The monster featured today is the Ancient Red Dragon, found in both D&D 4E and Pathfinder. The most iconic type of dragon -- so iconic that one of the Three (an Icon in 13th Age) is a red dragon called the Red -- this dragon breathes scorching flames that incinerates just about anything in its path, and the destruction this creature can bring when it reaches Ancient status is phenomenal... but still not yet to the level that the legendary Red can bring (I think).
Greater Fear Aura (72 HP): Creatures with hit points equal to or lower than the given threshold suffer the Fear condition.
Resist 18 Fire: Magical fire attacks must roll 18+ (no bonuses) to deal full damage. Rolling too low results in half damage. Mundane fire has no effect on the Red Dragon.
Vulnerable Cold: Cold attacks that critically hit the Red Dragon deals quadruple damage instead of double damage.
Dangerous: The Red Dragon's crit range while wounded is 17+.
Furnace Roar: Daily, Quick action, +15 vs. PD, 1d3 nearby creatures or each creature engaged with the Red Dragon, 165 fire damage and ongoing 15 fire damage. Recharges when the dragon makes an even miss with Claw, Bite or Tail Sweep.
ONE or TWO enemies that are nearby the dragon (due to the size of the dragon it can reach them even if they are not engaged with it).
Claw: +16 vs. AC, 150 damage.
Special (always): A miss causes the target to pop free as it is knocked away by the edge of the dragon's swipe.
Special (odd miss): A natural odd miss causes the dragon to catch you with it's tail. (Tail Sweep: 75 damage and target is either knocked far away if possible or is stunned until the end of the targets next turn).
Special (even miss): A natural even miss enrages the dragon, recharging it's Furnace Roar and allowing it to use it if it has yet to use it this round.
Daily, Quick action, +15 vs. PD, 1d3 creatures in a group, 150 fire damage and ongoing 15 fire damage. Recharges when the dragon makes a natural even miss with the Claw/Claw/Bite attack.
Author's Note: With the number of attacks this Red Dragon can already generate, I see little reason for adding stuff like Cleave and Multiattack. In addition, GMs who want a more caster-like Red Dragon can choose spells from the Sorcerer or Wizard class, but I generally assume that these abilities alone can be a bit taxing on the micromanagement and the overall build would make it very difficult (if at all possible) to take on this behemoth.
Update: I originally had the Tail Swipe's effect to be "and the target must choose to either remain engaged to the Red Dragon or lose its next move action", but an interesting comment made me consider the revision as found above.
Update: I added Ash Law's suggestion as an alternative for those who want less rolls and faster round resolution. At first I thought of replacing the original attacks, but some groups may actually prefer the longer turn and higher tension from the multi-attacking Ancient Red Dragon, as the And Again trait easily allows this beast to make a lot of attacks. So, I place the two sets side by side, with the decision to use which type of Red Dragon left to the GM running it.


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Daniel G. Harmann changes up his lush songwriting, but not too much
Daniel G. Harmann's Our Arms has been kicking around my iTunes far too long without a review. I sat down to listen to it so I could review it, and I realized that I've already been listening to it. The three songs on this EP have been through my shuffle, at the end of DGH's other albums in my iTunes, and generally in my brain for longer than I have realized.
It makes it incredibly easy to sit down and write this review. Harmann's basic sound is a hyper-romantic, extra-melodic, beauty-washed soundscape; I coined the term "rainy day makeout music" while listening to a Harmann album. That's just what the music sounds like. This time out, though, DGH has himself a band named The Trouble Starts, making the proper name of this release Our Arms by Daniel G. Harmann and the Trouble Starts. Does the band make a difference in the sound that I so love from DGH?
Well, sort of. Opener "I Became the Ground" is much more upbeat than anything I can remember previously. It still retains the extremely emotional, hyper-romantic vibe, but it's not as rainy in tone. It's oddly reminiscent of the jangly pop that Death Cab for Cutie has been churning out these days, and even a little similar to Anberlin's slower-tempo work. It doesn't stray too far from the tree, but it's definitely a new seed in the ground.
"Dee," however, is a return to normalcy. The song plods along gloriously, with each individual part making stately entrances and exits. The mood is the same one that I have come to know of DGH, and after hearing a deviation from it in "I Became the Ground," it's very welcome. The chiming guitar line pushes this song forward as the vocals try to drag it back; the tension makes this an incredibly effective song.
"Knob Creek Neat" is somewhere in the middle. The presence of the Trouble Starts is felt, as there's a less dreamy feel to the work and much more aggressive moments throughout. But it never breaks the morose tempo that DGH is most comfortable with. The song may be a lot more direct than his previous work, but the Trouble Starts haven't broken him of slow, dreamy soundscapes: the chorus of the song features his trademark vocal trick (it's a certain interval jump that I wish I was smart enough musically to name), and the aggressiveness falls out in favor of layered guitar parts and melodicism.
This three-song EP shows that Daniel G. is spreading his wings a bit by heading out with a band in tow. But he's still the performer that I love, and a couple new members isn't going to change that. This EP is the best possible way to move forward: one foot in the new, one foot in the old, and one in the middle. I'll let you deal with the mental image of a three-legged man. Good work, Mr. Harmann. Good work.
Daniel G. Harmann
Daniel G. Harmann and the Trouble Starts
Our Arms
Adam Rich's genre-hopping songwriting spans punk, metal, jazz and pop
Adam Rich's You Can't Escape Life is a unique amalgam of punk, metal, pop and rock. It's not specifically any of these genres; it takes ideas and moods from each genre and sticks them in the others. At its best the album unleashes some really unique and interesting songwriting; at it's worst, it's still an interesting experiment.
Instrumental opener "Frizzhead" takes the melodic ideas associated with metal and slaps them into as close to a pop song structure as you can get while still being instrumental. It's one of the most intriguing tracks of the album, as the melody sticks precisely because it's out of its usual field of mega-distorted guitars. "Perfect" is an Offspring-esque pop-punk song, down to the gang vocals, but it has a guitar solo and rhythmic breakdown, which is much more common to, you know, metal. The title track drops next, and it's a guitar pop song. It has occasional jarring riffs (the punk equivalent of the massive palm mute from "Creep"?), and develops a menacing undertone part of the way through the track.
The tracks continue through the course of the album, combining disparate genres in odd ways, seemingly just to see what would happen. The good news is that it works more often than not; even Rich's experiment in country-esque sounds ("Glittery Eyes") is entirely enjoyable. This is an incredible voucher of Rich's instrumental prowess, as Rich's scope is almost ridiculously large. For pete's sake, "Big Blue" is a jazz bass and guitar meditation in the vein of Victor Wooten. And it's still enjoyable!
This album is not like anything you've ever heard before. If you like musical experiments, you'd be well to pick this up. No genre escapes Rich's genre-hopping songwriting, even though the predominant genres are rock and punk. It's not for everyone, but it's certainly got chops. I can't escape the pull of You Can't Escape Life.
Adam Rich
You Can't Escape Life
Jonathan Vassar is a great folk songwriter.
I've been reading reviews of Regina Spektor's far with some confusion. Many of them say that it is not her best work because it's less experimental and more "normal." Then I read an essay by David Hajdu in which he asserts that Jack White is beloved because he never really finishes songs. These together cause me to think that there are two types of great songwriter in the world: the great songwriter that is actually incompetent of being a "normal" songwriter and thus writes unusual and wacky works that stick in our head (which is why Spektor's disjointed breakout album Soviet Kitsch is wonderful, and why everything that Jack White does with a real band is hopelessly boring), and the songwriter that those wacky ones aspire to be.
The problem is that the wacky ones often mature out of their wacky phase, but they don't often mature into the great songwriters they aspire to be. far has some wonderful tracks on it, but it's not a Ben Folds album by any stretch of the imagination. Neither is it a Fiona Apple album (although there is some debate as to whether that is something to aspire to, these days). The Dead Weather doesn't sound normal, but it's a lot closer to normal than "Black Math" or "Hotel Yorba" or "Seven Nation Army." The Raconteurs sound, for better or for worse, incredibly average.
It seems that the great songwriters appear full-formed. Ben Folds was cranking out the great songs while he was still in his earliest stages with the Ben Folds Five; Damien Jurado's best work is spread throughout his fantastic career. They just, you know, show up being awesome.
I think Jonathan Vassar is in the Ben Folds category of great songwriters. The reason for this is that the best tracks on The Fire Next Time are not the minimalist, eccentric ones, but the fully-realized folk/Americana songs. "A Match Made in Heaven" features some great mandolin, a violin, a cello, and a warbling saw in addition to his plaintive acoustic guitar and voice. But instead of feeling cluttered of amateur, each piece locks in. The song wouldn't be the song without all the parts. It's a perfectly written song, in that there's nothing I can knock about it. It has a great melody, it has solid lyrics with meaning and wit, the song sways, and it has a deeply felt emotive quality that refrains from becoming maudlin. In short, it's perfect. If you like acoustic Americana/folk/country, you will like "A Match Made in Heaven." It's impossible not to.
"Saint Josephina" is another fully-realized track that suceeds admirably. "San Jacinto" isn't quite as engaging as the previous two, but it's still a solid song. These filled-out songs are the cream of the crop; it would behoove Vassar to stay in this vein. The more experimental tracks, while interesting, aren't up to part with these songs.
Opener "Nearer My Father's Wounded Side" starts out with a minute-long intro that serves to confuse more than set the scene. It segues neatly into the rest of the track, which is a profoundly minimalist composition that runs for over five minutes. It's not a bad song, but it's just not as engaging as the tightly woven "Match Made in Heaven." I'll take "Nearer…" over most folk, but it's just sad to me that one of the six tracks Jonathan Vassar treats us to is simply not his best work.
To bring it all together, Jonathan Vassar and the Speckled Bird don't need to get wacky to be heralded as good. Vassar is simply a good songwriter, and the Speckled Bird plays tight and close to that vision. I hope that Vassar and the Speckled Bird continue their partnership and write much more work together, honing their already tight vision. Then they will be huge. They should already be there, but that's just a matter of time. The Fire Next Time is an excellent EP of tight songwriting, strong melodies, and great mood. It's a must for folk-lovers.
David Hajdu
Jonathan Vassar
Jonathan Vassar and the Speckled Bird
Raconteurs
Soviet Kitsch
The Fire Next Time
The Holiday!
Christmas isn't just a holiday. It's the holiday. It's the one that my family goes all-out for. If the rest of the holidays were playing king of the hill in a swimming pool, Christmas would dunk the Fourth of July's head over and over. That's just the way it is. My family loves Christmas, so I love Christmas, so everyone should love Christmas.
But as I age, my family's influence on my opinions is fading. This is normal and even to be desired; it's a part of growing up. It means that I have to start deciding for myself what is important and what is to be treasured. If I don't consciously choose to make something important in my life, it will not spontaneously become important.
I didn't realize that I must prioritize Christmas. Previously, I had Joyeux Noel imposed upon me; on a particular day, Christmas ensued when Mom said, "Go get the decorations." I didn't even think about the possibility of not celebrating Christmas.
But when there's no one to say, "Go get the decorations," it gets harder. I've been super-busy this year and haven't taken time to celebrate Christmas properly. I didn't buy a tree (even a little Charlie Brown one) or decorate the house. I haven't been listening to much Christmas music. I've barely started shopping for presents (something I love to do). I haven't taken initiative; I haven't made it a point to celebrate Christmas.
Subsequently, I've been depressed in the Christmas arena. James actually sent back my first essay on Christmas because it was "anti-" and "wishy-washy." Which it was, because I'm anti- and wish-washy on this Christmas. And that's my fault. I let life get in the way of celebrating Christmas. If I continue to do this, I will never celebrate anything or enjoy life. And that's wrong. I'm not going to let that happen.
Like a lot of other things that happen to you when you're growing up, no one really tells you how to start celebrating holidays. They just assume you will. So, consider this my stake in the ground. From now on, I'm celebrating Christmas the way I should, as a real person. Christmas is still the holiday. I just have to make celebrating it a priority as a newly minted adult.
Mittens on Strings excels at psychedelic indie
The eighties killed psychedelic music. The electronic sounds, materialistic excess, and posturing of the lost era of good music put the screws to trippy sounds. There hasn't been a real resurgence of the signature sound of the sixties and seventies since. There have been scattered bands here and there, but the closest thing to a real resurgence was shoegazer, which was couched in so much elitism and depression that it really doesn't even count, as it completely misses the easy-going waves of psychedelic tunes.
Mittens on Strings originally confused me, because they're the sound of modern psychedelic music. The word that kept coming back to mind was "woozy." The music, when played at appropriate volumes, puts whatever room/car/headphones is playing Let's Go to Baba's into a drowsy, hazy state. This isn't because the music is boring; it's because songs like "Lou Reed Says" are set up to make you slowly bob your head back and forth. From the swaying tempo to the drooping vocal lines and swooping violin duet, the song just ambles along. That's not to say it doesn't get exciting. The song builds to an impressive climax with distorted guitar, huge bass work, and lots of cymbals. It's just that Mittens on Strings has nailed how to make psychedelic music that you can actual enjoy in the modern realm.
And they've done an impressive job of making the whole album listenable as well. The Fleet Foxes-esque indie/folk of "La Middle Ages" is distinct from the bass intro of the appropriately named "Lumbering Giant." The mournful background vocals of "Flaming Pig" distinguish it from the plucked string section of "A Mountain of Light." Even the few uptempo tracks are their own entities: the whoa-oh's in standout "Big Brother" aren't anything like the plaintive chorus of "Big Black Car," which is entirely separate from the island sounds (!) of "Vacation."
But even with all this individuality, each of these tracks retain the Mittens on Strings stamp: low vocals with a morose streak, prominent use of dueling violins, lots of bass work, and dreamily distorted guitars (whether they be chords, distortion walls, or single-note melodies). In short, Mittens on Strings figured out how to write good songs that sound enough like each other to not be jarring next to each other, but different enough that you want to keep listening to each of them over and over.
The only problem with Let's Go to Baba's is that since it resurrects a style so often forgotten, the sound will come off as foreign and uncomfortable to some. "A Mountain of Light" is not something that is often heard, and it may be difficult to connect with at first blush. But those who are interested in uniquely creative music or psychedelic music should be very pleased to discover the surprising songwriting prowess of Mittens on Strings.
Let's Go to Baba's
Mittens on Strings
William Fitzsimmons has himself a downer little Christmas
I am incredibly picky when it comes to Christmas music. I'm averse to sap and schmaltz in general, so that lends itself to a general skepticism of all things Christmas-related, not just music. But when good Christmas things come around, I enjoy them as much (if not more than) everyone else. Charlie Brown Christmas, Sufjan's Christmas EPs, and most recently Aaron Hale's HARK! EP are in heavy rotation around here.
It's with subdued glee that I type this announcement: the almost-too-honest-and-realistic folk singer William Fitzsimmons has released a Christmas song. It's not your typical Noel verse, in that it doesn't have all the musical giveaways that scream THIS IS A CHRISTMAS SONG, SUCKER!!! But it is about Christmas (in its own depressing way), and it's (as always) remarkably honest. Those of you with a general disdain for the holidays would do well to give a listen to William Fitzsimmons' "Covered in Snow"; I think you'd enjoy it. What's even better is that it's paired with a gorgeous, pensive video shot (for no apparent reason) in Belgium. Merry Christmas.
Hark! The Christmas EP
William Fitzsimmons
"Kid stuff" that can be enjoyed by all
I am twenty-one years old, but the Gettin' Funky with the Sugar Free Allstars DVD definitely made me feel twenty-one years young. And while it is meant for kids, I must admit that I highly enjoyed this live performance, recorded by the Oklahoman Sugar Free Allstars at the City Arts Center in Oklahoma City.
The Allstars consist of Chris "Boom!" Wiser on organ and vocals, and Rob "Dr. Rock" Martin on the drums. On the Hammond B-3, Chris plays bumping bass lines in addition to his soul and gospel influenced melodies. Dr. Rock also provides backup vocals, which are especially funny and effective in "Poppy and Meemaw," a song about grandparents and their names. (Mine are Grammy and Pop-pop.) With Chris' goofy vocals and funny questions, and Dr. Rock's stoic one-word answers, the duo have great stage presence. But the kids probably just call this "fun," and they're right.
The DVD starts with "Banana Pudding," which got me giggling (and hungry) right away. In this song and throughout the rest, Chris has the kids do something participatory. For example, in "Bathtub Boy," there's a lather up/scrub it down/rinse it off acting sequence that was, I mean seemed, fun. Between each of the seven songs, there's a funny fast-forwarded interlude of Chris and Dr. Rock messing around in the arts center, and/or an interview with a group of kids. The kids are unintentionally hilarious, as kids often are. I re-watched a part where a little girl under two utters a nasally and very straight-faced "meow" in a ball pit.
Gettin' Funky with the Sugar Free Allstars is great not only because kids would adore it, but also because the music Chris and Dr. Rock play is fun and danceable without being watered-down or annoying for adults to listen to. The lyrics are certainly ridiculous, as they should be, but these songs are still solid and funky.
The soundtrack is available as a free download with purchase of the DVD. The Sugar Free Allstars have also released albums for adults, all of which are available on their website.
City Arts Center
Gettin' Funky with the Sugar Free Allstars
Sugar Free Allstars
Anna Madorsky enchants with Incantation
highlyrecommended
Brutal honesty moment from the critic: looks matter. If you've got a cool name, cool art, or a cool one-sheet, I'm going to be much more likely to listen to your album than not. It's simply a feature of listening to so much music. If you've got a stack of thirty albums, all of which you've never heard of, you're going to want to pick one somehow. And you're going to want to pick one that's good. So, instead of listening to one track from every CD, the visuals mediate. Because someone who puts lots of attention into their visuals is going to pay attention to the details of their music. Just a note for all the aspiring artists out there.
That's inspired because Anna Madorsky hooked me with her art and then doubly hooked me with the genre name "dream-punk." Liking dream-pop and punk, I thought I'd give "dream-punk" and listen and see what it sounds like. Even though Incantantion doesn't exactly live up to the dream-punk title, it is a solid dream-pop release. Continue readingAnna Madorsky enchants with Incantation…
Anna Madorsky
Jacob Magers' folk-inspired pop tunes mostly succeed.
I often wonder how artists title things. It's become a little less of a mystery since I started writing my own albums, but I'm still boggled sometimes. Jacob Magers' EP Pendulums is named after not only the least entertaining song on his EP, but the only one that relies on a gimmick.
See, Jacob Magers' folk-inspired music is melodic, spacious, and engrossing; from the choir of "ah"s opening up "Point of Reference" to the trumpets on "Shanghai," this EP is faultlessly entertaining. Except. Except. The title track "Pendulums" uses what sounds like an inverted and backwards loop of "Life in Technicolor" by Coldplay as its basis. It sounds weird, and it doesn't contribute to the song at all. The song that follows after the goofy gimmick is solid, but it's tarnished by the spectre of the odd loop. I have no clue why Magers chose to use the weird loop, or why he chose to use it as the title track, because there are wonders to behold elsewhere.
Jacob Magers is a supreme storyteller, and the best moments of this album are the most fully-realized stories. "Overboard and Down" is the last thoughts of a drowning sailor; "Smiling at Strangers" is the tragic tale of a woeful bet. "Shanghai," the highlight of the EP, is the tale of two separated lovers longing to get back together.
The songwriting in "Shanghai" makes the tale pop with excellence, as Magers eschews stripped down folk antics for a more fully-realized sound, reminescent of Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos or maybe even I'm Wide Awake It's Morning-era Bright Eyes. There are trumpets, violins, twinkling electric guitar, bass guitar, and even a drum kit filling out the song. It sounds wonderful. It's easily the best track here, as Magers sounds the most comfortable within the confines of the song. That confidence makes the melodies glow with a warmth and passion that are hinted at throughout the album. When Magers calls out "No, no, no!" and the violins pick up his sorrow with frantic bowing, it feels like the Decemberists but without the jagged edges.
In short, the best songs here are pop songs full of warmth and good storytelling. Magers' voice and guitar produce melodies that are simply enjoyable. Other than that very odd track in the middle of the EP, Magers' Pendulums is quite an exciting and well-realized piece. I hope to hear more from him.
I'm Wide Awake It's Morning
Jacob Magers
Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos
Counter Intelligence posits some brainy, precise, emotive folk
Carl Hauck is a folksy singer who sounds like Andrew Bird if Andrew Bird knew how to have emotions. All of Bird's work suffers from a disaffected whimsy; it seems that Bird takes bemusement from everything he's singing and writing about, but does not actually engage with it. Thankfully, Carl Hauck takes the best parts of Bird's amalgam, adds some of his own, and slathers emotion on it to create Counter Intelligence.
That's not to say that this is a Damien Rice-esque wailer of an album (not that Damien Rice is bad, but it's a fair bet that there will be wailing in a Rice album). Hauck's voice and songwriting are both very pristine, distinct and precise. The lyrics that Hauck produces are all understandable due to his easy tone and clear pronunciation. This is great, because his lyrics are solid. Whether storytelling ("The Rebel"), reminiscing ("Schmaltz"), or speak-singing semi-stories ("Zhuangwho"), you can clearly discern what Hauck has to say.
What's great is that even though his lyrics are solid (the anti-war "The Rebel" is probably the best anti-war diatribe I've heard this year), he doesn't have to hang his hat on them. His music is just as clever, witty and talented as his tongue. He primarily plays the acoustic guitar, and it's from that instrument and its melodies that much of the emotiveness of these tunes is drawn. But the acoustic guitar doesn't bear the whole burden: piano ("The Rebel") and dreamy electric guitar ("Herrick, You Devil") make occasional appearances. The extra instruments work perfectly in the context of his folk songs; they fill in gaps instead of taking over songs.
"Herrick, You Devil" is especially enhanced by its extra instrumentation; the eerie feel that Hauck and a female back-up vocalist create is mimicked by the dreamy, cascading guitar. It creates an overall feel of impending dread that only ratchets up higher when they kick in heavy reverb on a piano and the vocals; it turns Hauck and his foil into ghostly apparitions, drawing the song into the transcendent. "Herrick, You Devil" is a highlight track that you probably won't hum; the mood will just stick with you and the reverb will take up residence in your head.
There are other highlights as well: the oft-mentioned "The Rebel" is a ten minute epic that swoops and leaps through various styles in its story, but it all holds together in a memorable way; "…And Their Hair Looks Like Flocks" invokes the meandering guitar lines of Elijah Wyman. "They Come in Flocks", which is the companion (at least in title) to the previously mentioned piece feels vaguely like a Nick Drake piece in mood.
Carl Hauck's folk songs do have nods to many other artists, but the completed product is distinctly Carl Hauck. The album feels tight and cohesive, as there is no letdown between tracks. Each of the songs unfold their own treasures, and because each is a little different, the album travels at a consistent pace. The album is ultimately held together by his clear, distinct vocals, as it's a real treat to hear them. I would recommend Counter Intelligence to anyone wanting to hear some precise, emotive folk.
Carl Hauck

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Yoan Pablo Hernandez (photo) became the new IBF cruiserweight champion after defeating Steve 'USS' Cunningham on a split technical points decision after six rounds in Neubrandenburg, Germany on Saturday night.
The fight was controversial in more ways than one but was packed with incident from the start.
After a lethargic first two minutes from the usually slick Cunningham in the first round, the Cuban challenger caught the champion cold with a thunderous left hook which sent him to the ground.
It looked like the fight was over with Cunningham struggling to make the count. Cunningham wandered and danced aimlessly for a few seconds. However, controversy reigned when it appeared that the mandatory count of 10 lasted much longer, almost 15 seconds.
Cunningham was declared fit to continue and managed to hang on for the last few seconds and finish the round.
Once in the corner Cunningham was doused with bucketfuls of water. Trainer Naazim Richardson deliberately allowed much of the water to be spilt on the floor. At the end of the rest period, Cunningham was given an extra 15 seconds to recover his senses whilst Richardson dried the water from his corner.
During all of this time Hernandez' corner was screaming at the referee for the amount of time that Cunningham was taking. Cunningham came out for the second round looking reasonably refreshed although still on unsteady legs.
Hernandez failed to finish Cunningham off during the second round and the champion then began to pick up momentum.
Should Steve Cunningham Move Up Into The Heavyweight Division?
During the third round, the two fighters clashed heads causing a huge gash on the side of Hernandez's head. Replays failed to determine whether it was accidental. From then on it was all one way traffic as Cunningham pounded the confused Cuban.
During the sixth round Hernandez was caught with a left by Cunningham causing a new cut to appear above his right eye. At the end of the round this damage was enough to convince the English referee Micky Vann that the fight was over.
At this point everyone was confused as to whether Hernandez has been stopped by technical knockout or whether it had been decided to go to the scorecards. After several minutes of arguments the fight was decided on points.
Although Cunningham had gone down in the first round many observers including this writer had the champion as the winner due to the inactivity of Hernandez.
The judges saw different scoring 58-55, 58-55 and 57-56 in favour of Hernandez.
Cunningham and his corner were understandably upset at the result claiming that he had been set up. In reality Cunningham had only himself to blame after being caught in the first with a flash knockdown.
Cunningham will now have to consider his options for the future as it is unlikely Hernandez will want a rematch, unless he is ordered to by the IBF. Hernandez can now look forward to a potential unification bout with WBO champion Marco Huck. Huck will be more than happy to be facing the Cuban rather than Cunningham.
The cruiserweight division is lacking in notable fighters and maybe it is time for Cunningham to make the move into the heavyweight ranks.
On a stacked undercard former world and European middleweight champion Sebastian Sylvester was beaten by Poland's Grzegorz Proksa in a fight for the vacant European middleweight title.
Sylvester was forced to retire with a large cut to the right eye in the third round after the referee decided that he was in no position to continue.
In the other major fight of the evening Karot Murat drew on points with former IBF light-heavyweight champion Gabriel Campillo in a IBF light-heavyweight title eliminator. The fight was a classic slugfest with the result a fair one for both fighters.
By Mikko Salo: The three main bouts featuring a total of four Ring-rated fighters in Saturday`s quality fight card in Neubrandenburg, Germany didn`t lack drama or controversy. First the Jahnsportforum public witnessed a draw suspect to many observers, then a title belt changed hands via a highly contoversial technical decision with rematch-talk commencing immediatel. For the grande finale, the crowd had to watch their home-ring hero get almost literally cut to pieces by a young up-and-comer from neighbouring Poland.
The biggest outcry of the evening resulted from the way The Ring #1 cruiserweight contender Steve "USS" Cunningham (24-3, 12KO) lost his IBF title to unrated Yoan Pablo Hernandez (25-1, 13KO). Hernandez had his moment in the first round, knocking Cunningham down with an overhand left. The American was badly hurt, but received a long count from referee Mickey Vann and barely survived the round.
From the second round on Cunningham took the initiative and began to assert himself as the more commanding fighter in the ring. In the third round an accidental clash of heads caused a fairly bad cut on the left side of Hernandez`s forehead. At the same time Cunningham seemed to outwork the German-based Cuban collecting points with a steady output of punches.
The fourth round saw Cunningham still be the more active fighter, but Hernandez scoring some fairly big shots. In the fifth and sixth the action was once again dictated by Cunningham and in the fifth the American was also able to connect on a couple of decent body shots.
There was another accidental clash of heads in the sixth, cutting Hernandez above the right eye. The cuts didn`t seem all that bad, but the referee decided to stop the bout between the sixth and seventh rounds on the advice of Hernandez`s corner.
After the stoppage the scorecards read 59-54 and 58-55 in favour of Hernandez and 57-56 in favour of Cunningham, so the IBF cruiserweight belt changed hands on a curious split technical decision. This writer had the bout scored 57-56 to Cunningham and in any case it is very hard to imagine how someone had it 59-54 for Hernandez even with the first round knockdown. No wonder the word "rematch" started to surface immediately in the postfight interviews and other coverage.
The other controversial decision came earlier in the evening after a hard-fought rematch-encounter between The Ring #8 and #9 light heavyweight contenders Karo Murat (24-1-1, 14KO) of Germany and former WBA light heavy titlist Gabriel Campillo (21-3-1, 8KO) of Spain. After Murat`s early activity Campillo took control of the fight and although the German was able to mount a late surge, the Spaniard seemed to have done enough to earn a decision. The result was a split draw with the scores being 117-111 for Campillo, 115-113 for Murat and 114-114 even.
The final fight of the evening had a dramatic ending of its own although the outcome wasn`t much in doubt at the time of the stoppage. The home crowd favourite, The Ring #4 middleweight contender and former IBF titlist Sebastian Sylvester (34-5-1, 16KO) was on the receiving end of a possible career-ending three-round beating administered by up-and-coming unrated Pole Grzegorz Proksa (26-0, 19KO).
From the opening bell the Polish southpaw showed superior speed and skill against the stiff 31-year-old German. Proksa scored big shots from various angles and Sylvester was almost completely unable to reach the slick-moving Pole. In the second round a hard left from Proksa opened a nasty cut over Sylvester`s right eye and the German`s face was covered with blood after just two rounds of one-sided action.
In the third round Sylvester connected with a good right hand but after that Proksa turned on another gear and pummeled his foe mercilessly towards the end of the round. During the break the referee decided to stop the fight due to the severity of Sylvester`s cut, which was already greatly impairing his vision.
This fight might have ended Sebastian Sylvester`s boxing career at the top ranks of the middleweight division. The 26-year-old Grzegorz Proksa on the other hand showed remarkable superiority in his toughest test yet. With this victory the new EBU middleweight titlist will certainly crack The Ring Top 10 and move closer to a major title bout in the near future.


August 2011 - Finance. Legal Developments by Alfery .
Insolvency proceedings aim mainly to find a complex solution to the financial standing of a debtor who has gone bankrupt according to one of the laws (Act No 182/2006 Sb., on Insolvency and the Methods of its Solution; hereinafter referred to as the "Insolvency Act" ) in the way set forth, especially in order to secure the claims of creditors. In practice, some institutes of the Insolvency Act are used in ways that contrast with its general purpose.


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Judy Rodman
Judy Rodman has over 50 years of award-winning success in the music industry as studio session singer, recording artist, songwriter, musician, studio producer, public speaker, author, blogger, podcaster and vocal coach. Her blog and podcast "All Things Vocal" have over 2 million views and listeners. Her students and recording clients have appeared on The Today Show, The Tonight Show, Letterman, Ellen Degeneres, The Voice, American Idol, America's Got Talent, Grammys, CMA, ACM Awards Shows, NYT Best Seller list. She is member SAG-AFTRA, AFofM, NATS, BMI and is based in Nashville, TN.
www.judyrodman.com
NEW - Check out "Speaking Voice Technique" - Judy's new online video vocal training course!
Judy Rodman is an award-winning vocal coach, recording artist, live performer, public speaker, published author, songwriter, musician, studio producer, podcaster and vocal consultant with over 50 years of success in the music industry.
Named 'Best Vocal Coach" by Nashville Music Pros and "Vocal Coach in Residence" by TC Helicon's VoiceCouncil Magazine, Judy teaches her vocal training method "Power, Path and Performance" to singers and speakers, specializing in maximizing vocal ability and performance impact while eliminating vocal strain. She has authored several vocal training courses, most recently making her ebook and paperback version of 'Singing In The Studio' available on Amazon.
Her articles have appeared in many publications that serve the music industry and voice matters including Music Starts Here, Nashville Musician Survival Guide, Vocals Magazine, Indie Connect Magazine, Voicecouncil.com, Music News Nashville, The Modern Vocalist, TC Helicon's The Ultimate Guide To Singing. Her blog and podcast 'All Things Vocal' have received over 2 million views and plays.
Judy's events include keynote speaker, seminar and workshop host on topics related to voice and music production. She has presented to groups including Indie Connect, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Northern Alabama, Darren Butler Acting Studio, El Paso Acting School, Musician's Union, PCG Nashville Artist Bootcamps and various churches and other venues.
Judy's other career credits include winning "ACM New Female Vocalist", chart-topping singles on MTM Records, and BMI's 'Million-air Award' for co-writing 'One Way Ticket (Because I Can)'. Her latest songwriting cuts include songs placed in the Robert Duvall movie 'Wild Horses' and the Amazon Sci-Fi series 'The Expanse'. She is also writing/revising 3 musicals with Darren J. Butler, all of which have received standing ovations at workshop productions.
With thousands of studio credits including work on legendary hits, Judy produces country, pop, rock, singer/songwriter and r&b projects. Judy also specializes as vocal producer on teams headed by other studio producers. She is frequently hired to create arrangements and sing background vocals.
Her students and recording clients include major and indie recording artists and labels, artist development companies, touring and studio background singers. national public speakers, radio & TV personnel, teachers and voiceover actors. They have appeared on The Today Show, Letterman, Ellen DeGeneres, The Voice, American Idol, America's Got Talent, Grammys, CMA, ACM & MTV Awards Shows, New York Times Best Seller list.
Member of SAG-AFTRA, BMI. AFM Local 257, ACM, NATS, Judy is based in Nashville, Tennessee.


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Sundance Coverage Festival Reviews All Reviews Weird Features Indie News
March 31 2016, 10:00 AM
Screen Anarchists On BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE
Ard Vijn
Editor, Europe; Rotterdam, The Netherlands (@ardvark23)
(The gloves come off as our team becomes a league, FOR JUSTICE!)
Sweeping the world faster than Superman, but tanking harder than the Batmobile on the review front, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is currently the topic of a great many discussions. It is raking in the money, yet its Rotten Tomatoes score wavers around 30%. Rather than rotten, that score actually implies that about a third of the reviews fell on the positive side of the tomato edge, which means that there is at least some division in the opinions.
We see that divide here at Screen Anarchy as well: several people liked it, others didn't, yet others said they would refuse to see the film even if they were paid to do so. Yikes. Therefore, it's time for another round-up of opinions!
James Marsh was the "lucky" critic getting to write our original review (a mostly negative one), so he starts this list with some afterthoughts to his article, but by clicking on the sides of the picture below you can slide through them all to see our general reception of the film. And please, do add your own opinion in the comments!
James Marsh, Ernesto Zelaya Miñano, , Juan J. Espinoza, Zach Gayne, Jim Tudor, Daniel Rutledge and Jaime Grijalba Gomez contributed to this story.
James Marsh, Asian Editor
I saw Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice twice last week. Once in IMAX 3D, and then again in a much smaller 2D presentation a few days after filing my review. Having now endured over five hours of Zack Snyder's meat-headed franchise building, my original published opinion stands. The film is a convoluted, incoherent mess, overstuffed with half-baked ideas that are never given the time or space to be developed or considered adequately.
The film's biggest problem is also what is being championed by its supporters as its greatest strength "it was made for the fans". I agree, BVS was totally made for the fans, but it shouldn't have been. Not when WB spent $250 million on it. DC fans would have turned out in their droves to see any new film starring Batman, Superman et al. What BVS:DOJ needed to do, was open that universe up to everybody else if it was to be a successful foundation for an expanded cinematic universe. Too often the film was deliberately obscure, packed with so many flashbacks, flash forwards, premonitions, dreams and foreshadowing possible future events that the film completely lost its forward momentum and narrative through line.
Despite all this, I have hope for DC's cinematic future. Suicide Squad looks incredibly promising, while Gal Gadot was fantastic as Wonder Woman and I cannot wait to see an entire movie devoted to her. If those films, Wonder Woman in particular, succeed financially, then we can all sit back, rest easy and admit that Snyder did his job right on BVS. If either of them fails, then the future of the Justice League on screen will be walking on very shaky ground indeed.
Ernesto Zelaya Miñano, Contributing Writer
Anyone who's ever read comics or played with action figures as a kid has wondered who would win in a fight between Supes and Batman. So when Dawn finally dispensed with setup and actually had these two going at each other, I was jumping in my seat from excitement, even though I knew Superman could kill Bruce Wayne with just his thumb if he wanted to.
But then came the obligatory CGI orgy climax with the thirteen-foot Orc, and I kept wondering why every comic book movie nowadays feels the need to end in the same way. Suddenly Batman became a third wheel in his own movie; the Dark Knight just feels out of place fighting massive, planet-destroying monsters, in the same way that Big Blue Boy Scout Superman isn't really cut out for the morose, brooding thing. Not Affleck's fault; he actually makes for a great goddamn Batman.
It's a mess, but deep down, there's a good story here, about the two heroes' different approaches to crime fighting, and them and the world coming to terms with that. But Snyder wants to go big and sometimes falls on his ass. Get rid of the incoherent dream sequences (I'm still scratching my head with the Road Warrior Batman bit); get rid of the universe-building breadcrumbs for future movies and actually try telling a complete story for once (I blame Marvel for this even if I'm a fan); get rid of Wonder Woman, who's badass but has nothing to do; and then you've got a truly great film.
A lot of ambition is better than none at all, and this isn't the Death of Cinema like so many reviews have said; it's plenty fun in spots. But it's trying to do too much, and all because some suits are probably having a dick-measuring contest with the studio next door.
Jason Gorber, Featured Critic
I really, really didn't like Snyder's last kick at the Superman can, finding myself bored by the CGI mayhem and lamenting the waste of a perfectly good Michael Shannon. I remember watching Man of Steel and being taken out for a moment to reflect on the carnage (much the way I did during The Avengers, frankly). I can watch Autobots help destroy Chicago when battling Decepticons without regard for human life, but for some reason in the context of caped heroes I wasn't able to suspend my disbelief.
It's perhaps because of this I genuinely have a soft spot for Batman v Superman. There's loads wrong with it, that's for certain, but I genuinely find myself liking that it takes itself seriously without completely turning into a dour, predictable mess. I mean, it's dour, and predictable, but rarely a mess, and I'll leave that there as perhaps the most backhanded compliment I've ever given a film.
I can't say I'm enthralled with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but I do think it's a lot of fun if you let it be. Divorced from the pent-up expectations and narrative consistency it's a film of ambition and at times wit. Like many flicks these days it's doing plenty of heavy lifting in order to lay the foundation for future iterations, but as a singular work it remains effective. Finally, it pulls off a pretty sterling magic act, making the turd that is Man of Steel shinier retroactively.
In the end, we've got a guy who flies and shoots lasers out of his eyes and a billionaire orphan with a vigilante complex duking it out. It's the stuff of adolescent dreams, yet by tying it to deeper archetypal stories and overt historical visual references Snyder and his team manage to make it feel Batman v Superman almost, dare I say it, adult.
(Editor Ard Note: These are bits taken and pieces from a far more eloquent review Jason wrote over on Dorkshelf.)
Juan J. Espinoza, Contributing Writer
The DC Cinematic Universe is too small for Zack Snyder. Even from its start one can sense that something is off in the way Zack Snyder and his editor David Brenner have laid out the narrative for Batman v. Superman, to the point of almost not having a proper dramatic build-up to its finale. The climatic battle between the two titular characters seems almost badly edited as if it's obvious that the general audiences would not care much, because after all, Batman and Superman don't need a big show-off presentation, being the trans-generational icons they are.
And this I can understand, even from a pure audience point of view, because how many times have we seen this two characters portrayed in the screen in the last 30 years? The filmmakers did a good job at introducing Batman into this universe, no more origin story exhaustively explained ad nauseum, but with a few glimpses of what really happened to this character (via a superbly filmed main credits sequence) and with the fresh memory of the events from Man on Steel, this film goes right to the action within the first minutes of its duration. The thing is, there's no time to breathe for any of these characters, so the actions they partake in seem almost as if the impulse to act is not coming from them, but from a superior force: time.
And I'm not talking about the time in the chronological sense of what the story needs, but the time frame that Warner has chosen to try and catch up with Marvel in the construction of its cinematic universe. That's the real threat in Batman v. Superman, because none of these icons (separately or by themselves) can, successfully, stop the war for the box office. And that's a shame because I think all the choices the filmmakers did, especially regarding the casting and the story, were spot-on.
I like the films that Disney has made out of the Marvel properties, but what I haven't enjoyed that much from them is the boring homogeneity which all those films had. The Marvel films I really liked were those that derailed a little of the formulaic, e.g. Iron Man Three, which is a Marvel film within the so called MCU, but is also a Shane Black film.
I thought DC was gonna follow this course of action, getting a very idiosyncratic filmmaker to work on a property, so he can turn in a film that resembles that comic universe, but at the same time be a work you could enjoy and read (and incorporate) into his body of work. And for the most part Batman v. Superman is a Zack Snyder movie. Sadly, it is a film that most surely was botched so it could get more showings in the day. In fact when you watch the movie, you feel as if the urgency to lay the ground for the Justice League film was more important than anything else. Add to this the hasty pacing and the result is as if these two and a half hours were basically the summary of a series of films that precede it…
"Previously on the DC Universe…"
Zach Gayne, Contributing Writer
I'd be more interested in the film if it were gay porn, despite not being gay.
Ard Vijn, Associate Editor, features
I'm not automatically a fan of Zack Snyder, but I still have a huge respect for what he managed to do with the "unfilmable property" called Watchmen. Getting most of that story's most memorable beats within a single movie's running time can't have been easy, and that he got as far as he did was unexpected, and very impressive.
But after that film, his output has been firmly in the cool-but-flawed category. Still, in every one of his films there is much I like, even if it is often coupled with content or decisions I find unfathomably awful. With this in mind, I went into Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and again I saw a lot of things I liked. Ben Affleck is solid as Bruce Wayne, Henry Cavill is a very likable Superman (sometimes despite the films he's been put in), and Gal Gadot knocks it out of the park as Wonder Woman.
And convoluted? As superhero pile-ups go, this one is fairly grounded if you're used to some of the massive multi-series comic-book crossovers. Try explaining to someone who doesn't read comics why "Crisis on Infinite Earths" was an "event", or why Superman's return after his nineties' comic-book death felt so awesome. But if you're not a seasoned aficionado, it's hard to look beyond the trashy pulp nature of it all.
And the cinematic language used in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice almost screams IMPORTANCE in your face, while its story is once again very much pulp. Can anyone explain to me what Luther's endgame was if he had won? Getting rid of one meta-human by replacing him with an unguided meta-monster, because you're afraid of meta-monsters (and gleefully claiming you've probably lured more of them to Earth) seems a bit... odd. Then again, "a bit... odd" probably sums up this Lex Luther best.
For what it's worth, I had quite some fun in the cinema. But while in the past, Marvel's MCU films have sometimes managed to wriggle themselves in my top-10 lists at the end of the year, rest assured this one will come nowhere near it.
Jim Tudor, Featured Critic
From first Dawn to the latest, Zack Snyder has proven himself to be a director of diminishing returns. Any spark, zest, or zeal evident in his 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead has, by Dawn of Justice, bled out. Insufferably bloated yet hollow, Batman v Superman is Snyder's largest sensory assault yet. Devoid of any real stakes, engaging story, or even action for the longest time, the film overcompensates by being dark, being loud, and being just plain big. The pervasive adolescent preening that permeates the work, as though there's a line of vital intellectual stimulation underneath it all is a particular kind of four-color pop culture kool-aid that's gone sour ten years ago.
Things fly all over the screen, challenging the eye to follow both the blocking and the cuts. The assault aesthetic of the film itself is, in this post-Michael Bay world, unfortunately nothing new. It's all more headache than movie; an experience far more like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen than Marvel's ,The Avengers. Even for devoted superhero fans who love these characters, this permutation of the DC universe is a chore. One that no child should be subjected to.
My local IMAX auditorium saw fit to show the film at ear-bleeding volume, making an already rough movie all the more difficult. When you feel the urge to cover your ears when Jesse Eisenberg is talking, you know that your screening is too loud. (Or, maybe I was partly reacting to the actor's gawdawful portrayal of Lex Luthor?) In this setting, Batman v Superman proved to be the world's loudest movie like Spinal Tap is the world's loudest band.
Sadly, Snyder's latest is an attack that not even the world's greatest heroes can conquer. In a pop culture landscape already cluttered with "capes", this is far from the world's finest.
Daniel Rutledge, Contributing Writer
My good will for Zack Snyder finally ran out with this film. I defended Watchmen, even Sucker Punch, being just so thrilled with his visual style and action direction that his patchy storytelling was acceptable. This po-faced yet farcical nonsense barely has any enjoyable action to justify how dull, baffling and stupid the story is. Character wise, almost nothing worked for me. The Batman they created is super cool, despite not behaving like Batman. There are a few moments that are perfect translations of the comic book moments they are based on. And while the story doesn't make sense and the characters are terribly written, it's not as infuriating and punishing a film as any of the Transformers movies. But it's still pretty damn far from a good film and a dire sign of what's to come with the Justice League slate. It's amazing how much they got wrong in this - don't get me started on Eisenberg's Lex Luthor or Wonder Woman's wafer thin characterization. But it all could have been worth it if the title fight and Doomsday fight delivered the goods. They don't. They're dull blurs of CGI suckiness, a disappointing end to a hugely disappointing film.
Jaime Grijalba, Contributing Writer
I think the main problem with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, is just how much more interesting reading and discussing about it is than watching the movie itself. Sure, it defeats the purpose that you have to actually endure the more than 150 minutes to be part of the incredibly interesting conversation, but in the end everything that's surrounding the film itself is much more important and ideologically sound than anything that was going on between Affleck and Cavill. There's a reason for that. No matter what kind of conversation you're having, either if you're defending it, or trashing it, or just discussing philosophy applied to these superheroes, or whatever abstract intention you're having with your hot takes or your pieces, is that in the end one feels obliged to become creative with this film. Because it is a film that is filled with many voids and one feels compelled to fill them. Not in the same way that you'd fill voids in a film that leaves you with questions, but as in a film that lacks so much artistry and craftsmanship, that you're just trying to fill it with your words, so it has some sort of closure in your mind.
The End... To Be Continued?
Your opinion is valid as well of course, so chime in, in the comments below, and HAVE YOUR SAY!
BatmanBen AffleckGal GadotHenry CavillJustice LeagueSupermanWonder WomanZack Snyder
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Programming Essentials: Arrays, Hashes & Working with Collections in Ruby
In this workshop, we explore:
- The difference between Hashes and Arrays
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This webinar is free and open to all. While not too much prior programming experience is required, to get the most out of this session check out Launch School's free preparatory course RB100 (launchschool.com).
Feb 10, 2023 06:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Hi there, You are invited to a Zoom webinar. When: Feb 10, 2023 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Topic: Programming Essentials: Arrays, Hashes & Working with Collections in Ruby Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yFdO4bS9SQmEu6o3ERyp9w After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.


Super sorry I haven't posted in a while! Anyway another one of my bros had a birthday party and this is what I wore. It's nothing special but I figured I had better do a post anyway since I haven't posted in about two weeks (I can't believe it's been that long).
So glad I'm back to posting! Have a great day!
About a week ago I said I would show y'all what I got while on vacation and now I'm finally getting around to doing it.
(This what I got from two different Thrift Stores).
My mom suggested that I sew on little lace cap sleeves (thanks mom) which I will probably do in the future but for now I just add a jacket when I wear this.
I could not believe it when I found these earrings! I was so happy!
So that's all that I got for myself but I was able to find a couple things for my younger sister.
And something for a baby I know.
That's all, I know it's not a ton of stuff but I'd rather get a few things I need than waste my money on a bunch of stuff I don't need.


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hack Yo-Kai Watch Wibble is a well-translated Russian speed puzzle that collects fans all over the world thanks to its style and design. Her predecessor was no less popular, and even more among the anime fans and not only Yo-Kai Watch. We will travel through the already known from the previous game to the city of Springdale and its districts. With the previous version, there are many similar things: different subjects, sounds, animations, musical accompaniment, characters. That attracted a huge number of audience and fans of Yo-Kai Watch. But, despite this, it remains an individual. You can take advantage of this YO-KAI WATCH Wibble Wobble Hack and get infinite amount of Y-Money.
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Ever wondered what the book awards are and how they are selected? Following is a list of some of the best known book awards.
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. Administration of the prize was transferred to the Booker Prize Foundation in 2002, the title sponsor became the investment company Man Group, which opted to retain "Booker" as part of the official title of the prize.
The award was bequeathed by the will of Australian novelist, Miles Franklin for a 'published novel or play portraying Australian life in any of its phases'.
In their 31 year history, the NSW Premier's Literary Awards have honoured many of Australia's greatest writers and most significant works. The Awards help to establish values and standards in Australian literature and draw international attention to some of the country's best writers and to the cultural environment that nurtures them. There are over 10 categories, including a people's choice award.
The Women's Prize for Fiction (formerly the Orange Prize) is the UK's most prestigious annual book award for fiction written by a woman, celebrating excellence, innovation and accessibility and the best of outstanding international fiction in women's writing.
The literary awards have four categories; fiction, non-fiction, young adult fiction and children's fiction. The Prime Minister's Literary Awards celebrate the contribution of Australian literature to the nation's cultural and intellectual life. The awards, held annually, recognise literature's importance to our national identity, community and economy.
This is awarded for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life. There are also Pulitzer categories for drama, history, biography, poetry and non-fiction.
Literary prize for Australian women's writing, both fiction and non-fiction are included in this award. It was announced for the first time in 2013.
An annual celebration that celebrates the connection between Australian readers and the 'book makers' – authors, editors, publishing professionals and retailers, who unite to create the must-read books of the year.
The Walkley Literary Award celebrates excellence in non-fiction writing. This Walkley literary award specifically recognises journalism in book form, and is open to all examples of journalistic non-fiction works by Australian writers.
Established in 1996 to encourage the highest standards of writing in biography and autobiography. The award is administered and presented by the State Library of New South Wales on behalf of the award's benefactors, Dr Geoffrey Cains and Mr Michael Crouch AO, and the State Library Foundation.


Nach ein paar Mal hören steigert sich der Track schon. Allerdings habe ich doch etwas anderes erwartet, eher in Richtung "Talking Body" oder "Thousand Miles". "Cool Girl" ist okay aber dieses sich wiederholende "imma imma Cool Girl" ist etwas nervig und dazu ist mir der Track fast etwas zu langsam. Deshalb zum Glück nur 3:19 lang.
Edit: Okay, mittlerweile sind es doch ziemlich klare 5*, die ich Tove Lo vergeben kann. Irgendwie hat das ganze schon was und man kann halt mitsingen, was doch ein Plus darstellt. Die Höchstnote gibts aber noch nicht.
Mit "Cool Girl" lanicert Tove Lo ein persönliches Highlight bisher im Sommer, was Pop-Musik angeht!
Perfekt produziert, tolle Lyrics und gut Interpretiert!
Einer ihrer besten Singles! Hoffentlich wieder ein Hit für sie!
Finde ich doch etwas dünn. Sehr repetitiver, etwas fußlahmer Track mit ein paar elektronischen Spielereien und ansonsten solidem, aber keineswegs herausstechendem Sound. Die ständigen Wiederholungen langweilen mich hier.
Throwback to when this had a ridiculous run on my AP? Thanks to charting at a period where my AP was getting increasingly weaker near the top, this spent two weeks at #1 and 13 weeks in the top 10. Stay High in comparison only made it to #20 on my AP :P I can't really say I enjoy it as much as that song, but it's certainly my second favourite from Tove. It has a very cool vibe to it, in particular the production. It's a shame the chorus is a little underwhelming, but the pre-chorus more than makes up for that.
The lyrics are brilliant, and I'm able to relate to the theme of being torn between being a so called cool boy and someone who deeply falls in love with people and wants to be committed to them. It's a confusing grey area that can lead you to feeling like crap, especially when you really like a person. A grey area that still confuses me to this day. I'm so glad that this was a moderate sized chart hit at the very least.


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You might think you're a cat person, but Mariya and Aleksandr Dmitriev are big cat people. We're talking biiiiiig cat people. Rather t...
This Sick Puma Was Rescued From A Zoo And Is Now A Spoiled House Cat
by creepyworld August 04, 2020 0 commentaires
You might think you're a cat person, but Mariya and Aleksandr Dmitriev are big cat people. We're talking biiiiiig cat people. Rather than adopting your everyday tabby cat, Mariya and Aleksandr are the proud caretakers of Messi—a puma who was born into captivity and rescued from death.
But Messi isn't your average wild animal that will rip your head off the moment it sees you. Messi is the sweetest, cuddliest housecat you'll find.
Messi Became Sick When He Was Only Three Months Old
Messi was one of three cougar cubs that were born at the Saransk Zoo in Penza, Russia. Messi and his brothers, Suarez and Neymar, were named after famous soccer players to pay tribute to Russia hosting four games of the World Cup.
@I_am_puma/Instagram
Unfortunately, Messi began having health problems when he was three months old. The Saransk Zoo did their best to take care of him but they were okay with someone taking Messi off their hands.
Aleksandr Always Dreamed Of Having A Big Cat
Messi's fate changed when Mariya and Aleksandr visited the zoo and saw him when he was eight months old. According to Mariya, Aleksandr always dreamed of owning a big housecat, and finally, their dreams might come true.
The couple thought their big housecat would be a lynx. When they found out Messi was sick and the zoo might give him up, they immediately started negotiations with to buy him and take the sick puma off their hands.
Mariya And Aleksandr Finally Brought Him Home
Mariya and Aleksandr were pleasantly surprised when the zoo agreed to let them have Messi. They knew it would be difficult, but the first thing they had to do was nurse the kitten back to health.
Mariya said that beyond the challenges of Messi being a wild animal, he was extremely weak and required constant attention for the first few months. Even once Messi returned to full health, he still only grew to about two-thirds the size of a normal puma.
There Are Other Challenges To Taking Care Of A Puma
Now that Messi is healthy, Mariya and Aleksandr have had to deal with the challenges of raising a wild animal as a house cat. The couple tried to find a wild animal trainer to help then teach Messi commands but no one agreed to work with the couple.
The couple also lives in a one-bedroom apartment. Still, they've done their best to accommodate Messi. The turned their hallway into Messi's den featuring stairs to climb and a real tree to scratch.
Basically, It's Like Owning A Dog
Eventually, the couple was able to find a dog training school that allowed Messi to attend. The puma-turned-house cat can now respond to ten different commands. Much like a dog, Messi also requires a lot of exercise.
While in captivity, Messi hadn't been active at all. The couple had a special harness and coat made for Messi so they can take him on walks. Now, they can walk Messi twice a day for an hour each time.
Of Course, There Are Still Some Dangers With Owning A Puma
While Mariya and Aleksandr insist that Messi is gentle and has the same temperament as a regular house cat, there have been some animal activists that disagree. Many activists have voiced their belief that Messi should be living in the wild, but the couple disagrees since Messi has never had to survive alongside other animals.
Other activists note that even though Messi is gentle, he still has animal instincts that could be dangerous. For now, Messi will remain with Mariya and Aleksandr as the most spoiled house cat in Russia.
Messi's Domestic Life Isn't Against The Law
Some of the animal rights activists who aren't a fan of Messi have questioned how Mariya and Aleksandr can legally own him. Some countries have stricter laws against owning what are considered to be "wild" animals, but Russia's laws are quite limited.
The only laws Russia has in place regarding wild animals are for if you injure or kill one. So technically, Mariya and Aleksandr aren't breaking any laws. Mike Tyson's tiger wasn't breaking any laws either though.
He's A Social Media Star
As the controversy around Messi continues to grow, so does his fan base. When Mariya and Aleksandr brought home Messi, they created an Instagram and YouTube account for the puma. As of May 2019, Messi's Instagram account has 944,000 followers and his YouTube channel boasts 345,000 subscribers.
If you head over to his YouTube you can see videos of Messi and Aleksandr working out together, and even a video about how to properly give a puma a bath.
Messi Doesn't Like Going To The Vet Though
Even though Messi is more than two years old, he still has some serious health issues that have followed him from his childhood. In particular, Messi has had to deal with muscular atrophy and rickets that likely stemmed from when he was neglected as a cub.
Messi also has to take specific minerals and vitamin supplements to keep his bones healthy. Still, he walks with a limp and has had to visit the vet several times.
They Cheer For Argentina Just For Messi
Even though Messi was originally named after Argentinian soccer star Lionel Messi, both Mariya and Aleksandr couldn't care less about soccer. In an interview with Reuters, Aleksandr said the couple "are not soccer fans" but that has since changed.
Aleksandr also said now that they have Messi, the couple will watch soccer together and "cheer for the Argentina team simply because of our Messi." The global sport just gained two more fans thanks to this special puma!
It Isn't Cheap To Keep Messi Happy And Healthy
Pet owners spend an average of $1,285 on their pets every year. Americans alone spend $70 billion on pets every year. Taking care of Messi also comes with a high price tag. He is fed twice a day and his diet consists of raw turkey, beef, and chicken.
Mariya and Aleksandr say that it costs about 20,000-40,000 rubles every month to feed him. That equals out to $300-$600 just for food. That doesn't even include any of the pricey vet bills.
Messi Entertains Himself At Home
Mariya and Aleksandr have gone to great lengths to make sure Messi feels at home in their apartment. His favorite toys to play with are empty bottles and balls. He frequently plays with his miniature soccer ball that was a gift from a Brazilian journalist.
Along with his specially-crafted climbing nook, Messi has a mirrored wall so he can keep himself entertained. Or, he can just sit beside the mirrored wall looking pensive while "Reflection" from Mulan plays in the background.
The Dog Training Is Actually Working
It might sound crazy, but those dog training classes that Mariya and Aleksandr enrolled Messi in have actually worked. He knows ten commands and the list keeps growing. Messi is also perfectly fine walking in a harness and the couple says he rarely pulls.
Not only is his training working but Messi is a good friend to the other dogs in the class. All the neighborhood dogs have taken a liking to Messi and have no problems letting him learn with them.
He's Even House Trained
Not only is Messi on the way to being a well-trained puma in public, but Mariya and Aleksandr have even managed to house train him. Messi does most of his business outside when they go on walks and short day-trips.
When the option for a walk isn't there, Messi has been trained to relieve himself in the bathtub. It's the same bathtub that Messi has been trained to calmly sit in when Mariya and Aleksandr give him a bath.
Cuddling Is Messi's Favorite Pastime
When Mariya and Aleksandr brought Messi home, he was calm but he wasn't super affectionate. Over the years, Messi has slowly become affectionate towards his human family and become more and more like a typical house cat.
Messi loves to be stroked and especially loves getting scratched behind his ears. He has his own "cat" bed but will often lay with Aleksandr in the couple's bed. Messi even learned not to have his claws out when jumping on the bed.
Having A Puma Can Be Limiting
Mariya and Aleksandr admit that having a large cat-like Messi as a pet has put some limitations on their life. Right now, the only options for holidays are those within driving distance. That doesn't mean they can't find a hotel that will allow Messi to stay though.
Aleksandr, who works at a printing house in town, also admits that he can no longer join his friends for a drink after work since he has to walk Messi. Those problems won't sound unfamiliar for anyone with a dog or kids though.
There Are Some Animals He Doesn't Like
While Messi is gentle and has never attacked a human, Mariya and Aleksandr have found that there are some animals that he just doesn't like. Messi is usually timid of any animals that are larger than him and make strange sounds.
Mariya and Aleksandr found that out the hard way when they took Messi to visit a farm with cows. Luckily, Messi won't actually harm the animals. He'll just stay on guard until they are gone.
Their Housecat Isn't Much Of A Fan Either
The other animals that Messi doesn't get along with is Mariya and Aleksandr's other cat. The couple already had six-year-old Sphynx cat named Kira before they got Messi. They introduced the two cats to each other but when Messi tried to play with Kira, she hissed and tried to claw him.
Since Kira isn't the biggest fan of Messi, Mariya and Aleksandr have made sure to keep the pair separated while in the apartment.
He Has No Idea He's A Huge Star
One of the things Mariya and Aleksandr love about Messi is that he's as down to earth as they come. Mariya said she "thanks God" he doesn't realize he's a star because "stars usually have demands."
Instead, Messi lives without any special treatment and doesn't get jealous when Mariya and Aleksandr pay attention to Kira instead. Owning a puma is already pretty demanding, so Mariya is happy that "he does not ask for royal shrimps for breakfast."
Messi Isn't The Only Big Cat They Want
You might think raising a puma and a sphynx cat would be enough for Mariya and Aleksandr, but the couple has expressed a desire for more cats. They plan to move from their apartment and into a bigger house in the near future to give their cats more space.
The pair also hope to adopt a leopard in the future as a companion for Messi. The couple will likely end up with more criticism if they adopt another large cat, but they don't seem too phased about it. All they care about is giving Messi the best life they can.
Now that you've read all about Messi, keep going to learn about the heartwarming story between a human and another wild animal!
The Pastoral Life
Erikas Plucas/Facebook
This is Erikas Plucas, a farmer in Lithuania. Living on a farm next to a forest, Erikas gets to experience the wonders of nature often. Like many countryside residents, he finds solace in the peace that comes with living away from urban areas.
While he may be far from heavily populated cities and metropolitan areas, he has plenty of company. Erikas encounters both his farm animals and wild animals from the forest all the time.
An Unexpected Discovery
Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty Images
One day, Erikas arrived home to discover a baby moose lying near his farm's gate. Any animal expert knows that seeing a baby animal often means that the mother is nearby, and she could be a threat.
Erikas looked around for the mother, but she was nowhere to be found. It was then that he took a closer look at the helpless calf. He approached it slowly, so as not to frighten it. Upon inspection, Erikas was able to deduce the backstory of this young animal.
As Erikas slowly neared the baby moose, he realized she must be no more than two weeks old. "The first sight of her was heartbreaking," he said. Like any young animal would be, the calf was quite scared of Erikas at first sight.
However, she was too weak to run away. Without her mother, the baby moose didn't have food or safety. Dirty and riddled with flies, the young animal was clearly in desperate need of help.
Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
As Erikas looked at this weak, young moose, he began piecing together in his mind what could have possibly brought her to such a state. The clearest answer was that the mother of this young calf had been harmed.
He deduced that the baby moose must have witnessed her mother get taken out by hunters. The barely born animal would have instinctively run away in search of solitude. Whether she was too weak to go on or somehow knew that the farm would be a safe place, something had brought her to Erikas' farm gate for a reason.
Upon finding a wild animal, the first thing that comes to mind is contacting animal services. That's exactly what Erikas did. While waiting for them to arrive, he took necessary courses of action to keep the calf alive.
He found as many green leaves as he could and offered them to the calf along with some milk. Time was of the essence since she was already in poor condition and animal services wouldn't be able to arrive until the next day.
Lack Of Support
The young moose took well to the food Erikas offered. Confident that she needed to eat right away in order to survive, Erikas was happy to see that she would likely make it to the morning, after all.
Since he already contacted animal services, the next step was to solicit advice. Erikas contacted friends but was surprised that they all seemed to have the same negative reaction. They encouraged him to "let nature take care of it," Erikas said.
Committed To Helping Her
Regardless of what anyone said, it was already on Erikas' heart to save the baby moose. A true nature-loving farmer, it wasn't in him to simply disregard a helpless creature, especially after bringing her to safety.
The odds of this young calf surviving this far were slim, and he wasn't going to give up on a miracle. Fortunately, he had a barn that would keep her safe from predators. However, he was met with further indifference the following day when animal services arrived.
There Was Only One Way To Keep Her Safe
The calf's condition was better by the morning when animal services arrived. However, they came with sad news. Since there wasn't a service that provided care for orphaned forest animals in Lithuania, they couldn't offer her help.
Instead, they suggested that Erikas call local hunters and inquire if they would take the female moose off his hands. It became clear that the only way to keep her out of harm's way would be to raise her himself.
The Start Of A Friendship
Upon asking his friends for advice, many of them stressed their concern that it may be illegal for Erikas to take on the wild moose as his own. He brought this up with animal services, and to his surprise, they assured him that it would be okay for him to keep her.
However, they also warned him that he would be completely responsible for her from then on. Even knowing he wouldn't receive any help from others, Erikas agreed to take care of the calf.
Afraid Of Everything
It was as though the young moose knew that Erikas was unlike other humans, or at least sensed his willingness to help her. She was petrified of everything except for him.
Physical healing was one thing. However, there was an emotional component that Erikas would have to work with, too. Since she had been scared from an extremely young age, he would need to put in some effort to build her confidence again.
Sudden Fatherhood
Erikas named the calf Emma and committed to being there for her as long as she needed. This wasn't an easy task while she was young. She needed to be fed frequently and craved Erikas' presence constantly.
As soon as he would walk into the house she would cry. So, he began sleeping in the barn just to help Emma feel safe. All of his efforts were not lost on the young moose. She grew to trust Erikas above all else.
She Found Her Comfort Zone
Erikas continued to meet every need of Emma's, and so she began to trust him and his farm. At last, the baby moose could feel comfortable and safe in her new home.
However, Erikas new that she couldn't live on a farm forever. He wanted her to have a normal life and knew that meant gradually supporting her reintroduction into the wild. Emma was scared of everything outside of her safe bubble, so getting her back on her own would be a challenge.
While all of Erikas' love and support, Emma began growing larger. Erikas knew that it was time to start taking her out of her comfort zone. He did this by taking her on walks through the forest.
He hoped that being in nature would help develop her natural instincts. Despite her traumatic experiences, Emma followed Erikas wherever he went. At first, she was hesitant to go back into the forest. However, she trusted the man who raised her.
Teaching Her The Ways Of The Wild
Without a mother to teach her the ways of the wild, Emma was ill-equipped to take care of herself. Fortunately, Erikas knew a fair amount about nature and the forest.
As she was nearly grown, it was imperative to teach Emma all he could before releasing her back into the wild. So, Erikas walked her to safe areas that can food. He did his best to communicate to her where she should and shouldn't go so that one day she could do it on her own.
Getting Comfortable With The Wild
Gradually, Emma became more and more comfortable with nature. In addition to going for walks, she and Erikas began swimming together in nearby lakes. Sunshine or snow, the pair could be seen spending time outdoors.
As she began to adapt to different outdoor settings, Emma grew increasingly more comfortable and trusting. When it came to humans, however, the only one she was okay with was Erikas. He said, "To me, she is gentle and loving."
A Gentle Giant
@erikasplucas/Instagram
Emma had grown so accustomed to Erikas that she even began watching her strength when she was around him. It was because of him that she was able to grow big and strong, but that also made her a danger.
Erikas was no match to Emma now that she had all of her strength and weighed hundreds of pounds. However, that was never a problem; she was always careful not to hurt the man who had cared for her.
Too Kind To Be Hunted
Emma's gentleness towards Erikas was something he couldn't keep to himself. She was proof that moose were emotional creatures capable of caring for not only their own kind but for a human.
Emma was grown and nearly ready to take on life by herself. Erikas couldn't risk Emma falling victim to the same fate that had taken her mother's life. He had to do something to ensure Emma's safety, at the very least for his own peace of mind.
Changing The Mind Of Hunters
Green Global Travel/Pinterest
He decided to have a few hunters come over so that they could see that Emma was more than a meal. Her intelligence was evident in her ability to contain herself and avoid causing harm. Her love was also apparent in the way she was with Erikas.
Sure enough, the hunters who came over vowed not to inflict harm on the sweet animal. Some of them decided that they would avoid hunting moose altogether, while others decided they were done hunting period.
Leaving For The Day
Thanks to the love and help of her human friend, Emma was gaining confidence. She went from being afraid of the forest, to following Erikas on walks through the forest each day.
Eventually, she began wandering off all by herself. Like a parent, Erikas had to grow accustomed to her absence and trust she would return safely. He knew that the local hunters would stay clear of harming her and that she was strong, but it still worried him.
Learning To Let Go
Erikas' fear spiked the first night that Emma spent the night in the forest. He recalls that he barely even slept. The very place he had taught Emma to trust was now a source of fear for Erikas.
However, he knew that this was exactly what he'd hoped for and raised her to do. Sure enough, Emma returned after each of her adventures. Safe, grown, and fully independent, she was beginning to live her life in her natural habitat.


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By Boris Seewald | Drama
A young woman walks up to the mic and gives the speech of her life.
A young woman approaches the microphone in a small room. Aiming to be heard loud and clear, she begins to speak, desperate to find her place in the wake of a relationship that has ended.
But as she speaks, she stumbles onto something even greater: the speech of her life, and a manifesto for living.
Writer-director Boris Seewald's short drama — co written with Philip Moore — isn't a traditional narrative in a storytelling sense, though it does examine in great depth and intimacy the effect of a romantic breakup on one young woman.
Instead, it's almost a cinematic poem, in the form of a monologue — but one imagined as filtered through the style of Wes Anderson or Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Beautifully expressive camerawork adds a sense of dynamism, along with the richly saturated colors and dramatic lighting that characterizes the cinematography. Though the focus may be tight on the film's central performer and her thoughts, the visuals add mood and texture and heighten the emotional ups and downs, as does the powerful musical score, which is a pleasure to listen to all on its own.
The great pleasure of "Afterword" is its beautiful poetic stream of language, brought to life with a compelling performance by lead actor Marama Corlett. Essentially an imaginary speech addressed to her ex, Corlett's character must find her voice in the aftermath of a relationship that has ended. She begins with detailing the mundane floating minutiae of her brain, with random facts, observations and "advice," as if trying to sift through her anxious, swirling thoughts.
But the performance and language eventually deepens to something richly philosophical and emotional, and eventually the film becomes an imaginary conversation reckoning with the ending of the relationship and its impact.
In a sense, the film is about how we create meaning from emotional chaos, especially one created by the loss of love and intimacy. Told with great style and tremendous cinematic panache, "Afterword" becomes less a lament over lost love but a manifesto about connection, openness and the value of experience. Watching it becomes a powerful call of not be an "island" anymore, but a larger, active part of the world. As the film says, "We're connected… we're all connected."


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The Royals' hot pitching prospect at Class A Wilmington? It's Binford now
foxsports Jun 13, 2014 at 12:22p ET
Christian Binford is putting up numbers for Class A Wilmington that should get him a promotion soon.
Brad Glazier (302) 477-1118
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — While all eyes have been on highly touted prospects Miguel Almonte and Sean Manaea at Class A Wilmington, it is Christian Binford who is making a case for advancement.
Binford, a 30th-round pick in 2011, continues to impress with his uncanny command — he has walked just 11 hitters in 64 innings while striking out a team-high 74. The right-hander also has a 2.39 ERA.
And Binford, despite all the strikeouts, has managed to keep his pitch count down enough to make it through seven innings in five starts — impressive for the low minors, where pitch counts are strictly enforced.
"Even though he racks up a good amount of strikeouts, he still gets his fair share of early-pitch contact," Blue Rocks manager Darryl Kennedy told The News Journal of Wilmington, Del. "It allows him to get deeper into games. He stays ahead of the hitters, and he just maximizes the number of pitches that he has out there."
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Don't be surprised if it's Binford and not Almonte or Manaea who gets a call soon to advance to Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
Almonte, incidentally, got a scare recently when he had to leave his last start early because of elbow tenderness. An MRI revealed no structural issues, and the right-hander likely will simply skip a start to rest the elbow.
Almonte, who at the beginning of the season seemed a lock to move up to Double A, is not dominating at high-A ball as the Royals would have hoped. He has a 4.48 ERA in a pitcher's league, though he has fanned 64 in 66 innings.
Manaea also has struggled, posting a 5.16 ERA. The lefty has, however, shown the ability to miss bats — 63 strikeouts in 45 innings.
Offensively, last year's top pick, Hunter Dozier, a third baseman, leads the team in hitting at .290 with a .397 on-base percentage. He has a team-high 16 doubles and 34 RBI. In one recent six-game stretch, Dozier went 12 for 23 with five doubles.
LET'S GO ROYALS: Check out these photos of fans and the excitement around Royals baseball.
Bubba Starling, the Royals' top pick in 2011, continues to lag behind, hitting just .190 with three homers and 29 RBI. He has hit in seven of his last eight games, though, and has belted a grand slam during that span.
The news isn't much better for another hitting prospect the Royals are watching closely — outfielder Jorge Bonifacio.
It was hoped that Bonifacio would tear up Double-A pitching with Northwest Arkansas, at least enough for a promotion to Triple A this summer.
But Bonifacio, who turned 21 last week, is just 5 for his last 39. Overall, he's hitting .231 with three homers and 35 RBI and a meager .640 OPS.
The Royals do not have a single .300 hitter at Wilmington or Northwest Arkansas.
You can follow Jeffrey Flanagan on Twitter at @jflanagankc or email him at jeffreyflanagan6@gmail.com.


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In Case You Missed It: Dan Kohl's Swamp-Lobbying Days Solidified Far-Left Ties
Kohl was key supporter of disastrous Iran deal
[Madison, WI] — D.C. Dan Kohl was the founder of a Washington special interest group that helped to prop up far-left candidates. Now that Kohl has moved back to Wisconsin to run for Congress, he's benefitting from those same connections along the way.
Read the full story here or find excerpts below:
Dan Kohl's J Street a Feeder, Endorser of Far Left Candidates and Causes
MacIver Institute
M.D. Kittle
Dan Kohl, the millionaire nephew of former millionaire U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl and Democrat candidate for congress, likes to paint himself as a moderate in a conservative 6th congressional district.
The Mequon resident who spent years pushing liberal causes in D.C. has, for instance, insisted he would not support former Speaker Nancy Pelosi's return to Dem House leadership should he defeat two-term Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah).
Kohl served as political director and as vice president of political affairs for J Street, a Washington, D.C.-based group of liberal activists that has pumped millions of dollars into liberal causes and candidates. Over the past five election cycles, J Street's political action committee has contributed almost exclusively to Democrat candidates, including hundreds of thousands of dollars to Wisconsin ultra liberals, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison), Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison) and Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee).
The George Soros-backed J Street was a major player—and mouthpiece—in the Obama administration-led Iran nuclear deal. The organization, according to multiple sources, received over a half million dollars from the Ploughshares Fund, a group tied to the Obama White House, to sell the agreement to the public.
While a majority of Americans surveyed (56 percent) in May said they support the Iran deal, 34 percent of registered voters surveyed in a July Ipsos/Reuters poll said the Republican Party has the better plan to handle Iran, and 28 percent preferred the Democratic Party's approach.
Grothman stood alongside the vast majority of his fellow House Republicans in 2015 in voting against the agreement. The conservative congressman is a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the deal.
Baldwin reported another $38,000 in bundled campaign contributions in the second quarter from the liberal group, tipping her total contributions from J Street to north of $120,000 in the current election cycle. J Street's PAC is one of Baldwin's top industry contributors, feeding the incumbent senator's campaign nearly $150,000 over the last six years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. In June, J Street organized a fundraiser for Baldwin at a Milwaukee couple's home, with "suggested levels of support" as high as $2,700 for "Gold" sponsors.
Kohl has taken in more than $175,000 in bundled contributions from his old friends. J Street, according to the most recent campaign finance filings, is Kohl's top contributor.