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Film Forum
Intelligent Believers on the Big Screen?
What critics are saying about the portrayal of Christians in A Walk to Remember and The Count of Monte Cristo. Plus: The Mothman Prophecies, Kung Pow, and part one of a 2002 preview.
Jeffrey Overstreet| January 1, 2002
Why do mainstream moviemakers so often portray Christians as foolish, legalistic, and condescendingly snobbish?
I get a lot of answers—often accompanied by intense emotion—when I ask that question. Some Christians blame a conspiracy of liberal, anti-Christian Hollywood powerbrokers. Other believers argue that if more Christians were telling good stories and making good movies for general audiences instead of within the bounds of a Christian subculture, truer representations would be offered more frequently. Still others suggest that Christians have earned flak by sometimes behaving in a condescending, judgmental way toward unbelievers.
Whatever the cause, the trend may be shifting, at least for a while. Two of three wide-release films opening this week present heroes whose successes are linked to their belief in a benevolent God. Still, there's more to good artmaking than avoidance of caricature; the films are garnering various complaints about onscreen religiosity and other aspects as well.
Hot from the Oven
Director Adam Shankman's (The Wedding Planner) A Walk to Remember, based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, has religious press journalists on their feet and cheering. But mainstream critics are remaining seated, or else they're headed for the lobby, where they're jostling to come up with the best joke headline—"The Bland Leading the Bland," "Forgettable," and "A Walk to Forget." Are these naysayers merely prejudiced? Or is the movie really just preaching to the choir? If you've seen the film, let me know what you think.
The heroine is Jamie Sullivan (pop singer Mandy Moore), daughter of a kind-hearted pastor (Peter Coyote) in a small North Carolina town. We're given the impression that Jamie is considered unattractive. (This made many critics smirk—apparently, it's hard to make Mandy Moore look dumpy.) In spite of her perpetual good deeds, Jamie gets mocked by high school troublemakers and popular kids. One of the class rebels, Landon Carter (Shane West), gets assigned the lead in a school play as a punishment for causing trouble. And—surprise, surprise—it's righteous-but-unpopular Jamie who gets the job of teaching him his lines. Surely the "plain" beauty and the "handsome" beast will be drawn to each other. Surely Papa will disapprove. And surely some dark secret will be revealed.
"Who would have thought that A Walk To Remember would turn out to be the first pleasant movie surprise of 2002?" says Michael Elliott (Movie Parables). "It will have its fair share of detractors who will deride it for what they'll [call] sappy, sentimental content. The film wears its heart on its sleeve, but at least it is a healthy heart that beats soundly and resonates with love."
CT's Douglas LeBlanc says, "Peter Coyote delivers one of the finest performances of his eccentric career" in what he describes as "a quiet but remarkable film."
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' critic writes, "Shankman's earnest teen romance travels a predictable route but excels in affirming faith values as a positive and joyous part of life."
Steven Isaac (Focus on the Family) remarks that the film "is just what its title implies. Moore infuses youthful passion into her heart-wrenching portrayal of Jamie. [She] has turned Jamie into a living, breathing Christian that you can cheer for and cry for." But despite his raves, Issac raises questions about the appropriateness of the film's central romance: "To begin dating [Landon], knowing that he is an unbeliever, puts Jamie in a precarious position. And if her actions are emulated, they will place young Christians in potentially compromising relationships."
Bruce Donaldson (Movieguide) voices similar misgivings. "Unfortunately, the movie reflects a phenomenon observable in the Church throughout much of the United States: the strong spiritual woman who wears the spiritual pants in the family. These women marry the 'good' backslidden or unregenerate men. As an exemplary Christian girl, Jamie should know better than to be 'unequally yoked.' If I had a daughter, I'd be concerned that, after seeing this movie, she'd get some romantic notion of finding an unruly boy and taming him herself."
Holly McClure (Orange County Register) was impressed that Jamie's "character and faith … gave her the inner strength and confidence that were her most important assets." But she tells parents, "There are several issues (standing up for your faith, teen marriage, a teen's death) that you may want to discuss with your kids and teens later."
Paul Bicking (Preview) cautions us that "almost a dozen obscenities are heard in early scenes, which prevents [Preview's] total recommendation." But he adds, "strong Christian elements, including Bible readings about love, are included without seeming overly preachy. The main character is portrayed as a Christian without being psychopathic or holier-than-thou."
(But is Jamie clearly a Christian? A fellow critic asked me if Moore mentions Christ even once. She certainly behaves morally, but do we hear her specifically express personal faith in Christ?)
"We long for good films for our youth," says Douglas Downs (Christian Spotlight on the Movies). "Well finally, here's one on the right track!" He admits, however, that his theater experience wasn't exactly ideal: "Much of the crowd laughed and made fun of the film. I can already see a shameless parody coming." But he concludes, "The message is inescapable."
That's the response from the religious press. But how does the film play for the nonreligious moviegoer?
A few mainstream critics were moderately pleased. Lisa Alspector (The Chicago Reader) says the movie "isn't manipulative" and it "has a fair amount of nuance and charm." And Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times) liked it. "After all of the vulgar crudities of the typical modern teenage movie, here is one that looks closely, pays attention, sees that not all teenagers are as cretinous as Hollywood portrays them. Yes, the movie is corny at times. But … I forgave the movie its broad emotion because it earned it. A Walk to Remember is a small treasure."
The majority, however, find it contemptible for predictability, preachiness, and racial stereotypes. Online ranter Walter Chaw (Film Freak Central) calls it "hopelessly unrealistic and often uncomfortable to watch, far more interested in presenting Moore with showcase opportunities to peddle her cavity-causing music. If you don't know every single plot point and twist after the first twenty minutes, you've done the sensible thing and left after the first ten."
Stephanie Zacharek (Salon.com) complains, "The story is secondary to the movie's grand lessons, which are thumpingly obvious." She concludes that the film is "a vehicle for teen singing sensation Mandy Moore. As vehicles go, it's an Edsel."
Jonathan Perry (Boston Globe) says, "In their zeal to create a character who embodies a wholesome, positive adolescent ideal, the filmmakers have invented an 18-year-old girl with no self-doubt, no emotional weakness, no character flaws, and a crystal-clear complexion … they've invented a saint, not a teenager." It bothers him that the only African American character is "relegated to spouting stereotyped black lingo, presumably for laughs, about 'getting my freak on' and how a 'brother' needs 'booty.'"
A.O. Scott (New York Times) says it "proves that a movie about goodness is not the same thing as a good movie." He's dismayed at Landon's transformation—into a Christian music fan. "The movie's deep message seems to be that bad music is good for you."
While it's comforting to Christians to see a believer portrayed without mockery, it sounds like it will take something more artful and original to capture the imaginations of more seasoned moviegoers. Still, this looks like a step in the right direction.
I was pleasantly surprised by The Count of Monte Cristo. It's director Kevin Reynolds's (Waterworld, Robin Hood) strongest adventure film yet. While it drastically rewrites the classic story by Alexander Dumas, it focuses boldly on questions of God's justice and the ethics of revenge.
James Caviezel (Frequency) stars as Edmond Dantés, a traveling Frenchman who agrees to deliver a letter when he arrives back in Paris. Fortunately, he is stopped before he delivers it, and a secret military communiqué from Napoleon is thwarted. But the letter threatens to expose one politician's dark secret, and the innocent Dantés is quickly condemned and silenced about the matter. He suffers under a cruel prison warden (Michael Wincott). But a God-fearing old prisoner (Richard Harris) educates Dantés behind the warden's back, preparing him for a valiant escape and a chance for fame and fortune. Dantés is more interested in revenge.
2002 is off to a good start with this surprisingly solid, old-fashioned adventure flick, which reminded me (and others) of The Mask of Zorro. The script is flawed and anachronistic, but the performances won me over. Caviezel is especially striking; he convincingly carries his character through almost a decade of trials and transformations, from a meek and naïve youngster to a bold, confident, and crafty Count. Lacking big-budget special effects, the film draws energy from Dantes's careful plotting and impressive swordsmanship. But the film's emphasis on the hero's moral quandary becomes its greatest distinction. The formulaic finale is a bit of a cop-out, but Dantes's twinge of conscience is a strength rarely found in big screen heroes.
Bob Smithouser (Focus on the Family) says, "These days, action films rely far too heavily on gaudy special effects and dopey catch phrases, and far too little on intelligent scripts and interesting characters. Monte Cristo succeeds because it ultimately isn't about action. It's about people. It's about issues that transcend a high-speed chase or an explosion."
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' critic writes, "Reynolds honors his source material by seamlessly interweaving themes of jealousy, betrayal, and vengeance transformed into mercy and redemption in an opulent production, although it underplays the main character's spiritual struggles with God."
Michael Elliott (Movie Parables) compares Dantes's trials to the sufferings of Job: "Woven into this classic story of revenge is the spiritual journey of a man who, due to the extreme injustice visited upon him, questions everything he once held to be true regarding God."
Ted Baehr and Lisa Rice (Movieguide) report, "The filmmakers are to be commended for clearly presenting a powerful tale, with a strong Christian perspective." They add, however, that the "Christian worldview [is] somewhat confused by a heightened emphasis on vengeance."
Not so thrilled, Marie Asner (The Phantom Tollbooth) protests that "18th-century films use modern-day dialogue as toss-away expressions. Monte Cristo has two good actors going for it and that's about it."
But Steven J. Greydanus (Decent Films) writes, "Monte Cristo balances its anachronistic sensibilities and over-the-top set pieces with genuine emotion and a real moral dimension—even a spiritual dimension." He concludes, "Monte Cristo is … as much fun as you're liable to have at the movies for quite some time."
Paul Bicking (Preview) determines that "Teens and older can enjoy this adventurous tale" without elaborating on why, except to say that it is "virtually free of coarse language."
Mainstream critics are doing some dueling of their own. Roger Ebert declares that it is "so traditional it almost feels new … the kind of movie that used to be right at home at the Saturday matinee, and it still is. We can imagine Errol Flynn in this material, although Caviezel and Pearce bring more conviction to it."
But Jeff Stark (Salon.com) gripes, "it commits the gravest sin against great literature—it makes it boring. Reynolds has thrown out all the rich subtlety and deep irony of the novel in favor of neat resolutions."
The Mothman Prophecies, a new paranormal thriller directed by Mark Pellington (Arlington Road), stars Richard Gere as a journalist sent to identify a ghostly presence in a small West Virginia town. A local cop (Laura Linney) helps him track down the moth-like monster that has been sighted in the vicinity of dreadful disasters.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' critic says, "Pellington's eerie film promises more than it delivers, but is short on substance."
Lindy Beam (Focus on the Family) says, "Mothman departs from the norm in its acknowledgment that evil spirits exist and make contact with humans, but it doesn't take them seriously enough to imply that they can and should be overcome."
Mainstream critics like Roger Ebert squash Mothman. "The Mothman is singularly ineffective as a threat because it is only vaguely glimpsed, has no nature we can understand, doesn't operate under rules that the story can focus on, and seems to be involved in space-time shifts far beyond its presumed focus. There is also the problem that insects make unsatisfactory villains unless they are very big."
My favorite critical responses of the week come from Joe Morgenstern (Wall Street Journal) and Wesley Morris (Boston Globe). Morgenstern says, "This film will fail as proof that our planet has been visited by entities more advanced than we are, but will succeed as proof that scripts can be written, rewritten, and green-lighted by entities less advanced than we are." And Morris says the film is full of horror clichés: "The phone rings so often and so menacingly that terror appears to need its own receptionist."
Many critics, perhaps exhausted by the number of crass comedies in recent months, decided that Kung Pow wasn't even worth seeing, much less reviewing. One who did brave the lowbrow comedy was Loren Eaton (Focus on the Family). Eaton writes, "While it's hard to deny its occasional moments of hilarity, Kung Pow!'s crassness, violence and sexual humor cripple an interesting effort. Families beware! This movie strikes below the belt." And John Adair (Preview) knocks it flat for "somewhat excessive, and occasionally crude, slapstick violence, a couple of lines of sexual dialogue, and six moderate crudities."
Serving Up the Same Old Thing - A 2002 Menu (Part 1 of 2)
2002 offers a discouragingly familiar variety of features. This year, we'll be comparing sequels and remakes to their originals more than ever. There's a new Star Trek film (Nemesis) and a sequel to Disney's Peter Pan (Return to Neverland). A remake of Charade is coming, called The Truth About Charlie. We'll go back for seconds with Men in Black 2, Harry Potter 2, Star Wars - Episode 2, and the second chapter of The Lord of the Rings. We'll revisit The Talented Mr. Ripley (Ripley's Game), and we'll get a new version of The Bourne Identity. And how about a third helping of Austin Powers? (The title is being changed, due to a lawsuit, and we don't yet know what it is.)
Perhaps the most anticipated film of the year is, in fact, not a sequel. But it's not anything terribly new either. Sam Raimi's Spider-Man arrives in May, with Tobey Maguire in the coveted role of the comic book hero. Kristen Dunst has the part of Mary Jane, his girlfriend, and Willem Dafoe (who has played Jesus, various devils, and even Nosferatu) hams it up as the Green Goblin. While it's sure to be a special-effects extravaganza, it could be even more. After all, Spider-man's longstanding popularity probably is partially due to the way young readers relate to Peter Parker's attempts to adapt to strange changes in his physique. (Adolescence?) As Parker struggles to control his powers, he also must determine how he will use them. Like young Harry Potter, Peter Parker's powers become a metaphor for every person's special gifts, whether artistic, athletic, or spiritual.
And there are other high-flying—and deep-drilling—heroes on the way. Jackie Chan will be armed with tons of technological gadgets hidden inside The Tuxedo. Chan's movies are almost always a celebration of good choreography, stunts, and laughs, and there's nothing wrong with that. Elsewhere, in The Core, Hilary Swank journeys to the center of the Earth, laying down her life for humanity in an attempt to settle the planet's turbulent subterranean disturbances. Call her the human Rolaids tablet.
Fantasy literature will return to the big and small screen with a vengeance. While television will see an adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time this year, you can expect to hear more details on C.S. Lewis's Narnia Chronicles, currently in pre-production.
Wizards rear their bearded heads again in The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers, a darker and more violent chapter in Tolkien's great epic. We'll move into the chapters where hobbits Frodo and Sam journey into the perilous land of Mordor to destroy the Ring of Power before it destroys them. Meanwhile, the rest of the broken "fellowship" join forces with armies of men to defend the land against masses of nasty unbathed Orcs.
These films, and one other, bring to life the beloved works of many accomplished Christian artists. Yes, folks, Harry Potter's J. K. Rowling is a professing Christian. She's a member of the Church of Scotland, and insists, "I believe in God, not magic." (A reader who happens to be a pastor asked me recently about an e-mail that's making the rounds, which quoted Rowling as publicly casting a curse on Christians. It's a widespread hoax.) Is Harry's witchcraft a ploy of the devil to ruin children, or is it the same traditional literary device employed by other great Christian fantasy writers? The debate will continue through the release of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Reign of Fire is a fantasy wildcard. It's a tale about dragonslayers striking back at dragons that have laid waste to the world. Slayers are played by Christian Bale (American Psycho, Empire of the Sun) and Matthew McConaughey (A Time to Kill, The Newton Boys.) Rob Bowman, who did admirable work with The X-Files: Fight the Future, directs.
Other films will turn their attention away from popular art to focus on the lives of artists. Biopics about inspired geniuses often raise important questions about the source of artistic inspiration. Sometimes (Pollock, Amadeus, Immortal Beloved) they explore the way suffering can be transformed into something vital and redemptive. Sometimes (Surviving Picasso, Vincent and Theo, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle) they are preoccupied with volatile tempers and reckless lifestyles. Will any of this year's crop offer new insight?
Frida, directed by Julie Taymor (Titus), stars Salma Hayek as the famous mono-browed artist who inspired portraits by Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina.) Ashley Judd costars in this story of Kahlo's work, love affairs, and influence.
Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliott) directs Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, and Ed Harris, in an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about artists, The Hours. Nicole Kidman costars as Virginia Woolf.
A.S. Byatt's acclaimed novel Possession seems too complex a work for the big screen. But director Neil Labute (Nurse Betty) has brought his rather subversive perspective to the story, which follows two academics (Aaron Eckhart and Gwyneth Paltrow) as they investigate evidence of a romance between two Victorian poets (Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle.) Will life imitate art?
The musical Chicago moves from the stage to the screen in an adaptation starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Rene Zellweger. Celebrity ambition leads to murder in this splashy show. The story could investigate sin and consequences, or it might merely sensationalize the antics of the stars. We'll see.
Celebrity corruption is also at the heart of Auto/Focus, a film by Paul Schrader. The film features Greg Kinnear as Bob Crane, star of TV's Hogan's Heroes, in an account of Crane's sexual addiction and self-destructive lifestyle.
Then there's Spike Jonze's Adaptation, the strangest of the bunch. How much of the artist's perspective and personality ends up in a work of art? Quite a bit, in this convoluted mind-bender. Nicolas Cage plays Charlie Kaufman, the real-life screenwriter who wrote Jonze's last film, Being John Malkovich. Kaufman (Cage) is writing a screenplay based on the real-life bestseller The Orchid Thief, by real-life author Susan Orlean. (No, of course, Susan Orlean doesn't play herself. That would be too easy. Meryl Streep takes the part.) When finishing the screenplay gets difficult, Kaufman (Cage) writes himself into it.
Confused? Me too. Let's look at something more traditional … the annual dose of traditional period pieces.
The most prominent places us in a conflict between Irish immigrants and Italians in New York. Martin Scorcese, who has never made an uninteresting film, directs Gangs of New York, bringing back Daniel Day-Lewis (my favorite actor) as a man called "the Butcher." Leonardo DiCaprio plays the young Irish hero who challenges him. The film has been delayed, reportedly out of respect for New Yorkers who didn't think 2001 was really the year to reminisce about New York's troubled history. Still, while patriotism is at a high, we would do well to remember that while admirable, America is not infallible, and it has as many shameful chapters as it does shining hours.
The Importance of Being Earnest is getting a new big-screen treatment. It stars the British actors that weren't in Gosford Park, and the wife (Reese Witherspoon) of the American who was (Ryan Phillipe.) Judy Dench, Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson, and many more are featured.
While hardly original, this list looks far more promising than last year's, in my opinion. Sure, there'll be the crass comedies and the flashy star vehicles. Hopefully, there will be many surprises from overseas. But many of these suggest we'll have some rousing discussions and debates in the coming days. And that's only Page One of a large menu.
Next week: Part Two of our 2002 preview, with glimpses of films that focus on crime, revenge, family dysfunction, and technology gone wrong.
Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Related Elsewhere
More review roundups are available in the Film Forum archives.
More From: Jeffrey Overstreet


RadioShack will face its life-or-death financial crisis without its chief financial officer.
John Feray has quit the CFO job for "personal reasons." It will use a consultant, Holly Felder Etlin, as an interim CFO without actually hiring her for the post.
RadioShack announced last week it was down to its last $30 million in cash and "actively exploring" ways to raise the additional money.
CEO Joe Magnacca admitted that time is running out on the company..
"It's clear that the current pace of our turnaround is simply not fast enough to address our near-term [cash] needs," he said. He also said while it hopes to avoid a bankruptcy that would wipe out existing shareholders' stake in the company there is no "predetermined outcome" to what it will do about the cash drain.
Neither Feray nor Magnacca signaled anything about Feray's departure plans in a brief call with analysts and investors last week. They also did not take questions, which executives typically do during such conference calls.
The company's network of more than 5,000 stores has done little to battle competition from Amazon (AMZN) and other online retailers. In March, the company said it needed to close 1,100 stores, or about 20% of its total. But three months later, it was forced to scale back to only 200 store closings when lenders balked at providing the cash needed to close more stores.
Closing stores can be expensive, requiring payments to landlords to exit leases as well as severance to employees and the cost of liquidating inventory.
The company also disclosed last week that sales at stores open at least a year plunged 20% in the most recent quarter due to lack of customer traffic and weak demand for mobile devices. Losses more than doubled to $137.4 million.
If it does find a lifeline, it could be from its largest shareholder, hedge fund Standard General, which owns nearly 10% of the company. Last month, sources told CNNMoney that it was in talks to give it a cash infusion.
Shares of RadioShack (RSH) were sharply higher early Monday despite the latest turmoil.


This recipe is from the 70's. Tells you how old I am. It's still good.
Bake 45 mins til lightly brown.
Cool one hour then chill in refrigerator 2-3 hours before cutting.
Serve with uncooked berries on top or to the side of each slice and a large dollop of whipped cream.


The University of Sheffield has an exciting programme of externally funded Independent Research Fellowships designed to establish you as a research leader in an ambitious, vibrant and supportive environment.
The University of Sheffield's Faculty of Science has world-class research and facilities where you can work in a highly collegiate environment, shaped by an ethos of "science without boundaries".
Meet two women in the University of Sheffield's Faculty of Science who have thrived at the University of Sheffield thanks to their Independent Research Fellowships.
Dr Megan Freeth (pictured above) completed an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship and a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship in the Department of Psychology at the University Sheffield. She came to Sheffield to create new research collaborations, develop her eye-tracking research and learn to conduct electroencephalography (EEG) research under the guidance of Dr Elizabeth Milne.
During her fellowships Megan advanced her understanding of the real world social attention processes in autism, investigated the role that autistic and social anxiety traits play in social attention mechanisms and also researched the neural basis of attention. Following her fellowships Megan moved on to a permanent lectureship in the Department of Psychology.
Dr Rebecca Corrigan is a molecular microbiologist in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and the Florey Institute, and is interested in the study of the cell-signalling and virulence mechanisms of the Gram-positive pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. She received a Royal Society and Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Dale Research Fellowship.
"What attracted me to Sheffield is the remarkable mixture of biochemists, microbiologists, structural biologists, all working together in my department. This makes collaborations incredibly easy and so conducive to multidisciplinary research," she says. "The unique approach of the Florey Institute, which combines clinicians and researchers under one umbrella, was just the icing on the cake."
The University of Sheffield accept informal applications for Independent Research Fellowships all year, so get in touch with the relevant Head of Department or the Faculty of Science Director of Research and Innovation.


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McDonald's Hot Coffee Lawsuit – The Real Facts
The McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit created a lot of hype, especially by John Stossel at ABC News. No one is in favor of frivolous cases and outlandish results, but it is important to understand some key facts that were NOT reported in the stories about the case.
McDonald's coffee was not only hot, it was scalding – capable of almost instantaneous destruction of skin, flesh, and muscle. THEY KNEW IT AND DID NOTHING ABOUT IT!
Why does the media report only part of the McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit story? Without the reader becoming emotional, the story is boring. In order to make the story more interesting and increase its audience, the media looks to excite their readers or make them angry. Lately, this has become known as Fake News. But now there's a movie Hot Coffee showing the real truth!
Here's the real true story of the McDonald's coffee lawsuit, untold by the media:
1 How Did McDonald's Hot Coffee Burn Stella Liebeck?
2 The Injury
3 How the McDonald's Hot Coffee Lawsuit Got Started
4 McDonald's Testimony and Other Evidence at the Trial
5 Stella Liebeck's Expert Testimony
6 Water Temperature | Length of Time to Receive Severe Burn
7 How Much Did the McDonald's Hot Coffee Jury Award?
7.1 How Much Did Stella Liebeck Really Get after the Jury Verdict Was Reduced?
8 Did the Court System Work As It Should Have in the McDonald's Hot Coffee Lawsuit?
9 Read about John Stossel's Biased and Misreported Stories
10 The McDonald's Hot Coffee Movie
How Did McDonald's Hot Coffee Burn Stella Liebeck?
Stella Liebeck, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was a passenger in a car when she was severely burned by McDonald's coffee in February 1992. Liebeck, 79 at the time, ordered coffee that was served in a styrofoam cup at the drive-through window of a McDonald's.
After receiving the order, the driver pulled his car forward and stopped so that Liebeck could add cream and sugar to her coffee. Critics of civil justice often imply that Liebeck was driving the car or that the vehicle was in motion when she spilled the coffee; however, NEITHER IS TRUE.
THE CAR WAS STOPPED when Liebeck placed the cup between her knees and attempted to remove the plastic lid from the cup. As she removed the lid, the entire contents of the cup spilled into her lap. This could have happened to any McDonald's customer who picked up coffee at the drive-in window and parked on the side.
The Injury
The sweatpants Liebeck was wearing absorbed the coffee and held it next to her skin.
A vascular surgeon determined that Liebeck suffered full-thickness burns (third-degree burns) over 6 percent of her body, including her inner thighs, perineum, buttocks, genital, and groin areas. She was hospitalized for eight days, during which time she underwent skin grafting.
The pictures of her burn injury are too gruesome to display here, but photos can be found with a Google search.
How the McDonald's Hot Coffee Lawsuit Got Started
McDonald's refused to pay the 79-year-old woman's initial medical expenses of $11,000 and actually countered with an offer of $800. McDonald's also refused to turn down the heat on their coffee.
Stella Liebeck was a Republican who had never filed a lawsuit in her life but was forced to hire a personal injury lawyer when she was left with $20,000 of unpaid medical bills. The McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit was started.
Liebeck sought to settle her claim for only $20,000, but McDonald's still refused. A mediator later recommended that the parties settle for $225,000. Again, McDonald's refused, and the case went to trial.
McDonald's Testimony and Other Evidence at the Trial
McDonald's representatives lied to the court and jury about the existence of other claims, but documents were admitted into evidence showing that they knew of more than 700 claims by adults and children burned by its coffee between 1982 and 1992. Some claims involved third-degree burns substantially similar to Liebeck's. This history documented McDonald's knowledge about the extent and nature of the intentionally created burn hazard.
McDonald's quality assurance manager testified that the company actively enforced a requirement that coffee is held in the pot at 185 degrees, plus or minus five degrees. He also testified that a burn hazard exists with any food substance served at 140 degrees or above and that McDonald's coffee, at the temperature at which it was poured into styrofoam cups, was not fit for consumption because it would burn the mouth and throat.
Although the quality assurance manager admitted that burns would occur, he testified that McDonald's had no intention of reducing the "holding temperature" of its coffee. McDonald's also said that based on a consultant's advice, it held its coffee at between 180 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain optimum taste. The quality assurance manager admitted that he had not evaluated the safety ramifications at this temperature.
McDonald's even ignored a request from the Shriner's Burn Institute in Cincinnati to turn down the temperature of its coffee.
McDonald's also claimed that customers buy coffee on their way to work or home, intending to consume it there; however, McDonald's own research showed that customers intend to consume the coffee immediately while driving.
McDonald's also argued that consumers know coffee is hot and that its customers want it that way. But McDonald's admitted its customers were unaware that they could suffer third-degree burns from coffee that hot and that a statement on the side of the cup was not a "warning," but a "reminder" since the location of the writing would not warn customers of the hazard.
Stella Liebeck's Expert Testimony
Plaintiff's expert, a scholar in thermodynamics applied to human skin burns, testified that liquids, at 180 degrees, will cause a full-thickness (third-degree burns) burn to human skin in two to seven seconds.
Other testimony showed that as the temperature decreases toward 155 degrees, the extent of the burn relative to that temperature decreases exponentially. Thus, if Liebeck's spill had involved coffee at 155 degrees, the liquid would have cooled and given her time to avoid a serious burn.
Other restaurants sell coffee at substantially lower temperatures, and coffee served at home is generally 135 to 140 degrees.
Water Temperature | Length of Time to Receive Severe Burn
156° | 1 second
149° | 2 seconds
133° | 15 seconds
124° | 3 minutes
At the time of the McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit, McDonald's coffee was served at approximately 185° – almost 30° hotter than necessary to cause a serious burn in one second.
This chart shows the difference between first-degree, second-degree, and third-degree burns.
How Much Did the McDonald's Hot Coffee Jury Award?
The jury awarded Liebeck $200,000 in compensatory damages but reduced this amount to $160,000 because they found her 20 percent at fault for spilling the coffee (not because she was driving a car).
The jury also awarded Liebeck $2.7 million in punitive damages, which equaled about two days of profits from McDonald's coffee sales.
How Much Did Stella Liebeck Really Get after the Jury Verdict Was Reduced?
What's the McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit payout? It was reported that Stella Liebeck received less than $600,000. The judge reduced the amount to $640,000, but McDonald's threatened to file an appeal, and the case was settled for less than the reduced verdict.
Breakdown of the McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit verdict:
The trial court reduced the punitive damages to $480,000, even though the judge called McDonald's conduct reckless, callous and willful.
Added to that amount was $160,000 for pain and suffering and medical expenses, so Stella Liebeck should have received $640,000.
From that amount, attorney's fees and case expenses are deducted. Assuming a 1/3 attorney's fee, she should receive $426,666 less case expenses which could have easily been $30,000-$40,000. If case expenses were $30,000, she should have received $396,666.
BUT the case was settled for even less than $640,000. No one will ever really know how much she received because the parties eventually entered into a secret settlement that has never been revealed to the public. This is despite the fact that it was a public case, litigated in public, and subjected to extensive media reporting. Such secret settlements, after public trials, should not be permitted.
Did the Court System Work As It Should Have in the McDonald's Hot Coffee Lawsuit?
After the trial, it was found that the temperature of coffee at the local Albuquerque McDonald's had dropped to a relatively safe 158 degrees Fahrenheit. This proves that lawsuits like the McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit are the only effective mechanism that forces companies to produce safe products.
The real story shows that the court system works. The jury reduced the verdict for the percentage of negligence attributable to the plaintiff. The jury felt that McDonald's actions were so disgusting and heinous that they awarded $2.7 million in punitive damages to punish McDonald's in an effort to stop this kind of callousness. The judge felt that this was too much and reduced McDonald's punishment to only $480,000.
Reductions of jury awards are a very little-known fact. Judges have the power to reduce a jury award, and they frequently do. Judges reduce awards whenever they feel the jury awarded too much; however, the media never, never reports the reduced awards. They only report the original verdict because, after all, the headline $480,000 punitive award to McDonald's burn victim doesn't sell as well as a $2.7 million punitive award to McDonald's burn victim! This is misleading hype journalism, of which John Stossel is also guilty.
John Stossel and most other reporters frequently reran the McDonald's Coffee Case story but have never reported the fact that:
Liebeck was a passenger;
Liebeck's car was stopped, not moving; and
The verdict was substantially reduced;
The verdict was settled for less than the reduced amount.
John Stossel produced a story on ABC News called "HYPE," in which he accused reporters of creating hype to get attention, but he neglected to report on how he hyped the McDonald's Coffee Case story!
Read about John Stossel's Biased and Misreported Stories
Prime-time propagandist – Is ABC's John Stossel a reporter or a right-wing apparatchik?
Talking pure manure – Stossel, under heavy attack from environment and consumer groups, admitted he'd falsified evidence in the report and that tests he'd said supported his claims had never been conducted.
Organics: The Blurred Vision of ABC's 20/20 (PDF)
How ABC News Fabricated One Lab Study and Distorted Another To Debunk Organic Food
ABC News 20/20: Stossel Apology for Organic Food Report Falsehoods ABC admits the report was wrong.
MORE UNDERHANDED REPORTING FROM ABC NEWS and John Stossel
Tell John Stossel to report the truth accurately! [email protected]
The McDonald's Hot Coffee Movie
See the video trailer of the Hot Coffee movie shows the real truth! Hot Coffee is an excellent documentary that exposes the tort reform movement, which successfully fooled many people into believing tort reform would help consumers and the economy. See the official Hot Coffee Movie website at HotCoffeeTheMovie.com. See Hot Coffee The Movie on Facebook
American Museum of Tort Law – their website also has the real information about the McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


FIXER UPPER! Significant improvements have been completed in the basement. This home features original wood floors, fire place, and open kitchen/dinning area, two car detached heated garage, off street parking, and garden space on a large corner lot. Great potential! Call to take a look at this one today!


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Centrum pro transfer technologií (CTT) Masarykovy univerzity (MUNI) představuje důležitou spojnici mezi univerzitním výzkumem a komerčními partnery. Toto centrum je zodpovědné za nakládání s duševním vlastnictvím univerzity a zajišťuje veškerý servis spojený s jeho ochranou a uplatněním v praxi, například formou prodeje licencí.

Vznik
Centrum pro transfer technologií vzniklo jako pracoviště Masarykovy univerzity v lednu 2005 za účelem vytvoření institucionálního zázemí pro nakládání s duševním vlastnictvím univerzity. V roce 2012 získala univerzita 55 milionů korun z Operačního programu Výzkum a vývoj pro inovace, jehož cílem bylo zprofesionalizovat podporu výzkumníků při hledání konkrétního uplatnění výstupů vědecké činnosti. Projekt skončil v květnu 2015, v jeho průběhu byly poskytnuty stovky konzultací vědcům i firmám, vytvořeno či právně ošetřeno přes 300 smluv, univerzita podala 30 národních patentových přihlášek (20 patentů bylo uděleno), 11 mezinárodních patentových přihlášek (7 patentů uděleno) či 32 přihlášek užitných vzorů (30 zapsáno). V souvislosti s konkrétními výsledky (např. know-how, vynálezy nebo software) univerzita v letech 2012–2015 prodala celkem 13 licencí.

Činnost
CTT je kontaktním bodem pro průmyslové partnery, kteří mají zájem o spolupráci s Masarykovou univerzitou formou sdílení univerzitních hi-tech laboratoří, nebo formou kontrahovaného výzkumu s vědeckými pracovníky a zaměstnanci. Od roku 2015 je Masarykova univerzita plnohodnotným členem Svazu průmyslu a dopravy ČR. Kontaktním místem SP ČR je Centrum pro transfer technologií.

CTT MU pomáhá vědcům a zaměstnancům univerzity ochraňovat duševní vlastnictví, identifikuje jeho komerční potenciál a poskytuje asistenci při zakládání spin-off společností. Zajišťuje výukovou činnost a pořádání odborných akcí sloužících ke vzdělávání odborníků i veřejnosti v problematice transferu technologií a nakládání s duševním vlastnictvím.

CTT v současné době spravuje více než 120 patentových přihlášek, udělených patentů nebo užitných vzorů. Nabídka technologií k licencování je dostupná online na webu CTT.

CTT se věnuje i propagaci výzkumných aktivit Masarykovy univerzity. Od roku 2007 vydává dvojjazyčný zpravodaj INTERFACE, který vychází v elektronické i tištěné podobě, a to zpravidla dvakrát ročně.

Na konci dubna 2017 pořádalo CTT už druhé Business Research Forum Masarykovy univerzity. Akce v pavilonu CEITEC je pravidelně největším setkáním univerzity prezentujícím výsledky její vědy a výzkumu se zaměřením na aplikace. Během slavnostního ceremoniálu univerzita odměnila za spolupráci dvaadvacet firem. Třetí ročník Business Research Fora je chystán na 25. dubna 2019.

Úspěchy
Mezi největší úspěchy CTT patří prodej licence na technologii plazmové trysky společnosti Nano Fusion, navázání spolupráce mezi softwarovou společností Corinth a katedrou biologie PdF MU při vytváření interaktivních vzdělávacích aplikací, nebo spolupráce se společností Generi Biotech. Úspěšná je i spolupráce Fakulty sportovních studií MU s výrobcem obuvi Boty J Hanák R, kteří společně vyvíjejí biomechanickou obuv pro zdravější chůzi.

V roce 2010 byla spolupráce, zprostředkovaná CTT MU, mezi ústavem fyzikální elektroniky PřF MU a společností TONAK oceněna 1. místem v soutěži Nejlepší spolupráce roku.

Od roku 2017 má Masarykova univerzita zapsanou ochrannou známku "Testováno v Antarktidě". Univerzita ji může prostřednictvím CTT udělit na technologie či výrobky, které byly testovány a obstály v extrémních podmínkách na České vědecké stanici J. G. Mendela na ostrově Jamese Rosse na Antarktidě. V témže roce odjíždí vědecká expedice s první várkou výrobků k testování. K projektu univerzita spustila i speciální web, kde se firmy i spotřebitelé dozví podrobnosti o této ochranné známce.

Odkazy

Reference

Externí odkazy

Masarykova univerzita

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


>Attachment of the BGA to the PCB is made by stencil printing solder paste onto the PCB's land pattern pads, then placing the BGA with its spheres attached onto the pattern, with the spheres contacting their corresponding pads and pressing into the solder paste. The BGA is then reflow soldered in a conveyorized oven. Since the solder paste alloy melts at a lower temperature than the BGA spheres, the paste melts and forms solder joints between the spheres and the PCB; the solder spheres are not allowed to melt.
The BGA provides a greater number of interconnections to the PCB than is available on a conventional quad-flat pack IC. It is precisely placed on the printed circuit board so the pads on the BGA match with the pads of the PCB. The BGA and the PCB are then heated with just enough heat to reflow the solder, joining the BGA and the PCB together.
Contact us at sales@rushpcb.com for more information on Ball Grid Array technology.


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La Superliga Colombiana est une compétition de football en Colombie, opposant les clubs vainqueurs des deux tournois semestriels, le tournoi d'ouverture et le tournoi de clôture de la saison précédente. La compétition se joue en match aller et retour, au début de la nouvelle saison, fin janvier.

Palmarès

Notes et références

Notes

Références

Lien externe
  Site officiel

Compétition de football en Colombie


As of late, a great deal of female big names have been busted for altering their photographs to make their butts look greater.
In a table shaking tweet at the beginning of today, Yemi Alade wrote, 'stop increasing your ynash in your pictures! You know you are straight like "I" embrace your real self ! Ahh ahh. Deceiving fans up and down'.


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Borrowing from her big sister? Sporty new mum Pippa steps out in the SAME high street dress Kate wore a week ago – with her tennis racket stashed in her two-week-old baby boy's pram
Pippa Middleton took her newborn son for a walk around Kensington on Friday
Was spotted wearing the same Whistles dress that her sister wore last week
The Duchess of Cambridge wore the £159 dress at Kensington Palace reception
Pippa and James Matthews welcomed a baby boy on October 15
By Martha Cliff for MailOnline
Published: 05:53 EDT, 26 October 2018 | Updated: 09:25 EDT, 26 October 2018
We have all heard of the Kate effect with the majority of the Duchess of Cambridge's outfits selling out in seconds as royal fans try to emulate her look.
And it seems not even her own sister is immune to her style influence.
Pippa Middleton, who became a mum for the first time last week, stepped out in a £159 Whistles dress that her older sister was spotted wearing just a week earlier.
The Duchess of Cambridge debuted the burgundy button down dress a week ago when she and Prince William hosted a reception for Radio 1's Teen Heroes of 2018 at Kensington Palace.
Even Pippa Middleton isn't immune to the Kate effect with the new mother spotted wearing the same dress that her older sister had worn just a week earlier on Friday
And it seems that even royal siblings borrow from each others wardrobe with Pippa wearing an identical dress today, though it is possible that the new mother may have purchased the same dress.
She paired the polka-dot button-down with her favourite Jimmy Choo sneakers as she took her two-week-old son for a walk around Kensington on Friday.
Meghan's favourite label! Duchess of Sussex dons $1,595... So THAT'S why Meghan's arms were so shiny! Duchess has been...
Designer behind Meghan's white Tonga dress hints he knew...
Keeping out the autumn chill the 35-year-old wrapped up in a brown wool scarf and finished her outfit with a pair of her signature shades.
And, despite having given birth just over a week ago, it appears that fitness fanatic Pippa may have resumed her workout regime having stashed a tennis racket in the bottom of her baby's pram.
The Duchess of Cambridge was spotted in the £139 Whistles dress at a reception for Radio 1's Teen Heroes of 2018 at Kensington Palace last week
Pippa, who became a mum for the first time last week, paired the dress with her favourite Jimmy Choo sneakers as she took her baby son for a walk around Chelsea
Sticking out from the £1,119 Bugaboo pushchair was a pink Wilson tennis bag and racket.
It would be no surprise if Pippa had returned to her fitness regime having kept active throughout her pregnancy as she documented in her Waitrose Weekend column.
It seems that the Middleton family have all been taking a leaf out of Kate's book when it comes to their style with Carole Middleton spotted in one of her daughter's coats this week.
The mother-of-three, 63, was snapped visiting her youngest daughter Pippa, 35, in London's Chelsea earlier this week wearing a coat Kate sported while pregnant.
It seems that Pippa may have returned to her fitness regime with a tennis racket spotted poking out of the bottom of her £1,119 Bugaboo pram
Pippa and her husband James Matthews welcomed a baby boy weighing 8lb and 9oz on October 15, but his name is yet to be announced
The Duchess of Cambridge wore the vibrant £220 Boden number on a visit to Great Ormond Street in January while she was expecting Prince Louis, now five months old.
It is not clear whether it is the exact same coat or whether Carole and her duchess daughter simply own the same item.
Pippa and her husband James Matthews welcomed a baby boy weighing 8lb and 9oz at the private Lindo Wing, at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, on October 15, but his name has not yet been revealed.
The Duchess of Cambridge's younger sister kept out the autumn chill in a brown wool scarf and completed her look with a pair of chic shades
The Matthews' baby was delivered at the £7,500-a-night private maternity unit where the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to her three children.
He was born on the same day the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they are expecting their first child together in Spring 2019.
James Middleton, 31, Pippa's younger brother, was the only member of the family seen visiting the new arrival in hospital.
Pippa and James are believed to have left the hospital through a side door the following night and quietly returned to their newly-renovated family home.
Pippa steps out in the SAME high street dress Kate wore a week ago


Digital forensics or computer forensics involves collecting, identifying, extracting, and analyzing evidence from digital devices such as computers, laptops, and hard disks. This type of technology is used in criminal, civil court cases, and in private organizations. This technology helps reduce employee theft particularly in banking, defense, and IT industries.
Rise in cybercrimes and security concerns, increase in insider attacks, and rapid advancement in forensic technology such as fingerprint recovery from metals drive the market. In addition, reduction in the price of forensic tools further boost the market growth. However, lack of skilled professionals and increase in complexity level of mobile and other devices restrict the digital forensics market.
The report segments the digital forensics market based on type, component, application, and geography. According to the product type, it is segmented into computer forensics, network forensics, and mobile forensics. By component, it is divided into hardware, software, and services. Based on application, it is segmented into healthcare, education, banking, financial services & insurance, defense & aerospace, law enforcement, transportation & logistics, and information & technology. Geographically, it is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.
The major key players operating in this market include PerkinElmer, Inc., Guidance Software, AccessData Group, Cellmark, FireEye, Inc., CCL Solutions Group Ltd., Binary Intelligence LLC, and Global Digital Forensics.
This report offers an extensive analysis of the current trends and emerging estimations through 20162023 of the global digital forensics market, which assists to identify the prevailing opportunities.
Comprehensive analysis of all geographical regions is provided, along with factors that drive and restrict the digital forensics market growth.
Quantitative analysis of from 2016 to 2023 is provided to showcase the financial scenario of the market.
The market conditions are comprehensively analyzed.


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BFA leverages the voices of city families to push for good schools, safe streets, and great neighborhoods.
Supporting families and their needs in Baltimore would be extremely difficult without excellent public schools. BFA's advocacy focuses heavily on supporting Baltimore's public schools and the 10-year school facilities plan. BFA's goal is to increase middle-income families attending public schools. Our organization works toward better BCPSS for all children in several ways. BFA was a founding member of the Baltimore Education Coalition (BEC), and remains an active participant.
In March 2014, BFA supported the BEC in hosting a gubernatorial forum that was well attended by the public and covered by the press. DBFA received recognition for helping to provide childcare for the event. Additionally, BFA published an editorial in the Baltimore Sun concerning selection of new City Schools CEO. BFA also focuses on promoting public schools through our Annual School and Children's Programming Fair, and a yearly town hall-style meeting with CEO of City Schools.
In addition, we indirectly market schools by using them as venues for various parenting seminars. BFA is able to leverage the investment into our organization, as it flows into multiple schools in Baltimore City through our human capital: involved parents. Over the summer of 2014, BFA hosted several neighborhood listening sessions in conjunction with The Fund for Educational Excellence in an effort to gather input from Baltimore's citizens and inform the new Baltimore City Schools CEO on what parents/community members are looking for from City Schools. Also, we continue to maintain and deepen our relationship with the BCPS Engagement Office.
BFA has been instrumental in bridging the communication gap between city parents and the administration of City Schools. As communication between the two parties increases, BFA anticipates increased parental involvement in schools and better processes and enrollment numbers for City Schools.
Research has shown that when middle-income children attend the same schools as children from lower socioeconomic groups, low-income children perform much better, and the middle-income kids do no worse than if they were in a school with a majority of middle-income children. As BFA is able to retain families in the city, we expect to see the trend toward better education and rising enrollment rates in public schools continue.
Based on research BFA conducted early in its organizational history, one of the primary reasons people choose to live in the city is to enjoy an urban walking lifestyle where one can do errands and enjoy amenities without getting in a car ("walkability"), as well as access to well-maintained, public green spaces. BFA strives to preserve and increase Baltimore's urban green spaces, and to continually improve our community as a more pedestrian-friendly, walkable place. These environmental features enhance the quality of city living for our children and for all residents. BFA has been involved in such initiatives as the development of Pierce's Park on Pier V in the Inner Harbor. Our organization has also initiated a "playground crawl" to increase family use of Baltimore City's park and playground resources and to build awareness of the various programming options available at many city parks.
BFA spearheads a number of initiatives to support and protect sustainable transit and walkability. In 2015 we successfully worked with Baltimore leadership to preserve one of the most popular lines on the Charm City Circulator, which had been jeopardized by budget cuts. In 2013 we led a letter-writing campaign to Governor O'Malley urging him to include funding to support the Inner Harbor 2.0 Project in the budget. One of the key aspects of the proposed redesign is the redevelopment of Rash Field into a world-class green space and park with playgrounds, event spaces, and other family-oriented amenities.
Navigating parenthood, family commitments, and maintaining some semblance of a social life requires a rock solid support network of friends and fellow parents. BFA connects families across Baltimore with one another to foster lasting friendships and meaningful community ties. DBFA hosts family-connection events, as well as various parenting seminars geared toward parents and the challenges they face raising a family in the city. These events provide a venue for parents to learn from each other and build a "village" for their children. In addition, our organization has set the stage for many other organizations and corporations to expand their slate of family-friendly events. Parents from all over the city attend these events with their children and connect with other city-loving families.
The City of Baltimore received a historic $641 million investment provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Please fill out the Mayor's Survey by Nov. 15th. The survey would like to know how you as a resident wish for funds to be distributed. https://arp.baltimorecity.gov/we-want-to-hear-from-you
2022 Candidate Tracking - Baltimore Bulletin is keeping track of 2022 Candidates for Federal, State and Local Elections (Stay Tuned)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lraOseq67L8P30x4tR3OlumSuePH2g6-I7pTPLccK94/edit#gid=1561469248
Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission Releases Four 'Concept' Congressional Maps for Public Comment
Thank you Maryland Matters for sharing the 4 maps! Commission members will also hold a statewide virtual public hearing on Monday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. Email testimony can be sent to testimony_LRAC@mlis.state.md.us.https://www.marylandmatters.org/2021/11/09/legislative-redistricting-advisory-commission-releases-four-concept-congressional-maps-for-public-comment/


Cambridge Finance & Investment Limited (CFIL) is a leading private equity firm based in East London, UK. We geographical focus on Asia, Europe, Middle East, North Africa (MENA) regions, South America and North America. With a powerful blend of indigenous and global expertise, Cambridge Finance builds unique investment partnerships that deliver an Absolute Solution to all stakeholders..


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Kitesurfing is said to have developed as a variation to parachute-skiing, a sport that was introduced in the 1970s. In the 1990s, a New Zealander by the name of Peter Lynn invented the sport of kite buggying wherein he propelled a three-wheeled buggy with a parafoil kite. Kitesurfing came about in the USA as a variation that followed the same principals of the above sports. Bill Roeseler, an engineer at Boeing, patented the 'kiteski' system, which basically consisted of a two-line delta-style kite connected to a pair of water try, Sugar Free Fat Crumpet Muffins skis. By the mid and late 90s, specialized boards were built to support kitesurfing and soon, surfboards became the more popular choice amongst the sport's followers.
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Depending on the force of wind, you need to pick a kite size that's inversely proportional to the wind speed. The faster the wind, the smaller the kite - its that simple. The aspect ratio of each kite determines the force it will pick up with the wind. In the modern kites available for kitesurfing, you have the option of using a 'depower' option that reduces the angle of the kite to the wind, thus slowing you down.
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The likelihood is that you're already using a cloud solution in your organisation. Typical business applications such as email (Office 365, Google G Suite, Zoho) and file collaboration (Dropbox, SharePoint, Box) are now the norm for many small businesses.
The next generation of cloud base solutions will be those niche and bespoke applications to your business, how these essential services can be translated into a cloud solution or communicate with them.
Companies will need to consider how their data secure, how do they move to another cloud provider and do they need additional backup strategy. Dunedin IT can provide, manage and provide your business with a Cloud Strategy.
Looking for a solution that is quick to deploy?


Charge 2 mobile phones simultaneously, at ease with the black Nokia DC-20 Dual USB car charger. Equipped with 2 USB, you can easily charge and transfer data or charge 2 gadgets, at the same time. Compact and lightweight, you can easily keep it in your car, and enjoy easy connectivity.
This best Dual USB car charger, is easy to use, as it comes with a power on, LED indicator. Other features include 1200 mA input current, 1000 mA output current, 12-24 V DC input voltage, 5 V output voltage, and 2000 mA output power.


If you have a netbook really huge battery life, you probably have all the time even though only 10% of battery capacity was left. This allows you to change the settings so that the warnings and go to bed at a better time.
Note: Of course, if you do not have a large battery laptop, maybe you should be careful with these settings, or you can lose data. If anything, you'd be better having had previous applications in this case.
They want the latest title of the Power Management settings in Control Panel, or better, by clicking the power icon, and go again more power options. If you're there, you can adjust the existing plan by clicking on "Change plan settings"link.
Next you'll want to click the "Change advanced power settings" link at the bottom of that dialog.
Now find the option for Battery at the bottom of the dialog and expand it until you find the various settings for Critical, Low, or Reserve battery levels.
Low Battery you will receive the first notice, usually 10% of battery remaining. At this stage, you will be notified when you feel like switching it off. You can go to sleep Low Battery if you want to work, but it would do for our purposes here.
Reserve battery is when your computer starts to use more drastic measures power, usually by 7%.
Critical battery if the laptop immediately go into hibernation, usually stay at 5%. You can change the Critical battery action to sleep or hibernate mode if you want.
You can edit any machine here, and you can even remove the notification is complete, if you want.
On MacBook Pro with Windows 7, I set the Critical battery instead of sleep mode and changed the battery icon in the application, slightly downwards. This is mainly because I have good battery life, and I will always plug quickly when the battery runs out.


Workers' compensation lawyers interpret workers' compensation laws and can help if you have a job-related injury. Workers compensation lawyers in cities near Miami, FL. coral gables. davie. fort Lauderdale. Hialeah. Hollywood. Lauderdale Lakes. Lauderhill. Miami Lakes.
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How can I pay my first bill after I buy a Blue Cross plan on healthcare.gov?
After you enroll in a Blue Cross plan at healthcare.gov, you have two options: pay now or pay later.
Pay now: To pay now, you'll need your payment transaction ID, which is sometimes called an application ID, from healthcare.gov. You'll also need to know the amount you owe and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan or Blue Care Network plan you enrolled in.
You can use this information to make your payment before you receive your first bill. Just call a customer service representative at 1-877-575-5081. You can pay by credit or debit card, or by setting up a payment using your bank account's routing and checking numbers.
After enrolling at healthcare.gov, you'll receive your bill within 5-7 business days and your Blue Cross ID card within 7-10 days.
Cash at any MoneyGram location.
Walk-in center — pay with check, money order, credit or debit card or through your bank account at one of our locations.
Mail in your payment to the address on your bill.
If you decide to pay by mail, we'll process your payment faster if you write your account number on your check or money order. Also, be sure to include your payment coupon.


The Corsair Gaming Sabre RGB is a lightweight and powerful gaming mouse with four-zone backlighting in 16.8 million colors. If you like playing with lower dpi and a larger mouse pad, you'll be able to react faster and feel less fatigued during longer gaming sessions.
The ability to change the light colors on the mouse is a little limited, but fine for my use. The software is easy to use, though it takes a little bit to figure out how things work. I also have the K70 RGB keyboard so the same software is used for both.
Ultra light weight and superior accuracy for fast gameplay. Light weight (100g), the Corsair Gaming Sabre RGB 10,000 DPI gaming mouse offers easy comfort and fluid reach w/ consistently accurate tracking, a 1,000 Hz refresh rate, eight macro buttons, and super-responsive switches.
Corsair K95 RGB Mechanical Gaming Gaming keyboard The Corsair Gaming K95 RGB mechanical gaming keyboard begins with the performance of the legendary K95, and adds multicolor per-key backlighting for virtually unlimited customization.


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Home » Magazine » Focus » Magazine » Magazine
Moving To Italy For Love, The Stories of Three Male Expats
Chiara Basso (February 12, 2019)
In "Roman Holidays" Gregory Peck plays the role of an American reporter who falls in love with a European princess (Audrey Hepburn)
Rick Zullo
We move for the romanticized lifestyle; la dolce vita. But in short, do NOT move to Italy in hopes of advancing your career. (Rick Zullo)
Once you fall in love with Rome it's like having the greatest weekend in the world with the most beautiful woman in the world. (John Henderson)
What impressed me when I moved here, it was not only the amazing cultural patrimony but also a defuse respect for that cultural patrimony. I had a strong sense that my peers in Italy had a greater sense of history than my peers in America. (Bruce Edelstein)
Bruce Edelstein
Living the Italian Dream: Part 3. How is Italy treating male Americans who decide to relocate? Three men share their takes on la dolce vita: Rick decided to move back to the US when he became a father, John could move to Italy only after he retired and Bruce never left after having arrived by chance as a student. But behind their decisions, there is always a form of love...
Rick Zullo and l'arte di arrangiarsi "until you become a father"
Rick Zullo lived for four years in Italy, mainly in Rome, where he first moved by himself "with two suitcases full of ugly American clothes, a few books, a laptop computer...and some dreams. I moved to Italy for love, both for Italy and an Italian. As to what I did, I tried to scramble together an income anyway that I could -- l'arte d'arrangiarsi. I mostly taught English, and eventually did some freelance writing." He decided to move back to Florida after is half Italian daughter was born.
Eventually, he says, "I moved back because while transitioning from a single guy with just a suitcase to father full of responsibilities, I panicked." Besides being back in West Palm Beach, Florida, Rick Zullo, who is now the marketing manager for Palm Beach Opera, keeps updating his website about Italy (www.rickzullo.com) as he goes back fairly often to visit, and he also keeps in touch with friends in Italy on a regular basis: "It's not easy, but it helps me feel connected."
Here are his suggestions for other wannabe expats: "We move for the romanticized lifestyle; la dolce vita. But in short, do NOT move to Italy in hopes of advancing your career. Highly-qualified Italians have a hard time finding a job, so why should they give a job to a foreigner who barely speaks the language? And there are deeper, systemic problems with the Italian economy that affect everyone. But again, I wouldn't let that be your determining factor. Come for the lifestyle, not the economic opportunity. Unless you're soccer star or supermodel."
"Just know that moving to Italy is rarely easy, but usually doable if you're willing to be incredibly stubborn, persistent, and patient. If you're older, retired, and fairly well-off, the obstacles are less. And perhaps if you're quite young (under 25) you can ignore the obstacles and just wing it. However, for most people, it requires a great deal of effort to get the needed paperwork, find affordable housing, and get a job. And that only gets your foot in the door. After the romance wears off (and it does, but hopefully not entirely), then you're faced with the task of figuring out almost every detail of daily life, as if you're entering adulthood for the first time, regardless of your age. A new language, new ways of doing things, and maybe the most challenging thing to re-learn, the accepted cultural norms. But on this last point, it's great fun!"
John Henderson waited 11 years before being reunited with his great love, Rome
John Henderson, a former sportswriter for The Denver Post, moved to Italy five years ago after he had dreamt about it for many years. "I lived in Rome on a year's sabbatical from 2001-03. I fell in love with the place and my newspaper in Denver gave me two extensions to 16 months. Once you fall in love with Rome it's like having the greatest weekend in the world with the most beautiful woman in the world and you spend your whole life trying to find her again. It took me 11 years but I finally found her. I had to return to live here full time." He now writes about his adventures in travel and food in his blog Dog-Eared Passport.
John came to Italy by himself, but he now has an Italian partner, Marina, and many Italian friends. We asked him the best ways to socialize in Italy: "I've been to 100 countries and the Italians are the nicest I've ever met. It's not just in Rome. It's from Sicily to the Alps. Romans love to go out and socialize but you don't meet people as you do in the U.S. You don't go to bars here. You go out in groups and meet other groups or meet friends of friends in your group. Internet dating isn't nearly as popular here as in the U.S. It's frustrating for a lot of expat men as they actually have to meet people face to face here. Many Italians join Meetup groups which meet regularly for similar interests. I belong to Expats Living in Rome, Internations, Rome Food and Wine Lovers, Language Exchange. I could go out every night of the week if I wanted."
According to John, expats must leave their value system back home. "It's different here. Free time is more valued than work. Also, be patient. Everything doesn't work as smoothly as in the States which, has the most efficient public services in the world. Waiting in line for 30 minutes to pay an electric bill is part of the charm of Italy.
John thinks that Italians have the right priorities: spare time, food, family and friends take precedence over work. "Now that does label them as somewhat less ambitious as in other countries, a criticism I'd probably confirm, but their stress level is so much lower than Americans'."
Yet, Rome has a lot of problems, he admits. "The three main ones: first, terrible public services. The post office is the worst in the world. Internet service is right out of 16th century Persia. The public transportation is the worst in Europe. However, you don't need a car in Rome. You just need patience; two, it's the filthiest capital in Europe. It's not because Romans don't throw garbage in the bins. It's because the bins are usually packed; three, the local government is rife with corruption problems. The roads remain potholed although those are beginning to get repaired. However, I don't miss much about my previous home in Denver. I miss college football and my Jacuzzi. Soccer has replaced football. I make sure I frequent spas in Italy. So I've managed."
Bruce Edelstein, in Florence by destiny
Bruce Edelstein, Coordinator for Graduate Programs and Advanced Research at New York University Florence, has been living in Italy for almost 24 years. He first arrived as an undergraduate student and at that time he would have never imagined that he could have lived permanently in Florence. "I loved it but felt that had exhausted that experience at the end of that year". But when he was a graduate student and had to write his dissertation he kept going back to Florentine topics. Then, he met many Americans who end up choosing to live in Italy and "eventually I met my Italian partner who is now my husband."
Among the things that Bruce loves about Italy, there is the fact of living in a country that knows history and respect culture. "As a historian, what impressed me when I moved here, it was not only the amazing cultural patrimony but also a defuse respect for that cultural patrimony by part of a significant percentage of the Italian population. I had a strong sense that my peers in Italy had a greater sense of history than my peers in America, even of American history. The education system here has invested enormously in teaching history and ensuring that even Italians who don't reach a university level of education have a great understanding and respect of history."
His biggest advice is about job search and language: "If you come for work, you need to study the situation very well and find an employer before you arrive. Many friends who tried to find a job here ultimately had given up. Also, learn the language. In a city like Florence, you can get by without speaking Italian but you will lose part of the experience without interacting with many locals, understanding the sense of humor, making long-lasting friendships, or travel more out of the beaten paths."
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God never explains himself. He rarely gives reasons. The events that unfold in our world seldom make sense. We, therefore, are confronted with the basic tenet of Christianity: The righteous live by faith.
On Saturday, March 9, 2002, three women were killed in Chicago when part of a 25-foot aluminum scaffold fell in high winds from the 43rd floor of the John Hancock Center. These three women were in their cars, unsuspecting of any danger, when the incident occurred. The Chicago Tribune headline stated: "Tragedy at the Hancock."
This tragedy occurred almost six months from the day terrorists flew planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., killing 3,063 innocent people. This horrific assault has been labeled "the day that changed America."
Tragedy is hard to understand, hard to explain, and hard on faith. Some people lay the blame at the feet of God and become bitter and cynical toward Him. They ask for explanation, but get silence. They ask for understanding, and are baffled.
Life, indeed, is a mystery. Much of what happens in life is beyond us. And even if it were explained to us, we probably wouldn't be satisfied with it. We long for sensibility. We seek explanation. We are desperate for reason.
We need to understand one fundamental truth that is spoken throughout all Scripture: God never explains himself. He rarely gives reasons. The events that unfold in our world seldom make sense. We, therefore, are confronted with the basic tenant of Christianity: The righteous live by faith.
Perhaps the greatest expression of undaunted faith ever penned came from the Old Testament spokesman, Habakkuk. Most prophets spoke to the people for God. Habakkuk spoke to God for the people. He lived in times that were hard on faith. He saw the righteous suffering and the wicked prospering. He asked God the two questions we often ask: "Why?" and "How long?" Why are these things happening? How long will it be before they are rectified?
God revealed to Habakkuk that the Babylonians, the epitome of everything Habakkuk (and God for that matter) detested, would become God's instrument of judgment on Judah. Habakkuk did not understand. He could not explain it. For a time, evil would win over righteousness and bad things would happen to good people. God's hand would not move. His face would not be seen. Yet throughout this time of punishment, God reminded Habakkuk of correct living: "The righteous will live by his faith" (Hab. 2:4).
Habakkuk realized that though he did not understand God's ways or timing, he could not doubt God's wisdom, love, or reliability. Then Habakkuk wrote his great affirmation of faith.
"Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will triumph in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!" (Hab. 3:17-19).
Habakkuk affirmed that even if everything he relied on failed, if everything that gave stability to his life crumbled, still he'd trust the Lord.
If Habakkuk were speaking today, he would say, "Though the scaffold falls, the stock market crashes, the company goes bankrupt, and the economy heads south, if everything I rely on falters - still I will trust in the Lord. My confidence in God will not waver."
Corrie ten Boom knew something about tragedy and suffering. She lived with a courageous faith. Upon emerging from a Nazi concentration camp she said, "There is no pit so deep that God isn't deeper still." She picked an apt analogy because pain and tragedy is a pit. For some, it appears bottomless. Many experience a falling, disorientation, a terror, as they grab for walls that are out of reach. They see only blackness, and hear only echoes of the life they used to know. And for many, they claim that God is not present. But Corrie ten Boom, like Habakkuk, reminds us that even in the pits of tragedy, God is still there. He is present.
Yes, pain is real. But God, indeed, is real, too. That's where faith comes in.
Faith reminds us we may not fully grasp God's design for our lives now, but in time we will come to trust in the God's love. Until then, we must believe in God.
A. Faith believes that God is too wise to make a mistake.
The God of the universe has a plan for our lives, and He is busy enacting it. But it is not easy to discern. It is often above and beyond us.
We view life as though we are watching a parade through a rolled-up program. We can only see what is immediately in front of us. But God is high above us and sees all of life at one glance. He sees both the beginning and the end of things, while we see only the present.
We are always wiser after the event. But while the crisis is occurring, we are unaware of why we are going through a tragedy. Only after we reflect does it strike us that God was in it all along. For that reason, we trust in the ways of God, believing that He is too wise to make a mistake.
On the wall of a concentration camp, a prisoner had carved these words.
B. Faith believes that God is too kind to be cruel.
Over the marble fireplace in the mathematics Building of Princeton University, written in original German, is the scientific credo: "God is subtle, but he is not malicious." God is never malicious in his dealing with us. Whatever he does, He does for our good.
"We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. For those He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers" (Rom. 8:28-29).
These verses are as important for what they do not say as they are for what they say. They do not say that everything that happens is good. They do not say that God causes evil. They do not say that everything will turn out okay for everyone.
What they do say is: God is at work in the world, especially in the lives of his children. His glorious purpose is to make us like his Son, Jesus Christ. And to that good end, God can and does use all things - the good and the bad, that which He causes and that which He permits. It assures us that no experience has to be a waste.
C. Faith believes that God always knows best and does best in His time.
When we try to impose our timetable on God, we get into trouble. For example, a man found a cocoon on a tree in his yard. He was intrigued by it and decided to watch it change. One day, he saw a tiny butterfly inside the delicate covering and he watched it struggling, trying its best to break out of its captivity. Finally, the man became so frustrated that he decided to use a razor blade to make a tiny slit in the side of the cocoon, in order to free the struggling butterfly. Soon afterward, the butterfly was free, but it could not fly and finally died prematurely.
There are times of trials, when we want to short circuit the maturation process. We want to "bug out" or "beg off", while God wants to prepare us for a great work or a new phase of life. Like the butterfly, it is only in struggles that we obtain strength.
D. Faith believes that God is in control, and therefore we can rest easily.
George Buttrick has said, "The same sun that hardens the clay melts the wax." It is our choice whether we will let the inevitable suffering and misfortune of life harden or soften us. We can choose to be hopeful or hopeless. We can decide whether we will be an optimist or a pessimist. It all depends on how we look at it, and we determine in which direction we look.
E. Faith believes that when we cannot trace the hand of God, we must trust the heart of God.
Habakkuk presented a great affirmation of faith by saying, "Yahweh my Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!" (Hab. 3:19). The deer Habakkuk is referring too was a mountain climbing deer known for its sure and steady feet. On the most treacherous terrain, it never fell. This is the Lord's promise to us. He will keep us on our feet as we travel the treacherous paths of life. He may not get us out of the troubles, but He promises to get us through.
God is here for you, too. He will never leave you. He cares too much for you. Even if the night is dark and the storm is raging, know that God is here. Even when you can't see the hand of God, you can trust the heart of God.
Will you trust him? Even if you don't understand why, will you trust him? Trust him because you know that he knows why. Even if you wonder how long, will you trust him? Trust him because he knows the time and the length of suffering. Trust him without explanation, logic and reasoning. Trust him because he is God.


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