text:
Family hit by 3192 Paintballs for Media Profanity
What if for every curse word you heard in a movie, someone shot you with a paintball?
Now watch a family get hit with 3192 Paintballs in 5.2 Seconds. Yea that's a lot of swear words.
Profanity has been increasing steadily in the media, particularly in movies. There was a time where a curse word would actually shock the viewers. Now? It's the norm. Very few ever flinch. Thus it's much more difficult to find family friendly movies, even movies rated PG-13 are no longer safe.
1939: Gone with The Win
– First Swear Word in Film
2013: The Wolf of Wall Street
– Most Swear Words in Cinema History
– 528 F-Words alone.
– 200+ other swear words.
Enjoy this visual representation of swear words hitting us through media. By Paintball. 3,192 Paintballs in 5.3 Seconds to be exact.
Watch Movies Pre-filtered
This video was made by VidAngel. VidAngel allows you to stream movies that pre-censor out profanity, sex and other potentially offensive scenes in movies and TV Shows. These tags allow user to filter out what they want to avoid based on their personal values and content preferences. Even better? You can watch a movie for only $1. Pretty new movies at that! For legal reasons you "pay" $20 to get the movie so you "own" the movie and legally censor out what you wish, but then after watching you can sell it back for $19. Yea a little bit complicated, but in allowing you to watch a movie with all the filters you (or your family) want in place, it's a pretty sweet deal.
Use this VIP link to find out more about VidAngel.
That paintball video mentioned earlier!
Movie Review: Masterless Movie
Masterless Synopsis
Adam LaVorgna (from the popular TV Series in the 90s called 7th heaven), plays Kane Madison, an architect working in Los Angeles looking to work his way up the corporate world. His counterpart, a Ronin, lives in the parallel spirit world where he is tempted to follow a dark lord and deviate from his path to finding truth.
What Makes Masterless Unique
When I first heard of this synopsis, I really respected the creativity required to come up with this concept. I am a fan of medieval Japan so I was intrigued. However as I was watching the film, it became apparent to me that if the viewer has no background in the idea of the "spiritual realm" as described in the bible, it would have been easy to get lost or not appreciate what this movie was trying to depict. So here is a quick high level explanation of what a viewer should know going into this film.
The title, Masterless, is partly based from this verse:
Matthew 6:24 – "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
It's the simple idea that in the end you can only serve one master or one true purpose.
The whole story is based on Kane Madison's struggle with success in his career. There are two notable "masters" competing for Kane Madison's attention. His wife, Emi Masuda played by Okiko Saito, urges him to go to church and read the bible. So on one side is truth and the seeking of this truth. Kane isn't really interested and gets quite annoyed at Emi whenever she brings up the subject. On the other end, the other "master" is success and money. Kane is an ambitious man, initially driven by (small spoiler alert) his wife's sickness and his desire to take care of her, but as he starts to taste success, he slowly gets drawn into the corporate world. Like what we see often in real life, he gets sucked in by the success and starts to value his work and recognition above the more important things in life. So this master isn't just career, but the money, the recognition, and the comforts that come with it.
This is the battle that is depicted in the "spiritual realm" by his samurai-like counterpart. This character is a Ronin, a samurai without a master. He doesn't have any one in particular to follow and has no true purpose. He is a character that represents his internal battle with money and success. As we see his ups and downs in the real world, we see his counter part struggling along his journey, battling attempts at his life, being seduced by a temptress and dealing with a masked Lord who both wants him to join him as well as want to kill him. He is on a journey to find truth, to find answers but he is often derailed by all sorts of troubles and temptations.
It's an interesting concept to watch as our internal struggle with money, with success, and faith is visually shown through the live action battles of the Ronin.
Ephesians 6:12 – For our struggle is not against the flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Clean Cut Thoughts
It's an interesting film. The acting is good. No Oscar winners here, but no cringe moments either and believe me, many movies have such moments (think Anakin Skywalker). I love the creativity and they did a good job on making the spiritual realm look dreamy and artsy. As I previously stated, I think people who are not familiar with the basis of the spiritual realm needs a bit more information in the beginning to better appreciate what is being attempted here. Though I also understand the difficulty here because for someone who is familiar with the spiritual realm idea, the movie seems to spell things out too much and make it too obvious. It would have been nice to have an "ah-hah!" moment where the person can make the connection themselves rather than making all the links for the viewer. How to balance the two is a difficult question though and would require a lot more thought. I still don't know what the best solution would have been.
Story: The story is pretty basic, but I don't think the story is really the point here, but it really is the depiction of the spiritual realm which I thought was very interesting.
Overall: I think the part of me that loves art and creativity enjoyed watching this piece because it was unique and interesting. What they attempt, I've never seen anyone do or perhaps even thought about. The part of me that is into story, acting, scriptwriting thought it wasn't so great. It's clearly a B-level movie with a limited budget. I absolutely admire the attempt at something new and different though, just felt it could have been done better. It's honestly one of those movies that I am glad to have seen, but probably won't see a second time unless I wanted to share it with someone else who might benefit or enjoy how the spiritual realm was depicted in this two-universe style. Basically I am saying the same thing in many different ways, can you tell?
Basically if the concept of a dual spiritual realm depicted in two parallel worlds sounds interesting to you, give it a shot. If it doesn't, well it's a free world. All I know is, thanks for reading this review!
If you have seen Masterless or have thoughts on it? Please add your thoughts or comments below!
Movie Review: CAPTIVE (2015)
Movie Synopsis – CAPTIVE
CAPTIVE, based on a miraculous true story that drew the attention of the entire nation, is a thrilling drama about the spiritual collision of two broken lives. When Brian Nichols – on the run as the subject of a city wide manhunt and desperate to make contact with his newborn son – takes recovering meth addict Ashley Smith hostage in her own apartment, she turns for guidance to Rick Warren's best-selling inspirational book, The Purpose Driven Life. While reading aloud, Ashley and her would-be killer each face crossroads where despair and death intersect hope.
Movie Spotlight:
When CAPTIVE first came to my attention, I was slightly intrigued but a little hesitant. I wasn't quite sure if this was a Christian movie or if it just happened to have Christian themes in it because of Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life". I was intrigued by how Rick Warren's book managed to convict a convict (see what I did there *groan*) to turning himself in. Remember this was based on a true story. How did that book even get into the picture? How did different parts of the book take hold of Brian Nichols? What kind of inner turmoil must he have gone through? I was excited to see what had actually happened. In the same time I knew it would immensely difficult to capture such psychological nuances let alone not come off as preachy or overtly religious. The good news is that it didn't come off preachy or religious at all. But that is also the bad the news. The movie didn't really show or explain how different pieces of the book transformed his life. I was expecting the bulk of the movie to be centered around this "conversion" or whatever you want to call it. However it went by quickly without much explanation. I am still left with the question I want answered: "How did Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life, change Brian Nichols from a convict on a murder spree to turning himself in?". The one question I wanted answered, never was. In all honesty, I think the story could have been better written, and a lot more attention should have been given to how Brian Nichols came around. Perhaps the movie was afraid to dive in because it didn't want to seem overly Christian? I am not certain. Having said that, the acting was well done. Very believable. David Oyelowo, who plays Brian Nichols, recently got a lot of attention for his role as Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma.
CAPTIVE RATINGS:
Story: 2 of 5
Acting: 3 of 5
Film Quality: 2 of 5
Family Friendly: No (drug use, gun shooting)
CAPTIVE Trailer:
Have you seen CAPTIVE?
Tell us what you thought of the movie below.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Movie Trailer
Always appreciate a good trailer that gives you the goosebumps. Watch the latest Hobbit Movie Trailer here. The Battle of the Five Armies!
What are your First thoughts?
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Trailer [Video]
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Trailer Video
The trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is out! The movie continues the story of Bilbo and the Dwarves as they seek out the Lonely Mountain to reclaim their glory past against the Dragon Smaug. There is also another familiar face – Legolas!
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" will be out Dec 13th.
Excited? A little?
Who is your favorite dwarf/character from The Hobbit?
Advertising, Movies
Product Placement: A Reflection of Reality or Sneaky Advertising?
Product Placement: Reality or Sneaky Advertising?
Love it or hate it, product placement in television, movies, music videos and even Broadway plays is here to stay. Product placement is the art and science of getting a company's brand featured in a popular movie or television series with the implied endorsement that goes along with the placement. Broadcasting & Cable reported that two-thirds of advertisers use product placement as part of their marketing plans, most of which (80 percent) is used in television, according to an Association of National Advertisers survey. With this proliferation of products in the media, it's difficult to know just how such use of products in media affects the general public.
The Best and the Worst of Product Placement
Opponents of product placement contend that this practice is unfairly influencing the American buying public. However, not all product placement in movies and television is divisive. Some placement is just plain fun. In fact, there are even awards for the best (and the worst) use of a product in a movie or television program. In 2010, Toyota Prius was recognized as "Best Role in a Supporting Product Placement." Its award got us thinking: when you see a Prius in a movie, does it help or hurt Toyota sales? It is hard to say without seeing the figures but we do know that Prius is by far the best-selling hybrid in the U.S., capturing more than 50 percent of its market.
One very well known product placement comes to mind is when Mars famously passed on allowing M&Ms be the candy that lures E.T in the film. Hershey's agreed to have it's Reeses Pieces be used and soon after the film debuted, their sales went through the roof. Other examples are Exxon paying $300,000 for it's name to appear in Days of Thunder. Pampers paid $50,000 to be featured in Three Men and a Baby. Ray-bans also benefited from it's exposure in Risky Business.
Apple, whose products appeared in 17 of the 40 top-grossing films of 2011, received more than twice the exposure of the second most visible brand. Apple maintains that it doesn't pay for placement. Still, its mention in the top seven films of 2011 amounted to approximately $50 million in free advertising, according to BrandChannel.com.
Where Product Placement is Worrisome
Proponents of product placement argue that real people use branded products; why shouldn't movie and television characters use similar products? They say that to use fake labels makes the production look fake. However, where product placement crosses into that gray, uncertain area is the fact that these ads (and aren't product placements really ads?) aren't labeled as such. Unsuspecting viewers (like our children) might just assume that everyone uses an Apple computer or drinks a Pepsi. Perhaps the most worrisome aspect of product placement, as discussed rather eloquently by Edward Wasserman in "The Ethics of Product Placement," is that it blurs the lines between art and advertising. Would Hemingway write a special scene into a novel just to accommodate an advertiser? Would Francois Truffaut insert a scene especially for product placement?
Eliminating product placement in media is probably not realistic, or maybe even desirable. After all, brand names are a part of every day life. We—and our kids—see them everywhere. However, like all media viewing, responsible parents need to be aware of what their kids are watching and help to counter the endorsements inherent in product placement with real life common sense.
Do you think Product Placement just a reflection of reality or sneaky advertising?
Do you know of great product placements in tv shows or movies? The Good and the Blatant?
Django Unchained Movie Review
Django Unchained: Review
The movie "Django Unchained" was one of the more popular movies from 2012. And it wasn't only popular with general audiences either, as it also won 2 Oscars, and 26 other awards. The movie doesn't have a shortage of famous names attached to it either, with Quentin Tarantino directing, and actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx starring.
Django is about a slave who is granted freedom in order to help a bounty hunter identify and ultimately capture a slave owner. Throughout the course of the film, the bounty hunter and the ex-slave become friends, and decide to try to buy freedom for Django's wife from her current master. Most of the second half of the film focuses on the pair's efforts to achieve freedom for Django's wife Broomhilda.
Appropriate for Children?
Anyone who's seen any of Tarantino's films would hesitate to call anything he writes and directs as something that's appropriate for all ages, and Django is no exception. The film is extremely violent and even gory at parts, and there is no shortage of adult situations. For example, there's a part where one of the characters is hanging upside down in chains with the threat of castration being waved very visually over him.
It's hard to imagine scenarios less suited for children. Django certainly earns every inch of its "R" rating. But on the other hand, these depictions show the realities of slavery, and they are a part of a larger picture that a lot of children would have trouble really picking up on anyway. But even so, many younger audiences will be drawn to the movie if only because it's known as exclusively for adults, and because it's frequent gun battles might seem exciting.
Themes in Django
One of the biggest themes in Django is that of freedom and equality. The laws of particular areas, such as the slavery laws of the south, or the federal laws of bounty hunting and killing, are contrasted with the higher laws of basic human morality. The bounty hunter in the movie, named "Schultz" goes through a moral transformation throughout the course of the movie that illustrates this theme. By the end, he appears to care even more about this higher morality than he does his own life.
The theme of the equality of man is definitely a large one in the film. Even beyond the obvious idea that no man deserves to be enslaved, the film takes us into the conflicting ideologies of Leonardo's character, Calvin Candie versus that of Django and his companion regarding the intrinsic nature of people. Master Candie contends that Black people are all intrinsically subservient. This is an assertion that even goes beyond morality.
Even if Django was doing something wrong in his actions throughout the movie, you'd be hard pressed to call his gun rampage "subservient." The film is saying something about the intrinsic sameness of people in this way. No one is subservient or dominant based on race. Each character speaks for themselves.
:: Author ::
This is a guest post by Lindsey Mcmahon. She likes to travel, play and read in her free time. Her interests are entertainment, television, parenting and health but she is constantly extending her field of view to incorporate interesting news suggested to her by her readers. She currently works for Direct TV.
Movies, News
Colorado Theater Massacre – Who to Blame?
The Blame of Colorado Theater Massacre
The Colorado Theater Massacre is such a tragic story. I am incredibly saddened by what happened and much prayers go out to the families and loved ones involved.
The alleged shooter is 24 year old James Holmes, who faces 142 criminal counts for shooting at a packed midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises. For whatever reason, motive still uncertain, he proceeded to open fire into the crowds leaving 12 dead and 58 injured.
In most circumstances as people try to make sense of this kind of senseless killing, our first instinct is to want to blame something or someone. Blame parents, blame media, blame society, blame gun-control or blame the individual who perpetrated it all. As usual, there are a lot of questions and lot of accusations, though surprisingly the outcry doesn't seem to be as loud this time around.
Traditionally media is one of the biggest targets in the blame game. Considering this was at a movie theater, it seemed inevitable that a lot of blame would be casts on media's influence on the young mind. However whether it is the immediate responsiveness of Warner Brothers, or perhaps of how ridiculously senseless the deed was – there seems to a lot less finger pointing over this event. Still the film industry is being very cautious and has properly shown sensitivity to what has happened by immediately taking action.
Warner Brothers Acts Quickly to Colorado
Warner Brothers, the studio who released "The Dark Knight Rises", quickly removed the trailer for its upcoming film "Gangster Squad" which has been a trailer proceeding "The Dark Knight Rises." This trailer features a climactic scene in which mob gangsters open fire into a movie theater. Good move. Warner Brothers also quickly removed the trailer from YouTube and other video sharing sites. It is also said that the studio plans to reshoot parts of the movie in dealing with this matter. The studio hasn't been clear on how they plan to reedit the movie but it will be interesting to see to what extent they would go in response to this tragedy. Will they cut an important scene all together or make minor edits? Perhaps just tone it down? Either way it will cost Warner Brothers a pretty penny. They also stand to potentially lose money by pushing out the release date from September 7th to January 11th as well have already lost money canceling premieres several key global cities out of respect for the victims.
Warner Brothers also announced it was making a "substantial" undisclosed donation to the victims.
Hollywood is to Blame? Or Not?
Quotes from Hollywood:
"I think it's a tragedy and to blame the movie business is incorrect and inappropriate…" – Geffen, Co-founder of DreamWorks
"I think it's just an opportunistic scenario… I leave it to people who sit in rooms with diagrams and charts to try to correlate cause and effect. And I think hindsight is 20-20 and we're not anywhere near hindsight. This is still fresh paint on the canvas of our culture and it remains to be seen. There's a lot of healing to go on." – Diane Lane, Actress
"If you are not raising your kids to have balance in life, that is one place we have to look at." – Will.i.am, Recording Artist
In response to whether television companies should cut down on violence:
"We think about the images particularly that children see, and as we look at the programming that we design for our schedule — obviously, the programming that we produce is educational — but we think a lot about the images that particularly the most impressionable, and I would say that children are at the top of that list, are confronted with." – Paula Kerger, PBS President
So Who do We Blame? What Do We Really Know?
I would hope that no one would argue that media has a huge influence on the way we, especially as children, view the world, view people, and the norms of society. Cursing, violence, how to treat other people, self-image, view of women, that life is all about one's own happiness, that power is respected, that being cool or good looking is what matter, that living rich with comforts will bring happiness, that romantic love is the answer to all things – and so on.
I would imagine, it had some various affects on how this shooter viewed the world and the value of human life – but does that mean media is the only thing to blame for such a tragedy? No of course not. There are so many factors involved, that I wouldn't even assume to know all that went into it. Perhaps parenting, perhaps influence of bad friends, perhaps he had a tragic past, didn't have a father figure, grew up in a broken home, I do not know. The only thing I know is that it's a scary thing that he became a person capable of such things. That as a baby he was no different than you and me – but there was something in him that thru circumstances and influences allowed him to do what he did. That is a scary thought and should really humble us to really be careful about what kind of things we allow ourselves (and our children) to be exposed to and the kind of things we listen to.
The Muppets Movie Review: Good for Children?
The Muppets Movie Review: Fine for Kids, but Will They Care?
The Muppets have always been grown-up versions of the "Sesame Street" characters. If you were a little kid in the late 1970s, you probably have fond memories of watching their variety show. I watched it with my grandfather, listening to him chuckle over the antics of Kermit, Fozzie and the rest.
Fast-forward 30 years and a handful of theatrical films later. Most kids know Elmo, but how meaningful is a visit back to Muppet Studios?
"The Muppets," the latest film excursion for this band of felt characters, catches us up years after Muppet fame has peaked — and crashed. Human character Gary (Jason Segel) is best friends with Walter, who happens to be a puppet. Since childhood, Walter has dreamed of being a real Muppet, so when the friends have a chance to visit Muppet Studios, they jump on it — and are horrified to discover that the studio is run-down and the Muppets disbanded. Tex Richman, an "evil oil baron," plans to raze the studio. From there, the friends (along with Gary's long-time girlfriend Mary, played by Amy Adams), scheme to get the gang back together, put on a show and raise money to get the studio back and make the Muppets famous again.
But that's like saying that Pixar's "Up" is about a boy rescuing a bird from a hunter.
The Muppets Movie: Funny but Serious
Yes, the film is hilariously funny. Fans of "The Muppet Movie" will recognize the self-referential moments, such as Kermit being introduced with a chorus of angelic singing, only to have a church choir bus drive by. Or when the road trip to gather the remaining Muppets takes too long, and the little group agrees to "pick up the rest by montage."
But it's serious, too. Emotionally, the movie aims for a level of sophistication that's above the average 6-year-old. The puppet characters are filled with regrets. A scene where Kermit and Miss Piggy discussed how they disappointed each other could have just as easily played out with, say, Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz.
Time has passed since their hey-day, and we're asked if the Muppets were left behind. Tex tells them, "You're relics, Muppets. The world has moved on, and no one cares about your goody-goody, hippy-dippy Julie Andrews and Dom DeLuise hostin', singin'-and-dancin' act anymore. You're dead!" For those who wouldn't recognize Dom DeLuise, sadly, that may be true.
Muppets Good to Show Your Children?
So, should you even try to get your little ones to watch? If you want to share the Muppets with your kids, it's sure worth a try — it's a kid-safe experience. The language is squeaky-clean. I've heard some take offense at the "evil oilman," but along with the soundtrack, Tex is a throwback to the 1980s. Gary and Mary share a hotel room on their vacation, though the twin beds are obvious and their relationship is almost painfully wholesome.
"The Muppets" is a great film for older kids who like sllly humor (and who doesn't?) and may be able to grasp how friends can get left behind. Be warned, though — it packs a surprising emotional punch. If you were embarrassed when your daughter or son caught you crying at the beginning of "Up," you might want to prepare yourself. At least on home video, you can slip out of the room for a moment.
Clean Cut Media's Take
I haven't seen it, but I have heard good reviews about this movie. Though the note above about Gary & Mary sharing a hotel room bothers me. If it's a kids movie, why not just have them be in different rooms? However, considering how unclean so many movies are these days, it is refreshing to see a movie that seems to pass all the filters with flying colors.
Have you seen the movie?
Jennifer Rose Hale is a freelance writer and web producer at an education nonprofit that offers online education opportunities and discussion for a variety of age groups.
Movies, Video
Butterfly Circus – A Beautiful Short Film
"The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph."
This is a very well done, beautiful short film which will leave you feeling warm and touched.
The short film "Butterfly Circus" takes place in the Great Depression. A showman of a renowned circus discovers a man without limbs being exploited at a carnival sideshow. He shows him a bit of kindness, a reaction that this limb-less man has never experienced. Starting with this small encounter, this man without limbs is slowly driven to hope despite all of his life experiences telling him otherwise.
The showman is Eduardo Verastegui (Bella) and the man without limbs name is Nick Vujicic. The ladder is a famous speaker of hope and change. The short film won several awards in the Best Short Category & Audience Favorite Category at the Heartland Film Festival, Palm Springs Short Festival, Ashland Independent Film Festival and Grand Prize winner at the Doorpost Film Project.
Again, "Butterfly Circus" is very well done, beautiful score (music) and the story is very heart warming. Wanted to share some good clean media films such as these. The creators are working on making this into a feature film.
Give it a watch and tell us what you think below!
Director: Joshua Weigel
Writer: Joshua Weigel & Rebekah Weigel
Producers: Joshua Weigel, Rebekah Weigel, Angie Alvarez
Executive Producers: Jon & Esther Phelps, Jason Atkins, Nathan Christopher Haase, Bob Yerkes, Ed Vizenor & Nathan Elliott
Director of Photography: Brian Baugh
Production Designer: Yeva McCloskey
Editor: Chris Witt
Cast: Eduardo Verastegui, Nick Vujicic, Doug Jones, Matt Allmen, Mark Atteberry, Kirk Bovill, Lexi Pearl, Connor Rosen
Original Score: Timothy Williams (Composer)
Books, Movies
The Hunger Games Trailer: Book to Movie
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collin Short Review: It's Awesome
Super Short Review: Wanting to find a fun book to read? Have extra credits on Audible and want wondering what book to download next? The Hunger Games Trilogy. I read it. Ok. So I listened to the Audiobooks. Almost the same thing. It's an excellent read (listen?). Very gripping. Dives deep into the psychology of it's characters and touches upon themes of independence, big brother, the sinfulness (evil) of people, trust and relationships. It's not for children however, tons of violence as expected from a book centered around… 24 youths forced to… battle to the death… more info below.
The Hunger Games Story
16 year old Katniss Everdeen lives in a post-apocalyptic world in a country called Panem which lies where United States once existed. Panem consist of a wealthy Capitol and 12 surrounding run down districts. The government holds power through an annual event called the Hunger Games where each of the 12 districts chooses a boy and a girl representative or "tributes" to a highly televised battle royale to the death. The Hunger Games is as much as a "show" as is a fight to survive as your popularity can gain you more favors and donations from the outside world. Unfortunately only one of the 24 tributes are allowed to walk out alive. It is a government that controls through fear and resource control. The winning district is rewarded with food and benefits in a world where resources are scarce. Katniss' younger sister is chosen as a tribute, so Katniss chooses to volunteer to replace her and thus enters the Hunger Games a place of shaky alliances, friendships, suspicion and a lot of posturing.
The Hunger Games Tributes are Chosen - Peeta & Katniss
Katniss Displays a "Special" Sign to the District
The Hunger Games the Movie is Coming – Watch the Trailer
This past week, the first theatrical trailer for The Hunger Games was released to the delight of many fans of the book. The Hunger Games the Movie is set to release on March 23, 2012 featuring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. It is expected to be a huge blockbuster considering the Hunger Games Trilogy is one of the best selling books in the modern era. It is regularly in the top reads on Amazon, one of the first to hit 1 million sales on the kindle and easily one of the highest downloaded book on Audible. The rights were picked up by Lionsgate. Word is that it will be PG-13. Watch the trailer below!
The Hunger Games Themes
Government vs Independence: The majors themes in The Hunger Games involve topics of government control vs. personal independence. The "capital" in this book controls the populace through fear and forces the hunger games upon them as a means to assert their power.
Survival vs Value of Human Life: Through the struggle through the hunger games, the themes of survival vs humanity becomes very apparent centered around the value of human life. Lot of the characters struggle through being put in a position of placing their own life against the life of others. What is acceptable for survival? Is it ever ok to hurt (or kill) another person in order to survive? Should one feel guilty over lying and deceiving others as needed?
Will Katniss be able to Kill other Youths if it Came Down to it?
Selfishness of Man: Personally, one thing I appreciate about these stories is that it is very blunt about the innate selfishness of man. People often want to think that deep down inside all people are "good," but let's be honest here. When we look at little children who have no concept of image or wearing masks, we know we are born innately selfish. You need to teach them to share. You need to teach them to be thankful. You need to teach them that they just can't cry because they don't get what they want and not to bite the kid next to them. When we are honest with ourselves and our thoughts, our motives, we know that we think mainly of ourselves and how we feel above everything else. We know if all boundaries and rules were removed as it is in the scenario in this book, all hell would break loose and eventually everyone would simply do as they please. Thank God for laws, and punishing sticks.
This book is very real about this truth. When it comes down to it, everyone innately wants to serve themselves. It is a beautiful thing to see characters fight their way away from this innate desire to survive to thinking for the good of someone else even while everyone else is becoming dead to their sensitivity. It is often the thoughts of someone Katniss loves that helps her fight from spiraling into just forgetting humanity altogether. But the struggle is very real and very difficult especially for the main protagonist Katniss. You can tell her natural inclination is to mistrust and watch out for herself. Having compassion and love is a considered a "weakness" within the book especially when everyone in the hunger games are just simply trying to outlive one another. This is true of the real world, where the message often tells us that ultimately we need to watch out for ourselves and do what we need to do to get ahead in life. But just like in real life, it is compassion and love that we all know is how it is meant to be. When we see people suppress the urge to serve oneself out of love for another, it is something we know to be right. When people sacrifice their own good for someone they love, we know that is right. Yet again, this is something that does not come naturally. It is hard and something we need to fight for. I think this is portrayed well within the story.
Other Themes: There is this "love conquers all" type of feeling which is not necessarily a great theme to take in blindly without some context.
Warnings: This is NOT a children's book. When it comes down to it, it is a battle royale so many people die. Also there is a lot of discussion on deception and posturing which without proper understanding can be really confusing. However it is a relatively clean series in all other aspects.
The Hunger Games Trilogy – The Books
The Hunger Games originally released in 2008, followed by Catching Fire in 2009 and Mockingjay in 2010 completing the Hunger Games Trilogy. It has since become one of the most popular, bestselling series. It remained on the New York Times list for over 100 consecutive weeks.
HEY! Book 1 of The Hunger Games is only $5 on Amazon. Great filler to get that $25 free shipping 🙂
Link to the The Hunger Games Book 1 Here
The Audiobook version of the Hunger Games is fantastic. The reader Carolyn McCormick does an excellent job portraying all the various characters guys and girls! Two links for you below.
Audible Subscribers: Book 1 of Hunger Games on Audible is link is HERE
Non-Audible Subscribers: Click on the image below and get the Audiobook Free!
Have you read the Hunger Games?
Let us know your thoughts on the book!
Did you read it or listen to it? Like it?
Any other themes you found to be interesting?
Are you looking forward to the movie? Why?
Other similar books you'd like to recommend to others?
Watch Pixar's Brave Movie Trailer: Breaking Traditions
Watch the Brave Pixar Trailer
The new Brave trailer is out. Brave is the next Pixar movie slated to make its theatrical debut on June 22, 2012. Pixar has been known to produce high quality, clean, family friendly movies on a consistent basis. I always look forward to Pixar movie releases. They never really disappoint especially compared to lot of the garbage "family" movies out there.
Pixar Brave's Story & Premise
Brave follows the story of Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald). Merida is a young Scottish woman from the Highlands. She is out to "carve out her own path in life," breaking the traditions of her people. It delves into the themes of tradition, bravery and self-journey.
Watch Pixar's Brave Movie Trailer
Traditions vs "Being True to Yourself"
One thing I wonder is how Pixar will go about portraying the breaking of traditions. In our culture, media often romanticizes and promotes the idea of self independence and doing what you feel is right, often at the expense of tradition and responsibilities. It is the idea to forget what everyone tells you because you need to be true to yourself. Rebelling against authority, and following your own sense of right and wrong is sprinkled everywhere because inwardly, we all want to do what we want to do. That is why it appeals to us. In many ways, tradition and duty is often given very little weight, though often traditions are there for good reason.
Movies that take protagonists that breaks traditions, relationships, perhaps cause a lot of hurt and pain, but in the end has everything work out, makes us a little bit more open to that idea that it really is all about being true to oneself. The value of self-sacrifice and holding to responsibilities and duty even if it puts a damper in one's own desires and plans is undermined in many cases. Think about sacrificing careers to be with your family, giving up own interest for the betterment of the group, giving up your dream because of your commitment to something or someone.
Some movies do fine with these themes. Mulan comes to mind. Mulan is shown as self-sacrificial. She breaks traditional roles, not because she wants to gain something for herself, but to save her Father. But then there are movies where the main character simply does what he or she feels like because it makes them happy or in the name of love or because they are trying to be "true to herself," meanwhile leaving a string of pain and hurts behind. (But then it all magically works out in the end right? So why not?)
But I will always give Pixar the benefit of the doubt. Unlike most movies, Pixar has always managed to churn out a good message and their movies seems to be sensitive to the family viewers. So hoping for the best and looking forward to Brave.
Chime in Pixar Fans
What was your favorite Pixar movie of all time?


text:
Harbour city now UK base for former Mr Disney
For many, football in the fearsome, fortified naval base of Portsmouth is typified by that mad guy covered head-to-teeth-to-toe in the insignia of his beloved local club.
John Portsmouth Football Club Westwood might personify Portsmouth FC – but he's equally famous for being a mild-mannered antiquarian by day. For it was committed, responsible Pompey fans who saved this venerable club, saddled with impossible debts arising from disgraceful mismanagement. All this occurred, ironically, in the wake of the surprise FA Cup win of 2008.
Banned from playing his Pompey Chimes that day at Wembley – a ringing bell and chant that echo the earliest days of the game in Portsmouth – John PFC Westwood was at least able to take his unique brand of support over the Channel to Europe following the cup win. Two years later, Westwood and his beloved Portsmouth were barred, UEFA preventing the club from entering the Europa League given the financial meltdown on Portsea.
Bridge Tavern/Lucy Mallows
Three months after steering the club out of League Two in 2017, the Pompey Supporters Trust sold their beloved PFC to the Tornante Company, headed by former Disney boss Michael Eisner. His investment stuck in the third tier ever since, the man raised on Park Avenue in New York has still promised significant improvements to venerable Fratton Park. Its external appearance will remain in place, a façade of historic character in a world of out-of-town new-builds.
Football came early to England's only island city. Those English sailors, dockers and engineers who exported the game all around the world in the late 19th century had set off from Portsmouth, then the biggest naval port and industrial zone in the world. And they had played the game here, back in the 1850s, before it took off in the other industrial hubs of Victorian Britain.
Organised clubs were slow to set up, though, the first being Royal Artillery FC, who played at the United Service Recreation Ground behind the historic dockyard. As the nearby Guildhall clock chimed each quarter hour, spectators would sing with it, encouraging the team to score before the referee blew for full time.
Like Portsmouth FC, formed as Royal Artillery folded at the very end of the 19th century, the team the locals followed was nicknamed 'Pompey', after the town itself. Few football nicknames are shrouded in as much mystery. Shakespeare, sailing charts, sailors scaling Pompey's Pillar in Egypt to spite Napoleon, naval prisons – all have been cited as viable sources for the long-familiar term, all with suitable maritime and/or military links.
Welcome to Portsmouth/Lucy Mallows
Royal Artillery reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup in 1896 but, after joining the Southern League a year later, were soon exposed as being professional. Their disbandment led to the successful creation of today's Portsmouth FC. Players and spectators simply switched teams, allegiances and customs – hence the Pompey Chimes.
The town did have an amateur side, though: Portsmouth AFC. In operation from 1884 to 1896, the main forerunner of the professional club has one other claim to fame – a unique one. Their goalkeeper, AC Smith was, in fact, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame, who had a medical practice in Southsea in the 1880s.
With its roots deep in beer – founder John Brickwood ran a local brewery – Portsmouth FC were formed in 1898, shortly after the demise of amateur counterparts AFC and before the collapse of Royal Artillery.
The Liquorist/Lucy Mallows
Brickwood and his fellow founding partners had the sense to buy plot of land in Fratton, an area of Portsmouth that hadn't then been industrialised. Fratton Park has been the club's home since day one, the start of a successful debut campaign in the Southern League underlined by a win over eternal local rivals Southampton. When venues were selected to host the football tournament of the 1948 Olympic Games, Fratton Park got the nod over its coastal neighbours and witness the greatest Dutch players of the day – Faas Wilkes and Abe Lenstra – overcome Ireland 3-1.
Club colours and iconography still echo Portmouth's history and tradition, blue-and-white replacing the initial pink and the star-and-crescent badge harking back to the Crusades of Richard I, long a local motif. Decades later, owner Michael Eisner made sure to consult fans when tweaking the motif.
Military ties also loom large. Pompey won three of their four major trophies either side of World War II, during which Field Marshal Montgomery was made club president. Letters were later found from Monty to the captain of the Pompey side who won back-to-back titles in 1949 and 1950, Reg Flewin.
Flewin, a former Royal Marine boxing champion, died a week after Pompey lifted their next major trophy in 2008, not living to see his club's near ruin and subsequent communal revival.
Portsmouth FC transport/Lucy Mallows
The nearest airport to Portsmouth is Southampton, 35km (22 miles) away. From the rail station, Southampton Airport Parkway, right beside the terminal, a train to Portsmouth (£14, every 15-20mins, journey time 1hr 15mins) requires one change at Southampton Central or Eastleigh. Fratton, near the stadium, is one stop before the main station of Portsmouth & Southsea.
A taxi to Portsmouth should cost around £40-£45, pre-booked with Aquacars (02392 654 321) nearer to £35.
Gatwick, 134km (83 miles) away, is directly linked by hourly train (£14, journey time 1hr 30mins) – again, it calls at Fratton then Portsmouth & Southsea.
Direct from London Waterloo, it's around 1hr 45mins, advance singles £15, trains every 20mins. From Manchester, you need to change in London or Southampton, overall journey time 5hrs, singles around £100. Adding a Portsmouth PlusBus ticket (£3) to your fare allows you to use local buses all day. Services are run by Stagecoach (DayRider £4.30) and First Bus (FirstDay pass £4.50).
Portsmouth & Southsea station is in the centre of town, halfway between the Guildhall and Cascades shopping centre, and the harbour and Fratton.
Brewhouse & Kitchen/Lucy Mallows
Everyone flocks to the Gunwharf Quays of a weekend, with its late-opening nightspots of the All Bar One variety. The Liquorist, the former Bar 38, shows football.
Traditional and well-run Fuller's pub/restaurants also line the waterfront: the Bridge Tavern on Camber Dock is the one that shows big-match football.
Near Portsmouth & Southsea station, the Brewhouse & Kitchen is the most individual venue, gleaming copper vats indicating its twin role as a micro-brewery, Island City, Matcham's Glory and Sexton recent examples worth sampling. Decent food, too, plus a rooftop garden.
Fat Fox/Lucy Mallows
Hole in the Wall/Lucy Mallows
Isambard Kingdom Brunel/Lucy Mallows
Park Tavern/Lucy Mallows
The Fleet/Lucy Mallows
Lord Palmerston/Lucy Mallows
A few buildings along, the Isambard Kingdom Brunel is a prominent Wetherspoon, named after an eminent local. The Fleet alongside is a decent place to catch the game, with a popular beer garden and drinks deals. The Park Tavern on Edinburgh Road has been known to get lively at times, usually involving an older clientele.
The other downtown bar (and retail) strip is along Palmerston Road in Southsea, where you'll find another Wetherspoon, the Lord Palmerston. Deeper into Southsea on Victoria Road S, The Fat Fox is a fine choice for football action (three 90-degree HD screens, five standard ones) and live music (Sleaford Mods, Bastille).
For just a damn decent, well run pub, with varied ales and fine food, head to the CAMRA-lauded Hole In The Wall on Great Southsea Street.
Hotel ibis Budget Portsmouth/Lucy Mallows
Premier Inn Portsmouth City Centre/Lucy Mallows
Premier Inn Southsea/Lucy Mallows
Holiday Inn Portsmouth/Lucy Mallows
Visit Portsmouth has a database of local hotels and B&Bs with a journey-planning option.
Right next to the stadium, the ibis budget Portsmouth has 120 affordable rooms with showers and flat-screen TVs. Free WiFi and off-site parking also feature.
Conveniently set by Portsmouth & Southsea station, one stop from Fratton, the Premier Inn City Centre is a cut above others in this nationwide chain, rooms featuring 40-inch TV screens. For the seaside, its bars and restaurants, then sister hotel the Premier Inn Southsea is slightly cheaper and with easy access to the Historic Dockyard.
Nearby, tucked a little inland, the Holiday Inn Portsmouth is equally well located, with a pool, gym, sauna and steam room.
Royal Maritime Club/Lucy Mallows
The George/Lucy Mallows
Ship Leonard Boutique Hotel/Lucy Mallows
Keppel's Head Hotel/Lucy Mallows
For a lodging that is independently run, the historic Royal Maritime Club provided a home for resting sailors in the 1850s, receiving royal patronage from Victoria. Recently renovated, with a pool and spa, it offers a real taste of Portsmouth round the corner from the Historic Dockyard.
Alongside, The George is both a superb ten-room hotel and excellent pub/restaurant, the last surviving 18th-century tavern in Portsmouth. Its Sunday roasts are legendary. The bar is home fans only on match days.
For the perfect waterside location, plus rooms of exquisite taste, the Ship Leonard Boutique Hotel occupies a 200-year old Georgian building. All at a price, of course, but do ask about weekend rates. Alongside, the Keppels Head Hotel dates back to the late 1700s, when the admiral of the same name was a naval man of note. Rooms are somewhat modest but the setting cannot be beat, overlooking Portsmouth Harbour.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Yes, Stone Temple Pilots did a derivative work of Kashmir. Instead of going up the fret board chromatically, they go chromatically down the fret board. The drums and the feel of the song, is John Bonham reincarnated.
Plush is from the excellent debut album Core. Regardless of the Scott Weiland shenanigans going on right now, there is no denying that Stone Temple Pilots released two ground breaking albums.
Get It On was the reason why people went out and purchased a million plus units of the debut Kingdom Come album. People actually thought this was Led Zeppelin. The verse riff is very heavily inspired from Kashmir.
The Kashmir effect strikes again. Whitesnake must have said, if Kingdom Come can pull it off, why can't we. It should have been the lead off single instead of the re-recorded Fool For Your Loving. Dave Coverdale had a lot to prove when he started to write the follow-up to the mega successful Whitesnake 1987 album that was penned with John Sykes.
The same riff that Mustaine wrote for The Call of Ktulu, is the same progression that is used in Kashmir. It is also in the same key of D minor. The only difference, is that Dave Mustaine arpeggio's the notes. Dave Mustaine doesn't play on the Metallica version, that was released on Ride The Lightning, however he is the creator of the main piece of music on this song.
When the verse riff kicks in, it's Kashmir at a prog level. The chordal keys that happen over the Em triplets, is all hair on the back of the neck stuff. Pull Me Under introduced Dream Theater to the world, however Metropolis is the star on the Images and Words album.
Kashmir and The Call of Ktulu merged into an excellent thrash opener that deals with aliens and conspiracy theories. Dave Mustaine references himself and Jimmy Page again.
The verse riff and the John Bonham drums. It's Kashmir again. Coheed and Cambria knew they had a winner with this song. It is the song that announced them to the world. It is the song that we all wanted to hear at the recent concert I attended at the Metro Theater in Sydney.
The B to C to C# to D note changes over a E pedal point from In My Darkest Hour is the same is the A, B flat, B, C over a D pedal point from Kashmir. Music written after the death of Cliff Burton, had to be epic and it had to be big.
Kashmir is Led Zeppelin's definitive statement. It was released in 1975 on the excellent double album Physical Graffiti. It's influence since then on the rock / metal scenes is extraordinary. Even Hip Hop sampled it. The Tea Party built a career on it. The bands mentioned above wrote career defining songs on it.


It is possible for students applying for the MMath in Pure Mathematics to complete their degree in four years instead of five by taking the Fast Track degree route.
Fast Track students take the same modules required by the Pure Mathematics MMath programme, but at an accelerated rate. This route allows students to take a mixture of first-year and second-year modules, giving them a gentle start to first year, but then progresses to an accelerated sequence of modules. This means students will have an increasing workload over the remaining years of study to ensure advanced topics are reached by fourth year.
To find out more information, or to discuss the possibility of taking the Fast Track route, please contact the School of Mathematics and Statistics.
39, including HL6 in Mathematics.
Applicants are expected to have studied Mathematics at SQA Higher and Advanced Higher level, GCE A-Level, or equivalent.


KANEKO Bow Truss, 1111 Jones St.
Art shows often allow the viewer to see something beautiful or interesting or surprising. Being taken aback by a painting, photograph, or sculpture is a valuable and refreshing experience. The upcoming Jim Krantz photography show at KANEKO offers another layer of experience for the would-be viewer. In addition to being able to take in some stunning photographic documentation of Chernobyl, viewers will be able to listen in on a conversation between Jim Krantz and Henry Henderson, Director of the Midwest Program of Natural Resources Defense Council. They will discuss the humanistic impact of nuclear accidents like Chernobyl and the environmental ramifications in the current quest for energy alternatives. Even though Chernobl happened a quarter of a century ago, the lessons that we need to learn from it are still very relevant today. This exhibit is in dialog with the most urgent challenges of our time, making it significant for both art lovers and for those who might normally skip an art opening.


Laura is responsible for administrative tasks related to the operations of the office. Prior to joining Vigilant, Laura was an Academic Advisor for undergraduate business students at Southern New Hampshire University. She earned her B.S. in Organizational Leadership from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Laura lives in Dover, NH and enjoys traveling, photography, and woodworking.


text:
This One's For You
Nettles has always drawn as much from rock as from country -- after all, her first chart-topper was a Bon Jovi duet -- but this record, her major label solo debut, is particularly down the middle, produced by Rick Rubin and closing with her take on Bob Seger's "Like a Rock." While it certainly has some good tracks -- "Moneyball" has the singer contemplating her insignificance in the face of "Mother Nature and the market," and "Me Without You" is everything a break-up tune should be -- it serves best at really just building anticipation for the next Sugarland LP. Who says you can't go home?
Me Without You
This Angel
Know You Wanna Know
Good Time To Cry
Latest albums by Jennifer Nettles
Spotify Sessions
To Celebrate Christmas (Big Machine Radio...
To Celebrate Christmas


text:
Twenty years with pleasant test of freedom
"Free like a bird", is what the people of Eritrea has been reciting for the last 22 years of independence. A bird flies to the skies without any hindrance and travels to different corners of the world as it wishes. Thanks to independence, Eritreans are enjoying a full-fledged freedom. They travel and work in any corner of the country as they wish. They are making use of any possible opportunity independence grants them. Even though they started to live happily ever since the very Independence Day, Eritreans inside the country and from overseas altogether have annually been enjoying a week-long celebrations of Independence Day anniversary which always add relish to their day-to-day living.
Every year, Eritreans from abroad flock to their home land to experience the ultimate joy they could have by being among cheerful people. They just want to be in their homeland with fellow Eritreans to receive worm accompaniment to any joyful moment. Mrs. Birchiko Kassa, who came to Eritrea after 27 years of stay abroad said: "It is very unique to be in your homeland, to be part of the Independence Day celebrations and to personally witness any piece of merriment."
Every Eritrean wants to personally participate in every event of Independence Day anniversary, to make strolls at ease in the streets and thus to observe music shows, carnivals, exhibitions, community gatherings, dramas performances and other sorts of entertainment programs.
The exhibition staged in an open area situated at a place between Justice Ministry's building complex and Central region's administration building complex is all about the life style of freedom fighters during the struggle for independence. As regards the aim of staging such a show, Mr. Asefaw Tewelde, chairperson of association of freedom fighters, said that the program for staging such show emanates from the very idea of presenting to the young generation how bitter and harsh the struggle for independence was and how the difficulties were surmounted.
In this year's Independence Day anniversary, carnival shows in which 13 administrative areas and a total of 41 institutions took part depicted the overall economic progress Eritrea has been registering, its future prospects of all-round growth, cultural values and sprit of resilience of its people. The carnival continued for two consecutive days from 21-to-22 May.
Carnival show of May 21, started from around Bar Zilli and it marched from Sematat Street through Harnet Avenue in the presence and accompaniment of Mr. Weldemichael Ghebremariam, Minister of Regional Administration and other officials. Similarly, carnival shows of May 22 marched along the streets of Sematat through Harnet Avenue to Bahtimeskerem square. The second phase of carnival show started with the inaugural of Mr. Kahsay Ghebrihiwet, Administrator of the Central region. A number of people flocked to down town to observe the impressive shows.
Apart from the carnival shows, communal gatherings of each administrative area of the central region have made necessary preparations to colorfully celebrate Independence Day anniversary. Yesterday 23rd May 2013, all administrative areas have celebrated Independence Day anniversary in a total of 164 communal gathering tents.
People from all walks of life flocked to the main streets of Asmara, such cheerful people attract ones attention and makes one forget everything and prompt to be engrossed and happily see every movement. Open music shows, different dramas and other artistic shows staged at Cinema Roma, Karaoke and giving rendition to patriotic songs produced during the struggle for independence and other entertainment shows broadcasted on Eri-TV are among the programs which added color to the 22nd Independence Day anniversary. This year's Independence Day is commemorated on Friday the same as the very independence day of May 24, 1991 and everybody is as cheerful and overwhelmed with feelings of happiness the same as that very day of 1991.
Eritrea: A country that passed through thick and thin Part II
"…You just wish to be the one dying before your comrades"
An Agricultural Strategic Information System (SIS) in Eritrea
Birth of a Lake Part II and Final
Birth of a Lake Part I
MoA Conducts Field Tests of Data Recording Templates for Small-holder Farmers
Fast tracking to slow fashion


text:
Q: How to prevent a node from speeding up too much? I have nodes that fall from the top of my scene and are set to speed up like so:
   var droptime: NSTimeInterval = 20.5

 class GamePlayScene: SKScene, SKPhysicsContactDelegate {
       droptime = 20.5

    runAction(SKAction.repeatActionForever(
        SKAction.sequence([
            SKAction.runBlock(array),
            SKAction.waitForDuration(1.6)])))

  func array()  {

  let colorCount = 5

    let index=Int(arc4random_uniform(UInt32(colorCount)))

    let dots = SKSpriteNode(imageNamed: "Color\(index+1)")
    dots.position = CGPointMake(150, 600)
    dots.physicsBody = SKPhysicsBody(rectangleOfSize: CGSizeMake(45, 45))
    dots.physicsBody?.dynamic = true
    dots.physicsBody?.affectedByGravity = false
    for i in 0..<5 {
        dots.physicsBody?.categoryBitMask = UInt32(0x1 << index)
        dots.physicsBody?.contactTestBitMask = UInt32(0x1 << index)

    }
   addChild(dots)

             droptime -= 1.09
          dots.size = CGSizeMake(45, 45)
    dots.runAction(
        SKAction.moveByX(0, y: -1600,
            duration: NSTimeInterval(droptime)))

}

}
And as time goes on, obviously they keep speeding up and eventually fall too fast for gameplay. I was wondering if there was a way that once they reach a certain speed, that they'll just stay at that speed so that they don't end up falling obnoxiously fast and the game becomes unplayable.

A: You could put a max on the drop time.
let minInterval = 5.0 //min interval of 5 sec
//minInterval is your smallest time interval desired - that's how you can limit speed
droptime = max(droptime - 1.09, minInterval)

A: You can have an if case that checks the droptime and decrements it only if it is greater than the some minimum time.
if droptime > minTime:
    droptime -= 1.09

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


MILLER HEALTH CLINIC is dedicated to the finest in patient care. We promote optimal health, continuing longevity, and encourage healing for our patients.
Dr Ruth Miller welcomes you to a unique, caring, comprehensive, medical office that personalizes treatment for each person.
Dr. Ruth Miller is unusually open, with a God given ability to listen to her patients.
Our beautiful Tulsa health clinic is comfortable and classy where we want you to feel like you are visiting a good friend.
MILLER HEALTH CLINIC also offers a full service for the medical concerns of all ages and all problems. This family medicine clinic treats a wide spectrum of illnesses and diseases, but treatment is not limited to helping sick people.
Dr. Miller has always creatively searched for all options to help patients. She has offered a selection of high quality supplements for years, and embraces many treatment options that are alternates to traditional practices. Dr. Miller wants to treat the entire person to feel and look the best as possible. Cosmetic medicine is included by Dr. Miller. She feels it is important to take good care of our skin and appearance to be healthy.
Also, the physician guided weight loss treatments through MILLER HEALTH CLINIC are highly effective.
Dr. Miller is an expert in prescribing Bioidentical Hormones Replacement Therapy and Biodentical Hormone Treatments for both for women and men.


This article will discuss depression and the different types of depression.
There are a lot of debilitating illnesses in the world today. Unfortunately, many people are not as aware of certain illnesses as they should be. One of these illnesses that need to be highlighted is depression.
Depression can affect anyone, of any age, and from any walk of life. This mental illness affects millions of people all over the world, and some people are not even aware that they are suffering from it. So, what is depression? How does it affect the sufferer? Let's take a look.
Depression affects people in many different ways. Some of the signs and symptoms are not even visible to the sufferer, let alone anyone else around them. When people think of depression they will usually picture someone who is very sad all of the time. However, it is certainly not as black and white as this. For some people, depression can completely consume them and change their day to day lives for a long time. Some people may feel hopeless and helpless, like the world is against them and there is no way out. For some people, depression presents itself in a totally different way.
For example, many people suffer with physical symptoms of depression rather than the mental symptoms. Symptoms such as fatigue, exhaustion, nausea, light headedness and many, many more can all be associated with depression. So, what actually causes depression? There can be a whole multitude of different things that could cause depression. For example, it could be triggered by bereavement, or a change in financial circumstances. It could simply be due to stress. For some people, there is a chemical imbalance in the brain that can trigger and cause clinical depression. Of course, there is more than one kind of depression.
Manic depression for example is a disorder in which the sufferer will experience episodes of complete mania where they feel like they can take on the whole world, and the next minute come crashing down to earth with a bang and get stuck in an intense state of depression. Another very common type of depression is postnatal depression. This is experienced by some new mothers. This is caused by hormones in the body changing as the pregnancy goes on. Fortunately, all of these types of depression are highly manageable and treatable.
Many people will go to a doctor to get medication prescribed. There are a lot of different types of medication that are used to treat depression, and some work better than others. However, everyone will respond differently to them. Some people will choose to see a counsellor who will try to treat the patient through a series of one to one sessions. There are many, many options available in this day and age to treat the common disorder of depression. However, it is a disorder that more people should be aware of because it is something that anyone can suffer with, and awareness is incredibly important in how people with depression are portrayed.
A quick video about what it can be like to live with depression.


Layer 2 encryption can offer high-assurance data protection without compromising network or application performance unlike IPSEC (Layer 3) encryption that will still add unnecessary network overhead and impact on network speed and bandwidth.
More agile than some might think, the best modern encryption solutions are not only suitable for networks of all shapes and sizes, from modest 10Mbps to ultra-fast 100Gbps speeds. they occupy a barely perceptible presence on the network, are transparent to all other devices and result in minimal latency (frequently less than 4µs at higher speeds).
Crypto-agility, however, is much more than simple performance statistics. It comes from compatibility and interoperability, from FPGA-based flexibility and from the ability to support custom cryptographic elements. It even enables a choice of encryption algorithms and standards.
Truly high-assurance encryption solutions are based on standards-based algorithms, typically AES 128 or 256bit. However, If you are able to provide your own, you may prefer to use those; there's nothing that says you must use the manufacturer's standard algorithm.
An encryption platform should offer support for as many of these algorithms as possible. For example, CFB (Cipher Feedback) mode, CTR (Counter) mode and GCM – an authenticated encryption mode.
Beyond encryption modes, agility should extend to support for other custom components, such as user-defined curves, external certificate authorities and sources of randomness.
Senetas CN Series hardware encryptors feature advanced FPGA architecture, which enables in-field upgrades (something not possible with hybrid encryptors, or lower assurance security devices). This is a key point of differentiation for Senetas customers, as it effectively future-proofs the technology. If, for example, NIST introduces a new quantum-resistant algorithm in the future; Senetas customers simply load the new algorithm to the system without interruption. This helps to maintain a long-term return on investment and drives down the total cost of owning (TCO) Senetas hardware.
High-assurance security plus crypto-agility for core Ethernet network infrastructure.
In addition to their certified high-assurance credentials, Senetas CN Series encryptors offer Crypto-agile data security from Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) to bring-your-own (BYO) entropy.
Some data needs long-term security, encryption, and data protection, in order to future-proof it for today's looming post-Quantum computing era.
Crypto-agility should also incorporate Quantum Key generation and distribution. The best long-term encryption investments should provide Quantum-safe data protection through provable secure key-exchange. They should also feature an anti-eavesdropping mechanism to ensure forward secrecy of the encryption keys.


text:
using namespace Poco::Geo;
using namespace IoT::GNSS::NMEA;

RMCProcessorTest::RMCProcessorTest(const std::string& name): CppUnit::TestCase(name)
{
}

RMCProcessorTest::~RMCProcessorTest()
{
}

void RMCProcessorTest::testRMCProcessor()
{
	const std::string sentences =
		"$GPGGA,163026.489,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*53\r\n"
		"$GPGSA,A,3,15,24,09,17,05,,,,,,,,4.3,2.6,3.4*3E\r\n"
		"$GPRMC,163030.186,A,4729.6845,N,00941.3582,E,1.30,213.65,100313,,,A*60\r\n";

	RMCProcessor rmcp;
	SentenceDecoder sc;
	sc.sentenceReceived += Poco::delegate(&rmcp, &RMCProcessor::processSentence);
	rmcp.rmcReceived += Poco::delegate(this, &RMCProcessorTest::onRMCReceived);

	sc.processBuffer(sentences.data(), sentences.size());

	Poco::DateTime dt(2013, 03, 10, 16, 30, 30, 186);
	assert (_rmc.timestamp == dt.timestamp());

	assertEquals (47.4947, _rmc.position.latitude().degrees(), 0.0001);
	assertEquals (9.6893, _rmc.position.longitude().degrees(), 0.0001);

	assertEquals (213.65, _rmc.heading.degrees(), 0.001);
	assertEquals (1.3, _rmc.speed, 0.01);
}

void RMCProcessorTest::setUp()
{
}

void RMCProcessorTest::tearDown()
{
}

void RMCProcessorTest::onRMCReceived(const RMCProcessor::RMC& rmc)
{
	_rmc = rmc;
}

CppUnit::Test* RMCProcessorTest::suite()
{
	CppUnit::TestSuite* pSuite = new CppUnit::TestSuite("RMCProcessorTest");

	CppUnit_addTest(pSuite, RMCProcessorTest, testRMCProcessor);

	return pSuite;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
A Czech Toy Story
Welcome to the World of U: GKIDS Debuts 'Belle' Opening Scene
Tactile Trilogy: A Tour of the Netflix/Nexus Stop-Motion Anthology 'The House'
Business & Film Intersect at ANIMARKT This Week
Reza Riahi Discusses the Classic Persian Influences of 'Navozande, the Musician'
Ramin Zahed
An inventive, English-language version of Jiří Barta's acclaimed stop-motion feature Toys in the Attic arrives in the U.S. this month.
It looks like Cowboy Woody and Buzz Lightyear have some interesting competition this month. The new English-language version of Czech animator Jiří Barta's Toys in the Attic (originally titled In the Attic: Who Has a Birthday Today?) arrives in the U.S. in select theaters, thanks to a new adaptation by Vivian Schilling and a top-notch voice cast that includes Forest Whitaker, Joan Cusack, Cary Elwes and Schilling herself.
Barta, who first came to international prominence in 1986 because of his award-winning stop-motion short The Pied Piper of Hamelin, is known for his haunting, artistic, political allegories. Although he faced a tough period in the 1990s after the fall of the communist government in his country, he managed to keep many of his passion projects alive, including an upcoming feature titled The Golem. In interviews, he has cited animation masters Jan Svankmajer and Yuri Norstein as great sources of inspiration.
His latest movie, Toys in the Attic, which was completed three years ago, is set in a magical world of toys and knick-knacks tucked away in a home in Prague. The involving storyline follows the adventures of four antique toys—the blond doll Buttercup (Schilling), the threadbare Teddy (Whitaker), the old-fashioned knight Sir Handsome (Elwes) and the mechanical mouse Madame Curie (Cusack). When Buttercup is kidnapped by the evil despot The Head (a stand-in for an awful Eastern European dictator?), it's up to her friends to plan an epic rescue mission.
Jiří Barta
Schilling told us that she first discovered the movie two years ago at the Cannes Film Festival.
"The film was discovered by Daniel [Lesoeur, president of Eurocine Films], who acquired worldwide distribution rights to Barta's movie," she said during a recent phone interview. "I watched the screener and fell in love with it and told him that I'd love to adapt it, so I contacted the director and began work on the adaptation."
Although at first she was a bit reluctant to tackle the English version because of her love for subtitled foreign films, Schilling decided to go forward because the director and producers were very supportive of her adaptation.
Schilling says one of the reasons she was drawn to the project was the fantastic quality of the visuals.
"That was why I thought it would be difficult to read subtitles for this movie, because you would miss developments on the screen as you're reading them," she explains. "If any film screams for adaptation, it's this one."
According to Schilling, although Americans may not be familiar with the work of Barta, he is often compared to Tim Burton and the Brothers Quay in his homeland of Czech Republic.
"The thing about Toys in the Attic is that although it's a beautifully crafted work, there's also a lot of humor and light in it," she says. "I wouldn't recommend it to very young children, but it's really dependent on the sensibility of the child. Personally, I would have loved it if I'd seen it when I was eight or nine years old."
One of the biggest challenges of the production was doing the voice synch for the main villain of the movie, who is known as The Head. "He is basically a bust, so most of his shots are medium to extreme close-ups on his mouth and his lips." On the other hand, the casting of the film proved to be a breeze. Schilling says all of her first choices for the roles—Whitaker, Cusack and Elwes—fell in love with the movie and came on board to work on this small indie production.
Schilling also added a new credit sequence for the new version.
"The originals were simply too dark and wouldn't fly for American audiences, so I came up with a toy catalog theme that featured all the toy characters in the movie," she says. "Jiří liked the idea and resurrected the puppets and did a photo shoot to help create the new title sequence."
Since this was her first venture into the world of animation and adapting a foreign, artistic project for a broader English-speaking audience, we had to ask Schilling the most important thing she learned from the experience.
"I'm primarily a writer, so I believe in honoring the original work and respecting the source material," she says. "The whole experience has been wonderful. I did learn, however, that everything takes longer than you think it will!"
Hannover House will release Toys in the Attic in key U.S. markets on September 7. For more info, visit www.toysfilm.com.
Related Topics:Cannes Film Festival, Cary Elwes, Daniel Lesoeur, Eurocine Films, Forest Whitaker, In the Attic: Who Has a Birthday Today?, Jan Svankmajer, Jiri Barta, Joan Cusack, The Golem, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Tim Burton, Toys in the Attic, Vivian Schilling, Yuri Norstein
'Belle' Bests Hosoda's US Opening Box Office Record
Mamoru Hosoda's latest acclaimed animated feature Belle continues to win over audiences, with North American distributor GKIDS...
'Across the Spider-Verse' Renders New Dimensions in Multiple Styles, Says Chris Miller
When you have already created one of the most artistically innovative (not to mention critically acclaimed...
Aardman Launches New Branding, Logo & Website for New Year
The multi-award-winning independent animation studio Aardman has today launched a new visual identity, including an updated...
Mansion Ent. Fords the Animated Frontier in Missouri
Mansion Entertainment Group, aligned with the historic Mansion Theatre in Branson, Missouri, announced a major expansion...
'Sing a Bit of Harmony' Smiles on Select Theaters January 23
Funimation announced that its co-produced anime feature Sing a Bit of Harmony is ready to make...
The Hot Sheet: Eight Shows to Track Down at MIPJunior
Welcome to Brickleberry!


Caricia Triangle Shawl, by Anne Hanson of Knitspot!
A soft and silky triangle shawl in three sizes mini(petite, tall) to encircle the shoulders and body in luxury. Knit in a repeating allover motif of tiny flower bouquets that is easily mastered, this piece works up quickly and can be resized by adding/subtracting repeats or worked in a different gauge by changing yarn and needles.


What is the PE & Sport Funding?
The Government has provided additional funding for schools, since 2013, to improve the quality of PE and sport they offer. This funding is jointly provided by the Departments for Education, Health and Culture, Media and Sport. This year the sum has been doubled and the Sugar Tax is also used for funding. Priory receives £16,000 plus an additional £10 per pupil in Year 1 to Year 6. Schools must use the funding to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of PE and sport they offer.
Click here for the Department for Education link to the Primary School's Sport Funding page.
How will we be spending the PE & Sports Funding and who will benefit?
To provide a wider range of PE and sports available in school.
To provide a range and increased participation in before and after school clubs.
To provide a wider range and increased access to Level 2 competitions in a variety of sports.
To provide a minibus to ensure participation in events and competitions across the City.
the PE curriculum are at least good.
outdoor facilities (dependent on additional funding).
Premier Sport affiliation- Premier Sport are being used in order to help improve staff confidence in teaching PE. They will be delivering high quality CPD based on surveys conducted on the staff. Furthermore they will also be offering a wide range of Level 2 competitions, based on sports which the children would otherwise not have the chance to participate in.
Mini bus to help children get to the Level 2/3 competitions.
Purchase Power of PE scheme to help teachers with planning.
Staff should feel more confident when teaching PE, as a result this will mean higher attainment and higher quality PE sessions. This will be sustained in house as if teachers need to focus on a specific area, there are teachers in the school more capable of sharing good practise.
The purchase of the minibus has increased the participation in competition this year, this will be sustained next year as the school council are conducting regular fund raising activities to maintain the bus. Furthermore the PE lead is trying to get other people involved in taking children to events, thus promoting level two activities in more year groups.
Additional resources will enable us to continue to offer pupils the opportunity to be actively involved in DPA. Thus promoting their health and well-being. The Golden Mile and Sports Leaders have also been imbedded throughout school to increase the amount of DPA; this will be sustained as the new sports leaders train future leaders.
As the parents pay for the Premiership Clubs, these will continue into next year. However we aim to increase clubs further, by encouraging staff to offer sports club as part of their designated hours, thus promoting more DPA as a part of the school day.
A key achievement so far this year would be the high quality CPD which teachers have been able to be a part of. Based on surveys completed in school, we have been able to find out key target areas for PE, thus directing the teachers onto courses which will be of most benefit to them.
As a result of using some of our budget towards a mini bus, we have been able to participate in more competitions than last year including Rugby, Laser Tag and Hi- five Netball. Having compared our participation to last year, there has been a significant increase in participation. During Autumn Term in 2016 we had 20 children taking part in level two competitions; whereas in 2017, 113 children took part in level 2 competitions. During Spring Term 2017, 58 children took part in level two competitions; whereas during 2018, 88 children participated in level two competitions.
More children have been able to take part in clubs this year due to the affiliation with Premier Sport. Teachers themselves have also ran clubs, meaning that the children can try to develop a wide range of different skill sets while at Priory. Children have taken part in Martial Arts, Bubble Sports, Laser Tag and these are all sports which were not available last year. During Autumn Term there was a total of 138 children participating in clubs: 90 boys and 48 girls, however during Spring Term we saw a significant increase in girl's participation which has been a target as a school. During Spring Term, 135 children took part in clubs: 51 boys and 84 girls; this is a significant increase in girl's participation.
There has been a drive to improve fitness this year with children taking part in the Golden Mile on a regular basis with the help of the Sports Ambassadors. Furthermore the new additions to the playground (scheduled for summer 2018) will also help to improved fitness, with a focus on purchasing gym based apparatus. Additionally the school has set up a dojo system for healthy choices, this is to encourage healthy choices, with the children being rewarded for the choices they make.
Based on research conducted on our clubs, we recognised that girl's participation was an issue. As a result, we targeted girl's participation in clubs and level 2 sports and these have increased greatly this year as shown in our clubs analysis document. In Autumn 2016, 25 girls took part in level two competitions, whereas in 2017, 35 girls took part in level two competitions. During Spring Term 2017, 10 girls took part in level two competitions; whereas in 2018, 19 girls took part in level two competitions. This shows a significant increase in the amount of children participating in level two competitions.
96% of Year 6 have achieved age related expectations in Swimming, this is as a result of the extra swimming sessions booked to help push the children to EXS.


text:
namespace Gu.Units.Json
{
    using System;
    using Newtonsoft.Json;

    /// <summary>
    /// <see cref="Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConverter" /> for the quantity <see cref="Gu.Units.AngularAcceleration"/>.
    /// </summary>
    [Serializable]
    public class AngularAccelerationJsonConverter : JsonConverter
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// A <see cref="JsonConverter"/> that writes values in <see cref="AngularAccelerationUnit.RadiansPerSecondSquared"/>
        /// </summary>
        public static readonly AngularAccelerationJsonConverter Default = new AngularAccelerationJsonConverter(AngularAccelerationUnit.RadiansPerSecondSquared);

        /// <summary>
        /// A <see cref="JsonConverter"/> that writes values in <see cref="AngularAccelerationUnit.RadiansPerSecondSquared"/>
        /// </summary>
        public static readonly AngularAccelerationJsonConverter RadiansPerSecondSquared = new AngularAccelerationJsonConverter(AngularAccelerationUnit.RadiansPerSecondSquared);

        /// <summary>
        /// A <see cref="JsonConverter"/> that writes values in <see cref="AngularAccelerationUnit.DegreesPerSecondSquared"/>
        /// </summary>
        public static readonly AngularAccelerationJsonConverter DegreesPerSecondSquared = new AngularAccelerationJsonConverter(AngularAccelerationUnit.DegreesPerSecondSquared);

        /// <summary>
        /// A <see cref="JsonConverter"/> that writes values in <see cref="AngularAccelerationUnit.RadiansPerHourSquared"/>
        /// </summary>
        public static readonly AngularAccelerationJsonConverter RadiansPerHourSquared = new AngularAccelerationJsonConverter(AngularAccelerationUnit.RadiansPerHourSquared);

        /// <summary>
        /// A <see cref="JsonConverter"/> that writes values in <see cref="AngularAccelerationUnit.DegreesPerHourSquared"/>
        /// </summary>
        public static readonly AngularAccelerationJsonConverter DegreesPerHourSquared = new AngularAccelerationJsonConverter(AngularAccelerationUnit.DegreesPerHourSquared);

        /// <summary>
        /// A <see cref="JsonConverter"/> that writes values in <see cref="AngularAccelerationUnit.DegreesPerMinuteSquared"/>
        /// </summary>
        public static readonly AngularAccelerationJsonConverter DegreesPerMinuteSquared = new AngularAccelerationJsonConverter(AngularAccelerationUnit.DegreesPerMinuteSquared);

        /// <summary>
        /// A <see cref="JsonConverter"/> that writes values in <see cref="AngularAccelerationUnit.RadiansPerMinuteSquared"/>
        /// </summary>
        public static readonly AngularAccelerationJsonConverter RadiansPerMinuteSquared = new AngularAccelerationJsonConverter(AngularAccelerationUnit.RadiansPerMinuteSquared);

        private readonly AngularAccelerationUnit unit;

        private AngularAccelerationJsonConverter(AngularAccelerationUnit unit)
        {
            this.unit = unit;
        }

        /// <inheritdoc />
        public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, JsonSerializer serializer)
        {
            var angularAcceleration = (AngularAcceleration)value;
            serializer.Serialize(writer, angularAcceleration.ToString(this.unit, serializer.Culture));
        }

        /// <inheritdoc />
        public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
        {
            return objectType == typeof(AngularAcceleration);
        }

        /// <inheritdoc />
        public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
        {
            var stringValue = reader.Value as string;
            return AngularAcceleration.Parse(stringValue, serializer.Culture);
        }
    }
}


General Motors moved quite a few cars last month and the price at the pump appears to have driven the increased sales activity.
According to GM, 232,538 vehicles were sold by by the American car maker nationwide, a 27 percent increase compared to the same month last year.
Car buyers were particularly keen on GM's newest fuel-efficient models such as the Chevrolet Equinox, Silverado HD and Cruze, as sales jumped 76 percent year-over-year.
Speaking of the Cruze, GM said it had its best selling month since it was introduced in 2008 with total sales in excess of 25,000.
Don Johnson, vice president of U.S. sales operations, said the Cruze and other fuel-efficient models are what made last month so successful.
"Recently, rising fuel prices have led many to re-think their vehicle choice," Johnson said. "Because of the investments we've made in fuel-efficiency and global product architectures, the company is well positioned to meet these needs."
With gas prices averaging more than $4 per gallon in more than a dozen states, auto insurance companies may be seeing more people taking out policies on smaller vehicles.