text:
"The mind will subside only by means of the enquiry 'Who am I?'. The thought 'Who am I?', destroying all other thoughts will itself be finally destroyed like the stick used to stoke the fire…..When the mind unceasingly investigates its own nature it transpires that there is no such thing as mind. The mind is merely thoughts. Of all the thoughts the thought 'I' is the root. Therefore the mind is only the thought 'I'. From where does the is 'I' arise? Seek for it within; it then vanishes. This if the pursuit of wisdom." p88
Exert from No Mind, I am the Self by David Godman.


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20. The Klingons
Klingons (Klingon: tlhIngan, pronounced [ˈt͡ɬɪŋɑn]) are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe. They are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films. Initially intended to be antagonists for the crew of the USS Enterprise, the Klingons ended up a close ally of humanity and the United Federation of Planets in later television series.
As originally developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon, Klingons were darkly colored humanoids with little honor, intended as an allegory to the then-current Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, though Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry did not aspire to any political parallels. With a greatly expanded budget for makeup and effects, the Klingons were completely redesigned in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), gaining ridged foreheads that created a continuity error not explained by canon until 2005. In later films and the spin-off series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the militaristic traits of the Klingons were bolstered by an increased sense of honor and strict warrior code.
Among the elements created for the revised Klingons was a complete language, developed by Marc Okrand off gibberish suggested by actor James Doohan. Klingon has entered popular culture; the works of William Shakespeare and even parts of the Bible have been translated into the guttural language. A dictionary, a book of sayings, and a cultural guide to the language have been published. In addition, according to Guinness World Records, Klingon is the most popular fictional language by number of speakers.
19. Zombies
A zombie is asserted to be a reanimated corpse, or a human who is being controlled by someone else by use of magic with some media renditions using a pandemic illness to explain their existence. Stories of zombies originated in the West African spiritual belief system of voodoo, which told of the people being controlled as laborers by a powerful wizard. Zombies became a popular device in modern horror fiction, largely because of the success of George A. Romero's 1968 film Night of the Living Dead and they have appeared as plot devices in various books, films and in television shows.
The modern conception of the zombie owes itself almost entirely to George A. Romero's 1968 film Night of the Living Dead.[23][24] In his films, Romero "bred the zombie with the vampire, and what he got was the hybrid vigour of a ghoulish plague monster". This entailed an apocalyptic vision of monsters that have come to be known as Romero zombies.
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times chided theater owners and parents who allowed children access to the film. "I don't think the younger kids really knew what hit them," complained Ebert. "They were used to going to movies, sure, and they'd seen some horror movies before, sure, but this was something else." According to Ebert, the film affected the audience immediately:
The kids in the audience were stunned. There was almost complete silence. The movie had stopped being delightfully scary about halfway through, and had become unexpectedly terrifying. There was a little girl across the aisle from me, maybe nine years old, who was sitting very still in her seat and crying.
Romero's reinvention of zombies is notable in terms of its thematics; he used zombies not just for their own sake, but as a vehicle "to criticize real-world social ills—such as government ineptitude, bioengineering, slavery, greed and exploitation—while indulging our post-apocalyptic fantasies". Night was the first of six films in the Living Dead series.
Innately tied with the conception of the modern zombie is the "zombie apocalypse", the breakdown of society as a result of zombie infestation, portrayed in countless zombie-related media post-Night. Scholar Kim Paffrenroth notes that "more than any other monster, zombies are fully and literally apocalyptic ... they signal the end of the world as we have known it."
Night made no reference to the creatures as "zombies". In the film they are referred as "ghouls" on the TV news reports. However, the word zombie is used continually by Romero in his 1978 script for Dawn of the Dead, including once in dialog. This "retroactively fits (the creatures) with an invisible Haitian/African prehistory, formally introducing the zombie as a new archetype".
Movie poster for the 1968 film Night of the Living DeadDawn of the Dead was released under this title just months before the release of Lucio Fulci's Zombi II (1979). Fulci's gory epic was filmed at the same time as Romero's Dawn, despite the popular belief that it was made in order to cash in on the success of Dawn. The only reference to Dawn was the title change to Zombi II (Dawn generally went by Zombi or Zombie in other countries.)
After the mid-1980s, the subgenre was mostly relegated to the underground. Notable entries include director Peter Jackson's ultra-gory film Braindead (1992) (released as Dead Alive in the U.S.), Bob Balaban's comic 1993 film My Boyfriend's Back where a self-aware high school boy returns to profess his love for a girl and his love for human flesh, and Michele Soavi's Dellamorte Dellamore (1994) (released as Cemetery Man in the U.S.). Several years later, zombies experienced a renaissance in low-budget Asian cinema, with a sudden spate of dissimilar entries including Bio Zombie (1998), Wild Zero (1999), Junk (1999), Versus (2000) and Stacy (2001).
In Disney's 1993 film Hocus Pocus, a "good zombie", Billy Butcherson played by Doug Jones, was introduced, giving yet a new kind of zombie in an intelligent, gentle, kind, and heroic being.
The turn of the millennium coincided with a decade of box office successes in which the zombie sub-genre experienced a resurgence: the Resident Evil movies in 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2010; the Dawn of the Dead remake (2004), the British films 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later and the homage/parody Shaun of the Dead (2004). The new interest allowed Romero to create the fourth entry in his zombie series: Land of the Dead, released in the summer of 2005. Romero has recently returned to the beginning of the series with the film Diary of the Dead (2008).
The depiction of zombies as biologically infected people has become increasingly popular, likely due to the 28 Days Later and Resident Evil series. More recently, Colin (UK, 2008) has taken the step of using an artisanal hand-held camcorder to provide the zombie point-of-view of the eponymous central protagonist, who is bitten (twice), turns yet retains some residual memories of his pre-revenant life. The short film screened at Cannes in 2009 and was released by Kaliedoscope Entertainment in the United Kingdom on October 31, 2009.
2006's Slither featured zombies infected with alien parasites, and 2007's Planet Terror featured a zombie outbreak caused by a biological weapon. The comedy films Zombie Strippers and Fido have also taken this approach.
As part of this resurgence, there have been numerous direct-to-video (or DVD) zombie movies made by extremely low-budget filmmakers using digital video. These can usually be found for sale online from the distributors themselves, rented in video rental stores or released internationally in such places as Thailand.
18. Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal Lecter, MD is a fictional character in a series of novels by author Thomas Harris. The character is introduced in the thriller novel Red Dragon (1981) as a psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. The novel and its sequel, The Silence of the Lambs (1988), feature Lecter as one of two primary antagonists. In the third novel, Hannibal (1999), Lecter becomes the main character. His role as protagonist and anti-hero occurs in the fourth novel, Hannibal Rising (2006), which explores his childhood and development into a serial killer. Lecter's character also appears in all five film adaptations.
The first film, Manhunter, based on the novel Red Dragon, features Brian Cox as Lecter, spelled as "Lecktor". In 2002, a second adaptation of Red Dragon was made under the original title, featuring Anthony Hopkins, who had previously played Lecter in the motion pictures The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. Hopkins won an Academy Award for his performance of the character in The Silence of the Lambs in 1991. In 2003, Hannibal Lecter (as portrayed by Hopkins) was chosen by the American Film Institute as the #1 movie villain
Red Dragon was first adapted to film in 1986 as the Michael Mann film Manhunter. Due to copyright issues, the filmmakers changed the spelling of Lecter's name to "Lecktor," who was portrayed by Scottish actor Brian Cox.
In 1991, Orion Pictures produced a Jonathan Demme-directed film adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs, in which Lecter was played by Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins' Academy Award–winning performance made Lecter into a cultural icon. In 2001, Hannibal was adapted to film, with Hopkins reprising his role. The ending for the film was changed from the novel due to the controversy that the novel's ending generated upon its release in 1999: in the film adaptation, Starling attempts to apprehend Lecter, who cuts off his own hand to free himself from her handcuffs. In 2002, Red Dragon was adapted to film again under its original title Red Dragon, with Hopkins once again as Lecter and Edward Norton as Will Graham.
In late 2006, the script for the film Hannibal Rising was adapted to novel format. The novel was written to explain Lecter's development into a serial killer. In the film, the young Lecter is portrayed by Gaspard Ulliel. Both the novel and the film received generally negative critical reception.
17. The Borg
The Borg are a fictional pseudo-race of cybernetic organisms depicted in the Star Trek universe.
Whereas cybernetics are used by other races in the science fiction world (and in recent times the real world) to repair bodily damage and birth defects, the Borg voluntarily submit to cybernetic enhancement as a means of achieving what they believe to be perfection (they also force their idea of perfection on others).
Aside from being the main threat in Star Trek: First Contact, the Borg also play major roles in The Next Generation and Voyager television series, primarily as an invasion threat to the United Federation of Planets and the means of return to the Alpha Quadrant for isolated Federation starship Voyager, respectively. The Borg have become a symbol in popular culture for any juggernaut against which "resistance is futile". The Borg manifest as cybernetically enhanced humanoid drones of multiple species, organized as an interconnected collective, the decisions of which are made by a hive mind, linked to subspace domain. The Borg inhabit a vast region of space in the Delta Quadrant of the galaxy, possessing millions of vessels and having conquered thousands of systems. They operate solely toward the fulfilling of one purpose: to "add the biological and technological distinctiveness of other species to [their] own" in pursuit of perfection. This is achieved through forced assimilation, a process which transforms individuals and technology into Borg, enhancing - and simultaneously controlling - individuals by implanting or appending synthetic components.
In their first introduction to the franchise (Q Who?), little information is forthcoming about the Borg or their origins and intents. In alien encounters, they exhibit no desire for negotiation or reason, only to assimilate. Exhibiting a rapid adaptability to any situation or threat, with encounters characterized by the matter-of-fact statement "Resistance is futile", the Borg develop into one of the greatest threats to Starfleet and the Federation. Originally perceived on screen as a homogeneous and anonymous entity, the concepts of a Borg Queen and central control are later introduced, while representatives for the Borg collective are occasionally employed to act as a go-between in more complicated plot lines.
In Star Trek, attempts to resist the Borg become one of the central themes, with many examples of successful resistance to the collective, both from existing or former drones, and assimilation targets. It is also demonstrated that it is possible to survive assimilation (most notably Jean-Luc Picard), and that drones can escape the collective (most notably Seven of Nine), and become individuals, or exist collectively without forced assimilation of others. They are notable for being a main antagonist race in more than one series who never appeared in the original Star Trek.
16. The Terminator
"The Terminator" refers to a number of fictional characters portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger – a cyborg, initially portrayed as a programmable assassin, main protagonist, and military infiltration unit. "The Terminator" character first appeared in the 1984 movie of the same name, directed and co-written by James Cameron, and its sequels. The first film in the series features only one cyborg: the one portrayed by Schwarzenegger, although a second Terminator played by Franco Columbu is shown in a future flashback scene. In two sequels, Schwarzenegger's Terminator is pitted against other Terminators, and appears briefly in the fourth as a CGI model.
In the sequels, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Schwarzenegger reprises the role, but with a twist: Schwarzenegger is the hero instead of the villain playing a different but visually identical Terminator in each of the three films. Within the Terminator universe created by Cameron, Terminators of the same "model" share identical characteristics. In the production of the films, this has allowed multiple Terminators to be portrayed by Schwarzenegger. In the context of the stories, this plot device provides a certain continuity for the human characters, by exploiting their emotional familiarity with a particular "human" visage.
"The Terminator" is the name of Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in the credits of the three Terminator movies. At different times, the character is given more specific designations such as model and series numbers, in efforts to distinguish Schwarzenegger's character from other Terminators.
The Terminator appears in Terminator Salvation. Schwarzenegger reprises the role via facial CGI, while the character itself is physically portrayed by Roland Kickinger.
HAL 9000 is the sentient on-board computer of the Discovery One spacecraft in Arthur C. Clarke's fictional Space Odyssey saga.
HAL (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer) is an artificial intelligence which interacts with the crew, usually represented only as a red television camera "eye" that can be seen throughout Discovery. He speaks in a soft voice and a conversational manner, in contrast to the ship's crew who speak in a terse way, with little inflection. The voice of HAL 9000 was portrayed by Canadian actor Douglas Rain.
HAL became operational on 12 January 1997 (1992 in the film) at the HAL Laboratories in Urbana, Illinois as production number 3. His first instructor was Dr. Chandra (Mr. Langley in the first film). HAL is capable not only of speech, speech recognition, facial recognition, and natural language processing, but also lip reading, art appreciation, interpreting and expressing emotions, reasoning, and playing chess, in addition to maintaining all systems on an interplanetary mission.
HAL was ranked No. 13 on a list of greatest film villains of all time on the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains.
In the French-language version of 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL's name is given as "CARL", for Cerveau Analytique de Recherche et de Liaison ("Analytic Brain for Research and Communication"). The camera plates, however, still read "HAL 9000".
In 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL begins to malfunction in subtle ways, and as a result, the decision is made to shut HAL down in order to prevent more serious malfunctions. The sequence of events and manner in which HAL is shut down differs between the novel and film versions of the story. He is the film's main Antagonist.
In the film, astronauts David Bowman and Frank Poole consider disconnecting HAL's cognitive circuits when he appears to be mistaken in reporting the presence of a fault in the spacecraft's communications antenna. They attempt to conceal what they are saying, but are unaware that HAL is capable of lip reading. Faced with the prospect of disconnection, HAL decides to kill the astronauts in order to protect and continue its programmed directives. HAL proceeds to kill Poole while he is repairing the ship. When Bowman goes to rescue Poole, he is locked out of the ship, and HAL proceeds to disconnect the life support systems of the other hibernating crew members, killing them in their sleep. Dave manages to force his way back onto the ship by jumping through space and prying open an emergency airlock, outside of HAL's control.
In the novel, the orders to disconnect HAL come from Dave and Frank's superiors on Earth. After Frank is killed while attempting to repair the communications antenna, Dave begins to revive his hibernating crewmates, but is foiled when HAL vents the ship's atmosphere into the vacuum of space, killing the awakening crew members and almost killing Dave. Dave is only narrowly saved when he finds his way to a spacesuit which has its own oxygen supply.
In both versions, Bowman then proceeds to shut down the machine. In the film, HAL's central core is depicted as a crawlspace full of brightly lit computer modules mounted in arrays from which they can be inserted or removed. Bowman shuts down HAL by removing modules from service one by one; as he does so, HAL's consciousness degrades. HAL regurgitates material that was programmed into him early in his memory, including announcing the date he became operational as 12 January 1992. When HAL's logic is completely gone, he begins singing the song "Daisy Bell" (this being a reference to the first song played on a computer, the UNIVAC I, was "Daisy Bell"). HAL's final act of any significance is to prematurely play a prerecorded message from Mission Control which reveals the true reasons for the mission to Jupiter, which had been kept secret from the crew and not been intended to be played until the ship entered Jovian orbit.
14. Predator
The Predator is a fictional extraterrestrial species featured in the Predator science-fiction franchise, characterised by its trophy hunting of other dangerous species for sport, including humans and its fictional counterparts, Aliens. Other franchises that have been based on this film include the comic books "Aliens vs. Predator" and the "AVP" film series as well.
First introduced in 1987 as the main antagonist of the film Predator, the Predator creatures returned in the sequels Predator 2 (1990), Alien vs. Predator (2004), Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007), and Predators (2010). The Predators have also been the subject of numerous novels, video games, and comic books, both on their own and as part of the Alien vs. Predator crossover imprint. While a definitive name for the species is not given in the films, the names yautja and Hish have been alternatively used in the expanded universe.
Created by brothers Jim and John Thomas, the Predators are depicted as large, sapient and sentient humanoid creatures who possess advanced technology, such as active camouflage and energy weapons, and are capable of interstellar travel.
Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally cast as the Predator, the idea being that the physical action star would use his martial arts skills to make the Predator an agile, ninja-esque hunter. When compared to Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, and Jesse Ventura, actors known for their bodybuilding regimens, it became apparent a more physically-imposing man was needed to make the creature appear threatening. Ventura's autobiography also alleges that Van Damme intentionally injured a stunt man. Eventually, Van Damme was removed from the film and replaced by actor and mime artist Kevin Peter Hall. Hall, standing at an imposing 7 foot 2, had just finished work as a sasquatch in Harry and the Hendersons. Peter Cullen did the creature vocals in the original film, and said the inspiration for the Predator sounds were horseshoe crabs. Hal Rayle did the Predator vocals in the second movie.
Hall played the Predator in the first and second movies. He was trained in the art of mime and used many tribal dance moves in his performance, such as during the fight between Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Predator at the end of the first movie. In Predator 2, according to a "making of" featurette, Danny Glover suggested the Los Angeles Lakers to be the other Predators because Glover himself was a big fan. Hall persuaded some of the Lakers to play background Predators because they couldn't find anyone on short notice. Hall died not long after Predator 2 was released in theaters.
In Alien vs. Predator, Welsh actor Ian Whyte, a fan of the Predator comics and movies, took over as the man in the Predator suit, portraying the "Celtic" Predator during Celtic's fight with an Alien warrior. Whyte returned to portray the "Wolf" Predator in Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem.
In Predators, actors Brian Steele and Carey Jones both portrayed a new breed of Predator known as the "Black Super Predators", who have been dropping humans on their planet for many years to play a survival game against them. In a nod to the first film, Derek Mears played the Predator as the creature appeared in the original, dubbed the "Classic Predator".
13. Norman Bates
Norman Bates is a fictional character created by writer Robert Bloch as the central character in his novel Psycho, and portrayed by Anthony Perkins as the villain of the 1960 film of the same name directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The character was inspired by serial killer Ed Gein.
Both the novel and Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film adaptation explain that Bates suffers severe emotional abuse as a child at the hands of his mother, Norma, who preaches to him that sex is evil and that women (except herself) are whores. The two of them live alone together in a state of total codependence after the death of Bates' father. When Bates is a teenager, his mother takes a lover, Joe Considine, driving him over the edge with jealousy; Bates murders both of them with strychnine and preserves his mother's corpse. Bates develops dissociative identity disorder, assuming his mother's personality, repressing her death as a way to escape the guilt of murdering her. He inherits his mother's house, where he keeps her corpse, and the family motel in fictional Fairvale, California.
Bloch sums up Bates' multiple personalities in his stylistic form of puns: "Norman", a child dependent on his mother; "Norma", a possessive mother who kills anyone who threatens the illusion of her existence; and "Normal", a (barely) functional adult who goes through the motions of day-to-day life.
Bates is finally arrested after he murders a young woman named Mary Crane (called Marion Crane in the film) and Milton Arbogast, a private investigator sent to look for her. Bates is declared insane and sent to an institution, where the "mother" personality completely takes hold; he essentially becomes his mother.
In Bloch's 1982 sequel to his novel, Bates fakes his death in a car accident while escaping from the asylum and heads to Hollywood, where a film based on his murders is in production. In the next book, Psycho House, Norman appears only as a novelty animatronic on display in the Bates Hotel, which has been converted into a tourist attraction.
The characterization of Bates in the novel and the movie differ in some key areas. In the novel, Bates is in his mid-to-late 40s, short, overweight, homely, and more overtly unstable. In the movie, he is in his early-to-mid-20s, tall, slender, and handsome. Reportedly, when working on the film, Hitchcock decided that he wanted audiences to be able to sympathize with Bates and genuinely like the character, so he made him more of a "boy next door." In the novel, Norman becomes Mother after getting drunk and passing out; in the movie, he remains sober before switching personalities.
In the novel, Bates is well-read in occult and esoteric authors such as P.D. Ouspensky and Alistair Crowley. He is aware that "Mother" disapproves of these authors as being against religion.
Bates was portrayed by Anthony Perkins in Hitchcock's seminal 1960 film adaptation of Bloch's novel and its three sequels. He also portrayed Norman Bates, albeit more lightheartedly, in a 1990 oatmeal commercial.[10] Vince Vaughn portrayed Bates in Gus Van Sant's 1998 remake, while Kurt Paul took on the role in Bates Motel. Henry Thomas played a younger version of the character in Psycho IV: The Beginning.
12. Jason Vorhees
Jason Voorhees is a fictional character from the Friday the 13th series of slasher films. He first appeared in Friday the 13th (1980), as the son of camp cook-turned-murderer, Mrs. Voorhees, in which he was portrayed by Ari Lehman. Created by Victor Miller, with contributions by Ron Kurz, Sean S. Cunningham, and Tom Savini, Jason was not originally intended to carry the series as the main antagonist. The character has subsequently been represented in various other media, including novels, comic books, and a cross-over film with another iconic horror film character, Freddy Krueger.
The character has primarily been an antagonist in the films, whether by stalking and killing the characters, or acting as a psychological threat to the lead character, as is the case in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning. Since Lehman's portrayal, the character has been represented by numerous actors and stuntmen, sometimes by more than one at a time; this has caused some controversy as to who should receive credit for the portrayal. Kane Hodder is the best known of the stuntmen to portray Jason Voorhees, having played the character in four consecutive films.
The character's physical appearance has gone through many transformations, with various special makeup effects artists making their mark on the character's design, including makeup artist Stan Winston. Tom Savini's initial design has been the basis for many of the later incarnations. The trademark hockey mask did not appear until Friday the 13th Part III. Since Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, filmmakers have given Jason superhuman strength, regenerative powers, and near invulnerability. He has been seen as a sympathetic character, whose motivation for killing has been cited as driven by the immoral actions of his victims. Jason Voorhees has been featured in various humor magazines, referenced in feature films, parodied in television shows, and been the inspiration for a horror punk band. Several toy lines have been released based on various versions of the character from the Friday the 13th films. Jason Voorhees's hockey mask is a widely recognized image in popular culture.
11. Jack Torrance
John Daniel "Jack" Torrance is a fictional character, the antagonist in the 1977 novel The Shining by Stephen King. He was portrayed by Jack Nicholson in the 1980 movie adaptation of the novel, and by Steven Weber in the 1997 miniseries. The American Film Institute rated the character (as played by Nicholson) the 25th greatest film villain of all time. In 2008, Jack Torrance was selected by Empire Magazine as one of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters. Premiere Magazine also ranked Torrance on their list of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
Jack Torrance is a writer and former teacher who is trying to rebuild his and his family's life after his alcoholism and volatile temper costs him his teaching position at a small preparatory school. Having given up drinking, he accepts a position maintaining the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado for the winter, in the hope this will salvage his family, re-establish his career, and give him the time and privacy to finish a promising play. He moves to the hotel with his wife, Wendy, and young son, Danny, who is telepathic and sensitive to supernatural forces. Danny receives guidance from an imaginary friend he calls "Tony."
Jack Torrance is portrayed in a less sympathetic manner in the 1980 film. In the novel Jack is a tragic hero whose shortcomings lead to his defeat, while the film implies that he is insane from the start. It also omits his traumatic childhood.
The film's first major deviation from the source material occurs when Jack attacks Hallorann. Instead of merely injuring him with the mallet, Jack brutally kills Hallorann with an axe wound to the heart.
In the film, Jack hears Danny scream, and chases his son to a hedge maze outside the hotel (in the novel topiary animals come to life and threaten Danny). Danny walks backwards in his own footprints to mislead Jack, then jumps to a side path and slips out of the maze. While Wendy and Danny escape the hotel in Hallorann's Snowcat, Jack gets lost trying to pick up Danny's tracks, sits down to rest, and quickly freezes to death.
While Jack redeems himself in the book, in the 1980 film, he succumbs to his demons and is ultimately damned (much to Stephen King's chagrin). The film ends featuring an old photograph of a dance at the hotel from the 1920s that shows Jack in the event.
All monster info from Wikipedia
See Also: The 100 Greatest Monsters From Movies And Television #21 - #30 / The 100 Greatest Monsters From Movies And Television #31 - #40/ The 100 Greatest Monsters From Movies And Television #41 - #50 / The 100 Greatest Monsters From Movies And Television #51 - #60 / The 100 Greatest Monsters From Movies And Television #61 - #70 / The 100 Greatest Monsters From Movies And Television #71 - #80 / The 100 Greatest Monsters From Movies And Television #81 - #90 / The 100 Greatest Monsters From Movies And Television #91 - #100
The 100 Greatest Monsters From Movies And Television #11 - #20
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text: POLITICS ON THE BOULEVARD. Allen Face, Republican candidate for the House of Delegates in the 94th District, will be today's speaker at Politics on the Boulevard. The event will be at 12:30 p.m. on the sidewalks of the 10300 block of Warwick Boulevard in Newport News' Hilton Village. Face will offer his points of view and answer questions from interested citizens.


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Music legend Ray Charles dies at 73
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Ray Charles, the Grammy-winning crooner who blended gospel and blues in such crowd-pleasers as "What'd I Say" and ballads like "Georgia on My Mind," died Thursday, a spokesman said. He was 73.
Charles died at his Beverly Hills home surrounded by family and friends, said spokesman Jerry Digney.
Charles last public appearance was alongside Clint Eastwood on April 30, when the city of Los Angeles designated the singer's studios, built 40 years ago in central Los Angeles, as a historic landmark.
Blind by age 7 and an orphan at 15, Charles spent his life shattering any notion of musical boundaries and defying easy definition. A gifted pianist and saxophonist, he dabbled in country, jazz, big band and blues, and put his stamp on it all with a deep, warm voice roughened by heartbreak from a hardscrabble childhood in the segregated South.
"His sound was stunning it was the blues, it was R&B, it was gospel, it was swing it was all the stuff I was listening to before that but rolled into one amazing, soulful thing," singer Van Morrison told Rolling Stone magazine in April.
Charles won nine of his 12 Grammy Awards between 1960 and 1966, including the best R&B recording three consecutive years ("Hit the Road Jack," "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "Busted").
His versions of other songs are also well known, including "Makin' Whoopee" and a stirring "America the Beautiful." Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell wrote "Georgia on My Mind" in 1931 but it didn't become Georgia's official state song until 1979, long after Charles turned it into an American standard.
"I was born with music inside me. That's the only explanation I know of," Charles said in his 1978 autobiography, "Brother Ray." "Music was one of my parts ... Like my blood. It was a force already with me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me, like food or water."
Charles considered Martin Luther King Jr. a friend and once refused to play to segregated audiences in South Africa. But politics didn't take.
He was happiest playing music, smiling and swaying behind the piano as his legs waved in rhythmic joy. His appeal spanned generations: He teamed with such disparate musicians as Willie Nelson , Chaka Khan and Eric Clapton, and appeared in movies including "The Blues Brothers." Pepsi tapped him for TV spots around a simple "uh huh" theme, perhaps playing off the grunts and moans that pepper his songs.
"The way I see it, we're actors, but musical ones," he once told The Associated Press. "We're doing it with notes, and lyrics with notes, telling a story. I can take an audience and get 'em into a frenzy so they'll almost riot, and yet I can sit there so you can almost hear a pin drop."
Charles was no angel. He could be mercurial and his womanizing was legendary. He also struggled with a heroin addiction for nearly 20 years before quitting cold turkey in 1965 after an arrest at the Boston airport. Yet there was a sense of humor about even that he released both "I Don't Need No Doctor" and "Let's Go Get Stoned" in 1966.
He later became reluctant to talk about the drug use, fearing it would taint how people thought of his work.
"I've known times where I've felt terrible, but once I get to the stage and the band starts with the music, I don't know why but it's like you have pain and take an aspirin, and you don't feel it no more," he once said.
Ray Charles Robinson was born Sept. 23, 1930, in Albany, Ga. His father, Bailey Robinson, was a mechanic and a handyman, and his mother, Aretha, stacked boards in a sawmill. His family moved to Gainesville, Fla., when Charles was an infant.
"Talk about poor," Charles once said. "We were on the bottom of the ladder."
Charles saw his brother drown in the tub his mother used to do laundry when he was about 5 as the family struggled through poverty at the height of the Depression. His sight was gone two years later. Glaucoma is often mentioned as a cause, though Charles said nothing was ever diagnosed. He said his mother never let him wallow in pity.
"When the doctors told her that I was gradually losing my sight, and that I wasn't going to get any better, she started helping me deal with it by showing me how to get around, how to find things," he said in the autobiography. "That made it a little bit easier to deal with."
Charles began dabbling in music at 3, encouraged by a cafe owner who played the piano. The knowledge was basic, but he was that much more prepared for music classes when he was sent away, heartbroken, to the state-supported St. Augustine School for the Deaf and the Blind.
Charles learned to read and write music in Braille, score for big bands and play instruments lots of them, including trumpet, clarinet, organ, alto sax and the piano.
"Learning to read music in Braille and play by ear helped me develop a damn good memory," Charles said. "I can sit at my desk and write a whole arrangement in my head and never touch the piano. .. There's no reason for it to come out any different than the way it sounds in my head."
His early influences were myriad: Chopin and Sibelius, country and western stars he heard on the Grand Ole Opry, the powerhouse big bands of Duke Ellington and Count Basie, jazz greats Art Tatum and Artie Shaw.
By the time he was 15 his parents were dead and Charles had graduated from St. Augustine. He wound up playing gigs in black dance halls the so-called chitlin' circuit and exposed himself to a variety of music, including hillbilly (he learned to yodel) before moving to Seattle.
He dropped his last name in deference to boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, patterned himself for a time after Nat "King" Cole and formed a group that backed rhythm 'n' blues singer Ruth Brown. It was in Seattle's red light district were he met a young Quincy Jones, showing the future producer and composer how to write music. It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship.
Charles developed quickly in those early days. Atlantic Records purchased his contract from Swingtime Records in 1952, and two years later he recorded "I Got a Woman," a raw mixture of gospel and rhythm 'n' blues, inventing what was later called soul. Soon, he was being called "The Genius" and was playing at Carnegie Hall and the Newport Jazz Festival.
His first big hit was 1959's "What'd I Say," a song built off a simple piano riff with suggestive moaning from the Raeletts. Some U.S. radio stations banned the song, but Charles was on his way to stardom.
Veteran producer Jerry Wexler, who recorded "What'd I Say," said he has worked with only three geniuses in the music business: Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin and Charles.
"In each case they brought something new to the table," Wexler told the San Jose Mercury News in 1994. Charles "had this blasphemous idea of taking gospel songs and putting the devil's words to them. ... He can take a gem from Tin Pan Alley or cut to the country, but he brings the same root to it, which is black American music."
Charles released "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Volumes 1 and 2" in the early '60s, a big switch from his gospel work. It included "Born to Lose," "Take These Chains From My Heart (And Set Me Free)" and "I Can't Stop Loving You," some of the biggest hits of his career.
He made it a point to explore each medium he took on. Country sides were sometimes pop-oriented, while fiddle, mandolin, banjo and steel guitar were added to "Wish You Were Here Tonight" in the '80s. Jones even wrote a choral and orchestral work for Charles to perform with the Roanoke, Va., symphony.
Charles' last Grammy came in 1993 for "A Song for You," but he never dropped out of the music scene. He continued to tour and long treasured time for chess. He once told the Los Angeles Times: "I'm not Spassky, but I'll make it interesting for you."
"Music's been around a long time, and there's going to be music long after Ray Charles is dead," he told the Washington Post in 1983. "I just want to make my mark, leave something musically good behind. If it's a big record, that's the frosting on the cake, but music's the main meal."
Associated Press writer Dave Zelio contributed to this report.
The most valuable commodity I know of is information
RE: Music legend Ray Charles dies at 73
Huge fan, to me he just got better with age. I've got an old double set of early blues and jazz 1950-1960, just great stuff.
IMO, he made REAL soul commercially viable. Truly one of a kind. I have heard he exchanged his heroin addiction for alcoholism. Gin and coffee, I believe.
RE:Music legend Ray Charles dies at 73
i didn t realize he had so many kids with 7 different women.im sure they werent white because he said in an interview one time for 60 minutes that he had nos use anyways for white performers like Elvis.In ray's words he said Elvis and others stole the black music and capitalized on it.He was an ignoramus as far as Im concerned....but he did very well for himself so I dont know what he was complaining about. RIP Ray!
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Covering pieces 22, 23.
22. 'Voices of Ireland'. First published in Ireland of the Welcomes, vol. 14, no. 3 (Sept/Oct. 1965), then as 'Ireland: a silence with voices' in The Weekend Telegraph, 21 Jan. 1966, and in a revised version in Cara, vol. 8, no. 4 (Oct./Nov. 1975). Autograph, typewritten, printed cuttings, with one from The Weekend Telegraph marked for publication in book form.
23. 'Arrack and Astarte by the sea'. First published as 'Beirut'; in The Daily Telegraph Magazine, 22 Sept. 1972. Autograph, typewritten, printed cutting.


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UAE F-16 aircraft to undergo head-up displays upgrade through BAE Systems
ROCHESTER, United Kingdom. Lockheed Martin officials selected BAE Systems to modernize head-up displays (HUD) on F-16 aircraft for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces, replacing the fleet's analog system with advanced digital technology.
BAE Systems' LiteHUD head-up display selected for Scorpion Jet
ARLINGTON, Va. Textron AirLand officials selected BAE Systems to deliver its LiteHUD head-up display for the Scorpion jet. The initial order will support the Scorpion's robust flight test program.
Aurora demos automated flight capabilities for DARPA's ALIAS program
MANASSAS, Va. Engineers at Aurora Flight Sciences demonstrated automated flight capabilities under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program. During the demonstration, engineers flew a Cessna Caravan through basic maneuvers under the supervision of a pilot.
FAA releases new regulations on small UAS
WASHINGTON. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials released the awaited new rules and regulations for small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The regulations - called Small Unmanned Aircraft Regulations (Part 107) - will take effect in late August and industry officials say it has the potential to create more than 100,000 new jobs over the next ten years as well as generate more than $82 billion for the U.S. economy.
USAF C-17s engage in 'vortex surfing' tests
Traveling in formation to take advantage of the vortex effect is not just for Tour de France riders or migrating birds. Soon USAF "birds" might also be flying in formation to take advantage of the same "vortex surfing" benefits, but in this case, it's fuel savings on transoceanic flights resulting from the dragging effects provided. [...]


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Saturday, June 30, 2007
Aah, you see the thing with the early onset alzheimers is that it kicks in at very convenient moments. To protect those that can not defend themselves (how could you when I have all the photographic evidence) I post only my own shameless display. Now, I was neither the only silly person, nor the silliest silly person in this particular misadventure at sleep-away camp for writers. I seem to recall a certain non-participant in this bit of dress up saying he was amazed not that so many of us tried on the fur coat, glasses and lipstick, but that it kept amusing us, over and over. It was entirely stupid and completely endearing.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 7:58 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
I haven't been this silly in a long time. How about you?
Maybe permission to be silly is one of the reasons people have kids. Silly, like my nephew who insisted I take a picture of the tiny tiny hairs on his arm then ran off laughing as if the click of the camera had tickled him.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 9:36 AM 2 comments: Links to this post
Thursday, June 28, 2007
It took almost a year, but I finally got some pictures from my cousin's wedding that I've wanted. Here are most of the women on the maternal side of my family.
I'm especially fond of the Mafiosa thing going on with my grandma. To get to this wedding we had to be bussed up to the top of this hill on an extremely narrow and twisty road. I liked imagining that some drunk jerk would start causing trouble and my grandmother would simply gesture toward the cliff with her cane. Later that night, there would be reports of an "unfortunate accident."
But no. Everyone behaved. No one got hurt. Sean and I left before they served the goddamn cake. Now that's unfortunate.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 9:55 PM No comments: Links to this post
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
So. . .how did I live so many years of my life in Massachusetts without hearing the term MASSHOLE? I imagine that the people who cemented rocks into the wall around their house in Cambridge were Massholes. I imagine all the people who honked their horn at me while I manuevered carefully through a traffic circle or intersection were Massholes. I think it must take a lot of meditation, scream therapy and/or booze to keep from becoming a huge jerk from having to drive around the greater Boston area. In a store in Harvard Square, I asked a woman to excuse me as I squeezed by her in a narrow aisle and she practically growled at me. That's right. Masshole.
Having experienced a week of refreshingly friendly strangers in western Mass. I thought maybe I'd been unfair to my old haunts. I tried smiling as I walked down Mass Ave. Not crazy smiling, just happy smiling. It was a beautiful day and I was enjoying myself. Not a single person smiled back. I could give them all a break for being in a big city instead of a small town. I'm sure that's part of it. But then there are the reports from friends who insist that New York is far more friendly than Boston.
Despite the general jerkiness, I still know and love many lovely people who make Boston their home. Maybe they are stronger than me. More flexible. More loyal. Somehow they know how to thrive in a less than welcoming environment. Or maybe it was just me who was unwelcome. Unwelcome from the start and bitter ever since.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 7:35 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
It feels great to be home. Great to fly through the magnificent pink sky past half a dozen white capped mountains, the Columbia Gorge and a vast spread of green. Great to fall back into the familiar grid of my life. Breakfast, gym, writing, coffee, massage. Oh massage . . .that.
I have just one client today, but that means clipping my writer nails. That makes me sad. I like the extra click they make on the keyboard. I like the ridge they make for my thumb, rubbing back and forth looking for the right word. Oh well. The words are there regardless. They're there somewhere, waiting.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 3:20 PM No comments: Links to this post
Friday, June 22, 2007
Going back to Bennignton after two years was largely painless. Of course, it helped to be there with my more socially adept friends to urge me over to our former teachers and mumble through a few bits of conversation. It was like no time had passed at all and also that a whole world of difference has emerged between then and now. It was good to feel like a writer in the world instead of a student of writing. It felt good to know that Alice Mattison could "build a house out of all the drafts" she has for her new book and that Askold Melnyczuk's wife has read his new book dozens of times. I knew this about writing a novel, but it's still nice to hear from the experts that they struggle with this not just once, but every time.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 6:14 AM 1 comment: Links to this post
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
A few last scenes from my life as a writer. Over the last few days, I haven't thought about being a massage therapist at all except for when a woman at the poetry reading asked what I did. I had to hesitate a moment to find the answer she wanted. Because she knew I was staying at Wellspring, she already knew I was a writer. She wanted to know what else I did. And despite the frustrations and bits of loneliness, I have to say that I don't want to do anything else. It's not that I don't miss my life in Portland, but I will miss the purity of this life and will have to work to bring more of what I've found here back home.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 4:40 PM No comments: Links to this post
Monday, June 18, 2007
Can a person gain 4 pounds in one day? Yes, they can and they have. My diet of Ben & Jerry's and Makers on the rocks is proving me a pig. Out of guilt and the need to not be sitting in my lovely little writing room on this gorgeous day, I went for a jog. Why do you go for a jog but on a run? It was really more like I took a walk with a few moments of shin splint testing thrown in. It's very pretty here, even though I'm pretty sure I could work myself up into a state of full blown horror movie terror, what with all the old, sunless farmhouses, empty sidewalks, American flags, and places with names like "Bear Swamp."
Posted by Twilight Spy at 7:16 PM No comments: Links to this post
Sunday, June 17, 2007
I had pictures of fluffy cows on the edge of a forest, but Blogger won't let me post any pictures tonight. Instead, you'll have to go check out Curbstone Press and some of the cool titles they are publishing. Sandy Taylor, one of the people who started the press, was here reading yesterday. He was wonderful. And kind.
I bought a book by Aracelis Girmay from Curbstone and have been enjoying it as I sit on the patio, absorbing the thick weather. The heat is its own special thing here. It feels like a fever you have to burn off in your bathing suit.
I bought a book by Aracelis Girmay from Curbstone and have been enjoying it as I sit on the patio, absorbing the thick weather. The heat is its own special thing here. It feels like a fever you have to burn off in your bathing suit.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 4:41 PM No comments: Links to this post
Saturday, June 16, 2007
I was watching a Malcolm Gadwell lecture on Genius from the New Yorker 2012 Conference. That makes me a geek, yes, but it provided me with a theory I surely have heard of and conveniently forgotten. Theory is that if you spend ten thousand hours in thoughtful practice on something you will be a master of it. I don't dare do the calculation. All I know is that I've put in some good long hours over the last few days.
There was a mostly good poetry reading here today that I will have to write about tomorrow. My six or so hours of thoughtful practice today have got me wiped out.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 7:38 PM No comments: Links to this post
Friday, June 15, 2007
Okay. First full day here at Wellspring House and I've been writing (and erasing) for about eight hours so far. My head is a little tired and I wish I could kick back with Sean and watch some TV for a while, but I'm going to push on. I expect diminishing returns from here on out as I get more tired and lonely.
A gaggle of poets have arrived this evening for a picnic/reading that will be given tomorrow. I feel excessively shy and unwilling about socializing with them. I have already been asked twice what I'm working on and though I'm okay with saying I'm working on revising a novel, I fear the questions that might follow. I don't like to be rude, but I will be if it means not having to talk to anybody.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 4:04 PM No comments: Links to this post
Thursday, June 14, 2007
I'm a sucker for an old New England cemetery. Why do I love these places so much? Stumbled across this one down the road from my retreat headquarters. It's a different kind of old from Oregon. Graves from the early 1800s. I know that ain't nothing compared to the old of whole host of other places, but still. . .
I find nothing morbid about cemeteries. In fact, I rarely think about death at all while I'm in them. It's an aesthetic thing plus a fondness for melancholia that never quite wore off from my high school days.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 7:05 PM No comments: Links to this post
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
I am here. I am gone. Tomorrow I leave for my writing retreat and try to untangle my mind from the usual dull but dizzying experience of sitting in my parents house all day. I have to take the loathing I feel here (not for my family but for this place) and shift the burden to my character's shoulders. I have to pull myself out of the immediate sloth and blind determination to just get through that I feel as soon as I cross into Andover's borders. Tomorrow, I am free and become not a daughter or a granddaughter or an aunt (three generations in this house today, one bathroom). I become a writer again.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 7:37 PM No comments: Links to this post
Monday, June 11, 2007
I made Sean transplant these from the middle of the yard where some birdie must have dropped the seeds. I am hoping they are sunflowers and not some giant mystery weed.
I leave early in the morning tomorrow for my two weeks away. I don't know about two weeks. It's a lot of time. The sunflowers and tomatoes will be huge in two weeks. The summer solstice will have come and gone. Shorter days will have arrived as they always do around here, before the real kick of summer settles in. Two weeks without my cat and my common law are bearable only because my expectations for the writing I will do are dangerously high. Better disappointed than lazy. Better struggling than stuck.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 4:29 PM No comments: Links to this post
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Google Earth is bad for my nostalgic tendencies. Somebody told me about this site ages ago and I'm just now falling prey to it. Look, you can see the foursquare markings on my elementary school playground! How crazy is that! The ability to track your history, your paths across the globe, your daily routes is a very strange thing. I spy on my childhood homes locked by satellite photo in a permanent state of winter. I can see the creek I used to play in as a toddler, the house on Blood Road (yes, named after Captain Blood) that we lived in for only a month. With the touch of my mouse I can follow my path to school and stop by my friend's house.
I don't know what to do with this kind of nostalgia. What does any of it matter? Still, I'm grateful for it. It helps me tap into those joyful and horrific moments that have been all but lost. There's the tree in Catherine's yard that I was scared to climb. There's the bird sanctuary that loomed like an evil garden across the street. There's the club pool I swam in every day of the summer, comforted by the silence of water.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 1:12 PM No comments: Links to this post
Saturday, June 09, 2007
As predicted, it is literally raining on our parade today. Oh well. The cool gray weather is making me that much more covetous of these new lightbox paintings from jef designs. Isn't this cool? It's art that glows. I'm pretty sure that if I had one of these I would lose a lot of time due to endless staring and daydreaming.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 3:33 PM No comments: Links to this post
Friday, June 08, 2007
It's parade time here in Portland. People tape off their places along the parade route days ahead of time. Some people are violently opposed to this while others call it a tradition. Who are these people that they care so much? I heard about this practice when I first moved here and it reassured me that I had indeed come to a small city.
Because it's parade time and because my friend is coming into town from Atlanta it will start raining tomorrow and not stop until he flys back home on Tuesday and all the ferris wheel riders are soaked. Portland in June.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 8:34 PM No comments: Links to this post
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
After more than ten years of doing massage work, I recognize the signs of my cyclical burnout. It's never anything so strong that I want to throw it all away or that my clients suffer under my less than fully enthusiastic hands, but it's there. I watch the clock too closely. I hover slightly outside myself and think, "You have your elbow in this woman's butt cheek. Don't you think that's weird?" I work out plot points for my novel while I knead someone's shoulders. In my mind, I drift off toward the park and imagine myself lying under the trees. Luckily, my hands seem to work without much input from my brain. Luckily, I leave in less than a week.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 10:21 AM No comments: Links to this post
Monday, June 04, 2007
There was a bird, a cat and now a dog. Lulu is the only dog I like because she is often exactly like the loving lap cat I've never had. Her personal masseuse and chef is also my dearest friend, Joe.
Last night, Joe fed a few of us dinner and several bottles of wine in his beautiful back yard. I drooped happily in my beach chair, pulling peas from their salted pods. I sat wondering how this strange crew of friends and acquaintences have managed to muddle through all these years. Some of it's love, but some of it's habit. We come together hoping that maybe, just maybe, this time we will each shine with the same kind of charm or wit or honesty that brought us together in the first place. And if that fails, there's always another glass of wine.
Posted by Twilight Spy at 8:12 PM No comments: Links to this post
Sunday, June 03, 2007
I've been trying to leave my ipod behind when I go for walks. Instead, I bring my camera and try and listen to my own rambling thoughts. I haven't been putting a ton of words to the page lately, but I've been thinking about my story a lot, trying to gain a little perspective before I leave for a week long writing retreat. It's an odd process to go from the highly detailed specifics of building a scene, a chapter, a book, to thinking about the whole. What is this story about? What is the right structure for it? Who the hell are these people I've created?
Posted by Twilight Spy at 12:07 PM No comments: Links to this post
Friday, June 01, 2007
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Location: Amber Fort Road , Opposite Jal Mahal , JaipurArea: Suburban
How to Reach:Airport (Domestic): 17KM., Railway Station: 9KM., Bus Stand: 7KM., City Center: 6KM., Shopping Center: 4KM.Discription:Business And Leisure Hotel The Trident, Jaipur captures the romance and beauty of the fabled "Pink City". The rose-coloured facade of the hotel refelcts traditional Rajasthani architechture. Situated en route to Jaipur's renowned Amber Fort, the hotel looks out onto the scenic Mansagar Lake and picturesque Aravalli range. And yet, the city centre is only 15 minutes away.


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Well, folks. Another Bloomfield Halloween Parade is in the books. This year's parade took place on the tail end of our lovely Indian summer, which meant it was warm and dry outside. Perfect conditions for beers on the street while the wonderfully odd parade went by. Words, honestly, cannot do the parade justice. So this year I took short videos of some of the parade's best moments:
Shark! Shark! Shark! (As well as a "never forget" with regard to the Zoltan costumes.)
The Tamburitzans!
A very, very creepy Mr. Rooter. That costume is...just creepy. Also, Mr. Rooter has an arm on him. He really whipped that candy into the crowd.
The little AAA car is ALWAYS a Halloween Parade highlight.
WHO YOU GONNA CALL? (Honestly, Ghostbusters is really a favorite song of mine. Like, in general.)
So much going on in this clip. Steeley McBeam, a Here We Go Steelers chant, Nightmare Dancing, and a Gooski's chant. This is why the parade is the best thing that happens all year.
We hate crime, McGruff.
I've saved my top three moments of the parade for last.
The Polish Hill Zombie Band.
The C.S. Kim Karate Demo - BREAK SOME BOARDS.
And, finally, USA USA USA UNION UNION UNION BOOM.
Anyone who thinks there is a better nighttime experience in Pittsburgh is crazy. The Bloomfield Halloween Parade is reason enough for me to never ever leave. The only bad thing is that when it's over, there's another year to go until the next one.
Happy Halloween!


text: 'Hibiscus is most often consumed in the form of drink, rose petals are brewed in the usual way, insist and drink, hot or cold, with the addition of honey or sugar. It is noteworthy that this drink is tasty in any form, hot invigorates, and cold saves in heat from thirst and overheating. Hibiscus helps to minimize the symptoms of a hangover, fighting alcohol intoxication.'


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Why Equity Crowdfunding Changes Everything For Underrepresented Founders Facing VC Bias
As a black male that has worked in Silicon Valley for six-plus years, I am very aware of the biases — both implicit and explicit — that act as barriers to different levels of success in the tech industry.
The barriers to entry are weakest at the individual contributor/employee level, although most outsiders may view these barriers as the toughest to navigate. As an employee of companies like SurveyMonkey, Salesforce, and StyleSeat, I have to admit my experiences have been nothing short of great.
I have worked with amazing coworkers and managers — some who have undoubtedly changed my life for better — which I know is rare, and is something I relished as an employee.
Things changed when I crossed over to become an entrepreneur.
From Medium. Story by Dan Miller, CEO of Level Therapy.
I am currently the CEO of Level Therapy, a digital health company that provides access to treatment tools and psychotherapists to help people achieve mental fitness. Our team came together about two years ago to have the very first conversations of what would become Level Therapy.
In that time, I have noticed that the valley — namely the VC community here — has proven to be a system of subpar pattern matching which has exposed cowardice and lemming-like behavior.
For entrepreneurs that put everything — savings, reputations, time, etc. — on the line to create a future they believe should exist, we are all too often met with empty reservations attached to fear. Fear that the VC isn't analyzing the opportunity well enough. Fear of being first money in. Fear that the team isn't right to get the job done.
These reservations strengthen when members of a founding team are from underrepresented groups.
For a class of people that operate and succeed while facing more fear/uncertainty every day than the average person experiences in a month, hearing empty reservations from people that position themselves as being there for the entrepreneur, and understanding of what entrepreneurs are experiencing is complete bullshit.
These consistent experiences were the impetus of why we decided to raise a seed round on the largest equity crowdfunding platform, SeedInvest.
As I am sure most of you know, the JOBS Act allows accredited and non accredited investors alike to invest in private companies — after a substantial due diligence process to meet SEC regulations.
This is proving to be a real viable alternative for entrepreneurs to raise the capital they need to realize/grow their businesses. This is especially true for underrepresented founders that are disproportionately subjected to biases when they are raising funds.
Aside from the JOBS Act being a good tool to gain momentum on a financing round, entrepreneurs that do so will not be attached to the external pressures from VCs to become a billion-dollar business as quickly as possible. This is very important if you are operating in a regulated space…or you are interested in growing at a pace that is advantageous for your customers.
Level Therapy is focused on democratizing access to mental fitness. We believe increasing access to our investment opportunity is aligned with that mission. If you agree, would like to learn more, or would like to join us on this mission, please check out our SeedInvest campaign. Our team would be extremely grateful, and you would be backing an innovative company that is treating great organizations like Teach For America and MedStar Health.
Dan Miller is the co-founder and CEO of Level Therapy. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
This article was reposted with the permission of the author.
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Sarh Layan Furnished Units
Sarh Layan Furnished Units is a fine option to stay in Riyadh.
This property is located in Al Sulimania district of Riyadh not far from Panorama Mall. A 30-minute walk to the center of Riyadh.
Murabba Palace is 3.7 km from the hotel and Kingdom Center is about 4.6 km away.
Sarh Layan Furnished Units offers 19 rooms fitted with pay television, a microwave, a dining area, an iron with ironing board and a work desk for a comfortable stay in Riyadh. They also include bathrooms with a shower, bath sheets and terry bathrobes.
Offering a variety of meals, L'Entrecote Cafe de Paris and Shogun at Radisson Blu are approximately 400 meters away.
Guests can reach Sarh Layan Furnished Units by car from King Khaled Intl airport in 40 minutes.
Such facilities as a free car park, a baggage storage and a lift are available on-site.


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Journey To The West journal. Part of my journey from Chengdu, Sichuan in CHINA towards New Delhi in INDIA is this train ride. Its a T22 train travels from Chengdu in Sichuan province to Lhasa in Tibet/Xizang province. It took nearly 2 days to reach Lhasa.
We started our journey from Chengdu on November 26, 2011. Approximate around 9pm the train depart from the Chengdu Northern Train station... the train passing by Shaanxi, Qhinghai, Tibetan Plateau (Gobi Desert) before reaching Lhasa the train passing the Tanggula Pass, it took us up above 5000 meters above sea level. It was intriguing to know that we're actually traveling in a train passing elevation more than Kinabalu Mountain in Sabah, Malaysia... nice.
The landscape changes drastically, from rivers & mountains during train ascent towards Xining to barren land tibetan plateau when enter Qinghai province and Gobi Desert. From there we can see snow everywhere, animals such as horse, sheep, vultures... tibetan antelope and not forgetting tibetan mascot itself YAK.
We reaches Lhasa, Tibet/Xizang around 4pm on November 28, 2011. Surely this train journey going to be the most memorable train journey in my life.


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It sounds like you guys had a great weekend! Thats way cool Bryson came down for the weekend and got to spend it with you guys! :)
So I went back to Mendoza Centro this past week and finished my paper work for my Visa! Its funny because I am getting really familiar with Mendoza Centro! haha I road the 3 hour bus by myself to Centro and then I got off and got a taxi for myself and then walked to the office pench after that! haha I could have never done that 8 weeks ago when I got here!!! My spanish is definitely getting better and its alot easier for me to talk to anyone now!
That is super scary about the Mission President in Buenos Aires... I hope nothing like that happens to me! haha I hope he is all better now from that experience!
So did you guys have a favorite talk from Conference?? I loved David A. Bednars talk at the very end! I felt like he was talking to all our investigators out here in San Rafael! and he talked a lot about "going forth and teaching all nations" and that is exactly what we are doing! I loved it so much!
Something that wasn't too cool about Conference for us out here in San Rafy... So the stake president made us watch the first two sessions of Conference (on Saturday) in Spanish!!! yeah no gringo room! Everyone of the missionaries was way mad at him haha... it sucked for us new guys, because it went from understanding 100% to understanding about 50%... But yeah we talked it over with him and then he finally let us go in a different room and watch it in english!! so thats good. :)
Well nothing too new happened this week. But I am doing really good. :) We are playing football americana today so I will hit you up with some pictures of that next week! oh did I ever tell you about the bowling place?? It isnt even open on Mondays! and it doesn't open till like 8:00pm any other day of the week! soo lame! haha but its whatever.
Well I love you guys soo much and I am so grateful for everything you have done for me and continue to do for me! I hope you guys have a great week!! :)
Love, Elder Lawrence
Just chilling on some swings we found way far into our area the other day!
I took this picture on the way to Centro! There really isnt a way to explain how huge these mountains are... Just imagine that the little mountains that you see in the very front are about the size of Pine Valley... like these mountains are HUGE!
So I had quite the cool view on my way to Mendoza Centro this past week! I was the very front seat on the top floor of this way nice two story bus!! And yes this street was lined with sycamore trees!!! Reminded me a little of our street! :)
Just chilling in the gringo room waiting for Conference to start!!!!


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Primož is a SuperhostSuperhosts are experienced, highly rated hosts who are committed to providing great stays for guests.
BreakfastThis is one of few homes in this area that has this feature.
Duplex apartment with terrace is located in the attic of Hiša Pod Gradom (means House Under the Castle). Hiša Pod Gradom was built before year 1636 and completely renovated between 2010 – 2017. Our goal was to combine its charm and rich history with modern concepts and today's way of living. By successfully achieving it, we enabled our guests to experience living in a historical house without giving up the advantages and comfort of modern life.
Wireless Internet
Air Conditioning
Sleeping arrangements
Bedroom 1
1 double bed
Common spaces
1 sofa bed
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Ages since I wrote in here. No excuse, just couldn't get in to actually post a blog. Another resolution, learn more about technology! But here I am, have had such a wonderful January, I didn't win the Southern Schools Book Award, but I met such lovely people there. I love meeting other writers, hearing how they go about writing, where they get their ideas, asking all the questions that seem to annoy people because they get asked them so much! I did, however, win the Red Book Award. They really know how to host an awards celebration. Everyone has to wear something red. My daughter Sarah bought me a lovely red flowy top, just right for the occasion...it was my birthday the day before, so winning was just about the best birthday present I could get. It was such a fun day. Then, I was off to Liverpool and my daughter Katie and her family. I love driving and listening to the radio as I go. Heard a great play on the way home, a dramatisation of The Big Sleep, seems Radio 4 are doing a Raymond Chandler season. All the time I listened I was sure I knew the actor's voice who was playing Philip Marlowe. The play was almost finished when it came to me. It was the detective out of Medium. The news came on just after it finished. There was an item about a sex offender in Carstairs who took his case ot the European Court. He was being fed a healthy diet and said it was against his human rights, because he wanted junk food....and he won! Law and Order UK, eh? But, it gave me an idea for a story. Schools are making sure pupils are eating a healthy diet, aren't they? What if they, en masse, started protesting, they want their chips. Took their case to the European Court, would they win too? Why shouldn't they? We might have protests like the ones wer'e seeing in Cairo!
January over already. It's February, and I have so much to look forward to this month too.


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Sometimes society makes me sad. At work, I deal with lots of facts. And there are people out there who try to trip you up. Sometimes, they do. Other times, you can see right through them. But for some reason, it seems a lot of Americans have forgotten that fact exists at all.
It seems — to many — anything is negotiable. This isn't true. Believe it or not, there are truths and there are falsehoods. You can't just pick. I'd like the sky to be pink, but that's just not the case (usually). Sure, the implications of certain truths can be argued. But the truths themselves cannot. Not reasonably, at least.
If you need to remember what's fact and what's not and how to tell the difference, think back to science class. Think back to the scientific method. Read up on logical fallacies and do research yourself. That's at least a good start. Sure, there are people out there to help you navigate the worlds of fact and fiction. But there are also people out there to confuse you.
Just because you want it to be true doesn't mean it is. That's a fact.


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Today we have Confessed by Nicola Rendell! Check out this sexy new romance and all of Nicola's release day celebrations, and grab your copy today!
About Confessed:
A brand new dirty, sexy, funny standalone romance... Lucy Burchett is the heiress to a notoriously disastrous family, and she's left home for good. But when she runs a big, black pickup off the road, totaling it, she finds herself stuck in the middle of nowhere with the driver. He's got a body to die for and a hair-trigger temper. Vince Russo looks like a felon, but he's also pretty funny. He's on the lam from the cops… and a psychopathic, Russian mob boss who wants to put his balls on a barbeque. Literally. After a night of ill-advised cocktails and bathroom-wrecking sex, Vince just can't get Lucy off his mind. But he's got plans to rob her. And Lucy's life is about to get a little bit criminal too. But can a bad boy and a good girl really escape from their troubles together? Can they trust each other at all? In the steady march of disasters that follow them west, they fight and they laugh. They tease and they're tender. They're either oil and water, or chocolate and peanut butter. Except, they can't run from the real world forever. And there's a hell of a surprise in store for both of them…
Get your copy today!
Amazon US: http://goo.gl/JnjEzH
Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/6bV9PY
Amazon CA: http://goo.gl/q5dFNX
Amazon AU: http://goo.gl/nXgLVL
iBooks: http://goo.gl/vJps8N
Kobo: http://goo.gl/dS1SMN
Lucy has lived a life of luxury. She is able to do what she wants, when she wants for as long as she can remember. So whenever daddy dearest meat supplying company begins an e coli outbreak, Lucy knows shit is about to hit the fan and she wants out. Packing up and heading out, Lucy is in for the ride of her life.
Meet, Vince, the ride of Lucy's life. This bad boy felon is everything Lucy is not. However, when their journeys throw them into each others line of fire they can't seem to help but to feel the pull.
When everything Lucy thinks she knows becomes a lie and she has no one to turn to or trust, Vince is her last hope. So, does the criminal help the princess or leave her stranded?
This is my first book by Nicola and I have to say I am completely impressed. She has made my list. She had me enthralled with every word and on the edge of my seat, holding my breath. This book is amazing, I must confess. The chemistry, the sass, and the alpha all wrapped into one book is my kryptonite. I love you, Nicola, for getting my out of my book rut and giving me Confessed. - Daddy L
About Nicola Rendell:
Nicola Rendell writes dirty, funny, erotic romance. She likes a stiff drink and a well-frosted cake. She loves to cook, sew, and play the piano. She realizes that her hobbies might make her sound like an old lady and she's totally okay with that. She lives with her husband and her dogs. She is from Taos, New Mexico. She is the author of Professed, a #1 Amazon bestseller in erotic humor and BDSM erotica.
Connect with Nicola: www.nicolarendell.com
Instagram: @cute_chameleon
Twitter: @AuthorNRendell
Enter Nicola's Giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour Schedule:
September 15th
Devilishly dirty book blog Review
Obsessed with Romance Review
Read. Review. Repeat. Review
smutyourmouth Review
Leave Me Alone I Am Reading Excerpt
September 16th
Reads All the Books Review
SBB Reviews Review
September 17th
mustreadbooksordie Review
Three Filthy Booker Excerpt
My Girlfriends Couch Review
September 18th
A Book Lover's Emporium Review
oh the book feels Excerpt
Quesarasera Book Blog Review
September 19th
Book Lover in Florida Excerpt
A Brit and a Yank Excerpt
The Sassy Bookista Review
September 20th
bound by books book review Review
Passionate Reads & Reviews Review
Naughty Book Blog Excerpt
Scandalicious Book Reviews Review
Passionate Reads & Reviews Review
September 21st
Sexy sirens book blog Review
My Slanted Bookish Ramblings Review
September 22nd
Vox Libris Review
Sweet Reading Review
September 23rd
Smokin' Hot Reads Book Blog Review
Sexy Sirens book blog Review
Literary Misfit Review
September 24th
The Reading Ruth Review
Evermore Books Excerpt
Southern Vixens Book Obsessions Excerpt
September 25th
Nerdy Dirty & Flirty Review
Pervy Ladies Book Blog Review
More Books Than Livros Review
September 26th
Hooker Heels Book Blog Review
My Book Filled Life Review
Renee Entress's Blog Review
September 27th
shawna shauntia Excerpt
EskieMama Reads Excerpt
September 28th
Alpha Book Club Review
Borrow my book boyfriend Review
September 29th
Captain Reads A Lot Excerpt
True Story Book Blog Review
September 30th
JassyBooks Review
G & T Indie Cafe Review


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Application Packager
- Recruiter
- Lorien
- Location
London (Greater)London (Greater)
- Salary
- Negotiable
- Posted
- 23 Mar 2018
- Closes
- 20 Apr 2018
- Ref
- 50190871
- Contact
- Rory Dickinson
- Clearance Level
- None / Undisclosed
- Sector
- Information Technology
- Job Type
- Contract
Application Packager - London - 6 Month Contract
An Application Packager is required to join one of our trusted corporate clients on an initial 6 month contract, based in London. The role will require a candidate with good packaging experience who is flexible and versatile, being ready to get involved in other tasks when needed.
As the Application Packager you will have the following experience:
- Experience of Windows registry and file system.
- A thorough administrator level understanding of Windows 7 and Windows 10
- Knowledge and practical experience of application packaging methodologies and toolsets (MSI, Virtual Machines, Appsense etc)
- Active directory understanding and administration (specifically in the area of group policy management)
- Windows scripting languages, PowerShell etc
- Systems management, using Microsoft SCCM as the deployment infrastructure
The day to day responsibilities for the Application Packager will include:
- Repackaging of application installation routines from COTS and bespoke source installation media.
- Generating and documenting new Application packages in response to requirements.
- Definition and configuration of Application.
- Software integration and compatibility testing in a Win 7 environment
- Carry out troubleshooting/fault resolution activities where required.
- Customer engagement to manage UAT activities
If you believe this role would be suitable for you, please apply as soon as possible!
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy or maternity or age
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text:
Children's eLearning Program
Job #1849
Job Posting Details
Job # 1849 Children's eLearning Program
- Posted Date
- Jul 26, 2006 @ 19:42
- Respond By
- Jul 31, 2006
- Word Count
- 0
- Language
- English
- Gender
- Female
- Age Range
- -
- Category
- -
Job Description
Imagery Media is an Interactive Anamation Studio, specializing in web-based entertainment and business solutions in an ever evolving market. We make the web's best games and offer a full-service multimedia experience, satisfying the diverse needs of our clients, be it entertainment, advertising or training solutions.
The script will include reading the alphabet as well as around 40 simple words, i.e.: Cat, Dog, Lion, School Bus, Airplane, etc.
(Note from IV: a standard narration demo would be suitable for this project.)
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Start with two desperate, winless Division II teams, add a new offensive coordinator for one side, a third-string freshman quarterback for the other. Then bring them to Soldier Field. What do you get?
Chaos. Lots of it.
In a game with two blocked kicks, four missed field goals and an interception returned for a touchdown by a 310-pound defensive lineman, Morehouse prevailed 42-20 against Central State on Saturday in the Chicago Football Classic, an annual game featuring historically black colleges and universities.