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A Day For Blowing Bubbles
February 26, 2017 ~ mairineilcreative writer ~ 2 Comments
What's the Canberra Bubble?
A phrase frequently used by media commentators is "Canberra Bubble", a disparaging reference to our elected representatives in federal parliament. It suggests they are disconnected from the rest of the population, not just by distance, but by reality.
When buzzwords are introduced into our everyday lexicon they're often repeated without anyone challenging their accuracy, knowing what is actually meant, or if it is a reasonable description.
The phrase "Canberra Bubble" frequently used when federal politicians from both major parties seem more focused on leadership squabbles and factional alignments than policies to benefit the majority of the Australian population.
However, to be fair to federal politicians, they do put their hands up to enter parliament and the journey to winning an election and staying in power probably means like the most of us, they juggle several bubbles.
Question Google and you are taken to Quora and people from all over the world give you their meaning of 'living in a bubble'.
Common themes are: isolating yourself, being shy or introverted, being naive, or the other extremes, being a victim or thinking you are superior!
And who could forget the story of the Boy in the Bubble?
Others suggest not caring and understanding, or forgetting what is happening in the 'outside' world, but the consensus is "living in a bubble means you do not get out of your comfort zone."
We live in our own bubble most of the time
My main focus is immediate family (my daughters), extended family (siblings), close friends and neighbours, my students, and then various acquaintances who pop in and out of my life.
My bubble is usually pleasant. Life is enriching, experimental but safe, and most often full of joy. Reminiscent of playing with the lovely soap bubbles Mum made for us in childhood. (And I made for my children.)
Who can forget the excitement of dipping a twisted piece of wire into soapy water and blowing the thin film of soap water into the air?
Wonderful memories of competing to produce the largest bubble – and see how long it would last without popping.
Sometimes chasing the hollow spheres to catch them or hope they'd land gently on your hand; marvelling at the iridescent surface and kaleidoscopic colour as light wove its way in uneven waves and rainbows.
Of course, bubbles burst or we blow them away and so yesterday I determined to venture from my comfort zone and attend a Workshop for Freelance Writers and Journalists at Melbourne University.
Into a place where in the past the term 'ivory tower'in place of "bubble" has been used to disparage academia.
It is fashionable to sneer at elites with President Trump leading the charge but where would society be without the years of dedicated research and scholarship provided by academics?
The workshop I attended, a case in point, provided by the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the Graduate School of Humanities & Social Sciences for FREE!
This wonderful opportunity to improve skills and knowledge, professional development for me, as a teacher of writing and as a blogger. I took copious notes before the facilitators agreed to send copies of their slides, so I will share the information at a later date when the slides arrive and what I learned can be more accurately passed on.
(I always have difficulty deciphering my notes. Dad used to say, 'a trained spider' could write clearer than me.)
A Trip Down Memory Lane
The day was full of déjà vu because I worked as an Admin Officer for the Student Union for 4 years and was reminded of that fabulous time the moment I stepped on campus through Gate 10.
My heart lifted at the new signage. I worked at the university in 2008 and remember crowding into a room in Union House with a group of employees and students to watch Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologise to the Stolen Generations.
I recall fighting back tears as someone who had been at the Aboriginal Embassy in the 1970s. Tried to imagine how important this recognition of our blemished and brutal past would be to those directly affected. Another crucial step towards true reconciliation with our First People.
When I was greeted on South Lawn by the familiar colours of an UMSU marquee in the distance I felt I'd been teleported into the past!
The student union changed its name to UMSU and rebranded while I was there in the mid-2000s. (There had been a turbulent history before that and the aftermath made for an interesting settling in period for me.)
Two seagulls pecked at the edges of a water feature, their obesity evidence of rich pickings on a campus with plenty of eateries and picnic areas to mine. I paused and watched the birds. The campus silent and empty of the usual hordes of students. Memories crowded and years of absence fell away. My feet automatically strode towards Arts West.
Melbourne University has one of the most attractive campuses in Australia, rich in history. The buildings maintained and modernised with deference to heritage and character.
I discovered another new addition, bronze plaques commemorating academics and professional staff who have made an outstanding and enduring contribution to the University community. These awarded and embedded in 2014 along the Professor's Walk. I took a couple snapshots to remind myself to return one day and do the Historic Campus Tour.
There is also a new cafe – always a welcome addition for hungry students without culinary skills and just learning to live independently!
Before the workshop started I raced along to Union House to grab a much-needed coffee. Wow – more memories – I remembered the voices of angry students protesting PM John Howard's introduction of voluntary union contributions in an attempt to silence radicals and destroy the power of collective bargaining.
Unfortunately, it meant the destruction of a lot of clubs and societies on campus funded by union dues – activities that made campus life worthwhile and memorable. That was a long hard fight and the first time I'd heard of Barnaby Joyce, the current leader of the National Party.
I typed up his telephone interview with the editors of Farrago, the student newspaper – Barnaby was against VSU because he knew it would disadvantage country campuses.
Who Works Early On Saturday Morning At A University?
A cheerful man asks me, 'What can I do you for?'
'Flat white coffee, please?'
'Salt and pepper, tomato sauce, a dash of engine oil?'
We laugh in unison.
'Oh, a dash of whisky – it'll wake me up. My grandfather called it his heart starter.'
He turns to his mate at the coffee machine with a grin as wide as the ocean.
'I like this woman,' then as he took my money,'You've made my day. I'm going to share that story. Great excuse!'
Another lady standing beside me waits for her coffee. We introduce ourselves – yes, on an almost empty campus early Saturday morning, we are going to the same place.
Sandra and I both grateful these cheery blokes have their coffee machine fired up. We agree hospitality workers deserve penalty rates!
And so do the academics, administration staff and security waiting for us…
We Were Warned – The Workshop Starts On Time!
In the lecture theatre, I hurriedly sit beside Marilyn, a retired BBC radio producer who has joined her son to live in Melbourne.
We share many stories throughout the day, lunch at the refurbished cafes in the Royal Melbourne Hospital precinct where I hear about her groundbreaking and controversial documentary for Amnesty's 50th Anniversary, a segment for Stephen Fry on Aussie English and her involvement in U3A where she has organised a booked out talk by Don Watson of Weasel Words fame.
What a coup!
On my other side, I whisper hello to Lucy who writes for australianlighthouses.com. A labour of love. She confides to giving up a well-paid job in the public service to become a freelance writer. She's already had successes with travel articles for The Age: where to eat in Paris and a feature on taking her son to Japan.
To say, I felt decidedly out of my journalistic and freelancing depth, is an understatement, but we were attending to learn from experts with even more incredible pedigrees of journalism, editing and publishing:
Dr Margaret Simons
Dr Denis Muller
Simon Mann
Jo Chandler
The subjects covered were:
The Pitch – how to write a succinct attractive pitch to hook editors
Interview skills – how to prepare, conduct and write a great interview
Law and Ethics – common pitfalls and risks to finances (defamation), credibility and peace of mind
Structure – how to construct a standard 1000 word piece for publication
The sessions packed with information that the hundreds who attended absorbed. The questions and detailed answers covered almost everything you could think of in the field of journalism.
The information I found most fascinating, and which generated a debate afterwards over networking coffee in the foyer, was Dr Denis Muller's lecture on ethics, or lack thereof when people chase a story regardless of the law and common decency.
Dr Muller is a leading Australian ethicist and has written Journalism Ethics for the Digital Age, Scribe 2013 and Media Ethics and Disasters: Lessons from the Black Saturday Bushfires, Melbourne University Press. 2011
He mentioned in passing that the DPP in Victoria sent a letter to all media outlets in Melbourne the day after the terrible tragedy in Bourke Street, warning them to be careful not to jeopardise the trial and conviction of the accused and be guilty of Contempt of Court.
We have the history in Victoria where a paedophile priest was given a lesser sentence because radio broadcaster and now Senator Derryn Hinch went public with information that jeopardised the accused's right to a fair trial. He was charged with contempt again over another case.
Fortunately, the majority of journalists take the law and ethics more seriously.
I farewelled my newfound friends and walked slowly back to the tram stop in Swanston Street to head home. The pleasant walk a respite from the less than comfortable chair and the brain food to be digested.
Writing fodder abounded – but more for my inner creative writer!
A wedding party was having photographs. A beautiful visual feast and fun to watch as the photographers tried to be creative with poses.
I admired and took a closer look at a couple of sculptures. There are major works by 23 sculptors dotted around the campus, spanning centuries and countries. Many were gifted for safe keeping.
James Gilbert was born in Dublin and immigrated to Victoria in 1854. This fine example of Gilbert's work, Atlantes was originally sited in Melbourne's central business district. In Greek mythology, the giant Atlas supported the sky. Architecturally, Atlantes are male figures or half-figures used in place of columns to support a porch-like structure and are frequently portrayed straining under an enormous weight.
This pair originally formed part of the ornate arched entrance to the Colonial Bank of Australasia on the corner of Elizabeth and Little Collins Streets in the 1880s, and remained there until the building's demolition in 1932.
Atlantes was salvaged and presented to the university where it was re-erected to form the porch of the Old Physiology building, which in 1970 was also demolished. Atlantes has been in its current location since 1972 and is classified by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria)
Untitled (Charity being kind to the poor) c.1893
Designed by Austrian artist Victor Tilgner and cast at the Imperial Art Foundry of Vienna, by sculptor Edward W Raht, (Charity being kind to the poor) originally adorned one of Melbourne's landmark buildings—the massive seven-storey Equitable Life Assurance Society Limited headquarters on the corner of Collins and Elizabeth Streets.
Mounted on the red granite portico, the bronze statue was considered 'the crowning piece' of the ornate structure. It symbolised the themes of protection and shelter, typical of sculpture commissioned by insurance companies to adorn their corporate buildings at the time.
Although structurally sound, by the late 1950s the building was considered uneconomical and was demolished. (Charity being kind to the poor) was presented to the University of Melbourne in 1959 by the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited who had purchased the building in 1923.
This memorial, of Stawell stone, was built in 1926 to honour those in the University who served or died in World War 1. It originally stood at the head of the main drive but was relocated at the angle of the Law School and Wilson Hall.
I discovered a series of plaques to commemorate WWI and other conflicts, placed in 2014 beside the University's war memorial. Perhaps funded by the Gallipoli Centenary Fund, in a similar way to Williamstown Council and their website featuring men, including my uncle, who joined up and died on active service.
I hope people take the time to read them.
On a brighter note, I also discovered another innovation since I left, a Community Garden.
A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.
Gertrude Jekyll
This quiet oasis a delightful discovery amongst concrete buildings.
The aims:
grow food as sustainably and organically as possible
inspire people to grow their own food
provide a place for learning about healthy food
show an alternative to how public space can be used
create a strong sense of community here at Melbourne University
A fantastic concept, which is flourishing.
Green relief in grey claustrophobia. The list of plants varied: Granny Smith Apples, rhubarb, pumpkin, various herbs, orange pippin, chocolate lily, native viola, Mydyim berry, and yams.
And from the practical to the ornamental – rows of gorgeous crepe myrtles in their spectacular colourful glory line the path on the way out of campus.
Just the other day, one of my students (88-year-old Edna) told the story of going out in a recent storm with hammer, nails and string to rescue a baby crepe myrtle that had just started to flower and had been flattened in the wind.
The crepe myrtle flowers are wonderful – each petal is like crepe paper, wrinkly and crinkly, and that's where it gets its name. They can be grown as a standard, a miniature, a low-growing spreading plant, a small shrub, a small tree and even a large tree.
Look at their beauty – they are worth rescuing!
Crepe myrtles flourish in Australia. They like a hot and dry climate and transplant well from a pot. Established with plenty of water, to ensure the root system develops, they are remarkably drought-tolerant. All varieties provide striking colour in summer, wonderful autumn foliage and in winter have beautiful, ornate bark.
These are all newly planted since I worked at the university.
Finally, I pass large tubs grouped in the definitive and positive 'rule of three' and recall poems I wrote years ago when I travelled into the city daily, being very much a part of the "university bubble" – or should that be "ivory tower"?
The plaintive song echoes
in the university grounds
as students hurry home
past skeletal branches
of winter trees
hosting the bird's lament
mournful echoes
of dinosaur dynasties
amid the whirr of bicycle wheels,
tapping footsteps
mobile conversations
iPod seclusion
wistful whistles announce dusk
become full-throated celebrations
melodious calls to rest
as lights douse,
classroom doors close,
shadows deepen,
and the campus empties
crowded trams trundle by
bathed in artificial sunlight
tall grey buildings reach
for a star embroidered sky
this call of birded tongue
conjures ghosts
of long forgotten species.
Melbourne Central, July 2007
Woollen scarf as fashion dictates
the student holds a radical newspaper aloft
bold black print and strident voice
denouncing government indifference
Business suits brush by
polished leather squeaks
the train home awaits
high heels click
trails of perfume dissipate
From the shadows a bundle of rags
morphs into a man
murmurs drowned by
his trembling hand and
cardboard begging sign ignored
Another day in Melbourne
polystyrene cup left empty
government indifference
a mirror of society…
Do you live in a bubble? Perhaps burst or blow bubbles…
Who said the more things change, the more they stay the same?
Hidden Figures – A Review
February 23, 2017 ~ mairineilcreative writer ~ 11 Comments
I went to a special screening of the film Hidden Figures at the Nova Cinema Sunday night.
Hidden Figures celebrates the African-American women whose calculations enabled the Moon landings, and were then forgotten for 40 years. All profits from the event go to Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equality (URGE), an organisation led by women of colour that fights for reproductive justice in poor, and particularly black, communities. It is on the front line of the struggle against Trump. This is the first of hopefully many events to raise funds for those resisting the right-wing tide.
The event raised $1500 – a great achievement because it was organised at short notice and solely through social media. It didn't take long to fill the cinema.
NASA's "Colored Computers"
Hidden Figures is entertaining, empowering, and an all round excellent film. And as most of the advertising hype suggests, it is a story long overdue in the telling, focusing on the journey of three clever women: Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson.
I consider myself well-read and I have a double history major, yet I never knew about the "colored computers" as they were referred to by NASA.
Before IBM mainframes took over NASA's number-crunching duties, the organization's "computers" wore skirts. While an all-male team of engineers performed the calculations for potential space travel, women mathematicians checked their work, playing a vital role at a moment when the United States was neck-and-neck with (and for a time, running behind) the Soviets in the space race.
In tandem with the space race between America and Russia is the burgeoning and increasingly effective civil rights movement. Clips from real life news broadcasts and newspaper headlines are shown and there is some re-enactment of protests, but the film's focus is detailing the achievements of three women who were crucial to the success of NASA's program. They also trail-blazed for not only African-American rights but rights for all women to be treated as intelligent as their male counterparts.
The Evils of Segregation
The film, set in the early 1960s shows the struggle for desegregation being fought state by state. Like Apartheid South Africa, coloured people are barred, separated, and herded by the predominant white authorities:
coloured drinking fountains,
coloured waiting rooms,
coloured toilets,
coloured canteens
coloured offices,
coloured counters in cafes and shops,
and of course coloured seats at the back of the bus despite the brave actions of Rosa Parkes.
This segregation appalling when seen on the screen, especially regarding the effect on innocent children. It's almost impossible to understand what it must have been like – and it is not that long ago!
Thank goodness we have films like Hidden Figures and Selma to remind us of our common humanity and the evils of bigotry and hate.
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." – Martin Luther King, Jr.
At NASA's Langley, in the 1940s and 1950s, the women were split into two pools – the East computing unit for white women, and the West computing unit for black women. This segregation a requirement of Virginia state law that continued into the 1960s.
The three African-American women heroes were crusaders for both feminism and civil rights in segregated Virginia and helped put an American into orbit, which ultimately led to America beating Russia in the race to put a man on the moon.
NASA at least recognised the ability of women to work in the field, but in 1962 the "colored computers" were not afforded the same rights or treated with the same respect as their white male colleagues.
The detailing of overt and ingrained racism some of the most powerful and poignant scenes in the movie. Although the focus is always on the contribution and efforts to achieve a successful launch into space, the three women challenge and defeat prejudice and unfairness in the workplace.
Dorothy Vaughan, played by Octavia Spencer, was the first black supervisor in charge of West Computing and is one of the main characters in the film. One of the first computer programmers when tasks from the engineers came in, she would allocate the work and show her team what they needed to do. Her ingenuity and intelligence and determination to be ahead of the game and yet protect her team, absolutely awesome.
She often goes toe to toe with her white manager, Vivian played to condescending perfection by Kirsten Dunst who has a face you itch to slap. As a woman, Vivian recognises discrimination yet refuses to accept her own attitude and behaviour as racist, not supporting Dorothy's right to the title and pay of supervisor and saying such lines as:
"Y'all should be thankful you have jobs at all"
Katherine Johnson played in the film by Taraji P. Henson, was a brilliant geometry expert who worked as a human computer – a person who computes – she was a child prodigy and calculated the trajectory for Alan Shepard, the first American in space.
In the film, there is also a scene where astronaut John Glenn asks for Katherine to check the calculations for returning safely to earth before he gets into the spacecraft.
NASA's chief historian, Bill Barry, explains that the film, which has been nominated for a slew of awards, depicts many real events from their lives. "One thing we're frequently asked," he says, "is whether or not John Glenn actually asked for Katherine Johnson to 'check the numbers.'" The answer is yes: Glenn, the first American in orbit and later, at the age of 77, the oldest man in space, really did ask for Johnson to manually check calculations generated by IBM 7090 computers (the electronic kind) churning out numbers at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Though the film shows Glenn asking for Johnson's approval from the launch pad, she was actually called in well before the launch. Calculating the output for 11 different variables to eight significant digits took a day and a half. Her calculations matched the computer's results exactly. Not only did her conclusions give Glenn and everyone else confidence in the upcoming launch, but they also proved the critical computer software was reliable.
When she is transferred into the all white domain in the West Computing Wing the tension and underlying resentment from one male worker, Paul Stafford (Jim Parsons plays the stereotypical subdued white collar racist to perfection) is palpable. It is the scenes in the operational room before and during the space launches that provide the most tension in the movie.
Mary Jackson, played by Janelle Monae, was a mathematician and aerospace engineer. She petitions a judge to let her take the necessary night courses in the all-white high school that will allow her to apply for an open engineering position at NASA.
Hidden Figures is based on a book by Margot Lee Shetterly: Hidden Figures, The Untold Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race, a TIME magazine top 10 nonfiction book of 2016.
We've had astronauts, we've had engineers—John Glenn, Gene Kranz, Chris Kraft. Those guys have all told their stories. Now it's the women's turn.
Margot Lee Shetterly
There is plenty of humour in the film as well as a great soundtrack. The fashions – from beehive 60s hairdos to colourful and impractical stilettos and skirts and cardigans detailed to perfection to brighten the sets. There are classic gas guzzling cars too.
Real footage of the times from speeches by JFK, shots of Dr Martin Luthor King Jr, and scenes of space launch successes and disasters all used to good effect in the film.
Two days after the United States announced its intention to launch an artificial satellite, on July 31, 1956, the Soviet Union announced its intention to do the same.
Sputnik 1 was launched on October 4, 1957, beating the United States and stunning people all over the world.
October 4, 1957, First artificial satellite – First signals from space Sputnik 1
November 3, 1957, First dog in orbit ( Laika) Sputnik 2
April 12, 1961, First human spaceflight (Yuri Gagarin)
The footage of the Russian efforts as reported by world news reminded me of my Dad singing a ditty about Yuri Gargarin. Britain wasn't that involved with the space race and so the Russian success was probably looked upon with more admiration on Scotland's side of the Atlantic!
YURI GAGARIN
Oh dear, Yuri Gagarin,
He flew tae the moon when it looked like a farthing,
He said tae the boys at the moment of parting
"Ah'm juist gaun away for the Fair"
Now inside the ship he lay down like a hero,
The doors were sealed up and the countdown was near-o
Ten-nine-eight-seven-six-five-four-three-two-one-zero
An Yuri went up in the air
Now when he took off he was shook tae the marra
He circled the poles and he saw the Sahara,
He gave them a wave as he passed over Barra
The day he went up in the air
Now when he went up it was just aboot dawning,
The time when the rest of the world wis still yawning
Then Yuri returned to the land he wis born in
Withoot even turning a hair
When he came tae London they tried the saft pedal,
A wee bowler hat and a rolled-up umbreddle
But the foundrymen went an' they struck him a medal
An gied it tae him at the fair
This song is in praise of the first man to go into space and orbit the earth, the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, on 12th April 1961.
The song was written in the vernacular by Glasgow actor and writer Roddy McMillan to the tune of 'Johnny's So Long At The Fair' and has been published in a collection of traditional and new Scots songs as a resource for primary schools, Gallus Publishing Great Britain, 2013.
Praise Long Overdue
Hidden Figures acknowledges the commitment of all those involved in the pioneer space program, including for the first time the contributions of the African-American mathematicians, engineers and computing experts.
Poetic licence sees the sequence of real events compressed and Kevin Costner plays the head of the Space Task group with dramatic flair, along with his crewcut, conservative collar and tie, and constant gum chewing; he's a man of the times.
This is an important movie and it will trigger many memories for baby boomers – most of us were sent home from school in 1969 to watch Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. In many of my writing classes that day looms large in memory but I guarantee no one knew about the amazing Hidden Figures.
I hope you enjoy the film as much as I did. I'll leave you with an apt quote from the first man to go into space…
Manchester By The Sea – a Review
Last weekend, I went to see the recently released, Manchester By The Sea, at the Palace Cinema, Brighton with my daughters, Anne and Mary Jane.
Anne has been a fan of the actress Michelle Williams since she was a teenager and has a collection of her movies. When one is released we always try and see it because the subject matter and execution of Indie films are usually more enriching than the Hollywood blockbusters and populist 'bums on seats' fillers.
It's the difference between enjoying reading a lightweight novel, but the stereotypical characters and plot forgettable compared to a novel, where the characters live with you for a lifetime, the story challenges or introduces a different perspective on life.
I want stories that tug at your heart and soul before adding another dimension to what it means to be human.
And there are so many scenes in this film that are touches of brilliance; they add to an already memorable story and characters.
Michelle Williams plays Randi, Lee's ex-wife and doesn't disappoint in Manchester by The Sea – she has been nominated for the best supporting actress award. The few scenes she has, and a gut-wrenching one, in particular – engages the audience the way good acting should – a total suspension of disbelief.
We are with her, feel her love, anger, pain, sadness, joy, guilt and grief. The whole gamut of emotions.
The logline of the movie is simplistic "An uncle is asked to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy's father dies." There are many stories in the subtext of this screenplay.
This is a film about broken lives and how easily tragedy and change can happen to any of us. It is a story exploring the journey and stages of grief and the effects of sorrow – different for everyone – especially if it compounds on other bereavements.
Writer and director Kenneth Lonergan has won multiple awards – and I can see why – this film is a powerful story, but he has done a wonderful job of showing not telling, the pacing and tension breath-taking and balanced like any good page-turning novel.
His choice of casting excellent with Casey Affleck playing a broody, moody Lee Chandler struggling to come to terms with inner demons. The first few scenes in the less salubrious suburbs of Boston sets the tone of the movie and reveals Lee's personality.
In modern parlance, he has issues.
He's grumpy, socially disconnected, drinks alone and has violent outbursts yet he's young, physically fit, reasonably good-looking and a competent handyman employed as a janitor for a landlord too cheap to pay tradesmen and prepared to ignore building regulations.
For a minimum wage, Lee Chandler does everything from cleaning, plumbing, electrical repairs, moving furniture, clearing snow, and changing light bulbs while demanding tenants treat him as if he's invisible, beneath them, or to blame for their maintenance woes. Who wouldn't be moody and pissed off?
But we sense something more to Lee's surliness and brooding aloneness, especially when after a bout of solitary drinking in a local bar, he explodes into an inexplicable verbal then physical assault on two strangers.
We are intrigued.
A phone call leads to a mercy dash to a hospital over an hour's drive away. The pace of the story picks up as Lee is catapulted into a family crisis.
Through flashbacks, we start to piece together the life Lee Chandler left – the familial bonds, the close-knit community, the love for his brother who has just died. The unravelling of his past explains his choice of a life away from the Massachusetts fishing village where his family have worked for generations.
And when the full story comes to light, it is one of those moments, if it was a book, you would place it on your lap, close your eyes and struggle to get your breathing and blood pressure back to normal.
On screen, these emotionally engaging moments are powerful indeed.
All the important storytelling elements keep the audience engaged with the use of scenery as clever metaphors. The movie begins in winter and ends in spring.
There is a brilliant scene where Lee is arranging his brother's funeral but because it is winter the burial (they are Catholic) must be delayed, the snow covered ground too hard and the cost of heavy machinery too expensive. When Lee and his nephew Patrick leave the funeral parlour unhappy with the reality Lee can't find his car because they've both forgotten where it was parked. Their actions and dialogue removing the angst and sentimentality often seen in other movies but so believable.
Anyone who has been left numb by grief will relate to trying to cope with the bizarre situations that occur as you go through the motions of dealing with death and funerals, especially if there are fractured family relationships (Patrick's mother is still alive but left years before), complications of beliefs (Patrick is not religious), cost and tradition.
Lee struggles with coming to terms with the unwanted burden his brother has placed on him – legal guardianship of his 16-year-old nephew, Patrick. The relationship between Lee and Patrick, the adjustments and revelations provides much-needed and natural humour as well as penetrating insight into teenage grief.
The scenes where Patrick is trying to consummate a long-standing relationship with a girlfriend and even involves his Uncle Lee to keep an overprotective mother busy are hilarious.
My girls and I discussed the irony of wanting to see a film where one of the main characters is a teenager dealing with the death of his father. They were thirteen and sixteen when their father died.
However, afterwards, as we discussed the movie they both agreed that the portrayal of Patrick's reactions, the reactions of his friends, and scenes where his anger explodes are spot on and will deeply resonate with young people who have had to cope with a similar tragedy.
There is a richness to this film with its multiple layers of stories and character development. Several scenes will haunt me for a long time because my life has been touched by grief – death by accident, death by illness and disease, the horrific shock of suicide and the natural process of ageing. It is strangely comforting to reflect that there's a commonality with people from a different demographic and different country.
The actors convey real emotion and believability and as Lee Chandler tries to make a go of this new hand he has been dealt, we root for him and really want it to work so that he can be healed too.
(The film begins and ends with scenes on the family fishing boat showing a bond between Lee and Patrick although the events occur eight years apart.)
This story of broken lives reminds us how easily lives can be shattered:
a lapsed moment of concentration
a bad or rash decision
being in the wrong place at the wrong time
and good old Murphy's Law – anything that can go wrong will
We can't always distance ourselves from the past, we can't always beat our demons but we can be open to love and just as chance tragedy can change the direction of your life so can a random spark of friendship and love.
Sometimes we just need a reason to reconnect with that healing journey…
If you go to see Manchester By The Sea, I'll be interested to hear your impressions and insights.
Visually the film is appealing – Manchester Massachusetts, in the United States, is known for scenic beaches and vista points. 24 miles from Boston, at the 2010 census, the town population was 5,136.
Tonight I'm attending a fundraiser for Hidden Figures – a very different film! I'll review that in a few days!
Several Natural Tweets Trumps 45
Some days the world seems to have exploded with craziness. Who would have thought the man now in the office, often referred to as the most powerful in the world, would spend his days watching cable TV and tweeting?
Every time I think of Donald Trump as President of America – especially in light of his derogatory remarks about, and to women, I shake my head in disbelief. But there are many other failings that worry me more including the fact he has the power to start a war and has access to the nuclear codes!
I'm part of the generation born in the decade after World War Two in the shadow of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan and the development and proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Three Wise Monkeys
Mizaru, Kikazaru and Iwazaru sit on the mantlepiece:
seeing no evil, hearing no evil, and speaking no evil.
A Japanese pictorial maxim transplanted to Scotland;
brought home by a great uncle, a ship's captain,
these wise monkeys an added admonishment
to a childhood steeped in Presbyterian rules.
Yet, the shadow of evil an unseen cloak
as we lived in the tatters of World War Two.
Crowded cemeteries, buildings awaiting demolition,
food rationing…crippling austerity
shattered families struggling to find meaning,
shuddering when ambulance and police sirens wail.
Speak no evil an achievable rule perhaps
hearing no evil more difficult
and what of seeing evil or evil seen?
The brass monkeys cold. A chilly weight
in my child's hand, etching a mystic message
of aspirations difficult to achieve.
Born in Scotland I lived not far from the Holy Loch where American submarines were first based in 1960. People in the peace movement (CND), including my father, protested this base made Scotland a first strike nuclear target.
This was the era of 'The Cold War' and Russia was the enemy to fear, the people and country to demonise.
However, many people who survived WW2 were shocked at the devastation caused by the atomic bombs and believed the only way to safeguard the world was to ban nuclear weapons. CICD, the Campaign for International Cooperation and Disarmament became a part of a worldwide movement.
Fears were realised when interference in Cuba escalated into what became known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Polaris submarines were deployed from Scotland but hostile contact averted.
"By midOctober six of the Navy's new Polaris submarines, based at Holy Loch Scotland had deployed to their battle stations deep under the sea. USS Abraham Lincoln (SSBN 602), in upkeep at Holy Loch, and two other submarines that had just completed shakedown cruises were also prepared on short notice to add their firepower to the nuclear equation.". . . " On October 22 at 1900 at DEFCON 3 "Polaris submarines moved to their launch points."
Cuban Missile Crisis paper from Wilson Center
My mother told me about the day news came of the movements at Holy Loch, after days of tensions being reported on the radio.
A neighbour rushed into our house in Scotland crying hysterically, 'we're all going to die!' She had young children like Mum, had survived the Greenock blitz and horrible memories had been triggered by the threat of another war – this time one that would wipe out sizeable chunks of countries simultaneously.
I used to have a similar poster as this hanging on the toilet door throughout the 70s.
Perhaps it is the story from Scotland and recalling other stories my parents shared about the war that feeds an almost morbid fascination with President Trump's cavalier attitude to the power he has, where he seems more enthralled with his signature than what he is signing.
I've had to make a conscious effort to switch off and try and actively look for peace of mind. Luckily, living where I do and working where I do, it has been fairly easy.
Bird Tweets Trump Donald's
Mother Nature has given us wonderful birds who tweet because it's their natural way of communicating. Their tweets more inspiring than those from you know who!
The rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) is a species of parrot common along the eastern seaboard, from northern Queensland to South Australia and Tasmania. Its habitat is rainforest, woodland and coastal bush, hence its attraction to Mordialloc!
Limerick for the Birds
Australia has parrots galore
feathered wonders love to soar
with squeals and tweets
the Rainbow Lorikeets
brighten our Mordy foreshore.
I spotted a rainbow lorikeet one evening when I was out for a walk with my friend Jillian. Usually, they are in pairs or a cluster but this one sat on the electric wires observing us. Not sure if he was as enamoured with me as I was with him! They really are pretty birds.
This little fellow that I think is a Thornbill entertains me every morning and early evening. He and a couple of mates flitter in and out the vines outside my kitchen window, moving so fast it is difficult to take a picture. I'm sure they sense me hiding behind the net curtains.
Focused and persistent, they chat to each other as they forage for insects. Their antics make me happy and I look forward to catching a glimpse of their fluttering feathers.
Haiku – Mairi Neil
Winter's skeleton
Hides the promise of springtime
And the buzz of life
One day recently, having coffee with my friend Lesley in Mentone, a tiny House Sparrow decided to join us and we had a lovely conversation. Although, we were never in any doubt of what he was really after!
One reason for the successful establishment of the House Sparrow in Australia and, indeed, all over the world, is its ability to feed on a wide range of foodstuffs. Birds eat insects, spiders, berries, seeds, flower buds and scraps of food discarded by humans. There are many reports of birds entering canteens in buildings to feed, with birds even learning to activate automatic doors in order to gain entry.
Walks with friends around my neighbourhood of Mordialloc, Parkdale and Mentone, a welcome distraction to current political shenanigans dominating the news and even birds regarded as pests are more appealing than many of those who claim to be leaders.
Mordialloc Beach
The day is calm. Tranquil. A great-to-be-alive day.
Eucalypts and pine compete with salty air and
the whiff of abandoned seaweed.
The blue-green sea a mirror for fluffy clouds of whipped cream.
Dainty dollops on a pale blue plate.
Gulls sit or glide atop this glassy sea.
Bathed in white sunlight I imagine I too drift and dream.
In the distance, palm tree fronds tremble casting lacy shadows on hot sand. The clink of moorings and masts drifts from the creek
and a sudden gust of wind whips sand to sting legs and face.
Airborne seagulls now screeching origami kites.
A dark veil unfurls from the horizon, shattering the grey-green mirror
and peaceful contemplation. Waves lap and soap around feet.
I retreat to the shelter of eucalypts and pine,
the taste of salt bittersweet.
Polluting Politics
The current state of politics and events are repugnant yet there is a fascinating compulsion to follow the relentless shocks – that's where playing with words relieves the tension.
Limerick for the Times
President 45 an aggressive male
as a leader, he's destined to fail
dividing his nation
without hesitation
'Trumplethinskin' is no fairy tale.
Of course, what passes for Australia's political leadership is not much better. Some Australian MPs adopting the style, policies, and even similar slogans to Donald Trump.
Limerick for the LNP
Cory Bernardi is making news
he's given PM Turnbull the blues
South Australian Bernardi
now has his own party
being 'Liberal' exposed as a ruse!
And then we had the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull attacking the Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten in a most unbecoming personal rant while those on the government benches laughed like hyenas savaging prey.
The face of the leader of the National Party and Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce dark red like an apoplectic fit in progress, albeit driven by laughter, not anger.
Although apoplexy as a specific medical term is not such a common term now, the word apoplectic certainly is, meaning furious and red-faced with uncontrollable rage (so called because its symptoms of flushed red face and loss of bodily control mimic those of apoplexy).
When Treasurer, Scott Morrison brandished a lump of coal and the Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg championed 'clean coal' WA (usually hot in summer) flooded, NSW and Queensland faced the hottest days ever recorded and bushfires destroyed homes and farmlands. SA faced extreme weather conditions and power blackouts. We in Melbourne had four seasons in one day as usual but on steroids as summer temperatures fluctuated more than normal.
Time for harsh words to be written.
Dear Federal Parliament –
You laugh as Australia burns
the LNP MPs taking turns
to promote dirty coal
cut pensions and the dole –
dear PM where's your soul?
Barnaby's red face a disgrace
and vitriol sprayed like mace
Appalling barefaced liars,
Climate-change deniers,
all justify influence buyers!
Halt the wheeling and dealing –
it's our kids future you are stealing
the Antarctic ice cracking
yet you consider fracking!
Show leadership, please
wind turbines need a breeze
the sun doesn't always shine
all adjustment takes time…
So, instead of point scoring,
lying, bluster, and theatrics
parliamentarians must sit down
to discuss the energy mix.
The public wants clarity
Extreme weather our reality!
From Mordialloc where even a small rise in sea level threatens homes!
Thank Goodness For Distractions
I'm lucky classes have resumed, limiting the time I have available to check on the latest scandals, shocks, and silly decisions from those who are supposed to lead.
I'll get more writing done if I ignore social media – yet switching off or ignoring the news at this critical point in history, seems an impossible task – especially when social justice is at stake.
It's a bit late for New Year Resolutions but I've decided to follow the advice I'm always giving my writing students – 'write every day'. My lack of output directly related to allowing myself to be distracted and become obsessed with 'the News', 'fake news', 'alternative facts' and worrying – which as the quote above implies, is a waste of energy.
My daughter Mary Jane made me a lovely gift at Christmas with a quote from my favourite character, Jo March, from one of my favourite books, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
Jo wanted to be a writer and as a nine-year-old reading about her made me determined to be a writer too.
I want to do something splendid before I go into my castle, something heroic or wonderful that won't be forgotten after I'm dead. I don't know what, but I'm on the watch for it and mean to astonish you all some day.
I'm grateful for having parents who valued books. When I was ten I received Jo's Boys, and the following Christmas my aunt gave me Little Men – I treasure these books.
I'm not sure I'll ever achieve something heroic or wonderful but perhaps some of my writing will remain and be read after I'm dead. It may not astonish but it will reflect me and the times I lived.
During the week I received a lovely card (with a bird on it!) and thoughtful presents from a student who said, "thank you for mentoring me so well with my writing." I'll treasure these too.
We may live in tumultuous times where there is much to criticise and feel uneasy about, but with a purpose and job I enjoy, wonderful friends and family and surroundings that provide constant delight, I know I'm privileged.
The mantra 'one day at a time' and a conscious effort to stay positive will keep me focused.
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Badminton is a popular sport in Malaysia. You would not be able to find a Malaysian that has never played badminton before. So, we decided to choose badminton as the first sport event to start off our weekly sport events. We have booked a nice venue for it, so do join us or it would be a waste! Come and feel the passion of Malaysians towards badminton.
And don't forget, let's make some RACKET!
By the way, Sydney Malaysian Games (SMG) is around the corner. It is a huge sports competition between many Malaysian clubs from different NSW universities. If you are interested to participate, inquire our sport directors for more information: Jia Cheng (0450144052) or Cheryl (0452326263).


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Q: RAID0 disk recovery? I've not lost a RAID0 setup but since both drives are used as one, is there anyway possible to even access data on just one drive via a sata cable or will you need both drives in a RAID0 setup to be able to access files?
Example:
Are files say file.ext kept on one drive to be accessed or would it spread among both? I'm guessing it would possible be spread among both since both drives are acting as one and it would be a random chance the file being spread among both drives.

A: When a Raid 0 array is set up it sets what is called a strip size, can be 32,64,128 kb etc. Most are set to 64 kB by default.
Files are split up in chunks, each chunk having the size of the strip size. Half of the chunks are saved in each drive. So, your file is spread out in both drives. There is no parity information stored so the file cannot be reconstructed without the other pieces.
So you cannot recover much from one drive (it'll have just half of the file), and yes you need the same raid controller and firmware version to recover data from the drives, so if the raid controller fails, you better have an exact match backup controller or you will have to pay for professional recovery which is astronomical for raid 0.
Never store critical data on a Raid 0 array unless you have regular backups to another storage device.
Related Question

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Robotic Process Automation / RPA
New low-code tools from Salesforce automate time-consuming, manual processes
By Ryan Morris-Reade, Mon 20 Sep 2021
Salesforce has rolled out three new Einstein Automate products to help customers use low-code tools to automate time-consuming, manual processes.
Einstein Automate is a portfolio of workflow automation, integration, digital interactions, and AI capabilities embedded across the Salesforce Platform. The new products include MuleSoft RPA (Robotic Process Automation), Einstein Document Reader, and Digital Process Automation.
A recent MuleSoft survey found 77% of IT and business decision-makers already use or plan to use automation solutions to increase productivity. Salesforce says its customers are no exception to this, with an average of 38.2 billion processes automated and 116 billion Einstein predictions completed daily as of July 2021.
Einstein Automate's capabilities make it easy to click, create and ship workflow automation to manage and track manual tasks, says Salesforce.
The company says customers can select one of the hundreds of pre-built, industry-specific best practice workflows or use low-code tools to build custom workflow automation in just a few clicks.
"To build an agile, trusted enterprise to will succeed in today's environment, companies need to empower employees with the tools to do more with less and automate complexities and tedious tasks," says Salesforce Platform SVP product management, John Kucera.
"Einstein Automate empowers our customers to work more efficiently thanks to the latest capabilities in RPA, AI and integration, so they can spend more time on meaningful work like building customer relationships and making strategic decisions."
Some features of the new Einstein Automate products include:
MuleSoft RPA: Uses automation capabilities to replace repetitive tasks with bots that can intelligently process documents, enter data, or take action on the user's behalf, all without code. These bots work for any system or application, including PDF documents, spreadsheets and even disconnected legacy systems.
Einstein Document Reader: Can scan documents such as drivers licenses and take action on the data with a few clicks in Salesforce Flow - aiming to reduce human error and improve accuracy.
Digital Process Automation: Enables drag and drop tools for users to define automation rules and logic, extract information from documents and integrate into automated workflows - without writing code.
"Our mission is to bring clean, solar-based energy solutions to as many roofs as possible, so we can all contribute towards a cleaner future," says EIGENSONNE co-founder and CTO, Michael Aigner.
"As our instance of Salesforce grows alongside our business, we've been challenged in how to automate hands-off and parallel processes in a scalable way. With Flow Orchestrator, we've been able to identify and remove bottlenecks in our contract creation and approval processes, which has improved the way we work across teams to provide the best possible experience for our customers."
DoorDash senior program manager and Salesforce Trailblazer, Samina Diamond, says Einstein Automate's data integration capabilities have been integral in their ability to provide service agents with the right information at the right time to solve customer concerns quickly.
"As DoorDash continues to grow and service new verticals across the globe, our ability to automate data integrations will be key in handling an increased volume of customer inquiries, while also empowering our service agents with the tools needed to work as efficiently as possible," she says.
iPaaS market set to grow more than $10B in five years>>
Unleashing a smarter breed of business operations with AI
More businesses than ever before are leveraging the power of AI and real-time analytics to fast-track operational efficiency at unprecedented rates.>>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


What Happens When You Drop The Labels?
Ditto…. I feel the same way, There is nothing that speaks louder then compassion, empathy (not pity) and the ability to love and be loved…… just a side note…. when I did therapy with robyn, I always looked forward to interacting with her and still to this day care about her and her well being.


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LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS with The Stubborn Lovers and Seven Mile Lane
Thursday October 17, 2019 9:00 pm PDT (Doors: 8:00 pm )
Legendary Shack Shakers
The Legendary Shack Shakers' hell-for-leather roadshow has earned quite a name for itself with its unique brand of Southern Gothic and swampy "hillbilly blues" that is all-at-once irreverent, lyrical, dangerous, and fun. Led by their charismatic, rail-thin frontman and blues-harpist JD Wilkes, the Shack Shakers are a four-man wrecking crew from the South whose explosive interpretations of swamp blues, rock n' roll and hillbilly music have made fans, critics and legions of potential converts into true believers.
Between intermittent hiatuses to work on other projects (including JD's sideshow banner-style artwork for acts like The Squirrel Nut Zippers and Marty Stuart...plus his two published books The Vine That Ate the South and Barn Dances & Jamborees Across Kentucky), the band is constantly re-inventing and re-mobilizing, much to the excitement of many a Shack Shakers fanatic. Despite Wilkes' extracurricular projects, the Shakers' reputation for intense entertainment endures.
On stage, JD has been compared to the likes of Iggy Pop, David Byrne, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The Nashville Scene named Wilkes "the best frontman in Nashville", while former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra has called JD "the last great Rock and Roll frontman." Guitar virtuoso, Gary Siperko (Pere Ubu, Rocket from the Tombs) intones a variety of strains, from garage blues to gypsy jazz, while the rhythm section rounds out with Preston Corn (The Dirt Daubers) on percussion and Fuller Condon (Two Man Gentlemen Band) thumping the upright bass.
Although not necessarily "legendary" upon being named, the band has grown into its reputation the last several years due to their heavy tour schedule, seven critically acclaimed studio albums, and songs that have been featured on television shows such as HBO's True Blood, CBS's The Unit , Swamp Loggers, and movies like Julia Roberts' Duplicity. Past tour mates and fans include Sturgill Simpson, Reverend Horton Heat, Rancid, The Black Keys, Slim Cessna's Auto Club, and Hank Williams III. Robert Plant is also a noted Legendary Shack Shakers fan, and picked the band to open for him on his 2005 tour of Europe. Plant named the band's third album Believe as one of his favorite records of 2005. The list of esteemed admirers goes on to include horror novelist Stephen King, who listed "CB Song" as among his iPod's Top Five in a 2008 Entertainment Weekly article. Such a wealth of devoted, cult-like fans over the years has only added to the mystique that the Legendary Shack Shakers possess, carrying them down the road toward new creative pursuits and intense new tunes.
The Stubborn Lovers
Alt-country, roots rock, Americana--whatever you call it, Portland, Oregon quintet The Stubborn Lovers make music that's steeped in tradition, yet remains as timeless and evergreen as the Northwest landscape from which they spring. Draping lush harmonies over a bed of acoustic, electric, and pedal steel guitars, along with bass and drums, they draw from the twin wellsprings of country and rock 'n' roll to create a spirited and engaging sound that's both familiar and fresh.
Seven Mile Lane
From the Cherry City comes Seven Mile Lane, a Pacific N.W. super group in Salem Oregon. Four rockers on a noble crusade to SAVE ROCK AND ROLL! This quartet combines a mix of working man's late 70's rock with a bit of rockabilly thrown in for for the fans who like to dance, then they rev it up with a punk rock beat that would make Joey Ramone proud. Their original songs show a wide variety of influences from such performers as Social D, Johnny Cash, Sex Pistols , The Who, Bad Religion and more!
The members of 7ML, Evan "Vinny" Dickinson, Arjay Flaherty, Jesse Ruggles, and Ted Morrison are no strangers to the stage or studio. Music lovers throughout Oregon know them from other bands such as Phamous Phaces, Dry County Crooks, and Catholic School Girls. They have combined experience of over 100 years between them, and their live performances are tight, energetic, and personable, because they want the fans to know they are part of the show!
After just 10 months of rehearsing, writing, and gigging together, Seven Mile Lane has just completed their first 6 song EP due for release in December 2018. Recorded at Wavelength Studio in Salem, OR, the debut album showcases the band influences with variety and excitement! And they look forward to releasing full length albums in the near future.
In 2019, Arjay left the band to focus on family. Seven Mile Lane brought in Danny Johnston to fill the drum throne. Danny has played with a number of bands in Salem including Blackbell and HWY .357
So check out Salem's Seven Mile Lane and enjoy the rock/billy/punk!


The first three of five new George Street townhouses behind the former National Bank Building/current Foode and JON Properties location were sold for approximately $1.07 million, $1.21 million and $1.58 million.
Stephen M. Robinson to the Gladys H. Oberle School (c/o Employment Resources Inc.), 0.72-acre property zoned I-1 at 401-409 Willis Street, $1.2 million.
Piedmont Grain Corp. to Deniz Eker, 2-acre property zoned I-2 at 1120 Summit Street in Fredericksburg's Battlefield Industrial Park, $516,000.


When you're cruising all over the world on urgent business, it's good to know that the Emirate customer service number is there to make sure all your flights go smoothly. Emirates has been providing the premier airline experience for customers since it was established in 1985. From that point forward they've been guaranteeing a fantastic travel experience anywhere, they fly. That's the kind of service you get when you're flying with a company that was established by the Dubai Royal Family. Emirates Airlines provides service for millions of passengers a year and is highly regarded as one of the most excellent airlines in the world.
Wherever you travel, you can rest assured knowing that the Emirates customer service number is there to help you with all your struggles. Whether you need to check on the time your plane leaves, wanting to upgrade your flight, or learn about the Emirates Business Rewards one call will take care of it for you. You can also check in on your Emirates Skywards, see about booking online, and arrange for Emirates Chauffeur-drive service all with the help of one of their expert staff.
Whether you're looking to upgrade your seat on your flight or looking to schedule your next one, the customer support site has all the answers to the questions that will make that easy to do. The information here covers most of the concerns you'd face when flying, including how many bags you can bring on, what you need to get through security, and how to travel with a pet or child. Every page is packed full of information and available for you to use to make your flying experience the best it can be. Find your answers at https://www.emirates.com/us/english/.
Manage your account and flights with the Emirates mobile apps, available for both Apple and Android. These apps give you access to your flight schedule, alert you to any changes, let you check in without a physical ticket, and make everything about flying with the Emirates Airlines easier. Convenience is the name of the game.
Social media stands as one of the best ways to keep your customers informed of the goings on with your business. Emirates uses their social media presence to inform and educate customers on traveling and any deals they have that are available. These include tips on weight and piece concepts, how to get your pick of seats on an Emirate flight, and reminders about your allowance for checked baggage. If it has to do with flying with Emirate Airlines, it gets covered in social media.
Things were changing in the 1980's, especially for airlines flying into and out of the Middle East. For Gulf Air, it was time to make a difficult decision, whether to stick out their service in Dubai or continue operating as a feeder flight for other carriers in the region. Ultimately they pulled out of the area leaving a vacuum for a new airline to fill. That airline was conceived by the Dubai Royal Family and put into action by some notable airline experts. There wasn't going to be any cushion for the budding airline either; it had to make good on its services or die by its hand, there were to be no government subsidies for it.
Thanks to the canny businessmen at its head, Emirates was quickly growing by the beginning of the 1990's, adding flights all over the world and carrying almost 2 million passengers a year with profits to the tune of US$500 million. Even the Gulf War aided the growth of this company, an experience not shared by other airlines in the region. These days the company is generating well over a billion US dollars in revenue every year in profit, with US$24.2 billion coming in in the 2014-2015 year alone. All of this is thanks to its incredible body of customers who've remained loyal all these years.


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Jun 30, 2017 Boldly Going Where No Luxury Transportation Provider Has Gone Before
Once relegated to the sidelines, the world of comics, science fiction, and fantasy has now become a mainstream force in popular media, with movies based on superhero comics frequently becoming international blockbusters. Now in its 47th year, Comic-Con International: San Diego is the largest event dedicated to the celebration of the art of comics and related media, with over 130,000 passionate fans expected to be in attendance. This year's event will take place from July 20-23, with a special preview taking place on July 19. EmpireCLS is excited to be taking part in this highly anticipated event by providing transportation for VIPs and other guests who are looking for luxury chauffeur services to arrive in style.
Dozens of contemporary artists and authors of comics, graphic novels, and books for audiences both young and old will be present for informational panels and autograph sessions, including legendary Marvel Comics writer, editor, and publisher, Stan Lee. In addition to the other festivities, guests are invited to attend the presentation of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the highest honor awarded to talented creators of comics and graphic novels.
EmpireCLS Comes to Your Rescue for Transportation
When you choose EmpireCLS for your travel accommodations to Comic-Con, you'll feel like a real-life Bruce Wayne. While perhaps not quite the Batmobile, our late-model luxury vehicles are meticulously maintained and boast impressive features such as secure onboard WiFi and cell phone chargers. Our chauffeurs are trained to uphold the highest standards in both hospitality and driving, and they use the latest technology to plan ahead for their trips. They receive real-time itinerary updates and react immediately to any changes, ensuring that you arrive at your destination on time. We also notify you through text and email of your driver's arrival, as well as their essential contact information. Additionally, we have Onboard DriveCam and Silent Passenger in our vehicles for your safety and peace of mind.
The Heroes of Meetings and Events
We are proud to provide transportation for all of your meetings and events across the globe. From everything to business meetings, awards shows, and events like Comic-Con, we'll be there to help you get to your destination safely while you enjoy a smooth and sumptuous ride.
To schedule transportation for your next event, or for executive carservice for your next meeting, call 888-760-2517.


There is a time that comes when you have to say, Enough!
Our Nation has been the greatest example of freedom in human history. I think it's because we have Capitalism at the foundation of our society. I also think that this Capitalist system of ours has been infected by our government for decades, each year moving away from the fundamental values that celebrate individual freedom.
The crisis of the economic market today is not a result of the failure of Capitalism. It is the result of the success of Capitalism. We just don't like the result and we "the government" want to change it, "we" want to intervene. When you look back at our economic history, where else has the government intervened to change the results? We haven't been operating in a free market for decades and now blame is being placed on Capitalism. Now we are saying that we need more government intervention to stop the blood that has come from too much government intervention.
Make no mistake...there is value in Government. There is value in the administration of justice and the upholding of laws, the building of infrastructure and the defense of our sovereignty. The irony is that laws and regulation were already in place to avoid this. The same systems that were in place to regulate are now asking for a bailout without even admitting their responsibility...When are we going to stand up and say, Enough!?
Vermont is unique. In Vermont we could stand up and say, Enough. We have a relatively strong local economy. We can still buy food locally. We have small business that create jobs for people that live here. We have town meetings where the people who live here get together and talk to each other about our lives. We have a spirit of independence and of entrepreneurship.
I don't think our government represents that spirit of independence and entrepreneurship. I think it may have, at one point, but not for while and certainly not now. I believe that the people of Vermont are the best resources for solving the problems that we face today but I also believe our government (the people we elect) thinks it (they) can solve and must solve the problems. I do not agree that government should or could be the ones leading the charge to solve the problem. I believe that every step should be taken to empower the people of Vermont.
As citizens of Vermont we have to take hold of our futures and not leave it to the politicians and the institutions to lead the way. Our government in Vermont is too big, regulation on small business is too burdensome, property taxes are too high for the value we receive. I want to help change it. I am not a politician but a life long Vermonter, student of Jericho Elementary, Mount Mansfield and UVM, entrepreneur and lover of what Vermont has been to me and what Vermont can be.
My name is Damon Brink and I am running for State Representative from Underhill, Jericho and Bolton. If you have questions or want to comment please email me at damonbrink@liveatnectars.com.


2018 American Music Awards official logo.
The American Music Awards is an annual American awards show. Musicians and recording artists perform during the show and some receive awards based on online voting.
The 41st Annual American Music Awards was held on November 24, 2013 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles. Ariana performed her singles "The Way" and "Tattooed Heart". She received and won the nomination of "New Artist of the Year"
In the 42nd Annual American Music Awards, held on November 23, 2014, Grande performed a medley of her songs "Problem", "Break Free" and "Love Me Harder". She later performed "Bang Bang" with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj. Grande didn't receive any nomination.
The 43rd Annual American Music Awards was held on November 22, 2015 where Grande performed her single "Focus" and was nominated for 2 categories.
In the 44th Annual American Music Awards, held on November 20, 2016, Grande performed her hit "Side To Side" with Nicki Minaj. She was nominated and won only an award.
At the 46th Annual American Music Awards held on October 9, 2018, Grande was nominated for an award. She didn't attend the show.
To view the American Music Awards gallery, click here.


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Achim Wambach (* 1968) ist ein deutscher Ökonom und Präsident des Zentrums für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW). Seit 2006 ist er Mitglied im wissenschaftlichen Beirat des Bundeswirtschaftsministeriums. Im Jahr 2014 wurde er als  Nachfolger von Justus Haucap in die Monopolkommission berufen. Nach dem Rücktritt von Daniel Zimmer als Vorsitzender der Monopolkommission im März 2016 übernahm Wambach diese Position.

Leben
Nach dem Doppelstudium der Physik und Mathematik an der Universität zu Köln von 1988 bis 1991 mit Nebenfach Wirtschaftsmathematik (Vordiplom 1990) wechselte Wambach als DAAD-Stipendiat an die Universität Oxford, wo er 1994 in Physik promoviert wurde. Nach dem MSc in Economics an der London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) 1995 habilitierte er sich 2000 an der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in Volkswirtschaftslehre. Von 2001 bis 2005 war er Inhaber des Lehrstuhls für Volkswirtschaftslehre, insbesondere Wirtschaftstheorie an der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Von 2005 bis 2016 war er Professor für Wirtschaftliche Staatswissenschaften an der Universität zu Köln. 2007/2008 war Wambach Präsident der European Group of Risk and Insurance Economists. Außerdem gehört er seit dem Jahr 2015 dem Lenkungskreis Nationale Plattform Elektromobilität (NPE) der Bundesregierung an und ist seit 2016 Mitglied der Deutschen Akademie der Technikwissenschaften (acatech). Im April 2016 wurde er Präsident des Zentrums für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW). Für die Dauer der Erstellung des Sondergutachtens zur Evaluation des Risikostrukturausgleich (Februar bis September 2017) wurde er in den Wissenschaftlichen Beirat zur Weiterentwicklung des Risikostrukturausgleichs beim Bundesversicherungsamt berufen. Von 2017 bis 2018 war Achim Wambach zudem Vorsitzender des Vereins für Socialpolitik. Außerdem ist er seit April 2016 Professor für Volkswirtschaftslehre an der Universität Mannheim.

In seiner Forschung beschäftigt sich Wambach mit Wettbewerbspolitik, Marktdesign, Industrieökonomik und Auktionstheorie sowie Anwendungen der Informationsökonomik in Gesundheits- und Versicherungsmärkten.
Neben seiner wissenschaftlichen Tätigkeit ist Wambach Mitgründer der Ökonomieberatung TWS Partners.

Auszeichnungen (Auswahl)
Für seine Leistungen an der LSE wurde Wambach im Jahr 1995 mit dem Ely Devons Prize ausgezeichnet. 2001 erhielt er für seine Habilitationsschrift den Ernst-Meyer-Preis der Geneva Association. 2007 erhielt er den Preis für Gesundheitsökonomie des Vereins für Socialpolitik. 2016 wurde er in die Deutsche Akademie der Technikwissenschaften (acatech) gewählt.

2016 wird er in der Rangliste der einflussreichsten Ökonomen in Deutschland der FAZ auf Platz 10 publiziert.

Veröffentlichungen
 Klima muss sich lohnen. Ökonomische Vernunft für ein gutes Gewissen. Herder 2022, ISBN 978-3-451-39358-7.
 Procurement under public scrutiny: auctions versus negotiations, RAND Journal of Economics 47, 914–934 (2016) (mit Vitali Gretschko)
 Contracts and inequity aversion, Games and Economic Behavior 69, 312–328 (2010) (mit Florian Englmaier)
 The treadmill effect in a fixed budget system, Journal of Health Economics 25, 146–169 (2006) (mit Franz Benstetter)
 Adverse selection and categorical discrimination in health insurance markets: The effects of genetic testing, Journal of Health Economics 19, 197–218 (2000) (mit Rainer Strohmenger)
 Wealth effects in the principal agent model, Journal of Economic Theory 89, 247–260 (1999) (mit Henrik Thiele)

Weblinks
 Achim Wambach auf uni-koeln.de
 CV bei Kölner Wissenschaftsrunde

 Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW)

Einzelnachweise

Ökonom (20. Jahrhundert)
Ökonom (21. Jahrhundert)
Hochschullehrer (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München)
Hochschullehrer (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)
Hochschullehrer (Universität zu Köln)
Deutscher
Geboren 1968
Mann
Mitglied der Deutschen Akademie der Technikwissenschaften (acatech)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Penelope Cruz and Matthew McConaughey get sultry in "Sahara"
by SheKnows Editorial
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The fictional creation of the popular author Clive Cussler is explorer Dirk Pitt, a man who takes on the adventure of his life when he embarks on a treasure hunt through some of the most dangerous regions of West Africa.
Searching for what locals call "The Ship of Death," a long-lost Civil War battleship which protects a secret cargo, Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) and his wisecracking sidekick (Steve Zahn) use their wits and heroics to help Doctor Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz) when they learn the ship may be linked to mysterious deaths in the very same area.
Several years ago Hugh Jackman was close to signing for the role of Dirk Pitt, but due to the 9/11 attacks, filming was postponed. It was delayed once again when Jackman was busy with the X-Men 2 franchise and Van Helsing, and he eventually pulled out altogether so that he could appear on Broadway in The Boy From Oz. As it turns out, McConaughey's deep tan and Southern charm go a long away toward winning fans over — not to mention his costar, Cruz (the two are now an item).
But Cruz brought a different date to the world premiere in Hollywood. "I hear he's kind of fuzzy and carries a lot of water," says McConaughey. He's right: the "date" was a nine-month-old baby camel. Director Breck Eisner (yes, of "the" Eisner family) said they'd discussed having Cruz ride a camel by the press line and photographers, but "If she fell off, that would not be a good thing." So instead, wearing a sheer, backless pastel-colored gown, she led the camel on a rope and even smooched the beast as photographers snapped away.
"I had to train six times a week," Cruz says of learning to ride the so-called "ships of the desert" proficiently. "For the camel scene, I trained a couple of months before we were able to do it. Everything you see there is us, next to the train. We did that for three days. We had to go 40 kilometers per hour, in a special order. I had to be in the middle and we had to start moving when the train was five minutes behind us. It was amazing choreography, and it was a great adventure for us.
"At the beginning, I had nightmares about it," Cruz confesses. "I wanted to ask Breck to do it with a double, but I wasn't feeling good about myself saying no. So, I just trained and trained and trained for two months, until we had total control of the camels. All of that is us. I hope people notice that it's us because we worked very hard for that."
Cruz had a lot of harrowing scenes in the film (it is action adventure first, then romance, mystery and comedy) but she enjoyed playing the doctor. "She's smart and she has a sense of humor. She saves the hero as many times as the hero saves her. I loved that because, for this kind of action adventure movie, it's for the whole family and it's funny. Sometimes, in films I've read before, the character of the woman wasn't interesting enough. But, in this one, she was there for a reason. I really loved the character. That's why I hadn't done a movie of this genre before. This was the first time I found the character to be interesting enough for me.
"She's very stubborn. I consider myself stubborn too. I identify with the character that way," says Cruz. "She loses part of her team and she ends up alone with these two guys that she doesn't know, but they end up needing each other and helping each other. The mystery they are trying to solve turns out to be almost the same one, but they don't know that at the beginning. She trusts her instincts. People tell her that she's crazy and that her theories aren't going to be right, but she ends up being right."
McConaughey liked playing Pitt so much, he says he's already on board to do sequels. He describes his characters as "A bit of a fighter, a bit of a lover. He has fun, has some serious moments, has got a lot of heart. This character sure was pretty dynamic like that, and the story and the tone was something that was all those things. And," he adds with a wink at the premiere, "The movie is funny as hell."
As for Sahara's setting, it's a little different from, say, the Indiana Jones movies. "You've got something like this that is fiction, but it's set in the real world modern day. And playing a guy, Dirk Pitt, who's bound to no one, an island unto himself."
Speaking of the fiction, the real author of it wasn't so sure that McConaughey would be right to play his hero on the big screen. "I'd pursued this seven years ago. Clive was apprehensive about Hollywood. I went his house in Colorado, spent half a day with him, I went to his house in Phoenix, Arizona. Other people wanted to be Dirk Pitt, but I kept going to see him and calling him. I told him generally what I like about the character, I thought these were great adventures with really cool narratives that would be good on screen.
"Heading off to some new exotic land, Dirk also has a personal treasure hunt that he's on. Meet a beautiful woman who's over there helping stop a conflict. Our paths are going to cross and hopefully we're going to end up on a beach somewhere."
Or at a Hollywood gala premiere, kissing camels.


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text:
Q: Recursive array of objects to append property children count I need to recursively loop through an array of objects and each object object has a property label which needs to be modified to include the children count.
Take a look at this example:
const nodes = [{
  value: 'World',
  label: 'World',
  children: [{
    label: 'Europe',
    value: 'Europe',
    children: [
      {
        label: 'Albania',
        value: 'AL'
      },
      {
        label: 'BeNeLux',
        value: 'BeNeLux',
        children: [
          {
            label: 'The Netherlands',
            value: 'NL'
          },
          {
            label: 'Belgium',
            value: 'BE'
          },
          {
            label: 'Luxembourg',
            value: 'LU'
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }]
}]

The expected output would be:
const expectedOutput = [{
  value: 'World',
  label: 'World (4)',
  children: [{
    label: 'Europe (4)',
    value: 'Europe',
    children: [
      {
        label: 'Albania',
        value: 'AL'
      },
      {
        label: 'BeNeLux (3)',
        value: 'BeNeLux',
        children: [
          {
            label: 'The Netherlands',
            value: 'NL'
          },
          {
            label: 'Belgium',
            value: 'BE'
          },
          {
            label: 'Luxembourg',
            value: 'LU'
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }]
}]

This is what I have working now, but it's not working correctly because as mentioned in the expectedOutput above, Europe's label would be Europe (4) and my version counts Europe (2) because it's ignoring the children inside Europe.
export const getSortedNodesWithChildrenCountLabel = nodes => {
  return nodes
    .reduce(function f (output, node) {
      if (node?.children) {
        node.label += ` (${node.children.length})`
        node.children = node.children
          .reduce(f, [])
      }

      output.push(node)
      return output
    }, [])
}

A: You could take a recursive approach and get the count from the children and update label.
This approach mutates the data.

function update(nodes) {
    return nodes.reduce((count, node) => {
        if (node.children) {
            var subcount = update(node.children);
            node.label += ` (${subcount})`;
            return count + subcount;
        }
        return count + 1;
    }, 0);
}

const nodes = [{ value: 'World', label: 'World', children: [{ label: 'Europe', value: 'Europe', children: [{ label: 'Albania', value: 'AL' }, { label: 'BeNeLux', value: 'BeNeLux', children: [{ label: 'The Netherlands', value: 'NL' }, { label: 'Belgium', value: 'BE' }, { label: 'Luxembourg', value: 'LU' }] }] }] }];

update(nodes);

console.log(nodes);
.as-console-wrapper { max-height: 100% !important; top: 0; }

A non mutating version which gets the count with an object to the outer call.

function fn(count = { count: 0 }) {
    return function ({ value, label, children }) {
        var sub = { count: 0 };
        if (children) {
            children = children.map(fn(sub)),
            label += ` (${sub.count})`;
            count.count += sub.count;
            return { value, label, children };
        }
        count.count++;
        return { value, label };
    };
}

const
    nodes = [{ value: 'World', label: 'World', children: [{ label: 'Europe', value: 'Europe', children: [{ label: 'Albania', value: 'AL' }, { label: 'BeNeLux', value: 'BeNeLux', children: [{ label: 'The Netherlands', value: 'NL' }, { label: 'Belgium', value: 'BE' }, { label: 'Luxembourg', value: 'LU' }] }] }] }],
    withCount = nodes.map(fn());

console.log(withCount);
.as-console-wrapper { max-height: 100% !important; top: 0; }

A: You can decompose children counting into a separate recursive function:

const nodes = [{
  value: 'World',
  label: 'World',
  children: [{
    label: 'Europe',
    value: 'Europe',
    children: [
      {
        label: 'Albania',
        value: 'AL'
      },
      {
        label: 'BeNeLux',
        value: 'BeNeLux',
        children: [
          {
            label: 'The Netherlands',
            value: 'NL'
          },
          {
            label: 'Belgium',
            value: 'BE'
          },
          {
            label: 'Luxembourg',
            value: 'LU'
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }]
}]

const getChildrenCount = (node, count = 0) => {
  if (!node.children) {
    return 1
  }
  for (const child of node.children) {
    count += getChildrenCount(child)
  }
  return count;
}

const getSortedNodesWithChildrenCountLabel = nodes => {
  return nodes
    .reduce(function f (output, node) {
      if (node.children) {
        node.label += ` (${getChildrenCount(node)})`
        node.children = node.children
          .reduce(f, [])
      }

      output.push(node)
      return output
    }, [])
}

console.log(getSortedNodesWithChildrenCountLabel(nodes))


text:
As Centenary Of Jallianwala Bagh Massacare Approaches, Calls Grow For UK To Tender Full Apology
by Swarajya Staff - Apr 9, 2019 08:00 AM
Visitors at the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial. (Vinoo202 via Wikipedia)
Ahead of the upcoming centenary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacare, the government of British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to maintain its position of expressing 'deep regret' over the bloody incident that ocurred on 13 April 1919, reports Hindustan Times. The British government is seen to be becoming more open to the idea of conveying a full apology, for which calls have been growing in recent times.
A number of British organisations will mark the occasion with special features and documentaries, and a debate on the subject has been secured in the Westminster Hall today (9 April) by Conservative parliamentarian Bob Blackman.
The government had previously stated during a debate in the House of Lords that is has been reflecting upon the calls for a full apology.
"The government rightly condemned the (Amritsar) incident at the time: Secretary of State for War Winston Churchill called it 'a monstrous event… which stands in singular and sinister isolation," stated a spokesperson for the foreign office.
In 1997, Queen Elizabeth had visited the Jallianwala Bagh memorial and expressed her deep regret for the incident, while former prime minister David Cameron had called it a 'deeply shameful event' during his visit to the site.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacare was a mass killing of civilians in Amritsar by soldiers of the British Indian Army. The blame for the bloody incident is primarily attributed to Colonel Reginald Dyer, who ordered his troops to fire into the crowd.
British Prime Minister Theresa May
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
full apology
An Appeal...
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text:
Taking Surveys for Tax Savings
Get Rewarded and Make a Difference in More Ways Than One
Saving money can be just as much of a motivation to complete online surveys as earning cash and prizes. One way to do this is through donating the points earned from survey taking to charity.
A number of survey companies list a "donate to charity" option when panelists sign in to redeem their points. While some people may feel a donation is not as enticing as saving up for prizes or cash rewards, giving one's points to a registered charity can give the donor more than just a good feeling. Tax receipts are issued just the same as if a donation was made in person or online, which can in turn be used as a deduction on their income tax return.
How Surveys Become Tax Deductions
Panelists complete surveys as they normally would and accumulate points as they do so. After they collect a certain number of points, the time comes to redeem them.
At this point some survey panels, such as Legerweb, allow these points to be donated to registered charities who will in turn provide a tax receipt for the donation.
Let's say a panelist completes a number of survey and earns enough points to donate fifty dollars to a charity listed on the survey panel website. The panelist gets the satisfaction of making a donation without any out of pocket expense, and then receives more benefits come tax time. If our panelist lived in BC in 2012, for a $50 donation they would receive a $7.50 federal tax credit and another $2.53 provincial tax credit.
This is a total tax credit of $10.03 which can reduce the income tax the panelist owes, or even get added on to their refund. All for a donation to charity that did not cost them anything in the first place.
Rules for Charity Donations
In Canada, only donations made to registered charities are tax deductible. Canadians can get a credit for all eligible donations up to seventy five percent of their net income. When donating through a survey panel, a tax receipt is issued to the panelist for tax purposes.
If over two hundred dollars is donated throughout the year, the tax savings are higher. So for panelists who are members of a variety of survey sites there is an opportunity to cash in their points as a charity donation to a number of charities and reap the rewards on their tax return.
The $200 doesn't all have to come from donating to charities through survey panels of course. Say a panelist has already donated $125 through a charity at their work. By redeeming their survey points for a hundred dollar charity donation, they are now "bumped up" to over the two hundred dollar donation level and will receive a bigger credit, all without paying a dime.
So while some may think that donating to charity is a nice gesture but not worth the time they put into taking online surveys, these examples show that even though the panelists doesn't receive a direct prize or cash, they do receive tax savings which is just as nice of a reward!
Survey Panels Who Offer Charity Donations and/or Tax Receipts
*Please visit individual panel websites to check that a tax receipt will be issued to you upon making your donation.
= Verified that a tax receipt will be issued to you upon donating your survey points/dollars to a charity.
Hotspex – Donate your "Bux" towards spaying/neutering a cat, or help out great causes like Habitat for Humanity, The Humane Society, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Rainforest Conservation Fund, Amnesty International and more.
LegerWeb – Donate your LegerWeb "Survey Dollars" to great causes like the Canadian Cancer Society and Sun Youth.
Web Perspectives – Use your "Perspective Points" to make a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society and get a tax receipt sent out to you.
Opinion World – Every time you complete a survey Opinion World will make a donation the charity that you select. Charity participants include: WSPA, Concern, JRCR and IFRC.
Help Stop SPAM and Get Cash!
Survey Results Spotlight: NPD Online Research


I have plans this year. Big plans. Well, I think they're big - short term big. The long term goals are bigger, much bigger.
Since I have only started out as an actress at the end of 2008, had a baby soon after, and only really got cracking in 2010, I am still at the very beginning of my acting journey. So, given that and the fact that I live in Wellington were work is scarce in the first place, it's probably not surprising that I have nowhere near enough material for a reel.
I have already worked on a short film this year but I have yet to find out whether I can use any of for a reel. I also had an audition for another short film. I didn't book but the feedback during and after the audition was wonderful. Who doesn't like to hear that they did a 'fantastic audition'?
Since 2010, I've had two speaking parts of any significant length. One of them was in a short film and frankly, I am so much better now than I was when I shot it, so I don't want to use it. The second was for the industrial that I shot at the end of last year. I'm waiting back to hear whether it's possible for me to get a copy, since the thing was semi-public anyway. Fingers crossed because it would at least be a start.
Since the whole reel thing is a bit out of my hands at the moment, I'm going to have to concentrate on things that I can actually achieve by myself. Yes, I know, I could easily write and film a scene with some friends, even something of very good quality but I'm a bit apprehensive about this idea. So, I am going to start with a voice reel.
My wonderful partner is among many other things a soundie and is going to help me with the technical side of things. The plan is to do three short recordings of my natural accent/a very German accent, my General American accent and one of me speaking German and maybe French. One of the recordings (probably the GenAm one) is going to be in the style of a audiobook reading because how fun would that be to do as a job, right? Reading out loud for a living, are you kidding me?! If you have any tips and tricks for or thoughts on the other recordings in terms of length, material etc. I would love to hear them!
Coming back to playing parts of any significant length; apart from theatre, I have yet to book a role where the character has her own journey and character development. And man am I craving such a role! At the moment I only ever get to go on a real journey with my characters in acting class and even then only snippets of their journeys. So, one goal this year is to land a lead role in a film, short or feature or at the very least a significant supporting role. Something to really sink my teeth in. I'll keep you posted.
I have had the absolute pleasure to do some reading for a local production How to Meet Girls from a Distance yesterday. Being a reader was something I have always wanted to do and it was a lot of fun and fantastic experience. I hope I get to be a reader much more often this year. So, if you're casting something in Wellington and need a reader, get in touch!
Finishing my script is obviously on my list as well. I'm a very slow writer in this project but since that doesn't bug me in the slightest and I'm having nothing but fun when I am writing, I don't plan to change that. And since no one is paying me for the job, I don't plan to give myself a deadline either. As long as I am enjoying the experience, there is no rush for me to finish any time soon. Once I have a first draft my ambitions might change but we'll have so wait and see about that.
Another very important item are new head shots. I have already had them taken but am waiting to get my favourites back from the photographer. I will post them here once I get them. Please let me know what you think! After all, my head shots are my calling card, right, and if you guys don't believe or like what you see, I should probably try again. Just for the record, I am very happy with the photos!
Right, off to the printer and back to business. Happy Oscars Day, everyone!