I hope that you all had a happy holiday weekend. We watched fireworks, played outside, and ate a lot of great food. It was the quintessential summer weekend.
I managed to squeeze in some walks. Although, I think my son has just about outgrown being strolled. He gets restless and fussy, and I know he'd rather have his feet on the ground.
My meal plan is almost non-existent this week. We've got lots of family activities planned, so I will only be cooking Monday and Tuesday nights. Since I worked in a trip to Costco this weekend, those meals will mostly come from a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
So instead of the usual meal plan post, I decided to share with you guys a few of my food rules. I hate the word rules, actually. So maybe I will call this my food philosophy instead.
First, let me say that (1) I am not a doctor or nutritionist and (2) I am not perfect. I break every one of these "rules" at one point or another.
My approach is to lean healthy most of the time as much as I can. These are meant to be practical tips, and the goal is not to be 100%, but just to use these as common sense guidelines.
1. Eat real food as much as possible. We lean toward things that are closest to their original form and minimally processed: fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, dairy, nuts, whole grains, etc.
2. Eat lots of plants. I try to put specific emphasis on lots of vegetables, but I also enjoy whole grains and fruits as well.
3. Don't fear fat. This may set me apart a bit from the typical Weight Watcher. I do not like fat free stuff most of the time. I do some fat free Greek yogurt or skim milk sometimes. But I also work in the whole fat and part fat versions here and there. I also prefer full-fat cheese and full-fat mayo. I eat avocados, nuts, olive oils, chia seed, etc. I also take a DHA supplement to make sure I am getting adequate healthy fats.
Your body needs fat. Fat helps you feel fuller longer, plus it makes stuff taste really good. I do avoid trans fats, and I try to focus on high quality fats as much as possible.
4. Always eat when hungry. Eating healthy to me means having a healthy mindset about food. Denying your body food when you are physically hungry can lead to a really messed-up relationship with food. It can put you on the crazy cycle. Even if I have to use weekly points, I am going to eat if my stomach is growling.
On the flip side, realize that highly processed junk food can actually make you feel hungrier. If you change the types of foods that you eat, you can get better nutritional bang for your buck. AND you can feel more satisfied. Win/win!
5. Avoid artificial sweeteners. I am not 100% on this, but I have cut way, way back over the last several years. I used to drink two to three cans of diet coke per day. I am down to like maybe one a month, or one every other month. I find that now that it is out of my daily habit, I crave it less.
Why do I choose to avoid it? There is some evidence that artificial sweeteners mess up your natural hunger signals, and they can cause you to feel physically hungrier.
I am not one of those who think you will spontaneously combust if you drink a diet coke. There is a lot of alarmist misinformation on this topic, in my opinion. Always consider the source of your information. If I find myself really wanting a diet coke, I am going to have it. After phasing it out, though, I am finding that I want it less and less.
I don't buy sugar free desserts or anything like that. I'd rather have small bits of the full-fat, full-sugar version.
I put real sugar in my coffee every day, and I have managed to lose over fifty five pounds while doing it, so I don't think the small doses have set me back in my weight loss at all.
6. Upgrade food quality as much as possible. A big part of this is educating yourself on how food is made, and what is in it. I try to buy organic as much as our budget allows, and as much as practically possible. I love to shop at famers markets. Fresh, local produce is generally cheaper and better than the stuff in the grocery store.
I am by no means militant, and there are still a lot of things we buy that are traditionally grown. Practicality and availability play a huge role. But the good news is that organic options are showing up a lot more (even Wal-Mart!).
7. Break the rules every occasionally. Rules are made to be broken every now and then…am I right?! Sometimes I am going to fall off the wagon and eat things that are highly processed, or that are just plain junk. As long as this is rare, and my daily habits are pretty clean, I am not worried about it.
8. Never food shame anybody. I get really put off when a feel like somebody is food shaming me, and I am sure many of you feel the same way. Food choices are highly personal. Educating yourself and improving is a journey, and everybody is on a different point in that journey.
Do you have any food rules/ guidelines? What does eating healthy mean to you?
Ah thanks Frank! I agree, and it sounds like our food philosophies are similar. And I don't want to live in a world where I can't enjoy the occasional reese's PB cup. 🙂 For me, it is more about making sure my daily habits are really clean.
It's funny that this is your topic today. I was just talking to a friend about the "dietary rules" we all follow for success. Mine hadn't seemed to be working so she was telling her "rules". We decided that all the different diet books out there are really just someone else's rules of what works for them. I'm working on finding the "rules" that work for me to be the most successful long term. I'll be re-reading yours as I think about my own. Thanks for the post.
So true Jennifer! My "rules" have evolved over the years, and I am sure they may continue to change. Lots of self-education, trial and error, tweaking, judging how I feel, etc.
I think this is SUCH a great philosophy! I used to shun fat and eat a lot of processed food in college. Now, I try to eat more healthy fats and avoid anything processed. It helps a LOT and I find I'm not as hungry!
My food philosophy has definitely evolved over the years, Liz. Like you, I used to eat a lot of processed food and avoid fat several years ago. The result was that I was always hungry! And it led to more overeating. Taking a more balanced approach helps me to feel more satisfied.


ROSS BARKLEY is poised to sign a bumper new deal with Everton.
The England midfielder has agreed a contract worth around £100,000-a-week that will keep him at Goodison Park until 2020.
Barkley has established himself as a regular member of the Three Lions squad and integral part of the Toffees outfit.
He signed his current £60,000-a-week deal back in 2014 after bursting onto the scene as one of the most exciting talents in English football.
But Goodison bosses have been quick to tie him down to a new one and secure his future at the Merseyside outfit.
The 22-year-old was a target of Manchester City, United and Chelsea this summer, but he now looks set to show his commitment to his hometown club.
The news is a major boost for new Toffees boss Ronald Koeman.
He was confirmed last night after Everton finally agreed a £4.8m compensation deal with Southampton.
The Toffees will now finalise contract details with the Dutchman, probably within the next 48 hours.
The 53-year-old has gone back on holiday but his agent Rob Jansen will complete negotiations on the contract worth £6m-a-year.
Southampton wanted a no poaching clause in the compensation deal to block Koeman going back to St Mary's for players.
But Everton dug their heels and refused to agree.


text:
Cardiff owner tells manager Mackay to resign or face sack
LONDON: The bizarre roller-coaster at Cardiff City has soared into a new twist with manager Malky Mackay being told to resign or face being sacked by the owner Vincent Tan.
The Malaysian businessman has reportedly criticised Mackay, in a formal emailed letter earlier this week, for his signings, style of play, results and performance as a manager. The letter also included the ultimatum.
Mackay, who led Cardiff to the 2012 League Cup final before securing the Championship title last term, has previously stated he would not resign from his position, and it is believed it could cost Tan £3m to sack the 41-year-old, whose contract runs until 2016.
Mackay's position as Bluebirds boss has been under scrutiny since Tan removed his head of recruitment Iain Moody in October amid suggestions of a summer transfer window overspend, something the Scot and Moody denied outright.
The problems at the club deepened on Monday, the same day as Tan's email was sent, when chief executive Simon Lim said Tan was "extremely upset" at Mackay's ambitions to bring in three players in January. Lim insisted not "a single penny" would be available to spend next month.
Cardiff travel to Liverpool tomorrow.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Bash, command to variable (cat), output is on 1 line,  is not working Issue

In bash, output is on 1 line from command, so
 is not working in html tag.

log=`cat ../local/log/$(ls -t ../local/log | head -1 )`
echo '

'$log'

' > itf-check-article.html

How can I do get output to variable as classic line by line, not in one line?

Thanks.

Update.

Command.

log=`cat ../local/log/$(ls -t ../local/log | head -1 )`; echo $log.

Output (1 line).

Start of processing orders. 0 order(s) in this run. No orders in this run

But this command shows me this (with 2 lines).

itfstage@vm14258:~/sofimon$ cat ../local/log/UNIHOBBY_ITF_ORDERS.log
Start of processing orders. 0 order(s) in this run.
No orders in this run
itfstage@vm14258:~/sofimon$

A: When a Bash variable contains multiple lines and you want to output it with echo as it is; you need to put double quotes (") around the variable. For example:
echo '
.......

'"$log"'

...
' > ...

If you put double quotes, the echo command will consider it as a single (whose contents happen to contain a multi-line string) parameter. If you don't put double quotes the contents of the string will be split (by Bash) into multiple parameters whenever a white-space (space, tab, newline, etc.) occurs.
For example:
$ var='a  b  c'
$ echo $var
a b c
$ echo "$var"
a  b  c

Note, the first echo will get three parameters ('a', 'b', and 'c') and will output them by separating with a single space. The second echo will get a single parameter ('a  b  c') and will output it as it is.

A: special-purpose code block (here doc).
#!/bin/bash

cat > itf-check-article.html <<PRE

$(awk '{printf "%s
",$0}' $(ls -td ../local/log/* | head -n 1))

PRE

output:
$ cat itf-check-article.html

Start of processing orders. 0 order(s) in this run.
No orders in this run

Using += operator to append to variable.
#!/bin/bash

declare html

html+='
\n'
html+='
'
html+=$(awk '{printf "%s
",$0}' $(ls -td ../local/log/* | head -n 1))
html+='
	\n'
html+='
'

echo -e "$html" > itf-check-article.html

A: Your pre-tag is working fine. Your problem is that $log contains the output of cat on one line. Instead of trying to fix this, I would suggest you split this code into simpler steps.
First of all, this line:
   log=`cat ../local/log/$(ls -t ../local/log | head -1 )`

Is way to complicated because it nests two command substitutions with two different syntaxes. You might understand it today, but why not split this into two steps so you or one of your co-workers will understand it a year from now:
    logfile=../local/log/$(ls -t ../local/log | head -1)
    logtext=$(cat $logfile)

Or even better (assuming the logfiles end in .log):
    logfile=$(ls -t ../local/log/*.log | head -1)
    logtext=$(cat $logfile)

Now you see that you just put the contents of $logile into $logtext. You seem to want to output the content of $logfile between the pre-tags, just like it appears in the file. With the simplified commands above, it may appear obvious that putting it into $logtext is an extra step that isn't even needed. Just cat the file where you want it to appear. The backticks or the $()-construct is meant to feed one command with arguments that are created from the output of another. In this case that just messes it all up.
So what you could do is this:
    outputfile=itf-check-article.html
    logfile=$(ls -t ../local/log/*.log | head -1)
    echo '
'      > $outputfile
    echo '
'  >> $outputfile
    cat $logfile >> $outputfile
    echo '

' >> $outputfile

or simply run the commands between brackets () to start a subshell with one redirect statement instead:
    outputfile=itf-check-article.html
    logfile=$(ls -t ../local/log/*.log | head -1)

    (
        echo '
'
        echo '
'
        cat $logfile
        echo '

'
    ) > $outputfile

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Latest News Top Stories General News Site Updates Rumors Consoles Portables Reviews
ToeJam & Earl's Super Funky Telethon Broadcasting on May 26th, 2019
Let's get funky
13 May, 2019 by rawmeatcowboy | Comments: 0
SAN FRANCISCO – May 13, 2019 – ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove!, the newly-released fourth entry of the beloved, funkadelic action roguelike series from HumaNature Studios, brings the funk back with their live ToeJam & Earl's Super Funky Telethon on May 26.
Awesome sponsors including Attack Media, Limited Run Games, Corptron (Creators of Duck Game), G-Fuel and Corn Nuts are making this possible and providing great prizes. Be sure to tune in for some exciting announcements from HumaNature, including dates for the 4-player co-op console update, the upcoming endless mode, and the future of the series.
Prepare for four hours of groovy nostalgia with special hosts including '90s heroes Macaulay Culkin (Executive Producer of Back in the Groove!) and Freddie Prinze Jr.. Super streamer Sonja Reid (aka OMGItsFirefoxx) and Genieve Goings (host of Disney's Choo Choo Soul) bring their charm and will keep the show from being a funky boy's club. Call the hotline for a chance to talk to the hosts, win dope prizes or even participate in one of the many wacky surprises planned for the day.
The event will be set in three different areas. First, the Game Zone, a retrowave '90s living room complete with neon lights, a ginormous funkometer that tracks the progress of the event, and giant screens for the cool kids to chill out with some games. Call celebs at the Planet Pitch & Phone Zone and watch them respond. The Stunt Zone is where all the really weird stuff is going down. Hint: we're talking a swimming pool of Corn Nuts, a G-Fuel Dunk Tank, and something involving live ducks…
As the funkometer rises, guests will have to suffer enjoy increasingly bizarre experiments and stunts. Get ready to watch the guests try outbizarre '90s snack combinations in a game of Dunkawhos. Did somebody say Flamin' Hot Cheetos dipped in fudge? That was probably Earl. Dude'll eat anything.
"Big news like Toejam & Earl's multiplayer and endless mode updates deserve equally big ways to announce," said Greg Johnson, founder of Humanature Studios. "So with help from our Executive Producer Macaulay Culkin, we thought hey, why not with a 4-hour live show full of celebs, games, and surprises?"
ToeJam & Earl's Super Funky Telethon will be live from Van Nuys on Mixer, YouTube and Twitch on May 26 from 12 pm to 4 pm PST and 3 pm to 7 pm EST.
To learn more, please visit ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove official site, follow it on Twitter @ToeJamAndEarl and official Facebook page.
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove's upcoming 1.4.0 update detailed
Groovy!
Sometime in the near future, Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove will be updated to Version 1.4.0. While we wait for that update to drop, the dev team has shared a bunch of details on what it'll include. Check out the rundown below.
So now for the moment you've all been waiting for: version 1.4.0. Well what exactly is it? OUT WITH IT!! Fine, we will tell you, stop poking us with that stick. Version 1.4.0 is shaping up to be the definitive Back in the Groove experience, especially for console players. With this update we will be introducing 3-4 player local play on all versions of the game. They said it couldn't be done, but just like getting split screen to work with the original ToeJam & Earl, we were determined to make it happen.
In order to get this to work we unfortunately had to limit the amount of distance between players if they fall a level. The game will now only allow players to fall 3 levels apart from other players in multiplayer. If you jump off that third level you will be transported back to the start of it, meaning players who would rather jump than take a hit still have that option. And if you guys find a present that will help you get to Level 0 you can both jump down together to visit the secret area.
1.4.0 Balance Updates
1.4.0 also comes with a ton of balance changes. We've been hearing that a lot of our veteran players find the game too easy if they use all the new mechanics to their intended effect. There are a ton of changes coming and most of these are in mind of making the game a little more difficult without making it too difficult for our casual players.
First up is Present changes. We are changing all Amped 'Show X' presents to be 'Jump To' presents instead of staying in your inventory. This means that instead of Amped 'Show Wiseman' giving you two uses, the Amped version will 'jump you' directly to the Wiseman. This applies to 'Show Elevator' as well and we have changed 'Jump To Ship Piece' to 'Show Ship Piece' with the Amped version being the current 'Jump To Ship Piece' present. Amped 'Show Hidden Paths' will reveal the Hidden Paths and reward you with an XP Boost based on our Present Skill stat. We are making these changes because players would keep the 'Show X' presents in their inventory the entire run hoping it would become Amped-This-Level so they could use it throughout their run infinitely. These changes will hopefully make the presents more unique and balance out the unintended behaviors they were providing.
We are also reducing the time you have 'Icarus Wings' for by 10 seconds in regular and Amped versions and a slight move speed decrease only on the Amped. We have been hearing from players that this present makes it too easy to clear multiple levels without touching the ground. The regular version of 'Icarus Wings' is now intended to get you out of sticky situations and clear gaps if you get stranded on an island. The Amped version is now intended to be the present you use if you want to clear out a level or two.
Another change regarding 'Icarus Wings' is that Backer Islands will no longer always have free Icarus Wings on them, they will have a random mobility present such as Hi-Tops, Spring Shoes, Rocket Skates, Timed Teleport, etc. This change is to make it so players don't just land on the island to collect the free wings then safely fly through the rest of the game. The present was only there in order to help get you off the island when you visit the Backer. But hopefully these new presents will help you out.
We know the Football Player has been the cause of numerous frustrating deaths. This Earthling will now do a reduced damage but knock you really far to make him more unique and less frustrating to deal with.
These are just a few of the balance changes we have coming up and we have many more we are excited to share with you. We will be closely monitoring these changes and eager to hear any feedback you may have.
Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove's upcoming Version 1.3 update detailed
Jammin' on the update
14 April, 2019 by rawmeatcowboy | Comments: 0
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is a ton of fun to play, but it still has quite a few nasty bugs. We're talking about game-crashing issues, which no one wants to deal with. Thankfully the next patch is in the works, and will be launching soon. Check out details on Version 1.3.0 below.
The first big update in V1.3.0 is that Steam users who backed the game on Kickstarter will be able to unlock Peabo Remix and Lamont Surprise! We are working on adding these to consoles at a later date - these are fun little cosmetic additions we hope our backers enjoy! Check your emails if you bought those tiers or higher, as you'll be getting a code to unlock the DLC through Steam.
Looking at our Canny, which you can find at: https://tjande.canny.io , we saw the most requested change was to improve the way Tomatoes and Slingshot are firing. Well, we did that! We think the new system works much better, but we want your feedback -- Once 1.3.0 rolls out be sure to let us know what you think of the new controls so we can get this absolutely jammin'!
We're really excited to announce a brand new language option - European Spanish. Yep!
In our recent Switch update you may have noticed a few optimizations in the way the game loads and now handles, we hope you've been enjoying these changes but rest assured we're not done yet. We're going to continue to work on framerate on Switch until it gets to a really good place… perhaps even good enough for 4 player local in the future??
A big bug we fixed was that console local co-op game maps should no longer be broken with 'Level 0' stuck on top and no tiles being revealed.
That's all for now! Huh.. there's more? Oh yeah… are you ready… to speed up… a certain character's… dialogue… on a hidden level? Well without spoiling it for those of you who haven't found it, we're going to be decreasing the speech bubbles for this character so the end game won't go into super overtime.
We got a bunch of smaller things coming in, updates to the credits with some names we missed, fixes to the manual (if you see any more typos let us know, PLEASE!), fixes to the way achievements and the game title are displayed on console, updating the achievement text in German for PS4 and Xbox One, not being able to start a game on Toddler/Easy Farty on the PC version, a nerf to the secret Golden "Funky" Mailbox, disable presents being opened in the Hot Tub which was causing some issues, lowered a few sounds that were too loud, and reduced the rumble on the Switch version.
*phew* Well that should be all for the upcoming patch.
Be sure to let us know what you think about it once it rolls out! After that, we'll begin working on v1.4!
Source: Link, Link
Toejam & Earl designer on being happy with giving players nostalgic experiences
Being back in the groove feels so good
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is out now on Switch, and I couldn't be happier. I've always been a HUGE fan of the original ToeJam & Earl game. It's something truly magical, and a wholly unique co-op experience. Subsequent entries in the series weren't bad, but they lacked a certain charm and magic the original had in spades. ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is the first game in the series to recapture that magic and build on it.
ToeJam & Earl designer Greg Johnson is more than happy to give fans a way to get back to that classic vibe. In an interview with Gamasutra, Johnson explains that he finds evoking nostalgic feelings is something to be proud of.
I always find the comment amusing that "all it brings is nostalgia." What makes people nostalgic are wonderful memories. No one gets nostalgic over things they don't care about. "OMG!! That's that game I loved when I was a kid! I played it with my parents or my brother and sister and remember staying up late and laughing our a%#es off!" That's nostalgia. If that's all this "game brings," then I think I'm pretty darned happy to help people relive that and share it with a new generation of people they care about.
For people who have no connection with this and don't understand why others have such fond memories of it--well, fine. No worries. But respect the love others have for something. Or maybe just go see The Grinch who Stole Christmas. I think that might be the movie for you.
Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove getting Version 1.2.3 update tomorrow
Big Earl bumpin bugs
27 March, 2019 by rawmeatcowboy | Comments: 0
There are quite a number of bugs in ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove, which HumaNature Studios acknowledged from the get-go. They said a patch was in the works, and it would launch soon. Loosk like they were telling hte truth, as Version 1.2.3 is set to hit Switch tomorrow! Patch notes haven't been released, but the dev team says this update includes, "Lots of fixes and fun!"
Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove sees 40% of its sales on Switch, beating out every other platform (patch news and more)
Jammin!
I always knew Nintendo fans had great taste! The ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove Kickstarter has updated with a bunch of new info, including sales data. We now know that 20 days after launch, ToeJam and Earl: BitG has sold the most on Switch! The game has moved over 25k units, accounting for around 40% of total sales.
You can get full sales data, as well as a look at what's ahead for the game in the Kickstarter snippet below.
As of right now, we can only give general sales data, but we can say that physical and digital combined, we're at over 25,000 units sold on Switch,12,000 on steam and PS4 each, and around 5,500 on Xbox, for a total of around 53,500 units sold between presales and launch. So far so good!
As we've mentioned before, we need to sell around 150,000 lifetime to break even as we do have money that needs to get paid back (this game was in development for a long time!), so we have a little way to go, but that's a great start and we think if we can keep momentum rocking, we can do this!
Platform Availability of Updates
As of writing, here is where the current platforms are with build numbers -- we're trying to keep things as in parity as possible, but some certification processes take longer than normal
PS4 -- 1.2.3
Switch -- 1.1.2 (with 1.2.3 in cert)
Steam - 1.2.2 (working on 1.2.3)
Xbox One -- 1.2.2 (working on 1.2.3)
Lamont/Peabo Surprise
So we've been pretty tight lipped about Peabo and Lamont stuff but we're finally ready to reveal what these two bad boys are! First, Peabo's Surprise is the ability to dance on command! You activate this by the Quick Chat menu and select 'Dance'. When this happens all the trees and bushes around you will dance as well (similar to what happens when you open a Boom Box). We can't wait to see y'all bust some funky moves in front of the Wiseman after you just went on a popping spree with the Slingshot!
And now for the Funkopotamus himself - Lamont's Surprise! This is a super cool Lamont costume head piece that all the Funkotronians can wear! While wearing the Lamont head you will also get some special dialogue that unlocks while wearing it. This functions similarly to 'Earthling Disguise' where you can still wear your Power Hats under it. Can you fool those silly Earthlings into thinking that the great Funkopotamus is chillin' on Earth?
We are aware that some of these may be sought after by those of you who didn't back to unlock them. We are considering giving these rewards away to contest winners and outstanding/active members of the community. Stay tuned for more info on that!
Willie hears ya, and Willie DOES care. We love all the feedback and bug reports that have been coming in, KEEP IT UP! If you spot something that doesn't feel right feel free to shoot us an email at bugs@humanaturestudios.com and we will do our best to address it. We also have a Canny set up over at: https://tjande.canny.io/ where you guys can upvote the most common bugs or most requested features and those will be the ones we prioritize. Also - as always feel free to join our Discord and discuss these feedback and bugs reports here: https://discord.gg/4TuKvgT
Also you may have noticed we rolled an update out on Steam that was causing some crashes. We apologize for any inconvenience this caused and we worked quickly at reverting it to the previous version. This was because a Unity update caused some wonkiness in our build and Dark Levels were crashing for a high number of players. Going forward we are considering adding an Update Test Branch to Steam so we can test updates a bit before rolling them out to everyone.
Aside from fixing the Dark Levels, we have many other fixes we are looking into. Such as a number of issues on Switch where players are experiencing crashes when using the Elevator online, inconsistencies when loading previous saves, and increasing the performance in split screen multiplayer.
We are also considering limiting how far players can actually fall down levels in multiplayer so that there will be less stability issues across the board. By making it so that players can't fall more than 1 or 2 levels, there will be less levels loading in and should result in an increase in framerate. Let us know what you think about this idea in the comments.
There are a number of manual fixes coming as well, but if you see a typo or anything wrong be sure to let us know so we can get this thing perfect for y'all before we print it for our physical collectors.
There are also some smaller (although very frustrating) fixes coming like the map not working in multiplayer by always showing 'Level 0' and no tiles being revealed. Problems with Swap Bodies and the Secret Level causing sounds to disappear. If there is anything you think should be given priority be sure to mention it in the bugs@humanaturestudios.com email or the Canny/Discord links mentioned above. We're gonna do our best to make this game perfect for you, thanks for your patience on this journey.
Check out the full update here
IGN Video - Funkin' Around in ToeJam and Earl: Back In The Groove
Those groovy unofficial SEGA mascots from the 90s are back on Nintendo Switch, so we played some co-op!
Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove seeing Switch release in Japan
Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove just recently launched in North America and Europe, but, what about our friends in Japan? We're happy to report that Kakehashi Games is going to be handling localization duties for the title. Unfortunately there's no release date, but Kakehashi Games did say they'll be releasing it sometime within the next few months.
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove dev team talks DLC interest, bringing the duo back, 4-player local multiplayer, potential sequels, and more
After quite a long development period, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is finally out! To celebrate the momentous occasion, the ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove dev team took to Reddit to answer some questions from fans. Check out a summary of the questions below.
On a sequel in the style of ToeJam & Earl: Panic on Funkotron
I would love to! Lots of fans have asked for this. It just depends on how successful this one is. IT would be a total blast to do another side-scroller type like that. I would love to go back to Funkotron, and maybe lots of other planets. I actually have a whole story already planned for that one.
Adding 4-player to consoles
We hope to be able to add 4 player local play to all consoles if this game sells enough to give us more dev time. For now you can play 4 player via network so hopefully that will hold you over for awhile. We have more optimizing to do to get it to run on consoles with 4 player local play.
DLC plans
Planning... well hoping is more accurate. It depends on if this game makes enough for us to keep going. We have lots of ideas about what we want to do. Here's hoping we get the chance.
On the potential for another 3D entry in the series
I doubt it, but never say never right? There are lots of new cool non-photo-real rendering techniques these days that make 3D look like not-3D. I could see doing something like that perhaps. Maybe a VR TJ&E?
Macaulay Culkin getting involved
It was actually through AMA. Macaulay posted that photo of himself playing on the night of the Grammys and I reached out to him after that. Then he and his brother Keiran and good friend Stew came up to our office for a 3-day marathon toejam play session. It was a blast. All 3 of those guys are pretty crazy and pretty into TJ&E.
It was beyond exciting to meet him. Of course, he is an icon both from Home Alone and now from Bunny Ears, but more than that he is just a really fun crazy guy. He says whatever pops into his mind and his mind is a fascinating place. I love that guy and hope I get to hang with him some more. When he is with his brother and friend Stew they are like a total comedy act. Far as what he contributed to the game - we got lots of feedback about presents and Earthlings and game balance from him and his crew. Lots of Multi-player feedback especially. They actually knew game one better than I did sometimes. We also added a special powerhat based on Macaulay.
The DS pitch that never got off the ground
We never got as far as "working on it". It was just a pitch to try and get funding, Never got off the ground. It was before the 3DS though. Pretty sure it was just for the DS. We had some fun ideas about how to use the 2 screens.
On why TJ&E came back
It seemed like the right time. I have been wanting to see them come back for decades... and KickStarter seemed like it would finally make that possible. Other games? LIke Panic or Mission to Earth? Maybe Panic - we'll see. Depends on how well this one does I think. We just launched this rocket - gotta see if it gets into orbit or not.
ToeJam & Earl co-creator talks about the challenge of building a sequel
Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove is finally available, after years and years of development. Many fans view this outing as the first true sequel to the original game back in Oct. 1991. Yes, there were Genesis and Xbox sequels, but many fans felt those entries just strayed too far from what made the first game great. In an interview with NWR, HumaNature's Greg Johnson discusses what makes it so tough to create a good sequel.
"Building a sequel to a beloved franchise is actually a tricky thing. You need to walk a line, as players want fresh new features, but they also want it to feel very true to the original gaming experience. We did add quite a lot to this game, but it will really be up to the old 'skool' fans to let us know how we did walking that line."
< Older Stories
Jul 15, 17:22 by windsorg
Jul 15, 16:28 by drew ciccotelli
Nintendo's Bill Trinen stops by Marvel's YouTube Channel to talk Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order
Jul 15, 16:29 by thedestructo94


text:
The Guest movie review: making cheesy 80s sausage
THE SOFT PRETTY ENGLISH ACTOR: I'm tired of all these damn television costume drama roles. Get me something totally badass.
Hatchet II (review)
Looks like you may have missed your chance to see Hatchet II on a big screen, because the film has been pulled from theaters. Not that it matters, really, because this is such a spurious waste of time that no one should have to bother with it at all.
Hatchet (review)
Writer-director Adam Green has been hailed as the future of horror: The future of horror is the past of horror, apparently.
not screening for critics: the 2009 list — latest: 'Armored,' 'Transylmania'
UPDATED 11.30: Just cuz it's awards season doesn't mean there isn't crap to be found… UPDATED 10.16: When will someone make a horror movie that can stand up to the critics? UPDATED 9.21: Another horror movie, not screening for critics… UPDATED 9.09: Two more not-at-all surprising additions to the list… UPDATED 8.21: Shocking news! End-of-August … more…
question of the day: What classic horror films actually deserve to be remade?
Another Friday, another remake of a horror flick that didn't really need to be remade. The Stepfather opens today (without benefit of press screenings, which is the SOP of late), but we've also had, in recent months, remakes of Sorority Row, Halloween II, and Friday the 13th. Now, it's easy to understand why these movies … more…
U.K. box office: 'Bolt' electrifies British moviegoers
Big big numbers in the U.K. this past weekend, just like in the U.S.: 1. Bolt: £5.5 million (NEW) 2. Slumdog Millionaire: £1.82 million 3. He's Just Not That Into You: £1.78 million (2nd week; drops 7%) 4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: £1.77 million (2nd week; drops 20%) 5. Hotel for Dogs: £1.5 … more…
North American box office: 'Friday the 13th' slays
Man, it's been a bitch this week trying to catch up with everything, because I'm still sick — still weak from the food poisoning, and now I've got a bad head cold! unbelievable — and would rather be sleeping or at least just lying on the couch watching some comfort Doctor Who. Winter ills did … more…
movie posters in London (part 1)
Movie posters spotted around London these last ten days. Some are exactly the same as those in New York; some are very different. I love seeing how movies are sold in different ways in different places. The U.K. Bride Wars poster is way worse than the U.S. one: The tagline is: "Before the rings go … more…
trailer break: 'Friday the 13th'
Take a break from work: watch a movie trailer… So Marcus Nispel, the guy who made the pointless 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, is at it again, eh? Except don't call it a remake: it's a reboot, if you please. Do we really need a reboot of Jason, though? Is he a character … more…


i am concerned.I am pregnant,but i am worried that i may have ovulated too late in my cycle i have healthy child,and have had 1 mc. My LMP was 09/11/05 i had s_x on the 2nd and left hand side pains on the 4th (that is the only sign of ovulation i had,no ewcm just lotion like)that would make my ovulation day cd24.My af's are irregular but i do still seem to get them every month,the average is 31 days.i'm concerned my leutal phase may be too short.Any replie would be much appreciated,thanks in advance.
I have no signs that i'm ovulating other than a crampy feeling,i am wondering whether you get the crampy feeling before ovulation,whilst ovulating or after?
Sorry, seems like you're speaking another language here "mia".


text:
DC reports second consecutive day of record-breaking coronavirus cases
American politician and member of the Democratic Party currently serving as the eighth Mayor of the District of Columbia
Washington, D.C., on Friday announced its highest number of COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day, reporting 844 cases from the previous day.
That exceeds the number of cases that D.C. saw on Wednesday, which was 508 cases for the day.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) said on Friday that she was considering reimplementing the city's mask mandate that was lifted in November, given the spike in new cases.
The U.S. is broadly seeing an uptick in new COVID-19 cases, including more than 156,000 reported on Thursday and more than 143,000 the previous day.
The last peak in the fall, amid the delta wave, included case counts as high as nearly 200,000 per day.
The surge of cases comes as a new variant of COVID-19, omicron, makes its way around the U.S.
A former COVID-19 adviser for President Biden's transition team warned on Thursday of a "viral blizzard" that the U.S. would see in the coming weeks.
"I think we're really just about to experience a viral blizzard," Michael Osterholm said during a CNN interview. "I think in the next three to eight weeks, we're going to see millions of Americans are going to be infected with this virus, and that will be overlaid on top of delta, and we're not yet sure exactly how that's going to work out."
Though data from Pfizer, BioNTech and Israeli researchers seems encouraging, finding that the Pfizer booster appears to shore up strong enough protection against the omicron variant, scientists are still trying to learn more about the severity of the new strain.
AJ Foyt Racing hires Tatiana Calderón to drive No. 11 ROKiT Chevrolet in road, street courses
IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star
Israel cuts COVID-19 isolation to five days
Asteroid twice the size of Empire State Building passes close to Earth
Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray defy age and expectation at Australian Open


Our "SLR Lounge Awards Artist Feature" articles highlight SLR Lounge Awards winners, some of the very best wedding photographers around the globe. Read on to gain some insight into how SLR Lounge's award winners started their business, grew their portfolio, and achieved excellence in the photography industry.
This article features Megan Allen of Studio 22 Photography. Megan is a multiple platform, award-winning photographer based out of Ohio. She entered her Apex Award-winning photograph into the wedding photojournalism category in December. The Apex Award is a level reserved for those whose photographs are selected by SLR Lounge's curators from the top 1 percent of submissions. Here's a look at Megan's photography world!
How Would You Define Your Approach to Photography?
My approach is simple: Have a ridiculous amount of fun, and capture the moments as they come! I love my couples because they don't take themselves too seriously. They appreciate art and the process involved in creating great photographs. I try to infuse technical ability with pushing the limits of what is typically expect in wedding photography, to inspire and evoke emotions.
How Have You Established Your Style of Photography?
There has been a lot of trial and error involved, and it's still in process. It's taken me several years to find what resonates the most, with the way I want to create and with how my clients connect to their photographs. Telling stories with rich tones, vibrant colors, and dynamic lighting has always inspired me, and I have found myself extremely inspired by photographers like Erika & Lanny Mann, Cliff Mautner, Tyler Wirken, and Candice C. Cusic. Basically, I wanted to find a way to infuse those very different styles into a unique style that could become my own. And I feel like I've found something that seems to work for me.
At the Beginning of Your Career, How Did You Get Your Business Off the Ground?
I chased leads, found opportunities, and asked people to get back into their wedding attire to help me build my portfolio. I found ways to get into locations that I wanted to work with more, and I asked for opportunities. I think that a lot of the time we don't see the true grinding that goes on behind the scenes, and we see think that some of the people we look up to as having magically appeared at that level. It's a journey we're all on, and I think we progress as much as we're willing to push ourselves. We have to be willing to put in the sweat and work to see the progress.
What's Your Go-To Lens for a Typical Wedding Day?
Because I'm a gear nerd, if I had to, I'd cut down to two lenses. They would be my 35mm and 105mm. I love the look of both, and, for me, there's no way I could shoot a wedding with just one or the other. That said, for the most part, I can photograph almost the entire day with a 35mm . . . but I love the 105mm too much not to keep it around!
What Companies/Gear Help You in the Creation of Your Photographs?
When it comes to companies that make my world go round, there are so many. Interfit Photographic gives my portraits life, and their strobes are killer on location when speed lights just won't suffice. MagMod is absolutely clutch for the majority of my day, as I love creatively lighting every possible aspect of a wedding day, giving fresh looks to what could be mundane (without a little "kick in the pants"). Fundy Software is absolutely a life saver for everything on the back end for me, from creating my clients' wedding albums to designing wall art. And their online album proofing makes life so easy when it comes to perfecting the albums I've designed with their software. Finally, Holdfast is an unbelievable company that makes incredible products, from straps that allow me to carry dual cameras without pain to their incredible bags that have saved my life so many times when packing gear for an adventure.
What Advice Do You Have For Photographers Searching For Ways to Keep Progressing in Their Art?
I think seeking inspiration outside of the wedding industry is huge for me. I've been following Kirsten Lewis' work to help inform my photojournalism and to help me improve in the area of catching those "little moments." I love the intimate photographs that Pete Souza creates. And I'm utterly obsessed with Joey L. and Von Wong, for the conceptualization of their ideas from start to finish. Finding inspiration outside of wedding photography gives me new concepts to try. Overall, I really enjoy working with new gear, testing new concepts, and trying to learn new ways to grow from other photographers. I think we can all grow through one another, and it's inspiring to find ways to be efficient and hear what's working for others.
You can see more of Megan's work on her website. And be sure to give her a like/follow on Facebook/Instagram as well!
Check out the rest of the December SLR Lounge award winners here. Don't forget to submit by the February 28 deadline to be considered for SLR Lounge's February 2018 awards competition. And, finally, remember that anyone can sign up for an SLR Lounge account for free and submit, but Premium Members are able to submit up to 3 photographs each month!


text:
The 2010 American college of rheumatology fibromyalgia survey diagnostic criteria and symptom severity scale is a valid and reliable tool in a French speaking fibromyalgia cohort
Mary-Ann Fitzcharles1, 2, 5Email author,
Peter A Ste-Marie2, 3,
Pantelis Panopalis1,
Henri Ménard1,
Yoram Shir2 and
Fred Wolfe4
© Fitzcharles et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2012
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a pain condition with associated symptoms contributing to distress. The Fibromyalgia Survey Diagnostic Criteria and Severity Scale (FSDC) is a patient-administered questionnaire assessing diagnosis and symptom severity. Locations of body pain measured by the Widespread Pain Index (WPI), and the Symptom Severity scale (SS) measuring fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, cognitive and somatic complaints provide a score (0–31), measuring a composite of polysymptomatic distress. The reliability and validity of the translated French version of the FSDC was evaluated.
The French FSDC was administered twice to 73 FM patients, and was correlated with measures of symptom status including: Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), and a visual analogue scale (VAS) for global severity and pain. Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity were evaluated.
Test-retest reliability was between .600 and .888 for the 25 single items of the FSDC, and .912 for the total FSDC, with all correlations significant (p < 0.0001). There was good internal consistency measured by Cronbach's alpha (.846 for FSDC assessment 1, and .867 for FSDC assessment 2). Construct validity showed significant correlations between the FSDC and FIQ 0.670, HAQ 0.413, MPQ 0.562, global VAS 0.591, and pain VAS 0.663 (all p<0.001).
The French FSDC is a valid instrument in French FM patients with reliability and construct validity. It is easily completed, simple to score, and has the potential to become the standard for measurement of polysymptomatic distress in FM.
Severity scale
The cornerstone symptom of fibromyalgia (FM) is chronic widespread pain, with presence of associated symptoms of fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, cognitive dysfunction, and a variety of somatic symptoms that may be present to variable degree in an individual patient[1, 2]. It is this combination of symptoms that constitutes the overall suffering or distress of patients with chronic pain conditions or FM. To date, there is no consensus regarding the ideal measurement to assess symptom severity in FM, or to follow patients regarding outcome or change in symptoms.
The only questionnaire that is disease specific for FM and addresses a number of domains for this condition is the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), although with criticism that it does not fully address all aspects of FM, may not be sufficiently sensitive to change, and is complex to score[3, 4]. Other assessments for FM patients have focused on individual symptoms such as pain (i.e. visual analogue scale [VAS], McGill Pain Questionnaire [MPQ], Pain Disability Index [PDI]), fatigue (i.e. Multidisciplinary Fatigue Inventory), sleep disturbance and mood (i.e. Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale [HADS]), but all used almost entirely in the research setting[3, 5–9]. There is therefore a need for an assessment tool that may be easily applied in both the clinical and research setting, is simple to score, and gives meaningful information about the overall status of a patient with FM.
The Fibromyalgia Survey Diagnostic Criteria and Severity Scale (FSDC) is a patient administered questionnaire that captures the key symptoms of FM, assesses symptom severity, and has the potential to be a useful instrument that can be applied in clinical care[10, 11]. However, the diagnosis requires a medical examination to rule out other somatic diseases that could sufficiently explain the symptoms. The FSDC has been validated in English speaking patients with FM as well as Japanese patients with and without FM, and assesses the locations of body pain as measured by the Widespread Pain Index (WPI), and the associated symptom severity (SS) of fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, cognitive complaints, and somatic symptoms[10, 12]. The sum of the WPI and the SS provides a score (0–31) which is a measurement of symptom severity representing polysymptomatic distress. In this current study we report on the validity and reliability of a French translated version of the FSDC in a tertiary clinic population of FM patients.
Eighty francophone patients with FM were invited to participate in this study, 7 of whom did not fully complete the questionnaires. Therefore, the study sample comprised 73 patients with an existing diagnosis of FM, usually made by a family physician and confirmed as a clinical diagnosis by a rheumatologist. Fifty-nine consecutive patients are current participants in a prospective cohort study in a multidisciplinary pain centre. The remaining 14 participants, members of a patient support group, were assessed by the study rheumatologist but were unable to participate in the cohort study due to distance from the study centre, and did not differ from the cohort study participants. All patients provided informed consent and ethical approval was obtained from the institutional review board of the Montreal General Hospital.
Study procedure
At the time of the first assessment the following information was obtained: demographic and disease related information, questionnaires assessing symptoms and function associated with FM, and the FSDC. All questionnaires were validated French language versions with the exception of the FSDC. The patients were asked to complete the FSDC on a second occasion, within 7 days, and the questionnaire was returned by mail. If not returned, the study participant was prompted with a telephone call, and if the questionnaire was not returned within 2 weeks, the participant was counted as a study withdrawal.
Symptoms and physical functioning
Patients completed the FIQ, a validated disease specific instrument assessing the health status of patients with FM[3]. The FIQ is commonly used as a primary endpoint in clinical trials of FM. It consists of 19 subscales assessing physical function, number of days feeling bad, work missed, job ability, pain, fatigue, morning tiredness, stiffness, anxiety and depression. The maximum score for the FIQ is 100, with higher values indicating greater severity. Functional status was also measured with the Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index (HAQ)[13]. Fatigue and patient global assessment of disease severity were assessed by a 10 cm VAS for each parameter.
Pain assessment
Pain was assessed by a number of parameters. Pain intensity was measured by a 10 cm VAS. Pain quality was measured by means of the MPQ, a validated questionnaire comprising 78 descriptor words arranged into 20 subgroups and measuring the sensory, affective, evaluative, and miscellaneous components of pain[6]. Patients are asked to circle the word from each subgroup which most accurately describes their pain. The total MPQ intensity score is calculated by summing the total number of words weighted by each word's rank order within its subcategory[6]. Pain-related interference with role functioning was measured with the Pain Disability Index (PDI), a validated generic measure of function applicable to varied painful conditions with measures in 7 areas (occupational, home/family, recreational, social, sexual, activities of daily living and life support), all rated on 11-point Likert type scale (0, no disability, 10, complete disability). The maximum score is 70, with higher score indicating greater severity[7, 14]. A manikin of the body with a front and back view was shaded to indicate location of pain. This was scored according to the quantitative method recommended by Staud and colleagues that measures a total of 50 areas (26 back and 24 front)[15].
Fibromyalgia Survey Diagnostic Criteria (FSDC)
The FSDC is a patient administered questionnaire comprising 3 sections[10]. The first section contains 3 questions on symptoms of fatigue, cognitive problems, and unrefreshing sleep during the past week, each of which is scored by a Likert format from 0 (no problem) to 3 (severe: continuous, life-disturbing problems). The scores are summed with a maximum score of 9. The second section comprises 3 questions with a positive or negative response for the following somatic complaints occurring during the past 6 months, abdominal pain or cramps, depression, and headache, with a maximum score of 3. The sum of section 1 and 2 provides a Symptom Severity Score (SS), with a range from 0–12. The third section is a measurement of the Widespread Pain Index (WPI) and is completed by identifying body areas where pain or tenderness was felt during the previous 7 days, with a total of 19 body areas identified as follows: shoulder girdle (left and right), upper arm (left and right), lower arm (left and right), hip (left and right), upper leg(left and right), lower leg (left and right), jaw (left and right), chest, abdomen, upper back, lower back, and neck. The maximum score for the WPI section is 19. The fibromyalgianess scale (FS) is defined as the sum of the (0–19) WPI and the 6-item (0–12) SS scale. It has a range of 0–31.
Translation of the FSDC
The translation protocol used to translate the FSDC is based on methodology that has been previously published[16, 17] and applied to obtain Canadian French versions of evaluation instruments[18]. With the permission of the authors, the FSDC was translated into French as follows. We obtained two initial forward translations of the instrument into French by two bilingual individuals, one with health-related experience and the other from the lay public, whose first language is French. The two forward translations were then back-translated into English by two bilingual individuals, one with health-related experience and the other from the lay public, whose mother tongue is English. The original version, the two French forward translations, and the two English back translations were reviewed by a committee composed of two investigators, one whose mother tongue is French and the other English, and one of the individuals involved in the back translation. The committee members worked by consensus to finalize a single French version of the FSDC, ensuring the conceptual and linguistic equivalence of the two versions.
The experimental version of the instrument was tested on a sample of 5 bilingual patients to ensure clarity and comprehension. They completed both the French and English versions of the instrument, in random order, and indicated if they found any instructions or items difficult or ambiguous. An investigator was present for cognitive debriefing. Any items for which difficulties were encountered in the French translation, but not in the original version, were re-worded by the investigators. We assessed the test-re-test reliability of the French Canadian version by administering the instrument to a group of French-speaking patients twice within a 1 week period.
Test-retest reliability of the FSDC was assessed with Pearson's correlation coefficients. To assess internal reliability, an analysis of internal consistency using Cronbach's coefficient α was performed with measurement of .9 < α ≥ .8 considered as representing good internal consistency. To test construct validity we hypothesized a strong to moderate relationship between the FSDC and other measures of symptom severity in FM including the FIQ and HAQ, and symptoms of fatigue, pain, and global status. Strength of correlation was graded according to the recommendation of Cohen as follows: 1. Moderate correlation coefficient (.30 to .49) 2. Strong correlation coefficient (.50 to 1.0)[19].
Population characteristics
The study sample consisted of 73 francophone patients, mean age 52 ± 9 years, 67(92%) female, and mean disease duration 12 ± 12 years. The 7 withdrawn patients did not differ demographically from the study sample. Demographic and disease related characteristics of the study sample are shown in Table 1, with scores on parameters of symptom and functional complaints comparable to other populations of patients with FM. The FSDC was easy to complete with an average completion time of 2 minutes, and the average scoring time was 1 minute.
Sample characteristics for 73 FM patients
52 ± 9
Duration FM years
12 ± 12
Pain , VAS
6.0 ± 2.8
MPQ
Patient global severity, VAS
1.1 ± 0.78
LEGEND: FM: Fibromyalgia, VAS: Visual Analog Scale, MPQ: McGill Pain. Questionnaire, PDI: Pain Disability Index, FIQ: Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, HAQ: Health Assessment Questionnaire.
Test-retest reliability was between .600 and .888 for the 25 single items of the FSDC, and .912 for the total FSDC, with all correlations significant (p < 0.0001) (Table 2). Cronbach's alpha was .846 for FSDC assessment 1, and .867 for FSDC assessment 2 indicating good internal consistency for both assessments.
Paired samples correlations for the individual components of the FSDC in 73 FM patients
Trouble thinking or remembering
Waking up tired (unrefreshed)
Pain or cramps in lower abdomen
Shoulder L
Shoulder R
Hip L
Hip R
Upper arm L
Upper arm R
Lower arm L
Lower arm R
Upper leg L
Upper leg R
Lower leg L
Lower leg R
Jaw L
Jaw R
Upper back
Total /12
Survey total /31
Validity analysis
In order to test construct validity the Spearman correlation coefficients between the total FSDC and study questionnaires were calculated. Construct validity showed significant correlations between the total FSDC and the total FIQ 0.670, HAQ 0.413, MPQ 0.562, global VAS 0.591 and pain VAS 0.663 (all p<0.001). The individual subcomponents of the FSDC including measurements for pain, fatigue, cognitive problems, awakening unrefreshed from sleep, and symptoms of abdominal pain, depression and headache were correlated with measurements of pain (pain VAS, MPQ, PDI, Body Map and FIQ pain), and fatigue, restfulness, and depression as measured by the FIQ (Table 3).
Non-parametric Spearman's ρ correlations between individual components of the FSDC and other measures
Individual measures of FSDC
Pain-VAS
FIQ- pain
FIQ-fatigue
FIQ-restfulness
FIQ-depression
.660***
.240*
.351**
Unrefreshing sleep
-.084
LEGEND: * p ≤ 0.05, **p ≤ 0.01, ***p ≤ 0.001.
In this study, we have demonstrated that the French version of the FSDC is a reliable instrument for measurement of symptom severity in patients with FM, with test-retest reliability coefficients ranging from .600 to .912, for both the individual component as well as total scores. We have also further demonstrated validity of this instrument with good correlation between the FSDC and other measures used to assess symptom complaint in FM. Therefore this study, conducted in a French speaking population of FM patients, further supports the usefulness of the FSDC in FM patients.
The FSDC was devised following the reevaluation of diagnostic criteria for FM, acknowledging that the symptomology of this syndrome extends beyond that of only body pain[10, 11]. As FM presents a spectrum of severity rather than uniquely an all or none diagnosis, the composite and severity of symptoms, rather than solely a report of pain, should be addressed. Incorporating symptoms beyond pain will provide a more meaningful assessment of the global impact of this condition in an individual patient. Following the proposal for redefining diagnostic criteria, the working group has proposed a severity scale in order to grade severity of symptoms in a patient with FM[10]. The FSDC sets out to address these symptoms, with weighting equivalent to two thirds for pain, and one third for other symptoms. The maximum score for the FSDC is 31, with 13 suggested as a cutoff point to discriminate those with FM from those without FM[10]. The FSDC has been validated in English and in Japanese patients with FM, as well as patients with non-FM rheumatic disease[10, 12]. This recognition of co associated symptoms with pain in FM is in line with increased neurophysiologic understanding of this condition[20].
When the new criteria for FM were proposed in 2010, the questionnaire devised for diagnostic purposes was originally completed both by the patient and physician[11]. In order to enable the questionnaire to be used for survey purposes and to introduce a severity scale, a fully patient-completed questionnaire, the FSDC, was developed[10]. This questionnaire measures the overall distress of FM and was previously termed the "fibromyalgianess scale"[10, 21]. This composite of symptoms is however not unique to FM but may be applicable to patients with other chronic pain conditions. We therefore propose that the FSDC should now be renamed the "Polysymptomatic Distress Scale" (PDS). We believe that this clarification will simplify patient care. Further studies testing the validity of the FSDC now named the PDS in other rheumatic diseases and chronic pain conditions are required.
There are a number of points that require clarification. There is currently no single measurement for symptom severity in FM that is entirely comparable with the FSDC. The two measures that most closely align with the FSDC are the patient global assessment of disease severity and the FIQ[3]. The FIQ has a functional as well as a symptom component, but does not address symptoms of cognition or other somatic symptoms, whereas the FSDC measures only symptoms, and does not assess functional status. It is for this reason that we assessed the comparable individual components of pain, fatigue and sleep disturbance for the FIQ and FSDC in order to make direct comparisons. It is also acknowledged that the specific questions regarding pain, sleep disturbance, mood, and fatigue are nuanced differently in the FIQ and FSDC and could be open to different interpretations. However, even with these considerations, both the total FIQ and patient global assessment of disease severity, as well as individual measures of pain, fatigue, and unrefreshing sleep, correlated well with the FSDC indicating construct validity for assessment in patients with FM. An additional consideration is that all patients in our study had an established diagnosis of FM. It could be argued that these patients might express symptom severity at the extreme end of the spectrum and therefore would be more likely to show construct validity. Our patients are however similar to those reported by other authors[22].
We have also demonstrated validity for the pain component of the FSDC when compared to a number of other measures of pain assessment including a numerical count of pain areas marked on a body map, pain VAS, and MPQ. It is notable that the pain component of the FSDC, namely the WPI, assesses only the location of body pain, whereas the pain VAS assesses intensity, and the MPQ assesses mostly the emotional impact of pain. It is therefore interesting to note that the different pain measures correlated well with the WPI. This might suggest that the location or diffuseness of pain in FM may be associated with severity from the patient viewpoint.
An important consideration is the simplicity of the FSDC from the patient viewpoint, and the ease of scoring for the investigator. A questionnaire that requires simple numerical addition without need for any adjustments represents an attractive tool that might even become useful in clinical practice. The whole questionnaire is on a single page, allowing for a first impression as one that is less challenging than a lengthier document. Even though this questionnaire is remarkably simple and easy to administer in English, we followed a rigorous translation protocol and did not identify any important cultural adaptations that required attention. We do acknowledge the limitation of this study which was conducted at a single tertiary care centre and therefore recommend that further testing of the FSDC should be done at the primary care level.
In conclusion, this new diagnostic and severity scale for FM performed well in the French translated version for patients with a diagnosis of FM. The FSDC, previously termed the "Fibromyalgianess Scale" which we propose should be renamed the "Polysymptomatic Distress Scale" (PDS), still requires further validation in other settings for patients with FM, as well as testing in other groups of patients with pain. Furthermore, the FSDC requires correlation with other meaningful and objective measures of function and disability in FM patients, such as sick-leave. If shown to be sensitive to change, this severity scale could be a useful tool for assessing outcome in both the clinical as well as the study setting. This questionnaire is unique in its simplicity, with completion by patients within a few minutes, and time to score measured as less than one minute. This tool has the potential to become the standard for measurement of symptom severity in FM and other chronic pain conditions.
MAF designed the study. FW provided background on the validated measure. HM participated in the translation of the validated measure. PP lead the statistical analysis. PSM collected data. MAF, PSM, and YS wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
12891_2012_1459_MOESM1_ESM.doc Additional file 1: Appendix. Questionnaire sur l'échelle de diagnostic et de sévérité de la fibromyalgie. (DOC 30 KB)
12891_2012_1459_MOESM2_ESM.doc Authors' original file for figure 1
Dr. Fitzcharles has received consulting fees, speaking fees, and/or honoraria (less than $10,000 each) from Lilly, Pfizer, Purdue, and Valeant, and has given expert testimony for both the plaintiffs and defendants in medicolegal adjudication concerning pain in rheumatic conditions. Mr. Ste-Marie has no competing interests. Dr. Panopalis has received consulting fees, speaking fees, and/or honoraria (less than $10,000 each) from Abbott, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Pfizer. Dr. Menard has no competing interests. Dr. Shir has received consulting fees, speaking fees, and/or honoraria (less than $10,000 each) from Astra-Zeneca, Janssen, Paladin, Pfitzer, and Purdue. Dr. Wolfe has no competing interests.
Division of Rheumatology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Alan Edwards Pain, Management Unit, Montreal, Canada
Faculty of Law, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases and University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita, KS, USA
Montreal General Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, 1650 Cedar ave, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1A4, Canada
Choy EH, Mease PJ: Key Symptom Domains to Be Assessed in Fibromyalgia (Outcome Measures in Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trials). Rheum Dis Clin N Am. 2009, 35 (2): 329-337. 10.1016/j.rdc.2009.05.002.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
Wolfe F, Smythe HA, Yunus MB, Bennett RM, Bombardier C, Goldenberg DL, Tugwell P, Campbell SM, Abeles M, Clark P, Fam AG, Farber SJ, Fiechtner JJ, Franklin CM, Gatter RA, Hamaty D, Lessard J, Lichtbroun AS, Masi AT: The American College of Rheumatology 1990. Criteria for the classification of fibromyalgia. Report of the Multicenter Criteria Committee. Arthritis Rheum. 1990, 33 (2): 160-172. 10.1002/art.1780330203.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Burckhardt CS, Clark SR, Bennett RM: The fibromyalgia impact questionnaire: development and validation. J Rheumatol. 1991, 18: 728-733.PubMedGoogle Scholar
Bennett RM, Friend R, Jones KD, Ward R, Han BK, Ross RL: The Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR): validation and psychometric properties. Arthritis Res Ther. 2009, 11 (4): R120-10.1186/ar2783.View ArticlePubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
Wewers ME, Lowe NK: A critical review of visual analogue scales in the measurement of clinical phenomena. Res Nurs Health. 1990, 13 (4): 227-236. 10.1002/nur.4770130405.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Melzack R: The McGill Pain Questionnaire: major properties and scoring methods. Pain. 1975, 1 (3): 277-299. 10.1016/0304-3959(75)90044-5.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Tait RC, Pollard CA, Margolis RB, Duckro PN, Krause SJ: The Pain Disability Index: psychometric and validity data. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1987, 68 (7): 438-441.PubMedGoogle Scholar
Osorio CD, Gallinaro AL, Lorenzi-Filho G, Lage LV: Sleep quality in patients with fibromyalgia using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. J Rheumatol. 2006, 33 (9): 1863-1865.PubMedGoogle Scholar
Zigmond AS, Snaith RP: The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1983, 67 (6): 361-370. 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1983.tb09716.x.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Wolfe F, Clauw DJ, Fitzcharles MA, Goldenberg DL, Hauser W, Katz RS, Mease P, Russell AS, Russell IJ, Winfield JB: Fibromyalgia Criteria and Severity Scales for Clinical and Epidemiological Studies: A Modification of the ACR Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia. J Rheumatol. 2011, 38 (6): 1113-1122. 10.3899/jrheum.100594.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Wolfe F, Clauw DJ, Fitzcharles M-A, Goldenberg DL, Katz RS, Mease P, Russell AS, Russell IJ, Winfield JB, Yunus MB: The American College of Rheumatology preliminary diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia and measurement of symptom severity. Arthritis Care Res. 2010, 62 (5): 600-610. 10.1002/acr.20140.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
Usui C, Hatta K, Aratani S, Yagishita N, Nishioka K, Kanazawa T, Ito K, Yamano Y, Nakamura H, Nakajima T: The Japanese version of the 2010 American College of Rheumatology Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia and the Fibromyalgia Symptom Scale: reliability and validity. Mod Rheumatol. 2011, 22 (1): 40-44.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Fries JF, Spitz PW, Kraines RG, Holman HR: Measurement of patient outcome in arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1980, 23: 137-145. 10.1002/art.1780230202.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Gronblad M, Hupli M, Wennerstrand P, Jarvinen E, Lukinmaa A, Kouri JP, Karaharju EO: Intercorrelation and test-retest reliability of the Pain Disability Index (PDI) and the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (ODQ) and their correlation with pain intensity in low back pain patients. Clin J Pain. 1993, 9 (3): 189-195. 10.1097/00002508-199309000-00006.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Staud R, Vierck CJ, Robinson ME, Price DD: Overall fibromyalgia pain is predicted by ratings of local pain and pain-related negative affect–possible role of peripheral tissues. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2006, 45 (11): 1409-1415. 10.1093/rheumatology/kel121.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
Guillemin F, Bombardier C, Beaton D: Cross-cultural adaptation of health-related quality of life measures: literature review and proposed guidelines. J Clin Epidemiol. 1993, 46 (12): 1417-1432. 10.1016/0895-4356(93)90142-N.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Vallerand R: Toward a methodology for the transcultural validation of psychological questionnaires: Inplications for research in the French language. Can Psychol. 1989, 30: 662-680.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
Demers L, Monette M, Descent M, Jutai J, Wolfson C: The Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS): translation and preliminary psychometric evaluation of a Canadian-French version. Qual Life Res. 2002, 11 (6): 583-592. 10.1023/A:1016397412708.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Cohen J: Statistical power analysis for the behavioural sciences. 1988, Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2Google Scholar
Price DD, Staud R: Neurobiology of fibromyalgia syndrome. J Rheumatol Suppl. 2005, 75: 22-28.PubMedGoogle Scholar
Wolfe F: New American College of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia: a twenty-year journey. Arthritis Care Res. 2010, 62 (5): 583-584. 10.1002/acr.20156.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
Oh TH, Hoskin TL, Luedtke CA, Weingarten TN, Vincent A, Kim CH, Thompson JM: Predictors of clinical outcome in fibromyalgia after a brief interdisciplinary fibromyalgia treatment program: single center experience. J Inj Func Rehabil. 2012, 4 (4): 257-263. 10.1016/j.pmrj.2011.10.014.View ArticleGoogle Scholar


Party Shops: One-stop shops for your party needs.
Party in a Box: Custom DIY kits for your next party.
Custom Pieces: Made to order items specific to your needs.
Rentals: If you can't make it, rent it!
International Online Shops: International online stores that ship worldwide.
HMP is not affiliated with any of the suppliers in this listing. Please check here for some of the suppliers I've used and recommend. Most of the suppliers in the party directory are from the party submissions of my fellow DIY enthusiasts or recommendations of friends and moms in my mommy communities.
We're building our database. Come back soon for an updated list! If you wish to be included in this directory, please email your name, logo, short description of your business, FB/IG/website link and contact details to homemadepartiesmanila@gmail.com.


text:
Home Underlying Science Climate record Wrong, The Conversation, Evidence Shows People Are NOT Under Greater Threat From...
Wrong, The Conversation, Evidence Shows People Are NOT Under Greater Threat From Hurricanes
H. Sterling Burnett
A recent article in The Conversation suggests, based on new evidence of past hurricane frequencies, that coastal areas and islands in the Atlantic Hurricane basin could be facing a dire future involving greater threat from hurricanes. This seems an odd claim since the evidence the article provides indicates that during the recent period of warming hurricanes are less frequent than they have been in the past, with the most intense periods of hurricane activity occurring when seas were cooler. Indeed, the data shows hurricanes were more frequent during multiple periods over the past approximately 2,000 years, than they are at present, all when carbon dioxide levels were much lower than today. This fact suggests there is no causal connection between carbon dioxide concentrations and hurricane formation.
In The Conversation story, "We're decoding ancient hurricanes' traces on the sea floor – and evidence from millennia of Atlantic storms is not good news for the coast," the author, Tyler Winkler, correctly notes:
[The 2022 hurricane season provides] a reminder that small sample sizes can be misleading when assessing trends in hurricane behavior. There is so much natural variability in hurricane behavior year to year and even decade to decade that we need to look much further back in time for the real trends to come clear.
Fortunately, hurricanes leave behind telltale evidence that goes back millennia.
Two thousand years of this evidence indicates that the Atlantic has experienced even stormier periods in the past than we've seen in recent years.
The evidence Winkler is discussing is borehole cores containing sediment and shell deposits found in coastal marshes, sink holes, and ponds from various locations on the Atlantic coast and various islands.
What the Winkler's data shows is that over the past 2,000 years, decadal data show hurricanes, including strong hurricanes, often occurred more frequently in the past than in the present, during periods of both higher and lower temperatures.
"For example, Thatchpoint Blue Hole on Great Abaco Island in the northern Bahamas includes evidence of at least 13 hurricanes per century that were Category 2 or above between the years 1500 and 1670,' reported Winkler. "That significantly exceeds the rate of nine per century documented since 1850."
Winkler's data clearly demonstrates that there have been multiple periods in the past, when carbon dioxide concentrations were much lower than at present, when hurricane frequency and severity was greater. This conclusion is confirmed in every core sample from every location. (see the graphic below)
Comparing paleohurricane records from several locations shows periods of higher frequency. The highlighted periods cover the Little Ice Age, a time of cooler conditions in the North Atlantic from 1300 to 1850, and the Medieval Warm Period, from 900 to 1250. Tyler Winkler
In every sample, the evidence suggest that time the period which produced the greatest number of hurricanes were multiple decades in the middle and towards the end of the little ice age. Despite his own research indicating natural factors, not anthropogenic climate change, have driven hurricane cycles throughout history Winkler writes, that the evidence "tells coastal oceanographers like me that we may be significantly underestimating the threat hurricanes pose to Caribbean islands and the North American coast in the future."
It is unclear what Winkler's stated fear is based on. Indeed, alternative sources of data and other research confirms that factors, some of which Winkler discusses, like wind shear and multi-decadal oceanic oscillations in ocean currents, not warmer temperatures are responsible for the rise and fall in hurricane incidences.
For example, Climate Realism has published dozens of posts, like here, here, and here, exploring the factors that drive hurricanes and demonstrating there is no evidence they have become or are likely to become more frequent or severe in the near future, based on our current understanding of hurricane dynamics. Also, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's most recent report finds no evidence the modest warming that the Earth has experienced since the end of the little ice age around 1850 has impacted hurricane patterns or that there is any "human fingerprint" on hurricane numbers or intensity.
Rather than warning of a grave future due to climate changes' model projected impacts on future hurricane cycles, Winkler should trust what his own data and research show. It provides no evidence that human energy use is having any effect on the formation of hurricanes or their relative power when they form.
Winkler is right to warn that hurricanes pose a danger to coastal areas in the Atlantic basin, but this is something everyone already knows. It is equally clear, that modern settlement patterns and population growth near coastal areas prone to hurricanes have contributed to greater numbers of people and associated infrastructure being impacted when hurricanes strike. It is good to be prepared and take steps to minimize the devastating impact hurricanes often have on society.
Efforts to control climate change by limiting the use of life sustaining fossil fuels will do nothing to either prevent hurricanes from forming or to reduce the harm when they occur. Rather policies restricting fossil fuel use will make minimizing the negative impacts of hurricanes harder.
H. Sterling Burnett, Ph.D., is the Director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy and the managing editor of Environment & Climate News. In addition to directing The Heartland Institute's Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy, Burett puts Environment & Climate News together, is the editor of Heartland's Climate Change Weekly email, and the host of the Environment & Climate News Podcast.


text:
Genre: Action adventure
Luke is a spoiled prince of a fairly peaceful kingdom. One day during a sword lesson, a woman tries to attack his teacher; for reasons that aren't immediately clear, Luke and the woman are teleported some distance away. There he starts to learn of a threat to the peace of his and other kingdoms, and possibly even to all life.
The fact that this is derived from an adventure game – with members joining your party, boss fights, side quests etc – is so blatant that one enterprising fansub group uses the game's stylings for all magical attacks. It also has the gamelike habit of inventing pieces of jargon, based on resonance and music: "fonic arts" for magic, "fonon" for innate magical attributes, "fomicry", "fonstone" etc. It even has a chibi mascot. But get beyond that, and the plot is actually quite decent.
The world Luke lives in is one in which everything that happens was predicted long ago. At the start of the world, its future history was recorded in The Score, a series of crystals which can be only be read through magic. Rulers and magicians across the world consult The Score to guide their decisions, to go to war or to make peace, to rule magnanimously or cruelly. The truth of the score is confirmed for the main characters when it predicts that a rescue mission will result in a larger disaster. Luke impulsively decides to attempt the rescue anyway, and it does indeed bring the disaster. The main plot involves an incredibly audacious scheme for breaking humanity free of the percieved curse of The Score.
Due to losing his memory at a young age, Luke hasn't even the experience due a normal teenager: he's childish, impulsive, weak, and honestly a bit of a Shinji. He's also far from the strongest fighter, so it's a bit of a mystery why he's treated as the leader of the party, but he is and he must grow up to meet that role. He gradually turns from a kid with all the privileges of royalty, into a man able to shoulder the resonsibilities of leadership and make hard decisions that will affect the whole world.
The story is willing to do the hard things: to have the heroes fail, to kill primary characters, to develop good reasons for the bad guys. There is more depth to the series than initially seems to be, and it's worth getting sticking with it to see it develop.


text:
Lîle de Broc ou du Broc est une île fluviale de l'Adour, située sur la commune d'Urcuit.

Histoire

Le , deux compagnies françaises placées dans l'île pour protéger des travaux de fortifications, sont attaquées par les Britanniques.

Une métairie y fut construite vers 1825.

Références

Lien externe
 Vue satellite

Île sur l'Adour
Île dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


P! R! P! G! I say, what's up!? You say, what's up!? I say, what's up!? What's up PRPG!? Can you see me? Of course you can't! I am Shadow and am the awesome one. Can you smell what the Shadow is cooking? Of course you can't because I will be the future champion of one of your regions! Am a nice guy, sometimes I go off-topic and like to boast but I try my best to control it. Oh and talk to me if you wanna know more and remember that am Shadow... AAAAND AAAAAAAM.... AAAAAWEEEESOOOOOOMEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Are you related to the Miz at all?
You ARE awesome for joining the site.


text:
Starting The Modern Batman Cinematic Saga Off Well, Batman Still Ages Poorly.
The Good: Moments of humor, Moments of action, Moments of performance, General character elements
The Bad: Not as intense as it ought to be for the character.
The Basics: While ambitious, fun and good, Batman did not age nearly as well as some of the other cinematic superhero films.
Last night, as part of our pre-Oscars celebration, my wife and I decided to order a pizza. Unwilling to break our diet for a random pizza and snacks, but unwilling to wait for the actual Oscars to begin, we decided to watch a movie neither of us had seen in years: Batman. I recall seeing Batman theatrically, but I remember having much more personal and enjoyable memories of seeing Batman Returns (reviewed here!). My wife and I have become so used to watching Heath Ledger's performance of the Joker in The Dark Knight (reviewed here!), that we thought it would be enjoyable to watch Batman together and make an event out of watching the supposedly-great film right before watching the 84th Annual Academy Awards. Ultimately, we were glad we did; both of us were disappointed when The Artist won Best Picture.
But we were also not as taken with Batman as we expected to be. For sure, it is a cool, fun, all-around decent movie. But Batman is hardly flawless and there are some real detractions to the movie that once dazzled us. My wife, for example, found herself laughing at how cheesy many of the miniature shots and special effects were (though she still jumped when Vicki Vale opened the Joker's gift box! She was preoccupied with the ridiculous sense of style, which it was hard to blame her about; the 1980s were not the most impressive from a fashion sense. But what I found interesting about watching Batman now was how it lacked a certain intensity that I have come to expect from both the film-franchise and the result of reading many graphic novels in which Bruce Wayne's Batman is an integral character.
Gotham City is dark and plagued by crime, but the criminals in the city are running scared. Their fear and caution comes from the rumors that criminals are being stalked at night by a giant creature who may be a large bat creature. While they attribute supernatural qualities to him, he is a man with advanced technology – like body armor and grappling guns – who has the will to fight evildoers and an understanding of psychology to keep some on the streets to spread fear. The Gotham City police force and newly-elected District Attorney Harvey Dent officially deny the existence of Batman, though the police force is corrupted by officers on the mob's payroll. One mobster, Jack Napier, is sleeping with the wife of the lead mobster and Grissom decides to have Jack snuffed out.
While hosting a charity event to raise money for Gotham City's bicentennial celebration festival, billionaire Bruce Wayne, who is hounded by reporter Alexander Knox and photographer Vicki Vale, is alerted that the police commissioner has been called away. Converging at Axis Chemicals, the police corner Napier's squad and in a desperate battle, Batman drops Napier into a vat of chemicals. The Joker is thus born. Sewn back together, his face twisted into a constant smile, Napier as the Joker begins cleaning up loose ends from his prior life, essentially taking control of the mob. As Bruce Wayne falls in love with Vicki Vale, the Joker begins a killing spree involving chemical tampering of health and beauty products. When the Joker discovers (and covets) Vicki Vale, Batman must stop the villain once and for all!
Batman is fun, there is no denying that. But Batman is also a lot more cluttered than I recall it being and by that I mean there are a lot of unnecessary elements in Batman that fill the movie up without adding anything truly significant. Perhaps I am just jaded; Gotham City is dirty, on the verge of bankrupt and under the fist of local mobs. But it has a vigilante, who is not excessively cruel and an engaged media and political machine that seems ot be making an effort. The whole festival plot seems thrown in as a plot point, as opposed to an actual organic event. Of course, it becomes the backdrop for the film's climax, but it seems somehow more contrived than I remember it being as a kid.
What really stuck out for me about Batman, though, was how Bruce Wayne had a strange lack of intensity. I like Michael Keaton. I like Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman - Batman Returns is in my permanent collection and remains my favorite Christmas movie of all time (seriously!). But in Batman, he does not seem all that intense. Instead, Bruce Wayne is characterized as an absent-minded billionaire who is motivated by a strong sense of loss. In Batman, Michael Keaton captures the loss well when Bruce Wayne is shown mourning the anniversary of his parents' murder. But there is a strange disconnect then with his ruthless efficiency in trying to clean up Gotham City's streets. Perhaps that is part of the problem; while Batman is characterized as a vigilante, he does not seem ruthless. At several opportunities, Batman flees to keep his identity safe as opposed to actually stopping criminals. In other words, I think of Batman as something of an absolutist, almost like Rorschach from Watchmen (reviewed here!). This incarnation of Batman lacks the full intensity of the character. He is flighty as opposed to determined, cautious as opposed to confident and expresses loss and hurt more than Bruce Wayne ever seems to in the comic books. While that might make him a more human character, which I like in my movies, it makes his place as Batman a little more uncertain. In other words, this version of Bruce Wayne seems less like he would actually dress up and go out as a vigilante than the Christian Bale or Val Kilmer versions of Batman.
So, Batman ends up being a much more compelling story about the Joker. Jack Napier is smart, which works out nicely because it explains how – even in his demented Joker state – he could create the complicated killing mechanism that he does. He is played with great intensity by Jack Nicholson, who proves to be far more than thhe sum of the catch-phrase lines and make-up. In fact, the only problem with Nicholson's execution of the Joker comes when he is playing Jack Napier. As Napier, Nicholson has the chance to show the character before the accident, before he was turned into anything inhuman. Unfortunately, Nicholson misses the opportunity. In scenes where Jack Napier and his mistress, Grissom's wife (or girlfriend) Alicia, interact before the accident, Nicholson never seems passionate or happy. The viewer is compelled to believe that Napier will risk everything for one woman, but he never seems all that into her.
Outside that, Nicholson's performance, like that of Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger (Vicki Vale), Robert Wuhl (Knox), Michael Gough (Alfred, Bruce Wayne's butler) and Billy Dee Williams, who plays Harvey Dent with enough presence to figure that he was trying to set up the role for one of the sequels where he could play Dent as Two-Face. Obviously, that never materialized, but Williams has a memorable outing at Harvey Dent. The extras in Batman, though, do rob the film of any real consideration that Batman possesses perfect acting. There are unfortunate bit roles where the lesser-known actors seem especially lifeless or problematically unreal. Tracey Walter, who plays Bob the goon (there was even an action figure made of the character!), stood out for me as a guy who never seemed to be truly comfortable on camera in the movie.
On DVD, Batman comes in a two-disc edition with enough bonus features to thrill fans (and even address some of my issues with the movie!). While I kept considering Batman about a 7/10, the deluxe edition DVD set truly does give viewers enough to really fall in love with the experience of making the movie. With detailed looks at the minitatures and props, the DVD and Blu-Ray version of Batman is well worth watching, if not adding to one's permanent collection.
For other live-action DC superhero films, please check out my reviews of:
Superman Returns
For other movie reviews, please be sure to visit my Movie Review Index Page for a complete list of films I have reviewed!
Labels: Batman, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Movie Review, Tim Burton
February 2012 End Of The Month Update!
The Outbreak Of The Dominion War Is "A Call To Arms!"
Simple Repack Theatre Vol. 4: "Reflections" Star T...
A Poet From The Title Down: Fiona Apple's When The...
Caribou Coffee Protects The Rainforests While Caff...
Rising Action In A Darkening Galaxy Envelops Babyl...
Gambling In The Middle Of Nowhere (Minnesota): Mys...
P.T. Anderson Creates a Dramatic Opus Using . . . ...
Continuing With The I.K.S. Gorkon: Enemy Territory...
"In The Cards" Foreshadows The Big Bang On Star Tr...
Art Asylum May Have Done Him Better, But Security ...
Another Mediocre Ella Fitzgerald Compilation, Flyi...
A Surprisingly Underwhelming Fruit Snack, Peeled O...
Eh, On The Action-Adventure Front: Mr. And Mrs. Sm...
A Mediocre Casino In The Poconos, Mount Airy Under...
Close Enough To A Perfect First Season: NYPD Blue ...
Sensibility Takes A Back Seat To Style With "The T...
Starting The Modern Batman Cinematic Saga Off Well...
Simple Repack Theatre Vol. 3 - "Starter Deck II" U...
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Does The Most Violent X...
The Shadows Of The Empire Leia In Boushh Disguise ...
Oh My Gosh, Is This James Taylor High?! He's So G...
No Matter How Strong You Make It, Christmas Eve Te...
Death Race: As Bad As The Previews Made It Seem!
Alternating Between Boring And Bloody Disgusting, ...
Palace Station: Home Of Winning Girlish Slot Machi...
Frida Is The Portrait Of An Amazing Artist - Chica...
The End Of Hal Jordan, The Rise Of Kyle Rayner: Gr...
Eddington Revisited For The Last Time In "Blaze Of...
21 Jump Street Is Not Without Its Charms (But It's...
50/50 Is A Clever, Heartwrenching Comedy About Can...
Not Like It Happened In Star Trek: Generations, Th...
They've Had Their Day: Matchbox Twenty Falls As Ex...
A Good Snack, Slim-Fast's 3-2-1 Chocolatey Vanilla...
Mysteries Abound On Two Above-The-Curve Episodes O...
Near To St. Louis, The Sleep Inn O'Fallon Is A Fin...
One Of The Worst Movies Ever, Project X Is Just Du...
An Amazing Cast With Character Sells Us Long Befor...
Diplomatic Implausibility: Prelude To I.K.S. Gorko...
Destiny Uncertain For The "Children Of Time!"
Star Trek: First Contact Trading Cards, The Imposs...
Ella And Louis Again Recaptures Much (Not All) Of ...
Soft, Flavorful And All-Around Wonderful, Peeled O...
Master Criminals Vie For The Perfect Heist In The ...
Fun To Say, Fun Place To Play, Soaring Eagle Casin...
The Loop - Season 1 Is NOT Season 2 Or Quite Worth...
Simple Repack Theatre, Vol. 2 - Star Trek Official...
Missing Mitzie: One Year Later, Mitzie Is Still Wi...
Martok Gets Back In The Groove In "Soldiers Of The...
Terribly Inflexible, The Shadows Of The Empire Che...
Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon: Sometimes Eve...
Embodying Exactly What It Claims To, Mott's Hot Ap...
The Coen Brothers Take Us To Miller's Crossing, A ...
The Secret World Of Arrietty Is A Slow, Animated F...
Wildly Erratic, Just Go With It Was Not All It Was...
It Is, Therefore . . . Nothing. Castle Clinton Is ...
A Play For The Big Screen: The Lion In Winter Lead...
George Perez Ends His Run On Wonder Woman With The...
The Grand Nagus And Quark's Mother Hook Up In "Fer...
A Good Concept, Fairly Annoying Execution, The Tac...
Avril Live Acoustic Might Be A Collector's Item, B...
For A Healthy Snack, WhoNu? Nutrition Rich Chocola...
Dr. Franklin's Medical Mysteries With "Deathwalker...
The Last Casino From Our Honeymoon, Finger Lakes G...
i am sam Is Sean Penn's Magnum Opus!
A Spy Movie That Remembers The Humanity, Safe Hous...
Star Trek's One-Note Joke Gets Its Own Book With T...
As The Dominion Menaces An Old Cardassian, Kira Re...
The Worm From Labyrinth Makes For A Surprisingly C...
My February Artist Of The Month Continues Strong W...
Quaker Offers A Truly Delicious, Surprisingly Heal...
The First Big Sequel Of 2012, Ghost Rider: Spirit ...
Pedantic Christian Theatre: Left Behind Or "Why I ...
Romance In The Middle Of Nowhere (Or Close Enough)...
A Satire That Tires Quickly Is Da Ali G Show
Away! Away! With Only Two Cards, The "Away Team Pa...
The Ferengi Episode That Is Not Funny Is Not Just ...
More Than Just A Re-colored AT-AT Driver, The Vint...
The Best We've Got So Far, The Best Of James Taylo...
I Burn Off My Skepticism! Taster's Choice Gourmet...
Ridiculous Animated Farce, Aqua Teen Hunger Force ...
Visiting Independence Might Yield The Best Comfort...
Ultimate Aurra? The Discover The Force Aurra Sing...
I Suppose It Might Effect Those Still Eating In Th...
Flash: Terminal Velocity Puts All The Speedsters I...
Never Have I Cared So Much For Seeing A 60 Year-Ol...
Saving The Galaxy With Hope, The Blue Lantern Flas...
The Best Of The Poseur Goths: Highest Hopes - Anot...
Better Than The Original, French Vanilla Tootsie R...
Poetic Titles Reveal The Enduring Questions And Co...
At Long Last: I Review The Celestial Seasonings Fa...
The Minutes Tick Away With Intensity In 15 Minutes!
More Recycled Than Original, The Discover The Forc...
Striving For Average, Ghost Rider Is More Underwhe...
A Surprisingly Cool Podrace Pilot Figure, Mawhonic...
Simple Repack Theatre, Vol. 1 - The Blasé Repack O...
Presumably Human: "Dr. Bashir, I Presume" Surprises!
Commander Benjamin Sisko: Leading The Charge Of St...
Love And Kisses Ought Not To Be Bland, But Ella Fi...
Best. Diet. Snack Bar. Ever. ? Slim-Fast 3-2-1 Cho...