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How director Edgar Wright steered Baby Driver to global success
The director talks about his film's testing shoot, ecstatic reception, likely sequel — and Kevin Spacey
December 04, 2017 at 04:00 PM EST
Credit: Don Arnold/WireImage
In April 2016, your writer visited the Atlanta set of Baby Driver, writer-director Edgar Wright's thriller about a tinnitus-afflicted getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) who continually blasts music into his ears. Among the principals with whom EW spoke were Wright, Elgort, his costar Jon Hamm, producer Nira Park, choreographer Ryan Heffington, and stunt coordinator-second unit director Darrin Prescott, who that day was helping oversee the filming of a gunfight in a parking lot.
"It's a challenging film," said Prescott, whose stunt career dates back to the mid-'90s, when he doubled for Arnold Schwarzenegger on Batman & Robin. "It seems like there's big stunts every day. The challenge is that we're trying to time everything to music. So, we've taken an already challenging task and just put the icing on the cake with the addition of the music. Each day seems like a challenge, Clark. I'm so tired man! I'm so tired!" When EW pointed out that Prescott looked fine the second unit director smiled. "I do?" he deadpanned. "I'm only 18!"
A year-and-a-half on, Prescott's toils have proven very much worth the effort. Since its release this summer, Baby Driver has earned $226 million in cinemas around the world, despite reportedly costing just $34 million. That makes the Sony Pictures movie comfortably the most commercially successful film to be directed by Wright, whose previous credits include the so-called Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy (2004's Shaun of the Dead, 2007's Hot Fuzz, 2013's The World's End), and the 2010 comic book adaptation Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Baby Driver was also widely praised by critics, with EW's Devan Coggan describing the film as a "giddy, adrenaline-filled joyride that'll leave you gripping the edge of your seat and tapping your feet," in the course of her "A-" review. Over the past week, Baby Driver was named one of the Top 10 films of the year by National Board of Review, nominated for a Best Compilation Soundtrack Grammy, and hailed as the best film of 2017 by Hairspray and Cry-Baby filmmaker John Waters in his annual list of big screen recommendations.
"What's funny about that is, you cut together these things called 'mood reels' for the studio, to [say] 'This is the kind of the vibe of the movie,'" says Wright. "The mood reel for Baby Driver was comprised of clips from, like, 60 films, but one of them was a little clip from Cry-Baby. So, it was a weird kismet that John Waters really responded to it. I was thrilled that he put it at No. 1. Also, what he said about it really made me happy. He said something along the lines of, 'It's a great popcorn movie, an art movie, a gear-head classic, and it made over $100 million.' [Laughs] I'm glad he said it was an art film. I'm glad that other directors — or anyone really — can respond to that element of it." An out-and-out music nut, Wright is similarly thrilled by the Grammy nomination. "It's incredible," he says. "I didn't really think it my wildest dreams. You don't go into a film like this thinking about these things. So, at this point, it's all like a glorious bonus."
Credit: Wilson Webb/Sony
Wright first conceived the idea of a thriller whose action, both big and small, would match the rhythms of its soundtrack back in the mid-'90s while editing his debut film, the micro-budgeted comedy-western called A Fistful of Fingers. The main inspiration was "Bellbottoms," the jagged, just-released track by New York rock band, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, which accompanies the opening Baby Driver bank robbery-getaway sequence. "I had made a movie, but I don't think I would ever have dared say that I was a film director," Wright told EW earlier this year. "I had made A Fistful of Fingers. I moved to London to edit it and I was trying to figure out what the next step was. I had a duped audio cassette of the Orange album — apologies to Jon Spencer — and I used to sit in my bedroom, listening to this album over and over. I didn't know what the movie was yet, but I started to imagine this car chase."
Over the next decade, Wright repeatedly tested out his idea to marry music with onscreen action, most notably on the music video for Mint Royale's techno track "Blue Song" and then the sequence in Shaun of the Dead when various characters assault a zombie with pool cues in time to Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now." The latter movie also inaugurated what would prove to be a highly successful partnership between Wright, producer Park, and Working Title Films, the British production company overseen by Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan, to which Wright ultimately, and successfully, pitched Baby Driver. "I had the first inkling of the idea in 1995 but I think the first time I actually said it aloud to Nira Park and Eric Fellner, my producers, was 10 years ago," says Wright. "After Hot Fuzz came out, I was about to sign a two-picture deal with Working Title and they said, 'What ideas have you got?' And I said, 'I really want to do an action car chase movie that is completely powered by music, so it's almost like an action-musical.' And Eric was like, 'I want to see that!' One of the first people that worked on it with me was Steve Price, who went on to be the composer of the film, but back then he was a music editor. Now, he's an Oscar-winning composer, for Gravity. But he started helping me break down the tracks. Even back then, 10 years ago, I had 10 of the songs worked out — like, this is the song and this is what's going to happen. But I said, 'Can you help me break them down because I don't read music?' I think I started writing the script proper in 2010 after Scott Pilgrim and then I had a draft in 2011."
But Baby Driver was put on the back-burner as Wright first wound up the Cornetto trilogy with The World's End and then began prepping another long-in-the-works project, his Marvel movie Ant-Man, for which he had written the script with Attack the Block director Joe Cornish and assembled an impressive cast, including Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas. Then, in May 2014, it was announced that Wright and Marvel had parted ways due to what the official statement described as "differences in their vision of the film." If the split was bad news for fans wanting to see a Wright-helmed superhero movie it was excellent news for those interested in seeing a Wright-directed car chase extravaganza. "As you know, I had a disappointment of sorts in having to walk off another movie," says the filmmaker. "The one thing that was like a bright thing on the horizon was that I already had the Baby Driver script. As soon as I had officially left the Marvel movie, I literally got an email from Working Title saying, 'Baby Driver next?'"
Among Wright's initial tasks was finding his 'Baby.' "That was the first question," says the director. "It's like, 'You've written a part for a 20-year-old, which 20-year-old actor could pull this off?' And so, around that time, even before we had a deal with a studio, I started casting at Working Title. I just read every young actor out there and Ansel was one of them, Ansel was one of the first people I saw, and I really vibed with him straight away. He's a fan of music, he plays lots of instruments, he writes music, he sings, he dances. And there were a couple of [other things]. Like, even though Ansel's 20 years younger than me, there's this tiny part of the Venn diagram where our tastes intersect. For example, that fact that Ansel knows 'Easy' by the Commodores off by heart. There's an element of an old soul in Ansel and that was something I thought connected with what I had already written."
Credit: Wilson Webb/Sony Pictures
Wright cast Hamm, Jamie Foxx, Jon Bernthal, and Eiza González, among others, as bank robbers; CJ Jones as Baby's guardian; Lily James as a waitress for whom our hero falls; and Kevin Spacey as a criminal mastermind who refuses to let him go straight. Meanwhile, the director put together a crack behind-the-camera team which mixed former collaborators like director of photography Bill Pope with Wright-newbies, including stunt coordinator Prescott and choreographer Heffington. "The great thing with this movie is that I got to work with mostly my regular team — my director of photography, my production designer, editors, producers, are all people that I've worked with many many times," says Wright. "And then each project requires something new, and in this case, it was the stunts and also the choreography. So, the movie required a real car expert, and that man was Darrin Prescott. I met him, and gave him the challenge of like, 'In this movie, on the budget we have, we still have to have three state-of-the-art car scenes, so let's figure out how we can do something that really stands out from the pack.' Then the other part of it, which has been enormously fun, is working with Ryan Heffington, the choreographer. This is his first full feature, actually, but I knew him from the Sia videos he had done, most famously 'Chandelier.' It's a dream for me to do a movie where there is a dance choreographer on set every day. Because there are big scenes that are more obviously choreographed, but even in tiny scenes where, like, Ansel is tapping his hands on the table, [there] is a little bit of choreography. On top of that, one of my proudest things about the movie is the disparate parts of the crew getting on like a house on fire. You know, a great crew, as well as a great cast, it is all about working together. I know that sounds like stating the obvious, but there are lots of other movies where the different teams are all working in isolation. I like to do the opposite, where I lay it all out: This the movie! It makes a very ambitious, very strenuous, exhausting production, fun. Because they all get on even though it's a Herculean effort. This movie was shot in less days than The World's End, for example, which given the amount of action might sound slightly crazy, but that's exactly what happened."
Baby Driver premiered at Austin's SXSW Festival in March, where it received an ecstatic reception, encouraging Sony to push the film's U.S. release forward from Aug. 11 to June 28. The movie grossed an impressive $30 million over its first five days of release, and good word of mouth gave the movie box office legs, ultimately leading to a domestic take of $107 million. The film's success around the world was aided by a lengthy, continent-hopping publicity tour undertaken by Wright and Elgort. "I did 25 cities in 14 countries," says the director. "It was that rare, nice thing where the tour extended whilst we were out on the road, because the film was a hit in the U.S. and the U.K., and then Sony put in the request, saying, 'Would you guys come to Mexico? Would you guys come to Asia?' And it's like, 'Yeah! I'm really proud of this movie, I'm going to do everything I can to support it.' I ended it at the Venice Film Festival, which was both like a dream, being on the jury, but also like a very intense and exhausting way to end everything. Then, I had to go away like a monk for three weeks on my own, and just not see anybody, or not talk to anybody, and read some books."
In the time since Wright stepped away from the spotlight, the entertainment business, and society at large, has been shaken by a string of sexual misconduct scandals involving public figures. These included the allegation by actor Anthony Rapp in late October that Kevin Spacey made a sexual advance toward him when Rapp was just 14. In the weeks following, many more people have stepped forward to detail how they were abused by the Baby Driver actor. How did Wright react when he learned of these allegations?
"The truth of it is that I only had a professional experience with him and I wasn't aware of any misconduct during production," says the director. "I'm as troubled and distressed as I'm sure you are by the accounts that have come out in the last five weeks. All I can really do is offer my support to the victims that have come forward and be aggrieved on their behalf. I want to stress that hundreds of other cast and crew members worked on this movie and they contributed truly great work to this production. I remain very proud of the finished film and I remain very proud of their tireless efforts. I don't want to appear insensitive in any way, but I really have to celebrate the incredible work of my cast and crew. I would be nothing without them and I don't want them to be tarnished by the private actions of one person."
Looking forward, Wright says he has yet to officially sign on to his next directing project but he is likely to be involved in a follow-up to Baby Driver at some point. "Those talks are already in the works," he reveals. "The deal is being hammered out as we speak. So, hopefully, I'm going to at least write a second one. I've definitely got lots of ideas. Whether it's the next movie, I don't know. I'm just working that out at the moment, actually. I have a couple of things that I've been developing, and also a couple of new ideas that I had, and all the nice things things that I've been offered since [the release of Baby Driver]. I would like to get back on the saddle very shortly, because — slightly beyond my control — but there was four years between The World's End and Baby Driver. I don't want it to be that long again. I would love to have a film out in the next two years."


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Current Affairs Journalism Politics
Sinclair Broadcast Group And The Infamous Fake News Script
The weekend revelations about the transformation of the Sinclair Broadcast Group in the United States into the Pravda of American television has taken some people by surprise (not least, because many thought that Fox News was fulfilling that role). However the family-owned cable business, with its legion of local TV stations across the country, has been moving in that direction for decades. As CNN reported at the start of March, the ultra-conservative management of the company has issued instructions to all of its affiliates, insisting that their anchors promote a conspiratorial script about "fake news", effectively in support of President Donald Trump. The sports and news site, Deadspin, has put together a nice video of the end product.
TagsCNN • Deadspin • Donald Trump • Fake News • Fox News • Sinclair Broadcast Group • United States of America
7 comments on "Sinclair Broadcast Group And The Infamous Fake News Script"
Media continues to undergo death by a thousands cuts. Did Sinclair execs really think no one would pick up on this?
ar an sliabh
Isn't that the truth. It's ironic CNN is bringing the story with their sordid past. It just, once again, shows how the media have turned into pure propaganda organs of whoever pays their bill.
Sinclair has flown under the radar for many years, so they probably thought they'd get away with it. Federal approval for new acquisitions has put it under the spotlight for the first time in a long time.
To be fair, corporate scripts/promos like this are fairly common among affiliates in the US, as I understand it. However they usually steer clear of the newsrooms and if they do it is usually a focus on shared fluff stories (rollerskating dogs and the like).
This was much more partisan and in very obvious Trump-like language.
You're right that the scripted material is usually fluff stories. This takes it to a whole new low, however.
Exactly, I do think the role of the Pravda switches now depending on who is in charge, however. Fox for the ReTurds and CNN for the DemoRats.
The treatment of Phil Donahue was disgraceful. Today he would be considered a liberal martyr but back then most of the media lined up behind the Iraq invasion and turned their backs on him. And few have made an effort to apologise for when they turned on the lone – and sane – voice in the political wilderness post-9/11.
I noticed that Chris Matthews has made some attempt to defend the US media position viz. the War on Terror in recent years, trying to claim that not everyone was behind the Iraq invasion which is just bollocks. 90% of the mainstream media were cheerleaders for the actions and the 10% were sidelined. Like Donanhue.
It was a way for them to remove the last of the real reporters. They set the tone for the new generation to do as they are told.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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« The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan, 2012)
Human evil and stupidity: Compliance and The Impostor. »
I've watched several films this month that I wanted to review and planned to, but in the end a holiday abroad meant I never got around to it. Now I can't write about them, because that breaks my golden rule of only writing with my immediate reactions and thoughts in mind. It's hard work recalling everything that stood out, and justified enthusiasm is even harder to retain and duly release weeks on.
So the following four will sadly have to get a measly few lines instead. They were all interesting and worthwhile, even when they were bad. Here goes nothin'.
Husbands and Wives – This short Allen film from the early 90s is way under-looked. It's about break-ups and how marriages go stale and how humans simply might not be built as monogamous swans – all that Up In The Air stuff he returns to so often and does so well. The difference here is that it's the darkest humour he's done, and Interiors aside it's probably the most serious and dramatic film in his oeuvre. But the difference is that, unlike Interiors, it works. It was shot around the same time that Farrow discovered Allen's affair with Su-Yi, and yet they somehow finished the film anyway. That knowledge alone ups the tension. But then there's the fact that, paradoxically, the film ends up being a great paean to marriage as a long-term, stable, loving institution. Yes, not accommodating the conflicting desires of another and acquiring sexual freedom may have its perks. But they soon pale in comparison to the joys of having someone with which to share everything. It's a conservative case by example for staying strong through thick and thin, and banishing any foolish thoughts that insist an alternative may be better. Allen may seem to have been rejecting that message at the very time he shot the film, but fortunately history has proven otherwise. Su-Yi and him clearly are long-term companions. So there's no stench of hypocrisy to cloud the atmosphere. He's ended up living in a way loyal to the film.
Midnight Cowboy – So let me get this straight: a 60s film about a male prostitute packed with sex and psychedelia won Best Picture? The Academy was hipper then than it is 40 years later, as last year it lacked the balls to even acknowledge Shame? It's quite astounding that this won awards. Voight plays a Texan faux-cowboy hustler pursuing happiness by heading for New York on a greyhound bus, checking into a cheap hotel and hitting the streets immediately. The freedom soon dries up once his money is spent, his naivete shows, and he's left in God-awful poverty scrounging off a guy who swindled him but turns out to be equally poor and hopeless. That guy's Hoffman, and the quaintest of friendships soon flourishes. It's all very American; a bonkers mixture of bohemian liberty and a dark economic reality. Do yourself a favour; check it out.
Bringing Up Baby – I bought myself a colossal Cary Grant collection off Amazon for my 21st, and this Howard Hawks screwball with Hepburn is the first I've caught. Grant plays a geek-zoologist tracking down the final bone for his dinosaur sculpture, at least until he gets caught up in the transportation of a leopard called Baby courtesy of the calamitous Hepburn. I hadn't seen her in anything before, but she came across as riotously free and funny. The film was worthwhile for one scene alone of Grant following and cursing a dog who has buried the dinosaur bone. The rest of the gags that fill it were icing. Lick it up.
The Usual Suspects – Much recommended by friends, but I could barely stand it. A plot denser than Tinker Tailor and no more interesting, only Spacey's mystical performance offered a hint of redemption. Yes, the twist is a real and huge one, but I didn't find myself wanting to reflect on the way it recoloured everything. Probably because I couldn't reflect. There's enough names in the preceding ninety minutes to rival a Russian novel. Bring a notepad and you might stand a chance.
No Responses Yet to "Four for early August."


Whether you are in need of recovery from a day of outdoor recreation, or just a moment to relax and rejuvenate your mind and body, taking an hour to "float" may be the perfect addition to your vacation. If you are a seasoned pro, or completely new to the concept, Sync Float Center has everything you may need.
Floating takes place in a private tank or pod that helps limit all external light and sound. The pod is filled with 10 inches of warm (body temperature) water with enough salt to allow your body to float effortlessly, giving the sensation of zero gravity. The water is warm to match your skin temperature and allows you to float peacefully with minimal distractions.
I recently had the opportunity to visit Sync Float Center and was able to try their floatation pods.
After a shower, I entered the pod and pulled down the door to start my session.
It's important to know that during your session you are in complete control of your environment, each pod comes equipped with a light switch, option for music, and an intercom to communicate with the front desk.
Floating is an incredibly personal experience that allows people to clear their minds and take a relaxing break from the chaos of everyday life. At first, one may find the experience weird or even boring, however, eventually your thoughts slow down, and you begin to relax. Some people may use this time to exercise meditation and breathing practices.
From my personal experience, after entering the pod and turning off the lights, I noticed that my mind was racing with random thoughts. I decided to count and pay attention to my breathing to help focus on something other than my constant thinking. After a few rounds of counting, I started to feel more relaxed and I started thinking without interruption. I lost track of time and decided to turn on the music (which I really enjoyed). However, suddenly the pod's jets turned on and a light came on, informing me that my one-hour session had ended.
Afterward, I was greeted with a hot tea (that I selected during my orientation) and took a seat in the lobby. Here I had the opportunity to talk with the staff member and ask questions. I decided to sit and enjoy my tea and just reflect on the experience a little bit more before leaving.
Once again, floating is a personal experience and can have a wide range of effects for people. For me, walking out of the building, I could tell that I felt much better than I did before entering the building. I didn't have an injury or anything specific that I was thinking about, but afterward, I felt a sense of comfort and calmness that I didn't have walking in. Honestly, it felt like I had just unloaded a lot off my mind.
I do plan to return and am excited about my next experience. Next time, I think I'll start with music and then end with silence. Additionally, I will leave my phone in the car, as the time afterward is still peaceful and I know my phone could potentially interrupt that moment. For those looking for something new, or an alternative to the traditional spa experience, I would encourage you to give floating a try.
Still curious? Make sure to check out Sync Float Center's frequently asked questions page.


Silviculturalists often require skills to be tailored on the job. You will also get specialized training at different points in your career as you move up the ladder. You can increase your job choices if you finish a one- to three-year college program for forestry technologists, renewable resource managers or forest rangers.
This is the high end of the Canadian average. In some areas, silviculturalists make up to $36 per hour.


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Loren Mohapatra's Fundraiser:
Please Help Suffers Of Cyclone Phailin To Rebuild Their Home
BENEFITING: GLOBAL CHILDREN CAMBODIA
EVENT DATE: Nov 14, 2013
Loren Mohapatra
Cyclone Phailin did $696 million worth damage to coastal districts of Odisha. So many people have their living places completely destoryed! Please help us give a roof over their head!
Cyclone Phailin
It was a powerful tropical cyclone that caused substantial damage in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, India, in early October 2013. There was reported loss of $696 million. Wind speed reached 260 km/h and it nearly destroyed all of costal villages. With a reported loss of official 45 casualities and unofficialy 93 it was the worst cyclone in last 12 years. The Indian Government did a good work by moving 550,000 people up from the coastline in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to safer places. There were free food camps hosted by government, but still they haven't given many people a home to live.
Flood After Cyclone Phailin
Most of the damage happened due to the heavy rain that took place after cyclone. Heavy rain from 23 Oct to 27 Oct casued flood in so many cities of Odisha.
Damage Estimation
Total damage caused by both flood and cyclone was nearly $1 billion dollar.
What Is Our Goal
We are not trying to raise fund for all the affected people over Odisha. Frankly $103,696 is far less money to accomplish that cause. We will build wooden homes which will estimately hold about 1090-2018 people. That's all!
Help Millions!
Your fund can create smile in faces of millions. Sure you donate everyday for personal causes like cancer or cure of a dieased kid. All that money just goes to the cause of that child only. Here is a chance you can help millions of people. Please don't hold yourselves back. Come forward and help people in need.
Make A Smile In The Faces Of Children
Nov 14 is celebrated as Children's Day in India. But still there are so many children like yours who don't have a roof over their head yet. Don't you want to see a smile on their faces? Or do you just want to leave them as they are?
Debashisa Jena
Akhaya Mohaptra
0% Raised of$103,696 Goal


Uploaded February 3, 2009 3:58am .
All kinds of fabulous sonic shapes in here, another great track!
Excellent work… reminds me of some of my favorite video game soundtrack music. Would work very well in a Metroid game or in Portal… in other words, something sci-fi with a female protagonist, I guess!
doh! that was me that made that last comment about this. Sorry. Wasn't logged in.
love the percs. And clever sampling cuts. The quiet hold loops are especially neat. Really neat tunes. I take it you like ableton live to be demoing to friends, eh?


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Saving Lives & Building the Community Spirit in Si...
"When a man loves a woman" by Deborah Choo
Saving Lives & Building the Community Spirit in Singapore
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go and do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
- Howard Thurman, African American pastor, philosopher and author -
The run up to the Lunar New Year 2012 saw The New Paper (TNP) covering 3 reports that demonstrates that many people are unable to cope with the stresses of life. Anger management, the high costs of living and the increasing number of people suffering from mental illnesses need to be addressed and tackled - quickly. Our suicide rates have also gone up, and so have our divorce cases.
TNP report 1
(a) In the Woodlands chopper attack- "Wife denies flirting, then slashes hubby" published on Tuesday 17th January 2012, 59-year-old Mr Ng Tiong Lam was slashed in both arms and ear by his wife, 48-year-old Madam Boon Soon Leong who suffered from depression. Madam Boon later died after falling from their 10-storey Woodlands flat. The couple had been quarreling often over his gambling habits and her drinking sessions with men outside a foodcourt near their flat.
A neighbour living on the same floor of the couple's flat told a journalist that the police had been called 20 times to break up the fights between Mr Ng and Madam Boon.
What puzzled me is that why didn't the police refer their marital problems and the husband's gambling habits to the Ministry of Community Development, Youths and Sports (MCYS)? A life could have been saved if somebody just cared, but sadly, no one did.
(b) In another TNP report, "Woman sat naked on toilet bowl for two and a half years" published on Thursday 19th January 2012, Madam Leong Mee Yan who suffers from mental illness sat in the toilet for two and a half years, claiming that "there's a force holding me down." According to her husband, Mr Ong Kian Ann during her two and a half years stay in the toilet, Madam Leong showered only 18 times. Mr Ong appeared helpless and was contemplating leaving her, but could not find it in his heart to do so. With the help of Mr Ong' niece, he finally decided to call the police and got her admitted to IMH. With medication from IMH, Madam Leong's condition is slowly improving, but her husband hopes that with physiotherapy, his wife can one day regain the use of her legs and walk again.
"Knife attack in queue to see MP" published on Friday 20th January 2012 spoke of an angry handicapped man in his 50s' who attacked a man whom he felt had jumped the queue. Police had to be called in and the handicapped man was later arrested.
Another foreign student dies mysteriously
In a separate incident, a 20-year-old student from China - Miss Lan Xing Ye attending a bridging programme at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) was found dead in one of NTU's halls on the night of Friday 20th January 2012. Shin Min newspaper reported that a roommate told the reporter that Lan suffered from clinical depression.
Task force urgently needed to tackle suicides, mental illness, and anger management & divorce cases
Given the increasing number of people, both local and foreigners who are unable to cope with the stresses of life, with several dying tragically, I urge the government to set up a task force to tackle the rising number of people suffering from mental illness, to bring the suicide rates down, to address the increase in divorce cases and to find sustainable solutions for anger management. We are too economically driven that we forget that human lives are more valuable than anything else.
What is also needed is to intensify public education on mental illness. We must reach out to all sectors of the population, train grassroots leaders on how to manage the illness and train caregivers how to manage a loved one stricken with mental illness and help them in their recovery.
Building the community spirit here in Singapore
How much difference can one person make? Imagine the impact of the entire nation working together to improve the community.
If you have been to IMH for meetings or attended talks there, you will find the word "KAIZEN" written on one of its rooms. So, what is "KAIZEN" and how is it related in this chapter?
"KAIZEN"was created in Japan following World War II. The word Kaizen means "continuous improvement". It comes from the Japanese words ("kai") which means change or "to correct" and ('zen") which translated means "good".
Kaizen is a system that involves every employee - from upper management to the cleaning crew. Every worker is encouraged to come up with small improvement suggestions on a regular basis. This is not a once-a-month or once-a-year activity, but a continuous all-the-year round process that encourages employees to submit ideas to improve the company's performance. Japanese companies such as Toyota and Canon have staff submitting 60 to 70 suggestions a year.
I found the KAIZEN system very useful and applied it in my own scope of work during my stint with a big media company, as well as in the community work which I have been doing.
Here are 3 proposals that I submitted to the government when I was serving in the government feedback focus groups.
( 1 ) Setting up a Singapore Wish Foundation – Idea submitted to the late President Ong Teng Cheong on 9 June 1999
I was deeply moved by a movie which I watched on the Malaysian TV network sometime in May 1999. The film was based on a true story about a young American child by the name of Missy who was stricken with cancer. Missy, who was dying from the deadly disease, had one wish before she closed her eyes – She wanted to visit the White House in Washington. Her request was made through the American Wish Foundation – an organisation that was set up to fulfill the dying wishes of children stricken with cancer.
Even though it was not easy to grant Missy her dying wish, given the high security at the White House, the staff from the American Wish Foundation went out of their way to grant Missy her wish, and the child even got the rare opportunity to meet former U.S President Bill Clinton. The joy and happiness Missy experienced was indescribable and before she passed on, she was all smiles.
Doris and I couldn't stop crying throughout the movie.
"It's so depressing to see children dying from cancer," my wife said, fighting back tears.
Missy's story played on my mind for one solid week.
Then an idea struck me.
"Doris, remember that movie we saw last week about that cancer child. Wouldn't it be marvellous if we could start a movement like that here in Singapore to benefit our own child citizens?"
"You're always full of ideas and you care for children so much, Ray. Okay, draft that proposal and I'll get it typed for you," Doris smiled. "Who are you going to sell the idea to? Not easy to get it implemented, you know?"
"Our very own President, His Excellency Mr Ong Teng Cheong?" I told Doris.
"President Ong! Are you serious, Ray?" Doris was stunned.
"Yes, President Ong," I repeated myself. "He is a very caring person," I assured Doris.
My three-page proposal was submitted to the President on 9 June 1999. His three paragraph reply to me dated 14 June 1999 through his Principal Private Secretary was most encouraging. The letter mentioned that the President was touched by my proposal and my concern for terminally ill children. My suggestion was then sent to the appropriate organisation to consider.
However, the suggestion was not implemented at the time as the agency concerned felt that there was no need for a Singapore Wish Foundation during that period. However, based on my proposal, the agency did agree to facilitate the receiving of such wishes if the need arose. I was pleased to hear this.
I prayed that one day this idea would be implemented because I have a strong affinity with children. And that movie haunted me for months.
A few years later, a group of professionals who included doctors, lawyers and consultants submitted a similar idea, and it was implemented. I was happy that at last our terminally ill children would benefit from a suggestion that I had first mooted.
That aside, perhaps the civil service could have a system in place to keep useful ideas/suggestions on file, and then review it periodically to assess the suitability for their implementation. This will encourage and motivate Singaporeans to come forward with useful suggestions that can make our country a better place to live, work and play in.
( 2 ) News captions for the hearing-impaired – Idea submitted to the then-Prime Minister, Mr Chok Tong on 3 November 1998
Sometimes my wife and I will brainstorm for ideas that can improve the quality of the lives of all Singaporeans. The hearing-impaired is certainly one group that needs to have a better quality of life.
It can be very frustrating to be hearing-impaired. People do not usually understand the disability, and communication can be difficult. We must understand that the hearing-impaired can be intelligent functioning adults.
Having seen how hard it is for this group to lead a normal life, we decided to put up a proposal that could help the hearing-impaired keep abreast of current affairs.
We drafted a proposal - "News captions for the hearing-impaired" and submitted it to the former Prime Minister - Mr Goh Chok Tong.
Mr Goh came from humble beginnings and I guess he could resonate well with those in need.
The idea to put out simple news captions on our local TV stations during the daily news, which we viewed as a community project, was to enable the hearing-impaired to relate to current affairs and by keeping abreast with current affairs, these less fortunate members of society would not lag behind. We proposed that captions need not be too wordy- simple one liners that could spell out what the visuals were screening. For example, when Princess Diana was killed in a car accident, the news caption could read: "PRINCESS DIANA DIES IN CAR CRASH".
Statistics were produced to justify why the above suggestion could improve the lives of 5,009 registered deaf persons in Singapore.
On 3rd November 1998, the idea was presented by Doris to Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.
We were pleasantly surprised and pleased that the idea was considered for implementation when the Government Feedback Unit wrote to my wife on 7th January 1999 to break this good news.
Today, our hearing-impaired can keep in touch with news and current affairs on national television because we fervently believed that this idea was workable and that every citizen should have a place in society.
( 3 ) Using technology to enhance the lives of prisoners - Idea submitted to the then-Prime Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong on 5 March 2004
Several years ago, I was requested by a lady friend to give moral support to a man who was arrested and put on trial for a crime. The accused parents would fly in from India each time the trial convened. Before the trial commenced, the accused would go on his bended knees and ask for forgiveness from his parents. I felt sorry for him as well as for his parents. It was costly to fly in and out of Singapore to give their son moral support. Not to mention the lawyer's and court fees. If the accused was convicted and given visitation rights, his parents would once again have to fork out more money to fly over.
Prisoners, I was told are given limited number of letters to write to their families.
As I left the court, an idea came to mind. I decided that given the limited access that families have with their imprisoned relatives, it would be helpful to use technology to enhance the lives of those who are separated from their loved ones. Many a time when ties are restricted, spouses and children who may have to wait years before the prisoners are released can go astray.
I presented my proposal - "Using technology to improve the lives of prisoners" to former Prime Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong on 5 March 2004.
In my proposal, I outlined the problems prisoners face when they are given limited access to their families and understanding the government's good intentions of giving prisoners a second chance, I suggested that the prisoner authorities could allow prisoners and families to link up with each other through emails. Carried out weekly, these online letters could be screened by a moderator from the prison departments. Computers could be given by corporate sponsors and seeing that this was a community project, I had every confidence that they would readily step forward.
Once families stay connected on a regular basis, chances of marriages falling apart and children going astray would be significantly reduced, I concluded.
I was delighted to receive a letter from Mr Adam Chew - a staff officer from the prisons department on 17 March 2004 informing me that the feasibility of my suggestion would be reviewed and explored for possible implementation.
I'm not too sure if my idea has been implemented, but I fervently believe that our prisoners and their families will benefit if the proposal is eventually accepted. Certainly, it can put Singapore on the world map. And if the implemented idea is proven to be successful, our Government could perhaps, promote the scheme to other countries through diplomatic channels.
I am confident that once prisoners in all parts of the world are given more opportunities to interact with their loved ones, we will, indeed, be giving ex-convicts a second chance, and in the process there will be lesser social problems everywhere - by way of fewer broken marriages, lesser children becoming rebellious, and a reduction in dysfunctional families. Won't we then make the world a better place to live in?
In seeking to improve the lives of all those who are marginalised, maybe, we need to dream... the impossible dream.
Improve the lives of our elderly and people with disabilities.
Many of our seniors citizens who have fulfilled their responsibilities in the past should be able to look forward to a better quality of life in their twilight years.
MediaCorp TV and radio have a role to play in supporting our elderly. Certainly a trip down memory lane will help to revive the beautiful memories that our seniors have of what they once enjoyed.
Westerns such as The Rifleman, Rin Tin Tin and The Lone Ranger also had viewers glued to the small screen.
Ours seniors will definitely appreciate a revival of such TV shows along with comedies like The Jack Benny Show and I love Lucy. I remember Jack Benny could easily secure a laugh just by his body language.
I remember veteran broadcaster Mildred Appadurai hosting a radio show dedicated to the sick. Listeners could write in and request songs and send get-well wishes for their loved ones who were hospitalised.
Such a programme could be brought back as part of a community project to support the sick in hospitals and nursing homes.
Studio apartments for the elderly
A Straits Times (ST) reader, Mr Douglas Lee wrote in to the ST Forum Page on Saturday 21st January and felt that the studio apartments built by the HDB was not as elderly friendly as it ought to be. He spoke of the limited space in the bedroom measuring 100 square feet that made it impossible for 2 single beds to be fitted in and yet leave room for a wheelchair manoeuvred. HDB needs to understand that many of our elderly citizens who apply to stay in studio apartments could be disabled and sick.
Kindness- Let's pay it forward!
John brought his wife and six children to the circus with the intention of buying eight tickets. When told of the price of each ticket, he realised that he did not have sufficient cash for all the tickets. John was short of $50. Disappointed, he walked way. Another middle-aged gentleman who was also buying tickets to see the show picked up the conversation between John and the ticketing staff, and saw the despondent look on the family. The middle-aged gentleman decided to bring joy to the family.
He then deliberately dropped $50 onto the ground - just behind John.
"You dropped $50 from your pocket, Mister," the kind-hearted gentleman told John.
But John was very sure that the money was not his.
"I figure you must have overheard the conversation I had with the ticketing staff a while ago, sir," John told the stranger. "My gut feeling tells me that the money was actually from you. Nonetheless, I am very grateful to you. My family and I will now be able to enjoy the show and we uplifted to know that there are compassionate people like you in this world. Thank you so much, sir," John expressed his gratitude with a broad smile.
Imagine if everyone in Singapore who is better off can practise such kindness, wouldn't we see the starved being fed, the poor having a roof over their heads, and those in third world countries living in better conditions.
Caring for the elderly
There have been many reports of our elderly citizens who have died all alone. And nobody knows until a foul stench comes on. There are several seniors that are living all alone – even in landed properties. In the U.K, the government recognizes this problem and has decided to get teenage students- between the ages of 16- 20 years to do community as part of character building. So every day, they would knock on the doors of these elderly citizens to see if all is well. "Good morning Mrs Brown, how are you today?" the students would ask.
This is a unique way to ensure that if there is no reply, the students can alert the authorities. Singapore should try this as a means, of not only reaching to the elderly, but of also inculcating in our students a sense of caring for our elderly folks.
Build an extra floor at the top of schools dedicated to the elderly
Perhaps some might view this as radical idea, but I fervently believe that it is worthwhile investing in given that by 2020, our fast ageing population will see many more Singaporeans hitting past 60 or more.
Have an extra floor in school buildings that can allocate space for our elderly citizens- it can be a daycare centre for old folks, where qigong can be practiced and activities organized by students and teachers for our seniors. End of the day's activities with a breakfast served by the students and the teachers.
Posted by rayhope at 4:42 PM No comments:
After their first three dates, his girlfriend told him an astonishing piece of news that changed his life forever.
It was a "dark secret", 61-year old Raymond Anthony Fernando remembered of what his then-girlfriend Doris Lau Siew Lang told him almost three decades back.
I am schizophrenic, she had told him...........
Read more on this article on Yahoo, written by Deborah Choo that is going viral.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/man-loves-woman-004953242.html
Posted by rayhope at 12:09 PM No comments:


text:
Turn the Tables on the Debt Collector
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Usury and Non-Bank Loans
September 2, 2020 /in Collection, Contracts, counterclaims, Debt Litigation, FDCPA /by Ken Gibert
National Banking Act and Debt Law
I have had my hands full lately with the National Banking Act (NBA). Specifically, the question is whether the NBA, which protects national banks from usury claims, applies to debt collectors which buy the debts. It turns out that question has several possible answers.
Here's the background: some states have laws limiting the amount of interest lenders can charge. Under the NBA, a bank can issue credit cards that charge high interest in states with usury laws. Yes, it's a scam (they call it "exporting interest rates"), but they can. What happens if your debt gets sold to a debt collector? The NBA applies to national banks, not other businesses, so you might think a debt collector would be committing usury by trying to collect illegal rates. That would also violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
The Second Federal Circuit of Appeals found that debt collectors collecting usurious rates was, in fact, illegal in a case called Madden v. Midland Funding, LLC 786 F.3d 246 (2015). Some other circuits, notably the 8th, have tended in the other direction. The Supreme Court denied certiorari (review) of Madden, so it remains in place as law of the 2nd Circuit. Unfortunately, the debt collectors managed to sneak a new regulation through that negates Madden. That regulation is at: 12 C.F.R. part 331, 84 Fed. Reg. 66845.
Do you Have a Usury Defense or Attack?
This leaves us in an odd place. If you are in the 2nd Circuit being sued by a debt collector on a card with interest higher than your state allows, you have a powerful defense. I think it is still good, though you can expect some fighting on the question of retroactivity of the regulation. What about claims arising in the future, though? What about claims outside of the 2nd Circuit?
Courts are supposed to give "great deference" to regulations duly issued by agencies charged with enforcing specific laws. Without going into details, this regulation would seem to fit that bill and should probably receive that deference. It is not unheard of for the courts to reject such a regulation, but it is rare, and, in my opinion, very unlikely in this situation – even in the Second Circuit. Thus I believe that in the future this defense will not be effective. I do believe it could be raised in good faith however, at present, and that may have some advantage for a pro se defendant. It will be a long shot even in the Second Circuit, however, and longer elsewhere.
What about claims existing now but outside the 2nd Circuit? Will the regulation affect the way the 8th Circuit, for example, reads Madden? It probably should not, but it probably will. The regulation is supposedly the FDIC's reading of an existing statute rather than a new legislative enactment – it will probably be considered an authoritative interpretation of the statute even though, in practical effect it is a new legislative act. But this is not certain, and again, I think the issue may have advantages for pro se litigants to raise, and winning is not out of the question in my opinion.
What if you live in a state with a usury law and a debt collector is trying to collect higher rates – but is not suing you. Can you sue them? I believe the answer is yes – all the foregoing analysis applies to the attempt to collect the debt, not necessarily litigation attempting to collect the debt.
Application to WebBank
Incidentally, the NBA explicitly extends to all FDIC-insured entities. This question came up in a teleconference relating to loans issued by WebBank, which apparently IS FDIC insured. Our consideration of whether WebBank can charge usurious rates, then, must conclude that it can indeed do so.
One might consider that enforcing an explicitly illegal contract (usury) would be void as against public policy under state law. And so it is. However, the federal preemption doctrine that the NBA invokes overrules that – states cannot claim a federal policy is against their public policy. In a very real sense, it is to exploit this facet of the law that the NBA exists in the first place
http://yourlegallegup.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/YLLU_Main_Logo.png 0 0 Ken Gibert http://yourlegallegup.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/YLLU_Main_Logo.png Ken Gibert2020-09-02 17:27:182020-09-02 17:27:18Usury and Non-Bank Loans
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Spokeo, Activist Courts, and Consumer and Debt Law
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Yell and scream it's The Manpower!!!
NEW H!P Pairings subforum! & Welcome Estrea as mini mod!
The I WISH H!P collaboration Thread!
Morning Musume promoting Globally, your opinions?
Just came back from a Morning Musume Concert !!!
Maki's restaurant WHERE IS IT?!


text:
// Generated from /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_144.jdk/Contents/Home/jre/lib/rt.jar

#pragma once

#include <fwd-POI.hpp>
#include <java/io/fwd-POI.hpp>
#include <java/lang/fwd-POI.hpp>
#include <java/io/OutputStream.hpp>

struct default_init_tag;

class java::io::ByteArrayOutputStream
    : public OutputStream
{

public:
    typedef OutputStream super;

private:
    static constexpr int32_t MAX_ARRAY_SIZE { int32_t(2147483639) };

public: /* protected */
    ::int8_tArray* buf {  };
    int32_t count {  };

protected:
    void ctor();
    void ctor(int32_t size);

public:
    void close() override;
    /*void ensureCapacity(int32_t minCapacity); (private) */
    /*void grow(int32_t minCapacity); (private) */
    /*static int32_t hugeCapacity(int32_t minCapacity); (private) */
    virtual void reset();
    virtual int32_t size();
    virtual ::int8_tArray* toByteArray_();
    ::java::lang::String* toString() override;
    virtual ::java::lang::String* toString(::java::lang::String* charsetName);
    virtual ::java::lang::String* toString(int32_t hibyte);
    void write(int32_t b) override;
    void write(::int8_tArray* b, int32_t off, int32_t len) override;
    virtual void writeTo(OutputStream* out);

    // Generated
    ByteArrayOutputStream();
    ByteArrayOutputStream(int32_t size);
protected:
    ByteArrayOutputStream(const ::default_init_tag&);

public:
    static ::java::lang::Class *class_();
    virtual void write(::int8_tArray* b);

private:
    virtual ::java::lang::Class* getClass0();
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I started a Tumblr blog. I've had an account on Tumblr for a few weeks now, and mostly what I did with it was try to find out what kind of purpose I might find for it. After fooling around with it and getting comments installed on it, I decided I'd found a niche.
My Tumblr blog is for the little things I find or think of that are too small for blog posts, but require more discussion than a tweet. I've got a huge instapaper backlog of sites that I'm supposed to read later. My del.icio.us list is tainted because coworkers follow it, so it's more business than personal. I needed something that I could use to find the little Youtube videos, quotes, and sites that I want to look back on every now and then, and Tumblr fills this need.
My Twitter account is for brief thoughts, discussions with other people on Twitter, and random retweets of links that look interesting. Twitter doesn't archive your stuff forever, so it's all throwaway.
Links, quotes, or thoughts that I want to stick around forever go to Tumblr. In particular, if I have a somewhat long comment or want to call out a section of a page I'll use Tumblr.
This blog is where longer, more organized thoughts go.
I'm happy with this, it's cleared up some of the problems I had with using instapaper and del.icio.us.
The next long post will be about the band that played before The Flaming Lips, followed by comments on the venue. Both will be much shorter than the Flaming Lips blog post. I'm going to wait a few days because I want this to have some visibility.


text:
Athletics: Lee produces a glorious performance at Goodwood Marathon to qualify for London
Athletics / Wed 8th Dec 2021 am31 08:33am
HARLOW runner Lee Wood produced an outstanding performance to grab the silver medal at the Goodwood Marathon.
Lee, who only took up running two years ago, ran a personal best time of 2 hrs 37.49.
This means he qualifies automatically for the London Marathon in 2022.
This is a hugely impressive performance by a man who ran his first parkrun in May 2029 in a time of 30.11.
Since then he has embraced every aspect of running, from nutrition to bio-mechanics and taking on board advice.
Lee spoke to YH. He said: "I am really pleased with my performance in tricky conditions.
"It was very windy. So much so, that I was thinking of pulling out.
"It was a flat course. Eleven laps of Goodwood racecourse. I was pleased with the execution of my race and even more pleased with the performance.
"I would like to thank everyone at my training group at ParkrunandBeyond, especially Adrain Fell, who takes so much time out to write training programmes and offer advice.
If you would like to know more about ParkrunandBeyond, click below.
https://www.parkrunandbeyond.com
1 Comment for Athletics: Lee produces a glorious performance at Goodwood Marathon to qualify for London:
Yasmin Gregory
Lee is a dedicated athlete and his hard work and training is testament to his achievements. Great result and congratulations. I'll see you at Parkrun on Saturday. I'm usually going down Roys Hill when you pass me coming back up.


text:
Banks to charge 35% on emergency loans: Crippling rates loom for firms as experts warn that new crisis in spring will be worse than 2008
Revealed: The five rarest 50p coins as Britain prepares to celebrate half a century of decimalisation... including one which could sell for £900
Forgotten and driven to ruin: Last week we revealed small firms falling through cracks in Chancellor's aid packages - the huge response reveals why he must act...NOW
'When I was in JLS, a rich man paid us to have dinner with his daughters': Boyband star turned farmer JB Gill reveals all in ME AND MY MONEY
JEFF PRESTRIDGE: We need entrepreneurs to survive in order to drive economy forward as Covid threat weakens - Chancellor MUST help them
After we revealed serious flaws in British Gas's remote heating app last November...Hive is still not working, say furious users
Death is cruel, but pain felt by relatives made worse when scant details are left about how to manage an individual's legacy - so leave your finances in order
HAMISH MCRAE: By doing right for America, Joe Biden will also do right for the rest of us, and that, frankly, is a bit of a relief in these troubled times
Music industry bosses to defend right to large chunk of revenues from streaming services amid threat of crackdown
Britain's market watchdog examining plans to block Google for two years or more from rolling out new privacy features on its Chrome internet browser
'We should have gone for No Deal - not this bureaucracy!': But Peter Hargreaves thinks Euro firms will move to London
NatWest plunged into row over transgender rights and role of big companies in political debates
I made an offer on a house but the agent refuses to present it because I won't use their financial adviser - is this allowed?
Are you putting off YOUR tax return? Five tips for tackling that dreaded self-assessment form before the 31 January deadline
Will Joe Biden's presidency give you bang for your buck? His policies could boost both the economy and share prices
The best car for 2021 is also the cheapest: Dacia's new £8,000 Sandero is named 'Car of the Year' - see which other models are recommended to drivers
Drivers who fall behind on car finance payments can have their vehicles repossessed by lenders from February as FCA's Covid-19 ban ends
Car competition company Best of the Best sees shares rocket after revenues nearly treble as it becomes a fully digital business
Amazon Prime, BT and Sky UK customers no longer able to watch live sport with the services when in the EU, including Premier League football
Banks warned against scrapping protections for online shopping scam victims amid fears they want to stop paying out for purchase fraud
ALEX BRUMMER: Our economy will remain under restrictions until Easter, but the quicker it is brought back the faster tax revenues will flow back to the Exchequer
Santander joins mortgage lenders turning off the tap for self-employed with new 40% deposit requirement
Revealed: The Bulgarian resort of Borovets is the cheapest place in Europe to go skiing this winter (and Zermatt in Switzerland is the most expensive)
Research has revealed that ski essentials along with drinks for a week in Borovets, Bulgaria, costs £448
Fellow Bulgarian ski resort of Bansko was rated second-cheapest place to ski in Europe, coming in at £453
The most expensive place in Europe to go skiing is the Swiss resort of Zermatt, with a cost of £1,042.75
By Jennifer Newton for MailOnline
Borovets in Bulgaria is the cheapest place in Europe for Britons to take a ski holiday this winter, a new study has revealed.
It produced a table of best-value European resorts for British skiers, with another Bulgarian resort - Bansko - placed second.
The most expensive place in Europe to go skiing is the Swiss resort of Zermatt.
Borovets in Bulgaria, pictured, is the cheapest place in Europe to go skiing this winter, a new report by Post Office Travel Money has revealed
The ranking was revealed in the 13th annual Post Office Travel Money ski resort report, which is produced in partnership with Crystal Ski Holidays.
To compile the list, researchers looked at the prices in 30 popular resorts of ski essentials such as equipment hire, lift passes, ski tuition, lunch on the slopes and a range of drinks.
The two Bulgarian resorts were both significantly cheaper than any eurozone destination but the lower cost of lunchtime meals allowed Borovets (£448) to pip Bansko (£453) to the top spot.
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Third-placed Bardonecchia (£483) is the eurozone's best value resort and boasts the lowest price for skiing (lift pass, equipment hire and tuition). At £332, the Italian resort was around five per cent cheaper than either of its Bulgarian competitors.
However, the higher cost of meals and drinks in Bardonecchia - £151 for one week compared with £98 in Borovets and £104 in Bansko – makes it slightly more expensive overall than the two Bulgarian resorts.
Italy takes five of the top 10 places in the main report table. Sestriere (fifth, £556), Sauze (sixth, £564, new for 2019), La Thuile (ninth, £610) and Cervinia (10th, £615) join Bardonecchia in the best value top 10.
The second-cheapest place to go skiing is Bansko, pictured, another Bulgarian resort. Costs here total £453 for a week
Kranjska Gora (£553) has slipped to fourth place after prices rose 22.5 per cent because of a hefty increase in ski school costs this season.
In previous reports, the Slovenian resort boasted the cheapest prices for tuition and was even rated best value overall in 2017.
Prices have risen in 18 of 21 resorts that were also surveyed last year but this is not because of the sterling exchange rate.
The pound is stronger currently than a year ago against all European currencies, which has helped to mitigate the increase in costs for UK visitors.
The ranking has been revealed in the 13th annual Post Office Travel Money ski resort report, which is produced with Crystal Ski Holidays. Pictured is a table showing the 10 cheapest resorts
As a result, only four of the 19 resorts where prices have risen have registered increases of 10 per cent or more. Aside from Kranjska Gora, these are Vemdalen (18.3 per cent), Bansko (11.8 per cent) and La Thuile (10 per cent).
Only three resorts have seen prices fall. In Norway, researchers surveyed prices in Hemsedal (11th, £620) and found that they were over 25 per cent cheaper than Trysil, the resort that featured in the 2018 report.
Prices have also fallen by almost nine per cent in Val d'Isère (24th, £807) and are down by 1.1 per cent in Saas Fee (28th, £883).
Saas Fee is one of three Swiss resorts surveyed to rate among the most expensive resorts.
The cost in Zermatt is £1,043, while Wengen (27th) also rates among the priciest places to ski with a barometer total of £881.
To compile the list, researchers looked at the prices of ski essentials such as equipment hire, lift pass, ski tuition, lunch on the slopes and a range of drinks
However, along with Cervinia (1.4 per cent), the barometer increases found by researchers in Zermatt (1.6 per cent) and Wengen (1.2 per cent) were the lowest among the 18 resorts where prices had risen.
Ellmau in Austria (£570, 7th) and Vemdalen in Sweden (£608, 8th) are the only resorts to break the stranglehold of Eastern Europe and Italy on the 10 best-value places in the table.
France again failed to gain any top 10 places with Morzine (£635) highest-placed in 12th position. Of the seven French and seven Austrian resorts surveyed, only Ellmau and Morzine were placed in the top half of the table.
While the overall barometer prices have risen in the majority of resorts, the survey found that lift pass, ski equipment and tuition costs had fallen in seven of them: Hemsedal (-14.7 per cent), Val d'Isère (-13.5 per cent), Saas Fee (-5.5 per cent), Cervinia (-3.3 per cent), Les Deux Alpes (-1.9 per cent), Bardonecchia (-1.1 per cent) and Wengen (-0.4 per cent).
A table showing the most expensive ski resorts in Europe, which can be found in both Austria and Switzerland
The most expensive place in Europe to go skiing is the Swiss resort of Zermatt, pictured. Researchers say the cost of a week here is £1,042.75 on average
St Anton, pictured, is the second-most expensive European ski resort, according to the Post Office Travel Money study
Nick Boden, head of Post Office Travel Money, said: 'Consumer research shows that resort costs are a big concern for British holidaymakers and this makes it doubly important to do some homework before booking a ski holiday because the price of lift passes, equipment hire and tuition can vary by hundreds of pounds.
'Despite rising prices in many resorts, there are great value options to choose from in Eastern Europe, while Italy is the obvious choice for bargain hunters in the eurozone and will appeal to skiers who prefer to head to the slopes in one of the long-established favourites.'
While Chris Logan, Crystal Ski Holidays managing director, added: 'The report shows that, despite barometer prices rising year-on-year, there is good value news for British skiers. Bulgaria is known for being a great value destination for ski so it's no surprise that Borovets and Bansko are in the top spots for this season.
'Our customers will be pleased to see a decrease in costs in Val'd'Isere, which remains enduringly popular, and Italy continues to be more affordable for price-conscious customers across a variety of resorts. As well as Bardonecchia and Sestriere, La Thuile is a particular favourite for Crystal Ski Holidays customers.'
The cheapest and priciest European ski resorts, with Borovets in Bulgaria best value, Zermatt worst
There*s a ski chalet that might be free in Verbier...
by Happy of Gosforth 46
Trump campaign DENIES Rudy's claim he is on the impeachment defense team after he walked out of White House and said the president didn't incite Capitol riot because voter fraud allegations are 'true'


I try to stay away from OTC figures, but your designs and paint work would make it very hard, when confronted at retail. An excellent job. I look forward to seeing more of your work.
Hey Outrider, nice work man and welcome aboard to JediDefender.com... it's nice to see you post over here.
I like your Rise of the Empire series... While I don't necesarilly agree with the "style" being true to my impressions of the films, I think they're still outstanding customs. Good parts mixing, great painting, excellent accessory improvising... You really excel at a variety of aspects of customizing, not just one or two... That's some serious talent going. Even the ability to hollow out hats/helmets and things seems to be a skill you've mastered.
One of the ones I find most interesting is the Detention Officer you made using Capt. Antilles' head. That is a great paintjob, very realistic, and it completely obscured the head for me... I had absolutely no clue and thought it was a GI Joe head actually.
What's your method for making web gear and Y-harnesses and such for your troops? What's the material? Is it removable on all of them like the belt/holster on a few figures, or are some of them glued down? I like that a lot and it's something I always consider improvising into my figures... It's very "in-scale" and realistic too, not bulky or oversized, so you really have a unique look with those accessories there.
The painting to de-age characters like Ozzel is really nicely done. Simple, but effective... Also the camo's are really detailed. I see modern camo patterns mixed in with WW2 German Pea-dot and things... I see a sort of base in military history on your customs. Is that what you go for? Like Ozzel's mustard pants, black top, and of course the striking armband... Definitely Nazi undertones in that uniform's paint design.
Very nice work man... Looks really cool, and I'm glad you're here at JD. Feel free to branch out into the rest of the forums and look around man, join in.
Hey man! Nice to see you here. It's kind of weird calling you by your different handles, though, so I'm gonna keep using "s1j" if ya don't mind, lol. I'm digging the new officer alot. You're going to have to make a tutorial on how to make those little faux leather holsters!
I seem to remember the name but I dont get over to the Scum very often anymore.
Your work is excellent though. I'm really liking the Rise of the Empire series youve got here. The camo peices are top notch. My favorite of the bunch is the cadet Solo. I recognise some of the parts, but where did that torso come from? I'd like to make one of these myself.
Excellent work, I look forward to seeing more of these. Welcome aboard.
Guys, (and gals if applicable) I'm totally blown away by your kind comments. Thanks so much for the worm reception and positive feedback. I'm thrilled to be here. I've heard so many great things about this site and I can honestly say that they're all true.
you asked about the harnesses and belts that I make for the figures. Basically I cut thin ribbons of my sons old Power Rangers costume into 3/16 inch strips. The material is similar to vinyl -basically Halloween custume sheet plastic. Its very rugged, cuts very well, and paints flawlessly.
The y harness is nothing more than a staple bent into a triangle with strips of that vinyl material carefully folded and secured to the staple surface. Its a bit tricky and ya can't rush this. I paint all of the straps brown first, both sides. Then I sharpie both sides black, then paint them black with HOBBY SCALE brand acrylic paint. Its available at most hobby stores like RC truck and model making shops etc. That paint lays down better than any other brand that I've ever used.
The holster and belt system ar that vinyl material as well with another staple bent into a "D" or "O" shape with a small notch left open to allow the 2 ends to connect. I have posted a tutorial about this process at my own site and also at thejawa.com. I invite all of you to visit the sites and try it out. PLEASE try to improve, elaborate, and basically put my patterns to shame. I'd love to somebody to create a superior version and share it with us all.
I pretty much make the harness systems permanent and the holsters and belts removable. I like the idea of making 1 custom figure but giving him several play values. Hats, helmets, belts, etc, you can display 1 figure about 5 different ways. I like to be able to make some of my imps lefties and some righties, therefore the holster can swing around to either side of the belt. Its makes for some variation in the troops.
The Solo torso was a POTJ imperial officer torso (but just about any torso can be used) 'cuz the black bib is custom fitted vinyl (just like the straps) and painted and glued etc. Its not too hard to do, just another time consuming ordeal. The trick is to make either side of the piece the same size.
Han's head is a redone VOTC Solo head, retooled and refitted slightly. I obviously gave han a haircut and I had to modify the head to be accepted onto the post.
I really like the military look of the WWII era soldiers, especially the uniforms of the Germans and Japanese. Many poeple slammed me in private emails thinking that I was some sort of nazi because I made that Ozzel fig. Let me state that I HATE NAZIS, but I liked some of their uniform styles and I thought that the SW imperials were begging for some of that influence. Thanks for commentng on the Ozzel figure. I like it because its so different looking to many other custom figures out there. Its probably not ever going to be popular with the masses but I was trying to push the limit and connect SW imperials to earthly evil.
hyourittaai- you can call me anything that you like, except late for dinner!
The Death Star Trooper is Seemless, even better than Hasbro's. You Sould Patend that Removable Holster Desing of Your. Very inovative.
Keep Up the Great Work, and I hope to see your Customs Posted here more often.
Cool customs. Love the Nazi-style red sash on Ozzel.
I never called him a Neo-Nazi. I just commented on how I liked the Nazi-esque red sash on Ozzel's arm because of the connection between Imperials and Nazis. Chill.
HOTP Hes refering to emails that Outrider has gotten from people bashing his work and calling him a NEO-Nazi.
I wasn't blaming you. I love the Nazi tones to his customs, I stated that in the rest of the post.
Thanks, man, this is what I was referring to.
I really like the military look of the WWII era soldiers, especially the uniforms of the Germans and Japanese. Many poeple slammed me in private emails thinking that I was some sort of nazi because I made that Ozzel fig.
Relax, HotP, no harm done.


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All the Movies We're Looking Forward to This Year
by Elisa Aquino
POP CULTURE, TV & Film
For your entertainment pleasure
We eagerly await the releases of these highly anticipated films this new year. From Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman: 1984 to Black Widow, we're seeing that 2020 may just be a year saturated with female energy. Have a look at the wealth of titles we're looking forward to.
In the wake of the #MeToo Movement, a reckoning comes in the form of Promising Young Woman. Carey Mulligan (An Education) plays Cassie, a then ambitious med-school student who drops out after a traumatizing incident. At night, she frequents local bars, plays the "damsel in distress" and then seeks out revenge on men who prey on seemingly defenseless women.
Many are skeptical over the controversial live-action remake of the Disney classic Mulan after lead actress Liu Yifei voiced her support for the Hong Kong government amid the atrocity, which unfolded in 2019. We have mixed feelings. Despite the absence of a soundtrack and a fast-talking dragon, we're looking forward to relive a part of our childhoods and introduce it to a new generation.
…and the Fantabulous Empancipation of One Harley Quinn follows Joker's love interest—post-break-up—and superheroes Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez). DC kicks off the year with an all-female squad who rescues a young girl from Black Mask (Ewan McGregor), an evil crime lord. It's slated to come out on February 7th.
After the hugely successful Avengers: Endgame, fans have clamored for a new release from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Spotlight's on Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson), the former KGB assassin. The story takes place between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. Some fans say it's too late for a solo feature film for Black Widow but the movie may just solve some mysteries from the MCU.
X-Men: The New Mutants
X-Men returns with a superhero-turned-horror film starring Game of Thrones and Stranger Things cast members Maisie Williams and Charlie Heaton. The New Mutants follow young, gifted men and women trapped in an eerie and mysterious medical facility. The spin-off took two years to release after its first trailer in 2017.
A Quiet Place: Part II
Emily Blunt is back—sans John Krasinski—in the much-awaited A Quiet Place sequel, this time with more dialogue. Cillian Murphy (Dunkirk) and Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond) star alongside the The Devil Wears Prada actress in search of a new refuge.
From the producers of Get Out and Us comes Antebellum, a thriller-drama directed by duo Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, which explores black trauma. Singer Janelle Monáe stars in her first big-screen leading role.
Diana (Gal Gadot) is back in Wonder Woman 1984—and so is General Steve Trevor. Set in (well, obviously) 1984, she sets out to battle Cheetah, her agile supervillainess archenemy (Kristen Wiig). Will the follow-up triumph? We'll find out in theaters this June.
Speaking of sequels, Tom Cruise reprises his role as Pete Mitchell, one of the navy's top aviators. He faces an uncertain future and confronts ghosts of his past in the action-drama directed by Joseph Kosinski (Tron).
Musical fans, rejoice over Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony-winning In the Heights Broadway adaptation, a decade in the making. It explores the New York Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights. At the helm of production is Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu.
Julia Garner (Electrick Children) plays Jane, an aspiring film producer who becomes an assistant to an abusive entertainment mogul; think The Intern but darker. Another #MeToo inspired drama takes a jab at the Harvey Weinstens of the world.
Peg Dahl (The Politician's Zoey Deutch) is exhausted of her blue-collar existence and finds a job as a debt collector. The brutally honesty comedy is an ode to the city of Buffalo, New York and the millions of Americans "struggling with a seemingly dead-end economic existence."
What movie are you looking forward to this year? Sound off below!
2020 Films A Quiet Place: Part II Antebellum Birds of Prey Black Widow Buffaloed Films In the Heights Mulan Promising Young Woman The Assistant The New Mutants Top Gun: Maverick Wonder Woman: 1984
About The Author Elisa Aquino
Visual Storyteller. Explored the entertainment industry in my early 20s, eventually found my voice by telling people's stories. Finding joy in writing about empathy, beauty and literature. Always a photographer.


The Wilderness Trails Home Owners Association serves the neighborhoods of The Pines of Wilderness Trails and Wilderness Trails. Building began in the neighborhood in 1979 and new homes are currently being built.
The Pines of Wilderness Trails and Wilderness Trails are located in Galveston county Texas.
As members of the association, we hope to ensure Wilderness Trails and The Pines of Wilderness Trails continues to thrive and prosper. We strive to make the neighborhood a truly exceptional and desirable place in which to live.
The Board Members and Committee Members volunteer their time to preserve and increase our home values and our quality of life. The members are mindful of the future for our neighborhood therefore, they are aware that decisions they make affect us all.
Services provided by the Homeowners Association include lawn care, exterior maintenance and water. Once dues are paid, you will receive a key for the pool located on Applewood. Your dues also help maintain the pool chemicals, life guards and insurance associated with the pool.
The yearly dues are $240.00. All homeowners association dues are billed in arrears. Dues are billed annually and are the same for all residents.


THREE OF MY FAVORITE WORKOUT TIPS!
Get yourself excited about your goal, and remember you'll get there eventually! It's your choice — accomplish it, or quit. There are some days when you don't feel like heading out the door for a run, or finishing a project or whatever it is you're supposed to do that day for your goal. Well, instead of thinking about how hard it is, and how long it will take, tell yourself that you just have to start. For example, just put on your running shoes and close the door behind you. After that, it all flows naturally. It's when you're sitting in your house, thinking about running and feeling tired, that it seems too hard. Once you start, it is never as hard as you thought it would be. This tip works well every time.
Never skip two days in a row.
This rule takes into account our natural tendency to miss days now and then. We are not perfect. So, you missed one day… now the second day is upon you and you are feeling lazy; tell yourself "No! I will not miss two days in a row!" Habits can form quickly, consistency will always be the key. Don't let one missed workout turn into two or three, it can be a slippery slope.
There is more value in weightlifting than simply gaining muscle or losing fat! It enables you to transform into a better version of yourself (more confident, more self-aware, more mentally and physically strong), so that you can become a better person for the people around you. Weightlifting strenghtens your bones, supports healthy hormonal levels, lowers blood pressure (post workout) and optimizes your body composition. Without weightlifting you are short changing your results and health in general.
Challenging your own body is the ultimate method for discovering the strength of your mind. Nowhere in exercise is this more evident than with strength training. There will be days when you don't feel like coming into the gym; the weights just feel heavier then ususal. There will be sets that you don't feel like finishing. There will be times when everyone else in the gym will see you fail. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your resolve and determination.
You'll develop the mental fortitude to get past failure, work when you don't feel like it, and most importantly discover what you're really made of; mentally and physically.
Thanks for being a part of my journey and letting me be a part of yours.


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Fabrice Lig - The Mental Bandwidth LP
Fabrice Lig has melody running through his veins. On his quest to explore his deep love for the bitter-sweet yearning of Motor City techno, his tracks transcend trends ! (ELY097)
Plastic Soul
21 Apr 2022 • 2 min read
Fabrice Lig has melody running through his veins. On his quest to explore his deep love for the bitter-sweet yearning of Motor City techno, his tracks transcend trends. Over his three-decade spanning career he has refined his blend of soul-infused dance music to striking effect. His gift for a catchy hook is unmatched.
His new studio album "The Mental Bandwidth" shows his musical range as a producer once again. On the album's twelve tracks, he effortlessly traverses, cosmic house, funkified techno and electronica, combining his trademark quirky melodies with playful songwriting and dance floor focused beats. The album format is giving Lig enough space to explore his musical ideas from different directions while staying true to the overall atmosphere.
"The idea for the album was to go back to the fundamentals of the original Detroit sound and to find new ways of expressing that soul in my music – as I've been doing for years", explains Lig.
With Ann Saunderson and the former Kraftwerk-member Wolfgang Flur, the album features two heavy-weight collaborations that connect the "The Mental Bandwidth" to Detroit's musical legacy, too. Slikk Tim aka Garry Grittness also has a cameo in the form of a funky bassline on "Healing", the pop-infused Ann Saunderson collaboration.
Fabrice Lig - The Mental Bandwidth LP - Cover Art
The title of the album is inspired by Lig's lecture of Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir book "Scarcity: Why Having So Little Means So Much" which explores new approaches to reduce poverty. "The authors discovered that the mental bandwidth of poor people is sometimes really low because of short term issues they are facing and are forced to solve", explains Lig.
Those issues are reducing the mental bandwidth for long term thinking capacities, which in turn has consequences for the decision making process. An example: before the quality of education of poor kids is increased, the quality of life they have must be increased. This increases the capacities of the kids to learn more than solely better educational programs...
check our bandcamp
The Mental Bandwidth by Fabrice Lig
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Big summer house tune right here! Legendary electronic music producer Orlando Voorn returns to Elypsia records with a stunning two-tracker " I have you". The digital version has a bonus track ! (ELY072)
Plastic Soul 6 Sep 2022 • 1 min read
Fabrice Lig
The first single to be lifted from Fabrice Lig's upcoming album, 'Cinema' is a collaborative effort between Fabrice Lig and Wolfgang Flür of the legendary German outfit Kraftwerk. (ELY098 - ELY099)
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Elypsia Records © 2023


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Rugby 7s is a smaller sided version of rugby union with typically takes place between teams of 15 players each. Rugby 7s' success as a Commonwealth Games sport led to its inclusion on the Olympic programme.
At the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Team England won bronze medals in the men's and women's rugby 7s.
Throughout the tournament, Team England's women scored 103 points and 17 tries while the men scored 130 points and 20 tries.
Tom Mitchell was the top scorer of the Games with 46 points and four tries.
You might need to know...
In Rugby 7s the scoring system is exactly the same at the 15-a-side game with five points for a try, two for a conversion and then three for a penalty
However in the 7s game there are rolling substitutions and the game itself lasts 14 minutes, split into two halves of seven
Both the women and the men's teams will be drawn into a pool of four. In the men's competition only the group winner will progress to the semi-finals whilst in the women's competition the top two teams will progress
Each team is awarded three points for a win, two for a draw and one for a defeat
Team England previous rugby sevens medals
Jo Tyler
Jo Tyler is the team leader for England's rugby 7s on the Gold Coast.
She is currently the England 7s team operations manager at the Rugby Football Union.
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This new EPICS title covers 'Geography of Sport and Leisure', the most popular option of the Edexcel B Advanced GCE specification, the leading AS and A level specification.
The Epic Distilled is a rich exploration of Virgil's use of sources in the Aeneid, considering elements of history, geography, mythology, and ethnography, and offering readers a fresh approach to understanding the full intellectual texture of Virgil's epic poem.
The Second Edition of Communication and Sport: Surveying the Field offers the most comprehensive and diverse approach to the study of communication and sport available at the undergraduate level. Newly expanded to incorporate the latest topics and perspectives in the field, the New Edition examines a wide array of topics to help readers understand important issues such as sports media, rhetoric, culture, and organizations from both micro- and macro- perspectives. Everything from youth to amateur to professional sports is addressed in terms of mythology, community, and identity; issues such as fan cultures, racial identity and gender in sports media, politics and nationality in sports, and sports and religion are explored in depth, and provide useful, applied insight for readers. Practical and relevant, epistemologically diverse, and theoretically grounded, the Second Edition of Billings, Butterworth, and Turman's text keeps readers on the cutting-edge.
A comprehensive book written especially for new and inexperienced researchers in the fields of leisure, sport and tourism, both full-time students and people in employment having to conduct their own research or make use of other people's research. It uses subject-specific examples and explains the central methodological issues.
This is a guide to computer-readable databases available online, in CD-ROM format, or in other magnetic formats. Details include database descriptions, costs, and whom to contact for purchase. The material is indexed alphabetically, and by subject, vendor, and producer.


text:
Soft Pots
Mark Zuckerberg's Facemash blog posts: Part 1
NewsCurrent
UK arms in Yemen conflict could be in breach of law
Steve Shaw September 12, 2015
CurrentNewsPolitics0 Comments 0
The UK Government is fuelling the conflict in Yemen and is potentially violating both domestic and international laws on the sales of arms, Oxfam has warned.
While the UK is not directly involved in the bombing of Yemen, UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia might be contributing to the growing number of civilian deaths, putting the government in breach of laws which prohibit arms deals where there is a clear risk that they might be used to commit war crimes or human rights abuses.
The government has declined to give Parliament details on the numbers of weapons being sold or what the UK is supplying.
Human rights agencies have documented various examples of breaches of international humanitarian law and potential war crimes on both sides of the conflict. In August Amnesty International published a report that documented eight airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition between June and July which killed at least 141 civilians and injured 101 others.
Many of those killed were found to be women and children and the investigation revealed a pattern of strikes targeting heavily-populated areas including civilian homes, a school, a market and a mosque – in the majority of these cases no military targets were nearby.
Yemen is among the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with at least 1,500 civilians killed and over one million people displaced since hostilities escalated in the region in March.
Oxfam acknowledged that the UK's Department for International Development is currently a leader in funding humanitarian aid for the 21 million people (84% of the population) in need, but said this work is being undermined by the sale of arms.
Mark Goldring, Oxfam's chief executive said in a statement: "Yemen has descended into a humanitarian disaster putting its people at risk of famine and the UK is materially involved through its export of arms and military support to the bombing campaign. An estimated eight children a day are killed or injured in Yemen's conflict. The on-going conflict in Syria and the refugee crisis it has produced show why it is so vitally important to search for political solutions before it is too late. It is time the government stopped supporting this war and put every possible effort into bringing an end to the carnage.
"There is a paradox at the heart of the government's approach to Yemen. On the one hand the Department for International Development is funding efforts to help civilians caught up in the conflict, while on the other the Government is fuelling the conflict that is causing unbearable human suffering.
"The UK successfully lobbied hard over many years for a UN Arms Trade Treaty to regulate the arms trade which came into being last year. This Government has incorporated the treaty into national law, yet at the first test of the new law it has turned a blind eye to mounting evidence of potential misuse of its weapons and support."
Oxfam points out that all sides in the conflict are responsible for causing the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and that the UK is not alone in selling arms and supporting those involved. Several other countries, including the US, Russia, Iran, Germany and France have reportedly also supplied arms to the parties now fighting in Yemen.
Oxfam said the Government should immediately suspend arms shipments and military support to Saudi Arabia and undertake an investigation into whether UK arms have been used in attacks that may have breached international humanitarian law.
London is currently preparing to host the Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEI) event, one of the world's largest arms fairs.
The UK Government is responsible for inviting all foreign delegations to DSEI and in 2013 eight of the nine Arab states which make up the Saudi coalition involved in Yemen were in attendance.
DSEI – which is set to take place at London Docklands on 15 September – is heavily subsidised by the UK taxpayer through the UK Trade & Investment's Defence & Security Organisation (UKTI DSO). Information released under the Freedom of Information Act and seen by UK newspaper, The Independent shows that 61 countries have received official invitations, including Saudi Arabia and a number of regimes criticised for poor human rights records such as, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Egypt.
In 2014 the UK Government approved arms export licences to 18 countries which were listed on its own 2014-15 Human Rights and Democracy Report as "countries of concern". These included Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Iraq, who are all currently involved in conflicts where civilians are paying the price and have resulted in the largest number of refugees worldwide since the Second World War.
It was also reported in 2014 that more than 200 arms export licences to sell to weapons to Russia were in place despite David Cameron claiming that the government had imposed an arms embargo against the country.
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Creator of Crashes Killed on Film Set
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Film producer H.B. Halicki, a scrappy independent whose car crash movies won him a cult following, was killed in an accident on the set of a new film in Buffalo, N.Y., Sunday, authorities said.
Witnesses told police that Halicki, 48, of Gardena, died when a cable that was attached to a water tower snapped and severed a telephone pole, which fell on him.
Halicki was wrapping up shooting on "Gone in 60 Seconds II," a sequel to his 1974 movie, which became a cult hit among fans of crash movies. He had been forced to buy $8 million in insurance to make the sequel after a local official accused him of lax safety planning.
Just hours before his death, he told the Associated Press that a close call while performing a stunt in another movie had made him more cautious.
"You can always have chase sequences where things go wrong," he said. "You have to be careful."
Sunday's shooting in an abandoned industrial park had called for a tractor-trailer to crash through a series of parked cars before ramming into a support for the 100-foot-tall water tower, bringing it down.
Workers had just made cuts through one of the tower's supports, according to witnesses, when the tower began to creak. Workers scrambled out of the way, but Halicki was unable to escape the falling pole.
In making the original "Gone in 60 Seconds," Halicki needed cooperation from police and fire departments in half a dozen communities. Halicki played a car thief, but it was the non-stop car crashes and chases that caught the attention of audiences. The movie featured a 40-minute police chase during which 93 cars--48 of them police vehicles--were destroyed. The movie's title refers to the time it takes to steal a car.
In 1982, Halicki again responded to the siren song of car crashes in "The Junkman," an orgy of smashing, crashing and exploding vehicles--a project longer on twisted metal than on story line.
But the film led to an off-screen crash between Halicki, several theater chains and a reviewer, after the the film was mistakenly advertised with an R rating, keeping out the teen-age audience the movie was intended to attract.
"I had problems as an independent getting ("Gone in 60 Seconds") played in theater chains, and it still went on to become the 21st largest grossing film of (1974)," Halicki told The Times in 1982. "I just can't believe I'm running into the same problems again."
He maintained that "The Junkman" was pulled from theaters even though its box-office gross was stable while other films still being showed were faltering.
"Despite bad reviews and the theater chains rating me R in the newspapers, on theater recordings and on their marquees, the facts speak for themselves," he said.
Shortly before he was killed, Halicki said he no longer did many of the stunts in his movies.
"I still do some of them, but I don't do any of the hard ones," he said. "I still enjoy getting in the car and racing it out or doing the crashes in it, but I've limited it down.
"I've had some very close calls. I had a head-on collision with an airplane on my last film. We hit at a combined speed of over 200 m.p.h. and we crashed the plane and put about 80 stitches in my head. I was very lucky."


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