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Junesploitation 2016 Day 13: New Horror!
Not every monster lives in the wild!
Labels: 2000s horror movies, junesploitation 2016, new horror movies
Mikko Viinikka June 13, 2016 at 2:00 AM
The Sand (2015)
I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.
Oops, that was from a different movie, wasn't it?
A group of pretty, young (but not very bright) people are stuck at the beach, when they discover that some kind of entity is lurking beneath the sand and will devour anything that touches it. Obviously, there's also a love triangle and all the other clichés.
As you'd expect, the characters are one-dimensional caricatures and there's no plot to speak of, but I guess it can be fun in a stupid-fun kind of way. The leading girl is ridonculously cute and Jamie Kennedy in a small role lends the movie some much-needed humor. The CGI is awful.
Ha! Beat you, J.M.
J.M. Vargas June 13, 2016 at 9:24 AM
I figured if I didn't let you win at least one you'd hop on the chuckle rocket and travel to Planet Bust-a-Laugh. ;-)
Actually, I was working from 6AM Sunday to 7AM today each of my three jobs back-to-back-to-back, so no time for movies. About to crash for a few hours, pick a movie and write a review before Game 5 of the NBA Finals, since tonight is a rare night off for 'moi.' :-)
AJ Muller June 13, 2016 at 2:29 AM
I think this flick is insane & fucked up & Jane Levy is GREAT & I sat there in the theater amazed it got an R rating & I kinda love it.
Travis Larsen June 13, 2016 at 2:43 AM
Glad to see that I'm not alone in kinda loving it. I thought it was a ton of fun.
Ross June 13, 2016 at 4:22 AM
I won't go so far as to say I love it but I cut it a lot of slack for using practical effects instead of cgi. I didn't dislike it but I haven't revisited it since seeing it in the theater.
Daniel Epler June 13, 2016 at 9:57 AM
I haven't seen this one since the theater, but it was really one of the most fun and adrenaline fueled theater experiences I've ever had.
Michael Giammarino June 13, 2016 at 8:37 PM
I was lukewarm towards it when I saw it theatrically, but I have warmed to it enormously.
Dennis June 14, 2016 at 1:26 AM
I was possibly the most worried about this film, its really special to me, but I ended up loving it, The head on the toilet still makes me shudder, it could of been so much worse
Steve K. June 13, 2016 at 7:32 AM
Indigenous (2014)
This is what's happened to horror movies in the age of selfies. You'd think the jungles of Central America would be a good location for a scary movie – something to enhance that feeling of isolation and disconnection from civilization that worked so well in films like The Blair Witch Project. Well, thanks to social media – and some rather improbable cell phone service – we have the whole damn world tuned in to the fate of our six brainless protagonists as they struggle not to get killed by their own stupidity. F__king millennials.
Lindsay June 13, 2016 at 7:33 AM
The Conjuring (2013)
It really doesn't take much to scare me, I am a wuss. Something just out of frame, the right sound mix and I will jump. I am that really annoying person in the theatre who will start jumping before the actual scare.
I know this is a movie I am going to return to, I loved how Wan used darkness, and blurring things so you couldn't exactly see. The Cast was brilliant, and I loved how procedure focused it was. But it really freaked the living crap out of me, it didn't help that when Lorriane was in the basement my cat decided it was the perfect time to knock something off the bookcase. Told you I was a wuss.
Cats are assholes and I think they try to scare us on purpose.
Chaybee June 13, 2016 at 8:32 AM
Dusk (2015) Dir. Michael Maney
More of a Mystery than a Horror film, Dusk really tries to be clever and relies heavily on the script. A man wakes up to find his wife has been kidnapped. He finds a tape recorder where a man instructs him to deliver his life savings to a cabin in the woods by midnight. I liked that though a series of flashbacks the film gives us the origin of our leads relationship with his wife. I thought it was a nice touch to give the audience a bit more. However, I don't like that it's pretty much negated by the end of the film (to an extent). All in all, I felt empty after watching this. It's fine, I guess. People might respond to the way the story unfolds. I was more like "Oh, geeeez."
Frank Levesque June 13, 2016 at 11:08 AM
They Look Like People (2015)
Wanted to love this one, but something just didn't connect. More of a psychological thriller, but with plenty of horror implications. Interesting story, good plot, good performances. Essentially, a man with possible psychological issues who gets phone calls of his/the world's impending doom reconnects with a friend who is also going through personal trials. There's a constant shift of trying to decipher what is really happening and what is the perception of events. It's one that probably deserves multiple viewings, but I'm not sure I'll want to revisit it. I kept thinking of Take Shelter and The Invitation as playing with similar themes and those pulled them off better than They Look Like People.
Daniel Epler June 13, 2016 at 12:08 PM
In my humble opinion, there aren't many "New Horror" films more suited for junesploitation than this.
This one tells the story of a few restaurant co-workers who go to a haunted Funhouse on Halloween night. But the house just might be taken over my inmates of a prison for the criminally insane...
This isn't a great movie, and it has problems to be sure. But darnit this movie is FUN. It's crazy gory (with spectacular looking practical effects) and is legitimately funny. The characters certainly aren't the most loveable, but I cared enough about then to want them to succeed. Many classic horror favorite co-star, such as Robert Englund and Clint Howard. I just had a ton of fun. Recommended without revervation!
JP June 13, 2016 at 12:17 PM
Fender Bender (2016)
This was a nice surprise. Scream Factory produced this slasher, which premiered on Chiller a few weeks back. Directed by Mark Pavia (who also directed the eternally underrated Stephen King adaptation The Night Flier), it's a meat-and-potatoes slasher wherein the killer gets into a minor car accident with his prey and then stalks them using the information they swap at the accident site.
At the beginning, the tone was a bit off, as it played like a generic, overlit CW show, but as it went on it built up a surprisingly strong sense of dread. I don't want to spoil where it goes, but things get very bleak toward the end in a way that felt refreshing, it felt unsafe in the way a lot of 70s horror would. While some of the setup felt very phony (seriously, who FaceTimes while driving? Is that really a thing?) the movie still committed to the premise in a way that ended up paying off much more disturbingly than I'd have anticipated. Looking forward to the eventual blu-ray release so I can see it uncut.
Matt Sollenberger June 13, 2016 at 12:57 PM
Southbound (2016, dir. Various, on DVD) – First Time Viewing: It's fine (2.5 out of 5 Griers).
Travis Larsen June 13, 2016 at 7:06 PM
Zach June 13, 2016 at 1:16 PM
The Abandoned (2015, dir. Eytan Rockaway) - first viewing
An unstable young woman (Louisa Krause) takes a job as a security guard at an abandoned, swanky apartment complex and begins to notice some strange goings-on during the night shift. The setting is appropriately eerie, I liked Krause's interactions with her jaded coworker (Jason Patric, here a dead ringer for Dennis Miller), and at least one of the dozens of telegraphed jump scares did manage to get under my skin. A competent archetypal ghost movie for roughly one hour before succumbing to Third Act Problems. Lightly recommended if you need to kill 90 minutes.
Mac McEntire June 13, 2016 at 3:05 PM
AIMY IN A CAGE (2016)
A young woman lives her life in a childlike manner, and her eccentric family goes to extreme lengths to force her to act her age. The movie is mostly a John Waters/Todd Solondz/Harmony Korine sort of thing, not really turning into horror until the third act. I guess I liked it for how outside the norm it is, but it's not a movie for everyone.
Truth in advertising: This one's just as cheeseball as the trailer would have you believe.
THE GALLOWS (2015)
A super-cool concept for a horror movie utterly ruined by the exhausted-beyond-death found footage aesthetic. This is made worse by the gross teen stereotypes and the even more gross "bro" behavior of the main character. What a massive, massive disappointment.
Ronan C June 13, 2016 at 3:13 PM
Housebound (2014)
Really loving New Zealand horror at the moment, great fun with plenty of scares.
Lindsay June 13, 2016 at 5:23 PM
Housebound had me as soon as the lawyer said the most thoughtful use of the word budgeting I have ever heard.
Gabby Ferro June 13, 2016 at 7:50 PM
One of my new favourite horror movies, so much fun and very creative
Jiffy Knish June 13, 2016 at 9:14 PM
This movie is so much fun. Both genuinely scary AND hilarious.
Mikko Viinikka June 13, 2016 at 4:19 PM
What's this? A horror movie where the characters feel like actual people and the plot is engaging even without the horror stuff?
It's best to see this knowing as little as possible beforehand, so all I'll say is if a combination of a romance and a monster movie sounds interesting, you should check out Spring.
Rob DiCristino June 13, 2016 at 4:34 PM
HUSH (2016):
Second viewing of HUSH, and while I still really like it, I still don't think it makes good on its interesting premise.
I wish Maddie's deafness played more of a role in the film's climax. Don't get me wrong: it's a really fun movie and worth everyone's time. But in a film so much about the senses and lack thereof, I was expecting a little more. I know she does the thing with the smoke alarm and there's the whole "breath on the neck" gag, but what about the ending really distinguishes her from hearing-abled Final Girls? It's a minor nitpick, I guess, but it's one that sticks with me. It's still an expertly made movie with a ton to like.
The Witch (2016, Dir. Robert Eggers) - First viewing.
May be a stretch to classify this as an exploitation movie but this is without doubt my favourite movie seen this Junesploitation so far. Incredibly well made, beautifully shot and manages to create a foreboding mood through sound, lighting, pacing, and performance rather than a cheaper jump scare. Understandably it might leave some people a little cold (read Patrick's excellent review) but it worked for me in the best kind of unnerving, unsettling way.
Daniel Epler June 13, 2016 at 4:43 PM
Practically everyone I say this to thinks I'm crazy, but this is the scariest experience I've ever had in a movie theater. I think this movie is one for the ages.
Matt Sollenberger June 13, 2016 at 5:14 PM
The Witch is my favorite movie of the year so far. Perhaps it will grow on Patrick and JB in subsequent viewings, but I understand if something's just not for you. I like movies that show you something you've never seen before, and I have never seen anything like this. The story, characters, atmosphere and constant feeling of all-encompassing hopelessness makes this a unique masterpiece. #Witchsploitation
Chaybee June 13, 2016 at 5:52 PM
Agreed with you all. The Witch is holding strong as my #1 of the year.
I was really impressed by it. Not sure how often I'd revisit, but it's definitely one of those "oh, I forgot movies could do THIS" type of experiences.
Dennis June 13, 2016 at 6:33 PM
I want to buy The Witch action figures, I gotta get me a Black Philip yo
Glad to see all the Witch love. I agree with everyone here. It has now been about 12 hours since I watched it and so many images and moments are still in burned into my mind. Terrifying and wonderful.
Oh and one last thing, the whole time I'm watching the actor playing the father's performance thinking: who is this guy? He's unbelievable. Only to look him up afterwards and realize he played Finchy in the British version of The Office. Now that is an actor!
No he's not. They clearly went back in time and found an actual puritan and got him to play himself.
It's so obvious.
Adam Riske June 13, 2016 at 8:36 PM
The Witch is really good. There,that settles it.
The Witch has great rewatchability. And I find it works even better in a darkened living room than it ever did in a theater. It shows that a horror film need not have to do anything along the lines of jumping out and screaming boo; it just needs to evoke a potent sense of dread. The Witch does that extraordinarily well.
We don't need to be friends, were Family...
Stoker 2013
Park Chan-Wook'a first English language debut, One of Elric Kane's favourites, I can honestly say that probably 10 years ago I would not of not liked this film, I would of said not enough gore, too slow paced, nothings happening? But I have changed in the last few years, Texas chainsaw massacre, the original was the last Chainsaw movie I would actually sit down to watch but now I enjoy it as much as the rest, maybe more? I'm still working out why? and I know the film hasent changed, Sitting watching this slow burn kinda Arthouse horror and enjoying the build and the tension and the amazing photography is really involving, and the use of lighting in some shots draws me in, a sense of dread rather than horror, a film that needs your full attention to work, it is almost the opposite to cattle prod cinema because the fear is not in the jump scares but in the silences
JGodsey June 13, 2016 at 7:27 PM
Beating out Sharknado by two years is Sand Sharks (2012) - a movie written with Robert McKee in one hand and Gottlieb's Jaws script in the other... "you're gonna need a bigger beach." i kid you not. another missed opportunity, if they had pushed the farcical elements it really could have...no..no..it would have still been something that needs a laugh track and MST3K to make it better. But seriously armored sharks that act like grabboids? what's not to like?
J.M. Vargas June 13, 2016 at 7:57 PM
28 WEEKS LATER (2007, 100 min.) on Blu-ray for the first time.
Call me a heretic, but I like this sequel more than the still-impressive-and-influential-as-hell "28 Days Later." It out-"Resident Evils" the Milla Jovovich "RE" movies (District One: Raccoon City), plus its CG scenery holds up better than recent movies (cough, "London Has Fallen," cough!). There is no lead character or main group of survivors, just one fucked-up survival scenario after another with catch-your-breath expository breaks in-between. The survival and well-being of two kids (Imogen Poots's Tammy and Mackintosh Muggelton's Andy) is prioritized even though these brats are the reason the contained outbreak sprouts back to life after being contained for six months. So excuse me for not giving a fuck whether they make it alive across the pond. They're responsible for the deaths of thousands (millions) of innocent people, which for purposes of Junesploitation I'm immensely grateful for because #Contradictionsploitation! :-D
"28 Weeks Later" delivers some excellent set-pieces (infected carriers vs. helicopter blades, sniper visor to navigate dark tunnel, District One bombing, etc.) and character development isn't an afterthought. Catherine McCormack and Robert Carlyle make a lasting impression with very limited screen time (2014's "Force Majeure" is so clearly inspired by this movie), and Jeremy Renner's Doyle is such a cool character he was imported whole two years later into "The Hurt Locker." I came into it with no expectations and like it. It's more "Dawn of the Dead" '04 than "28 Days Later," and that's a cinematic DNA mix I can live with.
Frank Levesque June 13, 2016 at 8:50 PM
Thank you! I've praising this one for years. It may not have as original a premise as 28 Days Later, but boy does it know what it's about and do it well. Never lets up. Delivers where and when needed and just doesn't mess around. That opening scene grabs you by the guts and drags you around until the bitter end.
Thirded.
Extraordinary Tales (2014)
I could see a middle school or high school English teacher showing Extraordinary Tales to students as an introduction to a course on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. It brought me back to many of the short films I saw in school when my English classes would tackle Poe.
Extraordinary Tales is a portmanteau of several of Poe's greatest hits, each done in a different style of animation. House of Usher is done in an almost cubist manner, narrated by Christopher Lee; Tell-tale Heart in a Frank Miller/Sin City style, using a very old, tinny, recording of Bela Lugosi narrating the story; Julian Sands narrates The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, animated in an E.C. Comics style, with the mesmerist made to look strikingly like Vincent Price; Pit and the Pendulum is rendered digitally, narrated by Guillermo del Toro; and The Mask of the Red Death, nearly completely silent, animated in beautiful watercolors. The wrap-around concerns Poe, now reincarnated as a raven, beseeching the angel of death, who here talks through an angelic statue and later a statue recalling Dickens' Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come, that his literary legacy continue, even if he is doomed to die. This too is done in a somewhat (I think) cubist manner.
It's a well done series of shorts, if nothing more.
Last Shift (2014)
Okay, I love horror movies, but this one was almost too scary for me. I'm with Patrick - I just don't really prefer horror movies that are too scary. (I think I remember him saying that? I might just be making that up.) It's a nice stew of some pretty great elements that comes together really well: Assault of Precinct 13 meets haunted house meets the Manson family. There's some great gore, a strong female lead who actually makes good, logical decisions, and a nice twist ending. A few too many jump-scares for me, but I guess that's basically the whole point of the movie. I would recommend this one, but again, it scared the shit out of me.
Patrick Bromley June 13, 2016 at 9:10 PM
I like horror movies that are scary! And ones that aren't. I think what you're remembering me saying is that I'm generally not scared by horror movies. But I agree that Last Shift is scary. I dig that about the movie. It doesn't hold back on trying to be scary.
Ha yeah that makes more sense, I probably mis-remembered a line from a podcast like two years ago. But yeah, this one does not hold back. I think I'm turning into a scaredy-cat in my old age.
Patrick McAllister June 13, 2016 at 9:10 PM
We Are Still Here (2015)
Kept putting this on the back burner despite reading the review on the site last year. Figured today was as good a day as any, and boy do I wish I had watched this sooner. Really dug the performances, story, and deliberate pacing. Also, holy crap was that ending sequence amazing. I'll definitely be revisiting this one again.
I was going to watch this one - but I couldn't find it on Netflix Aus - I could have been imaging it was there or they took it off. Maybe will rent it for a free space - I have been meaning to watch it for awhile
Patrick McAllister June 13, 2016 at 10:27 PM
I watched it on Netflix, but I'm in the US. I'd say it's definitely worth a rental in my opinion. If you like most horror that is recommended on this site, then you'll probably like this movie.
Sol June 13, 2016 at 9:57 PM
The Witch (2016)
It was seeing Chaybee call this his No. 1 of the year so far that finally got me to watch it, and I was not disappointed. Such a beautifully bleak, dreadful and horrific movie - several times I caught myself just totally into it, jaw agape, hand poised above my potato chips (ketchup flavoured because Canada), completely absorbed and in the moment in a way that doesn't happen very often. I loved it. Not quite perfect - I find it kinda wraps things up a bit too quickly - but it's really great.
Yes! Awesome, Sol. Happy to hear you liked it.
I'm also humbled that you value my opinion. Thank you, sir!
E.S.A.D.D. June 13, 2016 at 9:57 PM
Crush the Skull (2015, dir. Viet Nguyen)
The Man in the Orange Jacket (2014, dir. Aik Karapetian)
Wasn't feeling either one of these. First was a comedy pretending to be horror, the second was social commentary and should've just been a short. Time for one more though, I think.
E.S.A.D.D. June 13, 2016 at 11:30 PM
13 Cameras (2015, dir. Victor Zarcoff)
YES! Loved it. LOVED IT. Outstanding.
I loved Crush the Skull and MITOJ - not so much 13 Cameras, haha :)
Frank Dahlmeyer June 13, 2016 at 9:57 PM
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015)
Some dude finds an old, shitty camera that records shit like it's broken, becomes obsessed with it, and records everything. Some sick bastard finds the footage and decides to torture the rest of the world by sharing it.
Let me preface this with two caveats:
1. I have, in general, at least remotely enjoyed the PA films. I loved the first two, was obviously disappointed where the third took the series, and very pleasantly surprised by the third.
2. I am far from on the "Fuck all found footage it's sooo bad and overdone" bandwagon. Taking of Deborah Logan righted the genre for me and appreciate, when done right, the opportunity it presents for low budget/indie filmmakers.
3. Exploitation? Maybe sequelsploitation....
These things being considered, honestly don't understand who the fuck is making creative decisions with this franchise. First - the decision to include the witch nonsense was completely unnecessary. It's the typical supernatural film third act "let's have an explanation for everything!" which historically ruins many films in this genre.
Second - who thought "all these subtle, nondirect, creative are getting old, let's have a camera that can SEE the entities! That'll get shit done!"
There must be a serious disconnect between studios and audiences, because very little about the direction this film took I justified in any way, shape, or form.
More specific to this entry in the series, the complaints are endless. The lack of subtlety is present and problematic across the board. The repeated red herring "scares", the nonsensical pseudo-self aware dialogue... none of it works. The "we're filming everything now!" element is at an all time low, as the cinematography is revolting over-directed and all encompassing.
I'm sure I'm over thinking all of this and people will shout, "it's just the newest PA cash grab, dipshit, what did you expect?". I legitimately respected the first couple films and will forever hold at least a respect for what they did for the genre. This film feels like it was written not only with minimal effort, but actively with the intent of shitting on the earier entries. By flipping off what could actually be considered respectable filmmaking and settling for lowest common denominator, copy-paste, lazy bullshit.
Cullen June 13, 2016 at 10:18 PM
Agreed. This is how I process the disappointment. All the odd numbered movies are really pretty good (some would disagree with #5...not me) so if they make a 6th it should be pretty decent :)
do'h 7th...that would be an odd number.
Frank Dahlmeyer June 13, 2016 at 10:22 PM
The Conjuring 2 utilizes jump scares, but does so effectively and earns them through utilization of creative cinematography and characters we empathize with. PA5 shoves them down your throat so harshly you might choke to death.
Sure. No PA is on the same level of Conjuring (haven't seen 2) but there are worse ways to spend your time watching a found footage shenanigan...like PA 2,4 & 6.
Your logic I confusing me, but that may be the beer:
Are you saying 3 (intro of the cult) and 5 (ohgodwhy) are superior to 2 (really solid twist) and 4 (creative change of setting and scope)? Not saying that you're not entitled to your opinion, if so, merely that we could not be on more opposite pages. Shit, if that's the case, we're not even in the same book!
Cullen June 14, 2016 at 12:05 AM
Enjoy what you like. Good on you for making a point.
Wil A June 13, 2016 at 10:38 PM
This was a barrel of fun. Personally, I found the first two acts, which played off of the haunted-house-horror element, much more fun than the third act, which played way more off of the comedy element. But I still really liked the whole thing anyway. Totally worth a watch.
So right! Such great characters and dialogue. I completely agree about the third act. SPOILER... getting tired of the whats in the wall maneuver it takes away from the bill of sale.
Michael Pomaro June 13, 2016 at 10:56 PM
I sometimes judge a horror movie by how mad at me my wife gets for showing it to her. She's currently furious with me. Also, I'm now calling my dick Black Phillip. That'll do, The Witch. That'll do.
Daniel Epler June 14, 2016 at 12:34 AM
Greatest... junesploitation comment.... ever.
Seconded
So Evangeline Lilly doesn't mind having to pet Black Phillip on a regular basis? :-O ;-)
Paul Calvert June 14, 2016 at 9:33 AM
Brent Petersen June 15, 2016 at 3:21 PM
Mike, I was about to show this to my wife and decided against it. I stopped myself and said to her "this is going to be one of those times you are mad at me after you watch it. Let's not do it." Had you seen it before?
Goodnight Mommy (2014)
I agree with what Patrick said on the podcast 100%. It was very well made and probably really good, but I figured out what was going on pretty early and it probably lessened the impact a lot. I don't know if I would have noticed it if I wasn't looking for something, but I was and I did. The kids and the mom all give great performances and the movie is kinda creepy, but never particularly scary (except for a few specific images which were gross).
I loved this movie and was probably the last person to figure out what was really going on.
Darling (2015)
Been wanting to get around to watching this one since Patrick's review and this provided the perfect opportunity. Not much I can say about it here that hasn't already been said, but I did enjoy it and thought that it was a very strong performance from Lauren Ashley Carter.
Patrick Bromley June 14, 2016 at 7:00 AM
Pod (2015, dir. Mickey Keating)
I guess Mickey Keating is becoming the Joe Swanberg of indie horror in that he makes movies very cheaply and puts out 5 a year. The only thing I had seen from him prior to this was Darling (thanks, Ross!), which I really liked. This felt like taking a step backwards. There's some creepy stuff and I'm happy to see Lauren Ashely Carter again, but the movie reaches a shouty fever pitch early on and then never comes back down. It's all one shrill note. The performances are a little uneven and the 'twists' feel borrowed from better movies. Maybe this was some stuff he wanted to work out of his system before he could move on. I didn't hate it, but I probably won't go back to it. On the plus side it's only like 75 minutes long.
I saw Pod before Darling so I had the opposite reaction of "taking a step backwards" as I witnessed an amazing progression from Keating to Darling (and Lauren - who I saw progressively as well from Jugface to this to Darling) I didn't think Pod was great, it reminded me of an overlong Twilight Zone Episode, but for what it was I'm okay with it.
I think Pod was before Darling. If not, I'm baffled.
It was, Brent. I think what Patrick was saying is that he had not seen Pod before Darling.
Got ya
House of the Devil (2009)
Love this movie. Can Jocelin Donahue be my girlfriend?
The Conjuring - 2013
Watched it for the second time to get ready for Conjuring 2, James Wan knows how to direct horror, the film is truly scary and I don't tend to scare easily.
Doug June 14, 2016 at 11:57 AM
The VVitch (2015): I've read that this movie is crazy polarizing (Patrick mentions as much in his review, here: http://www.fthismovie.net/2016/02/review-witch.html), but I found it pretty damn engaging. Not really all that "SCARY" (in quotes), but moody and atmospheric and unsettling. I DOUG IT.
Kelly Shea June 14, 2016 at 1:25 PM
NZ crushin' it as usual. I laughed a lot at this. Very creepy house as well.
Paul Calvert June 14, 2016 at 3:21 PM
Brent Petersen June 14, 2016 at 11:47 PM
Get in line, pal.
Brent Petersen June 15, 2016 at 12:01 AM
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
I so wanted to love this movie but I still really like it and that's...okay.
Everything that I've seen from James Wan, I have liked. This was no exception. I think my least favorite movie of his is Saw. I think Dead Silence is underrated. Insidious 2 is my favorite. He directs the crap out of this movie. I think the length is the only thing that I would complain about. Patrick Wilson is great. I will watch anything with a woman that has the last name Farmiga. I would probably stick this movie in my top ten, so far, but I don't know if it will be there at the end of the year.
Kyle Mulford June 15, 2016 at 4:29 PM
Unlike Brent up above, I didn't just want to love this movie....I did love this movie. I was into this movie from the get go. Wan is just so good at creating a tense atmosphere. He put a lot more jump scares in here than the first Conjuring, but I though they were all well timed, well filmed and well earned. He also creates characters you actually care about. I hope to see further exploits of the Warrens in the future. Hopefully Wan will come back for more. High recommend for this one.


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Shopping for school uniform can get very expensive, especially if you have more than one child to buy for. Thankfully, over the last few years, supermarket school uniforms have become more affordable and brilliant quality. Now I find shoes are the only items I have to splash out on and the kids can have three or four sets of uniform making them look clean and smart at all times thanks to the amazing prices.
Gracie has been sent a range of items from the Nutmeg back to school range for us to try out. Although Gracie is not 5 until the end of the year, I decided to opt for age 5-6 as she is quite tall for her age and I wanted to make sure her uniform would last. Below you will see three different back to school outfits all modelled by Gracie from the Nutmeg range at Morrisons.
I thought Gracie looked really smart in this outfit. The skirt is lovely and thick and Gracie said it was really comfortable. I usually have trouble getting skirts to fit Gracie around the waist but I didn't even need to touch the adjustable waist band on this skirt which is a huge plus. It is great to have the option of an adjustable waist line though as children's body shapes are all so different.
The polo shirts are also nice and thick and feel great quality. They have flower shaped buttons to give that extra touch and considering a pack of 2 costs just £2, so £1 per polo shirt, they are an absolute steal!
The red cardigan is also really nice, it is well fitted with a lovely neckline that shows off whatever is underneath. It has cute heart shaped buttons which Gracie loves. It looks nice both done up or left open and although it isn't very thick , it also isn't too thin and seems like it will last well.
Another nice outfit, I really like Pinafores. They are nice and easy to wash and iron and look really smart with either polo shirts or a nice blouse/shirt. I also find they are great for PE days as they are easy for a small child to put on themselves and still look neat (rather than skirts or trousers with shirts half tucked in!).
This was my favourite of the three outfits. The shirts are really smart looking and again, fantastic quality. I really like the style of the shirts and I think they look really nice with the grey pinafore. The pinafore is beautiful and me and Gracie both like the bow detail on the belt area. It feels lovely, soft and comfortable and looks more expensive than £4!
I am really impressed so far with the range at Nutmeg. I was amazed at how good the prices are and I am really pleased with the quality and sizing. I was disappointed that they actually only start their school uniform at size 4-5 years which means many people with pre-school/nursery aged children would have to shop elsewhere and so I couldn't buy any for Zach from there this year! I would love for them to expand into smaller sizes and I am sure many parents would agree.
I have to say I would definitely recommend the Nutmeg back to school range. I was already a fan of their clothing range so I am not surprised at all and I will definitely be heading there when the next school year comes around.
You can find the rest of the Nutmeg back to school range on the Morrisons Website and find your local stockist.
We were sent the items featured free of charge for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.
What a little beautie! Such a reasonable price for uniform too!
Thank you. It really is, it makes life so much easier with being able to afford a few sets to keep on top of washing!
Great prices. Never heard of these before but will keep them in mind in the future as we go through a lot of uniform!
They are the clothing range at Morrisons and they do lovely kids clothing for all ages. Definitely worth a look.
We don't have a large Morrisons near us selling Nutmeg, but when the boys were smaller I did get a few pieces and they washed really well.
That is a shame. Our local one isn't very big but it has clothing section and I always find nice bits in there.
What great sets of uniform. It is great that they are so affordable, accessible but there is also choice too.
Yes definitely. I love the extra little touches like the cute buttons and the bows etc.
Awww doesn't she look sweet all ready for school. I do think the supermarkets offer great value for money when it comes to uniforms.
I know! They both look adorable but I love all the different combinations they have for girls at Nutmeg.
Such a smart uniform and it looks great value too.
Sweet pictures! I really like Nutmeg clothes. They're good quality without a heavy price tag.
Girls Can Be Superheroes Too!


text:
City of Memphis Shelby County State Government Education Criminal Justice Elections Spirit of Memphis The Early Word On the Record Behind The Headlines
'All united to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital'
By Frida Qi, Daily Memphian Updated: December 04, 2021 11:24 PM CT | Published: December 04, 2021 3:55 PM CT
Runners in the 20th annual St. Jude Memphis Marathon run down Second Street in a misty start of the race Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. (Greg Campbell/Special to The Daily Memphian)
The "Professor" starts the 20th annual St. Jude Memphis Marathon with a nod to the healthcare workers Saturday, December 4, 2021. (Greg Campbell/Special for The Daily Memphian)
Memphian Derek Morgan crosses the finish line after winning the 26.1 mile marathon portion of the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. Morgan's winning time was 2:36:51. (Greg Campbell/Special to The Daily Memphian)
Cerita Bridges crosses the finish line after running the half marathon at the 20th annual St. Jude Memphis Marathon Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. (Greg Campbell/Special to The Daily Memphian)
Rory Green runs the St. Jude Memphis Marathon in an unconventional way, in a dinosaur costume Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. (Greg Campbell/Special to The Daily Memphian)
Seventeen thousand runners, including cancer survivors and some running in memory of loved ones, were part of the throng trotting through Downtown and Midtown streets.
St. Jude Marathon Weekend Richard Shadyac ALSAC St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Anthony Bonetti Mike Spradlin Jessica Hooke Clayton Pinner Natalie Pinner Alvia Ramirez Leticia Ramirez Cesar Perez Eddie Perez Joe Skillen Mitch Wisdom Scott Raley Scott McCallum Audrey Davis Jackie Hazlehurst Derek Morgan O'Keith Jones Gayle Minard Ann Wessling St. Jude Memphis Marathon
Frida Qi
Frida Qi is a general assignment reporter who writes a variety of news and features. She previously interned or worked part time at Reuters, Investigative Reporters and Editors, CalMatters, Columbia Missourian, SupChina, and other news organizations. She has a master's degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri, and is a fan of cooking, tennis and traveling.
Want to comment on our stories? Or read the comments of others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only subscribers can view or add comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
require 'rubygems'
require 'nokogiri'
require 'csv'
require 'nokogiri/diff'
require 'open-uri'
require 'digest'
require 'open_uri_redirections'
require 'domainatrix'
require 'fuzzystringmatch'

class SameOrigin
  def self.relaxed_test(str1, str2)
    d1 = Domainatrix.parse(URI.encode(str1))
    d1 = Domainatrix.parse(URI.encode(str2))

    uri1 = URI.parse(URI.encode(str1))
    uri2 = URI.parse(URI.encode(str2))

    uri1.scheme == uri2.scheme &&
        d1.domain == d1.domain &&
        d1.public_suffix == d1.public_suffix &&
        uri1.port == uri2.port
  end

  def self.relaxed_test2(str1, str2)
    uri1 = URI.parse(URI.encode(str1))
    uri2 = URI.parse(URI.encode(str2))

    re = /^(?:(?>[a-z0-9-]*\.)+?|)([a-z0-9-]+\.(?>[a-z]*(?>\.[a-z]{2})?))$/i
    domain1 = uri1.host.gsub(re, '\1').strip
    domain2 = uri2.host.gsub(re, '\1').strip

    uri1.scheme == uri2.scheme && domain1 == domain2 && uri1.port == uri2.port
  end
end

CSS_SELECTOR = 'html'.freeze
INTERVAL = 10.freeze
USER_AGENT = "Ruby/#{RUBY_VERSION}".freeze

jarow = FuzzyStringMatch::JaroWinkler.create( :native )

hydra = Typhoeus::Hydra.hydra

def check_http(url)
  if url.start_with? "http"
    return url[7..-1]
  end
  return url
end

content = false
relation = false

Relation.all.each do |r|
  results_a = r.record_a.results
  results_b = r.record_b.results

  results_a.each do |a|
    u1 = a.link #check_http(a.link)
    url_a = URI.encode(u1)

    content = false
    relation = false

    first_request = Typhoeus::Request.new(u1)

    hydra.queue first_request

    first_request.on_complete do |response1|
      if response1.success?
        doc1 = Nokogiri::HTML(response1.body)

        results_b.each do |b|
        content = false
        relation = false

        if Comparison.where(result_a: a,result_b: b).blank?
          u2 = b.link #check_http b.link
          url_b = URI.encode(u2)
          puts "link A: =====> "+u1
          puts "link B: =====> "+u2

          second_request = Typhoeus::Request.new(u2)
          hydra.queue second_request
          second_request.on_complete do |response|
            if response.success?
              doc2 = Nokogiri::HTML(response.body)
              distance = jarow.getDistance(doc1.to_s, doc2.to_s)>0.8 # 0.85 .. that is the text looks to be 85% similar
              if (SameOrigin.relaxed_test2 u1, u2)
                puts "related"
                relation = true
              else
                puts "not similiar"
              end

              if (doc1.diff(doc2) and distance)
                puts "same"
                content = true
              else
                puts "different"

                #sleep INTERVAL
              end

              Comparison.create!(result_a: a, result_b: b,same_content:content,related_pages: relation, relation: r, error: nil)
          elsif response.timed_out?
            # aw hell no
            msg = "got a time out"
            puts("got a time out")
            Comparison.create!(result_a: a, result_b: b,same_content:content,related_pages: relation, relation: r, error: msg)
          elsif response.code == 0
            # Could not get an http response, something's wrong.
            puts(response.return_message)
            msg = response.return_message
            Comparison.create!(result_a: a, result_b: b,same_content:content,related_pages: relation, relation: r, error: msg)
          else
            # Received a non-successful http response.
            puts("HTTP request failed: " + response.code.to_s)
            msg = "HTTP request failed: " + response.code.to_s
            Comparison.create!(result_a: a, result_b: b,same_content:content,related_pages: relation, relation: r, error: msg)

            end
          end
        end
        end
      elsif response1.timed_out?
        # aw hell no
        msg = "got a time out"
        puts("got a time out")
        if Comparison.where(result_a: a,result_b: nil).blank?
          Comparison.create!(result_a: a, result_b: nil,same_content:content,related_pages: relation, relation: r, error: msg)
        end
      elsif response1.code == 0
        # Could not get an http response, something's wrong.
        puts(response1.return_message)
        msg = response1.return_message
        if Comparison.where(result_a: a,result_b: nil).blank?
          Comparison.create!(result_a: a, result_b: nil,same_content:content,related_pages: relation, relation: r, error: msg)
        end
      else
        # Received a non-successful http response.
        puts("HTTP request failed: " + response1.code.to_s)
        msg = "HTTP request failed: " + response1.code.to_s
        if Comparison.where(result_a: a,result_b: nil).blank?
          Comparison.create!(result_a: a, result_b: nil,same_content:content,related_pages: relation, relation: r, error: msg)
        end
      end

    end

  end
end

hydra.run

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


U.S. stocks are taking broad losses Thursday as investors react to mounting evidence that hiring has slowed down based on a report from payroll processor ADP. Health care and technology companies are taking sharp losses. Retailers are falling after L Brands, the parent company of Victoria's Secret, reported weak sales in June.
KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor's 500 index dropped 17 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,415 as of 3:05 p.m. Eastern time. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 116 points, or 0.5 percent, to 21,361. The Nasdaq composite sank 48 points, or 0.8 percent, to 6,102. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks shed 14 points, or 1 percent, to 1,405.
JOBS: Private U.S. businesses added 158,000 jobs in June, according to payroll processor ADP. That was fewer than analysts expected. Hiring has slowed down in recent months as the number of unemployed people has stayed near historic lows. The government will give a report on public and private job growth on Friday. As investors wondered if economic growth will stay sluggish, consumer-focused companies and technology firms took sharp losses.
"We were expecting a significantly higher growth rate in the second quarter," said Krishna Memani, chief investment officer at Oppenheimer Fund. "It's not panning out that way."
TAKING ILL: All of the health care companies on the S&P 500 lost ground. Biotech drugmaker Amgen declined $2.76, or 1.6 percent, to $171.50 and medical device maker Medtronic lost $1.36, or 1.5 percent, to $87.55. Merck was down $1.02, or 1.6 percent, to $63.14 after it stopped two studies of its cancer drug Keytruda as a treatment for multiple myeloma. Merck said more patients who were treated with Keytruda died, and the Food and Drug Administration halted the studies because the risks of a treatment that included Keytruda outweighed the potential benefits.
Technology companies, which edged higher on Wednesday, turned lower again. Apple sank $1.22 to $142.87 and Intel dropped 56 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $33.78. Electronic storage company Seagate Technology retreated $1.69, or 4.3 percent, to $37.34 and Cisco Systems gave up 36 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $30.75.
RATE WORRIES: Memani said stocks are falling because investors are concerned about the combination of sluggish growth and low inflation with rising interest rates.
"Rates in the U.S. are rising because European rates are rising, and European rates are rising because people think European Central Bank will be tightening policy," he said. The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates three times in about six months and the ECB could start raising rates soon, too.
SECRET'S OUT: L Brands said its sales fell 6 percent in June as the company continues to struggle with the effects of ending its swimwear business. The stock gave up $7.69, or 14.2 percent, to $46.42, by far the largest loss of any S&P 500 company. Athletic apparel maker Under Armour fell $1.36, or 6.1 percent, to $20.78 and Hanesbrands shed 65 cents, or 2.8 percent, to $22.53. Signet Jewelers lost $2.71, or 4.2 percent, to $61.38.
SHOPPING: The parent company of QVC will buy the Home Shopping Network for about $2.6 billion in stock, and it says the deal will create the third largest e-commerce company in the U.S. Liberty Interactive said it will value QVC at $40.36 a share in the deal. It already owns a 38 percent stake in HSN, which jumped $8.20, or 26.2 percent, to $39.50. Liberty Interactive fell 42 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $24.04.
BONDS: Bond prices skidded. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.37 percent from 2.33 percent. Banks fell less than other stocks, as bond yields mean higher interest rates and larger profits from lending. Investors sold shares of big-dividend stocks like real estate investment trusts and telecommunications companies, as the rising bond yields made those stocks less appealing to investors seeking income.
ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 39 cents to $45.52 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added 32 cents to $48.11 a barrel in London.
Wholesale gasoline added 3 cents to $1.53 a gallon. Heating oil remained at $1.48 a gallon. Natural gas climbed 5 cents to $2.89 per 1,000 cubic feet.
METALS: Gold inched up $1.60 to $1,223.30 an ounce. Silver gained 9 cents to $15.98 an ounce. Copper remained at $2.66 a pound.
CURRENCIES: The dollar slipped to 113.23 yen from 113.35 yen. The euro rose to $1.1419 from $1.1340.
OVERSEAS: Germany's DAX fell 0.6 percent and the CAC 40 in France was 0.5 percent lower. The British FTSE 100 index lost 0.4 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.4 percent and the Kospi in South Korea edged down less than 0.1 percent. The Hang Seng of Hong Kong shed 0.2 percent.


RCC President & CEO, Dr. Robert K. Musil was the Earth Week Speaker on April 16 at High Point University (HPU) in High Point, North Carolina. Under the leadership of HPU President Dr. Nido R. Qubein HPU has increased its enrollment, funding, and reputation, rising to the number one ranking in regional universities in the South. Qubein, who arrived in the U.S. as an immigrant with $50 in his pocket, is also a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist, and motivational speaker who teaches a class on life skills to all freshmen.
Known for its entrepreneurial spirit, rapid growth and innovation, HPU is now working to increase its standing in sustainability. The campus already features the Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, cafeterias with locally grown food, and other sustainability measures, but environmental studies is currently only available as an undergraduate minor.
Working to expand environmental studies and student involvement is the HPU Green Team, a combination of faculty, professional staff, and students headed by the chief of Library Services, David Bryden. Bryden and the Green Team brought RCC's Musil to campus where he met with HPU Provost Dr. Dennis Carroll and taught an advanced biology class for Professor Sandra Cooke on Rachel Carson's pioneering role in marine biology.
Black Skimmer skimming the water surface for food.
Culminating Musil's visit was his Earth Week lecture to a full house on "Rachel Carson's Legacy for North Carolina Today." Reading aloud from Carson's first book, Under the Sea-Wind, and its central character, Rynchops, the Black Skimmer, Dr. Musil emphasized Carson's environmental ethic. It is rooted, he said, in respect for all creatures and a sense of imagination and wonder first stirred by her love for North Carolina and its beaches while carrying out research at Beaufort. Musil also explained how Carson developed a sense of environmental justice through her early work at Johns Hopkins with two prominent biologists who rejected the then prevailing racist "science" of eugenics and her close relationship with her literary agent, Marie Rodell, who also helped publish Dr. Martin Luther King's first book, Stride Toward Freedom.
Musil then urged his HPU audience to join in the work of the Rachel Carson Council and environmental justice, including concern for workers and residents around North Carolina's huge industrial animal farms (CAFOs) which cause global climate change, but also harm predominately African-American, Latino, and poor communities. The same is true, Musil said, for the continuing plans to build huge pipelines carrying fracked natural gas throughout North Carolina. Ending with a rousing call to action, Musil urged HPU students and faculty to bring their concerns and activism directly to the political sphere, especially the upcoming 2018 elections. Following RCC President Musil's visit, High Point University became the forty-seventh member of the Rachel Carson Council Campus Network (RCCN).


Why does music start playing through my Bluetooth connected device?
I have an iPhone 6S running the latest IOS update 11.3. When I am listening to music via Bluetooth and I use the keyboard to create or edit a word document, email etc., after 10 seconds of backing out of app, the music stops playing through the AirPods or other speaker connected via Bluetooth. It doesn't matter if I force lock the phone or let it lock on its own. When I check the music app the ticker is still advancing showing music is still streaming. I have discovered if I open the source tab and move selected sound device from Bluetooth device to phone the sound returns to the phone speaker. I then can select Bluetooth connected device and normal sound returns to that device. Any thoughts?
Re: Why does music start playing through my Bluetooth connected device?
What app are you using to listen to music? Only certain apps can play music in the background while using other apps.


text:
Q: Проблема с текстурами в c# - Tao.OpenGL В своем приложении мне потребовалось натянуть текстуры на геометрический объект. Собственно, я это сделал. В программе использую Tao.Opengl. Для текстурирования - DevIl
 //Загрузка текстур
private static uint MakeGlTexture(int Format, IntPtr pixels, int w, int h)
        {

            uint texObject;
            Gl.glGenTextures(1, out texObject);
            Gl.glPixelStorei(Gl.GL_UNPACK_ALIGNMENT, 1);
            Gl.glBindTexture(Gl.GL_TEXTURE_2D, texObject);

            // устанавливаем режим фильтрации и повторения текстуры
            Gl.glTexParameteri(Gl.GL_TEXTURE_2D, Gl.GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_S, Gl.GL_REPEAT);
            Gl.glTexParameteri(Gl.GL_TEXTURE_2D, Gl.GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_T, Gl.GL_REPEAT);
            Gl.glTexParameteri(Gl.GL_TEXTURE_2D, Gl.GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER, Gl.GL_LINEAR);
            Gl.glTexParameteri(Gl.GL_TEXTURE_2D, Gl.GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, Gl.GL_LINEAR);
            Gl.glTexEnvf(Gl.GL_TEXTURE_ENV, Gl.GL_TEXTURE_ENV_MODE, Gl.GL_REPLACE);
            Gl.glTexImage2D(Gl.GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, Gl.GL_RGB, w, h, 0, Gl.GL_RGB, Gl.GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, pixels);
            return texObject;
        }
        public static byte[] ImageToByte(Image img)
            {
                ImageConverter converter = new ImageConverter();
                return (byte[])converter.ConvertTo(img, typeof(byte[]));
            }
            private unsafe void texture(int imageId,Bitmap pic,int type, uint*obj)
            {
                Il.ilGenImages(1, out imageId);
                Il.ilBindImage(imageId);
                byte[] buf = ImageToByte(pic);
                Il.ilLoadL(type, buf, buf.Length);
                int width = Il.ilGetInteger(Il.IL_IMAGE_WIDTH);
                int height = Il.ilGetInteger(Il.IL_IMAGE_HEIGHT);
                *obj = MakeGlTexture(Gl.GL_RGB, Il.ilGetData(), width, height);
                Il.ilDeleteImages(1, ref imageId);
            }
            private unsafe void textureLoad()
            {
                fixed (uint* tex = &earth_tex)
                { texture(imageId_e, Properties.Resources.e2, Il.IL_JPG, tex); }
                fixed (uint* tex = &space_tex)
                { texture(imageId_s, Properties.Resources.space_b, Il.IL_JPG, tex); }
                fixed (uint* tex = &meteor_tex)
                { texture(imageId_m, Properties.Resources.meteor, Il.IL_JPG, tex); }
            }

Glu.GLUquadric quadr;
//Отрисовка сферы с текстурой:
            quadr = Glu.gluNewQuadric();
            Glu.gluQuadricTexture(quadr, Gl.GL_TRUE);
            Gl.glEnable(Gl.GL_TEXTURE_2D);
            Gl.glBindTexture(Gl.GL_TEXTURE_2D, earth_tex);
            Glu.gluSphere(quadr, EARTH_RADIUS_Z, 64, 64);
            Gl.glDisable(Gl.GL_TEXTURE_2D);

На моем компьютере и компьютерах моих друзей текстуры отображаются успешно. Однако запустив проект на терминальных компьютерах университета передо мной предстала следующая картина:
Для текстурирования используется следующее изображение:
Вот как собственно выгляди все у меня:
Чем это может быть вызвано? Как это исправить?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
From 1900 through the 1940s, Milwaukee's well-to-do often laced up their roller skates for an evening of "fashionable amusement" at the local skating rinks, most notably the Riverview and the Palomar.[1] The former, overlooking the Milwaukee River on North Avenue, offered ladies' instruction in both plain and fancy skating in the afternoon and hosted the city's elite for evening galas.[2] Skating lost its luster in the late 1940s and waned until "disco fever" and teenage skate-dancing revitalized the city's rinks in the 1970s.[3] Roller-blading helped popularize skating as an outdoor activity in the 1990s, but the number of indoor rinks—predominately suburban and lacking the social significance of their predecessors—have declined in the Milwaukee area and nationwide.[4]
Michael Pulido
^ Jim Hazard, "Wheels of Joy," Milwaukee Magazine (February 1996): 76-78; Advertisement for Riverview Rink, The Milwaukee Journal, October 9, 1912, accessed, April 28, 2014, http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9pQWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7CAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1829%2C3200630.
^ "Skating at Riverview," The Milwaukee Journal, September 21, 1916, accessed March 19, 2014, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19160921&id=hKFQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_CAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3550,5135225; "Junior Leaguers and Escorts Show Roller Skating Skill," The Milwaukee Journal, January 21, 1936, accessed March 19, 2014, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19360121&id=Ka5QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MSIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4168,5195147.
^ Ed Lion, "Disco Craze Rolls into Skating Rinks," The Milwaukee Sentinel, September 19, 1978, accessed February 3, 2014, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19780919&id=74BRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_xEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6342,3619032.
^ Bill Milkowski, "Skating Fever Spreading across US," The Milwaukee Journal, April 20, 1979, accessed February 3, 2014, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19790420&id=XlMaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oSkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6544,5819600; Annysa Johnson, "Time Rolling over Rinks," The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 21, 2008, http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/29583079.html, accessed February 3, 2014. According to the Milwaukee telephone directory, the area has seen a handful of rinks close, but seven remain as of 2014 compared with nine in 1985, according to the Milwaukee Telephone directory of that year.
Hazard, Jim. "Wheels of Joy." Milwaukee Magazine (February 1996): 76-78.


text:
Is It Time to Withdraw?
We are living and ministering in an era of unprecedented change, especially regarding the definition of gender, sexuality, and marriage. These past two weeks, with all the attention on the transgender movement and then the oral arguments regarding same-sex marriage before the Supreme Court, I was reminded how swift the pace of moral change is.
A couple of weeks ago, I watched an evening news program on one of the major networks that featured a five-year-old girl who had decided to become a boy. The reporter interviewed the parents, who were going along with the girl's wishes and attempting to change her into a boy. The reporter also interviewed experts who lauded this.
One thing was clear: This network presented no alternative viewpoint—no alternative perspective even slightly questioning the prudence of doing this to a five-year-old. This was simply an unmitigated celebration of the transgender movement, with no need for an alternative viewpoint—as if the topic was why you shouldn't eat foods high in saturated fat—with no alternative perspective presented.
In the wake of this onslaught of media momentum for the same-sex marriage and transgender movement, some conservative evangelicals have concluded that we have "lost the culture war." And they have decided that the best way to react is to withdraw from the public square, at least for a time, and build up the church's internal resources.
James Davidson Hunter, the sociologist at the University of Virginia, is an example of this approach. He believes Christians should be "silent for a time" in the public square, concentrating on improving the internal resources of the church.
But is this the approach we should take? If conservative religious people are behind in the current battle for the hearts and minds of Americans regarding the definition of gender, marriage, and sexuality, is withdrawal a viable option?
I don't think it is. It presents a false dichotomy, as if the only way for the church to build up its internal resources, re-learning its identity and mission (and there is no question that it needs to do this), is to withdraw from the public square.
Jesus's teaching pushes us away from this false dichotomy. This is seen nowhere more clearly than in His high-priestly prayer in John 17:14-19:
"I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth" (NKJV).
In this passage, Jesus says this regarding our relationship with the world: We must withdraw from the world and permeate the world at the same time. We withdraw from the world in our values, attitudes, priorities, habits, and practices. But we permeate the world in our presence in and active engagement with the world.
Jesus takes us radically out of the world and puts us radically into the world at the same time! I can't imagine how withdrawal can be justified biblically.
Christian witness cannot be artificially limited to just private, "spiritual" witness. What are we to tell Christian artists or scientists or judges or doctors or political leaders or psychologists? Must their witness in the world be limited to sharing the plan of salvation with individuals? Are we to tell them not to bear witness, in their spheres of influence, to how the law and gospel and kingdom of the Trinitarian God transform our lives together?
I think Jesus's teachings lead us to avoid this false dichotomy. We dare not make an arbitrary decision to withhold our witness to the world in the public sphere—whether this be how doctors deal with abortion, or how judges or governmental leaders deal with same-sex marriage, or how psychologists deal with a transgender five-year-old, or how scientists deal with genetic engineering, or how artists deal with portraying the reality of God's creation and the distortions fallen humanity brings to it.
Yes, we need to get serious about the need for the church to rediscover its biblical and historic identity—about orthodox faith and practice. This is going to mean calling a halt to our infatuation with popular culture and being accepted by that culture. As I said in a previous post, "the reason evangelical Christianity is losing influence over the moral direction of our culture is that it has lost its stark, prophetic difference from the world in its quest to attract the world by being as much like the popular culture as it can be."
Yes, we need to ask serious questions about how the religious right has sometimes borne its witness in the public square in ineffective and even less-than-Christlike ways. But the answer is not to pendulum-swing to the opposite extreme from what we don't like about some in the religious right, thus withdrawing from the public square in the various spheres of influence in which Christians engage.
Instead, we must be radically in the world, bearing witness to the transforming rule of Christ in every area of life. But we must also be radically not of the world, living out what it means to be Christ's redeemed people, called out from the world, set apart for His holy purposes. This nuanced posture will bring kingdom transformation to the world around us.
May 7, 2015 President's Blog


text:
Virginia "parents' revolt" against CRT
Nov 3, 2021 | Posted by	admin |
What happens in Virginia will in large part determine what happens in 2022, 2024, and on.
— Kamala Harris
By Paul A. Nuttall, a historian, author and a former politician. He was a Member of the European Parliament between 2009 and 2019 and was a prominent campaigner for Brexit.
Glenn Youngkin's political earthquake of a victory in blue Virginia marks the beginning of the end of the Democratic monopoly on power in Washington.
Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin (R) defeated former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D). Republicans won a clean sweep of statewide Virginia offices. Glenn Youngkin is on pace to receive more votes than any other candidate for statewide office in Virginia history. The latest results show that Youngkin made gains in every single county in Virginia compared to the 2020 presidential election while Winsome Sears (R) made history as the first woman and woman of color to be elected to the position of lieutenant governor.
Republican Glenn Youngkin's election as Virginia governor shows the public's dissatisfaction with Joe Biden and frustration with identity politics. But don't expect the Democrats to learn too many lessons from their defeat.
The Republicans have registered a shock victory in Virginia, where Christian businessman Glenn Youngkin has won the race to become the commonwealth's new governor.
At the outset of the campaign, few political pundits gave Youngkin any chance of winning, as Virginia is traditionally a Democrat state, with Joe Biden defeating Donald Trump there last year by 10 percentage points. Moreover, Youngkin's opponent, Terry McAuliffe, was himself a former occupant of the governor's mansion. In the event, Youngkin took nearly 51% of the vote to McAuliffe's 49%.
The main issue during the campaign was education, and in particular critical race theory (CRT) being taught in schools. Indeed, polls revealed that 25% of Virginians said that it was the top issue and 71% stated that it was "important." Youngkin therefore sensibly made the issue the focal point of his campaign, and championed the rights of parents to challenge what their children are being taught in schools.
In contrast, McAuliffe, who was once deemed a moderate, seemed dismissive of parents and told them that "I don't think parents should be telling schools what they should teach." Of course, this went down like a lead balloon with parents, and from that moment McAuliffe's poll ratings began to slide and Youngkin's started to rise. Indeed, it could be argued that it was McAuliffe's arrogance that invited Youngkin into the race.
Once McAuliffe realised that he was bleeding support, he played the age-old Democrat trick of accusing his opponent of stoking racism. For example, when Youngkin argued that it was a parent's right to object to the teaching of CRT, McAuliffe said, "I really hate to see [that] what Glenn Youngkin is trying to do to Virginia [is] what Donald Trump did to our country."
Yet although McAuliffe claimed that he was determined to keep the issue of race out of the election, on the eve of the poll, he announced that if re-elected, he would ensure that there were fewer white teachers. He said, "We've got to diversify our teacher base here in Virginia… 50% are students of color, and yet 80% of the teachers are white." He then claimed, "We all know what we have to do in a school to make everybody feel comfortable in school." The message was clear: in McAuliffe's view, black children in Virginia do not feel comfortable being taught by white teachers.
And this is why McAuliffe lost this election. He got dragged into a culture war, only to find that Virginians were sick and tired of divisiveness, particularly in their classrooms. The McAuliffe of 10 years ago, who was a moderate focused on the economy, would have won this election. But like many Democrats in recent times, he has metamorphosed into a culture warrior, which may go down well with the hard left and self-loathing metropolitan liberals, but it repulses the majority… as he found to his cost.
Many have viewed the Virginia race as a referendum on Joe Biden. Even on Tuesday, Biden predicted that "I think we're going to win in Virginia." He also downplayed his role in the election, stating that "I don't believe, and I've not seen any evidence that, whether or not I am doing well or poorly, whether or not I've got my agenda passed or not, is going to have any real impact on winning or losing."
Biden is, amongst other things, delusional if he believes that he has not played a significant role in McAuliffe's surprise defeat. His poll ratings have been falling through the floor recently, with 71% of Americans convinced that the country is heading in the wrong direction under his leadership. Moreover, his feted "Build Back Better" agenda is marooned in the Senate, with some of his own moderates refusing to sign off his $1.75 trillion stimulus package. Yesterday's defeat is as much Biden's as it is McAuliffe's.
But this was not the only election taking place in Virginia yesterday. The Republicans also won the elections for lieutenant governor and attorney general, and they are closing in on taking control of the state's House of Delegates. It is, in effect, a clean sweep in the "Old Commonwealth" for the Republicans and a bloody nose for the Democrats.
And the rejection of wild hard-left Democrat ideas was seen further afield. In Minneapolis, the city in which George Floyd was killed, citizens rejected a proposal to abolish the city's police department and replace it with a new Department of Public Safety by 56% in a referendum. The proposed Department of Public Safety was backed by Democrat congresswoman and leading "Squad" member Ilhan Omar and a plethora of hard left groups. However, thankfully, common sense prevailed.
Then there is the race for the governorship of New Jersey, which, like Virginia, should have been an easy victory for the Democrats. Instead, at the time of writing, it remains "too close to call." Regardless of whether the Republicans succeed in winning, the fact that they can run the Democrats close in what is historically a solid blue state only reinforces the view that Biden's party is increasingly out-of-touch with mainstream America and is clearly losing support.
So, what do Democrats do now? They are faced with two choices: they can either tone down their radical cultural agenda and attempt to win back moderate voters, or they can simply carry on regardless. Unbelievably, it seems that many Democrats prefer the latter, with one commentator blaming "wilfully ignorant white people" for the loss in Virginia. Others simply cannot accept that Virginians voted against CRT, and instead claim the revolt was against school closures and mask mandates. I think it's called "burying your head in the sand."
The results yesterday are a clear warning to the Democrats that what is coming next year in the midterms could be a Republican tsunami. Indeed, there is a precedent for this. In 2009, a year after Barack Obama became president, the Republicans won Virginia and the following year they took control of both the House and the Senate in the midterms. It looks like history could be about to repeat itself.
Although Obama went on to win a second term in 2012, it is clear that Biden is no Obama. Some political commentators are suggesting that the Democrats should start looking beyond Biden for an alternative candidate for 2024, or actively groom Kamala Harris for a tilt at the White House. This makes sense, as Biden will be 82 by the next election, and judging by his cognitive decline, it is obvious that he will be a one-term president.
What happened in the US yesterday should be a wake-up call for the Democrats, but I suspect that it won't. They are too in thrall to the hard-left and too ideologically wedded to the mantra of identity politics to change. As a result, they will try to ignore the fact that the results were a revolt against their aggressive culture war, and plough on as if nothing had happened.
Nevertheless, what happened in Virginia yesterday was a "parents' revolt" against CRT and the culture wars being fought in classrooms. It was the moment when people of all races stood up and said, "enough is enough." Indeed, it could be the beginning of the common-sense revolution that the US – and the Western world – so desperately needs.


text:
Eochaid II. (auch Eochaid Hakennase) († 697) war im Jahr 697 König des iro-schottischen Reiches Dalriada.

Eochaid folgte 697 als König auf Ferchar II. und regierte nur kurze Zeit. Bereits im selben Jahr wurde er abgelöst von Ainbcellach.

Literatur
 Ann Williams, Alfred P. Smyth, D. P. Kirby: A biographical dictionary of dark age Britain: England, Scotland, and Wales, c. 500-c. 1050. Routledge, 1991, ISBN 1852640472, S. 134 ().
 Alan Orr Anderson: Early Sources of Scottish History A.D 500–1286, volume 1. Reprinted with corrections. Paul Watkins, Stamford, 1990, ISBN 1-871615-03-8 ().
 Dauvit Broun: The Irish Identity of the Kingdom of the Scots in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries. Boydell, Woodbridge, 1999, ISBN 0-85115-375-5, S. 152, 159 ().

Weblinks
 Annalen von Ulster latein, englisch

König (Dalriada)
Geboren im 7. Jahrhundert
Gestorben 697
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Garden Roof System
VerticalGreen System
The Kitchen Garden Story
Rooftop Organic Farming
Urban Greening
GardenRoof System
Timeline Award Prizes
The reward for his contribution towards the landscape professions and industries has won him numerous accolades:
1960 Merit Award- Outward Bound School, Lumut Malaysia
1990 Service to Education Award by the Ministry of Education for over twenty years of service and contribution to the development of the Education in Singapore
1999 Certificate of Appreciation for Long Service and Contributions to the School of Ornamental Horticulture, Singapore
2010 Honorary Member, Thai Association of Landscape Architects (TALA)
2010 President's Design Award, 2010 – Design of the Year 2010 for The Pinnacle@ Duxton (Joint Award)
2013 National Parks Skyrise Greenery Special Award for Innovation- Vertical Greenery (Joint Award with Wellington Primary School)
2013 2013 National Parks Skyrise Greenery Special Award for Community Engagement- Rooftop Organic Farming (Joint Award with Bedok View Secondary School)
2013 Honorary Fellow, Singapore Institute of Landscape Architect (SILA)
2015 Singapore Design Golden Jubilee Award 2015 in honour of Singapore pioneer designers
2015 Honorary member of the International Federation of Landscape Architecture in 2015
Membership in Design Organisations:
Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects (SILA)
1983 The reward for his contribution towards the landscape professions and industries has won him numerous accolades:
1983-1988 Merit Award- Outward Bound School, Lumut Malaysia
1989-1991 Service to Education Award by the Ministry of Education for over twenty years of service and contribution to the development of the Education in Singapore
1999-2000 President's Design Award, 2010 – Design of the Year 2010 for The Pinnacle@ Duxton (Joint Award)
2001-2004 2013 National Parks Skyrise Greenery Special Award for Community Engagement- Rooftop Organic Farming (Joint Award with Bedok View Secondary School)
SILA's delegate to IFLA's Grand Council Meetings in Munich (Germany) 1983, Tokyo (Japan) 1985, Boston (USA) 1988, Manila (Philippines) 1989, Bergen (Norway) 1990, Bogota (Colombia) 1991, Seoul (South Korea) 1992, Bakubung/Cape Town (South Africa) 1993, Mexico 1994, Bangkok (Thailand) 1995, Florence (Italy) 1996, Mar Del Plata, (Argentina) 1997, Bali (Indonesia) 1998, Funen (Denmark) 1999, Taipei (Taiwan) 2004, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) 2007, Appledorn (Holland) 2008, Suzhou (China) 2010, Zurich (Switzerland) 2011, Capetown (South Africa) 2012.
International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA)
1989-1990 Chairman of Eastern Regional Council
1990-1992 Re-elected Chairman of Eastern Regional Council
1990-1992 Member, Committee on International Relations and Activities
1991-1995 1st Vice President of IFLA
1993-1994 Member, IFLA Task Force on Reunification
1994-1995 Chairman of the Working Group of Management for the Decentralization and Reorganization of IFLA
1994-1995 Chairman of Task Force on Constitution and Bye-laws
1996-2000 Treasurer of IFLA
2001-2002 President of IF LA (continues to be actively involved in IFLA activities)
Main contributions to IFLA
Instrumental in recruiting Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, India and China as members of IFLA during tenure as Chairman of Eastern Regional Council. As first Vice President, played pivotal in preventing IFLA from dissolving and financial ruin despite the resignation of the four largest associations: ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects), British Institute of Landscape Architects, Canadian Society of Landscape Architects and Australian Institute of Landscape Architects.Responsible for the de-centralization of administration of IFLA to enable the three regions (Eastern, Central and Western) to be autonomous in fund management and government while Chairman of the Working Group of Management for the Decentralization and Reorganization of IFLA. Instrumental in re-writing and updating IFLA's Constitution and By-Laws to reflect the reorganization of the world body.
Design Leadership & Contributions to Local Design Industry
1969 Founded Garden & Landscape Centre, Singapore's first landscape architecture and design practice.
1978 Developed fiberglass simulated rocks for landscaping and pioneered the use of fiberglass for low load-bearing rock gardens, starting with Shangri-La Hotel's Waterfall Garden, and subsequently used in numerous other projects, including Dynasty Hotel's Roof-top Garden and Sentosa Musical Fountain. Becton Dickinson Factory
1979 Developed landscape masterplan for Singapore first large-scale condominium development- Pandan Valley Condominium, including design of unique retention ponds to ease flow of run-off and discharge into public drains.
1998 Collaborated with Corus Building Systems of the United Kingdom to develop the GLC Garden Roof System. The first lightweight roof-top planting system not exceeding 90kg per m2.
2001 Developed the first VerticalGreen System. A sustainable and easy to maintain system where plants are grown onto the specially designed planting board. The only one of its kind for vertical green wall planting system.
2008 Participated in "The Living Wall" research by BCA and NParks and installed the GLC Vertical Green System at Hort Park which is still exhibited there up to date.
2012 Developed first rooftop farming system using innovative planting medium of substrate of only 75mm depth on a reservoir of capacity of 4.21itres/m2 cum drainage system. It was successful installed at several schools, one of which was Bedok View Secondary School which was awarded with the Skyrise Greenery Award 2013- Community Engagement Award
2012 Founded The Landscape Academy, a non-profit organization providing tertiary-level education in landscape architecture in the developing states of ASEAN with campuses in Khon Kaen in northeast Thailand and Ben Tre Province, Vietnam.
2012 Developed an economical way to green the roofs of homes at less developed country using bamboos and successfully conducted workshops at Manila, Philippines and Phnom Penh, Cambodia to teach the people to make economical green roofs and edible gardens.
2012 Developed the first 10-storey high VerticalGreen System at 2 Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) ventilation towers.
2013 Developed the first rotating louvre VerticalGreen System at Wellington Primary School which was awarded with the Skyrise Greenery Award 2013- Innovation Award.
2015 Developed the integrated Green House for growing organic vegetables in an urban setting and premier it at the Bahrain International Garden Show 2015
2015 Developing the first Vertical Farming System which is capable of increasing yield up to 30 times. Project is under review with potential investors


Voters are most concerned about the nation's fiscal health amid a spirited campaign for the White House, according to a new monthly poll released Tuesday.
The April fiscal confidence index is at 49 — levels below 100 reflect negative sentiment — showing that voters want Democratic and Republican presidential candidates to offer plans that address the nation's long-term fiscal challenges, according to data released by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.
"As candidates make their case to voters nationwide, it's clear that Americans want a plan to secure our fiscal and economic future," said Michael Peterson, president and CEO of the Peterson Foundation.
"Voters expect candidates to put forth fiscal solutions and demonstrate how they will put the nation on a sustainable long-term path," Peterson said.
As the presidential primaries continue, the national debt remains an issue of growing concern to voters across the country.
Overall, voters say they are deeply concerned about the debt and the direction of long-term fiscal policy and that elected leaders need to make addressing the long-term debt a high priority.
About 68 percent of voters say their level of concern about the issue has increased during the past few years, including majorities of Democrats (53 percent), independents (69 percent) and Republicans (84 percent).
Consistent with this growing concern, an overwhelming majority of voters (85 percent) believe the president and Congress should be spending more time addressing the national debt.
The nationwide poll included 1,001 U.S. registered voters, surveyed by telephone between April 18 and 21, with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage percent.


Guy Stivers is a master landscape architect, environmental planner, and an urban forester. His 40+ years experience, applied with innovative technology, has changed local industry standards on Best Management Practices. His work is seen by hundreds of thousands of people. He often works on projects that are "one of a kind" demonstrations of resource conservation. He excels at retrofit projects where his "systems approach" to design yields sustainable solutions.


Welcome to Ruptela's documentation. Here you can find all the documentation regarding Ruptela FM devices, such as manuals, datasheets, and advanced functionalities descriptions as well as documents related to the FLS (Fuel level sensor). Additionally, datasheets and instructions for supported peripheral devices are present in every section of an FM device model (Pro, Tco, Eco, etc.).
Ruptela devices (FM4, FLS) – here the user can find all the documents related to existing Ruptela devices and peripherals, as well as certificates and lists of supported vehicles.
End-of-life devices (FM3, FM4 BT) – here the user can find all the documents related to older Ruptela devices and peripherals that have reached their end-of-life.
TrustTrack help documents and files – here the user can find TrustTrack administration training videos and the automatic DDD file download program, as well as instructions on how to use it.
Technical support information – contains information on how to contact technical support and how to use the Helpdesk.
To access any of the previously mentioned sections, simply click required link below or the user can use the search function to quickly search through the whole website. Alternatively, the user can use the navigation tree, located on the left side of the screen.
Need help? Contact technical support!
google chrome - doesnt work.


Maybe it was the sunshine or the fact that Martell was the sponsor, but this year's Grand National felt distinctly Gallic: Aintree could almost have been mistaken for Chantilly. Aside from the streaker who ran down the course, only to be pulled up by the police, the highlight of the day was Bobbyjo winning the big race, to the delight of Tommy and Paul Carberry, the father and son trainer/jockey team. It was a bittersweet day for trainer Jenny 'Queen of Aintree' Pitman - the National marked her retirement from racing, but fittingly, she had the winner in the last race.