text:
Posts tagged "bill paxton"
True Lies (1994)
It sounds odd that I had never seen True Lies until just a few months ago. I always had a little tinge of interest in it, but until recently, I just never capitalized upon it. I do think James Cameron has done some marvelous work over the years, and it's nice to see that he did take the chance to do something more fun-filled after a lot of films of thematic heaviness. While I didn't love True Lies, it does have its great strengths and unfortunate weaknesses wrapped up in a very entertaining spy thriller.
Special agent Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a top spy in the ultra-secret Omega Sector – although to his wife Helen (Jaime Lee Curtis), he's just a boring computer salesman. When Harry's two lives unexpectedly collide, both he and Helen find themselves in the clutches of international terrorists, fighting to save not only their marriage, but their lives.
In what I believe is a rare occurrence, I actually agree with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert about this film, in most part. The opening and ending are great, exciting, engaging action excellence, but the middle section is drawn out and throws the film off the rails a little. This is in relation to the entire Bill Paxton segment where Harry Tasker learns that Helen has been seeing another man on the side who feeds her false stories of him being a secret agent. Paxton's character turns out to be a sleazy used car salesman conning women with his tales of international espionage and intrigue, and Harry proceeds to use his resources to pull one over on the guy while attempting to inject some excitement into his marriage via subterfuge. This segment is not a bad idea, but the fact is that it is dragged out for over thirty minutes and runs through some overly long comedic bits. There is so much that could have been done to chop this down considerably and make it far more snappy and to the point.
I hate to keep being proven right about my reservations about James Cameron's lax storytelling post-The Terminator, but the evidence keeps surfacing with every film of his I see. When he had a tight, restrictive budget forcing him to be innovative in a constrained run time, he put together a film of tight rhythm and energy. Once he was given larger and larger budgets, and was allowed to indulge himself on screen, he began to slow down the pace of his films with extended second acts that could have definitely been tightened up for a more punchy experience. The other problem with this divergence in focus is that the actual plot with our villains vanishes for the entire time the film is concerned with this marital infidelity plot. With such a thrilling action chase scene to build up the film's villain, the movie wholly shifts focus away from that plot, and a lot like the T-1000 in Terminator 2, the actual villain is completely absent for most of the second act of the movie. He only reappears when the movie realizes it needs another action sequence. If Cameron could have found a way to keep both the action centric terrorist / secret agent and married life plots going by interweaving them, I believe that would have been great, but it's ultimately much more compartmentalized until the third act arrives.
Regardless, Cameron is still able to direct some of the best action sequences to date. The opening escape sequence is explosive and smart with the right amount of wit and sly humor. Indeed, I was vastly impressed with the chase sequence that starts off with a public bathroom fight and shootout, and then, sees the film's villain, Aziz, take off on a motorcycle and Harry pursues him on horseback. They gallop and zoom through Washington, D.C. streets, stores, a shopping mall, elevators, and a high rise balcony. Cameron pushes this sequence to the absolute most fun hilt, and it proves to be very original and imaginative. The climax of the film with the helicopter rescue from the out of control limousine, and then, the fighter jet explosive awesomeness really makes this one of the biggest Schwarzenegger action spectacles ever. These are some of the most incredible action sequences that either James Cameron or Arnold Schwarzenegger have ever been involved in, and they deserve to been seen by any serious action movie fan.
And Arnold Schwarzenegger really does seem to do some of his best, most dynamic work with James Cameron. The two clearly work so perfectly together based on a very trusted friendship and collaboration. This time out, Arnold gets to be more light hearted and fun. Harry Tasker is a clever character who thinks on his feet, and improvises some tight scenarios with suave charisma. By no doubt, there are some James Bond comparisons you could make, but that can be done with nearly any secret agent action movie. Harry's a light-hearted, caring family man who is not nearly as adept at his home life as he is in espionage.
Jamie Lee Curtis is really fun and solid as Harry's wife. We get to see her go from this simple, wholesome, innocent woman to a more empowered, assertive character. Yeah, Helen has to liberate herself with a sexy striptease, but it's really just done in good fun in the film's context. Helen is attracted to Bill Paxton's character because he tells her exciting stories of peril and danger, and so, Harry chooses to give her an adventure of her own. Curtis really embraces the role in all its facets giving us a sweet character that is able to rise to the task of danger and peril.
Now, it does seem to take the right director to craft Tom Arnold's humor down the correct path. Surely, many have found him annoying or obnoxious elsewhere, but he really hits all the comedy beats just right. He never pushes it over the edge, and doesn't come off like a buffoon, which would have been extremely easy to fall into. Him and Schwarzenegger have very good chemistry playing off of one another lightly and naturally.
On the far more serious side, Art Malik has a great threatening look of intensity to him that perfectly aids him as the film's villain, Salim Abu Aziz. He's an excellent fit for this ruthless, violent radical terrorist who consistently proves to be a major adversary to contend with. He truly added the serious counterweight the film required to the light hearted tone it employs throughout. His partner in crime is Tia Carrere's Juno Skinner, a slight femme fatale that catches Harry's attention early on. Surely, Carrere has never been a great actress, but she does quite good work under Cameron's direction being charming and alluring when necessary as well as cutthroat and vile when the facades are dropped.
In some smaller roles, you've got Charlton Heston in a solid, brief appearance as the head of Omega Sector baring a nasty scar and eye patch. This sort of shows that True Lies is not taking itself too seriously. It's allowing a little satire and jokiness to seep into the flavor of the picture. Also, Eliza Dushku appears in an early role as Dana Tasker, Harry and Helen's daughter, and she does a great job showcasing a lot of tough attitude and dimension she would come to be known for. Everyone in this cast really does a fine, respectable job with Cameron's material. It's both a fact of good casting and solid directing.
This was James Cameron's follow-up to Terminator 2 after he took a few years off, and in that time, visual effects continued to evolve a little. Largely, the digital effects work is very subtle not requiring anything so innovative as a liquid metal cyborg assassin. Yet, it's interesting to see that today, you'd like see those Harrier fighter jets done mostly as CGI in most shots, but here, we get the real thing on film and it looks exponentially superior to any digital effect. The green screen shots are about as good as they get, and Cameron uses as many practical elements to give the action set pieces a very realistic weight. This is just how digital effects should be used – to aid and enhance the practicals in addition to achieving what little practicals cannot achieve. The use of practical effects adds more realistic weight to everything that I immensely appreciate.
True Lies is a very entertaining film with a fun mixture of concepts that is much lighter than your typical James Cameron fare. I think every idea he had here is solid and when it clicks, it excels beyond expectations. That is essentially the action-centric plot aspects, and while the humor is greatly well done, it dragged down the middle of the film. I honestly feel that humor works best when it's snappy, sharp, and punctuated correctly. The comedy segments of True Lies are drawn out too long, and diverge the film away from its more exciting aspects. I believe the script could have been tightened up in that second act by shortening some of these sequences, and resulting in a sharper and more to the point second act. I do like the idea of showing the light-hearted suburban home life of this international secret agent, and the fun marital twists and turns that Harry and Helen take. However, I feel the film eventually forgets to meld its ideas together for a long period, and diverges away from the action film aspects for too long. Just when the secret agent plot was getting interesting and truly exciting, it ditches it for a good half an hour.
Regardless, I would still recommend True Lies. As I said, the action sequences are spectacular on every level showcasing the best of what Arnold can do, and demonstrating that James Cameron is one of the best directors of action out there. His dynamic visual style is wonderfully realized by Russell Carpenter's exceptional cinematography. He didn't work with Cameron on any other picture, but that would be hard to tell because the film has all of Cameron's visual signatures. The blue, moody tones and great camera work with excellent close-up shots and push-ins all punctuate what you expect from James Cameron, and Carpenter truly hits it all dead on the mark. There is plenty of entertainment value to gain from True Lies, but even despite the R rating, it's fairly light on graphic violence. So, in a way it appears more tame than previous Cameron or Schwarzenegger action films, but for the lighter tone used here, it seems more appropriate. As I said, I feel the film could benefit greatly from a tightening up of its humor, or at least, allow the secret agent action plot and the family life comedy to interweave in that second act. As it stands, the film veers off track for a good thirty minutes in the middle, and doesn't get back on track until the terrorists burst back into the film in a rather unexplained fashion. It's all good stuff from start to finish, but I just feel it would have worked better in a tighter package.
01.23.2014 | Categories: Movie Reviews | Tags: action, adventure, arnold schwarzenegger, art malik, bill paxton, eliza duhsku, film, harrier fighter jet, james cameron, jamie lee curtis, movie, secret agent, spy, striptease, terrorist, tia carrere, tom arnold, true lies | 1 Comment
Predator 2 (1990)
There seems to be an idea out there somewhere, I don't know where it came from, that Predator 2 is a markedly inferior sequel. This is wholly unjustified. Surely, everyone has their own opinions on how this measures up to the original classic, but to me, this is a great follow-up which expands on the ideas and premise in exciting new ways. Predator 2 contains numerous admirable qualities, and is helmed by a director with a great eye for sleek visuals. Anything it doesn't recreate from the original it replaces with a higher energy and larger scale action.
In the urban jungles of Los Angeles, Detective Lieutenant Mike Harrigan's (Danny Glover) police force is at war with drug lords and gangs. But just as Harrigan admits he's losing the fight, one by one, gang lords are killed by a mysterious, fierce adversary with almost supernatural powers – the Predator. Before long, the vicious creature begins to hunt the hunters – Harrigan's men. Now, Harrigan doesn't just want to bring the creature in – he wants to bring it down. However, he is hindered along the way by government Special Agent Peter Keyes (Gary Busey) who has a shady motive to his secretive investigation who knows more about this ultimate hunter than Harrigan even suspects.
Surely, you would think going from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Danny Glover would be a strange swerve. I always imagined that if this was made a few years later that it would be Wesley Snipes as Mike Harrigan, but I'll be damned if Glover doesn't deliver here. The character is designed as a seasoned cop who's been fighting this unrelenting war on the Los Angeles streets for a long time. He's dogged, inventive, and is a cop who plays by his own rules, taking a backseat to no one. Glover portrays this with the rugged determination of a consummate street cop. He doesn't like the politics that get rammed down his throat, and he slickly, yet passionately sticks it back in their faces. However, he is wholly loyal to his team, and treats them with respect as comrades in arms because they are fighting a war. Glover also demonstrates the emotional depth of Harrigan when his closest friend, Danny Archuleta portrayed by Rubén Blades, is gruesomely killed by the Predator. The flashes of enraged vengeance, and the heartfelt moment at the gravesite show Glover had the talent and skill for this role, which also demanded a lot from him physically. He greatly delivers on that end, too. I think making him a distinctly different protagonist than Dutch was the right way to go.
Many will indeed enjoy Bill Paxton's performance as the jokey Jerry Lambert. He's the newest member of Harrigan's team known as "The Lone Ranger." He's a guy that's gotten a lot of ego stroking and glory, but he quickly becomes an enthusiastic team player. This is Paxton at his full charismatic and comedic richness. He adds the levity to break up the grisly heaviness of the film. The rest of the supporting cast is filled out by Rubén Blades and Maria Conchita Alonso as the seasoned members of Harrigan's team. Both bring their top level enthusiasm and talent adding to the cast's vibrancy. Then, we get the late, great original king of trash television Morton Downey, Jr. as the appropriately cast tabloid sleaze-miester Tony Pope. He's puts in a fantastically entertaining performance.
Now, Arnold Schwarzenegger was approached to return for this film, but he turned it down to do Terminator 2. Thus, his role was rewritten as Peter Keyes and re-cast with Gary Busey. I think this was an equally beneficial turn of events. The story works supremely better not knowing what Keyes' agenda is, and allowing for him to be an adversary and foil for Harrigan. Busey does an excellent job bringing forth his signature energy and leaning Keyes towards the smarmy, shady side. He's smart and cunning, but still a self-serving government agent who cares more about his findings for the military than Harrigan's war on violent gang crime.
Also, I love the Jamaican gang here. They are totally savage and chilling with King Willie being fantastically awesome. He brings the mysticism into the fold with a wickedly cool scene opposite Harrigan, but also, a greatly visualized confrontation with the Predator. Calvin Lockhart is so awesome in this role. The theatricality, mystique, and powerful presence he brings entirely does justice to his Royal Shakespeare Company roots. He delivers my favorite performance of the movie. Knowing that director Stephen Hopkins was born in Jamaica, it doesn't surprise me how rich and memorable these characters are here.
The visual effects are distinctly improved from the first movie. The Predator vision is the most obvious example as the infrared and other modes have more distinct color separation and possibly are of a higher resolution. The optical effects of the Predator's cloak are used more dynamically and are integrated into more complex environments. We see it in more motion and detail. My favorite effects shots in the whole movie are when the Predator squares off with King Willie. First off, the tracking shot of the cloaked feet walking through the water is brilliant work, and then, the reveal of the Predator in the rippling puddle is awesome. Seeing how these are done in the featurettes on the Special Edition DVD are astounding and what I've always loved about movie magic. These striking, innovative images are largely due to do director Stephen Hopkins' great visual style.
Teamed with regular director of photography Peter Levy, Hopkins gives Predator 2 its own unique visual sleekness. It has a great use of dynamic, intriguing angles. The action is captured remarkably well, and we even get a few scenes of atmospheric, moody lighting. Two of the best shot scenes are, first, inside the slaughterhouse bathed in blue light where the Predators assaults Keyes' team, and then, the entire climax inside the Predator spacecraft. Counterbalancing that blue with a largely orange color scheme there is another sign of Hopkins' great visual sensibilities. Beyond just the color schemes, these sequences have great use of sweeping cranes and steadicams shots enhancing the production and artistic value of the film.
This new Predator is recognizable, but has a bit different look and feel to him. He feels more brazen. He's taking bigger chances, and taking on greater numbers. Hunting in a major metropolitan area means he's attracting more attention to his work. So, he's not as calculated, in general, but when he finds a prey he really likes, such as Harrigan, he takes his time to study him. He also taunts Harrigan as if he's issuing an honorable challenge. I very much like that the filmmakers did this to show, even subtly, that this is another unique individual with his own personality, but with the same objective. It's also great seeing the arsenal expand with the telescoping spear, the projectile net, and the flying disc. It gives the impression of a larger safari at hand where he's equipped for bigger game. Kevin Peter Hall, yet again, does an awesome, exceptional job overall. He defined this role so perfectly, and it is a terrible shame that his life ended only a few years later. However, what he did laid the template for others to succeed him in this franchise.
The strengths of Predator 2 is that it is much more energetic and diversely entertaining than the original. The pace is faster as there is more going on here between the gang wars, Peter Keyes' shady dealings, and Harrigan's own dogged investigation. The action sequences are bigger and more dynamic allowing for a higher body count, but not as much gore. The film originally gained an NC-17 rating, but likely, Fox panicked and did more aggressive editing to secure an R rating. There is still blood abound and plenty of violence, but far less cadavers begin ripped apart. What we do see in that regard is obscured or done in heavy shadow. So, it ups the energy and action, but reduces the graphic content a little.
I would agree that these characters are not quite as captivating as those in the original. Neither film delves deeply into their characters, but it's just the nature of battle hardened soldiers in a ominous jungle versus tough, seasoned cops on the streets of Los Angeles. One if inherently more intriguing than the other. There's a little more levity in this film akin to a wisecracking John McClane in areas as Harrigan's fear manifests in a few humorous quips. Since the film focuses more on an energetic pace with a more divided focus, there's little mystique about the Predator himself. Again, he's much more blunt and brazen, but you do lose that intensely dramatic build up to the third act. The Peter Keyes subplot sort of veers the emotional drive of Harrigan off-track, and the climax just becomes about having to stop this alien one way or another. There's no more survival aspect, just hero versus villain. There is some peril throughout the third act, but none of it rivals the dire lethality and immediacy of the first film.
Still, the little teases we get at the end with both the Alien skull in the trophy room, the reveal of the half dozen other Predators onboard the spacecraft, and the flintlock pistol with the engraving of the year 1715 on it lay big seeds for a follow-up. However one might have felt about this movie, it surely left you intrigued to see how the next film could expand on these concepts further, but a proper third movie would not see fruition for another twenty years.
Predator 2 may not hit all the great qualities of the film first, but has entertaining trade-offs making it a more lively, faster paced action film. It again has a solid cast filling their roles with vibrancy. The violence and intense action are enhanced by stylish, sleek visuals and excellent editing. The optical visual effects are stunningly impressive pushing the ambition further, and with more time to plan, Stan Winston Studios developed the Predator further with great new weaponry and a fresh look. Alan Silvestri also returns adding some new flavors to his original themes, and adapting some of the feel to this film's style and content. I would like to pay tribute to Kevin Peter Hall, Calvin Lockhart, and Stan Winston who have all passed on since this film's release. All three did stunning work here that deserves notable credit and praise. This franchise, outside of the AVP films, has maintained a fairly steady stream of quality. The screenwriters of the first movie returned to expand on their own concepts, and it was executed very well by a competent and capable director. Predator 2 s definitely worth your while. It's not as slam bang amazing as the first, but it's a largely worthy sequel.
06.18.2013 | Categories: Movie Reviews, Science Fiction / Fantasy Movies | Tags: action, alan silvestri, alien, bill paxton, blood, cops, danny glover, drugs, film, franchise, gangs, gary busey, gore, hunter, jamaica, lapd, los angeles, maria conchita alonso, morton downey jr., movie, narcotics, police, predator, predator 2, review, ruben blades, science fiction, sequel, series, stan winston, stan winston studios, stephen hopkins, violence | Leave a comment
It was an ambitious prospect to develop a sequel to Ridley Scott's 1979 science fiction horror classic Alien. However, Twentieth Century Fox was highly pleased with what burgeoning filmmaker James Cameron was putting to paper that they waited until he finished production on The Terminator to have him complete that script. It became a huge blockbuster hit in the summer of 1986, and earned several nominations and awards. Unfortunately, for me, there has always been something about this film I never quite liked, something that made it nowhere near as great as people made it out to be. Add to that the disdain I've developed in recent years for James Cameron. I don't think he makes films as good as he thinks he does, he has a huge unwarranted ego, and his pioneering of 3D digital technology really burns me. I hate the trend, and I hate Cameron for igniting it. I will truly brush these feelings aside, and critique this film as it is to pinpoint my issues with it. There's plenty for me to deconstruct here.
Lieutenant Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the sole survivor of the alien attack on the mining ship Nostromo, is awakened by a salvage ship after drifting through space in cryo-sleep for fifty-seven years in her escape pod. After her rescue, officials at the Weyland-Yutani Corporation (regularly referred to as "The Company") give her a cold reception by revoking her flight license. Much to her horror, they reveal that planet LV-426, where her crew discovered the alien, has since been colonized without incident. However, when communication with the colony is lost, Ripley initially refuses to help, but her recurring nightmares and coxing by a representative of the Company, Carter Burke (Paul Reiser), convince her to accompany a group of Colonial Marines to investigate the situation. What awaits them all is a swarm of Xenomorphs that have infested the colony, the likes of which these marines are not prepared for, but Ripley will ultimately not be deterred from confronting and destroying the horror that haunts her.
I hate to start off on a bad note because there are highly admirable qualities to credit in this film, but this is an exploration of me understanding what I haven't like about this film for so long. Only now, by way of actually analyzing the film, can I pinpoint those reasons. However, that doesn't mean I have all bad things to say of it, but let me get the nagging issues out of the way first.
I feel Aliens is downgraded by its aesthetics. Part of that problem was the choice of film stock used in the Kodak Eastman type that was only in use for a very brief period of time. The reasons for that begin with excessive grain and ends with a difficulty in processing blue screen effects. Aliens is a very grainy film, and in addition to that, has very bleached out colors. The color palette is very flat. Blacks aren't black, and with a film of this sort, creating light and shadow contrast is very important. This creates a rather visually bland presentation that fails to match the highly atmospheric quality of Ridley Scott's 1979 original. I believe that some of these problems have been rectified on the Blu Ray release which Cameron himself supervised. I wish I could view that version so that, maybe, some of my gripes with the film would evaporate. However, that's not all, but I will cover those later when I address the visual effects.
I have to take issue with some of the characterizations in this film. Sigourney Weaver, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen, & Michael Biehn are all excellent, and inhabit their roles well. Their roles are also well written and well conceived. Them, I have no issues with. It's the arrogant, chest pounding, and sometime weak-willed Colonial Marines. Yes, they are big, colorful characters that are memorable and quotable. That doesn't mean they're well conceived characters. For example, let's compare these marines to the elite team from Predator. A group that is memorable, quotable, full of personality, but also, not a bunch of guys you'd ever want to cross. They are not arrogant, just confident, but know how to respect a dangerous situation when they enter it. They operate like a cohesive unit, follow orders, have great respect for one another, and keep their mission objective clearly in view. They get the job done, and never flex any ego. The marines from Aliens do nothing but talk tough and act as if they're invincible bad asses. I understand the intent of showing them as if they believe themselves to be so great that nothing can best them, and then, get dropped into a situation of a cold, hard reality check. The same thing happens in Predator, and I think it's done better in that film because you see how realistically capable these soldiers are. They're the real deal, and when you see that these seriously experienced, professional soldiers are afraid of what's out there, it sells the situation even more. As for that reality check shocking the marines down to size? You still have Bill Paxton's Hudson acting like a buffoon all the way through the film. Someone of this weak will and lack of backbone would never make it into any military organization today, and Hudson does more to sell the incompetence of this team than anything else. These marines also don't follow orders when they're given, and instead, subscribe to foolish, egotistical behavior to satisfy their own ignorant bravado. It's the character I have issue with, not Paxton. I believe Bill Paxton to be a very good actor that eventually was given to chance to break out of this buffoonish stereotype, and that was a very thankful turns of events.
What really downgrade the quality of this film, for me, are the visual effects. Keep in mind that James Cameron comes from a visual effects background as I point out these issues. Firstly, and briefly, the use of rear screen projection backgrounds come off as low grade. Even George Lucas tried using this in Star Wars, but when he saw how bad it looked, he swore it off never to be attempted again. Cameron uses it here instead of blue screen effects, likely, because of the aforementioned crappy film stock he chose to use. Again, this is from a filmmaker who started in visual effects. Next up, the miniature vehicle photography is not convincing. Miniatures are small and lightweight, but the photography of them is meant to fool you into perceiving them as full-sized versions that weigh, sometimes, thousands of pounds. Filmmakers tend to shoot them at a higher frame rate that when transferred to 24 frames per second, create a slower moving object with a lot of mass to it to sell their realism. Here, all the vehicles and ships move about with no realistic weight. They fly around or drive across the planet's surface with no gravity or mass about them. The drop ship banks, lands, and takes off like a radio controlled toy. The armored personnel carrier throttles around and bangs into corridors like a go-cart. Something with a lot of mass, like these vehicles should have, would maneuver slower with bigger, wider movements. More mass means more power is needed to propel them. Think of how an eighteen wheeler, a humvee, or a helicopter move. They maneuver slower than lighter weight vehicles, but that is not translated into this film. I also have had this exact same problem with the future war sequences in Cameron's Terminator films. SkyNet's huge Hunter-Killer gun ships flying through the air and making hair-point turns always looked incredibly awkward and unrealistic to me.
An extension of all this is the lack of visual atmosphere used to hide the limitations of sets, miniatures, and visual effects. Ridley Scott and his team achieved this visual disguise greatly with Alien using light, shadow, and smoke to disguise any budgetary limitations, or to blend miniatures, live action, and visual effects into a seamless whole. Clearly, something Scott continued on with in Blade Runner. The bonus of this in Alien is that it created a rock solid mysterious horror atmosphere that intensifies the overall unsettling nature of the movie. Here, you can see the lack of depth and scope in the shot where you know it's a soundstage set when it's supposed to be a convincing alien planet landscape. I'd expect that from an old episode of Star Trek that didn't have the budget or technical knowledge to disguise these production shortcomings. I would not expect that from a film that had an even BIGGER budget than Ridley Scott's film which achieved better results on a smaller budget. Again, James Cameron comes from a background of visual effects where he should know how to blur those lines, but what is displayed here would not at all reflect that experience.
James Horner's score is somewhat mixed for me. The cues he uses for the marines early on are very thin and weak. His snare drum track sounds like a demo recording done in someone's garage. Again, I have to refer to Predator as Alan Silvestri really brought a powerful, meaty militaristic theme to that film. Since Aliens really is more of a science fiction action picture than a horror genre creation, I can't critique a lack of suspenseful cues, but it could've helped. The score services the big action moments well, but despite what praise it has been given in decades past, I never found it all that compelling or exceptional.
Sigourney Weaver surely earned the respect and praise she received from her performance in this film. The evolution of Ellen Ripley here is entirely on the mark. Being the sole survivor of such a horrific experience, she would be a haunted woman waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, and be determined to see this species wiped out of existence. She's traumatized, but is able to battle through that. She takes her fear, and uses it to focus her eventual leadership skills. You constantly see her battle against her intense fear in order to see her real world nightmare end. Weaver also projects a warm, motherly sensibility while caring for the equally traumatized Newt. The makeshift family they create with Hicks is rather brilliant.
Speaking of which, Michael Biehn brings his great, natural humanity to Corporal Hicks. He shows the character to be a natural leader with confidence, decisiveness, and intelligence. Hicks is definitely the guy that will have your back all the way. Just as he was in The Terminator, Biehn shines through as a wonderfully dynamic and emotionally powerful actor. His warmth and chemistry with Sigourney strikes the right, soft chord. They work extremely well together with a mutual respect that penetrates through the screen. I'm not sure that the original casting choice of James Remar would've embodied those qualities so strongly or naturally. Michael Biehn was an amazing, fortunate happenstance in this instance.
Paul Reiser had some nice breakout roles in the 1980s including his appearances in the first two Beverly Hills Cop movies. Here, I love his performance! Burke is the textbook company man working his public relations angle with a compassionate façade while hiding a smarmy corporate mentality. Reiser plays both ends of that spectrum well, and he allows them to mesh into a cowardly weasel who always seems a slight bit suspicious. At first, he comes off as a genuinely decent fellow, but as the story unfolds, Reiser gradually peels that back as Burke gets closer to his goal. It's a nicely subtle piece of acting that rides a fine line,, but it surely is effective.
At this point in time, Lance Henriksen was making an impact with some unique, standout performances. Bishop is a career highlight, indeed. "Artificial person" so fits the description of him. He has human qualities, but they are slightly off. Again, subtlety enters the approach with an air of eerie creepiness to the droid Bishop. Not in a malevolent way like Ian Holm's Ash from the previous film, but as something just uneasy, unsettling about him. At first, he doesn't appear to be anything but human. However, the more time an audience spends with him, the more these peculiar aspects nag your attention. Because of Ripley's own unease around a droid, an audience can also gain an uncertainty about him, but it's great how the relationship between Ellen and Bishop builds towards a place of trust.
Now, James Cameron bringing in Stan Winston and his team was a brilliant, logic move. You would need someone of Winston's caliber to put together something impressive like the Alien Queen. The improved designs of the egg, facehugger, and chesterburster are excellent bringing more articulation and realism to them all. Now, I don't have a preference between the original "smooth head" Alien from Ridley Scott's film or the more "ridged head" Aliens featured here. I think they both work fantastically, and surely suit the demands and lighting aesthetics for their respective films well. Here, the more detailed and ridged craniums give the drones more character with a few little highlights here and there to make them standout more against the darker environments. Stan Winston was a legend in this field, and his contributions made the industry what it is today. He will be missed beyond words due to his passion, personality, skill, and artistry. He left behind a legacy of respect and admiration.
I have zero problems with the story in Aliens. It is a great progression and a smart direction for a sequel. Following Ripley through this journey from a troubled woman trying to avoid her trauma to one who confronts it head on to defeat it with intense courage is a powerful story. She finds her strength through the new emotional bonds she forges with Newt and Hicks. The more action oriented approach is something I don't have much of an issue with, but a little more suspense and terror could've gone a long way here. There are those moments, but they're more "jump out and scare you" bits instead of finely crafted suspense. Aliens has some exciting sequences that are well conceived. The climax has become a cinematic classic with Ripley squaring off with the Alien Queen in the powerloader. It was a very original, massive crowd pleaser that put Ripley into a great, forceful position.
I've only ever watched the Special Edition of Aliens as it is James Cameron's preferred version of the movie, and while it has all the substantive character depth and proper storytelling elements, it does feel too long at just over two and a half hours. Cameron seems intent on making overly long films that lack the rhythm and pacing he so excellently captured in The Terminator. Once he got a big budget, he started over-bloating his scripts and cutting down on storytelling innovations. Sometimes, the restrictions of a smaller budget and limited resources force a filmmaker into creating a better, tighter product than when they are given access to all the tools with free rein to use them how they wish. I feel that is the case with Jim Cameron. As time went on, he seemed less interested in making compelling stories and more interested in flexing his budgetary ego. I respect the innovations he has motivated in the realm of digital visual effects, but great special effects alone do not make for a great film. However, all he seems interested in is pushing technology forward at the expense of quality storytelling.
All of this began here with Aliens. He still was creating a quality story backed by a few strong, solid actors, but he surely could've tightened it up in areas during scripting. Still, what irritates me when watching this film are many of the technical issues with visual effects, rear screen projection, the photography of the miniatures, and the poor choice of film stock. Furthermore, the poorly conceived Colonial Marines, aside from Hicks, are cartoonish buffoons that like to stroke their own egos instead of getting serious in a serious situation. These are all elements that make a substantial negative impact upon the film for me. It has plenty of good qualities to it from the strong lead performances and practical creature effects, but with a film so long, the negatives inevitably linger to repeatedly damage my enjoyment of the movie. Maybe, one day, I will watch the theatrical version and feel differently about that shorter cut, but if I was to judge this the way I intended, it had to be the director's preferred version. This is an off occasion where I didn't review the film for the sake of opening people's eyes or rousing anyone's interest. It really was just so I could deconstruct what always bothered me about this movie, and see the shortcomings that have prevented my full fledged enjoyment of it. I'm sure many would not perceive these same issues, but if everyone had the same point of view on everything, it would be a very uninteresting world.
02.08.2012 | Categories: Horror Movies, Movie Reviews, Science Fiction / Fantasy Movies | Tags: action, alien, alien queen, aliens, bill paxton, bishop, chestburster, colonial marines, droid, egg, ellen ripley, facehugger, film, franchise, james cameron, james horner, lance henriksen, lv-426, michael biehn, movie, paul reiser, review, science fiction, sequel, series, sigourney weaver, soldiers, stan winston, sulaco, weyland yutani, xenomorph | 1 Comment


Russian mourners bring flowers to a bridge near the Kremlin where opposition activist Boris Nemtsov was shot to death. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) STORY: Russian mourners came to the bridge in Moscow where opposition activist Boris Nemtsov was killed on Friday (February 27), bringing flowers and candles to the site of his murder. Nemtsov, a former Russian deputy prime minister who was an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, was shot dead metres away from the Kremlin in central Moscow late on Friday. He was shot four times in the back, the Russian Interior Ministry said. A police spokeswoman on the scene said he had been walking on a bridge over the Moskva River with a Ukrainian woman. Putin condemned the killing and took the investigation under presidential command, saying it could have been a contract killing and a "provocation" on the eve of a big opposition protest that Nemtsov had been due to lead in Moscow on Sunday (March 1). Police cars sealed off the bridge close to the red walls of the Kremlin and Red Square, and an ambulance was on the scene. A police spokesman said Nemtsov had been shot at from a passing white car that fled the scene. The woman was being interviewed by police. Mikhail Kasyanov, a fellow opposition leader, told reporters at the bridge: "That a leader of the opposition could be shot beside the walls of the Kremlin is beyond imagination. There can be only one version: that he was shot for telling the truth." Kasyanov, a former prime minister under Putin, called Nemtsov a "fighter for the truth". Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told Russian news agencies that the president had expressed his condolences and ordered the security agencies to investigate. He said Putin had called it a "brutal murder".


text:
Melinda Gates is a mother, a wife, and one half of the world's most generous private philanthropic organisation. In an exclusive interview, she talks Middle East giving, women and her hopes for the future.
Words: Joanne Bladd
Photography: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Getty Images
Melinda Gates will tell you she's an impatient optimist. She is impatient for the world to get better, and optimistic that it will. And as co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), she is doing all she can to make that hope a reality.
Now in its 15th year, the Gates Foundation has given away in excess of $33bn – more money than anyone else in history – largely towards combating disease and hunger among the world's poor. It has changed, or saved, millions of lives, on a scale that is difficult to comprehend. That polio, a paralysing disease that once affected 350,000 a year, is now teetering on the brink of eradication, owes much to the foundation's tireless work. Next on the hit list of diseases is malaria.
It is not just about the money. Equally unprecedented is the way Melinda and her husband Bill, the co-founder of Microsoft, have turned philanthropy into their full-time jobs. Much of her year is devoted to travelling – both in the field, and to global events – or to rallying the world's best and brightest to tackle its biggest problems.
"Melinda is a total-systems thinker," Judith Rodin, president of the hugely influential Rockefeller Foundation, has said. "She and Bill dive into issues."
Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and the world's third-richest person, goes a step further. "[Bill is] smart as hell, obviously" said Buffett, who has pledged much of his wealth to the Gates Foundation. "But in terms of seeing the whole picture, she's smarter."
In their annual letter last year, Bill and Melinda Gates predicted that the lives of the poor will "improve faster in the next 15 years than at any other time in history". It was a buoyant and heady vision, and a staggering bet in a world currently beset by war, terrorism and economic uncertainty. Yet Melinda still believes it can be achieved – and here's how:
"In terms of impact, we're a large foundation. But even our resources can't begin to tackle the world's biggest challenges."
Melinda Gates, co-founder, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Q. The BMGF has changed the global philanthropic landscape. What was your goal when you launched the foundation 15 years ago?
The work we do is grounded in the principle that every life has equal value. We were inspired to act after reading a newspaper article about rotavirus, a diarrheal disease that was killing about half a million children in developing countries each year. We'd never even heard of the disease, and were shocked to learn that while most children get it, for the most part only children in poor countries were dying from it. This motivated us to use our resources to accelerate development of a vaccine to protect children everywhere, and that led us to get more deeply involved in some of the other problems that face people living in extreme poverty.
In terms of impact, we're a large foundation, but even our resources can't begin to solve the world's biggest challenges. Almost everything we do is in conjunction with partners in government, the private sector, and civil society – whether it's delivering lifesaving vaccines to children, ensuring that women have access to contraceptives, or tackling the world's biggest killer diseases: HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.
Q. How does private philanthropy differ from aid?
Each has a role to play, but they complement each other – and, more than that, they rely on each other. In 2013, countries around the world contributed more than $150bn in development assistance: that's 60 times the average annual budget of our foundation.
In our view, the role of private foundations is to operate as a catalyst to accelerate impact. We can't match the giving capacity of governments, but we have more flexibility to take risks, knowing some ideas may fail.
Foundations also have convening power: the ability to bring together actors from the public and private sectors and others to align interests and ensure that every dollar spent goes as far as possible.
Q. How do you and Bill set your giving priorities for the foundation?
As Bill has said before, we don't have any kind of magic formula for prioritising the world's problems. But we knew we wanted to invest in areas where we could have the greatest impact on the most number of people. So we looked for issues where a relatively small investment could spur meaningful and sustainable progress – accelerating the development of a rotavirus vaccine, for example.
Data also helps us to set priorities. We spend a lot of time in developing countries to help us understand more about what life is like for the people who live there. We're honest about the fact that we'll never be able to change people's lives from our offices in Seattle, so we need to be out in the field, meeting people, and letting their real life experiences shape our work.
Q. You have close ties with GCC governments. How important are those to your regional work?
Middle Eastern countries have serious challenges, but the region also has incredible ingenuity, and some of the most generous governments and philanthropists in the world. We rely on our partners' generosity, and also on their knowledge of geographies, development challenges, and their relationships with communities that can be difficult for us to reach.
As an example, we've worked closely with the UAE on a number of initiatives, most notably in the fight against polio. In 2013, we co-hosted the Global Vaccine Summit with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It raised more than $4bn toward making polio only the second disease ever to be eradicated.
We are also part of a giving circle, the Shefa Fund, made up of Saudi Arabian families, each of whom support eliminating meningitis A in Africa and polio worldwide.
The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is another important partner for us in the Middle East. We share a number of priorities centered on lifting the burdens of poverty and disease for people across the region. We've helped to make IDB loans more affordable for impoverished countries to use, to invest in their futures.
Q. You are a vocal advocate for female empowerment. Why are women and girls so critical to the success of global development goals?
If you want to improve the lives of people in any community, empowering its women is a good place to start. There are a number of reasons why, but here's one of the most important: if a woman has a dollar in her pocket, she uses about eighty cents of that to provide for her family, purchasing things like healthy food, doctor visits, and education. In my travels, I talk to women about finances quite a bit. Almost universally, one of the first priorities they mention is their children's school. Whether they talk about schoolbooks, fees, or supplies, it's the first thing on their minds.
Their investments pay off. When mothers decide how their families' money is spent, their children are 20 per cent more likely to survive, and much more likely to thrive. Focusing on women and girls is the most direct way to ensure healthier and more prosperous families, and greater economic progress around the world.
Q. What more can be done to help shift the paradigm for women and girls in developing countries?
As I've taught my three children, it's crucial that those of us who do have a voice use it to speak up for the women and girls who don't. It's our responsibility to advocate for women and girls everywhere to ensure that they grow up healthy and respected, and able to create a better future for themselves and their families.
We are not there yet. Every single day, 800 women die in childbirth, mostly of preventable causes. That's unacceptable, and the world needs to do more to address it.
In the Muslim world, strong voices are speaking up for women's empowerment. For years, Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has been an advocate for women's rights, and I was glad to hear that women's empowerment will be a primary focus as he invests his fortune in philanthropy. And last year, when I met Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE's ambassador to the UN, she spoke powerfully about the country's commitment to equality.
Men and boys have a role to play too. When I was in Malawi last year, I met with a group of men who are known as 'male champions' in their village because they're helping change their community's gender norms. They told me that they're starting young with their own kids, teaching their sons that they, too, have a role in building a more equitable world.
More voices, more support, more education, more collaboration – these are just a few of the actions anyone reading this can take right now.
Q. When you reflect on the work you've done over the past 15 years, what are you most proud of?
We are very proud to be part of GAVI, the vaccine alliance. GAVI coordinates efforts between businesses, governments, and aid agencies to deliver lifesaving vaccines to children in poor countries who need them most. So far, GAVI has enabled more than 500,000 children to be vaccinated, saving more than 7 million lives – with half of that money invested in Muslim countries.
Another important moment for me was helping organise a family planning summit in London in 2012. Dozens of countries came together at the summit to commit to helping more than 100 million women get access to the contraceptives they want to plan and space their pregnancies.
The effort raised more than $2bn, the first time the world put a 'b' in front of a fundraising effort for women and girls. That's something I'll never forget.
"We believe the next 15 years will unlock the fastest progress for people living in extreme poverty that the world has ever seen."
Q. What advice would you give to would-be philanthropists at the start of their giving journey?
One way to maximise impact is to look for a problem that markets and governments aren't paying much attention to. Find something that moves you that not many people are working on, and start learning about it. For us, as I've said, it started with rotavirus. The sad reality is that there are no shortage of problems calling out for attention, compassion, and solutions.
Then, keep learning. That never stops. You have to be talking constantly to experts and partners and using the data to help you evaluate honestly what has worked and what hasn't. And also understand that you can't do it alone. You need partners who share your vision, but also offer complementary skills, experience, and knowledge.
The motto of my high school in Texas was 'Serviam', which means 'I will serve'. That's something I've always taken very seriously. It's not so much advice as it is a reminder that we're here on this planet to use our resources and abilities to lift up those around us.
Q. With the benefit of hindsight, what would your current self tell the couple who started the BMGF more than a decade ago?
The last 15 years have been an incredible learning journey for everyone involved. Because Bill and I both come from a technology background, we had a natural bias towards technological solutions, like vaccines or higher-yielding seeds for farmers.
And while those are important – essential, even – we've also learned that designing a solution that makes sense in the daily realities of people's lives, is as important as the technology itself to broader success. You really have to understand the context of the culture in which you're operating, to have an impact.
I'd also want to reassure us that incredible progress is possible. You can't solve problems like newborn mortality, hunger or extreme poverty – problems that have been around since the beginning of human history – overnight. And sometimes, the pace of change can be frustrating. But we believe the next 15 years will unlock the fastest progress for people living in extreme poverty that the world has ever seen. It's going to be an exciting thing to be a part of. I'd urge you to get involved. – PA
Tags: Melinda Gates malaria polio philanthropy
Ideas to change the world
He is the world's richest man, and its most influential philanthropist. Bill Gates talks giving, the Gulf, and his plan to help combat poverty in the Muslim world.
The power of vaccines
Immunisation lies at the heart of a concerted global push to slash deaths from preventable diseases. We examine the power, the potential, and the price of vaccines in the 21st century.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This is amazingly well done. They even got the cursors right.
Someone needs to incorporate all of these into the BSOD screensaver. I hope that person doesn't have to be me. One of you send me a patch.
filed under "Surprisingly easy to fap to"
I had sound on when I rebooted the Amiga and had a flashback to 1991.
I was slightly disturbed to find an Amiga Workbench 1.3 boot sequence hiding behind a Workbench 2.x restart dialog.
And somewhat more disturbed by the way that sort of thing disturbed me.
Actually... the Workbench dialog didn't offer to *restart*, only to quit the Workbench. Which was utterly stupid, as unless you had a CLI open, you had to use the 3 finger salute to reboot. The funny thing in the restart page above, is that they photoshopped the dialog to read "restart" (look at the 'S', it's not the normal font as it's the only character they couldn't copy from anywhere else).
I was impressed by the QNX restart dialog.
Oh wow. The first time I tried this the buttons didn't actually work. In fact it still gets pretty janky after a few, but wow.
I sent mine to http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org. I still pull it up every now and then and look at it fondly. And then I go out to http://www.virtualapple.org to get my nostalgia fix. I'd love to have it back, but I really don't have the room. And the last time (many years ago) I tried to use one of my floppies, the glue on the disk had dried so much that the heads cleaned a strip of oxide off of the substrate and ruined the disk. That was when I knew I had to let go. But I still look around, and see SVGA adapters, hard disk adapters, ethernet adapters, etc., and wish I still had it.
None of my old computers have gone to museums; I figured they were too (comparatively) common. The NeXT turbocube went to a good home, as did the Alpha, the old Digital boxes that didn't really work when I took them off swarthmore.edu's hands went to a computer recycler (although I do still have some of the goofier peripherals), can't remember what became of the SGI boxes (disbursed through a LUG, maybe?), and there's just the IIgs and one NeXT 030 cube (sans monitor; I'd been using the turbocube dual-headed) back at the 'rents house.
If you really want to waste a day, go to http://www.pdp8.net. This guy has a real pdp-8 online, hooked up to remote control stuff. Tons of fun to turn on the video feed and fire it up!
But the PCs need more sound effects. Memory checkers used to make a click-click-click-buzzzzzz, and I miss the A-drive check, B-drive check, beep!
Oh man watching the openstep boot sequence on my macbook was the best cognitive dissonance I've had all day.


text:
Home › Technology›Video & Lighting
Rock band Queen are GaGa for BlackTrax "state of the art" light tracking solution
System chosen to provide "unparalleled" levels of accuracy when lighting up band members, which include Roger Taylor, Brian May and Adam Lambert
By Michael Garwood
System chosen to provide "unparalleled" levels of accuracy when lighting up band members, which include Roger Taylor, Brian May and Adam Lambert
If you're an AV technician or manager looking to offer a lighting tracking service fit for a Queen, light tracking firm BlackTrax have the solution.
Rock band Queen (not HRH Lizzie Windsor) along with lead singer Adam Lambert, are currently part way through their 2017-2018 tour, wowing crowds across the US, Europe and Oceania.
In preparation for the tour, the groups set designers Stufish wanted to find new ways to showcase the band members through lighting. They turned to lighting expert Rob Sinclair, who has built lighting solutions for bands such as The Pet Shop Boys, Keane, Peter Gabriel, Florence and the Machine, Kylie Minogue, Miley Cyrus and Adele – who was asked to design the lighting.
Stufish based the stage shape (21m wide by 34m long) for the tour on Brian May's iconic custom made guitar. It is, according to the company, the most technically advanced show it has created for Queen + Adam Lambert. The main feature is the eight-ton red chrome, oval-shaped 'halo' kinetic lighting rig above the stage and which allows for spectacular and dynamic lighting effects. It is 15m wide, 9m deep and 1.2m high, and has 94 moving lights embedded within a series of mirrored boxes.
"Follow spots offer very few options and can give variable results which, when you're trying to deliver specific effects, can be enormously frustrating," said Sinclair. "I knew there must be a better way of controlling some fairly complex lighting that could give me the repeatability which is a key element of any high-profile show."
Sinclair teamed up with real time tracking firm BlackTrax , which claims to be the only solution available that can reliably deliver "state of the art tracking" on an "enormous" scale – such as a large arena.
BlackTrax is a vision-based system that connects to a range of third party applications, such as robotic lights and media servers to deliver unprecedented accuracy and repeatability.
Sinclair selected Clay Paky Scenius Uncio lighting (pictured) and controlled them with BlackTrax, with all seven band members being tracked.
"Not only did BlackTrax give us that consistent repeatability, it also gave us the ability to create and deliver numerous effects and behaviours that would just not have been possible without it," Sinclair added. "The BlackTrax system has performed flawlessly throughout the tour."
Tags ⋅ AV Technology Europe
Barco projectors light up first-ever Ghent Light Festival
Leader Light joins the White Light family
Reflex works with LINK Associates to deliver a state-of-the-art training simulation suite
Northern Light specifies ETC solution for college
College equips state-of-the-art theatre space with PixelPars
Stunning 'Painting with Light' show at The Art Hour
Panasonic launches real-time tracking mapping solution
Case study – Robe and Anolis light up Iktomia exterior art installation


text:
Wykaz forów Regiony UK GREATER LONDON
Wszystko co dotyczy miasta Londyn
michaelsmith010
Postautor: michaelsmith010 » 14 lip 2018 15:20
London is a leading global city in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transportation. It is the world's largest financial centre and has the fifth or sixth largest metropolitan area GDP in the world. London is often regarded as a world cultural capital. It is the world's most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has the world's largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic. It is the world's leading investment destination, hosting more international retailers and ultra high-net-worth individuals than any other city. London's universities form the largest concentration of higher education institutes in Europe.In 2012, London became the first city to have hosted the modern Summer Olympic Games three times. London has a diverse range of people and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken in the region. Its estimated mid-2016 municipal population (corresponding to Greater London) was 8,787,892, the largest of any city in the European Union and accounting for 13.4% of the UK population. London's urban area is the second most populous in the EU, after Paris, with 9,787,426 inhabitants at the 2011 census. The city's metropolitan area is the most populous in the EU with 14,040,163 inhabitants in 2016,while the Greater London Authority states the population of the city-region (covering a large part of the south east) as 22.7 million. London was the world's most populous city from around 1831 to 1925.
Fractoggen
Rejestracja: 17 sty 2020 04:55
Re: About London
Postautor: Fractoggen » 17 sty 2020 05:21
Your about London is surprisingly interesting, thanks for your work and desire to share your knowledge with others.
Wróć do "GREATER LONDON"
Użytkownicy przeglądający to forum: Obecnie na forum nie ma żadnego zarejestrowanego użytkownika. i 0 gości


The number on the scale is only one indicator of overall health; wellness is about building habits that last a lifetime. So now, you'll be recognized and rewarded with credits—aka "Wins"—for the healthy behaviors you do each day - like tracking your meals, activity, and weight.
You'll also get personalized emails that show how many Wins you've racked up and offer encouragement if you need a boost.
WellnessWins is free with a WW membership, and the WW app does all the work. There's nothing to sign up for, and nothing extra to buy.


text:
Vehicle's Options Spark Tiff In Council
By MIKE GROGANThe Reporter correspondent
Apr 5, 2009 at 12:01 AM Apr 6, 2009 at 10:55 AM
DAVENPORT | It's a sign of difficult economic times that the purchase of a much-needed new vehicle for the city resulted in an argument over spending money on options during the Davenport City Council's March 23 meeting.
City Manager Amy Arrington asked the council to approve spending $15,140 on a new Jeep Patriot to replace the well-worn 1996 Ford Crown Victoria that is used primarily by the Building and Code Enforcement Division.
Arrington pointed out that the money for the Jeep is available because a homeowner in the city had just paid more than $14,000 on an outstanding lien. Council members agreed that the Ford, which has more than 148,000 miles on its odometer, needs replacing, but there was some question whether the city should pony up $2,000 more than the vehicle's $12,965 base price for options such as power windows, cruise control and remote keyless entry.
Council member John Lepley called the added options "unnecessary" at a time when the city was strapped for money. He tried to get the council to agree to pay only the base price.
But fellow council members H.B. Robinson III and Brynn Summerlin argued that was a false argument.
Robinson pointed out that the options meant the Jeep would have a better resale value when it came time to sell it, and Summerlin pointed out that arguing over a few dollars on an item that was being paid for out of money that city received unexpectedly didn't make sense.
"It's almost a self-funding thing," he said. "This is essentially confiscated money. We should make a big thing of it."
In the end, the council approved the full purchase, including options.
The council also passed an ordinance providing for a code of ethics for city-appointed and elected officials, as well as employees who meet the standards of those set out under state law.
The ordinance is needed because the new city charter that goes into effect in April requires the city to "set standards of ethical conduct equal to or greater than the standards of conduct established by law."
[ What do you think? Contact Mike Grogan about this article at Reportermailbox@gmail.com. ]


text:
Sven Kacirek travelled Kenya with many microphones, this was a brilliant idea! On "The Kenya Sessions", we hear musicians with whom he recorded in Kenyan villages blended with his own instruments (percussion, marimba, piano) played in the studio back in Hamburg. Sven presents us a melancholic joyride in 15 acts, all held together by the quality of the original recordings and Sven's instrumental and producer skills. We witness cinematic moments when he is welcomed by drumming village people who then abruptly start to pray. The rhythm of the prayer marks the beginning of the track "Dear Anastasia" in which the 80 y/o Ogoya Nengo sings the lead voice. Sven's sensitivity for silent sounds (which wowed us already on his "Palmin Sessions") is taken to another level in this cooperation with Kenyan musicians. Catch this ride! 2LP is sold out, CD still available.
Check out the Remix 10inch with works by Lawrence, Taprikk Sweezee, and one exclusive track by Sven Kacirek here!
"(...) far from being a simple series of impressions - all the Kenyans here are rightly credited as co-authors - its fascination endures." (Louise Gray in: The Wire)
"This record is truly the most beautiful" (Lawrence)
"Wonderful contemporary field compositions" (Stefan Schneider, To Rococo Rot)


Out of the 15 newly listed companies, shares of 10 firms are trading below their IPO price, tumbling as much as 53 per cent, an analysis of the new market entrants showed.
Shares of these 10 firms have declined in the range of 0.5-53 per cent till the latest trading session (November 7). Shares of ICICI Securities have been the worst hit, plunging 53.20 per cent from its issue price of Rs 520 per share.
The scrip of IndoStar Capital Finance has tumbled 45.39 per cent against its IPO price of Rs 572 a share. Weak trading performance by these firms came amid volatile market conditions and sluggish investor sentiment. Of the 15 companies, five have, however, managed to stay afloat, giving returns of up to 46 per cent. Shares of railways consultancy firm RITES have surged 45.94 per cent over its issue price of Rs 185. Besides, chemical manufacturer Fine Organic Industries has given a smart return of 42.91 per cent from its IPO price of Rs 783.
The key index had in April gained 1,905 points or 5.72 per cent, while in May it was up 162.02 points or 0.46 per cent and in June it rose by 101.1 points or 0.28 per cent. Also, in July it was up 2,183.1 points or 6.16 per cent, and the index surged 1,038.49 points or 2.76 per cent in August. The rally in stocks, however, came to a halt from September onwards.
In September, the 30-share index tumbled 2,417.93 points or 6.25 per cent and in October it fell by 1,785.09 points or 4.92 per cent. In the fiscal gone by, a total of 45 companies came out with their IPOs raising a record of over Rs 82,000 crore.


text:
Queens real estate firm robbed of $75K in cash
The owner of Pistilli Realty is down some $75,000 in cash, after two armed robbers looted the real estate firm's Queens office, the New York Daily News reported. The robbery occurred sometime around 8:30 a.m yesterday when armed suspects burst into the third-floor office on 30th Aveune in Astoria, binding the firm's 59-year-old owner with zip-ties and cleaning out it drawers — which happened to contain tens of thousands of dollars in cash.
The ski-masked intruders also handcuffed the office's 54-year-old receptionist, leaving her in the bathroom, before grabbing the cash.
A source told the Daily News that one of the crooks pointed a silver handgun at the owner and said: "Listen to me and you won't get hurt."
No one has been arrested yet in connection to the case.
According to the firm's website Pistilli is a family-owned business founded by "a group of hard-working Italian immigrants." [NYDN] —Christopher Cameron
Hudson Yards megadevelopment inspires a new line of sex toys
Ruby Schron lands $500M refi for sprawling Queens apartment portfolio
Wendy Silverstein, co-head of WeWork's real-estate fund, is out
Rack 'em!: NY pool halls ordered shut can temporarily reopen, judge rules
Gowanus rezoning on hold — for now


text:
Q: Behaviour of lazy dropLast I'm trying to figure out the behaviour of dropLast when evaluated lazily (questions in bold):
var iterationCount = 0

let sequence = [1, 1, 1].lazy.flatMap { (element: Int) -> [Int] in
  iterationCount += 1
  return [element, 2]
}.dropLast()

print(iterationCount) // 18

_ = sequence.forEach{_ in}

print(iterationCount) // 30

Shouldn't the first call to print show 0 and the second call to print show 3 since it's lazy? It shows 18 and 30EXAMPLE.
var iterationCount = 0

let sequence = [1, 1, 1].lazy.flatMap { (element: Int) -> [Int] in
  iterationCount += 1
  return [element, 2]
}

print(iterationCount) // 0

_ = sequence.forEach{_ in}

print(iterationCount) // 3

When I remove the call to dropLast it works as expectedEXAMPLE. Is dropLast the culprit here?
var iterationCount = 0

let sequence = [1, 1, 1].lazy.map { (element: Int) -> [Int] in
  iterationCount += 1
  return [element, 2]
}.dropLast()

print(iterationCount) // 0

_ = sequence.forEach{_ in}

print(iterationCount) // 2

But wait, there is more. With map, dropLast works as expectedEXAMPLE.
Why is this?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Isn't love grand? You've found your soul mate, are head-over-heels, and itching to get hitched. The wedding aisle is within sight; a launchpad to forever-after bliss. But, there's a fly in the five-tiered raspberry crème layer cake: You're as lazy as a medicated sloth. The prospect of going to a mall – let alone navigating a wedding band purchase – gives you the shivers.
Jordan Jack has you covered. At JordanJack.com, you can have sample wedding bands sent directly to you, so you can shop in the comfort of your home (or mom's basement). Choose the one that shouts 'marry me' and you'll receive it in a matter of days. Of course, Jordan Jack doesn't just cater to slackers like you. The industrious, responsible, time-sensitive, and those that just plain hate pushy sale tactics, love Jordan Jack.
Battle was engaged to launch the Jordan Jack brand. Initially, this required a ground-up brand identity build; messaging, logotype, palette, photographic styling, ad infinitum. The challenge inherent throughout was in maintaining a degree of polish that built trust in those making a significant purchase, while making the brand far more 'attainable' than traditional jewelers. We succeeded in this via an embrace of simplicity. This simplicity is evident in the common place language, linear illustrations, and limited color palette used throughout, as well as use of smart and seamless transitions in video elements to convey fluidity and ease.


Like many other types of organizations, associations have shifted their focus to attracting the much-coveted millennial demographic. Younger members are the future of associations, from the board members who will lead your group into the next decade to the many members who pay dues and participate.
But successful associations realize the importance of going beyond building a younger membership. Baby boomers, Gen Xers, and members of Generation Z are all vital to the work you do each day. If you focus on stocking your membership with only one generation, you'll also lose the benefits of having a membership with diverse backgrounds and interests. But how do you market to all of those generations? Here are a few tips to help.
The key to building a generationally diverse membership is to have multigenerational leadership. Encourage members of different age groups to volunteer for board and committee positions. Your recruiting strategy should be designed to reach both older and younger board members and directors. Once you have the right team in place, each member will be able to bring a unique expertise to conversations about the growth of your membership numbers.
If your marketing strategy targets only one demographic, you're missing out on essential members that could grow your association. Cross-channel marketing can help you attract people from multiple generations.
When using social media to market, Snapchat and Instagram are the best tools in an effort to reach younger demographics, while YouTube and Facebook will help with recruiting older members. If you're trying for traditional advertising, newspapers aren't likely to help you reach millennials, but baby boomers still read them. Even TV and radio are not as effective at reaching the youngest potential members as internet-based approaches. A rule of thumb for any form of marketing is to know who your audience is, so don't be afraid to use multiple platforms for marketing to multiple generations.
If your leadership's decisions are made with only one or two generations in mind, you'll alienate the members you do attract. The word will get out that your organization shows preference to baby boomers or millennials and you'll lose any progress you've made. This is where having a multigenerational leadership team will help, but you can still achieve generational diversity by holding yourself accountable when making any association decisions.
As your membership grows, you'll have a leadership team, volunteers, and members who can help bring their own peers to your association. Incentivize referrals by offering a discount on dues.
Growing your membership is always a challenge, but when you're trying to avoid attracting only a specific generation, it can become complicated. However, if you start with the right approach, you'll find that your membership achieves the desired level of diversity on its own, growing from there.
The tool you use to manage your member association should have the functionality to help attract multi-generations. AMO lets you offer discounts and promotions for events and dues as a way to sweeten the deal and incentivize volunteers and board members.
Learn more about what AMO can offer your association by downloading our free guide today!
Are You Searching For an AMS?


text:
La chiesa di San Giacomo Maggiore è la parrocchiale a Covelo, frazione di Vallelaghi in Trentino. Risale all'XV secolo.

Storia

La chiesa di Covelo venne ricordata su documenti per la prima volta nel 1421 quando ancora la sua dedicazione era riferita a San Floriano. Fu oggetto di un'importante riedificazione nel 1497, anno nel quale venne celebrata la sua consacrazione solenne e la dedicazione divenne per i Santi Matteo e Floriano.

Nel 1580 fu oggetto di una visita pastorale che evidenziò le cattive condizioni nelle quali versava e venne decisa una nuova riedificazione. Questa venne conclusa entro il 1637, poiché a tale data venne riconsacrata in modo definitivo a San Giacomo Maggiore.

Dopo la metà del XIX secolo l'edificio fu ancora ricostruito e nuovamente riconsacrato nel 1882.

Nel secondo decennio del XX secolo la torre campanaria venne sopraelevata poi, durante il primo conflitto mondiale cadde in stato di abbandono e fu necessaria, nel primo dopoguerra, un'opera di restauro importante con il rifacimento delle coperture del tetto, il rinnovamento delle grandi vetrate alle finestre e una ritinteggiatura sia interna sia esterna. Nel 1924 le pareti interne vennero arricchite da decorazioni murali.

Deescrizione
La chiesa è situata su un'altura rocciosa, orientata a est, e il sito, anticamente, doveva essere importante perché la torre campanaria dovrebbe essere stata eretta sulle basi di un'antica torre di guardia romana. Tutte le zone circostanti sono abitate da lungo tempo e i coveli (che danno il nome alla località) sono anfratti nella roccia anche sotto la chiesa usate in passato come abitazioni.

Note

Bibliografia

Voci correlate
 Covelo (Vallelaghi)
 Vallelaghi
 Parrocchie dell'arcidiocesi di Trento

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Giacomo Maggiore
Vallelaghi
Giacomo Maggiore

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Spree::UserSessionsController.class_eval do
  skip_before_action :detect_solidusfinery_single_sign_on!, only: [:create]
  after_action :detect_solidusfinery_single_sign_on!, only: [:create]

  private
  # This overrides what Solidus defines, so that we can get back to Refinery.
  def after_sign_in_path_for(resource)
    session["spree_user_return_to"] || super
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Dental Visit - Explore Budapest between your dental sessions!
We can help you plan your time in Budapest and Hungary, whether you are months away, or already on the road: in addition to our main organizational role, we are also busy updating a detailed list of current events in Budapest during the patient's stay. With a wide range of entertainment options, the theaters, classical venues, cinemas, casinos and clubs of Budapest should satisfy even the most discerning visitor. As well as the many one-off events taking place, descriptions of long established events such as the Budapest Spring Festival, St. Stephen's Day, Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix and the annual program of the Palace of Arts Budapest are also included.
We recommend a number of bars, cafés and restaurants where you can enjoy the traditional Hungarian cuisine or just sit back with a drink or coffee and unwind. After all, no matter which opportunities for entertainment and recreation you choose to pursue during your stay, we shall give you the best – and worst – places to visit.


text:
NNPC diversifies into health sector
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Thursday, said it was set to diversify into the health sector.
The Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Maikanti Baru, who made this disclosure in Abuja, noted that the decision was in line with the corporation's stand to stay afloat as a commercially viable entity.
According to a statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Ndu Ughamadu, Mr. Baru disclosed this while inaugurating the boards of the NNPC Medical Services Limited (NMSL) and the NNPC Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) Limited.
"My vision is to make NNPC a renowned Health Medical Services (HMS) provider globally. In the nearby future, we are committed to making our medical facilities a reference point for the provision of world-class health medical services in Africa and beyond," he said.
Source: Premium Times Nigeria (link opens in a new window)


Each mother wants to dress her child only in the best, high-quality and beautiful outfit. It is important to take into account the desire of the boy himself….
Children's clothing should be functional and comfortable.


text:
New York Jets Blog and Forum
New York Jets Forum
JN Lounge (off topic)
2020 NY Jets Schedule
NY Jets Photos
Jet News
About JetNation
Home Draft 2018 NFL DRAFT TO BE HOSTED IN DALLAS
2018 NFL DRAFT TO BE HOSTED IN DALLAS
Phil Sullivan October 18, 2017
The NFL draft has been a big topic of conversation for NY Jets fans this season. Some fans want to "suck for Sam" in hopes of landing the first pick. Other fans are rooting for Jets victories as the team rebuilds. Wherever you fall on that spectrum you should know that the NFL announced the 2018 NFL draft will be held in Dallas, Texas. Be sure to visit our NY Jets draft forum for all the latest draft news.
DRAFT THEATER, FREE FAN FESTIVAL TO TRANSFORM STADIUM AND OUTDOOR PLAZA
The 83rd NFL Draft will take place on April 26-28, 2018 at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, marking the first time in history that it will be held at an NFL stadium. The Draft site will encompass the field, stands, and outdoor plazas, creating an all-encompassing atmosphere and enabling more fans than ever before to watch their favorite team's selections.
NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL made the announcement today at the league's annual Fall Meeting, following a review of the proposal by the Super Bowl & Major Events Advisory Committee and full ownership. This is the result of a comprehensive examination process over the past several months of plans submitted by various cities to host the 2018 NFL Draft.
"Philadelphia raised the bar by taking the Draft to another level, and this new opportunity in Dallas will enable us to continue the event's evolution and grow it even further," said Goodell. "We are grateful to the Dallas Cowboys, the cities of Arlington, Dallas, and Frisco, and the Dallas Sports Commission for their leadership in turning this vision into reality."
As part of the event, the NFL DRAFT EXPERIENCE PRESENTED BY DANNON® OIKOS® TRIPLE ZERO – a free festival where fans of all teams can participate in football drills, enjoy interactive exhibits and autograph sessions, and take pictures with the Vince Lombardi Trophy – will take over the plazas directly outside the stadium, transforming the area for attendees.
The NFL Draft returns to primetime with Round 1 on Thursday, April 26. Rounds 2 and 3 will feature members of the NFL LEGENDS COMMUNITY as well as to-be-announced special guests on Friday, April 27. Rounds 4-7 will conclude the event on Saturday, April 28.
Round 1 will include incoming prospects walking the red carpet before entering the NFL Draft theater, which will be constructed directly on the field. A portion of the stadium will be opened up for the public to attend. Interested fans can win seated tickets at no cost, and they may also participate in the festivities through the free NFL Draft Experience presented by Oikos Triple Zero. Additional details will be released closer to the event.
The NFL Draft has grown into one of the biggest sporting events of the year. A record-breaking 250,000 fans attended the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia, along with more than 1,800 accredited media who covered it. In total, the event generated more than $94 million in economic impact for the city, surpassing initial projections and supporting an estimated 30,000 local jobs.
Round 1 of the 2017 NFL Draft – broadcast live on ESPN and NFL Network – was the most-watched cable program of the week and the most-watched sports event of the week on both broadcast and cable networks. During its three days, Draft programming claimed five out of the top 10 spots among sports events, including the #1 spot.
DRAFT LOCATION HISTORY
Draft Location City
1936 Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia
1937 Hotel Lincoln New York
1938 Hotel Sherman Chicago
1939 Hotel New Yorker New York
1940 Schroeder Hotel Milwaukee
1941 Willard Hotel Washington, D.C.
1942-44 Palmer House Chicago
1945-47 Hotel Commodore New York
1948 Hotel Fort Pitt Pittsburgh
1949-50 Bellevue-Stratford Hotel Philadelphia
1951 Blackstone Hotel Chicago
1952 Hotel Statler New York
1955 Warwick Hotel New York
1956 Bellevue-Stratford Hotel (Rounds 1-3) Philadelphia
Ambassador Hotel (Rounds 4-30) Los Angeles
1957 Warwick Hotel (Rounds 1-4) Philadelphia
Bellevue-Stratford Hotel (Rounds 5-30) Philadelphia
1958-61 Warwick Hotel Philadelphia
1962-64 Sheraton Hotel Chicago
1965-66 Summit Hotel New York
1967 Hotel Gotham New York
1968-71 Belmont Plaza Hotel New York
1972 Essex House New York
1973-74 Americana Hotel New York
1975 Hilton Hotel New York
1976-78 Roosevelt Hotel New York
1979 Waldorf New York
1980-83 Sheraton Hotel New York
1984-85 Omni Park Central Hotel New York
1986-94 Marriott Marquis New York
1995-2004 Theatre at Madison Square Garden New York
2005 Jacob Javits Convention Center New York
2006-2014 Radio City Music Hall New York
2015-16 Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University Chicago
2017 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia
This Article Was Written By Phil Sullivan
Phil Sullivan -
I started JetNation in 2005 and have been a New York Jets season ticket holder since graduating from high school. My dream is to see the New York Jets win the Super Bowl. Until then, I will be right here on JetNation writing, dreaming and talking NY Jets football.
Jets Pick From Seahawks Officially in top 25
Ryan from Jets Talk 24/7: Mock Offseason
GreenBean Breaks Down the 2020 NY Jets Draft
Twitter 20,481Followers
Forums 21,109
Tweets by Jetnation Follow @JetNation
JetNation Radio
© 2021 Jet Nation, LLC — Site is powered by MILE Social. Here is our Privacy Policy.


text:
Home / Sokolove Law - Blog / Study: Every Available Method of PFAS Disposal Increases Contamination
Study: Every Available Method of PFAS Disposal Increases Contamination
Posted on August 26, 2020 April 28, 2022 by Sokolove Law Team
There are currently 3 primary ways for disposing of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the dangerous chemicals used to make firefighting foam and a host of other consumer products: landfilling, wastewater treatment, and incineration.
According to a new study by scientists at the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG), none of those methods are effective. More often than not, PFAS waste disposal only increases contamination.
PFAS refers to a group of some 5,000 different fluorinated chemicals favored by industry for their non-stick, non-corrosive properties. While seemingly useful in certain consumer products, these compounds are confirmed toxins, causing thyroid problems, birth defects, and cancer.
PFAS are used in everything from non-stick cooking pans to firefighting foam, and thanks to decades of rampant industrial production they can be found throughout the environment — in the soil, the air, drinking water sources, and even our own bodies.
It's been estimated that PFAS exists at some level in the blood of 97% of Americans.
How to Destroy 'Forever Chemicals'
PFAS compounds get the nickname "forever chemicals" because they do not appear to break down in nature and instead build up in the body over time, causing multiple types of cancer.
So, as science catches up, so does the need for an effective disposal method. The problem, according to a study published in the journal Chemosphere, is that traditional waste disposal methods only create a cycle of contamination.
Tasha Stoiber, Ph.D., primary author of the study, told the EWG:
"The three common 'disposal' options for getting rid of PFAS do not eliminate these contaminants but rather end up just returning either the same chemicals or their byproducts back into the environment. PFAS disposal is really just another step in the contamination cycle."
Consumer products containing PFAS — such as food packaging, non-stick skillets, and stain-resistant fabrics — leach into landfills over time. The other primary disposal options — wastewater treatment and incineration — only relocate PFAS loads between sites.
With wastewater treatment, PFAS-containing sludge and waste may be moved to landfills or even applied to agricultural fields, where it can contaminate soil, groundwater, and crops at even higher concentrations than before the waste was treated. Some wastewater sludge may be incinerated, which is a third and still problematic option for disposal.
Incineration on its own is a harmful process that generates pollution and greenhouse gases. When you throw PFAS into the mix, you don't actually destroy the intensely strong chemical bonds that make PFAS compounds so resilient — you merely disperse them around the incineration site.
This phenomenon was the subject of a recent investigation by The Intercept, which found that an incinerator located in upstate New York — one that had formerly burned PFAS-containing firefighting foam — was only contaminating its own neighborhood.
Researchers from Bennington College identified 10 different PFAS compounds in the soil and water around the incineration facility, which is just 200 meters from a public-housing complex home to more than 70 families.
Monitor, Capture, Research
The Chemosphere study argues that this massive process of waste disposal only creates a cycle of contamination, from which little-to-no PFAS waste is actually destroyed or safely discarded.
Vice President for Science Investigations at EWG Olga V. Naidenko, Ph.D., said in a press release:
"The disposal of PFAS can cause environmental pollution, which disproportionately affects people and communities near the waste disposal sites. States, the EPA, and waste management companies must take strong action to protect fence-line communities from harmful exposures to PFAS."
The Chemosphere paper does offer some recommendations for addressing the problem:
Capture all liquid wastes from landfills and keep them on site.
Monitor PFAS contamination at and around disposal sites.
Enact stronger public health policies to protect affected communities.
Limit the use of PFAS or ban them altogether.
Research incineration processes and advanced remediation technologies.
Some of these goals are more realistic than others, but given the "forever" nature of PFAS compounds — in the sense that they do not break down on their own — the urgency to find a viable solution grows every single day.
If you worked with PFAS-containing foam as a firefighter and were later diagnosed with cancer, call (800) 995-1212 today. You may be eligible for PFAS compensation.
Posted in Personal Injury
Last modified: April 28, 2022
Environmental Working Group, "Study: Disposal of PFAS Waste Increases Contamination." Retrieved from https://www.ewg.org/release/study-disposal-pfas-waste-increases-contamination. Accessed on August 14th, 2020.
Science Direct (Chemosphere), "Disposal of products and materials containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): A cyclical problem." Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653520318543?via%3Dihub#!. Accessed on August 14th, 2020.
News Break, "Mapping the PFAS Contamination Crisis." Retrieved from https://www.newsbreak.com/news/1553051883691/mapping-the-pfas-contamination-crisis. Accessed on August 14th, 2020.
The Intercept, "TOXIC PFAS FALLOUT FOUND NEAR INCINERATOR IN UPSTATE NEW YORK." Retrieved from https://theintercept.com/2020/04/28/toxic-pfas-afff-upstate-new-york/. Accessed on August 14th, 2020.
PreviousFinding Asbestos in Your Home Is Normal — Here's What to Do Next
NextAfter Decline, Nursing Home Coronavirus Deaths Are Rising Again


Joel Smets has been a big part of Tom Vialle's successful transition to the MX2 world championship and so far all the hard work is paying off as Vialle took his first GP podium in only his second attempt!
We grabbed Joel for a quick chat to get his reaction to Vialle's podium and his view on Jeffrey Herlings staying in MXGP when he returns from injury and not going to America.
Your thoughts on Tom Vialle's podium? It's pretty impressive!
It's pretty impressive, it's hard to believe. We did what we had to do in the winter but we didn't know he could pull off this result already this early in the season. I kept in mind a podium was going to be possible, but for sure not in the first half of the season. Sometimes if you are working good, you get a little lucky like with Jorge not being here, otherwise we probably would have finished fourth. But when you work hard you get what you deserve, that's how I feel about it.
He doesn't seem intimidated by anybody, he's getting to the front and fighting hard.
That's his strongest point. Everybody says, which is true, he's riding really smooth and stuff like that, he's not taking any risks. He has a very smooth and technical style which of course we tried to work on during the winter, that's the talent from himself but the biggest talent he has is his down to earth and realistic approach to everything and that keeps him really calm.
He knows he's working hard, he knows where he wants to end up finally but he knows it's a long road and the road to success is always under construction and that's why he is not influenced by what is happening around him. He is doing his thing, he has a nice structure around him with his parents and the team and myself. He trusts in that and that makes him feel so relaxed, that's why he stays so calm and handles the pressure so well. That impresses me more than the riding.
Jeffrey Herlings, it has been announced he is riding MXGP when he returns, no AMA Nationals, are you happy with that, is Jeffrey happy with that? Some of us wanted to see him in America, others didn't, what was your view?
With my heart I would have loved to see him in the US and see that fight going on. But sometimes you need to take decisions and use common sense and use the head instead of the heart to make the final decision and that's what we did.
And his foot, is everything coming along okay?
So far the healing is on plan but the healing takes a lot of time and that's the thing.


text:
DOMAIN=by.styx.run

if [ $(uname) == 'Darwin' ]
then
  # OS X
  SETTINGS_DIR="$HOME/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/NativeMessagingHosts"
else
  # Linux
  SETTINGS_DIR="$HOME/.config/google-chrome-beta/NativeMessagingHosts"
fi

mkdir -p "$SETTINGS_DIR"

cp "./$DOMAIN.json" "$SETTINGS_DIR"
cp "./$DOMAIN.py"   "$SETTINGS_DIR"

WRAPPER_PATH="$SETTINGS_DIR/$DOMAIN.py"

ESCAPED_WRAPPER_PATH=${WRAPPER_PATH////\\/}

sed -i -e "s/WRAPPER_PATH/$ESCAPED_WRAPPER_PATH/" "$SETTINGS_DIR/$DOMAIN.json"

rm "$SETTINGS_DIR/$DOMAIN.json-e"

chmod o+r "$SETTINGS_DIR/$DOMAIN.json"
chmod 755 "$SETTINGS_DIR/$DOMAIN.py"


text:
Q: How to use scale in java 2DG I am drawing some 2Dgraphics to JPanel.
I don't understant how to use scale if i change JPanelsize?
I have an image, which is composed of multiple lines and circles.
Is possible to compute a transformation and that multiply the values that miscalculation? How? Can you give me an example?

A: A neat way to do it (but not the best) is to have a final variable for the Width and Height, and everything is calculated based on those variables. then you could have a scale variable that is the size of the (JPanel / final Variable) and when you do g.draw() you can set the width to width * wScale, and the height to height * hScale. here is an example
public final WIDTH = 1080;
public final HEIGHT = WIDTH * 16 / 9;

private float wScale = 1;
private float hScale = 1;

public static void mainLoop()
{
    wScale = jpanelWidth / (WIDTH * 1.0);
    hScale = jpanelHeight / (HEIGHT * 1.0);

    //makes the image to draw using the final width and height for calculations
    someclass.makeImage(WIDTH, HEIGHT);

    //gets an image that has the dimentions of WIDTH and HEIGHT
    someimage = someclass.getImage();

    //draws the image using its width and scales it to the actual size by multiplying it by the scaler
    //the two zeros are at position (0, 0), and null is just the observer.
    somegraphics.draw(someimage, 0, 0, (WIDTH * wScale), (HEIGHT * hScale), null);

}

if you need more information or have questions, you can ask for clarification, or contact me personally.


A hiker in Yosemite National Park fell to his death while climbing the iconic granite cliffs of Half Dome in rainy conditions.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — A hiker in Yosemite National Park fell to his death while climbing the iconic granite cliffs of Half Dome in rainy conditions.
The National Park Service said the accident occurred Monday.
The NPS declined to release the man's name pending notification of his family. The NPS said it's the first fatal fall from Half Dome since 2010.
The man's companion was unharmed.