New Orleans, Camaraderie Lives On Commentator Andrei Codrescu wanders around his adopted city of New Orleans, encountering the twisted and romantic moods of his fellow citizens and visitors. He proceeds to places he has known for years, and finds out at one bar, Molly's, that a free drink awaits him. It was bought by someone who came in months before.
Commentator Andrei Codrescu has a residence in New Orleans. He's been slinking around like a cat to see what's happening there.
In the early morning, I walked to the top of the stairs of what use to be Virgin Records to look at the river and read the paper. The river looked like it didn't give a damn, which was a good thing.
A couple of tender aged love birds with bright all night eyes came skipping up. The girl was mostly unwrapped in a sari type thing. And her boyfriend had bird bones in his ear holes. She was carrying a handful of flowers that looked freshly picked from the cemetery. I smiled and she stopped and rewarded me with a carnation and a kiss.
I'm a wild flower, she explained, just in case I didn't get it.
I took my (unintelligible) down to Decatur. Out in the great outdoors of the French Quarter, garbage piled up high on the sidewalk, uncollected for at least four days, judging by the bouquet. I noted a meter maid happily writing a ticket. So things are back in some respects.
Things are also functioning at the (unintelligible), where despite shorter hours, the croissants were fresh (unintelligible). I slinked on to Lavie en Rose to use internet and admired the punks draped over the two outside chairs, feedings the dogs tuna from cans, different kind of wild flowers.
Inside the café, I saw my friend, the poet and police detective Liz G., doing her paperwork and maybe sneaking in a poem on her laptop. Welcome to my office, she said. Liz is a marvelous poet but also a tough cop, so I can always ask for the real scoop on anything going down in the city.
This time, I didn't ask. I just sat down and hooked up to America. After a few hours in cyberspace, it was cocktail time at Molly's. My pal, Peggy, was at the bar sparkling under a huge flower festooned hat. From under the hat came the rumbled assertion that I'm not leaving, I don't care. Which I took to be the answer to the unasked question on everybody's mind about what to do when they announced the next storm.
The bartender brought me a cocktail and said, it's free. Some guy came in a couple of weeks ago and bought you a drink. She leafed through the bar's thickened damp journal. Here, she said, He said to give you whatever.
I was dying to see what else was in that journal. Molly's is open at all hours and I'm extremely interested in the hour of 4 a.m. for some reason. I sipped my whatever. I was in New Orleans, all right, and the hours were starting to stretch.
NORRIS: Andrei Codrescu teaches at Louisiana State University.


If you want to get a signed copy of Villains (or you just want to come say hi), I'll be signing books at the Prestonwood Barnes & Noble in Dallas this Saturday, starting at two o'clock. Details here. Hope to see you there!
Just a heads up: I will be signing books at the Preston Royal Barnes & Noble in Dallas at 1 p.m. this Sunday! Details here.


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La Octava Avenida (Eighth Avenue en inglés) es una avenida principal de orientación norte-sur que recorre el lado oeste de Manhattan en Nueva York. Su sentido de circulación hasta la calle 59 es hacia el norte. Es una de las avenidas originales del Plan de los Comisionados de 1811 que recorrerían todo el largo de la isla aunque hoy su recorrido cambia de nombre dos veces. En la intersección de la calle 59/Columbus Circle se llama Central Park West al formar el límite oeste del Central Park. Hacia el norte de la calle 110/Frederick Douglass Circle se llama Frederick Douglass Boulevard antes de fusionarse con la Harlem River Drive al norte de la calle 155.

Descripción

La Octava Avenida empieza en el barrio del West Village en Abingdon Square (donde Hudson Street se convierte en la Octava avenida en su intersección con Bleecker Street) y avanza rumbo norte por 44 cuadras a través de Chelsea, el Garment District, el extremo oriental de Hell's Kitchen, Midtown y el distrito teatral de Broadway en el barrio epónimo, antes de que desemboque en Columbus Circle en la intersección con la calle 59 y se convierta en Central Park West. Al norte de Frederick Douglass Circle, se vuelve a llamar Octava Avenida pero también es conocida como Frederick Douglass Boulevard. La avenida termina al norte de la calle 155 y se fusiona en la Harlem River Drive.

La línea de la Octava Avenida del Metro de Nueva York atendiendo a los trenes ,  y  en el Bajo Manhattan y a los trenes , ,  y  en el Upper West Side, circula debajo de la Octava Avenida .

Por la avenida circulan principalmente dos rutas de buses. La línea M20 con rumbo norte recorre la avenida entre Abingdon Square y Columbus Circle, mientras que la M10 la recorre desde la calle 59 hasta el norte.

Sección sur
La sección más al sur de la avenida se conoce simplemente como Octava Avenida entre Abingdon Square y Columbus Circle. Esta parte de la avenida lleva un solo sentido de tráfico desde el 6 de junio de 1954.

Desde los años 1990, la parte de la avenida que cruza Greenwich Village y Chelsea ha sido un centro de la comunidad gay de la ciudad, con bares y restaurantes que atienden a hombres gay. La marcha del orgullo anual se realiza a lo largo de la avenida en la parte que cruza Greenwich Village. Asimismo, junto con Times Square, la parte de la Octava Avenida entre la calle 42 y la calle 50 fue un distrito rojo informal a fines de los años 1960, 1970s y 1980s antes de que fuera controversialmente renovado a un ambiente más familiar bajo la primera administración como alcalde de Rudolph Giuliani.

Central Park West

Al norte de Columbus Circle, la vía se convierte en Central Park West (abreviado como CPW). A diferencia de muchas avenidas de Manhattan, CPW tiene doble sentido de tráfico y sus números de dirección es diferente que el resto de la Octava Avenida. Como su nombre indica, CPW forma el límite este de Central Park. También forma el límite oriental del Upper West Side. Corre por 51 cuadras desde Columbus Circle (en la calle 59, o Central Park South) hasta Frederick Douglass Circle (en la calle 110, o Cathedral Parkway). Las puertas a Central Park a lo largo de su límite occidental son: Merchants Gate en la calle 59, Women's Gate en la 72, Naturalists Gate en la 77, Hunters Gate en la 81, Mariners Gate en la 85, Gate of All Saints en la 96, Boys Gate en la 100, y Strangers Gate en la 106. Las viviendas caras en Central Park West rivalizan con las de la Quinta Avenida en el Upper East Side.

Muchas residencias famosas se ubican en Central Park West, incluyendo:
 The Dakota, donde vivió John Lennon con la aún residente Yoko Ono, y en cuyos exteriores fue asesinado en 1980
 The San Remo, hogar de Demi Moore, Diane Keaton, Steve Martin, Bono de U2
 The Eldorado
 Edificio Beresford, hogar de Jerry Seinfeld y Diana Ross
 Edificio Langham
 The Century
 15 Central Park West, hogar de Sting, Álex Rodríguez y Yekaterina Rybolóvleva
 41 Central Park West, hogar de Madonna
 455 Central Park West
 El St. Urban
 The Majestic, hogar de algunos de los antiguos jefes de la familia Genovese, incluyendo a Meyer Lansky, Lucky Luciano y Frank Costello. En 1957, Vincent "The Chin" Gigante disparó a Frank Costello en el lobby del The Majestic en un intento fallido de asesinato

De acuerdo con el crítico de arquitectura de The New York Times Paul Goldberger, los edificios de las calles, tanto los nuevos como 15 Central Park West y los antiguos como The Century, "encajan juntos de la misma maneras que aquellos en una hipotética calle principal y por la misma razón. Por mas de cien años, sus arquitectos rinden homenaje al acuerdo tácito de trabajar juntos, de alinear sus edificios unos a los otros y trabajar en una escala consistente con materiales que son compatibles."

La mayoría de estas cooperativas de vivienda fueron construidas alrededor de 1930, reemplazando hoteles de fines del siglo XIX con los mismos nombres. Algunos, incluyendo The Century, The San Remo, y The Majestic, son torres gemelas. Otros monumentos e instituciones a lo largo de la vía incluyen la New-York Historical Society y el Museo Americano de Historia Natural. El área desde la calle 61 hasta la 97 se incluye en el Distrito histórico de Central Park West.

El edificio ubicado en 55 Central Park West es el conocido "Spook Central" de la película Los cazafantasmas. El afamado restaurante neoyorquino Tavern on the Green esta ubicado cerca de Central Park West, en la calle 66, dentro de los jardines del Central Park.

En 1899, mientras existía un tranvía, Henry Bliss fue atropellado por un taxi en CPW y la calle 74 oeste, convirtiéndose en la primera persona en ser atropellada y asesinada por un automóvil en el continente americano.

Frederick Douglass Boulevard
Al norte de Frederick Douglass Circle en la calle 110 en Harlem, la vía toma el nombre de Frederick Douglass Boulevard, aunque algunas veces se le llama oficiosamente como Octava Avenida. Frederick Douglass Boulevard eventualmente temrina cerca del río Harlem en el Harlem River Drive cerca de la calle 159 oeste. Mientras Central Park West tiene su propio orden de numeración para las direcciones, los números de las direcciones en Frederick Douglass Boulevard continúan donde se quedaron en el luegar en que la Octava Avenida se convirtió en Central Park West.

El corredor a lo largo de Frederick Douglass Boulevard fue reubicado en el 2003, permitiendo que edificios residenciales más grandes y de mayor densidad pudieran construirse y dando lugar a la construcción de condominios, edificios en renta, restaurantes y cafés. Antiguamente descrita de ser "parecida a Detroit" en su decadencia urbana, hoy está gentrificado, especialmente en los restaurantes a lo largo de su recorrido, dándole el sobrenombre de "Restaurant Row". Esta gentrificación se debe en parte a la gran inversión realizada por la ciudad. De acuerdo con The New York Times la demografía también ha cambiado:

Sitios de interés

 Hotel Chelsea (en la calle 23 entre la Séptima y la Octava Avenida)
 Instituto de Moda y Tecnología (en las calles 26 y 27)
 Madison Square Garden y Penn Station (entre las calles 31 y 33)
 Oficina Postal James Farley
 Torre del New York Times en la calle 40
 Terminal de Autobuses de la Autoridad Portuaria (entre las calles 40 y 42)
 One Worldwide Plaza
 Torre Hearst

Referencias

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Fleming checks in at No. 1 in preseason top 10…
Fleming checks in at No. 1 in preseason top 10 projections
Brennen Rupp / Sterling Journal-Advocate
The Fleming Lady Wildcats figure to be one of the top team's in 1A this season.
By Brennen Rupp |
PUBLISHED: August 11, 2016 at 9:34 p.m. | UPDATED: May 8, 2019 at 1:30 a.m.
The first day of volleyball practice will be held Monday, Aug. 15. The preseason polls will be released at some point today. Here is my projection of how the top 10 will look in class 1A:
Fleming. The Lady Wildcats finished with a 23-7 record last year and lost to Idalia 3-2 in the semifinals at state. Fleming lost four seniors to graduation.
Alli Keisel, Shaylee Johnson and Bailey Chintala return after combining for 736 kills. Chintala led teh team in aces and digs as a sophomore. Kalyn Serrato returns as the team's setter a year after recording 766 assists.
2. La Veta. The Lady Redskins finished with a 24-3 record last year. They lost just one senior to graduation. As a freshman Kaylee Corsentino led the team in kills (272), aces (79) and blocks (76). Kinley Coe recorded 224 kills as a sophomore. Sonia Vallejos returns as the team's setter after recorded 626 assists as a sophomore.
Kit Carson. The Lady Wildcats finished with a 23-3 record last season. They lost four seniors to graduation, including setter, Yuli Gutierrez, who recorded 505 assists.
Micayla Isenbart led the team with 265 kills as a sophomore. She also recorded a team-leading 57 blocks.
A trio of freshman; Tess Hornung, Olivia Isenbart and McKenzie Smith combined for 493 kills. Hornung led the team with 52 aces and 271 digs.
Springfield. The Lady Longhorns went 17-8 last year. They lost just one senior to graduation. Brenna Shettron recorded a team-leading 181 kills as a sophomore. Shettron also led the team in blocks (168) and digs (773). Ally Loflin led the team with 90 aces as a junior.
Prairie. The Lady Mustangs finished with an 18-11 record last year. They lost three seniors to graduation. As a junior Emily Kaiser led the team in kills, aces and digs. Maddie Pollart finished second on the team with 150 kills.
Flagler. The Lady Panthers went 21-6 last year. They lost four seniors to graduation. Megan Moore led the team with 192 kills as a junior. Kodie Niebur-Hasz led the team with 106 blocks as a freshman.
McClave. The Lady Cardinals went 21-5 last year. They lost five seniors to graduation. Allie Nidey recorded a team-leading 230 kills as a sophomore. Jeanette Steerman led the team with 317 digs as a junior.
8. Idalia. Last year's state runner up went 25-3 last year. They lost four seniors to graduation, including Reagan Shaffer, who led the team with 162 kills.
Otis. The defending state champions defeated Idalia 3-2 to win the 1A state title. The Lady Bulldogs finished with a 27-1 record last year. In order to repeat the Lady Bulldogs will do so with a band of new faces.
They graduated five seniors. Those five seniors accounted for 92 percent of the team's digs. Antonya Schaffert, Lissette Lefforge and Teresa Davis combined for 85 percent of the team's kills. Kylee Kuntz, Rhces, Schaffert and Davis combined for 75 percent of the team's aces.
Essence Tolson returns after leading the team with 75 blocks as a junior.
Sangre de Cristo. The Lady Thunderbirds lost to Otis in straight sets in the semifinals. They lost five seniors to graduation, including Jenna McKinley who led the team in kills, aces and blocks. As a freshman, Jessica Slane finished second on the team with 199 digs.
Brennen Rupp: 970-526-9298, brupp@journal-advocate.com
Brennen Rupp

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Mobile View is super zoomed out (link included) I have made my website mostly responsive for desktop browsers. However, when I open it on mobile it is super zoomed out, despite having the meta viewport on :(
any ideas?
https://mickadamouse1.github.io/Portfolio/
here's a link to my website so far^^
can't add any screenshots because I need "10 reputation to post images".

A: Check the type of quotation marks you're using here:
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=5″>

They look like the curly ones from MS Word, not regular " ", and that often causes problems.
Edit: Also change the initial-scale value to 1 maybe?

A: try using this viewport meta tag
<meta content='width=device-width,minimum-scale=1,initial-scale=1' name='viewport'>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Coaching Peaks and Valleys Pt 2
by James Beatty | April 20, 2018, 7:00am 0
Phoenix. 2012 US OPEN. Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The last time I was in Colorado my college career ended in the semifinals; the two tendons running from the bottom of my shin to the top of my left foot felt like shooting pool with a rope. I should've known better. A day into the tournament, there was a four-way tie for second with Riot, Phoenix, Showdown, and Molly Brown all at 2-1. Scandal was 3-0 after having upset Riot in the opening round 10-6. Following rounds 4 and 5 on day two, Scandal was way out in front at 5-0, while Riot and Phoenix were 4-1 and Showdown was 3-2. During the first set of games in round 6, lightning halted play and after a lengthy delay the first foursome had their games called and decided: making Riot 5-1, and Scandal 6-0.
Phoenix vs Showdown and Ozone vs. Safari had to wait until the next morning to decide their 6th round. Now, four teams have to make up round 6 at 9:30 in the morning, whereas four other teams wait to finish the last round and the last round, is staggered with games at noon and 1:30. The semis is scheduled for 4:30. Riot at 5-1 is waiting to play Ozone (1-4). Scandal at 6-0 is waiting to play Phoenix at 1:30. As Scandal sleeps in, Phoenix arrives to make up the 6th round with a 4-1 record. We have Showdown and Scandal in front of us and are guaranteed the semis as forthcoming games and overall records have that mostly decided. Only Showdown could possibly tie Molly Brown for fourth, but they'd have to lose to Aerosol who are 0-6.
Open up the lines vs Showdown, I say. Let's self-sub or work in pods half to half and use Showdown like practice dummies and forget about the outcome. It's a free game. Likewise with Scandal – throw every play in the playbook at them and every defensive ploy we can throw at them as well and disregard the outcome. Open the lines and play 3-3-1 and pull rollers every point. Or play them both close for a half and then open the lines up for the second halves. After all, we have a roster of 25 plus who have traveled 6,000 miles and they all want playing time. Following these two games we have at least one, and maybe one more to play for real-real. If we go 0-2 to finish pool play, we get Scandal again in the semis rather than Riot, and I see playing Scandal back to back as a plus more-so than having to play Riot who are so far in our heads the is game already over.
Meeting with the captains that morning, collectively they weren't impressed. I guess it was like Aesop's fable The Wolf and The Ass: they wanted to kill and not cure, that's what they were there for, and it was put to me quite bluntly: we don't lose to f-ing Showdown.
Flash forward to Nationals in Sarasota months later: Sunday morning 5 am and as I'm steering the rental van out of the driveway, others are just getting in after their night out as also-rans in Siesta Key. I'm returning the van to Tampa and from there driving a rental car to Orlando – to meet my family at Disney, for Halloween, where my son will get lost. One passenger in the van is one of the aforementioned future Callahan winners, the other is missing the final day to attend her grandmother's funeral. I'm quietly waiting for the conversation and only my groggy inner chatter is talking, actually singing – wake up, wake up you sleepyhead, and trying to break down what went wrong, hoping never to see Mr. Big's 19th Hole or the Daiquiri Deck ever again, but later, at the mercy of the Disney machine and waiting for a table at a restaurant in the Animal Kingdom Lodge, I'd regret dismissing Mr. Big's and would almost welcome a watered down daiquiri.
Though by then I was on my own and recapping my last six hours and trying to explain why I first drove to Tampa, why no one else could return the van, why I lingered at the airport until I was certain their flights were on time. Why? Why? Why? There's no name for it. You can't explain it. It's what we do. As tired as I was and with nothing to inoculate me against the Disney freak show, I only repeated myself: "It's about the Constant Huddle and seeing it through." And for a second, I expected Rafiki to appear and tap me on the shoulder with his walking stick and nod with approval and pride, but it was only the waitress, her eyes pinwheels not unlike a Manson girl, explaining it will be another forty-five minutes, and I may as well have been speaking another language. Which I was.
Back in the van and sensing the finality of it all, it doesn't take my passengers long to speak up. Unlike the ride down days before, no one is dialing out with earbuds. This was the first time in four seasons we didn't make quarters. And this is the biting issue, as if it were a birthright to ascend.
At this early hour with barely any sleep, it's difficult to not be blunt and not point fingers. "Mention the wind, mention adjustments, and you can walk to Tampa." Nervous laughter, but they understand. Our postseason circle hijacked by no-shows and coy indifference, they know that this is as good as it gets. Steering with one hand and holding a pin that could pop the beauty of the constant huddle if I let it, I leave it alone because with Tampa looming ahead of us, it's this moment that makes all the investment worth it and makes the constant huddle so precious, and writing this here and now I think about all those airports, all those hotel rooms, all those rental cars and vans, all those road trips, all those discussions suspended over the open road, I think about driving back from Team USA practice in April of 2005 and getting lost in Augusta looking for James Brown's statue, the same weekend my man DQ attended the Beth Coltman Memorial Tourney at Cape Henlopen, Pony's first tryout, and with his car broken down – he just gives it to the guy there at Snookies Auto Sales and figured out a ride back to the city later – because this is what we do – and it was, of course, DQ who called me on that first day of March back in 2014 and asked me if I'd heard, and then I buckled and braced myself against the kitchen table, because more-so than UNCW, UCSC, UCSB, Fury, Riot, Bravo, Ring, Phoenix, Sockeye, etc, it is.
Carleton – love 'em or hate 'em – that transcends the idea of the constant huddle and takes it to a whole other level and I of course cannot help but think about those Carleton players setting out their cleats, their jerseys, their socks, the things they carried to a tournament they never made it to, and how that huddle remains suspended over the open road, and how fortunate you are to squeeze the juice out of this sport and ride the peaks and valleys for as long as you can.
"Mention the wind, mention adjustments, and you walk to Tampa. You showed up and played ultimate and when it was time for something else, you didn't show up. And few things are worse than not showing up." They stare at I-75 rolling past us. What they didn't know and what they could not have known were the numbers. Minus Fury and Riot, the numbers I needed to see were already in. Phoenix went 4-3 and in 7 games played scored 89 points, finishing 13th overall and 8th in total points scored. Fury would be the only team to go through without a loss and of the other fifteen teams, only two stayed above double digits in ALL of their losses: Traffic with five losses and 8 games played; and Phoenix with three losses. We scored points, but somewhere the system was fractured, callow. Breathing holes weren't enough. In pool play it went like this:
Opening round vs. Nightlock: 4-1. 6-2. 9-3. 11-5. 14-7. 14-13. We score on our second try for 14-7. We don't see the disc on the next point, and then give up 5 straight breaks before finishing the game on our O's second try for 15-13. Second round vs Showdown and the D2 vs D3 matchup. Our D has possession one time for 7 all downwind, but gives their O the upwinder for half. Our D has possession for 9 all downwind and again gives up the goal upwind. We break for 10 all. Showdown holds for 10-11. Despite our O's shortcomings and the eventual finger-pointing, the O did what they had to do when they had to do it: they scored upwind in one possession to even the score at 11 all. We had the disc one time to break downwind for 12-11, but no dice. After that, we scored one time on six tries and Showdown scored three times on six tries, breaking for the game upwind on their third try and we lose to f-ing Showdown.
Third round vs Traffic: 12-7. 12-15. A five-point lead and quarters bound became suffering an eight-point run and getting bounced from the power pool. Playtime for players rewarded for being good sideline players is suddenly a tie game (insert Chris Rock logic here). At 1-2 and minus 6 in the loss column, point diff was not on our side. Either was psyche. This team was not the same Phoenix team who in 2010 was also 1-2 after the first day. Playing up from the bottom on Friday, that team rolled two for the win after being tied at 13s vs. Safari; rolled two for the win after being tied at 13s vs. Bent; then in the prequarter at 10-7, scored five on seven tries to bounce Molly Brown 15-10; and had Fury 7 even in the quarters (with no observers).
Back at the US Open and we're down 4-6 to Showdown. Our O gets 5 on the board we run a 3-3-1 for three straight points for half 8-6. 10-7, and then they roll two for 10-9. We trade from here with neither team breaking, but Showdown scores in the hard cap to finish the game and we win 12-11. 23 total points played and we score 12 points on 25 tries in a game that goes to hard cap, and Scandal's been in the hotel watching Wimbledon (Our first two days consisted of late mornings and Wimbledon and me watching Phoenix work on crossword puzzles and later explain how they were challenging once, until I sat beside KD at 30,000 feet en route to Potlatch and watched him destroy the New York Times crossword – in ballpoint).
Scandal came in seeded fifth among eight teams. The previous season at Nationals they lost to Phoenix in the quarters and then would go on to lose the 5th place game and 7th place games to Showdown and Molly Brown. In our quarterfinal that year, we were kicking the pants off of them until 12-6 when they came zone and our three college handlers blinked. Not so suddenly it's 14 all and we roll the next two, breaking for the win 16-14. Later that evening at Mr. Big's all of us reduced to also-rans, a Scandal player when told Phoenix are lining up car bombs, remarked: F Phoenix! Exactly. In 2012, there was no love lost between these two, a post-game circle was unheard of and with a 6-0 record and looking to sweep the pool, Scandal was flexing.
Despite the grind to defeat Showdown, and contrary to the strategy proposed earlier, the call was to beat Scandal and beat them by enough points to win the pull and win the tie with three teams at 6-1. So we'd see Showdown in the semifinal, the team we just tried our hardest to beat by one point. Losing, we'd still see Riot in the semis. Kill or Cure? Down a break at 2-3, we roll two for 4-3. They get back on serve for 5-6. We have the disc one time on D for half 8-7, but they score on their second try keeping the game on serve. At 9 all we earn possession one time with our 3-3-1 for the lead but turn in their red zone and it's 9-10. On the ensuing point, our O had the disc 4 times for 10 a piece, but they break for the win and at 5-2 we moved on to play Riot in the semis.
Our first match vs Riot on the first day began competitively enough for 3/4s of the game, but with us at 2-0 and them already with a loss, suffering another upset was unlikely in the Riot camp. We hung around for a bit, down two at half, and after rolling 2 for 8-9, had four chances to tie at 9s but those missed chances quickly turned into an 8-12 hole. Final score: 9-12. Before the weather delay, Phoenix defeated Molly Brown 13-9, and Safari 12-7. We won the games we had to win to stay above 500. After the first two games the third day, we were 1-1 with a difference of 3 points in those two games and 43 total points played. Riot went up 6-0 before we knew the game had started. Our offense was 0 for 10 on six points played. Our defense did manage to gain possession the five times that we did pull, but we never managed a break. After scoring 21 points our previous two games that day, we came away with 4 to Riot's 15. Riot went on to defeat Scandal in the finals 15-10.
Kill or Cure? When does one or the other set the standard for things to come? And how do you know when to make that call and can you deal with the immediate or long-term backbiting? I can't say. That's part of the fun in coaching. You take those risks and you roll the dice. Change the force to backhand at the end of the game, and a sure-handed O just might turf the around reset, on double game point. You don't know, but you take that risk and you take bigger ones. After the US Open, Phoenix finished the year 17-5 before Nationals; won regionals on two breaks to one; and lost to Scandal at Fusion by one after dropping the break to win, but would Phoenix at 4-3 rather than 5-2 and playing Scandal in the semis and back to back hours apart have been better off over the long haul? Well, it's like this: The day after the US Open, connecting in Atlanta in the dreadful D concourse, the loudspeaker announced last call for Wilmington, North Carolina. I wouldn't make it. I was pinned down in a stall with altitude sickness, wiping foam and spittle from my chin. I spent the next five hours on standby and dry heaving before getting the last flight out that day. But I wish I had that weekend back.
"The early Stones were in a constant huddle, dissecting blues songs in front of the speakers and playing them back for each other and then for their few fans. They thought of themselves, not even as a band, really, but as a way of distributing music the radio never played." Dan Chiasson. New York Times Review of Books. March 10, 2011.


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Film Review - Downsizing (15)
Something very big is happening.
Downsizing is suffering from what might be called the Mother! effect. It's nothing like that crazy film in content, but both have marketing campaigns that lead audiences to expect one type of experience, before delivering something radically different. On first glance Downsizing looks like a high-concept science-fiction comedy - The Incredible Shrinking Man done as a suburban sitcom. But this is written and directed by Alexander Payne (Sideways, The Descendants), and gets into some heavy existential wrangles before the story is done. It's much more than a Friday night diversion.
Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig play Paul and Audrey Safranek, a financially struggling couple who consider a medical procedure of literal downsizing. A Scandinavian scientist has perfected human cellular reduction, whereby anyone can be shrunk to a size of around five inches in height. 'Small' communities are being encouraged globally, since tiny people produce a fraction of the waste produce, thus helping salvage the environment. But it's also sold as a shrewd financial move, modest savings stretching much further when you start life in a model-sized town. So Paul and Audrey agree to take the plunge, securing themselves a place within a plush downsized community called Leisureland. The consequences are instant and extraordinary.
Downsizing is a story told in distinct acts, each one moving somewhere utterly unexpected. There's the journey into the miniaturised world, the adapting to the norms of this apparent Utopia and then a whole other journey of discovery (one that puts the 'odd' into odyssey). The opening sections have all the quirky visual humour and sharp wit you'd expect from a Payne movie; the actual downsizing sequence is a comically surreal tour de force, accompanied by Rolfe Kent's beautifully-judged score. (Overall the music is as tonally varied as the movie.) Leisureland is cleverly realised in its feel and texture, so that it looks miniature even when there's nothing big in the frame to remind you of its scale.
Payne's sense of the satirical is in place from early on and only sharpens as the plot unfolds and the small communities' utopian ideals are put - as it were - under the microscope. The broad comedy of the big/little premise gradually gives way to something much more weighty, as the movie strives to support some ironically huge ideas. It's here that you'll either be captivated as a viewer, or do as several audience members did at Chatham Odeon and hit the exit.
Damon is a great everyman, one who you truly root for if you stick around, and Wiig is nicely understated, but in truth the most surprising performances come from elsewhere. Christoph Waltz plays a louche and connected neighbour in the downsized community to great comic effect, while Thai actress Hong Chau (TV's Big Little Lies) is a big-screen revelation as a house cleaner with a turbulent past. Both help steer the drama in those unpredictable, arguably frustrating directions.
Downsizing is a film with ambitions as grand as its central characters are miniature. What begins as an off-kilter comedy, with a concept that's gleefully bananas, turns into something with real gravity, raising issues of environmental responsibility and how we struggle to create meaning in our lives. It also proves that in terms of human behaviour, whether good and bad, size simply doesn't matter.
Gut Reaction: Regular chuckling for the first two thirds, then growing fascination in the final one. It didn't occur to me until the end that those guys had walked out!
Where Are the Women?: Wiig is good, but Hong Chau is the movie's surprising emotional core. (She didn't get a Best Supporting Actress Nom for the Oscars. This is a shame.)
Ed's Verdict: 8/10. I loved its comic weirdness, its ambition, even its perpetually evolving tone. This one will polarise opinion, but I'm fighting its corner. Go see it and then we'll talk.
Film Review - Coco (PG)
I'm proud we're family.
Pixar is the animation company that made it okay for grown-ups to enjoy films made ostensibly for children. I mean really enjoy them. It isn't just the craft that goes into their work. It's the sophistication and thematic depth of their storytelling (and the way they make you plain weep). These computer-generated features work beautifully on dual levels, often creating fully-realised new worlds. Finding Nemo. Wall-E. Inside-Out. And now... Coco. Their new title is up there with the best of them.
Set in a vibrant Mexican village, Coco centres on Miguel Rivera, a young lad whose dream is to play guitar like his movie-star hero Ernesto de la Cruz. The rest of his shoe-making family, however, are resolutely set against him doing anything even vaguely musical. The boy's great-grandmother Mama Coco was abandoned by her no-good musician father, and Miguel's secret guitar-strumming is viewed as an act of shame. The dispute comes to a climax on Mexico's Dia de los Muertos, its celebration of familial ancestors, when a rash action on Miguel's part crosses him over into the actual Land of the Dead. Here, surrounded by its cheerful skeletal occupants, he must try to find his way back to the living with the help of his own dead relatives.
Those are the (advanced apology) bare bones of the story, for this is a satisfyingly complex and ingenious tale, tying together themes of childhood ambition, family loyalty and the emotional links between living and departed into a deeply satisfying whole. And if any of the subject-matter sounds sombre, the absolute opposite is true. The film's primary emotion is joy - in music, in family and in life. It's also frequently very funny, right from the moment the Universal Studios theme is blasted out by a mariachi band.
To call the visuals stunning doesn't even capture the eye-popping colour on display here. The relatively restrained Mexican village scenes still buzz with life and movement in every frame. (The view of the candle-lit village cemetery is a gorgeous high-point.) But the Land of the Dead is almost overpowering, beginning with its entrance bridge - a great arch of cascading orange marigold blossom, over which the dazzled Miguel can walk. The entire after-world is a fluorescent marvel, constructed with near-ridiculous attention to detail, and bustling with an ironical degree of life.
Coco's numerous characters, living and dead, are realised superbly on every level, starting with its earnest Spanish-guitar-picking hero. (Take a look at Andy in 1995's original Toy Story and see how far Pixar has come in its depiction of humans over two decades.) Miguel's family is chaotic, infuriating and endearing all at once, his shoe-wielding Mama Elena a stand-out. And his colourfully-clad but rattling ancestors have as much individual personality as their living counterparts. Hector, the ramshackle scoundrel befriended by Miguel, is a series of bone-related gags, each as visually inventive as the last. Oh, and there's a dog called Dante (well of course there is), who can cross over to the other side, but keeps tripping himself with his own tongue.
The largely Hispanic voice cast is impressive too, with young Antonio Gonzales a terrific lead and Gael Garcia Bernal both touching and hilarious as Hector. They provide a whole lot of music, vibrant and celebratory, a perfect fit with the movie's magnificent sense of spectacle.
Ultimately Coco is just that - a celebration, particularly of Mexican culture, folklore and family life. What starts off as a well-worn tale of a misunderstood boy trying to follow his dream turns into something much more imaginative. It's a Day of the Dead miracle - and Pixar at its storytelling best.
Gut Reaction: Amused, entranced, entertained. And yes - the ending properly got me. It was the opening twenty minutes of Up all over again.
Where Are the Women? The matriarchs of the Rivera family are a force - none more so than Miguel's deceased great-great-grandmother Mama Imelda (the sublime-voiced Alanna Ubach).
Ed's Verdict: 8.5/10. It deals with art, passion, inter-generational conflict, life, love, loss, mortality, remembrance, even dementia - all of it with sensitivity, humour and warmth. And buckets of creativity. Just wonderful.
Posted by Ed's Filmic Forays at 05:15 3 comments:
Film Review - The Post (12A)
It's just government secrets.
The Post is the fastest-made film of director's Steven Spielberg's career. By his own account he first read the script in early 2017. It struck him as so relevant, despite its 1970s setting, that he suspended work on another project and made the thing in nine months flat. The urgency has transferred to the screen, but not the rush. With Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks on board, this is A-listers bringing their A-game; the result is as gripping as it is timely.
The Washington Post of the movie's title is a poor competitor in 1971 to the mighty New York Times. That could all change when military analyst Daniel Ellsberg starts leaking Vietnam War-related documents to the Times. The government, it transpires, has been less than truthful regarding the progress of American troops, and the whole thing points to a decades-long foreign policy cover-up. Nor is the Richard Nixon's administration going to abandon its secrets easily, slapping an injunction on the Times to shut it up. Soon Post editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks) is chasing the so-called Pentagon Papers, while the newspaper's owner Kay Graham (Streep) frets over the legalities of releasing their details. War with the White House could damage the Post irrevocably...
Spielberg's film works and succeeds on a number of levels. It's a rattling good journalistic tale, once the plot truly kicks in, of a paper working against a crucial deadline. It's also a strikingly contemporary story of news media taking on a mendacious US government, who would brush aside the constitution if it could to protect itself. And in Meryl Streep it's the tale of a woman struggling to find her voice in a male environment that views her as irrelevant. Small wonder the director scrambled for a release date almost exactly one year on from the Trump inauguration. This is a movie on a mission.
Not that it comes off too preachy. (One or two of the directorial touches are a little obvious and John Williams' score wells a little too loud to underscore one meaningful moment.) After a necessarily slow-burn set-up, this is a pacy and involving story full of news-hounds rattling small change at pay phones and printers setting type at cumbersome old-style presses. It's realised so well you can almost smell the ink. The hustle of the news office is a vivid contrast to the cocktail parties where politicians curry favour with the publishers. This is a journo-thriller, with bundles of papers hitting driveways as the payoff.
The performances are quality like you'd expect, Spielberg maximising their potential with his trademark lingering close-ups. Hanks is every inch the seasoned editor and Better Call Saul's Bob Odenkirk is great as dogged hack Ben Bagdikian. But Streep steals it, not least because her character has the greatest distance to go. As Kay Graham she is the society hostess who never expected to inherit a family newspaper business, and who must now learn to run it on her own terms. Whereas I'd expected the steely newspaper boss from her opening scene, I got the slow transformation into that role. It's compelling to watch, one '70s-style conference call providing a beautifully-played highlight. For an 'overrated' actress Meryl's really rather good.
This pre-Watergate story holds importance all its own. The Post
is a movie for the moment, celebrating hard-nosed fact-checked journalism and its role in challenging political corruption. It may lay on its messages a little too thick at times, but that's a small price for a fine piece of storytelling, one that espouses freedom of speech as a core American virtue. No wonder Steve wanted to get it out fast.
Gut Reaction: Relish as the stakes rose and the drama gained momentum. And a few fist-clenches at the characters' fighting spirit.
Where Are the Women? Meryl gives the stand-out performance, but kudos too to writer Liz Hannah, whose original screenplay grabbed Spielberg's attention.
Ed's Verdict: 8/10. Comes damn close to All the President's Men. I can pay it no higher compliment than that.
Film Review - Darkest Hour (PG)
You have the weight of the world on your shoulders.
There's a tangible sense in Joe Wright's Darkest Hour of encroaching darkness. The greatest success of this noteworthy (if flawed) film is nailing just how high the stakes were in May of 1940, as the British War Cabinet wrestled with how they should respond to the threat from Adolf Hitler's approaching forces. It's a story - Britain bracing itself as Nazism relentlessly advanced towards its borders - that's been told before in multiple ways, but never with a heavier feeling of of dread. Twenty minutes in I leaned to my cinema-going partner and muttered 'My parents lived through this.' In all my life I don't think it's hit me quite so powerfully.
The film centres on Winston Churchill's first twenty-five days in office as Prime Minister, following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain. Selected as a compromise to appease the opposition parties, he finds his instinctive resistance to Nazism at odds with those who would strike a deal with Hitler in order to prevent invasion. As European nations fall in rapid succession, the War Cabinet is locked in an impasse, Foreign Secretary Viscount Halifax insisting with Chamberlain that negotiation with Germany is the only reasonable option. Will the country appease a monster to survive, or risk incalculable loss in taking a stand?
To the film's credit you see Halifax's viewpoint as clearly as Churchill's. Wright's stunningly imaginative direction provides a sense of the the shrinking odds - gliding aerial views staring down on the ravaged surfaces of mainland Europe and fraught faces poring over pin-studded maps of the Cabinet War Rooms. Not a single shot is wasted. The enemy is closing, with Britain's soldiers hemmed on the French coast, and the claustrophobia is palpable. Dario Marianelli's score piles on the tension and you grasp what these men were wrestling with. Without benefit of hindsight, the implications of their decision-making are truly terrifying.
Much praise has been heaped on Gary Oldman for his performance as Churchill, all of it deserved. It's not simply that his appearance and voice are transformed, it's that he channels so many aspects of the wartime PM's personality - the bullying and bluster, the sharp humour, the humanity. But aided by the screenplay he also makes Churchill vulnerable, as friends run short and even the US President cannot much help him.
His scenes with wife Clemmie (Kristen Scott Thomas in loving no-nonsense mode) brim with tenderness, and those with Lily James as secretary Elizabeth Layton portray a touching connection with the young woman who comes to believe in him utterly. Meanwhile his altercations with Halifax are explosive, Game of Thrones' Stephen Dillane providing the other half of an epic political match. And with Ben Mendelsohn as George VI (remember how evil Mendelsohn was in Star Wars tale Rogue One?) he is part of a comically awkward and ultimately quite affecting double-act.
The major issue I have with the film stems ironically from its honesty in portraying the inordinate pressure on Churchill. By showing the PM's resolve nearly buckle (Oldman is particularly brilliant in these moments), the screenplay then searches for a way of shoring up his spirits. The dramatic device to which it resorts seems both trite and at odds with the rest of the film. I know what writer Anthony McCarten is aiming for, but it's infinitely more convincing when we're sweating away with the Cabinet members in a fog of moral uncertainty. The drama is way too convincing in its gravity to then resort to a sequence that seems like a cheap trick, one that jars with the film's overall tone.
That (admittedly major) misstep aside, this is an impressive and powerful movie - filtered steely-grey and rich in detail that plants you firmly in London, May 1940. More specifically it thrusts you in the rooms of power at a moment when, due to one horrendous threat, power seemed to be running out. And that's a very scary place indeed to find yourself.
Gut Reaction: Utterly locked in - for 90% of the running time.
Where are the Women? 1940s Whitehall was a solidly male environment, but Scott Thomas and James invest significant roles with spirit and steel.
Ed's Verdict: 7/10. Sadly I can't reconcile myself to one aspect, or the score would be higher. But this is still a must-see - for Wright's imagination behind the camera and Oldman's genius in front of it.
Film Review - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (15)
Looks like we got us a war.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri arrives in the UK with a quartet of Golden Globes, a clutch of BAFTA nominations and a hatful of Oscar hopes. The poster is already more star-strewn than an Icelandic night-sky, so you don't need me adding to the hype. I'll say only this. When the writer/director is someone as defiantly rule-trashing as Martin McDonagh, and when Frances McDormand is his lead, you should go see a film regardless of prizes. In the case of Three Billboards the less you know the more you'll enjoy, so by all means stop reading and and come back later. I'll still be here.
The derelict billboards of the movie's title are commandeered by Mildred Hayes (McDormand), a longterm resident of rural Ebbing, who has lost her daughter to a particularly appalling crime. Feeling that the local police have failed in their responsibility to investigate, she uses the advertising hoardings to call their Chief (Woody Harrelson) to account. Her actions provoke an indignant reaction from the community, not least from the Chief's dim and bigoted Deputy, Dixon (Sam Rockwell).
Such is the set-up - and while the story trades off the increasing friction between Mildred and her neighbours, most of them fiercely loyal to Chief Willoughby and scandalised by Mildred's gesture, it does precisely nothing else you might expect. Pick any of the story's three central characters and try to predict the journey they'll go on before the end credits. You'll get it completely, refreshingly wrong.
This is all due to writing that, as McDonagh poined out during a recent interview, is rooted in character rather than deliberately manipulative plot twists. Mildred and her police nemeses behave throughout in ways that ring excruciatingly or comically true. The resulting events are messy and unpredictable - laced with as much dark humour as they are with poignancy, peppered with moments of shocking violence and unexpected humanity. It's as ragged as real life, all the way to the film's divisive ending. The one violent act that remains unseen, thankfully, is that which sets the story in motion. The terrible fate of Mildred's daughter we can only imagine, along with the poor girl's mother and brother (up-and-comer Lucas Hedges).
Frances McDormand is the tough, broken heart of the movie - reminding us, if we needed it, of what an astonishing screen presence she is. As Mildred she's moving without being sentimental and funny without being cute, holding the audience's sympathy however questionable her actions become. This is a portrait of grief hardened into anger, of a woman relentlessly seeking closure and raising hell in the process. Indications of the person she was prior to the tragedy glint with a subtlety only a truly accomplished actor can convey.
She's not alone in delivering greatness. Woody Harrelson has never been more convincing as the decent, beleaguered police chief who butts heads with Mildred. Sam Rockwell, meanwhile, gives a stand-out performance in his quietly brilliant career. As bumbling racist Dixon he's appalling and hilarious, and yet somehow still enlists our sympathy. Add to that a wealth of quality support performances (the always wonderful Peter Dinklage and Get Out's Caleb Landry Jones jump to mind) and you've got as well-acted a movie as we can hope to see in 2018.
The broader storytelling is terrific too. McDonagh's screenplay is pithy, profane and real, with small-town shades of Manchester by the Sea (and that film's sense of a community that's been around forever). Ben Davis' cinematography is edgy at times, starkly beautiful at others, and the whole thing is edited down to a sharp focus on the main character-arcs. Meanwhile Carter Burwell's original score provides a moody compliment to the dark subject-matter, while the borrowed tunes are as varied as the movie's frequent shifts in tone.
Three Billboards is ultimately a story of one woman's quest for justice, along with its results and repercussions. Its refusal to offer easy resolutions is frustrating, deliberately so. What is does provide, however, is empathy, grim laughter and a whole lot to think about. It's also one of the most innovative dramas you're likely to see this year - or most others.
Gut Reaction: Laughter, cruelty and compassion, all of them when least expected.
Where are the Women?: McDonagh gives Frances McDormand room to shine, in what is arguably the role of her film career. And that's having seen Fargo.
Ed's Verdict: 9/10. Another true original from the man who brought us In Bruges. Character-driven storytelling, which entertains, challenges and delves deep into our messed-up humanity. Shelve the awards buzz. Just go and enjoy it.
Feature - 'Am I Still Allowed To Like It?': The Kevin Spacey Factor
And like that, he's gone. - 'Verbal' - The Usual Suspects
I saw The Usual Suspects on its 1995 release and was bowled over by it, not least because of Kevin Spacey's performance. As talkative criminal Roger 'Verbal' Kint he was the connective tissue that held the film's complex plot together. His conversations with Detective Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri), in which he spun the story of a near-satanic crime-boss named Keyser Soze, were compulsively watchable. You hung on this actor's every word, even if like me you'd no idea who he was, and knew instinctively he was a special kind of talent. Long before that explosive conclusion.
Within months he showed up uncredited in Se7en, and the audience's response was Oh crap, look! It's the guy from The Usual Suspects! And in that moment an already thrilling movie upped itself a couple more gears. A latter-day screen great had arrived, and we were witness to it.
So it was gutting for me along with many others to read reports that this unassuming giant of modern cinema (and of TV, and of London theatre) may have behaved in a less-than-magnificent Weinsteinian way in his off-screen life. We always want our heroes, be they political or sporting or cultural, to live private lives that match what we admire about them professionally. When they fall far short of that, we feel a peculiar sense of betrayal. Their achievements, all that we have admired about them, seem permanently tarnished. More than that we may feel that it's some form of moral compromise to actively enjoying their work anymore, or that they don't deserve us to do so.
'I'll never be able to watch that film again.'
'I don't think I can finish House of Cards now.'
'Baby Driver's a great movie. Even though... You know.'
I understand the emotion, truly I do. Something is inevitably lost when we associate the person on-screen with reprehensible behaviour, particularly when it's of a sexually predatory nature. However there's an additional impulse on the part of some people (and TV networks) to erase all traces of the accused actor's professional output. And that I can't be dealing with.
Don't misunderstand me. When an actor's illegal sexual predilections are brought to light, it's a just consequence that they never work within that industry again. If they happen to head up a project that will fall apart without their input (as seems to be happening with House of Cards) then that will be an unfortunate but unavoidable loss. And if, as happened in All the Money in the World, the offending contributor's role can be replaced by a different actor's performance to avoid commercial disaster, call it a valid business decision made in difficult circumstances.
However, I'm talking about something rather different than any of those scenarios.
What I'm referring to is the actor's body of work already out there in the public domain - the DVDs nestling in people's personal collections and the movies doing the rounds of network TV. Can LA Confidential and American Beauty and (to a much lesser extent) Horrible Bosses 2 never be enjoyed again? Well of course they can. In fact they should be, for a number of reasons.
Art is very seldom created in a vacuum. Take The Usual Suspects. That film is a highly regarded ensemble piece with a clutch of fine performances. It's arguably the best work of director Bryan Singer (who, I have sighed at being reminded, is also enmeshed in allegations of abuse) and a memorable piece of screen-writing by Christopher McQuarrie. Add to that the hundreds of others who were employed in the movie's creation - the production designers and lighting crew and foley artists. Are the results of their Herculean labours (and any motion picture is a huge feat of combined strength) no longer to be appreciated, because one member of the team, however high-profile, behaved in some unconscionable way? If the Best Boy turned out have the Worst off-set proclivities, would that invalidate the work everyone else had done? (Can too many rhetorical questions be used in one blog post?)
That kind of thinking, logically pursued, would result in any film produced by Harney Weinstein being off-limits. Goodbye Shakespeare in Love, The King's Speech and Paddington. We might feel similarly reluctant to watch Roman Polanski movies again, including greats such as Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown and The Pianist. Those two names alone establish one potentially lengthy cinematic hit-list.
Of course it's easier to set aside our reservations if the offending party is not slam-bang in front of the camera. My own response to certain actors has been coloured, for example, by reports of their diva-esque on-set behaviour. (You were great in Hostiles, Christian Bale, but that tantrum of yours recorded on the set of Terminator: Salvation lives long in the memory. Longer, it turns out, than the film itself.) Yes - you may feel uncomfortable watching Spacey as 'Verbal' these days, but that brings up a whole other question. To what extent are we able to view someone's creation as a separate entity?
If you were to discover that the artist of your favourite National Gallery painting had been a serial spouse-murderer, would that make it any less beautiful, objectively speaking? Look - there's their signature on it, and removing that signature won't make it any less theirs. So the options are to stop visiting the Gallery or to deal with the mental conundrum. Take it a step further and imagine that the electrician who wired your house turns out to have a huge walk-in closet's worth of skeletons (real or metaphorical) rattling around. Are you going to rip out all the wiring, because every time you flick a switch you benefit from his workmanship? Not unless your reservations have evolved into fully-fledged psychosis.
None of which deals with the discomfort factor of watching an actor credibly suspected of having done something horrible. Perhaps there's a trick to it - some kind of 1984-style double-think. To throw your mind back to when you first watched the film/TV show, ignorant of that actor's off-set behaviour, and enjoy it as you did then. Or to imagine a parallel reality, where the individual was as decent in their private life as you'd hoped.
I've yet to experiment with The Usual Suspects in this regard, so I can't say for sure. But I'm reminded of a recent comment made by a friend - that she can't imagine never watching American Beauty again. I hope she finds herself able to do so, and to take pleasure in what she loved about the movie first time around, including Kevin Spacey's performance as Lester Burnham. I hope I can do the same for 'Verbal' Kint in The Usual Suspects. May we all somehow keep loving those performances, even if sadly we no longer feel able to love the guy who performed them.
Film Review - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Mis...
Feature - 'Am I Still Allowed To Like It?': The Ke...
Film Review - Hostiles (15)
Film Review - All the Money in the World (15)
Film Review - Molly's Game (15)


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15 years, 2 months ago at Nov 17 17:14
nataliegoes
A group of small-towners talk. They're not very bright, not funny and really not interesting. If I wanted to listen to this garbage I'd have stayed in a small town and done nothing with my life, too. At least in "Beautiful Girls" they were funny and interesting, but I'm so glad I never had to spend much time with people like those from this movie. Gave up half way through it, never did find ou... read more
An average movie
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Through the years, I heard some great thing about David Gordon Green. Indeed, even though he was, at first, completely unknown to the mainstream audience, he managed to build up a really solid reputation as indie film director. The late Roger Ebert was a huge fan and even thought he could become the next best American director, no less than that. Obviously, his status completely changed after 'P... read more
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The Importance of Getting a Flu Shot
This year it is more important than ever for you and your family to receive vaccinations for the Flu. With COVID-19 directly at the forefront of health safety, the more we can keep high immunity levels for other diseases the better.
Flu season typically occurs from fall to early spring. The length and severity of an epidemic may vary from year to year and city to city, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the flu affects between 3 and 11 percent of the U.S. population each year.
The CDC estimates that both the flu virus and the virus that cause COVID-19 will be spreading during the upcoming cooler months of fall and winter. The symptoms of flu and COVID-19 have a large overlap of symptoms, so the flu vaccine will be more important than ever.
Benefits of the Flu Vaccination
There are many reasons to get a Flu (also known as Influenza) vaccine each year. The best way to protect against the flu is a seasonal flu shot in early fall. It is possible to have both COVID-19 and the Flu at the same time, so attentive care is required as flu season begins.
Flu vaccines can keep you from getting sick with the Flu
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Reduces the risk of hospitalization for Children, Adults, and Seniors
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Flu vaccination helps protect women during and after pregnancy
A Flu shot reduces the risk of flu-associated acute respiratory infection in pregnant women by about 50%, and studies have shown that in addition to helping protect pregnant women, a flu vaccine given during pregnancy helps protect the baby from flu for several months after birth.
Flu vaccines can be lifesaving for children
The 2019-2020 Flu season resulted in 188 deaths of children under 17, according to the CDC. Significantly reduce a child's risk of dying from flu with yearly Flu Vaccinations.
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Home » Celebrities » Michelle Obama's 'Becoming' Film Coming To Netflix on May 6 – Watch a First Look!
Michelle Obama's 'Becoming' Film Coming To Netflix on May 6 – Watch a First Look!
Michelle Obama's documentary film, Becoming, will be released on Netflix on May 6.
The former First Lady of the United States revealed the date to her fans on Instagram, opening up about the project that follows her on her book tour for her memoir of the same name.
"Those months I spent traveling—meeting and connecting with people in cities across the globe—drove home the idea that what we share in common is deep and real and can't be messed with," she started in her caption. "In groups large and small, young and old, unique and united, we came together and shared stories, filling those spaces with our joys, worries, and dreams. We processed the past and imagined a better future. In talking about the idea of 'becoming,' many of us dared to say our hopes out loud."
Michelle continues, "I treasure the memories and that sense of connection now more than ever, as we struggle together to weather this pandemic, as we care for our loved ones, and cope with loss, confusion, and uncertainty."
"It's hard these days to feel grounded or hopeful, but I hope that like me, you'll find joy and a bit of respite in what Nadia [Hallgren, director] has made. Because she's a rare talent, someone whose intelligence and compassion for others comes through in every frame she shoots. Most importantly, she understands the meaning of community, the power of community, and her work is magically able to depict it."
"As many of you know, I'm a hugger. My whole life, I've seen it as the most natural and equalizing gesture one human can make toward another—the easiest way of saying, 'I'm here for you.' And this is one of the toughest parts of our new reality: Things that once felt simple—going to see a friend, sitting with someone who is hurting, embracing someone new—are now not simple at all," she continued.
Michelle goes on, saying, "I'm here for you. And I know you are here for one another. Even as we can no longer safely gather we need to stay open and able to put ourselves in other people's shoes. Empathy is our lifeline here. Let's use it to redirect our attention toward what matters most, and find ways to better remake the world in the image of our hopes."
"Even in hard times, our stories help cement our values and strengthen our connections. Sharing them shows us the way forward. I love and miss you all. #IAmBecoming."
Watch the first look at the film below:
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Princess Love Says She's 'Never Been Better' After Ray J Filed For Divorce For The 3rd Time From Hospital
Lamar Odom's Ex Sabrina Parr Caught Getting Intimate With Trey Songz at Club
Liz Hurley, 55, admits she makes fortune after sparking frenzy in boob-baring snaps
← What time is the one minute's silence for NHS workers who have died from coronavirus tomorrow? – The Sun
Where is Whitney in EastEnders? →


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Hillary Promises to Open the X-Files
04 Jan, 2016 by	Dave Blount
Finally, we have a reason to vote for Shrillary other than her female gender. She says she will answer all the questions brought up by the alien conspiracy TV show The X-Files:
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has said that if she is elected, she will 'get to the bottom' of questions over what the government knows about UFOs and aliens. …
When asked if she would support UFO disclosure group efforts, she enthusiastically said 'yes'. …
'I think we may have been (visited already). We don't know for sure,' she said.
She added that she would like to look into Area 51, which she first called Area 54 but quickly corrected herself.
So that's why she wants to be president. I thought it was so she could crank her trademark monetization of political power into high gear.
Don't laugh too hard. Conspiracies from outer space are harder to disprove than the global warming hoax, which even now has many adherents.
Maybe she already knows more about the aliens than she is telling us.
On a tip from Apostle53. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.
Dave Blount
More articles by Dave Blount


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Motocaddy launches new fully-responsive website
Motocaddy, the UK's leading trolley and cart bag brand, has launched a brand new website designed to help retailers and golfers find out more about the growing Motocaddy product range.
The new fully-responsive site – viewable at www.motocaddy.com - has been designed with the user-experience firmly in mind. With improved navigation and functionality, customers can easily access detailed product information, images and cutting-edge video content across the full-range of digital devices. It also offers the opportunity to share pages across all major social media platforms.
"We've made a significant investment in the new site to keep up with increased demand from around the world," said Oliver Churcher, Marketing Manager.
"It represents a complete re-build of the site we introduced five years ago. The fresh, modern look epitomises our brand and the products we now have available on the market and it will prove to be the perfect resource for anyone wanting in-depth information on Motocaddy products," he added.
Launching across 11 different countries in six languages (UK, Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, USA, plus an International version) the site also includes a 'Smart Search' making it easier and quicker for users to find the products they're looking for, plus prominent access to video content; the latest Motocaddy news; and enhanced stockist and service agent locators.
"We're an international business that is out-stripping everyone in the market and it's the best multi-platform website in our sector which matches our number one status, "said Chairman, David Wells.
"We have some very exciting products coming this year, that will continue to break boundaries in the industry and the new site is the perfect place to showcase them to golfers," he added.
Fyfe leads by one shot going into last day at Motocaddy Masters
Trio at top of Motocaddy Masters after day 1
Bumper Motocaddy Prizes at its headline PGA EuroPro Tour Event
Motocaddy helps 'stars of tomorrow' play their best
Motocaddy reveals exciting additions to 2019 trolley range


WOW is all you can say when you see this stunning example of a beautifully remodeled home. This CBS 3/2/2 on 1.37 acres is perfectly situated in a secluded copse of trees and country splendor. The home features a gourmet chefs kitchen with beautiful white shaker style cabinetry, subway tile back splash, granite counter tops, and high end Samsung stainless steel appliances. The luxury continues with beautiful gray ceramic plank tile throughout and a designer master bathroom that boasts a huge shower and a separate bathtub ready for relaxation. The finishing touches are stacked stone trim on the wood burning fireplace and deluxe lighting throughout. This little slice of country elegance will not last! Call today to schedule a showing.


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DanWorrall
Role Bowler
Batting Right Hand Bat
Bowling Right Arm Medium Fast
Read Bio View Stats
An experienced seamer with a track record as a prolific wicket taker in first-class cricket.
Worrall, 30, will join the Club at the start of the 2022 season after completing his commitments to South Australia in the 2021/22 Sheffield Shield competition. A British passport holder, Worrall will not need to represent the Club as an overseas player.
Nicknamed 'Franky' after the great West Indian captain Frank Worrell, he currently boasts 222 first-class wickets at a bowling average of 27.33 and will add further depth to Surrey's fast bowling unit, representing the Club in all competitions.
A former Australian international, with three One Day International appearances in 2016, Worrall has impressed for Gloucestershire in two spells at the west country county – 2018 and the 2021 season – taking 43 County Championship wickets at 22.53.
By signing his contract with Surrey, Worrall will give up his role as a local player for South Australia, whom he has represented for the past ten years. He will join up with Surrey before the start of the 2022 campaign.
General News Articles
Main News Capsey & Sciver shine in internal England fixture Surrey Women Alice Capsey & Nat Sciver were two of the standout players as England played England A in Canberra... January 17, 2022 Main News Surrey Academy announces 2022 intake Surrey County Cricket Club are delighted to publicly introduce the eight players who have joined the boy's academy for 2022.... January 14, 2022 Main News 2022 Young Writers' Competition now open Sending out the call to all young sports journalists, poets, storytellers, comedians, analysts and so many more, Surrey County Cricket... January 14, 2022


Academy students meet with faculty twice weekly in private lessons, focusing on technique building, refinement of interpretation, and performance preparation. Lessons and classes are available for students of piano, violin, cello, flute and other orchestral instruments.Students may request study under specific teachers upon acceptance into the Academy, although teacher assignments are not guaranteed. Students may request extra private lessons. These are available, teachers' schedule permitting, for $100 an hour.
Classes are offered in such topics as music theory, aural skills, conducting, composition, music history, piano and recording technology, and music business. The list of classes may vary yearly. Classes meet three times a week and each student has the opportunity to choose two classes. Students attend masterclass daily with either their studio teacher or another member of the faculty. Schedule and class listing subject to change.
Practice rooms are assigned to each student for a minimum of three hours of daily practice. At least two of the three hours of practicing will take place on a grand piano. Practice is required and monitored for students under the age of eighteen. Extra practice time is available.
All instruction takes place in the music building, Murphy Hall, on the campus of the University of Kansas. This remodeled building includes practice rooms, classrooms, and several state-of-the-art performance spaces.
Students have the opportunity to audition weekly to be selected to appear in special Honor Recitals. These concerts draw great attendance from the Lawrence, Topeka, and Kansas City community.
There are daily opportunities to perform in student recitals, masterclasses, and studio classes. IIYM Artist-Teachers nominate students for performances. There is no limit to the number of times a student may perform subject to time availability and IIYM approval.
Kansas Public Radio, features weekly live broadcasts of select IIYM students from their station's studio on the University of Kansas campus. Radio appearances feature interviews and performances.
Students also perform at Theatre Lawrence, Lawrence Arts Center, and private residences in the Lawrence, Topeka, or Kansas City community. Students are selected for community performances at the discretion of IIYM faculty and staff.
Students stay in a KU campus dormitory, a two-block walk to the music building. Dorm rooms house two students to a room. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served daily in the cafeteria and meals are included in the tuition for students staying in the dormitory. Public common areas in the dormitory allow for coed socialization, but private rooms are strictly male or female. Laundry facilities and pay phones are available for student use in the dormitory.
Students under the age of 18 are supervised by a staff of qualified IIYM counselors. The student to counselor ratio is 10:1. IIYM counselors are always present at all facilities in use by IIYM students including the music building, dormitory, and any performance venues. Students are not permitted to leave campus without staff or faculty supervision. In addition to IIYM staff, KU Public Safety ensures a safe environment on campus for all IIYM students.
Students may arrive by car, air, or bus. IIYM provides van service for a fee on designated departure and arrival days to and from Kansas City International Airport or the Lawrence Greyhound station. Students traveling outside of the IIYM van service hours or on non-travel days will need to arrange their own shuttle service.
Recreational events in the evenings and on weekends are planned for the student body. These can include supervised trips to shopping areas, movie theaters, or other cultural events. Exercise is encouraged throughout the institute and frisbee, basketball, tennis, and soccer games on outdoor campus fields and courts are arranged by IIYM staff.
Parents and teachers may attend daily student recitals free of charge. Please contact the IIYM if you are interested in observing other IIYM activities, subject to a $75 daily fee. IIYM is not able to provide or arrange housing for observers.
All applicants must submit a high-quality video via YouTube link. If you have a problem accessing YouTube, you can upload to other websites, such as youku.com, QQ. Once uploaded, email the link to chung@iiym.com.


The Truth Studios | An audio house for music creation in Seattle, WA.
AN AUDIO HOUSE FOR MUSIC CREATION. WE HELP FIND THE TRUTH IN YOUR ART. WE SPECIALIZE IN RECORDING, PRODUCTION, MIXING AND MASTERING.
WE FIND THE TRUTH IN YOUR ART.
Truth offers a variety of audio services including production, recording, mixing & mastering.
Coming to the audio rescue. Get our engineering help including edits, sequencing, tracking, mixing, mastering. Send your tracks to us and will give them the TRUTHtouch. TTS engineers are available per hr. Already have a spot you dig, just not the right engineer? Bring one of us in to your next session!
As an audio house for music creation we function to serve as a stepping stone for artist on their journey to creating great music/art. When asked how does it feel to record at Truth? It comes down to honesty, authenticity and a learning experience. recording Samples > NOTE: We currently record every 2nd and 3rd weekend of every month on Fridays & Saturdays. Strongly advised you schedule your session now.


Mega-publisher's hostile takeover bid cost GTAIV publisher big bucks in a down year.
According to the company's recently released annual report, Grand Theft Auto IV publisher Take-Two is on the hook for US$11 million dollars it spent fending off a hostile takeover bid by Electronic Arts. The larger publisher had aimed to acquire Take-Two for a cost of US$2 billion but failed because of Take-Two's assertion that the $25.74 per share price point significantly undervalued the company. Since the bid failed, no other suitors have come forward with a bid to acquire the financially troubled publisher.
The $11 million dollar expense comes at a bad time for Take-Two who recently reported that while sales and revenue were up significantly in 2008 (driven primarily by sales of Grand Theft Auto IV, the company lost $15 million during the fourth quarter of the year. As the economy continues to slide into recession and the company heads into 2009 without a Grand Theft Auto title on its release slate, the company is looking toward a rocky and uncertain new year though one bright spot on the horizon may be the company's recent re0signing of key Rockstar Games personnel.


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Walker named associate vice chancellor for auxiliary enterprises
Robert Walker has been named the associate vice chancellor for auxiliary enterprises, replacing Keith Corzine who retired Jan. 1 after more than 34 years at the university.
EMC alumnus honored for work in Operation Warp Speed's COVID-19 vaccine development
John Eric Powell, a 1991 graduate of WCU's Emergency Medical Care Program currently working as a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services science adviser, is the recipient of multiple national honors.
WCU holds two commencement ceremonies for fall 2022 graduates
WCU held two commencement ceremonies on Saturday, Dec. 17, with more than 1,100 graduates having their degrees conferred for bachelors, masters and doctoral programs.
Band director Jack A. Eaddy Jr. named finalist for GRAMMY Music Educator Award
The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum announced the 10 finalists for the 2023 Music Educator Award, and among those 10 is WCU's Jack A. Eaddy Jr.
WCU's foremost 'head resident' is turning in his keys after more than 34 years in student housing
Keith Corzine is stepping down Jan. 1 as associate vice chancellor for auxiliary enterprises.
Advancement office sets holiday hours for year-end giving assistance
Advancement staff members will be available from 8 a.m. until noon on both Thursday, Dec. 29, and Friday, Dec. 30
Scholarship funds to honor careers of retiring accountancy professors Kauffman, Swanger
N. Leroy Kauffman, a faculty member since 1994, and Susan L. Swanger, a faculty member since 1997, have established separate scholarship funds to provide financial assistance to deserving accountancy students.
Marketing graduate triumphs through tragedy
Monica Green, from Clyde, has been a Zumba instructor, personal trainer and soon she will be an alumna of WCU. This December, Green will graduate with her bachelor's degree in marketing as a first-generation college student.
Stacey Miller named director of alumni engagement
Stacey R. Miller, former associate athletics director for student success, has been named the university's next director of alumni engagement.
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Le Monument de la Reconnaissance au 21e siècle ou le MR21 est un centre d'interprétation situé à la Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Moncton, au Nouveau-Brunswick (Canada).

Installations

Le centre d'interprétation MR21 offre des installations numériques, notamment un spectacle 360 degrés qui raconte la vie de Mgr Arthur Melanson premier archevêque de l'Archidiocèse de Moncton et celui qui fît construire la cathédrale. Le centre offre aussi à la disposition des visiteurs deux grandes bornes interactives qui leur permettent de découvrir l'histoire qui se cache dans les verrières historiées du transept.

Références

Liens externes
 Site officiel de MR21

Grand Moncton
Musée au Nouveau-Brunswick
Musée d'histoire au Canada
Musée acadien
Centre d'interprétation
Tourisme au Canada
Bâtiment de Louis-Napoléon Audet


Q. WHAT ARE R-CONTROL SIPs (STRUCTURAL INSULATED PANELS)?
A. An extremely strong super insulated structural panel building component used for exterior walls, roof/ceilings, and floors. R-Control SIPs are made from engineered wood facings laminated with structural grade adhesives to termite resistant expanded polystyrene rigid insulation.
Q. WHAT TYPE OF STRUCTURES CAN BE BUILT WITH R-CONTROL SIP PANELS?
A. R-Control SIPs can be used in all designs: custom homes, engineered homes, restaurants, office buildings, schools, churches….the options are endless. Homeowners, builders, and designers who want to use a superior building technology can all benefit from R-Control SIPs.
Q WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER USING R-CONTROL SIP OVER CONVENTIONAL STICK BUILT METHODS?
A. If you plan to own or occupy the building or house, there are several excellent reasons to consider R-Control SIPs.
Comfort — One of the most exciting features of an R-Control SIP structure is the comfort benefit to the homeowner. R-Control SIPs create an inside home environment that is more easily and economically controlled. In addition to superior physical comfort, R-Control SIP structures are also very quiet and clean.
Thermal Performance — Stick built walls were originally designed to be structural, not insulated. With R-Control SIPs, the insulation is not an afterthought, but an integral part of the structure. The insulation is solid, so there is no air movement within the wall, nor are there studs acting as thermal breaks that reduce energy efficiency and homeowner comfort.
Strength — Structural testing and real world storms and earthquakes have challenged R-Control SIP strength performance. In tests of strength, R-Control SIPs have proven stronger than stick framed construction methods.
Quality — R-Control SIPs assure you of straight, flat walls with no bulging framing members. Straight walls are virtually impossible to achieve with stick framing. Attraction of dirt particles to thermal shorts caused by framing members is eliminated. A continuous wood surface provides a sound nailing base for conventional exterior finishing materials. This is also an advantage for interior finishing, as well as hanging cabinets and pictures.
Speed of Construction — R-Control SIPs are a faster method of construction. Many R-Control SIP contractor users report 30% to 50% increased productivity in their framing.
Q. WHAT IS THE COST OF R-CONTROL SIPS COMPARED TO A CONVENTIONAL STICK BUILT STRUCTURE?
A. The cost of any home or building is significantly dependent upon design. Basically, R-Control SIPs offset small additional material costs through labor savings. However, R-Control SIPs produce significant savings to the owner over the life of the structure when lower utility bills arrive.


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US production of superconducting wire under way
Agatha Bardoel, US ITER
US ITER toroidal field coil conductor production requires four miles worth of niobium-tin superconducting wire. Photo: Luvata Waterbury, Inc.
ITER will use 100,000 kilometres of low-temperature, helium-cooled superconducting wire to generate the immense toroidal magnetic fields needed to confine the 150-million-degree Celsius plasma inside a tokamak machine. "By next September, US ITER will have its share of that wire ready," says Kevin Chan, a project engineer for the US ITER magnet systems.
The United States is responsible for 8 percent of the toroidal field coil conductor that the huge experimental fusion reactor requires; the rest of the conductor will be supplied by other ITER Members. Eighteen toroidal field magnets will encircle the inside walls of the ten-story-tall tokamak.
The US contribution translates into nine lengths of conductor packed with compacted niobium-tin wire, with each conductor length just under half a mile long. The internal-tin process superconducting wire is being made to ITER Organization specifications at Luvata Waterbury, Inc., in Waterbury, Connecticut, and Oxford Superconducting Technology, in Carteret, New Jersey.
"Before ITER, worldwide production was 20 metric tons of this wire a year," Chan said. "Now, Luvata and Oxford Superconducting Technology each are producing 5 metric tons a month." Between the two companies, nearly 200 jobs were added when the manufacturers were awarded US ITER contracts.
It is Chan's job to ensure that the toroidal field conductor is assembled with high quality, on time, and under cost. The engineer worked in the metals industry for 14 years before joining US ITER 2 years ago.
"When you produce toroidal field strands of wire, there is performance data and you look at what that tells you. The production data indicates trends," Chan explains. "The supplier is continually testing and sending us the data, and my responsibility is to look at the data. I actually watch the results of those tests. I can see, oh, something is changing. Something is not behaving as it should. Why is this? And one looks and tries to understand. That is how we work to optimize the product."
The ITER Organization sets out the testing requirements for every component made for ITER. "What I do," Chan explained, "is verify that each test has been passed. Each of the 1,422 pieces of this strand that make up the nine lengths of conductor has to be tested and must pass."
A sample of the toroidal field cable conductor (4.37 cm in diameter) shows how densely the niobium-tin wire will be compacted within the stainless steel exterior jacketing. The hole in the centre will permit liquid helium to flow through the conductor for cooling. Photo: US ITER/ORNL
Chan said that when the finished conductor is delivered, the US ITER's commitment to that part of the project is complete. "It is high-value material, so the delivery is a big deal," he said. "Each conductor length is worth USD 5 million, and there are nine of them."
But making more than four miles' worth of wire is just the beginning of producing the finished conductor. The lengths of wire must be wound on hundreds of small spools and shipped to a cabling facility, New England Wire Technologies in New Hampshire, and later to an external casing, or jacketing, facility at High Performance Magnetics in Tallahassee, Florida. The assembly of the finished conductor is expected to take until 2016.
Assembling the cable in New Hampshire is a five-stage process. Initially, two superconducting strands and one copper strand are twisted together; next, three sets of strands are bound into a bundle; then, five of these bundles are twisted together. The resulting quintuple cord is arranged into a special configuration and becomes the subcable. Finally, to make the finished superconducting cable, six subcables are bound together around a central cooling spiral, which will permit the flow of liquid helium for cooling the wire when the magnet is energized.
The cable is then wound onto spools and sent to Tallahassee for an integration process where the cable lengths will be straightened and inserted into stainless steel tube sleeves, called jackets. These conductors are then wound onto four-metre diameter spools and shipped to France.
At the ITER site, the coil winders will reconfigure the conductors for installation. The conductors will be unwound and shaped into multiple layers called "double pancakes" to support the toroidal field magnets. The 760 metre-long cable will yield "regular double pancakes," and the 415 metre-long pieces will make "side double pancakes."
Each of the 18 toroidal field superconducting coils requires five regular double pancakes and two side double pancakes. In total, the toroidal field coils will weigh more than 6,500 tonnes, and will have a total magnetic energy of 41 gigajoules and a maximum magnetic field of 11.8 tesla.


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