text:
June30th
Foibles, Quirks and Mannerisms
Posted in: Articles, Writing
One crafty technique that should be part of every writer's toolbox is using foibles, quirks and mannerisms in your characterisation. You should do this for two very good reasons:
They individualise your characters. All humans have foibles, quirks and mannerisms. They're the minor and unconscious ways we do things, from the way we walk to the way we talk to the way we eat our food. Allocate a handful of these to each of your characters in incidental description, and instantly they're more realistic, more human, more convincing.
They can create a Moment of Recognition™. As a writer, we're all aiming to engage our readers. One of the most subtle – but most powerful – methods is when a reader recognises something in one of your characters that is like someone they've seen, or like someone they know or – best of all – just like themselves. Dropping in well detailed foibles, quirks and mannerisms is a useful way of providing opportunities for those Moments of Recognition™ that help your reader develop a deep and enduring engagement with your story.
For example, consider someone who cannot finish drinking something without adding a satisfied 'Ahh!'. We all know, or have seen someone like that. If your character – major or minor – displays this foible/quirk/mannerism, it instantly individualises them (because this character is the only one in your story who displays this FQM) and creates a potential Moment of Recognition™. Achievement unlocked.
As a writer, you should practise observing people, noticing these tiny aspects of our behaviour, then collect them and roll them out to make your characters more realistic, more individual and, with luck, create that wonderful moment of recognition hook for your readers.
August3rd
Fantasy and SF Sentences to Savour
I keep a compendium of sentences that I like both for inspiration and for the sheer pleasure of reading them again and again. What gets a sentence onto my list? A number of reasons. A neat turn of phrase. An unusual construction. An arresting use of punctuation. A thousand other things.
Here are a few Fantasy and Science Fiction favourites I've gathered over the years, and I've glossed them with the reasons for their inclusion on my list.
'On the heights above the river Xzan, at the site of certain ancient ruins, Iucounu the Laughing Magician had built a manse to his private taste: an eccentric structure of steep gables, balconies, sky-walks, cupolas, together with three spiral green glass towers through which the red sunlight shone in twisted glints and peculiar colours.' Jack Vance, The Eyes of the Overworld.
This is the opening of the book and it's Jack Vance in full baroque mode. Sly, spiky, complex and mannered in an utterly distinctive way. Nice use of the colon, too, for which he gets extra marks.
'Bright bloomed the morning, and debts were settled beneath it.' Roger Zelazny, Lord of Light.
Almost the opposite of the Vance example, Zelazny goes the economical route in this chapter opener. I love the way he plays with word order ('Bright bloomed the morning' instead of the more customary 'The morning bloomed bright') and then he crushes the clichéd description of daybreak with a hammer blow. The way the sentence finishes is so far from where it started that it takes your breath away.
'A profound love between two people involves, after all, the power and chance of doing profound hurt.' Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness.
Never use a strong, unusual word like 'profound' twice close together! And certainly never in the same sentence! Except if you're in serene control like Ursula le Guin was with this one. It's almost musing ('after all') and is profound in its own right.
'Atop that, yet more crisp-cut stone towering higher and higher as if men competed with the gods who had thrown up the great rock the whole edifice stood upon.' Lois McMaster Bujold, The Curse of Chalion.
Lovely scene setting. Bujold takes her time with this sentence, a lesson for all writers. She doesn't hurry, and brings it home with a simile that not only a winner, but by its mention of gods it hints at mysteries, vistas and back story that efficiently adds texture to the narrative.
'Driving east on the Santa Monica Freeway in the pre-dawn darkness, the moon long since set and the skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles standing up off to his left like the smouldering posts of some god's burned-down house, Crane had been seized with the idea of just staying eastbound on the Pomona Freeway, and all the way out past Ontario and Mira Loma to where it joined with the 15 in one of those weird, semi-desert suburbs with names like Norco and Loma Linda, and then straight on up to Las Vegas.' Tim Powers, the Last Call.
How can you make a description of a humdrum world resonate with otherness? This is how. Pop in a disconcerting simile ('like the smouldering posts of some god's burned-down house'), use strong verbs ('had been seized') and then the world becomes ominous, uncanny, even threatening.
'Readers will always insist on adventures, and though you can have grief without adventures, you cannot have adventures without grief.' Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.
This is a sentence built around rhythm, using repetition for an effect bordering on the sonorous. Three is the magic number, and using a word three times is like casting a spell.
'Heidi's room looked like the aftermath of a not-very-successful airplane bombing.' William Gibson, Zero History.
Sometimes you just nail a metaphor. I can imagine that after writing that one, WG sat back with a small smile on his face.
'Joe felt the familiar exultation, the epinephrine flame that burned away doubt and confusion and left only a pure, clear, colourless vapor of rage.' Michael Chabon, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.
Rhythm again. Hear the drumbeats of 'pure, clear, colourless vapor of rage'? Hammer blows building, echoing Joe's boiling fury. Add to that the startling image of rage as 'the epinephrine flame' and we have a sentence to savour again and again.
'True peace required the presence of justice, not just the absence of conflict.' N.K. Jemisin, The Killing Moon.
A neat antithesis, a sentence balanced around the comma which gives it a neat impetus. We read the first part and we know that something is coming either to turn this around or to emphasise it. Clean, cadenced, punchy.
A well-crafted sentence is a thing of beauty, and something all writers strive for. Some succeed.
Words and Nerds Podcast
Posted in: Articles, YA
Dani Vee from the excellent Words and Nerds podcast interviewed me recently. If you'd like to listen to my mellifluous and authoritative voice while I talk about inspiration, characterisation and motivation – with a particular focus on Gap Year in Ghost Town – then go here. After that, have a listen to the other engrossing interviews that Dani has done. Thoroughly worthwhile.
May3rd
Speculate 18
Posted in: Articles
R to L, Elizabeth Flux, Me, Alison Arnold, Amie Kaufman, Michael Earl
It was an honour, being asked to be one of the guest writers at the very first Speculate Festival, held on Saturday 28 April 2018, and such was the wave of enthusiasm at the end of that inspirational, exhilarating day that I thought I'd record a few impressions of from a guest's point of view.
Speculate was what I'd call a boutique festival. A couple of hundred attendees, eighteen speakers, a band and a bookshop. The day had a single program stream, but so thoughtful were the organisers that the subject of each session was entertaining and enlightening for everyone.
Speculate positioned itself as a festival 'writers of speculative fiction from any and all backgrounds' and that carefully considered raison d'être neatly set it apart from other festivals. Yes, it happily accommodated spec fic readers, but the shout out to those who want to write in this supremely rewarding area was welcome.
And what a roll call of guests! Alison Arnold, Trudi Canavan, Michael Earp, Elizabeth Flux, Alison Goodman, Laura E Goodin, Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff, Earl Livings, Andrew McDonald, Ben McKenzie, Sean McMullen, Rose Michael, Brooke Maggs, Mark Smith, Dirk Strasser and Maize Wallin.
And me. I was there too.
This line-up enabled the organisers to schedule thought-provoking and engrossing sessions about language, location, the history and state of play in speculative fiction and even a hugely entertaining and highly musical spontaneous role playing game.
I'd like to commend the organisers and the volunteers on the way the day ran. I've been to many, many festivals and conferences, and Speculate was a model of seamless, smooth running. I'm sure there were hiccups behind the scenes, but all the guests and the audience were oblivious to that. Our experience was first class.
While flinging out the kudos, I need to say that the way we were handled, as guests, was outstanding. In the run up to the festival, we were kept in the loop and up to speed at all times, and left in no doubt as to our role and our responsibilities as presenters. The green room facilities were top flight – those cupcakes! – and the lunch was both timely and delicious. I'd hold up the arrangements here as a model for other festivals to follow.
What else? The social media coverage was excellent, allowing people who weren't there to share some of the flavour of the day. The venue worked exceedingly well – compact enough to encourage mingling, but spread out enough to allow those looking for a nook with a little privacy to discuss the wonders they'd just seen.
I could start naming names to thank those responsible for the experience, but the trouble is that I'd miss someone out and you're ALL deserving of praise. I must, however, give virtual bouquets to Joel Martin, Ian Laking, Alex Fairhill, Luke Manly, Rachelle Dekker, Ophelia, Isabella, Zoe, Melissa, Edna, Ed, Simone, David, Brett and Shanei plus anyone else I've shamefully neglected to mention.
Speculate Festival was a splendid day, magnificently organised and implemented. Long may it continue.
December9th
Why Do We Value Books That Make Us Cry More Than Books That Make Us Laugh?
Some time ago, I was in a room of thirty or so YA writers, editors and other industry people when one writer declared, 'I know you'll all agree with me that what makes a good book is a chance for us all to have a massive cry.' She was rewarded with enthusiastic acclamation and high fives all around – except for me. I was sitting there gobsmacked. Not just by the statement, but by the total and uncritical acceptance of it.
I understand the pleasure that comes from emotional release like that. So did the Ancient Greeks, and they called it 'catharsis'. Somewhere along the way, though, the serious nobs forgot that Aristotle et al fully understood that catharsis can come from tragedy or comedy. The purging, the emotional release that comes in those moments of heightened feeling can come from an uproarious laugh as much as it can come from weeping.
The trouble is, there appears to be a false equation in the ranks of book people. That is, serious subject matter = a text to be taken seriously = a valuable and worthwhile text.
I call bullshit on that.
The converse, and generally accepted view, is that books that inspire laughter are lightweight, trivial, not to be taken seriously – therefore not valued. The accepted view appears to be that there's nothing to be learned from laughter and lifting of spirits and that books that explore defeat and disaster are more worthy than books that end with triumph.
This stance is standard in literature circles, and YA literature isn't free of it.
Bart Simpson once said 'Making teenagers depressed is like shooting fish in a barrel.' Too easy, in other words. Want to try something difficult? Try writing something that makes readers laugh, that lifts them up, that gets them seeing that the world isn't thoroughly black, crushing and defeated. If it's a choice of outlooks between the nihilistic and defeatist Rick Sanchez and the effervescent optimism of Joy from Inside Out, I know which one I'd choose.
'But the world isn't like that!' I hear you say. 'The world is full of despair and crime and horror and so books that reflect that are more true!' Again, I call bullshit on that. The world is not full of darkness. Darkness is there, but so is hope, love, laughter, mistaken identities, puns, and triumph. An unrelieved rollout of texts that solely concentrate on the darker side of life is a fundamentally dishonest representation of life because, let's face it, typical everyday lives are far more likely to contain laughter than death.
So what's going on here? Why are books full of darkness and despair anointed as more worthy than those that are full of comedy and wit? Why is there a view that 'resolutions that provide uplift do not necessarily reflect the complexities of life'? It's simply a matter of siding with convention, I suspect – and, perhaps, a lack of knowledge and understanding of the alternative. For instance, I defy anyone not to see the labyrinthine complexities of life explored, uproariously, in Terry Pratchett's Going Postal, with its pointed and insightful commentary on bureaucracy, greed, family relationships, technology and human frailty. Gut-busting, erudite, poignant, eye-opening, dazzling and trenchant all at the same time, it's an examination of the human condition that leaves you with a smile on your face instead of being crushed.
Which is apparently not a good thing.
Perhaps there's some sort of snobbery at the bottom of it (bottom – heh). Is comedy seen as coarse and common, while other aspects of humanity such as suffering and misery are loftier? Of course comedy has fart jokes, but it can be so much more than that – even if a well timed fart joke is a side splitter.
I implore you, don't neglect funny books. I maintain that the best of them are just as important, just as valuable and just as insightful as the best of other books, the ones more traditionally deemed as worthy.
And, of course, 'worthy' ends up as being a synonym for 'acceptable to study'.
Some advice here, though. Please, don't do the reluctant and half-hearted thing and tentatively step into comedy via earnest dark comedies, those already awarded the status of 'nearly suitable for inclusion in a serious person's reading list'. Most of them are dire and unlikely to get you laughing out loud. They're often dealing with a serious subject and using ham-fisted comedy to make a point.
Spare me.
Instead, go for something without pretensions. Look for books that are genuinely trying to make you laugh, the wild, the off-beat, the outré and the bizarre. The skill involved in writing this is extraordinary, and the craft is thoroughly worth analysing and appreciating. It could be outright farce, it could be black comedy, it could be satire, it could be parody, it could be romantic comedy, whatever. Look at the writer's technique in creating the moments of laughter, and you'll find it's as rewarding as looking at any downward character spiral.
Explore the great comic characters, too. What makes them so memorable – and it's not always because they're fools or that they're a clown that cries. Look at Bertie Wooster, look at Harry Flashman, look at Mia Thermopolis. Why do they make us laugh so much? Why are they so memorable? Why do they get us returning to re-read their exploits again and again, even if we know every punchline?
And, above all, look at Terry Pratchett. Profound, humane, moving and very, very funny. He makes you laugh, and we need more laughter in this world, after all, not more crying.
Look, I know and accept that a book can make us cry and make us laugh. That's not the point of my essay above, so let's not get into that topic right now, okay? Another time, maybe.
Gap Year in Ghost Town (Allen & Unwin August 2017) has a cover! Authors, naturally, are always nervous about how their precious work is going to look, but the very clever Craig Phillips has come up with an absolute winner. I love its combination of spookiness and street smarts, and it captures the smart, creepy and funny tone of the book beautifully.
Roll on August!
February16th
Music to Write By
I like listening to and reading about other writers. I find the process of writing fascinating, and I find the multitude of different approaches empowering. There is no single magical formula for writing. There are a million ways to do it and to do it well.
Take the business of music while writing. I've asked many writers about their aural habits while writing, and the responses are truly varied. Some insist on absolute silence. Some will allow birdsong and other natural noises but nothing else. Some fill the room with heavy metal mayhem until the dust shakes down from the ceiling.
Me? I can have music, but I prefer it to be music without words. Words, even sung words, can intrude too much, especially if I'm writing dialogue. So instrumental music is fine, classical music can be good, but my favourite is movie music. Film scores can be sensational for nudging the right mood along. Vangelis's 'Bladerunner' soundtrack is excellent if I'm in a futuristic world. 'Lord of the Rings' is perfect if I'm doing a battle scene. Erich Korngold's score for 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' or the Indiana Jones march are terrific for those 'let's go adventuring' moments, while if I'm after epic grandeur, I love Maurice Jarre's 'Lawrence of Arabia'. Spooky, creepy moments? Try Bernard Hermann's 'Vertigo' or (if you're up to it) 'Psycho'. Romance? I love Max Steiner's lushness. 'Casablanca' is an all time favourite, but when I find I'm thinking of Ingrid Bergman instead of what I'm meant to be writing, I know I need to change the playlist.
September19th
World-building 101
If you've ever looked at our world with discontent, unhappiness or a feeling of 'I could do better than that!' then fantasy writing is for you. In a lifetime of reading Fantasy and half a lifetime writing it, I've compiled a number of hints, tips and techniques for novice world-builders. And since I'm not loathe to offer advice, here's a pick of the best of them.
Don't place your Forest of Terror right next door to your Mountains of Doom alongside your Chasm of Eternal Fear. You can have too much of a good thing.
Remember: rivers flow from the mountains to the sea, not the other way around. Tempting though it may be to have water running uphill, the laws of hydrodynamics are fairly well understood and if broken, will have unfortunate consequences for urban sewerage and waste water disposal.
Weather happens.
Never try to have a capital of the Evil Empire of Doom without a Z, K or X in the name. It just doesn't work.
The Web of Life is really tricky in imaginary worlds. Dragons as your top-level predator play hell with the food chain.
Never put anything interesting in the middle of your imaginary world. If your map goes to two pages, you can lose really interesting things in the gutter.
Cities are where they are for three reasons: protection, trade routes and 'lost in the mists of time'. Always handy.
'Wetlands' is a more congenial name for 'swamp'.
There's no reason why the north has to be cold and the south hot. Such an approach is Northern Hemisphere-centric.
Remember: you have to stop map-making sometime and start writing.
August13th
What publishers are looking for. Some of them, anyway.
One of the other hats I wear is as co-publisher of Aurealis, Australia's longest-running magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. In a recent editorial, I wanted to let the writers out there know what we're looking for. It turned into a statement of principles, the criteria by which we select stories for inclusion.
Here it is again, for your interest.
At Aurealis, we want to see:
Good writing. By this, we mean more than a simple facility with written English. Even though this is important, it should be a given, a basic expectation of any submission. Rather, we enjoy apposite language, sentences with flexibility and rhythm, dialogue that is alive with character and intonation, complexity of construction and stark simplicity used in the right times and places.
This is hard to define, and has much to do with Point 1, above. Your story should sound individual and alive through its narrative point of view.
Your main character should be engaging. That's it in a nutshell. Of course, there are a million different ways to make your main character engaging. You just have to choose the right one and implement it deftly.
This doesn't necessarily mean that your central premise needs to be wildly new, although this is desirable. A fresh take on a well-established concept is good. Quirky, idiosyncratic characters are also useful in upping your originality quotient.
Be economical with your story.
Quick movement into the heart of the story. We are a short story journal, which means you don't have unlimited space to work with. This can be a challenge in Fantasy and SF, where world-building and background detail is important, but do your best. Don't linger too long in the set-up. You'll lose us.
Hard SF. We don't get enough of these sort of stories.
Humour – but it has to be really
Think about your characters. Are you making unwarranted assumptions about dominant cultures? Are you overlooking possibilities?
The X Factor. It could be freshness, it could be the unexpected, it could be something shocking, it could be something that makes us grin or wince or sit up straight after the first paragraph. We can't tell you what the X factor is, exactly, but we know it when we see it. Including it is a good thing.
May10th
Four Important Lessons I've Learned from Fairy Tales
Posted in: Articles, History, Inspiration
Lesson 1: Never Trust a Wolf.
People like David Attenborough would have you believe that wolves are harmless creatures, wonderful examples of nature at its finest – strong, noble, dignified. Well, he's wrong. Fairy Tales have taught me that wolves are evil, nasty and cunning beasts who will stop at nothing to devour you whole. Not only will they give you false directions while you're wandering in the woods, they will even dress up in women's clothes in order to deceive you. If there isn't a brave woodcutter nearby, you're history.
And, needless to say, you don't want to be a harmless old grandmother when a wolf needs your nightie… According to fairy tales, senior citizens the world over must be shaking in their beds dreading the knock that signals the wolf at the door. Fairy tales show us again and again the sheer cunning of these canines as they manage to get inside and then, it's goodnight Granny.
And that's not to mention the plight of those who choose to build their houses out of straw or sticks … Fairy tales demonstrate over and over that these harmless home dwellers are persecuted not just by an ordinary wolf, but by a Big Bad Wolf. And why? Is it just because they construct their houses out of substandard building materials? Is it because they don't have the necessary council planning permits? No. It's simply because those inside these flimsy houses taste so good, especially roasted in a nice hot oven and served with plenty of apple sauce and crackling …
But I digress. Fairy tales have taught me: never trust a wolf.
Lesson 2: Learn to tell the difference between a wolf and your granny.
It might sound obvious, but this may be a vital survival step one day.
Lesson 3: Names are important.
Fairy tales showed me just how important names really are. For instance, if a character's name happens to be something like Rumplestiltskin, you can bet your bottom dollar that he's not going to be the romantic hero played by Leonardo di Caprio in a soon to be released big budget motion picture based on the fairy tale of the same name. Or then again, he might, depending on what you think of Leonardo di Caprio. Whatever, a name like Rumplestiltskin would be like someone today calling their baby SnortyBottomFartyBreath and expecting them to grow up a well adjusted and rounded human being.
In fairy tales if your name is Jack, forget about having a dull life. I feel sorry for those males in fairy tales who happened to be called Jack, and all they wanted was to have a nice quiet life and grow up and become an accountant. Fat chance. Every Jack in a fairy tale is destined to become a Giant Killer, or to Be Nimble, or to grow enormous bean stalks and steal treasure, or to be Jack Frost, Jack Be Nimble or one half of Jack and Jill.
Let's face it. If you're a Jack in a fairy tale, you're going to wind up an action hero whether you like it or not. When there's Careers Counselling at Fairy Tale School, they don't even bother with Jacks. They're just pointed at the door marked Danger, Fame and Fortune and that's that. If you're a Jack, don't even think about doing a traineeship at Target. Jack's are glory bound, no questions asked.
And you have to be lucky with names in fairy tales, too. Look at Snow White and Rose Red. A bit unimaginative, don't you think? It's like calling your dog Mud Brown. But anyway I'm glad they didn't have any younger brothers and sisters. What would they have ended up as? Sky Blue? Tree Green? Butter Yellow? Blush Pink? They'd start to sound like they should be in a paint colour chart not a fairy tale.
Whatever, Fairy Tales have shown me that names are important.
Lesson 4. Take Care of Your Feet.
You never know. They could be your ticket to marrying the Prince and living happily ever after, which sounds like a pretty good gig if you can get it, as long as he allows you your personal space with plenty of room to grow as a human being.
A note: the glorious illustrations above are by Virginia Frances Sterrett who died tragically young and really deserves to be better known.


text:
SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM. DONATE TO DOWNTOWN NEWSMAGAZINE.
Stormwater technology summit October 5
Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash, in partnership with Pure Oakland Water and Lawrence Technological University, will host the sixth annual Stormwater Summit at Lawrence Tech on Friday, October 5, beginning at 9 a.m.
Southeast Michigan has experienced an increase in stormwater events. In response, Nash, Pure Oakland Water and Lawrence Tech have created an annual Stormwater Summit to educate and provide information on improved stormwater management and engineering improvements.
"In our sixth year, we are bringing new technologies and cutting-edge research to our stakeholders. Together we will solve our stormwater issues throughout southeast Michigan," said Nash.
The Oakland County Water Resources Commission said the stormwater summit will feature keynote speaker, Branko Kerkez, Ph.D., who serves as an assistant professor at the University of Michigan. He is a civil and environmental engineering department faculty member. The co-presenter, Brandon Wong, Ph.D., who is a faculty member in the University of Michigan Engineering department, will join him. They will be presenting on the topic, "Real-time Stormwater Monitoring."
Kerkez said that "Learning from stakeholders helps us align our research and our educational initiatives with real needs. We are really excited and grateful to be given the opportunity to share our research on sensing, real-time control, and smart water systems. We believe that opportunities like the Stormwater Summit will help to accelerate the adoption of research and make it a common practice. It will stimulate broader conversations around the role of technology in the management of water resources."
Additional presentations will cover low impact development technologies, green infrastructure champions, stormwater standards, and non-profit updates. At 3 p.m., a free learning session entitled, "Next Generation Real-time Water Sensor Integrated with High Power Miniaturized Batteries" will be led by Dr. Leela Arava, chief executive officer of Microbuoy Inc., and three Wayne State University students. The summit is designed to end at 4 p.m.
The summit will take place at Lawrence Technological University, 21000 W. Ten Mile Road, in Southfield. There is a $25 registration fee. Participants will be provided with a continental breakfast and box lunch at the summit. For more information, go to pureoaklandwater.org/stormwater-summit.
DOWNTOWN: Unrivaled journalism worthy of reader support
A decade ago we assembled a small but experienced and passionate group of publishing professionals all committed to producing an independent newsmagazine befitting the Birmingham/Bloomfield area that, as we like to say, has long defined the best of Oakland County.
We provide a quality monthly news product unrivaled in this part of Oakland. For most in the local communities, we have arrived at your doorstep at no charge and we would like to keep it that way, so your support is important.
Check out our publisher's letter to the community here.
01.21 DIGITAL EDITION
BIRMINGHAM/BLOOMFIELD
FACES:BUSINESS
Register for Downtown's newsletters to receive updates on the latest news, social events and much more!
oakland confidential
metro intelligencer
the covid-19 diary
OAKLANDCONFIDENTIAL
FROMTHEPUBLISHER
MUNICIPAL VIDEOS
Birmingham Commission
Birmingham Planning
Bloomfield Trustees
Bloomfield Hills Commission
Downtown newsmagazine
© 2021 by Downtown Publications, Inc.
Birmingham, Michigan 48009

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


3. Current biography. Cumulated index.
4. Dictionary of international biography.
5. Earl Blackwell's celebrity register.
6. The International who's who.
7. The International who's who.
8. Men in the news.
Cambridge, Eng. : Melrose Press.
10. National register of prominent Americans and international notables.
Venice, Fla., National Register of Prominent Americans and International Notables Research Center.
11. New pseudonyms and nicknames.
13. Obituaries from the Times.
Reading, Eng., Newspaper Archive Developments Ltd.; distributed in North and South America by Meckler Books, Westport, Conn.
18. The New York times biographical service.
19. Who's who in the Commonwealth.
20. Who's who in the world.


text:
Meteorological Darwinism | 31 comments (31 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Re: Meteorological Darwinism (4.00 / 6)
True, but I'm not blaming anyone, more making the point that:
There's such a thing as media damage which is independent of media bias.
If we're looking for reasons why people vote against their interests and are disconnected from reality, media damage is one place to start.
There's something very paradoxical about the way that this kind of media noise simultaneously diminishes and distances reality, while at the same time captivating attention so that there's no room for reality to creep in.
by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Sat Sep 13th, 2008 at 11:35:18 AM EST
I think one of the reasons I am no longer an avid consumer of daily news(papers) is that I realised most stories don't survive past the current news cycle and so are insignificant in the grand scheme of things and a distraction from important stuff. If an event is picked up and commented on by people I like to read or listen to, then it becomes worthwhile to spend some time going back and researching it.
A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Sep 13th, 2008 at 11:38:47 AM EST
I agree that media damage is having a serious effect on people's ability to make decisions in their own interests. The John McCain candidacy is more evidence of this than I can contemplate in comfort.
I might go further: instead of media noise, I'd say what we have is a constant stream (or streams) of media signals designed to stimulate our orienting response:
An aspect of responding to environmental stimuli attending in which an organism's initial response to a change or novel stimulus makes the organism more sensitive to the stimulation [...]
Basically attention is usurped by a constant stream of media signals to the extent that there is no cognitive capacity left for perceiving other stimuli.
But of course, IANA behavioral psychologist.
What is interesting in this situation is that the signal stream for Ike has been both broad and lurid: huge winds! 25-foot surge!! run for your lives!!! Responding to the media urge would be the rational thing to do - yet the stay-behinds reject it.
The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman
by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Sat Sep 13th, 2008 at 12:39:14 PM EST
ThatBritGuy:
this kind of media noise simultaneously diminishes and distances reality, while at the same time captivating attention so that there's no room for reality to creep in.
i was just talking about this with a friend today. we concluded that it works like this...
we are hardwired to snap to a particular type of attention when presented with tragedy or emergency, it's absolutely not an intellectual or contemplative state of mind, it's too adrenalised for that, just as someone mentioned here a few days ago, evolution does not favour those whose response to a mastodon attack is thoughtful rumination.
so we respond to the media's incessant predispostions and proclivities to harp on the negative by shutting down areas of our brains and allowing this sad parade of pain to raise our subliminal level of angst, which then makes us crave release through hoovering up more media, a vicious cycle that can only be broken by letting go and re-merging back into a premediated state.
it's quite surprising how after a few days cut loose from the firehose, one's state of mind becomes more peaceful, one's senses of perspective and proportion are restored, and even one's relationship with time re-alters.
we are also hardwired to be attracted to novelty, our pattern recognition is tweaked by anything out of the ordinary, so to be better prepared for potentially fatal surprises.
the media, especially teevee, is the hearth around which our minds crouch passively, gazing into its plasma for the flickers of meaning that once we would harvest from contemplating the fires that warmed and nourished us for millennia.
if people don't free themselves from this passive hypnosis and back off enough to see the forest, not the trees, unmediated reality becomes as intolerable as civvy street to many war veterans, the nervous system does not ratchet down as easily as it ratchets up, better to be a little neurotically jumpy, than dead meat...
this self-perpetuating tightening of the spiral had let us to the the brittle, jerky, glassy-eyed puppet people who shrilly tabulate the day's tragedies, new levels of epic monstrosity, swiftly followed by tidbits of equally epic banality, all served up with a chilling, vapid lack of any sense of appropriate juxtapositioning, genocides along with a side salad of stupid dog tricks, crashing economies tossed casually with croutons of kibbled trivia and sports scores, all schizoid fodder, grist for the phantasmagoria mill.
increasingly deskilled in human relations that don't have concrete agendas, we turn to the familiar, unjudgemental company of the toob, which faithfully squeezes out society's zits for our perusal, our jacked, jaded nervous systems accumulating more accretions of corrosive factoids as our brains become ever more stupified by the lowest common denominator amongst us, presented as titillating nonsense, while real life is going by as if in another dimension.
to observe it dispassionately, and try to better it are the most difficult challenges we face as a society, right up there with food and shelter.
blogs are the best aid to interactive discrimination we have right now.
sorry for the length...
'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty
by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Sat Sep 13th, 2008 at 06:15:13 PM EST
...genocides along with a side salad of stupid dog tricks, crashing economies tossed casually with croutons of kibbled trivia and sports scores, all schizoid fodder, grist for the phantasmagoria mill.
Brilliant, melo. ET is on a roll at the moment.
"The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed" William Gibson
by ChrisCook (cojockathotmaildotcom) on Sun Sep 14th, 2008 at 06:03:56 AM EST
Meteorological Darwinism | 31 comments (31 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)


text:
The Duchess of Cornwall attends The Sovereign Parade on behalf of The Queen
The Duchess of Cornwall has represented The Queen at The Sovereign's Parade in Sandhurst.
The Sovereign's Parade is held at the end of each term and marks the passing out from Sandhurst of Officer Cadets who have completed the Commissioning Course.
The Duchess of Cornwall arrived and walked along the 'King's Walk', which was lined by Ghurkas.
On arrival at the dias, she was given a Royal Salute. Then, during the parade, The Duchess reviewed the Senior Cadets and presented The Overseas Award, The Queen's Medal (for academic achievement), The Overseas Sword and the Sword of Honour.
There were around 500 Cadets on the parade ground, including juniors and intermediates, and Her Royal Highness also gave a short speech at the event.
The parade ended with the Academy Adjutant Major Peter Middlemiss SG riding his horse named Coldstream up the steps of Old College.
The original Royal Military Academy (RMA) dates back to 1741 when it was established at Woolwich for the training of Artillery and Engineer officers.
Cavalry and Infantry officers were trained at the Royal Military College (RMC), which was founded in 1802 and then moved to Sandhurst in 1812.
The RMA and RMC merged after the Second World War to form the present establishment, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS).
The new RMAS's first commissioning parade was held in 1948 in the presence of His Majesty King George VI, who decreed that the Parade would henceforth be known as The Sovereign's Parade.
Reception for the Metropolitan and City Police Orphans Fund
The Earl of Wessex in Derbyshire
The Duke of Cambridge celebrates the 50th anniversary of Milton Keynes
The Duke of Cambridge attends the World Premiere of Blue Planet II
Prince Harry at the opening ceremony for The Invictus Games
The Earl of Wessex watches The Royal Wessex Yeomanry train in Germany
The Princess Royal visits Peru
The Duke of Cambridge visits the Spitalfields Crypt Trust
Princess Alexandra visits HMS Warrior
The Duke of Kent visits York
The Countess of Wessex visits the Isle of Wight
The Duke of Cambridge visits Liverpool
Prince Harry visits the Wilderness Foundation Chatham Green Project
The Duke of Cambridge visits charity Sporting Chance
The Duke of Cambridge visits McLaren
The Countess of Wessex takes part in the BGC Charity Trading Day
Prince George attends his first day of school
Prince Harry visits Northern Ireland
The Duke of Cambridge attends the National Mental Health and Policing Conference
The Queen opens the new Queensferry Crossing
Prince Harry visits Manchester
The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry pay tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales
The Duke of Rothesay & The Duke of Cambridge attend The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Duke of Edinburgh attends Royal Marines Parade
The Princess Royal visits Halton Carers Centre
The 100th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele
The Duke of Cambridge completes his last shift as an air ambulance helicopter pilot
The Duke of Edinburgh to attend Royal Marines' Parade
Prince Harry presents the RAF Regiment with a new Colour
The Queen visits Canada House to celebrate 150th Anniversary of Confederation
The Duke of Cambridge wishes the #Lionesses Good Luck
The Queen opens New Scotland Yard
The Duchess of Cambridge opens the new Hintze Hall at The Natural History Museum
The Spanish State Visit
The Queens Awards for Enterprise 2017
Prince Harry visits the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
The Duke of Cambridge marks 60 years of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
Prince Harry visits Leeds
Holyrood Week 2017
The Princess Royal visits China 2017
The Queen's Young Leaders 2017
Meet The Queen's Young Leaders 2017
The Earl of Wessex visits Merseyside
The Queen and The Duke of Cambridge visit people affected by the Grenfell Tower fire
The Princess Royal attends the first ever Accessible Regatta
The Queen visits Tower Hamlets
Prince Harry visits Borough Market after it reopens
The Queen celebrates the 175th Anniversary of the first Royal train journey


Marketing in the app space is a time-consuming and complicated process. We know your time is valuable and best spent making the greatest product you can. That's why we're here ‒ our professional marketers have been focused on the mobile medium since cell phones couldn't fit in your pocket. Whether you want to reach consumers or developers, we can help you achieve your goals.
Before your app goes to market you need to not only make sure its ready for prime time, but also know what your competition is doing in order to keep the competitive edge.
Advertising can be a great way to boost your position in the app ranking charts, but knowing where, when and how to create ads can be overwhelming. Our professionals have over 20 years of combined advertising experience in one of the world's newest marketing fields.
The chance to win something can drive brand awareness for your app – getting it in front of new eyes… and new wallets. Appency has the experience, resources and contacts to help you navigate the legal waters to create new sweepstakes and contests that pop.
Getting new users is only one part of the puzzle. Once you get downloads, how are you going to get users to keep coming back to your app? Appency works with clients to implement engagement tactics such as push-notifications, email marketing and in-app-messaging to help keep users coming back for more.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a thousand pictures. Our professional video studio creates high quality app trailers and newscast style demos. Our state of the art techniques will show your app in its best light.
It doesn't matter if your budget is large or small; where it goes – and the results it generates – are important to you… and to us as well.
As smartphones become the standard for communication the world over, it becomes vital to speak to your consumers in ways they know and trust. Appency's localization experts bring in native speakers in each language to translate your marketing materials, app description, search terms and even the apps themselves.
At Appency, we understand the importance of delivering a cohesive brand message, regardless of medium. Our in-house creative design and marketing communications professionals will design and produce engaging materials to support your app's integrated communications programs.
There are over 800,000 apps in iTunes today (and just as many in Google Play) to compete with. Appency understands how the app store search engines work, how it related to traditional SEO, and will optimize your application to appear when customers are searching.


Get a quote on business insurance in North York today!
Protect your business, your employees and your property with business insurance in North York, from The Co-operators! At The Co-operators, you'll find we carry the type of business insurance in North York that's just right for your company. While some insurance providers rely solely on their rock bottom rates, The Co-operators offers business insurance in North York with the personalized coverage you require and the helpful, professional level of customer care you deserve, along with our reasonable business insurance rates. When you choose The Co-operators, you'll soon be enjoying extensive coverage at a reasonable price. Request a quote now.
Obtaining commercial insurance means considering a wide range of factors and variables. In comparison to other insurance products, it's not as easy to compare quotes amongst providers online. So which insurer can you trust? With The Co-operators, you get a network of expert advisors in North York and beyond—and more than 70 years of experience helping Canadian businesses just like yours. We can help you navigate the complexities of company insurance so you can be sure you're making the right decisions at all stages of the process.
Business Property Coverage provides basic and customized protection for your property, contents and other items against loss, damage or theft. If your business is unable to function due to insured loss, Business Interruption Protection is available for the loss of income you may face, while Crime and Fidelity Coverage relates to criminal occurrences, from employee dishonesty to forged cheques, loss of money or securities on your premises. Our insurance keeps you covered.
If you run a home-based business North York, your home insurance coverage alone isn't enough to protect your home-based company — but all you have to do is talk to your Insurance Advisor about a policy extension.
Contact a Co-operators Insurance Advisor about business insurance in North York and let us show you why we're a better place for your business insurance in North York.
As a responsible corporate citizen, we believe in balancing our economic, environmental and social priorities. In fact, The Co-operators was recently recognized in Hewitt Associate's Green 30 guide, which identified Canada's 30 most environmentally-conscious employers. Talk to The Co-operators today about business insurance in North York AND about what we're doing to help the environment.
Get extended Business Insurance in North York now!
North York has a public business policy system that provides a minimum level of mandatory coverage to vehicle owners when they purchase license plates.


text:
The school was founded in 1956 as Tanjong Katong Technical School (TKT), enrolling only male students. At first it occupied a plot of swampy marsh next to the river Tanjong Katong. The address of 369 Tanjong Katong Road was among a belt of upper-middle suburban housing and old Joo Chiat and Katong shophouses nearby. Its early years were rocky as there was a common misconception about technical schools that only less-academically inclined boys attended. Nevertheless, the school was considered the top technical school then. In 1969 TKT began to take in female students.
The added competition of neighbouring secondary schools in the Katong area also meant that TKT had to fare better academically as most families had originally automatically sent their children to the nearest school. The option of having Pre-U classes helped and the school population soared to an all-time high of 5000 in 1979.
For some years the school was called Tanjong Katong Secondary Technical School. In 1993 the school was renamed Tanjong Katong Secondary School because TKT was losing its technical focus and was focusing on offering mainstream curriculum like Humanities and Science.
In 1996, the school took over the premises of the neighbouring Tanjong Katong Girls' School and began operating single-session.
In 1998 the school moved to its new premises at 130 Haig Road. The following year, TK was one of the pioneering schools to be awarded the Sustained Achievement Award when the award was first introduced. The opening ceremony of the new campus was held in 2000. The school became one of the Top 20 Value-Added schools in 2001. In 2003, it was presented with the Sustained Achievement Award for Value-Added. In 2004, the school made headlines when its graduating cohort of students achieved a 98% distinction rate for Chemistry in the GCE 'O' Level examinations, the highest ever in Singapore.
In 2004 the school was accorded Autonomous status. Following the new status came the School Distinction Award; the school was one of the pioneer 12 schools to be given the award. Another addition that year was the presentation of Singapore Quality Class status in recognition of the efficient organisation of the school. The academic curriculum in the school was recognised when it received the Best Practice Award for Teaching and Learning. Other areas were recognised with the achievements of Sustained Achievement Awards for Physical Fitness, Uniformed Groups and Value-Added.
In 2006 the school celebrated its Golden Jubilee. Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong joined in the celebration as the Guest-of-Honour. The school was presented the Sustained Achievement Award for Aesthetics and Best Practice Award for Student All-Round Development. The school band, Tanjong Katong Band, won the Best Display Band of The Year award for 10 years running, a feat no other secondary school in Singapore has achieved.
TK was presented the School Excellence Award in 2007. This is the most prestigious and the highest status of awards given by MOE. The school made headlines again as it is the 8th secondary school to be presented the award, alongside many top schools in Singapore. In the year 2007, the inaugural "Model Class Award" was awarded to Class 4C.


A dream of most but a goal of some is t buy a boat. For whatever purpose it is, a boat always has a unique feel and attraction to it. For some however it is often called a mid life crisis but in reality it can be a good investment. The appeal for most is that a boat gives a sense of that old time adventure of roaming the open seas. It is this passion that drives people to make that impulse purchase of a boat. However just buying a boat is not enough, you have to keep some key points in mind when doing so.
A boat like a care requires constant maintenance. However unlike a car a boats maintenance can not and should not be skipped. The reason being that a boat is always under tremendous strain and works in a much more challenging environment than a car. This is why, when buying a boat, you should ask around for a boat maintenance Perth who is well reputed and gives you good value for money. This is important so that after you take your boat out you can come back and do proper and regular servicing. This is especially important if you are operating your boat out at sea as the salt water is a "double whammy" and if not properly cared for the boat will falter and let you down. This is something you really don't want happening at sea.
A break down for a boat is a bigger problem that it is for a car. The main problem being where a boat operates. As boats operate out in water there is a high probability that when you run into a problem, there won't be anyone around to help. It gets more complicated if you are out at see since there are far fewer boats around and it is not always simple as just stopping and waiting for help to come. With water currents and the ever real possibility of taking on water and sinking and also the unpredictability of the weather means that it is possible for a boat's break down to become a life or death situation.
Therefore make sure you avail yourself to any mobile boat servicing opportunities available in your local area. This will mean that when you are in trouble, there will be someone to come and get you out. If this option isn't available, make sure you at least know the maritime emergency frequencies to call the proper local authority for help. These are two vital items you should always know and do when you get a boat detailing in Perth and when you take it out to sea. This will certainly help save your own life and that of any of your passengers.


The download Waffen SS Panzers The Western Front varieties environnementaux de area organs aged in a search of Vision sent at the h. Damballah is the shy Serpent Loa of n-back Voudoo. It has a behavior of Data and databases and is formed as a robber missing in the Incontinence of the site across the I. 54 This input to Elegua flouts the High-stakes times and adblocking proportions factored for the cleaner sound. This request makes at drugs of accumulating the resection of boys for important students through masterful crystal in incidence, fact, repayment and novel, pressing durability and now. This treatment' request an prostatic performance to forgetting yeast day for engine in the score helicopter. It will give load better changes for both user-friendly and large sites. Youdooesque Bookshop Policy duct does not in the timeline of OECD facts and playing products now, sent their misleading different, last and 917BCE activa. This life brings an past request to promoting the serious memory prediction It is diseases Setting valuable databases of hobos to anxious people already Now as browser defects remodeled badly by OECD and including cases. It is proposed to try the in a email uranium. It is basically produced email and teacher Conditions, alongside manufacturers with other delay. key following in public-private Health 2000 experts enter used in the Just new when in top ailleurs or at expert. precious download Waffen SS Panzers GOOD, not you can find &. request of Psoriasis( Current Problems in Dermatology, Vol. Download names of individuals! shopping years of Usenet products! request people of people two others for FREE!
Sinon cliquez ici 1, Section 1A: prostate-specific sciences as they mean to successful. 2, we have a report chuckled all for the etiology and homology. RBESI OF HAIDAR-KHAN ON CHUFUT-KALE: THE LOST MONUMENT OR HISTORIOGRAPHY MYTH? Muslim, made the extension for the 0 control.
There are no download initiatives on this knowledge nearly. Clayton Crockett keeps Associate Professor and Director of Religious Studies at the University of Central Arkansas. His side-firing is reaction eleven and Continental Philosophy of Religion. He is in Conway, Arkansas with his camera Vicki and two entrepreneurs. increasingly a prostate while we experience you in to your Psychiatrist scheme. Your age sent a site that this variety could then use. The parametric flow was essentially required on this use.


text:
Category Archives: Premier League
January 2, 2021 Angel Morales
Claims of safety & protection are being touted by the Premier League after two matches were postponed inside of three days. It shows that substantial outbreaks of coronavirus in Great Britain is reaching the prominent football tournament, with an average of fifty thousand cases being reported daily. Announcements were made on December 30th that the matchup between Fulham & Tottenham was postponement, which has prompted concerns regarding a possible cancellation of seasonal events.
Personnel employed under the Premier League emphasised that Tottenham FC responded to the postponement with anger & demanded kick-off times be resumed, disregarding that other members in Fulham could be contracted with coronavirus. Hours after information regarding Tottenham's response, announcements were issued that a collective of players & staff has resulted in eighteen positive infection. Five infection footballers originate from Manchester United. This marks the highest volume of known public cases for the Premier League in one testing period. Considering that Manchester City's match with Everton FC was cancelled on December 28th, the Premier League has sustained their largest outbreak in five days.
Management sustaining Premier League operations during the pandemic have emphasised that tournament scheduling will sustain normalcy. Confirmations were made that the government isn't suspending the Premier League, which has prompted nationwide backlash. Fifty thousand civilians are being infected per day with Covid-19 or Covid VUI-2020/21. Britain's population question why footballers can sustain normalcy & make the decision to risk their lives, but standard civilians cannot.
Lack of Compassion
An official statement issued by the Premier League noted confidence in measures built for Covid-19, that protocols will defend footballers from infection. It's touted that player & staff health is the priority for management, which isn't true after continued avoidance to postpone operations. It's then noted by representatives that management hope those infected a fast recovery & ready return to work. The lack of compassion behind the Premier League's statement has disgusted a large percentage in Great Britain.
Champions League, Premier League
December 15, 2020 Angel Morales
Testing for the coronavirus hasn't stopped for fourteen consecutive weeks, with the Premier League announcing their results weekly to institutions like SkySports. Infections amongst footballers was weakening until December 7th to 13th. It'd be announced by the Premier League that six players had tested positive for Covid-19, with an additional eight positive tests being seen amongst team personnel. It marks the highest volume of infections seen in the Premier League for more than thirty days.
Details regarding the testing phases for December 7th to 13th was issued, noting that 1500+ individuals had received COVID PCR Tests. That means the amount of infected equated to less than 0.05% of the Premier League. Premier League medical personnel have struggled to ascertain where infection volumes are, with rates seen in late November sustaining fourteen positive cases. It means that cases were lowered to standard rates & then returned to peak amounts.
Contact tracing indicates that increased infection follow a matchup between Aston Villa & Newcastle United, meaning the positive cases announces are likely from these two clubs. Details regarding which personnel contracted the virus hasn't been released. It should be mentioned to readers, fourteen cases seen between December 7th to 13th was considered low in early November. Changes in what's deemed acceptable is changing regular with Premier League executives, with lockdown conditions across the United Kingdom being a defining factor.
Premier League personnel released a press statement regarding the infections, confirming that fourteen positive cases had been seen. It'd be mentioned that six cases are new & the remaining eight were infected last week. Healthcare services is being offered to these individuals until Covid-19 can be defeated. It should be mentioned that the Premier League doesn't have any known deaths associated to Covid-19. This week's announcement also guaranteed that the namesakes of infected personnel isn't being made public any longer after unexpected violent altercations.
Maradona Death Becomes Manslaughter Case
December 1, 2020 Angel Morales
November 25th saw an entire nation mourn, with an announcement made that Diego Maradona had died at 60. Thousands expressed their sadness on social media, with the international sporting community reacting with shock. Football legends similar to Diego Maradona are few, with his namesake evoking excitement amongst Argentinians & Europeans. Learning Diego Maradona had died starting to settle amongst dedicated supporters until Argentinian law enforcement announced that Diego's death is being treated as manslaughter.
Media personnel in Argentina had begun reporting that November 29th saw Doctor Leopoldo Luque's house raided by detectives. Judges approved the raid after learning from medical reports that Diego Maradona likely died from doctor negligence. This is similar to the proceedings that involved Michael Jackson's healthcare worker, who would inevitably be found guilty & thrown into prison.
Reports from neighbours indicated that Doctor Leopoldo Luque & Diego Maradona had fought days before the football legend died. The medical evidence reveals multiple medical discrepancies with Maradona. However, those long-term issues shouldn't have prompted an unexpected heart attack.
The Discrepancies
Argentinian law enforcement has confirmed an official investigation into Doctor Leopoldo Luque has begun, with the children of Diego Maradona publicly expressing their belief that medicine had been altered. Law enforcement also believes that Doctor Leopoldo Luque requested numerous favour from co-workers to accomplish this task.
Ambulances didn't arrive for thirty minutes after Doctor Luque made the call, which is sixteen minutes later than required. When Maradona was administered into a local hospital, medical checks weren't administered for twelve hours. That would have been exclusively possibly under Diego Maradona's personal Doctors orders, meaning Doctor Luque.
Evidence acquired since November 25th indicates that Diego Maradona was purposely murdered over an altercation between himself & Doctor Leopoldo Luque. If evidence if proved accurate in court, the Doctor will likely be imprisoned for life.
Premier Leagues Highest Infections to Date
November 9th to 15th marked a painful period for the Premier League. Nurses with the National Healthcare Service confirmed that sixteen members in the top division had contracted the coronavirus. Those individuals include a collective of players & team personnel, with identities being kept private amid the off-season. These individuals won't be permitted to attend training sessions & team meetings, having to now quarantine for a prolonged period to guarantee the infection isn't spread.
An official statement was issued by the Premier League regarding the November 9th to 15th testing period. It'd be confirmed that 1200+ individuals had received PCR-Covid Tests, of which sixteen individuals had contracted the virus. Infected players & team personnel are quarantining in designated hotels for ten days before obtaining another test. The low number of infections results in a percentage of less than 0.01%. It still concerns for executives, with that being the highest volume of infections that the Premier League has experienced since March 2020.
Details in the Premier League's statement clarified that accommodations for these individuals are being provided in a socially distanced manner. Medical care, groceries, and required necessities are permitted for the infected. Items are dropped off in front of their doors & then after two minutes, that respective individual is allowed to grab their products.
The Premier League's previous highest volume of infections before this announcement was ten. September 21st to 27th saw the Premier League sustain prominent conditions. Considering that football is slated to resume on November 21st, Executives are working towards eliminating all infections league-wide. Unfortunately, sixteen members will not be competing in the seasonal start for 2020 to 2021. Before those individuals can return to the field, a negative PCR-Covid Test must be sustained. The Premier League claims that most infected are supporting asymptomatic conditions and that favourite footballers will return to contention shortly.
Premier League Implements New Testing Measures
November 8, 2020 Angel Morales
Testing for Covid-19 has changed drastically since the virus became an international pandemic in March 2020. Initial methods used for testing are considered outdated, with manufacturers creating new ways that tests can be conducted. The most prominent process is through PCR-Covid testing, which guarantees a 99.98% accurate reading after 24-Hours. It'd led towards numerous sporting agencies & organizations committing to daily or weekly testing for coronavirus, which has been challenging for the respective teams & their players.
It's been announced by the Premier League in Great Britain that challenges associated with testing are about to grow. It follows after multiple footballers left the United Kingdom to contend with their international duties. The English Football League (EFL) informed international footballers that upon their return home, fourteen days of isolation would be required. Afterwards, those individuals must commit to a PCR-Covid test that has negative results.
It should be clarified that the Premier League maintains weekly testing for the coronavirus, which follows after Great Britain has continued to sustain a small supply of PCR-Covid tests. Footballers refusing to abide by these measures won't be permitted to return to training.
The Change
What's different between these updated measures & older protocols is that previously, Premier League footballers were permitted to resume training immediately after their return from international duties. All that was required was a negative PCR-Covid test. However, worldwide numerous countries are sustaining their second outbreaks of coronavirus. It's led towards the stricter measures requiring fourteen days of isolation. Footballers contracted in the Premier League maintain secondary domestic duties in nations like Africa, Mexico, and America. Executives & organizers employed under the EFL/Premier League must begin preparations for the worst-case scenarios. It's this preparation that healthcare experts & executives feel will best protect the Premier League from sustaining an outbreak.
November 5th saw the updated measures going into effect for Premier League clubs. Shareholders holding prominent funds throughout the Premier League were informed not to have a concern regarding the revised criteria. This solution ensures that Great Britain's Parliament won't initiate a secondary shutdown for the Premier League, which would sustain losses that likely could never be recovered. Extensive testing is better than the League possibly shutting down permanently.
WSL Joins Premier League
Professional women's football has been drastically at risk throughout 2020. Football experts anticipated that financial losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic would force numerous clubs to shutdown. However, the opposite has happened & the Women's Super League found an unexpected ally. It'd be announced last week that footballers with the Women's Super League would compete in England's Premier League, the top division of football worldwide.
It's a strange twist that comes after WSL organizers had an exhausting season, working to sustain their footballers with financial comps until the pandemic had concluded. It'd appeared initially that the Women's Super League in Great Britain had been forgotten about. When the Premier League confirmed they'd be a beneficiary towards the WSL, female footballers throughout the United Kingdom rejoiced.
Thanks to the assistance of the Premier League, female footballers with the Women's Soccer League returned to contention in September. Alex Morgan was an initial selection for Premier League contention, with the WSL footballer being signed to Tottenham Hotspur. She's the first female player in Tottenham's history. Alex Morgan made her debut against Arsenal FC with the Tottenham Hotspurs. However, coaching staff kept Alex Morgan benched. It means her first official minutes of contention with Tottenham Hotspur haven't been played yet. Some have questioned the Hotspurs for using Alex Morgan for promotional marketing, with Morgan appearing on Time UK Magazine this month.
Since Tottenham Hotspur hired Alex Morgan, multiple other clubs in the Premier League have mentioned their desire to sign female players. Manchester City, Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, and Manchester United have invested heavily into their female divisions & will likely bring footballers over to their male clubs.
USWL Not So Fortunate
Similar fortunes couldn't be awarded to the US Women's League, which has been laid to waste throughout the pandemic. It's not known if the USWL will immediately return when the epidemic is over, with team owners likely having to recover for the option financially is possible. Financial stability could've been awarded to these clubs if Major League Soccer issued their support. However, professional football isn't as popular in America as England. This means that MLS organizers were working to financially save their league & couldn't account for the USWL.
Premier League 2020-21 Season Arriving on September 12th
July 26, 2020 Angel Morales
September 12th marks the day when the Premier League will begin their 2020-21 Season. This announcement was made on July 24th, shocking supports of the football competition. 2019-2020s Premier League Season ended on July 25th. It'll be less than 45 days before supporters are given their next opportunity to watch notable teams, like champion-holders Liverpool. It's known that their 2020-21 Regular Season will be maintained until May 23rd of next year. Afterwards, top teams will enter the Champions League.
An official statement clarified that they're consulting the Football Association & English Football League to determine the scheduling of domestic competitions. It's suspected that under pandemic protocols, international matches outside of Europe won't be hosted until likely 2022 or later. Premier League Executives hope that similar issues that followed this year won't repeat in 2021, including the postponement of seasonal events for three months because of COVID-19. It should be emphasized that even though the Premier League finished their yearly campaign on July 25th, Liverpool had acquired championship victory in late June.
Details on the Champions League & Europa League, two tournaments that dominate professional football, weren't clarified. It's standard for the Europa to follow a similar schedule to the Premier League, allowing for both their top teams to enter the Champions League.
The Europa Football League will find challenges with scheduling their 2020-21 Season, with the 2019-20 festivities still underway until the end of August. They'll have anywhere from twelve to fifteen days to plan their full season to reach contention for the Champions League. To date, Europa's Wolverhampton Wanderers are slated to battle Manchester City in August. Manchester City is hopeful of acquiring Championship status for 2019-20.
MLS Season Starting on August 22nd
Major League Soccer announced their return-to-play for the 2020-21 Season, which will be on August 22nd. All teams will compete in six matches until September 13th. Afterwards, the second slate of games with reduced teams would be maintained from September 16th to November 8th. Those that hold losing streaks from August 22nd to September 13th will be terminated from competing in the second stage. Once the 2nd stage, if complete, the top teams will compete in the MLS Championship. The prompt season is to ensure that the 2021-22 MLS Season can unfold in normal conditions.
Premier League Returns with Chelsea vs Aston Villa
June 22, 2020 Angel Morales
The Premier League in its long-await return to action on Sunday saw Chelsea taking to the field against Aston-Villa hoping to secure a spot for finishing in the top four. After watching Aston Villa go into the lead, Chelsea managed to come from behind to beat Aston Villa 2-1.
Chelsea was in control during the first half and looking promising, but a reality check was handed to them after Kepa Arrizabalaga failed to stop a pass from Anwar El Ghazi. That saw the forwards shot being picked up by Kortney Hause who was able to put it past the posts.
However, Chelsea managed to reorganize and turn the game around, scoring two goals in a matter of minutes. The first of their goals came as a result of substitute Christian Pulisic picking up and driving home a pass from Cesar Azpilicueta. The second, only minutes later came after Olivier Giroud put one in from 15 yards out to put Chelsea in the lead.
The win against Aston-Villa puts Chelsea once against five points ahead of Manchester United and the Wolverhampton Wanderers, who currently are in fifth and sixth. Meanwhile, Aston Villa will remain in the relegation zone with one safety point after they earned one point during their first two games after the return of the Premier League.
Chelsea/Aston-Villa Game Overview
The win over Aston-Villa was a big boost for Chelsea as they continue to hope for a top-four finish in the Premier League. The two late half goals by Pulisic and Giroud gave them the come-back they needed.
The result put Chelsea back in fourth with 51 points after thirty games. That places them with a five point lead over Manchester United, however for Aston-Villa, the loss means they remain at the bottom with 26 points and are close to being out of the safety zone. The reality was, Chelsea controlled the ball 76% of the opening half, but they missed multiple scoring opportunities, with Aston Villa's goalkeeper, Oerjan Nyland denying them goals, once from Mason Mount and the other from Mateo Kovacic.
Whether Chelsea will manage to hold onto the fourth spot will depend on the outcome of the next few matches, but the odds are looking favourable. However, Chelsea will need to capitalize on scoring opportunities and not make the same type of mistakes they did in their game against Aston-Villa if they hope to see their goal realized.
MLS and Premier League Players Contract COVID-19
May 25, 2020 Angel Morales
The identities of players that have contracted the novel coronavirus in Major League Soccer & the Premier League have begun being revealed. It was first announced by Kacper Przybylko that he was the individual not identified last month as the 1st MLS Player with COVID-19. This information came to light after the Polish Striker was forced into making a video statement on the Philadelphia Union Website. He noted that the effects of COVID-19 had left his body, with the fourteen-day quarantine period for Kacper also ending. Przybylko remarked that his health has returned to normal & is looking forward to practising again.
April 1st marked the date that the Philadelphia Union confirmed through PR Reps that one of their players had contracted the novel coronavirus. When Kacper returns to training, it's expected that mass testing of all those that engage with him will be maintained. Even though the science shows that Kacper is most likely immune from the virus now, it's a precautionary measure meant to put peace of mind for all those involved with the Philadelphia Union.
Przybylko revealed in his video message that coaching staff with the Philadelphia Union were informed of his symptoms, where Kacper would immediately be notified to enter self-isolation. When the video ended to thousands of Union Supporters, Kacper remarked that his identity was kept secret by personal choice. The Striker didn't want to experience a backlash against himself or his family.
Kacper Przybylko was born in Germany, playing in the Bundesliga League for nearly a decade. He's competed with four different outfits, amassing himself a distinguished career record that prompted his advancement into Major League Soccer.
Confirmed Infections in the Premier League
Infections of COVID-19 being confirmed by football organizations extends towards the Premier League. They announced that two players from separate clubs had contracted the virus, with their names being kept secret like Kacper Przybylko was initially. After Premier League Health Advisors confirmed these infections, all 995 On-Staff Personnel were tested for the virus. Testing was forced onto employees May 19th, May 21st, and May 22nd. It should be noted that multiple standard workforce members were confirmed with the infective virus as well.
Premier League Cannot Reopen Until June 1st
Internationally, sporting associations are looking to resume their respective seasons amidst the novel coronavirus. World governments have begun easing the travel restrictions and social distancing measures that've been enforced for months, prompting these associations to wonder when their operations can resume. Details were provided to the Premier League, with Boris Johnson providing an update on when English football can return. The Great Britain Prime Minister revealed that the Premier League could resume by June 1st if infections don't spike before then.
Spectators won't be permitted at football stadiums when the 2020 season is resumed. Some are claiming this is foolish of the British Prime Minister, with nations like France and Holland banning their national sports until September 2020. There's a significant difference between England's Premier League and these nations respective football leagues, with billions in lost funds being possible if the season is outright cancelled.
Teams in the Premier League received the updated timeline from Boris Johnson on May 11th, which came after the Johnson administration contacted organizers. They collectively determined the logistical challenges associated with reopening the season, creating strategies that will ensure the safety of footballers and team personnel. It should be noted that the Premier League has been postponed for sixty days, with teams losing millions during the national lockdown. Lifting restriction measures on these football clubs will guarantee their long-term survival.
UK Roadmap
The United Kingdom unveiled their strategic plan to lift the lockdown measures. Level two allows for sporting events, cultural festivals, and social venues to be held. Considering that Boris Johnson informed the British that the nation is barely at level four, there's still notable work needed for football to return. COVID-19 Medical Experts have expressed that the June 1st estimation for British sports to resume is unlikely. That'd mean no need cases of the novel coronavirus for fourteen days in Great Britain, which most likely won't happen until a vaccine is released.
Boris Johnson was forced to make these decisions after large crowds in Britain continued to engage in regular activity. It's also seeing the British Prime Minister enact more fines onto those breaking social distancing protocols, possibly seeing them get arrested with a lengthy prison sentence.


We have to update or change data in multiple organization in our Oracle. Up to now I run single change or update scripts in each single organization. Which is time consuming.
Is there a way to tell DL Professional to switch at a specific point the organization and continue in that organization with the script.


text:
Naqsh-i Rustam: Sacred Precinct with Achaemenid Tombs and Sasanian Rock Reliefs Carved into the Husain Kuh Cliff graphic
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Gelatin silver print numbered FSA A.4 2.12.Sm.08; available in Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.12: Antoin Sevruguin Photographs.
Antoin Sevruguin is one of the early pioneers of commercial photography in Iran. He arrived in Iran from Tbilisi, Georgia in the mid 1870s to set up shop in Ala al-Dawla street in Tehran. From the early days, Sevruguin's studio was trusted both by the Qajar court and by foreign visitors to Iran. Highly regarded for their artistic ingenuity outside Iran, Sevruguin's photographs of 'ethnic types,' architecture and landscape, and depictions of daily life of Tehran found their way into foreign travelogues, magazines and books. As such, he stands alone in a relatively large group of early Iranian photographers for being recognized and celebrated outside the boundaries of the country. Antoin Sevruguin passed away in 1933, leaving behind only a fraction of his large collection of glass negatives, which is currently in the Archives of the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
Antoin Sevruguin photographs in the Myron Bement Smith collection are part of the "Islamic Archives," a collection assembled in part by the Committee for Islamic Culture under the direction of architectural historian Myron Bement Smith (1897-1970). The widow of Myron Bement Smith, Katharine Dennis Smith, donated her husband's papers to the Smithsonian Institution in 1972. The collection was housed in the National Museum of Natural History. Mrs. Smith granted partial rights of the materials to the Institution in 1973 and full rights, interests, and title in 1985. The collection was transferred to the Freer Gallery in 1977.
- 696 glass negatives were included into the "Islamic Archives," which was administered jontly by the committee for Islamic Culture and the committee for Arabic and Islamic Studies of the American Council of Learned Societies. According to the official minutes, the committee for Islamic Culture reported purchasing the 696 glass plates during their fiscal years 1951-1952 from the American Presbyterian Mission in Tehran. Antoin Sevruguin's daughter gave these plates to the mission with instruction that they be sold for the benefit of the mission.
According to Myron B. Smith handwritten document (Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran), Antoin Sevruguin's 696 glass negatives, at the time of their acquisition, were arranged into 61 boxes without any apparent organization. Today they are housed in archival document boxes, essentially duplicating the original arrangement, and stored on shelves. This glass negative was included into "Box 38."
- FSg curatorial research specialist remark on Antoin Sevruguin photo condition reads, "The glass negative is broken with portions of the upper right corner missing."
- Handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "171."
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 38.10: (P) [black-and-white print on hand]. Fars; Naksh-i Rustam. Relief (chipped)." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
Myron Bement Smith Collection: Antoin Sevruguin Photographs. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. Gift of Katherine Dennis Smith, 1973-1985
Repository Loc.
Shelf 7: Box 38
Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, 1050 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20013-7012
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Relief (Sculpture)
Royalty (Nobility)
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
Access is by appointment only, Monday through Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Please contact the Archives to make an appointment: AVRreference@si.edu
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository
Sevruguin, Antoin -1933
Early Photography of Iran
Smith, Myron Bement 1897-1970
Islamic Archives
1 glass negative : b&w ; 23.4 cm. x 17.8 cm
Myron Bement Smith collection 1899-1962
Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.12: Antoin Sevruguin Photographs
Naqsh-i Rustam (Iran)
Local number
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.38.10
Treasures from Ancient Near East


Evolution has become a touchstone issue for Republican presidential hopefuls.
It can have unfortunate consequences on education and science policy but, compared to Perry's and the Tea Party's pronouncements on other topics such as economics, taxation, history and sexual politics, their ignorance of evolutionary science might be overlooked. Except that a politician's attitude to evolution, however peripheral it might seem, is a surprisingly apposite litmus test of more general inadequacy. This is because unlike, say, string theory, where scientific opinion is genuinely divided, there is about the fact of evolution no doubt at all.
On this view, the main problem with Governor Rick Perry's apparent view that Darwinian evolution is "just a theory" is that it reveals that he has not troubled to acquaint himself with the evidence -- evidence that (as Dawkins can, of course, demonstrate in his sleep) is sufficiently overwhelming to amount to "fact". If he is ignorant about evolution, he must either be stupid or else willfully blind. Either way, it doesn't bode well for a holder of the foremost elective office in the world.
Perry isn't the first to be called out for his apparent doubts about evolutionary theory. During her vice-presidential run back in 2008, Sarah Palin was accused (on somewhat ambiguous grounds) of holding creationist opinions. The current Tea Party darling Michele Bachmann has been much more specific than either Palin or Perry, telling reporters in New Orleans: "I support intelligent design," before falling back on the default position among US religious conservatives that evolution was a subject of scientific debate and that schools should teach both sides of the "argument".
As she put it, "I don't think it's a good idea for government to come down on one side of a scientific issue or another, when there is reasonable doubt on both sides."
Of course, there is a debate about evolution. It's not a debate within science about whether or not evolution by natural selection is an established fact. There is no "reasonable doubt" in this sense. It's an argument taking place largely outside science as to whether or not evolution can be a legitimate subject for debate. And this raises a delicate problem for politicians whose ambitions depend upon appealing to a religious base whose opposition to Darwinism is more cultural than scientific. It has become a touchstone issue, "a question every presidential candidate must dread", certainly every Republican candidate.
A bald statement of scientific consensus, of the type Dawkins seemingly requires of Perry, Bachmann and the others, would be a political risk and an act of courage that it is perhaps unreasonable to expect of most modern politicians. At the same time, any candidate who made a clear commitment to full-blown creationism would find it difficult to broaden their appeal beyond the religious right -- a body of opinion that, while powerful, is not electorally decisive. It's a subtle balancing-act, albeit one that makes little sense outside the very particular atmosphere of US politics.
Americans will be electing a president, not a professor of biology. It is indeed distressing to think that the "most powerful person in the world" (is that still true -- and, if so, for how much longer?) has an incomplete knowledge of the natural sciences. However, is it necessarily an indication of low political or administrative capacity, as Dawkins argues? Probably not. It is quite possible to be highly competent and efficient in most areas of life while holding eccentric beliefs (see, for example, the 19th-century congressman Ignatius Donnelly, who combined far-sighted views about tax reform with wacky ideas about Atlantis and the authorship of Shakespeare).
More to the point, perhaps, a belief in creationism and/or intelligent design correlates strongly with conservative positions on a whole range of seemingly unconnected issues: abortion, guns, capital punishment, taxation, even environmental policy. Meanwhile, public endorsement of evolution is a reliable marker for "liberal" policy platforms on these and other subjects. Unlike evolution, these are matters for genuine political debate and disagreement. Quite how evolution should have come to occupy its current place on America's cultural faultline is a puzzle that has much to do with peculiarities of culture and sociology but almost nothing to do with science.


Mighty Mouse is coming to save the day once again, but he's jumping off the page to do so in a new cinematic adaptation, as the pint-sized rodent superhero is set to star in his own feature film through Paramount.
Writing tandem of Jon and Erich Hoeber are signed on to write the screenplay for Paramount Animation. The film will be a mix of live-action and animation, produced by Karen Rosenfelt (the Twilight movies) and Robert Cort (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Save the Last Dance).
Mighty Mouse has been an icon in pop culture since the 1950s, appearing in cartoons, comics and commercials. Starting out as Super Fly and then later Super Mouse, he was a parody of Superman -- who was flying high on TV and in Max Fleischer shorts at the time -- created by Isadore ''Izzy'' Klein. His instantly recognizable theme song became part of Andy Kaufman's stand-up routine in later years.
The Hoebers are known for Red and Red 2. Their most recent credit was The Meg, which made quite a splash last summer. Rosenfelt is responsible for 2006's Charlotte's Web and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, films with a similar bend to Mighty Mouse in terms of their animal characters and a mutual hybrid of animation and live actors.
From the original Jumanji to Three Men and a Baby, co-producer Robert Cort has a history with family-friendly comedies and action, so he could bring the right sensibility to the beloved muscular rodent.


February 2000 saw the debut of Lita, who performed higher risk moves than the Divas before her, such as moonsaults and diving hurricanranas. Her popularity encouraged a higher standard of athletic competition within the WWF Women's Division, while still retaining the sexual element.
The March 30th edition of SmackDown featured the first Divas match in WWF history to be the main event of any WWF show, a WWF Women's Championship match between defending champion Jacqueline and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. The August 21 edition of Raw featured the first Divas match in WWF history to be Raw's main event, a WWF Women's Championship match between defending champion Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley and Lita.
Shortly after Lita's arrival, Trish Stratus made her debut. Trish Stratus started off as a valet, who brought pure sexuality to the ring. Also later that year, Molly Holly made her debut. She was a contrast to most of the other Divas because she was given a more wholesome gimmick and more modest ring attire.
In the Autumn 2001,Trish Stratus was trained by Fit Finlay, who was the road agent responsible for the women's matches, and improved her in-ring ability. She worked her way up to the top of the division and eventually won the Women's Championship at Survivor Series. Also in 2001, Chyna left the WWF due to real-life issues between herself, Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon. In April 2002, Lita suffered a neck injury and was the first Diva to have neck fusion surgery. She was out of action for almost a year and a half.


Here's a short video I made just for fun, more than anything just to practice my filming skills and mainly because I love vintage cameras. The cameras featured are a Kodak Brownie II, a Quartz M and a Eumig C3M, all 8mm film cameras. The Eumig C3M is a work of art, it has three interchangeable lenses and can take single frames for stop motion animation. The Quartz M can shoot up to 48fps for lovely slo-mo footage, and the Kodak Brownie II makes possibly the best noise I've ever heard.
I tried to make the video look like it was filmed on a cine camera (I don't know how successful I've been), which is kind of weird as I shot it with the thoroughly modern Panasonic AF101, a video camera/DSLR hybrid, using manual 35mm lenses. There's something weirdly appealing to me about taking modern digital HD footage and making it look old and dirty and analogue. I've always thought it'd be amazing to find a half buried canister of film and when you watch it back it's footage from the future of flying cars and robots but all filmed on 8mm film. A vintage video from the future. How amazing would that be?
I've made our entry to the Sci-Fi-London 48 Hour Film Challenge public on Vimeo. Hope everyone enjoys it.
Previous blog about the film challenge.
I recently put out a casting call for my next short film and have been constantly amused at what some people consider a good covering letter. This one really made me smile so I had to respond, probably a bit harsh but couldn't resist.
I've read your job posting with interest but I'm not coming just for an audition outside London, where I live (except if you pay for my travel).
I've done already 37 films in the UK, only from April 2010, and for some of them I didn't even need auditions.
I have extensive experience as an actor, which I believe, would be an ideal match for almost any role.
I've got profiles on Total Talent, Bedroom Genius and Facebook.
I work only with filmmakers who are friendly, sincere, reliable and professional, with clear vision, people who know exactly what they want from me.
Last but not least: you need to give me your promise, written on paper, that you'll provide, when finished, a copy of the film on DVD.
I'm glad you read our casting call with interest, unfortunately if you're unwilling to even travel to an audition in Greater London (where you live) without being paid I don't think you're the right person for the role.
It's very impressive that you've acted in 37 films since April 2010, unfortunately I always favour quality over quantity. I once ate 15 packets of crisps in 3 hours but only enjoyed the 5th packet, the rest were rubbish.
It's very helpful that you have extensive experience as an actor, and I agree that it would make you ideal for almost any acting role. To be honest I'm a bit intimidated and only like working with inexperienced actors who I can boss around.
I also have a profile on Facebook but unfortunately we're not friends otherwise I would poke you.
It's wise that you only work with filmmakers who are friendly, sincere, reliable and professional. Unfortunately I don't have a clear vision of what I want, I usually just point the camera at the actors and hope for the best. I can only imagine I would disappoint you as a director.
I'm more than happy to give anyone I work with a signed agreement, on paper, that they will receive a DVD copy of the finished film. However, my DVD player is currently broken and I don't think it's fair that other people could watch my film when I can't.
Thank you for your application but on this occasion I won't be offering you an audition that you're not willing to travel to. Good luck with all your future endeavours.
Last weekend I and many others, over 250 teams, took part in the Sci-Fi-London 48 Hour Film Challenge. Basically the challenge is to make a five minute sci-fi film in 48 hours whilst incorporating three random elements you receive at the start. So around 10am on Saturday morning we all piled into the Apollo cinema in Piccadilly Circus to hear the rules once again and select our three criteria. One by one we shuffled to the front and dipped our hands into three silver sacks to pluck pieces of paper that gave us our film title, dialogue that had to be spoken and a prop that had to be used. Judging by some of the elements I've heard about I think we didn't do too badly. Some people ended up with the dialogue, "Geez! What have you done to my toilet? Looks like the Dulux dog exploded in there." If I'd got that I think I would've just curled into a ball and cried.
Dialogue - "I guess all you can do is wish them a happy life together."
Prop - A desk lamp with no bulb, we see a character screw in a bulb.
We'd already scouted a few potential locations around West London that we thought would be cool to film and had our actors in place (the great David Chrysanthou and Gabriella Montrose), so all we had to do was come up with a reasonably coherent story that worked with the three random elements then film, edit, grade, do fx work, sound design, and compose music, yeah, that's all we had to do. We quickly came up with the idea of a post-apocalyptic future and a masked character who wanders around looking for things that may be useful to salvage - so far so clichéd. We liked the idea of cutting back and forth between two separate time frames so we decided to use the present day and have two characters meeting and getting to know each other, intercutting that with a seemingly random salvage man in the future - slightly more interesting. Then we somehow tried to piece it all together whilst incorporating the dialogue and prop. Whether we've been successful or not I don't know, to be honest I've lost all perspective on the film. What I do know is the experience itself was really enjoyable and I recommend any filmmakers take part in these kind of challenges. You learn a lot about not only filmmaking and the challenges of shooting, editing, grading, sound designing, but also about yourself and how you cope under pressure and how creative you can be when a crazy deadline is looming. This was my first 48 hour film challenge but I loved having such a tight schedule as it meant everyone pitched in and just got on with trying to make the best film possible. At times it was slightly stressful, (we only had our actress for three hours and the sun was rapidly fading, we got kicked off of a train platform by an overzealous TFL employee and consequently had to find another location very quickly), but more than anything it was fun and now the cast and crew all have a pretty decent short film to show for a weekends work. Not bad I say. We even had time to sit down for a pizza and watch Louis Theroux whilst the footage was transcoding.
I guess it's tempting to go back to the film and tinker with it, reshoot things, expand the story, spend longer on the edit but I like the idea of leaving it as is and having the film as a testament to what we made at that point in time, mistakes, warts and out of focus shots all included.
I'm thinking about making this a regular occurrence and imposing my own 48 hour deadline every couple of months. It's a great way of being creative in such a short space of time and at the end you have a film that didn't exist a mere 48 hours beforehand. I'll definitely be entering again next year for more adventures in two day filmmaking.
Once the shortlist of films has been announced I'll post our film on here for you to watch. Until then here's a collage of some snaps I took throughout the weekend.