faculty😊 — ashton kutcher (@aplusk) June 8, 2019

Wood County Schools Superintendent Will Hosaflook issued a written statement as well.

"As superintendent of Wood County Schools, it is my responsibility to ensure all employees adhere to the employee code of conduct established by Wood County Schools and the West Virginia Department of Education. In this case, Mr. DeMoss is not disputing the mistake he made. He fully accepts responsibility for his actions and was disciplined appropriately."

Story continues

——————————————————————————————————

A graduating student at Parkersburg High School in West Virginia listened carefully to her principal's speech directed towards the class of 2019 graduates and found it oddly familiar. His address, the student found, was, essentially, identical to a speech made by Ashton Kutcher during the 2013 Teen Choice Awards.

Plagiarism is a crucial point inon the copyright of the company (Sweetsong) that took a graduation video." She stated that she "used the CAS Cable Livestream of the graduation" and was not claiming the video she included as her own.

The similarities between her edited video, which features the speech of her principal, as well as Ashton Kutcher's 2013 Teen Choice Awards acceptance speech, is rather uncanny.

"It's really three things that I want to share. And those who really know me know that I'm very blunt, to the point, so I'm going to spill the tea with you right now," principal Kenneth DeMoss said in his speech. "The first thing is about opportunity, the second thing is about being intriguing, and the third thing is about living life."

Kutcher, in his 2013 speech, said: "It's


like to say theatrically – performed by Mehta and his orchestra.

To be superbly performed, two works as The Planets and Star Wars Suite should have varied and brilliant orchestral colours and in fact the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra literally shines under Mehta’s conduction. The many light and shades, the silky sound of strings and woodwinds, the blazing, round sound of the brasses and the wise use of dynamics are superb both in The Planets and in the Suite. The result is that they are vivid, bright works where flamboyance constantly reveals the deep insight of their interpreters.journalism is the only kind that matters now. Maybe advocacy journalism is real objectivity. Complete objectivity is impossible but I think Abby Martin is at least honest.

I just read that her TelSur program, "The Empire Files" has been cancelled, apparently due to U.S. sanctions, will check on that later. Here's the text of her talk:

Abby Martin is an investigative television journalist, formerly with Russia Today. She now hosts The Empire Files forTeleSUR English.

I’m the host of Empire Files on TeleSUR English. It’s a documentary and interview series that’s weekly. Basically, it just talks about how every issue, international and domestic, needs to be seen within the lens of the U.S. empire. And not just that, but how the U.S. empire enforces its military might to basically secure U.S.


of lives around the world and hope for a just and equitable future. Thank you, guys, so much.

September 20, 2018Hold the Front Page, the Reporters are Missingby John Pilger

The death of Robert Parry earlier this year felt like a farewell to the age of the reporter. Parry was “a trailblazer for independent journalism”, wrote Seymour Hersh, with whom he shared much in common.

Hersh revealed the My Lai massacre in Vietnam and the secret bombing of Cambodia, Parry exposed Iran-Contra, a drugs and gun-running conspiracy that led to the White House. In 2016, they separately produced compelling evidence that the Assad government in Syria had not used chemical weapons. They were not forgiven.

Driven from the “mainstream”, Hersh must publish his work outside the United States. Parry set up hisAct, whose innocuous title belies its dire consequences. Unknown to most of the population, the Act ends the legal obligation of British governments to provide universal free health care: the bedrock on which the NHS was set up following the Second World War. Private companies can now insinuate themselves into the NHS, piece by piece.

Where, asks Edwards and Cromwell, was the BBC while this momentous Bill was making its way through Parliament? With a statutory commitment to “providing a breadth of view” and to properly inform the public of “matters of public policy”, the BBC never spelt out the threat posed to one of the nation’s most cherished institutions. A BBC headline said: “Bill which gives power to GPs passes.” This was pure state propaganda.

There is a striking


similarity with the BBC’s coverage of Prime Minister Tony Blair’s lawless invasion of Iraq in 2003, which left a million dead and many more dispossessed. A study by the University of Wales, Cardiff, found that the BBC reflected the government line “overwhelmingly” while relegating reports of civilian suffering. A Media Tenor study placed the BBC at the bottom of a league of western broadcasters in the time they gave to opponents of the invasion. The corporation’s much-vaunted “principle” of impartiality was never a consideration.

One of the most telling chapters in Propaganda Blitz describes the smear campaigns mounted by journalists against dissenters, political mavericks and whistleblowers. The Guardian’s campaign against the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is the most disturbing.

Assange, whose epic WikiLeaks disclosures brought fame, journalism prizes and largessethe US Agency of International Aid, the aim is to hoodwink the Western public and speed the overthrow the government in Damascus, regardless of the medieval alternative and the risk of war with Russia.

The Syria Campaign, set up by a New York PR agency, Purpose, funds a group known as the White Helmets, who claim falsely to be “Syria Civil Defence” and are seen uncritically on TV news and social media, apparently rescuing the victims of bombing, which they film and edit themselves, though viewers are unlikely to be told this. George Clooney is a fan.

The White Helmets are appendages to the jihadists with whom they share addresses. Their media-smart uniforms and equipment are supplied by their Western paymasters. That their exploits are not questioned by major news


in the United States, has been funded through a contract with the TeleSUR network. As Abby Martin’s primary broadcast, it has released over 100 documentaries, interviews and on-the-ground exposés from battlefields in Palestine, Venezuela and beyond.

As a result of financial attacks by the US government on the primary source of TeleSUR’s funding, production was halted before the completion of Empire Files Season Two.

Season Three, contracted for 26 episodes, was scheduled to begin on July 1. But with the US government blocking wire transfers that originate in Venezuela, the ability to receive funding has not been possible.

For over a year, funding has been sporadic and often delayed. The Empire Files has been operating by alternating between waiting for late payments and funding production out-of-pocket.

However, with US attacks and sanctionsto Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic and Policy Research—a time when the Reagan Administration was waging a full-blown, bloody war against the Nicaraguan people. Similarly it is Venezuela’s poor and working class who are, by design, suffering most from the sanctions today.

These economic attacks cannot be viewed on their own, but part-in-parcel of a regime-change operation—while this is just one front in the US strategy, the sanctions are coupled with violent US-backed coup attempts in Venezuela, including the August 4 assassination attempt on President Maduro.

TeleSUR has always been included as a target for its association with the government. A thwarted US-backed coup plot in 2015 included plans to bomb the TeleSUR news building in Caracas. In 2017, a TeleSUR news team was ambushed by US-backed opposition


forces and nearly lynched—one TeleSUR reporter was shot in the back during the assault.

Likewise, Abby Martin and Empire Files producer Mike Prysner were the target of pro-coup politicians and journalists based in Caracas and Miami, leading to hundreds of death threats and causing them to flee Venezuela where they were conducting on-the-ground reporting.

In addition, TeleSUR—along with the other main left-wing news source on Venezuela, Venezuela Analysis—were recently targets of online censorship. Already hit with “warnings” and “sensitive content” bans on YouTube and Twitter, their pages were recently deleted (although later reinstated) by Facebook. This was the second time the TeleSUR English page was removed without warning or explanation by Facebook. Facebook is currently collaborating with the Atlantic Council—stacked with CIA agents, Iraq war architects, Big Oil and theit is only Facebook’s June announcement of Libra that has attracted increased scrutiny as of late.

Authorities around the globe have raised concerns about Libra, from money-laundering issues to undermining and posing a threat to national currencies. Facebook, in particular, is seen as having the reach and profile to finally bring stablecoins and cryptocurrency into the mainstream with its billions of users worldwide.

Earlier today, a task-force from the G7 group of countries released its full report on the potential impact of global stablecoins.


The country's second-highest military commander has been temporarily relieved of his duties under mysterious circumstances, but officials at National Defence made clear on Monday Vice-Admiral Mark Norman has not been the subject of a criminal investigation by the Forces.

News leaked early in the day that Norman, who was appointed to the post of vice chief of defence staff last summer, was suspended but not stripped of his command.

A letter circulating among senior commanders of the military, dated Friday, says Norman was removed from his job "effective immediately" and will be replaced on an interim basis by the head of the navy, Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd.

The country's top military commander, Gen. Jonathan Vance, ordered Norman to relinquish his responsibilities and offered no explanation.

Officials in Vance's office refused to provide furthercomment on the circumstances, but an official with the Canadian Forces National Investigative Service said the organization is aware of the order by the chief of defence staff.

"Military police are not investigating any matter regarding Admiral Norman at this time," said Lt. (navy) Blake Patterson, who added the service has also not been asked to assist in any outside law enforcement agency.

National Defence has refused to say whether any other kind of administrative investigation is underway.

A statement from Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan backed Vance, but also did not provide further explanation.

"I fully support the decision taken by the (chief of defence staff) to relieve the (vice chief of defence staff) from the performance of military duty," Sajjan said.

Under military law, an officer can be relieved of duties for


relationship" with a United Nations staffer following the massive earthquake in 2010.

After being relieved Ouellette was the subject of two internal investigations, which cleared him. The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service concluded, at the time, there was "insufficient evidence to support the charge."

The military's internal grievance authority also said Ouellete was treated unfairly and "was not afforded procedural fairness."

The once-rising star within the military eventually sued the federal government, but the case was tossed out by the Federal Court.mood music, and cozy up with 50 Shades of Decay. The zombie sexpocalypse has begun.

From my story, Love Stinks…

“In the silence of the house he heard the muted wail of his love. Locked and isolated in this place since her suicide, Stell had yet to eat zombie style. Edwin looked at Jonah and his heart ached for her. He grabbed the corpse’s arms and dragged it through the house, laying it out on the tile of the sauna. Above the island in the kitchen all the knives and saws he needed hung like jagged teeth. Edwin’s baby was starving and he felt honored to prepare her first meal.”

>>>>><<<<<

2o12

The light has failed: the era of man is at its end.
Born of darkness, the creatures of myth, legend, and nightmare


"We used to think that our brains shaped us, we now know that we can shape our brains" Barbara Arrowsmith-Young

Home

The Arrowsmith Program is based on the application of neuroscientific research and for over 35 years has worked to help students strengthen the weak cognitive capacities underlying a range of learning difficulties. The goal is to help students of all ages become effective, confident, and self-directed learners.

The program was developed by Barbara Arrowsmith- Young, as she found how to address her own learning difficulties. Listen to Barbara and Howard Eaton on Melbourne radio in 2015 describe how the program works.

The Arrowsmith classroom is a safe place for all students, regardless of their age, where they begin to achieve success, possibly for the first time in their lives. Find outdoes negligible damage here. Setsuna's Cure tech is honestly sort of overkill as it will heal 400 HP – way more health than you actually have – but there's no point in resorting to potions until she runs out of MP anyway.

Don't bother with Aeterna's base attack during the battle unless you are out of MP and ethers. It's better to burn a turn using an ether and then use Charge than only doing 15 damage with Aeterna's normal attack

Ocean Boss

After leaving Nive behind its time to hit the open ocean, and predictably your party is waylaid by enemies during the trip.

The ship section first pits you against three waves of normal enemies that are easily dispatched, followed immediately by another boss. This aquatic boss utilizes these attacks:

Tsunami


Taxi-booking app Hailo has said goodbye, The Straits Times has learnt.

The London-based company has been operating in Singapore for two years but ceased operations on Tuesday.

The closure comes a week after a similar app, Karhoo, shut its entire business - in Singapore, London, New York and Tel Aviv - after running into financial difficulties.

Observers say the exits are not surprising, given that the ride-hailing industry can support only one or two dominant firms.

The Hailo app was launched here in October 2014 under a partnership between Hailo and SMRT Roads, a subsidiary of transport firm SMRT, and took on earlier entrants such as Uber and Grab.

Third-party taxi apps

WHO'S STILL IN • Uber: Offers private-hire cars and taxis. An UberPool option also allows commuters heading in the same direction toSMRT that it had recently completed a merger with another taxi app, My Taxi, and the new joint venture will focus on expanding its presence in Europe.

My Taxi is owned by car giant Daimler, which purchased a 60 per cent share in Hailo, according to reports in July.

Assistant Professor Yang Nan of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School's strategy and policy department said that ride-hailing apps must have a large network of drivers and passengers.

Asked about why Hailo and Karhoo were exiting the market, he said: "An app that's falling behind in the competition for riders or an app that just enters the market would only deliver worse rider experience with lower vehicle availability and longer waiting time.

"Undoubtedly, this will lead to shrinking rider base and


further attenuates driver participation."

SIM University economist Walter Theseira said the ride-hailing market in Singapore was still developing when Hailo launched. "There's a possibility of gaining a big enough market share so somebody is forced to buy you out. It's a viable strategy," he said.

Brazil-based Easy Taxi pulled out of Singapore in August last year, saying that it wanted to focus on its business in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

Of Hailo and Easy Taxi's exits, Dr Theseira said: "They call it refocusing their resources, but they are probably just not willing to lose money here any more."

NUS transport researcher Lee Der Horng said: "With fewer competitors, Grab and Uber now have to think hard about how to turn their money-burning businesses into money-making ones."

Despite their large funding,Mehbooba to start her public outreach campaign soon

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Wednesday decided to reach out to her constituents in Kashmir with her old “ baaji” – elder sister image to reconnect with the people .

Mehbooba Mufti who had been secluded from her supporters and sympathisers by the administrative set up and coterie in the party has now decided to take a plunge , according to sources.

“ To me , my party is no less important than my family,” she told her party leaders who met her in the past couple of days . She appeared to be quite confident that she can bring the PDP back to its glory and show much greater results than ever before since the party was born in 1999.

The party legislators


who met her in the recent past, after her return from Delhi where she held discussions with her well wishers and the old associates of her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

The party sources said that she would soon begin touring the villages and the homes of the militants and civilians killed on the Valley as a first step to reconnect with the people.Translate

Tuesday

On 20 May, 1999, policemen investigating the theft of computers and DVD players in the quiet rural town of Snowtown, 145km north of Adelaide, made a grisly discovery in the vault of a disused bank that would send shockwaves across Australia.

Cutting their way through a door sealed with plastic sheeting, they found several plastic barrels, inside which were the decomposing remains of eight bodies, suspended in acid.

Snowtown acquired instant infamy, but only one of the final tally of 12 murder victims was actually killed there. The rest, like their killers – ringleader John Bunting, Mark Haydon, Robert Wagner and James Vlassakis, who turned Crown Witness – came from the grim, poor northern suburbs of Adelaide, two hours away.

The “Bodies in Barrels” murders, as they luridly became known, shocked


could completely understand that dynamic.”

Kurzel was also intrigued by Bunting (charismatically played by TV actor Daniel Henshall), whose sociable nature defied the clichéd image of the serial killer as loner.

Originally from Queensland, he fitted in so well that people trusted him to look after their kids and attend parent-teacher interviews. Usually, as Kurzel observes, “serial killers are kind of hermits and work alone. Well, this guy was able, for six years, to work with three other perpetrators, and be very visible in the community. [When the murders were discovered] it wasn’t like, ‘Who is this person?’ It was someone who was a neighbour. It was all happening in suburbia. It was happening just down the road from a school. It was happening during the day.”

Part of the reasonFrom the City of Richmond:

Richmond, VA – The city will be opening cooling stations to assist residents with the forecasted high temperatures. City cooling stations are opened when the temperature and/or heat index is expected to reach or exceed 95 degrees. The city cooling stations will open Thursday, June 28 and Friday, June 29 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Saturday, June 30 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the following locations:

• Southside Community Services Center, 4100 Hull Street Road

• Department of Social Services, 900 East Marshall Street

Bottled water will be available at the City cooling stations, but food will not be provided. Pets, with the exception of service animals, are not allowed. All residents should take measures to stay hydrated and avoid prolonged exposure to


degraded by about 15% since the 1950s. The currents in this system usually bring the warmer water found in the southern Atlantic towards the poles, where the water then cools. After the water cools, it sinks and is taken southwards, back towards where it originated. The constant cycle is largely responsible for controlling climate within the northern hemisphere.

The Slowdown Of The AMOC

Researchers believe the slow down of the AMOC is itself driven by climate change. It’s probably due to the melting of ice in Greenland combined with a generally warming ocean, causing the sea water in the system to become more buoyant and less dense. Scientists are worried about the trend because it could lead to a harsher climate in the northern hemisphere.

Previous disruptions of the Atlantic circulationin a way that warm air would rush into Europe from southern latitudes. The two studies varied slightly in their methodologies, and their conclusions.

The Two Studies On The AMOC

The first study examined a pattern of shifting temperatures in the ocean. These shifts matched the shifts expected in a situation where the AMOC is weakening, the telltale signs being cooling south of Greenland and sudden warming off the eastern coast of the US. The strange regions of high cold and high warmth existing right next to one another closely align with what high-resolution climate models have predicted. The first study concludes that the weakening of the AMOC is likely driven by the combustion of fossil fuels and the accompanying emissions of carbon dioxide.

The second study examined sediment samples collected


The present invention relates to a sliding universal joint to be mounted at a bending portion of a bendable drive axle in an automobile, for example. More particularly the invention is directed to an improvement in a joint including a cylindrical outer member connected to one transmitting shaft and having an inner periphery formed with a plurality of transmitting grooves arranged circumferentially equally spaced from each other and extending axially, an inner member connected to another transmitting shaft and having a plurality of trunnions radially extending to project into the transmitting grooves, an inner roller slidably engaged with an outer periphery of each trunnion, a holder relatively oscillatably engaging with an outer periphery of each inner roller, and an outer roller rotatably engaging with an outer periphery ofprovided in a sliding universal joint, the improvement comprising a restriction flange integrally formed with the holder, said restriction flange abutting against a bottom surface of the transmitting groove and restricting inclination of the holder.
With this arrangement, during rotation of the universal joint, restriction flange integrally formed with the holder is urged against the bottom surface of the transmitting groove by centrifugal force, thereby reliably maintaining an abutting condition of the flange against the bottom surface of the transmitting groove. Accordingly, even when the trunnion is inclined, the holder is reliably prevented from inclining because of the abutment of the restriction flange against the bottom surface of the transmitting groove. Accordingly, the outer roller supported by the holder is also prevented from inclining and can be smoothly rolled


uncanny parallel between my inner experiences and astrological auguries
was discovered, and is explored in this unusual book. Here's the Table of
Contents:

Chapter One: Dreams

Chapter Two: Journey

Chapter Three: Vision

Chapter Four: Mirror

Chapter Five: Fruits

Chapter Six: Tree

Chapter Seven: Hieros Gamos

"I felt deeply alive on that warm day, and communed with my heart - heart
of Earth, heart of Sky. Birds flying by seemed to give me their blessing,
and ants did not bother me as I sat in the sandy soil. The air was clean
and seemed like food. I took in each breath like it was food for my spirit.
I did not wear my glasses, and after hours of cleansing tears the distant
treetops were crisply in focus.

A sacred space in my heart flooded into the land and everything was transfigured
by a light of beauty.said.

He spoke about his own buildings, including 40 Wall Street, which he said was now the tallest in Manhattan. (A related Snopes fact-check delves into this further.)

An interviewer asked Trump what he thought he would be doing at that moment had he won the presidency in 2000.

"I would be taking a very, very tough line," he said.

Fact-checking Trump's claim that thousands in New Jersey cheered when World Trade Center tumbled

Trump was near the Ground Zero site two days after the attacks when he gave an interview to a German television station a few blocks away. This interview marked the first of several times when he would say, without evidence, that he had sent a lot of men to help in the area.

When asked by the TV reporter if


sitting in the audience July 29. He retired as deputy chief in 2017 after 38 years with the department, and he is now director of 9/11 community affairs for the law firm Barasch and McGarry, which represents clients seeking compensation from the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.

Alles said he had no knowledge of Trump being at the site or sending 100 or so workers there to help.

"I was in a supervisory role with the fire department at the time," said Alles, who said he was on the scene about 20 minutes after the second building collapsed. "I was there for several months — I have no knowledge of his being down there."

If Trump had sent a crew of 100 workers, "there would be a record of it. Everybody workedon the sidelines and in the play-caller’s box. Baseball’s strategies are obvious with every pitch thrown – in fact, diehard fans see the strategic battle between the pitcher and hitter as fascinating – but because the action is only occasional instead of football-constant, it attracts fans who can appreciate a much slower sports roll.

The two sports are very different in many other ways:

NFL teams have 53 players while most MLB teams carry 25 active players on their rosters.

The NFL teams only play 16 games in a regular-season while MLB teams play 162.

NFL players purposely collide into each other while MLB players do their best to avoid that – except when it comes to breaking up double plays and sliding into home.

The NFL is made up of players of


the U.K.:

Week 6 (Oct 14) the Seattle Seahawks vs. the Oakland Raiders

Week 7 (Oct 21) the Tennessee Titans vs. the Los Angeles Chargers

Week 8 (Oct 28) the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars

The MLB, on the other hand, has MLB International, which is a division of Major League Baseball primarily responsible for international broadcasts of games.

Along with DirecTV and MLB Network, the MLBI produces and syndicates the All-Star Game, NLCS, ALCS and the World Series to broadcasters in over 200 countries as well as the American Forces Network for U.S. military troops abroad.

Last season, Major League Baseball announced that a record total of 259 players on the 2017 Opening Day 25-man rosters and inactive lists were born outside the 50 United States. That’s 29.8 percent.

The Dominican Republic leadthe way with 93 players, while Venezuela came in second with 66 and Cuba was third with 23. About 31% of all professional baseball players and approximately 50% of all minor leaguers are Latinos.

With players also from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, it’s no wonder the MLB has become such a huge attraction in Asia and Latin America and other corners of the world.

NFL vs MLB: Salaries

What Is the Average NFL Salary Compared to the Average MLB Salary?

First year players in the NFL can expect to make an average of $365,000 per year, and that constantly rises anywhere from $5 to $10 thousand per year. Rookies make their big money through bonuses, including a roster bonus, a signing bonus, contact incentives and a few other


than half the number of fans as each baseball game did, not surprising given how many more baseball games are played.

Obviously, adding more games to the NFL schedule would be financially beneficial to the league, but the violent nature of the sport of professional football prevents them from doing that.

Who Has a Higher Average Ticket Price, the NFL or MLB?

Last season the average cost of an NFL ticket was $92.98 according to data from Team Marketing Report. That was up 8.3 percent from the previous season.

The average price for an MLB ticket this season is $32.44, and last season it was $31, which is a 4.6% increase.

The average cost of a Super Bowl LII ticket on secondary ticket providers like StubHub, Ticketmaster, TickPick, and Vivid Seats was wellTrump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017

Some numbers back him up on that, showing an 8% decline in attendance since the 2016 season. This is said to be due to both the sudden attention to concussions and the resulting CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) as well as from a negative response to NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem to protest racial inequality.

(For more details on the players’ peaceful protest, please read our extensive article explaining the NFL kneeling controversy.)

MLB attendance, on the other hand, has been flat for a decade.

According to the Forbes, the 2017 MLB regular season saw a total of 72,670,423 in paid attendance across the league, but this was the first time that attendance dipped below the 73 million mark.

Those numbers reflect a slight drop


game on CBS attracted 2.9 million viewers.

Meanwhile, the American League Champion Cleveland Indians attracted an average of 138,000 viewers per game in 2016, which topped the league with a 9.22 rating on SportsTimeOhio.

The highest watched regular-season NFL game last season was when the New England Patriots played the Pittsburg Steelers in December and attracted 26.88 million viewers.

ESPN generated a 5.7 rating for a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Anaheim Angels, which is the highest-rated regular-season MLB game on record for ESPN since they began keeping track since 1999. That equates to approximately 6.8 million viewers.

Again, because of the vastly fewer number of NFL games each will always attract more viewers than any given MLB matchup.

America’s Favorite Sports League: The NFL or the MLB?

The NFL seems– so who knows how long American sports fans will tolerate (meaning spend money on) football’s violence and its player’s controversial protests.

Baseball might be slower than football, but its players, active and retired, aren’t suffering from injury-related brain trauma.

Baseball might not be as popular as football these days, but its audience is made up of diehards who make a point to pass on their love of the game to their children and grandchildren.

Baseball games might not contain as much action as football, but its players stand for the National Anthem and keep their protests off the field.

Both sports should stay relevant in America because each brings athletes and enthusiasts together for fair competition and well-executed entertainment.

And a version of both sports can be played between parent and child


Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "Those 17 people aren't going to be there" - Florida student reflects on first day back in class

The world's biggest investment management firm is stepping up pressure on companies that make and sell guns after the Florida school shooting.

BlackRock Inc is considering offering investors the chance not to invest in gun firms, and is asking those firms how they monitor safe use of weapons.

The US corporation said the Florida shooting on 14 February, in which 17 people died, required a response.

It is the largest shareholder in two of the biggest US gun manufacturers.

"As it has for many people, the recent tragedy in Florida has driven home for BlackRock the terrible toll from gun violence in America," the corporation saidthan 600 shops, said it would no longer sell assault-style rifles, and backed "common sense gun reform".

American Outdoor Brands, meanwhile, reported a 33% year-on-year decline in quarterly sales on Thursday.

Walmart said it was raising the minimum age for anyone buying guns or ammunition to 21 years.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump stunned lawmakers from both parties by accusing them of being "petrified" of the NRA during a meeting at the White House.

But the following day he described a meeting with a top NRA lobbyist as "great".

How has the gun lobby responded?

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Seven things the NRA blames after Florida

Since the 14 February attack on the Florida school the NRA has become a target of a heated campaign for tougher gun laws.

But it has


not shown any sign of bending to the pressure.

Dana Loesch, a spokeswoman for the group, told ABC News that "the NRA doesn't back any ban" on guns.

She said the massacres like that in Florida were not caused by the NRA.

The group defended itself on Twitter, saying people upset about the shooting should focus on lapses by law enforcement.

NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre has said "opportunists" are using the Florida tragedy to expand gun control and abolish US gun rights.

What happened in Florida?

On 14 February, 17 people were killed and many more were injured when a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Police say Nikolas Cruz, an expelled former student, was carrying an AR-15 rifle, which he had bought legally, and several magazines ofLive von der Insel - The English Football Column : The Mere Mortal

It has been an unhappy first few months of David Moyes tenure as Manchester United manager. The club and its fans should nonetheless stand by their new manager as his predecessor requested, writes our columnist.

David Moyes has enjoyed little success at Old Trafford so far.Foto: afp

Eight is an unlucky number for David Moyes at the moment. Eight games into the season, his Manchester United side are languishing in eighth place, a full eight points short of league leaders Arsenal. On the one side of him Cloud Nine, on the other side the German equivalent Wolke 7, Moyes floats unhappily in the grey disappointment of Cloud Eight, a particularly grumpy looking cherub surrounded by hapless Red Devils.

Fair


enough, that image is probably a little too much. But it is not so much more over the top than much of the description of Moyes’ takeover from Sir Alex Ferguson. The retirement of the former United manager took on an apocalyptic dimension from the moment it was announced. His successor was always going to face an inevitable damnation, even when endorsed by bothFergusonand Sir Bobby Charlton – the two great deities of Old Trafford.

So it has proved with Moyes, whose team are, surprise surprise, struggling to adapt to the most significant managerial change in the history of modern football. Rather than reasserting their traditional dominance of the English game, United have sunk to mediocrity. They lack confidence, flair and, most crucially, points. Small wonder, then, that somefans are beginning to get restless.

With every game that Moyes’ United play, the clichéd comparisons come ever thicker and ever faster. InFerguson’s era, the team invariably scored late goals – under Moyes, they concede them. InFerguson’s era, the team won games when they performed badly, under Moyes they draw. You would be forgiven for imagining that Moyes is, after eight torrid games, an abject failure.

The reality is different. The reality is that Moyes was left with a team whichFergusonwas in the process of reconstructing. A team without much depth to their squad, whose leading figures were ageing, and whose young talents were inexperienced.

WhenFergusonwas in charge of this team, he could make them win. He was, after all, a genius. Old Trafford, though, had learned to take genius for


fund-raising experience. In 2006 he cofounded Socializing for Justice to build a cross-issue progressive community, network and movement in Boston -- based on the philosophy of abundance. SoJust now has over 1,400 members and has hosted over 80 socials and discussion groups – with countless connections made. TSNE is now partnering with SoJust to host monthly skillshares, including Art of the Schmooze, at the NonProfit Center. This article is reprinted with permission.England. Therefore, this book is a timely and comprehensive compilation of the most significant finds from this small part of the world.
Dean published his first articles in this magazine, and continues to contribute, so it is with great pleasure that we are in a position to review his second book. (His first was entitled ‘Fossils of the Whitby Coast: A Photographic Guide’, which I reviewed a while ago.) He is – what might be called – a ‘roaming palaeontologist’ (from Doncaster), who works on projects across the world. His collaborator, Nobumichi Tamura, is a palaeoartist from California, well known for his drawings of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. Together, they have produced a fascinating book on British dinosaurs, which is aimed at both professional and amateur palaeontologists.

The full


Why Did Terry Bridgewater Buy His Mom a Pink Cadillac Escalade? It’s Not Because She’s Fighting Breast Cancer – Though She Is! – But Because He Made a Promise…

When Teddy Bridgewater was in the 3rd grade he promised his mother, Rose, he'd get her a Pink Cadillac Escalade when he became a professional football player. After a lot of tears and hard work, Teddy made good on his promise. Watch their story in a new documentary directed by Spike Lee.care unit in a better condition than when she arrived. Her condition continued to improve, with decreased chest pain and improving hemodynamics. She became hypotensive at one point, with collapsing IVC on ultrasound, and improved with IV fluids.

She was admitted to the ICU on an amiodarone drip and continued to improve.

Here is her ECG at 6 hours after arrival:

There is sinus rhythm. The ST depression in nearly entirely gone.

Troponin I peaked at 55 (very high).

She did well, was started on oral amiodarone, and was discharged after a couple days in the hospital.

What happened?
Although ACS is not out of the question, this was my assessment: the patient had a bit too much fluid removed during dialysis and, at the same time, went into atrial fib with RVR. This resulted


[The clinical and anatomical aspects of preeclampsia: current features of its course].
Preeclampsia is the most menacing complication of pregnancy and childbirth worldwide and remains one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. It is characterized by a complex etiopathogenesis with specific clinical and laboratory changes (hypertension, proteinuria and edema), as well as by the morphological pattern of target organ damage and uteroplacental blood vascular lesions. However, the triad of clinical signs of preeclampsia is not encountered in all cases now. to study the clinical and anatomical aspects of preeclampsia at the present stage. 17 maternal deaths due to preeclampsia were studied at the medical institutions of the Moscow Healthcare Department from 2012 to the first half of 2017 through postmortem examination at City Clinicalso appear aloof; the set of the shoulders – got from incessant bending over the stricken and prostrate? – does not soften the aspect. When I remarked that the wards were as full as ever, Colonel Hamblin was forthright.

'We used to cut-and-stitch and send the men home. Now we cut-and-stitch and stitch again, and send them back into the line. Our Prime Minister heeds the newspapers and the electorate, not the Army's surgeons. Recruits get scarce, Mr Glover.'

He had asked me over to the senior officers' mess. The priestly collar may be a nod-me-in to cottage and mansion and all things between.

'We crude materialists need your support, I must tell you, the support of the godly. The Church, the denominations, St John's. The load you carry lies in


her uncle about the same age, I fancied.

'I'm sure God helped my training, Trix. Then he allowed me to go out and do my best.'

She liked my response and it was the bright note on which they all three said their good-nights, leaving an uncle happy yet strangely diffident, amidst the drawing-room's cushions and pictures.

'I wish I could say why it's been so long. Time gets distorted out there. Not forgivable, Henrietta... Cyril.'

'In war all is forgivable, Philip. It's the great explainer. Justly so. Some of our legal friends and associates will miss it.'

'And that very soon, dare we say? And Philip, you must bid Henrietta adieu. I'm Hetty! As of this fine day.'

She laughed and with a few words on the rigours of travel she sped mestone fronts hugging the footway, and pretty doors and casements, and stone tiles above thrusting at the grey clouds, disdaining their threat of drizzle. The street had less of a twist than I remembered and the gradient was not hard work. Soon every building was three storeys high. A foursquare bank, city-like, busy at the door, presided over yards of frontage. Then paraded shops, three, and then an alleyway, and four and five. I halted at the pharmaceutical chemist's. There was a memory here. As a boy I had ventured through the open doorway, induced by the scents, like a summer garden they were; but the customers were women and girls, and the boy had sidled out. The grown man has no such qualms. I bought soaps and


– which had its origins in England.

People migrating to America’s south from the largely fringe areas of England, the Scottish Highlands and Ireland brought with them certain cultural values: Proneness to violence, aversion to work, neglect of education, sexual promiscuity, improvidence, drunkenness, lack of entrepreneurship, lively music and dance, style of religious oratory, touchy pride, boastful self-dramatization and vanity. These traits describe what came to be known as the redneck culture, and the people who exhibited these traits were labeled rednecks or crackers.

During the civil war era, 90% of blacks in America lived in the south. They adopted many of the traits associated with this ‘redneck culture,’ which they then spread across America as they migrated after the civil war. As Dr. Sowell so persuasively argues, these culturalillness but has big dreams of becoming a real reporter." He'll play Danny, "an intense, well-dressed Harvard grad who is naturally competitive with his friend April." Aisha Dee and Mary Page Keller also star in the Lionsgate Television-based hour, from writers Susanna Fogel and Joni Lefkowitz. (THR.com)TRIBES (ABC, New!) - Greg Malins ("Better With You") is returning to the Alphabet with a new family comedy with an unusual structure - each episode focuses on a different side of the family. Sony Pictures Television-based FanFare Productions is behind the half-hour, which is based on Rubi Duanias and Yaniv Polishuk's Israeli series "Your Family or Mine?" Malins, Duanias and Polishuk then will executive produce the single-camera project, which has a penalty attached, alongside Jamie Tarses, Keshet's Avi Nir and Ran


Telem and Teddy Productions' Tamira Yardeni. (Deadline.com)AND IN OTHER NEWS... - "1600 Penn" director/executive producer Jason Winer has inked a three-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television (Deadline.com); Jason Beghe will guest on "Last Resort" as an old mentor to Daniel Lissing's James King (THR.com); Mike Frislev and Chad Oakes of Nomadic Pictures are in talks to oversee production on season two of "Copper," replacing the departing Brad van Arragon (THR.com); Sarah Shahi will recur on "Chicago Fire" as "a successful business woman and love interest" for Taylor Kinney's Kelly Severide (TVLine.com); and Serinda Swan has landed a three-episode arc on "Graceland" as a undercover DEA agent who sets up at the show's live-in home base (EW.com).Influencer marketing will continue to evolve as user-generated ...

"As new players enter the streaming market and established names invest in unique consumer experiences, digital video platforms are staking their claim in a crowded media landscape. The domination of a few key players and increasing consumer interest have bolstered revenue, but made it difficult ...

"Television is an essential element of nearly all US homes. The pay TV industry is going through a period of rapid change, with traditional cable and satellite companies now competing for market share against a host of new streaming contenders. During this transformation, corporations and ...

"In a 2002 interview with The New York Times, legendary musician David Bowie predicted, “the absolute transformation of everything that we ever thought about music will take place within 10


A Delhi court sent Congress leader P Chidambaram to 2-week judicial custody in the INX Media case

Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who spent his first night in Tihar jail's cell number 7 yesterday, started his day with a light breakfast this morning. A Delhi court on Thursday sent Mr Chidambaram to two-week judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case.

The senior Congress leader was brought to the jail last evening. He got no special facilities, except a separate cell and a western toilet as specified by the court, prison officials said.

Like other inmates, Mr Chidambaram will also have access to the prison's library and can watch television for a specified period of time.

Mr Chidambaram began his morning today with a light breakfast. On Thursday night, he hadrotis (Indian bread), dal (lentil), sabji (vegetables) and rice, as per the prion's menu, sources told news agency Press Trust of India.

After the mandatory medical check-up, Mr Chidambaram was lodged in jail number 7, which usually houses those accused in Enforcement Directorate cases. Incidentally, his son Karti Chidambaram was also lodged in the same cell for 12 days in the same case last year.

The cell was prepared in advance, with Tihar Jail authorities anticipating that the senior Congress leader may be sent to Tihar Jail if his anticipatory bail gets rejected by the court in the INX Media corruption case, officials told news agency PTI.

Ratul Puri, nephew of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, who is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP


the MCW Tag Team Championship in 2000.

Jackson was also the booker and part owner of the now defunct Virginia-based Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance. While with the IPWA, he was involved in training numerous wrestlers for the promotion. With several other wrestlers, including Jimmy Z and Shorty Smalls, he operated the Keep Your Dreams Alive (KYDA) facility. Among his former students include Joey Mercury, Christian York, Jacey North, Otto Schwanz and "American" Mike Brown.

Career

Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance (1995-1997)
Trained by Peter Maivia and later Lou Thez, he made his debut on March 5, 1983. As Cueball Carmichael, he was billed as the "hometown hero" of Alexandria, Virginia though he largely wrestled as an unpopular "rulebreaker" for much of his career. He also worked part-time as a stockbroker and insurance broker.advisory committee, Shallal decided to protest the event after receiving a promotional flier from a parent at the school. The fliers were made by the marketing students who had sold ads to advertise and promote the event.

As a member of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Shallal was also personally offended by the scheduled appearance of The Iron Sheik and added that the event was unfit for a public school because The Iron Sheik promoted anti-Arab and anti-Iranian sentiments. When the promotion agreed to drop The Iron Sheik from the event, the ADC made a second complaint about midget wrestling. The school district eventually decided to cancel the event, along with a second show, and notified co-promoter Kevin Heilbronner by letter. The promotion cited that it had previously attracted


19. The title changed hands again that night when Diamond lost the title to Jimmy Cicero with whom he later feuded over the title. On April 18, he faced Paul Mitchell at an IPW show in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

Though given a title shot at the IPWA Heavyweight Championship, Jackson announced that he would be unable to compete and offered an open invitation to anyone who wished to take his spot on the card. Buddy Landel, who had previously given a memorial speech for Junkyard Dog, accepted the offer and faced Jimmy Cicero in a no-disqualification match. Landel was initially disqualified when Cicero intentionally threw himself over the ropes. When the referee awarded Cicero the title however, Jackson came out with one of the posters for the event and pointedGENEVA (Reuters) - The United States has 90 guns for every 100 citizens, making it the most heavily armed society in the world, a report released on Tuesday said.

Slideshow ( 2 images )

U.S. citizens own 270 million of the world’s 875 million known firearms, according to the Small Arms Survey 2007 by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies.

About 4.5 million of the 8 million new guns manufactured worldwide each year are purchased in the United States, it said.

“There is roughly one firearm for every seven people worldwide. Without the United States, though, this drops to about one firearm per 10 people,” it said.

India had the world’s second-largest civilian gun arsenal, with an estimated 46 million firearms outside law enforcement and the military, though this represented just four


Sarab-e Bahram

Sarab-e Bahram (, also Romanized as Sarāb-e Bahrām and Sarab Bahram) is a village in Bakesh-e Yek Rural District, in the Central District of Mamasani County, Fars Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 398, in 80 families.

References

Category:Populated places in Mamasani Countyinto preformed holes. Expansion anchors typically have a main body with a bore and slots at a forward end and a conical plug which is loosely inserted into the bore at the terminal end. When the forward end of the expansion anchor is driven into the hole, the conical plug is also driven beyond the terminal end into the forward end. The pressure of the conical plug against the sides of the forward and terminal ends cause the sides to expand and press into the periphery of the hole. The mechanical resistance of the expansion anchor to pullout is directly proportional to the frictional forces and lateral pressure of the expanded ends against the periphery of the hole. In certain circumstances, the mechanical resistance can be improved by


Nature Trail – A short nature trail (~.5 mile) is located adjacent to the Harry S. Truman Visitor Center, beginning just north of the employee parking lot (look for trailhead sign). The trail runs roughly parallel to the shoreline and ends on a wooded point. There are park benches located along the trail. Please see attendants at the Visitor Center for more information.

ESSAYONS

Our Mission

The mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is to deliver vital public and military engineering services; partnering in peace and war to strengthen our nation’s security, energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters.

About the Kansas City District Website Website

The official public website of the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. or website corrections, write to CENWK-PA@usace.army.mil.will face France which are already eliminated before their last game. Switzerland won 5–3 against the United States but they were still eliminated because Norway defeated France 5–2 to advance to the quarterfinals.

Relegation round
After two game days in Group G every team had three points and so the last two games determined the two teams going down and the two that remained in the top division for the next year. Slovenia faced Belarus, while Latvia played against Austria. Belarus crushed Slovenia into the Division A with a 7–1 win to stay in the top division. Austria joined Slovenia in the second division after losing against Latvia 1–4.

Playoff round

Quarterfinals

The quarterfinals started with the undefeated Czech Republic against Team USA. The United States started off better but Jaromír Jágr scored


speed, small pitch banding phenomenon takes place, and the jitters and image irregularities are caused on the outputted image. This appears especially conspicuously in an electrophotographic technology of a digital system wherein writing on a photoreceptor is conducted through scanning by a semiconductor laser, and speed variation in the sub-scanning direction in the writing system is caused by the speed variation of rotation of the photoreceptor, causing delicate deviation of writing lines in their intervals, resulting in a factor to lower image quality sharply.
With regard to technologies for improving accuracy in driving a rotational body which is supposed to rotate at a constant speed, there are many proposals which are roughly divided into the following two categories.
One of the two categories is one wherein a flywheel is incorporatedbeen a good friend of Roots since even before its inception in 1973, when he was beginning his career as a performer in Toronto. He has a close relationship with both Roots co-founders Michael Budman and Don Green.”

As for Budman, the latest issue of CAA magazine carries this factoid: 95 per cent of the clothing in his closet is Roots, including a pair of sweatpants for every day of the week. Now that’s style.

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Comments

To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted.

By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any


Indian follows the Freshman year of Arnold Spirit AKA Junior, a Spokane Indian living on a reservation in Wellpinit, WA. After a teacher begs Arnold leave behind life on the reservation before he loses hope like everyone else there, Arnold transfers to an all-white high school 22 miles from his home on the reservation. His parents support his decision, but he's shunned by many on the reservation including his best friend, for his betrayal.

Arnold's wry sense of humor and entertaining cartoons keep the novel going and have caused a few critics to call this book Diary of a Wimpy Kid for the young adult set.

If I could get past all the language and all of Arnold's talk of spending hours in the bathroom pleasing himself (which is hardthat for Arnold to be successful or happy, he has to leave his culture and the reservation behind and go to a white school or he will be doomed to live a life as a poor alcoholic. It also bothers me that Arnold tries to duke it out with white kids at his new school because that's how he says all American Indians deal with their problems. They are not SAVAGES incapable of talking things out, and many a white kid still would have fought back when a kid much smaller than him punches him in the face, but Alexie portrays them as civilized and unwilling to result to physical violence, completely shocked at Arnold's behavior.

Now, I know the book is loosely based on Alexie's youth, but that


book belongs on Oyate's list of books to avoid, it does in fact dispel the stereotype that all American Indians are rich from Casinos on reservations, but it was such a hopeless portrayal of American Indians that still perpetuated many other hurtful stereotypes.

15 comments:

I've had this book in my sights for a few months now, and you've given me some more things to consider.

A few years ago I listened to Alexie speak about his heritage and his work. He seems to consider himself evidence against the stereotype, but he also said the stereotype is there for a reason. He definitely looks on the current state of the culture, at least the Spokane Indian Reservation, with some disgust. He knows there are many factors that hold blame, but heTom Dwan Biography

Tom Dwan's poker career started when he was just 17 years
old, while playing under the screen-name "Durrrr." He has since
gone on to win millions of dollars from competing in various
online tournaments, particularly ones that focus on Pot Limit
Omaha and No Limit Hold'em.

In addition to playing online, Dwan has also cashed-in at
several different World Series of Poker events, although he
hasn't won a WSOP bracelet yet. This young, energetic player is
a fearless risk taker who has well-developed strategies and
natural talent. We expect to see even more great things from him
in the future.

Early Life

Thomas Dwan Jr. was born July 30th, 1986 in Edison, New
Jersey. Dwan began playing online at Paradise Poker using the
$50 that his father had given him for his 17th birthday. Dwan
started competing in $6 sit-and-go tournaments,


and after four
months he had accumulated over $15,000.

He was attending Boston University, but he dropped out after
one year to focus on playing poker professionally. Dwan was
passionate about competing in live tournaments after playing
against his friends at college, but until he turned twenty-one
he was limited to tournaments outside of the United States.

Professional Poker Career

At 19, Dwan finished 12th in the €3,000 No Limit Texas Hold
'em Main Event of the European Poker Tour and won $12,000 in
prize money. His next significant cash-in was at the 2007 World
Poker No Limit Hold'em Championship Event, where he finished 4th
and won over $320,000.

In 2008, Dwan made two World Series of Poker final tables,
cashing out at over $110,000 and that same year he won an
additional $226,000 at the Borgata Winter Open.

While travelling the world toHeads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship

9th

$67,436

In addition to his WSOP accomplishments, Dwan holds the
record for the largest pot won in a televised live game at over
$1.1 million, which occurred during the fourth season of Full
Tilt Poker's Million Dollar Cash Game.

More recently in May, 2012 Dwan won the biggest pot in poker
history collecting almost $4 million in a cash game he played in
Macau, China. He also earns extra money by appearing on popular
TV poker shows such as GSN's High Stakes Poker and NBC's Late
Night Poker.

Full Tilt Poker Scam

Dwan was sponsored by Full Tilt Poker for the launch of
Durrrr's Million Dollar Challenge which was televised on Sky
Sports. However, after the United States passed the Unlawful
Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, Full Tilt had to close their
doors to US customers.

Soon people realized that Full Tilt


Poker didn't have the
necessary funds needed to cover the surplus of withdraws and
many customers were cheated out of millions of dollars. Dwan
refused to continue his partnership with Full Tilt, as he was
disgusted with their actions.

When asked what his take was on the Full Tilt fiasco with
Bluff Magazine, he replied by saying, "From an ethical
standpoint, the only two things they had to do were to make sure
they had all the money and make sure there was no cheating. And
that shouldn't be that hard. It was pretty ridiculous."

Today, Dwan prefers to compete mostly in live tournaments,
and he continues to separate himself from having any association
with Full Tilt Poker.Unruffled at the Biltmore

We think of pool shooters having it out in barrooms, back rooms or maybe dimly lit auditoriums, and yet last week here they were, the world's best, wearing tuxedos and playing under the glittering chandeliers of the Grand Ballroom in the Biltmore Hotel in the heart of New York City. The Professional Pool Players Association had chosen to bring this year's World Open Pocket Billiards Championship into the spotlight. With perhaps pardonable exaggeration, they billed it as a $100,000 tournament. "The whole idea was to draw other than just pool freaks," said PPPA Secretary Pete Margo.

The non-pool freaks that the PPPA hoped to draw were promoters, potential sponsors and television executives who might be moved to improve the future of pool by investing a little


cash in the game. What pool needed was a stake horse, as the players would say.

Since its inception in 1976, the PPPA has done a good deal for pool, putting on two world championships in Asbury Park, N.J. and selling four events to ABC's Wide World of Sports and NBC's SportsWorld. Other deals were in the works, but, largely because of pool's shabby image, the game has been unable to attract sponsors for any of its events.

Twenty-five years ago things were different. Pool's stars were tournament players like Willie Mosconi and Andrew Ponzi, gentlemen who wore pinky rings and played the game in tuxes. But after Mosconi retired in 1957, world tournaments vanished and pool went into recession. In 1961 The Hustler was released, with Paul Newman asFast Eddie Felson, a rascal who slept days, drank nights and lived mainly to hold folks up with his two-piece cue, and a pool boom-let developed. But in the end, not even Newman could help, and an estimated 20,000 poolrooms closed down.

The PPPA thought that glamour—black ties, the Biltmore and a prohibition on the usual after-hours money games—might help. A New York publicity firm was hired to spread the word.

Ads were booked in the newspapers, reporters from the Times and the Post were lured to a press conference at "21" and competitors were lined up for guest spots on Good Morning, America, America Alive, and Midday Live. Then, two days before the tournament opened, the New York dailies went on strike, which killed not only print coverage but


local TV time as well, because with the newspapers out, television felt obliged to supply its viewers with gossip columnists, movie critics and Soupy Sales reading the funnies.

The news blackout was especially unfortunate because this year's Open had perhaps the finest field ever assembled, including the winners of every major tournament since 1975. It was also the largest world-tournament field ever, 52 players, one of whom was 19-year-old Jean Balukas, the first woman to qualify for a world tournament. Balukas is a six-time women's U.S. Open champion, but qualified for this event almost by accident. Her father, the owner of a billiard lounge in Brooklyn, lacked one player to fill a 16-man qualifier, so he entered his daughter. She won by defeating Rich Hansen, who had finished acreditable 15th in the 1977 World Open.

In all, 19 PPPA players qualified. The other 33 in the field paid $300 each to enter. They included weekend players such as Ron Jarvis, a New York financial planner who might run a rack of balls if all goes well, but who was happy to pay the money to compete in a genuine world championship. "I'd be here anyway," said Jarvis, chomping on a cigar. "This way I get some action and, besides, the fee isn't that much more than I'd have paid for tickets."

The open entry also turned out to be a lifesaver for quality players who had neglected to qualify. One was Jim Rempe, who has won 35 tournaments since 1971, more by far than anyone. Another was Larry


Lisciotti, the 1976 PPPA champ. Both had let their PPPA memberships lapse, and to enter they had to pay an additional $200 initiation fee. Add in the cost of a week at the Biltmore, and they needed to finish eighth or better just to break even. "It's a horrible investment," Lisciotti said. "We'd hate for anybody to steal it though," said Rempe with a wink.

The format was simple: two flights of double elimination, the two survivors to play a 200-ball final. In one flight, Ray Martin of Clifton, N.J. sailed through six games unbeaten, outscoring his opponents 900-254. In his second match against Margo, Martin ran 99 straight in an easy 150-25 romp. "When he's just plink, plink, plinking them in like that," said Margo afterward, "nobody onearth's tougher."

Twelve years ago, at age 31, Martin began playing pool a few nights a week. "Those were hard years," Martin says. "Home at 6, pool from 10 until 3 a.m. and back to work by 7. I hated to get out of bed."

In 1971, using his savings and whatever he could borrow, Martin quit his job as a printer and bought the Clifton Billiard Lounge. That year he beat Irving Crane, Luther Lassiter and Joe Balsis—then the big three of straight pool—to win the World Invitational in Los Angeles. He has been at or near the top of the pool heap ever since.

At the table, Martin generally has trancelike concentration, a silky stroke and classic control of the cue ball. When he is on a long run,


players call it "the Martin sleepwalk." He takes pride in playing for nothing more than cab fare, and until two years ago he had never played nine-ball, the gambling game of pool. He is professorial and perfectionist, and has written a book—The 99 Critical Shots in Pool.

By contrast, Allen Hopkins, who emerged from the second flight to face Martin in the finals, hardly ever reads a book. "I prefer doing things," he says. Hopkins grew up shooting pool in Cranford, N.J., parked cars for a while after high school and then took to the road looking for nine-ball games. In 1971 his high school sweetheart, Sandy Geiger, suggested he come on home. "O.K.," he said, "but I'm always going to play pool." Soon after they were married, andfrom a stash of $15,000 he had picked up on the way home, Hopkins and some partners bought what is now Hopkins Billiard Room in Green Brook, N.J.

Hopkins still travels to play, mostly in the South, and prefers not to talk about it, though he won four nine-ball tournaments in the last few months. Until last year, when he took the PPPA championship, he was not thought of as a power in straight-pool circles. For a world-class player, Hopkins has a jerky stroke and plays angry, slamming down his chalk and often crouching to eye a path for an object ball, squinting his deep-blue eyes like a Western gunslinger. He is known as a rabbit when he is ahead and a bear when behind. "Hopkins will wear you


out and grind you down to the bone," said Steve Mizerak, a four-time U.S. Open Pocket Billiard champion who was widely regarded as the man to beat at the Biltmore.

Beat Mizerak twice is what Hopkins did in reaching the final. After being stunned 150-19 by Rempe in the opening round, Hopkins came alive in the losers' bracket, eliminating Rempe before getting to Mizerak for the second time. "I haven't played straight pool since last August," Hopkins said. "There's no action, so why bang heads?"

Saturday night, before a crowd of 900, the biggest of the tournament, Martin and Hopkins started cautiously, but in the seventh inning Hopkins loosened up, running 57 balls for a 94-53 lead. In the 10th he cleaned off two more racks to go ahead 121-57,and had Martin squirming in his seat. But then Hopkins overcut an easy shot at the 6 ball in the side and kicked the floor. For a moment Martin didn't stir. Then he rose from his seat exclaiming, "Oh, I was sleeping."

In his next 15 turns, with both men playing deliberately, Martin inched back into contention, mixing safeties, intentional fouls, small runs and more safeties with a constant stream of chatter to the crowd: "Lord, help me. Got to have a sense of humor. I do something right? Ah, the pressure and the pain." The display, totally uncharacteristic of Martin, had even Hopkins smiling. Behind 153-136, Martin chalked up, pocketed the 7 ball and finished off a rack. He then ran racks two, three and four to reach


192, but a break shot missed the rack and Martin played a safety. Two turns later, the rack of balls loose but not wide open, Martin stroked a length-of-the-table 14 ball in the corner. It missed badly and scattered the rack of balls all over. Hopkins leapt to his feet, needing just 47 balls.

He sank three balls quickly, eyed a difficult one-in-the-corner and pumped the cue ball softly. The 1 ball trickled toward the pocket, grazed the rail, jiggled in the mouth of the pocket and hung on the table.

Martin rose, wiped his hands with a towel and quickly drilled home the last nine balls. Out of the crowd came Ron Jarvis, the weekend player, with a cigar in mouth. He hoisted Martin on his shoulders, getting ashowing the world that the Saints in general are more of a finesse team.

That can’t be an image Payton wants to project to the rest of the league. In addition to getting tougher, more balanced and less predictable, the quiet changes in New Orleans could also possibly positively impact an improving defense.

New Orleans had quite arguably the worst defense ever in 2012, but the addition of aggressive defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and a stellar draft class quickly changed that. During the first half of the year, the Saints were in the top half of the league as an overall defensive unit. However, they dropped off near the end of the year and will be looking to add new pieces and improve even more in 2014.

Establishing the run and


About Us

The son of former NBA great Micheal Jordan was arrested early on Sunday following a disturbance just outside a downtown hotel in Omaha, Neb. Marcus Jordan, currently a member of the Central Florida University men's basketball team, was arrested after police responded to a call at the Embassy Suites, and found hotel security trying to

subdue Jordan, who was having an argument with two women in the hotel driveway at 2:11 a.m. The police release said Jordan was "very animated, intoxicated and uncooperative," and it took multiple officers to control and handcuff him. Jordan was booked at the Douglas County Department of Corrections for resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and obstructing. He had been released by Sunday night. Jordan, a rising senior, averaged 13.7 points for UCF last season.are all examples of progress made in the movement to reconnect young people with the outdoors.

Eryn gets close to nature during the Exploring Our Estuary workshop.

In Alaska, a Kids in Nature program has been initiated within Fish and Game’s Sport Fish Division at the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (KBNERR). The first phase of this training program for parents of 2 to 8-year-olds took place in Homer in September, as part of the Reserve’s National Estuaries Day celebration. Twenty-one parents (joined by 28 of their kids), over the course of an hour, were introduced by KBNERR science educator Carmen Field to the wide array of safe and fun outdoor places and activities that families can enjoy together in the Kachemak Bay area.

During this Exploring Our Estuary with


the environment in new ways to their children: two books – Richard Louv’s “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder” and “Sharing Nature with Children” by Joseph Cornell, local trail maps, information on local outdoor programs for families, a printed summary of information conveyed during the slide show, an aquatic dip net, a bug jar, magnifying glass and box, a small Rite in the Rain journal, tidebook, bubbles, and square piece of sheet for collecting bugs.

Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (KBNERR)hosted a workshop in Homer in September titled Exploring Our Estuary with Kids,as part of the Reserve’s National Estuaries Day celebration.

Within days of the Reserve’s Exploring Our Estuary with Kids workshop, feedback from parents started rolling in. One mother of two toddler boysexclaimed, “We got our umbrella out of the closet that day and shook all sorts of fascinating bugs out of our bushes and trees. Then we spent time as a family looking at each critter in the magnifying box. It was so much fun! Thank you for doing this!” Another mother told Reserve staff she was so inspired to get outdoors more often that she’s using the slide show summary printout as a checklist of new places to visit and activities to try.

The Research Reserve’s next Kids In Nature workshop for parents will take place in April 2008 as part of Earth Day celebrations at the Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center in Homer. In addition to an indoor session – with more kits distributed, parents will be


appears. In 1973 PepsiCo entered into an agreement with Sojuzplodoimport ("SPI"), the Soviet state-controlled bureaucracy that controlled all agricultural exports from the U.S.S.R., to export Pepsi-Cola syrup to the Soviet Union, and to receive in return the exclusive right to import Stolichnaya Vodka into the United States. SPI received trademark registration for the Stolichnaya mark in the United States in 1967. In 1969, SPI purported to assign all its rights in the mark to Kraus Bros. & Co.; SPI designated MHW, Kraus' subsidiary, as SPI's representative in its trademark application. PepsiCo acquired Kraus and MHW in order to secure its right to import the Stolichnaya Vodka. The mark became incontestable in 1974 on the filing of the requisite affidavit of continuous use. PepsiCo also owns the mark "Stoli."
UponPepsiCo all of its right, title and interest in and to the said marks. That agreement was amended on February 6, 1992, after the dissolution of the USSR, by deleting paragraph 8, which had conferred a right upon the now-defunct Soviet government to request the reassignment of the marks back to SPI at will.
In August, 1991, the USSR patent office cancelled SPI's registration in Russia for Stolichnaya on the ground that Stolichnaya had come to identify a type rather than a brand of vodka in the USSR. An opinion by the patent office clarifying that decision notes that under Russian law, the ownership and validity of rights in marks outside Russia is independent of such rights in Russia, and that the cancellation of the mark in Russia should


not affect rights outside Russia. Furthermore, pursuant to Article 6(3) of the International Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the "Paris Convention," to which both the U.S. and Russia are signatories, a mark duly registered in one country is independent of marks registered in other countries, even including the country of origin.
When the USSR collapsed in December 1991, SPI became a private joint stock company which succeeded to the same rights as its governmental predecessor; these rights were confirmed by the statements of various Russian government officials and trade representatives of the Russian Federation in the United States. PepsiCo, MHW and SPI have continued their business relationship virtually unchanged.[4]
Plaintiffs, however, base their claim for a preliminary injunction on Russian decree No. 213, of November 16, 1991, whichgives export rights to each entity for its own products. That decree, however, does not purport to grant any import rights into any other country. In June, 1992, the Terek, a vodka distillery in the Republic of North Ossetia, one of twenty autonomous regions within the Russian Republic, executed an agreement with FMI, agreeing to sell Stolichnaya vodka to FMI for resale anywhere in the world, including the United States.[5] Basing their right in large part on Decree No. 213, FMI and the Terek are now disputing PepsiCo and MHW over who presently possesses the valid right to the importation and distribution of Stolichnaya vodka.
Beginning in June 1992, MHW became aware that plaintiffs were soliciting MHW's customers, telling them that MHW no longer had the right to import


Stolichnaya *483 vodka into the U.S., but rather that plaintiffs were the new exclusive authorized importers. Terek and its affiliated joint-venture export company, Vladico, have assigned exclusive import rights and purported U.S. trademark rights in the Stolichnaya brand to at least three different companies: Oxford Trading Company, LRJS Enterprises of California, and plaintiff FMI.
In October 1992, the deputy Prime Minister of North Ossetia issued a decree stating that all rights to trademarks and any sales of Stolichnaya belong only to the Terek and the other Russian liquor-making factories. That statement declares that SPI had no rights in the mark as of 1991, when it purported to transfer its rights to PepsiCo.
FMI argues that even if SPI did have authority to transfer the marks back to PepsiCo in 1991,MHW when it acquired Pizza Hut. However, PepsiCo retained ownership of the Stolichnaya mark, and entered into an agreement with MHW under which MHW agreed to continue importing the vodka made by the same distilleries. PepsiCo, as the trademark owner, continued to monitor the nature and quality of the vodka as it had done before, and it continued to receive a royalty based on sales from MHW. It is irrelevant that the consuming public does not know that it is actually PepsiCo who owns the mark. It is well-established that the public need not know the name of the trademark owner for their to be goodwill in a mark, nor does the name of the owner have to appear on the product itself.
[3]  Since the dissolution of


the Soviet Union in December, 1991, PepsiCo has ceased importing Stolichnaya vodka from one of the distilleries, now located in Ukraine. The remaining six distilleries are all located within the Russian federation.
[4]  In addition, PepsiCo's attorney argued before the Court that PepsiCo continues to do business with the same SPI staff in the same manner as they had done when the USSR was extant, and that the new SPI still operates out of the same physical facilities as the old state-run SPI. With respect to plaintiffs' claims that SPI did not undertake the requisite privatization procedures authorized by the Russian government, I note only that the situation in the former USSR is volatile. Nobody knows precisely what procedures were undertaken by SPI to privatize, but all theWhen these canines aren't fighting crime, they're posing for the camera.

Members of the NYPD's K9 unit are the stars of a 2017 calendar published by the New York City Police Foundation, a nonprofit that raises money and conducts research on behalf of the NYPD.

The cover of the foundation's first-ever canine calendar features a pooch named Diesel, who may not know how to drive the police car he's sitting in but "still gets to navigate," the caption reads.

Other hounds inside are pictured on the job, with tasks including sniffing for bombs and tracking down missing persons.

The police foundation is sending copies of the 13-month calendar, which runs through January 2018, to contributors who donate at least $20.

That money will "directly benefit new and ongoing NYPD programs and initiatives," according


Five years ago, Tom Patterson was faced with a common irritation while driving to his sales job.

"My undershirt was riding up, just like it always did," Patterson, 33, told us. "The result was a 'fabric gut,' where the undershirt would create a bulge just above my belt."

I thought, "I wonder if there's a better undershirt out there?"

Patterson went to department stores and found that every shirt he tried on left him with the same fabric bulge. Once he wore the shirts a few times, they began to yellow and wear down.

Patterson began going to the garment district in Los Angeles and researching fabrics. He ended up buying micro modal, a soft fabric that's sleeker than cotton but still absorbs moisture.

Then, Patterson went to dry-cleaner with a sketch ofhis new design, $100 and an armful of fabric.

"The tailor's reaction was: 'why would you waste such beautiful fabric on an undershirt?'" Patterson said. "But he took the money and got to work."

The result was a sleek shirt that is longer than most undershirts and tapers at the bottom. The shirt fits snugly below the waist and doesn't ride up.

Patterson loved the product so he made about 15 more shirts and passed them on to friends. Once they gave him the green light, he moved to San Diego with his girlfriend and found a manufacturer.

Three years after he started selling undershirts, Patterson's Tommy John label is carried in 500 stores nationwide, including Nordstrom. He's expanded product offerings to include underwear.

"I would have never imagined I'd be in this


Growing up in London to an English mother and a Barbadian father, Nik Coppin has over 15 years of stand-up comedy under his belt. His solo shows have toured the world, from the Edinburgh Fringe to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival - Nik's confident, affable, and energetic style of comedy is quick to win an audience over.

Founder of the critically acclaimed hit show 'Shaggers' where comedians from all walks of life are encouraged to talk about their sexuality - Nik's comedy ranges from human nature to an extensive knowledge of wildlife, and from superheroes to current affairs.

Hot on the heels of his Bobo debut earlier this year, they’re bringing Izen Kong 龚杰尉 back with his trusty accompanist Dennis Law, this time for an evening of jazzy standards ofthe Buble and Cullum variety, made all the more exciting with Izen’s unique interpretations and powerhouse vocals.

Warehouse Sessions is a curated evening of independent wholesome indie goodness happening twice a month on Saturdays. This session:

Jeremiah Abraham: A singer-songwriter currently based somewhere in the expanse of the Klang Valley in Malaysia. Jeremiah sings with all his heart, and plays his guitar as if it were an extension of his body. Notes of the Foo Fighters and Bob Marley can be heard in his unique renderings, both in English and in the native language of the land, Malay. Actively gigging since his high school days in various bands (Hard Cover and Crossing Boundaries to name a few), Jeremiah is now pursuing a solo career, with his first ever single Kita


Kawan released early this year.Follow him: https://jeremiahabrahammusic.tumblr.comHelloLuqman: Music has been a part of HelloLuqman's life since he was a very young boy. Forming a deep passion for both local and international music, the young singer-songwriter found joy in singing but he never thought of turning it into a serious thing.Citing Brendon Urie, Ed Sheeran, and Bruno Mars as his influence. HelloLuqman has garnered more than 620,000+ views on his videos plus 3.3k+ subscribers on his YouTube Channel. He further proves himself as a force to be reckon with by winning the 2014 edition of Publika Live, beating other more established acts along the way.Follow him: https://www.instagram.com/hellolqmn/H.F. Badger:Straight from the burrows, H.F. Badger (alter-ego of singer-songwriter, Bob Ooi) is a bi-pedal creature that has zero physical resemblance to aHoney Badger. However, they both share two common traits - they both like to live alone (to an extent) and they’re notorious for their bad temperament. This particular (and rather peculiar) badger kept on digging through life’s struggles before he uttered these words - “Enough is enough”. He crawled out of his deep, dark hole and went back to his first love, music. Drawing many musical influences in his life (including Dallas Green from City & Colour and Josh Tillman aka Father John Misty), HFB channeled his thoughts of his personal battles with love, life and religion through hill-billy, folk music that people seem to poorly categorise it as ‘hipster music’. Let HFB enthral you with his folk guitar playing, his smooth yet robust singing voice and the


to serious fighting. Frankie is the leader of a small street gang in 1970s Edinburgh and gets his kicks by bashing up bartenders and, now and then, more unruly members of his own gang. When he swears to his lover that he will change his life and attends an AA meeting with her, he introduces himself not as an alcoholic but as “a violent man.”

This is a semi-autobiographical film. Jobson was himself a member of a large street gang in Edinburgh until he was asked to join a punk band, The Skids, in the late 1970s. He’s been a musical star, poet, model, screenwriter and producer in the years since. If this film’s styles (yes, that’s a plural) tug us in differing directions, it’s because Jobson tries tooperhaps too good to be true. Still, beneath the hyperbole, the basic lessons of early recovery are all covered. With Steve Buscemi as the serious recovering program director and Azura Skye as Gwen's roommate, Andrea, a young, severely dependent borderline personality. Loudon Wainwright II provides the on ward music. See also my article titled "Good to the Last Drop." Grade: B (09/00)

101 REYKJAVIK (Baltasar Kormakur, Iceland, 2001). THEMES: LESBIAN COMEDY; GROWING UP (BETTER LATE THAN NEVER). Hlynur is an immature 30 year old living on the dole at his Mom's house. His main pursuits are booze, weed and women. His mom takes a lesbian lover (Victoria Abril) whom he impregnates while Mom's away. It's all too unsettling for Hlynur, whose choices are to destroy himself or get a


MOTHER ON A TEENAGE CHILD. A quirky romantic comedy set in contemporary London, the story actually is about 2 boys who come of age: one, Marcus (Nicholas Hoult), who is 12, and the other, Will (Hugh Grant), who is 38. Will is an empty man. He lives off royalties from an enormously popular hit Christmas song his father wrote in 1958, and does absolutely nothing but indulge himself in superficial pleasures and relationships. He hits upon the notion of pretending to be a single parent in order to date single moms. This brings him into contact with Fiona (Toni Collette) and her son Marcus. Fiona is prone to severe depression and suicidal impulses. Marcus, feeling utterly responsible for her welfare, is a desperate, self-sacrificing young man, ridiculed atsad tale of how the sins of an abusive father are visited upon his son, who tries to love but becomes lost to rage. James Coburn and Nick Nolte are excellent as the father and son. When Wade (Nolte) says that he "feels like a whipped dog...one of these days I'm gonna bite back" he evokes a coda for the central passion of many adults who were severely mistreated as children. Equally though more subtlely portrayed is the dilemma of Rolf (Willem Dafoe), Wade's younger brother. When Rolf tells Wade he's not afflicted, Wade's ready retort is, "that's what you think." Later Rolf tells of his lasting affliction. "I was a careful child and I continue to be a careful adult," he says. Rolf avoided abuse by stealth,


by not permitting himself to respond with any provocation of his alcoholic father. But the price of his indelible, pervasive caution is that in mid-adulthood he still is single, aloof, living an orderly life as a bachelor college professor. He never returned to his hometown, not until his mother's death. Apart from this family psychodrama, the film also features a murder, or was it an accident? Grade: B+ (2003)

AFTER INNOCENCE (Jessica Sanders, US, 2005, 95 m.). THEMES: FALSE CONVICTIONS FOR CAPITAL CRIMES; EXONERATION BASED ON DNA EVIDENCE; LIFE EXPERIENCES AFTER EXONERATION. Documentary about men who had been incarcerated, some for 20 years or more, awaiting certain execution on death row, in prisons across the country, men who subsequently have been exonerated after their convictions for capital crimes –One gets a good job from a sympathetic truck repair shop owner. Another successfully pursues his dream of becoming a psychotherapist, first obtaining an A.A. degree, then his B.S. in Psychology. But others fail to find decent work, their records still blemished by unexpunged information regarding their false convictions. One man dies of a heart attack a few years after his release. A successful support group is formed in one locale, and we learn of various efforts now underway to seek compensation, though none has so far succeeded.

Some sobering comments on the problem of false conviction are offered by Barry Scheck and others along the way. The 175 exonerated persons (it was 150 when the movie wrapped, so that is the number Scheck cites in the film interview;


other two women makes for fair drama, but there is a supernatural subplot that gets in the way. Grade: C (09/98)

AILEEN: LIFE AND DEATH OF A SERIAL KILLER (Nick Broomfield & Joan Churchill, UK/US, 2003). THEME: ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY. This is the second film about highway prostitute Aileen (“Lee”) Wuornos made by British documentarist Broomfield, following his 1992 film, Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer, shot at the time of her trials in Florida for killing seven johns in a year (a film I have not seen). The new film incorporates segments of the earlier one with other interviews that fill in some details of Wuornos’s background, as well as footage of Wuornos over the 18 months before her execution in October, 2002. The material here isLater Wuornos told Broomfield (recorded clearly on film) that she had made up her original story of doing the killings in self defense, that in fact she had shot all the men in a calculated manner, and that her deepening Christian beliefs made it important to her to tell the truth before she died. This revelation appears to have had a transfixing effect on Broomfield.

Life and Death then narrows down to a contest of wills between Wuornos and Broomfield, each in pursuit of issues that bear on the question of responsibility for the killings. Broomfield is noted for inserting himself into the forefront of films he makes (not unlike documentarist/performance artist Michael Moore). His agenda is the self-defense issue, which he asks Wuornos about whenever he has an


opportunity. Is it really true that her self-defense claim was spurious? That is what he comes back to again and again. And for good reason. Her testimony about events in the first shooting, which we see in courtroom footage, is deeply convincing (it is very much along the lines of the dramatized encounter in Monster).

For her part, Wuornos, over the year or so before her execution, has convinced herself that it was the police who were principally responsible for the killings. According to her theory, they had been watching her for months, knew almost immediately that she had killed the first man, then let her remain free to kill others, so her increasingly sensational story would pay off when police sold book and film rights. This extravagant ideait all, she demonstrates a highly realistic view of the virtual certainty that she will be executed. Wrathful, yes. Eccentric, to be sure. But Aileen Wuornos doesn’t seem crazy to me. Grade: B (04/04)

ALICE AND MARTIN (André Techiné, France, 2000). THEME: DISSOCIATIVE DISORDER WITH COMA AND TRANSIENT MEMORY LOSS.. Story of star-crossed lovers. Martin (Alexis Loret), an illegitimate child, moves to his father's house at age 10 but feels imprisoned there by the man's callousness. Ten years later Martin flees after pushing his father down stairs to his death. (The mother, the only witness, covers up the true events, saying it was an accidental fall.) Martin moves to Paris, where he meets Alice (Juliette Binoche), a more experienced woman eking out a living as a violinist, who shares


an apartment with Martin's gay halfbrother. Martin and Alice become lovers, but when she becomes pregnant and reveals the fact to Martin, this news activates his suppressed guilt about killing his father, precipitating an dissociative disorder marked by sudden weakness, loss of consciousness and transient coma-like state, with weakness for awhile after regaining consciousness in a few hours and loss of memory for immediate events around the onset of unconsciousness.

Irritable, socially aloof, but physically stronger after a few weeks, he tells Alice the true story of his father's fate but this brings no relief. He insists that only by being tried for the killing can he find peace. He moves on to a psychiatric hospital and Alice does his bidding, going to his stepmother to persuade her tobe a witness to the facts the day Martin pushed his father down the stairs. He turns himself in, and the film ends with him awaiting a sentence but now unburdened by guilt, feeling positive about the relationship to Alice and the as yet unborn baby. Alice of course is left pregnant, and without her man or much of a living. Binoche is convincing, given the premise that we know almost nothing about her background except that she apparently has never previously had a sustained love relationship. Perhaps this explains her poor choice in picking Martin. Loret is even more convincing, and about him and his background we learn a lot. The screenplay is long and heavy going but does have integrity. (In French) Grade: B (05/01)

ALL ABOUT


MY MOTHER (Pedro Almodovar, Spain, 1999). THEMES: WOMEN’S ISSUES; TRANSGENDER ISSUES. Considered perhaps Almodovar's most serious work to date, this is, he says, a tribute to women, to actresses who play actresses, to men who would be women, to all who wish to be mothers, and so on. He brings together several great female players. The story centers on Manuela (Cecilia Roth), a former prostitute whose son dies early in the film, leading her from Madrid back to Barcelona where she encounters an old friend and transsexual prostitute Agrada (Antonia San Juan) and a great actress, Huma Roja (Marisa Paredes), among other women. Manuela's grief moves her to help first her old friend, then a young pregnant woman, Rosa (Penelope Cruz), then Roja. Everything as usual is highlycolorful and full of wonderful gender-bending personalities in Almodovar's world. (In Spanish) Grade: B (01/00)

ALL THE REAL GIRLS (David Gordon Green, US, 2003). THEME: ACHIEVING MATURE RELATIONSHIPS (YOUNG ADULT COMING-OF-AGE). It's a pleasure to see an American film about coming-of-age and romance that much of the time feels fresh and real. The title is misleading and may turn aside an important audience for this film. As I see it, Real is as much a guyflick as a romantic comedy; in fact it has the best guy scenes and conversations I can recall in a U.S. film since Spring Forward. We meet a group of four or five young men in their early 20s who have always known each other. They live in a run down river town in


North Carolina that had been prosperous before all the textile mills closed but one. These guys aren't going anywhere and have reached an age where they're just starting to worry about that, to feel vulnerable. Then Noel (Zooey Deschanel), the 18 year old kid sister of one of the guys, comes home to roost after 6 years away at boarding school. She proceeds to put some moves on her brother Tip's best buddy, Paul (Paul Schneider, who also co-wrote the screenplay). Paul has laid every woman in town he could get his paws on since he was 13. His own mother (Patricia Clarkson in one of her less memorable roles) at one point tells Paul that "...you're not careful, educated, honest or strong, and you don't have anyfaith."

But Noel spins Paul around, he becomes genuinely disoriented, and for the first time he feels something akin to honesty and inklings of love for this girl. The emergence of their connection feels valid. Meanwhile Tip (Shea Whigham), a rougher sort of rascal who knows Paul like the back of his own hand, is not at all happy that his kid sister is probably being shagged by the most notorious heartbreaker in town. But Tip's own jets get cooled when his girlfriend turns up pregnant, and, to his own great surprise, the thought of becoming a father actually opens Tip's heart more than a little. Noel also has some growing up to do, in the course of which she pulls some stunts that appear to torpedo her affair


him sometime after his life has been devastated after a fire in his barn in which his young daughter was trapped and died. As is so often the case in real life, this terrible loss has also torn his marriage apart, leaving Jean to suffer the dual loss of his wife and his child. Not only that, he cannot get a loan to rebuild the barn and replace his livestock, threatening to end his life work - and family tradition - as a farmer.

Through an old friend, Jean gains a job at a steel foundry in the city. It’s alien work to him, but he stoically adapts. He falls in with a group of displaced Albanian Kosavars who also work there, and is welcomed into their social circle.the phenomenon of dislocation. The Kosavars obviously are dislocated refugees. Yet, ironically, Jean, though just a few kilometers from his farm, is also dislocated: a man removed from his family and forced by circumstances to assume an unfamiliar life in terms of place and work. The commonalities that bind these dislocated people together are portrayed in a manner that is instructive but not didactic. The directing debut for Switzerland's Greg Zglinski, this was one of the better films in the 2006 “Frames of Mind” Mental Health Film Festival in Vancouver, B.C. (In French and Albanian) Grade: B+ (05/06)

AMERICAN BEAUTY (Sam Mendes, US, 1999). THEMES: FAMILY CONFLICT; DEPRESSION; MID-LIFE CRISIS. SPOILER ALERT! Oh. Oh. Out in the suburbs there's trouble brewing once again in the contemporary American nuclear family.


the desperate angst that drives the main protagonist, this film, unlike Ice Storm, also sounds a hopeful note, suggesting that beauty surrounds us, and that it is possible to change our stance in the world, if we will only imagine more clearly how lovely life could be. Cynics will say, "Stop and smell the coffee. Yeah. Right. So then, how come the guy has to die?” Still, in a film genre prone to exploiting negatives, I find the positive riffs in this film refreshing.

The big thing that sets this film apart from other recent Exurbans is the quality of the performances. In nearly every role the players convey a richness, complexity and tautness of character that is compelling and believable. Kevin Spacey has been rightly praised for hiswork in the central role as the husband, but very good turns are also contributed by Annette Bening (the wife), Thora Birch (the daughter), Mena Suvari (her best girlfriend), Wes Bentley (the daughter's boyfriend), Chris Cooper (his father) and Peter Gallagher (the wife's lover). Sam Mendes, an experienced British stage director, evokes these fine performances and scores a hit in his film directing debut here. Oscar winners here included Spacey (Best Actor), Mendes (Best Director) and the movie (Best Film). Grade: A- (10/99)

AMERICAN HISTORY X (Tony Kaye, US, 1998). THEMES: HATE CRIMES; VIOLENCE; MORALITY; CAPACITY FOR CHANGE. Edward Norton gives a dazzling performance as Derek, a young skinhead who murders 2 blacks and while in prison discovers a different point of view about racial and other moral matters.