text:
Technical Analysis on Volatility (My Conceptual Framework)
Does technical analysis work? Take any of the countless number of technical indicators and confirm their effectiveness by simulating the trading rules over sufficient period of time and one would come to a disappointing conclusion. Justifiably so, most people would say technical analysis does not work.
I believe the reason why technical analysis, in general, has not been so effective is because technical analysis has focused on analyzing Price and/or Volume over Time. Yet, these arise from the outcomes of the continuous interaction and intersection of buyers and sellers in a market. By definition, the moment price occurs, it is already in the past. In other words, technical analysis and indicators on a chart show us what has happened, not what will or is likely to happen. In hindsight, it is always easy to know the outcomes of a decision and go back and choose what would have been the "right" decision.
Perhaps, it is time to reapply technical analysis to what it is really good for. Technical analysis, indicators and charts are really good tools for perception. Markets, price, volume, time, trend, etc. are all metaphysical objects. Ask the question, "What is a trend?" and you would get countless answers, which is the same as no one answer. This is akin to asking the question "What is love?". In addressing the process of perception, I came up with my own philosophical concept to more objectively perceive any object, physical or metaphysical.[1]
The key to greater understanding and awareness is to perceive anything in multiple or higher dimensions. Once again, technical analysis is a great tool for perception. If we apply this tool to volatility (a different, perhaps higher dimension of price) I believe we can get a much better understanding of price and utilize this understanding for profit.
Profitability of buying or selling a stock is a function of volatility. With zero volatility, zero profits. Furthermore, when perceiving price through volatility, one does not have to try to predict the direction of price, but rather if there would be sufficient price movement in order to realize a profit. In fact, in options/volatility trading, one could also potentially profit from little or no volatility.
I tested these conceptual assumptions with a volatility trading strategy on the SPDR S&P500 (SPY) ETF. I utilized two volatility indicators and applied technical analysis tools on them for timing of when to buy an options straddle and when to sell an options iron butterfly with outside strikes 5% away from at-the-money strike. Additional details include using nearest month options with expiration at least greater than 10-trading days away. Commissions cost of 0.75 per contract and slippage of 0.05 for the entry & exit trades were included. The contract size was set at 10 straddles and 10 iron butterflies. Also, no delta hedging was involved. Finally, the simulation was conducted from beginning of 2012 until August 2013 expiration, the first entry trade posted on 2/14/2012. The simulation was conducted with thinkBack, a backtesting tool on the thinkorswim platform using end of day marks on options prices.
Profits (Gross/Net)
STDEV of Daily Net Profits Change
Potential % Return
Buying next month straddle on expiration day (cyan)
$10,470 / $8,130
(1) 56.9%
Selling next month iron butterfly w/outer strikes 5% away on expiration day (yellow)
-$18,055 / -$20,935
(2) -100%
Selling iron butterfly w/outer strikes 5% away using volatility timing (red)
$5,790 / $2,910
(3) 57.0%
Buying straddle, Selling iron butterfly using volatility timing (blue)
$9,420 / $4795
(4) 57.1%
(1) minimum account size required in hindsight would have been $14,285 to cover for $7,285 maximum loss and $7,000 to initiate a position.
(2) Surprisingly over the time period, selling an iron butterfly at the start of each expiration month would have led to consistent losses.
(3) A minimum of $5,100 would have been required in hindsight.
(4) A minimum of $8,400 would have been required in hindsight.
The chart and the table shows simulated results and are for research and education purposes only. More research would be required on longer time periods, out of sample data, and many more underlying instruments and options on those instruments in order to test the efficacy of technical analysis on volatility. Yet, the strategy to buy and sell options based on volatility indicators seems to show promise.
The volatility indicator used for long straddle entry is my Realized Volatility indicator. Details of the Realized Volatility indicator is discussed in my post "FairVolatility (VIX) Model & Indicator, part I". The volatility indicator used for short iron butterfly entry is the Standard Deviation indicator in Metastock software. Logically, when Realized Volatility is seen increasing, one would want to buy the straddle in order to take advantage of potential increase in implied volatility and expected price movement. On the sell side, one would want to sell an iron butterfly if the directional movement of the underlying is expected to slow down or be range bound. No distinction was made in this simulation as to the relative levels of implied volatility vs. realized volatility but could be parameters for further research.
More specifically, the rules were:
1) Buy straddle when the criteria for Realized Volatility moving up was triggered. Simultaneously exit any open short iron butterfly position.
2) Sell iron butterfly when the criteria for standard deviation indicator moving down was triggered. Simultaneously exit any open long straddle position.
3) Exit any open short iron butterfly position if criteria for standard deviation indicator moving up was triggered. (Usually, the two indicators moved in same direction with Realized Volatility leading standard deviation. There were few instances where Realized Volatility remained in a down move but standard deviation started to move up. This happened in prolonged up move in SPY prices. In these instances, the short iron butterfly position was exited w/o corresponding long straddle trigger.)
The technical analysis indicators used for timing on these volatility indicators for long and short entry will not be mentioned here, because I am certain through continued research that more effective timing indicators can be found.


text:
Tentative Order of Handbook Chapters for 2009 LING534 handbook
**please note: "x" indicates no ordering can be indicated until all chapter ideas have been submitted**
This document is meant to provide the class with a general idea of the topics on which each student is writing, for purposes of collaboration, cross-referencing and organization of the larger handbook. It will be updated as chapter ideas are fleshed out.
Chapter I: Introduction (Alicia)
- Topic summary for LING534, 2009
- Organization of the 2009 handbook
- Enduring questions:
- language "on the tie": what different approaches do we find in the sociolinguistics network literature to modeling
language structure, use, and community membership?
Chapter 2: Rethinking the notion of network integration for studies of longstanding bilingual populations (Galen)
- How do we study network structure differences in situations where the speakers aren't migrants, but bilingualism and biculturalism are normative in the community
- What are the referential networks of such speakers, and how do we develop a model that probes the "reach of their networks" (enlarged networks in Bortoni's sense) in comparison to those of older (more monocultural) speakers?
- Bott: ideas best applied in bounded clusters with homogeneity
- Kirke: ideas best applied where tug-of-war between two competing norm enforcement mechanisms may be observed (but not where the heterogeneity is normative and it doesn't make sense to talk of bias or orientation towards one or other normset)
Chapter 3: Geographic mobility (Wendy)
- Bortoni-Ricardo; Wassink & Galvin 2005; Petrescu-Prahova, 2009
Chapter 4: A survey of research assessing the influence of teachers' and students' social networks on school-situated language use.
This paper surveys research on social networks in school settings, particularly those that focus on learning contexts of multilingual, immigrant students. I aim to tie the ethnographic methodologies of constructing network strength scales and of collecting data specific to talk-in-interaction (e.g., the research of Blom and Gumperz, 1972) to studies that address power exchange markers between teachers and international and/or immigrant students.
Supplemental articles:
Maroulis, S., & Gomez, L. (2008). Does "connectedness" matter? Evidence from a social network analysis within a small-school reform. Teachers College Record, 110(9), pp. 1901-1929.
Raschka, C., Wei, L., & Lee S. (2002). Bilingual development and social networks of British-born Chinese children. Int'l. J. Soc. Lang. 153, pp. 9-25.
3rd TBD- I would like to find a study that focuses on teachers' social networks, and on changes in their following of linguistic norms. If I can't find a study as such, I'm considering this:
Zentella, A. C. (1981). Ta bien, you could answer me in cualquier idioma: Puerto Rican codeswitching in bilingual classrooms. In R. Duran ed., Latino language and communicative behavior. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex Publishing Corporation, 109-32.
Referencing class readings: Blom & Gumperz, 1972; Bortoni-Ricardo, 1985; Breiger, 1988; Milroy, 1987; Milroy & Milroy 1978, 1997; Wasserman & Faust, 1993
Chapter 5: Using Event History Analysis to research learning and reactivation of knowledge in a high-school focus group (Giovanna)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
.XRP File
File extension:
File type:
Do you have speed issues?
First check your registry for invalid entries.
Click here for instant PC assistance for XRP related errors
Notes about the XRP file extension:
Incorrect file associations could be the result of underlying issues within your PC system. As such it is highly recommended to scan your PC for invalid registry entries, unused processes and other unfavourable system settings to identify slowdown issues.
The XRP file type is primarily associated with 'Experior Practice Management' by Experior Corporation. Recommended Viewers: DATAWATCH Monarch; Microsoft WordPad; Microsoft Notepad
Detailed information for file extension XRP:
Primary association:
Experior Practice Management
Experior Corporation
File classification:
Other applications associated with file type XRP:
(Project File)
by Stand By Soft
Stand By Soft developed RationalPlan, a
project management software
application developed to assist project managers in creating plans, tracking their progress, allocating resources, managing budgets and analyzing workload. The main file extension xrp is the project file which saves all the data of each project. .XRP files can be imported just by dragging the file into the software dock or else by double clicking on the file, since the file association in the registry is updated upon installing into Windows. This software is also available for Mac users.
This association is classified as XML. The identifying characters used for this association are - Hex: 3C 3F 78 6D 6C 20 76 65 72 73 69 6F 6E 3D 22 31 2E 30 22 20 65 6E 63 6F 64 69 6E 67 3D 22 55 54 46 2D 38 22 , ASCII: ?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" Related links:
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provided by Marco Pontello from his TrID database
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text:
A Type-face Design Firm's Office By YellowSub Studio: Interior Design Ideas
A Type-face Design Firm's Office By YellowSub Studio: Interior Design Ideas
A Type-face Design Firm's Office By YellowSub Studio
Posted: 14 Oct 2014 08:29 AM PDT
When a business is creative, every aspect of that business can be driven by inspiration. For the type-face design firm Indian Type Foundry (ITF), this has extended naturally to their office space. The firm is actually one of its kind which designs fonts for the Indian languages and caters to clients like Apple, Google, Sony, etc. for their Indian language needs. And for a creative, inspiring, and beautiful space, they turned to the design team at YellowSub Studio. Working with a blank slate, YellowSub Studio was able to turn the space into a warm, colorful, open office with plenty of spaces for collaboration as well as retreat
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text:
- Cars
- New cars
- BMW 3-Series
- Reviews
- Best looks
Best looks
User review on BMW 3-Series written by Sri on 13 September 2014
Sri's review on BMW 3-Series 320d
Year of Manufacture : 2011 | Driven no. of Kms. : NA
- Pros: looks
- Cons:
There square measure storage compartments within the front further because the rear doors with a lidded storage compartment within the center console. There's associate degree open compartment below the front center arm rest further because the rear center console and there square measure one or two of cup holders, a storage receptacle and additionally a compartment.This latest BMW three Series Luxury sedan series square measure high of the road vehicles and are available equipped with a large variety of awe ennobling convenience and safety options, that has been skilfully integrated into them. The list of those superb comfort options comprise of a strong nonetheless economical 2-zone automatic air-con unit, that cools among the cabin house within a matter of few seconds, a lights package, a multi-functional steering system wheel with mounted buttons of varied options. Then this BMW three Series Luxury sedan additionally encompasses a rear read camera for simplified parking, associate degree automatic begin – stop button with keyless engine begin, a storage compartment package, associate degree cogent sound system with speakers and Bluetooth property beside a USB interface with BMW Apps and a Hi-Fi loud loudspeaker system further.
Read more →
User Reviews for BMW 3-Series Competitors
Audi A4
Audi A3
BMW 5-Series
Mercedes-Benz C-Class


text:
How to Embed the Facebook Posts
Embed Facebook PostsFacebook book is the biggest social network site, that facebook enables you to embed your post and you can post that to your websites or blogs any where as a post. eg. If you have posted great post on your facebook as a status, if you are thinking for share that post on your blog, that it can be possible by embed the post. It is very easy to embed the posts from facebook.
Steps to Embed the Post.
- Choose the post which you want to embed from facebook.
- Now click on the toogle button on right side of the facebook.
- There you can see the menu driven options
- Now click on Embed Post.
- It will show you the code copy that and paste it where you want to embed that post.
- Save it and You are done.


text:
Chapter 1. Shara, recently freed from being held as one of Tusk's captives by Mal flee to the streets to try to find safety from Tusk's henchmen. They manage to make it to a near by temple with Mal being critically wounded – the faithful (Whitewood, Gorgov and Viola) come to the defense of the pair being assaulted by the bandits and drive them back.
However, there is little time to rest and heal. Before the bodies have even become cold Shara discovers one of Tusk's plans within the documents she took when she fled his hideout. The Grand Cleric is in danger, and there little time to waste.
Mal stays at the temple to allow his wounds to be tended to, while the rest venture off towards the grand temple of the city – only to be met with guards barring their entrance. They manage to initimidate their way within.
With haste they run to the highest point of the temple where the Grand Cleric has been preparing for a ritual. Two assassins dressed as guards are slain, but the third one completes his ritual – opening a gateway to the underworld and spilling forth horrors.
With the assistance of the temple acolytes, they battle the mass of creatures spilling forth from the portal – with both sides taking heavy losses. Shara steps forward and unravels the magic, just in time to save the Grand Cleric's life.


text:
Full Spy in High QualityNow you can play full Spy in best look with duration 120 Min and was published in 2015-06-05 with MPAA rating is 739.
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We will prepare your order after it have verified. Such as: strict quality control, arrange the suitable carriers.Return Policy
Return within 30 days from the delivered date.
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text:
Netitishi is 21 miles due east of Moosonee, on a small point facing north along the south James Bay coast.
My previous two trips to the coast were with Alan Wormington and both fell on dates between October 21 and November 3. We had a bunch of good birds on both trips - here's a selection of the highlights:
October 21 to November 3, 2012
-Northern Fulmar (awesome!!)
-Great Cormorant (would have been the 1st record for northern Ontario, if it had been accepted by the OBRC....)
-shearwater sp. (Alan only! I'm really glad it was too far to ID...)
-Common Eider
-Northern Gannet (2nd record for northern Ontario)
-Western Kingbird
-Harlequin Duck, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Pomarine Jaegers, 2 Black-legged Kittiwakes (all OBRC review birds in the north)
-2 Black Guillemots
-plus Purple Sandpipers, Gyrfalcons, King Eiders, etc
October 24 to November 3, 2013
-Townsend's Solitaire (first record for Cochrane District!)
-Harlequin Duck
-tons of late shorebirds (12 Hudsonian Godwits between Oct 28 and 30, record late Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, American Golden-Plover)
-Golden Eagle, Red Phalarope, Short-eared Owl
-Gyrfalcon photoshoot
As you can see our first trip turned up way more rarities, but both trips have been very productive. Last year's trip, while still excellent bird-wise, did cause me to decide that I would not do another late autumn trip to Netitishi for a while. For one, the temperatures were very cold most of the time, and for most of the trip there were very few migrant passerines. The waterbird numbers were also way down as many had left the bay due to the late October freeze-up.
I have always wanted to do a late September to mid October trip to Netitishi. It seems that this time frame is extremely productive for birding in northern Ontario and a large number of rarities often show up then. We should be on the coast for peak flights for many waterbird species. I think our chances at seabirds are better now than in early November. We may have lower chances at finding alcids, but we missed them last year anyways. What's most intriguing for me is the potential for rare passerines!
Netitishi has already proven itself to be a magnet for rare songbirds. In Alan and Brandon's mid November 2010 trip, they found a Varied Thrush. In 2012 Alan and I found a Western Kingbird. Then last year was the Townsend's Solitaire. And these were all during a time of year where very few songbirds were migrating. What if birders visited Netitishi during a period when songbirds were actually migrating?
One more thing is making this trip seem very exciting. I have heard from several birders that arctic breeding birds have had a good year. Already good numbers of jaegers, Sabine's Gulls, phalaropes etc have been showing up in the south in good numbers. Northern Wheatears have put in a strong showing too. If it is indeed true that the arctic had a good breeding season, then we could definitely benefit by being along the coast!
It is currently 18 and sunny with south winds in Moosonee and will be 24 degrees Celsius when we arrive on the coast Friday afternoon. These are good conditions to bring up a few southern vagrants to the north.
I've made a list of ten target birds that I have on my wishlist. I tried to make most of the selections here actually somewhat realistic, though most of these are crazy dream birds...I would be ecstatic to just get one of these species!!
Northern Wheatear
Say's Phoebe
Rock Wren
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Ross's Gull
Leach's Storm-petrel
Great Shearwater
Sage Thrasher
Swainson's Hawk


text:
2018 Primary Sample Ballots
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Republican Democratic Nonpartisan
The official candidate qualifying period has now ended.
To view the 2018 Qualified Candidates
Click Here
Dixie County has officially acquired its new voting system, The ICE Image Cast Evolution Tabulator Unit with Dual Monitor. Going forward we will be in compliance with Florida election laws, which mandates that by 2020 all counties must be using a voting system that enables all voters the ability to cast a vote in the same manner, regardless of physical limitations, using a paper ballot.
Candidate Qualifying
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See Democracy in Action!
Click for more information on becoming a Poll Worker
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For the upcoming election year 2018...
It is an honor and privilege to serve as your Supervisor of Elections. My staff and I strive to conduct fair, open and transparent elections in the most efficient and professional manner possible.
The Mission of The Dixie County Elections Office is to ensure the integrity of the electoral process and to enhance public confidence while encouraging citizen participation by providing voter education to citizens of all ages. We hope you will find our website user-friendly, with answers to your questions. The site has many links with various information that we hope you will find helpful. As always, if you can't find what you are looking for, please feel free to contact our office at (352) 498-1216, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com or just stop by your elections office and we'll be happy to assist you.
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* Office Hours: M-F 8:30 am - 5:00 pm *


text:
I just want to start by saying, "Thank You!!" to everyone who has ever emailed me!! You all are a wonderful source of encouragement and inspiration to me.
Today, I took time to write a letter that is specially for mommies with young children. I have received emails from a few of you and I think that there are more mommies out there with young children who struggle to make good and healthy choices for themselves and their families.
Even if you do not fall into this catergory, I hope that you will read this letter and enourage the young moms in your life!
. . . . . . . . . .
I pray that God will give you a few moments of peace to read this letter, because these encouragements are from Him! The Lord is simply using me as a tool to speak His own words of encouragement to you.
I've only been a mother for 5 months and already I know that this job is not for the faint of heart! As a result, I want to remind you of a few biblical truths.
Please remember, that being a mother is one of the highest callings in life. God has chosen you to be the mother of your children for a specific reason! God also knows the desires of your heart and that you need/want to lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle. Thankfully, God equips us to complete the tasks that He has given to us, i.e. being a mother and losing weight.
Here are a few ideas about how you can lose weight with little ones in your house:
1. You must begin to make yourself a priority. Have you heard the saying, "Happy Wife. Happy Life" ? Could the same be said for Mommies? As mothers it is our instinct to put our husbands and kids first, before ourselves. However, in order to be the best mother and wife you need to make your needs a priority. For example, if you need to exercise, ask your husband if he can watch the kids of thirty minutes while you go for a run. You will be a better mother, because you took time to meet some of your own needs.
2. Involve your family, especially your little ones, in your weight loss journey. Be sure to tke time to teach your kids by example. When you make healthy choices, your kids are going to want to follow in your footsteps. Have healthy choices available for your family, so that they can make good choices too. Another great idea is to cook with your kids. Be wise about this and give your children age approriate tasks. However, even if you have little kids they will enjoy measuring out igredients and pouring them in the bowl!
3. This time in your life is a season and will not last forever. Life with little ones can be frustrating. However, you must remember that you children will be grown and gone before you know it. I know that right now, this time in your life seems like it will never end, but that's not true. Thank the Lord, everday that your children are little.
I hope that God uses this letter to encourage you and show you how valuable your family and friends!! For that reason, I pray that God will help you to be able to balance all of your responsibilties as a wife and mother.
God Bless,
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
- James 1:2-3


text:
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text:
Stay up to date on Astronomy department and campus news, announcements, and developments!
2016 Newsletter
- Astronomy in the news
- New faculty
- Getting to Know...
- Evening with the Stars and more!
2014 Newsletter
- Creation of BIDS
- Imke de Pater's work aboard NASA's SOFIA aircraft
- Mariska Kriek's MOSFIRE Deep Evolution survey
- Eugene Chiang receives Berkeley's Distinguished Teaching Award
- How common are habitable planets?
2013 Newsletter
- Eliot Quataert named 2012 Simons Investigator
- Alex Filippenko flies with Blue Angels
- New Campbell Hall groundbreaking and updates
- Geoff Marcy recieves grant to build Habitable World Spectrometer.
2012 Newsletter
- Introduction to new faculty
- Department's role in 2011 Nobel Prize for Physics
- Marc Davis' Gruber Award
- Announcement of new Trumpler Award


text:
The reason I'm bringing Mark up again is because of this post he wrote on his blog today, and especially his link to this article he wrote last year. In the article, he mentions a worried note he has received from a reader, and says:
I think that some people collect Prominent Catholic Thinkers, Speakers or Writers (TM) the way that others collect baseball cards or antique art glass. That's not an entirely bad thing, certainly not from the standpoint of those Prominent Catholics who in many cases are trying either to earn a living entirely from such works, or else supplement the kind of salary one can be paid in the academic world for being a Prominent Catholic--and in case anyone is under the impression that these sorts of careers lead to fame and fortune, let's just say that there have been periods in the Church when an indulgence might cost you more than these guys (and gals) get paid in a year (adjusting for inflation, and overlooking the fact that payment in that era often came in the form of livestock).
A number of things concern me about this note. But the first and foremost is that somebody's faith could be disturbed by the fact that a Catholic apologist has erred. Sadly, it's not the first time I've encountered the tendency to anoint me or some other apologist as a sort of Alternative Magisterium to the real Magisterium by a "fan base" that is somewhere between a school of disciples and a cheer squad. Indeed, I have found that, in an era where laity have been taught to mistrust their bishops--not only by the media and the culture, but by the shocking incompetence and perfidy of the bishops in the abuse scandal--it's very easy for laity to hive off and anoint new ersatz Magisteria in the form of whatever faction they happen to fancy. For some, the New Magisterium is the advocates for women priests. For others, it's Catholics for a Free Choice. For still others, it's whatever Richard McBrien says is the consensus of Thinking Catholics in the Academy. For some, it's Dan Brown.
But for not a few in the apologetics subculture, it's what I or Scott Hahn or [insert favorite apologist] thinks about X, Y and Z. And that's a very dangerous thing to do, because we apologists are not protected by the charism of infallibility in the slightest. In the case cited by my correspondent above, for instance, the crisis of faith was precipitated by the fact that I misread St. Jerome in an article I wrote years ago for Envoy. (I thought Jerome was defending the Septuagint and the inclusion of deuterocanonical books like Tobit, Baruch, and 1 and 2 Maccabees in the canon of Scripture.) I did not misread Jerome wilfully, as Mr. X suggested on his blog, but I nonetheless did make a blunder. That's the breaks. I make mistakes.
Okay, I'm kidding. But only about the indulgences.
So while people like Mark Shea or Amy Welborn or Dawn Eden or Scott Hahn or countless others are probably quite pleased when people buy their books or tapes, visit their conferences, hire them to speak, or otherwise show some financial appreciation for their labors, I am fairly positive that not one of them would ever want to be mistaken for the Magisterium, the teaching authority of the Church. To the extent that their teachings or writings are ever authoritative, it is to the degree to which their writings conform to the Magisterium--that is, they teach and write well, when what they teach and write can be demonstrated to agree with various official Church documents, such as the Catechism, the writings of the early Church fathers, the encyclicals of the popes, and other such iterations of authentic Catholic truth.
But, as Mark points out above, it is possible for him, or for any of them, to be wrong about something. It may be some small historical detail, or it may be an entirely erroneous conclusion about an issue, or it may be anything in between. When Catholic scholars or writers or teachers or thinkers find themselves at odds with the ordinary Magisterium of the Church, it is the job of these Prominent Catholics to make a correction--it is not the job of the Church to correct herself for their sakes.
For the fans of the Prominent Catholics, it may be extremely disconcerting to catch an error, or find a point of disagreement, or see one's favorite Prominent Catholic failing to care sufficiently about one of one's own side issues or matters of concern. But falling into that attitude is a clear indication that the fans have, themselves, mistaken the Prominent Catholic for the Church, and not in the "Mystical Body" sense, but in the sense that they really do substitute the thinking, speaking, writing et. al. of this Catholic or these Catholics for authoritative Catholic teaching.
And that's a problem, one which the Prominent Catholics themselves must be acutely aware of. It's a problem for two reasons--one, because it elevates the Prominent Catholics to an office they do not aspire to and cannot hold, and two, because it creates in the mind of the various fans out there the temptation to see one's favorite Prominent Catholic as opposed to the Church--and then to choose the Prominent Catholic over the Church.
We've seen that happen much more on the more liberal side of things, where groups of fans of various progressive Catholic writers, speakers, teachers, etc. have taken their Prominent Catholics words and run with them--all the way to various boats for "women's ordinations," or all the way to Barack Obama for "consistent ethic" misunderstandings, or even in some cases all the way out of the Church, which they come to see as far too deeply flawed to be worth fixing.
But lest anyone think that this is a problem only on the left, that Catholics who veer more towards small "o" orthodoxy or small "t" traditionalism will be immune to it--human and Church history would suggest otherwise, wouldn't they?


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Pride of the Yankees
In 2003, the Florida Marlins, the fish with a bad fan base, beat them in the World Series, led by a 23 year-old pitcher and a 20 year-old outfielder. The symbol of the Yankees' problems was a 42 year-old portly portsider whose balky back caused him to miss a key start in the World Series.
In 2002, the Anaheim Angels bludgeoned them in the AL playoffs, reducing the Yankees' vaunted pitching staff into a pile of smoldering arms.
In 2001, their ace reliever proved to be vulnerable, and in Game 7 the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in Game 7 of the World Series, thanks to a seeing-eye single by Luiz Gonzalez.
That's four straight years of disappointments to owner George Steinbrenner, although, truth be told, if these were the results in your city, you'd probably take them.
But not in the Bronx. And, after last season, a season in which the BoSox called his franchise the Evil Empire and basically called out the Yankees in public -- only to succeed -- the Boss vowed revenge. He didn't make a public demonstration the way he would have say twenty-five years ago where he was only slightly less hotheaded than his frequent manager, Billy Martin. He steamed behind the scenes, and he put his people to work to improve his team.
His front office has all but inked the prize free agent hurler in this year's crop, Carl Pavano, and just pulled off the trade that all Yankee fans have been waiting for, trading Javier Vazquez and two prospects to the Dodgers, who send Shawn Green, Brad Penny and a pitching prospect to the DBacks, who send the Big Unit, yes, Randy Johnson, to the Yankees. Click here and read the Newsday scoop all about it.
And the bet here is that they're not done, that they'll try to figure out how to rid themselves of Jason Giambi, how to sign Carlos Beltran and then move Bernie Williams to DH. But, even if they stand pat and do nothing further, let's compare their starting pitching staff to that of the Boston Red Sox.
Randy Johnson
Mike Mussina
Carl Pavano
Kevin Brown
Red Sox
Curt Schilling
David Wells
Tim Wakefield
Bronson Arroyo
Each team, seemingly, has one starting pitching slot to fill. The Red Sox really could have used Tim Hudson, for whom it appears the Braves gave up very little. Now they'll probably have to overpay for Matt Clement, unless they can swing a deal for another front-line pitcher. I gave them a pass earlier for not signing Pedro Martinez, but that assumed, of course, that they were going to sure up their starting pitching staff in another way. Now, with the Yankees' apparently getting Randy Johnson, the urgency at Fenway Park is more pronounced.
I called the Mets lemmings earlier today because they weren't strong enough to resist the temptation to sign an aging star with much less than a full tank left. That said, what do you call the Yankees and Red Sox, except obsessed to spend each other into Chapter 11 in order to keep on winning world championships?
It's crazy, isn't it?
But it's certainly fun to watch.
Only two months until pitchers and catchers report!


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Thursday, July 19, 2007
Blogger's Update
I will be updating the design back to what it was over the next few days(hopefully).
Top 5 Movies of 2006 That Nobody Watched
Thank You for Smoking
In what can only be described as the best satire comedy in recent years, Thank You for Smoking's hard cynicism delivers with a poignant story of the limits a person is willing to take their morals. However, the movie is not really about the morals, but how the main character is able to spin any topic to go his, and ultimately the tobacco industry's, way. Perhaps the funniest parts of the movie involve the M.O.D Squad--Merchants of Death--which include like-minded spinsters from the alcohol and firearm industries.
Little Miss Sunshine
Out of all the movies this year, Little Miss Sunshine probably had the best cast ensemble. Their dysfunctional on-screen chemistry really makes this movie work and I loved every minute of it. A unique road trip brings out the best and worst of a family that is just trying to make it to a pageant for their little girl, Olive. I can't speak highly enough of this film--expect it to win Oscars.
Stranger Than Fiction
Oddly enough, Stranger Than Fiction plays out more like a novel than a movie. Perhaps this is the reason that it is so wonderful to watch. Will Ferrel pulls out a surprisingly tender performance as Harold Crick, a man trying to save his life from a narrator that he hears in his head. The film really turns around when he meets Maggie Gyllenhaal and Dustin Hoffman's characters. Although not out on video, I encourage you to seek this one out at the theaters.
Hard Candy
Hard Candy is a deviously disturbing, engrossing thriller than involves a cast of no more than 4 people. The basic premise is that Hayley, a young 14-year-old girl, is meeting Jeff, a 30-year-old photographer, after talking to him over the Internet. After she suggests going to his apartment, the vodka gets pulled out and she starts making drinks. Everything is going fine for Jeff until he passes out and is tied to a chair. Turns out that Hayley is there for a different reason...and she came prepared to do a certain procedure. Hayley is played by Ellen Page and she is playfully evil in this film, never letting us gain our balance. If you like horror films, this is the one to watch.
Superman Returns
I know many of you may be surprised by this, but let me explain. Superman Returns hit a core audience, but never failed to capture the mass market like Spider-Man. The movies greatest compliment and fault is that you have Brandon Routh, the unknown Reeves-look-a-like. Superman is back after 5 years, Lex Luther is up to it again, and Lois Lane is married. What more do you need to create a deep, sad, dramatically filled movie? Not to mention the likes of Kevin Spacey, who creates an awesome homage to Hackman's Luther, keeps the heavy-hearted scenes in check with wit and humor. Watch this movie, and you'll see why the world DOES need a Superman.
James Bond 007: Casino Royale
"Many people are going to say that this film is a direct reaction to the success of THE BOURNE IDENTITY and the sequel, and that's probably a part of it, but I think the film that is the more direct influence here is BATMAN BEGINS. Watching CASINO ROYALE, you don't just see one movie unfold. You also suddenly see a real series ahead, a series that you're eager to be part of."
I understood what it took to reinvent Batman with Batman Begins. Put into the proper context, I now understood what Casino Royale meant to the Bond franchise. This was a launching point, a reinvention, a fresh start. Believe me, after the last couple of Bond bombs, this is a sight for sore eyes.
The basic premise of Casino Royale is that James Bond is a new recruit for MI6 and after earning his double oh status, is sent off to the Bahamas on a mission. Bond is reckless, arrogant, and generally doesn't care what happens as long as he completes the mission. He is stripped of his gadgets and given the bare minimum to work with. This produces a dark and gritty Bond who gets beat up, tortured, and put through the paces all the while delivering action that is-in-your-face reality. There are no quick cuts during the fight scenes and we see every drop hit with a driving impact.
Daniel Craig makes all of this work with an intensity that drives the movie forward instead of being dragged along. Gone are the campy humor and ridiculous stunts. Here, everything feels real (even the humor). For instance, the opening chase sequence is all on foot and lasts for about 10 minutes. Never did I feel like I was pulled out of the film. I was engaged and didn't think "well, that would never happen." Basically, you're not going to see Bond driving through an ice castle or hooking up with a girl named Christmas.
Speaking of girls, I was glad to see they went with Eva Green, the blue-eyed beauty from Kingdom of Heaven. Let's just say that if you ever get bored with the story, then you'll have something to look at for two and a half hours. She doesn't feel overly pretentious or self-aware of her role as a leading lady for James Bond. Just as well, Judi Dench pulls in a masterful performance as our favorite ball buster.
If you want to see a reimagining of things to come in the Bond series, then go see this movie. You will not be disappointed. Casino Royale is the best Bond film that I have seen.
The Da Vinci Code
This past month I spent every day playing the Google Da Vinci Code game in anticipation of the movie, which I had high hopes for. Perhaps if Google had made the movie, I might not have felt like I wasted my time.
The Da Vinci Code basically revolves around a plot of covering up what is the true Holy Grail and not what the Church would have you believe. If you can accept that this is just a fictional story and not something trampling on your beliefs, then you are one step ahead of those who would lead you to believe otherwise. My main complaint with the movie is that is treats the viewer like they are a moron and can't follow a simple plot. Everything is laid out for you like you haven't just been watching the same movie for the past two and a half hours. Every single point is laid out for you multiple times and this becomes tiring.
From what I can gather, Ron Howard was playing it safe---trying to appease the book fans too much while alienating the movie fans who have never read the book. All of the characters are just faces on the screen. The only one who has any bearing is Ian McKellen. He somehow manages to bring some life into his character in this dull script. I had high hopes for Audrey Tautou, seeing as this was her first major American blockbuster film. She was, on average...average. Tom Hanks, usually an actor who tries to bring everything to his roles feels like he is just reading cue cards. Even our self-flagellating bad guy, Silas, was only ho-hum.
As far as the cinematography is concerned, I expected something similar to A Beautiful Mind, and what I got was Sci-Fi Channel drivel. Scenes that could have simply been explained with words and an interesting scene involving our main characters were superimposed and merged with flashbacks. Again, this goes back to my original statement that the viewers are supposed morons.
The Da Vinci Code is mildly interesting considering it is mainly just a shell of its printed bretheren. Most would certainly be better off reading the book and having a better time.
[Sidenote: I found it extremely ironic that The Omen trailer played before this movie.]
Brokeback Mountain
Well, I guess you could say I'm back with a bang. After the long hiatus without movie reviews, I'm sure you all have been wandering aimlessly through the dark and lonely theaters. Without further adieu, I bring you a controversial movie about gay cowboys.
Let me first begin by saying that I had no interest in seeing this movie. It is not something that I would normally go out to the theaters and pay $8 to watch. However, I was discussing with a friend how this movie will win Oscars simply because of the controversial themes presented and how Hollywood loves to play the weeping sympathetic. Basically, she called me out by saying that I can't judge a movie before I have seen it, so we both decided to see it to prove each other wrong.
If you aren't familar with the story behind Brokeback Mountain, it is essentially a film about two men who meet while working in Wyoming and unexpectedly fall in love with each other. But, since this is 1963, it isn't exactly the best idea to display these feelings to the world. These two men seem to lead normal lives by getting married and having kids, yet they cannot stop longing for each other and they meet several times a year for "fishing trips" to Brokeback Mountain, their only place to express how they feel.
Here's the good: the cinematography is excellent. Ang Lee certainly knows how to bring the best of his film experience to capturing the rustic landscape of Wyoming. Also, the musical score was great too. It was simple and effective but not overpowering.
Here's the bad: I never really cared. It was hard for me to become emotionally involved with this movie because, one, I found the "love" scenes to be harsh and aggressive. King Kong had more emotion and he was a giant ape. Secondly, there was never really any conflict through the movie. When there was conflict, it was short-lived and generally empty of meaning to the rest of the movie. Lastly, Heath Ledger's accent could use some serious work. I had trouble recognizing what he was saying because he mumbled throughout the entire movie.
Here's the ugly: it is slow, tedius, and boring. After some time had passed in the movie, I glanced at my watch and noticed we still had another hour to go. I felt like it was almost time to end the movie and we were really just getting started.
So after all of this, why is it getting so much critical acclaim? Maybe because it is the politically correct thing to do. But, that can't be enough to consider this an Oscar-worthy flick. I have seen other movies dealing with these themes and I can say that this is nowhere close to matching them. Check out "Kissing Jessica Stein" if you are curious. All-in-all, Brokeback Mountain took the boring story of a man and a woman and just replaced the woman.
Charlie & the Choclate Factory
When I first heard that they were making Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, I was immediately turned off. After all, Gene Wilder's performance in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is dearly loved and revered by movie-goers the world over. So, how can one truly come to appreciate a different take on what is considered a childhood favorite? This is what director Tim Burton and screenwriter John August (better know for his excellent work in Big Fish) set out to tackle and I must say I was surprised by its sweet, yet dark flavor.
What is immediately apparent in Charlie is that this movie stands on its own. For lack of a better descrition, this is not a remake. August takes much of his inspiration directly from Dahl's books, interpreting what he calls a "timeless" story where the Golden Rule never ages. Meanwhile, Burton utilizes an almost entirely set-built production. Throughout the movie, bright colors, wide angles, and imagination takes center stage on what I consider the quintessential Tim Burton film. Everything from certain aspects of the town, to Wonka's factory is entirely built on one of London's largest sound stages. It truly adds a certain tangible element where fiction and reality are blurred, leaving the imagination to focus on the story and characters at hand.
Speaking of chracters, there are two that I would like to specifically touch on. First whom is Willy Wonka. I know many of you are doubtful that Johnny Depp could pull off what is needed for Wonka, so let me lay your fears to rest. Depp is not Gene Wilder, nor does he attempt to play or recreate that personality in any such way. Instead, he is much more eccentric, and well, downright goofy. I found myself laughing at nearly all scenes involving Wonka, silently applauding the superb acting pulled off by Depp. The next character I wanted to detail are the Oompa Loompas. So, how does Burton decide to handle these iconic characters? Why, give the job to one man. That's right, one man, Deep Roy, singlehandedly played every single Oompa Loompa you see onscreen. To top it off, the whole thing works. Its almost creepy at sometimes, but then I came to enjoy their appearence in the musical numbers. Also, the only musical outburts in this movie are those performed by the Oompa Loompas. No more cheesy songs from Granpda Joe or Charlie's mom. For the fans of the books, know that the composer Danny Elfman, was 95% faithful to the lyrics written by Dahl and each song has its own style.
As I was watching Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, I couldn't help but feel that the movie feels so familiar, yet is so much different that the departure is within the grasp for those willing to take a risk. Certainly, the backstory on Wonka is a big risk, but I believe it pays off in order to complete the chracter and story arcs lain before us. I'll just conclude that I haven't had this much fun watching a movie, nor laughed as much, in a good while.
War of the Worlds
Directed by Steven Spielberg, War of the Worlds is a stunning remake of H.G. Wells's classic that pits the entire human race against an alien army hell bent on destroying us in place of themselves. Told through the eyes of one family, Spielberg shows us fear, determination, and outright panic in many situations where they are just trying to survive. War of the Worlds is a darker tale interwoven with outstanding talent on both sides of the camera.
We start out the movie with Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) who is a simple working man, divorced, and going to spend a weekend with his children (no, I'm not talking about Katie Holmes) whom he never sees. Soon, however, a huge lightning storm brings more than just bad weather, but an unexpected invasion. Throughout the entire movie, the devistation and destruction is action packed, only stopping to breathe towards the final act. The surround sound is some of the best sound I have ever heard in a movie--it had my seat shaking, it was so powerful. Now that is how you play a summer blockbuster. Also, lets not forget Dakota Fanning. She is perhaps one of the best child actors I have ever seen. Fanning never fails to amaze me in her seemingly mature talent, being only eleven years old. (If you doubt me, check out Taken, a mini-series now on DVD). Her performance sets the bar for panic and fear in the movie. Maybe some of this credit can be given to Spielberg, known for transforming Drew Barrymore in E.T. into a loveable little girl on-screen.
Speaking of Spielberg, I am continually amazed by his technical expertise in filmmaking. There is one shot in the movie that I didn't catch the first time--it took a second viewing to catch it because of its subtle, yet powerful nature. Cruise and his family are trying to escape the invasion, making their way through the crowded interstate in a van. If you see the film, pay attention to what the camera does: it pans, rotates, goes into and out of the van with such fluditiy, I wonder "how on Earth did he do that shot!"
However, there are a couple of details that mar the performance of this otherwise good movie. First, is the lack of an overall picture. Yes, the movie is very focused and straight-lined, but I wanted to get a sense of the invasion and its ultimate result, especially at the end of the movie, which brings me to my next problem. I felt that the film could have used 10 or 15 more minutes to resolve and wrap-up the story.
So, ignoring the rather flat ending, War of the Worlds is a great movie that I would recommend to anyone looking for a good summer movie.
Batman Begins
I'll just go ahead and get this out on the table right now: Batman Begins is the best comic book movie out there. It is the best Batman movie out there (although, after Batman & Robin, anything would be better). If you thought that Marvel was the king of all comic book movies, then prepare for the king to be overthrown. In one fell swoop, DC Comics has claimed its stake with what will hopefully be an endearing series of movies.
Many of you may know that Chrisopher Nolan is the widely acclaimed director of Memento. Also, many of you may know that David S. Goyer is the outstanding screenwriter for Blade. Throw these two talented men together to come up with what is easily the darkest, grittiest, and most meaningful Batman movie to grace the silver screen. Nolan decided to skip the theatrics and get to the heart of what makes Bruce Wayne the Batman. The story mostly surrounds the situations on how he became Batman and his motivations for doing so. The previous iterations never really seemed to capture this, and Batman Begins pulls this off flawlessly. Nolan also chooses to focus on the fact that everything is not perfect when he starts---the bat cave is just a dingy old cave, his ride is a tank/car, and his suit needs work. Still, it never would have worked without Christian Bale.
Christian Bale is my Bruce Wayne now. It used to be Michael Keaton ("I'm Batman...I'm Batman"), but Bale surpassed my expectations and threw his character into such a demonic and angry conotation, that I knew why Bruce Wayne wanted justice. The supporting cast is equally as impressive. Gary Oldman plays Lt. Gordon, Michael Caine is an outstanding Alfred, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, and Cillian Murphy. All very important to the story and the screenwriters make sure that we never lose focus on the world that we are immersed in.
Without knowing it, this is the Batman that I have wanted to see since 1989. I find it ironic that the title for this movie sums up what should have happened years ago. Batman Begins truly gives us a fresh start and a good foundation to build on.
Cinderella Man
Like most of movie-goers out there, I knew nothing of Jim Braddock's story. Even after researching him and his fights, I still didn't know enough that made me think this movie was going to be nothing more than a canned Hollywood movie. In many ways, it is a canned experience, but I loved every moment of it. And, as you may come to find out, this could very well be Ron Howard's best piece since Apollo 13.
We follow Russell Crowe who plays Jim Braddock, a successful boxer before the Great Depression hits. Once that lands on the country, he is plunged into financial trouble and his struggle is to mainly keep his family afloat. Only when his former manager, Joe Gould, gives him a chance at a comeback can Braddock begin his journey to become the "Cinderella Man". In a time when the working man could get a leg up on the world, it gave hope to those who had none. That, at its core, is the moral message to Cinderella Man. Boxing is just the vehicle Braddock uses to, no pun intended, fight his way through the hard times.
The acting is some of the best you will see this year. My vote for Best Supporting Actor goes to Paul Giamatti for portraying the outgoing, no holds barred manager Joe Gould. Everytime he was on-screen yelling at Braddock from the corner or trying to convince the boxing big-wigs, it felt real. That's when you know you've hit the mark.
In the end, most people will want to compare this among the other boxing movies out there. I say, go ahead and let them. Cinderella Man may not be a Rocky type of boxing movie, but it has heart and, so far, it definitely ranks up there among my top movies of the year.
Blockbuster Online vs. Netflix
I don't know why it has taken me so long to sign up for an Internet movie rental service, but my only guess could be that I was waiting for the right time. Right time for what, I have no idea. Following, I will detail the pros and cons of the two big online movie rental programs.
----Blockbuster Online----
To begin my adventure, I decided to start with Blockbuster Online to see how different they were from Netflix. After two attempts to sign up successfully, I was online and already filling up my queue. Undaunted by the fact I wasn't able to start immediately, I put that all behind me and began to enjoy finding movies that I have wanted to see but somehow passed me by. After adding two dozen movies to my list, I continue to use their website. All the while, I notice the website is a little cluttered. There is this huge section devoted to your queue. Why this needs to be on every page you look at is beyond me, but Blockbuster felt its important, so I move on.
The next day I recieve an email telling me that movies have shipped. I can't help but be excited as I browse the selections, ignoring my work, and still add movies. Now, some of you may be saying that all of this sounds great. However, I have yet to tell you why this was the honeymoon period which led to my downfall and disgust with Blockbuster.
The entire reason I initially chose Blockbuster over Netflix was because they have an extra feature: 2 Free In-Store Rentals each month. Wow, what a deal right? Wrong. You can only use the coupons if you do not have any online rentals at home. Basically they have to recieve your online movies before you can use your coupons. They also expire.
Blockbuster is VERY slow in processing and mailing. Those movies they said were shipped on Wednesday? I got them on Saturday. We'll get to how this is a bad thing when I describe Netflix. Not only were they slow, they seemed to change the status of my queued movies. A movie I had at the top of my queue was available "now" but in the span of eight hours moved to "short wait" and then to "long wait".
After my two week trial was close to over with, I said "Forget it! I'm done with this service." That's when I decided that anything would be better than this and I was right.
The second half of my adventure for the quest of The One Ring...ahem...sorry, wrong review. After my letdown with Blockbuster, I knew there was only one choice and that was Netflix. Signing up was effortless and their website was well organized, clean, and quick. So much of a drastic change, I began to wonder how Blockbuster, a giant of a corporate chain, could not afford better web designers. Nevertheless, I was pleased.
So, in order to test the waters, I began transferring my useless Blockbuster queue over to my new golden ticket. Every single movie I added was available. Like a dog unwary of his new master, I started adding more movies to attain some idea of Netflix's availability status. So far, I have not had to wait for a movie.
The shipping! Oh, the glorious shipping! After filling my queue, I was told it would be a max of three days to recieve my movies. Two days later my mailbox was full. Let me tell you, there is a huge difference between two days and four days.
Even the recommendations are more accurate than Blockbusters. Plus the fact you can add a friend and look at their rated movies or queue. The only downside to Netflix is in the rating system: there are no half stars. If that's the only bad thing I can think of, it's pretty obvious which service is better.
----Final Verdict----
In the end, I have to choose Netflix because they provide a much smoother experience. The shipping speed, website ease-of-use, and overall satisfaction leads me to give my nod to it. Sorry, Blockbuster, you can't topple this movie pioneer.
Star Wars Episodde III: Revenge of the Sith
Okay, people, this is the movie that so many have been waiting for. The culmination of George Lucas' vision and the entire reason we waded through the first two prequel movies. Honestly, I don't even know where to begin.
To say that Sith is the crowning achievement in Lucas' career is a huge understatement. In many respects, it seemed as if he wanted vindication to prove his worth as a filmmaker after the average showings of the first two prequels and I believe he has silenced many of those hardened critics. Now that we have that out of the way, lets get to the question on everyone's mind: Is it good?
Yes...very good. From the moment the movie begins, it is non-stop and relentless action. Rarely does it let up to give you time to rest before you are thrown into another situation which deepens the plot even more. Speaking of the plot, it covers all bases to set up Episodes IV, V, and VI. To be sure, it brings a greater appreciation and complexity to the past movies. Several times, I sat in awe wondering if this moment could be topped, only to be silenced yet again with a greater moment. I haven't felt this way since Empire. For you Star Wars fans, you know what that means.
All of the light saber battles are spectacular and truly trump anything done before. The movie is so rich with physicality you can't help but be sucked in by its gripping darkness. Also, the movie is an emotional ride that slowly slips you into hell along with Anakin. Lucas has finally made me care about the characters with gut wrenching effectiveness. Not to mention that Hayden Christensen's acting is much better than his previous efforts, though not perfect. Natalie Portman delivers one of the best lines in the movie. Ian McDiarmid stole the show. Yoda is still cool.
I am both happy and sad. Happy that the movie was what I had hoped it would be; Sad that the saga has ended. Only Star Wars could make me go to the midnight showing to stand in a line that wraps around the building. I can't wait to see this movie again.
Kingdom of Heaven
Let's forget for a moment, that Hollywood intends to be historically accurate in anything it does. If I wanted to see an historical saga, the History Channel, not LaLa Land, would be my main avenue. With that said, Kingdom of Heaven is as epic as Gladiator without all the gory battles. Going into this movie, I didn't expect it to be as thought provoking as it turned out to be. Maybe I was expecting Gladiator for the Crusades.
KOH is set in 12th century Europe and Middle East with the main focus for the Muslim and Christian struggle for Jersualem (which, oddly enough, sends an echo to the present day). If you have been following this movie at all, you will know that this has been the source of much controversy surrounding the release. Is this objectification of our current struggle against Muslim terrorists? Is it too offense to raise tensions between our cultures?
Put your fears to rest, hate mongers. Kingdom does no such thing. I found myself wanting to quote Rodney King: "why can't we all just get along?" The script plays a perfect balance, almost effortlessly, with epic battles, dialog and romantic struggles. But it seems to drag and become confusing with its many characters.
Orlando Bloom plays a young blacksmith who is recruited by his father, Liam Neeson's character, who in turn knights him and various events play out from there. The first half of the movie tends to drag on seeing as there is so much to set up. Many factions on both sides want war, while the current King settles for peace. While we are talking about characters, I must say that I didn't find Bloom to carry a strong presence. That respect goes to Liam Neeson. While his role is short-lived, I found myself constantly wishing he would somehow appear to finish the film off.
Cinematically, Ridley Scott does not disappoint. The man knows how to direct a film, that's for sure. While the movie may be a little long without a foothold to keep your attention at every span, it does present a fantastic movie experience.


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Ross Perot is Back!
Thanks to 'fulhamag' on the FulhamUSA non-soccer subforums, we get to see this little gem of a PowerPoint presentation on the state of our country's economy and dire warnings on the future, if something is not done about curbing entitlement legislation.
Suicidal Spending
- Perot's foreword is here: Perotcharts{dot}com
Watch the entire thing... and please think about what you are seeing there, before you grab onto a single kernel of truth. Consider it in its entirety; The truth is not always able to slap you in the face.
I fully expect some to use that presentation selectively as fodder for their views on particular administrations, but the presentations do not reflect the true states of the economies, should changes not have been enacted.
Example: The late nineties budget surpluses.
This has been used to show that the Clinton Administration with the Republican fiscal conservative congress produced what we all want. True.. and False. Dont forget that a large part of the economy at that point in time was based on speculative gross product...i.e; the Internet Boom which fueled huge growth in the IT and Commercial Real Estate sectors. In the end much of the 'Product' was vaporware, much of the taxable income based on jobs which were a result of that boom.
The conclusions I draw are simple:
1. We cannot tax ourselves out of deficit. It LOOKS like we could if you accept one or two charts at face value, but the entirety of the piece shows otherwise.
2. The proposals for a National Health plan must be very carefully considered in the light of what we can see as a result of current limited programs.
In a practical sense, attempts to curb mandatory Health and Retirement spending growth suffer the inevitable backlash from the 'entitled', who object to any change which might reduce their expected standards of support.


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The government approved the list of power units of nuclear power, hydroheat-sink and other plants, substations, heating plants and power lines, construction, reconstruction and which repair will be carried out in 2009 at the expense of means of special fund of the state budget of Ukraine. I approved the relevant resolution Cabinet on April 8, reports Management on communications with mass media of the Secretariat of the Cabinet.
In 2009 the special attention will be paid to construction of power generation facilities which has a strategic importance for the state. In particular, this year construction of Tashlyksky pumped storage power plant (Yuzhnoukrainsk, the Nikolaev Region) and the first stage of Dniester pumped storage power plant as a part of three hydrounits (Novodnestrovsk, Chernovitsky Region) will proceed. Also in the current year construction of the combined system of autonomous power supply of the lake will be complete. Snake (Odessa Region). Besides, according to the resolution, in 2009 repair and reconstruction of an air-line of an electricity transmission the Rovno nuclear power plant - "Kiev" will be continued.
As a whole on these actions in the state budget 834,1 million UAHare provided


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Fundamental to this system is a compromise in which workers give up the right to sue for their work-related injuries, irrespective of fault, in return for guaranteed compensation for accepted claims.
Employers receive protection from lawsuits in exchange for financing the program through premiums.
Employees cannot sue employers or most other employers for injuries occurring during employment, in most circumstances.
This system of collective liability provides compensation for injured workers and their families, while spreading individual costs among employers.
It means that if an employee commences a lawsuit against its employer or other employer, that employer can have the lawsuit dismissed.
Here is how it works:
Section 13(1) of the WSIA, 1997 states that a worker who sustains a personal injury by accident, arising out of and in the course of his or her employment, is entitled to benefits under the insurance plan.
Section 28 of the WSIA, 1997 provides that a worker employed by a Schedule 1 employer is not entitled to commence an action against any Schedule 1 employer (or a Director, Executive Officer or a worker employed by any Schedule 1 employer) in respect of the worker's injury. This protection from lawsuits is the trade-off for the compensation injured workers receive.
Section 27 of the WSIA, 1997 states that Section 28 applies with respect to a worker who sustains an injury that entitles him or her to benefits under the insurance plan. Therefore, this prevents workers who are entitled to benefits under the insurance plan from suing another employer who is also within the same Schedule 1.


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My Blinking CPU
by akshay mahajan on 01:47
On most days all that greets me at 4am is the slow moving ceiling fan and the dimly strangely green light of my blinking CPU and the randomly selected song it plays for me each morning and the cold and the darkness.
Well getting up at hours well before my time has come as always news and on the contrary to what the above has just all said I do not wake up at 4 am unless it is absolutely necessary I stress on absolutely I'm a pretty lazy customer you know. The thing is that time gets the better of me most of the time, I haven't grasped it�s concept yet its too Greek for me.
Einstein once said that there were only thirteen people in the world who understand the theory of relativity. Well there was this kid in my class claimed he was one them and he then ends up failing physics.
If your expecting something more exciting from me well I'm sorry these exams are sucking out the living hell out of me.
I will leave you with a few picture from my trip to Sihaghad a week or so ago (you could expect a post on that in the future).
A moonlit moring .
Dawn of a New Day .
Aurora Sunrise Incomplete .
Strangers on a Mountain.
for more pictures from the shaky lens of Akshay visit Reflections of Reflections [now updated]
I'm been quiet busy lately therefore I should apologies for my forced absence. In the words of Joni Mitchell
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way


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Honourary Change Ambassadors Award 2015
Sat, Feb 7. 9:05AM - 12:05PM
Anglo Jos, Plateau, Nigeria Jos, Nigeria
Event Details
HONOURARY CHANGE AMBASSADORS WORKING FOR PEACE AND HUMANITY AWARD: 7th February, 2015
- Music Interlude and Performances/Comedy
- Press Conference with Radio&TV Stations/Newspapers
- Lead Papers Presentation
- Ambassadors Group Discussions and
- Interactive sessions on Problems of Peace Human Dev
- Award of Ambassador Titles/Honours
- Response from Honorees/Recipients
Names of successful and qualified nominees will be published here few days to the event. WATCH OUT!!!
Also Follow up here www.yeliprojects.org
Every nominated Change Ambassador for Peace and Humanity will during this prestigious ceremony wear academic gown, to receive the following:
1. An Originally Signed, Laminated and Corporate Sealed Certificate,
2. An Inscribed Wooden Plaque,
3. A Plastic Membership Identity Card,
4. A Simple English framed Certificate,
5. An Inscribed Muffla with Title of Change Ambassador
5. An award Gold Medal, and
6. Two letters of A: Confirmation of ambassadorial title/honour, B: Invitation to join YELI International advisory board, and be a permanent member of our alumni association.
The event, which will hold live in the city of Jos Plateau Nigeria offers honour and privilege to few nominated unique religious, social, political, business and humanitarian leaders home and abroad due to their various advancing contributions to the services of God Almighty, the empowerment of humankind and the immeasurable impact they have made towards the positive change of the earth.
Purpose is to encourage them to as Change Ambassadors, keep promoting global peace; as they continue working with Nigerians, Africans and people around the world to support human spiritual, physical, social and educational development.
YELI is an acronym of Youth Education and Leadership Initiative, a non-profit organization committed to the mandate of promoting reading culture among young people for self-discovery and ensuring effective Leadership for Peace, Youth and Integral Development. The organization has a board of advisers, patrons and matrons, cutting across reputable persons with proven track records of various achievements.
We are duly registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a legally recognized and empowered Non-profit body (NGO) with Registration Number: CAC/IT/No 41511 to carry out programs and projects that meet the following local/national goal/objective "To link youth to scholarship grants, award prizes, certificates and positions/honors to performing leaders" amongst other laudable objectives.
We respect all paths and honour each person's right to seek their own personal truth, and we also recognize the diversity of the world; and as such, we accept all members of the community regardless of their religious background or denomination without prejudice of any kind.
This is an initiative of YELI International, International Peace Organization (IPO), Center for World Rebirth and other local and global peace partnering organizations.
For more information on the ongoing nomination and partnership opportunities, please contact:
YELI International
No 22B, Tudun Wada Ring Road, Jos Plateau Nigeria.
Phones: +234(0) 8098147740, 07036108592 and 08037451705
Website: www.yeli.webs.com
Email: email@example.com
Int'l Peace Organization www.ipoprojects.webs.com
Center for World Rebirth www.drgenesis.com
The FAU Friends of the African Union Cincinnati
Africa Rise UpMusic4Charity


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Why Celebrities Like Khloe Kardashian & Taylor Momsen Show Their Boobs! Expert Weighs In!
We have been seeing many nip-slips lately and image consultant Michael Sands tells us why that may be! Are the girls purposely vying for attention?
Wardrobe malfunctions are nothing new to Hollywood and now more and more starlets are letting it all hang out. With so many girls making headlines for nip slips we're dying to know why they aren't being more careful with their clothing choices. Taylor Momsen, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian have recently bared it all without any shame or damage to their reputation. Celebrity image consultant Michael Sands reveals why flashing works for some of Hollywood celebrities and not for others.
"Nip slips work for some celebrities and definitely don't work for others. Khloe Kardashian is not on the same caliber as Rihanna or Taylor Momsen. Khloe is not an actress or a performer, she's a reality star but doesn't have any particular talent. People don't want to see her nipples!" said Michael Sands.
Michael does make some exceptions though. He thinks that Khloe's older sister Kim got away with posing in her birthday suit because her celebrity status is centered around being a sex symbol. "The only Kardashian sister who could get away with a nip slip is Kim because she's a star, a sex symbol and can get away with it."
Michael explains that part of succeeding in Hollywood is being sexy, so performers like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Taylor have to continually prove they are hotter than their competition. For them wardrobe malfunctions are one way to keep them on top of the charts. Some celebrities think that exposing themselves is one way to generate publicity for their careers.
"Music stars sell sex. If you have talent, nip slips can work in your advantage in a very subliminal way which is good." said Michael. "Rihanna and Taylor are performers. Rihanna, in particular, is a music star, so she needs to continually sell sex. It's OK that Rihanna shows her nipples because sexiness is a big part of her image and she has legitimate talent. Rihanna also leaves much to the imagination because there is a difference seeing a nipple under a see-thru shirt than a nipple completely exposed."
"Same goes for Taylor Momsen, she is now trying to make a name for herself as a music star. She wants to get guys to come see her perform. It's common these days for girls like Taylor to be going from 17-years-old to 25."
But some A-listers disagree, Reese Witherspoon just ruffled some feathers for calling out young girls on capitalizing on their sex appeal instead of their talent. Tell us what you think! Do you think young starlet's showing their boobs is helpful or harmful to their career?
Click here for more nip slips!
Nicole Fukuoka with reporting by Sandra Clark
Read about more celeb nip slips


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In A Large Greek Colony, 200 BC
That things in the Colony are not what they should be
no one can doubt any longer,
and though in spite of everything we do go forward,
maybe—as more than a few believe—the time has come
to bring in a Political Reformer.
But here's the problem, here's the hitch:
they make a tremendous fuss
about everything, these Reformers.
(What a relief it would be
if no one ever needed them.) They probe everywhere,
question the smallest detail,
and right away think up radical changes
that demand immediate execution.
Also, they have a liking for sacrifice:
Get rid of that property;
your owning it is risky:
properties like those are exactly what ruin colonies.
Get rid of that income,
and the other connected with it,
and this third, as a natural consequence:
they are substantial, but what can one do?
the responsibility they create for you is damaging.
And as they proceed with their investigation,
they find an endless number of useless things to eliminate—
things that are, however, difficult to get rid of.
And when, all being well, they finish the job,
every detail now diagnosed and sliced away,
and they retire, also taking the wages due to them—
it will be a miracle if anything's left at all
after such surgical efficiency.
Maybe the moment has not yet arrived.
Let's not be too hasty: haste is a dangerous thing.
Untimely measures bring repentance.
Certainly, and unhappily, many things in the Colony are absurd.
But is there anything human without some fault?
And after all, you see, we do go forward.
- C.P. Cavafy
"Stuff is eaten by dogs, broken by family and friends, sanded down by the wind, frozen by the mountains, lost by the prairie, burnt off by the sun, washed away by the rain. So you are left with dogs, family, friends, sun, rain, wind, prairie and mountains. What more do you want?" Federico Calboli
Saturday, November 05, 2011
2 comments:
- Matt Mullenix said...
Tell us how you really feel about the Occupy movement Reid! :-)
- Monday, 07 November, 2011
- Reid Farmer said...
No, not just the Occupy movement, more like "all of the above" political movements
- Monday, 07 November, 2011
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