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Curriculum Vitae
I have over 10 years experience working independently as a writer and also teaching in writing centers, working collaboratively with writers ranging from displaced industrial workers drafting their first resumes to CEOs looking to polish a grant proposal. I've written about motorcycle rallies and chiropractic technique with the same passion and diligence I use to create lesson plans or research a feature article. You might say I'm a chronic word junky. I hold an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from the University of Pittsburgh, where I also earned master's certificates in women's studies and teaching composition.
- 10 years self-employed experience managing multiple, simultaneous contracts
- Prioritize deadlines across multiple projects of varying scope
- Focus on timely, clear communication regarding each stage of assignments
- Detail-oriented, efficient approach to first drafts to minimize revision for clients
Creative, original content focused on scene & sensory detail. Published feature-length magazine articles, project narratives for foundations, blog posts, web content, & more.
- Focus on family, sustainability, & women's health topics
- Past clients include:
- Parents magazine (feature writing)
- Bust magazine (feature writing)
- A Mother's Boutique (blogger & content creator for e-newsletter)
- The Sprout Fund (project narratives for foundation application & PR materials)
Writing samples available online: katyranklev.com/publications
Clear content crafted to convey message, adapting voice, style, & tone to the client's audience & purpose.
- Past projects include:
- 2011 Annual Report for Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh
- Web content for chiropractic practitioners
- Donor profiles & concept mapping for Penn State Rugby Football Club
- White papers & educational materials for the International Cesarean Awareness Network
Carefully review text for substantive & mechanical error, developing sentence structure & paragraph flow, brushing & polishing tired text. Minimize jargon as requested, & tighten lengthy text.
- Past projects include:
- Proofreading educational supplements to accompany textbooks for Prentice Hall
- Proofreading internal PowerPoint presentations for Corning Incorporated headquarters
- Copyediting growth strategy manuals for USA Rugby
- Scrubbing website text for consistency, tone, & error for various business clients
Review technical materials for mechanical error, structure, & formatting, ensuring material adheres to technical specifications provided. Familiar with AP, CMS, APA, and CSE style manuals.
- Past projects include:
- Editing Agricultural Science research articles for University of Nebraska professors seeking publication in scholarly journals
- Reviewing graduate dissertations for students in the University of Pittsburgh Communication Science & Disorders department
- Preparing engineering articles for publication & conference presentation for the University of Pittsburgh
Teach writing (creative, composition, professional communication) in both formal & informal educational settings for 10+ years.
- Develop original syllabi tailored to student body for each course
- Conduct interactive class meetings where every student is given voice
- Provide detailed, constructive feedback on writing assignments
- Experience working with remedial writers, adult learners, collegiate undergraduates, & upper division writing students
Small-group & one-on-one tutoring experience in both university & community writing centers


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Mumbai: Premier Futsal, the multi-national global Futsal league based out of India has appointed LIQVD ASIA to manage its digital duties. Futsal is a 5-a-side, shorter and action-packed variant of football with two halves of 20 minutes each.
Premier Futsal Management (P) Limited, a futsal promotions start-up was started by 3 young Indian entrepreneurs Abhinandan Balasubramanian, Dinesh Raj and Nithyashree Subban and backed by business magnate Xavier Britto and his wife, philanthropist Vimala Britto.
Season 2 of the biggest and most viewed futsal event in the world and is all set to surpass the inaugural season with significant additions to the 1st edition, with number of match days increasing from 8 to 14, and matches increasing from 15 to 27.
The mandate for LIQVD ASIA is to manage end-to-end digital marketing for the league, across Paid, Owned and Earned media channels, including creative services.
Commenting on the appointment, Abhinandan Balasubramanian, CEO & Founder, Premier Futsal, "The first edition of Premier Futsal saw tremendous response. Hence, we were looking for an agency with the desire and commitment to take the tournament to the next level. We decided to go with LIQVD ASIA because of their understanding and clutter breaking ideas. I look forward to working with the team at LA and hope that this year will be much bigger and better!"
Football legends like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes , Ronaldinho, Cafu and Hernan Crespo, participated in the inaugural edition of Premier Futsal, along with the greatest Futsal player ever, Falcao.
Arnab Mitra, Managing Director, LIQVD ASIA said, "This is a massive mandate for us. Premier Futsal is all set to become an integral part of the sporting revolution that is taking India by storm and we are delighted to be a part of such an incredible tournament!"
Season One of Premier Futsal was a resounding success with a viewership of 61 million+ all over the world. The tournament was broadcasted in United Kingdom, Middle East, Europe, South America and South East Asia regions other than India. Season 2.0 only promises to be more engaging providing an engaging experience to the audience.

subset: commoncrawl


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UK Property Statutes
These are some of the recent UK Property Statutes:
UK Property Statutes:
Localism Act 2011
A statute has been passed in England called the Localism Act 2011 (only a politician could come up with a title like that!). It is intended to make planning a more local matter and give more power to local communities.
However, hidden in this lengthy Statute are issues related to (i) a "list of asset of community value" ('community assets') that must be maintained by a local authority (such as local parks, village shops and public houses that are considered important to community), ss. 87–108; (ii) changes to the Community Infrastructure Levy to prevent it being imposed "in a way that does not make development of the area economically unviable", Planning Act 2008, s. 205 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011, s. 115); (iii) changes to strengthen the procedures in respect of an enforcement order, ss. 123—127; (iv) as the name implies, creating new forms of Neighbourhood Planning, Part 6, Ch. 3, s. 122; (v) introducing a requirement for "consultation before applying for planning permission" for many forms of development (in particular those forms of development set out in a 'development order'), Part 6, Ch. 4; (vi) modification of the rules in relation to planning permission that is to be taken into account when assessing compensation for compulsory purchase (especially allowing for account to be taken of the prospect of obtaining planning permission and when the grant of a certificate of appropriate alternative development); (vi) improving protection of deposits paid to a landlord within the provisions of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme.
In spite of all this, a planning appeal is still available to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Secretary of State must look at all aspects of the application, as well as the local views as set forward after the consultation. The Secretary of State must consider national needs, such as the need for more housing or national infrastructure requirements.
The effect of the changes to the planning process does not "eliminate the role of the Secretary of State in determining planning applications opposed by local planning authorities or to abolish long-standing principles and policies such as the need for a five-year housing land supply", Tewkesbury Borough Council v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government [2013] EWHC 286 (Admin), [2013] PLSCS 57.
Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013
This statute takes matters further by making provisions for the "use of infrastructure, the carrying-out of development".
Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002
Apart from introducing the new form of property ownership called commonhold, this Act contains a number of significant changes to leasehold law in England & Wales:
In the case of a long lease (basically one over 21 years) of a dwelling, prior to commencing forfeiture proceedings, the tenant must acknowledge that there is a breach of covenant, or the court, or the Upper Property Tribunal, must acknowledge that there is a breach (s. 168).
The 2002 Act sets out special notice requirements in respect of such arrears (CLRA 2002, s. 166). Also, for such leases, a landlord cannot start forfeiture proceedings if the arrears of rent (which includes a service charge or administrative expense) is less than £350, or the amount has been outstanding for more than three years (CLRA 2002, s. 167).
These provisions do not apply to a business tenancy or a tenancy of an agricultural holding (CLRA 2002, s. 169(4).
Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (ERRA)
Applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Heritage Property & Listed Buildings
A 'heritage partnership agreement' may be entered into in respect of a listed building, which enables consent to be obtained for work to a listed building (P(LBCA)A, s. 26A-B, as inserted by ERRA 2013, s. 60))
The Secretary of State may make an order that automatically grants consent for an alteration of an alteration or extension of a listed building, called a 'listed building consent order'. Similarly, a local planning authority may make a 'local listed building consent order' (Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, s. 26C-G, as inserted by ERRA 2013, s. 60.
A certificate of lawfulness may be obtained in respect of a listed building (P(LBCA)A, s. 26H, as inserted by ERRA 2013, s. 61). Also a 'certificate of immunity' may be applied for in development at any time, rather than waiting for an application to be made for planning permission.
All the terms in bold are defined and explained in full in Real Estate Defined.
Find UK Property Statutes in full at:


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Ceramica Innova. Truly innovative, our products stand out in the crowd. Our years of experience and market knowledge reflect a promise of quality you can depend on for years to come. With a range of ceramic, porcelain and listello tiles to meet every taste and purpose, we share in making your dreams reality.
It couldn't be easier to find us, with the most prestigious distributors of home building materials, , including El Sallab , El Mahgoub and ElMazloum stocking our comprehensive range of tiles and sanitary ware. Ceramica Innova products can be found in most areas of Egypt, we are considered to have the best product coverage available. We understand the dreams of our customers, whether it is a young couple delighting in creating their first home, or a top-notch interior designer tackling a huge project, we have the expertise and experience to help make it a reality. And it doesn't stop there, our innovative styling and dependable quality has made Ceramica Innova an increasingly popular brand in our rapidly expanding network of dealers throughout Europe, Africa and the Gulf. Growing demand is not limited to Egypt, our export market is flourishing, Ceramica Innova products should also soon be available in areas as far-flung as Latin America, South Africa and Asia.


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As someone who never really had typical exposure in terms of cartoons, I just discovered Rocky and Bullwinkle.This is brief and to the point. I need express mondo appreciation for the "Fractured Fairy Tales" segment of the cartoon.Also worth noting that I am NOT a ninja who generally likes anything comedic but for some reason these things have me rolling.A quick youtube search yields a few fractured playlists for anyone wondering what I am talking about. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE288392E5B0D41DD
This has truly been eye opening. I think I need to re-assess just how much standard-classic-cartoon exposure I've had. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am aware of quite a few "classics" but nothing really caught my interest aside from the Rocky and Bullwinkle here. EDIT: Worth noting I also really like Mr. Magoo (recently discovered it on Hulu)
I have to admit, Aeolus remembered a number of good shows I had forgotten.
Loony Toons and stuff like Scooby Doo fall into a similar niche where they peaked way back when and attempts at reviving them kinda fall flat
Quote from: Aeolus on February 15, 2016, 04:32:52 AM Loony Toons and stuff like Scooby Doo fall into a similar niche where they peaked way back when and attempts at reviving them kinda fall flat A Pup Named Scooby Doo separated itself enough from the original show that it was quite enjoyable to watch as a kid.


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Trinity College Dublin is pleased to offer postgraduate research studentships for EU and non-EU for entry in September 2017 and March 2018 intake. These postgraduate studentships fully cover EU or non-EU fee and an annual maintenance of €6,500 for three years.
The postgraduate Studentships aim to support and develop gifted research students.
User Review( votes)
Trinity College is the sole constituent college of the University of Dublin, a research university in Ireland. The Library of Trinity College is the largest research library in Ireland. Trinity College is the most productive internationally recognized research center in Ireland. Trinity College Dublin is the top ranked university in Ireland.
Course Level: Studentships are available to pursue postgraduate research.
Study Subject: Studentships are awarded to learn any of the subjects offered by the university.
Award: The postgraduate studentship fully covers EU or non-EU fee and an annual maintenance of €6,500 for three years. Fees will be covered and maintenance is payable monthly via Trinity College payroll directly to your bank account.
Number of Awards: Not Known
The award can be taken in Ireland
Eligibility: The following criteria must be met in order for applicants to be eligible for the scholarship.
- Postgraduate studentships are available to new entrants as well as continuing students on the full-time PhD register for entry in September and/or the following March of the same academic year (e.g. September 2017 and/or March 2018). The postgraduate Studentships aim to support and develop gifted research students. They are awarded competitively on academic merit.
Nationality: EU and non-EU applicants are eligible to apply for these studentships.
College Admission Requirement
Entrance Requirements: Applicants must have their previous degree.
English language Requirements: Applicants must meet the necessary language proficiency requirements of the host institution.
How to Apply: New entrants to the Research Register must make their applications online using tcd.ie/courses.
You must make your application for Postgraduate studentship awards in conjunction with your PhD application. This process is done online using tcd.ie/courses.
To apply for the funding during your online application, simply select the award (Studentship or Ussher Award) you wish to be considered for from the drop down menu in the Section of the application form titled "Funding/Financial Support".
Application Deadline: Studentship application deadline is May 1, 2017.


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The only people who seem to want face-to-face meetings and personal phone calls anymore are school principals. Four in five parents consider e-mail the most effective way for schools and districts to communicate with them.
A new whitepaper from personalized learning nonprofit KnowledgeWorks explores how wearables, augmented reality and virtual reality could play out in education. Vignettes drill into how educators could use these technologies in and out of the classroom to add "digital depth" to physical reality to increase student engagement, enhance the personalization of learning, help people understand others' experiences and perspectives, generate greater levels of self-awareness and foster critical thinking.
Generally girls lose interest in STEM careers as they get older. But, according to a new study, small changes at school and at home can have a profound impact on how girls perceive STEM careers, how confident they feel in class and how likely they are to pursue STEM academically and into their careers.
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You are currently browsing the monthly archive for June 2008.
…if they really are out to get us?
It's a question I've been pondering today, as I contemplate the current state of things in American politics.
There is a phenomenon in psychology known as habituation, in which an organism – human or animal – begins to ignore some stimulus in its environment that has been repeated over and over. After a certain point, the brain just tunes it out, and stops reacting even at the neurological level. Our nervous systems are set up to notice changes in the environment. Changes represent potential threats, or risks, or food sources, and they draw our attention quickly, while unchanging things are quickly filed and forgotten.
Say you bring home a new clock and put it on your mantle. When you first start it up, you notice the ticking sound made by the second hand as it moves in its circular route. But very quickly you become unaware of the noise unless you are deliberately attending to it.
Here's another example: I live in the flight path of the Redstatesville airport. There are relatively few flights in and out of the airport each day, and once I had been living here for a while, I rarely noticed the planes anymore unless one passed by particularly low directly overhead. In the last few days, however, a helicopter has been flying around my neighborhood frequently, presumably because of its proximity to the airport. That, I notice. But if it becomes routine over the next few weeks, I'll probably stop noticing it, as well.
People who live along train tracks experience a similar phenomenon, and wonder why their house guests never seem to get a good night's sleep.
It kind of works the same way with warnings. Call it Boy Who Cried Wolf Syndrome: when a warning is repeated endlessly, and the event warned of never happens, the warning itself becomes meaningless chatter that gets filtered out as we go about our business.
When's the last time you really listened to a flight attendant give the pre-flight safety speech? Do you actually look around the cabin to find the nearest exit before takeoff? I'm betting that for frequent travelers, the answer to those questions are, "Um, jeez, I don't know," and "No," respectively.
Where am I going with this?
Well, as I've said elsewhere in this blog, I believe that the current administration has been using terror management theory to manipulate public opinion. Keith Olbermann has ably chronicled this in the series of reports he has done about the nexus of politics and terror, in which he recalls for us all the times that bad news affecting the Bush administration was followed, usually within a day or so, by press releases from the White House or the Department of Homeland Security about the terrorist threat. Increases in the threat level, the sudden reporting of uncovered and averted plots, that sort of thing.
And of course, the Republican Party's beating of the 9/11 drum in the run-up to the 2004 presidential election was plain for all to see.
In the 2006 elections, they tried this strategy again, but it didn't work for them so well that time. Partly because people were fed up with the ongoing Iraq war, and likely partly because of habituation.
People have simply heard the politicians talk about 9/11 so much that most people (though of course not all) now sort of tune them out and focus on other issues. Like the war, or the economy, or the huge laundry list of scandals perpetrated by this administration.
What does all this mean?
It means, quite frankly, that if the Republicans (and those interests that support them or benefit from their policies) want to continue to use fear successfully as a tool of political manipulation, they probably actually need another terrorist attack, preferably one on US soil. Something that makes a big boom, figuratively or literally.
This thought has been keeping me awake at night lately.
Don't get me wrong. I don't believe that this is a Republican party campaign strategy. I am not accusing anyone of treason. There has been no attack yet, and I have know knowledge of actual facts about any plot.
What I'm saying is, that it would only take a few people with knowledge of terror management theory's implications to see what "needed" to be done and to arrange for it to happen.
You may, at this point, be thinking, "Wait a minute. This is all well and good, but so far I haven't heard anything that would suggest that people high up in the current administration or the Republican party are even aware of terror management theory. Isn't this just something a bunch of ivory-tower social psychologists like to jawjack about? Where's your evidence that any of the people you are talking about know anything at all about this?"
Here's the thing:
Since 9/11, there has been a major increase in government funding for terror management research. Much if not all of that funding comes through the Department of Homeland Security, and various military officers and DHS officials have been briefed on the findings by the very university professors who are conducting the research.
How do I know this? Ah, that would be telling. But some of it, at least, can probably be confirmed through public sources – particularly information about research grants that have been made to fund the research. As for the briefings claim, well…let's just say I have my sources, and leave it at that for now.
You can see why I am losing sleep at night: I don't think the terrorists are the only ones we have to fear.
Hell, I don't even think the terrorists are the most dangerous threat at the moment.
What might motivate otherwise loyal Americans to orchestrate a "terrorist" attack on their own country?
Money. Power.
Both of these are at stake, in huge amounts, at the moment.
My original mental doomsday scenario called for the attack to be a few weeks before the November election. Say, late September or early October.
But last night I got to thinking, what if manipulating the election results to ensure a favorable outcome weren't your only goal?
What if you were trying to force measures further eroding our privacy and civil liberties through Congress?
What if you wanted an excuse to start bombing Iran?
Am I being paranoid?
We're heading into a three-day weekend, a time when people will be pumped up with patriotic fervor. The day when we celebrate our country's founding and the battle for our independence.
There will be all sorts of big events drawing thousands of people, all across the country. Baseball games, outdoor concerts, fireworks displays.
And large gatherings of people make really good targets for a terrorist attack.
Am I being paranoid?
I really, really hope so. Believe me when I say that nothing would make me happier than to be wrong on this.
I just hope that, if the worst does happen, if another attack does occur, that things will be a little different than they were after 9/11. That Congress won't rush to sell out our remaining civil liberties, or allow us to be bulldozed into a war with Iran before the investigation into the attack is even finished. That the media will question the information being fed to them by those in power, instead of just mindlessly reporting it as truth. That whoever conducts the investigation looks not just at the Middle East, but also closer to home, when trying to establish the list of suspects and their motivations.
I think I'll end on that cheerful note. Again, I really hope to be proven wrong in all of this. I'll be really happy if on January 21, 2009, I'm writing a post about how I got all worked up over nothing.
As for this weekend, well, I don't think I'll be going to any baseball games, or large concerts, or fireworks shows. Maybe I'll go for a drive out into the farmland surrounding us here in Redstatesville. See how the corn's coming up. Get away from the city lights and lie on the hood of my car staring up at the sky, counting stars and dreaming of a world where I don't feel the need to engage in the kind of paranoid speculation I've been doing here today.
–jane doe
Addendum: A new CNN poll out today (July 2) reports that "Americans' concerns about terrorism have hit an all-time low for the post-September 11 era," and goes on to say:
According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Wednesday, 35 percent of Americans believe a terrorist attack somewhere in the United States is likely over the next several weeks.
The figure is the lowest in a CNN poll since the September 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.
All of which ties in with my comment above about Boy Who Cried Wolf Syndrome. If Americans have become less concerned with the threat of another attack, then repeated comments about 9/11 and the threat of future attacks are less likely to have the kind of impact at the polls that they did in 2004.
I'm just saying…
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few days, you have most likely heard by now about the brouhaha surrounding McCain adviser and lobbyist (because apparently all McCain advisers are lobbyists) Charlie Black's comment that a terrorist attack on U.S. soil in the coming months would likely help the McCain campaign. According to the article:
On national security McCain wins. We saw how that might play out early in the campaign, when one good scare, one timely reminder of the chaos lurking in the world, probably saved McCain in New Hampshire, a state he had to win to save his candidacy – this according to McCain's chief strategist, Charlie Black. The assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December was an "unfortunate event," says Black. "But his knowledge and ability to talk about it reemphasized that this is the guy who's ready to be Commander-in-Chief. And it helped us." As would, Black concedes with startling candor after we raise the issue, another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. "Certainly it would be a big advantage to him," says Black.
Black's statement, and McCain's relative lack of reaction to it, have been causing great consternation and discussion both in the mainstream media and here in teh internets. Keith Olbermann has covered the remark and its fallout for five nights running so far. The liberal blogosphere is all a-tizzy. People have been calling for Black to resign from McCain's campaign, and/or for McCain to show him the door.
Some people have also been debating the accuracy of the assertion. Is it fair to say McCain wins on national security? Is he better than Barack Obama in this area? Frankly, I find that idea hard to accept, and it's disturbing that so many in the mainstream media seem to take it as a given. I mean, the man doesn't know Sunni from Shia, he gets confused over the fact that Iran and al Qaeda are not best buddies, and he sang "Bomb-bomb-bomb Iran" in a town hall meeting. Color me unimpressed.
But when it comes down to it, as much as it pains me to say this, whether McCain is better than Obama in any substantive way on national security matters is probably irrelevant. Because in all likelihood, Charlie Black is right on this:
McCain benefits if there is a terrorist attack in the US in the run-up to the election.
Go ahead and yell at the computer monitor for a minute if it makes you feel better, my dear non-existent readers, but then read the rest of what I have to say before you flame me in the comments that you never leave.
It all comes down to terror management theory.
I've written about this theory from the field of social psychology in the past, so I won't go into a detailed explanation of it again here. See here for my original post describing some of the theory's principles and its relevance in the political sphere (it's a long post but it covers the basics and how they connect to the political realm generally), or click on the terror management category link in the left column of this blog.
Suffice it to say that research into the field of terror management has found that on average, people react in rather predictable ways when they are reminded of their own mortality.
Say, for instance, the way they are when there is a major terrorist attack like 9/11, or even when some Republican politician harps on 9/11 and the threat of terrorism over and over in his campaign speeches.
It's called mortality salience by the psych researchers. Terror management research indicates that when people are put in a mortality salience condition, they are more likely to exhibit the following behaviors:
- They become more fearful of the "other" in society, and are more willing to express racist or stereotypical viewpoints.
- They retreat into more conservative values, and show reduced tolerance for differing views.
- They become more likely to support authoritarian policies.
- They become more likely to support candidates perceived as charismatic over those seen as intellectual (and by charismatic, I mean politicians who use the strength of their personality and "values", as opposed to their positions on the substantive issues, to win voters).
Does any of this sound familiar? Say, 2004-ish?
Now look at some of the memes floating around on Faux News or in the talk radio realm and conservative blogosphere:
- The emphasis on using Obama's middle name (Hussein)
- The constant "mistakes" where people say Osama when they mean Obama, or vice versa
- The whispered rumors that Obama is really a Muslim
- The talk of him being an elitist or a more intellectual candidate who may be "difficult for voters to relate to"
I submit to you that some people are consciously, deliberately setting Obama up as an "other" to be feared, as different, as not a real American. And I expect that the closer we get to the November election, the more frequently we will be hearing McCain and his surrogates beating the 9/11 drum, reminding us of the threat of future terrorist attacks.
They're trying to raise mortality salience in the electorate. An actual attack on US soil, or even a very real looking threat of one that is somehow stopped, would certainly do a fine job of it.
The effect of mortality salience on a person's behavior seems to be influenced by the strength of the stimulus that put him or her into that condition in the first place. That is, the bigger the stimulus, the greater the change in behavior as a result.
When a psychologist is conducting research in the field of terror management, there are limitations on the strength of the stimulus that can be used to put subjects into a mortality salience condition. One wouldn't want to traumatize the research participants, after all. Thus, the people participating in the research are often just asked to think about the experience of death (e.g., death of a loved one), or to read a paragraph that talks about something related to death (people in the control condition are often asked to think about dental pain, instead). This sort of stimulus (or prime) is enough to produce statistically significant results, but generally doesn't produce a very large effect size – that is, the difference between the control group and the experimental group in the study usually isn't very big. Indeed, some participants' behavior might not change measurably at all in such circumstances.
In contrast, people who have directly experienced something that reminds them of death – say, by witnessing a car bombing – may exhibit very marked changes in behavior consistent with the trends I mentioned above. People who would not be affected at all by just a spoken or written reminder of death may be deeply affected by a more traumatic experience, and changes in behavior across the population become more substantial.
Translating all of that into political terms, reminders of 9/11 and the threat of future terror attacks spoken by a political candidate or broadcast in the media probably wouldn't change the voting behavior of a huge percentage of voters, but in a very close election, like for instance, the 2004 presidential election, it could sway enough voters to change the outcome. I am aware of at least one study that concluded that this did, in fact, happen.
In contrast, an actual terrorist attack on US soil, or even a credible one that was somehow thwarted, would probably have a much larger effect. Its impact in the voting booth could be huge.
Of course, many factors influence voters' decisions, so it is difficult to gauge the impact of any single factor. Still, based on my reading of the research, it seems safe to infer that the bigger the boom, the bigger the change in the polling numbers.
Think I'm crazy?
Think back to the weeks and months following 9/11. A whole lot of people who were still very bitter about the 2000 election results suddenly fell into line supporting our alleged president after the attacks. American flags were flying off the store shelves. Bush's approval rating soared, and Congress couldn't give away our civil liberties fast enough in their desire to be seen as protecting us from the evil terrorists.
So yeah, I think Charlie Black is right. A terrorist attack on US soil would help the McCain campaign.
Would it be enough to swing the election?
That's much harder to predict. Obviously many other events will occur between now and November that can change the two candidates' standing in the public opinion.
And I think Obama's campaign is focusing on some important themes that the research suggests can help counter the effects of the constant reminders of the terrorist threat that we are likely to hear from the McCain camp. Themes like the idea of Americans uniting and his faith in the strength of the American public.
Themes like hope, and change.
So I can't say conclusively that a terrorist attack would change the results in November. But it would certainly heavily influence the levels of support for the two candidates, with McCain likely seeing a strong increase in his polling numbers.
You may think I've made a bad call by posting this information. Am I not giving the terrorists (or anyone else who might have an unhealthy interest in the outcome of the presidential race – say, businesses legitimate and not-so-legitimate that are making a killing in Iraq, pun very much intended) a roadmap for how to influence our elections?
I don't think so. That ship has already sailed.
All of the research I've referred to here is available in any number of social psychology journals. Abstracts of all the articles I've read, summarizing their key findings, can be found in a number of online databases and search engines by anyone curious enough to look for them. This isn't like publishing the designs for a nuclear device, or anything.
The bad guys aren't stupid. They can google just as well as anyone else, I assure you.
Anyway, for those who would like to find out more, I've included a few references at the bottom of this post. I would post links, but the articles are all in proprietary academic databases that require a paid membership to access. Any friendly college student would probably be able to access copies of the articles from his or her school's computers. The one book that's listed (last item on the list) is actually available at Amazon.com.
Or just google terror management theory, and see what you come up with.
–jane doe
Note: I edited this post to add the very last sentence, which was inadvertently omitted. Sorry about the multiple posts, RSS readers.
Cohen, F., Ogilvie, D. M., Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T. (2005). American Roulette: The effect of reminders of death on support for George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 5, 177-187.
Cohen, F., Solomon, S., Maxfield, M., Pyszczynski, T., & Greenberg, J. (2004). Fatal attraction: The effects of mortality salience on evaluations of charismatic, task-oriented, and relationship-oriented leaders. Psychological Science, 15, 846-851.
Landau, M. J., Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., Cohen, F., Pyszczynski, T., Arndt, J., Miller, C. H., Ogilvie, D. M, & Cook, A. (2004). Deliver us from evil: The effects of mortality salience and reminders of 9/11 on support for President George W. Bush. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 1136-1150.
Pyszczynski, T. (2004). What are we so afraid of? A Terror Management Theory perspective on the politics of fear. Social Research, 71, 827-848.
Pyszczynski, T., Solomon, S., & Greenberg, J. (2003). In the wake of 9/11: The psychology of terror. Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association.
Much to my displeasure, I'm going to be abandoning my "janedoe at inbox.com" e-mail address.
You see, some genius named Linda Dudley apparently thought that was a good e-mail address to use for websites that required her to provide an e-mail address in order to login or whatever, and now my mailbox is getting about 300 spam messages a day.
This wouldn't be so bad, except that the inbox.com anti-spamware is a little overzealous in sending things to the junk mail folder, forcing me to scan through all the ads for easy credit and viagra in order to find the legitimate stuff that gets diverted by mistake.
Linda Dudley is very lucky I don't have her e-mail address, because if I did, I would set up a filter that would auto-forward all the spam I've been getting to her before I washed my hands of the account. I figure sometimes it's okay to act as an instrument of karma. Especially since I'm being forced to give up a nice, simple e-mail address in favor a more difficult to remember one.
Anyway, the new e-mail address is janedoe_tcandm [at] inbox [dot] com. Feel free to not send comments about the blog to that address if you'd rather not not post them directly as comments here, my dear non-existent readers.
–jane doe
P.S. If anyone has sent me a message lately that I have not responded to, please re-send it. It was very late when I went through the thousands of messages in the spam folder, and I may not have caught all the legitimate e-mail messages. Sorry about that.
If you are well into your thirties and you are driving around in a car that is plastered with stickers advertising your affiliation with your college fraternity or sorority, it's probably time to get (a) a new car, or (b) a life. Possibly both.
Just a thought.
I went to Congressman Dennis Kucinich's web page today, hoping to find a copy of the articles of impeachment he has submitted to Congress. Instead, I found this, from today:
"WE WENT TO WAR FOR THE OIL COMPANIES" Kucinich Tells Congress
Demands Bush Administration and Oil Company Execs be Held Accountable
Washington, Jun 26 – US Representative Dennis J. Kucinich, in a speech to the House of Representatives today, tied the secret meetings of the Cheney Energy Task Force to the recent award of non-competitive oil contracts in Iraq and said that both the Bush Administration and the oil company executives who participated in those meetings in 2001 should be held criminally liable for an illegal war and extortion of Iraq's oil.
"In March of 2001, when the Bush Administration began to have secret meetings with oil company executives from Exxon, Shell and BP, spreading maps of Iraq oil fields before them, the price of oil was $23.96 per barrel. Then there were 63 companies in 30 countries, other than the US, competing for oil contracts with Iraq.
"Today the price of oil is $135.59 per barrel, the US Army is occupying Iraq and the first Iraq oil contracts will go, without competitive bidding to, surprise, (among a very few others) Exxon, Shell and BP.
"Iraq has between 200 – 300 billion barrels of oil with a market value in the tens of trillions of dollars. And our government is trying to force Iraq not only to privatize its oil, but to accept a long-term US military presence to guard the oil and protect the profits of the oil companies while Americans pay between $4 and $5 a gallon for gas, while our troops continue dying.
"We attacked a nation that did not attack us. Over 4000 of our troops are dead. Over 1,000,000 innocent Iraqis have perished. The war will cost US taxpayers between $2 – $3 trillion dollars. Our nation's soul is stained because we went to war for the oil companies and their profits. There must be accountability not only with this Administration for its secret meetings and its open illegal warfare but also for the oil company executives who were willing participants in a criminal enterprise of illegal war, the deaths of our soldiers and innocent Iraqis and the extortion of the national resources of Iraq.
"We have found the weapon of mass destruction in Iraq. It is oil. As long as the oil companies control our government Americans will continue to pay and pay, with our lives, our fortunes our sacred honor," he concluded.
I have nothing to add right now, except (a) if you haven't already done so, you should check out Naomi Klein's book, The Shock Doctrine, which has just come out in paperback, and (b) I really, really think it's time Bush and Cheney were impeached.
–jane doe
Can I just take a moment to comment on how much I truly loathe and despise the aural valium that is John Mayer's song Waiting on the World to Change?
Every time I hear its opening chords, as my hand goes flying to the radio to make the pain stop, I just think, "Dude, you're a successful pop star. People are pointing microphones and television cameras at you all the fucking time. You are not powerless. If you don't like the way things are in the world at the moment, open your mouth and speak out! Don't just sit there waiting on the world to change, get off your ass and change it."
Then I pop a Billy Bragg tape into the tape deck (it's an old car) and the pain magically goes away.
–jane doe
I was reading back over what I posted last night – something I really shouldn't do because I always find things I would like to change – when I realized I left out something rather important in my review of War, Inc.
That is, the film's impact on me.
Because, like all good satires, it did have an impact that lasted after I walked out of the theater. In spite of being absolutely hilarious at times, War, Inc. is, overall, a rather disquieting movie. This may account for some of the negative reviews, because at times you kind of feel like you're laughing at a funeral. Gallows humor, I think it's called.
I mean, here are all these absolutely absurd things happening up on the screen, and you can't help but laugh, but in the pause after the laugh, you also can't help but think, "Wait, this isn't all that far removed from the shit that's actually happening over in Iraq right now."
It is a very disturbing feeling.
But that's not entirely a bad thing. Because we should be disturbed by what is happening in Iraq.
It's easy for a lot of people to ignore the war, the atrocities that are being committed in our names. Aside from our troops and their friends and families, most of us haven't had to sacrifice much of anything because of the war. Yeah, we're paying an obscene amount for gasoline at the moment, but that's not because of the war. Gas is expensive because Congress hasn't closed the Enron loophole that lets corporate executives game the system at our expense.
People slap magnetic ribbons on their SUVs and think they're supporting the troops. Neocons say we can't leave until we've secured "victory" (whatever that means this week), and think they're being patriotic.
And all the while, people are dying in the name of the bottom line.
I saw Iraq for Sale when it came out on DVD, and it left me so angry I was literally shaking. The effect of War, Inc. was not as severe – probably because I got to release a lot of tension by laughing – but it left me with a definite feeling of needing to do something – march in protest, sign petitions calling for impeachment and war crimes trials for our alleged president, lead an angry mob waving torches and pitchforks up Pennsylvania Avenue, whatever – just something, anything to make this nonsense stop.
It's a good feeling, I think, and one that more people need to experience.
So if you're living in one of the cities where War, Inc., is showing, grab a bunch of friends and go see it. Heck, plan a road trip around it if you don't live in one of those cities.
And then do something.
–jane doe
Finally got to see War, Inc., last weekend when I was in Chicago. The showing I saw was on Sunday afternoon, and at that hour, unfortunately, the theater was more empty than full. Still, a fine time was had by all, I think.
Looking around on the net, one sees that War, Inc., has gotten rather mixed reviews from mainstream sources, and I can only conclude that those people don't get it.
Me? I loved it.
War, Inc. is subversive, rebellious, twisted, and, most importantly, funny. The filmmakers made their political and social points without being heavy-handed, and clearly had fun doing so. This is what a good satire should be like.
The film stars John Cusack (who also co-wrote and co-produced it) as hitman Brand Hauser. Hauser is hired by Tamerlane, a US-based corporation run by a former Vice President (Dan Aykroyd) which has just successfully invaded a country called Turaquistan in the first-ever entirely corporate-fought war, to kill a competitor who has the temerity to build an oil pipeline in his own country in competition with Tamerlane.
Whew. That was a lot of info to fit in one sentence.
Tamerlane is a rather deliberate hybrid of Halliburton and Blackwater, and any resemblance between Iraq and Turaqistan (or between Aykroyd's character and Dick Cheney) is purely intentional, I'm sure.
Hauser's cover on this assignment is that he has to act as the trade show host for Tamerlane, which is showcasing all the wonderful products the company makes to help rebuild the country…sort of…most of the products seem to be things like inflatable prisons, weapons, security devices, and artificial limbs. Does any of this sound familiar?
While on assignment, Hauser is aided by his super-efficient assistant, Marsha Dillon (played by sister Joan Cusack). The relationship between these two characters seems very reminiscent of the roles the two Cusacks portrayed in Grosse Pointe Blank, but it works in this movie, too.
Hauser also finds himself interacting with lefty reporter Natalie Hegalhuzen (Marisa Tomei), an about-to-be-married 18-year-old Middle East pop star named Yonica Babyyeah (Hilary Duff), her piggish husband-to-be, Ooq-Mi-Fay (I'll leave it to you to figure out the piglatin translation), their entourage, and the voice of an OnStar-like guidance system (Montel Williams).
Mayhem ensues.
I'll refrain from detailing the storyline more than I already have, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Suffice it to say, there is sufficient plot excitement to keep the film moving along at a good pace, but probably no huge surprises as the story unfolds.
The performances from all the major actors are great. Cusack is again wonderful in the conflicted hitman/everyman role. Marisa Tomei, Ben Kingsley, and Dan Aykroyd all nailed their parts. And much to my surprise, Hilary Duff was great as Yonica, the Middle East's Britney Spears. I'm not familiar with her earlier work, and I'd kind of assumed that her acting talent would be about on par with Britney Spears, as well, but she showed a great ability to disappear into the character – I really wouldn't have recognized her if I hadn't already known she was playing the role.
There's a lot going on in this movie at any point in time, beyond the main focus of the scenes. The advertising signs scattered all over the place in Turaquistan were hilarious, and there was a lot of funny stuff that you would miss if you blinked. I'm really looking forward to getting this movie on DVD, so I can figure out some of the things that went by too fast on the screen to be appreciated.
The soundtrack is good, which is no surprise since Cusack has shown a real talent for pulling together nice soundtracks in earlier movies where he's been involved in the production (e.g., the Grosse Pointe Blank soundtrack, which is awesome). A fitting selection of tunes for the big scenes, plus some original songs written by Paul Hipp for Yonica's performances in the film, like her trade show number, I Want to Blow You…Up, which, as you might expect from its title, is heavy on the innuendo, hold the subtlety.
My overall recommendation on this movie is this:
If you are a neo-conservative, don't bother. Either you won't get it, or it will piss you off. Of course, from the absence of badly-spelled troll-like comments I receive on this blog, I assume not many neocons are reading this, anyway.
For everyone else: If you are sick of the Iraq war, if you are tired of the way the Bush White House is running this country for the benefit of its corporations instead of its citizens, go see this movie.
Make a little noise.
Get rowdy.
And don't forget to VOTE in November.
–jane doe
Will this thing not die? It's like some monster out of a horror movie that keeps coming back and causing trouble in the sequels, no matter how many times it appears to have been defeated.
The House of Representatives is currently considering a "compromise" updating of the FISA law that would, among other things, still give the President sweeping authority to spy on American citizens and grant immunity to the telecommunications corporations who have been helping Bush spy on us since 9/11.
All of us. Yes, you too.
Do I sound paranoid? I'm not. It's not paranoia when the breach of privacy you are concerned about is actually happening.
See, after 9/11, George and his buddies decided that they needed a bit more information to help them track terrorists. So they asked all the major telecoms to start giving them their data about who is calling whom, when, and how often.
Most of the telecoms went along with this cheerfully, even though it was a clear violation of the law that was in place at the time, which required a warrant to see even a phone user's records. The companies knew this. They were well aware of the law (they had lawyers who could probably recite the relevant portions of the law in their sleep) and chose to act in violation of it. They started providing the government with tons of data, all about whom you are calling, and who's calling you.
Now, you may think, "I'm not doing anything illegal, so there's nothing to fear." And, in your individual case that might even be true. Maybe.
But it means that the government – specifically, the political forces that are in control of the executive branch of the government at the moment – has access to a whole lot of information that we, as members of the public, might not want them to have access to. Information about perfectly legal activities that could nevertheless create big problems for law abiding citizens.
What sorts of things am I talking about? Reporters' anonymous sources. Whistleblowers who try to halt dangerous or illegal practices. Sometimes the government doesn't like what these sorts of people have to say, yet it may be critical for public safety or national security for them to be able to say it safely, relatively free of the fear of retribution.
Of course, there are lots of other reasons to be concerned with all this data. The Bush administration seems to be real big out outsourcing things to private corporations, and it wouldn't shock me to know that some of these corporations had acquired the data. Where is the assurance that your information will not be made public? Or used for other purposes? Information about your calls to doctors, or lawyers, or mental health care providers, for instance.
And if you find yourself wondering why this issue keeps resurfacing, and why it may pass this time when it's already been voted down due to public outcry…well…the telecoms give an awful lot of money to congressional campaigns, to candidates in both parties.
There is apparently going to be a vote on this tomorrow. Call your representative and tell them to vote against the FISA compromise!
The always thorough Glenn Greenwald over at Salon.com has been leading the charge on this. Crooks and Liars and Daily Kos have been fighting the good fight, too. They have much more information on the subject than I do, so be sure to check them out!
I still think Bush and Cheney should be impeached, but maybe we need to be looking a little wider than that now. Self-serving bastards.
–jane doe
For those who may have missed it – easy enough to do if you get your news from the mainstream media – on Monday, Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D – Ohio) introduced 35 articles of impeachment against George W. Bush. Bravo!
Back in 2006, when the Democrats re-took control of the House of Representatives, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that impeachment was off the table, thus virtually guaranteeing that Bush and his cronies would not be held accountable for their repeated and flagrant violations of our constitution and laws or their crimes against humanity.
Perhaps Pelosi and the other leaders of the Democratic party did not want to be seen as repeating the pettiness of the Republican persecution of Bill Clinton when he was in office. Perhaps they felt that the slim Democratic lead in the Senate (if you want to even call it a lead, given the Blue Dog Democrats and Sen. Lieberman) would make impeachment a costly and ultimately futile gesture. Perhaps their decision was part of some cynical strategy to let Bush drag the rest of the Republicans down with him in public opinion, ensuring major Democratic gains in the 2008 elections.
I don't claim to be a mind reader, so I can't tell you what the reasons are for their failure to take action. But I would beg them to consider the possible consequences of not impeaching Bush and Cheney. What message are they sending by failing to take action against possibly the most corrupt administration in history? What are they telling future members of the executive branch?
The answer is simple: they are saying, in essence, that the Democrats are unwilling or unable to stand up to rampant abuse of authority by the executive branch. They are saying that we are no longer a nation of laws. They are saying that there will be no consequences for starting a war of aggression against a nation that was never really a threat. They are saying there will be no consequences if an administration wants to spy on our citizens, violate our constitution, and torture those who they think might be a threat. That it's okay to use departments in the executive branch as if they were merely subdivisions of the Republican party, existing to ensure the continued dominance of the Republican party.
And by failing to stand up to the White House, they are effectively complicit in its misdeeds. Which is why it is so critical that they impeach Bush and Cheney now, while there is still time.
–jane doe
John Cusack has teamed up with the folks at MoveOn.org to put together a fantastic commercial highlighting the differences – or more importantly, lack thereof – between John McCain and George W. Bush on some of the important issues facing our country at the moment.
MoveOn.org currently has the video posted on their main page, where they're raising money to get it on the air. Crooks and Liars also has the video posted here, but if you watch it there, be sure to head over to MoveOn's webpage and show them some love.
Sure, the video will get lots of views here on the internet, but that's largely preaching to the choir. We want to make sure this message gets out to the mainstream! Our country (and the rest of the world) cannot take a third term of Duhbya's failed policies.
Especially since, as regular readers of this blog know, I already think that Bush and Cheney ought to be impeached.
–jane doe


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The ninth series of Doctor Who ended on 5th December 2015, and in that time the only Doctor Who the BBC felt we deserved was two stand-alone Christmas specials and a paltry spin-off. Now, at long bloody last, we know when the tenth series is due to begin. April 15th.
#DoctorWho returns to @BBCOne on Saturday, 15th April.#TimeForHeroes
Who's excited? pic.twitter.com/NMnDsEtzLS
— Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) February 25, 2017
As you can see, there's also a trailer that shows us very little. Also a tagline 'Time for Heroes', which could be the name of the first episode, or it could not. We also don't know what time it'll be on, but around 7pm sounds about right. There's isn't very much to go on, so I'm just speculating.
We should at least be thankful that the BBC has got this announcement out of the way now, rather than getting up to its old tricks and only giving people a few days notice.
Doctor Who series 10 will be the last series with Stephen Moffat as showrunner, and Peter Capaldi's last as the 12th Doctor. Also along for the ride are Matt Lucas as Nardole, and Pearl Mackie as the new companion Bill. The above trailer is also available to watch on YouTube, in case you wanted a version with a few more pixels.


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In a city long known for its creative activity and writers, American University continues the tradition by serving as a lively venue for creative work by both established and emerging writers.
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A Hidden Life
It's one of the year's best and most distinctive movies, though sure to be divisive, even alienating for some viewers, in the manner of nearly…
It's one of the year's best and most distinctive movies, though sure to be divisive, even alienating for some viewers, in the manner of nearly…
Bombshell is both light on its feet and a punch in the gut.
Roger Ebert on James Ivory's "Howards End".
"The Ballad of Narayama" is a Japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice, telling a story of startling cruelty. What a space it opens…
An article about today's noon premiere of a new movie about architect Benjamin Marshall at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
An article about the screening of Horace Jenkins' "Cane River" on Friday, November 1st, at the Academy Film Archive in Los Angeles.
Scout Tafoya's video essay series about maligned masterpieces celebrates Steven Soderbergh's Solaris.
An article about today's noon premiere of a new movie about architect Benjamin Marshall at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
An FFC on Gavin Hood's Official Secrets.
A celebration of Yasujiro Ozu, as written by a Far Flung Correspondent from Egypt.
A tribute to the Oscar nominated character actor, Danny Aiello.
Our contributors share their Top 10 lists for the best films of 2019.
"The Hundred-Foot Journey" is a film that demands that you take it seriously. With its feel-good themes of multicultural understanding, it is about Something Important. It even comes with the stamp of approval from titanic tastemakers Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, who both serve as producers. What more convincing could you possibly need?
There's something familiar about the treacly and sanctimonious way this film is being packaged. It reeks of late-'90s/early '00s Miramax fare: films with tasteful yet ubiquitous ad campaigns and unabashed Oscar aspirations which suggested that seeing them (and, more importantly, voting for them) would make you a better person. Films like "The Cider House Rules," "Chocolat" and "The Shipping News." Films by Swedish director Lasse Hallstrom.
Hallstrom just happens to be the director here, as well, and the similarities to "Chocolat" are inescapable. Stop me if think you've heard this one before: A family moves into a quaint but closed-minded French village and shakes things up with an enticing array of culinary delicacies. This new enterprise happens to sit across the street from a conservative and revered building that's a town treasure. But the food in question isn't a bon bon this time—rather, the movie is the bon bon itself.
But despite being handsomely crafted, well acted and even sufficiently enjoyable, "The Hundred-Foot Journey" is also conventional and predictable. And for a film that's all about opening up your senses and sampling spicy, exotic tastes, this comic drama is entirely too safe and even a little bland.
What livens things up, though, is the interplay between Helen Mirren and Om Puri as battling restaurant owners operating across the street from each other—100 feet away from each other, to be exact, a short but fraught trip that various characters take for various reasons. Watching these veteran actors stoop to sabotage each other provides a consistent source of laughs. She's all sharp angles, piercing looks and biting quips; he's all round joviality, boisterous blasts and warmhearted optimism. The contrast between the British Oscar-winner and the Indian acting legend offers the only tension in this otherwise soft and gooey dish—that is, until the film goes all soft and gooey, too.
Mirren stars as Madame Mallory, owner of Le Saule Pleurer (The Weeping Willow), an elegant and expensive French restaurant that's the winner of a prestigious Michelin star. But one star isn't enough for the coldly driven Mme. Mallory—she wants another, and then another.
But her bloodless quest for gourmet grandeur is interrupted by the arrival across the street of an Indian family: the Kadams, who've been wandering around Europe ever since their beloved restaurant back home burned down during political rioting. When the brakes on their car malfunction on a treacherous stretch of spectacular countryside, Papa (Puri) insists it's a sign from his late wife and decides to open a new eatery in the charming town at the bottom of the hill.
Never mind that one of the most celebrated restaurants in all of France is sitting right across the street from the empty building he rents. Never mind that they are in an insular part of the country where the residents probably don't even know what Indian cuisine is, much less like it, as his children point out. He has faith in his food—and in his son, Hassan (Manish Dayal), a brilliant, young chef.
Just as Papa and Mme. Mallory strike up a sparky rivalry, Hassan enjoys a flirtatious relationship with French sous chef Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon, who played an early model and muse in the recent "Yves Saint Laurent" biopic). The script from Steven Wright (who also wrote the far trickier "Locke" from earlier this year, as well as "Dirty Pretty Things" and "Eastern Promises") is full of such tidy parallels, as well as trite and overly simplistic proclamations about how food inspires memories. Dayal and Le Bon do look lovely together, though, and share a light, enjoyable chemistry.
Then again, it all looks lovely—both the French and Indian dishes as well as the lush, rolling surroundings, which we see through all four seasons; the work of cinematographer Linus Sandgren, who recently shot "American Hustle." This sweetly pleasing combination of ingredients would have been perfectly suitable if the film didn't take a wild and needless detour in the third act. That's when it becomes an even less interesting movie than it already was, in spite of its loftier aspirations.
The best films of 2019, as chosen by the staff of RogerEbert.com.
A review of three premieres from Telluride.
This message came to me from a reader named Peter Svensland. He and a fr...
The top 50 shows of the 2010s.


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East outlasts Southwest in IL battle
By Toriano Porter PrepsKC Staff Writer
Somewhere on the east side of Kansas City, the East Bears are marveling at the thought of shutting down Southwest Early College Campus running back Howard Rice.
While he left his dance moves for Saturday night's Homecoming soriee, Rice dazzled during the first half of Friday's Interscholastic League game between the Bears and host Indians.
Rice, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior, scored four touchdowns on an array of moves that included broken tackles, stiff arms and jukes. He also had a 60-yard punt return.
Head turning stats for sure, but a gut-check for the Bears helped keep Rice out of the end zone in the second half of East's 41-36 come-from-behind win at IL Stadium.
"The game plan was to stop him," Xanthanus Pierro, a wide receiver/defensive back/returner turned quarterback for East, said of Rice. "I have to give Howard a lot of credit, he runs incredibly hard.
"But, one thing we were doing on defense was we were arm-tackling. In the second half, we said, you know what, he bleeds like us, he stretches like us and he is a man just like we are. We had to stick it in there and grind it out."
The win gave East head coach Greg Smith's team a sense of purpose after they improved to 3-4 overall on the season and 3-0 in the IL.
"We're hungry," Smith said. "This is just one step. Our goal is more than just winning the IL. We want to win a district. The only way the IL will get respect is to beat teams outside of the league. We needed this to get us ready. Every one of our losses has prepared us for this."
Southwest fell to 2-4 overall on the season while suffering their first loss in two IL games.
"The effort was there," Southwest head coach Roger Franks said. "We definitely made some mistakes to put ourselves in the situation that we were in. East is a good ballclub. It's a reason they are (undefeated) in the league. They played well. They made the big plays and we didn't."
Pierro was just as deadly for East. The 5-8 senior had a rushing touchdown, threw two touchdown passes and collected an interception on defense. Normally a wide receiver, Pierro had to fill in for starting quarterback DeWayne Charles.
"Coach said lead the team," Pierro said. "Even when I'm not playing quarterback he said 'lead your team.' I just said, 'Coach, I'm going to do whatever you need me to do and whatever is best for team.'"
Both teams had their share of the yips early. East fumbled the ball on its first two possessions of the game while Southwest coughed it up on their first.
Southwest took advantage of the first miscue, marching 53 yards for a score. The seven-play drive was capped on a third and 1 play from the East 28-yard line when Rice ran off tackle and eluded Bear defenders for a touchdown run.
The score put the Indians ahead 6-0 with 7 minutes, 46 seconds left in the first quarter.
After East's second fumble, Southwest was forced to punt, but it was partially blocked. East took over at the Indians' 24-yard line at the 6:00 mark of the opening quarter.
Two plays later, Pierro - the Bears' answer to Rice on the night - took a quarterback keeper 19 yards for a touchdown. Pierro's successful two-point conversion run put the Bears up 8-6 with 5:44 showing on the clock.
Rice, however, answered for the Indians. He gained 10 yards on one attempt in the 53-yard drive, then another tough 8-yard run.
After a a couple of Larahn Walker runs that totaled 15 yards, quarterback Darias Jones was stopped for a 5-yard loss that resulted in a third-and-10 from the 25.
No sweat for Rice, who banged his way for a 9-yard gain to set up a fourth-and-1.
Walker's 2-yard gain gave the Indians a first-and-10 from the 13-yard line.
Rice then capped the drive with a 13-yard scoring run that made the score 12-8 with 1:10 remaining in the first quarter. Rice's successful conversion run made it 14-8.
East immediately answered with a 74-yard kickoff return from Ronnell Hatchett. The Bears failed conversion attempt left the score tied 14-14.
Taking over at their 40-yard line, Southwest put together a 60-yard scoring drive that ended with a Rice 21-yard touchdown run three minutes into the second quarter. A successful two-point conversion gave Southwest a 22-14 lead.
Hatchett's 29-yard run from the East 48-yard line gave the Bears a first and 10 from the Indians' 23, but a penalty and a couple of miscues forced the Bears into a third-and-long situation from the 39.
Pierro's 12-yard run gave the Bears a reasonable chance on fourth-and-13 from the 26.
Pierro connected with Aric Marks for a 20-yard reception that resulted in a first and goal from the 6-yard line with 6 minutes left before halftime.
One play later, Pierro ran up the middle for a Bear score that made the score 22-20 in favor of Southwest after the Indians held firm on the subsequent two-point attempt.
Rice continued his masterful ground attack, scoring his fourth touchdown in the opening half with less than 3 minutes to go before half. Southwest took that 28-20 lead into the break.
"Howard Rice has been a solid kid since I had him as a freshman," Franks said. "He'll have a chance to play ball outside of high school."
The back and forth continued in the third quarter. East's David Wilson scored on a 6-yard run with 5:12 left in the third. A successful conversion tied the score at 28-28.
Three minutes later, Pierro found wide receiver Sharod Benton wide open for a 58-yard touchdown. The score put the Bears ahead 34-28.
Adrian Orozco's pick with 7:08 remaining gave a East a first down at their 36.
The turnover proved fruitful for East after Pierro's 20-yard touchdown pass to Hatchett with 4:06 left. The extra point kick made the score 41-28.
Southwest closed the gap to 41-34 with 2:23 remaining on a 7-yard run by Jones. They narrowed the lead to five after a successful two-point conversion.
The Indians recovered the onside kick but it was nullified after game officials determined a Southwest player touched the ball before it went 10 yards.
Southwest then forced a turnover with 1:32 to go. The Indians had to go 48 yards for a touchdown and win, but the East defense held its ground to force a turnover on downs.
"We are real fortunate to get the win," Pierro said.
Maryville Spoofhounds
Crest Ridge Cougars
Wichita Heights
Topeka Hayden
Jefferson City
Troy Buchanan
Seneca-Nemaha Valley Raiders
St. James Academy Thunder
Blue Valley West Jaguars
Sedalia Smith-Cotton Tigers
St. Joseph Central Indians
Sherwood Marksmen
Highland Park
Southeast Knights
Lawson Cardinals
Garden City Buffaloes
Turner Golden Bears


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In what has become a more commonplace practice, from water delivery companies to propane gas suppliers, consumers continue to continue to be hit with hidden fuel surcharges. A class action lawsuit was recently filed against Suburban Propane in Federal Court in New Jersey on behalf of current and former residential propane customers of Suburban Propane. The lawsuit alleges that Suburban Propane unlawfully charged its customers certain fees, including tank pick up fees, pump out fees, restocking fees, delivery fees, regulatory fees, transportation fuel surcharges, and other fees that were not adequately disclosed.
Suburban Propane is not alone in charging consumers for transportation fuel charges. As gas prices rose several years ago, many companies began charging fuel surcharges in order to compensate for the rising fuel prices. Despite the cost of gas returning to more normal levels, the fuel surcharges remain on the invoices. For example, companies like Deer Park, who sell and deliver bottled water, have made these charges part of their regular billing practice. Whether these charges were adequately disclosed will become an issue in the Suburban Propane case and in future cases brought against these companies.
If you believe you were charged excessive fees for products, service or delivery – and were not adequately informed of these fees prior to being charged, call the lawyers at Pogust Braslow & Millrood.


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Swearing fidelity to a king was a common practice in monarchies, but few today know that there was actually a point in U.S. history when swearing an oath against a king was mandatory. In Maryland, this document was called an Oath of Fidelity or Oath of Allegiance.
Oaths of Fidelity
"An Act for the Better Security of Government" was a Maryland law signed in 1777 which required all free men 18 and up to sign an Oath of Fidelity. This oath required the signatory to renounce the English monarch -- at the time, King George III -- and swear allegiance to the revolutionary government of Maryland. The penalties for not signing were harsh economic sanctions. Those who didn't sign were made to pay triple property tax and were not allowed to operate many types of businesses or practice certain professions. The Maryland Historical Society maintains records of those who signed these oaths.


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Japanese fashion brand White Mountaineering teams up with adidas Originals on a special NMD City Sock colorway.
The upper is made fully of primeknit and is adorned with stripes that follow from the heel to the front. Three stripes that form an arrow pointing towards the toe box display the classic adidas tre-foil logo alongside White Mountaneering branding. For those that love adidas collabs, you can cop the White Mountaineering x adidas NMD City Sock at shops like Packer Shoes for a retail price of $200 right now.


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A film by Pierre Trividic, Patrick Mario Bernard
Anne-Marie has a peaceful break-up with her boyfriend Alex, whom she doesn't love anymore. However, upon learning that another woman has come into his life, she becomes insanely jealous...
A film by Arnaud Des Pallières
Georges Nail lives in a new suburb. He's married, loves his wife, son and dog. Paul Hammer is good looking, rich and intelligent. But he is torn by his severe judgement of the world and a desire to be part of it. One day, their paths meet. Nail sees this meeting as an opportunity to create a new friendship. On his side, Hammer sees it as a new reason for living : to crucify the perfect image of the happy western man and his incarnation in the person of Georges Nail. A nail is the perfect victim for a hammer.
A film by Sylvie Verheyde
1977. Stella, 11, lives just outside of Paris in a working class neighbourhood. Admitted into a famous Parisian school, she meets Gladys, the daughter of intellectual Argentinean Jews. Her new best friend will help her take her first steps into the real world.


text: On the 30th July, I went to see The Lenny Henry Birthday Show recorded in TC1 at TV Centre. The following are a few notes from the experience. Nothing too spoilery, if only because my brain has an innate capability for forgetting the funniest of jokes precisely 10 seconds later.


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Thursday, July 9, 2009
Governor appoints new Trustee to Columbus State Board Governor Strickland has appointed Dianne Radigan to the Columbus State Board of Trustees for a term of six years beginning in July.
Radigan is director of community relations for Cardinal Health. Under her leadership, Cardinal Health has refocused its philanthropic efforts around three pillars: 1) enhancing healthcare effectiveness; 2) building healthy and vibrant communities; and 3) connecting the company's employees to their communities.
Radigan previously served as chief operating officer of Children's Hunger Alliance, an Ohio anti-hunger organization that provides food and educational programming to improve child health. She has also served as food and nutrition specialist for the University of Missouri and as a consultant to the Ohio Department of Education, hospitals and physicians.
Radigan earned a master's degree in nutrition from Michigan State University and is a registered dietitian.
Self-taught web developer's work gets noticed
Greg Phillips
Ten years after graduating from CCAD in 1989 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in advertising, Greg Phillips taught himself the basics of HTML and started designing Web pages in the ERC, where he worked doing desktop publishing.
His work started getting noticed, and he was "kidnapped" from the library by the late Miki Colasante, director of Information Services, to work on the earlier stages of the college's Web site.
"Greg has been behind the scenes for years creating remarkable Web imagery for the college," said Shawn Ferguson, supervisor in the Data Center, in his nomination for Phillips as Staff Employee of the Month.
"For years, the Web site was managed mostly by Greg, and he still continues to put his signature style on the pages," added Ferguson.
Phillips was given the July Staff Employee of the Month award in a ceremony July 8, attended by his numerous supporters.
"Greg is not only talented but extremely conscientious and hardworking. He taught me everything I know about the Web," said Tony Goins, Web content coordinator in Institutional Advancement.
"Greg's role has changed in that he ho longer maintains the entire Web site—he now creates custom interfaces for the Data Center's projects, such as Capital Equipment Request for Campus, the new Nursing Application System and countless others," said Ferguson. "He continues to provide high-class, top-notch interfaces that we are proud to display as CSCC applications. When others see his work, it both inspires them and also makes them want to work harder to match the level of quality and professionalism that Greg puts in all his projects!"
Staff members attend annual OSCHE conference
Susan Thomas and Mandy Gollhofer attended the annual Ohio Staff Council of Higher Education (OSCHE) summer conference hosted by Sinclair Community College in Dayton. Topics of discussion were the Ohio budget and how it is impacting Ohio's colleges and universities. Sustainability was discussed, with Sinclair showing how their college is recycling used cooking oil from the cafeteria to make biodiesel fuel to operate their maintenance equipment. Sinclair has not purchased diesel fuel in a year and a half. In the elections of executive officers, Susan Thomas was elected executive secretary for OSCHE.
ERC to host Lincoln exhibit in 2013
Columbus State's Educational Resource Center (ERC) is one of only 25 libraries selected to participate in the upcoming tour of "Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War." The exhibition and tour have been developed by the National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, and the American Library Association, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
The exhibition will tour from August 2009 through August 2013, with Columbus State offering the exhibit in June 2013 in the newly renovated ERC. The grant of $2,500 covers local program expenses; NEH will also fund shipping and insurance, as well as printed materials and banners.
Columbus State will collaborate with the King-Lincoln District and Shiloh Baptist Church in delivering the program. The College's Humanities faculty will make scholarly presentations related to the exhibit theme, required of all selected libraries.
Fly with the Young Eagles! The Young Eagles will hold a flight rally on Saturday, July 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bolton Field Terminal, which is located at 2000 Norton Road. Free airplane rides will be given to all children between the ages of 8 and 18. Please visit the Young Eagles Web site for more information.
Matrix to offer free stress workshopsAddress Your Stress is a group therapeutic approach designed to increase the understanding of how one can regain control where stress has attempted to take over.
With stress and anxiety being so pervasive in our society, it is imperative that individuals take some level of action to reduce the antecedents of stress and equip themselves with the necessary tools to control their responses to stress. While it is unrealistic to assume that one can ever fully eliminate stress, the goal of this five-session group is to provide individuals with the necessary skills to better cope with their environment.
The group will meet at Matrix office headquarters at 2 Easton Oval, Suite 450, Columbus, 43209, from 6:30–8 p.m. for five consecutive Mondays, July 20–August 17.
The five sessions will include:
Session 1: Introduction and Information (Learning about Stress/Anxiety)
Session 2: Treating Cognitive Anxiety (Controlling Your Thoughts)
Session 3: Treating Somatic Anxiety (Stress and the Physical Body)
Session 4: Treating Behavioral Anxiety (Anxiety through Action)
Session 5: Controlling Your Future
Please contact Jennifer Slate Grischkan at (614) 475-9500 or email@example.com to register for the group. There is no fee to participate in the group; it is offered to you as part of your Matrix Employee Assistance Program. Participation in the group will not count toward your free sessions. The group is limited to 10 individuals.
ERC hosts multimedia exhibit through July 30 The Educational Resources Center is pleased to present a new exhibit by artist Jeff Gondek. Gondek comments on his work: "Channeling multiple perspectives, I try to combine cliché and esoteric, representational and abstract, form and void, solid and ephemeral, artificial versus natural, to define my own artistic style. As varied as the global community has become, I feel compelled to use all media available to us and thus consider myself a multimedia artist instead of beholden to any one form. Art should be able to communicate to people and draw them in to deeper conversations. Plus, robots are awesome."
You can view these works in the Art Gallery North on the Main Level of Columbus Hall through July 30.
Celebration of Teaching & Learning July 17 The Celebration of Teaching & Learning event will be held Friday, July 17, in the Workforce Development Building. Dr. Peggy Maki (www.peggymaki.com) will share the most recent development on the national scoring rubrics coming from Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate scoring rubrics for general education learning outcomes. The title of her keynote is "From a Testing Model to a Value Model."
Also: Dr. Val Moeller will present updates on Quarters to Semesters during the morning session. The new Provost Dr. Judith Scherer will attend. Great time to meet her! Additional break-out sessions will be presented in the afternoon addressing technology, accreditation, information you can reveal to parents, and degree audit information. Breakfast and lunch catered by Vito's Catering. Plus giveaways (books, massage certificates, Christopher's certificates) in the WD Ballroom at 3:20 p.m.!
To register or to view the whole schedule, go online to http://cscc.edu/CSCCtraining/viewRoster.asp?CID=173&detailKey=1499.


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A few months ago, I followed up this tip that Bolivian salteñas could be found at La Esquina.
First I called ahead to confirm that salteñas were available. The charming proprietor, Guillermo, advised that I needed to give him 45 minutes lead time to bake them so that they'd be ready on arrival. Available in beef or chicken versions, they're $4 each. So, I set up an appointment that day and headed down to Los Gatos. My empanadas were just being pulled out of the oven when I arrived.
They were served to me with a teaspoon in my place setting. This was a good sign presumably the empanadas would be bursting with soup. Here's what they looked like with an attractive braided seam.
And, with one bite, the chicken on the left, beef on the right.
The chicken salteña had a leak, so while it was quite moist, the inside wasn't soupy. The beef, on the other hand, burst with soup and I did need that spoon. They were very tasty with stewed chunks of meat and aromatic vegetables and intensely flavored stock.
The owner told me that his wife makes the salteñas herself and any Bolivian food for special orders. He said that her family owned one of the well-known salteña producers back home. Making them is a two-day process, needing time to make the long-simmered stock and then chilling it until it gels and can be used to fill the salteñas. When I described to him the secret to making xiao long bao, he said that this was very similar.
I noticed that a number of his Mexican customers were enjoying various chorizo dishes. His main cook is from Mexico and makes the chorizo in house. The Choripan seemed to be a popular order with gringos and latinos alike and I'll need to try this next time. I asked him whether the pan frances (French bread) was baked in-house. He laughed and said that they didn't have time for that. But then he said that if I wanted to taste Bolivian-style pan frances (also known as marraqueta), I should go to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. He was describing Acme bakery to me, and said that the French bread is like pan frances used to be in Bolivia when it was still made in the traditional, artisanal way. When he has a day off, he loves buying bread, some cheese, and then enjoying it with a glass of wine at the Ferry Wine Merchant.
At one point, I noticed him take off on a bicycle parked in front of the door. Apparently La Esquina operated the street cart in front of the DMV and he needed to resupply it. The cart is open from 11 to 2:30pm on weekdays, selling tamales, hot dogs and soft drinks.
The menu at La Esquina is entirely Mexican and weekly specials are promoted via twitter. http://twitter.com/laesquina_LG The salteñas aren't even listed, but are known in the Bolivian community by word of mouth. When I asked about Bolivian specialties, he asked me if my husband was from Bolivia or why would I care. He did describe a few things involving different types of dried/preserved potatoes that could be available as catering orders.
I liked the salteñas and was sorry I hadn't brought a cooler to take some frozen ones home with me.
General Chowhounding Topic: What are the properties of a great saltena?
La Equina's offering on craigslist, $3.50 each, and vegetarian available by advance order
La Esquina
551 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95030
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Suspended sentence for man who claimed he had air pistol and ammunition for target practise
A MAN who claimed he had an air pistol and ammunition for target practice has been given a six month suspended sentence.
Michail Timofejev has also been convicted of having cannabis at his home when gardai searched it.
Timofejev (23) of Thornlea in Rush pleaded guilty before Balbriggan District Court to being in unauthorised possession of a CO2 powered airgun, a 12 gauge shotgun cartridge and €10 of cannabis at his home address on October 4th, 2012
Garda Gerrit Durnin said the defendant had no licence for the air gun nor the shot gun cartridge and that both are classed as firearms under the Firearms Act.
Timofejev, who has two previous convictions for sale and supply of drugs and unlawful possession of drugs, had assisted gardai with the search and was co-operative, the court heard.
Gda Durnin said he did not have any information as to whether there was anything sinister about the defendant being in unauthorised possession of the items.
Defence barrister Patrick Jackson said Timofejev, who is originally from Lithuania, has been living in Ireland for the past nine years.
'He did have issues previously with cannabis and there is no evidence of anything sinister going on as far as the air pistol and ammunition is concerned. He was using the air pistol for target practise and the bearings for it were also found,' said Mr Jackson.
Judge Dermot Dempsey convicted and sentenced Timofejev to six months in prison which he suspended and remanded him on a peace bond for two years for the unauthorised possession of the gun cartridge.
He further convicted and fined him €400 for the unauthorised possession of the air gun and convicted and fined him €200 for unlawful possession of cannabis.
Online Editors


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4 Tips for Great Sunset Photography
Sunset photography can capture some unique and interesting photos that you will be very proud of. However, taking photos in these conditions can be very difficult. You will need to understand how to get the most out of the light available and how to enhance the photos. This article will look at some useful tips which can be used to improve your photos of sunsets.
1. Planning
The first thing that you need to do to take great sunset photos is plan well in advance. You will find it difficult to take a good photo of sunsets without plenty of planning. You need to decide on a time, check the weather forecasts and also ensure that you have your camera and all necessary equipment with you. By doing your research, it should be possible to find out when the sun rises and sets. This will make it much easier to know when to take the photos.
2. Use a Tripod
When shooting sunsets, you will need to deal with low level light conditions. For this reason, you should use a tripod. A tripod will keep your camera level and reduce the risk of creating a blurred photo.
3. Manual Focus
Auto focus can be very slow and inaccurate when shooting in low light conditions. For this reason, you will normally find it much better to set your camera in manual focus mode.
4. Shoot Lots of Photos
You will need to shoot lots of photos of sunsets. Sunsets can change continuously over time. That's why you will need to take lots of photos so you have the best chance of getting a good photo.


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Late Summer and Early Autumm Breaks at Award Winning Bosinver
17 July - 30 September 2014
Grab yourself a group get-away this summer or autumn at the award winning Bosinver Farm Cottages.
Easy to get to and with plenty of space to get together as well as room to roam, Bosinver is an ideal place for a group gathering, whether you're family, friends or work colleagues.
We've got four bigger cottages which are perfect for large groups, Laburnum (sleeps 8), Jack's Barn (sleeps 8) the Farmhouse (sleeps 12) and our eco-house, Lowen (sleeps 8).
They've all got large, open plan living space so it's easy to gather everyone together for dinner or activities.
Our farm cottages are all just a short walk from one another – take a look at our map to see where they all are www.bosinver.co.uk/map
Discover the cottages perfect for groups...
Our local, the Polgooth Inn, is just 15 mins' walk away from Bosinver (or a short drive). A family run traditional pub, it's the perfect place for a casual group lunch or dinner the menu's extensive, the portions are generous, and they've also won awards for their food. The beer garden's great for those long summer evenings, and in the colder months, cosy up next to the fire. Bliss".
We are happy to offer a 10% discount on weekly bookings of these cottages with remaining availability until 24 October. People can take up this offer either by calling us or using the voucher coupon code AUTUMNSPECIAL when booking online. Call now on 01726 72128.


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I teach Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry I, Chemistry II, and Physics.
I Graduated from UNI and student taught in Ottumwa. This has been my first teaching job, and I have been here for 26 years.
I am a Brain Bowl team sponsor.
Husband: Kendall Son: Lucas.
I enjoy gardening, shopping, and spending time with family.
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