In a couple of years, New Yorkers looking to commune with Mother Nature without leaving the city will have a stunning new place to do so: An immersive, vegetation-ringed amphitheater planned for the final section of the High Line.
November 14, 2013, 4:08 p.m.
The designers of the High Line, the prettiest spot in New York City to be plowed down by European tourists and spy on naked people, have just released renderings of an intriguing new feature that will serve as the centerpiece of the third and final section of the $250 million elevated railway-turned-urban park project: A nest-shaped garden/public lounging area/pick-up spot that hovers over 30th Street like a big ol' leafy salad bowl.
Essentially, the "immersive bowl-shaped structure" is a flora-ringed amphitheater with ample terraced seating enclosed by a lush cover of broad-leaf woodland grasses, ferns, and perennials along with snakebark maple and black tupelo trees. Public restrooms will also be involved, which is good to know for those who plan to traverse the entirety of the High Line with a belly full of sustainable food cart fare. And on that note, it's too early to tell if any giant salad-making events will take take place within the oversized serving dish.
The final $76 million section of the High Line at the Rail Yards is slated to open to the public by the end of next year, although the section's official gateway dubbed the Spur — the jutting-across-10th Avenue extension of the park that will include the proposed bowl structure — won't be complete for a couple years after that (it has yet to be funded).
Given that this leafy cocoon thingy isn't opening anytime soon, go ahead and immerse yourself in these rather spectacular renderings from project designers James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
Any initial thoughts on the proposed design, High Line fans?
The High Line unveils plans for the Bowl, a vegetated nest of sorts that's perfect for New Yorkers looking to reconnect with nature without leaving the city.


There are four divisions available for Jack & Jill. Newcomer, Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced / All-Star.
There are two divisions in Strictly Swing. Novice, Intermediate and Advanced / All-Star.
There are two divisions in Pro-Am Jack & Jill. Novice, and Intermediate.


text:
MIT University Logo
MIT University Logo – The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is an institution of higher education located in private Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States). MIT is divided into 6 schools and colleges that include a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological research, which makes it one of the leading universities of the United States devoted to teaching and research in science, engineering and economics.
The engineering school is recognized as the best in the U.S. and the world by U.S. News & World Report. MIT was ranked worldwide as the best in technology by Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings. The Institute has 76 Nobel laureates among its alumni and faculty (counting only those whose relationship with MIT has exceeded the year-long. If all were included, would be 80). Admission to MIT is extremely competitive, and has been classified by The Atlantic Monthly and other publications as the most selective college in the United States.
MIT was founded in 1861 by the geologist William Barton Rogers, who wanted to create a new kind of independent educational institution devoted to the growing industrialization of the United States. The opening of school was delayed by the Civil War in the United States, and admitted its first students in 1865. In the following years, he established a premier reputation in science and engineering, but fell into financial difficulties. These two factors made a favorable idea of merging with Harvard University, who had much money, but had deficiencies in science compared with those letters and liberal arts. In 1904 President Henry S. Pritchett met with Charles W. Eliot, president of Harvard for fusion. But eventually the protests of the students was canceled.
mit university logo wallpaper
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Global Education & Leadership Foundation organises the Education prize 2017: "Engaging Classrooms" that supports the leadership of teachers who continually work to improve their practice and have made an outstanding contribution to impact their students. The teachers in India or overseas with a minimum 3 years of teaching experience are eligible for tGELF Education Prize.
Applicants must be classroom teacher from a recognised school teaching K-12 within India and Overseas.
The teacher should have a minimum of 3 years of service in the the current recognised school.
A teacher can apply for any one of the categories mentioned.
Heads of Institutes/Principals who are active teachers are also eligible to apply.
Any number of teachers from a school are eligible to apply under the appropriate category of the award.
Previous Prize Winners are not eligible.
Applicants retiring in the 2017 academic session are not eligible to apply.
The rewards will be distributed according to the school category and the class wise. The winner for the education prize will be announced on 11 to 14 August 2017. The list of the prize distribution for each class and category is given in the table below.
Apart from the monetary prize, Winners can attend tGELF LIFE Conferences and will become a part of the tGELF network.
The Application process for the Education prize 2017 has started and the last date to apply is 15 April 2017. The application form is available in two languages i.e. English and Hindi. The English & Hindi Application form will be mailed to the respective schools and it is available on this page.
Describe how have you brought the community into the classroom that has provided unique and distinguished models of excellence in teaching.
How do you plan to guide your students to become global citizens?
Explain how you have used multimedia to stimulate teaching/learning in your classroom.
How have you been able to incorporate self- reflection skills in your students so to enable a deeper understanding of themselves?
What are the values you would like to inculcate in your students and how would you achieve that?
Describe a project undertaken by you to enhance critical thinking and deductive reasoning in your students. Describe how the skills were developed or enhanced by the project.
Describe how have you been able to create a climate that is characterised by enthusiasm for learning and high expectations.
Applicant must answer each question of their choice which should not be more than 250 words on additional sheets or on a word document, typed/word-processed, double-spaced, letter quality font no smaller than 12 points.
The name of the applicant should appear at the top of each page. Each answer should be preceded by the question being answered.
Applicants must add all relevant documents/materials to substantiate their answers, e.g. photographs, lesson plans made by them, students' work, peers'/Principal's/parents' comments on separate sheets of paper with their name on the top of each page.
The applicants filling the application form must ensure that they fulfil the eligibility criteria for to apply for the education prize. The participants are requested to carefully proof read the answers to avoid any grammatical errors. Applications with grammatical errors will be rejected.
The Selection process will only start when the application form reaches the tGELF office on the address given above. After the application process gets over, all the applications will be scrutinised by a panel of experts and will undergo three judging rounds. The shortlisted candidates will be contacted regarding the references and interviews.
Applicants must demonstrate innovative use of educational methodologies in their classrooms and those educational methodologies must be used towards relevant and sustainable student learning.
Applicants must use their skills and talent to guide the children to become critical thinkers and team players and their knowledge of technology to facilitate challenging collaborative projects and advance student innovation and creativity.
The applicants must incorporate the current aids and designs to help the student to grow as global citizens. It is very much important for the applicant to improve their teaching skills to promote leadership in students.


text:
var expect = require('expect');
var React = require('react');
var Router = require('../../index');
var DefaultRoute = require('../DefaultRoute');
var Route = require('../Route');
var { Foo, Nested } = require('../../TestUtils');

describe('DefaultRoute', function () {

  it('renders when the parent route path matches', function () {
    var routes = (
      <Route path='/' handler={Nested}>
        <DefaultRoute handler={Foo} />
      </Route>
    );

    Router.run(routes, '/', function (App) {
      var html = React.renderToString(<App/>);
      expect(html).toMatch(/Nested/);
      expect(html).toMatch(/Foo/);
    });
  });

  it('renders when nested more than one level', function () {
    var routes = (
      <Route path='/' handler={Nested}>
        <Route path='/foo' handler={Nested}>
          <DefaultRoute handler={Foo} />
        </Route>
      </Route>
    );

    Router.run(routes, '/foo', function (App) {
      var html = React.renderToString(<App/>);
      expect(html).toMatch(/Nested/);
      expect(html).toMatch(/Foo/);
    });
  });

  describe('with a name', function () {
    it('renders when the parent route path matches', function () {
      var routes = (
        <Route path='/' handler={Nested}>
          <DefaultRoute name="root" handler={Foo} />
        </Route>
      );

      Router.run(routes, '/', function (App) {
        var html = React.renderToString(<App/>);
        expect(html).toMatch(/Nested/);
        expect(html).toMatch(/Foo/);
      });
    });
  });

});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The Microsoft Security Response Center has posted a blog entry that talks about this vulnerability that is being reported in the news in IE7. This is a publicly disclosed vulnerability which is actually in Outlook Express (OE) and uses Internet Explorer as a vector. Its not an issue with IE7 or any other version of IE. There's no known exploit that uses this vulnerability, one which is classified as 'less critical' by secunia.
Just to clarify, the claim that this is a vulnerability found in IE7 is incorrect. Its a known issue with OE and as of typing this blog post, its not being used by any malicious exploit to attack the user.
Cheers and happy browsing with IE7.
Marina: The VML vulnerability that we shipped a fix for only affects IE6 on XPSP2. In the blog post that IE team made when we shipped the fix, we specifically mention that IE7 is not vulnerable.
We have the following situation. Our company is using in-house application that checks if all needed MS patches are installed on user's computer before the user can VPN into the system using Cisco based VPN client. The application runs at the background, without user interaction. The "rules" that are used to check if the MS patch is installed are based on MS security bulletin. MS06-055 clearly states that if you have Windows XP SP2 then you need to install the update. So the rule was created prior the release of IE7 and now we ran into the situation when all users that have IE7 on XP SP2 are getting the warning that they have to install MS06-055 update from our program, then they go to MS site to install update and in fact the update can not be installed. But our application still blocking them from VPN into the system.
I believe I've addressed my comment to a wrong person. If that is the case, please excuse me.
It happened by accident. I was running the spell test in my outlook using work email in reply mode.
I perfectly aware that your name is Ali!
If the problem is with Outlook Express, them how do you fix it?
Kim: I believe the OE team is aware of this issue and they will be the ones who will fix it. The issue is in their protocol handler (mhtml). It will be prioritized and fixed according to the severity of the issue.


text:
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Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is fur-
nished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
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NESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS
IN THE SOFTWARE.

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No one likes to plan for their own death, but doing so is extremely important. Not only does an effective estate plan protect your family and the people you care about the most, it also protects the assets you have worked your entire life to secure.
The good news is that you don't have to travel to a swanky and intimidating downtown Chicago law firm to get your plans in place. Instead, you can work with an attorney who has the same amount of experience and knowledge in a friendly, suburban setting, while paying legal fees that are very reasonable.
Contact the attorneys of Petti Murphy & Associates today to set up a stress-free appointment by calling our Geneva office at 630-457-1691. You may also contact us by email.
After your estate plan is ready to go, you can go on living life with the priceless feeling that the people and things you care most about will be taken care of.
What Is An Estate Plan, Anyway?
Although Illinois law establishes the right for you to make a Will, it is not mandatory. If you pass away, and do not have a Will, the court will distribute your property to your legal heirs according to Illinois' statutory distribution plan, the so-called "every person's" Will, based upon what is commonly preferred. This may not be in your loved ones' favor.
Who gets your money and property when you have passed?
Who will take care of your children when you have passed?
Is there enough money to provide for your loved ones when you have passed?
Who will manage your estate when you have passed?
What are the tax ramifications of your passing on loved ones?
If you have loved ones, what will happen to the ownership of your family business?
A Living Trust is a popular option in estate plans. A Living Trust is a vehicle for managing your property while you are alive, and upon your death it passes on to your beneficiaries, with the added benefit of avoiding the delays and added expenses of Probate.
How Do Powers Of Attorney Work?
Illinois has adopted the durable Power of Attorney Law. This law allows you to appoint an agent to act for you while you are alive, and may be conditioned upon your incapacity or disability.
A Power of Attorney for Property is a device used for you to appoint someone to manage your property and payment of bills during a disability that may occur while you are alive.
A Health Care Power of Attorney is a device used for you to appoint someone to make health care decisions on your behalf. This device also addresses the topics of: do you want to donate any organs, do you want life-sustaining treatment if you are in a coma?
Without an estate plan in place, your assets are at the mercy of state law, and people you care about could end up facing conflict and uncertainty. But you can avoid that by contacting our office today.
To set up a free half hour consultation, contact our Geneva office at 630-457-1691. You may also contact us online.


text:
Timetable for Local Plan
Home » Newsroom » Timetable for Local Plan
A timetable has been set for the Cheshire East Local Plan Examination that takes into account the forthcoming local and national elections.
The Council now has until the end of July to submit additional evidence.
Importantly, the timetable allows the Council to hold engagement sessions after the elections.
Staging these during the pre-election period is problematic because of the restrictions that apply to public bodies.
During the pre-election period, local authorities are barred from organising meetings at which candidates may make political statements.
A letter from the Planning Inspectorate said the inspector leading the examination "fully understands the difficulties that the Council may have in convening engagement meetings with neighbouring authorities (and others) during the forthcoming election period".
Caroline Simpson, executive director of economic growth and prosperity, said: "We welcome the agreed timetable because it avoids conflict with the busy election period.


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Laker Effect Campaign
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FIND FUNDS
Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts
Including the Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre
The Grand Valley community celebrated the formal dedication of the newly renovated and expanded Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts on August 25, 2017 on the Allendale Campus. The Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre dedication was held on October 17, 2017.
Haas Center Dedication
View More Haas Center Dedication
About Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas
The Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts was named in honor of Tom and Marcia Haas, recognizing their creation of a generous endowment for the performing arts which is also in their name. The endowment will provide a margin of excellence in Grand Valley's performing arts programs by supporting enrichment activities for students studying or participating in any of the performing arts which currently includes dance, instrumental music, athletic bands, opera theatre, vocal music, and theatre. These funds will provide students with opportunities to explore and develop their talents through competitions, talent showcases, master classes, and summer programs around the world.
Longtime supporters of the arts, Marcia serves on the board of the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, while Tom is on the board of Opera Grand Rapids. The couple also holds honorary chairmanships on the St. Cecilia Music Society and the West Shore Symphony boards. At Grand Valley they have initiated a scholarship for members of the Laker Marching Band and are avid supporters of the Fall Arts Celebration.
The two-story, 47,000-square-foot, $20-million addition includes:
An expanded theater costume shop
Additional prop storage
New dressing rooms
Two theater classrooms for costume design and fabrication
Four music ensemble rooms
Additional rehearsal spaces
A classroom for students studying music education
An enlarged study space in the main lobby
Multiple faculty offices
Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre
Keller Black Box Theatre Dedication
View More Keller Black Box Theatre Dedication
About Linn Maxwell Keller
To honor Linn's deep love and commitment to excellence in vocal and stage performance, the Keller family, Linn's husband Fred and daughters Christina, Susan, and Lorissa, established the Linn Maxwell Keller Professional Vocalist Experience Endowment at Grand Valley State University to provide enrichment opportunities for committed vocal performance students and to encourage them in their professional career development. In appreciation for their generosity, Grand Valley State University named this space the Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre.
Linn Maxwell Keller (1943-2016) was a dedicated professional singer who performed in 28 countries, a scholar, a woman of deep faith, and an inspiring mother and life partner. Linn was born in Indiana, the only child of two musicians. Her mother, Adris, was an accomplished pianist and her father, Colonel Roy Maxwell, sang in choruses wherever his military career took the family. Linn spent much of her formative years in Bethesda, Maryland and then traveled the world as a professional vocalist, finally making her home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she was a leader in, and avid supporter of, the performing arts community.
Linn studied music performance at the University of Maryland and earned a Master's degree in music from Catholic University. As a mezzo soprano, Linn performed on many operatic and concert stages from the Essen Opera House in Germany to Puerto Rico and Carnegie Hall. Her one-woman cabaret shows were performed across the world, including in Edinburgh, Scotland, New York City, and a tour of Australia.
At the peak of her career as a professional vocalist, Linn married Fred Keller and became the second mother to Christina, Susan, and Lorissa. As the children grew, she restarted her career, this time focusing on developing her acting and playwriting skills. She went on to write and develop numerous original shows, including the critically acclaimed Hildegard of Bingen and the Living Light, and St. Hildegard, Trumpet of God, turning both of them into movies.
She was the founder and president of the Grand Rapids Bach Festival and served on several artistic boards. Among her many accolades, she was awarded the Joy in Singing Award and received the National Endowment for the Arts Solo Recitalist Grant.
Adaptable and experimental theatre/studio space
Purposefully contains no fixed stage or seating
Configured to meet artistic requirements for each separate production
Flexible seating and risers that are integrated or redeployed as needed
Accommodates four principal staging styles: Arena or Theatre in the Round, Thrust or Three-Quarter Round, Environmental Theatre, and Proscenium
Equipped with a hybrid tungsten-LED lighting system
Digital audio mixing equipment
Both wired and wireless networks
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text:
Search results for "Kalaupapa National Historical Park"
Press Release Government Shutdown and Additional Funding Cuts Threaten National Parks, Visitors and Local Communities Nationwide Sep 2013 Federal government shutdown threatens to close national parks across the country impacting local economies as well as family vacation and school trips
Press Release National Parks Conservation Association Honors Advocates for Inclusion in Parks Mar 2022 The ceremony will honor individuals who have worked to protect and enhance our parks.
Policy Update Background: National Park Transportation Needs Oct 2015 If you've ever driven along the Blue Ridge Parkway, hopped on a shuttle along the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier, taken the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, or hiked along the Half Dome Trail in Yosemite, you've experienced some of the wide variety of transportation infrastructure found in our national parks.
Blog Post After Interior Secretary Zinke's First 100 Days, the Future Looks Grim for National Parks Jun 2017 | By Theresa Pierno 5 ways the official at the helm of America's public lands has been charting a troubling course for national parks during the first few months of his tenure.
Press Release Congress Green Lights Funding Increase For National Park Roadways Dec 2015 National park roadways to receive 18 percent increase in transportation funding
Press Release Congress Debates Reopening National Parks Across the Country Oct 2013 Statement by Theresa Pierno, Acting President, National Parks Conservation Association
Press Release Trump Administration Rolls Back Methane Rules, Provides More Loopholes for Oil and Gas Industry to Pollute National Parks and Communities Aug 2019 Rolling back the regulations to allow more air pollution increases harm to public health and the health of national parks.
Press Release More than 105,000 Americans tell Congress to stop cutting critical funding for our national parks Aug 2011 NPCA's National Park Protection Project surpasses goal of 100,000 petition signers
Press Release National Park Service Proposes Updated Policy for Philanthropy and Partnerships May 2016 Statement by National Parks Conservation Association
Press Release Obama's Sandy Recovery Bill Requests Needed Funding Relief for Storm-Ravaged National Parks Dec 2012 Statement by National Parks Conservation Association President Tom Kiernan
Press Release Congress Must Consider Innovative Ideas for Funding National Parks Jul 2015 Testimony of Craig Obey, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs, National Parks Conservation Association
Press Release Parks Group Celebrates Phasing Out of Single-Use Plastics in National Parks Jun 2022 With park visitation at an all-time high and the climate crisis worsening, phasing out single-use plastics will protect the very resources and wildlife we all seek to enjoy.
Press Release Parks Group Demands Information on Fighter Jet Noise over Olympic National Park May 2019 U.S. Navy fails to adequately respond to FOIA request, prompting litigation.
Press Release Amid Public Health Threat, Park Superintendents Given Authority to Close Areas Within National Parks Mar 2020 These are unprecedented times, and we need to make sure park staff and visitor's health comes first.
Blog Post Q&A: Do Visitors Really Need to Be Shut Out of National Parks During the Government Shutdown? Oct 2013 | By John Garder As we enter week two of the government shutdown, closed signs and barricades at national parks have become powerful symbols of the fiscal standoff's impact on people around the country.
Press Release National Parks Group Opposes Water Board's Approval to Drain the Desert Aug 2012 Statement by Seth Shteir, California Desert Field Representative, National Parks Conservation Association
Blog Post 11 of the Quirkiest National Park Animals Mar 2014 | By Jennifer Errick While a few types of wildlife like bears, moose, and wolves capture the imagination of throngs of tourists, there are many rare, charming, and oddly adapted species in national parks that get far less attention. Here are 11 of the quirkiest, as picked by NPCA staff.
Blog Post Visits to National Parks in 2015 Top 300 Million for the First Time Feb 2016 | By Jennifer Errick National parks saw their highest visitation ever in 2015, with more than 307 million recreational visits. This marks a nearly 5% increase from 2014.
Blog Post National Parks Witnessed Record-Breaking Visitation in 2016 Feb 2017 | By Jennifer Errick The National Park Service releases new data showing more than 330 million visits during its centennial, up more than 7 percent from 2015
Press Release National Parks Group Urge Secretary Salazar to Protect California's Only Marine Wilderness Area Nov 2012 Statement by Neal Desai, Pacific Region Associate Director, National Parks Conservation Association
Policy Update Position on the impacts of COVID-19 and visitation to the National Park System May 2021 NPCA shared the following position with Senators on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources National Parks Subcommittee ahead of a hearing scheduled for May 26th, 2021.
Press Release 75 National Parks Featured in New Keepsake, See America Book Mar 2016 National Parks Conservation Association and the Creative Action Network announce a new keepsake book
Blog Post Putting National Parks into the Debate Oct 2012 | By Kristen Brengel National parks matter to an overwhelming majority of Americans. They should matter to our political candidates, too.
Press Release Groups Support Stronger Rules for Oil Drilling in National Parks Jan 2016 Long-Overdue Rules Govern Development of Privately-Held Mineral Rights beneath 42 National Park Units
Press Release Drawing the Line: Final National Park Service Proposal Aims to Protect Alaska's Bears and Wolves Oct 2015 Statement by Joan Frankevich, Alaska Program Manager, National Parks Conservation Association.
Press Release New Colorado River Basin Study Provides Important Analysis, Misses Opportunity by Omitting National Parks Perspective Dec 2012 Statement by David Nimkin, Southwest Senior Regional Director, National Parks Conservation Association
Press Release National Parks Group Supports Roundup of Illegal Cattle Grazing on Nevada's Public Lands Apr 2014 Statement by Lynn Davis, Senior Nevada Program Manager, National Parks Conservation Association
Blog Post 3 Reasons We're Excited About 'Our Great National Parks' Apr 2022 | By Vanessa Pius A new Netflix docuseries highlights the splendor of national parks around the world — with a familiar face as host.
Press Release Feeling the Heat: Protecting Desert National Parks from Industrial Solar Sep 2012 National Parks Conservation Association Releases New Report, Video on Solar Development
Press Release Public Interest Groups Tell EPA: Clean Up the Air in National Parks and Wilderness Areas Oct 2015 83 Groups Call for Improvements to Regional Haze Rule in Time for National Park Service's 2016 Centennial
Report Center for State of the Parks: Fort Pulaski National Monument Recognizing Fort Pulaski National Monument's significance to our shared national heritage, NPCA's Center for State of the Parks set out to determine the conditions of the cultural and natural resources protected within the park.
Park Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument In the 1960s, Birmingham, Alabama, was one of the most segregated places in the United States. In 1963, civil rights leaders Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. organized nonviolent protests in the city to take a stand against race-based injustice. Day after day, hundreds of marchers took to the streets, including hundreds of school-aged youth. These nonviolent protesters suffered brutal mistreatment at the hands of police and other city officials, gaining national attention and eventually winning major concessions in the fight for equal rights.
Park Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area This underappreciated jewel offers a variety of outdoor attractions, from hiking to whitewater rafting to bird-watching to stargazing. One of the park's most popular activities is horseback riding, and visitors can enjoy more than 180 miles of riding trails and stay in special campsites that will accommodate horses. The East Rim Overlook in the southeastern area of the park offers a spectacular view of where the river cuts a deep gorge into the Cumberland Plateau. Some of the most interesting natural features include the natural sandstone arches that formed along the edges of the gorge — hikers can see more than a dozen of these beautiful structures on the western side of the park.
NPCA at Work Proposed Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area The Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area would include sites spanning four coastal counties: Matagorda, Brazoria, Galveston, and Jefferson. This region boasts natural areas, outdoor recreation opportunities, and historical sites. The proposed area would be built around a core of existing sites through coordinated management by public, private, and nonprofit landowners.
Park Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area This recreation area straddles the northern Wyoming and southern Montana borders, preserving approximately 68,000 acres between the Pryor and Bighorn mountain ranges. The park was established in 1966 following the construction of the Yellowtail Dam by the Bureau of Reclamation to preserve the area's diverse landscape, including the spectacular Bighorn Canyon and Bighorn Lake.
Report Awareness and Opinions about Gateway National Recreation Area An online poll conducted in the New York City area by Zogby International for NPCA in December 2006 measured the awareness and opinions of likely voters about Gateway National Recreation Area.
NPCA at Work Honoring Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley A new national park site will ensure that the tragic death of Emmett Till and the strength and resolve of his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, are never forgotten.
Molly Galvin Former Regional Director of Development Molly Galvin is the Regional Director of Development for the Northeast. She is based in New York City. Molly connects National Parks Conservation Association's most generous supporters with our advocacy and activities to protect our national parks.
NPCA at Work Protect Biscayne from Nuclear Expansion Plans to expand Turkey Point by adding two new nuclear units would make Turkey Point one of the largest nuclear power facilities in the country, in an area that is ground zero for sea level rise. The proposed expansion threatens our national parks, endangered wildlife, Everglades restoration, and the health of park water resources.
Victoria Herrin Former Campaign Director, Texas Gulf Coast Victoria joined NPCA in 2012 to work on establishing a new park unit in southeastern Texas, the Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area. She is now the Campaign Director for our Texas Gulf Coast work.
Letter 100 Prominent Americans Letter from 100 Prominent Americans regarding the National Park Service centennial.
Report Yellowstone's Native Fisheries: Opportunities for Native Fish Conservation & Restoration The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is one of the largest intact temperate ecosystems in the world, but its native fish face an uncertain future. The Arctic grayling, westslope cutthroat trout and Yellowstone cutthroat trout, once abundant in the ecosystem's lakes, rivers and streams, are facing significant declines in their populations.
NPCA at Work Support Strong Climate Protections Parks can — and should — be a cornerstone of climate action.
Morgan Dodd Former Senior Director, Planned Giving Morgan Dodd has spent more than 35 years building positive relationships and critical financial support for non-profit organizations in higher education, the arts and conservation.
Park World War II Memorial This memorial on the National Mall stands across the reflecting pool from the Lincoln Memorial, honoring all who served under the U.S. flag at home and abroad during World War II and inviting visitors to ponder the scope of the war that cost 405,399 American lives. Around an oval pool studded with fountains rise 56 granite columns adorned with bronze wreaths and the names of every state, district and territory that sent its sons and daughters to war. Two towers celebrate the Allied victories in the Atlantic and Pacific. Each of the 4,048 gold stars on the memorial wall represents 100 lives lost in the fight for freedom.
John Beljean Former Delaware Field Representative John joined NPCA in July 2015 as the Field Representative out of Mid-Atlantic's Delaware River Field Office.


text:
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January 20 February 7 2022 19 Miami, FL, United States to Callao, Peru
January 20 February 28 2022 40 Miami, FL, United States to Buenos Aires, Argentina
January 20 April 2 2022 74 Miami, FL, United States to Miami, FL, United States
February 7-28 2022 22 Callao, Peru to Buenos Aires, Argentina
February 7 March 11 2022 34 Callao, Peru to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
February 28 March 11 2022 13 Buenos Aires, Argentina to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
February 28 April 2 2022 35 Buenos Aires, Argentina to Miami, FL, United States
March 11 April 2 2022 23 Rio De Janeiro, Brazil to Miami, FL, United States
April 2-12 2022 11 Miami, FL, United States to Miami, FL, United States
April 12-24 2022 13 Miami, FL, United States to Miami, FL, United States
April 24 May 10 2022 17 Miami, FL, United States to San Francisco, CA, United States
April 24 May 20 2022 27 Miami, FL, United States to Vancouver, Canada
May 10-20 2022 11 San Francisco, CA, United States to Vancouver, Canada
May 20-30 2022 11 Vancouver, Canada to Seattle, WA, United States
May 30 June 9 2022 11 Seattle, WA, United States to Seattle, WA, United States
June 9-16 2022 7 Seattle, WA, United States to Seattle, WA, United States
June 16-28 2022 12 Seattle, WA, United States to Seattle, WA, United States
June 28 July 8 2022 10 Seattle, WA, United States to Seattle, WA, United States
July 8-15 2022 7 Seattle, WA, United States to Seattle, WA, United States
July 15-25 2022 10 Seattle, WA, United States to Seattle, WA, United States
July 25 August 4 2022 10 Seattle, WA, United States to Seattle, WA, United States
August 4-11 2022 7 Seattle, WA, United States to Seattle, WA, United States
August 11-21 2022 10 Seattle, WA, United States to Vancouver, Canada
August 21-31 2022 10 Vancouver, Canada to San Francisco, CA, United States
August 21 September 18 2022 28 Vancouver, Canada to New York, NY, United States
August 21 September 30 2022 40 Vancouver, Canada to Montreal, Canada
August 31 September 30 2022 30 San Francisco, CA, United States to Montreal, Canada
September 18-30 2022 12 New York, NY, United States to Montreal, Canada
September 30 October 12 2022 12 Montreal, Canada to New York, NY, United States
October 12-22 2022 10 New York, NY, United States to Montreal, Canada
October 22 November 5 2022 14 Montreal, Canada to Miami, FL, United States
November 5-17 2022 12 Miami, FL, United States to Miami, FL, United States
November 17-29 2022 12 Miami, FL, United States to Miami, FL, United States
November 29 December 22 2022 24 Miami, FL, United States to Miami, FL, United States
December 22 2022 January 7 2020 16 Miami, FL, United States to Los Angeles, CA, United States
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text:
Cummings Responds to ATF and DOJ Personnel Announcements
Acting ATF Director and U.S. Attorney Testified that They Did Not Know Details of Operation Fast & Furious, Higher Officials at DOJ Did Not Authorize Controversial Tactics
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Kenneth Melson, the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) will be leaving his post to return to DOJ as a senior advisor for forensic science, and Dennis Burke, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, is resigning his position. The Committee has been investigating ATF and DOJ's handling of Operation Fast and Furious in Arizona and recently interviewed both Mr. Melson and Mr. Burke. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), the Ranking Member of the Committee, made the following statement in response to the announcement:
"In their interviews with the Committee, Mr. Melson and Mr. Burke both acknowledged that mistakes were made and that Operation Fast and Furious lacked adequate protections for public safety. Fresh leadership will allow ATF to move forward and focus on its vital mission of enforcing our nation's gun laws."
Committee staff interviewed Mr. Melson on July 4, 2011, and Mr. Burke on August 18, 2011. Both testified that they had been unaware of the tactical details of Operation Fast and Furious and had not authorized the tactics employed in the case. In a transcribed interview on July 4, 2011, Acting ATF Director Ken Melson stated that he did not become aware of allegations by ATF line agents until they were disclosed in the media. Acting Director Melson stated that he had been briefed on at least three occasions about Operation Fast and Furious, but that "the general assumption among the people that were briefed on this case was that this was like any other case that ATF has done." He stated:
I don't believe that I knew or that [Acting Deputy Director] Billy Hoover knew that they were—that the strategy in the case was to watch people buy the guns and not interdict them at some point. That issue had never been raised. It had never been raised to our level by the whistle blowers in Phoenix that stayed in house down there. The issue was never raised to us by ASAC [Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge George] Gillett who was supervising the case. It unfortunately was never raised to my level by SAC [Special Agent-in-Charge William] Newell who should have known about the case, if he didn't, and recognize the issue that was percolating in his division about the disagreement as to how this was occurring. Nor was it raised to my level by DAD [Deputy Assistant Director William] McMahon who received the briefing papers from [Phoenix Group Supervisor David] Voth and may have had other information on the case. Nor was it given to me by a Deputy Assistant Director in OSII, the intel function, when he briefed this case the one time I wasn't there and he raised an objection to it and saw nothing change.
Acting Director Melson stated that "we give a lot of discretion to our SACs," and he wished that the line agents had contacted him directly with their complaints. Acting Director Melson stated that when he became fully aware of the number of purchases and the total number of weapons purchased, he remembers his "stomach being in knots."
ATF officials at other levels provided similar accounts, including Acting Deputy Director William Hoover, Assistant Director for Field Operations Mark Chait, and Deputy Assistant Director William McMahon, who all stated that they did not learn about the tactics used in the case or about the specific concerns of the line agents until earlier this year.
Mr. Burke testified before the Committee on August 18, 2011, that he had been unaware of the tactical details of Operation Fast and Furious and did not know that agents were not interdicting weapons when they had probable cause to do so. He stated:
I take responsibility. I'm not going to say mistakes were made. I'm going to say we made mistakes. I am the United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. I get to stand up when we have a great case to announce and take all the credit for it regardless of how much work I did on it. So when our office makes mistakes, I need to take responsibility, and this is a case, as reflected by the work of this investigation, it should not have been done the way it was done, and I want to take responsibility for that, and I'm not falling on a sword or trying to cover for anyone else. I think that's literally how the system operates, which is I'm the chief law enforcement officer, Federal law enforcement officer for the District of Arizona. ATF doesn't report to me, FBI doesn't report to me, DEA doesn't report to me or CBP. With that said, if investigations are conducted in my district and that have gotten to the prosecution stage, I have a responsibility regardless of what I knew or when, I want the record to reflect that I really want to take responsibility for anything that occurred in this case and faults and what we can learn to do better in the future on cases like this.
Mr. Burke also testified that it was never DOJ policy to allow guns to "walk" across the border or to not interdict weapons when there was probable cause to do so:
Q: Did anyone from Main Justice, from the Justice Department headquarters, ever come down and tell you there is in fact a different policy that we are going to allow guns to go across the border in order to build bigger cases?
A: No.
Q: Did anyone ever discuss – from the Department of Justice main headquarters – your supervisors – ever discuss with you or raise to your attention that there was a new policy with respect to interdiction of weapons or surveillance of firearms?
A: No. Not that I can recall at all.
Q: And did anyone ever – from the Department of Justice, Main Justice I will call it, ever tell you that you were authorized to allow weapons to cross the border when you otherwise would have had a legal authority to seize or interdict them because they were a suspected straw purchase or it was suspected that they were being trafficked in a firearms scheme?
A: I have no recollection of ever being told that.
Mr. Burke concluded that the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona did not adequately supervise the case and the conduct of the ATF agents in Phoenix. He stated: "There are steps that we should have taken in this investigation with the role of our office that should have been done differently at every level involved."
Defense & National Security, Department of Justice


text:
Q: Numpy Matplotlib array of complex numbers to plot 3d graph I am trying to plot y=x^2+1 in python using matplotlib and numpy in 3D with Re(x), Im(x) and Re(f(x)) on the 3 axes. However, I'm getting an error and I don't know how to continue further.
Error:
ValueError: operands could not be broadcast together with remapped shapes [original->remapped]: (400,) and requested shape (20,)
fig = plt.figure()
ax = plt.axes(projection='3d')

def f(x):
        return abs(x)**2

a = np.arange(-10,10,1)
b = np.arange(-10,10,1)
carray = np.zeros(1, dtype=complex)

for i in range(-10,10,1):
        for j in range(-10,10,1):
                cnumb = complex(i, j)
                carray = np.append(carray,cnumb)
#c = a + 1j*b
carray = np.delete(carray,0,0)
print(carray)

ax.set_xlabel('X Label')
ax.set_ylabel('Y Label')
ax.set_zlabel('Z Label')

plt.plot(a,b,abs(carray))
plt.show()

A: You have three issues:

*

*The way you create carray misses up with the expected shape

*Using ax.plot demands that all a, b and carray to have the same size as shown in this example.

*You didn't use f function besides that its definition isn't what you want.

So, the following code fixes all these issues:
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

fig = plt.figure()
ax = plt.axes(projection='3d')

def f(x):
    return x**2 + 1   #<-- fixed

a = np.arange(-10,10,1)
b = np.arange(-10,10,1)
carray = np.zeros((len(a), len(b)), dtype=complex)  #<-- changed the declartion

for i in range(-10,10,1):
    for j in range(-10,10,1):
        carray[i, j] = complex(i, j)   #<-- to maintain the expected shape

carray = f(carray)  #<-- use f()

ax.contour3D(a, b, carray)     #<-- use contour3D instead of plot
ax.set_xlabel('X Label')
ax.set_ylabel('Y Label')
ax.set_zlabel('Z Label')

plt.show()

Which produces this graph:

A: I looked at your code and it threw the following error. ValueError: operands could not be broadcast together with remapped shapes [original->remapped]: (400,) and requested shape (20,)
So something is wrong with the dimension sizes that's why it can't plot it.
Your a and b array have the length of 20 while carray has 400. (because of the double for).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Flipping real estate properties is just not for everyone but it is the quickest strategy to make a buck in the true property enterprise. Just lately, various "deep pockets" from Brazil were treated to a junket to the state, and to my space specifically, supplied with Portuguese-speaking real estate agents and chauffeured 'around the town – at we, the individuals's expense. There are a variety of locations the place you may apply for business training real property grants.
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Flipping Actual Estate Or Flipping Paper?
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Is Phill Grove, The Actual Estate Investing Guru The Real Deal? Who Is Phill Grove?
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text:
'Football in four letters': Global media pays lavish tribute to 'King' Pelé
© Netflix, AFP
His face appeared on televisions around the world and dominated the homepages of news outlets everywhere as global media bowed to the late, great Pelé, the undisputed "King" of football.
News organisations across the planet hailed the legendary Brazilian, who died Thursday at the age of 82 and was widely considered the greatest footballer to ever play the game and stood alone as the only one in history to win three World Cups.
To the Brazilian daily O Globo, whose front page was packed with stories about the sporting legend, Pelé may have died, but he remained the "immortal king of football".
In the Folha de S.Paulo, journalist Juca Kfouri quoted the late Brazilian poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade, who said: "The difficulty, the extraordinary, is not to score 1,000 goals like Pelé - it's to score one goal like Pelé."
Concluding his obituary, Kfouri suggested that while Edson Arantes do Nascimento -- Pelé's birth name -- may have passed on, "it isn't true that Pelé is dead".
In Argentina -- home of Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, both also contenders for the title of greatest of all time -- the Clarin remembered Pelé as "a supreme symbol of football's spectacle" and a "great among the greats".
The Argentine sport daily Ole wrote: "Beyond the rivalry that exists between Argentina and Brazil, no one can doubt that Pelé was one of the greatest footballers in history, for many the best, on top of Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi".
Read more on FRANCE 24 English
Nobody disputes Pelé's greatness – but his goal count is up for debate
Brazil starts three days of mourning for legendary footballer Pelé
Tributes pour in for Pelé, Brazil's 'king of football'
Starmer: Tories' damage is 'immense'
Sir Keir Starmer says the Conservatives' damage to the country is 'immense' but Labour will 'rise to the moment' with a fully costed plan.
'Brutal!' Frigid Winds Blow in Colorado Foothills as More Winter Weather Expected
Frigid winds blew through central Colorado late on Thursday, January 26, as the National Weather Service (NWS) warned of wind gusts up to 60 mph in the area.This footage was captured by Twitter user @jcosrangerjason, who said he filmed it from his home in Evergreen on Thursday night."Brutal," the uploader says in the footage. "I don't remember a winter like this in a while," he added.On Friday, the NWS forecasted heavy snow as the day progresses, with strong winds and blowing snow potentially causing poor visibility in the area. Credit: @jcosrangerjason via Storyful
Alan Carr 'emotional' and 'nervous' as he starts shooting autobiographical comedy
The comedian told fans to wish him luck.
The Northern Echo
Tragedy as pedestrian dies in serious County Durham collision as driver arrested
A pedestrian has died after a collision on the A167 on Friday (January 27) morning.
Leeds, Leicester avoid FA Cup shocks
Leeds beat Accrington Stanley 3-1 to book their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in seven years as Leicester also avoided a shock with a 1-0 win at Walsall on Saturday.Leeds and Leicester join Manchester City as the first three sides to book their place in the last 16 of the cup.
Cancer patient left in tears 'after being fined for parking' while having treatment
Mother-of-two Mandy Williams 'devastated' to discover that she had been issued a £50 parking fine
Dales river walk takes in villages Thorpe, Linton, Burnsall and Hebden
THE section of riverside walking along the River Wharfe is rightly popular but the walk is much improved by visits to four of the most attractive villages in the Dales; Thorpe, Linton, Burnsall and Hebden.
Daughter of Sopranos actor dies aged 25 three months after giving birth
'I loved my little sister a lot and I will spend the rest of my life searching for her in everything,' Lucinda Ventimiglia writes
MPs speak out after school transport scheme scrapped
Oxfordshire's conservative MPs speak out on the county council's decision to withdraw the spare seats scheme on several school transport routes.
Three East Lancs venues named best place to tie the knot after winning awards
Lancashire wedding venues, photographers, DJs, makeup artists, wedding car hires were all praised in the Hitched Wedding Awards 2023.


Posted on August 12, 2013	by Katy K.
This is another artist that we discovered at Kids Read Comics. By "we" in this case, I mean my love and my son, who brought this home several years ago and have read it several times over. They were shocked when I said that I'd never actually read it, and placed this conspicuously on top of my stack of library books waiting to be read.
Scratch9. Vol 1: The Pet Project. by Rob M. Worley. Illustrated by Jason T. Kruse and Mike Kunkel.
The cute and fluffy cat Scratch loves his owner, young Penelope, but dreams of being a free, wild cat, and so runs away when she tries to put a collar on him. Almost immediately, he is captured by one of those pound collectors so ubiquitous in children's stories, and then sold to C.R.U.E.L. Laboratories. In the cages there, Scratch meets a scrappy little dog, a crazy squirrel, and a rooster, all of them claiming to be strong loners. But then Dr. Schrodinger, the evil scientist in charge, straps Scratch down and runs his experimental equipment on him. This unleashes Scratch's other 8 lives, giving him the ability to call them into physical form to help him in times of need. They range from a saber-tooth tiger through a cyborg-like future cat, and Scratch will need help from all of them to rescue his new friends and to find Penelope before the evil scientist brings his nefarious plans to fruition. Meanwhile, Penelope is doing everything she can to find Scratch, with no notion that doing so could put both of them in even more danger.
This series was nominated for an Eisner award and named the Best Children's Comic of 2010 by School Library Journal. It combines quite a few familiar elements into a fresh and fun story. While the fast-paced action is appealing to boys, Penelope's presence, the cute cats, and the overarching message of the importance of friendship and teamwork make sure that adventure-loving girls won't feel shut out. (Those looking for a quiet character drama can look elsewhere, but that's really just fine.) It's exciting without ever getting too scary or too violent for elementary-aged kids.
Sadly, it looks like this first volume is no longer generally available – it's selling used for an outrageous price on Amazon.com. It is available from a few libraries, so you might be able to get it via ILL if your library doesn't have it. But it looks like they're doing new floppy comics starting in September in preparation for a new graphic novel, so you can keep an eye out for that at your local comic book shop.
This entry was posted in Books and tagged animal fantasy, kids read comics, superheroes, youth graphic novels. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Jon The Blogcentric
All the Shtuff that's fit for ME to print!
Tag Archives: Barry
Movie Review: If Beale Street Could Talk
By Jon The Blogcentric on 12 February 2019 | 1 Comment
Stephan James (left) and KiKi Layne are Fonny and Tish: a young couple in love in If Beale Street Could Talk.
There have been some adaptations of James Baldwin's literature in the past, but I don't think there's ever been one ever to hit the big screen. Director Barry Jenkins brings If Beale Street Could Talk to the big screen and it's quite the experience.
The film opens with a quote from James Baldwin of how most of America's African-Americans were 'born' on the Beale Street of Memphis. The story opens in a prison just outside New York City in the late-1960's with 19 year-old Tish visiting 22 year-old Fonny behind glass and communicating via telephone. She announces to Fonny she's pregnant. Fonny is overjoyed and looks forward to being a loving husband and a good father once he's proven innocent. The crime Fonny is charged for is rape of a Puerto Rican woman: Victoria Rogers. She knows Fonny didn't do it because he was three blocks away with his friend Daniel when the rape happens. She knew he was arrested because of the racist Officer Bell.
Tish always knew Fonny was the right man for her. They were friends since childhood. Then months earlier Fonny wanted to take the friendship to the next level and date. She agreed. Both Fonny and Tish are people willing to work for a living. Fonny went to community college and had plans of going into woodworking. Tish found a job as a perfume saleswoman at a department store, which considered hiring a black woman in that role to be progressive.
Tish announces the news to her parents and sister. She's very nervous about it, even though the family see Fonny in high regard. She first announces to her father, and he's happy. Soon the mother Sharon and sister Ernestine are happy, though nervous as the trial is coming. Fonny's family, who call him by his real name Alonzo, come to visit. The mother and Fonny's sisters always had contempt for Tish. When the news is announced, Fonny's father is happy, but the mother is the complete opposite. The sisters look down upon her and the highly-religious mother even goes as far as saying the child will be a child of sin because he's conceived out of wedlock. The mother and sisters leave in disgust.
The film goes frequently from the present of the story to the past quite often. Tish reflects back to when they were walking the street and the feelings of love they had for each other. She reflects on the Mexican restaurant and the waiter Pedrocito that made them feel welcome there. She even remembers the time when she and Fonny were searching for an apartment. Fonny came across a loft being sold by a Jewish developer. She didn't like the idea of a loft, but Fonny saw potential. They were both surprised that the owner had no problem with them being black, but he just loves seeing couples in love.
Soon Tish flashes back to the present. There is a trial they have to work on. The lawyer claims that this is a difficult case to manage, but they feel this white lawyer just doesn't care about justice for a black man like Fonny. Tish's and Fonny's father team up to do illegal trading in order to raise the right money for Fonny's case. Victoria Rogers returned to Puerto Rico because she couldn't handle the reminders of her rape in NYC. Sharon has a mission to go to Puerto Rico to get Victoria to come back to New York and testify for Fonny's innocence, but it will be very costly. In the meantime, the months add up and the child inside Tish is developing. Tish goes to see Fonny again at the prison, but Fonny has gone through months of torture there. He wants to get out so he can live the life he was meant to live and love Tish.
Memories go back to the harder memories. The first is when Fonny is reunited with his friend Daniel. Daniel had just come out of prison for grant theft auto; the result of a plea bargain after being arrested for marijuana possession. Daniel tells him how it's hell in prison and how he knows how racist the justice system is. She also flashes back to when she and Fonny were just shopping at a grocery store. Tish is harassed by a man and Fonny throws him out. The throwout is witnessed by Officer Bell, who things that Fonny has committed aggravated assault. However the white storeowner comes out and vouches for Fonny that Officer Bell lets him go, but not without that look of the desire to arrest in his eye.
Sharon did it. She was able to get enough money to confront Victoria Rogers and convince her to come back to New York for the sake of Fonny's freedom. Victoria's long stay in Puerto Rico is what's delaying the trial. Victoria is not happy to see Sharon. The rape is the whole reason she left NYC and has no plans to go back. It's too upsetting for her. Sharon tries pleading to Victoria to come back and give the true story for the sake of Fonny's innocence, but that just causes Victoria to break down mentally and emotionally. Sharon returns back to NYC and the trial is still delayed. Tish gives birth to the baby in a bathtub with Sharon's help while Fonny is still in prison. It's a boy. As the wait drags on, Fonny accepts a plea deal. Years later, Tish and Alonzo Jr. visit Fonny in jail as they all hope for Fonny's eventual release.
James Baldwin has been known to be an outspoken civil rights leader as well as a renowned author and poet. Racism is one of his biggest themes in his works. The film which is based on his novel of the same title definitely focuses on racism. It's set in the mid- to late-1960's just after more civil rights for blacks had been championed. However it was still a struggle as a lot of rights were limited, a lot of racial riots were happening, and many wrongful arrests were taking place. The novel and the film give a depiction of what it was like at the time. Especially with a black man in jail for a crime he didn't commit as seen through his pregnant fiancee. The film also shows the hopes and dreams of a young black couple in love. They will have a future previous generations before them couldn't have, but it would still take a fight. Very often, you hear Tish and others having negative things to say about white people. Even having a mistrusting attitude towards them. Those who saw the documentary I Am Not Your Negro will know about the mistrust towards white people had back then. I'm sure it was a mistrust shared by many African Americans at the time and we hear it echoed in the characters, mostly from Tish
However the novel and film are about more than that. It's about undying love through hard times. Tish knows Fonny is innocent and she and her family team up to get Fonny free in time for the birth of their son. We see that Fonny is a good honest man. She's known Fonny since she was a child. She knows Fonny would never hurt anyone like that. When they started dating months before the arrest, she knew right there and then she was the right man for her. We feel that love in the film. Interesting how a gay author like James Baldwin can deliver a better sense of love between a man and a woman than most straight authors. The novel and film however isn't all 'whites are bad' and 'all blacks are good.' That meeting between Tish's family and Fonny's family showed a certain friction. While the fathers got along well, the mother's, especially Fonny's, looked down upon Tish's family and the sisters had the same snooty attitude. It's possible that scene was meant to send a message about how certain African Americans aren't all unified or there's a superficiality between certain types.
The film does a very good job in adapting the novel, but it does more than that. Barry Jenkins adds his own unique flair to the film. One flair he has in the film just like his previous success Moonlight is the inclusion of a lot of music. The film is a good mix of original score and songs from years past. It fits the movie well. However one thing he does that's different from Moonlight is he includes a lot of imagery to set the theme of the time. He also includes a lot of scenes where many of the characters involved in the story have their own shots where they face the camera standing still. That adds to the film. Also what Jenkins does is during many scenes, he slows the moment down and softens it so that one can get a feel of the moment. That happens many times during scenes with Fonny and Tish, the scene with Tish working the perfume counter, and the scene with Fonny and Daniel. Sometimes it's half-muted and we hear Tish's narration, but we get a very good sense of the situation. I think Jenkins made some good choices in making the film.
Barry Jenkins does it again. It's hard to say if it's as good as Moonlight, but the film is nothing short of excellent. He not only plays out the novel on film, he allows us to feel the story. I feel James Baldwin would be very proud. KiKi Layne was very good as Tish as was Stephan James as Fonny. The whole cast was excellent, but the standout was Regina King as the mother. She really did an excellent job as the mother-in-law going out of her way for Fonny's innocence. For the technical, James Laxton did a great job with the cinematography, Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders made the right editing moves and Nicholas Britell delivered a great score that fit with the film and blended in with the tracks of past songs.
If Beale Street Could Talk is more than about racism and social injustice. It's also about the undying love of two. It's a love no prison system or injustice can destroy.
Posted in: Movie Reviews: 2018	| Tagged: Baldwin, Barry, Beale Street, Brian, Britell, Colman, Diego, Domingo, Emily, Henry, James, Jenkins, KiKi, King, Laxton, Layne, Luna, Nicholas, Parris, Regina, Rios, Stephan, Talk, Teyonah, Tyree
Oscars 2017 Best Picture Review: Dunkirk
By Jon The Blogcentric on 17 February 2018 | 2 Comments
Dunkirk is the telling of one of the most historic battles of World War II on land, sea and air.
Admit it. This summer was one of the most lackluster summers in a long time. Very few reasons to get people to come to the cinemas. Dunkirk, however, was one of the films that gave people one of the best reasons to go to the cinemas. One can see why.
The film does share some minor similarities with Titanic. Firstly, it's a film that features a lot of action as part of the story. This being about the Battle of Dunkirk and the evacuation would be a film that would feature a lot of action and a lot of intense drama. Also like Titanic, it features some fictional stories or story lines inside a moment of history. Like Titanic, they also include historical figures who were part of the Battle, however even there the depictions of incidents do stray away from what really happened and go for the story.
Basically film is so loose, I'm okay with seeing a fictional depiction of moments in history as long as I'm made aware of its fiction. This film is a very good, very complex story of the Evacuation of Dunkirk. We should remember that the Battle Of Dunkirk was very important in the history of World War II. It was the first sign to the Allied forces that Hitler and the Nazi army had a vulnerable side and that the Nazis could be the losing side of World War II, despite how menacing Hitler and the German forces appeared. The rescue mission that accompanied it is a sign of the heroism as 300,000 Allied soldiers survived. The story focuses on three different aspects of the Battle– land, sea and air– and captures in the time frame of a week about what the heat of the moment must have been like for soldiers, civilians, casualties and leaders. The stories of what happened during the Battle of Dunkirk can be told through many different aspects and from many different viewpoints. This film succeeds in capturing the moments as the tension begins, the battles ensue, the devastation is done, the rescue has its own friction and the eventual triumph happens. It allows the viewer to relive the moment of all that happened. I even remember for a brief period of time that I thought the Allied soldiers would lose. Of course I learned in history that they did not lose, but the film succeeded in making me forget it sense that they might lose. That's the magic of film.
The film is not just about giving a moment in history three different sub-plots. The film also captures the human element of the battle for those part of it. Although the characters are fictitious, they are based on real people from the Battle Of Dunkirk. First there's young Tommy who goes from being the sole survivor of a battle to joining two other Allied survivors in a new fight for survival and shelter. There are the Dawsons who find themselves rescuing a shell-shocked soldier and seeing their friend George die because of his violent reactions. There's the RAF pilot who goes from one one of the following pilot to leader of the battle as his leader is shot down. All three stories may not be exact true stories, but they capture the human side of the battle. In all three scenarios, it's the story about surviving right as they're witnessing death and destruction around them. It's likely that what we see in the stories of Dunkirk are similar stories that thousands faced during the very battle. It's even a reminder of why we should look at those who were part of the Battle, both soldiers and civilian participants, as heroes.
This film is arguably writer/director Christopher Nolan's best film to date. He came across the idea of doing this film in the 1990's as he and his wife sailed across the English Channel along the same path of the Dunkirk evacuation. This was no easy film to make. He had his concept of three different scenarios of the Battle Of Dunkirk. He not only had to give the human element to his stories, but also include the action of the battles and the intensity of the various moments. He did an excellent job of constructing such a story that was not only well-done and well-pieced, but was also able to engage the audience as well.
As for the acting, there was not a single stand-out role. Nolan even admitted he didn't want to put emphasis on the characters for who they are, but instead on will they survive this. Even the role of Tommy was kept very minimal, but Fionn Whitehead did a very good job in his performance as the young soldier struggling to survive. I believe the best acting performance came from Mark Rylance as Peter the mariner who's caught in the intense situation, but tries to remain cool and calm. Another standout is Tom Hardy as the Spitfire pilot who's thrown into the leadership role. I know some that are loyal to One Direction may take interest in this because of the appearance of Harry Styles. His performance is good, but his role is limited.
The film needed to have top technical efforts in order to be successful and it had some of the best of the year. There was cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema who delivered excellent camera angles,editor Lee Smith who was able to piece the three stories together very well, production designers Nathan Crowley and Gary Fettis who did an excellent job of constructing seaside Europe in 1940, composer Hans Zimmer who delivered yet another score that fits the movie to a tee, and the visual effects team for recreating the battles and attacks that occurred.
On an Oscars note, the craziest thing about the months before December is that one does not know which films will have enough juice to qualify for a Best Picture nomination. It's become very obvious in the last few decades that the big studios save the release for their 'Oscar bait' movies for December because they know how things work. Most of the time, a lot of excellent movies that get released in the summer or earlier often miss getting nominated for Best Picture. The year when it was best made obvious was 2002 when all five Best Picture nominees were films either released in December or given wide release in the New Year. Winning an Oscar or even getting nominated is as much about studios doing a strategy or 'playing the game' as it is about doing an excellent effort. Don't forget this is showbiz. Even awards of merit like the Oscars, guild awards or even critics circle awards need to be campaigned and marketed for the win.
The expansion from five Best Picture nominees to a maximum of ten back in 2010 opened doors to a lot of films that were released in much earlier months to have better chances of earning a Best Picture nomination. Dunkirk is one of two films released before the month of November that received a Best Picture nomination. Even before the Oscar season began, Dunkirk was seen as a favorite to be nominated for Best Picture. I myself am relieve to see it as a 'summer survivor.'
Dunkirk is not just a simple re-enactment of one of the first major battles of World War II. It delivers in the human side of the story as it delivers in the action of the battles. This explains why while the summer movie season of 2017 was known for being lackluster, this movie was a top highlight. And a top-quality highlight too.
Posted in: Entertainment - Film and Movies, Movie Reviews: 2017, Oscars 2017 Best Picture Reviews	| Tagged: 1940, Barry, Battle, Bonnard, Christopher, Damien, Dunkirk, evacuation, Fionn, Hans, Hardy, Harry, Jack, Keoghan, Lowden, Mark, May, Nolan, Rylance, Styles, Tom, Whitehead, Zimmer
Oscars 2016 Best Picture Summary: Part 1
I know I've done individual reviews of Best Picture nominees in the past. This year I thought I'd try something new. I thought I'd do summaries of the nominees. Three blogs analyzing three of the nominees. It's something new this year and I hope you like it. For my first summary, I'll be reviewing the first three Best Picture nominees I saw: Arrival, Hacksaw Ridge and Moonlight.
Amy Adams knows how to communicate with aliens in Arrival.
When you learn Arrival is about aliens, I'm sure you have an idea of what you'd anticipate what a movie about aliens would be about. However, you're in for a big surprise.
This is probably the first movie about aliens to earn a Best Picture nomination. The film appears to set up for a story that would most likely lead to big-time action sequences. Instead we get a film that's very intellectual in dealing with aliens. Don't forget Louise is a linguistics professor who was hired for this duty because of her language expertise. In this film, the focus is on communication. Louise has a way to communicate with the aliens and earn their trust even while those around her grow more hostile to the beings. Louise's gift for communication goes beyond the aliens and she's able to say to General Shang the words his late wife said to her. It's like she has a sense for this.
Even with all this, the film is not just about aliens and preventing a human-alien war. The film is about Louise trying to heal after her daughter's death. Her marriage is no more as well and she's looking for her purpose. It's even about Louise and her ability to foresee the future and the possibilities they can unfold. Louise is the central protagonist whom the whole story revolves around. She finds her true gifts at a time she least expects it and she's able to find her life again. It's almost like this alien invasion is like a godsend to her life. Right after her daughter dies, she learns of her purpose to the world and to others.
Denis Villeneuve did a top job of directing this film. He already has a reputation for films like Maelstrom, Incendies and Sicario. He's also been hired to do the Blade Runner sequel. This film he directs is very tricky but he does all the right work for it. The script by Eric Heisserer is very smart and very deep. It does a very good job of getting the right moments of action and the right moments of drama pieced out.
The story also rested on the performance of Amy Adams. She knew the story was primarily about Louise and she had to make it work. Although the role didn't have too much in terms of character development, her performance was solid and it held the story together. The supporting performers may not have had as big of roles but they still did well with their performances. Jeremy Renner definitely could have had more depth in his role. The music from Johann Johannson and Max Richter fit the movie perfectly. The visual effects were also excellent and just what the movie needed.
Arrival is a very intelligent movie. It's an alien movie not like one you'd anticipate at first but you will leave the theatre pleased.
Hacksaw Ridge is about Desmond Doss (portrayed by Andrew Garfield) in both his convictions and his sacrifice.
Mel Gibson is back. This time he has Hacksaw Ridge. It's a war drama that's about more than just the war.
This film makes for an interesting topic: conscientious objection. I know all about it. For years I went to a Protestant church where the people were known for their anti-war beliefs. Conscientious objection is something that's bound to make one question their morals and even act out of hostility. I know that we have conservative pundits who insist that fighting in a war is the definition of patriotism and will even use scriptures to justify why was is the right thing. Upon release of this film, I was anticipating a conservative backlash against it. So far no 'Diss The Doss' movement has happened. No movement to have his Medal Of Honor posthumously revoked. Nothing. It's a good thing because the film does make one reconsider what defines a 'patriot.' I'm glad this story was told.
One of the biggest complaints from conservatives in the last 40 years has been either the negative depictions of religion or lack of positive depictions of religion in movies. True, this is not the Hollywood where the Hays Code calls the shots. For those that read my review of Of Gods And Men, I have a quote from Barbara Nicolosi about why that's the problem. That explains why it's hard to get a pro-religion movie to compete for Best Picture nowadays. There's a fine line of showing a film with a positive depiction of Christianity without it being schmaltzy, hokey or overly sentimental. Plus with all the 'game changers' in the last few decades, writing a winning script or creating a winning film is just that much of a challenge.
I feel they did a very good job in Hacksaw Ridge. It was a very good story of the persecution Desmond Doss had to face for his beliefs. It was a very gritty story of the war and all the damage it caused. Some say the graphicness was comparable to Saving Private Ryan. It was an honest portrayal about someone's faith. However there was one point when I felt it was borderlining on hokey during the scenes of: "Please, Lord. Help me find one more." I know that was something Doss said in real life but I'm just wondering if it could have been done better.
This film is the first film directed by Mel Gibson in a decade. I know he had to take a break as he had a very public meltdown with the things he said about others and problems with alcohol. You could rightfully call this film the redemption of Mel Gibson. He directs an excellent film that took a lot of effort to make. 14 years to be exact even while Doss himself was still alive going from one writer to the next until finally they had the right script and right story thanks to Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan. Gibson and the writers did an excellent job with the film with the story and the depiction of war.
In addition, the story was made thanks to the performance of Andrew Garfield. This was more than just a war story. This was a story of a person's heart and soul. Garfield knew he had to personify Doss in his convictions in order to make this story work. He did it excellently. It's hard to pick out any supporting players who stood out. None of the roles of the supporting actors were as developed. However Teresa Palmer did a very good job as Dorothy Doss and portraying the concerned fiancee, as is Hugo Weaving as the father Tom Doss and Vince Vaughn as the hard Sargent Howell. The visual effects and the sound mixing were top notch, as it should be in a film like this. The score from Rupert Gregson-Williams fit the film excellently.
Hacksaw Ridge is a surprising film. Who would've thought that the best war movie in years would be about a man that didn't fire a single bullet? Definitely a story worth telling.
Mahershala Ali (right) portrays a mentor to a boy named Chiron (played by Alex Hibbert at left) in Moonight.
At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you're going to be. Can't let nobody make that decision for you.
This year's surprise critical success is Moonlight. It's a very unique film like no other seen this year.
The film is unique as it sets itself around three key periods in the life of Chiron. There's his childhood where he's known as Little, there's his teenagehood where he's simply known as Chiron and there's his adulthood where he's known as Black. The film does tell a story of a man who you think would die young. He has all the ingredients: gay, living in inner city Miami, a verbally-abusive mother addicted to crack, arrested at a young age and a future of being a pusher himself. Somehow he finds the will to survive. He's able to withstand the bullying he faces for being gay, he's able to decide his life to the best of his abilities without his mother. Often it's not the best choices he makes in his life but he finds the ability to survive. You wonder how does he do that? Was it from that brief time with Juan and his mentoring? Was it the love from Kevin he always knew was there? I remember that scene of Little in the school dancing classes dancing like he was in 7th heaven: his escape from the bullying. Was it a spark within Chiron himself? Whatever the situation, it results in beauty at the end.
The film is not just about Chiron. As one can see, it showcases the lives of many different African-American people living in the inner city. It may show some of the more negative depictions like drug dealers, poverty and drug addicts but it also shows positive images too like in the case of Juan and his girlfriend or even in music being played. It showcases some surprising things as well as how Juan the pusher can be a very smart man. It even dispels some myths we have of inner city people. Like how Juan was good at handling Chiron's homosexuality and gave him words of comfort while Paula acted out in hostility. Usually you'd expect 'gangstas' to have a homophobic attitude. It showcases what it's like to be black and gay in the inner city. It also showcases people's insecurities. It is overall one man's attempt to find himself in the harsh world that he lives in. Yet despite all its harshness, it becomes something beautiful in the end.
The film is a triumph for Barry Jenkins. This is actually his second feature as a director. His first film, 2008's Medicine For Melancholy, won a lot of attention and even earned him many directorial debut awards. Moonlight is only his second feature. This film which he adapts a script from a drama school project from Tarell McCraney is a masterpiece in both the story and its direction. The script is also excellent that there is not too much dialogue but is able to say lots even in the silent parts. Another quality of the film; it says a lot while saying very little. Overall the film is a real delight to watch and leaves one wondering what Jenkins will have next.
The three actors who portrayed Chiron– Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes- all did a very good job with the role and portraying him at the right ages. Mahershala Ali was excellent as Juan: the pusher who becomes a mentor to little Chiron for that brief period of time. Ali had to bring the right charisma and character for a role like Juan to work not just in his scenes but to have an influence throughout the whole film. He did a stellar job. Also excellent was Naomie Harris. Possibly the one actor or actress to be a part of all three scenes, Harris was excellent as the drug-addicted mother Paula. She had to go through three stages with her role from a simple crack user to a crack addict to recovering in rehab. Each time she had to give her role dimension and inner depth to keep it from being cardboard. She did excellent too. There were additional supporting roles that were also good like Janelle Monae as Teresa and Andre Holland as the adult Kevin.
The technical bits were also excellent. The film was edited very well, the cinematography from James Laxton was possibly the best of the year. The score from Nicholas Britell was excellent but the inclusion of track music from classical to Latin to funk to hip-hop to Aretha Franklin to Motown really added to the feel of the movie. Almost feels like an anthology. In fact that scene when Kevin sees Chiron (as Black) after so many years and plays the classic Hello Stranger is one of the best scenes of the film.
Moonlight is a story of a young black man coming of age in the big city but it's a lot more too. Those who've seen it will know why this film is a masterpiece.
And there's the first of my Best Picture summaries for this year. Next one coming up in a few days.
Posted in: Movie Reviews: 2016, Oscars 2016 Best Picture Reviews	| Tagged: Adams, Amy, Andre, Andrew, Arrival, Barry, Chiang, Chiron, Denis, Desmond, Doss, Eric, Forest, Games, Garfield, Gibson, Gregson-Williams, Hacksaw, Harris, Heisserer, Holland, Janelle, Jenkins, Jeremy, Johann, Johannson, Knight, Mahershala, Max, McCraney, Mel, Michael, Monae, Moonlight, Naomie, Okinawa, Palmer, Renner, Rhodes, Richter, Ridge, Robert, Rupert, Sam, Schenkkan, Stuhlbarg, Tarell, Ted, Teresa, Trevante, Vaughn, Villeneuve, Vince, Whitaker, Worthington
VIFF 2015 Review: Nina Forever
By Jon The Blogcentric on 27 September 2015 | Leave a comment
My first taste of the more edgy film making shown at the VIFF was the British movie Nina Forever. You don't know whether it's a horror movie or a romance!
The story begins with what we think is a dead body on the road after an accident. Instead it appears to come alive again and get up. We meet Holly, a young paramedic student who breaks up with her boyfriend because he thinks she's too nice. While working at her part-time job at a pharmacy, she meets Rob as she comes to help him after an on-the-job accident.
Holly and Rob start a relationship and have sex together but are interrupted all of a sudden by Rob's deceased girlfriend Nina now undead and bloody. Holly is shocked and Rob is trying to make like nothing happened. They try and go about it and move on but Nina returns again while the two have sex. Holly tries playing seductively with Nina in order to win the battle but it doesn't work. Holly tries to learn more about Nina and even meets her parents. Holly even tries to get a 'Nina Forever' tattoo like Rob's but Nina keeps on returning. Even the two having sex on Nina's grave fails to end her recurrences. Moving in with Rob and changing everything about the house every time she returns fails to fix the problem.
It's then Holly decides she's had enough and wants out. Holly goes for on-the-job training as a paramedic and a car crash victim she helps save changes her. She even catches the interest of one of her students. She takes him to her place to have sex with him, thinking Nina's as far gone as Rob only for her and the audience to get a big surprise. The film ends on a confusing note.
I've seen films done before of one person in a relationship trying to rid themselves of a past beau before. However this film is something different. This is a case of one person in a relationship trying to move on past his deceased beau. This is no easy task as Nina would even make clear: "We never really ended it." That adds to the situation and adds to the story. However the story is something funny that it becomes a case of the undead girlfriend unearthing itself. I know the movie is trying to show a bizarre and humorous story on the theme of the difficulties of moving past a deceased beau but this story takes a bizarre and humorous twist.
Overall the film comes across as bizarrely funny and often unpredictable. Even at the beginning, you don't expect an undead ex-girlfriend to come up from under the bed. You expect the new girlfriend to play along with the undead girlfriend even less. It's humorous because it's trying to mesh a romance with a horror movie with a message about human nature. A very unique combination by the Blaine brothers. However there were many areas in the film that didn't appear to make sense, especially the ending. There were times I had my head scratching. There were even a few times I may have mistaken Rob's parents as Nina's parents or if it was a trick from the film makers the whole time.
This is Ben and Chris Blaine's first attempt at a feature-length film. Both are better known for their television work. Their first effort is good but imperfect and its flaws show. The acting from Abigail Hardingham, Cian Barry and Fiona O'Shaughnessy are very good. They pull all the right moves in making this bizarre film work. Especially the character work of Fiona portraying an undead woman with sexual desires unfaded. The parents were a good addition, especially with them being the ones away from all the supernatural weirdness. The music added to the film also blended in well with the film.
Nina Forever is an original comedy horror film that will get you laughing and even freak you out. However it does have some noticeable imperfections like moments that don't make a lot of sense. Nevertheless a good first feature film from the Blaine brothers.
Posted in: Entertainment - Film and Movies, Movie Reviews: 2015, VIFF - Festival and Reviews	| Tagged: Abigail, Barry, Ben, Blaine, Chris, Cian, Fiona, Forever, Hardingham, Nina, O'Shaughnessy, UK
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