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Fantastic Voyage – Review [film]
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17 March, 2012 — evanescent
About reviewing
Since this blog is about my opinions I recently realised that one area I haven't really commented on much is entertainment media. This is because it's really hard to say anything original; not least of all because someone working full time on this sort of thing already says it. It's also because all I can do is give my opinion, which may or may do justice to the matter since I don't claim to be an expert on, well anything. But at least I'm not afraid to voice my opinion, even if it's unpopular.
See here goes with hopefully the first of many of my opinions on something that isn't our fascist governments.
Overview of the film
Fantastic Voyage is a 1966 science fiction film and if you want any more general summations you can check out the Wikipedia page for it.
I remember seeing this film when I was very young, though I can't remember exactly my age. At the time, I had no idea it was as old as it was. When I first saw it FV was already 20 years old, but in the 80s I really don't think the special effects could be criticised too much. I was totally captivated and my imagination was inspired.
The film opens with CIA agent Grant, played by Stephen Boyd, disembarking a plane with an old guy. The old guy is Benes (pronounced Benesh) and Grant is delivering him back to the United States after getting the defector out from Soviet Russia – and who can blame anyone for wanting to leave there; it's like Everton FC, only with Everton the torture only lasts 90 minutes and the occupants can at least remember being useful. Grant leaves Benes in the "safe" hands of fellow agents after a wordless man-hug initiated by the former. In the book based on this film a lot of backstory is given: Grant went to great personal risk (as per his job as a secret agent) to get Benes out from behind the Iron Curtain, and the two men exchange some words on the final flight into America, on board a plane so rickety and shed-like it will later be used as the blueprint for shuttles in Star Trek. Except this plane actually lands safely.
We soon see the CIA motorcade being ambushed by "the other side" who will be unnamed in the entire film, although there's no doubt who the two Powers at work really are. The ambush is rather brief on screen and doesn't really carry the sense of excitement or danger presented in the novel. In the novel one of the enemy agents happily sacrifices himself just to collide with one of the limousines, but in the film we see Benes bump his head and get escorted to another car which promptly speeds off.
As this point I should mention that the film is not based on the novel. The producers wanted to give the film some scientific credibility and approached the famous Isaac Asimov to write a novel based on the script. Asimov pointed out just how ridiculous the script was as regards scientific credibility and also some very reasonable plot holes, which we'll get onto later. Asimov got permission to write his own take on the story which deviates from the film in some noticeable ways, especially towards the end. The book is only 186 pages long and I'd strongly recommend giving it a read. The chapters flow naturally and quickly into each other with each scene essential and fascinating, even minimalist to the exclusive of anything that doesn't advance the plot.
Back to the movie and next up are the opening credits being typed over images of Benes in hospital being treated by doctors. The credits don't have music, something I'll comment on soon, but rather a series of sound effects to represent Benes's vital signs and medical equipment at work, but they are presented in such a way as to almost be musical accompaniment, at the same time unnerving and tense.
Next, we are back in a limousine seeing Grant being escorted somewhere. He knows as much about it as we do. His escorts refuse to give him any details and finally the car stops in a back-alley and Grant is told to wait inside as the other men get out. Next moment the car sinks underground and comes to a stop as a guy in military police uniform pulls up in a buggy. Grant hops in and is driven around a bit. This scene establishes a huge underground government complex with hundreds of employees, and everywhere the initials CMDF are plastered. A General Carter finally meets Grant and explains that this organisation is the Combined Miniature Deterrent Forces, a super-secret organisation with a technology that can reduce any object, living or not, to any size. Grant naturally has a hard time believing this, but his doubt only lasts a few seconds as he can tell that Carter is dead serious.
"Consolidated Mobilisation of Deliquent Females" – Grant
Miniaturisation has featured in science fiction almost since the genre began. It's a really interesting idea and also terrifying at the same time. If you actually think about what it would be like to be shrunk to such a size that the entire world you know changes, the rules go out the window – the entire universe that you evolved to deal with isn't the same, and the challenges and enemies you face are of an order and nature that quite frankly are beyond what can be imagined, then you can see why sci-fi has gotten such good purchase out the idea. The problem is, like most science fiction, how do you present it in a realistic and plausible way, if you bother to do so? If it's a film like Inner Space which isn't really meant to be taken seriously then it doesn't matter. But if you're going to call your work science fiction, as opposed to fantasy, and want to have some suspense, it has to have some scientific credibility. For example in Star Trek they have "warp drive" because faster-than-light travel is impossible. That isn't to say that you always have to explain everything. In Star Wars, technology is never explained, with the artefacts and spaceships just happening, like how your imaginary games as a child might work: million ton starships just float and weave across the planet without any apparent thrusters or engines, like gravity doesn't apply to them. Tiny fighters cross hundreds of light-years by themselves. It doesn't matter in Star Wars because, let's face it, it's just a fantasy drama which happens to be set in space. They don't bother to explain anything because they don't care and similarly we as the audience are told that it doesn't matter. It's just for fun. Star Trek always took itself far more seriously which turned out to be a curse just as much as a blessing.
In Fantastic Voyage (the film) the science behind miniaturisation isn't explained, and I think it's better off for it. In the book adaptation, Doctor Michaels explains that "hyperspace" can be manipulated (probably with frikkin "lasers") and despite it seeming not to make sense, the maths works. In the book we are given about as much explanation as we need or could understand, just like our protagonist. In the film, because the story is a race against time, no scientific explanation is given and I don't think it affects the movie. We are told it works and we see it happen, and that's enough. Of course, if I was being totally critical, I don't think it's possible. At all. The idea of hyperspace, of another dimension being manipulated through the laws of physics to alter an object so that all its dimensions change, as if it were superimposed over this reality – is interesting. It's like taking a photograph or hologram of something, shrinking it, then bringing it to life in its new form in this world. It's still "itself" but in a different "phase" of reality if you will, co-existing with this one. At least that's how I read the explanation in the book but I admit that was several Pinio Grigios ago.
Grant is taken to a briefing where we meet the rest of the cast. Obviously I've got to mention the magnificent Raquel Welch here. Her presence in this movie is so well known, despite being a caricature of fictional female helplessness, that a Google search for images of Fantastic Voyage yields, as the third choice, a picture of her sitting naked (alas cross-legged) in beauty makeup. Even the DVD copy I own has a thumbnail of her on the side, a large picture of her on the cover and even larger one on the back! I'm not complaining per se; she was a rather fine looking woman, and still is if you like that sort of thing, but the movie is not about her. It's not even a tiny bit about her! The book does much more justice to the character of Cora Peterson, but even before Grant (and we) are introduced to her in the film, we have Doctor Reid complaining to the neurosurgeon Doctor Duval that "a woman has no place on a mission of this importance!" Ah, God bless the 60s.
A science fiction adventure drama coming soon to a cinema near you!
Captain Bill Owens is introduced as pilot of an experimental submarine (do you see where this is going?), and Doctor Michaels (played by the English Donald Pleasence – do you see where this is going?) starts the briefing. What we've already been told is that Benes has a clot in his brain and the only way to reach it is via the arterial system. Carter told Grant earlier that the plan is to shrink a submarine and surgical team to microscopic level and inject them into Benes's body. Doctor Michaels now explains they'll be injected into the carotid artery where they'll make their way to the brain, dissolve the clot with a frikkin laser, and return via the venous system where they'll be removed from the jugular vein. Simple as that, eh? They only have to: avoid turbulence, for example going through heart, avoid white cells, not get attacked by antibodies, and be out within 60 minutes or they'll grow to normal size inside Benes.
Miss Cora Peterson, Doctor Duval's assistance, is going along anyway because he said so. And because this movie has to live up to titillating trailer artwork.
Grant doesn't really get the choice to back out or the chance to stop and think. The crew are ushered to the sterilisation section where we see them in skin-tight white swim suits, which are slightly more flattering on Raquel Welch than some of the male occupants.
The next scene shows up the vessel we'll be making this adventure in: the Proteus, a small bubble-topped submarine sitting on what is either the floor section of the miniaturiser, or a prototype for the Blockbusters's screen. Inside the sub, Captain Owens explains that the sub is powered by a microscopic radioactive particle, or rather it will be once it's miniaturised. This particle will also allow them to be tracked from the outside.
Now the four-stage miniaturisation job begins. Some of these effects look dated, even today, and some of them are passable. I have mixed feelings about a modern remake of this film, but one of the massive pros in making a new version would be what special effects today could do with this concept. The thought of it really excites me, even if Ronald Emmerich directs it. My problem with "phase one" of the miniaturising is that we don't get to see a lot of the shrinking. The normal-size ship begins to shrink, then the next time we see it it's the size of a matchbox. It would've been nice to see more external shots. By comparison, in "phase four", after the shrunken Proteus (about an inch in length) is put into a huge hypodermic which is then also shrunk, the exterior shot of the hypodermic is much finer and smoother and we have a good few seconds of seeing miniaturisation in action.
Finally the already tiny Proteus inside the container is reduced so that the huge hypodermic is now the size of a regular one, and the crew is informed that they "are at full reduction." One of the interesting things in this film is that communication is only possible via wireless, and honestly I think it's a superb touch. It really gives the sense of being out of touch with the real world and disconnected, with only Morse code tones for external help. In the book it's explained that this is the only sort of communication that can cross the "miniaturisation gap", and given that we've previously seen video calling in this film, I think it would've been worth mentioning here too.
The Proteus prepares for miniaturisation
Via some delicate contraption the hypodermic is taken to the operating room and injected into Benes's neck. At over 36 minutes into the film we finally hear incidental music for the first time. Leonard Rosenman, who also scored Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, deliberately wrote no music for the film until this point, and it's an unusual but highly effective choice. In my opinion the music for this film is perfect. It's dramatic and often abrasive and from a modern perspective perhaps dated. If the film is (ever) greenlit to be recreated in the near future, I can't imagine it having a score anything like this. But that doesn't mean it's corny, cheesy or old-fashioned. The score is one of suspense and threat all the way through. Even the main theme theme itself, heard for the first time as the crew enters the human body (all the time being one of wonder and awe), has an ominous undertone to it. Nothing about this film, which the music reflects so well, says "this is just an exciting trip! Let's relax and enjoy it!" There isn't a single relaxing moment in this adventure, to the credit of the film once it finally gets going after an admittedly slow start. The music mirrors this wonderfully in my opinion.
The Proteus crew encounters a seemingly endless sea of red with shapeless balloons streaming by. The effects are certainly a great attempt at presenting the human blood stream from within, albeit lacking in anything resembling reality. Asimov explains it best in the book where he says that if you were the size of a microbe, the walls of the artery would be miles off to your eyes, and the red blood cells (erythrocytes) would be huge compared to you. Also, it's only oxygenated (or deoxygenated) erythrocytes that given blood its colour. The rest of the blood is made up of plasma, platelets and other types of cells. I'm not a doctor, despite what I told my first girlfriend, but if you were microscopic size I'd have thought the blood would actually be quite transparent given its straw colour. It's not a problem for me as far as the story goes, but it's one of those things I'd love to see remastered with modern day effects, not to improve the movie itself, but as a fan of science I like to see the universe presented to me in realistic ways. That is after all one of the reasons I loved this movie so much in my life and why I can keep coming back to watch it every few years – because the concept is great, and seeing the human body (which has always fascinated me) shown in this way should be awe-inspiring for anyone. To a modern audience this aspect of the film would certainly be lost, because our standards for what we accept of realism are so high that special effects have to be impeccable to fool our eyes, and even then the best CGI doesn't always get it right.
A great effect
There is one effect I must mention; it's so short but fantastic. As the Proteus is being injected into the carotid artery we see the ship hurtling towards the end of the syringe. It looks a vast distance off with only a red glow growing menacingly towards them. It's cool. But as they pass into the bloodstream the Proteus emerges from the end of the syringe itself, and you can clearly see the shape of the needle and how it's so wide compared to the Proteus. It's a little shot but it really establishes how tiny they are.
There's some dialogue where Doctor Duval waxes lyrically about the wonder of the human body and it's clear he is a man of god. Michaels on the other hand, being a damn dirty atheist, merely points out that end-to-end the circulatory system is a hundred-thousand miles long. Grant just looks on like the dumb college football jock he's initially made out to be in the novelisation.
Before long though there's trouble a-brewing. Despite the woman not driving, the Proteus starts to veer towards the arterial wall and Owens reports that it's unresponsive. It seems that damage to Benes caused the carotid artery and jugular vein in the neck together into something called a fistula. (I typed "fistula" into Google and…let's just say that whilst what I got back was related to the human body, I don't think it's the cardiovascular anomaly the film writers had in mind…) The micro fistula caused a whirlpool in the bloodstream and the Proteus, having been sent out of control, smashes through the wall of the artery into the vein and can't go back.
The mission is now in failure: they can't go back into the artery and they can't reach the clot from the venous system, and continuing on in the direction of the flow would take them to the superior vena cava which, as we all know, ends in the penis. But before then it goes through the heart, and that would smash the tiny Proteus in a million pieces.
This is where the first major plot hole appears: it's never explained why, since they were planning to extract them from the jugular at the end of the mission anyway, they can't just extract them now…and re-inject them into the carotid artery at a point beyond the fistula! It's a shame this isn't addressed in the film, or the book, because it's so obvious a solution the story is weaker for failing to acknowledge it. If there were a particular reason why they had to be injected into a very particular place, fine. But that's never stated. Absolutely no thought is given to taking them out and just putting them back in. It seems like a no-brainer to me. They should have said that the stress endured by the craft during, say, injection, is so great that it can't be repeated due to micro-fractures in the hull, or something.
Anyway, since the scientific and medical geniusesss….genia…genies….people aren't as smart as me we're left with the only logical solution: stop Benes's heart long enough for the Proteus to get through the right atrium, pass through the right ventricle and exit the semi-lunar valve. In true Hollywood style, the heart can only be stopped for exactly 60 seconds, but it will take 57 seconds for the Proteus's dash, leaving only…three… seconds to revive Benes. These scenes are well done. The music is gripping as the technical staff in CMDF witness the ship moving closer, ever closer, to the heart itself. Perhaps what works for me in this movie, and of course this is just my opinion, is that the human body, our body, our ally – is actually the nemesis. We get to see just how inhospitable the human body is for something that doesn't belong in it (well, not without a lot of lube anyway). The Proteus has become the bacteria that doesn't belong and is afforded no special dispensation by a mindless environment that's spent millions of years adapting itself to kill such things.
In Soviet CMDF, heart stops you!
They enter the valve and the heart just dies in the arms tonight. Painfully slowly, the Proteus glides through the huge chambers as the seconds tick away all too quickly. They approach the frozen semi-lunar valve and the Proteus speeds towards the huge gaping hole, (reminiscent of some of the images I got back from my Google "fistula" search.)
In the longest three seconds of movie history, Benes's heart is revived in time and the Proteus, now in the pulmonary artery, continues on its way to the lungs. The arterial channel becomes narrower as they enter a capillary, one of the millions which pass within diffusion distance of the alveoli. Sure enough, before their very eyes, the deoxygenated erythrocytes (all cells in this film are called corpuscles) change from blue to red. This is a bit of a Hollywood touch keeping in line with the popular (though incorrect) notion that deoxygenated blood is blue and oxygenated is red. Of course, the former is simply a dark red and the latter scarlet.
Dr. Duval calls cell oxygenation one of the miracles of the universe, to which the unimpressed atheist Michaels retorts that's it hardly a miracle and just "a simply exchange of gases…the end result of 400 million years of evolution." I can get the film-makers wanting to stress the point that Michaels is an atheist and doesn't buy Duval's superstitious ramblings, but did they have to make him such a bore? I mean, atheist or not, you're inside the human body seeing cellular oxygenation in action! Duval incredulously replies "you can't believe that all that is accidental? That there isn't a creative intelligence at work?" I was a Christian growing up and evolution was synonymous with "spawn of the devil" to me. It was so counter-intuitive I couldn't believe how anyone, save through an act of sheer will, could bring themselves to believe that the incredible complexity in life was accidental, and how it all just works despite a billion intricacies. I admit, it is almost unfathomable to the ignorant. Now, the human body is an incredible machine, but it's far from perfect. If I were omnipotent and omniscient, the human body would not be the apex of my creative ability, at least not on the inside anyway… For all the misconceptions and apparent inplausibilities, evolution of man is a fact as undeniable as heliocentrism or gravity. You can say that God got the ball rolling if you want, but it's really impossible to argue for divine guidance given the fact of common descent and so many obvious design flaws in the human body.
Unfortunately Dr. Michaels doesn't get to give us his response, as a warning alarm on the sub goes off. Captain Owens informs the crew that air pressure in the tanks is dropping, which Grant confirms. In the novelisation it was the breathable air the crew is losing but in the movie their breathable air isn't the problem but presumably the air pressure to maintain ballast. Grant suggests that since they are so close to the lungs they use a snorkel to absorb air and replenish their supply. It's dangerous but they have no choice. Because of the risk of missing the mark and exploding the tanks, Owens suggests everyone leaves the sub but him, leading to a slightly extended shot of Miss Peterson unzipping her onesie.
Before this however, as they prepare to depart, Grant notices the laser detached from its stand, partially unfastened, and obviously jarred by the action of the whirlpool. Cora swears she tied it down securely but Michaels and Grant exchange dubious looks.
Back to the air refuel job, and Asimov noticed the problem with this story element immediately: the air molecules in the alveoli are normal size – there is no way the miniaturised crew could breathe them. In the same way the ballast wouldn't work either, if they could even get the huge molecules into the tanks in the first place. Asimov got around this by having a tiny miniaturiser on board the sub to shrink the air as it entered the snorkel, but in the film this whole aspect is ignored.
Unable to get a stable footing from the capillary side of the alveoli wall, Grant enters the air chamber itself with a safety line tied to the sub by Duval. But just as the Proteus's tanks achieve capacity the safety line suddenly snaps and Grant is sent hurtling off out of sight. During the breathing lull he finally comes to rest on the floor of the alveolus and quickly scrambles his way back out. The alveolus is obviously a set, but it's done quite well. No one knows what one looks like from the inside anyway but they imagine it well.
In the CMDF control room, Carter and Reid note the delay near the lungs and the passage of time. Grant was in too much of a rush to inform them via wireless but he does so now, then we get a shot of the Proteus cruising through a long, wide and shallow space of vivid colours – the pleural cavity. They're now between the lungs and the wall of the chest.
Duval examines the laser and determines that it's irreparable due to a broken trigger wire, but Grant suggests that they can cannibalise the wireless for the replacement wire (somewhat ironic). Of course, this will put them out of contact with the control tower, though they'll still be traceable due to the radioactive fuel. As Duval observes, it's either the wireless or Benes's life. It's not pleasant, but the choice seems clear.
"Is this your hair?"
As Duval and Cora get to work on the laser, Grant intimates to Dr. Michaels that there must be a saboteur onboard: the laser mysteriously unfastening itself and Grant's safety line snapping all by itself. The logical choice is Duval but Dr. Michaels, despite their personal disagreements, believes that although Duval is "under a cloud" he is also dedicated to his profession. The conversation ends with Michaels essentially talking Grant down, and Owens shouts down from the bubble that the sub is approaching something. Michaels explains it's reticular fibres lining a lymphatic duct. Grant, as it happens, has never heard of any other system apart from the circulatory system (which he takes to be the blood), although the lymphatic system is a part of the circulatory system.
They enter the lymphatic node, one of many situated in specific areas of the human body most noticeably under the jaw, armpits and the groin area. In what is apparently a redress of the heart set only with giant strings of snot, the Proteus makes its way through the node. (Funnily enough, as a kid I misheard "node" as "nose" and though the reticular fibres in this scene were actually huge snot strings.) The Proteus starts to receive several bumps now due to turbulence from outside. Grant opines that "it's like someone's declared war" to which Michaels responds "that's exactly what it is"; the lymphatic system is a vital part of the immune response and outside the Proteus antibodies are swarming over bacteria or any invader to the system. The effects here aren't great, but it was the 60s. Having said that, despite being inaccurate they illustrate how antibodies essentially work: locking onto receptor patterns (antigens) of foreign objects and inhibiting vital functions or, if there are enough antibodies, essentially crushing them. This is a nice bit of foreshadowing and explanation which occurs naturally in the story. It will pay off soon.
Owens observes that the reticular fibres, as well as slowing them down, might clog the intake vents of the sub and render it immobile. Either way, the trip is taking too long and Duval says they'll never make it to the clot as this rate. Grant asks if there's an alternative route but Michaels immediately dismisses the suggestion. Duval insists that there is though: they can head to the inner ear and from there make their way to the injury site. Sounds simple enough, but Michaels explains that whilst in the ear any noise from the outside world would have a disastrous effect on them, possible destructive and fatal. They can't inform the control tower of their intentions but the outside operatives should notice immediately the change of direction and act accordingly.
As it happens, in the control tower news of the change of course comes through and far from being surprised it seems the crew have already figured out the Proteus couldn't make it in time and that the inner ear was their only chance. Reid heads to the intercom and announces to the operating theatre that absolute silence must be maintained whilst the Proteus is in the ear.
The eerie and otherwordly inner ear.
Another establishing shot as the Proteus floats through the inner ear, and again it's a well-designed and realistic set. Some obvious re-uses aside, the producers do a good job making each area unlike any other. The lighting here is reduced and the area dark with lovely colours. Unfortunately, no sooner is the Proteus halfway through than it starts to drop slowly to the surface below. Sure enough, as Owens informs the crew, those reticular fibres have indeed clogged the vents and propulsion is impossible. Grant does the only thing he can do: put on a suit and try to unclog the vents.
In the operating theatre outside, the medical staff stand quietly and the CMDF control tower can only watch as the blip representing the Proteus on their tracking screens remains motionless.
It finally dawns on the rest of the Proteus crew that it would be faster if they all got off their asses and helped Grant, so they do – all except Duval who wants to remain behind to fix the laser, a statement that elicits a brief but very suspicious scowl from Dr. Michaels.
The tension here is good. We cut back and forth behind the inner ear, quiet and peaceful as the crew very slowly manage to unclog the vents, and the operating theatre. It's getting anxious outside though, and the chief attending's forehead is covered in sweat. Seeing this, one of the nurses (one with a vagina of course) gently picks up a towel from the nearby table, dragging a pair of scissors with it, which promptly drop to the floor in a loud clatter…
In the ear the world is turned upside down. The Proteus lurches up and down, side to side, and the crew are sent flying off in different directions. Cora is sent hurtling down towards Hensen's Cells where she gets entwined in fibres. The vibrations finally abate and Michaels warns Grant that Cora is damaging the fibres and will be considered a threat by antibodies. They start out after her but the pressure is too great for Michaels who has to turn back. Being a frogman Grant carries on and reaches the panicking Cora who is well aware of the danger she's in. Grant frees her and they start back to the Proteus just as antibodies show up.
"HEATHCLIFF!"
In a sequence which gives me scientific misgivings, the antibodies follow the trail and chase the two humans back to the sub, but the hatch takes time to open during which the antibodies attack Cora and begin to bind to her. (Who can blame them?) Grant gets her inside the hatch but she is being choked and can't breathe. The half-empty hatch is opened anyway as the other men pull her out, lay her down on the floor and start frantically grasping at her skin-tight suit to rip off the antibodies. The "crystallised" antibodies are ripped off and Cora is ok. This is another exciting scene and it's well done, but I'm not sure how accurate it is: antibodies are nothing more than protein chains and I don't think they could bind to the shape of the human body, at least not in the way they attach themselves to bacteria. And although they can "tag" a body for immune response once it's been identified as hostile, I don't think it works with them literally following the "scent" like hunter-killers shown here. It's probably not realistic but it is good drama. (Interestingly, the actors ripping the antibodies off Racquel Welch were so concerned with being chivalrous and respecting her body that they avoided her breasts. In the end they had to be ordered to ignore their manners for the shot!)
With 8 minutes remaining the sub eventually leaves the inner ear and is on final approach to the brain. Reid informs the operating personnel that all is clear and they brief a huge collective sigh of relief, with the clumsy nurse remarking "I almost died when the scissors dropped", to which Reid puts his cigar to his mouth and gives a small fond smile. It's only a little thing and it's very underplayed but it adds character. If this was a modern Hollywood movie he'd make some cheesy punch line with the camera obviously framed to tell us "this is funny", since modern movies find it hard to go even five minutes without destroying their own mood and tension with dreadful comic relief. Fantastic Voyage is not a comedy and it's not played like a comedy – there are no "light relief" scenes to give the audience a chance to relax between action. There are lulls between the action but the tension is never released throughout the hour and this adds to the oppressive tone of the movie. It's quite literally one crisis after another and despite some plot holes and scientific inaccuracies, the effects and disasters contribute logically to the story.
In what is undoubtedly a re-use of the pleural cavity and lymphatic duct passage, the outside of the Proteus now shows a long channel lined with black narrow threads, unmistakably nerves, leading to the brain. In the distance is a mass of nerves lining an opening or nexus of sorts, no doubt the entrance to the brain itself. I think this is supposed to be the subarachnoid cavity. The reason I like this is because despite the obvious effort to dress this effect up as the passage to the brain, it's just in the background outside the window. It's understated, because the effects (despite being a massive selling point for the film at the time) are only there to further the story, not the other way around. Do you hear that, George?
The only glitch here is that as the conversation continues before the window the entrance to the brain looms ever closer, until one close-up of Grant produces a continuity error of the sub being almost at the end of the channel, and right back at the start of it. Blame the editor.
The conversation going on here is whether Duval should test the laser before they reach the clot, since repairs are finished. Michaels insists that Duval test the laser before they waste their precious last few minutes getting to the clot, unloading, only to discover that it doesn't work. The counter-argument from Duval is that he's done all he can to fix it; if it doesn't work there's nothing he can do anyway, but if it does work there's no way to know how long it will last, so every last joule of energy should be saved, which means testing it is wasteful. Both men make good arguments, and if I was on the crew I'd be highly tempted to side with Michaels since about now I'd be really panicking as the seconds tick by in this very dangerous confined space. But since there is still time left to perform the operation, even if the laser fails, Duval's case is the stronger. Michaels and him end the argument quite heatedly with Michaels stating that as usual Duval just wants his own way.
Grant eyes them both curiously as we cut to the control tower where Reid remarks "just imagine, they're in the human mind", and the anatomical display in the background with the Proteus marked as entering the brain transitions to another establishing shot: the sub gliding through a dark region lined with what look like cobwebs, across which spots of light flash and jump. I really like this set too, because it's probably the best that could've been done at the time. Another thing I like about this, and it's true of almost all the sets actually, is that the blocking and camera work suggests vastness; you can't really see a wall or edge to the environment which, at the Proteus's scale, is how it would be. In the distance Duval points out the clot, the area of damage, a large black area which looks quite spooky. As Duval and Cora prepare to leave, Michaels says they can't possibly operate and get out before time's up, and instructs Owens to head to the removal point. Only six minutes remain, but it will take two to get to the removal point. Michaels warns that if they overstay they will deminiaturise in moments, growing large enough to endanger the brain after which white cells will destroy them. Owens continues the order to leave but Grant cuts his power and the Proteus slowly drops to the surface as the music ominously grows. Grant whispers "Dr. Duval, get the laser", who doesn't need telling twice. Michaels argues with Grant even as Duval and Cora leave the sub. Michaels flames at Grant, apparently having suddenly changed his mind about Duval, declaring him "an assassin, whose only motive is to kill Benes, and now you've made that possible." Grant refutes this though, saying that he's faced assassins before and Duval doesn't fit the bill. He announces to Owens that he's going to try and help the two surgeons and leaves the sub, leaving Michaels to quietly fume.
At the clot the laser works, and Duval starts to delicately slice away damaged tissue to relieve the pressure on the nerve. The operation goes well but time is ever running out. Back on board the Proteus doctor Michaels calls Owens' attention to the escape hatch: fluid is leaking in. Owens comes to take a look but gets a spanner in the head for his troubles. Michaels was the saboteur all along! (He's the English guy, how did you not see it coming?) He scrambles up to the bubble after restoring the power and starts the sub's engine, speeding right for the nerve!
At the nerve, with the operation finished, the three look back and see the Proteus speeding towards them. This is another great model shot which captures distance and scale without limiting the environment in any way. Grant takes the laser from Duval and asks for full power as he fires at the Proteus and rips a hole along her hull. Out of the control the sub crashes into a nearby mass of (presumably) synapses and dendrites. It'd be hilarious is if this caused brain damage to Benes requiring another operation…
In the distance, white cells are spotted and Grant enters the hole in Proteus to rescue Michaels and Owens. In the ship the conscious Owens tells Grant what happened but the crash has jammed Michaels's hands in the steering gear. Overhead through the glass dome a white cell slowly looms down on the Proteus, as Donald Pleasance really nails the panic and horror of a trapped man who knows he's about to be slowly eaten. The white cell smashes through the glass and envelopes him. (The white cell covering Michaels's head here were achieved essentially by soap-suds, and Donald Pleasance's screams here are quite genuine!)
Pleasence nails this terrifying moment
Grant and Owens exit the Proteus and join Duval and Cora as the Proteus is ingested. A couple of final shots from the laser kills one white cell, but the laser is fried…so Duval just throws it aside. Remember that for later…
Grant asks "you said there was a quick way out?" Actually, no one said there was a quick way out. Grant earlier asked "is there a quick way out?" but doesn't get a reply as Cora points out the white cells. It's a tiny glitch but I always noticed it. Duval does confirm that there is though: "we can follow the optic nerve to the corner of the eye." And so they do, the music builds to a crescendo and we cut to the control room as the timer turns to zero. Time up. Game over, apparently. Carter says to Reid that they'll have to remove them even though it means killing Benes. Reid proceeds to the operating theatre and orders the physicians to remove the Proteus immediately, and an emergency trepanation is about to be started until Carter suddenly commands them to stop. He reasons to Reid, in a wonderfully whispered and chilling manner, that if he was running out of time in there he'd abandon ship and get out the fastest possible way. Reid pieces it together for himself: the eye! He races to the operating theatre…
"Light impulses, on the way to the brain…we're nearing the eye…"
Meanwhile the three men and Raquel Welch are still swimming towards the eye. This is another scene well done; the music captures the other-worldliness wonderfully and the eerie score and sound effects reflect the organic environment they so desperately need to escape. They reach the eye and in another nicely understated scene we see them scrambling through an opening onto the roof of the eyeball; the effect is only about two seconds long but very realistic. It's another example of how bigger and longer is not necessarily better.
In the operating theatre, Reid uses a super magnifying glass and sees four people in a drop of water. (And slowly, and surely, he draws his plans against them.) He calls for a glass slide and scoops them up. Despite the fact they've been growing all this time they are still not visible to the naked eye and this unspoken point proves (to me anyway) just how tiny they really have been. Reid carefully places the glass slide on the floor of the miniaturising chamber seen early and the music hangs on a note of suspense one last time…and then totally changes; for the first time in the entire film it now turns to one of hope and relief, and our protagonists become visible again. As Reid and the command staff watch on, four tiny people take form and revert to normal size. A silent nod from Reid to Carter is enough to convey the emotion of the moment between two military professionals. (Again, if this were remade today, Carter and Reid would be 30-something Calvin Klein models high-fiving each other and making inappropriate corny jokes to break up all the boring science stuff.)
I think you've got something in your eye…
An overhead shot of the four survivors ends the film as they're joined by operations personnel and doctors all wanting to congratulate them on their fantastic voyage and safe return.
Unfortunately, everyone forgot about the injected saline from the original syringe, the discarded laser and oh yes, the frakking submarine which all remained inside Benes and would revert to normal size too, resulting, in Doctor Kelso's words, of "a nasty case of…death". Some claim that because the Proteus was digested, it was destroyed, and therefore wouldn't revert to normal size. This is…err, wrong, to be polite. The ship was ingested, but the molecules and atoms that constituted it were miniaturised – they didn't cease to exist. Given the whole premise of the film was the crew having 60 minutes, no longer, before they regrew, this is pretty glaring oversight. In his novel, Asimov got around this by having the crew tempt the white cell (which ingested the Proteus) into following them out through the eye too. Also, the physicians used as little saline as possible for the initial injection.
As regards the characters, none of them are particularly fleshed out but this is an adventure movie not a character-driven plot. With so little time and so much to get through, the film can't afford divergences to let us see the mind and soul of Grant or Cora. The film also never explains why Michaels is the bad guy either. Again, in Asimov's short version the characters are brought to life a lot better (albeit the dialogue is clunky) with Cora initially viewing Grant as just a dumb muscle man but coming to see that he has a brain indeed, is a good leader, and is obviously grateful for him saving her life a few times. Grant's attraction to her is written with all the subtlety of a hammer in truth, and the men find it incredulous that a girl can be incredibly clever and also beautiful… "Instead of working as protégé for the best neurosurgeon on the planet, shouldn't you be doing something worthwhile with your life and making the most of your important features, the physical ones of course – by, say, being a super-model or porn star?!" If this were a character arc like Battlestar Galactica, or a human story with a message which happens to have action, like Star Trek II, I'd criticise it. But it's not.
De-miniaturisation
Review: I try to be as objective as possible, but the truth is this was an all-time classic for me and a favourite ever since I can remember. For that reason, it's hard to not inject a bit of fondness into a review, whereas someone else might watch this and think "you can see the strings on the antibodies! That's crap!" and promptly go back to watching Big Brother.
As far as the story goes, apart from the obvious plot holes it's a really tight script, with the only question marks over the pacing at the start – and some of the scene transitions feel dated. Some of the special effects are clearly lacking by today's standards but many of the sets also stand up quite well. The attention to detail is definitely there, for the most part. The film also doesn't ram medical jargon down our throats but says what needs to be said as if professionals were saying it. It also does a pretty good job getting all the necessary information to the viewer without bad exposition. The sexism of the time is pretty evident, with the lady needing to be rescued a few times and it being the woman to drop the scissors on the floor, and Reid even saying that because this mission is so important we don't need a woman on board, someone who'll probably just menstruate all over the sub anyway.
The plot holes and dated attitude to women drop the score a little, but I'll judge every work of art against what it's claiming to be. This was a huge blockbuster which took years to make, had some big names stars, and took itself seriously as a science fiction adventure thriller. It was incredibly ambitious, and most of the elements come together superbly. The problem for the writers was that the concept of miniaturisation is so hard to translate into true sci-fi because the rules of physics themselves stand in the way – there are literally too many problems to overcome so you either: a. forget the idea, b. scientifically rationalise every single thing even if only on a very hypothetical level, or c. do what you can do to make a good movie and ignore the rest. I think the FV producers chose c and succeeded.
I'm tempted to be more generous with one of my favourites, but it has some tough competition in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. I'm going to give it 8/10. A true classic. I only hope that any modern remakes do the original justice.
Posted in Film, Media, Movies, Reviews, Television. Tags: fantastic voyage, film, opinion, review, sci-fi. 1 Comment »
One Response to "Fantastic Voyage – Review [film]"
28 September, 2013 at 8:33 pm
Good review. Last I heard, the remake plot concerned a familial relationship between doctor and patient (I think doctor supervising miniaturized sub in wife). Could get soapy. In the original, Duval tells Grant, regarding the white cells threatening Proteus: "… they'll ingest the ship and everything in it." Maybe they're assuming the cell ingested the growing laser rifle, too? At least they tried. This is a very hopeful, energetic movie, done at a time when the US, and technology, could do no wrong (not trying to be political here, at all) — I get the irony. The movie has a card in its beginning which suggests that miniturization might exist someday. Then, I think people could believe that. The comment about "Calvin Klein" models is spot on.
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Home > Blog > The Legal Perspective Of Personal Injuries
The Legal Perspective Of Personal Injuries
Personal injury cases are civil lawsuits under the umbrella of negligence claims and are classified under tort actions. The definition of tort is a legal wrong. In this area of law, the lawsuit is focused on applying the elements to identifying whether the defendant's actions or inactions meet the legal definition of wrong. Since these lawsuits are civil cases, the parties are generally private citizens or entities. More so, typical damages sought in these types of lawsuits are monetary. As with any legal proceeding, these type of lawsuits has numerous legal considerations and factors that affects the validity and success of either winning or defending the case. Some of the legal considerations in the following lawsuits under the personal injury cases are as follows.
Medical malpractice injuries can be complex, and it's important to understand the basics before you attempt to file a personal injury claim relating to malpractice.
Who Are The Parties To A Medical Malpractice Case?
Depending on the nature of the medical malpractice claim and the state's rules that have jurisdiction over the lawsuit, cases are filed by the patient against the medical doctor. Often the hospital or clinic that employs the doctor or surgeon is included as a party to the lawsuit. Typically, the medical professional's insurance is a party to the case.
However, in medical device defects or malfunction cases, the patient would not file a medical malpractice lawsuit against the doctor or surgeon who has used the said product on them. Instead, it would be appropriate for the patient to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against the manufacturer or distributor of the medical tool. It is important to note that the rules of product liability law may also govern this type of lawsuit.
What Are the Elements Of A Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?
Medical malpractice lawsuits are identified to belong under the negligence lawsuits umbrella. Thus, these types of claims generally follow the following elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages or harm. Specifically applied to medical malpractice lawsuits, the following elements must be proven by the claimant in court:
The doctor has a duty to the patient. This element is not limited to showing that the doctor-patient relationship is current. Instead, this element needs to show that the doctor-patient relationship existed at the time of the cause of action.
The doctor has breached their duty to the patient.
The doctor has committed a negligent action or inaction that has directly caused the patient to get injured or harmed.
The patient has incurred monetary damages that were directly attributed to the injuries that were caused by the doctor's negligent action or inaction.
Are There Defenses To A Medical Malpractice Claims?
Yes, defenses may be available to a respondent to a medical malpractice lawsuit. However, the applicability or limitation to any defenses depends on the state's rules that have jurisdiction over the case.
Some of the defenses that may be available to a defendant of a medical malpractice case may include, but are not limited to:
The cause of action was beyond the statute of limitation rules of the state to bring a lawsuit. The statute of limitation rule is set by each state and is applied by the court with jurisdiction over the case.
Another defense that is subject to an individual state's rule is the applicability of comparative or contributory negligence. This refers to the victim's responsibility for their injuries. Depending on the state's laws on which doctrine they apply to their cases, a victim may be barred from pursuing compensation claims against the defendant or could have their claim lessened based on the percentage of their contribution to their injuries.
Another defense available to the defendant of a medical malpractice claim is the "good samaritan law." This rule absolves a doctor, or any other medical professional, from liability if they voluntarily come to the aid of someone in need. However, this protection is available provided that the medical professional acted and provided the standard duty of care and treatment any reasonably competent medical professional would provide in the same situation.
Motor vehicle accidents are considered one of the most common personal injury claims. That said, if you're ever involved in a car accident, it's important to understand the nuances.
Who Are the Parties to a Car Accident Case?
Generally, the parties to a motor vehicle accident lawsuit involve the individuals directly affected by the accident. These parties could be the other motorist or a pedestrian. More so, the insurance carriers of the motorists involved in the car accident are also parties to a motor vehicle accident lawsuit.
What Are the Elements of a Car Accident Claim?
Car accident lawsuits are identified to belong under the negligence lawsuits umbrella. Thus, these types of claims generally follow the following elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages or harm. Specifically applied to car accident lawsuits, the following elements must be proven by the claimant in court:
The defendant driver has a duty to the victim driver or pedestrian.
The defendant driver has breached their duty to the victim driver or pedestrian.
The defendant driver's negligent action or inaction has directly caused the victim driver or pedestrian their injuries.
The victim driver or pedestrian has incurred damages or injuries.
Are There Defenses to a Car Accident Lawsuit?
Yes, there are defenses available to the defendant of a car accident case.
Defenses may be available to a defendant in a car accident lawsuit depending on the state that has jurisdiction over the case. Some of the possible defenses to a motor accident claim are as follows:
The incident was beyond the statute of limitation rules of the state to bring a lawsuit. The statute of limitation rule is mandated by each state and is applied by the court that has jurisdiction over the case.
Another potential defense in a car accident case is whether the claimant has contributed to their own injuries. Depending on whether contributory or comparative negligence is applied by the state that has jurisdiction over the case, a claimant's own actions that contributed to their injuries may either bar their claim against the other party or lessen the amount of compensation they would be allowed to claim on the lawsuit.
Failure to mitigate damages is another defense that may be available to a defendant in a car accident lawsuit. Under this defense, a victim may bar or reduce the compensation they could be entitled to in a case if they manage to worsen the injuries they have incurred in the car accident. This defense's applicability depends on the state that has jurisdiction over the claim.
Other possible defenses to a defendant in a car accident lawsuit may depend on procedural errors by the other party. Some of the instances that apply to this type of defense may include but are not limited to the following:
A) The other party or their lawyer has failed to adequately state a valid claim.
B) The other party or their lawyer missed a question in a required form.
C) the other party or their lawyer filled out the wrong forum.
D) the other party of their lawyer filed a poorly drafted pleading that did not communicate all the elements expected by the court.
Now, slip and falls are another type of personal injury. If you're a victim of slip and fall accidents and want to file a personal injury claim, you should understand the basic aspects before finding a personal injury lawyer.
Who Are the Parties to a Slip and Fall Lawsuit?
A slip and fall lawsuit is typically between the property owner and the victim. However, this depends on the nature of the claim and the circumstances of the case. Generally, the victim could be either a licensee or invitee. In certain situations, a trespasser may have a cause of action for a slip and fall lawsuit against a property owner.
What Are the Elements of a Slip and Fall Claim?
Since slip and fall claims are classified under negligence lawsuits, they generally follow the following elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages or harm. Specifically applied to slip and fall claims, the following elements must be proved by the claimant in court:
The property owner owes a duty to either warn the victim or fix the hazard in the property to prevent harm to the victim.
The victim could show that they have suffered harm or incurred damages that could directly be linked to the hazardous condition of the owner's property.
The property owner knew or should have reasonably known of the dangerous conditions on their property.
The property owner could have anticipated that the condition of their property would have hurt or potentially hurt their invitees or licensees.
Are There Defenses to a Slip and Fall Case?
Yes, defenses may be available to the sued party in a slip and fall case. However, the availability and applicability of these defenses depend on the facts of the state's rules that have jurisdiction over the lawsuit. Some of the defenses that may apply to a slip and fall case are as follows:
The property's danger is open and obvious to all parties.
The property owner lacks notice of the danger on their property. Specifically, the property owner lacks both actual and constructive notice of the hazards on the premises.
The victim has assumed risks of harm on the property.
The victim is a trespasser, and the type of property does not subject any liability to the property owner for the harm incurred by trespassers.
The slip and fall claim has passed the statute of limitation imposed by the state that has jurisdiction over the potential lawsuit.
A victim has contributed to the injuries they have incurred, and such contribution is above the allowed contributory or comparative negligence rules imposed by the state that has jurisdiction over the potential claim.
The topics listed and discussed above are general in nature and are subject to limitations and application by each state law. It is vital to the validity and success of each claim or defense for these lawsuits to seek the legal advice and representation of a personal injury attorney licensed in the state that has jurisdiction over the case.
Final Remarks: The Legal Perspect Of Personal Injuries
If you or someone you know has sustained an injury due to the negligence of another person, you may be entitled to compensation through filing a personal injury claim. However, before you can determine what type of claim to file, it's important to know the different types of injury claims available to you. You will then have the necessary information to file your claim and protect your legal rights and interests as soon as possible.
What's a Mass Tort and How Does it Differ from a Class Action Lawsuit?

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This matter comes before the Court on the Government's James Proffer [Docket No. 144] and the Government's Amended James Log and Memorandum Regarding the Nature and Scope of the Alleged Conspiracy [Docket No. 180]. The Court held James hearings on December 15, 2017 and January 4, 2018.
Statements by a conspirator are in furtherance of the conspiracy when they are "intended to promote the conspiratorial objectives." United States v. Townley, 472 F.3d 1267, 1273 (10th Cir. 2007), quoting United States v. Reyes, 798 F.2d 380, 384 (10th Cir. 1986). Promotion may occur through "statements that explain events of importance to the conspiracy in order to facilitate its operation, statements between coconspirators which provide reassurance, which serve to maintain trust and cohesiveness among them, or which inform each other of the current status of the conspiracy, and statements of a coconspirator identifying a fellow coconspirator." Townley, 472 F.3d at 1273 (internal citations omitted). They may also include statements which identify the defendant as "a member of the conspiracy, and describ[e] his function in assisting the organization in avoiding detection by law enforcement." United States v. Williamson, 53 F.3d 1500, 1520 (10th Cir. 1995). "A court may conclude that the statements are in furtherance of a conspiracy even though the statements are susceptible of alternative interpretations." United States v. Marin, 7 F.3d 679, 690 (7th Cir. 1993). "[P]revious statements made by co-conspirators are admissible against a defendant who subsequently joins the conspiracy." United States v. Brown, 943 F.2d 1246, 1255 (10th Cir. 1991).
"[I]n deciding whether the offering party has satisfied its burden at a James hearing, the district court has the discretion to consider any evidence not subject to a privilege, including both the coconspirator statements the government seeks to introduce at trial and any other hearsay evidence, whether or not that evidence would be admissible at trial." United States v. Owens, 70 F.3d 1118, 1124 (10th Cir.1995). "The co-conspirator hearsay exception contains no requirement that the declarant be a defendant, only that she be a member of the conspiracy." Champagne Metals v. Ken-Mac Metals, Inc., 458 F.3d 1073, 1081 n. 5 (10th Cir. 2006) (internal citations omitted). "[T]here is no requirement that a district court make findings on the record before the nonhearsay is admitted. The court must only resolve the preliminary Rule 801 questions and 'be satisfied that the statement actually falls within the definition of the Rule.'" United States v. Merrick, 299 F. App'x 820, 823 (10th Cir. 2008), quoting Bourjaily v. United States, 483 U.S. 171, 185 (1987) (emphasis in original).
1. The government has shown that a conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud did exist and that such conspiracy operated between at least July 26, 2010, see, e.g., Document KB7.26.10, 2:56-5:27, and April 2011, when Mr. Elrod and defendant stopped communicating with one another.


I'm not going to write a long introduction to this post, because quite frankly, the whole idea is to SIMPLIFY technology, not spend more time on it. So read through the list, pick a task and DO IT!
Create one central point for all device recharging. We use the computer as it keeps phones/tablets off the kitchen bench, charges the devices, but also syncs and updates them at the same time.
Set up direct debit for regular bills so you don't need to think about them. This works well for bills that are consistently the same amount and have been factored into your budget. Set and forget.
Using the search function in your email account, input the word unsubscribe this will bring up all of the newsletters that you're subscribed to. Go through and unsubscribe from any that you no longer want to receive.
Use Trello to keep your inbox clear. I use Trello to communicate tasks with my graphic designer and VA and it is oh so good at keeping my inbox free of all the back-and-forth that can be associated with outsourcing.
Use Dropbox to keep your desktop tidy. I use Dropbox for all of my business files and images. Apart from being great at keeping my desktop clear, this is also really handy for outsourcing as I can simply share a link within Trello rather than attaching it to an email.
Deactivate any social media accounts that you don't use or don't enjoy using.
Part with outdated or non-working electronic items. Google your area for e-waste drop-off depots.
If you have lots of phone apps, organise them into folders so that they're easier to locate. For example, I have a folder for work apps (Dropbox, Trello, Xero are here) and another for the kid's schoolwork apps.
Unlike at least a dozen pages on Facebook.


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Home / How to Play the Lottery Online
By Peluru_Gacor999 Januari 24, 2023
Lottery is a game of chance in which people make bets on a series of numbers to try and win a prize. Usually, the winning ticket is rewarded with a large cash prize. Depending on the jurisdiction, the winnings may be paid in a lump sum or in an annuity.
In the US, there are several popular lotteries. These include Powerball, Mega Millions, Toto, and the 6/49. Buying a lottery ticket is a fun way to win money and help the community. The money raised is usually spent on educational programs, veterans, and parks services.
Lotteries have been used for thousands of years. During the Han Dynasty, records show that lottery slips were distributed to fund major government projects. Some of the most important projects funded by the lottery included roads, libraries, and bridges.
Lotteries became popular in the 17th century. Although many people disliked them, lotteries were an effective method of raising funds for public projects. Various colonies in the French and Indian Wars also used them to raise funds for local militias.
During the 18th century, several states held lotteries to raise money for public projects. For example, in 1755 the Academy Lottery financed Princeton University. They also raised money for local colleges and libraries.
The United States had over 200 lotteries between 1744 and 1776. In addition, the Continental Congress used lotteries to raise money for the Colonial Army.
There are currently at least 100 countries worldwide that operate their own lottery. Most of these lotteries are run by state or city governments. The sales of lottery tickets are estimated to be over $91 billion in fiscal year 2019.
In the U.S., the lottery is available in 45 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Every province in Canada operates its own lottery. However, the lottery is not as popular as sports betting.
The lottery industry is expected to grow slightly over the next few years. Sales are estimated to increase by around 9% from 2018 to 2026. Compared to other forms of gambling, such as casinos, the lottery is less expensive and offers a relatively small jackpot. When factoring in the time value of money, however, the payout is less than the advertised jackpot.
Despite the popularity of lotteries, some jurisdictions have banned the games. A California resident recently won the record-setting Powerball jackpot. Another person won the Mega Millions lottery, but his ticket matched just six of the seven numbers. This left him with a $565 million prize.
While a small number of people win big, the odds are stacked against you. Even if you have the most lucky numbers, you might not be able to claim your prize. That's why it's always a good idea to keep a few dollars in an emergency savings account. Alternatively, if you are a fan of lottery games, consider playing online. You can buy your ticket directly from the website, and you don't have to worry about purchasing extra items to increase your chances of winning.
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That sounds like fun.
Mad Men - Lost Horizon [S07E12]
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#ew
The Office (2005) - S03E10 A Benihana Christmas (Part 1)
Mad Men (2007) - S02E07 The Gold Violin
That sounds like fun,
Family Guy (1999) - S09E11 Comedy
The Big Bang Theory (2007) - S06E08 The 43 Peculiarity
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
That sound like fun?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) - S03E05 Drama
Friends (1994) - S05E09 The One With Ross's Sandwich
Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1994) - S01E04 Comedy
Friends (1994) - S10E04 The One With the Cake
- That sounds like fun! - Actually, that does sound like fun.
Freaks and Geeks (1999) - S01E17 Drama
Doesn't that sound like fun?
Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce (2014) - S02E04 Drama
but that sounds like fun.
Oh, that sounds like fun.
Mad Men (2007) - S02E10 The Inheritance
[Stammering] That sounds like... fun.
The Big Bang Theory (2007) - S06E18 The Contractual Obligation Implementation
Ooh, that sounds like fun.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015) - S01E10 I'm Back at Camp with Josh!
Paula: That sounds like... fun.
Man, that sounds like fun.
The Proposal (2009)
Now that sounds like fun.
The Big Bang Theory (2007) - S04E10 The Alien Parasite Hypothesis
No, that sounds like fun.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)
Well, that sounds like fun.
Whoo! That sounds like fun!
Stranger Things (2016) S02E04 Chapter Four: Will the Wise
Sure! That sounds like fun.


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Study objective: The acceptability of domestic violence against women (DVAW) plays an important part in shaping the social environment in which the victims are embedded, which in turn may contribute either to perpetuate or to reduce the levels of DVAW in our societies. This study analyses correlates of the acceptability of DVAW in the European Union (EU). Design: Three level ordinal logistic regression of 13 457 people nested within 212 localities (cities), nested within 15 countries of the EU. Sampling is multistage with random probability. All interviews were face to face in people's homes. The outcome variable was acceptability of DVAW. Multiple correlates at the individual, locality, and country level were analysed. Setting: European Union, 1999. Participants: National data were used of residents 15 years old and above of all member states in 1999 (n = 13 457). Average response rate was 47%, although it varied across countries (23%–73%). Main results: Higher levels of acceptability were reported by those who perceived DVAW as less severe and less frequent. Acceptability is higher among men who know a perpetrator and lower among men who know a victim. Victim blaming attitude is associated with higher levels of acceptability. In countries with higher gender empowerment measure the difference in acceptability among those who blame and those who do not blame the victim is greater. Conclusions: There are still widespread attitudes in the EU such as victim blaming that condone DVAW, contributing to a climate of social acceptability of DVAW. Further efforts to reduce the acceptability of DVAW are still needed.


On this day in 1945, World War II Voyage #46 (westbound) on the Queen Mary arrived in New York to pick up more American G.I.s and carry them back to the ETO. The ship, piloted by Commodore James Bisset, had averaged 23.79 knots while crossing the pond in a zig-zag pattern, and had taken over five days to complete. In the week that followed the ship's arrival, 11,226 American troops would board the Gray Ghost, shipping out for the last three and a half months of war in Europe.


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MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. The US, British and French strikes against Syria deal a powerful blow to efforts aimed at promoting the Geneva process, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
"This act of aggression deals a powerful blow to efforts aimed at promoting the Geneva political process based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which unanimously reaffirmed the commitment to respecting Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the ministry stressed. Western countries are aligning themselves with jihadists in Syria and seeking to dismember the country, Russia's Foreign Ministry said.
"It is getting finally clear that those in the West who are exploiting humanitarian rhetoric and trying to justify their military presence in Syria by the needs to crush jihadists are actually aligning themselves with them and seeking to dismember the country," the ministry stressed.
"Such an intention is confirmed by the flat refusal by the US and its allies to render assistance in restoring Syrian districts liberated by the government troops," the statement reads.
The missile strike by the US, Great Britain and France against Syria suggests they want to give extremists a possibility to restore their ranks, the ministry said.
The aggression was launched at a time when the Syrian troops are continuing their successful offensive against terrorist groupings, including the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groups outlawed in Russia, the ministry pointed out.
"It turns out that the US and its allies want to give radicals and extremists a possibility to take their breath, restore their ranks and prolong the bloodshed on Syrian soil and then complicate the political settlement," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Moscow is urging to immediately put an end to the West's dangerous policy line towards ruining the accords on Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"We are urging to immediately put an end to the highly dangerous policy line of Western leaders towards ruining all the accords on the ways of the Syrian settlement," the ministry stressed.
"The strikes were carried out precisely at the moment when the OPCW experts were to head off to Douma in order to establish the truth. We have reason to believe that the attacks on Syria were aimed at obstructing the work of the OPCW experts," the Russian ministry noted.
"The media reports there are casualties. The exact number is now being verified," the Russian ministry noted. "According to the Russian embassy in Damascus, there have been no casualties among Russian citizens," the ministry added.
"Russia demands an emergency UN Security Council meeting and calls on all its members, and all responsible countries of the international community to provide an assessment of what occurred, and to eliminate any possibility for further reckless acts of aggression, which compromise peace and security in the region that had already been deeply destabilized as a result of criminal schemes by the US and its allies in Iraq and Libya," the Russian ministry stressed.
The missile strike against Syria's military and civilian infrastructures was carried out by US warplanes and naval ships in cooperation with the British and French air forces on April 14.


text:
Coronavirus in Minnesota
MinnPost continues to cover COVID-19. Here are some resources that remain relevant: Tracking Minnesota's coronavirus numbers | A guide to all of the state of Minnesota's public COVID-19 data (that we know about) | Yes, breakthrough infections happen. But vaccination still massively decreases the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19
Race & Health Equity
Research: Black, Hispanic and Asian Minnesotans under 65 more likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19 — and more likely to die of it
By Ava Kian | Staff Writer
The findings underscore underlying inequalities that impact Minnesota's populations of color.
Timeline: COVID sparked Jensen's run for governor and remains recurring theme
By Peter Callaghan | Staff Writer
And as much as the Jensen campaign would prefer to talk about public safety and the economy, Jensen frequently returns to what got him into the race: the COVID-19 pandemic and how the medical community and state government responded.
Coronavirus in Minnesota: Cases rise, but ICU hospitalizations remain low
By Greta Kaul | Associate Editor
COVID-19 ICU hospitalizations remain flat compared to last week, while non-ICU hospitalizations have risen.
Coronavirus in Minnesota: More of the same; is that a good thing?
Data from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) show the state added 3,589 new COVID-19 cases between April 6 and April 12, averaging 513 new cases per day.
Coronavirus in Minnesota: 'stealth' omicron takes over
Wastewater data from the Metropolitan Council suggest BA.2 is now the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the Twin Cities.
Coronavirus in Minnesota: FDA authorizes second booster for people 50 and up
That doesn't mean everyone age 50 and up needs to rush out and get a second booster immediately, though.
What the omicron subvariant BA.2 might mean for Minnesota
The coronavirus variant spreads even faster than omicron, but that doesn't necessarily guarantee it will cause as big a wave of cases and hospitalizations as omicron did.
Coronavirus in Minnesota: Another week of low case counts
Case counts did tick up slightly this week compared to the previous week, but are very low compared to levels at the beginning of the year.
Coronavirus in Minnesota: Average case positivity rate drops below 4 percent
New cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all down in the state.
From Other Nonprofit Media
The CDC's new guidelines on COVID-19 risk and masking send confounding signals
By Colleen DeGuzman, Kaiser Health News
While some experts praised the move as an appropriate shift from a pandemic to an endemic public health posture, others worried that the government was letting down its guard too early.
How Minnesota's second year of pandemic compared to its first
For one thing, while more people tested positive for COVID-19 in the pandemic's second year, fewer of them died.
Coronavirus in Minnesota: Cases dropping as Minnesota passes two years of the COVID-19 pandemic
Do you remember what you were doing when you heard about Minnesota's first case?
Coronavirus in Minnesota: New CDC mask guidelines mean less masking recommended in Minnesota
The new standards consider both rates of spread of COVID-19 and hospitalizations.
Minneapolis and St. Paul just lifted their mask mandates. Is it OK to stop worrying about COVID?
Or at least, stop worrying so much?
Coronavirus in Minnesota: New case counts decline further
Even so, Minnesota is close to reporting its 12,000th death from the disease since the start of the pandemic.
Coronavirus in Minnesota: Decrease in new cases continues
New case rates were at levels not seen since December.
What the CDC's VAERS system is — and isn't — good for
The database is intended to collect all possible reports of vaccine side effects, but in their raw form those reports are entirely unconfirmed and unvetted.
Coronavirus in Minnesota: Daily new cases drop significantly
The rapid drop in cases matches a pattern seen in omicron waves in other places.
Dashboard professionals: A guide to all of the state of Minnesota's public COVID-19 data (that we know about)
The good news is that the state makes a lot of data about the pandemic public. The bad news is that it does it in a lot of different places.
Coronavirus in Minnesota: Cases tick down; scientist wary of new omicron subvariant
The new subvariant isn't believed to cause more severe disease, but it may be more infectious, and experts warn it could drag out the omicron surge.
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Research: Black, Hispanic and Asian Minnesotans under 65 more likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19 — and more likely to die of it

By Ava Kian | Staff Writer

Dec. 19, 2022

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, health care providers saw the disproportionate impact the virus had on populations of color.

Minnesota's populations of color were hospitalized at higher rates and also died at higher rates than white Minnesotans.

"We were seeing large populations of people of color in our ICUs (Intensive Care Units), having the harder time with COVID," said Nneka Sederstrom, the chief health equity officer for Hennepin Healthcare.

In fact, new research finds that despite higher levels of vaccination during the delta and omicron waves of the pandemic, Minnesotans of color under age 65 were more likely to die of the virus than white Minnesotans in the same age group. The findings underscore underlying inequalities that impact Minnesota's populations of color.

Health care response

Black and Hispanic Minnesotans were hospitalized for COVID-19 at rates that exceeded their share of the population, a University of Minnesota study found using data from the beginning months of the pandemic.

From April 30 to June 24, 2020, Black people accounted for 25% of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Minnesota but 7% of the state's population, while Hispanic people made up 16% of hospitalizations but 6% of the population, according to the study.

Hospitals were seeing an influx of people of color. So when vaccines eventually rolled out, leaders of health systems, like Sederstrom, knew which communities were in need.

"When we did a press conference trying to push the vaccine, I said really clearly that it's not old people that are dying in our ICUs at the time, it was young people who thought they were healthy, got COVID and ended up in our units and, and they were people of color," Sederstrom said. "That was our reality."

Hennepin Healthcare partnered with community organizations, like Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio to connect with Hispanic populations, and Black churches, bringing vaccines and staff to those locations. Over the three months between February and May of 2021, they reached more than 9,000 people.

Zeke McKinney, a doctor at HealthPartners, recognized the need during the first summer of the pandemic when he walked into Wilson's Image, a North Minneapolis barbershop, and noticed that he was the only person with a mask.

 McKinney was aware of racial disparities through his work as a physician and recognized that for much of the Black population, there is hesitancy to participate in clinical research due to medical mistrust that traces back to the Tuskegee Syphilis study, he said. From 1932 to 1972, the study aimed to "observe the natural history of untreated syphilis" in Black populations, but the subjects of the study were unaware of the study's goal and instead were told they were receiving treatment for bad blood, despite them receiving no treatment at all.

 McKinney said he almost turned around when he was the only person in the barber shop wearing a mask. "But then I thought to myself, 'If I really want to try to engage people, talk about how serious COVID is and why we need to do things to protect ourselves, I should stay here and just do that,'" McKinney said.

 So he did. He says he kept getting his haircut there, and eventually, after the vaccines became available, his barber asked him where he could get vaccinated.

With some funding from MDH, McKinney and the barbershop started hosting vaccination clinics. His goal was to have the clinic consistently be at the shop so that if people changed their minds about being vaccinated, they would know where to come back to, he said.

McKinney said most of its success is because the clinic was in a Black space.

"For people of color, even me as a Black man and a doctor, it's not my favorite thing to go to the doctor. So if it's bad for me, how bad is it for somebody who's not this educated with this privilege and this dialed into the system" he said. "This clinic was designed to be at a safe, comfortable place, a barbershop, which is a generally a safe space in the Black community."

High vaccination rates, yet higher death rates

All those efforts to reach people of color with vaccines helped: the study's authors found Black, Hispanic and Asian people under age 65 were more highly vaccinated than white Minnesotans the same age for most of the delta variant surge and during waves of omicron.

But while COVID-19 vaccines were effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths overall, they couldn't fix the underlying health disparities that made communities of color more vulnerable to COVID-19: Minnesotans of color, for example, are more likely to have diabetes, asthma and heart disease — all COVID-19 comorbidities — because of factors like poverty and access to health care.

 "We vaccinated as many as we could to try and curb. Although the numbers were great with how many vaccines were given, we still know that the disparities, systemic racism, and environmental racism, issues that underpin health care in general, are the reason why people are still dying," Sederstrom said.

Despite the higher vaccination rates, death rates for people of color under age 65 were higher than white people in the same age group in Minnesota.

The findings also suggest some of the messaging at the beginning of the pandemic that focused on older populations as the most vulnerable didn't capture the breadth of who was most at-risk.

"If you just assumed that this was a vaccine just for the elderly to protect them, then that was a false assumption," said Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, a University of Minnesota researcher and one of the study's authors. "We show in this paper that people of color aged 55 to 64 are at more risk of dying of COVID than white people who are 10 years older. That's a really big difference," she said.

 Systematic factors are behind that age gap.

"It shows us what we already know to be true. Black and Brown and Indigenous populations are way more at risk for poor health outcomes because of social determinants of health, things like lack of access to healthcare, lack of access to health insurance, unstable finances, unstable housing, not having access to food, not having access to safe environments," McKinney said.

 The researchers looked at death certificate data, which includes information like race, ethnicity, age, gender and location of death. They didn't, however, have access to previous health issues or comorbidities, Wrigley-Field said.

Further research could look further into the reasons behind the racial disparities, but pinning those down was not the goal of this study, she said.

Providers hope that this research opens people's eyes to racism – and the ways it affects people's lives.

"I hope that it helps people have a better understanding of how racism impacts healthcare. I think we like to come up with another answer to the why. We don't like accepting the reality that is racism because it seems like it's too big of an issue to tackle. And we just don't want to as a society face the reality that we haven't come past this big huge blemish in our history," Sederstrom said. "There will always be data to highlight that. So this is just another example of data highlighting that we still have a long way to go, but if we continue pretending like racism doesn't exist, then we'll continue having these outcomes."

This article first appeared on MinnPost and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.


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South Dakota is one of a small number of states that use numeric prefixes in license plate numbers to identify the county that issued the plates. The present-day prefixes have been used since 1987. They were also used during the years 1956-1975 (but not during the intervening years 1976-1986).
The nine most populous counties in 1956 were assigned numbers 1-9, beginning with Minnehaha County (county seat: Sioux Falls), the most populous. The other counties—arranged alphabetically—received codes 10 through 64.
Shannon County (adjacent to and east of Fall River County) is one of two counties with no county seat. Fall River County's county seat, Hot Springs, serves as Shannon County's administrative center.
Todd County (adjacent to and west of Tripp County) is the other county with no county seat. Winner, the county seat of Tripp County, serves as Todd County's administrative center.