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Game by Walter Dean Myers ISBN: 9780060582944
Plot Summary: Drew lives in Harlem, and walks past all the washed out people in his neighborhood every morning on the way to school. He may not be a straight-A student, but he knows he could go pro in basketball if he gets enough attention from college scouts this year. But there are two new white guys on the team, and the coaches seem to be focusing much more on them than anyone else. When it starts to negatively affect the game, Drew decides to take things into his own hands. But then he gets pulled out of the game. This was not the season he had planned.
Critical Evaluation: The plot of this book is firmly centered on basketball. Most of the book takes place on the basketball court, or with Drew's friends involved in basketball. There are brief interludes with his family, like when his father talks about joining a gym, or when Drew and his friend Ruffy go out with Ruffy's brother, that don't relate back to basketball. Drew's sister, Jocelyn is the most fully developed person who is not on the basketball team, and she gets that way as the pesky sister stereotype we all know. But that does help to focus the book. I'd think that if Myers tried to spread the plot out to other aspects of Drew's life, it would be difficult to get enough information about each. As it is, we see that basketball is the most important part of Drew's life, and it influences everything else about him.
My biggest hurdle in reading this book was the language. That could be the reason I don't read many sports books. I could barely grasp at what different basketball terminology and slang meant, and had trouble differentiating between basketball slang and normal street slang. But that seems to be more my issue than the authors. Like an adult who no longer knows what "all the cool kids are saying," I did once find myself asking whether kids really say stuff like "goofing up" or "my game is money." The book was published in 2008 so there is a possibility that some of the slang here has gone out of style, but I'm not really in a position to know. On the other hand, most of the book takes place in school or at Drew's house, so the language is clean and there is no violence. This makes it a good book to give to teens whose parents might be sensitive about that.
Reader's Annotation: While all the young black men in the neighborhood seem to have given up, Drew knows he can be an NBA star if he just gets the chance. But basketball is a team sport, and some new players on the team have changed the whole game.
Information about the author: Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia. He received his bachelor's degree from Empire State College. For three years he led a writing workshop for children at a school in Jersey City, New Jersey.
He currently lives in Jersey City, New Jersey with his wife. He has three grown children. His books have won numerous awards and he was given the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement in literature. Besides writing, he travels to schools to speak to children, teachers, librarians, and parents. He also contributes to educational and literary publications.
Genre: Sports, Urban Fiction
Curriculum ties, if any: None in particular.
Booktalking Ideas: I would emphasize the sports, which is the main theme of this book, but I think the way Drew and his sister Jocelyn talk to each other is also funny, so I might mention that as well.
Reading Level/Interest Age: The main character is a senior in high school, and the sections about applying to schools will make the most sense to older readers. As mentioned earlier, there isn't really any violence or coarse language, so it is appropriate for younger readers as well. School Library Journal suggests this book for grades 9 and up.
Challenge Issues: None.
Why did you include this book? : I wanted to include a more contemporary sports novel, and read something by Walter Dean Myers because he is a YA standby.
Reference Page:
Walter Dean Myers author page (2013). Goodreads. Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13291.Walter_Dean_Myers


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Goshen — A day before a planned public hearing on Orange County plans for a new Government Center, opponents of the project went on the attack.
Goshen — A day before a planned public hearing on Orange County plans for a new Government Center, opponents of the project went on the attack.
With high rates of foreclosures and unemployment, said architect and engineer Harvey Berg, "to spend hundreds of millions of dollars for a new building is beyond irresponsible, it's cruel."
Berg was one of four speakers at the first of three scheduled forums opposing County Executive Ed Diana's push for a new building. Berg spoke in a conference hall at Goshen's St. James Church along with County Legislator Matt Turnbull, historian Richard Hull, and economist Robert Fromaget. The four will also hold forums 2-4 p.m. on March 4 in Newburgh at 48 Grand St. and 2-4 p.m. March 25 in Port Jervis at the Recreation Center.
Among their main arguments:
It's too expensive. The stated cost for a new building ($92.8 million or $136.4 million) is too low and retrofit bill ($67.2 million) is too high. The interest on the loans for a new building will more than double the cost . A larger county building will result in unmanageable traffic inside the Village of Goshen. New construction will take years, while a retrofit would take less than a year, thereby relatively quickly reviving Village of Goshen businesses. Renovation would save a historically important piece of architecture.
Nancy Hull Kearing, organizer of the forum, said she hoped it would help clarify some of the "obfuscation" coming from the county executive's office.
Much of the buildings problems are minor and stem from neglect, the speakers contended. Energy is lost through the windows, not the concrete, Berg said.
The fix? "Somebody needs to go to Home Depot and buy a caulking gun," Berg said.
The same could be said of the roof, he said. It's littered with sharp shards of asphalt which can pierce the roof membrane,
"You know what it takes to fix that roof?" he said.
"A roofer; there's nothing magic about it."

subset: commoncrawl


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Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'Canada' started by tlo, Feb 13, 2013.
Tim Hortons launches EV charging station pilot project
Whoops also just posted that in the News section.
You should see the Lang and O'Leary take on it... horrible.
I say good on Tim Horton's for doing this... but wonder about the practicality. Do people actually stay at Tim's long enough to get an appreciable charge? I believe their stores even have signs about "loitering" for longer than 20 minutes.
I was more wondering how you push a large change like this through a franchise ownership? You give an incentive for adoption?
I think EV charging could be very useful at Timmy's. As long as the vehicle has a decent charger, you could pick up very usable range in half an hour.
How many amps is the EVSE @ the Timmies in Oakville?
Just looked up at ChargePoint, they are 30A only.
We need a few cups in order to get a decent fill to the pack.
Sigh. I miss Timmy's.
Oof. At 30A, this is more for the plug-in hybrid crowd than the Tesla crowd... but if it's free, I'll take 15kms of electrons for the chance to sit down with a delicious Timmy's Iced Cap.
Yes! Hope to see more of these in GTA.
I wrote Tim Hortons corporate head office suggesting that if the trial is a success, and they decide to deploy this elsewhere, that they consider a higher power charger of about 70 to 80 amps. explained how this is essential for the newer pure EV's ability to cross the country and visit all the tim's along the way. I don't expect a reply, but if I get one I'll post it here. Perhaps if other people expressed similar requests they would consider it?
Aye indeed.
Makes sense. Personally, I don't stay at Tim's for very long, and a higher power charger would be much better for getting an appreciable charge during your short visit.
I have a friend at Tim Horton's corporate and I've already reached out to him about this and he's already talking to the team deploying the chargers. If you guys want to write any letters, you could PM me them and I'll make sure they get to Timmy's corporate too.
It's sort of like the Walgreens drug stores here in Calif. Their parking lots sometimes have signs for 30 minute parking but the Chargepoint 30A chargers have a fee of $2 per hour with a $2 minimum. The times I have charged at Walgreens was not to shop there but to walk to nearby restaurants.
I notice the Walgreens chargers when I visit my brother in LA. I didn't realize they were fee-based, but I remember thinking that I usually don't spend enough time at a drug store to make it worth my while (like the Tim Horton's coffee shops). Just like Walgreens, a lot of Tim Horton's have "No Loitering - 20 minute limit" signs in their stores which kind of contradicts the idea of EV charging. Having said that, I think Tim's is trying to get more in to the Starbuck's model with their free WiFi , new lattes and so forth.
I want to explore shopping malls and those "big box store" malls as opportunities for EVSE in my community. I think if a group of merchants got together on this infrastructure it would minimize costs to each but still attract EV drivers to the mall. And for the EV driver, you are likely to spend more time at these types of locations (movies, restaurants, visiting more than one store etc.) and thereby get a more appreciable charge. I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable parking at a Tim's or a Walgreens and walking to some other merchant and so this "centralized" approach may have some merit.


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I was terrified at the thought of trying to take care of a newborn while I was so broken; newborns are so hard anyway, and to START OUT so weak? Not looking good. One of the thoughts that would torment me throughout my waking hours was that I was so damaged that I would not be able to love this baby once he was born, but I remembered hearing the story of another woman who had had a similar experience, and, once the baby was born, she HAD been able to love her baby, so I clung desperately to that hope.
Through so much of this pregnancy, I had felt as though something like the Dementors from Harry Potter were trying to suck the life out of me, and, many times, I felt like they were winning; the feeling was so relentless and I was so weak from fighting for so long.
When I found out what this baby's due date was, January 30th, I was a little concerned because Husband has two family birthdays on January 29th, and I didn't want our baby to be born on that day. I didn't worry about this too much during most of the pregnancy because the others had all been born well before their due dates, but as the month of January wore on, I did start to worry. By the time the 28th rolled around and I WAS STILL PREGNANT, I decided that I just wanted the baby to wait until February 1st because
I'd been having contractions for a couple hours every night for about THREE WEEKS. They were slowly getting stronger. Friday, the 29th, I had just had it, and I didn't feel good, so I had Husband stay home from work. I took a nap after lunch, and something woke me up.....I finally realized that it had been a CONTRACTION that woke me up because it had hurt, and I kept having contractions every 10 minutes or so for the next couple hours. I figured they would stop like all of the other contractions
It really was a lovely epidural——I could wiggle my toes and move my legs, and I could feel the contractions, although I no longer felt like my body was going to implode------it was great! The baby's heart rate dropped a few times, which immediately brought the nurses to my room wielding an oxygen mask for me, but we still had to wait around for the doctor (some random person——of course one of MY doctors was sick and the other chose to leave for the weekend, even though the nurse had called him while he was still at the office at 4pm) to come. What made waiting for the doctor even more frustrating was that I had a LOVELY nurse who had been a midwife in her previous country, and I would have PREFERRED to have HER deliver the baby, but she said the hospital insurance got mad when she did that, so EVEN THOUGH I WAS READY TO PUSH AND MY BABY'S HEART RATE KEPT DROPPING WITH EACH CONTRACTION, we had to wait for the doctor.
When the doctor FINALLY showed up, the nurse told him the baby was coming, but he disregarded that information, and he checked me and asked me push a little. Note: he did this BEFORE he suited up. When I pushed a little, LIKE HE ASKED ME TO, some bodily fluid (not sure which one; I'll just assume it was amniotic fluid) squirted all over him, and the next time I looked at him, he was over in the corner, with an irritated look on his face, wiping his shoes off. (This ended up being especially satisfying because one of my friends had gone to this doctor for one of her pregnancies, and she ended up not liking him. She was very pleased when I gave her the labor run-down later.)
|7:39 p.m.: 9 POUNDS, 22 1/2 INCHES LONG!
|I love this baby!!! And it didn't even take a few
Along with the nausea going away as soon as the baby came out, that feeling of something evil trying to suck the life out of me also went away. It was a big relief to feel like the jaws of Hell were no longer gaping wide after me, but I felt weary and battle-scarred, and could only hope that I would recover and regain my strength again someday. Not the best situation to be in as one enters the post-partum stage, but at least I no longer felt like I was under attack.


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Nicholas Van Orten is a wealthy, shrewd businessman who is accustomed to controlling every minute detail of his life, from investments to personal relationships. On his 48th birthday, a day he doesn't particularly want to celebrate, he is visited by his wayward brother, Conrad, who has a very special gift for his elder sibling - a game that will have devastating consequences on Nicholas' life.
"The Game" stars Michael Douglas as Nicholas and Sean Penn as brother Conrad, and is directed by David Fincher, who brought us the grizzly hit crime thriller, "Seven."
"The Game" is a rare find this year - a Hollywood film with an exciting and intelligent script, excellent acting and direction, solid technical credits, no overwhelming special F/X and only one ending!
Director Fincher ("Alien 3") proved himself to be a terrific visual stylist with the haunting film "Seven." With "The Game," he has clinched himself a position on the director A-lit. Using a minimalist starring cast - Douglas and Penn are the only "names," with the rest of the cast made up of character actors and unknowns (a plus for the film) - the story focuses entirely on Nicholas Van Orton, from our introduction to the uptight control freak with a haunted past to a man finally freed of his self-imposed emotional restraints. Fincher shows a deft hand in eliciting solid performances from Douglas et al, while juggling the complexity of a roller coaster ride of a script.
Michael Douglas, as he matures, is becoming a more broadly appealing actor. As the anal retentive Nicholas, there is little to identify oneself with the man at the film's start. As the story, and the game, progresses, Nicholas becomes deeply mired in confusion, never knowing what's real and what isn't - he loses control of his control. At this point, we begin to root for the guy. He becomes one of us (even though he *is* filthy, stinking rich), in the end, when he loses everything and fights to get it back. The game becomes a surreal challenge to Nicholas and all that he has learned, making us cheer for him during his metamorphosis.
Sean Penn's Conrad, though not a major presence in the film or the story, is important in the setup of the game and to it's continuation. He is convincing in the small part, especially when he tells his brother that the game has gone dreadfully wrong - Penn is certainly better here than the horrible performance he gives in "She's So Lovely."
Supporting cast has no star-level actors, with Fincher and company making terrific use of the unfamiliar, by name, cast. Deborah Kara Unger ("Crash") is impressive as the resourceful waitress who helps (or hinders?) Nicholas. She gives such a nuanced performance that you never know if she's a good guy or a bad guy. James Rebhorn, Peter Donat and Armin Mueller-Stahl all do a fine job in playing their roles in "The Game."
The screenplay, by John Brancato and Michael Ferris ("The Net"), has a slow setup, taking time to develop the story before getting to the action. During the setup, the parameters of the game are introduced in a clever sequence where columnist Daniel Shorr, during a Cable Financial News broadcast, suddenly starts talking directly to Nicholas. When the action kicks in, at the hour mark, the film takes off like an out of control rocket, riding high before spiralling toward inevitable disaster. But, is it all inevitable, or is it a game? The writers keep you guessing for the entire movie, always wondering who is part of the game and who isn't. A solid original screenplay - one of the best out of Hollywood this year.
The photography, especially the many night shots, have a brooding quality, using the seamy alleys and posh penthouses to equally good effect. Come to think about it, the seamy alleys and posh penthouses are representative of the excellent set decoration and production design of the film.
Did Hollywood really make "The Game?" I give it an A-.
Finally the fall movie season has arrived and if "The Game" is any indication, we may be in for some interesting viewing. Director David Fincher ("Alien 3," "Seven") has fashioned an intelligent, twisty (and twisted), dark (and funny) thriller that's a modern day equivalent to "The Stunt Man."
"The Game's" credits roll over 1950's home movies of a young boy's birthday party on the grounds of a vast estate. Although the usual party festivies are being carried out, the goings on have a vaguely sinister quality, complete with a trio of strange clowns and the presence of an enigmatic, suited father. Flash forward to the present and we realize we were witnessing the beginning of a reminiscence by Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas), which plays out to reveal that as a boy, he witnessed his father leap from the roof of their mansion to his death on the circular drive.
Nicholas is now a hugely wealthy investment banker who maintains the family estate, but no personal relationships. On his 48th birthday, (the age his father was when he died) we see that he has has little patience for most people, has been divorced by his now remarried wife, and is estranged from his brother Conrad (Sean Penn). When his secretary informs him that a Mr. Seymour Butts has invited him to lunch, but she suspects a prank (see more butts), Nicholas uncharastically tells her to arrange the reservation (in his name). Mr. Butts is Conrad bearing a strange gift - a gift certificate with Consumer Recreation Services (CSR) to play a game, which Conrad assures Nicholas he played in London with life changing consequences. Later, when Nicholas is wrapping up a business meeting, he notices CSR is located in the same building and decides to check things out. He's roped into a day long session of physicals and probing psychological questionnaires (Do you feel guilty when you masturbate?).
He's further intrigued when he overhears two men talking about CSR at his exclusive private club. CSR pulls him in by appealing to his vanity - he gets a call during a business meeting on his private line ("How did you get this number?") informing him that's he's been turned down. Then the game begins.
Originally written by John Brancato and Michael Ferris, with many revisions supervised by Fincher, "The Game" will keep you guessing. Is it only a game? Does Conrad have an ulterior motive? (He does, but it may surprise you.) Is it an elaborate scam to fleece Nicholas of his $600 million fortune and maybe even kill him? What's real and what's part of the CRS agenda? The script features so many clever touches that one can forgive it's occasional reliance on allowing CRS the ability to predict Nicholas' reactions a little too precisely. When Nicholas discovers that a hotel room rented in his name contains the clothes he wore the previous day, fully set for a sex and drug scandal, he doesn't know if it's the work of a recently fired, high ranking business partner or CRS. The stakes get much higher.
Michael Douglas is excellent as Nicholas, a distant and calculating man with an acerbic wit. (When he's asked if he enjoyed his birthday, he retorts "Does Rose Kennedy have a black dress?") He's initially enthusiastic and amused by the goings on - it's a mental challenge - until he begins to lose control of the situation. Douglas is ever so cool, though, when accosted by a carjacker on the streets of San Francisco, he simply slowly reaches for a revolver he's stolen and announces "I'm very fragile right now."
Deborah Kara Unger ("Crash") is also a plus as Christine, a waitress at Nicholas' club who gets fired over his displeasure at her clumsiness, but whose path keeps crossing his. Even once we realize that she is indeed part of the game, she maintains her mystery. Charactor actor James Rebhorn is also engaging as the CRS executive who pitches Nicholas, only to return to the story in a surprising twist. The rest of the cast (Sean Penn, in a role originally slated for Jodie Foster!, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Caroll Baker, Peter Donat) is solid, if unremarkable.
Technically the film is first rate, featuring outstanding camerawork by Fincher music video colleague Harris Savides, editting by James Haywood, production design by Jeffrey Beecroft, and a truly effective score by Howard Shore.
"The Game" is one slick flick with an ending that packs a wallop.
When hometown boy Cameron (Matt Dillon) is nominated for the Best Actor award, the entire town of Greenleaf, Indiana is glued to their television sets on Oscar night, including two of his former high school teachers. Howard (Kevin Kline) and Emily (Joan Cusack) have been engaged for three years and their wedding is set for the upcoming weekend. When Cameron's name is announced as the winner, they're elated, until, inexplicably, Cameron chooses to thank his former teacher Howard, as a gay man who helped inspire the gay character for which he's just won the award.
"In and Out" is a delightful comedy that tackles the issue of society's acceptance of homosexuality with a cornfed, small town wholesomeness. Producer Scott Rudin got the idea for the script from Tom Hanks' acceptance speech for "Philadelphia." Screenwriter Paul Rudnick (who takes on the hilarious persona of Libby Gelman-Waxner for Premiere magazine's "If You Ask Me" column) had the great idea of setting the comedy in the midwest, while throwing some delicious Hollywood-set satire. Frank Oz has directed the film with a sunny sweetness.
The cast is truly heaven sent. Kevin Kline plays Howard like a modern day Mr. Chips, a well loved man with an odd liking for Streisand films. His ability to play physical comedy is well utilized here. In one scene, while listening to a self help tape "Exploring your Machismo," he breaks free and dances and shimmies around his living room. When he's surprised by an on the lips smack from Tom Selleck's TV reporter, his enthusiastic extra touches make it the on screen kiss of the year!
Joan Cusack gives her Emily an arc that takes her from a naive, weight-obsessed underconfident young woman to an enraged feminist who finally finds happiness. She also proves that a woman scorned can be very funny indeed. Tom Selleck is a delight as the gay Hollywood TV journalist who looks to Howard's story to improve his ratings. Matt Dillon shows his natural comic ability as the shallow (and Brad Pitt lookalike) actor who decides to take responsibility for his actions. Debbie Reynolds shines again (after last year's "Mother") as Howard's mother, a woman who's less worried about the fact that her son might be gay than she is about the potential loss of throwing a wedding. Bob Newhard is the school's principal, paralyzed by the course of events. Wilford Brimley is Howard's supportive farmer dad.
"In and Out" also features some cameos during its Oscar night sequence. Whoopi Goldberg is interviewed on her way into the event. Glenn Close brings down the house reading the list of Best Actor nominees - a bit of satire that's so biting, she actually winks at the camera when taking a playful jab at her former costar Michael Douglas.
The movie wraps up all its loose ends in a double denoument that just manages to keep from going overboard into overt sentimentality. Everyone gets what they really want. I did too - a Hollywood comedy that kept me laughing throughout.
With the charming "In & Out," director Frank Oz ("The Muppets," need I say more?) has put together a finely crafted comedy that utilizes the skills of a talented comedic cast, led by the always lovely Kevin Kline, and a warm, funny screenplay by Paul Rudnick (rumored to be close to the famous Premiere magazine columnist and film critic extrodinaire, Libby Gelman-Waxner).
Oz manages to take the subject of coming out in semi-rural America and turns it into a positive statement on alternative life styles, with a decidedly Frank Capra feel. Of course, with Rudnick's witty, fast-paced script and Kevin Kline's impeccable comic ability, this is a sure shot comedy hit.
Kline, who proved his comic mettle with his Oscar-winning performance in "A Fish Called Wanda," is marvelous as outed Howard Brackett, a high school teacher with a feminine flair. He's a guy who dresses nice and likes Barbara Streisand, but believes, in his heart of hearts, he's straight because it's what everyone wants. He has the physical grace to bring the out effeminate quality Howard should have, providing broad and subtle flamboyance, as he tries to act like a man. One over the top sequence has Howard listening to a "how to be a man" self help tape - Oz, Rudnick and Kline take a silly premise and create a truly funny scene. Physically, it's Kevin Kline's best scene in the film.
Ably aiding the proceedings are a supporting cast of staunch professionals who fill out the background characters nicely. Joan Cusack ("Toys," "Grosse Pointe Blank"), as Howard's insecure, formerly fat, fiancee, Emily, lends her extensive comic acting skills to her role. She plays Emily as a woman on the edge and desperate to be married, even though, deep down, she knows that Howard is not the "man" for her.
The rest of the cast, from Debbie Reynolds, Wilford Brimley and Bob Newhart to Matt Dillon and Tom Selleck, fill out the background roles as real, funny characters. Tom Selleck, in particular, shines as the tabloid-TV journalist out for the scoop, but, who also has an empathy for Howard's plight. One "romantic" scene, between Kline and Selleck, is so outrageously sudden and shocking, it, alone, is worth the price of admission.
"In & Out" is a social comedy for the 90's with excellent credentials down the line. I laughed often and out loud through the entire film. The ending may be a little trite, but it also brings an ongoing story thread full circle, tying up all the loose ends in a satisfying movie package.
We could use more movie comedies like "In & Out" and give it a B+.
"She's So Lovely" is a romantic fable by the late John Cassavetes chronicling the outrageous love affair between Eddie and Maureen, a drunk and unstable young couple who are also about to have a baby. Their weird, intense love for each other causes Eddie to go off the edge and into an institution, while Maureen finds another life for her and her baby. In the end, nothing can keep them apart.
Starring real-life couple Sean Penn and Robin Wright-Penn, director Nick Cassavetes ("Unhook the Stars") has taken his father's unfinished script and brought it to the screen. Also on board are John Travolta as Maureen's second husband, Joey, and veteran character actor Harry Dean Stanton as Eddie's best friend, Shorty.
"She's So Lovely" is a romantic fable by the late John Cassavetes chronicling the outrageous love affair between Eddie and Maureen, a drunk and unstable young couple who are also about to have a baby. Their weird, intense love for each other causes Eddie to go over the edge and into an institution, while Maureen finds another life for her and her baby. In the end, nothing can keep the two apart.
Starring real-life couple Sean Pen and Robin Wright-Penn, director Nick Cassavetes ("Unhook the Stars") has taken his father's unfinished script and brought it to the screen. Also on board are John Travolta as Maureen's second husband, Joey, and veteran character actor Harry Dean Stanton as Eddie's best friend, Shorty.
Maybe my expectations are set too high, but, I would think that a story by John Cassavetes ("Husbands," "A Woman Under The Influence"), directed by son, Nick, who showed such promise in his first film, "Unhook The Stars," and starring a powerhouse cast, would be an interesting exercise at least. What we get is a pretentious, poorly written (I'll probably rot in hell for saying such a thing about American film icon Cassavetes), poorly directed, poorly acted (mostly) piece of drivel that was a waste of 90+ minutes of my time.
One major problem (of several) is the unfinished screenplay by John Cassavetes. It's just that - unfinished. There is no feeling of completion to the story, with the dramatic confrontation taking place between the Eddie, Maureen and Joey that has the look of a bunch of people standing around wondering what the heck they should do to finish this puppy. Nick Cassavetes should have made the effort to complete the script before going to this wasted effort.
Direction, by Nick C., shows none of the talent he seemed to exhibit in his freshman effort. He attempts to use his father's manic camera style, but this looks imitative. He has no control over his actors, so Wright-Penn comes across as a thoroughly unlikable bitch who shouldn't attract any one man, never mind two. This could have been the script, or Wright-Penn, or both. In any case, I'm tagging hers as one of the worst performances of the year.
Hubby Sean fairs little better with a performance based on his constantly changing hair style/color. His "best" scenes make him sound like the crazy combat photographer played by Dennis Hopper in "Apocalypse Now." Hopper was a heck of a lot better. Penn has always proved to be a talented actor. That talent was left on the door step when he agreed to do "She's So Lovely."
Harry Dean Stanton, miscast as Eddie's best friend, Shorty, does a yeoman's job trying to hold things together. He is, still, one of the great character actors to grace film these past decades. (I even liked him in "Red Dawn"!)
John Travolta has, since his career rebirth, shown himself to be the consummate pro, giving his thorough attention to the details of his characters. As Joey, he's a happily married, successful blue collar guy who is suddenly presented with the prospect of his life falling apart. His entry into the film is a breath of fresh air. Too bad there is not enough air to save this dud.
When Shorty tells Eddie, "You gotta get out of here!," I should have taken his advice. Despite Travolta and the venerable Harry Dean, I give "She's So Lovely" a D.
Nick Cassevetes, son of John and Gena Rowlands, made a fine directorial debut last year with a vehicle for his mom, the under appreciated "Unhood the Stars." For his sophomore effort, "She's So Lovely," Nick went to an unfinished screenplay by his dad. Someone should have at least polished the screenplay.
Sean Penn won this year's Cannes Film Festival Best Actor award for his portrayal of Eddie, a charismatic if somewhat crazy punk who's married to Maureen (Robin Wright Penn). They're a couple of down on their luck alcoholic losers who stumble through life until Maureen's beaten and raped by a neighbor (James Gandolfini, in an eerily creepy, ingratiating performance) when Eddie's MIA for a few days, leaving Maureen with no other options to obtain her cigarettes and whiskey. When Eddie returns, he's suspicious of the cause of pregnant Maureen's bruises. She lies to avoid the inevitable showdown, but after a romantic if drunken reunion, she spills. Eddie goes nuts, shooting an institutional worker who's come to keep him from hurting himself (and anyone else in his path).
Fastforward to 10 years later and a docile Eddie is being released (Gena Rowlands plays his caseworker). Come to find out, the love of his life has remarried and has two daughters in addition to his own. Maureen's husband Joey (John Travolta, giving the film's best and most grounded performance) is faced with meeting the man his wife has always said she truly loves (Maureen's never lied to Joey, you see).
I had had high hopes for "She's So Lovely," even though the buzz from Cannes was mixed (despite Penn's award). The film's a mess, recalling the low life drunks of Charles Bukowski (the far superior film, "Barfly," starring Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway, was based on a Bukowski work) more than the films of the senior Cassevetes. "She's So Lovely" is ostensibly about l'amour fou, with one woman desired by two men. This just doesn't play because Robin Wright Penn's Maureen is a pathetic drunken mess in the earlier segment of the film and a drab, screechy housewife in the latter part. Cassevetes' dialogue sounds like lunacy coming from Penn's Eddie ("The world is run by a computer and seven women.") - yeah, he's supposed to be nuts, but this isn't natural nuts. Penn does manage to shine in his one scene with Gena Rowlands. Travolta brings the most to the film as the husband and provider who's stunned to discover that the release of a mental patient is about to turn his entire world upside down. He's also funny when he sneaks his stepdaughter Jeanie (Kelsey Mulrooney in a very natural performance) a beer. Harry Dean Stanton as Shorty, Eddie's best friend, and Debi Mazar as Shorty's girlfriend Georgie, barely register.
"She's So Lovely" doesn't even give us the benefit of a real conclusion. It just runs out of gas.
Our last film tonight is a video recommendation for a recently released, newly restored film masterpiece.
In 1964, French director Jacques Demy created a movie musical that was completely unique and remains so til this day - every bit of dialogue in the story is sung. Catherine Deneuve is Genevieve, a young girl who works in her mother's umbrella shop and loves Guy, a local mechanic. When he must go to fight in Algeria, she vows to wait for his return, but when a wealthy diamond merchant becomes smitten with the now pregnant Genevieve, her practical mother urges her to marry him.
"The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" features a marvelous Michel Legrand score ("I Will Wait for You" became a hit stateside) to carry a simple story told with oftentimes quirky dialogue, made more charming by the fact that it's being sung (the strong emotional scenes are counterbalanced by Deneuve singing about the hem of her skirt). In addition to the unique use of music, the film's planned use of color is one of the best examples of it's type and is equally important to the texture of the film.
The film also features the most romantic scene ever shot in a gas station and a heartbreaking finale. As a filmlover, discovering a masterpiece is like finding buried treasure - "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" was such a relevation.
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text:
Talk about leaving a trail.
Talk about leaving a trail.
A man allegedly robbed a Chicago bank after writing a threatening note on the back of his own pay stub.
An FBI affidavit says 40-year-old Thomas Infante of Cary handed a Fifth Third Bank teller a misspelled note reading, "Be Quick Be Quit. Give your cash or I'll shoot."
The teller gave him about $400, and he left half of his note behind when he fled. Investigators found the other half - which included his name and address - outside the bank.
Infante was arrested at home and charged with bank robbery. A judge Monday ordered Infante held without bond. If convicted, he faces 20 years in prison.
The affidavit says Infante confessed to the robbery. There's no telephone listing for a Thomas Infante in Cary.


text:
2013-11-06 32 -82
Wed 6 Nov 2013 in 32,-82:
On Old Ohoopee Church Road 2.9 kilometers east of Oconee, Washington Co, GA, USA.
Thought I would try a two-fer today. This was part two of my afternoon. I have been wanting to take a long trip and this seemed like a good adventure. The hash was not too far southeast of Milledgeville, GA, which I am familiar with.
Left the Athens, GA hash for today (2013-11-06 33 -83) and headed towards the Vidalia, GA hash. I used a familiar route via Milledgeville. I've always enjoyed the drive to Milledgeville as I have made it many, many times travelling to college and to visit my father.
I made a small detour to visit the small town of Shady Dale. See the picture below of the charming City Hall that is located in the old bank building.
I arrived in Milledgeville and drove around to see some of the places I remember from my college days. Milledgeville was the capitol city of Georgia from 1807 to the end of the Civil War in 1865. The Old Capitol Building has served as the center of the campus of Georgia Military College since its founding in 1879.
Had a great barbecue chicken meal thanks to a fundraiser hosted by the GMC prep school. I looked around some at the new additions to the college and construction in progress on campus. See the picture below of the Old Capitol Building.
I decided I'd better get on with finding the hash as it was getting late in the afternoon. Left Milledgeville and headed towards Washington County. This area is known for mining of kaolin (clay-like mineral used in paper finishing and making of porcelain, as well as other uses).
Unfortunately, I left town without purchasing gas for the car. The last place I saw that offered gas was inexplicably named "Rip-Off Ricks". I kept thinking that I would see a station, but kept going farther away from developed areas. I got pretty close to the hash but then decided I needed to get gas first. Made a trip to Tennille and filled up.
Because of my dawdling in Milledgeville, the side-trip for gas, and my forgetting to check for the sunset time before I started, I arrived at the hash just as dark set in. The journey included a 5.5 kilometer trip down a red clay and gravel road (well maintained). It seems that the area around the hash is used by the forestry industry. Just south of the hash a vast area seems to have recently harvested for timber.
I knew I would get no pictures at the hash due to the lack of light. I soldiered on and located the spot and snapped the picture below of my (backlit) GPS screen.
I met only one person while in the area. A rather gruff fellow in a white work truck drove up and asked my business. I told him "the Internet sent me" and I was leaving, immediately. He favored me with an escort to the county line. I made the drive out expecting an intercept by local law enforcement.
The drive home was uneventful. I spent the time listening to old country songs and pondering the wisdom of being in the middle of nowhere (no offense, Oconee, Georgia), after dark, with no good explanation of why for the locals.
|Tomkf61 earned the Virgin Graticule Achievement
| Tomkf61 achieved level 3 of the Minesweeper Geohash achievement
| Tomkf61 earned the Multihash Achievement


text:
OBIEE 188.8.131.52.1 installation Without RCU.
I have several posts in OTN , How to install OBIEE 11g Without RCU? I found one workaround option but it would be suitable in production/UAT environments.
One of the prerequisites of installing OBIEE 11g is, the installation of two repository schema into a database.
1. BIPLATFORM : This schema will store Scheduler Tables , Usage Tracking Tables etc..
2. MDS: 'MDS' (Metadata Service) is also required for OBIEE installation.
See the tables in below Screen:
These repository schema are created using RCU (Repository Creation Utility). According to Oracle documentation, this is a required step. During the course of installation, RCU warrants a user with "SYSDBA" privileges to,
v Create the repository schema accounts and
v create new table spaces or map the existing table spaces to the new schema
v Grant certain roles and privileges required by the schema.
In Production environments Bank/Industries organizations have strictly restricted against using accounts with SYSDBA privileges.
Follow the below Steps:
There is a way to get the repositories installed on to the target database without invoking RCU. This solution requires,
- A local database (or, the database where you have control/privileges to create table spaces)
- Creation of repositories by running RCU on the local database and
- Exporting the repositories to the target database.
Please remember, this activity requires coordination and support from DBA team. The entire activity is transparent and should cause little or or no resistance from them to participate.
The installation activity is as follows,
The installation activity is as follows,
- Create two table spaces on the local database (or the database where you have control/privileges to create table spaces) for RCU schema.
- Install repository schema using RCU.
- Export the two repository schema.
- Note table space name and the schema owner (BIPLATFORM and MDS) names.
- Create table spaces and two users, with exact same name, on the target database (This is critical, Oracle uses these exact names)
- Grant following system privileges,
- Connect, Resource, Create Sequence to BIPLATFORM and MDS
- Execute privileges on "DBMS_LOCK" to BIPLATFORM
- Execute on ""DBMS_LOB" to MDS
- procedure:"obi_biplatform"."sddeletestudy"
- procedure:"obi_biplatform"."sdcommitstudy"
- procedure:"obi_biplatform"."sdgetlearningdata"
- procedure:"obi_biplatform"."sdgetlearningidrange"
- procedure:"obi_biplatform"."sdlearningmappingcleanup"
Your two repositories are successfully recreated on your target database. You can now safely install OBIEE target server.
Satya Ranki Reddy


text: UFDC Home | Help | RSS Title: 1892 Diary, Inside cover page CITATION PAGE IMAGE ZOOMABLE Full Citation STANDARD VIEW MARC VIEW Permanent Link: http://ufdc.ufl.edu/SW30000002/00001 Material Information Title: 1892 Diary, Inside cover page Physical Description: Handwritten Pages Language: English Subjects Subject: Florida History Spatial Coverage: Chokoloskee, Collier County, Florida Notes Abstract: This page has the name of the author of this diary, Minnie Clark. The location: Chokoloskee, Florida, and the County, which is now COLLIER County, but was then MONROE County. Record Information Bibliographic ID: SW30000002 Volume ID: VID00001 Source Institution: Southwest Florida Library Network Holding Location: Florida Gulf Coast University Archives Rights Management: All rights reserved by the source institution and holding location. Contact Us | Permissions | Preferences | Technical Aspects | Statistics | Internal | Privacy Policy © 2004 - 2010 University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries.All rights reserved. Acceptable Use, Copyright, and Disclaimer Statement Last updated October 10, 2010 - - mvs


text:
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*You will be charged $47 Every 3 months to have access to PRO features.


text:
Hi all, Our telecon is this Monday. Recall that we agreed to change the IRC channel to #rdfa. Also, we're a bit behind, so it will be important to commit to work and schedules ASAP (I include myself in this, of course) ========== Monday, March 5th, 2007. 1400 UTC, W3C Zakim bridge tel:+1.617.761.6200 conference code SWBP irc://irc.w3.org:6665/#rdfa Duration: 55 minutes ========== Agenda: 1) Action Items http://www.w3.org/2007/02/12-htmltf-minutes#ActionSummary 2) Latest Documents (Primer and Scenarios) http://www.w3.org/2006/07/SWD/RDFa/primer/ http://www.w3.org/2006/07/SWD/RDFa/scenarios/ 3) Test Suite Update http://www.w3.org/2006/07/SWD/RDFa/testsuite/ 4) XHTML 1.1 Module Update (Mark) 5) Setting a Schedule -BenReceived on Sunday, 4 March 2007 20:36:03 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 21:07:49 UTC


text:
As a regulatory body, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is committed to promoting access to financial services and has launched the Nationwide Financial Literacy Program (NFLP) with an endowment under the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Improving Access to Financial Services Program.
The pilot phase of the NFLP is being rolled out by BearingPoint Management and Technology Consultants. The entire program is managed by the Improving Access to Financial Services (IAFS) Committee which is comprised of members from the following organizations: Pakistan Banks' Association, Pakistan Microfinance Network, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, local education sector, SBP and ADB (observer).
The program is underway in conjunction with a variety of measures such as encouraging mobile phone-based banking services, innovative products and credit scoring systems for small enterprises and flexible regulatory regime for MFBs.


text: FOOTBALL National Football League ST. LOUIS RAMS -- Released WR Dominique Thompson. Signed OT Matt Morgan from the practice squad. HOCKEY National Hockey League ATLANTA THRASHERS -- Recalled G Adam Berkhoel from Chicago of the AHL. BUFFALO SABRES -- Recalled RW Jason Pominville from Rochester of the AHL. Assigned G Michael Leighton to Rochester. DETROIT RED WINGS -- Recalled G Jimmy Howard from Grand Rapids of the AHL. FLORIDA PANTHERS -- Activated C Rostislav Olesz from injured reserve. Assigned C Greg Jacina to Rochester of the AHL. LOS ANGELES KINGS -- Recalled LW Ryan Flinn from Manchester of the AHL. MONTREAL CANADIENS -- Recalled G Cristobal Huet from Hamilton of the AHL. Assigned G Yann Danis to Hamilton. OTTAWA SENATORS -- Assigned LW Denis Hamel to Binghamton of the AHL. ST. LOUIS BLUES -- Recalled D Jeff Woywitka from Peoria of the AHL. Assigned F Jay McClement to Peoria. American Hockey League GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS -- Signed D Clay Wilson. ROCHESTER AMERICANS -- Released G Len Perno. ECHL PHOENIX ROADRUNNERS -- Loaned F Cory Pecker to San Antonio of the AHL. COLLEGE NORTH CAROLINA STATE -- Fired Mary Byrne, volleyball coach. TENNESSEE -- Fired Jimmy Ray Stephens, offensive line coach, and Pat Washington, wide receivers coach.


text:
Dlamini laughs off Bedeman
JASON Bedeman's handlers are "pulling the crocodile by its tail" in challenging Mlungisi Dlamini to defend his IBO lightweight belt against Bedeman.
JASON Bedeman's handlers are "pulling the crocodile by its tail" in challenging Mlungisi Dlamini to defend his IBO lightweight belt against Bedeman.
This stern warning was issued yesterday by Dlamini, nicknamed "The Killer Shark".
"They are dicing with death," warned Dlamini, who threatened to cut Bedeman to pieces. "This boy beat Grant Fourie for the IBO Africa title and now he thinks he is happening. No one turns easy money away.
"I hope that boy and his trainer Manny Fernandez are not looking for cheap publicity. They must talk to their promoter Rodney Berman and set a date. I am available."
Golden Gloves fight publicist Terry Pettifer said online that the "Badman", who is yet to taste defeat after 12 fights, was hunting the KwaZulu-Natal warrior's IBO world lightweight title.
Bedeman and Fernandez were not available for comment yesterday. But Fernandez is confident that his 20-year-old charge will flatten the undefeated Dlamini with ease: "I watched Dlamini beat Zolani Marali to win the vacant IBO world lightweight title several months back and I feel that Jason will knock him out inside eight rounds."
Dlamini responded: "I will punish that boy so severely that his mother will advise him to quit boxing."
Dlamini left the boxing fraternity looking on in disbelief at Emperors Palace on October 31 when he decked Marali in the third round to add the IBO belt to his cabinet.
Dlamini also holds the WBF strap, which he won in 2007. The charismatic 27-year-old remains undefeated after 22 fights: 21 wins (13 KOs) and a draw.
"Please write this in isiZulu that ngizomshaya (I will beat him up). I will beat the hell out of him. I will show that Fernandez knows nothing about boxing," said Dlamini, whose trainer Warren Hulley could not be contacted yesterday.


text: I have been thinking of investing in the Eudoxa/Oliv Combo on my bass. This will of course involve my luthier resituating things since I'm set up for thin TI Solos right now. I was curious if there was any plain gut D & G's of similar size to the Olivs in case I want to go all out gut up there. Also, I noticed Dlugolecki's D & G strings give you a range of string guages to choose from. Does anyone know if the Olivs might fall in this guage range?


text: After upgrading to OSX 10.8, I found my iMac ran very slow especially when many tab, say, 8 -10, opened for Chrome. Other than Chrome, I often need to open Firefox, Adobe, Evernote, then from Activity monitor, often noticed that out of 4G memory Used 3.7G. I wonder if this is considered too high, means I need to install more memory? I understand for my iMac, the maximum is 8G, wonder if this will fix my problem in slow Chrome ? What is the right level of Used memory, say, under 80% ? Thanks for any help or suggestions