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Two Chinese technology groups Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings had begun allowing each side’s application ecosystem to exchange, ending the time when each technology company had a monopoly in its world.
Chinese media reports that Alibaba services such as food delivery platform Ele.me and video streaming site Youku Tudou now accept payments through Tencent’s WeChat app. Other Alibaba apps, including supermarket chain Freshippo, have also signed up to support WeChat Pay.
The shift comes as Beijing is pressuring big tech companies to change the proprietary practices that have fueled their growth for so long.
Previously, most Alibaba services did not accept WeChat Pay, while Tencent also blocked Alibaba apps. Although Alibaba’s Taobao remains closed to WeChat, a person familiar with the matter told Nikkei that this would soon change.
Last month, Tencent began allowing users of its rivals’ apps on WeChat, and on Sept. 30, both Tencent and Alibaba said that they would use the state-owned UnionPay as a payment option.
Nikkei reported that Chinese officials recently warned tech giants not to close their doors to outside services.
Blocking the use of another company’s apps without good reason “affects user experience, harms user rights, and disrupts market order,” said Zhao Zhiguo, a spokesman for Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), told reporters in mid-September.
Mr. Zhao added that in the absence of noticeable improvement, MIIT would take measures permitted by law.
Currently, Tencent and ByteDance, the developer of the popular short-video app TikTok, have yet to make any concessions. The two sides are bitter rivals in the streaming and social media markets. It seems Tencent hasn’t lifted WeChat’s policy of blocking links to Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.

domain: news


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he Parkville Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a second and final reading of much of the plans for a 300-acre development Tuesday night, giving the green light to construction of the residential, commercial and retail buildings near Interstate 435 and Hwy. 45 in Platte County.
The board approved construction of three of four sections of the planned development proposed by Brian Mertz of Parkville Development. The development plan includes single- and multi-family residential units and commercial buildings, including a hotel, grocery store, restaurants, bars, gas stations, office buildings, a police substation and baseball diamonds designed for tournament play.
The new construction will be in a currently undeveloped location southeast and northwest of the highway intersections. An industrial portion of the plan is being re-submitted under a different zoning classification and was sent back to the Parkville Planning and Zoning Commission for a recommendation before advancing to the Board of Aldermen.
Mayor Nan Johnston and members of the board of aldermen approved the second and final readings of the three areas of the plan without comment and could not be reached for comment by deadline Tuesday.
The votes were cast amid a storm of criticism from a group of citizens who claim the system is flawed and allege city officials acted in violation of law.
Members of Citizens for a Better Parkville have a website and Facebook page chronicling their belief that the board of aldermen largely have ignored suggestions by the planning and zoning commission, which first heard the proposal, then forwarded their proposed changes to the board for review.
“We’re disappointed to see the city reverse the recommendations of the planning and zoning but we’re committed to open government and we hope that over the next few months we can help reverse the culture of backroom government dealings in Parkville,” a texted statement said.
“After tonight everyone in the Parkville community will understand that local elections have consequences,” the statement warned. “This is going to effect all of us. The board of aldermen and mayor should know that ignoring the community has political consequences as well. We expect they will understand that clearly by April,” the statement said, referring to citywide elections when some aldermen’s terms will expire and they will face re-election.
Parkville resident John Morris said he’s concerned that roads such as Brink Meyer won’t be able to handle the increased traffic brought on by the developments. He said, during a telephone interview Tuesday night that if residents had been involved in the process earlier, they could have suggested areas of concern, such as their experience traversing roadways in and out of the planned areas of construction.
“I don’t think this has been analyzed,” he said during a telephone interview following the meeting. He said earlier communication with residents could have alleviated residents’ concerns. He said instead, the process felt like it was “locked in stone before we had any input.”
In addition, he’s concerned about a lack of announced “anchor tenants” or large businesses that support the area.
“It’s very odd to have a development at this stage with no dedicated tenants,” he said.
The vote follows numerous objections by members of Citizens for A Better Parkville, who have claimed during public hearings and through a website, the development plan is too dense and contains too little green space and too little space between buildings. The group also has complained about alleged conflicts of interest among city officials and that many of their concerns have not been addressed in revised development plans. They also claim that city leaders have violated a Missouri law aimed at transparency in government.

domain: law


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Ursula Mommens at work, c. 1950
Ursula Frances Elinor Darwin|
20 August 1908
|Died||30 January 2010(aged 101)|
|Education||Royal College of Art|
Ursula Frances Elinor Mommens (née Darwin, first married name Trevelyan) (20 August 1908 – 30 January 2010) was an English potter. Mommens studied at the Royal College of Art, under William Staite Murray, and later worked with Michael Cardew at Winchcombe Pottery and Wenford Bridge Pottery.
She was the daughter of Bernard Darwin and his wife the engraver Elinor Monsell. Her brother was Sir Robert Vere Darwin. She was the great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin and the great-great-granddaughter of the potter Josiah Wedgwood.
Mommens lived and worked in South Heighton, East Sussex, making both wood and gas-fired functional stoneware using a clay body she developed herself with ash glazes. She lived to the age of 101.
- Whiting, David (3 February 2010). "Ursula Mommens obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
- Ursula Mommens
- Ursula Mommens - Potter Archived 13 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
- The Ceramic Artist - contemporary ceramics community
- Untitled Document

domain: artistic


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R&D 100 Awards Honor Berkeley Lab Innovations
Two innovative technologies from the Energy Technologies Area (ETA) are among four at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) that have been honored with a 2023 R&D 100 Award.
The award, presented by R&D Magazine and selected by an independent panel of judges, recognizes the year’s 100 most innovative and disruptive technology products from industry, academia, and government-sponsored research.
For the first time this year, R&D Magazine presented Professional Awards to individuals and teams. In this new category, ETA’s Ashok Gadgil received the 2023 R&D Leader of the Year Award and ETA’s Energy Management System team received the 2023 R&D Team of the Year.
Berkeley Lab’s winning technologies improve research tools, generate green hydrogen, provide software tools for materials discovery, and figure out the future of charging stations for electric vehicles. The winning teams will be celebrated at the R&D 100 gala banquet in San Diego on November 16, 2023.
Below are descriptions of the ETA winners:
Cost-effective and clean hydrogen production with molten catalysis
Hydrogen as a new fuel is critical to decarbonizing our economy and reducing our environmental impact. However, many processes that produce hydrogen also produce carbon dioxide (CO2), a known greenhouse gas. A team of Berkeley Lab researchers has improved a process called methane pyrolysis to produce hydrogen and carbon without CO2 emissions. The researchers developed a ternary-liquid-metal-catalyst for methane pyrolysis. Their new “multi-catalyst” could simultaneously perform with high efficiency, selectivity, and durability for methane pyrolysis at mild temperatures (450-800 oC). Most importantly, this new catalyst can be easily fabricated using non-precious metal elements, making it both scalable and cost-effective for industrial use. The technology was filed for US patent application (Homogeneous Ternary Liquid Metal System for Clean Hydrogen Production – Intellectual Property Office) and the core science understanding was accepted in journal Science.
The development team led by Ji Su includes Luning Chen, Shuchen Zhang, Zhigang Song, Gabor A Somorjai, Miquel Salmeron, David Prendergast, Chaochao Dun, Jeff Urban, Jinghua Guo, Xinxin Peng, Yu-Chun Chuang, Chung-Kai Chang, Jeng-Lung Chen
HEVI-LOAD: A tool for projecting infrastructure needs for medium and heavy-duty electric vehicles
As the decarbonization of the transportation sector continues, government agencies, transportation planners, private clean energy practitioners, and medium and heavy-duty (MHD) electric vehicle drivers are wondering what kind of infrastructure will be needed and where it will be needed. Berkeley Lab scientists have developed a tool to help answer these and related questions: Medium- and Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Infrastructure – Load Operation and Deployment (HEVI-LOAD). HEVI-LOAD is a software tool that helps predict the needs of MHD electric vehicles. Its projections include requirements for the electric grid and charging infrastructure such as the type, number, and location of charging stations for the state of California and beyond. The data is visualized and presented in a dashboard application that allows the user to view large and small results down to the county level. The tool has been supported by the California Energy Commission and the US Department of Energy, Vehicle Technology Office’s Analysis Program.
The development team led by Bin Wang includes Wanshi Hong, Cong Zhang, Fan Tong and Douglas Black.
Inaugural R&D 100 Professional Awards winners
In addition to recognizing the year’s 100 most innovative and disruptive technologies, R&D Magazine awarded this year R&D 100 Professional Awards. This award honors exceptional leaders and teams for their achievements in R&D. One team and one scientist from Berkeley Lab have been awarded with this honor this year.
Ashok Gadgil receives R&D Leader of the Year Award
Ashok Gadgil receives the R&D Leader of the Year Award for his more than 30 years of dedication to creating technological innovations for safe drinking water, clean air, sustainable energy, and reduced child mortality. His work has benefited the health and dignity of low-resource communities throughout the years. In addition to his innovative work, he has worked tirelessly to implement his solutions nationally and internationally. Throughout his career, he has mentored numerous students, directed a national laboratory research division, led a binational clean water-energy technology research organization, directed a university development impact lab, and developed and taught courses at UC Berkeley.
Energy Management Systems Team receives R&D 100 Professional Team of the Year Award
The Energy Management Systems Team receives the R&D 100 Professional Team of the Year Award from R&D World for its ongoing international efforts to advance energy management business practices in the commercial, manufacturing, and institutional sectors. The team has collectively built on each other’s strengths to make a profound impact in their respective fields. By leveraging their diverse academic and personal backgrounds, the team has created a technical program that reaches people working in all sectors of the economy. The team has published international standards, conducted original research, delivered technical assistance to organizations globally, developed professional workforce certification programs, and partnered with private and public sector organizations to accelerate the deployment of energy management business practices. The team’s resources and practices have been adopted by tens of thousands of organizations worldwide, including large and small manufacturers, regional hospital groups, government agencies, schools and universities, and corporate and boutique hotel chains. To learn more about energy management system business practices, visit 50001Ready.lbl.gov.
The team includes Amy Pevzner, Ana Comesaña, Arian Aghajanzadeh, Bunmi Adesola, Christopher Payne, Graziella Siciliano, Heidi Fuchs, Natalie Sherman, Nick Karki, Paul Sheaffer, Peter Therkelsen, Prakash Rao, Rory Schmick, Sergio Dias, Vestal Tutterow, Vi Rapp, William Miller.


Late payments pushing SMEs to the edge
New research from The Prompt Payment Directory (PPD) has revealed that late payment practices are pushing small construction firms to the brink of bankruptcy or liquidation.
On top of this crisis for the building industry, the research also suggests that the practice is contributing to rising numbers of construction business owners suffering from depression, anxiety, stress and ‘extreme anger.’
Research commissioned by The Prompt Payment Directory (PPD), a payment rating website for businesses, has revealed the common excuses given for late payment, as well as the problems arising for small businesses due to late payment; including lowered morale, employment and retention problems.
The survey polled 400 owners, MDs and CEOs of small construction businesses who suffer from poor cashflow due to late or outstanding invoice payments, to highlight then issues faced by supply chains following the high-profile demise of Carillion.
The figures show the extent of the problem, despite the Government’s Prompt Payment Code (PPC) and last April’s enforcement of the Government’s new ‘Duty to Report’ scheme that requires large companies to report on payment practices twice a year. It follows official figures confirming that the number of British businesses going bankrupt reached a four-year high for 2017, with one in every 213 companies falling into liquidation – the highest since 2013.
Ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week, the survey also wished to highlight the ‘human’ cost as well as the corporate, and examined the personal, financial and business impact of late payments on owners.
Some 74% of the construction companies polled have been on the brink of bankruptcy or liquidation, or could be soon due to late payments, which is a huge increase on the 40% reporting problems last year. While 48% – also nearly a quarter more than last year – blame poor cashflow for their panic attacks, anxiety and depression, with some even having suicidal feelings and almost a quarter (22%) experiencing emotions of ‘severe anger’.
As a cost to business, 62% of owners said late payment issues meant that they had not paid themselves for some time, while 35% had stopped or delayed bonuses, 15% had had to pay staff late and 17% had reduced their own salary.
A good third of small construction business owners also report that if customers continue to pay late it will soon affect the progress and growth of their business, with 30% reporting it had already impacted staff morale, recruitment and retention, with 38% had struggling to pay business rates, and a quarter had struggled to pay mortgage or rental payments on their office.
Comments Hugh Gage, Managing Director of The Prompt Payment Directory: “Recent high profile cases such as Carillion have made many more people aware of the cost of late or non-payment and how it can affect smaller construction firms, but in reality this has been going on for years.
“Our latest research reveals that the impact of late payments has got even worse since last year and is having even deeper repercussions on smaller companies nationwide, it’s affecting and even destroying people’s business, health and lives.
“Construction business owners need to arm themselves against some of the most common late payment issues and fight back against these poor practices as it’s always best to try and avoid them from the outset by using due diligence through credit reference agencies, or services such as The Prompt Payment Directory which rates businesses’ payment behaviour by those that it affects – their suppliers.”
If you would like to read more articles like this then please click here.
- Construction keeps momentum
17 Jan 19
The latest three-on-three month series of construction output data has been released by the ONS.
- Infrastructure work goes ahead at Inverness Airport
17 Jan 19
The contract is part of several upgrade works underway at Inverness Airport.
- Homes England investment brings new homes to Northamptonshire
17 Jan 19
The developments will see thousands of homes built in Kettering and Wellingborough.


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Pune-based Earth Food makes residue-free vegetables available at market price
Organic’ might be ‘cool’, but Earth Food chooses to go the no-residue-farming way.
Making chemicals-free fresh fruits and vegetables available at market prices might sound unreasonable, but this Pune-based startup is proving it can be done.
From their 307 acres of land in a state infamous for droughts and farmer suicides, this one-year-old agri-tech startup (part of VTP Group) is striving to change the concept of farming. It grows a wide range of fruits and vegetables without using harmful chemical fertilisers or pesticides, which are then sold to customers without adding preservatives and synthetic food enhancers.
Nilesh Palresha, Director, VTP Group & Earth Food, says the use of pesticides, long lag between harvest and selling, transportation in unhygienic conditions, and involvement of middlemen are the problems they are trying to solve.
“People often complain about how vegetables today are no good compared to what was available 20 years ago. However, we do natural, residue-free farming and sell only what we grow.”
Earth Food has generated Rs 1 crore in revenue over the last one year and hopes to raise funding now. Planning to produce 150 tonnes per month, it is aiming for monthly revenues of Rs 1 crore in 2018.
From farm to fork
Normally, farmers hire small trucks to carry their produce to the market, bound by wholesalers’ rates because vegetables deteriorate in two days. Even then, they reach consumers only by day three.
Earth Food fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, are harvested, inspected, packed, and sent to retail outlets in AC vans on the same day. Since it has end-to-end control, vegetables reach partner retailers in five hours and are delivered to the consumer in eight hours. Efforts are on to reduce the home delivery time to four hours. Its fresh produce includes 40 vegetables like iceberg, broccoli, pokchoy, zucchini, French beans, gawar, ladies’ finger, and green chilli. Onion and potato are now being introduced.
“Our plan is to grow whatever the end user is using at home every day; we want to deliver to their homes whatever we can in that huge basket,” says Nilesh.
Careful first step
A mechanical engineer with an MBA, Nilesh entered his family’s 25-year-old business of cement and construction material, and started a construction business too. He entered agriculture three years ago, and Earth Food began in early 2015 with an investment of Rs 5 crore.
“Although we had money from other businesses, for Earth Food, we raised money internally and through a bank. We had a very tight budget for months,” he recollects. For the first year and a half, he did not sell anything under the Earth Food brand, taking the “normal sabziwala” route.
“What we grow must have consistent quality. Then we can sell under our brand. Once you put some chemical in the vegetable when it is sown, it is impossible to track it. If you test our vegetables, there will be zero chemicals,” he claims, adding that in the last eight–nine months, they have been on track.
Earth Food aims to get the Global Gap certificate, which is similar to ISO for fruits and vegetables; it is recognised in Europe where standards are very strict. Currently, Earth Food sells only within India, to the likes of Reliance Fresh and Nature’s Basket.
Nilesh is an investor in tech startups like Plobal Apps, Yolo Homes, Workout.case, and The Circus Works. This technology has helped Earth Food’s functioning as well, since the strategies are decided with optimal results.
The prices were decided after a 100-person survey found that the prices of organic products discourage consumers. “So we decided against calling it organic and charging a premium. Our pricing is the same as anyone else’s. We wanted to make sure the backend and supply chain were taken care of so that we need not take a premium to cover the costs. Because even if it is superior quality, a 20 percent higher charge will cause people to retract,” he says.
Earth Food goes to Mumbai and Bengaluru next. Nilesh claims that they will be able to address any geography which can be reached within eight–10 hours by road.
Nilesh believes branded vegetables are the future. “Twenty years ago there was no branded oil like Saffola; it was sold loose. Now 90 percent people are buying branded oil. Same with atta, chilli powder, haldi. But we are pioneers in branded vegetables. This market is very small today, but 20 years later, there will be many more such players,” he says. Earth Food will soon introduce chilli powder and turmeric powder too.
Online grocery retailers like Bigbasket have their own private labels (Fresho) for vegetables and fruits. They directly buy from farmers, package it under their brand, and sell. However, selling their own produce ensures that Earth Food has no competitor in Pune.
“We also deliver at the rotary club, boat club, etc. in Pune. We are now present in 12 locations here. We will be in 30–40 locations by year-end,” Nilesh notes.
The toughest issue for Earth Food was getting the right people. Nilesh says there is shortage of good talent in agriculture, and hence took a long time to get a CEO and farm head. (Their current CEO Ravindra Patil is a postgraduate in agriculture engineering and an MBA in finance with 25 years of experience in processing/agro projects globally as well as organic farming and processing projects in India.)
Other employees also have backgrounds in agriculture; some of them with master’s degrees in agriculture, or MBAs in sales and marketing. Currently, the team has 10 members and 25 labourers.
In agriculture (especially in Maharashtra), the more dependent you are on nature, the more risky it is. To be less dependent on nature requires a lot of investment. “To ensure that we will not fail if there is no water for two months, we have three water bodies— we do irrigation with two wells, one canal flowing through our land, and borewells and ensure optimal utilisation of water,” Nilesh explains. So far, they have not faced any losses despite harsh summers as their shednets cover the plants/crop.
For Nilesh, their biggest success is that although they started home delivery with 20 people, in two months it was 150 people—just by word of mouth. Earth Food currently has around 150 B2C customers, with 30–40 new ones organically coming in every month. In fact, 90 percent of orders were B2B initially; but now it is 70 percent. This is a great testimonial to their product taste and quality, and the market is wide open for them to dominate.

domain: agronomy


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|Direct flight to Edmonton||3 h 25 min|
|Direct flight to Calgary||3 h 10 min|
Welcome to the Sheiling Mountain Lodge, home of COE. The term 'Sheiling' means a resting place in the outdoors for sportspeople. Surrounded by pristine wilderness and spectacular views of the mountains, the lodge makes a perfect setting for outdoor adventure, retreats, or special events. The lodge remains operational year round for group, family and corporate retreats.Meeting space and privacy available for corporate retreats. Comfortable accommodations for up to 25 people. Additional accommodation is available seasonally. A number of sites also available for camping or RV’s. Professionally prepared meals, made delicious and nutritious.
Goat Mountain Get-A-Way presents you with seven uniquely decorated, large, modern chalets which feature queen size beds and pullouts, 4 piece baths, fully equipped kitchens, gas fireplaces, gas barbeques, wrap-around decks, cable TV, free high-speed wireless internet, and a picnic area with a fire pit. Centrally located in the heart of the Crowsnest Pass, our chalets are the perfect hub to take advantage of all the activities this mountain community has to offer. These picturesque chalets are perfect for families, friends, honeymoon couples, outdoor enthusiasts, as well as those looking for peace and quiet.
Skoki Lodge is a National Historic Site situated in a beautiful high alpine region in Banff National Park. The 11 km (6.8 mi) trek from Lake Louise to the Skoki Valley makes Skoki Lodge an ideal destination for hikers and skiers of all levels.
Gorgeous decorations, beautiful surroundings and no clean-up afterwards equals the best Christmas ever! Buffalo Mountain Lodge offers events and activities during the Holiday Season. Package includes one night accommodation for two, gourmet Christmas dinner for two and buffet breakfast for two. Valid December 25, 2017 only.
Experience an insider's view of Calgary's food and art scene with Calgary Food Tours. The tour includes a full brunch at Hotel Arts' beautiful Yellow Door Bistro, sweet and savoury tastings and a lesson in wine appreciation plus two art appreciation/interpretive walks. Use promo code Travel Alberta for 10% off.
You’ll ride along the Bow River while watching for wildlife. But before digging in, work up an appetite with a few western-style games. Afterwards, sit down to a BBQ feast of steak, home-made baked beans, salad and baked potatoes with the works.
Experience Bon Accord's 6th Annual Equinox Celebrations for an Amazing Night under the Stars. Keynote Speaker Alan Dyer. Live local Band - The Wet Secrets. Photo Contest. Local shops. The evening capped off with a spectacular fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. An event for the entire family!
After a massive 2016 with over 110 shows across North America, the I LOVE THE 90’s TOUR will continue its momentum in 2017 with 40+ new stops in the North America. September 19, 2017 at Westerner Park in the ENMAX Centrium promises fans the same unbelievable live experience, with a lineup of the 90’s’ most iconic acts, including Vanilla Ice, Salt N Pepa, Rob Base, Young MC and C+C Music Factory, brought to you by Invictus Entertainment Group.
Love & Records is western Canada's largest free outdoor record fair held annually at Galt Gardens in downtown Lethbridge in late summer. Featuring 12 hours of live music, a massive single-day selection of new/used music, outdoor art gallery, beer gardens, food, family-fun activities, raffles, and more!

domain: geography


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Blood tests help doctors at the UPMC Liver Cancer Center determine:
A platelet count can detect liver cancer in its early stages.
A white cell count below the normal range can be a sign of an enlarged spleen (splenomegaly) and/or an increase in the blood pressure within the liver’s blood vessels (portal hypertension).
Blood tests — known as blood chemistries — evaluate liver function, specifically:
Blood tests for specific tumor "markers" detect the presence of:
DCP and neurotensin are markers (in the presence of a normal AFP) for the fibrolamellar variant of liver cancer, which often occurs in children.
Your health information, right at your fingertips. Select MyUPMC to access your UPMC health information. For patients of UPMC-affiliated doctors in Central Pa, select UPMC Central Pa Portal. Patients of UPMC Cole should select the UPMC Cole Connect Patient Portal.

domain: biology


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The Oxford Academic Health Science Network gets people working together successfully, according to Julian Emms, Chief Executive of Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
Mr Emms, pictured right, was speaking at the start of the fourth of seven Oxford AHSN events showcasing the benefits to patients of collaborations between industry, universities and the NHS.
Around 40 people attended the showcase at Easthampstead Park on 17 May which was co-hosted with Berkshire Healthcare.
Prof Gary Ford, Chief Executive of the Oxford AHSN, gave an overview of the depth and breadth of collaboration across the Oxford AHSN region.
This was demonstrated in more detailed presentations covering dementia, early intervention in psychosis, medicines optimisation, anxiety and depression and patient safety on mental health wards.
There were also contributions from patient leader Carol Munt and Evidence Based Healthcare Masters Fellow Kate Masters, a Berkshire Healthcare pharmacist.

domain: medical


Household heat meters manufactured by QUNDIS GmbH
In 2015, with the participation of TOV NVP Opeks Energosystems, the state acceptance tests were successfully organized at the plant of the heat meter manufacturer QUNDIS GmbH.
Heat meter Q heat is a device for measuring and recording heat energy in centralized heating systems. It is ideal for organizing individual metering of heat consumption in apartments with horizontal distribution of the heating system.
The Q heat heat meter consists of a pair of high-precision temperature sensors and one flow sensor installed in the heating system circuit. The electronic calculating unit constantly calculates the temperature difference in the flow and return pipelines and multiplies the value by the flow rate. The obtained result is summarized and displayed on the screen of the device.
The advantages of this equipment include: compactness, meters are easily installed in hard-to-reach places. A wide range of accounting for the flow rate of the coolant makes it possible to use the heat meter both in large and small rooms. The electronic calculator is reliably protected from dust and condensation in the most difficult operating conditions. A special seal with the SelfLOCK serial number protects against any attempted manipulation or unauthorized intervention. Some models have a removable calculator for easy installation and reading.
Heat meters can be equipped with removable communication modules, or built-in units for organizing remote data collection and transmission in the AMR system, which makes the equipment more practical and convenient for operation. The equipment has been available for sale since 2016.


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ADOPTION PENDING - ON HOME TRIAL
This cute little orphan is Rupert. He was found crying for food and all alone at just 2 weeks old. His rescuer waited to see if his mum would show up, but unfortunately, she didn't. Our only guess is that she was moving her kittens and he was either dropped when she was spooked or accidentally left behind. Thankfully he made it safely into our care.
Rupert is a little kitten with a big appetite. He is still being syringe fed milk, so is not available yet, but once he is weaned and has ben given a clean bill of health, he will be ready for his forever home. In the meantime, he's just loving cuddling up with his foster...or anyone else who he can find.
Watch this space if you are interested in Rupert!

domain: pet


Really nothing to do with fandom books that this bord is about but I love almost all of the bands on this picture
Hoje queria conversar com esse cara. Feliz aniversário... Feliz?
Well this is my favorite guitar player of all time (Slash from Guns 'N Roses)
#86bavaria #metal #rock Music Festival www.bavaria86.com
New York dolls, let's do a shot like this More
peace, love, rock and roll
rock n roll meme - Google Search


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'Dead End Drive-In (Special Edition)' [Blu-ray]
(Ned Manning, Natalie McCurry, Peter Whitford, Wilbur Wilde, David Gibson, et al / Blu ray / R / (1986) 2016 / Arrow Films UK)
Overview: In the near future, a teenage couple is trapped in a drive-in theater which has become a concentration camp for social outcasts. The inmates are treated to drugs, exploitation films, junk food, and new wave music.
Blu-ray Verdict: The opening of 'Dead End Drive-In' quickly sets out its world. There's been a series of disasters that have led to society struggling to survive. A food crisis, a financial crisis, and then an unemployment crisis. And Australia is suffering with the rest of them. Gangs of punks are fighting authority and crashing cars. As an Aussie movie, there's shades of 'Mad Max' to this, but it's given a more populated feel.
Instead of empty streets, there's a bunch of people in 'Dead End Drive-In'. Despite the lack of budget for the movie, Brian Trenchard-Smith gives a real sense of lots of people suffering from the consequences of economic failure.
The movie follows Crabs and his girlfriend Carmen, who end up stranded in an almost post-apocalyptic drive-in cinema after their tires are stolen by the police. The drive-in cinema has nearly 200 people in a similar situation, lighting fires and glaring at each other. The stranded are given food vouchers to eat takeaway from the on-site greasy restaurant.
Crabs is a very engaging character. He wants to become a tough guy, but no matter how much he works out, runs and eats, Crabs is still regarded as a "scrawny b*****d". Yet, as soon as he's stranded in the drive-in, he wants to get away. He wants this so badly, he irritates his girlfriend and also incurs the wrath of people spray painting "Crabs can't get it up" on his car. Carmen, incidentally, is so attractive I spent the movie slightly slack jawed.
For a supposedly trashy movie, it's actually very cleverly done. The car crashes are spectacularly choreographed. Don't expect a special-effects laden movie - it's not that - but when effects are used they're used well. Sparks fly up as cars speed through large fires. Bullets ping off the walls and cars with some canny squib effects.
Above all, there are some great undercurrents to the movie. The way the drive-in deals with the unemployed seems to ring very true with the concept of ghettos. The controller of the drive-in cinema even provides them with drugs. Crabs becomes even more likable because - like us - he sees the drive-in as a huge prison infested with unfair racial divisions.
'Dead End Drive-In' is, naturally, a little rough around the edges. But by limiting the movie to the confines of a drive-in cinema, it creates a well realized world. It's also great to see everyone throwing their all into a movie. Maybe by focusing more on characters and a basic story of "Me v. Them" it simply doesn't overstretch. It's an enjoyable - and sometimes thought provoking - way to spend 92 minutes of your life. [MS] This is a new High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:
Brand new 2K restoration from original film materials
High Definition (1080p) Presentation
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Audio commentary by director Brian Trenchard-Smith
The Stuntmen, Trenchard Smith's classic television documentary on Grant Page (Mad Max, Road Games) and other Australian stunt performers
Hospitals Don't Burn Down, Trenchard-Smith's 1978 public information film told in pure Ozploitation fashion
+ First pressing only: Fully-illustrated collector's booklet containing writing on the films by Cullen Gallagher and Neil Mitchell

domain: entertainment


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GRAND PRAIRIE - The City of Grand Prairie said it did not sign off on a permit for a rave concert to go until 3 a.m. at Quicktrip Park Sunday morning.
The Meltdown Music Festival drew a lot of complaints, including 100 calls to Grand Prairie police from residents who said they could hear the music up to three miles away.
"There were even more complaints in Irving," said Grand Prairie City Manager Tom Hart, who issued an apology to the City of Irving. "It's the first time it's been an issue, and I think it was the perfect storm."
Hart said Quicktrip officials had multiple stages, which contributed to the problem. Quicktrip Park officials said it was a mistake to allow the promoter to put an extra stage up outside the venue.
"One was facing up towards the Irving area, and that's unusual," Hart said. "The wind also carried the music and that didn't help."
The promoter believed they had special permission for the concert to continue until 3 a.m., but there was no official permit for that. There was a special permit allowing alcohol sales within the stadium until 2 a.m. instead of the typical 12 a.m.
Police were confused over the meaning of the permits, and could have shut the concert down.
"We are going to make sure we have provisions in place, so that the noise ordinance is not violated and that police can shut down a noisy concert," Hart said.
According to the city manager, there was confusion among police officers about what could be done in the entertainment district.
Officials in Grand Prairie said they would meet this week to make sure there would be no similar problems in the future.


text:
Problem of Cheating
- 113 Downloads
Cheating is a strategy or behavior that exploits social agreements of cooperation; from a genetic fitness perspective, cheating benefits the cheat while causing detriment to the cooperator.
Cheats or free-riders are organisms that take advantage of the cooperative social behaviors of other organisms either within or outside of their species in order to obtain resources and/or mating opportunities while incurring less cost than would normally be associated with their acquisition. Ghoul et al. (2014, p. 319) define cheating as “(i) a trait that is beneficial to a cheat and costly to a cooperator in terms of inclusive fitness (ii) when these benefits and costs arise from the actor directing a cooperative behavior toward the cheat, rather than the intended recipient.” However, the term “cheat” has been used somewhat inconsistently throughout the evolutionary and ecological literature leading some researchers to...
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- Cosmides, L., & Tooby, J. (1992). Cognitive adaptations for social exchange. In J. H. Barkow, L. Cosmides, & J. Tooby (Eds.), The adapted mind: Evolutionary psychology and the generation of culture (pp. 163–228). New York: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2006.1991.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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- Griggs, R. A., & Cox, J. R. (1982). The elusive thematic-materials effect in Wason’s selection task. British Journal of Psychology, 73(3), 407–420. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.1982.tb01823.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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- Manktelow, K. I., & Evans, J. S. B. T. (1979). Facilitation of reasoning by realism: Effect or non-effect? British Journal of Psychology, 70(4), 477–488. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.1979.tb01720.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Trivers, R. (1985). Social Evolution. California: The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company..Google Scholar
- Verplaetse, J., Vanneste, S., & Braeckman, J. (2007). You can judge a book by its cover: The sequel. A kernel of truth in predictive cheating detection. Evolution and Human Behavior, 28(4), 260–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.04.006.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

domain: literature


text:
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
In fact, Metacritic.com just named PAN'S LABYRINTH the overall top movie of the decade based on a score of theatrical reviews.
It also got a shout out in the NJ Star-Ledger. Metronews Canada called it "one of the decade's most amazing movies."
The best quote comes from Lucy Jones of the Telegraph, who said "I walked out of Pan's Labyrinth feeling like a piece of gum on a frozen pavement. Spat out by a serial killer." She ranks the scene with Ofelia in the Pale Man's lair as the #9 Scene of the Decade.
It is great to see that the film is sticking with people. This is evidence that it will remain as an all-time classic.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
I cannot overemphasize that much of what the studio and filmmakers have said so far about dates is tentative. Until the two scripts are finished, the budget planned, and the greenlight given, no really firm dates can be devised. In the meantime, all announced dates are presumably targets, and they will change as the decision-makers gain more information.
So whether the principal photography begins in April or July or whenever, there is no real delay. It’s a delay only in relation to estimates, not a firm schedule. These procedures are normal in Hollywood. There is no need to imagine a crisis based on the Tolkien Trust lawsuit, MGM’s financial crisis, or some sort of creative disagreement between the scriptwriters and the studio.
Second, on the release dates of the finished films, the interviewer asks, “So you believe in December 2011 the first part is going to be in theaters. Peter replies, “At this stage, that is certainly the plan.”
Again, that’s tentative. Studios frequently change the release dates of films, especially if the release date was estimated very early on, before the scripting/greenlighting process was even begun. A delay would be disappointing, but it wouldn’t be indicative of some behind-the-scenes calamity.
Pay heed everyone - Kristin is a smart cookie.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Guillermo has made a few posts recently on their message boards and I thought I would share them with you:
On writing The Hobbit with Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens:
They are so absolutely indispensable... We have a precious collaboration and they are amazingly talented and fluent and brilliant in their writing. Now, you would be surprised- some of the funniest and most tender moments come from PJ or me also- and the ladies can be quite ruthless with the character's fates!! our collaboration is not quite gender / trait specific. What is very beautiful is that we make it a point to be together in the writing process as much as humanly possible.
It also appears GDT is immensely enjoying himself:
there are times in our lives when a gift is offered to us. This experience has been that. PJ, Fran and PB are blessings in my life. The partnership is superb but meeting people with such great hearts to go along with imagination and courage is a rare thing in this world.
Guillermo was also enamored with some fan art, created by the user grammaboodawg.
WHERE can I get my hands ona copy of that art??? ITS GORGEOUS and FUNNY!! I am strangely flattered by the portrayal!!
They are in my image folder now!! (along with images of Goblins, Smaug, Spiders etc- you must know) I am happy-
The inspiration came from a Tom Scott cartoon he did for a NZ paper in December 2003
Finally, Guillermo elaborated a bit on his cameo appearance as a creature in THE HOBBIT
I had a hand on the design of the creature and I will personally sculpt the appliances that will be applied on my face and hands. I used to sculpt the creatures for NECROPIA (my FX company) and I miss it a bit. I will have a line or two and die quickly.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
So I watched the SPLICE clip. I was hoping for one of three things from it:
1. Biological horror
2. Ethical dilemma
3. Scary science
I should probably clarify what I mean by "biological horror." By that I mean like freaky, gooey, scary, organic horror. The perfect example of biological horror is ALIEN. Facehuggers, impregnating parasites, acidic blood, etc.
Well, I really didn't get any of those things from the clip. The beginning starts promising, with a scientist locked in a chamber when suddenly something in there starts to move. A slight sense of claustrophobia, as the camera shoots from inside the mask. My heartbeat raced just a tad.
But then I SAW the little booger. Unfortunately, he was kind of cute. Like a two-legged puppy dog. Nothing like the "facehugger" that Ripley and Newt battle. And what was kind of funny was that Adrien Brody was banging on the window shouting that it was dangerous.
That thing? That little cutey-pie? Maybe it was going to go all Monty-Python-white-rabbit on everybody.
Anyway, my point is that the clip was lacking the three things I was hoping to see from the clip. And probably part of the problem was that the clip was just out of context. Brody probably had a good reason to be freaking out, but out of context it didn't make a lot of sense.
I'm still looking forward to the film. I think it does have quite a bit of the three qualities I mentioned above. If some "spy" out there gets to see the film on Saturday at the Sitges Film Festival, drop me a line and give me a review!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
GDT: But I went to school in Guadalajara, but it was a very small film school that we created. It became the film school of the university—but we created it. There was no film school in Guadalajara as a kid, so we said "let's make one" and eventually the university formalized it.So there you go - you're little GDT fun fact for the day.
Slant: Were you teaching there for a while?
GDT: The first year I was learning, the second year I was teaching.
Slant: Did you like being a professor?
GDT: Yeah, I'd actually love to teach again. I really enjoy that process.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The King in the Golden Mask, by Marcel Schwob
In a March 2002 interview with IGN.com, GDT mentioned this French writer's collection of short stories as his favorite book.
Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
GDT: "As a kid, you have this notion that you are out of place and out of time. I think the character of Pip relates very intensely to Dickens and to me, too. The character of Mrs. Havisham is as close as Dickens gets to those Christopher Lee gothic horror films."
Source: New York Post
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
GDT: "If I had to choose one movie that I'd love to see survive a burning, I'd run into the woods with the can containing 'Frankenstein.' The book is incredibly important, too. When I read it as an adolescent, I identified with the Creature. As I became a lapsed Catholic, I identified with the Creature's plea, 'Why am I here, if I didn't choose to be born?'
Source: New York Post
Pet Sematary, by Stephen King
GDT: "I think Stephen King can play the boogey man better than anyone else. Seldom has any writer tapped into the primal fear of death, absolute darkness and lack of soul to the point that it provokes almost spiritual horror."
Source: New York Post
Ficciones, by Jorge Luis Borges
GDT: "Incredibly poetic fantasy, philosophical ruminations in the form of literature . . . In many of Borges' short stories, he asks, Can an imaginary world be as real as the actual one? This book has been a seminal one for me."
Source: New York Post
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCuller
Charlie Rose asked Guillermo in July of 2009 if he would ever film a love story. Guillermo replied, "I would love to do Carson McCuller’s The Heart is a Lonely Hunter…I loved the old movie with Alan Arkin and Sandra Locke, but I think the book is so much more full of possibilities."
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
1. THE HOBBIT(s) will be in stereoscopic 3D.
2. THE HOBBIT will be shot in THREE movies - two Del Toro movies covering the book itself and a third bridge movie.
3. Peter Jackson will direct the bridge movie.
4. Smaug and the characters in THE HOBBIT will be darker than in the book.
1. Maybe. I think GDT is hesitant because he doesn't want the spectacle to outweigh the story, which is so often the problem with 3D films. I do believe Jackson is in favor of it however.
2. I'm not buying it. For quite some time now, Guillermo has said there will be two movies that encompass the The Hobbit storyline. I don't find any reason for that to change, especially this late in the game. There will be some "supplemental content" - details on Gandalf's journey to find the Necromancer - but it will be interwoven into the Hobbit storyline. In other words, no bridge film.
3. Judging from interviews with PJ during the DISTRICT 9 publicity, I think he is prepared to step away from the lens and let Guillermo do his thing - and again, no bridge film.
4. Not really buying that either. GDT has always appreciated the "whimsy" of the book, and has vowed to keep that intact.
Monday, August 10, 2009
I'm excited that I will be picking up my brand spanking new laptop today. For a computer geek such as myself, this is a big event! I finally will be stepping away from my desktop and going fully mobile about the house! This should allow me to send the occassional tweet while I watch the kids. It has been really tough lately to find the time to even do that.
Some of you may be wondering what happened this weekend with the Wizard World Convention in Chicago. I was very excited to attend and meet up with some fellow DTF'ers and get to see Doug Jones and Luke Goss. Sadly, my cousin passed away last week unexpectedly and I had to cancel my trip to attend the funeral. So what was supposed to be a highlight of my year turned into a lowlight. My cousin was only 22 years old and died in his sleep. As I write this, we still don't know why. Very, very sad - I was heart broken for his parents and sisters.
I think it part of the grieving process to meditate on death and what it means to die. I thought about it quite a bit this week. I recommend to readers here to revisit some of Guillermo's thoughts on death - they are quite interesting.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Mata Mata is the place where HOBBITON is being constructed. I've been there and laid out a few new Hobbit holes but 99% we are just REPRODUCING what was there for the Trilogy. Its monitored every week from my office and then, as the work progresses Ill start travelling there.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Oh yeah, and it is scripted by Guillermo Del Toro and Matthew Robbins (the writing team last collaborated on MIMIC (1997) - also a Miramax film).
This will be the first true GDT horror film since MIMIC that involves monsters in dark places. So why the lack of buzz?
Is it because it is just getting started? The actors are in Melbourne shooting as we speak...
Is it because GDT isn't directing? (the task belongs to unknown talent Troy Nixey)
Is it because tabloid maven Katie Holmes is a turn-off for some?
I'm not sure of the answer, but I do know this is something to get excited about.
If anyone has seen the original 1973 TV movie, let us know what we can expect!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Also, here is a prototype for a Faun statuette that was on display at the 2008 San Diego Comic Con. Could we see this in 2009 as well?
Thursday, June 18, 2009
I always thought a stork left them under a cabbage leaf or something. A very dark, evil cabbage leaf.
Ok, I don't really believe that - a dark, evil cabbage leaf is actually where Barney the Dinosaur comes from. (Ever see DEATH TO SMOOCHY? That movie was highly underrated. Check it out.)
Anyway, I saw another great quote from Guillermo today care of Duane Dudek of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - check it out:
Q. Where does the vampire myth stem from us culturally?
A. Back when we were tribally nomadic, I believe we were cannibalistic. And as we became social and sedentary, our collective memory was, how do we deal with the fact that we drank the blood of our enemies or ate their hearts? And so we tried to deal with a mythological creature to explain this.
You can read the full interview here.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
"When mankind needed to eat and sleep as cavemen, we spent time making fire or finding water. We dealt with material things. But as soon as we wanted to figure out ourselves, we came up with angels and demons. We invented them to figure out ourselves. So I believe monsters are the key to understanding the universe. And I always try to write, and make movies where I play with that idea."
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wired: You're describing a model that's more like a videogame. Is the merger of movies and games the first step?
del Toro: Unfortunately, I've found in my videogame experience that the big companies are just as conservative as the studios. I was disappointed with the first Hellboy game. I'm very impressed with the sandbox of Grand Theft Auto. You can get lost in that world. But we're using it just to shoot people and run over old ladies. We could be doing so much more.
Wired: But these nonlinear, hybrid storytelling forms involve gaming tech, which could trap them in a geek ghetto. What's going to bring down that wall?
del Toro: Go back a couple of decades to the birth of the graphic novel—I think we can pinpoint the big bang to Will Eisner's A Contract With God. Today, we have very worthy people doing literary comics. I think the same thing will happen on the Internet-gaming side. In the next 10 years, there will be an earthshaking Citizen Kane of games.
Wired: Are you going to create it?
del Toro: I'll be trying to make it. But I won't be trying until after The Hobbit.
Guillermo has talked about this sort of thing before - he has always had an interest in video games and melding them with film and/or TV to create a complete multimedia experience. If you want to read a fantastic interview with Guillermo about video games, check out this August 2008 Q&A with EDGE MAGAZINE.
It briefly mentions GDT's first attempt to develop a video game, a failed project called SUNDOWN with Terminal Reality, which we reported on here at DTF briefly in 2006.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Well, if you're idea of fun includes vampires, biological horror, scary folk tales, and the undead walking the earth, then I have a recommendation for you:
THE STRAIN - book one of the trilogy of novels from Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan.
If you're a big GDT fan (and I assume you are because you're reading this blog), then you are getting some classic, old school Guillermo here. This is his triumphant return to horror in a whole new medium.
The end result?
BLADE 2 meets CSI.
THE STRAIN is not a meditation like PAN'S LABYRINTH, or a metaphorical folk tale like THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE. It is an in-your-face horror thriller that is not for the squeamish.
Here is the set up:
A Boeing 777 arrives at JFK and is on its way across the tarmac, when it suddenly stops dead. All window shades are pulled down. All lights are out. All communication channels have gone quiet. Crews on the ground are lost for answers, but an alert goes out to the CDC. Dr. Eph Goodweather, head of their Canary project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats, gets the call and boards the plane. What he finds makes his blood run cold.
In a pawnshop in Spanish Harlem, a former professor and survivor of the Holocaust named Abraham Setrakian knows something is happening. And he knows the time has come, that a war is brewing . . . So begins a battle of mammoth proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected New York begins to spill out into the streets. Eph, who is joined by Setrakian and a motley crew of fighters, must now find a way to stop the contagion and save his city—a city that includes his wife and son—before it is too late.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed this book. It is very well written and honestly, I couldn't put it down. For my money, nothing holds my interest like a vampire plague, and this book has some cool new twists to the vampire mythology.
The premise of a vampire "infecting" its victims with a virus is not completely new: I've seen the idea before. What THE STRAIN does well is explore the infection of the unfortunate victim in great detail. The main character of THE STRAIN is Ephraim Goodweather, epidemiologist for the Center of Disease Control. His investigation as to the nature of this sudden and mysterious plague requires understanding the nature and effects of the virus itself.
In other words, the entire book is like playing in GDT's sandbox of the scientifically weird and grotesque. It is a medical journal for Guillermo's vision of the ultimate vampire.
Talk about Gross Anatomy.
But let's not forget Mr. Hogan's contributions. A master mystery writer (PRINCE OF THIEVES), Hogan's sense of pacing and suspense compliments Guillermo's sense of fantasy and horror perfectly - although from what Guillermo has said, it appears Chuck has a prolific eye for the macabre as well. He had never written a horror novel until now, but you would never know it.
In addition to Ephraim, there is a large cast of characters to this story, ranging from the heroic to the evil to the infected. Particularly ingenious is the character of Vasiliy Fet, a tough pest control expert that lends his expertise to Eph. It turns out that rats aren't all that different from vampires - and Fet uses that to his advantage.
Another strong character is the enigmatic Abraham Setrakian. A former professor, and current pawnbroker - his ties to the vampire threat not only go back to the WWII Holocaust Death Camps, but also to his childhood. He may be the best chance mankind has of surviving - too bad he's on heart medication.
I won't spoil anything about the vampires for you - that's the best part of the book - but I will say that they bare a striking similarity to the Reapers in BLADE 2. I know Guillermo said that he wasn't able to fully realize the Reapers the way he wanted to in that film, so perhaps this is finally his perfect vision of a vampire: grotesque, horrible, thirsty and a perfect evolutionary predator.
The wonderful part about THE STRAIN is that the novel is the perfect medium for bringing GDT's vampires to life. You understand them inside and out (literally), but also you'll get uncomfortable access to the thoughts and fears of those who are infected...or are being infected.
And that's stuff you'll never get from a movie, so consider it the ultimate bonus feature.
Friday, May 15, 2009
I realized today that with the marketing buzz for THE STRAIN finally starting to hit the general public - book tours, the official website, etc. - I'm actually getting excited AGAIN over the book. And I've already read it.
I was sitting on my couch last night, typing out some emails on my laptop, going over some of THE STRAIN news items you awesome fans out there forward to me, and I realized I needed to read it again - you know, to get all the little details I missed the first time.
I'll have to wait though - my wife snagged it. Maybe I should get her to post a review...
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Seriously, how cool is that? It almost feels like there is a new Guillermo Del Toro movie coming out, doesn't it?
Not just a GDT movie, but a GDT HORROR movie.
When's the last time we could say that? Answer: 2002 with BLADE 2. Seven years ago.
I've read the book, but I'm keeping my review in my back pocket for now. Let me just say this - reading a GDT story in a book is much different than watching a GDT movie on film.
First of all, there are things in this book that would never make it on film. The studios would never go for it. I have two specific moments in mind, but I won't spoil them for you. But think of this artform as GDT "unleashed."
Second, the advantage of reading a book is that it can literally put you inside a character's head. You can hear his thoughts and feel his emotions. Now imagine what those thoughts and feelings might be if the character is being violated by a vampire. This book puts you there, and it's not pleasant. The term"violated" is not strong enough to describe it.
For these two reasons alone, I love GDT's choice to put this story in a trilogy of books - I actually like it better than his original vision of a TV series.
He and Chuck Hogan will take you places that you could never go on film. And that's a good thing.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
(And you ARE crazy - don't try to deny it. I troll your message board sometimes.)
I'm happy to report that you won't be disappointed. JERRY is definitely what you had been hoping for: Doug Jones playing a romantic lead in a sweet independent comedy. And the film works. Doug hits just the right tone with his performance. He is melancholy, funny, likeable and most importantly - he creates a character that you want to root for. You want Jerry to get the girl. You pull for Jerry to get the new job. All of these things are integral to the movie succeeding, and Doug pulls it off well.
So, you ask, what is it about?
It is about a man that is lost, and his name is Jerry. Jerry has a mundane job as a salesman and a lonely home life. He is divorced. He is estranged from his daughter. He eats TV dinners at night and turns down invitations to socialize with his co-workers.
But one day, something sets off a spark inside him. Looking for a co-worker's party, Jerry mistakenly goes to the wrong address. Answering the door is Jordan (Katlyn Carlson). She's young and quirky and fun - everything that Jerry is not. As Jerry walks off the doorstep, a slight smile touches his face and the transformation begins.
Soon, he finds himself in a record store, learning about punk music, and making friends half his age. Is it a mid-life crisis? Not really - more like a mid-life awakening. He meets Jordan by chance at a bar where she works and a relationship begins - a relationship that is more of a mystery to Jerry than to Jordan.
The drama begins when Jerry's daughter returns to him after her mother's death. Soon we realize that the mistakes of his past are the biggest obstacle for him to build a new future. To Jerry, it's not only that he doubts his daughter will forgive him - he doubts if he can forgive himself.
Jerry and his daughter have a long overdue conversation
The cast was strong throughout, with Don Stark (That 70's Show) playing Doug's encouraging co-worker, Catherine Hicks (7th Heaven) as Jerry's forgiving boss, and Allison Scagliotti as Jerry's daughter. Especially good was Carlson as Jordan - her character reminds me of that really cute girl in high school that was always nice to me, but I was always too scared to ask her out. Her performance made me want to go back in time and try again.
I suppose the big question you are wondering is this: will this independent film find a distribution deal? I would say unlikely. The film is good, and director Morgan Mead and writer David Hamilton did an wonderful job of telling a story with a lot of heart, but it does fall a little short in some categories. I would have liked to have seen the film probe deeper into the punk rock scene. Also, some of the comedy falls flat at times, especially with Jerry's college-aged buddies. I feel like there was room for more laughs in the film overall. It slows down with the number of dramatic scenes. As it stands, the film is more drama than comedy. I think Mead missed an opportunity to make the film...well...more fun. Still, it is a good film and has some potential to have a cult following on DVD (particularly among the Fan Sapiens out there - you know who you are).
All in all, I would recommend MY NAME IS JERRY to my wife for a cozy night on the couch, and honestly that is a pretty good compliment for any film.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Morgan Mead at the premiere
Doug signing autographs...on the floor
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
The two quotes that I am most excited about are the following:
Del Toro: We've decided to have the Hobbit span the two movies, including the
White Council and the comings and goings of Gandalf to Dol Guldur.
Jackson: We're developing a lot more character and personality in the villain side of the story, too. We are having to deal with Sauron a little bit more specifically in this; how exactly he manifests himself and what form he's in, and how that is ultimately going to lead into what he becomes in the trilogy - and what he has been in the ancient past. That is something we are absolutely dealing with, much more so than what's in the book.
I'm glad that GDT and Jackson have confirmed that THE HOBBIT will include not only Bilbo's journey, but Gandalf's as well. For a good portion of the book, Gandalf is out of the picture, investigating disturbing events in Dol Guldor. This is Sauron's first attempt at manifesting himself as the Necromancer.
Sauron has a very complex backstory. Telling Sauron's history and exposing his intimate threat will be a great sideplot. The details of the backstory are familiar to die-hard Tolkien fans - they are spelled out in THE SILMARILLION.
I am more excited about this part of the story even moreso than the prospect of seeing Smaug onscreen for the first time - I think the theatrical potential is rich. The Middle Earth story elevates to a cosmic level when we start to learn about Sauron and the origin of the White Council.
Its not LOVECRAFT cosmic (that wouldn't be appropriate), but Sauron's story certainly is on the same level as the spiritual works by Milton or William Blake. I can only hope that GDT, Jackson and the rest of the writing team take the opportunity to tap into the celestial elements of Tolkien's mythology.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
You may have seen some articles around the internet proclaiming the MIMIC Criterion Director's Cut was coming soon. Unfortunately, this was an April Fool's Day gag from Twitch Film that got picked up by various sites.
The truth is that the much anticipated MIMIC Director's Cut DVD has been suspended. My source says that budget cuts at Disney/Miramax is the reason the project isn't happening at the moment.
But hold on to hope, GDT fans. You never know what might happen - a little boost in the economy and tidal wave of HOBBIT publicity might put the project back on the map.
In the meantime, why not read the ORIGINAL script by GDT and Matt Greenberg. Its very different from the movie, including this nice little surprise at the end (SPOILERS):
Monday, March 30, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The source of the debate is this statement from GDT:
I was never into heroic fantasy. At all. I don't like little guys and dragons, hairy feet, hobbits -- I've never been into that at all. I don't like sword and sorcery, I hate all that stuff.
Talk about painting yourself into a corner! GDT made these statements in Cannes to Salon in 2006 while promoting PAN'S LABYRINTH, and LOTR fans have had it in the back of their minds ever since.
Guillermo finally responded to this statement in May 2008 during an online chat with fans:
Guillermo del Toro: ...I stand by the general lines of my statement in 2006. When that statement was made- at different times during PANS LABYRINTH’s promotion, many a time I made the distinctive call to say that althought I had not read Tolkien outside THE HOBBIT I had been fascinated by the Trilogy films. A statement that I already had the chance to make in 2005 when PJ, Fran and I met about HALO.
So, no, generally I am NOT a “Sword and Sorcery” guy or a “Fantasy” guy- By the same token, I’m not a sci-fi guy but I would make a film based on Ellison in a second- or on Sturgeon or Bradbury or Matheson.
I’m not into Barbarians with swords but i would kill to tackle Fafhrd and Grey Mouse… and so on and so forth… I’m a believer but not a Dogmatic.
Allow me to put a final, finer point to our discussion. The aesthetics of HELLBOY II are completely Pop and color-saturated, much more comic book / modern than I would ever use in THE HOBBIT but- I spend two years creating a world of Fairies, Elves, Trolls, etc.
Two Years. A career / creative decision that precedes any inkling of THE HOBBIT. I wrote the script years before I met with PJ or Fran. In other words I dedicated the last 6 years of my career (between PL and HBII) to create Fantastical world inhabited by Fairies, Fauns, Ogres, Trolls, Elves, etc.
In that respect- I guess I am a Fantasy guy when the particular world appeals to me. Back in the Jurassic Period (1992 / 1993) when CRONOS won the Critic’s Week at Cannes I was referred to as an “art house guy”- I followed that with a giant cockroach movie that proved successful enough to spawn two sequels and allow me to co-finance THE DEVILS BACKBONE which send me back to being an “art house guy”.
Then I did BLADE II and people thought of me as an “Action guy”- PJ went through a similar mercurial career with HEAVENLY CREATURES, BAD TASTE, DEAD ALIVE, etc I squirm away from a tag and I hope I can avoid being just a “Fantasy guy” after PL, HBII and H…
I do the tales I love (regardless of what shelf Barnes & Noble classifies the book under) and I love the HOBBIT.
I love it enough to give it half a decade of my life and move half a world away to do it.
Guillermo's commitment to this project (a big chunk of his life and substantial relocation) says a lot. But let me underline his statements about why he loves this project - Guillermo LOVES fairy tales - and he considers THE HOBBIT as a Fairy Tale. Here is a statement from his introduction on the TORN message boards:
At the age of 11 I read THE HOBBIT and it enchanted me as only a classic Fairy Tale can- it had enough darkness and dread and emotion to make a profound impression that lasted me until now. Beorn, Mirkwood, the Wargs, Smaug, the Riddles in the Dark, they all have lived in me for many years... Nevertheless at that early age, the rest of Tolkien proved to contain Geography and Genealogy too complex for my prepubescent brain... I was never propelled into an aleatory addiction to sub-genres like Sword & Sorcery or indiscriminate fantasies about magical this or that- Like any other genre or subgenre there's a great abundance that makes it hard to discern when a new "trilogy" or "chronicle" comes from as genuine a place as Tolkien's...
GDT sees themes in THE HOBBIT that are very interesting to him, specifically, "the illusory nature of possession, the sins of hoarding and the banality of war". I believe Guillermo's attraction to these themes will lend considerable gravitas to this story, elevating it above a mere "fantasy adventure tale." Guillermo has done some of his best stuff when working in fantasy metaphors, specifically when relating to war, namely DEVIL'S BACKBONE and PAN'S LABYRINTH.
I believe for the reasons mentioned, Guillermo will bring the same love and passion to THE HOBBIT as those two deeply personal projects.
Friday, March 20, 2009
BEST WIDE-RELEASE FILM
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
Leo Bill, THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
Kare Hedebrant, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
Trevor Matthews, JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER
Ron Perlman, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
Marc Senter, THE LOST
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
A.J. Bowen, THE SIGNAL
Robert Englund, JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER
Doug Jones, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
Vinnie Jones, THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN
Michael Pitt, FUNNY GAMES
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Beatrice Dalle, INSIDE
Lou Doillon, SISTERS
Jennifer Ellison, THE COTTAGE
Lauren Roy, THE CHAIR
Anna Walton, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
Guillermo del Toro, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
John Ainslie, Jon Knautz, JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER
John Ajvide Lindqvist, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
John Strysik, STUCK
Mitchell Lichtenstein, TEETH
BEST MAKEUP/CREATURE FX
Mike Elizalde, Cliff Wallace, David Martí, Montse Ribé, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
Jacques-Olivier Molon, INSIDE
David Scott, JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER
Robert Hall, QUARANTINE
Todd Tucker, Drac Studios, TRAILER PARK OF TERROR
Click on this link to get information on how to vote, and to view all nominees. Votes are due in by April 27!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Personally, I think the first several minutes of FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING might be the best movie opening of all time. At the very least Top 5.
Do you think that THE HOBBIT might open in a similar manner - perhaps a combination of flashback (history of Middle Earth before the Ring) and maybe even a flash forward (the destruction of the Ring)?
Personally, I would love to see this - it would set the epic scale of the film perfectly.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Guillermo wrote this screenplay between 1993 and 1998 with Kit Carson and Matthew Robbins. (Robbins co-wrote the MIMIC screenplay with Del Toro). It was originally entitled MONTECRISTO, and of course is based on the famed novel by Alexandre Dumas.
GDT wrote the story as a "Gothic-western". It was written during a time when GDT's father was kidnapped and held for ransom, and Guillermo has described this screenplay has having "a lot of rage." He has described the film as being technically challenging, most recently in a 2008 interview with Den of Geek:
I think that’s a movie that still bugs me a little bit. I mean, when you ask me if I’m scared of The Hobbit, I’m not, I’m more scared of Left Hand Of Darkness, because it’s a movie that I’m very, very proud of the screenplay, but it requires a set of tools that are a little daunting. It’s sort of like a David Lean, Sergio Leone epic western. Very much full of magic. And it’s the only movie without any creatures."
In 2002, Guillermo gave a French magazine some great details on the film (as reported by AintItCool News):
"It's a very gothic adaptation of the book. I've always thought that Dumas (the author of the book) wanted to evoke the spirit of the "1001 nights", his fascination for the Orient. Each adaptation was an adventure film or a classic movie without any invention, exoticism. So I wondered what would give this book adapted as a western(...). In the book, the Count is often mentioned as a "pirate", a "vampire", a "thief". He's very dark. And in my adaptation, the Count only goes out at nights. He's very close to a Dracula coming from a western, all dressed in black, red and gold. He has a mechanical arm that allows him to draw his gun faster than every one (...). Monte Cristo will be a very catholic movie (...)."
DARKNESS is considered by Guillermo to be one of his pet projects, along with AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS. And, like ATMOM, the timing just hasn't been quite right in getting it made. In 2002, Kevin Reynolds directed a film version starring Jim Caviezel. Now, with the epic HOBBIT going into production, and other commitments to Universal, the fate of this project is still unknown.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
This prospective project is based on the Dan Simmons novel DROOD. You can buy it now at the DTF Store. This book is getting pretty good buzz and has been mentioned as his possible next project after THE HOBBIT (of course, so has ATMOM).
You can buy this David Moody novel at the DTF Store here. This adaptation will be produced by GDT and directed by Juan Antonio Bayona (The Orphanage).
Monday, February 2, 2009
For Americans, Super Bowl Sunday is becoming more and more a national holiday. I'm a sports nut and love American football, so I just love watching the game. For others (like my wife), its a chance to get together with friends, have a good time, watch some funny commercials, and chow down on unhealthy snack food.
One of my favorite parts of Super Sunday in particular is watching the new trailers for upcoming films, but I'll get to that in a second.
I'll spare you the details on the game - let's just say it was hard-hitting and exciting, with the Pittsburgh Steelers barely squeeking past the underdog Arizona Cardinals, 27-23. Also, you should know that The B0ss puts on a HELLUVA show - Flat. Out. Rocked. It was the best Super Bowl half-time show ever. I still can't get over watching Silvio from the Sopranos rocking out on guitar, either.
Okay, so the moment you've all been waitin' for - my Super Bowl trailer reviews:
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Not much was seen here except for explosions, a couple of familiar faces, and some partially-obscured big-ass robots. Definitely a teaser. I had a great time at the first Transformers flick. Will I see this one? Yep. Did the trailer help me get fired up? Nope. It didn't show me anything new - Shockwave maybe? Constructicons? Hell, I didn't even get a decent look at Megan Fox, dammit!
G.I. Joe: The Rise of COBRA
If there is a Transformers and a G.I. Joe movie coming out, Hot Wheels and Gobots better not be far behind. Just kidding. I didn't get much from this other than "G.I. Joe is coming out, and it will have cool special effects." Could we POSSIBLY tease some plot in one of these commercials? Oh, that's right. There isn't any. Just explosions. I'll still see it though.
Monsters vs. Aliens
This trailer was in 3D. I lucked into some free 3D glasses at the grocery story yesterday afternoon, so I was a stoked and ready to roll. Unfortunately it was the crappy dark lense/blue lense kind of 3D glasses, which makes the colors kind of goofy when you watch it. The 3D worked though, but there was only one cool effect - a guy bouncing a paddle ball at your face at the beginning. Still, I think the movie will be good - it looks funny in a kind of Monsters, Inc. sort of way. I hope the 3D is better in the theatrical version.
Angels & Demons
I read the book and barely got through it - it was a little boring. Hope the movie is better. Seeing Ewan McGregor in the trailer bumped my interest a notch, so I'll give it an above average grade. I was sufficiently teased.
This Jack Black/Michael Cera film showed potential. Seems like a "History of the World, Pt I" meets "Superbad." I can live with that. Plus it has stoning humor. Stoning is funny.
Land of the Lost
I can't believe I saw a damn Sleestak on television last night. I think I fainted.
The Fast & the Furious
Somebody tell Vin Diesel to stop making movies like this. Vin's a smart guy. He's like the new Sylvester Stallone - a guy who can write and direct smart movies, but continues to due mindless action films. Still, this trailer made the film look better than its earlier predecessors. And it has a Michelle Rodriguez in it. Oh, yeah.
What the hell was that? Apparently I've been effectively teased.
Race to Witch Mountain
I loved the old Disney Witch Mountain movies. Apparently these aren't like the old Witch Mountain movies. Why do these type of films always revolve around a blue collar guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ten bucks says The Rock says something like, "I should be home watching TV!" half-way through the movie. Booooo Disney! Oh, well - kids will probably love it. A ten year old should probably review this trailer. But since I don't have one with me:
Judge for yourself, you can watch all the trailers at Cinema Blend.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Sorry, folks. In my opinion, its not going to happen. If HELLBOY II couldn't rake in enough profit to go in the black domestically, what chance does B.P.R.D. have? Yes, HELLBOY II is in the black now, thanks to international box office and DVD.
The reality is, without the star of the show (Big Red), B.P.R.D. would be a risky theatrical investment.
Television, however, would be perfect.
The B.P.R.D. is fertile ground for a cable or network television series. Here's why:
1. It has a built-in audience for people familiar with the Hellboy films
2. Sci-Fi and Fantasy is very popular right now, with hit shows like Heroes and Battlestar Galactica on the airwaves.
3. Its unique. I can't think of any shows like it ever on television - every creature/makeup show I've ever seen has been alien science fiction (Star Trek, Farscape, Babylon 5). Its about time we ditch the aliens and get some Monster TV.
I think the biggest drawback to the show would be cost. I believe viewers today expect a high production value - and the makeup and special effects for Abe, Roger, and various baddies might be on the steep end.
And its not the first time a show with GDT ties made it to television. Remember the short-lived BLADE series on Spike TV?
I'm not sure where the property rights for B.P.R.D. rest, but if they are at Universal, it would be a beacon of hope. NBC-Universal produces the high-quality, SciFi Channel drama Battlestar Galactica - one of my all-time favorites. They also produce SciFi's Eureka. So Universal, at least, is open to fantasy programming.
The key to success is a high-powered brain to push the series. Guillermo obviously has the influence, although his attempt to bring THE STRAIN to Fox TV failed for unknown reasons. G could open some doors for a B.P.R.D. series, and he has gone on record as saying it would be a good idea, but unfortunately, I don't think he has any interest in developing it himself. Too busy. I think Mignola might be the same - my impression is that he is content to write the comics. So the ONLY way this could happen is if Mignola and GDT would endorse someone they trust to develop the series.
Who might that be?
The name that comes to mind is David S. Goyer.
Goyer was a screenwriter for BLADE II. He was also executive producer for such TV shows as BLADE: THE SERIES (the same as above), SLEEPWALKERS, and THRESHOLD. He has the added clout of co-writing the massively popular BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT films. In September 2007, Variety reported that Goyer had signed on to direct an adaptation of Mignola's graphic novel "Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire" for New Regency. The business relationships are there to make it happen.
Could a B.P.R.D. series get made without Goyer? Certainly. To my knowledge, Goyer has never shown any public interest in the property.
But he might be its best chance.
Monday, January 26, 2009
LIKE THIS! Read on, faithful followers!
Haven't seen THE WRESTLER, but that is the one film that I want to see this year more than any other. It isn't up for best picture, although Rourke is nominated for Best Lead Actor. I would see WRESTLER over any film in the Best Picture category (and I haven't seen any of those either). Of the nominess for Best Picture, I would most likely take the time to see MILK or SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. BUTTON sounds like a bore-fest on wheels.
And no love for THE DARK KNIGHT, which I HAVE seen? Surely it is better than at least one of those films on this list. That is my biggest complaint with the Academy - an aversion to fantasy and sci-fi films. I still feel for Guillermo, who I'm convinced lost out for Best Foreign Film with PAN'S LABYRINTH because some old geezer voters didn't understand why their was a goat man in the film.
I only saw Ledger and Downey, Jr.'s performances in the Supporting Role category. Of the two, Ledger gets my vote - it was one of my favorite performances ever in fact. Downey Jr. was cool in TROPIC THUNDER, but THUNDER doesn't have the writing to deliver a win.
I didn't see Angelina's performance in THE CHANGELING, but I read about the real story on Wikipedia and it was fascinating. Comic book scribe J. Michael Straczynski wrote the screenplay.
Marisa Tomei deserves to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress just so the jokes will stop.
I didn't see BOLT, but regardless: GO WALL-E!!!
I can't wait to see MAN ON WIRE and ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD. They are in my Netflix queue as we speak.
I found a bad omen for HELLBOY 2 in the makeup category - if you go to the nominations section at this link, they don't even have a little HELLBOY icon next to the name like all the other movies. Just a generic "Oscars" icon. That's ok - I expect HELLBOY 2 to rake in the awards like Teddy KGB at the SATURN Awards this year.
Speaking of the SATURN awards - they need a "Best Fansite" category, don't you think?
And now, just so you'll take all my opinions with a grain of salt - here is the list of films I've seen this year that are nominated for an award:
THE DARK KNIGHT
HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY
KUNG FU PANDA
Wow - I should come up with my own end-of-year awards (The Parkers?). The winning films would most likely be the ones that are freshest in my memory.
And I'm warning you, given those parameters -THE HEARTBREAK KID might be a shoo-in for Best Picture. I'm STILL quoting that movie and I saw it a month ago.
Friday, January 23, 2009
I believe this site has grown far beyond a simple GDT fansite - it has taken on a life of its own with people engaging their similar interests, sharing their artwork, and taking part in discussions that go beyond just Guillermo's work. This has become a community of like-minded souls.
For those of you who are curious - this site started in 2004 with a simple email. I would read the official Sony Hellboy message boards daily, but I never posted. One day Guillermo posted his fan email address, and I shot him a quick email telling him how much I enjoyed HELLBOY. To my surprise (a month later), he wrote me back, thanking me for my support. I later sent him another email with an idea - to build DelToroFilms.com. I would often scour the internet for news on GDT, having become a fan since THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE and BLADE II, but I could never find good information in one place. A little bit here, a little bit there. I proposed to GDT a fansite that would have all the news in one place. He was kind enough to endorse my efforts, sight unseen.
The first version of DTF was a little clunky, but it has gotten better over the years. I yearn for the time to make it better - because frankly, you all deserve the best.
At the Hellebration in 2008, Guillermo was impressed with how "civilized" the message board was. For that, you can all pat yourself on the back. I told Guillermo that, simply, I think his work attracts good people. Mutual respect, intelligent debate, and good natured fun has made this site what it is today.
I thank you all for your continued support - it has been a pleasure for me to be your host.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Man, I have no idea where they are going with this, but I'm pretty sure there is some cyclical history of man and cylon nuking each other over and over again.
And who is Starbuck? What is Starbuck? Does Starbuck drink Starbuck's? One shot of Espresso or Two? I want the truth! (I'm afraid I can't handle the truth.)
And the last Cylon is Colonel Tigh's wife? Never would have guessed it. So where is she now? Did she download into my iPod? I gotta check....nope. Not there either. Dammit.
Red Mercury - where are you? I KNOW you have opinions. I thought you were going to blow a blood vessel talking BSG with Seth on a Beverly Hills streetcorner! You guys were discussing theories and I banished you to the other side of the street. Or I banished myself. Either way - were you right?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
I think it will get down to -7 this weekend. That's without windchill.
As I was walking in the dark to get my morning paper the other day (in my bathrobe and slippers) at 6 in the morning (the kid gets up at 5:30, so that means I get up at 5:30), it made me think how great the cold is for staging a good scary movie.
Dark. Desolate. Cold. The sting of the wind. Extreme cold is just a great storytelling device. I thought 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, although just being an above average movie/comic, used the setting brilliantly. Also THE THING ranks right up there (maybe even at the top) of great "horror movies in the snow".
I think horror fans are just waiting to see a GIANT horror film that takes us to the inescapable bitter cold.
That film should be AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS, don't you agree?
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
But my boy is a joy (that rhymed).
He likes dinosaurs, The Wiggles, dancing, climbing, and generally getting into mischief. Here is a voice mail I got today from my wife:
Did you ever see the movie "Parenthood" with Steve Martin? Remember the kid that likes to wear a bucket on his head and run into walls? Yeah, that's pretty much my son.
So anyway, I guess I should do the standard "Best of 2008" list, right? Okay, I'll give it a shot - and I'm just going to go off the top of my head because if you have to think about it your lying to yourself. Too many "Best Of" lists are academic. You should write down the first 10 movies you think of that you saw last year and BOOM - there's you're "Best Of" list.
Here we go!
1. Hellboy 2
2. The Dark Knight
3. Iron Man
4. The Incredible Hulk
5. The Orphanage
8. Yes Man
9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
10. X-Files: I Want To Believe
Interesting list, isn't it? Not a lot of substance or drama. This, my friends, is what a "Best Of" list looks like when you are a parent to young children. In other words, I haven't seen much this year. Of the Top 150 Grossing Films of 2008, I've seen only 19. So this is the top 10 of that 19. So I'm not what you might call a "well-informed" expert. But these movies were good, so if you haven't seen'em, go see'em.
The one suprise might be Rambo. Admittedly, I am a sucker for 80's nostalgia. But this film played out much better than I expected. Interesting subject, good action. This was essentially an independent war film - if it was treated as such and didn't have the name "Rambo" in the title, it might have got more attention from people. Plus the DVD feature on the shooting of the film was interesting, since they chose to film it next to a war zone.
Anyway, that's my list - if I was smart, I would just do a review of all the movies I saw in 2008, not just the ones that were released.
Because when you can't get a babysitter, you watch a LOT of films on DVD...from the previous year.


With the days getting shorter, the leaves nearly gone from the trees, and parades with balloon floats just around the corner, one thing is unavoidable…the Christmas Holiday shopping season is almost upon us.
So many things can be said about New York Women, but one thing is definitely true across the board – they love their accessories. While every woman may not have the shoe fetish that Carrie Bradshaw has, inside every woman is the love for a great handbag.
Okay, so New York City may not be the hot spot for heathens of the world like it was twenty years ago: Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum and BB King’s Blue’s Club have long since replaced the porn theatres and head shops that made city the true land of the degenerate.
What New Yorker doesn’t like sleek, scaled down coolness? This is the city were coolest of the cool create what’s cool. This means that all types gravitate towards the City That Never Sleeps to get their hands on a piece of the action.
As a newly planted seed in New York, I bet you’re wondering how New Yorkers survived before Whole Foods? How could anyone have hosted a fantastic cocktail party like a true gourmand without this superstore?
New York is the capital for all things cultural, retail, and culinary. It has all types of escapes, from beaches and amusement parks, to botanical gardens and zoos – truly everything that you’d want at your fingertips.
Even if you've only been in New York City for a short time, there are things that will quickly become obvious to you: Houston Street sounds nothing like a city in Texas, it's easier to find a pedicure than a public bathroom, and the new always replaces the old.


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Morphing Background Shapes on Scroll May 26, 2017A decorative website background effect where SVG shapes are morphing and transforming on scroll.
Timedropper a jQuery UI timepicker May 02, 2017Timedropper is an eye catching jQuery UI timepicker. Manage time input fields in a standard form. Focus on the input to open an small interactive timepicker. Set time in 12-hour clock in which the 24 hours of the day are divided into two periods. Change time using mousewheel.
Recent CSS Gallery Entries 1
Def Jam is not just a record label, it’s a cultural movement. We tried to capture this movement in their website. Use your cursors to navigate a mix of music and lifestyle content, all shown at epic proportions.
It's a site for a dutch singer-songwriter duo who have created a christmas single to support children who suffer from diarrhea. The site is created using CSS3 and uses media-queries to split in a large and medium screen format. jQuery is used to animate the order form (click link in footer text)
The radio station hitz.fm, incorporated in 1997, still reigns as Malaysia’s No.1 English station until today.
A mind-blowing concert tour across the United States for college students only. The (dot)EDU Only Tour.
PÃ¡gina web oficial de Keympa, banda de mÃºsica celta y atlÃ¡ntica con una visiÃ³n mediterrÃ¡nea, para la presentaciÃ³n de su discografÃa y espectÃ¡culos
HTML5, and css multimedia experiment, with a music video design in one. The video, and all the materials were shot as part of the web design concept to ensure an enjoyable music, video experience. If music is experimental, so should be the material that presents it. It works really nice on the ipad by the way. Enjoy!
Based in London, and working with some of the finest musicians in the UK, Andrea performs at jazz venues, private parties and corporate functions all over the country.
Johan Otten is an actor, artist and music teacher from The Netherlands. We took a lot of time for the perfect look matching Johan's personality. We will be building the website this year. The homepage is very interactive because of the news, social feeds, shoutbox, picture gallery etc.
Dance Music Productions Company website. The massive use of CSS an AJAX achieve the feel of a Flash website without using it.
Built on WordPress and heavily Widgetized (including the main content area), the new Clear99.com is a fantastic Radio Station website. Orange and Black make the whole site pop without hurting the eyes.
Rockpacity is made by Kevin Groenendaal, founder of codecrunchers.net. "Rockpacity is made for bands that deserves to be seen. Some bands simply rock and are not known at all! That is what we do, we collect the best bands out there with no label and place them on our gallery. We even register every hit that went to their Myspace and send them a detailed e-mail at the end of the month!"


Mapping the Transfer Function
Based on the Risk Decomposition of the Vibration Test, we build the transfer function as following:
We simplified the testing scenario that after they fail in the first test and redesign the product, they’ll pass the second test.- The probabilities used to determine if the product passed (95%) or failed (5%) the initial test.- The reliability increases and the liability decreases to approximately 1% of the potential liability cost, compared to 10% for no testing.
For the Test Fail Case:
The redesign cost is added, as well as 10% of the total test cost. Monte Carlo simulations are performed on the test cost, liability cost, and redesign cost.
For the Test Pass Case:
No redesign costs or test cost added.
From the above assumption the transfer function was developed as follows
Mapping the Transfer Function to the user input
Customers need to estimate and input the Testing Cost, Redesign Cost, and Liability Cost.
Mapping the Transfer Function to the graphical output
Liability Costs related terms are all shown in red column,
Test cost and Redesign cost related terms are added up an shown in blue column.


Synergistic Dynamic Theory of Complex Coevolutionary Systems: Disentangling Nonlinear Spatiotemporal Controls on Precipitation
Perdig„o RAP, Pires CAL, Hall J
We formulate a nonlinear synergistic theory of coevolutionary systems, disentangling and explaining dynamic complexity in terms of fundamental processes for optimised data analysis and dynamic model design: Dynamic Source Analysis (DSA). DSA provides a nonlinear dynamical basis for spatiotemporal datasets or dynamical models, eliminating redundancies and expressing the system in terms of the smallest number of fundamental processes and interactions without loss of information. This optimises model design in dynamical systems, expressing complex coevolution in simple synergistic terms, yielding physically meaningful spatial and temporal structures. These are extracted by spatiotemporal decomposition of nonlinearly interacting subspaces via the novel concept of a Spatiotemporal Coevolution Manifold. Physical consistency is ensured and mathematical ambiguities are avoided with fundamental principles on energy minimisation and entropy production. The relevance of DSA is illustrated by retrieving a non-redundant, synergistic set of nonlinear geophysical processes exerting control over precipitation in space and time over the Euro-Atlantic region. For that purpose, a nonlinear spatiotemporal basis is extracted from geopotential data fields, yielding two independent dynamic sources dominated respectively by meridional and zonal circulation gradients. These sources are decomposed into spatial and temporal structures corresponding to multiscale climate dynamics. The added value of nonlinear predictability is brought out in the geospatial evaluation and dynamic simulation of evolving precipitation distributions from the geophysical controls, using DSA-driven model building and implementation. The simulated precipitation is found to be in agreement with observational data, which they not only describe but also dynamically link and attribute in synergistic terms of the retrieved dynamic sources.