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alexsmitposts · 5 years ago

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NATO’s Collapse Draws Nearer Politicians and experts have been discussing the presence of a deep crisis within North Atlantic Alliance for many decades. It may seem purely symbolic, however France has pointed out the existence of a crisis on multiple occasions: first in 1966, when Charles de Gaulle decided to withdraw France from the military integrated structures of NATO, and then when the alliance’s headquarters were transferred from Paris to Brussels. Now the French President, Emmanuel Macron, has given his objective assessment of NATO’s “brain-death” in both an interview with the Economist in November 2019, and then recently in a joint press conference with his Tunisian counterpart, Kais Saied, after a dangerous incident involving war ships of two NATO members (France and Turkey) off the Libyan coast. According to Macron, Europe today finds itself “on the precipice”, as members of the Alliance have clearly not been coordinated in their recent actions and the United States is increasingly turning away from the Old World. All of this means that the time has come for Europe to wake up, to start building up its own strength, and to think of itself as an independent geopolitical pole of power, otherwise it “will not control its own fate.” The French leader has realized that, under the United States’ leadership, the NATO bloc is not able to protect Europe’s interests in the era of China’s ascent and the West’s strained relations with Russia and Turkey. The French President has therefore expressed his frustration on Europe’s dependence on Washington’s whims, at a time where the American President is “turning his back on Europe” and does not “subscribe to the European idea”. As an example of this, he pointed to Trump’s sudden decision to withdraw some of his troops from the North-Eastern region of Syria, leaving his Kurdish allies to fend for themselves, without consulting his NATO partners first. In this context, Macron believes that NATO can only survive if the United States agrees to maintain its status as the Alliance’s main bastion of security. However, how long Washington can play this role for is unclear. On November 15, the United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, whilst addressing the Baker Institute in Houston, commented on Macron’s assessment of NATO’s “brain-death”, noting that there have never been perfect relations within the Alliance. “We ought not to think the moment is new or fresh. The nations that comprise NATO have different interests. We saw what Turkey did these past few weeks,” said Pompeo. Today, a crisis is brewing between the United States and Germany, which Donald Trump is continuing to stoke, whether with automobile duties, sanctions for cooperating with Russia (in particular for “Nord Stream 2”), or the withdrawal of NATO troops, as the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reports. “The United States President’s decision to withdraw part of the American military contingent from Germany is evidence of the wider issues within NATO,” announced retired General Ben Hodges the other day, who previously served as commander of the US military contingent in Europe. It is interesting to note that America had originally explained that their presence in Germany was not due to the North Atlantic partnership, but to “protect [Germany] against Russia”. This announcement led to ironic ridicule in German society. “Trump is saying that he is protecting Germany’s safety. But from what? Germany has become both a target and a hostage in any military conflict,” announced Waldemar Herdt, a member of the Bundestag. “I welcome Trump’s decision to start the demilitarization of Germany, because he is using NATO to provide for the economic needs of the United States against the interests of other Alliance members. In light of this, the German elites must learn to start thinking as a sovereign state, rather than as a vassal state of the United States,” emphasized Herdt. A representative of the “Green” party in Germany and a member of the foreign affairs committee, Jürgen Trittin, has also recently discussed the idea that NATO is undergoing an existential crisis and is only a shadow of an alliance. In Der Spiegel, he called for a sober evaluation of the situation and to recognize that NATO has become threadbare. The politician has called on Europe to solve the current issues independently and to resolve disputes within NATO, especially regarding its relationship with Russia and the Iranian nuclear deal, which the United States recently scrapped unilaterally without prior agreement with its partners. Trittin is convinced that Europe should stop feeling nostalgic for NATO and start consolidating its own strengths, backing the horse of sustainable sovereignty. Many politicians and experts have already spoken about a crisis within NATO. Washington-lead operations in Afghanistan and Libya, which are outside the formal area of the Alliance’s responsibility, have been going on for many years without great success, despite bold statements from Washington and Brussels. As NATO is still a bloc in which the United States dominates militarily and imposes its policies on other member states, many European NATO countries are now raising their concerns about the possibility of the United States switching its attention to the Pacific region, and hence there being further unwarranted expansion of the Alliance’s operation zones. As we can see, NATO is ill-equipped in the combat against terrorism. It is difficult to implement the decision about the increase of defense spending by member states: in 2014 it was agreed that each state should increase defense contributions to at least 2% of GDP by 2024. However, according to NATO’s statistical data, only two countries reached the 2% threshold in 2019, Poland and Latvia, while Lithuania, Romania, Estonia, Great Britain and Greece all already spend slightly more than 2%. Only two countries allocate more than 3% of GDP on defense spending – the United States and Bulgaria. There is not a great deal of time before the deadline, and there is no certainty that 20 of the 29 member states will “boost” their spending. In many European countries, more than 50% of defense spending goes on staff. Small European armies now live in comfort and do not want to fight. There is also no European country which could simultaneously be part of NATO and a potential European army. Last December, the NATO summit was held in London, and it was perhaps the most scandalous and controversial in the Alliance’s 70-year history, which is why the West’s military and political observers and experts were united in saying that the Alliance is experiencing the most serious crisis in its existence. The American President, Donald Trump, has already spoken about the “uselessness of NATO” and the fact that “Europe should look after itself” in fairly harsh terms, and indeed Trump simply walked out of the final press conference in London. The American editor of Defense One has said that “NATO’s biggest threat is not from external enemies, but from within.” Following Washington’s directives, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is using NATO to clamp down on the “threat policy”, at times pointing to the growing threat from Russia, or now looking at China, who “want to use the current coronavirus pandemic to strengthen their confrontation with NATO.” The formation of four NATO battalion groups has only recently been completed, strengthening grouping in the Baltic and Black seas. The Alliance’s infrastructure is continuing to be developed, and almost every day there are reports that Eastern European countries are starting or completing the construction of some facility or another. Recently, particular attention has been paid to strengthening the southern flank: American and British forces have sprung up in Romania, and multinational brigades are being formed there. Today, European security has taken a turn for the worse: for the first time in many years the security of the region is again being defined not by measures of restraint, not by efforts to ensure security without resorting to military force, but by maintaining a sort of “balance of threats”. This is leading to an even greater military concentration and confrontation in Europe. In doing this, and blinkered by his Russophobic prejudice, Jens Stoltenberg is not even listening to the Supreme Commander of NATO in Europe, Tod Wolters, who officially announced in a March 20, 2020 briefing that “Russia won’t be using the current international crisis for the advancing of its interests.” Linked with this, it is worth recalling what the previous German Minister of foreign affairs, Joschka Fischer, said, underlining the fact that, “NATO’s future is more uncertain now than at any time in its history… Europeans should not harbor any illusions about what defense autonomy will require. For the European Union, which has only ever seen itself as an economic rather than a military power, it implies a deep rupture with the status quo. To be sure, NATO still exists, and there are still US troops deployed in Europe. But the operative word is “still”. Now that traditional institutions and transatlantic security and commitments have been cast into doubt, the alliance’s unravelling has become less a matter of “if” than “when”.”

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bigyack-com · 5 years ago

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The Best Movies on Netflix in India [February 2020]

In its efforts to win Oscars and please its 167 million members, Netflix has been pouring billions into movies recently, including projects from or featuring the likes of Dwayne Johnson, Martin Scorsese, and Michael Bay. One of those — The Irishman — racked up 10 nominations for the streaming service at the 2020 Oscars, though it failed to come away with a single prize. Netflix has also expanded its film efforts in India in the past year, announcing projects from the likes of Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar. For now though, the strength of its catalogue is still the acquisitions. With over 3,500 movies, Netflix offers more choices than any other platform in India. To pick the best movies on Netflix, we relied on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and IMDb ratings to create a shortlist. The last of them was preferred for Indian films given the shortfalls of reviews aggregators in that department. Additionally, we used our own editorial judgement to add or remove a few. This list will be updated once every few months if there are any worthy additions or if some movies are removed from the service, so bookmark this page and keep checking in. Here are the best films currently available on Netflix in India, sorted alphabetically. 12 Monkeys (1995) Inspired by the 1962 French short La Jetée, a prisoner (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to learn more about the virus that wiped out nearly all of humanity. Terry Gilliam directs. 12 Years A Slave (2013) Duped into slavery on the account of a job, Steve McQueen's adaptation of a free New York black man's (Chiwetel Ejiofor) 19th-century memoir is an incredible true story, and an important watch. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) In Stanley Kubrick's highly-influential sci-fi film, humanity charts a course for Jupiter with the sentient computer HAL 9000, to understand the discovery of a black monolith affecting human evolution. It's less plot, and more a visual and aural experience.

3 Idiots (2009) In this satire of the Indian education system's social pressures, two friends recount their college days and how their third long-lost musketeer (Aamir Khan) inspired them to think creatively and independently in a heavily-conformist world. Co-written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who stands accused in the #MeToo movement. 50/50 (2011) Inspired by a true story, a 27-year-old radio journalist (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is diagnosed with spinal cancer and learns the value of friendship and love as he battles the rare disease. Aamir (2008) Adapted from the 2006 Filipino film Cavite, a young Muslim NRI doctor (Rajeev Khandelwal) returning from the UK to India is forced to comply with terrorists' demands to carry out a bombing in Mumbai after they threaten his family. American History X (1998) In a film that's more relevant today than when it was made, a neo-Nazi white supremacist (Edward Norton), who served three years in prison for voluntary manslaughter, tries to prevent his younger brother from going down the same path. American Hustle (2013) In the late 1970s, two con artists (Christian Bale and Amy Adams) are forced to work for an FBI agent (Bradley Cooper) and set up a sting operation that plans to bring down several corrupt politicians and members of the Mafia. Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner star alongside. Andaz Apna Apna (1994) Two slackers (Aamir Khan and Salman Khan) who belong to middle-class families vie for the affections of an heiress, and inadvertently become her protectors from a local gangster in Rajkumar Santoshi's cult comedy favourite. Andhadhun (2018) Inspired by the French short film L'Accordeur, this black comedy thriller is the story of a piano player (Ayushman Khurrana) who pretends to be visually-impaired and is caught in a web of twists and lies after he walks into a murder scene. Tabu, Radhika Apte star alongside. Apollo 13 (1995) Ron Howard dramatises the aborted Apollo 13 mission that put the astronauts in jeopardy after an on-board explosion ate up all the oxygen and forced NASA to abort and get the men home safely. Argo (2012) Ben Affleck directs and stars in this film about a CIA agent posing as a Hollywood producer scouting for location in Iran, in order to rescue six Americans during the US hostage crisis of 1979. Article 15 (2019) Ayushmann Khurrana plays a cop in this exploration of casteism, religious discrimination, and the current socio-political situation in India, which tracks a missing persons' case involving three teenage girls of a small village. A hard-hitting, well-made movie, though ironically, it was criticised for being casteist itself, and providing an outsider's perspective. The Avengers (2012) Earth's mightiest heroes — including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk — come together in this groundbreaking Marvel team-up from writer-director Joss Whedon to stop Thor's adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his alien army from subjugating mankind.

The Aviator (2004) With Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes and Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, Martin Scorsese dives into the life of the aviation pioneer and film producer, who grapples with severe OCD while his fame grows. Awakenings (1990) Robin Williams and Robert De Niro lead the cast of this drama based on a 1973 memoir of the same name, about a doctor (Williams) who discovers the beneficial effects of a drug on catatonic patients, thereby gifting them a new lease on life. Barfi! (2012) Set in the 1970s amidst the hills of Darjeeling, writer-director Anurag Basu tells the tale of three people (Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Ileana D'Cruz) as they learn to love while battling the notions held by society. Beasts of No Nation (2015) With civil war raging across a fictional African nation, this Netflix Original focuses on a young boy who's trained as a child soldier by a fierce warlord (Idris Elba), and the effects it has on him. Before Sunrise (1995) In the first chapter of Richard Linklater's long-drawn-out trilogy, two idealistic twentysomethings, an American man (Ethan Hawke) and a French woman (Julie Delpy), spend the night together walking around in the Austrian capital of Vienna. The Big Lebowski (1998) A guy known as The Dude (Jeff Bridges) seeks payback for his ruined carpet after he's mistaken for a millionaire with the same name in this crime comedy from the Coen brothers. Less about the plot and more about a way of living. The Big Short (2015) Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt, a look at Wall Street's penchant for self-profit in a vicious loop that caused the 2007–08 global financial meltdown. Birdman (2014) Alejandro G. Iñárritu won three Oscars including Best Picture for this tale of a washed-up superhero actor (Michael Keaton) who struggles to revive his career with a Broadway play. Known for appearing as if it was shot in a single take, it also starred Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, and Emma Stone. Blade Runner (1982) One of the most influential cyberpunk films ever made is about a burnt-out cop (Harrison Ford) who reluctantly agrees to hunt down a group of fugitive “replicants”, synthetic humans with a limited life-span who aren't allowed to live on Earth. Blue Valentine (2010) Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams lead this drama that shifts between time periods to depict a couple's courtship and how their marriage fell apart. Das Boot (1981) One of the most authentic war movies ever made chronicles the life of a German submarine crew during World War II, as they go through long stretches of boredom and periods of intense conflict, while trying to maintain morale in a capsule 10 feet by 150 feet hundreds of metres under the surface. The Bourne trilogy (2002-07) Technically not a trilogy, but the first three chapters — Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum — starring Matt Damon in the lead as the titular CIA assassin suffering from amnesia were so good that they changed the longest-running spy franchise of all-time: James Bond.

The Breadwinner (2017) This animated film follows a 11-year-old girl living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, who disguises herself as a boy to provide for her family after the father is taken away without reason. Uses wonderfully-drawn vignettes to stress on the importance of storytelling. Bulbul Can Sing (2019) Three teenagers battle patriarchy and the moral police as they explore their sexual identities in Rima Das's National Award-winning drama — and pay for it dearly. Das writes, directs, shoots, edits, and handles costumes. C/o Kancharapalem (2018) Set in the eponymous Andhra Pradesh town, this Telugu film spans four love stories across religion, caste, and age — from a schoolboy to a middle-aged unmarried man. A debut for writer-director Venkatesh Maha, featuing a cast mostly made up of non-professional actors. Capernaum (2018) In the award-winning, highest-grossing Arabic film of all time, a 12-year-old from the slums of Beirut recounts his life leading up to a five-year sentence he's handed for stabbing someone, and in turn, his decision to sue his parents for child neglect. Captain Phillips (2013) The true story of a Somali pirate hijacking of a US cargo ship and its captain (Tom Hanks) being taken hostage, which spawns a rescue effort from the US Navy. The Bourne Ultimatum's Paul Greengrass directs. Cast Away (2000) After his plane crash-lands in the Pacific, a FedEx employee (Tom Hanks) wakes up on a deserted island and must use everything at his disposal and transform himself physically to survive living alone. Castle in the Sky (1986) In the first film officially under the Studio Ghibli banner, a young boy and a girl protect a magic crystal from pirates and military agents, while on the search for a legendary floating castle. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Chupke Chupke (1975) Hrishikesh Mukherjee's remake of the Bengali film Chhadmabeshi, in which a newly-wedded husband (Dharmendra) decides to play pranks on his wife's (Sharmila Tagore) supposedly smart brother-in-law. Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan also star. A Clockwork Orange (1971) Set in a near-future dystopian Britain, writer-director Stanley Kubrick adapts Anthony Burgess' novel of the same name, commenting on juvenile delinquency through the eyes of a small gang leader who enjoys "a bit of the old ultra-violence". Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Steven Spielberg's slow-paced sci-fi pic — which spent several years in development, being rewritten over and over — is about an everyday blue-collar guy (Richard Dreyfuss) whose humdrum life turns upside down after an encounter with an unidentified flying object (UFO).

Cold War (2018) Jumping either side of the Iron Curtain through the late 1940s to the 1960s, Oscar-winner Paweł Pawlikowski depicts the story of two star-crossed lovers, as they deal with Stalinism, rejection, jealousy, change, time — and their own temperaments. Company (2002) Inspired the real-life relationship between Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan, director Ram Gopal Varma offers a look at how a henchman (Vivek Oberoi) climbs up the mobster ladder and befriends the boss (Ajay Devgn), before they fall out. Dallas Buyers Club (2013) Refusing to accept a death sentence from his doctor after being diagnosed with AIDS in the 1980s, the true story of an electrician and hustler (Matthew McConaughey) who smuggles banned medications from abroad. Dangal (2016) The extraordinary true story of amateur wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat (Aamir Khan) who trains his two daughters to become India's first world-class female wrestlers, who went on to win gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. The Dark Knight (2008) In the second part of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, regarded as the greatest comic book movie ever, Batman (Christian Bale) faces a villain, the Joker (Heath Ledger), he doesn't understand, and must go through hell to save Gotham and its people. Dev.D (2009) Anurag Kashyap offers a modern-day reimagining of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Bengali romance classic Devdas, in which a man (Abhay Deol), having broken up with his childhood sweetheart, finds refuge in alcohol and drugs, before falling for a prostitute (Kalki Koechlin). Dheepan (2015) Winner of Cannes' top prize, three Sri Lankan refugees — including a Tamil Tiger soldier — pretend to be a family to gain asylum in France, where they soon realise that life isn't very different in the rough neighbourhoods. Dil Chahta Hai (2001) Farhan Akhtar's directorial debut about three inseparable childhood friends whose wildly different approach to relationships creates a strain on their friendship remains a cult favourite. Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Preity Zinta star. Django Unchained (2012) Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) helps a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) rescue his wife from a charming but cruel plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). Drive (2011) A stuntman moonlighting as a getaway driver (Ryan Gosling) grows fond of his neighbour and her young son, and then takes part in a botched heist to protect them from the debt-ridden husband.

Dunkirk (2017) Christopher Nolan's first historical war movie chronicles the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the French beaches of Dunkirk in World War II, using his love for non-linear storytelling by depicting three fronts — land, sea, and air — in time-shifted ways. The Edge of Seventeen (2016) In this coming-of-age comedy, the life of an awkward young woman (Hailee Steinfeld) gets more complex after her older brother starts dating her best friend, though she finds solace in an unexpected friendship and a teacher-slash-mentor (Woody Harrelson). End of Watch (2012) Before he made a terrible sci-fi remake of his own film, writer-director David Ayer took a near-documentarian lens to the day-to-day police work of two partners (Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña) in South Los Angeles, involving their friendship and dealings with criminal elements. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) An estranged couple (Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet) begin a new relationship unaware they dated previously, having erased each other from their memories, in what stands as writer Charlie Kaufman's defining work. The Exorcist (1973) One of the greatest horror films of all time, that has left a lasting influence on the genre and beyond, is about the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and her mother's attempts to save her with the help of two priests who perform exorcisms. The Florida Project (2017) Set in the shadow of Disney World, a precocious six-year-old girl (Brooklynn Prince) makes the most of her summer with her ragtag playmates, while her rebellious mother tries to make ends meet with the spectre of homelessness always hanging over them. Willem Dafoe stars alongside. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) In John Hughes' now-classic teen picture, a high schooler fakes being sick to spend the day with his girlfriend and his best friend, while his principal is determined to spy on him. Fruitvale Station (2013) Black Panther writer-director Ryan Coogler's first feature offered a look at the real-life events of a young California man's (Michael B. Jordan) death in a police shooting in 2008. Winner of two awards at Sundance Film Festival. Full Metal Jacket (1987) Stanley Kubrick follows a US marine nicknamed Joker from his days as a new recruit under the command of a ruthless sergeant, to his posting as a war correspondent in South Vietnam, while observing the effects of the war on his fellow soldiers.

Ghostbusters (1984) A bunch of eccentric paranormal enthusiasts start a ghost-catching business in New York, and then stumble upon a plot to wreak havoc by summoning ghosts. Gave birth to one of the most iconic song lyrics in history. Gol Maal (1979) A chartered accountant (Amol Palekar), with a knack for singing and acting, falls deep down the rabbit hole after lying to his boss that he has a twin, in this Hrishikesh Mukherjee comedy. Gone Girl (2014) Based on Gillian Flynn's best-selling novel and directed by David Fincher, a confounded husband (Ben Affleck) becomes the primary suspect in the sudden mystery disappearance of his wife (Rosamund Pike). GoodFellas (1990) Considered as one of the best gangster films of all time, it brought Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro together for the sixth time. Based on Nicholas Pilegg's 1985 non-fiction book Wiseguy, it tells the rise and fall story of mob associate Henry Hill, his friends and family between 1955 and 1980. Gravity (2013) Two US astronauts, a first-timer (Sandra Bullock) and another on his final mission (George Clooney), are stranded in space after their shuttle is destroyed, and then must battle debris and challenging conditions to return home. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) A bunch of intergalactic misfits, which includes a talking racoon and tree, come together to form a ragtag team in this Marvel adventure that needs no prior knowledge. Guru (2007) Mani Ratnam wrote and directed this rags-to-riches story of a ruthless and ambitious businessman (Abhishek Bachchan) who doesn't let anything stand in his way as he turns into India's biggest tycoon. Loosely inspired by the life of Dhirubhai Ambani. Haider (2014) Vishal Bhardwaj's Shakespearean trilogy concluded with this modern-day adaptation of Hamlet, that is also based on Basharat Peer's 1990s-Kashmir memoir Curfewed Night. Follows a young man (Shahid Kapoor) who returns home to investigate his father's disappearance and finds himself embroiled in the ongoing violent insurgency. Her (2013) A lonely man (Joaquin Phoenix) falls in love with an intelligent computer operating system (Scarlett Johansson), who enriches his life and learns from him, in Spike Jonze's masterpiece. Hot Fuzz (2007) A top London cop (Simon Pegg, also co-writer) is transferred to a sleepy English village for being the lone overachiever in a squad of slackers. A blend of relationship comedy and a genre cop movie. Edgar Wright directs. Hugo (2011) In 1930s Paris, a boy who lives alone in the walls of a train station tries to figure out the mystery involving his late father and his most treasured possession, an automaton, that needs a key to function. Martin Scorsese directs.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) In the best of four movies, Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen is forced to participate in a special edition of the Hunger Games, a competition where individuals fight to the death, featuring the winners of all previous competitions. I, Daniel Blake (2016) After a heart attack that leaves him unable to work, a widowed carpenter is forced to fight an obtuse British welfare system, while developing a strong bond with a single mother who has two children. Winner of the Palme d'Or. I Lost My Body (2019) In this animated Cannes winner, a severed hand escapes from a lab and scrambles through Paris to get back to his body, while recounting its past life that involved moving to France after an accident and falling in love. In This Corner of the World (2016) Set in Hiroshima during World War II, an 18-year-old woman agrees to marry a man she barely knows in this animated Japanese film, and then must learn to cope with life's daily struggles and find a way to push through as the war rages on around her. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Directed by Steven Spielberg off a story by George Lucas, an eponymous archaeologist (Harrison Ford) travels the world and battles a group of Nazis while looking for a mysterious artefact, in what is now often considered as one of the greatest films of all-time. Infernal Affairs (2002) Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning The Departed is a remake of this original Hong Kongian film, in which a police officer is working undercover in a Triad, while a Triad member is secretly working for the police. Both have the same objective: find the mole. Into the Wild (2007) Based on Jon Krakauer's nonfiction book, Sean Penn goes behind the camera to direct the story of a top student and athlete who gives up all possessions and savings to charity, and hitchhikes across America to live in the Alaskan wilderness. Iqbal (2005) In writer-director Nagesh Kukunoor's National Award-winning film, a hearing- and speech-impaired farm boy (Shreyas Talpade) pursues his passion for becoming a cricketer for the national squad, with the help of a washed-up ex-coach (Naseeruddin Shah). The Irishman (2019) Based on Charles Brandt's 2004 book “I Heard You Paint Houses”, Martin Scorsese offers an indulgent, overlong look at the life of a truck driver (Robert De Niro) who becomes a hitman working for the Bufalino crime family and labour union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino).

John Wick (2014) In the first part of what is now a series, a former hitman (Keanu Reeves) exits retirement to find and kill those that stole his car and killed his dog. Less story, more action, with the filmmakers drawing on anime, Hong Kong action cinema, Spaghetti Westerns, and French crime dramas. Jurassic Park (1993) It might be over 25 years old at this point but watching the very first Jurassic film from Steven Spielberg — based on Michael Crichton's novel, which he co-adapted — is a great way to remind yourself why the new series, Jurassic World, has no idea why it's doing. Kahaani (2012) A pregnant woman (Vidya Balan) travels from London to Kolkata to search for her missing husband in writer-director Sujoy Ghosh's National Award-winning mystery thriller, battling sexism and a cover-up along the way. Khosla Ka Ghosla! (2006) After a powerful property dealer (Boman Irani) holds a middle-class, middle-aged man's (Anupam Kher) newly-purchased property to ransom, his son and his son's friends devise a plot to dupe the swindling squatter and pay him back with his own money. Dibakar Banerjee's directorial debut. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) A coming-of-age story of the young titular witch, who opens an air delivery business, helps a bakery's pregnant owner in exchange for accommodation, and befriends a geeky boy during her year of self-discovery. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Lady Bird (2017) Greta Gerwig's directorial debut is a coming-of-age story of a high school senior (Saoirse Ronan) and her turbulent relationship with her mother (Laurie Metcalf), all while she figures out who she wants to be through friendships and short relationships. Lagaan (2001) Set in Victorian India, a village farmer (Aamir Khan) stakes everyone's future on a game of cricket with the well-equipped British, in exchange for a tax reprieve for three years. The Little Prince (2015) Antoine de Saint-Exupery's 1943 novella is given the animation treatment, in which an elderly pilot (Jeff Bridges) recounts his encounters with a young boy who claimed to be an extra-terrestrial prince to his neighbour, a young girl. Rachel McAdams, James Franco, and Marion Cotillard also voice. A Little Princess (1995) Alfonso Cuarón directs this tale of a young girl who is forced to become a servant by the headmistress at her New York boarding school, after her wealthy aristocratic father is presumed dead in World War I. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003) Peter Jackson brought J.R.R. Tolkien's expansive Middle-Earth to life in these three three-hour epics, which charts the journey of a meek hobbit (Elijah Wood) and his various companions, as they try to stop the Dark Lord Sauron by destroying the source of his power, the One Ring.

Loveless (2017) A Cannes winner about the social ills of life in modern Russia, told through the eyes of two separated parents who are drawn back together after their 12-year-old child goes missing. From award-winning director Andrey Zvyagintsev. The Lunchbox (2013) An unlikely mistake by Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox carrier system results in an unusual friendship between a young housewife (Nimrat Kaur) and an older widower (Irrfan Khan) about to retire from his job. Lupin the Third: Castle of Cagliostro (1979) In legendary Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki's feature debut, a dashing master thief enlists the help of a long-time nemesis in the police and a fellow thief to rescue a princess from an evil count, and put an end to his counterfeit money operation. Marriage Story (2019) Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver play an entertainment industry couple going through a divorce, which pulls them — and their young son — from New York to Los Angeles, the two different hometowns of the protagonists. Mary Poppins (1964) Based on P.L. Travers' book series of the same name, a disciplined father hires a loving woman (Julie Andrews) — who he doesn't know is capable of magic — to be the nanny for his two mischievous children. Won five Oscars, including best actress for the debutant Andrews. Masaan (2015) Neeraj Ghaywan ventures into the heartland of India to explore the life of four people in his directorial debut, all of whom must battle issues of caste, culture and norms. Winner of a National Award and the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes. Million Dollar Baby (2004) An overlooked, veteran boxing trainer (Clint Eastwood, who also directs) reluctantly agrees to train a former waitress (Hilary Swank) to help achieve her dreams, which leads to a close father-daughter bond that will forever change their lives. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) With the organisation he works for disbanded and his country after him, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) races against time to prove the existence of the schemers pulling the strings in this fifth chapter. Introduced Rebecca Ferguson to the franchise. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) The legendary British comedy troupe mix their talents with the tale of King Arthur and his knights, as they look for the Holy Grail and encounter a series of horrors. A contender for the best comedy of all-time.

Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) Satire so cutting that it was banned for years in the UK and elsewhere, Life of Brian saw Monty Python turning their eyes on more long-form storytelling. The Life of Brian is the story of a young Jewish man born on the same day and next door to Jesus Christ, who gets mistaken for the messiah. Mudbound (2017) A Netflix Original, this World War II drama is set in rural Mississippi, and follows two veterans – one white and one black – who return home, and must deal with problems of racism in addition to PTSD. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003) After his parents find out he has been pretending to be a doctor, a good-natured Mumbai underworld don (Sanjay Dutt) tries to redeem himself by enrolling in a medical college, where his compassion brushes up against the authoritarian dean (Boman Irani). Co-written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who stands accused in the #MeToo movement. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) Set in post-war rural Japan, a heart-warming tale of a professor's two young daughters who have adventures with friendly forest sprits. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Mystic River (2003) Three childhood friends reunite after a brutal murder, in which the victim is one's (Sean Penn) daughter, another (Kevin Bacon) is the case detective, and the third (Tim Robbins) is suspected by both. Clint Eastwood directs. Nightcrawler (2014) Jake Gyllenhaal plays a freelance video journalist with no ethics or morals who will do anything to get the best footage of violent crimes that local news stations love. A feature directorial debut for screenwriter Dan Gilroy. Ocean's Eleven (2001) In this first of Steven Soderbergh's trilogy, which features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon, Danny Ocean (Clooney) and his eleven associates plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos at the same time. Okja (2017) Part environment parable and part skewer of corporatisation, this underappreciated Netflix Original by Bong Joon-ho tells its story of a young Korean girl and her best friend – a giant pet pig – while effortlessly crossing genres. On Body and Soul (2017) A shy, introverted man and a woman who work at a Hungarian slaughterhouse discover they share the same dreams after an incident, and then try to make them come true.

Only Yesterday (1991) A Studio Ghibli production about a 27-year-old career-driven Tokyo woman who reminisces about her childhood on her way to the countryside to see her sister's family. Isao Takahata writes and directs. Paan Singh Tomar (2012) A true story of the eponymous soldier and athlete (Irrfan Khan) who won gold at the National Games, and later turned into a dacoit to resolve a land dispute. Won top honours for film and actor (Khan) at National Awards. Pan's Labyrinth (2006) In Guillermo del Toro's fantastical version of Spain five years after the civil war, Ofelia – a young stepdaughter of a cruel army officer – is told she is the reincarnated version of an underworld princess but must complete three tasks to prove herself. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) Emma Watson stars in this coming-of-age comedy based on the novel of the same name by Stephen Chbosky, who also wrote and directed the film. Watson plays one of two seniors who guide a nervous freshman. Phantom Thread (2017) Set in the glamourous couture world of 1950s post-war London, the life of a renowned dressmaker (Daniel Day-Lewis), who is used to women coming and going through his tailored life, unravels after he falls in love with a young, strong-willed waitress. Pink (2016) A lawyer (Amitabh Bachchan) comes out of retirement to help three women (Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, and Andrea Tariang) clear their names in a crime involving a politician's nephew (Angad Bedi). Won a National Award. PK (2014) A satirical comedy-drama that probes religious dogmas and superstitions, through the lens of an alien (Aamir Khan) who is stranded on Earth after he loses his personal communicator and befriends a TV journalist (Anushka Sharma) as he attempts to retrieve it. Porco Rosso (1992) Transformed into an anthropomorphic pig by an unusual curse, an Italian World War I ace fighter veteran now works as a freelance bounty hunter in 1930s Adriatic Sea in the Mediterranean. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Queen (2013) A 24-year-old shy woman (Kangana Ranaut) sets off on her honeymoon alone to Europe after her fiancé calls off the wedding a day prior. There, freed from the traditional trappings and with the help of new friends, she gains a newfound perspective on life. Director Vikas Bahl stands accused in the #MeToo movement.

Rang De Basanti (2006) Aamir Khan leads the ensemble cast of this award-winning film that focuses on four young New Delhi men who turn into revolutionary heroes themselves while playacting as five Indian freedom fighters from the 1920s for a docudrama. Ratatouille (2007) An anthropomorphic rat (Patton Oswalt) who longs to be a chef tries to achieve his dream by making an alliance with a young garbage boy at a Parisian restaurant. From Pixar. Rebecca (1940) Alfred Hitchcock's first American film is based on Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel of the same name, about a naïve, young woman who marries an aristocratic widower and then struggles under the intimidating reputation of his first wife, who died under mysterious circumstances. The Remains of the Day (1993) Made by the duo of Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, this based-on-a-book film is about a dedicated and loyal butler (Anthony Hopkins), who gave much of his life — and missed out on a lot — serving a British lord who turns out to be a Nazi sympathiser. Reservoir Dogs (1992) After a simply jewellery heist goes wrong in Quentin Tarantino's feature-length debut, six criminals – Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, and Michael Madsen are a few of the actors – who don't know each other's identity start to suspect each other of being a police informant. The Revenant (2015) Leonardo DiCaprio and director Alejandro G. Iñárritu won Oscars for their work on this semi-biographical Western film set in the 1820s, which tells the story of frontiersman Hugh Glass and his quest for survival and justice amidst severe winters. Roma (2018) Alfonso Cuarón revisits his childhood in the eponymous Mexico City neighbourhood, during the political turmoil of the 1970s, through the eyes of a middle-class family's live-in maid, who takes care of the house and four children, while balancing the complications of her own personal life. Sairat (2016) In a tiny village in the Indian state of Maharashtra, a fisherman's son and a local politician's daughter fall in love, which sends ripples across the society because their families belong to different castes. Currently the highest-grossing Marathi-language film of all time. Scarface (1983) Al Pacino delivers one of his best performances as a Cuban refugee who arrives in 1980s Miami with nothing, rises the ranks to become a powerful drug kingpin, and then falls due to his ego, his paranoia, and a growing list of enemies. Se7en (1995) In this dark, gripping thriller from David Fincher, two detectives – one new (Brad Pitt) and one about to retire (Morgan Freeman) – hunt a serial killer (Kevin Spacey) who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives. Secret Superstar (2017) Though frequently melodramatic, this coming-of-age story – produced by Aamir Khan and wife Kiran Rao – of a Muslim girl from Vadodara who dreams of being a singer dealt with important social issues and broke several box office records during its theatrical run.

Sense and Sensibility (1995) Jane Austen's famous work is brought to life by director Ang Lee, about three sisters who are forced to seek financial security through marriage after the death of their wealthy father leaves them poor by the rules of inheritance. The Shining (1980) Stephen King's popular novel gets the film treatment from Stanley Kubrick, about a father who loses his sanity in an isolated hotel the family is staying at for the winter, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and the future. Shoplifters (2018) Winner of the top prize at Cannes, the story of a group of poverty-stricken outsiders scraping together an under-the-radar living in Tokyo, whose life is upended after they take in a new, young member. Hirokazu Kore-eda writes, directs, and edits. Shrek (2001) A half-parody of fairy tales, Shrek is about an eponymous ogre who agrees to help an evil lord get a queen in exchange for the deed to his swamp, filled with enough jokes for the adults and a simple plot children. A Silent Voice: The Movie (2016) Based on the manga of the same name, a coming-of-age story of a school bully who tries to make amends with a hearing-impaired girl he tormented back in the day, after the tables are turned on him. Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Two people (Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper) with pain and suffering in their past begin a road to recovery while training together for a dance competition, in what becomes an unlikely love story. The Sixth Sense (1999) In writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's best film to date, a child psychologist (Bruce Willis) tries to help a young boy (Haley Joel Osment) who can see and talk to the dead. Snowpiercer (2013) Chris Evans stars in this sci-fi from Bong Joon-ho, which takes place in a future ravaged by an experiment, where the survivors live on a train that continuously circles the globe and has led to a punishing new class system. The Social Network (2010) The tale of Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg gets a slight fictional spin, as it explores how the young engineer was sued by twin brothers who claimed he stole their idea, and sold lies to his co-founder and squeezed him out.

Soni (2019) A short-tempered young policewoman and her cool-headed female boss must contend with ingrained misogyny in their daily lives and even at work, where it impacts their coordinated attempts to tackle the rise of crimes against women in Delhi. Spartacus (1960) After failing to land the title role in Ben-Hur, Kirk Douglas optioned a book with a similar theme, about a slave who led a revolt — known retrospectively as the Third Servile War — against the mighty Roman Empire. Won four Oscars and was named as one of the best historical epics. The Stranger (1946) A war crimes investigator hunts a high-ranking Nazi fugitive (Orson Welles, also director) hiding in the US state of Connecticut, who is also duping his naïve new wife. Super Deluxe (2019) An inter-linked anthology of four stories, involving an unfaithful wife, a transgender woman, a bunch of teenagers, which deal in sex, stigma, and spirituality. Runs at nearly three hours. Swades (2004) Shah Rukh Khan stars a successful NASA scientist in this based on a true story drama, who returns home to India to take his nanny to the US, rediscovers his roots and connects with the local village community in the process. Taare Zameen Par (2007) Sent to boarding school against his will, a dyslexic eight-year-old is helped by an unconventional art teacher (Aamir Khan) to overcome his disability and discover his true potential. Talvar (2015) Meghna Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj combine forces to tell the story of the 2008 Noida double murder case, in which a teenage girl and the family's hired servant were killed, and the inept police bungled the investigation. Uses the Rashomon effect for a three-pronged take. Tangerine (2015) Shot entirely on iPhones, a transgender female sex worker vows revenge on her boyfriend-pimp who cheated on her while she was in jail. Tangled (2010) Locked up by her overly protective mother, a young long-haired girl finally gets her wish to escape into the world outside thanks to a good-hearted thief, and discovers her true self.

Thithi (2016) In this award-winning Kannada-language film, set in a remote village in the state of Karnataka, three generations of men reflect on the death of their locally-famous, bad-tempered 101-year-old patriarch. Made with a cast of non-professional actors. The Town (2010) While a group of lifelong Boston friends plan a major final heist at Fenway Park, one of them (Ben Affleck) falls in love with the hostage from an earlier robbery, complicating matters. Train to Busan (2016) Stuck on a blood-drenched bullet train ride across Korea, a father and his daughter must fight their way through a countrywide zombie outbreak to make it to the only city that's safe. Tu Hai Mera Sunday (2016) Five thirty-something friends struggle to find a place in Mumbai where they can play football in peace in this light-hearted rom-com tale, which explores gender divides and social mores along the way. The Two Popes (2019) Inspired by real life, the tale of friendship that formed between Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce), the future Pope Francis, after the latter approached the former regarding his concerns with the direction of the Catholic Church. Udaan (2010) Vikramaditya Motwane made his directorial debut with this coming-of-age story of a teenager who is expelled from boarding school and returns home to the industrial town of Jamshedpur, where he must work at his oppressive father's factory. Udta Punjab (2016) With the eponymous Indian state's drug crisis as the backdrop, this black comedy crime film depicts the interwoven lives of a junior policeman (Diljit Dosanjh), an activist doctor (Kareena Kapoor), a migrant worker (Alia Bhatt), and a rock star (Shahid Kapoor). Uncut Gems (2019) A charismatic, New York-based Jewish jeweller and a gambling addict (Adam Sandler) ends up in over his head in this taut thriller, struggling to keep a lid on his family, desires, business, and enemies. The Untouchables (1987) With mobster Al Capone (Robert De Niro) making use of the rampant corruption during the Prohibition period in the US, federal agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) hand picks a team to expose his business and bring him to justice. Brian De Palma directs. Up in the Air (2009) A corporate downsizing expert (George Clooney) who loves living out of a suitcase finds his lifestyle threatened due to a potential love interest (Vera Farmiga) and an ambitious new hire (Anna Kendrick).

Vertigo (1958) Topping Citizen Kane in the latest Sight & Sound poll of greatest films of all time, Alfred Hitchcock's thriller about a detective afraid of heights who falls for an old friend's wife while investigating her strange activities continued his tradition of turning audiences into voyeurs. Village Rockstars (2017) A young Assamese girl of a widow pines to own a guitar and start her own rock band, but societal norms routinely get in the way. Rima Das writes, directs, shoots, edits, and handles costumes. Visaranai (2015) Winner of three National Awards and based on M. Chandrakumar's novel Lock Up, the story of four Tamil laborers who are framed and tortured by politically-motivated cops in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh. Vetrimaaran writes and directs. A Wednesday! (2008) Neeraj Pandey's film is set between 2 pm and 6 pm on a Wednesday, naturally, when a common man (Naseeruddin Shah) threatens to detonate five bombs in Mumbai unless four terrorists accused in the 2006 Mumbai train bombings case are released. Wonder Woman (2017) After a pilot crashes and informs them about an ongoing World War, an Amazonian princess (Gal Gadot) leaves her secluded life to enter the world of men and stop what she believes to be the return of Amazons' nemesis. Wreck-It Ralph (2012) This Disney animated film tells the story of a video game villain who sets out to fulfil his dream of becoming a hero but ends up bringing havoc to the entire arcade where he lives. Zero Dark Thirty (2012) The decade-long international manhunt for Osama bin Laden is the focus of this thriller from Kathryn Bigelow, dramatised as and when needed to keep a CIA intelligence analyst (Jessica Chastain) at the centre of the story. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, and Abhay Deol star as three childhood friends who set off on a bachelor trip across Spain, which becomes an opportunity to heal past wounds, combat their worst fears, and fall in love with life. Zodiac (2007) David Fincher signed on Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. to depict a cartoonist's (Gyllenhaal) obsession with figuring out the identity of the Zodiac Killer in the 1960s–70s. Zombieland (2009) A student looking for his parents (Jesse Eisenberg), a man looking for a favourite snack, and two con artist sisters join forces and take an extended road trip across a zombie-filled America, while they all search for a zombie-free sanctuary. Read the full article

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bmvistas2019-blog · 5 years ago

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Silence of the LANs

5G – the fifth generation of mobile communication – is revolutionizing military and security technology, which is partly why it has become a focal point in the United States’ efforts to contain China’s rise as a tech power and its allegations against Chinese companies.

The future landscape of warfare and cybersecurity could be fundamentally changed by 5G, but experts say 5G is more susceptible to hacking than previous networks, at a time of rising security concerns and US-China tensions on various interconnected fronts that include trade, influence in the Asia-Pacific region and technological rivalry.

These tensions provide the backdrop to controversy surrounding Huawei, the world’s largest telecoms equipment supplier. Long before the Chinese company was indicted in the US this week on multiple charges including stealing trade secrets and violating US sanctions – charges it denies – US intelligence voiced concerns that Huawei’s telecommunications equipment could contain “back doors” for Chinese espionage. US lawmakers seek to ban chip sales to China’s Huawei and ZTE for ‘violating American sanctions’

Huawei has repeatedly denied these allegations, but the controversies have underlined 5G’s growing importance and stepped up the technological arms race between China and the US.

To most people, the next-generation networks, which will be at least 20 times faster than the most advanced networks today, may just mean faster downloads of movies or smoother streaming. But they have much bigger potential than that. Whereas existing networks connect people to people, the next generation will connect a vast network of sensors, robots and autonomous vehicles through sophisticated artificial intelligence. The so-called internet of things will allow objects to “communicate” with each other by exchanging vast volumes of data in real time, and without human intervention.

Autonomous factories, long-distance surgery or robots preparing your breakfast – things that previously existed only in science fiction – will be made possible. China says it will fast-track 5G commercial licenses amid push back on Huawei’s overseas expansion.

With the ability to carry much more data, much lower network latency and energy consumption and much better stability than the previous generation of technologies, 5G is expected to transform digital communication. Using 5G, data can be transmitted at up to 10 gigabytes per second, much faster than using a 4G network, and the latency is reduced to under a millisecond, or 1 per cent that of 4G. Such features enhance connectivity in remote locations, connect sensors and robots, and will enable vehicles, traffic control, factories and construction to become more autonomous. In particular, 5G will enhance the connectivity of the internet of things .

Military equipment embedded with communication devices can also form the internet of things, he added. The communication can take place from device to device, without satellites or early-warning planes, saving those limited resources for other uses and significantly lowering the cost of a military operation, according to a 2017 report in China Defence News, a mouthpiece of China’s People’s Liberation Army.

China has been one of the powerhouses in research and development of 5G technologies. Its telecoms operators have said they will begin to introduce commercial 5G networks from 2020, although Zhou said this would involve only regional pilot schemes because 5G devices are still quite expensive for mass commercial use. Last week, Huawei launched a chip that it claimed to be the world’s most powerful 5G modem. Then came the US Justice Department’s 13-count indictment on Monday against the Chinese company, its affiliates and its chief financial officer Sabrina Meng Wenzhou, following the arrest of Meng in Canada on December 1 at the US’ request.

But questions over the 5G technology made by Huawei and another Chinese firms date back further. In 2012, the US House Intelligence Committee released a report alleging Chinese telecoms equipment makers posed a threat to national security because of their relationship with the Chinese government. China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law asks Chinese companies to cooperate for national intelligence purposes when necessary.

The US has lobbied its allies to ban Huawei from building their next generation of mobile phone networks, and countries such as Britain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Canada have either banned Huawei or are reviewing whether to do so. Huawei’s founder Ren Zhengfei is a former PLA engineer, which has further fuelled questions in the West about Huawei’s ties to the Chinese army and government. But Huawei executives have asked repeatedly, in vain, for evidence of “back doors” in its equipment. BIS, the German internet security watchdog, inspected Huawei labs in Germany and found no evidence, and The New York Times last week quoted American officials as saying that the case against the company had “no smoking gun – just a heightened concern about the firm’s rising technological dominance”.

Moves by the US and its allies to block Huawei from 5G networks on national security grounds were last month described as a “concerted strategy” by Kevin Allison, of US-headquartered political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, talking to US broadcaster CNBC.A report last year to the White House by the US’ National Security Council called for action and strategy to “protect US technology leadership” and prevent China challenging US dominance in tech.

Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military commentator, said China has commissioned research institutions and state-owned companies, not Huawei, for its military 5G development.

Huawei’s founder Ren Zhengfei breaks years of silence amid continued US attacks on Chinese tech giant “For example, branches of the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, which makes military radars and other electronic systems, are focused in this area,” said Song.

The US, too, has been investing in military use of 5G, while prototype 5G networks for civilian use have been launched in some cities. In a recent interview with military technologies publication C4ISRNET, Brent Upson, a director at American aerospace and security company Lockheed Martin, predicted machine-to-machine communication, using information from several sources to form a unified picture of battlespaces, and AI-assisted decision-making would be among the trends in 2019.

US indictments against Huawei a step towards splitting the world’s telecoms industry in two

Todd Wieser, chief technology officer of the US Air Force’s Special Operations Command, has said 5G tech will enhance his forces’ mobile communications and geospatial functionality.

But commercial 5G networks are regarded by the US government as easy prey for foreign intelligence agents and hackers, and such concerns are heightened where a military network is subject to hacking and intrusion attempts by adversaries.

“The biggest disadvantage of a 5G network in the battlefield is the vulnerability to electromagnetic interference – and hacking and intrusion,” said Shu.

“The significant increase in sensors and data nodes means an increase of exposure, and an increased risk of being attacked.”

TASK IN HAND:

Component 1:

You are the assigned the role of a supreme Chinese official and you have to prepare a strategy to take over the world with this technology and how you do it is left to your discretion. The submission is in the form of a report of around 20 pages and a PPT of not more than 8 slides. Additional Deliverables are left to your discretion.

Component 2:

Your task is to draft a formal proposal to the USA to convince them to lift the sanctions on Huawei. The proposal should not be more than 3 pages.

Deadline:

Soft Copy and Hard Copy Submission: 9:00 AM, 5th July

Regards,

Team Exemplar.

“This round will turn the tables”

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deepartnature · 2 years ago

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Shadowy Arm of a German State Helped Russia Finish Nord Stream 2

“SCHWERIN, Germany — Between a tram stop and a kebab shop, the gray building in the northeastern German city of Schwerin looks innocuous enough — and so does its tenant, the Foundation for the Protection of the Climate and Environment. Yet this regional foundation, created 23 months ago by the local state government, has done little for the climate. Instead, it served as a conduit for at least 165 million euros from the Kremlin-owned energy company Gazprom to build one of the world’s most contested gas pipelines: Nord Stream 2. The United States in 2020 was threatening sanctions against any company working on the pipeline. The thinking was that putting companies under the umbrella of a foundation would deter Washington from imposing the penalties because it would then effectively be targeting a German government body. ...”

NY Times

Aljazeera: Ex-NATO chief says Russian army disorganised, using old weapons (Video)

The Intercept_: War Industry Looks Forward to “Multiyear Authority” in Ukraine

GRID - The Crimea question: Why Ukraine’s final battle might be the Western alliance’s toughest test

Pipes from Nord Stream 2 work in Sassnitz, Germany. Russia invaded Ukraine weeks after the pipeline was finished.

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aion-rsa · 3 years ago

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HBO Max New Releases: September 2021

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The summer movie season may be winding down, but HBO Max is keeping the movie ball rolling in September 2021. HBO Max’s list of new releases this month is heavy on the film side of things – both in library and original offerings.

Two Warner Bros. films of note arrive this month. The James Wan-directed horror tale Malignant premieres on Sept. 10 and is followed by Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho on Sept. 17. The next installment in Adventure Time: Distant Lands (which is kind of like a film series!) is titled Wizard City and opens the month on Sept. 2

Of course, it wouldn’t be a new month of HBO Max releases without some interesting evergreen Warner movie titles. Sept. 1 finds all eight Harry Potter movies returning to WarnerMedia’s streaming service. They will be accompanied by The Goonies, The Evil Dead, Cloverfield, and more. Later on in the month, Mortal Kombat (Sept. 9), Mad Max: Fury Road (Sept. 9), and Promising Young Woman (Sept. 25) all come back to the streaming world.

On the TV side of things, HBO Max is bringing back DC’s strangest heroes for season 3 of Doom Patrol on Sept. 23. And for those who need their true crime fix, The Way Down should fit the bill. This docuseries about a weight loss cult is timely for reasons you’ll definitely want to Google.

HBO Max New Releases – September 2021

September 1 A Hijacking, 2013 (HBO) The Animal, 2001 (HBO) Army Of Darkness, 1993 (HBO) The Benchwarmers, 2006 (HBO) Bodas de Oro (aka The Anniversary), 2019 (HBO) The Cell 2, 2009 (HBO) Cloverfield, 2008 (HBO) Dead Again, 1991 (HBO) Deck the Halls, 2006 (HBO) Detour, 2017 (HBO) Drinking Buddies, 2013 (HBO) Epic Movie, 2007 (Extended Version) (HBO) Event Horizon, 1997 (HBO) The Evil Dead, 1983 (HBO) Evil Dead 2, 1987 (HBO) Flawless, 2008 (HBO) The Forgotten, 2004 (HBO) Fun Size, 2012 (HBO) The Gallows, 2015 (HBO) The Good German, 2006 (HBO) The Good Heart, 2010 (HBO) The Goonies, 1985 Green Lantern 2011 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 2002 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, 2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, 2011 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2005 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 2009 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 2007 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 2004 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 2001 Impostor, 2002 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Inheritance, 2020 (HBO) In the Heart of the Sea, 2015 (HBO) Kany Garcia: Soy Yo En Vivo, 2019 (HBO) King Kong, 2005 (Extended Version) HBO) Lady in the Water, 2006 (HBO) Meet Me in St. Louis, 1944 Mr. Nobody, 2013 (Extended Version) (HBO) My Golden Days, 2016 (HBO) Nanny McPhee, 2006 (HBO) Oblivion, 2013 (HBO) On the Town, 1949 Ouija: Origin of Evil, 2016 (HBO) Paulie, 1998 (HBO) The Poet Of Havana, 2015 (HBO) Prime, 2005 (HBO) Prince Avalanche, 2013 (HBO) Reik En Vivo Desde El Auditorio Nacional, 2015 (HBO) Rent, 2005 (HBO) Romeo Santos The King Stays King: Live At Madison Square Garden, 2012 (HBO) Santana – Corazon: Live From Mexico, Live It To Believe It, 2014 (HBO) Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, 2012 (HBO) Severance, 2007 (HBO) Showdown In Little Tokyo, 1991 (HBO) The Song Remains the Same, 1976 Taken 2, 2012 (Extended Version) (HBO) Thalia Viva Tour En Vivo, 2014 (HBO) That’s Entertainment!, 1974 That’s Entertainment! II, 1976 That’s Entertainment! III, 1994 Transformers, 2007 (HBO) Undisputed, 2002 (HBO) Vanilla Sky, 2001 (HBO) View from the Top, 2003 (HBO) What They Had, 2018 (HBO) What Women Want, 2000 (HBO) Yandel: Legacy – De Lider A Leyenda Tour, 2015 (HBO)

September 2 Adventure Time: Distant Lands – Wizard City, Max Original Special Premiere Sweet Life: Los Angeles, Max Original Season Finale

September 3 Amaraica, 2020 (HBO) At Last, 2020 Bittu, 2020 Coffee Shop Names, 2020 Liberty Kid, 2007

September 4 News of the World, 2020 (HBO)

September 7 Hard Knocks ’21: The Dallas Cowboys, Season Finale (HBO)

September 8 Nasciturus, 2021

September 9 Mad Max: Fury Road, 2015 Sweet Life: Los Angeles, Max Original Reunion Special Mortal Kombat, 2021 (HBO)

September 10 Elliott from Earth, Season 1 Malignant, Warner Bros. Film Premiere, 2021 (Available in 4K UHD, HDR10, Dolby Vision)

September 11 Ben 10, Season 4C NYC Epicenters 9/11→2021½, Documentary Series Finale (HBO) Walker, Season 1

September 12 Scenes from a Marriage, Limited Series Premiere (HBO)

September 13 Care Bears: Unlock the Magic I’m Sorry Little Ellen, Max Original Series Premiere

September 15 A La Calle, 2020 The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, 1966

September 16 Tig n’ Seek, Max Original Season 3 Premiere

September 17 Apple & Onion, Season 2B Cry Macho, Warner Bros. Film Premiere (Available in 4K UHD, HDR10, Dolby Vision) El Cuartito, 2021 (HBO) Superman & Lois, Season 1

September 18 The People v. The Klan

September 20 Hard, Season 3 Finale (HBO) Total Dramarama

September 21 Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)

September 23 Ahir Shah: Dots, Max Original Special Premiere Doom Patrol, Max Original Season 3 Premiere The Other Two, Max Original Season 2 Finale

September 25 Promising Young Woman, 2020 (HBO)

September 26 Nuclear Family, Documentary Series Premiere (HBO)

September 27 Huesped Americano (aka The American Guest), Series Premiere (HBO) Little Sky, 2021 Asian Pacific American Visionaries Short (HBO) Neh, 2021 Asian Pacific American Visionaries Short (HBO) Unmothered, 2021 Asian Pacific American Visionaries Short (HBO)

September 29 Entre Hombres (aka Amongst Men), Series Premiere (HBO)

September 30 The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, Max Original Season 2 Premiere Ten-Year-Old Tom, Max Original Series Premiere Those Who Wish Me Dead, 2021 (HBO) (Available in 4K UHD, HDR10, Dolby Vision) The Way Down, Max Original Series Premiere Yabba-Dabba Dinosaurs, Max Original Series Premiere

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Leaving HBO Max – September 2021

September 5 Lost Resort, 2020 The Suicide Squad, 2021

September 12 CHIPS, 2017 (HBO)

September 19 Ford V. Ferrari, 2019 (HBO) Norm Of The North: King Sized Adventure, 2019 Reminiscence, 2021

September 20 Doctor Sleep, 2020 (Director’s Cut) (HBO)

September 24 King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword, 2017 (HBO)

September 30 Abandon, 2002 (HBO) Abuela’s Luck, 2019 (HBO) Addicted to Love, 1997 American History X, 1998 The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, 1974 (HBO) Being Julia, 2004 The Butcher’s Wife, 1991 (HBO) Cabaret , 1972 Camelot, 1967 City of Angels, 1998 The Craft, 1996 Dark Shadows, 2012 (HBO) Deerskin, 2020 (HBO) Demolition Man, 1993 The Devil’s Advocate, 1997 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, 2002 Drumline, 2002 (Extended Version) (HBO) Dumb & Dumber, 1994 The Electric Horseman, 1979 (HBO) Endings, Beginnings, 2019 (HBO) Escape from New York, 1981 Eye for an Eye, 1996 (HBO) Fierce People, 2007 (HBO) Final Analysis, 1992 (HBO) The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, 2000 (HBO) The Flintstones, 1994 (HBO) Fracture, 2007 From Dusk Till Dawn, 1996 Full Beat, 2018 (HBO) Ghosts of Mississippi, 1996 Gold Diggers of 1933, 1933 Gold Diggers of 1935, 1955 The Graduate, 1967 Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, 2009 Happy-Go-Lucky, 2008 (HBO) Hardball, 2001 (HBO) Haywire, 2012 (HBO) Honeymoon in Vegas, 1992 House Arrest, 2012 (HBO) House on Haunted Hill, 1999 In & Out, 1997 (HBO) Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, 1993 (HBO) Jason X, 2002 Jerry Maguire, 1996 JFK, 1991 Joe Versus the Volcano, 1990 Kicking & Screaming, 2005 (HBO) Klute, 1971 Labyrinth, 1986 Las Herederas (aka The Heiresses), 2019 (HBO) Last Action Hero, 1993 Leatherface Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, 1990 (HBO) The Longest Yard, 1974 (HBO) The Man With The Iron Fists, 2012 (Unrated Version) (HBO) Marie Antoinette, 2006 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, 1997 Midway, 2019 (HBO) Million Dollar Mermaid , 1952 Miss Firecracker, 1989 (HBO) Miss Sharon Jones!, 2015 Murder at 1600, 1997 Murder by Numbers, 2002 Must Love Dogs, 2005 My Bloody Valentine 3-D, 2009 (HBO) My Super Ex-Girlfriend, 2006 (HBO) Nights in Rodanthe, 2008 No Reservations, 2007 Not Another Teen Movie, 2001 Observe and Report, 2009 Ola de Crimenes (aka Crime Wave), 2018 (HBO) Once Upon a Time in Mexico, 2003 One Day, 2001 (HBO) Outbreak, 1995 Pleasantville, 1998 Point Break, 1991 (HBO) The Polar Express, 2004 Practical Magic, 1998 Primal Fear, 1996 (HBO) The Prince of Tides, 1991 Raw Deal, 1986 (HBO) The Return, 2006 (HBO) The Right Stuff, 1983 Rumor Has It…, 2005 Scary Movie, 2000 Scary Movie 2, 2001 Scary Movie 3, 2003 Scream, 1996 Scream 2, 1997 Scream 3, 2000 The Search for Santa Paws, 2010 (HBO) Short Circuit, 1986 Single White Female, 1992 Slackers, 2002 Snakes on a Plane, 2006 Soldier, 1998 The Sweetest Thing, 2002 Tango & Cash, 1989 Ted, 2012 (Unrated Version) (HBO) Tequila Sunrise, 1998 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, 2006 (Extended Version) (HBO) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 2003 The Time Machine, 1960 Tin Cup, 1996 Torch Song Trilogy, 1988 Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection, 2012 The Upside of Anger, 2005 Victor/Victoria, 1982 The Warriors, 1979 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) The Watch, 2012 (HBO) Willard, 1971 (HBO) Wings, 2012

The post HBO Max New Releases: September 2021 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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Sunday, June 27, 2021

People in advanced economies say their society is more divided than before pandemic (Pew Research Center) A median of 34% of adults across 17 advanced economies feel their society is more united than before the pandemic, but about six-in-ten report that national divisions have worsened since the outbreak began. In 12 of 13 countries surveyed in both 2020 and 2021, feelings of division have increased significantly, in some cases by more than 30 percentage points. Some of these divisions reflect how people view the social limitations they have faced, such as stay-at-home orders or mask mandates while in public.

Historic heat wave blasts Northwest as wildfire risks soar (AP) The Pacific Northwest sweltered Friday and braced for even hotter weather through the weekend as a historic heat wave hit Washington and Oregon, with temperatures in many areas expected to top out up to 30 degrees above normal. The extreme and dangerous heat was expected to break all-time records in cities and towns from eastern Washington state to Portland to southern Oregon as concerns mounted about wildfire risk in a region that is already experiencing a crippling and extended drought. Seattle was expected to edge above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) over the weekend and in Portland, Oregon, weather forecasters said the thermometer could soar to 108 F (42 C) by Sunday, breaking an all-time record of 107 F (42 C) set in 1981. Unusually hot weather was expected to extend into next week for much of the region.

Why police have been quitting in droves (NYT) When the media adopts a storyline, sometimes stories that fit into the narrative are retained while those that don’t quite fit are discarded. While there’s been a wholly justifiable focus on police brutality, there hasn’t been much attention paid to a group of people caught in the media crossfire: good cops who do a good job but are still treated like the bad guys. Those cops are quitting in high numbers. Consider the experience of Officer Lindsay C. Rose in Asheville, N.C.: “Various friends and relatives had stopped speaking to her because she was a cop. During a protest in June around Police Headquarters, a demonstrator lobbed an explosive charge that set her pants on fire and scorched her legs. She said she was spit on. She was belittled. Members of the city’s gay community, an inclusive clan that had welcomed her in when she first settled in Asheville, stood near her at one event and chanted, ‘All gay cops are traitors,’ she said. By September, still deeply demoralized despite taking several months off to recuperate, Officer Rose decided that she was done.” Rose wasn’t alone. At police departments across the country, “retirements were up 45 percent and resignations rose by 18 percent in the year from April 2020 to April 2021.” About a third of the Asheville police force has left the job. Their chief explains: “They said that we have become the bad guys, and we did not get into this to become the bad guys.”

Disappearances rise on Mexico’s ‘highway of death’ to border (AP) As many as 50 people are missing after setting out on three-hour car trips this year between Mexico’s industrial hub of Monterrey and the border city of Nuevo Laredo on a well-traveled stretch of road local media have dubbed “the highway of death.” Relatives say family members simply vanished. The disappearances, and last week’s shooting of 15 apparently innocent bystanders in Reynosa, suggest Mexico is returning to the dark days of the 2006-2012 drug war when cartel gunmen often targeted the general public as well as one another. As many as half a dozen of those who disappeared on the highway are believed to be U.S. citizens or residents, though the U.S. Embassy could not confirm their status. One, José de Jesús Gómez from Irving, Texas, reportedly disappeared on the highway on June 3. Most of the victims are believed to have disappeared approaching or leaving the cartel-dominated city of Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, Texas. About a half-dozen men have reappeared alive, badly beaten, and all they will say is that armed men forced them to stop on the highway and took their vehicles.

Prominent Nicaraguan opposition leaders and journalists flee an escalating government crackdown (Washington Post) The stream of high-profile opposition leaders, journalists and members of civil society fleeing Nicaragua has surged, as the regime of President Daniel Ortega wages the most alarming political crackdown in the country’s recent history ahead of a November election. In the last week, several of the most influential critics of the Ortega regime sneaked out of the country—convinced they would be detained if they remained. Journalists for mainstream publications were stripped of their passports, but decided to leave anyway. Even some of Ortega’s former top Sandinista comrades are seeking refuge abroad. The consequences for remaining in the country could be dire: Over the past several months, at least 16 opposition figures have been jailed. Journalists have also come under threat in recent weeks. Veteran journalist Miguel Mendoza was detained on June 21, when police broke into his home. The day before that, police arrested Miguel Mora, the former director of 100% Noticias. Mora had stepped down from his role at the outlet to run for president. Julio López, another prominent journalist, was stripped of his passport last week. He decided at that point to seek refuge in Costa Rica.

Russia launches Mediterranean drills amid rift with Britain (AP) The Russian military on Friday launched sweeping maneuvers in the Mediterranean Sea featuring warplanes armed with state-of-the-art hypersonic missiles, a show of force amid a surge in tensions following an incident with a British destroyer in the Black Sea. Moscow said one of its warships fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs in the path of British destroyer Defender on Wednesday to force her out of an area near Crimea that Russia claims as its territorial waters. Britain denied that account, insisted its ship wasn’t fired upon and said she was sailing in Ukrainian waters. The Russian drills that began Friday in the eastern Mediterranean come as a British carrier strike group is in the area. Earlier this week, British and U.S. F-35 fighters from HMS Queen Elizabeth flew combat sorties against the Islamic State group.

Pakistan’s leader sparks protests by blaming women ‘wearing very few clothes’ for sexual assaults (Washington Post) Pakistan’s prime minister is facing protests and calls for a public apology after suggesting there would be fewer sexual assaults if women dressed more modestly. In an interview with Axios earlier this week, Imran Khan was asked about whether there was a “rape epidemic” in Pakistan, where advocates believe that a large number of assaults go unreported. “If a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on the man unless they are robots. I mean, it’s common sense,” he responded. Women in Pakistan responded by sharing photographs of the “modest” clothing that they were wearing when they were sexually harassed, as well as anecdotes about inappropriate behavior they have encountered—such as unwanted touching—even when conservatively dressed in traditional headscarves and shalwar kameez. It’s the second time in recent months that Khan — who was one of Pakistan’s top cricket players and a national celebrity before he entered politics—has come under fire for his comments about rape.

Thirteen peacekeepers wounded, six soldiers killed in Mali militant attacks (Reuters) Thirteen U.N. peacekeepers, 12 Germans and one Belgian, were wounded in northern Mali on Friday by a car bomb, the U.N. mission said, while Mali’s army said six of its soldiers were killed in a separate attack in the centre of the country. The attack in the north targeted a temporary base set up by the peacekeepers near the village of Ichagara in the Gao region, where Islamist insurgents linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic State are active.

UN: Madagascar droughts push 400,000 toward starvation (AP) The U.N. World Food Program says southern Madagascar is in the throes of back-to-back droughts that are pushing 400,000 people toward starvation, and have already caused deaths from severe hunger. Lola Castro, WFP’s regional director in southern Africa, told a news conference Friday that she witnessed “a very dramatic and desperate situation” during her recent visit with WFP chief David Beasley to the Indian Ocean island nation of 26 million people. Hundreds of adults and children were “wasted,” and hundreds of kids were skin and bones and receiving nutritional support, she said. In 28 years working for WFP on four continents, Castro said she had “never seen anything this bad” except in 1998 in Bahr el-Gazal in what is now South Sudan.

As virus surges in Uganda, hospitals accused of profiteering (AP) As he struggled to breathe earlier this month, Dr. Nathan Tumubone was tormented by thoughts of hospitalization as a COVID-19 patient. Thinking of the costs involved, he knew he wanted to stay home. “The truth is I didn’t want to go to hospital,” said the general practitioner. “We’ve seen the costs are really high, and one wouldn’t want to get in there.” As virus cases surge in Uganda, making scarce hospital beds even more expensive, concern is growing over the alleged exploitation of patients by private hospitals accused of demanding payment up front and hiking fees. Although the practice of requiring deposits from patients has long been seen as acceptable in this East African country where few have health insurance, it is raising anger among some who cite attempts to profiteer from the pandemic. Some hospital bills shared by families of COVID-19 patients emerging from intensive care show sums of up to $15,000, a small fortune in a country where annual per capita income is less than $1,000.

Intel report is inconclusive about UFOs (AP) A long-awaited U.S. government report on UFOs released Friday makes at least one thing clear: The truth is still out there. Investigators did not find extraterrestrial links in reviewing 144 sightings of aircraft or other devices apparently flying at mysterious speeds or trajectories. But they drew few other conclusions and instead highlighted the need for better data collection about what’s increasingly seen by Democrats and Republicans as a national security concern. In all but one of the sightings investigated, there was too little information for investigators to even broadly characterize the nature of the incident. Long the domain of science fiction and so-called ufologists, the subject of UFOs has in recent years drawn serious study from the Pentagon and intelligence agencies. Congress last year required the creation of the report delivered Friday. While its lack of conclusions has already been made public, the report on what the government calls “unidentified aerial phenomena” still represents a milestone in the study of the issue.

#headlines #news

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opedguy · 4 years ago

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Putin Wars Biden on Ukraine

LOS ANGELES (OnlineColumnist.com), April 21, 2021.--Pushing Russian President Vladimir Putin to a war footing, 78-year-old President Joe Biden has driven U.S.-Russian relations to the lowest level since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, maybe worse. Addressing the Russian Federation on the annual state-of-the-nation address, Putin said any breach by the U.S., European Union [EU] or NATO would be met with a “quick and tough” response. Putin reacted to Biden’s new sanctions April 16 over unproven allegations that Russian meddled in the 2020 election and hacked SolarWinds network management program. Whatever the reason for Biden’s belligerent approach, he’s now pushed Putin to issue a stern warning to the U.S., EU and NATO not to interfere with the Russian Federation’s policy with Ukraine. Biden, together with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanel Macron demanded Putin pull back troops from Ukraine.

Since taking office Jan. 20, Biden has done everything possible to alienate Putin, including calling him a “soulless killer” March 16. “I hope that no one dares to cross the red line in respect to Russia, and we will determine where it is in each specific case,” Putin said in his nationwide speech. “Those who organize any provocations threatening out core security interests will regret their deeds more than they regretted anything for a long time,” Putin said. Putin was addressing his warning to Biden who’s been especially provocative in organizing sanctions with the EU against the Kremlin. Putin rejected Western concerns about the Russian troop build up on the Russian side of the border to Ukraine’s Donbass region. Putin put Ukraine on notice not to seize Russian-speaking territories currently operating independent from President Zolodymyr Zelensky’s Kiev government.

Biden has solicited the EU to join a coalition against Putin’s military build up near the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine. “We really don’t want to burn the bridges.” Putin said. “But if some mistake our good intentions for indifference or weakness and intends to burn or even blow up those bridges themselves. Russia response will be asymmetrical, quick and tough,” putting the West on notice to stay in their lane. Biden and his 58-year-old Secretary of State Tony Blinken have been slamming Putin for his treatment of 44-year-old Russian dissident Alexi Navalny, demanding he be released from prison. Biden and Blinken have accused the U.S. of meddling in U.S. affairs. If telling Putin to release Navalny, a known revolutionary, isn’t meddling in the internal affairs of a sovereign state, then what is? Biden and Blinken’s support of Navalny is about getting rid of Putin.

Navalny, who was sentenced March 2 to two-year-eight-months in a Russian penal colony, gets daily press briefings from his handlers like his chief-of-staff Leonid Volkov, feeding the media a pack of lies about his medical condition designed to discredit Putin. Daily reports from U.S. and foreign news outlets detail Navalny’s medical condition, from various doctors attached to his clandestine organization designed to exaggerate Navalny’s deteriorating medical condition. Nowhere does the media report that Navalny’s deteriorated state was due to his foolish hunger strike designed pressure Putin and Kremlin to let him out of prison. Biden falls right into the trap saying if Navalny dies, there will be draconic consequences to the Russian Federation, including more sanctions or worse. Biden has zero leverage over Putin, especially in Ukraine’s Donbass area.

Putin lambasted the U.S. for its “unlawful, politically motivated economic sanctions and crude attempts to enforce its will on others,” saying that Russia has shown restraint under the war-like conditions Biden has imposed. Putin called Biden’s actions “openly boorish,” kicking out 10 Russian diplomats from Washington. Three days after Biden called Putin a “soulless killer” March 16, he challenged Biden to a live Internet debate to air various differences. Biden didn’t respond to the challenge but asked Putin April 13for a summit, all in response to Putin’s massive military build up near the Ukrainian border. Biden’s playing a dangerous game of chicken with Putin, bound to lose because Putin, not Biden, has the military resources to prevail in Ukraine and elsewhere. “The practice of organizing coups and planning political assassinations of top officials goes over the top and crosses all boundarie,” Putin said.

Biden’s one small step away from igniting a war with the Russian federation, pretending he has the backing of the EU and NATO. No one in the EU or NATO want a confrontation with the Russian Federation. EU officials know they buy 40% of natural gas and 30% of petroleum from the Russia Federation. Germany has spent $11 billion on the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline supply natural gas from Russia to Germany. Biden was Vice President under former President Barack Obama when Putin responded to a Feb. 22, 2014 CIIA-backed coup that toppled the Kremlin-backed government of Vitkor Yanukovych. Obama, Biden, the EU and NATO did nothing March 1 when Putin seized the Crimean Peninsula. Any wrong move by the U.S. or NATO would trigger Putin to send the Russian army to annex Russian-speaking, separatist parts of eastern Ukraine.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author The Bullet and Operation Charisma

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kennyrobots · 4 years ago

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my OKC profile Q&A (circa 2020).

looking through my old OKC profile edits (because i went down a rabbit hole) (i’m also unsure of how i got there, but such is the nature of rabbit holes), and i came across an old Q&A that i actually put onto my actual factual profile at one point. i thought it’d be a kinda-cute and somewhat-funny way to express my personality on the thing, instead of the boring ol’ “lists of shit i like, i hope you find something in there that we have in common so that we can both get off of this hellsite”. (as you would expect, i was quite alone in that opinion.) (enjoy. or don’t.) "I don't know what I think - I haven't written it down yet." I've loved this phrase ever since I first heard it - I will swear up and down that I stole this from Ambrose Bierce, but Google insists that I made it up. Didn't know that was possible in this day and age, but here we are. Here we ALL are. //////////////////////////////////// Self-summaries are passé. Let's do a Q&A instead.

Q: Where are you from? A: Philippines, originally. U.S. Naval Hospital Subic Bay, to be exact. Virginia, from 1999, up until 2016.

Q: So what are you, then? A: My daddy Mississippi, my momma Mabayuan - you mix that Negro with that Pinoy, got this Flushing bama.

Q: What do you do for a living? A: *looks at sidebar where job is listed* Hmm. ...You know the guy that goes "Ow!" on the Black Box song "Everybody, Everybody"? That's me. Please stream that song - I need my 37¢ check by the end of the month.

Q: Any siblings? A: I have a younger sister in the Army. Almost had a twin brother, but I defeated him in a high-stakes game of craps while we were both in the womb, and he had to stay behind. (He was quite salty about that, but them's the breaks, Kevin.)

Q: Are you actually 6'2"? A: You got me - I'm actually 5'9", but I really believe in myself for those last five inches. Those low-hanging tree branches randomly smacking me in the head must be figments of my imagination.

Q: Why'd you move to New York? A: Three reasons. 1) Go! Go! Curry. Worth the visit. 2) I read MFA vs. NYC once, and made the wrong choice in retrospect. 3) Chasing a woman. Also the wrong choice in retrospect, but I wouldn't be here otherwise, so that might've turned out to be a blessing in disguise, if I find someone special out here on these (digital) streets.

Q: How was your 2019? A: Good and bad. Got out of my comfort zone (especially during the back half of the year, when I started taking dating more seriously), met some people I liked, learned a lot about myself. All that was good. On the other hand, 2019 was also the same year that I learned that "Deutschlandfunk" has nothing to do with German funk music. Still kinda devastated about that.

Q: What are your biggest goals in life? A: Meet a sweet and funny woman. Get married to her, have exactly 2.94 kids. Publish a book at some point. Figure out where to settle down, buy a house there, start filling it with late-stage capitalist garbage. Mow the lawn on a regular basis, in order to keep the Homeowner's Association off my ass. Buy more records. Wear a honeybee outfit for a whole day, while singing Unknown Mortal Orchestra's "Hunnybee" to myself. Finally clean out the garage, after the third time that my wife asks. Travel to Buenos Aires, to see if Smithsonian Magazine was correct. Convince my wife that no, honey - I didn't fall asleep during our daughter's ballet recital. I only put my head back and closed my eyes in deep appreciation for the sublime art I saw onstage. Y'know - the usual.

Q: Karaoke song of choice? A: I grew up on 90s/00s R&B, so virtually all songs from those eras are in play. Gun to my head, I'd probably choose Zhané's "Request Line" for 2020, mostly because I want to figure out how to harmonize with myself. Unless I'm drunk - then I'm just going to slur and stammer and yell my way through "Hard In Da Paint" until I pass out, or am stopped by force.

Q: Why do you have cornrows? A: A part of the bet that I made with my almost-twin Kevin, actually - the loser had to remain in the womb, while the winner had to get cornrows at the age of 35, no matter how much (or little) hair he had on his head. And since I am an honorable man, here we are. In a very real sense, both of us lost.

Q: Are you for real? A: At the risk of putting Descartes before the horse, I think so. A few years ago, I did struggle with the concept of reality, but trying - and failing - to walk through a wall "because it's not really there" quickly changes your opinion on that.

Q: ... A: I mean, I'm actually a bot. *beep* *boop* Feed me your memes.

Q: Your profile sucks. A: Not a question, but I'll allow it. *clears throat* Dear Sir or Madam: You may be correct.

Q: Why consider you, then? A: In a moment of...let's go with "curiosity", I changed my search settings and looked at my competition. If nothing else, I appear to have a level of self-awareness that a majority of other fellas here on OKC lack, so there's that. (Seriously - I read through some of these profiles, and I wanted to melt onto the floor and die, because I know that they're being completely serious. You ladies are absolute SAINTS for slogging through alla that.)

Q: Aren't you concerned that you'll have nothing to talk about during a date, if you put a lot of it on here? A: So I've been in the process of what I call "exploring the contents of my mind", and I've found that I have A LOT to say, even if the majority of it is essentially nonsensical. The day that I run out of stuff to comment on is the day that you should walk out on me during a date. I would fully support that, even as my heart breaks in real-time, Ralph Wiggum-style.

Q: Fine. Aren't you concerned that you're giving away too much up front? A: All joking aside, I actually really do believe in honesty, transparency and authenticity, especially with my partner. One of the things that I want to do is always be able to tell you the truth, or at least, my version of the truth. That's how we develop trust. I don't want anything I think to be off-limits to you, because if I start keeping small stuff from you, it's only a matter of time before I start keeping LARGER stuff from you, y'know? Besides - if we're going to be together, I want you to know all about me, because I want to know all about you. And yes - that means knowing what you think. It's important to me. So, I reciprocate, and apparently I'm doing it first, completely unprompted. It's only right.

Q: You write a lot. A: I do that sometimes, yes.

Q: What's the deal with the whole Ambrose Bierce thing? A: I believe in giving credit where credit is due. I'm not an Instagram comedy account, after all.

Q: But what if he didn't write it, and you actually DID come up with that quote? A: ...Possible, but unlikely. I'm honestly not smart enough to come up with something that clever.

Q: It's actually not as clever as you think. A: Yeah, that happens sometimes.

Q: Any parting comment? A: I wish everyone would've told me how hot I would run all the time as an adult. Seriously - all this extraneous body heat is nonsense. Balls are sweaty at the worst possible times.

Q: Good god. A: ...I mean, in the words of one of the great philosophers of our time, "I don't care what the people say - I'm gonna love you anyway." Timeless. (y’all - i am SO happy that i’m finally able to format this thing in the way i’d always intended.)

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jetztkostenlosfilme · 4 years ago

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Title : Superintelligence Original Title : Superintelligence Alternative Titles : Directed by : Catherine Harper Cast : Melissa McCarthy, James Corden, Bobby Cannavale, Brian Tyree Henry, Sam Richardson, Ben Falcone Genre : Comedy, Science Fiction Countries : Canada, United States of America Production Companies : On the Day Release Date : 2020-12-11 Run Time : 106 min. Storyline Nothing extraordinary ever happens to Carol Peters, so when she starts getting snarky backtalk from her TV, phone and microwave, she thinks she's being punk'd. Or losing her mind. In fact, the world's first super-intelligence has selected her for observation, taking over her life with a bigger, more ominous plan to take over everything. Now Carol is humanity's last chance before this artificial intelligence-with-an-attitude decides to pull the plug.

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FSK ab 6 freigegeben In Carol Peters (Melissa McCarthy) Leben passiert eigentlich nie irgendwas Aufregendes. Als sie eines Tages aber plötzlich von ihrem ganzen Technik-Kram — ob nun Fernseher, Telefon oder Mikrowelle — blöd von der Seite angemacht wird, ist sie sich gerade nicht sicher. Verliert sie langsam den Verstand oder spielt ihr gerade jemand einen üblen Streich? Doch Carol muss schon bald feststellen, dass in Wirklichkeit etwas weitaus Größeres und vor allem Beängstigenderes dahinter steckt. Denn die erste Superintelligenz der Welt hat ausgerechnet sie als Beobachtungsobjekt auserkoren, um langsam aber sicher erst ihr Leben und schließlich die Herrschaft über die gesamte Welt zu übernehmen. Ausgerechnet die unscheinbare Carol ist nun die letzte Hoffnung der Menschheit, bevor die künstliche Intelligenz endgültig entscheidet, dem Erdvolk ein für alle Mal den Stecker zu ziehen…

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Our relationship is strained. It feels like it has been for a while. For the last four years, there has been an elephant in the room — I’d joke and call it an orange elephant, but I’m nervous that might end this earnest conversation before it even begins. Have I changed? I mean, yes, of course I have. I’ve gotten older. I’ve had two children. I’ve tried to read and learn as much as possible, just as you taught me. In fact, that’s sort of the weirdest thing. I don’t think I’ve changed much. I still believe, deep in my bones, all the fundamental things you not only talked to me about, but showed me when I was little. I believe in character. I believe in competence. I believe in treating people decently. I believe in moderation. I believe in a better future and I believe in American exceptionalism, the idea that the system we were given by the Founding Fathers, although imperfect, has been an incredible vehicle for progress, moral improvement, and greatness, unlike any other system of government or country yet conceived. I believe this exceptionalism comes with responsibilities. Politically, I’m pretty much the same, too. Government is best when limited, but it’s nonetheless necessary. Fair but low taxes grow the economy. Rights must be protected, privacy respected. Partisanship stops at the water’s edge. No law can make people virtuous — that obligation rests on every individual. So how is it even possible that we’re here? Unable to travel, banned from entry by countless nations. The laughingstock of the developed world for our woeful response to a pandemic. 200,000 dead. It hasn’t been safe to see you guys or grandma for months, despite being just a plane ride away. My children — your grandchildren — are deprived of their friends and school. Meanwhile, the U.S., which was built on immigration — grandma being one who fled the ravages of war in Europe for a better life here — is now a bastion of anti-immigrant hysteria. Our relatives on your side fought for the Union in the Civil War. Great-grandpa fought against the Russians in WWI, and granddad landed at Normandy to stop the rise of fascism. And now people are marching with tiki-torches shouting, “the Jews will not replace us.” What is happening?! Black men are shot down in the streets? Foreign nations are offering bounties on American soldiers? And the President of the United States defends, rationalizes, or does nothing to stop this? I’d say that’s insane, but I’m too heartbroken. Because every step of the way, I’ve heard you defend, rationalize, or enable him and the politicians around him. Not since I was a kid have I craved to hear your strong voice more, to hear you say anything reassuring, inspiring, morally cogent. If not for me, then for the world that will be left to your grandchildren. This does not feel like a good road we are going down… Look, I know you’re not to blame for this. You hold no position of power besides the one we all have as voters, but I guess I just always thought you believed in the lessons you taught me, and the things we used to listen to on talk radio on our drives home from the lake. All those conversations about American dignity, the power of private enterprise, the sacredness of the Oval Office, the primacy of the rule of law. Now Donald Trump gushes over foreign strongmen. He cheats on his wife with porn stars (and bribes them with illegal campaign funds). He attacks whistleblowers (career army officers, that is). He lies blatantly and habitually, about both the smallest and largest of things. He enriches himself, his family members, and his business with expenditures straight from the public treasury. And that’s just the stuff we know about. God knows what else has happened these last four years that executive privilege has allowed him to obscure from public view. I still think about the joke you made when we walked past Trump Tower in New York when I was kid. Tacky, you said. A reality show fool. Now that fool has his finger on the nuclear button — which I think he thinks is an actual button — and I can’t understand why you’re OK with this. I mean, the guy can’t even spell! You demanded better of me in the papers I turned in when I was in middle school.

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marcellusbitsandpieces · 4 years ago

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Bits and Pieces U.S. Weather Service and Weather 9/20/20

Weather has been a fascination in the country at least since our Founding Fathers. Both Washington and Jefferson made regular observations at their homes in Virginia. Ben Franklin was the first to chart the Gulf Stream, thus creating faster and safer routes across the Atlantic.

Today we have become more focused on weather due to the more frequent changes in weather patterns and disasters. No matter our belief in the causes (or not), we do acknowledge these occurrences. Many citizens even endure or are greatly affected by them.

The Smithsonian began in 1849 with weather instruments and mapping for an extensive observation network in the U.S. Within 20 years Cincinnati established a telegraph service and collected data producing weather charts. This led to the start of forecasting and the need for a national organization to collect the information.

President Grant signed into law (1870) a new national weather service within the U.S. Army’s Signal Service. Twenty years later President Benjamin Harrison requested Congress to pass the act transferring the meteorological portion of the service to the new U.S. Weather Bureau in the Department of Agriculture.

President McKinley fortuitously ordered the Weather Bureau to install a hurricane warning network in the West Indies in 1898. Why the West Indies? Because native Cubans had just pioneered a hurricane science.

This is where I came in while reading one of Eric Larson’s outstanding epics…Isaac’s Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History. This historical book is so well written, it reads like a novel.

The book opens in 1900 with all the strange weather phenomena occurring in and around the U.S. The work (or lack) of the U.S. Weather Bureau and the Galveston scientist, Isaac Cline, who monitored the hurricane is detailed. We read how ill prepared everyone was for the devastation breathing down on Galveston, Texas.

Fast forward to 2000, a high-tech interactive weather computer and communications system, Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) is created. By 2011 a new national program for improved preparation for tornadoes and other severe weather is instituted.

This past August, 2020, the Midwest section of the United States experienced a relatively new-to-us weather phenomenon called a derecho. It can happen at any time of the year. It also does not matter if it is day time or night.

Derecho is from the Spanish for “straight” because this is a straight-lined wind storm that is widespread and long-lived. A derecho usually is part of a fast-moving group of severe thunderstorms with winds that match or more than match those of hurricanes and tornados.

We in Michigan have experienced tornados that have done extensive damage. This past August we were spared what Iowa and Illinois endured. Six million acres in 36 of the hardest hit counties.

I’m sure the McKenzie’s and Tone’s can appreciate the disaster that hit the mill in Luther, Iowa.

A derecho is also not often easy to determine until it is present. There are four types of a derecho and can have downburst clusters embedded within the storm. It isn’t always the strength of the winds, but the fact that a derecho is wide-spread and long-lasting – it can hover far and wide.

John sent me an interesting article following this storm. It had to do with the man who was the first to identify and name this storm system a “derecho.” His name was Gustavus Detlef Hinrichs. What was of interest to John, me and his son, Adam, was that Gustavus shares our family name, Hinrichs.

Gustavus emigrated from Germany and settled in Davenport, Iowa in 1860. (Our great grandparents from Germany settled in Davenport, Iowa about that same time.) While a professor at the University of Iowa (1863), he founded the first state weather and crop service within the U.S.A. Gustavus also led the Iowa Weather Service for 3 years.

Not in my genealogy nor in my German cousin’s does he appear. So, he is not a direct relative. However, he is from the same area of NW Germany and could descend from one of the other children of my great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents.

It’s amazing what can emerge from stories about disasters.

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if-you-fan-a-fire · 4 years ago

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July 25, 2020: a new episode of The Anatomy Lesson at 11pm EST on CFRC 101.9 FM. In isolation, volume 20 - ‘this is not an isolated incident....this is somehow contagious.’ Music by Lowebrau, Salac, Maskara, Phèdre, Restive Plaggona, Bile Sister, ШТАДТ, Eel Tank + more. Tune in at 101.9 on your FM dial, stream at http://audio.cfrc.ca:8000/listen.pls or listen to a special archive here: https://www.mixcloud.com/cameronwillis1232/the-anatomy-lesson-july-25-2020/ Salac - “Toxic Sweat” Sacred Movements (2019) Self-Help - “Exercise No. 1″ Grand Hotel Ibis (2020) Bile Sister - “Back to Fax” 𝕓𝕠𝕘 𝕓𝕣𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕙 (2020) Maskara - “The Permanent Lie” LIQUEUR (2019) Eel Tank - “Windex” Cure (2018) German Army - “Quack Medicine” Blending Landscapes (2020) MB/RS - “Who Is Gary Webb?” The Razor Wire: Answering Machine (1990-2000) Behind The Way of Incarceration (2020) Savage Cult - “Path To Obscurity” Blood Artefacts (2017) Restive Plaggona - “Become One Flesh” Trouble Sociale (2019) Ike Yard - “Ghost Skin” Rejoy (2018) Bodystocking - “Untitled [2]” Sheer Spidertouch (2013) Lowebrau - “Lowebrau ATR 3 (Maladroit)” Live w. ATR (2019) Phèdre - “Agoraphobia” 𝕓𝕠𝕘 𝕓𝕣𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕙 (2020) The Empire Line - “If You Used To Be Punk” 1312 (2018) ШТАДТ - “Мразь [crud]” Мразь (2020)

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Best Horror Movies on Hulu

https://ift.tt/2S3LdWt

Editor’s Note: This post is updated regularly. Bookmark this page and come back often to see the additions to the best horror movies on Hulu.

Updated for September 2020

Horror can come from anywhere: an unfamiliar European hostel, a remote sleepaway camp in the woods or even just in the comfy confines of the human brain. Every now and then it can be fun to reconnect with that child-like portion of our minds that is truly susceptible to irrational fear. The best way is to merely just hear a good scary story.

But perhaps the best place to find horror is on your friendly neighborhood Hulu. Hulu is best known for its TV comedy offerings but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in pure terror.

Here is your list of the best horror movies on Hulu.

The Lodge

Directed by Austrian filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala (the harrowing Goodnight Mommy), The Lodge stars an excellent Riley Keough as Grace, a troubled young woman in love with Richard (Richard Madden) a journalist who wrote a book about the suicide cult she once belonged to and is the only survivor of. Their relationship triggers Richard’s estranged wife (Alicia Silverstone) to commit suicide, leaving the former couple’s two children devastated.

Six months later, Richard, Grace and the children head up to Richard’s remote winter lodge in an effort for all of them to heal. But a series of unexplained events occur that may be tied to Grace’s past or the death of the children’s mother — or both. The Lodge may stumble occasionally through some shaky plot turns, but the movie positively reeks with dread and leads to a thoroughly unsettling finish.

Wounds

Based on a novella called The Visible Filth by acclaimed horror writer Nathan Ballingrud, this Hulu original stars Armie Hammer as Will, a New Orleans bartender whose discovery of an abandoned mobile phone in his place of business portends the arrival of an unspeakable evil.

British-Iranian director Babek Anvari, who made 2016’s supremely eerie Under the Shadow, creates an atmosphere of extreme dread and rot here, from the cockroaches Will is constantly killing behind the bar to the frightening images and sounds that keep appearing on the phone he finds. Much is left unexplained but that’s kind of the point: horror is often most effective when it can’t be rationalized.

Black Rock

Directed by Katie Aselton from a screenplay written by her husband, The Morning Show Emmy nominee Mark Duplass, Black Rock is a tense tale of three childhood friends whose attempts to reconnect as adults on a remote weekend retreat are thwarted by two men seeking vengeance over an accident.

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It’s a somewhat generic story elevated by the performances of Aselton herself, Kate Bosworth, and especially Lake Bell who goes full feral in the often brutal fight for survival. The movie benefits from the presence of all three women even if the scenario itself is one we’ve seen countless times before.

Ghost Stories

It’s rare for a horror film to be adapted from a play, but that’s the case for this anthology-style film written and directed by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, who also penned the stage show. Nyman stars as well as Philip Goodman, a professor who devotes his career to debunking the paranormal.

His mission is put to the test in the three stories presented within the film’s framework, which feature Martin Freeman (Black Panther), Paul Whitehouse and Alex Lawther as two men and a boy who come up against various spirits and even supposedly the Devil. Can Goodman prove them wrong even as reality itself seemingly begins to crumble around him? Find the answer by watching this acclaimed pic.

Friday the 13th Part 3

Not only was this 1982 slasher classic the first (and, to date, only) in the Friday the 13th series to be shown in 3D, it was also the movie in which unstoppable killer Jason Voorhees (Richard Brooker) donned his trademark hockey mask for the first time — creating one of horror’s most iconic images.

The plot finds another group of hapless teens venturing too close to the grounds of Camp Crystal Lake and falling prey to the hulking killing machine, who dispatches them in increasingly inventive and gruesome ways. That’s really all you get — and if you were lucky enough to see the movie in theaters, you got it in 3D. But you could do far worse (like, say, most of the succeeding entries in the franchise) if you’re looking to waste some time with a slasher flick.

Anna and the Apocalypse

The term “zombie musical” isn’t one you see thrown around very much, so this 2017 British feature might well have the genre all to itself. The cast of mostly unknown young actors, led by Ella Hunt in a star turn as Anna, sing, dance and fight their way through the title event — at Christmastime, no less.

Based on a short film by the late Ryan McHenry, the heartfelt Anna and the Apocalypse cites its influences as horror staples like The Evil Dead and Night of the Living Dead as well as classic musicals such as West Side Story, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the “Once More, with Feeling” episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Midnighters

Midnighters is an excellent, tension-packed debut for screenwriter Alston Ramsay (who is also a former speechwriter for the Pentagon, weirdly).

Directed by Ramsay’s brother, Julius, Midnighters tells the story of a cover-up that becomes far more stressful than the crime. On New Year’s Eve, a struggling married couple strikes a pedestrian with their car. They opt to do the right thing and call the police. Lol/jk they opt to cover the crime and in the process begin a cycle of deceit, distrust, and madness.

Midnighters owes a lot of its success to Hitchcock, but then again – doesn’t virtually every thriller?

Mom and Dad

2017’s Mom and Dad has about the simplest and most terrifying premise one can imagine. You know your mom and dad – those two people who are supposed to support you through thick and thin? What if they…weren’t like that? What if they would stop and nothing to kill you?

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A Quiet Place: Who Are the Monsters?

By David Crow

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A Quiet Place, and Using Low Budgets to Electrifying Effect

By Ryan Lambie

That’s what young Carly and Josh Ryan experience one day when one day some unexplained static starts transmitting through they television and suddenly their loving parents desperately want to kill them. Mom and Dad would be unsettling enough with any cast, but having Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair portray the unhinged parents is just icing on the cake.

Overlord

War is terrifying enough as is. It doesn’t need the addition of Nazi super soldier zombies. Thankfully the J.J. Abrams-produced Overlord decided to include them anyway.

Overlord picks up on the eve of D-Day when a paratrooper quad is sent in behind enemy lines to destroy a German radio tower located in an old church. Their plane is shot down and only a handful survivors land. Those who do will soon discover that the horror has just begun.

Children of the Corn

Fun fact: Children of the Corn has eight sequels. Eight! That’s one big drawback of the horror genre. It’s so difficult to come up with an equally original and scary idea that once something sticks, it’s financially prudent to run it into the ground.

Upcoming Stephen King Movies and TV Shows in Development

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Don’t let that keep you from watching the 1984 original Children of the Corn, however. The movie is based off of a Stephen King short story and follows a group of creepy kids and their adventures in ritualistic sacrifice. It’s a good time.

The Cabin in the Woods

A remote cabin in the woods is one of the most frequently occurring settings in all of horror. What better location for teenagers to be tormented by monsters, demons, or murderous hillbillies? Writer/Director Joss Whedon takes that tried and true setting and uses it as a jumping off points for one of the most successful metatextual horror movies in recent memory.

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Like you would expect, The Cabin in the Woods features five college friends (all representing certain youthful archetypes, of course) renting a….well, a cabin in the woods. Soon things begin to go awry in a very traditional horror movie way. But then The Cabin in the Woods begins doling out some of the many tricks it has up its sleeve. This is a fascinating, very funny, and yet still creepy breakdown of horror tropes that any horror fan can enjoy.

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Pet Sematary (2019)

After the classic Stephen King novel of the same name and Mary Lambert’s 1989 movie, what could there possibly be left to say about Pet Sematary? Quite a lot actually! Directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer breathe new life into this old tale…not unlike a certain “sematary” itself.

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Pet Sematary: Stephen King Easter Eggs and Reference Guide

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Jason Clarke stars as Louis Creed, an ER doctor from Boston who moves his family to rural Ludlow, Maine to live a quieter life. Shortly into their stay, Louis and his wife Rachel (Amy Semeitz) experience an unthinkable tragedy. That’s ok though as neighbor Jud Crandall (John Lithgow) knows a very peculiar place that can help.

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xtruss · 4 years ago

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OPINION

Why the US Has No Chance of Winning Either a 'Cold' or a 'Hot' War Against China

— 07.16.2020 | by Ekaterina Blinova | Sputnik

While ramping up pressure against Beijing on multiple fronts, Washington appears to not be taking into account China's sustainability and resilience, which stem from its sophisticated culture, says sociologist Dr. Heinz Dieterich, explaining why the US' current China strategy is erratic and doomed to failure.

On Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that "most" of China's maritime claims in the South China Sea are null and void. The People's Republic claims up to 80% of the 3.5-million square kilometre sea, in accordance with the so-called "nine dash line".

"The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire", Pompeo stated.

In response, the Chinese embassy in the US warned the Trump administration against "stirring up tension and inciting confrontation in the region."

Washington Stepping Up Pressure Against Beijing

The latest spat came on the heels of tit-for-tat sanctions against senior politicians implemented by Washington and then Beijing over Xinjiang as well as the US show of force in the South China Sea earlier this month. The Trump administration is continuing to tighten the screws on China's trade, high-tech sector, and artificial island building. According to public opinion polls, anti-China sentiment is now on the rise in the US, with about 66% of Americans thinking unfavourably about the People's Republic, prompting speculations about a forthcoming "cold war" with Beijing.

However, at the same time, the US Chamber of Commerce has recently demanded that top Chinese officials redouble efforts to implement phase one of the trade agreement which was concluded between Washington and Beijing in January 2020.

"Any scientifically sound metric of international standing – economic, scientific, demographic, political, military or Covid-19 – shows, that the US is in no condition to either win a 'cold' or 'hot war' against China", says Dr. Heinz Dieterich, director of the Centre for Transition Sciences (CTS) at the Autonomous Metropolitan University in Mexico City, and coordinator at the World Advanced Research Project (WARP).

Washington´s China strategy is erratic and being coupled with the internal partisan and social divide which has manifested as a systemic crisis in the US, he remarks.

The crisis is systemic, because it has affected political, economic, cultural and social dimensions. It dramatically evidenced the breakdown of the intra-elite consensus between Democrats and Republicans on how to preserve the global US domination-system. It has also aggravated longstanding social inequality, skyrocketing national debt and swirling protests, the professor notes. Besides endangering the country's internal stability, it threatens to affect the global balance of power and world peace, Dieterich warns.

The Demise of the Transatlantic Partnership

While the US is now praising the UK's decision to ban Chinese telecom equipment from its 5G networks, the Trump administration cannot boast good relations with the European Union, as it has largely alienated Germany, "the undisputed leader" of the bloc.

On 29 June, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned that the current tensions between the US and Germany are unlikely to be solved in the foreseeable future, no matter who wins the November vote: "Everyone who thinks everything in the trans-Atlantic partnership will be as it once was with a Democratic president underestimates the structural changes," Maas told the German press agency DPA.

The Trump administration has repeatedly lambasted Berlin over NATO spending, migration and economic policies, as well as its participation in the Russia-led Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, which was recently subjected to US sanctions.

At the same time, the US open policy of intimidation against China, Russia, North Korea and Iran has proven ineffective and failed, according to the academic. Iran's delivery of about 1.5 million barrels of Iranian gasoline and related components to Venezuela, a country suffering from a US embargo, in May and June 2020, clearly indicated that Washington's policy of "maximum pressure" against nuclear or powerful states does not work.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gives a news conference about dealings with China and Iran, and on the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Washington, U.S., June 24, 2020

Despite sabre-rattling and muscle flexing in the South China Sea, the US is unlikely to engage in a direct confrontation with the People's Republic as it is doomed to failure, according to Dieterich, who recollects that the US has de facto "lost" four wars in Asia: China's civil war (1946-49), the Korean War (1950-53), the Vietnam War (1955-75), and most recently in Afghanistan.

"My Center for Transition Sciences (CTS) has developed a multi-variable 'Geopolitical Index of Relative Power of Nation-States' (GIRP), which we presented in Moscow in 2014 that clearly shows that the US and its allies would have won a nuclear war against China in the 1950s. But, even against the lightly armed peasant army of Mao Zedong, they could not win the Korean War," the professor notes.

The US as a superpower is today only "a shadow of what it was after 1945", according to the academic, who claims that it has turned from a “tiger with nuclear teeth” (as Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchov defined it) into a “paper tiger” (as Mao Zedong called it).

US Underestimates China's Sustainability

Touching upon the massive pressure the US has exerted on China's economic, social and political spheres, as well as raising stakes in the South China Sea, Dieterich presumes that Washington underestimates China's resilience based on its sophisticated culture and "dialectical spirit of Confucius, Lao-Tse, and Gautama Buddha" which have many times helped the nation overcome dramatic historical challenges and paved the way to its socio-economic and political transformation.

He notes that if one takes a look at the past two centuries, one would see that the Chinese managed to fend of the Japanese intervention, survived the Civil War, and proved sufficient in the Korean and Vietnam wars. IT successfully underwent the Cultural Revolution under Mao Zedong and then further socio-cultural transformation under Deng Xiaoping. Currently, he says, Chinese society is making a dramatic technological leap striving to accomplish its Made in China 2025 strategic plan under Xi Jinping.

"These successes have produced an overwhelming support of the people for the government, a strong national unity behind a clear strategic leadership, based on the scientific principles of Marxism, and an international global power and standing in all important metrics," Dieterich says.

Chinese President Xi Jinping prepares to present a medallion during a conference to commemorate the 40th anniversary of China's Reform and Opening Up policy at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018

The Chinese are not sitting on their thumbs while the US is trying to build an anti-China coalition; the People's Republic is actively forging multilateral alliances and strengthening ties with Russia and the Germany-led European Union.

Thus, Beijing is pushing ahead with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a proposed free trade agreement in the Indo-Pacific region, which brings together the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its FTA partners, namely, China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. Furthermore, the People's Republic is signalling a "positive and open attitude" towards joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), an "updated" version of the Obama-era Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) shredded by Donald Trump when he assumed the office.

To preserve the global balance of power, Washington should adhere to a symmetrical multi-polar world and give up plans of "subjugating China, Russia and Europe, in order to recuperate its former world supremacy", according to the professor. "Democracy and Justice in the world system are only possible between entities, which roughly have the same amount of power," he remarks.

"The only stable and viable solution for the species to survive is a new eco-civilisation, based on a global non-market economic system, in which the private tyranny of the market – a global plutocratic elite of profit mongers – and anti-democratic oligarchic political systems do no longer rule the destiny of the people," Dieterich concludes.

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ericfruits · 5 years ago

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Integrating data is getting harder, but also more important

Feb 22nd 2020

GEEKS ARE not known for being poets. But sometimes even they have a way with words, for example when trying to describe the main challenge of dealing with data. It is the search, they say, for “a single version of the truth”.

This also nicely describes what has been the goal of corporate information technology since it emerged 60 years ago. And the adage encapsulates the main tension for businesses in the data economy: finding digital truth—that is, identifying and combining data that accurately represent reality—is becoming more difficult and more important. More difficult because data and their sources are multiplying. And more important because firms need to get their data house in order to benefit from AI, which they must to stay competitive. AI boosts revenues and profits, according to a recent survey by McKinsey, a consultancy (see chart).

Happily, technology is coming to the rescue. Data-handling software and cloud computing are increasingly enabling what George Gilbert, an investor and veteran observer of the IT industry, calls the “AI-ssembly line”—in reference to what happened a hundred years ago, when electricity replaced steam as the main source of power in factories. Before, machines had to be grouped closely around the power source—a steam engine. Electricity then allowed power to be distributed to where it was needed, which made assembly lines feasible. What is happening now, however, is actually the inverse: the machines of the digital age—a firm’s business applications and software to build these—are virtually regrouping around a new power source: central digital repositories known as “data warehouses” or “data lakes”. In time this may allow companies to build entire digital twins of themselves.

Finding digital truth is hard because the data come from many sources and in a staggering variety of formats—which makes them hard to integrate. Even simple things such as a customer’s name can be defined and stored in many different ways. Companies can have thousands of software applications, each with its own database. Failed attempts to consolidate or link these digital repositories have cost armies of chief information officers their jobs.

Integrating data was already a major problem when IT existed mainly to keep track of a firm’s “transactions”, such as processing an order or managing the supply chain. It has only become more difficult since. In the 1990s firms started using their data to work out how they have been doing, something called “analytics”. A decade ago, they turned to mining their data to make predictions about their business, an approach first dubbed “big data” and now AI. Today a firm’s data are often not just spread across many local databases, but live in different cloud services and stream in from third parties and connected devices.

It is the data warehouses and data lakes that are now making it easier to use the digital stuff. They differ in the way they structure information—the first takes a more rigid approach than the second, although the differences are getting smaller—both can now live in the cloud. This makes them not only cheaper to manage, but they can more easily be fed with data from many different sources and used by many different users. One such is made by Snowflake, another startup, which has turned its data warehouse into what it calls a “data platform” that can stretch across different computing clouds. Big cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure offer similar products.

A second improvement is specialised databases, which take care of certain types of data. Since data often no longer come in the form of static blocks, but rather real-time digital streams, they have to be treated differently, explains Jay Kreps, the chief executive of a startup appropriately named Confluent. It sells cloud services based on Apache Kafka, an open-source program, which analyse these streams and dump them into data lakes. Bosch, a German conglomerate, uses Confluent to gather and mine data from power tools to manage repair services and construction sites.

Yet it is a third group of software and services that turns all this into Mr Gilbert’s “AI-ssembly line”. Some of these tools prepare data for crunching, others make it easy to design and train an AI algorithm, deploy it in an application to automate decisions and continuously improve it. Enel, a utility, has used such tools to develop a service that helps it identify the power thieves it needs to go after first. Shell, an oil company, has designed algorithms that ensure that its thousands of spare parts are always available around the world. And Kiva, a non-profit lender, has built a data warehouse with Snowflake that allows it to make better decisions about who should receive its loans.

Many other firms were not so lucky, forgetting that technology is always only part of the solution. Motivated by studies that found that AI boosts profits and, in some cases, panicked by the possibility of being disrupted by a startup, some tried to cobble together an AI-assembly line themselves, but failed. They did not have the right type of developers and data scientists—or did not want to pay their exorbitant salaries. This has created an opening for IT vendors to sell more or less pre-packaged versions of AIassembly lines, but each coming at it from a different direction.

Meanwhile, at the refinery

Take incumbents first, which are trying to build on their strengths. In the case of the granddaddy, IBM, this is services. It helps firms build what Arvind Krishna, soon its new boss, calls a “data plane”, a collection of programs to develop AI applications. It has also become a data refiner itself: for example, it collects and sells granular weather data that insurers can use to calculate rates, and utilities to predict where power cuts may occur. And it offers a range of AI services, including visual recognition and translation, that other firms can plug into their products.

Oracle, the world’s leading vendor of relational databases, still the workhorses of corporate IT, aims to extend that position by providing what it calls an “autonomous database”. This type of service combines and automates all sorts of digital repositories, plus bits of AI, so customers do not have to put together all these programs themselves. “It’s many data engines in a single engine,” explains Paul Sonderegger, the firm’s senior data strategist, adding that such integration will be key to increasing a firm’s “data productivity—increasing the dollar output per data input”.

As for younger IT firms, they are increasingly offering to help firms to get their digital ducks lined up, too. Salesforce, which grew up as a web-based service to manage customer relations, has spent billions in the past two years to develop its own AI technology, called Einstein, and acquire two big-data companies, MuleSoft and Tableau. The idea, says Bret Taylor, Salesforce’s president and chief operating officer, is to allow firms to consolidate and link their data so they can have a “single view of their customers”. This makes it easier for firms to anticipate what their customers will do, personalise offers and always recognise them, whether they show up in a retail store or online.

Then there is a host of smaller firms. Databricks has put together an AI platform, complete with tools to cleanse data, build algorithms and deploy them. C3.ai offers something similar, but mainly aims to help big firms through their digital transformation. Qlik is known for analytics and data visualisation, but has recently moved into AI.

But despite such tools, many AI projects still disappoint, says Debra Logan of Gartner, a market-research firm. One big problem is data silos which reflect a firm’s internal boundaries. Different departments within a company, afraid of relinquishing power, are loth to share their data or change what they collect and how (making the point that data structures are often just thinly veiled power structures). This has kept many firms from developing a coherent “data strategy” that would ensure they actually collect and analyse the information they need to achieve their business goals.

“We think data are objective, but they are actually as interpretable as Shakespeare”

To overcome such digital divisions, some companies have made organisational changes. A growing number have appointed a “chief data officer” who can knock heads together to ensure that the IT department and business units work together, which they must to build anything resembling an AI-assembly line. Yet changes at the top, as well as in technology, are not worth much, if the rest of the company is not ready. “Poor data literacy” is the second biggest barrier to corporate data projects, preceded only by “cultural challenges to accept change”, according to a recent survey by Gartner. Changing this does not mean that all employees have to become data scientists, but that they have a basic grasp of what data can be used for and what not, says Mike Potter, the chief technology officer of Qlik.

Data, he argues, are never neutral and must always be questioned: they may be collected for political reasons or in a way that hides things. “We all think that data are so objective,” he says, “but they are actually as interpretable as Shakespeare.” Despite all the tech, there may never be a single version of the truth. ■

The data economy mirror worlds

This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline "The new AI-ssembly line"

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