Champions League action tonight and a win would see Manchester United secure a place in the knockout stages.
As far as I can make out, if Real Sociedad hold Shakhtar Donetsk to a draw at least and United beat Bayer Leverkusen, David Moyes' side will top Group A. However if results go the opposite way, we could see ourselves in a bit of bother.
First and foremost we should be concentrating on getting a result in Leverkusen. That's what we need to qualify and what happens elsewhere shouldn't really be a concern. Shakhtar, who host Real Sociedad, will more than likely run riot. They are still in contention for a place in the knockout stages, especially if we take three points from the Germans.
In terms of team news there are reports that Robin van Persie and Nemanja Vidic will return but Moyes rubbished those in his press conference on Tuesday night. Marounne Fellaini is another that will be absent (suspended) after getting sent off against Sociedad a few weeks back.
However, in four days time we travel yet again. This time to White Heart Lane against a Spurs side who will be desperate to bounce back after their embarrassing 6-0 defeat to City. A bit of rotation, here and there, is a probable outcome tonight.
Our recent blip against Cardiff should not affect us going into this game. Rio Ferdinand has already come out and spoke about getting the job over and done with early so that we can focus on our Premier League position which is unsatisfactory at the moment. With the amount of injuries we have in the squad, there will be two or three players given an opportunity to showcase what they've got in their locker. The Christmas period is always a hectic one and we're going to need players to take more responsibility than they have since Moyes took over as manager.
However from following United since as early as I can remember, I've learned that we never do things the easy way.
Wilf McGuinness has paid tribute to his former team-mate Bill Foulkes, who passed away on Monday morning at the age of 81.
When McGuinness made his first-team debut against Wolves in 1955 when Foulkes had already made a name for himself at centre-half. The pair played a role in getting the club back on its feet in the way of the Munich air disaster. Although, Wilf's career ended prematurely when he suffered a bad leg break when aged just 22.
McGuinness remained at Old Trafford joining the club's coaching staff. He was ideally placed to capture the genius of Foulkes throughout the 1960s which included the European Cup triumph over Benfica in 1968.
"He was quietly spoken, he did not say a lot but if anyone stepped out of line he would sort them out," Wilf told ManUtd.com.


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Effective 6/1/2016 VRBO/HomeAway is charging guests, that book on the site, a 4% to 9% "Service Fee"! According to VRBO the average is 6% on bookings – with a maximum service fee capped at $399 per booking.
Book on VRBO and pay a 4% – 9% "Service Fee"!
According to information published by VRBO to owners and property managers, they'll use the service fees to pay for their online advertising, transaction/rental insurance and development of things like apps and web site speed.
From our perspective, those are things that a rental platform should be providing as part of their core business model! Those aren't add-ons requiring special funding! But hey, we're not accountants. We don't manage a hedge fund. We don't answer to stockholders!
How does this impact guests?
Vacationers are already facing increased fees from airlines and baggage fees, airport security fees, fuel surcharges, regional hotel taxes and now, it seems, a fee to book through VRBO! We're pretty sure that nobody wants to add $200 to $400 to the cost of their vacation rental. Certainly, we know that visitors to St John won't appreciate the additional fees! That's why we built www.StJohn-VillaRentals.com . So that guests and owners/managers would have a professionally built and promoted option to the service fees and forced online bookings of the mega rental sites!
How does this impact the Owner/Manager?
At first glance it might appear that this Service Fee only effects guests that book through VRBO. But we suspect that once guests realize they are paying a fee – that VRBO online bookings will begin to drop as those guests seek other ways to contact the owner/manager of the rental villa they are interested in.
The St John rental community has been growing increasingly dissatisfied with VRBO over the past 2 to 3 years. VRBO's growth and with it increased bookings has lead to a dangerous dependency by rental agents/owners/managers. We hear it over and over again … "They [VRBO] bring me bookings. I can't afford to take my listing off the site!". VRBO realizes the tremendous power they have over subscribers. So, they've begun to increase fees, implement a pay-to-play system that favors those that pay ever-increasing amounts to VRBO; and leaning on owners to process all of their bookings through VRBO.
"If you reject the new online booking system, the renewal rate still falls to just $499 a year, half what some plans are now. But here's the veiled threat in VRBO's message to owners: Participating, or not participating, in online booking will determine the position of your listing in search results.


text:
How Cell Phones, Computers, Gaming and Social Media Are Changing Our Brains
April 11, 2016 By Howard Wetzel
I once got into testy e-mail exchange with a media ecologist over my use of the word addiction in regard to media behavior. He adamantly preferred the word habit for behavior, whether acceptable or problematic, leaving addiction to recovery problems of physiological substance abuse, alcohol, heroin, etc. I had deliberately left out the defining limit for addiction of negative consequences, calling even reading a form of media addiction (do we readers sit down at breakfast and numbly read cereal boxes merely out of habit?). I intended this muddied use of addiction as a playful rhetorical exaggeration to shock the reader into a new awareness about how any medium changes the ground of user behavior. He was moving in the opposite direction, narrowing the definition to eliminate all ambiguity between psychological distress and physiological withdrawal, so as not to make the match of correct treatment to its condition more ambiguous.
The exchange was strange because his view of human behavior seemed so compartmentalized, psychology strictly isolated from physiology. He seemed to ignore the integral nature of suffering in any context as both physical and psychological, and not to recognize the impact of some behaviors, addictive or habitual, on personal and social identity. These are not discrete concepts either. In the arena of what he would call addiction, we intervene more frequently for the social damage the addiction causes than its physiological risks because, in addition to true life-threatening withdrawal from such as alcohol, heroin, or even smoking, there are also real social consequences for physiologic addiction. The same social consequences can be seen in exclusively "habitual" behavioral arenas like gambling, pornography, and yes, i-tech: broken or stunted relationships, lost jobs, lowered self-esteem, etc.
My tongue-in-cheek argument above aside, a valuable new book, i-Minds: How Cell Phones, Computers, Gaming, and Social Media Are Changing Our Brains, Our Behavior, and the Evolution of Our Species by Mari K. Swingle, PhD vindicates my broad use of addiction in regard to media behavior, and describes the acts and conditions by which we can identify real media addiction. She sounds an effective alarm for parents, educators, and every day i-media users. But i-Minds is not only about clinical addiction, and certainly not all use of i-tech is pathological. Addiction is the presenting symptom, the visible tip of the iceberg, the canary in the coal mine, the smoke in the air — and where there's smoke. . . Swingle uses her idea of addiction as a gateway to a much larger discussion about how the effects and habits of digital interactive tech are changing the commons of our brains, our families, and our communities. In short, the book offers a concrete example of media ecology at work.
Dr. Swingle is both a research scientist in neurophysiology and a clinical therapist in addiction. Her approach is simultaneously scientific and empirical. She offers many 'evidence-based' arguments from the scientific literature (the bibliography is extensive) and her clinical practice for the unapologetic use of the word addiction in regard to any media behavior with negative social consequences, in the present context, digital interactive tech. Finally, her view is supported by the DSM-IV, which she summarizes bluntly as 'the simplest definition of addiction is: a malfunction of reward circuitry in the brain' (p. 184).
She acknowledges that many of these changes in individual behavior must be a necessary part of an ongoing social evolution. This adjustment is surely akin to what the Greeks experienced with the introduction of literacy. We can imagine Socrates complaining about growing literacy in the then younger generation ('that young turk Plato. . .wants to write everything down'). Or to what the literate Western world has experienced with the exponential development of electric media over the last hundred years. But such ideas of cultural transformation under the influence of new media have penetrated the public consciousness even less than the general theory of relativity, quantum physics, and 'climate change'.
Dr. Swingle's i-Minds focuses on the present without any broad historical overview or underlying media theory other than the changes in the brain shown in research she discusses. Her premise begins with her clinical experience with clients, and the underlying science behind her diagnosis and treatment. She describes the neuroscience supporting her thinking well, with in-depth explanations removed from the text in boxes for the reader wanting more scientific depth. After explaining i-addiction and describing several clinical examples, she takes her discussion into the other social spheres affected by digital media, such as infant and child development, parent and child attachment, education, and sexuality. i-Minds is a much-needed update on Jane Healy's Endangered Minds (1991), which came out early in the PC era, and was a harbinger of emerging interest in neuroplasticity as it related to declining literacy.
Swingle does not appear to be explicitly in debt to or aware of fellow Canadian Marshall McLuhan's idea of mass media as a formal cause of cultural change, although her concern and observations about present social implications certainly approach his aggregate view of media influence. And while her attention focuses on individuals and their social groups, there is no comparison of waning private identity to burgeoning corporate identity. There is no reference to McLuhan's (perhaps confusing) idea of the user of electronic media being 'discarnate', with less and less awareness of, and meaningful use for, the body. There is no reference to the laws of media, enhancement, reversal, obsolescence, and retrieval, though the content is there for the attentive. There is no high altitude discussion of electric media retrieving the mimetic conditions of pre-literacy, and how that experience must have a direct impact on brain plasticity. Without these abstruse concerns, her approach is pragmatic and concrete. Her concern about plasticity is focused in the present on what the neurological changes mean for her clients and society in the near future. i-Minds provides a good entry for the present generation to a discussion about the individual and social effects of digital media.
Swingle's style is mostly chatty and accessible to non-scientists and non-clinicians. She avoids the characteristic detached, objective, and deadly tone of scientific literature even as she explains the science. Her explanations of neurologic science are clear, understandable, and relevant to her argument, offering much more than matching function to anatomy. Her use of the science is just, occasionally pointing out the limits of a particular study. She avoids panic, striving for a neutral tone, sparing indignation to allow the concrete examples of her argument to persuade the reader. The media moralist focused on the content of the moment rather than the description of the greater effect may wish for stronger condemnations, particularly in the chapter on adult sexuality. She knows that the moral approach is ineffective in a theatre like this. She is sometimes gently sarcastic when the argument seems so obvious it must engage her real opinion, which allows her a moral tone with a sly wink rather than a stern scold. For therapists cannot remain entirely neutral and non-judgmental about human behavior if they are going to help their clients function as healthy members of their social circles.
Her approach is timely. McLuhan described print culture as visual, detached, and individualistic, in contrast to electric media which he saw as oral, involved, and corporate. We have had no end of laments from the literati about the withering of the literate sensibility, loss of grammatical discipline, absence of sustained thought, and loss of private reflection under the influence of electric media. These observations are true for those who wrote them, and each finds their audience among older readers struggling between a fading print sensibility and the new digital media. But these lamentations mean nothing to those in a post-literate era who have not experienced literacy at that depth.
Instead, the generations maturing since the advent of the PC have grown up in a culture dominated by participatory electric media. We cannot forget that 'corporate' must also mean social, enhanced in some ways which make the elders uncomfortable, seemingly extending some aspects of our social lives while numbing us to others. McLuhan often pointed out that every 'extension' or enhancement was also in effect an 'amputation'. Think of the automobile extending the distance we might travel, and in effect amputating the foot with simple lack of use and its attendant atrophy – and the not unrelated rise in obesity (contrary to the current media message, the formal cause of obesity is as much about media – automobiles, processed food, marketing, AND digital technology – as overeating). Now consider how i-tech enhances the bodiless image and experience of the user at the expense of attachment, unstructured play, emotional intelligence, and all forms of face-to-face, in-the-flesh communication. Swingle's approach may provide a way for the current generation, already or soon to be parents, to start thinking about why and how they might use and limit these new media.
In Chapter Six, 'The Story of Alpha', she describes the brain science of alpha and beta waves as these relate to addiction, learning, creativity, and socialization. She shows how the cycle of arousal and reward commonly applied to addiction relates to the use of all digital media; how the use of i-media deregulates and hijacks alpha wave activity into the narrow domain of the software, and offers seductive and repetitive rewards. She describes how the gaming industry uses current neurological research deliberately to create addictive game designs. She compares the gains in learning from unstructured, unmediated play to the highly structured learning of games and programmed learning; the games and programmed learning come up short in all contexts not structured to the game or program. She also shows how game makers abuse the emerging neuroscience to market specious claims of improved skills and learning to a gullible and uncritical audience of gamers, parents, and educators.
In short, digital media can undermine reward and social development in other areas such as early and late childhood education, emotional intelligence, and sexuality if it comes to dominate the user's life.
Addictions, even 'simple' addictions like cigarettes or alcohol with apparent efficient causes, also have formal causes which create percepts and patterns. Is the accustomed pattern in the preverbal brain habit or addiction? I think we can see a pattern of arousal and reward in the brain's plastic adjustment. The ground of recurring percepts patterns the preverbal brain. But the linguistic mind's characteristic detachment in concept and definition, figures without grounds, cannot escape its own linguistic veneer to reach the preverbal mind to recognize and name these percepts. Only the involvement and subjectivity of percept in the moment (the moment being an endlessly recurring checking and rechecking between the social surface and the preverbal foundation for harmony or discord) forces this 'unconscious', unnamed reorganization of the plastic brain toward 'making sense', and finds reward in accommodating adjustment. This split in consciousness between the named and unnamed we think of as conscious and unconscious. The brain bridges this seeming gap or interval with rapid on-going comparisons of deep patterns in preverbal percepts to the surface evidence of sense and language. This oscillation between percept and concept is the whole brain at work, the very substance of consciousness. This constant back-and-forth between the deep pattern in percept and the interactive surface of sense and language discovers either consonance or dissonance between the two. Simply, dissonance between these two kinds of consciousness arouses the brain, and successful adjustment, re-wiring for connection and influence, is the reward. We 'make sense' of the world in this interval, in this moment, which is every moment.
So where does Swingle's idea of 'malfunction in the reward cycle' enter the fray? I think her definition misleads the reader slightly because the 'malfunction' is not predominantly in the brain at all. The brain does what it always does ever since it sought to bond with its mother as an infant: wires itself for connection. She is correct that some kinds of brains, clients with ADHD, autism, and Asperger's syndrome for instance, seem to have a behavioral predisposition for i-media addiction, and this is valuable information for the therapist. Still, every brain wires itself for connection as best it can. The scientific frame focused on the brain is too narrow. The 'malfunction in the reward cycle' is in the culture, not the brain, in the new environmental presence and uncritical use of i-media.
The diagnosis and awareness of ADHD, autism and Asperger's syndrome have increased because the presence of i-media in their environment makes it that much harder for those with that predisposition to wire their brains in another manner. The old literate environment used to nudge those on the milder side of the autistic spectrum in another direction, and they passed into society mostly without notice; only the severely autistic stood out. Now, even those on the mild side of the autistic spectrum are sucked in by a very different media environment that plays to their innate state: narrow, high arousal and frequent repetitive rewards. The same i-media environment which plays to the vulnerability in those brains is also shaping the brains of the rest of us. All you need to do is read Swingle's description of substitute i-parenting, toddlers walking around with interactive digital devices before they can talk (so Mom or Dad can text or catch up on Facebook) to recognize that many of us are not only failing to parent, we are letting the culture shape our brains without a conscious choice. This is not freedom.
Chapter Eleven, 'Socialization Part B: Adult Play (Sex and Sexuality)' may make some uncomfortable with its frank discussion of sexuality. The chapter's subtitle shows her hand: 'Sex and the Net: Desensitization, Disinhibition, Arousal Templates, And the Death of Intimacy'. The link to the cycle of arousal and reward discussed above is obvious, and the disruption caused by i-media usage in the realm of sexuality is just as profound. Her tone remains matter-of-fact and non-judgmental. She is not explicit, but she describes behaviors and a changed sensibility toward sexuality, a mimetic pattern of unrealistic expectations about acts and performance learned from digital media which may disrupt true intimacy among people we know, our own relationships, and almost certainly our children. This chapter alone should encourage us to take a more involved stance on i-media.
Her solutions for both addiction and the management of digital media are common sense. She emphasizes limiting access in the most plastic years of childhood: none before two years of age; better, four; best, most conservative, and her own view, six (i-Minds, p. 86), and disciplined limitation even into adulthood. She emphasizes the importance of integrated bodily activity in human experience, what the McLuhans have come to describe as 'incarnate', in contrast to the experience of discarnate electric media: unstructured play, child-invented games outdoors, and actual bodily exercise in all forms.
. . .the evolutionary and true purpose of play itself is learning: cognitive and emotional learning. The whole concept of replacing play with learning in early childhood is entirely oxymoronic. (i-Minds, p. 128)
Her solutions relate to what Eric McLuhan has described, with an appropriation from Thomas Aquinas, as the sensus communis, a return to a fully integrated manner of living directly and socially in the body and its senses, in unmediated movement, touch, and face-to face conversation. In a discussion of Twitter and Facebook, she asks, 'what is a friend and how many can you really have?' She finds an appropriate answer in the grooming behavior of primates:
There are some interesting studies on animal social groups: how they maintain friendships and how they keep status. . . In other primates. . .this is done through grooming, through touch. Grooming, for humans and other primates alike, however is logistically limited, as beyond family itself, we only have so much time to groom each other; therefore we can only have so many friends.
'Grooming' of course in the human context is much more than picking bugs off each other's backs. Grooming is an inclusive analogy for close human social support of all forms: parenting, manners, teaching, and courtship.
. . .it appears no true friendship circle can have any depth after growing past fifty. Quite simply, we may feel good together (laughing or dancing or talking), but we cannot get to any depth of communication or emotion. As humans, we cannot follow or 'groom' a group that exceeds fifty. We are not fulfilled when our care or attention, or that of others becomes too broad. (i-Minds, p. 177)
This limit is certainly true for individuals. True to her intent, she does not take her discussion farther than a realistic social circle of "groomers. But this end-point to her discussion does not mean that the group of 'more than fifty friends' has no effect on the i-media user.
After we reach that 'fifty friends' threshold, there is still deep communication and emotion present in the group, what Elias Cannetti called The Crowd, and what the McLuhans have described as corporate identity, the simultaneous ever-present participation in the moment, now enhanced by the ubiquitous and discarnate effects of digital media. In that present, there is an active back and forth between the action of the media on the pre-linguistic parts of the brain and the individual consciousness; call it unconscious if you wish. With her focus on individuals (remember her starting point is addiction), she does not seem to recognize that the very ground of social identity has had a dramatic shift from private to corporate, and that much of the anxiety over loss of connectivity stems from connectivity's removal. Connectivity is now a principal source of social identity for many people. Relief of the distress caused by withdrawal is not quite a simple substitution of one thing for another. For many, the treatment will involve learning older and unfamiliar forms of identity validation, and rewiring the brain to recognize and value the reward. And the question always remains: will the present context of peers and culture support and reinforce the change at that essential pre-verbal level?
Changes in plasticity in any individual are always a slow evolution toward the new norm. In the media environment of the last fifty years, that norm has constantly changed. The entrenched pattern in the preverbal brain of course tends to resist; yet this is where the rewiring of the brain must begin. A great part of what is experienced as resistance to change is the necessary time it takes the brain to rewire itself for the new situation under the recurring pressure of check and re-check in the moment, like waves shaping the shoreline. The individual in this transition, living between the interactive social surface of identity and the preverbal experiences distress. If the distress becomes extreme enough, the identity will self-protect with medication (alcohol, heroin), or will lash out violently in self-defense and self-assertion.
There are also other social commentaries to be written about 'more than fifty friends' which relate not to friendship, but another form of corporate identity, marketing and branding. Many people have observed that Facebook and its kin have become more about self-promotion than shared intimacy, where the image of success (happy smiling family in the right house, vacationing in the right place, in the right clothes, kids attending the right schools, with the right opinions) approaches a vision learned from advertising and catalogs. From there, one can digress in many related directions: how marketing since the advent of print as the introduction of mass media has affected capitalism; how the greater reach of marketing in the electric era has created markets without borders, and driven the expanding gap between the very richest and the rest; how marketing undermines critical thought and seduces workers onto the consumer treadmill with powerful brand images they identify with on one hand, and are consequently reluctant to criticize on the other. This is the much sought-after Teflon effect of brand marketing, whether the brand is associated with energy, automobiles processed food, or health care. Finally, there is the relation of corporate social identity and the pressure of consensus, which even beyond the boundaries of an incarnate peer group, can still exert an oppressive and a largely unrecognized force toward conformity. The pressure to conform starts with clicking 'Like', and then watching how many agree, and who they are. The real intent of marketing is no longer to inform, but to get us to conform. And now some of us market to each other. Push this kind of social pressure to the extreme and you find something like the apparent marketing appeal of the Islamic State, who use digital media quite effectively.
Are concord and agreement between the deep preverbal percept in the individual and the environment, mediated by language and senses at the interactive surface, a necessary part of a healthy arousal / reward cycle? Probably; such stability is indeed a luxury, in families and cultures. And yet, I think freedom and creativity also live in this interval between consonance and dissonance, in the ongoing invention and adjustment of the plastic brain to changing circumstance. Too much dissonance leads to loss of identity, distress, and in the extreme, acting out with violence; too little leads to a closed society of oppressive consensus and corporate violence – think the Inquisition or the Third Reich. Can we appreciate how incredibly dynamic and paradoxical such a living system our consciousness is, in both the moment within each of us, and over the long term in the aggregate, through generations? The waves constantly shape the shore. . .
But these deep big-frame topics are not the purpose of Dr. Swingle's book. i-Minds: by Mari K. Swingle is exactly what its subtitle, How Cell Phones, Computers, Gaming, and Social Media Are Changing Our Brains, Our Behavior, and the Evolution of Our Species, claims to be: a detailed, rational discussion of i-tech addiction and the social effects of digital media on its users by a scientific expert in the field. i-Minds is also a concrete and specific introduction to the general public to the idea of media ecology, which should not be principally about a PhD. and tenure, but ought to be about the ordinary user's critical awareness of media effects and the management of those identified effects for the social good. Her focused discussion on i-tech addiction and the debilitating social effects of too much uncritical use may help the man and woman on the street take a view of digital i-media that is less simply enthusiastic and a lot more critical. The tenor of all our social interactions, the very nature of civility in the moment, is being shaped by i-media while most of us fiddle indecisively. We should admit than we can smell smoke, and it is not only second-hand — it is not only our children who are being seduced. i-Minds sounds an alarm that should not be ignored, and offers insightful guidance how to control the blaze.
Swingle, Mari K. i-Minds: How Cell Phones, Computers, Gaming and Social Media Are Changing Our Brains, Our Behavior, and the Evolution of Our Species, Gabriola Island, BC Canada: New Society Publishers, 2016.
Lance Strate's "Amazing Ourselves to Death": A Review
Data Privacy and Terms of Service: A Graphic Novel
Filed Under: Featured, Review Tagged With: brain, cell phone, neuroscience, social media
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Howard Wetzel
Howard Wetzel has been a hospital-based RN for more than three decades. He was introduced to the McLuhans in the early 70s, and has continued an active dialogue with Eric McLuhan since. He is an independent thinker with interests in health care, arts, theology, and media studies. He is interested in the impact of media on cultures and the Church in history and in the present.
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text:
Callorhinchus és un gènere de quimeres de la família dels Callorhinchidae.

Taxonomia
El gènere Calorhinchus inclou tres espècies:

 Callorhinchus callorynchus Linnaeus, 1758
 Callorhinchus capensis A. H. A. Duméril, 1865
 Callorhinchus milii Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1823

Referències

Quimeres

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Me too. I just hit the year mark and have never ever been able to eat with my bottom dentures in and the top almost always get thrown off balance and come unsuctioned, thus falling out. I have tried adhesives and they ooze causing extra saliva all day. I had adjustments and everytime I leave the dentist they have told me that I just need to learn how to chew with dentures. Unless they are screwed down they are going to move. Signed, Miserable and Wants her teeth back!
I'm very sorry to hear about your experience, Karie. A lower denture can cause more grief than an upper denture. It will take time for the muscles of your lips, cheeks & tongue to "learn" to hold your lower in place. You may want to try experimenting with the amount of adhesive that's right for you so it doesn't ooze all day, as I can imagine how frustrating that is. Also, you could try a powder adhesive to see if that makes a difference with your dentures. All versions of Fixodent are formulated to hold all day, but some members have had better experiences with the powder version.
Keep in touch to let us know how you're doing!
If you do not have bone your dentures will not hold or it becomes trial and error. SECURE is the best on the market. If you call they will send you a tube to try for free. I use regular not for sensitive it burned my gums.
SECURE call them they will send u a sample. Its the best on the market.
They now charge $6.95 for the free full size tube. The charge is for shipping. They claim that everyone has been requesting samples of secure. That's why they are charging for the shipping.
I have the same problem. However, i use Poligrip super hold cream in the tube and it seems to hold much better than strips or powder. They still loosen up if i eat a sub sandwich, but i learned from You Tube to take tiny bites and that helps also.
SECURE call them and they will send u a full size tube as a sample.
I would love to read your thoughts on dentures .
I am very interested in reading your paper. I went to a place called TLC Dental and the dentist told me that in 6 months i will get permanent dentures. Now the dentist tells me if i want permanent dentures i'll have to pay more. Did i pay over $5,ooo.oo dollars for temporary dentures? I better not have. I'm not as rich as Rockefeller!
I would be very interested in reading this. I have ideas of ways to make dentures so that they are not only more comfortable but actually functional. I am just not sure if its been attempted or how one would go about bringing this alternative from an idea to a exsistance.
Hi Cynthia, I know it's disappointing when your teeth come loose. Are you new to dentures? If so, as your gums heal from extractions, they will shrink and change, which can cause your teeth to become loose. Be sure to visit your dentist for adjustments, and you may want to ask about a reline. Hang in there, it will get better!
My bottom temp denture doesn't Stay in. I have been told by Dentist I should have Implants. Would he like to Pay!! The technician told me that the gums are still healing and I.Must not be using the adhesive properly me I put down $3000. The $3000 doesn't even include the REAL Denture. And I will never be done. Without bottom teeth what am I supposed to do. I have not eaten anything solid food for a very long time. I will have to get used to it Because there's no guarantee that the Real Denture will fit better.
Wow, I have been so depressed and just don't know what to do.
Kathleen Ryan......Dry bottom denture and use some poligrip or whatever adhesive you are using, 3 small strips then spread with a q-tip. Spritz with water and then use some powder adhesive and tap denture like you would a baking pan with flour. Repeat one more time, make sure to spritz with water before putting dentures in, believe me it's like super glue, they won't move. Check out some video's on YouTube. I was desperate, that's where I learned this technique. Please let me know if this helped.
Try using Poligrip super hold cream, it helps me a little better.
I've tried poligrip original didn't hold, fixadent original didn't hold, fixadent ultra best so far holds better and longer.
Restababe....I feel your frustration as mine do the same thing. I even chipped off part of the top tooth because it fell out while "trying" to chew. The bottom also popped up at the same time and I had a wad of dentures dancing in my mouth. Embarrassed is not the word. I think devistated is more like it. This while trying to eat a piece of a fresh baked bread roll.
Last week someone mentioned a product called fiddycent. I googled it and a website for Secure came up. It's a water proof sealant. I sent an email and asked if there was anyway I could get a sample because I am spending 30 bucks a week on this/that trying to find something to keep them in my mouth. Today I received a full tube, pkg of cleansers and a pkg of bottom denture cushion adhesives. It's late in the afternoon here in Texas so I will try it in the morning and let you know how they worked. Some of the testimonials I read say they stayed in on some people for 2-3 days.
The box said 12 hours but there are some people that are reporting the 2-3 day success.
I have the secure it doesnt work any bettet than the othet stuff..
Then you're doing it wrong! If your dentures fit halfway decent, secure rocks! If you have a loose fit nothing is going to work very well.
If Secure works that good i think i'll try that next.
I used secure and it doesn't hold on me either...and I followed the instructions exactly 3 different times!
Cushion Grip anyone??? Currently using SECURE.
Tried Secure and it didn't work for me either. I tried speading it out over the entire denture, per instructions, and it came out almost immediately. I'm thinking of giving it another try using more product. So far FixodentPlus Scope has worked best.
I think I'm ready to give up on ever eating solid food again! It happened once, a few weeks ago. I was able to eat 1 small slice of pizza. Since then I can't chew or I wind up with my bottoms sideways in my mouth, usually choking on the food, my teeth gagging me and making my mouth hurt - basically an awful disgusting mess. I refuse to eat anywhere except the privacy of my bedroom ALONE.
I can only get 4- 6 hours of holding on the bottoms and that's only if I don't eat or drink anything except maybe a few sips of room temperature water.
They say it gets better. I pray they are right!
AlicaP this was 6 months ago. How are your dentures now? And what adhesive do you use?
I'm so happy with my teeth! I rarely use any adhesive, even on the bottoms. I've practiced chewing things that you don't HAVE to chew, just to get the muscles strengthened to keep the dentures in place.
Last night I ate 2 slices of pizza, including the crust, along with 2 boneless chicken wings and I didn't use any adhesive! I also ate half of a loaded omelet the other day without adhesive.
If I'm going somewhere that there will be a lot of talking and not a ton of eating, I use Fixodent powder on the tops and bottoms.
If I'm going to be eating a large meal, like a steak (honestly, any kind of meat that needs to be cut up) then I use Secure paste on top and strips on the bottom. Sometimes I will sprinkle some Fixodent powder on top of the Secure.
I have my permanent dentures now, have had since early February. They are completely different than the immediate ones much thinner palate, sharper teeth and an excellent fit!
Just remember to take your time and have small bites on each side so that you are chewing evenly.
My biggest suggestions is to make sure that you ALWAYS have a napkin on your lap (just in case you need to cover your mouth to 'adjust' anything. Also, excuse yourself when you are done eating, to go to the restroom and make sure there isn't any food on your teeth - remember that we can't feel that anymore!
I had an entire novel typed out as some advice, unfortunately my phone crashed and I lost it. I PROMISE to retype it tomorrow.
I look forward to reading your novel heheheh.
AliciaP, it is wonderful to hear how great your fit and feel is with your dentures. I am sure there are a lot of folks on here who would love to go to your dentist!
I would love to know who your dentist is Alicia P!
Hi Alicia. How are you doing now, with your dentures, three years down the road?
I've been trying to wear my full set of dentures for about a year and a half now and still have trouble with them. My favorite food is pizza and can't eat it with or without the dentures. I was told to try mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese, the food sticks to the upper roof of the dentures and pieces get stuck between the lowers and my mouth. I can't even take my medicines with them in; the pills get hung up and I get choked. And sometimes my mouth gets so dry I can't even talk; Biotene does not help and I have to carry a bottle of Pepsi or water everywhere I go; even to church where I teach two classes and lead the singing.
I'm so aggravated but if I go without them, people make fun of me----even the preacher in his sermon. I do have a great smile now but my gums are so painful most of my smiles are phony. I am like you AliciaP, I refuse to eat out and only eat with my dentures out, sitting in my bedroom, by myself and watching TV.
I'm single, 66 years old, and it's hard to get a date when they know I won't eat when going to a restaurant.
I also have a lot of trouble cleaning my mouth, trying to get the glue out. It sometimes takes 30 minutes or longer to get it all out. I use Fixodent (both glue and powder). The powder is easier on my gums but they still hurt. If there's an easy way to get all the glue out, I would surely like to know. A toothbrush is not much help and I wind up picking the glue out with my fingers.
Hi Terry, i use Poligrip denture cream in the tube and, yes, it's a mess to clean out. Try using Clean It Denture Wipes. They work very good for me. Good luck!
Terry, they make wipes to remove the residue from the adhesives. I haven't tried them yet as I am waiting for them to come in the mail-I ordered them from Amazon.
Have you tried Secure? I LOVE it! I use the paste on the tops (watch YouTube videos about how to apply and DEFINITELY start with a small amount and go from there). I then use the Secure strips on the lowers. I have actually dined with my entire family - Thanksgiving . I took my time but was able to eat EVERYTHING!
I have those wipes and they really work good and on Secure too. I start with the dry butvthencwet it and gets all the goup out in minutes. Will never be without these.
Thanks for posting this. I think i will try these to clean my palat and dentures. Right now i use Poligrip cream and the uppers seem to hold pretty good but i have trouble with the lowers when i drink or eat anything hot. These are only the temporary dentures so i guess i just have to get used to them. I will also try Secure.
I ordered some of these but haven't received them yet. PLEASE tell me that these wipes don't remove a soft reline?!? I'm glad to know that they work on Secure! I love Secure, but what a pain it is to remove!
The cloths are paper thin but very strong. I wouldn't think it would do anything to a soft reline otherwise it would take off skin in the mouth. Use it dry and then I wet and takes out rest. If not I rinse the cloth and take out the rest. Cloth doesn't tear. I thought about rinsing them and saving them but didn't because some of the goup stays on cloth and after using once, probably has germs left in to grow. Kind of grossed me out thinking of keeping them for another day. 40 in box so it will last more than a month. Next time I will buy in bigger quanity to save more money.
Thank you so much Judi! I put my teeth in this evening using Secure, so I'm hoping that my cloths get here tomorrow before my teeth come out!
Do you order them on Amazon or some other place? I'm on a very tight budget and will want to check around! I do know that on amazon, if you have an auto - delivery of an item it is usually is discounted plus I get free shipping so I may wind up doing that.
I buy from Amazon. You need to look at them all as they come in all prices. Last time I bought a 2 pack. Should last until the middle of January. They are not expensive. You might cut them in 4ths or halves, I think that would work too. I haven't cut mine but they are 8x10 inches so pretty good size.
Clean It Denture Wipes work very well for me. I use Poligrip Super hold cream in the tube which works very good.
I can't comment on the wipes, but we have posted from time to time about some tricks that may make the removal of the residue in your mouth a bit easier. Terry Jean, you shouldn't have to take over 30 minutes of your day to remove adhesive residue from your mouth. How frustrating!
Rinse your mouth with hot water (only as hot as is comfortable) and gently brush your gums with a soft-bristled toothbrush and regular toothpaste. Alternatively try to gently rub away the remaining adhesive with a damp cloth or gauze and a small amount of cooking oil. You can also rinse your mouth with a mouthwash. We don't recommend picking the residue because it could irritate your mouth and gums. Hope this helps!
I cannot eat comfortable with my dentures I have lost weight still losing,its so frustrating, I payed over $1,000,dentist in Yorktown have been going back to him for a year on and off, I think he made my teeth to large and the gum to thick.am on disability don't know what to do I have tried every kind of adhesive which makes me sick to my stomach what can I do don't want to die cause I can't eat.my gums do not come together without my dentures in so I have to put them in to chew it's awful and scary.some body please help me tell me what or who to C.
Hi Dorleen, I'm sorry to hear what you're experiencing. I am a Denture Clinic Coordinator in Canada. Maybe I can help? Do you have full upper and lower and does your upper feel loose?
I can relate I have had mine for 1 year. The dentist won't do a relign. Or makes me so upset. I work a job so have to wear them. I am only 59 and feel like I am 80.my face had changed shape and so depressed. I need some help.
Find a place that will do a reline for you.
Dorleen and Kathie, I've been post op 2 years and still cannot eat! I'm emaciated at 100 lbs and loosing. I've aged 20 years in the last year with sunken face and the sad part is that once you have extraction, no one cares. Unless you can afford upper, lower Implants and new plates, my experience is that it remains the same. I've come across a new technique called "Fountain of Youth Dentures" you can get your face back with this neuromuscular therapy and plates that look real, go to the oral surgeon for Implants and be able to EAT! check out your state where it's offered, as I live in Indiana, was going through Aspen dental to begin a whole new treatment, but the Aspen in South Bend offers the FOY Dentures!
My heart goes out to you all, as I'm in my room due to a broken upper plate with a face collision on the ice.
did you get the FOY dentures?
Hello everybody, about 5 months ago i had upper and lower dentures put in by TLC Dental and it cost me over $5,000.00 for temporary dentures. At first the dentist told me in 6 months i will get permanent dentures at no extra cost. Now the dentist tells me if i want permanent dentures i will have to pay extra. Does something sound a little fishy? A lot of people i talk to say i got ripped off. I better not have!
SECURE works great call them they send you a full size tube.
Its important to know that most adhesives do not last long in the mouth before they go into failure mode . You must experiment with with application techniques as well as products. You also have to make sure you carry a fix it kit for reapplication throughout the day if needed.
I got my dentures the day after Thanksgiving, its two days before Christmas and I have yet to eat anything solid. Will I ever get to eat meat or fruit or anything again? I can't even manage a soda cracker right now. I'm getting very depressed!!!! Help.


Parking in the pay & display car park at Robin Hood, follow the main road towards Baslow for 50yds (as if heading for Gardom's Edge), and look for the footpath sign on the opposite side of the road. This is the Chatsworth concessionary footpath that takes you along Under Pasture Edge towards Dobb Edge; a walk of just under one mile. The rock art lies on the path and has two larger boulders either side of it, its hard to miss.
From the stone there are excellent views along the northern horizon to Bircen Edge, Gardom's Edge, Barbrook Moor, Eaglestone Flats and Sir William Hill on Eyam Moor.


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Broncos need Willis McGahee to keep his grip on…
SportsNFLDenver Broncos
Broncos need Willis McGahee to keep his grip on football
CHARLOTTE, NC – NOVEMBER 11: Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos hands the ball off to teammate Willis McGahee #23 during their game at Bank of America Stadium on November 11, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
By Jeff Legwold | The Denver Post
PUBLISHED: November 14, 2012 at 11:55 a.m. | UPDATED: April 28, 2016 at 8:35 p.m.
In the spirit of John Fox's "you always strive for perfection, but you don't usually get it" philosophy, there is some red ink on the Broncos' season so far.
Right after the words "fumbles lost."
In most years, for most teams, quarterbacks lead in lost fumbles because they are the guys routinely getting hit on the blind side by some of the leagues best athletes.
But through nine games, the Broncos are 31st in the league in lost fumbles with 12 — only 1-8 Kansas City has more with 15.
There are two Broncos position players who have lost more fumbles than Peyton Manning, who has lost two on in-the-pocket hits: running back Willis McGahee has lost four fumbles and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has lost three.
McGahee's are especially troubling, given it hasn't been a problem previously in his career and he is the team's primary back, the kind of player the Broncos would like to power a big part of the offense down the stretch, to protect leads and run the clock.
But those plans come with a warning label if McGahee can't tighten his grip. He's lost four fumbles in 160 carries this season — one for every 40 carries.
That total would be slightly worse had McGahee been unable to scramble his way on a second fumble he had lost against the Panthers this past Sunday.
Last season McGahee lost three fumbles in 249 carries, one for every 83 carries. And this is now the first seasons in McGahee's career, a career that includes four years with at least 1,100 yards rushing and five years with at least 249 carries, when he has lost more than three fumbles.
It is a rare total for a back. McGahee's four mark the highest total for any running back in the league at the moment, and he's the only back with more than three.
Just three backs have lost three fumbles this year — Buffalo's Fred Jackson, the Giants' Ahmad Bradshaw and the Titans' Chris Johnson. And only 10 running backs have lost two fumbles this year.
By contrast there are five teams — the Falcons, the Texans, the Saints and the Buccaneers, that have lost three fumbles overall this season. The Falcons and the Texans, both 8-1, have each lost just one fumble so far.
Coaches are always pessimists when it comes to turnovers and most running backs coaches will preach the "three points of contact" mantra, that if runner consistently, and without fail, maintains three points of contact on the ball, it is exceedingly difficult to knock it out, even from behind.
Some defensive coaches see the same trend in McGahee's fumbles, that they often come when he believes he's cleared the first wave of traffic and is trying to kick into another gear so he tends to swing his arm with the ball away from his body a bit.
That's when the ball can be knocked out, especially from behind, by a well-placed punch by the defender.
McGahee has promised to repair the issue, which would be good news for the Broncos. Because the best way to protect Manning from opposing pass rushers is for Manning to hand the ball to McGahee some and go from there.
Jeff Legwold: jlegwold@denverpost.com or twitter.com/jeff_legwold
Jeff Legwold
Kiszla: NBA will make Buffs forward Jabari Walker rich, even if he's not ready to be a money player
Cole Bassett officially joins Dutch side Feyenoord on loan
Broncos interview Cincinnati assistant Brian Callahan two days before Bengals' playoff game


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Stephen Ziegler
Conductor – Central Chorale
Since 2008, Mr. Ziegler has served in many capacities for Canterbury Youth Voices, including staff accompanist for various choirs, Camp Canterbury Staff, and OCU student intern. He is thrilled to continue work with CYV, now in his fourth year as Chorale director.
Mr. Ziegler also teaches Vocal Music at Norman North High School in Norman, OK where he directs the Chorale and Jazz Choir. He is the chairperson for the 2020 Oklahoma ACDA All-State Jazz Choir. Stephen holds degrees in Vocal Music Education (BME, Oklahoma City University), Church Music (BM, OCU), and Choral Conducting (MM, University of Oklahoma).
Stephen was named to Oklahoma City University's 2017 class of "30 under 30," honoring graduates who have excelled in their field of work. He lives in Norman with a beautiful trio of ladies who make him better every day: his wife, Meredith, and daughters, Charlotte & Caroline.
Meredith Ziegler
Artistic Team Leader
Conductor –
Central Apprentice Choir
Meredith Ziegler is thrilled to serve as the Conductor of the Apprentice Choir for the Canterbury Youth Voices as well as the Artistic Team Leader for the CYV staff! She is a product of the Canterbury Student Intern Program (2009-2010), making her full-time debut with Canterbury during the 2011-2012 season. Under her direction, the Central Apprentice Choir of CYV has been selected twice as an Elementary Honor Choir for the Oklahoma Music Educators Association's annual convention. Meredith was the vocal music specialist at Wilson Arts Integration Elementary School in Oklahoma City Public Schools from 2010-2017 and is currently the vocal music specialist at Roosevelt Elementary School in Norman. Meredith was named as the Oklahoma City Public Schools' Teacher of the Year for 2014-2015, a Rising Star Educator for the State of Oklahoma in 2015, and has received the State Superintendent's Award for Excellence in Arts Education.
Meredith is a certified music teacher (Pre-K through 12th grade), holding a Bachelor's Degree in Vocal Music Education from Oklahoma City University (2010, Summa Cum Laude), a Master's degree from the University of Oklahoma in Educational Administration, Curriculum, and Supervision (2016), and her Orff-Schulwerk certification from Southern Methodist University (2014). Meredith is a member of the American Choral Director's Association, The National Association for Music Education, the American Orff Schulwerk Association, and Phi Kappa Phi. She recently completed a two year term as the President for the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Orff Schulwerk Association.
Meredith lives in Norman with her husband, Stephen, and two daughters, Charlotte and Caroline.
Wendyle Andrews
Conductor – Cantabile
Wendyle is an Oklahoma native. He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University where he holds an honors degree in Vocal Music Education. While at OSU, he had the privilege to study under the world-renowned composer, clinician, and lecturer, Dr. Z. Randall Stroope. After graduating from OSU, he was the Assistant Director of Choral Activities at Broken Arrow High School in Broken Arrow, Ok.
He now is in his first year as the Choir Director at Heartland Middle School in Edmond, OK. Wendyle is a member of several professional organizations including: the National Association for Music Education, American Choral Directors Association, Oklahoma Music Educators Association, Oklahoma Choral Directors Association, and Central Oklahoma Choral Directors Association.
He is a member of Windsong Chamber Choir, a nationally recognized semi-professional chamber choir based in Oklahoma City. He also runs a private voice student for middle and high school aged students. Wendyle currently lives in Edmond, OK with his dog, Winston.
Susan Pendergraft
Moore Apprentice Choir
With 30 years of experience teaching music, Susan Pendergraft has enjoyed conducting the Canterbury Youth Voices since 2014, and conducting Canterbury Youth Camp. She also enjoys singing as a second soprano with Canterbury Voices adult choir.
She is a 1984 graduate of Newcastle High School. Although she still calls herself a Racer, she was truly Sooner born and went straight from Newcastle High School to the University of Oklahoma.
Susan graduated with a Bachelor's in Music Education in 1988 and once again became a Racer, taking her first teaching job in her hometown of Newcastle. She taught for a brief period in Putnam City and then in 1992, began teaching in Moore Public Schools. First, at Upper-Central Elementary (which is now Central JH), and then at Briarwood Elementary where she was nominated by her colleagues as Teacher of the Year in 1995. She taught at Red Oak and Eastlake following her time at Briarwood, but her "home" has been at Earlywine for 21 years. She was honored again by her Earlywine colleagues as 2017-2018 Teacher of the Year and went on to be one of five district Teacher of the Year finalists.
Mrs. Pendergraft became a National Board Certified Teacher in 2007, and has completed Level 1 Orff Approach Courses and the Kodaly Level 1 Course, and continues to work toward certification in both. She was the recipient of the Fund for Teachers grant in 2010 to travel abroad learning about culture and music in Italy, and she received the grant a second time in 2014 to travel to Carmel Valley, California to attend the San Francisco Orff Course.
She is a member of the American Choral Director's Association and Oklahoma Chapter, National Music Educators Association, Oklahoma Music Educators Association, American Orff-Schulwerk Association, the Oklahoma Chapter AOSA, Oklahoma Teachers Association, and The Education Association of Moore.
She has facilitated various workshops and festivals throughout her career including folk dancing, classroom management, and classroom activities. She is always furthering her education as she believes that one never stops learning.
Conducting CYV is her passion, and has afforded her many opportunities such as performing at Thunder games, OKC Dodgers games. But, one of the most memorable was singing, "Give Us Hope" on National television, in Musselman's Applesauce Family Skating Tribute. They sang as Olympian, Scott Hamilton and his son skated together! Another highlight of her career, and one of the most exciting events for her students, was singing the National Anthem at Ice Cube's Big 3 Basketball Tournament!
Her Canterbury Apprentice Choir was selected as an Honor Group and performed at the State OkMEA Convention in January 2019. She was honored to conduct Circle the State Region N in 2017 and Region M in 2019. She continues to teach workshops and conduct children's choirs in Oklahoma.
Canterbury Youth Voices Photography:
Kirsten Stalford Photography


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HomeFeaturesalumniTemple alumnus' brand 'shows the beauty of Haiti' on Shark Tank
Temple alumnus' brand 'shows the beauty of Haiti' on Shark Tank
Two Haitian-Americans started a sustainable business to help provide jobs to Haitians.
28 January 2020 Natalie Kerr alumni, Features
Stephane Jean-Baptise (left) and Yve-Car Momperousse (right), co-founders of Kreyol Essence, appeared on Shark Tank on Jan. 12 seeking investment into their hair care brand. | ERIC MCCANDLESS / COURTESY
On Jan. 12, Stéphane Jean-Baptiste and Yve-Car Momperousse appeared on Shark Tank, exactly 10 years after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti in 2010.
The three million lives that were threatened in the 2010 earthquake was one of the things on their mind as they pitched their brand.
Jean-Baptiste, a 2006 communications alumnus, and Momperousse went on ABC's Shark Tank, a show that gives beginning entrepreneurs the chance to earn investors, last month to pitch their beauty brand Kreyol Essence.
The brand's inspiration comes from Haiti, as it employs female workers in the country and sources products for its shampoos, oils and pomades from it. Their products include Haitian black castor oil, Kreyol Essence's signature ingredient.
The brand was not offered investment from any of the Sharks, but announced that their products will be sold at Ulta Beauty, a beauty chain store, across the United States in April, in addition to their products being sold at Whole Foods Market and on Kreyol Essence's website.
While on the show, Jean-Baptiste and Momperousse felt a responsibility to authentically represent their Haitian-American community, they said.
"What better way to show the beauty of Haiti," Jean-Baptise said. "We can change people's perspectives of what they think about Haiti by focusing on the natural and amazing botanical ingredients we have coming out of the country."
The idea for Kreyol Essence started in 2010, a few months before the earthquake, when Momperousse's hair started falling out after it was burned from a straightening treatment in a hair salon. The Haitian castor oil she used as a child in Haiti was unavailable on American markets, so she and her partner Jean-Baptiste decided to fill the gap by creating their own products.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, however, they initially wanted to put their business idea on hold and focus on providing relief to victims. They worked with other Philadelphia residents to raise $100,000 for the Haiti Earthquake Relief and Rebuilding Fund.
But the two learned Haitian castor oil had the potential for social impact if they worked with local farmers and women, and could create jobs and alleviate poverty.
"We went back to what we know in our Haitian community, which is the Haitian castor oil," Jean-Baptiste said.
Kreyol Essence uses quality ingredients and has a name and design packaging that helps "tell the story of Haiti," he added.
"I'm about buying natural and ethically made products and as a physician, I am very mindful about how products and things can affect us," said Josya-Goya Charles Laurent, a physician and customer. "I've used other natural products but the difference is that is they are personable, they are very much in tune with their customers."
Soroya Pognan, patient safety analyst and Kreyol Essence customer said they like supporting the business because they can trace the products back to Haitian workers.
"I know that somewhere a woman's life is being made better when I buy it, not only do I enjoy and Stephane and Yve-Car enjoy benefits, but so does that person," Pognan said.
The hardest part of their business process has been raising funds because as entrepreneurs of color they don't have access to capital and connections, Jean-Baptiste said.
In 2017, credit approval for small Black-owned businesses was 19 percent lower than white-owned firms, and of those approved, only 40 percent of minority-owned businesses received full funding, compared to 68 percent of white-owned firms, according to the Washington Post.
"We found ourselves really having to turn every stone, knock on every door and make our case from buyers all the way down to investors where they don't necessarily understand our demographic or our business model or what we're really trying to do here," Jean-Baptiste said.
Going forward, Jean-Baptiste said he and Momperousse hope to build their team and continue to maintain their vision of a beauty brand that serves Haiti by always focusing on going back to the consumer and improving their experience.
"For me, its a best-kept secret, a lot of us grew up with [Haitian castor oil]," Laurent said. "When I saw it displayed on the shelf at Whole Foods, it brought a tear to my eye, to see the beauty of Haiti being shown in this way."
Natalie Kerr
Natalie can be reached at natalie.kerr@temple.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @natliekerr.
On the model minority and other 'tired tropes'
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Temple professor discusses advertising's diversity issues
01 October 2019 Claire Brennan faculty, Features
Bjorn Henriques, an advertising instructor, spoke about the topic on a Philly Ad Club podcast.
Klein College receives grant to fund info hub for newsrooms
24 September 2019 Colin Evans Campus, News
The program, dubbed News Catalyst, will provide technology to newsrooms.
Temple alumnus curates designs from Black artists
29 October 2019 Ayooluwa Ariyo Art, Features
Jerome Harris' research on Black designers has been shown in institutions across the country.


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Isles place Bouchard on waivers (Updated)
The Isles announced that they have asked for waivers on Pierre-Marc Bouchard. Should Bouchard clear waivers at noon ET on Tuesday it is likely that he would be assigned to Bridgeport. Bouchard, who will turn 30 in April, has not appeared in the AHL since spending the 2004-05 lockout season with the Houston Aeros.
Bouchard has 4 goals and 5 assists in 28 games for the Isles. He signed a 1-year, $2 million contract with the Isles this past July.
The obvious candidate to replace Bouchard on the roster is Ryan Strome. Strome leads the AHL in both assists and points, and has been red hot as of late. Strome has a point in nine straight games and has recorded multiple points in five of the last six games.
Strome was the AHL rookie of the month of November and was also the AHL player of the week for the week ending December 1st, when he tallied 3 goals and 3 assists in 3 games. The winner has not yet been named for the current week, but Strome had 2 goals and 6 assists in three games, including a 7 point weekend (2 games) as the Sound Tigers swept the week and now hold a 4-game win streak.
Update: Strome is indeeed the AHL POTW for the second straight week. He is only the 3rd player in the 20-year history of the award to be honored in consecutive weeks, joining Blake Geoffrion (2011) and Jim Carey (1994).
Bouchard is officially on the Isles roster until noon tomorrow, so any call-up from Bridgeport will not happen for tonight's game in Anaheim. The Connecticut Post's Mike Fornabaio noted a few moments ago that Strome is indeed still with the Sound Tigers today.
The Isles face the Ducks tonight in Anaheim, looking to avoid a 10th straight road defeat -- something that has not happened to them in 40 years. There's more on that streak here: http://www.nyiskinny.com/2013/12/the-skinny-on-road-losing-streak.html
Posted by Eric at 1:32 PM
The Skinny: Isles 5, Minnesota 4
The Skinny on the Comeback (updated)
The Skinny: New Jersey 2, Isles 1
Tavares Streak to end Tonight
The Skinny: Isles 3, Detroit 0
The Skinny: Anaheim 5, Isles 3
The Skinny: Tampa Bay 3, Isles 2 (SO)
The Skinny: Montreal 1, Isles 0 (OT)
The Skinny: Phoenix 6, Isles 3
Number 18, Ryan Strome.... Number 18
The Skinny: Isles 3, San Jose 2 (SO)
Strome update; the streaks; under all-time .500
The Skinny on the Road Losing Streak
The Skinny: Los Angeles 3, Isles 0
The Skinny: St. Louis 5, Isles 1
The Skinny: Pittsburgh 3, Isles 2 (OT)
The Skinny: Washington 3, Isles 2 (OT)


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Q: Using SCSS and CSS together Apologies if the following doesn't make sense,
I'm very curious about one thing, using SCSS & CSS file together in same website. My question is can we actually use SCSS and CSS together?

A: It is now possible to import CSS files directly into your sass file. The following PR in GitHub solves the issue. The syntax is the same as now - @import "your/path/to/the/file", without an extension after the file name. This will import your file directly.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


How has the public institution of higher education in America, which is touted as being a benefit to the larger society, further increasing social inequalities that disproportionately benefit elite economic interests? Our data from over 200 interviews with undergraduate students shows that the scarcity-driven neoliberal market ideology causes them to justify the hierarchical power structure that holds affluent white men at the top. This naturalizes the imbalance that leads to the rampant disadvantaging of low-income students, female students, and students of color. The tokenistic inclusion of women in male-dominated disciplines permits students to deny the necessity of university interventions, such as specific classes on gender and race, gender- and race-based scholarships and resources, and universal education. Students' unwitting glorification of engineering disciplines causes them to increasingly accept masculine dominance and the fetishization of technical knowledge. Furthermore, this devalues cultural knowledge by reifying the notion that the perceived economic return of their credential is worth more than the education itself. This leads students to construct racism as overt individual instances and/or a thing of the past. Students believe that any more of a push for racial inclusion would be "forcing" diversity thereby maintaining systemic racism within neoliberal higher education.
Fretwell, Michelle and Cates, Jeff, "Naturalizing Inequality: How Neoliberal Higher Education Engineers Elitism" (2019). 2019 Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Conference. 46.


Clovis Oncology (NASDAQ:CLVS) shares dropped 12.5% on Monday after SunTrust Banks lowered their price target on the stock to $28.00. SunTrust Banks currently has a buy rating on the stock. Clovis Oncology traded as low as $20.42 and last traded at $20.55. Approximately 4,016,791 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 117% from the average daily volume of 1,848,325 shares. The stock had previously closed at $23.48.
Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. HC Wainwright initiated coverage on Clovis Oncology in a research note on Wednesday, February 13th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Clovis Oncology from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 24th. BidaskClub upgraded Clovis Oncology from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "hold" rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of Clovis Oncology in a research note on Wednesday, February 27th. Finally, ValuEngine upgraded Clovis Oncology from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $43.44.
In other Clovis Oncology news, insider Lindsey Rolfe sold 1,729 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.13, for a total transaction of $45,178.77. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 20,953 shares in the company, valued at $547,501.89. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director James C. Blair sold 17,056 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.79, for a total value of $473,986.24. Following the sale, the director now owns 13,439 shares in the company, valued at $373,469.81. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 20,782 shares of company stock worth $576,755. 10.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Clovis Oncology by 2.4% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,445,064 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $130,551,000 after purchasing an additional 104,655 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV boosted its position in Clovis Oncology by 30.7% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 315,958 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $5,675,000 after purchasing an additional 74,229 shares in the last quarter. Teachers Advisors LLC boosted its position in Clovis Oncology by 0.9% during the third quarter. Teachers Advisors LLC now owns 144,561 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $4,246,000 after purchasing an additional 1,278 shares in the last quarter. Virtus ETF Advisers LLC boosted its position in Clovis Oncology by 80.6% during the fourth quarter. Virtus ETF Advisers LLC now owns 30,876 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $555,000 after purchasing an additional 13,775 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sofinnova Investments Inc. purchased a new stake in Clovis Oncology during the fourth quarter worth $5,168,000.
The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.93, a current ratio of 4.55 and a quick ratio of 4.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.26 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.91 and a beta of 2.07.
Clovis Oncology (NASDAQ:CLVS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 26th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.88) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the Zacks' consensus estimate of ($1.72) by ($0.16). Clovis Oncology had a negative return on equity of 147.39% and a negative net margin of 385.80%. The company had revenue of $30.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.46 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned ($1.04) earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 78.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Clovis Oncology will post -7.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.
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At the meeting to prepare for EST 12 held in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho affirmed that Vietnam in general and the Ministry of Transport in particular was determined to implement the commitments that Vietnam has participated in to protect the environment for sustainable transportation development.
"Vietnam was determined to successfully organise the EST 12 to reach high consensus among its members aiming at the development of smart transportation and low carbon in urban transport," said Tho.
Choudhury Rudra Charan Mohanty, a UN coordinator, said that transport plays an important role in sustainable development and environmental protection.
To build environmentally-friendly and smart cities, it is necessary to coordinate public and private sectors, he said.
Twelve out of 25 objectives of the SDGs were related to transport development, he added.
According to the UN coordinator, the big challenge for Asian cities was how to manage the rapid growth of urban passenger and freight transport demand with limited infrastructure.
Therefore, the effort to build a smart city was not only about improving urban mobility but also contributes significantly to the 2030 agenda's objectives of linking cities, to the Paris commitment and other international programmes on disaster risk reduction.
In particular, the Paris commitment on climate change calls for strengthening actions and investing in a sustainable and low-carbon future to limit global average temperature rise to below 2oC at the end of the century, he said.
The member countries of EST highly appreciated Vietnam's work as host, that demonstrated the country was strongly participating in environmental protection, he added.


Hmmm, the house on the left looks familiar...I know I've seen it somewhere, but can't quite put my finger on it. Oh yea, I saw it here a while back.
While frantically trying to meet a deadline that came a week early, I was searching google images for some homes to print out and trace, but none were from the right perspective. On to Plan B. Our file cabinet has a ton of old drawings that include homes, so I headed there to look for something to blatantly trace. Still, nothing quite worked. Light bulb moment...I remembered a drawing I did a while back that would be perfect...but the original is nowhere to be found. I check the files on our network...no luck. Just before the light bulb went out, I remembered the post I link to above. Right click, save image as, open with Photoshop, scale it to the correct size and BAM problem solved. Trace away.
I did edit it quite a bit because the home was not the subject of the drawing, but it still saved a ton of drafting time. Yea, that's right, I recycle drawings. Sue me.
Anyway, I finished the drawing this afternoon complete with some masonry work at the corner and a pimped out Cadillac cruising down the road. When I get to work in the morning I'll break out the 64 box of crayons (check that-its a 63 box...we destroy "Indian Red" immediately after purchase because that's not politically correct) and add some color. Yea, that's right, we buy the crayons that have the sharpener built right in. Jealous?
I guess my point is-please recycle, the planet is counting on you...or is it-have your pets spayed or neutered. I'm so confused...where is my beer?
i think i lost my crayons in the move. so sad. hey, have you ever tried to use the crayons that got melted in the back window of the car? love those. i adopt broken pottery, too.
The best box of Crayons these days is a box of Sharpies in a rainbow of colors but also pastels. And they're retractable now. For your work, not so good. For my work, heaven!


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Home Culture Music & Art An audience with Lesley Garrett
An audience with Lesley Garrett
Win tickets for...
An audience with Lesley Garrett!
Making a welcome return to Torrington to celebrate more than 30 years of performance in the worlds of opera, musicals, television, radio and concerts, Lesley Garrett has enjoyed one of the most successful and idiosyncratic careers of any modern-day, classically trained soprano, winning both critical acclaim and the affection of many fans and music lovers through the breadth and diversity of her work.
Join Britain's most popular soprano for a delightful evening of song, reminiscences and chat. Her behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes will give audiences a unique insight into her life on the stage.
As well as performing on the opera and concert stage both in the UK and internationally, Lesley has recently starred in Carousel and The Sound of Music and appeared on television shows including Strictly Come Dancing and Loose Women.
She has also performed with artists as diverse as Michael Ball, Renee Fleming, Andrea Bocelli, Bryn Terfel and Lily Savage.
Lesley was awarded a CBE in 2002 and currently presents a show on the British classical radio station Classic FM.
Accompanied by and in conversation with Anna Tilbrook, Lesley will be performing in the grand setting of St Michael's Church in Torrington on Thursday, November 21st at 8pm.
Warm and funny with a glorious voice, this is an evening not to be missed!
'A natural effervescent and powerhouse voice' - Financial Times
Tickets: £30 Full/£25 Supporters. Pre-show meals available at The Plough, Torrington – call 01805 625925 to reserve a table. Bar Available at The Plough and the Church.
Oke Links has teamed up with The Plough to offer a pair of tickets to see Lesley Garrett at St Michael's Church, Torrington. Just answer this simple question:
When was Lesley awarded her CBE?
Email your answer to jane.honey@linksmagazines.co.uk
Make sure you put Lesley Garrett in the subject box and include your name, home address and telephone number so we can contact you, or send your answer to Lesley Garrett Competition, The Sanctuary, Kilworthy Hill, Tavistock PL19 0EP.
The winning entry will be drawn on Friday, November 15th - so don't delay - enter today!


They wrote a letter demanding to be moved.
While you were busy snoozing away during your transatlantic journey, the cabin crew on your flight was likely working tirelessly to ensure your safety and comfort for hours on end.
When the flight ends and after everyone disembarks, it's time for the cabin crew to get some rest before their next long-haul adventure. This usually means being put up in a dreamy hotel for the night, but for one Air India flight crew, a hotel stay turned into an utter nightmare.
According to a letter purportedly written by Air India staff, while staying overnight at a Chicago hotel the entire crew felt overwhelming "negative energies" while in their rooms and believed they were witnessing "paranormal activities."
The crew is now asking the national carrier to take immediate action.
The letter was allegedly penned by the crew's deputy chief of cabin. In it the writer says the activities the crew experienced in the hotel keep "playing in our mind (sic)." As a result of the paranormal events, the crew members said they were unable to get proper rest after operating ultra long-haul flights.
The letter alleges that Air India management knew about the reports of paranormal activity at the hotel, but decided to sign a contract with the hotel anyway.
In the letter, the crew asked Air India officials to look into the matter and "change this hotel on (an) urgent basis."
Moreover, the writer of the letter expressed unwillingness to fly the route again, stating, "I would also request you 'Do Not' assign me any Chicago flights till the hotel is changed, as it's very uncomfortable in the hotel."
When asked for comment, Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar told India Today that the "matter is under investigation and we are in contact with our Chicago station."


The first branded Pégas Scroll Saw to hit the market does so with a bang, combining Swiss engineering with a proven design to set a new standard for higher-priced saws.
A strong dust blower easily moves sawdust off pattern lines, but the pop-n'-lock joint where the blower nozzle connects with the air tubing is undersized. To tighten the fit and keep the nozzle in position, I wrapped a short piece of tape around the male end of the connection. Helpfully, a longer-than-usual nozzle makes positioning the blower easier.
The introductory price for the Pégas saw and stand, $719, puts it in the same range as the King 16″ with a stand ($730), the Hegner 14-E at $795, the at PS Wood 21″ at $799, and the Seyco ST-21 at $879. What sets it apart is the addition of those terrific chuck heads, which keep it running quietly and smoothly at any cutting speed.
To compare the new Pégas Scroll Saw with similarly priced models, check out our reviews at scrollsawer.com/category/product-reviews/saw-review/.


Thomas Ferguson has worked for fifteen years to make two claims about democracy in the United States. First, "rule by the people" is a sham, and always has been. Second, the social "sciences" have badly botched the job of finding out why. Golden Rule is a collection of some highlights of this work, and anyone who wants to understand politics in America ought to read it.
The claim that the "median voter" misleads scholars of industrialized democracies is where Ferguson has invested most of his attention, and with this argument his work stands or falls. Before assessing the argument directly, let's recall some intellectual history on wealth and government.
For Marxists, of course, the observation that owners of capital, and not workers, control government is axiomatic. In Karl Marx's Capital (vol. 2, chap. 21) we are told: "When commercial capital occupies a position of unquestioned ascendancy, it everywhere constitutes a system of plunder." Now, if capital (or any other group) subverts government to its own ends, "system of plunder" seems a fair description. But how is this "position of unquestioned ascendancy" achieved? Marx's bluster aside, there is little in classic Marxism that accounts for the role of money in politics.
Some observers have called Ferguson's analysis Marxist, but he would more accurately (and aptly) be labeled a "Fergusonian." Adam Ferguson (1723–1816) was a philosopher-historian of the Scottish Enlightenment, a contemporary of Adam Smith. His two major works, Institutes of Moral Philosophy (1769) and Principles of Moral and Political Science (1792), are in several ways superior to Marx's better-known writings nearly a century later.
Adam Ferguson's main thesis was that differences in status in the workplace, and in the community based on wealth, extend to differences in power in the political and social setting in which work takes place. Thus, the accumulation of wealth, from whatever source, creates a demand for perpetuation of privilege. Wealth also affords a disproportionate influence over government policy. People with money share interests with the other wealthy, and recognize the need to use their power to make sure those interests are protected.
Modern political science has made little use of this approach. More recent work on contributors has tried to rationalize why money matters at all in politics, rather than to gauge its effects. The difficulty, as I have argued elsewhere (with William Mitchell, in "Economic Theories of Interest Groups: An Introductory Survey," American Journal of Political Science 35 : 512–46), is that if voters are well informed and bribery is illegal, money has no function, and can therefore have no effect.
Our two Fergusons will have none of this. Voters might want (if anyone asked) more government support for unions, less price regulation that ensures profits for railroads, or a national health-care plan. But no one asks: voters never get a chance to choose policy directly because all they do is select representatives. And representatives need money to have any chance of winning an election. Thomas Ferguson calls this the "campaign cost condition," and places it at the center of his theory of the dynamics of American politics.
There are two additional aspects of Ferguson's theory worth pointing out. The first is the claim that competition among moneyed interests is unlikely to solve the problem of access to the agenda. Ferguson calls this the "principle of noncompetition across investor blocs," noting that "on all issues affecting the vital interests that major investors have in common, no party competition will take place" (p. 28; emphasis added).
Second, Ferguson argues that although elections do not simply go to the highest bidder, only access to money from investors makes a real campaign possible. Since representatives need money to get elected, they can't take positions unpopular with moneyed interests, though those positions would win in the "perfectly informed voters" world of the median-voter theorem. Voters cannot overcome the transaction costs of pooling their resources, so they must accept the choices offered.
Consequently, proposed "reforms" such as changes in the electoral system (creating a third or fourth party, limiting spending, or imposing term limits) or changes in the electorate (less restrictive registration laws or better voter education) are red herrings. Ferguson claims the problem is that voters are too poor, not too stupid or too lazy, to get what they want.
The argument in Golden Rule has three parts. The first is a critique of the median-voter theorem as a predictor of policy processes. Other scholars, including Robert Higgs, Melvin Hinich, and Douglass North, have leveled such criticisms recently, but Ferguson's critique is unique, well thought-out, and clearly documented. The second component is his evidence for the importance of money in deciding who wins elections. Ferguson excels at archival research, and he writes well. The new essays, on the 1988 and 1992 elections, are particularly interesting.
The final portion of the argument fares much worse. Ferguson's investment theory is supposed to be an alternative to the median-voter model, but he never offers anything a formal modeler could use to describe this theory, in spite of his claims: "The argument can be developed with any degree of detail and formal rigor" (p. 381). Perhaps it can be, but the job isn't done here.
The "comparative statics" of his theory are simple: if moneyed interests want constancy, that's what they get, until they want change, which they also get. Ferguson claims no one can emerge as a contender without the full support of the veto-bearing barons of power, so no real choices are ever presented to voters. But if we can't observe the counterfactuals required to test the theory on positive grounds, or compare it to alternatives on some normative basis, what do we do? In particular, what is a fair way tohold elections? Who would win, and what would change?
Another problem is that there are some small difficulties with the way the book is put together. One jarring note is that there are no collected references, but brief references at the end of each essay instead. Chapter references do identify discrete sections of literature, but they seemed to me to call even more attention to the fact that this is really an edited volume rather than a book. The first four essays, in particular, seem like a collection of vignettes.
Finally, and most discordantly, several essays have been rewritten after the fact to answer critics. Two of the critics, Michael Webber and William Mayer, come in for special abuse. This diversion to take on criticism that many readers will not even know about is confusing, and seems more defensive than informative.
Fortunately, most of the book reads very well and is written clearly. Minor shortcomings aside, Golden Rule works well as a collection, and represents an important challenge to orthodox conceptions of politics and public-choice theory.


What did Earth look like 4.5 billion years ago, and what was the climate like then? Scholars explore a view of Earth throughout history. They observe continents moving, temperatures fluctuating, and huge changes in ecosystems. A worksheet helps them demonstrate their understanding of the relationship between climate and many variables including carbon dioxide, day length, luminosity, and biodiversity.


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Next (2007) – Film Review
Posted on September 26, 2007 by Steve Biodrowski
This modestly entertaining film kicks off with a great premise: it's the sort of intellectual concept ripe for a mind-bending examination of the intriguing possibilities; unfortunately, such introspection is out of bounds in a would-be action-thriller. Consequently, the concept remains unexplored, except in so far as it provides fodder for some marginally innovative action scenes.
Nicholas Cage plays Cris Johnson, who works a magic act in Vegas under the stage name Frank Cadillac. Johnson can see two-minutes into the future, but here's the catch: in many cases, he doesn't see the actual future, because his actions prevent his premonitions from coming to pass, thus creating a "new" future. This raises some interesting questions, such as: If Johnson is constantly creating a new future that he has not foreseen, how different is he, really, from the rest of us?
When you stop and think about it, all of us see into the immediate future to some degree – and act in ways that change that future into something else. (For example, if you are about to drop a heavy burden and realize it might land on your toe, you adjust your stance – injury averted.) To some extent, certain people even make a living at this, doing something more than a cheap mentalist act. Consider chess champions, whose excellence consists not only of seeing the board before them but of thinking ten or twenty moves ahead, visualizing an opponent's potential actions and predicting how the possible permutations will work out.
NEXT never really considers any of these ideas. Instead, it relies on two elements to fuel the plot: a love story and a terrorist threat. In the first, Johnson sees – for the first time in his life – more than two seconds into the future, to a time when a Liz (Jessica Biel) walks into a coffee shop. In the second, Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore) tries to forcibly recruit Johnson to help her track down some bad guys with a nuclear device up their sleeves. Johnson refuses to cooperate: he's not going to let a little thing like a few million innocent lives lost interfere with his pursuit of his dream girl, but when the terrorists kidnap Liz he has a change of heart (nothing like a little personal rooting interest to inspire one's sense of civic duty).
The film has a certain amount of fun playing with Johnson's premonitions, allowing them to play out as if they were actually happening and then back-tracking to show that we are simply sharing John's preview of the potential future. This results in some amusing sequences, as in the coffee shop when Liz finally arrive for real – and Johnson pre-visualizes a series of different opening lines, all of which meet with rejection.
This sequence contradicts the earlier suggestion that Johnson cannot see how the future will differ after he takes action. Are his powers developing? Is he learning to use them better? Or is there something magical about his connection with Liz (true love, perhaps?) that amplifies his precognition? In any case, the film elaborates this concept into a visually intriguing scene near the climax, when Johnson pauses in mediation, his body splitting into numerous phantom clones as he pre-visualizes every possible variation in the face-off with the terrorists.
It's a great idea for a thrilling set piece, although the suspense is somewhat undermined by the fact that this strategy seems to make Johnson pretty much invulnerable. The film takes it as a given that he has the physical coordination, stamina, and skill to capitalize on his visions (even if that means something as difficult as dodging bullets and avalanches). And it never occurs to the screenwriters that there may be some situations for which there is simply no good alternative.
In a last-ditch attempt to offer up some kind of surprise (and also to satisfy the build-up that has us anticipating the detonation of a nuclear bomb), the film resorts to a lame plot twist at the conclusion. It takes the Brian DePalma "it's only a dream" (or, in this case, premonition) conclusion to absurd lengths (something DePalma himself already achieved with FEMME FATALES, but at least that film offered lots of visual hints that set up the last-reel surprise). The absurdity of pulling the rug out from under the audience in this manner undermines whatever meager credibility the film had left, reducing its previous running time to nothing more than one long fake-out.
For those with low expectations who are easily satisfied, NEXT is a watchable popcorn movie until it falls apart near the end. One could forgive the filmmakers for abandoning the challenging potential inherent in their premise. But when they opt for the easy route, it is much harder to forgive them for failing to live up to their own considerably lowered standards. Nobody said this had to be great art, but why couldn't it be a satisfying thrill machine?
Apparently in an attempt to avoid the stereotypical Hollywood approach, the terrorists are not from the Middle East but from Europe. They speak with French or German accents, but who they are is never explained, nor is their motivation for detonating the bomb. Also, it is not clear how they know that Cris Johnson can see the future and, therefore, possibly thwart their plans.
NEXT (2007). Directed by Lee Tamahori. Screenplay by Gary Goldman and Jonathan Hensleigh and Paul Bernbaum, screen story by Goldman, based on the story "The Golden Man" by Philip K. Dic. Cast: Nicholas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel, Thomas Kretschman, Tory Kittles Jose Zuniga, Peter Falk.
Posted in Movies, Reviews Tagged Nicolas Cage, Philip K. Dick, science fiction
2 Replies to "Next (2007) – Film Review"
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Even if you don't suffer from allergies, chances are you know someone who does. Springtime brings the most beautiful scenery with flowers and trees. But, it can also bring the worst in allergy sufferers.
Worry not, everyone. Teleflora.com has a list of flowers that are safe from the sneezers in your life.
Hydrangeas are often found in the north. However, many local flower shops sell these beautiful plants that come in several colors.
Lillies are not only beautiful. They are pollen-free, so people with allergies need not worry.
Geraniums are another great choice for your garden. They can be used to enhance and add to your beautiful area.
There are several other choices you can make. Roses, tulips, daffodils and many others can be added to your home without concern for those who dislike pollen.
The Powell Group is here to assist you with your gardening needs. Our team members are also here to answer any of your questions and concerns.