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B738, Georgetown Guyana, 2011
On 30 July 2011, a Boeing 737-800 overran the wet landing runway at Georgetown after a night non-precision approach, exited the airport perimeter and descended down an earth embankment. There were no fatalities but the aircraft sustained substantial damage and was subsequently declared a hull loss. The Investigation attributed the overrun to a touchdown almost two thirds of the way down the runway and failure to utilise the aircraft's full deceleration capability. Loss of situational awareness and indecision as to the advisability of a go-around after a late touchdown became inevitable was also cited as contributory to the outcome.
Actual or Potential
Human Factors, Runway Excursion
Flight Conditions
Type of Flight
Public Transport (Passenger)
Piarco International Airport
Intended Destination
Georgetown/Cheddi Jagan International
Take off Commenced
Flight Airborne
Flight Completed
Flight Phase
Location - Airport
Deficient Crew Knowledge-systems,
Deficient Crew Knowledge-handling,
Copilot less than 500 hours on Type
Inappropriate crew response - skills deficiency,
Ineffective Monitoring,
Procedural non compliance,
Ineffective Monitoring - PIC as PF
Overrun on Landing,
Excessive Airspeed,
Late Touchdown,
Incorrect Aircraft Configuration,
Ineffective Use of Retardation Methods,
Continued Landing Roll
Emergency Evacuation,
Evacuation Injuries
Evacuation slides deployed
Evacuation on Pax Initiative
Damage or injury
Aircraft damage
Hull loss
Few occupants
Causal Factor Group(s)
Group(s)
Aircraft Operation
Safety Recommendation(s)
Aircraft Operation,
Investigation Type
2 Investigation
2.1 What Happened
2.2 The Evacuation
2.3 Issues related to the accident
On 30 July 2011, a Boeing 737-800 (9Y-PBM) being operated by Caribbean Airlines on a scheduled international passenger flight from Port of Spain Trinidad to Georgetown as BW 523 overran the landing runway at destination after completing a night RNAV(GPS) approach in VMC. It descended down a 20 foot high earth embankment and stopped only after it had exited the airport perimeter and sustained such extensive damage that it was subsequently declared a hull loss. All 163 occupants successfully evacuated the wreckage but one serious injury and an unspecified but multiple number of minor injuries were sustained as a result of either the impact or the evacuation.
The aircraft where it finally stopped. [Reproduced from the Official Report]
An Investigation was carried out by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) with technical assistance from the NTSB. Data relevant to the Investigation was obtained from both the FDR and CVR fitted to the aircraft.
It was noted that the 52 year-old Captain, who had been PF for the accident flight, had accumulated a total of 16,600 flying hours of which 5,000 hours were on type. He had previously flown the MD83 and had been a pilot with BWI Airlines and its successor Caribbean Airlines for 25 years. The 23 year-old First Officer had 1,400 total flying hours of which 350 hours were on type. He had been with Caribbean Airlines for three years and had previously flown as a First Officer on the DHC8.
It was established that the flight had begun in New York and had made a transit stop at Port of Spain, Trinidad where a complete crew change also occurred prior to departing on the one hour flight to Georgetown. FDR data indicated that the flight had been routine apart from a deviation around a thunderstorm cell as the aircraft began descent and positioning for an approach to runway 06 to which a clearance for an RNAV(GPS) approach was given. With about 5 nm to go to touchdown, flap 30 was selected and during the stabilised approach, the AP was disconnected when passing around 1,000 feet. After a further 45 seconds, the aircraft crossed the runway threshold at speed close to the applicable Vref of 149 KIAS. However, it then floated with excess thrust maintained and main gear touchdown on the wet surface did not occur until the aircraft was approximately 1,430 metres along the 2,270 metre-long runway.
A few seconds before touchdown occurred, the CVR recorded the Captain calling a go-around and the First Officer acknowledging it but when, three seconds after main gear touchdown, the First Officer called "Max?", the Captain quickly responded that he "had it" and thrust was not required. The First Officer was then recorded immediately calling autobrake disarmed and manual braking as automatic spoiler deployment followed. Thrust reversers were selected without delay but with just 610 metres to go until the end of the runway and only to a position between idle and detent 2. Manual brake pressure was only slowly increased and did not reach the maximum achievable pressure of 3000 psi until there was only 75 metres to go until the end of the runway. The prolonged float and delayed touchdown were attributed to the maintenance of excessive thrust when over the first quarter of the runway.
As it continued down the runway, the aircraft began to slowly but progressively deviate left of the centreline. It subsequently departed the end of the runway, descended down a 20 foot high slope and broke through the chain link perimeter fence before it crossed a dirt track and came to a stop some 40 metres beyond the end of the runway. At the time of the landing, the wind was light and variable and was assessed to have had minimal effect on the controllability of the aircraft.
The Evacuation
Once the aircraft had come to a stop, it was reported that the interior of the aircraft was in almost complete darkness. The Purser reported that as the landing continued, she had realised that something was wrong and had shouted commands to the passengers to "bend over and get your heads down" three times. There was no PA from the flight deck and the evacuation was initiated by passengers, one of whom opened the R1 door and the slide inflated. Several other passengers followed him but L1 door was jammed shut by a Galley Unit. The Purser followed the passengers out of the R1 door and once outside used her flashlight to guide passengers to an assembly area at the front of the aircraft. It was not possible to do a headcount as the large group in the assembly area was a mixture of passengers and emergency services personnel and it was not possible to distinguish between them in the darkness. By this time she reported that "several vehicles had arrived on the scene" but as none of them were ambulances, a seriously injured passenger she had located was "placed in the back of a pick-up truck". In the rear cabin, efforts to open the L2 door were unsuccessful and it was suspected that this was attributable to lack of crew familiarity with the opening of exits when an aircraft is in an unusual attitude rather than any jamming or malfunction of the door. It then took two people to open the R2 door which was eventually opened with difficulty and only "five to ten" passengers were able to use this exit before its slide deflated. One of the cabin crew then jumped to the ground and got a passenger to help hold the slide out like a chute and about another ten passengers were able to use this door. The over-wing emergency exits functioned properly and were used by a majority of the passengers.
The flight crew stated that due to the unexpected nature of the occurrence, they had been in no position to "alert the cabin crew or passengers about the impending disaster (and) had no opportunity to carry out any emergency drills". The First Officer reported that after the impact he had removed his harness and got out of his seat. He used his flashlight to illuminate the flight deck which was completely dark. The door into the passenger cabin was ajar but as with the two flight deck side windows, it was jammed and exit into the cabin was also obstructed by the forward toilet door which was jammed open. Eventually, the First Officer managed to crawl into the cabin and RFFS personnel arrived and helped get the injured Captain out of the flight deck.
The front of the aircraft showing the split fuselage. [Reproduced from the Official Report]
Issues related to the accident
The Investigation identified and reviewed various elements in the circumstances in which the accident occurred. These included the following:
Wet Runway Landings - It was found that the Operator had issued explicit guidance for wet runway landings and that in such circumstances, flaps 40° should be used when landing on runways less than an 8,000 feet (2,438 metre) LDA. It was also reported that pilot recurrent training included go-arounds from below minima (baulked landings). However, the accident Captain "could not recollect the existence of these wet runway procedures or receiving any training in a go round after touchdown" which was taken as an indication that there might have been deficiencies in his recurrent training.
CRM on the Flight Deck - Whilst CVR data were found to show during most of the flight there had been good coordination between the two pilots with the Captain carrying out his duties professionally and all briefings completed in accordance with applicable Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), a lack of CRM became apparent as the runway threshold was crossed. The data available were considered to suggest that a temporary loss of situational awareness had affected both pilots with neither being aware of the position of the aircraft in relation to the remaining runway. It was also concluded that there was doubt as to whether either pilot had appreciated that the aircraft was floating as a result of the almost 60% N1 thrust setting maintained over the runway by the Captain. There was certainly "no indication from the CVR that the First Officer initiated any action that would have helped to alleviate the accident results". It was particularly noted that the decision not to go around when the call had already been made and acknowledged was contrary to the Operator's Operations Manual Part A which explicitly rules out changing one's mind after declaring a go-around.
Absence of a RESA - Runway 06 at Georgetown has no RESA yet a RESA is a Standard required by ICAO Annex 14 and it was considered that the availability of one may have reduced the severity of the accident.
Limited lighting for approach and landing - Runway 06 at Georgetown has no approach lights, centreline lighting, or REILs and nothing from the fight crew interviews indicated that either pilot had perceived any difficulty with runway lighting or locating the runway. However, it was considered that this lack of lighting combined with the need to transition from an approach over dark jungle terrain to a lighted area may have been conducive to black hole illusion. Depth perception could have also have been affected by the slope of the runway and the fact that it was wet and would have been reflecting light.
PAPI beam below with instrument approach vertical profile - Although runway 06 is equipped with PAPIs, their beam projection was found to be 2.39º which did not coincide with the 3° vertical profile defined for the RNAV (GPS) procedure flown by the accident aircraft. It was considered that this shallow approach slope could have exacerbated the previously-identified risk of visual illusion due to the lack of approach lighting and the wet runway. In turn, this may have accounted for the excessive thrust maintained by the Captain when over the runway which contributed to the aircraft floating down the runway.
Absence of 'Distance to go' markers - The lighting and marking of the runway met ICAO standards but at the time of the accident there were no distance-to-go markings. Whilst these are not an ICAO requirement, it was considered that had they been present, situational awareness of the pilots as to their position in relation to the end of the runway might have been enhanced.
Airport Categorisation - It was noted that whilst Caribbean Airlines has established special categories of airports, Georgetown Guyana is not one of them as it is considered by the airline to be similar to and typical of many island approaches over water.
The Probable Cause of the accident was formally documented as having been that "the aircraft touched down approximately 4700 feet beyond the runway threshold, some 2700 feet from the end of the runway, as a result of the Captain maintaining excess power during the flare, and upon touching down, failure to utilise the aircraft's full deceleration capability, resulted in the aircraft overrunning the remaining runway and fracturing the fuselage".
Three Contributory Factors relating to the performance of the flight crew were identified as follows:
Indecision as to the execution of a go-around.
Failure to execute a go-around after the aircraft floated some distance down the
Runway.
Diminished situational awareness.
A total of 23 Safety Recommendations were made as a result of the Investigation as follows:
that Caribbean Airlines should ensure that the need to confirm with and operate within Standard Operating Procedures is emphasised during training.
that Caribbean Airlines pilots must be trained in accordance with the landing techniques detailed in the Boeing Operations Manual.
that Caribbean Airlines must train its pilots on the appropriate use of maximum reverse thrust, spoilers and maximum manual braking.
that Caribbean Airlines must emphasise the importance of decision making during initial and recurrent pilot training.
that Caribbean Airlines CRM training must be reviewed to address the roles of the pilot flying and the pilot monitoring especially in relation to the call for "GO AROUND" when it is observed that an aircraft does not touchdown in the touchdown area. The Operations Manual Part A, clearly outlines when a "go around" call must be made and although not applicable to this accident, the Company should consider emphasising that either flight crew member can make the "go around" call and the response to this must be immediate.
that Caribbean Airlines should conduct an analysis with their pilots to determine the extent of their understanding of go-around from flare to touchdown and when a go-around is mandatory.
that Caribbean Airlines must reinforce training with regard to recommended flap setting for wet runways.
that Caribbean Airlines must develop procedures for flight crew to check charts for landings on wet runways.
that Caribbean Airlines must provide proactive training in TEM and Visual Illusions Awareness.
that Caribbean Airlines should review the guidance provided by ICAO in Annex 6 to the ICAO Convention on Fatigue Risk Management Systems.
that Caribbean Airlines training for flight crew in the use of the (flight deck door) blow out panels to facilitate quick escape must be developed.
that Caribbean Airlines should review cabin crew training to ensure awareness of the correct procedures for use of emergency exits when aircraft are in an unusual attitude.
that Caribbean Airlines should consider placement of additional information on the (Passenger) Safety Briefing Card to include directions for the safest and easiest way to get off the aircraft wings and what to do after getting out of the aircraft. This should include a warning not to touch the engines cowlings in order to avoid burns.
that the Trinidad and Tobago CAA should carry out a full review of the Caribbean Airlines flight crew training program to ensure that it is in keeping with the Boeing program. Emphasis must be put on decision making, situational awareness and CRM and the Company will also benefit by placing greater emphasis on TEM.
that the Trinidad and Tobago CAA must, when reviewing Caribbean Airlines flight crew training programmes, ensure that the required flight and ground training is carried out and is properly documented.
that the Trinidad and Tobago CAA should review Caribbean Airlines cabin crew training to ensure it is in keeping with requirements of the Training Manual.
that the Trinidad and Tobago CAA should undertake a general review of Caribbean Airlines record keeping to ensure that documents are properly completed including sign off and dating.
that the Operator of Georgetown Airport should include the development of a RESA in accordance with ICAO Annex 14 in the planned extension of the runway and the installation of an Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) should be considered.
that the Operator of Georgetown Airport should ensure that Approach, Touchdown Zone and Centreline lighting should be included as part of the runway extension plans.
that the Operator of Georgetown Airport should provide an easily identifiable area that is (available in the event of an aircraft accident or incident) to provide comfort to passengers who may be in distress and their relatives.
that the Operator of Georgetown Airport should arrange for an engineering assessment of the runway slope and provide notification for publication of same in the Guyana AIP.
that the Operator of Georgetown Airport must carry out an investigation to determine why there was no reaction (to the accident) from the Airport Security Service and implement training exercises to familiarise the service with its responsibility in keeping with the Airport Emergency Manual.
that the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) should consider the need for a Meteorological Officer to be stationed at a strategic location on the airport to provide local weather information.
Safety Action taken by the Georgetown Airport Operator prior to the completion of the Investigation was noted as having included an adjustment to the PAPI beam projection on runway 06 to match the vertical profile of the RNAV-GPS approach and the installation of distance-to-go signboards at 1,000 foot intervals beginning at 4,000 feet in both directions of the runway.
The Final Report was completed in September 2014, subsequently published and eventually released online.
Missed Approach
Go Around
Cross-checking Process
Crew Resource Management
Pilot Perception
Visual Illusions
Visual Approach Slope Indicator Systems (VASIS)
Reverse Thrust
Runway End Safety Area
Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS)
Retrieved from "https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php?title=B738,_Georgetown_Guyana,_2011&oldid=134789"


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Rozamov - This Mortal Road
It's been a minute since we've heard from Rozamov. This Mortal Road is the sort of record that other bands would kill to make, but Rozamov is just the next logical step up. As doom and demented as the band has always been there's a lot more to pick apart here. This Mortal Road is an album that deals in ethereal magic and epic compositions. Rozamov is the sort of band that goes far beyond what most of their peers might consider adequate and instead pushes for transcendence. Rozamov have put their collective noses to the grindstone to create what may be their most ambitious work to date.
As ambitious as this album might be though don't think for a moment that Rozamov have become pretentious or out of touch. Even in the prolonged instrumental passages there is something distinctly stripped down and punk rock about what the group is doing here. They are aware that bands like Yob and Pallbearer exist and don't try to step into that market. Instead Rozamov continue to develop on what they have always done - that is to say top notch doom that broadens the reach of the genre whilst staying true to the gospel of Sabbath. It's easy to get lost in This Mortal Road which only makes the album all the more appealing for endless replays.
There is something strangely comforting to having a new Rozamov record in a year as chaotic as 2017. Not only that but the sheer power of this music reminds us that there are many different sides of the doom metal polemic and while some maybe overdeveloped upon, stalwarts of the genre are always going to find a way forward. This Mortal Road is the sort of album that you just want to get deeply invested in. It's the sort of album that encourages repeat listenings and reminds us of hope in Trumps America.
Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/Rozamov
Labels: Doom Metal

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home > Analysis > ASML Posts Q4 2022 Earnings Forecast, Beats Estimates on Revenue & Net Profit
ASML Posts Q4 2022 Earnings Forecast, Beats Estimates on Revenue & Net Profit
boss January 25, 2023 Analysis
Leading European tech company ASML has given higher guidance for its 2023 outing following a sound Q4 2022 earnings report.
Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography (ASML) recently posted its Q4 2022 financial report, which beat the earnings forecast for the period. Europe's largest technology company raked in 6.43 billion euros for the period that ended December 31st. Meanwhile, analysts were expecting a revenue haul of 6.38 billion euros for the fourth quarter of last year.
ASML also reported a Q4 2022 net profit of 1.82 billion euros compared to the consensus estimate of 1.70 billion euros. In addition, the Dutch multinational tech corporation also saw a record-high order backlog of 40 billion euros.
ASML's latest quarterly growth came amid the macroeconomic constraints that plagued the tech sector throughout last year. During the Q4 2022 period, the company realized quarterly net sales of 21.2 billion euros and a gross margin of 50.5%. ASML also raked in a net income of 5.6 billion euros and now projects a 25% growth in 2023 net sales. The tech giant remains optimistic about said net sales growth despite likely new curbs on its exports to China.
ASML President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Wennink commented on the company's Q4 results, saying:
"For ASML, 2022 was another strong year ending with total net sales for the year of €21.2 billion, gross margin of 50.5%, and a record backlog at the end of 2022 of €40.4 billion."
Furthermore, Wennink also added:
"We continue to see uncertainty in the market caused by inflation, rising interest rates, risk of recession, and geopolitical developments related to export controls. However, our customers indicate that they expect the market to rebound in the second half of the year. Considering our order lead times and the strategic nature of lithography investments, demand for our systems therefore remains strong."
ASML Expects Stronger Net Sales Following Sound Q4 2022 Outing
On ASML's loftier projections for 2023, Wennink stated that the company expects continued strong growth with an over 25% net sales increase. In addition, the Veldhoven-based firm anticipates a marginal gross margin improvement compared to 2022.
ASML previously struggled to meet demand as its top clients Samsung, TSMC, and Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), are all in varying expansive stages.
Wennink explained that despite economic uncertainties weighing heavy on ASML's 2023 economic outlook, there is a silver lining. According to the CEO, conditions improved towards the end of last year, and China seems to be on the mend now. In conclusion, Wennink opines that demand remains higher than ASML's production capacity.
ASML had sales in China worth 2.16 billion euros last year, which accounted for 14% of its total revenue. The Chinese market represented the company's third-largest market behind Taiwan and South Korea.
According to Wennink, ASML's exports to China have remained unaffected by the US imposition of new restrictions on its own companies. In Wennink's opinion, the play out of the continuous dialogue between both governments would come to "a reasonable solution" on restrictions.
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A large number of people I know go bananas for anything chocolate. Don't hear me wrong, I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate – the higher the cocoa the better in my book. But when it comes to anything with caramel, now my ears perk up and my mouth begins to salivate. Ever since being a kid, I have loved caramel. If any of you remember the caramel sundea that was served at McDonalds – it was the best. This was before it turned to be frozen yogurt and it was real ice cream. It had a distinct creaminess that was out of this world and that hot caramel topping – for fast food it was delicious.
Today caramel has gone designer. All the rage is salted caramel. I must confess, it is dangerously delicious and quite addicitive. The funny thing is that it is super easy to make and keeps in the refrigerator for a lifetime, it seems. When I finally opened my February issue of Martha Stewart Living, I could not help but have my eyes drawn to these delightful cookies. The word salted caramel and coconut drew me in and to imagine that this was rolled up into a buttery thumbprint cookie – now I am in cookie heaven.
I modified the recipe by adding more vanilla and making my own salted caramel sauce along with cutting the cooking time. The result was amazing and highly addictive. Since I knew I would not have any self control, I opted to bring them to one of my offices and share. Later in the day, I received this email from Redford who I work with. I just had to share with all of you.
They were amazing! I just finished the last caramel-macaroon-fabulousness.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour and 2 teaspoon table salt, and beat to combine. Press dough together in plastic wrap or into two balls, then roll into 1 1/4-inch balls. I used a small cookie scoop to ensure each cookie was uniform in size. Dip each ball in beaten egg with water, and roll in coconut. Place balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, and press an indentation into each with your thumb. Press a bit together if the sides spread out to much. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, then remove sheets from oven, and re-press indentations. I used the end of a rounded knife to push the dough down. Let cool on wire racks. Repeat with remaining dough.
Stir sugar, water and lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat; boil without stirring until the mixture turns deep amber brown. This should take about 9 minutes. Take off the stove and hold over the sink before pouring the cream mixture into the sugar mixture. It will boil and bubble. Once calmed down, add grey salt and set back on the burner and reduce slightly over medium low heat for about 8 minutes. Chill until thickened. Put into another container and let come to room temperature when ready to use. Spoon into indentations in cookies, and sprinkle with sea salt.
Mmmm such a yummy cookie! Awesome idea!
Thank you! Let me know how you like them if you make them. Have a great weekend!
Lisa, this was the last post I read last night so needless to say, I fell asleep thinking of these gorgeous thumbprint cookies. Salted caramel in a cookie? This screams winner to me!
I bet you had dreams of caramel! They are really delish! Have a wonderful weekend.
Let me know how the caramel sauce turns out. It is super simple and I typically have a small spoonful. Or two. Enjoy your weekend and thanks for stopping by.
I'm with you regarding caramel! And, I've had my eyes on these cookies since seeing them in Living. Your salted caramel sounds great for them. Wish I could grab a few off the screen.
I know -didn't they just pop off the page and scream - make me now! If you love caramel - you will flip for this one.
These are one of the cutest thumbprint cookies I have ever seen!
Lisa, these cookies look like they might be dangerous in my kitchen! I love the salted caramel, please pass the spoon, lol!
That is why I brought them to work since I know that I would eat WAY too many. Wait til you taste the caramel -it is simply divine and wonderful over vanilla ice cream.
We think we'd eat most of it out of the bowl too! They sound, and look, amazing!
These were on the cover of Martha Stewart Living last month.
They were featured in the February issue of Martha Stewart's living on page 6 and the recipe is on page 145 or you can find it online. Enjoy!
that salted caramel looks SO delectable!!!! I love salted caramel :D and to combine them with coconut yummy!
Thanks for sharing! Congrats for being Top 9 on Foodbuzz!
Thank you for stopping by and the nice comment! Have a great night!
Thank you for stopping by! If you love caramel and coconut - you will be in heaven on your first bite.
Wow these look delicious. That caramel really gets me, love that photo. I bet these are really tasty. Congrats on the Top 9.
Thank you for stopping by and the kind words. Once I took that photo of the caramel - I too love it.
That looks like the best salted caramel! Thanks for the recipe!
You are welcome! Thank you for the nice comment.
I love the combination of salted caramel and coconut. Your cookies look delicious:) Congratulations on Foodbuzz Top 9!
Thank you for the nice comment and stopping by. Hope that you enjoy them If you make them.
These look and sound so good! I love this idea, salted caramel and coconut would be so heavenly!
Thank you! If you make them - let me know how you like them.
Thank you for the kind words! I must say that my offices do benefit from my baking binges. Have a great upcoming weekend!
Makes approximately 54 cookies. Enjoy!
hi wow much is 3 sticks? i'm from argentina and i want to make this sooooooo much! thank you!
1 1/2 Cups of butter! ENJOY!!!


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Century West Celebrates Milestone at 398-Unit NEXT on Sixth Luxury Apartment Community
LOS ANGELES, CA - Century West Partners, a Los Angeles-based developer of sophisticated luxury apartment communities, completed the "topping off" at its NEXT on Sixth apartment community currently under development in Los Angeles. The topping off of NEXT on Sixth is a milestone celebration of the newest community to grace Koreatown and was hosted by Century West Partners, the development team behind NEXT on Sixth, on the afternoon of February 15.
Along with Century West Partners' recently completed K2LA luxury community nearby, NEXT on Sixth is widely recognized for its role in the current renaissance that is reshaping burgeoning Koreatown. "NEXT on Sixth joins our 488-unit K2LA community as one of Koreatown's most prominent new projects," said Michael Sorochinsky, co-founder and principal with Century West Partners. "Each of these communities aims to meet high demand for luxury living options in one of Los Angeles' hottest neighborhoods."
The stylish, seven-story NEXT on Sixth community includes six upper floors featuring 398 leading-edge designed units presented in studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom floorplans. The ground level features the community's sophisticated lobby and one of just a few Target urban-concept retail stores to debut in Los Angeles. The 22,000-square-foot Target store will serve both NEXT on Sixth residents as well as the surrounding community. Construction of the new NEXT on Sixth community is expected to be complete in November of 2017.
"The rejuvenation of Koreatown is truly exciting to us," said Steven Fifield, co-founder and principal with Century West Partners. "The blend of retail and restaurant amenities coupled with the incredible location has made Koreatown a widely-sought place to live among young professionals, millennials, and those seeking a vibrant urban lifestyle. With these two new apartment communities and the Target offering, Century West is looking to meet the growing lifestyle demands of those who recognize that Koreatown is a true Los Angeles hot spot."
NEXT on Sixth will offer luxe finishes and tech-friendly amenities less commonly found in rental apartments. The community will also provide a robust package of modern amenities and luxuries for today's discerning renters.
"We've added full height kitchen backsplashes, plank floors, three-door stainless refrigerators, full height Carrera tile surround bathrooms, and light in light mirrors as well as multiple sun decks, a dog run, large aerobics gym, weight room, yoga studio, virtual golf range, video arcade, and lap pool with oversized hot tub and cabanas," said Randy Fifield, principal with Century West Partners. "These amenities rival five-star resorts. Million dollar condos don't even offer as much."
The community will elevate the living experience further, featuring renowned large-scale custom art commissions placed on the community's exterior and in the community courtyard. Additionally, the community as a whole will act as a gallery, showcasing numerous works throughout and providing a rich cultural experience.
NEXT on Sixth is well-situated at the intersection of Sixth Street and Virgil Avenue near the Wilshire/Vermont Metro subway station. Residents will benefit from immediate proximity to retail, restaurant, business, nightlife, and public transportation.
Source: Century West Partners / #Apartments #Multifamily


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Finish - Aluminum Parts: Type III hard coat anodized matte black per Mil-Spec.
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Weight: 1.4 oz. with the optional Enhanced Heavy Duty QD Swivel.
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Made In American By Men And Women Proud To Be Americans!


New York, NY---Freshman pitcher, Jesus Reyes (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic), recently signed a professional contract to play at the next level with the Cincinnati Reds organization. Reyes becomes the fourth Avenger to sign with an MLB organization. He will begin the professional process by playing in the instructional league in Arizona.
Reyes, who is now throw fastballs in the mid to upper 90s, pitched nine games for the Avengers this past season. The 6-foot-2 righty finished second on the staff behind NJCAA All-American, Placido Torres, with 72 strikeouts in 50 innings pitched. Reyes would help ASA to their fifth Region XV-DI title in a row and an undefeated (13-0) home record.
The first Avenger to ever sign with a big-league organization, Isaac Gil, is steadily climbing his up the ladder since being drafted in 2011 by the Tampa Bay Rays. Gil, another raw hard throwing righty while at ASA, was recently promoted to the single A Rays affiliate, the Bowling Green Hot Rods, after going 5-0 with a 0.00 ERA with the short-season A Rays affiliated Hudson Valley Renegades.


ReefHQ Aquarium - Customer Stories - Polycom, Inc.
ReefHQ Aquarium is using video to deliver "education without borders and knowledge without limits," taking Australia's Great Barrier Reef into classrooms all over the world, in true-to-life, high-definition sound and visuals. Using Polycom RealPresence Room solution, Polycom HDX 8000, the Aquarium's underwater scuba divers are teaching students first-hand about the delicate marine ecosystem of the world's largest living coral reef aquarium located in Townsville, North Queensland.
ReefHQ Aquarium's Videoconferencing Programme brings the same rich educational experiences to students of all ages, taking them on exciting journeys underwater to observe a living coral reef ecosystem and the habitats and behaviours of reef creatures.
The programme has achieved great success and interest on a global scale. In the 2010/11 fiscal year alone, ReefHQ Aquarium conducted 164 video-enabled seminars to 5,855 participants across the world using Polycom video, from schools in Australia to university campuses in Malaysia, the USA, and beyond— equal to the number of students that they are able to reach and teach on-site.
As a Polycom content provider in the Polycom Content Access Programme since 2008, ReefHQ Aquarium joins other institutions that aid educators to enhance curriculums, connect with colleagues and peers, and expand classroom reach with live, relevant and culturally-rich interactive learning experiences. The real-time, personal interactions with their divers, who are experienced marine biologists, have stimulated many classroom discussions on the rising ecological threats to the Great Barrier Reef, and helped students appreciate the requirements for a healthy ecosystem and take action to protect the future of the reef.
Since partnering with Polycom in 2008, ReefHQ Aquarium has video-enabled and shared many educational experiences with K-12 schools in Australia, Canada, Korea, Malaysia, USA and the UK, as well as with universities, where direct interactions with subject-matter experts enhance and ground advanced research. For example, in April 2012, the Aquarium collaborated with the Malaysian Research & Education Network (MYREN) to deliver an advanced programme of marine biology with the participation of students and faculty from 12 universities.
As a key content provider for Polycom APAC Special Virtual Events, ReefHQ Aquarium has also been instrumental in hosting many live educational sessions and events over video, including World Ocean's Day, World Environment Day, and World Earth Day.
For the past three years they have also played a key role in delivering keynote presentations over video for the Centre of Global Education and Taking IT Global Conference called "The Impact of Climate Change on Global Indigenous Communities." As part of this conference, ReefHQ Aquarium brought indigenous community elders from North Queensland to a global audience from 14 countries.
The uses of video in education are varied and extensive and ReefHQ Aquarium takes full advantage of the technology. As a further demonstration of this innovative use of video to deliver more interactive and engaging virtual learning experiences, ReefHQ Aquarium recently used video as part of Tourism Queensland's sales mission to New Zealand to bring the living reef into the Auckland War Memorial, which hosted one of the major trade events on the mission. They have also participated in global trade events, including the 2012 Yeosu Expo in Korea, an international event which aims to highlight the value and significance of the earth's oceans with the theme of the event focusing on 'The Living Ocean and Coast', providing daily live video link-ups from the Australian Pavillion to ReefHQ Aquarium, reaching about 200 people per day during the expo which ran from May 12 to August 12. "The daily link-ups to ReefHQ Aquarium were a great promotional tool for Australia, not just as an exciting tourist destination, but also as a nation with strong research and environmental capabilities," said Nucifora.
In tandem with the expo, ReefHQ Aquarium and Polycom collaborated with the Australian Federal Government to take the expo to remote schools in Korea, holding a special virtual education programme for four special education schools, broadcasting live from ReefHQ Aquarium in Queensland.
Using video conferencing to deliver virtual training to overseas student groups planning to go on study tours of Australia. Before setting out to Australia, the students benefitted greatly from the real-time video collaboration, by obtaining prior knowledge of the reef.
Bringing the Great Barrier Reef live to remote students from the Australian outback to isolated regions of Alaska, providing equity in education. In cases where schools are not equipped with videoconferencing equipment, ReefHQ Aquarium coordinates with Polycom's Live Virtual Events team and partners with local colleges and councils equipped with video collaboration equipment, in efforts to make their programmes accessible to students no matter their location.
Providing educational opportunities to students who may not otherwise be able to engage in their programmes, such as residents of youth detention centres, children in extended hospital stays, and English-language students in Greece.
Taking students from four rural primary schools in the Australian state of Victoria for World Environment Day in June 2012 on a virtual dive through the Coral Reef Exhibition, enabling them to get up close to a rescued turtle and learn how pollution is endangering their existence.
The Asia Pacific Region is an emerging market for ReefHQ Aquarium, particularly for using Polycom's video collaboration solutions as a training tool for staff involved in promoting the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland and Australia as tourist destinations.
In future development plans for the programme, ReefHQ Aquarium plans to extend its use of Polycom technology by incorporating both the green screen technology and content sharing into presentations. These enhancements will aid the Aquarium in exploring new programmes.
The students of today are the decision-makers of tomorrow, and this resonates with ReefHQ Aquarium. The organisation believes that technology will enable students to more freely access environments all over the world from the comfort of their classrooms, and that contemporary teaching developed in line with advancements in technology can foster more informed and globally-aware citizens.
Polycom's vision of collaborative education includes bridging teachers, instructors, students and content providers around the world to help people learn. Video technology provides rich, interactive, visual solutions that impact all facets of education from student administration to course development to curriculum delivery to content management.
Polycom offers a broad portfolio of video collaboration solutions specifically designed by educators for educators. These solutions bring High Definition (HD) video collaboration within reach of even the most challenged budgets, so every student can experience the resulting boosts in learning, engagement, teamwork, and collaboration.


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Tag: historical
A Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem: A Criminally Underrated Trilogy
January 19, 2021 by macksamson, posted in Children's Novels, Western Media
American history can be one of the most boring subjects in school. If only there was a more fun way to learn about it, specifically about America in the late 19th Century. While not ENTIRELY accurate, Christopher Healy's A Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem series is perhaps one of the best historical fictions ever.
A Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem stars Molly and Cassandra Pepper; a rare daughter and mother pair (respectively). Cassandra's aspiring to be an inventor, and submit a machine to the 1883 World's Fair. But you know, sexism, so… she's SOL. When she and Molly break into the venue to sabotage a competitor's machine, they discover a Dastardly Plot (book 1 title drop) to take over the world!
The story is incredibly simple. A Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem is more-or-less an episodic trilogy where Molly and Co. go on adventures to stop the Saturday morning cartoon villain. There's no real depth, but unlike those cerebral critics, I'm fine with that. Children's media has evolved to where people aren't afraid to expose them to horrific things, from sexual assault to racism to PTSD to the Holocaust, etc. But seriously, sometimes we just need to be entertained, especially since this generation is being exposed to social media, allowing news networks to beat all the despair in the world into their innocent little skulls.
What brings this series to life is the amazing writing. The descriptions are vivid, and it's so freaking funny. I don't think I've ever LOL'd so consistently in a kids' book series ever in my life! The pacing is also lightning quick, with sequences that would normally mark the end of an installment happening less than halfway through instead. Most importantly, the humor is absolutely on fire. But if you don't like sarcastic comments, you might not enjoy this one.
The characters are also some of the best I've seen in Western fiction. Molly and Cassandra have great chemistry together, instead of the mom normally holding the kid back. The male lead is Emmet Lee, and since this is an inventor-themed series, I had to picture him as my boy Senku from Dr. Stone. Healy could've made real torture porn out of him, because he's a Chinese-American living in a country that would ban Chinese immigrants at that point in history, but thankfully he didn't. The biggest issue with the cast overall is that they sort of have the same delivery when it comes to comedy, despite all being different people…
…Well, except for my favorite character, Robot. Due to story events, an automaton made by Bell ends up gaining sentience, and Molly adopts it and names it Robot. He delivers some of the best lines in the entire series, in that robotic deadpan manner. And by the way, I can't actually discuss the main antagonist, since they're identity is a spoiler for book one. Just know that they're the silly, mad-scientist-type villain.
If there are any real issues, it's that there are snippets of that Disney-movie-trope of character-drama-that-you-know-will-inevitably-resolve-itself-because-it's-too-light-hearted-to-not-do-so. Every instance is very short-lived, making it feel like the author put them in as a formality. Regardless, as the reader, you can choose to blitz through that crap and get back to the good stuff in a jiffy. There's also kind of a bad case of virtue signaling, specifically with Feminism. I wouldn't normally bring it up, but the difference here is that the story is good enough to not need to rely on the "Secret Club of Empowered Female Historical Figures."
Final Verdict: 9.45/10
I know that this is a really short review given that I covered an entire trilogy of books, but like I said before, A Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem is a clear-cut, silly little ride. It's absolutely fantastic (and most importantly, not pretentious… for the most part), and I loved it to the bitter end. I recommend it if you are uncultured enough to want to have fun.
Tagged action, adventure, books, comedy, Full Review, fun, historical, kids, WesternLeave a comment
Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers is a Needle in a Haystack of Straight-to-DVD Cash-Grabs (Retrospective)
October 17, 2020 by macksamson, posted in Disney Stuff, Western Media
The early 2000s were not Disney's best era. A lot of it was plagued by the notorious, straight-to-home-video sequels. Fine, I'll admit that I loved them as a kid (my whole generation did probably), but nowadays, they are generally accepted as guilty pleasures at best. But among those sequels was something that I held near and dear to my heart. It was an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' novel, The Three Musketeers, with a slap of Mickey on it, simply titled Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers. I NEVER hear this one brought up, AT ALL, making it one of the more remote and obscure projects to feature Mickey Mouse in Disney history. Nonetheless, I loved it as a kid. However, both my DVD player and the DVD broke around 2005-6, rendering me unable to watch the movie for all time. At least, that's what I thought, until it plopped into Disney+'s catalogue completely unannounced. As of the writing of this post, I hadn't watched it in FIFTEEN YEARS. It's time to see if it's an underrated gem or if it deserved to be discarded!
…Is what I would say if I didn't have some concerns writing this post. Normally, a retrospective is written under the assumption that the person reading has seen the media and knows it well. That's why I was able to spoil the crap out of March of the Wooden Soldiers when I covered it. But despite Mickey Three Musketeers being well-within the "Okay you can spoil it because everyone knows the story already" range, I'm pretty damn sure that next to NO ONE knows this story. As a result, I'm going to color any spoilery parts as white, leaving you to spoil yourself by highlighting them. Oh, and for the record, since I'm both a millennial and an uncultured swine, I never actually read the source novel, so I'm not going to be evaluating this movie from an adaptation standpoint.
Following an arbitrarily meta opening sequence, we enter a France of yesteryear and focus on three plebs named Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. After being saved at a young age by some local Musketeers, they slave away as janitors with hopes of being able to achieve glory as Musketeers themselves. Well, they get a good shot at it when Captain Pete plans to mousenap Princess Minne, that's for sure.
The standout thing with Mickey Three Musketeers is that it's very much an homage to the classic cartoons from the very beginning of Walt Disney's career. This excited me because I always thought that the ones that starred Mickey, Donald, and Goofy as a team, such as Clock Cleaners and Moving Day, were the absolute best. Furthermore, this is the last piece of media featuring all three characters as major protagonists that I know of (and Kingdom Hearts doesn't count because they're accompanied by a bunch of anime turds in that). In any case, the humor and hijinks of the classic cartoons ring true throughout this movie, and they were a very welcome treat for me.
Another thing done old-school is the music. Much like cartoons of the past, background music didn't just create mood, but sound effects as well. It had a lot of energy that most movie soundtracks lack these days. Unfortunately, in the case of the musical numbers, there is a drawback to doing the music old-school. I had no recollection that this movie had them, and for good reason; they are among the most forgettable in Disney history. They're all arrangements of classical pieces; which are fitting for the period, but wholly unoriginal. The only one that I enjoyed was when Goofy—of all people—becomes a lady killer and seduces Clarabelle.
Since this is sort of an ode to the classics, you must keep in mind that there are no such things as stakes in Mickey Three Musketeers. I recalled this being like a Tolkienian epic when I was a kid, but through the wizened eyes of an adult, it was short, straightforward, and predictable. There's even a part where Mickey almost drowns to death (the one scene I remembered distinctly after all these years), and I didn't even bat an eye at it. Any sense of drama is resolved in mere minutes, typical of most mainstream Disney flicks sure, but still an important thing to mention nonetheless.
You'd think I don't need to do any character passages, but for the sake of completion, I will anyway. These guys have been the United States' best ambassadors for almost a hundred years, and there's a good reason for that. Mickey is arguably the first ever Gary Sue (until you watch the last segment of Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas and realize that he's just as capable of being a temperamental piece of sh** as Donald), but he's pure-hearted and legitimately hard to not love. Best Boy Goofy is as perfectly derpy as always, nothing more to say there. My least favorite character, in the case of this movie, ended up being my boy Donald. For some reason, they give him a character arc where he starts off as a complete wuss. He's a detriment to the plot, and he just magically changes into his regular self two-thirds into the film like nothing ever happened. I don't know why they did that but I also don't know why they made so many low-budget sequels to their classic films at the time.
Fortunately, good ol' Pete shows why he is one of the most enduring Disney villains of all time (with his legacy ending on a poor note in Epic Mickey: Power of Two). He's a perfect combination of being funny and pure evil, and—dammit—I miss the sumbi****! Appear in more things, Pete! Anyways, the most pleasant surprise was the aforementioned Clarabelle. She's the sexy secretary who ends up getting reverse-Stockholm Syndrome for Goofy, and she was real fun for her brief amount of screentime in the movie.
Unfortunately, the other women suffer. Minnie (and—to an extent—Daisy) are breathing MacGuffins and nothing more. They offer no resistance to assault, which can trigger some… people who respect women as individuals. If they could criticize Hamilton for being historically accurate, then they can criticize this movie, too.
Last but not least, the visuals. It's a straight-to-DVD, but it's enough. The film isn't gorgeous, but since it feels like a cartoon, it's okay. Because of this, they were able to go hog-wild with all of the noodly limbs and such. The art is simple and bright, making it easy for the young'uns to comprehend.
After All These Years: 8/10
Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers is great, though it's nothing compared to 21st Century cult classics, such as The Emperor's New Groove. But you know what, it's reminded me that Treasure Planet is on Disney+ and that I haven't seen it in just about as many years as this. I might do a retrospective on that… by next year at the earliest (don't expect it honestly). As far as this movie is concerned, I recommend it if you want some old-fashioned cartoon hijinks, and don't have the priceless Walt Disney Treasures DVDs to experience it the vintage way.
Tagged action, cartoon, comedy, disney, fantasy, fun, historical, Mickey Mouse, movie, movies, obscure, retrospective, spoof, Three MusketeersLeave a comment
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Full Series Review
May 21, 2020 by macksamson, posted in Full Reviews, Manga
This was honestly a very tough review to write. I got into Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (published in English by Viz) months before the anime- that freaking anime- aired. At that time, it had a pretty niche fanbase, like any anime-less manga would in the West. But my whole perspective of it changed when the anime launched- especially the viral nineteenth episode- and made the franchise mainstream overnight. Kimetsu no Yaiba has become one of Jump's bestselling manga in recent years, even overtaking One Piece as the #1 bestseller of 2019. It has now become the embodiment of everything I hate about mainstream culture and marketing, similar to how I feel about BABYMETAL (which I'll cover in a future post). I was going to give it a relatively high-ish score at first, but how much will my contrarian-ness affect the score now?
So, Kimetsu no Yaiba's premise is as simple and unoriginal as it gets. In Taisho Era rural Japan, Tanjiro Kamado lives a happy life with his mother and siblings. But of course, he comes home one day to find his whole family dead (easy emotional hook, check), i.e. slaughtered by a demon. Only his sister, Nezuko, has survived, but she's become a demon herself (cute girl who needs to be protecc, check). He then goes on a journey to become the #1 Demon Slayer (lofty goal, check) and kill the guy who orchestrated it all.
If you couldn't tell, Kimetsu no Yaiba is mainstream to the Nth degree, following each shounen trope with little to no deviation. Fortunately, the mangaka at least seemed pretty aware of this, and chose to breeze through a lot of training and entrance exams to get to the real demon-whooping that readers actually want. After Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayers, he basically goes out with Nezuko (who is conveniently small enough to carry in a box) and fights whatever demon is terrorizing whatever area. The only saving grace of the narrative is its fast pacing.
The characters aren't much better. Tanjiro is your typical, wish fulfilment protagonist. He runs on plot armor, and is inexplicably loved by everyone, even the demons that he cuts down; every single one of them goes through their "tragic backstory" to make you sympathize with them at the last second before Tanjiro kills them, and then they thank him for being a good person in their final breath. His sister, Nezuko, is marketing incarnate. She basically exists to be cute (which works, as I have seen on the message boards when the anime aired). Sure, she can actually hold her own in combat, but her cuteness is definitely a higher priority and a big factor to the franchise's success.
There are a couple of saving graces, however. Joining Tanjiro are Zenitsu and Inosuke. Zenitsu can be annoying, given that he's a big fat wuss who exists to provide comic mischief, but when he falls asleep like Bodkin from Wizards of Once, he becomes a super powerful bad-ass. Inosuke is a buff chuunibyou who wears a cool boar mask. These two aren't the best characters in the world, but they're enough to make Kimetsu no Yaiba more enjoyable.
Given the traditional battle shounen structure, Kimestu no Yaiba is full of throwaway antagonists who rarely last more than an arc. But among them is the actual main antagonist, Muzan Kibutsuji. He is a legitimately intimidating villain who has a very suave aura about him. He might be an a-hole to his minions, but he's at least dressed fabulously.
Sadly, that's pretty much it for the cast. What remains to be discussed are the many other Demon Slayer people that Tanjiro looks up to. I always forget who they are almost immediately after every reading session of the manga, so that really speaks of how unremarkable they are. The only one I remember is Giyuu, but that's just because he's the first one encountered, and his name is funny.
In the end, the one thing I can appreciate about Kimetsu no Yaiba is the fact that it ends startlingly quickly; clocking in at 205 chapters despite its insane popularity. Out of everything in the manga, the best thing that could've happened was for it to end, so that the mangaka didn't have to worry about shoehorning in unremarkable antagonists just to pad it out for ten more years (like DBZ and Naruto).
The art is, uh, an effort. I'm not gonna crap on the art like everyone did when the anime came out. Sure, it's not as "clean and crisp" as the anime, but it has a unique charm to it. Also, the fights are more than visually appealing enough. But like what critics said about the anime, the great art can only go so far to offset such a cookie-cutter narrative.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a fairly enjoyable manga that managed to end on the best possible note. Is its popularity undeserved? Hell yes. Is it the worst thing ever? Not quite. Like I said in the beginning, I'm being extra harsh on the manga because the anime was insanely successful due to the inherent appeal of Tanjiro's simple and idealized personality, Nezuko's cuteness, the visual spectacle, and the presence of famed composer Yuki Kajiura. Raw, human emotion, not perturbed by critical thinking, is imperative in order to enjoy Kimetsu no Yaiba; enough to have your heart melt from the backstories of people that you know for five seconds. By now, it should be obvious if this manga's your cup of tea, so decide accordingly.
Tagged action, battle, Demons, fantasy, generic, historical, mainstream, Manga, shounen, simple, swords, waifus, wish fulfillmentLeave a comment
Jigokuraku First Impressions (Chapters 1-40)
December 17, 2019 by macksamson, posted in First Impressions, Manga
You've gotta love edgelords sometimes. There's a little charm in their hackneyed "to kill or not to kill" monologues. Oh, and gore too. And out-of-left-field comic mischief. Jigokuraku: Hell's Paradise, simulpub in English on Viz's digital Jump subscription, has got all of that to spare!
In a dark period of Japan's past (sorry, I'm not weeb enough to tell what era it is just by looking at it), the edgy ninja known as Gabimaru the Hollow is pending execution. However, nothing they try will actually kill him! So, the shogunate recruits him, among other criminals, to journey to a strange island and recover the elixir of life. He is accompanied by swordswoman Sagiri Amaemon, who must watch over him, and immediately decapitate him if he steps out of line. But since this is a battle shounen, she'll probably never do that to him.
So far, it's pretty fun. The beginning makes you think it's going to be a battle royale, but they got bigger fish to fry. And by fish, I mean the giant mutant Bosatsu that live on the island. Basically, imagine if Shou Tucker from Fullmetal Alchemist was Buddhist. The island has a very surreal and creepy, yet whimsical feeling to it, and it makes me curious as to what it has to offer. There are also some powerful, human-looking foes that are super swole and can freely genderswap any time that they want.
The characters, for the most part, are decent enough. Gabimaru is pretty nonchalant, edgy, and fun. Sagiri starts off as a whiny, "character who gets crapped on for being a woman because it's historically accurate"-type, but she becomes much more resourceful at ten-odd chapters in. One of my favorite characters is probably the sexy female ninja Yuzuriha. Although she looks powerful, she's very aloof and doesn't even seem to take the mission seriously. But she's still fun to see. I also like Gantetsusai, who is a tall, powerful swordsman that ends up being the "frenemy" of the group, and of Gabimaru in particular.
Sadly, I can't figure out if these characters are based on actual people from history. The only thing I could recognize were two brothers whose dad was one of the 47 Ronin. Hopefully I'll be a big enough history buff to be able to say something authoritative during the full review of the series, once it ends.
The art in Jigokuraku is great. It's very rough and sketchy, with vivid details and great action shots. Word of warning, there is complete female frontal nudity, as well as gore, so stay away if you hate that stuff.
Current Verdict: 8.25/10
Jigokuraku is a fun, enjoyable, and somewhat addicting historical fiction manga. I recommend it to any fans of battle shounen and edgy stuff.
Tagged action, battle, Buddhism, edgy, fantasy, historical, island, Manga, ninja, shounenLeave a comment
Descending Stories Full Series Review
October 1, 2019 by macksamson, posted in Full Reviews, Manga
I think it's safe to say that there are only two ways that a Westerner would be exposed to the Japanese performing art known as rakugo. One way is the Ace Attorney case that had rakugo and notoriously expected you to know real life information about Japanese cuisine in order to be able to solve the case. The other way is to read Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju– published in English by Kodansha Comics- or watch its anime adaptation (okay, so technically there are three ways but the latter two both involve the same thing). Because of the Ace Attorney case, I was left very confused as to what this rakugo thing is. So, I basically read this manga all the way through as a form of research.
And here's a small warning: DON'T read this manga for research! Descending Stories jumps right into the rakugo theme expecting you to already have a basic idea of what it is. Although you can at least figure out some terms thanks to footnotes and context clues, it doesn't really serve any purpose as to what the appeal of rakugo is. If you want that, you're going to have to read the bonus sections where the author literally documents different areas of rakugo. From context, rakugo itself seems to be an event where you watch a man kneel down and tell a story out of a pre-written selection while also doing the voices and mannerisms of all the characters. I didn't actually do any research on rakugo so that I could dive into this manga fresh and from the perspective of an average Joe who wouldn't know about it themselves.
Descending Stories is a slice-of-life manga, with rakugo as a narrative theme, more than anything else. The main character, Yotaro, is an ex-convict who has finally served his time in jail. Upon release, he seeks out Yakumo, a rakugo-ist(?) who performed at his prison, because Yotaro was inspired by him. When he finds the man, he's turned down from becoming a rakugo apprentice, but is allowed to freeload and figure out how to rakugo on his own. Oh, and also, the whole overarching narrative revolves around Yakumo's friend, the late, great Sukeroku (late, as in dead). This is a manga about coping with loss.
Similar to Ascendance of a Bookworm, I have a hard time discussing the characters because they are just normal people. While Yotaro is the main character, technically, half of the manga is actually focused on Yakumo and Sukeroku's backstory. Keep in mind that depending on their rakugo status, their names will change like that guy in the Secret Show. It's not that hard to get used to because the recap at the beginning of volumes 2 and onward tell you who's who every time.
I think the art is the weakest aspect in the manga. Although it's got a distinct, humble style, every character looks like they're making duck-lip expressions, which clashes with the theme of loss, and basically any scene that's meant to be taken seriously. At the very least, the panel flow is perfectly fine, and has some strong double-page spreads.
Geez… I… I'm gonna be honest, I don't know what else to say about Descending Stories. My preferred genres are battle shounen and isekai, yes, but I've been more than capable of enjoying the more "cultured" manga. Heck, Naoki Urasawa- the mangaka of 20th Century Boys and Monster– is one of my favorite mangaka of all time! Plus, there's Kasane and ACT-AGE that I love too, and don't even get me started on the masterpiece that is Space Brothers. I'm more than certain that Descending Stories is a great manga. My beef with it is probably the art, which I find really important for the actual conveyance of the story. If Urasawa did the art for this, I might like it more.
Final Verdict: 8.5/10
I gave Descending stories a lot of benefit of the doubt. I can see the makings of a great drama manga here, but I just couldn't get into it like the drama manga I previously mentioned. It also didn't help me appreciate rakugo itself, which is unusual because I find that manga are the only time that I appreciate a real-world things that I normally find boring. If you want something with more "culture" than those "mindless" battle shounens, Descending Stories has culture to spare!
Tagged chill, drama, historical, loss, Manga, rakugo1 Comment


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Crime outcomes
Displaying search results 1 - 10 of 12
Topic CCCCJCCMCCorruptionCorruption preventionCrimeLocal governmentPolicePublic sectorQCCResearch
Tag CorruptionCrimeDrugsFraudInvestigationsMisconductPolicePreventionQueensland
Operation Stockade
Operation Stockade is a CCC investigation into allegations of criminality involving legal firms based in Brisbane. A number of matters remain before the courts.
Operation Gloss
Court update – 31 July 2018 A 56-year-old Gold Coast man, Steven Phillips, was sentenced in the Brisbane Supreme Court on 31 July 2018 to nine years imprisonment after pleading guilty to one charge of trafficking in a dangerous drug contrary to the Drug Misuse...
Operation Lithium
A Queensland-based crime network responsible for distributing precursor chemicals used in the production of methylamphetamine in New South Wales has been dismantled by a joint CCC and New South Wales Police Force investigation, Operation Lithium. The operation...
Operation Lightning
A large scale, high-threat heroin network based in New South Wales with distribution points into Queensland and Victoria was shut down in September 2012. The 12-month investigation, codenamed Operation Lightning, was lead by the CMC and supported by the...
Operation Juliet Wave
A two-year operation by the CCC, in partnership with the QPS, dismantled a major organised crime network consisting of former members and associates of the Centro Chapter of the Bandidos criminal motorcycle gang (CMG). The network was trafficking crystal...
Operation Altana
Operation Altana, which finished in 2017, targeted a high-threat organised crime syndicate involved in the production, supply, and trafficking of crystal methamphetamine (ice) and cocaine on the Gold Coast. It also involved distribution of illegal steroids...


Students will read selections in different genres and apply a variety of reading strategies, particularly interactive reading strategies, appropriate for reading the selections. They will analyze literary elements and use a variety of strategies to read unfamiliar words and build vocabulary. they will learn elements of grammar, usage, and style, use recursive writing processes to write in a variety of forms, and express and support responses to various types of texts.


The Orlando real estate market is bustling with life, population growth, jobs, and a strong retail environment. We've heard so much about the demise of brick-and-mortar stores, but it seems that Orlando is bucking that trend as a major Central Florida shopping destination.
A retail market report from real estate firm Marcus & Millichap shows the vacancy rate for shopping centers will "drop" to just 4.6% this year. It was 5.3% last year. That report also predicts that retail rents will be rising. They average about $16.77 a square foot per year, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
There's also plenty of new retail construction. Nicholas Ledvora of Marcus & Millichap said in the Sentinel, "I'm seeing a ton of construction." He says, "Maybe not as many of the big projects, but a lot from the smaller developer end." He says that while some of the bigger names are struggling, like Macy's, there's a big demand for space from smaller operators like grocery stores, dental offices, and salons.
The Sentinel writes that Orlando will get a total of 900,000 square feet of new retail space this year. Two of the larger retail projects include a giant Wal-Mart and a 70,000-square foot shopping plaza.
According to Marcus & Millichap, "Retail follows rooftops in Orlando." It said in its Retail Investment Forecast that the city is seeing big gains in household formation because of rising incomes and strong migration. And, that vacancies in retail space will plummet for commercial space near residential areas.
Orlando is Florida's third largest city with 2.3 million residents in the Orlando metropolitan area. Forbes just reported that Orlando tied with Cape Coral, Florida, as America's two fastest-growing cities. In 2016, Orlando experienced 4.57% job growth. That's expected to slow down a little this year to 3.54% but according to Forbes, Orlando will still be one of the biggest job creators in the country.
Orlando is also a popular destination for tourists with a record 68 million visitors last year, according to a city website. And that's not only due to its reputation as the "Theme Park Capital of the World". As you know, Orlando is home to Disney World, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, and Lego Land. The Orlando Sentinel writes that people visit the city for a number of different reasons including golf, shopping, and theme parks.
Theme parks are also expanding. New attractions opening this summer include "Pandora — The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom" and Universal's "Volcano Bay" water park. The centerpiece of that water park is a towering volcano that's clearly visible from the highway.
The city is in the midst of a huge redevelopment plan. The "Downtown Orlando" website says it has $5.39 billion invested in these projects with more than $3.5 billion in projects already underway.
Some of the up-and-coming projects include the new Orlando City Stadium. It's a privately funded project and will be home to Major League Soccer. It's 435,000 square feet with retail space, office space, club space, and seating for 25,000. 49 of the seats are permanent rainbow chairs as a tribute to the people who lost their lives last year, at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.
Just two blocks from the stadium is the new Amway Center arena. It's a world-class metal and glass building that's LEED certified. Designers claim it is one of the most environmentally friendly, professional arenas in the country.
Next to the Amway Center is the proposed Sports and Entertainment District. The city wants to turn that into a mixed-use development site with hotels, stores, offices, convention halls, and residential units.
The old Amway Center is being transformed into something called the "Creative Village". The goal is to turn that 68-acre site into a mixed-use community where people can "live, learn, work, and play". The "I-4 Ultimate" project will create an urban park under the Interstate 4 bridge decks through the center of town. Planners want to turn that into a place for performance art, creative art, vendors, and recreational activities.
Orlando is considered a walkable transit-friendly city. It also has a high regard for U.S. car culture. Ace Cafe Orlando is a tribute to the world of motor vehicles. It's a 35,000-square foot dining entertainment, and retail destination with plenty of "cool" cars and motorcycles on display for visitors.
Real estate investors also benefit from Florida's business-friendly environment. It's a judicial state which favors property owners, encourages new business growth, and does "not" collect state tax.
The Real Wealth Network has also picked Orlando as a great place for buy & hold real estate investors. Come join us for an income property tour.


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Future of Economic Progress
How immigration has changed the world – for the better
Image: A migrant holds his passport and a train ticket in Freilassing, Germany September 15, 2015. REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler
Ian Goldin Professor of Globalization and Development; Director, Oxford Martin Programme on Technological and Economic Change, University of Oxford
We are helping platform companies improve working standards in the gig economy
Is immigration good or bad? Some argue that immigrants flood across borders, steal jobs, are a burden on taxpayers and threaten indigenous culture. Others say the opposite: that immigration boosts economic growth, meets skill shortages, and helps create a more dynamic society.
Evidence clearly shows that immigrants provide significant economic benefits. However, there are local and short-term economic and social costs. As with debates on trade, where protectionist instincts tend to overwhelm the longer term need for more open societies, the core role that immigrants play in economic development is often overwhelmed by defensive measures to keep immigrants out. A solution needs to be found through policies that allow the benefits to compensate for the losses.
Around the world, there are an estimated 230 million migrants, making up about 3% of the global population. This share has not changed much in the past 100 years. But as the world's population has quadrupled, so too has the number of migrants. And since the early 1900s, the number of countries has increased from 50 to over 200. More borders mean more migrants.
Of the global annual flow of around 15 million migrants, most fit into one of four categories: economic (6 million), student (4 million), family (2 million), and refugee/asylum (3 million). There are about 20 million officially recognized refugees worldwide, with 86% of them hosted by neighbouring countries, up from 70% 10 years ago.
In the US, over a third of documented immigrants are skilled. Similar trends exist in Europe. These percentages reflect the needs of those economies. Governments that are more open to immigration assist their country's businesses, which become more agile, adaptive and profitable in the war for talent. Governments in turn receive more revenue and citizens thrive on the dynamism that highly-skilled migrants bring.
Yet it is not only higher-skilled migrants who are vital. In the USA and elsewhere, unskilled immigrants are an essential part of the construction, agriculture and services sector.
If immigrants play such a vital role, why is there so much concern?
Some believe that immigrants take jobs and destroy economies. Evidence proves this wrong. In the United States, immigrants have been founders of companies such as Google, Intel, PayPal, eBay, and Yahoo! In fact, skilled immigrants account for over half of Silicon Valley start-ups and over half of patents, even though they make up less than 15% of the population. There have been three times as many immigrant Nobel Laureates, National Academy of Science members, and Academy Award film directors than the immigrant share of the population would predict. Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco concluded that "immigrants expand the economy's productive capacity by stimulating investment and promoting specialization, which produces efficiency gains and boosts income per worker".
Research on the net fiscal impact of immigration shows that immigrants contribute significantly more in taxes than the benefits and services they receive in return. According to the World Bank, increasing immigration by a margin equal to 3% of the workforce in developed countries would generate global economic gains of $356 billion. Some economists predict that if borders were completely open and workers were allowed to go where they pleased, it would produce gains as high as $39 trillion for the world economy over 25 years.
In the future, it will become even more imperative to ensure a strong labour supply augmented by foreign workers. Globally, the population is ageing. There were only 14 million people over the age of 80 living in 1950. There are well over 100 million today and current projections indicate there will be nearly 400 million people over 80 by 2050. With fertility collapsing to below replacement levels in all regions except Africa, experts are predicting rapidly rising dependency ratios and a decline in the OECD workforce from around 800 million to close to 600 million by 2050. The problem is particularly acute in North America, Europe and Japan.
There are, however, legitimate concerns about large-scale migration. The possibility of social dislocation is real. Just like globalization – a strong force for good in the world – the positive aspects are diffuse and often intangible, while the negative aspects bite hard for a small group of people.
Yes, those negative aspects must be managed. But that management must come with the recognition that migration has always been one of the most important drivers of human progress and dynamism. Immigration is good. And in the age of globalization, barriers to migration pose a threat to economic growth and sustainability. Free migration, like totally free trade, remains a utopian prospect, even though within regions (such as Europe) this has proved workable.
As John Stuart Mill forcefully argued, we need to ensure that the local and short-term social costs of immigration do not detract from their role "as one of the primary sources of progress".
Author: Ian Goldin is Director of the Oxford Martin School and Professor of Globalization and Development at the University of Oxford. This article draws on his book Exceptional people: How migration shaped our world and will define our future, co-authored with Geoffrey Cameron and Meera Balarajan and published by Princeton University Press. Twitter: @oxmartinschool. He is participating in the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos.
Ian Goldin, Professor of Globalization and Development; Director, Oxford Martin Programme on Technological and Economic Change, University of Oxford
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» MEMBER LOUNGE » Say Hello » Hi!
I have been listening to SCANDAL since 2009, Mamitasu's fan since I was born :D, I'm from Spain.
The more I listen to SCANDAL, the more I like it.
This year I could listen to them in Barcelona, It was amazing.
Hello, and welcome to the forum! Hope you have fun here!
Anyway, hope we can be friends!


It is known that cardiovascular and ischemic heart diseases are the leading cause of death in the developed countries. Long-term continuous monitoring of heart function provides a way to discover the problem early and take timely measures to prevent sudden heart attack.
A variety of wearable devices are available in the market with the feature of electrocardiogram monitoring. These devices can be connected with smartphones and provide data for applications. According to forecasts of research2guidance experts the smartphone applications will become the killer applications in mHealth solutions in the near future.
Nevertheless, long-term continuous monitoring leads to a problem of huge amounts of electrocardiogram data. Recently a number of efficient compression algorithms have been developed for ECG signal processing. These algorithms need to be adapted for using in mobile applications.
June 2011. Overview of related work and publications. Adapted code of forward and inverse DWT. Project plan and software requirements specification.
July 2011. API design and documentation. Test plan and constructed test scenarios.
August 2011. Working library prototype. Demo signal collection. Signal reconstruction quality evaluations from Medicine faculty experts.
September 2011. Optional data processing steps API (Burrows-Wheeler transform and lossless compression step).
October 2011. Ready-to-use library package. Full user & developer documentation.
November 2011. Report at FRUCT conference.
November 2011 – March 2012. Improvement of the mean compression ratio of Alive Heart and Activity Monitor recordings.
November 2012 – March 2013. Integration to the arrhythmia detection application.
April 2013 – October 2013. Integration to the server part of heart activity monitoring service.


text:
The circular economy: a powerful force for climate mitigation
Material Economics
Reusing plastic and metal could help keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius and allow the EU to go emission free by 2050, according to new research on the burgeoning circular economy. Upping the ante on circular economy efforts by increasing recycling could more than halve the EU's industrial emissions, a new study by Material Economics has concluded. Instead of focusing purely on decarbonising the supply side of industry, which includes greening energy sources and increasing the use of renewables, the study insists that industry demand could hold the key to big gains. By reusing and recycling four of the most emission-intensive materials (steel, plastics, aluminium and cement) to a greater extent, the EU could reduce the carbon footprint of its industry by 56%, which is roughly equivalent to 300 megatons of CO2 a year by mid-century. Recycling and reuse alone could reduce annual emissions by 178 Mt, while more efficient processes and retooled business models could add a further 56 Mt and 62 Mt, respectively.
MATERIAL-ECONOMICS-Circular-Economy-Review-draft.pdf
Low Carbon Economy
Budget 2013-2014: speech of P. Chidambaram, Minister of Finance


Last Trading Session: Exactly as per EquityPandit's predictions, Indian Stock Market opened flat for the day. Nifty achieved EquityPandit's target of 8073 for Nifty and made high of 8101.95 levels. Nifty managed to hold EquityPandit's predicted support levels of 8000. Sensex saw strong resistance near EquityPandit's predicted resistance levels of 27050. BankNifty made highs right on EquityPandit's predicted resistance levles of 16170 like a dot. Traders who followed EquityPandit's advice to go long in Nifty might have earned huge profits on Tuesday.
Today: Indian Stock Market to open flat for the day. Now, next logical target for Nifty is 8132 levels. Some profit booking can't be ruled out at this point of time but overall market would remain positive for India. FIIs were net buyers of Rs.672.81 crores whereas DIIs were net sellers of Rs.167.85 crores in Indian Stock Market on Tuesday. Indian Stock Market would see Strong support at 8050-8000-7965 levels for Nifty whereas resistance would be seen at 8132-8220 levels. Traders can go long until Nifty holds 8000 levels by closing. Since, EquityPandit's support and resistance levels always meet accuracy; hence traders are suggested to follow them for good profits.
NSE Nifty: (8083) The support for the Nifty is at 8050-8000-7965 and the resistance to the up move is at 8132-8220 levels.
NSE BankNifty: (16130) The support for the BankNifty is at 16050-15900-15790 and the resistance to the up move is at 16170-16380-16500 levels.
BSE Sensex: (27019) The support for the Sensex is at 26880-26730 and the resistance to the up move is at 27050-27180-27340 levels.


Had the pleasure of meeting brooke foster from stanton, ky this weekend she is a member of the renfro valley entertainment center troupe of entertainers. If you would like to see a picture please be willing to send one of yourself. Interactive and printable zip code maps, population demographics, hagerhill ky real estate costs, rental prices, and home values van lear, ky type.


Welcome! I'm excited to be participating in this Around The World Blog Hop! Thanks so much for asking me to join, Caroline. I was fortunate to meet Caroline in person at last year at Spring Market in Portland. I have been following her on Flickr and IG before that. I have been a fan of her work for a long time. She's an amazing pattern designer, quilter and she knits too!
I'm currently working on a quilt right now. This is a Michael Miller fabric challenge only for Sewtopia attendees. Amy sent 4 FQs of low volume prints. We are only allowed to use other Michael Miller fabrics for this challenge. I didn't realize I had so many fabrics in my stash that I could work with.... I'm actually kind of embarrassed.... Here's what I've done so far. I cut half square triangles (HST's) and added a strip down the middle. I used 5" squares I cut to make the HST's and the strips measured anywhere from 1.25" - 2". Then I squared them up to 5". I made some of them wonky just to change it up. Each block finishes at 4.5".
Something that sets me apart is that my work is varied. You will not see one style from me. I work with traditional blocks as well as modern. Putting a modern spin on a traditional block makes me giddy. I love machine quilting as well as hand quilting especially with embroidery floss. I even do raw edge and needle turn appliqué. I love trying new techniques and applying them to new projects. I also love an overall scrappy look.
3. Why do I create / write what I do?
I started sewing when I was in high school. Just for fun. Then I started sewing again after I became a mom for the first time. After I had my first child, my husband and I decided that I should stay home. After working for several years, staying at home was strange. I'm someone that's always doing something so I decided to sew again... Turns out I enjoyed it... ALOT! Then I discovered designer fabric.... The Modern Quilt Guild.... new friends that provided so much inspiration = I was HOOKED and still am!
4. How does my writing / creating process work?
I have a "just do it" attitude when it comes to my projects and my process. I took an improv class with Denyse Schmidt and it changed my creative process. The first thing she says is "Just Let Go. Who cares if this doesn't look good right now. It will all look great together at the end." There are so many times when I'm not crazy about a block I made. Instead of throwing it out, I keep it and continue making more. Once I'm done, I put everything together and it all looks great. Here's the quilt that I made from here class. She was right.
So that's it. Enough about me.. I would love for you to check out some of these ladies. They are all pretty amazing.
Amy Morinaka - (is the author of Zakka Handmade: 24 Projects Sewn from Natural Fabrics to Help Organize, Adorn, and Simplify Your Life- She makes the prettiest things! I just adore everything she makes. Check out her feed on IG - (chickchicksewing) and you'll know what I'm talking about.
Bonnie Rosales - I love her simple patchwork. I have never made anything with simple patchwork, but I started to because of all the cute ones that Bonnie's made. I didn't like pink before, but it's starting to grow on me. All because of this lovely lady. She has a great Boxy Pouch Tutorial on her blog. She's greenletterday on IG.
Jemellia Hilfiger - Have you ever met someone and just clicked right away. Kinda like you've been friends forever? That's how I feel about Jemellia! Talk about a "Just Do It" attitude..... She started a sewing studio called Je's Bend, she also co-founded Sew OK and now she's part of Sewtopia Chicago. Plus, he makes great garments and quilts too! She's jemellia on IG.
I love how bright and fun your projects are! Such a great blend of modern and traditional influences!


BLAENAVON have announced a one-off date in, erm, Blaenavon.
After a sold out headline tour in promotion of their debut LP, THAT'S YOUR LOT, the band have announced the date, which will see them play alongside the Blaenavon Male Voice Choir.
Frontman Ben Gregory says: "We owe a lot to the people of Blaenavon. We've blatantly ripped them off but they've still always supported us.
"We've been talking about a show there for years and now seems like the perfect time. Pretty bonkers that the Male Voice Choir are up for it, too. It's going to be the perfect ridiculous celebration of everyone's hard work over the last 5 years.
Blaenavon will play Blaenavon Workmen's Hall alongside Blaenavon Male Voice Choir on May 10.


So, as I need to get the number of cards of a given background "Bg1"
increase by 1, while with clone this card it does.
>>> is actually on the card.
>>> new card is not a part of the cards of the background!!
>> any other control, you get a new one.
> The way to see this is to check the ID of the backgrounds.
> To include the cards as having the same bg ID, use the Place command.
> confused about which one is which.
> having its own ID.
the number of cds in bg "bg1"
> background behavior of a group it true.
> (backgrounds and groups) belong to the stack, not the card.


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British actor Naomie Harris delivers a standout performance as New Orleans police officer Alicia West in Black and Blue. YouTube
FILM REVIEW: Black and Blue honest portrayal of cop's struggle to do the right thing
This is no art film, but you'll see a great performance from Naomie Harris, writes Robert Moyes
Hard-edged police thrillers have been popular for many decades, and Black and Blue does a fair job of marshalling the obligatory clichés that have long adhered to this workhorse genre.
Oscar-nominated British actor Naomie Harris (Skyfall, Moonlight) stars as Alicia West, a rookie cop in New Orleans. West had fled her black ghetto a decade earlier, ultimately serving two military tours in Afghanistan. She's returned to her troubled home town with hopes of "making a difference," but soon finds that many of her fellow cops are cynics and racists while the underclass ghetto blacks are angry and suspicious – often with good reason.
"You're blue now," warns a hard-ass superior officer, also black, who fears West's do-gooder attitude will get her into trouble. But when trouble comes, the source is unexpected: she stumbles upon a trio of corrupt officers executing a young drug dealer. With that shocking scene filmed on her body cam, West is literally a target: wounded and on the run from those killer cops, she's framed for the murder and is soon being hunted by both cops and drug dealers. With no allies except for a convenience store clerk (Tyrese Gibson, Fast & Furious) who reluctantly comes to her aid, West seems unlikely to survive the night.
Much of Blue wouldn't be out of place on any decent TV cop show. The corrupt cops are slimy, and the drug dealers swagger around being all "gangstah." In terms of action, the suspense-filled early chase scenes evolve into some adrenaline-pumping gun-and-run episodes, all leading to a climactic siege where cops and gangbangers shoot it out with brutally convincing lethality.
But if the plotting is routine and many of the characters seem to come from a Scriptwriting 101 course, the direction is kinetic and the portrayal of the hardscrabble life in those post-Katrina ghettos is honest and empathetic.
No one's going to mistake this for an art film, but the social-justice themes about poverty and oppression and institutionalized police corruption certainly resonate in an era of Black Lives Matter. The charismatic Gibson swaps out his usual bad-boy cutes for an interesting performance as a decent, conflicted man just trying to get by keeping his head down. But save most of your applause for the abundantly talented Harris, whose portrayal of the gutsy and idealistic rookie is Blue's greatest asset.
Rating: **1/2
Stars Naomie Harris and Tyrese Gibson
Directed by Deon Taylor
An edgy thriller slowly unfolds as Ian McKellen plays an elderly British con artist who sets his larcenous sights on a wealthy widow (Helen Mirren) he hopes to fleece.
Charlie's Angels
Kristen Stewart leads the charge as the sassy, sexy trio of crime-busting babes gets its latest reboot. Also starring Patrick Stewart.
The great Edward Norton directs himself in this promising adaptation of Jonathan Lethem's award-winning novel about a lonely New York detective suffering from Tourette syndrome who tries to figure out who killed his friend and mentor.
Stephen King's work is back on the silver screen in this chiller starring Ewan McGregor, playing a grown-up version of the boy from The Shining who has psychic abilities.
In what is supposed to be a direct follow-up to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong and the inimitable Arnold Shwarzenegger return to battle the 'borgs and save us all from a ghastly future.
editor@mondaymag.com
Film ReviewsRobert Moyes
MATHIEU POIRIER: Liven up November with the Christmas Craft Beer Show
TESS VAN STRAATEN:Chinatown Confidential: Colour, culture and tasty treats


Safe Schools/Healthy Students Grant Awarded to Pennsylvania!
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services was recently was awarded a federal grant of $2 million per year for four years to help create safe and supportive schools and communities. OMHSAS will work in partnership with the Department of Education to implement the grant which will develop exemplary safe and supportive schools in three local education agencies: Penncrest School District, Crawford County; Northeastern School District, York County; and Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit. The State will work with these three school systems and their respective county partners to develop local needs assessment and to implement plans that organize the resources of the schools, child serving agencies, and communities.
The planning process will identify ways to decrease bullying, youth violence and criminal behavior as well as to promote the healthy development, social and emotional learning, and academic achievement of all students. There are many programs that have proven outcomes for youth with serious behavior problems. However, what is lacking is a comprehensive multi-tiered framework which brings together service agencies, community resources, schools, and families with a dedicated commitment to fully support the healthy development of young people.
The basis for the commitment to the SS/HS model is the growing realization among officials in Education, Behavioral Health and Juvenile Justice, along with youth and families, of the need to join forces to address the most difficult challenges for schools and communities.
This will be a four-year project with over $2 million per year in federal funding, with no state funds required.
Currently, applications are being accepted for project director, co-director and administrative assistance. The postings are available at www.iu1.org/hr/career/pattan-nov13.shtml<http://www.iu1.org/hr/career/pattan-nov13.shtml>. Please note: Deadline for applications is Nov. 13.