text:
How RPG fans convinced Nintendo to release two Japanese titles in the US
Nintendo's announcement last week of a North American release for Japanese RPG …
Kyle Orland - Feb 27, 2012 7:13 pm UTC
North American Wii owners will get the opportunity to see scenes like this in Xenoblade Chronicles thanks to the grassroots efforts of Operation Rainfall
Image courtesy of Nintendo
When Nintendo announced last year that it would not be bringing cult classic Japanese RPG Xenoblade Chronicles to North America, it was no surprise that the decision drew heavy Internet protest from a subgroup of dedicated gamers. After all, groups of gamers are constantly banding together online to demand everything from LAN support in Starcraft II to a Full House game (don't lose hope, Danny Tanner super-fans!)
But Operation Rainfall, as the Xenoblade protest group came to be known, differed from other grassroots gamer protests in one important way: it worked. Not only has Nintendo given Xenoblade Chronicles a North American release date of April 2, but the company announced last week that The Last Story, another Japanese RPG the group has been pushing to see release in North America, will come across the ocean this summer through publisher XSEED games.
The success of Operation Rainfall shows that a small group of niche gamers can occasionally effect change from a big-name game publisher, as long as they're willing to keep up the pressure and do a bit of out-of-the-box promotion.
The beginnings of Operation Rainfall were already taking shape mere hours after a Nintendo France PR rep said last June that Xenoblade Chronicles would be missing from that year's E3 trade show because the company "didn't want to show products they aren't planning to sell." An IGN forum poster by the handle themightyme was the first to suggest that Japanese RPG fans follow the example set by fandoms for TV shows like Veronica Mars and Jericho, who bombarded executives with messages and pithy, in-joke shipments to show their support. Soon, the Operation Rainfall movement was officially up and running, recruiting support through widespread coverage on game-focused media outlets.
"As soon as I saw that there was a campaign forming to do something about it, I just knew I had to be part of it," said Ryan Tyner, who joined with the group in late June and rose to be one of the Operation's leaders by November. "I wanted these games!"
The question remained, though, of how many others shared Tyner's enthusiasm. Japanese RPGs are a bit of a niche genre in the West, where the often convoluted stories and repetitive, drawn-out gameplay usually have trouble breaking through to wide audiences (with the notable exception of the modern Final Fantasy series). The North American Wii audience seems especially ill-suited for such games, with a larger-than-normal proportion of older, more casual players who likely bought the system more for Wii Fit and less for a challenging, story-heavy role-playing experience. Given all this, it's hard to blame Nintendo for its initial decision not to localize the games.
But while Tyner acknowledges this viewpoint, he says he thinks Nintendo made a mistake in assuming that the games wouldn't sell to a North American audience. "Our argument was never that these games would make Nintendo a fortune, but rather, these games could still be profitable and make Nintendo money, and that there is at least a reasonable sized audience that would buy these games," he said.
The time for action
To prove that support existed, Operation Rainfall encouraged its members to send polite, respectful letters to Nintendo of America asking for the games' release, along with optional, symbolic plastic cocktail swords enclosed. For maximum impact, the group arranged to have the letters appear at NOA's Redmond headquarters in pre-set waves, going so far as to create shipping zone maps to help coordinate the letters' arrival to the day.
While previous gamer groups often threw up an easy-to-ignore Internet petition and stopped, Operation Rainfall kept up the pressure with constant e-mail and phone call campaigns to NOA. The group also took to fronts like Twitter and Facebook with overwhelming commenting force—one message about the games on the Nintendo Facebook account got nearly 8,000 comments from supporters. The group also set up accounts on everything from Google+ to DeviantArt to keep supporters engaged and communicating.
But Operation Rainfall also used tactics that were a bit less conventional. Members filled out interactive surveys through the Wii's Nintendo Channel showing that they thought "highly" of previous RPGs and Japanese imports on the system. They copied Japanese form letters to e-mail to Nintendo of America's corporate parent. They even put down Amazon preorders for Monado: The Beginning of the World, a dummy entry in the online retailer's database that referred to the original title for Xenoblade Chronicles. That move raised the title from a 12,000+ sales rank in Amazon's Video Games category to the number four position in a matter of days—not bad for a title that didn't actually exist at the time.
The Last Story, pictured here, is directed by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, which explains much of the interest in the game among North American RPG fans
Mistwalker
With nearly 11,500 registered with the group's Facebook page, Tyner said he has been a bit shocked to see just how deep the support for the cause went. "I mean, I knew there were surely people out there that wanted these games. I knew that just by reading comments on news articles about the games as well as in message forums. But I was surprised to see how many people were joining in on flooding Nintendo of America's Facebook wall back in the end of June," he said.
Having a lot of like-minded people providing support didn't mean it was easy to keep up morale, though. After a few months of sustained pressure, with no official response from Nintendo since June, Tyner said the group was beginning to lose hope. "Many of our followers on Facebook and Twitter were becoming pessimistic, and honestly, while we tried to be optimistic publicly, privately we were all having serious doubts," he said. "Ironically, the lowest point of the campaign might have been on December 1st, when another month arrived with no news in sight. But then December 2nd came and Xenoblade was announced [for North America]. It was just what we needed."
Did it really work?
Nintendo, for its part, says that Operation Rainfall wasn't actually the sole reason behind the eventual decisions to bring Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story to North America. "Our fans are very passionate, and have demonstrated an interest in this game," a company representative told Ars Technica. "We certainly appreciate this passion, but it alone did not impact our decision to launch the game or the timeframe in which it would launch."
But Tyner doesn't buy it. "The fact that they revealed [Xenoblade Chronicles] on Facebook is telling, considering that is where the campaign asked for the game," he said. "There are other little 'signs' such as [NOA President Reggie Fils-Aime] stating in the The Last Story reveal that many people had been 'clamoring' for the game. Privately, we had inside sources that confirmed that Nintendo was taking notice of us and that it was indeed because of our efforts that these games were being released..."
However, Tyner also admits that the decision to release in North America was probably made easier by the existence of English-translated European versions of the two games, which had already been released on the other side of the Atlantic. "Really, it was just a matter of the circumstances being ideal for our campaign," he said. "I think we showed them that if they did bring the games over, people would buy them. But of course there is also the fact that our member participation has been great, and that the staff has worked hard to make this happen. I work harder on Operation Rainfall some days than I do on my actual job."
Operation Rainfall isn't resting on its current successes. The group is still working to get a North American release for a third Japanese Wii RPG, Pandora's Tower. "We are still working on the details as to when we'll start our Pandora's Tower push," Tyner said. "We had originally planned a month dedicated to the game, just like we just did with The Last Story, in May. But the game is now going to be released in Europe on April 13th so we may need to start the month earlier."
Even with Xenoblade and The Last Story, though, Tyner said the effort isn't done until the games are actually flying off of store shelves. "We hope that people go out and buy these games when they are released," Tyner said. "If we show that these games will be bought, companies, and not just Nintendo, will be more likely to release similar games in the future."
Kyle Orland Kyle is the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica, specializing in video game hardware and software. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He is based in the Washington, DC area.
Email kyle.orland@arstechnica.com // Twitter @KyleOrl
Lyle Lanley Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
Glad to see the corrections. Might be nitpicky but I hate to see minor errors like that go ignored, just makes the site look sloppy and unprofessional, which it is not. Good article. One benefit of the increasing push towards digital media delivery might be that there's a better chance of seeing foreign games released in other markets due to the removal of costs of packaging, shipping, etc. The problem with arguments like Operation Rainfall's regarding profitability is that even if enough people buy the game to turn a profit (which also depends on people following through, which we know doesn't always happen), if the profit margin is too slim, it's still arguably a net loss because the time and money could have been better spent investing in a more profitable endeavor. Every use of capital and resources means something else that doesn't get done/made. The best hope for foreign games to see the light of day in other countries is for the required investment costs to be as low as possible, as demonstrated by the fact that this petition was successful arguably because there was already a European version available (i.e. the expensive work of translation, etc, had already been paid for).
Last edited by Lyle Lanley on Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:30 pm
jgtg32a Ars Tribunus Militum
I'm pumped for both of those games, I'm glad they pulled it off would have been annoying if I had to import them from Europe. I'm more interested in Last Story than Xenoblade, but I have only heard great things about Xenoblade.
Now the trick is to go out and *buy* them, peoples. I'm pre-ordering both. I'm into WRPG overload with Skyrim then Amalur and ME3 soon. I could use some good new JRPGs if just for the change.
Last edited by Quiet Desperation on Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:34 pm
VentcoreFrog Seniorius Lurkius
I'm super excited that this managed to work. Too bad something similar never happened with Valkyria Chronicles 3 on the PSP. Shame about that absolutely ridiculous piracy rate.
audioSE Ars Scholae Palatinae
Of course, dollars to donuts that no one actually buys the game like they say they will, and Nintendo never listens to them again.
Matakage Seniorius Lurkius
This reminds me of Monster Hunter. Despite being the single biggest handheld franchise in Japan, Capcom largely neglects to advertise it. We'll see if that changes when the new one comes out for 3DS.
47 posts | registered Sep 4, 2010
EmeraldArcana Ars Praefectus
I think I recall seeing this and sighing deeply when I read that it was from Monolith Soft. While Xenogears was quirky at best (and totally nostalgic-driven), I was unimpressed with Xenosaga. But maybe the Wii action controls add life to the gameplay and style, the game seems to be very well-received so far.
EmeraldArcana wrote:
First Xenosaga was awesome. Not sure what happened after that.
I've played a couple "Tales" RPGs on the Wii. After a while I forgot I was even using the Wii.
After all, groups of gamers are constantly banding together online to demand everything from LAN support in Starcraft II to a Full House game (don't lose hope, Danny Tanner super-fans!)
*clicks link*
Full House video game
Who would love this
By Jacy Findley
I'm speechless.
continuum Moderator et Subscriptor
Drool.
I've broken my video game addiction for years, and my RPG addiction for not quite as long... this may restore it!
88806 posts | registered Jul 1, 1999
Well it better sell. And its better that the company waited for people to be asking for it. Much better than porting a game nobody wants.
Surge Ars Praefectus
For the third party title, the company should start a kickstarter page, similar to what Tim Schaeffer did, and make the people put their money where their mouth is.
WonderSteve Ars Centurion
Good to see Operation RainFall succeeded.
I already have Xenoblade preordered. Will be preordering The Last Story very soon.
Nintendo's attitude in this definitely will influence my decision to purchase their future consoles.
Goofball_Jones Ars Tribunus Militum
Is this the one where the characters have really big eyes?
circle Seniorius Lurkius
Nice to see Xenoblade and The Last Story coming over, but I feel like this is a flash in the pan kind of response rather than a general trend. After all, Earthbound fans have been getting snubbed by Nintendo for years on end, and other medium-high profile Nintendo games not mentioned in OpRainfall (Zangeki no Reginleiv, particularly) probably aren't ever getting localized at this point.
1 post | registered Feb 27, 2012
But let's be honest guys. Nintendo has not been a driving force in RPGs since 1997. Anyone who wants JRPGs now gets either a PS3 or a PSP (or both). You might be able to get some games on the XBox 360 but even that console is not really a JRPG haven now. So I think that their initial inclination not to release this game because it's a niche isn't that unbelievable.
The Nintendo DS gets its occasional share of JRPGs though... certainly Earthbound for DS would be a good idea?
MoistDinosaur Ars Tribunus Militum
I must admit, I will probably pick up one of these, although I am a much bigger fan of RPGs on my handhelds these days.
/me3 first
1686 posts | registered Jan 8, 2008
karoc Ars Scholae Palatinae
audioSE wrote:
Seems unlikely that people who put effort into getting a game released here would then not bother to actually get the game. This isn't like boycotting CoD where you have to promise NOT to do something fun and then nobody keeps their promise - it's the exact opposite.
The more important question is whether anyone outside of the dedicated core will buy these.
Deviation Ars Legatus Legionis
Too bad I just recently sold my Wii. If these games had been announced earlier, I might have kept it. As it is, I won't be purchasing or playing them because I'm sure as hell not buying another useless Nintendo Wii.
20104 posts | registered Feb 27, 2002
masterbinky Ars Praefectus
What's ridiculous is that the translation work has already been done. There's an english version of the game, it is just region locked. I'm sure nintendo counts the pirating of games that are purposely not made available as "lost sales."
famousringo Ars Scholae Palatinae
If you're looking for Wii action controls, Xenoblade doesn't have it. The gameplay is very much designed with the classic controller in mind, though it is playable with wiimote + nunchuk.
That being said, I still found the real-time tactical battle system very fresh and the game has a vast, living world and the best NPCs I've ever seen in a JRPG. Best JRPG I've played since The World Ends With You.
946 posts | registered Dec 2, 2010
tkappla Seniorius Lurkius
Nice. I'll have to pick these up to show some support.
6 posts | registered Feb 27, 2012
achoo5000 Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
I'm looking forward to 'Ultimate Retelling' myself.
fishsandwich Ars Praetorian
Matakage wrote:
I love Monster Hunter, but I am losing hope that Capcom/Nintendo will ever bring it outside Japanese borders again. I really hope MH4 or even 3G makes it out. Although I have a theory on why it never took off, aside from the advertising (or lack thereof): Its too fricking hard. MH is an extremely unforgiving game, which is what makes it so epically satisfying. But many Americans from the instant gratification generation won't put up with it. Even the latest installment on the Wii is noticeably toned down in difficulty.
I am crossing my fingers for MH but hope is dimming day by day.
WiseWeasel Ars Scholae Palatinae et Subscriptor
Ah yes, the age-old "You can't have it!" marketing technique. Nintendo has struck gold with that one.
Jurrasic Ars Tribunus Militum
I am extremely happy to hear this. I was so annoyed that the English language localized version of Xenoblade wasn't going to be released in North America, I actually took the effort to softmod my Wii just to be able to download and play it.
Now of course, I could use my powers for evil and pirate every Wii game out there if I want to, something I never would have bothered to do previously. Since they have changed their minds on releasing these RPGs however I will delete the image and buy the game once I see it on the shelf, but I am keeping my softmod on just in case.
10k Ars Praefectus
Xenoblade is a must buy. It is easily in my top5 RPG of all time.
orborborb Smack-Fu Master, in training
Imported all three of these. So far my favorite is actually Pandora's Tower, which provides the most interesting environments to navigate, but The Last Story has the best plot/characters and music, and Xenoblade has the best actual role-playing/loot collecting. All three are worthy of purchase if you value what they do well.
97 posts | registered Apr 2, 2001
harteman Ars Scholae Palatinae
Just wanted to add my 2 cents. Anyone calling the Wii a useless console is rather clueless. Besides the fact that mine plays nes, snes, n64, gamecube, master system, genesis, neo geo, and MANY other oldschool console games, it also has some of the best rpgs, some of the most violent games ive ever seen, and can bring together a room of people like nothing else. And lets face it, if you want to stay isolated from society in your moms basement, stick to pc gaming. And I say stick to pc gaming because what is the xbox360 and the ps3 besides pc's that dont come with mice and keyboards?
HunterZ Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
Jurrasic wrote:
Same! I grew to hate JRPGs due to the glut of mediocre ones released for the PS1, including Xenogears. However, I really like Xenoblade (although I did put it down when the fall TV shows came on and took over my TV time) and will consider buying the North American release to support the fan efforts. It will probably be weird to hear the characters speak without British accents, though.
Geobits Ars Centurion
Good to see. I've played Xenoblade(Aussie edition?), and it is by far the best Wii game I've played. I have The last Story, but haven't played it yet(backlog, ugh..). From the comments, I'll be just as happy with that one.
Spinfx Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
So this title already had an English-language version; it was just unavailable due to region shenanigans. I'm happy for them, but this doesn't strike me as a big deal.
Yet to see any publisher care about translating a Japanese-only title not already slated for sale outside of Japan.
Jacotus Ars Scholae Palatinae
Just wait, now we will get The Last Story II, III, IV, ..., XIII,...
yaypaul Seniorius Lurkius
"I work harder on Operation Rainfall some days than I do on my actual job"
- how to get yourself fired in one easy move. j/k
Xenoblade I've taken a look at, will have to check out The Last Story, but wait.... Last Story, Final Fantasy, Hironobu you...
Midnitte Ars Tribunus Militum
I wonder if there is any hope for a FF7 remake.... I suppose this gives me hope?
Miqunator Ars Centurion
FF7 doesn't need a remake, nothing they do can live up to the hype that would surround it.
If only someone would talk some sense into Namco/Sony to get some PS3 Tales games away from Japan instead...
Rene Gollent Ars Tribunus Militum et Subscriptor
Does anyone know if there is a preorder listing for that US version of Xenoblade on Amazon? I found it for Last Story, but all I'm finding for Xenoblade is people selling actual imports.
Powerlord Ars Scholae Palatinae
Now we just need to get these guys to lobby Capcom to bring over the second Ace Attorney Investigations game. Unfortunately, it's been a year since the Japanese release and Capcom still hasn't gotten their heads out of their... clothing.
illy-chan Ars Centurion
I'm really happy for the people in Operation Rainfall. I remember first learning about the group awhile ago (my boyfriend is among its members) and feeling pessimistic - it's always been a gamble as to whether Americans could get a release of a JRPG. I'm glad I was wrong and will absolutely pick up a copy when it's released. I'm also glad that Nintendo has acted in a way that justifies my loyalty (which occasionally seems blind - even to me).
Now, if only we can get Capcom to be cooperative. My boyfriend has never forgiven them for Megaman or Ace Attorney. One can dream, right?


text:
package net.study.repository;

import net.study.domain.Assets;
import org.springframework.data.jpa.repository.JpaRepository;

public interface AssetsRepository extends JpaRepository<Assets, Long> {
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Climbed with a friend, on the trail by just after 7:10. The road is quite steep, how anyone could possibly drive anything up this is beyond me, as the gradient makes the Y Mountain Trail look mellow in comparison, but if you just keep at it you reach a pleasant ridge, which was slightly breezy but not unpleasantly so. After one final steep section, it's a quick, easy jaunt over to the true summit. Took pictures, noted the triangulation station, USGS benchmark, and all of the sweeping views in all directions. Took an easier route more to the south on the way back down, slightly longer, but overall--including lounging on the spectacular summit--it only took us about 3.5 hours total. Great peak, highly recommended for anyone looking for a 2KP with astounding views!
As others have said, this is not a particularly pleasant hike. The spur road is steep and a little bit loose. Steep. And the constant sounds of gunfire eliminates any chance at a pleasant outing. Thankfully made it to the peak and back without any issue as I was worried about some distant lightning. Hail in American Forks on the way back.
Whoever thought that taking a dog into a virtual gun range was a splendid notion needs some serious cranial examination. Hiking up the southeast ridge was not easy on this gun slinging heroines heart. The loud noises continually startled me until the spur ridge met up with the main ridge to the summit. After that I was in top form as I joyfully sauntered up the final steep pitch to awe-inspiring views of the remains of ancient Lake Bonneville. However the joy was short lived as I was thrown back into what felt like the jungles of Nam on the spur ridge heading back to my horseless carriage.
First Spring hike of the year, and first significant hike in about 5 months. This is a steep sucker. I knew I was in trouble when I was huffing and puffing 2 minutes in, but somehow managed to make my way to the top and found refuge under the orange triangulation station as the clouds rolled in. Coming down was a beast too. Glad I pushed myself through it. Still feeling it two days later.
Hiked over 6830 from the north. Cool sunny day with lots of people out shooting made the hike feel just a little more dangerous.
If you answered yes, then this is the hike for you! This spur ridge was steep, and more steep, and more steep, and then kinda steep, followed by super steep. you get the idea. The point is that I made it to the top and it was a very warm spring like day in December with no snow to be found, and I got a great workout. Great conditioning climb for sure, you should probably do it. Or if not and you are smart maybe you wait until the road is open and drive to the towers and just walk along the rolling hills on the top of the mountain.
We followed the ZeeJay route and parked at the 90 degree bend. It took us a little over an hour to conquer the steep spur-ridge and get to the summit. It was a very warm December day, probably around fifty degrees F at the top.
Everyone and their dog was out shooting at targets, which gave the whole hike a little more spice.
Started at the 90 degree curve in the road by the dump and walked up the very steep ATV track to the ridge. Followed the ridge to the summit and then walked all the way to the north peak by the radio towers and then came back the same way.
Steep SOB. We followed ATV tracks up from the south side of the range until we reached the ridge. The ridge was a fairly enjoyable hike to the summit about a half mile to the north. We coupled this hike along with an ascent of Stookey Peak in the Onaqui Mountains.
Hiked from the north to the highpoint and back. There were a lot of hunters and target shooters on the mountain. Great view but probably not the safest time to be up there.
2.5 hour total from near the Payson dump up an old ATV trail and ridge hike to the peak and back down. The only problem with hiking from this area is how many people out shooting on every little dirt road around the base of this mountain. The gunshots were relentless from start to finish.
Note: The road on the N. end of the mountain was iced over. If you are wanting to hike this in the winter, I'd suggest the S. end.
Ken Jones was visiting and wanted to hike up this one despite the snow and winter like feel (cold winds) It was slick and we slid a lot coming downhill but the clouds departed when we reached the top and we had great views in all directions. Strange to have this kind of weather so late in the spring. Several inches of snow on the summit.
Several years ago I climbed this peak with some high school friends while looking for caves on the mountain.
I took my 1 year old dog on her first summit hike this morning. Woke up early and started the hike a about 15 min before sunrise. Went up the SE Ridge and it is one steep motha. There is only one or two switchbacks up to the ridge, and your calves with definitely feel it. We were on top in just over an hour and enjoyed the fantastic views in every direction. This is a great workout hike and fun if you only have a few hours. Total time was about 2 hours.
8/26/10- Sunrise on top. The best one in 2010 so far. The HUGE spiders with webs across the trail were a bit sketchy though. Biggest I have seen in Utah in a long time.
A spur of the moment decision, I decided to do a solo hike up to West Mountain. A great hike. About 5.4 miles roundtrip from the antennae peak. Up to the true summit at the triangulation station and back in an hour and a half. Unfortunately, the low cloud ceiling made it hard to have any good views of the Wasatch. West Mountain is actually a lot bigger and more complex than I thought. I love the rolling foothills leading to the summit!
Steep peak. Fun hike and good views.
Instead of going up the ATV track, I thought it'd be cute to go up cross country. Well, it might have been cute but it wasn't smart as I spent a lot of extra time sidehilling some steep slopes. I took the ATV road back down and actually enjoyed it (comparison to going up). This was my second visit but my first visit was via the road to the middle towers without going to the real highpoint which I came back to correct. A nice hike close to Provo but the ATV road going up the first hill is mighty steep, how do they get those machines up that one? Hot for a september day. Saw no one else.
I hiked this one with Lori (my future wife) from the end of the road that terminates at the towers on the north peak. Beautiful autumn weather.
Scrambled up the south end of the mountain to the highest peak then wandered over to the north end, and back again. Round trip took just over 3.5 hours.


text:
(1848), écrit par   (1819-1868),  un abolitionniste britannique basé à Leeds est un ouvrage qui a publié des actes d'accusation de racisme scientifique, ainsi que d'esclavage, et comprenait des biographies d'anti-esclavagistes notoires dont Henry Highland Garnet et Phyllis Wheatley C'est l'un des nombreux livres anti-esclavagistes publiés dans les années 1800 par des réformateurs sociaux. Le livre est dédié à James Pennington, Frederick Douglass, Alexander Crummel, . Le but du traité était de présenter des preuves des réalisations des Afro-Américains en soutien de leur cause.

Réception
Frederick Douglass a eu une réaction mitigée à la suite de la publication du livre : il était mécontent parce que l'image incluse le représentant avait été retouchée pour le faire apparaitre souriant. Dans sa revue de 1849, publiée dans le , il critique également d'autres illustrations du livre, déclarant que des artistes blancs ne pouvaient pas créer de « portraits impartiaux » d'Afro-Américains. Dans l'ensemble, Douglass estimait que la médiocrité des images réduisait l'impact du message du texte. Dans les éditions ultérieures du livre, l'image de Douglass est changée pour la remplacer par une représentation créée par un graveur américain plutôt que britannique.

En 1883, le livre a été décrit par The Atlantic comme « encyclopédique » dans sa couverture des réalisations afro-américaines.

Historiographie
L'historien Herman E. Thomas a souligné l'importance du livre en tant que texte fournissant des exemples positifs de la vie afro-américaine. Néanmoins, l'historienne Jasmine Cobb a décrit comment la piètre représentation des Afro-Américains dans des œuvres telles que A Tribute for the Negro a perpétué des idées fausses à leur sujet auprès du public, malgré les intentions positives des auteurs. Le critique et historien Henry Louis Gates Jr. a catégorisé les représentations du livre comme une série de caricatures racistes que Douglass avait déjà pointé. Julia Sun-Joo Lee a montré que la critique des portraits en Grande-Bretagne provenait de Charles Dickens, bien qu'il ne soit pas clair si ses objections étaient les mêmes que celles de Douglass ou reposaient davantage sur une exotisation de Douglass et d'autres abolitionnistes noirs qui étaient populaires à l'époque.

Références

Liens externes

Antiesclavagisme
Essai britannique

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This text is a slightly revised version of the previously published contribution commissioned by vdrome.org in conjuction with ORAIB TOUKAN's exhibition, When Things Occur.
Watching artist and researcher Oraib Toukan's When Things Occur (2016) makes one want to better understand the contemporary conditions of image processing as a militant-civil force. When Things Occur is a conversation piece, a visual research, an investigation, a desktop-documentary, and a collection of perspectives on contemporary image-(geo-)politics accommodating the Palestinian struggle for independence, including the right for visual self-determination. The work offers a reflection on techno-spatial conditions of image processing as an internationalizing force, as well as an enforced violence for the struggle of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Territories, particularly in Gaza after the Israeli attacks of 2014. Let us think of a civil contract of digital photography by considering the usage of the (mobile-phone) camera that people occupy to report from their homes under attack, posted in real-time or live-streamed on #GazaUnderAttack or on social media platforms. "[…] We would be under bombardment, shaking with fear, but I won't let go of my mobile phone", says Lara Abu Ramadan, reporting from Gaza. A "seeing the war from inside the home" that is shared online speaks of that techno-civilian force in When Things Occur. How can we understand the politics of the domestic attached to mobile phones, social media or networking services and digital platforms in relation to the possibility of an emancipatory image?
The relation between 'local' and 'foreigner' narrated by Gazan freelance photojournalist Hosam Salem, is an important sequence in When Things Occur. He clearly differentiates between 'local' / 'mahaliyin' and 'foreigner' / 'ajnabi' in Arab language. His award-winning Gazan colleague Khalil Hamra speaks about himself as a 'local photographer'. Strikingly, he adopts the English term 'local' instead of the Arabic 'mahaliyin'. Similar perhaps to the term 'curator', commonly used in English in Arabic, the adaption of 'local' into Arabic by a Palestinian photographer speaks of two things: of the awareness the photographer has of his job under the impact of globalization in economic, cultural, linguistic as well as visual terms, and of the urgency to re-articulate the entanglement between the particular ('local') with the universal ('global') or the 'local' with the 'foreign', in relation to the production of a ramified image-space, as investigated by When Things Occur. Digital image-making asks for an update of a geo-spatial reading of the image that I would link with the 'navigational landscape', as Reza Negarestani proposes by theorizing the interaction of the with the universal (or global-local interlacement, or the local-foreigner entanglement) in our era of algorithmic capitalism as a form of global capitalism. I wonder, regarding the exhausted and exploited concern for image-politics in the Palestinian struggle, about the visual-practical consequences of mobile-phone images, planetary computation and social media for our understanding of a 'productive locality' of the image, which is an image 'across different scales of magnification'. When Things Occur analyses the image by documenting it through its pixel-grid, the variety of online image sizes (pixel dimension and scale styles), or the page of Google-images showing copy after copy the same picture. A good example is the front-page of The Guardian of July 31, 2014, featuring the image of a crying Gazan girl taken by the international Gazan freelance photojournalist Khalil Hamra. To consider the possibility of the image as a techno-spatial platform, or as a geopolitical fabric crossing borders, time zones, eyes, and perspectives in When Things Occur allows us to approach the form of screen-navigation as a 'concept-practice' (Tom Holert) that stretches from 'inside the home' in Gaza to our computer-screens in Oxford, Athens, Berlin, Geneva or in transit at the airport. In this sense, When Things Occur may point us to the emergence of a new visual vocabulary to document and internationalize the Palestinian Cause by making use of digital infrastructures for the production and distribution of images. However, is it too naive to anticipate the emergence of a navigational image-space with the capacity to go beyond the indexical document towards a truly transformative operation that interrupts reproductive forces of 'infrastructural violence', as Susan Schuppli describes the systemic erosion of rights beneath the digital cladding, and that instead can install complex narrations of the Palestinian situation through images?
When Things Occur also makes us engage with the economic implications of digital image technologies in the context of (anti-)photojournalism regarding the Palestinian question. This has been a big issue for decades, concomitant with Marxist-Leninist commitments of filmmakers and photographers of the P.L.O. since the late 1960s. Obviously, the possibility to circulate images via social media platforms puts pressure on the monopoly of international press-agencies with headquarters in Paris, Rotterdam or New York. Defining the conditions to sell an image is a possible force for a visual self-determination also in economic terms. Does this also affect the actual visual strategy? Hosam Salem states that "we as local photographers have finally concluded that bloody pictures do not address the western world". However, in When Things Occur we see the travelling images of iconic tropes that are too familiar from the humanitarian discourse since the early 1980s: the lone child and the mourning parent. It seems logical that Palestinian photographers must be ahead of our time to think as well as produce an image beyond the binary imperatives of the local-foreigner entanglement. What image of the struggle would address the so-called 'western world' if it refuses the victim-image for 'mobilizing shame' as Tom Keenan analysed the visual forms of humanitarian violence more than ten years ago? What does resistance to the Occupation look like, and how do its images circulate today?
The 28-minute desktop-video investigates and labours the techno-spatial conditions of image processing. It considers the situation of Gaza after the 2014-wars entangled with global infrastructures. Thus, it provides an important analysis of a visually exhausted and exploited terrain that has been overproduced by media images for decades, by Human Rights discourses as well as by the field of international contemporary art, the arena where When Things Occur is presented. The desktop-video offers an update of the urgency to re-engage with the question of the image as a geopolitical issue for the Palestinian cause. Its image-regimes offer a contested terrain as well as a lived reality and politics of the domestic in which 'nobody will understand how we are living', as Gaza international photojournalist and blogger Lara Abu Ramadan states in her conversation with Oraib Toukan. The film probes the face of mourning and grief—its digital embodiment, transmission, and representation. It asks, as Toukan has written elsewhere, how the gaze gets channelled within the digital realm, and how empathy travels. What exactly is viewing suffering 'at a distance'? What is the behaviour and political economy of the image of war? And who is the 'local' in the representation of war?
Commissioned by Cities Exhibition 2016, Birzeit University Museum.
Supported by the Ruskin School of Art.
DOREEN MENDE is a curator, theorist, researcher, and writer. She is currently Associate Professor and Director of the CCC Research Master and PhD-Forum of the Visual Arts Department at HEAD in Geneva, Switzerland. She is a founding member of the Harun Farocki Institut in Berlin. Her research interests include (geo)spatial practices in image regimes, exhibition-making, curatorial politics, archival metabolisms, decolonizing socialism, and concept work. She holds a PhD in Curatorial/Knowledge from Goldsmiths, University of London. Mende's recent publications include KP Brehmer: Real Capital Production Raven Row and Koenig Books, London; and "Entries Towards a Society of Ramification" in Proxy Politics Power and Subversion in a Networked Age, edited by RCPP, Archive Books, Berlin.
ORAIB TOUKAN is an artist and Clarendon Scholar at the Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford. She is visiting tutor at the Ruskin School of Art and the International Academy of Fine Arts in Ramallah, Palestine. Until Fall 2015, she was head of the Arts Division and Media Studies program at Bard College at Al Quds University, Palestine. Recent exhibitions include the Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Heidelberger Kunstverein, Qalandia International, The Center for Contemporary Art Glasgow, the Asia Pacific Triennial, the Mori Art Museum, and the 11th Istanbul Biennale.


Some people say that there is no place considered safe anymore because a lot of recorded crimes happen even at home. In order to prevent the skyrocketing number of crimes that could victimize any Filipino household, Green Energy introduces a new technology called MiGuard Security Alarm System, a security system focused on the security and safety of everyone.
The MiGuard Security Alarm System Premium Package consists of different devices designed to prevent crimes. Included in the package are a console, Pan & Tilt HD IP Camera, Motion Detector, Door Sensor, SOS Button, Medical Button, Gas Detector, Water Leak Detector, Smoke Detector, and Remote Controls, which all can be monitored using an app on your mobile phone.
"It is MiGuard's mission to protect our countrymen. We stand firm by our tagline that 'We Want You Safe,'" MiGuard President Manuel Syquian Jr. said in a recent press event.
"It is not only your loved ones that we want to protect, we also want to take care of your homes. To safeguard your home from fire and even flood, a problem most of our people face in times of rainy season," he added.
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Topics: MiGuard Security Alarm System , Green Energy , 'We Want You Safe' , Manuel Syquian Jr.


text:
Jeanne Marianne Roos (Den Haag, 12 oktober 1916 – Amsterdam, 30 juni 2001) was een Nederlands journaliste en was tevens de eerste omroepster van de Nederlandse Televisie Stichting (NTS).

Als Nederland in 1940 wordt bezet, is ze als journaliste werkzaam voor het Algemeen Handelsblad. Zij wordt op 15 juli 1941 ontslagen, tegelijk met alle andere Joodse medewerkers. In 1942 verbrandt ze haar Jodenster en vanuit de onderduik wordt ze actief in het verzet .

Roos was na de oorlog journaliste voor Het Parool. Ze schreef het kinderfeuilleton Gijsbert Konijn en had een huishoudelijke rubriek: 'Tip van Roos'. Roos was ook moderedactrice, vroeg Marte Röling voor het maken van modetekeningen, en schreef later op haar eigen 'Roos pagina'. Ze was bevriend met schrijfster Annie M.G. Schmidt met wie ze in De Inktvis zat, een Amsterdams journalistencabaret dat op de Paroolredactie was ontstaan. Paroolmedewerker Simon Carmiggelt ontleende zijn pseudoniem Kronkel aan de naam van een worm uit Roos' feuilleton. Zelf gebruikte ze soms het pseudoniem 'Marianne Smeets'. Ze was ondergedoken op de Veluwe tijdens de oorlog, maar ze vertrok toch naar Amsterdam om daar in het verzet te gaan. Marianne Smeets was ook de naam die ze gebruikte als koerierster tijdens haar jaren in het verzet.

Televisie
Tijdens de eerste officiële televisie-uitzending op dinsdagavond 2 oktober 1951 was Roos de eerste persoon die in beeld kwam. Toen zij 'op' moest wist zij naar eigen zeggen geen woord meer van de tekst die ze had ingestudeerd. Toch opende ze de avond met de passende woorden "Goedenavond dames en heren. Vanavond is het een heel bijzondere avond."

Toen het beeld als gevolg van een stroomstoring in het Utrechtse elektriciteitsnet dreigde weg te vallen moest zij wederom improviseren. Met de woorden "Wij hopen over drie minuten in de huiskamer terug te zijn" stelde zij de kijkers gerust. Na afloop van deze storing sprak zij: "Wij komen pas kijken, maar tenslotte komt u ook pas kijken".

In de jaren vijftig trad Jeanne Roos vaak op als panellid in radiospelletjes. Op late leeftijd speelde zij de rol van dominante bejaarde in enkele films van filmmaker Theo van Gogh, waaronder Eva uit 1994.

Roos overleed in de nacht van 29 op 30 juni 2001 op 84-jarige leeftijd in een Amsterdams ziekenhuis. Ze werd op 5 juli 2001 gecremeerd in het crematorium Velsen.

Nederlands journalist
Nederlands televisiepresentator
Nederlands verzetsstrijder in de Tweede Wereldoorlog
Nederlands omroeper


Want to prepare for life as a professional actor or just have an awesome summer experience? Join us for four weeks of rehearsals for AIDA, and additional workshops and studio classes that will train you in singing, dancing and acting; and making memories that last a lifetime with your cast, crew, and orchestra. Program suitable for ages 14 –19.
*For those not able to attend audition dates, we will accept a video audition or contact Grace Janiszewski to schedule a later audition.
Actor Audition Information | Audition Sides – coming soon!
Prepare two contrasting 16 bar cuts of pop-rock songs, up-tempo and ballad in the style of Aida to showcase your talent, please know the entire song.
Readings from the script will take place at either the auditions or callbacks, no monologues necessary.


text:
Chicago Fall Tennis Classic este un turneu de tenis organizat în Chicago, Illinois pentru jucătoare profesioniste de tenis, a cărui primă ediție a făcut parte din turul WTA 2021. Turneul se desfășoară pe terenuri cu suprafață dură în aer liber, la sfârșitul lunii septembrie.

Rezultate

Simplu

Dublu

Referințe

Turnee de tenis în Statele Unite
Turnee WTA
Turnee de tenis pe suprafață dură
Evenimente sportive în septembrie
Fondări în 2021


text:
Q: How to see users of a python package? I have made a python package named 'Panclus' but I do not know if anyone is using this package or not. Please tell me how to see how many people have installed my python package. Is it possible to get the name of users?

A: From here:

PyPI does not display download statistics for a number of reasons:

*

*Inefficient to make work with a Content Distribution Network (CDN):
Download statistics change constantly. Including them in project
pages, which are heavily cached, would require invalidating the cache
more often, and reduce the overall effectiveness of the cache.

*Highly inaccurate: A number of things prevent the download counts from
being accurate, some of which include:

*

*pip's download cache (lowers download counts)

*Internal or unofficial mirrors (can both raise or lower download
counts)

*Packages not hosted on PyPI (for comparisons sake)

*Unofficial scripts or attempts at download count inflation (raises
download counts)

*Known historical data quality issues (lowers download counts)

*Not particularly useful: Just because a project has been downloaded a
lot doesn't mean it's good; Similarly just because a project hasn't
been downloaded a lot doesn't mean it's bad!

Get more information about download statistics from this.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: showing that two functions are the same suppose I have two arbitrary probability density functions $f(\varepsilon)$ and $h(\varepsilon)$.
If $\int_{\mathbb{R}}\int^{z+\varepsilon_1}_{-\infty}f(\varepsilon_1)f(\varepsilon_2)~d\varepsilon_2d\varepsilon_1 = \int_{\mathbb{R}}\int^{z+\varepsilon_1}_{-\infty}h(\varepsilon_1)h(\varepsilon_2)~d\varepsilon_2d\varepsilon_1$
for all $z\in \mathbb{R}$,
then $f(\varepsilon)=h(\varepsilon)$ for all $\varepsilon$.
I feel like this is true, but I am not sure how I am supposed to approach...

A: This is not true: consider $f$ being the indicator function of $[0,1]$ and $h$ being the indicator of $[1,2]$.

A: If $h(x)=f(x-1)$ for all $x$ then the condition holds. [If $\{X,Y\}$ is i.i.d with density $f$ and if $\{U,V\}$ is i.i.d with density $h$ then the condition is simply that $X-Y$ has same distribution as $U-V$. This does not imply that $X$ and $U$ have the same distribution: we may have $U=X+1$ for example].


Essentially you should select subjects that you're best at and enjoy most. However, if you have a definite career in mind you will need to select your Sixth Form choices accordingly (we strongly recommend that you do your research beforehand to ensure that you select the subjects required for your degree choice or career pathway). We offer a range of BTEC and A Level courses which you can select from; a programme that combines the two can be highly beneficial. All BTEC courses offered are accepted by most UK universities.
How many A Levels are sufficient?
Most universities including Oxbridge will ask for three good grades at A Level. Others use a points system, which are generated from your grades. Most Russell Group universities will ask for grades as opposed to points so again, you will need to research this before you select your courses. Courses such as the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) or English Speaking Board (ESB) are highly regarded by universities as an addition to your level 3 studies.
How much time will I spend studying?
You are allocated approximately 5 hours of lessons weekly and have a sixth which is termed as a study period for that subject. We recommend that you study a similar number of hours outside of the classroom during the week. So for every hour in the classroom, there should be one of hour of independent study to match.
Your assessment for each course will differ dependent on whether you select A Level or BTEC courses and also which subjects you choose. A level courses are mainly made up of exams with an assessed piece of coursework whereas BTEC courses are predominantly coursework with an exam based element (new to BTEC courses from September 2016).
"I feel really well supported. We all have tutors - I have a great tutor and she's always checking up on me to make sure I get the grades I need"


Hi Aspirant! Thank you for contacting Careers360! Kindly visit the given link for the universities that offer LLB courses. You'll find the ranks of the universities, overall score , intake exams , etc.
Dear, there was a link mentioned in the initial answer. If you would have visited that, then, you could have got 'filtered' government colleges. The colleges that offer LLB course are 3 year only. I have made your work easier, kindly visit the given link, the duration of course is also mentioned!
Q. Mujhe Commercial Law Up ke kaun si University/Institute se karna chahiye.


Mod Condensed Blocks is an addon to the fashion Industrial Craft2 which will add many new units in the game Minecraft. In addition to the blocks, add-on adds Kraft blocks that are in the mod IC2. B General if you have an industrial fashion, then be sure to put this addon to it.


The Legato Lounge takes body, mind & spiritual rejuvenation to a whole new dimension of experience. Co-created by Touch America and So Sound®Solutions', this adjustable, Zero Gravity relaxation lounge cradles your body in the supreme comfort of 3" memory foam. As you experience the waves of sound and music resonating through you like a deeply transformational sound healing massage, your mind is lulled into a deep state of inner peace, clarity and calm. The sensory integrative So Sound® Acoustic Resonance Technology has been successfully used within therapeutic settings for more than 30 years. Science now proves that the "vibes" we resonate with, consciously or not, have a profound effect on our health, happiness, relationships, performance, and overall sense of wellbeing.
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text:
Ullswater Triathlon 2022
Emma Taylor
BARLICK FELL RUNNERS
Distance Standard Distance
Finish time 2:41:59.62
Date 10 July 2022
Swim 28:55.49 1.5 km
Transition 1 1:43.57
Bike 1:29:12.12 43.8 km
Run 40:37.80 10 km
Open female
Age category is calculated based on the age of the athlete. The age at 31 December 2022.
Swim 1.5 km 28:55.49 1:55 min/100m 28:55.49 08:25:44
Transition 1
T1 1:43.57 30:39.06 08:27:28
Bike 43.8 km 1:29:12.12 29.46 km/h 1:59:51.18 09:56:40
T2 1:30.63 2:01:21.82 09:58:10
Lap4 10 km 40:37.80 4:03 min/km 2:41:59.62 10:38:48
Other results for Emma
West Lancashire Summer Triathlon 2021 29/08/2021 - 1:04:38 1:04:38 0.00 km/h - min/km
Aquasphere Chillswim Ullswater 7.5 Miles End to End 2021 17/07/2021 7.5 Miles 4:42:34 4:42:34 1.59 mph 37:40 min/mile
Ullswater Triathlon 2021 10/07/2021 - 2:40:02 2:40:02 0.00 km/h - min/km
EpicMan Windermere Triathlon 2020 20/09/2020 - 2:48:01 2:42:51 0.00 km/h - min/km
Chillswim Ullswater 2020 12/09/2020 7 Miles 6:39:27 3:48:49 1.84 mph 32:41 min/mile
Montane Trail 13 & 26 Howgills 2019 12/05/2019 13 Miles 2:29:02 2:28:58 5.24 mph 11:27 min/mile
Timing by Epic Events. Results Base is only responsible for registration.
For result queries please e-mail: info@epicevents.co.uk

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This week a couple of stories that we covered months ago are starting to make waves! The Ocean Cleanup have launched their first full-scale 'ocean plastic cleaning' machine.
And the edible fruit coating startup Apeel Sciences, backed by Bill Gates, have begun rapid expansion across USA to keep your avocados fresh for days.
Also, a huge shout out to our very own Martyn for his involvement in launching the Clean Van Commitment, with Global Action Plan.
Reading time is 3:27 minutes. Enjoy!
Sixteen of the UK's largest van fleet operators have pledged to go tailpipe emission free by 2028, jump-starting the clean-up of the 4 million diesel vans on our roads.
How Do We Get To 'Electric Avenue'?
Global Action Plan have teamed up with some of the UK's largest van fleet operators such as ENGIE, Tesco, Network Rail and United Utilities to join the Clean Van Commitment.
Why Do We Need Cleaner Vans?
Vans are the fastest-growing vehicle on our roads, covering a whopping 75.5 billion km a year. 96% of these vans are diesel-fuelled, making them a major source of air pollution, with some pretty worrying long-term health affects to boot!
Moving away from fossil fuels is a must to improve air quality but also to tackle climate change. However, we know that zero tailpipe emission vehicles like EVs also have their downsides, such as the environmental and health impact of nickel mining. Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
We know how tempting it can be to go buying mad when ordering from Amazon. So, next time you are ordering that Game of Thrones box-set or pair of Nikes, remember to get them delivered at the same time and condense those multiple van deliveries into just one!
Or better yet, why not take to the charity shops and find yourself a bargain or two!
First plastic bags, then coffee cups, is it now crunch time for crisps?
Campaigners have launched a petition calling on Walkers and other leading crisp brands to ditch plastic packaging. This comes after it was found Walkers produce 10 million packets of Walkers crisps a day - all of which come in non-recyclable packaging.
What's The Problem With Crisps?
The Crisp packets are made of foil, right? Wrong! Crisp packets are deceiving and while the inside may look like foil, most packets actually made of a metallised plastic film that is currently not recyclable in the UK.
The issue is that it's difficult to find an alternative material that will keep our crisps crunchy, and keep us consumers happy. In 2006, PepsiCo (who own Walkers) trialled a biodegradable, compostable crisp packet in the USA, but took it off the shelves after shoppers complained it was 'too noisy'.
Until that 'perfect' packaging is found, there are small steps that brands are taking to try and reduce the plastics used to package crisps and snacks. Last year, M&S reduced the size of it's plastic packaging by putting less air in packets, whilst KP Snacks has developed 'flow-wrap technology' to reduce plastic packaging by up to 190 tonnes per year.
We love crisps - in fact 90% of Brits regularly eat them - but we don't love plastics (especially after watching Blue Planet!). Crisp packets, like other single use plastics, are making their way into our oceans and onto our beaches (earlier this year a 30 year old Walkers packet was found on a beach in Cornwall, UK).
Crisp brands say they are trying to find new ways to package crisps, with Walkers saying they're "committed to achieving 100% recyclable, compostable or biodegradable packaging by 2025" - but that's still a whopping 7 years away, which means potentially another 2.5 billion packets polluting our oceans.
7 years is a long time to wait for a recyclable crisp packet, so what can we do until then? Why not try making your own lunchtime or movie snacks?
From homemade popcorn, to crisps, to tortilla chips - there's loads we can make and package ourselves.


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Confession time: despite the content up until this point on Golden, I am not vegan. In fact, I quite enjoy a wide variety of animals – don't get me started on chicken wings! However, I am trying to shift the percentage of what I am eating to be more plant-based than not for many reasons; it makes me feel awesome, it's good for the environment and I want to live to be 102. Anyway, that's why most of the stuff I plan to post here on Golden will be sans animal, but don't be surprised if I sneak in a wing recipe every now and then.
Part of the fun in this quest to make flavorful and satisfying food without using animal products comes in the challenge of taking something that typically relies on meat or dairy and tasking myself to make a plant-based version that rivals the original. That's where this soup comes in. I love making french onion soup this time of year when the days begin to get shorter and the air turns crisp and have cooked it for years with the same ingredients: a rich stock that's half beef and half chicken simmered with onions that have been caramelized in lots of butter and madeira topped with a crusty hunk of bread and a pile of oozing gruyere. Sound good? It is! For my revamped version I decided not to play that game and got rid of the bread and cheese which often overshadows the hot liquid beneath it. Instead I focused on developing a deeply flavorful soup that could stand on its own.
The hero in this story is the shiitake, which is funny because I'm a known mushroom hater. It's true, my affection for the fungus hasn't always been strong, but there are certain things I love about mushrooms; like the rich flavor they impart, and there are certain things I hate; like their texture and general creepiness. The thing about shiitakes (especially dried shiitakes) is that they have an extremely high concentration of umami, not unlike that of meat, so I decided that they would make an ideal base for my soup (plus once they lent their flavor to my broth I could fish them out and say buh-bye). Equally as important are the sweet caramelized onions which I cooked down to a golden brown in grape seed oil with great results. Last, a sizable splash of balsamic vinegar which adds some additional sweetness and balance with a nice acidic note. The sum of these simple ingredients was definitely bigger than their parts and in the end I had a soup that more than satisfied my craving, but that would have Escoffier rolling in his grave.
Combine the dried shiitakes and 8 cups of water in a pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Take off heat and set aside.
While the shiitakes are simmering, heat the oil over medium heat and once it's hot add the sliced onions along with 2 teaspoons of salt and the freshly ground black pepper. Stir all of the ingredients together so that the onions are coated with the oil, salt and pepper and reduce the heat to medium low. At first, stir the onions occasionally to make sure they aren't browning too quickly. They will go through some stages. You'll notice that they'll lose volume in the pot as they become soft and translucent and then they'll begin to give off a lot of liquid. Once this starts to happen you should check on them more frequently as they will start to stick to the bottom of the pan and create a flavorful fond. Using the flat edge of a blunt wooden spoon scrape the golden bits off the bottom of the pot and reincorporate it back in to the onions. Continue to do this as long as you can stand it – I usually cook the onions for about 45 minutes to an hour total time. When they are done, the onions that once barely fit into your pot should have reduced dramatically in size and they should be a light golden brown.
Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the shiitakes while adding their broth to pot with the caramelized onions. (I should point out that you can save the rehydrated shiitakes for use in another recipe, like a stir fry or veggie burgers, if you're into that sort of thing.) Let the onions and shiitake broth mingle over medium low heat for at least 15 minutes and then top off with the balsamic vinegar and remaining salt. As with most soups, this one tastes better the next day, but I'm never that patient.
Photos by Bess Friday and Lauren Godfrey. Once again, thank you Bess for all of your beautiful work!
polite, yet accurate description of shrooms. blech!


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Ghostbusters Discussion
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2020)
[SPOILERS] Ghostbusters: Afterlife discussion thread
Discuss the upcoming movie to be released in 2020 and directed by Jason Reitman.
Re: [SPOILERS] NEW GB MOVIE SUMMER 2020!#4928479
By Michael Scott - December 10th, 2019, 5:34 pm - Posts: 1040
- December 10th, 2019, 5:34 pm #4928479
I think the sperm donor thing would bring a chuckle, but how often does a sperm donor pass down property and real estate in a will to the child that was conceived? Or even find out who that child is? If he had no other family to pass it to, he could have passed it to one of his colleagues. Also, it doesn't match the family/legacy tone of the movie.
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Rank: Ghosthead
Location: Burleson, TEXAS
By mrmichaelt - December 10th, 2019, 5:38 pm - Posts: 2993
CBC posted an article pointing out some locations in the trailer, some before and after photos, and a map with a few more locations pinned, even the address where the Farmhouse was.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/ ... -1.5390305
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Ghostbusters IDW Sales Chart (Updated for October 2019)
mrmichaelt
By RichRyan1507 - December 10th, 2019, 5:47 pm - Posts: 261
Exactly. No way he's a sperm donor.
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RichRyan1507
By groschopf - December 10th, 2019, 6:15 pm - Posts: 725
I think the sperm donor thing would bring a chuckle, but how often does a sperm donor pass down property and real estate in a will to the child that was conceived?
Well... were ARE talking about a relentless scientist that once straightened a Slinky.
groschopf
Great find!
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By timeware - December 10th, 2019, 6:20 pm - Posts: 1625
I think the sperm donor thing would bring a chuckle, but how often does a sperm donor pass down property and real estate in a will to the child that was conceived? Or even find out who that child is?
When your family doctor is Dr.Phil.
timeware
Joined: September 9th, 2006, 12:58 am
By Bison256 - December 10th, 2019, 6:33 pm - Posts: 36
Like Bison256 said, it is pretty clear that they are still remembered in some capacity. However, it wouldn't surprise me if many people rejected the events that transpired in 1984 due to them not being coherent with the world as we know it. People do a worse job at accepting basic facts than many would probably expect (source). I would not be shocked if there was significant debate over what really happened, if anything, in New York in 1984.
That reminds me of odd thing about the setting. Parapsychology is a recognized specialization at Columbia University, books like Tobin's spirit guide is published but yet ghosts and other manifestations aren't considered real? It's kind of odd.
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Bison256
Rank: Newbie
That's Dan sublimating how everyone treats him like a loon when he earnestly discusses the paranormal.
Fitting that the clip the kids are seeing of the Ghostbusters is the one right before they get swallowed by a small earthquake.
I wonder if this film will actually explain that element of the original film.
By Sav C - December 10th, 2019, 6:52 pm - Posts: 1623
I wonder when Tobin's Spirit Guide was published... Was Tobin one of the Ghostbusters's contemporaries? I always thought of it being published in the '30s, but if that's the case it seems interesting that a book with accurate science on ghosts could be around so long (during the modern age) without being considered true. If published in the '30s, the speed at which it gained acceptance seems more characteristic of Copernicus's time period.
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I love this town!
Sav C
Joined: April 5th, 2016, 9:36 am
More like stumble, happened to see it on the Alberta Ghostbusters' feed.
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There had to be a revision at least around or after the 1920s. Egon found Ivo Shandor's name in Tobin's according to the jail scene.
#1, you say?
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Yeah, I would guess first came out in mid to late 1920s at the earliest and perhaps a revision in the late 1920s.Shandor and his Cult of Gozer was probably the last topic he researched. The two examples we have is the version from The West End RPG had the 1st edition published in October 1920 while the IDW/Insight Tobin I think it was only mentioned he finished all the text for the 1st edition in 1929.
By 2GunsRacing - December 10th, 2019, 7:38 pm - Posts: 54
Ghostbusters 2 (1989)
Ghostbuster 3 (2009)
I just want the game to be cannon so bad..
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2GunsRacing
Joined: April 22nd, 2019, 3:35 pm
By Kingpin - December 10th, 2019, 7:42 pm - Posts: 13058
Again, playing catchup...
Did anyone else notice the old '59 Caddy sedan missing a door sitting outside the barn? I'm guessing that's the car they cannibalized (in universe) for the Ecto's new suicide door.
The junker adjacent to the barn appears to be a 1958 Cadillac 62 hardtop, the rear passenger door of which has a pronounced curve to fit the slope of the roofline:
The door wouldn't fit on Wrecto-1, and it would be uneccesary when they have the old girl's door to-hand.
when speaking of the 'leaks' which are we referring to? because wasn't there a couple? and all were different story threads?
There were at least two notable ones.
The first was the one talking about frequencies, detailed here:
- People were pretty skeptical as it wasn't really lining up with what we were seeing in the set leak photos. We can now conclude this "leak" is complete terror dog shit.
The second appears to be talking about the Ghostbusters having gone national, Egon getting trapped in a portal, and Ray journeying to Summerville, detailed here:
- Some bits this guess/"leak" gets right: Callie moves into the old farmhouse with her kids, that it was evidently owned by Egon, finding the Wrecto-1 (not a huge stretch), a working PKE, and that Phoebe brings the Trap to Grooberson.
What the guess/"leak" is less right about is the apparent state of the company, just how decrepid the equipment is (one detailed "scene" suggests none of the equipment is functional until Ray arrives and retools it - the trailer clearly shows the gear is operation pretty much as soon as the kids start fooling around with it), the second "leak" seems to suggest that the major paranormal activity seems to kick off from the farmhouse, whilst the trailer indicates the primary action is centralised around the mine and its access shaft.
Those are the two I was aware of, I'm not aware of any additions... But if there were, could someone chip in with what they were?
That would explain why the kids in that town don't know about the Ghostbusters. Consider how Paul Rudd sounds surprised that they don't know what a ghost trap is.
I don't know... Let's consider our own history. We know about the Watergate scandal, the killings at the Munich Olympics, the Piper Alpha explosion, the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Would kids the same age range as Phoebe and Trevor know much about any of those topics? Even half of them?
There was also probably a wide range if disbelief and discrediting done by the news organisations outside of New York, chocking it up to something like a new wave version of the War of the Worlds broadcast, a bunch of uptight New Yorkers getting into a panic over something.
If the company didn't go global or international and was landlocked in New York, chances are most of the rest of the country wouldn't have taken them seriously... If they'd even heard of them.
Grooberson on the other hand, he's clearly what accounts for a ghosthead in that universe. He's a member of the fandom following that band almost nobody else has heard of. He knows the name "Ghostbusters" and remembers them because he was lucky enough to be around in that moment and have that particular interest in him which the Ghostbusters captured.
How many of us have talked about something we're passionate about, only to draw a blank look from those around us? Hell, how many of us have talked about Ghostbusters in the past, only to draw a black look from those around us?
But what about the mine? Was Shandors mine leaked before the trailer? [/Spoiler]
It was, separate photos to emerge from the set showed a truck emblazoned with the "Shandor Mining Co." logo, a structure displaying the signage "Mining museum & memorial", and a separate minecart memorial on one of "Summerville"'s streets, complete with the "Shandor Mining Co." logo.
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What would Ryan do?
Rank: Moderator
That jives with the real world spiritual moment.
18 year old here... Definitely know about Watergate, although it was only a few months ago that I realized that the Watergate scandal had to do with the Clinton finances or whatnot, and it was only through that investigation that the Lewinsky scandal was unearthed. Prior to that I thought that Watergate and the Starr Report were solely on the Lewinsky Scandal. Also, yes, I was aware of Watergate and the Lewinsky Scandal prior to any talk of Trump's impeachment, or even his election (the impeachment proceedings have caused a lot of references to the Clinton impeachment). (Thanks to Mad Magazine's specials for giving me a basic knowledge of US political history spanning from the fifties to nowadays.)
I had heard of the Munich Olympics, but not the massacre. Never heard of Piper Alpha. I had heard of the Exxon Valdez spill, but I had to search it to make sure it was the event I was thinking of.
I'd say that counts as one and a half of those things at best. It certainly doesn't count as "much" about any of those topics, although I'd say my knowledge on the Clinton impeachment is on par with or exceeding the knowledge of other people who reside outside the US.
Edit: Scratch that last part, since I just confused Watergate with Whitewater. (That was arrogant on my part to say that.) It was the Whitewater scandal that I only recently realized was different from the Lewinsky scandal.
Now that my memory's jogged, the Watergate scandal was when President Nixon had people break into the Democratic headquarters in the Watergate hotel to dig up dirt on his democratic opponent in order to try and win the 1972 (?) election. When he was found out, articles of impeachment were drafted. He resigned before the impeachment was transferred to the Senate (as he knew that the Senate would find him guilty).
I guess that counts as a 0. Do I get bonus points if I can spell Chapenquidick correctly (I can't)?
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I did consider that. I just focused on one example. From the same comment you quoted (in fairness, I did get longwinded):
"For instance, I had a grandfather that fought in the Korean Conflict. He never talked about it, and when I learned about the conflict forty years after the fact, it was basically a paragraph and a dot on a timeline. The conflict itself was a way to discuss MacArthur getting fired without elaborating on the hell troops experienced there. I knew the conflict happened, but it would take me actually reading about it (at the tender age of 35) to fully understand it. I sure as hell wouldn't have known what an artifact from that conflict looked like if I stumbled on it, and I would have needed someone older to explain its significance to me.
Add that all up, and it's possible that kids only know about the Crossrip as an event name and date for a quiz, or that Summerville lives in a state of denial about that event."
What I forgot to state in there was how an event that shaped my family forty years before I learned about it at all in school still meant very little to me afterward given how briefly it was covered in our curriculum. I totally buy that these kids wouldn't really know about it even if they "knew" about it.
By Coover5 - December 10th, 2019, 8:44 pm - Posts: 1319
I try to forgive kids not having a great knowledge of history as I confuse dates too. I didn't know Jeffrey Dahmer was still active up until I was 2. I had thought of him as a serial killer from the 70's. Hell, probably once a year I look up the Monroe Doctrine because of Jeopardy. I can never recall what it was. I still google "US Map" to recall where states are and I'm 30. Remember "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?" As much as we think we know as adults it reminds us how much we've forgotten too.
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Coover5
Location: Baltimore, MARYLAND
By JonXCTrack - December 10th, 2019, 8:56 pm - Posts: 159
What if the "polaroid" ecto goggles are actually a spectral analyzer (from the scene in GB2 when they're developing film) built into them?
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JonXCTrack
By hutto - December 10th, 2019, 8:58 pm - Posts: 67
Surely you'd hear about that time the Apocaylpse almost happened... Twice? A 100 foot Marshmallow Man exploded after the sky turned black and, the spirits of the dead ran amok. A gateway to another dimension was opened on the top of an apartment building.
Or, the time the art museum was covered in grape jelly, spirits ran amok, the sky turned black, the Titanic came back and four men drove Lady Liberty through the town?
I think there was cameras then. Im pretty sure that trumps sticking cigars in an intern.
Yeah, I do feel I would hear about that. I mean, it's been over a hundred years and people still blabber about the Titanic, not to mention the Hindenburg (even though that was later). Granted, I am the last person who should call people out for blabbering, haha.
Last edited by Sav C on December 10th, 2019, 9:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
By Adub794 - December 10th, 2019, 9:03 pm - Posts: 59
Might be onto something here. Great thinking!
Adub794
Joined: October 15th, 2019, 3:38 pm
Let's not forget about the montage in the first movie that shows how popular they became in a short period of time. And the media coverage wasn't solely exclusive to New York. USA Today and national magazines did cover stories about them. Larry King and Casey Kasem talked about them on the radio, surely to nationally syndicated audiences, no? Ray was a guest on a TV talk show. The point is for a short period of time they were the talk of the town and beyond. But even then skeptics were trying to say they were the cause of it all.
Could all of this be forgotten, or misremembered, or not thought of as something worth sharing with the next generation? Sure. Especially since paranormal activity flatlined for 3 decades, giving skeptics reason to believe that they were indeed making it up.
I'm just saying let's not pretend they weren't "going viral" for a short while in their heyday. And it wasn't exclusive to New York media.
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By deadderek - December 10th, 2019, 10:17 pm - Posts: 1071
- December 10th, 2019, 10:17 pm #4928511
Not in my wildest dreams would I imagination us debating on Egon being a sperm donor.
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"Ok. opening at number 2, to sub 50 million, next to the 2nd weekend of an animated kids movie, is NEGATIVE. Let me just clear that up right now. There is no middle ground on this. Studios DO NOT spend 100 million in marketing money to open at number 2. No sir. No. No. No. No." - Richardless
deadderek
Location: Metro Detroit, MI
By Sav C - December 10th, 2019, 10:23 pm - Posts: 1623
Same here. That's kinda why I brought up the step-grandfather idea, because I can't really see the donor storyline being written into the movie.
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By Kalonthar - December 10th, 2019, 11:58 pm - Posts: 214
I bet those science chicks were really dug that large cranium of his.
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Kalonthar
By mrmichaelt - December 11th, 2019, 1:28 am - Posts: 2993
- December 11th, 2019, 1:28 am #4928514
The article was, in part, a nice remainder that all the Summerville scenes in the trailer were all blended together from filming in Crossfield, Drumheller, Beiseker, Foothills County, Turner Valley, Dorothy, and Fort Macleod. And that the Calgary filming early into production was seemingly a stand-in for Chicago. I'm glad they pinned the opening shot as Horsethief Canyon and drive to Summerville as near Bleriot Ferry, less work for fans to do.
I was thinking of posting a thread that breaks down the scenes with filming locations.
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By robbritton - December 11th, 2019, 2:44 am - Posts: 505
My main take away from all this Dahmer and Watergate talk is that I'm a lot older than everyone else and I'm going to take my Zimmer frame out back and sulk about it!
Also, I wonder if the lack of ghosts for thirty years will somehow be tied into egon's move/disappearance? If the normal level of psychokinetic energy in New York is a Twinkie, that means there were scattered ghosts around the place (Slimer had certainly been around in the lifetime of older Sedgewick staff members) before Gozer's coming stirred up the hornets nest and expanded the Twinkie. So if the default for the movie universe is that there are ghosts, but they are few and far between, then no ghosts whatsoever represents some kind of paradigm shift.
Or, maybe I'm just overthinking a trailer. It's probably time for my nap anyway.
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I don't care for the UK tonight...
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Home / Blog / Ecological Armageddon?
The prophets of ecological Armageddon believe the end has arrived. Almost every imaginable calamity or inconvenience is used as "evidence" of this impending doom. If we have a warm winter, its proof we are all going to die through global warming. Or, if it happens to snow in June, that, too, is evidence that Americans are the cause of "global climate change." I see a trend here, but it has little to do with the weather.
And what would the echo-prophets have the ignorant masses do to repent of their existence? From what I have been told, there are several actions one must take to avoid Hell on Earth. I began my path to redemption by bathing my family in the pale-yellow glow of mercury laden light bulbs as well as by fully inflating the tires of my new rickshaw. True penance might also include giving up meat and all the ozone-piercing flatulence that that barbaric behavior implies. Initially, I thought signing up for smart-grid regulation would be great, but I have since learned it would not be enough to find collective grace; we need to make real sacrifices. At first, my wife resisted cave-life, but once she realized that humans are a cancer, she swallowed all kinds of hard choices including pinecones, twigs and locusts. Of course, no matter what I do, I am screwed with five kids. Think of all the resources they steal from others in third-world nations, and the unjust piece of the progressive scarcity pie they consume. Alas, my only contribution to the global crisis is to commit suicide. If you have reached this conclusion as well, remember, it matters how you choose to "off" yourself. One must not consider arsenic or any other environmentally unfriendly chemical, or any type of gun for that matter. A person would obviously have to be insane to think about carbon monoxide poisoning. The best way to give yourself back to nature is to walk to the nearest chemical-free composting facility and lie in the dirt until you expire through natural means.
It may be that the statist, with global warming, climate change, global climate disruption [insert any ecological, doomsday scenario here] has created a false premise: a non-choice between either the collective salvation of all humanity or its world-wide destruction, desolation and death. Using this false logic, the statist can justify any action or expansion of governmental power while freely attacking anyone who would dare question the official state position.
Clearly, there is extensive power and wealth to be redistributed through the establishment of a scarcity fear-based green economy. Yet, unlike other scientific theories, skeptics are supposed to just have faith and are not allowed to even mention the obvious conflicts of interest by those who stand to gain the most through the implementation of carbon credit limits or other state-based solutions. The central issue is not about a global crisis, it is about control and creating justification to erode personal liberties. In politics, both real and false crises have been used for years to push various agendas forward. Rom Emanuel's now infamous statement "never let a good crisis go to waste" may come to mind, as it reflects the new level of cynicism and arrogance now openly displayed by those in power, when in the past, politicians attempted to hide their contempt for the American people.
History should have taught us by now to be wary of those who want to trade our liberties for promises of security. Past prophets of doom have proclaimed the inevitable dangers of the genetically defective, global cooling, over population, and Y2K, but, in each case, the world kept turning. While some crises, like Y2K, led to a few harmless computer upgrades, other crises, like the Eugenics movement, led to genocide. And where will the latest "crisis" of climate change lead us? I have no idea, but pray it stops with toxic light bulbs.