text:
RED SEA CENTRAL
Spirited work, and a move at tackle
Posted by Darren Urban on August 13, 2012 – 6:47 pm
Quarterback Kevin Kolb was talking about how coach Ken Whisenhunt treats the players fairly, not overworking them usually. "We have to reward him with a better effort."
Practice sure seemed more intense Monday afternoon after the Cards had a disappointing game in Kansas City. There was a scuffle between defensive lineman David Carter and center Scott Wedige and some various whoops and hollering, and the battling went all the way down to the late part of the two-minute drill, when Larry Fitzgerald and Patrick Peterson went up for a jump ball in the end zone and while it looked like Peterson had it at first, Fitz wasn't going to give up the battle as they fell to the ground.
As for the offensive woes of late, answers are at a premium. "If we knew, maybe practice today would have been a little better," Kolb said. "I've been a lot of places and you go through funks like this. To be honest a lot of time it happens in practice a lot when the defense, they know route concepts and stuff like that. You just keep pushing through, trust your keys and keep working hard."
— The Cardinals made a move in the lineup Monday, with D'Anthony Batiste taking over as first-string right tackle from Jeremy Bridges, who then took Batiste's place as second-string right guard. No way to know what it means yet — coach Ken Whisenhunt is next available at lunch tomorrow — but at a position where everyone was waiting for a Bridges-versus-Bobby Massie fight, it was an interesting development.
— Sitting out with injuries were FB Jared Crank (neck), CB Michael Adams (hamstring), WR LaRon Byrd (shoulder), RB LaRod Stephens-Howling (undisclosed) and LB Paris Lenon (ankle).
Tags: Bobby Massie, D'Anthony Batiste, David Carter, Jared Crank, Jeremy Bridges, Kevin Kolb, LaRod Stephens-Howling, LaRon Byrd, Michael Adams, Paris Lenon, Scott Wedige, training camp
Posted in Blog | 28 Comments »
28 Responses to "Spirited work, and a move at tackle"
By Chris B on Aug 13, 2012 | Reply
No offense to Mr Bridges- but good. He looked terrible last game. He shouldn't be given the spot just because he's the vet default.
By Soares20 on Aug 13, 2012 | Reply
Really happy to see Whiz getting our team in gear I know a lot of the fans don't seem to like him, but seriously he has given this team a new attitude and I love it. he has been the best coach we have had in a long time. Go Cards
By Mark in Chandler on Aug 13, 2012 | Reply
The RT change makes sense. Bridges has looked poor and Massie has looked worse. Batiste, on the other hand, has looked solid at every position that have placed him. His value has increased in my eyes as I have seen his solid play at multiple position. I have also felt good about Kelemente and Wedige's play.
By jason marcus on Aug 13, 2012 | Reply
I hope we see some decent qb play this friday im getting nervous, I know the defense will show up a lot earlier this year, but man we are going on three yrs with a no show offense, cmon Williams RIP IT UP! GO CARDS!
By Steward Badly on Aug 13, 2012 | Reply
I don't want Kevin Kolb opinion on anything, specially on the effort part. 2 for 9 with 25 yards and 1 INT in 2 games. I thought having an offseason to learn the offence was gonna make him better. I'm sick and tire of him running to his right.
By scubasteve12 on Aug 13, 2012 | Reply
Read an article on nfl.com saying how whisenhunt was frustrated with the quarterbacks. Know anything about this?
By Darren Urban on Aug 13, 2012 | Reply
scuba —
RE: Article
By Bay Area Bad Boy on Aug 13, 2012 | Reply
Let's go Cards !!! 3 weeks before it really counts. Plenty of time to get it together. It all starts with the O-line. We need better pass protection. One of the QB's will emerge, we just need to give them some pocket time in order to execute. I know. EASIER SAID THAN DONE.
Let's get it.
By WNYCardfan on Aug 13, 2012 | Reply
Ok, I'll play Mr.Pessimistic here………..we've got two articles on NFL.COM about Coach being a bit frustrated (He's calm, but I think he's really ticked off, I would be) and another writer singling us out for having MAJOR issues at QB. I hate to say it, but I feel like both are right. Preseason is preseason, I get that, but it is BASIC football too, can't we some consistent, solid play? Its beginning to feel like 2 years ago all over again. I am all for his decision to keep the 1st string in there until they do something right. What I am worried about is they won't get it right until the other team puts in their 2nd string DEF. I had some hopes for this year, but they are dwindling now. See the seahawks preseason? See the SF49 pre season? See a few other teams with ROOKIE qb's doing decent? come on cards get your rears in gear!!!
By Jordan on Aug 13, 2012 | Reply
The slow start could very well be a blessing in disguise. Sounds like everyone's getting a little pissed off, which seems like a great thing at this point. To use that intensity in the first game played at home this year and to come out with a win would be huge for the guys mentally.
By Skiptim on Aug 13, 2012 | Reply
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000049296/article/ken-whisenhunt-frustrated-by-arizona-cardinals-qbs
You don't have to bother approving this comment if Scubasteve12 or someone else already gave you the link.
By Chuck 1 on Aug 13, 2012 | Reply
I find it amusing (?) that cardsalltheway and I have been criticized for being concerned/pessimistic/critical (you pick the word) of the Cards' players, coaches and FO, but NOW other critics are coming out of the woodwork as two preseason games have shown that the team is definitely NOT ready for prime time.
By Dazed n Confused on Aug 13, 2012 | Reply
Kolb just doesn't seem like he understands the QB position when he line up under C. I talking about the "fundamentals"
I understand opposing D's try to give false reads, but there appears to be no read at all. He just plain and simply looks lost.
By bluepitt on Aug 14, 2012 | Reply
hahaha you mean Whiz is not calling practice early to day? Ah give it a day or two and he will be giving Vet days off and calling off practice early like he alwayse does…lol just strikes me as funny. I have read several times this year already and every year after our SB run whiz is giving days off and calling it early.
These guys cant even practice and hit in pads due to the new CBA and then whiz is giving days off and early practice endings???????? Well finaly maby he gets it and understands Preseason is time to WORK!!!!!
By cardsalltheway on Aug 14, 2012 | Reply
Chuck 1,
What you talkin bout Willis?
If Matt Leinart scores against us on Friday night, then _______________ (fill in the blank).
By Brent on Aug 14, 2012 | Reply
The good news from the preseason so far . . . there seems to be a good chance the Cards could get Barkley in April.
By Havasu Tom on Aug 14, 2012 | Reply
Very interesting post by other fans. I wrote a few days ago that Kolb needed to step up in the pocket and he also is not getting through his reads fast enough. He needs to step the dump read to #2 not wait for every play to develop. It's preseason and need to see what the off season taught him. I'm not for playing Kolb tell he gets it right. Skelton needs some time with the first team.
The play so far by the QB's warrants playing the QB with the best W-L record. I'm also for Lindsey with the 1st string, it can't hurt.
By Andy Kw on Aug 14, 2012 | Reply
I think this Raiders game will really bring a lot out of Kolb. Kolb will produce better numbers and Skelton will produce better numbers. This game will also test our tackling skills and we need to really see how far are defense has come to being great.
By Sigmund Freud on Aug 14, 2012 | Reply
Chuck –
Yes, we understand that you amuse yourself — at our expense. Everyone knows that you post on here under several different names (including cardsalltheway) just so you can have someone else agree with you. It's pathetic.
Of course fans are restless after their team stunk it up in a couple pre-season games, but without fail you are 100% pessimistic and critical 100% of the time, even in the off-season. Beyond that, you actually take delight in the Cards' failures because you can then prance and gloat that you've been proven right. It's pathological.
By sportstrucker on Aug 14, 2012 | Reply
Coaches comments on QB play where he states not all Kolbs fault the Oline seem nervous when Kolb was in and calmed down when Skelton came in my question is : isn't calmiong down the Oline as well as rest of the Offense part of the QB's job, leadership?? seems that Skelton gets this and calms everyone down
By Thomas77 on Aug 14, 2012 | Reply
The Cardinals are notoriously slow starters. Even with Warner they'd start the season slowly. Oh, they'd win their first game, but would look terrible doing it and then go on to lose the next few. Well, they can't afford to do that this year, and Whiz knows it. I like his different approach this year and how he's planning on leaving the starters in the preseason games until they work through the rust and prove they're ready for the regular season.
…and one other thing. This is a different side of Whiz that I don't recall seeing before. Showing this type of disgust and determination to make sure these guy's are ready to fly out of the gates from day 1.
– Could it only be because of the difficult schedule during the second half of the season, leading him to push for wins early and often?
– Could it be a sign that Whiz is taking a different approach to things altogether?
– Or, could it be that he might be feeling a little bit of heat from his superiors?
Probably all the above…
By rjrjn on Aug 14, 2012 | Reply
What's your thoughts on this article and ESPN's Adam Schefter's tweet about John Skelton favored to start in Wk-1?
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000050015/article/report-john-skelton-favored-to-start-over-kevin-kolb?module=HP11_headline_stack
It looks like the coach's belly is gettin bigger…? On the contrary, I've lost weight:)
Matt Leinart looked pretty good against the Cowboys, better than Kevin Kolb. He moved the ball down the field. What if he scores against our defense by conducting long sustaining drives the length of the field multiple times, thus keeping our offense/K. Kolb off the field and then when Kolb finally does get in he goes 3 and out? M. Leinart knows the Raiders offense better than C. Palmer because the Houston Texans former offensive Coordinator(Greg Knapp) is now doing the same for Oakland.
By Ezz on Aug 14, 2012 | Reply
I don't know why you guys bother reading national media reports when all they do is fetch stuff the local media has said for weeks and add their own twist to it for shock value. The reporter didn't talk to Whiz personally, he probably wasn't even there for practice. He saw the games on tv, saw Kolb and Skelton stinking it up and assumed Whiz was frustrated which doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist to figure out. That report has as much weight as any comment that's been posted on this page so i don't understand why people are making a big deal about it. You should be worried if Whiz wasn't frustrated at what he's seen so far.
Sigmund Freud,
"Everyone knows that you post on here under several different names (including cardsalltheway)"
I can guarantee Chuck 1 is not me and I really doubt Chuck 1 is "without fail 100% pessimistic and critical 100% of the time" about our AZ Cardinals. Sigmund Freud suffered from anxiety neurosis.
"It's pathological."
If you really think so then perhaps it's caused by some type of panic disorder per Sigmund Freud. Does "everyone" really know? No, of course not but S. Freud also had a panic disorder.
Go get em Cards!
By clssylssy on Aug 14, 2012 | Reply
Agree Leinert looked really good last night and I don't see Kolb as able to take a hit like Romo did from DT Tommy Kelly. Dallas's O-line is as bad as ours! It's funny how not having any receivers can make even decent QB play worthless. As bad as the Raiders seemed to be, I don't look for them to be that bad when they come to Phoenix. Sure hope we can come up with a way to protect our QBs better otherwise, it won't be pretty. Of course, this is preseason and so nothing is as it seems. I do believe that once the squad has been set, the Cards will find their groove. I'm hanging in hoping to emerge from the preseason with minimal injuries and a team hungry to win. GO CARDS!
By BIG RED on Aug 14, 2012 | Reply
I see it this way the only team we could beat this year would be the girls from dallas, they really looked worst then we did.
This is the archive, and commenting on the new site
Christian Kirk charges dismissed
Keim time? Considering depth at safety
With letter, Steve Wilks makes small difference
The future of kickoffs
A potential No. 2 cornerback in trade
Special Cardinals on all-time special teams
Veteran cornerback Breeland on Cards' radar
Josh Rosen and his particular outside noise
Search Blogs:
Archives: Select Month June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009
Cardschatter Twitter
Word From the Birds RSS
Word From The Birds
Huddle for 100
CardsTV
Cards Community
Cardinals Cover 2
Cardinals Underground
Red Sea Report
Big Red Rage
Kingsbury Chronicle
Coaches Chronicle
Cardinals Cheerleaders
Pregame Tailgate
Sync To Your Device
Stadium Essentials
Experience Game Day
A-to-Z Guide
State Farm Stadium
Emergency Evacuation Plan
Club Seating
Lofts & Field Boxes
Pricing Map
Single Game Parking
© 2019 ARIZONA CARDINALS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


The Gamer's Circus: Simply put, the best Monster Manual ever.
This is often called "Core Rulebook 3 v.3.5". Within its pages are the closest thing to perfection that the 3.5 rulebooks have ever had. In this Premium edition, all errata has been removed, if possible, and entries have been slightly altered to make rulings clearer.
I'm not going to bore you with long descriptions of the chapters. But I will say that the Premium volume, with its semi-metallic cover, really stands out in my bookcases. The art is great, as usual for WotC, and is rarely out of place. The basics of what might be called "the ultimate D&D" are all included. In the back of the book are two pages of Monsters sorted by Challenge Rating. There is a really good Table of Contents, making it vary easy to find the creature you want.
Folks, if you play =any= 3.5 or D20 game, you should have a copy of this book. The Monster Manual contains the stats for all of the basic monsters - from the Aboleth to Zombies. Don't forget that things like cats and dogs are considered 'animals' and not monsters, and things like ants are considered 'vermin'. If you're a GM, you gotta love the monster creating chapters. Highly recommended.


text:
The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
"The U.S. government planned to break up Indian Territory and make it a part of what would be a new state called Oklahoma." ~ pg. 48
Today is Halloween and you may be dressed in costume or passing out candy to children. Take a few minutes to grab a warm beverage and allow me to share a review of a real life horror story.
Have you ever heard the tales of the Osage Hills? It is a story of the American frontier where cowboys and Indians were said to roam. Where the Osage held black gold. Where the father of Laura Ingalls Wilder of Little House on the Prairie explained the government would soon make the Osage move away so white people could settle on the best land. It is also where the richest people in the world lived in the 1920s.
A brief history lesson for my bookhearts. The Osage Indians in Oklahoma discovered oil beneath their land. With this fortune, they were able to build mansions, send children to study abroad and boost the economy. Until they were forced to cede acres of their land and moved to Kansas. Then murders began. They were being mysteriously killed off one by one, along with anyone who investigated the murders. So enters the newly created FBI. The Osage murders was the Federal Bureau of Investigation's first major case. A conspiracy soon unraveled thanks to the FBI together with the last living Osage, J. Edgar Hoover, and a Texas Ranger named Tom White. All are illustrated in Killers of the Flower Moon book along with a note on sources.
"History is a merciless judge." ~ pg. 219
Killers of the Flower Moon may be non-fiction but it has a novel feel. A full-blood Osage woman named Mollie Burkhart lost her entire family in mysterious sinister ways. Her money was also tied up in a corrupt system of guardianship. Her story is told in a timeline of events that coincide with the FBI investigation.
The Washington Post noted in a headline: CONSPIRACY BELIEVED TO KILL RICH INDIANS. The Osage murders created terror in the community. People suspected neighbors, friends and even family. Souls were scalped. Hearts were shot. Bodies were poisoned. It was a gotdamn bloody crime in American history! Creepier than any horror film. Very appalling to read and a reality check. This country been ain't shit. Yet kudos to writer David Grann for his journalism and story-telling skills. This is a true tragic tale that I pray won't repeat history.
"Like most Americans, when I was in school, I never read about the murders in any books; it was as if these crimes had been excised from history." ~ pg. 208
I do not read or review non-fiction books often. So when I do take the time to study history through pages, it is meaningful. Killers of the Flower Moon was not on my radar until it was recommended by my Sistah J. I buddy read with Chickadee so we could discuss chapters as we read along. What a riveting true-life murder mystery it turned out to be!
Title: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
Author: David Grann
V O T E
"It ain't really my grave." ~ pg. 160
Lives and losses intersect in this novel of heavenly reunions. Years ago, war veteran Eddie died saving the life of a young girl named Annie at an amusement park. She blocked the accident from memory, only able to recall that it took her left hand. Her guilt-ridden mother moves Annie away hoping to leave the traumatizing past behind. But Annie feels haunted until she reunites with childhood love, Paulo. Happiness is short-lived as another accident ends their wedding night. Now Annie is on a journey to heaven, meeting people along the way. Each telling a lesson on how life matters.
Do not fret if you did not read the first book, The Five People You Meet in Heaven. This may be the long-awaited sequel but it can be read as a standalone. Exactly how I read it actually! I was not lost as it gives enough backstory on the main character. Also do not let the title deter you. It is not a religious book but instead a spiritual hug of pages.
"What's time between a mother and her daughter? Never too much, never enough." ~ pg. 148
Let's talk presentation for a quick second. The Next Person You Meet in Heaven is the perfect pocket-size book. It is short and thin. Very lightweight for a hardcover. I carried it in my handbag and whipped it out when I had a spare minute to read: in the grocery line, in a parking lot and while walking. You can easily balance the book in one hand with your favorite hot beverage in the other hand. Just don't mix the two!
Support Michigander Mitch Albom and purchase The Next Person You Meet in Heaven. It left me with a priceless sense of serenity. I guarantee you will enjoy the story and its message.
Title: The Next Person You Meet in Heaven
Author: Mitch Albom
Series Sunday: Ambush
(Detective Michael Bennett #11)
My Series Sunday pick is Ambush, the 11th book in the Detective Michael Bennett series by James Patterson. The famous detective with a fiancé and ten adopted kids has such a busy dangerous life. Where he finds the time to raise a family and fight crime, I don't know. Well, it is totally possible in fiction land.
Nevertheless, in the latest book of this series, Detective Michael Bennett steps in the line of fire...literally. He is ambushed and caught in a drug war between the Mexican cartel and the Canadian mob. The first shootout happens within pages of the book's opening. Bennett soon realizes he was the intended target. Before he can catch his breath good, his son is rushed to the hospital due to a vicious injury. Then a series of murders follow with a distinct weapon called the stiletto. Can it all be related? Bennett organizes a task force that covers all five boroughs of New York to catch an assassin before the assassin finds him.
"They were calling it the Battle in the Bronx." ~ pg. 26
What a good reason to unplug and bury my thoughts into a book. I spent an entire day reading Ambush and it was worth it. The short chapters are always a motivator to keep reading along. Ambush is a good balance of suspense and family time with a new character (Father Alonzo) added to the mix. And hopefully wedding bells soon! The sequence of events in this book set the stage for more to come in the thrilling world of Detective Michael Bennett. I am happy to report this series is not getting stale. ✊🏾knock on wood✊🏾
Please Note: Readers are treated to a bonus short story at the end of Ambush titled Manhunt. Double the mystery for your buck!
Title: Ambush
Author: James Patterson and James O. Born
Challenge: Keeping Up with Patterson
"In late November 1954, a woman who identified herself as Zelda Zonk drove quietly to the LAX airport and boarded the evening's last plane to New York. Accompanied by a young photographer named Milton Greene, the woman wore no makeup, a man's oxford shirt, and Jax cigarette pants under a full-length black mink. She wore a black wig cut in a blunt pageboy and, though it was nearly midnight, black Wayfarers. She lit cigarettes and bit her nails like any other jittery twenty-eight-year-old about to jettison marriage, home, and career in the course of one midnight flight."
~ Marilyn in Manhattan: Her Year of Joy by Elizabeth Winder
Posted by Literary Marie at 10:00 AM 1 comment:
Dinner at Sam's
"People say life is short all the time. But it's real, real long when you ain't livin', when you feel like you have to punish yourself for mistakes you made." ~ 83%
Vanessa is trying to get divorced without breaking the bank or her ex's pocket. She is not vengeful enough to take him for everything he's worth. She isn't even seeking child support for the two daughters he basically abandoned. She just wants to cut all ties and move on with life.
Gibson is an attorney that focuses on helping people, not wracking up excessive billing hours like his family firm would prefer. He would rather serve the community than high profile clients. When Gibson's mother dismisses Vanessa because she's not out for a messy divorce, Gibson takes interest. He wants to do right by Vanessa. Get her divorced so she can start a new life...with him.
"She's all over Instagram and bragging everywhere to anyone who will listen about having lunch in Miami and dinner in New York." ~ 14%
Now that's a life goal! Reading as Vanessa and Gibson's relationship develop gave me all the feels of an organic love story. The romance is not forced. The flirty lines are not cheesy. And most importantly, the main characters are realistic as you and I. Glad I stuck with the story after almost being turned off from lack of editing in the beginning of book. So treat yourself to this good read on a chilly day this autumn.
Title: Dinner at Sam's
Author: D.L. White
Lit to Movie Review: The Hate U Give
Just as excellent and powerful as the book!
Title: The Hate U Give
Author: Angie Thomas
Cast: Amandla Stenberg (Starr), Algee Smith (Khalil), Regina Hall (Lisa), Russell Hornsby (Maverick), KJ Apa (Chris), Issa Rae (April Ofrah), Common (Uncle Carlos), Anthony Mackie (King)
Release: October 2018
Time: 2 Hours, 12 Minutes
Movie Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
Book Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
"That's the one sound that matters to me above all others...the one precious moment when someone breathes their last then slips away." ~ 9%
Do you ever turn the last page of a book and just sit still in silence processing what you just read? 🙋🏽♀
Let me introduce you to The Good Samaritan.
End of the Line is a service that provides hope and encouragement that life is worth living. Unless you're unlucky enough to call and be connected with Laura. She has her own agenda. Laura doesn't give anyone hope. She wants people to die. In fact, she provides detailed steps to suicide. Far from a good samaritan!
"Commit is a word we never use, as it makes suicide sound like it's a crime, which it isn't." ~ 19%
Ryan's world falls apart when his pregnant wife ends her life, holding hands with a strange man. Why did they die together? Who was the man? Why wasn't she happy enough to live? Ryan vows to answer these questions and hunt down the truth. He dials End of the Line and is connected with none other than Laura. Let the revenge game begin! Ryan and Laura get involved in the most epic tale of tit-for-tat.
"A never-ending cycle of shittery." ~ 35%
Seriously, bookhearts. Download this eBook now while it's under $2! I take full responsibility in advance of you staying up late to read. You may experience multiple emotions. You may throw your Kindle/Nook across the bed in frustration. You will snack more than usual and refill an adult beverage several times. Then you will find me and say thank you for recommending your next best psychological thriller. As I thank my IG/tweetheart Candee!
Title: The Good Samaritan
Author: John Marrs
Series Sunday: Past Tense
(Jack Reacher #23)
My Series Sunday pick is Past Tense, the 23rd book in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. In true Jack Reacher fashion, he sticks out his thumb hitchhiking for a ride across America. This time, Reacher is not traveling far. He is going to a small town where his father was born. Why not learn more about where his dad grew up? Except according to the city clerk's office and census experts, there is no record of anyone with the surname Reacher ever living in town. Meanwhile, a couple gets stranded at a motel in the middle of nowhere. Their car refuses to start and the motel staff seems strange. The storylines attempt to merge into one big suspenseful mystery.
"Dead as the deadest thing that ever died." ~ 9%
Past Tense is the 23rd book in the series but only my sixth book read in the series. I am still fairly new to the character Jack Reacher. But enough to know he has a strong presence in every room he enters. He has a sharp mind. I've learned his appearance is tall, not so good looking and a little unkempt. His instincts are top notch. He can evaluate a situation and peg a person in seconds. It is these small details that make Jack Reacher stand out as a mystery main character amongst the likes of Myron Bolitar, Alex Cross, Mike Bennett and Easy Rawlins.
"Just three words, but in a tone also learned long ago, with whole extra paragraphs hidden in the dying vowel sound at the end of the phrase, about the inevitable and catastrophic result of attempted resistance." ~ 40%
Here's my three words: it didn't flow. Much like the sentence above. My newfound fondness for Jack Reacher took a disappointing dip. Past Tense was more like a bunch of short stories with a thin connection. Throwing in a subplot and a couple details of Reacher's past did not grab my attention. In fact, I struggled to finish. However, this does not discourage me from continuing with the series and my perpetual reading challenge. Even if I am reading the books backward.
Happy Early Pub Day, Lee Child. Past Tense will be available Monday, November 5.
Title: Past Tense
Author: Lee Child
Challenge: Perpetual Jack Reacher
"This is a story about a woman named Annie, and it begins at the end, with Annie falling from the sky. Because she was young, Annie never thought about endings. She never thought about heaven. But all endings are also beginnings. And heaven is always thinking about us."
~ The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
Juror #3
"I feel rich as a Lannister." ~ pg. 153
Ruby Bozarth is a newcomer to Rosedale, Mississippi; hence, new to the Mississippi Bar where she is appointed as defense counsel in a racially charged felony case. One of the town's oldest rich families lost a relative. The woman was murdered allegedly by an injured college football star turned waitstaff. Totally inexperienced but Ruby is determined to build a defense that will stick.
"My mama didn't raise no quitter." ~ pg. 31
Ruby finds help from a cast of colorful characters. Suzanne is a hard-working armed attorney. Shorty is a diner cook with shady country club connections. And Lee Greene happens to be Ruby's ex-fiancé also on trial for murder. This small town is full of opinions and secrets, especially from the twelve men and women on the jury.
"...whispering 'Sheeiitt' under his breath." ~ pg. 9
I love and hate when James Patterson releases a standalone novel. In this case, Juror #3 was like two novels hard-bound into one. Of course I love his writing and consider myself a super fan (stan much). But I am disappointed when I actually like the main characters from a standalone novel because I won't ever read about them again. Sequels are not common for Patterson. And the co-author may or may not team up with him a second time. But I so want Ruby Bozarth and friends to be made into a series! That is how much I enjoyed Juror #3.
Title: Juror #3
Author: James Patterson & Nancy Allen
"If you're not at the table, you're on the menu." ~ pg. 16
Like most Black Americans, I had an unfavorable opinion of Omarosa Manigault Newman. I only knew what the media portrayed her to be. I didn't pay much attention to her work for the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. I forgot she served in the Clinton White House and was instrumental in Hillary Clinton's campaign. I didn't become interested in her story until she appeared on one of my favorite reality TV shows, Big Brother, and emotionally told a fellow housemate that things will not be okay. I watched her mannerisms, her game strategy and her diary room sessions with a new interest. Dare I say I wanted her to win! (I root for everybody black though.)
So I hurried to the library and reserved my copy when her much-anticipated tell-all book was released. Admittedly, I did not want to spend my hard-earned coins in case she was on some bullshit. Instead I made use of my tax dollars and borrowed it from the local public library. I didn't know what to expect but promised I would begin the book with no preconceived notions and with an open mind.
"I'm not here to make friends." ~ pg. 46
First of all, the subtitle is misleading. Omarosa goes way beyond her time at the White House with Trump as President. She begins the story years back when she first met him and appeared on his reality show, Celebrity Apprentice. Forward through her time spent in politics for the next 20+ years. Then she chronicles life post-White House Trump era. Readers will get more info than the subtitle suggests as well as her take on things outside of the last election. But her purpose remains: showing just how unhinged the White House is today.
This book is indeed an inside look into the current administration. Corruption details and controversy fill the pages. Omarosa has been in Trump's circle for over 15 years. She knows all the inside scoop because she not only had a front row seat but shared the podium. Keep in mind that Omarosa owes the public nothing. We don't need an explanation on why she stuck by this man's side. Why she advocated for him. Why she cut ties with Hillary Clinton. Or even why she chose to be a housemate on Celebrity Big Brother. Yet she answers all of our unasked nosy questions in Unhinged.
"I kept getting tackled by my own teammates, always playing defense. I was working as hard and as fast as I could—my schedule during Black History Month alone exhausts me just writing about it—but the headlines were always asking, 'What's she doing there?'" ~ pg. 204
After reading Unhinged with an open mind, I believe that Omarosa is misunderstood and misjudged. Unlike the artist formerly known as Kanye, she acknowledges wrongly supporting a man and aiding in his representation of the country. She also had intentions of bettering the black community despite other people's agendas. Do I believe Omarosa was honest in her account of working with Trump? At times, yes. I more-so believe that she believes everything told in her story really happened as she has written. Do what you will with that tidbit, bookhearts. Whether you are a concerned citizen or merely looking for your next nonfiction read, Unhinged is worth the time.
Title: Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House
Author: Omarosa Manigault Newman
Evidence of the Affair
"You are only for me. It is as if I have lived with a hard shell all over my body and you have cracked it and it has all fallen off. I am fresh again." ~ pg. 17
Imagine my delight when I noticed a new eShort on Kindle from bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid! After reading my review, go ahead and download this Amazon.com original story for less than $2!
Who ever discusses the nitty gritty repercussions of an affair? Oh because there are plenty! But often in stories we only read about how an illicit affair began and then how it ends, from the perspective of the cheating spouses. What about the other way around? Hmmm...
"Thank you for helping me hold my head a bit higher at a time in which it has every reason to hang low." ~ pg. 58
In Evidence of the Affair, a young woman writes a letter to a man she's never met. This one act changes both their lives. The correspondence between the two reveals the painful details of an affair between their spouses. They confess their feelings, insecurities and fears with every letter. Yet they remain "oblivious" of the affair when at home. Evidence of the Affair is told entirely through letters of these two comforting strangers and those of the illicit lovers.
Different spin, right? Yup!
Title: Evidence of the Affair
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Edition: eShort
Series Sunday: The Christmas Scorpion
(Jack Reacher #22.5)
My Series Sunday pick is The Christmas Scorpion, book #22.5 in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. A super short and to the plot eBook that was easy to read from start to finish. The details made it addicting to read in one sitting. Quite the opposite from the quote below.
"Except the story didn't work." ~ pg. 18
Just like the birds, Jack Reacher likes to head south for winter. He carefully plans his route and arrives in Southern California just before Christmas. But it's a freak blizzard! He finds refuge in a roadhouse with four other strangers: an older couple and two British military police separated from their VIP. So much for protecting their subject. Reacher offers to help find their VIP but he can't very well leave the older couple snowed in. Now Reacher is responsible to keeping everyone safe from an undercover assassin on the loose in a snow blizzard.
The Christmas Scorpion is a great short book for the Perpetual Jack Reacher challenge! Lose yourself in a fictional snow blizzard mystery for an hour or so.
Title: The Christmas Scorpion
"In April, millions of tiny flowers spread over the blackjack hills and vast prairies in the Osage territory of Oklahoma."
~ Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Slice chicken in half lengthwise so you end up with about ½" thick chicken cutlets. Add chicken to marinade and stir until evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 45 min to 1 hour, stirring midway.
To Grill Chicken (the most authentic way): Preheat Grill then reduce heat to med/low (350˚F) and grill chicken 6-8 min per side, rotating midway to create grill marks.
To Saute Chicken: Heat a large non-stick (cast iron is best – it should be oven safe) skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken with 1-2 Tbsp oil in a single layer, until browned on each side and cooked through (3 min per side).
Heat the same non-stick, oven safe pan over medium heat. Saute mushrooms with 1-2 Tbsp oil until mushrooms are browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
In the same hot pan, sauté onions and bell peppers in 1-2 Tbsp more oil. Stir the veggies every 2 minutes to sear and brown the edges and cook a total of 8 minutes. Season to taste.
Slice chicken into ¼" thick strips and place over the cooked vegetables. Top with sauteed mushrooms, then cheese and finally crumbled bacon. Place under the broiler in the upper third of the oven for 2-3 minutes or just until cheese is nicely melted.
Wrap a stack of tortillas in a damp papertowel and microwave on high 45 seconds to 1 min or until tortillas are very warm. Keep them covered until ready to use.
To assemble individual fajitas, start with a warm tortilla, add sour cream and guacamole (if using), then top with lettuce and finally the meat/veggie/mushroom/cheese mixture followed by salsa or hot sauce.


In Year 3 homework is given out every Friday and must be returned by the following Wednesday.
Children will be given spellings each week and will be tested in class every Friday. A copy of the year 3&4 spellings can be found at the front of your child's reading journal.
Your child should be reading as much as possible at home. They have 2 library books that they can change/renew each week. Please keep a record of when you read with them in their journal.


The first time I visioned my five beautiful dreams, among them were a space of my own, a disco ball and a trip to NC. I found the feeling inside of the dreams which was freedom.
I was seeking freedom. I had yet to understand what that meant, and somehow after years of a lot of tough experiences, I was open to receiving the message of freedom.
All of those beautiful dreams came to be so fast my nervous system was struggling to keep up.
Just 24 hours after I visioned the NC trip I was opening an email with an invitation inside of it to teach at a retreat in my childhood home of North Carolina.
The space manifested as The Loft which I have held as my heart space for three years and the disco ball was one of the first items ever put inside of it.
The wish that brought the magic was of freedom. I let go of what it would look like as the dreams started to come true. I held onto freedom.
I didn't believe he existed, this man. I didn't believe I was lovable as a single mom with three kids. But he was my wish. I visioned him down to his name and hair color. The story is wild and crazy and blows my mind when I recall all the parts.
He was my wish. And he came to me. I didn't believe it but I wished it, I felt it, I focused on it. Until the day I knew it was true. Our focus becomes our reality. Our faith lets us make our wish while still being scared of what we want. Visioning is what takes us into that future self.
My wish that brought the magic was love.
Why :: A wish can become our magic.
How much :: (my gift to you when you sign up for the Magic Making Circle by March 1st) or... $59.00 for 30 days of inspiration, prompts, action and a virtual space where we will play together. This will be the most amazing warm up time for the Magic Making Circle that I could think of! If you have been wondering if that circle is where you belong to love up your life right now, start here, now.
Make space to be here. Allow yourself the faith in wishes. Use these prompts to spend time with yourself. To light up in a new way. To discover a you that may have hidden out, buried by the stresses of daily living and lost dreams.
Create magical pages, cards, boards, gifts... filled with words and visions and feelings that surround them. As you do this, you harness the vibrations of the Universe. You vibrate in a new way. These creations become a way for you to align what you want with what you have. They create manifesting magic in your life.
I am going to ask you to make wishes. Each day in the form of visioning. The wishes become the prayer dust to manifesting what we desire in our lives. Our vibration of focus is creating the path of our future self.
The feeling inside of the dreams. The secret messages. The boards holding our monthly rhythm. The surprises.
Through ritualized vision work we can allow each day to guide us towards living joyously, even (especially) when things are hard or challenges arise.
A blank journal, I love Moleskine XL Cahier, but anything you love works beautifully.
Large pieces of cardboard or poster board or a bulletin board.
Card stock. Start collecting pieces of thick paper from packaging that comes in the mail or you can cut up thin cardboard boxes.
Some magazines. Ask people to start saving them for you. Go to hair salons and offices and ask for their old magazines. Check out libraries for magazine sales.
Faith that playing in this way can transform your wishes into magic.
Forward bend with eagle arms.
She walks around the room pressing her hands on our lower backs and lifting us further forward, finding the space we didn't know was there. She walks to the person behind me and I hear, "I don't like to be touched."
My mind wants to understand this desire to miss what is my favorite part of the yoga practice. My heart understands the things that could make someone turn away from the assist of space finding. The hurts that must have come first.
Be present. Feel. The words from the teacher's lips guide me into stories of my own withdrawal from touch. When there is pain. When I don't want to connect in the physical world because words must be spoken first. Because I am craving the newness that comes from shattered moments of disconnect.
We throw off our clothes onto the dense sand, filled with shell bits that press into our feet as we step.
The air muggy. The glow from the moon giving truth to the stillness of the water. Our naked bodies glide in. Or fall in. Or slowly ease in.
Shivering. Joy. The touch of the water. Hugs from bodies we've known for years or only just met now vulnerable and open and real. Tiny bits of glowing lights surrounding us as we wave our arms under the surface of the waters.
Knowing that this a new way to be touched. By water. By other women. By being brave.
Re-entry from a weekend of bliss met by touch. Fingers massaging my scalp as though telling me that the work I do, the way I have chosen to show up and lift others is seen as beauty.
My body surrendering after days of moving, doing, planning, making sure it is all just so. From the space found from her hands lifting me forward in that heated room, to the circling, to the waters of joyful baptisms to the comfort of my bed.
Surrendering into not knowing and loving that place because it is real. More real than any other place of touch I have been inside of.
Months of slowly gathering furniture, fabrics, dishes, twinkles. Pieces that felt as though they were showing up just for this time and space. The antique store finds - blue glass and old crates, the oversized Target lights, white rocks from the beach and rugs from Ikea. Letting this gift of place come alive in those last few days and hours and hours of preparation. Standing back and watching the lights glow and that moment of knowing the deep trust that I found, the huge risk to have this space to heal and bring joy to myself and my tribe.
Circling with women I hadn't seen in a month or 17 years or was just meeting for the first time. This circling, my spirit's calling to gather us. To sit women down in a space together and show them how safe and gorgeous and divine our shared words can become.
The visioning workshop held at The Loft came from my personal vision work in January. The prompt 5 beautiful dreams. I wrote, "Physical space to discover my layers. Disco ball." In February a gift from the man who is helping me discover my layers and freedom, a disco ball. The prompt following the 5 beautiful dreams, find the feeling inside the dream. I wrote, "To feel free." My visions manifest so quickly now because I always know how I want to feel and go find a way to feel it. I call it magic making.
Circling for me always involves the nurture and rhythm that sharing food and drink provides. I love 'breaking bread' with others. And doing so under twinkles in a warm space fills me. Fills me.
When I guide circles I feel my soul whispers. This is where I was meant to stand, sit, be. Allowing others the safety of getting a bit uncomfortable and holding the truth of the future they may not be able to see yet. I am hungry for this work.
And trusting that I don't have to do it alone. That I can ask for support. Another of my 5 beautiful dreams that I manifested in about 2 hours after gluing it into my book. Women who I could call in to be my guides along these journeys. It scared me to ask for help. To be needy in that way. To receive is my practice. So that I may continue giving and circling.
Please join us June 6th for the last class in the Spring Series, Tastes of Spring, In the kitchen with Persephone Brown. The summer series will be announced soon with so much for you to enjoy. Thank you for being here in this virtual circle.
Please join me in The Loft as I host one of my dearest friends and the most amazing whole foods chef I know, Persephone Brown. We will be sipping wine, learning her techniques and tricks, sitting at the table enjoying the gorgeous food and everyone will be taking home something special they create themselves.
One of my dreams has been to have a space that can bring communitiy together over food, using our hands, visioning and tribe building. I am so excited that Persephone is my first guest at The Loft. Will you join me for a night that will make us want to gather and circle more because we leave lifted and filled and glowing?
From Persephone:: A perfect recipe starts with flavor, then color. A perfect dish grabs hold of all of your senses, you smile at the sight of its beauty, the textures dance on your tongue. A perfect meal nourishes you beyond healthy nail beds and belly, with story, and laughter, and soft colorful cloth napkins. A perfect meal is messy, and simple, and lovingly prepared. The first bite you dance, the last bite you sigh, and every moment in between all that exists is love.
Cooking for my family, I create dishes that are simple, lovingly prepared, beautiful, and delicious. Whole body nourishment is our platform to living the gorgeous life. In this unique kitchen experience you will learn to make some of my favorite dishes while we clink glasses, share stories, and feast.
On June 6th, as we slowly start to feel summer's approach, we will be exploring some of the beautiful foods that Spring offers us for just a short time more. You will learn how to make and then gather around the table to enjoy 6 dishes that will dance with your tastebuds and excite you to go home to your kitchen and prepare for a gathering around your table.
I can't wait to meet you and join you at the table.
*All dishes are gluten & grain free. If this feels like it is right for you but you have an allergy or food restriction, please ask, accommodations may be made.
What you'll need if you are a new participant: Two or more magazines, and wine if you want to sip some while you create! A vision book will be provided for you.
Spirits of Joy comes alive and The Loft welcomes you to feel its magic….
A night of circling, exploring, creating, expanding, visioning.
In Spirits of Joy we spent 30 days bringing prompts to life in our joy books, finding our desires and creating pages filled with the words and visions and feelings that surround them. We harnessed our manifesting magic through visioning, so we could love this life now while creating a future of our dreams.
During this visioning workshop we'll work on 3 or 4 prompts together, sharing our pages and intentions. Women holding dreams for one another is one of the most powerful forces!!! The pdf for all 30 days of prompts will be sent to everyone attending.
We will circle at The Loft and journey together through magazines, finding the words and images and feelings contained in our dreams and create pages for our joy books. Together, we'll provide a gorgeous container for our energies and maybe sip some wine, too. It will be a night of manifesting and magic, circling and expanding.
Snacks will be provided but bring a bottle of wine to enjoy while you create and vision. There is plenty of parking, on street and in an assigned lot for the Hope Artiste Village. If you have a vision book from the online course, Spirits of Joy, please bring it!!! If this is all new to you, a vision book will be provided.
Limited, limited space available. Make sure to grab your space!
4% of women think they are beautiful. What kind of fucked up is that? What kind of world am I raising a gorgeous daughter in?
I cried when I told Patrick about this video as we were lying in the dark. I couldn't talk about it without kind of falling apart. This is one of the reasons I am on this earth. Because I've spent most of my life trying to say those words.
And sometimes I see a picture of myself and I feel ugly. Sometimes I wake up and I see my neck starting to show my age, even though I love the age I am. Sometimes I look at my belly and want to hide it.
But still, I am beautiful.
When I removed all magazines, tv and other forms of beauty as defined by advertisers my world changed. And while I still don't think Dove is stretching itself to the beauty that is too far out of our American comfort zones, it is a start. And I feel blessed at any sort of start.
Chloe's dad tells her she is beautiful and smart and funny. I tell her that she makes the most amazing outfits and has a style that no other 10 year old has. She never sees commercials or magazine adds (well, she sees magazines, but ones that we cut up for visioning!) or has voices coming from outside of her telling her she is not living up.
At 10 years old I already thought I was fat.
At 16 I convinced myself I should stop eating so I could feel love.
At 18 I went into therapy for the first time.
At 24 I dieted my already tiny body down to a size nothing for my wedding.
At 34 after my third baby was born I dieted down to a size 4/6 and convinced myself it wasn't really dieting, just healthing living.
At 36 I gained 20 pounds.
At 38 I declared the war over.
At 38 I knew it would be the year that my life would change forever.
At 38 I finally saw my beauty. And it surprised me.
At 38 I knew that if I could see my beauty I could guide other women to see theirs.
At 38 I believed it when someone told me I was beautiful.
At 38 I have peace when I see my reflection.
There is so much work I have to do on my soul and my past and my spirit. There is so much I am learning so I can show up as a guide and writer and friend and partner and mother.
And I love the work. I will do the work. And I will ask you to show up and do your work so that if you are not in that 4%, the 4% that makes me tear up when I think about that preciously tiny number, if you are not in it - good. Because I don't want you in the 4%, I want you in the 100%, the 100% of women who know they are beautiful.
Let's raise it together. Let's show up even when it is hard. Let's show up in our beauty. In this gorgeous life.
Here is how I can help guide you right now into this beauty. First as part of community who lift each other up, who hold the belief that as women who are gathering inside of community we see our beauty together. We hold space for our sisters to shine in their light and allow us to shine in ours. Community Grace starts May 1st.
If you really want to rock your world in May, join my sweet friend Vivienne in her course Be Your Own Beloved. I've done it once and will do it again. Looking in your own eyes really is life changing.
Let May be the month you start to let your light shine, your beauty radiate and where you know that there are circles of women who want that for you. They want to make that space for you to step into your gorgeous life. We are only beginning.


California state officials having broken their promises to end the most brutal aspects of isolation practices in the prisons, a form of mass torture that has drawn criticism from human rights advocates around the world, a large group of prisoners is resuming a hunger strike today. The Peace and Freedom Party endorses the five basic demands of the prisoners, and the State Executive Committee of the party is working on ways to support the hunger strikers, reports State Chair Kevin Akin of Riverside. "The shameful practices continuing in our prisons discredit California, and particularly its governor, in the eyes of the world" says Akin. "Mass brutality, with the intentional infliction of terrible physical and mental torture, is a crying shame. It must be stopped. We salute the incredible courage of the hunger strikers, and will help mobilize support for their cause."
To support the hunger strikers, click here to sign Californians United for a Responsible Budget's petition to Governor Jerry Brown and Secretary of CDCR Jeffrey Beard.
Make Segregation a Last Resort (p. 14). Create a more productive form of confinement in the areas of allowing inmates in SHU and Ad-Seg [Administrative Segregation] the opportunity to engage in meaningful self-help treatment, work, education, religious, and other productive activities relating to having a sense of being a part of the community.
End Long-Term Solitary Confinement. Release inmates to general prison population who have been warehoused indefinitely in SHU for the last 10 to 40 years (and counting).
Provide SHU Inmates Immediate Meaningful Access to: i) adequate natural sunlight ii) quality health care and treatment, including the mandate of transferring all PBSP- SHU inmates with chronic health care problems to the New Folsom Medical SHU facility.
4. Provide Adequate and Nutritious Food – cease the practice of denying adequate food, and provide a wholesome nutritional meals including special diet meals, and allow inmates to purchase additional vitamin supplements.
PBSP staff must cease their use of food as a tool to punish SHU inmates.
Provide a sergeant/lieutenant to independently observe the serving of each meal, and ensure each tray has the complete issue of food on it.
Feed the inmates whose job it is to serve SHU meals with meals that are separate from the pans of food sent from kitchen for SHU meals.
5. Expand and Provide Constructive Programming and Privileges for Indefinite SHU Status Inmates.
Allow one photo per year.
Allow a weekly phone call.
Allow Two (2) annual packages per year. A 30 lb. package based on "item" weight and not packaging and box weight.
Allow Hobby Craft Items – art paper, colored pens, small pieces of colored pencils, watercolors, chalk, etc.
Allow sweat suits and watch caps.
Install pull-up/dip bars on SHU yards.
Allow correspondence courses that require proctored exams.
Kevin Akin is State Chair of the Peace and Freedom Party of California.


Dr. Mullner is a primary care physician, fellowship trained in sports medicine. He is a former assistant team physician for the New York Jets and Seton Hall University. He played college soccer at Presbyterian College in South Carolina. Dr. Mullner's scope of practice includes evaluation and treatment of upper and lower extremity injuries, tendinopathies and muscle injuries, injection therapy, concussion, musculoskeletal ultrasound, sports-related respiratory issues and pre-participation physicals. Dr. Mullner's special interests include sports and athletic performance, non-surgical management of orthopedic injuries, and concussion.
Dr. Mullner currently serves as the head team physician for the Washington Spirit. He is also a team physician for D.C. United and for the Washington Ballet. He also acts as a team physician for St. John's College High School and for Georgetown University club sports.


This forEntrepeneurs article is a culmination of an extensive survey across the SaaS industry that should serve as a great benchmarking tool for the key SaaS metrics every company should measure.
A deep dive into SaaS metrics and industry standards.
See the full Pacific Crest SaaS survey.


When we started the Colony in 1975, most of us were young and working in television. We thought it would be fun to get back to our theatre roots--just for a while. If we had known that we would still be here a quarter century later, still producing award winning professional theatre, with a national reputation and the largest subscriber base of any small theatre in the area, we would have been utterly astounded.
And what a wonderful adventure it's been.
When I look back over our 25 years of continuous production, I am overwhelmed by the scope of the works we have been able to present--the reconceived classics, the world premiers by exciting new voices, the big Broadway musicals miniaturized for our intimate space, the soul-wrenching dramas, the hilarious comedies, all the tears, all the laughter, all the joy we have shared with our audiences. I am still astonished and amazed by that ancient, unique, remarkable, and magical experience that is live theatre.
You may have heard the we have outgrown our Silver Lake home, and are planninga move later this year to a beautiful new theatre in Burbank. Located in the bustling Media Center district, we will be in the midst of many fine restaurants; there will be lots of free parking adjacent ot the theatre; the lobby wil be spacious; the restrooms will be large and well equipped (no waiting in line!); the seats wil be comfortable; the heating and air conditioning will be far better than adequate. Most important of all, the theatre itself has been designed to retain that special intimacy between actors and audience that has always been the hallmark of a Colony production.
In the years to come in our new home, we will continue to bring you the beloved world classics, the rediscovered treasures, the cream of contemporary repertoire, the widest range of comedies, dramas and musicals, all produced with uncompromising professionalism and loving care.


text:
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is an impeccable rendering of the past
On November 21, 2011 July 31, 2013 By SarahIn Movies, Reviews
Last week I attended a screening of a movie I've been dying to see for ages, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Hype for this film—largely of the Oscar kind—has been building steadily for a while and it is well deserved. From top to toe this is one of the best crafted, best acted, most tautly presented thrillers I've seen in a really long time. The story might not be your cup of tea, but you can't complain about the technical and artistic merit of the film. This is a flawless movie, flawlessly made. Tinker Tailor is based on John Le Carre's novel, considered to be his most autobiographical, and is a seminal Cold War-era spy story. Bond and Bourne were also born during the Cold War, but where those characters have been reinvented and reinterpreted for modern audiences, George Smiley, Tinker Tailor's protagonist, remains firmly planted in his 1970's roots.
Tinker Tailor opens with Control (John Hurt, for once not playing a loon), head of the British secret service MI6—referred to as the "Circus"—sending his agent Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong) into the field to flush out a mole within the Circus. The mission ends disastrously with Prideaux shot (calm down, this is the first five minutes of the movie and I'm not spoiling anything), which results in Control getting sacked. Ousted along with him is Smiley (Gary Oldman), who we then see "enjoying" his retirement with a blankly mystified look on his face. But then it seems that Control wasn't so far off the mark as legitimate intelligence surfaces that there is, indeed, a mole in the Circus. Smiley is brought in on the down-low to investigate and what follows is a slow-building and methodical spy procedural that looks and feels like it really came from the 1970's.
Smiley is not the kind of character we usually affiliate with Oldman—who made his name on such larger-than-life characters as Sid Vicious, Beethoven and Sirius Black—but he gives a career-defining performance as the taciturn gentleman-spy. When talking with him, Oldman described Smiley as a "sitting down role" and compared him to a cat: "Have you ever seen a cat jump? They only use as much energy as they need to get from here to here." He describes a scene in which Smiley uses an economy of effort to get rid a bee in the car. "Everyone is swatting at it and Smiley opens the window just enough for the bee to get out." Oldman, by the way, is a sexy beast and a delight to speak to. He has the kind of beautiful manners that immediately put you at ease, and his responses are thoughtful and interesting no matter what the question. He's a lock for an Oscar nomination and given his seniority, I'd say the favorite to win.
Directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) and adapted by the husband and wife team of Peter Straughan and Bridget O'Connor (O'Connor passed away last year), Tinker Tailor is, like Super 8, a throwback to an earlier era of filmmaking. This is not a movie where the spies run around waving guns and jumping over things, but where systems of informants and operatives are manipulated by men sitting in a sound-proof box. When violence does occur, it occurs in entirely realistic—and sudden—ways. There are long passages of silence throughout the movie and Smiley is a man of few words. Some of the most impactful moments are those of passive witness, with one actor observing something and doing nothing to stop or alter the course of events. Oldman put it best: "This script didn't assault me. When so many movies go cut cut cut, this one would pause. It was refreshing." This pacing also aided his performance, as he went on to explain, "Any credit I get for this performance must be shared with Tomas [Alfredson], because he was content to rest on a moment and let it breathe, allowing my work to come through." Tinker Tailor is an excellent example of what happens when good actors work with a good director from a good script.
Besides Oldman, Hurt and Strong, Tinker Tailor features an outstanding cast of British talent. Toby Jones (Captain America and the voice of Dobby), Colin Firth, Ciaran Hinds (The Debt, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Tom Hardy, and Benedict Cumberbatch all turn in excellent performances. Hardy and Cumberbatch particularly distinguish themselves as the young'uns amongst the cast. Hardy, as field operative, or "scalphunter", Ricki Tarr is sexy in a kind of dirty, feral way. With his 1970's Adonis hair and charming smile, you get the sense that Tarr has used his wiles more than once to accomplish his goal, but this time he's been knocked for a loop by a Russian woman (Svetlana Khodchenkova, Little Moscow) that he is desperate to save.
Cumberbatch uses his innate haughtiness to great effect as Smiley's dapper right-hand man, Peter Guillam. He also gets one of the more heartbreaking moments in the film, helping along by the fact that Cumberbatch is such an ugly crier. None of that namby-pamby pretty boy weeping here, no—when he gives into raw emotional pain you believe it based on the way his face contorts. But it's Strong and Firth who carry off the most scenes, after Oldman. With nothing explicitly stated and with limited screen time together, Firth and Strong manage to convey a deep and longstanding relationship between Prideaux and Firth's Bill Haydon. The performances are contained and economical and, like Ryan Gosling in Drive, it's proof that sometimes the most fascinating characters are the ones who don't say that much.
Khodchenkova has one of the few female roles in the film—this is a sausage fest start to finish but for it to be otherwise would not be true to the era. Women are seen in the background as typists, secretaries and file clerks. There is only one female of any position in the Circus, Connie (Kathy Burke, best known for her comedic roles on BBC television), and she appears to have given up any kind of home life, having no apparent family or friends. However, there is a scene that rather prominently features some graffiti that reads "The future is female", and I think that was done very intentionally. Not as a soporific, but to acknowledge the paradigm shift that has occurred since the setting of the film.
What blew me away about Tinker Tailor, though, was the artistic and production design. This movie isn't just set in the 1970's; it's made like it is from the 1970's. The color scheme is rooted in those ugly '70's rust oranges and army greens, the lighting borders on harsh and fluorescent and the sound design eschews the sweeping scores and soundtracks popular now in favor of realistic soundscapes. You can hear feet shuffling on concrete, papers rustling on desks, the chinking of porcelain coffee cups, and in one scene, the improbably suspenseful buttering of toast. It just goes to show that silence is never really silent and that sometimes the lack of music dictating mood can, in turn, feed much more effective atmospherics. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a superbly crafted film featuring stellar performances from a veteran cast. If you're looking for an old-school spy thriller, this is the movie for you.
Benedict Cumberbatch is improbably cuteColin Firth has THE BEST walkGary OldmanSexy BeastSilence is deadlyTense thrillerTinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Andy the Alligator reviews The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
Shame is the most unsexy movie about sex you'll ever see
4 thoughts on "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is an impeccable rendering of the past"
Thanks for the review! I'm so stoked to see this movie. Gary Oldman is a beast.
I absolutely loved the book and I was worried about the movie a bit.
Now I can't wait. ( And sweet Jesus, does Tom Hardy look like sex in the photo you featured. I have never fancied him before seeing it.)
Lovely review, Sarah. Can't wait to watch Tinker Tailor when it comes out and I hope Oldman gets his much-deserved Oscar nom.
Here's a request, since I quite like your guest posts at Lainey's. I found your Fassbender Oscar campaign post super interesting and would have loved to add a comment back in that regard… will you do a post here on Cinesnark so we can all weigh in? I think lots of people got MAD LOVE (or at the very least, good will) for the Fassbender right now so it would be wicked to have a conversation about his Oscar hopes. Sorry this bogarted the Oldman/TTSS post 😉
When this film ended everyone in the theater stayed silent for a minute and then started going 'WTF'. I;m not sure many people 'got it'. I found it confusing, maybe i should have read the book.
I did LOVE Gary Oldman and Kathy Burke sharing a scene.
I cried a lot yesterday, especially when Kamala Harris was sworn in, restoring my hope in someday seeing a woman as… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 2 hours ago


Since 1850, Ritchie has been making only one thing – compasses. Which means every ounce of their time and energy goes into precision-crafting the highest quality product available. When you've invested so much in your boat, that kind of commitment makes all the difference.


CONTRACTORS...Take advantage of current depreciation law!
* $6,429 MSRP for Model 124V-41. Collection system not included. Pricing subject to change without notice. Harvest Sale offers valid on the purchase of new Grasshopper tractor and deck from 9/1/2018 to 12/31/2018. Harvest Sale offers may not be combined or used with any other Grasshopper promotion or special financing offers. Certain restrictions may apply. Prior purchases excluded.
For other financing offers, visit GrasshopperMower.com/Financing. Financing offers subject to credit approval. Some restrictions apply. Contact Kelton's Inc for full program/offer details.
** Neither The Grasshopper Company nor Kelton's Inc provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material is for information purposes only. Consult a licensed accountant and/or tax professional for expert advice on tax deductions and expense eligibility for your specific situation.


This is a placeholder page for Nancy Cary, which means this person is not currently on this site. We do suggest using the tools below to find Nancy Cary.
You are visiting the placeholder page for Nancy Cary. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Nancy Cary. We created this page automatically in hopes Nancy Cary would find it. If you are not Nancy Cary, but are an alumni of Southwestern High School Lafayette, IN, register on this site for free now.


This 5L foldable outdoor lifting water bag is made of environmental food grade PE material, large screw cap closure with handle, easy to carry. Great accessory for outdoor camping hiking picnic BBQ etc. Add your logo for next promotion event.
13" x 4" x 0.1"


text:
Elton John at Alamodome
Elton John Tickets
Alamodome Arena | San Antonio, TX
Give shine to Saturday 29th October 2022 and be at the Alamodome for a live performance of one of the biggest artists of rock, Elton John. Tickets are available now, but avoid the tense journey to the box office and simply click the Buy Tickets link below to have immediate access to the nicest spots the Alamodome has to offer, it really is that stress free. People praise the smooth way Elton John can perform and the catchy yet honest songs they sing. Feel the brilliant Elton John for yourself and be there at the Alamodome on Saturday 29th October 2022 for an evening full of joy and music.
Stop and think about what you have planned for Saturday 29th October 2022. If you haven't cleared your schedule out to come to the awesome Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas then you are missing out. The Alamodome is the most respected name in offering phenomenal pop concerts for guests from all over the country, with some even flying in from out of town for their bigger name events. Don't let this once in a lifetime chance pass you by. Click the Buy Tickets button below to order your tickets to see Elton John live.
Premier Boxing Champions: Vargas vs. Flores 11/02/2023
Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Strokes & Thundercat 17/05/2023
Alamodome


Gardiner is a small community located in Park County, South Montana. It is mostly known for it serves since 1872 as the main entrance to one of USA's most spectacular national parks, Yellowstone. Thus, it is a proper paradise for all genuine, adventurous nature and outdoors enthusiasts. There are many organized tours and outdoor activities that attract thousands of visitors throughout the year. Here, you will have the opportunity to enjoy hiking, mountain biking, nature observation, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, and a wide range of other outdoor activities, all set in an unspoiled and majestic natural landscape. Regarding budget accommodation, there are more than 20 and nearby Gardiner, MT. Because of the enormous popularity of the Yellowstone National Park, the prices are rather high. The average price per room per night is around $220 – $260 depending on the time of year.


Today, Brian and Bo tackle the risk that you take by sitting on the investment sidelines. They have been fielding a number of questions over the past few months covering this very topic. The moral of this episode is to get started doing something sooner rather than later so that you do not miss out on what the market has to offer.
Brian shared an interesting piece of data that showed if you invested $10,000 a year for 25 years during the period from September 1, 1929 to September 1, 1954 (the Great Depression), while the DOW only increased 2 points in overall value (381 to 383), your dollar-cost-averaged investment would be worth $1.5 million. This shows that during a period where the market did not really appreciate at all, there was still value in investing your money in the market. That equates to an annualized return of 11.7%.
Do you have enough cash to cover your emergencies? You should maintain enough cash reserves to replace at least 3 to 6 months of your income.
What is your monetary needs timeline? If a big purchase is on the agenda, it may be necessary to hold that money in cash to avoid losing substantial amounts of the principle (down payment on a house 3 to 4 years from now).
Make sure that the cash you are holding in the bank does not exceed the FDIC insured amount of $250,000.
Risk vs. Reward: How much risk are you willing to take for your desired level of returns?
Risk Tolerance: Correlates with your risk vs. reward by measuring how much risk you can handle for a given amount of reward (or loss).
Risk Capacity: How capable is your portfolio of taking loss given your investment timeline?
Inflation risk: Inflation could be a factor in the near future, is your portfolio giving you the required appreciation to maintain your purchasing power? Ask yourself what one dollar today will buy for you in 10 years.
Outliving your money: If you and your spouse reach the age 65, there is a 50% chance that one of you will live past age 90.
Multi-Generational Housing: Beware of running out of money and having to move in with your children (not because you want to, but, because you have to). Make sure your army of dollars is working for you!
Have ample cash reserves worth 3-6 months of salary.
Diversify your allocations: cuts volatility, use alternatives to outweigh individual sector risk, it has psychological value.
Dollar cost averaging: This is something we preach! Spread your purchases out over time to help mitigate risk.
How much money do you want every year in retirement?
– If inflation averaged 3% per year over a 25 year period it would cut your purchasing power in half!
– Current S&P 500 dividend yield is greater than a 10 year treasury bond.
The problem is that more people would rather buy a car, clothing are just spend money on needless things. I have a few friends that seem to never have money to invest or put in 401ks but the always have the newest tvs etc. Nothing wrong with dollar cost averaging but I always make sure to take some profits and reinvest.


Huge Hardcover Leather Bound Collectors Edition King James Family Bible in Near Fine condition.
The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments in the Authorized King James Version..
Published by the Easton Press, Norwalk, Connecticut USA, undated.
Measurements : 22cm wide, 29.5cm high and 10cm thick.


So far beautysn has created 9 blog entries.
Planning on hiding under layers of warm clothes now that the cold weather has arrived? You may not be thinking as much about body hair as you do in the summer, but now is actually the perfect time for laser hair removal.
Summertime means shorts, skirts, and bikinis…unless you are suffering from varicose or spider veins. If you have these veins on your body, you may be trying to cover them up, even as the temperatures soar. At Beauty Skin Laser, we have the solution for you!
Don't just spring clean your house. Spring clean your skin, too! Warmer weather means it's time to update your skin care regimen and treatments. Regardless of skin type, seasonal transitions can be rough on skin. By making a few adjustments you can transform your dull, dry, winter skin to gorgeous and glowing this spring.


If you want the ability to change the target URL of the SmartDocs page so that you can target Dev or Staging or Live environment you can do that by changing the SmartDocs template from the settings page of the model.
To change the template Navigate to the SmartDocs listing page and select settings from the dropdown.
You will see the current template that the model is using.
Add this code at the end of the template.
This should let your end users target any backend they want to test against.


text:
Manufacturers – Caravans VAT Budget Mobile Homes
Caravans VAT Budget Mobile Homes
Static caravan tax debated in House of Commons
The majority of UK caravans are manufactured in East Yorkshire
MPs call for caravan VAT rethink
VAT levy angers caravan industry
The prime minister has said plans announced in the Budget to introduce 20% VAT on static caravans are fair.
David Cameron's comments came as local MPs continued their campaign to get the government to change its mind.
Local Conservative MPs David Davis and Graham Stuart have met with Chancellor George Osbourne to lobby against the introduction of the tax.
A caravan manufacturers' association claimed the change would lead to 2,000 job losses in the industry.
The majority of UK caravans are manufactured in East Yorkshire.
Speaking after the meeting with the chancellor, Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness, said: "He listened and seemed to understand the serious threat the proposal to impose VAT on static caravans poses for the East Yorkshire economy.
'Struggling industry'
"He promised that the consultation was a genuine one and that he would listen to representations made by those affected."
The industry's trade association, the National Caravan Council (NCC), said that using the government's projected figures of a 30% decline in sales due to the new tax, it could mean that "in the first year, more than 1,000 jobs could be lost in manufacturing, plus a similar number from suppliers to the industry".
The NCC claimed that East Yorkshire would bear the initial brunt of the job losses.
The Conservative MP for Brigg and Goole MP, Andrew Percy, raised the issue during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.
Mr Percy asked the prime minister to "think again about this tax that will cripple this already struggling industry".
Mr Cameron said he had listened to representations from the region's MPs but felt the proposed tax was fair.
"This is an issue about how we draw the VAT boundaries fairly," he said. "I don't think it's fair that a mobile caravan pays VAT but a stationary caravan does not."


text:
56-й Тильзитский отдельный ордена Красной Звезды полк связи () — подразделение вооружённых сил Белоруссии. Место дислокации — город Минск.

История
В августе-сентябре 1942 года на базе 112-го отдельного батальона связи и 6-й отдельной учебной роты 1-й воздушной армии Западного фронта был сформирован 1-й отдельный полк связи, который вошёл в состав войск 1-й воздушной армии.

В течение 1944 года полк успешно обеспечивал связью все операции 1-й воздушной армии в период зимнего наступления на витебском направлении и летнего наступления войск 3-го Белорусского фронта по освобождению Белорусской ССР, Литовской ССР и наступлению в Восточную Пруссию.

За образцовое выполнение задач командования в боях при прорыве обороны немцев в Восточной Пруссии, проявленные при этом доблесть и мужество Указом Президиума Верховного Совета СССР от 14 ноября 1944 года полк был награждён орденом Красной Звезды.

За отличие в боях по овладению городами Тильзит приказом Верховного главнокомандующего от 19 февраля 1945 года полку было присвоено почётное наименование «Тильзитский».

Сразу после войны полк дислоцировался в немецком городе Бартенштейн. В августе 1945 г. он перебазировался в Бобруйск, в следующем году — в военный городок Степянка.

8 июля 1946 года полк связи был переформирован в 539-й отдельный Тильзитский ордена Красной Звезды батальон связи Военно-воздушных сил 1-й воздушной армии. 24 сентября 1962 года, в соответствии с Директивой Главного штаба ВВС, его реорганизовали в 56-й отдельный полк связи.

В 1973 году на основании директивы штаба 26-й воздушной армии 56-й отдельный полк связи был переформировать в 56-й отдельный полк связи и автоматизированного управления.

30 ноября 2001 года 56-й отдельный полк связи и автоматизированного управления стал 56-м отдельным полком связи. С января 2002 года полк базируется в военном городке Уручье и входит в состав Военно-воздушных сил и войск противовоздушной обороны Вооружённых Сил Республики Беларусь.

В июне 2003 года воинская часть была переформирована в 56-й отдельный Тильзитский ордена Красной Звезды полк связи. Подразделение принимало участие в таких учениях, как «Щит Союза-2011», «Запад—2013», «Запад—2017».

Командиры
 Прасол, Павел Сергеевич
 Савченко, Андрей Григорьевич

Примечания

Ссылки

Воинские части, награждённые орденом Красной Звезды
Полки Белоруссии
Появились в 1942 году в СССР
Воинские части и формирования, созданные в 1942 году

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
2014 Film Recap
Sheesh, I am so glad this year is over. While mentally and emotionally exhausting, I am fortunate to transition into a new year a much wiser person, and I look back on a year I was able to make meaningful connections and fully come to terms with the relationship I have with films as not just a fleeting hobby, but a source of great purposeful expression.
I'm not very big on lists because they often fail to encompass an experience, a theme that is vast and (yes) complicated and deserves thorough consideration. With film, I struggle with keeping things succinct. But I couldn't pass up a chance on talking about some of the stories that sparked vitriol, praise, and something in between. Instead of over thinking this effort, I worked from my gut, immersed in the moment on how I feel about some of this year's offers. Below, I think I struck a nice balance.
With such an interesting and frightening real life case to draw from, Annabelle goes into a completely different direction in an attempt to demonstrate an "original" story that feels neither original nor interesting. What we get instead are two very unremarkable Barbie/Ken characters and a white savior trope (Alfre Woodard's Evelyn) for good measure just to tie this mess of a film together. I'm not sure what bothers me more: that Evelyn provided nothing to the story but that trope or that there was no attempt to even stick to the original, obscure story of the actual doll. Spoon feeding an audience Manson Family-like cultists as responsible for the doll's possession just feels like a cop-out. Annabelle seemed removed from a tale about the random acts of supernatural evil beyond human understanding which The Conjuring implied.
*(Un-)Honorable Mention: V/H/S: Viral (2014)
What a complete waste of time. For the directors, writers, actors, additional crew, production company, and most of all: us; the fans of the two prior anthologies that although not perfect, did a lot of things right. V/H/S: Viral was probably the laziest film I've ever seen and the most disappointing film I was anticipating this year if not ever. Even some of the likeable aspects of Viral are completely overshadowed by how inconclusive a lot of the stories are and feel without any characters to actively enjoy. The enigma that is how this complete train wreck was green-lighted, I have to say, fascinates me in the most irritating of ways.
The Intriguing
The Taking Of Deborah Logan (2014)
It's not the growing old that scares me. It is the possibility of losing memories and an awareness that I cripple at the thought of burdening my loved ones with. With Mia (Michelle Ang) heading a film project documenting the effects of Alzheimer's disease in one patient, she along with her crew, look to understand it to hopefully, find an effective treatment. Of course in a horror film, what they find is something much more sinister that's plaguing poor Deborah (played by veteran actress, Jill Larson). What follows is all very past-meets-present with the overarching theme of innocence lost that is deeply unsettling and doesn't leave you at ease at any point. I'm glad this film was recommended to me. Going in with no context and fresh eyes just made the viewing experience that much more exciting.
The First Time Viewing Throwback
The Wicker Man (1973)
This was somewhat of a different film than what I was expecting. I had some concept of what it was about, but finally sitting down to absorb the details, I was pleasantly surprised by how bold The Wicker Man is and how much conflict I found within myself to grasp the dual ideological positions within it that demonstrate a shaping of a lifestyle, people, and space. For its time period, it makes no excuse for relaying how times were changing approaching the now 21st century. What was scary is that The Wicker Man offers a safe distance from the terror, but it also states in an abstract way that a peaceful co-existence of difference will stubbornly, never be an option.
The Non-Horror
Dear White People (2014)
Aside from this film not being as meaty of a character study for a film about identity, only because of a completely understandable position to focus on four, diverse characters in a 108 minute film is the only thing that fell slightly short. But with each jump from character to character, you get snapshots of a highly self-aware, millennial constituency that are coming to terms with what it means to be authentically themselves while Black on their systematically white, prestigious, and privileged university campus. Dear White People stands out because it is the film many of us have been waiting to see. Writer/director Justin Simien's cinematic articulation is clearly influenced by the avant-garde filmmaking approach of the likes of Spike Lee, but it is clear he has a style of his own that feels a bit less insular and much more in tune to the very abstract concept of Blackness in America.
What's biting is that Dear White People challenges even the sensibilities of a 'Black community', which especially as outsiders look in, need to accept that the bottom line is, like finger prints, each Black person is unique. Shocker. Self acceptance is the biggest take away from the film and there's nothing purposefully neat about it to transmit the clearer message of a complex human condition that has tried to be simplified for centuries. Dear White People fights back for a younger generation and I'm glad it's around as a tool for this larger discussion.
Why The Babadook is one of the best films I've seen in a long time is that it's riddled with an anxiety that attacks every layer of your skin until it gets inside of your heart and mind. There are millions of mothers on the planet, millions of others who will become mothers, and we've all been children seeking the love we needed to survive from those in charge of our well being. One of the biggest lessons that we learn in life is that our parents and guardians are not perfect, and that the world does not center around us as we transition into adulthood and contemplate becoming parents ourselves.
The relationship between Amelia (Essie Davis) and Samuel (Noah Wiseman) is a perfectly crafted depiction of my favorite theme in horror: how our emotional energies are manifested into supernatural occurrences beyond our control. The Babadook has beats that I found unbelievably terrifying and the build up was a ride I wanted to get off of but just couldn't. When Amelia shields herself in fear (of what we learn is a part of herself), so do I.
Upon second watch, there's something deeply personal I found within The Babadook I didn't think I would find. Samuel's disconnect with those around him and his stark imagination feels very close to my own childhood (sans the physical koala-like clingyness) and relationship to a single mother that didn't fully understand me. And sometimes, her impatience was evident. I've read Samuel described in reviews in ways that overlook the fact that this kid acted out in the most inconvenient of ways because his basic emotional needs were not being met. Needs that for a parent not grieving and suffering from the loss of a mate or otherwise impaired would maybe be effortless. For good measure, Amelia's position is so deeply sympathetic, her attempts genuine, that you're stoically invested in her triumph even beyond the film's run.
The Babadook is awesome because there isn't one aspect of this film, from germ to execution that doesn't hit the bullseye each time. Jennifer Kent has written a universal masterpiece that I'm happy to see showing signs of becoming timeless and memorable not just in horror film history, but the medium in general.
*Honorable mention: Here Comes The Devil (2012)
Keeping in step with themes of family spiraling out of control as favorites for me this year, Here Comes The Devil was a delightful surprise. Covering itself in symbolism involving puberty and coming of age, it also sneers at any distant comfort for audience members through implications of incest, sexual assault, and of course, very bizarre 'ish happening.
Sol (Laura Caro) shows deep concern for what really happened to her two children after taking a trip with them and her husband, thinking them lost, and their return. Back in the reality of their everyday lives, something is very off, and Sol will do anything to figure out what's going on. She doesn't like what she finds. Here Comes The Devil works well off of suspense and a fear of the unknown. It's a high recommend.
What were some of your favorite films of 2014?
Labels: Annabelle, Here Comes The Devil, Horror, The Babadook, The Taking Of Deborah Logan, The Wicker Man, VHS: Viral