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Something's Rotten in Mammoth
Nancie Clare interviews T. Jefferson Parker
NO AUTHOR WORKING TODAY writes crazy quite like T. Jefferson Parker. His crazy is not the teeth-gnashing, hair-yanking, ranting-and-raving, over-the-top-bad-guy-psycho-killer crazy. It's crazy on a biblical, mythic scale: the crazy of clashing families with conflicts that span generations grappling with obsession, insanity, physical and psychic scars and devils. It often lies hidden until it shows itself like a bruise in reverse: transforming from a faint mark to a large, swollen, and violent-shade-of-purple contusion.
After almost three decades of writing procedurals, starting with 1985's Laguna Heat, Parker took a detour with 2014's Full Measure, a work of literary fiction with strong Old Testament themes. Like Full Measure, his recently published Crazy Blood starts with a crime but revisits familiar Parker themes — nature versus nurture, intergenerational obsession, the power of geography — themes that Parker has been interested in all along, but that drive his new novel, even in the absence of a mystery.
Crazy Blood might be the first "ski noir" novel, comparable to the surf noir pioneered in Kem Nunn's Tapping the Source. Both juxtapose activities and locales that appear wholesome — surfing competitions in the ocean and ski racing in the mountains — with the darkest corners of the human heart. None of the characters in Crazy Blood reach the end or the race — literal or metaphorical — without paying a heavy price.
I met with Parker at his home in Fallbrook, California. We sat on a couch in his family room and talked about character, crime, and crazy on Mammoth Mountain. From time to time, Parker's parakeets joined the conversation.
NANCIE CLARE: Do you start with the crime or the criminal, the character or the circumstances?
JEFFERSON PARKER: [As a writer] I'm a protagonist-antagonist man. I like to get a feel for my main character. Have to. And then an equally good grip on that character's antagonist or antagonists. That tension forms the core of my books. The crime comes up through that — what do these guys want? What's the basic setup? You go through scenarios until one hits you. For example, "I want to write about a kidnapped cabaret singer," for whatever reason. You just do.
How the tension between those two develops sets the series of events in the book in motion. Often I'll have no idea how that story is going to play out when I start the book. I'll have a pretty good idea in my head and in my heart how I want it to end, the feeling I want the reader to have, who I want to be left standing — do I want Silent Joe alive or dead? Well, that's a pretty big difference — but how you're going to get there and what these consequences are along the way are part of the job, the excitement, the frustration, and the ultimate thrill of pulling together a great story.
How difficult is it to craft a character who is seriously bat-shit crazy?
I think what makes characters interesting on the page is excessive desires — believable and sympathetic — but still what we would call excessive. As a writer, it's always more interesting to write about a character who's willing to go to 11 on a scale of 10. That's where fun fiction really starts. If we're all writing about prescribed, rational, well-mannered people, then I might just want to go quail hunting instead. I like the obsessive character. All you have to do to find good obsession and good excessive desires is to look honestly into your own character and your own heart. I look at mine. My desires in my dreams are always excessive; they're always obsessive and exaggerated. You always want far more than you need. You always want the car with way more horsepower than you could possibly use. I need a $99,000 Tesla so I can go 160 mph in eight seconds. "Oh, really?" Now, would you rather write about that guy or the guy who says, "Nah, I'm sticking with my Explorer."
What made you move away from the procedural format in Full Measure? I mean, it's certainly worked for you. You are one of the only crime fiction writers who has an Edgar Award hat trick.
In 2010 a series of events happened that impacted Fallbrook, where I live. Plunging real estate values brought on by the Great Recession, a devastating fire, and the return of the 3/5 Darkhorse Marines [3rd Battalion 5th Marines] to Camp Pendleton, which lies just to the west of Fallbrook, from Afghanistan — who brought back stories of trauma and PTSD. I felt that I was living through an especially important chapter of American history — a dark and challenging time — and that the small city of Fallbrook was like a framed snapshot. It was a gift to me as a writer, [but] I felt like I had a solemn responsibility to the story, and it didn't fit the format of a procedural.
Crazy Blood, like Full Measure, isn't a procedural. But it does revisit similar Old Testament themes that appear in many of your novels, this time with a bit of Greek mythology in the mix.
On the first page the reader learns that Cynthia Carson, pregnant with her third child, is betrayed by her husband [whom she kills minutes after he has conceived a child with another woman]. Cynthia is a tough woman, but she's got a screw loose and always has — and she lets that loose screw get the better of her. It's about a bastard son and how his family reacts, how the other family reacts, and what's going to happen with this guy and his half-brother who are the same age. [Two brothers, one legitimate, one not] was the perfect crucible for examining nature versus nurture, the gifts that God or nature gives you, or withholds, what you make of them later, and how much you can affect your own fate. In that moment Cynthia shoots her husband, the book is born. That moment is the instant in which one family becomes two families. And I think that's just an interesting schematic.
Why did you choose Mammoth Mountain as the location?
Mammoth is a claustrophobic place that you can't get away from easily, like the north of Scotland or Hamlet's castle. Mammoth is like that. It sits at the top of one mountain, surrounded by others. There is no place to hide. Little places with defined borders that then become the entire universe for the people who are stuck there. Mammoth does remind me a bit of Elsinore. It's this isolated place where princes live …
And where something is rotten?
Yes, exactly. Where something is rotten. It's introduced and fully explained on the first page. And I like the idea that Adam Carson, the patriarch [and father of Cynthia's husband], sits in his aerie up on the mountain and looks down on the little village, and he has a god's dispassionate view of his own children and grandchildren. Because he, like the gods of old on Olympus, wants to be amused by them and he wants to see them do battle.
He wants a fair competition [between his two grandsons]. And we should tell everyone that in the book, as in a lot of ski resorts, the means of competition is skiing. This is a book about ski racing, and his two grandsons, Sky and Wylie, born of the same father and two different women, are very much alike and very different at the same time. And so we watch these two guys, Sky and Wylie, evolve and progress and move throughout the consequences of the novel towards their big showdown at the end of the book. The Mammoth Cup ski-cross race, which might lead the victors into a track towards the Olympics, becomes sort of a High Noon — but instead of a gunfight, it's a ski race.
Do you consider Crazy Blood a noir novel?
Yes. And I played out that ending, the race between Sky and Wylie that leads to the conclusion of the book. It's a ski-cross race, which is four competitors doing a downhill course at the same time — simultaneously — so there's physical contact and strategies. It's not against the clock; it's between four guys racing each other, at 80 mph — very precarious, very hairy. When I came up to that race, I knew that it would either justify or ruin the book. It was all about the race — what happens and how well it's written. So when I got to that point, I sketched out on paper all the variables that might happen in a four-man ski race: Who could win and why, who could lose and get hurt, who could go over the side, what might happen. And then all the consequences that would come from that. I realized going in that several different things could happen, and that I wanted a just but tragic ending to the book. And that had to be manifested somehow in the race and who wins it and what that win leads to. So I was very calculated about it, and I saw this as a darkly resolved story from the very beginning. Because without that darkness you just have a story about two guys who go to a ski race, but it's much more than that.
It sounds like the two grandsons, Sky and Wylie, are looking for redemption in addition to a trophy for winning a race.
That's a good point. They are in this tight nasty little race at bullet velocity for very different reasons. Yet the results that they are after are the same. Both of them have to win that race.
How do you think your fans are going to react to Crazy Blood?
They're certainly going to agree that it's Parker's coldest novel. [Laughs] I think that my fans and readers will enjoy this book. They'll be grabbed by the first page, pleasurably seduced into these characters and their worlds and what they're trying to accomplish and the different reasons Wylie and Sky have for wanting to win this race. I think my readers are going to really like the tightly drawn, focused characters. One of the things I worked hard on and like about this book — and I think my readers will — is that every little thing in it has a consequence. It's a very intense little laboratory: when you add a drop of this, it causes a drop of that, so that the consequences and the actions and reactions that go on in this test tube mix together and become more and more complicated. I think that's part of the richness of reading a novel: that the little things become part of the bigger fabric, so by the time you finish reading the book it's almost like you've got this piece of fabric that's unbreakable. You can stretch it and it will go back into shape.
They will like the ski racing scenes. As a writer I can say that writing action is the most difficult thing to do. You don't get a camera and you don't get any music and you don't get any actors. You get paper and ink and you have to say what it's like for these two guys to be running this ski race. I wrote those races over and over and over again. I went over the race scenes again after the ARC came out, so the scenes are even better and tighter and shorter and I hope more full of impact. I think my readers are going to dig the action.
Nancie Clare is currently writing a book about the origins of Beverly Hills, forthcoming from Thomas Dunne Books. She is also co-creator of the podcast Speaking of Mysteries (speakingofmysteries.com).
The Willful Detective
By Alex Segura
By Rachel Howzell Hall
On Trust in Crime Fiction


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I have five more pages to write today, and yet I just spent an hour and a half researching Sirius Black's tattoos. As nit-picky as the fandom is, I thought it very surprising that I couldn't find an analysis of them. Or even really good hi-res scans of them. Or anything at all on them.
The closest I got to the main tattoo was an alchemical symbol for amalgam, usually of mercury and silver, but in that case it would be inverted. Would inverted amalgam mean 'put asunder'? It could also be half of the symbol for Sirius, if oddly twisted, and the small one above it had the meaning of 'odelman', which I suppose could be some kind of on-set humour.
The ass-rune on his belly totally means that he bottoms, even though that's not what it symbolizes at all. But wouldn't it be funny if it did.
But the most curious thing about them, to me, is that there's writing around the main symbol; and while I have no idea what it says, it looks similar to how the Marauder's Map was laid out in the movie. Which made me think that it's actually a spell conducted in a similar fashion. But what spell? And would he have gotten them before being sent to Azkaban, or inked all of it himself while in the prison? Since he had been involved in making the Map, he certainly would have known how to do something like that.
But then again, he's got his prisoner number on his neck, so it could also mean that they were inked by the Ministry. If it's binding or a tracking spell, how would he have gotten around it? And since none of this is even hinted at in book-canon, why am I even theorizing on it?
Ps. Some of it has to say 'Cuaron ships teh puppies' in ancient Accadian. Or maybe 'I am Mulciber's prison bitch'.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Reviews » DVD Video Reviews » Addicted to Fresno
FilmRise // Unrated // January 17, 2017
Review by Tyler Foster | posted March 9, 2017 | E-mail the Author
Film and television fans have had more reason than ever to lament Hollywood's underutilization of the great Judy Greer, what with a number of small and sometimes thankless roles in big-budget blockbusters like Jurassic World, Tomorrowland, Ant-Man, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Another set of film and television fans have had reasons to celebrate, in seeing the renaissance of character actor Natasha Lyonne's career through "Orange is the New Black". Anyone who fits in the part of the Venn diagram where those two types of people cross over may like to know, if they don't already, that an obscure 2015 indie comedy by Jamie Babbit (director of Lyonne's LGBTQ cult classic But I'm a Cheerleader) attempts to resolve the first and support the second, by casting Greer and Lyonne as sisters working in a hotel who get wrapped up in trying to get rid of a body they're responsible for.
Greer plays Shannon, the bad sister, who had a swank teaching gig but got fired when she slept with most, if not all of the staff members, including the principal, and got caught. That last tryst, caught by the students, resulted in her being legally branded a sex offender, so she has no choice but to return to her personal nightmare: Fresno. Lyonne is Martha, the good sister, who takes her job at a local hotel seriously, has just split up with a longtime girlfriend, and is working up the courage to hit on her sexy aerobics instructor Kelly (Aubrey Plaza), whose advances are far more aggressive than Martha's. Martha has gotten Shannon a gig at the same hotel and is trying to get her to take to responsibility and adulthood in the same way she has, but Shannon continues to resist, including her decision to sleep with one of the hotel's skeezy tenants, Boris Lipka (Jon Daly). When Martha catches them together, Shannon panics, claiming Boris is raping her, and the ensuing chaos leaves Boris dead and the two women with a body to dispose of.
In terms of the script (the first feature by TV veteran Karey Dornetto), Fresno isn't bad, but it isn't anything special either, an adequate but not inspired go at the dark, escalating comedy of errors, where the characters keep making mistakes that stack on top of each other as they try to work their way out of their predicament. The characters roll the body around in a hotel laundry cart and the antics pile up: they rob a sex shop, they get extorted at a pet cemetery, they hit up a lesbian softball banquet, and crash a Bar Mitzvah. They are surrounded by the sorts of stock characters that exist in these sorts of movies: the married (soon to be divorced) man (Ron Livingston) that Shannon is seeing instead of going to sex addiction meetings, the uptight front desk woman Shannon knew in high school (Jessica St. Clair), the actually-cool employee who seems to spend his shifts smoking behind the building (Malcolm Barrett), Shannon and Martha's cheery boss (Farrelly staple Edward Barbanell), and Boris' frustrated sister Margaret (Molly Shannon).
However, if part of the mission statement of Fresno was to give Judy Greer the leading role she deserves, then the movie is undeniably a success. Shannon is a character that gives Greer the opportunity to cut loose, creating a profane, misguided, narcissistic chaos addict that walks the line between endearing and unlikable. She plays the role with comic snap and biting enthusiasm that her most memorable characters (such as her most famous role, as Kitty Sanchez on "Arrested Development) offer in smaller doses. She has excellent comic and sisterly chemistry with Lyonne, who conveys the tiny ways that Martha is visibly working to keep her positive attitude up in the face of Shannon's pessimism and outright dishonesty, as well as some fun lump-in-throat, huge crush awkwardness between her and Plaza. Although the movie is primarily a comedy, it also provides some nice opportunities for both actors to play some dramatic notes, and both are conscious of the film's occasionally exaggerated tone, acting as a more grounded counterweight to some of the movie's broader elements.
Among the supporting cast, Plaza and Barrett are both fun and charming in their roles, and it's always a pleasure to see Barbanell pop up in films. (Jessica St. Clair is good as well, although perhaps the next crusade for comic character actors will be finding her an on-screen role as good as her "Comedy Bang! Bang! character Marissa Wompler.) There are also some fun cameos, namely by Fred Armisen and "Fargo" star Allison Tolman as the pet cemetery managers desperate to leave Fresno behind. Directorially, the movie feels a little limited by the budget, with numerous sequences shot in generic-looking hotel rooms and other buildings that feel a little bland. Then again, maybe that's part of the movie's running commentary on Fresno itself (as a non-resident, I can't say how accurate the movie's anti-Fresno bias is). In the end, the movie's greatest asset remains its two stars, who invest the project with enough electricity to elevate it into a minor gem.
The DVD
Addicted to Fresno arrives on video with its poster art intact, a black-and-white image of Greer, Lyonne, and an awkwardly added Plaza with red highlights for the bin holding the body, and a dildo in Lyonne's hand (a little surprised they let that stand for a DVD I've seen on the shelves in a Target). The one-disc release comes in a standard Amaray case, and there is no insert.
Presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1, Fresno is the kind of movie that would look a little tactile on Blu-ray and looks a touch mediocre on DVD. Colors are the strong point for the visuals, with nicely saturated skintones and the purple of the women's hotel uniforms, although some black crush sneaks in during dark scenes. Detail is thoroughly okay, with that look that is so clearly modern HD digital that there may just be a psychological awareness that the video isn't completely sharp, like a streaming video that hasn't clicked up to that last tier of resolution. Sound is adequate but more hampered by limitations on the original mixing than any issues with the disc -- an early scene where Lyonne mentions she comes to a club for "the music" contains almost no music in the background, for instance. The film is mostly centered around dialogue, so the 5.1 reflects that, with a strong emphasis on it. A DD 2.0 track is also included, as are English captions for the deaf and hard of hearing.
There is one bonus feature: a series of six deleted scenes, viewable individually or as a "Play All." An original theatrical trailer is also included.
Addicted to Fresno has a shaggy-dog quality to it that reveals some of its seams and weaknesses, but all of them seem irrelevant in the face of the opportunity to watch the criminally underappreciated Greer shine with Lyonne by her side. Recommended.


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Selena Gomez Donates to Keck School of Medicine to Support Lupus Research
by Ines Martins, PhD
Actress, singer, and celebrity Selena Gomez, who came forward about her own struggles with lupus in 2015, has made a donation to the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) to support new lupus research.
While Gomez has been an important voice for the cause, this is her first USC donation for research into lupus. She created the Selena Gomez Fund for Lupus Research to support a pilot program dedicated to the treatment of lupus complications.
Janos Peti-Peterdi, MD, PhD, a professor at the Keck School of Medicine, will be leading the project.
Peti-Peterdi and Chaim Jacob, MD, PhD, also a professor at Keck, will collaborate in an interdisciplinary team with expertise in the genetics and development of the disease. The award-winning team has conducted path-breaking research work in the past, using innovative imaging techniques to model new methods for understanding the causes of lupus complications.
The goal of the research program is to potentially lay the foundation for targeted therapeutic treatment breakthroughs.
"We are extremely pleased to partner with Selena in her efforts to promote awareness and medical research toward a much-needed cure for lupus," Peti-Peterdi said in a press release. "Complications from systemic lupus cause serious damage, and we are hopeful that our research, with Selena's support, will help those affected by this disease lead full, healthy lives."
When Gomez went public about her diagnosis, she did so to explain a hiatus she had taken from performing, as she was going through chemotherapy for the disease. The Grand Prairie, Texas, native became an activist after recovering from her treatment.
"I continue to be optimistic about the progress being made in lupus research and am proud to support the promising work at Keck School of Medicine," Gomez said. "I am hopeful for the millions of us around the world that may benefit from this."
You can contribute to the Selena Gomez Fund for Lupus Research in four different ways: by making a one-time gift; by making a recurring gift; by making a payment on an existing pledge; or by making a gift using your payroll deduction if you are a USC employee.
For more information about how to contribute, go to keck.usc.edu/giving/selenafund.
Ines Martins, PhD
Inês holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, where she specialized in blood vessel biology, blood stem cells, and cancer. Before that, she studied Cell and Molecular Biology at Universidade Nova de Lisboa and worked as a research fellow at Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologias and Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência. Inês currently works as a Managing Science Editor, striving to deliver the latest scientific advances to patient communities in a clear and accurate manner.
Tagged donation, Keck School of Medicine, lupus advocacy, lupus research, Selena Gomez, Selena Gomez Fund for Lupus Research, University of Southern California.
Previous: Playing the Game of Life with Lupus
Next:Rheumatologist Explains What Lupus Is
The Difficulty of Explaining Lupus Fatigue to Others


Aquaterra Energy, a leader in global offshore engineering solutions, has been awarded a contract by Lundin Norway to deliver early well construction, via its Well Start solution, on three additional wells in the Edvard Grieg field.
The project follows the company's initial work in the field which saw it manage the initiation of 14 wells from 2014 through to 2018. The contract will commence in 2019 and is expected to be completed 2020/21.
Well Start handles all early well construction activities including handling third-party interfaces on the client's behalf, engineering and supply of equipment. This package of services streamlines the supply chain, which minimizes the risk of delays and provides operators with multi-million-dollar savings in rig time and resources.
Christian Berven, Business Development Director at Aquaterra Energy, said: "This contract award is a testament to the previous success we have had in this field. Our relationship with Lundin Norway has gone from strength to strength given our record of delivering seamless well initiation for the company.
"This also cements our place as the leading provider of engineering solutions in the North Sea, following our recent success in the Johan Sverdrup field.
The Edvard Grieg field, is located in production license PL338, in the Utsira High area of the Norwegian North Sea. The field began production in November 2015.


Holiday romances are so much fun, whether it is about reconnecting or finding new love, something about the winter holidays just compounds those amazing feelings and makes for some great love stories. It is a great time to publish a holiday romance because people are in the mood for wonderful escapes. Last year I wrote a holiday romance titled Cherished Gift from the Paranormal Hypnotherapy Files.
It is a second chance at love romance centered around soulmates and past lives with a little danger sprinkled into the mix to make it a Brumfield original.
Everyone loves the winter holiday season, except Jenna. For as long as she can remember her holiday season has been filled with night terrors that have destroyed every relationship in her life. It is like she is cursed. She doesn't know it, but she is. At her lowest moments she meets Clara, a hypnotherapist who helps her disconnect the past life night terrors and along the way, find her soulmate. Just as Michael and Jenna reconnect in this life they have a showdown with the demon that has plagued their existences for over a century. It is a great little HEA holiday novella (I like to call them lunchtime escapes). Grab a copy on Amazon for only $0.99 here.
As a thank you for stopping by on the hop I'd like to give you an opportunity to get a FREE read. Just sign up for my newsletter at this link and you'll receive a free copy of Rayne's Thunder (part one) Master Chef.
This is a great shifter romantic serial that is currently in competition at Read Freely to be named one of the 50 Best Indie Books of 2015 under the paranormal category. The entire six part serial is published on Amazon and currently on sale for only $2.99 which is a killer deal.
For the month of December, I'm also running a daily audiobook giveaway on my Facebook Fan page here. Pop over and check out the current giveaway for a chance to win one of my many available audiobooks.
Love quickie reads that simply make me smile.


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Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik miss home series against West Indies
Published:26 November 2021
According to a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official, experienced batsmen Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik will not play in next month's T20 home series against the West Indies.
Due to personal obligations, Hafeez and Malik have notified Pakistan captain Babar Azam and head coach Saqlain Mushtaq that they will be unavailable for the season.
Both cricketers also missed the recent T20 series in Bangladesh following the World Cup, which Pakistan easily won 3-0.
According to a source from the board, Malik has stated that he wishes to concentrate on playing in T20 competitions and that Pakistani authorities should only consider him for major series. Malik was included in the Bangladesh T20I squad; however, he was unavailable for selection for the final match due to his son's sickness.
The source added that Hafeez has stated that he will miss the West Indies game due to his commitments with the Lankan Premier League. The 41-year-old also missed the Bangladesh series. The coaches should offer some young players an opportunity.
The board also said that instead of waiting for Hafeez and Malik, they have agreed to start offering greater exposure to athletes like Haider Ali, Sohaib Maqsood, Khushdil Shah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Danish Aziz, and Azam Khan to train them for the upcoming matches.
Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt responded and said that despite the two veterans having made major contributions to Pakistan's cricket success, now is the right time for the younger ones to shine.
Butt suggested that a candidate like Mohammad Wasim Jr be fostered for the post. Given his strong results in the lengthier format, Butt also stated that Faheem Ashraf might be called up for limited-overs contests.
The former opener also believes that because Ashraf has been a member of the national team for some time, he should be prepared to deliver whenever the occasion arises.
Butt also criticized the PCB for the remuneration package for First-Class cricketers. He believes that, like India, Pakistan should offer departmental employment to cricketers on the home circuit. He stated that given their current incomes, it is tough for the players to maintain their food and fitness as well as their family obligations.


+ What is the longevity of the pipe once it has been lined?
Extensive industry testing by NYSEARCH, PHMSA, Cornell University, Batelle Labs, and ASTM show that Cured-in-Place Lined pipe extends the useful life by over 100 years.
+ What are the ideal site selections for CIPL?
Areas of high concern – schools, churches, hospitals, etc.
+ What are the pressure ratings?
+ What diameter/size pipes can be lined ?
+ What are the distances that can be lined?
+ Can the pipe be worked on after it has been rehabilitated?
Yes! Repairs to a lined pipe should be made the same way as an unlined pipe. Utilities do not need to repair the liner—the section of lined pipe can be repaired using traditional methods.
+ Can it hold pressure even if host pipe breaks or cracks?
Tests have shown that lined pipe can maintain pressure through 100 years of freeze/thaw cycles, heavy truck traffic, and even in worst case scenarios, where an undermine event (such as an excavation & backfill) causes dis-bonding, lined pipe is able to maintain pressure.
+ What ASTM Standards does the technology meet?
+ Can a line with standpipes, gaps, or services be lined?
Yes! Standpipes can be removed robotically, and a carbon fiber structural reinforcement sleeve (SRS) installed over any gaps. The liner can then be installed through the SRS. Any services can be identified and reinstated robotically after the lining process is complete.
+ What are the limitations?


The Rissman Family Kol Ami Museum in Highland Park, IL, will host a reception featuring artist Ellen Holtzblatt on Thursday, September 6 at 6:45 pm. Holtzblatt's Sefer Hana is a limited edition accordion book of woodcuts, hand printed on Japanese paper, that is a feminist and personal retelling of the biblical narrative of Hana.
Following evening Minyan, Jane Shapiro will lead a text study on the Haftarah for the first day of Rosh Hashanah.
Reservations are required. Please contact Marcie Eskin at meskin@nssbethel.org or 847/432-8903 x234. Open to the community, free of charge.
The book, prints, and wood blocks will be on display in the sanctuary entrance of North Suburban Synagogue Beth El through November 11, 2012.


Pearl Glassman has become a leading center for private college guidance counseling in Bergen County NJ, having more than three decades of experience assisting students and families. We are aware that choosing a college can result in significant amounts of stress. Because of this we guide families and students throughout the entire procedure. If you need assistance in finding a college counselor or even understanding why you need college admissions counseling, Pearl Glassman Educational Counseling will be here to help guide you through, step by step until your goals are met. Since we're not affiliated with one specific college, we're capable of offering students unbiased opinions on which learning environments will be the very best match for their specific interests and special educational needs. We're going to be able to personalize a college admission strategy personalized to your family's specific requirements in addition to this, making certain you're happy with the selections that have been made. Each child is unique and has different interests and academic aims. To this end, as a leading choice for college guidance counseling in Oakland NJ, we keep that at the forefront of all our efforts.
Pearl Glassman Educational Counseling can help make the entire early college experience simpler for you and your family with the overwhelming number of college options in Bergen County NJ and the surrounding areas. Working collectively with students and families as a team, coming up with the very best possible course of action, our professional staff is experienced with all the available college options out there. Having a college admissions plan which meets your requirements, which may include a list of colleges or schools which best suit that student, advice on admissions protocol, brainstorming and reviewing college admissions essays and even advice on admission testing such as SAT, ACT and SSAT, is going to make the process simpler. We are dedicated to our students at Pearl Glassman Educational Counseling not only throughout the college admissions process but during the academic year as well. We demonstrate this with follow up consultations upon acceptance along with through the entire year. This high degree of dedicated to our students and families is a main reason why Pearl Glassman should be your first choice when seeking college guidance in Bergen County NJ.
As a top center for college guidance in Bergen County NJ, we've made it simple for you to be aware of when it's the appropriate time to apply to the school of your choice, further helping you understand the whole process of college application. Having readily available both Senior and Junior College admission schedules on our site, your options will never be restricted in terms of finding the right fit for you needs. Together with this, we additionally have available a list of colleges that have accepted students we've worked with and testimonials from previous students and families, so you can be sure you're in good hands when it comes to college advice in Bergen County NJ.


Barça Sound – MOBILE APPLIED.
FC Barcelona and Deezer have joined forces to provide a platform where Barça's players will share their playlists of favourite songs.
A responsive web to connect with Barça players favourite music and promote both FC Barcelona & Deezer.
"Mobile Applied is an extremely talented creative partner in designing posters, pitching materials such as folders, book-covers and even making film theme music!"
BÖRJE PERATT. PRODUCER & FILMMAKER MANUS.


Our curtains are available without mesh to meet the fire code standards for sprinkler penetration or with mesh (on solid fabric only). All curtains feature nickel-plated grommets set 6 inches apart. Curtains with mesh have a 20-inch mesh portion. This means that a curtain 96 inches long will have 20 inches of mesh and 76 inches of fabric.


The emergence of the avian influenza virus H5N1 that is currently devastating chicken flocks in many countries and threatening to unleash a worldwide epidemic among humans has triggered a renewed interest among scientists in studying influenza A viruses, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This renewed interest could lead to new discoveries of immune system response to viruses that could lead to better drugs and vaccines, the researchers write in a review article that appears in the May issue of Nature Immunology.
"Until recently, many immunologists were relatively uninterested in studying influenza immunity because there were already effective vaccines," said Peter Doherty, Ph.D., member of the St. Jude Department of Immunology and co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Medicine. "The current resurgence of interest in influenza immunology reflects the threat that H5N1 could evolve into a virus that spreads easily among humans. Over the years, influenza A viruses have been one of the most important models for studying how the immune system responds to viral infections. Further study of this virus and the immune response to it will no doubt help us prepare for this latest threat."
Influenza A viruses infect a wide range of animals and cause influenza outbreaks among humans. Scientists categorize influenza A viruses according to the identity of two specific proteins on their surface, HA and NA. There are 16 known subtypes of HA (H) proteins and 9 subtypes of NA (N) proteins, which are used to name the viruses, such as H5N1. The virus uses the HA protein to attach itself to a cell it is about to infect. Newly made viruses inside infected cells use NA to escape from the cell and spread.
5. Does endurance exercise promote life-threatening changes in athletes hearts?


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Home > news international > Ferrari presses restart button, full production from May 8 Ferrari presses restart button, full production fr...
Ferrari presses restart button, full production from May 8
by Autocar Pro News Desk , 05 May 2020
Ferrari is gradually restarting operations at its plants.
Production will build up step by step to resume fully on Friday, May 8.
The company has set up a 'Back on Track' programme that includes several steps aimed at employee well-being.
There are new rules for sharing common areas and Ferrari is reorganising its areas to maintain social distancing needs.
Voluntary serological tests a part of the new rules in place.
Before starting production completely, Ferrari has also decided to carry out training sessions for workers.
After the longest closing in its history due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ferrari is gradually restarting operations at its plants. Production will build up step by step to resume fully on Friday, May 8, in alignment with Government regulations.
The Italian manufacturer has set up a 'Back on Track' programme that includes the introduction of several new practices which are aimed at safeguarding the health and well-being of all of the employees. There are new rules for sharing common areas and reorganising its areas, as well as voluntary serological tests which have already started happening in the last few weeks.
Before starting production, Ferrari has also decided to carry out training sessions for workers to explain the new precautionary and safety measures put in place. The training sessions were organized last week.
/news-international/ferrari-presses-restart-button--full-production-from-may-8-56295 Ferrari presses restart button, full production from May 8 The company has set up a 'Back on Track' programme that includes the introduction of several new practices which are aimed at safeguarding the health and well-being of all of the employees. https://www.autocarpro.in/Utils/ImageResizer.ashx?n=http://img.haymarketsac.in/autocarpro/5338b1e0-f640-46ea-82b6-e11c39d82df8.jpg


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Q: What has changed with the AWS Signature Version 4 A few years ago I wrote some C++ code to sign on to AWS ( Amazon Web Service ).  It worked fine at the time.  I haven't used it for a while, and now it does not work.
"com.amazon.coral.service#InvalidSignatureException"

I think I have narrowed it down to the hashing function.  This unit test fails:
TEST( aws_hash )
{
    // unit test the hashing function used for AWS authentication
    // sample input and expected results from Signature Version 4 Test Suite
    // https://docs.aws.amazon.com/general/latest/gr/signature-v4-test-suite.html
    // specifically the get-vanilla-query
    // note that this is step 1 of the signing process an does not involve the secret key.

    // input string
    std::string query =
    "GET / HTTP/1.1\n"
    "Host:example.amazonaws.com\n"
    "X-Amz-Date:20150830T123600Z";

    // calculate hash of input
    SHA256 sha256;
    std::string thehash = sha256( query );

    // expected hash value from test suite
    // ( last line of get-vanilla-query.creq )
    std::string expected = "e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855";

    // did we get the expected hash?
    CHECK_EQUAL( expected, thehash );
}

Outputs:
C:\unit_test\main.cpp(47): error: Failure in aws_hash:
Expected e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855
but was 509955df496ae2f4fdc25af95ccf5406099e4a2556523b7ed80f4fab21ac1869

The code for the hashing function I am using can be seen at https://github.com/JamesBremner/sha256
Is there some change I should be aware of?
Is there something wrong with my unit test?

A: e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855
This is the SHA-256 hash of an empty string (see  https://crypto.stackexchange.com/a/26135/25027).
Signature V4 is entirely different from Signature V2.  You hash the body first (the HTTP request body, which does not include the headers), using the value shown when there is no request body.
There is no part of the actual input to Signature V4 that coresponds to your // input string.
That is an example of the HTTP request that you will be sending, but it is not something that goes directly into the signing algorithm.
The canonical request structure is this:
CanonicalRequest =
  HTTPRequestMethod + '\n' +
  CanonicalURI + '\n' +
  CanonicalQueryString + '\n' +
  CanonicalHeaders + '\n' +
  SignedHeaders + '\n' +
  HexEncode(Hash(RequestPayload))

Here, in HexEncode(Hash(RequestPayload)), RequestPayload refers only to the request body -- not the headers.  When there's no body, empty string is used, and the hash of an empty string is the value shown.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Flyers' record, relationship with Mason has Berube's job status being questioned
By Jason BroughMar 24, 2015, 2:01 PM EDT
The 2014-15 NHL season is not ending well for Flyers coach Craig Berube.
His team is losing, with practically zero chance of making the playoffs. There's been tension with his No. 1 goalie, the outspoken Steve Mason.
And that's led to the predictable questions about Berube's future behind Philadelphia's bench.
Also, the predictable answers.
"I don't approach it all and I can't control that," Berube said, per CSN Philly, when asked if he'd thought about the prospect of getting fired.
"I do what I do. I like what I do."
But does Flyers GM Ron Hextall like what Berube does? As has been noted numerous times by the Philly media, Berube was not Hextall's choice for the job of head coach. It was Paul Holmgren who made that call, back in 2013, when Peter Laviolette was fired. Hextall was promoted to the GM role half a year later.
Add to that the handful of accomplished coaches who may become available this summer, from Mike Babcock to Todd McLellan, and it's no wonder Berube's job status has come into question.
Related: Three reasons to wonder if Babcock might pick the Flyers


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Posts Tagged '20th Century Fox'
"I'm Sorry I Ever Made B-Movies"
Posted by: Kit Parker Films on: July 11, 2014
"I'd like to see a big star shoot a movie with no retakes." — Margia Dean
Margia (pron. Mar-Juh) Dean was born Marguerite Louise Skliris to Greek parents in Chicago on April 7, 1922.
Her hair is now white, but her charm, sophistication and sense of humor haven't changed since the heyday of her film career.
By age seven she was earning money as a stage actress, playing Little Eva in "Uncle Tom's Cabin," Becky Thatcher in "Tom Sawyer," Mytle in "The Blue Bird," and winning scholarships in two dramatic schools. In 1937, she won the Women's National Shakespeare Contest for her role as Juliet in the production of "Romeo and Juliet."
Margia became a model, and was named "Miss San Francisco," "Miss California," and a runner-up in the 1939 "Miss America Pageant" where she won first prize in the talent category for a dramatic reading (still has the trophy!) She appeared in several films in small roles and, played Police Officer Mary Faelb in the 1950 ABC TV series, "Dick Tracy," had a featured role in the Columbia serial, "The Desert Hawk" (1944), and was Andy Clyde's foil in "Love's A-Poppin" (Columbia/1953).
In 1945, Margia scored the second lead in the stage version of Victor Herbert musical "The Only Girl," which played at the then prestigious Biltmore Theater in Los Angeles. She received terrific reviews. Alfred Hitchcock came backstage and offered her a featured role in "Notorious" (Vanguard-RKO/1946), but she couldn't accept due to a run of the play contract which necessitated her going on the road for several months.
In 1947, Margia's controversial agent, Frank Orsatti, secured her a bit role in the Gene Kelly M-G-M musical, "Living in a Big Way" (1947). Orsatti convinced studio chief, Louis B. Mayer, to sign Margia to a contract. Unfortunately, Orsatti dropped dead of a heart attack the day of the appointment!
Margia was introduced to exhibitor and B-movie producer, Robert L. Lippert, in 1948 by a mutual producer-friend. Lippert gave her the female lead in "Shep Comes Home" (Screen Guild/1948.)
Subsequently, she appeared in a series of low-budget Lippert (I'm being redundant) productions, and mastered the "one take" 50 – 75 set-ups a day that were de rigueur for the Lippert organization.
Lippert became obsessed with Margia, and kept her working in his pictures where she became known as "Queen of Lippert."
By the early 1950s Lippert and Margia began an on-again-off-again affair that lasted ten years. In an effort to keep her from straying from his studio and him, Lippert deliberately thwarted opportunities that would have allowed her to appear in major studio films.
Margia told me that she regrets being involved with a married man. However, he was already known as a womanizer. He didn't get a divorce because he didn't want to give up millions. She said that Lippert's first love was money, and he would never have put her in a picture if it jeopardized ticket sales, and if he didn't hire her he would have to find someone else to work for the same pay. Indeed, she generated respectable reviews from those critics who bothered to review B-movies. Margia was a competent actor and audiences liked her.
Producer, Hal Wallis, was interested in signing Margia and asked Lippert to send over footage of her for him to screen. Lippert provided outtakes, which ended the interest from the veteran producer. Margia didn't know until later.
Fellow Greek, Spyros Skouras, recommended her to director Michael Curtiz, as "Nefir" in "The Egyptian" (Fox/1954), but Bella Darvi had just been cast. Skouras, was erroneously attributed as Margia's lover in at least one blog, probably because she dated Plato Skouras, Spyros' son.
Margia is best known as Judith Carroon in the Hammer Film Production, "The Quatermass Xperiment" (US title: "The Creeping Unknown") (UA/1955), and her credits are readily available on IMDb.
She also made guest appearances on TV's "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts," "Conrad Nagel's Celebrity Time," "Public Prosecutor," and others, plus various commercials including for Betty Crocker, Cadillac, and Phillips Milk of Magnesia.
Margia told me she appeared in one of the first coast-to-coast live dramas in the early 1950s, but can only recall that one of the "Bowery Boys" was in it. [Anyone know what it might have been?]
In 1958 she co-starred with Scott Brady in the RegalScope production, "Ambush and Cimarron Pass," released through Fox, and received billing over a young Clint Eastwood, a subject she and Eastwood laughed about 40 years later at a Hollywood function.
Later in 1958, Lippert's output was elevated to "A-" CinemaScope pictures for Fox. Margia produced one of them, "The Long Rope" (1961), with Hugh Marlowe. According to Margia, the film's director, William Witney, objected to having a female producer, but mellowed his stance when she brought it in on time and budget.
Margia co-starred in both "Villa!!" (Fox/1958), with Brian Keith, where she also sang two songs (and wrote additional lyrics), and "Secret of the Purple Reef" (Fox/1960), with Peter Falk.
In 1964, after associate-producing "The Horror of it All" (Fox/1964), directed by Terence Fisher, and starring Pat Boone, Margia met a Spanish architect who had been living in Brazil, Felipe Alvarez.
At the time, Felipe, who is fluent in four other languages, had limited English skills (Margia spoke Spanish) They met at a night club on the Sunset Strip where he sang. Subsequently, Margia invited him to perform at a party for Mexican celebrities. The couple fell in love and married later that year. They are happily married to this day, and he still occasionally sings professionally.
Lippert tried to get Margia to break off with Felipe, and offered her money and gifts, including a ruby brooch (all of which she returned), uncharacteristic of the penurious Lippert. He used to tell people he purchased a house for Margia, which is untrue. She sold her home and built a luxurious home above the Sunset Strip, which she completely paid for.
Although Walter Winchell praised her in his column, Lippert, who knew all of the producers and exhibitors, successfully blackballed her from making films.
Lippert used his considerable influence to concoct a scheme to deport Felipe, but was ultimately unsuccessful. However, he did succeed in getting Felipe fired from an architectural firm. Then he began a series of attempts to ruin the newlyweds financially. Margia lost a restaurant she owned in Beverly Hills, a dress shop in Brentwood, and he went so far as to have a "contract" put out on Felipe's life! Through a very good friend (producer Jack Leewood) Margia discovered his nefarious plan, and called the police so fortunately it went no further.
Years later he told Margia, "I had no idea, my attorney must have done it!," and "I have you in my will for $200,000," both of which were lies.
By the mid-60s, Fox decided there was no need for the type of product Lippert produced, and didn't renew his contract. His phone stopped ringing. Having lost both his producer position, and Margia, he headed back to the Bay Area and returned to his first love, his theatre circuit.
Upon his passing, Lippert's secretary called Margia and said, "Mr. Lippert wanted you to be the first to know".
Margia told me she was sorry to have made B-movies because it kept her from being assigned "A" roles. I disagree. Lots of A-list actors appeared in B-movies; it was a string of bad luck; the loss of the "Notorious" and "The Egyptian" roles, and especially Frank Orsatti's death, the Hal Wallis sabotage and, of course, Lippert's blackballing. The B-movie part of the equation was not the problem per se, it was the ones she was in were produced by Robert L. Lippert.
Fortunately, Margia went on to have successful careers, most notably in real estate, where she became vice-president of a major Los Angeles firm.
Margia Dean starring, or featuring Margia Dean in the cast and owned by Kit Parker Films.
(*) Available on DVD from http://www.sprocketvault.com
SHEP COMES HOME (1946)
I SHOT JESSE JAMES (1949) *
RIMFIRE (1949) *
GRAND CANYON (1949)
RINGSIDE (1949) *
TREASURE OF MONTE CRISTO (1949) *
TOUGHT ASSIGNMENT (1949) *
RED DESERT (1949)
THE BARON OF ARIZONA (1950) *
WESTERN PACIFIC AGENT (1950) *
MOTOR PATROL (1950) *
HI-JACKED (1950) *
THE RETURN OF JESSE JAMES (1950) *
THE BANDIT QUEEN (1950) *
FINGERPRINTS DON'T LIE (1951) *
MASK OF THE DRAGON (1951) *
TALES OF ROBIN HOOD (1951) *
PIER 23 (1951) *
KENTUCKY JUBILEE (1951) *
SAVAGE DRUMS (1951) *
LEAVE IT TO THE MARINES (1951) *
SKY HIGH (1951) *
F.B.I. GIRL (1951) *
LOAN SHARK (1952) *
FANGS OF THE WILD (1954) *
THE LONESOME TRAIL (1955) *
Tags: "b movies", "Kit Parker Films", "Robert L. Lippert", "VCI Entertainment", 20th Century Fox, DVD, Kit Parker, Margia Dean, miss america, miss california, movie stars
The Lippert Filmography
Posted by: Kit Parker Films on: October 14, 2011
Who produced or co-produced almost 250 feature films and is virtually unknown today?
That man is Robert L. Lippert (1909-1976), who did just that in 25 years, from 1945-1969.
Between 1945-1956 he also distributed more than 100 of his own productions (most of which are owned by my company, Kit Parker Holdings, LLC) and another 100 films produced by others.
Compiling this filmography more difficult because some Lippert films made after 1959 were not credited to any of his production companies.
Titles in bold are Lippert productions or co-productions. The rest were produced by others and only distributed by Lippert.
Key: R: Reissue, D: Distributor only, TV: Independent production purchased outright by Lippert expressly for use on television.
Distributors: LP: Lippert Pictures, SG: Screen Guild Productions (subsequently known as Lippert Pictures), RS: RegalScope (Regal Films), API: Associated Producers, Inc., Fox: 20th Century-Fox, ARC: American Releasing (later known as AIP, American International Pictures), WB: Warner Bros. RS and API are Lippert production companies financed by Fox.
"Hammer": Lippert Pictures-Exclusive Films/Hammer Films co-productions
Italicized titles are owned by Kit Parker Films and available on DVD from http://www.sprocketvault.com
13 FIGHTING MEN (1960) API-Fox
20,000 EYES (1961) API-Fox
ABDUCTORS, THE (1957) RS-Fox
ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN, THE (1957) Buzz Productions/Hammer, Fox
ACTORS AND SIN (1952) Limited TV distribution rights only, LP-D
AIR PATROL (1962) API-Fox
AIR STRIKE (1955) LP
ALASKA PASSAGE (1959) API-Fox
ALI BABA NIGHTS (R-1953) UK: Chu Chin Chow, 1934, LP-D
ALLIGATOR PEOPLE, THE (1959) API-Fox
AMBUSH AT CIMARRON PASS (1958) RS-Fox
APACHE CHIEF (1950) LP
APACHE WARRIOR (1957) RS-Fox
ARSON, INC. (1950) LP
AS YOU WERE (1951) LP
BACHELOR IN PARIS (1952) UK: Song of Paris, LP-D
BACK DOOR TO HELL (1964) US-Philippines, Fox
BACK FROM THE DEAD (1957) RS-Fox
BAD BLONDE (1953) UK: Flanagan Boy, Hammer, LP
BADLANDS OF MONTANA (1957) RS-Fox
BANDIT ISLAND (1953) 3-D Short Subject, LP
BANDIT QUEEN, THE (1950) LP
BAR 20 JUSTICE (R-1947) 1938, SG-D
BARON OF ARIZONA, THE (1950) LP (DVD: Criterion Collection) *
BATTLE AT BLOODY BEACH, THE (1961) Fox
BELLS OF SAN FERNANDO (1947) SG
BIG CHASE, THE (1954) LP
BIG SHOW, THE (1961) API-Fox
BLACK GLOVE, THE (1954) UK: Face the Music, Hammer, LP
BLACK PIRATES, THE (1954) US-Mexico, LP
BLACK WHIP, THE (1956) RS-Fox
BLACKOUT (1954) UK: Murder by Proxy, Hammer, LP
BLOOD AND STEEL (1959) API-Fox
BLOOD ARROW (1958) RS-Fox
BORDER RANGERS (1950) LP
BORDER VIGILANTES (R-1946) 1941, SG-D
BORDERLAND (R-1946) 1937, SG-D
BOY! WHAT A GIRL! (1947) SG-D
BROKEN LAND (1962) API-Fox
BUFFALOBILL RIDES AGAIN (1947) SG-D
BURNING CROSS, THE (1947) SG-D
BUSH PILOT (1947) SG-D
CABINET OF CALIGARI (1962) LP-Fox
CALL IT MURDER (R-1947) Orig.: Midnight, 1934, SG-D
CALL OF THE FOREST(1949) LP-D
CAPTAIN KIDD (R-1952) 1945, LP-D
CASE OF THE BABY SITTER (1947) Featurette, SG
CASSIDY OF BAR 20 (R-1947) 1938, SG-D
CATTLE EMPIRE (1958) Fox
CHINA GATE (1957) Fox
COLLEGE CAPERS (1953) 3D short subject, LP
COLORADO RANGER – TV: Guns of Justice (1950) LP
COME BE MY VICTIM, half-hour TV abridgement of Danger Zone (1951), LP
CONVICTS AT LARGE (1938) LP-TV
COPPER SKY (1957) RS-Fox
COWBOY, THE (1954) LP
CREEPING UNKNOWN, THE (1965) UK: Quatermass Xperiment, Hammer, UA
CROOKED RIVER – TV: The Last Bullet (1950) LP
CURIOUS ADVENTURES OF MR. WONDERBIRD, THE (1953) France: Bergère et le ramoneur, 1952, Dubbed, LP-D
CURSE OF THE FLY (1965) Fox
DALTON GANG, THE (1949) LP
DANGER ZONE (1951) LP
DAY IN THE COUNTRY, A (1953) 3-D short subject filmed in 1941 as Stereo-Laffs, LP-D
DAY MARS INVADED EARTH, THE (1963) API-Fox
DEADLY GAME, THE (1954) UK, Third Party Risk, Hammer, LP
DEATH VALLEY (1947) SG
DEERSLAYER, THE (1958) Fox
DEPUTY MARSHAL (1949) LP
DESERT HELL (1958) RS-Fox
DESIRE IN THE DUST (1960) Fox
DESPERADOES ARE IN TOWN, THE (1956) RS-Fox
DOG OF FLANDERS, A (1959) Fox
DRAGON OF DEATH, half-hour TV abridgement of Mask of the Dragon (1951), LP
EARTH DIES SCREAMING, THE (1964) UK, Fox
ENEMY FROM SPACE (1957) UK, Quatermass 2, UA
ESCAPE FROM RED ROCK (1957) RS-Fox
EVERYBODY'S DANCIN' (1950) LP
FAMILY AFFAIR (1956) UK: Life with the Lyons, 1954, LP-D
FANGS OF THE WILD aka Follow the Hunter (1954) LP
FAST ON THE DRAW – TV: Sudden Death (1950) LP
FBI GIRL (1951) LP
FELICIA (1964) API-Fox
FINGERPRINTS DON'T LIE (1951) LP
FINGERPRINTS, half-hour TV abridgement of Fingerprints Don't Lie (1951), LP
FIRE ALARM (1932) Orig.: Flames LP-TV
FIREBRAND, THE (1962) API-Fox
FIVE GATES TO HELL (1959) Fox
FLAMING FRONTIER (1958) Canada, Fox
FLESH AND LEATHER, half-hour TV abridgement of Stop That Cab (1951), LP
FLIGHT TO FURY (1964) US-Philippines, Feature Film Corp. of America
FLIGHT TO NOWHERE (1947) SG
FLY, THE (1958)
FORTUNE IN DIAMONDS, A (1951)UK: The Adventurers, LP-D
FORTY GUNS (1957) Fox
FRANCIS OF ASSISI (1961) API provided guided only, Fox
FRECKLES (1960) API-Fox
FRONTIER GAMBLER (1956) ARC
FRONTIER GUN (1958) RS-Fox
FRONTIERSMEN, THE (R-1947) 1938, SG-D
FROZEN ALIVE (1964) Germany: Der Fall X701, Feature Films of America
G.I. JANE (1951) LP
GAMBLER AND THE LADY (1952) UK, Hammer, LP
GANG WAR (1958) RS-Fox
GHOST DIVER (1957) RS-Fox
GHOST SHIP (1952) UK, 1951, LP-D
GIRL FROM CALGARY, THE (1932) LP-TV
GLASS TOMB, THE (1955) UK: The Glass Cage, Hammer, LP
GOD IS MY PARTNER (1957) RS-Fox
GOD'S COUNTRY (1947) SG
GRAND CANYON (1949) LP
GREAT JESSE JAMES RAID, THE (1953) LP
GREAT WHITE HUNTER, THE (R-1953) Orig.: The Macomber Affair,1947, LP-D
GUNFIRE (1950) LP
HAND OF DEATH , THE (1962) API-Fox
HARBOR LIGHTS (1963) API-Fox
HARPOON (1948) SG-D
HAT BOX MYSTERY, THE (1947) Featurette, SG
HEART OFARIZONA(R-1948) 1938, SG-D
HEAT WAVE (1954) UK, House Across the Lake, Hammer, LP
HELL HARBOR(1930) LP-TV
HELL ON DEVIL'S ISLAND (1957) RS-Fox
HELLGATE (1952) LP-D
HER ENLISTED MAN (R-1935) Orig.: Red Salute,1935, SG-D
HERE COME THE JETS (1959) API-Fox
HIDDEN GOLD (R-1948) SG-D
HIGH POWERED RIFLE, THE (1960) Fox
HIGHWAY 13 (1948) SG
HI-JACKED (1950) LP
HILLS OF OLDWYOMING(R-1946) 1937, SG-D
HOLIDAY RHYTHM (1950) LP
HOLLYWOODBARN DANCE (1947) SG-D
HOLLYWOODTHRILL-MAKERS (1954) LP-D
HOLLYWOOD VARIETIES (1950) LP
HOPALONG CASSIDY ENTERS (R-1946) Orig.: Hop-a-long Cassidy, 1935, SG-D
HOPALONG CASSIDY RETURNS (R-1946) 1936, SG-D
HOPALONG RIDES AGAIN (R-1946) 1937, SG-D
HORROR OF IT ALL, THE (1964) UK, Fox
HOSTILE COUNTRY – TV: Outlaw Fury (1950) LP
HOUSE OF THE DAMNED (1963) API-Fox
I SHOT BILLY THE KID (1950) LP
I SHOT JESSE JAMES (1949) LP (DVD: Criterion Collection)
I'LL GET YOU (1953) UK: Escape Route, LP
IN OLD MEXICO(R-1948) 1938, SG-D
IRON MASK, THE (R-1953) 1929, Silent, with added sound track, LP-D
IT HAPPENED IN ATHENS (1962) Fox
JEWELS OF JEOPARDY, half-hour TV abridgement of The Roaring City (1951), LP
JOHNNY THE GIANT KILLER (1953) France, Jeannot l'intrépide, Dubbed, LP-D
JUNGLE GODDESS (1948) SG
JUNGLE, THE (1952) LP
KENTUCKY JUBILEE (1951) LP
KILLER DILL (1947) SG-D
KING DINOSAUR (1955) LP
KING OF THE TURF (R-1948) 1939, SG-D
KRONOS (1957) RS-Fox
LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964) Italy-USA, AIP
LAST OF THE WILD HORSES, THE (1948) LP
LAST SHOT YOU HEAR (1969) UK, Fox
LAW OF THE PAMPAS (R-1948) 1939, SG-D
LAW OF THE SEA (1931) LP-TV
LEAVE IT TO THE MARINES (1951) LP
LIMPING MAN, THE (1953) UK, LP-D
LITTLE BIG HORN (1951) LP
LITTLE SAVAGE (1959) US-Mexico, API-Fox
LITTLE SHEPERD OF KINGDOM COME (1961) API-Fox
LOAN SHARK (1952) LP
LONE TEXAN (1959) RS-Fox
LONESOME TRAIL, THE (1955) LP
LONG FALL, THE, half-hour TV abridgement of Pr 23 (1951), LP
LONG ROPE, THE (1961) API-Fox
LOST CONTINENT, THE (1951) LP
LURE OF THE SWAMP (1957) RS-Fox
MAN BAIT (1952) UK: The Last Page, Hammer, LP
MAN FROM CAIRO, THE (1953) Italy-UK-USA, Guidance only, LP
MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS (R-1950) Orig.: Babes in Toyland, 1934, LP-D
MARK OF THE LASH (1948) SG-D
MARSHAL OF HELDORADO – TV: Blazing Guns (1950) LP
MASK OF THE DRAGON (1951) LP
MASSACRE (1956) Fox
MIRACLE INHARLEM(1948) SG-D
MISS ANNIE ROONEY (R-1948) 1942, SG-D
MISSING WITNESS, THE, half-hour TV abridgement of Fingerprints Don't Lie (1951), LP
MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR (1954) LP-D
MORO WITCH DOCTOR (1964) Philippines: Amok, API-Fox
MOTOR PATROL (1950) LP
MOZART STORY (1948) Germany-Austria: Wen die Gotter lieben, Dubbed, SG-D
MR. ROBINSON CRUSOE (R-1953) LP-D
MR. WALKIE TALKIE (1952)
MURDER GAME (1965) UK, LP-Fox
MURDER, INC. (1960) Fox
MY DOG SHEP (1947) SG
NAVAJO (1952) LP-D
NIGHT TRAIN TO PARIS (1964) UK, Fox
NORMAN CONQUEST (1953) UK:MarkPlaza605, LP-D
NORTH OF THE BORDER (1947) Featurette, SG
NORTH OF THERIO GRANDE (R-1946) 1937, SG-D
NORTHWEST TRAIL (1945) SG
OMOO-OMOO THE SHARK GOD (1949) LP-D
ON FOUR WHEELS, half-hour TV abridgement of Stop That Cab (1951), LP
OPERATION HAYLIFT (1950) LP
OREGON TRAIL (1959) Fox
ORIENTAL CLUE, THE half-hour TV abridgement of Mask of the Dragon (1951), LP
OUTLAW COUNTRY (1949) SG
OUTLAW WOMEN (1952) LP-D
OUTLAWS IN THE DESERT (R-1946) 1941, SG-D
PAID TO KILL (1954) UK, Five Days, Hammer, LP-D
PARTNERS OF THE PLAINS (R-1948) 1938, SG-D
PERILS OF THE JUNGLE (1953) LP -D
PHANTOM OF THE JUNGLE (1955) LP-D
PIER 23 (1951) LP
PIER OF PERIL, half-hour TV abridgement of Pier 23 (1951), LP
PIRATE SUBMARINE (1952) France: Casabianca,1951, dubbed, LP-D
PIRATES ON HORSEBACK (R-1946) 1941, SG
PRAIRIE, THE (1947) SG-D
PLUNDER ROAD (1957) RS-Fox
POLICE COURT (1932) LP-TV
POLICE NURSE (1963) API-Fox
PRIDE OF THE WEST (R-1947) 1938, SG-D
PROJECT MOON BASE (1953) LP-D
PURPLE HILLS, THE (1961) API-Fox
QUEEN OF SHEBA, THE (1952) Italy: La Regina di Saba, 1952, Dubbed, LP-D
QUEEN OF THE AMAZONS (1947) SG
QUIET GUN, THE (1957) RS-Fox
RACE FOR LIFE (1954) UK: Mask of Dust, Hammer, LP
RACKETEERS (R-1948) Orig.: People's Enemy, 1935, SG-D
RADAR SECRET SERVICE (1950) LP
RAIDERS FROM BENEATH THE SEA (1964) Fox
RANGE WAR (R-1948) 1938, SG-D
RED DESERT (1949) LP
RENEGADE GIRL (1947) SG
RENEGADE TRAIL (R-1948) 1939, SG-D
RETURN OF GILBERT AND SULLIVAN, THE (1952) (Short Subject)UK, LP-D
RETURN OF JESSE JAMES, THE (1950) LP
RETURN OF MR. MOTO (1965) UK, Fox
RETURN OF THE FLY (1959) API-Fox
RETURN OF WILDFIRE, THE (1948) SG
RIDE A VIOLENT MILE (1957) RS-Fox
RIDERS OF THE TIMBERLINE (R-1946) 1941, SG-D
RIMFIRE (1948) LP
RINGSIDE (1949) LP
RIVER BEAT (1954) UK, LP
ROAD TO THE BIG HOUSE (1947) SG-D
ROARING CITY (1951) LP
ROCKABILLY BABY (1957) RS-Fox
ROCKETSHIP X-M (1950) LP
ROLLING HOME (1947) SG
ROOKIE, THE (1959) (oversaw production) Fox
RUSTLER'S VALLEY (R-1946) 1937, SG-D
S.O.S. SUBMARINE (1948) Italy: Uomini sui fondo, 1941, Dubbed, SG-D
SAD HORSE, THE (1959) API-Fox
SANTA FE MARSHAL (R-1948) 1940, SG-D
SAVAGE DRUMS (1951) LP
SCARED TO DEATH (1947) SG
SCOTLAND YARD INSPECTOR (1952) UK: Lady in the Fog, Hammer, LP
SECRET OF THE PURPLE REEF, THE (1960) API-Fox
SECRET OF THE WASTELANDS (R-1946) 1941, SG-D
SECRET PEOPLE, THE (1952)UK, LP-D
SEPIA CINDERELLA (1947) SG-D
SEVEN WOMEN FROM HELL (1961) API-Fox
SHADOW MAN, THE (1953) UK: Street of Shadows, Hammer, LP
SHE DEVIL (1957) RS-Fox
SHOOT TO KILL (1947) SG-D
SHOWDOWN AT BOOT HILL (1958) RS-Fox
SHOWDOWN AT SUNUP (1949) Short subject, LP
SIEGE, THE (1954)Spain, 1950, Agustina de Aragón, 1950, dubbed, LP-D
SIERRA BARON (1958) Fox
SILENT CALL, THE (1961) API-Fox
SILENT RAIDERS (1954) LP-D
SILVER ON THE SAGE (R-1947) 1939, SG-D
SILVER STAR (1955) LP
SIMBA (1955) LP-D
SINS OF JEZEBEL (1953) LP
SISTERS IN CRIME, half-hour TV abridgement of The Roaring City (1951), LP
SKY HIGH (1951) LP
SKY LINER (1949) LP
SLASHER, THE (1953) UK: Cosh Boy, LP-D
SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS (1950)UK, LP-D
SNIPER'S RIDGE (1961) API-Fox
SON OF A BADMAN (1949) LP-D
SON OF BILLY THE KID (1948) LP-D
SON OF ROBIN HOOD (1958) Fox
SPACE MASTER X-7 (1958) RS-Fox
SPACEWAYS (1953) UK, Hammer, LP
SQUARE DANCE JUBILEE (1949) LP
STAGECOACH TO FURY (1956) RS/Fox
STAGECOACH WAR (R-1948) 1940, SG-D
STEEL HELMET, THE (1951) LP (DVD: Criterion Collection)
STICK TO YOUR GUNS (R-1946) 1941, SG-D
STOLEN FACE (1952) UK, Hammer, LP
STOP THAT CAB (1951) LP
STORM RIDER, THE (1957) RS-Fox
STREET IS MY BEAT, half-hour TV abridgement of Stop That Cab (1951), L
STRONGHOLD (1952) Mexico-USA co-production, LP-D
SUNSET TRAIL (R-1947) 1939, SG-D
SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE-MEN (1952) LP
SURF PARTY (1964) API-Fox
SWINGIN' ALONG aka Double Trouble aka Johnny One Note (1961) Fox
TALES OF ROBIN HOOD (1951) LP
TALL LIE aka For Men Only (1952) LP
TALL TEXAN, THE (1953) LP
TERROR SHIP (1954)UK: Dangerous Voyage, LP-D
TERROR STREET (1953) UK: 36 Hours, Hammer, LP
TESS OF THE STORM COUNTRY (1960) Fox
TEXAS TRAIL (R-1947) 1937, SG-D
THAT TENNESSE BEAT (1966) Fox
THAT'S MY BOY aka Forbidden Music (R-1948)UK: Land Without Music, 1936, LP-D
THERE IS NO ESCAPE (1948) SG-D
THEY WERE SO YOUNG (1954) W. Germany-USA, LP
THIRD VOICE, THE (1960) Fox
THREE DESPERATE MEN (1951) LP
THREE MEN FROM TEXAS(R-1946) 1940, SG-D
THUNDER IN THE PINES (1948) SG
THUNDER ISLAND (1963) API-Fox
THUNDER OVER SANGOLAND (1955) LP-D
THUNDER PASS (1954) LP
THUNDERING JETS (1958) RS-Fox
TOUGH ASSIGNMENT (1949) LP
TRAIL DUST (R-1946) 1936, SG-D
TRAIL OF THE MOUNTIES (1947) Featurette, SG
TRAIN TO TOMBSTONE (1950) LP
TREASURE OF MONTE CRISTO (1949) LP
TROMBA: THE TIGERMAN (1952)Germany: Tromba, 1949, Dubbed, LP-D
TWELVE HOURS TO KILL (1960) API-Fox
TWILIGHT ON THE TRAIL (R-1946) 1941, SG-D
TWILIGHT WOMEN (1953) UK: Women of Twilight, TV title: Another Chance, LP-D
TWO LITTLE BEARS (1961) Fox
UNDER FIRE (1957) RS-Fox
UNDERCOVER AGENT (1953)UK: Counterspy, LP-D
UNHOLY FOUR, THE (1954) UK: The Stranger Came Home, Hammer, LP
UNKNOWN TERROR, THE (1957) RS-Fox
UNKNOWN WORLD (1951) LP-D
VALLEY OF THE EAGLES (1951)UK:ValleyofEagles, LP-D
VALLEY OF THE REDWOODS (1960) API-Fox
VARIETIES ON PARADE (1951) LP
VILLA (1958) Fox
WALK A TIGHTROPE (1964) US-UK, API-Paramount
WALK TALL (1960) API-Fox
WAYNE MURDER CASE, THE (1932) Orig.: A Strange Adventure LP-TV
WE WANT A CHILD! (1954)Denmark: Viv vil ha' et bam, Dubbed, LP-D
WEST OF THE BRAZOS (1950) LP
WESTERN PACIFIC AGENT (1950) LP
WHERE THE NORTH BEGINS (1947) Featurette, SG
WHITE FIRE (1954)UK: Three Steps to the Gallows, 1953, LP-D
WHITE GODDESS (1953) LP-D
WHITE PHANTOM (1949) Short subject, LP
WIDE OPEN TOWN(R-1946) 1941, SG-D
WILD ON THE BEACH (1965) Fox
WILDFIRE (1945) SG
WINGS OF DANGER (1952) UK; Dead on Course, Hammer, LP
WITCHCRAFT (1964) UK, Fox
WOLF DOG (1958) RS-Fox
WOMAN WHO WOULDN'T DIE, THE (1965) UK, WB
WOMANHUNT aka WOMAN HUNT (1962) API-Fox
WOMEN OF PITCAIRN ISLAND, THE (1956) RS-Fox
YELLOW CANARY, THE (1963) Fox
YES SIR, MR. BONES! (1951) LP
YOUNG AND DANGEROUS (1957) RS-Fox
YOUNG GUNS OF TEXAS (1962) API-Fox
YOUNG JESSE JAMES (1960) API-Fox
YOUNG SWINGERS, THE (1963) API-Fox
Sources: Motion Picture Herald, Film Daily Yearbook,U.S. Copyright Office, Maury Dexter, Robert L. Lippert, Jr. and the Kit Parker Films-Lippert Collection at the Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Tags: "b movies", "Robert L. Lippert", "The Steel Helmet", "VCI Entertainment", 20th Century Fox, Associated Producers Inc., Classic Films, Classic Movies, DVD, DVDs, Exclusive Media, Hammer Films, independent movies, Kit Parker, Lippert Pictures, RegalScope, Samuel Fuller, Screen Guild Productions, The Fly
The Lippert-Fox Productions + Lippert Trivia
"'The Black Pirates' (1954) was shit, and 'Massacre' was no good either." — Producer, Robert L. Lippert, Jr.
By 1959 the Lippert/Fox/Regal Films contract was finished. However, Fox still needed B movies, and Lippert was always the man for that job. A new 7-year deal was struck.
The new production entity became known as "Associated Producers, Inc." (API). Bill Magginetti continued running the company and, of course, Bob Lippert called the shots. When the API deal ended, "Lippert Pictures" was reactivated and produced another 10 films for Fox release.
Producer/director Maury Dexter was a pivotal figure during the Lippert-Fox years. Dexter told me he was born into poverty during Depression-era Arkansas. He became interested in acting, came to Los Angeles, and had a few bit parts in films, including the 3 Stooges short "Uncivil War Birds (1946), and became involved in TV and stage. He served in Korea, and soon after was hired by Regal Films head of production, Bill Magginetti, as his assistant. When Lippert fired Magginetti, Dexter took over. It was a good decision as Dexter was a natural organizer, could do many things at the same time, quickly and under pressure…the prerequisites for success at Lippert! In addition to overseeing the company, he personally produced and directed 16 feature films!
After almost two decades in production, Robert L. Lippert returned to Alameda where he died of a heart attack at the age of 67 on November 16, 1976 in Alameda, California.
Lippert Trivia:
Samuel Fuller was set to write and direct a Lippert production of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," in CineColor as announced in exhibitor publications in 1949. Walt Disney bought the project from Lippert Pictures, either because it inspired him to make his own version, which he eventually did 5 years later, or he had planned making it all along and didn't want another version to compete against.
Robert L. Lippert entered into negotiations with the Estate of author L. Frank Baum for rights to produce a series of "Wizard of Oz" movies. The reason he abandoned the project is lost to history.
The shortest shooting schedule of any Lippert production was one day, "Hollywood Varieties" (1950).
The runner up at 58 hours is "Highway 13" (1948). Coincidentally, it was a 58 minute movie, so it literally took only one hour to produce one minute of screen time!
Lippert productions had a minimum of 50 daily camera set-ups.
Just to prove he could do it, producer Robert L. Lippert decided to direct a movie, "The Last of the Wild Horses" (1948.) When production fell behind he fired himself and Paul Landres completed the film. After that Lippert stuck to producing. BTW, Lippert accorded himself something he never allowed other directors…an extravagant (for a Lippert production) running time of 84 minutes.
After a day of filming "Massacre" (1956) in Guatemala Producer Robert L. Lippert, Jr. was relaxing in his hotel room and heard gun shots in the room next to him. Recalling that a General was staying there, he immediately calculated it was an assassination (it was.) Lippert didn't want to be shot as an eye witness, so he jumped out the window and ran on foot all the way to Mexico, and the cast and crew, who were staying in another hotel, departed by plane.
Again during the filming of "Massacre," Lippert, Jr. said he was on location in a rural town where he found the electrical power was at best unreliable. Of course power was essential. To proceed with filming he went to the local airport, such as it was, which was powered by a generator. He paid off government officials to obtain the airport generator during the daytime hours. Daytime air operations ceased, and each night the generator was returned to the airport thus enabling planes to once again take off and land.
There wasn't enough money in the production budget to afford a pirate ship in "The Black Pirates" (1954), so the movie begins with the "pirates" arriving on shore in a row boat. They never leave land for the entire movie.
Beloved character actor, Sid Melton, made 20 appearances in the early Lippert productions before becoming a TV mainstay. I asked him why he was in so many, and he replied, "Mr. Lippert had faith in me." The fact Melton was willing to work for $140 a week may have helped. (2)
Between 1955 and 1965, Lippert co-financed and/or co-produced four European productions not released by Fox: "The Quartermass Xperiment" U.S. title, "The Creeping Unknown" (U.K./1955), a Hammer Films production released through United Artists; "The Last Man on Earth" (Italy/1964), filmed in Rome and released by American International Pictures; "Walk a Tightrope" (U.K./1965), released through Paramount; and "The Woman Who Wouldn't Die" (U.K./1965), released through Warner Bros.
Margia Dean, Actress and Producer
Several years ago I met Margia Dean, still charming and beautiful, who appeared in 39 Lippert productions.
She revealed a story about Clint Eastwood who appeared with her in "Ambush at Cimarron Pass" (1958). Years later at a Hollywood function, she ran into the by-then renowned actor-director and couldn't resist chiding him, "Just remember, I got top billing over you!"
Here are some more fun bits she told me on June 17, 2011: "I was executive producer of 'The Long Rope' [1961] starring Hugh Marlowe. That was the only one for Fox. I was associate producer on a couple of others. It came in on time and made money. I remember that I had difficulty getting respect because I was a woman [producer] and that was very rare in those days."
"There was a scene in a little Mexican town and it was too bare, so I suggested that they have a few chickens and a stray dog for some atmosphere. Someone said "the producer wants chickens" and when I came on the set it was swarming with chickens! The writer [Robert Hamner] told me I was the best producer he ever worked for and he worked for several big producers. I remember one was Aaron Spelling."
I remember that the star wanted some aspirin so I asked the driver to go to the drug store and get some and he replied that according to the union he couldn't go, he could only drive, so I went along, and got the aspirin. Then, in a cantina scene I asked the prop man to put some serapes on the wall and he said he couldn't, I would have to hire a drapery man, so I hung them! I hired the director [for "The Long Rope", William Witney] whom I worked for in another film (Secret of the Purple Reef) [1960] and I sensed he didn't like taking any suggestions from me!"
* Mr. Lippert did produce, direct and or edit some good films!
The Robert L. Lippert Foundation. Good overview with biography and filmography, the latter of which I am in the process of revising.
http://robertllippertfoundation.com
Maury Dexter interviewed by Tom Weaver in "I Talked With a Zombie"
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-4118-1
Sid Melton:
http://www.bmonster.com/profile38.html
Sources: Conversations between Kit Parker and Robert L. Lippert, Jr., Maury Dexter, Margia Dean and Sid Melton; issues of Motion Picture Herald and Film Daily Yearbook; the Kit Parker-Lippert Collection at the Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; interviews with Maury Dexter and Sid Melton by Tom Weaver in "I Talked With a Zombie" (BearManor Media, 2011).
Tags: "b movies", "VCI Entertainment", 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, 20th Century Fox, "Sid Melton", "The Last Man on Earth", "William Witney", Cinecolor, DVD, DVDs, I Talked with a Zombie, Kit Parker, Lippert Pictures, Margia Dean, maury dexteer, Maury Dexter, quatermass xperiment, Regal Films, Samuel Fuller, Tom Weaver, tom weavr


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Home News Defense & Security News China Voices Fierce Opposition to US Arms Deal with Taiwan
China Voices Fierce Opposition to US Arms Deal with Taiwan
China resolutely oppose the recent $500 million military deal between the United States and Taiwan, calling the move "a complete mistake" and "very dangerous", a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense said on Wednesday.
The new deal, approved by the US State Department on April 15, is currently being reviewed by Congress. It consists of training programs for Taiwan F-16 pilots and maintenance crews in the US. The State Department said the sale is meant to improve the defensive capabilities of Taiwan.
Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesman for China's defense ministry, said in an online statement China resolutely opposes any country selling arms to or having military interactions with Taiwan.
"The actions by the US have seriously violated the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiques," he said. "It interferes with China's internal affairs, undermining its sovereignty and security interests."
Wu said the recent move has "poisoned Sino-US military relations and seriously damaged cross-Straits relations and the peace and security in the region." He called the move "a complete mistake and very dangerous".
The Taiwan question is related to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its core interests. It is the most sensitive issue in Sino-US ties, he said.
Wu said Taiwan's current administration is relying on foreign forces and the US is using Taiwan to pressure China. Both strategies are doomed to fail, he added. China demands the US immediately cancel related arms sales to Taiwan and stop all military interaction with the island to avoid further damage to Sino-US relations, bilateral ties and the peace and security of the Taiwan Straits.
"The Chinese military has the resolve, confidence and capability to foil any form of foreign interference and Taiwan secession efforts," he said. "It will resolutely protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and maintain the peace and security in the region."
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text:
Nigerian accused of hacking bank computer to steal $340 million
24 Apr 2015 5 Law & order, Security threats
Previous: How to secure your baby monitor
Next: FTC sanctions phone location tracking company for not allowing customer opt-out
by John Hawes
A Nigerian man has been arraigned in an Abuja high court, charged with hacking into a bank server and siphoning out more than N68 billion (over $340 million, £225 million).
The man, Stephen Omaidu, a graduate of Kogi State Polytechnic in Lokoja, entered a not guilty plea and has been remanded in custody pending his trial.
The Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accuses Omaidu of participating in the hack along with four others, who all remain at large. Two of them are named as just "Ben" and "Oliver".
Few details have been released on exactly how the "hack" took place, and indeed on the bank involved, other than that it is a "second-generation bank" – that is, one set up since independence from colonial rule in 1960. Nigeria's largest banks are mostly older establishments.
The big thing here is, of course, the amount of money involved.
If this had been a physical heist it would have been well up among the largest ever – the amount one can steal in cash and other transferables tends to be limited by how much crooks can get out through a door (or tunnel) in a reasonable amount of time. Only art or jewel thefts get this big.
In computer crime, the traditional image is of small amounts being snuck out over long periods – think Superman 3 or Office Space.
Even in large-scale operations like identity theft and carding, each individual fraud tends to be fairly small and the totals netted by long-running operations barely touch this sort of scale.
But, with the hacking and cybercrime explosion of the last few years, digital heists have been getting larger and larger.
Banks are prime targets for cybercrooks, with their computer systems holding vast amounts of money which can be transferred from account to account without the need of a holdall, let alone a large truck.
Although banks' security gets ever more elaborate, especially their digital defences, it seems there's always a way around them, and when someone finds such a way the losses can be seriously epic.
For the most part, such "hacks" tend to involve some sort of insider, as in another recent case in Nigeria, or at least placing some rogue hardware into bank networks as in the UK Barclays and Santander scams of 2012-13.
Theft of digital currencies such as bitcoin, which can get fairly massive, as in the Mt. Gox incident, also tend to involve insiders.
It's not clear whether Mr. Omaidu or any of his alleged conspirators were bank employees, but the odds are pretty good that there was an inside connection of some sort.
Either way, it seems like some banks still have some work to do to keep their computers and networks, and the immaterial funds stored in them, secure.
Image of Nigerian money concept courtesy of Shutterstock.
5 comments on "Nigerian accused of hacking bank computer to steal $340 million"
Jdawg says:
So wait… you are telling me that a Nigerian trying to transfer large amounts of money out of his home country is not only probable but actually real???
Oooh… I gotta send a quick reply to that email I got! LOL
everything is posible
How ironic that a Nigerian hacker looted a bank of funds, possibly on deposit from Nigerian phishers.
where did he transfer the money to…..
Romance scams – 80 people charged with ripping off millions of dollars
by Alison Booth
Nigerian scammer arrested for $60 million email fraud
Nigerian bank IT worker on the run after $40m cyber heist


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FOR RSS March 01, 2018
Carlos Garcia
Breaking: Federal judge blocks Pence order in Indiana about refugees
A federal judge ruled against an order by Vice President Mike Pence against the settling of Syrian refugees in Indiana when he was the governor of the state. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Yet another federal judge is blocking an order from a member of the Trump administration having to do with refugees, but this time it's against a policy ordered by Vice President Mike Pence when he was governor of Indiana.
Here's what the judge said
Pence ordered to block Syrian refugees from settling in the state of Indiana in 2015, but a federal judge ruled Thursday that the command was unconstitutional and ruled that Indiana was permanently blocked from the policy.
The mechanism by which refugees were prevented from settling in Indiana was that the state withheld payments to the Exodus Refugee Immigration.
U.S. District Judge Tonya Walton Pratt had ruled previously to temporarily block Pence's order after the ACLU sued on behalf of the refugees saying the policy violated the U.S. Constitution.
Pratt ruled Thursday to permanently block Pence's order after a federal appeals court upheld her previous ruling.
A preventative measure
The order from Pence was given in the wake of the attack in Paris in 2015, and meant to prevent similar attacks from happening in America from militants who disguised themselves as refugees.


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American Foursquare 1895-1930
Back to Architecture
The American Foursquare House is one of the most popular styles that emerged form the suburban development in the late 1800's into the 1930's. It's strong square massing, usually with four square rooms above 3 square rooms and an entrance hall with stairs tucked unobtrusively to the side on the first floor made it economical and practical to build. The cubical shape made the most of every buildable inch, taking full advantage of small building lots and small budgets. It became the most house for the lowest cost with a dignified appearance (something like the split level of the 1960's) It often has arts and crafts detailing, especially in the main entrance where there may be a fireplace and built-in shelves and bookcases. The roof line is usually pyramidal or hipped. It usually has a front porch. There may be a small dormer on the second floor. The versatility of the Foursquare, usually built without the benefit of an architect, lent itself to endless variations and finish details by individual buyers.
Fouresquares are most commonly built in wood frame but the are also found in stucco, brick and Sears offered a cement block making machine that could manufacture blocks on site for the house (see picture). The style was influenced by the Chicago Prairie style and has may of the same features, wide eaves, horizontal emphasis and porch running the full length of the first floor.
The Foursquare is what most people think of as "the all-American family home" on Main Street USA.
This site created by Sandra Pollock at Real Site Design
Copyright Sandra Pollock (no part of this page or anything on this site may be copied for use on the internet)


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I first noticed them in the spring of 2010. My best friend Lisa was visiting from San Francisco, and we were walking to my favourite pizza place on the corner of Hertzbergstrasse and Richardplatz in the heart of Rixdorf.
Lisa was taking note of every aspect of her surroundings, gazing at cobblestones, gushing at the urban garden in front of a block of apartments, and slowly pronouncing the odd-sounding German words on the decorated street signs written in old fashioned loopy letters.
This corner of Berlin, to her, was exciting and new.
"What's that?" she asked, pointing towards the sign for Hertzbergstrasse. I looked up, stood on my tippy toes, and shielded my eyes from the midday sun. Perched above the street sign was a little man, made of cork. He was about two inches tall and was leaning over his front leg with one arm reaching for the sky. I'd never seen one before.
"Looks like a man made of cork!" I exclaimed in temporary excitement, before ducking into the dark interior of the pizza place to order my predictable margarita.
The next day, we headed to the Turkish Market on Maybachufer. Barely out my door, we spotted another cork man on the corner of Zwiestädter Strasse and Richardplatz. This one was sitting down, legs out in front, and arms stretching to touch them.
Ever since those first two sightings, I've been on an urban treasure hunt. The cork men are just above eye level and easy to miss, but once you know they're there, waiting for you to find, you can spot them at the furthest of distances.
I'd walk to the grocery store and across the street, about five meters away on Richardstrasse and Schöneweider Strasse, I'd see another one. I'd be biking to Görlitzer Park and there'd be one perched on Weigandufer, in front of a new little canal-side cafe. There was one on the sign for Paul-Lincke-Ufer, in front of an often jam-packed restaurant, with tables and patrons spilling out onto the streets.
They were everywhere: Reichenberger Strasse, Forster Strasse, Weserstrasse, Sonnenallee, Skalitzer Strasse. There was one far up north in Wedding on Badstrasse, and one way down south in Gropiusstadt on Fritz-Erler-Allee. I took pictures and made a map.
I quickly realized that the cork men were positioned in various yoga poses. Sarvangasana: the shoulder stand. Virabhadrasana II: the warrior pose. Ardha Chandrasana: the half moon. Sometimes, from down below at street level, it was hard to tell exactly what they were doing. Then, after coming back a few days later with my camera, they'd be gone.
I'd come across a street sign with two little cork feet glued to the top, the only remnant of the famous cork man. He was transient, temporary, an offering to the Berlin weather and its citizens. The first two Lisa and I discovered were gone a few weeks after she was. The first one that I discovered by myself, after Lisa left, had vanished by the next time she visited.
I concluded that whoever made the cork men had to be someone who lived near me. Once I learned to keep my eyes open and up, I started to notice the absolute wealth of cork men popping up in Rixdorf, my Kiez within a Kiez. Late at night, walking home, I would often dream about finding the creator, surveying all my fellow late-night wanderers with a keen eye and a sense of potential wonderment.
I pictured a rusty old ladder propped up against a street sign, with a black-clad man in a leather jacket teetering at the top, meticulously placing his little men.
I imagined that he'd be hard-edged but serene, the perfect Berlin yoga mix.
I concluded the only way to draw him out of his secret cave filled with tiny cork men doing yoga would be to engage in some kind of reciprocal act of tiny but ingenious street art: thimble sized top hats, flags in their hands.
I wanted to pepper Richardplatz with stickers begging the artist to come forth. "Where are you, cork man?" they'd say. And then I'd wait for a response. I wanted a cat and mouse game, Berlin graffiti style.
But I got too eager. I posted a picture of the cork men on Twitter and asked if anyone knew anything. Within a few hours, I was directed to an article about the maker in the newspaper Tagesspiegel. I was excited at first, and then slowly, and sinkingly, disappointed. Someone else found him first.
The cork men weren't my little Berlin discovery anymore. And the creator, Josef Foos, was a name I knew only too well, because every week, for the last couple of years, I'd received flyers in my mailbox advertising his local yoga studio.
Over the next week I met with Foos twice. The first time, I dropped in on his yoga studio and he showed me some cork men that his students had made for him. He told me that he'd been inspired by the British artist Slinkachu, famous for his photographs of little plastic people against the backdrop of big cities and objects, doing seemingly normal things like smoking, or hailing a cab.
In 2009, Foos decided to do something similar, but didn't want to use plastic. Instead, he started experimenting with cork, and naturally (for him) decided to put them in yoga poses. He wanted to create something that made people happy and that made them look at their city in a different and unique way.
The second time we met we went for coffee. I brought along my computer so that I could show him the map I'd made and pictures of all the Kork-Yogis (that's what Foos called them) I'd found. He was excited to see that some of them had survived numerous winters.
We surfed his webpage, which highlights various street artists around Neukölln and Kreuzberg, and he talked about the ones he'd met face to face and those he'd had email contact with. I was excited to discover that he too engaged in his own little urban treasure hunts. He would stumble upon some street art tucked in behind an apartment entranceway, go about finding more of the artist's creations, and sometimes he'd find the person who made them.
One of his favourite creations was by "Dave the Chimp," who painted what he called "Human Beings", little orange beans with arms and legs in various poses. Foos had spent a day wandering his Kiez trying to track them all down and told me that he was overjoyed when he succeeded. As he became more involved with the street art scene, he started making little cork men as an homage to his fellow artists with a series entitled "Street Artists in Action" in which the Kork-Yogis recreated either a scene, or an artistic method, used by other artists.
One yogi on Unter Den Linden called "Flix in Action" is a nod to the Argentinian artist Flix. Way above the bustling street, the cork man is holding a brush, and pasting a small picture to the pole of Flix's well known print of a kneeling young woman blowing dandelion seeds into the wind which trail off as hearts. Sometimes, Foos would add a little paper drawing of a cork man to someone else's work, and I started to spot these too. Foos, I realized, was contributing to the collaborative street art scene in a way that I'd imagined doing myself.
It's an odd thing when you meet your idol, and in a way, that's what Foos was to me – albeit a mostly anonymous one. At times I was a babbling fan, exuding un-coolness as I told him in nervous German that I'd always wanted to meet him.
But sometimes it was Foos who was the fan, of other street artists who he was inspired by and followed. We talked for quite a while about his methods, his interactions with police and his street-art name.
It was an interesting insight into a hidden culture in Berlin, but instead of divulging too much here, I feel the need to keep much of it a secret.
Meeting with Foos took away some of the excitement, the draw of the unknown, and my internal storytelling about what kind of a person the cork-man-maker was.
I want to preserve that for people who have yet to discover his art. For me, he was no longer the black-clad figure in the dark. Now he had a face, a name, and a yoga studio.
Even though meeting with Foos brought an end to the cork mystery which had entertained my neighbourhood wanderings for so long, it added immeasurable excitement and wonder to the other Berlin street-art that's scribbled and pasted onto every crumbling building, every pock-marked wall, and every sticky orange garbage can.
Suddenly, there was a person behind each of these creations, a person who might live around the corner from me, a person who I'd never thought to imagine before now.
Meeting with Foos opened up an entirely new world of anonymous idols to look out for and silently admire. In the end, Foos' mission worked. These days, it's impossible for me not to look (up) at this city in a completely different way, and doing so makes me incredibly happy.
Tam Eastley investigates the infamy of Berlin's famous revolutionary, "Red Rosa".
A jewel in Mitte's art scene crown.
Michael Stein reads about Berlin's gritty, loud last decades of the 20th century.


Beat the chillies, coriander, parsley, garlic lemon juice, and zest into the butter.
Melt 15ml of the flavoured butter at a time on a 2 sided flat grill, and sauté the prawns for 2 -3 minutes until the shell in pink and the flesh is golden brown.
Melt the remaining butter and serve in a ramekin with the prawns.