text:
It's been a year since the icon's death, and during his lifetime, Prince amassed a fortune worth over $300 million. Many believe that is death might prove to be even more of a windfall.
Two years ago it became public that the mysterious singer left behind a trove of unreleased songs in his vault.The release of these songs could translate into substantial sales and revenue for his estate in the future. In fact, the release of a new album was scheduled to release on April 21st, 2017 — the one year anniversary of his death — but was blocked in court by Prince's estate.
The presence of a vault of unreleased Prince songs has been rumored for years. Its presence was confirmed last year by a BBC documentary maker, who said that there was enough material in the vault for Prince to put out an album every year for the next hundred years. In addition to this, the vault contains two feature length movies and an assortment of promotional videos. How much is that worth? Let's do a back-of-the-envelope calculation. Given that Prince's album sales--prior to his post-mortem surge--averaged over 2.7 million albums sold, and assuming a cost $10 per album, with 8% royalties (the typical artist's cut), 100 new albums would theoretically net $216 million for Prince's estate. And this is most likely a very conservative estimate.
Prince's own intentions for the vault is publicly unknown, his estate does not want the songs released. George Ian Boxill — a long-time producer for Prince — wanted to release the album titled Deliverance on Friday, but the estate took him to court claiming breach of a confidentiality contract. The judge blocked the release until the hearing on May 3rd, and the millions of fans that pre-ordered an album will have to sit tight — at least for now.
This will not be the last battle over the unreleased songs and videos, as it could represent a considerable sum of money. The several people have claimed right to Prince's estate, and the settlement will likely take years, as will the potential release of the vault.
A Post-Death Resurgence
Sales of Prince's albums had flagged in the recent time before his death. But, death seems to have brought about a resurgence of interest in his work. Prince sold 1.1 million songs and 231,800 albums the day following his death. He was responsible for the top 16 recordings on Apple's (AAPL) iTunes store and 19 of the top 20 albums on Amazon's (AMZN) digital music store. In 2016 Prince was Billboard's Bestselling Albums Artist — which means Prince sold more albums across the board than any other artist (best selling album only counts one album).
To be sure, Prince is not the only artist whose estate is raking in the moolah after his death. His contemporary Michael Jackson has earned more than $1 billion since his death in 2009. According to a Forbes article, a majority of that money came "from two Cirque Du Soleil shows, his own music and publishing revenues and his half of the Sony/ATV publishing catalogue." The earning amount becomes even more dramatic, when you consider that Jackson was bankrupt when he died.
How the Vault Could Help Prince's Estate
In Prince's case, his estate will also benefit for his stance towards copyright. Throughout his life, the Minneapolis-based star was an avowed supporter of artiste rights. He maintained tight control over copyright for his songs and was a one-man band in that he played most of the instruments in his band. He had come out against streaming services, such as Spotify, which failed to adequately compensate artists. Analysts estimate that the value of his estate will soar in the future.
If it is commercialized, the vault could represent a significant part of that fortune. Unreleased songs will form a major chunk of that fortune. Music videos using unreleased footage from the vault will attract audiences and drive sales. In addition, Prince's personality and songs immediately lend themselves to broad possibilities, including live shows celebrating his life and holograms and virtual reality shows using footage from the vault. In turn, they could turn out to be money spinners for his estate.


text:
Funding Mechanisms
SSRI offers several types of funding for researchers working in the social sciences. We have different levels of funding, as well as funding that is specific to different institutes, types of research, and services offered.
- Penn State Research Collaboration Fellowship (for Commonwealth Campus Faculty)
- SSRI Level 1 Funding
- SSRI Level 2 Funding
- SSRI Co-Funding of Faculty
- SSRI Faculty Fellows Program
- SSRI Level 1 RDC Funding
- GIA Pilot Hours for Social Science Research
- SSRI Opioid RFA (doc)
- Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse: Community Fellows Program
- SSRI Twitter RFA (pdf)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Thornton News
Local news for Thornton, CA continually updated from thousands of sources on the web.
Thornton news is powered by NewsRank ®
29 Actors Who Shouldn't Have Won an Oscar
QUIZ: Can You Identify The Movie From Just A Photo Of The Main Character?
Quiz: Can You Identify All These Romantic Quotes From Movies?
Quiz: Can You Guess These 1970s Sitcoms From A Picture?
Quiz: Can You Guess All These 1960s Songs From The First Line?
23 Extreme Aging Makeovers That Made These Stars Look REALLY Ancient
Look At Me! 19 Unforgettable Bachelor Contestants With No Off Button
33 Shocking Celebrities Who Are Actually Poor
You Won't Believe What These 31 British Actors Look Like Now
Quiz: Can You Name These Male Singers From Two Recent Pics?
QUIZ: Can You Name All Of These Celebrity Redheads?
Updated: Wed Jun 27, 2018 02:08 pm
Copyright © 2018 Topix LLC


text:
Look. Let's just get into some radical fucking honesty here, because this whole play it coy with LIFE thing you got going on?
Not such a smart idea!
Not such a FUN idea!
Definitely not an idea which is gonna make you MONEY.
And let's face it – it's kind of draining your soul.
The truth:
The truth is that eventually?
Eventually you're going to fucking cave.
And all of this … playing … pretending … putting on a brave face and trying to DO it right …
Is going to be shown for what it always ALWAYS was.
A complete.
And utter.
Time in which you:
Built the wrong business, focused on stuff that didn't really excite you, with PEOPLE you never adored, and in a way that didn't light you up.
Basically what we're talking about? Building the wrong fucking LIFE.
And here is the thing, the thing which ONE DAY YOU WILL REALLY GET AND UNDERSTAND:
It does NOT have to be that way!
It NEVER had to be that way, not when the truth about LIFE is that it is hands down what you make of it and what you make WITH it.
So when I say LOOK, I mean freaking LOOK, and acknowledge that sooner or later, no matter what fear is telling you NOW which is keeping you so bound, you ARE going to cave.
Cave and run away, escape it all, cover your head with your hands and rock back and forth and cry that you fucked it all up? NO! That's not what I'm talking about! I'm talking about sooner or later you're going to wake up, one day, after something happens, or after it NEVER happens, and you're going to think:
And you're going to cave into being YOU.
Into doing WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT.
With whomEVER you please.
In a way that hands down EXCITES you.
And as it was always meant to be and always COULD have been!
Let's be honest now! …
Did you REALLY think it was going to work to NOT be you????!
Pray tell –
Do you exactly PLAN –
Do share –
On BEING FREAKING SUCCESSFUL AT BEING SOMEONE OTHER THAN YOU?
I'm just not quite sure –
How you can imagine that that's actually a THING.
But since we're talking and all –
And I have some good experience at fucking shit up by not being honest with myself, and then eventually getting OVER it –
Allow me to tell you:
Never was.
Never will be.
So let's play a little game.
A game of IMAGINE.
A game where YOU get to imagine how your LIFE would be right now, if you'd HAD that moment.
If you'd already CAVED.
If you'd woken up, fresh as a daisy this morning, faced the world with a smile, and thought:
I'm just gonna do what I WANT now! What I FEEL like! What I'm CALLED to do! And what it was always always ALWAYS meant to be about.
What would THAT look like?
Who would you do??! (!)
WHAT would you do?
What would be DIFFERENT –
Right now –
In how you're showing up.
What you're allowing the world to KNOW you for –
What you're creating your LIFE about –
If you realised that ACTUALLY you don't need to GIVE a fuck about what anybody thinks, what anybody expects from you, what you think it has to BE about, what you think you have to do to build a business, a brand, a life, and that instead –
Well INSTEAD what you have to give a fuck about and what it can ONLY be about is whatever you in fact DO give a fuck about –
Deep down.
At your core.
Where you're admittedly scared to LOOK, but yet know that you must.
I understand what it's like to not know HOW to share the truth that's inside of you with the world. To be so damn scared of what they're going to say, or think, or worse still of finally putting YOU out there and seeing that nobody responds, nobody cares, you went all in and it didn't WORK!
I spent years –
A quarter of my life –
Worrying this way.
Living this way.
And then I realised that no matter how big my fear of going all in and ALL of the what ifs which could ensue from that, NONE of it could be more terrifying than continuing on the pathway of REACTING to who I thought I had to be, to what I thought success required, to living the wrong freaking life!
Isn't THAT the most terrifying thing that YOU can imagine? The idea that you'd spend even another DAY fighting to get ahead at shit that doesn't light you up so bright you shine from the heavens? Another day, huh! Most people will spend the rest of their LIFE doing this.
But you –
You who has a calling –
You who BELIEVES –
You with the DESTINY –
And sooner or later YOU are going to give in to being you. You're going to wake up, think FUCK THIS SHIT, and you're going to start just doing what you want, how you want, with who you want, on PURPOSE. To live YOUR purpose.
And when you do you're going to wonder how on EARTH you thought you had to wait for this.
I PROMISE you that.
And you won't be hard on yourself about it because what's the point, but STILL:
It'd make a whole lot more sense if you just acknowledged it NOW.
And fucking DID something about it.
Sooner or later you ARE going to cave, you're going to realise that you have ONE life to live and that it's this one right here.
It might as well –
Be today.
What would THAT look like, hmmm?
I wonder …
Life is Now. Press Play.
PS. What would be EASY, fun, exciting, flow? What do you really WANT to do?!
If there's one thing I ROCK at, it's launching FAST and effectively … in fact, typically I do it in a matter of hours! This is part skill, part practice, part refusing NOT to make shit happen like THAT 'cause I gotta lot of shit I WANT to make happen and I refuse to wait for it!
And NOW … I want to show YOU how simple it can be to bring your ideas to life EFFECTIVELY if you have the right stuff in place (SO much easier than you think!) and the right kick up the butt / motivation to do it (I'd be glad to 🙂 🙂 :))
Which is why, THIS:
***Introducing: Idea to Launch Hustle Days!***
Spend the day with me, either in person or online, and go from idea to launch in ONE day of unadulterated and epic-action taking hustle + fun.
For the driven entrepreneur, leader, creator who is sick and tired of not making shit happen FAST!
We're going to get locked on down together for a FULL day of hustle + creation, designed to get you:
– Super fucking crystal clear on your vision, your mission, what you want to be KNOWN for and why they will follow and buy
– NAILING your hell yes tribe growth strategy and implementing / bringing it to life right then and there
– From BRAND NEW IDEA to actual LAUNCH AND SALE before the day is over!!
When I've done this before with clients it has literally resulted in tens of thousands of dollars received INSTANTLY! Not to mention that this is PRECISELY how I get shit done in my own business … you think I spend ages hustling to make the money I make? NO! I just know how to make shit happen, fast, from the gut and with truth so raw and real that people fall over themselves to follow and be part of it!
And I want to do that for you … with you … kicking your ass over a full day of alignment, ASSKICKERY (told ya!) and massive fucking action taking, all the while discussing exactly what you need to know and understand for BEYOND that day in order to:
* Create an unshakeable success and wealth mindset where you KNOW that whatever you decide is done (and you also act on that, daily!)
* Get you clear on your PERSONAL daily hustle items, exactly what you need to be doing day in and day out to be on top of your game and creating money and impact with EASE
* Help you sort your shit out when it comes to how you're pressing play and creating your dreams in ALL areas – business, fitness, lifestyle, life!
* Set up – yes right there together! – your simple funnel and automated income process
* Design the REST of your funnel and product offer breakdown and start putting it together, WITH a launch plan you can take and run with
* Show you how SIMPLE it can be to create and succeed at this level when you simply make a HABIT of being the person to whom success is guaranteed!
Ready to go from IDEA TO LAUNCH in just ONE day of hustle, with me personally kicking your butt to make it happen, supporting and PROMOTING you as you do so, PLUS helping you put together your very own high-level success, mindset, productivity plan?
If this is calling you:
Places are limited.
And once they go they go!
IDEA TO LAUNCH HUSTLE DAYS are available in every major city in Aus … in LA … in Austin, Texas … and in London … AND over Skype / phone if you just want to get into it NOW, from wherever you are in the world!
Success can be EASY, once it becomes part of who you are. But sometimes? You just needa get locked up in a room and shown how to get your HUSTLE on to become that person. Ready, willing, want it all and prepared to work for it?
Message me now and let's get your hustle ON!
PS …***VIFP luxuries and secret activities may apply***


text:
Red Dawn 1984: Pseudo what pack?
John Milius wasn't born; he punched himself out of his mother's womb – probably prematurely, and on a battlefield – and was immediately bathed in deer's blood to forever share the wild spirit of the forest creatures. Similarly, John Milius the writer doesn't just 'write'; he smelts iron and forges the molten ore into words with his manly fists, which he then drags through the wilds and punches into live bears. The bloody pelts of which are then sometimes made into films…films like Red Dawn.
I missed Red Dawn when it did the playground discussion rounds as a kid. Instead I watched Patrick Swayze in Steel Dawn, which was quite enough films starring Patrick Swayze with 'Dawn' in the title, thankyouverymuch. It's a shame really; while watching Red Dawn on Netflix it struck me that Red Dawn would probably have bypassed every other region of my ten-year old brain and deeply embedded itself in the part that distributes random positive adjectives. There it would probably have been labelled 'ace', 'skill', 'mint', 'fresh' or 'awesome'. And it would have probably stayed there for some time, reaching 'best film of all time' status before losing its place to Renegade or Robot Jox.
On a base level Red Dawn is like an incredibly violent episode of The A-Team that lasts for two hours and features children as the heroes. This is evident from the opening: a group of commie parachutists surround a high school, shoot the teacher and then proceed to blow up loads of cars. A group of pseudo-Brat Packers escape to the mountains, but not before stocking up on the essential items you'd normally find at a motorway service station: knives, arrows, bullets, rifles and cans of Sprite.
It's not long before the John Milius hallmarks creep in. The boys hunt a deer with their rifles. The novice hunter is blooded by Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen (uh-oh), who tell him that drinking the deer's blood allows you to take on its spirit and that doing so changes you forever. In typical Milius fashion – and as is no doubt the case when Charlie Sheen introduces someone to a new substance – the boy does actually change and you're not sure if his new violent demeanour is down to the dehumanising effects of war or the deer spirit actually having its revenge by making him act like a tool.
Milius' renowned obsession with Theodore Roosevelt also gets an airing: the statue outside the school bears a quote from the former president and the National Park from where 'the Wolverines' fuck shit up is also the site where Teddy planted loads of trees*. Rooselvelt was a progressive cowboy, combining intellect with a love of guns (apparently these aren't mutually exclusive – despite what years of watching bottom shelf actioners has taught me). His mantra: 'Speak softly and carry a big stick' is perfectly met in John Milius: a right-winger firmly ensconced in the arts.
It's this contrast that makes Milius the go-to guy for films that possess more masculinity than Chuck Norris' favourite tipple (a mixture of whisky and dragon semen for the interested). It's also this contrast that rears its head in Red Dawn. Despite the invading army possessing the motivation and personality of a Manimal villain for the most part, the naughty Cuban general takes time to open up his heart and pine for his lost love. This isn't uncommon in Milius' work; he's forever contrasting the tolls of war with affairs of the heart: Kurtz's letters home in Apocalypse Now, Conan the Barbarian pining for his deceased lass by burning her body and looking a bit confused.
Without the Milius hallmarks Red Dawn would be exactly like what my ten year old self would have taken from it: a violent A-Team film. With them it becomes sombre, dark and expansive – whilst also being an undeniably bat-shit piece of entertaining propaganda that wears its right-wing heart proudly on its sleeve. You can say what you want about John Milius – and I expect many already have – but he's sure-footed, unique and puts his stamp all over his projects, which means Red Dawn leaves an impression and, despite its politics, isn't the brainless forgettable fodder I was expecting.
Red Dawn 20??: Plot, villains and sets added in post
If its pre-release is anything to go by, I suspect the remake of Red Dawn will fulfil the brainless remit. Originally set for release in 2010, it replaces Russians and Cubans with invading Chinese. Unfortunately, producers thought better of alienating one of the world's largest economies and so changed the origin of the invaders to North Korea in post-production – presumably because all Asians look the same.
Since then there was a slight chance of the western world befriending North Korea, which must have made the producers fairly nervous. And then the Russian government started acting like dicks again, which probably made them question whether audiences could tell the difference between 'Choreans' and 'Chussians'. But, if his love of food, polyester and weapons is any indication, Kim Jong-un seems like a chip off the old tyranical block, so they can probably rest assured in their second choice of villain. Not that it matters as the chance of seeing the Red Dawn remake seem about as plausible as Russians actually invading the United States. Until then the default Red Dawn is a dated but compelling tale from a time when Hollywood was either braver or more naive. Either way, it's a worthy watch.
*The Roosevelt duality is illustrated further with a Russian translation that incorrectly states that the site is where Roosevelt slayed thousands of Indians in battle. This example also serves to make the Russian's look incredibly stupid, which is a win-win for Milius.
The many faces of LA NOIRE
Cole Phelps: super-cop and part-time tour guide.
Despite learning some interesting facts about life in 1940s Los Angeles, such as no men were ever murdered, and most murder suspects had tiny feet, the meat of Rockstar games' police-em-up, LA NOIRE is in its interrogation scenes. A bit like how the first 30 minutes of the A-Team were contrived to lock them in a garage with some watermelons and a combine harvester, each section in LA NOIRE is designed to get you in a darkened room with a semi-recognisable actor.
There's not much to be said for the rest of it; the virtual recreation of LA makes for a glossy and beautiful locale to explore, but it's really something of an empty shell (there's probably an interesting point to be explored here, but it requires someone on a higher rung of the intellectual ladder to make it, so unless they drop something, I'll move on). In fact the world on display is so lifeless that it only really serves to undermine the steps LA NOIRE takes in presenting itself as serious adult entertainment.
For example, Detective Cole Phelp's leisure time appears to involve stealing cars and taking himself on a sightseeing tour of the city – earning 'Detective Points' for driving past notable landmarks. Similarly, a frantic chase after a suspect can often result in quite a large fine if you happen to run over several innocent citizens. Non-player character lines are repeated to such an extent that it feels like you're in a virtual recreation of Groundhog Day, as opposed to Chinatown.
It's clear that the interrogations are where the developers put most of their resources, something that's all but confirmed by the pre-release hype. And while the facial animations are undeniably impressive, the biggest disappointment is in the performances themselves – which is perhaps a backhanded compliment to the strides LA NOIRE takes to bring itself in-line with cinematic entertainment. The problem is that the competent performances take a back seat to the game mechanic, which requires pantomime levels of subtlety and nuance to enable the player to 'read' the characters.
Take a look…
You're engaged in an interrogation with someone who was in the pilot of Lost but found more success in the series Heroes, before it became crap. You're listening to what he has to say but, like most people in LA NOIRE, he's already run away from you, his tiny feet propelling him down narrow alleys like a plaid-clad gazelle. You check your notebook for contradictory evidence and then he pulls this shit on you…
Now, is he telling the truth? Judging from his expression you think 'probably', but the next question prompts this expression…
For some reason you suspect he's lying but where's the evidence, Detective? Time for another question…
BAM! You have the evidence that the game requires you to use. Welcome to jail, 'scheisse-vogel'.
/Mild trolling.
It's not a complete game breaker but the facial animations are about as subtle as a hippo driving a flaming steamroller into a fireworks factory. As mentioned, it may be to the game's credit that the biggest flaws are more to do with the direction of its performances than any kind of game mechanic (the repetitive 'wash, rinse repeat' detective work may be a flaw, but perhaps that's what police work is actually like?) but it's disappointing to find out you're engaging in an experience that's more like Brian DePalma's take on The Black Dahlia than Curtis Hanson's adaptation of LA Confidential. The earlier Heavy Rain may have been more like a top-shelf erotic thriller, but it took bolder steps and the pay-off was a game and narrative that was infinitely more engaging and surprising.
It's possible for games to tell more mature and engaging stories without the need to slavishly follow a template established by other media. Red Dead Redemption is a pretty good example: it told an engaging tale while embracing the fact it was a videogame and did so without hampering the players' ability to plough their own furrow. Perhaps if LA NOIRE didn't run away from its true nature – like a TV actor sprinting down a back alley – we would have seen something truly special. It's a surprising step backwards from Rockstar games, so let's hope the recently announced GTA V take two-steps forward. Their track record should be more than enough to keep virtual notebooks in pockets.
Posted in Film by Ben
If you needed any more proof that the economy is well and truly fucked in this country then consider the fact that I recently bought brand new and sealed copies of Hellraiser 1,2 and 3 for £3. I've been mustering every ounce of my maths education: pretending the DVDs were eggs, harnessing the thoughts of a dead Greek person (probably not the best people to advise on sums TBF – what happened, Greeks?) but I still can't get it to add up to something that might live in the same neighbourhood as 'sense'. So while we sit back and let people with more expensive educations roll up their shirts, as if they're going to dig up money from the ground, I've decided to invest my time in a Hellraiserthon.
Like my Deathwishathon – or a really inappropriate charity event – the Hellraiserthon will consist of me exploring the films in a saga, analysing their differences and wasting a few hours of my life.
Hellraiser is still a damn good film. Perhaps even a masterpiece if you're into horror and/or bondage. It revolves around a small puzzle box called the Lament Configuration (according to Wikipedia, I don't think it has a name in the film). This box is basically like a more evil Rubik's Cube, but one that seems piss-easy to do. Certainly harder than the Rubik's Magic my sister bought me for Christmas one year. And if it weren't for the fact that fishhooks come out of the Lament Configuration and rip you to pieces, it would certainly make a more age-appropriate gift for a 10 year old.
It's safe to say that if they did make the Lament Configuration as hard as a Rubik's Magic we'd have a very boring film – unless the lead was a pubescent nerd. Anyway, the 'reward' for accomplishing the puzzle isn't a smiling Norris Mcwhirter and a certificate, it's the aforementioned fishhooks and a welcome to hell from a bunch of bondage clad torturers called the Cenobites. The design of the Cenobites is pretty striking, and a testament to the enduring power of practical effects. There's the iconic Pinhead, who has pins nails in his head, a women who appears to have tried to swallow an egg-whisk, one who has chattering teeth and another who looks a bit like the drummer from ASH.
The Cenobites are essentially hell's police, but their job appears quite easy: basically just arresting people who complete the puzzle. If a policeman's job were to arrest people who handcuff themselves then you have some idea of the ease in which Cenobites go about their occupation. What's more astounding is it takes four of the buggers to bring someone in. Clearly, hell, like Cash 4 Gold and Poundland, is recession proof.
What's interesting about Hellraiser is that the Cenobites aren't the villains in the traditional sense; they were used for the marketing and their presence is felt throughout the film but the real villain is 'Uncle Frank'. Frank's a bit of a wrong 'un. With his stubble and a pirate's earring he's a bit like a perpetual Gap-year student, which kinds of explains why they kept him off the poster. People would probably be expecting Hangover 2 style hi-jinks in Thailand instead of a nasty kitchen sink drama about families, love, lust and gateways to hell. Anyway, Frank ends up getting his shit ruined by completing the box and then we cut to several months later when his brother shows up with his wife (a former flame of Frank's) and daughter.
Frank's brother is played by Andrew Robinson, who's better known for playing the memorably bat-shit 'Scorpio' in Dirty Harry. It's a neat piece of casting, because when you see Andrew Robinson as a paternal sweetheart, you know the villain must be a complete mentaloid. We don't really get that from Frank in his human form, but it's ably conveyed when he reappears as a skinless murderer sucking the life out of people's necks so he can escape from hell. It's amazing how that can transform a performance.
Hellraiser is set almost entirely within the confines of a semi in a nameless location that is either a London suburb, or a London suburb pretending to be America. It's never quite clear. I think it's America but then when an English person meets another English person they don't comment on it. Probably because one person is about to bash the other over the head with a hammer before they get their skin ripped off, so a conversation about postcodes would seem a little redundant. I suppose suspension of disbelief is paramount in a film about a skinless man returning from hell while evading a bailiff dressed in bondage clothes with nails sticking out of his head.
It's a testament to Clive Barker's skills that despite a few student film flourishes (sequences of a not very convincing actress walking along a lonely harbour) and a strange sense of location, the film maintains a heavy atmosphere of dread. Despite being lumped in with a bunch of Garth Marenghi's in the 80s, Barker is a genuinely original voice in horror – and Hellraiser is stronger for his unique approach. I've always liked horror films that are anchored in normality. And Hellraiser, with its kitchen sink style drama, is exactly that. It's a bit like a messed up Ken Loach film in some regards.
Less strong are the rules of the box and the Cenobites. Since the Lament Configuration is apparently hundreds of years old, it makes sense that the instructions have vanished. Frank buys it from an old man in the orient at the beginning and it's clear that it's lacking the original packaging. Basically, it appears that by opening the box you're inviting the Cenobites to drag you to hell, where they will spend a lifetime torturing you. This appears to the case, unless you make them a deal, which the heroine, Kirsty, does. It seems strange that, after banging on about how great it is to be tortured, they'd understand someone's reluctance to enjoy what appears to be the best experience ever. But still, they accept Kirsty's offer of bringing them her Uncle Frank if they let her live.
They then decide to change the rules anyway – because, they like, can. But it doesn't matter because by that time, Kirsty has managed to change the box into a weapon that makes the Cenobites vanish – though not before they've had their way with Frank. Let's fact it, he had it coming.
Hellbound: Hellraiser 2
Pinhead's return is kind of a textbook sequel: it expands the mythology, offers a few reveals about the characters' origins and offers a bit more gore. It's set in the most logical location for any horror sequel: a hospital for the insane. One of the problems with horror sequels of this ilk is you've already seen the villains, you know the hero/heroine isn't making it up but you still have to wait for them to convince the new characters that they're telling the truth. Unfortunately they normally learn the hard way, and Hellraiser 2 is no exception.
The skinless returnee from hell this time is magnificently evil Clare Higgins as Julia's Kirsty's evil stepmother. I say she's magnificently evil, she's probably very nice in real life. Though she is a little overly convincing as a hell-bound harridan, so she may be a total cow. She teams up with cuntish doctor, Kenneth Cranham (again, in the film) to repeat the steps of Hellraiser one. I mean, that's probably a good idea, right? Incorrect. It turns out that it's actually a terrible idea. The Cenobites return once again – though, still unclear about the rules, they decide to ignore the girl who opened the box and instead let everyone come to hell to check it out.
The hell in Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 looks a little bit like a Laser Quest, with lots of dark corridors and spooky sound effects. It's here that the film falters a little bit. Clearly deciding that people won't be scared by the same Cenobites as the first film they turn Kenneth Cranham into one. After deciding what to do to him, they decide to wrap his face in cheese-wire, have snakes come out of his hands, kit him out in the now de-rigeur bondage wear and, for extra effect, attach a giant slug to his head. To confound matters further they reveal that the Cenobites are more like hell's Community Support officers – as they just kind of stand around, teasing Kirsty. Then they run into the Kenneth Cranham-abite and get their shits ruined.
Despite being slightly predictable – well, as predictable as anything featuring Kenneth Cranham wrapped in cheese-wire with snakes coming out of his hands can be – Hellraiser 2 is pretty good. It clearly helps to have some classically trained actors add a little bit of gravitas to proceedings and, despite some fairly ropey plotting, it's perfectly serviceable and doesn't ruin part one by association. It's worth noting, however, that the ending is equally baffling but also quite cool.
Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth
Unfortunately, part three goes off the rails somewhat by catering to what someone's perception of a horror film fan is: basically, a giant douche-hole with piercings and leather. This manifests itself on-screen through alpha-prick and owner of the world's least appealing nightclub, J.P. Monroe. Monroe buys a giant pillar featuring Pinhead's head because it would look mega-awesome in his club. And there's absolutely no way this could go wrong…Unfortunately, it does go wrong and before you know it he's sacrificing floozies to Pinhead, who's even more unreasonable this time. I suppose unemployment will do that to you.
Hellraiser 3 is also clearly set in the US and looks a lot glossier. It also features a different protagonist: a fairly unflappable TV reporter. The other actors don't appear to be actors at all, so shoddy are their performances. There's a cameraman with a giant moustache and long hair who I thought may have been a famous musician using his status to secure a role – a bit like Mick Jagger in Freejack – but I think he's just a legitimately bad actor with a big moustache and long hair. He probably also hates Sam Elliot.
Like most threequels (not sure if that's a word) Hellraiser 3 then decides to turn everyone, including non-acting cameraman with moustache, into a Cenobite. It's a bit like X-Men 3 where everyone is a mutant but this is only manifested through an ability to jump really high, it basically reduces the potency of the Cenobites and makes things a bit daft. It's a testament to the first film that despite the unlikely chain of events, you don't dwell on the fact that it's a bit silly. Also, Hellraiser 3 features a heavy rock crossover with Motorhead and several other hard rockers providing aural accompaniment, which is never good for a horror film's credibility. This is often known as 'Dokken's Axiom'.
I didn't manage to secure the others but was a little surprised to see the adventures of Pinhead continued across another six installments. I seem to recall part four took place in space and can only assume the others involved a trip to college and/or a stag do in Vegas.
Act of Valor
Posted in Film by Ben
It's hard not to feel a little sorry for Tom Cruise, dangling bravely off the Burj Dubai, trying to convince you that he is, in many ways, the living embodiment of Ethan Hunt from the Mission Impossible films. Then something like Act of Valor comes along and messes with his thetan levels.
For those who are unaware – and I was one of them until I watched the trailer – Act of Valor is a film made with real life Navy Seals. You would have thought that a militaristic action thriller would have been high on the agenda, so props to the filmmakers for opting to remake sexually diverse comedy Shortbus. Just kidding, Navy Seals…please don't kill me.
In many ways Acts of Valor has been a long time coming: Steven Soderbergh has been dipping his toes in the world of experimental films for a few years, making low-key indie curios with an assortment of non-actors. But now he's crossing the streams using people famed for not acting, like 'MMA superstar' (it says here) Gina Carano and Channing Tatum to make an action film with proper actors.
Obviously, Soderbergh's newie is a far more attractive proposition then what basically looks like a 90-minute recruitment video for how awesome it is to travel the world killing things. Then again, at least Act of Valor is being honest: Battle LA turned out to be no more than a crass and stupid ad for the marines – despite promising to show the real-life consequences of an attack from the universe's most strategically inept aliens. So there's not a lot to be upset about here…unless you're Tom Cruise. If I were playing the lead villain in MI5, I'd start to get a little worried.
Prepare for jingasms, the trailer for Act of Valor follows…
James Bond will return in…
Posted in Film by Ben
Gun: model's own. Silencer and bald man holding flag sold seperately.
You can already hear the gears start grinding on the new James Bond film. Not because they've already announced the product tie-ins that will see Bond travel the world flogging luxury goods like a lethal Apprentice candidate (or genuine candidate Christopher Farrell), or from the procession of Euro lovelies who are pored over to assess their worth of being violated by 007 before being shuffled off by a villain with a surplus appendage. No, the real reason you know a Bond film is coming is because of the inevitable controversy surrounding its name.
Bond names are strange; I can't think of one other film series that has such a diverse collection of titles yet are all distinctively part of the same set. Well, aside from Steven Seagal's oeuvre, but they're all fairly plodding and workmanlike: Under Siege, Marked For Death, Out For Lunch etc. Bond titles are slightly more aspirational and elegant. You wouldn't find a Bond film called 'The Spy Wot Has Sex', or 'The Psycho With 3 Tits'. Which makes the rumoured title of 'Skyfall' a little baffling. Now I understand by even entertaining the notion that this is the genuine title I'm part of the problem, but I just accepted some sponsorship to add a footer to my Danny Dyer article and I'm in the process of burying my shame with words. Hey, you're lucky, this article could quite easily have been about my recent trip to see The Lion King in 3D.
While the confidence placed in Bond's recent change of direction is laudable – at least before they revealed they were copying the Bourne films – their stab at names is a little less rewarding. Sure, Casino Royale is an obvious winner but only because its name was typed by Ian Fleming's sexist nubs. But much like the film itself, 'Quantum of Solace' is something of a jumbled mess, offering the illusion of style without any substance to make it more meaningful. Basically, it's like someone using long words to mask the fact they're talking absolute balls. In contrast 'Skyfall' is a little more welcome; it's snappier and doesn't try too hard to impress – unless it's throwing jabs at the Murdoch empire. But I miss the showboating of the old Bond film titles. Think of 'Goldfinger', or 'From Russia With Love', they revelled in their largesse while perfectly capturing the tone of their adventures.
Anyway, I've decided to attempt a few Bond film titles to see if it can really be that hard to sum up the legacy and heritage of the world's most famous spy, whilst bringing him into a world where it costs over £20 for two adults and a child to watch a film about singing lions in 3D. I think I've been fairly successful, even if I say so my damn self.
Not just the name of the world's most prestigious sponge-based biscuit. 'Ladyfingers' gets and added frisson from the fact that Bond often squires ladies. The fact that said Ladies often have fingers is fairly incidental (then again, so were 'The' and 'With' in The Man With The Golden Gun). It's a provocative and posh title and would add an extra frisson if the action were set in a French bakery, or involved trifle in some way.
The Universe Will Probably Do
Over ambition is a recurring theme with Bond villains. In fact, most of them would probably do just fine if they were content to downsize their ambitions somewhat. For example, why ask for the world's gold when you could probably obtain a private island with a fixer-upper volcano base for a far smaller sum – especially in this age of economic austerity? Bond film titles should reflect the age in which they were made, and The Universe Will Probably Do does exactly that. However, it also suggests that the villain is still a tad over-ambitious, so will probably still get fed to his pet ocelots.
On Her Majesty
I'm not really sure where I'm going with this one, save to say I'd quite like to see a self-contained action film, starring the world's most famous spy, taking place entirely on HRH. It would be like Die Hard on a Queen.
A Taste of Swan
For many, Bond films are a gateway into another realm of existence – a bit like shopping at Waitrose, or eating unprocessed meat. Perhaps the most exotic of Bond's activities is his proclivity for eating stuff you've never heard of – let alone had wedged into a Gregg's pasty. Obviously the most exotic, yet resolutely British, foodstuff is swan. Few, save for David Cameron and the Windsors, know what this elegant beast tastes like. In fairness, it's probably like posh chicken but suspension of disbelief is all-important with James Bond so let's say it also tastes like wealth and excitement.
OK, I'm now spent – feel free to submit your own suggestions while we wait for the real title.
Making Star Wars better
Posted in Film by Ben
Digital warlock: George Lucas (clothes added in post)
What really bugged me about the original release of Return of the Jedi were the doors to Jabba's palace. I was only 5 when I saw this version and I remember someone on my row shouting 'BULLSHIT!" very loudly when they saw the reverse of the doors after R2D2 and C3PO walk in. He then started crying and vomiting loudly. The whole of Cannon Cinemas smelt like Parma Violets and stomach acid. From that moment on, the audience was lost; if they couldn't believe the exterior doors to Jabba's lavish palace were that size then they'd hardly believe in a Rancor beast, would they? I felt in some ways that I lost my innocence that day, my childhood cruelly molested by Uncle George and his silly doors.
Lucas attempted to repair my childhood when he made the doors slightly larger in the third iteration of the special edition. Sure, I'd believe you could fit a smaller skiff through these doors but the onset of adulthood had left me with a cold and cynical nature. I didn't really want to believe you could fit a smaller skiff through – let alone the full-girth of the Master's sail barge with those pig-men stood on top. Yeah, I was dead inside. But thank the maker for the fifth pass on Blu-Ray. George has made the doors massive and I now look back on the film with a warm fuzzy glow. You could fit anything through those bastards. ANYTHING. It also emphasises the impressiveness of Jabba before you even meet him for the second time, because nothing says don't fuck with the owner like 'my doors is bigger than yours.' Holla!
Original release: The search for doors
Third special edition: door-ish
Blu-Ray: BAM! Doors.
More subtle alterations are done later on in the new release of the film: When Luke is electrocuted by the Emperor, after revealing to Darth Vader that he is his son (OMG SPOILZ!), I always thought it daft of Darth Vader to just stand there. People probably have their own ideas about what was going on; I like to think that maybe Vader didn't see anything, because he was wearing a giant bucket on his head and because it's later revealed that he's about 170, so his eyes are probably fucked. Anyway, like Yoda says, "doubt leads to arguments, arguments lead to fights, fights lead to nuff probz", so it's only right for George Lucas to come back and stick his dick in the metaphorical mashed-potato, by adding a subtle audio enhancement that you probably won't even notice, unless you're really paying attention. Check-it:
In case you missed it…
Your ears aren't lying, he says 'NOOOOOOOOOO'. It's a neat addition and also ties the old films in with the original trilogy of Episodes I-III. There are so many people wearing stuff on their heads in the entire saga of seven films* that it can be confusing knowing who's who. When Darth Vader shouts "NOOOOOOOOOO" in Episode VI it's a neat tie-in to when that guy with the long hair in part 3 wakes up and can't get the black bucket off his head and is all like "NOOOOOOOOOOOO" before walking into things and knocking them over. Ha ha. This is just great synergy from George Lucas, or as I like to call it: 'cinemargy'.
* 1-6 + Episode 7: The Caravan of Courage, or 'Campervan of Crap' as it was sometimes known – despite being the second best entry to feature Ewoks. Maybe Uncle George should take a pass at that using his new maxim: "If it don't blink, it don't think."
Chest bumps and severed love pumps
Posted in Film by Ben
(I originally wrote this review when I saw Piranha 3D at the cinema. After waking from my coma I totally forgot about it, much like the film itself. Anyway, in the absence of a new article this week here are my thoughts on Alex Aja's Piranha 3D from the heady days of 2010. In short: it wasn't very good, but don't worry, at least Takers is out next week!)
Piranha 3D: a film about killer fish and tits that's more gory than a heroic bloodshed retelling of The Passion of The Christ, and contains more severed man members than you might expect find in Michael Barrymore's pool filter – if you believe everything you read in the News of the World, natch.
If you were such a purveyor of quality journalism then you may be wondering what more there could be, beyond gore, tits and fish – not just in the film, perhaps even in real life. And while you could be accused of having criminally low standards, you wouldn't exactly be wrong.
But is it wrong to expect internal logic and character development from something that prides itself on showing little more than fish and tits in 3D? The part of my brain that tries to get me to acknowledge the existence of Chris Moyles would say 'probably' (if it understood the question), but I disagree.
The original Piranha was from the Roger Corman school of filmmaking. While the quality of some of Rog's directorial output could be questioned, at least from a traditional critical viewpoint (though I remain convinced time will reveal the true genius of She Gods of Shark Reef) his ability to spot talent remains without equal. Corman's movies were where the aspiring A-list could cut their teeth working on B-level productions. So while you could expect little of these productions beyond a snappy title and often hilariously misleading poster, you'd often be pleasantly surprised with some of the artistry on display. And these directors would be justly rewarded with careers making better films with bigger budgets.
Unfortunately those times seem to be over; the best today's director can expect is to get hired by a studio to remake the B movies of yesteryear or turn a boardgame/cartoon/cracker joke into a filmic franchise. So while people bemoan the absence of another Coppola or Scorsese they fail to realise that he might be out there right now, making Yogi Bear in 3D, hoping to earn enough juice to remake Slugs for Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes, before inevitably descending into a creative abyss fuelled by self-loathing and friendship with Brett Ratner.
Alexandre Aja's career seems to revolve around making well-directed horror films with a nod to whatever's popular at the time. So Switchblade Romance, a taut efficient slasher for the most part, ends with a ridiculous trope from the 90s cinema that, thankfully, seems to have been banished to the M Night Shymalan landfill of bad ideas. The Hills Have Eyes was one of the better horror remakes, but a remake all the same. I didn't see Mirrors but as it was made in 2008 I'm going to assume it featured Kiefer Sutherland going mental after his iPhone 3G wouldn't stop playing Leona Lewis. Or something.
Anyway, what I'm trying to say that perhaps the only way to survive when you have a degree of intelligence but keep getting fed scripts like Yahtzee 3D, or whatever's supposedly hot at the moment, is to embrace the ridiculousness of it. In which case a lack of the key components that normally gauge a film's quality: character development, plot and narrative logic, become the film's strengths. That would explain the appearance of Oscar winners Elisabeth Shue, and Richard Dreyfuss and, to a lesser-extent, Oscar watcher, Jerry O'Connell. I suppose it's like the Emperor's New Clothes, but the emperor knows he doesn't have any clothes, and everyone else knows it too, but it's OK because they don't have any clothes either, and nobody cares because there are tits and cock-eating fish everywhere…in 3D!!!
The Predictions of the Apes
So yeah, this will probably happen.
That Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the thinking man's summer blockbuster should come as no surprise to those who've followed the simian saga so far. Each film in the storied franchise contains plenty of thought provoking sentiment that you wouldn't normally find in a generic blockbuster. It seems you can get away with metaphorical murder as long as your film stars apes in polyester suits.
Along with downbeat endings and chimpanzees that look strangely like Christian Bale, one of the hallmarks of the Apes series is a strain of deep-running social commentary that makes them strangely prescient in regard to real-world events. Well, either that or the films are recycling what's gone before and history is condemned to continually repeat itself. For the sake of this post I'm going to assume it's the former – despite naturally being of the glass-is-half-full disposition.
Anyway, here are four real world events, as predicted by the Planet of the Apes saga – even the not very good one by Tim Burton.
The Intelligent Design debate
Planet of the Apes takes a hypothetical large pole and uses it to skewer organised religion, taking particular care to smite the idea of creationism. Despite excavating evidence to the contrary, the apes in the first film believe they are the first race to gain enlightenment and they'll go to any length to maintain that belief, including hindering their scientists and using fear to keep their people in line. Which adds an extra layer of cynicism and real-world relevance.
Unlike the film, there doesn't seem to be a begrudging live and let live arrangement in real life. Though on the bright side, that also means we don't have to wander the desert in a loincloth until we realise that we're all completely fucked. I think the encyclopedia entry for 'Small Mercies' may need a new example.
Celebrity Culture
Katie and Peter: The Final Chapter
A couple of talking chimps feted by sophisticated society for their lack of pretension and ignorance of social norms are eventually ostracised, when the true nature of their existence is revealed and people get a little bit bored of their earthy ways. Yes, the story of Peter Andre and Jordan's financially incentivised romantic coupling is truly a film script come to life. In this case, the film is Escape from the Planet of the Apes. And just like real-life, this state of affairs becomes even more sinister when the well-heeled realise these actions could inspire the less intelligent of their race to do the same. This is further compounded when it's discovered they're breeding.
But that's where reality and fiction diverge; The Only Way is Essex and the continued awareness of the existence of Peter Andrew attests that the real chimps' ending isn't half as bad as their fictional counterparts. As the unwritten rule of the Apes film dictates, it ends less happily for Zira and Cornelius. Sob. But as depressing as this cinematic ending is, it's arguably not as miserable as watching ITV 2.
The Arab Spring
A dispossessed class, forced into mindless servitude, unite to overthrow their privileged masters. Despite an equal level of synthetic clothing, the plot of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes doesn't bear much resemblance to the recent London Riots – as the lack of basmati rice and stolen plasma screens attest. But it does bear more than a passing muster to the momentous Arab Spring revolution in the Middle East. Having been inspired by the radical actions of an individual, the dispossessed literally go ape-shit in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, rebelling against those who've enslaved them in a bloody coup that appears to take place in Milton Keynes.
Unfortunately there's no third act in real life, so while the rebellion in 'Conquest' takes about 20 minutes, in real life we have the bloody actions of oppressors met with some stern words from the UN. I'm no mathematician but I suspect the percentage of this shit happening on Charlton Heston's watch is about -100%.
George W. Bush's presidency
The Sit Down of the Ape
The prescient potency of the Planet of the Apes series cannot be denied. Even Tim Burton's otherwise inept remake contained an element of foresight, ending as it did with a chimp reclining on a seat of power in Washington DC the very same year George W Bush took office. And while this ending was contrived and confusing, at least it only lasted a couple of minutes. The real life Commander and chimp's term lasted for 8 shitting years.
The Planet of the Apes remake ended on a downer, mainly because it was so pants. Though all hope is not lost because the new film is very good indeed. So let's make the most of it while we can as, according to ape lore, we have psychic humans with melted faces, the further intellectual decline of the human race, enslavement by smarter apes and a nuclear apocalypse to look forward to. That should make for some interesting reality TV.
The 5 worst film posters of 2011
Posted in Film by Ben
1. Trespass
Eschewing the trend of getting hip young stars and writing stuff all over their faces (see also: The Social Network, Thor, The Adjustment Bureau, Hangover 2), Cage and Kidman's big screen adaptation of the popular outdoor clothing brand harks back to the days when star-power sold a film. Unfortunately it doesn't hark back to the days before Photoshop.
'WHEN TERROR IS AT YOUR DOORSTEP YOU CAN RUN OR YOU CAN FIGHT'. Strangely, Kidman and Cage appear to be doing neither; they seem to be hunkered down, looking bemused in a dusty storage room – which may actually be a not-too-subtle comment on their respective careers. Ouch. Then again, they both possess strange waxy visages, so maybe it's a film about trespassers in Madame Tussauds – a bit like a 'Night at the Museum Nights'. Either way, the poster for the new Joel Schumacher film is not very good. And yet the world keeps turning…
2. Abduction
A film poster should capture the essence of the film it's promoting. Some may tell you that that The Smurfs movie is one of the worst film posters of 2011 but, by featuring a bunch of small blue creatures acting like imbeciles, it's simply fulfilling its remit of appealing to kids while acting as a red flag to adults. Job done.
Our next entry however subscribes to the kitchen sink aesthetic of 'throw whatever you can at the screen and see what sticks'. It seems someone took that literally, as amongst helicopters, broken glass and guns they've actually got the wolf-boy from Twilight and stuck him to a building – albeit one that violates numerous laws of both planning and science.
If the Abduction poster succeeds in its remit then said remit is clearly: 'a little bit of Inception, a little bit of Bourne and a lot of crap.'
3. Straw Dogs
The tagline' EVERYONE HAS A BREAKING POINT' will be familiar to anyone who remembers a time when films weren't remade at five-year intervals, and posters didn't contain the word 'Facebook'. Straw Dogs 2011's emulation of the original poster is bound to bring fans of the original just that little bit closer to theirs – though it does suggest a knowing awareness that the actual film will probably lack.
Strangely, Alexander Skarsgard's face is only reflected in the broken part of the glasses, which suggests that he's actually emerging from James Marsden's eye-socket and not actually facing him at all. Perhaps Straw Dogs 2011 is going for a change of tack. Or maybe the film, like the poster, is unimaginative nonsense.
4 and 5. X-Men: First Class
Most people are aware that the 'face-writing' trend started with the poster for The Social Network. And while that visual trend gave birth to a host of imitators, they still maintained some level of stylistic appeal. The flip side of that coin, however, is 'face-violation' – as evidenced by the Straw Dogs poster and initiated by two of the worst film posters of all time*.
X-Men First Class is one of my favourite films of the year; it's amusing, relentlessly entertaining and exciting. Yet the printed marketing for First Class was uniformly poor, reaching its nadir with the now-infamous Facebook posters that can never be unseen.
I couldn't really decide which was the worst, but as Professor X has no feeling below the waist, he's probably resolutely unaware of James McAvoy's face violating his nether regions. No such luck for Magneto, who suffers the indignity of a young Master of Magnetism's face playing havoc with his flies.
It's worth pointing out the 'x-cellent' (yeah, I went there) Total Film magazine covers that promoted the film, as they certainly 'got it' more than the film's marketing department. I also suspect they may have influenced the equally charming retro posters for Captain America.
* Despite currently being billions of years from extinction – or '1' if you believe Roland Emmerich – I'm fairly sure the human-race will not suffer many film posters as bad as these.
The 'weapons' of Lethal Weapon
Posted in Film by Ben
"I'll be home for tea later mum."
The following contains heavy spoilers for all Lethal Weapon films – even the ones that haven't been made yet.
I've been thinking a lot about villains recently. It's hardly surprising, really. If it's not megalomaniacal Australian billionaires and their goldfish brained kids, it's Norwegian dickheads in neoprene. You can't even bury your head in fiction and hope to escape the tide of evil. Well you probably could, but not if the beach was made up of the Lethal Weapon films.
The Lethal Weapon films do villains brilliantly. So much so, in fact, that when experienced as a back-to-back 8-hour odyssey, amongst seeing Danny Glover's character age from 55 to 126 like one of those BBC stop-motion nature documentaries, and Gibson becoming less and less mental as his mullet retracts into his bug-eyed bonce* you realise that the films are a microcosm of cinematic evil-doing, containing every hallmark of villainy, both real and fictitious.
To make myself feel better about watching loads of Lethal Weapon films – and despite the fact I also gleaned some valuable secondary information (such as the average of retirement from the LAPD is 'Never') – I've decided to share my information in this important thesis. Now before I go too far I should also explain that examples of villainy from part 3 are, like the film itself, only there to make the numbers up, and/or point out how to do villainy wrong. Indeed, 'Jack Travis' as a villain is absolute arse-candle.
Anyway, for someone who probably can't get to sleep's pleasure, here are the key components of villainy, as evidenced by the Lethal Weapon saga…
This one's something of a no-brainer. Of course they're greedy: every single one of them. However, since we're dealing with the Lethal Weapon saga and not Tarkovsky's The Mirror, it's entirely possible that some fans are currently enjoying a Road to Damascus moment. Enjoy it boys, it's going to continue for a few miles yet.
Snarky digressions aside, if the ruthless pursuit of money suggests low moral fibre then what does the existence of Lethal Weapon 3 suggest? It didn't offer anything that we hadn't seen before (save for a crap villain – looking at you Jack Travis). It's entirely possible that Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are genuinely evil, or kind of stupid. I think I've just blown my own mind. Read the next bit and I'll catch up with you later…
Strange accents
No one is more widely familiar to US audiences as a 'wrong-un' than someone who can't even speak the President's American. This is most keenly displayed in 'Weapon 2' where all the knob-heads speak Afrikaans, including, memorably, Joss Ackland who finally fulfils his career-long ambition for the world's most ridiculous pronunciation of 'immunity'.
An early scene features our heroes – and most of the LAPD – listening to the villains converse over the radio with complete bafflement. What language is that…alien? No, my friends, that language is evil.
Strange accents take a break until part 4 where they come back with both guns blazing. Weapon 4 deals with Chinese triads and faintly ridiculous accents. Early on a Chinese family turn-up but before they can be shot/impaled with surfboards they reveal themselves to be sympathetic victims of the real-villain: a walking oriental caracature called Uncle Benny.
With his long eyebrows, buckteeth and hilarious inability to pronounce his 'Rs', Uncle Benny is possibly the least well-drawn portrayal of an oriental since John Wayne played Genghis Khan. And like most funny speaking characters in the Weapon series – and pretty much everyone else – he gets a well-deserved presentation ceremony for his own arse.
Oriental realism, Lethal Weapon style.
Odd fashion choices
Not a raison-d'être as such, more of a troubling indicator of villainy. It seems evil people are too preoccupied with wrongdoing to think about their accoutrements, or their distorted view runs to their choice of apparel. Either way, the most evil people normally look pretty fucking stupid.
Perhaps the best example of this is in Weapon 2. By walking round with what appears to be greased evil on the top of his melon, Pieter Vorstedt clearly exudes villainy. However, by revealing that he killed Mel Gibson's wife – and therefore is the source of his mental anguish, not to mention his 'Weapon-ness' – he is quite possibly the most evil character in the series.
Note: If you followed this hallmark to a tee you may be confused when watching the Lethal Weapon series in the present day – especially when you see Mel Gibson's sunglasses and hair. May I remind you that he is not evil – at least in the films.
A 'thing'
This complements an already apparent streak of evil, like a rotten cherry on top of a mouldy cake. Gary Busey's Mr Joshua is clearly insane, but what makes him much more memorable – aside from being Gary Busey and therefore one of the most incredible lunatics to breathe air – is the fact that he appears to enjoy receiving pain.
Similarly Joss 'e-muhn-a-tee' Ackland's greasy diplomat's evil accoutrement is a 'rape-glare' that he points at Patsy Kensit, suggesting a fairly extreme set of horizontal interests. He also seems to walk around with his passport in his hand and, of course, there's the aforementioned verbal inflection.
Ackland: 'Rape-glare'
For perspective, Weapon 3's villain Jack Travis enjoys attending ice hockey games…and probably playing on his computer and reading. Man, fuck Jack Travis.
Evil is a combination of many things. Someone who's is purely motivated by financial gain isn't necessarily evil, just a bit of a dick. Likewise, someone who dresses like a bit of knob may not be a poorly-styled embodiment of evil. But when you combine each aspect, and round it off with 'a thing', you're left with someone who probably deserves to get beaten half to death on a retiring policeman's lawn.
The end.
* If there are any scientists out there who have explored the relationship between mullets and mental illness I would be most grateful for a copy of your findings.
Recent Posts
- ADVANCED WARFARE (or 'Stop telling me what to do!' The videogame)
- hashtag EX3
- Preda-duh
- Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
- Wake in Fright
- January 2015
- August 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- November 2012
- October 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- June 2009
- May 2009
- March 2009


text:
|Reuters1/1 |Reuters
LONDON (Reuters) - BP has criticized the new "Deepwater Horizon" film as being an inaccurate Hollywood dramatization of the deadly oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
"The Deepwater Horizon movie is Hollywood's take on a tragic and complex accident. It is not an accurate portrayal of the events that led to the accident, our people, or the character of our company," Geoff Morrell, BP senior vice-president of U.S. communications & external affairs, said in a statement on the British oil and gas company's website.
"Deepwater Horizon," which is released in the United States on Friday, focuses on the hours before and after the explosion from a well blowout on the BP rig in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, leading to the worst offshore oil disaster in U.S. history. Eleven workers were killed and millions of barrels of oil spewed onto the shorelines of several states for nearly three months.
Recommended Slideshows
- All of these celebrities have had their nudes leaked 35 Pictures
- PHOTOS: Apple Emoji update includes a llama, skateboard and some bagel drama 24 Pictures
BP, which has had to pay over $55 billion in clean-up costs and fines, said the film "ignores the conclusions reached by every official investigation: that the accident was the result of multiple errors made by a number of companies."
Actor Mark Wahlberg, who plays an oil engineer who survived the disaster, said the film aimed to honor the 11 men killed in the accident.
Other than BP, rig operator Transocean and services contractor Halliburton were also found to be at fault .
"Coming as it does six-and-a-half years after the accident, the movie also does not reflect who we are today, the lengths we've gone to restore the Gulf, the work we've done to become safer, and the trust we've earned back around the world." BP said in the statement.
(This story has been refiled to include name of BP spokesperson in paragraph two.)
(Reporting by Ron Bousso; Editing by Greg Mahlich)


text:
If you're looking to install Windows 8 Five Surprising Facts About Windows 8 Five Surprising Facts About Windows 8 Windows 8 is full of surprising changes – whatever you think about Windows 8, Microsoft certainly isn't being timid this time around. From integrated antivirus protection and less-disruptive updating to the removal of the Windows... Read More and your computer doesn't have a DVD drive, you're not alone. Whether you have a Windows 8 DVD or a Windows 8 ISO file you've downloaded from Microsoft, you can use a free Microsoft tool to copy the Windows 8 installation files to a USB drive 5 Uses for a USB Stick You Didn't Know About 5 Uses for a USB Stick You Didn't Know About We've all used USB sticks to transport files between computers and back up our files, but there are other cool things you can do with a USB stick. Read More and install Windows 8 from the USB drive.
We'll be using Microsoft's official "Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool" for this. Don't let the name deceive you – it's not just for Windows 7, it also works with Windows 8. You'll need a USB drive that's at least 4 GB in size for Windows 8's installer to fit on it. The contents of the USB drive will be erased by this process, so back up any important files The Windows Backup and Restore Guide The Windows Backup and Restore Guide Disasters happen. Unless you're willing to lose your data, you need a good Windows backup routine. We'll show you how to prepare backups and restore them. Read More first.
Create a Windows 8 ISO File
To copy Windows 8 to a USB stick, you'll first need to create an ISO file from the Windows 8 disc. If you already have a Windows 8 ISO file you've downloaded from Microsoft, you're good to go. If not, you can use one of these free applications to create an ISO file No DVD Drive? No Problem! Create And Mount ISO Files For Free With These Tools No DVD Drive? No Problem! Create And Mount ISO Files For Free With These Tools My computer doesn't have any optical drives anymore. That means CD drives, DVD drives, Floppy drives--they've all been cut out and done away with forever. If a particular piece of peripheral gear doesn't have a... Read More . Install the program, insert the Windows 8 disc into a computer's disc drive, and use the program to create an ISO file from it.
Download & Run Microsoft's Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
You'll now need to download Microsoft's free Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool. Don't worry about its name – it'll work with Windows 8.
Launch the tool after installing it and browse to the Windows 8 ISO image you created or downloaded from Microsoft.
Select the USB device media type to continue.
Ensure your USB drive is connected to your computer and select it in the list. Remember, the USB drive must have at least 4 GB of free space and its contents will be erased.
The tool will now format your USB drive, make it bootable, and copy the Windows 8 installer files to it. This will take several minutes. You'll see the message "Backup completed" when the tool is finished.
Install Windows 8
You can now install Windows 8 from the USB drive. If you want to install Windows 8 on a computer that currently has Windows on it, you can insert the USB drive into the computer, browse to the USB drive in Windows Explorer, and launch the setup.exe program on it. This will start the installation process. If you have Windows 7 installed, you can opt to perform an upgrade instead of a clean reinstall that deletes all your files.
If you have a computer without Windows installed on it, you'll need to boot the computer from the USB drive. Insert the USB drive into your computer, then restart it. It should automatically boot from the USB drive, starting the Windows 8 installation process.
If this doesn't happen automatically, you'll need to change the boot order in your BIOS. Press the key that appears when you turn your computer on (often Delete or F2), locate the Boot Order section in your BIOS, and increase the priority of your USB drive so that the computer will try to boot from the USB drive. Save your settings and exit the BIOS after changing this option. For more detailed instructions on accessing your BIOS and changing the boot order, consult your computer's manual (or your motherboard's manual, if you built your own computer). Different computers use different BIOSes that have different interfaces and require different key presses to open.
After going through this process, you'll be able to install Windows 8 from a USB drive just as you could from a DVD – the USB drive will behave exactly like an installer DVD and offer the usual upgrade and clean install options. You can insert the drive into any computer and use it to install Windows 8. It would be convenient if Microsoft offered better support for this and didn't require that we download a tool designed for Windows 7 The Windows 7: Ultimate Guide The Windows 7: Ultimate Guide If you are afraid to upgrade from Vista or XP because you feel it is completely different to what you are used to, you should read this new guide. Read More , but the process is fairly easy.
Leave a Reply
I'm using asus UL20a and windows 8 installer (from usb) failed to recognize my hdd due to missing hdd driver. I cant found anything in web (nor at asus site)
Do you know where i can download driver . thx
thax sweet heart!!!!!! :*
Im having a problem here , i bought new computer for about 1500 euros with no windows 8. i have USB drive and windows 8 on it. When i turn on compuier my display doesnt turn on so i cant see any button for goin into windows, How the hell am i supposed to install windows 8 on my new computer , it doesnt want to automatically install it on.Please help.
Helpful topic..
Hi Chris
thanks for this Tuto, really useful indeed. It does'nt seems to me that we have choice of partition.I want to install Win 8 in dual boot with Win 7 (C: partition) having a free 7 Go partition (D:).
thanks in advance for yout help
Hi. Thanks for this guide, but I always come up with the message "Files copied successfully. However, we were unable to run bootsect to make the USB device bootable" I tried different USB sticks, but the same thing happens. Do you have an idea why?
Never mind. I tried it with my other laptop and it worked. Thanks for this guide! Installing from a USB device is way faster than installing from a DVD.
great article its just answer all my question:-)
This will be really useful with all the ultrabooks
neat tricks, eventough i'm not migrating to Win 8 anytime soon :)
I Use WinUSB for that.
Yay, can finally get round to putting Windows 8 on the netbook. Thanks.
Installing from a bootable DVD or USB to virgin disk. Apart from entering the win8pro key id when requested, is there anything else that will stop doing this clean install of win8Pro Upgrade? IE this is the way to create a clean install of Win8Pro Upgrade.
I thought the destination partition had to have XP SP3, Vista or W7?
Thanks for this great article! :D
How about multi-installer??
hi,,,,,can it be used to install windows on a macbook air
Very usefull. Didn't know it could work with Win 8 as well. Thanks
Also u can do the same from GNU/Linux with dd comand:
dd if=/path/to/image.iso of=/dev/sdb
Or better, get rid off that nasty system and move to GNU/Linux
thanks for info. Really very useful for me
awesome article thank you Chris
Or alternately, try the Windows To Go feature..
Great tut, now everybody can install in their netbook.
Getting A Windows 8 ISO How Any Download Links
Giveaway Of Windows 8 Product Keys
There is an other alternative without this tool.
It would be nice if we can run the Windows 8 OS from the USB itself (may be a USB with a bigger capacity instead of the 4GB) instead of installing it on the PC's hard disk.
You can use this method to create a Windows 8 live USB: http://geeknizer.com/how-to-run-windows-8-from-live-usb/
People keep asking me this. Now I can point them to this article. Thanks for that. :)
Wow now I dont have to waste money on buying a cd


text:
Your shopping cart is empty!
Welcome to the world of iZ Beauty of London, the home of top professional quality nail and beauty products.
iZ Beauty of London nail products
Founded by nail industry expert Izabelle Hammon, iZ Beauty of London was created to bring professional quality nail products to nail and beauty fanatics everywhere.
Our Gel-Effect nail lacquer is one of the longest-lasting polishes on the market today and has been featured in both London Fashion Weeks in 2017. It's patented plasticiser technology helps resist chipping, leaving healthy plumped nails with no need for a UV lamp or salon visit.
Our long-lasting and top-quality nail art ranges are designed to be used by professionals and self-confessed nail art fans. Seen a celebrity manicure you love? Chances are you can recreate it using a selection of iZ Beauty of London nail art. Our Deco iT nail decals are heavily influenced by catwalk trends and seasonal events, and we have over 40 glitters for you to choose from.
Our other ranges include genuine Swarovski crystal rhinestones for some serious bling and we have a vast range of nail studs in a variety of colours and sizes, including 3D nail charms.
iZ Beauty loves Christian Faye brow and makeup products
We are proud to host Christian Faye Beauty products at iZ Beauty. With a huge professional fan base, Christian Faye offers a wide range of eyebrow and make-up products.
The top-selling product of the range is the unique 24 Hour Brow kit which truly is a revolutionary clay-based brow product. It will give you perfectly shaped eyebrows in just seconds and will survive work, the weekend, the gym and just about anywhere else!
New at iZ Beauty
2017 saw THREE new brands join the iZ Beauty family – Dr. PAWPAW, Colorsmash and Wet Brush.
A favourite of bloggers, celebrities & professionals, Dr. PAWPAW is the first UK pawpaw based balm. Created to provide relief for dry and irritated skin, it makes a great alternative to cuticle oil to nourish and hydrate the skin surrounding the nail, as well as the hands. Can be used all over the body for all-round nourishment. This amazing pawpaw balm can also be used with iZ Beauty of London glitters to apply glitter to eyes & body, as well as a primer for make up or to smooth and fix eyebrows into place.
For vibrant, brightly-hued hair without the commitment (or damage) of permanent or semi-permanent dye, COLORSMASH Color Kissed Hairspray is your new best friend and it's available in three vivid shades – Violet, Indigo and Pink. Use one shade to spritz all over for an impactful statement, dip dye the ends for a chic ombré effect or layer the colours for rainbow locks. Free of drying iron-oxides, the paraben and gluten free formula contains avocado, quinoa, pot marigold, grape seed extract, sunflower seed and aloe vera extracts, which help to protect your hair against UV damage whilst leaving it shiny and healthy.
Wet Brush – Makes Brushing A Breeze. We branched out into the hair side of the beauty industry with Colorsmash, and these brushes are the perfect accompaniment to that! IntelliFlex® bristles paired with SofTips™ are what make the Wet Brush® so unique. They have intelligent flexibility, they know when to be firm and when to be flexible. They glide through hair, Wet or Dry, effortlessly detangling and prepping for healthy styling.
What? You want more?!
We knew you would, so just search @izbeautyldn on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to find us and keep up to date with all the latest products that are joining the iZ Beauty clan as well as news and competitions!
Are you a nail or beauty professional?
If the answer is yes, jump over to www.izabellehammon.com to register for an account to take advantage of trade discounts. We also have our own gel nail brands and you can find out more about training on our professional website too.


text:
Are newspapers dead or dying? The growing chorus in the West seems to be: yes, newspapers are dead or dying. The internet is going to win and we all face a future where all the news that is fit to note will be on-line. Whatever happens in the West, reports suggest that in Asia at least newspapers are doing very well indeed. According to a recent report in TIME Magazine, for instance, as Asian societies become more open newspapers are sprouting all over the place and finding millions of readers.
Asia's media expansion has mirrored the fall of its dictators, as newspaper readers thrill at no longer getting just the day's propaganda. In Indonesia, the number of newspapers has increased from a few dozen when strongman Suharto was deposed in 1998 to roughly 800 today. The market is so buoyant that a new English-language paper, the Jakarta Globe, revved up its printing presses last November, just as several cash-strapped American papers were readying their final editions. "The Indonesian middle class is growing, and many households subscribe to two newspapers," says Ali Basyah Suryo, strategic adviser to the start-up Globe. "People like to hold the newspaper in their hands and even clip stories or save copies. It's seen as a valuable product."
Unfortunately, there are rule of law challenges in Asia as well. It can also be a dangerous place in which to be a journalist. According to the Time Magazine story:
The world's most fertile ground for newspapers is also the most dangerous for reporters. In 2008, 26 Asian journalists were killed in the line of duty, according to the International Press Institute, making Asia even deadlier than the Middle East for the fourth estate. Some 54 Asian journalists are languishing behind bars, says media watchdog Reporters Without Borders. Those disheartening statistics underline, however, the importance of Asia's newspapers as a check on the excesses of power — something that should never go out of fashion.
I end by noting that CommGAP is about to publish a major study of the news media as they contribute to governance reform. And the study contains regional expert surveys, including a very good one on Asia. The study will be out by June 2009.
Photo Credit: Flickr user httsan


text:
I had completed my first three novels before entering the world of the serial novel.
Classically trained in literature I had read Charles Dickens's The Pickwick Papers, Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone, Mark Twain's Huckle-berry Finn, as well as many other novels considered classic which began their life as serial novels, a fact that made little impression on me at the time. To me, serial novels were those light mysteries or equally light romances in the back of magazines I'd read growing up.
I rediscovered serial novels on the internet quite by accident. In the middle of researching facts for my third novel, I stumbled across a fanfiction site. Before then, I had never heard of fanfiction nor had any idea such sites existed. Curious, I delved right in, and before long, I had posted my own fanfiction episodes along with everyone else.
Why would a novelist, used to creating her own worlds, want to write fanfiction? First, I wanted to see what it was like. Once I did, and the comments started coming in, I was hooked. Second, I discovered, as I discuss in the book, that writing episodes online is a type of performance art. Writing before a built-in audience is exciting and satisfying.
I learned how to structure my episodes with a beginning punch to draw in my audience, and how to leave them wanting more, which is one of the primary goals in serial fiction. The downside of writing fanfic is that you are writing in someone else's world, using characters and settings you do not own.
I decided it was time for a change and submitted an idea for a serial novel to several newspapers and magazines. One of the newspapers hired me to write a novel divided into weekly episodes. The novella was such a success the paper hired me to write three more. Following that, a newsprint magazine hired me to run the same four novellas.
Earlier this year I started writing The Hidden, a serial novel sold in episodes through Amazon. I have completed the first novella and am pleased with the response I've received.
So, why did I write this book?
Serial novels have recently experienced a comeback and more and more writers are experimenting with the format. This is good, but what I have discovered is that many writers wanting to write serial fiction have little understanding of the basic elements involved and how serial fiction differs from writing a completed novel. I was appalled to discover an author advertising that he would "cut up your novel to use as a serial."
Serial fiction is not "cut up novels," and episodes are not chapters. Also, different types of serial fiction require different criteria. I try to cover all of this in this book so that even the experienced writer might find something new and of value.
I should mention that besides giving valuable information on writing serial fiction, the e-book contains a bonus section devoted to MARKETING. This section contains over 500 clickable links for facebook sites and websites which post e-books.The section also contains twitter sites willing to post your books.
How to Write Serial Fiction goes through clearly and succinctly everything you need to publish your serial fiction on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other outlets. There is a wealth of information in this book and I wish it had been around when I first self-published my book series. There are a number of intricate steps to serial writing, and C. R. Myers takes you through everything you need to know to help your first serial be a resounding success.
—Michael Ward
Self-published author with 50 titles on Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Amazon's Michael Ward Page http:// www.amazon.com/-/ e/ B007A550QM
How to Write Serial Fiction...is awesome. I really like it because the instructions are clear and concise. The only thing I'd change is the title. I'd call it, The Dummies Guide to Writing Serial Fiction.
—Catherine Sellers
http:// www.catherinesellers.com
Writing serial fiction is not as easy as it sounds. It's not just writing a book and breaking it up by chapters. From hooking the reader with each episode , story arc , and consistent characterization to keeping the reader coming back for more, this is the resource I wish I'd had when I started writing serial fiction.
—Jean Lauzier
http:// www.jeanlauzier.com
This is such great information. You get a step-by-step guideline on how to write a serial novel. Cat makes it look easy, and maybe if I had had the information in this book when I was writing The Cabin it would have made it easier. Thanks for all your work.
—Evelyn M. Byrne
http:// www.evelynmbyrne.com


text:
I trade mainly with support and resistance; I think I outlined the way I trade in my thread (http://www.fxfatcat.com/forex-forum/...Trading-by-YES).
I also, when I feel the need to, look at other factors such as news, Fibonacci retracement, and the stochastic oscillator (overbought and oversold).
It's good to learn how to trade without any indicators as indicators pull all of their information from the price, therefore you can learn how to interpret what is going on from the price alone, where you can see from a naked chart what an indicator would be telling you.
When you have indicators which you're not the master of, they become your master, so either:
a) Learn to trade without indicators (with the option of adding one later on)
b) Become a real expert in the indicator so you know it through and through (i.e. you being the Master of the indicator).
Well done on making 1000 pips this week, that's phenomenal really. If you have the right money management and risk strategy, there's no reason why you couldn't continue in that success, however, if you don't make as many pips per week, don't get discouraged as most people don't make any positive pips per week
I have been trading like this for a long time and I am successful at it.


text:
Grateful Dead
Just like your favorite jam, things are going to get a bit funky on Dead.net over the next week or so. Community accounts will be temporarily closed October 16th-17th and may be under further maintenance through October 22nd. But rest assured, we will be back up and better than ever shortly thereafter. Stay tuned!
February 3 - February 9, 2014
Welcome back to the Tapers' Section, where this week we'll cover a span of just over 20 years with some Grateful Dead music from 1973, 1981 and 1994. And because this is being written a few days before the Super Bowl, congratulations to Denver or Seattle.
Our first selection this week is from the second leg of the Fall Tour of 1973, which had three distinct segments: 9/7 to 9/26, 10/19 to 11/1, and 11/30 to 12/19, with a bit of a disjointed tour in the middle (11/9 to 11/25). From 10/30/73 in St. Louis, we have the big second set jam featuring, Dark Star>Stella Blue>Eyes Of The World>Weather Report Suite, with those last three songs being brand new to most ears, appearing on Wake Of The Flood, released two weeks earlier on 10/15/73.
Next up is music from the first show of the Europe Tour of 1981, from 9/30/81 in Edinbugh, Scotland, the Dead's only appearance in Scotland. From the start of the second set, we have a bit of a different second set sequence of Feel Like A Stranger, Ship Of Fools, Samson and Delilah, Never Trust A Woman.
Our last selection this week is from 10/14/94 from the final run of Grateful Dead shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City. From this show we have the start of the second set, featuring Scarlet Begonias>Fire On The Mountain, Looks Like Rain, Samba In The Rain>Corrina.
Be sure to join us here next week for more tunes from the vault.
David Lemieux
I thought Vince's color's were brilliant and poignantly eloquent. He was a great contributor and gets a bit too much disrespect. I love theses 94 tapes when they were this hot
not because of the Vince comments below...it's that the Dark Star is not wood-inducing.
always liked samba in the rain, new sound for the dead and it was a fun one to dance to. Corrina on the other hand is most definitely in my opinion the worst song Bob Weir ever wrote. As far as Jerry slapping cheeks.... I highly doubt that would have happened. Vince was a good musician and loved Jerry and the entire Grateful Dead thing, too bad the rest of the guys treated him like the "new guy" and abused him at just about every opportunity they had. He was the butt of many a joke and prankster gag and yet he laughed it all off with his giant smile. He loved Jerry and playing with him and stated that the first time he met Jerry, it was like meeting santa clause, in other words a lifelong wish had been fulfilled. He was excluded from every Dead reunion tour, left off the bus when he was truly hurting inside from the death of his mentor, friend and hero. The rest of the story is too sad to go into. Look it up online if you don't know what went down. Vince added a new and unique sound and style to the band that had never been there before, therefore he was not everyone's cup of java, but if you listen to some of his accomplishments with the band closely and with an open mind, yes he's not Brent or Keith, but he had a very good style all of his own.
Vince had talent. Vince had style. Vince was real. Vince became the punching bag for many things. I have to say that some of my most favorite jams had Vince!!!
Hot DAMN! Love these 73 jams.
I think Jerry would have turned it around if he had sobered up, woken up and smacked Bob and Vince across the cheeks.....
tasty dark star liquid smooth flowing jam
Check out 10/1/94 or 10/10/94. I was at the Cap Centre/US Air shows. Nice Comes A Time from 10/9/94
I would be up for listening to more of the mid-nineties if DL could continue to dig out nuggets like this one. To me most of the stuff after 91 doesn't sound this good. But as we used to say, a bad Grateful Dead concert is better than a good day at work. That remained true to the end for me, for the most part.


text:
PH bars 32 Mecca-bound Indonesians
MANILA, Philippines—Thirty-two Indonesians who were supposed to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca using Philippine passports were barred from entering the country by the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
The BI said its personnel in Tawi-Tawi has uncovered a scheme by a Mindanao-based syndicate which provides Muslims with Philippine passports so they can avail of the quota for the Hajj allotted to the country by the Saudi Arabian government.
The scheme was apparently devised by a syndicate who wants to profit from foreign Muslims who could not make it to the pilgrimage because the quota allotted to their country has already been filled up.
The Indonesians recently arrived at the Bongao port aboard MV Mid-East but were turned away by immigration border crossing officers who interviewed them on the purpose of their travel to the Philippines, the BI reported.
With the help of an Indonesian immigration officer stationed at the Bongao port who acted as interpreter, the Indonesians confessed that they had planned to apply for Philippine passports upon arrival to the country so they could avail of the quota for the pilgrimage allotted to the Philippines by the Saudi government.
They said they would temporarily stay at a shelter where they would be taught to speak Sinama, the local Tawi-Tawi dialect, while awaiting the release of their Philippine passport.
The Hajj pilgrimage is a religious duty carried out by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so at least once in his or her lifetime.
The number of pilgrims who can come to Mecca every year is regulated by a quota system for each Muslim country.
Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. already issued an order alerting all BI personnel in the different ports of entry to be on the lookout for foreigners suspected of involvement in the scheme.
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.


text:
- Bewertet: gebundene Ausgabe
When you read books, there are those which are a pleasure to read, but don't affect you much and then there are those books which stay with you even long after you've finished. Windwitch is one of the latter. I'm writing this review weeks after having finished and the... When you read books, there are those which are a pleasure to read, but don't affect you much and then there are those books which stay with you even long after you've finished. Windwitch is one of the latter. I'm writing this review weeks after having finished and the story is still as vivid in my head as it was during the moments I was reading it. Windwitch is a book you dive head first into and don't want to ever leave again. In Windwitch you get to know a lot more places in the Witchlands due to the fact that all main characters travel a lot. It's a fascinating world and the world-building is fantastic. Susan does an amazing job at creating the right atmosphere and you're able to see yourself fighting alongside Safi or Iseult. Windwitch definitely isn't a book you read, but a book you dive into and explore the world yourself. You see what Safi, Iseult, Merik and Aeduan see; you feel what they feel; you smell what they smell; hear what they hear and taste what they taste. You ARE literally them and this is one aspect which makes reading Windwitch so exciting. Susan has a superb writing style! One main aspect I LOVE about the Witchlands series are the amazing characters. All four main characters we get to know in Truthwitch are back in Windwitch and while Windwitch is mainly about Merik, we also get to know the other three characters way better, as well. I also absolutely LOVE that there are so many diverse characters in this series. From different cultures or ethnics to different sexualities, there's a character to identify with for everyone. I personally have a new favourite character, but since she hasn't been a main character/POV in Truthwitch, I'm not going to spoil you. Two aspects that make this series special are: 1. Safi's and Iseult's friendship is epic. It's not manipulative or toxic, but for once there are two best friends who'd do anything for each other. The story isn't about romance and it doesn't need to be, either. You won't hear me say this often, because I'm a sucker for love stories, but in this case the friendship is worth so much more. 2. Susan aims to write this story without the ONE villain every fantasy book has, because in real life, too, there might not be the one villain, either, but quite a few toxic people with wrong opinions who make your life a living hell. I think both aspects are quite refreshing and make this series unique. Windwitch is a page-turner you won't be able to put down. If you haven't read Truthwitch yet, I highly recommend you to start this series, or if you're unsure whether to continue this series, I promise you won't regret reading Windwitch. This book is probably my favourite book ever!


text:
- Worldwide Rank #222,909,901
- Follower/Following Ratio 0.03
- Daily New Followers 0
Christine Twitter Stats
@02b83a8698bf4cc - Tracking Christine Twitter profile since January 10, 2015
Christine 's story
Christine , also known as @02b83a8698bf4cc has a novice's presence on Twitter and is ranked by us in the 20% percentile for account strength. Active on Twitter since January 2015, Christine made it to having a respectable 3 Twitter followers and to being ranked 222,909,901 for number of followers among all Twitter users.
The plot thickens when considering Christine 's follower-to-following ratio, which is 0.03. Which is not surprising given this account's audience size.
Over the past month, @02b83a8698bf4cc's was hardly active on Twitter, with an average of 0 tweet(s) per day in the past 30 days. That's pretty consistent with a total of 5 since @02b83a8698bf4cc joined Twitter.
This account is tracked by us Only January 2015. As of October 21 2018 we track 291650434 Twitter accounts, so feel free to search for other accounts you're interested in and reveal their Twitter story!
Christine Tweets
@02b83a8698bf4cc has posted 0 tweets in the last 2 days, which translates to an average of 0 tweets per day.
Christine Twitter Followers
@02b83a8698bf4cc has 3 followers on Twitter.
This account is #222,909,901 in the worldwide rank of the most popular Twitter users.
Christine Following on Twitter
@02b83a8698bf4cc is following 97 Twitter accounts.
Last month this account stopped following 4 users.
Christine Predictions & Milestones
@02b83a8698bf4cc will hit 3 followers in the next 3 months, and 3 in one year.
You are on Christine 's Twitter stats page
We track these Twitter stats since January 10, 2015 . You can see how many followers Christine lost or gained and what the prediction is for tomorrow or the next 15 days, together with all kinds of other stats like rank compared to all Twitter users, tweets etc.
Why don't you give it a try and compare Christine to yourself ? Or if you are Christine get even more feature rich & up-to-date stats with our premium Twitter Stats.
Twitter Counter is the #1 Twitter stats site powered by Twitter. It all started in June 12, 2008 and we grew rather rapidly because of our Twitter Counter badge. The button is a nice small image that shows your visitors how many followers you have on Twitter. Within a year the button was on many many blogs around the world and we displayed more than 100 million buttons in one month. We track follower stats for over 291.650.434 users now.


text:
The title of this post was "【浜田山駅徒歩8分】敷・礼金不要、即入居可能のシェアハウス募集中!!", but it is expired.
This website is provided for free of charge. Every single post is by a site visitor, and we do not take responsibility if things on those posts are right or not. We reserve the right to edit and delete posts without giving notice and reasons. We recommend you not to post your classifieds if you do not agree it.


text:
Weirdest Celebrity Feud: Tom Cruise vs. Balki
In an interview with the Onion's A.V. Club, actor Bronson Pinchot, best known as Balki on the '80s sitcom "Perfect Strangers," randomly went on the warpath, saying that Tom Cruise made "constant unrelated homophobic comments" while the two were on the "Risky Business" set. Pinchot also called Denzel Washington "one of the most unpleasant human beings I've ever met." Pinchot is promoting his role in "Mr. Art Critic," out now on DVD. We don't know if he's joking or not, but he appears to be trying an edgy new strategy for Hollywood career revival: insult the town's biggest players. Cruise responded today, through a rep, telling EW: "Obviously, this is so far removed from who Tom Cruise is as a person, this must have been said in jest." Pinchot's rep didn't return a request for comment.