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Kristin Luna circles the globe by profession as a travel writer. She's already been to more than 80 countries with even more awesome experiences, including interviewing celebrities on the red carpet.
Check out her travels and work at her site, Camels & Chocolate.
Most people look at what you do and consider it a dream job (a pet peeve of yours, I know). You've written pretty extensively about the reality of your profession. For those who still think they can make the leap being a travel writer for a living, is there one key trait you've noticed among those who've managed to make it happen?
Persistence. Sitting around waiting for assignments to come your way is not a realistic business model. You constantly have to have your eyes and ears open for fresh story ideas and new angles, do all the necessary research and preliminary interviews before you decide where the story is a good fit, target your idea to a particular publication and craft the perfect pitch that sells your story, then follow up when inevitably the editor doesn't respond. If they say no? You take it elsewhere and don't quit until you've sold that idea. It can be tiresome, and so often really amazing stories don't see the light of day (i.e. make it into print) for varying circumstances. But when they do, all the failures make one success that much sweeter.
My business partner for KEEN Digital Summit—the networking and technology conference I co-founded in Nashville—told me just this morning that there are a lot of worker bees out there but very few queens. I love that analogy; to succeed as a freelancer, you really have to be a queen bee.
Traveling so often, many times by yourself, seems like it could be lonely at times. How do you maintain your connections back home while traveling as many as 7 months a year? Have any particular social technologies made a big difference for you?
Social media! I'm never really alone, as there's always someone to talk to if I simply hop on Twitter or Facebook. Instagram is my number one tech love, so my husband and my family know where I am at all times, but I also use apps like Viber and FaceTime that allow me to communicate with them verbally and via text while overseas.
What do you think are the necessary ingredients of a perfect trip?
A great travel companion and a loose itinerary. Too often, I see people go somewhere for a short amount of time and try to cram so much into that stretch that they don't truly experience the destination. I love the concept of slow travel, though I realize that for most Americans that's not a viable option due to limited vacation time.
What's one destination or experience that greatly exceeded your expectations? What's one that was very underwhelming?
I hit up Cambodia and Vietnam on the same trip—while traveling through Southeast Asia on Semester at Sea—and previously had never had a desire to visit either, so I was shocked when I became so enraptured by both countries. I only spent a few days in each, but I was smitten with the people, the culture, the food, the tragic pasts both nations had overcome in recent years and the natural beauty. Those are two places I'd love to hit up for a longer trip.
Honestly, I was underwhelmed by Cuba, and I really wanted to love it. Don't get me wrong: It was beautiful and I dig the Cuban culture, but it wasn't as mind-blowing as I had hoped (then again, extenuating circumstances kept me in Havana the whole time, so perhaps I would have had a better experience seeing more of the country). Still, that trip taught me not to have too high of expectations going into a new destination.
You have an awesome "Life List" on your site of all of the experiences you want to have. I'm sure it changes frequently, but which five are you most excited about now? Of the ones you've done, which 5 have been the best so far?
Taking the Trans-Siberian Express all the way to Mongolia, island-hopping in Mozambique, cruising around Greenland by ship, diving in Palau and snorkeling with manatees in the Florida springs.
Recently, I checked a few off that were great memories: I saw Holland during tulip season, I toured St. Petersburg by canal under the veil of Russia's famed white nights, I took a tall ship through the Caribbean and I was an extra on my favorite TV show, Nashville. But traveling through the US by RV back in 2011 for a couple months was probably my favorite life list item to date. Nothing beats a good road trip, particularly one where Yellowstone, Glacier, Canyonlands and the like are your "backyard!"


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Alternative Medicine Practices in Tennessee
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Dr. Corey Idrogo is a Chiropractor in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Centered Health and Wellness employs the technique known as Chiropractic Biophysics. We pride ourselves in creating lasting relationships with clients who trust us to help them find a place that's free from pain.
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At Art of Health Chiropractic, your Nashville Chiropractor, each patient is treated like family and given the best care possible. We know that patients want to get out of pain, fast. We tailor each treatment plan to ensure that you not only get out of pain, but stay that way so you can live your life the way you want. We specialize in treating such conditions as neck pain, low back pain, whiplash,
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The Accidental Racist?
Earlier this evening, I posted the video of an interview with Charles Ramsey, the man who helped rescue Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus from the home they have apparently been held captive in for 10 years. The story is amazing and Charles' interview is not only riveting but entertaining- he speaks with emotion and style! I thought it was wonderful and posted it to Facebook with a comment to the effect of "Best Interview Ever."
Shortly after my post, two friends commented with clips that they felt were equally entertaining. And suddenly, I felt very uncomfortable with my own post and motivation. The two clips that my friends posted were strikingly similar in some ways- African American individuals, being interviewed shortly after they were involved in traumatic events in their neighborhoods (the first an attempted assault and the second a fire), and in both cases the people interviewed are certainly memorable, but I wouldn't say in a good way. I have seen both videos before and had been uncomfortable with them then. The two women and one man being interviewed come across in a way that could be (and was) easily mocked and to me- the clips feel exploitative, at least in hindsight. To say that these earlier interviews were newsworthy strains the definition. And to be clear- I am confident that my friends, in no way, meant to be disparaging. Charles' interview reminded them of these other two- and I have no doubt that his interview will far eclipse these previous ones, in terms of fame and viewership. I can guarantee Mr. Ramsey will be on a morning talk show within the week and his heroism rightfully celebrated. It is the videos viewed together that brings up some uncomfortable but worthy questions for us all to ask ourselves.
To begin- I feel like I need to take a look at my own assumptions and attitudes, and examine exactly what within this interview connected with me. Did I REALLY think he was articulate and heroic or was I responding to something less "noble" within myself? Should I, as an individual, or us as a society be concerned that Charles' thoughtful and compelling interview is viewed in the same light as the Antione Dodson or Sweet Brown interviews (you can look them up- I don't want to repost) just because there were similarities- significantly they are all lower income, African American speakers?
Should we be looking at the media and asking how it is that these very different events end up looking so similar through the interviewers lens? When I really boil it down- was I being racist in my perception or sharing of this video? I don't like the answer because I don't know. I think this is not a question of "truth" but depends on your individual perspective. I certainly wasn't trying to be racist or judgmental , in fact my perception of the video and Charles is extremely positive. Even re-watching the video- I see a hero, a well spoken man, who under such intense circumstances tells a wonderful story. But, I do also see someone very different from me- someone that I would be unlikely to cross paths with in the course of my daily life- even if these events were playing out in Seattle and not across the country.
I don't know what the next step is in this inquiry is but I'd love some suggestions. I know I have looked in the mirror tonight and am left wondering if I am as open and fair in my views as I like to think I am. It is a humbling question that has no easy answer.
Your thoughts and feedback are welcome and appreciated.
Posted on May 7, 2013, in Big Ideas. Bookmark the permalink. 12 Comments.
Hi Jennie. I don't know if you get automatic notification of postings so you may or may not eventually see this, but I was reading your last post and saw this headline so I had to check it out even though it's older. It intrigued me because knowing you I had to wonder about what might have caused you to feel that way. I remember that interview very clearly, and even though I first heard it on the radio, the style of speech was so distinct that it was clearly a person as you described. And even though it was clear that the individual was different from me, I don't really think it was hidden racism that made it stand out. In this case I think it was several things. First, I think it was that something wonderful had happened and he was the instigator which gives him instant likeability, at least in that moment. But more than that, I think this was a case of viva la difference! Yes, our paths would likely never cross and that is what made his response so refreshing. If it had been me our someone like me the words would have been more reserved, carefully chosen, and as a result less honest. His response was completely honest and true, which if you saw my recent Facebook post on Richard Sherman was why I did not think his response was wrong and in fact I liked it for the same reason even though one was very humble and the other was most definitely not. Each was in the moment and we got a real glimpse at the full emotion and somewhat experience it ourselves, if we allow ourselves to. We go to theater and movies to feel. These interviews were real life but opened up those connections.
Anyway, I go to movies to feel and read this blog to think. Thanks for sharing and keep it up.
I agree wholeheartedly with both Lisa and Roger. I mean, there he was, eating his lunch, and he got pulled in to this unbelievable drama! I enjoyed the original clip very much just based on the utterly astonishing sequence of events, his ability to tell it in such a captivating manner, AND his use of humor why conveying it! That's as deep as it goes. Sad that we live in a society where our enjoyment of story telling, which this basically was, is examined as to WHY we liked it. It's okay. It's not exploitive. Really. ;D
"while conveying…" not "why…"
I struggle with my perceptions of racial identity and my inherent biases all the time…thanks for having such an open and honest forum!
I think you are being too hard on yourself, Jennie. I watched the interview and was immediately reminded of how I felt when I watched this one, from Kai the hitchhiker: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHmnpFEVWIU. Many "person on the scene" interviews are exercises in discomfort…pablum questions from the reporter, awkward clichés from the regular person. What resonates with me for both of these isn't the ethnicity of the interviewee, but the panache, the unguardedness, and the humility that come across so clearly.
Although I didn't see the other clips that your other friends posted, I watched the original interview and was captivated by the storytelling ability the man who helped get them out. I can honestly say that I would have had the same reaction with anyone telling the story the way he did, and don't think my reaction to it was any different because of his race or economic background. I too thought the interview was "interesting", as you initially labeled it, because how often do you see such a raw commentary of an amazing rescue such as this. He was just going about his day, like any other day, heard screaming and did what he could to help. He did what we would hope any of our neighbors would do if they heard a call for help. What would happen if something totally crazy and out of the ordinary happened in our little suburban drive? Would the play-by-play account have been as sincere, expressive, and complete, or would it have been a controlled mini version of the same? I'm guessing probably the latter, and it that contrast that makes this interview so "interesting" to me.
Hi Jennie 🙂 been a while!!!
Well, really interesting post, well done. i love uncomfortable honesty. What I was immediately reminded of is the idea of 'othering', going back to Said's Orientalism – or Mohanty's dramatic slaying of white/Western post-colonial feminist authors writing about 'Third World Women'. Social constructions of 'self' and 'other' are very strong; 'they', and all that 'they' are – vulnerable/victims/whatever – need 'us' to help them, civilise them, provide development aid, or even intervene through heroic journalism. If we aren't conscious of how people are othered, we can't take it apart. There are still continental gulfs between races, sexes, countries, the abled and disabled, sane and mad, straight and everything else.
Thanks, Jennie – you've thoughtfully and articulately confronted a very difficult issue. Again, great post.


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what i'm reading: the plot against america by philip roth
I'm not sure how familiar Canadians are with Philip Roth. He's an important American writer, very prolific, often confounding. His first novel was Goodbye, Columbus (1959), Plot Against America came out in 2004, and there's a long, long list in between.
Roth is both profound and playful, and his writing is hugely varied - he's not a writer for whom you can read one or two books and declare you know him. Some of his novels are among my favourite books; others I found unreadable. But without a doubt he is a great American voice. I'm hoping he wins the Nobel Prize in his lifetime.
Roth has also been very influential in bringing other voices to US audiences, most notably Milan Kundera and Primo Levi. One can imagine a direct line following the Eastern European experience, beginning with Kafka, then Roth, then Kundera. Roth is the branch of the family that came to America.
When The Plot Against America begins, it is 1939, in a working-class Jewish neighbourhood in Newark, New Jersey. Everything is historically accurate: it is exactly 1939.
Then something different happens: the Republicans do not nominate Wendell Willkie to challenge Franklin Delano Roosevelt's bid for an unprecedented third term. They nominate Charles Lindbergh. Lindbergh: hero, celebrity, friend of the Nazis, virulent anti-Semite. (This is true, too, except he wasn't nominated.) During the campaign, Lindbergh keeps his most objectionable sentiments under his hat, and the media - then known as "the press" - goes along for the ride. Lindy seduces the public with his plain-spoken charm, and runs on one simple promise: I will keep the US out of another war.
He wins. FDR goes home to Hyde Park. A Nazi-sympathizer sits in the White House. It begins.
I am finding this book so gripping, so terrifying, and so completely believable, that I have to keep reminding myself that it didn't happen this way. I keep thinking, thank god I'm in Canada already, before this happens. Obviously, that's part of Roth's point.
The Plot Against America is not told as history. The narrator is a nine-year-old boy, who experiences these world events as personal, family history. So the book is also a coming-of-age story, and Roth is brilliant at this. The narrator's milieu is very familiar to me: it's the culture in which my parents grew up. My parents grew up in Brooklyn, but for these purposes, it's the same thing.
I don't know if the impact of this book would be as great for a reader who wasn't from the US, or who wasn't Jewish. I'm finding it sometimes almost too scary to read.
Have you seen the movie The Garden of the Finzi-Continis? (I've mentioned it repeatedly in this blog, it's one of my minor obsessions, like George Orwell.) Finzi-Continis is about Italian Jews on the eve of their destruction, and it's the best movie I've ever seen about the Holocaust. There is no violence; you never see a concentration camp or a murder. The comfortable Italian Jews are slowly stripped of their lives. They adapt to one indignation, and then another, rationalizing and adjusting, as people do, as they gradually become second-class citizens. And then, it happens. I don't know if I've ever been so affected by a movie - so completely chilled, so frightened - as I was at the end of that one.
I am about halfway through The Plot Against America, and I purposely haven't read anything that might reveal plot. So I don't know if the American Jews, and their country, make it out alive.
Late addition: In this alternate universe, where the US does not enter the war against Germany or Japan, leaving the British and Canada to struggle virtually alone against the Nazis, Canada emerges as a safe haven for American Jews. Canadian readers will be justly proud of their country's role in this imagined nightmare.
4 comments:
- allan said...
I know when the book first came out, Roth went out of his way to say that he wasn't making any comment on the Cheney administration, but I imagine it's hard to avoid some type of comparision.
... especially when shit like this is going down.
- Saturday, February 11, 2006 7:44:00 AM
- James Redekop said...
Of course, Canada's treatment of Jews in the 30s and early 40s wasn't ideal either. The Christie Pits (which we drove past on that tour we took) were the site of the worst race riots in Canadian history, the 1933 Christie Pits Riot, in which Nazi sympathisers crashed a baseball game in which a Jewish team was playing.
Check out the eye Weekly article as well.
- Saturday, February 11, 2006 2:04:00 PM
- laura k said...
Thanks for those links. I do remember it from our driving tour.
The US's treatment of Jews - in real history, not Roth's alternate history - wasn't perfect in the 30s and 40s either. But the US was a haven for European Jews just because they could have any nationality at all. Jews in Russia and Poland weren't Russian or Polish - they were Jewish, only. So to be American meant everything to them.
My parents' generation, who were kids during WWII, were hugely patriotic, and dead-set on assimilating as much as possible, while still being Jewish.
I don't know much about the Canadian Jewish experience, so I don't know how it compares. People have suggested that Mordechai Richler is a good place to learn about that.
- Saturday, February 11, 2006 3:11:00 PM
- Trevor said...
Richler is a great place to start!
More than that, the prime minister at the time, William Lyon MacKenzie King, had anti-semite tendencies himself (which, as Abe Simpson once said about tying onions on his belt, was "the style of the time"). I can't remember the name of the ship of Jewish refugees we turned away in the early days of the war (perhaps someone else can help), but we do have our own black marks.
Maybe as a reminder to other governing officials whose policies are less than stellar, it should be noted that MacKenzie King, while going on to be the longest-serving prime minister ever in the country's history (not an unbroken reign though), had a notoriously hard time ever winning his own seat in the Commons. And unlike other Allied leader at the time, his armed forces didn't care for him that much either.
- Saturday, February 18, 2006 3:08:00 PM


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At the end of last year, tornadoes in north Texas destroyed homes, killed twelve people, and caused as much destruction as you might expect of a tornado. One family near Dallas was fortunate that they were out of the country and not in their house when it was destroyed, but in the aftermath had to deal with a frustration that they didn't need: their electric company kept sending them bills for power in their non-existent house. [More]
Displaced By A Tornado? Comcast Considers You "On Vacation"
They must not get too many tornadoes in Kabletown. Or maybe the folks at Comcast think that twisters really do whisk people away to magical lands with witches and flying monkeys. Regardless, residents of one tornado-damaged Michigan town say they've had a hard time convincing the cable company that they are not "on vacation." [More]
If You're Supervising A Class Of 4th Graders and Need Shelter From A Tornado, Don't Bother The Embassy Suites Hotel
The 4th graders and their teachers, reportedly, went to the Embassy Suites Hotel to escape. Instead of being rescued, an employee, allegedly, told them the hotel was full and turned them away. "It's still unacceptable to be turned away in a moment that harm is potentially present," says Baldwin County School Spokesperson Terry Wilhite.


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I'm already on track with getting out of debt, (very happy about that--should be out of credit card debt by the end of April, if not March--and will have paid off my online classes by end of June!!) and I should be able to hit my car payments hard after that--get at least much of it paid off. And on top of that...I'm endeavoring to save for a cruise at the end of the year with my friend Kenia. So that is exciting!
|via wikipedia
Which made for good timing when Ashley from U.S. News and World Report reached out to me about a topic that I've actually been studying about for awhile. I LOVE to travel, so anytime I get to visit someplace new (which isn't often) or anything, I take the chance. If I can feasibly make it work, I will find a way.
Around the end of August or early September my friend Kenia asked if I'd be interested in going a cruise. Well YEAH. If we can pull it off, sign me up! So after figuring out what this year was going to look like, I told her that we needed to start making concrete plans and setting savings goals. I'm so excited. Which puts us on the subject of money....
Chase Sapphire Preferred--because I have heard so many good things about it for years. (First from Nomadic Matt, years ago--and it is especially covered in his book How to Travel the World on $50 a Day--LOVED that book)!! And this article from U.S. News and World Report covers a lot of the questions/issues that are still being raised about the best cards to look for. We still live in a time where most people think that only the rich can travel, although that's changing. Whenever I mention travel, almost always someone says, "Oh my gosh it is SO EXPENSIVE to travel. You better save up a lot of money." Sure, I like savings. I do that. But these people forget that there's a lot of information out there, and a lot of opportunities offered because more and more people want to get out and discover. Perhaps if these types of articles were shared more socially, more people would have an open mind about travel. (And would get so grouchy about being home, haha).
You see, it is so much safer to use a credit card abroad, and then use the money you saved to pay it off. If something happens to your card, it's not coming out of your bank account. No one is stealing that particular info. And a lot of credit cards--the really good ones--have stellar security attached to them.
If your dream is to travel--even if it's just here and there--then do your research. Save yourself that hassle of making a possibly costly mistake. I've inherited my credit card sense from my parents, because they taught me well, and I've furthered my own experience. This article from U.S. News and World Report covers so many bases when choosing a card. Check it out!
If you enjoyed this post please comment, and share on social media! To catch more posts, you can subscribe via email, on my sidebar. You can also follow on facebook, twitter, bloglovin, and google+!


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Figuring Out Health
Reasons One Should Consider The Therapeutic Massage
Majority of the people believe that massage is only done to the sick. They od not understand that massage can also be done to those with no heath issues. Massage is used for one to benefit health-wise. It is beneficial to how blood is supplied to all parts of the body. one needs to know the benefit of massage before starting it. The reasons as to what makes you have the need of going for the massage regularly. You need to know the benefits of massage on one's body.
The therapeutical massage is of great importance to the skin. Massage enhances the appearance of the skin to a healthy and strong one. This is because the massage stimulates the tissues in the body making them elastic hence making the skin look more healthy.
Massage helps in the removal of excess fats in the body. This happens when one s body is being worked on, it is like exercising. Through this fat that is on the skin are burnt down completely. The excessive removal of fats makes one become fit hence fast movement.
Therapeutic massage has made ones movement to be more lighter than usual. This has helped in the supply of blood to the body making injuries heal fast. The injured parts will get enough blood since the circulation is improved. The joint in our bodies require blood for it to be healthier. Therapeutic massage have made the contraction of muses to go down. Massage is always known for the relieving of pain and muscle strengthening in our bodies. Body relaxation is an important thing you should know about.
Therapeutic massage is beneficial to the circulation of blood in the body. This makes the blood circulation more faster than usual since it increases how blood is pumped into the body and makes its movement more faster than when one has no massage is done on him or her. This has the movement of blood in the body more fast than usual. Which is also good for the improvement of muscles functioning in one's body.
Healing is made faster than usual when visiting the massage therapist regularly. Through the daily or regular massage, the soft tissues can easily get healed. It increases the strength of fibers hence making e quick healing. The soft tissues do not need one always to be visiting the doctor. Therapeutic massage helps in reducing pain in one's body hence making the soft tissues to recover fast.
One should go for massage more regularly.Everyone has the opportunity to engage in massage and this is for the betterment of your health and nothing more.
The Beginners Guide To Chiropractors (Getting Started 101)
What I Can Teach You About Chiropractors


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Is the church full of hypocrites?
Joe and Brandon were good friends who had worked together for over a year. They had gotten to know one another while sharing lunch in the office break room. Even though they discussed personal issues like relationships, family, and politics, the subject of religion had never come up. So, during one of their usual lunch breaks, Joe thought he would get his friend's thoughts on God.
"Do you believe in God?" he asked.
Brandon gave a casual reply as he chewed his food. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, I believe something created the universe. I don't know. Good question."
"Do you ever go to church?"
Brandon took a break from eating his sandwich to answer. "I went with my parents when I was a kid, but I quit going after I got out of high school. I haven't been back."
Joe pressed. "Do you ever think about giving it another shot?"
"Nope," Brandon said, "Churches are full of hypocrites. I remember the time when one of the deacons in our church was messing around on his wife. And most people in church think they're better than everybody else. I don't want to be around people like that."
Joe paused for a moment to think about what Brandon had said. Yeah, he's got a point. I don't want to get involved with people like that, either.
I have often heard people say that church is full of hypocrites and is why they choose not to attend. Some feel so strongly about this that they won't have anything to do with church, or Jesus Christ.
But is this true? Is the church plagued by hypocrisy?
Unfortunately, the answer is yes. The church is full of hypocrites. I should know because I have been one too.
Chris Fulmer
November 2019


text:
Friday, July 16, 2010
Yes, I've finally decided to stop the Bliss theme. For now, that is. :)
The last film I caught at the cineplex was none other than the very enjoyable Iron Man 2. And as my work / family / social commitments continue to escalate, a trip to the theatre has become a major decision. So if I think a movie isn't worth the time or effort, I'm more than happy to wait for the DVD.
I didn't plan on watching Inception. It wasn't something I'd been anticipating with bated breath, though I did mark the release date in my diary.
And no, Leonardo DiCaprio is definitely not the main draw for me. Rather, it's director Christopher Nolan, whom I've worshipped since seeing the jaw-droppingly awesome Memento years earlier, followed by his next masterpiece, the best Batman installment thus far - The Dark Knight.
So what's the verdict, you ask? A rating of 8.5/10, compared to perfect 10's for Memento and The Dark Knight, to help you understand the comparison a little better.
I'm not the sort who enjoys rehashing plotlines, so let's just share opinions here.
The best thing about Inception - aside from its genius director / writer Chris Nolan - is the cast.
A true dream team led by DiCaprio, and beautifully supported by Marion Cotillard ( whose turn in La Vie En Rose haunts me to this day ), Cillian Murphy, and the massively talented but sorely underrated Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
First, Leo DiCaprio. I've had mixed feelings about him for many years. Loved some of his work ( What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Romeo + Juliet, The Man In The Iron Mask, Catch Me If You Can, The Aviator ), disliked some of it ( The Beach, Body Of Lies ), was relatively unaffected by Revolutionary Road and Blood Diamond, and couldn't get past the foul language in The Departed.
I also didn't enjoy watching him balloon in weight over the past decade.
So yes, I'm thrilled to see him back in top form, thanks in large part to Nolan's deft guidance ( he always draws the best performances from his actors ). Of course, the script already provides rich material for Leo to chew on, but his portrayal of Cobb is extremely admirable, so bravo for that.
Second, Marion Cotillard. I personally think she has the best role in the movie, despite not having the most screen time. I knew little about her character, Mal, before seeing Inception, so learning more about her as the story slowly unfolded added a lot to the overall enjoyment.
This is only the 4th Cotillard film I've watched, but her meteoric rise to fame in recent years is certainly well-earned. She always pours her heart and soul into every role she plays. And even though a distinctly foreign accent can sometimes prove an insurmountable obstacle in Hollywood, her skills as a thespian have practically wiped it out of the equation.
She looks really cool shooting a gun. Action flick in the works, I hope?
( A check with IMDB reveals perhaps the next best thing: yet another thriller about a disease outbreak, co-starring Matt Damon and Jude Law. Add a few shootouts please. :))
Third, Cillian Murphy. I'm not familiar with his work aside from the Batman movies and Red Eye, but couldn't be happier that Nolan picked him for a pivotal role here. Robert Fischer Jr, heir to a sprawling business empire, is tormented by his father's last words, yet compelled to follow in Fischer Sr's footsteps.
Cobb and team's assigned mission: to somehow convince Fischer Jr to tear this empire apart, by planting the idea in one of his dreams.
Which brings me to point #4 ( and don't worry, Joseph Gordon-Levitt will not be missed out :)).
The astounding script, written by Nolan himself.
Wachowski brothers, consider yourselves beaten to a pulp.
Sure, there's bound to be some comparison with The Matrix, but Inception doesn't need to rely on kungfu stunts and New Age mumbo-jumbo to hold an audience's attention.
Instead, we have fascinating conversations about the dream process, how we perceive our subconscious experiences, and the ability to train one's mind to defend itself against intruders.
In Nolan's world, dreams can have multiple levels, with the deepest ones lasting decades when in reality, only minutes have gone by.
My favourite plot ingredient: the "kick" - a failsafe method whereby dreamers can be awakened from even the most potent sedation. Usually preceded by a trigger - e.g. a particular piece of music - followed by a physical jolt of some kind, ranging from a simple chair tilt to driving your van off a bridge.
How bloody cool is that! :D
Fifth, the visual effects. They are fan-freaking-tastic. 2 in particular have stuck in my mind:
1) A scene where Cobb and young apprentice Ariadne ( Ellen Page ) practise constructing and manipulating dreamscapes. She manages to literally fold the scenery, so certain parts move vertically, and others turn upside-down.
My jaw dropped.
2) The final section of the film, where Cobb's team put Fischer Jr under, and move through each subconscious layer in turn. There's a thrilling car chase, a zero-gravity hotel scene, an avalanche, and to top it all off, a trip to Cobb's own secret world, where skyscrapers stretch as far as the eye can see.
And yes, sixth. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, whom I know best from his teenage years on 3rd Rock From The Sun, and adorable performances in 10 Things I Hate About You and (500) Days Of Summer, has carved a career and gained a cult following from indie films, with very occasional forays into mainstream blockbusters.
As Cobb's right-hand man, Arthur, JGL is always dressed to the nines, his dark hair slicked back, his facial expression either serious or mildly irritated. His character may be a tad one-dimensional - most of the team members don't have much of a backstory - but his screen presence is clearly felt, and he is perfectly capable of holding his own against the likes of Leo, Cotillard and Ken Watanabe.
I am especially impressed with his gun skills. This dude has action star written all over him. He looks like a pro handling firearms. Someone please hand him a role that is worthy!
I guess my main complaint about Inception is the ending, which was a little abrupt. I understand what happened to Leo, but would've liked an explanation about Watanabe's character's fate as well - the latter was in major subconscious limbo, did he make it out with his mind intact?
Also, there were a few other plotlines I didn't fully comprehend, the biggest of which is Mal's descent into madness and suicide, apparently a direct result of Cobb's manipulation. Heavy stuff.
Overall, Inception was definitely not a waste of time, and I will watch it again once it hits cable. I'm quite surprised that the movie has stuck in my head for more than 24 hours, for reasons unknown. I just can't help replaying certain scenes over and over again in my head, as if there's some subliminal message embedded somewhere, making it impossible to erase the images from my mind.
Mr. Nolan, are you conducting an experiment of your own? :)
Whatever you do, DO NOT MISS THIS.
12 comments:
- aliendoc said...
Watched it today & I think it was a brilliantly made movie, although the storyline didn't really reel you in till after the first 20 minutes (I actually felt like walking out!)
The ending: Sato (Watanabe's character) DID make it out with his senses intact. Remember the scene of them in the plane waking up & Sato proceeded to make that crucial phone call to clear Cobb's name?
Mal's suicide: In order to make Mal want to wake up from her dream state (where they remained for many years), Cobb had implanted the idea (while in the dream state) that in order to "wake up" from the dream state & return to reality, one had to "die" in his/her dream. After they woke up, this implanted idea remained in her brain hence resulting in her desire to commit suicide to "return to reality".
- spacefan said...
Ahh, I get the explanation about Mal.:)
But Sato's phone call is just part of Cobb's dream right? Because the entire sequence from the airport to Cobb's return home to his children isn't real, since his totem - the spinning top - didn't stop spinning. It's supposed to stop if he's returned to reality.
Fun discussion. Your views? :)
- aliendoc said...
I think the ending is deliberately ambiguous to make the audience think!
My impression was that the plane ride & airport etc were real.
And the scene at the end with the spinning totem was cut prematurely to give the impression that it MAY (or may not!) stop spinning!
I like happy endings so I like to think that he did reunite with his kids.
- aliendoc said...
By the way, you didn't mention Tom Hardy (Eames) in your review. I liked his character - very cool & suave & a bit James Bond-ish, dontcha think?
He reminds me a bit of Kevin Costner (younger version of course).
- spacefan said...
Yes, I like Hardy too, but not enough - yet. :)
Thought JGL made a huge impression here. I haven't seen his indie films so maybe that contributed to the wow factor.
Ellen Page's character seemed a bit redundant.
Nice thought about the ending. Just shows what a pessimist I am, assuming the worst, haha. :)
- Unknown said...
Whose dream is it where Cobb meet up with an aged Sato towards the end of the show (or rather the beginning as well)? And which level of dream is it at?
Its just too complex to follow after the 3rd level. Maybe its Chris Nolan's trick to get us back in the cinema again...
- spacefan said...
KC, I can only assume that dream is Cobb's "limbo" state - i.e. the point of no return, mentioned somewhere when the team was planning their heist and talking about the worst-case scenario.
Actually, I also couldn't figure whose dream each level belonged to.
In the last 30-45 minutes, there were times I thought we were in Arthur's / Ariadne's creations, but then Eames stepped in and changed something, so technically they're HIS dreams, right?
So confusing, but in a cool way. :)
- Unknown said...
While searching for the truth behind the dream of dreams, I stumbled upon this:
Might explain a bit of the confusion.
- spacefan said...
Wow, Ms Yamamoto is, like, my soul-mate! :)
- BearDoc said...
Ellen Page is the current hot actress !! :P She's so cute! Loved her in Hard Candy too!
Because its Ellen Page, her character is not redundant. :D
- Inception Fan said...
Inception on my Point of View deserves more immeasurable praise. C. Nolan with L. DiCaprio are just awesome!
hey...just watched Inception...a bit delayed i know
Agree with your rating that its an 8.5 compared to Memento's 10
Its been 5 yrs at least since i last watched memento and i still sometimes think about it and the ending/beginning of wat really happened!


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MUMBAI, Oct 10 (Reuters) - India is becoming a more important player on the G20 stage, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday after meeting with Indian central bank Governor Duvvuri Subbarao.
The Fed chief, along with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, is on a two-day visit to India to participate in the third annual U.S.-India Economic and Financial Partnership Meeting. This is the first time a serving U.S. Fed chief is visiting India.
On Tuesday, Geithner welcomed New Delhi's new-found appetite for economic reform, barely three months after Washington had voiced concern about India's deteriorating investment climate.
(Reporting by Suvashree Dey Choudhury)
((firstname.lastname@example.com)(+91-22-6180 7202)(Reuters Messaging: email@example.com))
Keywords: FED BERNANKE/INDIA


text:
Good points, and it rings true from my time as a faculty member. However, I'd say that many of the reasons you've heard I've also heard about "students today" more generally. In other words, this isn't just a good strategy for women (which it is), it's a good plan for CS courses more generally. People learn through real problems, and CS courses are generally very bad at making that the drive behind their curricula. Even "research-only" programs can be driven by real problems, as CS is what Michael Scriven called a "transdiscipline", i.e., both a discipline in its own right, and a set of methods and techniques used in other disciplines. It is this that CS programs need to bear in mind, and they have generally failed to do so.
What a Woman Wants: Will Computer Science Programs Step Up?
For more than a decade I've worked on teams that accredit college and university programs in computer science, information systems, and technology. For the most part the criteria we use for computer science programs has been traditional: algorithms, programming, math, software engineering, components and architectures, models of computation, analysis of algorithms, fundamentals of program specification and verification, computational complexity, automata, etc. There are requirements for humanities and other subjects, but it is rare to see programs remain unaccredited if they were missing them. A sample set of criteria can be found on the CIPS website.
One of the things that annoyed me during computer science accreditation visits were the all too common references to women not being able to succeed in CS programs. When I'd ask why, I was usually given one of these types of answers:
- Women are incapable of thinking of complex topics
- Women just don't want to learn computer science
- Women don't want to study in programs where they are outnumbered
- We'd have to dumb down the programs too much (see point 1).
It took all my might to simply record their responses and not fight it out. I figured their answers might be a reflection of their program administration and management than of the women they are running out of their programs. For instance, a computer science program chair told me directly that if he had to dumb down his program enough to get women to stay, "no one would be able to log in". Tell me what sort of rewarding student experiences the females in his classes have on a daily basis?
Applied vs. Research Programs in Computing
One of the issues computer science programs have is managing the fact that they often exist as a research program but many students are more interested in studying computing at an applied level. In other professions, applied means just that – learning to apply sciences in a practical, real world environment. Other professions produce professionals just that way: lawyers, doctors, engineers, teachers. For the most part, they study in applied programs. But in the research world, applied is the equivalent of dumbed down. So many computer science programs are designed to produce researchers even though the vast majority of students are there not to become researchers, but practitioners. And yet most women are drawn to professions where they can see a direct link to studying and working on projects that will change the world.
I was thinking about this while speaking on the #SQLSat157 San Diego WIT panel this past weekend. When I got home, I found this great interview with Maria Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College: Q&A What Women Want in the Communications of the ACM. One of the questions was exactly what I experienced when choosing a program of study all those years ago:
You've talked before about the importance of teaching practical applications from the start, rather than waiting until students have mastered the building blocks.
We know from research that for women and minorities, the attraction of computer science is what you can do with it. It doesn't mean they are not interested in complexity theory or other esoteric parts of the field, it just means that that tends to be the driving motivation. And in our experience, it's not like women take one course or go to the Hopper conference and say, "I want to be a computer science major." It's more like, you take one course or go to the Hopper conference, and you take the next course. And then you take the course after that, and by then you've taken three courses and you're going, "Oh, I'm actually good at this, and it gets me summer jobs. Maybe I should be a CS major."
The curmudgeon computer science chair and his colleagues also had thoughts on programs that shifted their marketing and delivery, but not their content, to appeal more to women and minorities: it was cheating. As an IT professional, I say "Let's cheat, then". Let's ensure that computers science and other technology programs can step up their game to be more appealing. As a business person and someone who interviews candidates for jobs, I want to see people who understand theory AND application of it all. Cost, benefit , risk and all. Saving the world. Making a difference.
Information systems and technology programs are generally applied programs of study. However, we tend to see them as lesser siblings of computer science. Maybe we shouldn't, especially as employers for organizations that don't directly hire researchers.
Step Up
Do we need theoretical, research-only computer science programs? ABSOLUTELY! But we also need IT professionals who can fit solutions into a corporate environment. One that can't just think in terms of theory. And I want a more diverse, educated workforce available to hire from. Not just for the numbers, but because we get better solutions. But in order to get this, our programs of study need to step up.
9 Comments
Yep, for all. Maybe it's because this is so familiar to me that it seems so obvious. I've never considered myself a typical female, either. But when I was choosing programs, the ones that drew a clear distinction between study and making a difference in the world resonated with me.
This feeling continued into my classes. I remember the calculus classes I took were mind-numbing until I took two semesters of calculus for business. Sounds like a terribly dumbed-down version of the subject, doesn't it? Maybe they were. But for the first time in a long time I found my math classes exciting! Calculating a profit optimization? Determining an optimal point of production? Amazing stuff. Somehow, for me, engaging brain cells to solve problems that had a real-life application was amazing.
I studied Information Systems. It was all about application of technology and data. Every class, even the fundamentals of programming, was tied to solving people problems. It was great stuff for me.
My fun was in software engineering, redoing the code for the Mars lander. Just the last code that read sensors and adjusted throttle/pitch/yaw as it came down. Tedious coding, but cool.
Completely agree. I loved the Calculus and other subjects I took, but I enjoy college. Lots of people would prefer to have a program tailored to them, and for many that might be fun, practical stuff. Colleges that want to really grow need to do this. And they need to appeal to different groups in different ways.
Practical doesn't always mean "fun", but I get what you mean. I seem to recall we did many large projects that focused on designing and implementing solutions about ordering, manufacturing, shipping and payment. Full life cycle of the technology and the business processes. Of course, I do remember that during one of my systems analysis courses my team chose to design a solution for Cyberdyne Systems
http://terminator.wikia.com/wiki/Cyberdyne_Systems. That made for a very fun project.
It's been 34 years since I created the academic program Computer and Information Technology at Purdue from which you graduated:
http://www.tech.purdue.edu/Cit/ so I am somewhat dismayed by posts such as yours asking for MORE programs such as the one I created in 1978 which is the academic program I would have wanted for MYSELF when I studied computer science as an undergraduate. Actually, MY undergraduate program (in "business data processing" 🙂 was probably the only one of its kind in the late 1960s shortly after Computer Science was created at Purdue 50 years ago:
It's gotten better since then with the creation of accreditation programs in Information systems and in information technology in addition to computer science in the US: http://abet.org/computing-criteria-2012-2013/ If you like, we can discuss how we got there and why we haven't gotten any farther!
I have worked with the ABET criteria before. And the criteria we have here for CIPS is radically different between CS and all other types of programs (mostly IS, diploma and special programs of study).
I see CIS/CPT going through accreditation every few years, but the last time I looked it seemed like they were seeking accreditation under a less than BSc level program, which I found odd.
I personally think industry needs more programs like IS program. Plus we need to stop seeing traditional CS programs as the pinnacle of all education in computing, with all other programs some how "less valuable". I want to hire people who can apply computer science and other disciplines. I've blogged before that our attitude right now would be the same as expecting medical doctors to major in organic chemistry or biology, rather than study in medical programs.
Although ABET MAY have accreditation for AAS programs, both CIT BS programs at West Lafayette and IUPUI are accredited.
Just as "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" so 'value' of academic programs depends on WHO is making the value judgment. Just as prospective students (and parents 🙂 must be 'educated' to differentiate among computing programs, prospective employers ought to be even 'easier' to educate because they ought to understand their needs even better!
To give you 'hope' that all things are possible, remember that I have a Ph. D. In computer science and I both created and 'turned around' undergraduate IT programs which I would have wanted for MYSELF (when I was an undergraduate) as I said in a previous comment! 🙂
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I decided to dye it to match one of my favorite pairs of PJ pants (since I always get teefury grab bags in PJ shirt size), so I went and picked up some dye. I did the dye in the sink and had so much fun with it. It looked so cool. And yes, the water is steaming because it was supposed to be hot water.
After filling the sink with hot water, I spent the next 40 minutes constantly stirring and sinking the shirt into the dye.
The finished shirt is just gorgeous! I can now enjoy this grab bag shirt completely!
And if anyone is curious, I used violet RIT dye. The picture below is the closest to the color of the shirt, and it's almost exactly the same color on the bottle.
In the future I won't hesitate buying awesome white shirts, because now I know how easy they are to dye.


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Consultation on better information for parents on their child's school
Parents are to get a clear, at-a-glance view of how their children's schools are performing in a series of key measures.
The essential information would be published, in a consistent way, on the front page of the website of every primary school, secondary school, college and school sixth form.
It will mean that parents will be able to get a clear picture of how their children's schools are performing - and will be able to compare the results of prospective schools and colleges, allowing them to make informed choices about which institution they might attend in the future.
The Department for Education launched a consultation on the proposals, which would come in from 2016.
The highly respected OECD is clear that strong systems of accountability that give parents key information are a key characteristic of high-performing education jurisdictions.
Current guidelines already require schools to publish information on performance. However, where and how this information is presented varies between schools and colleges, making it difficult and time-consuming for parents to find out the information they need. Up until now colleges have not been required to publish evidence of their performance online.
Under the proposals:
primary schools will show:
- pupils' progress from age 4 to 11 (compared to others with similar starting points in reception)
- what proportion reach the demanding new standard at age 11
- how well pupils do on average at age 11
- what proportion of their pupils are rated 'high achieving'
secondary schools will show:
- pupils' progress from age 11 to 16 (compared to others with the same results at age 11)
- what their pupils' average grade is across 8 subjects
- what proportion of their pupils achieve at least a C in English and maths
- what proportion of their pupils achieve the EBacc
colleges and school sixth forms will show:
- students' progress in academic subjects or Tech Levels (the new gold-standard technical qualifications that finally place vocational education on a par with A levels)
- what students' average grade is in each category
- the progress made by students who joined them without a C in English and/or maths
- what proportion of their students drop out
- what proportion of their students go on to further study, a job or training at the end of their courses (when the data is robust enough)
Every year the measure will be automatically updated, reflecting the latest performance statistics, saving schools the onerous task of editing their website.
To ensure the new performance measures feature on all schools and colleges websites, changes will be made to the School Information Regulations setting out that the new headline measures must be published. Changes will also be made to the funding agreements to all 16 to 19 academies and colleges ensuring that the new performance measure features on their website.
Schools Minister David Laws said: "The information that will be published online by every school and college in future will support parents when choosing the best school or college for their child and help them challenge poor performance. Schools will no longer be able to hide away bad results.
"This change returns power to parents and would allow them to identify excellent schools or ask the difficult questions about why their child's school isn't performing."
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A bloodstained, scraped nose on a crying toddler is alarming, but in most cases there is no need to panic. Although they can bleed and sting, scrapes, or abrasions, are rarely serious and involve only the surface layers of the skin. Scraped noses are common in toddlers and young children, usually as the result of short falls or other minor accidents. Proper care of a toddler's scraped nose minimizes pain, reduces the risk of infection and helps prevent scarring.
Step 1
Press down on the scrape using a clean cloth and gentle pressure. This will help stop any bleeding. Severe bleeding, extensive tissue damage or signs of a broken nose require immediate medical attention.
Step 2
Wash the scrape with warm water and a mild soap. Examine the wound for dirt and debris, and remove with tweezers or by flushing with water. Do not leave dirt, splinters or other debris inside the wound, or you could risk infection. According to the Merck website, you should not wash scrapes with iodine, peroxide or alcohol, because these can slow healing and damage skin tissue.
Step 3
Apply a topical antibiotic to your toddler's scraped nose to prevent infection, and then cover the area with a bandage or non-stick, sterile piece of gauze.
Step 4
Keep the wound covered as much as possible if your toddler attempts to pick at his nose or remove the scab. According to the Nemours Foundation, scabs protect scrapes and allow the skin to heal. They typically fall off within one or two weeks. Picking at the scab can delay healing or cause scarring.
Step 5
Change your toddler's bandage as it becomes soiled, wet or bloody. Report any bleeding that continues after 24 hours to your child's pediatrician. Check the bandage for colored or foul-smelling discharge that can indicate an infection.
Step 6
Schedule an appointment with your child's pediatrician if your toddler's scraped nose fails to heal after two or three days, or if increased swelling, itching or redness develop. Your child might need professional care or treatment with antibiotics. Call your pediatrician right away if your toddler has not received a tetanus vaccination.
Things You'll Need
Clean cloth
Antibiotic ointment
Sterile bandage
You can use ice and acetaminophen to reduce the pain and swelling associated with abrasions.


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SMC SchoolDate added: 21 May 2018
Categories: Built With ELEMENTOR, Education & Training, Religion & Charity Tags: Animation, Gallery, Indigo, Sections, Violet
Stella Maris Convent School Senior Secondary is under the Management of the Nirmala Province of The congregation of The Daughters of Mary. Msgr. Joseph Kuzhijalil is our founder and the co-foundress is Mother Mary Kallarackal. Our vision is to educate poor people and empower them.


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Welcome to Fashion Fix! Where we'll be bringing you some clothing items worn by your faves. If you're looking to achieve a celeb inspired wardrobe, then look no further – we can help.
Today we are looking at Louis Tomlinson's Ellesse track top he wore in Manchester 3rd October. Let's take a closer look…
We searched the interwebs and found you beauties the exact match!
You can get this jacket from Foot Asylum for £39.99! Twinning with Tommo and keeping warm this Autumn. Goals.
If you get this jacket, be sure to snap a selfie and tweet us @maximumpop along with #MPFashionFix so we can see you looking cosy.
Looking for more Fashion Fix? Check out Halsey, Liam Payne, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Ashton Irwin or check out our Fashion Fix Closet!


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Safe, eco-friendly driving with your own vehicle – arrive relaxed at your destination. Few things fascinate people around the world like the issue of mobility. At the same time, mobility today is undergoing fundamental changes.
Continental Powertrain is laying the groundwork for these changes in the drive technology area.
We are one of the leading developers and manufacturers of solutions for efficient combustion engines. We are advancing development in terms of power increases in injection, turbochargers, transmission control units, sensor technology, actuators and exhaust after-treatment.
However, the future of drive technology has already begun: We are pioneers in the field of efficient system technology and economical vehicle integration in electric vehicles using electric power as an additional energy source. Our mobility solutions span the entire breadth of the vehicle market: Using intelligent principles such as scalability and our ability to combine solutions, we cover everything from two-wheeled vehicles to passenger cars and a wide variety of commercial vehicles – both electric and with combustion engines.
Both fields of innovation ultimately pursue the same goal: Lowering CO2 and emissions. This is the goal pursued by the Powertrain Division in the five solution areas electrification, connected energy management, combustion, exhaust after-treatment and drivetrain efficiency. This is also mirrored in the work of Powertrain´s five Business Units Engine Systems, Fuel & Exhaust Management, Hybrid Electric Vehicles, Sensors & Actuators as well as Transmission.
Further information:


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"Cocoa is my passion."
These were among the first words that cocoa farmer Leonor Gomez shared during the two-day National Cocoa Forum that LWR co-hosted in Nicaragua last week. The cocoa forum was a dream that LWR maintained as we expanded our work in cocoa in Nicaragua and other parts of Latin America. Not only was the forum a chance for LWR to launch the cocoa toolkit we developed to help farmers better manage their cocoa plantations, but it was an opportunity to bring together people who represent different links in the cocoa value chain — the people that take cocoa from the farm to the markets and eventually to the chocolate that you and I eat.
A Heart for Cocoa
In addition to the forum, I had a chance to travel with Leonor and a group of cocoa farmers from Haiti, Peru, Honduras and El Salvador to southern Nicaragua where we visited two of the cooperatives that LWR works with. The journey to the cooperatives includes a two hour trip on a small boat down the Rio San Juan to El Castillo, a picture-perfect town with brightly colored houses perched on the banks of the river. In El Castillo we visited COODEPROSA, a cooperative that not long ago won first prize in a national cocoa competition. COODEPROSA was formed only four years ago and currently has 42 members. Despite the cooperative's small size, cocoa is in the heart of its members, as seen in their determination and commitment to improve the quality of the cocoa they produce.
We Listen to Farmers and We Learn
During the three-day trip, the most rewarding part was listening to cocoa farmers from different countries share advice and lessons learned with each other. I was touched by the sincerity of one farmer in particular who expressed such desire to hear the recommendations and ideas of his fellow farmers for how he could improve his farm. This open and honest dialogue was a reminder of why I value the work that LWR does. We listen to and respond to farmers rather than telling them what to do. We open spaces for them to learn from each other and from technical experts while walking with them during a process of growth and change. We do it with respect and dignity. And we learn along the way too.
Land is Like Another Child
On the last day of the trip, we visited 78-year-old Don Marcos Isabel. He had returned to his land after escaping to Costa Rica during Nicaragua´s civil war in the 1980s, which hit the Rio San Juan region hard. Don Isabel has 13 children, most still living in Costa Rica. During the visit, he engaged in a deep discussion with Leonor, the Honduran farmer who has such passion for cocoa. They both agreed that their land is like another child for them: if you take care of it, it will give back ten times over. If you could have seen Don Isabel's farm, you would understand how well he and his wife Carmen do care for it. It felt like a paradise, full of bright flowers and fruit trees mixed in with cocoa trees. This diversity is not just beautiful, it represents the agro-forestry model that LWR promotes with cocoa production. This model allows farmers to care for their lands while still earning income from cocoa. The next time I eat a piece of chocolate, I will think of Don Isabel and Leonor and the passion and dedication they put into the cocoa they grow.


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The weekend has finally arrived! It has been a much more restful week than the previous, having time to catch up with a few of my girlfriends at our favorite sushi place, late birthday couples' massage and getting into season 2 of Downton Abbey. Has everyone seen the show except for me? Naturally, both R and I are obsessed (and this may lead to a marathon this weekend).
I am very much looking forward to a relaxing weekend with R and Moz. We are heading out of town next weekend for our nearly annual Easter excursion! This year, we are heading down south to camp near Hearst Castle. I am looking forward to exploring and getting a little European fix!
Happy weekend!
Venice image-from my personal archives


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Murder At Away Camp In ONI's DEAD WEIGHT
What happens when teens sent to a summer camp to lose weight end up losing a beloved camp counselor in a gruesome murder? Well, it's up to them to find the killer.
Oni Press' Dead Weight: Murder At Camp Bloom by writers Terry Blas and Molly Muldoon and arist Matthew Seely is a murder mystery set at a teen weight loss camp. Stress, hormones, the great outdoors, and murder - it's a powder keg.
Newsarama spoke with the trio ahead of the OGN's planned release on April 25, delving into the characters, the murder, and their own real-life (and fictional experiences) at camps like this.
Newsarama: Terry and Molly, be the welcome wagon for us - what is Dead Weight about?
Terry Blas: Dead Weight is about a group of teenagers at a weight loss camp who band together to solve the murder of a much loved counselor. They're already put in a situation they don't want to be in and by amplifying that to a much higher degree we can see how much stronger people are when they work as a team.
Molly Muldoon: And on the flipside, this also makes the kids realize what their own particular skills are, the things they're good at they might not have realized so they grow as people, as well. Your classic coming-of-age-come-murder story.
Matthew Seely: The thing that really drew me in to the project initially was how Terry writes these kids. They're all very honest and authentic representations of what it's like to be a teen, but they're all very different. Jesse, Noah, Kate, and Tony each feel like distinct individuals motivated by their own stories, but they way they interact as an ensemble and learn from each other and develop as the story progresses is really a joy to read.
Nrama: How did the idea for situating a story at a weight-loss camp come about?
Muldoon: The weight-loss camp idea was all Terry...
Blas: I remember as a kid seeing the movie Heavy Weights and my first thought was "Why are there no girls at this camp?" Surely young women face much more pressure regarding their weight and it didn't make sense to me why there weren't any girls there. Then, years later I saw a documentary series on MTV just called Fat Camp, and there was so much drama, romance, humor, that I thought, "Well, what doesn't this place have?" … and for some reason, I thought, well… murder. That's sort of how it started.
Nrama: Can you tell us about Jesse, Noah, Kate, and Tony?
Blas: Jesse is a young Latina who is mostly fine with her weight. She's an artist and she wants to be a fashion designer. Her parents promise her she can go to a summer fashion program if she loses weight first. Noah is a boy who knows Jesse from back home. He's gone to Camp Bloom before, and he's surprised to see Jesse there since he has a crush on her. Tony is an insecure kid who is obsessed with technology and Kate is a lonely young woman with a big secret who has been to Camp Bloom more years than anyone.
Muldoon: Noah and Tony already know each from having gone to camp before and of course, they know of Kate. Jesse's new and shakes things up a bit, as Jesse is wont to do. It's all very middle/high school but in a good way.
Nrama: Matthew, how did you go about designing the kids?
Seely: From the start, Terry had a really clear idea in his head of how he wanted these characters to look and feel. In our initial design meetings, he provided me with a lot of reference images and photos of different actors and actresses, and we had some great conversations about what we wanted the character's designs to communicate about them. Then, he gave me a lot of freedom to just feel out the characters myself and explore. It was important for us to break away for the stereotypical "Fat Kid" archetype you find in so much popular media, and that each character have their own distinct design that reflects their unique personality.
Nrama: Are any of these places or people based on someone or someplace you two know?
Seely: As a kid I went to a few different summer camps out in the Oregon wilderness, and I definitely pulled from those experiences while illustrating the book. Summer camp has a really weird, specific feel to it. There's a very particular strangeness and excitement to being dropped off hours from home in the middle of the woods at a big campus of cold log cabins with a bunch of random kids you don't know. I wanted to capture both the fun and weirdness of that experience as well as possible.
Nrama: And who is this camp counselor that ends up murdered?
Blas: Counselor Cory is a well loved counselor at Camp Bloom. He's recently lost a lot of weight and is motivating to many at camp, especially Tony.
Muldoon: Poor Cory. R.I.P.
Nrama: This sounds like a rollicking Goonies/Nancy Drew style story. How'd it come about?
Seely: Honestly, I'd say this book would be very at home sitting between Hope Larson's Chiggers and Harry Potter. A coming-of-age story at summer camp and a group of kids solving mysteries way out of their depth. [Laughs]
Blas: I had the idea rolling around in my head for a long time and was talking to my editor about a different book idea when I mentioned I'd been wanting to write a fat camp murder mystery. She liked it and we started work on that instead. About halfway through the synopsis, I knew I was having trouble putting things together and figuring out the end, so I sought out Molly who is incredibly observant and intelligent and I knew loved murder mysteries. I had no idea at that time that she had been voted "Most Likely to Write Murder Mysteries" in high school. We sorted out the second half of the book and then wrote the script together.
Muldoon: Terry and I had an epic, four hour coffee chat session that ended with us plotting the whole book. It was so fun, both working with Terry and getting to use all this knowledge and nonsense about murder mysteries I've got rumbling around the back of my brain. I don't know if I'm as cool as Terry, but that being said, I definitely know way too much about this kind of thing. Fingers crossed I'm never suspected of a crime; I'll look very suspicious.
Nrama: You're working with Oni and artists Matthew Seeley, how'd this team come together?
Blas: Matthew Seely and I went to art school together. I could see how insanely talented he is and knew that if I didn't snatch him up for a book someone else would. I'm so excited that he agreed to work with us and wanted to take on such a big project.
Seely: I've been friends with Terry since I moved to Portland in 2007. We both went to PNCA and were in a local comics collective together, Portland has a great comics scene. Terry was always super talented and super ambitious, and we bonded over a shared appreciation and enthusiasm of nerdy stuff like Nintendo games and Disney movies. So when he initially approached me to see if I wanted to collaborate on a project with him, I knew it would be a great match!
Muldoon: I didn't know Seely beforehand, but he's just delightful.
Seely: When Molly joined the team, I knew we had a really special thing on our hands. After learning more about the story and characters, I immediately started getting really clear idea of what the book could look like and how we could tell this great story together.
Nrama: What are your big goals for Dead Weight?
Blas: You know, my only goal right now would be for Dead Weight to get into the hands of as many people as possible. It might be geared to a Young Adult audience but I think it's really for everybody. The book says a lot about some difficult things people face and I would love for people to connect with it.
Muldon: I just want people to enjoy it. There's a mystery to solve, sure, but the book also has a lot of heart and I hope people enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed making it.
Seely: I think the most important thing for me is for as many people as possible to read it. I think the story is a lot of fun and very entertaining and clever, but I think it also has a lot of heart and speaks to issues that many kids (and adults) face.
Nrama: What would you have done had your parents sent you to Camp Bloom and you ended up in this situation?
Blas: I'd have complained, told everyone where to get candy and snuck into the girls bunks to hang out with them… like Benji.
Muldoon: When I was around Noah and Jesse's age, I spent at least three summers at theater camp. There was a lot more singing and a lot less running but other than that, it was pretty similar. So I guess the answer is I would awkwardly try to make friends, hurt myself exercising, and read a ton of books.
Seely: After witnessing a murder at camp, I'd probably would have reacted somewhere between how Jesse and Tony react. I would most likely totally freak out about it, then go into denial, then curl up in a ball of anxiety and stress. Then, probably just find a way to tell the police? Maybe I'd just do that first. [Laughs]


text:
Police in Lancashire have welcomed the support given by local football clubs as part of a campaign to tackle child sexual exploitation.
Blackburn Rovers and the Lancashire Football Association have pledged their support to help raise awareness of the issue.
Posters with the message 'Child Sexual Exploitation - The more you know, the more you see' will be displayed around Ewood Park and will also be shown on the big screen ahead of fixtures in the run up to Christmas. The message will also feature in the matchday programme.
Lancashire FA has produced a short film to raise awareness of the signs. The one-minute film, which can be viewed here, features cartoon drawings and a child's voice which describes how any young person can become a victim and some of the warning signs that a child is being sexually exploited.
This comes as part of a week of activity which will focus on the increasing number of victims being targeted online. Officers will be working in conjunction with local councils, trading standards, schools, leisure centres, hotels, the NHS and children's charities to focus on prevention, awareness, enforcement and engagement with communities across the county.
During the week, there will be visits to schools, children's centres, libraries, children's homes and takeaways. There will also be training for doctors and nurses at GP surgeries and hospitals on the signs of child sexual exploitation. Local awareness raising events will also take place and in some areas there will be theatre productions in schools and at youth clubs.
A conference, which will take place on Wednesday 11 November, will see over 250 professionals come together to discuss areas of best practice, look at lessons learnt from recent high profile cases and raise awareness about the complex issues of child sexual exploitation.
Det Insp Tony Baxter from Lancashire Constabulary's Public Protection Unit said: "It is so important to educate people to recognise the signs of child sexual exploitation. Anyone who comes into contact with children needs to be able to recognise the signs, which is why it is fantastic to receive support from Blackburn Rovers.
"This is the third year that we've run the campaign and we are seeing that more people are aware of this form of abuse and are more confident to come forward to report it, but there is still more to be done.
"We would encourage anyone who has been, or knows someone who has been, sexually abused, groomed or exploited to come forward and contact police confident in the knowledge they will be dealt with sensitively and professionally."
If you are concerned about a young person you know, call Lancashire Constabulary on 101. In an emergency, always dial 999.
You can also visit www.lancashire.police.uk/cse for lots more information, or visit our website dedicated for young people- www.trusted2know.co.uk/cse - for help and advice on a range of subjects including child sexual exploitation.
You can follow activity throughout the week on our Twitter and Facebook pages, just look out for #knowthesigns.


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Serious but Scattershot, this year's Yoni Ki Baat
Takes on weightier subjects
Rasaka Theatre presents
Yoni Ki Baat
Judging from last year's press, Yoni Ki Baat must have been a light and sexy laugh fest. Even local contributing writers Angeli Primiani and Anita Chandwaney remarked on the more serious tone of Rasaka Theatre's remount this year at Strawdog Theatre. "It's not an angry show," says Chandwaney, "some pieces are racier than last year. But this year there are angrier, more political monologues . . . more socially conscious."
"The show is a little misleading," she adds. "People really don't know how radical it is. On one level there are all the jokes about sex, which the general audience can really enjoy. But the risk is in having South Asian American women talking about clits, rape, domestic violence."
Yoni Ki Baat, running through January 31, is inspired by Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues, although its content is created by and for desi women and is open to continual change. Playwrights all over the world submit monologues to the global pool of work, so that each production varies from city to city, year to year. Rasaka's current production boasts five local writers' original work.
While a boon to a segment of women's culture that receives scarce representation, this year's Yoni Ki Baat suffers from all the usual pitfalls of "rebranding". Monologues such as "Bollywood Breasts," "Apple Pie," "Can I Eat You First?" and "The Inevitable Rise" continue to make light and humorous the dilemmas South Asian American women face straddling multicultural responses to sexuality and women's bodies. But it is its mix with heavier material that tends to scatter focus, which tends to result in a production suffering from comoedia interruptus.
Plus, there's just as much danger dealing in heavier material with too light a touch. Monologues "Helpline" and "On-track" address absolute violations of women's liberty: the first deals with a woman being forced into an abortion by her family because her fetus is a girl; the second explores the dangerous environment for women in Nepal because of sex trafficking. A little more rage, not less, might have better served these pieces but it seems instead that punches have been pulled.
That's unfortunate—first, because most of the performances given by the cast are warm, earthy, and accessible and provide an immediate, genuine connection with the audience. Secondly, it does seem that advantages for desi women in the West still overwhelmingly surpass what desi women can hope for back in the old country.
"Oh, yes, sex selection of children still goes on," says Chandwaney. "It's outlawed but ultra sound is available. Then you have those religious extremist Hindus who were attacking women for socializing in bars. They were subjected to The Pink Chaddi Project, where people sent them pink underwear in protest for their harassment. There are times—comparing my life here to theirs—I'm starting to feel like 'there but for the grace of God' . . ."
"I used to think that I was such a rebel," says Angeli Primiani, "but my mother was the real rebel of our family. She was the first in the family to have her marriage be a love match. Her parents kept trying to force her into an arranged marriage. She would just show up to meetings with the potential groom in old, unattractive saris . . . no make-up . . . hair messy. They finally gave up on her so she could marry who she wanted."
Rating: ★★½
above pictures from 2009 production
ADDENDUM: a portion of proceeds from this show will go to Apna Ghar (Our Home), an organization that provides culturally appropriate services to survivors of domestic violence, including multilingual services and emergency shelter.. Apnar Ghar's focuses primarily on South Asian women and other immigrant communities,
Filed under: 2010 Reviews, Paige Listerud, Rasaka Theatre, Strawdog Theatre | Tagged: Alka Nayyar, Amanda Bobbitt, Amrita Dhaliwal, Angeli Primiani, Angeli Primlani, Anita Chandwaney, Christopher Pazdernik, desi women, Eve Ensler, Gary Echelmeyer, Joe Court, Kamal Hans, Kathy Mountz, Kit Idaszak, Lavina Jadhwani, Matt Buettner, Mouzam Makkar, Pink Chaddi Project, Prachi Murarka, Pushkar Sharma, Rasak Theatre, Seema Kumbhat, Strawdog Theatre, Vincent Malouf, Vincent P. Mahler, Yoni Ki Baat | 4 Comments »


text:
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text:
There isn't a shade cover or even a shady place to sit, and there is no climbing equipment for older kids. A step is broken on the play structure.
There are a couple of other people at the playground with their kids. A black woman and her little boy. A Latina woman pushing a buggy with a baby in it, with another kid in tow.
We play at this playground for fifteen or twenty minutes, decide it's too hot, and go back to my parents' building.
Then, yesterday, we went to a playground on the island. This playground has a shade cover over a massive climbing frame. There are shaded tables. When we finally leave to go to lunch, it isn't because the heat has beaten us. It's just because we're hungry.
There are many other parents and grandparents at this playground with their kids. Most of them are from the East Coast. They appear to be from the suburbs. One grandfather is smoking a cigarette, which seems odd nowadays. The kids are named things like "Avery." They are all white, except one little black girl whose hair is in cornrows, who is probably adopted.
I am saddened by the difference between these two playgrounds. Life is not fair.
Ample shade cover


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MPlayer 0.90x
Forum: Linux Āand Free Software
Topic: MPlayer 0.90x
started by: stupid_idiot
Posted by stupid_idiot on Aug. 14 2008,09:51Hi all:
The MPlayer version used is 0.90rc2. (This is the version where the "builtin codecs.conf" feature was added for convenience -- so MPlayer no longer needs "~/.mplayer/codecs.conf" to work.)
With some hacking (remove seldom-used codecs from libavcodec/libmpcodecs and audio/video filters/outputs; disable encoders in libavcodec), the size is ~300K (using UPX 3.03 'upx --lzma -9 ./mplayer').
(Please refer to patch below.)
Was built with GCC 2.95.3 and Binutils 2.16.1.
CFLAGS="-march=i486 -Os -ffast-math -fomit-frame-pointer -fdata-sections -ffunction-sections -Wl,--gc-sections"
Patch here: < http://pastebin.com/f292b4e25 >
MPlayer 0.90rc2 configuration: < http://pastebin.com/f7bc14095 >
Could be useful as a command-line player that plays most avi's, aside from h264. Vorbis and AAC support can be compiled in if desired.
Sorry, should have posted this in "Ideas and Suggestions".
Update: See improved patch above.
- Removed seldom-used codecs from libavcodec/libmpcodecs.
- Removed libmpeg2.
- Removed some demuxers.
- Removed some a/v filters and outputs.
MPlayer unstripped is 1488K.
Stripped is 864K.
UPX-compressed is 268K. ('upx --lzma -9 mplayer')
Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Aug. 14 2008,19:01iirc it was decided that upx'd packages were not to be accepted - at least in the base. What is its size beforehand?
I've used the gtk+ frontend (gmplayer) before and found it easy enough to use. What's slow and hard-to-use about it?
Posted by WDef on Aug. 14 2008,21:55Interesting idea.
One thing to consider would be what support for which codecs would be included.
The MPlayer project takes an activist perspective on patents and IP - namely, they openly disregard these because they are ideologically opposed to the restrictions these attempt to impose. Xine and VLC take similar standpoints, and have got away with it so far. More power to them I say.
Not all linux distros are prepared to take that chance however. Debian will not distribute these programs because their legal team cannot agree on the risk profile, though it is probably quite low if M$ codecs are not included. However iirc lame support for encoding, libdvdcss decode, dts decode, faac and some others are controversial and in theory might incur license fees.
Posted by mikshaw on Aug. 14 2008,22:00If I remember correctly, mplayer needs to be specifically compiled to check the processor in order to be usable on the greatest number of computers, but maybe it can be set to work only with x86 (I think i586 leaves out some older machines supported by DSL).
Also don't see *much* use in a gui for mplayer, although that's just opinion. Even back when I did include the gui in my installs, I found that the only time I ever used it was for file browsing. Mplayer has a very good and easy keyboard control for just about anything related to playback.
Posted by WDef on Aug. 14 2008,22:04The real-time processor checking feature is enabled in my older mplayer uci. It slows down mplayer starting by a small amount but is better left enabled.
Posted by stupid_idiot on Aug. 16 2008,05:50Do check out the new, improved patch in the first post. (I missed out quite alot of stuff the first time round.) Cheers.
Posted by curaga on Aug. 16 2008,07:12Well, that's some nice Mplayer hacking. What formats are left in it?
Posted by stupid_idiot on Aug. 16 2008,09:18audio: wav, mp3
video: mpeg1, mpeg2, mpeg4 (but not h264)
Posted by stupid_idiot on Aug. 16 2008,09:35Next is removing ffmp2 & ffmp3 decoders by cutting out "libavcodec/mpegaudio.o" and "libavcodec/mpegaudiodec.o".
(We still have mp3lib for mp2/mp3.)
Also, remove "libmpdemux/demux_mov.o" and "libmpdemux/demux_real.o".
libavcodec/mpegaudio.o Ā Ā64K
libavcodec/mpegaudiodec.o Ā Ā144K
libmpdemux/demux_mov.o Ā Ā40K
libmpdemux/demux_real.o Ā Ā32K
Now: 1776K unstripped, 1044K stripped, 320K compressed.
Updated patch posted on pastebin. (URL in first post.)
Posted by stupid_idiot on Aug. 31 2008,08:02- Further removed more unneeded demuxers and decoders. Also prevent "libavcodec/ac3enc.c" from being built.
- Disabled mp3lib.
Unstripped 1488K, stripped 864K, compressed 268K. Size will be bigger if libmad is enabled.
Patch is here: < http://pastebin.com/f292b4e25 >
Updated the URL in my first post.


text:
in your cart
1 6- to 6.5-pound/2.5–3 kg roasting chicken
2 tbsp/30 mL cooking oil
1-1/2 tsp/7.5 mL Watkins Organic Cumin
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Organic Paprika
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Organic Garlic Powder
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Organic Onion Powder
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL freshly-ground Watkins Organic Mediterranean Sea Salt
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Pure Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp/5 mL allspice
1 large lemon, halved
Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C. Rinse chicken; pat dry. Place chicken on rack in large roasting pan. Stir oil and next 7 ingredients in small bowl to form paste. Rub spice paste all over chicken. Roast chicken 1 hour. Squeeze juice from lemon halves over chicken; place lemon halves inside main cavity. Continue to roast until chicken is cooked through and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F/80°C, about 1 hour longer. Transfer to platter; let rest 15 minutes.
Coarse Sea Salt Grinder
Black Pepper, Pure Ground, 2 oz.
Garlic Powder
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6878 Plays
3037 votes
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Play pool in two modes: 8-ball or Straight Pool, both with up to 2 players, or against computador.Conhe
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