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Bobby Deol (Vijay Singh Deol) is the second son of Bollywood mega-star Dharmendra. His older brother is another Bollywood mega-star, Sunny Deol. Deol began his career as a child artiste in the movie Dharam Veer (1977), playing a young Dharmendra. He has two step-sisters, namely Bollywood actress Esha Deol and Ahana Deol. His step-mother is the Bollywood "Dreamgirl" Hema Malini. Bobby Deol married Tanya Ahuja and has been blessed with two sons. The second son was born on November 5, 2004 at 5:00 am, and is named "Dharam" after his grandpa. The elder son is named Aryaman.


text:
101-yr old Gold Medal Winner Mann Kaur titled as "Miracle from Chandigarh" by New Zealand Media
"Miracle from Chandigarh" as they call her, meet Mann Kaur from Chandigarh, a 101-year-old athlete who won a Gold medal at the World Masters Games in Auckland on Monday. Winning a gold medal in the 100+ category of 100 meters of sprint for this 'young at heart' athlete makes her bag her 17th Gold medal in the athletic career that began seven years ago.
Late Career start- Not too Bad of a choice
Deriving inspiration from her son, Gurdev Singh who also participated in the games, Mann Kaur's inspirational career choices have set an example for the world. The athlete's commendable journey kick-started off when she decided to have her late-blooming career at the age of 94 with her son. Following a strict diet of having wheat grass juice and a glass of kefir which is a fermented milk, the athlete runs, jogs, walks and cooks as part of her daily routine. Some choices made, even at a later stage in your lives, but with conviction bears fruitful results. If you do not believe the notion, believe the facts as they need no proofs.
A beautiful sight at the World Masters Games'17
Taking the entire audience in awe and surprise, Mann Kaur did not cater to what people, media and competitors had to say. She was there for a purpose and she nailed it with sheer determination and courage. As the centenarian reached the finish line, the spectators had no option but to believe what they saw. Finishing off 100 meters sprint category within 64.42 seconds off Usain Bolt's 100m world record which was set in the year 2009, Kaur took one minute 14. 58 seconds as the entire crowd cheered for her indomitable spirit and enthusiasm at this age.
Mann Kaur speaks volumes with her One-liners
For her, Age is Just a Number. What other things the 101-year-old Mann Kaur hailing from Chandigarh believes, Take a look!
Participation matters above winning and racing against the time
Enjoy the run and be happy
As to what her future plans are, she claims she would continue to run
No full stop for her, as she would not give up
Set your own standards
Beat the Odds that pull you back
Not only setting up a record of having 17 gold medals in her kitty, the 101-year-old woman athlete has beaten all the conventional odds to fill the vast space lying vacant with full of vigour and vitality of her thoughts and actions. Being the oldest entry at the games, she drew attention and brought laurels to her nation and hometown Chandigarh.
Living in Indian community at Auckland, she strives hard to continue her athletic journey and delivers a strong message to everyone losing hope out there, "It's Never Too Late."
Rightly said, "If you really aspire for something from within, the whole world conspires to help you to achieve it." Seems like a film dialogue, not an issue, re-read the article, to have a visual evidence !!!
Meet The First (FM Radio) RJ of Chandigarh – Sulakshna Bramta aka RJ Muskaan

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Neocoenorrhinus interpunctatus är en skalbaggsart som först beskrevs av Stephens 1831.  Neocoenorrhinus interpunctatus ingår i släktet Coenorrhinus, och familjen rullvivlar. Arten är reproducerande i Sverige.

Källor

Rullvivlar
Coenorrhinus (Attelabidae)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Radioluminescent products have been the primary self-luminous signing option on the egress market for many years; however, the question of whether or not they are the best choice still remains to be answered. These signs continue to be safe as long as they are handled correctly and not allowed to enter the atmosphere, but are susceptible to breaking during improper handling. Photoluminescent products provide a safer choice over more traditional Radioluminescent identifiers because they do not contain harmful materials or make use of them to illuminate an exit location. Safety is not the only reason for considering upgrading to a better egress component. Tritium signs are more costly to maintain and dispose of than alternative products. The average expense necessary to replace one identifier can be as much as one-hundred fifty dollars. This cost quickly adds up based on the number of exit doors there are throughout a structure. Additionally, Tritium identifiers have a shorter lifespan than photoluminescent products and their supplied usage time period varies.
What Benefits Are Offered By Photoluminescent Choices?
These products offer several advantages over choosing Radioluminescent identifiers as emergency aids. First, this self-luminous choice does not contain toxic materials that are harmful to the environment and people. Tritium is a form of hydrogen gas capable of mixing with oxygen and contaminating the surrounding environment. Photoluminescent products do not require wiring or electricity to be installed and remain dependable with minimal care throughout an average lifespan of twenty-five years. The duration of use for Tritium options ranges from ten to twenty years; however, they rarely meet the twenty year mark since the gas is exhausted much quicker than the quoted timeframe and at a different rate per sign.
Tritium identifiers have to be installed, handled, and disposed according to guidelines set by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This increases the cost of use in addition to making compliance process more difficult. Photoluminescent products offer a safer alternative for egress compliance by removing the concern of toxic materials. They additionally entail a lower overall usage cost, which spans over a longer duration of time. Owners making this choice over available alternatives are able to lower energy expenses, provide a reliable visual aid, and decrease the tasks required to remain compliant with local building codes.
This self-luminous choice has specific environmental benefits due to its recyclable qualities and lack of toxic materials. Owners choosing to implement photoluminescent products as part of their egress system are able to promote the eco-friendliness of their structures. The feature is intriguing whether appealing to a customer or residential market. It is not as easy to say a structure is eco-friendly and completely harmless when radioactive components have been implemented at egress points. Even with the best care, owners have to spend an increased amount of money to ensure Radioluminescent signs remain up to par. The cost of disposal is higher for Tritium identifiers than any other type of compliance signing. If you have been seeking the safest, most reliable solution for maintaining an egress compliant structure, photoluminescent products are the way to go and nothing could be safer for the environment!


text:
iWANT ASAP
SUNDAY AFTER KAPAMILYA BLOCKBUSTERS
Nasaan ang hustisya? Mga palaban na litrato ni Sue Ramirez!
Mary Ann Bardinas September 28, 2019 10:11 PM
Photo credit: @sueannadoodles IG
Her every upload on Instagram never fails to rake in hundreds to thousands of "double taps".
Among her posts, it is her oozing with confidence and ferocity beach photos, clad in colorful skimpy bikinis that apparently garnered the highest number of likes and compliments from her throng of followers.
However, more than flaunting her toned and always summer-ready bod, here are some of the reasons that makes Sue Ramirez truly sexy.
Her effortless allure
Whether she's dolled up or not, she will surely standout in the crowd as her beauty, which she got from the good genes of her American dad and Filipina mom, is so natural and spotless.
Her cop-worthy #OOTDs which she shares on IG, doesn't only give us ideas on how to style ourselves, but inspires us to do so to express our true selves rather than to impress.
Her admirable personality
Possessing a sunny disposition and amicable attitude makes it easy for the 21-year-old multifaceted artist to find and build friendships in and out of showbiz.
Despite the grueling nature of the world she's currently involved in, she has found soulmates in her colleagues who she can lean on in the ups and downs of life. Besides, her loyal fans also adores her humility and friendliness.
Her unmistakable talent
In her seven years in the industry, Sue has already attained a plethora of achievements, which makes us consider her as one of the most successful artists of her generation.
She has starred in a number of movies and television programs, from which she bagged the New Movie Actress of the Year accolade in the 32nd PMPC Star Awards for Movies for the Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano-starrer Just the Way You Are.
Her musical talent was also discovered, thanks to her friend and Pangako Sa 'Yo co-star Kristel Fulgar who persuaded her to unleash her hidden melodious voice when they covered Keri Hilson's Pretty Girl Rocks which gone viral a few days after the video was uploaded. This spawned to a few more song covers, live performances, and a digital concert alongside besties Maris Racal and Loisa Andalio under One Music PH.
Aside from that, her amusing hosting flair is also exhibited as one of the ASAP Chillout regulars.
Keep on slaying, Sue!
SUE-SEXY-1
SUE-SEXY-10


The transition words or phrases connect ideas and also introduce contrast, comparison, effect, clarification, summary, illustrations, agreement, purpose, result, conclusion, etc. Below is a list of commonly used transitional words or phrases in English which can be used by students or teachers to find the right expressions.
He is not only a nice guy, but also a nice computer operator.
Following Transition words are used to show agreement, similarity and addition.
As well as He performs as well as the students. Too He has a perfect job, too.
As a matter of fact He is not a student. As a matter of fact, he does not like studying. Then You have to study, then you will be able to compete.
These transition words are used to show contrast, opposition and limitation.
Of course….but Of course, you are right, but I can't do it. Otherwise They should play well otherwise they'll lose.
On the other hand He loves to work; on the other hand the doctor has restricted him from working. Besides They can take time besides they have to make count of the time they take.
The following transition words or phrases in English present specific conditions, intentions and purpose.
In order to He talks in order to improve his speaking. So that He tries hard so that he is successful.
In the event that He seemed so good in the event that he made his century. With this intention I will get the position; with this intention, he is going to challenge his rivals.
The following transition words are used to give examples, support or to emphasis on the idea.
He lies a lot. In fact he is a liar.
Note: for and because are used before the cause or reason. The others are used before consequence/result.
For He works hard for promotion. Because He likes black because it is professional.
Thus He could not beat his brother thus he is out of the game. In that case He committed crime; in that case he was arrested by the police.
Ultimately After a lot of hard work, ultimately, he got the deserved position. In either case You do it or not, in either case you will be in loss.
To sum up Hadia washed the dishes, Asghar collected the plates, Mehrin arranged the hall, to sum up they all did their hard work. Overall Their overall performances were good in all the matches of tournament.
The following Transition words are used to talk about time, sequence and chronology.
Sooner or later Sooner or later, you have to perform. As long as There is a hope as long as he plays for us.
As Soon as He killed him as soon as he got Khaliq killed his cousin. All of a sudden Everything was going well, all of a sudden something exploded.
These Transition words are used to mention place and locations.
In the middle He interrupted in the middle of class. Between The village is in between the two mountains.
Next He sits next to his sister. Across He came across the road after a lot of difficulties.


1. Is Planning Permission Needed? Find out whether you need planning permission, depending on the nature and scale of the works you wish to carry out.
2. Guidance on making a Planning Application Help on selecting the correct application form, calculating the fee, and what to submit.
3. Applications forms, Validation Checklists and Guidance Notes You can download forms from here, or we can send you the forms you need by post. There are also guidance notes attached to help you to make your planning application.
4. Guidance on Household Development Advice for householders wishing to make an application.
5. A guide to Publicity and The Planning Process What happens after submitting the planning application, and how the public can become involved with the decision process.
6. Pre Application Enquiries Information on our pre-application service with impartial and professional advice.
7. A guide to Planning Officer Delegated Powers How are planning decisions reached, and which applications are decided by Planning Officer and which by Planning Committee?
8. Guidance on Planning Appeals Appealing against an application decision.
9. Our Privacy Notice which sets out how we use information in the course of our work as a Local Planning Authority.
Is my property in a flood risk zone?
The conservation team has produced two pre-application information sheets. The first is a basic introduction to the historic environment, and how it might affect your proposed development. The second outlines the types of heritage consents that you may need to obtain for your proposed development.


text:
Q: I have code to create a button type in Xamarin. Is there a way I can pass in a binding parameter? Here's the code that I have:
C# template class
public class PopupOKButton : Button
{
    public PopupOKButton()
    {
        BackgroundColor = Color.Transparent;
        HorizontalOptions = LayoutOptions.FillAndExpand;
        Text = "OK";
        SetDynamicResource(TextColorProperty, "PopUpOkColor");
        VerticalOptions = LayoutOptions.End;
    }
}

Where it's used:
var ok = new PopupOKButton();
ok.SetBinding(PopupOKButton.CommandProperty, "OKCmd");
ok.SetBinding(PopupOKButton.IsEnabledProperty, "OKEnabled");

Is there a way that I could change the definition of PopupOKButton to accept the binding parameters so it could be called like this:
var ok = new PopupOKButton("OKCmd", "OKEnabled" );

A: I've never tried it, but I assume this would work
public PopupOKButton(string Command, string Enabled) : this()
{
    this.SetBinding(PopupOKButton.CommandProperty, Command);
    this.SetBinding(PopupOKButton.IsEnabledProperty, Enabled);
}

public PopupOKButton()
{
    BackgroundColor = Color.Transparent;
    HorizontalOptions = LayoutOptions.FillAndExpand;
    Text = "OK";
    SetDynamicResource(TextColorProperty, "PopUpOkColor");
    VerticalOptions = LayoutOptions.End;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
STRIDE Collaborative
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Tampering
The STRIDE Collaborative (formerly the Southeast Diesel Collaborative, also known as the SEDC) is an organization dedicated to reducing diesel emissions in the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. "STRIDE Collaborative" or "STRIDE" or "we" or "us" refers to the STRIDE Collaborative.
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STRIDE Collaborative Privacy Policy


A lot of people don't like sharing the road with semis and other large trucks because it makes them nervous. The truck drivers are well trained in driving these large vehicles and often drive many hours every day and week without incident. If you know how to safely share the road with these large trucks it will help put yourself and the truck driver more at ease.
Avoid the blind spots. General rule of thumb is that if you can't see the truck's side mirrors then the truck driver can't see you. Don't ride too closely to a truck on any side, especially the back because that is a large blind spot. Being right behind the truck can also lead to a high chance of harm and/or damage if you run into them because the truck sits higher than your car.
Don't cut off a truck. Make sure the truck is visible in your rear view mirror before passing in front of it. Do not get in front of the truck if you notice traffic stopping or slowing down because a large truck needs more space and time to safely stop.
Be patient. If a truck is trying to get over into your lane do not try to speed past it, they may not see you; instead slow down and give them plenty of space to get over. Trucks will also take longer to get up to speed but keep your distance behind them and be patient.
Be aware of wide turns. You will often see that the back of trucks have a sign warning of a wide turn. When preparing for a turn, the truck will often be farther from the turn lane so pay attention and check if they have a turn signal on, if so then wait for the truck to complete their turn before you go. When a truck is turning do not try to squeeze past just to get in front of them; the driver may not see you and this could lead to an accident.
Pass quickly. You don't want to linger by the side of a semi for long because they are not able to see you. Even though you should pass quickly you still need to pass cautiously; turn your blinker on with enough notice so the truck driver can see it. Avoid passing on the right side of the truck because there is a larger blind spot.
Dim your lights. Bright lights hitting your car mirrors can temporarily blind you, so imagine what it's like when those bright lights hit a truck's considerably larger mirrors. When you are driving near a large truck, or anybody for that matter, be sure to turn off your brights or dim your bright lights.


After hearing for several decades that computers will soon be able to assist with difficult diagnoses, the practicing physician may well wonder why the revolution has not occurred. Skepticism at this point is understandable. Few, if any, programs currently have active roles as consultants to physicians. The story behind these unfulfilled expectations is instructive and, we believe, offers hope for the future.
The new generation of programs designed to emulate clinical expertise has developed along two quite different paths. One, called rule-based systems, has incorrectly become almost synonymous with the term 'artificial intelligence" in the minds of most physicians. These systems, such as MYCIN,8 are based on the hypotheses that expert knowledge consists of a large number of independent, situation-specific rules and that computers can simulate expert reasoning by stringing these rules together in chains of deduction.9,10 Each rule consists of an If statement followed by a Then statement. The former identifies a situation in which the conclusion or action specified by the latter can be carried out. For example, in a patient who has an infection, the initial rule might be, If there is an organism that makes therapy necessary, Then determine the best recommendation for therapy. The system then seeks out other rules that will help it decide whether a pathogenic organism is present. If a pathogen is found, the system mobilizes other rules to arrive at a treatment recommendation. The conclusion reached by a group of rules is accepted when a numerical scoring factor exceeds some critical threshold.
The pioneering work on rule-based systems was designed to deal with clinical problems,9 but ironically, nearly all successes with such systems have occurred outside medicine. Rule-based systems have proved useful in a variety of commercial tasks, such as evaluating trouble with telephone lines, laying out preventive maintenance programs for large power stations, and configuring computer systems. But it is clear that these successes have been possible primarily because the domains that have been addressed are limited and because the programs are valuable despite their inability to perform at a nearly perfect level; failure to identify a defect in a telephone network can be tolerated more readily than a misdiagnosis in a seriously ill patient.
By the late 1970s, disappointments with both rule-based systems and matching strategies stimulated investigators to move in directions that have led to new insights, even if not to clinically useful programs. Studies of problem-solving strategies employed by experts made it ever more apparent that clinical expertise in difficult medical cases is to a considerable extent reliant on causal, pathophysiologic reasoning. Investigators became aware that the key deficiencies in most previous programs stemmed from their lack of pathophysiologic knowledge. Only programs relying on such reasoning would be able to cope with the enormous number of ways in which diseases can present, evolve, and interact with each other.
In an effort to simulate expert performance, new programs build specific models of a given patient's illness by linking clinical findings with pathophysiologic knowledge stored in the program's memory.19-21 Such knowledge is organized as nodes of information connected by links that specify causal relationships. Nodes contain knowledge such as the range of clinical and laboratory findings that can be anticipated at the onset of an illness and during its evolution. One program also incorporates information on how the clinical picture of disease varies with its severity.20 Some nodes deal with effects and others with causes, and the links between them allow the program to use patient-specific information about the severity and temporal stage of an illness to determine whether the findings in the nodes match the disease hypothesis. Links not only reason forward, from cause to effect, but backward, from observed effects to their expected causes. The program can thus use observed findings to reason about causation, and vice versa.
To further the process of differential diagnosis, each hypothesis, as embodied in the computer-generated model of the patient's illness, is expanded to create a scenario that projects the consequences to be expected if that particular disease is present. On the basis of these scenarios, the program identifies additional information that could differentiate among the various diagnostic possibilities.20 For example, the urinary sodium concentration would be singled out as a feature that can help to distinguish between oliguria due to acute tubular necrosis and that due to volume depletion. Scenarios thus provide a powerful strategy for efficient acquisition of further information, be it historical data, laboratory findings, or other relevant data.
Although detailed pathophysiologic knowledge has greatly increased the ability of a program to handle complexity, it has also added enormously to the computational task.20~22 When a program employing causal reasoning is asked to explore each case in great detail, including straightforward cases that do not merit such attention, the process is so slow that it is impractical even with modern high-speed computers. To deal with this difficulty, a strategy has been developed that allows reasoning at multiple levels of detail.22 In the straightforward cases the program begins by simply looking at shallow associational information (e.g., that pulmonary insufficiency causes hypercapnia). But when such a relatively simple strategy fails to resolve the problem, the program moves to deeper levels of reasoning that allow detailed evaluation of each observed abnormality and its contribution to the clinical picture. For example, a reported loss of blood that is not sufficient to account for an observed degree of anemia will alert such a program to look for other causes of bleeding or, in the absence of such a cause, to consider the possibility of a laboratory error.
Ironically, now that much of the artificial-intelligence research community has turned to causal, pathophysiologic reasoning, it has become apparent that some of the earlier, discarded diagnostic strategies may have important value in enhancing the performance of new programs. Programs that use causal reasoning typically have only general-purpose strategies for exploring competing hypotheses and playing out scenarios. But such strategies are often quite inefficient because the exploration of the diagnostic possibilities in particular clinical situations can be embodied in rules or flow charts that are highly specific to the problem at hand, such as gastrointestinal bleeding or chest pain.26'27 Moreover, if further diagnostic information can be obtained only at the cost of some risk or pain, a component of decision analysis will almost certainly be a useful addition to a program, allowing systematic balancing of medical costs against medical benefits.28,29 An extensive research effort is required, however, before all these techniques can be incorporated into a single program.
It is obvious from the foregoing discussion that we have not reached the point at which artificial-intelligence programs can act as reliable consultants on a wide range of medical problems. But, quite logically, attempts are under way to use specific components of recent research in artificial intelligence to implement programs that can provide simple but potentially valuable diagnostic assistance to the physician. For example, the enormous data base of INTERNIST17 may provide a considerable advantage over textbooks to the physician who is searching for facts about a particular illness.30 The data base for a given disease in medical textbooks typically consists simply of a list of manifestations, accompanied by ambiguous and relatively unhelpful qualitative descriptions—e.g., that a given finding occurs "frequently" or "uncommonly." The INTERNIST data base has the advantage, as we have noted earlier, of including numerical information on the frequency of findings and on the diagnostic importance of each finding. Furthermore, by applying relatively simple computing strategies to such a data base, the program can generate a list of hypotheses that may deserve consideration. Unfortunately, such lists are usually quite long and thus do not greatly narrow the diagnostic focus; instead, they provide a checklist that helps the user make certain that no diagnostic possibility has been overlooked.
Relatively simple systems such as those just described can also be used for critiquing diagnostic hypotheses or plans for treatment.31'32 It is far easier for a program to examine the reasonableness of a plan constructed by a physician than to create such a plan itself.
In 1970 an article in the Journal predicted that by the year 2000 computers would have an entirely new role in medicine, acting as a powerful extension of the physician's intellect.33 At the halfway point, how realistic does this projection seem? It is now clear that great progress has been made in understanding how physicians solve difficult clinical problems and in implementing experimental programs that capture at least a portion of human expertise. On the other hand, it has become increasingly apparent that major intellectual and technical problems must be solved before we can produce truly reliable consulting programs. Nevertheless, assuming continued research, it still seems possible that by the year 2000 a range of programs will be available that can greatly assist the physician. It seems highly unlikely that such a goal will be achieved much before that time.
Supported by grants from the Commonwealth Fund and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Dr. Schwartz) and by grants from the National Institutes of Health: R24-RR-01320 from the Division of Research Resources, RO1-RL-33041 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Inslilute, and RO1-LM-04493 from the National Library of Medicine (Drs. Patil and Szolovits). The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of any of the granting agencies.
Reggia JA, Tuhrim S, eds. Computer-assisted medical decision making. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1985.
Kassirer JP, Gorty GA. Clinical problem solving: a behavioral analysis. Ann Intern Med 1978; 89:245-55.
Elstein AS, Shulman LS, Sprafka SA. Medical problem solving: an analysis of clinical reasoning. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1978.
Swanson DB, Feliovich PJ, Johnson PE. Psychological analysis of physician expertise: implications for design of decision support systems. In:Shires DB, Wolf H, eds. MEDINFO 77: Proceedings of the Second World Conference on Medical Informatics, Aug. 8-12, 1977. Amsterdam: North-Holland, 1977:161-4.
Kuipers BJ, Kassirer JP. Causal reasoning in medicine: analysis of a protocol. Cognitive Sci 1984; 8:363-85.
Szolovits P, ed. Artificial intelligence in medicine. Boulder. Colo.: Westview Press, 1982.
Clancey WJ, Shortliffe EH, eds. Readings in medical artificial intelligence:the first decade. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1984.
Shortliffe EH. Computer-based medical consultations: MYCIN. New York: Elsevier, 1976.
Buchanan BG, Shortliffe EH, eds. Rule-based expert systems: the MYCIN experiments of the Stanford heuristic programming project. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1984.
van Melle WJ. System aids in constructing consultation programs. Ann Arbor, Mich.: UMI Research Press, 1981.
Davis R. Expert systems: where are we? And where do we go from here? Al Mag 1982; 3(2):3-22.
Clancey WJ, Leisinger R. NEOMYCIN: reconfiguring a rule-based expert system for application to teaching. In: Proceedings of the 7th international Joint Conference on Artificial intelligence, Aug. 24-28, 1981. Los Altos, Calif.: Morgan Kaufmann, 1981:829-36.
Kunz JC, Fallat RJ, McClung DR, eta). A physiological rule-based system for interpreting pulmonary function test results. Proc Comp Crit Care Pulmonary Med 1979:375-9.
Weiss SM, Kulikowski CA, Galen RS. Developing microprocessor based expert models for instrument interpretation. In: Proceedings of the 7th international Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Aug. 24-28, 1981. Los Altos, Calif.: Morgan Kaufmann. 1981:853-5.
Szolovits P, Pauker SG. Categorical and probabilistic reasoning in medical diagnosis. Artif Intell 1978; 11:115-44.
Pauker SG, Gorry GA, Kassirer JP, Schwartz WB. Towards the simulation of clinical cognition: taking a present illness by computer. Am J Med 1976; 60:981-96.
Miller RA, Pople HE Jr, Myers JD. INTERNIST-I, an experimental computer-based diagnostic consultant for general internal medicine. N Engl J Med 1982; 307:468-76.
Barneit GO. The computer and clinical judgment. N EngI 3 Med 1982; 307:493-4.
Pople HE Jr. The formation of composite hypotheses in diagnostic problem solving: an exercise in synthetic reasoning. In: Proceedings of the 5th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Aug. 22-25, 1977. Los Altos. Calif.: Morgan Kaufmann, 1977:1030-7.
Paul RS, Szolovits P, Schwartz WB. Causal understanding of patient illness tn medical diagnosis. In: Proceedings of the 7th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Aug. 24-28, 1981. Los Altos, Calif.: Morgan Kaufrusen, 1981:893-9.
Pople HE Jr. Heuristic methods for imposing structure on ill-structured problems: the structuring of-medical diagnostics. In: Seolovits P, ed. Artificial intelligence in medicine. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1982:119-90.
Paul RS. Causal representation of patient illness for electrolyte and acid-base diagnosis (Technical rep. TR-267). Cambridge, Mass.: Laboratory for Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, October 1981.
Swartout WR. XPLAIN: a system for creating and explaining expert consulting programs. Artif Intell 1983; 21:285-325.
Clancey WJ. The epistemology of a rule-based expert system: a framework for explanation. Artif Intell 1983; 20:215-51.
Teach RL. Shortliffe EH. An analysis of physicians' attitudes. In: Buchanan BG, Shortliffe EH, eds. Rule-based expert systems: the MYCIN experiments of the Stanford heuristic programming project. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1984:635-52.
Chandrasekaran B, Mittal S. Conceptual representation of medical knowledge for diagnosis by computer: MDX and related systems. In: Yovits MC, ed. Advances in computers. vol.22. New York: Academic Press, 1983:217-93.
Clancey WJ. The advantages of abstract control knowledge in expert system design. In: Proceedings of the 2nd National Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Aug. 22-26, 1983. Los Altos, Calif.: Morgan Kaufmann, 1983:74-8.
Pauker SG, Kassirer JP. Therapeutic decision making: a cost-benefit analysis. N EngI J Med 1975; 293:229-34.
Idem. The threshold approach to clinical decision making. N Engl J Med 1980; 302:1109-17.
Miller RA, McNeil MA, Challinor SM, Masari FE Jr, Myers JD. The INTERNIST-I/QUICK MEDICAL REFERENCE project -- status report. West J Med 1986; 145:816-22.
Miller PL. Expert critiquing systems: practice-based medical consultation by computer. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1986.
Shortliffe EH, Scott AC, Bischoff MB, Campbell AB, van Melle W, Jacobs CD. ONCOCIN: an expert system for oncology protocol management. In: Proceedings of the 7th international Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Aug. 24-28, 1981. Los Altos, Calif.: Morgan Kaufmann, 1981: 876-81.
Schwartz WB. Medicine and the computer: the promise and problems of change. N EngI J Med 1970; 283:1257-64.


OutWest Festival 2015 Official video by Friction Collective from Friction Collective on Vimeo.
We were asked to cover the 2015 Once Upon a Time in the West Festival. This was our second year at the festival in West Ashton and we're still convinced it's the simple rough-round-the-edges feel that makes me love it. As soon as there's a band on your wrist it's one long party that lets you stumble from sleeping bag to bar to stage in two stones' throws. The small site (most of the festival is in a single field) means you're never far from the place to be and can get from the campsite to the front row quicker than you can say Screamin' Miss Jackson and the Slap Ya' Mama Big Band, so you'll never miss a thing.


Suggested by iKnowledge It's time for Lady Shiva to take on another pretty tough DOA character. While the others had the edge on her, I think Shiva has a reasonable chance here because Hitomi doesn't have any other special abilities beyond her close combat skills. Since we're talking pure hand to hand here, I think Shiva would manage to pull out a victory. It'll be a very difficult match for her, but one that is definitely winnable. Lady Shiva wins.
Suggested by iKnowledge Misty Knight is a capable hand to hand fighter. While I think Hitomi is certainly more experienced and better in pure martial arts, Misty Knight's robotic arm is a huge help here. It can create force fields and also freeze nearby objects. Between the cold and the sheer force of the metal arm (which will also serve as a good offense for Misty since every time Hitomi lands a strike or a block the DOA fighter will take damage) I don't think Hitomi will be able to keep up for long. Misty Knight wins.
Hitomi and Helena are both very accomplished hand to hand fighters from Dead or Alive. Hitomi is physically much stronger than Helena, but is not quite as quick and athletic. As a Sheik main in Super Smash Bros, I can safely tell you that speed wins most fights. It would be a tough match, but I'd give Helena the edge in hand to hand combat so she will be able to use Hitomi's strength against her. If only one of them had a projectile, it would be an insta win! Helena wins.
Hitomi has hand to hand skills, but they won't work against Deadpool. No matter how much times she hits him he just won't die. Deadpool is almost immortal and is invincible. That's why he never loses. Deadpool wins.


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Posts Tagged 'voiceover narration'
1970s, 2009, Carolyn Dando, clairvoyance, cold cases, Crime, death of child, doll houses, Drama, ghosts, mark wahlberg, Michael Imperioli, murder, mystery, norristown, pennsylvania, peter jackson, photography, purgatory, Rachel Weisz, Rose McIver, Saiorse Ronan, serial killers, sinkholes, stanley tucci, steven spielberg, Susan Sarandon, voiceover narration
In Crime, Drama, L, Mystery on May 27, 2010 at 8:13 pm
STUDIO – Paramount/Dreamworks SKG
CAST – Mark Wahlberg, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli, Rachel Weisz, Saiorse Ronan, Rose McIver, Carolyn Dando
DIRECTOR – Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson seems to be a popular guy on my blog lately!
I don't mean this intentionally, yet in four short months, this is the fourth movie for which I have done a write-up with his name on it. Of the first three, he directed two of them (Heavenly Creatures, Dead-Alive), and the third (District 9) he produced. This time around, we take another imaginative step into the past to uncover a murder mystery in The Lovely Bones.
Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) is a 14-year-old girl in Norristown, Pennsylvania. She's the oldest of three children, she wants to be a photographer, and she has a crush on a boy who'd just arrived from England. In other words, she is a normal adolescent in a quiet suburban community. But one day, on her way home time from school, she encounters George Harvey (Best Supporting Actor nominee Stanley Tucci), a doll house builder who lives down the street from the Salmons. She is neither seen nor heard from again.
A self-portrait of Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan)
Peter Jackson's eye for camera angles and visual effects makes for a visually striking movie, but I could not help noticing some similarities with his past work. What stood out for me was the metaphoric shifts between the real world, where Susie's parents (Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz) contend with the loss of their daughter, and the "purgatory" in which Susie resides were strongly reminiscent of Heavenly Creatures. Also, some of the "blink-and-you-miss-it" shots of Susie's realm look strangely like locations from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (I guess it stands to reason, since Jackson filmed these scenes in his native New Zealand). Now, I'm not disparaging New Zealand at all. From what I understand, it is a lush, green country with some of the world's most beautiful scenery. My concern is that the Kawarau Gorge may become to Peter Jackson movies what Vasquez Rocks is to Star Trek.
There are some good performances in this movie, and some not-so-good. Tucci was particularly creepy as the killer, and Miss Ronan did well, too. But, as much as I like Wahlberg and Weisz, I could not get past the notion that they simply turned on their respective "grieving parent" switches for this one. And Susan Sarandon, another otherwise talented actress, was quite forgettable as the "helpful grandmother", who just happens to have a whiskey glass and a cigarette in her hands every chance she gets. I'm sorry, but even her portrayal of Janet in Rocky Horror was better than this! To me, the best (and most understated) performance in this movie goes to newcomer Carolyn Dando, as the mysterious Ruth Connors, who seems to have the unique ability to "touch" Susie's lost soul. It's a fairly small role, but a meaty one, and Dando handled it well. Keep an eye on her; I think she may be going places.
As for the script (co-written by Jackson and his wife/writing partner Fran Walsh), it seemed somewhat incomplete to me. It's almost as if to say there is more to the story, and as an adaptation from a novel, this is usually the case. But still, I feel as if the clairvoyance angle of the story could have been better explained (at least, from the family's point of view). Jackson's employment of various symbolisms (nearly all of which are explained throughout the course of the movie) works for the most part, except for the icicles. I had a hard time wrapping my brain around that one; as a result, the ending left a somewhat bad taste in my mouth.
The Lovely Bones is visually beautiful to watch, but it is far from a classic. To me, it plays out like a fictionalized version of Heavenly Creatures, only replace "repressed daughter" with "creepy single guy" and "mother" with "innocent teenager", and place the murder at the beginning of the movie rather than at the end. I know Pater Jackson is a better filmmaker than this. I just hope his next project offers some redemption before he turns into New Zealand's version of M. Night Shyamalan.
1900s, 1949, anonymous correspondence, auditions, Buster Keaton, chicago, christmas, classics, Clinton Sundberg, Comedy, illinois, in the good old summertime, Judy Garland, Lillian Bronson, liza minelli, Marcia Van Dyke, music stores, musicals, parfumerie, pen pals, remake, Robert Z. Leonard, Romance, romantic comedies, S.Z. Sakall, Spring Byington, stradivarius, termination of employment, the shop around the corner, Van Johnson, violins, voiceover narration, you've got mail
IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949)
In Classic, Comedy, I, Motion Pictures, Musical, Romance on May 16, 2010 at 9:15 am
STUDIO – MGM
CAST – Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S.Z. Sakall, Spring Byington, Buster Keaton, Marcia Van Dyke, Clinton Sundberg, Lillian Bronson
DIRECTOR – Robert Z. Leonard
NOT RATED (MPAA Equivalent: G)
When I recently opened my rented copy of The Shop Around the Corner, I popped it into my DVD player and discovered that You've Got Mail was the second remake of that movie. The first was redone as a musical set at turn of the 20th Century, and that it starred Judy Garland. So, I made a quick trip into my Netflix Queue and ordered In the Good Old Summertime and put it straight to the top of my list. Now, before I proceed any further, let me state that, with the notable exception of The Wizard of Oz and the occasional Andy Hardy serial, I had not seen any motion pictures starring Judy Garland until this point. Nothing against her; she just isn't my cup of tea. Still, I pressed forward, bowl of popcorn in hand, and watched…
And I dare say I enjoyed this movie. In the Good Old Summertime is the same basic premise of The Shop Around the Corner, only instead of a contemporary department store in Budapest, it's set in a music store in Chicago. Also, the names have been changed to protect the innocent. The head clerk of the store is Andrew Larkin (Van Johnson), the boss is Otto Oberkugen (S.Z. Sakall), and the romantic interest/fly in the ointment is named Veronica Fisher (Garland). Replace the musical cigarette boxes with 100 table harps, throw in some slapstick, courtesy of Buster Keaton, and some old-tyme songs, and you have yet another Technicolor musical churned out by the factory known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Veronica (Judy Garland) offers to "help" Albert (Van Johnson) deomonstrate a song for a customer
The basic story is the same, in some cases nearly word-for-word, but the pacing is actually better than the original. Van Johnson tries not to impersonate Jimmy Stewart, but in some scenes it's easy to spot that "aw-shucks" quality for which Stewart was famous. Judy Garland proves that even marriage and a child haven't rusted her pipes. In one scene, a frustrated Veronica is asked to demonstrate a Christmas song; she does so, but only going through the motions in the process. Even in that moment, it's hard to dismiss her vocal talent.
Speaking of talent, I made discovery with this movie: Marcia Van Dyke. She is an accomplished singer and musician in her own right, and here she shows off one of those talents. Her character, Louise Parkson, lives in the same boarding house as Andrew, and she is a violinist, a damn good one. Several scenes showcase her talent, culminating in an audition for a scholarship in Leipzig, Germany (home of one of the most prestigious orchestras in the world). Van Dyke isn't much of an actress, but where she lacks in that department, she more than makes up for it with a violin in her hand. And she was very easy on the eyes, too.
One of the things that I noticed in this movie is that many of the musical numbers, especially in the first half, were in 3/4 time (waltz tempo). Now, I'm a sucker for the waltz, but I think even Johann Strauss himself might have cried out "Okay! Okay! Enough with the waltzes! Let's move on, shall we?" But overall, the music fit in well with the plot, with one minor exception. Okay, maybe not so minor. The bulk of the movie is set in the fall and winter, but MGM needed an excuse to use the song "In the Good Old Summer Time", which was still a fairly popular tune nearly 50 years after its initial release. So, they bookended it with two brief scenes set in a park during the summer. I'm not sure how, but they managed to pull it off. Oh, there is one more thing: At the very end of the movie, Veronica and Albert are strolling through the park with a little girl; that brief scene marks the (unofficial) motion picture debut of Judy Garland's daughter, Liza Minelli.
The DVD comes with a pair of travelogue shorts about Chicago, one for day, one for night. Both are remarkable time capsules to a time that is now all but forgotten. The daytime tour features many fixtures of the skyline, including the Tribune Tower, the Wrigley Building, and the Drake Hotel, along with a parting shot of Buckingham Fountain. The nighttime featurette highlights some of the entertainment and night life aspects of the city, including a music hall frequented by the mayor, Martin H. Kennelly, as well as a dancing horse(!).
In the Good Old Summertime is a surprisingly fun movie to watch. MGM can be considered one of the few manufacturing corporations whose work was considered art, and this musical fits nicely into that fold. Remarkably, I found it at least as charming as The Shop Around the Corner. Up next, the conclusion of my three-part review. Stay tuned…
2009, based on true story, Biography, christmas, Drama, drug addiction, football, football coaches, gentle giants, graduation, high school football, homeless teens, Jae Head, John Lee Hancock, Kathy Bates, Leigh Anne Tuohy, Lily Collins, memphis, Michael Oher, ncaa, oscar winner, private schools, Quinton Aaron, Ray McKinnon, Sandra Bullock, Sports, tennessee, thanksgiving, the blind side, Tim McGraw, tutors, university of mississippi, voiceover narration
In B, Biography, Drama, Motion Pictures, Sports on May 11, 2010 at 10:43 pm
STUDIO — Warner Bros.
CAST — Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Ray McKinnon, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Kathy Bates
DIRECTOR — John Lee Hancock
In many parts of the United States, football is more than a sport; it's practically a religion. This is especially evident through the South and Midwest, where college football reigns supreme. I can testify to this fact, as I have seen Bulldog-themed restaurants in Georgia, Longhorn-themed stores in Texas, and Cornhusker-themed everything in Nebraska. In fact, I can personally support the theory that life all but shuts down on Saturday afternoons in the fall in the state of Nebraska. After spending 16 years of my life there, I have brought back this observation: Go shopping in a department store during a Husker game, and life stands still while a play is in progress. When the ball is snapped, everyone stops in their tracks and listens intently to the radio broadcast (guaranteed to be on in at least 95% of the businesses in the state); if there's a touchdown, they celebrate like they're all guests of honor in a massive bachelor(ette) party. Then when the game goes to commercial, as if by magic, they go back to whatever they're doing. It almost looks like a scene from the classic Star Trek episode "The Return of the Archons" (Just watch through the first sct, and you'll see what I mean). I do, of course, say this in jest, but it is still fascinating to witness.
There is no mistake in identifying passionate football fans. They support their favorite teams until the ends of the earth, even if they have been "rebuilding" for 15 years. They wear their hearts on their sleeve, their wardrobe is adorned with the team colors of their choice, their cars are littered with flags, decals, and other paraphernalia, and they even plan social events around the games! This is true of nearly all passionate sports fans, but college football fans really love their sport, and they really love their school, no matter where they live. Such is the case of Leigh Anne Tuohy, an Ole Miss graduate living in Memphis, Tennessee.
Michael Oher (Quiton Aaron, right) at Thanksgiving dinner with the Tuohys (from left, Lily Collins, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Jae Head)
By now, I am sure that you have heard of Mrs. Tuohy, and the remarkable story of how she took in a kid from the wrong side of town because he had nowhere to go. That kid grew up to become Michael Oher of the Baltimore Ravens. They could not have been more different. She was an affluent, pretty, outspoken white woman with a family; he was a very large, very shy, very homeless black teenager with no ambition or direction in life. Yet, she took him into her home, fed him, clothed him, and guided him into becoming a young man who had found his destiny.
Okay, I'm not sure what has already been said about this movie, but I will say that, as sports movies go, this is one of the best I have seen in the last 20 years. One remarkable fact about The Blind Side is that it is the first motion picture with one actress billed above the title (by herself) to gross over $100 million. Now, I have had a soft spot for Sandra Bullock ever since she burst on the scene as the off-beat cop of the future in Demolition Man (1993). She is a quirky, slightly-left-of-normal girl next door, and I knew there was nothing but a bright career ahead for her. But never in a million years did I expect her to achieve serious critical acclaim, and I don't think she did, either. When she co-starred in Crash (2004), things began to change. I noticed that Sandra Bullock was evolving from a movie star to an actress (there is a difference), and when you are an actor or actress who is also a movie star, really good things begin to happen.
The Blind Side contains fine performances from much of the cast, beginning with Bullock, who won Best Actress as Leigh Anne Tuohy. TIm McGraw was an agreeable Sean, and Quinton Aaron did very well, too. I did have one concern: Did Michael Oher, during the lost days of his youth, really lack intelligence, or did he just not care? Signs seem to point to the latter, and Aaron played from that angle fairly well (Although I did notice a few overly-vacuous spots in his performance). The breakout performance in this movie (to me, anyway) goes to Jae Head, who played Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy's son, S.J. First of all, he had all the best lines ("Enough with the rugby shirts! You look like a giant bumble bee!"), and it was very easy to see he and Quinton Aaron bonded well. Also, watching S.J. coach Michael through drills is a sight to behold! Oh, one more cool fact about this movie: The college football coaches in the film are the real deal. Some had retired and others moved on to other positions, but yes, Virginia, that really was Lou Holtz you saw on the screen.
The Blind Side is a wonderful and inspirational story of generosity, love, and good ol' Christian beliefs. And football. Lots of football. If you haven't seen this movie yet, then get thee to your Queue and line it up!
2009, airline travel, airports, american airlines, Amy Morton, Anna Kendrick, business travel, Comedy, corporate downsizing, dallas, detroit, Drama, florida, frequent flyer miles, George Clooney, hertz, hilton hotels, Jason Bateman, Jason Reitman, kansas city, las vegas, Melanie Lynskey, miami, michigan, milwaukee, missouri, motivational speakers, nebraska, nevada, omaha, recession, Romance, Sam Elliot, st. louis, texas, tulsa, up in the air, Vera Farmiga, voiceover narration, weddings, wisconsin
In Comedy, Drama, Motion Pictures, Romance, U on April 25, 2010 at 1:23 am
CAST — George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Amy Morton, Melanie Lynskey, Sam Elliot
DIRECTOR — Jason Reitman
If you are reading this review, you have been fired from a job. Whether you were a top-level executive at a Fortune 500 company or flipping burgers at Dairy Queen, somewhere in your lifetime at least one employer handed you a pink slip. It's never fun. Personally, I have been fired twice in the last ten years. The second time was probably for the best, as it really wasn't a good fit. But the first time was at a job that I had loved. The hours were bad, the pay was worse, and it was the most fun I'd ever had in my life. We've all experienced that, haven't we? You get called into the office, and in that office, your supervisor/manager/galactic overlord of a boss hands you an envelope and tells you that your services are no longer required. It's one thing when you are the only one being terminated. But what about those major corporations who lay off thousands of people at a time? In the last couple of years, we haven't been able to go a week without hearing that Company X is cutting thousands of jobs. Did you ever wonder how they do that?
Natalie Keener, Alex Goran, and Ryan Bingham (Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga, George Clooney) at the Miami Hilton
In Up in the Air, George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizing specialist based out of Omaha, Nebraska. Ryan spends over 300 days a year flying all over the country to do one thing: fire people. And he is very good at what he does. He walks into an office somewhere in Corporate America, and the employees already know they are on borrowed time. Occasionally, he also does the odd speaking engagement, in which he asks his audience to place everything they own into an imaginary backpack and realize how heavy it is (a metaphor on the burdens of life). One day, he is called back to the home office; big things are on the on the horizon. On the way there, he meets Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), another business traveler, and they form a fast… friendship. Back in Omaha, he is introduced to Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), a hotshot young college graduate with a revolutionary new way to fire people, via the Internet.
Seeing this as a threat to his very existence, Ryan convinces his boss (Jason Bateman) that Natalie needs a taste of what it's like on the road before this new method of "introducing future possibilities" goes into effect. Soon, Natalie learns how hard it really is to fire a complete stranger, but she eventually finds her groove. Meanwhile, Alex reenters the picture and Ryan grows closer to her.
To proceed further would spoil the movie, but I can say that Up in the Air is fine entertainment, and it has one of the best endings I have seen in recent memory. Clooney is perfect as Bingham, with his cocksure ways and his arrogance. It almost harkens back to his "heart throb" days when he was on "ER" (Wow, was that really 16 years ago?). I especially like the little moment (seen in the trailer) when Natalie is talking on the phone with her boyfriend, and Ryan overhears her saying "I don't even think of him that way; he's old", prompting him to look in the nearest mirror! We all reach that age sooner or later, when we realize that we are no longer young (though we desperately try to keep thinking that way). Also, Farmiga and Kendrick (both Best Supporting Actress nominees) were great foils to Ryan's personal and professional lives, respectively.
There are plenty of messages in this movie: Never settle; The slower we move, the faster we die; Don't be afraid to chase your dreams. I especially like that last one. It has given me pause to reevaluate my life (which admittedly is not that great) and made me think that I should try to get back on my career wagon again. It's been a long time, but it's what I was trained to do, and it's what I love (and we all remember our true loves, right?). I am not at liberty to discuss this topic any further at this time, but I promise if anything comes of it, I will post it on my News page! Besides, I'm digressing (Gee, haven't done that in a while).
Up in the Air is a movie that I would dare say is a modern classic. The timing of its release, with the economic struggles of the last three years, could not have been more fortuitous. In fact, throughout the film, there are several cutaways depicting fired employees; these were real people who had recently lost their jobs (The actors, most notably J.K. Simmons, were the ones who interacted with Clooney and/or Kendrick). That dose of authenticity makes Up in the Air a wonderful time capsule of the turbulent first decade of the 21st Century.
2009, abusive parents, Drama, Gabourey Sidibe, GED, harlem, HIV, illiteracy, independent movie, inspirational teachers, lee daniels, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey, Mo'Nique, new york, new york city, oprah whitney, oscar winner, Paula Patton, precious, PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL "PUSH" BY SAPPHIRE, rape, social workers, teen pregnancy, tyler perry, voiceover narration
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL "PUSH" BY SAPPHIRE (2009)
In Drama, Independent, Motion Pictures, P on April 18, 2010 at 1:40 am
STUDIO — Lions Gate
CAST — Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey, Paula Patton
DIRECTOR — Lee Daniels
By now, I'm sure many of you have heard of the latest "next big thing" known as Gabourey Sidibe. I am here to tell you that the claim is justified.
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire is the story of Claireece "Precious" Jones (Sidibe, in her motion picture debut), an overweight 16-year-old girl, pregnant with her second child by her father, and still in junior high school. As if life wasn't already hard enough, she lives in a fifth-floor walk-up in Harlem with her mother, Mary (Academy Award winner Mo'Nique), an abusive monster of a woman whose sole purpose in life is to make nicey-nice with the social workers by using Precious' mentally-disabled daughter as a means to keep the welfare checks coming in.
When her school finds out about her second pregnancy, they have no choice but to expel her. But the principal reaches out by telling her of an alternative education program, where she can work toward a GED. There, she meets Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), who can see the inner beauty and intelligence within Precious and, bit by bit, helps her to discover it for herself.
Precious Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) on her first trip to alternative education school
Within the first 15 minutes of this movie, I was taken in and I never let go. I have seen interviews with Gabby Sidibe; she is a charming, funny young lady with a bubbly personality. Her characterization of Precious Jones was so moving, it is very easy to see how she was very likely a strong runner-up in the Oscar race for Best Actress of 2009 (which went to one of my personal favorites, Sandra Bullock). Sidibe's performance is so captivating, it is truly hard to believe that we are actually watching (to borrow a college football term) a redshirt freshman in the role. I can only see bigger and better things for her down the road. And one might dismiss the movie altogether because the supporting cast features three singers (Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz, and Mariah Carey) and a comedienne (Mo'Nique), but think again. Mo'Nique may have taken home the Oscar, but it was Mariah Carey(!) who really surprised me as social worker Ms. Weiss. Here she is, with no makeup and wearing frumpy clothes, and she looked and acted so much like a real social worker, I almost forgot this was one of the most popular (and most glamorous) singers of the last 20 years! And director Lee Daniels' cutaways into the fantasy worlds which Precious creates whenever she is abused, whether by her father, her mother, or even some punks on the street, gives us, the viewers, a look into how an abuse victim mentally escapes from the pain, even during the act.
This movie is about the vicious cycle that is the depravity of inner city life, and how one woman gave a girl quickly slipping on that downward spiral the gift of literacy and, ultimately, the power to step out on her own and make a new life for herself and her children. But it was more than just having the right people help her; it's also a story of finding inner strength. And where there is strength, there is courage, and it is in courage that one develops a positive self-esteem.
The DVD is packed with several features, including Gabby Sidibe's mesmerizing audition video. Did you know that over 400 women auditioned for the part in a nationwide open call? Did you know that filming of Denzel Washington's American Gangster (2007) blocked Sidibe's normal route to school, so she decided to go in the opposite way to the audition instead? Did you know that executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry signed on to promote the movie after the movie was completed? That last little fact debunks the theory that, since Oprah put her name on the project, her show had to be mentioned in the movie. Sorry. While it's true Precious asks another character if she watches Oprah, the all-powerful Ms. Winfrey had nothing to do with it.
Precious is a gripping and moving motion picture with a powerful message that there is strength in each of us to find the ability to reach out, to love, to learn, and to improve ourselves, all in the face of adversity. There aren't many films that reach into the bowels of despair, yet convey a strong message of hope. This movie succeeds, and with a payoff for the ages.
1950s, 1994, alienation, based on true story, best friends, Biography, christchurch, Clive Merrison, Crime, Diana Kent, diary, fantasy, heavenly creatures, homosexuality, Juliet Hulme, Kate Winslet, mario lanza, Melanie Lynskey, murder, new zealand, obsession, Pauline Parker, peter jackson, request, revenge, Sarah Pierse, Simon O'Connor, tuberculosis, voiceover narration
In Biography, Crime, Drama, H, Motion Pictures on April 12, 2010 at 12:54 pm
STUDIO — Miramax
CAST — Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Sarah Pierse, Diana Kent, Clive Merrison, Simon O'Connor
A reader from New Zealand dropped a request in my lap: Review some of Peter Jackson's early work. So, I threw a couple of darts at the wall, and one of them landed on Heavenly Creatures, Jackson's take on the friendship between Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme (Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet, both in their big-screen debuts), from the time they met at school in 1952, until their murder of Pauline's mother, Honora, in June 1954.
The movie starts as a sort of travelogue of Christchurch, New Zealand, an idyllic city which boasts friendly people, beautiful surroundings, and lots of bicycles. Suddenly, we lurch to a moment of terror: Two young ladies running through the woods, screaming in panic and covered in blood. From that moment, we are taken back in time to when these two girls first met at an all-girls preparatory school two years earlier. Right away, the dynamic between these two becomes very apparent. Pauline is very imaginative, but shy and withdrawn, while Juliet is adventurous, outgoing and worldly. But they form a bond right away because both girls had debilitating illnesses when they were young (Pauline had osteomyelitis, and Juliet had tuberculosis), and they became fast friends.
Juliet and Pauline (Kate Winslet, Melanie Lynskey) on Easter Sunday, 1953
Prior to making this movie, Peter Jackson was best known for making low-budget horror movies. But when his wife suggested that he try his hand at a movie based on one of most infamous crimes in New Zealand history, little did she know that it would lead him to bigger and better things. But the two of them sat down and wrote the script, using writings from Pauline's diary as a guide (The title even comes from a passage in the diary). Heavenly Creatures doesn't focus on the murder and the trial, which were sensational in their own right, but rather it paints a portrait of the two girls' friendship, the intensity of which brought concerns from both families that they were becoming a homosexual couple (considered a mental disorder at the time). Whether Pauline and Juliet were lovers remains under debate, that aspect of their relationship is explored in a surprisingly innocent way in this movie.
There is a lot to talk about in Heavenly Creatures. Jackson's skill as a director becomes apparent in this movie. He weaves a tale in both the real and imaginary worlds, and in such a way as to illustrate how Pauline and Juliet's friendship grew stronger with each passing day. We, the viewers, are swept into this imaginary "Fourth World", where James Mason and Mario Lanza are saints, and the girls are king and queen of the fantasy land of Borovnia. Soon, it becomes difficult to see where the real world ends and the imaginary one begins, especially when Pauline and Juliet begin to believe their parents (Pauline's mother and Juliet's father, specifically) are conspiring to separate them.
For the then-newcomers Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet, this was a great debut for both of them. Lynskey's shy and secluded Pauline was both painful and captivating, and Winslet proved she had star power from the second Juliet entered the classroom for the first time. Both of them were perfectly cast for this movie, and both of them have become well-known actresses as a result. They both displayed the youthful exhuberance necessary for girls of that age, as well as their characters' obsession for each other, and their chemistry together was nearly perfect.
Heavenly Creatures was shot on location in Christchurch. In fact, Peter Jackson went to great lengths to use as many actual sites of the events portrayed, including the now-demolished tea room where Honora ate her last meal. This lends a degree of authenticity to the movie and holds the viewer's attention throughout. By the third act, Pauline and Juliet's friendship had become so close, they began to take on each other's behaviors, but to devastating effect. Pauline grew so confident so quickly, she overcompensated by lashing out at her mother. And when Juliet's parents announced they were breaking up, she started suffering from separation anxiety. And this is merely the beginning of what became the two girls' final act.
Heavenly Creatures is a look at one of the world's most shocking crimes of the 20th Century, one I would consider as notorious in New Zealand as Starkweather is in Nebraska, and Manson in California. I do not make this statement lightly, nor does Peter Jackson try to make light of it. Instead, we see two friends willing to do anything for each other, only in this case it went too far.
1990, 4th wall, air france, arson, based on true story, Biography, brooklyn, cocaine, copacabana, Crime, drugs, epic, extortion, henry hill, jfk airport, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, lufthansa heist, mafia, martin scorsese, murder, new york, new york city, oscar winner, Paul Sorvino, prison, queens, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, voiceover narration, weddings, witness protection program
In Action, Biography, Crime, Drama, G, Motion Pictures on April 9, 2010 at 1:49 pm
CAST — Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Paul Sorvino, Lorraine Bracco
DIRECTOR — Martin Scorsese
There is so much I can say about this movie, except that it has most likely already been said before. Goodfellas is, of course, on my short list of favorite motion pictures and, as I did with Patton, I will recount my experience by checking out the two-disk Special Edition of this movie.
When I received Disk One, I literally watched this movie three times. First, I had to watch the movie itself, which is something of which I will never tire. The kinetic energy throughout this masterpiece grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until long after you've seen it (but more on that in a minute). Sure, there are some anachronistic gaffs here and there (A teenaged Henry Hill selling Black Market cigarettes with UPC barcodes on the cartons — in 1959!), but every performance, every characterization, gave me a sense of what life must have been like in the Mafia during its heyday. The whole first half of the movie shows the glamour, the connections, the camaraderie, and the partying, while the second half follows a steady descent into Hell, with drug addiction, greed, murder, and paranoia.
Goodfellas recounts the story of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), a half-Italian/half-Irish gangster associated with the infamous Lucchese crime family, and how he met up and partnered with two other mobsters, portrayed here as Jimmy "The Gent" Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Academy Award winner Joe Pesci). As you may have guessed by my last statement, some of the names were changed for the purposes of making this movie. Does this diminish the quality of this movie? Not in the least. Anyway, all three performances were mesmerizing, especially Pesci's. His performance as Tommy was cemented in the now-infamous "You're a funny guy" scene, and it sustained all way through.
Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) and Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) enjoy a night on the town
Also of note (especially for you fans of "The Sopranos") is Lorraine Bracco as Henry's wife, Karen, and a brief appearance by Michael Imperioli in one of his first film roles, as Spider. Another face to watch for is Samual L. Jackson in one of his quieter roles, as Stacks Edwards. Look for a few famous faces as well, including Jerry Vale, Robbie Vinton (as his father, Bobby), and comedian Henny Youngman, in one of his final film appearances.
Okay, by now, I'm sure you're asking "Why the subsequent screenings?" Well, there are two commentary tracks, "Crook and Cop" and "Cast and Crew". In the "Crook and Cop" commentary, Henry Hill and U.S. District Attorney Ed McDonald (who placed Henry and his family into the Witness Protection Program — and plays himself in the movie) give their insight to the events portrayed in the film from both of their unique perspectives. Hill would fill in some gaps in the story or explain why or how something happened, while McDonald talked about how difficult it really was to pin convictions on some of these wiseguys, problems with surveillance, and how the FBI employed what became known as the "Al Capone strategy" for getting a conviction: If you can't get them for murder, get them for something else.
The "Cast and Crew" commentary doesn't cover the entire length of the movie; whole sections of the movie are skipped during the "silent" parts. But, Scorsese, producer Irwin Winkler, co-writer Nicholas Pileggi, cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, and cast members Liotta, Pesci, De Niro, Bracco, and Paul Sorvino, among others, all talk about their own perspectives on the making of this movie. Did you know that Ray Liotta and Henry Hill met up for a drink after the film's release, and each was star-struck to meet the other face-to-face? Did you know that, as written, Goodfellas has no climax? And remember when I said this movie doesn't let go? Well, did you know that Paul Sorvino, who had struggled for months to find his character, initially hated the completed film? It took a few hours afterward before he realized how great it really was.
The second disk has a few documentaries, including a short with Henry Hill, called "The Workaday Gangster". In it, he tells us, the audience, that the essence of what we see in Goodfellas is "99% accurate" from his perspective. Another features several directors influenced by Scorsese and/or Goodfellas, including Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption), Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), and others. As a special treat, there's even a four-minute snippet called "Paper Is Cheaper Than Film", which literally illustrates how Martin Scorsese visualized some of the shots by writing notes and thumbnail sketches on the shooting script.
Many people have argued for years which of Scorsese's movies is his best. Some say it's Raging Bull. Others would say Taxi Driver. Another camp might even cry out, "Well, The Departed won Best Picture". Then there's the Casino crowd. Exciting, visceral, unflinching, and unrelenting, Goodfellas is not only a classic gangster movie, it is a film for the ages. And to me, this is the epitome of Martin Scorsese's filmmaking career.
2001, 4th wall, amanda detmer, amanda peet, buddy film, Comedy, dennis dugan, football, jack black, jail, jason biggs, kidnapping, name in title, neil diamond, nuns, old flame, psychiatrists, r. lee ermey, request, Romance, saving silverman, seattle, slapstick, steve zahn, street performers, tribute bands, voiceover narration, washington, weddings
SAVING SILVERMAN (2001)
In Comedy, Crime, Motion Pictures, Romance, S on March 20, 2010 at 11:00 pm
STUDIO — Columbia
CAST — Jason Biggs, Jack Black, Steve Zahn, Amanda Peet, R. Lee Ermey, Neil Diamond
DIRECTOR — Dennis Dugan
(Uncut version Rated R)
Have you noticed lately how some sports venues have taken to playing Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" late in the game as a means of rallying the fans? I know, it sounds really strange, but I think this movie has a lot to do with it.
In Saving Silverman, three friends, Wayne (Steve Zahn), J.D. (Jack Black), and Darren (Jason Biggs), make up a street-performing Neil Diamond tribute band called Diamonds in the Rough. All three are big fans; Wayne even claims his mother went into labor with him during a Neil Diamond concert! After one of their performances, they go to a local watering hole, where Wayne spots a beautiful woman (Amanda Peet) and talks Darren into chatting her up. Right away, she asserts herself onto Darren, and right away, Wayne and J.D. realize she's a threat to their friendship.
Wayne (Steve Zahn, right) and J.D. (Jack Black) attempt to persuade Judith (Amanda Peet) to break up with their friend, Darren Silverman
In case you haven't figured it out by now, Darren is the Silverman in the title of this movie, a sometimes too-broad comedy that reaches too far into the depths of low-brow to deliver its gags. Much of the comedy in this movie was formulaic, telegraphed as much as a minute ahead of the payoff. Don't get me wrong, here. I liked Jason Biggs in the American Pie movies, and in this movie, he continues his bumbling charm with appeal. And I also like Steve Zahn; his break-out role in That Thing You Do! is among the most memorable in that movie. As for Jack Black, I confess I am not as familiar with his work, but I do know he does have the ability to charm underneath that oafish appearance of his.
So what happened here? In my opinion, too much happened here. Judith is a psychiatrist who has absolutely no problem showing off her cleavage (and, based on what I can tell about the character, her readiness to assault the first man who notices it). Amanda Detmer plays Sandy, Darren's "one and only", who had recently left the circus after a tragic trapeze accident in order to… become a nun(?). Then there's R. Lee Ermey. That's right, ol' Gunny himself makes an appearance as a high school football coach who was imprisoned for manslaughter after he accidentally skewered a referee with the down marker during a game. Finally, we have Neil Diamond himself, who inexplicably agrees to help our heroes in the third act, despite the fact that he had a restraining order against them. Tell me, does any of this make sense to you?
Okay, it is, after all, a movie. But the plot is supposed to have some logic to it, right? Only Darren turns appears to have any depth of character to him. Wayne and J.D. are little more than baffoons, Judith acts like an overcaffeinated queen bee, and Sandy was way too bubbly to be a convincing nun in training. Of all the supporting characters, only Coach was engaging enough to be funny. From all appearances, R. Lee seemed to relish the opportunity to commit a bit of self-parody by using his famous "gung-ho" attitude to great comedic effect. It's too bad the rest of the cast did not follow suit.
Saving Silverman tries to be funny, and it tries to be sincere. Unfortunately, it came up short in both departments.


text:
This Day In History › Tet Offensive
Topic(s): Air Force, American History, Army, Art, International History, Marines, Military, Vietnam War
Tet Offensive
U.S. #1802 was issued on Veteran's Day in 1979.
On January 30, 1968, the North Vietnamese Army launched a surprise attack on South Vietnam during the Tet (New Year) holiday truce.
The North Vietnamese began planning their General Offensive and Uprising in April 1967. They believed that the government in Saigon was so unpopular in the South that an attack on major cities there would lead the citizens to revolt, guaranteeing a swift victory and an end to calls for peace talks. Throughout the second half of 1967, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers moved 81,000 tons of supplies and 200,000 troops across the border.
U.S. #3188g from the Celebrate the Century: 1960s sheet.
That October, they decided the Tet holiday would be the day to launch their attack, as the Americans and South Vietnamese (ARVN) would be observing the agreed-upon truce. In December, they launched a "diplomatic offensive," claiming that Hanoi would consider negotiations if America halted their bombing campaign in North Vietnam. This was only a ruse to confuse the allies.
Though the Americans did not know what the North Vietnamese had planned, or when it would take place, they did see the signs. They noticed a large military buildup and were puzzled by the large battles that broke out in remote regions. In fact, these battles were part of the North Vietnamese plan to draw American troops away from the cities, their actual targets.
Item #4584112 – Australia coin honoring the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War.
One of their greatest diversions was the attack on the military base at Khe Sanh on January 21. American MACV (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam) commander William Westmoreland saw the attack as a plot to overrun the base and take over the two northernmost provinces of South Vietnam. To prevent this, he sent half his men – 250,000 soldiers – to aid in the defense of Khe Sanh. Meanwhile, Frederick Weyand had noticed a large buildup of North Vietnamese around Saigon and requested some of those men be brought back to defend the capital city. Westmoreland called back 15 battalions to aid in the city's defense, a move that may have helped save Saigon.
The Tet Offensive officially commenced shortly after midnight on January 30, 1968. The first target was Nha Trang, the headquarters of the US I Field Force. This was followed by attacks in the other provincial capitals: Ban Me Thuot, Kon Tum, Hội An, Tuy Hòa, Da Nang, Qui Nhơn, and Pleiku. In each of these attacks, they launched mortar and rocket barrages followed quickly by massive ground assaults. Though the Americans and South Vietnamese were caught off-guard, they drove their attackers from nearly all these locations by sunrise. MACV Chief of Intelligence Phillip B. Davidson alerted Westmoreland that he believed these attacks would continue across the country throughout the night and morning. Westmoreland then put all US and ARVN troops on maximum alert to brace for what was to come.
Item #M4512 – Once-forbidden North Vietnam stamps.
The next wave of attacks came at 3 a.m. on January 31. They attacked Saigon, Cholon, and Gia Dinh in the Capital Military District as well as 13 other cities and US bases. Saigon was the main target of the attacks. Though fighting continued in Saigon and other cities, the North Vietnamese launched a second wave of attacks on ten more cities on February 1st. In fact, over the course of the offensive, they attacked over 100 towns and cities, as well as every major allied airfield. In most cases, the North Vietnamese were driven out of town within two or three days. Fighting went on for much longer in at least five cities. During this time, none of the South Vietnamese troops deserted or defected to join the North Vietnamese, showing commitment to their cause.
U.S. #4988a were issued to honor Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam War.
Huế was among the targets on January 31. The North Vietnamese captured the city that day and the Americans and ARVN spent nearly a month in street-to-street fighting to take it back. By March they had retaken control but at extreme cost. Most of the historic city was destroyed and thousands of civilians were dead or left homeless.
U.S. #4988a – Vietnam Medal of Honor First Day Cover.
The first phase of the Tet Offensive was considered over by March 28, though fighting at Khe Sanh continued into April. The North Vietnamese launched two more attacks called Mini-Tets on May 4 and August 17. The offensive officially ended on September 23. The Tet Offensive was largely considered a failure for the North Vietnamese. They did not to meet any of their objectives and nearly depleted their Viet Cong Army.
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5 responses to "Tet Offensive"
5 thoughts on "Tet Offensive"
Kenneth Snyder
Militarily the North lost badly. They committed so much to the offensive and
it totally failed. It showed that the South's soldiers were backing the Government
in the South and so were the people. All the North did was kill civilians and turn
them away from the North and their cause. It showed the typical duplicity of
Communists in that they attacked during a prearranged truce and then broke it.
The biggest problem for the U.S. and the South wasn't the enemy ion the North but
the enemy in the U.S. was the Leftist dominated press. The press was enamored of
Ho Chi Minh, as they were with Castro and Che. They reported the whole offensive
as a giant victory for the Communists even though they lost a huge number of men
and materials in a failed attempt to end the insurgency.
I agree with Mr Snyder about everything he wrote as I was there, however, it was still brutal, and most certainly the LDP did nothing but basically hinder things. So much for certain events in Freedom of the Press, which is still going on today sadly.
Anthony McClure
Could not agree more as I was actually there during Tet, Hue, and Khe Sanh with the 1st Cav Division. The war was basically over in a military sense except for possible protracted Viet Cong resistance, but the media and weakness in our military leaders doomed it to what it became. All those lives on both sides because of a corrupt South Vietnam government, a dedicated and ferocious North Vietnam military and the political cowards in the USA
francisco j cervantes, MD. FAAP
I came in to USA the 1st time as a recently graduated MD in 1968 and immigration offered me being a permanent resident. I knew that next year I would be in Vietnam. I didn't that I had t be at least 130 pounds. to be in the armed forces ( I was 110-20 ). At that time my whole intention was to do my postgraduate training in USA and return to Mexico immediately thereafter. I stayed 6 years as an exchange visitor program J-1 type visa and went back to Monterrey, Mexico, but I will never forget those sad faces of all of these very young adult soldiers enlisted and waiting for transport at the airports; no singing; noisy, cheerful as they ought to be at that age.
Conrad Gaunt
What Kenneth, John, and Anthony don't get is that the Tet Offensive showed that the American people had been lied to for years. Pentagon and Administration spokesmen had been continually claiming that U.S. forces were winning, the Viet Cong and the N.V.A. were decimated, out of equipment, their morale was low, and the war was nearly over. The Tet offensive showed that none of that was true, the enemy was still strong and dedicated, and the war would go on with no end in sight. You three are just like a current politician whose initials are D.T. You hear something you don't like and you say its the biased media or fake news.