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Vampires, Jinn and the Magical in Iranian Horror Films
By Zahra Khosroshahi
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour, 2014) and Under the Shadow (Babak Anvari, 2016) use the magical and the monstrous to explore issues of femininity in diasporic Iranian horror films. Set in the fictitious Iranian ghost town of Bad City, Amirpour's A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night pushes the boundaries of the B-movie horror genre, place and the female body. Through its main character, Girl (Sheila Vand) – a veiled vampire who stalks the streets of Bad City using her magical and supernatural powers to feed on bad men – the film complicates the image of the veiled woman and subverts the assumption of victimhood suggested by its title. Under the Shadow also engages with the notion of "magical", this time set in Iran during the Iran–Iraq War of 1980–88. The film is about a mother and daughter who are haunted by a Jinn, a supernatural creature found in Islamic mythology and theology configured here as a grotesque, malign, feminine spirit shrouded in a veil. Through the evil Jinn and the conceit of the little girl's missing doll, Under the Shadow offers a complex and shocking exploration of femininity in Iran, using the horror genre to explore the anxieties of motherhood, religion, and war.
The figures like the vampire from A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, and the mother and the Jinn from Under the Shadow function as "hybrid figures" that allow the filmmakers to explore hybrid identities. In doing so, the two films use the grotesque magical feminine figure to explore the limitations and possibilities available to women characters. While they comment on contemporary women's issues in Iran, they also challenge oppressive and reductive stereotypes often associated with the non-Western woman in European and American media.
Post-Revolutionary Iranian Cinema
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Under the Shadow are Persian-language films and use in different ways Islamic and theological symbolism through the Jinn and the "chador" (a cape-like black veil that covers the hair and the body). In both films, the veil is used as a motif to comment on the female figures and their embodiment of the magical and the monstrous (both the vampire and the Jinn are veiled). While the concept of veiling and unveiling predates the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran, the discourse and the visualisation surrounding the hijab shifts under the new regime of the Islamic Republic ushered in by the Revolution. This Islamic regime sought to create an entirely new identity for Iran by imposing new laws and codes regulating various aspects of life. These practices impacted the country's cinema as well; censorship laws were enforced to ensure that the films aligned with an ideology that mandated that the "media would disseminate and observe Islamic norms and promote the interests of the country".[1] Here, the woman's body and its visualisation was central to the censorship guidelines, which is indicative of the Islamic Republic's social, cultural and political ideologies. For example, many of the restrictive laws prescribed that "women have to appear veiled" at all times.[2] Subsequently, the female body and its representation in media and film also became reflective of cultural anxieties around gender and sexuality. As Negar Mottahedeh argues, for Ayatollah Khomeini (the leader of the Islamic Revolution) "women's bodies marked the site of contamination. They were the very fissures through which foreign impurities were introduced into the nation".[3]
Therefore, women's bodies became central to the "cleaning-up" and purification of Iranian cinema and the reclaiming of the country's "lost" Islamic identity, serving as a rejection of the Western and Pahlavi ideals. Here, reforming and redefining of Iran's national cinema focused on women's bodies to aid such purification and reclamation. This "cleaning-up" of the country's cinema, and its close association with issues of gender and sexuality, itself reveals the anxieties and the mission of the Islamic Republic. Under the Islamic regime, women were (and are) mandated to abide by the so-called Islamic laws which enforce the veil in all public spaces, including the public space of the cinema screen. In addition to obligatory veiling, any close-up shots of a women's face or body became forbidden when the new regime took over. Discussions around Iran's post-Revolutionary cinema and the notion of women's bodies as "sites of contamination" illustrates the desire and need for the containment of female sexuality.[4] Within this cultural context, female monstrosity is a powerful and subversive notion. As argued by Barbara Creed, "all human societies have a conception of the monstrous-feminine, of what it is about woman that is shocking, terrifying, horrific, abject".[5] In the context of post-Revolutionary Iranian society, femininity and sexuality are seen as "abject" and "sites of contamination" that have to be tamed and controlled. Veiling becomes the means through which this happens.
The containment and purification of female sexuality is not unique to Iranian cinema or Islamic culture. Looking at the genre of horror and thinking about the monstrous feminine, we witness the ways in which the two Iranian diaspora films challenge the pure/monstrous dichotomy set up by the restrictive categories of the regime. The Girl vampire and the Jinn have the veil in common, employed differently in both films as a way to explore the "shocking" and "abject" of the female body in two very different societies. The notion of hybridity and the in-between explored in both films becomes an important way to reject and problematise these polarisations, which are challenged through form, genre and character in A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Under the Shadow. The filmic identity of both films necessitates an understanding of diasporic Iranian films and what Hamid Naficy refers to as an "accented cinema".[6] Driving from two different, and possibly opposing traditions, the diasporic identities of the films allow for a much more nuanced discussion around the monstrosity and femininity of their female characters.
Hybridity in Diasporic Iranian Horror Films
The notion of hybridity plays out in various ways in both A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Under the Shadow. Both films are diasporic films, scripted in the Persian language and made outside of Iran. Both Amirpour and Anvari explore social issues in Iran without the constraints of the Islamic Republic's censorship laws through the medium of horror – a genre less popular amongst Iranian filmmakers. In many ways, both directors reimagine the construct of Iranian national cinema through horror, while still engaging with prominent social issues and themes. Whilst the theme of war, social issues and gender politics are common in Iranian cinema, by reimagining their audience through the horror genre, both Amirpour and Anvari bring to the screen something new: a cinematic hybrid that enables a complex exploration of gender politics and the magical woman.
In his book The Location of Culture, Homi Bhabha explores the idea of the "in-between"; for Bhabha, these are spaces that "provide terrain for elaborating strategies of self-hood – singular or communal – that initiate new signs of identity, and innovative contestation, in the act of defining the idea of society itself".[7] In both A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Under the Shadow the "interstitial passage between fixed identifications opens up the possibility of a cultural hybridity that entertains difference without an assumed or imposed hierarchy".[8] This sense of hybridity that Bhabha describes manifests itself in both films through genre, place and the monstrous-feminine. The diasporic contexts of Amirpour and Anvari's identities and works invite an examination of hybridity and the in-between as productive ways to explore "Third space" and "the politics of polarity".[9]
In his work on accented cinema, Naficy also considers alternatives spaces and ideas of hybridity: "if the dominant cinema is considered universal and without accent, the films that diasporic and exilic subjects make are accented".[10] For Naficy, "although there is nothing common about exile and diaspora, deterritorialized peoples and their films share certain features".[11]
He describes such cinema as follows:
Accented films are interstitial because they are created astride and in the interstices of social formations and cinematic practices. Consequently, they are simultaneously local and global, and they resonate against the prevailing cinematic production practices, at the same time that they benefit from them. As such, the best of the accented films signify and signify upon exile and diaspora by expressing, allegorizing, commenting upon, and critiquing the home and host societies and cultures and the deterritorialized conditions of the filmmakers. They signify and signify upon cinematic traditions by means of their artisanal and collective production modes, their aesthetics and politics of smallness and imperfection, and their narrative strategies that cross generic boundaries and undermine cinematic realism.[12]
The issues of exile and postcolonialism are entangled in the discourse of diasporic cinema that both A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Under the Shadow explore. Even at the production level, the two filmmakers and their works embody the hybrid identity that is often associated with accented and diasporic films – of being Iranian-American, or British-Iranian, as "neither here nor there". Like the identity and ethnicity of their directors, the films themselves are hyphenated and, as described by Naficy, critical of both their home (Iran) as well as their host countries. However, what makes this even more significant is that the sense of hybridity and in-betweenness goes further than the identity of the film and is explored at the textual and generic level of the films as well, embodied and heightened through the magical woman figure.
Generically speaking, the films are not conventional horror films, but rather a tongue-in-cheek horror-western-coming-of-age story and a pseudo-realist war-horror and social film respectively. The feminine bodies in these films also become symbolic and suggestive of the hybrid. These bodies rise out of the prescribed identities given to "Other" women. Through their hybridity, they function as a rejection of the "pure" and homogenous set out both by the Islamic regime and also by the political discourse of veiling in the West – a point I will explore in further detail in the next section.
As already mentioned, horror films are not very popular in Iran, so both A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Under the Shadow delve into a new territory for the Iranian and non-Iranian audience. An exception of a horror film made in Iran is Girl's Dormitory (Mohammad Hossein Latifi, 2005).[13] Discussing the film, Pedram Partovi contends that "the sources of the 'horror' in the film very much had its roots in Iranian popular (religious) culture, partly drawing inspiration from Islam".[14]
While A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Under the Shadow are made outside of Iran, their source of inspiration is also rooted in, and in response to, the cultural, religious and societal conventions of the country. The use of the chador in A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and the Jinn figure in Under the Shadow are key examples of how both Amirpour and Anvari engage with cultural and religious symbols, and yet, the way in which they are employed differs in the two films. About Girl's Dormitory, Partovi posits that part of the "magic" in the film is its invitation for the viewer "to consider Iranian women in very different roles than those found previously in much of Iranian popular cinema".[15] This is a sentiment that also plays out in the two diasporic horror films, as the two films challenge the role of Iranian women in the Islamic regime, while also questioning the representation of the "Othered" female body on the international stage.
Inspired by many Western pop-culture references, Amirpour's A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night sits comfortably in between various genres and places. Although it is filmed in California, the film is set in a fictional Iranian ghost town called Bad City, at once embracing and rejecting the idea of place and identity. As Emily Edwards argues, "Bad City is representative of a liminal land to such an extent that it departs from our terrestrial world all together".[16] Bad City is reflective of cultural and social issues that closely pertain to Iranian society but functions as a stand-in for patriarchal structures and social problems more broadly, not just those of Iran. The wide suburban streets feel very much like a conventional Hollywood horror-genre movie. The film's genre is not so easily definable however: it is a vampire film that borrows from the western genre, with elements of comedy and coming-of-age drama, and ultimately tells a love story. As Mark Kermode observes about the film in his review for The Guardian: "cinematically, it exists in a twilight zone between nations (American locations, Iranian culture), between centuries (late 19th and early 21st), between languages (Persian dialogue, silence cinema gestures) and, more importantly, between genres".[17]
Whilst always interested in complicating notions of place and genre, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night also utilises cliché and archetypal characterisations – hyper-exaggerated at times – as a way of exploring Girl's identity and place within Bad City. This idea is heightened by the depiction of Saeed (Dominic Rains). Covered in tasteless tattoos ("SEX" on his neck and "Jakesh", which translates as "pimp", on his body), he represents the drug-dealer, the pimp, the "bad" man. Atti (Mozhan Marno) on the other hand, is the victim of Saeed and the patriarchal society of Bad City; Atti plays the prostitute to his pimp, her body marking the brutality of male violence. Then there is Arash (Arash Marandi), who is part everyman, part western hero and features heavily in the opening of the film. He is from a different cinematic realm to the vampire. And yet, Arash and Girl become close, and the film explores their burgeoning relationship.
Though A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night relies on familiar visual motifs and stock characters, such as the pimp and prostitute, through its genre and diasporic identity, the film resides in between such categories. The sense of hybridity and complexity in A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night extends to its main character, Girl, and it is through her that the film explores the magical and the monstrous, especially in the context of global politics. The chador-wearing, Iranian vampire on a skateboard carries with her visual, cultural and political significance. First, her very "nature" as a vampire situates her within a space of liminality. The figure of the vampire exists "between life and death" – "a hybrid being" by nature.[18] The film situates her fluidity in a world of labels and archetypes, yet Girl is resistant to these ideas; her hybridity is unique in this world, and this is her magic. As Tabish Khair and Johan Hoglund claim:
The vampire has always been a traveller and the vampire story frequently explores and transgresses national, sexual, racial and cultural boundaries. Appearing in many cultures during different epochs, the vampire is not only a wandering creature but also a shape changer.[19]
Girl herself occupies an interesting space which marks her as a "shape changer" within the film – feeding on and killing bad men, as well as subverting the image of the passive veiled woman. But also, as described here, her vampiric identity serves political and visual significance.
Here, the film's introduction to Girl is worth noting. In this scene, the film sets up the character and her purpose, but most importantly, through the Saeed character, subverts ideas of oppression often attached to the veiled woman. Shortly before Girl appears, Saeed and Atti are in the car, and Atti asks for her money. Saeed responds to her violently, pushing down her head. Standing nearby and hidden in the dark, Girl watches this exchange take place and also sees Atti violently being pushed out of the car. In the next scene, as Saeed walks to his flat, Girl follows him. It is obvious from their interaction that Saeed does not fear her. For him, the girl walking in a black chador represents the "good" girl. She continues to follow him, and this intrigues Saeed, causing him to invite her over and suggesting his desire to unveil her. In his flat, Saeed approaches her. Girl takes his finger into her mouth, in a sexually suggestive manner. What happens next is unexpected. The "good" veiled woman sucks the blood out of his finger, biting it off and spitting it out, leaving the once confident Saeed in a state of fear and shock. She then attacks and kills her victim.
In this scene, Amirpour reverses the power dynamics between Girl and the pimp, subverting the image of the veiled woman as a victim, oppressed or passive. Also, Girl's violence functions here as revenge for his violence towards Atti, affirming the vampire's feminist mission. As well as violently killing him, the biting of the finger is suggestive of Saeed's castration, which signifies Girl's feminine power. For Edwards, "as a vampire, and an allegorical outcast in society, the girl in the chador represents Amirpour's conception and criticism of identity."[20] She is, Edwards goes on to say:
A personification of the vampiric nature of diasporic identity. She is both dead and immortal, like the timeless yet shifting connection diaspora communities parse out between home and host country. Diasporic membership confers the benefit of belonging even in exile, but this membership proves to be a barrier to new forms of self-actualization.[21]
The magic of the vampire figure is that she remains liminal by her very nature, representing a state of in-betweenness. In A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, the vampire's feeding on bad men becomes a feminist statement (shown best in the scene where Girl saves Atti); and so, while the veiled female is not "contained" or tamed, her monstrosity is used for the greater good. With this, Amirpour questions moral polarities, and instead delves into the complexities of morality. Later in the film, for example, Arash knows that Girl has killed her father (another "bad man"), and yet the two reunite and leave Bad City together as lovers.
Anvari's Under the Shadow also explores the hybrid figure, albeit in an entirely different way and through a different kind of monster – the Jinn. Like A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, this is also a diasporic film, engaging with the world of in-betweenness through its very form. The Jinn, like the vampire, is difficult to define. As Mark Peterson states, "in Islamic cosmology, the universe is structurally divided into a seen and unseen world", and the Jinn occupies a "special, liminal status; they are of the earth, yet unseen on it".[22]
Set in Tehran, during the Iran–Iraq War (1980-88), Under the Shadow uses genre conventions to tell the horrifying story of war. The film begins with Shideh (Narges Rashidi), a former medical student, as she tries to convince the officials to permit her to complete her education. In this conversation, the audience learns of her involvement with student leftist groups, meaning she is prohibited from resuming her studies. Returning home heartbroken and angry, she packs her books, but holds on to A Book of Medical Physiology gifted to her by her mother, who has passed away. The film is mainly set in a Tehran apartment block, focusing on Shideh and her young daughter, Dorsa (Avin Manshadi). Shideh's husband Iraj (Bobby Naderi), a doctor, must leave Tehran for military duty. Leaving the family behind, he asks Shideh to consider moving temporarily to the north where his parents reside – far away from the bombings and missile attacks, but she is reluctant. Before he leaves, Dorsa tells Iraj that she will be scared, and he reminds her that Kimia, her beloved doll, will take good care of her.
Using the war as its backdrop, Under the Shadow delves into the anxieties of a polarised nation and, through the character of Shideh, questions the patriarchal forces of the Islamic regime. Rejected by her country's law that bans her from pursuing her dreams, her pain and her anxiety as a mother are made manifest through the horrors of war. The possible existence of a Jinn which seemingly haunts Shideh and Dorsa – whether it is real or a figment of Shideh's imagination – is questioned throughout the film and is used to blur the line between dreaming and reality, religion and superstition. The demonic forces that drive the plot of Under the Shadow become a means through which the film explores the consequences and trauma of war and the religious state. Shideh's one-time dream of becoming a doctor is turned into a living nightmare, entangled with her identity as a mother and a woman.
Shideh's anxiety and suffering is explored throughout the film – the Jinn symbolising the monstrous and functioning as a metonym of the restrictions Shideh faces as a woman in this new post-Revolutionary Iran. Outside of the home, Anvari shows these restrictions through the legal system, and inside the home, the Jinn becomes the figure of angst for Shideh – giving her no place to run. In the opening scene, as Shideh returns home after being told that she cannot continue her studies, her car is stopped by guards. She pulls down her window, addresses the guards, and is then cleared to drive on. Shideh then bursts into tears. In this short sequence, the film demonstrates the restrictions and the pressure placed upon women in Iran – always under control and anxious about the possibility of reprimand from state actors. The security of the home, which for many Iranians functions as a non-politicised place and their only refuge from the oppression of the regime, slowly breaks down in Under the Shadow. The backdrop of war terrorises civilians and brings violence and trauma into these personal spaces, depicted literally in the film through the missiles and bombs that break into the house, leaving it scarred and broken. The film shows Shideh constantly taping up broken windows and crumbling walls, as if she is blocking out evils from the outside world. Through its genre and narrative, Under the Shadow shows how Shideh's world is haunted by a triangulation of events: the revolution and its aftermath, the war, and the Jinn which brings these traumas to the surface.
The magical Jinn figure functions as an important symbol, allowing the film to explore the deep-rooted issues of the patriarchy in Iran and to comment on motherhood and the war. Through the Jinn, Under the Shadow also questions reality: that which is believed versus that which we end up believing. Most importantly, the presence of the Jinn creates a sense of doubt through its hybrid nature. According to religious texts, Jinn are not necessarily evil, offering moral ambiguity. Taking into account "Islamic writings, Jinn live alongside other creatures but form a world other than that of mankind. Though they see us, they cannot be seen".[23] Similar to the vampire, they too, through their very existence, reject the notion of purity. In Under the Shadow the Jinn figure is understood to be real by Shideh's religious neighbour: "they appear in the Quran", she proclaims. She continues to tell Shideh that once they take a personal belonging from you, they never leave you alone. And despite Shideh's disbelief in Jinn, she begins to look frantically for Dorsa's missing doll.
As shown thus far, the vampire and the Jinn both represent the hybrid and in-between, becoming central figures within these works, as well as the films' gateways into exploring gender and femininity. In both A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Under the Shadow, the magical is used as an essential symbol for what is feared – or, in other words, the "Othered" body, the monstrous. With the veil in common, both the Girl vampire and the Jinn are used as ways to explore the "shocking" and "abject" of the female body.[24]
Veiling and Unveiling: The Horrors of the Female Body
The vampire from A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and the Jinn in Under the Shadow function as the magical and super-natural creatures that reveal the purported horrors of the female body and femininity in general. In these films, the veil is fundamental to both figures' identities and, with their magic powers, marks them as an "Other", characterised by a subversive monstrous feminine. As Shohini Chaudhuri suggests, "the monsters' Otherness is often configured as a bodily difference".[25] Monsters and their visualisations serve a purpose, reflecting "the anxieties of their times" and responding to their political conditions and contexts.[26] In other words, "monsters become a frame for understanding the cultures that produce them, exemplifying specific cultural moments, as well as ideologies surrounding Otherness".[27]
At stake here is how both A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Under the Shadow use the magical, monstrous-feminine characters of Girl and the Jinn to respond to and challenge their cultural moments. The representation and visualisation of a character as complex as Girl is significant in a post-9/11 era, where "the (American) battle with evil entails a conflict with the (un-American) monstrous or 'terrorist' body".[28] The image of the Muslim woman as oppressed, vilified and victimised fits well within these ideologies. Amy Farrell and Patrice McDermott argue:
The very representation of non-Western woman 'in need' constructs and reinforces a narrative in which all that is Islamic/Muslim/non-Western is painted as 'uncivilized' and 'barbaric,' the women are seen as 'victims,' and Westerners, as providing a 'civilizing' effect.[29]
While maintaining aspects of the monstrous-feminine figure, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night shifts this paradigm, challenging the representation of the veiled vampire. Girl rejects notions of passivity and oppression, with the film's title and her initial vulnerability both proving to be red herrings. Additionally, Amirpour redefines the idea of the "barbaric". Girl is, after all, still a veiled vampire with teeth and blood-lust, but her strong moral compass channels her barbarism into a benevolent vigilantism.
Amirpour's A Girls Walks Home Alone at Night is not interested in clear-cut imagery and depictions. The film is daring in its exploration of femininity and the "Othered" body, where even the notion of monstrosity is challenged. This is also the case in the treatment of the film's exploration of Atti, the prostitute. Her interaction with Girl demonstrates a sense of camaraderie between the two female characters. Seeing Atti in trouble, Girl takes matters into her own hands. In return, Atti helps her hide the dead body. In a brief scene, the two women engage in a conversation. "Are you religious or something," Atti asks, to which Girl responds: "No". Atti's room has a map, and we learn that she is planning her escape from Bad City. This scene grants Atti cinematic space and time, elevating her well beyond her archetypal role as a prostitute. The exchange between the two women serves as a special moment in the film, confirming Girl's moral mission and feminist agenda.
The characterisation and visualisation of Girl as a chador-wearing, skateboarding vampire situates her within the framework of the magical woman: a feminist "baddie" with a noble cause, feeding on bad men in a direct attack on the vile patriarchy of Bad City. In addition, Girl responds to current representations of the Muslim and "Othered" woman through her depiction as a vampire. Amirpour's narrative and visualisation of the female character challenge conventions of religiosity, Muslimness and femininity. Within this context, where the Muslim female body is constantly subject to veiling and unveiling, exhausted by a discourse of "liberating", Girl brings to the screen something new: the magical, the monstrous, and the rebellious. Fearlessly cruising the dark streets of Bad City on her skateboard, the chador-wearing Iranian vampire shatters any assumptions of pity. The veil, flapping behind her like a superhero's cape, allows her to float with power and adopts an entirely new meaning.
Amirpour's A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night subverts the image of the veil in response to its political moment. In Under the Shadow, while the veil adopts a different meaning, it still sheds light on its own social and historical context. Girl's chador allows her to stand out, but Shideh's obligatory veil is a burden and stands in for the oppressive regime that bans her from pursuing her dreams. Under the Shadow also uses the veil to comment on the monstrous, but with a different twist. As discussed above, the idea of monstrosity is closely linked with sexuality in the Iranian context, as women's bodies become "sites of contamination" in need of control, purification and cleansing. The film uses the Jinn as its clear-cut supernatural and monstrous figure, as a way into the more complex interior world of Shideh, whose autonomy and sense of self are controlled and whose behaviour grows frantic and unpredictable as a consequence. In the post-Revolutionary society of Iran, Shideh herself is deemed a monster. The film's narrative alludes to this. Shideh is to be blamed for Dorsa's missing doll; even her maternal role and capabilities are questioned.
Under the Shadow also dares to explore the notion of the monstrous in the context of Islamic culture, drawing its inspiration from the Jinn figure. As Francesca Leoni argues:
Monsters and monstrosity are mostly uncharted subjects in the context of the Islamic cultural sphere. This is fairly surprising given the wealth of creatures populating the related material, and specifically artistic, production that could be considered 'monstrous'.[30]
And yet, interestingly, the Jinn in Under the Shadow remains completely veiled and concealed. The veil links Shideh to the Jinn figure as a symbol of her internalised fears and the violence done to her. In the film's climatic scene, the Jinn appears as an all-consuming veil, pulling Shideh's daughter away from her. Earlier in the film, Shideh took Dorsa from the house, with both of them running out into the street and Shideh forgetting to wear her obligatory headscarf. The two are stopped by the guards and taken into custody, where Shideh is given a black chador. Returning home, she sees her reflection in the hall-way mirror and jolts, not recognising herself. In this scene, she becomes the very image she fears, and her reflection and her imagination of the Jinn merge into one.
In both films, the veil functions as a visual motif, used to comment on the horrors of the female body and society. In A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night the chador visibly marks Girl, redefining her on the international stage, serving as a rejection of the stereotypes often associated with the image of the Muslim woman. In Under the Shadow the veil is also used to grapple with the complexities of Iran's post-Revolutionary cultural and political context, to comment on attitudes towards women and their bodies, and to hint at the prevalent conceptions of the female body. The Jinn becomes a gateway, a visual motif through which the film explores the patriarchal forces of Iran and, also, the scars of war. As her home is terrorised by external demonic forces, Shideh is shown obsessively taping her cracked windows and walls. The intrusion of the Jinn figure that enters the confines of her home is used to critique the Islamic regime and its intrusion into the private sphere and personal space of Shideh's home. What is more, through the Jinn, Under the Shadow takes its criticism even further, commenting on the external forces of the Iran–Iraq War, hinting at and problematising Western intervention.
Where The Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is about claiming hybrid identity, Under the Shadow explores the anxieties of in-betweenness and the scars of war. Through the magical figures of the vampire and the Jinn, both films confront the attitudes of the monstrous feminine in the Iranian diasporic context. In his book Vampires, Race and Transnational Hollywoods, Dale Hudson says:
A film with an Iranian American perspective, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night exemplifies how vampire stories migrate and mutate to convey ever-shifting identities and orientations in a world where the United States and Iran might not be as distant or as different as once imagined.[31]
Using the fictitious Bad City, Amirpour reimagines and complicates place and borders. Amirpour's magical vampire lives somewhere between the cultural references of America and Iran – between life and death, always in the liminal. What connects Girl to Anvari's Shideh character is her rebellion. Despite the shackles of an Islamic regime and the super-natural forces of the Jinn, Shideh consistently represents and embodies a fierce rejection of the Islamic Republic and its patriarchal ideologies.
[1] Eric Egan, "Regime Critics Confront Censorship in Iranian Cinema," Film in the Middle East and North Africa: Creative Dissidence (2011), 48.
[2] Josef Gugler, Film in the Middle East and North Africa: Creative Dissidence (2011), 10.
[3] Negar Mottahedeh, Displaced Allegories: Post-Revolutionary Iranian Cinema (2009), 1.
[4] This also demonstrates that the authorities were well aware of cinema's power and influence, using the visual culture as a form of propaganda for its new messages around piety and modesty. While Iranian cinema continues to be subject to censorship, filmmakers have found ingenious ways to combat and challenge its red lines. Iran's reception on the global cinematic stage attests to its success.
[5] Barbara Creed, "Horror and the Monstrous-Feminine: An Imaginary Abjection," The Dread of Difference, (2015), 37.
[6] Hamid Naficy, An Accented Cinema: Exilic and Diasporic Filmmaking (2001)
[7] Homi Bhabha, The Location of Culture (2004), 2.
[8] Bhabha, The Location of Culture, 5.
[9] Bhabha, The Location of Culture, 56.
[10] Naficy, An Accented Cinema, 4.
[12] Naficy, An Accented Cinema, 4-5.
[13] The film is about two friends, Roya (Baran Kosari) and Shirin (Negar Javaherian), who leave the familiar and over-protected environments of their homes to attend college outside of Tehran. The girls' dormitory, however, is under construction, which means that the two friends along with several other female students have to temporarily reside elsewhere, close to the college. Their new home is run-down, next to an even more dilapidated and abandoned house. Their creaking temporary residence is run by an older woman who warns them against entering the neighbouring house, marking it off-limits from the start, and sparking curiosity. The house is where "Jinn" live, she tells them.
[14] Pedram Partovi, "Girls' Dormitory: Women's Islam and Iranian Horror." Visual Anthropology Review (2009), 187.
[15] Partovi, "Girls' Dormitory" 187.
[16] Emily Edwards, "Searching for a Room of One's Own: Rethinking the Diaspora in 'Persepolis', 'Shahs of Sunset', and 'A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.|" Glocalism: Journal of Culture, Politics and Innovation (2017), 19.
[17] Mark Kermode, "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night review – exhilarating vampire girl power", Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/24/a-girl-walks-home-alone-at-night-review-mark-kermode.
[18] Tabish Khair and Johgan Hoglund, Transnational and Postcolonial Vampires: Dark Blood. (2013), 5.
[19] Khair and Hoglund, Transnational and Postcolonial Vampires, 1.
[20] Edwards, "Searching for a Room of One's Own",20.
[21] Edwards, "Searching for a Room of One's Own", 21.
[22] Mark Allen Peterson, From Jinn to Genies: Intertextuality, Media, and the Making of Global Folklore (2007), 94.
[23] Najat Khalifa and Tim Hardie, "Possession and Jinn," Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (2007), 351.
[24] Barbara Creed, "Horror and the Monstrous-Feminine: An Imaginary Abjection," The Dread of Difference, (2015), 37.
[25] Shohini Chaudhuri, Feminist Film Theorists (2006), 92.
[26] Bernadette Marie Calafel, Monstrosity, Race, and Performance in Contemporary Culture, (2015), 9.
[27] Shadee Abdi, and Bernadette Marie Calafell, "Queer Utopias and a (Feminist) Iranian Vampire: A Critical Analysis of Restrictive Monstrosity in A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night." Critical Studies in Media Communication (2017), 359.
[28] Mary Bloodsworth-Lugo and Carmen Lugo-Lugo, "The Monster within: Post-9/11 narratives of threat and the U.S. shifting terrain of terror 243-256 in Monster Culture in the 21st Century A Reader (2013), 244.
[29] Amy Farrell and Patrice McDermott, "Claiming Afghan Women: The Challenge of Human Rights Discourse for Transnational Feminism." Just Advocacy: Women's Human Rights, Transnational Feminism, and the Politics of Representation (2005), 51.
[30] Francesca Leoni, "On the Monstrous in the Islamic Visual Tradition" in The Ashgate Research Companion to Monsters and the Monstrous (2012), 51.
[31] Dale Hudson, Vampires, Race and Transnational Hollywoods (2017), 5.
Abdi, Shadee, and Bernadette Marie Calafell. "Queer Utopias and a (Feminist) Iranian Vampire: A Critical Analysis of Restrictive Monstrosity in A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night." Critical Studies in Media Communication 34, no. 4 (Spring 2017): 358-370. DOI: 10.1080/15295036.2017.1302092.
Bhabha, Homi, The Location of Culture. London: Routledge, 2004.
Bloodsworth-Lugo Mary K, and Carmen Lugo-Lugo, "The Monster Within: Post-9/11 Narratives of Threat and the U.S. Shifting Terrain of Terror." In Monster Culture in the 21st Century A Reader, edited by Marina Levina and Diem-My T. Bui, 243-256. London: Bloomsbury, 2013.
Calafell, B. Marie. Monstrosity, Race, and Performance in Contemporary Culture. New York: Peter Lang, 2015.
Creed, Barbara. "Horror and the Monstrous-Feminine: An Imaginary Abjection." In The Dread of Difference: Gender and the Horror Film (Second Ed), edited by Barry Keith Grant, 37-67. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2015.
Chaudhuri, Shohini. Feminist Film Theorists. London: Routledge, 2006.
Edwards, Emily. "Searching for a Room of One's Own: Rethinking the Diaspora in 'Persepolis', 'Shahs of Sunset', and 'A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night." Glocalism: Journal of Culture, Politics and Innovation, no. 3, (Summer 2017): 1-28. DOI: 10.12893/gjcpi.2017.3.3.
Egan, Eric. "Regime Critics Confront Censorship in Iranian Cinema." In Film in the Middle East and North Africa: Creative Dissidence, edited by Josef Gulger, 37-62. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2011.
Farrell, Amy, and Patrice McDermott. "Claiming Afghan Women: The Challenge of Human Rights Discourse for Transnational Feminism." In Just Advocacy: Women's Human Rights, Transnational Feminism, and the Politics of Representation, edited by Wendy S. Hesford and Wendy Kozol, 33-55. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2005.
Gulger, Josef. Film in the Middle East and North Africa: Creative Dissidence. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2011.
Hudson, Dale. Vampires, Race and Transnational Hollywoods. Edinburgh University Press, 2017.
Kermode, Mark. "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night review – exhilarating vampire girl power." In Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/24/a-girl-walks-home-alone-at-night-review-mark-kermode (Spring 2015).
Khalifa, Najat and Tim Hardie, "Possession and Jinn," Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 98, (Summer 2005): 351-352.
Khair, Tabish, Johan Hoglund (editors). Transnational and Postcolonial Vampires: Dark Blood. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.
Leoni, Francesca. "On the Monstrous in the Islamic Visual Tradition." In The Ashgate Research Companion to Monsters and the Monstrous, edited by Asa Simon Mittman and Peter J. Dendle, 151-172. Ashgate Publishing Company: 2012.
Mottahedeh, Negar. Displaced Allegories: Post-Revolutionary Iranian Cinema. Duke University Press, 2009.
Naficy, Hamid. An Accented Cinema: Exilic and Diasporic Filmmaking. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001.
Partovi, Pedram. "Girls' Dormitory: Women's Islam and Iranian Horror." Visual Anthropology Review 25, no. 2 (2009): 186-207. DOI: 10.1111/j.1548-7458.2009.01041.x.
Peterson A Mark. "From Jinn to Genies: Intertextuality, Media, and the Making of Global Folklore." In Folklore/Cinema: Popular Film as Vernacular Culture, edited by Sharon R. Sherman and Mikel J. Koven, 93-112. University Press of Colorado, 2007.
A Girls Walks Home Alone at Night. Directed by Ana Lily Amirpour. USA: Studiocanal, 2014. DVD.
Under the Shadow. Directed by Babak Anvari. United Kingdom: Wigwam Films: 2016. DVD.
Girl's Dormitory (Khabga-he Dokhtaran). Directed by Mohammad Hossein Latifi. Iran: 2005.
Zahra Khosroshahi has recently completed her PhD dissertation (University of East Anglia) on visual representations of women in contemporary Iranian cinema. Her research focuses on how Iran's cinematic movements and productions respond to the country's social conditions, and how the visual culture, specifically cinema, provides a platform for resistance and activism. Her research interests also include feminist studies, world cinema, women's films and Iran's women's movements.


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New TLDs / Most Commented
gTLDs: Why Are Your Overarching Issues Not Relevant In IDN ccTLDs?
"If I would have a voting right, I would vote like this" said Janis Karklins, chair of the Government Advisory Committee (GAC) as he empathically raised two arms in the air. He was showing his, and the GAC's, overwhelming support for the ICANN Board unanimously (barring one abstention) passing the resolution that ratified the IDN ccTLD Fast Track process, propelling it toward an imminent release. A standing ovation was given from a grateful and exuberant audience and everyone seemed pleased with this momentous decision. more
Adrian Kinderis
ICANN Confirms: Tiered Pricing Not Forbidden in New .BIZ, .INFO and .ORG Contracts
I finally got the "official" word from Vint Cerf of ICANN, "on the record", who confirmed that my interpretation is correct, that differential/tiered pricing on a domain-by-domain basis would not be forbidden under the .biz/info/org proposed contracts. This means that the registries could charge $100,000/yr for sex.biz, $25,000/yr for movies.org, etc. if they wanted to -- it would not be forbidden the way the proposed contracts are currently written. This would represent a powerful pricing weapon for registries, and a fundamental shift in possible domain name pricing, that could lead them to emulate .tv-style price schedules. It doesn't mean they will necessarily do it, but it's not forbidden. When a contract doesn't forbid something bad, it implicitly allows it... more
George Kirikos
OpenDNS: It's Not SiteFinder for Obvious Reasons
The first salvo on NANOG this morning in response to the launch of OpenDNS was a predictable lambasting along the lines of "here comes SiteFinder II". Fortunately the follow-ups were quick to point out that OpenDNS was a far cry from SiteFinder for the obvious reason that people have the choice to use it, nobody had a choice with SiteFinder. ...the real magic here can come from it's use in phishing mitigation. more
Mark Jeftovic
Singular and Plural New gTLDs: Costly Headaches
ICANN has recently stated that it will allow the public to register plural and singular gTLDs that are variants of words already registered as domain names. .Books will be able to join the currently allocated .book, and .pet will be able to join .pets. Of course, a pair like .blue and .blues, two words that look alike but have different meanings, isn't at issue here. The focus is just plurals and singulars. But that leaves plenty of room for trouble, and ICANN has to tackle some tough questions now, before the policy launch. more
Alex Tajirian
After ICANN's TLD Application System Glitch, Communication Is the Key
There were long faces all over the new gTLD ecosystem yesterday -- applicants, consultants and technical operators alike -- when ICANN took their Application System (TAS) offline and announced that it would not be brought back up for 5 days. As a result, the long-anticipated close of the first new gTLD application window was pushed back from April 12 to April 20, 23:59 UTC. You could almost hear the groans of dismay spreading over social cyberspace! more
Stéphane Van Gelder
Internet Drug Traffic, Service Providers and Intellectual Property
You could call this Part Three in our series on Illicit Internet Pharmacy. Part One being What's Driving Spam and Domain Fraud? Illicit Drug Traffic, Part Two being Online Drug Traffic and Registrar Policy. There are a few facts I'd like to list briefly so everyone is up to speed. The largest chunk of online abuse at this time is related to illicit international drug traffic, mostly counterfeit and diverted pharmaceuticals. more
Garth Bruen
XXX Comes to a Head
Just when you thought the .xxx affair couldn't get any worse, it does. I'm beginning to think that ICANN's approach to TLD approval was cooked up by a demented sergeant from Abu Ghraib... Now, after the triple x people negotiated with ICANN's staff a contract that met all prior objections, and heads into what should be its final approval, word is that a few ICANN Board members are leaning in a negative direction. What is the reason? A group of pornographers has organized a campaign against .xxx, flooding ICANN's comment box with overwhelmingly negative remarks. more
Milton Mueller
Tiered (Variable) Pricing Compromise?
The new and proposed ICANN registry contracts contain no definite price terms, and thus permit potential tiered pricing on a per domain name basis. This has raised concern within the community that a registry operator might abuse its sole source position to engage in pricing practices detrimental to registrants. ...Notwithstanding the possibility of tiered pricing on a per domain name basis in connection with the recently executed sponsored registry contracts (.MOBI, .JOBS, .TRAVEL, .CAT, and .TEL), there have been numerous comments submitted in connection with this possibility in connection with the proposed contracts for the .BIZ, .INFO and .ORG registry contracts. There were four messages that motivate me to write this article... more
Michael D. Palage
Engineers on TLDs: Do You Want Me With Fries?
During ICANN's public forum in Cape Town, an interesting conflict accidentally came up, even if somewhat concealed by the usual exchange of well-known views on whether ICANN should finally allow the world to get more new Top Level Domains (TLDs) on a regular basis. I know I am oversimplifying thoughts and positions, but basically the discussion was between a couple of 30-year-old engineers from the floor asking to be given the opportunity to try new things, and a couple of 60-year-old engineers from the podium putting up any kind of unproven excuses... more
Vittorio Bertola
New gTLDs and Concept of a Universal Directory
The concept of a universal directory does not exist on the Internet. There are thousands of directories of all kinds and online Yellow Pages in many countries. All of these websites are different, accessed differently and operated differently: for example, Yellow Pages in France are different from their equivalent in Spain and Italy. There is no standard directory operated behind the same name worldwide. more
Jean Guillon
Rage Against the ICANN Machine
I'm going to do what no professional journalist should ever do: take a story at face value. So full disclosure: I have not checked the facts behind the story that sparked this little rant I'm about to embark on. But I've known the author for a number of years as being a consummate professional when it comes to reporting facts. And I've known ICANN, the organisation, for even longer. I have therefore seen first hand the organisation's ability to be at times borderline duplicitous in its attempts to reach a desired result.
A New Blog About "New gTLDs"
There are many blogs about new gTLDs. Some are interesting, others are not. Some are about domaining in which new gTLDs are included, some are from Law Firms and rather repetitive about the necessity to protect a brand in the Trademark Clearinghouse and how URS is the best (billable) mechanism to protect the brand; some are truly about domain names and remain must-read; very few are about new gTLDs only. more
Logical Deduction on Why New TLDs Will Not Increase Costs for Trademark Holders
Paul Stahura published a great report demonstrating that trademark holders have historically not been blocking their names across multiple Top-Level Domains (TLDs). I have always been a fan of number crunching -- "numbers never lie". Since Paul has already done a remarkable job of statistical analysis, I am going to wear my theorist hat and prove a reworded form of the Hypothesis using logical deduction and common sense... more
Bhavin Turakhia
Why New TLDs Don't Matter
Lost amid the furor about ICANN's rule change that may (or may not) lead to a flood of TLDs is the uncomfortable fact that almost without exception, the new TLDs created since 2000 have been utter failures. Other than perhaps .cat and .mobi, they've missed their estimates of the number of registrations by orders of magnitude, and they haven't gotten mindshare in the target community. So what went wrong? more
John Levine
Confusing New gTLDs
Choosing the right domain name is like choosing a Trademark, it has to be taken seriously because it is a long time image investment. If new gTLDs have brought new options to those in charge of creating a name (precision, availability, novelty) and registering its (their) domain name(s), they also brought the possibility to make a terrible mistake when choosing the right extension for a domain name. more
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By CSC
Radix's .Store Domains Bring Forth Nearly 5000 Store Ideas Through the #IdeaToStore Contest
By Radix
Verisign Domain Name Industry Brief: 364.6 Million Domain Name Registrations in Q3 2021
By Verisign
The Playbook on Igniting Your Online Business
Brand Registry Group Is Seeking an Executive Director to Join the Organization
By Brand Registry Group
GoDaddy Registry Podcast, Episode 6 – The Importance of the Next Round of TLD Applications for Brand Owners
By GoDaddy Registry
What Success Means at Radix: Measuring What Matters
Radix's .Store Domains launches #IdeaToStore Contest, Invites Ideas for Online Stores
GoDaddy Registry Podcast, Episode 5—How to Manage IP and Brand Protection Challenges With Your TLD Portfolio
MarkMonitor Releases New gTLD Quarterly Report for Q2 2021
By MarkMonitor
Radix Reports 43% Growth in Premium New Domain Registrations From H2 2020 in Its Newly Released H1 2020 Report
Radix's .Tech Domains Successfully Concludes #MyStartInTech Campaign
The Evolution of Domain Names and What It Means for the Domain Industry
Verisign Q1 2021 Domain Name Industry Brief: 363.5 Million Domain Name Registrations in Q1 2021

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Your car might not be able to make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, but that doesn't mean it can't look like it can. This accordion sunshade has a Star Wars theme. Protects, cools, and blocks out UV rays. Universal size fits most cars, trucks and vans.
Star Wars Millennium Falcon Accordion Sunshade is rated 4.7 out of 5 by 17.
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Society - Southern Africa - South africa - Wars - Politics - Alter-globalisation
SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICIAN JULUIS MALEMA CHARGED FOR MONEY LAUNDERING
Thursday 27 September 2012 / by Ojong Debra
The 31 year-old former youth leader of the African national congress has been charged by the South African court with money laundering but the politician mocked at the accusation and in vexation gathered his supporters a moment after his realize on bail to protest.
According to him the charge label against him was politically induce by the president Jacob Zuma who ordered the authorities to arrest him for nothing. The prosecutors allege him for taking unlawful actions from benefit generated from companies he own shares in; But JULUIS MALEMA had denied the allegation and was thrown out of the ruling party this year. The court said it did not provide additional details of the charge against him because it is still finalizing the documents however the ruling party said the allegations made against the politicians are not politically motivated. Malema's supporters sang mockery songs at the president outside the court in Polokwane. After spending the whole night at a local hall, they waited for him outside the court, peeking behind razor wire accompanied by heavy security that included uprising police. The Police closed roads leading to the court and deployed water cannon to the scene. Malema was freed on $1,215 bail and he is scheduled to return to court on November 30 this year.


Every 16 minutes someone in the United States is seriously injured or killed in a trucking accident. The frequency and severity of accidents involving large commercial vehicles makes exceptional legal representation paramount for victims of trucking accidents.
Emison, J. Kent and Mark Emison. "How Lack of Visibility Can Become a Major Theme in a Trucking Accident Case." AIEGVoice. Attorneys Information Exchange Group.
Emison, J. Kent and Brett Emison. "Spotting Products Issues in Trucking Cases." Trial. American Association for Justice.
Brose, David. "Hours of Service Changes Tucked into Spending Bill: Driver Fatigue Litigation Tips in a Time of Regulatory Change." The Missouri Trial Attorney. Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys.
Emison, J. Kent and David Brose. "Asleep at the Wheel: Truck Driver Fatigue." AIEG Voice.
Emison, J. Kent and Mark Emison. "Trial Strategies for Holding Trucking Companies Responsible for Their Employee's Negligent Conduct." Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. Attorneys Information Exchange Group.
Brose, David. "Driver fatigue: Analysis from Accident Litigation Involving Trucks and Heavy Vehicles." Westlaw Journal Automotive.
Emison, J. Kent and Mark Emison. "Trial Strategies with Negligent Trucking Companies: Recent Trial Illustrates Strategies for Holding Trucking Companies Responsible for Negligent Conduct of Their Employees." American Association for Justice Interstate Trucking Litigation Group.
Emison, J. Kent and Mark Emison. "A Tragic Design Flaw: Higher Standards for Semi-Truck Underride Guards Needed to Save Lives, Reduce Manufacturers' Liability." Thomson Reuters.
Emison, J. Kent and Mark Emison. "Recent Developments in Conspicuity Issues in Truck Accident Litigation." Thomson Reuters.
Langdon & Emison will review trucking accident cases at no cost or obligation to you. Contact our firm at 800-397-4910 or click below.


The Dairy Manager Training is an educational program for farmers, employees and agriservice professionals who work directly with dairy cows. It will cover effective cow handling; communication to share farms goals, implement decisions and train employees; how to manage existing facilities for profitability; and using partial budgets for decision making.
The Dairy Manager Training is a two day program held one week apart from each other from 9:30 am to 3 pm. The program will be held on farm with a combination of presentations, demonstrations, farm walk-throughs and discussion. Registration is required. Cost is $50 and includes the two day program, materials and lunch.
The Dairy Manager Training will include a full day cow handling training by Curt Pate, nationally recognized expert in dairy cattle handling and stockmanship. For more than a decade Curt Pate has been conducting demonstrations and clinics on cattle stockmanship and safety. His personal experience incorporating effective stockmanship principles supports a "for profit" mindset and focuses on highlighting the increased economic benefits of handling cows correctly. In addition, Curt recognizes the growing public scrutiny surrounding livestock production and the impact that improved livestock handling practices create fro the sustainability of the dairy industry. The program will comply with the Farm and BQA Programs.


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site: media | arena: collegefootball | pageType: stories | section: | slug: usc-makes-playoff-statement-edging-ucla-as-caleb-williams-career-night-suggests-best-yet-to-come | sport: collegefootball | route: article_single.us | 6-keys: media/spln/collegefootball/reg/free/stories
USC makes playoff statement edging UCLA as Caleb Williams' career night suggests best yet to come
The Trojans looked every bit a College Football Playoff contender Saturday night in the Rose Bowl
By Dennis Dodd
Nov 20, 2022 at 10:09 am ET • 4 min read
On a Saturday filled with career bests, Caleb Williams might have achieved his. Maybe not his entire career, of course, but at least his career to date. The way things are going, who knows what's ahead for the USC quarterback and the Trojans?
The Rose Bowl might as well have been a launching pad for a lot of things Saturday night. With Williams chucking it, running it, and emotionally leading it, USC can suddenly see a College Football Playoff berth from here. Some believe they even control their own destiny when it comes to the Football Four in this dizzying turnaround year that just won't quit.
But it's the way the Trojans are doing it. They needed every one of Williams career-best 470 yards passing (503 total yards) -- the most by any player in rivalry history -- to defeat UCLA, 48-45. Those numbers will live in the USC annals for years, maybe decades.
It's more about what it means in the present. The Pac-12 is back, at least a factor this late in the season. The last Pac-12 playoff entry was six years ago. If USC seals the deal, it would get in two years before it migrates to the Big Ten. At this point, who cares about affiliations?
For now, the Trojans giddily clinched a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game. They can't afford to look past Notre Dame next Saturday. But on that journey, Williams was just a little bit better in a shootout with his UCLA counterpart Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
That's the same DTR who said he wanted to score 60 against the Trojans. The same DTR who threw for at least four scores for the fifth time in his career. Instead, the fifth-year senior helped decide the game by throwing three crippling interceptions, the last with 1:26 remaining. Sophomore defensive lineman Korey Foreman contributed the biggest play of his young career with the pick.
"I'll be honest: They had a lot to say this week. We blocked it out," Williams said. "They had a lot to say tonight. We blocked it out."
Mostly, his teammates blocked enough. The 93 combined points were the second-most in the series behind only the 95 scored last year in UCLA's rout of USC at the end the Trojans' dreary 4-8 season.
That preceded the hiring of Lincoln Riley, who brought in 20 transfers and 40 new players in a two-month span.
That brings us here as we witness not only one of the best turnarounds in the country but one of the best of all time. USC is 10-1 for the first time since 2008. Backup running back Austin Jones contributed 120 yards rushing, his most in two years. Wide receiver Jordan Addison was close to a career-high, tying for the second-most receptions in a game (11 for 178 yards).
Both, of course, are transfers -- Jones from Stanford and Addison from Pittsburgh.
The season is rushing to a conclusion, and we can't get enough.
Did you see TCU run the ball on purpose with no timeouts -- and time running out -- so it could trot out its "fire drill" game-winning field goal unit at the gun against Baylor? Did you see Michigan doing much the same thing, needing a 35-yard field goal at The Big House version to beat Illinois as time expired?
A few hours later, South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler went out and had the game of his life. The Gamecocks pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season, wiping out Tennessee, 63-38. Rattler came into the game with eight touchdown passes (nine interceptions) on the season; he left with 14 after throwing a career-high six scores against the Vols.
That helped open the door (if only a crack further) for USC, which can see a light shining from beyond it.
This is what Trojans everywhere wanted, but could any of them have expected it this fast? Williams, the Oklahoma transfer, shoved himself to near the front of the Heisman Trophy conversation leading USC back from an early 14-0 deficit.
After an early interception, he led the Trojans to scores on eight of the next nine drives before USC's one and only punt of the night. Williams was nearly matched by DTR, who led three straight touchdown drives over the third and fourth quarters totaling 17 plays and 215 yards.
It's hard to believe the game-winning score came with 9 minutes left as TCU transfer Darwin Barlow ran 9 yards to make it 48-38. It's harder to believe this is it for the Trojans. USC is now arguably the best one-loss team in the country. That's because there is only one other one-loss team in the country (Clemson). A third one-loss team is guaranteed Saturday when Ohio State hosts Michigan in a battle of Big Ten unbeatens.
You can see more clearly now what Saturday meant. The loser of The Game might open up a spot for the Trojans in the CFP.
Foreman iced the game with the biggest play of his career. He has already traded a percentage of future pro earnings for a cash payout in one of the most unique deals of the NIL era. To date, his career had been a bit underwhelming coming to Troy as the nation's No. 1 overall recruit.
You want to know what Saturday meant? Foreman is now a legend in this rivalry. You want to know what the change of scenery has meant? A year ago, Williams played the shakiest game of his young career in Bedlam. The Sooners didn't score in the second half of that game; Oklahoma State won by four. Williams was only 6 of 18 in that second half.
On Saturday, he threw for a career high.
And the best may be yet to come.
USC makes playoff statement edging UCLA in rivalry game
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2019 NPA Board Election Results Announced
Monday, October 7, 2019 (0 Comments)
The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) has elected four individuals to the Board of Directors for the three-year term of service beginning on January 1, 2020: Tullia C. Bruno, Ph.D.; William Mahoney, Jr., Ph.D.; Caleb McKinney, Ph.D.; and Chris Smith, Ph.D.
The directors were elected from a field of five candidates during the 2019 election, which ran from September 9 through September 23. The newly elected directors will join the following members of the Board: Tracy Costello, Ph.D.; Stephanie Eberle, M.Ed.; Josh Henkin, Ph.D.; Natalia Martin, Ph.D.; Barbara J. Natalizio, Ph.D.; Shakira Nelson, Ph.D.; and, Claudia Späni, Ph.D..
Tullia C. Bruno, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh, and a faculty member in the Tumor Microenvironment Center and the Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. She obtained her doctorate degree in immunology from Johns Hopkins in 2010 and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Colorado in 2015—both with a focus in tumor immunology. Bruno's research program is focused on tumor infiltrating B cells and how they can be manipulated and targeted in human tumors for more effective therapies. She is thrilled to be continuing her tenure on the NPA Board of Directors, where she will focus on the strategic plan and how to increase productivity on goals aligned with the mission of the NPA.
William Mahoney, Jr., Ph.D., has a long-standing interest in professional development, focusing on graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty at the University of Washington (UW). As associate dean, he provides leadership to both the Office of Graduate Student Affairs and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs to support inclusive learning environments across the UW educational ecosystem. He leads efforts related to graduate student and postdoctoral fellow recruitment and support, holistic mentorship, and career exploration and guidance.
Mahoney is an associate professor of pathology in the School of Medicine. He came to UW as a postdoctoral fellow in 2004 and has followed the academic tract to associate professor in the Department of Pathology. After establishing his independent lab in cardiovascular development & regeneration, he transitioned to focusing on mentoring graduate students by co-directing the interdepartmental Molecular Medicine and Mechanisms of Disease (M3D) doctoral program. This led to a more holistic attention to professional development towards careers in STEM by working with URM pipeline programs and by co-directing the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) in the UW Graduate School.
Caleb C. McKinney, Ph.D., is assistant dean of graduate and postdoctoral training & development for Biomedical Graduate Education (BGE) at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC), and is completing his term as Diversity Officer for the NPA. McKinney is committed to graduate student and postdoctoral scholar advocacy and career formation. He graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in biology and a minor in applied economics and management. He then completed his doctoral degree in microbiology from New York University, and he is currently enrolled in a master's in professional studies program in design management and communications at Georgetown University. At GUMC, McKinney leads the graduate and postdoctoral training and development portfolio for Biomedical Graduate Education, which includes the Office of Career Strategy and Professional Development, a biomedical graduate career center that provides career advising and professional development programming for master's students, doctoral students, and postdoctoral scholars. Furthermore, his portfolio includes training grant support for institutional external funding mechanisms, and biomedical graduate student recruitment and external partnerships for strategic enrollment. Lastly, he is a steadfast advocate for student and trainee led initiatives. He mentors and provides administrative support to the Georgetown University PDA, and the Women in Science Education and Medical Center Graduate Student Organization student groups.
Chris Smith, Ph.D., received his doctoral degree in neurobiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2014, after which he served as a postdoc in the Department of Psychology at Vanderbilt University. While at Vanderbilt, he served in various roles within the Vanderbilt postdoctoral association including webmaster, treasurer, and junior co-chair. Since January 2019, he has served as the postdoctoral affairs program manager within the Graduate School at North Carolina State University. There he assists NC State's 400+ postdoctoral scholars with their current training roles at the university, in addition to helping them discover their unique set of skills and interests that can be translated to a variety of meaningful careers. He has been actively involved with the NPA since 2017, including writing for The POSTDOCket newsletter and serving on the Meetings and Resource Development Committees.
Current members of the Board who will complete their term are: Andrew Bankson, Ph.D., Kristen Scott, Ph.D., and Yvette Seger, Ph.D. We thank them for their service.


I was able to meet with a student from last year's training class as she prepared for her audition (aka a yoga teacher's job interview, a 15-min sequence to the leads of a studio). We really got along so well and look forward to practicing again. It has been a real blessing to meet kind, supportive and lovely individuals through yoga. It is really a little community you build as you form your practice, especially because of teacher training. I have been enjoying the workshops around the area at other studios. I definitely see myself attending more workshops in the future, even after training is completed. They are not very expensive for non-members and they are packed full of information. I would recommend to anyone who is considering expanding their yoga practice to search online for workshops in their area and take a couple. You end up learning so much in a session, it is worth the time and money. Some are also less about the movements and more about the philosophical and spiritual benefits of yoga. Which means even if you are not currently practicing the yoga poses, you can still benefit from the workshops.
Since I am almost halfway, I started to observe classes. This means taking notes in the back of a yoga room while you listen to what the teacher is saying and watch as he/she demonstrates the poses for the class, provided hands on assistance and overall movements in room. The teachers all have the same type of room setup, similar music and flow to the class. This is mainly because the studio has recommendations and standards that are followed. However, each teacher does have a personal style. Getting to the point here – some just talk too much! It is like, "Excuse me, can you stop talking for a minute? I am trying to do yoga over here!" I like to throw in some zippy lines to make the class smile or some inspirational cues like pulling in energy through your fingertips or opening up the heart Chakra. But I keep this lightly sprinkled in and would not say something constantly. It is overwhelming to hear so many inspirational quotes and open ended questions in class. It is too much for the mind to process. Quiet time is also very necessary in a yoga practice. You need to draw inward, reflect, relax and think about items which come up naturally. It totally stresses me out when you cannot even hear the music or your own thoughts because the teacher is not taking a breath. So currently my teaching style is very concise and to the point. I like to leave silence spaces. Since all teachers are different, you can find ones that you mesh with and can enjoy their class. That is why I am so sad when I hear anyone say they tried one yoga class and then gave up because it was not a good experience. It could have been that the teacher that day was not a good fit for what they needed. It is like if you stopped dating and gave up on all relationships after one bad date experience. I encourage anyone who did have a bad experience to either try a different teacher or different studio. Also chat with those around you who do yoga and get their honest feedback. I would also recommend to try a beginners level at a studio. Even if your practice has been going on for years, it is interesting to see how a studio handles a level one type class. You should leave feeling supported and encouraged. Never overwhelmed or stressed out.
Namaste and I will be writing soon after this training weekend!


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Home / People / Summerlin-Long, Jeffrey
Summerlin-Long, Jeffrey
Jeffrey Summerlin-Long
Teaching Associate Professor of Public Policy
jeffsl@email.unc.edu
Jeff Summerlin-Long returned to UNC after spending four years as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where he served as the pre-law advisor and helped develop a new curriculum for a Master's Degree in Policy Studies.
Broadly speaking, Jeff's research interests lie in the area of social inequality, particularly inequality in access to the legal system and other political institutions. He has taught a wide variety of courses both at UAH and UNC, including: American Government, Constitutional Law, U.S. Immigration Policy, U.S. Food Policy, Research Design, Statistics, and The Politics of Public Policy.


text:
package com.taobao.diamond.utils;

import org.codehaus.jackson.map.ObjectMapper;
import org.codehaus.jackson.type.TypeReference;

public class JSONUtils {

	static ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();

    public static String serializeObject(Object o) throws Exception {
        return mapper.writeValueAsString(o);
    }

    public static Object deserializeObject(String s, Class<?> clazz) throws Exception {
        return mapper.readValue(s, clazz);
    }

    public static Object deserializeObject(String s,TypeReference<?> typeReference) throws Exception {
        return mapper.readValue(s, typeReference);
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
set -o xtrace -o errexit -o nounset; [ -n "${BASH:-}${ZSH_NAME:-}" ] && set -o pipefail

[ "${CC}" = 'mingw-clang' ] && _optpkg='llvm'

export _CCSUFFIX=''
export HOMEBREW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE=1
export HOMEBREW_NO_ANALYTICS=1
time brew update >/dev/null
time brew upgrade python
time brew install xz gnu-tar mingw-w64 ${_optpkg} gettext \
                  jq dos2unix openssl osslsigncode openssh
time brew install --cask wine-stable
time wineboot --init

./_build.sh


President Bush dismissed antiwar protests today as a factor in his plans for confronting Iraq and pressed ahead with a strategy to persuade reluctant allies that United Nations weapons inspections would not secure the disarmament of Saddam Hussein.
In his first public comments about the antiwar demonstrations by millions of people over the weekend in the United States and abroad, Mr. Bush said his overriding goal was to protect the American people and that leadership sometimes involved bucking public opinion.
Administration officials said the United States planned to submit a proposed new resolution on Mr. Hussein's failure to disarm to the United Nations Security Council, probably at the end of this week or early next week after the conclusion of a United Nations debate about Iraq that began today.
A statement from the European Union on Monday that explicitly if reluctantly supported the use of force against Iraq as a last resort raised British and American hopes that the Security Council could ultimately be won over. Officials said the European acceptance of the principle that force might be necessary, in combination with possible critical statements about Iraq's cooperation over the next several weeks by Hans Blix, one of the chief United Nations weapons inspectors, could ultimately provide the basis for backing of force by Security Council members, including France.
The new resolution is expected to be a short, straightforward assertion that Iraq has defied calls by the United Nations to give up its weapons of mass destruction and now faces the ''serious consequences'' threatened in the previous resolution, officials said.
Both Jacques Chirac, the French president, and Gerhard Schröder, the German chancellor, have this week criticized the idea of a second resolution. France has made it clear that it will oppose the measure.
Mr. Bush has said he plans to reach a decision on the use of force against Iraq within weeks, whatever the Security Council does.
But with military forces still moving into place, there were indications that the United States and Britain want to use the next several weeks to give the leaders of France and other nations that oppose an immediate war an opportunity to show their publics that inspections and diplomacy are not making headway.
Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain said today that the large antiwar protests in his country would not affect his close alliance with the United States over Iraq.
''Of course I understand the concerns of the thousands that marched on Saturday, and of course I should and do listen to those concerns,'' Mr. Blair said at a news conference in London.
Mr. Bush referred scornfully today to giving Mr. Hussein ''another, 'nother, 'nother last chance'' to comply with prior United Nations resolutions demanding that Iraq disarm.
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and his deputy, Richard L. Armitage, continued intensive discussions today with the British and others on the wording of the new resolution. Administration officials said the measure might not be voted on for two more weeks, and the language might be revised in that period.
By early March, the administration expects that Mr. Blix will be prepared to make a more negative appraisal of Iraq's cooperation than he did before the Security Council on Friday. Officials said Mr. Blix gave them that impression in private.
Mr. Blix is being pressed by the United States to set ''benchmarks'' over the next several weeks, demanding that Iraq fulfill its obligations in at least three specific areas: allowing unimpeded interviews with scientists, destroying illegal rockets and allowing unconditional overflights by reconnaissance planes.
A refusal to cooperate on any of those would make it clearer that Mr. Hussein was defying the inspectors, administration officials said.
In another indication of the pressure on the United States to give weapons inspections and diplomacy more time, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien of Canada told his Parliament that he would oppose military action against Iraq that was not explicitly authorized by the Security Council.
The administration today pursued negotiations with Turkey, which has been demanding $32 billion in loans, grants and debt forgiveness as the price for allowing the United States to stage troops there and open a northern front against Iraq in the event of war. Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman, said the president ''understands that Turkey is in a difficult position.'' But Mr. Fleischer also made clear that the United States was not interested in drawn-out negotiations with Turkey over the size of the package, saying it was ''decision time'' for Turkey.
After a weekend in which protesters in the United States, Europe and much of the rest of the world urged giving diplomacy more time or ruling out war altogether, Mr. Bush said he welcomed the right of people in democracies to express their opinions.
But he indicated that he viewed the protesters as questioning not so much his reluctance to extend United Nations weapons inspections or seek other nonmilitary ways to contain Saddam Hussein, but the need to deal with Iraq's weapons of mass destruction at all.
Mr. Bush used the words ''courage'' or ''courageous'' to describe his two most stalwart allies in confronting Iraq, Mr. Blair and Prime Minister José María Aznar of Spain, who is scheduled to visit Mr. Bush at his ranch in Texas this weekend.
Mr. Fleischer compared the protests to those in Europe in 1983 against President Reagan's deployment of intermediate-range missiles against the Soviet Union. In the long run, he said, the fall of the Soviet Union proved that the American doctrine of ''peace through strength'' had been successful and that the protesters had been wrong.


text:
Rogowo – dawna gromada, czyli najmniejsza jednostka podziału terytorialnego Polskiej Rzeczypospolitej Ludowej w latach 1954–1972.

Gromady, z gromadzkimi radami narodowymi (GRN) jako organami władzy najniższego stopnia na wsi, funkcjonowały od reformy reorganizującej administrację wiejską przeprowadzonej jesienią 1954 do momentu ich zniesienia z dniem 1 stycznia 1973, tym samym wypierając organizację gminną w latach 1954–1972.

Gromadę Rogowo z siedzibą GRN w Rogowie utworzono – jako jedną z 8759 gromad na obszarze Polski – w powiecie rypińskim w woj. bydgoskim, na mocy uchwały nr 24/10 WRN w Bydgoszczy z dnia 5 października 1954. W skład jednostki weszły obszary dotychczasowych gromad Rogowo, Brzeszczki Duże, Brzeszczki Małe, Świeżawy, Rojewo, Sosnowo, Borowo, Lisiny i Wierzchowiska ze zniesionej gminy Rogowo oraz obszar dotychczasowej gromady Huta ze zniesionej gminy Żałe w tymże powiecie. Dla gromady ustalono 23 członków gromadzkiej rady narodowej.

10 kwietnia 1956 (z mocą obowiązującą wstecz od 29 lutego 1956) do gromady Rogowo włączono część wsi Likiec o powierzchni 572,34 z gromady Wólka w powiecie lipnowskim w tymże województwie.

31 grudnia 1961 do gromady Rogowo włączono obszar zniesionej gromady Kobrzyniec Stary w tymże powiecie.

1 stycznia 1972 do gromady Rogowo włączono sołectwa Czumsk Duży, Czumsk Mały, Kosiory, Narty i Szczerby ze zniesionej gromady Czumsk Duży, sołectwa Karbowizna, Lasota i Pręczki ze zniesionej gromady Pręczki oraz sołectwa Nadróż i Ruda ze zniesionej gromady Żałe w tymże powiecie.

Gromada przetrwała do końca 1972 roku, czyli do kolejnej reformy gminnej. 1 stycznia 1973 w powiecie rypińskim reaktywowano gminę Rogowo.

Przypisy

Rogowo (powiat rypinxski)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing it all again because you broke it all!
Default text seems appropriate for my rebuilding this blog, I put this up originally when I was the marketing guy at a tech startup and did it as fast as I could with the limited knowledge I had of the technology.
This was why I didn't have a backup, I didn't even think of things like, now it has been drilled into my head and I finally understand what the development folks were going through. Marketing only knows the outcomes they want and know to be possible but that doesn't mean that we knew how long they took or the level of skill that went into it. We might have appreciated the outcome but we didn't get the whole picture.
Anyway this will be me setting this thing back up, having more code, development and marketing posts with less about HR.
No Replies to "Hello world! Seems fitting."


text:
Chris Pratt Compares Jurassic World 3 to Avengers: Endgame
By Patrick Cavanaugh - February 21, 2020 11:59 am EST
The upcoming Jurassic World sequel might be the third entry in this new trilogy of dinosaur films, but star Chris Pratt recently shared that the ways in which the film unites the series with the origins of the franchise will feel reminiscent of the experience of Avengers: Endgame. In the case of the final chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, only 10 years had passed since its debut before its culmination, while it will have been nearly three decades between the debut of Jurassic Park in 1993 and Jurassic World 3's release in 2021, a much more difficult feat to accomplish to offer a fulfilling adventure to long-time fans.
"This feels like [the end]. It's got everybody," Pratt recently revealed on The Ellen Show. "It's got pretty much everybody in it, maybe I just blew it but I don't care. I know that like all the cast from the original Jurassic Park is coming back and so it's going to feel very much like how [Avengers:] Endgame brought everything together at Marvel."
The MCU made it clear to its cast from early on that the franchise would feature serialized storytelling, making it easier to enlist figures from its past for Endgame, while finding a way to organically intertwine the characters from the original trilogy of Jurassic Park films with the cast of this Jurassic World revival will pose a new set of challenges. With Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum all confirmed to be reprising their roles, we are left to speculate about what other members of the cast could potentially be returning that the actor "accidentally" revealed.
Filmmaker Colin Trevorrow directed 2015's Jurassic World and, against all odds, the film became a major success with the ways in which it revived the familiar concept, with Trevorrow returning to direct this upcoming sequel. He previously revealed how he feels the new film feels more like the sixth entry in the entire franchise more than the third entry in the Jurassic World series.
"We'd have had to come up with a reason why Ellie, Malcolm, and Grant all went to the theme park on the exact same day it broke down – again," Trevorrow confirmed to Empire. "The next film allows the legacy characters to be a part of the story in an organic way. Emily Carmichael and I call it 'Jurassic Park VI', because it is."
Given how much time has passed since the original, finding the organic way to intertwine all the storylines comes with inherent difficulties.
"You start asking the most basic questions: who are these people now? What do they make of the new world they're living in, and how do they feel about being part of its history?" Trevorrow pointed out. "Ultimately it will be in collaboration with the actors. They know and love these characters. We'll do it together."
Jurassic World 3 is set to land in theaters on June 11, 2021.
Do these remarks have you more excited for the film? Let us know in the comments below!
Scream: Courteney Cox Joins TikTok Trend in Honor of Gale Weathers' Return


Bylaw Services is available to help you from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.
The overall focus of Bylaw Services is to work to ensure high levels of compliance with our local bylaws and several provincial statutes. See The Town of Banff's Frequently Requested Bylaws.
For most neighbourhood issues, we encourage and offer assistance for neighbours to collaboratively find solutions and generally seek compliance before enforcement.
To request service, please use the Action Request form.
Are your children's car seats compliant? Remember that the "best" car seat is the one that best fits your budget, your child, your vehicle and that you will use correctly 100% of the time.
Bylaw Services will be offering car seat and booster inspections and help with installs.
Think your seat looks tight, but not quite right?
Driving the grandkids and need some advice?
Wondering if the baby can wear that in their bucket seat?
with questions or to book an appointment.


A creative way to help advance the mission of Shine.FM is to donate a security to Shine.FM. This can provide you with significant tax benefits.
Giving appreciated securities such as property, stocks, etc. is a popular alternative to cash gifts because it allows you to save on taxes in two different ways at the same time. The first tax benefit comes when you receive an income tax deduction for the total market worth of your securities. The second benefit comes from the savings on the appreciated capital gains tax.
Capital gains taxes are assessed in various ways, including the length of time held. Because of this, it is very important that you carefully select the right asset when you are considering charitable gifts of securities and other assets.
Other gifts of personal property that may include art collections, rare books, stamps, antiques, manuscripts, baseball cards, etc.
If you're interested in giving to Shine.FM by donating appreciated securities, please call us at 815-939-5330 or email Justin Knight at jknight1@olivet.edu.


Designed for a flattering but comfortable shape, our women's pyjamas will keep you looking great and feeling comfortable throughout the seasons.
Made from our navy cotton batiste, the Amalfi jacket features a fully piped finish in a white trim, a single patch pocket and mother of pearl buttons. The quality of craftsmanship continues with the trousers and their elasticated waist with self fabric drawstrings for added comfort.
A firm favourite of our customers for its breathability, lightweight properties and luxuriously soft feel, our cotton batiste fabric has become a signature of Derek Rose quality. A dream to lounge or sleep in, our PJ sets are also perfect for travellers and holidaymakers, as they're not only comfortable in warm climates, but also light to pack and easy to carry.


DELRAY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lon Otremba, CEO at Bidtellect, a paid content distribution and analytics company and leader in native advertising technology, has been accepted into the Forbes Agency Council, an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies.
Mr. Otremba joins a diverse, forward-thinking group of individuals who are hand-selected to become part of a curated network of successful peers and are invited to submit thought leadership articles and short tips on industry- related topics for publishing on Forbes.com. Members are selected for the Council based on their depth and diversity of experience, according to Forbes. The Council also aims to create an open forum within for idea and advice exchange.
Lon Otremba joined Bidtellect as its Chief Executive Officer and Director in January, 2014. He leads all aspects of the Company's efforts, working closely with the management team and the Company's board of directors. With over 20 years experience in media, Otremba is a veteran operating executive and adviser in the Internet publishing, mobile, and broadcast music industries and a well-known pioneer in interactive media.
"Forbes is synonymous with thought leadership and brilliant business. I am thrilled to join this elite group of thought leaders," says Lon Otremba.
Bidtellect is the purpose-built, buy-side native advertising platform with the scale, smarts, & service to deliver superior results. Bidtellect gives marketers one platform to execute Native campaigns across all formats and devices including text, imagery and video. Marketers leverage Bidtellect's proprietary real-time optimization algorithms, first- and third- party data targeting, advanced KPI optimization and a team of industry experts to drive real results for paid content distribution campaigns to deliver smart advertising. Bidtellect delivers access to the world's most expansive Native ecosystem of premium placements in order to achieve unparalleled scale.


Some of the world's largest car manufacturers are joining together in an effort to develop a joint network of rapid electric-vehicle charging stations across Europe. The automakers have opted to reject the idea of installing their own charging stations in favor of a collaborative approach.
It has been announced that BMW's quasi-independent design studio Designworks will work with Ionity to design the charging station architecture, the charger pylons themselves and the entire digital interaction concept.
Ionity CEO Michael Hajesch expressed his delight at the agreement with BMW's Designworks and said the partnership represented a great opportunity to accelerate electro-mobility across Europe.
The joint initiative between BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, and Ford, Ionity will see them attempt to install 400 high-power charging stations along major highways across Europe by the end of 2020. Each station will feature up to six chargers. And they'll be spaced at a distance of about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from each other. So an electric vehicle with at least that much range will be able to leapfrog from one to the other along its route, eliminating range anxiety and opening up Europe's highway network for electric vehicles to criss-cross the continent.


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Former President Jacob Zuma will stand trial on charges of corruption and money laundering.
A short while ago, the KwaZulu-Natal High court dismissed Zuma's application to have the matter thrown out of court.
Zuma and French arms company Thales had applied for a permanent stay of prosecution. But, their application was dismissed with costs.
Zuma and Thales had argued their right to a speedy trial was infringed on, due to lengthy delays in the case. Zuma also said there was a political motive behind the motive and that he had no money to fund his trial.
SABC News reporter Ayanda Mhlongo gives us the details.
For more news, visit: sabcnews.com
south africa, jacob zuma, court, money laundering
Zuma back in Pietermaritzburg court on Friday
Zimbabwe: Pastor In Court On Charges Of Inciting Public Unrest
Zimbabwe:Court Dismisses Grace Mugabe's Case
South .Africa Court Dismisses Application By Former Aurora Directors
ANC talks about Jacob Zuma's day in court
Son of ex-Angolan president in court over corruption trial
Zuma Court Case Provisionally Adjourned To November
Ethiopian Court Charges 23 South Sudanese Refugees With Murder
UK Court Dismisses Niger Delta Community's Claims Against Shell
South Africa: Former President Zuma appears in court on corruption charges
Court dismisses Zuma's application to have corruption charges thrown out of court
Former President Jacob Zuma will stand trial on charges of corruption and money laundering. A short while ago, the KwaZulu-Natal High court dismissed ...


Bikeaway Ventures is excited to welcome back the Plum Bikeaway.
For over 20 years cyclists have been taking part in fundraising cycling events for the Pershore Unit of St John Ambulance and the Vale of Evesham Community First Responders.
Pershore College welcomes the NEW Plum Bikeaway on Sunday 17 September 2017. Communities come together in a fun – filled events.
All routes provided sensational autumnal views of Bredon Hill and beyond.
Registration will be from 9am and last entries will be taken at 11am. Water is provided along the routes and a first aid support vehicle will be on hand at all times if required.
The official start of the Purple Plum route is at 9.30am and the rest of the routes will start 9.45am. Maps will be available upon registration (or on request prior to the event).
If you would like to take part in the Plum Bikeaway, please complete one entry form per cyclist and return to the address provided. One your entry is received; you will then receive further details including sponsorship forms, route maps and safety information. Click here to download your entry form or to have one sent in the post, please contact Bikeaway Ventures| T: 01386 565564 |bikeaway40@yahoo.com for more information.


text:
Marlins made competitive offers for James Shields
It turns out that while the Miami Marlins eventually bowed out of the James Shields sweepstakes, they at least made competitive offers until the end.
By Michael Jong Feb 9, 2015, 1:00pm EST
Share All sharing options for: Marlins made competitive offers for James Shields
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
The Miami Marlins eventually did not land James Shields, as the free agent righty ended up near his hometown by signing a four-year contract worth $75 million with the San Diego Padres. As expected, Shields took the four-year offer that was available to him and ended up with what was likely close to his market value for four years, putting him at almost $19 million a season.
For months, the Marlins had stayed in the periphery of the Shields race, and in recent weeks, there were rumors that the Fish were among the few suitors involved for his services. The Fish eventually did not get their man, but according to various sources, it did not mean they weren't trying. Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reported that the Fish were competitive until the $70 million mark.
Sometime Saturday afternoon, when the Shields bidding got to four-years and the $70 million range, the #Marlins knew they were out.
— Joe Frisaro (@JoeFrisaro) February 9, 2015
Miami avoided a longer-term commitment than they would have preferred, as the franchise likely offered a three-year deal perhaps with a fourth-year option, the exact sort of contract that would have made sense for Miami. The Fish did not want to commit further and forfeit this year's draft pick.
To their credit #Marlins didn't risk blowing up future payrolls with overpay on Shields, who also would have cost 12th overall pick.
The Marlins were linked to Shields throughout the offseason, and it seems that was rightfully the case. Frisaro reports that Shields kept an eye on the team throughout this process.
From what I've heard, Shields closely tracked #Marlins offseason, impressed by direction. In the end #Padres made best offer
That is totally within reason for both sides. Miami stated their price, did not want to commit to four years, and got out of the race when it came down to that. For a 33-year-old pitcher who may have a couple of effective seasons remaining under his belt at his price tag, that is more than a reasonable assumption. Shields may be the rare Mark Buehrle type who can sustain success and longevity for another four years into his age-37 campaign, but Miami has limited funds as of right now and they were unwilling to hedge that bet for the sake of 2015 and 2016, when Shields is most likely to be effective.
However, as Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports, Miami was more willing than expected to bet on Shields.
The perception of some involved in the talks is that the Marlins might have had the highest offer out on Shields, but Shields picked SD.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 9, 2015
Shields may have taken the four-year deal for less yearly money, and Miami may have offered a three-year contract with more per-year salary. Could the Marlins have offered three years and $60 million and had that rejected in favor of the security of a four-year deal? Certainly you would expect with such competing offers, the proximity of San Diego to Shields's home in southern California also likely played a role. Either way, the Marlins were probably in the dogfight for his services until the bitter end.
Are you happy with the results? Do you think the Marlins were right to avoid Shields at this price? Let us know in the comments!


text:
Theadore Brown (July 30, 1990 – August 12, 2022), known professionally as Teddy Ray, was an American comedian and actor. He was best known for his stand-up acts and for the Internet memes inspired by his viral videos.

Biography
Ray was born and raised in Los Angeles.

Ray made his television debut on ComicView. He later gained prominence as a comedian after appearing on comedy series such as Comedy Central and All Def Comedy. Ray also appeared on a number of comedy shows including Wild 'N Out (season 8), MTV's Messyness, and as a bailiff on HBO's PAUSE with Sam Jay.

Ray was a regular performer at comedy clubs such as The Improv and Laugh Factory.

Ray died on August 12, 2022, at the age of 32.

References

External links

1990 births
2022 deaths
American comedians
American stand-up comedians
People from Los Alamitos, California