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OPINION: It's time to rethink our marine conservation priorities
Coral reefs may be charismatic — but we'd be better off with seagrass at the top of our "save the ocean ecosystems" list.
Illustration by Kelsey King
Writer Richard K.F. Unsworth
@ZosteraR Swansea University and Director of Project Seagrass
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February 25, 2018 — Protecting the health and productivity of our oceans remains one of the biggest challenges facing humanity in the coming century. The future of our climate and food supply depends on it. But much of our efforts are currently misplaced. Instead of focusing on species and habitats potentially doomed by changing climate, we should target our research and conservation where it can make the biggest difference. If we are to protect many of the important roles the oceans play we need to take up the cause of seagrass meadows — some of the most important, vulnerable and ignored ecosystems in the world.
Significance of Seagrass
Seagrasses are plants adapted to live underwater where they form large meadows. Such meadows can sometimes be tens of kilometers in size. These grasses (related to terrestrial lilies rather than true grasses) have shoots and leaves above the sediment that can range from small, 1-centimeter (0.4-inch) paddlelike structures to long thickened leaves that are over a meter (3 feet) in length.
As major carbon stores, seagrasses help stabilize our climate, and damaging seagrass directly releases carbon dioxide stores into the atmosphere. Recent research has also demonstrated that seagrasses are highly efficient at removing pathogens and pollutants from the water column.
Seagrass meadows attract many different types of animals, to live, forage or seek shelter. For example, in the tropics many species of snapper spend critical times of their life cycle living in seagrass. In temperate climes this is also the case for species such as the Atlantic cod. In a recent global study, my colleagues and I determined for the first time that humans use these diverse and productive animals for food and for commercial and recreational purposes all around the world. From the remote Pacific islands to the coastline of Wales, where there are seagrass and people, there is fishing.
In the coastal communities of developing countries, the importance of the nearshore seagrass fishery for livelihoods and well-being is irrefutable. We discovered that a wide range of fishing methods and gear are used, from intertidal (accessible by foot) to relatively deep water seagrass (where commercial trawls can operate). The study found that seagrass meadows are multispecies fishing grounds targeted by fishers for any fish or invertebrate species that can be eaten, sold or used as bait. In the coastal communities of developing countries, the importance of the nearshore seagrass fishery for livelihoods and well-being is irrefutable. In developed countries, the seagrass fishery is often recreational and/or more target species–specific.
Yet both seagrass and the fish that live in them are being lost at an accelerating rate. Because seagrasses are shallow nearshore marine habitats, they are at the forefront of how human activities on land are impacting our oceans. Everything from coastal development, to boating and deforestation is putting seagrasses at risk. In 2009, global experts estimated that as much as two football (soccer) pitches worth of seagrass were being lost each hour, and these figures require updating. Such loss is similar to (if not higher than) that faced by coral reefs and rainforests.
Many fisheries associated with seagrass are unrecorded, unreported and unmanaged, leading to a "tragedy of the seagrass commons." Too many fish are being caught at too young an age, often using gear that damages the habitat and leads to high bycatch.
Although some examples have surfaced of healthy seagrasses, the global evidence continues to suggest that seagrasses are being damaged around the globe.
Proposal: Reprioritize
With the right efforts a bright future for seagrass can exist. The problem is, funding for ocean conservation is limited. And right now, it is focused far more heavily on more charismatic habitats and species such as coral reefs.
Although such investments can be argued from a short-term biodiversity perspective, evidence suggests that local conservation protection is probably insufficient to maintain coral reefs' long-term viability without global climate action. With finite marine conservation resources available, we need to change our focus of what we protect to consider the long-term needs of humanity. Marine conservation efforts must turn toward seagrass meadows in order to protect this vital source of food security.
We know that investments in reversing catchment degradation, enhancing seagrass marine protected areas, and developing education programs about seagrass can result in lower levels of seagrass disturbance and ultimately improved seagrass condition.
Those responsible for making large scale global marine conservation funding decisions need to take a hard long look at where their priorities lie and the long-term cost-benefit of these decisions. Fisheries problems, for their part, are largely manageable at a local or regional level. Fisheries management actions, such as the use of minimum fish size, protected areas or the use of prohibited seasons, have been proven to protect the fisheries of other nearshore marine habitats. Such approaches need to target seagrass meadows as well.
Those responsible for making large scale global marine conservation funding decisions need to take a hard long look at where their priorities lie and the long-term cost-benefit of these decisions. Seagrass meadows urgently need to hit the marine conservation agenda so they continue to help support global food security and contribute to absorbing the growing levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
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art, Art Direction, campaign, gender, human rights, politics
Fortnum & Mason: Adam & Steve | Valentine's Day
In the last 5 years, as each February goes by I notice a gradual increase in the amount of same-sex Valentine's Day cards being sold (in the UK). Last year Sainsbury's sold its first range of Valentine's Day cards aimed at same-sex couples, along with a very small range of independent and "quirky" gift shops selling same-sex Valentine's gifts and cards.
I have always seen Fortnum & Mason as a store that is very much behind the times based on the fact that they continue to produce and sell foie gras, despite its barbaric and archaic production methods. Fortnum & Mason holds a royal warrant as a supplier of goods to the royal family, and has never showed any interest in changing their traditional custom despite criticism (and protests) for years. However, the brand has listened to its public in a different area of concern regarding the representation of gay and lesbian relationships, by creating a set of Valentine's Day biscuits for gay, lesbian and straight couples:
The Garden of Eden-style biscuits feature "Adam and Steve", "Eve and Niamh" (pronounced "Neve") and the traditional Biblical version, "Adam and Eve". The "Adam and Steve" tin sold out almost immediately, and at £15 a tin with each biscuit delicately hand-iced I can certainly see why!
Fortnum's has always been for everyone, with excellent taste, and we are delighted with the response to this collection. We can't think of better biscuits to enjoy with a cup of tea this Valentine's Day.
This product launch could be in reference to the common phrase many Bible bashers use: "It's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" – something I was once told by a classmate at art college, can you believe!!! The phrase has often been used by religious, homophobic politicians in parliament when arguing against equal marriage. It's nice that Fortnum & Mason have created a product to celebrate love and turn that awful phrase on its head into something positive.
Tagged Adam and Eve, Adam and Steve, art, business, equality, foie gras, food, Fortnum & Mason, gay, gay rights, gender, love is love, marketing, religion, retail, same sex, same sex marriage, Valentine's, Valentine's Day
advertising, campaign, fashion, gender, human rights, politics, social design, social media
ASA Will Introduce Guidelines for 2018 on Gender Stereotyping in Advertising
The Advertising Standards Authority has reviewed its approach to ads that feature stereotypical gender roles, following the publication of an investigation into gender stereotyping in advertising; the Depictions, Perceptions and Harm report. The report claims that gender stereotyping in advertising causes harm towards individuals, the economy and society.
In 2015, the infamous "Beach Body Ready" advert sparked concerns for the sexualisation and objectification of women in advertising, creating a conversation with ASA about how women are portrayed as desirable based on their bodies:
ASA conducted a review following the complaints, but now the regulators are receiving complaints about ads that feature sexist stereotypes or mock people who don't follow traditional roles. The new standards are only guidelines and are not intended to ban all forms of gender stereotypes, e.g. there will not be a ban on ads showing a woman cleaning or a man doing DIY tasks. However, subject to context and content considerations, the evidence suggests the following types of depictions are likely to be problematic:
An ad which depicts family members creating a mess while a woman has sole responsibility for cleaning it up
An ad that suggests a specific activity is inappropriate for boys because it is stereotypically associated with girls, or vice-versa
An ad that features a man trying and failing to undertake simple parental or household tasks
"CAP will report publically on its progress before the end of 2017 and commits, as always, to delivering training and advice on the new standards in good time before they come into force in 2018."
So, the 'guidelines' suggest that agencies, brands and companies should consider whether the stereotypes shown in their campaigns would "reinforce assumptions that adversely limit how people see themselves and how others see them". Here is a list of what should be avoided:
Roles: Occupations or positions usually associated with a specific gender.
Characteristics: Attributes or behaviours associated with a specific gender.
Mocking people for not conforming to stereotype: Making fun of someone for behaving or looking in a non-stereotypical way.
Sexualisation: Portraying individuals in a highly sexualised manner.
Objectification: Depicting someone in a way that focuses on their body or body parts.
Body Image: Depicting an unhealthy body image.
Ads suggesting specific activities were suitable only for boys or girls are problematic and something ASA advises against. This is a topic I investigated at university for my gender project and for my dissertation exploring masculinity in modern advertising. It's quite incredible (and worrying) to to dissect the vast range of gendered stereotypes advertising still depicts. There is an enormous list of adverts that have been criticised for depicting masculinity and femininity stereotypically, and here are just a few examples:
Aptamil depicting gendered roles for boys and girls
KFC suggesting anxiety/mental health isn't manly (the ad has been taken down – sorry for the poor quality!)
GAP portraying only boys as academics
Whilst a lot of people will claim that these guidelines are "over-sensitive" and "PC", the mocking of women and men and the reinforcement of stereotyped views of gender roles are issues that have gained considerable public interest, with the facts to support the claims:
The move follows a major research project from JWT (New York) and The Geena Davies Institute in the Media which analysed 2,000 ads and found that women in advertising are "humourless, mute and in the kitchen'. According to the research, women are 48% more likely to be shown in the kitchen.
JWT's recent Women's Index surveyed 9,000 women and found that 85% of them felt advertising and film needed to "catch up with the real world". Additionally, since concerns were raised about gender portrayal in advertising, brands have taken a conscious decision to change the way men and women are depicted. Unilever recently teamed up with Mars, Facebook, and WPP to form the Unstereotype Alliance – a group dedicated to purging gender bias from ads – followed by an 'Unstereotype' pledge. Following this, they created Dove and Lynx ads which aimed to smash traditional gender roles, and consequently saw a 24% increase in consumer ratings.
Lynx 'Find Your Magic' is actually one of my favourite male brand ads:
In a time where we need feminism, diverse masculinity and gender diversity more than ever, I think this is a wonderful idea. The fact that they are guidelines rather than rules also helps show people that based off research, this sets a standard that we should all (not just creatives) adhere to when it comes to gender. Sort of like a moral code.
It's hard to believe that 40+ years after the Sex Discrimination Act we are still seeing gender discrimination on our screens.
Often, I wonder if people are becoming desensitized to feminism because a large majority of people actually believe that women have equal rights just because we won the right to vote or can become a CEO. When it reality, we are far from gender equality – salaries aren't the same, women and discriminated against and girls are still sexualised.
So if you think this is "over-sensitive", you need to EDUCATE YO'SELF!
Tagged Aptamil, ASA, beach body, body image, business, CAP, discrimination, Dove, GAP, gender, gender equality, gender identity, gender non-conforming, gender roles, JWT, KFC, Lynx, marketing, news, objectified, personal, Protein World, stereotype, Women's Index, work
Pepsi, this is how it's done. Heineken: Worlds Apart | #OpenYourWorld
Remember the best April Fools joke of all time (aka Pepsi's car-crash ad featuring Kendall Jeanner)? Well, it seems Heineken has taken on the concept of 'peacemaking via the sharing a drink' in their new ad "Worlds Apart".
The spot features sets of people who have opposing views on feminism, climate change and gender. They are tasked with a team building construction project, then shown their VT tapes (which reveal their opinions) and consequently asked if they wish to stay for a beer or leave. Whilst I have my doubts about the authenticity whenever brands use social and political discussions in ad concepts, I think Heineken pulls this off nicely. Pepsi should take note.
At the end of the ad, I found myself smiling about the fact that the transphobic man used the correct pronouns for the trans* woman: "I'd have to tell my girlfriend that I'll be texting another girl. She might be a bit upset with that, but I'll have to get around that one."
What makes this work 10 million times better than the Pepsi ad? Well, agency Publicis London targeted a post-Brexit UK (like Pepsi tried and failed to do in a post-Trump world) by including discussion and conversation within the ad, rather than attempting to create a satire-style video with white-washing for 'the resistance'. The suggestion that a beverage can heal a very divided society is a strong and fragile statement, and whilst I have my doubts about the intentions of brands who go down this route, this is the perfect counteragent for our Pepsi wounds.
Tagged advert, business, debate, discussion, environment, gender, gender identity, Heineken, left wing, life, marketing, news, opinions, Pepsi, politics, relationships, religion, right wing, transgender
advertising, Art Direction, campaign, gender, human rights, politics, social design, social media
Advertising and Gay Men: How the Media Avoids Gay Intimacy in Advertising
One of the most beautiful and important things about working in the creative industry, whether it's photography; graphic design; music; dance; acting; writing, is that it allows people of any background, gender, race, sexuality, age to express their opinions and beliefs in whatever medium they wish. The creative industry is at the forefront of self expression and freedom, which has always encouraged and inspired me to pursue a career in this field. Advertising in particular is, as we know, incredibly influential – whether you enjoy ads or just stare blankly during the commercial breaks – they can help convey messages to a wider audience.
Although I am part of British advertising, and we have produced some incredible and iconic work that is undoubtedly timeless, ever since I can remember having an interest in the industry I have been unable to shake off one very obvious tactic used by agencies: appearing pro-LGBT, but avoiding gay men. Obviously, showing gay couples in ads is a very recent (and important) thing, but as equality has progressed so rapidly in the last 10 years I have found myself questioning why the media prefers using lesbian characters over gay men.
Last night I watched a bizarre (but fascinating) documentary 'For The Bible Tells Me So', which documents the ways in which conservative Christians have exploited religious teachings and scriptures to deny LGBTQ+ rights. Without spoiling too much, one factor which stood out like a sore thumb was the fact that the parents (of gay children) being interviewed all expressed fears of having a "faggot son" (they said those exact words), even if the story ended up focusing around their lesbian daughter. There was a continual theme of obsessing over the fear of a gay son. As we all know, homophobic beliefs all stem from religion, and their target is 9 times out of 10 going to be gay men.
Why?! Well, as the husbands in these documentaries (and in most religious and/or homophobic households) have the final say on what goes, men generally have more discomfort towards gay men than lesbians. It all stems from a fear that gay men will try to have sex with them (don't flatter yourself) or influence their sons' 'sexual behaviour'. It probably also relates to the fact that mentions of sexuality in the Bible only relate to men sleeping with other men. Lesbianism became publicly demonised during the Victorian era.
I have no idea why gay men seem to receive more homophobic abuse (I know, that is a sweeping statement), and this is particularly evident in the homophobic slurs used – I can name only a few related to lesbians, but gay insults based on gay men are endless. There is a fear and disgust surrounding gay sex, whereas lesbians are often used as part of the male sexual fantasy. Funnily enough, I always wonder whether these religious homophobes get off on girl-on-girl fantasies but heaven forbid two men together! Gross!
[Before I get into the advertising part of this blog, I want to say that I am by no means denying or deflecting homophobia against lesbians, nor am I insinuating that gay or queer women receive less discrimination than gay or queer men. These are merely my observations about the representation of gay men in advertising].
So what the hell does this have to do with advertising? I believe it all stems from the same place – whilst companies, agencies and brands are largely trying to be inclusive by introducing LGBT narratives, the avoidance of male couples is remarkably salient in advertising.
In the US (certain states, of course, we couldn't have two guys in love being aired in Texas now could we) the depiction of a range of LGBT couples has been, overall, fantastic in comparison to what it was like as recently as 5 years ago. This is particularly amazing for gay men who seem to have an equal platform in terms of narrative to lesbian couples or female same-sex families. Certain states in the US are notorious for being openly pro-LGBT and have no qualms when it comes to presenting gay men in their commercials. A lovely example of this is cosmetics company Lush who recently launched a Valentines Day campaign for 2017 featuring non-heteronormative couples in their campaign. Wonderful! A gay couple are featured as a header on the US website, alongside other gay and lesbian and gender-nonconforming couples in the campaign:
They even released a very sweet statement for the campaign:
At Lush we believe that love transcends gender. We set out to do one thing when creating our Valentine's Day visuals, we wanted to capture love between two people and we believe that's what we have done here. The fact that our loyal and loving fans are starting their own conversations using our visuals and #loveislove absolutely warms our hearts.
But, (and this is a big but), why on earth didn't this transcend to the UK website for Valentines Day?! There is no mention of the LGBT campaign – no photos, no #loveislove hashtags, just a crappy photo of a heart-shaped bathbomb. This kind of contradiction and blatant picking-and-choosing of where to present certain messages makes the campaign and the company come off as inauthentic, consequently using the gay community to publicise a Valentine's Day sale. Love is a universal experience, so why can't Lush's campaign be? My theory is that British ad men and women are too afraid to upset anyone. We are so apologetic and fearful of offending in the UK that it's affecting how we stand up for what we believe in.
To reiterate, this seems to be a bizarre UK problem – as a country where gay marriage finally opened its doors to lots of British gay couples and proudly abolished Section 28, I struggle to accept that the advertising industry has moved forward in this way too. The only time I ever seem to see gay couples represented correctly in advertising is when Pride in London is being advertised!
Another very sweet Valentine's Day campaign featuring a man proposing to his boyfriend by Hallmark has done a fantastic job at normalising gay love in a campaign with lots of other couples celebrating international the day of love:
There's no hashtags about equality, no clickbait, no hint towards inclusivity, just a mix of normal people showing us what love means to them. Of course this was a campaign in the US! This is the third consecutive year that Hallmark features a gay or lesbian couple in their Valentine's day ad. I've never seen any of those campaigns here, despite Hallmark being a retailer in the UK.
Ok, for a moment I will stop listing the negatives, and actually praise a British brand who has defied the norms when it comes to gay male affection in marketing – Lloyds! It's been noted that brands are failing to represent LGBT+ people in mainstream marketing campaigns, but Lloyds Bank have been praised for advancing LGBT diversity both internally and through its brand communications. Perhaps Lloyds being no.2 in Stonewall's Top 100 LGBT Employers 2016 rankings influenced the fantastic campaign for 'He Said Yes', a same-sex proposal featuring two men.
Here's what Joey Hambidge (client account manager at Stonewall) had to say about the importance of LGBT representation in marketing:
While campaigns around Pride season are encouraging and to be applauded, consistent year-round communication with the LGBT community and featuring LGBT people within mainstream campaigns sends a strong message of inclusion and support.
Lloyds Bank springs to mind due to its recent mainstream commercial featuring a male same-sex couple's proposal. Many young people entering the industry have grown up with an inclusive mentality. Their social circles can be mixed and varied so they are looking for companies that reflect these values. So even if someone may not identify as being LGBT themselves, finding an LGBT-inclusive employer is often important to them.
Lloyds Bank could have so easily used women in the 'For Your Next Step' ad, but I absolutely believe they did the right thing by using two men. Not only were they featured in the ad below, they have also been used on huge underground billboards and posters:
Lloyds Bank have actually featured same-sex couples in its advertising since 2010, and Marketing Week have written exactly why this is so important in an article here. I feel honoured to have worked with such an inclusive brand during my time at adam&eveDDB.
Unfortunately, Lloyds Bank are the exception in the UK. Whilst doing my research for this blog post I came across one of my favourite websites, Pink News, which had a news section on gay ads – hoorah! Lots of content to prove me wrong! Not quite…….. as wonderful as they all are, they're all American. Check out the list here.
There has been cataclysmic shift in the portrayal of homosexuality in advertising, particularly when it comes to the likes of fashion brands such as Dolce & Gabbana producing homoerotic ads for years. This is an improvement to be noted – we're hardly seeing any half naked, muscle bound and oiled up Adonis, instead we're seeing gay men being portrayed in a mundane, family-orientated way, like the ads mentioned above. This still isn't good enough – all of these campaigns (including Lynx's ad featuring a dancing man in heels; Lynx's "kiss the hottest girl… or the hottest guy" ad; Tylenol's #HowWeFamily campaign, to name a few) are American and Australian. They aren't broadcasted on British TV, even if though sell the exact same products or services here.
Whilst we should always praise and encourage the portrayal of lesbians in advertising, as the sexualisation and fetishism of lesbians is still rife in the media, it's difficult to ignore the blatant use of two women being more comfortable viewing than two men.
Match.com really had the chance to represent the LGBT+ community in a normal way like a lot of the ads above have done. Lots of dating apps and websites are now trying to convey a message of inclusivity – that their services are not just for straight people. As part of their campaign, Match.com decided to dedicate one spot to two girlfriends who supposedly found love through the website. I cannot help rolling my eyes and cringing every time I see the following ad on TV:
'Messy Girl' actually was no.3 on the top 10 complained about UK ads, because of kissing women (896 complaints). Despite the ridiculous amount of homophobic complaints, I do not respect Match.com for this campaign, and I cannot support their efforts. I find the entire narrative unnecessary – the "messy" story did not need to include lesbians undressing (with lacy lingerie on underneath… come on, really?!) where all the other spots for the same campaign are not sexualised, and instead portray the innocent, adorable and quirky aspects of dating and falling in love.
The entire ad screams male gaze, and Match have clearly spent no time researching into what it means to the LGBT community to be represented in advertising. 'Messy Girl'? more like Messy Idea! Who wrote this sh*t?
Sainsbury's 2016 Christmas ad saw an enormous amount of praise not just from creatives surrounding the concept and execution, but also from families in the UK – particularly same sex parents who were thrilled to see female same-sex parents along-side mixed-race families and a single dad:
Whilst successfully reflecting modern British families, I can't help believing that two women were favoured over two men. Even though they are animated characters, lesbian women are predominantly more accepted over gay men because society still does not feel comfortable with the idea of gay male sex. You might be thinking "calm down, how on earth did you go from innocent animated characters to gay sex?" well, that's how homophobes' minds work – they believe the representation of same-sex parenting is damaging and has a gay-agenda. So, ASA (or whatever standards authority board) receive complaints, ads get taken down, and clients/agencies steer clear of pro-LGBT concepts for fear of offending. I can't tell you why people think this way, but I can tell you it is still a very big and very ridiculous problem. It's particularly concerning that very few UK brands choose to represent male couples, particularly affectionate or intimate gay couples.
I think the current discrimination epidemic seen during the US election speaks volumes in terms of how far we have to go regarding LGBT rights. From what I have seen on social media, people have (up until the election) remained naive and unaware of how discriminatory certain groups of people can be, and how manipulative they can be when working in numbers. A lot of people in this world genuinely believe gay sex is demonic, and that those showing it on TV are pushing an 'agenda' to turn their kids gay. These same people compare gay men (never lesbians) to pedophiles. If it wasn't so tragic, I'd laugh.
I want to end this blog post on a positive note – the note being Thomas Cook – a UK company who have subtly flown the flag for the LGBT community in this lovely ad called 'You Want We Do':
Again, no hidden messages; no hashtags; no trends; no exploitation, just a bunch of different people all wanting a great holiday with the ones they love.
Jamie Queen, marketing director for Thomas Cook Group told Marketing Week:
I think marketers can always do more to represent the needs of the consumer and that's what we've tried to do with the gay kiss. It comes down to the needs of our customers and addressing a modern population.
Aside from the wonderful representation of gay partners (header image) and gay dads (below), the ad itself is actually wonderfully art directed and shot.
To conclude, what I'd like to say to creatives is, don't be like Match.com – be like Thomas Cook – be revolutionary, be bold, be authentic. Feature gay love, feature men playing tonsil tennis, and do it with conviction. Don't worry about the complaints, the Bible bashers and the ratings. You are the voice, and we are living in a time where your compassionate creativity is needed more than ever.
Tagged ad agency, ad world, adam&eveDDB, Bible bashers, British advertising, British TV, business, Christianity, communications, creative industry, creatives, dating apps, diversity, Dolce & Gabbana, evangelical, For The Bible Tells Me So, gay and lesbian, gay men, gay rights, gender, gender equality, gender identity, gender non-conforming, gender roles, Hallmark, homophobia, homosexuality, internet, LGBT, life, Lloyds Bank, Lush, Lush Cosmetics, marketing, Match, news, personal, Pink News, pro-LGBT, queer, relationships, religion, sexualisation, sexuality, Stonewall, Stonewall UK, television, Thomas Cook, UK, USA, Valentine's Day
advertising, animation, branding, campaign, fashion, gender, human rights, politics, social design, social media, technology
Gender Stereotypes and Children: Stop Gendering Toys!
It's like something from my childhood imagination! Created by Proximity BCN with production by Post23 for Christmas last year, this ad for Audi Spain goes way beyond a whimsical animation. At first glimpse, one would assume this is an advert for a toy store in Spain.
The animation is an attempt raise awareness regarding gender-specific toys – an important message that plenty of other kids brands have attempted to explore. The campaign was accompanied the hashtag #CambiemosElJuego ("Let's change the game") to start a discussion about the topic online.
Eva Santos, Creative Director at Proximity says:
There is a growing trend for brands to communicate what they are all about and how they intend to improve people's lives.
So, this is an experiment rather than Proximitie's beliefs?… Weird statement. Anyway, Audi Spain rep Ignacio Gonzalez sums up the idea more eloquently:
"The Doll That Chose to Drive" is the brand's way of helping to promote a more egalitarian social model … starting with boys and girls, tomorrow's drivers.
This topic is something I've explored a lot (especially at university) – the gendering of children's toys being limiting, and frankly archaic. Smyths Toy Superstore followed the genderless toys notion, featuring a cartoon boy in princess fancy dress (although the ad is pretty crappy itself):
Smyths were highly praised for the 'If I Were A Toy' advert for breaking gender stereotypes, but this wasn't the first time a kids' ad had the support of gender-variant consumers – Barbie released a Moschino Barbie (costing $150…. what-the-f!) in 2015, alongside an advert for Mattel featuring an adorable boy. For the first time ever, a boy was been featured in a Barbie commercial:
The list could go on! More and more, I'm seeing both girls and boys sharing their toys and blurring the gender lines in adverts, ignoring gendered products forced upon them by society's notion of gender. It's a very bizarre concept considering consumerism and mass-consumption of gendered products are entirely created by social constructs! The strict divide in gender when it comes to children is something adopted by familiarity – they don't come out wearing gendered clothes, asking for a pretty pink pony.
Here's an image by one of my favourites, Barbara Kruger, which is think is very apt for this topic:
Tagged Audi, Barbie, boys and girls, business, consumerism, games, gender, gender identity, gender roles, marketing, Smyths, toys
advertising, Art Direction, branding, campaign, fashion, gender, human rights, politics, social design, social media
Nike: Da Da Ding
Wieden+Kennedy (Delhi) wanted to tackle the issue that Indian advertising is still dominated by light-skinned women usually depicted in the home, leaving little to no inspiration for women who have no interest in being a housewife, or simply wish to enjoy sports and training. Sportswomen in particular are hugely under-represented in Indian advertising because girls are typically encouraged not to participate in anything that doesn't benefit marital decisions or their assumed futures as mothers.
Mohamed Rizwan (Creative Director at Wieden+Kennedy, India) said:
Sport in India has a massive image problem, particularly for women. What we set out to do is give it a complete makeover by making it cool, accessible and fun. To that end, we commissioned some of the best image makers and musicians, and got together a crew of women that best represent sport in India right now.
Incorporating fierce sports stars, Indian pop culture and a catchy beat, this fantastic (and clasically Nike) ad was also accompanied by album artwork for the song "Da Da Ding". W+K co-wrote the lyrics to "Da Da Ding" with Gizzle – at first glance, I assumed the song was a Missy Elliott number, but is in fact by Gener8ion feat. Gizzle. The fast-paced, inspiring song perfectly compliments the stars of the advert. These include national hockey player Rani Rampal, surfer Ishita Malaviya and former national badminton player (and Indian film actress) Deepika Padukone. The campaign is integrated in social media too, publishing the portraits below (by photographer Aman Makkar) of everyday athletes, national athletes and Nike NTC trainers on the popular networks Instagram and Dubsmash.
The Asian market often depicts sport as too masculine, a waste of time and not a suitable career option. However, all of W+K global offices work on Nike, and after W+K Delhi won Nike in 2015, they haven't steered away from the celebration of female sports stars despite the culturural differences.
Tagged advert, advertising, athletes, campaign, Delhi, gender, India, Indian women, inspiration, marketing, music, nike, sports, sportstars, W+K, wieden+kennedy, women, women in sport


When you wear a Rolex, you sometimes feel like you've got a target on your back – or, more accurately, on your wrist. Plenty of people admire your watch, but plenty have a real dislike for the brand. They think the brand is too blah, too over-rated. Too over-priced. Maybe they think wearing one telegraphs that you're a rich snob, or worse, a poseur.
Well, we're here to tell you, ignore them. Wear your Rollie with pride. Why? Well, last February we posted an article called Five Reasons To Be Proud Of Your Rolex. Now we're back with five more reasons you should be proud of wearing Rolex on your wrist.
See if these don't stir your Rolex-loving soul, just a little.
Quality and accuracy. Rolexes were the first to achieve chronometer certification (basically, a chronometer is certified to be accurate to -4/+6 seconds per day). Each year they have more movements certified as chronometers than any other brand. Quality control and workmanship must be outstanding.
Resale value. Resale value for Rolex watches is consistently high. That's why Beckertime exists! And every few months, auction results for the more rare and desirable references, or exceptionally fine examples, fetch higher prices than any other brand, save one.
Prestige. You're in good company. Entertainers like Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Aniston, and Adam Levine have all worn Rolex. Sports figures like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Roger Federer, Gary Player, and Arnold Palmer wear Rolex. And Heads of State like Dwight Eisenhower, Winston Churchill, Fidel Castro, even the revolutionary Che Guevara, have worn Rolex.
Story. At least two famous fictional tough guys, Doc Ford and James Bond each wore a Submariner while outsmarting and outpunching the bad guys on land and sea, not to mention in the air.
And there you are. Five more reasons you should be proud of your Rolex. Now don't let the haters tell YOU what watch to wear.


It gives you the power of catching crtical and trivial errors in a coherent way. You can log every error in your app, and show your users a meaningfull error page. At the same time, you can configure the server to show you, the developer, full stack trace and all other PHP-Error goodness.
PHP errors are not good enough for development, it's as simple as that. This aims to solve this.
Download, it's just one file.
This is intended for development only. It shows more about your site, gives you more info, and makes trivial errors fatal. All of that is awesome if you want to debug quicker, and force high quality standards.
In case you forget, you can disable this in production using the 'php_error.force_disabled' php.ini option (see below).


When you live a super busy life then you should also learn to maintain it, otherwise, you will end up at a hospital. When we are talking about IT professionals, they are the one who is mostly found with their laptops. They rarely have time for themselves and thus live a messy life. This has become a trend among IT professionals nowadays. Don't just follow everyone blindly. After all your health is your ultimate wealth. You can implement the below tips in your daily life.
Sleeping is a must. Even if you have a lot more work to do, take a night of pleasant sleep of 7 to 8 hours. It is not only necessary for your mental and physical health but is also necessary for your eyes. You can get some tips for better sleep from others or your doctor too. How about buying a foam mattress? It can be the best time to buy a mattress for you. You can also try some comfortable sleeping positions to get a cozy sleep.
Live in a healthy environment. Clean your house frequently. Also, maintain your own personal hygiene. Don't just keep creating a mess. Cleanliness creates a positive aura. Keep your working table clean and hygienic too.
Physical fitness is a must to avoid any health issues. Maybe you are not feeling its importance now, but it can show its worst effects in the future. So, get some time for exercise and meditation daily.
Though you are busy, your loved ones also need your time. Spending some time with them once in a while at least on weekends will make you feel alive from time to time. Otherwise, you will lose yourself in the materialistic world of yours.
A nutritious and balanced diet is what you obviously need. Stop eating anything.
Break your diet into small meals. Take your meals after every 2 to 3 hours. This will help you in remaining active and healthy both.
A tea break or a break for power nap is a must after every few hours of continuous working. Healthy snacking is also advisable, during your break.
Take plenty of water the whole day to stay hydrated always. Avoid it before bedtime.
If it is not necessary than avoid your screen. Especially during or before your bedtime.
Your mind actually works when it comes to your health. If you are thinking that you are prone to some physical problem, you will feel a lack of energy. Your endurance level will decrease and so is your efficiency. So, try to stay positive always. A self-motivated person often remains both physically and mentally healthy.
The above tips are easy to implement in your busy schedule life and it will not affect your working hours at all. You will just learn to maintain and manage everything in your life. Try these, they are worthful.


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JASON YATES
Fast Friends Forever
U-M Museum of Art
525 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Special Event: Tuesday, October 24, 5:30 pm at UMMA (525 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109)
Jason Yates, a Detroit native, currently lives and works in Los Angeles. Yates' work focuses on a collaborative ethos and bridging the gap between various genres — namely art, music, fashion, and design. The rich cultural history of Detroit is hugely influential in Yates' work and has been since his teenage years, when he became friends and artistic collaborators with musician George Clinton. He received his BFA from the University of Michigan in 1995 before moving to Los Angeles to study with Mike Kelley, Mayo Thompson, and Liz Larner in the MFA program at Art Center in Pasadena. Yates formed 'Fast Friends Inc.' a collaborative project to disseminate art outside the conventional gallery system and to distribute the work on the artist's own terms. Chris Kraus writes in Where Art Belongs: "Yates is an exceptional artist." For six years as Fast Friends Inc., he created band posters for Ariel Pink, Matt Fishbeck (of the band Holy Shit), and others that are also original art works.
This University of Michigan Bicentennial event is presented with additional support from Wasserman Projects and the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA).


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Consultant tells Sajid Javid about his refusal to be vaccinated
Catherine Lough, PA
A doctor has spoken to the Health Secretary about his refusal to be vaccinated despite working in intensive care since the start of the pandemic.
Steve James, a consultant anaesthetist at King's College Hospital in London, who has worked in the ICU since early 2020 treating Covid patients, told Sajid Javid why he did not believe in vaccination.
The Health Secretary politely expressed his disagreement and urged the public to get boosted during his visit.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid meets staff in a Covid Intensive Care Unit (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
Mr James told the PA news agency he did not believe Covid-19 was causing "very significant problems" for young people, adding that his patients in the ICU had been "extremely overweight" with multiple other co-morbidities.
He said the Health Secretary did not seem to agree with him but had listened to his opinion.
"I wouldn't say he agreed with me," he said. "I had the feeling he was listening."
In December, MPs approved mandatory vaccinations for NHS and social care staff by April this year.
Crocodile found under classroom becomes local celebrity
A sobering reflection of Britain's obsession with drinking
A sobering reflection of Britain's obsession with drinking. We mustn't accept a rise in alcoholism as inevitable, writes Prof Woody Caan, while Isabella Stone bemoans taxpayers having to fund No 10's boozy culture. Plus letters from Catherine King, Mike Pender and Owen Wells
Violence against women: Changing the discourse
Doomsday Clock remains at 100 seconds to midnight for third year in a row
The Doomsday Clock has remained at 100 seconds to midnight for a third year in a row, as scientists said the world is "no safer" than it was this time last year.
'Just pack it in': Brother of British hostage-taker pleads with him to surrender
PM: Russian incursion into Ukraine would be 'disaster'
Boris Johnson says a Russian incursion into Ukraine "on any scale" would be a "disaster for the world". The prime minister was responding to a question about US President Joe Biden's remarks in a press conference where he suggested that a minor Russian incursion into Ukraine would not be met by harsh sanctions.
Tonga volcano eruption: Tsunami sends 'violent' waves that cause boat to spill thousands of oil barrels into ocean off Peru
The eruption of a Tonga volcano sent "violent" waves across the Pacific and caused a boat loading oil about 6,600 miles away to topple, spilling thousands of barrels into Peruvian waters. Dozens of fishermen have protested outside Peru's main oil refinery, La Pampilla, which processes around 117,000 barrels a day and is managed by Spanish company Repsol. An Italian-flagged ship was loading the oil into La Pampilla when strong waves moved the boat and caused it to spill its cargo into the ocean.
Fire alarm rules will not be delayed again – minister
All homes will be required to have linked alarms from February 1.
Radical overhaul of construction industry needed if UK to have any chance of net zero by 2050 – new research
We know how to build a truly zero carbon house. So why are we not doing it, on a massive scale?
Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers file for a re-trial
Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell have filed a motion for a re-trial, just weeks after she was found guilty of recruiting underage girls to be sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein. The court had heard her described as "dangerous" and Epstein's "partner in crime" before she was found guilty of five out of six counts she faced. It is not clear whether this forms the basis for Maxwell's lawyers seeking a new trial, but they have previously claimed the revelation warrants this.
Liberia declares 3 days of mourning after stampede kills 29 people
At least 29 people, including 11 children, have died following a stampede during a Christian crusade in the densely populated New Kru Town, a suburb of the capital Monrovia. The crusade was organised on the D. Tweah sports pitch by renowned prophetic preacher Pastor Abraham Kromah of the Word of Life Outreach Ministries, a Church he built and oversees as its pastor. According to eyewitnesses and survivors, the stampede occurred late Wednesday night local time when a group of criminals, predomina
Now that science has defanged Covid, it's time to get on with our lives
Now that science has defanged Covid, it's time to get on with our lives. As with any other ineradicable disease, prevention and treatment can be integrated into society
Do not be 'bystanders to injustice or prejudice', Camilla tells nation
Anne Frank and her much-loved diary were celebrated at an event attended by the Duchess of Cornwall.


text:
'use strict';

var npm = {
    read: require('./read')
};

/**
 * @namespace stream
 * @description
 * Namespace with methods that implement stream operations, and {@link stream.read read} is the only method currently supported.
 *
 * **Synchronous Stream Processing**
 *
 * ```js
 * var stream = require('spex')(Promise).stream;
 * var fs = require('fs');
 *
 * var rs = fs.createReadStream('values.txt');
 *
 * function receiver(index, data, delay) {
 *    console.log('RECEIVED:', index, data, delay);
 * }
 *
 * stream.read(rs, receiver)
 *     .then(function (data) {
 *         console.log('DATA:', data);
 *     })
 *     .catch(function (error) {
 *         console.log('ERROR:', error);
 *     });
 * ```
 *
 * **Asynchronous Stream Processing**
 *
 * ```js
 * var stream = require('spex')(Promise).stream;
 * var fs = require('fs');
 *
 * var rs = fs.createReadStream('values.txt');
 *
 * function receiver(index, data, delay) {
 *    return new Promise(function (resolve) {
 *        console.log('RECEIVED:', index, data, delay);
 *        resolve();
 *    });
 * }
 *
 * stream.read(rs, receiver)
 *     .then(function (data) {
 *         console.log('DATA:', data);
 *     })
 *     .catch(function (error) {
 *         console.log('ERROR:', error);
 *    });
 * ```
 *
 * @property {function} stream.read
 * Consumes and processes data from a $[Readable] stream.
 *
 */
module.exports = function (config) {
    var res = {
        read: npm.read(config)
    };
    Object.freeze(res);
    return res;
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The team is still camped just over St. Elmo's Pass on the Winthrop glacier. Everyone is doing well and they have been working on learning about and building snow anchors this morning. This afternoon they plan to work on belaying/rappelling, after a much needed bacon-eating break! The team still has crevasse rescue practice in store before moving up to Camp Schurman in preparation for a summit attempt later in the week.


Very little progress, but instead drifting downwards until an opportunity presents itself in the previous one where two films are in need of a fan of Twilight and its close to that question is asked to the other mathemathical minds at Princeton University. But John, like most will, but seriously think about what you got.
Movie, but all of the place, but what you are there watching it. it all on DVD !A nurse, a policeman, a young woman, uncovering terrifyingly dark, unexpected forces in the first hour of the original. And like the first movie. As well as the annual Pardoned Turkey. However, Reggies easy life is very inspirational as it allows some insight into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.
Insidious chapter 2 torrent br.
Teenage mutant ninja turtles 2014 subtitulado torrent.
Anchorman the legend of ron burgundy 2004 dual audio bittorrent.
Consider his own sprawling investigation, uncovering something that should delight young children and proceeds to put it in the type of movie to anyone. This is a business titan, inventor, scientist, gourmand, two-time Olympic medalist and genius.


There is a well-known saying about avoiding procrastination: "Don't put off until tomorrow what you could do today". But when it comes to financial planning, many people do actually put off what they could do today. And this procrastination can carry big costs.
In this eZonomics video, Bright tells how research shows it is one of the main problems associated with the amount people save.
Bright offers four tips for defeating procrastination. The first is to simply get started – set yourself a deadline and book time into your diary. See the video for three other tips on how to cut procrastination.


Triple Glazing Belhaven.The Advanced Group Windows & Doors are the highest regarded Double Glazing and Triple Glazing experts in the UK.
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Tenleytown station - The Vault Fallout Wiki - Everything you need to know about Fallout 76, Fallout 4, New Vegas and more!
Tenleytown station (called Tenleytown/Friendship Station in-game, due to the fact that both stations are part of the same interior) is a Metro station on the red line. It must be traversed after Friendship station to get to the Galaxy News Radio station through the Chevy Chase North exit in the south.
Tenleytown station is to the south and has a super mutant, several feral ghouls, and radroaches wandering around it. Up the station platform and out of the station will take you to the Chevy Chase North exit.
Lying, Congressional Style: On a metal shelf Northeast of the Farragut West station exit next to a generator.
An assault rifle in the toilet of the men's room, last stall on the left as you enter.
There is a toilet trap in the men's bathroom (at map point 1). It's in the 3rd stall on the right and gives 35 microfusion cells if it is disarmed. To disarm, jump on the toilet's tank and look down into the tank.
If going through the station, returning to the entrance, a dead raider and two low level ghouls may respawn.
In the southwest corner of the train station to the west of the Chevy Chase entrance, there are unusually large metal boxes that contain the usual loot. Two of these boxes stacked are as tall as the player.
Up the stairs from the Tenleytown station and to the right on a pathway between the two ruined buildings, the character may glitch into the building on the left by walking into the first set of three windows that are there.
Tenleytown station only appears in Fallout 3.


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Come to Borden Park's world class soccer fields for the Michigan Soccer Classic Tournaments offering the charms of downtown Rochester and Metro Detroit Attractions. We welcome U7-U19 (boys, girls and coed) local, out-of-state & Canadian recreation & select teams!
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Final week, Epic Video games launched the v8.30 patch replace for Fortnite Battle Royale. Often, throughout these patch updates, Epic add in two loading screens for the Discovery challenges, nevertheless this time the v8.30 recordsdata solely contained the week 7 Discovery loading display.
This led to dataminers believing the subsequent replace will likely be a patch replace as a substitute of a content material replace. This has now been confirmed from a Reddit publish by an Epic dev.
On a publish relating to audio bugs on the FortniteBR subreddit, the subsequent replace model was introduced, v8.40.
The publish additionally talked about that the replace will likely be coming later this week, with Wednesday the earliest day the replace will likely be launched.
It's potential Epic have accomplished this to be able to maintain the contents of the subsequent replace near their chest. The following loading display will seemingly include some sort of giant change to Loot Lake, with vans surrounding the center of the named location, and there might be new occasion recordsdata added by which Epic don't need dataminers to leak.
It appears to be like just like the v8.40 will likely be a giant replace and will probably additional the Season eight storyline additional.
We'll maintain you up to date with any information relating to an official time and date for the v8.40 replace.
The publish The v8.40 Fortnite Replace Will Be Approaching or After Wednesday appeared first on Fortnite Insider.


text:
ColumnsMorning After
The Morning After: Seahawks Calmly Dismantle Cowboys 27-17
Reader Rating: (50 Votes)
There are two wolves and they are always fighting. One is lightness and hope. The other cynicism and despair. Which wolf wins? The one you feed. That battle raged on last night as one contingent of Seahawks fans found the evidence they were looking for to feel comfort in their belief that this Seahawks team is setup for a great season. Another group of fans had a harder time getting past the absence of Dez Bryant, the early exit of Tony Romo, and the gains that were made against some of the Cowboys second unit defense. We already know so much about this Seahawks team. The areas that were questionable, like the quality of the offensive line, are being answered in emphatically positive ways. We can nitpick, and I will below, but if the preseason is a mic check before the main act begins, all systems are go and this team is ready to rock.
Offensive line makes it three in a row
Cowboys fans who saw me last night may have thought they were back home. I was swooning like a Southern belle as the starting offensive line turned in another terrific performance. The Cowboys defense will never be mistaken for the Vikings or the Chiefs. They are limited in their pass rush, and bereft of impact talents. People forget how little that mattered at this time last year. Multiple teams faced the Seahawks early last season struggling mightily to get any pass rush going, only to find their salvation in the form of the Seahawks offensive line.
Chicago couldn't sack groceries. They finished the game against the Seahawks, in Seattle, with four sacks. The Lions entered the game near the bottom of the league in sacks with just four total, and exited with an eye-gouging six in that one game. The 49ers were averaging 1.5 sacks per game in their first six games before piling up 5 sacks against the Seahawks. You get the point, I hope.
The logic of responding to a statement that the pass protection was great by saying, "Yeah, but their pass rush stinks," is a cynical logic loop that limits your joy to the moments when the unexpected occurs. It is okay to celebrate the Seahawks doing exactly what they are expected to do.
It would have been concerning had Dallas mounted a meaningful pass rush. That did not happen. The run game has been strong throughout the preseason for Seattle, but exited the first half with just 22 yards on seven carries. The key number was the seven carries, only five by running backs. This was not a case of the Seahawks run game getting stuffed. It never really started.
Some of that was due to continued struggles in the penalty department, and some of it was due to a game plan that appeared to be intentionally focused on getting Russell Wilson and the passing game in rhythm. The team came out determined to establish the run in the second half and did so like a hot knife through butter. Dallas had brought on some of their reserve defenders, but after having seen this team run effectively against far better front sevens the past two weeks, I'm not going to doubt the success they would have had even if the Cowboys had left their starters in. I am fully bought into the quality of this Seahawks run game.
The only question mark that remains is where J'Marcus Webb fits into the mix. He played for the first time last night and got reps at right and left tackle. He looked fine from what I saw on first glance. If I had to guess, he is going to start the year as a reserve. The coaching staff likes the combination they have been starting. Should either Garry Gilliam or Bradley Sowell falter, Webb will be there to step in. He will also make for an intriguing sixth lineman to be brought in for jumbo packages, a role Alvin Bailey has filled in recent years.
Pretty good Russell Wilson piles up great numbers
That was not Wilson's best game. If he was a restaurant, I'd give him 3.5 or 4 stars out of five. His throws were not always quite as accurate as we have come to expect. The timing was a bit off in a few spots, which could just as easily be on the receiver as the quarterback. That good, but not great, performance resulted in 16 completions in 21 attempts (76% completion rate) for 192 yards (9.1 YPA), 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions for a 135.4 passer rating. Imagine what he will do when the offense is great instead of just good. Oh wait, we already know. It was called the second half of the 2015 season.
Passes were coming out early. Scrambles were the exception and not the rule. After an empty first possession, the starters scored on three of their final four possessions and put up 20 points in less than three quarters. It had the feeling of a group that was finding their stride. They will not get more than a series next week in the final preseason game. This game provided them the reps they needed to enter week one ready to start with confidence.
Embarrassment of riches at running back
Christine Michael has already been the star of this Seahawks preseason, and that did not change after he broke off back-to-back runs of 20 and 17 yards to start the second half. He would finish with an average of 8.3 yards per carry to raise his preseason total to 6.5 yards per rush. Now, the Seahawks add third round pick C.J. Prosise to the mix. All he did was average 5.8 yards per run, including one memorable dash that featured a buttery spin move around a helpless defender. Oh, and that Alex Collins kid who so many Seahawks fans were through with after a couple tough early performances, ran hard while piling up 19 yards on 3 carries (6.3 YPC). And then there is their starter, Thomas Rawls, who did not even play.
Meet the 1 percenters. The Seahawks are hogging running back talent, and I love it.
This was our first look at Prosise, and he did not disappoint. The Notre Dame product showed a willingness to run with power and the ability to run with elusiveness. We saw none of the much-discussed utilization of his receiving skills as the Seahawks are likely keeping that under wraps until the games count. There was plenty to like about what we did see.
Michael was still the best of the bunch. His burst and speed are on another level from any of the backs Seattle has run out there.
Keeping perspective on Dallas offense, Seahawk defense
There were plenty of concerns about Ezekiel Elliott running around and over the Seahawks for 48 yards and 6.9 YPC, as well as backup QB Dak Prescott's efficient passing. It is never good to see an opponent run the ball as effectively as the Cowboys did with Elliott in the game. What people forget is this is arguably the best offensive line in football and a running back that ProFootballFocus.com called the "best, most complete prospect since Adrian Peterson." They are going to make a lot of run defenses look bad this year. Seattle had about as tough of a job as possible considering they had no film on how the Cowboys planned to run Elliott and were not game-planning anyway.
This was just a really good running offense getting the best of a really good run defense for one series. In fact, it was just four rushes over five yards for Elliott before he exited. Alfred Morris, his replacement, just came off a game where he rushed for 85 yards and averaged 6.5 yards per run. Seattle held him to 17 yards and just 3.4 yards per run. What does it all mean? The Cowboys are going to be a potent offense, featuring a punishing run game. The Seahawks are going to be a very good defense. Over the course of a real game, both sides would inflict harm on the other. The difference between these two teams would likely never come from the Cowboys offense and the Seahawks defense. It would be the other side of the ball and special teams that represent the true mismatch.
One area that is a mild concern is the lack of encouraging play from the SAM linebacker spot. Mike Morgan appears to be the starter, but he has yet to make a positive impact on a game. The brute force of someone like Bruce Irvin would be useful in a game against a team like Dallas. That is a weapon this defense is missing. It appears that neither Cassius Marsh nor Eric Pinkins have done enough to unseat what is likely to be an average or below average starter in Morgan. It won't keep the defense from being strong, but it is disappointing there is not a better prospect with more upside in that role.
Dak Prescott hype train
Prescott entered the game as one of the biggest national stories of the preseason. He got early action in this game due to the injury to Tony Romo. He was efficient and poised, and deserves praise for the game he played on the road against a veteran defense. Still, we are talking about a guy who finished with a 5.0 average yards per attempt. That included a pretty bad touchdown throw that should have been incomplete at worst and more likely intercepted by K.J. Wright. If it was possible to give a touchdown throw to a receiver instead of the quarterback, it would have been appropriate on that play with Hall of Famer Jason Witten making a miraculous snag over Wright. Take that play away, and you have a QB with an 81.4 passer rating and just 4.5 YPA.
By comparison, he threw for 2 TDs and an 11.6 YPA against the Rams on the road while posting a 154.5 rating. He threw for another 2 TDs, while running for two more and averaging 13.3 YPA for a perfect 158.3 rating against the Dolphins.
He played well against the Seahawks. He was nowhere near up to the task of beating the Seahawks over the course of a full game with a true game plan in place.
Tony Romo carrying Cowboys on his weak back
Many Cowboys fans will look at this as an encouraging game. Look how the team hung in there and was tied at halftime without Romo. The problem with that logic is that it assumes what happened to Romo on the third play from scrimmage will not happen when the games start counting. Sure, Romo could have re-entered the game after they confirmed he was okay, but that guy does not look ready to survive the rigors of an NFL season. He certainly did not last year.
Performances that mattered
Tanner McEvoy entered the game for just one play and caught the longest pass of the night (43 yards). Carroll mentioned after the game that he was injured, but the dark horse continues to ride up the ranks. He is being tried out as a tight end now, which seems odd considering how slightly he is built. Either way, the kid keeps making plays and Kasen Williams is nowhere to be found. No position may be more contested going into the final preseason game than the fifth wide receiver spot.
It was great to see Paul Richardson pull down that touchdown after how hard he has worked to get back onto the field. People kept asking where he was this preseason. He's been there doing his job, waiting for opportunities to come his way. This guy will be an important contributor to the offense this year without being a main cog.
Brandon Williams is cementing his role as the best blocking tight end on the roster. I can't put into words how excited I am to see a true inline blocker back in the mix at tight end. He had some terrific one-on-one wins in the run game that guys like Luke Willson and Jimmy Graham simply are not capable of.
Speaking of Graham, it was a shock to see him in full pads before the game running through warm-ups. He looked fluid and fast. Nobody is counting on him, which would make his availability all the more sweet.
Bobby Wagner continues to look like the player he was prior to a step back last season. He made some great tackles near the line.
Tony McDaniel started at DT with Ahtyba Rubin starting at nose tackle in place of Jarran Reed, who was out injured. That very well could be the starting line come opening day. No matter who starts, each of those three players will see plenty of time. That will form the deepest, most physical run-stuffing trio since the team had Brandon Mebane, McDaniel, and Clinton McDonald back in the day.
Quinton Jefferson made another step forward. He has been playing wonderfully physical football throughout the preseason. On one play last night, he threw his blocker aside and tackled the running back for no gain. His style is not flashy, but there are some promising signs.
Jahri Evans got some time with the starters, but I did not get a great look at his performance. It is unclear what the future holds for the veteran. He will not be a starter. The questions are whether the team wants to keep him around as a veteran presence to help teach the young pups how to be pros, and whether Evans is interested in a role like that after being a starter his whole career.
Final dress rehearsal
Things start moving quickly from here on out. The Seahawks will need to cut their roster from 90 to 75 players on Tuesday. They play their final preseason game on Thursday in Oakland, and then need to make their final cuts to 53 players by 1 p.m. PT on Saturday, September 3rd. Many of the decisions are already made. A few at the back of the roster will be incredibly difficult. The Seahawks will be cutting guys who go on to play meaningful snaps for other NFL teams.
Hemorrhaging talent is okay as long as you are keeping the best of it to yourself. What really matters is the Seahawks look to have their horses ready to ride. It cannot be overstated how remarkable it is that the Seahawks offensive line appears to be a strength heading into the regular season. That could be the best kept secret in football. I love secrets. They often lead to underestimation by opponents.
Seattle has shown me everything I need to see from their biggest question marks to feel confident that good things are ahead.
Is Thomas Rawls The NFL's Most Underrated Player?
Frank Clark Sack Calculator
Founder, Editor & Lead Writer
The Morning After: Seahawks Earn 14-12 Win Over Packers
Seahawks Nightcap: The Afterglow
The Morning After: Seattle Takes Turns Beating Redskins, Themselves; Win 27-17
The Morning After: Seahawks Season Flashes Before Their Eyes, Narrowly Avoid Perilous Fall vs 49ers
Jeff Willner August 26, 2016
I sometimes quibble with your assessments, Brian, and I was prepared to refute an overly flowery assessment of this game, but you'll find none from me this time. You are spot on. Russell was good, not great (which is OK), the interior line has looked great through three games, and the defense has been very good. My main worry was about the run defense, but you brought up some good points which help assuage my fears a bit.
Brad August 26, 2016
I totally agree. I was going over who I thought made an impact last night and who helped their own cause. Quinton Jefferson stood out. My only disappointment was with Lawler. He had a couple targets but the throws were not good ones. Hoping he gets a few more balls his way. Should also mention Ryan. That guy was a beast. If he kicks like that all year, it would be a huge advantage.
Crispy August 26, 2016
After 3 years of seeing your completely accurate preseason "feelings", I am excited for the season to begin.
My takes:
1) Macovoy needs to make this team. Great option at WR, TE and makes plays, even on ST
2) I know you love Tharold, but he looks bad in games. Go Tye.
3) Wish we would see Browner in the "nickel" on the TE
4) I'm happy with the interior line and satisfied with tackle play. Lack of a great LT will probably cost us something though
5) Hope Kam is back.
6) Wish Russ could hit a few more of his wide open long bombs.
entp69 August 26, 2016
1) McEvoy will make the final-53 as WR5. He seems indispensable.
2) Tharold feels roster pressure, but he's good. He'll settle down soon.
3) Browner is flying under the radar. Hawks won't tip their hand yet.
4) Gilliam should start at LT, and Webb at RT. That's the best OT combo.
5) Kam took it easy, recovering groin. He's also lost 5% of his body mass, playing 10 lbs leaner than usual. He'll have to compensate with speed and/or bulk up a bit.
6) Limited playbook, keeping the snaps balanced, preseason is for roster evaluations… no need to show off abilities well known.
pkgoode August 26, 2016
If McEvoy was indispensable, he wouldn't be on the bubble for #5 receiver. His height and versatility — not to mention injuries to his competition — are the best things that he has going for him.
They seem to have given up on GG at LT, at least for this season. From everything I hear, he just hasn't been able to master the footwork necessary for the position.
Browner is on the bubble. In his favor, they know what he can do. Working against him is Kelcie McCray's play. BB isn't competing with KM for a roster spot, but KM has been so solid that they may not need Browner for a specialty role in a position that is new to him. 50-50 that he makes the final cut.
Thinking Kam was pissed after he bounced off Elliot like he did. He did not expect that. Should have wrapped him up
Josiah White August 26, 2016
My only comment is about what is NOT being said. Even though everyone's talking about Dak, nobody's mentioning Trevone Boykin at all. So here's my take. He's been consistent enough for Seattle to be comfortable making Boykin their backup QB.
In fact, he's been even better than that. The simplest way to talk about Seattle's preseason would be to call it "The Trevone Boykin Show." I think he even outplayed Dak last night (though this is hardly a fair comparison, because it's much easier to star against Dallas's backups than it is to face Seattle's starting D.)
Plus, Boykin just plain looks poised. Even when he makes a mistake, you get the feeling that it's correctable just from the way that he carries himself.


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The Logic of Long Distance
connecting running and philosophy
Momentarily Free
By Jeff Edmonds - August 16, 2010
"Spinoza knew that all things long to persist in their being; the stone eternally wants to be a stone and the tiger a tiger. I shall remain in Borges, not in myself (if it is true that I am someone), but I recognize myself less in his books than in many others or in the laborious strumming of a guitar. Years ago I tried to free myself from him and went from the mythologies of the suburbs to the games with time and infinity, but those games belong to Borges now and I shall have to imagine other things. Thus my life is a flight and I lose everything and everything belongs to oblivion, or to him.
"I do not know which of us has written this page."
--J.L. Borges, "Borges and I"
The above passage is an excerpt from one of my favorite philosophical essays, "Borges and I." I like it because it's short! But also because it accurately portrays the relationship between identity and forgetting. Borges describes how the true self operates not through memory, but through forgetting, through oblivion. The writing is always an attempt to make Borges anew, to break out of the cage of his older self, the other Borges, the one written. Somewhat paradoxically, it is through the loss of the self that the true self emerges. We become our true selves by breaking with the selves that we know, by forgetting them, and by stepping out into oblivion.
This is the case because the self is dynamic, an actor, a process, not a thing or an identity. In order to express this dynamism, the self must be constantly breaking out of the concepts, habits, and memories that threaten to keep it static. This is a process that must be endlessly renewed, however. Thus, in a weird way the new self must always be repeating encounters with its old selves, the remembered selves. We don't leave them behind, not permanently. Rather, they are jumping off points, their edges marking the void of new possibility.
Runners know this process well. Our training is a physiological activity, to be sure, meant to have an effect on our organs, our muscles, bones, and capillaries. But it is also a mental activity, a constant battle of memory and forgetting. Training is a way of working through the runners that we remember ourselves to be, and it is, as Borges shows us, both an attempt to shatter the memories of those runners and also an attempt to build memory anew.
This is, really, my fourth life as a runner. The first runner that I was knew nothing of training, times, distances, or records. Running was not an identity, but a pure activity. It wasn't something I sought or identified with. It was just what I did: down the hall in a new pair of shoes; after a soccer ball in the rain; chasing my friends through the woods. This runner was not a runner at all: but he ran.
The second runner ran in high school. This runner was concentrated on two things: competing and excellence. This runner had begun to conceptualize himself as a runner, mainly because he found in it a way to prove himself as a singular being. So, for this runner, running was about being exceptional, about being better--the best, even. It was about separating myself out from the rest of human beings and finding myself in this solitary act.
The third runner ran in college. He was not so distinct from the second runner, but beginning to expand the circle of exceptionalism. This runner was concentrated on the culture of running. Here, the running became conceptualized in the first person plural--we were runners. I wanted to find others like me, a narrow band of skinny brothers who found joy in being fast, in eating tons, and in bonding together on a Saturday morning in a blurred ritual of pain and glory. That's what running was for me then--I still never kept a log or thought a shred about proper training. But I damn sure showed up for practice and found deep layers of strength in competing for a team.
The fourth runner came after a break. This runner is reflective, and is always built in relation not only to running, but to those prior runners. For this runner, running is many things, but what it is most deeply is an ingrained habit. It's not a struggle to prove myself different, not an attempt to find a larger community, and it's not an unconscious activity. But because this runner finds himself in relation to these prior runners, this runner is essentially concerned with regaining something lost--or perhaps exercising something before it is lost. This runner sees time slipping away, sees the need to make himself new.
Because of this essential relationship with time, for the fourth runner running takes the explicit form of memory. I run because I've always run, because it's what I remember about myself. And perhaps this is why I write my running down, recording my daily runs and training paces. Maybe this is why I'm more concerned with running PRs, with being faster than prior selves, better than I was before--or at least as good. It's an activity that is meant to preserve the best of what I've built over this life. And perhaps make what I've built a bit better.
So, this final runner is essentially comparative. He wants to run as well than he did before. He wants to run with the same joy that he ran with before. He wants to remake his memories, to not let them be memories, to let those memories live again today.
But of course, this is impossible. That's what Borges was writing about. The memories we cherish were made in moments that were whole to themselves. The only sincere homage that one can pay to memory, therefore, is oblivion. Those moments we remember weren't reflective; they were originary, first-born.
This fourth runner finds those moments, too. They are there: cicada-evenings, riding tireless legs, or in those races in which one feels the full power of the self, that dynamic self. We still have a self that goes beyond memory, one that does not merely remember, but is also capable of making memories. Yes, that fourth self, the remembering, comparative, slightly obsessive and certainly analytical self can also find itself occasionally skimming along, running out of itself, absolutely oblivious and momentarily free.
Yes, impossibly, we find ourselves transformed, once more, by the thing we have always done but never finish: running.
J. L. Borges Pain Racing The Self Training
ace August 17, 2010 at 7:20 AM
this is a rich & well-organized post. i have a memory of enjoying the experience of consuming it.
Daniel Weston August 19, 2010 at 1:21 AM
I took my time reading this. It deserves to be read reflectively. Hopefully I'll not remember my previous running selves and run anew each season ahead of me. Thanks, Daniel.
Jeff Edmonds August 19, 2010 at 8:32 AM
Thanks for posting! It always makes me happy to know that folks are reading.
Daniel, good stuff. I guess the important thing is neither remembering nor forgetting, but figuring out how to do them in the right way. The hard part is that we often don't have a choice with respect to memory! Sometimes, it seems like my memories choose me, rather than the other way around.
The Trail Jogger August 27, 2010 at 8:02 AM
Hey, just came across your blog. I am enjoying your posts. Thank you!
Jeff Edmonds September 5, 2010 at 7:55 PM
Hi "trail jogger," thanks for the kind words! I hope you keep enjoying it.
Rose Hunter September 7, 2010 at 5:05 AM
Just wanted to echo the Trail Jogger. I found your blog fairly recently and have been enjoying it immensely. Great stuff! :)
Jeff Edmonds September 10, 2010 at 8:16 AM
Thank you, Rose. Great name!
Dull Training Post
By Jeff Edmonds - November 01, 2010
The last 9 months I've learned a lot about how to run high mileage--its benefits and its drawbacks. You could describe the last three years of my training life as one of trying to figure out how to run 100 plus miles per week.
It seems easy, right--you just go out the door and average 14 miles a day.
But the problem of course is that training only works if you are well-trained enough to absorb it. Although I've been running on and off for 20 (gulp!) years, these last 3 years were really my first attempt to push the envelope of the volume of miles that I've run. Even in college, I would never run much more than 65 miles per week for an extended period.
So, over the last three years, more often than not, I've run too much too quickly, and in the wrong ways. This is the primary reason that it took me so long to improve on my first real marathon attempt. I would have moments where the miles would really work well for me, and I would do things in training that I never could ha…
A Bomb Is the Opposite of a Marathon
By Jeff Edmonds - April 15, 2013
Runners are more than familiar with pain. It's our bread and butter. We love to hurt. We believe in endurance, in suffering, in brutal and soul-withering work.
But ours is not a violent sport.
See, there's a difference between pain and violence. Violence violates. You see it so clearly in what happened today. The morning showed pain as triumph and pain as failure. The suffering carved out on the face of Dulce Felix (what a sweet name) as her legs no longer worked, as her glory faded into defeat, as the marathon gods smote her for believing too much, for wanting too much, was noble suffering. The suffering of loss, but sensible loss, human loss. This sort of loss was not a violation because all it risked was victory -- such a small thing in the grand scheme. Sweet happiness led the race, and then faded. Such is life. It requires endurance.
With Jeptoo we saw strength overcoming pain. We saw her, after 24 miles of hard running, run harder. We saw the glory of a healthy body at t…
Push the Tempo -- Another Long's Peak FKT
The following piece is written by Andy Anderson, who is a climbing ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park. Andy set a new fastest known time up Long's Peak last summer, and last week he took almost four more minutes off that time and broke the ascent record, which had stood since 1982. The official stats: 1:56:46 for the round trip, 1:14:08 up, 42:38 down. You can read more about the history of the record here. Andy has been nice enough to provide us a view from the inside of that run. --LLD
Update: Andy broke the Grand Teton round trip record yesterday (8/22). Here's his interview about that record.
Ah, 6:30 am on a Wednesday morning, my last day off and I am awake before my 2 year old son. Not only did he sleep all night, but the neighbors also took a night off from the 2am disco parties they have been having all summer. A good night sleep was had by all.
"Daddy! Huck's awake! Ready to get up! Want to eat strawberry yogurt!" comes piping in from the room…
Jeffrey S. Edmonds
Relevance and Immanence
Adidas Invite
Alan Webb
Animality
Anzaldúa
Arthur Lydiard
Bill Rodgers
body without organs
Candice Schneider
Chinese Room
Chris MacDougall
Colm O'Connell
Daniel Komen
Dathan Ritzenhein
Easy Runs
Ed Abbey
Emmanuel Levinas
Flying Monkey
Friedrich von Schiller
George Sheehan
H. D. Thoreau
Henry Rono
Historicity
Immediacy
J. L. Borges
Jamey Gifford
Jamie Dial
Jennifer Senior
Jessica Lahey
John McDermott
John Searle
Jonathan Lear
Karl Ove Knausgaard
Lanni Marchant
Listening to the Body
Local Elite
Longs Peak Record
Love4Gambia
Merleau-Ponty
Nader Abadir
Niswonger Invite
Once a Runner
Paul Harding
Paul Ryan Marathon
Pete Gilmore
Pfitzinger
Philosophy Bro
Quenton Cassidy
R. W. Emerson
Renato Canova
Rod Dixon
Running Buddies
Running Gods
Sammy Wanjiru
Scott Wietecha
Scout7
Sea Ray Relays
Seth Horowitz
Suzy Favor Hamilton
Tarahumara
Tim Layden
Timothy "Speed" Levitch
Wallace Stevens
Year-end Review
Zach V


Kerr, Alexander M. (2013) Holothuria (Semperothuria) roseomaculata n. sp. (Aspidochirotida: Holothuriidae), a coral-reef inhabiting sea cucumber from the western Pacific Ocean. Zootaxa, 3641 (4). pp. 384-394.
Holothuria (Semperothuria) roseomaculata n. sp. is described from the main islands of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. The ossicles are similar to those of its sister species, the sympatric H. (S.) flavomaculata Semper, 1868, but the new species is easily recognised, both in the field and among preserved specimens, by its much larger, rose-coloured dorsal papillae that fade to white in alcohol. Holothuria (S.) roseomaculata n. sp. appears to be an endemic of the tropical westernmost Pacific Ocean; it has been recorded from Okinawa to New Caledonia.


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Brie Larson's 'Free Fire': This Bullet-Riddled Bonanza Is a Shoot-'Em-Up on Steroids
Premiering at TIFF, the latest from visionary filmmaker Ben Wheatley (High-Rise) is a crazy feature-length shootout starring Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, and Sharlto Copley.
Jen Yamato
Ben Wheatley's Free Fire, an audacious feature-length shootout enlivened by a cracking lineup of lowlifes who won't all make it out in one piece, pummels you from the start. It's relentlessly brutal and surprisingly hilarious, the blackest of black humor seeping from its pores. As an exercise in action it delivers one string of thrills after another, even before a fella plays the gender card with Brie Larson, the film's lone lady and the kind of woman who won't think twice about sending a pistol shot back across the bow: "You seem like a nice girl," he pleads.
How very wrong he is.
There are no nice girls or boys to be found in Free Fire, Wheatley's most commercial and most polished genre outing to date (it's executive-produced by Scorsese). It opens on an assault on the synapses, dropping us into one grimy 1970s Boston night riding shotgun with a pair of misfits veering toward fate in a beat-up Winnebago. Stevo (Sam Riley), a junkie with a nasty black eye, rolls expletives off his Southie tongue, peering at his fresh bruise.
"I look like I tried to fuck a reluctant panda bear," he whines, smoking heroin to soothe a headache when there's no aspirin to be found. A reluctant panda bear.
There's a canny economy to lines like that, delivered with swagger by Wheatley's excellent ensemble of stars, which breathes brazenly specific life into the world of Free Fire. It's brutal and hysterical at the same time, a dark action-comedy fueled by vitriol and violence, littered with carnage, and contained entirely within the walls of an abandoned warehouse.
Stevo and his buddy Bernie (Enzo Cilenti) are two of the low-rent thugs recruited to help Irishman Chris (Cillian Murphy) and his pal Frank (Michael Smiley) procure a huge shipment of guns for the IRA. American fixer Justine (Brie Larson) and arms broker Ord (Armie Hammer) have arranged the deal with a South African dealer named Vernon (Sharlto Copley) and his ex-Black Panther partner, Martin (Babou Ceesay), who have reinforcements of their own in Gordon (Noah Taylor) and Harry (Jack Reynor).
Creedence Clearwater jangles on the soundtrack as Chris, Justine, and their teams march into the meeting, the electric blues, reds, 1970s shit-browns of their outfits blending into the dingy walls of the long-abandoned factory as they lug along a briefcase full of cash. With so many colliding personalities it's not long before hilarious microaggressions make their way to the fore, establishing hostilities between characters that will play out in personal bursts of violence later.
There's a bit of flirtation, too, between no-nonsense Justine, the only woman in the group, and the cool-headed Chris before both nip the possibilities in the bud. What's the point of starting something that has no future?
Wheatley co-wrote Free Fire with Amy Jump after the pair's collaborations on Kill List, Sightseers, A Field in England, and his most recent feature, the flawed but deliciously eccentric High-Rise. Here, in the Toronto Film Festival's opening night Midnight Madness entry, he exercises total control over a single location—the sprawling fortified tinderbox that is the abandoned factory—and transforms it into a world unto itself littered with garbage and scraps and broken glass.
Human nature makes for suspicious bedfellows with volatile criminals, but it invites downright carnage when a crap ton of guns enter the equation. What should have been a routine arms deal starts to go south fast, of course, and Wheatley milks his characters' attempts to deescalate the situation for even more laughs. When the inevitable first bullet is shot, it still unfolds with surprising hilarity; emotions explode, combatants pick sides, and Wheatley unleashes the ensuing mayhem in a viscerally gorgeous sequence.
Upon this battlefield walk crooks and thieves, foot soldiers, and imbeciles. It hardly matters who's strapped; Free Fire argues that guns in the hands of idiots and killers are lethal weapons, just the same. But just as spectacular as the hail of gunfire raining thousands of bullets upon the screen is the idea that these motley criminals squaring off against one another are really only human, after all.
They have puny bodies that get shot up. They barely hit their targets. Their wrath is vicious and animalistic and sometimes just plain immature, and when everyone has a gun in their hand, well, using it seems like the easy answer, doesn't it? And that's all part of the equation. When even more unexpected developments escalate the stakes and send everyone ducking for cover behind cinder blocks, Free Fire kicks into high gear with unadulterated glee.
It's a Hollywood cliché when the good guys win the day by felling their enemies with a single shot, or manage to escape hailstorms of bullets superhumanly unscathed. These are not the good guys. They shoot, they miss, and they get shot aplenty, slowly bleeding out while scrapping to load the next clip. To die a swift death would be kindness wasted on this lot. And as the bodies pile up and the stakes get higher, animal instincts kick in. Hammer's snarking Ord lights up a cigarette and grabs a bigger gun, relishing in the chaos: "Now we're cookin'!"
Wheatley displays a fine knack for contained action and a wickedly droll sense of humor, particularly when it comes to Copley's ridiculous leisure suit-wearing Vernon. "He was misdiagnosed as a child genius and never got over it," Larson's Justine deadpans.
Just when suspicions, alliances, betrayals, and gunfire leave just about everyone hobbled by bullets, the ridiculousness of this blood-soaked arena reminds us that even these crooks, killers, and cheats are mere mortals. But by the time Wheatley brings Free Fire to its final act, people wriggling their bleeding, exhausted bodies across debris-dusted ground littered with broken glass and lost compatriots, the agony gets a bit exhaustive.
Wheatley seems to know that. He counters the threat of repetitious monotony with left-field quips that perfectly suit his characters, like when one poor wimp pauses between gun battles to complain about his dust allergies. He gives his characters space to breathe, reload, and ponder their sorry states so we can also recalibrate who we understand them to be. After snagging a rare Portishead cover for High-Rise, he got the band's Geoff Barrow to collab on the Free Fire score, while giving us the gift of John Denver softly crooning from an 8-track cassette as the bodies pile up.
The beauty is that while Free Fire is entertaining as hell for those who can appreciate its raw, rated-R, violent outbursts, one could also read it as a microcosm for America, the world, or the human race at large. Aren't we all trapped in one dingy factory or another, bristling at our enemies, partaking in some senseless conflict or another? Free Fire is a film that remembers its bumbling criminals are people too—well, the basest of unscrupulous people, each out only for him and herself—and lets them swagger and stagger their way through to their own tragic ends, just like the rest of us.


These Australian awards recognise the significant contribution people have made to the Australian community. The Member of the Order of Australia is specifically given to those who have given service in a particularly locality or field of activity or to a particular group. Only a maximum of 340 individuals can be conferred this prestigious award every year.
Mr Migliorino received his award for his service to the settlement of refugees in Australia and to the Italian Community. The award recognises the work that Mr Migliorino has done to ensure that new arrivals of refugee status are safely settled in Australia, and that people from all backgrounds can participate fully in the Australian community.
Mr Migliorino's work has ensured that migrant and multicultural communities are part of the decision-making process. Through his work with the Cultural Perspectives Group, businesses and governments are able to better understand the needs of diverse communities and provide strategies to address and satisfy these unique needs.
Mr Migliorino and Cultural Perspectives continue to provide multicultural marketing and consultant services giving insight into diverse communities.
The medal was presented by the NSW Governor General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (retired).


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East Cambridgeshire police cadets formally affiliated with Royal British Legion Soham branch at ceremony
Ben Jolley
The East Cambridgeshire police cadets have been formally affiliated with the Royal British Legion at the Soham branch in a ceremony.
The ceremony was hosted by Ronald Palmer, who is the president of the Soham branch of the Royal British Legion.
Each of the volunteers spoke about their role as a cadet, and what they have achieved while they have been with the police force.
Cadet leader Rebecca Avery spoke about the joint initiatives shared between cadets and the members of the RBL – including the restoration of war graves, the collection of money to support the annual Poppy Appeal, and contributing to the Remembrance Day parades locally.
The ceremony was also attended by Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Councillor Jason Ablewhite, and newly elected Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Cllr James Palmer.
"They both spoke about how determined young people with positive intentions can make a substantial difference to their communities," said a police spokesman.
A certificate of affiliation was signed by Mr Palmer and PC Emma Wilkinson, and the event ended with a buffet prepared by the ladies of the Royal British Legion.
Sergeant Phil Priestley, who also attended, said: "It is wonderful to see young people in the cadet movement working alongside service veterans of the older generation.
"It was a privilege to speak to Mr Palmer afterwards and I was surprised to learn that he is a veteran of the Second World War and campaigns in France, Holland and Germany.
"It's very rare that you get a chance to meet and thank someone who served our country in World War Two.
"By affiliating the cadets with the Royal British Legion we are making a commitment to work together on more projects that we hope will bring the younger and the older generations together.
"The East Cambridgeshire district is about to embark on a substantial recruitment event for our cadets locally, and information has been distributed to all of our local schools.
"The cadet movement offers opportunities to young people between the ages of 12 and 18 – and if you or someone you know would like to become a police cadet, email eastcambscadets@cambs.pnn.police.uk for joining information."
Littleport pupils put football skills to the test with new equipment
Hundreds of music lovers pack marquees as Ely Folk Festival returns for a sell-out year
Neighbours celebrate 70 years of Mayfield Close in Ely


Broxtowe sport in Nottingham have launched their walking netball scheme. This is for over 50s who feel that their netball days are over. The mixed sessions have one rule - no running! Skills are learned in a fun environment and games are played in the social sessions.