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Four Days (DVD Review) – Two young gay men inch towards a relationship
Starring: Sebastian Castro, Mikoy Morales
Director: Adolfo Alix Jr.
Running Time: 75 mins
Sometimes I watch a film and want to give everyone involved a pat on the back, while still thinking it's not that great a movie. That's the case with Four Days, which certainly has its heart in the right place, plenty of dedication and comes from a country which doesn't have a huge track record of producing gay-themed movies, The Philippines. However, the results are a little underwhelming.
As the title suggests, the movie takes place over four days – four Valentine's Days over four years. On the first day, Derek and Mark are both fairly new to being college roommates and are working out where they stand. Mark is particularly keen that Derek understands that if he's put a sock on the door, it means he's entertaining a woman and his roomie shouldn't interrupt.
By the next year they are firm friends. Derek has developed strong feelings for his roommate, but Mark has had a succession of girlfriends, each time backing off because they won't 'give him space'. Over the rest of the film the two young men move closer to the relationship they perhaps both desire. Even that may not be the end of their problems though, as one of them is determined to stay in the closet while the other wants to be out and proud.
It's a sweet if not particularly original story. Indeed, one of its issues is that it feels as if this is how gay-themed stories were told ten years ago. There's a rather didactic approach to its subject, when it needed a slightly gentler touch and a little more subtlety. The same is true of the arty touches, such as long, static shots of swimming pools, which feel more like they're stalling for time than they they're adding anything to the movie.
Ultimately, that's Four Days' biggest problem – it feels like it's been stretched out beyond breaking point. While the setup of the story has plenty of potential for a feature-length treatment, the actual screenplay is essentially a short film's worth of story elongated into a movie. As well as the long shots of not much happening, you also have oddly repetitive scenes, which makes it feel even more that Four Days is padding things out massively. Making this even more frustrating is that there's plenty more story that could have been told and more depth brought to the story, but instead it limits itself to what would have made a good 30-minute film, and then stretches it out.
Click here to watch the trailer for Four Days
The results aren't terrible, and it gets better as it goes along, but the fact that initially so little happens so slowly means that when it finally speeds up, it's too little too late. There is a sweetness and a real sense of commitment from all involved, not least actors Sebastian Castro and Mikoy Morales. Likewise director Adolfo Alix Jr. has put massive amounts of effort into creating a gay romance that he hopes the audience will relate to. While there are some very good moments, the bits in between spend a lot of time getting some relatively simple points across and filling out the running time.
Overall Verdict: What should have been a good short film with quite a few really good moments, feels like it's taking far too long to eke out far too little plot.
Reviewer: Tim Isaac
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Karma Actions provides players with more opportunities to gain karma by just doing normal every day tasks with no need to rely on rare source fountains or springs, for now the only actions are burying and creating graves, more actions will be added at a later date.
This was initially a private mod but was released for the public to enjoy.
Sounds promising, hope this gets expanded on.
Does this replace the chance to get a rare coin with karma?
I don't believe so. The config line mentioned by Eject appears to be allowing coin to be rewarded as well if set true.
Currently have this mod on my server but players are not receiving karma from either bury action. Not sure if this mod is functioning with the latest wurm version or if I simply missed something(all settings are on True).
Would love for more actions to be included too!
Please someone help get this working.


Premier Li Keqiang stressed transformation of traditional industries when visiting a textile company, Luolai Lifestyle Technology Co in Nantong, Jiangsu province, on Nov 29.
Committed to household textile businesses, the company has had the largest market share on similar products within China for consecutive 12 years.
The company has seen a substantial increase in revenue and net margins in the first half of 2018, because of providing a better shopping experience that combines online and offline businesses.
The Premier said although the home textiles industry is deemed a traditional industry, it can go beyond being traditional by enhancing innovation and R&D and meeting upgraded consumer demands.


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Funding State Natural Area Management
by Caitlin Williamson | Jun 17, 2016 | Lands & Waters
State Natural Areas contain some of the rarest and most ecologically important landscapes in Wisconsin and North America. These protected areas provide critical habitat for endangered or threatened wildlife and rare plants. They also contain some of the last remaining parcels of Wisconsin's native landscapes as they would have been prior to farming and development. But to maintain the delicate balance and keep these landscapes healthy, State Natural Areas require a lot of care and management. Providing for that care and management public lands is a big part of our mission at the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. We work to ensure that funding for State Natural Areas will always be available.
The Quincy Bluff and Wetlands State Natural Area Endowment Fund, held by the Natural Resources Foundation, has supported necessary management at this State Natural Area. The work done at the site by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, helps maintain the rare, natural and beautiful character of the state natural area.
Rattlesnake Mound at Quincy Bluff SNA. Photo by Josh Mayer
At almost 6,500 acres, Quincy Bluff and Wetlands is one of the largest and most diverse State Natural Areas. Its location on the bed of the extinct Glacial Lake Wisconsin gives it an interesting landscape—a huge wetland with low sandy ridges and seepage ponds surrounded by 100- to 200-foot sandstone mesas and buttes. Its namesake, Quincy Bluff, dominates at 200 feet high and two miles long. Numerous rare plant and animal species thrive in the varied wetland ecosystem, including fragile prickly pear, ebony boghaunter dragonfly, and tiger beetle.
Wetland at Quincy Bluff SNA. Photo by Josh Mayer
Funding for State Natural Areas Makes a Big Impact
The Fund has enabled two large purchases that will aid management for years to come. The first purchase was of two new water control structures, which replaced older, defunct equipment. This will help manage the water levels in the wetlands, making them suitable for migrating shorebirds in the spring and fall.
Wetland management. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR
The second purchase was of a utility task vehicle (UTV)-mounted fire/spray tank (pictured below). The equipment makes brush, weed, and invasive species control much more efficient on this huge 6,500-acre property.
Using the UTV-mounted spray tank to control invasive species. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin DNR
A spring prairie burn aided by the UTV-mounted tank. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR
The equipment purchased with the endowment fund made large-scale prescribed burns possible. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR
In addition, the endowment fund can be used to hire employees to conduct management work at Quincy Bluff and Wetlands. "Much of the work mentioned above would not be possible without trained help," said Jon Robaidek with the DNR.
Trained SNA crew members put in the hard labor to maintain these properties. Crew members:
Use a wand torch for prescribed burns;
Hand-pull woody invasives;
Spray herbicide to control invasives;
Operate both heavy equipment and hand tools to manage the wetlands;
Collect native seed and later sow it to restore areas of the property;
And conduct photopoint visits to document restoration of the site.
Collecting little blue stem seed. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR
"Most anything involving the ecological health and management of the Quincy communities had the [SNA crew] as part of it," says Robaidek.
You Can Support Conservation
The Wisconsin Conservation Endowment(WCE) is a conglomerated endowment fund made up of individual funds like the Quincy Bluff and Wetlands State Natural Area Endowment Fund. Through the WCE and other means the Foundation provides a bridge connecting people who care with critical conservation projects that need support.
Want to support work like this? Visit our donations page to read about different ways you can give to support Wisconsin's lands, waters and wildlife.
Blog written by Lisa Charron, former communications assistant for the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This is a question I have received from my overseas friends when they are coming to our sunny island for a holiday. Since I have been doing research and answering their queries. Hence, I have made a comparison between our top 3 communication service provider. Hoping that this will be a little help to those coming to Singapore or in the midst of planning to come here for a holiday.


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The arrival of robots in the classroom Is the era of professors over?
Not so long ago, having robots in schools was just science fiction, but advances in robotics and artificial intelligence have made these machines allies of teachers who are at risk of replacing them in the future.
In his article published in the French newspaper "la-croix", writer Denis Peron said that robots in Europe and Asia are gradually beginning to occupy a place in the classroom, but these robots equipped with sensors and programmed to interact independently are almost like humans.
The author shows that robots appeared in some schools in the early 2000s in order to help students understand how they work, as expert Antonin Koes explains, "Robots were used to help students understand that their movement is not magic, but rather depends on human-created algorithms."
The writer points out that these machines make the mathematical logic more realistic, for example, students have to ask the robot to spin or fetch something, but if they make programming errors, the robot will fail to accomplish its task.
Giving meaning to coding
"Participants should design robots that play soccer, present a show, or perform rescue missions to add meaning to coding," says Stefan Brunel, professor of engineering sciences and organizer of RoboCap (the world's largest robotics competition with 450 teams, 90% of whom are schoolchildren). ".
The writer adds that robots facilitate learning and even make it possible through attendance rather than students. "These machines give disabled or sick students the ability not to miss classes," says Frank Anjou, the founding president of Eczema, a robotics company that signed a contract with France's national education system to supply about 500 machines.
Frank Anjou continues, "From his home or hospital, (the student) controls his avatar using the joystick, where he can move it, and thanks to a light signal, he can ask for the word in class."
The writer states that the robot can also act as a teacher's assistant. Didier Roy, a member of the French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation (INRIA), says, "Robots can say the date every morning, as sometimes happens in South Korea, or answer encyclopedic questions for students, Or provide the most appropriate series of exercises with the help of artificial intelligence."
A robot instead of a teacher?
But does this mean that a robot bought for a few thousand euros can one day replace the professor?
In this regard, Didier Roy, a former secondary teacher, does not believe this, as he explained that "the student needs to feel that his teacher has confidence in his abilities and wants to follow his progress," while Margarida Romero, professor of education sciences at the University of Nice, confirms this, saying that "some robots It is able to recognize students' feelings and measure their level of attention, and also has the advantage of being able to tirelessly repeat the definition of some concepts, and can give the student the impression that he is not under any control or control.But in the end, it is the teacher who makes the difference, so the teacher's profession is One of the hardest jobs to automate.
The author quotes expert Mary Caroline Messier's warning that "by presenting robots as a threat to the profession, we risk depriving teachers and students of a valuable learning aid."
The writer pointed out that, in order to enhance the learning of the English language, the National Education recently accelerated the deployment of "Captain Kelly" in primary school, a voice assistant capable of answering students' questions, similar to the Google Assistant (Alexa), and the robot played a role in "compensating shortcomings of some teachers.
Algorithms to adapt to students' needs
As Thierry de Vulbilier, managing director and co-founder of private company Evidence.b, says about his company's curricula, "My company develops curricula, particularly in mathematics, based on adaptive learning. With a group of about 5,000 An exercise that makes it possible for algorithms to adapt to each student's needs, by introducing the elements best able to help them advance in certain subjects."
He adds that the algorithms "over time divide students into groups according to their profile, and make it possible to determine which courses are of interest to them".


No-one likes being taken off-guard. When it comes to preparing for an interview, we all do what it takes in advance to be as ready as we can. We research the company, we dress to impress and fundamentally, we go in there guns blazing and super confident. So what happens when, despite all your preparations, something goes terribly wrong? Something happens and hits you so hard and out of the blue that you are knocked off your perch and into a never-ending well?
Do you go bright red in the face?
Do you jump across the table and grab the interviewer by the tie?
Do you get up and walk straight out and not look back?
There will come a time when a question or an event catches you by surprise. The key is to know what to do about it and by knowing what the biggest mistakes you could ever make are, you can avoid them. So without further ado, what are the worst interviewing bloopers on this planet?
Picture the scenario: You apply for a job at a business magazine and are asked "What's been the biggest breaking business news this year?" Gulp, you don't know the answer! What's the point in wasting your time and the interviewer's time if you don't know your stuff?
If you don't know anything about business, don't apply for a position in business. If you haven't got the foggiest idea about fashion, don't apply for a job in fashion. Simples.
It will hardly get you off on the right start if you can't even recall the name of the firm and they may probably sanction you if you don't even know your own name.
If you apply for numerous jobs at various firms and you can't keep up with which interview you are actually at, write the name of the company on the palm of your hand. Then, if you forget where you are at, you can casually look at your hand as a memo. Just remember which hand you've marked when it comes to shaking hands, or you'll get ink all over the interviewer!
No-one likes an eager beaver, so don't arrive too early. You'll catch the interviewer off guard, straightaway you'll be in their bad books, and you'll sit there sweating nervously until they are ready. Try to get there no earlier than 10 minutes. Obviously arriving late is not an option!
It is customary to be formal and polite in an interview. Even if your interviewer is being casual and jovial, never swear or use vulgar language. They may be down-to-earth but using expletives just shows that you have a limited vocabulary. Most definitely avoid swearing if it is a public facing position, or if it is a religious organisation.
Yes you are passionate, yes you are probably organised but blah blah blah blah. So what? The interviewer has probably heard this several times by several other candidates. If you are going to sell yourself, be unique!
Gone backpacking across Europe? Volunteer at the local youth school? Have seven cats named after Snow White's dwarfs? Discover what makes you different and it will set you apart from the rest.
What kind of job you are applying for will affect what you wear. If you have an interview at a reputable law firm, turning up in jeans, converse trainers and a t-shirt is a no-no. This may be acceptable for a Sunday retail job but for an office post – a suit or formal outfit is a must.
Whatever you wear, make sure it is clean and ironed and that you have matching socks on.
We've all heard the saying "sleep your way to the top" but this is a hopeless case. Whatever you do, do not make a pass at the interviewer. You may be desperate for the job and willing to do whatever it takes, however, it will nine times out of 10 get you nowhere.
Pretty much everyone has a phone. Even one in 10 five-year-olds own a mobile nowadays. It is common courtesy and pure sense to turn your mobile phone on silent before you go into an interview. If you want to be extra cautious, turn it off completely. A phone call from your mum asking what you want for tea in the middle of an interview is a major blooper.
So there you have the top 8 worst mistakes you could ever make in an interview. Now whatever you do, avoid them like the plague.
Author: Dough Barden is managing partner of barlow-andrews.co.uk, who specialise in financial planning.


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A "new method" of conducting searches, August-October 1968 (4.5)
22 September 2013 27 April 2021
<<No 4 : 31 October 1968>>
On 27 September 1968, Ivan Yakhimovich's apartment was searched. Until recently chairman of the Jaune Guarde collective farm, Yakhimovich was dismissed from his job after sending his well-known letter to the CPSU Central Committee. His wife Irina was also sacked from the school where she taught. He is at present living with his wife and their three children in the Latvian town of Jurmale. He has been illegally deprived of his residence permit — the police simply crossed out the permit stamp in his passport — and so he is, naturally, unable to find work.
Ivan Yakhimovich, 1931-2014
The warrant for the search, signed by the Assistant Procurator of Jurmale, Kviesonis, authorized a search on suspicion of Yakhimovich's involvement in the theft of 19,654 roubles from the Jurmale branch of the State Bank. Of course, the searchers found no money but they did remove a few samizdat materials, also Yakhimovich's letter protesting about the arrest of the demonstrators on 25 August, the rough draft of his unfinished essay on the post-January developments in Czechoslovakia, his wife's personal diary, and so on.
Yury Gendler's flat was searched in a similar way in Leningrad on 1 August. That evening a few Leningraders (eight or ten people) had gathered at his flat to draft a letter addressed to the citizens of Czechoslovakia. They were influenced in their decision by the letter Anatoly Marchenko had written [on 26 July 1968, CCE 3.1] to Rude pravo, Prace, and Literarni listy. One may suppose that the young Leningraders wished to express their sympathy with the political developments in Czechoslovakia.
On precisely the same evening the police came to search Gendler's flat. The search warrant alleged that "Gendler, together with Tsal, had accepted bribes for the installation of telephones." Suffice it to say that Yury Gendler is legal adviser to a soft-furnishing factory and can therefore have no connection with the installation of telephones. In addition this was the first time that he had heard of the above-mentioned Tsal. Nevertheless there was not only a search of Gendler's flat but also a personal search of all those present, and a further search of all their flats. As a result of the searches several books and photocopies of books designated as 'anti-Soviet' were discovered. Consequently a number of people were detained for three days and a number arrested—this time not by the ordinary police but by the organs of state security.
On the night of 16-17 October Andrei Amalrik was detained by the police on a Moscow street. The suitcase he was carrying 'appeared suspicious' to the policemen. In the suitcase they discovered a typewriter and typewritten copies of some letters, all of which they confiscated on the pretext of checking whether the typewriter had been stolen. They refused to make an official record. Amalrik was also interrogated by KGB men. After Amalrik had made persistent complaints to the Procuracy everything that had been taken from him was returned.
These are the three examples of the way in which the organs of state security are conducting searches through intermediaries, using false criminal allegations which are later conveniently forgotten. It was also the ordinary police who conducted the searches of both the demonstrators and several other people in the case of the Red Square demonstration of 25 August 1968. The products of the searches, with a few exceptions, were not used at the trial. As was learnt after the trial, the Moscow City Procuracy, which had conducted the investigations into the case, handed over these products of the searches, once again, to the KGB.
Posted in: Arrests, Czechoslovakia, dismissal | Tagged: Amalrik A.*, Gendler Yu.*, KGB*, Yakhimovich I.*
Sentenced for "betraying the Motherland", 1968 (4.4)
News in brief, May to October 1968 (4.7)


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Aled Warren Films
A-Z Film Index
Tag Archives: Dwayne Johnson
Cast: Florence Pugh, Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn, Dwayne Johnson
Director: Stephen Merchant
Writer: Stephen Merchant
Cinema has seen some truly spectacular boxing movies over the years (Rocky, Raging Bull, When We Were Kings, the list goes on), but not so much with pro wrestling (the only notable example that comes to mind for me is Aronofsky's The Wrestler). I think this is reflective of a certain perception (some might call it snobbery) that views boxing as a more valid and prestigious sport whereas wrestling is dismissed as inauthentic and silly. While the latter certainly has its very passionate fanbase, I do think a lot of people look down on wrestling for what they see as fakery even though, as stressed in this new film, there is a marked difference between a sport being fixed and fake. Fighting with My Family follows GLOW, a criminally underrated Netflix show about female pro wrestling, in the recent tradition of media that have found more to the sport than what people typically dismiss. It tells the story of a young woman whose dream is to become a WWE champion and of the blood, toil, tears and sweat that got her there. It's a comedy film and it's really more about family than it is wrestling, but what stood out the most for me was the film's utterly sincere and wholehearted regard for pro wrestling both in its demanding athleticism and its unabashed theatricality.
Based on a true story that became the basis of a similarly titled documentary in 2012, Fighting with My Family tells the story of Saraya Knight (Florence Pugh), a young girl from a wrestling family in Norwich who would go on to become Paige, a world-famous WWE champion. All her life, having been raised by her wrestling parents Ricky (Nick Frost) and Julia (Lena Headey) and been taught to fight since as soon as she could walk, she and her brother Zak (Jack Lowden) have only ever had one dream, to make it in the big leagues in the USA. Together as a family they run a local wrestling ring where they put on fights and train the local youth (including a blind boy) in the sport they all love so dearly. When the siblings are invited to London to audition for the WWE, it looks like the stars are aligning and the chance has come for them to realise their dreams together. Only that's not quite how it works out. Hutch (Vince Vaughn), the talent scout and trainer they must impress, picks Paige (the stage name Saraya has picked after her favourite character on Charmed) to advance to the next stage, a wrestling boot camp in Florida, while her brother is sent home. All on her own in a foreign country, her quest for wrestling stardom pushes Paige to the very brink of her physical and emotional limits.
As far as Paige's story goes, Fighting with My Family is a fairly typical sports film. From day one of her training she is presented to us as an outcast amongst her American peers. As well as being a working-class Brit, Paige favours a Gothic appearance complete with dyed black hair and facial piercings which clashes with the blonde, sun-tanned models and cheerleaders she gets paired with and her anxieties lead her to lash out against them. Not only is she inconsolably lonely, she is also burdened by the guilt she feels for having been chosen for this once in a lifetime opportunity over the brother whom she felt deserved it more as well as a pathological fear of blowing her shot and letting her loved ones down. The pressure she feels couldn't be more unbearable, except she also has a harsh and unsympathetic trainer pushing her all the harder because he apparently sees something in her that she is unable to see in herself. The film walks a fine line between having Paige as enough of an underdog that we naturally root for her to succeed and having her be flawed enough that she needs to grow up before she can win her climatic triumph. Part of what makes her an outcast, for example, is her derision for her fellow trainees whom she doesn't see as real wrestlers, a bias that she overcomes by the end of the film when she eventually befriends the women and realises that she has as much to learn from them as they do from her.
The movie isn't just about Paige overcoming the obstacles and winning, it's also about her search for identity, which is the part of the story that I found to be the most lacking in development and substance. This is connected to the aspect of wrestling that many often find to be off-putting, the soap-opera-like performance of it all. The idea, as this film puts it, is to create a character with something personal and unique to say and to use the ring as a platform to tell their stories. Paige, for whom wrestling has always been a family affair, has to decide once and for all who she really is beyond that context and what it is she wants to say for herself. Pugh is certainly to be commended for the grit, humour and determinism she brings to the role, but for a film that places so much weight on the need for Paige to build a persona that is hers and hers alone, that aspect of her journey doesn't get the focus it demands, leading to a payoff that feels more clichéd than earned. It's my understanding that the real-life Paige was a truly groundbreaking figure in pro wrestling, a woman who lived and breathed wrestling in a world where female competitors seldom came from a wrestling background. I hoped the film would depict a more personality-driven story that delved more into how Saraya actually became Paige, but the films instead leans more on the physical challenge she faces, just like the countless sports movies that came before.
Still, as I said before, this isn't really a movie about wrestling, it's actually about family. The moments when Paige is with her parents and brother are when the film is at its most enjoyable and touching. The film dedicates a surprising amount of time and nuance towards the parallel struggle of Zak, who is made to reckon with the cruel revelation that he is simply not good enough to make his greatest dream a reality. Sports films are often so ready to celebrate the hero's victories that many of them tend not to dwell too much on their failures and what it really means when you're not a main character destined for glory. Zak is so crushed by the harshness of his rejection, the loss of his drive and ambition and the sense of unfairness clouding it all that he finds himself spiralling deeper and deeper into a dark pit of resentment and thwarted dreams that threatens to consume him. Offering a lighter touch are Frost and Headey playing as the parents, essentially a pair of overgrown children who love what they do, are always up for a laugh, but who are ready to offer a helping hand and words of profane wisdom when it's needed. The film also features an extended cameo by Dwayne Johnson, who is always a delight even when his appearance feels inescapably gimmicky. Like its main character, Fighting with My Family is flawed and a little rough around the edges, but it's also funny, charming, and a pretty good time when all is said and done.
June 18, 2019 osunwali	Dwayne Johnson, Fighting with My Family, film, Florence Pugh, Jack Lowden, Lena Headey, movie, Nick Frost, review, Stephen Merchant, Vince Vaughn	Leave a comment
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Åkerman, Jake Lacy, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Joe Manganiello
Director: Brad Peyton
Writers: Ryan Engle, Carlton Cuse, Ryan J. Condal, Adam Sztykiel
There is a fine line between a dumb movie done well and a dumb movie done badly. This isn't quite the same as a 'so bad it's good' kind of movie, where the entertainment value is there in spite of the movie's faults. This rather refers to those movies that know full well how inherently stupid their concepts are and that decide to embrace them wholeheartedly. This isn't a 'Get Out of Jail Free' card though, just because a movie is dumb and knows it doesn't mean it gets to be lazy, awful or insulting. It is instead a licence to get creative, have some fun, and turn a silly idea into something unique, watchable, and entertaining. That's how we get movies like Face/Off and Snakes on a Plane; movies that nobody would consider 'great', but are just so damn fun to watch. They're the cinematic equivalent of fast food. You know that it's trash, but it still tastes good.
There is, however, a standard. Even though what I want from this movie more than anything else is to watch giant mutant monsters beat the shit out of each other (I'm only human after all), I still expect it hold my interest at least on a visceral level, to display some kind of personality in its characters and style, and to demonstrate some degree of competence and effort. There is a difference between a dumb movie that indulges its own ridiculousness and a movie that falls victim to it (e.g. Batman & Robin and Wild, Wild West). In the pantheon of dumb modern Hollywood monster movies, Rampage falls somewhere between Pacific Rim and the 1998 Godzilla. It doesn't have the creativity and heart of the former but it does possess the charm and thrill that the latter lacked. It also never tries to be more than it is, meaning that it lacks the poetry of the 2014 Godzilla but it does escape the political incoherence of Kong: Skull Island. It is the comfortable middle ground that makes for a fun, campy movie which never bores or frustrates, but which also never surprises or astonishes.
Rampage features Dwayne Johnson as Davis Okoye, a Dwayne-Johnson-ish ex-soldier turned primatologist. He works at San Diego Wildlife Sanctuary where he finds that he prefers the company of animals to people. His best friend is George the albino gorilla, whom Davis rescued from poachers and has since raised and taught to communicate through sign language. After an experiment in a space laboratory goes awry and leads to the station's destruction, samples of the pathogen being developed fall to Earth with the debris and infect three animals: a Florida crocodile, a grey wolf in the Rocky Mountains, and George. This causes all three to mutate and become more aggressive. As Davis tries to understand why George is growing larger and lashing out, he is approached by Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomi Harris), a genetic engineer who worked on this project for Energyne until she was dismissed for objecting to their plans to develop the pathogen as a biological weapon. The diabolical CEO of Energyne Claire Wyden (Malin Åkerman) and her nitwit brother Brett (Jake Lacy), realising what has happened, decide to lure the three creatures to Chicago by emitting a signal from their headquarters so that they might capture one of them. Chaos ensues.
To say this is not the cleverest of plots would be charitable. The scheme hatched by the two nefarious corporate villains, one of whom we're supposed to believe is actually quite competent and cunning, is beyond stupid. This is a 'hold my beer and watch this' kind of stupid we're talking about. It's an 'invade Russia in the middle of winter' kind of stupid. It's a 'their mothers are both called Martha' kind of stupid. But the movie is perfectly aware of the idiocy of their scheme and more or less hopes that we'll roll with it and accept the Wydens for the cartoon villains that they are. Anyway the three beasts are drawn by the signal and make for Chicago, leaving behind a trail of destruction as they go. All attempts to combat and contain the, including a guerrilla operation led by pro commando Burke (Joe Manganiello) fail. Instead it is up to Davis, Kate, and government agent Harvey Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) to reach George and try to save him.
The most appealing thing about this movie is how perfectly content it is to be nothing more and nothing less than a monster-buddy movie starring The Rock and a giant ape. Johnson, one of the few honest-to-god movie stars working in Hollywood today, is his usual charming, badass self and he gets to share his screen time with a CGI gorilla played by Jason Liles with whom he forms a surprisingly likeable duo. There is a clear sense of affection and familiarity in their hand-signed back-and-forths as they reminisce on shared experiences and tell dirty jokes. In fact George, by virtue of having a fully formed personality, is much more human than many of the human characters. Davis certainly hasn't got very much character beyond that which Johnson naturally brings to all his roles. Still, that's all you need if all you want is to watch Dwayne Johnson and King Kong battle a giant CGI wolf and alligator. The action is exactly what you want it to be, pitting three larger-than-life monsters in an epic battle royale complete with toppling buildings and explosions and throwing a larger-than-life action star in for good measure.
Those who came for the fireworks though will find that they have to be patient in the scenes that come in between. Some scenes deal with the budding romance between Davis and Dr. Kate which, despite Harris' best efforts, feels as hollow and obligatory as it is. There is one moment where Kate shares the details of her backstory, which is supposed to draw parallels between herself and Davis in his attempt to rescue a loved one, but the emotional depth they're going for feels far too forced and flat in a film that relishes in its mostly empty spectacle. The Wydens meanwhile are both paper-thin villains and although the movie is perfectly aware of that, their sheer transparency and incompetence make them rather tiresome. Still I like that the movie is under no illusion over what walking, talking clichés they are to the point that the corny comic book dialogue they're given almost feels natural in their straight-faced deliveries. "There's a reason we did our research on a space station" says one, "and it wasn't for the betterment of humanity". The one human character who nails that perfect balance of being goofy and enjoyable is Morgan's Agent Russell. He brings so much eccentricity, swagger and charisma to what should have been a forgettable, generic character that you cannot help but be fascinated by the guy.
Rampage is the movie that it is and the movie that it promises to be. You can either take it or leave it. It is the perfect example of a dumb movie that knows exactly how dumb it is and that never apologises for it. However the inevitable downside of watching a movie that is exactly what you expect it to be, even if what you expect is exactly what you want, is that the movie will never surprise you or challenge you. Rampage unfolds and ends more or less how you think it will and, while getting there is fun enough, it doesn't blow you away the way that a great action movie should. It's fine if all you want is to switch your brain off for a couple of hours but this isn't a movie that will capture your imagination and take you somewhere you've never been before. Again, it's like fast food. It's cheap, it's adequate, and it's convenient. Rampage gives you your fill and as soon you're done you move on.
July 30, 2018 osunwali	Adam Sztykiel, Brad Peyton, Carlton Cuse, Dwayne Johnson, film, Jake Lacy, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Joe Manganiello, Malin Akerman, movie, Naomie Harris, Rampage, review, Ryan Engle, Ryan J Condal	Leave a comment
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Bobby Cannavale
Writers: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Scott Rosenberg, Jeff Pinkner
It's been years since I've watched the original 1995 Jumanji with Robin Williams, but I remember it well enough. It was a fun movie with an original concept and in the years since I never felt like it warranted a sequel. What's interesting about this new movie though is that it isn't clear whether it is a sequel, a remake, a reboot, or whatever else Hollywood is making these days. You could watch this film and never know that there was another movie released two decades prior. I'm not even sure if the film was originally conceived as a Jumanji sequel; I would have no trouble imagining a scenario where one of the screenwriters envisioned a movie about teenagers getting sucked into a video game, upon which someone at the studio, realising they owned the rights to Jumanji, attached the name to the property so that they might profit from Hollywood's obsession with recognised brands. Maybe that isn't the case at all, but what impressed about this Jumanji sequel/remake/reboot was how well it stood on its own two feet.
The movie starts off in a high school where nerdy gamer Spencer Gilpin (Alex Wolff), football jock Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain), introverted teen Martha Kaply (Morgan Turner), and Queen Bee Bethany Walker (Madison Iseman), all end up in detention together. In the middle of the mess they must sort out they find a dusty 90s video game console with a cartridge for a Jumanji game attached. They decide to have a quick go, pick their characters, and are then suddenly sucked into the game. They find themselves in a virtual jungle where they have taken the forms of their avatars. Spencer is now the tough and muscular Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), Fridge is the short and feeble Franklin 'Mouse' Finbar (Kevin Hart), Martha is the athletic and beautiful Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan) and Bethany is the male, overweight, middle-aged Shelly Oberon (Jack Black). Realising they have been transported into the video game and that the most likely way out is to complete all the levels, they set out to obtain a stolen jewel called the Jaguar's Eye and return it to its rightful place before the evil Russel Van Pelt (Bobby Cannavale) can get his hands on it.
The body-switching trope of having these Hollywood stars play these teenagers is one that could have gotten old rather quickly if not for the commitment each star gives their role and the movie's understanding of their character's anxieties and insecurities. As far as teenage characters go, these ones are not as fleshed out as those in The Breakfast Club (or Power Rangers to give a more recent example) but they suffice for what is after all meant to be a fun action/adventure blockbuster. Dwayne Johnson playing a scrawny, nerdy guy who cannot believe that he now has The Rock's body works very well, as does casting a great physical comedy actor like Jack Black as a vain, smartphone-addicted teenage girl. Kevin Hart does what he does and gets some laughs and Karen Gillan has some fun as a socially awkward girl who doesn't feel at all comfortable in a slim body with skimpy clothing, but I do wish the movie had done more to challenge the stereotypes that she is mostly perpetuating. Still, these actors all play their roles so earnestly that it never feels like just a gimmick. There were definitely a few moments there when I actually believed that Jack Black was a teenage girl.
The action/adventure aspect is, I would say, serviceable. It does what it's meant to do well enough. The story follows a simple video-game structure where the characters have to get through certain levels to get to their objective and along the way they're able to learn the mechanics of the game such as the strengths and weaknesses of their respective avatars and how many lives they each have. Along the way they overcome obstacles and battle faceless henchmen and a generic villain (whether this is a meta comment on video games or just a typical Hollywood trope, I cannot tell), and in between they have some individual character moments, both comic and (sort of) dramatic. The action scenes are shot well enough that you never lose sight of where everyone is or what is happening, but at the same time you never really feel like the characters are ever in that much danger. It's a given that these characters will all make it home in the end, so any sense of drama or suspense has to stem from their individual arcs and I didn't find enough there for me to really invest myself in their survival. Unlike Power Rangers which made a huge effort to give its characters complex personalities and tough, relatable problems, the arcs for these characters feel pretty thin and easily solved in comparison. It isn't bad, merely serviceable.
The movie is at its best when it's focusing on the stars and letting them have some fun. Standout moments include Black strutting around and flaunting his chubby physique as he instructs Gillan in the art of sexiness and seduction and also Johnson slipping into his expression of smouldering intensity anytime someone says "smouldering intensity". This movie didn't have to be great in order to cash in on the Jumanji name, but it's clear that a lot of thought went into this film to make it more creative and surprising than it needed to be. That the movie never once resorted to cheap, empty intertextuality, by which I mean relying on the recognisable brand of the Robin Williams film as a substitute for thrills and drama, is to be applauded. This sequel/remake/reboot did its own thing and it worked out fine. The actors are all clearly giving their best and having a ball playing these characters and it is their charm and sincerity that kept me through to the end even when the concept and action started to wear thin.
January 28, 2018 osunwali	Bobby Cannavale, Chris McKenna, Dwayne Johnson, Erik Sommers, film, Jack Black, Jake Kasdan, Jeff Pinkner, Jumanji, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart, movie, Nick Jonas, review, Scott Rosenberg, Welcome to the Jungle	Leave a comment
Cast: (voiced by) Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jermaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker
Writer: Jared Bush
Whenever Disney makes a fairy tale, they have a formula they like to follow. It's one that's been around since Snow White was first made and it's one that they've consistently used because (a) it's recognisable and (b) it works. The protagonist is usually a heroine (often a princess) who is unsure about her place in the world and is searching for something. She will have an animal sidekick who helps out along the way while providing some laughs. The adventure she embarks upon will involve music and magic and oftentimes she will find love along the way. At the end there will be an evil that must be overcome or defeated and then the characters will live happily ever after. The formula is always there, but Disney's genius is in its ability to introduce a spin or some new elements to their stories that distract us from the formula. Moana is a good, enjoyable film with likeable characters, great music and superb animation, but it is also one of Disney's more formulaic films.
Moana is the daughter of Chief Tua Waialiki of the Polynesian island of Motunui and is destined to become the tribe's first female chief. As an infant she was bestowed with an ancient artefact by the ocean, a sign that she had been chosen to fulfil some great destiny. Moana thus grows up with a thirst for adventure and yearns to explore the ocean and see what is out there. Her people however believe that the island provides them with everything that they need and so they are forbidden to venture beyond the reef, even when the sudden scarcity of fish and failure of the crops threatens to famish them. Moana learns that this blight is the result of an ancient darkness released by the mythical hero Maui when he stole the heart of the goddess Te Fiti. It is up to her to take the heart that was given to her by the ocean and find Maui so that he might return it to where it belongs. To do this she must sail the depths the ocean, as her ancestors had long before her, and venture into the unknown.
The film, to its credit, does not exactly follow the Disney formula beat for beat. There is, for example, no love interest. Also Moana, strictly speaking, is not a princess (even though, as Maui points out, she wears a dress and has an animal sidekick). Most of the formulaic elements that are present, (the spirited heroine, the closed-minded father, the comedic sidekick, the obnoxious but loveable hero, the moment of doubt and failure that comes before the moment of triumph) the film does well. The issue is that I was thinking about this formula the entire time I was watching this film because there weren't any substantial departures or twists to make me feel like Disney was really trying something new. Frozen did this by placing its main focus on the relationship between the two sisters. The Lion King did it by departing the familiar children's fables and instead adapting a Shakespearian tale of madness, deceit and revenge. Moana has a new setting and some new characters, but the story is one Disney has told before. Even though I enjoyed the film a good deal, I was acutely aware that the film was going through the motions much of the time.
That said, there is a lot to enjoy. Moana, portrayed convincingly by newcomer and native Hawaiian Auli'i Cravalho, is a likeable protagonist and is certainly one of Disney's most active princesses. Dwayne Johnson brings a wealth of charisma and swagger to the role of Maui. The animation, as always, is stunning, especially at the beginning when Moana first discovers the ocean and at the end after the great evil is defeated. The music composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda (whose Hamilton soundtrack has recently become an obsession of mine) is both memorable and distinctive from what Disney has done before. Much praise has been given to 'How Far I'll Go', which some have predicted will become the next 'Let It Go', but my favourite track was 'We Know the Way', which plays when Moana learns about her ancestry. The story itself flows well for the most part, but there is one very strange scene involving a giant crab that kind of comes out of nowhere. I wouldn't exactly call it a bad scene or anything; it's just… strange.
Those who watch this film looking for a fun, exciting, amusing, pleasant Disney film that the entire family can enjoy will get exactly that. Personally though, with the standard that Disney has set in the last few years, I'd have liked to see a film that took a few more risks and held a few more surprises like Zootropolis. I think that most people who watch this film will be able to predict how exactly it will play out, but whether or not that's a bad thing will depend on the viewer. There is little in this film that I can fault, my only real grievance is that I don't think there was enough introduced to the story that could allow it to stand on its own amongst the other movies that Disney has produced. Still, it is to be sure a wonderfully animated, well told, characteristically Disney film that will please kids, grown-ups and die-hard Disney fans.
January 23, 2017 osunwali	Auli'i Cravalho, Disney, Dwayne Johnson, film, Jared Bush, Jermaine Clement, John Musker, Moana, movie, Nicole Scherzinger, Rachel House, review, Ron Clements, Temuera Morrison	3 Comments
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Hugo Johnstone-Burt, Art Parkinson, Ioan Gruffudd, Archie Panjabi, Paul Giamatti, Will Yun Lee, Kylie Minogue
Writer: Carlton Cuse
This is the kind of film I usually find difficult to review because I'm never sure what to say about them. I walked into San Andreas expecting to see a mildly entertaining blockbuster with decent visuals but very little in the way of characters and story and that is exactly what I got. I have little more to say about it beyond that because this film did very little for me. In all honesty I've barely even thought about it since watching it. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I disliked it. I think that San Andreas is fine for what it is and will please any viewer looking for a simple summer blockbuster to entertain them for a couple of hours. I did watch the film in IMAX (the first such occasion for me) and certainly found the visuals to be impressive. However I didn't really feel that the film was any sort of an experience for me in the way that a more dynamic and technically realised film such as Gravity might have been. All the same I have a review to write and a word count to meet so I'll attempt to discuss this film in greater depth and provide more of an idea of what one can expect from it.
The film follows Ray (Dwayne Johnson), a helicopter-rescue pilot for the Los Angeles Fire Department whose personal life is falling apart. His wife Emma (Carla Gugino) is leaving him, his daughter Blake (Alexandra Daddario) is about to head off for college, and he is haunted by his own guilt for a traumatising event in his past. Meanwhile the seismologist Lawrence Hayes (Paul Giamatti) makes a groundbreaking discovery in earthquake prediction only to discover that the San Andreas Fault is about to experience an earthquake of catastrophic proportions. When the earthquake hits Ray sets out to save his wife and daughter from the destruction while they attempt to stay alive long enough for him to reach them.
This film hits all of the usual notes commonly associated with disaster films. It contains so many of the tropes and clichés we've all come to expect from them that within 15 minutes I was completely convinced that I was watching a Roland Emmerich film (seriously, I was frantically scanning the credits trying to find his name). Like many of its predecessors San Andreas is rife with massive feats of earthly destruction while one-note main characters are able to survive by the virtue of being main characters. The film contains many examples of characters running for their lives while the ground literally crumbles right behind them, convenient coincidences and instances of pure luck that allow the main characters to survive and nameless, faceless people indiscriminately falling victim to the devastation of the earthquake in order to provide the film with a body count. Thus what this film provides should be thrilling and entertaining enough to satisfy its audience. The real problem is that of engagement and investment. The characters simply aren't very interesting or relatable and rooting for them seems redundant since we already know that they're going to survive.
The visuals in this film are stunning and anyone who enjoys mass destruction in their films will not be disappointed. It is over the top, like so many other films in this genre are, but is not excessively so nor does it strain the audience's suspension of disbelief beyond reason in the way that I felt 2012 did. San Andreas knows what kind of film it wants to be and, for the most part, fulfils its purpose. Every now and then it attempts (and fails) to throw in some character development but is otherwise a safe, generic action film. The one aspect that I felt really stood out was Paul Giamatti who gave a very decent performance and was really able to sell the film's Hollywood 'science'. Of all the characters in the film his is the only one that I actually remember displaying a personality. Dwayne Johnson also does a good job of doing what he does best, being Dwayne Johnson.
There really isn't much else to say about San Andreas. Anyone who walks into this film expecting to see anything more than a standard action film will be disappointed. This film aspires only to entertain and thrill its audience for a couple of hours, nothing more and nothing less. In that department it does well enough. Anyone willing to suspend their disbelief and not think too much while watching this film should find it sufficient. Applying logic or rational thought to this film could lead one to ask how many innocent people died as a result of Dwayne Johnson's character abandoning his duties to save his family, a question that has no place in this film. This film is thrilling, mindless and safe and that's just the way it likes it. I've given the film quite a low rating because it didn't do very much for me, but this film will definitely have an audience and they should like it just fine.
June 10, 2015 osunwali	Brad Peyton, Carlton Cuse, Dwayne Johnson, film, film review, movie, movie review, Paul Giamatti, review, San Andreas	2 Comments


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12 hour shift at Santa's...Power's back on...I'm going to bed
posted by Unknown @ 12:56 AM 0 comments
More excitement than you could shake a stick at.
Well, I'm not quite certain how to describe this day. Due to construction on campus it was announced that the power for THE ENTIRE campus would be shut down today (Saturday). You may think, no problem, simply find something to do. Easy, right? The fly in the ointment is that the power is to be out from 7 am until midnight!
I thought, ok, I'll go catch a baseball game. That'll kill a bunch of time. The Eagles are out of town. Ok. I'll go see a movie. The two movies I wanted to see I saw last week. Hmmm. Sit outside with a couple of friends and drink a few beers? Everyone's out of town or previously occupied, and it's like 1,000 degrees outside. Sigh.
So here I sit at Santa's. I've been here now for 7 hours and 20 minutes...and counting. I've eaten twice, played some X-Box, had a few beers, and yawned a lot. Oh, did I mention that I'm THE ONLY ONE HERE!! Sigh.
Oh well. Only 4 hours and 37 minutes until the power is back on. Maybe Mr. Ho willwant to play some pool.
Bonds hits 756...finally.
It's about time. Barry Bonds finally hit home run number 756. Now at last we can stop reading about it. Bonds crushed a 3-2 fastball from Mike Bascik in to the right field bleachers. Everybody and they're grandmothers knew the Nats were going to give up the record, and I'm glad it happened early in the series rather than later. Now we can all concentrate on baseball. Lost in the madness was the fact that the Nats won the game, which gives them 7 wins in their last 8 games.
As much as I dislike Bonds, it was a rather touching scene at SF's AT&T park after he hit the home run. The San Francisco fans have always been loyal to Bonds, so it was only proper he should break the record at home. I watched the game here on Korean TV, and the most surprising thing was the sincere message of congratulations from Hank Aaron broadcast on the stadium big screen. Given that Aaron has been conspicuously quiet about Bonds assault on the home run record, most people thought he was doubting the legitimacy of the new record with all the rumours and accusations of steroid use and whatnot. However, it's sincerity and graciousness not only lends credence to Bonds' legitimacy, it might go as far as to quiet the scandal mongering for a bit. We'll have to wait and see.
Now that the spectacle is over, all I want is for the Nats to take the rest of the series and continue on their own race for legitmacy and a .500 record.
Well, the kid did pretty well.
John Lannan's third big league start was alright. Despite giving up 8 hits and 5 walks, Lannan and the Nats defense managed to keep the Giants, and especially Barry Bonds in check. The Nats lost 3-2 in 11, but only because Chad Cordero blew yet another save and his replacement Shawn King couldn't throw a strike to save his life. I'll be happy if the Nats can get out of this road trip without letting Bonds do his thing.
The Washington Nationals on the wrong side of history?
Today, in about 45 minutes, the Nats go up against the San Francisco Giants for the beginning of a four game series in SF. Waiting for them, of course, is Barry Bonds and the possibility of breaking Hank Aaron's home run record.
There are a few things going on for this game. First of all, I hate the Giants and despise Barry Bonds. The Barry Bonds issue comes for all the obvious reasons regarding his ethics and personality; none of which need to be rehashed here.
My dislike for the Giants as a team stems from a game 10 years ago when J.T. Snow hit a line drive foul ball which blasted my then 6 year old nephew square in the eye. After he was hit, my nephew was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery with a crushed orbital bone. Now every team in the league has, on their game tickets, a clause that says the team is not responsible for any fan injuries sustained while at the stadium. I understand this and don't have a problem with it. However, the minute the game ended, the home plate umpire arrived at the hospital to check on Gabe. The manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates, whom the Giants were playing that day, called every hour from the team plane to get updates on Gabes condition. Fans from the stadium and some watching on TV - complete strangers - sent cards and candy to the hospital. The Giants did nothing. J.T. Snow, who was so upset he had to leave the game, did nothing. When my sister's insurance wouldn't cover all the costs for the operations needed, the doctors at the hospital passed a hat to help defray the costs. The Giants did nothing. My mother thought that the Giants, who when called spouted legalease about not being responsible for whatever, should at least make a gesture to a six-year-old boy who loved baseball and was now going through countless surgeries to repair his face. The Giants did nothing.
To make a long story short, the Giants eventually succumbed to threats by my mom to go to Hard Copy and other tabloid news shows over the Giants lack of compassion for a little kid (no one was looking for money, just a kind gesture from the team) and sent a limo to my sister's house to take Gabe to a game in the owners box, get him an autographed jersey, and hats for his first grade class.
The other issue is that the Nats are sending up a guy to pitch today that has three, count 'em, three, major league starts....sigh.


I was born and raised in Athens Greece where I currently reside and work as a licensed Guide. For a period of 3 years I lived in Wales where I studied Archaeology at the University of Wales, Lampeter (1994-1997). During my stay I participated in various archaeological excavations and fieldtrips in the UK, Greece and Albania. In the latter country I also conducted an ethno-archaeological research (as part of my dissertation) on the ethnic minority group of Vlachs in South Albania. Following my return to Athens I studied for a period of 3 years at the Athens Guide School where I graduated with honours. Since the year 2006 I have been working as a licensed guide in various archaeological sites and museums of Greece. Always eager to expand my knowledge I completed a Master's Course in Cultural Management (with honours) at the Panteion University of Athens where I specialised in Museum Studies. Currently I am doing my PhD research on the way Museum exhibitions influence the production of tourist souvenirs and the role that this material culture has on shaping our collective and personal identities. Furthermore, being an Athenian I always try to find ways of presenting my home city in a way that connects its rich heritage with its buzzing present. Athens, being the capital of a country that is situated between 3 continents, has developed into a melting pot of different cultures. My goal is to be able to introduce my guests to this lively and exciting city and to demonstrate to them that apart from its rich past there is also a rather interesting present and a promising future.


our trusted bakers arrive to begin making our breads and pastries by hand, from scratch. And boy, does the flour fly during those early morning hours! It takes quite a flurry of activity to create the more-than fifteen different kinds of breads and almost countless pastry variations that come out of our kitchen (warm, by the way) each day and into our bakery.
Our assortment of made-fresh-daily cakes will boggle the mind—both because of the variety and because of how completely unique and delicious each is. Come in and have just a slice (if you can) or take a whole one with you. Special orders welcome—we can make the size and version that's perfect for your group, party, celebration or merry gathering of any sort.
Our exquisite offering of cookies & treats has something for everyone— scrumptious old-fashioned American treats like chocolate chip cookies and caramel apples to exquisite European sweets like Palmiers and Sacristains.
From the crusty rolls served with lunch and dinner to the divine loaves of apple cinnamon bread that get snatched up before sunset, our customers can enjoy the freshest scratch-made breads possible thanks to our hard-working night bakers.


This Oakland Raiders Raiders 2 piece utility mat set is constructed right here in the US with quality and value in mind. Manufactured from extremely durable vinyl, it features your Oakland Raiders Raiders' logo 3D molded into the vinyl and then printed in true team colors.
These Oakland Raiders Raiders logo utility mats are 14" x 17" in size each.


text:
Gov. Deal vetoes Georgia's campus carry bill
By Claire Simms
ATLANTA - The waiting game is finally over: Governor Nathan Deal officially vetoed the "campus carry" bill late Tuesday afternoon just hours before the bill signing period came to a close.
The bill would have allowed licensed gun owners to carry concealed firearms onto public college, university and technical school campuses in the state. Buildings used for athletic events and student housing, including sorority and fraternity houses, would still be gun free zones.
App users: Click here to watch video report
"I was still hopeful. You know, I know there was a lot of pressure on both sides," said Rep. Rick Jasperse, R- Jasper, the bill primary sponsor.
Governor Deal expressed concerns about the legislation after the general assembly passed it in March.
"Specifically, these areas of concern include dually enrolled K-12 students who leave school to attend classes at a university or technical college campus, as well as daycare centers on these same campuses," Deal's office said in a statement.
The governor publicly asked lawmakers to address those issues, but they did not.
"Of course, we're disappointed," said Rep. Rick Jasperse. "I think we had done a good job in the media using facts, not emotional hand-wringing, just facts."
Supporters of the bill, including Jerry Henry, the executive director of GeorgiaCarry.org, said they will try again next year.
"We'll meet probably in November or December and look at our options and see what we're [going to] do," said Rep. Jasperse.
The governor's office released the following statement accompanying his veto Tuesday:
Georgia House Speaker David Ralston issued a statement in response to Gov. Deal's veto:


This is a 17th century house built on the site of Barnwell Priory. Parts of the old ecclesiastical buildings survive.
The Royal Commission Survey of Cambridge 1959: in the main it is the work of three periods, the late 16th, the late 17th and the early 18th century, but many minor alterations and additions have been made since…. Th original timber framed building is T shaped and comprises the S half of the house. in 1678 a large brick addition almost doubling the size of the foregoing was made on the N. ……. It was given to the Cambridge Folk Museum by Lord Fairhaven in 1946. Abbey House, though with many botched alterations, is a building of much character with a dated 'Dutch' gable. It contains panelling of c. 1700.
In the garden are numerous wrought stones presumably from the priory.


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Karel Meloun (8. března 1950 Klášterec nad Ohří – 25. června 2022) byl český sochař a restaurátor.

Život
Karel Meloun se vyučil soustružníkem kovů (1968), kovářem a zámečníkem (1977), studoval obor muzejní konzervace (mistrovská práce, 1978) v Moravském muzeu v Brně a u prof. J. Kruise na Střední škole uměleckých řemesel v Praze. V roce 1992 získal stipendium Evropské Unie a UNESCO – Centro Europeo di Formazione degli artigiani per la conservazione del patrimonio architettonico v Benátkách a obdržel atest umělecký kovář a restaurátor kovů EU u prof. A. Habermanna. V období 1979 až 1991 pracoval v Okresním muzeu v Chomutově jako konzervátor různorodých materiálů a restaurátor uměleckořemeslných prací z kovů. Od 1991 působil jako svobodný umělec. Byl členem UVU Praha – Sdružení sochařů Čech, Moravy a Slezska; Asociace restaurátorů Praha, Centro Europeo, restaurátor kovů EU, San Servollo, Itálie (1992).

Restauroval také chladné a palné zbraně a uměleckořemeslné předměty z obecných kovů. Ve volné tvorbě se věnoval kovové plastice – modelování ušlechtilé oceli při tepelném procesu autogenního svařování. Tvorba se vyznačuje štíhlými protáhlými tvary, expresivně vyjadřuje dramatické a antické a biblické náměty, kontrast navozuje použitím eloxovaných prvků a klasickou kovářskou metodou. Vytvářel práce pro architekturu (umělecko-kovářské doplňky a kované plastiky), věnoval se fotografii a malbě. Byl též zastoupen v Oxford Encyklopedii významných osobností České republiky a Slovenské republiky, ve sbírkách: San Servolo, Benátky, Okresního Muzea v Chomutově a jinde.

Výstavy

Samostatné výstavy
 1988 – Praha, Ústav teorie informace automatizace ČSAV
 1989 – Chomutov, Okresní muzeum
 1991 – Stolberg (SRN), Galerie Peters
 1992 – Klášterec nad Ohří, Galerie Meloun
 1994 – Mělník, Galerie Ve veži (s J. Valtem)

Kolektivní výstavy výběr
1988 – 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001 – hrad Helfštýn, Mezinárodní setkání uměleckých kovářů
 1991 – Aachen (Německo), 2. celosvětový kongres kovářů
 1993 – Praha, Mánes, Výstava současného českého sochařství
 1996 – Klášterec nad Ohří, zámek, Renesanční návrat k člověku
 1996 – Aachen (Německo), 3. celosvětový kongres kovářů
 1997 – Klášterec nad Ohří, zámek, III. výstava minerálů, zkamenělin a drahých kamenů
 1998 – Klášterec nad Ohří, EUROKOV '98
 1999 – Olbernhau (Německo), Schmiedetreffen
 2000 – Cloppenburg (Německo), 4. celosvětový kongres kovářů
 2000 – Bad Aibling (Německo), Tierisch Abstrakt – Internationalle Metallgestalter
 2000 – Klášterec nad Ohří, EUROKOV 2000
 2001 – Praha, Pražský hrad, Lobkowitzký palác – Kovová plastika
 2001 – Praha, Národní galerie – Veletržní palác, 4. salón Obce architektů
 2001 – Bad Hall (Rakousko), Fantasien in Metall
 2001 – Olbernhau (Německo)
 2002 – Klášterec nad Ohří, EUROKOV 2002
 2002 – Klášterec nad Ohří, zámek, VIII. výstava minerálů a hornické historie
 2002 – Immenstadt (Německo), Leben und Arbeiten am waser
 2002 – Tours de force (Francie), Exposition musee le secq des Tournelles, eglise Saint-Ouen de Rouen
 2002 – Klášterec nad Ohří, zámek, IX. výstava minerálů a hornické historie
 2003 – Náměšť nad Oslavou, zámek, mezinárodní setkání výtvarníků a výstava plastik
 2003 – Klášterec nad Ohří, zámek, Pocta Brokoffům trochu jinak, výstava plastik a obrazů s mezinárodní účastí
 2003 – Praha, Galerie Václava Špály, Hlava a Portrét, výstava Sdružení sochařů Čech, Moravy a Slezska
 2004 – Klášterec nad Ohří, zámek – EUROKOV 2004 – výstava plastik s mezinárodní účastí
 2005 – Náměšť nad Oslavou, zámek – "Setkání 2" – mezinárodní setkání výtvarníků, výstava plastik
 2006 – Helfštýn, International Meeting of Art blacksmiths
 2006 – Klášterec nad Ohří, zámek - EUROKOV 2006 – Výstava plastik s mezinárodní účastí
 2007 – Rakovník, Rabasova galerie, Sdružení pražských malířů, Sdružení sochařů Čech, Moravy a Slezska
 2007 – Náměšť nad Oslavou, zámecký park, "Setkání 3" – Mezinárodní setkání umělců
 2007 – Baarn (Nizozemí), J. Kůsová, L. Stenko, K. Meloun, H. Kisza
 2007 – Praha, Waldesovo museum, Galerie 10, Nové sdružení pražských umělců a Sdružení sochařů Čech, Moravy a Slezska
 2008 – Brusel (Belgie), Metal Sculpture, Brussel 2008, Evropský parlament
 2008 – Klášterec nad Ohří, zámek – EUROKOV 2008 – Výstava plastik s mezinárodní účastí
 2009 – Náměšť nad Oslavou, zámecký park, "Setkání 4" – Mezinárodní setkání umělců
 2009 – Klášterec nad Ohří, Galerie Kryt – Klášterecký MišMaš
 2010 – Klášterec nad Ohří, zámek, XVI. výstava minerálů a hornické historie

Ceny na mezinárodních setkáních Hefaiston Helfštýn
 1989 – Čestné uznání za vystavené dílo
 1991 – Čestné uznání za plastiku Tlaky
 1992 – Mimořádná cena za plastiky Bojovník I a Bojovník II
 1993 – První cena v kategorii (ocenění za řemeslnou a výtvarnou hodnotu plastiky Kontrast II)
 1996 – První cena v kategorii komorní plastika za díla Klášterecká Venuše, Jákob II. klášterecký a Pocta Dalímu
 1997 – První cena v hlavní kategorii za plastiku Pocta Gaudímu

Realizace
 Pomník Obětem válek a násilí, Klášterec nad Ohří
 Pomník Obětem válek a násilí, Račetice
 Bojovník, plastika, Okresní muzeum v Chomutově
 Homo sapiens sapiens, dar pro prezidenta V. Havla
 Fontána přátelství, mezinárodní projekt Aachen (1991)
 Brána do Evropy, mezinárodní projekt Aachen (1996)
 Helfštýnská Madona, hrad Helfštýn (1999)
 Klášterecká (moudrá), Klášterec nad Ohří (2002)
 Pocta Keltům na Agaře, Klášterec nad Ohří (2003)
 Múzy, Mezinárodní projekt, Klášterec nad Ohří (2004)
 Setkání 2, Mezinárodní projekt, Náměšť nad Oslavou (2005)
 Pocta kláštereckým Brokoffům, socha na náměstí v Klášterci nad Ohří (2006)
 Spirály, Mezinárodní projekt, Klášterec nad Ohří (2006)
 Setkání 3, Mezinárodní projekt, Náměšť nad Oslavou (2007)
 Klášterecký pramen, Lázně Klášterec nad Ohří (2008)
 Městský pramen, Lázně Klášterec nad Ohří (2008)
 Voda, Mezinárodní projekt, Lázně Klášterec nad Ohří (2008)
 Setkání 4, Mezinárodní projekt, Náměšť nad Oslavou (2009)
 Mezinárodní projekt, Bečov nad Teplou (2009)
 Hrající fontána, Lázně Klášterec nad Ohří (2009-2010)
 Městská knihovna v Jirkově, vývěsní štít Vila Kludský (2010) a v soukromých sbírkách (např. Kanada, USA, Švédsko, Itálie, Německo, Velká Británie atd.)
 Klášterecká Madona s Ježíškem z Agary a Ciboušova, Kostelní ulice č. p. 68

Restaurátorské práce
výběr
 Projekt Venedikt (Benátky) – technologické postupy při restaurování vstupních bronzem okovaných vrat do baziliky sv. Marka v Benátkách (spolupráce s M. Polianem a I. Kitzbergerem)
 Kostel Stětí sv. Jana Křtitele (Kadaň)
 Františkánský klášter (Kadaň)
 Budova České spořitelny (Kadaň)
 Kostel Nejsvětější Trojice (Klášterec nad Ohří)
 Kostel Nanebevzetí Panny Marie (Klášterec nad Ohří)
 Okresní muzeum v Chomutově (zbraně, truhly, kovové předměty atd.)
 Ústav archeologické památkové péče severozápadních Čech v Mostě
 Barokní okovaná plátovaná vrata, zámek v Klášterci nad Ohří (2005)

Odkazy

Reference

Literatura
 Second World Congress of Smiths in Aachen, 1991
 Handwerkshammer Aachen, Brunnen des Friedens – Zweiter Weltkongres der Schmiede Handwerkskammer Aachen Mai, 1991
 Marek J.: Karel Meloun, katalog, Okresní muzeum Chomutov, 1989
 Výstava současného českého sochařství, katalog, Mánes, Praha 1993
 I maestri Italiani del ferro Battuto a cura di Giuseppe Ciscato, Itálie 1998
 Metall Design International, ročenka, Německo, 1999
 Tierisch Abstrakt – Internationale Metallgestalter – austelung, katalog, Německo, 2000
 Katalog Asociace restaurátorů, Asociace restaurátorů, Praha 2000
 Meilach, D., Z.: Direct Metal Sculpture (A Schiffer Art Book), USA 2001
 Sagenhaft-fantasien in metall, katalog, Bad Hall – Oberöstereich, Německo 2001
 4. salón Obce architektů, Praha 2001
 Slovník českých a slovenských výtvarných umělců VIII., Výtvarné centrum Chagall, Ostrava 2002
 Tours de force, Exposition musee le secq des Tournelles, eglise Saint-Ouen de Rouen, Francie 2002
 Leben und am Wasser, katalog zur Euregio-Ausstellung in Immenstadt, Německo 2002
 Valeš V., Kadaňsko výtvarné, SKKS Chomutov, 2003
 Setkání 2003, katalog letního mezinárodního setkání výtvarníků, Zámek Náměšť nad Oslavou, 2003
 Hlava a portrét, sdružení sochařů Čech, Moravy a Slezska, katalog, Galerie Václava Špály, Praha, 2003
 Setkání II 2005, Katalog letního mezinárodního setkání umělců na zámku v Náměšti nad Oslavou, 2005
 Kované plastiky, Muzeum Komenského v Přerově, katalog, 2006
 Eurokov – katalog mezinárodního setkání umělců v kovu 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 + Karel Meloun, Klášterec nad Ohří
 Sdružení pražských malířů, Sdružení sochařů Čech, Moravy a Slezska, katalog – plastiky a obrazy, Rabasova galerie, Rakovník, 2007
 Setkání 3 2007, Katalog letního mezinárodního setkání umělců na zámku v Náměšti nad Oslavou, 2007
 Katalog výstavy v Baarn, Nizozemí – J. Kůsová, L. Stěnko, K. Meloun, H. Kisza, 2007
 Metal Sculpture, Brussel 2008, European Parliament
 Setkání 4 2009, Katalog letního mezinárodního setkání umělců na zámku v Náměšti nad Oslavou, 2009
 Mathew S. Clarke: From Fire to Form – Sculpture from the Modern Blacksmith and Metalsmith, Schiffer Publishing, USA, 2009 •časopis Hephaistos (mezinárodní časopis, Německo) ...
 časopis Hefaiston (Muzeum J. A. Komenského, Přerov, Česko

Externí odkazy

 Karel Meloun, osobní stránka

Čeští sochaři
Čeští restaurátoři
Narození 8. března
Narození v roce 1950
Narození v Klášterci nad Ohří
Úmrtí v roce 2022
Úmrtí 25. června
Muži

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Home > Despatches > Barrels, bookings and bandahs.
After 3 days of stimulating the Nepali economy, the barrels have arrived, along with Dorjee and most of the Sherpa crew. With my gear back in my possession I was able to reschedule my June flight to this Wednesday. I'll be home in my own bed Thursday 26th May.
So now to cram in some last minute gift shopping, ahh….economy stimulation. Which I might say has been seriously impeded by these ridiculous Bandahs. They're strikes enforced by one political party or another and the traders are furious as they were promised no strikes in 2011 the Year of Tourism. We're having one enforced again tomorrow. No shops, no taxis, no restaurants. I believe the army is used to get tourists to and from the airport. Thank goodness my flight is a Bandah free day. Margaret is leaving on a proposed Bandah day so I look forward to hearing her departure tale.
Tomorrow will be a day of packing and then relaxing with the other guests here at the Courtyard Hotel. Michelle and Pujan have been wonderful hosts and the eclectic bunch of guests have made for wonderful company. Regaling me with their many varied tales. Dating Elvis, working in Dubai, living in Siberia, Diving to 300m. Fascinating.
To everyone who has joined me on my Way Back to Everest, I thank you for your kind, inspiring emails.
And I hope you will all continue on your own journeys towards your personal "Everests".
1 entry for Barrels, bookings and bandahs.
back home will never even put one foot on that awesome Mountain.
The Yellow Band is a fabulous achievement indeed.


My research project focuses on the investigation of magnetic and electronic properties of new materials like unconventional superconductors and quantum magnets. A current issue in this field is the question of what happens when a phase transition is driven towards absolute zero temperature resulting in a quantum critical point. The new phenomena around such a point could help understand the mechanisms behind exotic magnetism and unconventional superconductivity. Driving materials to quantum criticality requires extreme experimental conditions involving low temperatures, high magnetic fields and high pressures. Our group builds set-ups to make experiments under such conditions possible both in-house and in external facilities.
I joined the Superconductivity and Magnetism group at Warwick as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in December 2016, where I work with Dr Paul Goddard.
I completed my PhD in physics in 2015 at the High Magnetic Field Laboratory (HLD-EMFL) in Dresden, Germany under the supervision of Prof J. Wosnitza. In the course of my PhD project I investigated the Fermi surface properties of a series of europium-based systems in order to work out the influence of different europium valence configurations on the electronic band structure. Besides that I conducted experiments on structural relatives of pnictide superconductors and heavy-fermion compounds. For the experimental determination of the Fermi surface I used the de Haas-van Alphen effect which is a periodic change of the magnetisation that can be observed in high magnetic fields.


Anderson Water Systems | Projects | Radcliffe Design Associates Inc.
New Canadian head office for a multinational corporation specializing in water, natural resources and waste management. The facility, located in Ancaster, Ontario, integrates under one roof professional engineering offices, corporate services and a vast manufacturing warehouse. The inclusion of the lunchroom on the warehouse level is intentionally designed to promote casual interaction between management, professional and production staff.


text:
Alex Trebek's chemotherapy could end his Jeopardy! run
Erik Adams
Photo: Gregg DeGuire (Getty Images)
Jeopardy! host and television staple Alex Trebek announced that he'd been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March 2019, and ever since he's kept viewers abreast of his progress: When production wrapped on the quiz show's 35th season, Trebek revealed that he'd taped 50 episodes of Jeopardy! since his diagnosis; by May, he was letting People know that the cancer was "near remission." Now, in the wake of a setback he first discussed prior to the debut of Jeopardy!'s newest episodes, Trebek is saying chemotherapy could have an impact on his ability to continue hosting.
"I talk to the producers about this all the time now," Trebek said in an interview with Canada's CTV News. "I say, 'Look, I'm slurring my words. My tongue doesn't work as well as it used to. The chemo has caused sores inside my mouth. It makes it difficult to speak and enunciate properly."
With episodes of Jeopardy's 36th season now airing, the 79-year-old host said he's sure "observant members of the television audience" have detected a change in his performance, "but they're forgiving." And even if they aren't, he's receiving plenty of support and reassurance from the people behind the scenes.
"I'm not as bothered by it because all the people around me are saying 'No, it's okay,'" he said. "But there will come a point where they will no longer able to say, 'It's okay.'"
Fortunately, until that point, you'll still find Alex Trebek on your TV, reading off clues and expressing incredulity at contestants' lack of sports knowledge. "There are weaknesses that I feel in my body," he said, "but I can always suck it up when it comes time to tape the show."


text:
type: reference, concepts
---

# Merge when pipeline succeeds

When reviewing a merge request that looks ready to merge but still has one or
more CI jobs running, you can set it to be merged automatically when the
jobs pipeline succeeds. This way, you don't have to wait for the jobs to
finish and remember to merge the request manually.

![Enable](img/merge_when_pipeline_succeeds_enable.png)

## How it works

When you hit the "Merge When Pipeline Succeeds" button, the status of the merge
request will be updated to represent the impending merge. If you cannot wait
for the pipeline to succeed and want to merge immediately, this option is
available in the dropdown menu on the right of the main button.

Both team developers and the author of the merge request have the option to
cancel the automatic merge if they find a reason why it shouldn't be merged
after all.

![Status](img/merge_when_pipeline_succeeds_status.png)

When the pipeline succeeds, the merge request will automatically be merged.
When the pipeline fails, the author gets a chance to retry any failed jobs,
or to push new commits to fix the failure.

When the jobs are retried and succeed on the second try, the merge request
will automatically be merged after all. When the merge request is updated with
new commits, the automatic merge is automatically canceled to allow the new
changes to be reviewed.

## Only allow merge requests to be merged if the pipeline succeeds

You can prevent merge requests from being merged if their pipeline did not succeed
or if there are threads to be resolved. This works for both:

- GitLab CI/CD pipelines
- Pipelines run from an [external CI integration](../integrations/project_services.md#services)

As a result, [disabling GitLab CI/CD pipelines](../../../ci/enable_or_disable_ci.md)
will not disable this feature, as it will still be possible to use pipelines from external
CI providers with this feature. To enable it, you must:

1. Navigate to your project's **Settings > General** page.
1. Expand the **Merge requests** section.
1. In the **Merge checks** subsection, select the **Pipelines must succeed** checkbox.
1. Press **Save** for the changes to take effect.

NOTE: **Note:** This setting also prevents merge requests from being merged if there is no pipeline.

![Pipelines must succeed settings](img/merge_when_pipeline_succeeds_only_if_succeeds_settings.png)

From now on, every time the pipeline fails you will not be able to merge the
merge request from the UI, until you make all relevant jobs pass.

![Only allow merge if pipeline succeeds message](img/merge_when_pipeline_succeeds_only_if_succeeds_msg.png)

### Limitations

When this setting is enabled, a merge request is prevented from being merged if there is no pipeline. This may conflict with some use cases where [`only/except`](../../../ci/yaml/README.md#onlyexcept-advanced) rules are used and they don't generate any pipelines.

Users that expect to be able to merge a merge request in this scenario should ensure that [there is always a pipeline](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/issues/54226) and that it's succesful.

For example, to that on merge requests there is always a passing job even though `only/except` rules may not generate any other jobs:

```yaml
enable_merge:
  only: merge_requests
  script:
    - echo true
```

<!-- ## Troubleshooting

Include any troubleshooting steps that you can foresee. If you know beforehand what issues
one might have when setting this up, or when something is changed, or on upgrading, it's
important to describe those, too. Think of things that may go wrong and include them here.
This is important to minimize requests for support, and to avoid doc comments with
questions that you know someone might ask.

Each scenario can be a third-level heading, e.g. `### Getting error message X`.
If you have none to add when creating a doc, leave this section in place
but commented out to help encourage others to add to it in the future. -->

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Great collegiate-style campus hoody that s a relaxed seasonal cover-up. The peached cotton-rich fabric sports a large woodcut-effect decal to the front with kangaroo pocket below and waffle-lined two-piece hood above. The soft brushed back is cosy against the skin.


What's one of the best ways to install a floating shower bench seat?
We take a look at Wedi's Sanoasa bench seat in our video.
It's very easy to install and surprisingly strong for it's size!
Why do shower's need a bench?
Let's answer the first question…shower benches provide a place to relax during or after showering.
Also, they can serve as a spot to store shower accessories like soap, shampoo, razors, etc.
But I'd only do that if the shower didn't have a niche!!
Shower benches come in a variety of styles and shapes.
Standard benches can be framed and built with 2x4s.
Then waterproofed with backer boards like Wedi, KERDI-BOARD, or cement board.
Many showers now have linear drains.
And linear drains can be hidden with a floating shower bench seat.
Wedi's Sanoasa shower bench seat is one of the best options because it's easy to install.
But it requires some planning.
Our quick video shares why we like this floating shower bench and some quick installation tips.
Would you rather have a floating shower bench seat or a stand shower bench?
P.S. Our online store has a ton of supplies for homeowners doing a bathroom remodel. You'll find wedi shower systems, KBRS shower pans, tiling tools, and more.
Thanks for your always helpful videos. I would prefer a traditional shower bench as I would have more trust in its strength and not be worried about it collapsing from the weight of an older person sitting heavily on it, or plopping onto it and then using it as support to push them up to stand.
The floating bench along with the linear drain is exactly what I am looking for and if it's made by Wedi then you know that they have done the R&D to make sure that it's strong and safe. Thank-you for introducing me to this.
Hi Jeff. I have a floating shower bench love it…except when it comes time to clean the shower. You must clean the underside of the bench, corners and walls because "grunge" seems to thrive under there. This means getting down into awkward contortions to scrub the undersides and corners.
That floating shower bench looks like a lot of trouble to install a less stable bench than the classic bench. I am very skeptical of its strength as opposed to traditional bench. The comment about cleaning seals the deal fo me; bad idea; no thanks. The last thing I need in my life is more nooks and crannies to clean!
It depends on how the bench is installed. Wood blocking inside the stud walls is absolutely necessary and I wish Wedi would have that in their installation instructions. We'll have a tutorial on this bench down the road and show how to make it solid. The bench can hold up to 500lbs, so a solid top could be put on top of it. That would make cleaning a lot easier and similar to a traditional bench.
Would rather have the traditional shower bench….more stability! I would not trust a floating shower bench!
Thanks Linda for your thoughts. Stability comes from the brackets being secured to wood blocking. So the bench would be very stable. Like I said to Bill, we'll have a tutorial down the road showing how to properly install this bench. And I think that'll make it apparent how stable it can be.
Floating Bench, as I advance in age, I sure wouldn't want to get down in a small shower to clean under anything? Looks cool, for you younger DYI'ers.


It is important to set goals, create and execute tasks, and have accountability. You are your own boss.
In January, I require all my students to participate in an intensive workshop where we face our demons, set goals, and put ourselves into action. For some it can be an extremely confrontational experience, as just training the craft is not enough. You need to make business decisions and take business actions. I start the conversation with each actor assessing the past year and evaluating where they are in their career. I made a checklist to complete and review. Based on the results it can give you a perspective of what areas are strong and what needs to be improved. Here it is for you to check on yourself.
How did you do? It's a chance to see what is strong and what needs work?
It's important to evaluate yourself, your progress, and what needs to be worked on. Self-evaluation for actors is important to do from time to time.
I wish you a successful, productive year ahead.


text:
Tea Party legislators attempting to use taxpayer money to overturn voter-approved IRC maps
STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Democrats today vehemently opposed an effort led by Republican House members to use taxpayer dollars to join a lawsuit against the Independent Redistricting Commission.
The voter-approved IRC recently created new congressional and legislative district maps for the upcoming elections. Many House Republicans are attempting to supersede the will of the voters and the IRC because they don't like the boundaries proposed by the independent volunteer commission.
"Here's a newsflash for all the politicians who are mad about how the maps turned out: the courts and voters don't care if you think you can win with these maps. The voters plainly said they want politicians out of the process," House Minority Leader Chad Campbell, D-Phoenix (District 14), said. "We all just need to butt out."
A motion by Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert (District 22), made on the House floor this morning allowed the House of Representatives to join or intervene in any federal or state lawsuit. It also allowed the Speaker of the House to retain and pay for outside counsel. The motion passed with strong Democratic opposition.
Democrats argued that the money that will likely go to the extensive legal fees incurred by the House involving itself in these lawsuits should be spent on other priorities. After the redistricting process in 2000, lawsuit costs topped $10 million.
"Yesterday, during the budget debate, Republicans wouldn't allocate $7 million for KidsCare so that working parents can get health insurance for their children. Now they want to spend taxpayer money on a lawsuit they will probably lose," Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Phoenix (District 16), said. "These maps are going to be upheld. The politicians need to just accept that and focus on the work and priorities of the people."
Campbell said that neither Democrats nor Republicans are completely supportive of the political opportunities afforded each party in the final maps.
"That's the point of this process," Campbell said. "It's independent. Democrats get that and we aren't whining about it."
Rep. Martin Quezada, D-Avondale (District 13), agreed.
"Politicians weren't supposed to be involved in this process," he said. "I suggest that the Republicans take a moment to consider that this is the will of the voters."