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NBC Bay Area News at 5
Lin-Manuel Miranda Geeks Out on 'His Dark Materials'
'Tonight': Trump Tries Distancing Himself From Rally Chant
Video'Tonight': Trump Tries Distancing Himself From Rally Chant
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'Tonight': Mad Lib Theater With Kenan Thompson, Joe Manganiello
Kenan Thompson, Joe Manganiello and Jimmy Fallon act out a sportscasting scene they've written together using Mad Lib words. »
'Late Night': 'Go Back to Your Country Girls' Parody Trump
Amber Ruffin and the Go Back to Your Country Girls perform their hit song about people telling them to go back to their country despite them all being American citizens. »
First lady Melania Trump confirmed her husband's administration is working with the State Department to try to bring A$AP Rocky home. The president also told reporters that many members of the African American... »
Wedding Bells: Bradley Whitford and Amy Landecker Eloped
Praise be! "The Handmaid's Tale" co-stars Bradley Whitford and Amy Landecker are married. The actors eloped to Santa Barbara and brought their adorable doggos along for the surprise celebration. »
Late at Night on NBC
Watch Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers bring the laughs late night on NBC. »
'Late Night': A Closer Look at Trump Rally Chant
Seth Meyers takes a closer look at the president's reaction to a racist chant at one of his rallies. »
Listen, if you're unfamiliar with the Cats musical, brace yourself. This may be a little weird. The trailer for the upcoming movie adaptation of the hit Broadway show was released early, on Thursday afternoon... »
Tina Fey Returns to NBC With a Show Starring Ted Danson
"The Good Place" may be ending, but NBC is doing its best to make up for it. The network just gave a series order to any untitled series created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, starring "The Good Place's"... »
One Buyer Now Owns 99 of 100 Rarest Sneakers in History
Sotheby's has sold 99 out of 100 pairs of rare sneakers less than a week after presenting the "Ultimate Sneaker Collection" for auction. The auction, which began July 11 and closes July 23, is a collaboration... »
A Timeline of U.S.-Iran Relations
'Leave Seals Be This Pupping Season:' The Marine Mammal...
A Special Night Viewing of Cherry Blossoms at Hakone Gardens
More Women Are Using Cannabis Before Pregnancy, Study Shows
Trump Calls Those in Rally Crowd 'Incredible Patriots'
Mitch Petrus, Former N.Y. Giants Player, Dies From Heat...
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Improved recovery of .MPO images (from 3D cameras). For every recovered .MPO file, DiskDigger will now also save an identical .JPG file.
Added support for recovering Adaptive Multi-Rate audio (.AMR) files.
Live previews of recoverable photos and images!
Support for recovering Adaptive Multi-Rate audio (.AMR) files.


I believe the reason I was so hesitant to watch "Dallas Buyers Club" was for a few reasons. One, I am one of the few people to not care for McConaughey as an actor, even after his transition. I've yet to see the man in a role where I cared about his struggle and could relate to him.
The second reason arose while I initially watched the trailer and some clips before the films release, and the plot of the film became clear.
Ron Woodruff (McConaughey) is a man who lives with no rules. He's a part-time bull fighter, yet always seems to gamble any money he wins on other bull fighters or card games. Either that or spend it on hookers, booze and drugs. This all changes in the blink of an eye when Ron is diagnosed with the HIV virus and is given thirty days to live. And he regret not to seek help for his drug addiction before with a FL First Step BH rehab center.
Ron, perplexed by how he could have gotten this disease that makes him look like a homosexual, is initially against finding any sort of treatment and only wishes to keep on living his life as he wants, crazy and uninhibited. Soon, his condition gets worse and he seeks to find relief. However, the only way he can find such a thing is through drugs that have not been approved in America. Thus Ron must resort to illegal and underhanded tactics to stop the HIV virus from killing him and possibly thousands of others.
Now, in the story's own right, that is a fine idea. A man who has thrown away his entire life, not necessarily living, given a death sentence. Now he must make his last few days of living matter and do at least one meaningful act before his mortality ends.
In that film, which takes place in post-WWII Japan, Kanji Watanabe has spent the last thirty years of his life doing the same job of shuffling papers between different departments. The man has essentially been dead for thirty years and he didn't even know it. It wasn't until he was diagnosed with cancer that he realized this, and so he seeks to make his life matter in the last six months he has left.
"How tragic that man can never realize how beautiful life is until he is face to face with death," says a novelist that Watanabe meets.
The emotional core of "Ikiru" lies here, and its something that I believe everyone on the face of the earth can relate to and understand. No matter your ethnicity, age or gender, there is something in "Ikiru" for everyone to latch onto. We are all like Kanji Watanabe. We seek meaning and fulfillment. We fear death and what it will bring about. We strive to make our lives matter.
Now to be fair, for what "Dallas Buyers Club" is attempting to do, McConaughey is a great fit. The cowboy who would rather die with his boots on than lie in a hospital bed and let death slowly take over. He wants to make a difference and to make sure that the stigma of HIV and AIDS fades away. If he can make some money on the side, then all the better.
The real star of the film was Jared Leto, who plays Rayon, a gay transvestite who has also contracted the virus. This doesn't stop Rayon from being who he is though. He is open towards everyone and is always willing to help out others, even if those people are frightened by him. Not only does Leto nail being both male and female, but no matter what he is, Rayon is independent, smart, clever and kind. I had a much easier time relating with Leto than I did with McConaguhey's gruff, selfish and greedy personality.
Not to mention there wasn't a character like Rayon in "Ikiru" so he offers up a wonderful divergence from that.
My other complaint is that "Dallas Buyers Club" feels like two entirely different films. The first half is about Ron's struggle to come to grips with his own mortality and his transition to getting illegal drugs to help those with HIV into America. Once that has been achieved, the film takes a strange turn and becomes more of a biopic about how badly people with HIV and AIDs were treated when the epidemic broke out.
The film stops being about Ron Woodruff and spends most of its time talking about a dark time in U.S. history, where homosexuals were shunned and couldn't get proper medical treatment. A respectable time to discuss and I applaud the filmmakers for not sugarcoating it, but to go from one story to the other is jarring and removes emotional investment in characters.
Overall, I'm not sure how to feel about "Dallas Buyers Club." On one hand, the acting was wonderful, especially from Leto. On the other hand, the film reminded me way too much of "Ikiru" and comes across like two films combined into one. I do respect the film for its portrayal of how badly we treated the AIDs epidemic, much like how "12 Years A Slave" was brutally honest in depicting slavery. Neither film holds back, even if the subject matter is a touchy affair.
McConaughey has made a wonderful transition and has shown he can handle a multitude of roles and this film is proof of that. Even if "Dallas Buyers Club" had problems in its story and pacing, none of that blame can be put on Matthew.


We are trying to find the fat burners that are going to allow you to burn greater amounts of fat safely and quickly. Unfortunately, for every effective fat burner there are probably fifty to a hundred fat burners that exist solely to rip you off. Just because a fat burner is inexpensive does not mean that it is going to give you the ability to lose a significant amount of weight and is worth buying.
Swanson Fat Burner is an inexpensive option for weight loss. It has some ingredients that have been shown to increase metabolism and regulate blood sugar levels. Is it worth buying?
Swanson has created numerous dietary supplements that can improve your health and are beneficial to use. However, a fat burner like Swanson Fat Burner may not be their best product. As you can see, they have left out common fat burner ingredients. It is a pretty common formula but without powerful and proven ingredients you are not likely to experience many results.
When using a fat burner with chromium you can see some increases in your metabolism. This is because it can help to reduce the amount of muscle that your body uses for energy. Sometimes if you have been following a low calorie diet your body turns to muscle for energy.
Using chromium with HCA and choline can help to regulate blood sugar levels. When you are dieting you may experience cravings because your blood sugars are out of whack. This stimulates your body to crave certain foods in an attempt to bring those blood sugar levels back to where they should be.
Although this can be helpful in a diet, regulating blood sugar and preventing cravings is not going to promote weight loss on its own. The nice thing is that Swanson Fat Burner does not use stimulating ingredients so you do not have to worry about many side effects. If you do experience any side effects when using Swanson Fat Burner they are likely to be mild and include problems such as excessive flatulence and bloating.
Does Swanson Fat Burner offer a money-back guarantee?
You want to look for a money-back guarantee when you buy a fat burner just in case it does not work. Usually cheaper fat burners do not come with a guarantee. But Swanson Fat Burner offers a guarantee that lasts an entire year. And furthermore, it is only $10 or less so you have nothing to lose if you try Swanson Fat Burner.
Swanson Fat Burner does not produce many results for consumers. Some people have noticed a drop in weight after using Swanson Fat Burner but most of the time they do not lose a significant amount of weight and the weight that is lost does not stay off permanently. Swanson Fat Burner is a reasonable price but is not recommended by many consumers and because of that, it has not made it to the top.


Neil Sanders holds an MA in Film Studies, studied Psychology and Media Production and is a qualified hypnotherapist. Neil is considered an expert on the subject of mind control and has been studying the history of this dark art and its application by military and government intelligence agencies across the globe for many years. He is the author of Your Thoughts Are Not Your Own Volumes one and two. In the first hour, we'll discuss mind control in its various forms, prevalent today. Neil explains how Brain-washing in Red China, a book by Edward Hunter laid the foundation for the Manchurian candidate. We'll talk about mind control used in politics to form public opinion. Neil also talks about cultivation theory, a social theory which examines the long-term effects of television and how the more time people spend "living" in the television world, the more likely they are to believe social reality portrayed on television. Then, we'll discuss B.F. Skinner's box, cognitive dissonance and how are thoughts are not our own. In the member's hour, we'll get into the dark art of mind control and its application by military and government intelligence agencies. Sanders makes ties into the hippy movement, LSD, MK Ultra, the CIA and Frank Olsen. He also addresses the close relationship between the military and the musicians of the 60's.


JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi State Board of Education approved today the distribution of $16.2 million in federal funds over a three-year period for 21st Century Community Learning Center grants to eligible districts and organizations for the 2018-19 school year.
The 21st Century grants fund the establishment of community learning centers that provide academic, artistic and cultural enrichment opportunities for students, particularly those who attend high-poverty, low-performing schools. Typically, these programs are offered after school.
In the grants awarded, 13 new community learning centers received funding totaling $8.9 million and 17 centers received continued funding at $7.3 million over three years. Applicants went through a rigorous screening and evaluation process, and the Mississippi Department of Education offices of Federal Programs and Grants Management reviewed the final list of providers to ensure accurate funding and program viability.
A list of providers that received 21st Century grants in 2018-19 can be found here.


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Q: Any way to convert Realm database file in to sqlite? I have realm database (.realm) from an existing application, which has more than 400k records.
I dug my head in to this for more than 3-4 hours, but I couldn't find any fruitful results towards converting a .realm file in to a sqlite file.

A: Any data conversion so far has been done manually. People have converted from Core Data to Realm by grabbing the objects from Core Data and then saving them to a Realm.
I imagine your best bet will be similar here. Grab each object from the Realm and then convert it to the tables/rows/and columns in sqlite. Then you can take that file anywhere.

A: You can open the realm file in Realm Browser & there you have the option to convert the file in to CSV ( File => Export => CSV ). Then you can import that CSV file to mysql database.
If you want sqlite more specifically, You can import tables separately to your sqlite db through SQLiteBrowser . Create or open your database file and select the specific table you want , then you can import table from CSV.

A: I'm not at home with this, but I found this link hopefully it can help.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Prudence Lodge
Number 7183 EC. Consecrated 1952
Lodge Officers
Lodge Meetings
Other Masonic Centres
Degrees Beyond the Craft
http://www.hiowmasons.org/archives/degrees-beyond-the-craft/
There are many members of Prudence Lodge who are also members of other orders. These include the following. If you are interested in joining any of these orders please contact us and we will gladly put you in contact with the appropriate member.
* Denotes this order meets at Centrepoint Horndean
Royal Arch Chapter *
http://www.hampshireroyalarch.com/
There are at least four members of Prudence Lodge who are also members of the oldest Royal Arch Chapter in the world, Stirling Rock No: 2 who meet at the Bridge of Alan, Scotland
Royal Ark Mariner and Mark Master Masonry *
http://www.hants-iow-mark.org/
Order of Secret Monitor
http://www.glmmm.com/osm/default.aspx
Rose Criox *
http://www.sc33.org.uk/
http://www.hantsiowkt.org.uk/
Knights Templar Priests
http://knighttemplarpriests.com/
St. Thomas of Acon*
http://www.thomas-of-acon.org/
Royal and Select Masters
http://www.dorset-hants-rsm.co.uk/
Royal Order of Scotland
http://www.grandlodgescotland.com/masonic-bodies/the-royal-order-of-scotland
Red Cross of Constantine
http://www.redcrossofconstantine.net/
UGLE - United Grand Lodge of England
Provincial Grand Lodge of Hampshire & IOW
South East Hants Masons
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Copyright © 2020 Prudence Lodge Number 7183

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Do Variable Pay Practices Contribute to Gender Pay Discrimination?
Here are answers to some FAQs regarding the importance of pay equity and potential strategies to achieve it.
Within the past few years, federal and state agencies have zeroed in on race and gender pay discrimination through new laws and regulations. A key development in the analysis of pay disparities has been the shift in focus from base pay to a more comprehensive analysis of total compensation. But to what extent do pay disparities occur for discretionary pay versus base pay? Are patterns of pay inequity random or additive across the different components of total compensation?
At a Workplace Spotlight webinar, we discussed critical insights on groundbreaking new research to help answer these questions. The study suggests that lower incentive pay may create a hidden bias against the promotion of qualified women versus their more highly compensated male peers, because the promotion might reveal a substantial disparity in total compensation occurring over a period of several years. In other words, lower negotiated incentive pay at time of hire may become a limiting factor that prevents career advancement years down the road.
These gender-related pay gaps have become a top-of-mind issue for workers and government alike. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the importance of pay equity and potential strategies you can use to meet your goal of pay equity.
Q. What are the implications of the ADP Gender Pay Discrimination Study for talent management practices?
A. The ADP study demonstrated that potential bias in incentive pay occurred at the moment of hire and but subsequently created a cumulative gap in total career earnings over time. Worse, if there was gender gap in base pay, the incentive gap had a multiplier effect. In other words, a lower base wage multiplied by a lower bonus percentage simply expanded the wage gap between men and women.
The underlying implication is that pay bias needs to be addressed at each step of an employer's talent management lifecycle, from the moment of hire, through performance reviews and promotions. It also suggests that current employer approaches to gender pay equity; e.g., taking a snapshot of pay at a moment in time won't be very effective in mitigating the underlying causes of pay equity.
Rather employers need to be thinking about how they transform talent management policies and process flows to ensure the elimination of gender bias at the point in time when it occurs. This means, among other things, introducing statistical tests and dashboards that are tracked on an on-going basis instead of a one-off audit. It also means that employers may have to provide new guidelines for negotiating the incentive pay of new hires. Hiring managers may bristle at the idea of not being able to negotiate incentive pay to get the best deal. The flipside, however, is that supervisor discretion around negotiating incentive pay is more likely to have an adverse impact on female job candidates.
Q: Why should employers transform their commitment to pay equity into an action policy?
A: Women now constitute 48% of the total U.S. workforce. Gender bias prevents employers from fully engaging and leveraging female employees, or accurately measuring the contributions of employees. While perceptions matter, results matter even more.
That said, most employers want to do the right thing by their employees and are eager to create a fair and vibrant workplace. But it is easy for pay equity issues to get lost in day-to-day activities. Each year, companies recruit, promote, transfer, and terminate millions of jobs throughout the country. Without proper attention, the sheer volume of staffing activity alone will rapidly break down even the most robust pay structures. Mergers and divestitures multiply the effect. Amidst this perfectly normal chaos, many things can happen, and then somebody asks, "Why is Fred making more than Mary?"
This type of question should be viewed as the norm, not the exception. It is a natural human tendency for associates to observe and compare their relative contributions and rewards against those of their peers. The way an employer responds when these questions arise, both in style and substance, will essentially define their organization. Beyond the potential legal and compliance risks of a pay equity lawsuit, the employer is also providing insight into the fundamental characteristics of their organization. Is this an employer with a clear alignment between people and strategic outcomes? Is associate performance accurately measured and appropriately rewarded? These are questions that any potential new employee or investor might be interested to know. Smart companies already have a commitment to pay equity, leveraging data proactively to spot and fix issues. At that point, the commitment to pay equity crosses the threshold to become an actionable policy.
Q: How can implementing an equal pay for equal work policy help elevate an organization as an employer of choice?
A: Proactive analysis may show where potential pay equity disparities may occur, but it won't automatically transform the workplace to become more equitable. Employers with problematic EEO-1 or compensation audit results can do one of two things. They can adopt a purely defensive strategy to ensure compliance, or they can take additional steps to identify and address the organizational issues that may underlie poor audit results. Organizations that take positive corrective action to fix gaps are far more likely to be perceived as an employer of choice. Successful companies share a common trait. They always strive to do better.
Q: Who are the stakeholders that employers need to communicate with regarding pay equity? How can a company increase pay equity awareness?
A: Employers have multiple stakeholders to consider for pay equity communications. Obviously, government agencies – federal, state, and even local – are important recipients for compliance reporting and follow-up. More broadly, however, there are major competitive advantages for any employer who is publicly recognized as having fair and inclusive pay practices.
Customers and partners want to know that they are doing business with an ethical company that treats employees fairly. Potential new recruits want to know that they are joining a fair enterprise with engaged employees. Fair is not an abstract issue. Customer satisfaction is often closely linked to employee satisfaction. Employees who are paid fairly, treated with respect, and valued typically extend these same courtesies to the customers and communities they serve. Conversely, perceptions of pay inequity can rapidly erode morale, teamwork, and service levels in any organization.
Ultimately, pay equity is a leadership issue. The best way to increase pay equity awareness is through well-executed, consistent, transparent pay practices delivered on a daily basis and reinforced by management behavior.
Q: What are some effective strategies for employers to communicate their pay equity commitment to their employees?
A: Pay equity is not something that you achieve through a clever press release or the declaration of a senior executive. Actions speak louder than words. To be recognized as a fair and inclusive employer, you must conduct consistent, transparent, and actionable pay practices every day. It starts with the small details around determining and communicating individual pay decisions. It includes hands-on training for supervisors and hiring managers to help ensure they manage disciplined, objective pay practices despite having conflicting business priorities. Most employees can accept the differences in pay that occur through well-communicated standard procedures and objective criteria.
Modern research in behavioral economics reinforces this notion with the concept of "inequity aversion." Employees are not only concerned with their absolute incomes, but also how their income compares with their co-workers.
To hear more about this groundbreaking new research, replay this webinar anytime: Workplace Spotlight: Do Variable Pay Practices Contribute to Gender Pay Discrimination?


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much ado about cinema
reviews and essays on films and television
Female Director Spotlight
2017: A Television Year in Review
Posted on December 31, 2017 January 2, 2018 by Megan Christopher
Here at Much Ado About Cinema, the focus tends to be on films – which is great, but that's not all cinema amounts to. 2017 was also a great year for television, and there's a lot of arguments to be made concerning the prestige of the format; with the popularity of netflix and the prominence of many highly-regarded directors flocking to the small screen, television is experiencing something of a resurgence in reputability. With this in mind, Much Ado will be incorporating more coverage of the medium as we head into 2018, and we thought we would begin with a look back on our favourite shows of 2017, from the surprising, to the disappointing, to the consistently brilliant.
American Gods. © 2017 Fremantle Media North America
To most, American Gods might seem no different than many other fantasy series that are on cable TV, or even the network: it has cool visuals, is based on a book series, and written in hopes of captivating its viewers via carefully crafted plot twists. Built on the already complex premise of Neil Gaiman's book of the same name, creator Bryan Fuller and his team of writers manage to succesfully carry a transition between two mediums of storytelling by doing that one wouldn't expect from such a genre, and focusing on the people that fantasy world rather than what makes the world a fantasy one. Of course, the fact that people are mostly the main reason that this world is magic does provide help on this subject to them, but even the visual work here is always about what it tells of instead of what it might show. Fuller might be best known for his visual perfection of Hannibal, but his work here can be even argued to exceed that. Eight episodes, each not longer than an hour, work as book chapters of their own — and they all have their own prologues in most cases, little, thematically coherent cold openings that tell smaller stories with little to no consequence, but are still able to create an impactful parallel with the bigger picture. When looked from afar, American Gods is a masterpiece of filmmaking and production — and that might even be enough for it to be considered as one of the best outings of the year: but the real present opens itself up when one begins to examine the work closely, and finds themselves in a labyrinth of significant questions abot love, life, belief and fate.
– Deniz Çakır
American Vandal. © 2017 Netflix
Perhaps the biggest surprise of this year was a little Netflix show called 'American Vandal'. An audacious parody of the true crime shows the steaming service itself loves to produce, 'American Vandal' uses familiar tropes to hilarious results, demonstrating a keen awareness of what makes true crime shows so addictive. Name something you've seen in a true crime show and it's probably there: hierarchy charts, a timeline of events, 3D reenactments, it goes on. The show stays committed to replicating the genre in even the smallest of details, such as giving the characters executive producer credits. What makes the show so surprising though is that it cultivates an intriguing mystery of its own — over the course of 8 episodes, two high school students try to solve the show's elusive case: who drew the dicks on 27 cars in the school parking lot? ("Who drew the dicks?" gets repeated so often that I'm kind of ashamed to say that I laugh every time.) But 'American Vandal' goes beyond being a funny pastiche, and provides a thought-provoking commentary on the politics of high school, and even exposes the exploitative nature of the genre. As a meticulously crafted satire, 'American Vandal' is more than just dick jokes — but also, expect a lot of dick jokes.
– Iana Murray
A Series of Unfortunate Events. © 2017 Netflix
Adaptations are hard to do for many reasons: one important among them being the fact that they mostly exist in a purgatory between the originality they have to carry if they want viewers to keep being interested, and the dedication they have to hold for the source material if they want viewers to be satisfied with the concept of them being an adaptation. And when you add all these to the possibility of a book being metatextual commentary and its own story and own medium, the thinking process becomes more of a unsolvable puzzle of seven or so dimensions rather than a linear line; as it is the case with A Series of Unfortunate Events. Lemony Snicket's worldwide known masterpiece of dark humour filled children literature have been tried to be put into the screen during the modern history, first in 2004, which was an above average success and secondly in 2017, with Netflix's TV series of the same name starring Neil Patrick Harris — who is wonderfully evil in his role as Count Olaf —, Malina Weissman, Patrick Warburton and Louis Hynes in its main roles, which is; in my honest and possibly uneducated opinion; one of the first, and the best, example of a visual work creating a metatextual border around it. It is hard to explain without using references and giving spoilers, but from the moment you start watching the TV series, you quickly understand that you are being played by it. Not by the story though, at least not just by the story, but the show itself, too — with its production, camera angles, pacing, even episode titles: the body of work wraps you around its fingers and doesn't let you go until the very end. And when it lets you go, then it is too late, and you are already six feet deep into internet theories and crazy clue searches. But let me tell, it is all worth it.
Better Call Saul. © 2016 AMC Networks Entertainment LLC. and Sony Pictures Television Inc.
"You're STILL watching that!?" is probably the most common response when bringing up 'Better Call Saul' in conversation. To be sure, viewership of the 'Breaking Bad' spinoff has dropped off considerably, with the Season 3 finale bringing in a total of 1.8 million viewers as opposed to the 7 million that tuned in for the pilot back in 2015. Those who skipped out on watching though, are missing out on some great television; 'Better Call Saul' has never been, well, better, as it were. Led by a brilliant performance from Bob Odenkirk, the series goes from strength to strength in its third season, merging a beautifully poetic script with all-round brilliant acting. The plot, which details the escapades of the eternally lovable lawyer Saul Goodman (known in the show by his real name, Jimmy McGill), flows smoothly between quiet, emotional struggles and the loud vibrancy of the character. 'Better Call Saul's' true success, however, lies in its balancing act as a prequel. The show includes just enough references to its predecessor to give the story that kick of extra excitement, a wink to the dedicated fans that have stuck with this franchise since its birth, whilst also ensuring that the episodes feel fresh and organic, rather than a rehash of the show that came before. The new characters introduced in the show are just as watchable as the familiar faces – most notably Kim Wexler, a fiercely brilliant co-worker of Jimmy's who becomes his confidante and eventually his lover. Jimmy's brother Chuck is another irritatingly human addition, and his oscillation between a familiar loved one and a cold, seemingly heartless rival perfectly represents the uncertain nature of morality that 'Breaking Bad' was so concerned with. Here, then, is a show that is more than deserving of its predecessor – and with a new season coming in 2018, there has never been a better time to catch up.
– Megan Christopher
Big Little Lies. © 2017 HBO
'Big Little Lies' is a masterclass in the art of the big reveal. This mystery-drama unfolds slowly over a seven-episode run, but the experience never feels dragged out; on the contrary, each episode is packed with intense character development, poignant representations of female friendships, a sprinkle of comedy and a sensitive focus on the topic of marital abuse. Anchored by career-defining performances from Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern and Zoe Kravitz, 'Big Little Lies' begins with the introduction of new-soccer-mom-on-the-block Jane (Woodley), as she navigates the difficult world of the upper-class Californian suburb. Here, she meets Celeste (Kidman), a mum-of-two who has a seemingly perfect family life, and Madeline (Witherspoon), a headstrong pack leader who has a finger in every pie in the town. The trio form a hilarious group of characters that are thoroughly likable even as the show gently mocks their posh suburban habits – for these women never become a caricature, and are instead often relatable in their difficulties and complexities. In a series of flashforwards, we discover that somebody within this tight-knit community is murdered on one fateful trivia night, and as the show continues, information is drip-fed to the audience in a way that is both tantalizing and excruciating. Either way, this tact will keep you watching eagerly until the very end. Though 'Big Little Lies' was intended to be a mini-series, its overwhelming critical and commercial popularity has led to the announcement of a second season, to mixed response, as the first season wraps the storyline up pretty well. Personally, I'm excited to see more of these characters, and with the announcement of Andrea Arnold as director, there's high hopes for where 'Big Little Lies' can go from here.
Bojack Horseman. © 2017 Netflix
If you are a fan of weird and existential adult animation like Rick & Morty and Animals, then you definitely will love BoJack Horseman.
Through all three of its previous seasons, it had a story arc that BoJack had to deal with or overcome. In season one it was writing his memoir, in season two it was starring as the title role in the upcoming Secretariat film, and in season three it was his Oscar campaign for Secretariat. In this new season, he finds out he has a long lost daughter, and he has to struggle with being both a responsible father and a successful actor.
Just like every other season, BoJack struggles to maintain good relationships with his peers, tries to stay as relevant as he can in an age where there's a new popular trend in entertainment every month. The show is not only a satirical look at the life of a movie star, but an existential look at what it means to be a good person, and how certain self destructive behaviors can affect other people as well as yourself.
BoJack has always been a troubled person, and he has never had an easy time dealing with all of these troubles. The best episode in the entire season is Episode 11, Time's Arrow, where we get a look into the life of BoJack's mother, Beatrice, and we can see where all of BoJack's various insecurities and issues come from.
However, what this season does that is very different from previous ones is that it actually ends on a somewhat positive note, giving the audience a rest from the heavy and depressing endings that the last two seasons had. It also gives us hope that in Season 5, BoJack will finally be able to become the person he wants to be, but knowing the rest of the show, that probably won't be the case.
– Ryan Solomon
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. © 2017 The CW
The series that I had visualized in my head when I first heard of Crazy-Ex Girlfriend was something in the range of New Girl: pretty good, but nothing too new or exciting when it comes to concepts — but what the series shaped itself to be during its first three seasons cannot be more different than that. Filled with clever comedy and beautiful songs that pay homages to many eras and ideas of music such as jazz, 2000s rapping, ballads, fifties Marylin Monroe, country, girl-power anthems, and eighties rock; the show finds it strongest foot rather in its depiction of the human condition from its many perspectives more than any of those. The series, co-created by Rebecca Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna, tells the story of a top-level New York lawyer who seems to be severely depressed and unhappy with her life moving away from the big promotion of her life and all her connection after she sees an old summer crush and learns where he lives, which is West Covina of California. Named Rebecca Bunch, the character's struggle with mental ilness is based on Bloom's personal experiences on the issue and her own face offs with the stigmatization against it; and the honesty of the moments where one sees Rebecca's own darkness behind her quirky attitude feels like spaces where one can truly make a connection. The three dimensional reality of Bloom's characterization pours itself into the script with every joke and lyric, with its sometimes irritating honesty and always captivating complexity, as the show stands strong among its peers by being such a conversation starter on an issue of this importance. Especially in a time where mental ilnesses are still one of the most misunderstood conditions of human life, Crazy-Ex Girlfriend's sweet and sour look into its own madness offers up a place where people like, or people like you, find pieces of themselves on the screen without feeling judged by it.
Also, there's a song named "We Tapped That Ass" in the series, which is just too good to go unwatched by everyone.
Dear White People. © Netflix
Identity politics is a hard thing to navigate in the entertainment industry. Even if one wants to find a show or a movie that would have a representation for them in its fictional world, that is usually isn't enough. Of course, there are shows that accomplish writing good stories for different types of marginalised group, but even they fail most of the time if they try to create stories about intersectional identities. Not Dear White People though, as this Netflix show takes the premise of the Justin Simien movie that it was based on and expands it by having different characters lead and take the first person view of different episodes. This way, it allows itself to have such personal, yet so universal narratives: touching on everything from having a crush on your straight roommate when you are trying to come out, to police brutality black people face in contemporary American society. Keeping it real — in the literal sense — while still being a fun show to watch, Dear White People is a flawed but still incredibly important piece on conversation that is also very necessary in our cultural climate. The show asks questions about colourism, allyship, political correctness and homophobia without smacking the viewer's cheek with them, and presents reasonable, even if not 100% perfect, answers for them.
Fargo. © 2017 FX Networks
The previous two seasons of 'Fargo' were set in the past, featuring retro sets and clothing that fit perfectly into the off-kilter atmosphere that the dark comedy relied upon. Fargo season 3, however, pushes the anthology series into the 21st century, with a host of brand new characters that serve to be equally as extraordinary as those that came before them. Ewan McGregor plays two of these roles – a pair of twins who could not possibly be more different – with additional supporting cast including the likes of Carrie Coon, David Thewlis and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. It's a delicious array of talent on display, and the cuttingly bleak humour that forms the 'Fargo' brand is not wasted here. Focusing on two estranged brothers who become involved in a murder case, the series incorporates a very expensive stamp, a fake sex tape, an incredibly cute kitten, a used tampon, a death by air conditioner, and a helpful little robot into its ten-episode run. Amongst all this peculiar dressing, however, 'Fargo' never loses track of its story, and the mysteries at the heart of the plot are as original and well-paced as ever. In terms of the future, whilst season 3 was an undoubted success for broadcaster FX, the fate of the show is still uncertain; creator Noah Hawley has stated that he would only continue the show if he had a worthy enough idea. Still, this is a more than respectable approach to take, and for now, the three existing seasons form a brilliant cynically comic trilogy to rewatch again and again.
Game of Thrones. © 2017 HBO
Oh how the mighty have fallen. The show that once led Best TV lists is now the show that makes everyone wish it was over so they could move on. From lousy dialogues to plot holes, Game of Thrones had its worst season and it'd be true to say it "jumped the shark" (probably before the 7th season). One of the aspects of the show that sparks a lot of discussion was that how quickly the characters travelled across Westeros. The defence of some of the fans was that Game of Thrones is a fantasy and that we shouldn't question such mundane details. But what these defenders seemed to be missing was that just because the show takes place in a fantasy world, doesn't mean anything can happen. Each fantasy worlds have their own rules within their realities and this fact was what made Game of Thrones so special at the first place. It wasn't a show where things happened randomly without explanation but each scene had a purpose and fit within the realities of George Martin's world. Once the characters who in the first season took 5 episodes to arrive somewhere start to do the same travelling within the span of 20 minutes, that reality started to collapse and this is just one thing that makes Game of Thrones so "get it over with" at this point. Negative criticism towards the show can go on and on for pages. In its 7th season, Game of Thrones feels tiring to watch and even its "Holy shit!" scenes can't make its dedicated fanbase watch it for anything but wonder as to whose ass is going to end up on that damn throne. Here's to hoping for the new book to come out soon!
– Dilara Elbir
Good Behavior. © 2016 Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc. A Time Warner Company
When 'Good Behavior' began its first season in earnest last year I, alongside much of the hypercritical public, expected this high-style drama to be shambolic. I was perhaps half right; the chaotic series, which follows con artist Letty (Michelle Dockery) and her hitman boyfriend Javier (Juan Diego Botto), is far from the ranks of prestige television. This, however, does not stop the show from being a complete riot, and a regular fun watch to break up the droll charm of many an Emmy vehicle. Dockery – who was probably the biggest audience pull for legions of people desperate to see Lady Mary snort coke – excels in her role, adding a believable vulnerability to the imperfect mother/master thief/wayward daughter/occasional drag queen.
Season 2 drives the show even further into the realms of soap opera drama, with twists that come out of nowhere and schemes that must be seen to be believed, but the chaos is grounded with a humanity that resonates across all audiences. Falling in love with these characters and their maddening choices is part of the draw, and the odd pairing of Letty and Javier leads equally to ridiculous quips (one episode of the season is aptly named "Can't You Just Keep A Person Alive For Once) and genuine heartfelt struggles. 'Good Behavior' has probably been the show I've enjoyed the most this year, and the show that I've continued to look forward to week upon week. There's no word on Season 3 at this point, but I'll definitely be hoping for more, as I'm nowhere near ready to say goodbye to Letty and Javier yet.
How to Get Away with Murder. © 2017 ABC
When How to Get Away With Murder started its journey as the youngest child of Shondaland Empire of ABC's "Thank God It's Thursday" Programming in 2014, it wasn't a perfect show. It had great pieces of storytelling in itself, a diverse group of actors with some real star talent shining in between (first of all, Viola Davis — and then Aja Naomi King, Liza Weil and Karla Souza; or guest stars such as legendary Cicely Tyson) but had problem with building bridges between the interpersonal dramas and more conspiracy based ones. Still, it was built on an intriguing idea and some turns and twists that would make you reach for your breath, especially in mid-season finales. Although the seasonal formula, that there was always one person dying or murdering in a flashforward and the show would reveal the suspects one by one, was clear by the beginning of the second season, it still did its part to keep the viewers curious.
That was, unfortunately, until the third season finale — where many thought that in the name of a "true surprise", the series made its most absurd choice to date. I held my hopes up for a long time, thinking that they would have an explanation or a twist that would make everything fall right into place in the end, but the fourth season just continued to get worse. Not only did they not have a complex enough reasoning behind their choice, both the protagonists and the antagonists of the shows were starting to become two dimensional paper cuts of unlikable drama-makers. Sadly, now, I don't think there's a way that How to Get Away With Murder can go back its golden days; though I certainly hope so.
But until then, Pete Nowalk, here's a little clue: you don't drop a clue for an emergency number and then let it go for half a season without any progress. You just don't.
Insecure. © 2017 HBO
Issa Rae's show about a twenty-something woman navigating her love life, friendships and career continues to amaze its viewers by subversing their expectations of what a millenial comedy show might be in its own version of fast-paced life of Los Angeles. Starring a talented ensemble cast lead by Issa Rae herself and Yvonne Orji, who star as two best friends with completely different life goals and problems but have each others back either way, the show ups the comedy in its second season while also doing the work necessary for creating realistic relationships with realistic conflicts and depth. Now her feet on the ground more strong than ever, the eight episode series is to be showered in awards just for how beautifully shot it is — which is seemingly a hard thing for other directors to do when the colour of black skin is involved, because, racism i guess — but doesn't get satisfied by just being a beautiful looking show, it aims to be beautiful show. Here's to a season three that is even better, and believe, if anyone's gonna top themselves next year — it is the one and only Issa Rae.
Master of None. © 2017 Netflix
I might be in the minority when I say that 'Master of None' is not only the best show on Netflix, but one of the best shows on television, period. Season one of Aziz Ansari's romantic comedy was its own slice of perfection but the follow-up somehow managed to top it. With Dev's (Ansari) move to Italy, the show wears its Italian influences on its sleeve — beginning from minute one with a pan to Dev's bedside table upon which lies a stack of Italian classics, followed by an entire episode that is an homage to Bicycle Thieves. Like the previous season, 'Master of None' seamlessly navigates topics such as religion and sexuality, and preemptively became the most timely show of the year with its well-handled storyline on sexual harassment. It's so easy to fall for the swoon-worthy romance between Dev and Francesca (Alessandra Mastronardi) — but it's the episodes that diverge from Dev's story that are the true standouts ( this is not a complaint against Ansari, he just understands that he doesn't need to be the centre of attention). 'New York, I Love You' is a loving tribute to the city and the people who live in it, and 'Thanksgiving' episode is one of the most beautiful coming out stories ever put to screen.
Mindhunter. © 2017 Netflix
Netflix have been producing original series for years now, and they've arrayed from the game-changing ('Orange is the New Black') to the popular talking points ('13 Reasons Why') to the awards darlings ('The Crown') to the downright bloody awful (let's be honest, there's too much to list). It's fortunate, then, that the VOD-service-turned-production-company has killed it yet again with this year's 'Mindhunter'. Revolving around FBI rookie Holden Ford and his partner Bill Tench, the show follows a series of interviews the pair carry out with imprisoned serial killers, in their attempt to incorporate psychology into the workings of the Bureau. The first episode is a slightly dry affair, establishing the keen arrogance of Ford in contrast with the relative exhaustion of everyone else, but within a couple of hours the plot really picks up steam, particularly with the introduction of psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), who has become something of a fan favourite due to her strength, complexity, intelligence, and lesbianism. As the series continues, the morality of their project is questioned, as is their methodology – is it ethically sound to try and empathise with a killer? Should the result of reducing crime take all precedence? How far can you really delve into the mind of a so-called "monster"? 'Mindhunter' boasts a thrilling narrative that refuses to take the easy route of one single answer to any of these questions. Combine this with the uneasy interviews and grisly scenes that are peppered throughout the ten episodes and you have one of the best new shows of the year. It's understandable then, that Netflix commissioned a new series before the first had even aired, and we can hopefully look forward to that hitting the small screen before the end of 2018.
One Day at a Time. © 2017 Netflix
If there's one thing that is plauging Hollywood more than adaptations and sequals to those adaptations, it is reboots. Many of them add nothing to their original material other than some cool visuals and some HD quality scenery, while others fail to even do that (yes, looking at you Terminator: Genysis.) But this is not a problem exclusive to movie industry, as TV shows themselves try to take the easy route of "repeating something that has been succesful before with an added power of nostalgia", in an age where originality seems to not exist. Thankfully, One Day At A Time, one of Netflix's newer reboots based on the 1975 sitcom of the same name, is a diamond found in the rough: navigating the story of a single Latina mother who is raising her teen daughter and tween son with the "help" of her old-school mom in such a beautiful way. With wonderful Rita Moreno and Justina Machado leading it, the series tackle such issues as coming out, workplace sexism, immigration, spousal relationships, generation gaps and post traumatic stress disorder of veterans in a serious yet still fun way. It is emotional and funny, bright and heartbreaking — just watching the dance scene in Elena at her quinceanera makes you want to grab a tissue because of the tears coming out. The viewers can enjoy this feel-good series in their bed, eating ice cream; or thanks to Elena's story, it can be an inspiring gateway example for closeted queer youth who is trying to find their place in this world. It is their choice.
Rick & Morty. © 2017 Adult Swim
If you were alive and on planet earth on 2017, you probably know what Rick & Morty is.
What started as a sort of obscure and weird cartoon on Adult Swim has become a pop culture phenomenon, and is now their most profitable show.
Season 3 had a ton of hype behind it, and when episode 1 of this season aired in April, people flipped out. I don't even need to explain the whole Szechuan sauce debacle. This episode skyrocketed people's expectations, and at first, I was pretty skeptical.
Just like everyone else, I absolutely adore Season one and two, but Season 3 kinda had a rocky start. It wasn't until episode 4 that I really started laughing. It could've been fatigue from the constant memes of Pickle Rick that I was seeing all over social media, but I was eventually able to start enjoying the show again when I detached myself from the ridiculous overhyping of pretty small and insignificant jokes in the show.
What really made me love the Season was episode 7, The Ricklantis Mixup, where we get to see life on the citadel, after our Rick and Morty left it in shambles. We see the classism and oppression of the Rick's in power, and how certain Rick's are subjugated to factory jobs and are treated like cattle. We see political corruption, greed, and prejudice, and it's fantastic. The more deep and serious aspects of Rick and Morty are what I love, when it tackles real world problems in an intelligent way, actually making you think. Sure it's a funny and goofy show, but it's also much deeper than that, and that's what makes it stick out as one of the best animated shows on TV right now.
Rupaul's Drag Race. © 2017 Logo TV and VH1
Media, as it is with everything made in relation to human beings and society, exists in a political space, feeds from the said political space, means something in that political place — and seeing a show about drag queen, who are in their essence one of the most proudly and loudly political artists in the history — on prime television, especially during this time of confusion, hate and extremism in the world, that is a feeling indescribable by word. Not the mention that the show is good, too. Season 9, although it has its problems (such as a cheerleader challenge) serves as a great transition for the show's move from Logo to VH1. A talented cast of people who are great at what they do fight to be named the America's Next Drag Superstar by none other than RuPaul herself, and a different star comment on different challenges these drag queens perform in every week as the guest of the episode. For many, this season was criticized for its lack of "faggotry and shenanigans", but no one in this face of the earth can claim that they didn't gasp for air while watching the maskgate. And if none of those are enough, the series changes the game at the last minute, and puts the four finalists in a last war of "lipsync for your life", blessing us with the magnificent moment that is the rose petal situation. Believe me, you'll never listen to Whitney Houston's "So Emotional" after watching that episode.
The Americans. © 2017 FX Networks
Keeping the viewers interested in a show, even more so in this time where there's literally a new series popping every second, is an extremely hard job to take; especially if you refuse to rely on cheap gimmicks of storytelling such as unexpected and ungrounded plot twists. In its fifth season, the Soviet spy story of The Americans makes it to the top this imaginary food pyramid of "keeping the audience intrigued" by not giving them cool fight scenes, identity changes or political conspiracies — although all those things are there, along with very cheap looking wigs, the show does its most dramatic moments when they are of personal conflicts, equipped with clever writing and all around magnificent performances by the cast: and the result is the building of a personal bridge between the show's fictional world into the watcher's heart. By inviting us into their most private thoughts and fights, Elizabeth and Philip create a special place in our minds, filled with their complex realities. As its creator, Joe Weisberg presents the show with a story that it deserves in its penultimate season, and rewards the long time watchers with a group of episodes that are artfully crafted and thoughtfully written.
The Crown. © 2017 Netflix
To enjoy the Crown, one must forget about the fact that the characters we see are fictional versions of the Royal Family – if you're like me, anti-monarchy, you'll find yourself feeling guilty for enjoying the greatest PR the Royal Family could hope for. The Crown's second season does almost live up to its first, but it doesn't leave the same taste. Philip's problems with his wife being the Queen, as if he had no idea, was interesting to watch in first season because it added to Elizabeth's struggles of ascending to the throne before her time but the story-line loses its power in second season. Philip becomes even more annoying and not in a compelling to watch way. Margaret and her wildness, despite Vanessa Kirby's superb acting, becomes too repetitive. Elizabeth's jealousy of other women and her occasional lack of confidence in her physical appearance feels too much, and sexist, at times. But not everything about the second season is bad. The episode with the Kennedys is the best of the season. It's quite fun to watch this ancient and outdated family meet the 'it couple' of politics. It's also great to watch Elizabeth interact with a woman who is not a member of her family. Claire Foy's performance as Elizabeth is still enough to make one bingewatch the whole thing at a one go. Her subtle portrayal is outstanding and it's no wonder that another wonderful actress Olivia Colman has been chosen to take over the role.
The Deuce. © 2017 HBO
HBO, like most other cable TV channels, has made a name for itself for being a space where series — such as Game of Thrones — be as expensive, gory, or sexual as possible. But just as with every other thing in content creating, something doesn't simply become good because it is allowed: it has to serve a narrative purpose other than just surprising viewers with skull-crushings and sudden boobs. With The Deuce, his work focusing on the rise of porn industry in New York after its legalization, author David Simon and his frequent collaborator George Pelecanos succeed in doing just that. Focusing on one of the most neglected work classes of human history, the series tackles issues such as rising drug epidemic and social gentrification of the times and saves itself from being just a pity show by never losing its sight from its casr of colourful, three dimensional characters. Its first eight episodes serving as just a start for this huge machine, The Deuce seems to be on its way of becoming one of the channel's best TV, even from the start. James Franco, Maggie Gyllenhaal and the rising star Dominique Fishback turn their roles into creatures of flesh and blood in this inherently political piece, while the director's panaromic look on Times Square's world of prostitution and mafia find its right foot in the way it tells the story of human suffering in the most natural sense possible, with glee and sadness together.
The Good Place. © 2017 NBC
What would you do if you got into heaven, accidentally? Until the very final moments of its first season finale, The Good Place was a good comedy series based on that question; completed with clever jokes, charismatic actors and a beautiful sense of humour; but during those finale moments, the series turned itself into one of best showcases of writing in television history. Seriously, though, no-one could see such a plot twist coming; but also no-one could argue that it was illogical — because the clues were always there, the viewer is reminded by the show in those second, you were just too ignorant to see them. At first, my heart was filled with fear: maybe this was the highest point that the series would reach, and it would all become a downfall after that. Thankfully, I was proven wrong in an instance, when the second season of it continued to play with morality and ethics in a way that is neither too simple nor too heavy; and now with the plus of a conspiracy theory and an escape plan in hand. Even for someone who doesn't like comedy very much, which is exactly who I am, The Good Place is a great show to watch when you want to feel good about yourself. All five of the main cast — Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Ted Danson, Manny Jacinto — are great in their respective roles; and it is clear in their chemistry that they like the parts they are playing and they like working with each other.
And of course, an honourable mention to D'Arcy Carden, who is just magnificent.
The Leftovers. © 2017 HBO
It took me a long while before I got around to actually watching The Leftovers primarily because I was skeptical of Damon Lindelof's involvement – among many reasons that I gave up on Lost. But The Leftovers had me won over from the start and now that it has reached its conclusion after only a brief period of being on the air, it was also about as satisfying a finale as we could have ever received. The very best that a television series much like The Leftovers could be was in some way, a religious experience – and I think that's almost a fitting description for someone who wants to get a taste of what the show is about. Some things we wonder through life are what our lives would be like under the influence of another entity beyond humanity, and upon an event akin to The Rapture, we wonder all the more about what that leaves the remaining people on the planet. I'm still wondering to myself how Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta had come together in order to create a story that perfectly encapsulates all the confusion that we experience on the spot because there's no explanation as to what goes on. And maybe that's why it's as haunting as it is, it comes so out of nowhere and doesn't tell you anything about what happens – even by the time it ends you never get a definite answer. Just this period of meditation amidst a manic narrative is enough to convince me that it truly is among the best shows of our time.
– Jaime Rebanal
The Young Pope. © HBO
Jude Law has been always an actor that I knew of, but never was so interested in, other than his role in Sherlock Holmes and 2004's Closer. So, witnessing what he can do in The Young Pope is a surprising revelation for me, in the best way possible — and that is not even the greatest thing about this proudly campy, weird and absurd drama. The English-language Italian drama television series created and directed by Paolo Sorrentino follows Law as the newly chosen pope of the Catholic church, who in its first release takes the direct opposite direction of his predecessor's more liberal approach to religion and demands that all believers around the world to give up both their souls and bodies to the God, no matter the consequences. He is an outright homophobic extremist who doesn't give two shits for the the established Vatican power structure. If you think that making media about religion, which is a very serious subject for society whether or not you believe in it, is hard; watching The Young Pope burn all the rules in its ten episode run, mostly thanks to the ridiculous attitude it so proudly own, is an out of body experience that leaves you in a dilemma of laughing until your eyes water or just… looking at it with blank eyes.
Twin Peaks: The Return. © 2017 ABC
A television revival is not an easy task. Many have tried, and when you look at the reception from both audiences and critics, a lot of them have failed. The slippery slope into lazy nostalgia is the most predominant trap in that aspect. But the outlook for Twin Peaks: The Return was always an exciting one. One of the headiest auteurs of modern cinema, David Lynch, returned to helm all 18 episodes of the revival, and he brought co-writer Mark Frost and a huge part of the original cast with him, to create a genre-bending masterpiece that will stand the test of time. The Return, like its creator is heady, and not for everyone. It interacts with the viewer, toys with and confuses him. It defies both standards of television and film, and becomes something in-between that deconstructs both. Watching it needs a lot of patience, rejection of your own expectations, and most of all the will, to let yourself be taken on a journey to places, that have never appeared on the small screen before. It's a grand, turbulent epic about human nature, that connects fiction with reality, just to subvert itself during the series finale and leave us, in the cold, empty dark. David Lynch challenges the viewer, but he never disrespects him – he shows us the most emotionally satisfying heights of fiction, just to take us to one of the most existentialist and darkest places in human existence – complete helplessness. It's a narrative of disillusionment, which is hard to stomach, especially when you expect escapism, the original political and socio-political intent of television. It feels like one of the most daring artistic achievements of our time and it might as well be.
– Kareem Baholzer
There was a lot of things to love about the Duffer Brothers production about a fictional Indiana town during the 1980s, which becomes host to a frequent appearance of supernatural instances: a boy goes missing and a girl with telekinetic powers espaces from a government lab, while a portal to a much, much darker alternate universe starts to open — good acting; not just from star names like Wiwona Ryder and David Harbour, but also from the younger group of unknown actors, consistent storytelling, good amount of nostalgia references, a not-so-over-the-top mystery that gets solved but still leaves room for more.
In its second season, the show becomes even better, thanks to the expansion of both its mythology and cast. Sure, there were some complaints about newly added characters who did not get enough dimension, or sudden narrative-breaks that left a lot hanging in the air — but I think it is important to understand that this show is not a typical one, rather something more of a movie; with arcs building up on each other. This is why, from a perspective of continuing the universe and creating different sources for it to live off of, even if didn't love what they did with the "Lost Sister" episode, in my opinion it is safe to say that Duffers got away with way less of a mess than many other TV shows would have.
-Deniz Çakır
And that concludes our TV review of 2017! As Much Ado About Cinema goes into its second year of existence, we'd like to thank everyone for staying with us so far, and wish you a very happy new year! In 2018, we expect to have more features, more reviews and more festival coverage for you – and hopefully we can continue to grow and become even more diverse in our output.
The Much Ado Team
Posted in ListsTagged 2017 in cinema, a series of unfortunate events, american gods, american vandal, author:deniz, author:dilara, author:iana, author:jaime, author:kareem, author:megan, author:ryan, better call saul, big little lies, bojack horseman, crazy ex-girlfriend, dear white people, fargo, game of thrones, good behavior, how to get away with murder, insecure, master of none, mindhunter, one day at a time, rick & morty, rupaul's drag race, stranger things, television, the americans, the crown, the deuce, the good place, the leftovers, the young pope, twin peaks: the return
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A lesbian film fan based around Manchester, UK. Loves cats, travelling and dinosaurs.	View all posts by Megan Christopher
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Or at the very least, putting on a funny hat and posing for photos.
But how are you planning to celebrate?
Here at Pieminister, we like to raise a glass to the big achievements in life, and so if you visit us on graduation day we will offer you a complimentary glass of prosecco with every main meal.
Whether you opt for the summer special, Hurrikane, the British beef Moo or the vegan Kevin, just flash your gown in any of our restaurants* and you can be celebrating in style.
Well done, clever clogs, let's raise a free glass to you.
*Restaurants include Bristol Broad Quay, Birmingham, Brixton, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Sheffield.
Terms & Conditions. This offer is only valid on graduation ceremony days and there must at least one graduate (in cap & gown) per table. To receive a free glass of prosecco you must order a pie or skillet from the menu. Offer is valid to eat in only and to over 18s only. Offer applicable in our Pieminister Restaurants in Birmingham, Bristol (Broad Quay), Bristol (Stokes Croft), Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham and Sheffield.


China's presence in the Philippines has never been more pronounced than it is now.
All this, of course, plays to President Rodrigo Duterte's brand of diplomacy. Since he took office in 2016, ties between Manila and Beijing have never been as warm or mutually beneficial.
China has pledged over US$24 billion in investment and loans to help finance Mr Duterte's ambitious 3 trillion peso (S$77 billion, US$59 billion) "Build, Build, Build" infrastructure plan.
Beijing has also backed, with funding and weapons, Mr Duterte's brutal crackdown on the narcotics trade and war against Islamist terrorists.
When told China had transformed Fiery Cross reef into a 2.8 sq km airbase, Mr Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque said "there is still no breach of good faith, as long as China has not embarked on new reclamations".
That pivot, however, has not come without consequences, especially as it relates to the Philippines' decades-long relationship with the United States.
US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has turned to Indonesia and Vietnam, instead of the Philippines, to lead a pushback against China's expansion in the South China Sea.
Mr Duterte's aides have been obfuscating his pro-China remarks to allay concerns in Washington.
"If it is true, and we can prove that they have been putting soldiers, and even weapons systems, that will be a violation of what they said," he said.


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Through its 4 Faculties (Schools) and 4 campuses, Kingston University offers a variety of courses in the undergraduate and post graduate studies. Kingston Business School thrives to help students reach to their potential by continuously delivering world-class education. Many of Kingston's alumni now hold senior positions in both the private and public sector companies across the globe.
As one of the leading modern Universities, Kingston's popularity continues to increase every year. Kingston Business School's MBA programme was ranked 19th in the UK by the QS full time MBA World Rankings and 43 out of 200 in Europe. Kingston Business School ranks among 250 – 300 QS ranking globally (2017 ranking).
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Kingston Business School has joined the elite group of global institutions awarded by the AACSB (Association to Advanced Collegiate School of Business). A hallmark of excellence in business education. This accreditation has been won by just 5% of world's business schools.
One of the first business schools with triple Association of MBAs (AMBA) accreditation (MBA, Masters in International Business Management and DBA)
One of the 8 universities in the UK and one of the 63 institutions worldwide with EPAS programme accreditation from EFMD.
The only Business school in the world with EPAS accreditation at Bachelor and Master's level.
In 2015, Kingston Business School secured the prestigious Small Business Charter Award in recognition of the role it has played in helping kick start British enterprises.
Kingston University was the NEON University of the year in 2016 for widening access, social mobility and inclusion.
Kingston University has scooped the teaching excellence gong at the guardian 2017 University award, receiving specific praise for the inclusivity and accessibility of its courses.
Why choose Kingston University, London?
1) Kingston Business School Campus
The Business school building provides some of the very best state-of-the-art infrastructure: dedicated suites and work spaces, IT facilities, social areas for students, research student offices and Small Business Research Centre. The universal Wi-Fi access and network systems and facilities for streaming lectures and video.
2) Top University in the Country for graduate start-up
Kingston University has, for the 6th time, topped the table for graduate business start-ups, according to the latest figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency. The data also shows that the approximate, combined turnover of all the University's business start-ups currently stands at just under £30 million which accounts for 5.50% of the total turnover generated by all active graduates' start-ups across the country.
3) One of the most Diverse and Multicultural Universities.
Kingston is a truly multicultural University as it welcome around 1,500 new international students every year from more than 140 countries across the world.
4) Learning Resources Centre (LRC)
The Nightingale Centre LRC is open 24 hours a day during term time, and gives students access to libraries, study spaces and computer facilities. A wide range of resources, including texts, periodicals, journals and newspapers, are available.
5) Sports
The University has superb facilities for outdoor sports including rugby, football, cricket, rowing, and tennis. Access is provided to a range of other sporting facilities by linking up with local organizations and clubs. The fitness centre at Penrhyn Road campus features a modern 65-station gym with the latest cardiovascular and weight-training equipment. Kingston is a hub for sports-loving students as its sports facilities comprises of 40 sports clubs, sports and fitness centres.
6) Social Initiatives
With an annual budget of almost £203 million and more than 2,000 staff, Kingston University is one of the town's largest employers and makes a significant contribution to the national economy (£920 million annually). The staff and students are active in the local community through an award winning volunteering scheme wherein 300 volunteers are offering 3,500 hours of service to good causes each year. The scheme gives volunteers the opportunity to work regularly in schools, charities and community groups. We also have an extensive school visiting programme, offering educational support and encouraging local children to aim for university, particularly those whose family have no previous experience of higher education.
7) Career Development
Kingston's Career Service can help with CV formation and interview techniques and has internet resources to help international students look for employment opportunities in their own countries. Kingston University have concrete links to local, national and international business and industry as many teaching members are working professionals. This adds value to the quality education provided at the University enabling good employment opportunities to its students.
8) Work in UK
All Kingston University's degrees teach you work related skills such as Career Management, IT and Communication, Numeracy, and Team work. International students graduating from a UK University can apply to stay in the UK to work once they have finished their studies.
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(Ogden, Utah) – The Defense Department's Enterprise Computing Center (DECC) is a facility with complex environmental control system requirements. When it came time to upgrade and integrate old systems including chillers, boilers, AHU's, CRAC's, generators, UPS, and power distribution monitors, building management chose Systems Performance Engineering Corporation (SPEC), a KMC authorized installing contractor.
DECC provides data availability twenty-four hours a day, three-hundred and sixty-five days a year. Therefore, in addition to planning and installing new systems, SPEC had to insure a smooth, incident-free transition during the entire construction and renovation process.
Using KMC controllers along with the KMC OPC Server provided the Department of Defense with a single source, cost effective, control solution. These integrated systems could now be operated and maintained under one common front end.
The Department of Defense must ensure that things are running smoothly, and KMC has been able to meet this need. According to consultants with North Glacier HVAC, an outside mechanical contractor hired to run the system, the best features of KMC's solution are the alarms and reports. When things begin to go wrong, an alarm sounds at the central computer, a report is generated, and the problem is fixed immediately.
KMC systems continue monitoring the building's systems. DECC continues to expand its control system to the administrative side of the building. There are already over 2800 points, and the facility is still expanding. Systems Performance Engineering Corporation of Connecticut continues to work with DECC on this expansion, as well as providing top-notch service for the KMC products.


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Read about the conflict in Tigray.
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Life for rural Ethiopian families requires resilience. Millions of families in the remote areas of Ethiopia rely on agriculture for food and income, making them especially vulnerable to environmental shocks. Without a safety net of savings or enough income to buy food, a family facing a single drought can live in crisis for months. The impacts cascade—children are pulled out of school to help support their families and access to essential health services becomes impossible.
Without the tools to build resilience, families never get a chance to get ahead—every new challenge perpetuating the cycle of poverty over generations. Glimmer's approach to ending poverty equips families with the tools they need to build long-term resilience and thrive.
Prosperity for Farmer Families
Families with steady and dependable income have a greater capacity to send their children to school, make choices that support health and wellbeing, and withstand economic and environmental shocks. We support farmer families with trainings, loans and savings services and invest in community-based financial systems.
Glimmer partners with the local community to strengthen health outreach and clinics and empower more girls to stay in school. As opportunity and well-being grow in rural Ethiopia, entire communities can build lasting resilience and sustainable change.
See Our Strategy
Our Five-Year Plan
We envision an expansion and deepening of Glimmer's impact in rural Ethiopia. Our five-year plan outlines how we advance toward our long-term goal to end poverty and intentionally build resilience into every aspect of our work.
Read Glimmer's Plan
Everything Glimmer is, everything Glimmer represents is for women and girls. When we influence the lives of girls, we see radical change. When the voices of women are no longer silenced, we see momentous shifts in family, community and commerce. Through the empowerment and advancement of women, every single household and community is uplifted and improved.
—DONNA BERBER
Executive Chair and Glimmer Founder
A Village Transformed
Without a road into Robit, the villagers were cut off from a world of opportunity and services. The closest town was inaccessible for months each year—putting trade, a good education and jobs out of reach. Contaminated water and preventable diseases created a life of daily struggle, especially for women and girls.
Explore Robit
Give Directly With Glimmer
Every dollar you donate goes directly to lifesaving projects in rural Ethiopia. With an endowment that covers all operating costs, your giving goes farther.
© 2021 A Glimmer of Hope. All Rights Reserved. Photos by Esther Havens and Özgür Kıyat.


KINEPOWER, Division of Kinefac Corporation provides components for hydraulic, pneumatic and mechanical linear motion devices. In production KinePower customers can look to us for reliable component and system delivery and assembly integration. KinePower through Kinefac has a worldwide field service capability which can be called upon to deal with the rare situation where overseas support and service is required. KinePower will work hard to become a valued partner in designing, building, and servicing your needs with top quality products and sound application engineering.


This on-line training provides GIK Minimum Standards and advice based on input from multiple professional entities inside the World Vision International partnership. Following this high level training will improve your GIK programming capabilities and will aid in your internal and external audit outcomes. However, users of this training course are encouraged to modify their GIK programme management to best suit the World Vision office for which they work.
Note that this on-line training module is intended for use only within the World Vision International partnership. It is not intended for any other audience, and no other parties should rely on it, nor construe it as professional advice from World Vision to them. World Vision International and its affiliates will accept no responsibility or liability for the use of this on-line training by such other parties.
If you have any questions or problems accessing the courses please contact support at support@getyardstick.com.


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The Beatles - Abbey Road
50th Anniversary 180 Gram Vinyl LP Record Remaster
In-store from Friday 27 September 2019
Abbey Road is the eleventh studio album by British rock band The Beatles, originally released on 26 September 1969 via Apple Records.
After the difficult recording sessions the band had undertaken in January 1969 at the Twikenham Film Studios to make a more stripped back album to be called Get Back / Let It Be, the band agreed to regroup with George Martin at the helm as producer to record what would be the final Beatles studio album.
The album was structured with two themes, Side A containing individual songs and Side B containing a thematic medley of songs comprised of shorter snippets of material. The styles of music range from rock to progressive rock to pure pop.
The album opens with a cracker of a rock song Lennon's "Come Together" then moves onto one of the best pop songs every written, George Harrison's "Something". Paul McCartney's pop song "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is followed by a more rocky song "Oh! Darling" and then we move to Ringo's song "Octopus's Garden" and finally closing the album with Lennon's amazing stoner/prog rock song "I Want You (She's So Heavy)". What a set of songs - a strong opening and closing, one of the most memorable sides of music in rock history.
Side B kicks off with another amazing Harrison composition, "Here Comes The Sun", followed by John Lennon's "Because" and then the 16 minute Medley of songs that end appropriately with "The End". There is a hidden track "Her Majesty" included at the very end of Side B.
The album cover is one of the most iconic in popular music history and was shot outside the Abbey Road Studios in London, and is the only Beatles album not to list the album name or band on the cover.
Abbey Road had mixed reviews upon release, however it has since been regarded by music critics as one of The Beatles best albums and one of the greatest albums of all time.
The album reached #1 on the album charts in many countries including the US, UK, Australia and Canada.
This is one of the greatest albums of all time and is an essential addition to any record collection.
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the release of Abbey Road, the album has been newly remixed and reissued in multiple formats with additional material. The 17 tracks have been newly mixed by producer Giles Martin and mix engineer Sam Okell, accompanied by 23 session recordings and demos, most of them previously unreleased.
Martin and Ozell worked on the new Abbey Road mixes with Abbey Road's expert team of engineers and audio restoration specialists. All of the editions feature the new stereo album mix, sourced from the original eight-track session tapes. Giles Martin used the original stereo mix by his father George Martin as his guide. Says Giles Martin in his written introduction: "The magic comes from the hands playing the instruments, the blend of The Beatles' voices, the beauty of the arrangements. Our quest is simply to ensure everything sounds as fresh and hits you as hard as it would have on the day it was recorded."
This LP Record is the 2019 remixed standard album on 180 gram heavyweight black vinyl, pressed in Europe.
Maxwell's Silver Hammer
Oh! Darling
Octopus's Garden
I Want You (She's So Heavy)
You Never Give Me Your Money
Her Majesty (Hidden Track)
Record Label Apple Records
Label / Model # Universal
Catalogue Number 7791512
Release Date (Year) 27 September 2019
Original Release Date (Year) 26 September 1969
Format Limited Edition LP Record, 180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl, Original Artwork Replicated, Remastered Audio, 50th Anniversary Edition, Stereo Remix by Giles Martin & Sam Okell
Genre Rock & Popular
Format VINYL LP
The Beatles - Rubber Soul
Adele - 25
Alice Cooper - Killer
Eagles - Their Greatest Hits 1971 - 1975
Phil Collins - …But Seriously
Deacon Blue - Raintown
The Anchoress - Confessions Of A Romance Novelist


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Ireland's Blasket Islands
On these six islands off the tip of the Dingle Peninsula, traditions of ancient Gaelic culture still survive
This rugged group of six islands off the tip of Dingle Peninsula seems particularly close to the soul of Ireland. Rick Steves
If you're touring the Dingle Peninsula, visit the Blasket Islands if you have time and an interest in Irish heritage. Start by visiting the Great Blasket Centre, then take a boat to the islands.
Great Blasket Centre
This center, on the mainland facing the islands, is an essential stop before visiting the islands—or a good place to learn about them without making the crossing.
This state-of-the-art Blascaod and Gaelic heritage center gives visitors the best look possible at the language, literature, and way of life of Blasket Islanders. The building's award-winning design mixes interpretation and the surrounding countryside. Its spine, a sloping village lane, leads to an almost sacred view of the actual island. Don't miss the exceptional 20-minute video (shows on the half hour), then hear the sounds, read the poems, browse through old photos, and gaze out the big windows at those rugged islands...and imagine. Even if you never got past limericks, you'll appreciate the poetry of these people—so pure and close to each other and nature (€4, covered by Heritage Card, Easter–Oct daily 10:00–18:00, closed Nov–Easter, fine cafeteria, well signposted on the Slea Head Drive near Dunquin/Dun Chaoin, tel. 066/915-6444).
The Blasket Islands
This rugged group of six islands (Na Blascaodai) off the tip of Dingle Peninsula seems particularly close to the soul of Ireland. The population of Great Blasket Island (An Blascaod Mór), home to as many as 160 people, dwindled until the government moved the last handful of residents to the mainland in 1953. Life here was hard. Each family had a cow, a few sheep, and a plot of potatoes. They cut their peat from the high ridge and harvested fish from the sea. There was no priest, pub, or doctor. Because they were not entirely dependent upon the potato, they survived the famine relatively unscathed. These people formed the most traditional Irish community of the 20th century—the symbol of ancient Gaelic culture.
A special closeness to an island—combined with a knack for vivid storytelling—is inspirational. From this primitive but proud fishing/farming community came three writers of international repute whose Gaelic work—basically tales of life on Great Blasket Island—is translated into many languages. You'll find Peig (by Peig Sayers), Twenty Years a-Growing (Maurice O'Sullivan), and The Islander (Thomas O'Crohan) in shops everywhere.
The island's café and hostel have closed down, and today Great Blasket is little more than a ghost town overrun with rabbits on a peaceful, grassy, three-mile-long poem.
Getting to the Blasket Islands
From Dunquin: The 40-passenger Blasket Islands ferry runs hourly from Dunquin, at the tip of Dingle Peninsula; in summer, it goes every hour between 10:30 and 14:30, depending on weather and demand (€25 round-trip, April–Sept, no boats Oct–March, ferry tel. 066/915-6422, 066/915-4864, or 087/231-6131, www.blasketislands.ie). There's also a scenic two-hour Blasket Island Eco Tour circuit cruise from Dunquin Harbor, which departs at 12:00 and 14:30 (€35, April–Sept only, same phone numbers). Or you can combine the Eco Tour with a stop for time on the island (€40, call for schedule). Dunquin has a fine hostel (tel. 066/915-6121).
From Dingle Town: In summer, a fast little catamaran runs between Dingle town and the Blasket Islands. The ride (which may include a quick look at Fungie the dolphin) traces the spectacular coastline all the way to Slea Head, in a boat designed to slice expertly through the ocean chop. A larger boat, the 70-seat Lady Breda, offers a similar service from Dingle town and operates when there's enough demand. These boats also do three-hour eco-tours for those interested in puffins, dolphins, and seals. The tricky landing at Great Blasket Island's primitive little boat ramp makes getting off a challenge, and landing virtually impossible in a storm (€35 same-day round-trip; departs from the marina pier in Dingle at 11:00, 13:00, and 15:00; includes 35-min ride with free time to explore island, call Mary to confirm sailing times of either boat—or for more details on the eco-tours—at tel. 066/915-1344 or mobile 087-672-6100).
Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. E-mail him at [email protected], or write to him c/o P.O. Box 2009, Edmonds, WA 98020.
© 2010 Rick Steves
Rick Steves | READ MORE
Rick Steves is a travel writer and television personality. He coordinated with Smithsonian magazine to produce a special travel issue Travels with Rick Steves.
Ireland Ireland Travel Travel


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The Seniors Should Spark The Turnaround
Another tour abroad
Australia Triumph as expected
Australia won the Cup as expected and the championship ended on a dark Saturday evening. The Australian team beat Srilanka convincingly in the WC finals to win it for the third consecutive time. The Australian team once again proved that they are way ahead of the other teams in both forms of the game. Everyone in the team contributed when it mattered and Glen McGrath had a dream exit from one dayers being the highest wicket taker of the tournament and also named the "Player Of the Tournament". This was a fitting end to a great career which spanned over a decade and also coincided with the amazing Australian dominance in both forms of the game.
Glenn McGrath has been a great bowler for Australia with more than 400 wickets in both forms of the game. He has been a part of 3 world cup winning teams, a rare achievement in the modern era. Matthew Hayden became the highest run getter of the tournament with more than 600 runs in the championship and Rickey Ponting became just the second captain in World cricket to lead two World Cup winning teams after Clive Lloyd of WI.
The World Cup Finals itself was an organizers nightmare with the rain before the start of the game. The game was reduced to a 38 overs a side and Srilanka's best bet would have been to bat first and set a challenging total for the Australians to chase in the finals. The Srilankans lost the toss and Australia did what they did four years ago and batted first. The Srilankan new ball bowlers except for Malinga were trashed by Adam Gilchrist on his way to the championship winning 149. Adam Gilchrist had a ordinary tournament before this game but he performed when it mattered the most. Adam Gilchrist has always been the man for Australia in WC finals as he has two fifties and a hundred in the three chances he has had till now.
This innings almost batted Srilanka out of the game as Australia amassed 281 in 38 overs at almost 7.5 runs an over. Srilanka's start to the innings was not that promising with Taranga getting dismissed in the first couple of overs.Everything rested on the partnership between Sangakkara and Jayasurya after the early loss. Both these batsmen kept them in the hunt until Jayasurya's charge against part timer Clarke ended his innings on 63 which also ended Srilanka's hopes of winning the game. The Australians tightened the screws after Jayasurya's exit and Srilanka kept losing wickets at regular intrevals. Later the match was stopped due to the rain with Srilanka needing more than 10 runs an over and after lots of chaos Australia were eventually declared the winners of the World Cup.
Srilanka had a great World Cup as not a lot of people thought they would be in the finals. Srilanka played beautifully and the veterans in the team Jayasurya, Murali and Vaas had a great World Cup. These three great players from the island might have just played their last World Cup game and they would feel that they had given their best in the Championship.
Overall the World Cup was a dull event due to the Australian dominance over the other teams and also was too long to keep the viewers interested as there were too many meaningless games towards the end of the tournament in the super 8 stage.
Tags: Australia, Cricket, hayden, McGrath, ODI, World cup 2007
3 Responses to "Australia Triumph as expected"
1 | nigel
Wasn't Glenn McGrath the player of the tournament??
2 | giri subramanian
Hey Nigel thanks for reading the article and yes Glenn Mcgrath was the player of the tournament. Thanks for pointing it out. I just found out myself:).
I corrected the post with the right information.
What sort of pitches are these? Are we practising for Tests? Even though good to see bowlers getting help. Too much… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 35 minutes ago
Congrats to the Indian U19 Women's team on a stunning win. Brilliant performance to start the year and to bring the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 50 minutes ago


text:
package simpledynamodb

import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.AmazonDynamoDBClient
import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.{AttributeValue, QueryRequest, QueryResult}
import org.specs2.mutable._
import scala.concurrent.duration._
import scala.concurrent.Await

class DynamoDbSpec extends Specification {

  "DynamoDB Query" should {
    "parse string results correctly" in {
      val results = new DynamoDbTable("name", "key", "range", new MockDynamoDbClient()).query("query").perform
      Await.result(results, new DurationInt(100).milliseconds).toList(0)("string").value mustEqual "a string"
    }
    "parse list results correctly" in {
      val results = new DynamoDbTable("name", "key", "range", new MockDynamoDbClient()).query("query").perform
      Await.result(results, new DurationInt(100).milliseconds).toList(0)("list").value mustEqual List("a string", "another string")
    }
  }
}

class MockDynamoDbClient extends AmazonDynamoDBClient {

  import collection.JavaConverters._

  override def query(request: QueryRequest): QueryResult = {
    val result = new QueryResult()
    val items = List(Map("string" -> stringValue("a string"), "list" -> listValue(List("a string", "another string"))).asJava).asJavaCollection
    result.setItems(items)
    result
  }

  def stringValue(x: String) = {
    val value = new AttributeValue()
    value.setS(x)
    value
  }

  def listValue(x: List[String]) = {
    val value = new AttributeValue()
    value.setSS(x.asJava)
    value
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub