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Shazam! movie review: unmarvelous
Tue, Apr 02, 2019
Nothing matters in this literal adolescent-male power fantasy, a cheesy mishmash of nonsense and low stakes. Anyone who needs at least a bit of meat in their superhero tales will be disappointed.
I'm "biast" (pro): nothing
Well, here we have it. With Shazam!, a comic-book movie has finally made it explicit that the superhero story, at its most reductive, is nothing more than an adolescent-male power fantasy. Fourteen-year-old Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is chosen by a wizard (Djimon Hounsou: Captain Marvel, Serenity) to be his champion, complete with a grownup body (Zachary Levi: Thor: Ragnarok, Tangled) clad in spandex and with all sorts of caped-crusader abilities, such as "bullet immunity" and superstrength; all Billy needs to do is shout "Shazam!" in order to shift back and forth between his usual teen scrawniness and the magical adult-sized badassery. And what does he do with this unexpected boon? He mostly shows up school bullies, buys beer, goes to a strip club, and goofs around with exploring the extent of his superpowers, even to the point where that sometimes puts innocent people in danger.
Small favors: the movie doesn't actually take us inside the strip club.
"Didn't you get the memo, doofus? No capes."
Now, I'm sure that anyone who is now or who has ever been a teenaged boy will delight in how — finally and at last! — the gloves have come off and the curtain of pretense has been lifted and they can finally revel in being seen by Hollywood. But adolescent-male power fantasies is pretty much all Shazam! has going for it. There's not much else happening here. There's no larger resonance; Shazam! isn't actually about anything. This is taking place in a world in which superheroes are real — Batman and Superman exist, this is made crystal clear — and yet it doesn't feel like it. (That would be an amazing thing to explore: what is the world like for ordinary people when alien demigods and vigilante crime fighters are shaping culture? Instead we get tacky references to Harry Potter and Star Wars.) And I'm sure some will insist that it's good that the comic-book movie is "fun again" — as if comic-book stories haven't been overtly about punching Nazis and other social-justice matters from their very beginnings. For someone who needs at least a little bit of meat in their fantasies, Shazam! is a disappointment.
Shazam! is what a sop to "diversity" actually looks like, both within the context of the story as well as in the larger cultural milieu in which the movie exists.
And Shazam! isn't even simply pure exhilarating fun. Because nothing really matters here, that seems to have been an excuse for screenwriters Henry Gayden (the extremely derivative Earth to Echo) and Darren Lemke (the unclever meta of Goosebumps) to be lazy and director David F. Sandberg (the shockingly misjudged Annabelle: Creation) to indulge in cheesiness. (Um, there are some really cheap-looking FX here.) Right from the get-go, the entire premise of Billy's elevation to superhero is confused at best and suspect at worst. The wizard who needs a champion has been trying for decades, at least, to find one, but no one has been worthy enough. Yet the movie doesn't bother to let us know — and this matters, hugely — whether, once the wizard finally accepts Billy as his champion, the wizard is merely so desperate to Shazam-ize anyone that he overlooks Billy's unworthiness or whether there's supposed to be something about Billy that elevates him above the many other humans the wizard has tested. From what we do see of Billy's character, both before and after his chosenness, he's certainly not a bad person, but there doesn't seem to be anything spectacularly, uniquely good about him, either. We cannot even deduce from everything that follows which is the case with Billy. Which is a problem. If you squint hard enough, you might discern a motif of "With great power comes great responsibility" — although of course no one can articulate that because Shazam is a DC character and Spider-Man, who is famously taught that lesson, is from the other place — but that is even more watered down because we have no idea upon what basis Billy was granted his superpowers, and with what mindset he is using them.
No, really: What powers does this bad guy lack that he needs to steal from Shazam? We don't have a clue…
Oh, and there's this, too: In a montage sequence, we see a succession of other people talking about their meeting with the wizard and subsequent rejection as champion, and those people come in a wide range of genders and colors. For all those who complain about how superhero movies have allegedly gotten too concerned with "diversity" lately, this is what a sop to that notion actually looks like, both within the context of the story as well as in the larger cultural milieu in which this movie exists. Like, "Hey, we tried to find a woman or a person of color for the part, but only the white guy measured up. Sorrynotsorry!"
It's a slow-moving slog for the movie to get Billy from playing superhero to an encounter with the ill-conceived putative villain, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong: Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Miss Sloane), who is, in fact, one of the wizard's long-ago spurned would-be champions. It's a rejection that Sivana never got over, and now he wants to steal the Shazam powers from Billy. Except… Sivana has his own powers, absorbed from the manifestations of the seven deadly sins that the wizard had been containing. (This movie is such a mishmash of nonsense.) It's not at all clear what powers Sivana lacks — he seems to have all the same ones that Billy has — or what he will do if he succeeds. The movie tries to make a joke out of its own low stakes, with Sivana monologuing about his evil plans in a way that suggests we don't even need to hear them to know what he wants. But this comes way too late in the movie, and seems more a justification for not developing Sivana as any kind of authentic, plausible character than anything else. We're meant to just take him as a generic villain… and I guess it's fair that he's as generic as the rest of the clichés here.
Categories 2019 theatrical releases, action, adventure, comic book, coming of age, dramedy, family/kids, fantasy, reviews, teen Tags Annabelle Creation, Asher Angel, Batman, Darren Lemke, David F Sandberg, DC, Djimon Hounsou, Earth to Echo, Goosebumps, Harry Potter, Henry Gayden, Mark Strong, Marvel, Nazis, Shazam!, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Superman, Zachary Levi
Click here for my ranking of this and 2019's other new films.
Apple Music Canada
Apple Music UK
Shazam! (2019)
directed by David F. Sandberg
UK/Ire release: Apr 05 2019
MPAA: rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action, language, and suggestive material
BBFC: rated 12A (moderate violence, threat, horror, innuendo, bleeped strong language)


Friday evening kicks off with a midway carnival, live music, and vendors. Saturday highlights include the Judge Freeman Marr Panther Pride 5K Run, local music, arts & crafts, a car show, children's activities, awards for BBQ contest, and concessions.
Saturday, September 29, 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 29, Judge Freeman Marr 5K starts at 8:00 a.m.
Free. Visit http://www.cityofbartlett.org/628/Bartlett-Festival-BBQ-Contest-Car-Show or call 385-5589 for details.


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Tag Archives: aaron holiday
13 Jul 2019 Derek Kramer	Leave a comment
Indiana Pacers Summer League squad will not leave Las Vegas without a victory after winning their consolation game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Alize Johnson and DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell combined for 49 points and 23 rebounds to lead the way for Indiana as many players sat out with minor injuries.
This was surprisingly the most fun game to watch over the course of the week. With Aaron Holiday, Edmond Sumner, Brian Bowen and Goga Bitadze all out, Johnson and Akoon-Purcell carried the team and provided an entertaining finish to Summer League play for Indiana.
Alize Johnson & DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell both put up a double-double for the @Pacers to get their 1st #NBASummer win in Vegas! 👌
Alize Johnson: 25 PTS & 13 REB
DeVaughn: 24 PTS & 10 REB pic.twitter.com/OapFwKb6VQ
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 13, 2019
Let's take one last look at how the important players performed this week in Vegas:
Alize Johnson
We'll start with the star of the final game. Johnson put on a clinic in non-stop effort for rebounds on the offensive glass and had secured a double double in the first half.
The Alize Johnson Show is certified fresh by Rotten Tomatoes. pic.twitter.com/erbsi3Qqky
— iPacers.com (@iPacersblog) July 13, 2019
He finished the week with three double doubles and showed that effort on the glass consistently. He averaged 16.4 points and 9.6 rebounds.
Alize Johnson never stops fighting for rebounds. pic.twitter.com/cTXuqJeVSE
In Thursday's game, Johnson's transition passing was on full display as he had five assists and four of them set up 3-pointers. He has great ability in getting a defensive rebound, pushing the pace and either going all the way to the rim or finding an open teammate in transition.
Johnson started off 0 for 6 from behind the arc but made 3 of his last 9 attempts from long distance in the final two games. Even with his struggles shooting the long ball, he was one of only a couple Pacers with an efficient shooting percentage as he made 48% of his attempts overall. A consistent jump shot is the biggest thing he could add to his game to increase his odds of success in the league.
Alize Johnson pick and pop triple. He's 3 for 7 now from range in the last two games. pic.twitter.com/3qbz7IsKFe
Johnson has a partial guarantee on his contract that the Pacers will have to make a decision about next week but there would be minimal salary cap benefits to cutting him, there's already two open roster spots, and he still looks like a player that has the potential to find a niche in the NBA.
Alize Johnson, my goodness. What a game he's had with some impressive moves.
25 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals pic.twitter.com/NOHhYocaia
Aaron Holiday
Holiday sat out the final game with a sore hip but made just 6 of 26 shot attempts in his last Summer League game and shot just 30% on 69 shot attempts over three games. You probably heard more expletives out of frustration from Holiday this week than made shots. It was not an encouraging week for the second-year point guard out of UCLA.
He was among the leaders in points scored per game at 22.3 but got increasingly inefficient. His decision making as the lead ball handler left a lot to be desired as he took tough shots in the lane and struggled to make the right reads on his passes. The lack of a true center and shooting on the roster didn't help, but the Pacers certainly were hoping for a better showing from someone in line for a rotation role.
It's important to note that this is just Summer League. Holiday's performance here doesn't mean that he won't succeed by the time the regular season comes around. His week looks a lot better if he's able to make some open shots but there are clearly things for him to improve on before training camp if he doesn't want to be in a tighter than expected battle with T.J. McConnell for those backup minutes.
He did show some flashes of good things with some tough finishes at the rim and some excellent transition defense.
Aaron with a block! Solid verticality. pic.twitter.com/36SVgEz5o8
— Tony East (@TEastNBA) July 11, 2019
Here's a nice hang dribble and finish by Holiday (despite admittedly awful defense) pic.twitter.com/WhcbGMOzrF
— Ben Pfeifer (@Ben_Pfeifer_) July 9, 2019
Brian Bowen II
Bowen looked deserving of that 2-way contract. He missed the final game with a sore back. On Thursday, he had his best game in Vegas as he put up 17 points and 7 rebounds. In the first quarter of that game, he scored 9 points in a stretch of about 45 seconds. He shot the ball better than anyone on the roster.
17 PTS | 7 REB#2WayPlayer Brian Bowen made his presence felt at #NBASummer League on Thursday evening 💪@SydneyKings ↗ @TheMadAnts ↔ @Pacers pic.twitter.com/BimkFdhNYs
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) July 11, 2019
Bowen made some nice passes throughout his three games including this behind-the-back pass that set up a Johnson 3-pointer. He moved the ball well, played within himself. He led the Pacers in field goal percentage by making half of his 22 shot attempts while averaging 12.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He'll be someone to keep an eye on throughout this season.
Brian Bowen continues to play well in Vegas. 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists including this beauty so far tonight. pic.twitter.com/r8Qm0PkTfT
Brian Bowen II with the Space Ghost coast to coast bucket with the hard foul. Good stat-stuffing performance for him with 10 points, 5 assists and 7 rebounds. pic.twitter.com/RzeaPKTmhv
— iPacers.com (@iPacersblog) July 8, 2019
DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell
DAP looked like one the Pacers best players on the roster throughout his five games and was easily the best player of the NBA hopefuls looking for a contract. He finished off his Summer League time with a 13-point fourth quarter that saw him hit a couple threes and have a few nice takes to the basket. He averaged 14 points and 6 rebounds.
DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell has been the best of the non-contract guys for the Pacers this week by far. Having a nice final game: 24 points (13 in the 4th), 9 rebounds, 3 assists pic.twitter.com/DAVYdZuKRb
Akoon-Purcell could be a candidate for the other 2-way contract the Pacers have available. He struggled with finishing at the basket at various times in Vegas but had some impressive moments getting to the rim. It sometimes seemed like he was just out of gas. Shooting only 37% this week the big negative for him. He played a little with the Denver Nuggets in his rookie season so he has some NBA experience.
Summer League has been more of a Bummer League, but DAP has made it a Funner League. @Ben_Pfeifer_ breaks down Indy's budding potential two-way contract candidate. https://t.co/qMtVIPYDZF
— 8 Points, 9 Seconds (@8pts9secs) July 13, 2019
Goga Bitadze
Bitadze missed Summer League because of issues with his getting his visa approved in time. It was finally all resolved today and he was back in Indiana, but there was no real point in rushing him out for one exhibition game with no practices with his teammates. We'll have to wait until preseason to get our first look at the first-round pick in a Pacers uniform.
VISA ☑
Goga Bitadze is in Indy and ready to get to work! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/7JTmiYbGdI
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) July 12, 2019
Edmond Sumner
Sumner got just one game before a foot injury that kept him out of many of the practices prior to Summer League also held him out the rest of the week. He agreed to a new 3-year deal with the Pacers this offseason and looked a little anxious to prove he was worthy of it in his one game. He missed his first six shots and struggled with his handle. It was a forgettable performance.
aaron holidayAlize Johnsonbrian bowen iiDeVaugh Akoon-Purcellgoga bitadzePacers NewsPacers Summer League
9 Jul 2019 Derek Kramer	1 Comment
Indiana Pacers had another rough game overall in the Las Vegas Summer League as they lost 102-84 to the Detroit Pistons. Aaron Holiday struggled with running the offense against an NBA-caliber defender and Goga Bitadze (visa issues) and Edmond Sumner (sore foot) missed the second game.
As always, the results of these Pacers Summer League games don't really matter but some of the details can give us insight. Here's positives and negatives to takeaway from the second game.
This was not a good game for the Pacers second-year point guard. It raised concerns about his ability to run an offense at an NBA level based on his decision making. In the first half, he went 2 for 9 from the floor and had four turnovers. Bruce Brown of the Pistons made his life difficult on offense and forced him into tough shots and Holiday didn't do himself any favors by jumping in the air with nowhere to go. Continue reading Pacers Summer League struggles continue →
7 Jul 2019 Derek Kramer	2 Comments
The Indiana Pacers were blown out by the Memphis Grizzlies in their first Summer League game by a final of 101-75.
For the Pacers, this game featured a lot of the bad that can come with Summer League. They looked like a team that was unfamiliar with each other. Guys hunted their own looks as ball movement was at a minimum. Sloppy turnovers occurred throughout. It was an ugly game to watch.
There were some positives to takeaway from tonight but it certainly wasn't Game 82 from last year (which featured a few of these Summer Pacers) on repeat like you'd have hoped. No Goga Bitadze in this one and at least the next one most likely as he continues to try and get his visa issues sorted.
As always, it's important not to over value anything that happens in Summer League, good or bad, but here's what was observed in this one:
Aaron Holiday:
Holiday was one of few positives in this one as a scoring machine. He had 24 points and showed off his ability to create his own shot but ended the night shooting an inefficient 8 for 22. Continue reading Takeaways from Pacers Summer League in an ugly opener →
aaron holidayAlize Johnsonbrian bowen iiDeVaugh Akoon-PurcellEdmond SumnerPacers NewsPacers Summer League
Indiana Pacers start their Summer League play on Saturday in Las Vegas. It's a chance to see the rookies Goga Bitadze (if his visa issues are worked out) and Brian Bowen II for the first time in the blue and gold and to watch for a lot of the team's younger players (Aaron Holiday, Edmond Sumner, and Alize Johnson) in larger roles than the normally have as they try to make their case for more playing time.
The results of the games may be meaningless but you can gain some insight by what happens during them. It's always important to never overreact to anything good or bad during Summer League. A good week in Vegas doesn't mean a player is destined for stardom and a bad week doesn't mean they are doomed to be a bust. It can be a positive or negative sign for the player's career certainly but it's not definitive proof one way or another.
These games do have real consequences. Solomon Hill is the biggest example of that for the Pacers. Hill played so poorly in his third trip to the Orlando Summer League in 2015 that it likely factored into the team's choice to decline the team option on the fourth season of his rookie contract. It ended up working out great for Hill, who ended up with a huge payday from the Pelicans after a half season of solid shooting, but these games help inform team's decisions and guys are playing for their NBA lives in many cases.
The Pacers are scheduled for four games in Las Vegas and will play a minimum of five games, depending on how they do once tournament play begins. Many of the players that are likely to be on Indiana's roster may only play those first four games, perhaps only three.
Saturday, July 6: Grizzlies at 7:00 p.m. on NBATV
Monday, July 8: Pistons at 5:00 p.m. on ESPNU
Tuesday, July 9: Hawks at 5:30 p.m. on NBATV
Thursday, July 11: Raptors at 6:00 p.m. on NBATV
The Pacers first-round pick hasn't been able to practice with the rest of the Summer League squad because of visa issues, but the hope is that he'll be able to meet the team in Las Vegas to play at least a few games.
Coach Steve Gansey shows his personality when talking about Goga Bitadze's prospects for joining the summer league. The @Pacers are still working on visa issues. pic.twitter.com/ON4XGSlbJG
— Jeremiah Johnson (@JJFSINDIANA) July 3, 2019
This would be the first chance for most Pacers fans to see the rookie in game action since he played professionally in Europe. In Europe, he was dominant as a teenager. He won the Adriatic League MVP award in 2019 and won the EuroLeague Rising Star and Adriatic League Top Prospect awards as well. Continue reading What to watch for during Pacers Summer League →
aaron holidayAlize Johnsonbrian bowen iiEdmond Sumnergoga bitadzePacers NewsPacers Summer League
Aaron Holiday in line for increased role
7 May 2019 Derek Kramer	2 Comments
In his rookie season for the Indiana Pacers, Aaron Holiday flashed his promise frequently but was often confined to the bench behind a pair of veteran point guards.
Don't expect that to be the case in his second year.
"I feel he should be a rotational player next season," said Pacers head coach Nate McMillan of Holiday during last week's press conference. "There's certainly some areas he needs to grow, but I like what he brings to the floor. He's a young kid that has a great deal of confidence in himself. I think he can help us. … He certainly should be in the rotation next year."
McMillan said he was impressed with him from the start of training camp and he earned the respect of his teammates too.
"I love Aaron, man," Myles Turner said after the Pacers were eliminated from the playoffs. "He's just so poised. I feel like any position he's in he can be himself. You can't make him speed up. You can't make him get out of character." Continue reading Aaron Holiday in line for increased role →
aaron holidayindiana pacersPacers News
Column, news
Where do the Pacers go from here?
25 Jan 2019 Derek Kramer	Leave a comment
The Indiana Pacers lost Victor Oladipo to a season-ending knee injury in the second quarter of Wednesday's game. He suffered a ruptured quad tendon that could put him out anywhere from six to twelve months.
There are no adequate words to describe the numbness that comes in the moments and hours directly after witnessing an injury that devastating. Shock, disbelief, clinging to some tiny hope that it isn't as bad as it seems.
There was no joy in watching the Pacers continue to play after Oladipo was taken out on a stretcher. No anxiety as the game was close in the final minute. None of that mattered much. The Pacers had already lost more than this one game could possibly make up for. Continue reading Where do the Pacers go from here? →
aaron holidayindiana pacersmyles turnerPacers NewsVictor Oladipo
Aaron Holiday back to waiting for his turn as Oladipo returns
13 Dec 2018 Derek Kramer	Leave a comment
Aaron Holiday performed admirably for a rookie getting his first real minutes for the Indiana Pacers, but now that Victor Oladipo has returned to the starting lineup Holiday goes back to waiting for his turn.
Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said he spoke with Holiday about the trickle down effect that Oladipo's return to the starting lineup will have on his minutes.
"He did his job, now he goes back to his role," McMillan said. "Victor's back and we go back to our rotation."
Happy Holidays 🎄 🎁
LINK: https://t.co/xKff7NS0TB pic.twitter.com/hNP8282P5H
— iPacers.com (@iPacersblog) November 21, 2018
Even with Oladipo on a minutes restriction, Holiday played zero minutes in the win against the Milwaukee Bucks last night. Continue reading Aaron Holiday back to waiting for his turn as Oladipo returns →
Finding positives from Victor Oladipo's continued absence
1 Dec 2018 Derek Kramer	Leave a comment
Obviously, Victor Oladipo being injured is not a good thing for the Indiana Pacers. The team has announced he will be out "indefinitely" with the knee soreness that has plagued him for much of the season and kept him out of the team's last six games.
That being said, with injury comes opportunity. It's a situation that the Pacers would rather not be in, but there are positives that can come from it.
Fortunately, it doesn't seem as bad as the initial announcement made it seem as indefinitely can mean just about anything from a few games to months but is a clear downgrade from "day-to-day." ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski offered more information than the Pacers official press release initially did and offered a more encouraging outlook.
Pacers All-Star guard Victor Oladipo (sore right knee) is still working himself back into game condition and is expected to return in the near future, league sources tell ESPN. There are no structural issues with his knee.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 30, 2018
And with Scott Agness's report, it seems like the Pacers are just tired of answering questions about Oladipo's injury every day and want him to take his time to return.
New story on @TheAthletic:
By updating his status, #Pacers aim to remove daily pressure and conversation for Victor Oladipo to return from injury https://t.co/zZIAcvuDPR
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) December 1, 2018
Hopefully, this ends up being similar to last season where once he came back, he was good to go for the remainder of the year.
Crush The Process
Get it here: https://t.co/xKff7NS0TB pic.twitter.com/FQVKmyY3nF
Here are some possible positives that could come from the extended absence of the Pacers best player: Continue reading Finding positives from Victor Oladipo's continued absence →
aaron holidayDarren Collisonindiana pacersPacers Newstyreke evansVictor Oladipo
Is Darren Collison doomed to repeat his own Pacers history?
25 Nov 2018 Derek Kramer	4 Comments
Last season was the best of Darren Collison's career. This year, however, has started off as the worst for the Indiana Pacers starting point guard.
"I want to be there for my teammates," said Collison, who is averaging career lows in points (8.9), 3-point percentage (32%) and free-throw percentage (69%), after Thursday's loss to the Spurs, "and right now I haven't been there for them. Just a tough stretch. I just don't feel a rhythm at all. Last year, I had more of a feel for the game."
Collison, who led the entire league in 3-point percentage in 2017-18, has scored five or fewer points in six of the team's first 19 games including two scoreless outings in the team's first 12 games. He's only scored in double figures eight times thus far.
"Nate spoke to me about being more aggressive and getting back to myself. I've just been overthinking the first 10, 11 games or so," Collison said after bouncing back from his second scoreless outing according to the Indy Star. "Sometimes you try to do the right thing and you get away from your game."
Meanwhile, the other two point guards on the roster have played well to start the season. Cory Joseph has quietly been one of the team's most important players, and first-round pick Aaron Holiday is making the most of his first opportunity for real playing time with Victor Oladipo out with knee soreness.
It's not hard to make a case that Joseph should be the starter over Collison right now. Continue reading Is Darren Collison doomed to repeat his own Pacers history? →
aaron holidaycory josephDarren Collisonindiana pacersPacers News
Pacers rookie Aaron Holiday makes his first opportunity count
INDIANAPOLIS–Aaron Holiday hadn't played meaningful minutes all season. The Indiana Pacers first-round draft pick hadn't played at all in the team's last nine consecutive games.
Tonight, Holiday came in with 3:14 left in the third quarter and never came back out, electrifying the crowd with pull-up 3-pointers, chasedown block attempts in transition, and a nifty behind-the-back assist.
"We don't win this game if he doesn't come in and play the way he did on both ends of the floor," Nate McMillan said of the rookie point guard.
Holiday, who finished with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in his 15 minutes, pulled up for a 3-pointer in transition upon almost immediately after entering the game. The shot gave the Pacers the lead at 68-67 and they never gave it back. The Pacers went on to win 97-89 over the Atlanta Hawks.
I can't get over a rookie coming in the game with his first real minutes of the season and almost immediately pulling up for 3 like this.
This shot gave the Pacers the lead and they never gave it back. pic.twitter.com/0hXb1BMFgD
With Victor Oladipo exiting the game with knee soreness early in the first quarter, the Pacers were in need of a next man up as the game swayed with large runs from both teams as the Pacers went from down 10 to up 3 to down 12 before Holiday's shot gave them the lead for good in the third quarter.
"Anytime we lose a guy like Victor, we have to figure out a way to supplement his scoring and his defensive ability," said Thad Young, who added 11 points and 7 rebounds, "and we figured it out. We got a lot of guys that can step up on any given night and tonight … Aaron was the true player of the game."
Young is impressed with the team's rookie and he earned the praise of many of the veterans in the locker room after the game.
"I've always said that he's better than his draft number," Young said of Holiday. "Definitely could have been one of the guys in the top 10 especially when you put him one-on-one against anybody in his draft class. He's done a good job waiting for his turn, staying poised and the sky's the limit for him."
Thad Young on Aaron Holiday:
"He's better than his draft number. He could have been in the top 10."
"We all know he's a Holiday and I've played with all 3. So I know exactly what they can do. I know how they were raised and I know their mentality." pic.twitter.com/KZ9694D5TF
Darren Collison, who went 4 for 5 in the second half with 12 points after missing all five of his first-half attempts, was glad to see Holiday be rewarded after seeing him working hard throughout training camp and during the season.
"He's stayed working, the first one in the gym," Collison said of his fellow UCLA point guard. "It just makes you happy for somebody that has that success like he did tonight. He's a real good player. He's going to be a good player in this league … It's only going to be sky's the limit because that kid can play. Once he gets his opportunity on a consistent basis, it's going to be good things to come."
Both Collison and Young noted his sky-high potential. Cory Joseph said he thinks Holiday will have a long career, but Holiday knows he still has a lot to prove and isn't getting too high off of just a single game.
"I don't think I earned anything yet," Holiday said when asked if he thought this game would lead to more playing time. "It's just one game. I'll just keeping working, see what happens."
Aaron Holiday made plays with confidence tonight. Awesome to see for a guy playing his first real minutes.
His hype train picked up steam fast. pic.twitter.com/g8w4gmLSVM
While Holiday would clearly like to be playing more often, he understands it's a waiting game for him at the start of his career.
"It's very tough," Holiday said. "Being a competitor like I am, I wanted to get out there, but obviously, in the league you have to wait for your time and I'm just happy it came today."
The team took a final turning point after the Hawks had scored 17 straight points from the end of the second quarter through the beginning of the third. After a quick timeout, Thad Young took it upon himself to call out the team for the lack of effort.
Thad Young on what he told the team during the timeout after the Hawks scored five straight to start the third quarter: "I cussed everybody out including myself." pic.twitter.com/Jb0Ehhm5jo
"The players gathered, and they knew that we needed this game," said McMillan. "… Sometimes those guys have to police themselves, and that was a moment when they knew that. There's only so much that I can say … I can call a timeout, but you know you need to get it together and that was a moment where they got together and talked about playing better basketball and we ended up winning that game."
Bojan Bogdanovic led the team in scoring with 22 points. Myles Turner had his first double double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Domas Sabonis had a nice all-around game with 9 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists.
The Pacers were 0-5 last season without Oladipo in the lineup and while technically he played tonight this was a good sign for the team's depth and ability to find ways to win without their All Star player at all or without him at his best for the second straight night.
The Pacers won last night's game against the Miami Heat with Oladipo having one of his worst nights as a Pacer with just 8 points as Tyreke Evans took over with his best game in Indiana with 23 points. Another game, another player steps up.
Oladipo is day-to-day with the knee soreness and while the team certainly hopes he doesn't have to miss any games, they look more equipped to deal with his absence now than last season.
Y'all sure that's not Jrue.. pic.twitter.com/4za6MCTjBp
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 18, 2018
Preseason Takeaways: Lessons from Pacers overtime loss to Grizzlies
7 Oct 2018 Derek Kramer	Leave a comment
The Indiana Pacers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in their second preseason game last night, but the result of the exhibition match doesn't matter. With the Pacers resting all five starters, it was a chance for the young guys to get lots of minutes and show whether or not they belonged, and it was an opportunity for the bench unit to develop some chemistry with each other.
It's dubious to draw any conclusions from preseason games but there were still some things that mattered from the Pacers win over the Rockets. https://t.co/soCufEYn1A
— iPacers.com (@iPacersblog) October 5, 2018
Here's what we learned from Game 2:
Tyreke Evans and Domas Sabonis pick and rolls will be a delight:
These two have quickly developed a rapport on these type of plays in practice and it showed in their first game action together. Domas Sabonis repeatedly got great looks at the basket thanks to Tyreke Evans's patience on the play, waiting until the right moment to make a quick pass to the Lithuanian big man.
Sabonis struggled to finish many of these looks but finished with an impressive 17 points (7 of 18) and 14 rebounds in only 21 minutes. Evans struggled to make shots as well but still finished with 12 points (3 for 11), 6 rebounds and 3 assists. It should be a blast watching these two run the pick and roll all season.
Pick & roll with @TyrekeEvans and @Dsabonis11 looking crisp 👏 pic.twitter.com/cP4pid1wVs
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 7, 2018
Evans had some chemistry miscues early with expecting players to go one way and going another or not being ready for a pass from Sabonis but it was good to get those kind of mistakes out of the way in preseason.
Continue reading Preseason Takeaways: Lessons from Pacers overtime loss to Grizzlies →
aaron holidayAlize JohnsonDomantas SabonisEdmond Sumnerindiana pacersPacers Newstyreke evans
Summer League Grades: Pacers have a few solid performances despite losing big lead
The Indiana Pacers fell in the first-round of the Las Vegas Summer League to the Atlanta Hawks. After building up a 27-point lead early in the third quarter, the Hawks slowly chipped away at the Pacers lead until suddenly it was gone. Trae Young finished them off with some ridiculous passes to keep holding the Atlanta lead down the stretch.
The Pacers will have a single remaining consolation game on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets at 4 p.m.
Home. https://t.co/xKff7NS0TB pic.twitter.com/G36obEbLfj
— iPacers.com (@iPacersblog) December 9, 2017
This was easily the most entertaining game for the Summer Pacers, even with the disappointing ending, with many players having their best games in Las Vegas.
Continue reading Summer League Grades: Pacers have a few solid performances despite losing big lead →
aaron holidayalex poythressAlize JohnsonBen MoorePacers NewsPacers Summer Leaguetj leaf
Pacers Summer League Grades: Holiday battles Sexton
10 Jul 2018 Derek Kramer	1 Comment
The Indiana Pacers were defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in their third game in Las Vegas and fell to 1-2 in group play in the Summer League.
Today's matchup was all about a pair of first-round draft picks with Collin Sexton, the 8th overall pick, and Aaron Holiday, the 23rd pick, going after each other on numerous occasions.
Point guard battle-
Aaron Holiday: 12/5/8/3/1 on 4/14 shooting with 8 TOVs
Collin Sexton: 21/0/4/0/0 on 9/17 shooting with 4 TOVs
— Justin Jett (@JustinJett_) July 9, 2018
The statistics mostly favor Sexton but Holiday had his moments as well. We'll go into further detail below:
#MylesHighClub shirts have been redesigned with a small price cut and now come in gold.https://t.co/xKff7NS0TB pic.twitter.com/xIL4FRFQ1s
Aaron Holiday: C+
For the second consecutive game, Holiday really struggled from the field. He hit only 4 of his 14 attempts and is now shooting only 36% over the three games.
He looked motivated to perform well against a player drafted higher than him in the first round in Sexton and held his own, going back and forth with him on occasion.
Aaron Holiday and Collin Sexton are going at each other right now #Pacers #Cavaliers pic.twitter.com/541q5tqfok
Sexton blew by Holiday multiple times after the first quarter but Holiday did offer some resistance to him early on, blocking a shot, deflecting a pass and forcing a couple missed attempts. He seemed to be more attentive off the ball compared to the previous game.
Aaron Holiday's size will obviously always be an issue but his quick hands and long arms just about make up for it #Pacers pic.twitter.com/jFLRGVUB3T
Holiday had 8 assists but he also tallied 8 turnovers. Multiple times he fell to the ground and lost control of the ball and a few more were poor passes that were overthrown.
He still showed some tantalizing flashes of real NBA potential but he's got plenty to work on. During this rookie year, he'll need to pay real close attention to Darren Collison and how he takes care of the ball.
Aaron Holiday with the tough finish!#NBASummer pic.twitter.com/OvXzDK770Y
— NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2018
Alize Johnson: B+
Johnson continues to impress with his high motor and looks like a player deserving of a roster spot. He ended the game with 16 points (6 of 11 from the field) and 7 rebounds. He hit his first 3-pointer of Summer League play from the corner, a shot that could be crucial to his long-term development.
Johnson made some impressive plays once again on both ends of the court. He continues to show the ability to switch onto guards and stay in front of them on defense. Today, he forced a turnover from Sexton and then finished the ensuing fastbreak with an and-1 bucket.
Alize forces the turnover from Sexton, finishes the play in transition. pic.twitter.com/3IsWBbGTsN
On one offensive possession, he showed off a well-polished move that led to an easy basket inside.
Alize Johnson doing work. 16 points and 7 rebounds. pic.twitter.com/uNuQBYPWyD
He also showed that he still has a long ways to go. A defender stopped him in the backcourt on one of his grab-and-go rebounds and forced a turnover by sitting on his right hand. Johnson will have to develop his left-hand to have success at the next level as NBA scouting reports will make it well known quickly about his inability to use the off hand.
"He's not there yet," said Kevin Pritchard who praised his ability to always be in on the rebound during the broadcast, "but I really like his determination to get the ball."
He also took a few ill-advised shots in the halfcourt offense including a fadeaway and floater that both badly missed. Overall though, it was another positive performance for the second-round pick.
In honor of the #Pacers 17-point comeback, this shirt is 17% off the usual pricing. $14 🔥🔥🔥🔥https://t.co/xKff7NS0TB pic.twitter.com/eWYzDvS2Su
— iPacers.com (@iPacersblog) April 21, 2018
T.J. Leaf: B
Leaf scored 20 points but needed 21 shots to get to that mark against the Cavaliers. He continues to struggle from the 3-point line, coming up short on numerous attempts and only making one attempt in garbage time.
He made a few of his usual nice drives and hit a few shots in the post, showing more patience than in the first game.
Leaf also added 2 blocks and 9 rebounds. This was probably his best defensive game though his pick-and-roll coverage is still a work in progress.
TJ Leaf swats it away!#NBASummer pic.twitter.com/fxFVNG9HsQ
Edmond Sumner: B+
Sumner had his best game in Las Vegas and had a few really nice offensive moments. He scored 14 points and made 6 of his 11 shot attempts. He added a pair of assists and steals.
He hit multiple jump shots and looked confident pulling up from 3 at the end of a quarter. He went 2 for 3 from behind the arc overall.
Just keep shooting these, Sumner. Develop this skill: pic.twitter.com/iVsjMZWXGt
After struggling to finish at the rim in the first game, he made a nice move and finish here:
#2WayPlayer @EdmondSumner 🕺his way to the rack for ✌#NBASummer@XavierMBB ➡@TheMadAnts➡@Pacers pic.twitter.com/IR8Tz8Icu8
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) July 9, 2018
Alex Poythress has a nice quiet game with some solid energy moments and defensive plays. He finished with 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal.
Ben Moore hit all three of his shots from the floor as he made timely cuts and showed some aggression in his limited chances with drives to the basket. He finished with 9 points and 4 rebounds. He could easily end up with another 2-way contract this season.
Henry Sims murdered a man.
All the angles of Henry Sims' big slam!#NBASummer pic.twitter.com/egqOru4WRH
And destroyed a man's soul.
Henry Sims with the 🚫!#NBASummer pic.twitter.com/stQPropMwM
aaron holidayAlize JohnsonPacers NewsPacers Summer Leaguetj leaf
Indiana Pacers Summer League Grades: Who stood out in Game 2?
The Indiana Pacers bounced back from a loss in their first game against the Houston Rockets in the Las Vegas Summer League and defeated the San Antonio Spurs today.
But once again, the results of the game don't matter in the end. This is all about development and getting introduced to some young Pacers and some NBA hopefuls.
If you missed the grades from Game 1, you can find them here. Quality in some of the clips may be lacking in this one as there's no great place to get individual plays from Summer League.
Summer League Grades from Game 1:
Aaron Holiday: 🔥🔥👍
Alize Johnson: 👀👌
TJ Leaf: 🤢🤷♂
Thoughts and highlights:https://t.co/MdDscEgxs8
Holiday struggled from the field in this one, making only 3 of his 15 shot attempts and is now shooting 40% over the two games (12 of 30). He still showed off his nice shooting form on occassion this afternoon.
Holiday pull-up pic.twitter.com/Z1owRnCbnV
— Analysis Videos for iPacers (@ipacersanalysis) July 8, 2018
Part of his struggles came at the rim trying to finish against some of the Spurs larger guards. This is something that he'll have to continue to work on though it's helpful that he's able to finish with both hands, as he showed in the first game.
Holiday finish pic.twitter.com/LhJoN0EQ5x
Some of his best plays on the day, however, were passing the ball. He finished with 7 assists and was very adept at finding the right guy in transition and making the right pass in the half court.
He still occasionally made poor decisions on passes but lowered his turnovers from 6 in the first game down to 4 in the second. Some of the turnovers are bound to happen as a product of unfamiliarity with teammates in Vegas.
While Holiday is small, he also seems to be around for rebounds often, adding 7 more to his total today.
Defensively, it was a mixed bag. He was inconsistent with his ability to fight over screens and at times relaxed when he thought his work was done only for his man to be immediately involved in the play again.
Holiday D pic.twitter.com/5zzFxM5suy
He also continued to show off his quick hands on that end and added a couple of steals.
Holiday steal pic.twitter.com/7xtrxT6TQA
Alize Johnson was probably the Pacers MVP of the second game. Yes, he only scored 10 points and grabbed 9 rebounds and made only 3 of his 11 shots, but he was a huge difference maker with his high motor and effort in the second half especially.
Give. This. Man. A. Contract. pic.twitter.com/TIcjmyXypc
He was relentless on nearly every rebound. He had four offensive boards but added numerous extra possessions for the Pacers on plays he wasn't credited with a rebound by just never giving up on the play.
His field goal percentage isn't as bad as it seems as a few of those attempts he ended up rebounding himself and another was a full-court heave that he nearly made at the end of the first quarter. He did force a couple of bad shots when he tried to do a little too much.
LINK: https://t.co/xKff7NS0TB pic.twitter.com/VpHA6urT4M
— iPacers.com (@iPacersblog) January 8, 2018
Full write-up on Johnson coming soon but he continued to show great passing ability in transition after grabbing a defensive rebound to start the break, his offense looks farther along than expected, his high motor is as advertised and he can defend multiple positions well with his quick feet.
Alize Johnson helps on the roll man before getting back to his assignment (a guard), stays with him on the drive and blocks the shot.
Give this man a contract. pic.twitter.com/5z8qD2WlM9
It's early, but he looks more and more like a player that deserves to be on the Pacers roster this season.
This was the T.J. Leaf that we expected to see at Summer League. He led the team with 17 points and made 7 of his 13 shots. He showed a lot more patience from the beginning of the game compared to the first contest when he seemed to be forcing the action and rushing everything.
TJ scores the first 4⃣ #Pacers points. Catch us right now on ESPN2. pic.twitter.com/FivNpphyKF
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) July 7, 2018
He made some really nice drives to the rim by attacking closeouts as seen below though he struggled to recognize when the defender would come up short and hesitated on taking a few open 3-pointers.
Leaf dribble attack pic.twitter.com/pCSkmfhIJo
He didn't score after around the 7-minute mark in the third quarter.
On the defensive end, there wasn't much to like about his performance. It's unclear what Summer League coach Steve Gansey wants Leaf to do when defending a pick and roll but him playing back has been highly ineffective.
There were multiple plays where Johnson appears to call for a switch or expects one with Leaf but he's playing so far back and is too slow to react to do anything about it. His foot speed and reaction time on that end still need a lot of work.
Leaf no switch pic.twitter.com/1NR1dRMTh0
There were many occasions of Leaf giving up too much room as Spurs players pulled up and hit jumpers as he offered only a late contest.
After grabbing 10 rebounds in the first game, Leaf hauled in only 2 today.
In game one, we saw the Leaf to be concerned about; in game two, we saw the Leaf we expected. Maybe in game three, we can see some signs of the Leaf that we hope for.
Ben Moore: B+
Moore really showed his skill set against the Spurs. The Pacers started the game off with him guarding Derrick White, who averaged 23/7/7 in the Utah Summer League and looks like a nice player, and Moore held his own pretty well.
Ben Moore D pic.twitter.com/kw66MT4cDr
White finished with 19 points but made only 6 of his 18 shot attempts and many of his makes came against Holiday and/or Leaf. He seemed much less aggressive when Moore was guarding him.
And after being almost invisible in the first game, Moore was able to contribute offensively as well. He scored 10 points on five shots, hit a corner 3-pointer and added 3 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
After missing his second 3-point attempt, Moore decided to cut inside on the next one and finished the lob play from Holiday.
.@JaminTheFiend goes ⬆ for the alley-oop from @The_4th_Holiday! pic.twitter.com/sOxwd7GB7A
Moore never tries to do too much on offense and always plays within himself. He has a high basketball IQ and makes the right pass quickly. Here he takes two dribbles, realizes he isn't going anywhere and finds an open Holiday for 3.
Moore to Holiday pic.twitter.com/x7qd07DvZZ
He's still got a ways to go on offense (he got blocked at the rim on one attempt that he could have made an easy layup by using the basket as a shield) but this was encouraging for Moore.
This play where Moore jumps into the stands and over the Gatorade shows off his incredible effort. This led to a bucket inside from Alex Poythress and helped seal the game for Indiana late in the fourth quarter.
Watch this hustle and save from @JaminTheFiend: pic.twitter.com/z7wzbvYMgO
Edmond Sumner was out with knee soreness today. Scott Agness reported it was not the knee that had the ACL injury so that's positive. No word on if he'll be back on Monday.
Alex Poythress's minutes were more limited today, probably losing out some to Johnson, but he was effective while out there, adding 6 points and 3 rebounds with a team-leading +14.
C.J. Wilcox was perfect from the field and from the line, scoring 13 points on four shot attempts. He added no other statistics except for a single rebound.
Alize grab and go pic.twitter.com/lNyvlEpwIQ
Travis Leslie started in place of Sumner and finished with 8 points and 9 rebounds. He also had this impressive dunk.
😱😱 BIG one-hand jam from @FlightLeslie23! pic.twitter.com/MwgXtY3QFI
The Pacers next game in Las Vegas is on Monday at 5 p.m.
This is my city. #OladipoForeverhttps://t.co/xKff7NS0TB pic.twitter.com/66EEkv8HDf
aaron holidayAlize JohnsonPacers AnalysisPacers NewsPacers Summer Leaguetj leaf
Indiana Pacers Summer League Grades: Rookies shine in their debuts
The Indiana Pacers lost their opening game in the Las Vegas Summer League the Houston Rockets by a final of 92-89, but the results of the game are meaningless.
Update: Game 2 Grades here
Pacers Summer League Game 2 Grades:
Alize Johnson and Ben Moore stand out. TJ Leaf finds his offensive rhythm. Aaron Holiday struggles from field but some positives as well.
Thoughts and highlights:https://t.co/Sq4TbE6EQX
How did the players perform? Here's some quick grades and recap for how they did in their first game.
Aaron Holiday: B+
Holiday did just about everything you could possibly hope for him to do in his debut. He hit tough shots both inside and out. He moved the ball well, made some nice defensive plays. Most importantly, he looked like an NBA player.
Aaron Holiday, 23 points on 9-15. Showed off the confident shot-making, shiftiness off the dribble, ability to play through and finish after contact. pic.twitter.com/6uS5RqDaUf
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) July 6, 2018
He finished with 23 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals with 9-of-15 shooting from the field. His first three possessions of his career set the tone for his debut: 3-pointer coming off of a screen, deep 3-pointer after crossing up a big on a switch and taking it to the rack and finishing with a difficult left-hand move.
Continue reading Indiana Pacers Summer League Grades: Rookies shine in their debuts →
aaron holidayAlize Johnsonindiana pacersPacers AnalysisPacers NewsPacers Summer Leaguetj leaf
What do Aaron Holiday & Alize Johnson need to show during Summer League?
This season the Indiana Pacers will be playing in the Las Vegas Summer League for the first time, joining all the other 29 NBA teams as well.
These exhibition games are meaningless but not without purpose, especially for the players with varying motivations: proving their worth as a recent draft pick, looking to show how much they've improved from their previous season, or just hoping to show they belong in the NBA whether with a roster spot, a 2-way contract or a training camp invite.
In this series of articles coming before Summer League begins for Indiana on Friday, we'll take a look at many of the players on the roster and what they will be looking to prove in Sin City.
For the Pacers 2018 draft picks, Aaron Holiday and Alize Johnson, this will be the first impresssion that many fans have of each player. Rookies are always the main attraction during Summer League so let's start with them.
Continue reading What do Aaron Holiday & Alize Johnson need to show during Summer League? →
aaron holidayAlize Johnsonindiana pacersPacers AnalysisPacers NewsPacers Summer League
Breaking down the Indiana Pacers first-round pick Aaron Holiday
23 Jun 2018 Derek Kramer	Leave a comment
The Indiana Pacers were surprised that Aaron Holiday fell to them at the 23rd pick in the first round of the NBA Draft on Thursday night.
"We were shocked that he was there," said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard.
Pritchard, General Manager Chad Buchanan and Head Coach Nate McMillan all had praise for his basketball IQ, his toughness and his fit with the Pacers budding culture.
"There are certain things that we look for and value in a player and he checked all those boxes," said Buchanan who praised his toughness, maturity, composure and work ethic,
They praised the intangible aspects of his game repeatedly, but what does Holiday bring to the table as a point guard that intrigued the Pacers into taking him in the first round?
"He's got a lot of things that will transfer from day one," said Buchanan on draft night. "… Everything we've heard about him as a worker is phenomenal. I think he's just going to turn into a great Pacer."
Continue reading Breaking down the Indiana Pacers first-round pick Aaron Holiday →
aaron holidayDarren Collisonindiana pacerskevin pritchardPacers AnalysisPacers News

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Jupiter & Mars
Talking Climate Games on NPR's Living Earth
Tigertron's James Mielke spoke with Living on Earth's Gabriell Urton for a segment on game developers that are attempting to raise awareness of environmental issues through games.
"I thought if we can just use environmental causes and concerns as the sort of springboard for our creative ideas that we could speak directly to tomorrow's generation, the generation who is going to be most deeply affected by today's environmental issues," said Mielke on the show. "There's a big difference between passively watching a Planet Earth special on TV, and proactively holding something in your hands, a controller, and being engaged with the game."
You can give the episode a listen at this link.
Video Games Envisioning a Futuristic Ocean Destroyed by Climate Change
Tigertron Joins Playing For The Planet Alliance
Jupiter & Mars Boxed Limited Edition On Sale
Games That Inspire Change
© 2022 Tigertron


Energy savings in ED&F Man's industrial assets have resulted in a 10% reduction in carbon emissions over the period 2014-16. In its most recent Corporate Social Responsibility report, the company highlighted the main contributing factors as a 20% and 34% respective drop in the consumption of electricity and gas.
Much of the effort to reduce emissions focuses on substituting coal or heavy fuel oil as the main energy source in sugar refining. Natural gas is the preferred substitute and is used in a combined heat and power system to produce electricity and steam for use in the refining process, with surplus electricity sold to the national grid. Benefits include the elimination of sulphur oxides and reduced particle emissions from the boiler chimney. Flue gas from the boiler is used in the production process, so this changeover also improves effluent quality.
Power saving and environmental improvement projects in the company's coffee mills include the installation of sorting machines that save energy, ash collectors in drying furnaces that prevent air pollution and dissolved air flotation units that reduce effluent contamination.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Unpaid Back Wages In Russia Now Increasing Monthly At A Double Digit Pace – OpEd. Source: Eurasia Review follow.it (Paul Goble)
Unpaid Back Wages In Russia Now Increasing Monthly At A Double Digit Pace – OpEd
January 3, 2023 Eurasia Review 0 Comments
By Paul Goble
In order to conceal just how much the Russian economy is hurting and keeping unemployment numbers low, the Russian government is using its leverage to force firms to keep their workers in their positions even when the firms lack the money to pay them their wages and salaries.
A month ago, Rosstat, the state statistical service, reported that wage arrests rose by 16.4 percent in November alone to more than a billion rubles (16 million US dollars), an enormous sum in a country where the average wages are as low as they are in Russia (sibreal.org/a/dolgi-po-zarplatam-v-rossii-prevysili-milliard-rubley/32202090.html).
These wage arrears are greatest in processing industries, in major cities, and among those aged 35 to 44, workers who likely have just started families and fear what may happen if they leave their positions and search for a new one, according to a HeadHunter survey (rbc.ru/economics/22/12/2022/63a2e5ba9a7947fd8d9dc12c?from=from_main_7).
Maksim Mironov, an economist at the IE Business School, says that market conditions should have led firms to lay off workers they can't pay; but the government won't allow theme to do that. As a result, they are holding on to workers but not paying them, a situation that became notorious in the 1990s.
The government is providing some funds to firms to keep them afloat, Mironov says; but how much is unclear given that a veil of secrecy has been thrown over this effort. If this source of money runs out, such firms could collapse even more rapidly because of the uneconomic approach they have been forced to adopt.
Eurasia Group's Top Risks for 2023. THE GZERO NEWSLETTER SIGNAL
UK's Many Challenges As It Seeks To Make Brexit Work – OpEd. Source: Eurasia Review. follow.it


When Virgo and Pisces join together in a love match, it generally makes for a healthy relationship. The two Signs are opposite one another within the Zodiac, and such Signs tend to be well balanced, one making up for qualities the other lacks. They are an easy-going, do-gooding duo, and often devote their time to helping others as well as one another. Each partner in this couple brings out the best aspects in the other.
Virgo is ruled by Mercury and Pisces is ruled by Jupiter and Neptune. When Mercury and Neptune come together a beautiful spiritual connection is made. Together, they represent an idealistic partnership. Pisces is also ruled by Jupiter. This adds a yang energy to the combination and represents philosophy, expansion and excesses. This trio brings excellent communication, empathy, imagination and creativity to the relationship.
Virgo is an Earth Sign and Pisces is a Water Sign. Generally the two are very compatible, as both Water and Earth are real, tangible things. Pisces, as a Water Sign, is born to connect humankind, and when they come together with Earth there is not a stronger natural bond. Virgo may have a more stable view of life than their partner. They can help their lover ground that poetic Pisces nature. But too much of a good thing can turn to mud if both partners aren't careful. Pisces's flightiness may annoy Virgo, and Pisces may in turn feel that Virgo is too scientific. But it will be easy for them to find a way to work around these disparities.


We are the original inventor of the Hooded shrink wrapping machine, The company was established in March 1984 and since 1984 we have sold over 9000 machines that we still service today. Minipack is highly specialized in packaging machines, from the most economical unit to the most sophisticated fully automatic units. Here at Minipack we are proud that we have been the first company to introduce the ONLY hooded original shrink wrapping machine in Australia.


Each session is live through Blackboard Collaborate. It is a free tool for our participants to use. As a participant, you are responsible for making sure that Blackboard Collaborate works on your computer.
Links to webinar rooms will be posted on the website on the day of each session.
We HIGHLY recommend that you test Blackboard on your computer before the conference begins to make sure that the tool will work. Please click on the test link below to make sure the room opens up for you. You will also want to run the audio wizard under the tools menu.
Make sure you can open the Blackboard room. If you cannot, please download the latest version of JAVA (Free---go to Software Update on a MAC). You can also visit the Blackboard Collaborate Support Desk.
NOTE: Blackboard Collaborate is not compatible with Chromebooks. We also do not recommend accessing the webinars on an iPAD because use of the Blackboard Collaborate interactive tools is very limited.
See the video below for a step by step tutorial on how to gain access to a Blackboard Collaborate room.


text:
Kids Helpline is a free Australian telephone and online counselling service for young people aged between 5 and 25. Counsellors respond to more than 6,000 calls each week about issues ranging from relationship breakdown and bullying to sexual abuse, homelessness, suicidal thoughts, depression and drug and alcohol usage.

Funding
The service is primarily funded by yourtown, an Australian youth community services organisation, which provides the Kids Helpline service. Supported by the Australian Government (through the Department of Health and Aged Care and the Australian Human Rights Commission), the Queensland Government, and Government of Western Australia. It is also supported by corporate sponsors, Optus, Bupa, Future Generation Investment Company, and First National Real Estate.

Counselling methods
All counsellors that provide services through Kids Helpline are university-qualified and are formal employees of yourtown.

 Phone Counselling. Free counselling over the phone available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 1800 55 1800. The service is a freecall number from all mobiles on Australian carriers, landlines and public payphones.
 Online Counselling. Called 'WebChat', Kids Helpline counselling is also available online through the website. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Generally, this service has high wait times, ranging up to 50 minutes during peak times in evenings.
 Email Counselling. Kids Helpline also provides email counselling through counsellor@kidshelpline.com.au. The inbox is answered from 8am to 10pm daily, with response times often being within a few days.

Long-term users of the service can also access case management through Kids Helpline, as well as "wrap around care" where a trusted adult is involved in ensuring a child's welfare. Kids Helpline can also refer patients onwards to more formal and in-person services.

See also
Crisis hotline
List of suicide crisis lines
Lifeline (crisis support service)
Beyond Blue

References

External links

Child-related organisations in Australia
Crisis hotlines

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


USAProg aims to show that far from being the stuff of museums and oldies playlists, progressive rock is a living, breathing art form!
Known to travel the world in search of prog & beer.
Jill has moved on from USAProg to focus on photography, writing, and most importantly, her family.
Thank you Jill for your leadership and support, USAProg would not be here without you!


Additives like titanium and aluminium are used for enhancing the strength of Nimonic 81 Tubing. Nimonic 81 Tube from Special Metals is a NIMONIC ® alloy, available in the following form including Nimonic 81 coiled and straight length tubing. The excellent hot-corrosion resistance of Nimonic 81 Instrumentation Tubes results from its high chromium content of 30%. Nimonic 81 seamless tube is known for its high tensile and rupture strength and creep resistance at elevated temperatures. Nimonic 81 seamless tubing became prime choice for many industries such as gas turbines, piston-engine exhaust valves, and furnace equipment, subject to attack by deposits resulting from combustion of impure fuels, particularly those containing alkali metal sulphates and chlorides.
All Nimonic 81 High-Pressure Tube stock is available most common sizes in our Australia, China, Finland, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK inventory. Nimonic 81 heat exchanger tube and Nimonic 81 high temperature tubes are available in bright annealed and outside diameter range 6 –42 mm (0.25 in –1.625 in) and wall thickness 0.89 –5.00 mm (0.035 in –0.197 in). We at Steel Tubes India also stock Nimonic 81 Compression Tubes & Nimonic 81 high pressure tubing in straight lengths and coils. We supply all Nimonic 81 high pressure tubing as coiled and straight length tubing both form in annealed and solution annealed condition.
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At first sight, this carpet shares some details in color and design with the work of the settled Turkmen Ersari tribe, although expert opinion does not regard this as a Turkmen rug. There is a tendency to label non-Turkmen rugs clearly of Central Asian provenance as "Uzbek." While the diverse groups of people who comprise the Uzbek population produced many distinct kinds of knotted-pile weavings, relatively little is known about them. This rug might not even be Uzbek: rather, it could be the work of Kazakh weavers, about whose carpets relatively little is known. At the western edge of their territory, the Kazakhs intermingled with Turkmen peoples, which could explain the similarities between this carpet and those of the Ersari.


T27 shape abrasive flexible grinding wheel, Yuhong's Flexible grinding wheel with high shock strength and bending strength, it is widely used for angle grinding, curve grinding, bend grinding. Applicable for various structure surface. Working with stone, glass, metal and inox. The squama shape on the disc keep better heat dissipation.
Special discs for stone and glass, etc.
2, Do you accept OEM brand?
5, Your port of shipment?


text:
Mystery in Mandarin for the famous Poirot
By Michelle Zhang | April 2, 2010, Friday | Print Edition
THIS year is the 120th anniversary of legendary crime writer Agatha Christie. "And it is also the 80th anniversary of Hercule Poirot, one of the most famous and longest-lived characters created by Christie," says Zhang Yu, director of the Shanghai Modern People's Theater.
In recent years, the theater group has staged a series of sold-out Christie plays in Mandarin in the city.
He says the fictional Belgian detective has appeared in 33 novels and 51 short stories by Christie, but in only one stage play.
That work, "Black Coffee," is being staged at the Xinguang Film Art Center by the group until May 9.
It is the first time the play is performed in Mandarin.
"It is also the first play Christie wrote to be staged back in 1930, from which she launched a successful second career as a playwright." Zhang adds.
In the play, Poirot and his friend Arthur Hastings visit famous physicist Sir Claud Amory, only to find that he was murdered before they arrive.
Amory had a secret formula of great importance which has been stolen. He gathers all his house guests together. The servant is asked to lock all the doors so that nobody can escape.
He tells everyone that Poirot is on the way to investigate the robbery, but if the suspect returns the formula, he will let bygones be bygones.
Then he instructs the lights to be turned off. When they are switched back on, the formula is found on the table, but Sir Claud is dead. Everyone is startled - "who is the murderer?"
In the Mandarin debut, Poirot is performed by veteran film director and actor He Yong.
It will be his first theater play since he graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in the 1980s.
"I look forward to the role," he says. "I used to think that I was neither good-looking nor tall enough to be an actor when I was in the school, until one day I read about Hercule Poirot. He's not good looking; he's short, but he's witty and remains a classic character.
"In fact, Hercule Poirot did help me find confidence at the very beginning of my career," he says.
He will be joined by a group of young actors and actresses from Actors' Training Program at the Shanghai Film Studio.
Zhang says that, apart from "Black Coffee," two more Christie plays, "Towards Zero" and "Spider's Web," will also be staged at the Xinguang Film Art Center this year.
Located on Ningbo Road, off the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall, the 320-seat theater in a 1930s building has been renovated to become the city's first "whodunit theater." It stages Agatha Christie mysteries and other detective plays on a regular basis.
Date: through May 9 (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays), 7:30pm
Address: 586 Ningbo Rd
Tickets: 100-280 yuan


text:
Staunton River Battlefield State Park is a state park located in Virginia.  The park straddles the Staunton River in Halifax and Charlotte counties.   The Roanoke visitor center in Randolph, Virginia is a railroad depot which now holds exhibits on Native Americans and railroad history.  The Clover visitor center has exhibits on the American Civil War and the battle which took place on this site.  It also includes information about the production of electric energy.  The park also includes the Mulberry Hill plantation, given to the state in 1999.

Located in the park is the Wade Archeological Site.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.  The Confederate fortifications at the bridge were listed in 2014.

See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Halifax County, Virginia
 List of Virginia state parks
 List of Virginia state forests

References

External links
Park website
Historic Staunton River Foundation

State parks of Virginia
Railroad museums in Virginia
Museums in Charlotte County, Virginia
Native American museums in Virginia
American Civil War museums in Virginia
Museums in Halifax County, Virginia
Industry museums in Virginia
Parks in Charlotte County, Virginia
Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
National Register of Historic Places in Charlotte County, Virginia


Earthworm Jim exclusive action figure, featuring spring loaded real firing head, weapon and Snot accessories! Absolutely CLASSIC.
This was a mail-in repainted figure of Earthworm Jim in a green super suit instead of white and blue. They were made in limited number, and the phone line which was used to order them could only be obtained by completing the special edition video game in hard difficulty mode! Tough.
This Jim is sealed in a mail away bag and comes with spring loaded firing head, gun and pet Snot accessories.


text:
Q: Applying styles to browsers own elements, to native ShadowDOM? After a talk by Rob Dodson on Web Components, where he mentioned the brand new "cat" ^^ and "hat" ^ CSS selectors, I've asked about the possibilities of applying styles not only to a custom element's ShadowDOM, but also to the browser's native elements' ShadowDOM?
Is it possible to style elements from the ShadowDOM? In which browsers and how?
The only relevant article I've found was by Dimitry Glazkov on 'What the Heck is Shadow DOM?', where he lays out reaching into ShadowDOM subtrees by using pseudo selectors and -webkit-appearance: none; rules.

A: Due to the status of the draft of CSS Scoping Module Level 1 being able to change at any moment, my original approach wasn't working very long.
In Chrome v33+ you'll have to turn Enable Experimental Web Platform Features in chrome://flags on for the code below to work.

Starting with Chrome Canary v33 and its cat selector ^^ the answer is: Yes!
Update 2014-03-30: Chrome Canary v35+ supports the newest version of the selector, now the so-called /deep/ selector.
It styles over all boundaries and also works on native elements.
See: http://codepen.io/Volker_E/pen/jsHFC
/* ... Example for applying to all h2 elements, no matter if DOM or any ShadowDOM subtree ... */
:root ^^ h2 {
    font-family: "Arial Black", sans-serif;
}

/* Cr 33+: The "cat" also works on native elements' ShadowDOM */
video ^^ input[type="button"]:first-child {
    opacity: .75;
    -webkit-filter: drop-shadow( .2rem .2rem .2rem hsla( 5, 100%, 50%, 1 ) );
}

/* Cr 35+: /deep/ also works on native elements' ShadowDOM */
video /deep/ input[type="button"]:first-child {
    opacity: .75;
    -webkit-filter: drop-shadow( .2rem .2rem .2rem hsla( 5, 100%, 50%, 1 ) );
}

A: It is possible, at least in Chrome. If you check Shadow DOM of <input type="date"> you will see:
<input type="date">
  #document-fragment

        mm

/

        dd

/

        yyyy

</input>

Then you can style separate pseudo-elements:
::-webkit-datetime-edit-year-field {
  font-weight: bold;
}

According to Rob Dodson himself it is possible to use ^ and ^^ selectors to style native Shadow DOM. So this rule should work (Chrome Canary, I believe):
input[type="date"] ^ [part="-webkit-datetime-edit-year-field"] {
  font-weight: bold;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


If you are setting up your account in addition to an existing e-mail account you will first click on the three bars. Then mouse over options and go to account settings.
On the following screen you will click Account Actions on the bottom and Add New E-mail Account.
After installing Thunderbird for the first time or if you followed the above directions the screen that opens asks you to setup your e-mail account. Enter the name you wish to display on your outgoing e-mails, your e-mail address, and then your e-mail password and click Continue.
The next screen will say that a configuration has been found with the options Get a new email address..., Manual config, Done, Cancel on the bottom. Click Manual config.
After you have ensured the information is correct you can click Done. Thunderbird should automatically check for new messages.


You can find maps of each region of Spain in the region travel guide or by clicking on the regions in the map at the bottom of this page..
This map of Spain was provided by Map-of-Spain.co.uk, where you can find many more great maps of the regions of Spain, Spanish cities and maps to buy.
Maps of Italy - Free maps to help plan your tour of Italy.
Maps of France - More free maps to help plan your journey around Italy.
Maps of Canada - Road and physical maps of Canada for planning your touror trail.