#Robin McWilliams

[bkenber]

The SAG/AFTRA Strike Continues on at Warner Brothers Studios

It has been a bit, but I finally made the time to walk the picket line in support of the SAG/AFTRA strike. The WGA strike concluded after 148 days after a tentative agreement with the AMPTP was reached, but many of their members still took the time to join the picket line in continued support of the union’s efforts to gain a fair contract. While I have traveled to different strike locations in…

[batmannotes]

The Epic Saga Concludes with Part Three of the Highly Anticipated Trilogy!

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three   

Based on DC’s iconic comic book limited series ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, join DC Super Heroes from across the multiverse in the action-packed conclusion of the three-part DC animated film Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three. The eagerly awaited film brings to a close the thrilling trilogy that marks the end to the Tomorrowverse story arc.

Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, the all-new, action-packed DC animated film features some of DC’s most famous Super Heroes from multiple universes including Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, who come together to stop an impending threat of doom and destruction. Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three will be available to purchase exclusively on digital on July 16 and on 4K UHD in limited edition steelbook packaging and Blu-ray on July 23.

Fans of this superhero adventure will also be able to indulge in a range of bonus features including interviews with the filmmakers on how they created a comprehensive universe across seven films.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One and Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Two are currently available on Digital, 4K UHD and Blu-ray.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three features returning popular voice cast members: Jensen Ackles (Supernatural, The Boys, The Winchesters) as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Emmy winner Darren Criss (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Glee) as Superman & Earth-2 Superman, Aldis Hodge (Straight Outta Compton, Black Adam) as Green Lantern/John Stewart, Meg Donnelly (Legion of Super-Heroes, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,) as Supergirl & Harbinger, and Stana Katic (Castle, Absentia) as Wonder Woman & Superwoman, along with Corey Stoll (Ant-Man, Black Mass) as Lex Luthor.

The star-studded ensemble voice cast also includes Gideon Adlon as Batgirl, Ike Amadi as Martian Manhunter/J’Onn J’Onzz, Geoffrey Arend as Psycho Pirate/Charles Halstead, Troy Baker as The Joker & Spider Guild Lantern, Brian Bloom as Adam Strange & Sidewinder, Matt Bomer as The Flash, Ashly Burch as Nightshade & Queen Mera, Zach Callison as Earth-2 Robin & Robin/Damian Wayne, Kevin Conroy as Earth-12 Batman, Alexandra Daddario as Lois Lane, Brett Dalton as Bat Lash & Captain Atom, John Dimaggio as Lobo, Ato Essandoh as Mr. Terrific, Keith Ferguson as Doctor Fate & Two-Face, Will Friedle as Batman Beyond & Kamandi, Jennifer Hale as Hippolyta & Green Lantern Aya, Mark Hamill as Earth-12 The Joker, Jamie Gray Hyder as Hawkgirl & Young Diana, Erika Ishii as Doctor Light/Dr. Hoshi & Huntress, David Kaye as The Question & Cardonian Lantern, Matt Lanter as Blue Beetle, Liam McIntryre as Aquaman, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams as Dr. Beth Chapel & The Cheetah, Lou Diamond Phillips as The Spectre, Elysia Rotaru as Black Canary & Black Canary II, Matt Ryan as Constantine, Katee Sackhoff as Poison Ivy, Keesha Sharp as Vixen, Jimmi Simpson as Green Arrow, Jason Spisak as Blue Lantern Razer & Hayseed, Armen Taylor as The Flash/Jay Garrick, Gas Soldier & Executioner, and Dean Winters as Captain Storm.

Justice League Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three is produced by Jim Krieg and Kimberly S. Moreau and executive produced by Butch Lukic, Sam Register, and Michael Uslan. The film is directed by Jeff Wamester from a script by Jim Krieg. Casting and voice direction is by Wes Gleason. The film is based on characters from DC and the graphic novel “Crisis on Infinite Earths” by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez

Justice League Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three will be available on July 16 to purchase digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more. On July 23 the film will be available to purchase on 4K Ultra HD in limited edition steelbook packaging and Blu-ray Discs online and in-store at major retailers. Pre-order your copy now.

Additionally, the Justice League Crisis on Infinite Earths Trilogy will be available on July 16 to purchase digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more, and features an exclusive special feature - An Epic Challenge: Crisis in Comics and Animation.

SYNOPSIS:

Now fully revealed as the ultimate threat to existence, the ANTI-MONITOR wages an unrelenting attack on the surviving Earths that struggle for survival in a pocket universe. One-by-one, these worlds and all their inhabitants are vaporized! On the planets that remain, even time itself is shattered and heroes from the past join the Justice League and their rag-tag allies against the epitome of evil. But as they make their last stand, will the sacrifice of the superheroes be enough to save us all?​

SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three - Physical and Digital

A Multiverse of Inspiration

Jon and John: Stewart and Constantine

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Trilogy (Digital only)

An Epic Challenge: Crisis in Comics and Animation

Running Time: 98:06

Rated PG-13 for some violence and language.

*Digital version not available in Canada

Available exclusively on Digital on July 16

4K UHD in limited edition steelbook packaging and Blu-ray arriving on July 23

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Trilogy Also      

Available exclusively on Digital on July 16

Preorder at Amazon.

[kayla1993-world]

For 18 months, she gave the middle finger to her police bosses in a scorched earth, expletive-filled Twitter campaign against what the self-described whistleblower claimed was rampant sexism and racism among cops and politicians. To no one's surprise, she has been shown the door. Firouzeh “ Effy ” Zarabi-Majd, on paid medical leave for PTSD since 2018, has seven days to resign or she’s fired. After being charged in 2021, the embattled cop cited PTSD and did not attend the tribunal. “She simply wants to avoid being held accountable,” said hearing officer Robin McElary-Downer. Last December, she found Zarabi-Majd guilty of four counts of insubordination and four of discreditable conduct under the Police Act. Until her Dirty Shades of Blue Twitter account was suspended in 2022, the 51 Division officer posted 25,000 tweets to over 6,000 followers over three years that included “vulgarities, obscenities, libelous and false information and degrading comments towards TPS senior officers, the TPS Board, members of municipal government and members of the public.” Sworn in as an officer since 2009, Zarabi-Majd insisted she had been the victim of continuous sexual harassment for nearly a decade. The issues she complained about were hardly imaginary: In 2020, former Const. Heather McWilliam won a landmark human rights case that awarded her $85,000 for enduring a poisoned work environment and sexual harassment. A 2022 Deloitte survey commissioned by Toronto Police found 60% of the 908 respondents had experienced or witnessed harassment or discrimination on the job in the past 5 years. But Zarabi-Majd made few allies with her campaign of feces emojis. The public would view her relentless tweeting of “slanderous accusations of patriarchy, discrimination, racism, and homophobia” as unacceptable, ruled McElary-Downer. In 2018, Zarabi-Majd filed a complaint alleging harassment, racism, and sexual assault by her male colleagues. She was ordered in February 2021 to come in to provide evidence to TPS professional affairs about her allegations but refused to attend. “Workplace harassment does not entitle nor excuse a victim to commit misconduct,” the hearing officer said. “There are appropriate avenues to report such unwanted behavior – and posting tweets on social media damaging the police service's reputation is not an option.” That included reposting on Twitter vile, racist content from a group chat of her male colleagues instead of reporting it to her superiors so they could be investigated, McElary-Downer said. “Rather she chose to publicly shame the TPS.” She also condemned Zarabi-Majd for stalking a former female colleague, suffering from PTSD, to pressure her into testifying about alleged police racism and for repeatedly ignoring requests not to tweet about her. “Const. Zarabi-Majd’s misconduct spanned 18 months. Multiple times, she disobeyed lawful orders. She yelled obscenities at senior officers, using the crudest of terms verbally and electronically. She publicly broadcast her defiance. She publicly accused the TPS, senior officers, and her Board of appalling conduct, including silencing women, enabling sexual predators, racism, and sexism. And she victimized the very people she said she protected,” McElary-Downer said. “Despite the abundance of evidence before me, no evidence has been presented to suggest even a hint of remorse. On the contrary, Const. Zarabi-Majd is proud of what she has done.” According to court files, she turned down a 2019 TPS settlement offer that would have paid her a $400,000 lump sum plus 12 years of PTSD sick leave pay. She said she didn’t want to be muzzled by a non-disclosure agreement. In retrospect, it looks like she should have taken the offer and run.

[biblethumpersims]

For the next episode, Sue took everyone to a local park to bring Jesus to the heathen townies. Sue was especially impressed by Jasper and Samuel harassing the elderly, which she framed as them “trying to help save their souls before it’s too late!11!1″, as well as adding in a dash of “women must learn to submit to and obey men even when he’s 60 years younger than her!”

(Ed, meanwhile, took a bunch of selfies instead of talking to anybody, which put him high up on their shit list.)

[vintagesoaparchives]

TV Day Stars - October 1976 - Channel Chatter 

[richardrouse3]

If you're going to be at Seattle Casual Connect next week, might I interest you in our stacked VR Storytelling panel?  Come find us Wednesday at 3PM.   I for one plan to learn a lot from these smart folks.

[museswithinx]

[ text; batman ]: that's a good idea. i'll bring it up to her [ text; batman ]: no way to know, but it feels like a place to start, since that and the writing at mcwilliams were kind of the kick off of all the amped up activity [ text; batman ]: you remember the first episode of SPN that had the ghost facers, where there was a spell that made something real because people believed it? what if that's the loophole here? enough rabid belief to get a shot at coming back

( txt ; robin ) : She's basically a whole ass power house on her own ( txt ; robin ) : Yeah, I guess it doesn't hurt. There's no way in fucking hell I'm going back to Fantasy Land though. I know we burned the bones and shit but fuck that clown ( txt ; robin ) : oooh, maybe. Bring that up next meeting

[scratchingthesurfacefm]

106. Adam Michaels and Shannon Harvey

Adam Michaels and Shannon Harvey are the principals of Inventory Form and Content, a Los Angeles-based design and editorial studio focusing on graphic design, spatial design, strategy, and content development. They also operate Inventory Press, a publishing imprint that specializes in books on art, architecture, design, and music. Previously, Adam and Shannon were a part of the New York design studio Project Projects, where Adam was Founding Principal. In this episode, Adam and Shannon talk with Jarrett about the ethos behind IN-FO.com, expanded practices, and publishing.

Show Notes:

Inventory Form and Content

@in_fo_co

Inventory Press

Projects Projects

Whole Earth Catalog

OMA

SMLXL

Dimensions of Citizenship (US Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale)

Inventory Books

Street Value: Shopping, Planning, and Politics at Fulton Mall

The Electric Information Age Book

WORKac

A *New Program for Graphic Design

07. David Reinfurt | Scratching the Surface

Blueprint for Counter Education

The Medium is the Massage - Marshall McLuhan

Southern California: An Island on the Land - Carey McWilliams

Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies - Reyner Banham

Museum of Capitalism

Danielle Aubert

Bruno Munari

Lester Bangs

Greil Marcus

Robin Kinross

Download mp3 | Soundcloud | Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify

[sportsleader01]

Hopes of playing in the New Zealand tournament went up

IRE v NZ Rugby :The Dubliner knows the scene from his time as skills and attack coach when Ireland, under Philip Doyle, claimed their one and only Grand Slam back in 2013. Part of the set-up since 2010, he was also in place in 2014 when Ireland beat New Zealand at the World Cup. That Ireland had reached such heights less than a decade ago makes the drop-off all the more stark. Following an eighth-place finish at the 2017 World Cup, held in Ireland, the team needed to qualify for the RWC2021. Hopes of playing in the New Zealand tournament went up in smoke last month after losing to Spain and Scotland in a round-robin tournament. The fall-out from that has led to the IRFU launching an independent inquiry into the dismal campaign, while simultaneously a broader review to look at the overarching structures in the women’s game is ongoing. "He’s a man of integrity and an effective communicator, both of which are big strengths in the women’s game," Cantwell, Ireland’s most capped player and now women’s high-performance manager with South Africa, told RTÉ Sport. "I have no doubt Greg will approach this head coach role with excellent energy and planning and create a vision with the players where they will all need to be part of." McWilliams has previously coached Leinster U19s and St Michael’s College in Dublin, a school that counts James Ryan, Rónan Kelleher, Dan Leavy, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Cathal Marsh and Ross Byrne among its alumni. McWilliams chatting to Ross Byrne and Luke McGrath when Ireland played the USA in 2018 A former business and geography teacher, McWilliams relocated to the USA in 2014 to become director of rugby and men’s head coach of Yale University. All Blacks vs Ireland live Three years later former All Blacks coach John Mitchell took him on board with the US Eagles as attack and backs coach, a role he continued under current boss Gary Gold. James Kennedy, former CEO and chairman of MLR side Rugby United New York, where McWilliams was head coach from September 2019 until stepping away in March of this year to help his family as his wife Sarah battled significant health issues, says the IRFU have made a shrewd appointment. "He was more than a coach, he was keen to promote the programme, which was exactly what we needed to raise the profile here," said the Tipperary native and former St Munchin’s College pupil, who sold RUNY to a New Zealand-based investment fund earlier this year. "When he was working with USA Rugby he understood that he needed to be more than a coach, getting out there and promoting the game. "He was very attractive to a number of teams and I was lucky enough to get him to New York for a year. "He was a good coach, a very good man-manager, very good to the players. He knew about promotion, marketing, he had all that in him. "He’s a musician so he is able for a crowd. He’ll break out the guitar, him and Gary Gold would have the guitars on tour and start jamming. "Some programmes are conservative and prefer the coach to keep a low profile but maybe Irish women’s rugby needs someone like that to get more women involved. "He’s a really good coach too but he has attributes that should be taken advantage of when it comes to the overall structure." Former Ireland wing Ali Miller, who finished top try-scorer in the 2013 campaign, agrees that McWilliams' experience will be important for the rebuild. "He has worked with a team that achieved success, so he knows the requirements. He’s very good at detail and structure," says the Laois woman. "He’ll look to have a game plan that suits the players and suits the strengths of the team. He’s also good at figuring out different game plans when needed to deal with different teams. "He's good on launch plays and getting key runners into the game. "He’ll be big on standards. Discipline was a bit of an issue in the qualifiers so hopefully that will be rectified." Speaking to the Irish Independent last year, McWilliams, 43, gave an insight into his coaching philosophy that suggests his approach may be a key factor in what’s required to get the women’s game in Ireland on the right track. "I was offered the opportunity to coach at Yale and help create a holistic rugby programme, based around education and growth, on and off the field," he said. "In my opinion, the art of creating a challenging, fun, intelligent environment - regardless of the talent - is a massively under-rated skill. I believe it is the backbone to education. "As a coach, it is not necessarily about your technical knowledge, we can all learn a system. It really is the understanding of that system you are implementing, and coaching through the how, why and when." The problems in the women's game in the country go deeper than the senior national team but Griggs had taken this group of players has far as he could. McWilliams now has the task of re-invigorating the squad so that the lowest point in recent years is soon consigned to the past. Listen to the RTÉ Rugby podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Ireland vs All Blacks

[violencehorrorwomen]

A Timeline of Important Horror Films

September 8th, 1960 - Psycho

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins, the film follows a secretary on the run who stays at Bate’s Motel and discovers a man who has a very strange relationship with his mother.

June 12th, 1968 - Rosemary’s Baby Directed by Roman Polanski and starring Mia Farrow, a young soon-to-be mother becomes distressed by the ominous happenings around her and involving her neighbors.

December 26th, 1973 - The Exorcist Directed by William Friedkin and starring Kina Blair, Max von Sydow, and Ellen Burstyn, about the possession and exorcism of a young girl named Reagan.

October 1st, 1974 - The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Directed by Tobe Hooper and starring Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Paul A. Partain, and Jim Siedow. The film is about a group of teens, led by Sally, who go to investigate vandals and the family’s old farmhouse but are then chased and murdered by outcasts living nearby. August 12, 1977 -  Suspiria Directed by Dario Argento, with a cast including Jessica Harper as Suzy Banning, Stefania Casini as Sara, Joan Bennett as Madame Blanc, Alida Valli as Miss Tanner, Flavio Bucci as Daniel, Miguel Bosé as Mark. The movie is about “a newcomer to a prestigious German ballet academy comes to realize that the school is a front for something sinister amidst a series of grisly murders” (imdb.com).

October 27, 1978 -  Halloween It was directed by John Carpenter. The main stars in the movie are Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Tony Moran. The movie is set on Halloween night 1963 when Michael Myers escapes from the mental hospital to kill again.

June 22nd, 1979 -  Alien Directed by Ridley Scott. It is a horror, sci-fi film starring Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. The movie takes place in a space merchant vessel, where the crew gets attacked by an outer space lifeform.

November 16, 1984 -  A Nightmare on Elm Street Directed by Wes Craven. The cast includes Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp, and Robert England. The film is about a cruel serial killer who preys on his victims in their dreams.

February 14, 1991 -  Silence of the Lambs It was directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and Lawrence A. Bonney. The movie is about a serial killer helping an F.B.I. agent to find another serial killer.

December 20th, 1996 -  Scream It was directed by Wes Craven, starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette. The movie is about a teenage girl terrorized by a new killer trying to kill her following the murder of her mother a year before.

May 3rd, 1996 -  The Craft It was directed by Andrew Fleming starring Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, and Neve Campbell. “A newcomer to a Catholic prep high school falls in with a trio of outcast teenage girls who practice witchcraft and they all soon conjure up various spells and curses against those who even slightly anger them”(imdb.com)

May 11th, 2001 -  Ginger Snaps Directed by John Fawcett. The cast includes Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, and Kris Lemche. The movie is about two sisters and one of them is bitten by a werewolf.

August 10th, 2001 -  The Others It was directed by Alejandro Amenábar, starring Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston, and Fionnula Flanagan. The movie is about a woman with her two children with an uncommon disease living in a remote country house.

January 25th, 2003 -  The Grudge Directed by Takashi Shimizu starring Megumi Okina, Misaki Itô, and Misa Uehara. It is about an evil spirit that kills anybody who enters the house.

June 13th, 2003 -  A Tale of Two Sisters Directed by Jee-woon Kim, starring Kap-su Kim, Jung-ah Yum, and Soo-jung Lim.

August 4th, 2006 -  The Descent Directed by Neil Marshall, starring Shauna MacDonald, Natalie Mendoza, and Alex Reid. The movie is about the blind cave people hunting down the explorers.

September 18th, 2009 - Jennifer’s Body Directed by Karyn Kusama and starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, the film follows the story of Jennifer, who is possessed by a demon and becomes very hungry for the flesh of men.

December 17th, 2010 -  Black Swan Directed by Darren Aronofsky. The cast includes Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, and Vincent Cassel. The ballerina Nina Sayers wins the leading role for Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, only to find herself struggling to keep her sanity.

January 11th, 2012 - American Mary Directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska and starring Katharine Isabelle, a medical student drops out of school after being attacked by her teacher and falls into the world of body modification and freakish surgeries to make money.

March 14th, 2014 -  Under the Skin Directed by Jonathan Glazer, starring Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams, and Lynsey Taylor Mackay. The story revolves around a young woman in Scotland who lure lonely men into a dilapidated house.

November 28th, 2014 -  The Babadook Directed by Jennifer Kent starring Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, and Daniel Henshall. The story is of a widowed mother who tries to combat her son’s fear of a monster in the house, only to discover the monster’s presence around her.

March 27th, 2015 - It Follows Directed by David Mitchell, starring Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, and Daniel Zovatto. A teenage girl discovers she is the victim of a fatal curse that is passed from person to person through sex. Death creeps closer towards her as she tries to flee and defend herself. February 19th, 2016 - The Witch Directed by Robert Eggers and starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, and Kate Dickie. The film follows a 17th century New England family as they are exiled and forced to live outside of the safety of the town. Strange things start happening and suspicion and paranoia mount as the family struggles to survive. March 12th, 2016 - Hush Directed by Mike Flannagan and starring Kate Siegal. The film follows a young, mute woman’s fight to survive a home invasion. March 15th, 2017 - Raw Written and Directed by Julia Ducournau, starring Garance Marillier and Ella Rumpf. The film is about a young vegetarian who struggles to fit in during her first week at veterinary school. She eats raw meat as part of a hazing ritual and begins to develop a craving for it. August 25th, 2017 - Veronica Directed by Paco Plaza and starring Ana Torrent and Sandra Escacena. After playing with a Ouija board during an eclipse, a teen girl and her family are plagued by a supernatural force.

[hummingzone]

Kevin Hart And Jesse Collins To Produce ‘Real Husbands Of Hollywood’ Limited Series For BET+

Kevin Hart And Jesse Collins To Produce ‘Real Husbands Of Hollywood’ Limited Series For BET+

Your favorite husbands are back. After five years, the Real Husbands Of Hollywood crew is giving the climb to fame, fortune and virality one last go, this time on BET+. Members of the original cast set to return for the six-part limited series, include Kevin Hart, Boris Kodjoe, Duane Martin, JB Smoove, Nelly, Nick Cannon, Robin Thicke, Cynthia McWilliams and Jackie Long. Naturally, there will be…

[biblethumpersims]

And now, a quick post to introduce the boys and give credit where due :)

Twins Samuel (left) and Simon (right) Eaten, created by fundiesimsfamily!

Jasper Flanagan by are-they-all-sims!

Robin Mills by clowninthegutter!

And three dudes I made: Westley Talbert, Edward McWilliams, and George Walters.

I decided to drop the bit where the boys wear costumes. It was fun in theory, but tbh they looked so goofy that I had a hard time justifying why supposedly self-respecting teenagers would wear them. Besides, Sue’s not so stupid that she doesn’t realize how far a little eye candy can take you.

[museswithinx]

[ text; batman ]: i know you're busy so this is for when you check your phone later [ text; batman ]: wanna hit the old mcwilliams place next weekend? [ text; batman ]: heard it's haunted af

( txt ; robin ) : We just dropped Sawyer off at home. It was a great day ( txt ; robin ) : Hell yeah! It’s been fucking forever, dude ( txt ; robin ) : Wait... that means you’re staying, right???

[ericvick]

Chevron bets on Middle East gas riches and reconciliation

By Jennifer Hiller and Ron Bousso

HOUSTON/LONDON (Reuters) – After years of focusing on U.S. shale, Chevron Corp is staking its natural gas future on the Middle East, a volatile and divided region where energy majors have long tread warily.

CEO Michael Wirth’s pivot away from home is underpinned by a bet that the Middle East is entering an era of reconciliation that will make it ideal for tapping natural gas, as demand for the cheaper and cleaner fuel is forecast to outstrip oil.

The new strategy is seeing the company pitch new gas deals in Egypt, Israel, Qatar, while cutting spending on American shale exploration.

The plan is anchored by Wirth’s $11.8 billion purchase this month of U.S.-based Noble Energy, which holds a stake of about 40% in the aptly-named Leviathan gas field in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Israel.

“Five years ago the Eastern Med wasn’t viewed as endowed from a resource standpoint as I think most people would say today. That’s a fundamental shift,” Wirth told Reuters in an interview.

“There’s not a lot of capital investment required in the near term,” he said. “At a time when cash flow matters, that’s a very appealing attribute.”

The deal brings an alliance with Israel that has been smoothed by the narrowing of some historical rifts in the region, such as the establishment of formal ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates in an agreement signed last month.

Wirth said Middle Eastern commercial and diplomatic relations “are becoming more codified and stronger, that’s a trend that we think augurs well for the region.”

Chevron also made a courtesy call about the Noble deal to officials in Saudi Arabia, a key partner in several Chevron oil projects and a nation with historically strained relations with Israel, according to a senior source at the U.S. company.

The Saudi government media communications office did not respond to a request for comment, while Chevron said it did not discuss details of meetings.

Story continues

RISKS AND RENEWABLES

Yet the regional political and security risks that have deterred some companies in recent years still exist.

Syria and Yemen are riven by wars, with uncertain consequences for a wider region where archrivals Saudi Arabia and Iran are waging a proxy battle.

Just this January, the U.S. killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Iraq – and a reprisal by Tehran – illustrated the instability of the Middle East and threatened to engulf it in conflict.

Despite such risks, Chevron – which at one point leap-frogged rival ExxonMobil this month to be the largest U.S. oil company by market value – is plowing ahead with efforts across the region.

The Leviathan field and others nearby have the potential to become major factors in regional fuel supplies. Chevron could send gas to a Egyptian liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant that could ship the fuel to Europe or Asia, Wirth said.

European and Asian nations have been moving toward gas, solar and wind, and away from coal and nuclear power.

“The reality is you need gas in tandem with renewables,” said Christopher Kalnin, CEO of Banpu Kalnin Ventures, which invests in U.S. shale gas. Asia in particular will remain dependent on imported gas, he said, because it complements solar and wind.

Global gas demand through 2025 is projected to rise 1.5% per year on average, largely on growing purchases by customers in China and India.

In contrast, oil consumption may have already peaked at last year’s 100 million barrel per day (bpd) level, forecasters say, and this year could sink to 91.7 million bpd, a seven-year low.

PERMIAN COST-CUTTING

The Middle East produces a third of the world’s oil and one sixth of its natural gas, and has long drawn the interest of foreign oil companies. Chevron produces fewer barrels of oil and gas in the region than other majors, according to Rystad Energy data, but it is the only major to have had a continuous presence in Saudi Arabia for 70 years and has maintained good relations with governments in the region.

“Chevron is extremely good at what I would call crown jewel government relations, big assets in challenging countries,” said Robin West, a board member of Spanish oil major Repsol SA and head of Boston Consulting Group’s Center for Energy Impact. “They very quietly work away at things.”

The Noble deal fits Wirth’s effort to adapt to a low-cost energy world and expand in Qatar, Egypt and Iraq. It brought Chevron nearly 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, and ensures it remains among the world’s top 10 gas suppliers.

“The size of the opportunity was way beyond the capacity of a company like Noble,” said a former Chevron executive who declined to be identified because of ongoing relationships.

The purchase may help Chevron’s bid for a stake in Qatar’s LNG production expansion, where it is competing with Exxon, Shell and Total SA, among others. Chevron also recently signed a preliminary agreement for oil exploration in southern Iraq.

Wirth cautioned that negotiations were ongoing: “There’s no certainty of outcome on either of those.”

Wirth has, meanwhile, intensified his cost-cutting at home.

Chevron has slashed its spending in the top U.S. shale field by half, to around $2 billion this year. It had just four active drilling rigs in the Permian Basin as of September, down from 16 in March, according to consultancy Rystad Energy.

(By Jennifer Hiller in Houston and Ron Bousso in London; Additional reporting by Rania El Gamal; Editing by Gary McWilliams and Pravin Char)

[shq-us]

ADF Serials - Swordfish

The Royal Australian Air Force received an unexpected temporary windfall in early 1942 when it collected crates containing six Fairey Swordfish. On the 17 March 1942 the Duty Officer at RAAF Pearce informed Group Captain Paddy Hefferman that a number of wooden aircraft cases had arrived at the nearby Bullsbrook railway siding from the Port of Fremantle. It was assumed at the time that these boxes contained Kittyhawk fighters intended to re-equip No 77 Squadron, RAAF as 19 P-40Es were being offloaded from the SS Robin Tuxworth (USA) at the time. When it was discovered that the crates in fact contained Swordfish, Hefferman decided to have the aircraft assembled by SGT Wright, who had experience on Wapiti aircraft though no handbooks accompanied the crates. 14 Sqn RAAF, based at RAAF Pearce, had sent off four of their Hudsons to Northern command as reinforcements by Feb 42, leaving eight Hudsons (One to be lost at Broome, A16-119, 02/03/42), and had attached, in February 42, 6 US Navy Pilot Ratings and two Observer Ratings, along with a single Grumman JF2 Float Plane (Pilot Lt Collins USN) from the 20/02/42. With units short of aircraft at Pearce, the unexpected arrival of the Swordfish must have been seen as an opportunity too good to pass up. GPCAPT Hefferman flew the first of the assembled aircraft and the aircraft are known to have been operated by 14 Squadron and No 25 Squadron as well as RAAF Pearce Station Headquarters No 25 SQN operated at least three of the aircraft on anti-submarine patrols around Rottnest Island and Gage Roads off the Port of Fremantle. All squadron pilots converted to the Swordfish but it appears that Sergeant Coulter amassed the greatest number of hours while another Sergeant Dudley Irwin (Navigator) later became Minister of Air in the Australian Federal Government of John Gorton in 1969. No 14 SQN was also allocated Swordfish for communications work and regularly flew between Pearce and Squadron detachments based at Busselton, Cunderdin and Carnarvon. RAAF Pearce Station Headquarters also appears to have used a Swordfish as a flight to Cunderdin on the 27 March 1942 flown by GPCAPT Hefferman, FLTLT Kirkman and FLGOFF Kimpton was recorded. Officialdom eventually caught up with the Station's unofficial fleet of Swordfish when RAAF Headquarters in Melbourne gave orders to have the aircraft disassembled and re-crated for forwarding to their appropriate recipients. It apears that the aircraft were then sent to Royal Navy in Nairobi before being engaged in varied carrers as recorded below. 2 AD in Richmond also overhauled a seventh Swordfish Mk.I airframe, K8849, from HMS Warspite during Feb-Mar 1942 when the ship was ported in Sydney. This was one of six tranistiting from Cape Town, South Africa on route to 151 MU Singapore for the RN FAA as reserve float aircraft for HMS's P O Wales and Repulse, then repacked redirected for HMS Warspite and others in theatre (which were then Ceylon based, but temporarily ported Australia), arriving 2nd March 1942 at Fremantle WA with floats included in crates, but with landing gear attached. RAF Serial Type Aircraft History V4683 Mk.I NOTE: One source quotes this serial as one of the six RAAF Swordfish, however, this appears to be a "blackout block" serial number, so the aircraft should not exist! Our theory is that this is a misprint for V4685 which seems to have followed a similar path to the other five aircraft. Alternatively, V4683 may be a misprint for V4693. V4685 Mk.I Possible RAAF History 17/3/42: Collected from Bullsbrook railway siding and delivered to RAAF Pearce for erection, Operated by units from RAAF Pearce until 30/4/42 5/42 Returned to RN RN History nd RNARY Nairobi 25/1-/42 RNARY Fayid 11/42 - 5/43 815 Sqn, LG.139, ('Q') 30/7/43 Tested at RNARY Nairobi V4688 Mk.I RN History 12/9/41 Delivered RAAF History 17/3/42: Collected from Bullsbrook railway siding and delivered to RAAF Pearce for erection, Operated by 25 Sqn from RAAF Pearce on anti-submarine duties until 30/4/42 5/42 Returned to RN RN History nd RNARY Nairobi 25/10/42 RNARY Fayid 2/43 815 Sqn, LG.139 10/4/43 Engine failure on take-off for night exercise, burst into flames 1/2 mile from LG.08 Mersa Matruh (Sub Lt J.C. Taylor Killed, LA A.J. Harris slightly injured) V4689 Mk.I RN History 13/9/41 Delivered RAAF History 17/3/42: Collected from Bullsbrook railway siding and delivered to RAAF Pearce for erection, Operated by 25 Sqn from RAAF Pearce on anti-submarine duties until 30/4/42 5/42 Returned to RN RN History 9/42 789 Sqn, Wingfield (South Africa) 2/10/43 C Sqn, Aeroplane & Aircraft Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at Boscombe Down asV4689/G for handling trials with pumpkin searchlight and radar as used on Swordfish Mk.III aircraft 29/10/43 - 5/12/43 Take-off trials with various external loads 6/44 735 Sqn, Burscough 7/44 Telecommunications Flying Unit, Defford. V4692 Mk.I RN History 15/9/41 Delivered RAAF History 17/3/42: Collected from Bullsbrook railway siding and delivered to RAAF Pearce for erection, Operated by SHQ Pearce on communications duties and 25 Sqn on anti-submarine duties, 5/42 Returned to RN RN History nd RNARY Nairobi 19/10/42 RNARY Fayid 2/43-3/43 810 Sqn, Tanga nd HQ Dekheila 19/8/44 Landed into emergency barrier and burnt out HMS HUNTER (Lt Cdr R.G. How, OK) V4693 Mk.I RN History 16/9/41 Delivered RAAF History 17/3/42: Collected from Bullsbrook railway siding and delivered to RAAF Pearce for erection, Operated by 25 Sqn and possibly by 14 Sqn from RAAF Pearce for anti-submarine duties 5/42 Returned to UK Authorities RN History 9/42 789 Sqn, Wingfield (South Africa) nd RNARY Nairobi 14/10/42 - 1/43 810 Sqn, Tanga ('2M') 1/43 RNARY Nairobi 10/5/43 788 Sqn, Port Reitz ('TT') 6/12/43 Written off after engine failure at 4,000 ft during exercise with HM ships (Sub Lt R.D.M. Farrell OK) V4694 Mk.I RN History 16/9/41 Delivered RAAF History 17/3/42: Collected from Bullsbrook railway siding and delivered to RAAF Pearce for erection, Flown by Station HQ Flight Pearce March-April 42 13/4/42 Operated by 14 Sqn from RAAF Pearce on communications duties 5/42 Returned to UK Authorities RN History 9/42 RNARY Nairobi 11/42 810 Sqn, Tanga ('2P') 27/3/43 Hit obstruction landing RNAS Machrihanish (Lt Cdr A.G. McWilliam) 5/43 766 Sqn, Machrihanish 12/43 767/769 Sqns, Arbroath and Abbotsinch 2/44 768 Sqn, Abbotsinch 2/44 774 Sqn, St Merryn 22/4/44 Barrier crash HMS ARGUS (Sub Lt J. Provin) 24/4/44 Barrier crash (Sub Lt E.P. Jardine) 30/6/44 Major damage in barrier crash HMS VINDEX (Lt E.J. Ward)