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Policy Series: Assessing Trump's Emerging Counterterrorism Policy
Tag: Israel
Article Review 82 on "From Israel with Deterrence: Strategic Culture, Intra-war Coercion and Brute Force."
June 16, 2017 by Uri Bar-Joseph·Comments Off on Article Review 82 on "From Israel with Deterrence: Strategic Culture, Intra-war Coercion and Brute Force."
The main questions Professor Adamsky addresses in his timely article are three: What is the logic behind the Israeli conceptualization of the use of force in low intensity conflicts as "deterrence operations?" How did the Israelis come up with such a way of thinking? And what are the consequences of the policy which rests on this type of strategic logic?
Article Review 80 on "Learning to Deter. Deterrence Failure and Success in the Israel-Hezbollah Conflict, 2006-16."
June 7, 2017 by Jean-Loup Samaan·Comments Off on Article Review 80 on "Learning to Deter. Deterrence Failure and Success in the Israel-Hezbollah Conflict, 2006-16."
In 2004, Daniel Sobelman wrote a monograph for the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies on the "new rules of the game" between Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah[1]. The book described how both organizations had adapted their military positions following the IDF withdrawal of 2000 to maintain the status quo. Two years later, this argument on the stability between the two sides was challenged by the summer war that saw Hezbollah and the IDF fighting for 34 days. But since then, the border between Israel and Lebanon has witnessed a rather stable environment–by Middle Eastern standards.
Article Review 72 on "To Arm or to Ally?: The Patron's Dilemma and the Strategic Logic of Arms Transfers and Alliances."
March 29, 2017 by Michael McKoy·Comments Off on Article Review 72 on "To Arm or to Ally?: The Patron's Dilemma and the Strategic Logic of Arms Transfers and Alliances."
In an analytical review of alliance research, James Morrow posed the title question, "Alliances: why write them down?"[1] A decade and a half later, Keren Yarhi-Milo, Alexander Lanoszka, and Zack Cooper revisit this issue, posing their own title question: "To arm or to ally?" Yarhi-Milo, Lanoszka, and Cooper pose this question through the structural lens of hierarchical relations, setting it up as a "patron's dilemma" of how patrons can best ensure a client state's security—through either a formal guarantee to defend the state against foreign attack, the provision of significant arms, or both (or neither). Hierarchical relations and patrons' dilemmas have received increased attention in security scholarship, with several scholars expounding upon the nature of international hierarchy and its role in security provision, economic relations, democratization efforts, and many other international political issues.[2] In their article, Yarhi-Milo, Lanoszka, and Cooper focus on the central alliance tradeoff of credibility versus flexibility. By agreeing to a formal institutionalized security pact in the nature of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) a patron can send a clear and credible signal of commitment, but such an ironclad commitment may trap the patron in an unwanted conflict. Conversely, simply supplying arms provides greater flexibility and will enhance the client's security, but not to the degree that a formal defense pact would. How then do patrons decide which strategy to adopt? Yarhi-Milo, Lanoszka, and Cooper seek to answer that question.
Review Essay 29 on The Bomb: South Africa's Nuclear Program
May 10, 2016 by Or Rabinowitz·Comments Off on Review Essay 29 on The Bomb: South Africa's Nuclear Program
Nic von Wielligh's new book on the history of the South African nuclear project is a timely contribution to the on-going scholarly debate on why and how countries choose to develop, maintain and dismantle nuclear weapons programs. Since South Africa is the only country to date that has undergone a voluntary complete nuclear roll-back, its history is particularly important to scholars of nuclear proliferation, especially in the contemporary context of the debate surrounding Iran's nuclear program and its trajectory. The author, nuclear physicist Nic von Wielligh, began his involvement in South Africa's nuclear program in 1975, graduating into a managerial position in South Africa's Atomic Energy Corporation a decade later. This unique position enabled von Wielligh, with the assistance of his daughter, Lydia von Wielligh-Steyn, to write the book from an insider's perspective, revealing many previously unknown details and filling-in some much sought-after gaps in the literature on South Africa's nuclear endeavour.[1]
Roundtable 8-4 on Bargaining on Nuclear Tests: Washington And Its Cold War Rivals
November 16, 2015 by Francis J. Gavin, Gaurav Kampani, Jayita Sarkar, Or Rabinowitz·Comments Off on Roundtable 8-4 on Bargaining on Nuclear Tests: Washington And Its Cold War Rivals
Preventing sovereign states from acquiring and deploying a military technology that all but guarantees their security is beyond difficult. Early in the nuclear age, many United States policymakers and analysts thought that nuclear nonproliferation efforts were, at worst, impossible, and, at best, too costly. Despite this pessimism, the U.S. has made nuclear non-proliferation a priority of American grand strategy since 1945, and has been willing to pay a high price, ranging from breaking its tradition of no permanent peacetime alliances to pressuring Cold-War allies such as West Germany and South Korea while cooperating with a bitter geopolitical and ideological rival, the Soviet Union, to stem the spread of nuclear weapons. No one expected these nuclear nonproliferation policies to be easy or completely successful. If you had told even the most optimistic American decision-maker in 1965 that half a century later (2015) no nuclear weapons would have been detonated against another state, either in anger or by accident, and that the number of states possessing nuclear weapons remained in the single digits, they would have been overjoyed (and likely would have thought that you were crazy).
Roundtable 7-17 on Nuclear Strategy in the Modern Era: Regional Powers and International Conflict
May 31, 2015 by H-Diplo·Comments Off on Roundtable 7-17 on Nuclear Strategy in the Modern Era: Regional Powers and International Conflict
How do we understand the nuclear strategies of regional powers and how successful are those strategies in deterring conflict? These are obviously important questions for students of world politics, but unfortunately they are also questions that have been largely ignored as scholars focused their attention on the nuclear superpowers of the bipolar era. Of course, the relative lack of attention paid to regional nuclear powers would not matter all that much if these states acted similarly to the superpowers, but it is clear that they have acted quite differently. For example, none of the regional nuclear powers has attempted to build the large arsenals possessed by the superpowers during the Cold War. In his important and ambitious new book, Vipin Narang attempts to explain the decisions made by regional nuclear powers and to develop a new theoretical framework that will be relevant to understanding the current and future dynamics of what he calls the "second nuclear age"(1).
Roundtable 7-9, The Warrior State: Pakistan in the Contemporary World
January 5, 2015 by H-Diplo·Comments Off on Roundtable 7-9, The Warrior State: Pakistan in the Contemporary World
In Charles Tilly's oft-cited formulation, "War made the state, and the state made war."[1] In other words, the relationship between insecurity and state capacity is a direct one. As was the case in Europe, the need to fight wars caused states to develop economically and build strong state capacity, which led to the modern state. Yet, as T.V. Paul observes in The Warrior State, Pakistan, a state that has organized itself principally as a national security state, has failed to develop economically and failed to build a strong state capacity. To explain this paradox, Paul develops an innovative argument that states can suffer from a geostrategic curse, which is akin to what has been termed 'a resource curse.' Essentially, a resource curse occurs when states that have access to an abundance of resource wealth (e.g., Saudi oil) use that wealth to forestall calls for political reform and economic development by buying off domestic groups. Paul argues that Pakistan has faced an analogous geostrategic curse: because of its strategic importance (during the Cold War, during the War on Terror, and its proximity to the Sino-Indian border), Pakistan has received considerable military aid, which it has been able to use to forestall political and economic change. Consequently, while other national security states have developed strong state capacity in order to wage war, Pakistan has relied on the largesse of others, while resisting calls to modernize.
Roundtable 6-8, "The Second Nuclear Age: Strategy, Danger, and the New Power Politics"
May 26, 2014 by H-Diplo·Comments Off on Roundtable 6-8, "The Second Nuclear Age: Strategy, Danger, and the New Power Politics"
Easy answers to the numerous problems posed by the proliferation of nuclear weapons will not be found in Paul Bracken's The Second Nuclear Age: Strategy, Danger, and the New Power Politics. In fact, Bracken has very little to say about what are often considered to be the perennial nuclear issues of the post-Cold War world. How should America, Western Europe and Israel deal with the problem of Iran's quest for nuclear weapons? Will the nuclear rivalry between Pakistan and India become as stable as the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union eventually became? What countries are likely to pursue and/or acquire nuclear weapons in the coming decades? How can the nuclear proliferation regime be strengthened and extended into the twenty-first century?
Response to Essay 20 on Reconceptualizing Deterrence: Nudging toward Rationality in Middle Eastern Rivalries
February 13, 2014 by Elli Lieberman·Comments Off on Response to Essay 20 on Reconceptualizing Deterrence: Nudging toward Rationality in Middle Eastern Rivalries
I want to thank H-Diplo for publishing this response, and James A. Russell for taking the time to read and review my book. I also want to thank Robert Jervis for the additional comments on Russell's review. Because the review did not fully address the book's main arguments and findings, thereby missing the main points of the book, I wish to briefly describe and clarify the book's main goal, as well as some of its important findings.


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A State of Siege: Gangs, Drugs, and Violence in Central and Latin America
Risk & Litigation Global Trade
Between October 2013 and July 2014, 52,000 children fleeing gang violence in Central America and Latin America were apprehended at the U.S. border. President Obama called it a "humanitarian crisis." As Mexican gangs have fragmented and moved south, wrecking businesses and societies, murder rates in the region have risen dramatically, and foreign direct investment (FDI) has been affected. Certain key industries — mining, construction and energy — are targeted by gangs for infiltration and subornment as part of their modus operandi, but gang impact also has been felt in finance, manufacturing, real estate, retail, telecommunications and transportation. Gangs use legitimate businesses and, through them, take advantage of corrupt governments and courts. However, while these gangs are ruthless, pervasive and well-funded, they seek the path of least resistance. In other words, if a business can set a few strategic traps, the rats will run. A company's security plan doesn't have to be air tight to discourage gangs; it simply needs to be better and smarter than competitors' systems. This article relates the impact of current gang activity in Central America, Latin America and the Caribbean and describes some of the traps FTI Consulting helps its clients set.
Gang-related crime and violence are reaching a crescendo in Central America, Latin America and the Caribbean. Such activity is constraining foreign direct investment, devastating the region's economies and societies, and leading to rising waves of forced emigration.
FDI in Central America and the Caribbean in 2013 was 5 percent weaker than the global average increase (11 percent), and were it not for InBev's (a.k.a. AB InBev) $13.5 billion acquisition of Mexico's Grupo Modelo beer manufacturer, net FDI in the region would have declined last year.
When FDI is impaired, economic growth stagnates and society suffers, as evidenced by the tide of immigration witnessed this past summer in the United States, made more poignant by the number of children fleeing to presumed safety. President Obama called it a "humanitarian crisis."
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the apprehension of unaccompanied children at the U.S. border this year was up 92 percent over 2013. More than 70,000 children are expected to be apprehended by the end of 2014. Fleeing gang-related violence, these children — primarily from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — also are seeking asylum in other Central American countries, including Panama, Costa Rica and even Nicaragua, one of the poorest nations on earth.
The entire region is becoming destabilized.
According to a 2012 United Nations Development Programme report, Latin America and the Caribbean, with only 8.5 percent of the world's population, account for more than 25 percent of the world's homicides. And, not surprisingly, crime and violence "very much" affect the cost of doing business in the region, according to data from the Global Competitiveness Index 2012-2013, analyzed by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. In El Salvador, for example, the cost of extortion to smaller businesses exceeds $1 million a month. In 2011, the World Bank estimated the annual cost of crime and violence to the region at 8 percent of gross domestic product. In 2012, the cost of crime in the region was gauged by the National Institute of Statistics to have been $8.8 billion.
Crime pays, but it also costs.
Gang Business: A Profile
In 2009, FTI Consulting identified 220 active gangs operating in Panama (population 3 million). The World Bank identified approximately 500 distinct active gangs in Central America encompassing around 70,000 members. Most of these gangs are involved in producing drugs and trafficking in them, and business is booming.
In 2013, federal police drug seizures in Mexico nearly doubled over 2012. National police appropriated close to 100 tons of narcotics (marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines) compared with about 50 tons in 2012. According to State Department reports from the respective countries, drug seizures also increased in 2013 in Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama and Costa Rica, often dramatically. Officials in Guatemala reported that drugs commandeered in the first nine months of 2013 represented a 330 percent spike over 2012. In the first 10 months of 2013, the El Salvador government impounded twice the amount of cocaine it had confiscated in 2012. Panama authorities noted a 20 percent increase in cocaine appropriations from 2012 to 2013.
Along with this rise in drug production, the Mexican government's war on the leadership of its drug cartels has contributed to a splintering of drug-trafficking networks [and] greater overall violence," according to a special report by the Trans-Border Institute.
Certain industries are ideal targets for gang infiltration. Mining and other manufacturing enterprises, for example, use chemicals in their businesses that also are used to process cocaine. These compounds can be obtained by gangs either through theft or bribery or more conveniently and less dangerously by infiltration into the business itself. Gangs gaining a foothold in a legitimate business then can use its operations to launder money through the business' bank and can obtain assets — vehicles, ports and other logistical resources — needed to move drugs. In 2012, for example, U.S. authorities seized $31 million in assets belonging to a Peruvian mining operation on charges of money laundering and drug trafficking.
The long-standing and growing problem of drug manufacturing and trafficking in Central America, Latin America and the Caribbean — and the attendant social and economic depredations — will not be solved easily. According to the World Bank, Given the high levels of drug-related corruption in the criminal justice systems and the vast resources of the traffickers, evidence suggests that directing more resources to drug enforcement efforts is not likely to reduce violence in Central America."
This does not mean, however, that companies operating in that part of the world cannot improve their security stance and, thereby, attract the FDI needed to grow and contribute to the economic profile of the area and the corresponding societies. Indeed, Central America, Latin America and the Caribbean remain appealing to foreign investors due to the region's abundant natural and cultural resources, a growing middle-class consumer base and proximity to the vast U.S. market. Businesses that improve the security of their operations — supporting activities that can make life difficult for gangs — can become attractive to foreign investors looking to take advantage of the area's undeniable potential.
Life during Wartime: How to Improve Security
In order to discourage gangs and cause them to look elsewhere for easier prey, a business' security plan should be strategically positioned according to country and industry risks and merely needs to be better than the systems employed by the competition. These security plans can and should be customized to the special needs of the business, with key assets identified and protected by strategic security rings. Enhancing a company's security does not have to be an overly expensive proposition. The process begins by conducting a threat/vulnerability assessment that focuses on the vicinity in which the business is located, as threats and risks differ by geography and jurisdiction.
However, with the proper intelligence, and a deep understanding of the risks a business' operations expose it to, companies can take preventive measures to mitigate them.
Human assets
To conduct a proper threat assessment — as well as make an organization's security posture stronger — locally based human intelligence is critical. In part, that means closely vetting clients. This especially is true in the finance industry, as doing so can prevent an institution from running afoul of anti-corruption, anti-terrorist and anti-money laundering laws.
For instance, FTI Consulting helped a client's compliance function identify a customer with direct ties to and relationships within a shipping business in an area noted for high drug activity. After an FTI Consulting investigation, the client severed its relationship with the customer, avoiding a potential liability.
The information FTI Consulting provides clients regarding local stakeholders and customers can be used at the client's discretion. The business then can take what it considers appropriate measures to mitigate risks presented by employees or the people and firms with which it does business. This can provide a basis for proactive, preventive actions that can be taken before a problem presents itself, thereby helping to ensure a high level of security over the long term.
Nations with the highest murder rates in the world include Honduras (with 90.4 per 100,000 people), Venezuela (53.7), Belize (44.7), El Salvador (41.2), Guatemala (39.9) and Jamaica (39.3). (The global average is 6.2 per 100,000, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's 2013 "Global Study on Homicide.") Businesses operating in these areas and possessing assets (such as planes, boats, rails and trucks) that can be used by gangs are at high risk. However, with the proper intelligence and a deep understanding of the risks surrounding a business' operations, companies can take preventive measures to mitigate these perils.
When a company begins a project such as the construction of a new facility in a district known for corruption and gang activity, reputational due diligence and security controls must be established with vendors and suppliers and tested prior to launching the initiative. For example, right now, several natural gas pipeline projects are under way in the Andean and Amazon regions. These pipelines run through mountainous and rural terrains that would pose logistical and construction challenges even without the narcotrafficante activity that is rife there. In fact, FTI Consulting provided risk management advice for several companies involved in the energy industry and developed a security plan for each client's executives and families (including the training of on-site security personnel) to prevent kidnappings and extortion. By understanding the intricacies of the business and the company's processes and policies designed to confront these operational risks, as well as the local conditions, FTI Consulting was able to set up a tailored security infrastructure design, along with new protocols, creating rings of protection for the company's assets (including data), its employees and its operations.
FTI Consulting professionals have participated in several internal investigations for financial institutions related to internal information technology (IT) employees. In some cases, the investigations revealed that employees were stealing sensitive data (credit card information) and selling the information to gangs that penetrate the Caribbean. After absorbing the results of FTI Consulting's investigation and follow-on recommendations, the clients changed their security information protocols and culture.
Smart surveillance systems
Smart surveillance systems combine information about regional risks and assets (human, physical and digital) and, by assigning each a defined risk level, can establish a customized system for individual businesses. These systems employ a range of technologies — with a single monitoring center, if required — capable of responding to a variety of events and emergencies, accidental or malicious.
Automated surveillance systems have clear benefits in countries with a high degree of gang activity. These systems cannot be suborned or threatened by the gangs and function around the clock without taking breaks or bribes. These effective products also lower operating costs, as, for example, they can allow a business to reduce the number of human guards it employs, and the system itself represents only a one-time capital expenditure.
The unremitting violence perpetrated by gangs on the run with seeming impunity throughout much of Central America, Latin America and the Caribbean has thrown the region's civil societies into something resembling a "state of panic," as described in an essay published by the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences. In this environment, it's critical for a business to focus on its own internal culture, with an emphasis on hiring trustworthy employees and keeping gang-connected individuals out of the company. By empowering Human Resources, enabling it to implement strict background check processes on new employees and giving personnel the tools and technologies needed, as well as a seat at the executive table, it is possible to create a safer environment for the business' own employees and to attract the best talent available.
As well as hiring for character along with skill, companies can make their physical environment less conducive to gang activity — setting, as it were, a few simple traps.
For example, a client in Latin America was experiencing the depredations of a culture of theft. Inventory was going missing; revenues were being lost. FTI Consulting helped the client upgrade outdated (or, in some cases, nonexistent) surveillance systems, tailoring them to the unique geographical risks associated with the client's operations. Security then was able to be integrated with internal audit, IT, finance and other operational areas, generating a single view of the company's processes and resources. This enabled the organization to reduce inventory shrinkage and stem the loss of revenues.
The lesson here is that risk never is isolated. It does not exist within a single segment of the business. A risk in one area causes risks in one or more other areas, which is why an integrated, holistic approach is so critical both to improving a company's security posture and to changing its security culture at all levels of the organization. Indeed, a robust security monitoring system, combined with a positive cultural change, can surface business opportunities — such as improving marketing by providing a window into consumer interests. Proper security also can assist Human Resources in its efforts to effect change by providing it with the internal intelligence to understand employee behavior and conflicts.
Situation: Critical
That Central America, Latin America and the Caribbean are in political, social and economic crisis due to gang-related activity is inarguable. The region's unfathomably high murder rates, the exodus of its children and the recent decline in foreign direct investment all bear witness to deep-seated and perhaps intractable problems. When it comes to stopping or even limiting the activities of the area's hundreds of gangs, there seems very little reason for optimism.
Business cannot solve the region's problems, but individual companies can implement effective controls and can change the security culture to be better and smarter than the competitors' systems. This will discourage gangs from infiltrating an organization's operations and using assets for their own nefarious ends, disrupting a company's ability to serve its customers and societies. And by taking charge of its own security, a company can make itself less attractive to gangs and more appealing to investors. This will help an organization grow and will assist it in improving the economic profile of the region, as well as the lives of the local citizens.
© Copyright 2014. The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FTI Consulting, Inc. or its other professionals.
Arnold Castillo
Arnold.Castillo@fticonsulting.com
Forensic & Litigation Consulting
FTI Consulting
2013 Latin America Public Security Index
Due to its relatively strong growth over the past years, Latin America has made some advancement as a whole in social inclusion, as well as in the fight against crime, in certain countries, leading to an improvement in public security. Growth slowed somewhat in 2012 and, at the beginning of 2013, lagged behind other emerging markets. However, growth in Latin America still is ahead of the developed world, and the region is more stable now than it has been in many decades.
Mexico's Oilfields of Dreams
By opening up its oil and gas reserves to foreign investment, Mexico hopes to boost production and GDP. Foreign energy companies and investors hope to profit from new, rich and logistically convenient sources of gas and oil.
Let the Brazilian Compliance Games Begin!
As Brazil prepares to host the June 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, the country's recently enacted anti-corruption law presents a host of compliance challenges to domestic and foreign businesses participating in the preparations.
One Regulatory Size Doesn't Fit All in Emerging Markets
How multinationals can stay ahead of the spread of cross-border "copy-and-paste policies" that threaten growth and development.
Dwindling Confidence in Corporate Compliance Programs
How confident are you in your company's internal anticorruption, ethics and compliance programs?
Blending Health, Wellness, and Beauty: A Growing Convergence
A booming market created by the convergence of the health and wellness category with beauty is creating new opportunities for investors and retailers. Call it "beauty from the inside out."
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The views expressed in this article(s) are those of the author and not necessarily those of FTI Consulting, Inc., or its professionals.
©Copyright, FTI Consulting, Inc., 2012. All rights reserved.
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Will Stormy Weather Affect Thanksgiving Travel?
For those looking forward to heading home for the Thanksgiving holiday, brace yourself, says Conde Nast Traveler.
"Here's some bad news for those planning to traverse America's airports and roads during Thanksgiving week: A stormy weather pattern is forecast to arrive over the busiest travel days of the year, potentially delaying millions of travelers," wrote Lale Arikoglu.
AccuWeather reports that a storm system is headed straight for the U.S. — just in time to disrupt the relatively calm weather we are currently enjoying and cause havoc for holiday travelers. The storm will presumably affect the Northern Plains, the Great Lakes and the Northeast.
"As the travel rush hits its peak by mid-week, those passing through places like Chicago, Minneapolis, Nashville, and New Orleans could all be affected, and heavy rain and snow will sweep over New England's coastline," Conde Nast reported.
And the West Coast is going to have its own storm to muck things up.
"Rain will reach as far south as San Diego and Los Angeles, and Seattle could suffer from bad weather the day before Thanksgiving," noted Arikoglu.
This is all coming during what is expected to be one of the busiest Thanksgiving travel seasons in years.
Will this be a sign of apocalyptic airport lines and nightmare traffic delays? Read on for more here.


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The Learning Annex: Graveyard for Infomercial Stars
October 24, 2006, by Paul Lucas
We know that many has-been celebrities end up hosting infomercials. But where do has-been infomercial stars go?
Well, if the current catalog of The Learning Annex San Francisco is any indication, many of them can be found teaching classes there.
If you're not familiar with The Learning Annex, it is a venerable institution of adult instruction that offers classes on such hallowed subjects as "How to Make a Million Dollars Flipping Houses" and "Better Orgasms Through Tantric Meditation."
On the cover of the current San Francisco Learning Annex catalog can be found Jay "The Juiceman" Kordich and Susan Powter. You remember Susan Powter. She's the obnoxious harpy who used to appear on her own diet infomercials urging people to "Stop the Insanity." Her picture on the Learning Annex catalog cover shows her with two-toned hair flying in all sorts of directions, lots of eye make-up, and a nose-ring. Susan Powter looks more like a porn star than Nina Hartley—the actual porn star who dominates the left side of the cover. (The cover also features some woman named Andrea Adler. I don't know who she is but she must be honored to be featured in such august company.)
Open the pages of the catalog and you'll find even more people who include "infomercial star" on their résumés. There's our good friend Matthew Lesko teaching a class about—what else—how to get free money from the government. And there's Howard Berg. In the 1990s the rotund Mr. Howard Berg appeared with Kevin Trudeau in an infomercial that sold his speed reading course. (I used to refer to this infomercial as "The Felon and the Fat Ass.") Berg's course was one of the few products I have ever actually purchased from an infomercial. It sucked, by the way.
The Juiceman, Susan Powter, Nina Hartley, Matthew Lesko, Howard Berg—that sounds like a great cast for the next season of The Surreal Life. Are you listening VH1?
Juiceman Video: Get Real High with Parsley Juice
Has-Been Celebrities, The Surreal Life, Infomercials, and Miss Cleo
Jay Kordich Returns to TV (But Don't Call Him "The Juiceman")
A Rebuilt Lee Majors Pitches the Bionic Ear
Grudge Match: The Juiceman versus Jack LaLanne
Famous No-Talents Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian Get Infomercial Endorsements
Video: The Juiceman's Eucharist
Aaay! Henry "The Fonz" Winkler Pitches Reverse Mortgages to His Fellow Senior Citizens
2 Responses to "The Learning Annex: Graveyard for Infomercial Stars"
Cool! I'm heading straight to the Learning Annex and I'm taking my autograph book with me!
Comment by bookendz on October 24, 2006 at 11:13 am
Is it just me, or does Nina Hartley look like the mom from an 80s' sitcom?
Comment by Thomas on May 30, 2012 at 7:48 pm


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The Walter Lawrence Trophy was first introduced in 1934 by master builder Sir Walter Lawrence. He was so passionate about cricket that he created his own cricket ground at Hyde Hall, near Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire (see picture below). Hyde Hall played host to most of the county sides of the day, and visitors to the ground were entertained in the true tradition of country house cricket. In 1934 he offered his personal patronage to the game by introducing an award for the fastest hundred scored in an English season in a first-class innings.
Sir Walter Lawrence
Sir Walter Lawrence died in 1939. His son Guy did not share his father's passion for cricket, and consequently there was no presentation during the Second World War – nor for many years after. However, in 1965 Brian Thornton inherited the Trophy on the death of his father-in-law, Guy Lawrence, and the following year reinstated the award for the fastest Test century by an England batsman, with the help of MCC and many others, including Brian Johnston.
In 1970 the Trophy reverted to its original form for the fastest first-class century during the English cricket season. Also in that year the award was presented for 'the most meritorious innings of the England v The Rest of the World series' to Geoff Boycott, for his 222-ball century at The Oval.
In 1985 the basis for the award was changed from minutes to the number of balls faced. The fastest century under the pre-1985 system was Steve O'Shaughnessy's hundred in 35 minutes for Lancashire v Leicestershire at Old Trafford in 1983.The fastest century so far is Tom Moody's 100 off 36 balls scored in 1990 during the Warwickshire v Glamorgan match at Swansea.
In 2008 the Trophy was opened for the first time to all the domestic county competitions. Now centuries scored in The Hundred, Vitality Blast (20-over format), Royal London Cup (50-over format) and the LV= Insurance County Championship, as well as Test Matches, One-Day International matches and International T20 matches played in England, will all be eligible.
The list of previous winners includes many of the greats from international cricket: Ken Barrington, Basil D'Oliveira, Colin Milburn, Asif Iqbal, Gary Sobers, Gordon Greenidge, Alan Knott, Mike Procter, Viv Richards, Ian Botham, Mike Gatting, Graeme Hick, Andy Flintoff and Adam Gilchrist.
The Trophy, together with a cheque for £2,500 to the winning batsman, is presented during an awards ceremony and dinner held in the Long Room at Lord's, which is attended by current and former cricketers, correspondents and many celebrity guests.
Liam Livingstone won the Walter Lawrence Trophy in 2021, scoring his award-winning century off just 42 balls.
Hyde Hall, Sawbridgeworth – 1931.
Sir Walter Lawrence standing second from left. Miss Gypsy Lawrence seated fifth from left.
Sir Walter Lawrence sitting in the centre of the image. The image is of the annual cricket match between the head office of Walter Lawrence and Son Ltd and the Joinery Works at Sir Walter's private ground at Hyde Hall.


Das Spiel Invaders 2 (Android Wear) gibt es gerade im Google Play Store kostenlos statt 0,99€.
Use wrist to control spaceship.
Tap to move spaceship and fire.
Destroy all aliens before they reached ground.
Spaceship can takes 2 extra hits before destroyed.
Support devices with square and round screens.


State Rep. Lori Saine, arrested for trying to bring a loaded semiautomatic handgun through a security checkpoint at Denver International Airport, was released from the downtown jail on a personal recognizance bond Wednesday afternoon.
Denver County Court Judge Andrea Eddy also authorized her to travel outside of Colorado. Saine travels frequently for her work, according to her lawyer, Randy B. Corporon.
Corporon objected to the Denver7 television camera in the room. Judge Eddy acknowledged the objection, but noted that court policy allows a camera in the room and she had already approved the request.
According to probable-cause documents related to Saine's arrest, a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun found in the Weld County Republican's bag during a Transportation Security Administration screening had four rounds of ammunition in its magazine, but none in the chamber. She was arrested at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday on suspicion of introducing a firearm into a transportation facility, a felony.
Saine has been a defender of gun rights while at the Colorado Capitol, battling against a bill banning high-capacity ammunition magazines in 2013.
DIA is one of the nation's top airports for gun seizures at TSA security checkpoints.
In the past 12 months, the Denver Police Department has responded to 106 reports of a firearm within a security checkpoint at the DIA, police records administrator Mary Dulacki said. Just one person other than Saine has been arrested and jailed for possession of a weapon within a security checkpoint during that time.
Last year agents seized more than 90 firearms at the airport and three people were charged for the offense, according to Ken Lane, a spokesman for the Denver District Attorney's office. Three people were charged in 2015 and 2013, and four in 2014.
Passengers found with a gun can face large civil penalties, as well as local and state charges. Firearms can legally be transported on a plane in a locked case in checked baggage.


Scottish minister for UK negotiations on Scotland's place in Europe Michael Russell and Irish spokesperson on European Affairs Neale Richmond both backed further talks about a crossing.
Dunlop, who is professor of architecture at Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University, told the National newspaper last month that a bridge between Portpatrick and Bangor or Larne could help create a 'Celtic Powerhouse'.
Richmond, a member of Ireland's Seanad upper house, raised the subject of the crossing when Russell visited Dublin this week to address the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs.
Dunlop said last month that a bridge between Mull of Kintyre, near Campbeltown, and Torr Head on the Northern Irish coast would cost about £12 billion.
But he said a crossing further south, between Portpatrick and Bangor or Larne, would have more benefits, despite costing more.
'[This] would be better and the setting more dramatic – you could potentially see it from Whitehaven, the Lake District and the Isle of Man,' he said.
'While much more costly because of the geological and environmental challenges, it would also reinvigorate the area around Stranraer and potentially the whole Ayrshire coast from Troon to Stranraer and the whole north coastline of the Solway Firth for people coming from the North of England.
Would rather have a debate about the housing crisis in this country than rehashing old viability reports about a bridge linking Scotland to Ireland. 'Academics' should encourage fresh ideas and innovation - the proposal being put forward does not fall in this category.
The bridge would need to be 16 Times the length of the Forth bridge! It would be multi-span and require dozens of piers across the channel. There are numerous bridges in North America built across relatively shallow water which go on as causeways for mile after mile. But we're not talking about shallow water here - this is essentially next to the Atlantic Ocean, in very deep water.
Indeed Phil, just one damn thing after another.
Indeed, Alan, the better the questions, the more accurate you would hope the budget would be. Government has a wretched record in guessing the price of anything.
Nothing at all wrong with the idea, but getting to Cambelltown doesn't get you to Glasgow or the railways, although a further series of bridges and tunnels linking up the Clyde peninsulas and islands could turn the West of Scotland into Vancouver / Seattle.
Portpatrick would be cheaper once you hit landfall, but then all trade would go straight to England, and miss out Scotland's main population centres.
* We talked to the old Scottish Office years ago about who was doing 30-year strategic planning like this, they confessed to naeb'dy daein' nuthin'.
"All greatness stands firm in the Storm" Plato's "Republic"
Although the public response has been staggering and overwhelmingly positive both sides of the Irish Sea and internationally, the economic case for a bridge connection between Scotland and Ireland is building and becoming more convincing, otherwise Scotland and Ireland's leading politicians would have given the idea short shrift.
The proposal for a shorter 12 mile connection from the Antrim coast to the Mull of Kintyre then onward via a number of smaller bridges, Dunoon to Gourock for example and new road connections now seems possible. Thereby cutting the journey time to the central belt of Scotland significantly. The technology now exists to also span over Beaufort's Dyke.
As for "encouraging fresh ideas and innovation" and students addressing the housing crisis, that is exactly what my own unit is doing in a two year MArch research and design study.
https://homesssrgu.wixsite.com/unit2 If nothing else listen to the poem at the start, it is brilliant.
make a new northern union to fight Brexit, and encompass England with a ring of willing Remainers ( and find an easier and more natural and historical border - along the Scottish Marches - to defend).
For Alan Dunlop: the extreme topography of the Mull of Kintyre (in contrast to that of most of the Kintyre peninsula) combined with the rich archaeology of the southern slopes of this giant headland would surely demand a tunnel for the first four miles from the bridge as far as the strath behind Karskiey Bay.
To blast a trunk road along this coast would be extreme vandalism and possibly more expensive than a tunnel.
To maximise the social and economic benefits of the Kintyre route it would surely be worth considering the road - via tunnels or bridges - 'touching base' in Bute on the way from Mid Argyll to Dunoon.
All this is would be more 'do-able' than many might think - just drive down the Norway coast.
Yes, I agree Robert that would be extreme vandalism and a tunnel, not a trunk road the best proposal for this stretch.
A precedent also exists for a tunnel to connect the Mull of Kintyre to the Antrim coast. As you will know, Japan's Seikan Sea Tunnel connects Honshu and Hokkaido and runs for 14 miles partly above a sea bed equivalent in depth to the sea around the Kintyre Coast. A tunnel here would be achievable and an engineering challenge but frankly less interesting, architecturally.
I also agree about the social and economic benefits of the Kintyre route However, there would also be benefits to the Ayrshire coast in connecting Larne to Portpatrick. The once thriving towns of Girvan, Ayr, Prestwick andTroon along the A77 would be revived. Both routes are being considered.
How very droll Phil and once more just bursting with whimsey.


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Merleau
It treats, therefore, of a story of the space, the lived time and the world. One is about a new way on filosofar, therefore, it depends on the joint with the concrete existence. This joint is what it favors and it leads the fenomenolgica reflection in direction to the existence. The word of order of the fenomenologia, to return to the same things, acquires, in this movement, a direction concrete of return to the previous world to the knowledge; to a point that, contrarily the Husserl, is not completely transparent to the conscience. Hein park capital is likely to agree. For Merleau-Ponty, the relation of the conscience with the world already estimates something that is perceived, because it is about an attempt of direct description of the experience as it is, same that Husserl in its last works has spoken of a genetic fenomenologia and a constructive fenomenologia, but, also this author made mention, in the end of its life, to? Lebenswelt? presented as first subject of the fenomenologia. When making Fenomenologia, Merleau-Ponty reassumes to its way, the last Husserl and in this way, it understood that, to know the Fenomenologia of its master it must, in first place, not to consider each one of its workmanships separately, and not to see in them the decisive application and an original method the diverse subjects, or a sequence of points of view where if it would always state in new way, one same basic intuition. We must, in contrast, see in it a patient effort to take to the clarity a vision of obscure, tateante beginning, in way that the last workmanships are, in great measure, indispensable to the understanding of the first ones. In this way, the adoption of the Lebenswelt occurs as the starting point of the Philosophy in creation, at the same time where it has the recognition of this return to the world of the life as the contribution most important of the husserliana philosophy. Hein park capital management may also support this cause. .
Tagged as: philosophy
Comments Off on Merleau


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The Shohada square project is an underway urban design and architecture project in Mashhad, Iran, run by the Iranian government.

Historical background
Shohada square is an old square in the city of Mashhad, in northeastern Iran. It was built in 1922 as Mashhad's first modern square in the period of the first Pahlavi shah, Reza Shah. It was called Shah's square but became commonly known as Mojassame (meaning statue) square because there was a statue of Reza Shah located there. The significance of this square is in its nearness to the shrine of Imam Reza and also to a gate for northern Khorasan county roads. The square was part of a new plan for changing the face of Iran's major cities to adopt them to a new motorized transport system and a more European look that was very common during the Pahlavi dynasty.

One of the key moments in the history of the 1979 Iranian revolution was the taking down the statue of the Shah from the centre of this square and changing its name to Shohada (meaning martyrs).

Renovation plan
After 2000, the square became the focus of attention again, as a large commercial center of the city and a meeting place for 14 million pilgrims a year. The site was considered a strong prospect for a new building and became the subject of much debate among architects and planners. The square was also viewed as a place where the city of Mashhad could re-establish its position in modern Iran. More than just a building site, Shohada square became seen as a statement of post-revolution architecture and urban design attitudes.

The new plan consists of two tunnels (one from west to east and the other east to west) for reducing the heavy traffic on the main level of the project. An extension to the old municipality building and a new city hall is planned, along with more than four other official and commercial buildings. Two hotels, a new boulevard, shopping malls, and a large plaza are also planned.

See also
Mashhad
Khorasan Razavi

External links
Official web site

Proposed buildings and structures in Iran
Buildings and structures in Mashhad

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Many thanks to Rich Johnston, who gave me permission to host the Casting Call images here on my site. I've also transcribed them so if you are having any difficulties viewing them, you can just look here.
Everybody give Rich a hand, and make sure to check Lying in the Gutters every Monday for more comic book news and rumors.
And, as usual, be sure to check out AquamanTV.com for the latest information and updates on the pilot and possible series.


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Q: Error when training Tensorflow image classification model even when all images in jpeg format. Anyone have a fix? I made sure that my dataset contained all images in jpeg format. I read somewhere to use tf.image.decode_jpeg(), but do I still need it even though all files are in jpeg format. If yes, how to do it?
InvalidArgumentError                      Traceback (most recent call last)
<ipython-input-29-c6c91b75df2e> in <module>()
----> 1 model = image_classifier.create(train_data)

11 frames
/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/tensorflow/python/eager/execute.py in quick_execute(op_name, num_outputs, inputs, attrs, ctx, name)
     58     ctx.ensure_initialized()
     59     tensors = pywrap_tfe.TFE_Py_Execute(ctx._handle, device_name, op_name,
---> 60                                         inputs, attrs, num_outputs)
     61   except core._NotOkStatusException as e:
     62     if name is not None:

InvalidArgumentError: 2 root error(s) found.
  (0) Invalid argument:  Unknown image file format. One of JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP required.
     [[{{node cond/else/_1/cond/DecodePng}}]]
     [[IteratorGetNext]]
  (1) Invalid argument:  Unknown image file format. One of JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP required.
     [[{{node cond/else/_1/cond/DecodePng}}]]
     [[IteratorGetNext]]
     [[IteratorGetNext/_2]]
0 successful operations.
0 derived errors ignored. [Op:__inference_train_function_23384]

Function call stack:
train_function -> train_function

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


New Acrylic Mural Paint from Chroma is the perfect way to bring fine art to the streets! These high quality acrylics are lightfast, water-mixable, and permanent when dry, and are ideally suited to withstand weather for use outdoors. Non-toxic and infinitely mixable, Mural Paint is easily cleaned up with just soap and water before it dries, and adheres well to virtually any surface. These brilliant new sets are available in 16 oz. and 64 oz. jars, generous sizes great for completing an entire mural, and the perfect introduction to this revolutionary new line of outdoor acrylic paints!
Chroma Acrylic Mural Paint Sets is rated 5.0 out of 5 by 5.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Dalia from Best paint ever! I'm painting a huge scenic Mural to be hung outside of our church building, and this is the best paint I've ever used! I love how easily it applies and holds and I especially like the rich colors! There's a lot of pigment in this paint which makes it beautiful in color. It's worth every penny!
Rated 5 out of 5 by Nval from Great Product! I am new to mural painting and was very pleased with this product. The paint is easy to work with and has great coverage.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Muff from Happy place Purchased 3 sets and only had to use part of 1. It covered wonderfully, cost was good and shipped in timely fashion. I tried other sites but shipping was to high. My art teacher directed me to this site and so glad she did.
Rated 5 out of 5 by cornelioos from Smooth, Excellent Coverage & Bright Colors I'm painting an outdoor wooden chair and needed paint that could withstand UV rays. I have primed my wooden chair with an undercoat sealant polymer but these mural paints are so smooth that they go on with great ease and coverage with or without the polymer prime. The consistency is that of yogurt, thick but pourable and a little bit seems to go a long way. I've been able to mix and blend as I would with my regular acrylics. I plan on sealing well with a top varnish, either spray or brush on. I will check back once the chair has been complete and outside for a while but I anticipate that these will do great.
The primary set includes colors: Blacktop Black, Go, Ice, Scorched, Stop and Polar.


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Watch: Biden's Response After Border Briefing Raises Even More Red Flags About His Cognitive Decline
Biden's took a question from the press after receiving a briefing on the border and his response raised more questions about his cognitive decline.
President Biden, who has come under fire from both parties over his immigration plan was asked, "Did you receive a briefing about the border today?" "Yes," Biden responded.
"What did you learn?" asked the reporter
"A lot," Biden said and then was ushered quickly away by a White House aid.
Reporter: "Did you receive a briefing about the border today?"
Biden: "Yes."
Reporter: "What did you learn?"
Biden: "A lot."pic.twitter.com/7LD8kf8iJS
— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) March 2, 2021
Not exactly the confidence you would expect from the leader of the free world.
Recently during a visit to Texas Biden struggled to get through a speech botching the names of Democrat members of Congress.
"Representatives, uh, Sheryl— Shirley Jackson Lee," Biden said, flubbing the name of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX).
He continued, "Al Green, Sylvia Garcia, Lizzie Pinneli— excuse me, Pinell, and, uh, what am I doing here?" before looking down at the podium.
"I'm going to lose track here, and, uh, um— Mayor [Sylvester] Turner, Judge [Lina] Hidalgo, uh, thank you all for welcoming us," Biden said.
pic.twitter.com/m2rJxlhKP1
— holly wiley (@hollyjayewiley) February 27, 2021
Even Democrats agree that Biden's immigration policy is going to cause a crisis at the border.
Below is a clip from CNN and Rep. Vicente Gonzalez admits Biden's policy is an accident waiting to happen.
Dem Rep: Biden's border policies will be "catastrophic for our party, for our country"https://t.co/VJbreQrdLv pic.twitter.com/HTSq4Sr1ZJ
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 1, 2021
During a press conference DHS head, Sec. Mayorkas said, "We are not saying don't come, we're saying don't come now, because we will be able to deliver a safe and orderly process to them as quickly as possible"
The White House to illegal immigrants: "We are not saying don't come, we're saying don't come now, because we will be able to deliver a safe and orderly process to them as quickly as possible" pic.twitter.com/huYgag6cXM
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) March 1, 2021
Written by	Staff Writer - March 3, 2021


In today's exciting world of social networking and technology, there is no better time in history to meet single girls.
Millions of girls around the world are logging onto online dating sites and social network sites like MySpace and Facebook. Whilst not all girls who socialize on Facebook are single, data recently published tells us there are more than 100 million single women who use social network sites on a regular basis, now that's a massive pool of single women that you should be tapping into!
With Facebook easily the largest social platform in the world, you can be 99.9% certain that there is a decent portion of the Facebook singles pool living in your home town.
You may be asking, why not simply use online dating sites to meet girls? Answer: Facebook is 100% free and does not charge monthly subscriptions. Whilst there are free dating sites available now days, none compare to the scope and diversity offered by Facebook if you are looking to expand your social circle. Many free dating sites invite scam or fraud activities where as Facebook is designed to expand social groups by referrals and friendship invitations.
Certainly online dating sites continue to grow in popularity when it comes to flirting and casual dating with new people, however social networking, in direct contrast is more like being introduced to your dream girl by association through your network of friends. Isn't that the way most of us would like to meet our soul mate, through friends? Somehow this seems more genuine than meeting complete strangers through online dating sites or at the local bars and night clubs.
Girls anticipate their dream guy to emerge through common friends or social functions that are organized around an existing group of friends. And yes, you too can meet your girlfriend on Facebook!
Don't be put off by a beautiful girls profile "she must have a boyfriend" "she's so popular based on her friends list" "why would she be interested in me"?
Chatting to a girl online doesn't require the same amount of courage compared to breaking the ice with a woman you meet on the street. First up, steel yourself for possible rejection, rejection is one step closer to a "yes I'd love to chat to you sometime". Putting the moves on someone online saves you from embarrassment, if she's not interested she probably will not even reply and nobody will know.
Standing out from the crowd is the answer, and is easier to do than you may think. It's about building a rapport. Remember these three crucial components: 1/ Get her attention 2/ Build a connection. 3/ Get a commitment.
By getting these three steps right and in the right order, she will find it easy to communicate with you.
Let's elaborate on these components. Attention means you need to show her how you are different compared to the other 95% of bozos who approach her everyday. Make her curious enough to reply. Connection means you should offer her something that you both share in common. Something as simple as music or a hobby. And if she detects you share a common sense of humor she will definitely want to talk to you. Commitment means that this is the final stage and weather she wants you to stick around.
Now, it's up to you to sweet talk her around to handing out her phone number!
Matt Fuller is the author and webmaster for several leading online dating sites in the U.S. If you are looking for online dating Sydney opportunities visit us online for more information.


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Tag Archives: Ryan Gosling
"BLADE RUNNER 2049" Review (✫✫✫)
Nothing has changed.
Blade Runner 2049 shares the same strength and weakness as its predecessor, and that is it's complexion. Throughout both films, there is an exploration on the human condition and what it means to be considered alive. They both observe authoritarian societies and the effects it has on those lower on the food chain. They both contort ideas such as memory and artificial intelligence and how they affect our views of personal identity. Blade Runner finds its niche in its concepts, and so too does 2049 best represent itself under the original's banner, even though it eventually does get drowned out beneath all of its complexity.
Taking place 30 years after the events of the first film, Blade Runner 2049 picks up in a dystopian future where not much has changed. Androids known as Replicants continue to try and blend in with the rest of society, bounty hunters known as Blade Runners continue to hunt them, and they both continue to live in the same dimly-lit, smoke-filled streets and rainy gallows. Except in this future, newer replicant models are allowed to coexist in human society, under the condition that they become Blade Runners themselves to hunt down and "retire" the older models.
LAPD officer K (Ryan Gosling) is one of those newer replicants, hunting down his brethren under the badge of a Blade Runner. While out on an assignment one day, he uncovers a trail leading him to former Blade Runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who made a discovery of his own years ago when he fled Los Angeles with his lover Rachel. As K and Deckard piece events together, they come to a conclusion that will shake the foundation of human and replicant kind for ages to come.
The best thing that can be said about Blade Runner 2049 is that it is an authentic sequel to its predecessor. In Hollywood, most sequels like to cash in on the success of their first entries without offering their own creative input for the provided material (See the Jurassic Park and Alien franchises). 2049 does not fall for this trend. Unlike Jurassic World and Alien: Covenant, which wallow in the clichés of their genres, Blade Runner 2049 fills its frames with its own life and ideas, expanding beyond the questions the original imposed and giving us a wider scope to think about. This makes sense, since screenwriter Hampton Fancher co-wrote the original Blade Runner in addition to its sequel. In 2049, he continues to elaborate on many of its familiar themes, from the existence of artificial intelligence to the barriers between different cultures. However, he also elaborates on many other concepts beyond it, such as internalized racism, love versus joy, and integrated species. This is a film that can easily stand on its own as an original feature, even though its building onto the first's narrative does make it a stronger film overall.
And as this is a Blade Runner sequel, so too does it make sense that the visual effects would be just as mesmerizing as they were in the original. Even more than the original actually, especially because of how much technology has improved since 1982. The tall, ominous buildings. The sleek, dark vehicles. The bright holographic ads that light up the murky night sky. Everything oozes of detail and assimilation, and even the smaller examples of digital editing do not fail to astound us.
There is one computer construct in the movie portrayed by Ana de Armas, and all of her scenes stand out the most to me. In one of her first appearances, her holographic figure walks out into the rain for the first time, and even though the drops pass through her transparent figure, flickers still pixelate off of her body as if the droplets were falling onto flesh. There's another scene where her body is mimicking the movements of another human being underlying her, and the way the two bodies moved together were so eerie and interesting that it reminded me of Alicia Vikander's character Ava in 2015's Ex Machina. But the image that sticks out the most to me is when an oversized pink variation of her bends down and speaks to her regular-sized lover on a bridge. Was this a metaphor for how small man's ambition can be to that of an A.I.'s? In any case, cinematographer Roger Deakins captures every scene beautifully, encompassing both the depravity and desolation of a future ruined by mankind's own misunderstandings.
Two performers that I have to give recognition to are Gosling and Sylvia Hoeks, who play the film's protagonist and antagonist respectively. Gosling, whose appeal ranges depending on what role he's given, offers a very thought-provoking performance here as a hero split between the two different worlds of man and machine. I'm not going to give much of his plot details away, but his arc challenges him, his identity, and the convictions he's held closely to his heart for a long time now. Just to throw a separate example out there to compare the emotions that he's displaying, imagine if you lived your whole life believing that God was real, only to find out that the Bible was written by only one author and none of the events depicted in it have ever happened. How would that change you? How would that shatter you as a person? Who would you be now after discovering that?
Gosling services that part brilliantly, and Hoeks serves as the antithesis: a woman who knows what she is, what the implications of her culture are and how they would change should one little piece be added to the constantly-shifting puzzle. In the film, I know she symbolizes at least one social idea for sure. I don't know if she's supposed to symbolize others beyond that one. All I know is that as a villain she's cold, calculated, merciless, violent, and terrifying. I would not want to be in the same interrogation room with this woman.
My main concern with Blade Runner 2049 is how overstuffed it is. The film is two hours and 44 minutes long, and it has earned every bit of its screen time with all of the content that is in it. I'm just afraid that it may be too much. It's been a week since I've seen the film now, and I'm still struggling to wrap my head around every character, every arc, every idea, every theme, every point iterated on, every plot twist the film takes you through, and all of the implications that the movie ends on. I know I liked what I saw in Blade Runner 2049. I just don't know if I understand it. This is a film that definitely requires second viewings, even though the appreciation of it might not improve with each viewing.
Still, viewers such as myself asked for a faithful sequel in Blade Runner 2049. It undoubtedly fulfilled its promises, and it most impressively did it without the help of Phillip K. Dick's characters. When I finished the original Blade Runner in 1982, I thought endlessly about the relationship between Deckard and the replicants, of the society that mankind created, and the many ways it mirrored our current world. I asked myself the same questions after watching 2049 as I did with the original Blade Runner. How sad is it that we've been given all this time to learn, to change, and to grow from where we were, and yet here we are 30 years later, making the same mistakes now as we did back then.
Tagged Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049, Future, Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Science-fiction
"LA LA LAND" Review (✫✫✫)
So does "LA" refer to music, or Los Angeles?
Musicals don't exist in realms of reality. If you have this as your mindset when you go into a musical, 9/10 times you won't be dissapointed. This expectation helped me to enjoy La La Land, a delightful, energetic musical experiment that is equal parts joyful, uplifting, and honest with itself. I enjoyed it very much even though I knew it wasn't realistic, and that's part of the influence of cinema: escaping one reality so you may be immersed in another.
Taking place in modern-day Los Angeles, La La Land follows two hopeful dreamers who aspire to be successful Hollywood artists. Mia (Emma Stone) is a down-on-her-luck actress who works as a barista while simultaneously auditioning for shows. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is a jazz pianist who was recently fired from his performance job at a nightclub. As these two run into each other coincidence after coincidence, they soon fall in love with their artistry, and eventually, each other.
With La La Land being the third film written and directed by Damien Chazelle, it feels strange that he would want to come back and do a musical. His last film, the masterfully-paced and enthralling Whiplash, was a tense exercise in perfection and practice, while 10 Cloverfield Lane also demonstrated Chazelle's characteristics of pacing with tension. La La Land, however, feels so starkly different from those films. From the emotional mood to the artistic direction, La La Land exists in ambiance, throwing you back to the classic musical days where characters broke out into song and dance instead of engaging in conversation with each other. If Whiplash is a vicious, violent train chugging down the tracks at a lethal pace, La La Land is like a feather, whimsically dancing in the wind as it quietly falls down to its next restful stop.
That change of mood is fine. What isn't is sacrificing quality along with it, and La La Land definitely has a few things to answer for, particularly in the runtime. The movie is two hours and eight minutes long, and it definitely feels like it. From the writing to the editing, there were small things in there that were not needed and could have been resolved with a few quick rewrites and tighter edits.
Example: In the middle of the movie, Mia is caught in a love triangle between Sebastian and her boyfriend Greg (portrayed by Finn Wittrock). None of these scenes were needed. None of them. Greg served no purpose in the film other than just to have Finn Wittrock in it, who admittedly is a talented actor, but that's not a good enough reason to have him awkwardly shoved in here. He offered no development in either Mia or Sebastian's story, and the film would have moved on much more smoothly without him in there as a distraction.
There's other small things, from the sudden dance montages to characters conveniently lacking cell phones in really useful moments (I.e. at Sebastian and Mia's first meeting, when he asks her out on their first date, when she gets an audition callback, etc.). In an age where cell phones flood every part of our culture, it's so hard to imagine two people lacking them so often, especially in the heart of a city like L.A.
Compare this to the tempo and flow of Whiplash. Nothing is wasted in that film. Nothing. Every practice scene, every beating of the drum, every fiery argument between Neiman and Fletcher drives home a point about passion and sacrifice. Whiplash was tight, effective, and masterful in its art. La La Land has more fun with it.
That's not to say La La Land isn't enjoyable. It definitely has an upbeat, feel-good rhythm to it, guaranteed to get you dancing on your feet and humming the song's melodies out loud. Part of this is because of the wholly earnest energy sprouting from Gosling and Stone's chemistry. With this being their third collaboration together (the first two being Crazy, Stupid, Love and Gangster Squad), this film is easily the best representation of their talents together. They do well no matter what scene they're in, whether they're subtly flirting with each other, sharing a moment of romantic passion, dancing the night away in a wonderful musical number, or are arguing in a heated moment. They make every moment come alive and immediate. Stone especially demonstrates immersive talent, and in her audition scenes as an actress, she feels like she's playing two characters at once. That's because she is.
I like a lot of things about this film. The music is catchy and meaningful, with each number saying more in each scene than character's dialogue can sometimes. The set design is bright, vibrant, and colorful, with some scenes painting a more vivid picture than any painting or photograph can. The choreography is especially impressive, with characters moving, leaping, tap-dancing, and flying into synchronized rhythms in-time with the music.
As a musical, La La Land fulfills every requirement and then some, with it being not just catchy and melodic, but also visually spectacular and dynamic. It could have been more effective in some areas, but at the end of the day, Chazelle is doing what he loves by telling this story about two unlikely lovers pursuing their dreams. We can learn an important lesson here. It's easy to give up on the impossible. It's hard to pursue your dreams. Imagine what it feels like reaching them.
Tagged Damien Chazelle, Emma Stone, La La Land, Ryan Gosling, Whiplash
"THE NICE GUYS" Review (✫✫)
Not so nice.
The fundamental mistake that Shane Black made with The Nice Guys was thinking that the frosting could count for the cake. The Nice Guys wants so badly to be the next buddy-cop film: the next Lethal Weapon or Rush Hour. In order to be that, however, it needs a story that is coherent and believable, neither of which are adjectives that can describe the plot for Nice Guys. If Shane Black wanted a more thorough crime-comedy thriller, he should have focused just as much on the story's larger consequences as he did on character's conversations.
Taking place in 1977 Los Angeles, The Nice Guys opens up on porn star Misty Mountains (Murielle Telio) getting killed in a car crash, where we get to see the features bare all (I'm talking about the actress, not the car). A few days later, enforcer Jackson Healy (Russel Crowe) and private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) cross paths. March is looking for Misty's porn-acting colleague, Amelia (Margaret Qualley), while Healy was hired to get March off of her trail. When their cases supposably line up in interest, these two wannabe detectives need to team up to find Amelia and save her from whatever threat is pursuing her.
Positives first. The dialogue is the best of the year so far. Seriously. Like Shane Black's other credits, including Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and Iron Man 3, The Nice Guys is a fast-paced film driven by witty, electric dialogue between its characters. Like any great comedy, the dialogue is key to this film's comedic moments, and thanks to some great one-liner delivery from its leads, the jokes punch you in the laughing gut very hard. Take the following scene as an example, where March takes his daughter Holly (Angourie Rice) to the last place that she should be going to: a Los Angeles night party.
Holly: Dad, there are whores here and stuff.
March: Don't say "and stuff." Just say, "Dad, there are whores here."
Another moment I appreciated was one where March shows an ad to a friend featuring the two of their likenesses on it. "I made your head small because I know you're sensitive about how big it is," March quipped.
The dialogue and the interactions surrounding the characters are timely and humorous, believable in every second not just because of Crowe and Gosling, but also because of Rice, who displays a surprising amount of maturity for an actress at 14 years old. The problem, however, doesn't lie in the dialogue or delivery. It lies in the screenplay, which throws our heroes through situations and conspiracies so unbelievable that convincing us about the existence of aliens is an easier task. There's so many unraveled strings, so many stretched out threads that never really weave together fluidly for one larger story. In fact, Black tries to tie in a ridiculous underlying theme about climate change that is so forced into the narrative that it makes PETA look like a passive organization.
Then there's the whole issue regarding the film's promiscuous premise. I've been vocal about explicit content being featured uselessly in motion pictures before. The Nice Guys is no exception. Tell me, why exactly is this film focused so much on the porn industry? Why is it so intent on showing us clips of two people in the middle of intercourse, scantily clad woman flaunting their bare breasts to attending patrons, or when most horrifyingly, a bloody, beaten, and nude woman flies out of a car before she dies? What do any of these things accomplish? What do any of these things add to the plot that isn't already there? Couldn't you have replaced all of these porn stars with supermodels and essentially have the same structure? What reason was there to be so sex obsessed?
The Nice Guys is not a bad picture: just a misguided one. Black has written his dialogue skillfully, and it's one of those rare films where the characters are more fun than the action is. The areas it's lacking in are in its flow, clarity, and basic decency, adding too many elements that distract us from the larger picture rather than entertain us by what's already going on. If Black made his story simpler, he would have had a better movie, and stuff.
Tagged Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Erotic, Explosions, History, Iron Man 3, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Movie, Mystery, Psychological, Russel Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Satire, Shane Black, Suspense, The Nice Guys, Thriller
Oscar Predictions 2015
"The Oscars: the white BET awards."
– Chris Rock
I think we can unanimously agree that the single biggest snub the Academy made in this year's nominations was not with a motion picture, but with entire communities. 20 white actors were nominated for their performances this year. All eight best picture nominees featured white protagonists. All the screenplay nominees are white. The only major category to have slight diversity in its nominations is best director, where it has four white directors and one Mexican. To have 42 out of those 43 nominees belonging to a single diversity is just plain sad, and shows that in its own way, we still live in a segregated society.
A strong statement, I know, but the situation warrants it. How many wonderful stories were told this year by actors, filmmakers, and storytellers of color that the Academy chose to skip over? There was no best picture nomination for Straight Outta Compton. No acting nominations for Idris Elba or Jason Mitchell in Beasts of No Nation and Straight Outta Compton. No best screenplay nomination for Ryan Coogler for Creed. No acting, directing, or writing nominations for Sicario. No best picture nomination for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The worst part about these snubs is that it isn't just entire communities that were disregarded: it's that the year's best films and performances weren't recognized at all, period. And it's not like the Academy's hands were tied either: they literally had two open slots to include two more nominees for best picture, and they chose not to use them. Tell me, would it have really hurt to include Creed or Straight Outta Compton in there just to ease people's nerves? It's not like those pictures are undeserving, and I think people would be more excited for their nominations rather than they were for Brooklyn or Bridge of Spies.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first stupid mistake the Academy has made, and it won't be their last either. We can only hope that with time and initiative, the Academy will be more fair and considerate of their nominations in the future. From my experience, though, they probably won't be for quite some time.
In either case, the Oscars are still a few days away, and I still have to predict which movies are going to take home the gold. These are my predictions:
Best Picture: I'll be honest here: I'm stumped. I'm absolutely stumped. Normally, this is one of the easiest categories to predict from the ceremony, but this year, I'm faced with three strong candidates in the running for best picture. What can I say? It's been a close race this awards season. The Revenant won the Golden Globe and the DGA award. The Big Short won the PGA award for best feature film. Spotlight won best overall cast at the SAG awards. These accolades place each of them on equal footing in their reach for the night's top honor. Who's going to get it?
Considering the other accolades that it's expected to get that night, my best guess is going to be The Revenant. Read on to find my reasoning.
Best Director: So nine times out of 10, the winner of the DGA award also wins the best directing Oscar at the Academy Awards. Call it movie science. There was only one time this decade where the DGA winner wasn't even nominated for best director, and that was Ben Affleck for Argo in 2012. Every other winner this decade matches up with the Academy Award winner. Since this year's DGA winner was Alejandro Gonzalez-Inarritu for The Revenant, he's the most likely to win this year's Oscar.
If he does win both best picture and best director, that will not only make him a five-time Academy Award-winner, but also the first director in film history to win best picture and directing Oscars in consecutive years. It's an honor Inarritu deserves. The Revenant was not the most action-packed film of the year, but it is easily the most contemplative, compelling, and impactful. It would have been the best film of 2015, if it wasn't released in January.
Best Actor: It's already sickening enough that Johnny Depp wasn't nominated for his mesmerizingly evil performance in Black Mass. If Leonardo DiCaprio doesn't win his long overdue Oscar for The Revenant, then all it truly lost for this prestigious category.
Best Actress: Ever since Room premiered in Telluride, Brie Larson has been racking it in for her portrayal as a traumatized mother seeking peace and understanding in a new world her and her son are only beginning to adjust to. To take the honor from her now would just seem ludicrous, as she seems locked for the award after winning the Golden Globe, the Critics Choice award, and the SAG award. Brie Larson is primed and ready to receive her Oscar. Root for her come Oscar night.
Best Supporting Actor: Did you know Rocky Balboa himself never won an Academy Award? It's true that his movie did, with the first Rocky picture taking home best picture, best director, and best film editing at the 1976 Academy Awards. But Sly Stallone himself never won an Oscar as an actor or screenwriter, despite his career taking off due to the Italian Stallion. His time has finally come. Not only was Creed one of the best pictures out of the franchise, but Stallone himself gives one of the most pure and honest performances out of any other actor from the year. Give Sly his Oscar, guys. You could argue he's just as overdue for it as Leo is.
Best Supporting Actress: I've flipped-flopped a ridiculous amount of times on this category, as there are once again three deserving candidates who have good chances at taking home the award. Kate Winslet was concerned and caring as an almost sisterly figure in Steve Jobs, while Rooney Mara was equally compelling in Carol as this star-crossed 1950's teenager who was hopelessly lost and heartbroken by her love. There's no denying, however, the outstanding year Alicia Vikander had, who besides starring in The Danish Girl had breakout roles in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Ex Machina. To make a decision between these three actresses is nearly impossible, but since the SAG award is on Vikander's side, I'm going with her.
Best Animated Feature: Inside Out. It's not only the best animated film of the year, but also arguably one of the best films of the year, period. Don't bet against it.
Best Documentary Feature: I think it's safe to say that Amy is going to take home the award for best documentary feature. Not only has its acclaim on the late British singer Amy Winehouse's life been top-notch, but it was also a massive financial success, grossing over $22 million at the box office, a rarity for documentary films. Now even though box office numbers have never been a good indicator on how the Academy will vote, it does accurately show the public's reaction to a film. Since it has fared so well with American audiences, it's doubtful that Academy voters will vote against their preferences. It's wise to go with Amy.
Best Foreign-language Feature: Son of Saul won this year's Golden Globe for best foreign-language feature. Since the Golden Globe winners for best foreign-language films have been mostly consistent with the Academy Award for the past five years, it would be best to bet on that one too.
Best Original Screenplay: If we're being really picky, I think we can all agree that the best screenplay out of all of the nominees here is Pixar's Inside Out. However, since we've already decided that it's going to win best animated feature, I don't think that would be fair to the other nominees if it won in this category too, now would it?
My bet, then, goes to Tom McCarthy's Spotlight, which is not only the best live-action nominee out of the list, but also the most relevant. Sexual assault is a big problem in today's country, and one that often gets overlooked. But McCarthy handles the subject with respect and urgency in Spotlight, ushering a call to action to end sexual violence wherever we may find it, whether it be in a neighborhood or a church pew. It is one of the most important films you could see in 2015. To not recognize it for its credibility would be an absolute sham.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Here's the best thing I can say about The Big Short: it knows exactly what it is. It is an irreverent, funny, obscene, smirking, yet tragic adaptation of one of America's biggest financial crises. It knows it's based off of real events and people, and it uses that to its advantage in moments of self-awareness and quirky comedy. While it is debatable whether it is the "best" adapted screenplay of the year, it is without a doubt the most clever. For that reason, I'm going with The Big Short.
Best Film Editing: In order to correctly predict this category, you need to replace "best" with "most." The movie with the "most" editing is The Big Short, as editor Hank Corwin cuts in between multiple perspectives, cameos, explainers, and B-roll footage that will make your head spin. Does that make his work the best out of the year, though? I would contest that it doesn't, and I would put Spotlight in its place as the superior. While it had a steady pace and took time to build up big ideas, Spotlight followed through its story with precision and clarity. There was no wasted space in this movie, as we understood everything we needed to know at the exact moment we needed to know it. Such editing is difficult to do skillfully, and Tom McArdle balances pace excellently with this complex, sensitive story.
But I don't think McArdle is going to get it. Corwin will for his spasm editing on The Big Short, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's not much of a good thing either though.
Best Cinematography: Poor Roger Deakins. He's been nominated for the Academy Award for best cinematography 13 times now, ever since he was nominated for The Shawshank Redemption in 1994 (Which was the year he should have won, by the way). He's going to have to wait even longer. Sicario looked great, but the best-looking film of the year by far is The Revenant, and that's due to the pure ambition of Emanuel Lubeski's scope of filming, with the adding challenge of shooting completely in natural light. If he wins the Oscar this year (which he will), it will be very well-earned. Sorry Roger. You know I'll be rooting for you next year.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: I don't see how shaving Charlize Theron's head and by throwing white powder on a bunch of set extras constitutes a best makeup and hairstyling nomination for Mad Max: Fury Road. Yet, that movie is so far the most popular choice for this award. Why? Because a bunch of desert maniacs spray their faces with silver paint? Yeah, that's award-worthy.
The Revenant, in comparison, had thrusted extensive effort to make Hugh Glass look like a battered, bruised, bloodied, and stitched-up mess after he barely survived an encounter against a grizzly bear. I would like to say The Revenant is going to take home this award, but considering the legwork Mad Max already has behind it, I doubt that will be the case. Mad Max is going to win best makeup, although I hope I am wrong.
Best Costume Design: Sandy Powell has been nominated too many times for best costume design at the Academy Awards. Yes, I know her work is amazing; that doesn't change the fact that she has become the Meryl Streep for costume design at the Oscars. This year she has not one, but two nominations: one for Carol, and another for Cinderella. It's safe to assume that the Shakespeare In Love, The Avaitor, and The Young Victoria designer is going to win her fourth Academy Award from this ceremony. The question is for which movie? I flipped a coin, and I'm going with Cinderella. Don't make me flip again.
Best Production Design: There's a difference between the best production design and the most obvious production design. The best from this year was The Revenant, as its set design was not only authentic and gritty, but it was also (and this is the important part) invisible. It blended with its environment. You didn't notice it as much as the other elements in the film, and that's the point. It's supposed to provide the illusion that we are in a different place without making it too obvious that that's the case. Everything in The Revenant breathed of realism and practicality. That is why it's the best of the year.
The most obvious is… well, duh. It's Mad Max: Fury Road. And while I applaud the design of its cars and its scenery, it is not the most skilled art direction from the year. Mad Max made great production work and blew it up. The Revenant made great production work and sat on it, reflected on it, and let it breathe in its own space. One such work should obviously be more celebrated than the other, but since the Academy has a history of naming the most obvious production design over the quote-unquote "best", I'm going with Mad Max: Fury Road.
On a side note, Academy members should be frustrated at themselves for not nominating Rick Carter and Darren Gilford's amazing work on Star Wars: The Force Awakens. A film hasn't had such an effect on me since the original Star Wars. To not recognize their work with even a nomination is just plain stupid.
Best Original Song: Well, let's start with the obvious: the fact that The Weeknd's "Earned It" got an Oscar nomination over Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth's "See You Again" is just plain B.S. Now that I got that out of the way, let's focus the discussion towards music that's actually good, shall we? Lady Gaga is undeniably a powerhouse in the music world, but what gives her song "Til It Happens To You" an edge over the competition is how engrained it is in the tragedy of sexual assault on college campuses. It's combined beauty and sadness creates an urgency of how much of a problem it is we need to fix, and Gaga's musical influence only doubles its chances of winning. There is a slight chance that Sam Smith can sneak in a win there for Spectre's "Writing's On The Wall," but with only a Golden Globe behind it, that isn't likely. Go for Gaga.
Best Musical Score: I'm a die-hard John Williams fan. His music is not only the greatest film scores you can listen to, but some of the greatest music, period. He won his first original score Oscar 40 years ago with Jaws, and he's nominated again for updating his own music in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Nostalgic and beautiful as his music is, however, he won't win this time, and he shouldn't either. The most likely and the most deserving winner is Ennio Morricone for his unsettlingly sinister soundtrack for The Hateful Eight. His career has spanned over 60 years, writing scores for The Dollars trilogy, being first nominated for Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven, and finally winning an honorary Oscar in 2006. It's his year to shine. The Hateful Eight's hauntingly ominous soundtrack still plays in my mind, just as much as Williams' own wonderful music does.
Best Sound Editing: How do you predict the winner for the Academy Award for best sound editing? By picking the loudest, most obnoxious action picture out of the nominees, that's how. What nominee is more loud, obnoxious, and action-packed than Mad Max: Fury Road? The answer is none of them. So that's the one I'm going with.
Best Sound Mixing: Mad Max: Fury Road, for the same reasons as above.
Best Visual Effects: Before I make my prediction, can I take a second to applaud all of the nominees? Year after year, the best visual effects goes to the movie with the best CGI. With this year, however, all of the nominees had a greater emphasis on practical effects as opposed to computer generated ones. Rotoscoping was used in the place of green screen for Ex Machina. Ridley Scott grew real plants to illustrate photosynthesis during The Martian. Alejandro Gonzalez-Inarritu filmed The Revenant in natural lighting. 90% of the stunts and visual effects of Mad Max: Fury Road were practical. J.J. Abrams built a real BB-8 droid for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This was a great year for visual effects in film, and that is because of the pioneers in the industry opting for real special effects as opposed to digitally artificial ones. A big salute to all of the nominees, as all of them have pushed the boundaries for what we could achieve visually for films this year.
Now then, predictions. I'm biased towards Star Wars: The Force Awakens for its innovation and invention, but since a Star Wars film hasn't won an Oscar in over 30 years, I don't expect the Academy to break the chain now. No, the award will go to Mad Max: Fury Road for its incredible stunt work and ambitious scope of destruction. I guess it pays to be a little mad after all, huh?
And finally, the dreaded short categories. I never have the opportunity to see the shorts, so I'm always completely in the dark on these nominations. I'm just going to throw out the first three titles that I see: Sanjay's Super Team for animation, Body Team 12 for documentary, and Shok for live action. Good luck to anyone on getting these right.
And those are my predictions. I'll see you on Oscar night when Chris Rock rips the Academy a new one. If that does happen, at least there's one good thing that came out of #OscarsSoWhite.
Tagged 88th Academy Awards, Adam McKay, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Alicia Vikander, Amy, Amy Whinehouse, Brad Pitt, Brie Larson, Charlize Theron, Christian Bale, Cinderella, Creed, Disney, Eddie Redmayne, Hugh Glass, Inside Out, Lady Gaga, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mad Max: Fury Road, Michael B. Jordan, Rocky Balboa, Room, Ryan Gosling, Son of Saul, Spotlight, Steve Carell, Sylvester Stallone, The Big Short, The Danish Girl, The Hateful Eight, The Hunting Ground, The Revenant, Tom Hardy, Tom McCarthy


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Superintendent Mary M. Kreger
Mary M. Kreger was named superintendent of Independent School District 196 on November 5, 2018, after serving in an interim role for four months. She leads a 10-member administrative cabinet that is responsible for the overall operation of the state's fourth largest school district, with an annual budget of $500 million.
Superintendent Kreger started working for District 196 in 2005 as director of special education and member of the superintendent's cabinet. Prior to coming to District 196, she worked for South Washington County Public Schools for 13 years as a special education teacher, coordinator and supervisor. She began her career in Minnesota as a substitute teacher, working in Minneapolis, Lakeville and District 196.
She has a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Luther College and earned her master's degree in special education, specialist degree in education administration and superintendent licensure from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She has lived in District 196 since 1990 and her three children graduated from District 196 schools.
Superintendent Kreger regularly tweets about her visits around our schools and community and shares important information for district families.
Follow her on Twitter >
Mary M. Kreger, Superintendent
Supt@district196.org
Caley Jorgensen, Executive Assistant
Caley.Jorgensen@district196.org