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DEATH RACE 2000 - FILMSTRUCK/CRITERION CHANNEL
Hey, what gives, Paul Bartel? The year 2000 you show in your movie Death Race 2000 is nothing like the turn of the century I lived through.
Or maybe it's a little like it. Reality television competitions, a worship of celebrity--these things were very much in vogue. And we were just a year away from the tyrannical reign of The Fast and theFurious. So, Bartel's broad satire about a cross-country race where trumped-up celebs mow down unsuspecting pedestrians maybe wasn't that far off the mark.
Death Race 2000 stars David Carradine, fresh off of TV's Kung-Fu, as Frankenstein, the leather-clad, mysterious, dark hero of the government-sanctioned race. Purported to be sporting robotic limbs after losing arms and legs from crashes in years previous--and covering the scars of the same--he is the rebellious antihero inspiring imitators and groupies. His main competition is Machine Gun Joe Viterbo (pronounced like "Turbo"), a throwback East Coast gangster-type, played by a young Sylvester Stallone. They are two of five racers, with the other major players being the lusty cowgirl Calamity Jane (Mary Woronov, also in Bartel's Eating Raoul [review]) and the Nazi temptress Matilda the Hun (Roberta Collins). Each driver has a tricked-out car and a navigator riding alongside them. That the co-pilots are all members of the opposite sex means these companions will do more than navigate.
A B-movie from Roger Corman's infamous low-budget studio, it was prerequisite that Death Race 2000 would have plenty of sex and violence--though the latter is of the cartoonish, "red paint" variety. Yet, like most enduring exploitation pictures, there is more going on around the race than the simplified premise would suggest. Based on a short story by Ib Melchior (Robinson Crusoe on Mars [review]), the screenplay by Charles Griffith (The Little Shop of Horrors) and Robert Thom (Bloody Mama) frames the race as a televised event, complete with colorful commentary from disc jockey Real Don Steele and gossip-mongering reporters. It also cuts away from the action to show a counterrevolutionary movement looking to shut the race down. Their beef is that the government, run by the generic Mr. President (Sandy McCallum), is using the bloody shenanigans to distract from starvation and oppression. Think The Hunger Games [review] on wheels.
Death Race 2000 is entertaining and schlocky in all the right ways, though it's lost some of its sexiness over time. I am not sure if it's the fact that critiques of the vapidity and prurience of some pop culture has become so prevalent that Death Race 2000 no longer feels necessary or special, or that Bartel works with such a broad hand that the satire wasn't that sharp to begin with, but the critical aspects of Death Race 2000 don't carry much force all these years on. It seems a little too aligned with the thing it means to lampoon. The fun of watching Death Race 2000 is reveling in the comical deaths and dirty play. And it's hard to pretend to be above celebrity culture while enjoying a hammy Stallone eating clam sauce with his fingers. We only care because he's Sylvester Stallone, his reputation precedes him. It's hard to say how famous this movie would still be with any other personality in the part. (Carradine fares better, delivering his usual ice-cold intensity.)
Luckily, the film is mercifully short, and perhaps Bartel's smartest move is not striving for a greater point that his shoestring budget might not have allowed for. I haven't seen any of the remakes or sequels, but something tells me they probably get it a lot more wrong than the original; Death Race 2000 is at least a quaint relic with a few visceral pleasures.
Posted by Jamie S. Rich at 9:07 AM No comments:
Labels: criterion channel, filmstruck, paul bartel, roger corman
RUMBLE FISH - #869
"I don't think they would fight if they were in the river. If they had room to live."
No film more perfectly captures what adolescence looks like than Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 "art film for teens" RumbleFish. And when I say that, I don't mean the fashion or the actors--none of the male leads look all that much like teenagers, honestly, even though some of them technically were--but the surreal photography of Stephen H. Burum and the calculated exaggeration that makes Rumble Fish so distinctive. Shot in black-and-white, and featuring plenty of practical and in-camera tricks, including self-consciously composed shots, time-lapse skies, and lots and lots of smoke, there is something about the off-kilter look of Rumble Fish that echoes the off-kilter point of view of a boy struggling with puberty. Nothing looks right, and no one sees things the way I see them. I don't understand this world, and it doesn't understand me.
Matt Dillon (Factotum [review]) heads up the cast here as Rusty James, a restless delinquent in Tulsa. Rusty James is horny and bored, and so he spends most of his time chasing girls (including Diane Lane as his put-upon girlfriend) and causing trouble. He dreams of a recent, idyllic past when gangs ruled the streets, an era that seemingly passed when his older brother, The Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler [review]), took off on his bike and headed to parts unknown.
Except we do know, because The Motorcycle Boy has just returned from California, where he never saw the ocean because, as he says, the rest of the state got in the way (tell me about it). The Motorcycle Boy is a legend around town. As the graffiti informs us, he "reigns," and as one character describes him, driving the point home, he is "royalty in exile." His return will be everyone's salvation. Or so they think. It's more going to be the end of the illusion he created. The Motorcycle Boy claims to be insane, and others make the same accusation. At times you may wonder if he is even real, or a mythological creation, the Tyler Durden of Rusty James. Or maybe it's really his world and everyone else is merely living in it. Because Rumble Fish certainly seems like Motorcycle Boy's movie a lot of the time. Its aesthetics conform to his senses. He has hearing loss and is color blind, and by his own admission, sees the world "like a black-and-white TV with the sound turned off." Indeed, there is no color here, except the red and blue of the titular Siamese fighting fish, and though the movie isn't silent, the audio design is intentionally otherworldly, turned up loud and detached, almost like an intentionally bad overdub. It changes based on The Motorcycle Boy's ears. The jazzy score by Stewart Copeland (drummer for the Police) and amplified sound effects, like the ticking of the ever-present clocks (there is one in every scene to remind us that time stops for no man, but will also eventually run out) just prove to abstract the audio even further. Coppola is bending reality to suit his purposes.
Rumble Fish is based on a novel by S.E. Hinton, who co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola. The director also adapted her novel The Outsiders the same year. As a result, Rumble Fish has always been the cool older brother to The Outsiders. It's certainly aged better. It has none of the cornball 1950s mawkishness of the other film, even if they share similar plots (teenage boys fighting, gangs replacing a family structure, being misunderstood by authority, being turned on by Diane Lane) and a little bit of the same costume design. In my head, I had always remembered Rumble Fish being set in the 1950s, but really, it's a movie in no precise time. The only specific pop culture reference is to the Beach Boys, and only the Pac-Man game and the new wave fashion of the rival gang give us any real hint that the movie was made in the 1980s. (Well, ignoring some of Copeland's incongruous, synthesized orchestration, the worst of the worst signs of a 1980s movie....) Rumble Fish is designed to be like a cinematic Cure record: its adolescent desperation is renewable. All of these details are what I mean when I say Coppola has visually captured the feeling of adolescence: like an all-too-smart teen, he is calling attention to his own awkwardness as if it were a badge of honor. Rusty James is the kind of earnest bad boy many a young man dreams of being--right down to the fights choreographed like outtakes from West Side Story. Our concept of self in our teen years is often authentically inauthentic. Holden Caufield is the only one who isn't a phony.
Adulthood is the one thing that separates the returning Motorcycle Boy from who he was before he left. Some heavy stuff happened to him in California, and he no longer buys the image everyone has created around him. I like that Coppola portrays The Motorcycle Boy as larger than life, but that Rourke plays him small, buttoned-up, barely articulate. He is elusive, like a cat--and indeed, a cat heralds his return, viewed just before the one big actual rumble in the film, a blown-up shadow, like something out of a Murnau film. Note that The Motorcycle Boy's nemesis, the mustachioed cop Patterson (William Smith), is at one point similarly preceded by the shadow of a dog, and his brother exists the film not as an animal, but a shadow of the same size. In this flickering opera, the thug and the cop are two great opposing forces, the double-headed Janus flipping on the same coin. Symbolically, The Motorcycle Boy has not been fully reborn--or transformed to the Motorcycle Man--because he never made it to the ocean, he never found his space (water being a renewing element). Thus it is that he has to free the colorful fish and send Rusty James to the sea, it's the only way either can escape. To stay where they are is to be trapped until you die.
Which, for all we know, is exactly how Rusty James will end up in California will do anyway. If the movie fails in any significant way, it's that Rusty James has no hidden depth. He's not Pony Boy, he's not a sensitive type waiting to tell his story. He doesn't learn much on screen. Our only hope is that by breaking away from his small town, where everyone has made up their mind about him and who he'll turn out to be, he'll make something else out of himself. It's doubtful, but possible. I mean, what year did Boogie Nights take place again? He's pretty enough, maybe SoCal can offer Rusty James a new family. He wouldn't even have to change his name!
The screengrabs here are taken from the standard definition DVD and not the Blu-ray under examination.
Labels: francis ford coppola, murnau
BLU-REDO: BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB - #866
What a difference a few years make. Or maybe it was just my mood. Most likely, though, it was expectations. I had heard a lot about Buena Vista Social Club, knew its reputation and its awards pedigree, so I am sure I expected to be wowed. When what I saw turned out to be much more subdued than the musical party I was expecting, I was maybe too quick to shrug it off. Thus, my original review, which was respectful but tepid.
Now seven years on, the Criterion Blu-ray in hand, and Wim Wenders' 1999 documentary about the Cuban music scene is something I found to be absolutely enchanting. I was moved by the music, enthralled by the stories--it's the same movie, but this time, I get it.
What Wenders had uncovered is not just incredible music, but tje incredible cast of characters that made it. Ibrahim Ferrer, Compay Segundo, Pío Leyva, Rubén Gonz
ia; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">ález, and the rest were of their time, a product of history, creating a beautiful reflection of the social change that swept across their homeland, but also a victim of the same movement. One gets the sense, particularly as you listen to their wistful anecdotes about the time when their club was all the rage, that Castro and his communism left them behind. They could have been something more, perhaps even international stars, but the doors to the outside world closed, and so eventually did the doors of the Buena Vista Social Club.
I particularly felt this when Ferrer would talk. He had the strange duality of an artist who hasn't gotten his due--humbled by life, and yet confident in his talents. There is a subtle arrogance in knowing he deserved better.
And this is what makes the concert footage such a celebration. Filmed on trips to Germany and New York, the performances by these old timers have the energy of emotions being unleashed. At last, they are on a stage large enough for the songs; at last, they can sing them as intended.
Criterion's new release does the film justice with a new transfer and a bevy of extras, including a vintage director's commentary with Wenders. The image quality is not always up to current standards, but one gets the sense that the transfer is making the best of the source material. Some of the interview footage has the soft edge of early digital. It probably never looked that crisp. Which is fine, since the warm 5.1 surround mix is so good. Buena Vista Social Club is more about the sound than it is the image, and you'll be pleased with this upgrade when you turn down the lights, turn up the volume, and let the Club work their magic.
Labels: blu-ray, documentary, music, wim wenders
WOMAN OF THE YEAR - #867
Of classic Hollywood couples who simulated their real-life relationships on the silver screen, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy are the ones who most successfully created films that put them together as the sort of couple most of us imagined them to be. As much as I love Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, even the most fanciful of fans would find it a stretch to believe their steamy personas from crime dramas translated to the everyday. Whereas Tracy's lovable grumpiness and Hepburn's intellectual charm was part and parcel to their image, their personalities turned into brands, both separate and as a team, and it's easy to see the successful formula take shape in their very first pairing, 1942's Woman of the Year.
George Stevens (Gunga Din, Shane [review]) directs Woman of the Year, working from a script by Ring Lardner Jr. (M*A*S*H) and Michael Kanin (The Outrage [review]). Hepburn stars as Tess Harding, an influential newspaper columnist and radio commentator with her finger on the pulse of international politics. ("Hitler will lose! says Tess Harding" an advertisement declares.) On one radio appearance, she suggests baseball too frivolous a pursuit in times of war, raising the ire of Sam Craig (Tracy), the sports columnist at her very newspaper. He writes a response in the next day's edition, to which she fires back the following day. When their boss calls them on the carpet for this feud, the duo meets for the first time, and they are immediately struck with one another. Sam invites Tess to a baseball game, and their seemingly disparate lives become hopelessly intertwined.
In most of the Tracy and Hepburn movies, including Adam's Rib (my favorite) and State of theUnion, the actors portray a professional couple who both have jobs. Sometimes they are married, sometimes they are on their way to the altar. So it is in Woman of the Year: Tess and Sam will be wed before the halfway mark. More importantly, though, Tess will keep on working. She is not expected to be a doting housewife--not entirely, at least (but more on that in a second).
This is what I like about the Tracy and Hepburn formula: they are, for all intents and purposes, equals. They compete on a level playing field. He respects her, and she respects him. It's a dynamic I would borrow for one of my romance comics, Ares & Aphrodite; I wanted a couple that had their jobs and did them well and part of navigating their relationship was balancing the two careers. (You'll note, should you read the book, the main characters have pets named Kate and Spencer.) Inevitably, conflict would arise out of an imbalance within the relationship, of one spouse stepping over the line. In most of these films, including Woman of the Year, it's that Katharine Hepburn's character becomes too focused on her career and forgets she has a partner and responsibilities. In this case, she is so busy and has her eyes on so many stories, she tends to ignore her homelife and fails to follow through on certain promises, including the adoption of a Greek refugee. Tracy's Sam gets fed up with always being second fiddle, particularly once he realizes Tess deflects from any serious discussion of the matter by pitching woo.
Obviously there is a questionable subtext here. It would not be a stretch to decode Woman of the Year as suggesting that Tess would be better off sticking to being a housewife and not concern herself with things that only distract her from that role. When the movie's famous climax comes around, Tess' attempt to do "normal" housework that "any idiot" can do, and failing suggests there is something wrong with her that she doesn't even know how to make toast. This air of judgment is impossiple to totally deny, as it's always Hepburn who has to get back in her lane in these movies, never Tracy. At the same time, a more gentle interpretation might be that Tess is losing the forest for the trees, and is only criticized for not being engaged with her family life. In the movie's final scenes, note that she offers to give up her career, but Sam never asks her to. On the contrary, he doesn't want her to change who she is, he just wants her to be present and give their relationship the attention it deserves.
This explanation would certainly fit more with Katharine Hepburn's overall image as a rule breaker and a progressive voice for women in cinema. Her version of Tess is never weak, never dumb, just sometimes blind. We could easily swap the roles and have Tracy play the distracted husband, and the plot would work just as well. It's as much about blue collar vs. white collar as it is a battle of the sexes. And we can also cut Tess some slack by noting the constant interruptions from outsiders who can't see her as having an emotional life of her own. Is it possible to suggest that the real message of Woman of the Year is that women should be able to have it all, a career and a relationship are not mutually exclusive?
For what is ostensibly a romantic comedy, Woman of the Year does not exaggerate its love story. Sure, the couple falls for each other super quick, but their proclamations are rather subdued and lacking in flowery poetry. Which is not to say that there are not scenes to melt the heart, just that Stevens plays it much more subtle. The intimate scenes between his leads are almost uncomfortably intimate. Conversations spoken in hushed tones, the camera tight on their faces, a sense of being alone together, eavesdropping on their whispered sweet nothings--these are people connecting on a deep level, and Stevens is content to let the moments play out at their own speed.
The filmmaker takes a similar approach to the comedy. There are a plenty of places he could go broad with the gags, but he instead takes his time with them, lets them work naturally, be it William Bendix's punchy ex-boxer boring a gaggle of drunks and dignitaries with his stories from the ring or the aforementioned attempt by Tess to prove her domestic skills. Despite being the film's climax, Stevens doesn't push the jokes in that scene too far beyond the natural. The most exaggerated he gets is with sound effects (the bubbling waffle batter, most noticeably). Rather than give voice to Tess' panic, Stevens stages the bulk of the scenario with no dialogue. He trusts in Spencer Tracy's reactions to properly orient the audience to when they can laugh and how. Tracy is masterful at the slow burn and prefers tiny moves to grandstanding. When he scoots away from the overflowing coffee pot, it's just a touch to the left, he doesn't make a show of it, and it's all the funnier for being so undercooked.
It's that scene, really, that's the key to the whole thing. It shows how Tracy and Hepburn fit together as not just a romantic duo, but a comedy team. He is her straight man, and the need to repair their love life adds a relatable urgency to her panic. Haven't we all felt foolish trying to impress someone we care about?
The new restoration of Woman of the Year is quite wonderful, full of rich detail and effectively capturing the black-and-white camerawork of Joseph Ruttenberg (The PhiladelphiaStory, Mrs. Miniver [review]). The disc is rounded out with interviews both new and old, as well as two excellent documentaries from the 1980s previously available on other releases. The charming The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn was previously released as a standalone disc in a Warner Bros. box with three Hepburn and Tracy features, including Woman of the Year. This personal homage, narrated by Hepburn, is a sweet love letter to a man long gone. I know some biographers quibble over the details, preferring to point out the rockier aspects of their union, but that' a whole other discussion. This portrait is too heartfelt to dismiss.
The exhaustive career profile George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey was most recently available as a second disc alongside the Blu-ray of Stevens' James Dean-led epic Giant. It's nice that Criterion has given us the whole thing rather than just excising the pertinent Woman of the Year segments. The documentary is interesting in and of itself, not just for how it establishes the relationship between the director and Hepburn, but also the detours it takes off the studio back lots, including Stevens' tenure as a war photographer and his part in Director's Guild in-fighting during the 1950s.
Please note the screengrabs here are from the 2000 standard-definition DVD and not the Blu-ray under discussion.
Labels: bogart & bacall, George Stevens, hepburn & tracy
CHRONICLE OF A SUMMER - #648
Whenever I watch a political film from the past, I try to adjust my viewing to the present. You have to ask, "How is this relevant? What does this say about us now? What can I learn from history?" Those of you who read this blog on the regular may have noticed that, more often than not, the verdict is "the more things change, the more they stay the same." As much as we like to think we have made progress in the last several decades, the issues that matter--class, gender equality, race, economics--feel stuck somewhere in a car park outside an abandoned mall, revving the gas with the parking brake on. I don't even think we are more self-aware now than we were, say, 57 years ago, when filmmaker Jean Rouch and sociologist Edgar Morin shot their documentary Chronicle of a Summer. That's maybe the saddest part. We know we're fucked, we've known it for a while, and we've not really crawled out of it.
What maybe saddens me more, though, is imaging how social media would dissemble Chronicle of a Summer. For a lot of folks, it may be the very definition of #firstworldproblems. Beginning with the question of "are you happy?", Rouch and Morin take to the Paris streets in 1960 to talk to random citizens and try to find out what is going on in the collective consciousness. Though some of the subjects embody textbook ennui, and there is a cliché Frenchness to the whole affair, if we stop and listen, as the film intends, we hear how common problems like dissatisfaction with work and making ends meet via the wages we are paid connect just about everybody. Hell, in our current climate, where "debate" only reinforces political lines more than ever, Chronicle of a Summer is exactly the kind of thing we need: a venue for people to talk about what ails them, uninterrupted, so that we all might realize that there is more to connect us than there is to push us apart.
One standout theme emerges quite quickly in Chronicle of a Summer. Granted, this could be a trick of editing and/or the chosen willing subjects, but the #1 problem amongst French men and women of the early 1960s is that money can't buy happiness, and the average job isn't a bed of roses, either. As one man notes, you can no longer choose a vocation, you instead end up with what job you can get. While this fellow appears to be a middle-class intellectual (the bookshelves flanking him will cause much envy amongst readers out there), he is not necessarily the common subject in Chronicle of a Summer. Rouch and Morin don't just talk to scholars and artists, they also spend time with autoworkers, secretaries, and even a pin-up model. Class is not entirely a motivator here, except to note how broad the definitions of lower class and middle class may be--something we should all understand when we consider the economic gaps in current society. The fact that there is a 1% and then the rest of us, that should be distressing all by itself.
Granted, there is one other clear connector through most of the interview subjects in Chronicle of a Summer: they are, for the most part, white. The exceptions are glaring, and not just for the obvious reasons. When one of the aforementioned autoworkers, Angelo, is put together with Landry, a young African immigrant, to share their experiences, the black man's explanation of how he approaches life by walking through the doors that are open to him and moving on when he sees the door is closed inspires the white man to say, "I think you're great." It's the worst impulse of liberal empathy, treating him as quaint because he somehow overcomes. That's not great, it's shitty that he has to think that way! And it actually echoes the shoddiest of the conservative "you gotta pull yourself up by your own bootstraps" platitudes. Even worse is when Landry is sent to Saint-Tropez along with the others, but is described as the "black explorer of holiday France." In other words, the token "stranger in a strange land" isolated by the color of his skin. Sure, when we remember when Chronicle of a Summer was made, we can forgive the misguided technique knowing that at the time just doing this was progressive, but it's still hard to shake the antiquity of it. (Interestingly, it's Angelo who suffers real consequences here, having his job at Renault threatened for participating in the film.)
Chronicle of a Summer is at its best when it's the least staged, when it's the most intimate, such as the solo interview with Mary Lou, the Italian who ponders how her life has grown worse since moving to France, or conversely, the group lunch where a real dialogue starts between the group. The conversation is frank, touching on subjects like interracial dating (Landry lamenting that white people only notice him for his dancing skills is still an apropos observation, just as sharp as it would be years later when Spike Lee called out similar thinking in Do the Right Thing) and how race does not always unite across borders (African nations band together to stop white invaders, but they still are not united in everyday life). There is even a somewhat painful moment when Landry admits to only having heard of concentration camps through movies (Night and Fog, no less [review]). That this revelation comes because another interviewee, Marceline, shows her identification tattoo from a Nazi camp gives the moment added poignancy, particularly if we consider how much history and experience seems to be ignored by current generations even as information becomes more and more accessible.
Yet, it's also a perfect moment for Rouch and Morin, who frequently break from their main narrative to discuss the success of the project. There is a veneer to Chronicle of a Summer that is the epitome of French New Wave/cinema verité self-conscious, in that the directors make their movie as much about the making of the movie as they do the subject at hand--complete with self-justification at the start, telling us what other important films also earned the top prize at Cannes. Chronicle of a Summer is a movie influenced by other movies, despite being a true trailblazer. For every tightly framed private confession from Mary Lou, there is a staged "conflict" between Rouch and Morin on the meaning of cinema and the truthfulness of their work. It's as if we are watching the birth of first-person documentarians like Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock, who consistently run the risk of losing the plot to their own cult of personality. The film even closes with a scene so ironic--the directors saying it's up to the audience to ascertain the meaning of Chronicle of a Summer, even as they tell us exactly what they intend--that they had to be aware of their own fatuousness. How post-modern can you get?
It's too bad, because that coda is totally unnecessary. The preceding sequence does all of the heavy lifting for them. Following a private cast screening of an early cut of Chronicle of a Summer, the gathered participants give their reactions to what they saw. Their feelings vary. Some see it as too honest, others as too contrived. Angelo, for one, sticks up for himself, saying he forgot the camera and made a real connection with Landry. Marceline says she was honest with what she shared, but otherwise disconnected from the process. She was playing to the camera, and yet totally being herself.
But if we go back to the point to how Chronicle of a Summer relates to us nearly five decades later, this final discussion is a perfect microcosm of the media age: everyone is having their say, but no one ends up on the same page. It doesn't mean that no one is listening, because they all are, it might just mean that the best takeaway we can get from the film is that we don't have to agree to get along. No need to fight, we're all just looking to survive, and we all deserve a platform in which to outline our plans for doing so.
Posted by Jamie S. Rich at 4:45 PM 1 comment:
Labels: documentary, edgar morin, jean rouch, Spike Lee
BEING THERE - #864
This review originally ran on DVDTalk.com in 2009.
The role of Chance the Gardener in Being There (1979) was one of Peter Sellers' last, as well as the one he struggled the longest to realize. The chameleonic comedian had the rights to Jerzy Kosinski's novel for nearly a decade before cameras rolled under the direction of the great Hal Ashby (Harold and Maude [review], Lookin' to Get Out [review]). Working from a script by Kosinski himself, Sellers' performance left an indelible mark on cinema, providing him with a chance to marry his funnyman skills to material that had real heart.
Chance is an aging manchild who has spent his entire life inside one house, working for its rich owner. He has never learned to read or write, and in fact has never ridden in a car or even gone beyond the property's outer walls. Everything he knows he has learned from television, which Chance watches--and mimics--constantly. If he sees the President of the United States (Jack Warden) on the tube shaking hands, Chance practices shaking hands just like him.
At the start of Being There, Chance's benefactor has passed away, and the lawyers in charge of the estate, not knowing who this strange gardener is, send Chance on his way. Though up until this point we have been lead to believe that Chance is on some spatial southern estate, as soon as he steps through the door, greeted by strains of a 1970s funkified "Also Sprach Zarathustra," we realize that this little house is buried in the heart of urban Washington D.C. Not knowing any better, Chance starts walking, his television remote in hand, in search of new adventures. Or, at the very least, some lunch.
A chance encounter with a limousine--yes, he's named Chance for a reason; many of the names here have outside meanings--leads Chance into the care of the Rands. Benjamin Rand, played by veteran actor Melvyn C. Douglas and perhaps named for Ayn Rand, is a rich capitalist on his death bed, and he and his young wife, Eve (Shirley MacLaine), adopt Chance, mishearing his introduction as Chauncey Gardener and believing him to be a zen master filled with all kinds of soothing wisdom. The newly dubbed Chauncey actually says very little, often just repeating what the last person said, nodding in agreement, or sharing gardening tips, but his calm demeanor mellows the room, inviting people to listen perhaps more intently than they would otherwise. Chauncey becomes all things to all people, allowing them to replace what he doesn't say with exactly what they want to hear. This gardener soon has the ear of the President, shares his advice on television, and attracts the attention of that temptress Eve (oh, those names!), all the while oblivious to the effect he is having or what is really going on.
Ashby and Sellers create a wonderful, magical comedy with Being There. Its bittersweet tone fits well with the gentle satire, and neither the writing nor the staging ever pushes anything too hard. Part of the charm is the simplicity, the lack of fuss. Like Chance himself, Being There is charming for how unassuming it is, and in that sense, it allows us to find the meaning in what passes in front of us in much the same way the people this humble gardener encounters find meaning in his down-home declarations.
Which isn't to suggest that there is no greater meaning here, because there is plenty that one can walk away with after watching Being There. Kosinski is carefully laying out a little parable to prod the audience into thinking more about the complicated nature of modern culture and reassess our humanity, and the magical effect is elevated further by Ashby's apparently spur-of-the-moment ending (and nearly ruined by the legendary bad decision by the studio to put Peter Sellers outtakes over the closing credits, spoiling the feeling Ashby intended to leave you with). Quite often, Being There is also laugh-out-loud funny. Sellers, unsurprisingly, loses himself in the character, exercising incredible restraint and saving the broad comedy for only the right moments. The result is simply wonderful, and Sellers deserved the Oscar nomination that came his way. (Melvyn Douglas actually took the statue home for best supporting actor in Being There.)
Effectively, Chance's purpose in life is to bring people together and to nurture their souls with his delicate care. Like plants, people don't require a heavy hand, they require a soft touch. He sets the dying rich man at ease, shows the lonely wife she can love again (even self-love!), and reminds movie fans that good old-fashioned optimism still has some sway in a cynical world. The famous tagline for the movie is that "Life is a state of mind," though the real message is, wherever you may find yourself within that state, just being there is enough to keep it all going.
Labels: hal ashby


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Geez, took ya long enough, Kelsea Ballerini! "We Were Like" is a fan favorite and a recent staple of her live show, but until now, it has not been available for streaming.
An unlisted audio video of the song is at YouTube as of Monday (Oct. 29). The pop-friendly summer fling might bring back memories made from 2018, or years much earlier.
"But we were like fire / Summer breeze / Seventies / All-nighter / Let the beach be the background choir / Singing like oh-oh-oh-oh-oh / We were like a movie / Said I looked too good in that two-piece / And for those three months, you knew me / Remember those, remember those nights? / We were like ..." she sings during an anthemic chorus.
"We Were Like" is not included on Ballerini's new deluxe album. That does include four new songs, however, including a live version of "Landslide" and "This Feeling," a Chainsmokers' song she's featured on.
It's been a busy week for Ballerini. After announcing that she'd tour with Kelly Clarkson in early 2019, she revealed the Miss Me More Tour with Brett Young that will begin in April.


Sitael Australia applauds the announcement to establish the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) in Adelaide. Sitael Australia was an early partner in the SmartSat CRC proposal, and hopes to work closely with the SmartSat CRC over the coming years.
The SmartSat CRC will help develop advanced technologies in satellite communications, smart satellite systems and remote sensing technologies, all of which are major future economic drivers for Australia. It also brings together nearly 100 partners and collaborators which have invested alongside the Australian Government and forms one of the largest investments in Australia's space industry.
Sitael Australia also congratulates the bid team for their tireless efforts and professionalism in developing the SmartSat CRC proposal, particularly those from University of South Australia and Nova Systems.
SITAEL is the largest privately-owned Space Company in Italy and worldwide leader in the Small Satellites sector. With over 380 employees and state-of-the-art facilities, SITAEL covers a wide range of activities in development of small satellite platforms, advanced propulsion systems and on board avionics, providing turn-key solutions for Earth observation, telecom and science. Being one of the main players of the Space Economy, SITAEL is changing the way to conceive space products, both in the upstream and downstream segments, providing, thanks to its IoT capabilities, competitive smart services for a wide range of applications. SITAEL belongs to Angel Group, an Italian holding world leader in Railway, Aerospace and Aeronautics markets.
For further information visit www.sitael.com .


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About OrexCA
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Cities & Sights
Kunya Urgench
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Turkmenistan Nature
Cities of Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is situated in the very heart of Central Asia, between the Caspian Sea in the west and the great Amu Darya in the east; from Aral Sea coastal steppes in the north to the Kopet Dag mountain range to the south. Turkmenistan is an independent state, founded in 1991 after the disintegration of the USSR; five years later it attained a unique political status, which was recognized by the United Nations Organization. The founder of the state and former National leader of Turkmenistan, President Saparmurat Turkmenbashy, has clearly specified the character of his country and its place in the sophisticated geopolitical space with a broad formulation of "permanent neutrality".
Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, has borne this name since 1881. According to archeological data, settlements belonging to the Great Silk Road have existed on the territory of the present city since at least the end of the first millennium BC. The chronological distance between them and the present city is so great, that we are unable to speak of any cultural or architectural continuity. This connection traces back to the beginning of the 19thcentury, when an urban Turkmen settlement was founded here, called Ashgabat...
Kunya Urgench city
Kunya-Urgench. At the beginning of the 1st century AD, Chinese sources mentioned the city of Yue-gan, which has been correlated with the city of Gurgench or Urgench. It relates to Khorezm according to ancient and medieval geographic conceptions. In the later period this city was written about in connection with the most important political events in the region. Kunya-Urgench was destroyed and rebuilt several times...
Mary city
Mary is the second largest city in Turkmenistan and lies about 350 km east of Ashgabat. It is the capital of the Mary Region, known as the province of Margiana in ancient times. Mary (Merv) was once known as the "Pearl of the East" and was the second city of Islam after Baghdad between the 8th-13th centuries; later it fell victim to a most horrific slaughter by the Mongols. Merv changed its name to Mary in 1937 and has grown into Turkmenistan's largest city...
Turkmenabat city
Turkmenabat is the third largest city in Turkmenistan and the center of the Lebap region. It is situated on the left bank of the Amu Darya River. The city's past has not yet been researched deeply; however, it is known that Turkmenabat appeared in the early 1st century BC, thanks to the Great Silk Road, which was pioneered from China through Central Asia to the Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. The town of Amul was one of the most important points on the Silk Road. Those who see the Amu Darya River for the first time are surprised at its muddy yellow-green color, owing to its strong flow and mud content, containing various nutrients which form the area's fertile soil...
Turkmenbashi city
Turkmenbashy (formerly called Krasnovodsk), 654km from the capital of Turkmenistan, has a population of about 70,000. It is situated on the Caspian Sea and features some magnificent sandy beaches. More than one hundred twenty years ago, Colonel N.G. Stoletov founded a town, which he named Krasnovodsk. It became the administrative center of the Caspian region and retained that status until 1917...
According to historians' assessments, the history of civilizations which have existed on this land in the past covers five thousand years. Remains of those vanished cultures can be found here almost everywhere: in the desert and foothills of the mountains, along the channels of dry rivers and in caves. Traces of human activity have been preserved in the form of implements, domestic utensils and real works of art made of stone and bone, ceramics and metals, including bronze, silver and gold.
But it is the architecture which recollects the distant past of the Turkmen - beginning with the earthenware houses, sanctuaries and formerly inaccessible fortresses of the ancient world to the luxurious palaces and temples of the Middles Ages. Certainly, few things which local towns were renowned for have escaped destruction and remain intact today. The Biblical truth that everything is good in its season has been eloquently confirmed here.
OrexCA.com © 2003-2019. All rights reserved.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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A competição dos 200m medley feminino  nos Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2008 aconteceram entre os dias 11 e 13 de Agosto no Centro Aquático Nacional de Pequim.

Recordes
Antes desta competição, os recordes mundiais e olímpicos da prova eram os seguintes:

Eliminatórias

Eliminatória 1

Eliminatória 2

Eliminatória 3

Eliminatória 4

Eliminatória 5

Semi-finais

Semi-final 1

Semi-final 2

Final

Eventos da natação nos Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2008

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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1:18 Hamilton 2017 Mercedes W08
The 2017 Formula One season started out as a very close run thing, with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel scoring three wins apiece through the opening seven races. Things remained close throughout the summer, with just three points separating the title protagonists as the European leg of the campaign reached its climax.
It was then not so much that Mercedes found an extra gear, but that Ferrari's title challenge completely came off the rails. In three consecutive races Vettel experienced a start line accident, having to start from the back of the grid after a mechanical failure in qualifying, and a race-ending engine problem. Lewis was now suddenly 59 points to the good with just four races to go, and he is far too good to let an advantage like that slip.
That's not to say that Hamilton was undeserving of his championship success, however; far from it. With nine victories over the course of the year, and a fourth world championship, he could now statistically claim to be the most successful British Formula One driver of all time.
We have just received Minichamps' 1:18 replica of Lewis's 2017 world championship winning Mercedes F1 W08 into our warehouse, but we do not expect it to reside there for very long. It is already completely sold out with Minichamps, and the German company's UK importer. Once we have sold out of the couple of dozen pieces we still have available after fulfilling our customer pre-orders, (which won't take long given that it is not only a Hamilton model, and not only a world championship winning model, but a Hamilton world championship winning model!), that really will be it.
Shop for the 1:18 Hamilton 2017 Mercedes W08


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Christopher T. Coad, MD FACS
Jay Yoon, OD
Sherry Liu, OD
Why Get LASIK From Us
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Coronavirus Myths & Facts
The new coronavirus continues its steady march through the U.S. population, bringing with it a second plague: potentially dangerous myths and rumors about COVID-19, spread via the internet.
You may have already heard some of these coronavirus myths, which, if subscribed to, could at best mean wasted effort or -- at worst -- make you even more vulnerable to getting ill.
Now, experts at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health) tackle a number of these rumors, to help you sort fact from fiction:
'Face masks will keep the uninfected safe.'
False. Except when used under high-exposure conditions, such as by health care workers, donning a face mask every day (especially cheap paper or cloth masks), doesn't keep viruses from infecting you.
"Those who are not ill or on the frontlines of medicine may not benefit from wearing a mask," said Dr. Michael Chang. He's assistant professor of pediatrics at McGovern Medical School, and an infectious disease specialist with UT Physicians.
"Wearing a mask when you are not sick essentially gives you a false sense of confidence that you don't need to wash your hands as often, or not touch your face as much," Chang explained in an UT Health news release. "And, because masks can be uncomfortable, you may actually touch your face more. In addition, contamination can occur when masks are taken off and put back on."
Also, when lay people snap up face masks needed to protect health care workers, that puts everyone at risk. Every nurse or doctor infected means fewer people to care for the very ill.
Late last month, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams acknowledged the situation, tweeting " "Seriously people -- STOP BUYING MASKS!"
One exception to the rule: If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever and coughing, wearing a face mask could help lower the transmission of infectious droplets in air, experts say.
'Lots of vitamin C will ward off COVID-19.'
False. There is no evidence that taking extra vitamin C will fight against COVID-19, said Dr. Susan Wootton, a UT associate professor of pediatrics and an infectious disease pediatrician.
"In fact, our body can only absorb a certain amount of vitamin C at a time and any excess will be excreted. So those who are stocking up on the vitamin are not benefiting from the extra intake," Wootton said in the release.
'Like colds and flu, COVID-19 will fade with warmer weather.'
False -- maybe. There is no conclusive proof that the coronavirus will die off once the weather turns warm.
"Because this is a new virus, we aren't sure," said Catherine Troisi in the release. She's an epidemiologist and associate professor in the Department of Management, Policy, and Community Health at UT Health's School of Public Health.
One recent study, led by virologist Dr. Mohammad Sajadi of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, has suggested that coronavirus might prefer cooler, more humid climes.
"Based on what we have documented so far, it appears that the virus has a harder time spreading between people in warmer, tropical climates," Sajadi said.
But even if that's so, the fact that humans have no immune experience against the virus means it will probably continue to spread during the Northern Hemisphere's summer, other experts countered.
"We hope that warmer weather will help, but there is no guarantee," Troisi said. "What ultimately helps is that summertime means kids are not in school anymore, and they are less likely to pass viruses around."
'Drinking water every 15 minutes helps prevent coronavirus illness.'
False. This internet rumor is based on the fallacious notion that water "washes" virus into the hostile acidic environment of the stomach. The notion is a false one, and gargling with warm water won't help protect against the coronavirus either, said Dr. Luis Ostrosky, professor of internal medicine and an infectious disease specialist at UT Health.
If you are sick, there is a good reason to drink at least some water, however: "It is very important to stay both hydrated and well-rested when recovering from any infection," Wootton said.
'Coronavirus will soon mutate into an even more dangerous strain.'
False. The coronavirus is not likely to mutate into a more deadly strain, according to Chang.
"Viruses mutate pretty frequently, but not all mutations have to be bad," he explained. "Many mutations in viruses are silent, and some can even lead to a strain that is less fit with less virulence."
In fact, vaccine developers often take advantage of the latter fact, using harmless forms of a virus -- one with genetic mutations that make it less pathogenic -- to use in new vaccines, Chang said.
"Given all of the above, it is very unlikely for COVID-19 to develop a mutation that makes it deadlier," he said.
'Hand-washing only kills coronavirus if water is hot.'
False. Washing your hands with hot water isn't any more effective than with cold water. Frequent hand-washing with soap and water is recommended as one of the best ways to limit the spread of the coronavirus, but the temperature of the water doesn't matter.
When "washing hands with soap and water, it's really the mechanical scrubbing action that's cleaning your hands," Chang explained. "You can use warm or cold water. You have to be sure you wash/scrub long enough (at least 20 seconds) and completely dry your hands."
Twenty seconds might be longer than you realize: It's roughly as long as it takes to hum "Happy Birthday" twice from beginning to end.
Ophthalmology Education Library
What is Ophthalmology?
What is an Eye M.D.?
Surgeries and Treatments
How Long Does the Coronavirus Live on Surfaces?
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 mainly spreads from person to person. When someone who is infected coughs or sneezes, they send droplets containing the virus into the air. A healthy person can then breathe in those droplets. You can also catch the virus if you touch a surface or object that has ...
The Power of Hand-Washing to Prevent Coronavirus
The single most important piece of advice health experts can give to help us stay safe from COVID-19 is this one: Wash your hands. "In the final analysis, it's the hands. The hands are the connecting piece," says Elizabeth Scott, PhD. Scott co-directs the Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community ...
Do I have COVID-19 or a cold?
Do I have COVID-19 or a cold? If you don't have a fever and your eyes aren't itchy, it's probably the common cold, not COVID-19. Do I have COVID-19 or allergies? It's probably allergies -- not COVID-19 -- if you don't have a fever but your eyes are itchy, you're sneezing, and you have a runny nose. How ...
How to Weather Social Isolation
Social distancing has become the new normal, with one-third of Americans now under stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus pandemic, but experts say that level of isolation can be hard on your health. "We don't know for sure what the long-term health outcomes of widespread forced social isolation ...
Coronavirus: What You Need to Know
The new coronavirus epidemic that started in Wuhan, China, in late December is now in dozens of countries, including the United States. Here are answers to key questions about the virus, including how to protect yourself and what to expect. What are the symptoms of coronavirus? According to the CDC, ...
Coronavirus: Is It Safe to Get Deliveries?
With more than 50% of the U.S. population living under stay-at-home restrictions, companies that deliver food and household goods are inundated with orders. As they scramble to meet the demand, you may wonder if ordering in puts you or the people making your deliveries at risk. The Question of Worker ...
As Coronavirus Myths Multiply, Experts Sort Fact From Fiction The new coronavirus continues its steady march through the U.S. population, bringing with it a second plague: potentially dangerous myths and rumors about COVID-19, spread via the internet. You may have already heard some of these coronavirus ...
Avoid Coronavirus Misinformation
A Doctor's Tips for Spotting Fake COVID-19 News As we all try to stay safe from COVID-19, arming yourself with accurate news information has never been more important – but it's not always easy. Fake news can be challenging to recognize because there's often a little truth mixed in with misinformation. ...
Calming Your Child's Coronavirus Fears
Schools are closing. Sports and other activities have been cancelled. Everything is changing. In the midst of this chaos, how do parents keep kids from stressing too much? "For families, this is truly now hitting home," said psychologist Robin Gurwitch, from Duke University and the Center for Child and ...
Vascular Treatments
Laser treatments are used for a variety of vascular occlusions. For central vein occlusion, the purpose of the treatment is to prevent further growth of new blood vessels in the front of the eye. For branch vein occlusions and macular edema (swelling), the treatment is used to close leaky blood vessels ...
"Cannot recommend Dr Coad & his lasik coordinator Nicole enough. They are wonderfully supportive and gentle that even if you are nervous it will be difficult to stay that way around this supportive duo! Without a doubt recommend going to see them, they are worth the additional care and cost for a full-service experience that are there just to help you & give you the best vision possible. Thank you Dr Coad & Nicole."
Yasmin L.
"Dr. Coad and his staff made the experience of having a cataract removed the best it could possibly be, from evaluation to discussing options to being reassuring when the surgery began, to follow-up. The evaluation process was efficient, yet at no time did I feel as if it was anything but personal. His staff at all times were both professional and welcoming. Vace, the surgical coordinator, did everything to make sure the surgical process went smoothly.
As to Dr. Coad himself, I can't say enough. His skill is absolutely top-notch, but it was the concern that he took in making sure that I understood all of my options, and his reassuring manner before, during and after the surgery which makes it easy to recommend him to the fullest to anyone who needs ophthalmic care."
Ed W.
"Had a five star experience at Chelsea Eye! I went to Dr Yoon for an eye exam and she was extremely friendly, helpful and down to earth! I have met all the staff and they are very friendly and easy to talk to. Hugo in particular was wonderful to work with during the exam. It was a breathe of fresh air coming to this practice and I highly recommend going here for an Optometry appointment or Opthalmology appointment with Dr Coad."
Devon T.
"Can I please take a moment and talk about how awesome Dr. Jay Yoon is?!
I would be friends with this woman! I went in freaked out about a blood vessel on my eye and in total hypochondriac mode (is it a stroke? Is this connected to my brain? Is it gonna spread?). She laughed and calmly said "looks like you've always had this and it's fine and here are some drops cause your eyes are dry and here's my great primary doctor who I recommend since you don't have one."
She was very funny and relatable and cool - she didn't try to rush me away and she was honest about everything too and so helpful.
I've already started recommending her and now I'll do it on here: book an appt and be treated so warmly."
Bonnie G.
"Dr Coad and Nicole were both absolutely wonderful. After my brother had LASIK surgery, I decided to go ahead and do the same.
Both Nicole and Dr. Coad are very proficient in their work. They answered any and all questions that I had, and calmed every nervous feeling that arose from the start, up until the surgery.
Going through the surgery I was EXTREMELY nervous and Dr. Coad walked me through the entire procedure (before and during) and made my whole LASIK experience a breeze.
I can not recommend them enough. If you are interested in LASIK Dr. Coad is the only doctor I would trust."
"This team is the absolute best. Christine is a gift from the gods and makes you feel comfortable supported and amazing. She really got me through my anxieties about my recent lasik surgery - which went great! Dr Coad is the best. A fantastic team, a simple process - I highly recommend this team - if you've ever considered lasik (like I have for the last 20 years) make an appt with this great group. You'll be happy you did."
Mark P.
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What do you mean by innovation? Do I need to have a completely original idea that's never been done before?
Innovations are solutions that are intended to be more effective, efficient, and/or sustainable than current approaches to a given issue, and that utilize cross-collaboration in a way that engages different stakeholders to achieve a common goal. Innovation need not be completely original or unique, and can involve the application of existing ideas or approaches to new problems or contexts. You can propose an idea that is innovative locally, nationally, thematically, and/or in its approach to tackling challenges around jail population.
Is priority given to ideas that address particular parts of the justice process?
We will make efforts to select innovations that represent the continuum of decision points in the criminal justice system. These decision points include: arrest; charge; appointment of counsel; pretrial release/bail; case processing; disposition and sentencing; and reentry/community supervision. The work undertaken by the first cohort of Innovation Fund sites is described here.
Do you accept e-mailed or mailed submissions?
No. Applications are only accepted through the Fluid Review platform located at https://innovation-fund.fluidreview.com/.
Can a jurisdiction submit more than one application for different innovations?
Yes. Jurisdictions may submit more than one application. However, we will not fund more than one innovation in the same jurisdiction.
Can award be used to augment or supplement an existing program?
Yes, however, there must be a new or innovative aspect. We are not anticipating that every participant will be inventing something from the ground up, but if you're building from existing activities, we want to know: how is Fund participation creating something that's new?
Will someone critique a draft of our application before we submit?
No. In order to create a fair application process, we will only look at final submitted applications. We will not provide feedback on drafts.
How long is the award period?
The Innovation Fund implementation period is scheduled to last a total of fifteen months from October 2018 to December 2019.
When will we be notified if we are a recipient of the award?
Selected applicants for the Innovation Fund will be notified in September 2018.
Will we be notified if we are not a recipient?
All applicants will be notified of their status in September 2018.
Can someone submit an application after the application deadline?
No. Unfortunately, we cannot accept applications after the application deadline on June 15, 2018 at 11:59PM EST.
Will current IF site jurisdictions be eligible to apply for another Innovation Fund grant through the second Innovation Fund competition?
No, the 2018 Innovation Fund competition will only be open to sites that have not previously received funding under either the Innovation Fund or the broader Safety and Justice Challenge.
Do I need to be the operator of a jail to be eligible to apply?
No. The lead applicant agency does not need to be the operator of the jail.
What does the package of support entail?
Forming part of a network of jurisdictions at the forefront of a national movement to rethink the use of jail.
What does "peer learning" entail?
Participate in Safety and Justice Challenge Network convenings.
Webcasts and online trainings facilitated by various members of the network to assist sites with challenges, share ideas, highlight lessons learned, and elevate resources.
Opportunities to engage in peer consultation with other jurisdictions in the network.
What are the permitted uses for spending grant funds?
Funds can be used at the discretion of the jurisdiction or the lead applicant agency in accordance with a budget developed in the early planning phase upon receipt of the Fund. Funds may not be used for lobbying, supplementing or covering the salary of an existing staff member, or facility renovation.
What are the progress and data reporting requirements of awardees?
Innovation Fund awardees will be expected to provide a total of 4 reports to Urban on grant-funded activities: 3 progress reports and 1 final report. Awardees will also be expected to share information with the other Innovation Fund sites on an ongoing basis, participate in virtual learning opportunities convened by Urban and the SJC Network, as well as participate in regular conference calls with the Urban TA team.
When will funds be distributed?
50% of the funds will be disbursed up front, 40% will be disbursed at the halfway point with receipt of a financial report, and the remaining 10% will be cost reimbursable. However, if this is restrictive based on your jurisdiction's funding structure and/or proposed innovation, if necessary, we are flexible and will work with you to create an alternate funding distribution plan.
What is the Safety & Justice Challenge convening?
Semi-annually a network of jurisdictions from across the country is brought together by MacArthur to problem solve, discuss, learn, and collaborate with and from each other about the most pressing issues around reducing jail population. The next convening will be held October 17-19, 2018.
What if we cannot make the SJC Convening? Is this mandatory?
Representation at the SJC Convening is required as part of the Innovation Fund award. Travel and lodging expenses will be paid by the Urban Institute and attendees will be given enough notice to plan appropriately.
Who is required to attend the Safety & Justice Challenge convening?
Two people from each jurisdiction awarded are expected to attend and participate in the SJC convenings. Appropriate attendees will be identified by the awardee in consultation with Urban.
Fluid Review isn't working, what do I do?
In the event that Fluid Review is having technical difficulties, please email Evelyn McCoy at emccoy@urban.org, and contact the Fluid Review Support desk at support@fluidreview.com which is available Monday-Friday, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. EST or weekends from 10 a.m. to 8p.m. EST.
I still have more questions – who do I contact?
Should you have more questions you can tune into one of 2 live webinars hosted by the Urban Institute and MacArthur Foundation. Registration is required to participate in one of these sessions.
Please register for the Tuesday, May 15, 2018 webinar by clicking HERE.
Please register for the Thursday, June 7, 2018 webinar by clicking HERE.
Should you have any questions about the application process beyond what is covered here and in the webinars, please send an e-mail to Evelyn McCoy at emccoy@urban.org. We will make an effort to answer your individual questions and structure our webinar according to frequently asked questions and concerns. Responses to all questions received will be posted regularly at https://innovation-fund.fluidreview.com/.


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The New Normal?
Home» The Field Report » The New Normal?
"I Don't Know What Normal Is Any More"
Trent Brandenburg made this observation while reviewing the strange weather patterns of the last 3 years, including the present unusually warm winter with more rain than snow. Trent believes the top eight inches or so of topsoil are moist and recovered from the drouth of 2012, but the subsoil is still dry. The drain tiles which underlie farmland he has observed, are not "running" very much. Some are trickling and some are not running at all, which means the surface moisture has not reached the subsoil. "Any rain is appreciated," he continued, "as long as it isn't in the end of March or early April" when he would like to begin planting.
Trent has his seed orders and crop inputs ready and has not been told of any shortages by his suppliers. He fall-applied his fertilizer after the ground froze, so the implement passes didn't compact the soil. With uncertainties about farm legislation and crop insurance, Trent is reviewing his available insurance products for the next crop year. He has to weigh the cost of the premiums versus how much risk he is wiling to assume, and then make a value judgement accordingly.


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Invisible Borders
During the last week of October, SRISA hosted a dynamic workshop entitled Invisible Borders, led by art critic and professor Pietro Gaglianò. This week long project investigated the definition of "border" and its relevance in personal and public contexts through group dialogue, exercises, and artistic investigations culminating in a presentation of artwork in a variety of contemporary mediums, on show in the SRISA Gallery of Contemporary Art from November 3 – 11, 2015.
The participants came up with some critical phrases and keywords during their exercises. Some of the keywords were:
Forte/Strong
Interiore/Interior
Sottile/Subtle
Inclusione/inclusion
Pelle/Skin
Vocalizzazione/Vocalization
Blocco/Block/Exposure
Emissione/Verbal language
Orizzontalità/Pavimento/Floor
Permeabilità/Permeable
Collisione/Collision
Protezione/Protection/Shelter
Corpo/Body: as a limit, as a tool, as protection
Suono/Sound
Richiesta/Request/Demand
The works are on display in the SRISA Gallery of Contemporary Art until November 11, 2015. Free entrance.
[1] The project by Albien Alushaj focuses on the arbitrariness of borders determined by the national powers. The Nature, as a mute opposition in an unexpected and spontaneous way, creates a continuous passing of the concept of limit.
[2] Adriana Barrios and Barbara Justice present Between My Lover, an ongoing investigation using rope as a measurement of distance. The rope has become a type of documentation that represents the unique space that we share with someone we love.
[3] Gioia Bernalotti worked on the perception of the border between the State and the Church. The artist represents a kind of "Clerical State" in a society based on the rule of secularity: a reflection on the dogmatic impositions that compress individual lives.
[4] The work of Laelle Busch, Me. You. Us., examines the intersections of the 16 workshop participants and their individual paths to and from the meeting point that connect them as a group. Each path its own unique entity, transformed into an intricate, singular network when merged together.
[5] The QR Code (available on all smartphones equipped with the proper application) is for Simona Di Giovanni the negation and the synthesis of an invisible border conceived as a link. About my holidays on the moon is not an animalist denunciation, but comes from a private "delightfully personal" episode.
[6] Serena Gallorini focuses on the human hand and the way it passes, touches, rejects any borders. It is the first defense against the external world, but it is also the first welcome.
[7] For Federica Gonnelli, Terminus is the border stone; that stone thrown to tear down or change borders. Starting from a general thought, the artist reanalyzes her personal border in order to achieve a new awareness of such a condition.
[8] Andrea Harris's work Left and Given is a video portrait of the psychological and physical process of immigration, shown through the constant action of embrace and release — an eternal fluctuation.
[9] The work by Meri Iacchi is part of the artistic project of active citizenship Qualcosa da dire (something to be said). The common good is a patrimony, but is deceitfully conditioned by political power. Public administrations should protect it instead of being hostage to private interests.
[10] Aryan Ozmaei presents a video shot in an ancient circular building in Yazd, Iran. The voices recorded by Google Translator play a poem by the mystic poet Molana (Rumi), difficult to be correctly translated in foreign languages: "Man na manam, na man manam" (sounds like: "I am not me, me is not I").
[11] Elena Paglicci uses voice as a deeply personal trait, coming from the individual and expressed in the social space. To share the vocal extension is to enter into an intimate relationship, crossing over many borders.
[12] By meeting the portraitists around the Florentine monuments, Costabile Piccirillo investigates the difference between the definition of "artist" and its interpretations. A portrait bought and paid as time and as object, shows the first step of this research.
[13] Daniela Pitrè works always on the border between public and private. The performance Gift is Care speaks about an intimate place, where it is possible to pass the embarrassment of discovering "the other" by carrying out a gesture that provides care and does not refuse the worst.
[14] Giulio Rossi presents a diptych: a sidewalk seen from above and drawn with silver point is interpreted as the symbol of any conflict; a monochrome Mountbatten pink recalls the color used in military strategy by the namesake admiral, who believed such a color could make the navy fleet invisible.
Posted in Art, Events in FlorenceTagged contemporary art florence, invisible borders, pietro gagliano, SRISA Gallery of Contemporary ArtBy santareparataLeave a comment
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petersalmon.info
DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER
SECRETS AND LIES Season 1
Director - Hoodlum, Channel 10 (AUS)
3 x 46min
A gripping six-part series that tells the story of Ben Gundelach, an everyday family man who finds the body of a young boy and quickly becomes the prime murder suspect. Starring Martin Henderson, Diana Glenn, Anthony Hayes, Adrienne Pickering.
Secrets and Lies screened in Australia to rave reviews and has been remade in the US for two seasons starring Juliette Lewis and Ryan Phillippe.
- 2015 ADG Awards Nomination Best Direction in a Drama series.
© 2020 Peter Salmon


Keep trying to take the drugs, alcohol, and other substances out of Vernon, but it's still never going to change.
This is the sentiment I've heard from many about the place I call home. The place where I serve as a youth pastor. In the wake of a humongous drug bust, families are reeling, angry, broken-hearted, and confused. I've seen some become particularly jaded and cynical to the reality of change in this community.
There are times in youth ministry where I can feel the temptation to fall into the same mindset. Last Spring, I would drive home from youth group every Wednesday night thinking that nothing was ever going to change. It was like banging my head against a brick wall over and over again. I would share the love of God and the good news of His Son, but my students would appear to not really care as they simply waited through the lesson to get to the open gym at the end. Honestly, this perception was inaccurate. I would come to find out this week at camp that our students are listening more than we think. What's even more simultaneously encouraging and challenging is that they are watching us way more than we think.
Since my wedding day (three weeks ago), I have been giving the greatness and glory of God a ton of thought. Some of this is because of my Bible study I did through the book of Jonah, and partly because of the book Not God Enough by J.D. Greear. I've felt the desire to pray daily for a greater glimpse of God's glory, greatness, and grace. Each day I've had him answer this prayer through the stories I hear of His faithfulness, my time in His Word, or other things. I prayed this prayer as we headed off to camp.
My eyes well with tears as I think about what God did this week. He worked in every student that we brought. We had salvations, rededications, calls to ministry, calls to mission, and the building of many relationships. God is not done y'all. I get really discouraged way too often because I look all around me and I feel alone. I feel alone in what I believe the Bible says, and what I believe this life is supposed to be about. But here this week I have a great testimony of God's faithfulness to look back on.
Here's the deal you guys.
I can teach and preach and plead and beg and disciple and pray and hope all I want, but I can't change Vernon.
God can change the place I call home.
And he can do it through His church.
The heart-breaking thing for me is that His church isn't sold on the mission. Instead we chase the world. Instead we get busy. Instead we are unfaithful to our promises.
I asked the family group I had this week to raise their hand if an older believer committed to mentor and disciple them and yet forgot about them within a month of their commitment and blamed getting busy.
Y'all. Every single one of them raised their hands.
Shame on us. Shame on us for making our lives about other things instead of the gospel. No one is too busy to disciple, it is simply a matter of passion and priority.
People say our community can't change.
I am prone to believe them when I see that I'm living like the quote above.
Well, when's the last time you shared your faith with a non-believer?
When was the last time you shared what God has done with someone in your circle?
When was the last time you committed to disciple, encourage, and support a younger believer?
When was the last time you opened up your home to share about what God has been doing in your family?
Guys, God can change our community. In fact, God is already changing our community. In fact, God doesn't need us to help him change our community. But one of the most beautiful aspects of the gospel is that we have been gifted with the opportunity to join God in what he is doing.
Don't let another year go by with church attendance without gospel commitment.
Share. Disciple. Pray. Give. Invest. Encourage. Support. Worship.
The sentiment of men and women like that at the beginning of this blog post is partly right. We can keep trying to take all of the drugs out of this place and this place simply won't change. Change isn't going to come through merely the removal of illegal substances. In actuality that doesn't do very much.
Instead, change comes through discipleship.
Pick one person this year. I plead with you. That's it. One person to be faithful to in walking them through their faith.
My students are watching us. My students are watching the generations above them in our community to see if they truly are disciples of Jesus. My students are watching to see if you just sit in the pew or if you get in the game.
I don't care how old you are, God isn't done with you yet.
I love you all. Whoever you are reading this, regardless of what town or city or country you live in, God is at work in your community. Join him.
I'll be honest guys, the temptation to deaden my passion, quiet my voice, and fade into the back is high at times. I'm 24. I'm not all-wise, and I am prone to mistakes. The pressure to shut up and play the game of going through the motions is heavy at times. But I just can't stop talking about how good and great God is and how we have a high calling to join Him in what He is doing. I know that I can learn to do so with more kindness at times, but I can't stop. It's who God has wired me to be.
In conclusion, please hear me out.
I don't know it all. I'm not perfect. I don't do discipleship perfectly. I'm not always faithful. That's why I need men in my life too.
All I do know is Jesus is my Lord and Savior, God is great and good, and He is changing our community, and we can join Him in that work.


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company | route
A4 From Amsterdam or Rotterdam (A4)
- On motorway A4, take exit number 3 to Hoofddorp and Aalsmeer N201.
- Turn on to the N201 and continue in the direction of Aalsmeer until you cross a bridge.
- Turn left at the second traffic lights after the bridge (you have passed a SHELL petrol station) on to the Oosteinderweg.
- Continue on the Oosteinderweg (red cycle tracks on either side)
- After 4.5 km the road curves into a polder and is now called Noordpolderweg.
- Cross the speed bumps and turn left at the first turnoff, just after Esmeralda farms on to the Rietwijkeroordweg.
- We are located at the far end of this road on the right-hand side, number 15 next to Bartels Stek, UFO and UFO SUPPLIES.
A1 – A9 From Amersfoort (A1)
- On motorway A1 follow the signs to Schiphol, after Muiden you will be guided onto the A9.
- On the motor way A9, take the exit number 6 Aalsmeer N231.
- Stay on the N231, cross two roundabouts
- Move to the left lane after the second roundabout and take the first turnoff to your left. This is the second set of traffic lights after the roundabout and takes you over a bridge.
- Cross the bridge and roundabout and go right at the first set of traffic lights on to the Rietwijkeroordweg.
- Take the first turnoff right when the road curves to the left.
A2 – A9 From Utrecht (A2-A9)
- On motorway A2 follow the signs to Schiphol, you will be guided onto the A9.
- Move to the left lane after the second roundabout and take the first turnoff to your left. This is the second set of traffic lights after the last roundabout and takes you over a bridge.
N201 From Haarlem / Hoofddorp (N201)
- Continue on the N201 in the direction of Aalsmeer.
- Pass the Flyover motorway (A4) and continue straight until you cross a bridge.


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Return home Blog Julie Heiden Tells Her Story On How She Came to Work at Koonz McKenney
Julie Heiden Tells Her Story On How She Came to Work at Koonz McKenney
Injury attorney Julie Heiden explains her story of coming to work at the Koonz McKenney law firm as interesting one. Originally from California she came to the Washington D.C area to study law. At one of the seminars she attended she heard Joseph Koonz speak. The encounter immediately made her want to work for him, and in that same area of law, because of how inspiring he was. She wrote Mr. Koonz a letter but did not receive a response. She happened to meet an individual who was a good friend of Joe Koonz and he told her to write again, mentioning his name. She had an interview the very next day and the rest his history.
Actually, the story of how I came to work at Koonz McKenney is sort of an interesting one. I originally grew up in California, in the heart of Silicon Valley, and I had come to law school in the Washington D.C area, and at that time I attended a seminar, and one of the speakers at the seminar was Joseph Koonz. That was in the spring of my third year of law school, it was just coincidentally that I was about to get married in California, the following month, so right after that seminar and hearing Joe Koonz speak I said I want to work for him, and that is the kind of law that I want to do, because he was so inspiring. I wrote Mr. Koonz a letter and I did not receive a response, however the next month I went out to California, and during the course of our premarital counseling sessions I met an individual, and when that individual who was counseling us, or I guess evaluating whether or not we could receive a certain dispensation to get married in the church, that individual asked me what I wanted to do, and I mentioned to that individual that I wanted to work for Joe Koonz in Washington D.C, but Joe Koonz did not know that he wanted me to work for him yet, and when I mentioned his name, this individual nearly fell out of his chair because it turned out he was childhood best friends with Joe Koonz. So, that individual said to me when you get back from your honeymoon I want you to write Joe Koonz a letter and tell him my name, that Father Martin said, tell him to say hello, and so that is what I did, and lo and behold this time when I wrote Joe Koonz, I had an interview the very next day. For more information please go to our website Koonz.com


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Estero 5/18/20 Village of Estero Coronavirus (COVID-19) Health Updates
Florida Department of Health (Updated 5/17/2020 at 12:00 pm)
~44,369 positive cases in Florida residents and 1,219 positive cases in non-Florida residents~
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health, in order to provide more comprehensive data, releases a report on COVID-19 cases in Florida once per day. The Florida Department of Health COVID-19 dashboard is also providing updates once per day. The state also provides a report detailing surveillance data for every Florida county. Previously, this information was only available for select communities. The surveillance data report is available here.
More than 29,600 test results were reported to the Department of Health on Saturday, May 16. Today, as of 11 a.m., there are 777 new positive COVID-19 cases (762 Florida residents and 15 non-Florida residents) and nine deaths related to COVID-19.
While Florida's testing has increased over the past week, the percent of those testing positive for COVID-19 overall is 7 percent. On May 16, 4 percent of new cases** tested positive.
The Florida Department of Health also releases a list of long-term care facilities in Florida associated with COVID-19 cases with active cases and number of deaths in each facility in order to provide real-time data. The list of long-term care facilities with active COVID-19 cases is available here. The list of long-term care facilities with deaths in available here. To date, 883 individuals that were staff or residents of a long-term care facility have died.
There are a total of 45,588 Florida cases** with 1,973 deaths related to COVID-19.
Since 11 a.m. on May 16, nine people have died who tested positive for COVID-19 in Citrus, Dade, Desoto, Duval, Hillsborough, Martin and Polk counties.
Florida recently partnered with private laboratories around the state to expand COVID-19 laboratory testing capacity. This partnership will increase the number of tests conducted each day and ensure Floridians receive the critical health information they need in a timely manner.
Expansion to private laboratories changes the COVID-19 testing landscape in Florida. Private laboratories are running tests as they receive swab samples from practitioners. Testing and reporting times vary among commercial and DOH laboratories. Demographic information may be updated during investigations. This daily report reflect the state's efforts to accurately and transparently share information.
World Health Organization Update
SITUATION IN NUMBERS total (new) cases in last 24 hours
(last updated 10:00 AM CET 5/17/2020)
Globally 4,529,027 cases (100,096)
307,565 deaths (5,038)
Western Pacific Region 167,546 cases (825)
6,730 deaths (33)
European Region 1,874,075 cases (22,184)
166,121 deaths (930)
South-East Asia Region 134,531 cases (6,536)
4,351 deaths (150)
Eastern Mediterranean Region 326,568 cases (10,900)
Region of the Americas 1,966,932 cases (57,449)
African Region 58,663 cases (2,202)
Presidents Carlos Alvarado Quesada of Costa Rica and Sebastián Piñera of Chile joinedthe WHO Director General Dr Tedros on 15 May to announce progress on a technology platform that aims to lift access barriers to effective vaccines, medicines and other health products against COVID-19. The platform,
which will officially launch on 29 May, will pool data, knowledge and intellectual property for existing or new COVID-19 health products to deliver 'global public goods' for all people and all countries.
Japan has agreed to contribute over US$2.7 million to help nine countries in the Americas strengthen their capacities to detect cases, monitor, and control outbreaks of COVID-19, as well as ensure that reliable public health information on the COVID-19 pandemic is available to people involved in the
response and the general public.
A community of youth influencers named the Global Shapers Community is working with the WHO Regional Office for Europe to ensure that tailored health advice reaches communities, families and individuals in countries across the European Region. This collaboration allows young community members to flag rumours, report on the tone of discussions on their channels and ask questions, as well as share information and project ideas to WHO. The information is then used by WHO to better tailor risk communication and address misinformation.
Tamara Duran2020-05-18T12:45:44-04:00