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Home National Interest It's a dirty picture — that's what Sushant Singh Rajput's death reminds...
It's a dirty picture — that's what Sushant Singh Rajput's death reminds us about Bollywood
Bollywood can be so unfair to the outsider because it is a brutally competitive game with no umpires, adjudicators or whistle-blowers.
Shekhar Gupta 25 July, 2020 8:16 am IST
Illustration by Soham Sen | ThePrint
The coronavirus pandemic has also unleashed a rash of viral memes. My favourite is one which has a patient asking a doctor when he thinks the scourge will end. "I don't know," says the doctor. "I am not a journalist."
It is with that sobering thought that I dare to wade into the story of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, and what it tells us about Bollywood. Now, I know you could turn around and confront me with that same meme: You think you can hold forth on cinema just because you are a journalist?
I speak from experience. One reason I love my job is the diversity of experiences it provides, and the fascinating people I interact with.
I have hardly ever written about a film, except for the sociology of the odd remarkable one like Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and Masaan (2015). But, having to shepherd India's premier film awards (Screen Awards, owned by The Indian Express Group when I also functioned as the company's CEO between 2000-2013, besides editor-in-chief) exposes you to this incredible universe.
Incredible, because for something so public, open, and dependent on the wishes of crores of ticket-buying people, or 'bums-on-the-seats' in the insiders' language, it is also the most opaque business you can find. Any outsider would find it impregnable and suffer many heartbreaks, as even one as successful as Sushant probably did.
It has everything: Glamour, fame, money, power, hormones, cliques, dynasties. It is also, generally, a meritocracy. After all, four children of Dharmendra's, including two with Hema Malini, only collected middling Sunny Deol-sized success between them, besides three Parliament seats from the BJP. Abhishek Bachchan, despite his super-famous and powerful parents, spouse, talent and demeanour of maturity not widespread in the film world, has struggled.
So, if Bollywood has all this, what is it that it lacks? What is it that breaks an outsider as talented and successful as Sushant Singh Rajput? The short answer is one word: Respect.
Although grandly called 'industry', this world has no centre of gravity. It can't have any if no one there respects any individual, institution, organisation, government, media, nothing. Everyone within is a rival or an ally. Everyone outside can be bought or arm-twisted (especially media and film critics), or charmed, as in politicians. It is a very lonely place. And the most selfish I have seen. Mind you, I've made my living over four decades covering Indian politics.
Also read:Bollywood's Royals: Brave heroes on screen, spineless zeroes off it
What makes Bollywood a world so unfair to the outsider so much isn't just the dynasties and cliques. It is essentially the fact that it is a brutally competitive game with no umpires, adjudicators or whistle-blowers.
Every year for the Screen Awards, my primary responsibility was to let the formidable editor of Screen (Bhawana Somaiya, and later, Priyanka Sinha Jha) set up a jury, and let them decide without any interference. To that extent, we were successful. Neither the management of the Express Group, nor its owner or his family ever called us to 'suggest' anything. The pressures, however, came once the awards list became known.
The days leading up to the glittering awards evening in Mumbai, each January, was a nightmare. Because film awards in India are no longer just awards and speeches like the Oscars. These are multi-hour television shows paid for by the host channel which, in turn, collects from the sponsors. That needs ratings. Which is ensured in two ways: Get top stars to perform on stage, ideally to a hit song of each one from that year, and to fill in your star enclosure with the most popular faces. The first was easy, if expensive. The second was the trouble.
Because, a star attending or not would depend on whether he/she was getting an award or not. If we couldn't ensure an award (which we never did or would), not only would the star boycott, but also the entire clique or dynasty around him/her. I forget precise dates and regret my poor GK on movies, but the first experience was a boycott by the entire Bachchan clan, maybe in 2004, because of one such dissatisfaction.
There was an incident every year. I am choosing the few here to illustrate the power of every possible element: A dynasty, a clique or an individual star. In the 2011 awards (for 2010 releases), My Name is Khan was apparently the biggest hit. It did not get nominated in any category. Right or wrong, we wouldn't know, because we let the jury be. And the jury that year was headed by someone as widely respected and accomplished as Amol Palekar. Shah Rukh Khan was also a contracted performer and a stage presenter.
Trouble began three days earlier, as usual. There were threats of a boycott. I never heard this from Shah Rukh — before, during the awards or later, to be fair. But from people "around the film". There was panic and I had to field long, pained, hurt calls from Karan Johar, who simply wouldn't accept that the jury had not found the film worthy of an award.
I was told dark theories on why poor Palekar might dislike those who made "the greatest hit in years". How dare he choose instead a "marginal film" like Vikramaditya Motwane's Udaan! There were threats of a boycott not just "by us, but the entire industry". We held our nerve again, and a breather came as the viewers' choice award, based on an internet poll conducted by our host TV channel, went to the film. We were satisfied because it wasn't a jury award and our process was clean.
Also read:Nepotistic privilege should be a matter of social shame. It holds India back
Year 2012 was my last Screen Awards ordeal. The best film was shared between Vidya Balan-starrer Dirty Picture and multi-starrer Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD). So far, so good. But again, in its wisdom, the jury chose Milan Luthria (Dirty Picture) for best director, and not Zoya Akhtar (ZNMD).
On the day of the awards, Priyanka called in panic as usual. The cast and crew of ZNMD, she said, were boycotting. Now, how do you run an awards evening if nobody appears on the stage to accept 'best film'. We again started diplomacy. But it wasn't working. Not only was nobody from the film turning up, they had also persuaded all their friends.
At one point that evening, I got desperate enough to even call Javed Akhtar to plead with him. I did get a call back from Farhan. He turned up, sullen and in a black tee. He said while he might have come there out of respect (not for the jury), he wouldn't accept the award on the stage. He left in a few minutes.
In the front rows, I spotted Krishika Lulla, whose company Eros held the worldwide rights to the film, and requested her to come and accept the award for the film. The temperature dropped to minus-30; she froze. How could any producer risk the ire of multiple dynasties, stars and a sizeable clique all rolled together? We had to finally get one of our staff members to take the award on the film's behalf.
There were more. And you might find those in my memoir someday. But, notably, in 2007, there was Hrithik Roshan, chosen best actor (male) for Krrish, so far, so good. He was also contracted to perform on stage. He sent word an hour before the event that he would come and perform as contracted, but wouldn't accept the award.
Why? Because how could he give legitimacy "to a jury that did not recognise the phenomenal talent of his father"? Rakesh Roshan was the film's director. Hrithik did finally relent, but boycotted at least the customary post-awards star party.
And then, in 2010, when Katrina Kaif was to perform, paid fully in advance, she threw a tantrum minutes before her performance as she wasn't being given any award. I was taken to her vanity van to plead with her.
Katrina was all dressed and painted up to perform. And then, the outburst. Why do they always call me but give me no awards? I said that was never the deal, you have a contract to perform. But by now, tears were streaming down her face, taking much of the make-up in their wake. Again, we invented a popular choice award.
It is well known that Aamir Khan never attends awards functions because he says they are fixed. Every year I'd call him and ask him if he didn't trust even me to keep our awards clean. But he kept telling me, you get off this kerb. You will not be able to do this. A totally fair awards process is impossible here. I said my jury awards were clean, 'popular choice' ones we had nothing to do with, so we were at least 90 per cent clean. He said, I told you so.
The reason I bare all this now, is because it helps us imagine how lonely and stressed a rank outsider could get in this environment. Already, the stars buy coverage in the biggest newspapers with money. The number of 'stars' rating in a film review comes at a negotiable price in much powerful media (with exceptions); awards are fixed using the clout of established stardom, dynasties, cliques. There is nobody who can blow the whistle. No elder statesman, no institution like an association or an Academy, few journalists who carry credibility as well as weight, no whistle-blowers. It is a very, very stressful place for an outsider. Because the system can be turned on you. Not even a newspaper group like the Express was spared.
Postscript: I'm old-fashioned. I called the Chairman of the Express Group, Viveck Goenka, to inform him I was writing this. He is fine with it.
This article has been updated to correct the year of Katrina Kaif's performance at Screen awards and the inaccurate reference to Lagaan instead of Masaan. The errors are regretted.
Also read: Bollywood's nepotism didn't start with Karan Johar. But it must end with Sushant Singh Rajput
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Morpheus 11 August, 2020 At 3:14 pm
Well written and thanks for providing insights into the brats of Bollywood..
Still and all.. I fail to understand what this has to do with SSR or his suicide. Here are some facts: -Some 60% of Indias population (around 812 million people) currently live on $3.2 a day (BPL). Heres a good looking guy who is famous and rich (by "BPL" standards anyway) who chooses to end his life, selfishly leaving his family members presumably devastated. Sure,we can rant about depression due to unfair practices in the industry and so on till the cows come home. Show me one organization, one industry where its all milk and honey.. I'll eat humble pie.
if reports are to be believed, he had over 15 crores in his bank account. He could've just retired and lived off the interest alone (which would be around 1 lakh a month). Now that's a princely sum that many people in our country don't see in their lifetimes.
The news flash here is that "life is a bitch" .. accept it, because somewhere in there, theres good too.
Raghu 28 July, 2020 At 1:53 pm
I guess there was an exception. Aamir Khan did go to receive a award. Gollapudi memorial award. This was instituted by Gollapudi Maruti Rao in the memory of his son.
Maya Dey 28 July, 2020 At 12:48 am
It's time the Indian audience forms it's own clique and boycott these actors. Enough of this nonsense.
Whatswiththename 27 July, 2020 At 6:25 pm
Worst thing is after bjp is in power even national awards are "fixed" and nobody is pointing that out over in the comments too. We had national awards as a reply to this kind of this clan and mediocrity .it used to be something to look forward to. But look at all the awards nowadays. Joke!
terhrth 28 July, 2020 At 12:52 am
Lolwa every award in India is just a tool to wild more power from ages, not after Bjp.Although will give Bjp credit for some not all awards(Huh Ekta,Karan) in Padmashri category as the nomination is now public on official website.You know this coupta,rajdeep,barkha have got Padma Shree from fawning to Madam Sonia.BTW the best Best Debut Film of a Director is one of the National Film Awards is called "Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director " since 1980 only similarity b/w Indiraji & cinema is both successfully fooled the public for ages(Garibi Hatao!). So don't say after Bjp just for your agenda. Not in India from Nobel to Pulitzer. They gave Obama a Nobel peace prize after which he BOMBED 7 countries,was going to give to Manmohanji for demilitarizing Siachen. Gave Pulitzer to one journalist for Russian election reporting which turned out to be a Hoax. If not for the Internet Even WHO would have given an award to China for the best pandemic handling ability.😂😂
VIRENDRA SASON 27 July, 2020 At 2:24 pm
CUTTHROAT COMPETITION IN EVERY FIELD WHETHER POLITICS, BUSINESS, CORPORATE, CREAM TYPE POSTINGS, CONTRACTORS, POSTING & TRANSFERS. WHY BLAME FILM INDUSTRY.
mrig 27 July, 2020 At 12:06 pm
I am surprised by Anurag Kashyap's reaction and support for Karan Johar, and shaming the victim for not choosing to work with him. Given that he is such good friends with Karan Johar, it is impossible for him to not know. Thanks to this article it is now easier to understand how these stars and their cliques use their PR machinery. They are slowly developing a narrative, in this case using perception of Kashyap's credibility, which is eroding fast. Kashyap is that uncle who comments on vulgarity while elbowing every lady in a crowded train (from arnab ray – greatbong's timeline). It's so hypocritical of the Aktars, Bhats, Johars pontificating about everything but running their fiefdoms.
Apoorv 27 July, 2020 At 11:19 am
look who is talking! a lap dog of dynasties himself. Be it Gandhis, Bachhans or Khans! Shekhar Gupta has always been a part of the establishment and this whole media mafia circus- be it getting played by the industry stalwarts or ISI or China! Shekhar Gupta has been a leech! Did he ever write anything against Salman Khan in black buck case? In hit and run case? In any other case. His pen has always subtly protected the mighty. and that's how he has reached where he has. Please do not assume that gangs exist only in Bollywood, news media is way worse. People like him suck balls of really dangerous men and intelligence agencies who can afford to bring him down any day. is only He made this video just to pretend as if he is not a part of this circus. BUT HE IS &
HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN.
Sristi 27 July, 2020 At 11:16 am
It seems there is no respite for SSR. Every one is playing football. Bas Bhi Karo.
Guri Sandhu 27 July, 2020 At 11:03 am
Thanks to speak truth but you are late for this.
Please Will support truth for others. We wanna Dil bechara will nominate for different awards because it deserves.
Pratik Gupta 27 July, 2020 At 7:55 am
Why I would not like to support this media group … It seems news industry has the tendency to move in the direction of the wind .. during UPA government same Indian express left no stone unturned to label India as fascist dominated country and run a minority centric propoganda .. towing Congress line .. it's today during the age of social media where everything lays bare and no lie can be hidden for long they are claiming to be on moral high grounds by fair reporting .. they have been profittering for years and peddling lies … award function is classic example . These same.people who are preacing today where hand in glove with perpetrators …no sympathy for them sorry .. pay for your crimes
BALASUBRAMANIAM Pavani 27 July, 2020 At 6:47 am
I am a great fan of SG. While there exists good and bad everywhere, the film industry is no different. It's unfortunate to note that bad gets highlighted, totally ignoring the good. In a nation, where unemployment is the major burning issue, the film industry generates employment to many. Films bring joy on faces which are overburdened with worries. Why do we tend to forget the good things.
The industry cannot be shamed by few. There were greats in the past present and always.
sunil mansukhani 26 July, 2020 At 10:52 pm
excellent@!!!!! especially naming names!!!! what a line up rittik roshan, farhan akhtar, the bachhans and of course the great Karan johar!!!!! emperors with no clothes? are they cringing? i suspect NOT. shows they hold the viewer in fairly low esteem.
null 27 July, 2020 At 10:28 pm
Me Shekhar gupta, why did you not tell the story of threat by the Bachchan clan? Are you also scared of the so called "great actor" Amitabh Bachchan?
Anonymous 26 July, 2020 At 9:47 pm
Well, what are we complaining about?
We reward bad storytelling, pathetic acting, mindless song and dance sequences with crores in box office collections. We get what we deserve.
If the audience demands excellence instead of "nautanki", our films would change too. And so would the overall environment for real talent.
look who is talking! a lap dog of dynasties himself. Be it Gandhis, Bachhans or Khans! Shekhar Gupta has always been a part of the establishment and this whole media mafia circus be it getting played by the industry stalwarts or ISI or China! Did he ever write anything against Salman Khan in black buck case? In hit and run case? In any other case. His pen has always subtly protected the mighty. and that's how he has reached where he has. He made this video just to pretend as if he is not a part of this circus. BUT HE IS< HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN.
Debojit 26 July, 2020 At 9:37 pm
There are exceptions even in this so called cut throat competitive film industry…..There are people here also who work for their own inner self satisfaction as an artist and don't become desperate to go to any extent to reach the top…..Every dark cloud has a silver lining after all….its high time we should portray the positive sides n aspects too….For example Aftab Shivdasani is a true artist with a heart of gold….he never ever compromises for cheap materialistic returns n would never ever compromise in future too
I still respect Bollywood n would in future live n die for it till my last breath come what may
Abhijit Ray 26 July, 2020 At 6:50 pm
It is interesting to read this article for several reasons. First we get to hear backroom realities about stars whom we see all beautiful and smiling on stage. How it is considered an entitlement to win an award, as revealed by Katrina Kaif case. Or how Rittik Roshan can demand an award for his father or drop out of the show at the last minute. Have we forgotten that awards are won not demanded? My second revelation was hypocrisy our stars exhibit in public and how they behave behind the scene. Same Farhan Akhtar who was in a black tee shirt came to meet Sekher Gupta, had pontificate about goal of being an actor is not always to win an award. This gem he said to A hay Deol, post Sushant Singh suicide, when Abhay had complained about being left out of best actor slot in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Only Hritik and Katrina were selected. All said and done, when there is money, fame and future work is at stake, people will complain at being left out. Only way forward is to choose a clean jury against whom none could raise a finger, and hire a glib PR manager who can soothe bruised ego. Finally I am and was a fan of Sushant Rajput. But I despise how his death is being used to run down actors, directors producers and critics. In an industry where perception matters, there will be difference of opinion. We must learn to respect this difference. Sushant was not short on projects, he had rejected four films, he had enough money, may be not as much as Khans or Kumars, still much more than common folks. Office politics is a staple in a overpopulated resource starved country of ours. One has to grin and bear it.
Shweta 26 July, 2020 At 5:03 pm
That's a greatly written article. But can anyone pls explain that Hrithik Roshan part to me?
krishna 27 July, 2020 At 5:19 am
He acted like a child because his father wasn't nominated. Sad.
sandeep 26 July, 2020 At 4:26 pm
Frankly Speaking, NO ONE WATCHES these FAKE AWARD SHOWS …Everyone knows these awards are BOUGHT,Not GIVEN…So,In some time from Now, these FAKE AWARDS will cease to exist, as there will be no TAKERS…
Onil Gandhi 26 July, 2020 At 2:39 pm
@Shekar Gupta… Sir…..is in any different in Hollywood or BAFTA or elsewhere….can you please throw some light
Aj 26 July, 2020 At 1:51 pm
Dear Mr Gupta,
A few months back, when you were speaking about how the courts should get out of running cricket, you had mentioned that the Gov of India should get out of the awards business. Here you mention that there is no referee. National Film Awards conferred by the GoI should probably stay. At least it looks at the full gamut of films across India without leaning towards a language or region etc.
sudhir suri 26 July, 2020 At 1:22 pm
There are so many other problems and shortcomings in country, facing the country. Instead of f
Interest by Mr Skekhar Gupta ,Mr Swamy . and Shekhar Kapoor leaves a very puzzling thought.
Especially when competition and undercutting is a norm no an exception in competitive scenario..
ak.dev 26 July, 2020 At 12:42 pm
How come ThePrint gives major space to so many journalists who only writes propaganda articles full of hate and anti-national views if Shekhar Gupta is clean journalists as he pretends to be. Shekhar Gupta can't stand on two boats sailing in divergent directions. I guess he is clever enough to keep his cloths clean while his ThePrint throws mud on others.
SB 26 July, 2020 At 6:53 pm
True though S.G. is showing neutrality but all print articles are mostly anti national in nature.
At least print should carry articles of all right, left. S.G. should conform the same.
Pratima 26 July, 2020 At 12:19 pm
The fact that you have called out few big names is not just commendable its fearless. It is not easy to be fearless in this current times. I often wondered and in fact questioned so many of my friends and family members – why do we adore Bollywood so much? Are these people the most successful in this world that they have so many followers? I think Sushant's death has brought out the ugly side of this gang-driven industry to the moviegoers. Success is bought here not achieved. Our country has so many talents in different fields, forget about following them, we don't even take an ounce of energy to acknowledge them. I hope more kids realize thare are thousand ways to ear money, fame and success. What is success after all? who defines it? If you give a hit movie and and have two security personnel and walk around with a Gucci bag- is this the new parameter for success for us? Sadly, Sushant was brainwashed with this ideology. He had so much more potential than most to become anything he wanted. We lost a great soul and that's fact. Hope all learns something from this tragic incident.
Contrary to what you say, Indians are fearless as never before.. It's easy to be fearless since 2014 after the end of misrule of Congress. Now Anti-nationals can shout "Bharat Tere Tukade Honge" and a battalion of librandus come to their support freelessly. The recent anti-CAA protest is another case of how fearlessly Muslims can protest without any valid ground of grievances. In TV debates also I don't see any fear even in those who wants destruction of India. India is now a vibrant democracy.
Alia 26 July, 2020 At 11:37 am
Nothing new in this article. We know all about awards and how actors deals with it. The main issue is that in a place ruled by power and money you can't solve any issue in a way or another the powerful will win and get what they want and paid media to talk about. Kangana didn't say anything new to the media or industry but she is another face of paid media to get herself out there.
Che 26 July, 2020 At 10:31 am
Interesting! Is this a pitch to say the other popular awards (Read Filmfare) are biased and screen awards are not? Tough to believe this one, a poor attempt at declaring yourself clean
deadlyrocker 26 July, 2020 At 10:23 am
Finally, a brave soul emerges. Thank you Mr. Shekhar Gupta for sharing this. It is evident, that a STAR like Sushant Singh Rajput who was way talented than the dumb asses and bhais of the industry was murdered. KARMA will prevail – it always has and the likes of this entire lobby be it karan johar, aditya chopra, salman khan, mukesh bhatt and the pancholis will suffer a fate a million times worse.
To murder someone like this is not only unforgivable but horrendous. They envied him because he was a zillion times more talented than all them and their dumb heroes, was a zillion times more intelligent than the dumb shows / movies they make and was a determined and humble soul.
May these murderers suffer like none else in the history of mankind
Mona Shetty 26 July, 2020 At 10:01 am
Why would a noted publication declare anything but a list of nominations prior to the actual awards ceremony? Shouldn't the process be more professional to begin with?
Shaamala 26 July, 2020 At 9:44 am
First you say- "We held our nerve again, and a breather came as the viewers' choice award, based on an internet poll conducted by our host TV channel, went to the film. We were satisfied because it wasn't a jury award and our process was clean." and then you say -"Again, we invented a popular choice award."!
he is being brutally honest is not he? he need not ahve said anythig at all or just brushed this aside. he compromised.
Star Bana Dunga 26 July, 2020 At 9:38 am
Bollywood is even dirtier than what has been written in this article. The cocaine dealers to Dawood's aide.. bollywood is everything that you can never imagine. The Khans are running the show for Dawood and people like Akhtars are paid to create a narrative and form that #intolerance tribe. The. There is that casting couch pigs spread all across the industry.
It is much more full of shit than you can ever imagine.
Rakesh 26 July, 2020 At 5:23 am
Mr. Shekhar Gupta, How do people know who is going to get the award before the award ceremony? Don't you think If you announce the award on stage you would never have to deal with so much pressure before the award show? Or is it that Jury is also compromised and they let the cat out.
Harishchandra 26 July, 2020 At 5:18 am
"…..I'd call him and ask him if he didn't trust even me…". You must be joking Mr. Gupta!!!!!!!! You also never stole money from someone's wallet lying on the table. That doesn't make you honest.
Mihir 26 July, 2020 At 3:06 am
All of this documentation is alright but I don't see how this relates to Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide. Especially, when nobody on this god damn earth knows why he killed himself.
All kinds of rubbish conspiracy theories being manufactured for "prime-time lockdown entertainment" as a coverup for the sorry state of our public healthcare system.
How convenient!
Dense chocolate 26 July, 2020 At 2:58 am
Nothing is going to come out of this
Bollywood will continue to be the corrupt criminal den that it is right now. Barriers to entry will be even higher in future. Only consolation is all the insult and slander and shredding Karan Johar, YRF, salman, Aamir, Saif Tiger and the 1000s of other talntless nepo kids are experiencing right now.
Kudos! Keep em coming! Humiliate and destroy them on SM.
It will go on for as long as the theaters are closed and there is some sort of a lock down
Well deserved! (WHO cares if its fair or not! All those that are demanding fairness where were they when SSR was alive? Too busy shining KJO's boots?)
Kumar Atul 26 July, 2020 At 2:26 am
Its audience who make them feel special its audience who make them big enough to have bargain cheap to trade off awards audience wont watch awards if top stars dont come. India as society love deification whether in politics or cricket ir star its result if that these star start living in a bubble where they think they can impose their will
Gajendra Singh 25 July, 2020 At 11:37 pm
I fail to understand why a media group wants to organise award functions limited to Bollywood not in wider sectors such as education, health, public services etc. The sole reason is that media house wants to encash on glamour for its commercial benefits and since due to benefit and not for the purpose to recognise the talent, the other party will enforce its conditions.
Anon 27 July, 2020 At 11:11 am
Sheer cahttrrjee 25 July, 2020 At 10:14 pm
Wow ! What a brilliant news this news are fake this is not real I can't believe that nobody believe that one …..
Nag Urala 25 July, 2020 At 10:03 pm
The whole world is unfair whether it's politics or business or any other profession. Bollywood is least professional of all and therefore cannot expect much. Constant crave for external approval or respect leads to a disaster when the approval or respect doesn't come despite one's best efforts. This is another reminder that to succeed in any field, in addition to talent one must have one's own standards to excel instead of relying completely on external respect or approval.
Chetan 25 July, 2020 At 10:01 pm
It's important that the credible are not always discreet. Thanks.
Col KL Viswanathan (Retd) 25 July, 2020 At 9:22 pm
Thanks SG – for revealing open secrets! Even in these times when there is no public screening, the PVR cinema is doing well at the stock markets – in anticipation. Such is the power of cinema in India and probably the world over. Lately it is losing its sheen with the pervasive reach of digital media – TOT and what not.
This matter of screen awards – all leading publishing houses want to hold film award functions. Is there a need? Should they be abetting the shenanigans of the make-believe tinsel world ?
Justubrim 25 July, 2020 At 9:17 pm
More power to you. But one thing i didn't get is,that year deepika got the award,not katrina.
krishna 25 July, 2020 At 7:27 pm
Why do they need so many award shows?? Why cant they just cancel all the awards when we know they all are rigged. I dont believe in National awards either. Is politics any better? one can buy a MP, MLA seat with money power..it applies to all parties. The sad part is there are millions of poor masses in India who like only Masala movies and make these stars demi gods. . They watch these silly movies to escape from sorrows and stress. . if they are educated enough may be they get better taste and appreciate good cinema. How ever Avengers, Fast and Furious type masala movies are equally enjoyed by educated??
Vishwas 25 July, 2020 At 7:24 pm
Honest arrival and gives idea about how bollywood really works n how dirty politics is played by so called stars and dyansties
Neeraj Shrivastav 25 July, 2020 At 7:03 pm
In the Hollywood Movie "Spotlight", there is a situation towards the end that unless a lawyer who defended the pedophile clergies ratifies the list of clergy names found by the Boston Globe newspaper, there will be difficulty publishing the story. In a very poignant scene, the lawyer (who is incidentally the friend of the spotlight journalist) finally relents to endorse the list of culprit names. This made the story "viral".
What you did today is just that. You endorsed the story. To me, it is the single most boldest act I've seen and heard. And, it came from the top. After this, no other and anyone else's pretentious talks will hold water.
Sir, keep up the good work.
Kasiviswanathan Krishnan 25 July, 2020 At 6:17 pm
shekarji
my respect for you has gone up further today.
long live your tribe.
do you try to instill these values to your juniors?
chetan 25 July, 2020 At 6:04 pm
The topic, the disclosures, the naming….you sure have busted a few balls with this one, Mr. Gupta. Its important that the credible are not always discreet. thanks.
Anil Vora 25 July, 2020 At 5:46 pm
Lovely article. Keep writing truth. Thank you Sir.
Ali Tausef 25 July, 2020 At 5:34 pm
The things you have written we already know. This is a very disappointing article with lots of ifs and buts and justifying everything. You have so much experience and you are using the word "90% clean??"
We are living in a sad state where people re just so reluctant to talk about the truth. People like yourselves have been a part of this fake award shows and now you are writing a column to show us the dark sides.
P.S I do not know the author. Just read the article and wanted to view my opinion. Have so much to say.
Vasudev 25 July, 2020 At 4:54 pm
We are destined to be ruled by the dynasts,whether we like it or not. The facts say so. Even our democracy has been moulded to promote ,serve and proliferate dynastic rule in politics. How can film industry either in Mumbai or Hyderabad can be an exception. The off-shoot of dynasts in politics and film industry are just continuation of same "mai-baap" mind-set well entrenched in our psyche ,whatever may our democratic pretentions be. Once a set of first generation members are entrenched,they fight hard to preserve the rights and privileges, be it politics,films or jobs.A lady from pigmy tribe of Gabon is said to have informed Late Nobel Laureate V.S.Naipaul that to be a healer ( healer is an elder who talks with his ancestor through skull and bones of his dead ancestor) one has to have a an ancestor somewhere in his past who was a healer, which effectively closes all doors for inclusion of 'others '.
Sharad 25 July, 2020 At 4:14 pm
While I agree with most of the points, I disagree that Bollywood is generally meritocracy. If it was, Abhishek Bachhan would not have acted in more than 50 movies, most of which has been flop. An outsider would never get so many opportunities.
Here the entry of an outsider is itself is difficult. The dynasties are only competing among themselves. So some of them are bound to flop. Some of the shining examples of dynastic talentless actors are Varun Dhawan, Karishma, Kareena, Aditya Pancholi's son, Athiya Shetty, Sara Ali Khan, etc.
RR 25 July, 2020 At 4:13 pm
Veteran Shekhar Gupta at his lucid best. Cannot wait for his memoir.
A.N.Rajan Dubai 25 July, 2020 At 3:47 pm
Best and fair article but for below(Hope it will be published)
What use of your article with yourself so spineless for so long years and many deaths?
What your nonsense seniority of 40 years as journalist if you cannot blow the whistle?
Now also getting permission from owner and all concerned to write the article?!!!
Now what is this "HOLIER -THAN -THOU OR ALL" article?
Cinema, politics,delayed justice all are not dirty picture we see every day but gutters we live for whole life!
i , fairly successfully worked from 1982 in Tamilnadu, Delhi,Near Australia and now in Dubai but i never compromised my honesty against any evil!
Spinelessness is our Indian-ness! Kindly write any honest article within fair time!
Sathish T 25 July, 2020 At 3:15 pm
Fantastic piece..my respect for Shekar ji keep rising and rising
Nandhavel 25 July, 2020 At 3:07 pm
The Postscript seems the ironic icing that a seasoned professional had to tolerate on a better tasting cake. Nevertheless, it has been my experience on multiple levels outside of systems, across the world, across cultures, in normal day to day life that we adult humans come in highly stratified mindsets. The strata does not get diffusive and hence objective even in the mature years of ones lifetime and in this regard I've come to understand and respect individuals who chose and continuously strive to have an objective view on aspects of life be they be from a struggling eco-sphere or a well looked after eco-sphere.
All over, the entrapment of existence are much stronger as the life in general is based on show based example living rather than truthful living. It is within the system, it is always the responsible individuals today, ordinary individuals tomorrow. We as a human society are yet to make in great numbers right individuals in most places. My struggle and work continues.
Prateek 25 July, 2020 At 2:24 pm
Best article by Shekhar Gupta in the recent times.. true inside account of bollywood awards! Thank you for thid piece! Thank you for staying honest to journalism.
Bhavika 25 July, 2020 At 2:10 pm
Wow, it is so hard to come across something written with such elan. Kudos to the writer for having the courage to call these people what they are – SPADES!
ashok 25 July, 2020 At 2:07 pm
As teenagers, we grew up reading Shobhaa De's Stardust and Neeta's Natter. This is a more somber portrayal of the film industry. All about creating magic in a darkened auditorium. Not sure how many of us would be interested in seeing the faces without their makeup.
Vikas burud 26 July, 2020 At 12:37 pm
Thanks sir u shows us dark side of bollywood
Gaurav 25 July, 2020 At 1:57 pm
Really it is very brave of you that you are revealing so much and calling out by name.
Keep it up !!
ASHWIN 25 July, 2020 At 1:26 pm
BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO
THANK YOU SIR FOR THIS CANDID STORY! NOW if you're labeled fake news, I will know why.
Your words should sound an alarm bell in the hearts and minds of all deniers.
This article reminds me of the classic story line of -' Jane bhi do yaaron'. Sadly, like in the movie, life to always kills its most interesting protagonists!
rinkuvarde@yahoo.com 25 July, 2020 At 12:09 pm
Hands up for all those who will watch a Karan Johar, Aaliya, ranbir , n that Anil Kapoor spawn flick after this…corona virus, I can deal with you… Bollywood bachchaas, no freakin waaaaaayyy
Ajeet Kumar 25 July, 2020 At 12:08 pm
I agree with you really film industry is a cruel world. I am not seeing any improvement in near future although I really miss SSR by heart he was too young and talented actor.
Diyana 25 July, 2020 At 12:05 pm
Thank you for this honest, introspective and insightful piece. It is about time that efforts are made to democratise an industry that builds name and fame on the backs of the paying public.
Mrig 25 July, 2020 At 11:54 am
Shekhar Gupta – one cut the clutter on this topic. This sounds so real.
Kafka 25 July, 2020 At 11:34 am
When a group of entertainers get together, you know they will not celebrate intelligent thinking or indulge in discourses. From that point onward, it is known that the next pit stop would be a dark triad of human psychology: Narcissism. Not to say this in bad taste, but in such times of debate on whether it was the bat or the civet which spread the SARS-CoV2 virus, one fact that cannot be overruled that bats are reservoirs of viruses and highly paid film stars are reservoirs of narcissism, hedonism and the uncomfortable elephant in the room; Nepotism. It is that much unfair that only celebrities are called benefactors of nepotism, when in close scrutiny much of which has anything to deal with power,fame and glory will attract such facets of those entwined with it.
It is the stroking of ego, which becomes an unsatisfied itch. There are countless instances and some glaringly revealed ones where, Bachchan Sr. has indulged into glaring excesses of arm-twisting others who was not able to fancy his towering persona. After all, he feels entitled to his his share of power,fame and allure. Because it is a cycle in continuum, with younger faces more than eager to take a share of the pie, it leaves the likes of Bachchans, Johars, Kapoors, Khans with no choice but to play ball. What choice do they have? Once if he doesn't do it someone else will do the same, maybe in a more exhibited fashion. To make the situation more complicated, we have a force to reckon with these days. The daddy of all buzzwords: Dynasty. When dynasties meets entertainment meets politics; you know you have one strong drink to intoxicate almost anyone imbibing in it.
However, there are causes which also leads to such factors. Not to state the obvious, but who can be so fallible to ignore them, than those who have more than others. In Bollywood, the class divide is stark and an open secret. The king and queen is of course the much loathed producer and leading actors. Those who are in the ministerial levels are the directors, editors, cameraman and the occasional sound man; that due which came only after Resul Pookutty got his Oscar from Academy of motion pictures in science and arts. And the pawns are easily the local talents whose positions are secured with threats from local political unions to amalgamated power structures behind the curtains. Each deriving power from their own caste, job role, and syndicated organizations. The pawns are the reality which the king and queen know exists, so in order to avoid being in their position, they would forge necessary alliances and coerce those who are outsiders to this kingdom, to be along the colonies of the former as the true center of gravity would remain with them. For survival of the rich, all rules are malleable.
For all it's star pageants and dizzying amounts of money, one can truly see what the quality of contents being churned out mindlessly are just fast food with a shining touch of plastic coated nutritional benefits as a sticker. The trope which goes to Cannes or Berlin film festivals where the who's who of the cinema guild come together. While the range is diverse from seeing the latest auteur screenings to securing distribution rights, the Indian film delegation consists of pretty faces of Ms. Rai Bachchan and Mr. Bachchan Jr. to latest additions of Sonam Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap. One could almost call them 'Models of Appearance, but not in a Bressonian way. But hypocrisy has a strange habit of sneaking in when the actors themselves proudly flaunt their double life. The same Kashyap who abused and sneered at the cream de la creme of Bollywood, have made films with the same lot he seemed to despise. And who could forget Kangana Ranaut? The poster child for being the most outspoken critic of nepotism has herself appointed her sister as her manager. She can try all her whatabbouttery in justifying that, as long as no one holds the mirror too long for it to be shattered. I have seen better quality of movies from postwar countries (Italy's neo-realism), from harsh totalitarian ones(Iranian new wave), and cash strapped socialist cinemas(Brazil's Cinema Novo) to be much superior in artistic merit than the current state of films being dished out by Bollywood. The latest in the menu: Nationalism!
Srinivas D 25 July, 2020 At 11:18 am
A good article bringing out what is talked in hushed tones. Also reinforces my thought that some bad films were awarded no matter what.All this is just masala/entertainment including the politics behind it. The fact that Bacchan clan also were part of boycotting is a surprise. Have they become better now ?
Will wait for ur book.
Samanth shakti 25 July, 2020 At 10:52 am
Shekhar is sucking up the ruling powers again. Very clever and very shady. Do you want to make Amit Shah and Kangana the whistleblowers for the industry?
NO We should make 10th fail Karan Johar the Prime Minister and Eugenics Professor Saifooo the Education Minister, his 3rd fail wife can be the Industry Minister!
Fixed it for ya!
Savy 25 July, 2020 At 10:39 am
The fact that Farhan Akhtar, Saif Ali Khan and likes can manage Padmashris despite their average work but Sushant Singh Rajput is declared a failure hurts. Karan Johar is pet dog of Shahrukh and Aditya Chopra thanks for revealing that. Alia bhatt is Karan Johar made star. Priyanka was boycotted so she chose Hollywood, good that it worked for her, else in all probability she would have got Sushant's fate!
Saloni 26 July, 2020 At 10:38 am
What? Are you mad? Where he is talk about that, Srk doesn't have problem with not giving award to his film it was karan. I think you forgot priyanka is the one who is upset as she is not given award for barfi over vidya
Lol, where he reveal that karan is pet dog of srk and aditya in your dreams. Let me tell you it was not SRK but Karan was hurt. I think you don't how priyanka said she deserve award for barfi over vidya kahani
Ram 25 July, 2020 At 10:14 am
Male and female sized egos, minimum intelligence and empathy, unlimited money, fragile state of mind and starry-eyed fans looking for star kids and gossip…
A dangerous cocktail which will only give you sadness when in the so-called Bollywood industry.
NM 25 July, 2020 At 9:47 am
None of this is a surprise. The problem lies partly in filmy culture but also partly because of multiplicity of bandwagons of award functions which many renowned entities seem to have lately jumped on to.
On a more philosophical note, it exposes our failure in creating enduring institutions – institutions which are fair, effective in unearthing and rewarding new talent, accommodative of contrarian opinions and tastes, which can renew itself from time to time and which can command the respect of our own selves and the world. If such an award jury system existed, it would have substantially reduced Shekhar babu's troubles.
Indian cinema, Indian businesses, Indian politics, Indian public life – all have this glaring lacuna which drives the best and brightest away. No one seems to have got a handle on it – you can make out that someone like Kangana Ranaut is just looking to milk this issue for her own agenda without looking to substantially offer any lasting solutions.
It brings me to my last point – poverty in places like India and the sub-continent in general is not due to simply lack of financial resources – it is a poverty of ideas, poverty of institutions and poverty of faith in the system. Hence even a (rich) system like film industry of India churns out poor products and cannot command the respect of world cinema fraternity.
Jui 25 July, 2020 At 2:15 pm
The art of acting , dancing, singing is an age old culture of our Indian civilization… We have given the world "Natyashstra" written by Bharatmuni way back in 1st century BCE…the art of story telling should be celebrated as an way of expression of human existence….but unfortunately, some greedy minded people had made this art as sheer business…one should have guts to portray the real life character and not mere earnestly impossible larger than life picture….
In the digital and globalised era our generation is exposed to plethora of good stories and performances across the globe….its now the responsibility of audience that we should appreciate only performances and stop herofying the nepo products who have nothing but mediocracy…if it can't be done then we don't have any right to ask why our films do not win Oscars.
Chandra Ganti 25 July, 2020 At 11:42 pm
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Thank you; your generous donation has arrived just in time for our National Lottery Heritage Fund final application and will make a big difference to Wild Brownsea!
Thanks to you we will now be able to place new interpretation materials providing more information about the wildlife around the reserve, much needed modernisation can take place on the Villa for visitors to just pop in or stay overnight, and a new much-needed boardwalk for island visitors can be restored. Your donation will go a long way in helping us to improve and replace facilities on the island, open up areas of the reserve that were previously inaccessible to the public, and will ultimately bring people closer to the wonderful wildlife on Brownsea.
We would like to thank you for contributing to Brownsea Island's success and look forward to what the next few years has in store.
Thank you for your generosity and your confidence in our work, we look forward to sharing our future successes with you.


The University strives to provide students with access to courses. However, factors such as room size can limit the number of spaces available in a course. Academic departments may also restrict certain courses to a particular year level or degree program. If no spaces are available to you, that course will appear as "Full" in Carleton Central. For courses that are currently full, you may be able to join a waitlist. If the course section has a waitlist enabled, the Registration Error Message will contain the word "waitlist" (e.g. Join Waitlist). By joining the waitlist, you are placing yourself in a queue for the next available space in the course. If a waitlist is not available, you are encouraged to continue to try and register for the course as space may become available as students make changes to their registration, or you may choose to select an alternate section.
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text:
HD 283572 is a young T Tauri-type pre-main sequence star in the constellation of Taurus about  away, belonging to the Taurus Molecular Cloud. It is a rather evolved protostar which already dispersed its birth shroud.  The star emits a very high X-ray flux of 1031 ergs/s. That radiation flux associated with the magnetic activity induced a high coronal temperature of 3 kEv and regular flares. HD 283572 will eventually evolve to an A-type main-sequence star when on the main sequence. It is no longer accreting mass, and is magnetically decoupled from the remnants of the protoplanetary disk, belonging to the terminal, 3rd phase of the disk evolution.

Protoplanetary system
HD 283572 is surrounded by a light (<0.0004 ) and faint protoplanetary disk with uncertain inclination. Different instruments yielded measurements of disk inclination to the plane of sky from 35 to 60 degrees. A search for planetary transits was performed but no planets were detected as of 2019.

References

T Tauri stars
Circumstellar disks
Taurus (constellation)
J04215884+2818066
Tauri, V987
BD+27 657
020388
283572

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Seshadri, S., Shah, A. and Bhade, S. (1985). Haematologic response of anaemic preschool children to ascorbic acid supplementationCapuche Vintage Podium Sweat Cqw7r0v7 Blue Inn Navy À Superdry wqtnn7z14. Human Nutrition. Applied Nutrition, 39(2), pp.151–154.
Pas Cher Cdiscount Parka Achat Superdry VenteQui sommes-nous ?


Brazil were dumped out of the 2015 Copa America against Paraguay after the penalty-shootout out where Paraguay got the better of 5 time world champions, the game finished 1-1 in the normal full time which lead to penalties.
Brazil started the stronger without their star man Neymar and after creating couple of chances in the first 10 minutes they finally took the lead through veteran Robinho, who slotted home what turned out to be Brazil's only goal of the game.
Paraguay made themselves difficult to breakdown and used their physical ability to enforce the attacks which lead to a penalty awarded when Thiago Silva handeled the ball in the box which lead to equaliser from the spot when Derlis Gonzalez scored with a neat penalty in 73rd minute. The game finished 1-1 in the normal 90 minutes.
Brazil won twice and lost 1 game in the group stages of the on going copa america which ensured their place in the knockout stages as group C winners and now they will be facing unbeaten Paraguay who finished runner up behind Argentina in the group B after drawing two matches and winning 1. The match will be played this saturday night, 27 June 2015 at around 18:30 local time /22:30 uk time at Estadio Nacional in Santiago.
Brazil will be without Neymar who was suspended in their second group game after the final whistle and he has left the squad but Brazil did manage to see off the challenge in the last group game when they defeated Venezuela to qualify as group winners.
Brazil started the campaign with a 2-1 win against Peru which came in lucky circumstances in the stoppage time but they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Colombia.
Paraguay on the other hand finished unbeaten during the group stages which not many people expected. They hold out Argentina to a well played 2-2 draw and they should take heart from that as they prepare to face 5 time world champions Brazil. Paraguay do have a good record of reaching quarter finals of Copa America as they have done so in 7 of the last 8 competitions but getting beyond that seems like a problem as only 1 time they managed to go past quarter finals which was back in 2011 when they lost ot Uruguay in the finals.
With Neymar out of the Copa America, new Liverpool signing Firmino is likely to keep his place in the side alongside vatern Robinho who had a good outing against Venezuela. Diego Tardelli might miss out on the starting lineup and same can be said about David Luiz who might miss out while Miranda and Thiago Silva are set to start in central defenders roles.
Paraguay made number of changes in the game against Uruguay when qualification was already secured so we might see a different lineup in the quarter finals. It is remain to be seen whether Roque Santa Cruz will start the game or not.


text:
← Afghanistan Withdrawal
President Biden's First Overseas Trip →
The Biden-Erdogan Summit (2)
Posted on June 16, 2021 by Ali Tuygan
In an earlier post, in addressing West's Turkey conundrum I said:
"On the one hand, most Western governments now regard JDP's Ankara only a "nominal ally" if not an adversary, but they cannot turn their back on a country which enjoys a geo-strategic location surrounded by three seas and joining Asia and Europe, when tensions with Russia are on the rise. Turkey is a unique window into the Middle East. Sadly, it has also acquired a critical role in Europe's dealing with its refugee problem…
"Thus, sanctioning Turkey has increasingly became a balancing act between targeting the JDP government and not alienating the Turkish people…"
And in a recent post on the Biden-Erdogan meeting I said,
"If there is a will, there will be ways to resolve even the toughest questions. But for the problem of bad chemistry, there is no will hence no way. Moreover, President Biden's April 24 statement, though not unexpected, was a huge disappointment and those calling for a reset with Washington have lowered their voices.
"Thus, a genuine reset in Turkey-US relations is mission impossible in the short term. The Biden-Erdogan summit of next week will likely focus more on containing the rising cost of our differences than give-and-take. No matter what is said publicly, it will not end mutual frustration…"
At the end of the NATO Summit President Biden held a press conference. On his meeting with President Erdogan, he said:
"I just finished a meeting with President Erdogan of Turkey. We had a positive and productive meeting, much of it one-on-one. We had detailed discussions on how to proceed on a number of — a number of issues. Our two countries have big agendas. Our teams are going to continue our discussions, and I'm confident we'll make real progress with Turkey and the United States."
In remarks to the press, President Erdogan described the meeting as "fruitful and sincere" befitting the relationship between two allies and strategic partners. He said that the reiterated Ankara's position on S-400s and the F-35s.
In other words, little was said about what was discussed and agreed to justify the "very cautious optimism of the two leaders" if one may call it that.
The following are my impressions of the meeting:
It appears that President Biden has taken personal charge of the Turkey file.
He was the one to prefer a one-on-one meeting.
Why a one-on-one meeting? Because he wanted to convey his messages as bluntly as possible and draw attention to the potential costs of our differences.
Did Mr. Biden address the problem of Turkey's democratic decline? Considering his emphasis on democracy, definitely.
When would the public have a better understanding of the contents of the meeting? Barring intentional leaks, only when the parties start putting the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together.
A jigsaw puzzle? Yes, because the bilateral agenda is long and complex, and problems are interlinked.
As for Turkey's readiness to maintain troops in Kabul to provide for the security of the Hamid Karzai International Airport one must remember what Mr. Biden said in "Remarks the Way Forward in Afghanistan". He said:
"The plan has long been "in together, out together." U.S. troops, as well as forces deployed by our NATO Allies and operational partners, will be out of Afghanistan before we mark the 20th anniversary of that heinous attack on September 11th."
And the NATO Summit Communiqué stated the following:
"… Recognizing its importance to an enduring diplomatic and international presence, as well as to Afghanistan's connectivity with the world, NATO will provide transitional funding to ensure continued functioning of Hamid Karzai International Airport…"
Since Ankara said its remaining in Kabul would depend on allied logistic and financial support, it now seems that this would be provided. But putting Turkish troops in harm's way despite Taliban opposition is wrong. Actually, Afghan government's need for allied troops to provide for the security of the Airport only underlines the failure in Afghanistan.
The offer to remain at the Kabul Airport was no doubt intended as a gesture to the US side before the meeting of Presidents Biden and Erdogan. Even if it were to materialize, this would hardly have a positive impact on our troubled relationship.
To conclude, this relationship now looks less like a "strategic" or "model" partnership as it was once defined and more like an "uneasy alliance" if one is to remain optimistic. The question is whether Ankara and Washington would be able work together at least "on their core interests".
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Afghanistan, Biden Erdogan, Kabul airport, Turkey US, Turkish foreign policy. Bookmark the permalink.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This year I joined Lucas and Dave at Legoland to celebrate May the Fourth along with some friends of ours. There's nothing better than sharing some geeky love with friends! Even NASA is celebrating it!
The Imperial Navy and Stormtroopers mingled with the crowds at the entrance to the park.
While in Miniland, Stormtroopers were drilled on the flight pads at NASA, with various Darth Vaders lurking around the models, trying to put nefarious schemes into action. Miniland is absolutely my favourite place in Legoland...building all those models is probably the best job ever!
After everyone dragged me away from Miniland, we explored the rest of the park. There were loads of Star Wars activities, but there were so many visitors that we couldn't get near them. Instead, we whipped out our lightsabres and the boys had many, many running battles as we walked between rides (and while we queued for rides).
We bumped into a few baddies along the way... These guys looked more confused than intimidating, though!
On the other hand, Asajj Ventress was truly terrifying! She was such a great character in the Clone Wars.
A fantastic day out! Happy Star Wars Day, everyone. May the force be with you, always.
Looks like you had loads of fun! I actually spent Star Wars Day watching Star Wars for the first time! Rather enjoyed it too!
Shame you had to queue so much for the rides and that you couldn't get near some of the attractions, but looks as of lightsabers battles are the perfect way to kill time!
For the first time? Wow!
I am a Star Wars fan by circumstance. I married a fan and then Lucas came along, took one look at it and decided that he was an uber-fan. This has led to many, many hours of watching the films and cartoons. Somewhere along the way I started enjoying myself!
Dylan would love it! Just measure his height before you book any tickets (surf around for deals, too) to make sure he can go on plenty of rides. And finally, if at all possible...go mid-week during term time!! Oh, bring swimming costume/change of clothes for the Duplo/younger kids area. It's full of splashy fun!
You should definitely go to Legoland! It's loads of fun, but also lots of walking/queuing. My poorly leg is very, very poorly today as a result. Worth it, though!
wow you looked like you had a fab day. My children (and husband) would have loved this!
Thanks, Vicky! There were loads of kids dressed up as well as a few adorably confused people who totally weren't Star Wars fans and had no idea what was going on!


Center, University of California, Berkeley, has launched 'Mindful Parenting Program'.
'Mindful Parenting Program' is a two-year programme where special lectures related to parenting will be conducted. Out of 200 applicants, 16 were selected for the programme, out of which 14 are from the United States of America (USA), one from United Kingdom (UK) while only Kaveri Group of Institutes has been selected from India.
Currently, this programme is implemented by the Institute for three schools in Pune, which includes Dr Kalmadi Shamarao School (Ganeshnagar and Aundh) and Kaveri International School, Lohegaon.
Pune Mayor Mukta Tilak, International Spiritual Teacher Nithya Shanti, Secretary of Kannada Sangha Malti Kalmadi and President of Kannada Sangha Kushal Hegde, along with other members of Sangha, principals, teachers and parents from different schools were also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Tilak said that there are many problems associated with urban life where many times parents fail to give time to their children.
"We get to read about cases in which children get into some argument with parents or something does not happen as per their wish and they have committed suicide".
"Modern day technology is helping us in a way, but to the other extent, technology is also destroying us. In such a stressful situation, a programme like this is a good initiative. The institute should take it forward and extend help for implementing it in municipal schools so that parents from underprivileged families can also work in this manner for the betterment of their children," said Tilak.
The first session of the programme will be held by Nithya Shanti on January 19. More details and announcements of monthly sessions can be obtained at www.mindfulparentingindia.com.


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Home / Fighting Talk magazine - Anti Fascist Action / Fighting Talk 23 (February 2000)
A Class Analysis? AFA Review of "The Nazis, Capitalism and the Working Class" by Donny Gluckstein
Book review by Tom Cord, from Fighting Talk magazine issue 23 (1999).
In this issue we review a new book by Socialist Workers Party member Donny Gluckstein, 'The Nazis, Capitalism and the Working Class', which is claimed by its SWP publishers to be "a major contribution to the debate about the nature of Nazism and how we can continue to fight the Nazi menace today".
However, though Gluckstein has obviously done a lot of research, he has written a book that is of no use to anyone wanting to understand the nature of the Third Reich nor to those who want to fight fascism in the 21st century. The purpose of the book is to legitimise the SWP's own 'anti-fascist' strategy by selective references to a distorted history of the Third Reich.
Gluckstein's analysis is based closely on that of the Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky, despite the fact that he died 60 years ago and his writings on Germany were based largely on newspaper reports. There are 30 references to Trotsky in the index, a sure sign that there won't be any fresh ideas around.
That is not to say there isn't anything useful in Trotsky's writing but a realisation that 60 years of research has improved our understanding of German fascism. Trotsky's key analysis was that the Nazi party was made up of the petty bourgeoisie, the middle classes, and that it was this layer which was the backbone of fascism, and helped it into power.
In the decades since he first wrote this it has become a truism for the entire Left, that this indeed was the case. Gluckstein himself is more than happy to agree with Trotsky, despite the fact there is now a whole body of research into German fascism that emphasises that Hitler did make significant inroads into working class support.
Gluckstein is so hung up on Trotsky's analysis that he ties himself up in frequent knots, as he desperately tries to convince himself that the 'Great Man' was right. He gets upset at a description of the NSDAP as a "combination of middle class formation ...and working class protest".
Gluckstein doesn't seem to understand that workers do vote for the Tories, do vote for Labour, do vote for the BNP or the FN in France, and, in fact, workers in Germany voted and fought for Hitler. Workers are not immune to the ideas of fascism, as history has shown. How many middle class people does Gluckstein think voted for the BNP's Derek Beackon on the Isle of Dogs in 1993? As the SWP has already decided that only the middle class and the 'lumpen proletariat' vote for fascism, then that's all there is to say about it. In reality, sizeable numbers of working class people not only voted for Hitler and the Nazis but they also joined them. This is no surprise as the period of the Weimar Republic in Germany, 1919-1933, was one of complete crisis. Massive inflation and high unemployment affected not just the working class but also layers of the middle classes.
Nonetheless, any party that wanted to control the streets and ultimately take power had to get support from the working class. This was just as much the case for the Nazis, as it was for the Communists and the Social Democrats. Therefore right from the start of the NSDAP, the organisation aimed its propaganda at the working classes at the same time as they were wooing big business.
However, there were also Nazis who were genuinely anti-capitalist but nevertheless nationalists. There is no contradiction in this but Gluckstein finds it hard to understand. For the same reasons he ignores the facts that a significant minority of working class people voted for the Nazi party and actually joined them. To prove his point that workers didn't vote for the Nazis, he contests the analysis contained in Jurgen Falter's article, "How likely were workers to vote for the NSDAP?", (from 'The Rise of National Socialism and the Working Classes in Weimar Germany').
Falter maintains that "a particularly marked resistance by workers in general or industrial workers in particular, does not seem to have any empirical foundation". As might be expected, to Gluckstein this is the equivalent of pissing in church but as he says himself, "If Falter is correct, then the thesis of this book would have serious flaws." Exactly! Gluckstein's main objection is that the definition of 'the working class' used by Falter is too broad, but the standard SWP definition, originating with Trotsky, is too narrow. Gluckstein wants to write off all the poorer elements, particularly the unemployed, agricultural workers and those in smaller enterprises, to arrive at a more pristine pure definition of working class that focuses purely on the industrial workers. This serves no purpose other than to convince Gluckstein that all is well with his thesis, as these other elements are not really working class. This is not just intellectual dishonesty but stupidity.
Falter's conclusion is that while the largest group of Nazi voters were undoubtedly middle class, "on a regular basis more than a quarter of National Socialist voters were workers at least as defined by social insurance law" and "workers formed so significant a sub-group that it is impossible to talk of a purely or even a predominantly middle class movement'. This is a sizeable minority and if you include the unemployed and retired along with all working class dependents, this would "represent just under 40% of National Socialist voters." Even if we accept that it is difficult to be absolutely sure about the class composition of voters, we can see that there was a definite tendency for a substantial group of working class people to vote for the Nazis.
This will be even more the case when we look at the membership of the Nazis, incidentally, it is also worth saying that Gluckstein spends 3 pages assessing how the working class voted while Falter's analysis covers 45 pages.
As with the discussion over votes, Gluckstein's arguments over the social composition of the NSDAP come from what he wants to be the case rather than reality. He just cannot accept that workers would join the Nazis. Gluckstein writes, "In an essay entitled `A worker's party or a party without workers'?', Detlev Muhlberger estimates the proportion of workers in the NSDAP to be '40% of members in the period between 1925 and the end of January 1933.' The notion of the NSDAP as a workers' party is ludicrous." Notice that he never disputes this 40% figure.
Gluckstein's thesis suffers all the more when we move from examining the nature of the Nazi party itself to that of the Stormtroopers (SA). Here we find that the percentage of working class members was even higher. Even by Gluckstein's own figures, which cover only the period 1929 — 30th Jan 1933, the percentage was 64%. His response to this is not to admit he has been wrong in saying that the working class weren't involved with the Nazis but to deny its significance. "First of all, fewer than half of the SA actually belonged to the Nazi party. This suggests a lack of commitment to the party's aims and outlook."
Now this is just crap. As their name suggests, Stormtroopers were, well... Storm-troopers, the frontline forces of fascism; the ones who fought, and often died, for fascism. To accuse them of lack of commitment is just plain bizarre. As a matter of fact, you could say that as the SA, prior to its smashing in 1934, was more radical than the parent body - then a greater number of workers were attracted to a more radical version of fascism.
All this is anathema to Gluckstein. He has already decided that workers weren't attracted to Nazism in any substantial way. But while he has his head stuck firmly in the sand it is worth quoting something else from Muhlberger (from `The Rise of National Socialism and the Working Classes in Weimar Germany') that Gluckstein doesn't mention:
"The observation that the Nazi Party was only outmatched by the SPD in terms of its ability to recruit working class members is therefore no exaggeration. In numerical terms there were more workers to be found in the NSDAP by 1932 than in the much smaller Communist Party, even though in the latter they did provide all but 20% of the membership."
Gluckstein has to ignore the fact that workers did join the Nazis and the SA, because he is incapable of explaining it. The simple reason it happened is that because of the failures of the SDP and the Communist Party, workers looked to other alternatives as a way to improve their lot. Neither of these organisations stood for independent working class action.
The SPD, since helping destroy the German revolution in 1919, had continually stabbed the working class in the back whenever it had the chance. The Communist Party, on the other hand, was effectively run from Moscow and though at various times gathered substantial working class support, it always put the interests of Russia first. The Nazis, though, attacked both the communists and the SPD, and the capitalists, and seemed to offer a chance of stability amidst the chaos of crisis. That was why they won working class support.
To conclude, we have to ask ourselves why is the argument that Hitler, and by extension today's fascists, only able to recruit a few misguided working class people so important to Gluckstein and the SWP. Partly this is because Trotsky's analysis emphasises the petty bourgeois nature of fascism and, as Gluckstein says himself, if this is wrong a whole new theory would be needed.
However, there is a more fundamental reason for Gluckstein's reticence to face facts. If even a substantial minority of workers can be won to fascism, then or now, it exposes the fact that fascism was, and still can be, a lot more attractive than the dismal 'revolutionary' alternatives on offer. Then the SWP might just have to face up to the fact that the politics of the entire 'Left' have not only failed but made a large contribution to the rise of fascism themselves.
To learn from the past you have to understand it and this book does neither. Leave well alone.
‹ October Rally: Is 'Anti-Racism' Working? up Fighting Talk 24 (July 2000) ›
Anti Fascist Action
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Fighting Talk 23 (February 2000)
October Rally: Is 'Anti-Racism' Working?
Gluckstein has to ignore the fact that workers did join the Nazis and the SA, because he is incapable of explaining it.


Abq Jew ® Blog: A Day for Jerusalem!
In 1967, all eyes were on reunited Jerusalem. It was nothing then like it is now. We celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, in part, to commemorate that, in 1967, there was a barbed-wire wall dividing the city's Jewish and Arab sections. The war brought an end to that once and for all, or so we then prayed. The Old City's Jewish Quarter was virtually rubble, haunted by feral cats, the smell of urine wafting through the air. There was no plaza in front of the Wailing Wall; there, too, it was rubble, trash, and a mixed multitude of humanity: Muslims, Christians, and, once again, Jews.
It was the most carnivalesque 9th of Av you might imagine. I, a mere teen, saw friends I hadn't seen in years on that day at the Wall. Everybody, but everybody who could be there was there. Hasidim, Mitnagdim, secularists, kibbutzniks, urban dwellers, army troops, tourists, men, women, all together, pell-mell among the rubble heaped before the Wall. No separation of the sexes, no differentiation between Jews and Gentiles, no security check in place (yet) for those visiting on that day. And everyone, from rabbi to rebellious youth, from scholar to secularist, was quoting a text from the Tosefta.
[Today] marks the 46th anniversary of unfettered Jerusalem. We pray for free access to all her holy sites for all who wish to worship there. Much as we saw on that first Tish'ah Be'Av in 1967, we yearn for a Jerusalem that is truly the City of Nations. Whether it be Jews enjoying Jerusalem or Muslims exulting in Al-Quds or Christians celebrating the Holy City, may all who love her rejoice!
For those of us living in חו״ל who lived through those terrible days leading up to the Six Day War - let's remember the sacrifices and celebrate the victory. Lift a glass of wine!


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The laws around smacking children are about to change
Despite it being illegal in England to hit a child, parents have a legal defence which allows them to do it
Abbie Wightwick
Gareth Bartlett
Changes are in store for legal systems in the UK which could catch parents who choose to smack their children as a form of punishment.
While in England it is illegal to hit a child, and illegal to hit anyone, changes are in store for Scotland and Wales where it is currently legal for parents to do so. However, both countries plan to outlaw the punishment.
Despite it being illegal in this country, parents in England have a legal defence which allows them to do it, as reported in Cornwall Live.
The NSPCC is now calling for the smacking of children to be banned in other parts of the UK
In a recent speech the Welsh Minister for Children, Huw Irranca-Davies, said physical punishment of children has "no place" in a "modern and progressive" society.
Eight things the law says parents should never do
According to Wales Online, the country will remove the legal defence that currently protects parents - the same stance Scotland announced last month.
That will leave England as the only place where parents are legally still allowed to smack their children but could cause problems for any English parents taking their children over the borders.
What is the current law?
According to charity Child Law Advice, smacking is illegal here in England, but has a legal defence of "reasonable punishment" under section 58 of the Children Act 2004. This only applies to parents and legal guardians.
But what that is defined as is not set out in law so is a grey area and depends on each individual case.
Factors such as the age of the child and the nature of the strike are considerations.
Martin Lewis reveals whether it's cheaper to turn your heating on and off or keep it running
But it is illegal for teachers, nursery staff, care workers to smack children. Privately-hired carers such as nannies or babysitters may smack, but only if permission has been given by the parents.
Smacking a child becomes illegal when it is seen as an offence under other legislation - such as wounding, actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm or child cruelty.
Scotland has proposed to ban the smacking of children
For example this could be leaving marks on a child or using an implement such as a cane or belt.
The NSPCC has approved of the Welsh Assembly's proposals, saying: "Every child deserves equal protection under the law and should be protected from such draconian forms of discipline.
Improve Wi-fi in your home with this simple life hack, just grab some tin foil...
"It is wrong that a defence which does not exist in a case of common assault against an adult can be used to justify striking a child."
Anyone who is concerned about a child should contact them on 0808 800 5000.
Traffic & TravelM5: Police warning after series of crashes on frozen roads There have been four separate incidents so far this morning, they involved an overturned lorry and a five vehicle crash


Great news! We've expanded our popular range of TEKS-aligned quizzes to include TEKS Math Algebra 1!
Easily track your students' progress towards mastering the Algebra 1 TEKS!
We've created engaging quizzes using questions from official STAAR past papers (available at tea.texas.gov).
The quizzes are free to use and you can play them as fun team games in class or set them as an interactive homework.
You can also get useful insights into your students' progress for differentiation and progress tracking.
Discover exactly who needs help, what they need help with and their progress towards mastering the TEKS Algebra 1 in the Mastery dashboard.
Have you explored our new TEKS quizzes? If so we'd love to hear what you think, just drop us a line or comment below.


Why Do Male Cardinals Feed Female Cardinals?
Male blue jays tend to be larger in size than females, but since males and females share the same plumage, it is difficult to tell them apart by size alone. Careful observation of courtship and nesting behavior is the best way to tell the sexes apart. Blue jays are large songbirds often identified by their blue bodies and head crests, or sometimes by their noisy calls. Their unmistakable plumage includes various shades of bright blue on their wings and tails, white or grey underparts, white patches on the wings and tail and a dark band around the neck, known as a necklace. Blue jays are known for their intelligence. Their social, mating and nesting behavior indicates tight family bonds.
Careful observation of behavior is the only way to positively identify male from female blue jays. Blue jays are often seen in courtship groups of three to ten blue jays. In these groups, a single female blue jay determines the behavior of the surrounding males. For example, if a female begins to fly, the males follow; when the female lands, the group of males also land. After landing, the female blue jay will observe while the males bob their heads and fluff their feathers in attempts to attract the female.
Males and females behave differently during the nest-building period, which takes about a week. Both the male and female blue jay will share responsibility at first while building practice nests. However, the female does most of the work of work in building the actual breeding nest. The female also does most of the incubating of the pair's eggs while the male blue jay will bring food to the female.
Batema, Cara. "How to Tell a Male From a Female Blue Jay." Sciencing, https://sciencing.com/tell-male-female-bluejay-5946894.html. 13 March 2018.


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Q: How would I build a data warehouse when each report output is unique (like a survey)? I use SQL Server 2008 R2 to store survey questions and answers from a Web application.
For report performance reasons, I was looking into creating a data warehouse outside of my transactional database.
The report I need is fairly simple:

*

*Each column header represent a survey question

*Every row represent answers to the question

Example of two different surveys:

Since each survey is unique -- authors can ask any question they want and get distinct answers -- does it make sense to store these results in a typical warehouse model? If so, how would you suggest the design be?
Note: Each survey ties back to its own ID.
Thanks!

A: Because this is a data warehouse, I would make answer the fact.  There's no need to normalize since you are inserting and selecting only.
Answer
------
Answer Text
Question Text
Survey ID

The primary key is (Answer, Question, Survey ID).  There's another unique index on (Question, Survey ID).
If the date and time of the survey is available, I'd add a Survey Time Stamp to the Answer table.
This table will answer the following questions.

*

*How often are certain answers given?

*How often are certain questions asked?

*How often are certain answers given to certain questions?

If you're looking for a normalized transactional database, then the following tables would be more appropriate.
Survey
------
Survey ID
...

If there's no other survey information, this table isn't needed.
Question
--------
Question ID
Survey ID
Question Text
...

Question ID is an auto-incrementing integer.  Survey ID is a foreign key back to the Survey table.
Answer
------
Answer ID
Question ID
Answer Text
...

Answer ID is an auto-incrementing integer.  Question ID is a foreign key back to the Question table.
This table design will answer the following question.

*

*What did the survey look like?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Q: avoiding tomcat crash running two apps I wrote a jsf/richfaces/hibernate web app and installed under tomcat.
Lately I quite rewrote (but not completely, many classes on the two apps have the same name) that app upgrading from richfaces 3 to 4.
My customer wanted both apps be usable at the same time and thus I deployed both under the same tomcat instance (7.40), considering that they have different urls and different context paths.
Testing that configuration, I quickly saw that it can't work ; as I login on both apps and run some trivial functions, tomcat crashes giving outOfMemoryError : PermGen space.
I tried to view memory usage on jconsole and it appeared not really critical, cause heap usage was around 150 mb on 256 mb available.
Any hint would be appreciated.
Flavio

A: I found the solution at
2 applications running on tomcat and cause out of memory. Is it because of low memory on VPS?
Doing what explained in the that post, the first impression looks really fine.


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Governing bodies of sport
Governing bodies are an essential element of Scottish sport, and one that sportscotland recognises and values. For further information on sportscotland's work with governing bodies and investment figures please see our Annual Report.
A Scottish Governing Body (SGB) (National Governing Body (NGB in England, Northern Ireland and Wales) is an organisation that governs and administers a sport on a national basis, whether that is for the whole of the United Kingdom (i.e. England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), for Great Britain (i.e. England, Scotland and Wales) or for one of the Home Countries individually. An NGB operating in Northern Ireland may operate on an All-Ireland or Ulster Provincial basis. Traditionally SGBs are described as the custodians and guardians of their sport.
A SGB would be expected to deliver the following functions within its area of jurisdiction:
Control and regulate the environment of its sport;
Administer the practice and participation of its sport;
Develop its sport;
Influence both members and organisations of which it is a member.
To be able to deliver the functions a recognised NGB is likely to undertake the following activities:
Prepare and implement a vision and strategic plan for its sport and determine how it will be implemented nationally, regionally and locally;
Promote its sport;
Manage the rules and regulations of its sport, including anti-doping, child protection and equality;
Implement a governance framework for its sport;
Administer officials of its sport;
Establish and maintain links with the UK/Ireland and the international governing body / federation;
Encourage and grow participation;
Develop coaches, athletes, officials and participants;
Organise and host competitions.
Other pages from this section:
Recognition of sports and national governing bodies
SGB Governance Framework
SGB Generic Support
Date updated: 10 June 2019
Your feedback will help us to improve this site. Please don't provide any personal information.
Enquiries should be submitted using the Enquiry form
What could we do to improve it? Please provide enough information to let us find and fix the issue but don't send any personal information.


Laura Moye is director of the Amnesty International USA Death Penalty Abolition Campaign. In this interview, Moye talks about 42-year-old Troy Davis, an African American who has been on death row in Georgia for over 19 years—having already faced three execution dates. The continued railroading of Davis has sparked outrage around the world, and public pressure during the last few years of Davis' appeals has been essential to his survival today.
However, on March 28, 2011, the US Supreme Court's rejected his appeal against a federal district court's ruling that Davis did not prove his innocence in an evidentiary hearing held last year. This week Amnesty International released an email action alert, emphasizing that now, more than a month after the Supreme Court ruling, Davis' execution date can literally be scheduled any day. The situation is dire, and public support is currently needed more than ever before.
To take action and learn more, visit Amnesty International's page focusing on Troy Davis, as well as the Color of Change petition, www.justicefortroy.org and www.troyanthonydavis.org.
Angola 3 News: Why does Amnesty International consider Troy Davis' case to be so important?
Laura Moye: Troy Davis' case is emblematic of a broken and unjust death penalty system. His story speaks volumes about a criminal justice system that is riddled with bias and error and is fixated on procedure more than it is on fairness.
It is often difficult to get people to understand or to be interested in systematic and large-scale injustice, but Troy Davis' story has gotten through to a lot of people and has made the abolition cause more tangible and real for a lot of people.
Also, in the mid-1990s, the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA), was passed on the heels of the Oklahoma City Bombing. It limited access by death row prisoners of the federal appeals process, placing time limits on introduction of new evidence for example. Davis' case was negatively impacted along with others.
A3N: Please tell us more about the racism in Davis'case.
LM: Many death penalty cases have issues of unfairness. Davis' is less common in that there is a serious innocence claim.
However, how people are treated by the criminal justice system because of their background, particularly race and class, is illustrated by this case. The lack of resources for people's defense and appeals work is very common. And the difficulty in accessing the appeals process for meaningful relief is also very difficult.
LM: The county superior court in Savannah, Georgia would not grant Davis' "extraordinary motion for a new trial." He appealed this all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court and was denied. Interestingly, the Georgia Supreme Court denied his appeal by one vote.
The courts are very hesitant to re-open death penalty cases. Witness recantations are considered suspect and testimony by the many people who implicate the other suspect are dismissed as "hearsay." And yet we know that most of the 138 exonerees from death row did not have DNA at their disposal, just like Davis, who had no other kind of physical evidence.
At trial, the state has the burden to prove the defendant is "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt." After a conviction, that standard disappears. The prisoner then has an uphill battle to prove that the conviction was wrong or faulty.
A couple months ago, the DEA seized Georgia's supply of lethal injection drugs after a complaint was filed about how they accessed their supply of Sodium Thiopental. Davis would already have received a date if this issue was not at play. So time is very much of the essence.
LM: We know many people have signed the petition, but this is a hugely important thing we need. If you have not signed the petition this year, please sign it again – by going to www.justicefortroy.org and if you have signed it, please share it with ten friends and ask them to do the same. You can print out the petition and circulate it. That's downloadable from the website too.
If you know clergy or legal professionals, ask them to please sign the sign-on letters for Troy. And when a date is set, join us for an international day of solidarity, where we will have demos around the world in advance of Davis' clemency hearing to show the parole board that the world is watching and demands a stop to the execution!


I always find it pretty clever when a board game designer takes mechanics from an incredibly old game we've been playing for decades (or centuries) and repurposes it for a modern board game. Bruno Cathala did that with Five Tribes when he used Mancala as the engine that award winning game. Antoine Bauza took elements of blackjack and used it in his game Samurai Spirit. Well Mr. Cathala is back at it again with his newest offering, Kingdomino.
Our newest Game of the Week has been grabbing headlines lately as it was just nominated for the coveted Spiel des Jahres, the German Game of the Year award. You can read about al the Spiel des Jahers nominees in our article here if you want more information. In case you haven't guessed from the intro or name, Kingdomino borrows elements from Dominoes (not the pizza company) for the basis of its gameplay. Now I mean the actual tabletop game Dominoes, not setting up an elaborate series of tiles and then watching them all get knocked over.
In Kingdomino, players are seeking to expand their kingdoms from a single tile. The game play is incredibly easy to pick up. Each round, players draft a new tile to add to their kingdom. It must be placed so that one of the terrain types matches a previously placed one. Players will score points for having large areas of contiguous terrain types. And that's about it. There are a few more hitches to scoring, but explaining how to play should take all of 2 minutes.
And its accessible nature is what makes Kingdomino such a good game. It can be used as a filler game (playable in 15 minutes) while waiting for others to show up to game night, or as a light euro game to play with your non-gamer friends. I played a game of Kingdomino with people who have barely played a modern board game and they picked it up right away. Finally, there is also something incredibly satisfying about watching your kingdom come to life over the course of the game. That must be why I love tile-laying games. At the end of the game, you have a great visual representation of what you've built. This one is definitely worth a look.