text:
Lancelot Link: Job Interview
Lancelot Link Monday! It's Back To School time, so I thought it would be fun to fill the links with Screenwriter interviews (plus *one* STAR WARS link). So here are a collection of links to interviews with people who have the same job as we do. Are they doing something that we aren't? While you're thinking about that, here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are a dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1) Weekend Box Office Estimates:
1 Straight Outta.................. $13,240,000
2 War Room........................ $11,000,000
3 MI: Rhythm Nation................ $8,300,000
4 Nose Escape...................... $8,288,000
5 Sinister 2....................... $4,650,000
6 UNCLE (Man, not Vanya)........... $4,410,000
7 Hitman 47........................ $3,850,000
8 The Gift......................... $3,134,000
9 Jurassic Universe................ $3,120,000
10 Ant Man.......................... $3,054,000
The massively hyped "SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER for this generation" movie WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS *megaflopped* and opened at #13. It played in almost twice as many cinemas as JURASSIC WORLD (which has been out for 12 weeks) but still couldn't crack the top 10. Yikes.
2) TERMINATOR; GENISYS Screenwriters Interviewed.
3) Interview With Jeffrey Hatcher about MR. HOLMES.
4) Peter Hanson On What He's Learned Interviewing Screenwriters.
5) Tarantino On Screenwriting.
6) Interview With FAST & FURIOUS 7 screenwriter Chris Morgan.
7) STAR WARS In Chronological Order.
8) Robert Towne WGA Interview.
9) Interview With Terry Rossio.
10) Steve Zaillian Interview.
11) Interview With Billy Wilder.
12) Birthday Boy Preston Sturges...
And the Car Chase Of The Week:
Bicycle:
Just Listen!
From 3 Years ago...
Now that my blood pressure is back to normal I can talk about it.
I hired someone to do some work, and gave them *very specific instructions* on what to do... and then they showed me the results it was as close to the exact opposite of what I asked for as you can get. When I mentioned this, they said that they were being creative - and thought I'd like their version even more than what I asked for. I did not. The reason why I gave *very specific instructions* is that I wanted it done that way, not some other way. Now I'm stuck with it done the wrong way, and have to undo it, then pay someone else to re-do it the way I wanted, and complicating all of this is that it's a friend - so they will want to know why I changed it from their version. Here's the thing - the reason why I went out of my way to give *very specific instructions* is that is how I wanted it. Not some other way. I wish my friend had just *listened* to my instructions...
Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while may remember the entry about trying to find a new place to get my hair cut when they closed the little barbershop I used to go to in North Hollywood. The woman who cut my hair in the little barbershop was a tejano singer, and this was her day job. And when I told her how I wanted my hair cut *that's* how she cut it. After they closed I tried a succession of places (still really haven't found a great one) and many of the places were *awful*. The worst was the most expensive haircut I have ever had - and the guy at the *salon* was an "artist" who cut my hair so that it was longer on one side than the other *on purpose*. I had to walk around with my head cocked to the right for a couple of weeks until I could get it fixed, and ended up with a sore neck. The salon guy was an *artist* - and his *vision* of my haircut was that one side would be longer than the other. That is not what I asked for at all!
The problem with artists is that sometimes they don't listen.
HEAR ME OUT!
Wait! Screenwriters are artists - are you saying we should just keep our mouths shut and do what we're told?
No. That's not the same as *listening*. The assignment I just finished began as an idea from the producer. I liked their idea, but had an interesting twist that wasn't part of their original story. Should I have just kept my mouth shut and done what I had been told? Well, when they told me the idea, it seemed as if this was just a general idea and I could play with it. It did not seem like their idea was *exactly* what they wanted, more that it was a jumping off point. But because I had never worked with them before, I asked "Hey, would it be okay if I did this?" before going to script. That way, if I had "read them" wrong, I wouldn't end up with a completed screenplay that they hated. Saves *me* work. And their response was: "Cool!" Usually when they hire a screenwriter they don't just want some typing monkey - they *want* someone who is going to come up with interesting ideas. Because I listened closely I heard that they would probably be open to my ideas - but I asked just in case.
And that's the most important lesson in *listening* - it's not only what they say, it's how they say it. Two different producers may give you the same instructions, but one wants them followed to the letter and the other is just giving you a suggestion and *wants* you to play with it and come up with something even better. Part of a writer's job is to get under the skin of different character and understand how they tick, so that we can write them truthfully - and those skills are required even when we are in a meeting! If you are not good at understanding other people, "reading them", listening to the *way* they say things as well as what they say; you will have a heap-o-trouble as a screenwriter. A novelist can sit alone in a room and type, but a screenwriter is part of the team - we are making movies with all kinds of people and part of the job is *understanding other people*. That guy across the desk and those two assistants on the sofa are like your characters - you can't just at them from the outside, you have to get under their skin. When they say something, you have to figure out what they mean... what they REALLY mean.
The good news is that you are allowed to ask questions.
The other good news is that assignments usually happen in steps - so if you completely screw up it'll probably just be in the treatment stage, and you won't have to throw a whole screenplay away. Some people dislike the steps in a step deal, but I love them because they prevent me from making a huge stupid mistake that requires I toss a whole draft. I can just screw up 15 pages and toss that. The problem with writing something for someone else (an assignment) on the fly - no outline or treatment - is that you can easily mis-read some small thing that is really a big things and end up writing something they hate so much they fire you. The ugly truth is that can happen even if you write exactly what they want - sometimes they read it and realize it doesn't work (and *you* get the blame and fired rather than them admitting their idea stunk). But the more things you can do to give them the script they want, the better off you'll be. And *often* what they want is something even better than what they can imagine - which is why they hired you and not a monkey.
DO AS YOU'RE TOLD!
But sometimes when they tell you what they want - that is *exactly* what they want! That's why you have to learn how to read people. In the very same story notes meeting, the executive can tell you one thing that is a suggestion and another that is a requirement - and if you aren't listening carefully you may treat them the same. Often there are reasons and conditions they don't tell you about - you're only the writer. So on the rewrites to one of my scripts that sold, they had an actor in mind - but never told me this. Because the actor would want certain things in the script that were not in the original version, they mentioned them in the notes - and I wasn't listening closely enough (and thought they were stupid ideas) and left them out of the next draft. They were FURIOUS - because they wanted to send that draft to the star, and now they couldn't. Oh, I get it... so I included the stupid notes once I understood their purpose. By the way - the star said no, and another actor got stuck doing stupid things. I learned my lesson and listened closer and asked questions when I wasn't sure.
Often notes have a practical reason, like snagging a star for less than their quote, and when they say they want something, they want *exactly* that! Sometimes there is a specific location or service or actor or some other thing that they need to make the movie (or sell it) and when they say they *need* a sex scene in a submarine, they kind of don't want to hear the screenwriter's smart ass response. That's a great example - HBO demanded a sex scene in CRASH DIVE! And they were *funding the film*. As far as the producer knew, if he delivered a script *without* that sex scene HBO would pull the plug and there would be no movie. I could have killed the whole deal!
But usually when you get a note like this, it's phrased as "We need a sex scene" rather than "We'd like a sex scene" or "What do you think about a sex scene here?" - but again, it's often not the words but how they are spoken. You have to listen. There are producers and directors and stars who make everything sound like it's just some minor favor they are asking you, when it's really something that is critical and if you screw it up some other writer is working on the script next week. If you listen closely, you can tell which it is.
On every rewrite and every assignment there have been both notes that were suggestions and notes that were required.
USE YOUR HEAD!
If you don't remember *how* they said the note, and forgot to ask (happens), all is not lost! You can often figure it out on your own. Just like with your characters, it all comes down to motivations - *why* would they say this? Thing about the note and the project and the person who gave you the note - look for reasons behind the note. We usually end up doing this anyway, because often notes are about the symptom but not the disease and our job as writers is to find the "note behind the note" and solve the disease which in turn solves the symptoms. Often that hidden problem solves all kinds of surface problems. But when the note doesn't seem to be improving the screenplay, but changing it - sometimes that's just a producer pissing in your script because they love the color yellow... and sometimes there is a hidden practical reason that you can unearth if you think about it.
The producer wants the protagonist to drive a *new* Ford Mustang instead of a cool vintage 1968 fastback. Well, any sane person would rather have him drive the vintage car... so maybe this note is really about product placement? On stuff like this, half of the notes will probably have some practical reason you can figure out and the other half will be pissing. But if you don't stop to think about which is which, you could either end up leaving out several important things they need to get the film made... or filling your script with piss.
There are some creative people who are so self centered they never listen. I suspect my screw up friend falls into this category. They are always off doing their own thing... even when they are supposed to be doing *your* thing. There are screenwriters who get hired to adapt a book and instead focus on some minor element in the book they like and toss out the rest - which is the stuff the audience wants to see. So you end up with a script that just doesn't work and gets shelved. If the writer is brilliant enough to write something amazing every once in a while, they don't get kicked out of the business... but they end up with a bunch of producers who ended up with the weirdo drafts who will never hire them again.
I know a writer who got his big break - a producer read his spec script and hired him to write a genre script. Now, the writer was told *exactly* what subgenre this was, and the producer gave him a list of hit films in the genre they were hoping to make as much money as. But the write wasn't listening. He thought the subgenre was played out, and wrote a script in a different subgenre (instead of buddy action, gangster film) and the producer exploded at him. Here's the thing - when you hire a writer, you have to pay him for the draft... even if it's not what you wanted. So this producer was out almost 6 figures on some new writer who couldn't just do what he was told. The producer did not want to make a dark gritty gangster film, he wanted to make a fun buddy action film. The producer was not quiet about wasting money on this script, and the writer's big break backfired on him. A few years later, when everyone forgot about his past screw up, he had another spec lead to an assignment... and this time he listened and wrote a script in the genre they asked for. I think he still screwed that up - by not listening to many small requirements and being replaced by another writer. If a producer asks you for a buddy action script, your job is to give them the most amazing and creative buddy action script every written. To be creative and give them something *better* than they wanted (but still what they wanted). I think this guy has problems with authority (don't all writers?) and does his own thing just to screw the guy paying him. He's all about himself - and doesn't listen to anybody.
That authority/ego thing is strong in many creative types. There are writers who *refused* to listen, even if it's for their own good. I can't count the number of writers I've encountered on message boards who ask for advice or feedback on pages - and when they are told something they don't want to hear they reject it. People try to help them, and they go ballistic! One guy who used to regularly post pages got the exact same feedback on every single draft - it was as if he *refused* to fix the problem that everyone pointed out, but changed everything else! Character names, locations, situations - all would change. The problem with the scene? Always remained. Always. The posted pages never got better - they just got different. Why he refused to make the change that would make them *better* is anyone's guess.
I have said before that I think some writers are self destructive and do things like this on purpose - they *want* to fail. So when a dozen people give the same note, they fight it - because applying that note would improve their work... and they'd rather fail. Maybe they're afraid of big failure so they put off any situation that would get their script into the hands of someone who might actually buy it or hire them by screwing up on a small scale so that people keep telling them they aren't ready... No chance to fail big time (where it matters) if you fail small time (where it's just a bunch of message board idiots). Whatever the reason, if people like this would just *listen* they'd become better writers. None of us are perfect, and if a bunch of people have the same problem with your screenplay there's a pretty good chance it may need some work. Hey, maybe everyone is wrong - but hear them out. Give it a good listen and honest consideration. The amusing thing with this guy was that he kept posting pages with the same problems, so when someone new joined the group and read his pages, they'd say what dozens of people had said before... and the guy would go back and rewrite his script changing a bunch of things *except* the problem. It became free entertainment when the new board member would become angry and frustrated because this guy wasn't fixing the problem.
One of the problems with people who are stuck in their own heads and don't listen to the world around them is that they are usually crappy writers. They are not listening to the different voices and attitudes and cadences of the people around them - so all of their characters sound exactly alike. A major part of our job as screenwriters is to observe the world around us, and part of that is *listening*. If you have shut yourself off from the world, you have shut yourself off from life, I know an artist (sculptor) who seems oblivious to the world around her - and keeps destroying relationships because she just isn't listening to her boyfriends at all. She expects to the world to work around her - and when some guy goes out with her and tells her something important she nods but is not paying attention. When the guy gets angry, she still doesn't really listen to him... then wonders why she got dumped again. I think as artists we *do* live in our own little worlds sometimes, but we need to come out of them often enough to be part of the real world. Our work becomes better and our lives become better if we just listen sometimes.
I have a Script Tip in rotation called Listen & Observe about keeping your eyes and ears open for interesting things in the world around you. That's such a basic thing for writers that it seems silly that I have a Tip about it... except I keep bumping into writers who need to be reminded to open their eyes now and then. I can't imagine those people in some meeting where they're missing all of the notes and the *how* of the notes - so when they turn in their next draft it's *nothing* like what they need. Instead of a buddy action script, it's about a musical about a caveman alone in a cave.
When people are talking to you, listen! You may listen closely and decide they were just making a suggestion instead of telling you a requirement - but how could you tell if you were not paying attention? You can be an artist and be creative, and still be part of the team making a movie and listen to others on the team. And when someone gives you *very specific instructions* on what to do - realize there was probably some reason they went to all of the trouble to be so specific. Because that's what they want. And instead you gave them something else - like a haircut that requires them to cock their heads to the side for a month until their hair grows out!
*** THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Kindle!
*** THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Nook!
Why pay $510 for a used version of the 240 page 2000 version that used to retail for $21.95? (check it out!) when you can get the NEW EXPANDED VERSION - over 500 pages - for just $9.99? New chapters, New examples, New techniques!
"SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING is the best book on the practical nuts-and-bolts mechanics of writing a screenplay I've ever read." - Ted Elliott, co-writer of MASK OF ZORRO, SHREK, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN and the sequels (with Terry Rossio).(ie; 4 of the top 20 Box Office Hits Of ALL TIME.)
Only $9.99 - and no postage!
Lancelot Link: Slow News Week.
Lancelot Link Monday! This was a slow news week for film, a busy week for TV (lots of casting new) plus Screen Actors Guild held an election that was a squeaker... with Ken Howard retaining his office by a hair. Will he run for President Of The United States next? Ronald Reagan began as a union leader, President of SAG, and then ran for Governor Of California and President. WHITE SHADOW in the White House? While you're thinking about that, here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
2 M:I: Rogue...................... $11,700,000
3 Sinister 3...................... $10,633,000
4 Agent 47......................... $8,200,000
5 U.N.C.L.E........................ $7,420,000
6 American Ultra................... $5,500,000
7 Gift............................. $4,300,000
8 Ant Man.......................... $4,088,000
9 Filet Minons...................... $3,710,000
10 F4............................... $3,650,000
I guess no one saw AGENT 47 because they hadn't seen the first 46 movies in the series...
2) The Next TERMINATOR Movie May Be In Mandarin....
3) Summer Box Office Round Up!
4) Interview With Bobcat Goldthwait On CALL ME LUCKY.
5) SpectreVision Horror Film Fest Line Up.
6) Almost 100 Remakes In The Works As Hollywood Plays It *Ultra* Safe.
7) TV Stocks Fall... Is TV In Trouble?
8) You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover... Because So Many Use The Exact Same Art!
9) Amazon Films To Release Through Open Road.
10) TV Deal Makers.
11) Colin Trevorrow Dust Up On Women IN Hollywood.
12) Shannyn Sossamon On SINISTER 2.
You know Kern Howard from WHITE SHADOW, I know him from THE MANHUNTER.
Lancelot Link: Straight Outta...
Lancelot Link Monday! STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON did superhero business over the weekend, leaving everyone else in the dust. No one expected it to do this much business, and going into the weekend some were called crazy for thinking that it might make as much as $40 million. So it made over $56 million!
This has caused Universal to think about sequels, and at first the plan was to turn it into a trilogy, but taking a page from Marvel and Star Wars they are no looking at the "Compton Universe" and the idea of making dozens of sequels and spinoffs and parallel films the way Marvel has done with the Avengers characters and the way Disney is doing with STAR WARS films like ROGUE ONE and the BOBA FETT film (etc).
Universal is also taking a page from Disney and STAR WARS when it comes to theme parks... just as Disney announced they would add a STAR WARS Land to all of their theme parks, Universal is now planning a Compton Land to all of their theme parks the way they added the FAST & FURIOUS movies to theme parks earlier this year. No word on what Compton Land would feature, but there's a good chance park patrons will spend part of the adventure in handcuffs making asphalt angels on the street... While you're thinking about that, here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
2 M:I Rogue ...................... $17,000,000
3 Ant Man From Uncle.............. $13,535,000
4 Fantastic 4...................... $8,000,000
6 Ant Man (no uncle)............... $5,517,000
7 Vacation......................... $5,330,000
8 Minions.......................... $5,200,000
9 DC's Ricki & The Flash........... $4,570,000
10 Trainwreck........................ $3,800,000
2) F. Gary Gray Interviewed On STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON.
3) D23 News: STAR WARS Land @ Disneyland & TOMORROWLAND Director @ STAR WARS.
4) PAGE Award Semi Finalists List!
5) Writing Award Winners Announced!
6) Terry Rossio on Screenwriting.
7) Walter Hill On Directing.
8) MAD MEN Creator Matt Weiner On Breaking In.
9) Sharon Stone On Being Naked... heck, pictures of her naked... and she's my age (qualified to be an AARP member).
10) STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE vs. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION?
11) Don't Fear The Development Notes.
12) Death Of "The Bond Girl".
13) TRUMBO Trailer:
The movie they thought would open at #1.
The Original Black Swan
From 4 and a half years ago, when I saw BLACK SWAN...
BLACK SWAN is like BAD INFLUENCE meets REPULSION meets REPULSION again... and maybe a couple of more times... in the world of ballet.
MILD SPOILERS...
I liked it. And not just because of the sex scene (why did Portman keep her bra on?) and not just because it has every nerd's wet dream woman in it - Winona, Natalie, Mila... and a nightmare version of Hershey for us old farts (hot in THE STUNTMAN, BOXCAR BERTHA, and THE ENTITY - but what happened to her face? Bad plastic surgery?)... but for that wacked out Polanski style stuff like the toe nails splitting in half, the hangnail from hell, the toes fused together, the goose flesh, and all of the rest of the madness. The strange thing about the film is that I was worried she would break her leg in many scenes - when that was never part of the story. The film just made me paranoid that bad things would happen for no reason. The movie got into my head! Under my skin!
As I left the cinema, I passed a guy who looked just like me... but dressed in white!
Here is the trailer for REPULSION for comparison...
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Story is Change - and INVICTUS.
Dinner: China Wall.
Pages: Finished 2 articles for Script Mag over the weekend! Now back to the spec - which is almost finished.
Bicycle: No. Rain.
Movies: Yes, and some reviews are coming soon.
Lancelot Link: Not So Fantastic?
Lancelot Link Monday! Okay, let's say you are making a movie and the script leaks and a bunch of people online bitch that it's not what they expected and the studio worries that it's not what the audience expected so they have the whole last half rewritten and reshot and now it's maybe exactly what the audience is expecting... but is that a good thing? What if they ruined the film? What if he film flops? Loses money? What if the boss was wrong? Can you fire the boss for screwing up? While you're thinking about that, here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are over a dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1 MI: Rouge Nation................ $29,400,000
2 FANT4STIC 4..................... $26,200,000
3 The Gift........................ $12,007,000
7 Ricki............................ $7,000,000
8 Trainwreck....................... $6,300,000
9 Pixels........................... $5,430,000
10 Southpaw......................... $4,764,000
The only other Marvel movie that Fantastic 4 did better than on opening weekend was GHOST RIDER 2... and you probably didn't even know they made a sequel to the first one. F4 got a C- from the audience (through pollster CinemaScore), and even PIXELS ended up with a B! The biggest indicator that word of mouth killed this film is the major drop off from Friday to Saturday... it usually works the other way around, with Saturday posting higher grosses than Friday! So this is a *major* flop... and someone at Fox should not only lose their job, they should be kicked out of Hollywood for life. At #3 THE GIFT did great, it's one of Blumhouse's $5 million or less budgeted films. No one else in Hollywood seems to be able to make films in this price range... it would be a $30 million film at any other studio.
2) Managers: Here's A List Of Ones To Know.
3) The Far Side Of Joel & Ethan Coen.
4) What Movie Are You Seeing At The End Of 2017?
5) Edgy 70s Directors... Like William Friedkin, tells all!
6) Edgy Indie 70s Writers Didn't Outline, Right?
7) Wim Wenders Early Films Are Some Of My Favorites... And They Are Being Rereleased!
8) From Ian Fleming to Len Deighton: Screenwriters Wade & Purvis. SS:GB is one of those cool "What if the Nazis won WW2?" novels like FATHERLAND, for those who haven't read it. John Garner (who wrote some Bond novels) has a page turner called THE LAST TRUMP where Russia wins the Cold War and takes over the UK, which is also similar.
9) The First 2 Years Of A Screenwriter's Career.
10) When Demme Met Herzog.
11) When Billy Ray Met Reality.
12) When We All Met Reality????
13) GOOSEBUMPS Adaptation Is Like ADAPTATION?
14) Island Of Lost Films... Jerry Lewis' THE DAY THE CLOWN CRIED May Get Released In The Year 2025... If Mankind Is Still Alive.
15) Is Tweeting That The Studio Ruined Your Film Career Suicide... If The Film Flops? 16) Tweeted To Death? And the Car Chase Of The Week:
Improved by dubbing?
The Pecking Order
From 4 years ago... Emily has made more films since then. Check out TENSPOTTING!
Emily over on Bamboo Killers recently had some writer query her "production company" to see if she wanted to buy their screenplay. The initial problem with that is that Emily is a screenwriter who has produced one of her own short scripts and probably hopes to be involved in the production of her feature scripts. (Don't tell producers this, because there is already a "producer credit glut", but if you are a writer you are creating and developing material and that makes you a producer, too – if you can convince the actual producer with the money connections. Nothing wrong with asking.) But just because you have those $20 business cards that say you are a writer-producer doesn't mean you are in any position to buy some dude's epic screenplay for a cool million – you're trying to sell your own scripts! The very first rule of querying is *NOT* to query blind – do your homework, know everything about the production company first.
If this person had just read Emily's blog (probably where they got her e-mail address) they'd have discovered she's a high school teacher trying to break into screenwriting. She's not going to buy your script. Emily wouldn't have made that mistake. She's smart enough to research first... and that's what her current blog entry is about.
Emily is great, and went out of her way to help this guy with his query letter so that when he *does* send it to someone who might be interested in buying his epic blockbuster script, he'd have a better chance... and the guy shot back an angry response! Hey, no good deed goes unpunished.
Meanwhile, on a messageboard, there was a recent post was about taking advice from idiots on the web. Only problem is - who are the idiots? The web is a great thing because a new writer can learn from a more experienced writer, but also – because of the anonymous aspect – you may be learning from an idiot... and learning how to do things wrong. And what is interesting about all of this is that often on message boards there will be someone who has had a small amount of success (optioned a script or something) who is giving advice on production rewrites – something they know nothing about. Now, this person may have all kinds of good advice on getting your script optioned, but they know nothing about production rewrites. And here's the thing – we are all idiots about something. There are things that we know nothing about... and you probably shouldn't trust us about those things that we have no experience in. I know some famous pro writers, and one in particular had an interesting "in" to the business but has no idea how someone who was not born with his connections would get in – so he never gives advice on that subject. I'm not going to give you advice on how to deal with $20 million movie stars... but if you want to know how to deal with Gary Busey...
Emily has found representation and her work has got her some meetings with actual real-live producers and at one point – almost an assignment. So, she knows something. The guy should have taken her advice, because that's stuff she knows about. Her blog entry gives great advice on all of those scammers out there who claim to be producers and want you to pay packaging fees or pay for coverage services. Make sure you do your research before you query... and remember that money flows *to* the writer.
There are levels of experience – and if someone has more experience than you do they may have good advice. A pecking order, if you will. Some people know more than others, and their experience makes their advice more valuable.
The thing about advice online is that you should never blindly believe *anything* – use your head! But also consider the experiences of the person giving the advice. There are a lot of people who use Stephen King's advice from ON WRITING for their screenplays – and although King knows everything about writing novels, when it comes to screenplays we are talking MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE... so maybe that novel advice doesn't transfer well to scripts? Think it through – maybe some of it does, and some of it doesn't. And sometimes the advice from someone who isn't as famous as Stephen King may be better than King's – look at the advice as well as who is dishing it out. But usually there's that "pecking order" at work, and the person with the most experience will have the better advice. IMDB the person to see what they've done, and if they're a one hit wonder or have a lot of experience in the biz.
If someone is a professional screenwriter, they probably know more about writing a script than someone who has never sold anything. There is some *reason* why they are a professional screenwriter. One of the strange things about advice online is that often the loudest voice is what people listen to... and usually the loudest voice belongs to the person with the least actual experience. On one message board I frequent there is a guy who starts a half dozen threads a day, all centered around him and his writing genius. But, um, he has never sold or optioned or got a meeting or (as far as I know) gotten a read off any of his scripts. Maybe you shouldn't follow his advice? Maybe the reason why he has had no success is because his advice is just plain wrong?
Also - watch out for people who have a lot of experience in one area, but none at all in another. They may have great advice in their area of expertize, but awful advice on subjects they don't know about.
Are you listening, Stephen (MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE) King?
BAD NOTES
There's a company I've had meetings with that promoted to a *suit* to VP of Development, and this guy has zero story experience but is still in the position to give notes – and his notes suck. He knows all about what sells, but nothing about *how to write a screenplay that works*. So his notes usually make the script worse - and the films made from them *don't* sell as well! He's using his "apples" experiences to grow "oranges" and it's not working. If I were him, I would find some assistant who knows *everything* about story and leave the notes to them. That way, he still gets to be the boss – but also gives better notes that don't end up trashing every script he touches.
When I first came to Los Angeles after selling COURTING DEATH to Paramount, I was looking around for some writers to swap scripts with to get feedback. It's kind of like dating to find a girlfriend – you go on a lot of bad dates! One of the "bad dates" was a husband and wife writing team who had zero luck so far getting anything sold or optioned, and I thought I'd be getting *two* opinions for the price of one. But after trading a couple of scripts, I realized they were not a good match. There was a reason why they had never had anything sold or optioned – most of their notes on my two scripts consisted of turning what was interesting and different into boring cliches - "What if he's a private eye?" "If you give him a pet dog he'd be more likeable!" - and the scripts of theirs that I read were trite, boring, and bland. It's like whenever they had a decision between interesting and seen-it-before they went with seen-it-before. Anything that was potentially interesting got sanded down to bland. And the problem was that they thought they were *right* - they thought their bad notes were good notes... and didn't realize that what they thought was good was actually bad (and vice versa). The *liked* boring cliche characters! They *liked* dull dialogue! They *liked* "low concept". Their notes on my scripts were all about turning it into mush. "You need to take out the exciting parts..."
This may be the same problem Emily's query letter writer has – he's defending his bad query letter instead of learning from someone higher up the pecking order who has more experience in these things. Know your place! If someone has more experience than you do, they probably know more - so you might be better off listening instead of talking.
After reading two of their scripts and getting their notes of two of my scripts, I figured it was not a match and moved on. As far as I know they never sold or optioned anything - which makes sense because they argued with all of my advice on how to improve their scripts. They *liked* bland and boring! And they wanted everyone else to write bland and boring, too.
I think it's important to consider the experience of whoever is giving you the notes or advice. If someone who can't get anyone to read a script off a query letter is telling you how to write a query letter – take that advice with a grain of salt. If *you* are giving the advice, make sure it is based on your actual experience and if you are posting under a pseudonym maybe mention your level of experience so that people can gauge your advice. And beware of giving advice to someone with more experience in whatever the subject is – hard not to look like an idiot when you do that. There's a guy on a message board I frequent who is always handing down proclamations way outside of his pay grade - and to most of us he looks like a complete idiot... but some people may think he knows what he's talking about. That's kind of frightening.
If you don't know what you are talking about, maybe you should shut up and listen?
We can all learn from people who have more experience than we do – as long as we don't fight the knowledge and acknowledge that we don't know everything. If you are below someone in "the pecking order" they may have knowledge and experience that you can learn from... and maybe you should pay attention to their notes on your query letter. You might learn something.
Oh, and here's Emily's latest, TENSPOTTING!
Lancelot Link Monday: GOAT PROTOCOL
Lancelot Link Monday! Tom Cruise is still a movie star. Remember back when Cruise had done that crazy sofa jumping on Oprah's show and his career was over? Then he played Les Grossman in TROPIC THUNDER and people thought he was cool again? Okay, what can Adam Sandler do that will do the same for his career? What sort of role could he play? While you're thinking about that, here are this week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are over a baker's dozen links plus this week's car chase...
1 MI: Rogue Nation................ $56,000,000
2 Vacation........................ $14,850,000
3 Ant Man......................... $12,619,000
4 Magic Minions................... $12,200,000
5 Pixels........................... $10,400,000
6 Train Wreck...................... $9,700,000
7 Southpaw......................... $7,519,000
8 Papaertowns...................... $4,600,000
9 Inside Out....................... $4,517,000
10 Jurassic World.................... $3,800,000
2) Christopher McQuarrie Interview.
3) Spy Movies Vs. Real Life...
4) Has Hollywood Forgotten How To Plot?
5) Indie Film Box Office.
6) Inside the PSYCHO House!
7) Student Academy Award Finalists.
8) Screenwriter Susannah Grant On Stages Of Her Career (so far).
9) 25 Best Action Movies Of The Century! (so far)
10) And The Best Crime Films Of The Century! (so far)
11) Mark Hamill's Autographs.
12) Indie Horror Films: Better Than Ever!
13) The ORIGINAL Harry Potter returns!
14) Reviewer Pissed At Quote Pulled Out Of Context.
The last time Ethan Hunt was on a motorcycle...


The Jewish Star's coverage of a 2017 protest by Rambam students at the Nazi's home featured the cover of the New York Daily News.
A former guard at a Nazi concentration camp was deported to Germany this week from Jackson Heights, Queens, where he had lived for decades.
Jakiw Palij, 95, served as a guard at the Trawniki concentration camp near Lublin, Poland, during World War II, and may face prosecution in Germany for his actions.
Students at Rambam Mesivta High School in Lawrence have been protesting in front of Palij's Jackson Heights home for years.
Because Germany, Poland, Ukraine and other countries refused to take him, he continued living in limbo in the two-story, red brick home in Queens he shared with his wife Maria.
Germany's Foreign Office said its decision to accept Palij showed the country was accepting its "moral responsibility." And Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told the German tabloid Bild that those who "committed the worst crimes on behalf of Germans" would be held accountable.
Earlier this year, a group of more than 80 New York politicians, led by Boro Park Assemblyman Dov Hikind, petitioned the Trump administration regarding Palij.
"They told us we would be picking up mines. But that was a lie," he told the paper. "In that camp they took us — 17-, 18-, 19-year-old boys. I am one of them. They did not give us Nazi uniforms. They gave us guard uniforms: pants, black; shirts, light brown; and hats with one button in the front. You could tell we were not Nazis. If you tried to run away, they take your family and shoot all of them.
Mosberg was quoted Tuesday during a tour of the Auschwitz memorial museum in Poland. He attended it with four Republican members of Congress as part of a delegation of the From the Depths, a Shoah commemoration group.
The Jewish Star contributed to this report.


Group of people in front of wooden building. 1920s. Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries. University of Houston Digital Library. Web. April 19, 2019. https://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/p15195coll17/item/609.
Group of people in front of wooden building, 1920s, Harry Walker Photographs, Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries, accessed April 19, 2019, https://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/p15195coll17/item/609.


If you call Sprint and ask them to tell you someone's cell phone number, they will politely decline and tell you that it is against FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulations to provide personal information about their customers. If you need to figure out a cell number for a Sprint customer for free, you have limited options for doing so. However, with a little investigating, it is not impossible to figure out.
1. Check your landline caller ID or your call phone call logs if the Sprint customer has called you in the past. Unless the Sprint customer manually blocks their outgoing caller ID, you will receive this information when they call you. Landline caller ID stores multiple numbers at one time. Most cell phone call logs store at least the last 10 numbers.
2. Check you cell phone bill. Most cell phone bills list detailed incoming and outgoing call details including the phone numbers. This is helpful if the numbers are no longer stored on your cell phone call logs. Most cell phone provides give you access to at least 12 months of your bills via your cell phone online account.
3. Press #NUM# into the keypad of the Sprint customer's phone to obtain the number. Of course, this only works if you have access to the mobile phone. This is a good way to obtain a number if you found a lost Sprint phone and you are trying to locate the device. If the phone happens to be a BlackBerry, you can press the green phone button and look at the top number under, "My own Number." This is the number for the Sprint customer.
4. Check social media websites, such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. Many Spring customers use their cell phone as their primary contact information and in many cases, they list their contact information on their personal social media pages.


As usual ASIC doing nothing. Senators must be really really frustrated at dealing with the ASIC regulatory idiots as we all are.
Yes Maria I am a member 10578 but about to renew my membership. Suggest we all do that to help out.
BFCSA: Colin Kruger -SMH: Levitt tees off [Sub. 276] ASIC was not impressed.
Commonwealth Bank & CFP get full exposure on ABC Four Corners next Monday.
The neighbours from hell at it again. The aftermath of a Mortgagee Sale.
ASIC assets sized up for $1 billion selloff.
Front row seat to Senate hearings into ASIC.
Thanks Ali, age and bad eyes caused me to miss " and" between News_and_Events, well done.
BFCSA: Heard the one about the bankers and the inquiry?
ASIC's Legacy- financial stress to the country and its investors, heartache and pain to consumers.
James Wheeldon exposes ASIC on "The Business" ABC 03-04-14.
FYI: ASIC Commissioner Kell's response to my Senate statement contained several demonstrable falsehoods. More later.
BFCSA: How soon will it be before the rest of the Big 4 bank chiefs ALSO announce retirement?


text:
play.net >> DragonRealms
HOME MY ACCOUNT GAMES STORE WIKI HELP
Character Restorals
DragonRealms Staff & Employment
GameMasters
· join the team
· policy A Customer Experience GM handles most customer interaction. This interaction ranges from answering questions about technical issues and basic gameplay, to running merchant events and major invasions or storylines. Some Customer Experience GMs also work with Weddings, monitor the public message boards, perform liaison duties between the players and the Development team, and handle all types of player concerns and feedback.
A Development Team GM does not generally work directly with customers, choosing to focus mainly on creation and system coding. They are the designers of the game, and participate not only in the implementation and development of ideas, but also in the physical creation of them. This can be something as simple as the simple addition of a new verb to something as complicated as a massive change in the core game mechanics.
GameHosts
GameHosts are the liaison between GM's and the players when it comes to technical issues in the game. They are the basic "frontline" in the chain of Customer Service.
They are required to have a good knowledge of the game and should be able to answer questions about basic technical issues and general gameplay. Hosts can also get involved in planning large-scale roleplaying events with GMs, acting as "extras" or "cast members" at special events and festivals, and sometimes helping to test out new systems and game mechanics for the GM staff.
· official website Mentors are players who volunteer their time to help new players get started and learn the intricacies of the game. They also occasionally get involved in roleplaying events.
Board Moderators are volunteers (often GameHosts) who help keep an eye on our forums to ensure that all content conforms to the Rules and to protect the community from objectionable material.
Web Monitors
· join the team Web Monitors are volunteers who approve link submissions and monitor content on linked sites, to ensure that all sites meet our standards and contain no objectionable material.
Onsite Staff
· jobs Onsite Staff are the full-time employees of Simutronics Corporation. We have occasional openings in customer service, art, software development, web development, and production at the St. Louis office. (All GMs, Hosts, Mentors and Monitors are volunteers or offsite contractors.)
[ HOME | INFORMATION | FORUMS | MY ACCOUNT | HELP | MORE GAMES | STORE ]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The md_transformer gem provides a way to read, modify, and write Markdown much as a hash with header keys and markdown content values.
md['md_transformer']['Installation'] = "Add this line to your application's Gemfile"
The MdTransformer module has several helper methods for creating a new MdTransformer::Markdown object.
Use the MdTransformer.markdown method to create a new MdTransformer::Markdown object from a string.
Use the MdTransformer.markdown_file method to create a new MdTransformer::Markdown object from a file.
The MdTransformer::Markdown object can be used similarly to a Hash. Headers are treated as keys that refer to sections of the Markdown document.
# => "# Title\nContent\n## Sub-heading\nSub-content\n## Sub-heading 2\nMore content\n"
md1['Title']['Sub-heading'] = "Here is new content!\n"
# => "Here is new content!"
Use the to_s method to convert the MdTransformer::Markdown object into valid Markdown content.
Use the write method to write the current MdTransformer::Markdown object's content to a file.
Please take a look at the API documentation.
Bug reports and pull requests are welcome on GitHub at https://github.com/wheatevo/md_transformer.
Generated on Sun Apr 14 15:08:15 2019 by yard 0.9.19 (ruby-2.5.1).


Our O Rings are cast, not welded, and that means they have no ugly or sharp bumps - that's the last thing you want poking into your skin or silicone. They're also available in rubber. Use them for CBT or harness play.
Chrome rings sold individually, Rubber rings sold as a set of three.


Our Japanese customer, which is famous for trading Machinery, Now seeking for an Experienced sales to join with them.
Must have own car and able to drive.
To receive and take orders from customers.
To prepared related document for sales and follow up delivery, customer claims, service with customers.


text:
Find Trails > New Hampshire > Brookline > Brookline Walking Trails
Brookline, NH Walking Trails and Maps
Looking for the best Walking trails around Brookline?
Find the top rated walking trails in Brookline, whether you're looking for an easy short walking trail or a long walking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a walking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Amesbury Riverwalk
Appel Way Trail
Ashburnham Rail Trail
Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail
Asphalt, Ballast, Cinder, Crushed Stone, Dirt
Barker Road Trail
Bradford Rail Trail
Canalside Rail Trail
Cheshire Rail Trail (Cheshire Branch Rail Trail)
Asphalt, Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Gravel, Sand
Clipper City Rail Trail & Harborwalk
Common Pathway
Derry Rail Trail
Dover Community Trail
Fort Hill Recreational Rail Trail
Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Gravel, Sand
Gloria Braunhardt Bike Path
Asphalt, Dirt, Grass
Goffstown Rail Trail
Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand
Grand Trunk Trail
Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
Granite Town Rail-Trail
Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand
Harrisville Rail Trail
Head's Pond Trail
Heritage Trail (Manchester)
Hillsborough Recreational Rail Trail
Jay McLaren Memorial Trail
Dirt, Grass, Gravel
Jonathan Daniels Trail
Keene Industrial Heritage Trail
Londonderry Rail Trail
Martin H. Burns Wildlife Management Area Trail
Dirt, Gravel, Sand
Mason Railroad Trail
Ballast, Gravel, Sand
Methuen Rail Trail
Mine Falls Park
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass
Monadnock Recreational Rail Trail
Asphalt, Gravel
Nashua Heritage Rail-Trail
Nashua River Rail Trail
State: MA, NH
New Boston Rail Trail
North Central Pathway
Northern Rail Trail
Cinder, Crushed Stone
Old Eastern Marsh Trail
Peanut Trail
Piscataquog Trail
Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Fremont Branch)
Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Portsmouth Branch)
Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand
Roland Bergeron Bike Path
Salem Bike-Ped Corridor
Salisbury Beach State Reservation Trail
Crushed Stone, Grass
Salisbury Point Ghost Trail
Salisbury Rail Trail Connector
South Manchester Rail Trail
South Spencer Rail Trail
Spicket River Greenway
Stevens Rail Trail
Dirt, Gravel
Ware River Rail-Trail
Ballast, Dirt, Grass, Gravel
West Foss Farm Trail
West River Trail
Westville Lake Community Trail
Windham Rail Trail
Winnipesaukee River Trail
Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
The Amesbury Riverwalk (also known as the Powwow Riverwalk) carries visitors between a resurgent waterfront district on the Powwow River to a modern shopping center on the outskirts of this historical...
Appel Way Trail offers a paved route of about a mile through woodlands on the north end of Keene. Most notably, it offers a connection between Wheelock Park on the trail's west end and Ashuelot River...
NH 1.3 mi Asphalt
More than a mile of the Ashburnham Rail Trail opened in 2015 from a point just south of Ashburnham's center to Turnpike Road. The rustic route, planned to be paved in the future, offers a...
The Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail passes such scenic and historical landmarks as covered bridges, abandoned mills, and postcard-perfect towns. Starting on asphalt in Keene, the rail-trail can be...
NH 21.5 mi Asphalt, Ballast, Cinder, Crushed Stone, Dirt
Barker Road Trail begins on the town line between North Andover and Boxford in northern Massachusetts, not far from the New Hampshire border. From there, the pathway continues through dense woodlands...
The Bradford Rail Trail occupies a former Pan Am rail corridor, beautifying an area that once lay strewn with garbage and weeds. The city and numerous dedicated volunteers created the mile-long path...
The well-maintained Canalside Rail Trail provides users with a variety of trestle bridges, views of waterbirds stalking fish and frogs, and gentle grades that alternate between open sky and forested...
Formerly comprising two separate segments—one running northward from Keene to Walpole, and the other running southward from Keene to Fitzwilliam—the Cheshire Rail Trail now runs a continuous 32.9...
NH 32.9 mi Asphalt, Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Gravel, Sand
The Clipper City Rail Trail is part of the Coastal Trails Coalition, which is developing in the four towns of Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport, and Salisbury along the Merrimack River and will...
MA 3.9 mi Asphalt, Boardwalk
The Common Pathway travels 5.5 miles from the outskirts of Peterborough south to downtown's Noone Falls area, paralleling US 202 and the Contoocook River for most of its journey. The small town of...
NH 5.5 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
This exquisitely maintained trail slices through forested areas and wetlands for a wonderful experience in southern New Hampshire. The trail will eventually be part of the Granite State Rail Trail,...
The Dover Community Trail snakes its way through the heart of the Garrison City—so nicknamed for the fortified log houses, or garrisons, built by 17th-century settlers—-offering a variety of trail...
NH 3.8 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt
Built in the 1910s by the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) as part of the Connecticut River Division Main Line, the route introduced daily service to the B&M Fort Hill Branch in the early 1920s to meet...
NH 7 mi Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Gravel, Sand
Although short, the scenic Gloria Braunhardt Bike Path travels through forests and pastures full of birds and wildlife. The asphalt pathway parallels the eastern side of the present-day Interstate 95...
MA 1.2 mi Asphalt, Dirt, Grass
The year 2017 marks 20 years since a rails-to-trails project was first mentioned in the Goffstown Master Plan, and thanks to work by the Friends of the Goffstown Rail Trail and support throughout the...
NH 5.5 mi Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand
The overall goal of the Grand Trunk Trail in south-central Massachusetts is to connect the communities of Brimfield, Sturbridge, and Southbridge by trail. Currently, two sections of the trail are...
MA 6.2 mi Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
Mile 0.0 - DPW Garage  Cross the bridge in the parking area, the trail starts behind the fence, crossing over Great Brook on a old dam. Mile 0.53 - After crossing Union St. you will come to a...
NH 3 mi Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand
The Harrisville Rail Trail runs for just under two miles between the outskirts of Harrisville and Hancock in rural New Hampshire. The former railroad bed is located on lands conserved by the Harris...
NH 1.6 mi Dirt
The Head's Pond Trail (formerly known as Hooksett Rail Trail) is a 1.9-mile rail-trail that visits two scenic ponds, including the eponymous Head's Pond, in a woodsy area of Hooksett. The trail's...
NH 1.75 mi Gravel
The Heritage Trail is managed by the state of New Hampshire to provide access to recreational and historical attractions across the state. Eventually, the north-south route along the former Boston and...
Hillsborough Recreational Rail Trail connects three communities in south-central New Hampshire: Hillsborough, Deering, and Bennington. The unpaved trail winds along the Contoocook River through rural...
NH 7.8 mi Crushed Stone, Dirt
Nestled in the woodlands on the northern end of Merrimac in the far northeastern corner of Massachusetts, lies the beautiful Jay McLaren Memorial Trail. The town, once known as West Amesbury, had a...
MA 2 mi Dirt, Grass, Gravel
Jonathan Daniels Trail travels the length of Ashuelot River Park through Keene. Along the stone-dust trail, you can enjoy the park's beautiful natural backdrop and flower garden. The trail was named...
NH 0.9 mi Crushed Stone
The Keene Industrial Trail links the county's Cheshire Rail-Trail in the city of Keene. The paved path is a 1-mile segment through downtown Keene, which passes among some of the city's old mill...
NH 1 mi Asphalt
The smooth paved surface of the Londonderry Rail Trail offers a pleasant, tranquil 3.3-mile adventure for trail users in south-central New Hampshire. Its route follows a corridor once used by the...
The rail-trail through the Martin H. Burns Wildlife Management Area begins at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail station near downtown Newburyport, a coastal...
MA 3.4 mi Dirt, Gravel, Sand
The Mason Railroad Trail runs for nearly 7 miles from near the New Hampshire–Massachusetts border (nr. Townsend, MA) to Greenville, NH. The trail follows a heavily wooded corridor through Russell...
NH 6.7 mi Ballast, Gravel, Sand
Methuen Rail Trail connects three communities in northeastern Massachusetts as it follows the route of the former Manchester and Lawrence Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad. The rail-trail's...
Mine Falls Park in Nashua is a 300-acre-plus urban park with a network of approximately 9.7 miles of a variety of trail types. This forested park offers an extraordinary nature experience in the heart...
NH 9.7 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass
The Monadnock Recreational Rail Trail is a great example of a repurposed rail route that provides safe commuting opportunities while also allowing trail users to escape into forest environments for...
NH 7.5 mi Asphalt, Gravel
The Nashua Heritage Rail Trail begins adjacent to City Hall on Main Street in downtown Nashua. It is a short trail that takes you through one of the first neighborhoods that was planned and built in...
The Nashua River Rail Trail stretches from southern Nashua, New Hampshire, to downtown Ayer, Massachusetts, connecting to the towns of Pepperell and Groton. The trail is built on the former rail...
MA, NH 12.3 mi Asphalt
The New Boston Rail Trail follows the former railroad corridor of the same name for 3.9 miles through densely wooded areas in the town of New Boston. The railroad was in operation from 1893 to 1931,...
The North Central Pathway is envisioned as a trail network connecting points of interest through and between Winchendon and Gardner. Several completed sections of trail make for a lovely ride or walk...
Spanning 57.6 miles from Lebanon to Boscawen, the Northern Rail Trail is New Hampshire's longest rail-trail conversion. Trail development began in 1996 after the state purchased the Boston and Maine...
NH 57.6 mi Cinder, Crushed Stone
The Old Eastern Marsh Trail (a.k.a the Salisbury Rail Trail) runs for 1.4 miles between the north bank of the Merrimack River and Mudnock Road in Salisbury. The beautifully landscaped trail was built...
The Peanut Trial is a distinct trail in the town of Newton that spans one-mile. This rail-trail was meant to connect to the Jay McLaren Memorial Trail. However, due to a controversial lawsuit by land...
NH 1.5 mi Cinder
The Piscataquog Trail, though only about 2 miles long, provides a vital off-road link between the communities on the western side of the Merrimack River (the West Side of Manchester) to several parks...
Crossing through wooded areas and featuring magnificent wetland vistas, the Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Fremont Branch) offers an 18.3-mile trail adventure from Epping to Windham. The northern...
NH 18.3 mi Dirt, Sand
The Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail brings at least two superlatives to mind: it's one of New Hampshire's longest rail-trails at just more than 28 miles, and it begins in Manchester, the state's...
NH 28.1 mi Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand
The Roland Bergeron Bike Path runs about 6 miles alongside nearly the entirety of Albuquerque Avenue in Litchfield, NH. Completed in 2010, the 8-ft wide asphalt path averages about 5 yards in from...
When complete, the Salem Bike-Ped Corridor will run for more than 5 miles on a former Boston and Maine Railroad corridor from connections with the Windham Rail Trail (north) and Methuen Rail Trail...
NH 1.15 mi Asphalt
Although less than a mile, the trail running through Salisbury Beach State Reservation offers lovely views of the beaches off the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, just a few miles south of the New...
MA 0.6 mi Crushed Stone, Grass
Currently 1.8 miles, the Salisbury Point Ghost Trail provides a peaceful walk or bike ride through the woods on a well-maintained stone-dust trail. The route is one part of the larger Coastal Trails...
The Salisbury Rail Trail Connector, also known as the Gillis Rail Trail Connector, is a 0.3-mile link between two rail-trails: Salisbury's Old Eastern Marsh Trail and Newburyport's Clipper City Rail...
The South Manchester Rail Trail is a proposed bike/pedestrian path that would connect the downtown Millyard area of Manchester to the Town on Londonderry. The South Manchester Rail Trail will utilize...
The South Spencer Rail Trail runs for less than 2 miles from downtown Spencer to an area south of town near Spencer State Forest. The path, which is also known as the Depot Trail, occupies a former...
MA 1.62 mi Crushed Stone
The Spicket River begins in Derry, New Hampshire, through Methuen and Lawrence, Massachusetts, before draining into the Merrimack River. Like many mill towns of the late 19th and 20th centuries, the...
About a dozen miles west of Concord, the Stevens Rail Trail offers a quiet, wooded route along the former Concord-Claremont rail line in Contoocook Village. It starts off Krzyzaniak Road and continues...
NH 1.3 mi Dirt, Gravel
This unpaved state-owned trail is open for public use from Coldbrook to Baldwinville. An on-road detour is necessary through the village of Baldwinville, but the right-of-way is open for public use on...
MA 12 mi Ballast, Dirt, Grass, Gravel
The 83 acre West Foss Farm is one of the properties owned by the University of New Hampshire, Durham. The property was purchased from the Boston & Maine Railroad company, and features a 1.6 stretch of...
The West River Railroad, which once followed its namesake river for 36 miles, began passenger service in the late 1800s as a way to trim the two-day voyage between Brattleboro and South Londonderry to...
VT 16.1 mi Asphalt, Dirt, Gravel, Sand
The Westville Lake Community Trail offers a short, scenic excursion along the east bank of Westville Lake in Southbridge. Much of the crushed-stone pathway is under a lush tree canopy. Along the way,...
The Windham Rail Trail passes through the woodsy periphery of Windham in southern New Hampshire, but it sits in the heart of the future cross-state Granite State Rail Trail. Its connections to the...
The Winnipesaukee River Trail runs along a rail line that previously connected the paper industry between Franklin and Tilton. Nicknamed the Paper City, Franklin saw the industry boom from the 1900s...
NH 5.1 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
NH - 3.3 miles
MA - 2 miles
MA - 2.8 miles
MA - 22.9 miles
MA - 1.62 miles
More Brookline bike trailsView Fewer Brookline bike trails
VT - 16.1 miles
MA - 38 miles
NH - 6 miles
NH - 32.9 miles
NH - 1.75 miles
More Brookline walking trails View Fewer Brookline walking trails
MA,NH - 12.3 miles
More Brookline running trailsView Fewer Brookline running trails
Challenging but fun - use a mountain bike
July, 2019 by troyknielsen
I started at the southern portion of the trail. I rode a gravel road / light touring bike (Specialized Sequoia) and it was fine but in hindsight I would have done a bit better with the FatBoy. There was a fair amount of sand in the first portion of the trail. I encountered some decent sized muddy sections but nothing crazy. The variety of scenery is great and the trail is very quiet. I encountered about 3 other bikes and a couple of people walking. I wouldn't do this trail if there's been significant rain in the past few days because of the pooling that I saw in some of the sections flanked by rock walls. And I rode in July and was flanked by large flies seemingly at all times. But given the challenge and scenery it's worth it!
Lovely trail but not well-maintained toward the end
July, 2019 by jennifer.thompson.unity
My daughter—an inexperienced biker—and I enjoyed the diverse landscape and beautiful views along the Connecticut River. However, because the trail was so overgrown and rough for the last mile or so, we didn't make it to the end to see the historic bridge.
Combine with the Bridge of Flowers
Tuesday, July 09, 2019. Weather 88' F, few whisps of clouds, and low humidity.
It was a great weather for riding and a great trail to ride. The photos here are exactly what you see, except for the very nice park at the beginning of the trail. The village of Turner Falls is quite nice to visit also.
Only 15 minutes away in Shelburne Falls is the Bridge of Flowers, which is a beautiful short walk with a pub at one end. Combine these two activities into one great outing.
Nice Trail
July, 2019 by rebeede
My wife and I road from Newfields to Rt. 125 and then back (the eastern part of the trail). The trail was in good shape and we saw turtles and raccoons. We were on Hybrids, but saw other people on road bikes. Others were walking and some jogging. All in all a beautiful day to be out on the trail.
Amherst, NH
Atkinson, NH
Auburn, NH
Barnstead, NH
Barrington, NH
Belmont, NH
Berlin, NH
Brookline, NH
Candia, NH
Charlestown, NH
Chester, NH
Claremont, NH
Danville, NH
Derry, NH
Durham, NH
Enfield, NH
Epping, NH
Epsom, NH
Exeter, NH
Franklin, NH
Gilford, NH
Goffstown, NH
Hampstead, NH
Hanover, NH
Haverhill, NH
Henniker, NH
Hollis, NH
Hooksett, NH
Hopkinton, NH
Jaffrey, NH
Kingston, NH
Lee, NH
Litchfield, NH
Littleton, NH
Londonderry, NH
Loudon, NH
Meredith, NH
Milford, NH
New Ipswich, NH
New London, NH
Newmarket, NH
Newport, NH
Newton, NH
North Hampton, NH
Northfield, NH
Pelham, NH
Pembroke, NH
Peterborough, NH
Pittsfield, NH
Plaistow, NH
Plymouth, NH
Raymond, NH
Rindge, NH
Rye, NH
Sandown, NH
Seabrook, NH
Stratham, NH
Windham, NH


text:
Research & Discovery
Genomic, Proteomic Research Will Be Focus of New UK Institute
NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) — Genomic and proteomic technologies will play a role in a new University of Manchester institute that aims to promote interdisciplinary research.
The Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocenter will eventually oversee research projects from 80 sub-disciplines and house as many as 600 scientists.
The center said programs in biomolecular structure and dynamics and on technology and instrument development will focus on genomics and proteomics.
The Biocenter said it plans to perform research in mass spectrometry and its applications, such as metabolomics and secondary ion mass spectrometry. It has purchased a broad range of hardware for mass spec, SIMS, fluorescence spectroscopy, and single molecule technology.
The director of MIB said the goal is to "develop the systems that will allow us to understand how every gene in an organism works and reacts. … "
JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, Day 2: Thermo Fisher, Agilent, Roche, Seer, More
JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, Day 3: Invitae, NanoString, Bio-Rad, Olink, More
Snyder Lab Combines Microsampling, Multiomics for Health Tracking, Biomarker Discovery
JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, Day 4: Singular Genomics, Quantum-Si, Quanterix
SomaLogic Seeks 'Strategic Alternatives' for Dx Business to Focus on Life Science Market


text:
Tag Archives: Donetsk
Silent Advance Part III – Russian forces advance towards Avdeevka
Over the last months – before and after the signature of the "Mins 2 peace treaty" – daily reports of shelling and small arms attacks on the Ukrainian town of Avdeevka, 3 km north of Donetsk, appeared. However, the Ukrainian army never reported of territorial advances by enemy forces and thus own losses in land possession and defensive positions of the 35.000 inhabitants city, the biggest frontline town, directly bordering occupied Donbas.
However, recent geolocated footage of Russian forces prove, also on this front, Ukraine is silently conceding land to the invasion army while claiming its forces hold the front since the fall of Debaltseve around February 20.
Unfortunately, there is not much footage coming from the hot spot fighting areas North of Donetsk, mostly because it is life threatening to record it in the "triangle of death" between Avdeevka, Spartak and Opytne. Thus, beside several written reports, the last geolocable footage from the area appeared in early February, when Russian forces pushed Ukrainian defenders back from the "passenger carload depot" train station, bordering Spartak to the east.
Since then, the front seemed to have stabilized, not because of the – mostly "Minsk 2" imperative to not further advance, which is widely ignored by the Russian side, but because of the geographical circumstances, namely the open fields and rural landscape between Donetsk and Avdeevka, hampering unrecognized military movement in the area. This was a big luck for the Ukrainian side as the forest directly south of the inhabited part of Avdeevka offer a perfect launch pat for sabotage missions and bigger ground forces moves. Given the early February setting, approaching enemy forces could be spotted and addressed by snipers, tanks or even indirect artillery fire, which was an important precondition for a successful defense of Avdeevka against the backdrop of further Russian territorial aspeirations.
All these advantages disappeared since then. Geolocated and analyzed footage from April 28 shows Russian forces not just crossed the plain between Donetsk and Avdeevka, but also built (at least) one "bridgehead" on its northern side, just along the railway tracks. Hopes that these troops were only reconnaissance teams were short-lived when further footage from the area appeared, revealing bunkers and tranches, established in the area. It is not clear since when, these forces are stationed in the area, but the April 28 "good news" from Russian invasion media that they approached Ukrainian forces until 200 meters and a seemingly southwards oriented sand back installation, indicate the takeover took place during the last days, possibly coinciding with a Russian Grad missile attack in the area (strictly forbidden by the Minsk treaty). Although there is no more footage from the area, it must be assumed from the three available videos and the behavior of troops, seen in it, that other Ukrainian forward positions have also fallen meanwhile and there is little fear among filmed units at the front to be counterattacked from anywhere else than the north and possibly north west.
Thus, the situation now looks – once again – much more gloomy for Ukrainian defenders, which – under daily small arms, mortar, artillery and Grad attacks seem to have left their forward positions along the February front. These withdrawals and – obviously – no attempts to recaptured the "Minsk-lost" territory have not just political implications (the weakness and timidity of the Ukrainian military and political leadership) but also severe strategic ones. Not just have the former Ukrainian-built trenches and bunkers fallen to Russian forces. Ukraine has also lost the ability to monitor and hence prevent larger scale military moves by the Russian invasion army in the area. The next Ukrainian-held territory now seems to be in Opytne and Avdeevka itself. Both are located beyond possible visual axes to overlook the area, which adds to the strategic advantage of the Russian side (see example picture and map below).
In conclusion, the "Minsk-silently-captured" 4 km² and strategically important forward positions South of Avdeevka add – just like the captured territory East of Mariupol and across the Serversky-Donets near Stanytsia-Luhanska – to the traditional Russian territorial gains during "Minsk times". By these – Ukrainian-concealed – frontline developments during peace times, Russians get into the position to strike harder and more effective as soon as they decide to resume their offensives with all available means. The result of such moves were visible around Donetsk airport and Debaltseve, where Russian forces were allowed to moved into positions during calmer periods and then achieved all their military goals during more hot ones. It remains to be seen, if the latest silent Ukrainian losses will play a role in future military confrontations. But given the fact that the Russian invasion command in Moscow already set its eyes on strategically-important Avdeevka and knowing, Russia is doing everything in its power to upgrade its hybrid army in Ukraine, its silent advances – respectively, Ukraine's irresponsibly-silent losses – could bear fruit for it rather sooner than later.
Posted in Ukraine	| Tagged Avdeevka, Donetsk, Russia, Ukraine
Assessment of Russia's next military moves in Ukraine after the fall of Debaltseve
Posted on February 22, 2015 by Julian Röpcke
Early February 18, thousands of Ukrainian troops began withdrawing – or rather fleeing – the (almost) pocket of Debaltseve after the Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko kept them deliberately inside the trap "to show the whole world the face of the bandits-separatists backed by Russia" after the Minsk "agreement", knowing this would cost more lives of his best troops, fighting in the area since Christmas last year.
Despite Russian invaders trying to kill as many as possible of the fleeing troops, attacking MEDEVAC points with all kinds of heavy weapons, most of the Ukrainian soldiers managed to leave the area alive, even taking some 90% of their equipment with them. However, up 100 troops were killed during the two days of withdrawal, almost 200 injured and around 120 captured by the invasion army. Two days later on February 20, not only the entire city was under Russian control, but also 420 km² of Ukrainian land (a flagrant violation of the Minsk 1-agreed on demarcation line) were lost due to the overwhelming Russian army involvement as well as the incompetence and unwillingness to counterattack by the Ukrainian side.
At the end of the day, Russia achieved what Putin had already predicted after the end of the Minsk 2 talks on February 12, namely to close the gap between its two puppet regimes in eastern Ukraine and to gain total control over all train and car traffic in occupied Donbas. After that, many western politicians and media analysts were hopeful that now, Putin's aspirations in Ukraine would be satisfied and there would be no more need for further conflict. … Way off the mark!
As both sides stopped shooting around Debaltseve, the fire reappeared and re-intensified at the (still) Ukrainian-held, well-known hot spots around Donetsk, namely Avdeevka to its north and the frontline villages around the now Russian-held airport, namely Vodyane, Opytne and Pisky.
It seems obviously that further advance in these areas remains an imperative for the Russian invasion command as its largest occupied city (Donetsk) is still a "border town" and close to several nearby Ukrainian army strongholds, a situation it even could not accept if it had no further plans to advance westward during the next months.
At the same time, Russia's thirst for more land is most visible in the south where the largest free city in the Donetsk region Mariupol remains a red rag for the aggressor. Hence, it is not surprising that multiple reports indicate strong reinforcements arrived close to the freshly retaken areas east of the city from Taganrog in Russia, preparing the next large-scale offensive. The expected push would not just be to retake the recently liberated small towns of Shyrokyne, Berdyans'ke, Lebedyns'ke, Pavlopil and Kominternove but to finally gain control over Mariupol itself, paving the way for the needed push westwards along the Azov Sea, via Melitopol towards the Ukrainian border with Crimea.
Around February 20, the first of these Russian troops arrived to the coastal settlement of Shyrokyne, where tanks and infantry forces, backed by mortar batteries intensified their assault on the Ukrainian-held line of defense west of the town, leading to first casualties. On February 22, visual reports of new artillery rounds, releasing multiple fragmented shells appeared, leaving no doubt Russia was serious as ever to regain the recently lost 100 km² east of Mariupol and more.
While the above assessment is based on recent fighting activity on the ground, there is more reason to believe in a resurgence of fighting in southern and western occupied Donetsk oblast. Geolocated footage of Russian army troops, involved in the fighting for Debaltseve until last week indicates those forces are not – as widely hoped for in Europe – going back to Russia after their mission in Ukraine would be accomplished, but move to potential new battlefields in the two areas described above. The most memorable formation, followed via first-hand footage, involves the high tech Russian army-only T-72B3 tanks, with many more armored vehicles crucial to last week's victory in central Donbas and probably needed in any meaningful future assault.
The Russian main force with many T-72B1 and B3 attacked Debaltseve from Zorynsk after passing Luhansk from Russia earlier this month. This column with not less than 30 armored vehicles was filmed at several geographical points by locals moving to the south west after the battle of Debaltseve ended, indicating its redeployment to the wider Donetsk area or further south, to east of Mariupol
In conclusion, it is Russia and the Supreme Commander of the invasion Vladimir Putin only who benefit from the latest Minsk agreement.
The necessary redeployment of hundreds of armored vehicles and artillery pieces to new fighting theaters while ruling when and when not to show these movements to the OSCE, enables them to keep up the picture of "withdrawal in accordance with the Minsk 2 deal" while getting in a position to once again strike hard with all their available man- and firepower
The naive and dangerous Ukrainian 100% adherence of the agreed on ceasefire gives Russia the possibility to once again thin out certain frontline sectors (e.g. Pervomaisk and Kirovs'k for now) while not being under any threat that these open flanks will be used by the Ukrainian army for diversionary attacks. Hence, it is again Russia which will – just like after Minsk 1 – decide when and where to strike and advance, using all its military potential in eastern Ukraine at one or two chosen points while the Ukrainian side keeps stretched thin all along the almost 400 km long front.
As we have seen in January when Donetsk airport fell and February when Debaltseve and some 20 other towns and villages fell, the Russian side does not need an excuse to escalate its efforts for getting hold of a certain area, nonetheless claiming, it is obeying the agreed on ceasefire(s). It is most of the European media that feels obligated to report Kremlin-claimed "Ukrainian offensives" (like we have seen it for weeks in January) until admitting, it is Russia and its proxies, which advance and take more territory. And it is the Ukrainian government that feels obligated to not use heavy arms and counterattack in a meaningful way until it is already too late and another strip of important land miraculously turns "strategically unimportant" and can be given up to the Russian side and its puppet republics.
The aftermath of Minsk 2 seems to become a copy of the aftermath of Minsk 1 with the tiny difference that this time, Russia does not feel the necessity anymore to refrain from offensive military operations as it did for several months after the September 2014 agreement. The Ukrainian and European answers to its continuous and increasing aggression turned out to be mainly empty threats and too weak to frighten it anymore, leaving a gloomy prospect for the months and years to come.
Posted in Ukraine	| Tagged Debaltseve, Donetsk, Invasion, Mariupol, Russia, Ukraine, War
The fall of Donetsk airport – shedding light on the latest developments
After 3 days of complete media blackout from Donetsk airport and one day after Russian invasion forces proved to have captured several Ukrainian troops at the airport, fresh footage from inside the new terminal appeared.This footage leaves no doubt that not only the entire terminal and facility building complex (with the possible exception of the collapsed tower and radar station) are in Russian hands, but also that Russian media and troops can move freely over the apron north of the terminal between the five gates of the former airport, leaving no doubt of not being afraid by any opposing forces close-by.
Geolocation of Russian media footage from January 21
the situation on January 18
Why can this be said with almost 100% certainty? The last article, dealing with the airport, was written on January 19 and reflected the "who controls what" situation from one day earlier, namely January 18. Looking at the analysis of the different possessions within the building from that day, it becomes clear that only parts of the western and north western front were still held by Ukrainian forces, while most of the terminal was already under Russian control already – proven by lots of footage over the previous days. Latest available footage from Cyborgs within the building ( "playing soccer") could be located between the very left and second from left gates. This area is entirely under Russian control now, leaving no doubt that there are no Ukrainian soldiers left in the terminal.
Other footage, showing a panorama of the northern gates section of the terminal, adds to the impression that this is no "sneaked" – or even "faked" footage, but reflects the real situation in the area. It was recorded between gate 2 and 3 (from the left) and shows both the destroyed gates with the foggy horizon to the north and two destroyed Ukrainian T-64 plus several more army vehicles, lost due to the extreme shelling and overwhelming ground troop attacks, never short of "human resources" to throw (and sacrifice) into the battle.
destroyed T-64
It is not totally clear, when the terminal fell completely to Russian troops but the story around the captured Ukrainian troops from yesterday morning seems to give at least some indication. According to the Ukrainian army they were sent to evacuate wounded fellow troops and resupply them with ammunition. However the claim that an incompetent commander "missed the terminal by 800 meters during fog" sounds not very reliable, giving the fact that he only had to follow the taxi ways from Pisky. Instead – sadly – the version some of the captured Ukrainian troops said in Russian confinement sounds slightly more reliable, despite it has to be taken with a pinch of salt. That version claiming to not knowing the situation at the airport plus the claim of Russian invaders that those troops "just ran into us" indicates the formerly described "safe movement zone" (map further above) ceased to exist between January 19 and January 20, despite heaviest artillery, MLRS and tank fire on all Russian positions by the Ukrainian defenders N and N-W of the airport.
But as so often in war, the truth is somewhere in the middle. On January 20, Russian media showed 5 Ukrainian POW and claimed to have killed 6 more, which surely does not mean that this was the force to recapture – or only attack – the airport. The next morning, Russian channels aired footage of captured Ukrainian troops in Donetsk hospitals, suddenly saying, 16 of them are treated for their injuries at the moment. This is speculation of course, but it appears that those "new" captured – dusty and injured – troops might have been the remaining Cyborgs, Ukr troops were to evacuate of reinforce the day before. As no help came, they might have decided to do the only reasonable in the light of the military superiority of the enemy. – Almost all alternatives are much worse. Russian propaganda footage also showed a number of bodies at the taken over terminal, claimed to be Ukrainian troops but without showing proof for that claim …
Whatever really happened, it looks like the last relevant Ukrainian position within the perimeters of Donetsk airport fell between January 19 and January 20 with reinforcements (/suppliers) as well as more troops from inside the terminal going into Russian POW-ship. This means that all Ukrainian claims since then that they are "still in the buildings and the airport" like states in the evening of January 21 are rather propaganda to keep up the moral than fact-based reports. The only position that remains unknown is the one of the airport's destroyed tower, but not possibly under fire from 270 degrees, it would make little sense to hold that ruin.
Ukrainian forces are not defending, but attacking the airport now, lagging the manpower and general strength to halt or even repulse the Moscow-sent masses with their almost endless stream of mostly crude but deadly weapon systems and ammunition.
The final map shows the situation around Donetsk airport as it might look now according to this assessment. As it is still very fluid – meaning Russian troops could have captured even more right now, especially around Pisky – it reflects the actual state of affairs as it was available in the evening hours of January 21.
Map based on assessment – 21.1.2015
This article is not about putting blame on anyone for the current military development. Only so much be said: The way, the Ukrainian government and army is leading the war at the moment – it is losing it and with it large parts of Ukraine itself.
Posted in Ukraine	| Tagged airport, Donetsk, Russia, Ukraine
The Russian invasion continues – latest military developments in Ukraine
Posted on January 4, 2015 by Julian Röpcke
Today on the 4th of January 2015, we are 27 days into the Ukrainian government's latest initiative of the "silent mode" – the latest additional appeasement measure after the "Minsk agreement" from September last year. Still, there is no visible let up in Russian attacks on the front line all across occupied Donbas, reaching from southern Mariupol until Stanitsia Luhanska on the north eastern end of the new de facto border between Russia and Ukraine. The number of daily Russian attacks on Ukrainian held towns and military positions slightly decreased from approximately 40-50 a day to now 20-30, however this is rather due to the fact that Russian forces now decide when and where to hit, being able to concentrate their forces on the target areas, not being afraid anymore of Ukrainian counterattacks or even return fire after their assaults. Just during the first 4 days of 2015, Ukraine saw 2 civilians and 1 soldier killed in fighting, while at least 7 civilians and 12 more Ukrainian troops were injured. Hot spots of the fighting remain the same as before December 9, meaning the Bakhmutka highway in northern Luhansk province with its Ukrainian strongholds Krymske, Zolote and Hirske being targeted daily, the town of Stanitsia Luhanska on the (old) Ukrainian-Russian border and Popasna, opposite Pervomaisk. Yes, the number of Grad missile attacks decreased, but more direct artillery, mortar and small arms encounters remain a daily appearance with civilians as well as Ukrainian armed forces casualties. In Donetsk region, the airport of Donetsk city as well as its bridgeheads in Pisky, Opytne and partly Avdeevka are subject to daily shelling and fire attacks, while it remains unclear, if Terminal 1 of Donetsk airport is still accessible via Ukrainian.held territory or the two allowed resupply routes via Russian-held territory signal an even worse situation. It is chilling that Ukrainian troops at the airport – the so called "Cyborgs" – claim, they were not rotated and resupplied with arms and ammunition since more than 8 weeks.
Picture shows flags of "Novorossiya" on top of Terminal 2, only meters away from Terminal 1, held by the Ukrainian army
A rather new development in terms of Russian attack focus areas stretches along the Kalmius river, north of Mariupol. This river is the official demarcation line, agreed on by all parties in the Minsk memorandum. However, as we know Russian forces and their local proxies do not accept their own signatures under the paper, it is not astonishing they are willing to extend their area of control beyond that natural border. Thus, attacks started on January 1st with all sorts of weapons, even face to face encounters, trying to push back Ukrainian forces – mainly from the Regiment Azov national guard – and build bridgeheads on the left side of the river. Between January 2 and 4, Orlivske, Hnutove and Hranitne came under attack from Russian forces.
Map shows locations and used weapons, acc. to the Ukrainian defenders
Beyond concrete attacks on the Ukrainian line of defense, multiple other worrying developments were recorded, mainly a – partly violent – replacement of Russian "volunteer" (former army) mercenaries with more Moscow-loyal forces, accepting the high command from the Kremlin and behaving less "wild" on Ukrainian ground. Despite only little facts available, it seems those Russian invaders, trying to build a "New Russia" – "Novorossiya" – are fought and replaced by the more "legitimate" pro-Moscow regimes, namely the "People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk". While one Russian ringleader, called "Batman", was killed by LC regime forces, others of his group swore to fight both, the local regimes as well as the Ukrainian army from now on. Ukrainian reports say up to 23 militants from both sides were killed in recent infighting, seemingly supported by aftermath pictures.
Aftermath of LC-Novorossiya infighting in Luhansk region
While those, not behaving like Moscow wants it, are sent back to Russia or – if not willing to – obliterated without mercy, those, who obey to the Kremlin leaders' will are rewarded with the latest Russian army military hardware, namely the BPM-97 "Vystrel". Those apc, only produced in Russia and only used by Russian border troops, are the latest hint that the very leadership of the Russian Federation has nothing in mind that could equal any kind of retraction from its offensive position in Ukraine.
The BPM-97 in "war games" in Luhansk province
At the same time, it becomes once more explicit that Russia – just like with its T-72B1 or T-72B3 – would never give its latest armored personal carriers to any "rebel" faction in some renegade region abroad, but would only allow a free "export" of its 2000s hardware with qualified and loyal – Russian Army – personal. That this personal is active as never before in Ukraine can on the one hand be recognized by multiple reports: Even the Ukrainian NSDC, which has a long history of downplaying Russian involvement in the conflict, fearing a cut off from international funds, said on January 3 that hundreds of Russian Federation troops entered Ukraine lately. Other reports from local witnesses and media reported for instance that 300 Russian soldiers had taken over Horlivka at the frontline with Ukraine, sending "DNR" forces to the hinterland. On the other hand, more and more evidence turns up that Russian soldiers from the Far East, seen approaching from Ulan Ude and elsewhere in November, are now fighting in Donbas, like in Horlivka as mentioned above.
Far East Russian soldier in Horlivka on January 1
Last but not least, the Russian army (ab)used the Ukrainian "silence mode" to build up a working military logistic and infrastructure network in Donbas, now being able to (at least for a while) repulse any kind of military attack from the Ukrainian mainland. Part of this network are air defense systems and backup bases in Donbas hinterland (10km or more from the front line), like this base with dozens of BMP-1 in a former public transport depot, recently recovered and geolocated by me in Krasnyi-Luch.
Russian base in Krasnyi Luch
In conclusion, there is no indication at all of Russia or its two local puppet regimes, having any intention to stick to the signed Minsk agreement. Hence, there is no sign on the horizon that the Ukrainian president's peace plan, ceasefire or "silent mode" were anything close to be working in Ukraine's favor. Therefor it is up to the Ukrainian government to chose if it wants to further stand idle and watch how a powerful Russian invasion force is taking shape on Ukrainian soil, able to hit hard when it where it chooses — OR if it wants to regain the initiative in the conflict by not allowing militants to strike at will and unpunished, killing Ukrainian citizens and soldiers and – slowly but steadily – expanding their controlled territory inside Ukraine and further shrinking a young, but proud and – if willing – also punchy European nation. Did you have a good read?! Please support my work with 1$ per month or more!
Posted in Ukraine	| Tagged Donbas, Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol, Russian invasion, Ukraine


text:
« Lemon Curd Ice Cream | Main | Baskets »
I didn't grow up in a home that juiced oranges for breakfast every day. I wasn't a fan of juice in the first place, except for a brief obsession with pink grapefruit juice in high school, until I realized that I should probably be saving those calories for something a bit more satisfying. The first time I used a mechanical juicer while was working in a restaurant. During my first week or two at Clio I was taken down the prep kitchen in the basement and introduced to the Champion juicer. It was a large, white, heavy piece of equipment. Given the fact that I only had to juice a couple of yellow peppers it seemed a bit intimidating. I also wondered how long it would take me to clean it when I was done. Then I tasted the pepper juice that emerged from its belly and I understood why it was there. That juice was the sweet essence of yellow peppers, vibrant, flavorful, and somehow alive on my tongue. The cleaning process was easier than expected and just like that, the juicer became an irreplaceable staple in my batterie de cuisine. In that kitchen we used the pepper juice, slightly reduced, as the basis for vinaigrette. In our kitchen juice is just the starting point. Juice is so much more than just something to pour into a glass. It's a magic elixir that will make all your dishes into something special.
Juice is by definition a fluid naturally contained in plant or animal tissue. A juicer is a machine that facilitates the extraction of this liquid by breaking down fibers and cell walls, which allows the liquid to seep out of the structure. There are three basic types of juicers on the market. Centrifugal juicers are the least expensive. They are quick and relatively efficient to use. Centrifugal juicers contain flat blades resting at the bottom of a circular basket. The fruits or vegetables to be used are placed in the basket and the unit spins forcing the ingredients against the blades, which shreds them. The shredded pieces are then forced outwards to press against the sides of the basket while the juice falls through the holes in the basket and are drained from the machine using a spout. The downside to using a centrifugal juicer is that they are noisy, the quick speeds of the motor tend to heat up the juice, the spinning action introduces oxygen which can destroy nutrients and reduce the shelf life of the juice, and they are less effective with leafy vegetables and herbs. They are the economical choice for small quantities of juices that will be used immediately.
Masticating juicers work by using a slowly rotating auger to chew or crush the produce into small pieces. This process breaks down the fibers and cell walls of the fruits and vegetables to help release the juice. The chewed pieces are pressed against a mesh strainer and separated into juice and pulp. The two products are ejected from the machine separately. Most people simply use the juice and throw the pulp away, although in many cases the pulp can be utilized in recipes and treated as an ingredient on its own. Masticating juicers produce more juice than centrifugal juicers. The mastication process is much slower and introduces less oxygen than that of the centrifugal juicer. It produces less foam and oxidation, which in turn preserves more live enzymes and nutrients in the finished product.
The gold standard in masticating juicers is the twin gear or triturating juicer. They produce the highest yield and the most nutritional juice. The process works at the same speed as a masticating juicer. Instead of using a single auger, the triturating juicer has two stainless steel gears in very close proximity. The gears turn in towards each other and slowly crush the produce between them. As with the masticating juicer, the ingredients are then pressed through a screen and the juice and pulp are ejected separately. They are the most expensive juicers, in return they produce the highest quality and yield and have the ability to juice almost anything.
Both types of masticating juicers can be used to make things other than juice. They are very effective at pureeing ingredients and allow for attachments. Because of this you can make soymilk, baby foods, pastas, and grind meats, nuts, and spices. Even if you never make anything other than juice, a juicer would still be a great addition to the kitchen of any serious cook. The possibilities are endless. You can play around with juicing non-traditional fruits and vegetables and you can use the juices to flavor many different kinds of recipes from soups and braises to cakes and breads.
While the juice is the focal point, the pulp manufactured as a by-product during the juicing process creates some interesting possibilities, either on its own or combined with the juice. The grinding process creates a unique texture, especially when working with root vegetables. One of our favorite fall/winter recipes is a parsnip porridge made by combining the juice and the pulp of this sweet root vegetable and stewing it down to a delicious, velvety bowl of goodness.
Parsnip Porridge with Black Truffle
2.75 pounds/1.25 kilograms parsnips
16 ounces/460 grams heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon/4.5 grams salt
1.75 ounces/50grams black truffle
Armando Manni olive oil
Tasmanian pepper in a mill
Preheat the oven to 170°F (75°C)
Wash the parsnips thoroughly. Cut the tip and top off the parsnip and peel them. Put the peels and the trimmings into a medium sized pot and cover with the cream. Use a masticating juicer to juice and run the parsnips through twice. Reserve the pulp and add the juice into the pot with the cream and the parsnip peelings. Bring the pot to a simmer over medium heat, cook for five minutes, turn off the heat, and cover the pot. Let the liquid infuse for twenty minutes. Set up an ice bath. Strain the cream through a fine mesh strainer. Add the salt, cool the parsnip cream down in the ice bath, and refrigerate.
Lay the parsnip pulp on a silicone lined sheet pan. Spread the pulp evenly out in the pan and then place in the oven. Bake the parsnip pulp until it is completely dry, about 2 to 3 hours. Stir the pulp every thirty minutes. The parsnip will be dry and crumbly and a golden brown when it is finished. Remove the parsnip pulp from the oven and let it cool. When the parsnip pulp is cool, place it in a blender, and pulverize it until it resembles a course ground polenta. When the parsnip pulp is ground, add it to the cooled parsnip cream. Stir the mixture and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
Transfer the parsnip porridge into a medium sized pot and place it on the stove over medium heat. When it is hot, spoon equal portions into serving bowls. Shave three large slices of truffle over each dish. Drizzle a few drops of olive oil over each serving and grind the Tasmanian pepper over each dish. Serve immediately.
Posted on March 09, 2010 at 06:29 PM in Balancing Tastes, INSPIRATIONS, Recipes | Permalink