#derek newark

[smokygluvs]

Derek Newark

Stunningly handsome and a great actor as well. He played in everything from violent action (Bellman and True, 1987) to sitcoms (Rising Damp, Only Fools and Horses).

Another of those men who got more attractive as he aged.

A shot from Bellman and True, where he plays an armed robber to perfection.

He didn't always sport a moustache, and was still handsome without one, but why waste time on a clean-shaven Newark when there are so many moustache pictures available.

Beautiful eyes, by the way, and I'm rather partial to his voice as well.

[mariocki]

Man in a Suitcase: Blind Spot (1.20, ITC, 1968)

"You know what I have in here?"

"Your lunch?"

"A confidential report concerning you."

"Confidentially, I don't care."

[raynbowclown]

Doctor Who: Inferno

Doctor Who: Inferno (1965) starring Jon Pertwee, Caroline John, Nicholas Courtney In Doctor Who: Inferno, an unsuccessful trial run with the TARDIS console throws the Doctor into a parallel universe. Where his old friends are rather nasty characters. And two worlds may die … (more…) “”

[lantur]

Updates from the last few days,

I had a work trip from Wednesday - Friday of this week. I used my TSA PreCheck for the first time, and it was so helpful to not have to take off my shoes and remove my laptop to go through security. Loved it!

One thing that made the trip less fun - pre-flight anxiety the night before made me get a grand total of 3.5 hours of sleep. :/ Flying, even on short domestic trips, is getting harder for me than it used to be even in 2019. I've learned I need to take an anti-anxiety/sleep aid the night before I take an early morning flight.

I got to spend Wednesday and Thursday, before I reported for work, with @thatisadamnfinecupofcoffee!! It was incredible. We walked around town, had the best pizza, Middle Eastern food, and tiramisu, watched The X-Files, and talked and talked and drank tea. ❤️ I'm so happy to have friends in NJ/NYC. It makes the annual Newark/NYC trip for work something to look forward to.

I didn't expect to enjoy the work component of the trip, but I actually did, quite a lot. I enjoyed hanging out with my boss/mentor, and the other person in my department. The interdepartmental meetings on Friday were both interesting and productive.

I was SO relieved to come back home to Derek and Westin. Hotel room life, living out of my backpack, and waiting around in airports is not for me. I enjoyed a long run (3.9 miles) today, getting back to watching my Spanish videos, and working on my scrapbooking project.

I've had a menstrual migraine since this morning, which hasn't been great, but I'm hopeful that a night of good sleep will bring some relief. I'm hanging out with my parents-in-law for brunch and with my friend Laura for dinner tomorrow, and I'm excited about that. :)

[howdthebruinsdo]

Boston Bruins lose to New Jersey Devils 2-1 in Overtime

The Bruins were away on Wednesday night in Newark, New Jersey, playing the Devils for the first time this season. Both teams played a highly defensive game, tying 1-1 at the end of regulation, but Jack Hughes' quick wrist shot beat Jeremy Swayman in Overtime, securing the New Jersey victory. 

The Bruins opened the first period with a lot of energy, and dominated play for the opening minutes. A slashing penalty on Boston defenseman Mason Lohrei helped New Jersey get their bearings and match the pace of the Bruins, though the game remained scoreless. Bruins’ center Geekie would change that at 16:01, with the help of linemates Heinen and van Riemsdyk, who fought hard to protect the puck against the boards and prevent New Jersey from clearing the zone when they gained possession. Geekie took advantage of the New Jersey turnover and sank the pass from van Reimsdyk to put the Bruins up 0-1. 

The second period lacked the intensity of the first period, but pressure tested the penalty kill for both teams. Devils’ defenseman Marino went to the box for tripping just a minute into the period. The Bruins struggled to maintain possession even with the man advantage, and even let up a slight rush from New Jersey that was luckily used as a chance to change their lines instead of a scoring opportunity. When Marino came out of the box, the Bruins hadn’t managed a single shot on goal. The Bruins penalty kill unit got their time to shine when defenseman Carlo tripped Devil’s center Jack Hughes with four minutes left in the second period. Despite being the highest-rated penalty kill in the league, the Bruins were facing the highest-rated power play. Two blocked shots and quality defense later, the penalty was killed successfully. Shortly after, the Bruins managed a rush attempt that sent Pastrnak crashing into Devils goalie Vanecek, though the period remained scoreless, and the Bruins maintained their lead. 

When the third period started, it didn’t take New Jersey long to prove that they weren’t done yet. A blue-line slap shot from Bruins defenseman Shattenkirk started a scramble for the puck in front of Vanecek’s goal, and was recovered by Devils forward (and former Bruin) Erik Haula, who rushed with linemates Holtz and Mercer. While the initial rush was unsuccessful in tying the game, the Devils maintained possession of the puck in their offensive end and eventually scored on a third-attempt shot after Haula’s second shot hit a pipe and bounced to Mercer’s stick. Despite tying the game at 1-1, the game’s momentum struggled to stay in New Jersey’s favor, as they had difficulty connecting passes through the third period. The rest of regulation was a series of possession changes with no quality scoring opportunities from either side, and a final minute that indicated that both teams were content to go to overtime. 

The 3-on-3 overtime was as exciting as it is intended to be, with a number of shot attempts and possession change as a result. New Jersey won the faceoff in their offensive zone preceding Jack Hughes’ game-winner, but turned the puck over to the Bruins, giving them one final attempt before Jesper Brett passed across the ice to Hughes, whose quick wrist shot beat Swayman and clutched a win for the Devil’s. The points from tonight’s game brings them closer to a playoff spot, but they still have a lot of work ahead of them. 

Such a defensive game is proof of the Bruins defensive depth, as they are missing both Charlie McAvoy and Derek Forbert from their lineup due to injuries. In their place are Ian Mitchell and Mason Lohrei, both with an even rating after tonight’s game and 19 and 17 minutes of time on ice, respectively. The Bruins are also missing center Pavel Zacha, giving the goal-scorer Morgan Geekie the opportunity to play on a higher line and elevate this game while Oscar Steen centers the fourth line in his place. 

The Bruins play next on Friday night at 7:30 in an away matchup against the New York Islanders.

[kwebtv]

The Caesars - ITV - September 20, 1968 - October 28, 1968

Historical Drama (6 episodes)

Running Time: 60 minutes

Stars:

Roland Culver as Augustus

Eric Flynn as Germanicus

André Morell as Tiberius

Barrie Ingham as Sejanus

Ralph Bates as Caligula

Freddie Jones as Claudius

Sonia Dresdel as Livia

Nicola Pagett as Messalina

Suzan Farmer as Livilla

William Corderoy as Drusus Julius Caesar

Derek Newark as Agrippa Postumus

Caroline Blakiston as Agrippina the Elder

Martin Potter as Nero Julius Caesar

Jonathan Collins as Tiberius Gemellus

Pollyanna Williams as Julia Drusilla

Jenny White as Julia Livilla

Karol Keyes as Agrippina the Younger

Barbara Murray as Milonia Caesonia

Jerome Willis as Naevius Sutorius Macro

Kevin Stoney as Thrasyllus of Mendes

Donald Eccles as Marcus Cocceius Nerva

John Phillips as Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso

John Paul as Cassius Chaerea

Joan Heath as Munatia Plancina

Wanda Ventham as Ennia Thrasylla

Sean Arnold as Marcus Aemlius Lepidus

John Normington as Gaius Julius Callistus

John Woodvine as Publius Vitellius the Younger

Gerald Harper as Lucius Vitellius the Elder

Mark Hawkins as Mnester

Roger Rowland as Quintus Veranius

Charles Lloyd-Pack as Crispus

George Sewell as Ennius

[eastcoastboyos]

Storm the Capital

Today was the day we headed to Washington DC. We woke up early, huddled together googling in the lobby, and learned from the receptionist that the best way to Newark airport was a train line south of our hotel. Laden with our duffles bags, we waddled like ducks to the train station, passing Ben's big tent bag back and forth to share its awkward load.

Arriving at Newark, we fetched our rental van, did a full damage inventory like the nerds we are, and headed out. Joel and I volunteered to be primary drivers, as it was $10/person-day to drive, and hopefully this means no one person gets too tired of driving.

The ride to Washington was filled with toll booths, a massive bridge across the Chesapeake, a Popeye's pitstop, and a brilliant podcast about fly fishing thievery that made me miss Ben.

Washington DC has thus far been a blast. We went for dinner at the Hamilton and had a great time talking about Joel's love life and the $15 bounty he has placed for whichever boyo takes the best picture of him. Not sure if it is capitalist America affecting us, but the contest is contentious.

Exploring the main mall of DC, we scoped out croquet spots and wandered from the White House to the Washington Monument (aka a mystery boyo's mom's Dildo - you know who you are), and lastly to the Capital Building.

The Capital Building, by chance had a concert rehearsal going on for the July 4th festivities, and so the boyos quite enjoyed lounging the steps listening to music and cracking jokes in the cool summer air. The city feels safe, quiet, and has these lovely row houses surrounding the main area. A refreshing change from New York.

Derek

[jcmarchi]

MLB The Show 24 Review - Breaking Barriers - Game Informer

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/mlb-the-show-24-review-breaking-barriers-game-informer/

MLB The Show 24 Review - Breaking Barriers - Game Informer

MLB The Show’s commitment to nuance, iteration, and diversity is what sets it apart. Since the long-running series arrived on Xbox in 2021, the baseball sim has recontextualized sports games – emphasizing the purpose of communities while fitting in new features like Pinpoint Pitching, custom stadiums, and online ranked co-op. The Show 23 pushed the bar further with Storylines: The Negro Leagues, an interactive museum that detailed eight stars of baseball’s segregated past. This year’s iteration mirrors it with new Storyline episodes, a 60-minute tribute to Yankee legend Derek Jeter, and an original RTTS narrative where “Women Pave Their Way.” While it isn’t a hyper-creative leap forward, MLB The Show 24 finds a new swing by tethering style and strategy to baseball’s fundamentals.

MLB The Show 24’s gameplay is almost identical to The Show 23 – complete with 23’s quirks (Break Outlier, Pick Off Artist), throwing interfaces, swing feedback, and updates to attributes that associate the clutch attribute with RISP. There are 400 new animations in 24, plus logic improvements, new base sizes, and “Impact Plays” that add major league realism to defensive assists. However, it lacks an innovative change to a hitting and pitching engine we’ve seen in past entries. The new face and hair details are a sight to behold when Bryce Harper and Fernando Tatis Jr. are bat-flipping home runs next to cherry-kissed skies, but the immersion breaks when a star player drops a pop fly, misses routine grounders at third, or “soft tosses” a double play ball in extra innings. The Show 24’s updated lighting system provides a sharper, detailed look at the diamonds across Major League Baseball, and it takes advantage of a boost in exit velocities. This shift makes it easier to hit the ball in Petco Park, Chase Field, and Kauffman Stadium, all of which were problematic in past entries.

As expected, Storylines: Season Two is a delight. The docuseries, narrated by Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick, stands by the NLBM’s mission to “educate, enlighten, and inspire,” and it continues to combine archival footage, gameplay-driven scenarios, and personal anecdotes to illustrate why baseball is the most romanticized sport on Earth. The new season introduces 10 new Negro League heroes, with four episodes available at launch – reducing the initial runtime to institute a more immersive environment for Kendrick’s narrations.

[embedded content]

And it doesn’t miss. Season Two embraces the Negro Leagues’ revered architects, highlighting how the introduction of “night baseball” in the 1930s led to the discovery of a phenom known as Josh “The Black Babe Ruth” Gibson. It recalls how Walter “Buck” Leonard was a thinking man’s player and a fixture for Pittsburgh’s Homestead Greys; how Henry “The Hammer” Aaron started his career with the 1952 Indianapolis Clowns as a “skinny, cross-handed hitting” shortstop; and how Toni “The Trailblazer” Stone learned how to play with the fellas before becoming the first of three pioneering women to play professional ball. All four narratives are accompanied by iconic moments – such as recreating Stone’s single against the immortal Satchel Paige and hitting a home run with Aaron and the Milwaukee Braves in Sportsman’s Park – and it never once feels overly dramatized. Instead, every photograph, audio excerpt, and subtle ode to Pennsylvania’s Greenlee Field and Newark’s Ruppert Stadium is an organic lesson in American history. Bold and full of soul thanks to scores by Stevie Wonder, Marlena Shaw, and A Tribe Called Quest.

That attention to detail is also embedded in Storylines: Derek Jeter – a ‘90s-based spinoff mode that pays homage to “The Captain” and his New York Yankees-inflected path to baseball nobility. Much like Season Two, it’s a collection of career-defining, playable moments from 1995 to 2000, including his first career hit versus the Mariners in Seattle’s Kingdome, his famous “jump throw” from Game 1 of the 1998 American League Championship, and how the Yankees’ initial All-Star Game MVP drove the club past the New York Mets to seal a three-peat in the 2000 World Series. It’s not the most compelling narrative, particularly if you’re a fan of the Yankees’ rivals, but thanks to San Diego Studio’s Live Content team, it does offer a surplus of in-game rewards, including Atlanta’s 2000 All-Star Game uniforms and Subway Series player items for Diamond Dynasty.

There’s also an interactive subway map, complete with graffiti, billboards, and “New York-isms”, that provides a snapshot of the city and a fan base with high expectations, but it’s difficult not to imagine Storylines being a distinctive voice for pockets of culture that are less commercialized.

Other modes like Franchise and March To October have been largely untouched – pairing The Show 23’s amateur scouting system, postseason formats, and “Ohtani Rule” with custom game conditions and Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI). Road To The Show is directly tied to the Draft Combine, a four-day event where hitting, pitching, and fielding is graded to provide an accurate projection for attributes, comparisons, and club interest for the MLB Draft. It provides explanations for multiple ballplayer archetypes and their position’s focus, but the core narrative lacks creative ingenuity that goes beyond dated minigames and dialogue systems. Especially when it reaffirms what the community already knows: RTTS is for ‘80s mullets and XP bugs.

“Women Pave Their Way” is a fresh addition that alters the Road To The Show formula in new and exciting ways because it presents an atypical narrative about breaking barriers in baseball. It’s a unique pivot, led by narrative designer Mollie Braley and USA Baseball’s Kelsie Whitmore, and it’s one that promotes awareness of the women who play baseball and that other aspiring athletes are capable of competing at multiple levels. It sounds like “marketing jazz,” but Braley and SDS use pre-recorded video content with MLB Network’s Robert Flores, Lauren Shehadi, Dan O’Dowd, Melanie Newman, and Carlos Peña to stress the physical and mental adversity that is attached to carving a path in minor-league systems. They don’t sugarcoat anxieties or rewrite old baseball traditions; their intention is to inspire new and returning players to chase their lifelong dreams, and it’s a vision that gets its own full circle moment when MLB.com’s Sarah Langs starts detailing RPMs and spin rates.

With the exit velocities, Diamond Dynasty is off to its best start in years. The Show 24 alters 23’s Ultimate Team concepts to reintroduce “Seasons 2.0” – an expansion on “Sets & Seasons” that ditches 99 OVR player items on Day One for a traditional power creep, multiple Wild Card slots, monthly Team Affinity drops, and reward paths that differentiate Ranked, Events, and Conquest. There are Cornerstone Captains that implement seasonal archetypes for team building and new Team Captains that add comparable boosts to hitting and pitching attributes for all 30 MLB clubs – solely to create hypotheticals like Yankees vs Dodgers, Cubs vs Phillies, and Rays vs Padres. There are still microtransactions, sure, but The Show’s monetization policies are less iniquitous than Madden NFL, FIFA, and NBA 2K’s practices because they rarely “gatekeep” limited drops when there are hundreds of diamond player items “sitting at home.” Diamond Dynasty is still in need of a visual overhaul, a Custom Practice mode, a new uniform creation system, and more unique customization options that tap into collaborations with Sanford Greene, King Saladeen, and Takashi Okazaki, but listening to a community’s input is a start – especially if it continues.

MLB The Show 24 doesn’t hit it out of the park at every at-bat, but it doesn’t have to. The series is in the middle of an experimental phase that’s trying to mitigate its perpetual “online vs. offline” war. Despite a clear lack of innovation in mechanics, it has still found a way to impress, inspire, and engage with a younger generation that shares an interest in history. The Show’s art team is second to none, its OST shuffles Eladio Carrion, IDLES, Flowdan, and Brittany Howard with the grace of a 2 Chainz verse, and its “Grind 99” mantra has been edited to be a modern ideology – “play however and whenever.” It’s why Diamond Dynasty is the best take on Ultimate Team in terms of approachability and competition and why The Show 24 hopes to reignite annual titles through personalization. As the great Toni Stone once implied: “Get you one ‘cause I got mine.”

[krispyweiss]

Lyle Lovett and Leo Kottke at Midland Theatre, Newark, Ohio, Oct. 28, 2023

Dressed casually in jeans, Leo Kottke was talkative, gut-bustingly funny and similarly loquacious on guitar.

Donning dark formal wear sans tie, Lyle Lovett was more reserved - musically and otherwise - in joining Kottke in Conversation and Song, as their joint tour is dubbed, Oct. 28 at Newark’s Midland Theatre.

Talking about supermarkets, the laconic Lovett, speaking in his smooth Texas drawl, said his wife won’t say Piggly Wiggy; she calls it “that store.”

“I don’t like Come and Go,” Kottke shot back in his gravely baritone.

On it went for two hours, 10 minutes as the friends, colleagues and veritable opposites attracted a large crowd that ended the evening on its collective feet after Lovett and Kottke encored with the former’s “Church,” one of two songs the pair played together (Lovett’s “She’s No Lady” was the other) with Kottke’s low voice and fast-fingered fretting paired beautifully with Lovett’s higher, raspier, croon and simpler guitar style.

This is no knock. Virtually every guitarist plays with less complexity than Kottke.

He’s a band of one who transformed his six-string into an aural six-piece as he played “Twice,” from his partnership with Phish’s Mike Gordon; sung of love almost consummated on “Julie’s House;” and nodded to his heroes - Derek Trucks and Michael Hedges were among the names Kottke dropped throughout the evening - on John Fahey’s “The Last Stream Engine Train.” All told, Kottke offered seven majority instrumental songs that saw him employing slide, fingerpicking, harmonics, feedback and other devices to create the sounds Lovett accurately described as “perfect.”

“What came immediately after the steam engine?” Lovett asked his on-stage compatriot following Fahey’s number.

“A Plymouth,” Kottke replied.

For his part, Lovett played nine tunes, mixing such far-flung covers as Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man” and Guy Clark’s “Texas - 1947” with self-written fan favorites including “12th of June” and “Pony on My Boat.” And when Lovett performed “Ain’t it Something” after a particularly long-winded, circuitous and hilarious monologue from Kottke, during which he declared nothing is more frightening than happiness and freedom, Lovett explained the selection by saying: “That was the only song I could think of to support your story.”

Kottke couldn’t have been surprised.

“Non-sequiturs don’t faze me,” he said later in the evening.

Grade card: Lyle Lovett and Leo Kottke at Midland Theatre - 10/28/23 - A

10/29/23

[chisom-n]

St. Croix Day 6: Part 1

Today marked the second day of traditional classes for us, meeting on the second floor balcony of the King Christian Hotel at 9am island time. Professor Wittington started us off with a lecture and conversation about the indigenous and colonized history of St. Croix, focusing on the economies and changing ownerships of the island. Following a short break, we moved to the shaded balcony to hear Dr. Chajes facilitate a conversation about clean energy and sustainability certifications in preparation of our guest speaker tomorrow. We focused on the barriers and successes back home in Newark with regards to installing solar panels and designing efficient buildings across campus. I look forward to hearing from the island energy expert about their input on how St. Croix and the Virgin Islands are either accepting or resisting the changing attitudes towards fossil fuels and renewable energies.

Afterwards, the group was on their own until a grocery and supplies run later in the afternoon. I enjoyed the warmth of the island in the comfort of the hotel poolside, choosing to work on some application materials and work for back home. Some others of us enjoyed lounging and reading in the comfortable shade. Others explored the town a bit more, and some worked on class modules for the sustainability course.

As I sit here writing this blog post, I reflect on the intersection of island culture with tourism on St. Croix, specifically in these highly frequented areas of the island like Christiansted. Speaking with the locals around town—mainly those in service roles or visitors from just outside the city—it became clear to me that some of the traditional culture and practices of the island take a back seat to the need for tourism for the island economy. In fact, one shopkeeper told me that the cities themselves are too expensive for most native citizens of the island, and most individuals and households need multiple streams of income in order to afford the higher costs associated with tourism. This woman was a schoolteacher who also sold her artwork—pottery and handmade jewelry.

Another thing I have noticed on the island is that once it gets dark at night, many of the shops and restaurants in town close early, justifying it with lack of activity making it unprofitable to stay open late. Meanwhile, the boardwalk places, which cater more towards the Americanized tastes of tourists, stay open late into the night. I wonder if there is a way for more of the inland locations to enhance their patronage to also reap the benefits of tourism. This way, more of the economic flow from tourism would more directly enter the circulation of the locals and help them sustain themselves.

That’s all for now! I look forward to the activities and speakers that Professor Chajes and Wittington have lined up for us this week. Stay tuned to hear about those as they happen!

- Derek Wu

[smokygluvs]

The Offence

Released in 1973, to my mind this is not only one of Sydney Lumet's best films but one of Sean Connery's best performances.

To start with, there's the moustache and cigar combo.

You also get the brilliant and handsome Derek Newark (in the background and who's about to get his own post).

As social commentaries go, it pulls no punches and has stood the test of time. In fact, it's as relevant now as it was then - on both sides of the Atlantic - as far as police brutality goes. Brilliant.

[mariocki]

The Saint: Where the Money Is (6.14, ITC, 1968)

"People tell me you never get involved in anything unless you're interested. So, I made it interesting."

"Now it's getting exceedingly dull, so if you'll excuse me -"

"I haven't finished."

"I have."

"See this? There's ten grand in every pile. English pounds, Swiss or French francs, American dollars; you can have any one you want."

"Mr. Kersh, you have been buying people for too long. So whatever it is you want, the answer is no."

[cleowho]

“So that’s the contraption, is it?”

Inferno - season 07 - 1970

[ablogthatishenceforthmine]

Movies Seen in 2021

* 2021 releases are bolded

Black Orpheus

The Assistant

Black Hawk Down

One Night in Miami

Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always

Blackmail

The Half of It

News of the World

Derek DelGaudio’s In and Of Itself

The White Tiger

The Dig

Hotel Rwanda

Blazing Saddles

Judas and the Black Messiah

Nomadland

 Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar

Babyteeth

Minari

Coming to America

Coming 2 America

Raya and the Last Dragon

Unpregnant

Promising Young Woman

Another Round

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

The United States vs. Billie Holiday

Pieces of a Woman

Onward

Over the Moon

Godzilla vs. Kong

Wolfwalkers

Collective

Concrete Cowboy

Quo Vadis, Aida?

Crip Camp

The Mole Agent

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the World

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Bird Boy: The Forgotten Children

The Rocketeer

The Ballad of Lefty Brown

Stowaway

I’m Your Woman

The Elephant Man

All the Money in the World

Phantom Lady

Riders of Justice

Bo Burnham: Inside

Antonia’s Line

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool

Tomboy

In the Heights

Luca

 Molly’s Game

The Blue Angel

No Sudden Move

Black Widow

The Quiet Place Part II

Platnium Blonde

Thoroughbreds

The Green Knight

Jungle Cruise

The Suicide Squad

Love, Simon

Pig

Coda

Blue is the Warmest Color

Unsane

The Fast and the Furious

Malignant

All The President’s Men

Gemini

Fast Times at Ridgemount High

Come From Away

Battle Royale

Candyman (1992)

Candyman (2021)

You Were Never Really Here

Dear Evan Hanson

The Many Saints of Newark

Titane

High Fidelity

Disobedience

Blue Velvet

The Good Dinosaur

Nightmare Before Christmas

Let the Sunshine In

Velvet Goldmine

Aguirre, Wrath of God

The Eternals

The Last Duel

Tully

Bob Le Flambeur

The French Dispatch

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Dune

Revenge

Obvious Child

Last Night in Soho

John Carter

Tick,Tick…Boom!

The Goonies

Shiva Baby

Spencer

Barton Fink

Drive My Car

Passing

The Power of The Dog

West Side Story (1961)

Saint Maud

Licorice Pizza