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fairfieldthinkspace · 5 years ago

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Where Is God in a Pandemic?

The honest answer is: We don’t know. But even non-Christians may find understanding in the life of Jesus.

By James Martin, S.J.

Originally published by The New York Times on March 22, 2020.

Last summer I underwent radiation treatment. And every time I passed through the doorway marked “Radiation Oncology,” my heart seemed to skip a beat. While I was in little danger (my tumor was benign, and, yes, one sometimes needs radiation for that), I daily met people who were close to death.

Every weekday for six weeks I would hail a cab and say, “68th and York, please.” Once there, I would stop into a nearby church to pray. Afterward, walking to my appointment in a neighborhood jammed with hospitals, I passed cancer patients who had lost their hair, exhausted elderly men and women in wheelchairs pushed by home health care aids, and those who had just emerged from surgery. But on the same sidewalks were busy doctors, smiling nurses and eager interns, and many others in apparently perfect health. One day it dawned on me: We’re all going to 68th and York, though we all have different times for our appointments.

In just the past few weeks, millions have started to fear that they are moving to their appointment with terrifying speed, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. The sheer horror of this fast-moving infection is coupled with the almost physical shock from its sudden onset. As a priest, I’ve heard an avalanche of feelings in the last month: panic, fear, anger, sadness, confusion and despair. More and more I feel like I’m living in a horror movie, but the kind that I instinctively turn off because it’s too disturbing. And even the most religious people ask me: Why is this happening? And: Where is God in all of this?

The question is essentially the same that people ask when a hurricane wipes out hundreds of lives or when a single child dies from cancer. It is called the “problem of suffering,” “the mystery of evil” or the “theodicy,” and it’s a question that saints and theologians have grappled with for millenniums. The question of “natural” suffering (from illnesses or natural disasters) differs from that of “moral evil” (in which suffering flows from the actions of individuals — think Hitler and Stalin). But leaving aside theological distinctions, the question now consumes the minds of millions of believers, who quail at steadily rising death tolls, struggle with stories of physicians forced to triage patients and recoil at photos of rows of coffins: Why?

Over the centuries, many answers have been offered about natural suffering, all of them wanting in some way. The most common is that suffering is a test. Suffering tests our faith and strengthens it: “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance,” says the Letter of James in the New Testament. But while explaining suffering as a test may help in minor trials (patience being tested by an annoying person) it fails in the most painful human experiences. Does God send cancer to “test” a young child? Yes, the child’s parents may learn something about perseverance or faith, but that approach can make God out to be a monster.

So does the argument that suffering is a punishment for sins, a still common approach among some believers (who usually say that God punishes people or groups that they themselves disapprove of). But Jesus himself rejects that approach when he meets a man who is blind, in a story recounted in the Gospel of John: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” says Jesus. This is Jesus’s definitive rejection of the image of the monstrous Father. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus responds to the story of a stone tower that fell and crushed a crowd of people: “Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you.”

The overall confusion for believers is encapsulated in what is called the “inconsistent triad,” which can be summarized as follows: God is all powerful, therefore God can prevent suffering. But God does not prevent suffering. Therefore, God is either not all powerful or not all loving.

In the end, the most honest answer to the question of why the Covid-19 virus is killing thousands of people, why infectious diseases ravage humanity and why there is suffering at all is: We don’t know. For me, this is the most honest and accurate answer. One could also suggest how viruses are part of the natural world and in some way contribute to life, but this approach fails abjectly when speaking to someone who has lost a friend or loved one. An important question for the believer in times of suffering is this: Can you believe in a God that you don’t understand?

But if the mystery of suffering is unanswerable, where can the believer go in times like this? For the Christian and perhaps even for others the answer is Jesus.

Christians believe that Jesus is fully divine and fully human. Yet we sometimes overlook the second part. Jesus of Nazareth was born into a world of illness. In her book “Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit,” about daily life in first-century Galilee, Jodi Magness, a scholar of early Judaism, calls the milieu in which Jesus lived “filthy, malodorous and unhealthy.” John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed, scholars of the historical background of Jesus, sum up these conditions in a sobering sentence in “Excavating Jesus”: “A case of the flu, a bad cold, or an abscessed tooth could kill.” This was Jesus’s world.

Moreover, in his public ministry, Jesus continually sought out those who were sick. Most of his miracles were healings from illnesses and disabilities: debilitating skin conditions (under the rubric of “leprosy”), epilepsy, a woman’s “flow of blood,” a withered hand, “dropsy,” blindness, deafness, paralysis. In these frightening times, Christians may find comfort in knowing that when they pray to Jesus, they are praying to someone who understands them not only because he is divine and knows all things, but because he is human and experienced all things.

But those who are not Christian can also see him as a model for care of the sick. Needless to say, when caring for someone with coronavirus, one should take the necessary precautions in order not to pass on the infection. But for Jesus, the sick or dying person was not the “other,” not one to be blamed, but our brother and sister. When Jesus saw a person in need, the Gospels tell us that his heart was “moved with pity.” He is a model for how we are to care during this crisis: with hearts moved by pity.

Whenever I prayed in that church near 68th and York, I would pause before a statue of Jesus, his arms outstretched, his heart exposed. Just a plaster statue, it wasn’t great art, but it was meaningful to me. I don’t understand why people are dying, but I can follow the person who gives me a pattern for life.

James Martin is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America magazine, consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication and the author of “Jesus: A Pilgrimage.”

#New York Times #Fr. James Martin #Fairfield University #Covid-19 pandemic

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peaceandcows · 8 years ago

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Tv show: TEEN WOLF, HAVE FUNN BOOOO

Finally had time to do this thx so much @songmeanhoe! u know me and my fandoms so well :)

Send me a show/fandom and ill answer - Teen Wolf (my fave trash show)Top 5 favourite characters: 1) Lydia Martin, 2) Stiles Stilinski, 3) Allison Argent, 4) Scott Mccall, 5) Isaac Lahey (Derek is a close 6)Other characters you like: Alot of them. Derek, Kira, Malia (but it took me until s5), Danny (WHERE DID U GO BBY?) The twins, Cora, The parent trio (Melissa, Sheriff, Chris), Mason, Erica, Boyd….i think i should stop now….Least favourite character: UM I HAVE ALOT. but lets just say Gerard, Theo, and Kate cuz i really hate them.Otps: STYDIA STYDIA STYDIA (FOREVER AND EVER MY BBIES). Also scallison (i miss them everyday). I have alot of ships but these 2 are the OTP level.Notps: LMAO MARRISH (EW FUCK THAT NASTY SHIP), Jydia (Jackson was not a good bf to Lydia and that is that), Stalia (though i do enjoy them as a brotp)Favourite friendship: OBVI SCILES. Just the pack in general gives me so much feels. OH OH allydia was beautiful and i miss them sm. Also i am enjoying lydia and malia’s friendship this season. very much appreciated.Favourite family: the mccall pack is a family tbh. But also the stilinski family. Stiles and his dad are SO IMPORTANT AND THEIR STORY KILLS ME!!!Favourite episode: Ummmm this is so hard. I love 3x06 (motel california, but that’s almost everyone’s fave ep), 5x16 (MY FAVE STYDIA EP TBH), and 6x05 (wonderful just wonderful, makes me cry). its legit a three way tie.Favourite season/book/movie: Season 3. Specifically season 3a. Everyone picks 3b but their are some things that trigger me in that season…(stiles stabbing scott when he went all void, allison’s death, stalia banging in a dingy basement…just alot of weird shit)Favourite quote: “Not all monsters do monstrous things”….”Be your own anchor”….”I look for my friends”…”We always seem to find eachother anyway” and some others that i cant remember rnMoment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: stydia’s first kiss, when scott said “because I love you” to allison and in the s1 finale she said it back to him.When it really disappointed you: Lmao seasons 4 and 5 dissapointed me alot. Specifically the way they treated kira in s5, never mentioning allison unti it was ‘necessary for the plot’. TAKING WAYYYY TOO LONG FOR STYDIA TO BE CANON (and putting unnecessary relationships in the way like stalia). believing it was totally okay for a deputy to be having sex dreams of a female high school student. ew. amongst other things….oh and this wasnt in s4 or s5 but stiles losing his virginity to a girl he barely knew in the basement of some mental institution was the most ooc thing ever with his character like what the fuck was that???Saddest moment: ALLISON’S DEATH. I STILL CRY AND GET TRIGGERED IT WAS JUST SO SAD. also boyd and aiden’s deaths were super sad aswell. UM LETS TALK ABOUT SEASON 6 WHERE EVERYONE HAS FORGOTTEN STILES INCLUDING HIS SOULMATE, BEST FRIEND AND HIS DAD. There are plenty of others….Most well done character death: Allison’ death for sure….I did not see that coming at all. And it has had long lasting affects on the pack and the show in general.Favourite guest star: Ummm idk…has teen wolf had guest stars?? oh oh Posey’s dad guest starring was cute.Favourite cast member: DYLAN O’BRIEN TRASH IS ME. Also, holland roden and tyler posey.Character you wish was still alive: ALLISON ARGENT NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. and i might be super selfish…but claudia stilinski FOR REAL (thx s6).One thing you hope really happens: UH UH KIRA TO COME BACK. THEO TO DIE FOR GOOD, GERARD TO DIE FOR GOOD. THE PACK GOES TO ALLISON’S GRAVE. STYDIA REUNION KISS AND THEM BEING FLUFFY CANON IN 6B. for everyone to graduate lmao. Most shocking twist: ummmmmmm STILES BEING VOID WAS WHAT THE FUCKK. allison dying…idk what else. OH THAT ENGLISH TEACHER BEING THAT DARACK OR WHATEVER ITS CALLED.

When did you start watching/reading: well back in the 10th grade, so over two years ago thx to @songmeanhoe lolTrope you wish they would stop using: Idk thinking all teen watchers care about is couples making out/having sex. give me intimacy thx very much (aka why i love stydia so much haha)One thing this show/book/film does better than others: Hmmm giving supernatural plot lines that are actually interesting/creative. Making me really really care about these characters (specifically stiles, lydia, scott, and allison). Oh! actually having the parents involved in their kid’s lives and help elevate the plot. they aren’t just there to be there they have a purpose in this supernatural teen drama shit.Funniest moments: LOL that time when scott and stiles went to a gay club in s2. When stiles was FREAKING OUT that he was going to get sacrificed bc he was a virgin in 3a (”someone needs to sex me today, like someone needs to sex me right now!”), anything coach says. idk teen wolf makes me laugh alot before everything got wayyy too dark like woahhCouple you would like to see: CANON STYDIA. THEY ARE IN LOVE SO GET STILES BACK AND BE CANON ALREADY. i’ve always said this…sheriff and melissa (tho that is wishful thinking at this point)Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: Ummmmm idk tbh. like any young female actress would be great thanks.Most boring plotline: lol season 4 was SO BORING LIKE WHAT WAS THAT. Just all of s4 was a mess.Best flashback/flashfoward if any: OMG OMG WHEN THEY HAD THAT BIG FLASHBACK OF ALLISON IN THE S5 FINALE FROM SCOTT’S MEMORIES IT ACTUALLY STILL FUCKS ME UP THAT WAS WONDERFUL AND UGHHHH. I dont think tw has done flashforwards…that i rememberMost layered character: I think Lydia or Stiles tbh. i wish it was scott cuz he’s the PROTAGONIST but whatever fuck u writers

Scariest moment: void stiles was scary AF. well done dylan lmao. not alot of things scare me on this show tbh. OH LETS TALK ABOUT LYDIA TAKING FOREVER TO OPEN HER EYES AND I THOUGH MY QUEEN WAS GONNA DIE WHILE STILES HELD HER FACE IN HIS HANDS THANKS TW.Grossest moment: alot of things are gross on this show. Anything having to do with that black blood or the cut open brains (u know what im talking about @songmeanhoe). Also gerard is a gross human being so whenever he is on screen hahaBest looking male: i love stiles but tbh derek has always been hot as fuckBest looking female: all THE FEMALES R BEAUTIFUL. but i think lydia or allison are tied first idkkkkWho you’re crushing on (if any): STILES STILINSKI OBVI, also isaac lahey and scott mccallMost beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): hmmmmm ok ok the scenes with that HUGE WHITE ROOM that they had in s3 was shot soooo nicely. idk teen wolf has a SERIOUS LIGHTING PROBLEM. so tbh whenever their happens to be light its good.Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: WHAT IS STILES STILISNKI’S REAL NAME GOD DAMN IT I HAVE TO KNOW. ALSO WHERE HAS EVERYONE GONE? SPECIFICALLY DEREK, ISAAC, DANNY, AND ETHAN LIKE COME BACK MY BBIES.At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: I fell inlove in season 1 at some point. i cant remember exactly when. i think episode 5 was when i got hooked for life!

this was so fun! thanks for asking me @songmeanhoe.

#teen wolf #ask #about me #about my blog #stydia #tw

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hermanwatts · 5 years ago

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Sensor Sweep: Wulfhere, Monster Manual, Heroism, Howard A. Jones

Heroism (Rogue Blades Entertainment): “The heroic books, even if printed in the character of our mother tongue, will always be in a language dead to degenerate times …” Henry David Thoreau wrote those words in the mid-19th Century for his distinguished book, Walden. They rang true then and they ring true today. Of course there will be those who say we do not live in degenerate times, that we live in the greatest of all ages, that our technological and social achievements are pressing us towards some utopia, but those who are true students of history and have open eyes might argue otherwise, or at least they might hold more than a little skepticism about the potential greatness of the immediate future.

Fantasy (Tor.com): Here’s a funny thing about “action reads:” a lot of people would equate that to mean a whole lot of running and chasing and swordplay. They wouldn’t be wrong, of course, but all the physical action in the world can’t liven up a bland tale, or make boring characters interesting, and there’s actually plenty of forward momentum and tension to be had in some fantasy adventure stories without the more obvious blood-letting. And then of course there’s lyrical prose. Me, I prefer to see my action with great characters and some lovely writing, and today I’m going to share a few favorites that deliver all those things.

Writers (Slate.com): Three years ago, over breakfast, my friend Helen handed me a novel about a quest that, unknown to both of us, would set me off on a quest of my own. The book was called The Dragon Waiting, and it was written by the late science fiction and fantasy author John M. Ford. Helen placed the mass-market paperback with its garish cover in my hands, her eyes aglow with evangelical fervor, telling me I would love it. I would soon learn that, owing to Ford’s obscurity, his fans do things like this all the time. Soon, I would become one of them.

Writers (The Nerd Daily): In this sequel to For the Killing of Kings, Howard Andrew Jones returns to the ring-sworn champions of the Altenerai in Upon the Flight of the Queen to continue this thrilling, imaginative and immersive epic fantasy trilogy.

We had the pleasure of chatting to author Howard Andrew Jones about his upcoming fantasy sequel Upon the Flight of the Queen, which publishes on November 19th from St. Martin’s Press. Howard talks about what readers can expect and the challenges he faced, the inspiration behind the trilogy, what’s next for him, and more!

Genre Fiction (Dark Worlds Quarterly): There are those Fantasy writers and critics that accuse Robert E. Howard’s Conan of lacking any depth because he just hacks his way out of trouble. In fact, I think it was Robert Bloch in his intro to Wolfshead (Bantam Books, 1979) who said it, qualifying his words with the fact that he preferred Howard’s subtler characters such as Kull or Bran Mak Morn. I would hate to disagree with such a wonderful writer as Bob Bloch but I think he kinda missed the point. We want to see Conan hack his way out. Just as people pay gobs of money to be ringside at a boxing match.

Subculture (Amatopia): But if you show up humble and willing to learn, and don’t lie about knowing stuff about the subculture, you’ll find you have a whole bunch of cool new friends eager to help ease you in. At the very least, the people in the subculture will respect you, even if they may resent your intrusion. In time, you learn to be a part of the crew.

Fantasy (Matthew J. Constantine): The first novel in the Prydain Chronicles, The Book of Three introduces us to Taran the assistant pig-keeper, Hen Wen the pig, Gurgi the…um…wildman?, and the rest, as well as the Welsh inspired land of Prydain. The book drips with a sort of gauze filtered, dreamy Fantasy in a similar vein to Tolkien’s Shire, particularly from The Hobbit. Reading the book, I kept thinking it would have fit as a comic strip in the tradition of Prince Valiant. It also has a lot that could translate well into an animated film or potentially a live action film these days.

D&D (Skulls in the Stars): Die, Vecna, Die! (2000), by Bruce R. Cordell and Steve Miller. This module has the curious distinction of being perhaps the last “old school” adventure ever published! Die, Vecna, Die! was one of two mind-bogglingly epic adventures released with universe-spanning ramifications, allowing DMs to have a reason for transitioning from 2nd edition AD&D to Wizards of the Coast 3rd edition D&D. The other is The Apocalypse Stone (2000).

Fiction (DMR Books): Next week DMR Books will make our first foray into historical adventure fiction with the first book publication of Wulfhere by A.B. Higginson! Wulfhere, Higginson’s only novel, was originally serialized in Adventure magazine in 1920. In the Dark Ages of England, kingdoms were ready to be carved out by any with the ambition and might to do so. The mightiest ruler of all was Penda, Lord of Mercia, a man as strong as he was ruthless. He had no equal in martial prowess, except for his son Wulfhere…

Tolkien (Alas Not Me): Crucial to the tale of Eärendil the Mariner is his ship, Vingelot or Vingelótë, without which Eärendil would have been stuck in a port on a western bay where lonely sailors pass the time away talking about their homes. The name Vingelot gives us a tantalizing and frustrating example of how very easily stories can be lost, likely forever.

Writers (Mystery File): Over the course of his writing career, Clark Howard may have written over 200 short stories, not all of them criminous in nature, plus a couple dozen crime novels and collections. This does not include an unspecified number of works of true crime the editor of EQMM mentions in her introduction to this tale. Howard hardly ever used a character more than once, and “Blues in the Kabul Night” is no exception. When mercenary for hire Morgan Tenny smuggles himself into war-ravaged Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, it is for a specific reason. His twin brother is in a high security prison there and scheduled for execution soon, unless Morgan can do something about it.

RPG (Brain Leakage): As I mentioned a few weeks back, I’ve been at work on an Appendix N inspired science fantasy series, one that envisions what D&D fiction might have looked like if it followed the wilder literary roots of the game, rather than filling in the map of TSR and WotC’s pre-fab fantasy worlds. And while I still plan on writing that, the fact is my recent thought experiments on what Fantasy Effing Vietnam would look like have gotten a bit more attention. To the point that I’ve gotten several messages in public and in private expressing interest in a published print version.

Calendars (Mens’s Pulp Mags): Now, with Eva’s permission, we’re offering a special collectible to go with the book: the Authorized 2020 Eva Lynd Calendar. It’s a limited edition calendar featuring photographs and artwork Eva modeled for, and it’s available exclusively from me on eBay. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you probably know why Eva Lynd is so familiar to fans of the men’s adventure magazines (MAMs) published in the 1950s and 1960s.

Fiction (Sacnoth’s Scriptorium): So, I’ve been trying for a long time to find an answer to the two questions: Did the Inklings ever read Lovecraft? And Did Lovecraft ever read the Inklings? So far as the first question goes, the answer is: still not proven. We know that Warnie Lewis was a fan of ‘scientifiction and read some of the pulp magazines like AMAZING STORIES. And THE NOTION CLUB PAPERS suggests that the Inklings were fairly conversant in science fiction. Certainly there are some echoes of Lovecraftian themes in Tolkien’s account of the Things beneath Moria, Lewis’s description of the subterranean world far beneath the surface of Venus, and especially Wms’ Cthulhesque octopoid-lords of P’o-l’u.

RPG (Walker’s Retreat): With last weekend’s Big Brand marketing event masquerading as a fan convention came the announcement–with no release date–of the fourth installment of its iconic isometric dark fantasy action RPG franchise. You know which one I’m talking about, and it’s not the MMORPG. I thought I’d take the time to give you all some alternatives that you may have overlooked or forgotten about, beside Path of Exile and adaptation of other Big Brand properties.

Art (Pulp International): Above, numerous Italian posters for 1960s and 1970s westerns. Some of these movies were true spaghetti westerns (produced in Italy and shot in Europe, often Spain), while others are U.S. productions. All the imagery is beautiful. The artists responsible include Renato Casaro, Rodolfo Gasparri, Averardo Ciriello, Aller, aka Carlo Alessandrini, et al.

Review (Hillbilly Highways): I bought Congregations of the Dead over a year ago on a bit of a lark because it was cheap. Which isn’t to sale that it didn’t sound right up my alley. A country noir/urban fantasy/horror mashup with significant pulp influences? (A secondary character is named Carter DeCamp in an obvious homage to Lin Carter and L. Sprague de Camp and Manly Wade Wellman’s characters Silver John and John Thunstone seem obvious influences as well.) What I didn’t realize is how damn good it would be.

D&D (The Other Side): For today’s Monstrous Monday I want to do another review. For this one, it still follows my ‘Back to Basic’ theme I have been doing all year even though it is not a Basic-era D&D book. It is though one of my Basic era books. The book is the Monster Manual and it was just about 40 years ago that I first held this book in my hand. This is the book. This is the book that got me into D&D and RPGs.

Warhammer (Warpscream): This book opens with a look at the bleak life of the average imperial citizen. Urinating in water recyclers on the arid world of Baal. It’s one of Guy Haley’s strengths is that he can paint such a despondent picture so rapidly to open with. The story briskly moves along as we are made aware of a dire threat to the world of the Blood Angels.

Writing (Frontier Partisans): I guess it triggered a memory of Robert E. Howard’s description of his own trip to the Carlsbad Caverns in the early 1930s. Howard is best known for his creation of the fantasy character Conan of Cimmeria — and he translated his experience in New Mexico directly into a Conan story. . . The power of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien derives in great part from his ability to evoke a landscape that is at once fantastical and real. Tolkien was profoundly affected by landscape — beloved and comfortable; awe-inspiring; terrifying and appalling.

Sensor Sweep: Wulfhere, Monster Manual, Heroism, Howard A. Jones published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

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cutsliceddiced · 6 years ago

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New top story from Time: The 50 Most Anticipated Movies Coming Out in Summer 2019

Blockbuster film season has arrived, and its first entry will almost certainly be its biggest. Avengers: Endgame opened last week and shattered all kinds of box office records; its reviews have also been extremely strong.

But the rest of the slate of summer movies is just as intriguing: ambitious live-action Disney adaptations, a star-studded Tarantino return, terrifying original horror stories and soundtracks from rock legends. Here are 50 of the biggest summer movies coming to theaters (and, in some cases, streaming in a living room) near you.

Avengers: Endgame (April 26)

If you’ve stayed with the Marvel Cinematic Universe for 21 films, you’ll probably be happy to sit through the climactic film’s monstrous three-hour runtime. Those of the Avengers extended family who survived Thanos’ devastating final attack in Avengers: Infinity War—including Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, and Black Widow—are joined by newcomer Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) to turn the tables against him.

Knock Down the House (May 1, Netflix)

In 2018, a record 529 women ran for Congress. This documentary, which won the Festival Favorite Award at Sundance this year, follows four of them, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as they attempt to overcome skepticism and long odds on the campaign trial.

Long Shot (May 3)

For some reason, beautiful and impressive women, from characters played by Katherine Heigl to Rose Byrne to Elizabeth Banks, tend to fall in love with Seth Rogen in movies. The latest to do so is Charlize Theron’s Charlotte Field, the poised and intelligent U.S. Secretary of State running for president who hires Rogen’s schlubby journalist to punch up her speechwriting.

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (May 3, Netflix)

This controversial film about Ted Bundy has received mixed reviews since its Sundance premiere, but Zac Efron has drawn raves for his shivering portrayal of the serial killer. Lily Collins plays Bundy’s girlfriend, who witnesses his descent into a steadily darkening place.

Wine Country (May 8, May 10 on Netflix)

A group of SNL pals—Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer, Paula Pell, and Emily Spivey—have been taking real-life vacations together for years. Those uproarious, disastrous trips served as the inspiration for this warm comedy, which is Poehler’s directorial debut.

Detective Pikachu (May 10)

The creatures of Pokémon invaded the real world three years ago thanks to Pokémon Go—but they lacked fur, scales or saliva. This quasi-live-action film, in which Ryan Reynolds voices Pikachu, imbues Pokémon with all of those physical attributes, making them alternately unsettling and adorable.

The Hustle (May 10)

Scam Season never ends. This remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels features one experienced con artist (Anne Hathaway) taking a small-time scammer (Rebel Wilson) under her wing, as they embark on a quest to swindle a tech billionaire. Hathaway slips into her British accent and sillier side.

Poms (May 10)

A group of legendary actresses (Diane Keaton, Pam Grier, Jacki Weaver and Rhea Perlman) play women in a retirement community who shake off rust and bad hips to form a cheerleading squad.

Tolkien (May 10)

The $1 billion Lord of the Rings Amazon series won’t arrive for awhile, but Tolkien fans can bide their time with this biopic starring Nicholas Hoult. The film presumably takes liberties, as many biopics do, with the writer’s life; Tolkien’s family recently issued a statement expressing their disapproval.

The Souvenir (May 17)

Two generations of Swintons appear in critical darling Joanna Hogg’s latest film, which premiered to raves at Sundance. A shy film student (Honor Swinton Byrne) enters into a turbulent and destructive relationship which threatens to throw her off her path. Her real-life mother Tilda Swinton plays her buttoned-up mother in the movie.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (May 17)

The legend of Keanu Reeves has only seemed to deepen over time. He returns to play the title character of this cult-favorite franchise, which features plenty of exquisite hand-to-hand combat and canine love.

The Sun Is Also A Star (May 17)

Grown-ish star Yara Shahidi and Riverdale‘s Reggie Charles Melton play star-crossed lovers in this adaptation of the YA novel by Nicola Yoon.

Aladdin (May 24)

Disney hopes that the live-action reboot of its beloved animated take on the Middle Eastern folktale will be a huge hit. For better or worse, much of the recent discourse surrounding the film has centered on Will Smith’s bewildering body paint. “Will Smith as #Aladdin’s genie makes me want to uninvent CGI,” wrote one user on Twitter. Blue paint aside, the film itself looks like a splashy, effects-heavy take on the original.

Booksmart (May 24)

The trope of the Last High School Party has been told time and time again through the years—from Dazed and Confused to Superbad—but very rarely has it been seen through female eyes. Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut features two goodie-two-shoes seniors (played by Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever) as they attempt to leave high school with a bang.

Always Be My Maybe (May 29, May 31 on Netflix)

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#AlwaysBeMyMaybe comes out May 31st!

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Randall Park and Ali Wong play childhood best friends-turned lovers in this will-they-won’t-they rom-com. Look out for lots of delicious-looking food, a spot-on D’Angelo impression and a hysterical cameo from one of the superstars on this list.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (May 31)

The mythical Japanese monster was given a jolt in 2014, when Gareth Edwards’ film was largely praised (though not in this magazine) for its jaw-dropping visuals and action sequences. The sequel features Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown and an array of leviathans and giant brutes.

Rocketman (May 31)

The latest entry of the classic rock biopic boom traces the life of Elton John, who is imbued with flair and an impressively accurate singing impression by actor Taron Egerton.

Domino (May 31)

The director Brian De Palma celebrates 50 years in cinema with this grisly thriller starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The Game of Thrones alumnus plays a Copenhagen police officer tracking down the killer of his partner.

Ma (May 31)

Octavia Spencer has often been typecast as sweet or wearied characters, perhaps in part due to what she terms her “nurse face.” She is far more sinister in this new psychological thriller, in which she plays a woman who begins to terrorize a group of teenagers in small-town Ohio.

Deadwood: The Movie (May 31, HBO)

Fans of the HBO Western series have been begging for a reboot since the show was abruptly cancelled after three seasons. The film, which has been in development hell for more than a decade, will finally come to fruition and grapple with death and memory loss—themes that creator David Milch has confronted in his real life after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Dark Phoenix (June 7)

Game of Thrones will be wrapped up by early June, but Sophie Turner’s rise is just getting started. The actor who portrays Sansa Stark on the HBO series will lead the latest X-Men installment; she plays Jean Grey, a telepathic mutant struggling with the power of her alter ego, Phoenix.

Late Night (June 7)

Emma Thompson plays a curmudgeonly late-night talk show host opposite Mindy Kaling—who also wrote the movie—as an idealistic writer and the only woman in the writers room. The unlikely pair attempts to lift the show out of white-male mediocrity and prevent a looming cancellation.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco (June 7)

Joe Talbot’s directorial debut won rave festival reviews for its wistful portrayal of a rapidly-gentrifying San Francisco. A black San Franciscan named Jimmie Fails plays himself as he attempts to reclaim his childhood home in the Fillmore District.

Secret Life of Pets 2 (June 7)

Patton Oswalt, Tiffany Haddish and Harrison Ford join an already star-studded cast of voice actors for the second installment of this chipper animated franchise. Oswalt takes over for the disgraced Louis C.K. in voicing the protagonist Jack Russell Terrier.

Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (June 12, Netflix)

From The Last Waltz to Shine a Light, Martin Scorsese has proven that few directors can match his ability to capture the intimacy and kinetic energy of a rock concert. Here, he turns his focus to Bob Dylan—whose life he explored in the 2005 documentary No Direction Home—and his legendarily freewheeling 1975-1976 tour, which featured appearances from Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez.

Shaft (June 14)

The third generation of “the black James Bond” arrives in the guise of Jessie Usher. He is joined by the Shafts who came before him: his father (played by Samuel L. Jackson) and grand-uncle (played by Richard Roundtree, the original Shaft). The last Shaft movie, released in 2000, was directed by the late director John Singleton.

Men in Black: International (June 14)

Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson showed off a crackling rapport in Thor: Ragnarok. The duo reconvenes in this latest installment of the alien franchise that leaves Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones on the sidelines. In this one, Hemsworth and Thompson take their carbonizers to London.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (June 14)

Spider-Man: Homecoming served as a welcome reprieve from the weary darkness of much of the rest of the Marvel Universe. In this sequel to that 2017 movie, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) sets off on a European vacation, where Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) recruits him in a fight against Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal).

The Dead Don’t Die (June 14)

Jim Jarmusch, a titan of independent film, wrote and directed a movie populated by what is being billed “the greatest zombie cast ever disassembled”: Bill Murray, Adam Driver and Chloë Sevigny play police officers who lead the defense against a zombie attack on a small town. They are joined, in living and undead form, by Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Selena Gomez and Iggy Pop, among others.

Wild Rose (June 14)

A brash ex-convict and single mother from Glasgow, played by Jessie Buckley, strives to become a Nashville country star. Buckley has received rave reviews for the role: “As a musician, she’s terrific, but as an actress she’s even better, with ceaselessly mobile features like a changeable Northern sky,” Leslie Felperin wrote in the Hollywood Reporter.

Child’s Play (June 21)

Mark Hamill, who in addition to playing Luke Skywalker is one of the great voice actors in film and television history for his Joker and other roles, lends his pliable vocal cords to another terrifying villain: Chucky. Aubrey Plaza plays a mother who gifts her son that unsettling doll before realizing it has started murdering people.

Toy Story 4 (June 21)

Woody, Buzz and the gang meet a new friend: a plastic spork with googly eyes and an existential crisis. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and the rest of the talented voice cast return for the fourth installment of this beloved series—as does the voice of Mr. Potato Head, the irascible, late Don Rickles, whose parts were assembled through archival recordings.

Annabelle Comes Home (June 28)

The Conjuring universe continues to expand and terrify. This film—the third of the hugely successful Annabelle subfranchise—takes place between The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2 and follows the paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) as they bring home a doll that will soon torment their young daughter.

Yesterday (June 28)

A mediocre singer-songwriter (Himesh Patel) is hit by a bus during a global blackout and wakes up to a world in which nobody but him remembers the Beatles. He begins passing their songs off as his own, kickstarting a long and winding road through fame and disillusionment.

Midsommar (July 3)

Director Ari Aster shocked the world last year with his grotesque and exhilarating horror film Hereditary. From the looks of it, his follow-up will be equally unsettling: it follows a summer festival in a small Swedish village that quickly turns into a bloody competition.

Crawl (July 12)

You’ll probably want to stay away from bodies of water after seeing Alexandre Aja’s latest horror flick. The film sees a daughter and father trapped inside a house during a hurricane—along with a teeming horde of alligators from the Florida Everglades.

Stuber (July 12)

Kumail Nanjiani is a nebbish Uber driver; Dave Bautista is a gassed-up cop. They bounce off each other in this 21st-century take on the odd-couple road trip.

The Farewell (July 12)

Courtesy of A24Awkwafina stars in The Farewell, written and directed by Lulu Wang.

Awkwafina is best known for her uproarious, scene-stealing turns in Ocean’s 8 and Crazy Rich Asians. But she shows off her range in The Farewell, a sensitive family drama in which her character and her family travel to China from New York City to say goodbye to her dying grandmother.

The Lion King (July 19)

The big cats of this computer-generated, photorealistic remake of Disney’s animated classic have some new and famous voices: Donald Glover will voice Simba, while Beyoncé lends her pipes to Nala. But one voice will remain from the original 1994 film: the deep, reassuring tones of James Earl Jones as Mufasa.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (July 26)

Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film—he has said he’s retiring after ten—takes place in 1969 Los Angeles as the city reels from the Manson Family murders. Leonardo DiCaprio took a pay cut to star as a washed-up Western actor; Brad Pitt plays his body double and Margot Robbie is Sharon Tate. Al Pacino, Bruce Dern, Lena Dunham and Luke Perry—in his last credited role—also star.

Dora and the Lost City of Gold (July 31)

Dora, the diminutive explorer, charmed a generation of children on Nickelodeon with her whimsical, low-stakes cartoon adventures. Will those fans follow her into this live-action adventure film? Dora, now in high school, plunges into the jungle to confront a familiar foe (Swiper the fox) with a terrifying new voice (Benicio del Toro).

New Mutants (August 2)

Two months after Dark Phoenix, it’s the little Stark sister’s turn to plunge into the X-Men universe. Maisie Williams plays one in a group of young mutants who are held against their will and attempt to break out of their captivity. The movie is being billed, unlike its more action-oriented predecessors, as horror.

The Nightingale (August 2)

Jennifer Kent’s harrowing follow-up to the global horror phenomenon The Babadook had a successful run at film festivals beginning last summer. The movie, which stars Aisling Franciosi and Sam Claflin, follows a young woman seeking revenge for the murder of her family.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (August 2)

The latest Fast and Furious spinoff knows exactly what it is, and so do you: there will be fast cars, flying fists, hair-raising explosions, sweeping waterfront locales, and grandiose paeans to importance of family. Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham frontline this mission against a menacing and cyber-genetically enhanced Idris Elba.

Artemis Fowl (August 9)

It’s been 18 years since the twelve-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl hacked his way into the hearts of young readers across the world. Seven novels later, the precocious criminal will finally arrive on the big screen in the hopes of kickstarting the next blockbuster fantasy franchise.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (August 9)

Guillermo del Toro loves his monsters, and especially the ones found in this book by Alvin Schwartz. Del Toro stumbled upon the series at a bookstore in Texas and was compelled to produce this adaptation; it will likely feature a handful of the series’ creepiest and most compelling tales.

The Kitchen (August 9)

Alison Cohen Rosa—Alison Cohen RosaElisabeth Moss, Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Haddish in The Kitchen.

Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss and Melissa McCarthy play mob wives-turned-mobsters in this 1970s period drama. They confront rival gangs, the FBI, and their own criminal husbands with barrage after barrage of gunfire.

Blinded By the Light (August 14)

Nick Wall—Nick Wall(L-r) Nell Williams, Viveik Karla and Aaron Phagura in Blinded by the Light.

Sarfraz Manzoor was born thirty years after Bruce Springsteen and grew up more than three thousand miles away. But as a teenager, he came to realize that the existential dread of Thatcherite Britain closely mirrored the “death trap” of Springsteen’s New Jersey. This film, which Manzoor co-adapted from his memoir, Greetings from Bury Park, dramatizes the story of how he turned to The Boss’ music for escape and uplift.

Good Boys (August 16)

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg specialize in the hijinks of juvenile men. But this film, which they produced, might be their first since Superbad in which the characters’ maturity levels properly match their ages. It centers around three middle-schoolers as they enter the agonies and ecstasies of teeangerdom. Jacob Tremblay, one of the youngest Oscar nominees ever, gets in on their potty-mouthed humor.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette (August 16)

Maria Semple’s 2012 novel about a disappearing mother spent a year on the New York Times‘ bestseller list. Cate Blanchett stars in the titular role; Richard Linklater directs.

via https://cutslicedanddiced.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/how-to-prevent-food-from-going-to-waste

#Time #top stories #IFTTT #news

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olivereliott · 7 years ago

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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 15 April, 2018

A Ducati Monster tracker ready for the Superhooligans, a monstrous Indian Chief-powered cafe from Germany, a gorgeous Honda built for Steve Caballero by Denton Moto, and a heavily patina’d Honda CB450 from … Nepal.

Indian Chief by Detlev Louis Motorrad Indian has its engine game on lock down: everyone loves the performance of the 100-horsepower beast in the Scout, and the looks of the gorgeously finned Thunder Stroke 111. To further bolster that point, the huge European parts dealer Detlev Louis Motorrad has taken an Indian Chief and built a bruiser of a cafe racer dubbed Engina.

It’s more than just a pretty bike. Out of the box, the Thunder Stroke delivers 119 ft-lbs of torque, which is plenty impressive. But after a new set of cams were swapped in, airflow was redirected, the heads were re-touched and the ECU was flashed, engine specialist Ulf Penner dug up an incredible 70% increase. Engina now develops about 125 horses and could probably shred the Earth’s mantle with an angry right wrist.

All that could have been done to a stock Chief if they wanted. Instead, an all-new lightweight frame was welded together, a USD front end was fitted up, and a Wilbers rear shock was bolted onto the swingarm. A set of custom Kineo wheels was laced up and big, beefy Brembos were enlisted to scrub speed. Detlef Stüdemann and Martin Struckmann are the wrenches behind this madness and their hard work has been rightfully collecting awards since its debut at Glemseck 101 last September. If you’re headed to Wheels and Waves later this year, keep an eye (or an ear) out for it. [More]

Ducati Monster tracker by Behind Bars Customs Just over a week ago, Ducati announced their partnership with Lloyd Brothers Racing to run a Monster-based racer in the American Flat Track Grand National Series. And while the 821-powered bike being piloted by Steve Bonsey looks the business, so does this tracker from San Diego based Behind Bars Customs—which tips a hat to Paul Smart.

Built using a 1995 Monster 900 as its base, the plan was to have a streetable machine that would split lanes and loft the front end on a whim. Of course, also being able to handle its own amongst the Superhooligans at the dirt oval sounded like a good idea too. So it’s more than just lipstick and mascara going on here.

With a frame, swingarm and engine lying in separate spots in the shop, the team went to work on putting together a tighter and faster package. The frame received some additional gusseting up front to eliminate twist when going slideways, and a matched set of 19-inch Dubya wheels were laced up to balance stance. The Duc’s original tank has had its voluptuous love handles shaved down to match the width of the trellis frame. Which, let’s be honest, will always look a stunner in Sea Green. [More]

Steve Caballero’s Honda CL175 racer Just over a year ago, I was at Willow Springs for a track day with some Californian friends. And while I was prepping a loaned XSR900 for tech inspection, I saw a childhood hero unloading a 1944 flathead, with a jockey shift no less. Steve Caballero’s love of motorcycles has been well documented, but I was still blown away by how he muscled that old Harley around Big Willow.

Steve probably wanted something a little more lithe for the upcoming AHRMA season, so he’s partnered with Texas-based Denton Moto to create this Honda CL175 called Cabracer360. But unlike most customers commissioning a build—especially celebs located out of state—Steve was involved in every aspect of the project.

The 1969 CL175 donor was completely stripped and the engine was fully rebuilt, complete with an overbore to a more boisterous 209cc. New Keihin carbs were fitted to a set of shorter intakes, and a race-derived Cappellini oil pump was installed. On the handling end of things, the suspension at both ends has been modernized, and new clip-ons and rearsets deliver a proper racer’s tuck. And that tuck is shielded by an exquisite piece of fiberglass, courtesy of Glass From The Past.

Hopefully, next time I make it out to Willow Springs I’ll have the chance to see Steve and the Cabracer360 in action. Until then, these shots will have to do. [More]

Scrambler Ducati by Eastern Spirit Garage The votes are in for this years Scrambler Ducati Custom Rumble contest. The winners won’t be announced until World Ducati Week in July, but we have a feeling that this cafe’d version from Eastern Spirit Garage and Ducati Poland will take home top honors in the dealer category.

Credit the extensive use of negative space for making our mouths water around here. The relocation of the oil cooler and subsequent deletion of its bulky, plastic guards delivers a long-necked look that immediately draws the eye. ESG’s head wrench Sylwester Matusiak then created an excellent balance point by cleaning up the rear triangle, which helps showcase the Duc’s L-Twin and that gorgeous work on the exhaust.

The bodywork is equally impressive: the lines on the tail unit match those from the tank near perfectly. The new headlight bucket, held in place by an elegant set of ears and complete with frenched-in gauge placement, is spot on for the overall style. And the candy-apple red and gold colorway is classically inspired. [More]

Honda CB450 by RS Moto Nepal surely isn’t one of the first places that comes to mind when speaking about custom motorcycles. Raajib Sayami, the man behind Kathmandu’s RS Moto, aims to change that—and with builds like this CB450, he’s well on his way.

Although he has his work cut out for him—Nepalese laws prohibit modifying motorcycles—Raajib decided to throw caution to the wind and fire up the grinder anyway. The rear subframe has indeed been chopped and a new hoop welded up. It’s topped by that oh-so-controversial material, wood, for the seat. But the wood for this saddle actually has er, roots, as a religious artifact in Nepal. That gorgeous, dark top sheet was given shape by adding Canadian maple ply, so a little sacrilege certainly won’t hurt the cool factor.

The tank has been hand painted, sanded down and touched up again by a local artist to create a faux-patina that I think suits the bike’s overall look. The exhaust was hand built to work with the original header pipes, and the suspension has been Frankensteined by mating the fork tubes of a SR400 with the CB450’s lowers. In the rear, new shocks were ordered and shipped from Dime City Cycles, of all places. [More]

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