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NewsMilitary
New Iran video appears to show U.S. sailor in tears
Iran's state television released new footage Wednesday of 10 U.S. Navy sailors detained by Tehran that appears to show one of the men in tears. U.S. military officials told CNN the video, released by broadcaster IRIB and titled "American Tears," is likely authentic.
#Iran state TV airs a new footage of #US sailor crying while he was detained in Iran's waters in #PersianGulf. pic.twitter.com/8st5Uihncc
— Abas Aslani (@abasinfo) February 10, 2016
None of the defense officials CNN talked to could say why the sailor was crying in the video. But as CNN reported several weeks ago, an official said the sailors were "upset" by the incident, which was "overwhelming." The sense was that the sailors, who ended up being released the next day, had no way of knowing what would happen to them and were struck by the enormity of the situation when their captors began filming them.
The State Department on Wednesday strongly criticized the latest footage.
"We've been clear, and the Secretary was clear, about our disgust at seeing the pictures and video of our sailors being used clearly for propaganda purposes," State Department spokesman John Kirby told CNN. "That remains the case with the newly released pictures and videos."
#Iran state TV publishes new pictures of #US sailors in which one sailor is crying after being detained. pic.twitter.com/Kl0WkN3QFG
Kirby said that the Defense Department is looking into the incident.
The new footage Wednesday drew quick condemnation from Republicans, who have been fiercely critical of the Obama administration's engagement with Iran during talks to reach an agreement on Tehran's nuclear program.
"The Iranian regime's release of new photos of U.S. Navy sailors illegally detained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard represents the latest Iranian provocation against the United States, and yet another attempt to humiliate American military personnel," Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said in a statement.
The sailors, nine men and one woman, strayed into Iranian waters after one of their two boats experienced engine trouble while traveling through the Persian Gulf on January 12. President Barack Obama, delivering his last State of the Union speech that night, came under fire for not mentioning the servicemen, who were held for about a day before Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated their release.
The incident came just weeks after the U.S. and its allies had reached a final nuclear agreement with Tehran that angered the hardliners in Iran, where the sailors provided a propaganda goldmine, and days before the implementation of the agreement was to go into effect. At the time of their release, one commander of the Iranian Revolution Guard Corps said the Americans "started crying" after their arrest.
Shortly after the sailors were freed, Iran released footage showing one American sailor apologizing for the intrusion into Iranian waters and praising Iran for the kind treatment they'd received. "We thank you very much for your hospitality and your assistance," one sailor said in the video.
U.S. military officials later said that the sailors were ordered to "look happy" in that footage. Kerry used diplomatic ties forged with Iran's foreign minister to defuse the potentially explosive situation, but said afterwards that he was "very angry" that the Americans had been used for propaganda purposes.
His comments, to John Berman on CNN's "New Day," after the sailors release were noticeably stronger than the tepid response of U.S. officials after the sailor's detention initially became known. Days after their release, and before Kerry's tone sharpened, the U.S. also secured the freedom of five American citizens held in Iranian prison.


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ATBUTH Family kicks as rejected 10-year-old boy dies at ATBUTH
Family kicks as rejected 10-year-old boy dies at ATBUTH
by NEWS on 23:08 in ATBUTH
The family of a 10-year-old boy, Ismail Ibrahim, has berated the management of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, following the refusal of a doctor to attend to the minor, who was knocked down by a car at the Buzaye village along the Bauchi-Jos Road.
Speaking in an interview with Northern City News at the hospital, an uncle to the deceased, Nafiyu Haladu-Buzaye, said, "There was a fatal crash, which led to the loss of a life and properties.
"When the accident happened, we called the Federal Road Safety Corps officials, who were stationed in Buzaye, and they rushed to the scene and together, we took the victims to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi for treatment.
"They got there before me, since I also took some of the injured victims in my car, and when I got there, I discovered that the victims were still inside the car. I met the FRSC officials telling the doctor that they had brought a patient, but he didn't listen to them.
"The doctor told us that he didn't care if the boy died. We were there pleading with them to accept the boy when he died there in the car."
Read latest: How to solve transportation problems
Another eyewitness, Nasiru Chigili, described the doctor's action and utterances as "inhuman."
He said, "It was as a result of the refusal to accept the injured that led to that boy's death. They were there for exactly 40 minutes but the doctor refused to accept them; what kind of wickedness is that?"
He called on the Federal Ministry of Health to set up a panel to investigate the matter and punish those found culpable.
When contacted, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Alkali Mohammed, confirmed to our correspondent in a telephone interview that he received a report about the incident.
He said he had since constituted a committee to investigate the allegations against the doctor in question.
Read latest: Entrance of millennial designers with creative skills that match world standard
Mohammed assured members of the public that appropriate sanctions would be meted out to anyone found culpable if a case of negligence was established in line with the code of conduct of the medical profession.
Mohammed, said, "You will recall that I have given a standing directive that on no condition must a patient be turned back by medical personnel in the hospital without offering at least first aid in order to save the life of the victim; get him or her stabilised before sending them to another facility; ours is to save life."
Earlier, the Head of Operations, Bauchi State Sector Command, FRSC, Ibrahim Abubakar, confirmed the crash, saying it occurred around 5.30pm, on Tuesday, January 7, 2020. Punch
Read also: What Social Media is doing to YOU!
ATBUTH
Labels: ATBUTH
BokoHaram: Tukur Buratai lauds troops over Marte success
C hief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai has commended the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole for its success in dislodging Boko Haram terror...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Pure America's Got Talent Season 12 Live Show #6 ( THE FINALS!!!): Power Rankings
For this special Finale edition of the Power Rankings, I'm going to go backwards, beginning with the act I think is LEAST likely to win, and going up (down?) from there.
10. Sara & Hero: Going into last night's show I knew there was no way they'd win, but they had an outside shot at cracking top 5 as long as they continued their upward trajectory. Alas, that didn't happen, as there were a lot of mistakes and recycled tricks (that jumping bit at the end was amazing though, and I did like the inclusion of Loki and Marvel). All in all, this performance was pretty basic compared to what we've seen them do in previous live shows. And personal preference, but with the name "The Super Collies", I was kind of disappointed we never got a superhero-themed act from them.
9. Kechi: This was one of the segments that followed my "advice" (only not really because I wrote it long after they'd had everything prepared for the segment) and involved family of the people lost in the plane crash. The way the package was set up felt very strange, as if Kechi was the "Chosen One" to fulfill some sort of prophecy. I wish we could have just seen her as a human being who went through something instead of some spiritual entity. As for her song, I barely remember it, but considering there seems to be a clear top 4 and uncertainty about the other acts she – and everyone else above her – could very well wind up in 5th place.
8. Chase Goehring: More than most of the other Finalists, I think Chase truly put in the effort to give the audience what they were looking for and showed his growth as an artist last night. He finally sang about something other than how he's a "nice guy" and girls should go out with him, and while the lyrics were still pretty generic I got the sense they were at least genuine. He also took the rapping to a whole new level! It seems pretty unlikely he'll make the top 5 with his running order spot and having been on the bubble last round, but it's nice to see someone improve their craft over the season.
7. Diavolo: If I had my choice of who would get that last spot in the top 5, it would definitely be Diavolo. This – like all their performances – was a true masterpiece. I like how they mixed some familiar and new elements to create a tribute of sorts to their time on the AGT. If anyone from Season 12 deserves a Vegas show, it's certainly them. However, this show isn't really about finding a "Vegas" act anymore, and while I'm seeing more support for them than I did last week, I'm still not sure it's going to be enough to get them to the top 5.
6. Evie Clair: I really have to hand it to AGT – they may be messy at times, but when it comes to handling serous issues like the one they were handed last night, they come through. (I was shocked they didn't directly mention her father's passing until the judge comments, but I think that was probably the best way to handle things so she could perform at her best. The package was tasteful, thankfully, and the performance…well, it was still bland, but it was better than most of her other AGT performances. I know I said I was concerned she'd have an outside chance of winning tonight but those fears have been washed away, though I do think the sympathy voters still have a chance of helping her squeeze into the top 5.
5. Preacher Lawson: Preacher's final performance was polarizing, and he knew it. It's been a running joke on his social media that he knows he's going to lose to Darci and has accepted it, so I think he just decided to pick one of his personal favorite routines and go all out with the zaniness for this last episode. Leading up to last night's Finals, I was seriously thinking he'd be in the top 5, but now I'm kind of up in the air about it. Like I've been saying, it seems the top 4 are so far ahead of everyone else in support that trying to guess who the last spot in the top 5 is going to is a bit of a crapshoot. In the end, I put Preacher here because I think he has the most passionate supporters out of the likely bottom 6.
4. Mandy Harvey: I was thinking Angelica would be the Brian Justin Crum of the seaon and place lower than generally anticipated, but I fear Mandy may end up in this position since last night was pretty underwhelming compared to her amazing Semi-Finals showing. This one just felt like a re-tread of her Quarter-Finals performance, both content-wise and aesthetically. I think if she had done this one last week and "Release Me" for the Finale she might have been one of the last two standing, but this performance may have knocked her down a few pegs, especially being sandwiched between two of the most impressive acts of the night.
3. Light Balance: This was probably the only act that gave us their best performance of the season last night, and I think peaking at the right time is going to help them. Getting the Finale week pimp spot – which I was sure was going to Darci with a small outside chance of Evie/Mandy – leads me to believe they're getting a lot of audience support; before last night I was thinking they'd get 5th place at best and now I'm anticipating a top 3 finish for them. And while I know a lot of people who read this blog want Light Balance to win, keep in mind that a group act whose Golden Buzzer moment got glossed over and whose Quarter-Finals performance almost didn't happen placing this high is a huge accomplishment.
2. Angelica Hale: Her performance of "Symphony" was a step up from last week, but still not nearly as strong as "Clarity" from the first live show. But I know a lot of people LOVED it and she's been a frontrunner all season so I still think she's likely to be one of the top finishers tonight. I think all the seasons with 10-act Finales had the show-opener finish in the top 5 without winning, and I'd be surprised if Angelica didn't continue that tradition, but I'm not entirely sure where she'll end up. The runner-up spot seems to be the most logical place to put her, since she's probably the most likely to win if Darci doesn't take it, but as I said before, I've started getting some Brian Justin Crum vibes from her in the recent weeks, so she could finish a little lower.
1. Darci Lynne Farmer: After last season I thought there was no way we would have a front-runner as obvious as Grace VanderWaal ever again, but here we are at the end of the very next season and Darci's victory is arguably somehow even more inevitable. I think that might be because she's the "perfect storm" of an act most viewers can agree on; she's a young performer with a great voice which gives The Voice viewers something to tide them over until the new season starts up, but her act also incorporates puppetry and strong elements of comedy to appeal to the variety-loving crowd who still tune in to AGT to see Vegas-style acts do their thing. She also got a Golden Buzzer, which was obviously a major factor in her hype and popularity. Darci may not have one of those emotional backstories AGT has become notorious for, but when you think about it, even though many people with those stories have gotten far in the competition, the majority of the winners don't have one. At the end of the day, talent (usually) tops all else, and I'm sure this will be proven once again when Darci is announced as the Season 12 champion tonight.
September 20, 2017 I Written By Julia
I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!
Filed Under: America's Got Talent America's Got Talent Future America's Got Talent Live America's Got Talent Power Rankings Entertainment NBC Reality TV TV TV News
Tags:acrobatics AGT America's Got Talent angelica hale animal act chase goehring comedian Comedy dance troupe dancing darci lynne diavolo dog act evie clair finale finals kechi light balance mandy harvey preacher lawson sara & hero season 12 singer singer-songwriter singing stand-up comedian stand-up comedy ventiloquist ventriloquism
How to Win America's Got Talent Season 12
So I may have stolen this idea from dwtsfun on tumblr….. 😛 Even though there are a few clear frontrunners in this group of Finalists, we have seen some upsets on this show before, so even some of the biggest long-shots might still have the ability to pull it out. (Probably not, but it's technically possible. :P) So this post is going to be the advice I would give to each of the 10 acts we have left in order to give them the best possible chance at winning.
Darci Lynne Farmer: Darci has been the odds-on favorite to win all season, but that means she has even more pressure than the others to deliver. In order to stay ahead of the pack, she'll have to do something to really put herself over the top. So far, she's proven she can do a variety of voices, as well as sing and do comedy while switching "characters" on a dime. For this last performance, I think she should add another element to things like she has each time. I would think either two puppets (or maybe a two-headed puppet if that's physically impossible…LOL) or something extremely impressive for a ventriloquist to do. I know she can sing opera and yodel with her mouth closed, so probably one of those. But whatever it is, it'll have to be EPICLY impressive.
Mandy Harvey: Like Darci, she has followed an upward path throughout the season, with each performance being more polished than the one before, and each song feeling distinct enough to feel like something new while still fitting in with her "brand". Last week she even signed the lyrics. I think in order to win, Mandy will have to do something even more powerful than that. I'm thinking something dedicated to the Deaf community, but not sure what that could be (and as a member of that circle, she'd probably have a better idea than I would!).
Light Balance: Being a group will probably give them somewhat of a disadvantage, but they made it this far without ever being in danger, so maybe they have more dedicated fans than I thought! In order to have a shot at the title, they'll need to go bigger. Adding more characters/lights to really fill the stage or telling an epic story would definitely help their final act be a step up from their previous ones. My favorite thing they've done all season is still that transition into the Wolfman segment in the Quarter-Finals, so if they can pull out more tricks like that tonight I think they'll really wow the viewers.
Chase Goehring: In comparison to Mandy, who's songs are memorable and distinct from one other, most of Chase's pieces so far have sounded the same to me. The only one that's stood out was "Acapella", which I think was the very first one he did. That song had a lot of rapping in it, and I know that's something the audience has been waiting for more of from him, so let's hope we get more of it tonight! Apparently, he's written a brand new song specifically for tonight's show, so hopefully he's listened to the feedback from the judges and his fans and pulls out something special that stands out as his best performance of the season.
Sara & Hero: Definitely the most improved act of the season BY FAR and I have no doubt they're going to be at their very best tonight. They've become an unexpected crowd favorite, so if they add in new tricks like they have been and do another fun storyline I'm sure people will love this last performance. My one note for them would be to polish things up a little more; there were a few times last week when tricks went wrong (though they recovered exceptionally well) and I'm not sure that's going to go over so well on a night with such prestige as the Finals.
Evie Clair: I'm going to preface this one by saying I don't want her to actually do this, but this post is about how to win the show and unfortunately I think this is the only way she'll have a shot. She needs to play up her father's death as much as possible. Talk about him in the package, shed some tears, dedicate the song to him the whole shebang. Like I've said before, I truly hope this isn't exploited by the show and that she can use this an a method of catharsis and a source of positivity in her life, but to be honest I think it's the only scenario that might lead to her pulling out the win.
Kechi: My "advice" to her would be the same as Evie: crank the backstory up to an 11. Dedicate the song to the lives lost in the plane crash, involve their families in some way if you can, you know the drill. That's pretty much the only way she'll have a shot at winning.
Angelica Hale: Again, I hate this "advice" because it's really not healthy for her, but this is about how to win, not how to please Julia the Pure AGT blogger. Angelica's best path to victory would involve choosing a powerhouse "diva" anthem with as much belting as possible (I warned you this wouldn't be healthy for a 10-year-old). It'd preferably be a big emotional number, since she has to compete with the mother of all inspirational backstories. (And who's would that be? That's up to you, reader. :P)
Diavolo: I'm really not sure what advice I'd give to them, since their performance last week was one of the best things I've seen all season and they still ended up in the Judges' Save. I suppose I'd suggest doing another big, multi-layered spectacle, but this time have the theme be emotionally resonant or just easier for the audience to understand. I really don't like how the acts have to play down to the lowest common denominator sometimes (and I do think the reason some really good acts have gone home or been in danger was because the general audience just "didn't get it" which is a real shame).
Preacher Lawson: This last one is just going to be something I personally want to see from him, because I doubt he can win. (Though to be honest, I doubt most of these acts have a real shot at this point.) What I really want to see Preacher do is get up there and roast AGT. Maybe not to the level you'd see on, say, Reddit, but I think it'd be really fun for him to tease the judges like he did Tyra last week, or make fun of the abundance of singing acts. 😛
What do YOU think the acts need to do in order to win Season 12 of America's Got Talent?
Filed Under: America's Got Talent America's Got Talent Future America's Got Talent Judges America's Got Talent Live Entertainment NBC Reality TV TV TV News
Tags:acrobatics AGT America's Got Talent angelica hale animal act chase goehring comedian Comedy dance troupe dancing diavolo dog act evie clair finale finals kechi okwuchi light balance mandy harvey preacher lawson sara & hero season 12 singer singer-songwriter singing stand-up comedian stand-up comedy ventriloquism Ventriloquist
Who Should Win AGT Season 12? Who WILL? Weigh In!
I made a couple of polls for you guys! Who do you think deserves to win this season? And regardless of "should's" who do you think will be the winner? (I couldn't fix the size of the second poll, so apologies there!)
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Tags:AGT America's Got Talent angelica hale chase goehring darci lynne farmer diavolo evie clair finale finals kechi okwuchi light balance mandy harvey poll polls preacher lawson sara & hero season 12
HI HI! IT'S TY-TY! Pure AGT Season 12 Live Show #4: Power Rankings
Yay, I'm getting this up before the eleventh hour for once!
This first group of Semi-Finalists was clearly the weaker one on paper, but some of them really upped their game, and I think tonight turned out to be the best live show of the season yet since the first Quarter-Final. I'm noticing there seems to be a fine line that the acts have to toe at this point in the game; they have to keep upping their game with new elements to each successive performance, but by now they've all built a "brand" for themselves that the audience recognizes and by changing things up they risk alienating the fanbase they've built this far on the show. I think this is why we've often seen (and will likely continue to see) singing acts leave en masse during this round; most of them just don't have the freedom to play around with their act like the variety performers do. With that in mind, let's see how the votes seem to be falling this week……
1. Darci Lynne Farmer: With the only act of the season that caters to singing and variety fans alike, it's no wonder Darci is the odds-on favorite to win the grand prize. Even though she seems to be relegated to the "comedy bit followed by a song" format, I like how she combined the two tonight, as opposed to her previous performance when the song started and the connection with the puppet character dropped a bit. Ventriloquism has actually proven to be the mos successful variety act on AGT, with two representatives in the winner circle from the genre. And in two weeks, we'll get to see if Darci can be the third member of that exclusive club.
2. Sara & Hero: Remember when everyone was ripping the judges a new one for letting them advance through the Judge Cuts and now their Semi-Final performance has been getting the most love from viewers on social media (other than Darci of course)? Clearly they're well liked if they were in the top 5 of their Quarter-Final episode; I guess I just underestimated how much support they've been getting. It's certainly not undeserved-I think they've stepped up their game more than most others have at this point-I think I'm just surprised that one dog act was cut immediately without even getting a shot at the Dunkin' Save and the other is likely going to sail into the Finale without ever being on the bubble.
3. Preacher Lawson: The shade was real tonight on AGT. Of course, everyone is talking about Darci lampooning the parade of old ladies who flirted with Simon earlier this season, but I think Preacher took the cake for me with his "HI HI! IT'S TY-TY!" moment in his set (if you don't know what that was referencing, click on any AGT YouTube channel video from this season and skip to the end until you get a Tyra bumper). Preacher's style of comedy may not be for everyone, but like last round, being the only one of his genre is probably going to give him a boost. And his personality is just so infectious it's hard not to root for him. If he doesn't make top 3 tomorrow night, I think he's probably a lock to get the Dunkin' Save.
4. Mike Yung: His performance felt quite stagnant tonight, without a lot of range in expression or tone. It felt like a less powerful version of what the Masqueraders did two weeks ago, and we all know how that ended for them. However, Mike still seems to be a favorite of quite a few people, and he did get the pimp spot this week, which could indicate that he's been getting a lot of audience support (though I do think that may actually have hurt him a bit, since he had to follow frontrunner Darci). In the end, I'm going to guess Dunkin' Save territory for him tomorrow night.
5. Chase Goehring: I thought Chase would be close to a lock to advance to the Finals, but I think he might have fallen under the radar this week. Nothing about his segment was particularly memorable, which is arguably more dangerous than being outright bad. Luckily, I think he's gained enough devoted followers to get enough votes to be in Dunkin' Save territory.
6. Evie Clair: Evie definitely seemed less nervous this time around, and her confidence came through in her performance. I think being the only act left to incorporate a "live" piano might also help people remember her. Still, I think it's her story carrying her through the most, and, while absolutely heartbreaking, I really don't want it to be the main reason she makes the Finale.
7. Johnny Manuel: Johnny got some mixed reviews last night, and it seems like he could be one of the singer casualties of the week. He has his fans-as well as those who appreciated the choice to perform an original song-behind him. However, the judges were pretty hard on him, his running order spot was meh, and the hype surrounding him has died down considerably (I don't even remember them mentioning him-or, come to think of it, anyone else but Darci-getting the Golden Buzzer tonight). I think at best he has a shot at sneaking into Dunkin' Save territory.
8. Billy & Emily England: They were actually one of my favorite parts of the episode-I could tell they made a strong effort to show us some tricks we hadn't seen before-but it seems many viewers have grown tired of the spinning in circles thing, even with the new stuff. Having been top 5 after their last performance they might make it into Dunkin' Save territory, but I think their only hope of moving forward is the Judges' Save, if they even get that chance.
9. Eric Jones: Eric without a doubt improved over his previous performance, but I think his "casual" delivery is really going to hurt him this time. The trick was great, but he faded into the woodwork because of his lack of stage presence compared to most of the other acts in this group.
10. Danell Daymon & Greater Works: I liked this performance, but I'm looking around Facebook and Twitter and it doesn't seem like a lot of people agree with me….
11. Yoli Mayor: There seems to be a trend with singing performances on reality shows. Those who go for the high notes and belting get over-the-top praise, and those who go for something in the lower register are deemed lesser performers or are just plain forgotten about. I think the latter type of song is more suited to Yoli's voice, but it's not what the viewers for these kinds of shows tend to remember. She managed to hang on by a thread in the Quarter-Finals, but I don't see her having that luck tonight.
September 6, 2017 I Written By Julia
Filed Under: America's Got Talent America's Got Talent Future America's Got Talent Judges America's Got Talent Live America's Got Talent Power Rankings America's Got Talent Updates Entertainment NBC Reality TV TV TV News
Tags:AGT agt season 12 America's Got Talent america's got talent season 12 animal act billy & emily england chase goehring choir close-up magic comedian Comedy danell daymon & greater works danger act darci lynne dog act eric jones evie clair gospel gospel choir johnny manuel magic Magician mike yung preacher lawson rollerskaters rollerskating sara & hero season 12 Simon Cowell singer singer-songwriter singing skating stand-up comedian stand-up comedy tyra banks ventriloquism Ventriloquist yoli mayor
Pure AGT Season 12: Who Will Be the Top 10?
We FINALLY know the scheduled acts for the next two weeks, but there's barely any time before the first Semi-Final show starts so I'm not going to get to do as deep of an analysis as I was hoping. 🙁 But I'll still quickly predict a top 10 (aka the Finalists!):
Week #1 – September 5-6 2017
Top 3: Darci Lynne Farmer, Chase Goehring, Johnny Manuel
Bottom 5: Yoli Mayor, Eric Jones, Billy & Emily England, Mike Yung, Danell Daymon & Greater Works
Dunkin' Save: Preacher Lawson
Judges' Choice: Sara & Hero if it's a majority/Evie Clair if it's split and they go to the viewers
Week #2 – September 12-13 2017
Top 3: Angelica Hale, Mandy Harvey, Diavolo
Bottom 5: In the Stairwell, Colin Cloud, Celine Tam, Light Balance, WILDCARD
Dunkin' Save: Kechi
Judges' Choice: Between Christian Guardino/Merrick Hanna and they tie so Christian goes through with more audience votes
Filed Under: America's Got Talent America's Got Talent Future America's Got Talent Live Entertainment NBC Reality TV TV TV News
Tags:AGT agt season 12 America's Got Talent america's got talent season 12 angelica hale billy & emily england celine tam chase goehring christian guardino colin cloud danell daymon & greater works darci lynne diavolo eric jones evie clair in the stairwell johnny manuel kechi okwuchi light balance mandy harvey merrick hanna mike yung preacher lawson sara & hero season 12 yoli mayor
Pure America's Got Talent Season 12 Live Show #3: Power Rankings
Last Quarter-Final of Season 12! I have a lot going on with work this week and yesterday's episode wasn't all that interesting, so I'm gonna keep this short and to the point. Here's who I think got the most to least votes last night, starting with…
1. Kechi: I've taken to omitting her last name since that's how she seems to be branding herself (awesome that what is presumably her legal first name also works as a badass stage name). She got the "pimp spot" (aka the final performance of the show) has an especially emotional/inspiring backstory, and gave one of the few performances of the evening that was solid all the way through, so yeah; she's not going anywhere this week, and I reckon she'll be in the Finale in September.
2. Chase Goehring: Chase was a Golden Buzzer, delivered a solid (if not especially awe-inspiring) performance last night in a good running order position, and seems to have gained quite the fanbase over the course of the season. He's another person who shouldn't have any problem getting through tonight, and I think he has a decent chance at making it to the Finals (how big of one will depend on who else is in his episode next round, particularly if he's up against Season 12's other singing-songwriting superstar, Mandy Harvey).
3. Diavolo: The winners of the night for me; this was one of maybe two acts this episode that didn't feel boring, stale, or pointless. I was captivated all the way through! They also had a good performance spot which will probably help them out. I really hope if they are in the Semis they get put in the episode Light Balance is not in; I fear that voters may not put two dance groups from one episode through and I think both easily deserve to be in the Finale.
4. Danell Daymon & Greater Works: This was the other act that fully held my attention and made me feel excited. I'm sort of on the fence as to whether they'll be safe on in Dunkin' Save territory (they did perform first, after all) but much like America loves veterans (a lot, as we found out two weeks ago), I have a feeling they also love choirs. And I really can't see them in the Bottom 4 when I look at some of the other performances this week.
5. Angelina Green: Or "Angelica" if you ask Simon (even the judges are getting confused between all the singing acts now!) I toyed between Angelina and the act I ended up putting at #6 as to who would be the last one I'd call safe, because while both seem to have quite a few fans, neither were at their best yesterday. But I'm putting Angelina here because she was a Golden Buzzer and the singers have tended to fare better with votes than the variety this season.
6. Colin Cloud: For the whole week leading up to last night, NBC had a promo for the new episode with the tagline "90 seconds to change your life". Now, clearly some acts were going to go over that timeframe (and I'm pretty sure the "90 seconds" thing was a rule for Judge Cuts, not the live shows) but the fact that they promoted that aspect so heavily for this particular episode is especially hilarious in hindsight after an EIGHT MINUTE ACT from Colin. Like, wow. Even some of the other contestants-who are usually very supportive of their competition-were commenting on the unfairness of that. And I think that might be what lands Colin in the Dunkin' Save tonight, because it seems a lot of people on Facebook and Twitter were checking their watches during his segment. The idea was interesting, but perhaps a bit too complicated in execution for the AGT stage. I have a feeling we're going to be seeing him in the Semi-Finals, though, so hopefully he has a better trick up his sleeve for next time.
7. Mike Yung: I think Mike gave a solid-if somewhat shouty-performance last night. However, he is an older singer, and they haven't usually done very well on AGT. I think he was lucky to perform in the episode he did, because considering how many weak/unmemorable performances there were last night, I think he might have a chance to continue on from here.
8. Sara & Hero: I thought their performance was cute, and I liked the surprise addition of a second dog at the end! I feel like with her story and lesser competition, Sara and her canine companions will probably get more support than the Pompeyo crew did, just not sure how much or if it will be enough to keep them around for another go at it.
9. Oskar & Gaspar: I thought the technology was cool, but I didn't see much of a response from people. Acts with videomapping have mostly gotten lukewarm responses on this show, and most of those involved movements from the "human canvases", so I can't imagine one with people standing still would do better.
10. Final Draft: When I have to Google an episode that aired less than 24 hours ago to remember they even performed, that might be a bad sign. I think the underwhelmingness of it all might have boiled down to song choice.
11. Junior & Emily: They performed in the second place "death slot", but they did up their game a little to include a bit more than just spinning in their routine. Unfortunately, I don't think it was enough to make them stand out in enough people's minds and garner the support they needed to stay in the game.
12. Oscar Hernandez: I actually love him, but his running order slot coupled with the fact that Mel B just HAD to point out the forgotten choreography-even in a compliment-is probably not going to bode well for him.
August 30, 2017 I Written By Julia
Filed Under: America's Got Talent America's Got Talent Judges America's Got Talent Live America's Got Talent Power Rankings Entertainment NBC Reality TV TV TV News
Tags:AGT agt season 12 America's Got Talent america's got talent season 12 angelina green animal act ballroom dancing chase goehring choir colin cloud dance troupe dancer dancing danell daymon & greater works diavolo dog act final draft gosep gospel choir Junior & Emily kechi okwuchi live shows magic Mel B Melanie Brown mentalist mike yung oscar hernandez oskar & gaspar quarter-finals r&b salsa dancing sara & hero season 12 singer singer-songwriter singing videomapping act
Pure America's Got Talent Season 12 Live Shows Masterpost
For the rest of the season, this will be the page updated about upcoming show lineups and advancing/eliminated acts. Once the performance episode has aired, I'll link each act's performance here as well. I'll still post things like Power Rankings and general commentary on the show separately, but when it comes to information about the competition schedule and results, this will now be your one-stop shop!
Quarter-Finals Week #1: August 15-16 2017
Angelica Hale
Aryton & Paige
Bello Nock (Wildcard)
Billy & Emily England
Christian Guardino (Dunkin' Save)
Darci Lynne Farmer
In the Stairwell
Just Jerk (Lost Judges' Choice Tiebreaker)
Preacher Lawson
Puddles Pity Party
The Singing Trump
Yoli Mayor (Won Judges' Choice Tiebreaker via Viewer Votes)
Brobots & Mandroidz
Celine Tam
Demian Aditya
Eric Jones (Won Judges' Choice Tiebreaker via Viewer Votes)
Evie Clair (Dunkin' Save)
Johnny Manuel
Light Balance
Mandy Harvey
The Masqueraders (Lost Judges' Choice Tiebreaker)
Merrick Hanna
Pompeyo Family Dogs
Angelina Green (Lost Judges' Choice)
Chase Goehring
Colin Cloud (Dunkin' Save)
DaNell Daymon & Greater Works (Won Judges' Choice)
Final Draft (Wildcard)
Junior & Emily
Kechi Okwuchi
Mike Yung
Oskar & Gaspar (Wildcard)
Sara & Hero
Semi-Finals Week #1: September 5-6 2017
Chase Gohering (Won Judges' Choice)
Danell Daymon & Greater Works
Eric Jones (Lost Judges' Choice)
Evie Clair (Dunkin' Save-first act in the show's history to win the DS twice)
Yoli Mayor
Semi-Finals Week #2: September 12-13 2017
Christian Guardino
Colin Cloud (Lost Judges' Choice)
Diavolo (Won Judges' Choice)
Kechi Okwuchi (Dunkin' Save)
Pompeyo Family Dogs (Semi-Finals Wildcard)
Finals: September 19-20 2017
Angelica Hale (Runner-Up)
Chase Goehring (Top 10)
Darci Lynne Farmer (WINNER)
Diavolo (Top 10)
Evie Clair (Top 10)
Kechi Okwuchi (Top 10)
Light Balance (Third Place)
Mandy Harvey (Fourth Place)
Preacher Lawson (Top 10)
Sara & Hero (Fifth Place)
Filed Under: America's Got Talent America's Got Talent Future America's Got Talent Live America's Got Talent Updates America's Got Talent Videos Entertainment NBC Reality TV TV TV News
Tags:AGT America's Got Talent angelica hale angelina green aryton & paige billy & emily england brobots & mandroidz celine tam chase goehring christian guardino colin cloud danell daymon & greater works darci lynne demian aditya diavolo eric jones evie clair final draft in the stairwell johnny manuel Junior & Emily just jerk kechi okwuchi light balance mandy harvey masterpost merrick hanna mike yung mirror image oscar hernandez oskar & gaspar pompeyo family dogs preacher lawson puddles pity party quarter-finals sara & hero season 12 the masqueraders the singing trump wildcard yoli mayor
Pure America's Got Talent Judge Cuts Rounds 1 and 2: Power Rankings
We're onto the Judge Cuts episodes of Season 12, which means a bit of a format change on this blog! For this round (and probably the rest of the season) I'll be listing which acts I think are most to least likely to continue on past the next round in the weekly "Power Rankings". Since this is Judge Cuts and there aren't any Results Shows yet, I'm only going to include the acts that were sent through to the live shows, though in the near future I'll be doing a post noting any acts I think could potentially end up being one of the Wildcards.
Another change I'm going to try to implement on this blog is to make a strong effort to focus on the talent and performances of the contestants instead of their backstories, since a lot of other articles I've seen lately have been doing the opposite. So right now, my plan is to only discuss backstories if they are relevant to the actual acts the competitors are performing.
And, of course, like last year, please keep in mind that the order the acts appear on this list reflects what I think the majority of the audience will think, not necessarily my own personal opinions.
With all that said…
1. Angelica Hale: Charming child? Check. Tragic backstory? Check. Powerful voice? Check. If you have any of these things going for you, you are likely going to get a lot of the focus this season, and since Angelica has all three down pat, I think it's safe to say she'll be sticking around for awhile. The fact that she got a Golden Buzzer also helps her case, as I'm sure we'll be reminded of that moment whenever she performs in the live shows. Right now I'm predicting her to make it to the Finale, and she's probably one of the top 5 most likely to take it home at this point.
2. Puddles Pity Party: Okay, so he's not a cute kid, and his "tragic backstory" was more for comedic effect than to rise any real sympathy from people, but he has a great voice, and also already has a supportive following on YouTube. But I think the main thing Puddles has going for himself right now is that he seems to be the only real "oddball" we've seen so far this season. I've noticed a lot of the people that tend to go for the off-the-wall acts rallying their support behind him (and this crowd mostly consists of people who are generally opposed to singers competing on AGT) and he even seems to appeal to people who enjoy the more "standard" acts as well. I don't think he'll win, but I think he has a good shot at making it to the Finale. Puddles may be another drop in the sea of singers, but in a season that looks to be dominated by underage contestants with tragic backstories, I'll take any variety I can get.
3. Colin Cloud: In my personal opinion (and I've seen many others echo this sentiment) the first two Judge Cuts episodes were relatively boring for AGT. However, this guy (along with Puddles and the very brief montage with clips of the other magicians) was the saving grace of the second night. I've seen people comment they know how some of the mentalist tricks are done, but as we saw last week, with magic, presentation is half the battle, and I think Colin has mastered that aspect more than any of the other magicians this season. For that reason, I see him going pretty far. I'm guessing he at least makes it past the first round of live shows, and he might even have a shot at the Finale if he can keep changing things up enough to keep the audience interested.
4. Yoli Mayor: Here's where I start to get a little fuzzy in my predictions, because starting with Yoli most of the acts for the rest of this list kind of fall into the "meh" category for me, but I'm not entirely sure how others are going to feel about them. Yoli has an amazing voice going for her-though I think she was over-singing quite a bit in her latest performance-as well as a backstory a lot of people can relate to. I'm just not sure if either of those things will be enough to sustain her longevity in the competition all the way to the Finals, because her beautiful voice is one in a sea of many this season, and her story, while relateable, might get lost among some of the more gut-wrenching ones (ie. the ones involving some kind of illness). I think she'll probably make it past the Quarterfinals but I'm feeling like she might be a Semifinals elimination unless she manages to really stand out from the crowd.
5. Evie Clair: Evie is similar to several other acts this season, Yoli included, but as a singer alone, she's one of the less memorable ones in my opinion. On voice alone I don't think she holds a candle to the likes of people like Angelica, Yoli, and Christian. Also, unlike two out of three of that group, she didn't get a Golden Buzzer, which gives all the singers who did a leg up on her. What will probably make her stand out in others' minds is her father's illness, which is currently looking to be terminal. I hate to say it, but I think her standing in the competition might hinge on how her dad fares, and just how much focus in Evie's segments is on her family's journey in facing it.
6. Demian Aditya: So far, this has been the only "danger act" to advance to the live shows, and I think Demian might benefit in votes from the lack of competition. However, if he wants to make it to the end, he needs to start changing up his act, because I've seen a lot of comments on how similar his "role switcheroo" act in the Judge Cuts was to the trick he did back in his audition. Basically, I think his chances of sticking around will hinge on how many other danger acts end up in the live shows (which, judging by the mass exodus of most of the ones we've seen so far, isn't looking to be a lot right now).
7. Just Jerk Dance Crew: This was my favorite act of the first Judge Cuts show and, like Demian, I think being one of the few acts of their kind this season is probably going to be a bit of an asset. The thing is, a lot of the dance crews tend to get cut early during the live shows, and we already have another one that got much more buzz and fanfare being Tyra's Golden Buzzer, plus I'm pretty sure Diavolo is going to make it through next week and they're a very innovative act. I don't see JJ beating either of those two groups unless they pull out something AMAZING in the near future (or they play up their story a lot more, since right now they seem to be much more matter-of-fact when discussing their situation than most of the other contestants). Right now, they're a solid act, but you need to be more than "solid" to win the AGT million.
8. Eric Jones: I found Eric's performance last week good, but kind of forgettable. However, he's one of only a few magicians in the live shows so far, and has a sad backstory that does somewhat tie into his craft so I think he could last another round. Not much else to say right now.
9. Chase Goehring: Okay, I'll be honest, I found Chase completely forgettable both times we saw him (did they even air his full audition?) and the only reason he's not lower on this list is because he got a Golden Buzzer. He wasn't really bad or anything, but what worries me is that despite getting the GB, I barely heard any talk of him from fans once the show was over. All that fanfare leading to such a relatively small response is not a good sign, and at this point I'm questioning if he'll even get through the first round of live shows.
10. Sara and Hero: I was thinking these two were going to get eliminated in JC after their first audition, since the judges clearly had mixed opinions on it, but I'm glad they turned it around and managed to make the cut because I don't have much hope in most of the other animal acts this season except the family with the poodles. Speaking of the poodles, I think they could be Sara and Hero's downfall going forward because while Sara changed up the act enough to keep it fresh for this round, there doesn't seem to be anywhere to go from here, and I fear we may have already seen the best tricks Hero can do. With the poodles I just feel like there's so much more they're going to be able to do to impress voters, especially with their flashier set-up and all. Even if the poodles don't make the live shows, I doubt Sara and Hero are getting anywhere near the Finale, but I think they maaaaaaay have a shot at the Semi-Finals depending on who else is in their first live show.
11. The Masqueraders: I was happy to see these guys get through, and was pleasantly surprised to see that quite a few others were rooting pretty hard for them! They definitely fill the country niche this season, but I worry they might get lost among acts with more fanfare surrounding them, especially since their style of singing is more "chilled out" while others have really been focusing on belting as many notes as possible. I think their story of getting another chance to live their dream could help them a bit, but again, there are quite a few more memorable backstories this season so the impact of their's might not take them as far.
12. Singing Trump: I actually thought he stepped up his game quite a bit in the Judge Cuts, and I think I would have also sent him through. However, there is a big problem with getting political on this show. As we saw last season with teenage comedian Lori Mae, taking a clear political stance alienates half your audience right off the bat, but I think Singing Trump's approach of not taking a stance may be even more harmful in the voting department; Trump supporters will see his act as a disrespectful way of making fun of him, while Trump opposers are just sick of seeing him everywhere, an probably watch AGT as an escape from his media dominance. I'm just not sure where his voters are going to come from, and for that reason I think he might be out pretty quickly. Right now, I think he at best has a chance of being one of the acts vying for a "save" in his Quarter-Finals results show and we'll see how it goes from there.
13: Mirror Image: And now we're getting into the acts I'm actually shocked made the cut…unlike most people, I actually enjoy the antics of these two (though I wish both them AND the Quiddlers had advanced) but even I'm well aware that if they were put into a stronger group for Judge Cuts they wouldn't have made it through (but the general unevenness of the Judge Cuts round is a post for another day). I'm pretty sure they're going to get buzzed by Simon again in the live shows, and I don't think that will bode well for their votes. I did see a small amount of passionate support for them, so I guess depending on who else ends up in their Quarter-Finals show they might have a shot at being one of the acts up for Dunkin' Save, but even if they are I honestly don't see them advancing past the first round of live shows.
14: Junior and Emily: This is the one act so far I don't think even has a decent shot at making it to the Dunkin' Save zone. They're great at what they do…they just don't do much. I can appreciate the difficulty of their craft, but after the initial amazement there's not much else to their performances. They have an inspirational backstory, but again, it's one of the more forgettable ones, so I don't think it's going to do much for them. Unless these two really step up their game and add some variety to their performance, I don't see them moving forward.
That's it for now, but I'll be back soon with some more thoughts on how the show is being produced this season and how I think it could be improved. Plus I'll be doing some more Power Rankings next week (which looks infinitely better than either of the first two Judge Cuts episodes) and when Judge Cuts are over I might do a special edition for all of the Golden Buzzers!
July 27, 2017 I Written By Julia
Filed Under: America's Got Talent America's Got Talent Judges America's Got Talent Power Rankings Entertainment NBC Reality TV TV
Tags:AGT agt season 12 America's Got Talent angelica hale animal act chase goehring chris hardwick clown colin cloud Dance dance crew dancingd danger act demian aditya dj kahled dog act eric jones escape artist evie clair golden buzzer guitar Heidi Klum Howie Mandel Junior and Emily just jerk crew magic Magician Mel B Melanie Brown mentalist mirror image puddles pity party sara and hero season 12 Simon Cowell singer singing singing trump the masqueraders yoli mayor


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Home » Chicago Product Liability Lawyer » Chicago Talcum Powder Lawyer
Chicago Talcum Powder Lawyer
Talc is a mineral powder found in a variety of personal care products. It is one of the main ingredients in Johnson & Johnson's popular Baby Powder and Shower to Shower products. Since the 1970s, studies have shown a correlation between talcum powder and ovarian cancer.
If you or a loved one has regularly used talcum powder in the genital area and now has ovarian cancer, you may be eligible for compensation in a talcum powder lawsuit. A Chicago talcum powder lawyer at Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. can help discuss your legal options and next steps.
Contact us at (312) 236-2900 today to speak with an experienced Chicago product liability lawyer.
How Does Talcum Powder Lead to Ovarian Cancer?
According to research, the regular use of talcum powder in the genital area may cause talc particles to travel up the vagina, into the uterus, and through the Fallopian tubes. The particles may eventually settle in the ovaries. When this occurs, talc particles can lead to the growth of cancerous cells, tumors, and eventually, ovarian cancer.
Since 1971, more than 20 studies have shown the association between talcum powder and ovarian cancer. In addition, a Harvard study performed in 2008 discovered that the weekly use of talcum powder in the genital area increases a woman's risk of ovarian cancer by 33 percent. The study also found that the daily use of talcum powder raises the risk by 41 percent.
Popular Products That Contain Talcum Powder
Although Johnson & Johnson products are the most widely used products that contain talcum powder, this substance can also be found in the following popular products:
CVS Brand Baby Powder
Rite Aid Brand Baby Powder
Family Dollar Brand Baby Powder
NARS Blush Torrid
Maybelline Expert Wear Blush in Gentle Rose
Clinique Stay Matte Pressed Powder
Urban Decay Baked Bronzer Gilded
Almay Nearly Naked Loose Powder
Revlon Cover Stay Pressed Powder
Wet n Wild Baked Bronzer
Each year, approximately 22,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In its early stages, ovarian cancer shows no symptoms. However, in the later stages, a woman with ovarian cancer may notice a heavy feeling in her pelvis and uncomfortable symptoms such as:
Abdominal bloating and pain
Eating challenges
The urge to urinate
Menstrual cycle irregularities
In most cases, ovarian cancer is treated with a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. The surgery involves removing the cancerous tissue while chemotherapy is designed to shrink or kill cancer through special drugs.
Sometimes, women with ovarian cancer can gain access to new and innovative treatments by participating in a research-based clinical trial. It's important to note that the stage of a woman's cancer will determine her likelihood of survival, making early detection essential.
Is Johnson & Johnson Responsible?
If you have been a long-term user of Johnson & Johnson products and are living with ovarian cancer, you should know that Johnson & Johnson can be held accountable. The company knew of the potential link between its products and ovarian cancer for years but failed to take steps to warn women. Instead, the company tried to hide the issue from the public and continued to produce dangerous products in an effort to boost its profits.
How to Hold a Talc Company Liable for Your Damages
If you are living with ovarian cancer, you are likely facing costly medical treatments and a great deal of emotional hardship. You may also no longer be able to work and provide for yourself and your family.
By hiring a skilled Chicago talcum powder lawyer, you may be able to recover compensation for your damages and ease the financial burden that has struck you and your family. If Johnson & Johnson or another company that manufactures personal care products is responsible for your ovarian cancer, Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. can help ensure your rights are protected so you can receive the justice you deserve.
Talcum Powder Lawsuit Settlements
The public became aware of the correlation between talcum powder and ovarian cancer when several women who developed ovarian cancer after using talc products were awarded millions of dollars.
In October 2015, Jackie Fox, a woman who used Johnson & Johnson's Shower to Shower baby powder for years lost her life to ovarian cancer. Her family filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and was awarded $72 million.
Another woman was awarded $55 million after developing ovarian cancer after using Johnson & Johnson's Shower to Shower baby powder for decades. She was forced to undergo a hysterectomy and a few other surgical procedures. There have been over a thousand talcum powder lawsuits filed to date.
Contact a Chicago Talcum Powder Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been affected by talcum powder, you should reach out to a Chicago talcum powder lawyer at Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. today. Contact us at (312) 236-2900 to learn about your legal options during our free consultation.
Product Liability Information
Types of Product Liability
Chicago Motorcycle Defect Lawyer
Truck Defects
Medical Device Defects
Pharmaceutical Drug Defects
Defective Household Products
Defective Children's Toys & Car Seats
Industrial Equipment Defects
Swimming Pool Defects
Street and Highway Defects
Product Liability Resources
Monetary Damages in Product Liability Cases
Evidence in Product Defect Cases
Proving a Product Liability Claim


Erdem, Victoria Beckham, and Nicolas Ghesquière were among the winner's circle at last night's British Fashion Awards, scooping up the awards for Womenswear, Brand, and International Designer, respectively. (Though, with John Galliano presenting an award to Anna Wintour, who was clad in his brand-new Margiela design, it's hard to say that anyone was paying too much attention to the awards.) A full list of winners is below.


Regardless of the advanced online tools and elaborate resources, the demand for printed marketing materials and print publications such as brochures, pamphlets, magazines are journals never ceases even today, because it personally helps you engage your clients with your brand.As a matter of fact, hotel brochures are one of the best ways to compete for the undivided attention of your potential customers in an inexpensive and effective way.
At Sprak design, we build hotel brochure design samples with the suitable content format; no matter how many pages it contains it has precise information on products, services and your business. We take care of choosing the right brochure size, a number of pages containing the right information and great looking images that aptly support your business needs. We consider this as our first step to a great design because a right brochure size with clutter-free content can strongly engage people like no other. In addition to offline hotel brochures, we provide appealing online hotel brochures and many more.
Even on a most typical day, we focus not just on designing but on designing well. For this reason, our work remains unmatched with many options out there in the industry. Moreover, beyond this, we understand the importance of print marketing since we believe it cannot replace digital marketing but should be used to supplement it.
People usually come back to the brochures at a future date which is not so with online marketing materials. To top it off, it is easy to read and access. Best examples are jewellery brochures, restaurant menu, and tourism brochures and many others like these have a higher rate of conversion over the easily forgettable digital advertising.
action and wait to see the results.
As digital advertising can be forgotten once it is out of sight, it could be clever to supplement it with print marketing. It is observed that people spend no more than 3 seconds per page. Therefore, hotel brochures could have more chance to appeal to the prospective buyer rather than fight for the limited attention online.
Whether printing out large quantity or just a few, brochures can save you a lot of money when compared to the other types of marketing. They are durable and can be used over a period of time and are good for distribution as well making them a pocket-friendly option for business owners.
We make irresistible hotel brochure design samples with such detail that is sure to catch your eye and help you create stunning first impressions in front of your customers. Your brochure represents your company brand after all. We create attractive hotel brochure design templates keeping in check the changing trends of the industry. As a result, you can now explore a range of best-in-class options from our hotel brochure template depository.
Similar to the headline, the belief less is more applies to the font as well. We prefer simple and easy-to-read typefaces to more adorning ones. With content, we employ storytelling as a powerful medium to help you communicate with your potential customers. The next in line we value more is consistency whether it is front or back cover and body of the brochure design hotel, we ensure that the message remains consistent throughout.
With eye-catching colours and high-quality images, we see that your brochure is aesthetically pleasing and inviting. We are always open to your requirements, therefore, with our team,together we can work to create a desired visual layout. As colour is closely related to emotion, we will help you find colours that go well together. In the end, by incorporating the colour our purpose is to enhance your message visually and stress on the specific points that you want your customers to connect with and focus on.
The good starting point for most of our projects is always choosing the right size. In almost all cases, we get this right since we test the flyer or brochure with hotel brochure examples before making a thousand copies. With the right size, focussed content, and reason to engage with your brand, we aim to get you the results you seek.


text:
SignageWire
VW's interactive billboard and microsite ask people what they really want
As AdWeek tells us:
Last month, VW unveiled a key element in the buzz-building campaign, a 3,685-square-foot interactive billboard in New York's Times Square. It pictures the bug parked behind his microphone, alongside the headline "The people want their voice to be heard." VW is the first brand to utilize the interactive technology of the ABC SuperSign, which allows a two-way dialogue with passersby via SMS. Using their cell phones, pedestrians text their yes or no responses to the poll questions appearing on the sign, and through WAP technology, their texted votes are recorded live on a news ticker.
After any poll reaches 1,000 votes, the results are displayed via Web banners using advanced keyword tagging to match up relevant content. For example, an ad on an article page about the Democratic primaries uses keyword targeting to ensure the most relevant user-generated statement is displayed. The polling questions range from philosophical queries such as "Do you want to live forever?" to the topical such as "Do you want to know the truth behind gas prices?"
The interactive Times Square billboard also caught the attention of the media, including the hosts of The View, who spent about five minutes discussing the poll on the show.
"For us it's about participating in pop culture," says Ellis. "One of the things I was personally very intent on is crossing over from the interactive world into the real world. I want to create ideas that can naturally travel from one channel to another. ... It says something about the progressive nature of the brand in the way it speaks to the consumer."
So far, Ellis says the company is more than pleased with the results it is seeing from the effort. "I had high expectations, but I never thought we would get the response we did as a result of this polling," he says, noting the nearly 1 million votes received thus far.
Our take:
While certainly on the expensive end of things, VW's experiment illustrates the power of combining out-of-home advertising with social media -- a combination being tried in ever more venues nowadays. Granted most companies can't afford to install a huge, custom-built electronic billboard in Times Square, but even those using more modest displays are increasingly tapping the power of mobile microsites, SMS messaging and other mobile interactive technologies to encourage viewers to interact with their medium.
One of the more interesting points that AdWeek made was that the entire campaign -- including technology -- was managed in-house by VW's agency of record, Crispin Porter. The team hired an ex-R/GA member to work on the project, which was particularly clever given that company's past experiences running interactive, social applications on the digital billboards in Times Square (for example, with Nike).


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TMG may refer to:

Computing
 TMG (language)
 Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway
 The Master Genealogist,  software

Science and technology
 Tensiomyography, for detecting muscle properties
 Trimethylglycine, an amino acid derivative
 Trimethylgallium,  Ga(CH3)3
 Touring motor glider
 Thermal Micrometeoroid Garment, the outer layer of a space suit
 Thermomechanical generator, the Harwell Stirling engine

Music
 Ted Mulry Gang, an Australian rock group
 The Militia Group, a record label
 Tak Matsumoto Group, a Japanese supergroup
 Tiny Meat Gang, an American rap comedy duo
 The Mountain Goats, an American indie rock band

Other media
 Tele München Gruppe,  Munich, Germany
 Telegraaf Media Groep, Netherlands
 Times Media Group, South Africa

Other uses
 Tunney Media Group, fictional owner of NBS on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
 Tennessee Meiji Gakuin High School
 Têxtil Manuel Gonçalves, a Portuguese company
 The Monitoring Group, a UK anti-racist charity
 Former NYSE symbol for TransMontaigne
 Trident Media Guard, a French anti-software-piracy company
 Tunisia Monitoring Group, a free-expression group
 Toyota Motorsport GmbH, Cologne, Germany
 The Motorsports Group, a US team

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
package io.aos.python;

import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.FileReader;
import java.io.StringWriter;

import javax.script.ScriptContext;
import javax.script.ScriptEngine;
import javax.script.ScriptEngineFactory;
import javax.script.ScriptEngineManager;
import javax.script.ScriptException;
import javax.script.SimpleScriptContext;

import org.junit.Test;

public class ScriptingTest {

    @Test
    public void test() throws FileNotFoundException, ScriptException {

        StringWriter writer = new StringWriter(); //ouput will be stored here

        ScriptEngineManager manager = new ScriptEngineManager();
        ScriptContext context = new SimpleScriptContext();

        for (ScriptEngineFactory factory :
            manager.getEngineFactories()) {
            System.out.println("Available language: " +
                factory.getLanguageName());
        }

        context.setWriter(writer); //configures output redirection
        ScriptEngine engine = manager.getEngineByName("python");
        engine.eval(new FileReader("src/main/python/numbers.py"), context);
        System.out.println(writer.toString());

    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Participatory geographic information systems (PGIS) combine a range of feo-spatial information management tools and methods such as sketch maps, participatory 3D models (P3DM) aerial photographs, satellite images, global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS). CTA has been in the forefront of activities to promote PGIS across African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.
Impact assessments undertaken in six ACP regions have documented how empowering PGIS can be for rural and at times marginalised communities. This publication documents some of the success stories that have emerged as a result of CTA's initiatives in PGIS in recent years.


Join us in our Tasting Room for a celebratory toast and annual release of our most highly anticipated beers. This marks the official release of our 2018 [BANISHED] Tough Love Imperial Stout on draft along with 375ml & 750ml bottles. To make the evening even more special, we will also have a nitro version of Tough Love on tap along with 2016 & 2017 vintages. And you won't want to miss the toast at 6pm from our head brewer, Cam O'Connor.


A number of reasons actually, life putting things on hold mostly. But in that time I tried to narrow down exactly what I was looking for in a snake, attribute wise, and researched the laws in my state regarding them.
While life took over (married, two kids, etc) and I couldn't have one, I still had time to research all of these criteria, figure out exactly what I wanted. Turns out it was a taiwanese beauty snake with a good disposition.
From there, it was a matter of finding one for sale. Harder than it sounds. There were a few big name sellers of them, most with bad reputations on fc boi, and I do pay attention and research that as well, so they were out.
The next were private breeders inside of the US, few and far between, some wanting a bit too much for them, one (not named) on facebook wanted $250 $90 shipping, and that's just outside of my price range. A couple with the response of "they'll get back to me" and never did.
Then I turned to craigslist, got burnt, seller said he had one for $100, great, we agree on a day and time, I drive 3 hours out of state and by the time I get there he said he already sold it but he had a ball python if I was interested. I wasn't.
Jump a year later from all of that, and basically giving up on getting one, my wife says that the narbc show is coming up and that we should go, she knew about me looking all of this up because I had pestered her with all of it.
We go and she was there and I consider myself lucky.


Edgar Jacob Striffler, age 71, a funeral director for 53 years and a well-known civic leader, died at his residence in, White Oak. Mr. Striffler, who's father, the late Frank Adam Striffler (a long-time undertaker in Meadville, PA) joined his brother the late Frank Sebastian Striffler, in the operation of Striffler Brothers Funeral Home in McKeesport following his graduation from the University of Pittsburgh in 1912.
In 1927, Mr. Striffler and his brother merged their firm with Hunter and Edmundson to form the present company of Hunter-Edmundson-Striffler. Mr. Striffler served as president. He founded Striffler's of White Oak in 1956 in conjunction with his son, Frank Sheridan Striffler. He was a member of the National Selected Morticians, the Order of the Golden Rule, St. Angela's Merici Roman Catholic Church of White Oak and its Holy Name Society; the Youghiogheny Country Club; B.P.O. Elks, Lodge 136; and McKeesport Aerie 285, Fraternal Order of Eagles. He had served as the Treasurer of the Knights of Columbus, McKeesport Council 955, and, in 1934 as president of the McKeesport Kiwanis Club. As a young man, he was active in athletics. He was also considered one of the area's contract bridge players. Mr. Striffler was born in Meadville, PA, the son of the late Frank Adam and Helen Michel Striffler. He was survived by his wife, Hilda Sheridan Striffler; sons, Edgar Jacob Striffler, Jr. who resided in Washington, D.C., Frank Sheridan Striffler who resided in White Oak and Stephen J. who was still at home; daughters, Mrs. John (Ferne) Erskine who was at the U.S. Embassy in Canberra, Australia, and Mrs. Vernon (Gail) Posey who resided in Miami, FL.; 14 grandchildren; and a sister, Clara Peters who resided in McKeesport.
Friends were received at the Hunter-Edmundson-Striffler Funeral Home. A solemn high mass of requiem was celebrated at 11a.m. in St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church with Msgr. Leo A. McCrory officiating. Interment followed.


text:
Helytimes
A digest. One to three times a week.
THE WONDER TRAIL
Last week's Economist (highlights)
Posted: October 31, 2020 | Author: helytimes | Filed under: business | Leave a comment
stephencdickson for Wikipedia
A Royal Marine describes an encounter with Somali pirates:
The pirates misread the troops' intentions, and thought they were about to be abandoned at sea; a few jumped into the water while the rest attacked Mr Tennant's team.
Temporary chaos and confusion gave way to swift action:
His team acted that way, Mr Tennant argues, because they were used to working with each other and they had wargamed what might go wrong. In contrast, the pirates were suffering from fear, stress and fatigue and acted on gut instinct. "If you haven't gone through the decision-making process in advance, then gut instinct tends to kick in," Mr Tennant says.
I recall hearing once that you should actually practice moving your fingers on the phone to the buttons 9-1-1.
A profile of NextEra:
It is already the world's top generator of wind and solar electricity… It was quick to take advantage of generous tax credits to build wind farms across the Midwest.
From a piece on millennial investors:
When most boomers began saving a handful of investment firms loomed large, offering high-fee mutual funds. But electronic trading makes it much easier and cheaper to buy and sell directly. The cost of investing $100 on a stock exchanged has fallen from $6 in 1975 to less than a thousandth of a penny today.
Consideration of Peter Turchin's idea of "elite overproduction:
"The next decade is likely to be a period of growing instability in the United States and western Europe, he asserted, pointing in part to 'overproduction of young graduates with advances degrees.'
Is that a supply problem or a demand problem? I'd expect The Economist to offer an answer. A price signalling breakdown for sure.
There's a whole piece about the Great Barrington Declaration. Great Barrington, Massachusetts seems to get itself in the news a decent amount. W. E. B. Dubois, alternating current, Alice's Restaurant. I remember hearing of a rare tornado there in more modern times.
From the Declaration's website:
Who initiated the Declaration?
Dr Kulldorff invited Dr Bhattacharya and Dr Gupta to Massachusetts to record a video outlining an alternative to the current COVID-19 strategy. While meeting, the three spontaneously decided to also write a short Declaration to summarize the thinking.
Why was the Declaration signed in Great Barrington?
The Declaration was written and signed at the American Institute for Economic Research, located in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The Institute kindly offered to help with the video recording, providing a location, equipment and a camera man pro bono.
When you hear about an institute for economic research, look for the agenda of the rich far-right donors.
Studies of the unintended consequences of wildlife fences:
Pangolins curl up into a ball when endangered, in order to protect their soft underbellies. This is generally a wise move, but not when it causes them to embrace the wire of an electrified fence.
Review of Rod Dreher's Live Not By Lies.
Visiting Russia, Mr Dreher learns how honest Soviet citizens tried to avoid having much to do with the system. Geology was a popular discipline among scientists, as it let researchers spend a good portion of their lives in far-fling and unsullied places.
From a piece on what Biden would mean for Britain:
Bill Clinton was annoyed with John Major because Conservative activists publicized his dope-smoking at Oxford.
(Shouldn't we encourage prospective politicians to smoke dope? It might take them off the path of ambitious grasping, or at least chill them out a hair).
Similar topic, different article:
in 2018, ABCD, a German-marketing firm, estimated that Delhi and Mumbai are among the top six cannabis-consuming cities in th world, together burning more than 70 tonnes each year.
Alberto Bonadona, an economist in Bolivia:
There is no lithium industry. What we have is salt for a good barbecue.
What is Amazon? by Zack Kanter
First, what is Wal-Mart?
Few people outside of Walmart realize Walmart's historical scope of innovation. It built the largest private satellite communications network, enabling unprecedented coordination at enormous scale. Computerized point of sale systems, a massive trucking fleet to enable best-in-class logistics, innovations in EDI, the Sam's Club format. The list goes on. But all of these innovations were really just developed in order to optimize what was a very simple formula: that is, the selection, pricing, and inventory of SKUs in, say, a 30,000-200,000 square foot store.
from this essay here
there are enough of these guys
that you can always find one of them to say anything. (that one from Bloomberg but could've been Wall Street J)
Also, new (to me) term:
That from Joe Wallace in WSJ.
Stock market narratives
The invention of narratives to explain why there are more total sellers than buyers in particular stock indices can seem to me like an act as creative and fanciful as astrology or reading meaning from sheep entrails.
Maybe "the stock market" is down because people are starting to realize the holidays will be a bummer, or the election picture feels less clear than it did a week ago, or weather has turned in gloomy ways, or the elections in Chile and Bolivia indicate the left is on the march and the right is in retreat, or it's foggy in New York City today, or instability in general is in the air when the President storms out of his 60 Minutes interview and the other guy is hardly at the top of his game.
Or just because October is spooky, to markets and in general.
Maybe it's down because it's been overinflated for a long time, and it doesn't take much to make it turn. The market is a herd. Herds can turn on a sudden startle, on almost nothing, as Larry McMurtry tells us:
Long ago, when I was a young cowboy, I witnessed a herd reaction in a real herd – about one hundred cattle that some cowboys and I were moving from one pasture to another along a small asphalt farm-to-market road. It was mid-afternoon in mid-summer. Men, horses, and cattle were all drowsy, the herd just barely plodding along, until one cow happened to drag her hoof on the rough asphalt, making a loud rasping sound. In an instant that sleepy herd was in full flight, and our horses too. A single sound on a summer afternoon produced a short but violent stampede. The cattle and horses ran full-out for perhaps one hundred yards. It was the only stampede I was ever in, and a dragging hoof caused it.
Maybe the vibe is just off.
I'm not saying this headline is wrong, just that it might be. Words like "on" or "amidst" can be made to do more work than they ought to. The idea stock market study or business analysis is a hard science is silly. There's absolutely room to consider the role of unquantifiable vibes. You might as fairly say Stocks Fall On Gloomy Animal Spirits.
Further, the human need to put a story on events is unstoppable. Narrative investing is kind of becoming a thing, but I still feel there's a flawed sense that you can make a science of it.
intense sunset I saw
Intrigued by what was on TV in 1940
Posted: October 20, 2020 | Author: helytimes | Filed under: business, TV | Leave a comment
From Larry McMurtry's review of Connie Bruck's bio of Lew Wasserman, in the newly unlocked NYRofB archives.
From those same archives, Renata Adler's savage attack on Pauline Kael drops a parenthetical on TV:
Marilyn Monroe's best ever
Posted: October 18, 2020 | Author: helytimes | Filed under: Hollywood, sexuality | Leave a comment
They trade sex stories. Capote tells of a homosexual fling he had with Errol Flynn. Marilyn: "It's not as if you told me anything new. I've always known Errol zigzagged. I have a masseur, he's practically my sister, and he was Tyrone Power's masseur, and he told me all about the things Errol and Ty Power were doing…. So let's hear your best experience. Along those lines."
Capote: "The best? The most memorable? Suppose you answer the question first."
Marilyn: "And I drive hard bargains! Ha! (Swallowing champagne) Joe's not bad. He can hit home runs. If that's all it takes, we'd still be married. I still love him, though. He's genuine."
Capote: "Husbands don't count. Not in this game."
Marilyn (nibbling her nail, really thinking): "Well, I met a man, he's related to Gary Cooper somehow. A stockbroker, and nothing much to look at– sixty-five, and he wears those very thick glasses. Thick as jellyfish. I can't say what it was, but–"
Capote: "You can stop right there. I've heard all about him from other girls… He's Rocky Cooper's stepfather. He's supposed to be sensational."
Marilyn: "He is. Okay, smart-ass. Your turn."
That, from Truman Capote's Music for Chameleons, quoted in this fantastic post about Marilyn's social networks by the always interesting Randall Collins, frequent Helytimes subject.
Who was this mysterious man?
Veronica "Rocky" Cooper. From her Wikipedia:
Veronica Balfe was born to Veronica Gibbons and Harry Balfe, Jr. Following her parents' divorce, she lived in Paris with her mother. Balfe did not see her father for many years, but kept in touch with her grandfather, who owned a ranch in California. Balfe saw her father a few years before his death in the 1950s. Her mother married Paul Shields, a successful Wall Street financier.
An avid sportswoman, Balfe was known to her friends by the nickname, "Rocky." [1]
Source. "Discusses Wall Street reforms with Roosevelt. Washington, D.C., Oct. 29. Paul Shields, New York Utilities expert, shown leaving the White House after conferring with President Roosevelt in relation to Wall Street reforms growing out of the Richard Whitney case. Shields, recommends greater safeguards for brokerage customer funds, 10/29/38"
Aside from that and this, the man seems to slip through the internet. But what else do you need to know, really?
Always the possibility that Truman Capote made all this up for whatever reason.
Great interview with Joe Coloumbe, Trader Joe himself, from Coriolis Research (ht somebody or another on Twitter.
They have all kinds of great reports over there by the way. Should I grow mungbeans in Northwest Queensland??
Rich people paying for elections
Posted: October 13, 2020 | Author: helytimes | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment
From Hogarth's Humours of An Election
This is "good" in a way I guess, but this isn't supposed to be how this works:
CASH SPLASH — "Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan donate $100 million more to election administrators, despite conservative pushback," by WaPo's Michael Scherer: "Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, announced Tuesday an additional $100 million in donations to local governments to pay for polling place rentals, poll workers, personal protective equipment and other election administration costs over the coming weeks.
"The donation, which follows a previous gift of $300 million for state and local governments to help fund U.S. elections, comes in the face of a lawsuits from a conservative legal group seeking to block the use of private funds for the state and local administration of elections, an expense that has historically been paid for by governments. But Zuckerberg has been unmoved by legal threats, arguing in a Facebook post expected to go live Tuesday that his decision to fund election administration does not have a partisan political motive." WaPo
Via Politico. Shouldn't states and local areas tax appropriately to have the money needed to run elections, rather than rely on the largesse of billionaires? Troubled. Are we veering to more of a straight-up oligarchy/democracy hybrid?
Absalom, Absalom
Posted: October 9, 2020 | Author: helytimes | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Finally finished this one. How about this part, about New Orleans:
I can imagine him, with his puritan heritage – that heritage peculiarly Anglo-Saxon – of fierce proud mysticism and that ability to be ashamed of ignorance and inexperience, in that city foreign and paradoxical, with its atmosphere at once fatal and languorous, at once feminine and steel-hard – this grim humorless yokel out of a granite heritage where even the houses, let alone clothing and conduct, are built in the image of a jealous and sadistic Jehovah, put suddenly down in a place whose denizens had created their All-Powerful and His supporting hierarchy-chorus of beautiful saints and handsome angels in the image of their houses and personal ornaments and voluptuous lives.
The Civil War approaches:
And who knows? there was the War now; who knows but what the fatality and the fatality's victim's did not both think, hope, that the War would settle the matter, leave free one of the two irreconciliables, since it would not be the first time that youth has taken catastrophe as a direct act of Providence for the sole purpose of solving a personal problem which youth itself could not solve.
The cover of my 1987 edition:
MW tells me he doesn't approve, because Sutpen's beard is supposed to be red (I myself didn't clock that in the text, which probably requires a couple readings).
The barebones plot of this book: ambitious youth sets out to make his fortune, rises through courage and violence, through will hacks out an empire for himself, is dest on its own could make for a pretty sexy TV miniseries or something: ambition, pride, violence, incest. But the way it's told, with the story embedded in retellings of retellings, and sentences that fold upon themselves for six or seven pages isn't too breezy. From Wikipedia:
The 1983 Guinness Book of World Records says the "Longest Sentence in Literature" is a sentence from Absalom, Absalom! containing 1,288 words.[8] The sentence can be found in Chapter 6; it begins with the words "Just exactly like father", and ends with "the eye could not see from any point". The passage is entirely italicized and incomplete.
Strange analogy but some of the verbal pyrotechnics of this book sort of reminded me of the FX show Dave.
when Dave busts out one of his long raps. Indisputably impressive feat of language and cognition but… to what end? A stunning demonstration of what a person might be capable of, itself maybe a worthy achievement, but do I need to pretend that it made me feel anything other than kind of numbed? At what point are we just showing off, or just pounding the reader's head in?
I don't think Faulkner would necessarily appreciate that comparison.
Shelby Foote, in one of his interviews, tells us that Faulkner had hopes this would be a bestseller:
I wonder if more people last year read Absalom, Absalom or Gone With The Wind.
The story of David's rebellious son Absalom is recounted in the Bible and the subject of a popular (?) Sacred Harp song.
Cocoanut milk
Petey21 for Wikipedia
I've been adding a dash of cocoanut milk to my cold brew in the mornings. Recommend! Just when you think, "there can't be a new milk to play with!"
Time for a walk?
Important to remember: Bruce Chatwin made stuff up all the time.
That image taken from Robert Shaw's 1871 book, Visits to High Tartary, via wikipedia
The Kun Lung mountains are no joke:
Imagine being the anonymous stranger who inspired Stevie Nicks' whole style. From an LA Times/Yahoo profile by Amy Kaufman.
beautiful poem
Posted: October 1, 2020 | Author: helytimes | Filed under: business | Leave a comment
The bank and the casino
The Tale of Mac Do Thó's Pig
wait a second
Really rich people
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Photo above at Teaneck, New Jersey in November 1956 by Bob Krone.
For as little as $44.00 a year, you can join the New York Central System Historical Society and gain entry to a world of information about one of America's largest and diverse railroad transportation systems!
Your membership gets you four issues of the popularly acclaimed Central Headlight, the official publication of the NYCSHS. Each issue contains a wealth of information each quarter. From steam to diesel (and electric), from freight to passenger, from branch line to mainline, and from the early days of Vanderbilt to the waning months of Young and Perlman, the Central Headlight covers it all. Our Annual Meetings are also an event not to be missed, focusing on the preservation of New York Central railroad history with informative speakers, presentations and tours. The Society also has many NYC reference books and drawings available for purchase. Members enjoy a 20% discount on many of the items offered in our NYCSHS "Collinwood Shop". Membership is open to all, so don't delay!
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