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Black Mirror: Bandersnatch's cereal choice was originally way more significant
Frosties or Sugar Puffs? Charlie Brooker had plans for the answer to haunt your dreams (contains spoilers)
Thursday, 10th January 2019 at 4:28 pm
Black Mirror's interactive, mind-bending movie Bandersnatch has been causing all sorts of moral dilemmas for its viewers, who have to endlessly make choices on behalf of game designer Stefan (Fionn Whitehead) and take him on a dark and bloody path.
It isn't life or death all the way through, mind you. The first choice offered is simply whether you'd prefer Sugar Puffs or Frosties for breakfast – seemingly an easy decision to get viewers used to how Bandersnatch works.
At least, that's what we thought. But according to Black Mirror co-creator and writer Charlie Brooker, in early drafts of the script the cereal selection returned to the story at a later date – and had a particularly grisly punchline.
Bandersnatch star Will Poulter says he wasn't 'bullied' off Twitter by Black Mirror fans
How many endings does Black Mirror's interactive film Bandersnatch have?
"There is a small pay-off that comes later on," Brooker told RadioTimes.com, explaining how the cereal choice works in the finished film. "Depending on what you chose at the start, when Stefan goes to put a video tape in his TV, it shows you an advert for whichever cereal it was."
Whew chile my stress level when I had to chose between frosties and sugar puffs #BlackMirror #Bandersnatch pic.twitter.com/Om4U4FwsLO
— 🅼 (@LoneIyLisa) December 28, 2018
However, Brooker's original idea was to tie the cereal selection into the eventual death of Stefan's father (played by Craig Parkinson), who ends up murdered and/or dismembered by Stefan in some versions of the story.
"Do you remember what it was originally?" Brooker asked fellow showrunner Annabel Jones.
"It was that when you kill Dad in the kitchen, there was going to be a cutaway shot of whichever cereal you chose, the cereal box on the table getting splattered with blood.
"That always struck me as a really funny gag: to see the Honey Monster with blood going slosh!" the screenwriter laughed.
"The Honey Monster would have loved it," added Jones.
"Yeah, because once he's got a taste for human blood, that's it," agreed Brooker."You can't turn him back, he's a f***ing carnivore."
THEY MADE ME CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO CEREAL VARIANTS I DON'T EVEN EAT THOSE BAKET BA KASI HINDI HONEY STARS AND KOKO CRUNCH I AM SO STRESSED THAT MY CHOICE OF CEREAL WILL AFFECT THE WHOLE FILM #Bandersnatch pic.twitter.com/H83QVhJG2Y
— Kamille Abanilla (@camillexdiaz) December 28, 2018
Before you desperately try to play through and get that ending, though, it's worth remembering that Brooker and Jones ended up cutting the idea for a very simple reason: if they did it, they realised, they might lose permission from the cereal companies to use their branding.
"I think maybe we weren't going to be given permission to use the boxes if we did that," Brooker said.
"Not quite showing the 'positive light of the product,'" added Jones.
When is Black Mirror season 5 released on Netflix?
Still, in the end the Sugar Puffs/Frosties choice was tricky enough for viewers – and even between themselves, Brooker and Jones weren't able to decide, with Brooker opting to choose Frosties while Jones always went for Sugar Puffs.
"What the f*** are Sugar Puffs? They're like insects," Brooker said."I've never liked them."
"You are absolutely in the minority,"Jones said. "And when Netflix gives us the report on everyone, how they've been playing, I bet you everyone in the UK will say Sugar Puffs."
"Hilariously, it's not that we knew this would actually divide people," she added. "Charlie was doing it as a funny gag."
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And who knows? Maybe in this discarded idea, there's the germ of another story somewhere…
"It's not bad, is it?" Brooker mused. "A cereal mascot gets a taste for human flesh…"
Watch out for that one on Netflix some time in 2021.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is available to stream on Netflix UK now
Annabel Jones
Charlie Brooker
Meet the cast of Black Mirror's interactive film Bandersnatch
Netflix teases a hidden scene in Black Mirror: Bandersnatch that lots of people haven't found yet
All about Black Mirror
Exclusive | Bandersnatch star Will Poulter says he wasn't 'bullied' off Twitter by Black Mirror fans
Even Charlie Brooker doesn't know how to access all of Bandersnatch's scenes


There are mechanisms in place that are used to improve population health, including (1) health statuses and outcomes, (2) determinant factors, and (3) interventions that address determinant factors and improve outcomes (Joshi et al., 2014 p. 549). How health care is provided and how it can be improved is the focus of this assignment, which lends itself to a perfect opportunity for you to put your analysis skills into practice. The Learning Resources section this week provides you with data from the patient experience of care that also sheds light on expectations that have and have not been met. The Healthy People 2020 data provides measurements and goals for health care into the future, along with reasons for achieving those goals.
For this Assignment, you will read a scenario, analyze an existing problem using the data/resources provided, and make recommendations to address the issues.
The community of Springfield (population approximately 100,000) is made up of hardworking, mostly older, factory laborers who contributed to both the city and county growth from the late 1950s through early 2005. Since the plant closed, many of the former workers have little to look forward to. There are few jobs available and they are now aging; most are 60 years of age or older.
The Memorial Hospital has been in existence since the mid-1950s and has several primary care physicians and nurse practitioners, a couple of general surgeons, and one cardiologist, but no cardiac surgeons.
Many nurses are recruited from the nearby community college, and the hospital serves as the facility for clinical rounds in their education.
The community is pretty sedentary, with the exception of an occasional game of horseshoes. Cigarette smoking is prominent.
Serious concerns surround the continued existence of the hospital because many residents seek and obtain health care services elsewhere.
Compare the population of this city to other problem areas using the Healthy People sources. The town's population is approximately 100,000, making the comparison fairly straightforward.
In the United States, the health care system emphasizes health promotion, wellness, and prevention as a strategy to improve population health and lower per capita spending. Around the world, however, health care systems vary considerably in terms of cost, quality, and provisions. For this Assignment, you explore the World Health Organization website and research health care in the United States and another country of your choice.
Review the World Health Organization website in this week's Learning Resources. Research health care disparities between the United States and another country of your choice.
Compare economic policies for health promotion, wellness, and prevention programs in the United States and the country you selected. How are they different? What is the economic motivation for each?
Analyze implications of these economic policies and disparities. How does this relate to volume-based versus value-based health care?
Analyze how you might implement the policies from the country you selected in the United States (macro) and your own state (micro). Evaluate the influence of U.S. market conditions on the provision of health care.
Note: If you are an international student, reflect on how you might implement the policies from the country you selected into your own country and/or region.


Kayvan didn't go fishing. "I can't, but I'm supposed to!" - "You have to!" - "I'm not allowed to!" If you need something, just call. Do you drink wine? I can watch TV all day without getting bored. Soon after he arrived, he received surprising news. Ragnar died very young. Not a word to anyone, please. I'm a high school graduate so I am that much able to answer high school problems and such. Our granddaughter was born two days ago.
He promised the slaves that they would be emancipated. You've got to fix it. We have to go somewhere. She is at most 18 years old. I don't want to hurt Kimberly, but I will if I have to. Dawn tried to talk Cole into doing it. I don't think I belong here. We could go into town but it's a real hike from here. They got the sack for being careless and tardy. Milo wouldn't return my calls.
This book is for you. Everything has its limits. It's still very early. Sleep tight, Sean. Why didn't Kemal want to come on this trip with us? The fisherman's story is fishy. It is no use your waiting for him. This is an autonomous machine. He has run out of energy. Go look for it.
Ping helped himself to a cup of coffee. David was too upset to talk about what had happened. He will be at home tomorrow. We both know it's too late. We have vast amounts of unused information. Duke plays the piano very well. I must do better next time. She loves him now more than she did before. I gave her a doll in return. Now just relax.
It'll be finished in a day or two. They can operate a crane. I'm not sure when he'll come back. Do you think this is stupid? Why is that unfortunate? I live in Tbilisi. A strange car was parked in front of my house. I wanted Laurie to see me first. Don is chopping heads off fish. Donn is helping his mother with dinner.
Farther from the palace and to its north and south were the commoners, merchants, artisans, and laborers. Whatever you do, don't complain to Sjouke about this. Good night. Sweet dreams. I didn't let her go home early. I'll try to help you. Translators are responsible people who interpret. His dream has realized. No one has ever done this before. "I am the most beautiful tree in the garden," exclaimed the peach tree, "or even in the whole world!" You need to be more attentive in class.
Something like this can happen to anyone. Barrett and Jeffrey were the only ones that were left. Are you a priest? You sure got fat fast. I'm fine and I'm not sick. Please don't tell Ray what I just told you. Visualization, a favorite tool of the psychologist, cannot solve all problems, but many so-called positive thinkers seem to think that it can. We're all at sea about where to take our company from here. Bobby is a goon. The author lumps all the different European literatures together.
You can smell the chocolate from outside! She's diabetic, so her blood sugar was already out of whack. Bad weather delayed takeoff for two hours. It was hot in every sense of the word. We will be able to raise cows and sheep, too. I heard him sobbing. Joanne looks like he might be sick. This is the hotel at which we stayed at that time. Be quiet during the course. What did Varda really mean?
Would you take my jacket to the cleaners? This stone has a hole in the center. Remember Jeffrey's advice. I am as sad and lonely as can be. Donnie wants you to know what he can do to help. There is such a multitude of stars that they cannot be counted. We'll be ready. It's a relief. I can't take my eyes off Hirotoshi. I can't stop looking at him. What are Spudboy's main achievements?
She herself gave him something to eat. I wouldn't get my hopes up. The water feels really warm. All the roads leading into the city are full of cars. Calm the hell down. Pratt will answer all your questions. I couldn't do that to you. Judging by the size of this footprint, I'd say the perp is about six feet tall. Cyrus and Sangho have decided not to talk to their children in French anymore. My arm really hurts.


Analysis, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS/DSS/ITA.
Director of DS/DSS/ITA on 202 663-0786.
other instances of violence affecting Americans.
of the information associated with them.
perceptibility of targets as U.S. or representative of U.S.
did not follow our strict definition of a significant incident but were nevertheless noteworthy.
makes this information available to all those affected.
Bank on June 9, 1996.
total number of attacks to 443 since 1986.
(FARC) guerrillas. The American was released 4 months later.
in the leg before fleeing the scene.
ELN in November of 1996, following the payment of an undisclosed ransom.
front door and landed in the lobby. No injuries were reported.
terrorists detonated a car bomb at a Royal Dutch Shell petroleum products warehouse in the La Victoria district at 10:35 p.m.
likely designed to postpone that agreement.
assisting in preparations for the October 20 national elections.
was released by his captors.
the Intercor Company, an Exxon Oil Colombian affiliate.
grenade failed to go off and was deactivated by U.N. troops.
burned three containers of Dole bananas.
Three of the five bombs that were deactivated.
hit by small arms fire. The overwatch security helicopter immediately returned fire while the three ships on the ground took off.
security police to a nearby police base. There were no injuries.
Peruvian National Police Anti-Drug Directorate.
ELN was discovered outside the site, which condemned U.S.
Government efforts to reinstate extradition and denounced U.S.
Cerro Navia community was attacked with five explosive devices.
molotov cocktails inside the church, two of which failed to ignite.
A hoax bomb was also found in front of the church.
hours. Twenty-five Colombian workers at the site were unharmed.
of 1997. Circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear.
one hostage and two members of the rescue team.
came for a cocktail party.
that the flight was free to go.
men were treated well while captive and were eventually released unharmed the next day at daybreak.
get out of the car. The gunmen proceed to commandeer the vehicle.
surrendered to the superior force. After first robbing the just-freed kidnaped victims of their personal belongings, the villagers took the kidnapers into custody. At this time, the kidnapers motive is still unknown.
the Ali Suleiyman subclan of the Majertain. At approximately 7 p.m.
made no attempt to harm her or take her possessions.
situation quickly and with no injuries.
conduct a full inquiry to determine who was responsible.
authorities for 3 hours before being released.
negotiated their release on behalf of the pilots family.
damaged the Citi Tower, which houses the U.S.
over U.S. Government interference in the Taiwan Straits.
poured by someone else, he blacked out and fell down a flight of stairs.
found to have sustained three jaw fractures and numerous bruises.
Kompong Speu. After a firefight, some of the workers escaped on foot.
the base of the quarry. The armed group identified itself as Khmer Rouge.
The hostages were released the following day.
center. There were no injuries and the perpetrators escaped.
local hospital. The attack occurred during a period of heightened anti-U.S.
minor fire damage to the roof.
may have been mentally unbalanced.
September 4, 1996Tokyo, Japan: An American employee of the U.S.
individual was intoxicated and was upset about a recent U.S. missile attack against Iraq.
February 14, 1996Athens, Greece: At 10:40 p.m., an improvised incendiary device exploded inside a trash can at a Wendys fastfood restaurant.
Commandos of the November 95 Anarchist Group.
Greek terrorist group, 17 November, also claimed responsibility for the rocket attack against the U.S. Embassy in Athens.
fired the rocket at the U.S. Embassy.
Fragments of the rocket fired at the U.S. Embassy.
When the then U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Madeleine Albright, accompanied by U.S.
a bomb. The device exploded causing extensive damage, but no injuries.
claimed the attack in the name of the Nihilists group Fraxia Midheniston.
diesel fuel were placed underneath the car. No one was hurt in the attack, but the vehicle was destroyed.
French Basque group Iparretarrak claimed responsibility.
September 27, 1996, in Bingol.
for the July 1995 bombing.
was hurt in the attack.
January 23, 1996Manama, Bahrain: An American citizens office was burgled and set on fire.
that nationality was a factor in the incident.
There was no claim for the incident.
people were killed, and 1,400 were injured, including two Americans. The perpetrators were apprehended by private citizens after two witnesses to the bombing trailed them to a local bakery.
between police and the assailant. Two police officers were wounded.
Ayyash, on January 5, 1995.
an explosive on a bus.
20 people and injured 75 others.
during a drive-by shooting. No one claimed responsibility for the attack.
Hizballah Gulf, the Legion of the Martyr Abdullah al-Huzaifi, and the Islamic Movement for Change (IMC).
crater measures 54 feet across and 40 feet deep.
the bombed floors of the al-Khobar Towers.
released unharmed on February 17.
Liberia. After 4 hours, the three men were released unharmed.
gunmen surrendered and freed the five hostages.
(SPLA). Though allegedly abused during their captivity, the five were released on August 21, 1996.
detained. They were released unharmed 3 hours later.
were kidnaped in Wunrok, southern Sudan, by forces loyal to Kerubino Bol.
were released unharmed on September 27, 1996.
three are still in captivity.
last heard from in Bamut, Chechnya. Their whereabouts are still unknown.
been confirmed, so their whereabouts remain unknown.
been missing in Ingushetia or Chechnya in the Russian Republic. His location is still unknown.


After the events of Into the Storm, the humans of Walker and their Lemurian allies prepare their defenses for the inevitable Grik onslaught. Initial optimism is tempered by the realization that the threat is much greater than they initially thought.
While Into the Storm was somewhat tentative, the series hits its stride in this book. A real page turner. Mr. Anderson also gives freer rein to the often comical idiosyncrasies of his characters, adding a note of absurdist humor to the narrative.


WorldSkills Americas – Sao Paulo Brazil.
November 18, 2012. More than 20 countries participated in the 2nd WorldSkills Americas competitions this week in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Web Design students from Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Dominican Republic and the USA battled it out in a head-to-head week long competition for the honor of taking home the prestige and medals.
According to the conference organizer, Web Design is a fairly new profession incorporating building and maintaining web pages. Web Designers use computer programmes to produce pages which include links to other pages, graphical elements, text and photographs. The layout of these elements can be presented as a script or drawings on paper. Computer software is used for technical implementation. In their work, designers and builders must pay attention to copyright laws and ethical questions.
Challengers documented their progress as they demonstrated their skills in Web Programming (HTML, XHTML and CSS), Web graphics, Web site design, Web accessibility and usability, Web site management, programming, Web multimedia and equally important professionalism.
The Web Design Contest provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development. It builds and reinforces self-confidence, work attitudes and communications skills. It emphasizes total quality at work, high ethical standards, superior work skills, life-long education and pride in the dignity of work.


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Home » ONC Eyes Ways to Improve Patient Engagement
ONC Eyes Ways to Improve Patient Engagement
Lana Moriarty looks to make sure that the consumer's voice stays at the forefront of efforts to digitize health care.
Marty Stempniak
It's only been a few short weeks since the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT's new patient engagement chief came aboard, but she's already thinking about ways to jazz up the office's efforts.
Last month, ONC announced the appointment of Lana Moriarty as its acting director for consumer e-health, after the previous director departed in July. In the role, she'll be tasked with advising national coordinator Karen DeSalvo, M.D., on matters of patient engagement and health information access. Moriarty is on a six-month detail from HRSA, but she's applied to take over the job permanently and is already mulling over ways to bolster patient engagement.
With all the focus on whether providers are meaningfully using electronic health records to improve care delivery, Moriarty's curious about the other side, she told me in a phone interview Friday. Are patients able to use electronic health records in a meaningful way and, if not, what can ONC do to change that?
"There are a lot of questions around now that we're trying to liberate the data and make it more liquid, how is it being used and what are the concerns of the consumers?" she says. "We still have a lot of consumer feedback that I feel we need to connect on our end, and I think we're going to be making some efforts in doing that soon."
Moriarty replaces Lygeia Ricciardi, who pioneered the position, but announced her resignation in June amid reshuffling in the agency. She'll pick up right where the previous patient-engagement czar left off, continuing to push ONC's Blue Button initiative, which aims to allow patients access to their health records online at the touch of a button. She believes momentum is building around the initiative, with 500-plus members and some communities interested in doing workshops around the topic of consumer health information exchange.
In a previous lifetime, Moriarty worked as a gender specialist for the World Bank Group, fighting to make sure that the desires and perspectives of women were being addressed around the world. Now, she's something of a patient/consumer specialist, working to ensure that the health care users' perspective is touched upon in everything that ONC does.
"My real role here is on the internal side. I am working across every organization within ONC to make sure that the consumers' voice stays on the agenda — to make sure we're considering that angle in everything we do, whether it's policy, privacy or security," she says.
ONC has a number of consumer-focused work groups, she says, to consider those different angles. She's doing what she can to help keep the consumer perspective at the forefront. Moriarty believes that her predecessor left her a solid structure to continue the push for stronger patient engagement.
"It's exciting to work in this area," Moriarty says. "Lygeia has paved the way for so much of this work and really making health IT kind of tangible and available to Americans, so this, for me, is such an important area to move forward. And with IT rapidly expanding the whole data universe, this is such a ripe time to focus on consumers and to try to build momentum around what we've already done. I'm really hoping to expand on the foundation that's already been created here."
What do you hope to see ONC's new patient engagement chief focus her efforts on? Share your thoughts in the comment section, and check out our ongoing series on patient engagement here for more on the topic.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


United Autosports, as trailed on DSC two weeks ago here have confirmed their intention to enter the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 class, thus taking up the automatic invitation awarded for their Championship win in the LMP3 clash of the 2016 European Le Mans Series. The team are also currently evaluating a full season programme in the 2017 European Le Mans Series with their newly acquired Ligier JS P217.
United have purchased a Ligier JS P217 from Onroak Automotive and will also continue with their LMP3 programme in 2017 and have announced their first driver line up of John Falb, Enzo Potolicchio and Sean Rayhall.
The team, who are also UK agents for Onroak Automotive LMP3 and CN cars, have decided to commit to buying an LMP2 car in order to fully prepare for the 24-hour race.


Bleu Toucan is an emergent duo composed by Emmanuel et Léonard. They produce electronic pop with English lyrics for the prestigious independent label Profil de Face, like Vendredi sur Mer. With already 3 EP releases, their music a fresh and dreamlike journey. Available in a live version or Djset the already played in fancy Parisian places like the Nüba club, The hotel Particulier Montmartre or Le Carmen. They've just shared their new single.


"Date Night" is the first video off of my Chef Ky's "Cook Book Vol. 1" EP. The video is a action filled day with his girlfriend showing his life and seeing if she could handle it before going further.
Chef Ky is a hot artist coming out of Carroll County, GA; with his own sound that can make him a legend in the game, Young guy has melodies and harmonies generating at the pace that can take over the game in 2019. Everyone can find entertainment in this artist, If you want bars it's in there, if you want to go crazy thinking your El Chapo it's in there or even if you just want to bop your head it's in there. The guy is a monster just dropping a loaded beginning to end hit filled EP.


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Forget megapixels! How a gigapixel camera captures images FIVE times better than the human eye in astonishing detail
Prototype camera developed by Duke University scientists captures images up to 50,000 megapixels
Pictures of street signs a half mile away can clearly be read with new technology
While camera is cumbersome, scientists say gigapixels are the future of digital photography
Published: 14:42 EDT, 22 June 2012 | Updated: 15:44 EDT, 22 June 2012
If a picture is worth a thousand words, than a picture taken with a gigapixel camera must be worth millions.
Scientists at Duke University have built an astonishing prototype camera that, not unlike many smartphones, allows the viewer to zoom in and focus on certain aspects of the photograph – all while maintaining incredible clarity.
The experimental camera takes shots containing up to 50 gigapixels of data – or 50,000 megapixels. While most point-and-shoot cameras come equipped with around 10-16 megapixels, the scope is truly dizzying.
Scroll down for more high-resolution images
Duke scientists combined 98 individual cameras to create the Aware-2, which allow the camera to have a resolution five times better than the so-called perfect 20/20 vision in humans.
The result is a picture that is comprised of billions of pixels, which are single points in an image that together converge into recognisable images. Even the best professional cameras on the market only top 20-30 megapixels.
Described in an article appearing in Nature, the pictures show wide-angle shots of various locations, and how the gigapixel camera allows for tight and precise views of objects relatively far away.
PIXEL THAT! HOW THE GIGAPIXEL CAMERA WORKS
The camera uses a spherical lens to capture every iota of detail in its range, mounted with nearly 100 14-megapixel microcameras.
Because of the nature of the lens, it has a view of 120 degrees by 50 degrees.
The lens actually takes 100 individual pictures, which are then pieced together by a computer.
Electrical engineer David Brady told Nature, which published his team's findings: 'Scanning a scene with these cameras, you can see a lot more than if you were actually there.'
In one wide-angle shot of the Seattle skyline, various buildings can be seen, with the traffic moving at a decent pace. But with the gigapixel camera, suddenly a truck can be seen driving down one of the streets blocks away, and the 'in' and 'out' signs on a parking garage a half-mile away can clearly be read.
Dr Brady added that taking a picture with a traditional camera, such as a point-and-shoot, is like 'looking through a soda straw since you can only see a narrow part of the scene.'
But he compares the prototype camera to a fire house, saying: 'The world comes at you full (blast.)'
The camera uses a spherical lens to capture every iota of detail in its range, mounted with 96 14-megapixel microcameras. Because of the nature of the lens, it has a view of 120 degrees by 50 degrees.
The lens actually takes 100 individual pictures, which are then pieced together by a computer, Nature said. But, the scientists note that the Aware-2 is far from the commercial market, as it is still too cumbersome and requires space for its various electronic boards.
Not to mention its sizable weight – around 100 pounds – and its bulk. It takes about 18 seconds to shoot a photograph (not unlike the old daguerreotype) as the camera takes in all the data.
The result is stunning; the slightest details –like licence plates and street signs – can be perfectly read from a picture taken a half-mile away.
The Aware-2 can only currently produce pictures in black and white, though researchers at the North Carolina school are looking to build a colour gigapixel camera soon.
Their research was supported by DARPA, the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency. Michael J. Fitzpatrick, who is a professor at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering, as well as other scientists from the University of Arizona and the University of California – San Diego participated in the ground-breaking research.
Dr Brady hopes that once the technology catches up to the concept, gigapixel cameras could replace their megapixel cousins.'As more efficient and compact electronics are developed,' he said. 'The age of hand-held gigapixel photography should follow.'
Shutter to think: Scientists at Duke University created the massive lens, which uses nearly 100 microcameras to capture individual images which are then reassembled
Gigapixel camera: Prototype from Duke University scientists captures images FIVE times better than the human eye


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Animal Resource Center named Agency of the Year for 2020
The Ohio County Dog Wardens Association (OCDWA) has named the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center (ARC) the 2020 Agency of the Year. The award recognizes animal control agencies for participation in training programs, innovative public education programs, active community involvement, and participation in and support of OCDWA functions.
"Our Animal Resource Center has made tremendous strides in the last few years," said Montgomery County Commissioner Judy Dodge. "The investments we've made in the ARC, with training and outreach program development, and the extra effort to quickly get lost dogs returned to their homes, have really paid dividends. I'd like to thank the Ohio County Dog Wardens Association for recognizing the hard work of our staff with this award."
The Animal Resource Center has built several training programs in recent years. The Animal Awareness Program is designed for dog owners who have received a minor misdemeanor citation and is offered as an alternative to going to court for the offense. The class trains on the benefits of spaying and neutering, dog laws, safety, and other pet ownership essential knowledge.
Other programs include training for postal carriers within the City of Dayton, outreach to police departments in Montgomery County, and involvement with various neighborhood associations.
The Agency of the Year Award also recognizes the efforts at the animal shelter to improve the live release rate. Prior to 2018, annual live release rates ranged from 50-60 percent. That number increased to 88.6 percent in 2019 and is on track to be over 90 percent in 2020.
"Our Animal Resource Center has made an incredible turnaround," said Montgomery County Administrator Michael Colbert. "In 2018, we hired Team Shelter U.S.A. to take a critical look at our operations and procedures. What they reported back to us, frankly, was hard to hear. We not only acknowledged but embraced that feedback. We took all their suggestions to heart, outlined steps to meet those recommendations and state requirements, and every day the ARC staff worked hard to meet those objectives while ensuring transparency to the public. I'm very proud of where we are now."
The award was announced Dec. 10 at the annual OCDWA meeting held virtually in conjunction with the County Commissioners Association of Ohio.
"It was unfortunate that the association members were not available in person to applaud the Animal Resource Center staff for their accomplishments in a difficult year for all agencies across the state," said Dave Shellhouse, President of the OCDWA. "The OCDWA wishes the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center continued success."
The Montgomery County ARC takes in thousands of dogs each year and works hard to reunite lost dogs with owners, adopt unwanted or abandoned dogs into new homes, and protect the public from dangerous animals.
"It's a great honor to receive this award," said Robert Gruhl, Animal Resource Center Director. "We have a hard-working and dedicated staff, and they've shown commitment to community education, protecting the public, and saving the lives of so many dogs in our communities. We don't intend to rest on our laurels. We are going to keep coming up with innovative ways to improve the health and wellbeing of these dogs."
The Animal Resource Center is primarily funded through the sale of Montgomery County dog licenses, which are on sale through the Montgomery County Auditor's Office at www.mcohio.org/dogs.
One response to "Animal Resource Center named Agency of the Year for 2020"
Lori Bohardt says:
Thank you to Amy Bohardt for working hard in making all of this come together!
Animal Resource Center
6790 Webster St.
Dayton, Ohio 45414 (937) 898-4457
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (lost and found searches only)
Sheltering


China's National Computer Network Emergency Response Tactical Team officials told Forbes that about 7.8 million Chinese computers were affected in 27,900 IP attacks. They claimed that the majority of the attacks originated in the United States (24%) followed by Japan (17.2%) and South Korea (11.4%).
Department of Homeland Security to form "CyberReserve" volunteer cybersecurity army made of civilian hackers?
RSA has announced that another wave of attacks on major banks is coming and rather than a DDoS style attack, this one is organized by a cyber-gang intent on pilfering money through a Trojan attack they have dubbed "Gozi Prinimalka".


Japanese architect Jun Murata renovated an apartment in Osaka, Japan, through a minimalist approach in the use of materials and concealed lighting that creates a soft and calm atmosphere.
"This is the renovation of the apartment which is located in the city center. This residence has a living room to the south side with splendid city view.
The client who works in foreign country required a comfortable healing space used as a private suit room to spend his spare time. I felt it was the important to dispel the so-called "negative elements of the typical apartment" - for example, ledges of columns and beams to inside space and private rooms participated small. It was necessary to make them restore to smooth space which has purity.
All partition walls and built-in furniture were removed except for equipment laying of the pipes and structure frame. To cancel gaps by beams, columns and duct space, it' s a basic way to finish wall and ceiling flat. A small reading area, illumination boxes, digging crowded display space and storage are buried in any dead space.
The sound insulation performance of the floor completion requested by a regulation in an apartment is settled on double floors. Sound insulation floor covering material of a fluffy feel was avoided, and we chose natural wood of ash which has mat texture, hard impression, and fine-grained quality, and also has high precision for the splice.
A kitchen with amphidromous circulation and the powder room arranged more widely than before - both equipments are custom-made one without the unnecessary function.
A wall counter and walk-in closet were installed in expanded master's bedroom.
Only a central beam in the living - dining expands its width and is making voluminousness stand out. It was cut off from the ceiling by a slit of an indirect lighting so as not to be recognized as a structural beam. A thin film of the half mirror surface is stuck not give an excessive oppressive feeling. The reflection like the water surface is exists with a kind of uniqueness.
A L-shape hole used as display space is thrust through on the east side wall, and a rectangle is sunk on the west one. Along the vertical window which continues at same width with a counter in the front of it, natural light from the south is led to window-less corridor softly.
Those of all exists as a spatial empty, and it directs inside space as the element of light.
I wished to suppress my intention and to make previous old residence be restored into modest space filled with soft light. I hope the client is able to have a rest gently in the brief moment."


In audiobook three, Pat and Isabel look forward to their first summer term at St Clare's. They soon make friends with new girl Carlotta, who has a secret past that she's desperate to hide. But sneaky Prudence finds out and tells everybody. How will the class react? There'll be mischief at St Clare's!


USCIS received 190,098 H-1B petitions during the filing period, which began April 2, including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption. USCIS announced on April 6, that it had received enough H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap of 65,000 and the master's cap of 20,000. USCIS will reject and return all unselected petitions with their filing fees unless the petition is a prohibited multiple filing (PDF, 119 KB).


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Business / Green China
Huaneng to spend $1.6b to reduce emissions
By Du Juan (China Daily) Updated: 2014-07-15 06:57
A woman passes a thermal power plant of China Huaneng Group Corp in Huai'an, Jiangsu province. By the end of this year, all coal-fired power plants of the group will be equipped with desulfurization and dust removal equipment. CHINA DAILY
Investment aims to achieve govt's goals for improved air quality
China Huaneng Group Corp, the biggest power generation company in the country, said it will invest about 10 billion yuan ($1.61 billion) this year to upgrade emissions-control equipment, a move to meet the government's requirement for air quality improvement.
By the end of this year, all coal-fired power plants of Huaneng Group will be equipped with desulfurization and dust removal equipment, said Zhao Yi, director of the company's science and technology for environmental protection department.
He said the company's investment in cutting emissions has been rising every year as the government and public attach increasing importance to fighting climate change and solving air pollution.
For the 2011-2014 period, the company will spend more than 20 billion yuan on upgrading its thermal power plants to cut emissions, according to Huaneng.
Report: Energy costs to hit $5.7t
Huaneng still world's 2nd biggest power producer
Based on current technology, the Huaneng Beijing Thermal Power Plant will reach "near-zero" emissions by the end of 2015.
By 2015, up to 25 percent of the group's installed generation capacity will be renewable energy, including solar, wind, nuclear and hydropower.
The group reported total installed generation capacity of 143.29 million kilowatts as of the end of 2013.
"Coal will continue to be the majority source for China's energy supply because of its low cost and rich reserves," said Dai Bing, director of the coal industry information department at JYD Online Corp, a Beijing-based bulk commodity consultancy.
He said considering the limited volume of imported natural gas and reduced crude oil exploration in the country, China needs to use coal in a cleaner and more efficient way.
Beijing-based Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute, owned by the group, has many labs studying advanced power generation technology.
Xu Shisen, head of the institute, said Huaneng's Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle project, which can transform coal into gas for power generation, has been put into operation.
The emissions of the project are equal to 10 percent of those of a conventional baseload power plant, said Xu.
The unit cost of the IGCC project for power generation may be four times that of a common coal-fired power plant, so it is not ready for commercial operations.
However, Xu said that as natural gas prices continue to rise, the project will gain an advantage and it is likely to be put into commercial operation soon.
According to Xu, Shanxi province, a major domestic source of coal, has shown an interest in the IGCC project.
Profits surge expected for Huaneng Power
Huaneng Power International expects profit surge in 2012
Nation's energy demand slowing
Leading from the front lines
Infographics: China's GDP growth since 1978
China's largest 3D printer builds 2-meter-long boat
China's 1st air taxi service opens for $3,220 an hour
Top 10 skyscrapers in the world
Trash to treasure: whiteware recycling plant in Guangdong
CCG Expo wraps up in Shanghai
Fresh approach brings rewards
Blending Confucius with Aristotle
China's H1 tax revenue rises 8.5%
New yuan loans beat estimates by 20%
WTO sides with China on US trade tariff case
SOEs given freedom to choose top execs
Microsoft planning job cuts to cope with Nokia unit integration
Top 6 overseas picks for homebuyers
Top 10 dairy companies worldwide
Top 10 Chinese firms by revenue
Top 10 biggest websites in the world
Turning point of Chinese property market
The changing face of China's workforce
Foxconn: 4 years on
Portals : | www.chinaso.com|Sina|Sohu|Tencent|
Organizations : | China US Focus|FrenCham|CPAFFC|Gov.cn|eBeijing|AmCham|


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Former EPA Water Chief David Ross joins Troutman Pepper
Troutman Pepper
David Ross, Partner, Troutman Pepper
About the entity
Troutman Pepper is a national law firm known for its higher commitment to client care. With more than 1,200 attorneys in 23 U.S. cities, the firm partners with clients across every industry sector to help them achieve their business goals.
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Waterpeople
Dave Ross, a longtime public servant who has held key leadership positions in federal and state environmental agencies, has joined Troutman Pepper as a partner in the firm's Environmental and Natural Resources Practice Group in Washington, D.C. Ross' policy background, along with a distinctive combination of federal, state and private sector experience, will significantly expand the capabilities of the firm's 50-attorney national environmental practice, which serves clients in a variety of industries across the United States.
Ross brings more than two decades of experience working on environmental issues, most recently serving as water chief in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He has also served as both a state prosecutor and private defense attorney, managing enforcement and compliance matters in all aspects of environmental law, including Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Policy Act. He will work closely with the firm's appellate practice, broadening and strengthening the firm's environmental and natural resources already robust appellate litigation capabilities.
"Dave is widely recognized for his acumen in the environmental law arena, and most recently for his policy work across a wide spectrum of water issues – a unique background that will greatly benefit our clients across the country," said Amie Colby, partner and chair of the Regulatory & Finance Department at Troutman Pepper. "Dave will be a significant resource to our client base as a whole, particularly those in the energy sector, including pipelines and infrastructure, as well as our municipal clients."
Ross served as Assistant Administrator in the EPA's Office of Water from 2018 to 2020, with support at the time of his selection from environmental leaders on both sides of the aisle who made public statements affirming his ability to lead. During his time at EPA, Ross spearheaded many regulatory reform and modernization efforts, strengthened interagency relationships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of the Interior, and several other agencies, and helped deploy billions of dollars in federal loan assistance for water infrastructure projects across the country.
"Dave's arrival will be transformative for the firm's Environmental and Natural Resources practice, our Washington, D.C. office, and the firm's appellate litigation practice," said Catherine Little, partner and leader of the Environmental and Natural Resources Practice Group. "He is highly regarded by the business community, with a proven track record of working collaboratively with a broad range of diverse stakeholders to address complex and often exceedingly controversial environmental issues."
Cristina Novo


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'Game Of Thrones' Season 7 Spoilers: Cersei's New Suitors Revealed? Love-Hate Relationship Between Jaime And Cersei Explained?
By Joseph St. James. , Mar 28, 2017 04:00 AM EDT
Fans can rely on these latest "Game of Thrones" Season 7 spoilers because they are coming from Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, the actor who plays Jaime in the hit TV series. He has some inside information that he shared recently regarding his romantic relationship with Cersei (Lena Headey) and possibly with Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie). It seems Cersei is also getting new suitors in the upcoming season.
Jaime Got Angry With Cersei
Fans will recall that in the previous season, Jaime apparently got angry with his sister for her murderous deeds at the Great Sept of Baelor. Even her son, King Tommen, was induced to commit suicide by her dastardly acts. Jaime arrived at King's Landing right at the time of Cersei's coronation and he gave dagger looks at his sister. According to some "Game of Thrones" Season 7 spoilers, this situation seems to indicate their souring romantic relationship.
He Will Start To Entertain Questions
Waldau added other "Game of Thrones" Season 7 spoilers when he admitted that his character will be forced to question what had become of the new queen. He explained that Jaime was groomed to accommodate his sister since he was 15 years old. But from that time on, a lot of changes have transformed her sister to what she is now.
Waldau Says Cersei May Have New Suitors
Although Cersei had other lovers aside from Jaime, she never remarried. However, some "Game of Thrones" Season 7 spoilers indicate that this may change in the upcoming season. Waldau even admitted that he could be revealing important spoilers by suggesting that she will have new suitors coming. If that's the case, Jaime may be induced to turn to his other love, Brienne of Tarth.
In addition, there is other "Game of Thrones" Season 7 spoilers suggesting that there is a possibility that Cersei might join the forces of Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbaek), the pissy Iron Islander. The siblings already have a very complicated relationship. Adding another complication to it does not bode well for their relationship. Will the two finally break their bond?
TAG Game of Thrones, game of thrones season 7, Game of Thrones Season 7 Spoilers, Game of Thrones Season 7 Updates, game of thrones season 7 news, Game of Thrones spoilers, game of thrones news, game of thrones season 7 update, game of thrones update
'Game Of Thrones' Season 7 Spoilers: Sansa Stark Shows She Can Rule Westeros And Be Better At It
Sansa Stark might just be the most qualified person to rule Westeros. Actress Sophie Turner even confirms that Sansa is bound to grow.
HBO Takes 'Game Of Thrones' And 'Westworld' To SDCC 2017, Panel Details Released
HBO is bringing the cast and crew of "Game of Thrones" and "Westworld" to this year's Comic-Con in San Diego.
George R.R. Martin Hints At Publishing 'The Winds of Winter' This Year, Announces Attendance In Upcoming Worldcon 75
George R.R. Martin has revealed updates on his various projects and subtly hinted that "The Winds of Winter" is on the way to getting published soon.
'Game Of Thrones' Season 7 Spoilers: Kit Harington Teases Jon Snow's 'Seismic Shift', Warns Winter Isn't Coming?
Kit Harington has revealed that Jon Snow is in for a big change in the new season of "Game of Thrones".
George R.R. Martin Might Release 'Winds Of Winter' This Year
George R.R. Martin is currentlly involved with a handful of upcoming television series but it seems like he's aiming to release "The Winds of Winter" within 2017.
This 'Game Of Thrones' Character Is The Most Important According To Data
With "Game of Thrones" Season 7 just right around the corner, gathered data reveal that the series has discreetly shown another significant character.


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SFIFF52 Day 8: California Company Town
The 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival is at the halfway mark; it runs through May 7th. Each day during the festival I'll be posting about one film I've seen or am hotly anticipating.
California Company Town (USA: Lee Anne Schmitt, 2008)
playing: 8:35 PM tonight at the Pacific Film Archive, with two more public showtimes later in the festival.
festival premiere: Vancouver 2008
distributor: none that I'm aware of.
At the intersection of historical, geographical, political, environmental, and aesthetic upheaval lies California Company Town, made by CalArts faculty member Lee Anne Schmitt. It explores the communities and ex-communities built up around this state's extraction industries: mining, lumbering, large-scale agriculture etc. Schmitt's matter-of-fact narration tells story after story from our unheard labor history along with personal recounts of her experiences speaking with people and shooting footage in these forgotten pockets of California. Other times we hear the voices of political figures reciting relevant speeches, or else paid promoters selling faith in the American Dream. Often the soundtrack is wordless however, emphasizing an auditory windswept emptiness that aligns with the images we're shown. Schmitt interpolates archival film footage and close-up shots of the detritus of these commerce-ravaged communities with the bulk of her visual palette: landscape shots of the ghost towns, lunar landscapes, and even impromptu skate parks that exist in and around places like Boron, Darwin, Eagle Mountain, etc.
This essay film is possibly the most formally unconventional of the documentary features at the SFIFF this year, though its outwardly calm yet furiously pointed approach may identify it as a younger cousin of recent festival selections such as Profit Motive and the Whispering Wind and the Joy of Life. What a typical documentary viewer is likely to miss most, at least at first, in California Company Town is images of people. There are some, but they're almost exclusively shown in extreme long shot and remain strangers. However, this absence of human visual connection should strike a thoughtful viewer as entirely appropriate to the subject matter of locations where capital has starkly displaced human labor.
Perhaps most interesting are Schmitt's images of the remnants of workers' co-operatives such as Kaweah and Llano del Rio. Not company towns at all, but utopian alternatives, these former communities leave fewer traces than the emptied-out factory towns and mines. And she touches on the fact that some of these dying or dead towns are making unlikely comebacks as bedroom communities for labor pools for modern, capital-infused cities. I'm not quite sure how Manzanar fits in with the rest of the places she exhibits, but like her aesthetic decisions its inclusion in the film provides fodder for thought and discussion. The filmmaker is expected to be in attendance at tonight's screening.
SFIFF52 Day 8
Another option: Proving Ground (USA: Travis Wilkerson, 2007) Actually a multimedia performance piece originally entitled Soapbox Agitation #1: Proving Ground is the most notable vestige of the Kinotek programs of recent SFIFF editions. I wish I had taken advantage of more of them; this one sounds interesting.
Non-SFIFF-option for today: Road House (USA: Jean Negulesco, 1948) at the Vortex Room in 16mm; a noir starring Ida Lupino. Need I say more? If so, I'll let Noir of the Week do the talking.
Labels: documentary, SFIFF
SFIFF52 Day 7: The Lake
The 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival is approaching its halfway mark; it runs through May 7th. Each day during the festival I'll be posting about one film I've seen or am hotly anticipating.
The Lake (ISRAEL: Boaz Lavie, 2009)
playing: 12:15 PM this afternoon at the Kabuki, with no more showtimes later in the festival.
festival premiere: Ljubljana International Short Film Festival 2009 is the earliest I'm picking up.
distributor: none that I am aware of.
Some of the SFIFF's shorts programs are collected under a clear theme. Youth Bring the Truth showcases work by teenage filmmakers. No Voice Too Small compiles films made for children. A Thousand Pictures is animation not intended for kiddies. Parting Shots and Handle With Care are devoted to avant-garde films. Foreign Territories and Voices Carry are more curatorially amorphous.
I used the festival's press preview stations to take a look at films in the latter program and was unable to discern a unifying principle behind it. Voices that carry, I guess. No matter, it's an opportunity to watch a grab bag of short-form video work along with, according to the Film on Film calendar, one 35mm production entitled Next Floor, a dark, satirical, somewhat gruesome narrative piece from Canada. Other shorts in the program include the Conscience of Nhem En, an Oscar-nominated documentary short about the legacy of the Khmer Rouge, and 575 Castro St., which might find itself at home in one of the avant-garde programs, but has an emotional heft that deserves to be appreciated by viewers nervous about seeing a full program of experimental work.
I gravitate toward the documentaries, the avant-garde, and the animated shorts, but tend to be disappointed by the live-action narrative short video works, no matter what festival I see them at. It's nice to find an exception, though. I found one in The Lake, a comedy from a young Israeli writer-director named Boaz Lavie. It's a completely absurd piece about two brothers trying to make a living in Tel Aviv. A bizarre scenario is played with such straightforward deadpan earnestness that I could not help but laugh out loud in the oh-so-quiet viewing room. I suspect the Lake will appeal most to the sorts of people who have Fishing With John in their personal DVD collections, not because they're being Criterion-Collection-completist, but because they appreciate its off-beat humor. I also bet it's the only film ever made with songs recorded by Stevie Wonder, Vincent Gallo and Raffi all on the same soundtrack.
Another option: Khamsa (FRANCE: Karim Dridi, 2008) has been recommended by Carl Martin as well as other festgoers I've spoken with. Here is another review if you still need convincing to attend the film's last SFIFF screening today.
Non-SFIFF-option for today: the Clown and the Führer (SPAIN: Eduard Cortés, 2007) at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. I haven't seen it, but here is a review.
Labels: narrative shorts, SFIFF, YBCA
SFIFF52 Day 6: Le Amiche
The 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival is going strong; it runs through May 7th. Each day during the festival I'll be posting about one film I've seen or am hotly anticipating.
Le Amiche (ITALY: Michaelangelo Antonioni, 1955)
playing: 8:15 PM tonight at the Pacific Film Archive, with no more showtimes later in the festival.
festival premiere: Venice 1955
distributor: Image Entertainment released a DVD back in 2001, but this restoration may be lead to a new home video transfer. More theatrical showings might be unlikely in the near future, however.
Michaelangelo Antonioni has the reputation of being one of the severest of the great international auteurs of the 1960s arthouse. But his work in the 1950s was very different in formal seriousness and tone, as evidenced by this relatively rare screening of a recently-restored 1955, Le Amiche. Translated as the Girlfriends, it begins in the aftermath of a suicide attempt and follows a group of women, some married and some unmarried but in direct competition for the attention of the husbands. Its theme of the dissolution of the traditional family structure in post-war Italy certainly prefigures the so-called "trilogy of alienation", but it's positively breezy when compared to the director's canonized works like L'Avventura and L'Eclisse.
That's because Antonioni hadn't yet pushed his formal experimentation into the ground-breaking realm of those masterpieces. Le Amiche provides a fine example of that maxim for artists: that one must Know The Rules before successfully Breaking Them. For Le Amiche has a structure that, while by no means predictable or conforming to a rigid genre floorplan (not one that I'm aware of at any rate), is also no assault upon the very tenets of narrative as some later films reportedly felt like to audiences of the time. And on a shot-by-shot basis, this is not the Antonioni that Orson Welles complains about to Peter Bogdanovich in This is Orson Welles:
I'm so bored with Antonioni--that belief that, because a shot is good, it's going to get better if you keep looking at it. He gives you a full shot of somebody walking down a road. And you think, "Well, he's not going to carry that woman all the way up that road." But he does. And then she leaves and you go on looking at the road after she's gone.
No, in 1955 the Italian master was still using relatively conventional pacing. There is a crucial shot of a woman disappearing down a street, but she disappears into the darkness and it's quite clear what emotion the audience is expected to feel as the camera is being held there. For some, an Antonioni film without the long-take, long-shot ennui may be hard to fathom; why see a film by an auteur that doesn't highlight his most essential strength? But Charlie Chaplin made a masterpiece out of a Woman of Paris without employing his knack for comedy, and David Cronenberg's Fast Company is as good as any of his other early films, without the employment of overt "body horror".
The truth is these filmmakers are men of prodigial talent, and display it even when not plucking the same string they're best known for. In Antonioni's case, his eye for framing a composition and skill at delineating character shine through in a film like Le Amiche, and it should be sought out by anyone interested in the work of this great master. Conversely, it might even turn around the opinion of an Antonioni non-fan put off by the likes of Red Desert and Zabriskie Point.
Another option: Rembrandt's J'Accuse (UK/NETHERLANDS: Peter Greenaway, 2008), with the director expected to be in attendance. UPDATE: As it turns out, Greenaway is not in town after all. Michael Hawley points out that a new Greenaway film hasn't screened in Frisco since 1999. What's up with that?
Non-SFIFF-option for today: Wendy and Lucy (USA: Kelly Reihardt, 2008) at the Red Vic, a truly heartbreaking, beautiful film I recommend very highly. Check out this interview with the film's director by SFIFF shorts juror Jesse Hawthorne Ficks.
Labels: Antonioni, PFA, SFIFF
SFIFF52 Day 5: Empress Hotel
The 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival has completed its first weekend; it runs through May 7th. Each day during the festival I'll be posting about one film I've seen or am hotly anticipating.
Empress Hotel (USA: Allie Light & Irving Saraf, 2009)
playing: 6:00 PM tonight at the Kabuki, with two more showtimes including an added screening on the last day of the festival.
festival premiere: Nashville Film Festival 2009
Forty years ago, a former lawyer named Frederick Wiseman made a film called Titicut Follies, out of footage he shot inside the Bridgewater (Massachusetts) State Hospital for the criminally insane. Though he had the permission of the hospital and its staff to film inside, after the film's completion a legal decision blocked its screening on the basis that the patients' privacy would be infringed upon. This despite the fact that Wiseman's camera was attempting to benefit the patients by improving their conditions; it showed those few who were able to see the film (before the ban was lifted in 1991) how Bridgewater was maltreating its inmates: housing them naked, force-feeding them in an improper manner, etc.
Empress Hotel is a quite different documentary in almost every regard. It shows life inside a Tenderloin residential hotel intended to provide shelter for people who might otherwise be sleeping on Frisco's sidewalks or in its parks. Though a number of these residents have mental health or addiction issues, they are not "criminally insane" (though it's questionable whether the men in Titicut Follies were, either). They are not being held at the Empress against their will. The film was made in full co-operation from the staff of the hotel, and building manager Roberta Goodman even served as co-producer. More importantly, as suggested by the documentary's subtitle "Stories of the Residents," Empress Hotel was made with the active participation of its subjects. This interview indicates that material the residents wanted omitted from the film indeed was. It's their perspectives and the depiction of their joys and frequent sorrows of living in the center of Frisco's Tenderloin that forms the heart of the film. Like any documentary made by outsiders (in this case Oscar-winning non-fiction filmmaking team Allie Light & Irving Saraf) huge ethical issues of representation are wrangled with, but following in the true cinéma vérité tradition of Jean Rouch (as opposed to the Direct Cinema strand Wiseman stems out of) the presence of the camera is acknowledged and the ethical wrangling becomes a clear part of the finished film.
Light and Saraf make a few choices that I'm not sure work so well; notably during some of the residents testimonials of their life experiences they intercut heavy-handed images of liquor, drugs, and other personal demons the storytellers are describing in the audio track. And the film doesn't seem to know quite how to conclude. Perhaps this is because of the messiness of human existence and our inconclusive narratives. Personally, I would also have liked to see more paralleling of the lives of the "cared for" with those of their "providers" in order to break down the separations that we tend to feel when confronted with people in a so-called "worse off" situation than our own. But ultimately Empress Hotel is a important and eye-opening document. If Titicut Follies led its viewers to understand the tragic indignities of the institution it portrayed, this film is liable to bring a sensitive viewer to a better understanding of the tragic indignities of a society that shunts aside a portion of its population into near-invisibility. A film like Empress Hotel can only be part of the corrective to this sad situation.
Another option: Al Más Allá (MEXICO: Lourdes Portillo, 2008), screening as part of Lourdes Portillo's Persistence of Vision award tribute. I've only seen one of this documentarian's films, Missing Young Woman, but on the basis of that film alone I think she's a worthy choice for the award. Michael Fox seems to be the only critic around who has seen her latest film, but he makes it sound quite interesting.
Non-SFIFF-option for today: Milk (USA: Gus Van Sant, 2008) at the Castro. If you're in town just for the festival and have never seen this award-winning biopic inside the movie theatre much of it was filmed in front of, this is your chance to do so. If you're a resident and haven't seen it there, you'll get another chance May 22-28, when it plays on a double-bill with the documentary the Times of Harvey Milk.
Labels: Castro, documentary, SFIFF
SFIFF52 Day 4: a Woman Under the Influence
The 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival has begun and runs through May 7th. Each day during the festival I'll be posting about one film I've seen or am hotly anticipating.
A Woman Under the Influence (USA: John Cassavetes, 1974)
playing: 5:45 PM tonight at the Castro, with no more showtimes later in the festival.
festival premiere: New York Film Festival, 1974
distributor: Criterion has a DVD out of course, but Cassavetes films should be seen in theatres when the opportunity arises. Brecht Andersch expects the newly-restored print to receive "something of a commercial run" but I wonder if he's being overly optimistic.
I have a confession to make: I have never seen John Cassavetes' a Woman Under the Influence. Shadows, Faces, Opening Night, Love Streams, yes, and all in cinemas. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie on home video only (probably the main reason why I like it the least of these). But not the film that put him the closest to mainstream respectability thanks to its two major Oscar nominations. Gena Rowlands was nominated for Best Actress for her performance; she's expected to attend the Castro screening. And Cassavetes was nominated for Best Director, losing to Francis Ford Coppola, who the festival is honoring May 1st also at the Castro alongside a screening of his 1969 film the Rain People.
It should be noted that initially many critics were hostile to a Woman Under the Influence, and even the positive Variety review had little more to say than that the film was "technically superior to any of John Cassavetes' previous works." Whatever that means in the context of Cassavetes; I suppose I'll find out this evening. All I know for sure is that each Cassavetes film I've seen is wholly different from every other, yet so distinctively part of a larger (love) stream of work that it's impossible not to recognize the author's presence behind the camera (even when he's also in front of it). It's also impossible not to recognize his influence over imitators, for good or ill. I'm eager for tonight, what I expect to be a real highlight of the festival.
Another option: Le Amiche (ITALY: Michaelangelo Antonioni, 1955), which Carl Martin in his round up of SFIFF revival screenings laments was subject to digital restoration, but that won't deter me from partaking.
Non-SFIFF-option for today: Gone With the Wind (USA: Victor Fleming, 1939) at the Stanford, if only to see that crane shot Val Lewton conceived of as a story editor for Selznick, on a big, beautiful screen.
Labels: Castro, John Cassavetes, SFIFF
SFIFF52 Day 3: Bluebeard
Bluebeard (FRANCE: Catherine Breillat, 2009)
playing: 9:30 PM tonight at the Kabuki, with 1 more showtime later in the festival.
festival premiere: Berlinale 2009
distributor: none yet in the USA, that I am aware of.
There's really not much I can add to the consummate survey of critical opinion on Catherine Breillat's new film Bluebeard provided by Michael Guillén. Except perhaps a link to this more negative take provided by Arya Ponto. For my part, I liked it quite a bit, and was especially sold by the final moments. True to the director's other films, the last five minutes pack more visceral impact than the other seventy-three combined.
One thing I have to take issue with most of the other commentators, however, is the presentation of the film's scenes of two 1950s-era sisters reading Charles Perrault's fairy story as a framing device for the majority of the film's diegesis, which is given over to the unfolding of the Bluebeard tale. Perhaps it's accurate enough to call it a frame, but if so, I think it's worth noting that this is the first time I can recall seeing a framing device that begins after, and ends before, the narrative it's supposedly framing does. It's as if Breillat is guiding us to feel that the truths behind the Bluebeard myth exist and existed before it was ever put into words by Perrault or any of its retellers.
Another option: Adoration (CANADA: Atom Egoyan, 2008). Dennis Harvey makes it sound really worthwhile, as long as you don't read the last sentence of his capsule.
Non-SFIFF-option for today: Conrad in Quest of His Youth (USA: William C. de Mille, 1921) at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, which Jonathan Rosenbaum labeled as "neglected". It screens in 16mm with live piano accompaniment by Bruce Loeb.
Labels: Catherine Breillat, SFIFF
SFIFF52 Day 2: Lake Tahoe
The 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival has begun and runs through May 7th. Each day during the festival I'll be posting about one film I've seen or am hotly anticipating. Starting today.
Lake Tahoe (MEXICO: Fernando Eimbcke, 2008)
playing: 9:15 PM tonight at the Kabuki, with two more showtimes later in the festival.
distributor: Film Movement DVD release scheduled for November 2009.
If you liked Fernando Eimbcke's Duck Season you probably already have this one picked out on your festival menu. I was actually lukewarm to the Mexican director's feature debut, finding its humor sometimes forced and its world just a bit too closed-off to take to heart. The critical references to Jim Jarmusch's early work seemed apt, but even Stranger Than Paradise expanded its arenas for claustrophobic comedy by switching up the locations once or twice.
Anyway, I decided to give Eimbcke another chance while attending the Portland International Film Festival, where I saw Lake Tahoe. I can report that, at least for this viewer, it's better than Duck Season. Perhaps it's the searing-bright color photography, or the wider aspect ratio, or the outdoor location shooting, or the use of more "planimetric" shots, or the more unconventional pacing, but feature #2 feels more like a real "movie" to me than feature #1 did to me. The set-up, a teenager's circuitous quest to repair a car so he can get out of town, provides plenty of opportunity for off-center (sometimes forced, more often not) humor, and even pathos. The use of fade-outs and tricky sound cues make it a film worth analyzing technically in more depth than I'm able to in this capsule.
Another option: Sacred Places (CAMEROON/FRANCE: Jean-Marie Teno, 2009), which Max Goldberg makes sound good.
Non-SFIFF-option for today: the Life and Death of Col. Blimp (UK: Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1943) at the Stanford, described by Brecht Andersch as "exquisite fun." I concur.
Labels: Mexican cinema, SFIFF
Adam Hartzell: Sugar Ball
Brian here. By now, Adam Harztell is a familiar enough contributor to Hell on Frisco Bay regular readers that he really needs no introduction. But since I haven't bothered figuring out how to turn this into a functioning "team blog" he's getting one anyway. He recently wrote pieces on the Mosque in Morgantown and the cricket angle in Slumdog Millionaire. Now I'm excited to present his latest piece on Sugar, the newest film by the writing/directing team responsible for Have You Seen This Man? and Half Nelson. It's currently playing exclusively at the Embarcadero Cinema and the Camera 12 here on Frisco Bay. Here's Adam, after the image (supplied by Sony Pictures Classics, along with others in this piece):
Like a good wine at dinner, I like to compliment my films with a good book. Just as I read books from the countries where I travel while I'm traveling there, I seek out films and books of related topics to experience those mediums in tandem. I want these texts to talk to each other within me. If some scholar hasn't already named what I'm talking about, let's call it "Intentional Intertextuality".
So when I found out there was a pre-screening of Sugar (directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck) that I could actually attend, I immediately sought out Playing America's Game: Baseball, Latinos, and the Color Line by Adrian Burgos, Jr. An assistant professor of History at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, I had heard a fascinating interview with Burgos Jr. on Dave Zirin's Edge of Sports Radio show about the baseball academies in Latin America. After hearing the interview, I added his book to my checklist of books to check out one day. And now that Sugar, like Major League Baseball, is upon us, this was the book I needed to provide the proper context for the film.
Although I acquired the book within two days of searching, the search included failed efforts to find it at Bird and Beckett in Glen Park, Green Apple in the Richmond District, and Books Inc. in Laurel Village. The latter was particularly ironic since they had a major display of baseball books to celebrate opening 2009, just not the one I was looking for. My commitment to independent bookstores over Amazon was rewarded when after my wife and I caught a matinee of Tokyo Sonata at the Clay on Fillmore we found Playing America's Game waiting for me in the shelves of Browser Books.
Sugar the film follows the baseball dreams of an eponymously nicknamed "Sugar", real character name Miguel Santos (debut performance by Algenis Pérez Soto). We meet Sugar at a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic. Although the film provides various theories for why Miguel is named "Sugar", it seems equally plausible that his name came from Alan Klein's book Sugarball, where Klein has this to say about these academies – "The academy is the baseball counterpart of the colonial outposts, the physical embodiment overseas of the parent franchise. It operates...like the subsidiary of any other foreign country: it finds raw materials (talented athletes), refines them (trains the athletes), and ships abroad finished products (baseball players)" (quoted in page 227 of Burgos Jr.'s book). This isn't a metaphor. That is how some scholars literally see these baseball academies. It is Sugar's carpentry that is the metaphor for the reality of the human bodies as raw material refined into product that the baseball academies enable under the guise of 'opportunity' for the aspiring ballplayers, 'opportunity' being a code word for your employer wanting access to your labor at a reduced rate.
Wow! That sure sounds dehumanizing, doesn't it? The quote and my extension of the argument seem to strip all agency away from the ballplayers at these academies. It's the pull-quoting that's the problem. There's a lot more context provided in Burgos Jr.'s book, (and I'm sure Klein's) since "it illuminates Latinos as actors, not just people acted upon" (p 268). He focuses in on the agency of the players, how they negotiated the racial and economic impositions of their particular time in history through each man's attempts to play organized baseball. And that's what Sugar seeks to do too: humanize a composite of the experience of ballplayers from the Spanish-speaking Americas. It seeks to humanize by seeking to sympathize. It shows the players as actors through actors. And it's Sugar's actions later in the film that lead some reviewers to point out how the film steps away from the clichés of the genre of the sports film.
Where Sugar the film works for me is in its moments of tenderness, such as those Sugar experiences with a local waitress. It works for me when the camera juxtaposes images of the cityscapes of New York, Sugar's home in the Dominican Republic, and the fields of Iowa. It works for me in the blurring of the background as Sugar enters the collapsing maze and oppressive pings and whoops of a casino.
Sugar is a movie that wears its politics with its sympathy. It name drops Latino heroes such as Roberto Clemente and Vic Power. (I grew up well-versed in Clemente lore since my father grew up outside of Pittsburgh and thus a Pirates fan. The lore was later enhanced with research provided by David Maraniss' excellent biography Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero, a book I learned about again from Zirin. Whereas, I had only been familiarized with the controversies surrounding Vic Power through passages from Burgos Jr.'s book I'd finished reading just before heading into the screening.) It is at these political talking point moments the film doesn't have the subtlety I prefer. It's moments like these where Sugar seems forced. Sugar the movie is not Burgos Jr.'s book. Burgos Jr. has the space to lay out a more nuanced argument about the history of peoples from the Spanish-speaking Americas in organized baseball.
And this history is much longer than is often recognized, from Cuban Esteban Bellán in the 1870s to the Venezuelan rookies debuting this year. And Playing America's Game seeks to remedy that by laying out the forgotten or misunderstood histories of the many Latino players. He contextualizes where they came from and how they negotiated their way into organized baseball before and after Jackie Robinson broke through the color line. Transnational links were established from Havana to DC via the Washington Senators cost-cutting efforts in the early years of the 20th century. So when similar links were established from Santo Domingo to San Francisco and our Giants in the later years of the century, this was nothing new, just a modification of previous ventures. Each Latino player had his own way of negotiating the linguistic, political, racial and economic obstacles of their sojourns, whether it be Ted Williams who didn't publicly acknowledge his Mexican ancestry while playing, or Roberto Clemente who confronted racism and poverty head-on, or Reggie Jackson who resisted the press by briefly insisting on only speaking Spanish, or Felipe Alou's response to the racism of a San Francisco talk-show boast. Sugar does not speak for all of these players. It is a composite of the issues these players face. It works hard, sometimes too hard.
Burgos Jr.'s book offers more to me than Sugar right now, but that's because books in general are offering more to me than film. Just as baseball offers more to some than football, cricket more to some than rugby, basketball more to some than hockey. If you're one of those who value baseball, Sugar just might be the sweet spot on the glove that baseball films have been pounding for so long. For those of you who don't want to be taken out to the ball game, I do wonder if this would be the film for you. You won't be disappointed, it's a decent film. But I have much more to say about Burgos Jr.'s book than I do Sugar. But at least I finally got around to reading the book thanks to Sugar.
Labels: books, guest contributors, Landmark, sport in cinema
Ten Intriguing Films
Between April 23 and May 7, the 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival will be bringing nearly 150 films and videos to Frisco Bay, from over 50 countries. No, I didn't go through the program and count them; I'm just taking the word of festival director Graham Leggat, who supplied those numbers in his program guide welcome message. The same message announces plans to build something called the San Francisco International Film Center as part of the Main Post Redevelopment Plan for the Presidio.
At Tuesday's press conference, Leggat talked a little bit more on this project: a plan to build a three-screen cinema to become the home of the San Francisco Film Society's year-round programming. Can Frisco sustain another three screens? What does this do to the Film Society's relationships with existing venues that host SFIFF and other events?
Questions for later, I suppose. Right now I'm still digging through the program guide to figure out a preliminary viewing schedule. With so many films to choose from, I'm tempted to just pick out the films by auteur directors I'm already familiar with, or those that sounded most interesting when described by the programming team at the press conference. Sticking to either of these two strategies is a sure-fire way to miss out on some under-heralded gems. So to fight against that tendency, here's a list of 10 films left un-mentioned by Leggat and his team at the press conference, with pedigrees I know little or nothing about. All images supplied by the festival publicity office.
1. Artemisia
The only Taiwanese production in this year's SFIFF is the feature-length debut by director Chiang Hsiu-Chiung, who in 1991 played one of the sisters in Edward Yang's great a Brighter Summer Day. She has since assisted both Yang and SFIFF regular Hou Hsiao-hsien behind the camera. It has already been announced as the Golden Gate Award winning film in the television narrative category (one of the few GGA categories where the winner is traditionally announced prior to the festival).
2. For the Love of Movies: the Story of American Film Criticism
Fresh from its SXSW world premiere and resultant press attention is this documentary on one of my favorite love-hate topics, the very nature of film criticism. Just after its first festival screening on the afternoon of May 3, there will be a free panel entitled "A Critical Moment", which is expected to draw appearances from John Anderson, David D'Arcy, Jonathan Curiel, Dennis Harvey, Gerald Peary (the doc's director), Mary F. Pols, and Susan Gerhard. And perhaps others.
3. Go Go 70s
Though this review is merely mixed, I'm always interested in seeing what the SFIFF brings from South Korea. Based on a true story, it apparently proves that 1970s soul music could also be Seoul music. (Ooooh- sorry about that.) It also provides the big program guide with its cover image.
4. It's Not Me, I Swear!
Directed by the maker of Congorama, which I sadly missed at the SFIFF two years ago, this film and its protagonist (who sounds a bit like a morbidly precocious Harold) has been making the rounds on the festival circuit, and proves that the Québec Film Week the SFFS organized last December didn't empty that province of all its cinematic product.
5. Mesrine: a Film in Two Parts
Likewise, the Film Society's French Cinema Now series inaugurated last fall certainly didn't come close to exhausting the supply of fest-worthy films from that country. Including shorts and co-productions France is represented by 21 films in this year's SFIFF, nearly as many as last year when a terrific crop including wonderful stuff like the Secret of the Grain and the Romance of Astrea and Celadon played. This year brings films by well-known names like Breillat, Denis, and Assayas, but of the unknown quantities I'm probably most intrigued by Jean-François Richet. Forget that he was involved in that Assault on Precinct 13 remake I didn't see; he just won the César award for Best Director for this two-part crime epic with an all-star cast.
6. Modern Life
The only film on this list made by a director I've seen work by before: Raymond Depardon. In 2005 the SFIFF programmed two of his documentary features: 10th District Court and Profiles Farmers: Daily Life. The latter was the one I was able to fit into my schedule, and though I heard from many that the other one was the better of the two, I was still fascinated enough by Depardon's approach to his rural subject matter, that I'm now excited to view what appears to be a follow-up in a similar milieu.
7. Sacred Places
Now I'm really kicking myself for skipping Chief! at the Pacific Film Archive's Way of the Termite series, still chugging along with entries from Rouch and Resnais this Sunday for example. It was directed by Jean-Marie Teno, as is Sacred Places, a documentary about cinephilia in Burkina Faso that was inspired by a screening of the earlier film at the FESPACO festival. No matter; I hope to see this anyway. Thankfully an early Teno short (Homage from 1987) has been programmed to give us a taste of the Cameroonian filmmaker's early work.
8. Soul Power
If, like me, you're not much of a boxing fan, you might not remember much of the detail of the 1996 documentary When We Were Kings. But you might remember the concert footage of the "Zaire '74" festival that preceded Muhammad Ali and George Foreman's rumble in the general vicinity of the African jungle. Soul Power was constructed from outtakes from the earlier, Academy Award-winning doc, focusing on the concerts and not the fighting. Presumably someone else somewhere is making a film based on the outtakes from Norman Mailer's interview.
9. Tulpan
OK, so this one's got a pretty bona fide pedigree, having won the Prix Un Certain Regard at the last Cannes Film Festival. That's the same award won by Blissfully Yours, Moolaade, and the Death of Mr. Lazarescu, in case you're wondering. But I still know next to nothing about Tulpan; only what I've scanned from this page. Made in Kazakhstan, by a Kazakhstan-born director, though with funding from some other countries, it also opens at local Landmark Theatres the day after the festival ends.
10. The Window
Three Argentinian feature films play the SFIFF this year, and none of them were mentioned from the podium at Tuesday's press conference. An unintended oversight, I'm sure. This one is directed by Carlos Sorín, who pleased festgoers with Historias Minimas in 2003 and the Road to San Diego in 2007. Despite all the positive word-of-mouth these titles (particularly the former) received at the time, I still haven't seen any Sorín film. This may be the year to fix that.
Want more SFIFF pre-coverage as you start blocking out your schedule? Try the Evening Class for information about the Late Show (films still running as the witching hour chimes), or Susan Gerhard for a more general overview.
Posted by Brian Darr at 2.4.09 8 comments
Labels: documentary, French Cinema Now, Golden Gate Awards, Korean film, lists, Quebec Film Week, SFIFF


Can I move tagline below site logo?
I want to add a tagline to my site. I don't have one now, and I believe Google still has my old tagline from the original version of my site. I tried adding it under Themes -> Site Identity – > Tagline. When I add it, the tagline appears on the same line as the logo…this doesn't leave room for the menu, and I get the hamburger/wave on the right side of the page.
I'd like to have the tagline show up under the logo instead, and then my menu should appear. Can it be changed to do this?