text:
SR124 - Analog Lock-In Amplifier
Manufactured by: SRS Stanford Research Systems
For over a half century, the lock-in amplifier has been the instrument of choice for measuring small AC signals in the presence of noise. Early instruments were designed with analog electronics, multi-gang mechanical switches, needle indicators, etc., and measurements were often monitored with chart recorders. Microprocessor based designs emerge..
For over a half century, the lock-in amplifier has been the instrument of choice for measuring small AC signals in the presence of noise. Early instruments were designed with analog electronics, multi-gang mechanical switches, needle indicators, etc., and measurements were often monitored with chart recorders. Microprocessor based designs emerged in the 1980s, and by the early 1990s even the lock-in's analog demodulators were replaced by high-resolution ADCs and digital signal processors (DSP). Remote computer control, digital readouts and user-friendly front panels all resulted.
The capabilities of the modern DSP lock-in amplifier in stability, dynamic reserve, and flexibility were revolutionary, making it a mainstay for researchers and engineers across multiple fields. But in moving forward, something was left behind. For a core group of users, including low-temperature researchers in particular, the new instruments became a potential source of high-frequency interference. This is best reflected in the persistence of one instrument — the PAR124A — still actively used by many researchers decades after discontinuation by its long-gone manufacturer.
Back to Analog - Ideal for closed loop servo (no delay)
Recognizing that one size shouldn't have to fit all, SRS is proud to introduce the SR124 Analog Lock-In Amplifier. Inspired by the best of an earlier generation's lock-ins, but availing itself of today's low-noise analog components and design methodologies, the SR124 is an uncompromising tour de force in low-noise, high-performance analog instrumentation.
Low noise, all analog design
No digital interference
0.2 Hz to 200 kHz measurement range
Low noise current and voltage inputs
Harmonic detection (f, 2f, or 3f)
Selectable input filtering
Datasheet (2 Mo)
Ask a question about the SR124 - Analog Lock-In Amplifier
SRS Stanford Research Systems
Formed in 1980, SRS is a privately held corporation which designs and manufactures high performance test equipment.


How Well Do You Know Cinderella Castle? Test Your Knowledge With A Short Quiz!
Cinderella Castle is one of the most viewed and most photographed landmarks in the entire world. What do you know about this amazing and beautiful icon? Put your skills to the test and see how you do.


text:
package org.oscm.provisioning.data;

/**
 * Provides information on a service attribute. An application can evaluate the
 * information and perform the corresponding actions, for example, overwrite the
 * credentials of the controller.
 */
public class ServiceAttribute {

    /**
     * The identifier of the attribute.
     *
     */
    private String attributeId;

    /**
     * The value of the attribute.
     *
     */
    private String value;

    /**
     * The indicator if the value must be encrypted.
     */
    private boolean encrypted;

    /**
     * The controller the attribute is meant for.
     */
    private String controllerId;

    /**
     * Retrieves the identifier of the attribute.
     *
     * @return the parameter ID
     */
    public String getAttributeId() {
        return attributeId;
    }

    /**
     * Sets the identifier of the attribute.
     *
     * @param attributeId
     *            the attribute ID
     */
    public void setAttributeId(String attributeId) {
        this.attributeId = attributeId;
    }

    /**
     * Retrieves the value of the attribute.
     *
     * @return the attribute value
     */
    public String getValue() {
        return value;
    }

    /**
     * Sets the value of the attribute.
     *
     * @param value
     *            the attribute value
     */
    public void setValue(String value) {
        this.value = value;
    }

    /**
     * Returns true if the value must be encrypted.
     *
     * @return the encrypted
     */
    public boolean isEncrypted() {
        return encrypted;
    }

    /**
     * Sets the indicator if the value must be encrypted.
     *
     * @param encrypted
     *            the encrypted to set
     */
    public void setEncrypted(boolean encrypted) {
        this.encrypted = encrypted;
    }

    /**
     * Retrieves the controller the attribute is meant for.
     *
     * @return the controllerId
     */
    public String getControllerId() {
        return controllerId;
    }

    /**
     * Sets the controller the attribute is meant for.
     *
     * @param controllerId
     *            the controllerId to set
     */
    public void setControllerId(String controllerId) {
        this.controllerId = controllerId;
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Alcohol isn't generally my thing. Unless it's a Malibu and orange juice, then it's 100% my thing. However when I received an invitation to The Orange Tree launch night in Derby I thought well why not?
I brought my boyfriend Jordan along and we got into town nice and early. Early enough, in fact, that we had time for pizza and curly fries (classy, I know).
The event was due to start at 7pm so we got there near enough bang on time. There wasn't many people around and the door was closed so at first we were kinda confused. Turns out there were some last minute issues and the opening had been pushed back to 8pm.
We killed an hour in a nearby bar and by the time we got back to The Orange Tree the place was buzzing with activity. We headed straight for the bar as soon as we walked in.
I could not for the life of me decide what I wanted but Jordan chose straight away. Once I'd finally decided the friendly barman told us that they were only serving from the special launch night menu. This made my decision much easier as there were only four cocktails to choose from.
Jordan chose a White Russian – vodka shaken with cream poured over coffee liqueur and crushed ice. He could barely wait long enough for me to take the picture before he took a sip! It was worth the wait though, he absolutely loved the stuff.
In the end I chose a Wibble, which was a berry and gin concoction. And boy, it packed a punch! At first I liked it, but the further I got down the glass the harder it was to drink. I'm just a little weakling when it comes to cocktails!
Me and Jordan both said that the bar staff were doing a fantastic job. Especially given that the place was packed and they were constantly having their picture taken by someone (including me!).
Downstairs was rammed so we headed upstairs in the hope of finding somewhere a little more quiet to sit down. The upstairs space is called The Loft and is available to hire for parties and special events. The beams and the soft furnishings give the place a cosy feel. Whereas the shelving behind the bar and the illuminated specials board give off modern vibes.
We sat down on one of the velvet sofas next to a large sash window and made ourselves comfortable. We hadn't been sat down long before The Loft started filling up too.
I don't know much about what Derby has to offer in terms of night life. I've never been out in Derby before. From what I've heard from college friends the highlight of your average Saturday night in Derby is getting wrecked in a crowded nightclub. Or at least it is for them. As fun as it is to go out and dance the night away, sometimes it's nice to just sit and have a chat over a drink or two. And I think that's exactly what The Orange Tree would be great for.
Like I say, they weren't serving from the main menu on the night but they've got a fantastic selection to try. Obviously there's a choice of cocktails but there's also ales, beers, cider, wine and non-alcoholic cocktails too. As cliche as it sounds, there's definitely something for everyone.
Jordan loved his White Russian so much that he actually had four in total over the course of the night. He's keen to go back soon to try their Maple Old Fashioned cocktail, it's his favourite!
Personally I'd like to try their non-alcoholic cocktails. Unfortunately they're all topped with fizzy drinks so maybe they'll be able to top mine up with something else (in case you don't know, I hate fizzy drinks).
I've just had a sneaky peek at their website and they actually have happy hour on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 5pm and 9pm and all day Thursday. So if you fancy checking it out it would be great to take advantage of the special offers!
I'd like to say a huge thank you to The Orange Tree for inviting me and Jordan along to their launch night. We had a great time, and I'm sure we'll be back soon.
Let me know in the comments if you're tempted to visit The Orange Tree. Do you like the look of any of the drinks we tried? Have you visited any of their other venues in the East Midlands?
Our drinks were gifted in exchange for this post.


text:
Home > Newsroom > Top Stories > About 30 million Russians to be inoculated against cold and flu
About 30 million Russians to be inoculated against cold and flu
MOSCOW. Aug 24 (Interfax) - About 30 million Russians will soon be inoculated against cold and flu, the Federal Consumer Rights and Human Well Being Service said on Monday.
"A total of 27.45 million people from 'risk groups' will be inoculated with the domestic vaccines Grippol Plus and Grippol ahead of the cold and flu season of 2009/2010," the service said.
The 'risk groups' include medical personnel, schoolchildren, pre-school children and persons older than 60.
"The vaccines are based on flu viral strains recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the epidemiological season of 2009/2010," the service said.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We can test your control panel to your specifications to ensure proper wiring and assembly to provide a defect-free, quality product. Check out our Product Test Services.
Whether you have a panel design and need it manufactured, or have a basic panel need without a design, Divelbiss can provide all the services necessary from component specifications to a finished control panel.


text:
// coding: utf-8
// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

#include <xpcc/container/stack.hpp>

#include "bounded_stack_test.hpp"

void
BoundedStackTest::testStack()
{
	xpcc::BoundedStack<int16_t, 3> stack;

	TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(stack.isEmpty());
	TEST_ASSERT_EQUALS(stack.getMaxSize(), 3U);

	TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(stack.push(1));
	TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(stack.push(2));
	TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(stack.push(3));

	TEST_ASSERT_FALSE(stack.push(4));
	TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(stack.isFull());

	TEST_ASSERT_EQUALS(stack.get(), 3);
	stack.pop();

	TEST_ASSERT_EQUALS(stack.get(), 2);
	stack.pop();

	TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(stack.push(4));
	TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(stack.push(5));
	TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(stack.isFull());

	TEST_ASSERT_EQUALS(stack.get(), 5);
	stack.pop();

	TEST_ASSERT_EQUALS(stack.get(), 4);
	stack.pop();

	TEST_ASSERT_EQUALS(stack.get(), 1);
	stack.pop();

	TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(stack.isEmpty());
}


Color Of The Year 2012 – Find the most recent ideas of Color Of The Year 2012 in Home Design Collection Gallery.
Color Of The Year 2012 images and pictures collection here was uploaded by Home Design Team after deciding on ones that are best among the others. Here these list of great pictures or photographs of Color Of The Year 2012 as part of Home Design updates collection. Find the best Color Of The Year 2012 pictures and images for your own collection and personal use. We hope you enjoyed it and if you want to get the pictures in high quality (HD Quality), simply just click the download link below the images gallery of Color Of The Year 2012.


The modules are held on average once a month, from January to June, in Louvain-la-Neuve on Thursday and Friday, from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
The vehicular languages are French and English. The participants must have a good passive knowledge of both and be proficient in one.
The price for the full programme is €5,450 (vat excluded). A 10% non-cumulative reduction is granted to participants who sign up before 1st November 2018, contributing AILV and LSM alumni, as well as members of Agoria, Biowin, the Cercle du Lac, Greenwin, Skywin and Wagralim.
The registration fees include the training sessions, instructional materials, coffee breaks and lunches. Participants can stay at the LLN Ibis Style at their expense.
A programme "à la carte" comprising module 1 (required) and an elective from among modules 2, 3, 4 or 5, is available at a price of €1300 per module (vat excluded). This programme is intended for people who are interested only in an initiation/introduction to innovation. It does not provide admission to the Business project.
We accept 89 training vouchers.
An online registration form on this site must be completed. The academic officials of the programme will approve the registration form on a first-come, first-served basis and see to the coherence of the group of participants. As only 25 people can register per course, we advise you not to delay signing up.
A university certificate of 10 ECTS will be issued if the Business Project is presented successfully.
The Business Project consists of applying one of the approaches studied in the programme to solve a concrete problem in your company with the help of a coach. It requires a brief written report (which may be confidential) and a presentation of the results and recommendations for the company to a panel.


Which Christmas creature is hidden in the numbers?
A fun and creative way to learn numbers in Christmas time? With some colors by number sheets.
Just download, print the two sheets and color with your kids to share quality time with them!


Energy poverty cripples development prospects. Where people don't have access to modern energy services, like reliable electricity, their ability to earn a livelihood is sabotaged. That's why UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called — admirably — for "a revolution that makes energy available and affordable for all" in 2012, designated the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.
This sense of urgency is needed, especially in Africa, as current International Energy Agency forecasts project that the number of people in sub-Saharan Africa without access to modern energy services will grow by almost 100 million between now and 2030 (see the figure below).
The "revolution" in access is essential, Ban Ki-moon said, not just to reduce poverty, but also to stop climate change, improve global health, and empower women.
Expanding access to energy is also central to the World Bank Group's strategy to help countries end poverty.
Our tools in this battle are changing, however. Off-grid lighting — from solar lanterns to solar home systems, to generators running on combusted or gasified biomass — as well as some new and effective grid extension and micro-, mini-, and regional grid systems are all showing promise. I have discussed these in previous blog posts: see "Billions Without Power Can Now Think Low Carbon," "Kenya Steps Ahead Into Solar Future," "Clock Is Ticking on COP 17 and Energy Poverty," and "Green Jobs in Local Manufacturing Can Build Prosperous, Clean-Energy African Future." These different sources and technologies need to be refined and adapted to meet local conditions, as well as integrated into national and regional programs.
Are these new approaches having an impact? How much progress have we made in reversing the disturbing trend of increased numbers without access to modern energy services, or too-slow progress to expanding access? And, where are we in terms of funding these innovations?
This paper presents an analysis of current macro financial flows in the electricity and gas distribution sectors in developing countries. Building on the methodology used to quantify the flows of investment in the climate change area, the paper includes data compiled from countries' respective national expenditures on energy access, as well as development aid, and foreign direct investment contributions to expanding such access.
We have grown accustomed to bad news on the climate and energy-for-development investment front, with exciting commitments to 'fast start' funds and to a global Green Fund targeted to reach $100 billion per year by 2020. So far, however, it is not clear if, when, and how rapidly these funds will be banked and made available.
The good news is that while hundreds of billions of dollars are estimated to be needed—perhaps $400 – $600 billion to address climate issues— less than one-tenth of that would significantly address, if not fully tackle, energy poverty.
The way to a solution is not just more money, but putting the money in the right place. So far, the data do not indicate that funding levels and energy access needs are being logically or consistently deployed. In data gathered by UNIDO (see page 15 of the paper referenced above), we find no consistent correlation between funds spent and the degree of energy poverty.
We know that funds spent on energy access have far-reaching impacts not only for economic growth and development, but also on the quality of life, economic empowerment of rural communities, on women, and on a reduced pressure on the local ecosystems that are critical to human and ecological health.
Clearly it is time to get on with the job of both raising these funds, but also making clear that energy access is a both a basic service that individuals and households need, as well as an essential contribution to national economic health.
Cross-posted from the blog Development in a Changing Climate at the World Bank, where Daniel Kammen is serving as a clean-energy fellow.


Dream It. Do It. "What's Cool About Manufacturing?"
Formerly the Award of Recognition, this award was created by the AACE International Board of Directors in 1995 to recognize exemplary current service and contribution to the Association. This award is selected by the Awards & Nominations Committee and presented annually at the Awards and Installation Luncheon held at the Annual Meeting.


June SAT Score Controversy: What is ⬆ with that curve?
SupertutorTV » SAT » June SAT Score Controversy: What is ⬆ with that curve?
In terms of the Reading and Writing sections of the June 2018 exam, for example, students who were aiming for a 640 or 650 may have ended up with scores in the 500s. One reason the curve was stepper than usually probably stems from the 2 omitted questions from the Reading section and 2 omitted questions from the Writing section—a total of 4 questions retracted by the College Board after the exam date. When the College Board omits questions, there are fewer items to which they can compare students against each other, leading to steepening an already very steep curve.
So when we talk about this curve, what exactly does this mean?
Turns out, the SAT's curve isn't actually a curve—it's a scale. While a "curve" is compiled after a test is taken, a "scale" is determined by data sourced without actual test takers on exam day. The College Board creates this scale through a process called "equating," where they select a group of anywhere between 1000 and 5000 students to take an unreleased exam. Then they compile the data from this test and cross reference it to real SAT tests that these students took. By doing this, the College Board is able to map out all the SAT questions and determine the difficulty of each individual question. The easier the questions are overall on a test, the more points each answer is worth. If you miss questions on an easier test, you'll get more points docked off because the College Board expects many people to get it right.
So the irony is that the June SAT was actually too easy. To accommodate for this incongruity, the College Board had to scale the June SAT much more precipitously than any other revised SAT exam. Typically, a raw score between 47-51 will give you a 700 on the Math section of the revised SAT. However, the June SAT required a raw score of 54 in order to get that same 700 score— 3 points outside the regular range. This is actually similar to the typical scale on the old SAT math section, but for this exam, is indeed atypical.
For many students, the explanation of "equating" given by College Board isn't satisfactory, causing students to start a petition and a hashtag to "#rescoreJuneSAT." And they may have a point, this test was not "fair" for "all test takers." Any testers who tend to make careless errors or run out of time (and thus leave questions blank) are particularly hurt by "easy" tests. On the flip side, those who struggle with content only may perform better on "easy" tests.
What's most fair? Tests that are as similar as possible. In that sense, the College Board may still have some work to do.


At RAYSERVERS we understand business - your company' financial bottom line rules. Our software and network consulting will identify where financial and network security related vulnerabilities exist and we can provide clear justification for every design choice. We use the right tools for the right job to ensure the quickest delivery and integration with your existing application base, be it Windows or an aging Digital VAX VMS system.
Our application server is written in an language that is an ANSI standard, battle proven language - Common Lisp.
Our top expert programmers are a world apart from amateur web script writers. The default programming environment features an advanced blackboard system to allow complex decisions to be made and features to be added at a pace no other language can match. We use Steel Bank Common Lisp (SBCL).
Lisp was far more powerful and flexible than any other language of its day; in fact, it is still a better design than most languages of today, twenty-five years later. Lisp freed ITS's hackers to think in unusual and creative ways. It was a major factor in their successes, and remains one of hackerdom's favorite languages."
For more on lisp see Paul Graham's article on why Lisp is our secret weapon and where he describes the Blub Paradox.
GBBopen is a modern, modular, high-performance, open source reference implementation of a blackboard-system framework.
Blackboard systems are ideal for system integration and complex problem solving such as exemplified by the traveling salesman problem. Applications include peer to peer (P2P) routing, automated trading systems or emulation of virtual worlds.
Our programmers are also experts in Java, commonly used in financial applications. A variety of Java and Lisp integration techniques can be employed to use the best that both environments have to offer.
Many open source projects use Java and we can leverage Java to deliver applications to the desktop as necessary.
We utilize Perl for a wide range of tasks including system administration, web development, network programming, GUI development, and more.
Our Perl programmers are experts in creating super efficient financial user interfaces such as needed for hedge fund management.
At rayservers, we routinely design sophisticated network architecture to optimize data safety and lower operational cost. Sensitive data alone can be placed on redundant encrypted servers in different jurisdictions. High traffic media servers are placed at locations such as at MPT where major Internet carriers peer their traffic.
Our software team complements our network gurus to integrate your existing operations with an advanced network design. We can arrange high quality voice over IP peering for those with voice data needs. Organizations such as legal firms who have legal obligations to secure their data and maintain attorney client privilege will find that we understand the threat vectors they face and have solutions that guarantee their data and secure it with strong crypto.
Long term support and no hidden back doors.
Unlike proprietary companies that lock you into products whose security cannot be verified, we use Open Source products that can be supported by any trained Linux professional.
Reduce operating costs from the never ending upgrade cycle - Update the operating system and office software for free.
If your company spends much time thinking about what operating system it runs, it is wasting money. Insecure operating systems directly affect the year end bottom line.
You will know when you have achieved operating system nirvana when you stop seeing the operating system and just get work done.
We are happy to support any operating system and recommend Installed Secure configurations. Below we have selected some of the best open source operating systems that run our business.
Ubuntu Linux sets a new standard. The legacy operating systems are old and outdated in comparison.
The Ubuntu desktop is easier to use than a Mac. A world of free applications is just a simple point and click away.
Gentoo Linux is our server operating system of choice. An installation starts with a basic install tar ball that is under 100 MB compressed. There are no services turned on by default.
With an automated system to compile packages from source, your server can be kept current indefinitely.
Gentoo boasts one of the largest collections of open source software available.
Only one remote hole in the default install, in more than 10 years! OpenBSD has the worlds best open source firewall and router support.
Hardware: Analog and Digital Electronics; RF, Laser, IR, Optical communication, Microcontroller based design (ST, PIC, Echelon LonWorks), Power Electronics, Power MOSFET, RF Amplifiers.
Financial Software: Hedge Fund Accounting, Digital Bearer Certificates, Loom Tokens.


text:
Dryopteris slossoniae är en träjonväxtart som beskrevs av Edgar Theodore Wherry och David Bruce Lellinger. Dryopteris slossoniae ingår i släktet Dryopteris och familjen Dryopteridaceae. Inga underarter finns listade.

Källor

Kärlväxter
slossoniae

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Java Program used to get the name of parent file path using getParentFile() method.
Written by veera	| November 26, 2014 | Comments Off on Java Program used to get the name of parent file path using getParentFile() method.
Get parent file program to get the name of parent file path.


I was wondering whether someone might be able to help me please?
My Great x2 Grandfather was born Charles Henry Manktelow on 1 December 1872 in Wadhurst (I have his GRO birth certificate and marriage certificate) but for some reason on all of the census records for 1881, 1891 and 1901 he is shown as using the surname Hubble. I notice his father Samuel Manktelow also uses the alias surname Hubble. I have looked on the Weald ancestry site and there are a lot of Manktelows using the alias surname Hubble. Does anyone know why this might be?
How far back have you been able to trace the family?
There is a suggestion on surname websites that it could be French or old English.
If they came from France would they have wanted to disguise their name.
I once traced a family that emigrated to the USA using the name Arnold one of the fathers Christian names as they wanted to hide the fact that he was instrumental in the French revolution, he had been a judge who signed death warrants.
The earliest MANKTELOW I have managed to trace back to is to Pembury Kent, the marriage of William MACKALLO to Constance GOLD on April 25 1594.
but MACKALLO has a bit of a Scots sound to it and indeed there are some modern descendents who are MACKELLOW.
1872 is a little late for there to have been much anti-French sentiment remaining from the Napoleonic era. Indeed, by then Britain and France tended to be allies and Napoleon III lived in England (Chislehurst, I think); his army had fought alongside the British in the Opium War against China some years earlier.
But maybe the name change was a hangover from earlier times when Britain and France were at war.
I take the point that the name MANKTELOW may well not actually have a French origin, but all it takes is for people to believe it does (however wrongly) for there to be pressure for a change.
There are a large number of Manktelow (and variant spellings) baptisms recorded in Wadhurst, the earliest being around the mid 1700s. Wadhurst has the highest concentration of the name amongst Sussex parishes.


A role account is an account that is not associated with a particular person, but with an office, position, or task. Those doing the task use the account only to do the task. They have other accounts for other work.
Use of role accounts is not officially sanctioned on most Wikimedia Foundation projects, though their use has been proposed. To use them, consensus must be made. Meta-Wiki does not use them currently, but Foundation representatives may do so in the future.
The following role accounts were created globally and exist for the use of the Wikimedia Foundation.
See Commons:Commons:Role account for available information.
On the English Wikipedia, five role accounts are currently permitted.
User:Mediation Committee,[ref?] the account for contacting the members of the Mediation Committee on the English Wikipedia, this account does not edit.
User:Wikipedia Information Team[ref?] account created to send emails to accounts where an email address exists; or for emails to be sent direct to OTRS. Account makes no edits.
Any other accounts with multiple users are likely to be blocked.
↑ a b A special:emailuser points directly to the oversight list, however this account does not edit.
↑ Role accounts were created unilaterally in 2003 and are no longer used. However, the User:Mediator role account helped lay the groundwork for the Mediation Committee and the Arbitration Committee, and the User:User Advocate role account did the same for the Association of Members' Advocates.
Usuario:Supervisor~eswiki is a special account used to contact the oversight mailing list for the Spanish Wikipedia via Special:EmailUser. The account does not edit.
Per fr:Wikipédia:Nom d'utilisateur, accounts under the name of a legal person, such a corporation, are frowned upon, but not forbidden, as long as they respect policies, mainly about self promotion or paid contributions.
A "gardener" role account exists on the French Wikipedia and was used for a while without any opposition.
Un autre role existe également sur la wikipédia française, la jardinière. Il a fonctionné un certain temps, sans la moindre opposition de quiconque.
On the Hungarian Wikipedia, one role account is currently permitted.
Szerkesztő:Wikitanács, the account only for contacting (secretly, via e-mail) the members of the Arbitration Committee on the Hungarian Wikipedia. This account does not edit.
Usuário(a):Supressor is a special account used to contact the oversight mailing list for the Portuguese Wikipedia via Special:EmailUser. The account does not edit. Its creation was proposed here.
User:Meta-Wiki oversighters is a role account for Meta:Oversighters so users can contact their mailing list using Special:EmailUser. Account was created by MarcoAurelio.
User:WMF Surveys is a role account for the Wikimedia Foundation's Learning and Evaluation team. It will be used on Meta to send MassMessages for survey invitations.
User:Indic-TechCom is a role account created by Jayprakash12345 for Indic-TechCom activities[meta 2].
↑ Account was created by MarcoAurelio following agreement from stewards. An special page may be set up in the future.
This page was last edited on 10 February 2019, at 11:29.


// Do you ever have days when you feel completely overcome by the world around you? I do. Maybe not as much as I used to, but every now and again it still happens.
Am I winning? Oh heck, I don't think so. But if I'm not winning, that must mean that I'm losing. It must mean that I'm a lose-er.
I remember avoiding Pastor Louis 'like the plague' during that season. If I saw him on one side of the church, I'd go to the other. If I saw him standing in the front parking lot, I'd drive around to the back lot. I couldn't bear the thought of having to answer that one little question.


text:
New Zealand - Surrey - England
14th 54th
New Zealand Golf Club,
Woodham Lane,
Addlestone,
KT15 3QD,
1.5 miles NE of Woking
Contact in advance
Roger A Marrett
Samuel Fergusson, Tom Simpson, Philip Mackenzie Ross
Vic Elvidge
Write a review for New Zealand
Founded in 1895 and designed by Samuel "Mure" Fergusson, New Zealand Golf Club is a top-class course located within the famous Surrey heath belt. New Zealand was laid out on the estate of H.F. Locke-King, who also built Brooklands, the world's first motor racing circuit, on his property.
Following in the footsteps of nearby Woking Golf Club, New Zealand's design was innovative, being one of the earliest courses to be routed across dense heathland. Fergusson continued to improve the layout for another thirty years during his long-term secretarial position at New Zealand Golf Club. In 1931, after Fergusson's death, Tom Simpson (aided by Philip Mackenzie Ross) was commissioned to perform a major redesign of the course, which included significant bunker modifications.
According to Bernard Darwin, "New Zealand is sui generis. It does not compete with other courses, but it sets its own standard and lives up to it. If anyone wants to play a friendly game, uncrowded and unseen, to have a good lunch in pleasant company, and get home early to London, there is no place like New Zealand."
Not a long course by today's standards, at a little over 6,000 yards, but with a lowly par of 68, it represents a challenge; six of the par fours are more than 400 yards long. Needless to say, accuracy rather than distance is important from the tee. The course plays through avenues of trees and there is plenty of heather to catch the wayward ball. New Zealand really is a stylish golf course and it's a privilege to be able to play a round at this engaging golf club.
Most of the holes are isolated from each other by the trees; it's an intimate feeling and a great place to play golf with friends. The 9th hole is about as far away from the clubhouse as you can get and it's the first in a cluster of three holes which are located on the other side of Martyrs Lane – so make sure you have everything you need in your bag before you start your round.
In 2015, New Zealand Golf Club commissioned Frank Pont of Infinite Variety Golf Design to return some of the course's lost architectural features which, according to IVGD partner Ed Cartwright, "include returning the green complexes to their former glory by restoring Simpson's laced/diagonal fingered bunkers and their asymmetric aprons."
Reviews for New Zealand
Description: Founded in 1895 and designed by Samuel "Mure" Fergusson, New Zealand Golf Club is a top-class course located within the famous Surrey heath belt. Written by: Top100 Aggregated Rating Rating: 8 out of 10 Reviews: 27
Scott Woolford
What a treat to finally the New Zealand Club. The Clubhouse is quaint and has an old school traditional feel. The Locker rooms are so quaint and history is apparent throughout,
The Course is an absolute gem - every hole is secluded and feels like you are the only group out there ! The greens are immaculate the fairways have shown signs of a dry summer of wear and tear but still outstanding.
Its tight and narrow with fairway then gorse and heather as its first cut ! its a strategic golf course and despite lack of modern length its a true test and will use any club in the bag.
If you have the opportunity to play take it ! Its the type of course where you finish and want to play it again straight away.
See other reviews from Scott Woolford
New Zealand is a very enjoyable and attractive golf course once the fog lifts. I played the first six holes early in the morning when a fog made it difficult to see the golf course.
The course is fun to play and has a lot of good qualities to it despite the relative lack of length.
As noted, although short in length, many of the par 4's are above 400 yards.
The best holes I thought were 2, 13, 17 and 18.
It is very much tree lined and has some good undulations throughout even if the course is straightforward. It is a step back in time, and if you like to escape from the world or the "griip and rip it" mentality of many players, this is the place for you. You will not be disappointed.
See other reviews from Mark White
Robert Butlin
What shall we say about New Zealand? It's certainly golf for gentlemen and gentle ladies. Driving range; I'm afraid not sir: chipping green; not here madam. Putting green; yes maybe four holes by the side of the green. It's place to play a match against your esteemed opponent and partake of a nice lunch.
Actually that's to do it a disservice. There's a good golf course out there, maybe a very good one. There's plenty of heather, but such finely manicured heather that the ball is invariably found and the penalty is perhaps half a shot, so long as you accept the penalty. Try to go too far and the penalty gets a lot higher rather quickly.
It's also clear from the design that it's meant to be a strategic course. The best line is often the one that flirts with danger, be that a bunker or heather. What I did notice is that the greens are receptive. Maybe that's what the members want, but a strategic golf course where the not very good golfer that is me can go over the green side bunker and stop the ball is not one that rewards getting the line perfect off the tee.
And yes, the food is lovely, the locker room is wonderful and the solitude superb. I will go back. I've gone for 4.5. Maybe it's a 5 ball course, but it really doesn't have the amenities and facilities of say the Berkshire.
See other reviews from Robert Butlin
Nicholas Kjelgaard
24 of England's top 100 completed and a thoroughly enjoyable day. New Zealand is a lovely course.
At first you look at the shortness, but as others have said you will need all your clubs. Good par 4s are what make this course and from the outset you need to hit long and importantly to the right place. In the main we used 3 woods off the tee but that means long irons and fairway woods were the order of the day.
My favourite holes were 16 and 17 and on 17 make sure you take enough club to make the corner. The course is expensive if you are just a visitor but you are made to feel extremely welcome and conversation with a local who joined in 1980 who managed to play 2 holes on his first visit before his playing partner broke his wrist hitting out of the heather just highlights the importance of finding the fairway here.
I would recommend the course to anyone looking for an enjoyable round.
See other reviews from Nicholas Kjelgaard
Sam Mendoza
Great golf course in fabulous condition. Extremely short by today's standards, but that doesn't detract from the toughness of the course.
There are quite a few par 4s, that feel very 'samey' (370yds with a bunker in the fairway, and dead straight), but the green complexes were simply sublime!
As a golf club I found it extremely old fashioned and pretentious, poor communication from the club (lack of website/email) heavily impacted on my day as I was made to feel responsible for not knowing some of their policies - if you impose a jacket & tie rule (which I have no issues with at all) you should make people aware of it in advance, not expect them to know it.
See other reviews from Sam Mendoza
I have friend who really enjoys the yesteryear atmosphere of clubs like Brancaster, Luffness, Swinley Forest and Rye. Unfortunately, he could not join us at New Zealand. The changing room alone would have been worth the visit for him. Having said this, it should also be noted that New Zealand has a much more female-friendly atmosphere than most places of its kind.
However, two other things made the day for me: 1) the club truly treats you like a member for the day. You play as much as you like, start whenever the tee is free, choose your tees as you wish and settle your bill at the end of the day. 2) they really get on with it on the course, but in the nicest way possible, not in the "we-are-members-and you-are-spoiling-our-fun" way that you can experience at Muirfield or Rye, if you are unlucky. We played after a society in the morning and got round in under four hours. Had to wait a little bit, but it gave us the time to enjoy the scenery and plan our way around the course on our first round. In the afternoon we played the almost deserted course at under three hours as a two-ball.
See other reviews from Gustav
New Zealand Golf Club is one of the least heralded golf courses on the Surrey sandbelt yet it is one of the most fascinating and maximises its relatively flat terrain to great effect.
I suspect The Club are quite happy that their course often goes under the radar and certainly doesn't seek the attention that others crave.
The course has a reputation of being short and tricky and many people will look at the scorecard and see a yardage of just 5,947 and believe this myth. The course isn't long by any stretch of the imagination but with a par of just 68 it certainly doesn't play as short as it may initially appear. Indeed you are as likely to use every club in the bag here as anywhere.
The opening two holes, par fours of well over 400 yards, are a stern introduction to this highly strategic and visually deceiving course. The five par-threes have an average length of 170-yards and that includes the 120-yard 10th; you are likely to be hitting mid and long irons into these well defended one-shotters. There is just one par-five too and the presence of heather lining every fairway ensures that New Zealand is no pushover. A SSS of 69 is testament to that.
Unlike at Swinley Forest, The Berkshire, Sunningdale and some other neighbouring courses there are no real jaw-dropping holes at New Zealand but there are 18 good-to-excellent ones that ooze subtlety, deception and strategy.
New Zealand is undoubtedly a course for all the ages too. It would be a fantastic place to learn your game and with no disrespect to the elder generation I could easily envisage myself, health and wealth permitting, pottering around here during my twilight years.
David Oliver
Was able to obtain a round at the New Zealand with a phone call an hour before the tee time. Club very hospitable and playing as a 1 ball was able to skate round in 2 hours 15 minutes, thanks to some friendly and accommodating members. A very good golf course but just a touch below the 3Ws, although it is marginal. The par of 68 is tough with just the one par 5. As a consequence, naturally, there is less variety to the course with 10 or so par 4s all of similar length. I absolutely recognise that there is a lack of land, as with most older inland courses, that prohibit converting a couple of the par 4s into par 5s. Very good variety of par 3s, with the 16th the toughest. The first is understated but a top start to the round, mixing length with width off the tee. The 2nd is the toughest hole on the course, being both long and narrow. In my view, the stretch of holes from 7 to 12 are the strength of the course. Have to admit that I am not keen on 17 and 18 which are a little too "parkland" for my taste. A spot just outside the top 100 is about right. Very much worth a play though.
See other reviews from David Oliver
Higgo
Having played with a New Zealand member at a nearby club, I hoped for a possible invite to play there. He asked me to play the following day and I dropped all prior arrangements!
This is without doubt as enjoyable a days golf as it is possible to have on all fronts. The course is fantastic and in super condition and very playable. The Heather lined fairways are a little softer than some of the other courses on the Surrey sand belt and the greens are true with subtle breaks. There are little loops to make up shorter rounds of 9 and 12 holes and is great for a quick knock in the morning before Lunch!
Lunch is an event with 4 courses, copious amounts of wine including a great Carvery which has to be sampled to be believed before setting you u for an 18 hole round afterwards.
Stand out holes would be 1,2,9,15 and 17 and should you walk off with par on them you will be very happy. Best par 3 would be 16, not that I played it well. Enjoy the day if you are lucky enough to play here it is a privelege and brilliant experience!
See other reviews from Higgo
Michael Budgen
Fantastic course, a real feeling of stepping back in time, to simple pleasures, would thoroughly recommend a 36 hole visit with lunch between, an easy walking course, deceptively long, with penal heather either side of tight cambered fairways, which only the straightest of hits will find.
A joy to play !
See other reviews from Michael Budgen


At Marmi Shoes, we know how difficult it can be to find the perfect shoe for our rare size 4 feet. Because size 4 shoes are typically the smallest women's shoe size available, shopping for shoes can easily turn from a fun endeavor to an extremely daunting task. Not to fear – the quest for the perfect size 4 women's shoes ends here. At Marmi Shoes, we like to keep shoe shopping enjoyable and easy for women of all feet sizes so that they're able to enjoy life in style. We pride ourselves on providing an unmatched selection of size 4 shoes for women in all colors from the brightest, eye-catching hues to the more sleek and subtle. Further, our offering covers the spectrum of women's shoes size 4 styles to meet the needs of every customer, whether you're looking for casual, dressy, or comfort women's size 4 shoes. Our customers love Marmi Shoes because we carry only top quality brands, with favorite designers including Vaneli, Eric Javits, and Sesto Meucci. Browse our collection of sandals perfect for sunny days at the beach, boots fit for a day out with family, casual shoes structured for comfort while running errands, and heels for girl's night out to find the perfect women's shoes size 4 that best fits your lifestyle and personality.


ORGAN THING: Reveal, An Art Show in a Railway Arch, the opening night…….
January 12, 2016 in ART.
December 19, 2015 in ART, MUSIC.
ORGAN THING: Reveal revealed, Aida Wilde's hashtag, who are Bill Mountain?
December 2, 2015 in ART, MUSIC, STREET ART.
Den City, Hackney Wick(ed), Exo//Schizm, open galleries, artists studios, all happening this weekend, the ethos is, 'let's enjoy it it whilst we can'.
June 23, 2015 in ART, MUSIC, STREET ART.
June 10, 2015 in ART.
May 7, 2015 in ART.
March 29, 2015 in ART, MUSIC.


text:
A Return To Football
10 March 2021, 14:29 GMT
Everyone at Alfold FC are delighted that we will have a return to football like everyone else within the football family.
Alfold FC are busily preparing themselves for a return to football as we are sure many clubs are, we look forward to being outside on the turf & taking part in the beautiful game once more.
As the 29th of March 2021 approaches & the opportunity to get back training & playing games we as a club will have much to do in preparation, the return will not be straightforward & we are sure clubs will have much to put in place to ensure we have a Covid safe environment for all allowed to be involved.
The club was making great strides on & off the pitch which bodes well for a very bright future, our dedication to developing players & pushing them on has been one of the real highlights, were we believe talented young players should be pushed on as soon as they are ready to play senior football & not hidden away in U18's as a group to achieve success, we saw that our young players were ready & capable of playing U23's, with some finding themselves with the first team where we hope many more will end up whilst helping others on to greater things & finding the right level of football for every individual.
We hope to be taking part in the following competitions for the remainder of the season along with a mixture of friendlies, cup only in the Mid Sussex Youth League, league fixtures in the Junior Premier League also the SCFL newly formatted cups for the 1st team & U18's.
We believe for any younger player we truly offer a pathway from youth football into senior football, so for any players looking for that development & challenge please get in touch via the club contacts on the website.
by Mark Wright
Club News2 months ago
Alfold changes and Appointment of New first team manager
Club Statement-1st Team Management
Weekly Round-up – Week commencing 13th September
WEEKLY ROUND UP OF FIXTURES & RESULTS W/C 6th SEPTEMBER 2021
WEEKLY ROUND UP OF FIXTURES & RESULTS W/C 30th SEPTEMBER 2021


text:
Shut It Down
The text that started it all
As has been reported here previously, all the Board and Village meetings have moved to the Zoom platform.
On Tuesday night, a resident expressed concern that the meetings were not subtitled to the Village management. This is a legit concern and has been true for years.
What happened next was a whole new level.
Shut It Down. Shut It All Down!
Oh no, a complaint.
Rather than simply saying, "We get it." and noting that every single meeting has the exact same notice on its agenda that if someone requires assistance under the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Village will provide that assistance, and going forward with the plan to include auto-captioning in the redeployed web site. the Village Manager, the Village Attorney and the Village Clerk got together and decided that the best solution was the cancel all the board meetings, except for Planning & Zoning because that might inconvenience the developers.
And then just to add to the fun, the two boys got the Village Clerk to put the email under her name because ...
Now Follow This Closely Because It Matters
The Boards don't report to the Village Attorney, the Village Manager or the Village Clerk. It's right there in our Charter, Article 6. Just like the Village Attorney, the Village Manager and the Village Clerk report to the commission, the Boards report to the Commission. The Boards can't fire the Village Clerk, the Village Attorney, or the Village Manager and they can't fire the Boards.
That right belongs only to the Commission.
But There Is An Emergency, Right?
No. While the staff's neglect of ADA compliance is near legendary, remember this is the group that installed trash cans to block the sidewalk and then argued that 36 3/4 inches were more than enough for a wheelchair until they could no longer keep a straight face and set them up properly, there is no imminent threat. In fact, there is a Commission Meeting for this Tuesday and the same staff could easily have put that issue before the commission, their bosses, and brought the viewpoint up.
There is a general belief that they did not do this because there was grave danger that the commission might not have shut down the boards. That would be a terrible result for the staff which prefers not be questioned or work in the sunshine.
So shutting the down the boards, legal or not, and ignoring the commission struck them as the best option.
But Corona Virus! Won't Somebody Think of Corona Virus?!
This cheap trick of pretending that a simple question and concern was so overpowering didn't go over well with many of the board members.
After all, they didn't volunteer to work for the paid staff and being believers in open and transparent government, they complained.
The staff do not have the power to shut down the board meetings without commission approval.
Why did it have to be done immediately when there were no scheduled meetings before the next commission meeting?
The Village Attorney decided to weigh in. He sent an email to the Village Clerk who forwarded it to the board members. The email contained many words. Some of them interesting.
For example, Daniel Espino wrote "Please know that the Village Clerk did not unilaterally cancel your meetings. She cancelled the meetings in consultation with the Manager and me."
Well okay then. The email the village clerk sent was signed by her but seriously, shouldn't everybody know that the discussion was done in the back rooms? Note that this does not include anything about consulting their boss, the Village Commission.
Then follows a bunch of words "Working Hard!" "Corona Virus!", "Not Enough Money!"
A Gaslight
Then, my favorite sentence from the email "As of right now, no boards (sic) meetings have been disrupted,"
Let's all take a moment to think about that. "No Boards have been disrupted."
You can almost hear the unspoken "you idiot" at the end of that.
Our highly paid attorney is saying "Yes. We cancelled all the board meetings. But we didn't "disrupt" them. How could we "disrupt" what isn't happening? Stop hitting yourself."
Okay, But Why Is This Important?
It's important for two big reasons.
The Village Clerk, the Village Manager, and the Village Attorney pushed aside the commission on a flimsy pretext and put the Village in danger in an ill-advised attempt to shut out the boards.
The Commission needs to assert its authority and clearly restrict the overreach of their direct report employees. This action is a direct attack on the commission and should not be tolerated.
Far more importantly, the Village is in crisis. The world is in crisis. The slow roll virus and the fast crashing economy have turned everything upside down and at a time when North Bay Village is facing record unemployment, residents plunged into poverty, education disrupted and even food hard to get, every voice matters. That well paid employees take advantage to shut out voices they find unpleasant is a serious warning sign that we may not have the right people employed to work us through the crisis.
After all, they'll go on to other jobs in other cities but we live here. And the boards need to be a full partner in getting the Village through what lies ahead.
I have already been contacted by several of the more active board members (not from mine) who are considering resigning unless this is fixed now. I think we should hold off and see if the commission shows the courage to take charge and then decide.
As far as the non-existent threat of a lawsuit, let's be really clear. Disability rights are civil rights. They are basic and ADA is remarkably flexible in finding ways to include people. We currently comply and in particular one board has been fighting a losing battle with the charter officers to improve our inclusivity, one of the boards they want to shut down. The Village Manager, the Village Attorney and the Village Clerk are using this deceitful pretext to shut down the boards. This is an exploitation of handicapped residents and I hope they at least have the decency to feel bad about that.
Tangled Webs


text:
Categories: Baikonur spaceport, Khrunichev, Proton, Roscosmos, Satellites, Space
Proton-M with European Telecommunication Satellite to be Launched on Sunday
Proton-M booster with European Astra-2G telecommunication satellite will be launched from Baikonur spaceport on Sunday, – Roscosmos spokesman reported.
The launch is scheduled for December 28, 00.37, Moscow time. At 00.47 space head comprising Briz-M upper stage and space device will separate from the booster. Launch program will be over by 09.50, Moscow time when Astra-2G satellite separates from the upper stage.
According Khrunichev Centre data Astra-2G space device was manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space (a department of European Airbus Group) on the order of SES (Luxembourg) satellite communication operator.
Astra-2G satellite was designed on the basis of Eurostar E3000. Launch weight of the satellite amounts to 6 tons, wing span upon solar arrays deployment – 40 meters, capacity – 13kW.
Astra-2G will be set into geostationary orbit to provide broadcasting and internet access for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Astra-2G will be the 24th SES satellite launched with the help of Proton-M booster and the 9th Eurostar satellite in SES orbital group. Three more E3000 space devices for SES needs are being manufactures at the present time.
This launch will be the 401st in the history of Proton-M booster operation.
JAXA delegation visited the GCTC
On May 25 the delegation of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency led by JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa visited the Cosmonaut Training Center. Within the framework…
Cargo spacecraft Progress MS-20 at the filling station
At the Baikonur Cosmodrome specialists from RSC Energia and core enterprises of Roscosmos started fueling of cargo transportation spacecraft Progress MS-20 with propellant components and…
The First Launch of Andara-A5V with Test Payload From Vostochy Scheduled for 2023
The first launch of Angara-A5V heavy booster with test payload will be performed from Vostochny spaceport in 2023, – as stated in Russian Federal Space…
A new batch of OneWeb satellites arrives at Vostochny
A new batch of 36 OneWeb satellites was delivered to Ignatievo airport (Blagoveshchensk) by an An-124-100 aircraft on Thursday. The specialists of the Space Center…
Russia to Perform 8 More Launches by the End of 2013
About 50 space devices are to be set into the low earth orbit by Russian boosters in the nearest 1,5 months. "We've planned 3 launches…
US Crew of Space Station Safe in Russian Segment After Ammonia Leak
A caustic element emitted from an air conditioning unit in the American sector of the International Space Station has forced all of the astronauts to take refuge in the Russian section,…
Exhibition Dedicated to Russian Cosmonautics to Open in London on September 18
Russian Space Exhibition postponed due to the lack of guarantees from the British part will open in London on September 18, – British Science Museum…
Scientist: Russia and USA Cancelled Agreement for Cooperation in the field of Protection against Asteroids
Russia and USA interrupted cooperation in the field of space exploration particularly the agreement for joint protection against asteroids but it won't prevent private cooperation B612…


I was going to wait until the morning to post this but with a debate raging over at Critical Miami, this is going up now.
The Miami-Dade School Board doesn't have a chance when the ACLU files their lawsuit next week. How can I say this?
Easy. Just take a look at Board of Educ., Island Trees Union Free School District. No. 26 v. Pico, heard before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1982.
A New York school board removed nine books from the local high school and junior high school libraries claiming the books were "anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, and just plain filthy." Five students sued, claiming that their First Amendment rights were violated. The U.S. District Court granted a summary judgment in favor of the school board. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed and remanded the case for trial. The school board appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
What are the legal principles at issue of the case?
The case represents the balancing between the broad discretion of local school boards in educational matters [Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390 (1923)] and students' First Amendment rights. West Virginia Board of Educ. v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943); Tinker v. Des Moines School Dist., 393 U.S. 503 (1969).
Though recognizing that school boards have broad discretion in managing school affairs, the Court ruled that the First Amendment places limitations on when school officials can remove books from libraries. While school boards have discretion to determine the content of their libraries they may not exercise it "in a narrowly partisan or political manner." The Court concluded that school boards may not remove books because they find them offensive or because they disagree with the ideas contained in those books.
The case represents the first and only time the U.S. Supreme Court has addressed the question of when school authorities can remove books from school libraries. The Court enhanced students' First Amendment rights by finding a "right to receive information and ideas" and prohibiting the "suppression of ideas." The Court limited its decision to the removal of books and did not address school officials' discretion in the acquisition of books or in the establishment of school curricula.
If they were smart, the Miami-Dade School Board would reverse their decision before they spend thousands of county taxpayer dollars defending themselves in a civil rights lawsuit that they are guaranteed to lose.
Many of the residents of Miami-Dade County have a long way to go before they understand what freedom really is. They would do well to start with the United States Constitution.
Maybe the school board hasn't a prayer -- sorry, make that "chance" -- but at least they struck a blow in defense of the rights of invertebrates.
I'm screwed on this - I'm paying for that lawsuit on both ends, with my ACLU fees and as a taxpayer. Just great. Man, I wish we could send the bill to Frank Bolaños, Tabares Hartman, the father of the kid, etc; let's see what would happen then.
"I wish we could send the bill to Frank Bolaños, Tabares Hartman, the father of the kid, etc; let's see what would happen then."
My thoughts exactly, gansibele. Hold them all accountable for their ignorance.
Stuck On The Palmetto is a frank, occasionally critical and sometimes humorous review and discussion of South Florida's current events written by a 20+ year resident of Miami-Dade and Broward counties who is now anxiously awaiting the day that he can relocate to the cool mountains of the American West.
What Is Your Favorite South Florida Professional Sports Team?
This is a Flickr badge showing public photos from sflrunner. Make your own badge here.


text:
Posts Tagged ' Movie '
A Movie Trailer So Good, We Wont Tell You What It Is.
The reason behind the mystery is simple. When we were first given a look at this teaser trailer for the next Disney/Pixar film, everyone on the team was a bit confused. And hopefully we're able to get this out fast enough so that most of the readers are taken by surprise as well. The photo above is the only hint that we can give, but these two men have given rise to one of the most popular characters of all time, that is now coming back to film in a way that no one on planet earth has expected. So please, we hope that you will be as stunned as delighted as we were at what Disney/Pixar has in store for the summer of 2022.
An Beyond
DJ Storms Blog
To Infinity
Did You See The Last Duel In "The Last Duel"
Without spoiling the movie, "The Last Duel" has been hailed as one of this year's best films, utilizing a unique storytelling method that allows viewers to see the varying perspectives of Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon), Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver), and Marguerite de Carrouges (Jodie Comer) as they recount the moments preceding and immediately following a most horrific crime. While we've seen the film and won't give away anything about what transpires, everyone should know by now that it ends with an epic duel – the eponymous last duel – that sees Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris battle it out, the former seemingly fighting for his wife's honor while the latter fights to prove his innocence.
The Last Duel has been hailed as one of this year's best films, utilizing a unique storytelling method that allows viewers to see the varying perspectives of Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon), Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver), and Marguerite de Carrouges (Jodie Comer) as they recount the moments preceding and immediately following a most horrific crime. While we've seen the film and won't give away anything about what transpires, everyone should know by now that it ends with an epic duel – the eponymous last duel – that sees Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris battle it out, the former seemingly fighting for his wife's honor while the latter fights to prove his innocence.
Adam Driver)
Jacques Le Gris
Jean de Carrouges
Marguerite de Carrouges
The New 'Resident Evil' Is Here.
Set to 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up" (for some reason), this teaser definitely indicates that the movie will take more influence from the video games than the previous franchise, as we see the likes of Claire, Leon and Jill facing off with zombies, devil dogs, lickers, and various other creatures as they attempt to find a way out of the besieged city. Gamers are also sure to recognize some of the locations, and director Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down, The Strangers: Prey at Night) does seems to have at least made an effort to replicate the dark, grimy chills of the games, but is this really the Resident Evil movie fans have been waiting for? Check out the trailer for yourselves below and let us know what you think.
Escape From Raccoon City
Welcome To Raccoon City
Jay-Z and Kid Cudi's Are On 'The Harder They Fall' Trailer.
Netflix has just debuted a new trailer and poster for upcoming Western The Harder The Fall, featuring plenty of stylized wild west action from a truly dynamite cast. The footage kicks-off with "Treacherous" Trudy Smith (Regina King), Cherokee Bill (LaKeith Stanfield), and their gang busting leader Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) out of jail, and it doesn't look like these guys have much interest in taking prisoners. From there, we're introduced to fellow outlaw Nat Love (Jonathan Majors), who sets off with former flame Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz), Jim Beckwourth (R.J. Cyler), and Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi) to seek vengeance against the ruthless Buck. This modern spin on the Western genre features a primarily Black cast, and hails from director and producer Jeymes Samuel, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Boaz Yakin. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, James Lassiter, and Lawrence Bender are on board as producers, and the all-star ensemble also includes Delroy Lindo, Damon Wayans Jr., Deon Cole, and Danielle Deadwyler. Check out the trailer below, which also features a tease of a new track from Jay-Z and Kid Cudi.
Cherokee Bill
Damon Wayans Jr.
Danielle Deadwyler
LaKeith Stanfield
Stage Coach
Trudy Smith
Aladdin? AGAIN.
I do have to say, I love this Disney film with all my heart. I swear… #ScoutsHonor, that Aladdin is one of my all time favorite movies. Our first look at the new recreation however, leaves me a bit confused. I know for certain that the re-creations of the classic songs (3 can be heard in this first trailer.) are AMAZING, I'm obsessed with the re-instrumentialzation, and the way that they all blend together, and the voice of the cave is spot on… BUT what makes you need to remake such a classic film? In younger generations, I suppose this story need to be re-told, but don't fix what was never broken. Tell us what you think below… And also Will Smith is playing the Genie, so this is going to be interesting.
X-Men: Dark Pheonix, The First Trailer…
"I've seen evil, and I'm looking at it now." It's been a long time coming, but the official trailer for Dark Phoenix, the next (and potentially final chapter in Fox's long-running X-Men saga), is finally here. Just like his predecessor in the pre-DOFP timeline, it appears that Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) has made the same grave mistake while handling a young Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) as he seemingly opted to once again suppress her dormant Phoenix abilities instead of helping teach her how to control the über-powerful force. Also, while the trailer may be light on actual Dark Phoenix action, save for a quick shot near the end, there's still plenty of intense footage of all of your favorite returning X-Men as they band together to face arguably their most dangerous – and most personal – threat yet.
DOFP
Phone Turner
The Captain Marvel Trailer Is Here.
So its been known for some time that Carol Danvers was in line to be Marvel's most powerful hero. Captain Marvel (no pun intended, they literally wrote it that way) is the MCU's newest hero to come to the screen, and her first trailer is here. From the transition from "Her" to 'Hero' you know that there was time and effort put into this trailer, and hopefully the film as well. It's refreshing to see a heroine who (although she may get knocked down) can still get back up and do her job. Shout out Hans for giving me the trailer early!
Carol Danvers
The New Spiderman is… Peter Patterson?
Fans were recently treated to an amazing launch trailer for Marvel and Insomniac Games' Spider-Man PS4, and now they have an exciting open-world trailer to enjoy. The latest trailer doesn't really reveal anything new about the highly anticipated game, but it does live up to its namesake and provides us with an excellent look at the open-world environment, highlighting some of the tasks players can do. However, even though it doesn't feature a lot of new gameplay footage, you can hear a fun debate between J. Jonah Jameson and Peter Parker (Peter Patterson) as they discuss the web-slinger's impact on the city. And to top it all off, the spectacular new footage reveals a better look at a few of the iconic Marvel landmarks that will appear in the game, including Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum and Avengers Tower.
Avengers Tower
I'm Sure You've Heard Who's Coming Back?
I know the 'Rugrats' fans from the 90's already know the answer to this. The popular animated series about a crew of adventurous babies is coming back to both the big and small screens. The show is being revived with a new 26-episode season and a live-action movie featuring CGI, Nickelodeon announced Monday. Rugrats is hands-down one of the most celebrated cartoons in TV history, and we are thrilled for a whole new audience to meet these iconic characters in brand-new adventures, Sarah Levy, the chief operating officer of Viacom Media Networks and interim president of Nickelodeon, said in a statement. The Daytime Emmy-winning show debuted in 1991 and ran for nine seasons over 13 years, reaching millions of viewers and inspiring three movies. The new Rugrats projects will reportedly feature the classic characters including Tommy and Angelica Pickles, Chuckie Finster, and Phil and Lil DeVille as well as some new ones. Needless to say, many nostalgic Rugrats fans were excited to hear the news.
Angelica Pickles
Chuckie Finster
Sarah Levy
Uncharted – The Short Film.
Ever since Sony revealed their plans for a live-action Uncharted movie, fans worldwide have been clamoring to see Nathan Fillion (Firefly; Castle; The Death of Superman) take on the role of adventurer extraordinaire Nathan Drake – a dream-casting that Fillion was very much onboard with. However, those hopes and dreams were subsequently crushed when the studio opted to go in a vastly different direction with their movie and cast up-and-comer Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Far From Home) as a younger version of the hero fans have come to know and love over the course of five video games. With that film perpetually stuck in development hell, Fillion and a few of his friends decided to take matters into their own hands and produced a 15-minute live-action fan film, directed by Allan Ungar, that finally puts Fillion in the shoes of good ol' Nate as he tracks down the lost treasure of Flor de la Mar. The cast is rounded out by Mircea Monroe (Episodes) as Elena Fisher, Stephen Lang (Avatar) as Victor "Sully" Sullivan, and Geno Segers (Banshee) as the villain.
Geno Segers
Mircea Monroe
Stephen Lang
Victor "Sully" Sullivan
It's Time To Break The 'Glass'.
M. Night Shyamalan just tore the roof off of Hall H with the first official trailer for his highly-anticipated Glass, which will feature the return of both Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price and Bruce Willis as David Dunn. Plus, this time, they're joined by James McAvoy as Kevin Crumb and Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey Cooke, who reprise their roles from last year's critically-acclaimed Split. The new trailer, which originally debuted at CinemaCon in April, offers plenty of outstanding footage as Mr. Glass partners with The Beast to wreak havoc on the world, leaving only Dunn and Cooke to find a way to stop them.
Enjoy the new trailer below.
M. Night
Shyamalan
The 2018 MTV Movie Award Winners.
Wakanda Forever! We're still a long way from next year's Academy Awards but comic book fans are already hoping that Black Panther will be recognised at the ceremony (making it the first superhero movie to receive a Best Picture nod since The Dark Knight). Regardless, the Marvel Studios movie dominated at the 2018 MTV Movie and TV Awards picking up a number of huge wins at the show.
Stranger Things, meanwhile, took charge of the television field. That's no great surprise giving its popularity but an argument could definitely be made that the second season wasn't quite up there with the first! Going back to Black Panther, it's great to see the movie receive so many awards and it just goes to show that it resonated with moviegoers in a big way. Did you catch the ceremony?
"Black Panther" (WINNER)
BEST SHOW
"Stranger Things" (WINNER)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOVIE
Chadwick Boseman, "Black Panther" (WINNER)
Timothée Chalamet, "Call Me by Your Name"
Ansel Elgort, "Baby Driver"
Daisy Ridley, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Saoirse Ronan, "Lady Bird"
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SHOW
Millie Bobby Brown, "Stranger Things" (WINNER)
Darren Criss, "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story"
Katherine Langford, "13 Reasons Why"
Issa Rae, "Insecure"
Maisie Williams, "Game of Thrones"
BEST HERO
Chadwick Boseman (T'Challa/Black Panther), "Black Panther" (WINNER)
Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), "Game of Thrones"
Gal Gadot (Diana Prince/Wonder Woman), "Wonder Woman"
Grant Gustin (Barry Allen/The Flash), "The Flash"
Daisy Ridley (Rey), "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Josh Brolin (Thanos), "Avengers: Infinity War"
Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Michael B. Jordan (N'Jadaka/Erik Killmonger), "Black Panther" (WINNER)
Aubrey Plaza (Lenny Busker), "Legion"
Bill Skarsgard (Pennywise), "It"
Gina Rodriguez (Jane) and Justin Baldoni (Rafael), "Jane the Virgin"
Nick Robinson (Simon) and Keiynan Lonsdale (Bram), "Love, Simon" (WINNER)
Olivia Cooke (Sam) and Tye Sheridan (Wade), "Ready Player One"
KJ Apa (Archie) and Camila Mendes (Veronica), "Riverdale"
Finn Wolfhard (Mike) and Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), "Stranger Things"
MOST FRIGHTENED PERFORMANCE
Talitha Bateman (Janice), "Annabelle: Creation"
Emily Blunt (Evelyn Abbott), "A Quiet Place"
Sophia Lillis (Beverly Marsh), "It"
Cristin Milioti (Nanette Cole), "Black Mirror"
Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), "Stranger Things" (WINNER)
"Black Panther" – Chadwick Boseman (T'Challa/ Black Panther), Lupita Nyong'o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Letitia Wright (Shuri)
"It" – Finn Wolfhard (Richie), Sophia Lillis (Beverly), Jaeden Lieberher (Bill), Jack Dylan Grazer (Eddie), Wyatt Oleff (Stanley), Jeremy Ray Taylor (Ben), Chosen Jacobs (Mike) (WINNER)
"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" – Dwayne Johnson (Smolder), Kevin Hart (Mouse), Jack Black (Shelly), Karen Gillan (Ruby), Nick Jonas (Seaplane)
"Ready Player One" – Tye Sheridan (Wade), Olivia Cooke (Samantha), Philip Zhao (Sho), Win Morisaki (Daito), Lena Waithe (Aech)
"Stranger Things" – Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Noah Schnapp (Will), Sadie Sink (Max)
Jack Black, "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle"
Tiffany Haddish, "Girls Trip" (WINNER)
Dan Levy, "Schitt's Creek"
Kate McKinnon, "Saturday Night Live"
Amy Schumer, "I Feel Pretty"
SCENE STEALER
Tiffany Haddish (Dina), "Girls Trip"
Dacre Montgomery (Billy Hargrove), "Stranger Things"
Madelaine Petsch (Cheryl Blossom), "Riverdale" (WINNER)
Taika Waititi (Korg), "Thor: Ragnarok"
Letitia Wright (Shuri), "Black Panther"
"Atomic Blonde" – Charlize Theron (Lorraine) vs. Daniel Hargrave (Sniper), Greg Rementer (Spotter)
"Avengers: Infinity War" – Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch) vs. Carrie Coon (Proxima Midnight)
"Black Panther" – Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) vs. Winston Duke (M'Baku)
"Thor: Ragnarok" – Mark Ruffalo (Hulk) vs. Chris Hemsworth (Thor)
"Wonder Woman" – Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) vs. German Soldiers (WINNER)
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
"Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story"
"Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated"
"Gaga: Five Foot Two" (WINNER)
Jay-Z's "Footnotes for 4:44"
BEST REALITY SERIES/FRANCHISE
"The Kardashians" (WINNER)
"Love & Hip Hop"
'Tag': Spoiler Free Review.
'Tag' is a film that will make you both laugh and cry. Myself, coming from a background of two different groups of very close friends, staying connected is extremely important. Even with its 'Hangover' style antics, 'Tag' will be quite resonant with people who have their "boys" that they have stayed connected with for the majority of their lives, and this movie has that impact on people whom share that similarity. The first thing I noticed was the amazing soundtrack of the film, from the opening moments, you can tell that whoever picked these songs, knew what they were doing. Even seeing the trailer alone, you think you can tell the type of film this will be, but it's a bit different. (And luckily the trailer doesn't give away all the best parts of the film)
The entire cast meshes well together, and there are some interesting rules to the "game" that aren't covered in the previews. The trailers would have you believe that this group of friends is constantly attempting to tag one another, but there is a bit of intricate teamwork involved. Team members tag each other on purpose in order to achieve a common goal. Their specific rules aren't expressly stated at first, but as the film moves along, you figure out the specificity of the rules.
The movie isn't without its loose ends and unfinished plot points however. Rashida Jones's character is a welcomed inclusion to the cast, but her storyline has no real end, or consequence. To speak on the end of the movie in general, there are quite a few points that are never tied up. A bar tender dying to get into the game, is just never touched upon after a certain point, and there are several 'Breaking and Entering' situations that just seem to have NO consequence whatsoever.
Following the film's conclusion, there are several shots of the real people involved in the game, which are AMAZING. I highly recommend staying for the end credits. (There's a bit with an old woman that is in the film, but seeing the actual incident in real life is much more gratifying). One of the two stand out stars of the film is Hannibal Buress, who you would wish had more to say in the film, but his lines, are simply one-liner jokes that help make the film as funny as it is. The other is Isla Fisher, (who I just realized that I have a strange crush on). But her character Anna is a person who you wish would play the game with the guys, and when she's able to, she is quite the competitor.
Another interesting bit is Jermey Renner, and his ability to evade his friends, using a Sherlock Holmes style mental process (The Robert Downey Jr. version) he can predict whenever he's about to be potentially tagged. This leads to some creative and interesting action sequences. We KNOW from the film that the physical training from "The Avengers" is part of the reason Renner is able to do the things that he can do in the movie, much like Keaunu Reeves had the training for John Wick, because of the Matrix. But a number of Renners evasion techniques are quite impressive.
Aside from some certain plot points that are crucial to the story-line that never come to fruition, the film is quite good. There are extra players that you never see, and the main purpose of the majority of the plot is for one character is write an article on the entire story, but you never hear anything about it when the film wraps up. There is also an interaction between two characters, that would be quite funny, but you never see anything of it.
Although this story is based on real life, there is a "dead baby" joke (and thats in quotations for a reason). But that just sort of fades away after a while, which would NEVER happen between friends. However this script, movie, and over arching story is a good one, filled with hilarity and depth that one wouldn't expect. It is very much worth seeing, and the giant crowd of critics that clapped and cheered at the movies' end would agree.
Hannibal Buress
Jermey Renner
Warner Bros. Warner Brothers
Oceans 11 Is Getting The Ghostbusters Treatment.
The first trailer for Oceans 8 has officially debuted, giving us our first look at the sequel/spin-off of Steven Soderbergh's Oceans trilogy. The story sees Danny Ocean's sister Debbie (Sandra Bullock) released from prison, only to return to a life of crime by assembling her own team – which includes Thor Ragnarok's Cate Blanchett and The Dark Knight Rises' Anne Hathaway – to steal a priceless necklace from New York City's annual Met Gala.
Rampage: World Tour: The Video Game: The Movie, With The Rock? What?
Dwayne Johnson announced that the teaser trailer for Rampage would be with us today, and as promised, you can get your first look at some footage from the upcoming video game adaptation below. The movie will be an adaptation of the classic arcade game, which focuses on three animals (a wolf, a crocodile and a gorilla) who fall victim to evil genetic editing, rapidly changing every strand of their DNA so they grow, evolve and mutate. Johnson's character is charged with tracking them down, but the gorilla just so happens to be a friend of his named George. I really want to be excited about this movie, but it just look like San Andreas mixed with the new Jumanji and a splish-splash of Negan. But let us know what you think by leaving a comment.
I Know Him! He's A Friend From Work.
In a surprise no one saw coming, Marvel Studios has released the first teaser trailer for their highly anticipated fall release, Thor Ragnarok, and it's pretty damn awesome. It's not particularly forthcoming with plot details, but we do learn why Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder hasn't been spotted with Mjolnir in any of the early promo art as Cate Blanchett's Hela, headdress and all, shatters his mighty hammer to Kingdom Come and takes over Asgard. The trailer also shows off nearly all of the new and returning characters and closes with our hero stepping into the Grandmaster's arena where he reencounters an old friend from work… but it doesn't seem like the reunion will be as joyous as he had hoped. Check out the trailer, which is set to Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song," below:
Assassins Creed May Be Worth The Wait.
With Assassin's Creed right around the corner, yet another new clip has been released from the movie. This one focuses on a carriage chase, and if this is an indication of the sort of action we can expect, then this release really does stand a good chance of being the first truly great video game adaptation. An original story rather than a direct take on one of the games, the movie picks up with Callum Lynch in the present after he discovers he's a descendant of the secret Assassins society through unlocked memories that allow him to relive the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. After gaining incredible knowledge and skills he's poised to take on the oppressive Knights Templar in the present day. Set in the same world as the game, but just how closely tied to them it will be remains to be seen. Assassin's Creed stars Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Ariane Labed, and is currently set to be released on December 21st, 2016.
Independence Day: Resurgence (Official Trailer 2).
Independence Day was one of the first blockbuster's I remember seeing as a kid, and still remains one of my favorite movies to this day. When I heard there was a sequel being planned, my first question was "what took them so long" and my second question was "what could make this more extreme than the original". Check out the trailer to see.
Pelé: Birth of a Legend Official Trailer
Before MS Dhoni's untold story is out, football fanatics will get to relive the journey of Edson Arantes do Nascimento aka Brazil's footballing legend Pele -as we all know him.
The film titled "Pelé: Birth of a Legend" is set to be released in theaters on May 6 and a week later will be available as video on demand.
The film which was to be released before the 2014 World Cup has been stuck in the pipeline due to post production drama, but now finally the official trailer is out and its AWESOME.
The trailer showcases the start of Pele's career from a small village called Bauru in Sao Paulo, to a football icon that inspired a nation. The music for the film is by great AR Rahman.
Watch the trailer below –
The Two Most… "Interesting" Videos On The Internet This Week.
I had an interesting time this week combing through articles, photos, and videos on the internet, and two specific things, not only caught my eye, but will cease to leave my mind. The first of which is the new Samsung Galaxy S7 commercial featuring Weezy himself. Lil Wayne has said that his debut role in Apartments.com's Super Bowl ad was "dope" and the "illest idea ever." He loved it so much that he's now taken a new role in Samsung's Galaxy S7 ad campaign. The rapper said he plans to do more acting in commercials in the future. Adweek asked Lil Wayne if he'd like to be in more ads and he responded: "Hell yeah, I do … it was kind of different to have to actually follow the rules, and that was cool. Being on the set and knocking it out, it was fun." The commercial itself is hilarious, and quite "different". Check the method below.
The second internet clip that is now seared into my memory, is the Pixar spoof from writers/producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. "Sausage Party" may look like it's headed for an NC-17 rating, but the creators assured advanced audiences at SXSW that it has already been awarded an R rating by the MPAA. It is directed by Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon. And it is definitely not for children, so keep them far, far away. Seth Rogen headlines this adventure as a hotdog just looking to get laid inside a delicious bun. But he soon discovers his destiny lies upon a different path. The film features the vocal talents of a who's who of today's comedy stars. The ensemble also includes Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Michael Cera, James Franco, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Paul Rudd, Nick Kroll, David Krumholtz, Edward Norton, and Salma Hayek. Check the trailer below.
Nick Kroll
Mortal Kombat XL.
Mortal Kombat, has become such a massive franchise after 10 distinct iterations, spin offs, and mashup games, that all people need to see is the logo, and they know what they're getting. Mortal Kombat X, which launched April 2015, will re-launch in March as Mortal Kombat XL with all of the game's downloadable content (characters, skins, movesets, etc.) developer NetherRealm Studios announced this morning. The special edition launches March 1 in North America and March 4 in Europe, both online and in stores, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. (Windows PC was not mentioned in the announcement video.) Pricing is not yet known. The DLC covered includes everything from Kombat Pack 1, which is already out, and Kombat Pack 2, which is coming soon. Both of those cost $29.99 for any guys (OR GIRLS) who love playing Mortal Kombat.
Decapitation
Moral Kombat
Neather Realm
Spectre's UI/OS Designs.
While my interests in the latest James Bond outing 'Spectre' were primarily audio based, one can't ignore the beauty and technically precision of the visuals. One of the least glorified, easily overlooked, but immensely stunning aspects of the film are the digital user interfaces, and operating systems used by characters in the movie. From the technical breakdown of the DB10, all the way down to the maps, and computer screen designs, each screen was painstakingly created from scratch by incredible visual artists. Although these images may have quickly been glanced by movie goers during the film, are all below for you to behold. Check the method.
UI/OS concept design and art direction for James Bond – Spectre. Studio: Method. Creative Director – Simon Cassels
'Concussion': Spoiler Free Review.
Will Smith will always be known as an acting juggernaut, more than capable of bringing in a crowd regardless of the film. Some of his ventures have been hit or miss (Winter's Tale, Jersey Girl, Legend of Bagger Vance) but over all, he's capable of playing incredibly memorable, and powerful characters, and 'Concussion' continues that tradition. Dr. Bennet Omalu discovered a connection between football injuries and brain damage in the early 2000's, and was met with an incredible amount of resistance by both scientists and the NLF. From the opening scene of the film when Bennet Omalu lists off his academic accolades, the entire movie theater was impressed. And Will Smith does a great job filling the shoes of a brilliant doctor.
The most notable factor about the character of Dr. Omalu is his Nigerian accent. Accents haven't been Will Smith's strongest suit (After Earth for example), but even though his accent in 'Concussion' does waver in and out, it's not enough to take you out of the film… (like in After Earth). Oddly enough the accents are one of the only weak points of the film. Alec Baldwin's Dr. Julian Bailes has an odd wavering southern accent at certain parts of his sentences, and the rest seems like regular Baldwin. This however is NOT to discredit his incredible acting in the film. After 30 Rock, Baldwin can be hard to take seriously because of the show playing his dry, straight faced humor as his strongest card. 'Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation' is filled with seriously played lines from Baldwin that the audience took as a joke because it sounded like a 30 Rock line. 'Concussion' however jumps this hurdle, and Baldwin's character Bailes comes across as a deeply conflicted, emotionally dignified character who belongs on screen next to Smith.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (who was amazing in Under The Lights) plays Prema Mutiso, Omalu's room mate/love interest. To her credit, she does very well with what she's given, her acting is superb, and every motivational speech, or heart breaking moment she goes through feels real, and substantial. That being said, Prema is a nurse dating a doctor, and didn't seem to lend much help to the medical plot points of the film. At certain points in the movie it was almost as if she was there simply to have things explained to her, so that the audience would understand. Case in point: when Will Smith demonstrates a brain in a skull by showing her a peach in a jar half filled with water, and shakes it around. (She's a nurse, I'm fairly certain she knows how a concussion works.)
As for the film itself, there are a few more humorous moments than one would expect from a film with such serious subject matter. There are many deliberately awkward moments between Omalu and any of the other characters that serve as good humor, and the film balances this well with darker moments that even drew a few gasps from the crowd. 'Concussion' has a unique way of making its point using real NLF footage. Even from the opening monologue from "Iron Mike Webster" (played brilliantly by David Morse) the movie intercuts with highlight reels, and gives the film a much more visceral feel. There are even moments of police footage that are used to astonishing effect. Smith's character even uses dialog to illustrate his point in graphic manor, describing men "being hit in the head with sledge hammers" or "pouring wet concrete down a sink" relative to choking a brain.
The overall writing in the film is also superb, and doesn't seek to demonize the NLF, but simply demonstrate that certain individuals within its ranks would do whatever it took to keep the league unshakeable. There are lines like "You're going to war with a corporation that owns a day of the WEEK… The same one that the Church used to own." that demonstrate the gravity of Omalu's plight. Omalu even has a few very stirring lines of his own, including the now famous trailer scene "When I was a boy, Heaven was here, and America was here [just below]" (which I've read was an actual quote from the real Dr. Omalu).
All in all, the film comes from a great true story about helping people, and not being afraid to speak the truth. The conclusion of the film may not be as satisfying as some movie-goers may want, however, it's the way things work when it comes to real life. 'Concussion is very well written, and treats its characters like real people. There is no general antagonist just counting money in the NLF offices doing evil things to keep people down, every character seems conflicted in their motivations, and has reason for feelings the way they feel. The doctors, and scientists especially, rely on facts and evidence before making decisions, and sometimes even state that although they may dislike Omalu, and his reasoning, or his motivations, they cannot deny the scientific evidence… which is the way REAL scientists behave.
The emotional moments in the film (especially a break down, beautifully acted by Will Smith) all have weight, and resonate with the audience. Some cast members shine brighter than others however. On the high scale, David Morse as Mike Webster was shockingly strong, and on the other hand Luke Wilson as the NLF commissioner was barely even in the film. ANY person with hair could have played that role. There are one or two scenes that may not fit into the film, like an awkward club scene that was just there to give Nina Sky some more royalties, but as a whole, 'Concussion' delivers as a heartwarming story of a person who will not stand for letting the truth be unheard. I definitely recommend it this christmas.
Bennet Omalu
Mike Bennet
First Look At Will Smith In The Independence Day Sequel.
Well, there it is. Your first look. For those who don't know, Will Smith's Col. Hiller won't be returning for the sequel to 1996's 'Independence Day'. Rumor has it that two different scripts were penned, one if Smith returned, and one if he chose not to, so we can obviously see which one they chose. The official "report" from the viral site The War Of 1996 – United We Stand, reads as below.
While test piloting the ESD's first alien hybrid fighter, an unknown malfunction causes the untimely death of Col. Hiller. Hiller's valor in the War of 96 made him a beloved global icon whose selfless assault against the alien mothership lead directly to the enemy's defeat. He is survived by his wife Jasmine and son Dylan.
Aside from seeing Will Smith explode, we also got an amazing first look at the rest of the film. Check out the first official trailer for "Independence Day: Resurgence"
The 'Hateful 8' BTS.
The Weinstein Company has brought online a new featurette for The Hateful Eight, the latest film from Academy Award-winning writer/director Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained, Inglorious Basterds, Pulp Fiction). In it, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker and his compatriots explain why they set out to shoot the western in glorious Ultra Panavision 70mm and project it on 70mm film for an exclusive two-week roadshow experience (with additional footage) this Christmas. Learn all about how everything old is new again below.
The Weinstein Company will release The Hateful Eight in select theaters on December 25, 2015 with an exclusive two-week roadshow opening in 70mm. Following the two-week engagement, the film will open with a digital theatrical release nationwide on January 8, 2016, while continuing to be shown in 70mm as well.
H8tful 8
Hateful 8
Tarentino


HOME - TESTIMONIES | PRESS | OUR TECHNOLOGY | SPA SERVICES HOURS & NEW LOCATION!
FACIALS WAXING LASH TINT etc.
Born, certified and trained in Paris, "advanced skin care" expert, Tanith Greenberg, brings her european style, knowledge, experience, techniques, technology and products to Chicago. Running her own business in Paris for 19 years combined with 20 years of experience in the US, Tanith has 39 years of skin care intelligence for you!
Change the integrity and appearance of your skin. Book an appointment today.
"I always feel so good, so relaxed and so beautiful after my session with Tanith.
If you are seeking transformation, seek no further. French Cosmetology by Tanith is your place. Tanith is "The Transformer"!
"J'adore! Where to begin! Tanith has consistently provided professional services for me, for the last 15 years!


Get Your Pets Ready for Spring!
As the weather turns warmer and we get ready for more outdoor activity, it's important to prepare our yards and our pets for all the good things to come.
There may be wind-blown debris in your yard that could be a chewing, choking hazard to your dog especially if you have a young dog or puppy that is very curious.
Has the winter weather damaged your fence? Check out the bottoms of board fences or posts and repair and replace as necessary. Heaving can loosen posts, so check them out and straighten and tamp them back in as necessary. If the posts have moved, be sure to check the boards or wire to make sure they haven't come loose.
If heaving has damaged any landscaping materials such as borders be sure to repair it before your dog decides to help out by digging up the rest of the border material.
When using a lawn service or lawn products yourself, be sure to carefully read the warnings on the products as many dogs and cats are poisoned every year by the herbicides and pesticides in lawn care products, and are linked to cancer in dogs. Check out the herbicides and pesticides to beware of here.
Heavy snows can damage gutters and drainage, so repair any problems before the spring rains cause puddles. Standing water not only creates a muddy mess that your dog will track into your home but also creates a breeding ground for disease carrying mosquitoes that can make your family as well as your pets ill.
Spring is great time to purchase a screen covered rain barrel as there are so many choices available this time of year.
If winter has played havoc with your doggy door, get your flaps replaced before the summer heat sets in. You can order new flaps for your Hale Pet Door to make it like brand new again.
If your warm weather plans include hiking with Fido, be sure to check out his paws for winter damage before you set out. If you both have been couch potatoes all winter, start gradually to get in shape to avoid injury. Make sure his tags are readable for the rare chance you get separated.
If water sports are more your thing, check out your dog's flotation device to make sure it still fits and is undamaged.
This is a lovely time of year, and we all look forward to the great activities the balmy weather brings. A little preparation can spare you vet bills and your pet illness or injury, so get ready for spring!
I am really grateful that you guys share these valuable and informative post. I really appreciate your work, It shows how nicely you perceive this subject matter.