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Anime Class Trying To Get Better Scores Than Other Classes LotRO Review – From a Gamer Looking For a Home
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LotRO Review – From a Gamer Looking For a Home
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I "discovered" MMOs in the Pre-NGE days of Star Wars: Galaxies and fell in love with them. Not just from a gameplay/immersion level, but for some reason I'm fascinated by the inner workings and behind the scenes stuff and have an insatiable curiosity to see what each new MMO has to offer and how different ideas come to fruition. the game
Over the years, I've tried everything on store shelves. I've been through City of Franchise, Everquest 2, Age of Conan, Warhammer online, Vanguard, and everything that's been released since mid-2004. I've spent most of my time on WoW, not because it's the best game ever released, but for some reason it's the only game that offers enough to keep me enthralled more than any other game.
I consider myself a casual gamer, although I spend more time online than most hardcore gamers and thrive on challenges to beat any content a developer throws at me. I've spent my days in high level 10/25/40 man raids and also spent a lot of fame and small group content in every game I've played. After 5 years, WoW has finally lost its luster, and I've been desperately looking for something that offers the depth and complexity I expect from these games until the "next big thing" is released.
In full disclosure, I was first introduced to LotRO when Ten Ton Hammer got me a beta key (thanks guys!), but I quickly wrote it off as another "WoW clone" that was short on content and lacking in content. offer enough new features to pique my interest. The IP was so restricted by licensing, I didn't have much faith that they could tell a decent story, the classes seemed bland and non-descript, and the graphics didn't wow me, so I quickly made it using the 3-warning rule. moved on to other adventures in other games.
Fast forward 2 years and for some reason I bought the Mines of Moria expansion when it was released last November, and while I didn't fire it up right away, it's been sitting on my shelf for a few months now. any other option I reactivated my account about a month ago and I can say that I was impressed to say the least. This review is not meant to be objective and unbiased, but rather my feelings about the game on its own merits and not as I've grown to respect another WoW clone. I have decided to divide this review into 5 categories, each with an individual rating:
Gameplay/Combat
Quest/Leveling
Atmosphere/Atmosphere
20 level test
When I originally loaded this game up on release day I wasn't too impressed with the graphics. The Dwarves starting area is a generic snow covered area and the Men/Hobbits starting area was a generic grass area. It has not changed until today.
What I didn't understand then was that this was just the tip of the iceberg. Maybe Turbine, as a business decision, decided to tone down the graphics in the early areas to avoid lag for new players, but as soon as I got out of the early areas and saw the world I was pleasantly surprised. What LotRO offers me visually. The landscapes may not be wildly different and I may not see crazy landscapes that don't exist within middle earth, but they've added a lot of detail to each zone and made it not only distinctive, but also very beautiful to look at and look at. pass the time
Whether you're looking at the Aurora Borealis-type effects of Forochel, the swaying flower fields of the North Downs, or the eerie rock-like structures of Angmar, the scenery blends perfectly with the game and the story you're engaging in. Added DX10. since the game launched and although I can run it on DX10 I've noticed that the graphics are missing even on DX9!
And the open world graphics are second only to the indoor landscapes. All solo/small team/full team/raid dungeons are hand crafted with very little reused art. They are truly a sight to behold! The sad thing about the graphics is…players will never see what Turbine can do unless they go through the starting areas.
Character models seem a little stiff at first, but I've never seen a game that was able to deliver a realistic atmosphere without this problem. However, the rigid character models are short lived, once you get some armor it seems to become much less noticeable.
Overall, it's one of the most beautiful games I've ever seen, right up there with games like Age of Conan (that game was beautiful…full of bugs but beautiful).
Graphics: 4 stars (out of 5).
Gameplay/Combat:
Combat is the lifeblood of an MMO. After all, we spend most of our time fighting monsters and bad guys, so if we can't enjoy the combat, we won't enjoy the game.
Combat in LotRO doesn't deviate much from the standard MMO… you have hot bars that each have actions with different cooldowns. Between using your special abilities you can auto-attack until the mob is dead.
Where LotRO tweaked the combat is quite subtle. By using longer spells and the ability to queue up your next move, the combat has become a bit more "juicy" as opposed to a cleaner, cleaner combat like you'd find in WoW.
At first this was a blackout; I didn't feel like my characters were very reactive in combat. As I played the game I appreciated what they did, as the LotRO combat system forces the player to rely more on strategy and less on button mashing. It's not fast paced, but it's definitely more strategic than many other games out there. Unfortunately, it's a very subtle difference from what most players would expect, and anyone who doesn't make it past the early stages might not realize that this kind of combat was by design and not bad coding.
Combat/Gameplay: 3 stars (out of 5)
Quest/Leveling:
This is where LotRO shines. Make no mistake that LotRO is first and foremost a story-driven MMO. They have a story to tell and they've done a fantastic job of integrating that story into the world of every player in the form of an epic quest line.
As everyone levels up they will meet specific NPCs who will offer epic quests. This doesn't necessarily mean that the quests are more difficult than normal quests, but it does mean that it's part of the main story. It gives you a sense of belonging in the world of Middle Earth, it gives you a reason to do the things you do.
For those of you familiar with the books and movies, you are NOT part of the fellowship, but the supporting cast. You are always 2 steps behind Frodo and his friends as they head towards Mount Doom and your job is to gather the forces of the free people to prepare for war. Through the very clever use of the Epic questline and scene, you can keep track of companionship (as well as where you are within the timeline of the books), but this gives the developers enough freedom to ship locations. the college did not participate and fought the monsters that the college could not see.
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of "Kill XXX bears/boars/birds/cats" quests, but that's a staple of every MMO. Another crutch that Turbine has relied on is using travel as a time sink. Too many times you're given a quest in a city that requires you to go get materials from an NPC in another city (forcing you to run long distances), only to have to go back and deliver the materials to the original NPC. make an item you need to go outside and kill some mobs on the opposite side of the zone. There have been over an hour of running non-stop to complete a single quest chain, and that can get old very quickly.
LotRO offers a wide variety of content for different playstyles. Whether you prefer to go solo, participate in small group content with 1-2 friends, or even run full group content and raids, there's plenty to keep you occupied in the levels. I've pretty much single-handedly searched the last 10 levels to group up as required for epic, but I've come across many others who prefer grouping over soloing. As for endgame raids, if you want that, they have that too. They may not have as much as other games, but one of the fallacies I've had to overcome is that Small Quantity doesn't mean poor quality. From all accounts (even though I've never participated in one) the raids are as challenging as you'd expect from other games…including a new 6 boss level progression raid dungeon added next time. content patch.
Quest/Leveling: 4 stars* (out of 5)
* The quest system is pretty standard, but the Epic Questline adds a new dynamic and gives you a purpose to be in Middle Earth, hence the reason I gave it 4 stars out of 3.
This is another subtle part of the game, but for me, it's become one of the best things about it. Too many times in other MMOs people seem oddly situated in the world and not doing much besides waiting for a quest to be given. You go to them, get the quest and move on with your life, but the rest of the time they can be furniture.
The problem rarely happens in LotRO. When you come across town people are doing things! The guy who asked you to go collect wood for him… because he's chopping wood when you meet him. That girl who needs wolf meat or boar sides…well she's over a pot and cooking! Most of the time the town seems "alive" with NPC activity and gives you the impression that they aren't there just to give you daily tasks and help you level up. Getting to the towns isn't always easy, but that's because Middle-earth is a dangerous place and they're locked inside a cave for safety.
It doesn't stop at the open world, either. You'll see cats and wolves chasing rabbits as you pass them, and the sentient NPCs seem intent on staying where they are, as opposed to waiting to stumble upon and kill unlucky travelers.
One of the best things that has made me smile time and time again is the death animations. Turbine has added "death animation" to all mob types, and it's well done. Mobs don't just drop dead and give you their loot when you kill them…they usually have a short, well-designed death animation that adds a little joy to the kill. The bears will get on their feet and let out a final roar as you drive the dagger into their chest for the killing blow… the orcs will actually grab their chest and fall to the ground instead of flipping over. More than once I've caught myself saying "ooh, there's a new type of mob, let's kill it and see how it dies!"
Not all NPCs fit the description above, but a large majority do, and add a lot to the immersion of the game.
Atmosphere/Atmosphere: 5 stars (out of 5).
20 level test:
Most games use beginner levels or beginner areas to "hook" players. To throw in the best and convince wary gamers to give up their credit cards for a subscription when the rest of the game is first-rate (I'm looking at Age of Conan!). Often the first 20 levels of an MMO are a completely different game than the last 20 levels. LotRO is no different, but they have the formula backwards.
The early areas of LotRO seem dull and bland and the game doesn't really come into its own until the later levels. Plastic landscapes and dull tutorials give way to well-designed areas and tough solo/small group/group content that can challenge even the most skilled players. If I stopped playing LotRO at level 20, I'd probably write it off as "another WoW Clone", but now that I've invested my time in it and gotten through it, I've found it to be one overall. a very solid game that offers more than the box suggests and a fantasy setting and MMO genre that has very little in common with that other MMO.
In my circle LotRO is known as "the ultimate MMO for casual gamers", and I've found that to be a huge mistake. While LotRO offers many ways to enjoy the game, for casual players and role-players alike, it also offers plenty of challenging and occasional content (reputations, traits, and feats) for those of us who have other ambitions than smoking a pipe. -grass all day long while we display the decorations of our homes.
Overall Game Score: 4 stars (out of 5).
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Schools and colleges to close to students to reduce the spread of Covid-19
Jersey's Education Minister has made the decision to close the majority of Government of Jersey schools and colleges to students from Monday 23 March, to support efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Students' last day in their school or college will be Friday 20 March with two weeks of closure rolling into the two weeks of Easter holidays, meaning the earliest estimated return date for pupils in Jersey is Monday 20 April.
The Children, Young People, Education and Skills department will use this month to determine if further closures are needed, based on health-led advice, and parents, carers and students will be advised in a timely manner should this become necessary.
The minister's decision to close schools and colleges has been made in direct consultation with the Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health and is fully supported by the Emergencies Council.
All students affected by the school closures will be continuing their learning at home with work set by teachers. Schools will be open to staff and for some selected year groups, principally: years 11 and 13; Highlands College level 3, year 2 students; students retaking their GCSEs at Highlands; and those who have summer exams. Exam students in other years will also be accommodated. Secondary schools are making arrangements for minimal disruption to these students, but if there is any then parents will be notified directly. In conjunction with this work, we are closely monitoring the situation with the various examination boards.
The Government is also exploring remaining open for some children attending specialist settings with more details being announced later this week.
The minister is recommending that private schools and early years and childcare settings should also follow the Government of Jersey health care advice.
Parents and carers will be urged to support their children to practise social distancing to help avoid the spread of Covid-19 which includes restrictions on play dates, parties and all out-of-school activities and gatherings. This advice will be updated on gov.je.
The Government is also working across its departments to organise childcare for some essential workers. Wider work is continuing to ensure the safeguarding of vulnerable children and adults.
Minister for Education, Senator Tracey Vallois, said: "The decision to close schools has not been taken lightly. This will clearly have consequences for students, their families and the wider community hence our considerations around targeted support and advice. This is a proactive health protection measure, taken in the best interest of the public and wider Island community to assist in the effort to contain the threat of Covid-19.
"I appreciate this is an extremely challenging time for everyone. However, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of reinforcing the messaging around health advice from the Government of Jersey, including regular handwashing, and to read the new advice for parents and carers, when available.
"Abiding by these measures will save lives."
The department of Children, Young People, Education and Skills will remain fully operational and will continue to provide support at this time, working closely with health officials. The situation is being kept under continuous review.
Tips on talking to children about Coronavirus

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


At a reading I did recently, I met a lovely soul who was at the beginning of her own writing journey. Afterwards, she connected with me via email to ask some questions about my creative process. I thought I would share my response.
When you have come up with a story or an idea how do you know it's a good idea and do you have anyone to bounce your ideas off?
In terms of ideas, I am guided mainly by instinct and intuition. What is 'good' is of course totally subjective, and so rather than worry about its relative worth, I am trying to see if I can keep the idea alive and I find that if a story wants to be told, then I will tell it and decide later whether it was a good idea.
I think Andy Warhol was onto something when he said: Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.
I do have a few trusted readers that I like to show my work in the early stages: my husband, and my three friends who are also picture book authors. We have a critique group and it works well. It is a subtle art to be able to edit and give feedback in a constructive way and also to take feedback graciously – so really good if you can find people that can do this in a healthy way. Then again you need to use your instincts to decide which bits of feedback you use and which bits you choose not to.
How do you break up your writing time/days up? For example do you come up with new ideas or focus on some older stories that you've written and need tidying up?
As a mother of two children under 4, I have no set routine and just squeeze everything in when I can. But I find that rather than complaining about not having enough time (which I do, regularly!) I find it is much more helpful to try and embrace your constraints as they only sharpen your hunger for it. So that when you do get the time (often after 10pm for me!) then you really maximise it.
I like to have a number of projects on the go at one time, so that I don't have too much emotion invested one thing. I find that helps when dealing with the inevitable rejections or delays and also cuts down on the wait time – the glacial speeds of the publishing industry! I find I go through cycles, I have a cycle of mad creation then a slower more considered phase of editing and then when those two things burn out, I turn to my own personal reading which I find is always refreshing and helps to ignite the passion once more. The 'business' side of being an author, though, doesn't stop and it needs to be a daily thing. Whether answering emails, promoting your existing titles, or arranging events and things. I do these things as they come up.
Do you ever write stories with one character and another character suddenly appears and takes over your story? The two of them compliment the story, even essential for the story but it appears there might be 2 stories in one and they could stand on their own or work in the same story- what would you do? How do you know which is best- is there someone you discuss this with and who would that be?
This does happen, and I think it is ok to have several main characters as long as you make sure that your protagonist is not less interesting than the other minor characters. The protagonist needs to have the most profound 'journey' or change and so I try to keep that in mind, if any other interesting voices appear along the way.
Do you plot out your story or characters before writing or do they just appear whilst you're writing? If they just appear do you free write and then fine tune it and develop it more then and there or do you let it sit for a while and go back to it?
With picture books, they are very much written in a free-form, organic way. I start with the first line and then follow it from there. If the story has any legs, it will come out pretty much fully formed and then I will go back and polish and refine. This is my favourite part of the process – I adore editing.
With longer projects, say a middle-grade novel, it is a mixture of plotting and then free writing. It is then a fun process to connect the dots. Many writers seem to say that they know how the story starts and how it ends, but it is the middle that is the tricky bit (the 'muddle').
For example, I can't work unless I have a clean work space. And so part of my writing process is to tidy my desk and make a cup of tea. But sometimes…that is all I end up doing and by the second cup of tea, my baby has woken up and the time to write is over. So, I have learnt not to fuss too much about how symmetrical my stack of books is otherwise, nothing will get done.
Do you feel a picture book needs in-depth character development?
Short answer – yes! But I don't think that 'in depth' equates to lengthy word count. A few well-chosen words here or there can make all the difference and reveal a great deal. We could talk about this excellent question for hours though…there is so much in this.
How do you know or who would you talk to if you think you have a picture book but it seems to go on and you know it could develop into something longer?
I would just let the story go where it wants to, unfettered with considerations of form. I love the work of Richard Flanagan and recall he said in an interview that he spent years trying to find the right form for one of his novels. He tried long form and short form – even haiku! If you have the motivation and energy, I would try the story both ways until you feel you have found the right vehicle for it.
Do you write every day? Either morning pages or free writing or do you use writing prompts or do you focus on writing your stories?
I do not write every day. As I mentioned above, there should be no rules with this. Every writer seems to do something different. One of the most appealing approaches I have heard on this was, 'Try to write a little every day. Without hope. Without despair.' I am not sure who said it, but it is the second part of that which is the most resonant. I have ritualised writing more of late though, and find that the more I write, the more I want to.


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Sept. 21, 2013 / 4:45 PM
COL FB: Georgia 45, North Texas 21
ATHENS, Ga., Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Aaron Murray threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns Saturday and No. 10 Georgia used a strong second half to beat North Texas on the road 45-21.
The Bulldogs (2-1) outscored North Texas (2-2) 24-7 in the second half of their first game this season against an unranked opponent.
Murray ran for a touchdown and hit Reggie Davis for a 98-yard TD play, the longest in school history.
Derek Thompson threw for 202 yards and a score for North Texas. Brelan Chancellor ran a kickoff back 99 yards to cut Georgia's lead to 21-14 in the second quarter, but the Mean Green was held to 7 yards rushing in the game.
COL FB: Georgia 41, South Carolina 30 COL FB: Clemson 38, Georgia 35


← GETTING READY FOR EVIL.
OPEN YOUR EYES PEOPLE! Evil is trying to take over the world. Stand up and support President Trump and #MAGA This is NOT a game. The MSM is just playing a bad movie with bad actors for you to watch while the cabal and Satan take over.
We need the light and love of Jesus Christ to come into the deep state and drain the swamp before it's too late. Please join me in praying for our great president and his family.
Here is but one article that the MSM will not report because they are trying to cover it up. BTW, Bergoglio is the Pope's real last name.


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This is the 'Rev. H.A. Pickard' of Christ Church College, who played for the Oxford University team in 1882 (see Land and Water, 18 Feb. 1882). Sergeant, in A Century of British Chess (p.176) mentions 'Rev. C.H. Pickard, of Christ Church', and identifies him with a player referred to as 'Packard' in the Chess Player's Chronicle. To make things worse, the 1 Mar. 1884 issue of Land and Water (p.203) has 'Rev. A.A. Pickard' playing in Oxford. I will guess that this is the same person. Steve Mann (personal communication) identifies H.A. Pickard as Rev. Henry Adair Pickard, born 1832 or 1833.


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Screen Time: RANKING THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE FILMS SO FAR...
Following the release of Ant-Man earlier this month, Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has come to a close. It's been a wild ride since the release of Iron Man in May 2008 and, 12 movies later, we're in the midst of seeing a game-changing, multi-faceted franchise on the big screen that many old school Marvel fans had previously believed to be an impossible pipe dream. Under the stewardship of Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, we've witnessed a succession of films that treated the characters both respectfully and faithfully, utilizing the best elements of their printed-page counterparts to produce some genuinely exciting movie magic that broadened the appeal of creations (some over half a century old) to build a monumental worldwide audience that awaits each release with fervent anticipation.
As we at the PCG know a few things about comics, and have been onboard with the MCU since Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury first appeared after the credits of Iron Man, we figured we should collate our favourites in readiness for the opening chapter of Phase Three, Captain America: Civil War, released next year.
And so here it is, ranked in order, the best of the MCU so far (and click the titles for our original reviews!)…
12. THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008, dir. Louis Leterrier)
Matt C: The Incredible Hulk is generally regarded as the weakest entry in the MCU cannon, and there are a few reasons for this. Firstly (and this is an issue that becomes greater in hindsight), it only feels loosely connected to the shared universe it operates in, although this is understandable given that said shared universe hadn't been properly established back in 2008. Secondly, it's the only movie in the franchise that's seen the lead character recast, and although Ed Norton is good value for money, he's inevitably been overshadowed by Mark Ruffalo's more nuanced performance. Sure, it has the Tony Stark stinger at the end, but in many respects it's the least essential MCU movie. While it's referenced in later entries, not much happens that affects the overall narrative direction of what comes after. Saying that, it's still an enjoyable flick with many pleasures. Although a little rough in spots (and not quite hitting the photorealism of the two Avengers movies) the CGI is mostly very effective and there are some terrific action sequences with the Green Goliath on the rampage. Tim Roth clearly has an enormous amount of fun as Emil Blonsky (aka the Abomination) and William Hurt is great value as General 'Thunderbolt' Ross (soon to reprise the role in Captain America: Civil War). It's superior to Ang Lee's bold but misguided Hulk and while it probably doesn't quite tap the true potential nor the inherent pathos of the character, it possess enough Marvel magic to get by.
11. ANT-MAN (2015, dir. Peyton Reed)
Tom P: Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish had been developing Ant-Man for several years, with Wright attached to direct, before he left the project several weeks before filming due to 'creative differences', replaced by Peyton Reed. He wasn't the first director to leave a Marvel picture but it caused a big stir online. Surely it wouldn't be any good? You lose the beloved director of Shaun Of The Dead and Scott Pilgrim and hire the man behind The Break Up?! Oh Marvel - this won't work! First a film with a talking raccoon and a tree, and now this? Has that Avengers money gone to your head?!! No, is the simple answer. Ant-Man may not rank among the top MCU movies but it's certainly the funniest and lightest of them. It also adopts the structure of a heist movie that helps make a refreshing change from those epic battles where large things fall onto cities from the sky. Paul Rudd has a lot fun in the lead role of Scott Lang and it helps that he has great chemistry with Evangeline Lilly. His best friend Luis (Michael Pena) is a real highlight, stealing nearly every scene he's in, and it's a treat to see a bit more of the history of the MCU in the 1980s with Michael Douglas as the haunted ex Ant-Man, Hank Pym. It may not be the massive surprise hit that Guardians Of The Galaxy proved to be but if these two films go to show anything, it's that Marvel has the confidence and clout to bring nearly any character to the screen. Ant-Man safely counts as another win for the unstoppable studio.
10. THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2013, dir. Alan Taylor)
Kenny J: If the first Thor movie set up Tom Hiddleston's Loki as a malevolent manipulator, then The Avengers solidified the Norse God's credentials as a worldwide, if not a cosmic-wide, threat. In our second visit to the realm of Asgard, we got even more fleshing out of the franchise's primary villain, arguably the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe's only fully realised one, and the strained brotherly relationship that has set him on his mischievous path. Although the same can't be said about the film's other antagonist, Malekith the Accursed, ruler of the Dark Elves, a primal force of hatred and anger played expertly by Christopher Eccleston, a force that ups the ante on and off world as the epic finale reaches the legendary London of Midgard and the eponymous 'Dark World'. It isn't all gloom though, with Kat Dennings increasing her comedic turn as Jane Foster's intern, Darcy. She doesn't hog all the jokes though, with the always stellar Stellan Skarsgårdand and even Thor himself getting many of the gags. In fact, like his avenging co-star Chris Evans, after three films Chris Hemsworth now fully inhabiteed his role as the Thunder God. Apart from those films based on actual teams, Thor: The Dark World has the largest ensemble cast with Thor and Loki having to team with each other and an ever growing number of mythic beings, this time including their mother, Frigga, portrayed wonderfully by Rene Russo. Of course, as a Phase Two instalment of the larger MCU tapestry, the second Thor film pushes the story of the Infinity Stones further. More so than any other movie, I would say.
9. IRON MAN 2 (2010, dir. Jon Favreau)
James R: Or, escalation. Iron Man 2 appears to be the unloved, forgotten middle child of the MCU. The general consensus seems to be "It's not bad, but it's not as good as the first one" or "There's too much going on". Jon Favreau had a pretty thankless task. Having shown the world in Iron Man that some of Marvel's most iconic characters could possibly exist in a shared celluloid universe with - just as they do in print - he was then asked to get a lot of different plates spinning. First, Tony Stark's adventures now had to be bigger and louder than they were in the first outing, and secondly, the history of the MCU had to start being established, as did S.H.I.E.L.D. Add to that, he had to introduce one of the future Avengers in the shape of Natasha Romanov. Oh, and make it an entertaining film too! Given this massive remit, I think Favreau did a great job, and there's some memorable stuff in this sequel. It's not a perfect film by any means and it does feel a little clunky in places. The biggest problem with it lies in not having enough faith in its antagonists; because the movie plumps for both Justin Hammer and Whiplash, neither are developed fully enough. Ultimately, it's no Winter Soldier, and it's not the bells and whistles of the The Avengers, but it's still a better movie than many would have you believe. It's the chapter in the MCU where things truly went up a notch, and I'll always love it for the inspired casting of Mad Men's John Slattery as the older Howard Stark.
8. IRON MAN 3 (2013, dir. Shane Black)
Stewart R: We'd ridden the ten-storey high crest of the magnificent Phase One wave that was The Avengers and had left the cinema screens breathless. That was the pinnacle surely? Decades of imagination realised on screen. So, how on Earth would Phase Two follow up with that? By showing us that each part of the Avengers machine is an important, evolving cog in its own right, able to entertain, excite and enthral. Iron Man 3 represents both the lowest point of Tony Stark's journey - the blast that is his post-traumatic stress disorder and the wider, subtler ripples of the Stark legacy - and arguably the highest and freest as he realises that the armour is nothing without the man, and casts away his personal crutches. Shane Black drew on his work with Downey Jr in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, injected more humour into the mix with some buddy-cop sentimentality in the final act, and, along with screenwriter Drew Pearce, twisted Iron Man's greatest foe into a workable, 21st century version which, in doing so, irked some die-hard fans but arguably provided a suitable mirror for the suave cinematic hero to be held up against. Iron Man 3 stands as the undeniable instant proof that post-Avengers, these heroes could still stand strong in their own corners of the MCU.
7. THOR (2011, dir. Kenneth Branagh)
Simon M: When Thor was released back in May 2011, we'd only had the first two Iron Man films and the Incredible Hulk offering, so at that stage it was far too early MCU to assume every film was going to be highly enjoyable and worth all the hopes and dreams of seeing our hobby accurately portrayed on the big screen. Thor has always been one of my favourite Marvel characters and I was desperate to see what I felt made his stories great portrayed on film. The first bit of hope came when Kenneth Branagh was selected as the director. Then hearing leaks that the story would take place on Asgard as well as on Earth solidified the positive vibes. After seeing Thor, I was absolutely blown away. Visually it was spectacular, from the initial battles with the Frost Giants to the appearance of the Destroyer; there was nothing that didn't deliver as intended. Chris Hemsworth as Thor was very good, but the casting of Tom Hiddleston as Loki was truly inspired. I simply cannot picture anyone else in the role. The use of the Warriors Three and Sif was a nice touch and well done - it felt as though they were integral to the story as opposed to just being thrown in for nostalgias sake. At the time of release, this became my favourite of the MCU films to that point. Four years and eight releases later, it still is.
6. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (2015, dir. Joss Whedon)
Matt C: To say the weight of expectation was resting heavily on Joss Whedon's shoulders would be something of an understatement. There had been four additions to the MCU movies since the first movie teaming-up Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Hulk had become a runaway, blockbusting success, and while all of them benefited from the cementing of the Marvel brand in the public consciousness, only Iron Man 3 had come anywhere close to matching the box office tally (thanks in no small part to Downey Jr's star power). The second Avengers film had to deliver, and had to deliver big – nothing else would suffice. So where did Whedon go for his inspiration? Back to the source material of course. Although not quite the charismatic powerhouse that is Loki, Ultron – with his long personal ties to the four-colour version of Earth's Mightiest Heroes – was the right choice to pit against the now established team. With the additions of Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch and – brilliantly – The Vision, Age Of Ultron saw the core team facing their demons and an uncertain future. While it doesn't feature any of the fist-pumping euphoria elicited by the first film, this darker chapter is still full of wit, intelligence and heart, one that sees Whedon upping the stakes (both physical and emotional) to dazzling effect. Turns out that he was more than capable of lifting that weight of expectation high over his head.
5. IRON MAN (2008, dir. Jon Favreau)
Matt C: Now it all seems so obvious, but back in 2008? A superhero that was far from a household name. An actor at one point a rising star but after a series of setbacks (drugs, jail) considered a has been. A director more well known as an actor who'd made one enjoyable Christmas flick (Elf) and a not-particularly successful kids adventure movie (Zathura: A Space Adventure). A fledgling studio banking everything on the aforementioned. Oh, how they sneered! Well, some did at least. Others saw a canny combination of seemingly disparate elements and took an optimistic approach to what could be the start of something great. Only it turned out to be more than something great: it was a superhero origin story with a thrillingly wired performance from Robert Downey Jr, some deft direction from Jon Favreau, and an adherence to the source material that opened many more eyes to why it had been so enduring in the first place. The tone was set, the world (or universe) was established, and although some things were still being worked out (they only decided to call themselves S.H.I.E.L.D. at the end of the movie?) this was a grand, convincing opening statement from Marvel Studios. And Downey Jr? Well, you could argue that, without the witty precision of his turn and as Tony Stark, we wouldn't be in a position to be talking about all these other movies. But that's a discussion for another day…
4. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014. dir. James Gunn)
Kenny J: When the Marvel Studios big wigs sat down to decide on the best way to introduce audiences to the company's wider cosmic universe they settled on a rag tag band of space bandits. They couldn't have been more right. To be honest, what was more surprising was handing the reins to James Gunn, a writer-director whose previous credits dealt with an alien parasite and a murderous vigilante respectively. Two titles, I guess, that showed Marvel he understood genre, pathos and comic timing. The last of which is particularly important when the actor playing your wise cracking pirate is a, if not the, rising action star. Chris Pratt doesn't have to carry this science fiction opus alone though, surrounded as he is by a fantastic cast. Zoe Saldana breathes life into the green skin of Gamora, Dave Batista flexes his comical muscles as Drax, and who would have thought the breakout star would be a monosyllabic tree? Not to mention Bradley Cooper's voice work for Rocket, the gun toting raccoon-like creature. Guardians Of The Galaxy is by far my favourite of the Phase One and Two Marvel films, which is not to take anything away from the other eleven movies, but it ticked all the boxes I mentioned above and more. Even without the framework of the MCU, Guardians would still work, standing alone in its own universe, building its own worlds, writing it's own rules. My familiarity with the characters didn't hurt any though.
3. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011, dir. Joe Johnston)
Tom P: It begins in a cold, snow-coved landscape. A large structure has been discovered, frozen in ice. The military guys on the scene enter this almost alien environment, slowly begin to explore, until one of the men notices something on the floor. He wipes the ice to reveal a round shield with a star. "Base. Get me a line to the Colonel! I don't care what time it is! This one's waited long enough." Who better than the director of the underrated The Rocketeer, Joe Johnston, to bring us a 'Golden Age' Captain America movie (and let's not forget, Johnston worked on Raiders Of The Lost Ark too!). Like a good old fashioned, pulpy matinée serial, this 1940s set movie has it all: Nazis, ray guns, an ancient occult MacGuffin, a sassy female lead (played brilliantly by Haley Atwell), and, at the centre, the courageous, uncompromising titular hero (Chris Evans). Oh, and let's not forget Hugo Weaving as the evil Red Skull and Toby Jones as Armin Zola! The mix of over-the-top pantomime baddie and shy henchman is played brilliantly - it's pure comic book villainy and a joy to watch. One of the main reasons the whole thing works so well is due to the performance of Evans (the artist formerly known as the Human Torch!). He's proven to be an inspired casting choice for Steve Rogers, and it's been a pleasure to watch him make the role of this 'man out of time' his own. With a charisma and gravitas that allows him to easily go toe to toe with Robert Downey Jr, he has the underdog nobility needed to convey the essence of the Sentinel of Liberty. Or, as Stanley Tucci's Dr Abraham Erskine put it: "Because a weak man knows the value of strength."
2. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014, dir. Anthony & Joe Russo)
James R: On your left. The follow up to Captain America: The First Avenger was that rarest of things - a sequel that actually builds on and improves the original outing. Joe Johnston's introduction to Steve Rogers is a fine superhero movie, and certainly one of Marvel's better efforts, but Winter Soldier surpassed it in every way. Listening to the Russo Brothers' commentary for this movie, it's evident that, along with writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, they had a definite love for comics and a distinctive idea as to the themes for the Cap's second outing. The movie looks back to 1970s conspiracy thrillers for inspiration, most notably 3 Days Of The Condor, but there's also the healthy influence of All The President's Men and The Parallax View in there too. The Avengers movies may remain the high watermark for blockbuster thrills, but for my money, Captain America: The Winter Soldier has been the greatest MCU outing… so far. It's very pleasing to know that the Russo Brothers will be back for Captain America: Civil War, and it's clear that Marvel and Kevin Feige trust them enough to hand them the keys for the grand-slam that is Avengers: Infinity War Parts I &II. For now, it's amazing to think we live in a world where there's a movie this good that incorporates Batroc the Leaper...
1. THE AVENGERS (2012, dir. Joss Whedon)
Stewart R: Ever since Samuel L. Jackson turned up in that post-credits scene in Iron Man back in 2008, we'd known what was likely brewing, what was growing, what was tantalisingly being crafted by Marvel. Once the rest of the party members had been introduced, Hulk, Thor and Captain America would join Tony Stark's Iron Man in forming the Avengers and we would see an actual, huge, blockbuster superhero team movie that transcended the individual, introductory parts on the big screen. It was the stuff of childhood dreams for many and a thrilling escalation of a cinematic universe for others. The concern of course was whether all of the puzzle pieces would fit together comfortably. Would the ensemble cast have the required chemistry? Would the script do them all justice? Would the action set pieces be suitably grand and convince us of the level of threat required to bring this group together in the first place? All of these questions were answered with a single, undoubtable 'YES' thanks to the curator and grand visionary of the project, Joss Whedon. It was he who took the best of the preceding films and brought those elements to play in a bubbling pot of personality, ideology and physical clashes. Utilising a repeat antagonist in Loki worked brilliantly as it cast aside the stagnant idea of killing off throwaway movie villains whilst staying true to the comic book origins, Hiddleston's trickster perfectly plucking away at the strings of tension already evident between these relative strangers. The story also added a (not so mysterious) hierarchy to the threat that hinted at far greater danger to come. Importantly, rather than "When would the Avengers assemble?", Whedon had us asking through the 143 minute runtime "How long will they stay together?", and that is the hook with which The Avengers hauls your giddy ass through glorious repeat viewings of the greatest MCU movie to date, again and again and again.
Labels: James R, Kenny J, Matt C, Screen Time, Simon M, Stewart R, Tom P


Some 84 past and present members of the British Confectioners' Association gathered in Nairn, Scotland last month for an historic annual general meeting.
For the first time in the association's 102-year history, women were admitted as members. Previously membership had been confined to men. Secretary Tim Cutress announced that the chosen women, who had been unanimously elected, were Janet Carr (of Warings of Tilehurst), Liz Davidson (of Classic Celebration Cakes, Stockport) and Dawn Gerrard Van Rensburg (of Gerrards of Wrexham).Charles Bamford (of Peter Herd of Wilmslow) and Russell Jenkins (of Jenkins of Llanelli) also joined the elite association. And former BCA chairman and president Martyn Ainsley was elected an honorary life member for his outstanding contribution to the body.Colin Woodhead was elected president for the next four years, replacing Martin Wienholt.support for projectThe meeting also passed a motion to financially support the launch of the 'Bakers Knowledge' project - web-based training modules that provide underpinning knowledge to existing training formats. The decision followed a presentation at the BCA's June meeting by Albert Waterfield and Jean Grieves.Chairman Robert Ditty told the gathering that his first year as chairman had been exceptionally satisfying. He thanked those who had organised meetings - Matthew and Tim Cutress in Brighton in November, James and Christopher Freeman in London in January, David Powell in New York in April and David Fielding in Ambleside in June - and George Asher and family for hosting the event at Nairn.----=== Snatching victory from the umpire's jaws === Alan Stuart, MD of Stuarts of Buckhaven, reports on the 'Ashers' contest held at the British Confectioners' Association AGM in Nairn, hosted by George Asher.A grand cricket match between eight gentlemen confectioners of England and eight of Scotland took place at the Nairnshire Cricket Club.The England team was captained by Matthew Cutress and the Scottish side by Andrew Chisholm. On winning the toss, England elected to bat and laboured to 62 from their allotted 12 overs, delivered in an astonishing variety of styles.From early on, it became apparent that the non-attendance of an ambulance crew would be a serious problem. The Scots' wicket-keeper was almost decapitated. Derek Kemp picked up so many injuries that the umpire sent him packing with a ridiculous LBW, later described as a mercy killing, and Martin Lightbody, who was sporting a cheeky little mini-kilt, almost lost the family jewels when a simple chance crashed into his nether regions. And an unexpec-ted gust of wind induced mass hysteria as it put the jewels on full view.In the last over, the Scots needed 10 runs to win with one wicket in hand. The hitherto unbiased umpire had devised a cunning plan to ensure a win for his side, but Cutress Jnr snatched victory off the fifth ball by clutching a rasping straight drive just in front of the umpire's face. Had he failed, Scotland would indeed have won. But The Ashers were England's.


To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to prescribing very low calorie diets as part of action by the NHS to tackle rises in obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Tackling obesity and the growing prevalence of type 2 diabetes are high priorities for the Scottish Government.
In addition to the Diet & Healthy Weight delivery plan, last summer I published the Type 2 Diabetes Prevention, Early Detection and Intervention Framework , the implementation of which will be supported by £42 million over the next 5 years. The framework provides national guidance to NHS Boards on the provision of evidenced-based weight management interventions. This includes very low calorie diets and total diet replacement programmes with staged food re-introduction, to suitable patients, based on evidence of successful remission results from the DiRECT trial, a collaboration between University of Glasgow, Newcastle University and Diabetes UK.
The Type 2 Diabetes Prevention, Early Detection and Intervention Framework can be found at this line: https://www.gov.scot/publications/healthier-future-framework-prevention-early-detection-early-intervention-type-2/pages/11/ .


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National Safety Excellence Award 2016
MKD Electric has been named the winner of a National Safety Excellence Award from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Based in Elgin, Illinois, MKD Electric received the award March 1 during the 27th annual Excellence in Construction® Awards at Workforce Week '17 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
"Associated Builders and Contractors is thrilled to honor MKD Electric, whose world-class safety processes and safety culture has created an environment where every employee understands that the wellbeing of those around them is everyone's responsibility," said 2017 ABC National Chair Chuck Goodrich, president of Gaylor Electric Inc., Indianapolis. "MKD's impressive safety record shows the clear difference that an uncompromising, top-down commitment to safety makes in a contractor's performance and we are proud to call them an ABC member."
The 2016 National Safety Excellence Award winners were selected from ABC member firms that achieved Diamond, Platinum and Gold status in ABC's Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP). During the selection process, national safety winners were judged on self-evaluation scores, lost workday case rates, total recordable incident rates, leading indicator use, process and program innovations and video interviews conducted by members of ABC's National Environment, Health and Safety Committee.
STEP is the standard for developing world-class safety programs in construction and is designed to help both large and small contractors evaluate every aspect of their corporate safety and health program and identify opportunities for improvement. In February 2017, ABC published its annual Safety Performance Report, which documented that the average STEP Diamond company is 770 percent safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' average for the entire industry based on their total recordable incident rate.
The National Safety Awards are presented in three major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code categories: NAICS 236 – Construction of Buildings; NAICS 237 – Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction; and NAICS 238 – Specialty Trade Contractors.
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It Occurred To Me
Random blog
The Mount Herbert (Sandymount) Hotel (Photo A Day 36)
Posted on February 6, 2012 by Oliver Corr Photography
Yesterday I was at the rugby international Ireland v Wales at The Aviva Stadium Dublin. This was only the second time at an international game the first being a couple of years ago in Croke Park Ireland v Scotland. We had arranged to meet a few friends at this hotel which is now called the "Sandymount" but which I would have known as "The Mount Herbert" Ten years ago our family celebrated da's 70th birthday here before a night out at the greyhounds in Shelbourne Park. This statue is at the front of the hotel and has been a recent addition. It's in the shadow of the new Aviva Stadium which I guess explains the rugby theme of the statue.
The Mount Herbert Hotel, is sited on the old Haig's Distillery. The hotel consists of 8 interconnected Victorian houses, which were originally constructed in 1866 and built with bricks from the old distillery. For 100 years the buildings were the homes of Dublin aristocracy, with famous residents including Sir Henry Robinson, Vice President of the Irish Local Government Board from 1879 to 1891, and more recently the famous writer Mary Kenny. The hotel was founded in 1955 by a couple from Downpatrick, George Loughran and his wife Rosaleen. On 10 January 2011 the hotel changed its name to the Sandymount Hotel.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized by Oliver Corr Photography. Bookmark the permalink.
3 thoughts on "The Mount Herbert (Sandymount) Hotel (Photo A Day 36)"
Sandymount Hotel on February 7, 2012 at 10:07 said:
Great photo of our sculpture! Delighted to hear that you've known the hotel for a number of years and we look forward to welcoming you back in the future.
John Loughran on February 7, 2012 at 11:31 said:
Oliver, thanks for the photo.
My mother, Rosaleen Mc Conn was from Downpatrick. My father, George Gerard Loughran was in fact from Dunamore, outside Cookstown. My grandmother was Mary Mc Guckian from Ardboe. I know Coalisland well. Be sure and say hello next time you are down. John Loughran
Oliver Corr Photography on February 7, 2012 at 12:24 said:
Hi John At the back of my mind I knew I had been told about the Tyrone connection with "The Mount Herbert" but couldn't remember what it was. A number of years ago I was in a house in Ardboe and a man (who's name I forget) talked about working as a porter in the Hotel for many years. Also, my mother in law Margaret Buckle née Woods went to the convent school in Ballynahinch and visits an lady who was at that school with your mother.The Old cliché applies "It's a small world"
Good Luck Oliver
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Militant Islam Monitor > Articles > FBI Offers $50,000 For Information On US Citizen Ahmad Abousamra Tied To Al Qaeda
FBI Offers $50,000 For Information On US Citizen Ahmad Abousamra Tied To Al Qaeda
FBI Offers $50,000 for Info on US Citizen Linked to Al-Qaeda
FBI is offering $50,000 reward for information on US citizen with ties to Al-Qaeda who has been plotting to kill American soldiers overseas. By Rachel Hirshfeld First Publish: 10/4/2012, 2:03 PM
An FBI poster asking for the public's help in finding Ahmad Abousamra,
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of an American citizen of Syrian descent who allegedly has ties to Al-Qaeda and has been plotting to kill U.S. military personnel overseas.
Ahmad Abousamra, 31, was indicted in 2009, after taking multiple trips to Pakistan and Yemen, where he attempted to obtain military training for the purpose of killing America soldiers overseas, the FBI said.
"Conspiring to use force or violence to achieve a political or social goal violates our cherished ideal of peaceful dissent," said FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers.
"Our goal is to find and arrest Abousamra so he can be tried by a jury of his peers," DesLauriers said in a statement.
Abousamra, who was born in France, has dual citizenship in the United States and Syria.
The FBI said he left the United States in 2006, and may be living in Aleppo, Syria with his wife and extended family.
In 2011 Abousamra's co-conspirator, Tarek Mehanna, was convicted by a federal jury on four terrorism charges and three charges related to providing false information to the government. He was sentenced earlier this year to 17 years in prison.
The FBI has been seeking Abousamra since he was indicted, but has stepped up its campaign, which now includes the monetary reward as well as the use of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.
"Knowing that the public is the FBI's best ally in finding fugitives, we're requesting their assistance to locate Ahmad Abousamra," DesLauriers said.
"Combining the reach and power of multiple media platforms is a powerful way to inform the public about our search," DesLauriers added. "We believe publicizing Abousamra's photo and characteristics will lead to a tip about his whereabouts and, ultimately, to his arrest."


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Roundabout Restores Zeffirelli's Romeo & Juliet
Roundabout Entertainment recently collaborated with Paramount Pictures and Park Circus on a luminous, 4K-restoration of Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 classic Romeo and Juliet. The restored film is currently enjoying a new theatrical run as part of Shakespeare Lives, a worldwide program of special events commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death. The project was made possible through funding from the British Council and the British Film Institute.
Roundabout Entertainment
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Reel Thing Explores Restoration, Preservation
The 38th edition of The Reel Thing, a three-day symposium addressing audio/visual restoration and archiving, will explore the constantly evolving ecosystem of film and digital restoration and preservation. This year's program will examine legacy film restorations and showcase modern technologies being used to future-proof collections and keep them viable for future display and distribution formats. The event will take place August 18-20 at the Academy's Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood.
Association of Moving Image Archivist
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AMIA, Alamo Drafthouse to offer 35mm Projection Workshop
The Association of Moving Image Archivists and Alamo Drafthouse, in partnership with The Film Foundation, will host a three-day film projection workshop offering expert-led training for managers, curators and projectionists in the proper presenting of 35mm film in theaters. The hands-on, educational event will be held August 22-24 in Austin, Texas, at the Alamo South Lamar location. Additional partners supporting the symposium include Kodak and Boston Light & Sound.
Read more about AMIA, Alamo Drafthouse to offer 35mm Projection Workshop
Universal Premieres Restored Last Warning
Universal Pictures premiered the restored 1929 silent film classic The Last Warning June 4 at the Castro Theater as part of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Directed by Paul Leni and starring Laura La Plante, The Last Warning is a dramatic horror centered on an unsolved murder during a theatrical performance and the revival production meant to solve the mystery. This restored version is a part of Universal's silent restoration initiative announced last year.
The Last Warning
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NYPD Blue Remastered
In a project for 20th Century Fox spanning nine months, Roundabout Entertainment restored and remastered the first eight seasons of the classic procedural police drama NYPD Blue. More than 170 one-hour episodes were scanned and finished in 2K, restoring the show to pristine quality for a new domestic release.
Read more about NYPD Blue Remastered
Ymagis Launches Celluloid Angels
Ymagis Group has announced the June 8 launch of Celluloid Angels, the first crowd-funding platform to finance the restoration of heritage/classic films. Celluloid Angels will enable visitors to participate in a unique experience by assisting in the conservation of international heritage films in a meaningful way.
Ymagis Group
Celluloid Angels
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Library Leads Hunt for Mostly Lost Films
The Library of Congress is once again providing a unique opportunity for film scholars and archivists to play cinematic detective by participating in its free Mostly Lost workshop. The case is solving riddles and finding clues to the identity of unidentified, under-identified or misidentified silent and early sound films. The scene is the state-of-the-art theater at the Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia, and the date is Thursday, June 16, through Saturday, June 18.
Read more about Library Leads Hunt for Mostly Lost Films
Universal, Film Foundation Restore Brando's One-Eyed Jacks
Universal Pictures and The Film Foundation celebrated the Cannes Film Festival with the world premiere screening of the newly restored 1961 film, One-Eyed Jacks, starring and directed by Marlon Brando. Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, who had long advocated for the film's restoration, closely supervised the work to ensure the restoration honored Brando's original artistic vision. One-Eyed Jacks was digitally scanned in 6K and restored in 4K from the original 35mm VistaVision negative.
Film Foundation
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NYWITF Calls for Preservation Grant Proposals
New York Women in Film & Television's Women's Film Preservation Fund is calling for proposals for grants to restore and preserve American films in which women have had significant creative positions. The WFPF's mission is to save films of unique importance in American history and in the history of women's cinema. Individuals and not-for-profit organizations are eligible to apply for grants of up to $10,000. The association's next grant proposal deadline is June 1st, 2016.
The Women's Film Preservation Fund
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MTI Film Restores The Power and the Glory
MTI Film, Hollywood recently completed the restoration of 20th Century Fox's 1933 classic The Power and the Glory. The restored version of the film is currently submitted for a 2016 Focal International Award for Best Archive Restoration and Preservation Project. Directed by William K. Howard, The Power and the Glory tells the story of a ruthless railroad tycoon who works his way up from track walker to president of the company. The film is notable for a strong performance from a 33-year-old Spencer Tracy and for its script, the first produced by Preston Sturges.
Read more about MTI Film Restores The Power and the Glory


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Wall Street event raises more than $1 million for St. Jude
Memphis, Tennessee, December 2, 2016
The family of St. Jude patient Christian (center) speaks to those attending Wall Street Taste of New York.
Wall Street Taste of New York — one of the largest annual charity events involving New York City's investment community — raised approximately $1.2 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital on November 15.
Now in its 27th year, the event has raised more than $42 million for the children of St. Jude since its inception. About 500 people, representing nearly every major firm in the investment industry, enjoyed an evening at Guastavino's that featured a special appearance by the family of St. Jude patient Christian, who shared the story of his treatment for a brain tumor at St. Jude.
Rick Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude, also spoke at the fundraiser, thanking supporters for their dedication to the St. Jude mission. Attendees enjoyed an evening of networking and sampling cuisine from about 20 local restaurants and spirit vendors, who donated their time and culinary talents to support St. Jude.
CNBC reporter Jackie DeAngelis served as host of the event. DeAngelis contributes live reports for CNBC programming from the New York Mercantile Exchange and hosts the CNBC online show "Futures Now."
Key sponsors of Wall Street Taste of New York included Bank of America Merrill Lynch, BTIG, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.


If you're a design-lover and your son or daughter likes to have their own chair with the "big people" then Artifort's Junior Collection is for you. Like the junior version of the Orange Slice. It is identical to the original model but then scaled down to junior size. It's also developed by Artifort and manufactured by the same people that make the original models.


You don't say the make of your machine. If you have a Toyota you push the ribber hard against the main bed before tightening the screws which hold it in place.
For a Brother machine there are adjusting nuts and levers at both ends of the ribber. You'll be able to see them if you drop the ribber. Check the height of the ribber by pushing it up as far as it will go. Bring several needles at each end of the main bed to holding position. You should be able to slide two of the ribber weight hooks together (flat shiny things with a hole in one end and hooks at the other) between the main bed needles and ribber sinker posts. They should be a snug fit but should not move the needles as you slide them in. To adjust the height drop the ribber loosen the nuts and use the levers to move it up or down. Check the gap and once you have it right re-tighten the nuts but make sure that the levers don't move. It's fiddly but with a bit of practise you should be able to get it right.
For adjustments to Silver Reed and Knitmaster machines Mary Weaver has a comprehensive explanation in her book – The Ribbing Attachment Part 2. I hope this helps you sort out the problem.


Question: What countries border Venezuela?
Answer: Colombia, Brazil and Guyana.
What is the name of the artery in the leg?
Who played the main male role in 'The Graduate'?
Welche der folgenden "Aufgaben" war kein Teil der Finalrunde in der "100.000 Mark Show"?
Who plays the role of Bella in the 'Twilight' saga movies?
Was ist ein Rod Pod?


The Science and Fine Arts Fair is an LES (Lutheran Elementary Schools) coordinated event hosted at Luther High School. LES students may choose to participate in a number of activities such as displaying science experiment info, displaying art projects, various musical opportunities including singing and instrumental, readings, and much more! CLICK HERE or check with your Lutheran Elementary School for more details.


Fantasy Fairy Jewelry, Silver Ear Wrap, Ear Cuffs at Faery's Whimsy!
Hand Crafted Sterling Silver Fairy Ear Wraps and Ear Cuffs by Marty Magic.
Hand Crafted Antique Brass and Swarovski Crystal Fairy Earrings by Byrd Designs.
Cameo Necklaces from the art of Amy Brown, Nene Thomas, Jessica Galbreth, Suzanne Melody, and Ulysses.


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Latina Lista: News from the Latinx perspective > Columns & Features > Guest Voz > Guest Voz: New film about the life of Cesar Chavez contradicts his legacy by using non-union actors
Guest Voz: New film about the life of Cesar Chavez contradicts his legacy by using non-union actors
inGuest Voz
By Lisa Mendoza*
LatinaLista
(Editor's note: Lisa Mendoza is a pseudonym for the writer's real name who wishes not to be identified.)
"We know what unions have done for other people. We have seen it and we have studied and we have cherished the idea of unionism. We have seen the history and development of unions in this country and we tell the growers that we want nothing more, but that we want our own union and we are going to fight for it as long as it takes." Cesar Chavez
Cesar Chavez leads a boycott in the fight for farm workers' rights.
This story began 25 years ago, very simply when I, as a freshman at a well-known southern university where the student population was 60,000, and out of that number, 1,000 of us were Latinos pursuing higher education. I felt out of place my freshman year, many always asking, "Where are you from?" with that derogatory intonation, we as people of color, know so well.
Imagine then a well-known public figure who came to speak at this particular, not very diverse, university who changed the worldview of a naïve freshman. Who was it? None other than Cesar Chavez himself, and he made an indelible impression on me.
At the rally in the student union, he at first read from a prepared speech and he kept losing his place and to an extent — the audience. The moment he let go of the speech and simply spoke from the heart, no one in the room moved. He mesmerized us for a good hour and I'm not exaggerating that the room roared to an intense applause when he finished.
I was only 18 but I managed courageously to go up to him afterwards, tap him on the shoulder and say to him, "Thank you for all you do." He smiled serenely at me and I turned to walk away for fear he might see me cry. Here I was in the presence of a great man and I could not speak. From then on, I followed all of the United Farm Workers (UFW) activities until I left that state and moved to California to pursue further my studies in theater and acting.
Fast-forward a few years later in 1993 when, as I walked down a rainy city street in the Bay Area, something caught my eye. It was the newspaper headline announcing Cesar's death. Somehow the somber weather fit my mood that day, for the sadness I felt in his passing.
I followed all the news coverage of his death and cried when I saw on television the image of his simple pine wood casket carried for burial. Somehow his work seemed incomplete and I hoped those left behind would carry the torch, and I prayed that the UFW would continue to thrive. Thanks to that amazing woman, Dolores Huerta, it did.
In my own life, I'd gone on to be a professional union actor, working in all mediums: television, film and theater. I was doing okay, making a living as an actor when two years ago the work stopped coming my way and there were no professional gigs, I mean, I'm talking nada.
I simply wasn't booking union acting work, and it felt like I was a total failure.
On the 20th anniversary of my being in the entertainment industry, I felt like hanging it up and doing something else with my life. Was it the fact that the productions at the studios had gone down substantially, the work had moved to Canada, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was losing ground tremendously in television because most of the new contracts for shows had gone AFTRA, (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) — the other union whose contracts pay less, or the recession, etc.? Perhaps it was a combination of factors.
In this same period, I read somewhere that Diego Luna and Gabriel Garcia Bernal were producing a film about the beloved labor leader, and I immediately began the campaign to put myself on the filmmaker's radar, contacting their production company, Canana Films in Mexico City and keeping an eye out for the opportunity to audition for them.
Suddenly, last October, a casting notice came out from Heidi Levitt, the woman who cast THE ARTIST, saying that a national search was on for the roles of Cesar, Helen Chavez, and Dolores Huerta. These announcements I always take with a grain of salt because they usually mean that it's just publicity to generate buzz for the film.
In my heart, I knew I would not necessarily get the opportunity to audition for the major women's roles as I am a character actor, but I told my agent to figure out a way to "get me in the door," because I felt so connected to the story. I figured I'd be a shoe-in for a supporting role.
Submitting to the casting director via a filmed audition through the Internet, I was surprised that I was not called at all. I felt a great let-down because of all the effort I put into it, while lesser known and not very trained or seasoned non-union actors were called in for auditions. I was baffled.
The announcements started pouring out as to who would play the main roles, and again Hollywood or rather the producers of this film, decided to cast non-Chicanas in the lead female roles. It was not unexpected but since this is primarily a Chicano story, with a Mexican at the helm, no less, it annoyed me no end that Cesar's life was getting the proverbial "Hollywood Treatment," and Puerto Rican and other Latino nationalities were in the mix.
That's my personal issue in that I always hear actors, who are of other nationalities trying to play Chicanos or Mexican-Americans, and they don't study the specificity of how we speak. They sound Puerto Rican or Central American, so I take issue with that. Just like I take issue with someone (an actor) who isn't from that culture they are portraying and they don't work on their character or their accent — you can just tell.
I made peace with it though, and I said to myself, "at least it's being made." UNTIL LAST WEEK.
A casting notice came my way from the same casting director saying that several roles were still available for the Chavez film and they were all "NON-UNION, ARIZONA LOCAL HIRES ONLY." I had to re-read that several times because I couldn't believe what I was reading.
A film centered on the theme of unionism is hiring non-union actors to tell the story?
That did not make sense. I called my agent and sure enough the breakdowns said the roles re-released were all non-union and he couldn't send me in for an audition. Breakdowns are the acting job announcements released by producers and studios that go out to agents as to what roles are available for actors to audition for.
I began to feel an unmitigated rage swell up inside me that the producers would go the non-union route to fill the smaller day player roles and one-line roles.
Believe it or not, all actors are not created equal. There are the "A" Listers as they are called, the George Clooneys and Brad Pitts, the 1% and then there are the rest of us, the 99%.
We are the journeymen actors who do the smaller roles, the one-lines and under-fives, who really have to fight to be cast. Latinas have to fight even harder because if you don't look like Salma, JLo, Sofia Vergara or any other Latina bombshell, you are rendered invisible, playing maids, the undocumented, and nothing more substantial.
What I wouldn't give to be able to say congratulations, Cesar's biopic is finally being made, but because in the way it is being produced, I cannot in good faith say I support that.
How are the producers making a product with non-union labor and then they turn around and are going to sell this film about unionism to the general public?
It's hypocritical and dishonest. My rage spurred me to action and I began to call around to the different entities involved in making this film. I reached out to the Dolores Huerta Foundation who said they were not part of the project at all, but directed me to the Cesar Chavez Foundation. Their legal department contacted me immediately when I said I would like to talk to them before I went to the press, and about the only thing I said that made any type of impression on them was the fact that the production was going to shoot in Arizona, only the most anti-immigrant, anti-Chicano/Mexican-American state in the union.
Their counsel said that they had sanctioned the rights only, but that they weren't really involved in the production. Thus they passed the proverbial buck and directed me to Canana Films, the production company making the movie. The person I was told to contact there was not too keen to talk to me in the least. They chose to give me an e-mail address so that I could state my concerns. No one has gotten back to me as of this writing.
The issues for me in relation to the production of Cesar Chavez's film biography are three-fold. First of all, hiring non-union labor to tell the story, as well as the making of it, is dishonoring the theme of unionism and everything he stood for in my opinion.
Yet, the Cesar Chavez Foundation, especially Helen Chavez, his wife, sanctioned the production, selling the rights to producers who are mostly Mexican. (Do they know how it's being produced or not? I'm not sure) John Malkovich, the well-known American actor, is a producer on the film as well. Why make the film with the star actors being union but the smaller roles non-union, and as I write this, perhaps even the crew?
It goes against everything Cesar fought for. Union actors and crews are working people too. We must take care of our families by earning a decent living. We too have bills to pay, and we, Latino union actors, suffer from some of the highest unemployment rates in the union.
I called SAG to educate myself on employment statistics as to how much Latino actors work in comparison to other ethnic groups. Their reports are not current, but according to the report, as of 2006, employment statics proved dismal. Seventy-two percent of union acting jobs went to Caucasian actors, 14 percent to African American actors and 6 percent went to Latino actors. Is it any better now in this recession? I don't need statistics to tell you it isn't.
Another issue is the fact that they are shooting in Arizona and Mexico.
Arizona is a right-to-work state, so the producers can hire whomever they want. Who do you think they will choose if they can pick between a union and non-union member?
The producers don't have to pay a non-union member pension and health, or contribute to them qualifying for health insurance. I doubt that Cesar would have liked for the film based on his life to contribute to a state's economy that is so adamant in keeping Chicanos and immigrants down. Hello, who was famous for economic boycotts?
Lastly, it saddens me to think that an American hero, for Cesar was American, and a Chicano hero, that the only people willing to give money so that the film could get made are from the Mexican government. The Mexican government is subsidizing this movie for the most part, and thus they are shooting there.
This information came directly from the Chavez Foundation counsel. Chicanos couldn't figure out how to finance a film about our Chicano hero, and therefore a Mexicano took the rights and is making the film he wants. However, they don't have the money to make the epic that it needs to be. That's why I wish they would shelve it for a bit, get more investors, perhaps some of our own Latino organizations here in the U.S., like MALDEF and LULAC to invest together so that everyone could be a union member working on this worthy project.
Wouldn't that be something? To have Cesar be our bridge to create economic prosperity for US Latino actors and Mexicanos by working union? We hunger for our stories about our heroes to be told. That's why I went after this project with so much fervor because I wanted to say proudly that I was part of a historical story that meant so much to me on a personal level, and it was a substantial film.
With the way it is now, that couldn't be further from the truth.
My personal hero, Cesar Chavez has been OUTSOURCED, his memory has been outsourced, and what makes me even sadder is that some Latino union actors are okay with it. They tell me to think of the "bigger picture," that at least his story is being made into a film. At what cost, though, tell me?
Well, it's at the cost of union jobs for us Latino journeymen actors. Not only are we more invisible than ever, we're completely expendable now and some of my fellow Latino actors are "okay" with it.
Where is my union SAG in all of this you might ask? Sadly, that's a whole other subject that needs its own article. It would take time to explain the union rules and the reasons the producers of the Cesar Chavez film are allowed to shoot the film the way they are. The information is intricate and, well, it needs to be examined separately.
Let's just say, a union that is supposed to be protecting its own is not doing a very good job of it.
I wanted to write this article using my real name in it, but I have been advised by some veteran actors that if I stated my real name my own Latino acting community would turn against me, that I'd be black-listed in the entertainment industry, and that I would not work again — all because I dare to point out this hypocrisy.
Wow, I thought we were more courageous as a community, but with the way the Cesar Chavez film is being handled, are we proving that old adage that we Latinos can't work together to produce change?
Lisa Mendoza* (not her real name) is an actor who has acted professionally for twenty-one years. She has worked all over the United States in regional theater, and she also has acted in the mediums of television, commercials, film, and even won an award or two. She would like to thank her friends and family for sticking by her through the highs and lows of this amazing career she has chosen.
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Carla Archuleta
Wow there are so many wrongs in this story. Why of all states would they chose Arizona, they dont want us there so why film the story of a man that faught for equality of our people. He is the leader of the Chicano movement, this whole story goes against his beliefs period.
compa1953
Briefly, Cesar was born in Arizona, and his parents owned a farm there before being forced to sell it and work as migrants in California. Still that doesn't excuse the hiring of Arizona locals only, since the state is a "Right-to-be-Exploited," or "Right-To-Work" state.
goodbyehello
They cast Rosario Dawson to play Dolores Huerta. They look so much alike. NOT!
Re: " 6 percent went to Latino actors"
And most of that 6% is probably non-Mexican-Americans. There are very few Latino films, and those films rarely have that many Mexican-American actors, if any at all.
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Хрущ волохатий (Anoxia pilosa) — вид хрущів середнього розміру, поширений у Центральній і Східній Європі. Личинка хруща волохатого пошкоджує корені рослинних культур.

Опис
Брунатно-чорний жук, 1,7-2,6 см у довжину. Надкрила чорні. Тіло вкрито довгими сірими волосками, пронотум у білуватих волосках. Булава антен у самців має 5 лопатей, у самиць — 4 лопаті. Пігідій з невеликою ямкою. Самці дрібніші.

Личинка біла або жовтувато-біла, голова жовтого кольору, на нижній поверхні кінця черевця має невпорядковано розташовані гачкуваті щетинки. Досягає 4,5-5,5 см у довжину. Лялечка світло-жовта, 1,8-2,7 см довжиною.

Спосіб життя
Зустрічається в степу та лісостепу, переважно на піщаних ґрунтах. Самиця відкладає в ґрунт одну кладку, яка містить близько 20 яєць (за іншими даними — по одному або грудками по 6-7 яєць декілька разів). Через 4-5 тижнів з яєць виходять личинки. Личинка розвивається впродовж 2-3 років, живиться спочатку перегноєм, пізніше коренями різних рослин.

Зимують в ґрунті личинки 2-го і 3-го віку, а також імаго, на глибині 10-30 см (за іншими даними — до 1 м). Дорослі особини літають з кінця травня до початку липня, личинки з'являються з кінця червня. Імаго не живляться.

Поширення
Хрущ волохатий зустрічається в Центральній, Східній та Південно-Східній Європі. Відомий з Італії, Австрії, Угорщини, Польщі, Румунії, Сербії, Чорногорії, України, півдня Європейської частини Росії.

В Україні відомий з центральних, південних та східних областей.

Господарське значення
Личинки в разі масового розмноження пошкоджують корені садово-плодових культур.

Див. також

 Хрущ білий
 Хрущ мармуровий
 Хрущ травневий

Примітки

Хрущі
Жуки України
Комахи Європи
Тварини, описані 1792

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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