Blind Prophet, Episode 2: Spiritual Warfare Free on the Amazon Kindle!
Blind Prophet, Episode 2 will be launching in the Amazon Kindle store on May 30th, when it will be free for two days!
Flemington, NJ-May 4, 2017 - The second episode in a series of seven planned episodes in the Blind Prophet comic book series will be launching on May 30th, 2017 in the Amazon Kindle store. The series has received solid reviews from diverse audiences, including many non-traditional comic book readers. Blind Prophet, Episode 1: A Prophet Is Born made its debut in the Kindle store on March 18th and the plan is to publish the first four episodes that are already in print in EBook form over the coming months.
“We’ve been marketing the comic books and the Blind Prophet, Part 1 compilation quite successfully at Comic Cons, and look forward to expanding our audience on the Amazon Kindle,” says the author, Joseph Cillo, Jr, “We decided on using a free-download strategy to kick off the book launch. We want to give people a really good deal, and there’s not much better deal than FREE!”
Blind Prophet is the story of a boy, Daniel Prophet, born blind and autistic, who undergoes an experimental procedure that allows him to see into the spiritual realm, where demons tempt and angels defend. In Episode 2, Daniel’s visions become much more vivid, as he gains insight into how to interpret them.
“I wrote the episodes so that a reader can easily start with any of the first three, and understand what is going on. In fact, most comic book stories will start with something exciting that happens in the middle of the story, and then go back and tell the origin story. I wanted to tell the story in a traditional way, allowing the story to build, but by breaking the story into episodes, you can easily start with episode 2 or 3 and get the effect of a more modern comic book story.”
So, why Episodes, and not Issues? “Well, we sort of backed into making this a comic book,” Cillo went on, “It started as a screenplay for a movie. It’s really one big story told in seven episodes now, not an ongoing comic book series, though there is a set-up for a sequel at the end of Episode 7”
While the price for the printed version of Blind Prophet, Episode 2 is $4.99, the Kindle version will be available for just $3.99, once the FREE launch promotion expires. Anyone interested in downloading Blind Prophet, Episode 2: Spiritual Warfare for FREE can get a free sample with an alternate cover when they sign up to be notified at:
Blind Prophet, Part 1 is available in printed form on the Blind Prophet Website at www.blindprophetcomic.com, as well as on Amazon.com. Inquiries for purchases directly from the publisher may be directed to [email protected].
Episode 1 is currently available on Amazon.com at:


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Poudre Canyon Fire Protection District
Stretching nearly 60 miles up the Poudre Canyon, our district encompasses nearly 90 square miles. Communities included in the district are Poudre Park, Poudre City or Rustic, Spencer Heights and the Manhattan Creek area.
We have approximately 30 volunteers who respond to emergencies such as wildland fires, structure fires, motor vehicle accidents, rafting and climbing accidents, and medical emergencies. These volunteers work out of four stations located in the communities above.
The district is a "Special District" governed by a five-member board of directors.
- Updating Community Wildfire Protection Plan
- Poudre Canyon Fire Protection District (PCFPD) is beginning the process to update our Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) originally written in 2007-2008. CWPPs are authorized and defined in Title I of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act passed by Congress on November 21, 2003. CWPPs are a critical step in becoming a fire-adapted community by conducting a community wildfire risk analysis, developing methods and actionable steps to reduce wildfire risk, and ensuring community involvement throughout the process. PCFPD and other members of the CWPP Core Team will be engaging with the community over the next several months to complete this needed update. If you would like to provide input to the core team, please complete this survey: SURVEY. Please continue to monitor the PCFPD's website for updates on this project.
- Cache la Poudre Fire & Emergency Group
Cache la Poudre Fire and Emergence Group Board of Directors Ralph Matzner (fundraising chair), Bette Blinde (treasurer), James Ingram, Becky McGraw (secretary), Ron Lonneman (president), and Brett Ridges.
Cache la Poudre Fire and Emergency Group, Inc., also known as CLPFEG, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that was formed solely to raise and provide resources on behalf of the Poudre Canyon Fire Protection District. This organization was established in 2001 by a group of canyon residents who were deeply concerned by the ongoing struggle the fire district faced for funding. It is governed by a six-person board of directors and has been instrumental in obtaining funds to build a new Station 4.
- AirMedCare Network
Because our district is in a rural area of Colorado we often have to send critical patients to the hospital via helicopter.
You never know when a medical emergency will arise. But when it does, time and access to world-class patient care can mean everything. That’s why an AirMedCare Network membership is so important. If you or your family have a medical emergency, this alliance of affiliated air ambulance helicopters and airplanes provides medical transport, dramatically reducing travel time to an emergency treatment facility.
Becoming an AirMedCare Network member is a good way to support the healthcare needs of you, your family, and your local community. AirMedCare membership base – the largest of its kind in the United States – helps us operate in areas where having a quick response to critical medical situations can save lives. For more information contact: www.AMCNRep.com/Amy-Scott.If you sign up please use the following codes:Enter GET code 150Enter Track code 13820
- Flooding Information
Approximately 50% of the Cameron Peak burn scar is currently hydrophobic and will not absorb snowmelt or rain. With that in mind, there is a serious potential for flooding along the Poudre, its tributaries, and the dry washes that lead to it. Of particular concern to the County are the Laramie River Valley, Roaring Creek, Seven Mile Creek (Rustic), and the streams along Pingree Park Road and Buckhorn Road. The Sheriff’s Office has added another level to the Voluntary and Mandatory Evacuation notices, the new level is LEAVE NOW. To get automated alerts for your area sign up and NOCO Alerts or text “FLOOD2021” to 888777. The dams at the big reservoirs are not felt to be at risk but may see long-term effects from silt deposits. If you feel your house is in danger of flooding from runoff events, sandbags will be available the week of May 8 at various locations in the canyon. Take what you need, but please bring any extras back for your neighbors to use. Roll-off dumpsters are planned to be located in the area for debris removal, and when the decision is finalized, their locations will be shown on the map. Map to DumpstersAfter a fire, flooding often occurs. Information about the national flood insurance program can be found at: https://www.floodsmart.gov
- In Memory of Buz Elden
Buz was a valued member of our fire department. He didn't live in the PCFPD district but spent the majority of his time working in the area. He joined our department after the High Park Fire. He’d drop whatever he was working on to help on a call.
Buz was quiet, intelligent, kind, and frugal. From floors to roofs and everything in between, he possessed a variety of construction skills and knowledge. When he built something, he built it to last. He would research the best way to build something or the best product to use. The Resource Center was one of his favorite places to shop for bargains. He would check for with them before buying something new. Also, he worked diligently on finishing Station 4. The beautiful window sills and baseboards were his handiwork and he completely redid the spackle on the walls because it wasn’t up to his standards. He put in extra outlets, too, and helped build the kitchenette and put down flooring. A "Jack of all trades and master of most”. He took pride in his work, for sure. He was very innovative in finding ways to make things better or to do a job better. He built a contraption to lift the large sections of a metal building. It didn’t work quite the way he wanted it to, so over the weekend, he rebuilt it so it would more safely and easily lift the building sections.
Buz was a patient man. My dog, Callie, doesn't like new people, especially men. It took him two years of always being kind, and always having a piece of jerky to win her confidence. They ended up being buddies with Buz often sharing his lunch with her. He showed this patience with horses too. Buz's passion was riding horses. If there is a trail in this area, he has most likely ridden it and probably more than once. Happy trails to Buz…PC416.

domain: geography


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Verbal memory decline seen after ecstasy use.
Carriers of the methionine allele of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphism proved far more sensitive to this adverse drug effect than were people who possessed the valine allele, added Ms. Schilt of the Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research and the University of Amsterdam.
Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymetham-phetamine), also known as MDMA, is an inexpensive illicit recreational drug that's popular in the dance club/rave scene. Users report feelings of happiness and connection to others.
Animal studies suggest that ecstasy is neurotoxic, producing long-term damage to the distal axons of serotonergic neurons.
Cognitive deficits have been documented in recreational users. However, such studies have either been cross-sectional or retrospective, and have mostly involved heavy users of ecstasy and multiple other potentially confounding drugs, including cocaine, alcohol, cannabis, and amphetamines.
For this reason, Ms. Schilt and her coin-vestigators performed a prospective observational cohort study in 188 ecstasy-naive subjects as part of the larger Netherlands XTC Toxicity Study.
Participants, whose mean age was 22 years, were recruited at places such as dance clubs and university campuses. Participants had to indicate an interest in trying ecstasy in the future, have a history of only minimal exposure to other recreational drugs, and undergo baseline neuropsychologic testing and brain imaging studies.
During 11 months of follow-up, 58 subjects took ecstasy. Their usage was modest: a mean cumulative dose of 3.2 tablets and a median of 1.5. They underwent neuropsychologic testing roughly 12 weeks after their most recent use of the drug, as did a matched group of 60 subjects who remained persistently ecstasy naive.
The participants were queried about drug use during follow-up, and underwent drug screening to validate their self-reported minimal use of other drugs.
At baseline, the two groups had similar neuropsychologic test scores. However, at follow-up the ecstasy users had significantly lower scores on immediate and delayed verbal recall and verbal recognition.
Other cognitive domains remained unaffected.
Nonetheless, the test results suggest even a low cumulative dose of ecstasy could be neurotoxic.
Further follow-up will show whether the deficits remain after longer periods of abstinence. Also worthy of further study is the possibility that ecstasy accelerates the decline in verbal memory that's part of the normal aging process. Answers to these questions will have a bearing on ongoing clinical studies exploring the use of MDMA to facilitate psychotherapy, she continued.
Because ecstasy's pleasurable effects are attributable to a boost of serotonin in the brain, it was initially hypothesized that the serotonin transport promoter gene was involved in the drug's adverse effects upon memory.
When other investigators demonstrated that that was not the case, Ms. Schilt and coinvestigators decided to study the effects of COMT gene polymorphisms in their subjects.
They found that the neuropsychologic test abnormalities associated with ecstasy use were most pronounced in people who were homozygous for the methionine or met allele.
This finding makes sense, Ms. Schilt explained, because the met allele is associated with low COMT activity and thus with relatively high synaptic dopamine levels.
The Netherlands XTC Toxicity Study is funded by the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development.
BY BRUCE JANCIN Denver Bureau
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|Publication:||Internal Medicine News|
|Article Type:||Clinical report|
|Date:||May 1, 2008|
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domain: biology


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Families of Missing Somali Men Speak Out in Minnesota
At least 18 young Somali men have left the Minneapolis area to fight the jihad in Somalia. Authorities found pieces of one of the missing men Shirwa Ahmed in Somalia in October. Shirwa had blown himself up killing himself and 29 of his countrymen. His scattered remains were flown back home to Minnesota last week for burial.
Several other Minnesota Somali men went missing this past year:
Now, three of the Somali families are speaking out about their missing sons.
They really don’t want to see chunks of their family members flown back home in a box.
Local Somali families spoke out Saturday about the sons and nephews they say have gone missing. The boys and men, they fear, are fighting a jihad in their war-torn native country.
Despite worries over retaliation here and abroad, the families spoke to Twin Cities media in hopes of spreading their message: They want their children back.
Nearly a dozen local boys and young men have gone missing in the past two years, said Somali community leader Abdirizak Bihi, whose nephew is among them. There likely are more, he said.
Some of the men and boys have called home saying they are in Somalia, without specifying why. There is concern they were brainwashed and then left to fight in the civil war their parents fled from, local leaders said Saturday.
Without specifying who they believe recruited the young men for such a mission, leaders said investigators should look closely at the money at local Muslim institutions.
“(The missing men and boys) have been financially supported to leave the country with the promise of utopian society,” Bihi said. “(But) they are in harm’s way.”
Local concerns grew after a Minneapolis man, Shirwa Ahmed, disappeared and killed himself in a suicide bombing in northern Somalia on Oct. 29.

domain: news


Actress Sunny Leone will be part of a digital marketing campaign by an online marketplace. Foodpanda is for food delivery and the campaign will showcase how the brand comes to the rescue of people in the liquidity crunch situation that has cropped up after demonetisation. The main target of the campaign would be the consumers through various digital platforms such as Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The campaign videos will feature Sunny along with her husband Daniel Weber, in an informal relaxed disposition at her home, yearning for some great food and Foodpanda does the trick for her.
» Finance » Now Sunny Leone will satisfy the hunger of customers
This content was originally published here.


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Pop star James Blunt is known for being quick off the mark when it comes to his comedy comebacks to critics, but now he's made himself the joke.
The singer-songwriter has fans in hysterics, after he announced an album and tour in his own unique way.
He's best known for smash-hit single You're Beautiful, and the emotional ballad from 2005 sold over 3.6million copies around the world.
It went to number one and stayed there for five weeks.
James, 47, told The Sun: "Amazingly, I’m releasing my Greatest Hits.
“I wanted to call it Greatest Hit (& Songs I Wish You’d Heard) but the good people at Atlantic Records suggested I call it something more sensible."
Instead, he called it The Stars Beneath My Feet (2004 to 2021), and has announced a tour next year too to promote the album.
The sharp-tongued singer is known for his witty comebacks if ever somebody is mean to him on social media.
In addition to the overwhelming success of You're Beautiful, all of James’s six albums has entered the Top 10.
His debut Back to Bedlam and follow up, All the Lost Souls, reached No1.
The Greatest Hits album itself will include 30 tracks and feature live performances.
As well as his album and tour, it was announced last week that James is moving into the world of television presenting.
It's reported that a new reality competition is being produced for James to present.
The show will feature small breweries fighting it out to be crowned the makers of the best pint.
An insider told The Sun: “James owns his own boozer, The Fox & Pheasant in London, and is a bit of a beer connoisseur. The main premise of the series is going to be showcasing some of the best small breweries in the world.”
James and his wife bought the 17th century Chelsea pub in 2018 and spent 18 months renovating it.
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Source: Read Full Article

domain: entertainment


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Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Every generation seems to get a new take on the Film Noir genre. The Noughties had Brick, The Man Who Wasn't There and Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, the Nineties had The Big Lebowski, and the Seventies had The Long Goodbye and Chinatown.
Whilst the others have tended to go for updating the genre with a modern twist, Chinatown is classic film noir with an old school story. In fact the only real change is that it is in colour.
JJ Gittes (Jack Nicholson in probably his finest role) starts off with one case that soon turns into a much bigger, more dangerous case along with a good old femme fatale thrown in for good measure in the form of an unstable Faye Dunaway.
It is all presented from Gittes's perspective, so the audience find out the clues and unravel the mystery at the same time. And it is quite a complicated case with a "lot of ins, lot of outs, lot of what-have-yous" as The Dude would say in the parlance of our times. It features several twists and turns along the way but it would be poor form to spoil them but trust me, it's a doozy.
One of the most memorable moments in the film comes courtesy of its director, as Polanski has a cameo as the "kitty kat" that slices up Jack's nose, resulting in the big bandage he wears for the rest of the film. Perhaps a nod to the fact that private detectives back in the 40's Noirs would always get beaten up but never have a scratch on them.
This could be the point in the review where it would be easy to give an opinion on Polanski's recent (and past) troubles with the law but that would be opening a huge can of underage worms so I'll leave well alone and simply say that he has directed the very best film noir on the list.
"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown", watch it and you won't be forgetting it anytime soon.
Days remaining - 15 Films remaining - 15
Monday, 30 August 2010
This week I launched a new series of screenings at The Belmont called TOTAL CULT.
The first two films we had were THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE and THE ROOM, both of which were exclusive to us and have had a lot of press.
THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE is a movie that really only exists because the director came up with the idea of sewing three people together after a discussion about a suitable punishment for paedophiles. It turns out that the film is actually much less graphic than the disugsting premise suggests but what you get is a throwback to the crazy scientist/body horror B-Movies of the 80's, with a tour-de-force performance from Dieter Laser as the insane surgeon.
THE ROOM has been billed as "the worst film ever made" and it might be, but it is so unintentionally hilarious that it becomes a work of demented genius. Tommy Wiseau is clearly on a different planet, and his writing, directing and acting is so terrible but because it believes that it is a serious movie that it works as a "so bad it's good" film that is best seen with an audience. There was banter throughout the film; cringing at the (several) sex scenes complete with jazz soft core ballads, cheering for the line "You're tearing me apart Lisa", and general laughter for continuity errors, just plain bad acting and recurring gems like Lisa declaring that she "doesn't want to talk about it".
All the screenings so far have been really well attended, in fact the Sunday night show of CENTIPEDE was a near sell-out, and the audiences have been fantastic. They have taken each film in the spirit that is intended and tonight THE ROOM even got a standing ovation from a group.
These films were a gamble as I wasn't sure if there would be an audience for them but I am delighted that there is an audience for these kind of films in Aberdeen and I'll be doing my best to continue to this type of screening, perhaps with Blaxploitation spoof BLACK DYNAMITE.
One of the most satisfying things about tonight was getting the great feedback from everyone, and one guy was even speaking about how he loved the title TOTAL CULT because it reminded him of that joke from Spaced which was where I got it from. The joke of course being that Tim's girlfriend couldn't see him because there was a spelling mistake on the cover of one of the magazines she was working on, "which one?", "Total Cult".
But first I'll be bringing back THE ROOM for another screening with full interactive audience participation involving throwing plastic spoons and american footballs!
Glad to listen to suggestions for other films to screen as part of the new TOTAL CULT season. Just post suggestions below or on our Facebook page.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. A prime example of how a good movie can be spoiled by unnecessary changes.
Sadly the 20th anniversary edition of E.T. is the only version that is currently available and because this is the version that I watched for this challenge, it will affect the ultimate rating that I give it.
This is the version that caused some controversy when Spielberg went back and digitally replaced the government agents' guns with walkie talkies as well as replacing some of the puppets with CGI.
It was the film that caused South Park to make the episode where Cartman et all go to Hollywood to try and stop filmmakers messing about with their films when they here that Spielberg and Lucas to do the same with Raiders... I would argue that they did it when they made Crystal Skulls!
The problem is that these changes are very noticeable and the CG is not the greatest quality either. It is a real shame considering the that puppet used back in 1982 still looks good today and much better and more realistic than the poor CGI.
Thankfully however the central story has remained untouched and is still sweet and filled with wonder due to the performances of the central trio of children, particularly Drew Barrymore who is adorable as Gertie. You can feel the pain of the loss of the father that is filled by their friendship with E.T.
The emotional resonance of the children's adventure with the alien creature is heightened by John Williams' score, with the recognisable main theme and the shadowy Keys even gets a hint of the Imperial March to his theme.
Days remaining - 16 Films remaining - 16
Sunday, 29 August 2010
Each episode normally focused on a different character and a different time period, mostly featuring the Simon family and charted the town from before WWII all the way through to 1982.
Friday, 27 August 2010
Am sure to ruffle a few feather with this review but I didn't really think too highly of 2001.
I mean artistically there is no denying that it is a stunning film to look at and listen to. Kubrick has clearly spent a lot of time making sure that every shot and every frame looks perfect.
Apart from being nice to look at, I found the film rather boring to endure. I expect this is what a date with Paris Hilton would be like... bazinga!
The entire film comes across like a piece of abstract art in that there are no definitive answers and everyone who watches it might take away a different intrepretation.
But unfortunately for this film I was like HAL 9000 and developed no real emotional attachment to the story or the characters.
There is very little character development (practically zero in the first two segments of the story) which didn't help me to invest in the film. HAL gets more backstory than the likes of Dave does!
My friend told me that I wasn't high enough when watching it to enjoy it but that shouldn't be a factor but it might have explained the state of mind of Kubrick et all when filming the final sequence which is very trippy and ends with a giant baby version of Dave floating in space!
Days remaining - 19 Films remaining - 18
Thursday, 26 August 2010
I can't understand why this film is on the list ahead of another Beatty classic and superior film Bonnie And Clyde.
A more low-key adventure for Beatty who teams up with another beautiful woman to cause some mischief, but in this case running a saloon and whorehouse in a remote mining town.
Feathers are ruffled when he turns down an offer to buy out the business which results in bounty hunters coming to town to take McCabe out.
The look and feel of the film seem to have been an inspiration for Assassination Of Jesse James, in that both are Westerns that try to avoid the normal conventions of the genre.
This film seems to be thought of quite highly but I just couldn't get into it because of the poor quality of the DVD transfer. It was incredibly dark and grainy, and reminded me of trying to watch a dark scene at a 3D movie, which was very distracting.
104 - The Rules Of The Game (La Regle Du Jeu) - 4 stars
An amusing farce where the French upper class play a game of love, lies and betrayal whilst on a vacation at a remote country house.
Murder is on the cards (what is it about country mansions that inspire murder? Do the rich have nothing else to do?), and the tension builds as we try and figure out who will be killed and who will pull the trigger.
Well paced, witty and very French, it shows the gulf between the classes before the war and delights in playing them against each other.
19 - The Godfather Part II - 5 stars
Greatest sequel ever made? Better than the original? I'm not sure.
Still a damn fine piece of filmmaking though.
I don't think I've ever known 3 hours and 22 minutes to pass so quickly.
Al Pacino has never been better than his portrayal of Michael Corleone and the movie focuses on his descent into hell, becoming his father despite the fact that in the first film he was the one who intended to avoid the family business. He is able to do much with just a look, it's in the eyes and he manages to say a lot without having to resort to the shouty bombastics which have become his usual acting schtick late in his career.
The trail of blood that he spills on his way to cementing his position as The Godfather is mirrored by Vito Corleone's rise to power and revenge with Robert DeNiro doing an excellent job trying to make the role his own whilst having some early Brando in there too.
The cast is fantastic and Coppolla allows each one to shine without unbalancing the film and keeps a tight hold of the story which could threaten to get off point at times but manages to produce another terrific piece of filmmaking from the "golden age" of Hollywood when filmmakers and originality were focused on rather than technology and profit.
Days remaining - 20 Films remaining - 19
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Sidney Lumet returns to the courtroom after Twelve Angry Men with a drama where the outcome of the case is less important than the redemption of Paul Newman's character.
Newman plays Francis P. Galvin, a once great lawyer who is now an alcoholic and an ambulance chaser. A medical malpractice case gives him a shot at some easy money but soon turns into the chance to put his demons behind him and get his life back.
Whilst the court case has all the usual twists and turns you would expect in this genre of film (surprise witnesses, setbacks, intimidation, etc), it lacks that one grandstanding moment where the lead character can really get there teeth into and create an iconic moment. If any film is to blame for this then I point the finger at Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, "You can't handle the truth!".
A great central performance from Newman who shows the character's flaws but also has that movie star sparkle when needed (perhaps he should have won the Oscar for this instead of The Color Of Money), but overall it just doesn't match up to Twelve Angry Men.
Days remaining - 21 Films remaining - 22
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
An odd one this. I saw this a couple of years ago and hated it. I found it long, dull and pretentious. However this time around I found myself identifying with aspects of the lead character's journey and therefore became more emotionally involved in the film.
Marcello Mastroianni plays a journalist who is stuck providing copy for the gossip columns. He finds himself stuck between two worlds. On the one hand he both loathes yet idolises the world he comments on, desperate to be a part of it yet sickened that he wants to be, and on the other hand bored of his mundane life with his clinging and neurotic girlfriend.
Days remaining - 22 Films remaining - 23
Monday, 23 August 2010
Now I understand why this is the highest rated Western on the list and one of the most highly rated films of all time. It is the finest Western that I've watched and probably the most influential as well.
Apart from inspiring a whole host of movies using the "Once Upon A Time In..." moniker, I noticed elements in the film that I have seen in the likes of Kill Bill, The Quick And The Dead, Pirates Of The Caribbean and so on.
There is much to love and appreciate in this film; the slow build of the opening scene, Henry Fonda relishing playing the bad guy for once, the beauty of Claudia Cardinale, Ennio Morricone's finest score with each main protaginist getting their own identifiable theme, the reveal of Harmonica's past, etc, etc.
I could go on but it is probably best for you to just watch the film yourself, and if you've already seen it, watch it again.
Days remaining - 23 Films remaining - 24
Sunday, 22 August 2010
Well this is evidence that you should judge each film on its own merits and not be prejudice just because of your feelings on previous experiences, in this case the films of Kevin Costner.
I'd never seen this before but I went in wary due to the idea that all Costner films tended to be over three hours long and incredibly dull e.g. Waterworld, The Postman, etc.
Imagine my surprise when I got a good film through the post from Lovefilm.
Dances With Avatars is anchored by a strong performance from Costner, showcasing the heart of a man desperate to cling onto the notion of the old America.
Incredibly polished for a first time director especially considering the location shoot and the fact that Costner is the lead actor as well. He clearly must be a huge Eastwood fan, although he is not quite on his level in terms of talent.
20 - Blade Runner - 5 stars
A cracking throwback to the film noir genre wrapped up in a gorgeous science fiction package.
Days remaining - 24 Films remaining - 25
500 Films. 365 Days. 1 Geek.
Wednesday 15th September, 8.00pm at The Belmont Picturehouse.
The 15th September will be day 365 in my challenge to watch every single film on the Empire Magazine list of the 500 Greatest Films Of All Time in just one year.
"It's a crazy endeavour, but you're doing brilliantly. Best of luck on the final stretch!" - Helen O'Hara, Empire Magazine
To celebrate the end of this amazing challenge I will be hosting a special screening of the number film on the list - THE GODFATHER.
It also happens to coincide with the 10th anniversary of The Belmont Picturehouse so please come along to what promises to be an emotional end to one of the craziest films challenges ever undertaken and a celebration of one man getting a social life back.
Tickets are on sale now, click here for details.
Friday, 20 August 2010
You know, if my memory serves correctly, and it normally does, then the only Elizabeth Taylor film that I have ever seen is The Flintstones.
The only only Liz Taylor I've ever known is the ageing, divorced Liz that we've seen in the papers the last few years.
So imagine my shock when I watched this film and found out that she was a major hottie back in the day, hubba hubba.
This story of a fatal love triangle has two strong female leads, particularly Shelley Winters (who might have had trouble swimming in this film but at least she made up for it in The Posieden Adventure!), but I found Montgomery Clift to be a rather bland leading man. He didn't seem to have the charisma to charm both, let alone, one of these ladies.
Luckily a blustering, yelling Raymond Burr aka Perrry Mason turns up towards the end as a vindictive D.A. to give the final moments some much needed oomph.
Days remaining - 26 Films remaining - 27
Thursday, 19 August 2010
Will I be starting a mass debate (he he) by stating that in my opinion, When Harry Met Sally is THE best romantic comedy of all time?
Let me list ten reasons why I am correct:
1. This is Billy Crystal's best performance outside of an Oscar ceremony.
2. A lot of the conversations are honest and based on issues and conversations that many couples have had i.e. "can men and women really be friends?"
3. The opening credits are the same font as the one that Woody Allen uses in all his films. In fact, this is the best Woody Allen film that Woody Allen never made.
4. "Don't fuck with Mr Zero". This is one of the sharpest scenes I've seen in a comedy. It's the timing of the lines to the mexican waves, Crystal's delivery and a kicker of a punch line.
5. Meg Ryan is actually cute and lovable in this film. Not the cold fish-lipped woman she has become these days i.e. her appearance on Parkinson.
6. The sweet interviews with the old couples that break up the film into chapters. Ain't they adorable.
7. Carrie Fisher in a great role that isn't in a Star Wars movie.
8. This film introduced me to Casablanca, now one of my all-time favourite films.
9. "I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."
10. Oh, and Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm :)
Days remaining - 27 Films remaining - 28
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
A taut, tense, claustrophobic film that really puts you in the same position as the crew of "the boat". We join Lt Werner, a war correspondant, who joins the German crew of a U-Boat on a mission towards the end of WWII.
The first hour introduces us to the crew and we get the usual stereoptypical characters such as the war-fatigued captain, the fresh faced newbie, the by-the-book officer, etc, etc. You spend time with the men so that the expected events that come later on will mean more on an emotional level.
Only those expected events never quite happen. Yes, there is an attack on the u-boat that causes them to sink and there is a race against time to repair the ship. But there isn't people dropping dead left, right and centre or sacrificing themselves for the lives of others that you normally get in a Hollywood movie. Then I remembered that this WASN'T a Hollywood movie, but one of the most expensive and critically acclaimed German films ever made. It is good but for a German look at war there is still no better film than Downfall.
Days remaining - 28 Films remaining - 29
Time Out called this "the funniest film of all time", but they must have watched a different film, or have a different idea of what "funny" is.
Monsieur Hulot was the inspiration for Mr Bean, and Hulot is a well-meaning but bumbling fool who unwittingly causes havoc while on vacation at a hotel on the coast.
A predominantly silent film, much of the comedy is derived from physical comedy or slapstick but I couldn't even raise a smile.
Looking back through my notes on this challenge, the only two comedies to have received the hallowed five star rating are Airplane and Anchorman so I guess my sense of humour lies in a different area of comedy than that of Monsieur Hulot.
130 - The Man Who Would Be King - 3 stars
And finally I get to see the "other film with Michael Caine in a red military uniform" which I seemed to keep mixing up with Zulu. This one has the more recognisable Caine persona, that being a shouty Cockney.
But this isn't a war film as such, instead two British men trek to a remote country where they intend to becomes kings by helping a leader to defeat his enemies before usurping him, but events take an unexpected turn when the tribe mistake one of them for a scared God.
Connery shows more depth than normal as he struggles with the power given to him as he becomes increasingly unwilling to relinquish control, even if it means paying the ultimate sacrifice.
Days remaining - 29 Films remaining - 30
Monday, 16 August 2010
It took me a while to really get into the film and that was mainly due to the fact that whenever Alec Guinness spoke I immediately thought of him as Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Luckily I did manage to get past this and I am glad I did as it is a good film and one of Guinness's best performances.
He plays the commanding officer to a group of British soldiers in a POW camp. Initially there is a stand-off with his Japanese counterpart about the rules and regulations of running the camp, but this slowly gives way to a mutual respect and understanding.
This sets up the main crux of the film which is Guinness's stiff upper lip causes him to force his soldiers to actually design and build a bridge that would stand the test of time, despite the advantage this may give the Japanese during the war.
I would have loved to have seen more of the British soldiers actually building the bridge but instead the focus shifts onto a plot to destroy the bridge, led by an American soldier who previously escaped the camp.
As with all war films the story doesn't well for all involved but I wasn't expecting such a high level of tragedy. As perfectly summed up by a survivor "madness, bloody madness".
Days remaining - 30 Films remaining - 32
Friday, 13 August 2010
If there was one film on this list that truly encapsulates the term 'epic' then I would probably select this film over any other.
It has stunning widescreen vistas and battle scenes where hundreds of arabs on horses attack an enemy town (all done back in the day with real extras, no CGI here thank you very much).
Yet for such a big film it has some beautifully deft little touches. Like the edit where Lawrence blows out a match and it cuts to the desert, or Omar Sharif appearing out of a mirage on the horizon.
Whilst it is big and grand and continued that practice of blacking people up (and not in an ironic Tropic Thunder way. This time it is Alec Guinness as an Arab Sheik), I couldn't help feeling that I didn't learn enough about T.E. Lawrence as a man that I should have from spending nearly four hours with him.
Instead I just got the feeling that this film established the genre of "man immerses himself into another culture in order to learn about them but ends up fighting alongside them" that has been used in the likes of Dances With Wolves, The Last Samurai and of course Avatar.
282 - The Godfather Part III - 2 stars
At one point, Pacino shouts "Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in".
That sentence echoes throughout the film as there is a feeling that the people involved are simply going through the motions. Indeed Coppola himself only did this film for monetary reasons.
For apart from a nicely handled series of mafia hits intercut with an opera performance, the entire film and story feels completely unnecessary and undoes a lot of the excellent work that has proceeded it.
And then there is poor little Sofia Coppola. Bless her, she tried but at times she is visibly uncomfortable. At least she can take comfort in the fact that she is a much better director than she is an actor, as Lost In Translation.
Days remaining - 35 Films remaining - 33
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
Not my kind of film by any stretch of the imagination but certainly has a lot to admire, in particular a great central performance by Paul Scofield as Thomas More, a man who would ultimately give his life rather than betray his religious beliefs.
It asks the question of what you would sacrifice for your ideals. Job, family, friends, even your life? More gives up all of these by refusing to acknowledge Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn as he feels it goes against the word of God.
John Hurt plays a right slimy bastard in this film and deserved getting an alien burst out of his chest a few years later as punishment.
I can't help thinking that a little more could have been made of the relationship between More and Henry VIII as they are only seen together once, and it would have heightened the impact of their decisions if we had seen more of them together.
Also Robert Shaw as Henry VIII unbalances the film slightly with his OTT drunken, boorish King.
17 - Taxi Driver - 5 stars
This nearly lost a star because of one minor niggling point that annoyed me. There is a scene where Cybil Shepard and Albert Brooks are talking in the campaign headquarters for a couple of minutes before Travis comes in. However the whole movie is from Travis's point of view so that brief scene should not have been in the film because it didn't come from his POV. Anyway, that was the only flaw that I could find in what I would consider to be Scorsese's masterpiece.
The cinematography shows us a New York that is a million miles away from the bright and breezy tourist attractions that feature in a film like On The Town, Schrader's words really bring the character of Travis Bickle to life, and one of Bernard Hermann's final scores helps give the film a dark, grimy feel that is as sleazy as the movies that Travis Bickle enjoys watching.
Speaking of those movies, that really has to be one of the worst first dates in cinema history as DeNiro takes Cybil Shepard to a porno movie. Can anyone think of worse cinema date?
I'm pretty sure that I had stated earlier on in the challenge that DeNiro's performance in King Of Comedy was his best, but now that I've seen this again I'm swinging back to Travis Bickle.
Bickle is a completely 3D character. You get a real sense of his background, current state of mind and his hope that Cybil, then eventually Jodie Foster''s Iris might be his chance at salvation.
Jodie Foster has this ability to play well beyond her years despite being so young as her performance her and in Bugsy Malone proved, even if it did cause a hell of a lot of controversy... just ask Ronald Reagan!
She has the tough nut exterior of the girl forced to work as a prostitute but then there is a scene where she is having breakfast with Robert DeNiro and her real personality and the scared girl wanting to just be a kid comes through. There was something in her performance in that scene that made me think of Chloe Moretz aka Hit-Girl from Kick-Ass. I think that she has the potential to be as good as Jodie Foster or Natalie Portman, with an ability to combine a childish innocence with a maturity well beyond her years.
That has slightly digressed from the main topic but suffice to say that Taxi Driver is fantastic!
Days remaining - 36 Films remaining - 35
I love this film, but never expected it to rank so highly on the list. That's right, the horror film that features a laughing deer head and a man fighting his own hand, is rated higher than classics like The Thing, The Shining, Halloween, etc.
Is it scarier than any of these films? Hell no. Is it the funniest and most deliciously OTT horror film ever made? Hell yes.
It is a film overflowing with invention and creativity that is sorely lacking in the horror remakes of today. You have fast moving ghostly tracking shots, ram-o-cam (using a hammer to break down the door), eyeballs flying across the room, tree rape, gallons of blood and goo, creepy and hilarious sound effects and all done on a tiny budget.
I bet that when you first saw this film you didn't think "One day Sam Raimi would go on to direct the Spider-Man trilogy".
Much of the success of the film lies in the relationship between Raimi and his lead actor and friend Bruce Campbell.
Bruce Campbell is one of the all-time cult actors and it is due to this film. Hand on heart, this is one of the definitive performances in a horror film, comparable to Jack Nicholson in The Shining and Anthony Perkins in Psycho. Ash goes from cowardly jerk to convincing action hero over the course of the film, culminating with one of the greatest moments in film history, after all what can be cooler than replacing your hand with a chainsaw? Groovy!
Raimi's ability to torture Campbell during the production is matched by his skill as a physical comedian and his performance in this film can be compared to the work of Jim Carrey in the early nineties. In fact, if Campbell had only managed to catch a proper break, he might have had a similar career. Don't believe me? Then just watch the scene where Ash fights his own hand and then try and tell me that it didn't have an influence over this scene in Liar Liar where Carrey beats himself up.
Finally, what's not to love about a film that features a man cutting of his own hand with a chainsaw then putting it in a bin and putting the book Farewell To Arms on top of it?!
Days remaining - 37 Films remaining - 37
Sunday, 8 August 2010
With a pseudo-documentary feel, the camera seems to follow the characters rather than driving the action, it paints a portrait of life in a black community in the Southern US.
Whilst it is an interesting slice of life, I struggle to see its merits of a place on the list. The list required people to list their top ten films and I fail to see how this film could have had such an effect on people that it would rank so highly for them. But then what do I know? There are people out there that probably consider Epic Movie to be the greatest film of all time!
300 - Sawdust And Tinsel - 2 stars
Bergman looks at the effects on infidelity and disatisfaction at one's lot in life against the back drop of the circus, and that the smiley facade of a clown can mask a wave of bitterness and resentment.
The acting seemed overly theatrical to me and the characters themselves were unpleasant so I didn't care about their plight. There was also a lack of resolution at the end of the tale.
There is an issue about films set within a circus, because they automatically make me think of two things: Pennywise from Stephen King's IT and Papa Lazarou from League Of Gentlemen.
Pennywise (played with such malice by Tim Curry) is the number one reason why people of my generation are scared of clowns. It was a regular visitor to the late Friday night slot on BBC1 during the early nineties and silly kids like me would stay up late to be terrified that we'd "all float down" with the clown.
Days remaining - 38 Films remaining - 38
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
I honestly don't know how to describe what I have just seen, other than that I loved it.
It is a musical comedy that bends and breaks almost every cinematic convention there is. Not bad for a film made in 1941.
Within its lean 80 minute running time it spoofs Citizen Kane, the main characters talk to the audience and projectionist, they stop making one movie and the director convinces them to make another one, one with a love story instead, Frankenstien's Monster turns up and it features some amazing cutting techniques and special effects for its time.
It might be true that some of the humour will be a bit dated now, there is a lot of Vaudevillian humour (it was originally a Broadway production), but when it has a gag rate that is possibly as high as Airplane, even if some miss there will be enough hits that you are guaranteed to finish the film with a smile on your face.
169 - Viridiana - 3 stars
It forgoes the usual surrealism to be a more refined and accomplished product that the other Bunuel films on the list.
Probably the finest looking film Bunuel has made, it adds an ethereal beauty to this tale of a naive Nun who leaves religion behind to try and help less fortunate people, after her uncle tries to seduce her.
It is a film that can be interpreted many different ways whether it is a criticism of religion (at one point a group of beggers and lepers recreate the Last Supper) or maybe it is a criticism of mankind, in that deep down humanity is evil and we'll destroy each other.
Days remaining - 41 Films remaining - 40
What better way to review The Good, The Bad and The Ugly than to talk about the parts of the film that were good, bad and, er, ugly!
The Good - Eli Wallach's Tuco is a very entertaining character and makes for a great double act with Clint's Man With No Name, so much so that Tuco could have been The Man Who Talked Too Much. Morricone's score is terrific.
The Bad - the film is a tad overlong if I'm being honest, and Lee Van Cleef's Angel Eyes aka The Bad disappears for too long during the middle of the film.
The Ugly - Not sure what to put here so I'll just talk about the awesome Mexican standoff at the end of the film. Leone manages to wring every drop of tension he can from this face-off as the three men fight for the right to get their hands on the gold. There are more cuts in this moment than I think there were in the rest of the film as Leone cuts back and forth to each man, starting off with wide shots then moving closer and closer till you can see the whites of their eyes (and noticing that Lee Van Cleef is missing the top part of one of his fingers). The time taken over this final showdown was even longer than it takes Dermot O'Leary to read out the results on the X-Factor!
A fantastic moment that leaves you with an overinflated appreciation of the film, until you start analysing it later and realise that the rest of the film doesn't live up to this one iconic gun battle.
31 - Gone With The Wind - 3 stars
Well at least I can say I have finally watched GWTW. If it wasn't for this blog I would probably have never seen it. Why? Mainly due to the fact that it was my sister's favourite film and she would go on about it all the time and I just got so sick of it that I could be bothered watching it.
My honest verdict now that I've sat through all 4 hours of it? Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Actually maybe that's the wrong choice of words. I was never really expecting it to be a bad film, more that I would find it insufferable.
I did struggle with the first half of the movie set against the backdrop of the Civil War (wow, both films today were set at this time, spooky), mainly due to the fact that Scarlett O'Hara is such a spoilt little madam.
The second half is an improvement because Scarlett does show some attempts to change her ways following her pledge "I'll never go hungry again", and she grows into a headstrong woman which finally leads her into the arms of Rhett Butler.
Their love story is the real reason why the fans love the film so much but I had to wonder why? These relationship between them is heated that it is almost like two magnets pushing against each other that it is impossible to keep them together. They are in love, they break up, they marry, they divorce, etc, etc, etc. Now I might be old-fashioned, or maybe they are, but I'm pretty sure that when Butler carries O'Hara up the stairs saying "this is one evening you're not keeping me out" that he is forcing her to have sex, but the film makes it ok by having her smiling the morning afterwards even though he apologises for his actions. True Love indeed!
The film does end the right way however by having they go their seperate ways. Will they get back together as Scarlett intends? Well to quote Butler himself... Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!
Days remaining - 42 Films remaining - 42
Tuesday, 3 August 2010
A very high ranking for a much loved film that is a lot darker than I was expecting. Not many romantic comedies these days have an attempted suicide as a main plot point!
Jack Lemmon is perfect as the employee climbing the corporate ladder by letting his bosses use his apartment as a love den for their extra-marital affairs.
He faces an age-old dilemma when the girl of his dreams becomes involved with his boss. Does he keep the job or go for the girl?
He has a nice warm chemistry with a youthful, demure Shirley Maclaine who is the object of his affection, and their banter is brought to life with crackling dialogue from one of Hollywood's greatest writers Billy Wilder:
"Ya know, you see a girl a couple of times a week, just for laughs, and right away they think you're gonna divorce your wife. Now I ask you, is that fair?"
"No, sir, it's very unfair... Especially to your wife."
37 - A Clockwork Orange - 3 stars
Just like Alex getting his Ludovico technique treatment, I found some of this hard to take in and accept.
I'm not sure what it was exactly, whether it was the dominating visual style or Malcolm McDowell's lead performance, I couldn't figure if he was playing it straight or not.
I don't want to bad mouth the film, because this is not a bad film by any stretch of the imagination. It is very well made as one would expect from Kubrick, but I think it is the type of film that is easier to digest and appreciate on second viewing.
Controversial when it was released, it has grown to become much more relevant over the years and I'm sure that there are some in society who believe that the measures used against Alex would be a welcome deterent to violence for the young knife crime hoodies of today.
Days remaining - 43 Films remaining - 44
Monday, 2 August 2010
Like Big Lebowski, Chinatown or Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Last Seduction is a modern take on the film noir genre.
Now most films in the genre focus on a man who becomes entangled with a femme fatale who becomes their downfall, in this film the femme fatale is the main character.
Linda Fiorentino is terrific as the ball-busting, manipulative, scheming Bridgette Gregory who has a heart as black as her stockings, and it is a shame that she didn't go on to become a bigger star but the film choices that she made after this meant that it just didn't happen.
Bill Pullman just about manages to keep on the right side of playful menace as the wronged husband but Peter Berg doesn't really work as the dumb patsy who is being played by Bridgette.
Where is does work is in its use of the film noir language and mise en scene, and also features lots of geeky references to classic noirs like Double Indemnity: at one point Fiorentino calls herself Mrs Neff, the main character in DI was called Walter Neff.
291 - Rocco And His Brothers - 3 stars
An Italian film that has five, well I guess they are called chapters, each about a different brother but most of the action revolves around two brothers Simone and Rocco.
For a long time the film had no real plot instead revolving around the characters until a choice made by one of the brothers threatens to destroy the family.
Rocco becomes romantically involved with Simone's former girlfriend, a prostitute called Nadia, and Simone, mad with jealousy because Rocco now has the career and girl that Simone wanted, beats up Rocco and rapes Nadia, destroying the relationship.
The film was supposed to show how the event affects the whole family but despite the fact that there are five brothers and a mother, we don't see enough of them and how they deal with it.
I think that the film could have been improved by scaling down the number of brothers and simply focusing on the two brothers Simone and Rocco because the performances are great by the three leads.
By doing this it could have cut down on the excessive three hour runtime!
For fudge sake, I've done it again. Somehow I've gone and overestimated the number of films I had actually watched. I blame my trip to Canada as the error seems to have come at some point just after I got back. With only a dozen films left on Lovefilm and all the other films physically sitting next to my dvd player, I have tripled checked the number of films left to watched by doing two seperate lists (marking them off in Empire magazine and keeping a written list of the films watched).
So 46 films left to watch with 44 days to watch them in. However that does include Movie-Con weekend so I think I'll need to get a few more done before heading to London for Empire's own (smaller scale) version of Comic-Con to have three glorious days of movies.
Days remaining - 44 Films remaining - 46
The quest to find a film that makes me cry continues as I watch another film that regularly appears on top tearjerker lists. Of course I have to be skeptical when even the Holocaust fails to bring a tear to my eye (see Schindler's List review).
This is high concept plot at it's most simple. An impoverished man is offered a good job that requires a bicycle to get around the town but his bicycle is stolen. Desperate to provide for his family he takes his son on a quest to recover the bike.
As the search continues the relationship between the son and father comes to the forefront.
Worried about looking like a failure to his son, he makes the wrong decision to try and steal a bicycle in order to keep his job but is caught by an angry mob.
This act is witnessed by the son, who tries to get the men to let go of his dad but simultaneously heartbroken to see his dad resorting to such extremes. The hero he looked up to had now become the villain.
This is the scene that causes grown men to cry in a similar way to Toy Story 3, the loss of childhood innocence but not even a misty eye for me I'm afraid.
Days remaining - 45 Films remaining - 45
I've been seeing a lot of black and white films recently and when done right, like this film, it can look so beautiful that you wonder why people started doing colour pictures in the first place. It might have helped that I was watching this on Blu Ray.
It is a real shame that we will hardly see any more black and white movies being produced because it is more expensive to film that way these days. I had heard a rumour that last year's White Ribbon had been filmed in colour and then digitally converted to black and white in post-production!
The boxing scenes have a poetry and ballet like quality about them, devoid of the fast cutting, montage fuelled segments that would popularise the Rocky series. In fact there is not all that much boxing in the film as it is a portrait of a man rather than the sport.
This was back in the day when DeNiro could still lose himself in a role, before he became a paycheck player and caricature of himself like Pacino. In honestly struggle to think of decent performances for both men after Heat.
Here he becomes Jake LaMotta, a powderkeg of rage and self-destructive tendencies. His commitment is never more apparent than, at the time, his record breaking weight gain of 60 pounds (or one Dakota Fanning) to play LaMotta in his later years away from the ring.
Whether it is asking his brother to punch him in the face, his taunting of Sugar Ray "You never got me down Ray", or his vicious breakdown in the police cell, it is never less than mesmerising.
Yet as I have always said, your enjoyment of a film can be affected by your own experiences, and there were two occasions when I found myself taken out of the movie (much like people who are taken out of the world of the film when a Wilhelm Scream is used), and they were when Joe Pesci shouts "There's no way you can lose" which reminded me of the Lovefilm advert that always played at the cinema, and the "Did you fuck my wife?" rant by DeNiro that was spoofed by Eddie Izzard during his Dressed To Kill show:
"You fuck my wife? You fuck my wife?", "I AM your wife", "You fuck my wife?".
But these are minor points and you shouldn't really begrudge a film too much when it ends with LaMotta reciting the classic monologue from On The Waterfront. Is he simply reciting it or is he actually talking about his own brother? The debate is now open...
Days remaining - 47 Films remaining - 47

domain: artistic


text:
The question: To lose weight, does it matter when I eat? Or just what I eat?
The experts: Susan Kleiner, Ph.D., R.D., Sports Nutritionist for USANA Health Sciences; Jacqui Justice, clinical nurse specialist, director of nutrition at Womens Healthy Hormones
The answer: Just like romance and bargain shopping, healthy eating is all about having the right timing.
More From Women's Health
Sure, a calorie is still a calorie, but how you time those calories can influence your metabolism and satiety levels, potentially making the difference between weight lost and weight gained. “Body weight control is a complex dance between the drivers of metabolism: the brain, hormones and neurotransmitters, and your metabolic processes," says Kleiner. And if any of those factors perceives that you're low on calories throughout the day, it'll slow metabolism, increase appetite, and stall your weight loss efforts.
So first thing's first: Eat breakfast! And not once you get to work—we're talking first thing in the morning. Justice recommends eating within an hour of waking up, and if you can get in some water then, all the better. Both ramp up your metabolism by telling your body it doesn't need to conserve energy (aka calories). If your stomach is uneasy in the morning, at least drink some water. Just remember that the longer you wait to eat breakfast, the longer you wait to burn calories.
MORE: 5-Minute Breakfasts That Are Actually Healthy
Next, don't go more than three hours between meals and (protein-packed!) snacks. "This will help to keep your blood sugar balanced throughout the day, your metabolism revved, and your energy up," says Justice.
MORE: The Worst "Healthy" Snacks for Weight Loss
And as the sun sets, so should your eating for the day. "My experience is that my clients that finish dinner by 7:30 lose more weight and have more energy the next day than do my late eaters," says Justice, who notes your metabolism starts to slow down around 4p.m. and hits its lowest point when you're sleeping. After all, your body doesn't have to burn through as many calories when you're zonked out. (Here's what another expert had to say about eating late at night.)
Of course, there's no strict mealtime schedule that will guarantee weight loss, but if you're looking to slim down, Justice suggests eating your bigger meals earlier in the day and lighter meals in the evening. Luckily, if you load up on a healthy and satisfying breakfast, the rest of your day—and weight loss—should fall into place more easily.

domain: food


text:
“Apu, ei Apu, Where are you?” The voice of the young girl, calling out to her kid brother, floats in. And we know who she is. Or rather who she was. And our eyes fill with tears. Our hearts break.
And just then an enchanting beating of drums, barely audible, filters in, synching itself with the rhythm of that heartbreak. And an endearing tune drifts in, as though to wipe away our tears and say “it’s okay”. And we hear a lilting, buoying orchestra of sounds that conjure up everything from the pitter-patter of rain to the silence of sunlight. From the soft whisper of breezes rustling through leaves of trees above to the low hissing of zephyrs swishing through the grass below. We listen as though to clouds floating past like memories over some hazy, nostalgia-tinted sky.
Welcome to a sneak peek of the official trailer of feature film, Avijatrik: The Wanderlust which is now ready for release in theatres, as soon as they reopen after the lockdown. It gives us a glimpse into the music scored by the acclaimed percussionist and composer, Bickram Ghosh. Ghosh clearly knows how to use sound to evoke the most extraordinary sights and scenes. And he does so generously in this film. His melodies mesmerize and stir up lost thoughts of many years ago, transcending time, infusing past with present.
And that return journey into the regions of recollection is integral to Avijatrik, avers Ghosh, who is a stickler for congruity, because this is a movie whose identity is inextricably linked to its past.
Over sixty years ago, legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray had turned legendary author, Bibhuti Bhushan Bandyopadhyay’s novels Pather Panchali and Aparajito, into three iconic movies, which became known as the “Apu Trilogy” named after the protagonist, Apu.
Not many know that Ray had left the concluding part of Bandyopadhyay’s story untold through his cinema.
For six decades, no one dared take it up. Perhaps it was a daunting idea. Ray’s movies and Bandyopadyay’s novels have acquired cult status. Indeed, the current filmmakers have faced a barrage of disapprovals from the inception and they have had to battle apprehensions with reassurances that there is no trespassing of the works of the great masters. “The script of Avijatrik deals only with the continuing story of Apu,” says Gaurang Jalan, who has co-produced the film with filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar. “In fact, it takes up elements which figured in the original novel, like the character of Leela, but did not in the movies.” Actor Arpita Chatterjee essays the role of Leela, a childhood friend of Apu. Jalan says, “Before taking up the venture, we had approached the family of Bibhuti Bhushan Bandyopadhyay for the necessary permissions and clearances and they have granted us these.”
For Subhrajit Mitra, director of Avijatrik, it was a creative compulsion. “When I read the novel, I was intrigued by the fact that Apu’s story continued beyond the great trilogy,” he says . “The unexplored part dealt with Apu’s wanderlust and his growing bond with his son. It was the only part that had not been conveyed through the language of cinema.” His film starts where the trilogy leaves off and he calls his work a tribute to the geniuses who inspired him.
The music of Avijatrik also follows a proud legacy. Ravi Shankar, legendary sitarist, had composed the music for Ray’s Apu Trilogy. Sixty years later, the producers found a worthy successor in Bickram Ghosh. “He himself is a contemporary legend, who has had a long association with Ravi Shankar,” says Jalan.
Ghosh’s music, in Avijatrik, as in most of his compositions for cinema, is a reflection of his deep resonance with the story’s themes, an insistence on maintaining “congruity” with the classic cinematic portrayal of the story, and an amazing ability to interpret situations and the sounds that would adequately convey them. “There is a lot of pure classical here” he says about the music of Avijatrik. In fact, he has been strictly purist about sound production, in that he has used only actual physical instruments rather than employ electronic technology, such as synthesizers that duplicate their tones. This is rare today, but Ghosh says that the film, set in the 1940s India, mandated it. And so the mellifluous mix emanating from a host of instruments – sitars and sarods, flutes and cymbals, not to mention tanpuras and tablas – do so, not from a heartless robot so to speak, but rendered by artists, human, thinking, feeling, breathing, sensing sorrow and sensing happiness. His music in Avijatrik absorbs, soaks up like sponge, this human touch.
Ghosh believes that his work in Avijatrik is a tribute to Ravi Shankar and the great masters, whose blessings he has imbibed and who have inspired him. And as a mark of this tribute, he asked his friend Anoushka Shankar, Ravi Shankar’s daughter, to play the sitar for the title sequence.
She has done so. Among those to have heard and been delighted by the rendering is her mother, Sukanya Shankar. In a social media post, she congratulated the makers of Avijatrik.
She wrote: “Avijatrik is a beautiful film. I didn’t think anyone would dare to tread on the musical work of Guruji for the Apu trilogy, nor the amazing film itself by the great Satyajit Ray. It would be impossible to even go anywhere near these geniuses. But, to my utter shock and pleasant surprise I have been proven wrong! The little I have seen and heard of the film has been a discovery. Shubhrajit Mitra’s excellent direction with Gaurang Jalan’s production is really noteworthy. The icing on the cake is by our Bicklram Ghosh, with his lovely and brilliant music composition, he has enhanced the film. He has imbibed so much from Raviji and has done him proud. I am also happy that Anoushka composed the opening credits for this wonderful film! Can’t wait to see the full movie!!!!!”
The sequence is sprinkled with dialogues as though voices from the past, pulling at our heart strings. “Apu, ei Apu, where are you?” the young girl’s voice floats in. And we know that she was Durga, calling out to her kid brother, days before she died of a fever in the first part of Ray’s trilogy, Pather Panchali.
Tears fill our eyes. Our hearts break. Then an enchanting and endearing music floats in.

domain: literature


The health benefits of music have been widely researched. Evidence has shown that music can alleviate stress, reduce pain, and lead to better cognitive functioning in patients suffering from memory loss. A popular study released last year asserted that routinely going to concerts can contribute to an increased lifespan. Charlottesville native Kate Bollinger witnessed music’s neurological impact firsthand while growing up: Her mom is a music therapist.
“I think it was important to see music in that context—as something that really, powerfully can help people get better,” Bollinger explains. “[My mom] works with a lot of older people that have dementia, and then she also works with younger kids who have autism and developmental disabilities. Music is always around for a lot of people and it’s, I think, subtly powerful, but [not everyone] knows that it can really change people’s lives and change their brain patterns.”
Bollinger’s musical lineage can be traced back to those early music therapy sessions.
“My mom was always releasing children’s music albums, so I grew up singing in children’s choruses for her albums,” says Bollinger. “From a young age, I had the chance to see how it works to record in a studio and to sing with other people.”
Meanwhile, both of Bollinger’s older brothers played music, hosting band practices in their basement. This exposure informed her own approach: She joined the girl’s chorus in middle school, and by high school was recording and releasing her own songs on SoundCloud.
Now a fourth-year cinematography major at the University of Virginia, Bollinger’s teamed up with classmate John Trainum, and they’ve put out a string of singles over the past couple of years. Trainum plays keys and synth on Bollinger’s tracks, and is credited with mixing and production.
“[Trainum and I] put out two songs together that we just recorded in his room—I guess it was two years ago now—and then he would make beats and I would write over them,” she says. The duo have been recording at White Star Sound in Louisa.
Over the summer, Bollinger released a five-song EP, I Don’t Wanna Lose, which marked a period of growth for her: It’s the first time she’s worked with a full band during the recording process. Along with Trainum, the disc features drummer Jacob Grissom, who Bollinger met in high school. Enrolled in the jazz program at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Grissom brought along fellow VCU jazz students Chris Lewis (guitar) and Jimmy Trussell (bass). Possessing all the familiarity of a lo-fi bedroom recording, I Don’t Wanna Lose is a languid collection that’s easy to get lost in.
While the EP’s themes are universal—a sense of insecurity about the future and the pains of heartbreak—Bollinger says songwriting, for her, began as personal catharsis.
“I feel like I’ve written a lot of songs in tears about something, so it definitely started from a self-centered place, just trying to hash out what I felt and trying to make something productive out of usually bad feelings,” she says.
But as her audience continues to grow, it’s clear that Bollinger’s work harkens back to the touchstone of music therapy—music as a communal tool for healing.
“It’s been really cool to hear that [my songs have] helped with people’s anxiety, so I’m definitely thinking now in a bit of a broader way, that hopefully it can help other people with their feelings.”
Kate Bollinger celebrates the vinyl release of her 2019 EP, I Don’t Wanna Lose, at the Southern on November 14.


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Home » Family history
The Mills Archive holds a wealth of information about people, providing a rich source for both family history and social history.
If you would like to offer us some more information, or ask a question or make some other enquiry related to our records of mill people, please use our contact form.
This is based upon the extensive database assembled by the late Mary Yoward, with help from her husband Tony. The late Eve Logan, another assiduous compiler of information on millers and millwrights, gave Mary over 30 bulging lever-arch files of information to add to her own. To this strong base Archive volunteers have added many more entries derived from a variety of sources, and this work continues.
Entries usually include the person's name and trade, gender, place and county as well as notes of interest and the source of the information (such as a directory, census, parish register or other record). Because the same names often occur in several records there is some duplication and, inevitably, there may be some transcription errors: as always, original sources must be checked.
The Mill People database, together with other useful material on this site including a growing number of biographies and genealogies and our Mill Writing blog, may be searched from our search page.
Unlike the Mill People database, the People Index lists individuals who have a connection with material held in the Mills Archive, perhaps the subject of an article or a photograph or mentioned in correspondence. This index is therefore a part of the Archive's catalogue.
The People Index and the rest of our Archive catalogue may be searched on our other site.
Family history research is also possible by visiting the Archive's offices and library, where we have a large collection of books and journals that may contain information of relevance. Although we welcome visitors they must make an appointment, as we are wholly dependent on volunteer staff. Contact details may be found at the foot of this page.
Books may be traced in our Library catalogue.
We also offer a fee-based research service for those unable to make the journey.
Please support us
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domain: library


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Kansas Growers Encouraged to Complete KRC Polytunnel Survey
Kansas growers… Do you have experience farming or gardening under the cover of plastic high tunnels or low tunnels in Kansas?
If so… please take this survey – Tunnel to Table Growers Survey.
Survey responses will be used to further understanding of best practices for cost-effective, scale-appropriate use of different types of polytunnels for specialty crop production in Kansas. Survey results will be integrated into a publicly available polytunnel resource guide, comparative decision-making tool, and regional workshop series as part of the Kansas Rural Center’s “Tunnel to Table” project. * Completing this survey should take just 10-20 minutes of your time. * All information shared through this survey will remain confidential. * We welcome you to forward this survey to other growers you feel should participate. The purpose of the Tunnel to Table project – funded by both the Kansas Department of Agriculture and Farm Aid – is to enhance the protection, production, profitability, and competitiveness. For more information about the project, please click here.

domain: agronomy


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It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
I'm fuzy over this!!!
Wheel of Time ! ! !
Originally posted by ajax7
http://www.red-eagle-games.com/ I'm fuzy over this!!! Wheel of Time ! ! !
Was already a game and it flopped HARD! I had a copy and could never get it to install properly.
I played that game, the multiplayer was... I was disappointed because it was more of an FPS than an RPG.
There could be a number of reasons it flopped, personally the only reason I knew about it was because I wanted to play a game after getting into the books.
This kickstarter was started around a year ago, it appears nothing has happened with it, and no real information or new information was put out. Kickstarter link below.
The game was to be some sort of mobile RPG RTS type deal. I envision a cross between a tower defense and that semi side scrolling dragon named RPG everyone played at work in 2006. It doesn't sound at all worthy of the rich world of WoT.
WoT fans, from what I've seen are damn near impossible to please.
Here is a link to some discussion about the game and other game ideas recently.
There was and probably still is a very popular WoT MUD that I played back when the internet was two cans and a string. It appears to still be running.
It sounds like the guys trying to get these games together aren't appreciated in the WoT community.
Personally the world would make a grand multi faction, territorial MMO. It would take a lot, a whole lot of work, but it could be done.
If it ever gets released and is truly a WoT game then it'll be a 3 hour game padded out to 8 hours with unnecessary prose and segments where nothing really happens.
Yeah I went there!!!Flame Away!!!! 8D
"best possible Wheel of Time game"
LFD tools are great for cramming people into content, but quality > quantity.I am, usually on the sandbox .. more "hardcore" side of things, but I also do just want to have fun. So lighten up already
Originally posted by Drakynn
If it ever gets released and is truly a WoT game then it'll be a 3 hour game padded out to 8 hours with unnecessary prose and segments where nothing really happens. Yeah I went there!!!Flame Away!!!! 8D
It would fit right in with most of today's games then.
Three hours of game play, 8 hours of the player watching NPCs talk at each other.
It'll make millions, quick someone get on it!

domain: game


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School of Environment, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China. Electronic address: [Email]
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and alternative halogenated flame retardants (AHFRs) were measured in eleven mollusk species collected from the Chinese Bohai Sea. PBDEs and AHFRs were detected in all species, and their average total concentrations were in the range of 22.5-355 and 10.0-84.3 ng/g lipid weight, respectively. Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) and decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) were the dominant halogenated flame retardants (HFRs), contributing 22.5% to 73.6% and 3.1% to 38.3% of the total HFRs, respectively. The levels of PBDEs and AHFRs were moderate to high from a global perspective. Interspecific differences in the accumulation of PBDEs and AHFRs were characterized by heat map and cluster analysis. Composition profile differences were also observed, with higher proportions of AHFRs in gastropods than in bivalves. These species-specific differences in concentrations and profiles in mollusks were attributed to different species traits, including feeding habit, trophic level, and metabolic potential.


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Six months ago, the Booth introduced Hot Dollar’s I Got 2 Get It featuring Trey Songz. Members enjoyed Trey’s futuristic efforts on the hook, but weren’t feeling Dollar’s lyrics or delivery. Well, since then producer Get Cool’s bass-bumping electronica-fused I Got to Get It has made its way into the hands of emcee Topic, and the West Coast native (who dropped by the Booth last year with his single, Creep and Crawl) has made it all his own. Emerging with a club-friendly, grind-ready style that’s different from what he’s displayed in the past, Topic’s material might be secondhand, but his punch lines certainly are not. With Songz’ catchy and ultramodern chorus still intact, the two compliment each other well. Topic’s debut album, American Hustler: This is My Life, is due out September 23.
Written by Erica L. on 07/14/08
Boss Life World, LLC
First DJ Booth Appearance:
"Creep and Crawl" (2007)
Total DJ Booth Features:
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1. I stated that we would see a follow thru rally piggy backing on the surge we saw in stocks last Friday. As of yesterday's close I felt confident that we could still see that rally today. But it was not to be. I fundamentally misread the sentiment out of Washington.
2. I explicitly made the statement that our political leaders were sensitive to the market gyrations they could create by their statements. Well, Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell proved me wrong on that score as well.
Mr. Reid castigated the Republicans for talking nice but doing nothing (someone should remind him he's Senate Majority leader which means he's supposed to lead ... duh!). McConnell threw more fuel on the fire when he intimated that the Dems should cease the election rhetoric .
And to add to it, CNBC interviewed a clueless congressman from Arizona and when Michelle Carruso Cabrera pressed the congressman on a possible compromise in the negotiations the idiot could only repeat the Democratic mantra that higher income folks taxes had to be raised. You could watch the drop in the S&P by the second:
The ten minute chart of the S&P 500 SPDRs (SPY) tells the story better than I ever could:

domain: politics


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Most travelers can enter Jordan, but there are restrictions.
Travelers who are nationals or from the restricted list of countries are not allowed to enter Jordan. This restriction does not apply to travelers with a resident permit issued by Jordan, travelers with a residence permit valid for a minimum of 6 months from the arrival date issued by Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United States, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and who have a return/onward tickets, travelers who are nationals of Comoros, Djibouti, Iraq, Mauritania, Morocco, or Sudan residing in Turkey and travelers with a visa issued by Jordan.
Visitors from Romania must present a negative RT-PCR (NAAT) test taken within 72 hours before departing to Jordan.
Visitors from Romania are not required to quarantine after entering Jordan.
Travelers returning from Jordan must present a negative RT-PCR (NAAT) test taken within 48 hours before departure to Romania.
Unvaccinated visitors returning from Jordan will need to quarantine for 10 days upon entering Romania.
Fully vaccinated visitors with approved vaccination certificates do not need to quarantine.
Travelers are required to complete an online Passenger Locator form before departure to Romania. The printed form is available for download.
Travelers are required to have European Union Digital COVID Certificate or Romanian-issued “Digital Green Certificate/Green Pass” to access many public locations and to participate in certain activities such as indoor or outdoor seated dining at restaurants, access to shopping malls, museums, exhibitions, cultural sites, non-essential stores, swimming pools, gyms, and other venues. <p>The Green Pass is not required for locations that provide essential services, such as food stores, pharmacies with direct access, or religious services.
For press inquiries and corrections to the travel restrictions information, please email us.
If you're looking for personalized travel advice for your own travel plans like whether or not a restriction applies to your trip, we won't be able to answer any questions or offer advice. Please consult your local government's resources.

domain: travel


Pirates Press Releases
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Pirates announce new 13-game plans for 2014 season
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced today the on-sale of their new 13-game ticket plans for the 2014 season. The new 13-game plans correspond with the Pirates 13 weekend series scheduled for 2014 to allow fans the opportunity to purchase tickets for the most in demand contests.
Pirates Charities CARE-A-Van Tour schedule set for 2013
The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced the schedule for the Pirates Charities CARE-a-van, presented by Highmark, which will take place from Wednesday, December 11 thru Friday, December 13.
Pirates statement on passing of Minor Leaguer Evan Chambers
Pirates general manager Neal Huntington issued a statement on the passing of Minor League player Evan Chambers.
Pirates acquire Chris Stewart from Yankees
The Pittsburgh Pirates today acquired catcher Chris Stewart from the New York Yankees in exchange for a player to be named.
Pirates set home game times at PNC Park for the 2014 season
The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced all home game times at PNC Park for the 2014 season in advance of Friday's 10 a.m. on-sale for individual game tickets.
Clubhouse Store at PNC Park announces "Black Friday" sale
Pittsburgh Pirates concessionaire partner Aramark today announced special extended hours of operation for the holiday season for the Majestic Clubhouse Store at PNC Park beginning on "Black Friday," November 29.
Pirates sign two minor league free agents
The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed catcher Nevin Ashley and right-handed pitcher Cody Eppley to minor league contracts, which include invitations to Major League spring training as non-roster players.
Pirates and Padres make three-player deal
The Pittsburgh Pirates today acquired outfielder Jaff Decker (first name pronounced Jeff) and right-handed pitcher Miles Mikolas from the San Diego Padres in exchange for minor league outfielder Alex Dickerson.
Pirates announce 2014 single game tickets and promo schedule info
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced today the public on-sale date for individual game tickets for the 2014 season will take place on "Black Friday"-- Friday, November 29, 2013-- at 10 a.m.