998, GW Pharmaceuticals collaborated with HortaPharm B.V., a cannabis research and development corporation based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, founded by two expert horticulturists from California, Robert Connell Clarke and David Paul Watson, also known as 'Sam the Skunkman'. HortaPharm grew medicinal strains for the Dutch government. link to symosiun of the 27th Annual CANNABINOID RESEARCH http://www.icrs.co/SYMPOSIUM.2017/ICRS2017.FINAL.PROGRAMME.pdf Five a day? The recipe for my wellbeing, For the last three months i have felt quite a lot better than i have done for quite a few years now.... I have put it down to this... My Mother Makes me a green drink every day, 1 Banana, 1 Avacado, 6 spinach leaves, 1 cup of green tea and some assorted herbs from the herb garden, Pictured here with my wristband from WTU ( We The Undersigned Have a Human Sovereign Right to Cannabis ) So here we are in the 21 century, being led by a Government that is clearly stuck in the 1900's, There are scientists, doctors and many other professionals that are willing to speak out about the truth the Government have been trying thier upmost to conceal. Something to ponder.. A life of It's own, a story of medical marijuana, available on Netflix and 'The Scientist' Dr Rapheal Machoulam's fantastic achievements is a wonderful place to start. There are people that like to know the truth... are you one of them? Cannabinoids, Cannabis Prohibition, Herbal Medicine, Herbal Remedies, Herbs, Herbs That Heal Wendy C 77 Middle aged mum of four boys, All grown in to fine young men now, I have had a varied work path with some character building jobs. I consider myself a bit of a witch. Herbs That Heal Cannabinoids Herbal Medicine Herbs Cannabis Prohibition Herbal Remedies	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412793
__label__wiki	0.649333	0.649333	Language Learning with Netflix extension (soranews24.com) 457 points by davidzweig 7 days ago \| hide \| past \| web \| favorite \| 140 comments davidzweig 7 days ago Hi. Creator here. If someone from Netflix is reading this, we'd like to be in contact (email in profile). Hell, here's my 15 minutes. I'd be interested in a job with electronics/software/mech engineering (ideally all three) in the US/EU/Australia (I can work in these countries). Some info about me on this post from earlier in the year: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18809704 oaprograms 7 days ago The other LLN creator here. I am looking for someone to correspond with or hang out with (in Europe), to conduct amateur inquiries into alternative approaches to AI algorithms (and perhaps discussing unusual interests such as lifespan extension and futurism). ognjen.apic@gmail.com senorsmile 5 days ago Your extension is great. Thank you! I've used it for a while. It makes something that I used to do, i.e. watching foreign language content on Netflix to advance a language, much easier. I only wish something this amazing were available for more services (or maybe Netflix needs to just license every show and movie ever made?!?!?). glaive123 6 days ago Great work on this extension. Thank you both! Qahlel 6 days ago Hi there. Would you mind forking this extension to Firefox as well, please? ouchjars 7 days ago Related tip if you won't/can't use this extension: Netflix shows normally have many more subtitles available than you get shown (and sometimes audio tracks). The selection you see depends on your interface language and locale. For example, I can't use Spanish subtitles for one show (https://i.imgur.com/BBWuuPs.png) until I change my interface language to Spanish (https://i.imgur.com/bsyYJGR.png). skrebbel 7 days ago I still can't get my head around how user hostile they made this. I mean, why? I understand showing the most likely languages on top, but why hide content that's available? I have bilingual kids (Dutch and Danish, living in NL) and the amount of setup we have to do each week to get and keep Danish audio for cartoons on Netflix is pretty nuts. jlesk 6 days ago Strangely enough, many countries also have cultural laws around what languages can be used for subtitles and audio tracks. For example, IIRC there is a country in SA that doesn't allow non-Spanish subtitles if the primary audio is in Spanish. There are all kinds of permutations like that which can look like arbitrarily bad UI decisions if you don't know the greater context. setr 6 days ago They're still pretty poor UI decisions if you're implementing misfeatures for every country based on the limitations of some countries. The more harmful it is, and the more money you have, the less justifiable it is. I'm fairly positive, at the scale of Netflix, and the relatively minor amount of UI work they need to do, they aren't struggling to implement country-specific features. More likely than not, the ball either got dropped, or the misfeature wasn't understood as one. zxcvbn4038 7 days ago I don’t think it is malicious - many people are overwhelmed when presented with more then a few choices, they are catering to that crowd. learnstats2 7 days ago If (say) I specifically want Danish subtitles, Netflix already knows that I use them, and I know they exist, that option is available to me nowhere. Benjammer 6 days ago I swear there's a subset of designers who are just blindly wrecking tons of what we collectively as an industry know about UX. "Overwhelming the user with too many options," or "Can't find the option I want" are both discoverability issues that design needs to take accountability for. Hamstringing your product by removing options because you don't know how to properly set up your discoverability is just insane to me. mclehman 6 days ago I could see this as a reason to keep "you might also like ____" lists short, but for languages/subtitles I'm going to seek out one of the four languages that's even slightly useful for me to switch to. ngcc_hk 7 days ago Just keep preferences and not stop giving choice. Keep thing simple but not too simple. sbr464 7 days ago I’ve traveled around the world and have seen how insane the differences are with Netflix experiences. It’s interesting though, you can almost see how they struggle with licensing issues mainly, while from a consumer’s perspective it seems like issues with their competency or offering. You get lucky sometimes, like catching Better Call Saul 2 weeks earlier in Malaysia randomly, than the US release. mhdhn 6 days ago Yeah but it's Netflix, the company that plays audio previews at you with no way to disable the misfeature, so they could just be fuckups StellarTabi 6 days ago I just mute until I've found what I want to watch :( mobilemidget 6 days ago I bothered to write an email to them asking about other subtitles, than the handful I'm not interested in. Never got a reply. Would be really nice to watch some series/movies with, in our case at home, Russian subtitles. Or heck vice versa, Russian audio track with English subtitles, I honestly don't care anymore. And I'm sure they exist, I remember their subtitle 'program'. https://partnerhelp.netflixstudios.com/hc/en-us/articles/115... I really thought that would provide users with more subtitle options to choose from. nitrogen 7 days ago Not sure, but maybe the subtitle tracks have different licensing? AnssiH 7 days ago No, it is simply to avoid clutter in UI: https://www.quora.com/Why-arent-all-subtitles-available-in-a... > There are too many languages to list them all in the menu and have the one you want be easily selected - especially when you are viewing on a TV with only a left-right-up-down remote. Accordingly, we show the commonly used languages in any country. arcticfox 7 days ago Well that's the first time I've legitimately gotten upset at a UX decision in a long, long time. My wife is homesick, 5000 miles from her country and can't watch anything in her language... Because they couldn't be bothered with an advanced settings UI anywhere? Seriously, Netflix? Maybe that's an entitled attitude, but to me it's in the same ballpark as accessibility. It might not make a difference to 99% of users, but to the 1% of users in the long tail, it's royally screwing them for lack of a relatively small amount of effort. (In this scenario, a tiny amount of effort). louhike 7 days ago As someone said above, she should try to change the language of the interface to her language. e_proxus 6 days ago In my experience, that’s not a solution. I always use Netflix in English, but frequently encounter US content with only regional subtitles and no English track. scarejunba 7 days ago So set the UI language to watch she wants it to be? This is what profiles are for. SJetKaran 7 days ago Prime video shows all subtitles. Even if we assume it is licensing, then Netflix's own shows should show more subtitles, but they just don't. I think they see showing tons of subtitle languages being shown as an UX issue. josteink 7 days ago So form over function then? That’s also a form of UX fail. It's available, you just need to jump through undocumented hoops to get it. I know not to underrate the media industry on this stuff, but I doubt they have licensing that says "make available but only through shitty UX". usrusr 7 days ago But "hide from the UI" might be sufficient to pass legal review for a "make only available to users of language x, y and z" clause. I could easily imagine this happening if they have two separate layers of availability checks. One general authentication check (likely with coarse "DVD region" baked in) owned by one suborg and another to handle all the eccentric subtleties of hundreds of different licensors owned by a different suborg. As laughable as "security by hiding the UI" is, when it's only protecting licensing nuances that have traditionally only been enforced by broadcast range (which is roughly continental for satellite) pressure to fix it can be very, very low. cyborgx7 7 days ago Licensing might have given the impetus for the gating. And then the implementation is made like this, either as an oversight, or to provide plausible deniability to Netflix. Here in Germany violence in video games used to be heavily censored. Much less so now, but when I was growing up, you basically couldn't have blood in games. I remember playing a GTA game that had bleeding NPCs or not, depending on whether you selected German or English as the game language. > you just need to jump through undocumented hoops to get it The hoops are documented: https://help.netflix.com/en/node/13245 ("Change your subtitle language" section) It says "Due to the large number of languages available, Netflix only displays the 5-7 languages most relevant to you while streaming." and then proceeds to tell the steps to change profile language to get other languages. huhtenberg 7 days ago Do elaborate on said hoops. thecatspaw 7 days ago Wouldnt they need to check this based on location, and not on user interface language though? toastal 7 days ago Please don't do this. I can manage to read enough to do certain workflows, but I get so frustrated when Google presumptuously shows me dates according to the Buddhist calendar just because my IP is in Thailand. If my browser is reporting 'en-US' as the locale, the when available I expect to get that. kgwgk 7 days ago But you cannot expect to get unlicensed content, which is what your parent was talking about. What makes you think everybody in a particular place speaks a particular language? falcor84 7 days ago Shouldn't they just ask the user what their preferred languages are? foxX 7 days ago Because things such as Netflix are "boxed goods". You only get what's written on the box, and not a gram of extra value than that. To better explain, with Netflix (any modern offering in fact) mentality one can't invent and market LEGO or even the PC or other general purpose toys. They want to capitalize on every bit of value from the product, and as a result, they can only give away "experiences" and not "platforms". With a platform users generate extra value from which they can draw, with an experience it's just boxed, single-purpose consumer products. imjustsaying 7 days ago In practice, the foreign subtitles do not line up with the foreign words as well as the native subtitles line up with the native words. It took me years to figure out why this was. In a conversation I had with someone who knew the business, the new language subtitles don't line up with the new language audio because the new language subtitles are translated from the original language subtitles, not the new language audio. Why? This saves a step from someone having to rewatch the final new language dialogue and transcribe the new language as it is exactly spoken. That step can be skipped and the new language subtitles can still be translated from the original language subtitles, although they will be quite off much of the time. There's practical reason too. Translations made for overdubbing are designed to roughly take the same amount of time to say, and ideally to carry the punch in the same part of the sentence (so it fits with when the actor makes the corresponding funny face). This is not always trivial, to the point that sometimes translators change the meaning entirely (especially with eg comedy - entire jokes are reinvented because they were untranslateable so they just put a different joke in). Subtitles are translated with brevity and ease of reading in mind. Translators typically take more freedom with nuances and emotion because, well, you're hearing the actor say it out loud in the original language and that's where you get the emotion from. So it's ok if the subtitle has it in a different order / different "punch", etc. I'm also pretty sure that translated subtitles have as their primary target audience people watching the movie with the original audio. Taking the two step process of going from the source audio, to translated audio, to subtitles seems like a needless detour for that (both organizationally, but also qualitatively). jakub_g 6 days ago I know this too well as I tried learning French by watching FR dubbing with FR subtitles on Netflix. There's absolutely zero resemblance between the two. Different words used, different order within the sentence (dubbing says "A B C" while subtitles say "C B A" half of the time). Pure madness. I immediately had to stop because it's been impossible to follow the two :( Practically, not many people want dubbing and subtitles at the same time, so it's probably rational choice to save the costs. MalcolmPF 6 days ago I also ran into this issue with French specifically, and got frustrated and gave up. Even original language French films/shows seem to have spotty subs (or none at all!) Most of them have English subs, but that's not as helpful for learning. Did you ever find alternatives? robbya 6 days ago > just put a different joke in I wonder how often you get a different joke on the translated audio and yet another different joke in translated sub titles. Kind of wild. josmala 7 days ago "Maybe it's a drill." Said stormtrooper, when Luke and Leia hid and siren was on background. Finnish translation was originally a physical object drill, and not drill as a practice . dreen 7 days ago This is like that time "Boring machines" are often mistranslated as uninteresting into many languages. deanclatworthy 7 days ago Yeah this is unfortunate. As a native English speaker living in Finland - going to the movies it's interesting seeing how dumbed down the subtitles are. Dialects, slang: a lot of it can't be translated directly. I just installed this extension and tested it on "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" and one of the first things I noticed - two lines into the show was: "... that she grew up eating in Iran" => "joita han söi Iranissa" The Finnish translation here is "that she ate in Iran". Contextually, it still makes sense, but it's important when learning a language why it's okay to translate it that way. Literally it means something different, contextually it means the same. I might give this a try, with the auto-pause feature. dharmon 6 days ago For a language learner, shows where they match up are gold! If anyone is studying Spanish, the animated show Star Wars: The Clone Wars have audio that exactly matches the subtitles (Start Wars: La Guerra de los Clones). Good show with a good mix of action / dialogue that I learned of Spanish a lot while watching. For Netflix shows, take a look here: http://languagelearningwithnetflix.com/catalogue.html shkkmo 6 days ago I would love a service that created matching subtitle tracks for dubbed audio for this exact reason pimmen 6 days ago Thanks for this tip! Working on my Spanish as we speak! crucialfelix 7 days ago This can reveal some interesting insights into how the film was made. I often notice extra lines that got edited out to make the scene more concise. Sometimes the director changes a whole shot. anotherevan 7 days ago That would be extremely frustrating. Due to certain sensory issues, when possible I often have the (English) subtitles displayed while watching a show, as I'll otherwise just miss the odd word or phrase. If the subtitles do not exactly match the dialogue, it is very frustrating. This happened a lot with some older shows I have the DVDs of, where the subtitles are... abridged versions of what is spoken. Impossible to use really unless you are stone deaf. 2rsf 7 days ago But why are the original language subtitles not accurate ? and I am referring even to "simple" local TV series that didn't undergo several rounds of editing. As part of my Swedish learning I watch a lot of Swedish shows with Swedish subtitles, there are always discrepancies diffeomorphism 7 days ago If there is a script for the movie subtitles will often be identical to the script even if the actors deviated from it. Much simpler and quicker to do than having somebody transcribe everything that was actually said and then having someone watch everything again to make sure it was transcribed correctly. elcomet 7 days ago Isn't it because subtitles are typed in live? So they have to skip words in order to convey the meaning in time. I imagine the audio is transcribed before voice actors speak; they aren't translating on the fly.. it seems to me the natural solution would be to have the transcription the voice actor uses be the same as what's provided to the subtitle generation. This seems to require two translation attempts; the main benefit being they can be done independently/parallel, but at the cost of duplicating the work. But it doesn't seem to save any work (assuming VAs work off a written transcription/translation, presumably completed by other staff members) FWIW subtitles for the original language will also sometimes vary from the original audio as well. I tend to re-watch shows on low volume with subtitles on so I've caught this a number of times, but it's fairly rare. Usually I've seen the subtitles shorten the words in the audio. "You must come with me now" -> "Come now" or similar. I've been assuming it's to help the reader keep up with some quick exchanges. > the new language subtitles don't line up with the new language audio because the new language subtitles are translated from the original language subtitles, not the new language audio. Foreign DVDs include two subtitle tracks, one to translate the English dialogue and another to transcribe the dubbed dialog. At least, this is the case for my Chinese Disney DVDs. hrasyid 7 days ago I think having subtitles in your native language can hurt learning because it tends to be easier to just follow the subtitle than actually trying to understand the target language. You can't read both at the same time. But I agree that Netflix is a great resource for learning a foreign language. I went from zero to being able to understand a normal TV show in the target language in one year, mostly by watching children's videos in YouTube and Netflix. In my opinion, what's more important is (1) the ability to order/group videos by simplicity after filtering it by target language (even children shows vary a lot in difficulty and for learning it's very important to choose the right difficulty for you) and probably (2) the ability to slow down the playback speed like YouTube. axaxs 7 days ago I agree. That said, my wife subtitles every movie which normally I don't care about, except the subtitles are -wrong-. I don't know why they do that, it seems rather innocent, but drives me crazy as an English speaker. It's usually something not even so consequential..off the top of my head like replacing 'Time for dinner' with 'Time for supper'. Not an exact example, but it's usually along these lines. leokennis 7 days ago It was said in a major Dutch newspaper last year that Netflix seriously underpays/over pressures the translators: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2019/06/07/ondertitelaars-voelen-z... Basically in “the good old days” translating/subtitling was a serious job for serious money. But it has been turned into almost a “work from home, gig economy Mechanical Turk” thing. And the quality obviously suffers. ta999999171 7 days ago I won't even try the shows whose trailers have the problem stated in this thread. It's blatantly obvious 3 seconds in. Very unprofessional. dilap 7 days ago That drives me crazy too! Some shows are pretty faithful, but others are way off. The otherwise-wonderful Cuatro Estaciones en la Habana is especially bad -- it replaces all the local Cuban slang w/ standard Spanish, e.g., they'll subtitle imbécil when the dialog is comemierda. Why would you do that?! Also strongly agree w/ GP; in my experience, you've got to hide the english to learn anything. Otherwise your brain isn't working in the target language. sk0g 7 days ago Are the shows you're watching dubbed? Was recently watching How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast), which is a German show originally, and the subtitles were off in a similar way. Drove me nuts! I ended up switching the audio language to German and watching it with English subtitles, was a miles better experience for me. Nope, original English shows. What's frustrating is that my wife uses subtitles for learning how words are spelled, but the words spoken aren't the same as the ones written! cpdt 7 days ago From what I've heard, when dubbing shows they normally adapt the translations for the dub to fit better with the character's mouth movements and to make it more 'idiomatic' in the target language, but the subtitles keep the literal translation. It would be interesting to learn why, I find it drives me crazy as well. BasDirks 7 days ago Semi-synced dubs are an early example of uncanny valley arkitaip 7 days ago This has been an issue with Netflix for years. It's almost as if the translators of movie or TV series don't have access to the videos themselves because every other sentence is slightly wrong. remarkEon 7 days ago Just tried it out with a German show I watch. I think the issue is that the native language subtitles (English for me) can have subtly different literal translations than what might be on the screen in the original language. So while the English subtitles can convey the same meaning, the word-for-word translation is going to be off. This is fine, really, and any language learner is probably already aware of this. Otherwise, the implementation looks great. Easy, simple to use and intuitive controls. The running list of subtitles on the right is nice. To your point about playback speed, maybe it's just me but I like the challenge of trying to keep up with the foreign language and it helps with developing my listening skills (I also really don't want to watch children's shows). I think the ability to toggle the Auto-pause more or less solves this problem, at least for me. Would still like a Firefox extension though. This will be the only instance in which I use Chrome. Edit: Hmm reading the other comments here, maybe this is actually a problem with the translation itself? If non-native speakers are noticing instances where it's off it seems there might be a quality control issue. scipio_oregonus 7 days ago Been using this extension for a bit now. Turn on machine translations. The default translations are translating the meaning but not word by word. The machine translations are the latter. Which is way better for learning, which is why I assume it's a premium feature. gield 7 days ago I respectfully disagree, based on anecdotes. The Dutch-speaking part of Belgium subtitles everything, except for shows meant for kids <8 years old. The French-speaking part on the other hand dubs everything, even interviews in the news. Guess which part of country sucks at speaking English. My point is you need to watch the target language audio with no subtitle in your language. If the choice is English-audio + Dutch-subtitle vs French-audio only, then of course there is no advantage to the second group. Try restricting the French-speaking kids to watch shows with English audio only. verganileonardo 7 days ago Which language did you learn? Most effective Netflix kids/otherwise shows for this, in your opinion? TIA hombre_fatal 7 days ago The shows that interest you. The ones you would actually watch. I imagine this rules out kids shows for most adults. It sure does for me. Also start reading books asap. I spent way too long watching dub+sub'ed Netflix in my target language. Wish I'd tried reading young-adult books sooner. If you're going to be pausing on every subtitle frame to read it, you might as well try books. >> I imagine this rules out kids shows for most adults. Not necessarily. Maybe if you understand everything, they become boring, but to me watching an interesting enough show where you understand 50%-80% of the dialog and try to understand the rest by context is kind of fun. It depends on your level. I'm a big fan of Peppa Pig, because I think it's funny/entertaining enough for adults who understand >50% of what's being said. But before you reach that level, you need to watch something simpler. I'd suggest "Superbeginner" and "Beginner" videos in a YouTube channel called Dreaming Spanish androng 7 days ago Watch in a foreign language with foreign audio to increase your listening comprehension in the foreign language. Only watch in your native language/subtitles if you want to comprehend the plot more. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4927148/ rgossiaux 7 days ago Well, the linked study suggests watching with foreign audio and foreign language subtitles, not merely with foreign audio alone. shmat 7 days ago My experience as a language learner (French) supports the study. When I use English (native language) subtitles, my listening doesn't improve at all. However, my improvement with or without French subtitles depends on my level of comprehension. If I can understand most of the show without subtitles (~60% or more) I improve faster without subtitles. If I understand half or less, I improve with the subtitles. I guess this is evidence for Stephen Krashen's theory of comprehensible input. tvanantwerp 6 days ago I've been wanting to learn Chinese, but I'm not sure Chinese subtitles would help that much compared to if I were learning a European language. Maybe if the subtitles were in pinyin, but I don't know if that would even be an option for a lot of media. rahimnathwani 6 days ago Watching Chinese TV shows with Chinese subtitles definitely helped me a lot, not only because the subtitles gave me a second chance to get what I missed (which is the same with other languages), but also because I could learn characters for those words I could already recognise in speech. darkwater 7 days ago Watch in your native language only if you don't care about acting at all. Grue3 7 days ago I can see several problems with this. 1. Japanese subtitles are completely different from what is said in Japanese dub. Subtitles are optimized for readability and use completely different phrasing, or even terms (for example dub says クイーン ("queen"), sub says 女王 ("jo-oh")). 2. Japanese subtitles and English subtitles are also different, because many lines have to be completely rephrased in order to express them in a (very linguistically distant) language. 3. The furigana (pronounciation hints) in these screenshots is not correct. "困った" is "komatta" not "koma ta". "妻は" is "tsuma wa" not "tsuma ha". If only they used ichi.moe's engine... (disclosure: I'm the author of ichi.moe). yorwba 7 days ago The way the "koma" is placed above 困っ makes me suspect they first tokenize the text, get furigana for each segment (most tokenizers have this built-in) and then derive the romaji without correctly handling the sokuon っ when it appears just before a segmentation boundary. Usually it's represented in the romanization by doubling the following consonant, but of course that doesn't work if there's no following consonant because each token is treated as a separate string. They do get it right for "erikku" where there's no segmentation boundary. LinguaBrowse 6 days ago If they're having troubles with correct romaji transliteration (and even if not, to be honest), I don't see why they don't just transliterate it in furigana then. The source data of Tokeniser dictionaries such as NAIST JDIC isn't even in romaji, so if they are using a proper tokeniser, then they're actually doing an extra step and throwing away data to transform it into romaji form. The feature is probably targeted at absolute beginners who don't even know kana yet. The screenshot of the settings does show the option to select a different transliteration, but romaji seem to be the default. gryson 7 days ago Hopefully it can be fixed, since geminates are one of the most difficult features of Japanese pronunciation for native English speakers to master. Erasing it from the orthography intended to aid beginners certainly doesn't help. AnIdiotOnTheNet 6 days ago > (for example dub says クイーン ("queen"), sub says 女王 ("jo-oh")) My Japanese comprehension is still very minimal, but wouldn't this be pretty normal? It seems common in manga at least to use kanji for semantic meaning and annotate it with furigana for a foreign word or in-universe term. jordanrobinson 7 days ago This is slightly offtopic but ichi.moe is a wonderful tool, thanks so much for making it. wodenokoto 7 days ago I see this littered all over the comments: Subtitles are not transcripts. They don't match word for word, mainly due to space and time constraints. A lot of amateur subtitlers time the subtitle with the time of the spoken word, making them almost unreadable. Long text that pop up for a short time does not help convey meaning. You want a short text, that anticipates what is being said. The reader of the subtitle is after all watching a movie, and might have their eyes elsewhere - They are not reading karaoke lyrics! vaskebjorn 7 days ago Also check out the lingq exporter [1] which works with Youtube as well. Does something similar but also allows you to keep an inventory of your current vocabulary on the lingq platform. I'm a huge fan. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/lingq-importer/eaa... personlurking 7 days ago I looked into Lingq, watched a few short videos on it, and saw an interview with the founder, but I'm still not sure I get it. The site is mainly a text-based vocabulary acquisition tool, right? Yes it is very far from intuitive (as a developer I can tell when uis are designed solely by developers). The way I think of it is this: you do all of your foreign language reading through the app. Lingq keeps track of which words you have seen: when a new one comes up it's highlighted in blue, when you define the word (mostly automatic) it turns yellow. Once you mark a word as known it is no longer highlighted. There are SRS features built in, but I ignore them and just add words to anki when I feel like I need to. If you love reading it's a really great way to get language exposure. Since looking up word definitions only requires a tap or click it enables you to read above your level (like reading with training wheels on). And just seeing a word over and over again in different contexts is a much better way to learn than hammering away at flash cards. The import from netflix/youtube stuff as I mentioned is great as well. I also upload all of my own material (mostly ebooks) and ignore a lot of stuff they have there. njacobs5074 7 days ago I agree with the author's assessment that having the kanji, the furigana, and the English is really helpful for learning. But I couldn't help but notice that the the software didn't romanize 困った correctly. It was "koma ta" when it really should have been "komatta". And I wish I didn't have to use Chrome :\| roca 7 days ago Request a Firefox version. It might not be hard to port. kick 7 days ago Yeah, you can basically automate WebExtensions porting. There used to be a browser extension that did it for you. hellofunk 7 days ago > When you’re starting out learning a language, sometimes you can’t quite catch what people are saying. They’re too fast, or they use words/grammar you’re unfamiliar with. Being able to see the subtitles and hear the dialogue and see the translation all at once is a dream come true. I’ve tried this but the subtitles often use different wording than what is spoken (when both are in same language) so it doesn’t work out well in practice. Maybe depends on the language. pen2l 7 days ago An observation: in netflix, when you choose a foreign lang for the audio track as well as subtitles... they don't match. By this I mean, let's saying you're watching Orange is the New black... and choose French audio and French subtitles. You would expect the subtitles to be correspond with what you're hearing.... they don't!! Kind of absurd and annoying. This is true across all shows it turns out. You might find this helpful: http://languagelearningwithnetflix.com/catalogue.html "Netflix usually has good subtitles for the original language of a title, that match the audio track. Subtitles often don't match the audio for dubbed audio. The catalogue lists titles by their original language. It allows you to find French films, to study French, and German films to study German etc. By using one of the listed titles, you should have good subtitles that match the audio." ramblerman 6 days ago This can be an advantage when your level is just a bit higher. Since you hear the words and see a similar way of saying it at the same time. This (in my experience) is usually enough context to parse the audio. The net result is then that your brain gained 2 pieces of input at rate of 1. 1maginary 7 days ago You discover this early on when picking up a language. It's so pervasive and so annoying for language learners but I can understand why it happens. If you're learning a language, CC are p much the way to go officemonkey 6 days ago My biggest problem with understanding french is being able to comprehend it at speed. I'm much better understanding song lyrics (because they're often sung much slower than speech.) I just tried this with "A Very Secret Service" and It's immediately easier to understand what is being said. I can see this becoming a very useful tool for me. Eliezer 6 days ago I've wanted this literally for two decades. Thank you to the creators for finally making it. walterkrankheit 7 days ago I guess this is most useful if you don't live in the country you want to learn the language for. Native English speaker living in Germany here who speaks fluent German, but still lives most of his life in English. Movies are a good way to keep up language practice, but there's no way I'd want to dub "Marriage Story" or whatever in German. There are plenty of German films on Netflix which I can simply watch with CC German subs, if needed. At any rate, it's still a cool idea, particularly if you lived in, say, Spain, but wanted to see German subtitles. grizzles 7 days ago I asked for this on HN a few weeks back. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21853163 I really hope it supports Hanyu Pinyin. So excited. lordfrikk 7 days ago It's not really what you asked for, but subtitles that you download from websites like zimuku.com or zimuku.cn have dual language versions: separate English and Chinese flag means the ZIP file contains separate language subs, pirate flag means it has one set of subtitles containing both languages - super useful if your video player doesn't support displaying more than one set or you don't want subs at the top of the screen). Arwill 7 days ago Just tried the extension, and it seems Pinyin is not supported. There is no "Transliteration" option, like there is for Japanese. knolax 6 days ago Be warned that one of the worst ways to learn a language is through translations. Most translations leave out a bunch of information because between connotation, denotation, and grammatical correctness you can really choose one or two of the above. That's in addition to the fact that most translations are either produced by machines with no understanding of the content or even of the complete grammar of the target/source languages, or mechanical turk style low wage laborers with tight deadlines and questionable knowledge of either languagr. akavel 7 days ago Can anyone recommend any movies and/or series for a complete beginner learning Chinese from duolingo? I mean, ideally probably aimed at literally early primary school kids... some animated series, or Tom Sawyer -alike, or a drama about a lost puppy is what I brace for... even better if on youtube than Netflix, but the latter is also acceptable... jonatron 7 days ago Try "Where are we going? Dad" on YouTube. Also HelloChinese is much better than Duolingo in my opinion. cm2012 7 days ago Really cool tool. Honestly the catalogue sort alone on the site was useful for finding which shows on Netflix even have Korean subtitles. gozzoo 7 days ago As a strange coincidence youtube recomended me this [1] just after opening the article: [1] Alexandra Stepien - Netflix and chilll like a boss: How to learn languages the lazy way - PG 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5d9JS_fE6E&t=1220s therealdrag0 3 days ago There's a similar product for YouTube videos called www.fluentu.com. I used it for French and thought it was great. serf 7 days ago What would be needed to make this off-line capable with supplied media? Just a bunch of well-formatted SRT subtitle files? Obviously some kind of lookup between languages too, but what i'm asking is : is this just a fancy srt/language api parser? I want to use this, but I don't use Netflix. It looks very cool. Ognjen (guy I worked with to make this extension) previously made something similar for offline media (https://github.com/oaprograms/lingo-player). It's neglected now though and probably suffered bitrot. We could use the code from our extension to support offline media.. but Chrome doesn't support MP4 playback IIRC. It's possible to make an Electron/NW.js app, but the vlc plugin isn't working with latest versions, last time we checked. Appreciate any info. asdko13roasi 7 days ago Posted above as well but mpv user script that works offline: https://github.com/oltodosel/interSubs hiccuphippo 7 days ago You could use the .ass format for fancy subtitles. Players like vlc, mpc, mpv support it. That would give you the subtitles in both languages plus the highlight of the words as they are spoken but clicking on the word to get a definition would need to be built into the player. A: this is fantastic. B: why don't all streaming services simply have a by-language option? It's kind of a guaranteed "long tail" for any audio or audio-video presentation: people who want hear language X language spoken. cptwunderlich 6 days ago You can search for a language on Netflix though, e.g., search for "Italian" and it will show several tags next to "Explore titles related to", like "Italian-languae Movies & TV". tluyben2 7 days ago Somewhat offtopic; I wish extensions would work on mobile browsers... I watch Netflix on iOS or streaming from iOS to chromecast. I see it is recently somewhat possible to run extensions on Android via a custom Chrome install. Does that work well? beatgammit 7 days ago You can also use Firefox for Android, which has extensions. Android Preview is much faster, but it doesn't have extension support yet. Mindwipe 7 days ago > I watch Netflix on iOS or streaming from iOS to chromecast. If you streamed to a Chromecast it wouldn't work, as all the cast protocol sends from the iOS device is the URL of the stream and the authentication key. The Chromecast fetches any subs etc itself. superasn 7 days ago I use all chrome extensions via Kiwi browser on android. It's so sad that Google has deliberately disabled the support for it on their own browser (they don't want adblock maybe?) even though and independent dev has seamlessly enabled the same in his browser. For this extension, Netflix doesn't allow Chrome mobile or iOS browsers (I think) to use a browser-based player, but redirect you to their app. Netflix are probably looking at user-agent. z_open 7 days ago This is nice, but all I really want is the ability to nicely see both English and German subtitles simultaneously. This is overkill for me and requires me to use chrome. Is anyone aware of a better solution for me? aplaice 7 days ago I second the mpv-based solution, as suggested by st1ck. If you prefer vlc, it now (as of the beta 4.0.0)[0] also supports dual/secondary subtitles. Making it work seems a bit fiddly: first you need to turn them on (under Tools > Preferences > Subtitles/OSD > Dual Subtitles (at the very bottom) > Align — change to anything but unset, and possibly also adjust offset). Then, when playing a video, to select them for that video, you need to "Toggle secondary subtitle control" with Ctrl+Shift+V (this means that the normal subtitle control shortcuts like "v", "Alt+v" etc. now apply to the secondary subtitles) and press "v" the right number of times to switch to the subtitles that you want. (Obviously vlc and mpv will only work for DRM-free videos, e.g. from youtube or a DVD.) If you were asking specifically about Netflix subtitles, there used to be an open source NflxMultiSubs extension[1] for both Firefox and Chromium, but it was broken by Netflix introducing changes to its video player and discontinued. There is an active, open-source dual-captions[2] extension, but it's for Chrome only. (However, since it's open source adapting it it for Firefox should be straightforward.) Finally, as an alternative approach, you could try a Firefox addon which allows loading arbitrary subtitles in the SRT format to netflix,[3] and which might perhaps allow you to have both netflix's subtitles and your own SRT ones at the same time. [0] https://github.com/videolan/vlc/blob/master/NEWS#L30 [1] https://github.com/dannvix/NflxMultiSubs/ [2] https://github.com/mikesteele/dual-captions [3] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/netflix-srt-s... NflxMultiSubs is still working. I wrote a patch to fix it, and took over maintence on Chrome. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/nflxmultisubs-netf... > NflxMultiSubs is still working. I wrote a patch to fix it, and took over maintence on Chrome. That's great! It's a shame that it's (apparently) no longer open source, though obviously given the MIT license you're allowed to stop disclosing the source. mikesteeledev 3 days ago Thanks for the shoutout! :) - mike st1ck 7 days ago mpv --sid=auto --secondary-sid=auto --sub-pos=95 --slang de,en movie.mkv Same works for youtube URLs. If it doesn't work, changing "de,en" to "en,de" may help. mpv is so great. It was an immense downgrade to start watching movies on my ps4 with media player, netflix, plex etc. They(mostly media player) have issues on the very basics like pausing and playing video, subtitles, continue watching etc. With a computer running mpv and plugged into the TV everything just works and I can trivially fix common issues like subtitle/audio sync with my phone as the remote. On-topic: mpv seems to have a similar language learning extension to OP https://github.com/oltodosel/interSubs pgz 6 days ago I've made my own mpv extension for Japanese subtitle analysis too. It can also create Anki cards automatically (with screenshot and audio). Having a scriptable media player is really something else. This exists, albeit only for YouTube rather than Netflix: CaptionPop https://www.captionpop.com/ Creator here.. there's netflixmultisubs extension which is more minimal, which we also maintain now. There used to be releases for firefox, but we haven't been publishing them, just becuase we're not familiar with the process and lack time. LLN can be used in a minimal, non-instrusive way however, and has a pretty good algorithm for aligning the start and finish times of different subs tracks. netflixmultisubs shows the two tracks with their independant timings. MaxwellM 7 days ago Ef yes! Been looking for this, can't wait to try it. godmode2019 7 days ago animelon.com was the first company I know of to do this sort of thing. They went through an accelerator where I was working working. yuvalbar84 7 days ago This is just amazing. Thank you! xwowsersx 7 days ago Wow, this is very cool! finneganscat 7 days ago My girlfriend has dyslexia and subtitles are a problem for her to read quickly. She would love an extension similar to this that “auto-dubs” by having a synthesized voice that reads the subtitle content and overlays this slightly louder than the original audio. Any ideas if something similar exists?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412795
__label__wiki	0.84742	0.84742	Home Entertainment Gaming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain headlines PS Now’s April update Plus Shadow Complex, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter join PlayStation’s game subscription service A double-bill of action espionage explodes onto PS Now this month as Hideo Kojima’s critically-acclaimed games Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain join PlayStation’s game subscription service. If you prefer your thrills intergalactic, then you’re spoilt for choice with a trio of PS2 Star Wars titles which are also available with April’s update. Play Jango Fett in third-person adventure Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, blast your way across the galaxy in Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter or roar across planets in Star Wars: Racer Revenge. These games and more join over 600 PS2, PS3 and PS4 titles in the ever-expanding PlayStation Now library. Here’s the full list of games included in PS Now’s April update: Chronicles of Teddy: Harmony of Exidus (PS4) WRC 5 Fia World Rally Championship (PS4) Star Wars Bounty Hunter (PS2) Star Wars Jedi Starfighter (PS2) Star Wars Racer Revenge (PS2) Shadow Complex Remastered (PS4) Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom (PS4) Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4) Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes (PS4) Grand Kingdom (PS4) Not yet a subscriber? For more information on how to sign-up to PlayStation Now, as well as a full rundown of all the games currently available to stream or download, visit playstation.com. And remember, PlayStation Now has launched across additional territories. Gamers in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden can join UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Luxemburg and Ireland in enjoying the game subscription service. source: playstation.com Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary PC test starts in February Dialogue, Movement, and Innovation: For Better Stories, Games Need New Gameplay Australia, Dell is currently selling an RTX 2060 powered laptop for less than AU$1,500 5 Great Games Coming Out This Month: January 2020 The Revolution Will Be Telegrammed PS4 free games WARNING: New free PlayStation Store download available TODAY See an entire apartment recreated one-to-one in VR Porsha Williams Sends Her Love To A High School Friend For Her Baby Shower Celebrity News January 16, 2020	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412796
__label__wiki	0.925795	0.925795	17 children injured when plane dumped jet fuel over their elementary school playground near Los Angeles Posted 5:45 pm, January 14, 2020, by CNN Wire, Updated at 05:50PM, January 14, 2020 CUDAHY, Calif. -- More than a dozen elementary school children are being treated after a plane dumped jet fuel over a school playground near Los Angeles. The incident happened at Park Avenue Elementary in Cudahy just after noon on Tuesday, inspector Sean Ferguson of the Los Angeles County Fire Department told CNN. Seventeen children received minor injuries from the dump, and six adults were also injured. The department tweeted that the substance was jet fuel. UPDATE*** Patient count updated to 17 children, 9 adults. All minor injuries w/ no transports to local hospital from school. There are no evacuation orders for the immediate area. Substance was confirmed JET FUEL. Refer to school regarding plans for child pick-up. #LACoFD — L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) January 14, 2020 While the children were playing, a plane approaching Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) dumped the fuel, which fell over the group. The victims were treated by dozens of firefighters and paramedics at the school, which is about 19 miles east of the airport. A hazardous materials team went to the school and is testing the liquid, Ferguson said. In a written statement, the Los Angeles Unified School District said educators are checking each classroom to make sure no injuries were missed. The district's Office of Environmental Health and Safety is also responding. Video posted on YouTube shows the plane overhead with white streaks coming from the tips of the wings. Alan De Leon, who shot the video, told CNN he heard a loud whistle, smelled jet fuel and felt irritation in his eyes. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that Delta Flight 89 bound for Shanghai, China, declared an emergency shortly after takeoff and returned to LAX. The agency could not immediately confirm the reports that fuel was dumped from the jet. Flight 89 experienced an engine issue, requiring it to return to LAX, said Delta Air Lines spokesman Adrian Gee. He said the flight landed safely after an "emergency fuel release to reduce landing weight." David Soucie, an aviation safety analyst, told CNN there are maximum takeoff and landing weights for aircraft, so in order for a plane with full fuel tanks to land, it must dump the fuel to avoid potentially crashing upon landing. There are rules about where the fuel can be dumped, he said, but if a plane declares an emergency -- which Flight 89 did -- it can be dumped at any point. He also estimated the plane was probably about 4,000 to 5,000 feet in the air. If the plane had been higher, at 10,000 feet, the fuel would never have reached the ground because it's atomized as it is released from the wings. Topics: jet fuel, playground 17 kids, 6 adults treated for injuries after plane drops fuel on elementary school in California A news helicopter was struck by a suspected drone over Los Angeles, causing substantial damage Bomb ‘detonated’ on elementary school playground, students evacuated 10,000 mourners honor the teens killed in the Santa Clarita school shooting Iran admits to shooting down Ukrainian passenger plane unintentionally, report says Two horses killed, riders injured in hit-and-run The gunman in the Saugus High School shooting used a ‘ghost gun,’ sheriff says Police officer charged with felony for allegedly fondling body of dead woman Measles detected at multiple major airports over the holidays California wildfires: Homes burn in San Bernardino and strong winds threaten to stoke other blazes SUV driver charged after High Point crash involving Trinity Elementary School bus carrying 13 students A brush fire in Southern California exploded to over 3,000 acres in just a few hours Two teenagers killed by mother’s boyfriend after argument over cigarette smoke escalates, police say	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412804
__label__wiki	0.850534	0.850534	News, Reviews and Features NEWS: Fresh adaptation of Frankenstein will tour the UK NEWS: Fresh adaptation of Frankenstein will tour the UK In Native, News, Plays, Press Releases, Quotes, Regional theatre, Touring by Press Releases 25th March 2019 Leave a Comment A new theatrical adaptation of Mary Shelley’s seminal 1818 gothic horror novel Frankenstein is set to depict Shelley onstage, as she unfolds her monstrous tale of creature and creator. Adapted by award-winning writer Rona Munro and co-produced by leading company Selladoor (in the company’s tenth anniversary year), Matthew Townshend Productions, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, and Perth Theatre at Horsecross Arts, the production will tour nationwide from 2 September to 30 November 2019. Further dates and casting are yet to be announced. A national press night will be held at the Belgrade Theatre Coventry on 3 October. The production will be directed by Patricia Benecke, with composition and sound design by Simon Slater, lighting design by Grant Anderson and designed by Becky Minto. An eighteen year-old girl, Mary Shelley, dreams up a monster whose tragic story will capture the imaginations of generations to come. A young scientist by the name of Frankenstein breathes life into a gruesome body. Banished into an indifferent world, Frankenstein’s creature desperately seeks out his true identity, but the agony of rejection and a broken promise push him into darkness. Dangerous and vengeful, the creature threatens to obliterate Frankenstein and everyone he loves, in a ferocious and bloodthirsty hunt for his maker. Munro’s brilliant adaptation of Shelley’s Gothic masterpiece places the writer herself amongst the action as she wrestles with her creation and with the stark realities facing revolutionary young women, then and now. Rona Munro said: “This story has been told and retold in hundreds of different versions since it was first written. But it remains the dark and rebellious roar of its adolescent author. Mary Shelley was only 18 when she wrote the novel and she’d already broken every social rule that should have shaped her life. That’s the version of Frankenstein I’ve returned to, the version of the novel. The story is told in the voice of that defiant and passionate young girl accusing her elders, the culture of her age and intent on terrifying the whole world.” Anna Fox, head of New Work at Selladoor Creation, said: “Selladoor Creation are delighted to be working with Rona to create a dramatic reinvention of this classic story. We relish the work we do with writers, so we are proud to be a part of a production that will examine the writers’ process in such an innovative way. It has been a fascinating journey to go on with the piece, and we are excited for this bold new take on a beloved gothic horror to be brought to life for audiences of today.” MyTheatreMates publishes a selection of daily press releases sent to us by publicists of the relevant show or theatre. We are not responsible for any inaccuracies contained within these materials. Tags: frankenstein, Mary Shelley, Patricia Benecke, Rona Munro, Selladoor, Selladoor Creation	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412807
__label__wiki	0.9491	0.9491	XENOPHOBIC: Gun Man Kills Another Nigerian Man in South Africa. The Nigerian Citizens’ Association in South Africa (NICASA) says another Nigerian, Mr. Tony Elochukwu from Nnobi Anambra State has been executed by an unidentified shooter in South Africa. The President of NICASA, Prince Ben Okoli, said this in a letter sent to the Consular General, Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg. Three Nigerians had been executed between April 6 and April 9 at various areas in the nation. On Saturday in Abuja, a letter from Okoli decried the death and continued killings of Nigerians in South Africa. “We received yet again the sad news of the death of another Nigerian in Witbank Mpumalanga province. “Mr Tony Elochukwu from Nnobi Anambra State was shot twice in the head by an unidentified Nigerian gunman on April 24 at around 2:45 pm, ” he said.` Okoli said that a lone Nigerian man walked to some Nigerians at a restaurant and inquired from them where to get some weed to smoke He said those standing, however, told him that they did not know where since they do not smoke. Okoli said the man then pulled out his gun and shot Elochukwu on the head and sped off in a car parked down the street. He added that a case of murder had been opened at the police station by NICASA Chairman in Mpumalanga, Mr Obeji Chukwuma. “This look like another case of Nigeria killing themselves. This ugly trend of Nigerians killed by fellow Nigerians is on the increase and is disturbing to our community. “NICASA is deeply worried over the death and continued killings of our citizens in South Africa. “People are worried and scared, since none of the perpetrators had been arrested or charged over it,” he said. He appealed to the consulate to pressure the South African police to pursue the case of death of any Nigerian with seriousness. “The South African police must stop attempting to encourage this killing by lack of investigation and prosecution with aim of bringing to justice every criminal involved in these heinous crimes,” he said. The Consul General, Nigerian Consulate Johannesburg, Mr. Godwin Adama, had condemned the killing of Nigerians at different locations in the country. “It is clear that as much as any form of criminality and xenophobic attacks against foreigners, including Nigerians in South Africa is condemnable, the killings do not fit into xenophobic attacks. “The cases are the stabbing of a Nigerian, Mr. Bonny Iwuola, in Turfontain in Johannesburg on April 6 at about 23:30 hours in front of his house, by unknown assailants, and more of crime related murder. “Another Nigerian, Gozien Christian, from Agbor in Delta State, was stabbed to death by three unknown assailants. No arrest has been made but cases were opened and police are investigating the murders,” he said. The third case of murder which happened on the night of April 8 at Sunnyside in Pretoria happened at the usual place of cult-related murders by Nigerian cult groups. “This particular case had more connection with business-related disagreement that turned sour. “Investigations are on but eye witness accounts indicated that he was killed and his new Mercedes car-2019 model was snatched and driven away. All these cases do not appear to be xenophobic. “They are part of the usual crime-related killings in South Africa. Police statistics in South Africa indicate that over 18,000 murders take place in South Africa in a year,” he said.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412814
__label__wiki	0.820548	0.820548	Ottawa retail tech firm Ackroo raises $1M in private placement OBJ staff Nov 18, 2016 12:59pm EST Ackroo Steve Levely Ottawa-based Ackroo (TSX-V:AKR), which develops gift cards and loyalty rewards technology for retailers, said it’s secured a much-needed cash injection and plans to hire more staff. The firm previously said it had less than $13,000 in cash on hand as of Sept. 30 when it reported its most recent quarterly results late last month. On Friday, the company said it had raised $1 million through a private placement. “This financing was key to our next phases of growth,” said Ackroo CEO Steve Levely in a statement. “The funds allow us to support our working capital requirements while also providing us with additional funds to hire more staff back into ... sales, marketing and product development.” The company reported a loss of $488,645 in its most recent quarter. That compares with a loss of $284,382 during the same period a year earlier. Its quarterly operating loss from operations, excluding interest, taxes, amortization, stock‐based compensation and restructuring charges, was $107,960. A year earlier, Ackroo's loss from operations was $53,991. Mr. Levely said in today’s statement that the additional employees would help the firm with “closing the final gap of our operating losses.” In connection with the private placement, Ackroo issued five million common shares to subscribers at a price of 20 cents per share as well as 2.5 million common share purchase warrants. Additionally, Ackroo granted options to purchase 235,000 common shares to officers, employees and consultants of the company at 20 cents each for a period of three years, subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Ackroo’s stock price was up three cents, or 15 per cent, to 23 cents per share in late morning trading Friday. Ottawa metal powder-maker Equispheres lands $8M in cleantech funding Ackroo moves HQ to Hamilton amid tight Ottawa talent market Ottawa startups turn to La Cité labs to accelerate prototype development What do Ottawa Senators players do off the ice?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line1412820

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