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Gena Radcliffe November 17, 2018 Movies
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Review: The Coen Brothers Spin Six Tales of Old West Tragicomedy
Tim Blake Nelson is Buster Scruggs in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, a film by Joel and Ethan Coen.
The Coen brothers return to the Old West for a darkly comic anthology of six stories of doomed men and women out on the frontier.
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood
Watching a Western movie means feeling a strange surge of patriotism, of pride and awe for the American men and women who made homes, businesses, and lives in a world that was beautiful and terrifying at once, where illness meant holding on for the three or four days it would take to find a doctor, a dust storm could destroy an entire food supply in an instant, and the strongest horse on the team could be taken out with a single rattlesnake bite. Often these dangers were unknown, unseen, and unstoppable, and no mere man's strength or will to survive could prevail.
The Old West is the setting for Netflix's The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, an anthology of six stories written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. None of the stories are related except in where they take place, a part of the country so vast and breathtaking in scope it can't possibly be part of this Earth, yet eerie and empty at the same time. You talk in this world, and it talks back to you, in the wind and the sound of your own voice, echoing against the rocks.
The movie itself could be considered a sort of sampler platter of the Coens' signature absurdity and oft-repeated message of "you can't fight fate." The first story, which shares its name with the title of the movie, is about a singing cowboy, the titular Buster Scruggs (Tim Blake Nelson), traveling "where the distances are great, and the scenery is monotonous," and on the run from the law, though the only thing that bothers him about that is that his WANTED poster describes him as a "misanthrope." Buster's amiable, Gene Autry-like personality belies his superhuman shooting skills, resulting in such bizarre scenes as forcing rival poker player Curly Joe (Clancy Brown) to shoot himself in the face several times, then leading the entire in a jolly singalong in tribute to the very recently deceased.
Despite a startling amount of gore, this is probably the lightest of the segments, with a level of absurdity that occasionally, joyfully reaches the level of a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Characters leave human-shaped dust clouds behind them and sprout angel wings before ascending to Heaven while playing a harp. In this particular corner of the world, there don't seem to be any truly "good" guys, just those that are faster and smarter.
The comic tone carries over in the second, shortest story, "Near Algodones," starring James Franco as a hapless bank robber who could be kin to H.I. McDonough in Raising Arizona, if it's possible for bad luck to be hereditary. While trying to hit a tiny, one-room bank out in the middle of nowhere, where "the marshal don't visit but once a month," he meets his match in a teller (Stephen Root) who's at least as devoted to protecting his money as Franco is to stealing it.
Things take a turn for the bleak in the third story, "Meal Ticket," in which Liam Neeson plays a man traveling around the country with a limbless boy, Harrison (Harry Melling), whom he refers to as "the Wingless Thrush." Harrison has been trained to recite "Ozymandias," passages from the Bible, and even the Gettysburg Address, for an audience that grows smaller with every stop, eventually abandoning Harrison in favor of a different kind of caged bird—a chicken that can do basic math. Reminiscent of David Lynch's The Elephant Man in style, it's creepily pragmatic, as Harrison's caretaker tends to his every need, even feeding him and helping him use the bathroom, but there are limits to just how much he means to him.
Tom Waits, in the role he was born to play, is a gold prospector in the fourth story, "All Gold Canyon." Waits, talking mostly to himself (while occasionally addressing some unknown being named "Mr. Pocket") pans for gold, pilfers eggs out of an owl's nest, and fishes, and it's all very soothing to watch. Just as soon as it looks like he's found the reward for all his hard work, however, a shadow falls over him, which, in this kind of world, is never a sign of anything good.
"The Gal Who Got Rattled," the longest in the anthology, is somewhat of a love story, though that's not typically a Coen genre, and, indeed, ends with their far more familiar tragedy by way of fate's indifference. Zoe Kazan plays Alice Longbaugh, a meek young woman traveling to Oregon with her officious brother so that she can marry a man she's never met before, as part of a "business arrangement." After the brother dies unexpectedly, Alice is looked after by Billy Knapp (Bill Heck), a philosophical wagon train driver, and the two begin a tentative romance. Of the six stories, this one seems to be the cruelest in its abruptness, and how life seems to punish us for daring to stray off course.
The final story, "The Mortal Remains," is likely to be the most polarizing of the six stories. The only one of the stories that doesn't rely on stunning outdoor shots, it takes places almost entirely inside a stagecoach, where three travelers (Tyne Daly, Saul Rubinek, and Chelcie Ross), when they're not squabbling amongst each other, make the acquaintances of a pair of "collectors" (Jonjo O'Neill and Brendan Gleeson). Given the otherworldly lighting, you can probably guess what the collectors are there to collect, and where the stagecoach is going. Though it's entirely dialogue driven, it puts a clever but deeply unsettling end to a series of stories about characters who accept their fate with their heads up, and occasionally, as with Buster Scruggs himself, even a smile on their faces.
While Buster Scruggs won't likely shoot to the top of anyone's "best of" lists, after the misfire of Suburbicon (which they wrote but didn't direct), and the amusing but aimless Hail, Caesar!, the Coens are back in full form, making a movie that will both dazzle and confound. The smile that the first story leaves on the viewer's face gradually turns to a frown of existential discomfort by the end.
As is often the case with anthologies, it is, however, uneven in tone, and combining the mad quirkiness of, say, The Hudsucker Proxy with the cynical desolation of No Country for Old Men is a bit jarring at times. But it is, ultimately, one long story about a place, the land, and as beautiful as the land is, it's also unforgiving, and it's bigger than you, and it will be here long after you've gone and returned to the dust.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is currently available on Netflix, so mosey on over and see it.
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Posted in Movies and tagged 2018, action, alcohol, bill heck, bloody, brendan gleeson, campy, cinema, clancy brown, comedy, cowboy, darby o'neill, drama, drinking, film, films, henry welling, historical, james franco, joel and ethan coen, liam neeson, movie, movies, period, romance, saul rubinek, stephen root, thriller, tim blake nelson, tom waits, tyne daly, western, zoe kazan. Bookmark the permalink.
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If we believe this code has been breached, we will raise this issue with the chair and the chair will investigate; the governing body will only use suspension or removal as a last resort after seeking to resolve any difficulties or disputes in more constructive ways.


What Are Some Common Automobile Defects?
When it comes time to purchase a car, you are expecting to receive a vehicle that meets all the necessary safety regulations, and has passed countless inspections during its design and manufacturing. You should not have to worry about a defect in your vehicle that could cause a serious issue later on while driving. However, it is an unfortunate possibility that an automobile sold with some type of mechanical problem can result in a product liability case.
When flawed design or manufacturing takes place, some common types of defects include airbags that do not deploy properly, brakes that fail, seatbelts that do not buckle correctly, child car seats with faulty buckles, or door latches that fail to stay closed. In the event that one of these defects happens during the course of driving, a serious accident, injury, or even death could occur.
Determining who is liable for an automobile product liability case can sometimes be complicated due to the sheer number of people who were involved with the car before it entered your possession. You would have to follow what is called the chain of distribution, which is all the parties the vehicle went through before being distributed to consumers.
The first arm on this chain of distribution is of course the manufacturer. If the product was defective as a result of a faulty manufacturing or design, the car manufacturer may be held liable. Similarly, if it was a specific product within the vehicle, like the seat belts or air bags, that wasn't made by the manufacturer of the car, you can sue both the car manufacturer and the manufacturer of the product. Also, the retailer who sold you the vehicle could be held liable.
When it comes time to file your claim for compensation from a faulty or defective automotive part, there are four elements you will have to prove before your claim can be acceptable.
First, you must prove that you actually suffered some form of injury from the defective product, meaning you can't claim that you could have gotten hurt as a result of the defect, but rather you actually did get injured.
Second, you need to prove that the product was in fact defective. This will require you to show that there was a problem in either the manufacturing or design of the part that caused it to malfunction, and subsequently injure you.
Third, you must show that you were using the product in a reasonable manner for which it was intended.
Finally, you'll have to show that the defective part within the car is what caused the accident that ultimately resulted in you being injured. If a part was discovered to be defective but not necessarily the cause of your accident, rather the accident was caused by you speeding, then you may not have a claim.
A driver never wants to hear about their car being on a recall list due to some mechanical malfunction or defective part that was discovered. Usually, these defects are found through consumers experiencing issues with their vehicles, and only when it becomes significant enough, will the car companies recall the vehicles.
If a car is recalled, the car manufacturer is responsible for either repairing your vehicle, replacing the car or the defective part, or refunding you the purchase cost. However, in the event that you've already suffered injury from the recalled vehicle, you may be entitled to a product liability lawsuit, and should seek the help of a Oklahoma car accident attorney who can assist you in filing a claim against the proper party.
You don't have to take on the burden of fighting the car manufacturers, retailers, or any other party that may be liable for the defect in the vehicle that caused you injury. Let the team at Car Accident Help handle these difficult legal matters for you. Contact us today at (405) 285-4357 to find out more about how we can help you with these serious legal issues.
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Oklahoma City Auto Product Liability Attorney Disclaimer: This web site is designed to provide educational information only. The legal information contained in this web site is not intended to offer legal advice. Information contained in this web site is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship, nor does it constitute legal advice, to any person reviewing such information. No electronic communication with Car Accident Help, or any employees thereof, will generate an attorney client relationship, nor will it be considered an attorney-client privileged communication. Any reference in this web site to past results for clients obtained by Car Accident Help, including reference to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, does not guarantee that similar outcomes will be achieved for future cases. Each case is different, and must be evaluated and handled based on its individual attributes and merits.


After experiences with suicidal thoughts firsthand, then seeing how prevalent it is with celebrities and others who one would think are established and shouldn't even be experiencing such problems that'll ever make them feel worthless, hopeless or inadequate. But, that further proves that suicidal tendencies has nuttin to do with how much money you have nor does popularity make a difference. Hurting people are everywhere… And I wanna HHHEEEELLLLPPPP!!!


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Last May, Russ and Rhonda Rhoden were having a nice dinner out when she looked at her husband and said, "I can see us there."
She could see them at the Otino Waa Children's Village in Uganda, Africa. She could see the dark-skinned orphaned children and teams of missionaries.
"This is what God is showing me," Rhonda hold her husband.
They knew that the current orphanage directors would soon be returning to their home in the United States, creating a need for in-country directors.
"I said, 'I can see us doing that,' the job that they were doing," Rhonda said.
Not long after Rhonda's vision, the founders of the orphanage, Oregonians Bob and Carol Higgins, called them.
"They asked us if we would pray about being the next in-country directors," Russ says.
While they were waiting for God to shut doors, instead, doors kept opening.
So, last week, the Prineville couple hugged their children and grandchildren goodbye and boarded a plane for Lira, Uganda, where they will serve as in-country directors for Otino Waa Children's Village for at least two years.
"It's a step of faith and obedience both, knowing that this is what God has for us to do," Russ said earlier this month while visiting about their upcoming mission.
Uganda is similar in size to Oregon and yet has nearly 43 million people, compared to just over 4 million in Oregon. There are an estimated 2.5 million orphans in Uganda.
For more than two decades, Northern Uganda was the battleground for civil war between the Ugandan government and a rebel group called the Lord's Resistance Army.
In 2002, missionaries Bob and Carol Higgins, of Bend, heard of 78 orphans who were being targeted by the LRA to be abducted near the town of Lira. With the help of local leaders, they managed to rescue the 78 children and began to care for their basic needs. Throughout the year, it became evident that these children needed long-term care.
In 2003, Otino Waa Children's Village was created just outside Lira. Today, there are nearly 300 children who call the orphanage their home. An additional 200 children from surrounding villages attend school there.
As Uganda has stabilized since the end of the war, they no longer are fighting the LRA and child abduction but are now fighting AIDS, poverty, a broken economy, disease, unsafe water and hunger. Otino Waa leaders have sought out the most vulnerable, desolate children to take into the orphanage. They provide a safe and loving home, nutritious food, clean water, medical and dental care and primary and secondary education.
The school offers vocational training in beekeeping, agriculture, mechanics, electronics, tailoring, carpentry and computers. The village also has a medical clinic, a dental clinic and two cafes. They have a scholarship fund that helps graduates continue on to higher education.
Russ serves as the missions pastor at Eastside Church in Prineville. Over the years, he has led teams of missionaries to China, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
But around 2012, the Lord started speaking to the Rhodens again.
"The Lord showed Rhonda and I that we have all this extra love to give — His love," Russ said. "We love our children as much as we can. We love our grandchildren, our families as much as we can. We really had this extra love, so we were praying for an outlet. 'Where else, God, would you have us go?'"
He was then invited to join a missionary team headed to Otino Waa. He accepted the invitation, and in 2013, he made his first trek to the African nation. There, he helped update biographies of children who needed sponsors.
"Hearing their stories in one-on-one interviews was just powerful," Russ recalls. "Seeing those kids and what they'd been through, we'll never feel their pain, we'll never know their struggle, but yet their faith in God was just unbelievable."
He said he came home from the trip totally changed.
"My faith grew 10-fold in that time," he said. "I started from that time taking teams to Otino Waa, and my wife was eventually part of those teams."
Since that trip, he has become a board member and has taken missionary teams to the orphanage seven times. Rhonda has joined him twice.
"I kept feeling like I didn't know that we would ever live there full-time, but I did feel we would be there more time," he said.
They have three daughters and six grandchildren and couldn't imagine leaving their family for an extended mission trip.
But the Lord was working in their hearts.
So when the Higgins called to ask if they would pray about being long-term missionaries, they at first said they didn't think it would work.
"I don't know," he told Bob. "We grew up here. Our roots are deep in this community with the people also with my job, but more particularly, our family."
They kept praying about it, waiting for God to shut the door.
"God just never shut the door. Everything just kept happening," Russ said.
Things began falling into place, making it possible to leave their home, their jobs and their family and become the Otino Waa Children's Village in-country directors.
It was right around Labor Day in September that they came to the decision that they were going. That's about the time Bruce Scanlon stepped in as assistant manager of Ochoco Irrigation District, where Russ has been employed for 27 years.
Rhonda gave her notice where she worked at the Les Schwab headquarters and left at the end of December.
They arranged for some family members to rent their home. They are promised a few visits home during their mission, so they won't have to miss milestones in their children's and grandchildren's lives.
In 2018, Otino Waa leaders initiated a second branch called Otino Waa Community Based Care for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children.
"Community based care is a way that we can go right into the local communities, connect them with the local church, and seeing what we can do to help take care of orphans and vulnerable children right in their village setting," Russ explained.
The types of children and families who fit into a community based model include children who may have a living relative who is willing and physically capable of caring for the children but who needs assistance with basic necessities like food, clothing and education.
By sponsoring these children to go to school and providing basic food or medical assistance, they are able to lift a burden off the family.
As in-country directors, the Rhodens will live in nearby Lira and provide oversight to the ministry, which is mostly run by the indigenous people.
"We're just going over as part of the body of Christ, to come alongside them, to encourage them," Russ said, adding that they will also conduct an overall assessment of the programs.
While helping run the village, the missionaries will also share the Word of God with the students and surrounding villages.
"I'm really praying and hoping that we have the opportunity to grow the church, to advance God's kingdom, to plant churches," Russ said. "The number one thing is it's a Christ-centered ministry, and really, our one goal is that it remains a Christ-centered ministry."
They were looking forward to seeing their three Ugandan daughters that they have sponsored for a few years as well as other children and friends.
"I'm looking forward to just loving on the kids and making them feel loved," Rhonda said, adding that she will also enjoy working with her husband every day.
The Rhodens say they are thankful for the support of their family, friends, community and Eastside church.
Although they are planning on a two-year mission, they are openhanded if the Lord calls them to be there longer.
"The disciples asked Jesus what the most important things were, and he said, 'One, that you love God with all your heart, soul, mind and spirit, and the second is that you love your neighbor as yourself,'" Russ said. "We want to make sure we do those things really, really well."


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Reviews tagging 'Violence'
Bruised, by Tanya Boteju
sarah984's review against another edition
Go to review page
emotional hopeful medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
This is a young adult novel about a young woman (the character is still in high school but she's 18) who joins a roller derby league while dealing with unresolved personal trauma.
Like a lot of other reviews, I was surprised how severe the self-harm content was, and how often it came up in the book. Daya is also extremely obnoxious for the first half of the novel as a self-defence mechanism. It's understandable but it does make parts of the book a slog to get through. The romance was fine but a little underwhelming. Daya obviously benefited but the love interest kind of felt like a prop. The storyline with Kat dragged on way too long and never really felt resolved.
I did like the parts about the derby itself and all its events. Daya's friend Fee and most of her derby friends were fun characters. I think it's valuable as well to show a character who is still struggling with trauma despite a supportive environment, and I loved how kind and understanding Daya's aunt and uncle were about her sexuality since you don't usually see that in novels about immigrant families.
The second half of the book was wonderful, but I'm rating it a bit lower for the rough first half. I would not recommend this book to anyone with a history of self-harm because the narrative dwells on it for so long but I would recommend it to anyone else.
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Self harm, and Car accident
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Alcohol, and Bullying
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Transphobia, and Violence
wonderlandbooks's review
sad fast-paced
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Contemporary is not really my choice genre to read but I will always make an exception for queer stories.
This was an incredibly quick read for me but unfortunately not a exceptional read. I enjoyed reading the parts about Roller Derby, however the main character was just awful and I know she has been through something horrific but it was hard to sympathise with her when she was just plain rude and arrogant.
There was so much diversity within the story with lots of POC and LGBT+ characters which was fantastic to see but they felt a little one dimensional. I would love to have seen a little more of a build up with the romance, it was clear the love interest had a thing Daya but Daya being interested in them was out of nowhere.
The topic of self harm was dealt with well however the end result not so much. Love does not cure Mental Illness and it felt very rushed how everything wrapped up.
Graphic: Self harm and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent and Violence

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The 2009–10 Persian Gulf Cup (also known as Iran Pro League) was the 27th season of Iran's Football League and ninth as Iran Pro League since its establishment in 2001. Esteghlal were the defending champions. The season featured 15 teams from the 2008–09 Persian Gulf Cup and three new teams promoted from the 2008–09 Azadegan League: Steel Azin and Tractor Sazi both as champions and Shahin Bushehr. The league started on 6 August 2009 and ended on 19 May 2010. Sepahan won the Pro League title for the second time in their history (total second Iranian title).
Updated to games played on 20 May 2010.
2PAS Hamedan received a technical lose of 3–0 to Shahin Bushehr. The original game was finished in a 1–1 draw.
^ Administrator. "Hasheminasab takes charge of Esteghlal of Ahvaz - PersianLeague.Com". www.persianleague.com. Retrieved 24 March 2018.


I started jTIGERNOVA in 2011 to help people in the south create apps on a budget. Back then, Blackberry was the big dog on campus. So much has changed since then.
Over the years, Android and iOS has become the main focus. The apps built by jTIGERNOVA run the gamut, whether the app is for business, education, retail, or games.
Think about the idea of running your business from your phone. Most people use their phone before any other device.
This is a great opportunity to contact with them!
Building the app is just the beginning. Generating an audience is a must.
If you already have an audience, great. If you don't, that's ok too!


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Halverson Hooked on Helping Less Fortunate Keep Warm
Posted on April 4, 2011 | By ourCOG	| No comments
When Shirley Halverson of Winter Haven, Fla., began to crochet nearly 35 years ago, little did she know at that time how far-reaching her new hobby would become. Shirley had no plans to make anything large of it, other than to enjoy it as a hobby. She quickly learned the craft, and she made afghans, sweaters, and other items.
Through the years, she gave the items to family and friends. Now she desires to expand the ability to make and send crocheted sweaters to others.
"I enjoy crocheting as a hobby, but I also see it as a way to help less-fortunate people keep warm," Shirley said. She believes the Lord showed her the need for the sweaters years ago. Shirley and her husband, Gary, served as missionaries to Guatemala for more than 10 years. While there, she taught many in the country to crochet.
A member of Winter Haven Church of God, Shirley enjoys using this talent to help people. Shirley's hobby has grown into a ministry as a result of her passion for God and to be a blessing to those in need. She invites others to help her in this mission.
"The Lord game me the desire and talent to bless others with sweaters," Shirley said. "Finding people who need them isn't a challenge. Getting the materials for the sweaters and then sending them are challenges," she added.
Shirley's first mission to provide a sweater to someone in need was about two years ago. She sent the sweater to a child she supports monthly through Child Fund International in Honduras. This ignited a desire in her to bless others with the hand made items. In December last year, Shirley's desire to expand the project deepened after she sent eight sweaters to Honduras for the girl's family. She also sent sweaters to Guatemala.
Shirley makes infant, children's, and adult sizes. She has 10 more sweaters completed, and is waiting to see where she can send them.
"I would like to get some of the sweaters to the people in Japan because of the recent disasters there," Shirley said. Her heart was deeply touched by scenes of how cold it is there right now.
For more information on how to help Shirley, contact the Winter Haven Church of God in Winter Haven, Florida.