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Archive for the 'MURDER' Category
Foxcatcher – directed by Bennett Miller. Biodrama. 134 minutes Color 2014.
The Story: Two international wrestling champion brothers become enmeshed with a wealthy aficionado.
One wonders what scene it might be, but there is a sense of one missing. Between Vanessa Redgrave who plays his mother and Steve Carell, who plays the billionaire John Du Pont.
For Mrs Du Pont is an enormously accomplished equestrienne. Now being an equestrienne, with an entire room of her mansion given over to her many trophies, requires an early start, among riders who are seasoned and talented and unbribable. To win those prizes you have to be the same. You have to know your onions from way back.
Her son, however, takes on the hobby of international competitive wrestling in his fifties. He had the interest and even the temperament to be a patron. But he sets himself up, instead, as a "mentor, leader, and coach" – none of which he was, as though to compete with the his mother in her own sport.
As this fraud takes place before our eyes, we see his protégé, played by Channing Tatum, lose vim. Having already won two world championships, he is to compete in the Seoul Olympics. But the more Du Pont engages with him the less true air remains for Tatum to inhale as his own. Presently, Du Pont alienates him from his own brother, David, played by Mark Ruffalo. And then bribes Ruffalo to live at his vast estate where he has built a training facility for the Olympic wrestlers.
But somewhere we need one more scene with the mother. We see her voice her opinion that wrestling is lowbrow, and in another scene we see her turn away from the training of the wrestlers as her son attempts to show off his "leadership" in front of her. It might be a scene in which he says to her, "What if I won an Olympic Gold Medal, mother?'
The piece could not be better cast or played. Ruffalo, who is the real coach, completely convinces that he is a coach, and the care and savvy he imbrues the character with are just enough to delude him about the possible nature of Du Pont.
Channing Tatum plays Mark Shultz, the younger wrestler brother as a young man focused on his sport to the exclusion of everything else. He has no girlfriend, no children, no outside interests. This means he has the blinders on, but Tatum plays the wrestler as aware of himself and his own nature upon which he depends for security in his sport.
Steve Carell plays Du Pont. He carries himself chin-in-air like William Buckley, and like Buckley he is clammy as an adder – but with this difference, Buckley was a person of great accomplishment, Du Pont is a person of none that have not been purchased. His is a cogent portrayal of an idiot dauphin. He's quite fascinating.
I'm not sure, however, that films are solely about portraiture. Or that to achieve a fine representation of a character is sufficient to a drama. The drama here does not play out; one figures it out. Carell is especially worth dwelling on amid an unexceptionable cast. And such a story is come by rarely. So it's good to be given it by all of them. And you will not waste your time spending a couple of hours with it.
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Posted in ACTING STYLE: YOU-COULD-DRIVE-A-TEAM-OF-HORSES-THROUGH-THE-PAUSES, Channing Tatum, DRAMA, Mark Ruffalo, MURDER, SPORT: WRESTLING STORY, Steve Carell, Vanessa Redgrave
Rashomon – Directed by Akira Kurosawa. Drama. Four participants in a violent criminal deed, each tell it from their particular point of view. 88 minutes Black and White 1950.
You will never forget it. And you will wonder what you really saw once you leave the theatre. I remember when it first appeared. It was, with the early films of Vittorio De Sica and S. Ray, the opening stroke of the introduction of international film to American audiences. They all were startling, indifferent to Hollywood style, profound, gutsy, and beautiful, none more so than Kurosawa. The acting style was Japanese in that it was intense, raw, highly emotional, contained, melodramatic, stylized, and firmly and deeply lodged in voice production; one had never seen humans like this before in a picture and never had one seen anyone oriental as the focus of a serious film. Mifune was first seen by U.S. audiences in this picture, playing with bold, sudden, unaccountable strokes. How he got the part is extraordinary: a friend of Kurosawa told him to come to the stodgy institute's auditions because someone was tearing the place apart; Kurosawa came and saw that one of the greatest actors in he world, although completely unknown, was before him. He inveigled the institute to accept Mifune. Watch him: he's the fastest actor in human response ever to appear in film. He can turn on a yen. There is no one like him for contained anger but Brando. The woodland scenes are completely free, the scenes on the sets completely imprisoned. Does it hold up? Masterpieces do. This time round all these years later, I watch the commentary, and I recommend it highly; the critic is a master of his craft; he knows the picture in its 450 scenes, by heart. See it with your friends. If ever a film was a community experience, it is this one.
Posted in ACTING STYLE: INTERNATIONAL REALISTIC, COSTUME DRAMA, Filmed in Japan, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, In Japanese with English subtitles, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, MURDER, MURDER MYSTERY, MUST SEE, Takashi Shimura, Toshirô Mifune ACTING GIANT, FILM GOD
Crime of Passion – Directed by Gerd Oswald. Female Pulp. A successful columnist marries an ordinary Joe and goes nuts. 84 minutes Black and White 1957.
Barbara Stanwyck is really superb in this picture – and so is Sterling Haydn. There's a lot of nonsense talk about film noir. Film noir depended upon being shot in black and white and it also depended upon a disenfranchised, downbeat, beaten-down male or female character as the lead and the sense no one can be trusted. This film is not noir. Just because a film is beautifully lit and in black and white does not make it noir. This picture is a good old-fashioned woman's pulp – the story of an able and prominent newspaper columnist who falls for a good hearted cop, retires, and is driven to distraction by his lack of ambition. The scenes with Raymond Burr are odd to see, because Burr, who made his career throwing his weight around, is quite sympathetic here. Stanwyck is a commanding actress who holds the screen with a minimum of histrionics. She's older here, but only in years. Her hair was going grey, which is why she steered away from color movies for so many years, but it looks blond. And her figure is tops. It's a double-edged proto-woman's lib picture. All female noir films deal with a woman disempowered after WWII, at which point they marry, not for love but for money and power, using sex as the hook. This is not the case here; here the problem is the drabness of housework. Still, after Stanwyck loses her income, it's entirely wonderful to see how many fabulous designer housecoats and negligees can be purchased on an ordinary police detective's salary. This is the 50s; this is still movie star time. You'll enjoy it.
Posted in ACTING STYLE: HOLLYWOOD CRISP, Barbara Stanwyck: THE QUEEN, MURDER, Raymond Burr, Sterling Haydn, WOMEN'S PULP DRAMA
Storm Warning — directed by Jerry Wald — Drama. On a visit to her younger sister in a small southern town, a woman witnesses a murder that appears to be committed by her brother-in-law.
What about Ginger Rogers? Was she some good actress or not? Boy she certainly is good here. And set her up against Doris Day and you can see what authority and readiness she had. She was, in Hello Dolly, rumored to be hateful to work with, and she may in her personal life have been humorless. She certainly had that peculiar way of ending her eyebrows at the center with an apostrophe. But what a wonderful chin she had. And she is a slender as can can be. She looks wonderful, and here she is already 39. She's too classy and smart to be the touring model (as if there ever was such a thing), but one passes that over because of the conviction she gives to all her dramatic work, her simply being in the material, walking through a bowling alley, running in the rain. She was a strong athlete and tennis player, and of course was a national star dancer in her teens, touring and holding her own on Broadway, where she first met Astaire, who helped choreograph one of her shows. She had an acid touch, if needed. And here it works well against Steve Cochran, who is gorgeous, but not really a good enough actor to play the part of someone who is stupid. This required someone like Dan Duryea or Richard Widmark who both played stupid people as though they were canny. Doris Day had no training as an actor, and it always showed, but at least she was always fully invested in what she did, and could turn on a dime and come up with it. Here we also have Ronald Reagan, really quite good as the wised up DA who can't forge a case against the Klan. He is never without a tipped-back fedora and a slangy approach to the townsfolk, none of whom have Southern accents, if you will. The ending is good. One of Jerry Wald's social statements, and not a moment too soon. Not a bad picture, not a great one, but with what makes a Star a Star, Rogers is worth the ticket.
Posted in ACTING STYLE: HOLLYWOOD CRISP, Doris Day, Ginger Rogers: movie goddess, HOLLYWOOD HEYDAY 1930 - 1950, MELODRAMA, MURDER, Ronald Reagan, Steve Cochran, THRILLER
The Thirteenth Guest
The Thirteenth Guest — Directed by Albert Ray — Murder Mystery. Who will be the next to be bumped off at this creepy-house-creepy-house-party anyhow? 69 minutes Black and White 1932.
Well, here we have Ginger Rogers aged 20 — and, of course, she's not bumped off at all. This flick is a sort of Necco Candy, a period confection which I would only devour in a movie theatre and which drew from me all the brainless attention it was meant to. It's a murder mystery complete with all the spider-webby appurtenances of the genre: a secret peephole, an inner sanctum, and a suave private eye. And there is Ginger, slender and pert and blond, and, since she is young, she is entirely fool-proof as the target of the dastardly murderer. Now, of course, we know there is no nourishment in a Necco wafer so we should not expect any from a B flick with which a really already experienced performer paid the rent. She had made 19 movies before she made her first musical with Fred Astaire, she had toured on the road as a star since she was 14. And here, as usual, she makes hard work look easy. She gave a lot, did our Ginger. All hail to her!
Posted in ACTING STYLE: HOLLYWOOD CRISP, Ginger Rogers: movie goddess, HOLLYWOOD HEYDAY 1930 - 1950, MURDER
Lady Of Burlesque
Lady Of Burlesque – directed by William Wellman – a backstage mystery comedy about a hooch dancer and a couple of murdered canaries. 91 minutes black and white 1943.
Every student of film and every person fascinated by its craft could not do better than to watch William Wellman's management of crowd movement in this back-stage whodunit. The set is spectacularly real in terms of its seediness, dusty props, crumby dressing rooms, and crowdedness. The film is alive with imaginative motion. Which stops dead when the inspector calls to examine the personnel and everyone has to gather in a dressing room that allows of scarcely any motion at all. So the movie lurches effectively between the hurly burly and hustle of the shows and the standstill of these scenes. Michael O'Shea plays the two-bit fool who woes the heroine and he is perfectly cast because he is lower-class at heart and so is Barbara Stanwyck, a Brooklyn girl from way back. She is not physically convincing as a Burlesque Queen; she does not have the aplomb or the powerful double-entendre of a Gypsy Rose Lee who wrote the story, but otherwise she is marvelous, for two reasons. She is a person of determination: her walk is like a naval destroyer moving across a duck pond. And she had the common touch. The burley-que life on stage was coarser than what we see here, but the casting of the girls with their snappy slang brings out the necessary, as do the costumes organized around their bodies not to reveal their sexuality but to astound by exaggerating it symbolically. A g-string tells less than a three foot hat!
Posted in 1930s, Backstage Drama, Backstage Musical, Barbara Stanwyck: THE QUEEN, BROAD COMEDY, CRIME, Directed by William Wellman, MATING, MURDER, Showbiz Comedy
Crossed Over
Crossed Over – directed by Bobby Roth — a novelist who has lost her son in a hit-and-run becomes friends with a notorious murderess in prison. 89 minutes color 2002.
It but touches on things. How could it have done otherwise? I don't know. The hell-realm of Karla Faye Tucker would be something worth looking at, but instead of going inside, we skip along on the stones of her personal history, but we never fall in, for the script misses itself. Very sad about her, good that she had a spiritual emergence. And then was executed. That was enough. The Diane Keaton character who persistently visits Tucker after her own son is killed by a hit-and-run driver is also given the once-over. Diane Keaton is an actor of genius; her recognition scene early in the picture is stunning. Maury Chaykin is an actor of the very first rank, and he offers a lot to Keaton here; he brings a sense of her reality in him, and so we do believe they are well married. But what we are given, instead of the collusion of Keaton and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Tucker, in a mysterious joining, is pat. The tears are pat. The sorrows are pat. The rapprochements are pat. Everything is routine. It is as though history must be honored over truth; as though this were not a drama but a documentary. Jennifer Jason Leigh is well cast as the murderess. She is an actor of great brilliance, whose career has collapsed because of a failure of voice production and trained actor's proper articulation. One never understand the words she is saying. Nonetheless she is perfectly cast here, for the part needs an actress of no personal appeal whatsoever, and such she is. The film is well-directed and very well filmed. The prison mis-en-scene is uncannily right. But where is the power of a real story?
Posted in BIO-PIC, Diane Keaton: acting goddess, DRAMA, Jennifer Jason Leigh, MATING, Maury Chaykin, MURDER
The Next Three Days –– directed by Paul Haggis –– suspense thriller about a woman convicted of murder and her husband who is not at all convicted she did it. Color 2010.
Well, you may wonder if you are in your ripe forties and had the part Russell Crowe plays here how well could you play it? Not within a mile as well as Russell Crowe does, was my answer as I watched. He is in his scruffy three-days-unshaven mode here, and he is in the hands of rough story that carries us into its surprises without betraying our credulity. Crowe plays a man unexceptionally in love with his wife, well played by Elizabeth Banks, and the conviction he brings to his feeling for her is the carrying force of the film on an emotional level. This love is put to the test by his own foolish plans to rescue her which projects us into the level of action, where the film is never still, always thrusting us forward into its next frustration, calamity, conniption. Crowe is in virtually every scene, and his registration as an actor is sterling throughout. He is always on the emotional and physical money. The film, however, is grounded, not by this performance but by the writing and direction and playing of his son, who is quiet and calm and patient, and represents the unspoken value system of the piece therefore. True, the director takes us past certain improbabilities to reach its excitement, but they vanish swiftly as the plot parts and lets us in on it. Liam Neeson has one scene, and he is superb in it. Altogether a well-written, tightly told action adventure piece, beautifully produced, costumed, cast, written, designed, and performed.
Posted in ACTION, ADVENTURE, Brian Dennehy, DRAMA, MATING, MURDER, Russell Crowe
Day Of Wrath –– Carl Dryer –– a young bride, a young son in law, an old preacher husband –– 1943 black and white.
Another version of Desire Under The Elms, aka Phaedra, aka Hippolytus, and so forth. In this version we have a powerful puritanical early 17th Century village minister and his good looking young wife and grown son back from college. Watch out! Here the chorus is supplied by the old minister's mean even older mother very ably played by Sigrid Neiiendaman. As in The Passion of Joan Of Arc, Dryer offers up immolation as the fear point of it all. And that immediately gets the ball rolling, as a stout old lady is condemned, tracked down, tortured, tried, and burned to death as a witch by the corrupt minister. A very great actress plays this part, Anna Svierkkier, and it is delightful to realize that an artist of completely modern temperament, skill, talent, and urge was already an old woman in Denmark; I thought we'd have to wait for Geraldine Page and Kim Stanley for the naturalness of this level of approach. Dryer's layout in the piece is curious, as all the men suffer the torments of the damned and are weakened by it, while all the women are completely without conscience or guilt of any kind, and are strengthened by it. The Day Of Wrath when it comes sure aint going to bother these dames. Made in Nazi-occupied Denmark in 1944, the Teutonic (puritanical) brutality is shrouded in the severe ruffs of the age of Rembrandt. But what we are drawn to here is Dryer's various story-telling manias, the long, long tracking shot, the devastating close-up, the molded lighting, the leisure he afford his actors and the tale, the dire solemnity of treatment, and the sense you are watching a silent picture when you are not. Do not, I say do not, lest you suffer That Wrath When The Day Comes, buy a bag of popcorn to eat this one by.
Posted in BROAD TRAGEDY, Directed by Carl Dreyer, DRAMA, FAMILY FILM, Filmed in Denmark, FOREIGN LANGUAGE WITH SUBTITLES:, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, MATING, MURDER
Silver Streak –– directed by Arthur Hiller –– romantic adventure comedy in which nefarious doings get let loose on a speeding train. 113 minutes color 1976.
Gene Wilder's eyes are of such a pellucid teacup blue that you know their innocence must be polluted before long. And so it comes to pass. I wouldn't call the great Jill Clayburg pollution, but she does seduce him with an ease smoother than finesse and swifter than the swift at dawn. Ned Beatty a great actor who must have won three dozen Oscars by now, or none, plays, as usual, a person who wandered out of a Sinclair Lewis novel. Presently, the skullduggery starts to boil up, guided suavely by the person of Patrick McGoohan. Into the train wreck he plans for these person's lives, zooms Richard Pryor, and the bullets start to fly to the right and to the left, but never, O never, to the heart of our hero which is preserved by his ironclad devotion to our Jill. The film starts as a leaden streak until Mr. Pryor's arrival, but watch his invention, his imagination, his beautiful, restless, and exquisitely beggarly dissatisfaction driving every scene to glory. Have there ever been any more than five elegant leading women to appear in American film? Was Kay Francis one? Gwyneth Paltrow is certainly one. Jill Clayburgh is absolutely one, and it is a treat to know it as a rare fact right here in this amusing escape by train.
Posted in ACTION, ADVENTURE, BROAD COMEDY, CRIME, Gene Wilder, Jill Clayburgh: screen and acting goddess, MATING, MURDER, MYSTERY, Richard Pryor, THRILLER
Batman Forever –– directed by Joel Schumacher –– the caped superhero is beset on all sides, of course. ––122 minutes color 1995.
"Was that over-the-top? I can't tell," utters Jim Carrey, and one wonders at the question. Has Jim Carrey ever been under over-the-top? Certainly not in this film. He is clearly a great film creature, and give him a gilded cane and stand back. The picture itself is overloaded with focal possibilities. First we have Tommy Lee Jones miscast as someone who is not a genius and therefore cannot be played by him. All Jones can do is howl with gruesome laughter. He plays a petty thief running a covey of red capped robbers, but he is at once supplanted by Nicole Kidman, whose blond hair brings the only daylight into the night-owl doings of the Batman milieu. God helps anyone who commits a 9-5 crime in Gotham; Batman only saves the night, never the day. Kidman, no matter how ever-glorious, is soon supplanted by Jim Carrey as a sedulous inventor employee of Bruce Wayne. Carrey consumes every scene he is in, with his brilliant physical comedy and hyperbolic acting style and range of invention. He's wonderful of course. But his Niagara turns everyone around him into a trickle. He is followed but not supplanted by Chris O'Donnell who enters as a fledging Robin. The whole film is all quite lovely, and gives full satisfaction to one's longing for midnight draughts. Val Kilmer is Bruce Wayne, and why not? The part is cast for the mouth showing under the mask. He is a very good actor and perfectly at ease in the role of the adult orphan. Complaints are irrelevant. So is praise. Who could critique a mud bath at a spa or champagne fountain at a wedding? Not I. Over-indulgence is at times the only proper rule of law. All I can say is that Jim Carrey fifteen years ago was at the perfect age to have played Hamlet, and should have done so. He had the antic temperament, the innocence of eye, and the pain.
Posted in ACTION, ANIMAL LOVERS, bank robbers, BROAD TRAGEDY, CRIME, FANTASY, Jim Carrey: Acting God, Macbre, MATING, MURDER, MYSTERY, Nicole Kidman: SCREEN GODDESS, NOIR, THRILLER, Tommy Lee Jones
Roshamon
Roshamon –– directed by Akira Kurosawa –– murder mystery in which four versions of the event are related by those who were there, none of those versions agreeing. 88 minutes black and white 1960.
You will never forget it. And you will wonder what you really saw once it is over, for it never is over. When it was first shown, it entered into the consciousness of the world like scripture. I remember when it first appeared. The acting style was Japanese in one sense of the word in that it was intense, gutsy, highly emotional, contained, melodramatic, stylized; one had never seen humans like this before in a picture and never had one seen anyone oriental as the focus of a serious film. It opened up Asian film to the West. Toshiro Mifune was first seen by U.S. audiences in this picture, playing with bold, sudden, unaccountable strokes. The woodland scenes are completely free, the scenes on the two sets completely imprisoned. This time round all these 50 years later, I watch the commentary, and I recommend it highly; the critic is a master of his craft; he knows the picture in its 450 scenes, by heart. See it with your friends. If ever a film was a community experience, it is this one.
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Posted in ACTION, ADVENTURE, Directed by Akira Kurosawa, DRAMA, FOREIGN LANDS, FOREIGN LANGUAGE WITH SUBTITLES:, In Japanese with English subtitles, MURDER, MUST SEE
The Big Sleep – directed by Michael Winner – "noir" remake of a detective investigating a blackmail case. –– 102 minutes color 1878.
Mitchum carries himself well through this poorly directed piece, a redo of the Bogart-Bacall. Oliver Reed appears, as does John Mills, Richard Todd, and Colin Blakely. For the money, dear, for the money. Sara Miles is sexier than anyone has a right to be. Joan Collins keeps her dignity, if you can imagine such a thing. But poor Richard Boone is off his mark, and even that past master Jimmy Stewart seems uncertain of his bearings, as which of us would not be, staggering through this ghost of a classic. Amusing palaces. Made in the dear druggy days of Great Britain.
Posted in DRAMA, FOREIGN LANDS, Jimmy Stewart: Screen God: Acting God, Joan Collins, John Mills, MURDER, MYSTERY, NOIR, Oliver Reed, Robert Mitchum
Peeping Tom –– directed by Michael Powell –– macabre drama about a photographer who kills with his camera. 101 minutes color 1960
Not as bad as it was said to be at the time of its release, and not as good as it was in later years claimed to be. Its interest does not lie with Powell's famous sense of color, which is really simply bad taste in Technicolor. Nor does it consist of our interest in this film as a noir, for it cannot be a noir, since it is in color and since it was made 10 years after 1950 when the era of noir ceased. No, a picture of this kind must depend upon our interest in the personalities of the principals, and here they are not sufficient to the task of holding it. Carl Boehm is the leading actor, good looking, blond, and very German, which indeed he was; he was the son of a famous conductor. But why is a German called upon to play a role perfectly suited to Dirk Bogarde? Anna Massey his opposite in the film is the daughter of Raymond Massey, and she resembles him when in profile. She also has the habit as did he of an over-articulating mouth, which she cannot help, but she also delivers her lines from the same inner place her father did, which is that of well-projected unbroken recitation. This wrecks vulnerability. She is costumed oddly, also, for one cannot understand how she can afford such smart clothes when her circumstances are shabby genteel. The direction of this material is skewed throughout, particularly in the film studio scenes, which are handled with contempt as burlesque rather than as serious attempts to make a commercial film. Powell hated the studio system at Pinewood and this hatred sabotages these scenes and displaces the drama going on in them. Worst of all, the film is mis-titled. It has nothing to do with a peeping tom. It has nothing to do with voyeurism, so, if the slimy title did not disgust the reviewers of that time, it certainly must have disappointed them. It is simply a picture about a peculiar maniac. The commentary which accompanies it is numbingly dumb. It reads into the picture symbols where there are really only cymbals. Let us preserve a disrespectful silence then and say no more.
Posted in Backstage Drama, Directed by Michael Powell, DRAMA, Macbre, MATING, MURDER, Psychological Thriller
RED –– directed by Robert Schwentke–– an action spy comedy adventure in which a bouquet of experienced old-time CIA assassins come out of retirement when a past score starts to be settled against them. Color 2010
Ernest Borgnine at 94 is in fine form here as the keeper of the very most secret of all the files in the world. And our acting staff is all over 50, or is it 60? –– and, like him, at the top of their game. Bruce Willis, always an excellent actor in the right roll, is particularly droll in registering the humor of the situation. Morgan Freeman plays the old reliable, and Helen Mirren and Brian Cox play former lovers rekindling their oomph amid the flames and firestorms of the genre. What makes the piece worth seeing is its unfolding until those firestorms start, at which time the wit stops, for it is impossible to be quite jolly and lighthearted while the Uzis fire. Or whatever that weaponry is. And besides the story then departs the arena of the possible and dashes into the arena of the improbable, and from that quickly seethes into the arena of the impossible, when Richard Dryfuss enters the picture and introduces the Vice-President of the United States as the man behind the man behind the man behind the woman, whom Rebecca Pidgeon plays with her usually chilling affect. It's more than the comedy will bear. For the film is one step away in its fine early stages from an Abbott and Costello film, with Freeman, Willis, and Mirren all playing Costello and John Malkovich playing Abbott, the only serious lunatic in the bunch. Mary-Louse Parker is particular responsive and funny in the Dorothy Lamour role –– or is that from another series entirely? Oh, yes. But what then? She could have been in an Abbott and Costello film, couldn't she? The piece is well written in its early stages of the preposterous, by which I mean in terms of narrative and dialogue and editing, and very well told by the director. It is when it devolves into the preposterously preposterous that expectations drop. But, never mind. Just expect them to.
Posted in ACTION, ADVENTURE, Bruce Willis, Farce, Helen Mirren: acting goddess, John Malkovich, Light Comedy, MATING, Morgan Freeman, MURDER, Richard Dreyfuss, SPY STORY, THRILLER
Angels Over Broadway
Angels Over Broadway –– directed by Ben Hect and Lee Garmes –– noir about Broadway hustlers in the 40s. 80 minutes, black and white, 1940.
Douglas Fairbanks Junior is first class and well worth watching as the tough-talking hardboiled grifter of this Ben Hecht (His Gal Friday) written and directed film noir. D.F. Jr never takes the gum out of his mouth, and it works. Mealy-mouthed John Qualen is fine as the focal figure, which he also was in His Gal Friday. Thomas Mitchell, in full Irish drunk mode once again, plays the surrogate Hecht character and gives vent to the screenwriter's most self-indulgent utterances. It is endearing to hear the yearning idealism of an earlier era, and in this era it was put in the form of a certain overblown futile self-pity, which you find in many of its writers, Saroyan, Steinbeck, Maxwell Anderson, Odets. Lovely Rita Hayworth plays an aspiring nightclub chorine, uncertain of herself yet loyal. She's young and touching. She plays the movie's moral center, and Hayworth as a picture's moral or immoral center is always well cast. The supporting cast are excellent. The movie is a piece of chewing gum, something to do until something tastier comes along, but that's all right. Like chewing gum it's not supposed to stick with you. The flavor doesn't last, but it has a tang while it lasts.
Posted in Backstage Drama, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., DRAMA, HOLLYWOOD HEYDAY 1930 - 1950, MURDER, MYSTERY, NOIR, Rita Hayworth: Screen Goddess, Thomas Mitchell
The Loves Of Carmen
The Loves Of Carmen –– directed by Charles Vidor –– tragedy when a naïve soldier falls in lust with a slatternly factory girl. 1948 color.
Spanish to her beautiful long and graceful fingertips, Rita Hayworth is the greatest Carmen ever to be filmed, in opera or out, the Carmen of Carmens. She could kill you with a click-clock of a castanet. Her opening appearance, teasing with an orange, is bravura acting at its best, easiest, and most fluid. This was the last picture she made before marrying Ali Kahn, her last picture as a young woman. The production is, of course, a Hollywood pastiche; the setting has nothing to do with Spain, or even with Mexico, where it is supposed to be placed. But so what –– with this provocative, saucy, witty, unpredictable, fiery, and bold woman brought to life with force, subtlety, and brazen confidence. There was nobody like Rita Hayworth. You couldn't take your eyes off of her, and it's still true. She made five films with Glen Ford, but he said he felt out of place in this one, and he does look foolish in his regimentals, but as soon as he gets out of the soldier suit he's fine. Don Jose is gauche, awkward, inexperienced –– and Ford conveys all that and brings to his scenes a bandanna of terrifying violence and cruelty once that uniform is exchanged for a highwayman's rig. Victor Jory is a drooling monster, and Luther Adler sound as the wise thief. But it's Hayworth in full force whose radiant and astonishing femininity make this picture a treat. Look at her bearing as she moves. Absorb her intensity when she is still. Surrender to her when the music starts. For it is quite apparent that no one in films ever enjoyed herself so much as Rita Hayworth when she danced.
Posted in ADVENTURE, Dance & Dancing, FOREIGN LANDS, HOLLYWOOD HEYDAY 1930 - 1950, MATING, MILITARY, MURDER, Rita Hayworth: Screen Goddess, TRAGEDY
Impact – directed by Arthur Lubin –– a noir thriller in which a man starts a new life with a new name when he is double-crossed by his wife, while a new love and wily detective help him out, 111 minutes. Black and white 1949.
Ella Raines has a level-eyed honesty and shining directness that perfectly suited the smart but innocent heroines of the era. She had beautiful dark hair with a widow's peak that could be worn in any style, a slender figure that looked wonderful in slacks. She was always physically limber and at ease on camera, and this helps opposite Brian Donlevy's habitual stiffness as an actor –– here twenty years too old for the part, but still quite affecting in it. It's a case of the role making the actor. The plot falls apart at the end, but the filming is excellent, including a wonderful car crash off a cliff, which I imitated as a little boy with my tinkerkoy convertible. Ah, death and destruction! We also have the delicious gravy of the great Charles Coburn as an Irish detective. What a master he was!
Posted in ACTION, An A+ B PICTURE, Charles Coburn: Screen God: Acting God, DRAMA, Ella Raines: screen goddess, HOLLYWOOD HEYDAY 1930 - 1950, MATING, MURDER, MYSTERY, NOIR
Infamous — directed by Douglas McGrath — bio-drama about Truman Capote, Harper Lee, and their approach to the Sutter murders which produced his best seller In Cold Blood. 118 minutes color 2006
Well, it's badly written, directed, filmed. The sets and costumes are suited to a Betty Grable musical. And it's hard to like Truman Capote. One can admire him, for his strength and pertinacity, but his books are unreadable now and his position as the dwarf/jester of cafe society is gone. But during Gwyneth Paltrow's perfect rendition of "What Is This Thing Called Love?"when she breaks down — you see Capote rooting for her. Odd. Capote rooted for no one but himself. Capote banked everything on vindictive survival. And it's understandable, because he fell into no expected human category– until he found, after In Cold Blood, that survival itself wasn't worth it. But that's not the story told here. Toby Jones as Capote is trapped by the physical distortion he adopts, save once, in front of a mirror when he realizes the irony that he loves and is loved by someone he can never be with. Mark Wahlberg was to play that part, Perry Smith, and would have been better than Daniel Craig, who has only half of the character to offer, Perry's violence; the other half, Perry's artistic soul, is given Craig by dialogue but he cannot embody it. But Craig performs everything with complete conviction and simplicity, all praise to him. The great Lee Pace is Dick Hickock, the nasty psychopath provoker of the slaughter. Sandra Bullock is tops as Harper Lee, shrewdly achieving her effect by rarely looking at the camera, in the actual meditation of a modest woman. Juliet Stevenson is way out of line as Diana Vreeland. High Society people are not hoity toity, only people who imitate them are that. Sigourney Weaver is miscast as Babe Paley, it should have been played by an elegant woman, which Weaver is not: Jill Clayburg, Blythe Danner. But the story gives me room to ponder the ways of nature. I recommend the piece because it held me, and because the director, although not very bright, has given us a simple draft of the Capote romance with slaughter and slaughterers, and because of Lee Pace, the instrument of it, amazing in his few scenes. The film itself accomplished what it set out to do. Despite its shortcomings — an honest job about a dishonest person.
Posted in BIO-PIC, Daniel Craig, DOCUDRAMA, GENDER, Lee Pace: Screen God: Acting God, MATING, MURDER
Scared Stiff
Scared Stiff — directed by George Marshall — an heiress to a haunted Cuban castle is threatened on all sides and warned to stay away. Martin and Lewis ride to her rescue — black and white 1953
A remake of Ghost Breakers of 1940, and directed by the same director, and evidently using the same great sets for the castle, and some of the original takes, this Martin and Lewis version takes a great deal more effort, because, in the original, Bob Hope played both parts — and so the film took a good deal less time. In this version there is too much horsing around en route to Cuba. And in the original, we had that game and merry minx Paulette Goddard braving all, whereas here we have Lizabeth Scott left over from a passing noir, and she wants pep. It's not her fault. She was wired slow. Goodness knows she throws herself into it, and does not shame herself, but it is interesting to see how different a script is required with such a change of leading lady. Goddard strips to a bra and panties at one point, and it's choice, whereas, while Scott is beautifully appareled by Edith Head, Scott does not show her, actually excellent, figure until the swimming scene — the one where Paulette held her clothes above the water while she side-stroked to the deadly castle. Anyhow, Lewis wears on one. He plays his usual frenetic baby, and. while he is inventive and adept and agile in his awkwardness, we see is range of responses is limited because of the number of times he is asked to repeat them. We have wonderful cobwebs, though, and numerous spooks and suspects. We lack the devastatingly dangerous young Anthony Quinn as the twins — and the presence of Martin and Lewis routines, log-jammed with the already frenetic Carmen Miranda, do not supply the deficiency, despite all we hoped for Lewis's imitation of her in CM costume. Dean Martin remains a mensch, throughout — easy, attractive, and kind. A great draw.
Posted in ACTORS MALE, Dean Martin, Farce, FOREIGN LANDS, Jerry Lewis, Low Comedy, MURDER, MYSTERY


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Q: Google App Engine inter module communication authorization (python) Citing Google App Engine inter module communication authorization the problem I have is that in the Docs (communication between modules) says:

You can configure any manual or basic scaling module to accept
  requests from other modules in your app by restricting its handler to
  only allow administrator accounts, specifying login: admin for the
  appropriate handler in the module's configuration file. With this
  restriction in place, any URLFetch from any other module in the app
  will be automatically authenticated by App Engine, and any request
  that is not from the application will be rejected.

And this is exactly the configuration I have for my module called "api1". In my app.yaml file I have:
# can accept requests from other modules.
# with login: admin and they are authenticated automatically.
- url: /.*
  script: _go_app
  login: admin

I'm trying now, from a different module in the same app, to make a service call as suggested in the doc using urfetch.fetch() method, and my implementation is:
from google.appengine.api import urlfetch, modules, app_identity
from rest_framework.response import Response, status

@api_view(['POST'])
def validate_email(request):
    url = "http://%s/" % modules.get_hostname(module="api1")
    payload = json.dumps({"SOME_KEY":"SOME_VALUE"})

    appid = app_identity.get_application_id()
    result = urlfetch.fetch(url + "emails/validate/document",
                            follow_redirects=False,
                            method=urlfetch.POST,
                            payload=payload,
                            headers={"Content-Type":"application/json")

    return Response({
        'status_code': result.status_code,
        'content': result.content
    }, status=status.HTTP_200_OK)

According to the documentation, having specified the follow_redirects=False, fetch() will automatically insert an header in my call (I've even tried to add it explicitly) with the "X-Appengine-Inbound-Appid" : MY-APP-ID.
Unfortunately I get as result of the fetch call a 302 redirect, if I follow it, it's a redirect to the authentication form. This occurs in Development server as well as in Production.
Can you please let me know how can I call my api1 service inside my validate_email method (belonging to a different module in the same app)?
Is there another way to authenticate the call since it seems the way suggested inside the documentation is not working?
Thank you

A: As written here this is a tracked issue now on google appengine public issue tracker. So everyone can go there to check for updates.
In the meanwhile I solved the issue removing the login: admin from the app.yaml and in the handler of my service I've checked manually for the existence of the header X-Appengine-Inbound-Appid and its value.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Alice Wu
Friday, Aug. 26, 2022
SKUNK Signs Alice Wu For Commercials
Director Alice Wu--whose feature filmography consists of the lauded Saving Face and The Half of It--has signed with SKUNK for commercial representation.
A computer scientist turned filmmaker, Wu has seen her films recognized for their unique lens on the queer Chinese...
Thursday, May. 7, 2020
Writer/Director Alice Wu Returns To Filmmaking With "The Half of It"
"The Half of It" director Alice Wu is not like other filmmakers. It's not because she happens to be Asian American, female and gay, although that does put her in a rare class. Wu is not like other filmmakers because she doesn't really think of herself as one.
Even after two features, "I...
Netflix's "The Half of It" Wins Best Narrative Feature Honor At Tribeca Film Fest
Alice Wu's "The Half of It," a teenage spin on Cyrano de Bergerac, has won the top award from the Tribeca Film Festival.
Organizers announced winners Wednesday for the festival, which had been set to take place from April 15 through April 26 in New York City. The coronavirus pandemic...
Josh Mizrachi
SpringHill Entertainment
Ursula Gabel Baird
Christopher Pensiero

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


With so many people struggling to feed themselves and their families we, along with lots of other churches and organisations support the work of the Foodbank. Please support our monthly collection by bringing your donations to church on the third Sunday of the month. Suggested items to donate would be milk (UHT or powdered) sugar, cartons of long life fruit juice, squash, tinned sponge puddings, tinned custard,instant mashed potato, snack bars and biscuits, toiletries such as toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodrant, baby milk, nappies….whatever you think would be appreciated, but please no fresh food.
You don't have to be a church goer to donate, you can drop your donations into the Parish Office which is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am until 12.30pm. Please contact the Parish Office if you need any more information.


October 2017 Kelly Elaine Inc Curly News!
The long desired Innersense Organics I Create Lift Volumizing Foam is on it's way to our part of the Curly World. Danielle our Salon Coordinator and Certified Curl Care Product Expert has been in on the testing of this product. If she had more than two thumbs she would put them up too! Stop buy for what we are sure to be your new favorite!
New BUFF order came in! Come early to pick your new favorites! 10% off this month and 30% off with any $75 curly hair care purchase.
Original Moxie Heat Wave is our product of the Month- this is a reparative styling treatment that is SUPER, SUPER concentrated. We will repeat that- SUPER CONCENTRATED!Most curlies will be diffusing a little more come the winter months. Keep your curls in tip top shape with a touch Heat Wave.
We had lots of fun on Bella Capelli Monroeville Career Day. This is an amazing school with a fantastic program of training our future Professional Cosmetologists. We look forward to what they bring to our industry.
Make sure you have your appointments booked for the holidays. We want to make sure you have the best, shiny curls you can have!


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Die Grjasew-Schipunow GSch-30-2 () oder kurz GSch-2-30 ist eine zweiläufige Maschinenkanone, die in russischen Kampfflugzeugen verwendet wird.

Die Kanone arbeitet nach dem 1916 entwickelten "Gast-Prinzip" (benannt nach dem deutschen Konstrukteur Karl Gast). Hierbei laden sich die abwechselnd feuernden Läufe/Rohre gegenseitig. Gegenüber einläufigen/einrohrigen Waffen ermöglicht dies eine höhere Kadenz.

Die GSch-30-2 stammt nicht von der Grjasew-Schipunow GSch-301 ab. Sie ist im Gegensatz zur GSch-301 ein Gasdrucklader, von der Bauart ähnlich der Grjasew-Schipunow GSch-23L.

Verwendet wird die GSch-30-2 im Kampfflugzeug Suchoi Su-25 und im Kampfhubschrauber Mi-24–Mi-24P (in der GSch-2-30K-Variante).

Technische Daten (GSch-2-30K)
 Typ: zweiläufige Maschinenkanone
 Kaliber: 30 × 165 mm
 Gewicht (komplett): 126 kg
 Patronengewicht: 400 g

Weblinks

 Produktbilder und Beschreibung (russ.)

Maschinenkanone
Militärtechnik der Roten Armee

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


WOOD TRIM includes burled walnut woodgrain accents on shifter knob and PRNDL bezel and matching (N30) Steering wheel.
Find a great sale price on this 2006 Cadillac SRX at Mira Motors in Ontario CA. This 2006 Cadillac SRX is located at our dealership in Ontario. We also serve the cities of Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino, Riverside, and San Bernardino. So if you're looking for a great price on this 2006 Cadillac SRX or just looking to get an auto loan for the vehicle you want... you've come to the right place! Mira Motors.
Only 98,248 Miles! Scores 23 Highway MPG and 16 City MPG! This Cadillac SRX boasts a Gas V6 3.6L/217 engine powering this Automatic transmission. WOOD TRIM includes burled walnut woodgrain accents on shifter knob and PRNDL bezel and matching (N30) Steering wheel., WHEELS, 17" X 7.5" (43.2 CM X 19.1 CM) CAST ALUMINUM WITH MACHINED FINISH (STD), UTILITY PACKAGE includes (AM0) Seats, 3rd row, power; (V92) Trailering; (C57) Air conditioning, rear; (V08) Cooling system, heavy-duty and (V12) Steering, power fluid cooler. *This Cadillac SRX Comes Equipped with These Options * TRAILERING PACKAGE, SEATING PACKAGE includes (KA1) Seats, heated, driver and front passenger; (AL2) Seat adjusters, power lumbar control, driver and front passenger; (AH8) Seat adjuster, power, front passenger 8-way, (A45) Memory Package, memory "presets" for 2 drivers and (DR2) Mirrors, outside rearview, MEMORY PACKAGE, MEMORY "PRESETS" FOR 2 DRIVERS, LUXURY LEVEL ONE PACKAGE includes (D7E) Storage system, reconfigurable, rear cargo area, 3 compartments with one removable storage bin; (UG1) Universal Home Remote; (B19) Wood Trim; (UJ6) Tire pressure monitor , TRANSMISSION, 5-SPEED AUTOMATIC, ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED WITH OVERDRIVE, HYDRA-MATIC, 5L40-E, WITH RWD (STD), TIRES, P235/65R17 FRONT AND P255/60R17 REAR, GOODYEAR, H-RATED, ALL-SEASON, BLACKWALL (STD), TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR, STEERING WHEEL, WOOD ACCENTED, LEATHER WRAPPED, SOUND SYSTEM, ETR AM/FM STEREO WITH CD PLAYER includes Radio Data System (STD), SEATS, HEATED, DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER. * Visit Us Today * Stop by Mira Motors located at 849 W. Holt Blvd., Ontario, CA 91762 for a quick visit and a great vehicle!


One life lost is one too many.
Despite every precaution, no matter how many warnings are distributed at every level of education, the unthinkable happens - somewhere a child is critically injured in a bussing accident. Bus companies, teachers and parents must never stop telling their children about the danger that lurks around our buses.
Remember—if you can't see the driver, the driver can't see you!
Never go near the bus unless the driver has given you the signal to come!
Never, ever walk or play behind a vehicle!
When you go near the bus, always, always be sure you can see the bus driver!
Know where the danger zones are.
Click here for a printable copy of the Danger Zones in PDF format.
Portable Document Format (PDF) may require Acrobat Reader from Adobe. This program can be downloaded and installed free of charge by clicking on the icon below.
The 10 Giant Step rule is a good measurement for children to identify the Danger Zone around the school bus, particularly when crossing the front of the bus.


US consumers aged between 18 and 24 are by far the most likely to make a payment while using their mobile phone, research from GfK shows, with more than half (53%) having made a mobile payment while using the internet in the past six months.
37% of 25 to 34 year olds (Gen Y) made a mobile payment during the same period, followed by 27% of 35 to 49 year olds (Gen X) and 14% of 50 to 68 year olds (Baby Boomers).
One in three (31%) of the Generation Z consumers — those aged between 18 and 24 — agree that making mobile payments with a mobile device is more secure than other methods, double the general population level of 16% and five times the Baby Boomer score of 6%.
Gen Z consumers are also twice as likely to make a mobile payment as the total population — smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices account for just 3% of all transactions in the US, but rise to 7% among Gen Z.
The research, based on the responses of 1,000 US consumers, also shows that 53% of Gen Z consumers are looking forward to making "more and more transactions" from mobile devices. This represents twice the overall US average of 27% and is higher than either Gen Y (45%) or Gen X (30%).
"Many consumers today do not understand the value proposition offered by mobile payments," says Tim Spenny, vice president of GfK's financial services team. "This creates an opportunity for the industry to develop its own narrative around why people should use mobile devices to pay for their purchases — with security, speed and ease of use top among the reasons.


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Virginia loses 54-50 heartbreaker at #2 Miami
The Hoos brought a valiant effort on the road, giving itself a chance to win against the nation's #2 team in the final seconds. Still, the Hoos left Miami with nothing but a loss to show for it.
By Brian Schwartz Feb 20, 2013, 12:27am EST
Share All sharing options for: Virginia loses 54-50 heartbreaker at #2 Miami
Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
Virginia headed to Miami with a great opportunity in front of it. A loss on the home court of a top-five team can't be looked down upon, while a victory would be a signature win for UVA's NCAA resume. The Hoos kept that opportunity within reach until the final seconds, but failed to capitalize after Miami's Shane Larkin found Reggie Johnson for the game winner with 5 seconds to play. UVA fought hard but came up short in a 54-50 defeat that dropped the team into a three-way tie for third place in the ACC at 8-5.
Joe Harris lifted the Hoos back into the game with a tying three-pointer with just under a minute to play. However, the team lost the ability to possess the ball last when Larkin came around a double screen and quickly slashed for the go-ahead layup. Then, down by three with 14 seconds left, it was Evan Nolte who launched a three-pointer; the ball bounced high off the rim before dropping in to tie the game again.
However, Miami capitalized, running a similar play as their previous one, but getting the ball to a wide-open Johnson after Akil Mitchell inexplicably took a step out toward Kenny Kadji at the top of the key. UVA lost any chance at a desperation shot in the last 5 seconds when Paul Jesperson inbounded the ball into the waiting arms of Durand Scott, who made two free throws to seal a Miami win and gut-wrenching Wahoo loss.
The game got off to an inauspicious start, with the Hurricanes scoring on their first 5 possessions and opening up an early 16-9 lead; from there, Coach Bennett's defense looked more like....Coach Bennett's defense. UM scored 2 PPP on those first 5 possessions, but .88 PPP on their next 50 (.98 PPP overall). Despite worries about the team's defense after allowing UNC to score 93 points, nothing appears to be "broken" with the team's signature unit, late game breakdowns notwithstanding.
To their credit, the Hurricanes did an outstanding job defensively, focusing intently on shutting down UVA's perimeter shooting and holding the team to 5 of 15 from behind the arc (1 for 10 in the first 32 minutes and 4 for 5 in the last 8). Joe Harris was unfazed by this development, using the opportunity to take the ball to the rim with authority and finishing with 16 points on 7 for 16 shooting and 7 rebounds. Paul Jesperson knocked down 2 of his 4 three-point shots to finish with 8 points, and Justin Anderson had a strong outing, finishing with 7 points and 3 blocks.
Virginia's ability to compete against a talented Hurricane front-court kept the team in the game. The Hoos brought some perfectly timed post double teams, forcing 8 turnovers and keeping Reggie Johnson away from the hoop. UVA won the rebounding battle, grabbing an impressive 80% of Miami's misses (compared to Miami's DReb% of 76.5%), a credit to an outstanding effort by Akil Mitchell as well as some of the team's guards who fought to find themselves in the right places.
Jontel Evans finished with 5 points and 7 assists to 1 turnover; however, he still must improve his game management decisions, especially late in the shot clock. Considering the amount of dangerous shooters around him, Jontel does not need to handle the ball for the last 15 seconds of each possession. Despite being visibly hobbled, Darion Atkins continues to get closer and closer to reestablishing himself as a factor, as he played 11 minutes and scored 2.
In the grand scheme of things, a loss at Miami won't change anybody's opinion of UVA for the worse. However, with one late defensive lapse, the team lost a huge opportunity. A win wouldn't have clinched an NCAA tournament spot, but it would have taken plenty of pressure off the team in its last 5 regular season games. The game may have been a close one, and the team may have passed some sort of "eye test," but a loss is still a loss....especially in the eyes of the RPI computer rankings.
Instead, UVA's margin for error continues to decrease. Virginia has 5 games to play, and must go 4-1 to finish 12-6 and have any degree of comfort headed into the ACC Tournament and Selection Sunday. The Hoos head home this weekend, taking on Georgia Tech before Duke visits next Thursday. A 2-0 week (and win over Duke) would give the team some breathing room, while a loss would likely require UVA to finish the regular season on a three-game winning streak to stay on the good side of the bubble.


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Home News & Analysis SC Management to launch $400m RECAP III fund for Asia
SC Management to launch $400m RECAP III fund for Asia
The pan-Asia real estate investment management business founded Suchad Chiaranussati, is now more than 75 percent invested in its second opportunity fund, enabling it to begin fundraising on fund three.
Jonathan Brasse
SC Management, the pan-Asia real estate investment firm founded by Suchad Chiaranussati in 2005, is to embark on fundraising for its third pan-Asia opportunity fund, Real Estate Capital Asia Partners III (RECAP III).
PERE has learned that SC Management is now invested more than 75 percent of the equity of its second fund, RECAP II, which closed on $190.3 million in December 2009, enabling it to begin marketing a follow-on vehicle.
The firm, which has 14 staff working from offices in Hong Kong and Singapore, is aiming to corral $400 million from investors but has set a hard cap of $500 million in the case of oversubscription. A first closing is scheduled for the end of the second quarter.
The fund is expected to generate typical opportunistic returns of 20 percent IRR and between 1.8x and 2x equity.
SC Management would not comment on fundraising activities when contacted as many of its investors are US institutions, but it is understood the firm is in the process of drafting a private placement memorandum and has hired placement agents Mercury Capital Advisors and Park Hill Real Estate to help it raise the capital.
SC Management currently manages approximately $800 million of real estate across Japan, greater China and Southeast Asia and across most real estate sectors, including hotel and residential. For the incoming fund, one third of the capital is expected to be deployed into Japan, one third into Greater China and the remaining third in Southeast Asia countries.


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Legion Logistics prepares for more growth
Melissa Stewart
mstewart@communitypress.com
FLORENCE – Lacy Starling is living her dream.
The 33-year-old entrepreneur and mother sits poised, but relaxed, in the office of Legion Logistics in Florence. She is the president of the of the $15 million company, a third-party logistics organization that helps customers, large and small, arrange for the transportation of their freight.
"It's overwhelming," she said of the success her business has seen in just four years. "I grew up on a farm in Ohio without anything. To wake up now and know that I run a $15 million company ... it never really sinks in. I get an immense feeling of satisfaction working every day to make this business better."
Starling has brought the business from the ground floor up, quite literally. She started Legion Logistics in the basement of her Union home in 2009. Since then, the business has grown from one employee to 28, has moved from a basement to the third floor of an office complex at 600 Meijer Drive in Florence; and from $600,000 to $15.2 million in sales. More growth is on the way.
Legion Logistics is looking to double the size of its staff, adding 24 new full-time positions. The company recently asked the Florence City Council to support its participation in the Kentucky Business Investment Program.
The business investment program is a performance-based incentive that allows companies to keep a portion of its investment through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets. In order for the deal to fall into place, Legion Logistics needs approval for income tax incentives from the city and county.
Florence's payroll tax rate is 2 percent, but the city plans to offer Legion Logistics an occupational license fee credit equal to 0.5 percent for 10 years on wages for new Kentucky resident employees.
Florence economic development director Josh Wice said the city is happy to support this booming young business.
"Legion Logistics is a prime example of how Florence is ideal for growing existing businesses," he said. "Their investment and job creation will continue to provide a positive economic impact to the region."
Starling said the success of the business is due to a strong worth ethic that she, co-owner Tony Coutsoftides and employees put into practice.
"The business is successful and the reputation is solid," she said. "A lot of hard work has gone into creating that. You can't be good just one day, but every day."
Coutsoftides, who joined Legion Logistics about a year after Starling started the business, said the secret to the success is "the relentless pursuit of perfection." At the start of the company, Coutsoftides and Starling were married, but later realized they were better as business partners. They have since divorced.
Coutsoftides said the biggest thing he's learned throughout their business journey is, "As long as you don't think of the consequences and intimidate yourself, you'll be fine. You have to drive forward and be optimistic every day and you'll find a way to success."
Starling agreed. She said there were moments in the early stages of Legion Logistics that were "terrifying."
"The day my daughter was born in March 2011, we had only $63 in our checking account. That's scary. We had put everything into the business. When you're in a make it or break it situation, however, it focuses you. And that makes you appreciate the moment when you become successful."
Starling said the bottom line is only half the success. She's most proud of creating a successful business model and working environment where "people are excited about coming in."
"That's satisfying, she said. "You're helping people support their families. Our success has been wonderful but more important to me is that we have employees who are happy."
In addition to overseeing the upcoming growth of Legion Logistics, Starling is making a vested interest in another company. She'll serve as a minor stakeholder and adviser to a new sales recruiting firm, Sales Talent Specialist, also based in Florence.
Want to continue the conversation? Tweet @MStewartReports


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Home » Newpages Blog » Atlanta Review – Volume 10 Number 2
Atlanta Review – Volume 10 Number 2
This summer the Olympics go home to Greece, and so does Atlanta Review in a "special commemorative issue for the Athens Summer Games, 2004" with a remarkable Greece Feature Section edited by formalist poet and Greek translator Alicia Stallings (Archaic Smile).
This summer the Olympics go home to Greece, and so does Atlanta Review in a "special commemorative issue for the Athens Summer Games, 2004" with a remarkable Greece Feature Section edited by formalist poet and Greek translator Alicia Stallings (Archaic Smile). Rachel Hadas' lines from "Modern Greek 101" could well describe all the poems here: "These phrases, once lodged in your memory, / Will help you find your way, I guarantee…" A Special Feature Section includes the uncharacteristically somber and affecting "Bereft," by Billy Collins: "I liked listening to you today at lunch / as you talked about the dead, / the lucky dead you called them, / …no more railway tickets in an inside pocket, / no more railway, no more tickets, no more pockets…" Though diversity (of form and subject) reigns here, Atlanta Review poems have commonalities. They have hearts and souls and aren't embarrassed by that. They don't conceal their complexity in the pretense that being alive is a minimalist experience. They respect language by continually asking of it the impossible, yet are accessible enough to speak to anyone with human DNA. And they remember that, though poems may be created in solitude, implicit in any poem's existence is (somewhere out there) a reader, standing off in the distance of his own life, listening for something he can use, in whatever way he will. These poems know that words "have to be hammered in like nails. // If they're not to be lost in the wind." ("Poetics," by Manolis Anagnostakis, translated. by David Connolly.) At just six dollars (only ten for a year's subscription), Atlanta Review is a ticket to Greece no poetry lover can afford to pass up. [Atlanta Review, P.O. Box 8248, Atlanta, GA 31106. E-mail: [email protected] Single issue $6. http://www.atlantareview.com] – AS


グリーフとは喪失(失う事)に対するあらゆる反応の事です。グリーフサポートせたがや(グリサポ)では、「グリーフは多様である」「グリーフの衝撃や影響は一人ひとり違う」「向き合う力は一人ひとりの中にある」「グリーフと向き合うために安心. ALMOST HUMAN () - Movie posters tried to pass this off as a monster film to an unsuspecting public upon its' initial U.S. release in due to the success of ALIEN. Real news, curated by real humans. Packed with the trends, news & links you need to be smart, informed, and ahead of the curve.
The blade length is about 6". This is the original test prototype Mamba. High to Low Brand: The Stout Blade is. Mike had this to say. He also states the handle is green canvas Micarta.
For more details, visit here. Federal law prohibits shipment of automatic knives across state lines, with the following exceptions:. You further hereby represent and certify that your purchase or ownership of automatic opening knives from KnifeCenter, Inc meets one or more of the criteria set forth above and agree to use these knives in connection of duties as described above in sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
To take advantage, follow the steps below: Once payment is made in full, we will immediately ship your item. Enter three or more characters to search. Enter two or more characters to search. Advanced Search Options Narrow By: Select a Brand 12 Survivors 5. Select a Blade Steel 1. Federal law prohibits shipment of automatic knives across state lines, with the following exceptions: KnifeCenter, Inc will not sell automatic opening knives to any customer unless such sale or receipt of Product Service return is made in compliance with one or more of the above conditions.
I Agree and Certify I don't qualify. Page 1 of Low to High Price: High to Low Brand: Z-A Highest Review Popularity. Ontario Sheath Fits , Leather. Kershaw Oso Sweet Assisted 3. Sign Up for Our Newsletter Today! Here's What You Get Add to Cart Close.
После тщательного отсоса твердого скипетра, няшка раздвинула свои сексуальные ноги и впустила в свою гладкую и нежную киску только что отполированый член, чтобы получить кайф от соития. _______________________________________________________________________________ Section 3: Legislative Misfits and Other Ethical Matters. Прекрасная принцесса посидела в гостях у товарища и решила сходить помыться. Решил меня подколоть, а я не будь дураком, не буду вскрывать карты.
Она умеет многое делать для удовлетворения своих сексуальных партнеров и не колеблется, когда представляется возможность незабываемого секса. Don't leave home without it. Очаровательная деваха, удобно устроившись на диване, жаждет показать свое прекрасное тело.
And we tell you just how to do it. If you want genuinely modern high-tech belt knives, they are here. If you want sturdy unobtrusive good-looking working companion knives, we got 'em.
If you like the American Classic styles, we make them. Small, medium, large, really big we got 'em. We put our knives in the best-designed production sheaths on the market. And we offer nearly a dozen specialty sheaths as optional purchases. Carrying a Blackjack knife is comfortable and safe and a lot of the sheaths are quick, too.
No gimmicks just performance. And they are all Blackjack Sharp. Ships Same or Next Day. Available Ships in 2 to 3 Days. The Stout Blade is. Knives at Knife Supply. Items 1 to 20 of total Show 5 10 Stainless Steel end cap.
Welcome to the updated THT! We thank you for your patience as we help you access the new site! Thinking about Blackjack with an F for the sounds on NC.
Any pro's and con's? Send a private message to StraitsFisher. Find More Posts by StraitsFisher. Had it now for about 4 years. Perfect boat for this area. My top end is around Takes chop and seas very well and dry for an open boat. Quartering seas and wind can get wet, but speed has been my friend in those situations.
Fuel burn is good if you can stay off the throttle. I can't and so I get around 34 gallons hour. I've had mine to big rock on a slick day Burned a total of 34 gallons total from pine knoll shores and back. Routinely run from MHC to the neuse any where from minnesott to piney island. The previous owner frequently took the boat to ocracoke for weekends from Atlantic beach. I had several boats before the blackjack and sold them all after years because I was not happy with all around usefulness and performance.
I have NO plans to sell the blacjack Pm sent with phone number if you want more info. Send a private message to DriftwoodGS. I picked mine up in March of this year and have 72 hours on my F Fast cruise is 45 mph 4K RPM, The fuel numbers are taken from command link plus, GPS for speed. As said before it takes chop and seas well, I have winced thinking I was gonna get wet and haven't.
The hull is very sensitive to trim and tab. I wish the dry storage boxes in the bow were level front to back, storage space is at a premium. I have had issues with livewell pumps getting air locked and livewells not draining properly. But I can say I haven't given my dealer any time to solve these issues..


PHOENIX -- Three Phoenix police officers are recovering after being run down by a car in what authorities say was a targeted act. The incident was captured in harrowing security video released by Phoenix police.
Police say 44-year-old Marc LaQuon Payne was the car's driver and will face three charges of attempted first-degree murder, and two counts of aggravated assault.
Two officers were struck around 2 a.m. Tuesday as they stood in a convenience store's parking lot. A third officer jumped out of the way, but was injured in a struggle while arresting Payne.
Authorities say the car Payne was driving struck a police vehicle and then crashed into the store. Police say the driver's impairment may have been a factor.
An 18-year police veteran suffered a broken leg, another veteran officer had minor injuries and a third officer had a head injury on his first day of training. The video shows one of the officers who was struck being tossed into the air by the impact.


text:
module ArtifactFile
  module Matcher
  end
end

module ArtifactFile::Matcher
  module Helper
    include ::RailsAssist::Artifact::View::FileName

    attr_reader :name, :artifact_type, :artifact_name
    attr_reader :folder, :action, :view_ext
    attr_reader :names, :root_path

    def set_view name
      view_options  = name
      @folder   = view_options[:folder]
      @action   = view_options[:action]
      @view_ext = view_options[:view_ext]
      @artifact_type = :view
    end

    def handle_view artifact_type, names
      if artifact_type == :view
        lang_option = last_arg({:lang => 'erb.html'}, names)
        raise ArgumentException, ':folder option must be specified in the last hash argument for #have_views' if !lang_option[:folder]
        @folder = lang_option[:folder]
        @view_ext = get_view_ext(lang_option[:lang] || :erb)
      end
    end

    def get_view_ext(ext)
      case ext.to_sym
      when :erb
        'erb.html'
      when :haml
        'haml.html'
      else
        ext.to_s
      end
    end

    def get_artifact_name
      case artifact_type
      when :view
        path = send(:view_file_name, folder, artifact_name) #, view_ext, :root_path => root_path)
      else
        find_existing_artifact_method = "existing_#{artifact_type}_file"
        if respond_to? find_existing_artifact_method
          send find_existing_artifact_method, artifact_name, artifact_type, :root_path => root_path
        else
          raise "The method ##{find_existing_artifact_method} to find the artifact was not available"
        end
      end
    end

    def msg
      "the #{artifact_type} #{artifact_name} to exist"
    end

    def failure_message
      "Expected #{msg}"
    end

    def negative_failure_message
      "Did not expect #{msg}"
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


So your corporate brand or copacking client is developing an organic product and your facility needs to become Certified Organic!
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How can I achieve organic certification in a timely manor?
I can provide you with the specific answers that your facility and system requires in order to efficiently and effectively achieve organic certification with the least disruption of your production system as possible.


text:
News18» News»Movies»Raazi, Thugs of Hindostan, Fault in Our Stars: Bollywood's Rising Adaptation Trend
Raazi, Thugs of Hindostan, Fault in Our Stars: Bollywood's Rising Adaptation Trend
It's always a mixed feeling to hear that your favourite book is being made into a movie.
Last Updated: April 10, 2018, 16:37 IST
Shrishti Negi
It's always a mixed feeling to hear that your favourite book is being made into a movie. Often times, it leads to some sort of perplexity in you, given your inclination towards the particular book. Trust me, there's nothing worse than watching your "dearest" book ripped to shreds on the big screen. However, there is still the excitement of seeing how the exact storyline would come out in an altogether different medium.
Over the years, the world of books is getting bigger and bigger and finding its space in the universe of cinema. While Hollywood has been continuously, if not consistently, trying to master the art by bringing some brilliant books to life through incredible on-screen adaptations in some of the all-time great films like To Kill a Mocking Bird, Gone With the Wind, It's a Wonderful Life, The Godfather, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and more recently Call Me By Your Name and Ready Player One among others, Bollywood only appears to be struggling with the challenge as barring a few: R.K. Narayan's 'Guide', Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's 'Devdas', Shakespeare's Hamlet (Haider) and Othello (Omkara) as well as Chetan Bhagat-based '3 Idiots' and '2 States'), none of the film adaptations lived up to the novels they were based on, and were profoundly unimpressive.
Having said that, despite getting an under-whelming response from the audience, the trend somehow seems to have managed to catch the eye of the Hindi filmmakers, with everyone who's anyone in the industry taking on the challenge like never before. We have rounded up a few book-to-screen stories that we're most looking forward to.
Raazi
Directed by Meghna Gulzar, Raazi is based on Harinder Sikka's novel, Calling Sehmat, which explores the social complexities during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. Starring Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal in the lead roles, the film is a complicated tale of love, betrayal, and patriotism. Bhatt will be seen in the role of a Kashmiri spy who is married to a Pakistani army officer, played by Kaushal. The film is scheduled to release on May 11.
Touted as one of the biggest films of 2018, Thugs of Hindostan is an adaptation of the 1839 novel Confessions of a Thug. Helmed by Dhoom 3 director Vijay Krishna Acharya, the film marks the first-ever collaboration between Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan. Also featuring Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Sheikh, the YRF project promises a lot of action. The film will release during Diwali 2018.
Based on John Green's novel of the same name, a Hindi remake of Josh Boone's English language film Fault in Our Stars will see Sushant Singh Rajput opposite debutante Sanjana Sanghi. To be helmed by casting director Mukesh Chhabra, the film traces the life of a young girl suffering from cancer, who subsequently meets a boy at a support group and falls in love with him. The shoot is expected to begin by mid-2018.
The Accidental Prime Minister
Starring Anupam Kher, The Accidental Prime Minister is an adaptation of Sanjay Baru's book of the same name on former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's time in office. The film will be helmed by debutant Vijay Ratnakar Gutte. Recently, Kher unveiled his first look from the film and looked uncannily similar to Mr. Singh.
The Zoya Factor
The Zoya Factor is based on author Anuja Chauhan's celebrated novel of the same name. The film will see the super fresh pairing of Sonam Kapoor and much-loved South Indian actor Dulquer Salmaan. The Zoya Factor is about a Rajput girl named Zoya Singh Solanki (Sonam) who gets an opportunity to meet the Indian cricket team through her job and ends up becoming a lucky charm for the team in the 2010 World Cup. Dulquer will play the role of Nikhil Khoda, the Indian skipper Zoya falls for. The film, to be directed by Abhishek Sharma, will release next year in April.
Indira: India's Most Powerful Prime Minister
An adaptation of author-journalist Sagarika Ghose's book, Indira: India's Most Powerful Prime Minister will see National award-winning actor Vidya Balan play former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. However, it is not yet clear whether the project will be a movie or a web series. The book explores various aspects of Gandhi's life - from her failed marriage, her relationship with her youngest son Sanjay Gandhi to possible reasons behind the 1975 Emergency.
Tags: bollywoodfault in our stars hindi remakeRaazithe accidental prime ministerthe zoya factorThugs of Hindostan aamir khan
First Published: April 10, 2018, 16:33 IST
Sushant Singh Rajput Reveals First Look of Fault In Our Stars Hindi Remake
A R Rahman to Compose Music for The Fault In Our Stars Hindi Remake
Kriti Sanon's Sister Nupur To Make Dream Debut Opposite Sushant Singh Rajput In This Movie?


text:
Q: Running a block of code in the background of AppleScriptObjC app? Is it possible to have a block of code constantly running or 'repeating' in AppleScriptObjC, whilst the rest of your script is still active?  I've got a block of code that I want to repeat in the background that checks to see if a folder exists and creates it if it doesn't, but if I set it to repeat indefinitely then I lose the ability to access the other buttons and code blocks in my app?
Apologies if there isn't enough info here or it's a bit confusing!

A: I'd probably create a repeating NSTimer to do the check at a specified interval. That would avoid blocking your main thread.
Depending on the app, perhaps you could also just check for the existence of the folder and create it just in time, when you really have a need for it.


Once all requirements have been met, we complete the examination and grant the patent. The applicant receives a patent specification and a certificate. When we grant the patent, we enter it into the Swiss patent register and publish the patent specification on www.swissreg.ch.


Great! Worked perfectly first print.....Didn't think my printer was capable of printing such a fine thread. Well Done!
Exactly what I needed. It works great witout any leaks.
Haha! Sweet. :) It is nice to hear that our model was of use for you. We are glad you liked it!


text:
Q: Expected conditional covariance identity I am trying to understand the identity in 2.6 of the following article, in which we have random variables $X \in \mathbb{R}, Y\in \mathbb{R}$ and $Z \in \mathbb{R}^{p-1}$. They define the conditional mean function
$$
\mu^* := \mu^*(X,Z) = \mathbb{E}[Y|X,Z]
$$
and some estimate of $\mu^*$, denoted $\mu := \mu(X,Z)$. They then claim that
\begin{align*}
            \mathbb{E} [\text{Cov}(\mu^*, \mu|Z)] = \mathbb{E}[Y(\mu - \mathbb{E}[\mu|Z])]
        \end{align*}
which I would like to prove. Using the law of iterated covariances, we have for random variables $A,B,C$
\begin{align*}
      \text{Cov}(A,B) = \mathbb{E}(\text{Cov}(A,B|C)) - \text{Cov}(\mathbb{E}(A|C), \mathbb{E}(B|C)),
            \end{align*}
and so we can rewrite
\begin{align*}
\mathbb{E} [\text{Cov}(\mu^*, \mu|Z)]
&= \text{Cov}(\mu, \mu^*) + \text{Cov}((\mathbb{E}(\mu^*|Z), \mathbb{E}(\mu|Z)))
\end{align*}
Then, considering the terms separately. We have
\begin{align*}
\text{Cov}(\mu, \mu^*)
&= \mathbb{E} ( \mathbb{E}[Y|X,Z] \mu) - \mathbb{E}[\mathbb{E}[Y|X,Z]] \mathbb{E}[\mu]\\
&=\mathbb{E}[Y \mu] - \mathbb{E}[Y]\mathbb{E}[\mu]
\end{align*}
For the second term, we have
\begin{align*}
\text{Cov}((\mathbb{E}(\mu^*|Z), \mathbb{E}(\mu|Z)))
&=\mathbb{E}( \mathbb{E}[\mu^*|Z] \mathbb{E}[\mu|Z]) -
\mathbb{E}[\mathbb{E}[\mu^*|Z]]\mathbb{E}[\mathbb{E}[\mu|Z]]\\
&=\mathbb{E}( \mathbb{E}[Y|Z] \mathbb{E}[\mu|Z]) -
\mathbb{E}[\mathbb{E}[Y|Z]]\mathbb{E}[\mathbb{E}[\mu|Z]]\\
&=\mathbb{E}( Y \mathbb{E}[\mu|Z]) -
Y\mathbb{E}[\mathbb{E}[\mu|Z]]\\
&=\mathbb{E}( Y \mathbb{E}[\mu|Z]) -
Y\mathbb{E}[\mu]\\
\end{align*}
So putting these together yields
\begin{align*}
\mathbb{E}[Y \mu] - \mathbb{E}[Y]\mathbb{E}[\mu] +\
\mathbb{E}( Y \mathbb{E}[\mu|Z]) -
Y\mathbb{E}[\mu]
\end{align*}
which doesn't give the right answer. Can someone point out where I've gone wrong, or suggest an easier proof?

A: Your error occurs in simplification of the expression
$$\mathbb{E}( \mathbb{E}[Y|Z] \mathbb{E}[\mu|Z]) -
\mathbb{E}[\mathbb{E}[Y|Z]]\mathbb{E}[\mathbb{E}[\mu|Z]].$$
The first factor in the rightmost term simplifies to $\mathbb{E}[Y]$, not $Y$. Fixing this should yield the claimed result.
A quicker proof applies the definition of covariance, but conditioned on $Z$:
$$
\operatorname{Cov}(\mu,\mu^*\mid Z)=\mathbb{E}(\mu^*\mu\mid Z) - \mathbb{E}(\mu^*\mid Z)\mathbb{E}(\mu\mid Z).$$
Taking expectation of both sides yields
$$\mathbb{E}[\operatorname{Cov}(\mu,\mu^*\mid Z)]=\mathbb{E}[Y\mu]-\mathbb{E}[Y\mathbb{E}[\mu\mid Z)],$$
using the same arguments as you've made, but avoiding having to add and subtract $\mathbb{E}[Y]\mathbb{E}[\mu]$.


text:
Evangelos Venizelos was born in Thessaloniki on 1.1.1957. He is married to Lila Bakatselou and has a daughter, Elvina .He speaks English and French.
He studied Law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and continued with postgraduate studies at the University of Paris II, France and PhD at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki He holds an Honorary PhD from La Trobe University Melbourne, Australia.
He is Professor of Constitutional Law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
He has published many academic studies and legal textbooks, as well as books dealing with the political issues surrounding the role of mass media in modern democracies, the role of government institutions, European affairs, Greek foreign policy, culture and growth policy in the 21st Century etc. His studies have been published in most academic journals and his articles in national andinternational press.
Political career
Evangelos Venizelos was member of the Central Council of the Students Union of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1977) and the National Council of Students' Unions (1975).
He has been elected MP (PASOK) in Thessaloniki (A) Constituency in the general elections of 1993, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2015. He was a member of the Constitutional Αmendment Committee and the general rapporteur on behalf of the parliamentary majority in the Constitutional Amendment of 2001.
Evangelos Venizelos has been member of the Central Committee of PASOK since 1990 and member of PASOK Executive Office.
Since 1993 he has served in ministerial positions under the PASOK governments of Andreas Papandreou, Kostas Simitis and George Papandreou. In particular, he has served as:
• Minister for Press and Mass Media- Government Spokesman (1993-95)
• Minister for Transport and Communications (1995-96)
• Minister for Justice (1996)
• Minister for Culture & Sports (1996 – 1999)
• Minister for Development, Energy, Industry, Trade, Tourism and Technology (1999-2000)
• Minister for Culture & Sports 2000-2004 (in charge of coordinating the entire range of aspects of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games preparation (Infrastructures, relations with International Olympic Committee etc.)
• Minister for National Defence (2009-2011)
• Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister (17.06.2011 - 18.03.2012)
In 18.03.2012, he resigned from his government positions as he was elected President of PASOK.
He was President of PASOK from March 2012 to June 2015.
From June 2013 to January 2015 he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister.
Εvangelos Venizelos currently serves as MP for Thessaloniki A Constituency and Secretary of the Special Permanent Committee on Institutions and Transparency.
He is the Vice Chairperson of the Socialist Group of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe


It's a mysterious little holiday, isn't it? One filled with romance, and love, and surprises. But, we bet there are lots of little things you didn't know about Valentine's Day!
The holidays are over, and it's time to get serious about those New Year's resolutions. But, after two months of celebrating and enjoying the best foods and libations, it's hard to make a change. This year, why not forget the strict resolutions and pick a few that are easier to reach? We've got everything you need to succeed in 2015, right here at PointShop Mall.


text:
Wilbur's New Video Sends A Message: 'I'm Very Dark And Proud Of It'
By Marc Silver,
Marc Silver
Courtesy of Wilbur Sargunaraj
Wilbur Sargunaraj sings about shadism in his new video, "Mirror Mirror."
Is it real or is it satire?
In Thailand, a dark-skinned actress laments, "If I was white, I would win."
In India, a movie director says, "I can't have any dark people on my set" and hands a skin-lightening product to two dusky actors.
The Thai scene comes from a real ad for a real skin-whitening pill called Snowz. After a public outcry last week, the ad was pulled and the company apologized.
The Indian scene is from a music video that satirizes the desire of many Indians to lighten their hue. So it's not really real ... but the man behind the video believes it tells the truth about attitudes in his country. He's Wilbur Sargunaraj, who has made videos for our blog about village life in his native India. His newest project is the music video for his original song "Mirror Mirror on the Wall (Dark is Beautiful)."
We spoke with Sargunaraj, 38, about his new effort.
Why did you do this video now?
I would have done this when I was crawling, was a toddler, if I had the ability and YouTube existed. This is something I am so passionate about.
Because you have dark skin?
I'm very dark and proud of it.
And you got flack for that?
From a young age. I have really amazing parents and my parents won't say it directly. It will come from my relatives. They will say, "Oh Wilbur you should not play out in the sun because the sun makes you dark and dark is not good because when you grow up you'll want to marry someone fair. And if someone fair looks at you they'll not want to marry you because you're dark."
I should note ... you are not married.
I believe no mother in India will allow their daughter to run with a crazy nomad like me. I don't think it has anything with skin color.
Where does this skin color bias come from?
I don't know. I really wonder if this has something to do with people trying to emulate power, [if] colonization laid the foundations of white to be superior, and over time that got internalized into the mindset of the people.
In southern India [where I grew up] they equate being dark to people who are living in poverty, doing a lot of field work.
Give me some examples of how the prejudice plays out.
Mothers look at a baby and say, "Oh my goodness that baby is so dark, what happened?" And if the baby is fair they'll go, "Oh, what a beautiful color."
We have been told over and over again in our communities and media that being fair is a prerequisite to being successful, will give you a good job, a good marriage partner. Open up the classifieds in the newspaper in India and you will see, "Educated engineer looking for a fair bride."
In entertainment, the film industry in India is always trying to cast white Europeans or Western people to dress up in saris and dance. It's the same thing with modeling. People will bypass even a fair Indian girl and get foreigners.
Does Indian society acknowledge this prejudice?
Time and time again I'm hearing people say that skin color bias doesn't exist in India. They refuse to admit it. They live in this kind of utopian world. So I needed to draw attention to this. In India, we need to celebrate beauty and diversity.
How do you respond when someone makes a cutting comment to you about skin shade?
I confront people now. I basically will tell that person: Can you tell me what is wrong with being dark? Don't you think it's beautiful that we're all different shades?
How do they respond?
A lot of times they don't have an answer. When someone calls them on it, they get embarrassed. That's why I made this video. Michael Jackson [had the same message] in a video in the '90s: It doesn't matter if you're black or white.
But it seems it did matter to him, seeing how his skin tone lightened over the years.
If he would have stayed just the way he was, that would have empowered so many people to be proud to be dark.
But you're still a fan?
Barring all the other drama of Michael Jackson, I love his talent. I am really sad that there's such controversy around [his skin tone]. Michael Jackson, why, why, why?
In the video you made, a woman who's your "aunty" tells you your skin will be like "burnt toast" if you stand out in the sun. Did that really happen?
Bluntly to the face. That lyric is so right from the mouth of my aunty.
Your music video shows various skin-lightening products – creams, powders. Were you ever tempted to put powder on your face to lighten it?
I use powder for my armpits. I don't have any issues with using prickly heat powder. But when you start using powder on your face to make yourself white — oh no.
You show a product called "White Face" in the video — a skin lightener. Is that a real product?
It's something I invented so I wouldn't get sued by actual corporations. But there are products called "Fair and Lovely."
And that director in the video – the one named I.S. Ray Seest – is he a real director? Oh, wait, now that I pronounced his name ... never mind!
He represents casting directors in the film industry. They will tell you a dark actor is going to be a risk for them. They want a fair actor.
You end the video by asking people to visit the Advertising Standards Council of India website to report biased ads.
That's 100 percent real. The council has cracked down on the way some of the fairness creams have been marketing their products.
Just curious — in some Western countries white people go to tanning salons. Is that a thing in India?
I wouldn't know about tanning salons in India. Maybe there's a market but I have not heard about it. Sir, that would be kind of crazy!
See stories by Marc Silver
Marc Silver, who edits NPR's global health blog, has been a reporter and editor for the Baltimore Jewish Times, U.S. News & World Report and National Geographic. He is the author of Breast Cancer Husband: How to Help Your Wife (and Yourself) During Diagnosis, Treatment and Beyond and co-author, with his daughter, Maya Silver, of My Parent Has Cancer and It Really Sucks: Real-Life Advice From Real-Life Teens. The NPR story he co-wrote with Rebecca Davis and Viola Kosome -- 'No Sex For Fish' — won a Sigma Delta Chi award for online reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists.


text:
E-Mails, I Get E-Mails!
DEAR JIM: Please explain why BBC Canada is going off the air?( Mrs. H. K. (Thunder Bay).
BAWDEN: I say hurrah! The system was operated by Corus Entertainment but BBC kept its best product to be sold to the highest bidder.
Instead we got chunks of bad thrillers like Shakespeare And Hathaway, The Antiques Roadshow, a very bad variety show with instalments often years old and whatever weak comedies BBC couldn't sell to the highest bidders.
BBC is now going to set up its own streaming service but you'll have to pay of course. That's the way TV is evolving into a chain of pay TV services.
DEAR JIM: Why is CTV clogging the airwaves this past week with entire reruns of such U.S. imports as CSI ? What happened to Canadian content (R.H, Simcoe).
BAWDEN: I've been watching some of the many episodes of CSI. Would you believe some of its offshoots were financed by Alliance Atlantis and count as Canadian content? The episodes are beautifully shot with many exteriors and the cost would be prohibitive in any Canadian series that chose to be competitive.
DEAR JIM: Why have Canadian TV movies disappeared from the air (D.Y., Oakville).
BAWDEN: As we get more and more channels the quality of TV begins to deteriorate as networks struggle with an ever shrinking audience. The old 10 channel system meant live operas, ballets, adaptations such as Sean Connery in a great CBC-TV production of Macbeth. All gone now because CBCX can't afford such quality stuff anymore.
DEAR JIM: I wanted to buy a city for my class of Getting Married In Buffalo Jump, a great CBC-TV flick starring Paul Gross and I had to pay $80 to a U.S. copy to get one. What's happening?
BAWDEN: I have a friend who spent several years in the CBC-TV archives in Mississauga. She tells me she watched a superb version of Katherine Anne Porter's Pale Horse, Pale Rider starring Keir Dullea and directed by Eric Till. Masterful! But CBC has no intention of putting such riches out on video and making some money."Do you think we want to remind viewers how wonderful CBC used to be," said one senior bureaucrat. HE acknowledged CBC had a kinescope of Edith Evans doing her only TV version of The Importance Of Being Ernest --but it has been locked up for years. When the late, great Harry Rasky was browsing in Sam The Record Man's one time he came across his documentary on G.B. Shaw which CBC had sold to BBC Video and never even informed him!
DEAR JIM: Why don't they bring back Peter Mansbridge as anchor of CBC'TV's National? The current newsreaders lack gravitas?
BAWDEN: An excellent idea!
DEAR: Why did CTV cancel Canada AM? I thought it was one of the top quality shows on CTV. (P.B., Ottawa).
BAWDEN: I heartily agree. It was the first early morning news show on Canadian TV and Helen Hutchinson and Norm Perry were supreme. To knock it off for a silly lifestyle show was indeed craziness.
DEAR JIM: If you could revive one quality series from the dustbin of history what would it be? (C.C.,Hamilton)
BAWDEN: How about two: Friendly Giant and Chez Helene?
Posted by james bawden at 8:28 PM
Here's Where I get Interviewed!


text:
Huawei sells Honor to consortium of Chinese buyers
A customer inspects an Honor brand smartphone at an outlet in Changshu, Jiangsu province. [Photo/China News Service]
Huawei Technologies Co said on Tuesday that it has decided to sell its entire Honor brand to a consortium of over 30 agents and dealers for an undisclosed sum.
The sale will help Honor's channel sellers and suppliers to make it through this difficult time, and comes at a time when the parent company's business has been facing severe pressure, due to the persistent unavailability of technical components needed for its mobile phone business, Huawei said in a statement.
The agents and dealers also said in a joint statement on Tuesday: "This acquisition represents a market-driven investment made to save Honor's industry chain. It is the best solution to protect the interests of Honor's consumers, channel sellers, suppliers, partners and employees."
The acquisition is a multi-win move for the industry, said the statement, adding that all shareholders of the new Honor company will fully support the development of the Honor brand, enabling it to leverage the industry's advantages in resources, brands, production, channels and services, and more effectively compete in the marketplace.
The change in ownership will not impact Honor's development direction or the stability of its executive and talent teams, allowing the company to continuously consolidate its foundation for success, the joint statement said.
This move has been made by Honor's industry chain to ensure its own survival. Over 30 agents and dealers of the Honor brand first proposed the acquisition, Huawei said.
"Once the sale is complete, Huawei will not hold any shares or be involved in any business management or decision-making activities in the new Honor company," Huawei said.
Since its creation in 2013, the Honor brand has focused on the youth market by offering phones in the low-end to mid-range price bands. During the past seven years, Honor has developed into a smartphone brand that ships over 70 million handsets every year, Huawei said.
"Huawei highly appreciates the continued dedication, attention and support given by Honor's consumers, channel sellers, suppliers, partners and employees," the company said.
"We hope the new Honor company will embark on a new road of honor with its shareholders, partners and employees. We look forward to seeing Honor continue to create value for consumers and build a new intelligent world for young people."
Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, a newspaper based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, where Huawei is headquartered, quoted sources close to the deal as saying that "Honor's independence from Huawei is expected to ensure that the water will continue to flow in Honor's channel and saves the phone maker's upstream and downstream suppliers."
In Guangzhou, 5G takes center stage
Huawei Pay arrives in Malaysia
Huawei to sell all Honor business assets
Universities showcase R&D prowess at Shenzhen fair
US the soiler of cyber networks: China Daily editorial


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Q: How to show particular cms page for specific user group? I want to show different homepage for wholesale customer.

A: 1.Create di.xml in your custom module under Namespace\Module\etc directory.
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="urn:magento:framework:ObjectManager/etc/config.xsd">
    <type name="Magento\Cms\Controller\Index\Index">
        <plugin name="restrict_home_page" type="Namespace\Module\Plugin\Cms\Controller\Index\Index" sortOrder="1"/>
    </type>
</config>

2. Create Index.php under Namespace\Module\Plugin\Cms\Controller\Index.
<?php
namespace Namespace\Module\Plugin\Cms\Controller\Index;

class Index
{
    /**
     * @var \Magento\Cms\Helper\Page
     */
    protected $pageHelper;

    /**
     * @var \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\ForwardFactory
     */
    protected $resultForwardFactory;

    /**
     * @var \Magento\Framework\App\Http\Context
     */
    protected $httpContext;

    /**
     * Index constructor.
     *
     * @param \Magento\Cms\Helper\Page $pageHelper
     * @param \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\ForwardFactory $resultForwardFactory
     * @param \Magento\Framework\App\Http\Context $httpContext
     */
    public function __construct(
        \Magento\Cms\Helper\Page $pageHelper,
        \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\ForwardFactory $resultForwardFactory,
        \Magento\Framework\App\Http\Context $httpContext
    ) {
        $this->pageHelper = $pageHelper;
        $this->resultForwardFactory = $resultForwardFactory;
        $this->httpContext = $httpContext;
    }

    public function aroundExecute(
        \Magento\Cms\Controller\Index\Index $subject,
        \Closure $proceed,
        $coreRoute = null
    ) {
        $group = $this->httpContext->getValue(\Magento\Customer\Model\Context::CONTEXT_GROUP);
        $pageId = 0;
        if($group == 1) {
            $pageId = 2;
        } else if($group == 2) {
            $pageId = 5;
        }
        if($pageId) {
            $resultPage = $this->pageHelper->prepareResultPage($subject, $pageId);
            if (!$resultPage) {
                /** @var \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\Forward $resultForward */
                $resultForward = $this->resultForwardFactory->create();
                $resultForward->forward('defaultIndex');
                return $resultForward;
            }

            return $resultPage;
        } else {
            return $proceed($coreRoute);
        }
    }
}


A study based on a survey of more than 1,000 practicing visual artists sheds light on the economics of making art.
Indeed, the majority of the study's respondents said their financial know-how and advice came primarily from trial and error and from talking to and observing other artists, while school ranked among the least popular sources of financial advice. The 63% of survey respondents who had earned an MFA or other art-related degree felt that doing so had not helped them to become financially stable, but that it had helped them develop their work. Similarly, the 29% of respondents who had been represented by a gallery found that the experience had not been especially helpful to their financial stability and felt ambivalent at best about the gallery's impact on their careers. Commissions, institutional support like grants and paid residencies, and direct sales were all, on balance, much more popular sources of support than gallery representation.
The study also suggested that sticking with art reaps benefits. Artists who'd been active for 10 years or more had a higher median income (still just $30,000–40,000, but higher than the study's overall median income of $20,000–30,000). Artists who'd been active longer also reported being more content with their work, with those who'd been in the art world 20 years or longer reporting significantly higher levels of satisfaction.